We want it Bad!

Available Players

2010-02-26T17:10:00.003-05:00

Here is a brief overview of who is available at the moment:

Skill forwards:

1- Nathan Horton (FLA)

2- Ray Whitney (CAR)

3- Alexei Ponikarovsky (TOR)

4- Paul Kariya (STL)

5- Keith Tkachuk (STL)

6- Peter Mueller (PHX)

7- Steve Reinprecht (FLA)

8- Doug Weight (NYI)

9- Andrew Cogliano (EDM)

10- Slava Kozlov (ATL)

Gritt forwards:

1- Colby Armstrong (ATL)

2- Steve Ott (DAL)

3- Raffi Torres (CBJ)

4- Eric Belanger (MIN)

5- Owen Nolan (MIN)

6- Lee Stempniak (TOR)

7- Ethan Moreau (EDM)

Offensive defensemen:

1- Tomas Kaberle (TOR)

2- Sheldon Souray (EDM)

3- Pavel Kubina (ATL)

4- Joe Corvo (CAR)

5- Dennis Seidenberg (FLA)

6- Carlo Colaiacovo (STL)

Defensive defensemen:

1- Dan Hamhuis (NSH)

2- Andy Sutton (NYI)

3- Darryl Sydor (STL)

4- Jordan Leopold (FLA)

5- Milan Jurcina (CBJ)

6- Aaron Ward (CAR)

Goaltenders:

1- Tomas Vokoun (FLA)

2- Dan Ellis (NSH)

3- Dwayne Roloson (NYI)

4- Martin Biron (NYI)

5- Josh Harding (MIN)

6- Alex Auld (DAL)

Hiatus no. 10 987 Ends

2010-02-25T13:33:00.002-05:00

The title says it all folks.
After pondering the move for several days, I have decided to re-open the blog.
I hope that the few followers I previously had are willing to let bygones be bygones and start re-reading WWIB's content after my lack of determination let this blog slide.

Once more, I sincerely apologize for abruptly ceasing operations, and will try to make up for it by offering the best pre- and post-trade deadline coverage I possibly can!

Thanks for your time,
WWIB

Tuesday Rumor Roundup

2009-06-23T09:58:00.004-05:00

- The Calgary Flames are expected to introduce to Brent Sutter as their new head coach later today. For those who didn't see, I wrote a little on the topic here.

- The Pittsburgh Penguins' top priority this offseason: re-signing Rob Scuderi.

- As expected, Chris Chelios will not be re-signed by the Red Wings.

- F Dany Heatley has informed Senators GM Bryan Murray of his 10 preferred destinations: Los Angeles, New York, San Jose, Detroit, Chicago, Vancouver and Boston are 7 of them.

Caps hire Woods as assistant coach

2009-06-22T12:24:00.003-05:00

Just a few moments ago, word got through that the Capitals have promoted Bob Woods to the assistant coach position.

Woods has no prior NHL coaching experience and served as Hershey's head coach from November 2007 to June 2009, where he maintained a record of 83-47-15 and recently captured the 2009 Calder Cup.

The former defenceman replaces Jay Leach who was let go at the beginning of the offseason. He had been with the Club since the 2005-06 season and was in charge of the team's defense.

This certainly seems like a good move, especially with the past success the Caps have had with promoting people from within the organization. In addition to his presumably good relationship with his players, Woods is a good friend of Boudreau's, which should bode well!

Monday Rumor Roundup

2009-06-22T07:26:00.002-05:00

Not much going on this morning, but thankfully the Red Wings are here to keep us busy:

- Two writers went ahead and explained why the Wings should not re-sign Marian Hossa, even though they claim that their decision has nothing to do with the 2009 playoff debacle that occurred in the Motor City, both for the Club and the star forward.

- Chris Chelios and Red Wings GM Ken Holland will reportedly meet in the coming days to discuss the 47-year old's future with the organization. He claims that he still would like to play, so a return to Detroit does not appear imminent.

Sunday Rumor Roundup

2009-06-21T19:43:00.004-05:00

UPDATE 8:45 PM:

- On an interesting side note, I stumbled upon a very intriguing piece in the Buffalo News, where writer Dan Zakroczemski lays out his "GM for a day" plan. Firstly, he suggests that the Sabres should upgrade their front office through the hiring of a good scout as assistant-GM to Darcy Regier. He then continues by indicating that the Sabres should rid themselves of most of their veterans, including D Toni Lydman and F Jochen Hecht, and put their youth in charge. Finally, he believes strongly that the Sabres should sign D Jay Bouwmeester.

- Cross the Edmonton Oilers off Jay Bouwmeester's list of possible suitors.

- Things are looking grim for the Nashville Predators as they do not believe that they will be able to meet their UFAs' demands by July 1st. Nashville's most notable UFA is F Steve Sullivan, who had a great year with 32 points in 41 games after his return from severe back injuries.

- Many things, including the hiring of Francois Allaire as goalie coach, are starting to indicate that G Jonas Gustavsson will end up a Toronto Maple Leaf.

Available Cap Room Rankings

2009-06-21T09:52:00.002-05:00

The title says it all: here is a ranking of teams according to their available cap space for the 2009-10 season. This list will certainly highlight July 1st's top buyers, even though a certain portion of each team's cap space will have to be used on re-signing RFAs. Remember that each team does not also necessarily spend up to the cap.

Important Notice: Let's assume the Cap is at US$ 56.7 M.

All numbers represent approximate values.

1- Nashville Predators: 33.5 M

2- Montreal Canadiens: 33 M

3- New York Islanders: 33 M

4- Phoenix Coyotes: 27.5 M

5- Atlanta Thrashers: 26 M

6- Vancouver Canucks: 21 M

7- Chicago Blackhawks: 22.5 M

8- Tampa Bay Lightning: 19.5 M

9- Florida Panthers: 18.5 M

10- Anaheim Ducks: 18 M

11- New York Rangers: 16 M

12- Dallas Stars: 14 M

13- Columbus Blue Jackets: 15 M

14- Los Angeles Kings: 15 M

15- Toronto Maple Leafs: 15 M

16- New Jersey Devils: 14.5 M

17- St. Louis Blues: 13 M

18- Carolina Hurricanes: 12.5 M

19- Minnesota Wild: 12 M

20- Colorado Avalanche: 11.25 M

21- Washington Capitals: 10.75 M

22- Edmonton Oilers: 9 M

23- Buffalo Sabres: 8.75 M

24- San Jose Sharks: 8.5 M

25- Calgary Flames: 7.5 M

26- Pittsburgh Penguins: 6.5 M

27- Boston Bruins: 6.5 M

28- Ottawa Senators: 4 M

29- Detroit Red Wings: 3.75 M

30- Philadelphia Flyers: 3.5 M

In Bold are teams that did not spend up to US$50 M in salaries last season.

In Blue are teams that have substantial RFAs to re-sign this offseason.

List of KHL-bound Players

2009-06-20T23:29:00.003-05:00

For those of you wondering if any of your team's players have signed on officially with KHL clubs for next seasons, I have created this list that you may consult with angst:

Forwards:

- Viktor Kozlov (Washington): Salavat Yulaev UFA [3-years, US$2 M/y]

- Alexander Nikulin (Phoenix): CSKA Moscow [1-year]

- Marek Zagrapan (Buffalo): Severstal Cherepovets [3-years]

- Richard Zednik (Florida): Lokomotiv Yaraslavl on a [2-years]

Goaltenders:

- Mikael Tellqvist (Buffalo): Ak Bars Kazan [1-year, US$1.3 M]

Report: Sutter to coach Flames

2009-06-20T23:16:00.003-05:00

In an unexpected turn of events, it seems as if newly liberated head coach Brent Sutter will actually join his brother, Darryl, in Calgary to become the next head coach of the club.

Sutter possesses a 97-56-11 record in the regular season in 2 seasons as the head coach of the New Jerseys Devils, but a 4-8 mark in the postseason. It is important to note that the Viking, Alberta native never made it out of the first round over the past 2 seasons with the Devils, but then again, so did the Flames!

Round 3: Molsons re-acquire Montreal franchise

2009-06-20T22:40:00.005-05:00

Congratulations to the Molson brothers on their purchase of the Montreal Canadiens from George N. Gillett, for the modest sum of US$550 M!

In all seriousness, this event truly makes me happy as it puts an end to a long series of events that began earlier this year when the American millionaire hired Jacques Menard from BMO to evaluate his assets. Gillett, due to the poor economy, was heading into a dark financial hole if he didn't cut his losses which were mostly generated by his Nascar and English Soccer ventures. Today that dark hole turned into a fluffier and greener one.

This day also marks the end of Gillett's run as an NHL owner, a particularly successful one at that. In an industry where proprietors are ecstatic to cover their expenses, Gillett doubled the value of the Canadian franchise over a span of 8 years, from US$225 M (the price he paid Molson Coors in 2001) to US$550 M.

Numerous other groups were amongst the bidders for the Historic Club, the Bell Centre and Gillett Entertainment Group, including one lead by Quebecor mastermind Pierre-Karl Pelladeau. In the end, the Molsons ponied up their savings and decided to purchase the Canadiens, in order to try and restore to the team the prestige it had possessed under their family in past years.

The Molsons (Hartland and Thomas) originally purchased the Canadiens as well as the Canadian Arena Company, in 1957. They then proceeded to sell off both assets to their cousins (J. David, William A. and Peter B.) for approximately US$5 M. In 1971, the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge was sold by the Molsons to a group headed by the Bronfman family.

In a second attempt to lead the Montreal franchise to more success, Molson Breweries of Canada Ltd. purchased the club from this same group in 1978 and had possession of it until 2001. During their combined 37 years of ownership, the Molsons were present for 11 of the Canadiens' 24 stanley cup victories. But leave it at that, they're 0n an 8-year losing skid!

NHL Trade Deadline

2009-03-04T08:05:00.029-05:00

The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired F Bill Guerin for a conditional 5th round draft pick.

The Boston Bruins acquired F Mark Recchi and a 2nd round pick in 2010 from the Tampa Bay Lightning for D Matt Lashoff and F Martins Karsums.

The Calgary Flames acquired F Olli Jokinen from the Phoenix Coyotes for F Matthew Lombardi, F Brandon Prust and a 1st round pick.

The Boston Bruins acquired D Steve Montador from the Anaheim Ducks for F Petteri Nokelainen.

12:15 PM- The Dallas Stars claimed F Brendan Morrison off waivers from the Anaheim Ducks

12:15 PM- The Toronto Maple Leafs claimed G Martin Gerber off waivers from the Ottawa Senators.

The Buffalo Sabres acquired G Mikael Tellqvist from the Phoenix Coyotes for a 4th round pick in 2010.

The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired D Andy Wozniewski from the St. Louis Blues for D Danny Richmond.

The Calgary Flames acquired D Jordan Leopold from the Colorado Avalanche for D Lawrence Nycholat, D Ryan Wilson and a 2nd round pick in 2009.

10:50 AM- The Lightning are said to be asking for a 2nd rounder for Mark Recchi.

10:47 AM- Tim Connolly has signed a 2-year, 9 M contract extension with the Sabres.

10:34 AM- Brian Burke has confirmed that Nik Antropov and Dominic Moore will not be Leafs by 3:00 PM EST.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have agreed to trade G Pascal Leclaire and a 2nd round pick to the Ottawa Senators for F Antoine Vermette.

9:55 AM- The Ottawa Senators have re-signed D Filip Kuba to a 3-year contract worth 3.7 M per year. He is off the market.

9:41 AM- The Canucks have reportedly offered F Mason Raymond, D Kevin Bieksa and a 1st round pick for Panthers D Jay Bouwmeester.

9:40 AM- A two-year contract worth an approximate 4 M is on the table for Sabres' forward Tim Connolly.

9:27 AM- For teams to acquire Nik Antropov, they wil have to surrender a 2nd round draft pick, as well as a 3rd rounder.

9:25 AM- Tomas Kaberle seems unlikely to be traded, due to his recent injury and the Maple Leafs' asking price for his services (1st rounder, prospect, player).

9:20 AM- Chris Pronger has been officially pulled off the market by the Anaheim Ducks.

9:19 AM - Martin St. Louis seems to be officially off the market. Among his suitors are the New York Rangers.

8:43 AM- According to Pierre McGuire, the a satisfactory package for Jay Bouwmeester would be a 4 component one, like last year's Marian Hossa trade.

8:41 AM- As per Doug McLean, the San Jose Sharks will be active in today's trade market.

8:36 AM- Goaltender Martin Biron has officially quashed a trade that would have ultimately sent him to the Atlanta Thrashers. Kari Lehtonen was a part of it.

8:35 AM- The Montreal Canadiens and the Washington Capitals are currently discussing a possible Michael Nylander trade.

8:31 AM- 6 to 7 teams are said to be interested in acquiring center Dominic Moore from the Maple Leafs. Some have offered a 2nd round pick for the 28-yr old.

8:21 AM-The Los Angeles Kings have signed defenceman Sean O'Donnell to a 1-year, 1.25 M contract extension. This takes him off the market.

Summary of Tuesday's Activity

2009-03-03T22:46:00.002-05:00

10:45 PM- The Vancouver Canucks have re-signed F Alex Burrows to a 4-year, 8 M contract.

12:52 PM- The following players have been placed on waivers:

RW Miroslav Satan (PIT): 17 G, 19 A, 36 Pts/3.5 M
C Brendan Morrison (ANA): 10 G, 12 A, 22 Pts/2.75 M
LW Gary Roberts (TB): 4 G, 3 A, 7 Pts in 30 GP/2.07 M
G Martin Gerber (OTT): 4-9-1, .899 sv%, 2.86 gaa/1.85 M
C Eric Perrin (ATL): 5 G, 10 A, 15 Pts/0.75 M
LW Jon Sim (NYI): 9 G, 6 A, 15 Pts in 49 GP/1 M

12:05 PM- The New York Rangers have claimed F Sean Avery off waivers from the Dallas Stars. They will be responsible for half of his remaining salary over the next 3 seasons, or of US$3.875 M, and Dallas will pick up the tab on the other one.

12:04 PM- The Minnesota Wild and G Niklas Backstrom have agreed on a 4-year, US$24 M contract extension. The finnish goaltender is in the midst of another terrific season, with a 28-18-4 record, a .925 save percentage and a 2.24 goals-against-average. He also has a career-high 6 shutouts.

The Current State of Things

2009-03-03T18:12:00.003-05:00

Update:
- Montreal Canadiens defenceman Mathieu Carle, currently playing for their AHL affiliate the Hamilton Bulldogs, has requested a trade.
- Devils' GM Lou Lamoriello says that he will try to trade goaltender Scott Clemmensen before tomorrow's Deadline.
- The Maple Leafs have decided to have forwards Dominic Moore and Nik Antropov sit tonight's game against the Devils out. According to Sportnet's Nick Kypreos, the Leafs mostly fear that either player might get injured, thus reducing their market value.
- In similar fashion, Tampa Bay has decided to scratch veteran forward Mark Recchi.
- Among others, the Montreal Canadiens seem poised to make another move over the next 20 hours. They currently have 9 defencemen including Mathieu Dandenault, who supposedly asked Bob Gainey for a trade in the last 10 days. Tonight's performance against the Buffalo Sabres will be a decisive factor in Gainey's approach to the Deadline.
- The trade that should send Bill Guerin to "an Eastern Conference team" seems more and more likely to be falling apart.
- Most Rangers, including head coach John Tortorella, seem happy to have Sean Avery back in the organization.
- Once more, few people know what to expect from Capitals GM George McPhee as the 2009 Trade Deadline looms. The only thing we do know is that he is looking at the situation with the long term in mind and is not inclined to trade prospects for rental players.

Heading into the Trade Deadline

2009-03-03T13:11:00.005-05:00

Over the past few years, the words "trade" and "trade deadline" have had multiple meanings for Capitals fans.

Firstly, they had a negative connotation. They were associated with the rebuilding phase that was taking place in the US Capital and with the subsequent trading of talented players for draft picks and prospects. This point in time could not be represented in better fashion than by the 2003-04 season, more precisely by the last month before the Trade Deadline. At this point in time, one after the other, Washington stars Jaromir Jagr (New York), Peter Bondra (Ottawa), Robert Lang (Detroit) and Sergei Gonchar (Boston) were sent on planes heading north of the Verizon Center. In total, these 4 trades amassed a surprising total of 4 players, including forwards Anson Carter, Brooks Laich and Tomas Fleischmann and defenceman Shaone Morrisonn, as well as 5 draft picks (2 first rounders in 2004, 2 second rounders in 2004 and 1 fourth rounder in 2006) and obtained an important salary relief. One year later, the Capitals continued to part ways with veterans for draft picks, as they did with fan-favourite Brendan Witt and forward Jeff Friesen. The following season, the tide seemed to change when the Capitals signed enforcer Donald Brashear and defencemen Brian Pothier and John Erskine, indicating the team might not be so distant from reclaiming its' past success. But another disappointing season led them once more to trading several veterans for some future hope, incarnated by draft selections. It was then a dark time in the Capital as there was no indication that the team was near any form of revival, even after all these sacrifices.

But suddenly all of that changed. The past failure seemed to subside and the sacrifices looked worthwile: the Capitals were now winning with a new coach and some of these draft picks coming into their own, such as Mike Green and Alexander Semin. The 2008 trade deadline offered Caps fans finally a glimmer of hope as the team was commencing its' historic comeback toward a Southeast Division championship. It was the first time general manager George McPhee had been placed in such a situation in several years: he was now a "buyer". Not knowing what to expect, the media and the fans awaited with excitement February 26th. On this day, the Capitals made a splash in the NHL pond as they acquired veteran goaltender Cristobal Huet from the Montreal Canadiens and forwards Sergei Fedorov and Matt Cooke from the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Vancouver Canucks, respectively. These acquisitions proved to be exactly what the club needed to obtain it's first playoff birth since the 2002-03 season, as it won 10 of its' last 11 games.

Heading into this year's trade deadline, we only remember too well George McPhee's potential to astound us with his creativeness. Among the names that have been linked to DC are forward Bill Guerin and defenceman Derek Morris. The Nylander situation has also been a source of media speculation. Unbeknownst to me is the pertinence of the acquisiton of Bill Guerin, since his offensive production, 16 goals and 20 assists in 61 games, would only make him another regular face in this already crowded bottom 3 lines. On the other hand, the acquisition of a veteran defenceman such as Derek Morris would provide some much needed stability to the back end of the Capitals' defensive corps, an important factor in the team's and in Jose Theodore's success. Lastly, as much as we would like Nyles to be traded, not due to him being a bad teammate or producer (give him a fair chance, he was put on the 3rd line as opposed to the 1st where he had been successful in the past), I guarantee he will remain part of the team through the 3:00 PM EST NHL Trade Deadline. But even then, with GMGM, you truly never know what might happen...

Trade Deadline Predictions

2009-03-03T06:35:00.008-05:00

Here are my predictions as to where certain big names might end up.
It is important to note that last year's success rate was an unflattering 9.5 % (2-for-21).

Forwards

Nik Antropov (TOR): Columbus
Bill Guerin (NYI): Washington
Jeff Halpern (TB): Staying Put
Olli Jokinen (PHX): Staying Put
Tomas Kaberle (TOR): Staying Put
Ian Laperriere (COL): Pittsburgh
Dominic Moore (TOR): Anaheim
Chris Neil (OTT): Edmonton
Michael Nylander (WSH): Staying put
Samuel Pahlsson (ANA): Chicago
Mark Recchi (TB): Nashville
Jarkko Ruutu (OTT): Pittsburgh
Antoine Vermette (OTT): Columbus

Defencemen

Jay Bouwmeester (FLA): Staying put
Filip Kuba (OTT): Edmonton
Jordan Leopold (COL): Boston
Derek Morris (PHX): Washington
Chris Pronger (ANA): Staying put
Christoph Schubert (OTT): San Jose

Goaltenders

Niklas Backstrom (MIN): Staying Put
Pascal Leclaire (CBJ): Ottawa

Success Rate: 4-for-21
Correct Picks are in Bold

Monday Activity Roundup

2009-03-02T20:20:00.005-05:00

The Los Angeles Kings have placed D Tom Preissing on waivers.
The New Jersey Devils acquired D Niclas Havelid and F Myles Stoesz fromt the Atlanta Thrashers for D Anssi Salmela. Devils GM Lou Lamoriello keeps on improving his defensive corps, which makes New Jersey a more legitimate threat in the East.
Islanders' captain Bill Guerin will sit out tonight's game against the Colorado Avalanche, which seems to indicate that he is on his way out. The only problem seems to be the receiving team's cap space, which has led to this long wait. The Capitals are apparently the team close to acquiring the veteran winger.
The Minnesota Wild do not seem willing to sell off their assets... yet.
Keith Tkachuk's situation seems tricky: he has a no-trade clause and might like to play for a playoff team, but his experience with the Atlanta Thrashers 2 years ago seems to indicate that he might be quite selective in his process and will only play for a clear-cut cup contender.
The Sabres might like to part with one of their impending free agents, most likely Tim Connolly if they cannot re-sign him.
Leafs' GM Brian Burke once again spilled the beans on his trade deadline whereabouts.
The Senators seem more and more likely to part with Chris Neil and Filip Kuba.
Among the possible Chris Pronger suitors: the Blues, the Bruins and the Leafs.
The Thrashers seem once more inclined to sell off all their ''mid-range'' assets.

All these rumors can be found on spectorshockey.net

Reaction to the ANA-PIT trade

2009-03-02T19:29:00.005-05:00

ANA: D Ryan Whitney
PIT: LW Chris Kunitz, C Eric Tangradi

Arguably this season's blockbuster, this trade sent defenceman Ryan Whitney, an intricate part of the Pittsburgh Penguins' 2008 Stanley Cup run, to the Anaheim Ducks, in exchange of forwards Chris Kunitz and Eric Tangradi. The 25 year-old Whitney had ammassed 13 points in 30 games for the defending Eastern Conference champions, while their powerplay quarterback Sergei Gonchar was sidelined by a shoulder injury. Kunitz, for his part, had been one of Anaheim's top forwards for the last 4 seasons and was deemed expendable, if the return he obtained contained a defenceman with a long-term contract, thus this trade. For the moment, Anaheim seems to have gotten the better end of this trade (slightly) as they acquired a proven veteran defenceman with offensive upside, who can help them immediatly. Pittsburgh received a solid but ''talent-limited'' forward in Kunitz, who should not be able to impact the club tremendously, even though he will provide some offensive upside. Tangradi is a little ways off, but should his transition to the NHL be smooth and swift, as it is expected to be, the Pittsburgh Penguins will have definitely won this deal.

2009 NHL Trade Deadline Coverage

2009-03-02T19:19:00.003-05:00

Once again, I am back here at We want it Bad! for this year's seasonal coverage of the Trade Deadline, which will begin shortly.

Here is a schedule of events for the next 48 hours:

Tonight: A quick roundup of NHL rumors and of this season's trades.
Tomorow: An in depth look at all the rumors swirling in the NHL universe, as well as my predictions as to where specific players will land.
Wednesday: Live-blog of the 2009 Trade Deadline Day, along with rapid analysis and insight.

Signings and Trades pre-FA Frenzy

2008-06-29T22:00:00.009-05:00

Monday, June 30th

- Boston re-signs F Petteri Nokelainen to a 2-year, 1.7 M contract.

- Buffalo re-signs F Paul Gaustad to a 4-year, 9.2 M contract.

- Detroit re-signs D Andreas Lilja to a 2-year contract.

- Florida re-signs F Rotislav Olesz to a 6-year, 18.75 M contract.

- San Jose signs F Jody Shelley to a a 2-year contract.

Sunday, June 29th

- Colorado signs D Adam Foote to a 2-year, 6 M contract and D John-Michael Liles to a 4-year, 16 M contract.

- Edmonton trades F Jarret Stoll and D Matt Greene to Los Angeles for D Lubomir Visnovsky.

- Minnesota trades F Brian Rolston to Tampa Bay for a conditional 3rd round pick in the 2010 entry draft.

- Tampa Bay signs F Ryan Malone to a 7-year, 31.5 M contract and F Gary Roberts to a 1-year contract.

2008 UFA Rankings

2008-06-28T09:29:00.004-05:00

Centers:

1- Mats Sundin (74 GP: 32 G, 46 A, 78 PTS, 55.2 FO%, +17)
2- Brendan Morrison (39 GP: 9 G, 16 A, 25 PTS, 45.1 FO%, -3)
3- Bobby Holik (82 GP: 15 G, 19 A, 34 PTS, 58.4 FO%, -14)
4- Michael Peca (65 GP: 8 G, 24 A, 36 PTS, 52.7 FO%, -1)
5- Ryan Johnson (79 GP: 5 G, 13 A, 18 PTS, 54.5 FO%, -2)

Left Wingers:

1- Kristian Huselius (81 GP: 25 G, 41 A, 66 PTS, +10)
2- Cory Stillman (79 GP: 24 G, 41 A, 65 PTS, -15)
3- Andrew Brunette (82 GP: 19 G, 40 A, 59 PTS, +5)
4- Markus Naslund (82 GP: 25 G, 30 A, 55 PTS, -7)
5- Sean Avery (57 GP: 15 G, 18 A, 33 PTS, +6)

Right Wingers:

1- Marian Hossa (72 GP: 29 G, 37 A, 66 PTS, -14)
2- Jaromir Jagr (82 GP: 25 G, 46 A, 71 PTS, +8)
3- Pavol Demitra (68 GP: 15 G, 39 A, 54 PTS, +9)
4- Radim Vrbata (76 GP: 27 G, 29 A, 56 PTS, +6)
5- Miroslav Satan (80 GP: 16 G, 25 A, 41 PTS, -11)

Defencemen:

1- Brian Campbell (83 GP: 8 G, 54 A, 62 PTS, +8)
2- Wade Redden (80 GP: 6 G, 32 A, 38 PTS, +11)
3- Michal Rozsival (80 GP: 13 G, 25 A, 38 PTS, +0)
4- Brooks Orpik (78 GP: 1 G, 10 A, 11 PTS, +11)
5- Mark Streit (81 GP: 13 G, 49 A, 62 PTS, -6)

Goaltenders:

1- Cristobal Huet (32-14-6, 2.32 GAA, .920 SV%)
2- Jose Theodore (28-21-3, 2.44 GAA, .910 SV%)
3- Ty Conklin (18-8-5, 2.51 GAA, .923 SV%)
4- Ray Emery (12-13-4, 3.13 GAA, .890 SV%)
5- Olaf Kolzig (25-21-6, 2.91 GAA, .892 SV%)

Q&A with Cristobal Huet

2008-02-27T19:11:00.003-05:00

Here is a Q&A between Huet and the Washington Media, during his introduction as a Washington Capital, courtesy of Tarik El-Bashir over at the Washington Post:

Q: "So, is it 'Yoo-ay' or 'Hew-et'?"
A: "'Yoo-ay' is fine. That's easier for you, no?" said Huet, smiling

Q: Were you surprised to learn of the trade?
A: "I played almost 40 games for the Canadiens and we were in a good situation. So I expected to finish there. But obviously they had other plans."

"It's a surprising thing. It's something you have to deal with; this is the NHL and it happens. But I'm happy to be here and I want to help the team in any way I can to get into the playoffs."

Q: Have you spoken with Olie and Brent?
A: "I talked to both [goalies] this morning and they look like great guys. I'm sure we going to work, all three of us, to get the job done."

Q: Do you expect to start on Friday?
A: "I haven't talked to Bruce about it and I'm still waiting for my gear to get here."

Q: Before you came here, what were your thoughts about the Capitals?
A: "When we played them, it was always a hard game. Since they changed the coach, I think they were way better and had a lot of intensity and are a high scoring team. So they were always a dangerous team to face."

Q: Because Olie has been the face of the franchise, what were your thoughts when you found out that you were coming here?
A: "I respect Olie a lot. He's been here a long time and he's done well for the franchise. We're just going to work it out and I'm just going to try to be my best when I'm asked to play."

"It's going to be an exciting couple of months."

Sens fire Paddock

2008-02-27T18:18:00.003-05:00

OTTAWA-- The Senators, having been ''blanked'' in 2 consecutives games (5-0: vs TOR, 4-0: vs BOS), relieved head coach John Paddock and assistant coach Ron Low from their coaching duties today. Paddock seemed like a brilliant coach at the beginning of the season, as the Sens had a 16-3-0 record after 19 games and seemed like they would win the East easily. Unfortunately, things haven't been that easy for them since, as they've gone 20-19-6 in their last 45 games and are now ranked 2nd in the East.

Even though fired, the Senators Organization would like to retain them both, and have submitted to Paddock a "mainly scouting" position, that he will consider over the next few weeks.

General Manager Bryan Murray will step behind the bench, and try to lead his team to the Stanley Cup Finals like he did last season. He will continue to perform his duties as General Manager. He had a 100-46-18 record during his 1st coaching gig with the Senators, from 2005 to 2007.

Huet's Resumé

2008-02-27T14:51:00.002-05:00

For all Caps Fans:

Biography:

- 33 years old
- Born in France
- Height: 6'1''
- Weight: 204 LBS
- Drafted by Kings in 2001, 7th round, 214th overall
- Traded to Canadiens along with Radek Bonk on June 26th 2004 for Mathieu Garon
- Participated in 2007 All-Star Game

Career Statistics:

- Record: 72-59-11
- GAA: 2.49
- Save %: .917

Statistics with Canadiens:

- Record: 58-39-13
- GAA: 2.40
- Save %: .917

2007-08 Statistics:

- Record: 21-12-6
- GAA: 2.55
- Save %: .916

TA: Campbell to San Jose

2008-02-27T12:02:00.003-05:00

The first major move of yesterday's Trade Deadline was defenseman Brian Campbell and a 7th round pick going from the Buffalo Sabres to the San Jose Sharks for right winger Steve Bernier and a 1st round pick.

The winner for now is clear: San Jose. They acquire a very talented, puck-moving defenseman who will tremendously help their Powerplay and facilitate the transition into the offensive zone, while the Sabres lose a major piece of their lineup, which will surely cost them a birth in this year's playoffs.

That being said, they also gain a very big and quite skilled right winger in Steve Bernier who will only get better with time, as well as an extra 1st round pick in this year's Entry Draft, which could be used to pick a very talented youngster, especially with this year's very deep pool of talent.

If Campbell re-signs with San Jose, the Sharks will have won this trade for sure.
But if he does not, it comes down to where the Sharks go in the Playoffs.
If not deep, the Sabres look like geniuses, even though they lost their no.1 defenseman.

No need for Hossa!

2008-02-26T21:40:00.003-05:00

Pittsburgh can have him all they want, it sure didn't stop the Habs, as they steam-rolled the Atlanta Thrashers 5-1 at the Bell Centre.

Bob Gainey had the final word on Tuesday night, as both his gambles, for the moment, have paid off.

Firstly, Carey Price played very well, even though the Thrashers didn't have many "dangerous" scoring opportunities, stopping 26 out of 27 shots.

Secondly, the offense was explosive, even without the acquisition of Marian Hossa. The Canadiens scored 5 goals on 33 shots and had numerous scoring chances. Chris Higgins had 3 points, 2 goals and 1 assist, Saku Koivu amassed 2 assists and Maxim Lapierre, Sergei Kostitsyn and Andrei Markov (PP) each had a goal. Markov also had an assist and recorded his 50th point, a new career high, on his 13th goal of the season. The powerplay unit converted once in 5 tries.

This all comes to show us Montreal Canadiens fans that our GM, for the moment, knows what he is doing and that we didn't "desperately" need Hossa after all, like we kept telling ourselves before the Trade Deadline. The only thing we do need "desperately" is to be patient with our young squad and great things will come.

Keep faith fellow Habs Fans!

Trade Analysis

2008-02-26T20:27:00.002-05:00

With no more trades this season, I have decided to take one of the trades that took place earlier today and to analyze it, this happening every single day from now on

There were 24 trades, so I should be done right before the Playoffs.

Enjoy!

Trade Deadline Day

2008-02-26T07:55:00.048-05:00

Here, I will post all trades, re-signings and speculation. Have a nice Trade Deadline Day!

N.B.: If you have any comments on any Trades, e-mail me at: afi.ville.49@gmail.com

8:00 AM:

- Islanders re-sign C Mike Comrie to a 1-year, US$4 M contract.
- The TSN panel seems to hint that the Stars are offering a better package (~ M. Smith, J. Jokinen, J. Halpern, M. Fistric) than the Canucks (~ C. Schneider, L. Bourdon, Draft Picks) for C Brad Richards of the Lightning. The Blackhawks and Blue Jackets are also in the mix.

8:45 AM:

- The Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, Minnesota Wild and Philadelphia Flyers are the teams the most interested in acquiring C Olli Jokinen from the Panthers. Note: Jacques Martin will, probably, only deal Jokinen today if he is offered a very good package. If not, he could deal him during the Offseason.

- Chicago has sent a list to every NHL team stating the players they are willing to deal:

G Nikolai Khabibulin
RW Martin Havlat
C Robert Lang
C Tuomo Ruutu
LW Martin Lapointe
C Yanic Perreault
D Andrei Zyuzin
C Rene Bourque

9:27 AM:

- The Columbus Blue Jackets are still exploring a contract extension with D Adam Foote. Expect for him to be shopped actively if both parties have not come to an agreeement by noon.

- SI's Michael Farber suggests the Canadiens would benefit more from a Brad Richards or Olli Jokinen acquisition than a Hossa one.

9:48 AM:

- According to one of Brent Wallace's (TSN) sources, it is very likely that Bryan Murray will return behind the Senators' bench and John Paddock will be fired. This should happen in the next 48 hours.

9:57 AM:

- Per James Cybulski, Leafs' GM Cliff Fletcher's "hands are tied" with 4 players using their "no-trade" clauses to veto trades. Fletcher might deal D Bryan McCabe, as well as younger, cheaper players like forwards Matt Stajan and Alex Ponikarovsky.

10:05 AM:

Speculation no more. I can't stand this anymore. The next thing I post will be a trade.

10:33 AM:

TRADE: New Jersey Devils acquire D Bryce Salvador from the St. Louis Blues for F Cam Janssen.

10:42 AM:

- As per TSN, the Habs have recalled F Mikhail Grabovski from Hamilton. This indicates that he is coming to Montreal to replace somebody in the Habs lineup, or that he is definitly going to be dealt to the Thrashers as they are in Montreal tonight and it would facilitate his introduction into the Thrashers' system. This might also hint that F Maxim Lapierre is on his way out if Grabovski is not dealt.

11:15 AM:

TRADE: Florida Panthers acquire F Wade Belak from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a 5th Round Pick.

11:25 AM:

MAJOR TRADE: San Jose Sharks acquire D Brian Campbell and 7th Round Pick from the Buffalo Sabres for F Steve Bernier and a 1st Round Pick.

11:40 AM:

MAJOR TRADE: Dallas Stars acquire F Brad Richards and G Johan Holmqvist from the Tampa Bay Lightning for G Mike Smith, F Jussi Jokinen and F Jeff Halpern.

11:50 AM:

MAJOR TRADE: Montreal Canadiens acquire 2nd Round Pick in 2009 for G Cristobal Huet.

12:17 PM:

TRADE: Florida Panthers acquire D Karlis Skrastins and a 3rd round pick from the Colorado Avalanche for D Ruslan Salei.

12:19 PM:

TRADE: Carolina Hurricanes acquire F Tuomo Ruutu from the Chicago Blackhawks for F Andrew Ladd.

12:46 PM:

TRADE: Ottawa Senators acquire LW Martin Lapointe from the Chicago Blackhawks for a 6th round pick.

1:03 PM:

MAJOR TRADE: Colorado Avalanche acquires D Adam Foote from the Columbus Blue Jackets for a conditional 1st round pick.

1:26 PM:

TRADE: Washington Capitals acquire F Sergei Fedorov from the Columbus Blue Jackets for F Ted Ruth.

1:21 PM:

TRADE: New York Islanders acquire D Rob Davison from the San Jose Sharks for a 7th round pick.

1:41 PM:

TRADE: Vancouver Canucks acquire F Matt Pettinger from the Washington Capitals for F Matt Cooke

2:30 PM:

TRADE: Phoenix Coyotes acquire G Al Montoya and F Marcel Hossa from the New York Rangers for F Fredrik Sjostrom, F Josh Gratton and G David LeNeveu.

No other major moves to announce.

Lightning re-signs Boyle, trade Prospal

2008-02-26T06:25:00.004-05:00

There were a couple of moves that included the Tampa Bay Lightning which took place overnight.

Firstly, the Tampa Bay Lightning re-signed defenseman Dan Boyle to a 6-year, US$40 M contract.
The veteran defenseman will earn US$6.66 M over the next 6 seasons and will have a "no-trade" clause for the first 4 seasons, while he will have a modified "no-trade" for the final 2.

Secondly, the Lightning dealt winger Vaclav Prospal to the Philadelphia Flyers for defenseman Alexandre Picard and a conditional draft pick. The Lightning will receive the Flyers' 2nd Round Pick if the Flyers make it to the Eastern Conference Finals, and if they don't, will get Calgary's 3rd Round Pick.

Having been re-signed, Dan Boyle is officially off the market, and so is Prospal as he has found a new home. The same cannot be said about Lightning forward Brad Richards who will now, with Boyle's re-signing, be officially dealt.

Blues re-sign Jackman

2008-02-25T21:31:00.003-05:00

The St. Louis Blues have re-signed defenseman Barret Jackman to a 4 year, US$14.4 M contract extension. He will earn US$3.6 M in every one of the next 4 seasons.

Jackman was eligible to become an unrestricted free-agent on July 1st and might have been dealt by the Blues, if an extension hadn't been reached, by tomorrow's Trade Deadline.

Jackman is the 3rd player to have been pulled of the trade market today, joining the likes of Toronto's Mats Sundin and Calgary's Alex Tanguay.

The 2002-03 Calder Trophy winner has 2 goals, 6 assists, 63 penalty minutes and a -12 plus-minus rating in 58 games played this season.

With this signing, the Blues now only have defenseman Bryce Salvador to re-sign, but if he isn't before tomorrow, he will quite probably be dealt.

BE AWARE: DUMB RUMOR FLYING AROUND

2008-02-25T19:02:00.005-05:00

According to Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos, the Pittsburgh Penguins want, get ready for this and sit down please, to trade superstar Evegeny Malkin, and have talked to one team in the West about him. The Reason for such a move: the Penguins think Malkin will want US$8-9 M on his next contract and do not want to pay 2 players, he and Sidney Crosby, US$18-19 M.

Now I think this, of every single rumor I have read over this past season, is the dumbest one I have read.

It is absurd the Penguins would even think of dealing Malkin this season, as he is cheap and playing fantastic hockey.

Yes, in a few seasons, this might be the case, but not now. They have him for peanuts this season and will use him to the maximum. On top of it, ranking 4th in the East, why would they deal "Gino" with Crosby not even back yet?

Congrats Nick, you have made up the dumbest rumor in Hockey this season.

Hip! Hip! Hooray!

Injury Report

2008-02-25T18:31:00.002-05:00

Here are a few notable injuries:

D Chris Chelios (DET): Knee, day-to-day
F Sergei Fedorov (CBJ): Leg, day-to-day
D Paul Mara (NYR): Facial surgery, 2 weeks
F Ethan Moreau (EDM): Fractured tibia, out for rest of season
F Alexander Radulov (NSH): Flu, day-to-day
F Mike Richards (PHI): Torn hamstring, 3 weeks
D Brent Sopel (CHI): Broken wrist, 2-3 weeks
D Sergei Zubov (DAL): Foot surgery, 3-4 weeks

Avalanche signs Forsberg

2008-02-25T18:08:00.006-05:00

Peter Forsberg averaged 24 goals, 58 assists and 64 games with the Avalanche

This move comes as quite a surprise.

The Colorado Avalanche have signed center Peter Forsberg to a 1-year contract worth US$5 M prorated, the equivalent to US$1 M. This signing is quite surprising due to the team, the Avalanche, which has not been rumored to be interested in Foppa as much as the Flyers, Wings..., and due to the fact that Forsberg told the Press, a week ago, that he did not feel confident enough in the healing of his foot to return to the NHL this season.

Forsberg played for the Avs from 1994, when they were known as the Québec Nordiques, until 2004, leaving to join the Flyers and then Predators. He had his only 82-game season with the Avalanche during the 1995-96 season.

Tanguay staying put

2008-02-25T16:18:00.005-05:00

Alex Tanguay will not be a member of the Montreal Canadiens come Tuesday afternoon

According to a TSN.ca article, Flames winger Alex Tanguay won't be traded by tomorrow's Trade Deadline.

Flames GM Darryl Sutter said to the media that "Alex Tanguay is one of the top left wingers in the National Hockey League an he'll be a pretty good player for us down the stretch."

When asked precisely about Tanguay's status, he replied by saying "I'm not trading Alex Tanguay. I already answered the question, I said Alex Tanguay will be a good player for us down the stretch."

This is the day's second blow to the Trade Market as both Tanguay and Mats Sundin have been pulled off of it. Once again, the attention has now increased on the Trashers' Marian Hossa, who is know, without question, the no.1 forward available. Brian Campbell and he are now the cream of the crop of this year's Trade Deadline Day market.

This is also a second blow to the Montreal Canadiens, as they reportedly coveted both Sundin and Tanguay. All the attention is now on Hossa, nothing more, nothing less.

Keep faith fellow Habs fans!

Rumor Central

2008-02-25T09:43:00.004-05:00

Note: This post will be updated during the day

Here is a list of players and the teams said to be "interested" in their services:

D Rob Blake (LAK): ANA, COL, NJ, SJ
D Dan Boyle (TB): PHI, SJ
D Brian Campbell (BUF): NJ, PHI, SJ, TB
RW Martin Havlat (CHI): BOS, MTL
C Bobby Holik (ATL): NYR, NJ
RW Marian Hossa (ATL): BOS, DET, MTL, OTT
C Olli Jokinen (FLA): CGY, MIN, MTL, VAN
D Bryan McCabe (TOR): NYI, NYR, PHI
LW Vaclav Prospal (TB): ANA, BOS, PIT
C Brad Richards (TB): BUF, CBJ, DAL, PHI, VAN
D Ruslan Salei (FLA): NJ, PIT
D Ryan Suter (NSH): PHI

Sundin to remain a Leaf

2008-02-25T07:16:00.003-05:00

According to TSN's Darren Dreger, Mats Sundin has informed Toronto Maple Leafs management that he will not waive his "no-movement" clause to accept a trade.

If Mats Sundin has done such a thing, it would put an end to a never-ending saga of trade rumors and of debate over why Sundin should and shouldn't waive his "no-movement" clause.

More importantly, it now means that Marian Hossa is the top fish in the Trade Pond.

Nicest Pads in the NHL

2008-02-24T21:01:00.010-05:00

With "TradeMania" about to begin, I thought this would help us all relax before an intense Monday and Tuesday.

In this post, I will showcase my 5 favorite pads in the NHL.

Here we go:

5. Dallas Stars' Marty Turco:

4. Atlanta Thrashers' Kari Lehtonen:

3. Ottawa Senators' Ray Emery:

2. Montreal Canadiens' Cristobal Huet:

1. Carolina Hurricane's Cam Ward:

Campbell may remain a Sabre

2008-02-24T19:24:00.004-05:00

Campbell participated in his 2nd consecutive All-Star Game on January 27th

According to the Buffalo News, Brian Campbell seems optimistic he will not be dealt by the Sabres.

“Yeah, that’s the only way I can look at it, though,"he said. “I can’t look at it any other way. I think we’re still in a playoff spot or we’re close, and we’ve got a lot of work to do. It’s not going to be easy, and I hope I can be around for that.”

"We’ll see what happens over the next couple months", referring to his status after July 1st.

The 28-year old defenseman has been the subject of numerous trade rumors over the last week since he has not come to an agreement on a new contract with the Sabres and due to the Sabres reluctance to lose Campbell to Free Agency, and therefore getting nothing in return for him, especially after the Briere and Drury incidents.

With this declaration, though, it seems odd Campbell hasn't come to an agreement on a new contract with the Sabres... who knows, he might only be downplaying the situation?

In the end, the decision ike, it is Darcy Res not his to magier's, and since the later does not want to lose Campbell for nothing, he might be forced to deal him by the Deadline.

Rumor Central

2008-02-24T15:20:00.002-05:00

Here are some other interesting rumors:

- According to one of TSN employee Matthew Barnaby's sources, the Washington Capitals are a player for Sabres' defenseman Brian Campbell.

- The Flyers having lost forward Mike Richards for 3 weeks with a torn hamstring and 10 straight games, it is unclear whether they are still buyers or have turned into sellers. They currently sit 9th in the Eastern Conference. Amongst the players they might be willing to trade are forwards Mike Knuble, Jeff Carter and Scottie Upshall.

- TSN.ca reports the Tampa Bay Lightning has "reached out" to Brad Richards and "alerted him" in their interest to trade him. The Blue Jackets seem to be the no.1 favorite to acquire him, reportedly offering a package of Gilbert Brule, Rostislav Klesla and a pick for the 2004 Conn Smythe trophy winner. The Stars and Canucks are also considered to be players in the Richards Sweepstakes.

- The Thrashers are, reportedly, considering dealing both Marian Hossa and Bobby Holik.

- Per Joe Starkey of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the Penguins need "at worst" a physical defenceman and a faceoff specialist". The later might mean interest in Blackhawks' Yanic Perreault, who is being shopped by Dale Tallon.

- The Pittsburgh Penguins seem to be a player for Vaclav Prospal, as they would like to add him to Sidney Crosby's line.

Habs lose to Blue Jackets, 3-0

2008-02-23T23:29:00.004-05:00

Price played poorly against the Blue Jackets

Montreal -- After a great ceremony in Bob Gainey's honour, the Canadiens fell apart at the Bell Centre against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Canadiens weren't able to put one puck past Blue Jackets 'keeper Pascal Leclaire, who earned his league-leading 9th shutout of the season.

Even though the Canadiens did not score a goal, they had numerous missed opportunities, as the league's best powerplay failed to capitalize on 6 tries. Alex Kovalev was shut down numerous times by Pascal Leclaire on the doorstep, as he tried to squeak the puck in between his legs.

As for Carey Price, he let in 3 soft goals, which made it impossible for Montreal to stay in the game.

Result: 3-0 beating against Columbus.

Hopefully, this will push Bob Gainey to make a move before Tuesday, 3:00 PM.

Keep faith fellow Habs fans...

Wild re-signs Schultz

2008-02-23T15:30:00.004-05:00

Another signing, 3 in less than 24 hours that is!

This time, it includes the Minnesota Wild and defenseman Nick Schultz.

According to TSN, the Wild has re-signed Schultz to a 6-year contract extension worth US$21 M.

The 25-year old will earn salaries of US$3.2 M in 2008-09, of US$3.4 M in 2009-10 and of US$3.6 from 2010-11 to 2013-2014.

Schultz, known for his durability and his consistancy, has 11 points (1+10) and a 0 plus-minus rating in 61 games played. He currently ranks 26th in league with 102 blocked shots.

Trade Deadline Day Predictions

2008-02-23T12:11:00.003-05:00

Here are my predictions:

Forwards:

Sergei Fedorov (CBJ): Detroit
Ruslan Fedotenko (NYI): Toronto
Chris Gratton (TB): Minnesota
Martin Havlat (CHI): Boston
Marian Hossa (ATL): Montreal
Olli Jokinen (FLA): Calgary
Ladislav Nagy (LAK): Buffalo
Vaclav Prospal (TB): New Jersey
Brad Richards (TB): Buffalo
Michael Ryder (MTL): Calgary
Mats Sundin (TOR): Staying put
Alex Tanguay (CGY): Montreal
David Vyborny (CBJ): Nashville

Defensemen:

Dan Boyle (TB): Staying put
Rob Blake (LAK): Staying put
Brian Campbell (BUF): Tampa Bay
Adam Foote (CBJ): San Jose
Barret Jackman (STL): Pittsburgh
John-Michael Liles (COL): New York Rangers
Bryan McCabe (TOR): New York Islanders
Brad Stuart (LAK): Vancouver

Rumor Central

2008-02-23T07:31:00.005-05:00

Here are a few interesting rumours:

Update, 9:55 AM:

- The Toronto Sun reports Paul Holmgren nixed a Phil Kessel-Jeff Carter deal with the Bruins.
Phil Kessel, therefore, seems to be available and would probably be included in a Marian Hossa trade, or in the acquisition of an other star player.

- Per Hockey Buzz' Andy Strickland, Toronto Maple Leafs forward Darcy Tucker was asked to waive his "no-trade" clause by Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher, as he had a deal in place with either Anahem, Detroit or Ottawa. Tucker "politely said no".

Original, 7:31 AM:

- Brad Richards might be targeted by the Buffalo Sabres. If you think about it, the Lightning wants a package including a defenseman, like Brian Campbell who still doesn't have a contract for the 08-09 season, for Richards.

- The Flyers are targeting several defensemen, including Tampa Bay's Dan Boyle, the Maple Leafs' Brian McCabe and the Predators' Ryan Suter. It is important to know that the Predators have been scouting the Flyers for the last 2 weeks.

- It seems as if Bruins are making a big, public, push for Marian Hossa.

- With forward Simon Gagné's shutdown, the Flyers arel likely to be targeting a winger that could replace him, especially for the playoffs, like Flames' forward Alex Tanguay who has played 89 career playoffs games.

- The Blackhawks, currently sitting 8 points out of a playoff spot, might become sellers by this Trade Deadline Day. Chicago has valuable assets to auction off in forwards Martin Havlat and Robert Lang, and a less valuable, but still experienced, asset in Martin Lapointe.

The selling Columbus Blue Jackets?

2008-02-22T21:41:00.003-05:00

As the Trade Deadline looms nearer with every passing hour, the Columbus Blue Jackets, currently sitting 5 points out of a playoff spot, with 2 more games played than the current no.8 seed, the Calgary Flames, sure seem like sellers.

Even though TSN employee Darren Dreger keeps hinting that the Blue Jackets might be a player for Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brad Richard, it seems more obvious that the Blue Jackets will sell more than buy.

The Blue Jackets have valuable assets to sell in forwards Sergei Fedorov, David Vyborny and Michael Peca and in defenseman Adam Foote.

Fedorov and Foote are quite comparable: aging veterans with valuable playoff experience and on the decline but still able to get the job done.

Peca is quite similar to Fedorov and Foote, but his injury history is a big concern.

As for Vyborny, he is a younger option but his lack of playoff experience, as well as his downfall hurt his value. Some could compare him to our Michael Ryder. Vyborny has numerous assets such a his very good vision and his playmaking abilities and has shown in the past that he can be a top 6 forward. This could indicate that a change of scenery might be all that is needed for him to regain success, but skepticism is still present.

Columbus has numerous assets to sell and a loss on Saturday against the Canadiens, combined with a Calgary win against Detroit tonight, might mean the beginning of a big firesale.

Islanders re-sign Hunter, Leafs Steen

2008-02-22T19:42:00.003-05:00

According to TSN, the New York Islanders have re-signed forward Trent Hunter to a 5-year, US$10 M contract and the Toronto Maple Leafs have done the same with forward Alex Steen, for a 2-year contract worth US$3.4 M.

Hunter was set to become a UFA on July 1st and therefore could have been dealt by the Islanders at the Trade Deadline, if no agreement had been reached and if the Islanders had chosen to go in that direction. He currently has 8 goals and 24 assists in 62 games, as well as a -10 plus-minus rating and 33 penalty minutes.

Steen's name has been mentioned in some trade rumors due to the Leafs' eventual fire sale, but this signing seems to also take him off the market. He has 26 points, 22 penalty minutes and a -2 plus-minus rating in 56 games.

Fleury changes Pads

2008-02-22T18:33:00.004-05:00

Today, I found out an interesting story about Penguins' keeper Marc-André Fleury.

Apparently, Fleury has traded in his ''signature'' yellow pads and is awaiting to receive a new set of white ones. The reason for this decision is because ''Fleury got a letter from an eye doctor in Ottawa with charts and an explanation of why Fleury's signature yellow pads gave shooters an advantage.'' Indeed, Fleury is changing his pads because his new ones are supposed to make him look bigger in net, and therefore to get an advantage over opposing shooters. This is a quite far-fetched reason for Fleury's lack of greatness at the NHL level, but could be one amongst others.

Let's have a look at averages in wins, losses, overtime losses, GAA, save percentage and shootouts for Eastern Conference ''white-paded'' goalies and ''non white-paded'' goalies:

WPG (9): 23-18-5, 2.74, .906, 2
NWPG: (6): 21-14-4, 2,43, .919, 3

As the stats show us, this ''theory'' is not absolute and do not trust them at 100%, as only 4 out of the 9 WPG have a save percentage over .910, which makes the average not that great for evaluation... but better than nothing.

Why the Canadiens should acquire Marian Hossa

2008-02-21T17:39:00.003-05:00

According to many Canadiens' fans, Bob Gainey shouldn't bring in a star forward in before this year's Trade Deadline. He should just let the team like it is, and/or make a few minor tweaks, and let the group grow as a whole.

Personally, I think we shouldn't.

Firstly, like the Ottawa Senators showed us a few Saturdays ago, we have only one competent line, and if it is shut down, so is the complete team. This should show us that the 1st line needs to step up as well, like the "2nd" has done all year long. Guy Carbonneau has tried different combinations, and as trading or "demoting" Koivu to a lower line is not an option, we have to seek out-of-town help. Please don't tell me that Ryder is "back" and that "he is like a trade acquisition, without giving up anything". Yes, he's had one good game all year long, and as he showed us after his first "wake-up" in Florida, he'll fall right back to sleep as soon as possible.

Secondly, we lack playoff experience. Hossa fits the bill (55 GP). Personally, I would not want to go into the playoffs with only Hamrlik, Koivu, Kovalev and Markov with serious playoff experience (Dandy does not count as he is not a regular fixture, as of late, in the lineup). We need to surround our youngsters with talented veterans who are capable of leading them.

Thirdly, Higgins, who we would probably traded with others for Hossa, is a nice young player, yes, but very streaky and slightly injury-prone. As well, every GM in the game knows, "you have to give something, in order to get something". He also does not seem to click with Koivu all the time, only during his hot streaks, and since Andrei Kostitsyn is a fixture on the 2nd line, there is no "premium" space left for him on the team.

Fourthly, we have one of the deepest farm systems in the league. Dealing one or two of our prospects will not change our fate, as we are so deep that they would not even have any spot in the lineup if they were even on the club.

All these reasons spell the same thing: GET HOSSA!

Keep faith fellow Habs fans!

Hossa closer to coming to Montreal

2008-02-21T07:24:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, RDS reported that the Montreal Canadiens have ordered Hab-colored equipment for forward Marian Hossa.

This does not mean Hossa has been acquired, but this could indicate that the Canadiens are very close to acquiring his services from the Atlanta Thrashers.

Top 10 players to watch at the Trade Deadline

2008-02-20T21:07:00.004-05:00

The following is a list of the top 10 players to watch at the Trade Deadline, if they are not dealt before that. Every player is accompanied by his 07-08 salary and his status after July 1st, 2008.

10- C Sergei Fedorov (CBJ), US$6.08 M, UFA
9- D John-Michael Liles (COL), US$1.4 M, UFA
8- D Barret Jackman (STL), US$2.2 M, UFA
7- RW Michael Ryder (MTL), US$2.95 M, UFA
6- D Rob Blake (LAK), US$6 M, UFA
5- C Olli Jokinen (FLA), US$ 5.25 M, signed thru 09-10
4- LW Vaclav Prospal (TB), US$1.9 M, UFA
3- D Brian Campbell (BUF), US$1.75 M, UFA
2- C Mats Sundin (TOR), US$5.5 M, UFA
1- RW Marian Hossa (ATL), US$7 M, UFA

Report: Habs to acquire Tanguay

2008-02-20T18:59:00.009-05:00

Update, 7:44 PM:

This seems to be a rumor since neither TSN nor RDS are reporting the trade and since CKAC has posted on their website that the Canadiens have resumed talks about Tanguay with the Flames, and have not mentioned any trade on this site. This report seems to be officially "shot down". Sorry the confusion, but stay tuned...

Original message, 7:00 PM:

According to multiple sources (The Score, CKAC, Vancouver Team 1040, Bob McKenzie), the Montreal Canadiens are set to acquire forward Alex Tanguay from the Calgary Flames, in exchange for impending UFA Michael Ryder and a draft pick.

The deal is, reportedly, being submitted for NHL approval.

Tanguay has 11 goals and 35 assists in 60 games played, to go along with a +12 plus-minus rating.

The St. Justine, Quebec native would fill the Canadiens' first line left wing duties, due to Chris Higgins' current lack of production.

Unbelievable Comeback!

2008-02-20T07:10:00.005-05:00

Cristobal Huet and Mike Komisarek celebrate the Canadiens' victory

In near 100 years of history, the Montreal Canadiens had never won a game after trailing by 5 goals. Yesterday night, they did!

The game got off to a bad start for the Habs as Carey Price gave up 3 goals on 11 shots, which caused him to be replaced by Cristobal Huet. Huet wasn't better, being scored on twice by Brendan Shanahan and Chris Drury, both on the Powerplay. From a Montreal Canadiens point of view, the game was over. The Habs were being beaten up by the Rangers and their lead seemed to be impossible to close in on, even though there were 14:57 left to the 2nd period, and therefore 3/4 of the game left to come back.

Indeed, it was time which gave us an advantage, as well as the Rangers' overconfidence.

In these remaining 14 minutes of the 2nd period, Michael Ryder, of all people, scored twice, his first goal being a beautiful shot up-high on Rangers' keeper Henrik Lundqvist. Even after these goals, the Montreal Faithful didn't think any comeback was possible, but there was still hope...

The 3rd period was decisive. Two goals scored by Alex Kovalev and Mark Streit (more or less, he deflected a Michael Ryder shot with his left leg...) trimmed the Rangers' lead to 1 goal.

Then, Marek Malik took a selfish penalty for slashing at 14:22 of the 3rd Period, bringing the league's best powerplay onto the ice. 1:14 later, Alex Kovalev ripped a shot to Lundqvist's right and scored.

The game was now tied and off to overtime. The Rangers had the best chance of scoring and therefore erasing their mistake during the overtime period, as Scott Gomez, came very close to re-directing a Brendan shanahan pass past Canadiens' keeper Cristobal Huet.

The game was now off to shootout. After 4 missed opportunities, Saku Koivu came onto the ice as the Habs' 2nd shooter. Koivu came in slowly on Lundqvist, and then deeked him out rapidly, to score. The Rangers' 3rd shooter, the streaky Jaromir Jagr, had to score to extend the game. As he drew close to Huet's crease, he lost control of the puck while attempting a deke. The game was over, the Canadiens had won, 6-5!

Olli Jokinen: Pros and Cons

2008-02-19T17:29:00.000-05:00

Dear Readers, I present you, without further adue: Olli Jokinen.

Olli Jokinen is a 29-year old center playing for the Florida Panthers. His natural goal-scorer instincts and his above-average hands, as well as his good face-off abilities, have turned him into a star-superstar player at the NHL level. On February 5th, Jokinen reached the 200 goal mark. Over his past 3 seasons, Jokinen has scored at least 29 goals, and over his past 2 (not including 2007-08) has had 89 points or more.

Jokinen’s talent, goal-scoring ability and his “affordable” contract according to today’s market (08-09: 5.25M, 09-10: 5.50M), have turned the Finn into a hot commodity.

Many teams, like the Montreal Canadiens, could benefit from the acquisition of such a talented player, even though the bounty required to acquire him would be quite high. As an estimation of Olli’s worth, from a Habs’ point of view, expect the Canadiens to trade Chris Higgins, Ryan O’Byrne, Mikhail Grabovski and 1st round and 3rd round Draft Picks to the Panthers if Jokinen were to be acquired.

Although Jokinen’s team, the Florida Panthers, seems to be going nowhere, even with the acquisition and stellar play of goaltender Tomas Vokoun, Jokinen hasn’t voiced his displeasure publicly or hasn’t gone to see his GM Jacques Martin to ask him to be traded, but who knows, as the Trade Deadline draws nearer, he might.

Keep faith fellow Habs fans!

Ty Conklin: A feel good story

2008-02-19T17:19:00.000-05:00

A few months ago, nobody spoke Ty Conklin’s name. Now, nobody can neglect it when somebody mentions “hot goaltenders”.

On December 6th, the Anchorage, Alaska native was called up by the Pittsburgh Penguins, with whom he had signed a contract back on July 18th, due to Penguins’ goalie Marc-André Fleury’s injury.
Everybody thought that, with his recent past, the 05-06 Stanley Cup Finals and his Columbus days that is, that he was just days away from being sent right back down to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

But that was not going to be the case. Even though he wasn’t “sharp” during his first start, giving up 3 goals on 15 shots, he started again 9 days later.
On that night, he was more consistent, giving up 4 goals on 41 shots and he even earned the win.
That game was a precursor to what Conklin would show Penguins’ fans and the rest of the NHL, as that game was the 1st win of a 9 game winning streak.

Conklin has compiled, since that December 20th start, a fantastic record of 15 wins, 4 losses and 3 overtime losses, as well as a 2.19 Goals Against Average.

Conklin’s rise up the goalie ladder has been sensational, as it was not that long ago, that Conklin was a member of the 2005-06 Edmonton Oilers and that he came into replace Dwayne Roloson after he had injured himself in Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals.
In that same game, Conklin committed a huge blunder, giving up the puck to Hurricanes captain Rod Brind’Amour, who would score an empty net goal at 31.1 seconds of the 3rd period, putting an end to a 4-4 tie.

Conklin was never seen again wearing an Oilers’ uniform as Oilers’ GM Kevin Lowe declined to exercice his team option for the 2006-07 season.
He later went on to play for the Columbus Blue Jackets, mostly for their AHL affiliate and for the Buffalo Sabres, backing up Ryan Miller throughout the rest of the season after they had dealt Martin Biron.

Conklin’s story is another one of those showing us hockey people that perseverance can get you anywhere, especially in this tough game we all love.

Flyers acquire Modry

2008-02-19T17:16:00.000-05:00

The Philadelphia Flyers made a light splash today, acquiring veteran defenseman Jaroslav Modry from the Los Angeles Kings, in exchange for a 3rd round draft pick in this year’s draft.

The soon-to-be 37 year-old (Birthday on Feb. 27th) had 6 points (1+5) in 61 games, to go along with a +2 plus-minus and 42 minutes served in the penalty box.

Modry’s current salary is $1.2 M. He is set to become an unrestricted free-agent on July 1st.

This move comes as no surprise as the Flyers have been severely bitten by the “injury bug”, having lost defencemen Rory Fitzpatrick, Derian Hatcher and Mike Rathje, as well as forwards Simon Gagné, Steve Downie, Joffrey Lupul and Denis Tolpeko to injury.

Modry adds experience, depth and size to an already quite good team in the Flyers.

Trade Deadline Day Live Blogging

2008-02-17T20:06:00.002-05:00

Dear Readers,

I am proud to announce that I will be live-blogging next Tuesday's Trade Deadline Day, from 8:00~9:00 AM to 4:oo~5:00 PM.

Thank you for your time,

HABla Hockey

Bob Gainey Tribute

2008-02-17T20:06:00.001-05:00

Saturday, February 23rd 2008 will be a very special day for Bob Gainey. On that day, the Peterborough, Ont. native will have his number 23 raised to the rafters by the Montreal Canadiens.

Let’s have a quick look at Mr. Gainey’s 16-year NHL career:

In 1973, he was selected in both the NHL and WHA amateur drafts, 8th overall by the Montreal Canadiens and 7th overall by the Minnesota Fighting Saints. Gainey ultimately chose to play for the Canadiens, with whom he became one of the best defensive specialists of all-time, winning four consecutive Fran J. Selke trophies (awarded to the league’s best defensive player) from 1977-78 to 1980-1981.

He also won, with the ”Bleu, Blanc et Rouge”, 5 stanley cups (1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1986).
He was also the Canadiens’ captain from 1981, until his retirement in 1989.

In total, he appeared in 1160 regular season games, scored 239 goals and registered 263 assists.

In 1992, he was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame. According to Viktor Tikhonov, a legendary Soviet national team coach, he was the world’s best all-around player and, therefore, for the majority of his career, he was regarded by many in the Soviet Union hockey system as the greatest hockey player ever.
In 1998, he was ranked 86th in The Hockey News’ list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.
From 1992 to 2002, he was GM of the Dallas Stars, with whom he won the Stanley Cup for a 6th time in 1999.

A year and a half after having stepped down as GM of the Stars, he was named GM of the Montreal Canadiens, with whom he has been ever since.

Marian Hossa: Pros and Cons

2008-02-17T12:11:00.001-05:00

Ah! Against the Leafs! Marvelous!

As we all know, Trade Deadline Day is approaching. One week from today, we will only be 2 days away from one of the most exciting days on the NHL Calendar. That day will also be a gut-wrenching one for us Montreal Canadiens fans, as we await to see who Big Bob will be targeting and trying to acquire: Marian Hossa or Olli Jokinen?

In this article, I will document the pros and cons of acquiring Marian Hossa.

Here we go:

Marian Hossa, a 29-year old czech right winger, is especially renown for his offensive abilities.
His combination of great hands and his ability to keep the puck make him an offensive threat at any moment, and so does his explosive shot. Eventhough he isn't much of a physical presence, the offense he generates makes up for it. Over his past 3 seasons (not including 07-08) he has scored 36 goals or more and has had 82 points (1 PPG) or more.

His position also makes him quite intriguing, because he is a right winger, and could therefore fill the void left by Michael Ryder' downfall, as our 1st line RWer. He would also add some size (6'1'') .

Two cons against Hossa are his status after July 1st, the date after which he will become an unrestricted free-agent and the salary he might command on the open market.

Like we saw last season with Daniel Briere and Chris Drury, Marian Hossa could easily be offered a 4-5 year contract worth US$8-9 M annually.

One big question is: Do the Canadiens have the will and the ability to dish out all this money to a guy like Hossa, especially with the RFA status' of Andrei Kostitsyn and of, in a few years ,Tomas Plekanec, Sergei Kostitsyn and Chris Higgins and with Mike Komisarek's UFA status after the 08-09 season ?

Another con against Hossa is his trade value. As one of my colleagues pointed out, if Peter Forsberg can get you Scottie Upshall, Ryan Parent and two high picks (1st and 3rd rounds), what can Marian Hossa get you?

An approximation would be Chris Higgins, Ryan O'Byrne , one of Kyle Chipchura, Corey Locke or Mikhail Grabovsky and a first rounder. A condition to such a trade would probably be a negotating period with Hossa and his agent on an extension.

All this is a short resume of what is going on inside the Canadiens' Front Office's heads. Hopefully, they won't explode!

Keep faith fellow Habs fans!

What the sellers have to offer

2008-02-16T07:24:00.001-05:00

With a big number of teams, currently, out of the Playoff Picture, a slew of players could be available by the Trade Deadline.

Amongst these teams are the Los Angeles Kings, Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, St. Louis Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Islanders and Chicago Blackhawks.

All these teams have interesting unrestricted free-agents come July 1st, except the Edmonton Oilers, but do not rule them out as sellers, as they have an important number of young defencemen and forwards that could be on the way out (except Gagner, Cogliano, Pitkanen...).

The teams with the most valuable assets to ship off is the Tampa Bay Lightning. Their UFAs include Dan Boyle, Vaclav Prospal and Chris Gratton. Boyle and Prospal would be welcome on any team, as for Gratton, his 55% faceoff success rate makes him somewhat of an intriguing option as a 3rd line center.

The Blackhawks along with the Oilers are the out-of-the-race teams that have the least to offer.
The Blackhawks seem to be willing to keep their young core of players together, and therefore only have UFAs Martin Lapointe and Andrei Zyuzin. Edmonton is in the same situation and their only ''notable'' UFA is Geoff Sanderson.

The Maple Leafs and Kings, respectively 29th and 30th in league standings, have some valuable UFAs to offer. Mats Sundin is most notably the top UFA forward in the market this year as the Trade Deadline approaches, and Toronto's only asset, if they decide to not trade Tomas Kaberle.
The Kings' notable UFAs include Rob Blake and Ladislav Nagy.

Finally, the Blues and Islanders also have some valuable assets to offer. St. Louis, unable to re-sign Barret Jackman up until this point in time, might be forced to trade him, and the Islanders surely want to get something in return for UFAs Miroslav Satan, Trent Hunter and Bryan Berard.

The Market this year seems quite bleek from a 100% sellers point of view, but wait until Trade Deadline day to see where Atlanta (UFAs: F Marian Hossa, F Bobby Holik, F Mark Recchi, D Steve McCarthy, G Johan Hedberg), Columbus (UFAs: F David Vyborny, F Sergei Fedorov, F Mike Peca, D Adam Foote) and Vancouver (UFAs: F Markus Naslund, F Brendan Morrison) stand, as their position could force them to add some valuable assets to the Trade Pool.

Central Division Trade Profiles, Candidates

2008-02-15T18:52:00.001-05:00

Central Division: Chicago, Columbus, Detroit, Nashville, St. Louis

The central division is divided in two clans: the playoff teams (Detroit, Nashville) and the non-playoff teams (Chicago, Columbus, St. Louis).

The Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets and St. Louis Blues are, all at this moment, out of the playoff picture. To add to that, all of them seem to not be ready to contend, and therefore aren't necessarily considered as buyers at this point in time. They also do not seem to be sellers, but they could become some soon.

Amongst the players these 3 teams could part with are forwards David Vyborny, Michael Peca, Sergei Fedorov and defensemen Adam Foote, Barret Jackman and Bryce Salvador.

Eventhough their current status, the Blackhawks have also been linked to Swedish center Peter Forsberg.

As for Nashville and Detroit, both are likely to be buyers.

Detroit, eventhough being ranked 1st in the league in points, feels they need to add a Top 6 forward. Mats Sundin is the most likely to fit the bill.

On Nashville's part, their goalie situation is a concern, due to Chris Mason's inconsistency and Dan Ellis' lack of experience, and, with no reliable goalies on the market, will have to do with what they've got.

This Western Conference division is filled with teams' which status' could vary as the Trade Deadline approaches. Wait right down to the wire, as these teams, except Detroit, could be in and out of the Playoff Picture in no time.

WWIB is back!

2008-02-15T18:41:00.000-05:00

After a long Hiatus, We Want it Bad! is back.
Leading up to next-next Tuesday's Trade Deadline, I will post numerous entries on possible deals.
I also extend to you readers my deepest apologies for this Hiatus and I hope you will read this blog's content over the next few weeks.

Thank You

Good Luck Blake!

2007-10-08T16:51:00.000-05:00

Today, Toronto Maple Leafs forward Jason Blake announced that he had been diagnosed with a rare kind of leukemia, blood cancer.

Even though Blake has this dangerous disease, he also said that he will continue playing for the Leafs this season.

Jason, I sincerely wish you luck in your fight against this devastating disease.

Hope you get well soon!

Canadiens: Week 2 (10/8-10/14)

2007-10-08T16:33:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, October 10th, 7:30 PM:

(1-0-1)

VS

(1-1-0)

Saturday, October 13th, 7:00 PM:

(1-1-1)

VS

(1-0-1)

Canadiens lose to Leafs in OT

2007-10-06T21:03:00.000-05:00

Toronto-- A combination of bad penalties, horrible giveaways and leaving Cristobal Huet by himself to face the Maple Leafs resulted in the Habs' first loss of the season.

Eventhough they started the game strong by scoring 2:43 minutes in, the Canadiens coughed up their early lead when Leafs defenceman Ian White ripped a shot past Cristobal Huet, after multiple unsuccessful clearing attempts by both Alexei Kovalev and Andrei Kostitsyn (Kastsitsyn).

Later in the opening frame, Andrei Markov played aggressively on the penalty kill and shot a puck past Vesa Toskala.

Andrei Kostitsyn (Kastsitsyn) added to the Tricolore's lead with his 1st goal of the new campaign.

Over the next 2 periods, one player would step up for the Leafs, scoring twice and leading his team to overtime, that one player being Alexei Ponikarovski.

A couple of moments into overtime, Mats Sundin was penalized, thus giving our dear Canadiens a 4-3 powerplay.

After numerous failed scoring attempts by Mark Streit and Alex Kovalev and after the Habs botched the aforementioned powerplay, Canadiens' defenceman Francis Bouillon was sent to the Sin Bin.

On the ensuing powerplay, Leafs' Montreal Canadiens Killer Tomas Kaberle one-timered a Mats Sundin pass past Huey.

The game was all over.

2007-08 New Jerseys -- Central

2007-09-14T17:59:00.000-05:00

Chicago Blakchawks:

Columbus Blue Jackets:

Detroit Red Wings:

Nashville Predators:

St. Louis Blues (Unofficial):

2007-08 New Jerseys -- Northeast

2007-09-13T19:02:00.000-05:00

Boston Bruins:

Buffalo Sabres:

Montreal Canadiens:

Ottawa Senators:

Toronto Maple Leafs (Ugh!):

List of interesting training camp invitees

2007-09-13T18:55:00.000-05:00

F Tyler Bouck -- Anaheim Ducks
F Anson Carter -- Edmonton Oilers
F Jim Dowd -- Philadelphia Flyers
F Aaron Downey -- Detroit Red Wings
F Adam Hall -- Pittsburgh Penguins
F Krys Kolanos -- Calgary Flames
F Glen Metropolit -- Boston Bruins

D Bryan Berard -- New York Islanders
D Joel Bouchard -- Columbus Blue Jackets
D Jassen Cullimore -- Detroit Red Wings
D Rory Fitzpatrick -- Philadelphia Flyers
D Brent Sopel -- Detroit Red Wings
D David Tanabe -- St. Louis Blues

G Robert Esche -- Pittsburgh Pirates (Unofficially)
G Adam Munro -- Columbus Blue Jackets

Top 10 Free Agents

2007-07-18T20:13:00.001-05:00

1- C Peter Forsberg (NSH)
2- RW Teemu Selanne (ANA)
3- C Alexei Yashin (NYI)
4- D Danny Markov (DET)
5- RW Jeff O'Neill (TOR)
6- C Michael Peca (TOR)
7- RW Anson Carter (CAR)
8- D Andy Sutton (ATL)
9- D Patrice Brisebois (COL)
10- C Josef Vasicek (CAR)

Latest Transactions

2007-07-18T20:13:00.000-05:00

17th of July:

- Bruins acquired LW Peter Schaefer from Senators for RW Shean Donovan.

- Hurricanes acquired C Matt Cullen from Rangers for D Andrew Hutchinson, F Joe Barnes and a 3rd round pick in 2008.

- Canadiens re-signed D Josh Gorges, D Jean-Philippe Cote, D Andrew Archer, RW Duncan Milroy, C Corey Locke and G Yann Danis.

League Roundup: 7/10/07 Signings

2007-07-10T20:56:00.001-05:00

- New Jerseys Devils signed D Vitaly Vishnevski to a 3-year contract worth US$5.4 million.

- New York Rangers re-signed LW Brendan Shanahan to a 1-year contract.

- Pittsburgh Penguins signed C Sidney Crosby to a 5-year contract extension worth US$43.5 million.

- Washington Capitals signed W Joey Motzko to a 2-year deal.

League Roundup: July 9th

2007-07-09T20:00:00.000-05:00

- Detroit Red Wings signed F Dallas Drake to a 1-year contract.

- New York Islanders named F Bill Guerin captain.

- Phoenix Coyotes signed F Mike York to a 1-year, US$1 million contract.

- Vancouver Canucks re-signed D Kevin Bieksa to a 3-year contract, signed D Aaron Miller.

7/8/07 UFA SIGNINGS

2007-07-08T08:28:00.001-05:00

9:35 AM- Rumor Central (Teams Interested):

D Bryan Berard (CHI)
D Danny Markov (NYI, CHI)
RFA F Mike Ribeiro (EDM)
D Ossi Vaananen (NYI, CHI)
D Vitali Vishnevsky (NYI, CHI)
C Alexei Yashin (DET)
RFA F Stephen Weiss (EDM)

9:30 AM- Top Free Agents

5) D Brent Sopel
4) C Alexei Yashin
3) LW Brendan Shanahan
2) C Peter Forsberg
1) D Sheldon Souray

Canadiens Prospects: Ryan O'Byrne

2007-07-07T15:10:00.000-05:00

Birthdate: July 19th, 1984
Hometown: Victoria, British Columbia
Position: Defense
Shoots: Right
Height/Weight: 6'5"/225
Drafted: 2003, 3rd Round Pick (79th Overall)

Assets:

- Big Frame
- Skating speed
- Mobility
- "Can flat out crunch players"
- Heavy shot from the point

Flaws:

- Too many minor penalties
- Needs to improve on his reads and reaction time

2006/07 Stats: 80 GP: 0 G, 12 A, 12 PTS, -7, 129 PIM

Note: With the lack of real depht on defense, O'Byrne has a serious shot at making the team out of training camp.

7/7/07 UFA SIGNINGS

2007-07-07T07:52:00.000-05:00

ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
Please e-mail me: afi.ville.49@gmail.com

9:00 AM- Rumor Central (Teams Interested):

F Peter Forsberg (DET)
D Sheldon Souray (NJ, NYR, SJ)
D Andy Sutton (NJ)
F Alexei Yashin (DET)

8:55 AM- Top 5 Free Agents:

5) D Brent Sopel
4) C Alexei Yashin
3) LW Brendan Shanahan
2) C Peter Forsberg
1) D Sheldon Souray

7/6/07 UFA SIGNINGS

2007-07-06T06:43:00.000-05:00

ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ?
Please e-mail me at: afi.ville.49@gmail.com

6:45 PM- Stars sign LW Brad Winchester:
1 year at US$475,000

4:40 PM- Leafs sign G Scott Clemmensen:
1 year, two-way contract

3:40 PM- Wild sign D Sean Hill:
1 year

12:50 PM- Vanek Update:

In a 12:30 PM Press conference, Sabres' GM Darcy Regier announced that the Sabres will match the Oilers' contract offer of US$50 million over 7 years.

12:30 PM- Oilers send Vanek an offer sheet:

According to various sources, the Edmonton Oilers have sent forward Tomas Vanek an offer sheet. The offer is worth US$50 million over a period of 7 years. If the Sabres can not match the Oilers' offer, Edmonton will obtain Vanek in exchange for a compensation, more precisely of 4 1st round drat picks.

12:25 PM- Senators promote John Paddock to head coach.

8:00 AM- Top 5 Free Agents:

5) D Brent Sopel
4) C Alexei Yashin
3) LW Brendan Shanahan
2) C Peter Forsberg
1) D Sheldon Souray

7:50 AM- Rumor Central (Teams Interested):

LW Martin Gelinas (DAL)
D Sean Hill (MIN)
D Sheldon Souray (NJ, NYR, SJ)
C Alexei Yashin (DAL)

7/5/07 UFA SIGNINGS

2007-07-05T14:02:00.000-05:00

11:50 PM- Red Wings sign G Dominik Hasek:
1 year at US$2 million (Without Bonuses)

9:00 PM- Nickle1371 sends in the following:

Do you think Patrick Kaleta will be in the sabres line-up next season? also do you think the sabres will go after comrie or souray. (sorry if we do take souray from u, cuz we want it bad too lol.)"

Dear Nickle,

I do think that Patrick Kaleta has a chance of making the Sabres out of training camp, especially with the losses of Daniel Briere, Chris Drury and Dainius Zubrus. He played 7 games for the Sabres, managing 2 assists and 21 penalty minutes. But nothing is certain.

I do also believe the Sabres went after New York Islander Mike Comrie, who could of filled their need of a speedy and gritty 2nd line center. Comrie signed with the Islanders a few moments ago.

As to going after Sheldon Souray, I am not so sure Darcy Regier was too kean on signing a defenceman for over US$5 million, with a lack of defensive ability. I also believe the Sabres lost a big part of their forwards this offseason, and did not need to sign defencemen, but needed to concentrate their money on forwards who could replace the ones who left via the UFA market.

I hope this helps,

I Want It!

8:34 PM- Islanders sign C Mike Comrie:
1 year

8:33 PM- Sabres sign G Jocelyn Thibault:
1 year

5:50 PM- Ducks sign D Shane Hnidy:
2 years

5:34 PM- Islanders sign F Bill Guerin:
2 year at US$9 million

4:20 PM- Canadiens sign D Jamie Rivers:
2 years

1:18 PM- Devils sign G Kevin Weekes:
2 years at US$1.375 million

11:33 AM- Columbus Blue Jackets sign D Jan Hejda:
1 year

2007-08 Canadiens Lineup

2007-07-04T15:21:00.000-05:00

MONTREAL-- Having signed our last free agent, I think I should give you fans a look at this year's Montreal Canadiens lineup:

1st Line: C. Higgins -- S. Koivu -- A. Kovalev

2nd Line: G. Latendresse -- T. Plekanec -- M. Ryder

3rd Line: J. Lahti -- B. Smolinski -- A. Kostitsyn

4th Line: M. Lapierre -- S. Begin -- M. Streit

1st Pairing: A. Markov -- M. Komisarek

2nd Pairing: R. Hamrlik -- J. Gorges

3rd Pairing: M. Dandenault -- F. Bouillon

Starter: C. Huet

Backup: J. Halak

Bench: T. Kostopoulos

Notes:

1) J. Lahti and T. Kostopoulos are inter-changeable.
2) A. Kovalev and M. Ryder are inter-changeable.
3) M. Streit could be in J. Gorges place, T. Kostopoulos in M. Streit's place and J. Gorges in T. Kostopoulos' place.

Canadiens sign Kostopoulos

2007-07-04T10:32:00.000-05:00

MONTREAL-- Bob Gainey wasn't lying yesterday when he told the Media that he still was looking at some players, on whom to spend his remaining US$2 million.

He has spent, according to TSN, US$900,000 of it on veteran winger Tom Kostopoulos.

The 28-year old will be playing for his 3rd NHL team, after stints with Pittsburgh (2001-2004) and Los Angeles (2005-2007).

He has totaled 70 points (25-45) in 231 NHL games.

Note: This signing surprises me, as I would be tremendously stunned to see Kostopoulos making the team out of training camp, with guys like Mark Streit, Andrei Kostitsyn, Kyle Chipchura competing seriously.

Gainey had US$2 million to spend on a replacement for Mike Johnson, and has wasted half of it on a career 4th line/reserve player. Instead of putting convincing offers on the table for guys like Glen Metropolit, Kyle Calder, Jeff O'Neill... he gave up, and signed a "10 point a season" guy.

7/4/07 UFA SIGNINGS

2007-07-04T07:42:00.000-05:00

ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ?
E-mail me at: afi.ville.49@gmail.com

5:30 PM- Sabres re-sign D Teppo Numminen:
1 year at US$2.6 million

1:45 PM- Islanders sign LW Ruslan Fedotenko:
1 year at US$2.9 million

1:35 PM- Thrashers re-sign LW Slava Kozlov:
3 years at US$11 million (US$3.66 annually)

11:35 AM- Canadiens sign W Tom Kostopoulos:
2 years at US$1.8 million (US$900,000 annually)

10:05 AM- Flames re-sign RW Jarome Iginla:
5 years

10:00 AM- Maple Leafs re-sign G Vesa Toskala:
2 years at US$8 million (US$4 annually)

8:55 AM- Rumor Central (Teams Interested):

RW Bill Guerin (VAN, CBJ)
D Sean Hill (MIN)
LW Slava Kozlov (DAL, ATL)
D Sheldon Souray (NJ, SJ, DAL, NYR)

8:50 AM- Top 5 Free Agents:

5) D Brent Sopel
4) LW Slava Kozlov
3) LW Brendan Shanahan
2) C Peter Forsberg
1) D Sheldon Souray

7/3/07 UFA SIGNINGS

2007-07-03T19:40:00.000-05:00

ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS?
Please e-mail me at: afi.ville.49@gmail.com

9:20 PM- Kings re-sign G Jason LaBarbera:
2 years

8:50 PM- Top 5 Free Agents:

5) D Brent Sopel
4) LW Slava Kozlov
3) LW Brendan Shanahan
2) C Peter Forsberg
1) D Sheldon Souray

Note: There is no Dominik Hasek on the list, since he has indicated that if he does not re-sign with the Red Wings, he will retire, thus making him not "that" unrestricted.

8:45 PM- Sheldon Souray's options (In order of likelyness):

1) San Jose Sharks
2) Dallas Stars
3) New York Rangers

7:55 PM- Kings sign D Brad Stuart:
1 year at US$3.5 million

7:50 PM- Lightning sign D Brad Lukowich:
3 years

7:25 PM- Oilers sign F Raffi Torres:
3 years at US$6.75 million (US$2.25 annually)

7:20 PM- Oilers speak about the Nylander Case:
Per Oilers.com, ex-UFA Michael Nylander's agent had agreed (in principle) to a contract with the Oilers concerning the veteran center, hours before agreeing to one with the Washington Capitals, with whom he will play with during the 2007/08 season.

7:10 PM- Beliveau, not enough to convince Briere:
According to Michael Whalen of TSN, the Montreal Canadiens had HOF Jean Beliveau call and try to convince Daniel Briere to come to Montreal. The attempt was unsuccessful.

6:30 PM- Canucks sign G Curtis Sandford:
1 year at US$600 thousand

6:20 PM- Wild sign F Wes Walz
5:50 PM- Wild sign G Nolan Schaefer

5:25 PM- Islanders re-sign UFA LW Andy Hilbert:
2 years at US$1.35 million (US$675 thousand annually)

Note: Special thanks to "Drew".

5:00 PM- Ducks sign W Brad May:
2 years

5:00 PM- Oilers sign G Mathieu Garon:
2 years

Note: With this signing, the Oilers will let UFA Jussi Markkanen go.

4:40 PM- Wild signs C Eric Belanger:
3 years at US$5.2 million (US$1.73 annually)

3:30 PM- Devils sign C Dainius Zubrus:
6 years at US$ 20.4 million (US$3.4 annually)

3:00 PM- Blue Jackets sign C Jiri Novotni:
2 years

2:15 PM- Devils sign D Karel Rachunek:
1 year at US$1.5 million

1:45 PM- Canucks sign F Byron Ritchie
1:05 PM- Canucks sign G Cory Schneider
1:00 PM- Canucks sign F Brad Isbister

1:20 PM- Predators re-sign G Chris Mason:
2 years at US$6 million (US$3 million annually)

7:45 AM- Rumor Central (Teams Interested):

C Mike Comrie (ATL, BUF, LAK, NYI)
F Bill Guerin (CBJ, OTT, VAN)
G Jamie McLennan (VAN)
D Nolan Pratt (TB)
D Ossi Vaananen (Not COL)

7:45 AM-Top 5 Free Agents:

5) LW Brendan Shanahan: Plays a great two-way game.
4) D Brad Stuart: Very gifted skater.
3) C Peter Forsberg: Outstanding playmaker.
2) G Dominik Hasek: Immune to age.
1) D Sheldon Souray: Fantastic slapshot.

7:40 AM-Rumor Central (Teams Interested):

G Dominik Hasek (Wants to stay in DET)
D Sean Hill (MIN)
LW Slava Kozlov (ATL, DAL)
C Alexei Yashin (ATL, MTL)

Kings of the free agent market

2007-07-03T19:21:00.000-05:00

LOS ANGELES-- The Kings are one of the major players in this year's free agent market.

After a disappointing season despite the great ones of youngsters Alexander Frolov, Mike Cammalleri and Anze Kopitars, Kings' GM Dean Lombardi was poised to make a splash and improve his club.

He did so, by adding veteran forwards Michal Handzus, Ladislav Nagy and Kyle Calder and defencemen Tom Preissing and Brad Stuart.

These signings tranform this club, as so many others have been this offseason, into a playoff team...

These 5 veterans add skill, size, experience, finesse, grit, power, speed, intelligence... to the Kings' roster.

Here are the Kings' expected lines, with these signings:

Frolov -- Kopitar -- Cammalleri
Nagy -- Handzus -- Brown
Thornton -- Armstrong -- Calder
Ivaanans -- O'Sullivan -- Willsie

Blake -- Johnson
Stuart -- Visnovski
Preissing -- Modry

Cloutier
LaBarbera

This is definately a team to be excited about, and to follow during the 2007/08 season.

Message from the great Bossy

2007-07-03T16:32:00.000-05:00

From NYI.com:

The Hall of Famer sent the following email this afternoon to forward to fans throughout Islanders Country

There comes a time in an organization when you have to stand up for what you believe. There comes a time also when fans have to believe in who is at the helm of that organization.

I don't think there is 1 fan who was not pleased to see the direction the Islanders took last year. There were ups and downs but I believe more ups than downs. Everyone was truly excited when Dubie performed his miracles toward the end of the season and helped us earn a playoff position. Everyone was truly excited when we really gave Buffalo a run for their money in the playoffs. Yes, we fell short but we all had the satisfaction that everything had been done to go as far as we could given the circumstances.

We believed that Garth made the right moves and that Ted got everything he could out of the players sitting in front of him on the bench and when he couldn't, well, those guys didn't play or received significantly less ice time. We believed that Garth and Ted had a plan for the future and weren't going to waiver from that plan.

Since July 1st the plan hasn't changed. We want players that want to play on Long Island and who will show what we all think Long Island deserves. A team that goes out every night with the right attitude, grit, character and dedication, to themselves, their teammates and fans. We tried to sign 2 of those players who fit exactly that mold. Unfortunately those 2 players chose to play out West instead of here. Whatever their reasons were, it does not matter anymore. What matters is that Garth and Ted are sticking to their guns and will not change their course of thinking.

There are others players who fit that mold. Garth asked us to be patient. Let's give Garth and Ted our support. Let's not succumb to panic or frustration. It's the easy thing to do. I truly believe that their thinking is the right long term approach to building a team that we will all be proud of. No one closed the books yesterday and no one has gone on vacation. Everyone is diligently working on doing the right thing for the organization and you, THE FANS.

It was Garth and Ted's first year last year. Let them continue their work and in the meantime let's continue to support everyone in the organization, from the hockey staff to my colleagues doing everything they can so the Islanders play in front of a full house every night.

Let's do this all together. If in the end I am wrong, you can tell me so – loud and clear. Let's all stick together.

We all want a Stanley Cup, right? And WE'RE ALL ISLANDERS, right?

Have a great 4th of July everyone.

Mike

Note: This message vividly defends the Islanders' front office. This is exactly what any team needs after losing some big pieces of its core to another one, a voice of the past and present sticking with the Team and its management. These words are much more efficient than Sabres' GM Darcy Regier's "One way..." speech, which basically blamed the Market for Drury and Briere's loss, which, weren't the only reasons for losing the pair. No GM can equal these words.

Those are the players you want!

2007-07-03T12:22:00.000-05:00

MONTREAL-- Signing defenceman Roman Hamrlik and center Bryan Smolinski were moves Canadiens GM Bob Gainey is not likely regret, as both players are quite happy to be playing in Montreal:

Hamrlik: "I got a few offers from teams in the U.S., but I told my agent I'd love to play in Canada," the 33-year-old Hamrlik said from Zlin, Czech Republic on a conference call, comparing hockey in Canada to playing soccer in England. "It's great hockey."

Smolinski: "Being in Ottawa a a few years and seeing that rivalry with Montreal, it'll be interesting to see it from the other side. "It's a beautiful city and it's an Original Six team. It'll be an honour to wear that jersey."

As you may have seen with the previous quotes, both skaters are tremendously motivated to be playing for the NHL team with the most Stanley Cup wins, an emotion that wasn't necessarily present last season when the Canadiens signed winger Sergei Samsonov, who was just happy somebody signed him. He was never welcomed in Montreal after his slow start and his bad mouthing of the French media.

Bob Gainey has played it "safe" this offseason, adding players who's "no.1 choices" were Montreal, and who have put up consistent numbers throughout the years.

On the other hand, Samsonov had been plagued by injuries and had put up incosistent numbers over the seasons, when he was signed by the Canadiens last offseason.

Gainey has changed his strategy this offseason, going after hard working players who bring team spirit and leadership to the dressing room, instead of over-paying for selfish players.

Canadiens add Smolinski

2007-07-02T20:00:00.000-05:00

MONTREAL-- After falling short in the Briere and Smyth cases, there was no way the Canadiens were going to fall short for a third time.

Bob Gainey didn't, as he signed UFA center Bryan Smolinski to a 1-year contract, worth US$2 million, with a no-trade clause.

Smolinski's role is undetermined as of yet, as he may be the team's 2nd or 3rd line center.

It all depends if the Canadiens sign another center, more like if they sign Alexei Yashin.

This signing pushes Tomas Plekanec and his impressive 06/07 season aside. To get the playing he desires, he might even play the wing in 07/08.

This signing creates plenty of questions, who will surely be answered over the next week.

Smolinski had a good o6/07 as he totaled 18 goals and 44 points in 82 games with both the Chicago Blackhawks and Vancouver Canucks.

The 35-year old adds one main quality profoundly needed over the last past few seasons at the center's position: SIZE.

Smolinski has a big frame at 6'1" and 208 pounds.

The 14-year NHL veteran will be playing for his 8th NHL team, having scored 266 goals and 360 assists in 992 career games, with his 7 previous clubs.

Both Smolinski, and new acquiree Roman Hamrlik will, "hopefully", be playing their respective 1000th games in the NHL as Montreal Canadiens.

7/2/07 UFA SIGNINGS

2007-07-02T16:54:00.001-05:00

ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS?
Please e-mail me at: afi.ville.49@gmail.com

8:30 PM Flames re-sign D Robyn Regehr:
5 years at US$20 million (US$4 million annually)

8:30 PM Coyotes buy-out C Dave Scatchard:
Making him an unrestricted free agent.

8:30 PM Flames sign LW Owen Nolan:
1 year at US$2 million (including bonuses)

8:30 PM Kings sign LW Kyle Calder: 2 years at US$5.4 million
4:00 PM Kings sign D Tom Preissing: 4 years at US$11 million

7:35 PM Ducks sign LW Todd Bertuzzi:
2 years at US$8 million (US$4 Annually)

7:30 PM Canadiens sign C Bryan Smolinski:
1 year at US$2 million with a no-trade clause

7:05 PM- Souray's options
After rejecting a contract offer from the Canadiens, here are Sheldon Souray's options (a.k.a. teams who have offered him a contract, per RDS):
Dallas Stars
San Jose Sharks
New York Rangers

6:45 PM Kings sign C Michal Handzus: 4 years at US$16 million
6:43 PM Kings sign LW Ladislav Nagy: 1 year

6:40 PM Predators sign F Radek Bonk and D Greg de Vries:
2 years

6:35 PM Thrashers sign D Ken Klee:
Multiple years

6:00 PM Blackhawks sign C Robert Lang:
2 years
Note: Michal Handzus' re-signing now seems unprobable.

5:25 PM Canadiens sign D Roman Hamrlik:
4 years at US$22 million (View Article Below)

5:20 PM Capitals sign F Michael Nylander:
4 years at US$19.5 million (View Article Below)

5:05 PM Rangers sign D Jason Strudwick:
Terms undisclosed

5:00 PM-Handzus has a deadline
According to blackhawks.nhl.com, the Chicago Blackhawks have told UFA forward Michal Handzus that he has until tonight to accept a Blackhawks' contract offer, unless he wants to hit the open market and explore other options.

4:30 PM-Hamrlik a Target
According to RDS.ca, the Montreal Canadiens have been negotiating a contract with UFA defenceman Roman Hamrlik. Check out my article below this post.

2:25 PM-Preissing to L.A. ?
According to the Ottawa Sun, UFA defenceman Tom Preissing has signed a 4-year contract worth an approximated US$11 million dollars (US$2.75 million per season). No official announcement has been made, of yet.

12:47 PM-Top 5 remaining free agents
5) C Peter Forsberg: Outstanding playmaker
4) D Tom Preissing: Very smart with the puck
3) G Dominik Hasek: Immune to age
2) C Michael Nylander: Great vision
1) D Sheldon Souray: Fantastic slapshot

12:36 PM Canucks re-sign D Lukas Krajicek:
2 years at US$2.2 million (US$1.1 million annually)

11:57 AM Maple Leafs re-sign LW Bates Battaglia:
2 years at US$1.3 million (US$650 thousand annually)

11:26 AM Predators sign F Jed Ortmeyer:
2 years at US$1.5 million (US$750 thousand per season)

11:07 AM-Rumor Central (Teams Interested):
F Brendan Shanahan (NYR)
F Alexei Yashin (WAS)
F Wes Walz (MIN)

Note: The Rangers could sign Shanahan if they offered him a contract of US$2 million with, let's say, US$2 million in performance bonuses. At 37, the bonuses, of a respectable amount, would
not count against the salary cap and would easily satisfy Shanahan. He would basically sign for US$2 million but would end up with US$4.

10:07 AM-Rumor Central (Teams Interested):
F Mike Comrie (LAK, NJ, TOR, WAS)
F Slava Kozlov (ATL, DAL, OTT)
F Michael Nylander (EDM, WAS)
D Tom Preissing (COL, LAK, SJ)
D Karel Rachunek (BOS)

1:18 AM-Penguins sign RW Petr Sykora:
2 years

1:02 AM-Penguins sign D Darryl Sydor:
2 years at US$5 million (US$2.5 million per season)

Canadiens sign Hamrlik

2007-07-02T16:53:00.001-05:00

MONTREAL- Today, the Montreal Canadiens signed defenceman Roman Hamrlik to a 4-year contract, financial terms undisclosed.

"Roman Hamrlik established himself as a solid NHL veteran,'' Habs GM Bob Gainey said in a statement. ''The acquisition of Roman fills a very important need in our organization. He is a strong defenceman with a powerful shot and excellent hockey skills. He brings to our club a solid experience and an excellent reputation.''

The 33-year old Czech "power-play quaterback" will replace Sheldon Souray on the Canadiens' powerplay and as the Habs' no.2 defenceman.

Hamrlik has played in 999 career NHL regular season games with 4 teams: the Tampa Bay Lightning (1992-1998), Edmonton Oilers (1998-2000), New York Islanders (2000-2004) and most recently the Calgary Flames (2005-2007).

As soon as the 14-year NHL veteran hits the ice as a Montreal Canadien, he will have already hit a milestone, playing in his 1000th NHL game.

This signing puts an end to Sheldon Souray's possible return to Montreal.

Capital Changes

2007-07-02T16:51:00.000-05:00

WASHINGTON-- After signing another quality forward, the Washington Capitals seem to be committed to complementing their young star Alexander Ovechkin, and to turning their team into one that could make the playoffs next season.

The Caps added veterans Tom Poti and Viktor Kozlov yesterday, at annual salaries of over US$2 million per season.

Today, they continued their free agent shopping, signing "playmaker extraordinaire" Michael Nylander.

Nylander will certainly be feeding the puck to the 2005/06 Calder Trophy Winner next season, and might even exceed the point totals he had last season while playing with Jaromir Jagr.

Who knows, the Capitals might be back in the playoff front, for the first time since... 2000/01.

Should we re-sign Sheldon ?

2007-07-02T10:10:00.000-05:00

MONTREAL-- Eventhough defenceman Sheldon Souray will command a salary over US$5 million, why wouldn't Canadiens' GM Bob Gainey retain him?

With the loss of Daniel Briere and Ryan Smyth to the Flyers and Avalanche, there are no more US$6 million players on the market, therefore the Canadiens have the money and cap space to re-sign Souray, and a couple of tier II/III forwards.

Add to that the fact that all defencemen who could of replaced Souray are off the market, like Mathieu Schneider, Scott Hannan, Tom Poti and Brian Rafalski, and the Canadiens basically have no choice.

Although Souray has some serious defensive issues, his offense is irreplaceable. He led all defencemen with 26 goals, 19 of which came with the man advantage. He also ranked 3rd among blueliners with 64 points.

The question is, does Bob Gainey think that his offense makes up for his defense?

The answer is far from being known, but I can say that I do not think it does.

But let's face it, he's the best option we have.

Day 1: Winners and Losers

2007-07-02T07:54:00.000-05:00

Losers:

1)BUF: With the loss of Chris Drury and Daniel Briere, the Buffalo Sabres are definately the day's biggest loser. Overconfident they would re-sign their top 2 forwards for "hometown discounts", Sabres GM Darcy Regier overestimated both forwards' loyalty towards the club, by not offering them contracts until 2 days before they became unrestricted free-agents. Drury and Briere both signed with Eastern Conference teams, the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers.

2)NYI: Jason Blake and Ryan Smyth seemed like quite the pair of left wingers any team could want, but the New York Inslanders had them both for the end of the 2006/07 season. They made the playoffs, but fell to the Buffalo Sabres in the 1st round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Fast forward to yesterday, when two of their most prized possessions fell into ennemy hands, as Blake signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs, a team "committed to winning", and Smyth signed with the Colorado Avalanche, leaving the 1st line left winger position on the Islanders' roster wide open. The Islanders lost much more than 2 players, but a great leader, ready to do anything to win, and a gritty and selfish, but in a good way, forward with a desire to do whatever it takes. They also lost 30-year old defenceman Tom Poti, one of the best offensive defencemen in the league last season, and big center Viktor Kozlov to the Washington Capitals. These losses leave their top 2 offensive lines heavily depleated.

Winners:

1)NYR: Adding Chris Drury and Scott Gomez was a fantastic job by Rangers' GM Glenn Sather. Nobody expected that a single team would add them both, but the Rangers did. These 2 major acquisitions turn the Rangers into an immediate cup contender, with one of the best offenses in the NHL.

2)COL: When Joe Sakic re-signed in April, who knew the Avalanche would be adding Ryan Smyth at the same time, as the 19-year NHL veteran played a major part in bringing the Banff, Alberta native to Colorado. Sakic must of also played a part in bringing Canadian defenceman Scott Hannan to the Avalache. With these additions, the Colorado Avalanche have a better defensive and offensive team, filled with plenty of grit and body presence. The Avalanche is officially back as one of the top power houses in the West.

Top 10 UFAs

2007-07-01T20:27:00.000-05:00

Here are the NHL's top 10 remaining unrestricted free-agents:

10) D Brad Stuart
9) RW Dainius Zubrus
8) LW Slava Kozlov
7) LW Paul Kariya
6) D Roman Hamrlik
5) LW Brendan Shanahan
4) D Tom Preissing
3) G Dominik Hasek
2) D Sheldon Souray
1) LW Ryan Smyth

Niedermayer set to retire

2007-07-01T20:04:00.000-05:00

ANAHEIM-- According to TSN.ca, Ducks' captain Scott Nidermayer is set to announce that he is retiring from professional hockey.

Niedermayer won his 4th Stanley Cup this post-season, his 1st with the Ducks, since joining them on August 4th, 2005.

He won the Conn Smyth trophy for his excellent play and leadership during these playoffs.

The 14-year NHL veteran has accumulated 132 points over his last past 2 seasons, more precisely in a period of 161 games.

He spent the previous 12 seasons of his career with the New Jerseys Devils.

Update 1: According to TSN.ca, the Canadian defenseman will not announce his retirement tonight, even though he told people close to him he would.

Rangers add Gomez, Drury

2007-07-01T19:03:00.000-05:00

NEW YORK-- The Rangers added two pieces to an already half-completed puzzle on Saturday, as they signed veteran centers Chris Drury and Scott Gomez.

Both centers will command an average salary over the US$7 million mark.

Drury and Gomez were the most sought after centers after Daniel Briere had been taken off the market.

Gomez will maintain an average salary of US$7.3 million, while Drury's will be around US$7.05 million.

Both Drury and Gomez had no desire to return to their 06/07 clubs, who took their signings for granted. They also wanted a chance to win, and a shot at a more important role.

Drury and Gomez will not have to leave the state of New York to join their new club, since they previously played in Buffalo and New Jersey, two suburbs of the Big Apple.

The Rangers are now a serious cup contender, they possess 3 of the best players in the NHL, and one of the 5 best goalies in the league.

7/1/07 UFA SIGNINGS

2007-07-01T18:50:00.000-05:00

Colorado Avalanche sign F Ryan Smyth:
5 years at US$31.25 million (Front-loaded)

St. Louis Blues sign LW Paul Kariya:
3 years at US$18 million (US$6 million per season)

New York Islanders sign RW Jon Sim:
3 years

Colorado Avalanche signs D Scott Hannan:
4 years at US$18 million (US$4.5 million per season)

Pittsburgh Penguins sign G Dany Sabourin:
2 years at US$1.025 million (US$0.5125 thousand per year)

Washington Capitals sign C Viktor Kozlov:
2 years at US$5 million (US$2.5 million annually)

Note: Kozlov will be Ovechkin's centerman next season

New York Rangers sign C Chris Drury:
5 years at US$35.25 million (US$7.05 per season)

New York Rangers sign C Scott Gomez:
7 years at US$51.5 million (US$7.35 million per season)

Toronto Maple Leafs sign LW Jason Blake:
4 years at US$20 million (US$5 million per season)

Tampa Bay Lightning sign RW Michel Ouellet:
2 years at US$2.5 million (US$1.2/US$1.3)

Note: Ouellet will likely replace Ruslan Fedotenko in the Bolts' lineup.

Florida Panthers sign RW Radek Dvorak:
2 years

Boston Bruins sign RW Shawn Thornton:
Multi-year contract

Chicago Blackhawks sign C Yanic Perreault:
1 year at US$1.5 million

Note: Michal Handzus' return to the 'Hawks now seems questionable.

Detroit Red Wings sign D Brian Rafalski:
5 years at US$ 30 million (US$6 million per season)

Calgary Flames sign D Cory Sarich:
5 years at US$18 million (US$ 3.6 per season)

Note: Roman Hamrlik will not re-sign with the Flames.

Anaheim Ducks sign D Mathieu Schneider:
2 years at US$ 11.25 million (US$5.5/US$5.75)

Note: Scott Niedermayer seems to be on the verge of retirement.

Philadelphia Flyers sign C Daniel Briere:
8 years at US$52 million (1st year: US$10 million)

Florida Panthers sign LW Richard Zednik:
2 years at US$3.25 million (US$1.5/US$1.75)

Washington Capitals sign D Tom Poti:
4 years at US$14 million (US$3.5 million per season)

Atlanta Thrashers sign C Todd White:
4 years at US$9.5 million (US$2.375 million per season)

Flyers-Oilers Swap 4 Players

2007-07-01T17:47:00.000-05:00

To Edmonton:

LW Geoff Sanderson
D Joni Pitkanen
2009 3rd Round Pick

To Philadelphia:

LW Joffrey Lupul
D Jason Smith

Continuing their frenzy of trades which have for purpose of transforming them into a cup contender, the Philadelphia Flyers acquired veteran defenseman Jason Smith, the Oilers' ex-captain who could be a top candidate for the same slot with the Flyers. They also add young but "struggling" forward Joffrey Lupul. Adding those important pieces to their lineup wasn't priceless, as the Pensylvanian club had to rid themselves of young but "falling" star Joni Pitkanen, a puck-moving defenseman around whom the Oilers will base their franchise from now on forth and veteran winger Geoff Sanderson, who also joins Kevin Lowe's team.

Winner: Draw

Briere gets offer from Canadiens

2007-07-01T12:54:00.000-05:00

MONTREAL- According to TSN's Darren Dreger, the Montreal Canadiens have offered star forward Daniel Briere a contract.

The offer is worth US$42 million over a period of 7 years, an average salary of US$7 million per season.

Briere has also been tendered contract offers by 8 other teams, but has "narrowed his list down" to 5 teams, including the Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, St. Louis Blues and Los Angeles Kings.

Briere is currently in Los Angeles, California.

Sharks sign Thornton to extension

2007-07-01T11:23:00.000-05:00

SAN JOSE-- The Sharks re-signed their star forward Joe Thornton to a contract extension, today. The deal is worth an estimated US$21.6 million over a span of 3 seasons.

The 27-year old was scheduled to become an unrestricted free-agent next offseason.

Thornton was acquired by the Sharks on November 30th 2005, for foward Wayne Primeau and defenseman Brad Stuart, who were sent packing to Boston.

The 6 foot-4 forward had an immediate impact on the Californian club, as he, with the help of forward Jonathan Cheechoo, lead them to the playoffs.

The Canadian olympian scored 20 goals and added 70 assists in 58 games with the Sharks. Most of his assists were on forward Jonathan Cheechoo's goals, who won the 2005-06 Maurice Richard Trophy, shooting a puck which reached 56 times the back of the opposition's net.

Due to his fantastic first season with the Sharks, Thornton won the Hart Memorial Trophy, given to the player judged the most indispensable to his team's success.

Thornton continued his success during his second campaign with the Sharks, accumulating 114 points (22 G/92 A) in 82 games.

He once again lead San Jose to the Stanley Cup Finals, and to their second conference semi-final loss.

WWIB Top 10 UFAs

2007-07-01T11:05:00.000-05:00

10. Dominik Hasek (42): 38-11-6, 2.05 GAA, .913 SV%
9. Tom Preissing (28): 80 GP, 7-31-38
8. Paul Kariya (32): 82 GP, 24-52-76
7. Scott Hannan (28): 79 GP, 4-20-24
6. Peter Forsberg (33): 57 GP, 11-29-40
5. Brian Rafalski (33): 82 GP, 8-47-55
4. Scott Gomez (27): 72 GP, 13-47-60
3 Ryan Smyth (31): 71 GP, 31-22-53
2. Daniel Briere (29): 81 GP, 32-63-95
1. Chris Drury (30): 77 GP, 37-32-69

Flurry of re-signings

2007-06-30T19:00:00.000-05:00

ATL- Today, the Atlanta Thrashers re-signed forward Pascal Dupuis to a 1-year, US$800,000
contract. Dupuis was acquired last trade deadline by the Thrashers from the Rangers.

BUF- Saturday, the Buffalo Sabres re-signed forward/"goon" Adam Mair to a 3-year contract. His salary is expected to be over the US$650,000 he earned last season.

LAK- On friday, the Los Angeles Kings re-signed defenseman Jaroslav Modry and left winger Jeff Giuliano to 1-year contracts. No "money-related" information was disclosed.

MIN- Saturday afternoon, the Minnesota Wild re-signed restricted free-agents Mikko Koivu and Martin Skoula to new multi-year contracts. Both player's salaries will be around the US$1 million mark.

STL- On saturday, the Saint-Louis Blues re-signed forward Keith Tkachuk to a 2-year contract worth US$8 million. Tkachuk was acquired earlier this week from the Atlanta Thrashers.

Bruins acquire Fernandez from Wild

2007-06-30T18:42:00.000-05:00

BOSTON-- According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the Minnesota Wild have dealt goaltender Manny Fernandez to the Boston Bruins, in exchange for forward Peter Kalus and a future 4th round draft pick.

After a terrible start last season, Fernandez was replaced by Swedish import Nicklas Backstrom as the Wild's no.1 keeper. Backstrom proved he was worthy for the job, as he managed a 1.97 GAA in 41 games played. He had a 23-8-6 record, with a .929 SV%.

After such a consistent performance by Backstrom, Fernandez, and his US$4 million salary were a liability from a Minnesota Wild's point of vue, as they also needed to re-sign the 29-year old to a multi-year contract, which they did, on June 7th, to a 2 year pact, at a cost of US$6.2 million (US$3.1 per season).

With the increase of the salary cap, yesterday, going up to US$50.3 million, the Bruins had the money available to acquire the veteran netminder, and the Wild had their no.1 goalie re-signed. It was the perfect time to deal Fernandez. His time with his uncle (Jacques Lemaire) and the Wild had ended, an era which was once deemed to be "un-endable".

Flames re-sign a pair

2007-06-28T22:12:00.000-05:00

Accoring to their official website, the Calgary Flames have re-signed forward Wayne Primeau to a 3-year contract, financial terms undisclosed, and defenseman David Hale to a 1-year contract, financial terms undisclosed.

Primeau, and UFA defenseman Brad Stuart, were acquired last season from the Boston Bruins in exchange for defenseman Andrew Ference and forward Chuck Kobasew.

Hale was acquired last February from the Devils for a 2007 3rd Round Pick.

Briere turns down Sabres' offer

2007-06-28T15:05:00.000-05:00

Yesterday night, the Buffalo Sabres submitted a contract offer to unrestricted free-agent Daniel Briere. No information was disclosed on the salary or length of the contract.

Today, CHFans learned that Briere turned down this offer, a 5-year contract worth an estimated US$25 million, US$5 million per season.

I doubt Buffalo will increase the salary they are willing to offer him, as they are also trying to re-sign Chris Drury.

Therefore, Briere will hit the market July 1st.

Buffalo GM Darcy Regier was hoping that Briere would accept a "hometown discount", so would Drury, in an effort to keep them both in Buffalo.

But his tactic back-fired, as he is nowhere close to re-signing one or the other.

Rumor Central

2007-06-28T08:52:00.000-05:00

BUF- According to Buffalo TV station WGRZ, the Buffalo Sabres offered unrestricted free-agent Daniel Briere a contract late last night. No indications have been given on the length, or even salary associated with the contract.

NYI- Per Darren Dreger of TSN, the New York Islanders are ready to offer forward Ryan Smyth a 7-8 year contract, with an average salary of US$6 million per season. His salary's pattern over that span would be similar to Kimmo Timonen's, which would mean a hefty salary during the first 3-4 years, followed by decreasing amounts for the remaining seasons.

NYR- The Rangers are not at all close to re-signing forward Michael Nylander, reports the New York Post's Larry Brooks. He is said to be "playing it smart", as by waiting for big name UFAs Scott Gomez, Daniel Briere, Chris Drury... to be signed, he drives up his own value.

STL- According to Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the St. Louis Blues have submitted a contract offer to Keith Tkachuk, whom they acquired the rights of negotiation to on Tuesday. The contract is worth US$7 million over a span of 2 years (US$3.5 million per season).