Blogger Reaction to Bondra Trade
Again, this is not proof that the sponsorship scandal is blowing over!
Blogging in Black, Red & Gold:
As for Bondra, since he was playing the Sens last night I noticed how he's still damn fast. He caught up to Alfredsson on a breakaway during last night's game. He'll just add more speed to possibly the fastest group of wingers in the league. He'll also help playing the point on the powerplay. The Sens can now send out Redden with Alfredsson and Chara with Bondra on the points for their two powerplay lineups to go along with Hossa, Havlat, Bonk, Spezza, Smolinski, etc up front.
Another question is, when everyone's healthy, who does Bondra push out of the Sens lineup? Probably Josh Langfeld who has looked really good since he got recalled from Binghamton with 13 points in his last 16 games. But then again, when does a team have everyone healthy in the NHL these days?
Ottawa Sports Blog:
"The deal certainly fully backs Eugene Melnyk's assertion in the Citizen last week that he'd do "whatever it takes" to win the Cup. It seems like only yesterday that Senators' deadline acquisitions were guys like Ylonen, Sillinger, and Brunet. Decent players but... in the end it's still only Benoit Brunet. The Senators have made a few above average acquisitions too. Bryan Smolinski and Tom Barrasso come to mind. In the end, Bondra has the potential to trump them all. He's certainly the most talented player they've ever traded for."
Off Wing Opinion:
"Concerned with nothing more than padding his offensive totals early in his career, Bondra eventually developed an all-around game you could admire. That was never more apparent than three seasons ago, when the Caps acquired Jaromir Jagr from the Penguins. The contrast between the two players couldn't have been more striking. Jagr, an incredible natural talent, never, ever looked like he was working very hard. On the other hand, it was clear that Bondra didn't leave anything on the ice, playing a game that took him up and down the length of the playing surface.
He played the point on the power play. He killed penalties. And this season, he was sold on taking on the mission of shutting down the top enemy skaters. And he did it all without complaint."
Blogging in Black, Red & Gold:
As for Bondra, since he was playing the Sens last night I noticed how he's still damn fast. He caught up to Alfredsson on a breakaway during last night's game. He'll just add more speed to possibly the fastest group of wingers in the league. He'll also help playing the point on the powerplay. The Sens can now send out Redden with Alfredsson and Chara with Bondra on the points for their two powerplay lineups to go along with Hossa, Havlat, Bonk, Spezza, Smolinski, etc up front.
Another question is, when everyone's healthy, who does Bondra push out of the Sens lineup? Probably Josh Langfeld who has looked really good since he got recalled from Binghamton with 13 points in his last 16 games. But then again, when does a team have everyone healthy in the NHL these days?
Ottawa Sports Blog:
"The deal certainly fully backs Eugene Melnyk's assertion in the Citizen last week that he'd do "whatever it takes" to win the Cup. It seems like only yesterday that Senators' deadline acquisitions were guys like Ylonen, Sillinger, and Brunet. Decent players but... in the end it's still only Benoit Brunet. The Senators have made a few above average acquisitions too. Bryan Smolinski and Tom Barrasso come to mind. In the end, Bondra has the potential to trump them all. He's certainly the most talented player they've ever traded for."
Off Wing Opinion:
"Concerned with nothing more than padding his offensive totals early in his career, Bondra eventually developed an all-around game you could admire. That was never more apparent than three seasons ago, when the Caps acquired Jaromir Jagr from the Penguins. The contrast between the two players couldn't have been more striking. Jagr, an incredible natural talent, never, ever looked like he was working very hard. On the other hand, it was clear that Bondra didn't leave anything on the ice, playing a game that took him up and down the length of the playing surface.
He played the point on the power play. He killed penalties. And this season, he was sold on taking on the mission of shutting down the top enemy skaters. And he did it all without complaint."
