When Ottawa Senators GM Bryan Murray puts his ear to the ground these days, he hears the rest of the Eastern Conference creeping up the standings. And riding a four-game losing streak going into his team's game Friday night, Murray doesn't have much time to figure out exactly what team he has this season.
And it's important that he does that right away. Because with the Feb. 27 trade deadline looming, Murray is a GM who is more betwixt and between than perhaps any other. http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/44551-Campbell-Senators-caught-between-rebuild-and-playoff-push.html
Shacks' Take: The article is kind of mis-leading. Ottawa is not caught in between anything; they are a team that is in rebuilding that happens to be capable of making the playoffs. 16 teams make the playoffs in the NHL, not all of them have viable chance of making the finals. Occasionally, less talented teams can catch lightning-in-a-bottle and clutch and grab their way to the finals, but that scenario hasn't played itself out since Edmonton and Carolina met in 2006. Since then, it's been a steady diet of the best teams that have built championship winners. Ottawa wants to be where Chicago, Vancouver & Detroit are: consistently in the mix, maximizing their chances by being able to compete year after year. There is no use making any kind of a trade to help this year if it jeopardizes their chances for sustained success.
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