Some Ottawa fans were outraged by the team's unwillingness to cough up what Dallas did for the local boy and fan favourite, but there is another factor that some were missing. Had the Senators convinced Vegas to not take Methot, George McPhee would've simply turned around and nabbed Fredrik Claesson instead. This chart (courtesy of the amazing blog Own The Puck's Comparison Tool) demonstrates quite clearly that Fredrik Claesson is the better of the two.
Compare Claesson to a Number 2 defender, and the results should make Sens fans much more confident in the team's defense corps.
This brings us back to Oduya. With Karlsson and Claesson looking like Ottawa's 1-2 d-men, the Senators have found their replacement for Methot. With Claesson moving up, Thomas Chabot can fill in to his old spot. This means that Johnny Oduya is not a replacement, but an addition, the question is, who does he fill in for?
Ceci and Wideman have lost some confidence among fans and coaches but with right handed d-men ever in demand it would seem they would be safely in the lineup. Thomas Chabot should have every chance to prove himself and Ottawa should have every expectation that he'll make the lineup, but perhaps a little more seasoning could do him good. This leaves us with Dion Phaneuf.
Refusing to waive his no-movement clause and costing the Sens Marc Methot left a foul taste in many fans mouths. Phaneuf, though, had every right to exercise the clause he negotiated for in his contract and having a player who actually wants to stay in Ottawa is a welcomed change of pace. I, for one, had always been opposed to moving Phaneuf, the price would likely be low and Ottawa would have to retain plenty of salary, on a budget team that's slowly creeping into the league's upper echelon of spenders, and who still need to sign a 4-time Norris winner to a new contract (yes, I called him a 4-time winner, you damn well know he should be), paying a player no longer on the roster shouldn't be part of a financial strategy. But now, with Johnny Oduya on board and able to play some bottom pair minutes effectively and cheaply, if Thomas Chabot can step into a Top 4 role, there will be no need for Dion Phaneuf.
Maybe a team like Edmonton, who paid $16M over four years for Kris Freakin' Russel, would be willing to pay a similar number for Dion Phaneuf, that would mean the Sens only would pay Phaneuf $3M for the next 4 years, and with the cap expected to rise with the next CBA, that number may seem marginal in a few seasons. The Oilers may not want to add to their d-corps as they seem to be content with what they have already, but surely there is a team or two out there who would give some decent picks and/or prospects for a veteran d-man if his salary can be made reasonable.
