At least the Leafs don't have Muckler

Yesterday, the Ottawa Senators declined to make a contract qualifying offer to Tyler Arnason before the deadline expired, making the forward a free agent free agent on July 1st.

This move is just the latest in a long line of failures John Muckler has executed on the behalf of the Senators. The evidence supporting this accusation is damning, and can be rated only as an incredible misread of Arnason's "talents." Think:

1.) The biggest concern in Ottawa's lineup at this season's trade deadline - other than the one in net - was to acquire some quality depth at centre. An experienced veteran, capable of taking some key faceoffs, who could deflect some of the pressure from number-1 centre Jason Spezza, and could shoulder some of the burden of making a lengthy playoff run. In 19 games with Ottawa, Arnason totalled o goals, 4 points, and was a healthy scratch for every minute of the post-season. That should be no surprise though, since he had been a healthy scratch for the Blackhawks earlier this year. From Chris Stevenson's March 10, 2006 breakdown on the trade:

"Arnason was a healthy scratch for one game last month with the 'Hawks when coach Trent Yawney felt he wasn't getting enough out of his talent. 'He's been given enough rope to show us what he can do,' Yawney said at the time. 'He's played with players he wants to play with. He's played every power play and every offensive situation, and his play isn't at the level I think it should be.'

Said Arnason after that: 'They want me to play better, so I guess I have to try harder.' "

I guess Tyler didn't try hard enough.

2.) Fairly or not, Ottawa has been accused for years as a team lacking grit. In Arnason, Muckler managed to obtain a player who totalled 6 hits the entire season. The figure is embarrassingly low considering he appeared (so the boxscores say, anyway) in 79 games. To help put that figure in perspective, Jason Spezza, one of the most un-physical players in the NHL (I know - tell that to Carlo Colaiacovo) managed 12 hits in 2005-2006. Again, from Stevenson's article:

"(Bryan) Murray knows of Arnason's reputation as an underachiever.

'He hasn't run into me yet,' chuckled Murray.

'He'll come in, I believe, highly motivated.' "

3.) Chicago's asking price for Arnason was a 2nd round pick, and a decent prospect in Brandon Bochenski. Since Arnason contributed, literally, almost nothing to the Senators' cause during his time in Ottawa, Muckler essentially donated these assets to the Blackhawks. But hey, prospects are just a gamble. You always trade the coin-flip minor-leaguer for the can't-miss veteran talent, right?

4.) In Chicago, probably in part due to the reasons I touched on above, Arnason was nearly beaten to death by his former coach, Brian Sutter. Okay, not to death.

Given the above points, it's possible to argue that Muckler got the exact opposite of the player the Senators needed for a successful playoff performance.

How does a general manager of an NHL hockey team look at everything I listed above - and Arnason's reputation was no secret before the trade was made - and pull the trigger anyway? At best, this is irresponsible arrogance. At worst - total negligence.

Why do so many blame Alfredsson, Emery, Heatley, or anyone else for the failures of the team, but the guy in charge of running it - with the existing core of players present from the day he was hired - is unaccountable?

But you know what? Senator fans shouldn't worry too much about what the team gave up for Arnason, though. Boo-Boo Garrioch reported Muckler's comments on the trade today:

"Who said (Bochenski) was a good prospect?" said Muckler. "He had a good training camp and he had other opportunities when he was called up from (Binghamton), but he was a guy that we deemed to be expendable."

Who said he's a good prospect? Only a guy named John Muckler:

"Here's a player (Bochenski) who has scored in every league he's played in and everyone questions it?" Muckler said. "The same thing will happen when he plays in the NHL. He has great hands and he gets his shot away very quickly."

Did I say Muckler is "negligent"?

I meant, "senile."