Meh, it's a depth move, and I have no complaints with it considering what was given up in getting him. The fact of the matter is that he's an affordable forward that can play either in the minors or on the big squad. This is no world shaker, that's for sure, but it gives Hartsburg and the rest of the coaching staff another forward to consider at training camp. He's definitely small, but I like having guys like this in the system. He had good college numbers (not unlike St. Louis, though not as prolific), he's had good success in the AHL as a point per game scorer (again, not unlike St. Louis), and he actually had decent scoring numbers in the NHL as well. I don't want to keep the St. Louis comparisons going, but it took St. Louis about 3-4 seasons before he became a weapon, and Shannon will be coming into his third NHL season this year, they are listed at the same height as each other, and there is only a listed 2-pound difference between the two of them, which basically means that one of them used the bathroom on weigh-in day and the other did not. I don't want to say he's going to be the next Martin St. Louis, but if you don't take a shot, you'll never know. He's small, but there's a niche for small guys in the league right now, and if he can find his role, there's no reason to think that he couldn't make the team.
For those of you knocking Brian Murray, every move he's made this off-season has improved the organization, whether it was providing depth at the minor league level, or provided NHL-caliber players to be on a team that is already pretty good. I'm no homer by any stretch, but I have complete faith in Brian Murray, even more so after this off-season. The Senators are still going to be one of the best teams in the East this coming year thanks to the moves he's made since becoming GM.
