Depth chart update: An experiment in speculation

You know what? I'm just going to go ahead and do it. I know that Sens GM Bryan Murray is far from finished, and this lineup will likely be changed--possibly significantly--when the regular season opens across the pond in Sweden, but I figure that since I've got nothing better to do on this beautiful afternoon but sit in my danky basement and burn my retinas, I'm going to assemble a Sens' depth chart:

Heatley	Spezza	Alfredsson
Winchester	Fisher	Foligno
Ruutu	Kelly	Neil
McAmmond	Bass	Donovan
Daugavins	Zubov	Condra
Bashkirov	Nikulin

That is actually a pretty good top four lines, I think. When (if?) Antoine Vermette gets signed, we'll have a suspicious number of NHL-ready forwards. Unless someone is going to to very disappointed after training camp, expect a trade for of one NHL-ready player for a few AHL-ready prospects. Or perhaps part of a package for another second-line player, which would likely bump Jesse Winchester down to third-line minutes. I'm hoping that we don't get another quick-fix and have a repeat of the failed Randy Robitaille experiment (best of luck, Ropes), and that we get actual NHL-calibre help.

There could maybe be a bit more scoring in there, but forward lines look a lot like they did last year. Defense, though...

Phillips	Volchenkov
Nycholat	Lee
Carkner	Schubert
Lyamin	Blood
Karlsson	Kudelka

Egads. Obviously if we sign Andrej Meszaros there's more depth, but he's unsigned at the moment. There are rumours of an offer sheet for Jay Bouwmeester from Florida, which would be pretty awesome based on his size, ability to skate, and on pissing Jacques Martin off, but I somehow doubt it will happen. Doesn't seem Murray's style.

(Some information from HockeysFuture.com. Let me know if I missed someone... )