Bryan Murray got a one-year extension on his contract with the Senators. Make no mistake, Murray has exactly that amount of time and nop more to prove himself. While his draft picks have been good (and mostly reliant on the Sens' scouting team), his trades have been dismal so far.



Always on the lookout for players who wear a Stanley Cup ring, Murray was responsible for the trade that brought Mike Commodore and Cory Stillman to Ottawa. He also traded Antoine Vermette to Columbus for Pascal Leclaire. Netiher move has been very good for the Sens. Although he also pulled the trigger on the Heatley trade for Milan Michalek and Jonathan Cheechoo, his hands were tied on that one. The timing and the looning start of the season meant that he had to do a move, almost any move that looked good on paper.

Murray also brought John Paddock and Craig Hartsburg behind the Senators bench, two worthless choices until he finaly hit paydirt with Cory Clouston. While his latest trade is still a continuation of that Heatley trade (and a throwback to his penchant for past Stanley Cup winners), Murray has to get the Senators deep into the playoff, and by extension, some more butts into Scotiabank Place seats if he's going to keep his job.