Bochenski Trade Brings Zero Return
June 26, 2006
Months after trading hot prospect Brandon Bochenski to Chicago at the trade deadline for center Tyler Arnason, the Senators have decided to let him go by failing to offer the RFA a qualifying offer.
“I still think he’s going to play in the NHL and probably get a contract somewhere else,” said Muckler. “We asked him if he’d take a reduction in pay and he refused to do that.
“Our assessment was that we could do better in the free agency or trade markets.”
Arnason “wasn’t in good shape at all” when he reported from the Blackhawks, said Muckler.
Don’t get me wrong, I think this is a smart move by the Sens. Arnason has always been labeled as an underachiever. My beef is in making this trade to begin with. This deal just smelled of Muckler making a trade because he felt he needed to do SOMETHING. And forget losing Bochenski and look at the affect this probably had on the Sens. The two finalist this season make big splashes by landing Roloson, Pronger, and Weight. The Senators got Arnason who shows up out of shape and is given much more ice time than he deserved. I can’t help, but think that his ice time would have served the team better if it was given to another guy who might actually have played in the post season. Just look at Denis Hamel who not only had a career season in Bingo, but had already played with the majority of the Senators the last two years AND played with and against most of the Buffalo team. You don’t think Hamel would have had something to prove against the Sabres AND for the Ottawa brass who kept him stuck in the minors all year.
I had given Muckler the benefit of the doubt in the past, but now I’m envisioning his head on a platter. Unfortunately it seems like he’s going to be given the opportunity to screw this organization one more time and a bad move during this critical off season is just the icing on the cake to get him canned. My prediction is that he misses the boat on landing and significant free agents, signs back most of the guys, and brings back Dominik Hasek who will prove once more to be more distraction than savior. I hope Muckler proves me wrong.
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