The Pittsburgh Penguins made the right decision today, saying that Jordan Staal would stay up on the Penguins squad for the entire '06-'07 campaign. Staal has recorded four goals and an assist, with three of the goals coming shorthanded. It may not look impressive in the start, but having a kid that young be so lethal on the PK could help out the Penguins.
Now, as much as my hatred for the Penguins is; I have to think Ray Shero is doing the right thing. Even though both Staal and Evgeni Malkin's contracts will come up at the same time, odds are that Staal won't command as much money as Malkin will, ultimately relieving the Pens of tough decisions. We'll see if this will be good for Staal or not as the season goes on.
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Someone turn the lights out a Jobber.com...errrr...Jobing.com Arena when they leave. The Phoenix Coyotes have been horrendous. They did sign face-off specialist Yanic Perreault to a 1-year deal worth $700k. Perreault is coming of abdomen surgery. While training, Perreault injured himself and required surgery.
Granted, this is a one year thing, but Perreault is really only good in the circle. Outside of it, he's a regular role player. The Coyotes have enough veteran centermen in Jeremy Roenick and Steven Reinprecht, that Perreault really isn't needed. Of course, they would need speed too, and Perreault definitely is lacking that.
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There are teams who I don't understand what's going on with them. The Coyotes and Philadelphia Flyers are two of them, but the Columbus Blue Jackets are another team that often leaves me scratching my head.
The Jackets, I thought, could have a shot a making the playoffs. Yet, for some unknown reason, they are having issues trying to get some wins out on the ice there. The fact they play once a week could hurt too, but they have talent. They shouldn't be out there not scoring or putting up shots. Against the LA Kings, the Jackets had only 14 shots on goal the whole game. They won 2-0, but for a team with Rick Nash, Nikolai Zherdev, David Vyborny, and Sergei Fedorov, they should be able to muster more that 14 shots; not matter how stingy the defense is.
The ship needs to be righted for the Jackets and quick. A team with that fire power should have more than 19 goals for the season.
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I hate that I don't have Center Ice because watching Alex Ovechkin in Hockey Night in Canada was fun. A lot of people are freaking out wondering what's happened, but he's only one point behind where he was last season after 11 games. Ovechkin will get the wheels going again, but he needs something to spark him. I think the Western Canadian road trip did him well and should help him get things started.
Let's be honest, he's a dynamic player and the fact he doesn't leave the Eastern Time Zone the rest of the season. That can only be an asset for a guy who needs is the face of a team. AO will be just fine.
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Make sure to check out Face Off Hockey Show each Wednesday at 9 PM ET or if you miss out, check out the Podcast. If you're bored, swing by the Message Board and check out all the neat stuff there.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Around the Rink 10.24.06
It really must suck to be the Chicago Blackhawks right now. They get off to a blistering start, and in one fell swoop during the weekend, fate rears its ugly head. Martin Havlat, who was leading the team with seven goals and 13 points, is out at least two weeks with a sprained knee; Nikolai Khabibulin, who was in a bounce back season, is out at least two weeks with a broken finger; and Michael Handzus, who had three goals and five assists on the top line, is done for the year with a torn MCL and ACL.
You almost had to suspect something was going to go wrong, especially when things for the Blackhawks were doing so well. Havlat's injury history is coming back to haunt him and I suspect that it'll happen again sometime during the season. Should be interesting how the Hawks actually handle this with their stars out; so we'll see what they are truly made of.
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Was it any surprise about how quick the clean-out in Philly happened?? First, the firing of Ken Hitchcock and then the resignation of Bobby Clarke almost came as a surprise to some, but plenty in Philly were waiting for someone to get canned. Of course, the thought process was that Clarke would get the hook before Hitchcock, but they both went out at the same time. Now, Paul Holmgren is the interim GM and John Stevens is interim head coach.
Since Ron Hextall left, the big problem for the Flyers was the goaltending. They could never find a solid #1 starter to carry the team throughout the season and in the playoffs. Once that issue is addressed, as well as more mobile defenseman in the line-up, then things should fall into place for the Flyers.
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News Flash: The Buffalo Sabres are good. They are on the verge of matching the record of the 1992-93 Toronto Maple Leafs by starting 10-0-0. Not even a Janne Niinimaa promise for the Habs to win can stop the Sabres. But is this a much different team than what we saw last season??
The answer, yes-- yes it is. While the main cogs remain, they are better. The scoring of the Sabres is coming in bunches and they are making the most of their speed, grit, and all-around play, and it's taking them to the top. Ryan Miller is having a Vezina-esque season; and yes I realize we're nine games into the season, but that's how I roll.
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In some more injury news, Marian Gaborik is out with a groin injury......again. The Wild will keep Gaborik out for 10-14 days, as not to injure it more-so. With Gaborik's history of a wonky groin, it's better to keep him out and not try to push the injury to much, so they loss him for an extended period of time.
Ethan Moreau could have the worst luck. At the end of the Oilers/Red Wings game, Moreau hit Danny Markov and it looked like they were going to duel, but Moreau pulled up lame when the gloves were dropped. Upon review, when Moreau slapped Markov's helmet; he dislocated his shoulder. Big issue is that it could require surgery and Moreau could miss out on the rest of the regular season. What a way to lose a year.
One of the St. Louis Blues big free agent signings, Jay McKee, will be out up to six weeks after he had surgery on his hand. McKee got hurt, ironically enough, doing what he does best, blocking shots.
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That's time for now, but make sure to check out Face Off Hockey Show this Wednesday at 9 PM ET or always on the Podcast. Plus, if you have something to say, say it on our Message Board powered by FantasyHockey.com.
You almost had to suspect something was going to go wrong, especially when things for the Blackhawks were doing so well. Havlat's injury history is coming back to haunt him and I suspect that it'll happen again sometime during the season. Should be interesting how the Hawks actually handle this with their stars out; so we'll see what they are truly made of.
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Was it any surprise about how quick the clean-out in Philly happened?? First, the firing of Ken Hitchcock and then the resignation of Bobby Clarke almost came as a surprise to some, but plenty in Philly were waiting for someone to get canned. Of course, the thought process was that Clarke would get the hook before Hitchcock, but they both went out at the same time. Now, Paul Holmgren is the interim GM and John Stevens is interim head coach.
Since Ron Hextall left, the big problem for the Flyers was the goaltending. They could never find a solid #1 starter to carry the team throughout the season and in the playoffs. Once that issue is addressed, as well as more mobile defenseman in the line-up, then things should fall into place for the Flyers.
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News Flash: The Buffalo Sabres are good. They are on the verge of matching the record of the 1992-93 Toronto Maple Leafs by starting 10-0-0. Not even a Janne Niinimaa promise for the Habs to win can stop the Sabres. But is this a much different team than what we saw last season??
The answer, yes-- yes it is. While the main cogs remain, they are better. The scoring of the Sabres is coming in bunches and they are making the most of their speed, grit, and all-around play, and it's taking them to the top. Ryan Miller is having a Vezina-esque season; and yes I realize we're nine games into the season, but that's how I roll.
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In some more injury news, Marian Gaborik is out with a groin injury......again. The Wild will keep Gaborik out for 10-14 days, as not to injure it more-so. With Gaborik's history of a wonky groin, it's better to keep him out and not try to push the injury to much, so they loss him for an extended period of time.
Ethan Moreau could have the worst luck. At the end of the Oilers/Red Wings game, Moreau hit Danny Markov and it looked like they were going to duel, but Moreau pulled up lame when the gloves were dropped. Upon review, when Moreau slapped Markov's helmet; he dislocated his shoulder. Big issue is that it could require surgery and Moreau could miss out on the rest of the regular season. What a way to lose a year.
One of the St. Louis Blues big free agent signings, Jay McKee, will be out up to six weeks after he had surgery on his hand. McKee got hurt, ironically enough, doing what he does best, blocking shots.
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That's time for now, but make sure to check out Face Off Hockey Show this Wednesday at 9 PM ET or always on the Podcast. Plus, if you have something to say, say it on our Message Board powered by FantasyHockey.com.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Around the Rink 10.19.06
It's been a while since the last update, but we're back to bring you some of the ins and outs of the hockey world, no matter how inane they may be.
The buzz is still around the Philadelphia Flyers after they got trounced 9-1 by the Buffalo Sabres. The day after, they waived Nolan Baumgartner, Petr Nedved, and Niko Dimitrokos to call up Ben Eager, Alexandre Picard, and Stefan Ruzicka. Nedved, and Dimitrokos cleared waivers and will head across the street to the Philly Phantoms of the AHL, while Baumgartner cleared, but stayed with the Flyers.
Owner Ed Snider still said there's work to be done....and will get done. The main thing about the whole 9-1 game is that the Flyers actually outshot the Sabres 38-37. It seemed like everything the Sabres put on net went in. Even with Derian Hatcher and Mike Rathje, there's really no well rounded defenseman, outside of Joni Pitkanen; who's defensive zone coverage is suspect at best.
It's hard for Flyer fans who actually thought this could be a starting point to turn things around, but it seems that it turned out the be the beginning of a nightmare.
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The Sabres, Minnesota Wild, and Dallas Stars are the only unbeaten teams in the NHL. Now, the Stars may not be a surprise, but the Wild and Sabres could be. Granted, the Sabres went to the East final, you wonder what the lockerroom would be like after the summer. The Wild are playing amazingly well and putting in plenty of goals, something where they were lacking.
If this trend can continue, you definitely should be on the lookout when it comes to April and beyond. These teams, Sabres and Wild, could be the finalist for the Cup; which would be scary for some, but great for these hockey markets.
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Evgeni Malkin made his NHL debut and was the only source of offense for the Pittsburgh Penguins after he poked in a loose puck between Martin Brodeur's legs last night. Of course, the off-ice issues continue with Metallurg suing the Penguins and the NHL trying to get compensation for the loss of the Russian superstar.
Now, many feel this suit and the suits against the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers are bunk; but we'll see how this all plays out. For some reason, with these Russian teams hiring American counsel for these suits, I don't think they would file unless they felt that something good could come out of it for their side of things. As always, we'll stay tuned for this.
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Don't you think it odd that the minute that Rick DiPietro leaves the crease for the New York Islanders, they get better in front of back-up Mike Dunham?? Dunham is on a tear with a 2-0-1 record and 1.72 GAA. Sad part about this is, Ted Nolan won't pay the hot goalie even if he is leading the teams to victory.
With DiPietro coming back from a groin injury, the woes are going to continue if Deeps can't pick-up the play. I just hope that Nolan realizes who is better if Deeps struggles and Dunham keeps up the torrid pace. Plus, DiPietro will have 14 more seasons to right the ship of the Islanders.
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That's all for now, but be sure to check out Face Off Hockey Show every Wednesday at 9 PM ET or anytime you want on the Podcast. Also, be sure to check out FHM's Fantasy Hockey Column every weekday with yours truly doing his part to make your team better. Plus, be sure to stop by the FOHS Message Boards for all the fun stuff happening there.
The buzz is still around the Philadelphia Flyers after they got trounced 9-1 by the Buffalo Sabres. The day after, they waived Nolan Baumgartner, Petr Nedved, and Niko Dimitrokos to call up Ben Eager, Alexandre Picard, and Stefan Ruzicka. Nedved, and Dimitrokos cleared waivers and will head across the street to the Philly Phantoms of the AHL, while Baumgartner cleared, but stayed with the Flyers.
Owner Ed Snider still said there's work to be done....and will get done. The main thing about the whole 9-1 game is that the Flyers actually outshot the Sabres 38-37. It seemed like everything the Sabres put on net went in. Even with Derian Hatcher and Mike Rathje, there's really no well rounded defenseman, outside of Joni Pitkanen; who's defensive zone coverage is suspect at best.
It's hard for Flyer fans who actually thought this could be a starting point to turn things around, but it seems that it turned out the be the beginning of a nightmare.
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The Sabres, Minnesota Wild, and Dallas Stars are the only unbeaten teams in the NHL. Now, the Stars may not be a surprise, but the Wild and Sabres could be. Granted, the Sabres went to the East final, you wonder what the lockerroom would be like after the summer. The Wild are playing amazingly well and putting in plenty of goals, something where they were lacking.
If this trend can continue, you definitely should be on the lookout when it comes to April and beyond. These teams, Sabres and Wild, could be the finalist for the Cup; which would be scary for some, but great for these hockey markets.
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Evgeni Malkin made his NHL debut and was the only source of offense for the Pittsburgh Penguins after he poked in a loose puck between Martin Brodeur's legs last night. Of course, the off-ice issues continue with Metallurg suing the Penguins and the NHL trying to get compensation for the loss of the Russian superstar.
Now, many feel this suit and the suits against the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers are bunk; but we'll see how this all plays out. For some reason, with these Russian teams hiring American counsel for these suits, I don't think they would file unless they felt that something good could come out of it for their side of things. As always, we'll stay tuned for this.
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Don't you think it odd that the minute that Rick DiPietro leaves the crease for the New York Islanders, they get better in front of back-up Mike Dunham?? Dunham is on a tear with a 2-0-1 record and 1.72 GAA. Sad part about this is, Ted Nolan won't pay the hot goalie even if he is leading the teams to victory.
With DiPietro coming back from a groin injury, the woes are going to continue if Deeps can't pick-up the play. I just hope that Nolan realizes who is better if Deeps struggles and Dunham keeps up the torrid pace. Plus, DiPietro will have 14 more seasons to right the ship of the Islanders.
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That's all for now, but be sure to check out Face Off Hockey Show every Wednesday at 9 PM ET or anytime you want on the Podcast. Also, be sure to check out FHM's Fantasy Hockey Column every weekday with yours truly doing his part to make your team better. Plus, be sure to stop by the FOHS Message Boards for all the fun stuff happening there.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
NHL Bizarro World
Before I start-- I know, we're only three games or so into the season and I know this trend has a good chance of not continuing, but it's still fascinating, so we'll talk about it.
The fact that the Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild, and Atlanta Thrashers are all the tops of there divisions right now proves that parity is a good thing. I think of those three teams, the Blue Jackets' climb is the most spectacular.
While the Wild have been to the playoffs and the Thrashers have been in the hunt showed that those two teams are going to be in the thick of it in the end, especially with the Wild playing in one of, if not the, toughest divisions in the league. The Jackets have never sniffed the post-season and have often been the laughingstock of the league. Who's laughing now??
The Jackets have all their great young stars (Rick Nash and Nikolai Zherdev) healthy and putting up points, their prodigy goalie Pascal Leclaire is proving he's a #1 in the NHL, and they don't even have their top center in the line-up. The scarier part is that they have a youngster in Gilbert Brule who isn't even playing and they are still getting points on the board. If their healthy last; they could be a threat in the Central Division.
Conversely, teams like the Ottawa Senators, Calgary Flames, and Nashville Predators have been sucking on ice. Granted, the Flames started out like this last season and went on to win the Northwest Division; but still, they have only scored 4 goals in three games. So much for that new look offense they were betting on.
The Sens and Preds are two elite teams that just don't seem to be clicking as they would hope. The Preds have scoring, but their goaltending hasn't been up to par, while the Sens aren't getting offense in key times and the goaltending right now is suspect at best. I guess missing Zdeno Chara really is a big thing in the grand scheme of things.
Like I said, it's still early and there's 70+ games left to play to decide it; but to have elite teams falter and formerly craptastic teams suceed (at least for the time being) only gives more appeal to the NHL and it's new look.
The fact that the Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild, and Atlanta Thrashers are all the tops of there divisions right now proves that parity is a good thing. I think of those three teams, the Blue Jackets' climb is the most spectacular.
While the Wild have been to the playoffs and the Thrashers have been in the hunt showed that those two teams are going to be in the thick of it in the end, especially with the Wild playing in one of, if not the, toughest divisions in the league. The Jackets have never sniffed the post-season and have often been the laughingstock of the league. Who's laughing now??
The Jackets have all their great young stars (Rick Nash and Nikolai Zherdev) healthy and putting up points, their prodigy goalie Pascal Leclaire is proving he's a #1 in the NHL, and they don't even have their top center in the line-up. The scarier part is that they have a youngster in Gilbert Brule who isn't even playing and they are still getting points on the board. If their healthy last; they could be a threat in the Central Division.
Conversely, teams like the Ottawa Senators, Calgary Flames, and Nashville Predators have been sucking on ice. Granted, the Flames started out like this last season and went on to win the Northwest Division; but still, they have only scored 4 goals in three games. So much for that new look offense they were betting on.
The Sens and Preds are two elite teams that just don't seem to be clicking as they would hope. The Preds have scoring, but their goaltending hasn't been up to par, while the Sens aren't getting offense in key times and the goaltending right now is suspect at best. I guess missing Zdeno Chara really is a big thing in the grand scheme of things.
Like I said, it's still early and there's 70+ games left to play to decide it; but to have elite teams falter and formerly craptastic teams suceed (at least for the time being) only gives more appeal to the NHL and it's new look.
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Opening Nights Thoughts
With all the teams playing their first games so far, it's easy to pick out some stories that are going to be looked at all season. Of course, right now-- it's a matter of how you look at it all, but here's some thing that I'm going to take a look at for the first part of the season.
-I'm sure those who care about the Islanders are under a suicide watch, especially after Rick DiPietro let up 6 goals in under 30 minutes of the Isles 6-3 loss to the Coyotes. Just to think, we're not even a month into the new contract and already it's a huge diasaster.
-If there is a darkhorse for the Rookie of the Year, it could be Anze Kopitar. Kopitar is the first Slovenian to play in the NHL and in his first game, he put up two goals in the 4-3 loss against Anaheim. Kopitar turned some heads in camp and really created a buzz for himself when the time came.
-Dany Heatley showed that someone can succeed when they get a change of scenary. Todd Bertuzzi is proving that theory right again this year. Big Bert put up four points (1g, 3a) in his first home game in Miami. It seems that he's put a lot of his past behind him and he's advancing through it all.
-Are the Buffalo Sabres really for real?? Well, they are certainly proving their critics that last season was no fluke. They have come back in both their wins to win in a shootout. However, the question is now, could they actually win in regulation and have the lead for some time.
-Something I have to say about Thursday night's opener for the Edmonton Oilers is the class they displayed. Instead of getting both teams out on the ice and doing the whole Western Conference banner ceremony, they waited until after warm-ups and unveiled it just for the fans. Very classy move from the team.
We're just about a week into the season and we've already have had some instant classic. Just imagine on how much more we can get for the rest of the season.
-I'm sure those who care about the Islanders are under a suicide watch, especially after Rick DiPietro let up 6 goals in under 30 minutes of the Isles 6-3 loss to the Coyotes. Just to think, we're not even a month into the new contract and already it's a huge diasaster.
-If there is a darkhorse for the Rookie of the Year, it could be Anze Kopitar. Kopitar is the first Slovenian to play in the NHL and in his first game, he put up two goals in the 4-3 loss against Anaheim. Kopitar turned some heads in camp and really created a buzz for himself when the time came.
-Dany Heatley showed that someone can succeed when they get a change of scenary. Todd Bertuzzi is proving that theory right again this year. Big Bert put up four points (1g, 3a) in his first home game in Miami. It seems that he's put a lot of his past behind him and he's advancing through it all.
-Are the Buffalo Sabres really for real?? Well, they are certainly proving their critics that last season was no fluke. They have come back in both their wins to win in a shootout. However, the question is now, could they actually win in regulation and have the lead for some time.
-Something I have to say about Thursday night's opener for the Edmonton Oilers is the class they displayed. Instead of getting both teams out on the ice and doing the whole Western Conference banner ceremony, they waited until after warm-ups and unveiled it just for the fans. Very classy move from the team.
We're just about a week into the season and we've already have had some instant classic. Just imagine on how much more we can get for the rest of the season.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Nothing Like Opening Night
I have to say that this opening night was pretty decent, even though it only had three games scheduled. Granted, it'd be hard to top last season's 15 game opening night, but what can you do. The Carolina Hurricanes raised their three banners for the Stanley Cup, SE Division, and Eastern Conference; but they came up short losing to Buffalo in a shootout. Like Marc said on the show tonight, it's hard to tell if the Sabres are the Predators or Penguins in their new uniforms.
The Toronto Maple Leafs saluted three of their own. Hap Day, Red Kelly, and Borje Salming were honored in a pre-game ceremony. Now, I'm all for retirement of numbers, but make it reasonable on time. There's no doubt these players should be honored, but let's try not to take 45 minutes to do the thing, on opening night no less. Suffice to say that the Ottawa Senators weren't hurt, as they beat the Maple Leafs 4-1. Andrew Raycroft, though he made 33 saves, didn't look all that sharp. Patrick Eaves is earning his first line status putting up a goal and assist in the win.
The most exciting game had to be the last one. The Colorado Avalanche and the Dallas Stars looked like a lopsided one when the Avs scored 2 PPGs in a matter of a minute. However, the third was all Stars with former Captain Mike Modano and rookie Loui Eriksson scoring. In OT, after killing penalty, Marty Turco made an INSANE outlet pass to Darryl Sydor who was coming out of the box, and Sydor went roof-daddy on Jose Theodore (who looked solid through the game) and the game was over.
It was little on games, but high on excitement, that's for sure.
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Well, it appears the Pittsburgh Penguins have been sold....again. Canadian businessman Jim Balsillie, CEO of Research in Motion; maker of the Blackberry, has reportedly purchased the team for between $160M and $175M. This is after Sam Fingold's bid to buy the team fell through.
The interesting part is that it seems that Balsillie has a vested interest in the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton. Reports have said that Balsillie is willing to pump a whole lot of money to renovate the Coliseum. However, with the partner that is the Isle of Capri to build a new arena should they get a slots license. We'll see how far that goes.
Wherever they end up, the Pens will have a good young core that people would want to see. Fact of the matter is that wherever they end up, they'll get the utmost attention.
The Toronto Maple Leafs saluted three of their own. Hap Day, Red Kelly, and Borje Salming were honored in a pre-game ceremony. Now, I'm all for retirement of numbers, but make it reasonable on time. There's no doubt these players should be honored, but let's try not to take 45 minutes to do the thing, on opening night no less. Suffice to say that the Ottawa Senators weren't hurt, as they beat the Maple Leafs 4-1. Andrew Raycroft, though he made 33 saves, didn't look all that sharp. Patrick Eaves is earning his first line status putting up a goal and assist in the win.
The most exciting game had to be the last one. The Colorado Avalanche and the Dallas Stars looked like a lopsided one when the Avs scored 2 PPGs in a matter of a minute. However, the third was all Stars with former Captain Mike Modano and rookie Loui Eriksson scoring. In OT, after killing penalty, Marty Turco made an INSANE outlet pass to Darryl Sydor who was coming out of the box, and Sydor went roof-daddy on Jose Theodore (who looked solid through the game) and the game was over.
It was little on games, but high on excitement, that's for sure.
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Well, it appears the Pittsburgh Penguins have been sold....again. Canadian businessman Jim Balsillie, CEO of Research in Motion; maker of the Blackberry, has reportedly purchased the team for between $160M and $175M. This is after Sam Fingold's bid to buy the team fell through.
The interesting part is that it seems that Balsillie has a vested interest in the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton. Reports have said that Balsillie is willing to pump a whole lot of money to renovate the Coliseum. However, with the partner that is the Isle of Capri to build a new arena should they get a slots license. We'll see how far that goes.
Wherever they end up, the Pens will have a good young core that people would want to see. Fact of the matter is that wherever they end up, they'll get the utmost attention.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Around the Rink 10.02.06
Trades dominate the talk, as the New Jersey Devils traded away one of their albatrosses. The Devils traded Vladimir Malakhov and his $3.6M contract to the San Jose Sharks for Alexander Korolyuk and Jim Fahey. Oddly enough, I found an article today from Sport-Express in Russia, where Malakhov said he is happy to be retired. Also, Korolyuk is lost for the season, as he has played in the Russian League already.
I don't know how he does it, but Lou Lamoriello finds a way to get out of jams, quick. With this move and the possible move that sees Alexander Mogilny's salary wrote off to injury, Sweet Lou has possibly gotten his cap number from somewhere at $46M to $38M in one fell swoop. Not only that-- they get a young defenseman like Fahey, who will in time, be a solid defender.
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More defensemen were on the move, as the Carolina Hurricanes traded the rights to Jack Johnson and Oleg Tverdovsky to the Los Angeles Kings for Tim Gleason and Eric Belanger. Johnson had been persued by the Canes to leave college early three times, but did not budge.
You'll hear differing opinions, but this a deal that helps both teams. In the short term, the Canes get rid of the $2.5M contract of Tverdovsky, and get a solid d-man in Tim Gleason out of it. With Frantisek Kaberle out for up to 6 months, the help will be truly needed. For the long term, the Kings could have won out with Jack Johnson, should he turn into the player everyone assumes he'll be. This is a trade where we'll have to wait and see.
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In a trade that is odd to so many people, the Montreal Canadiens traded Mike Ribeiro to the Dallas Stars for Janne Niinimaa. Niinimaa was the 8th defenseman for the Stars, while Ribeiro is the 2nd line center for the Habs.
There are some Hab fans that are happy, but why give up a 2nd line center for a guy who will probably be in the press booth more than he's on the ice?? I don't see why you may give up so much for so little, but I guess that's why I'm not a GM in the league.
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That's it for now, remember to check out Face Off Hockey Show every Wednesday night at 9 PM ET. If you can't make it live, you can always check out our Podcast for anything you may have missed.
I don't know how he does it, but Lou Lamoriello finds a way to get out of jams, quick. With this move and the possible move that sees Alexander Mogilny's salary wrote off to injury, Sweet Lou has possibly gotten his cap number from somewhere at $46M to $38M in one fell swoop. Not only that-- they get a young defenseman like Fahey, who will in time, be a solid defender.
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More defensemen were on the move, as the Carolina Hurricanes traded the rights to Jack Johnson and Oleg Tverdovsky to the Los Angeles Kings for Tim Gleason and Eric Belanger. Johnson had been persued by the Canes to leave college early three times, but did not budge.
You'll hear differing opinions, but this a deal that helps both teams. In the short term, the Canes get rid of the $2.5M contract of Tverdovsky, and get a solid d-man in Tim Gleason out of it. With Frantisek Kaberle out for up to 6 months, the help will be truly needed. For the long term, the Kings could have won out with Jack Johnson, should he turn into the player everyone assumes he'll be. This is a trade where we'll have to wait and see.
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In a trade that is odd to so many people, the Montreal Canadiens traded Mike Ribeiro to the Dallas Stars for Janne Niinimaa. Niinimaa was the 8th defenseman for the Stars, while Ribeiro is the 2nd line center for the Habs.
There are some Hab fans that are happy, but why give up a 2nd line center for a guy who will probably be in the press booth more than he's on the ice?? I don't see why you may give up so much for so little, but I guess that's why I'm not a GM in the league.
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That's it for now, remember to check out Face Off Hockey Show every Wednesday night at 9 PM ET. If you can't make it live, you can always check out our Podcast for anything you may have missed.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Around the Rink 09.28.06
After weeks of bickering back and forth, the Columbus Blue Jackets and Nikolai Zherdev reached an agreement of terms to a new contract. In the deal, Zherdev will receive $1.75M this season, $2.5M next season, and $3.25 in the last season. Zherdev is going to join the team right away and should be in the line-up for opening night.
With Zherdev now in the mix, it should give the Jackets a pretty solid top-6, even without Sergei Fedorov in the line-up. Expect to see Rick Nash, Gilbert Brule, and Zherdev to be the top line right now with the possibility of Fredrik Modin, David Vyborny, and Anson Carter to be the second line with Fedorov out.
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The Philadelphia Flyers will have to start out the season without Antero Niittymaki. Niittymaki is out with a torn labrum in his hip. It was first thought to require surgery, it seems that if Niittymaki took cortisone shots, he could delay the surgery until the off-season. Whether or not the Flyers want to risk it is another story.
With Robert Esche still in the mix, it could be possible for the Flyers to hope for the best with the vet in net. The Flyers haven't had a real solid goaltending since Ron Hextall lead the team to the Stanley Cup in 1997 and it seemed that Niittymaki could have been that goalie if he had stayed healthy. With little experience in the minors, the Flyers could be on the market if something good doesn't come out of Esche's first few games.
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In other goaltending news, Dan Cloutier signed a two-year extension with the Los Angeles Kings. The two-year extension for the 30-year-old is worth $6.2M over those two seasons. Cloutier would have become a free agent in the off-season if he hadn't signed.
There's plenty of people out there wondering if this is the right things for the Kings, especially considering Cloutier's history of injury in the past few years. The upside is that the Kings will have a solid #1 goalie for the next two season. If Cloutier can be healthy (which is unlikely given the Kings history), then it could be the best thing for the Kings. Not to knock on Mathieu Garon or Jason Labarbera, but I personally would like an experienced starter in my line-up over some youngsters.
It seems that some of the money is spent for Cloutier, as he has stepped into the 1990's by getting an actual goalie mask.
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We're less than a week away before the drop of the puck for the '06-'07 NHL season, and we're already in mid-season form. Check out Face Off Hockey Show every Wednesday night at 9 PM ET. If you can check us out live, you can always get us on the Podcast to take the show where you go.
With Zherdev now in the mix, it should give the Jackets a pretty solid top-6, even without Sergei Fedorov in the line-up. Expect to see Rick Nash, Gilbert Brule, and Zherdev to be the top line right now with the possibility of Fredrik Modin, David Vyborny, and Anson Carter to be the second line with Fedorov out.
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The Philadelphia Flyers will have to start out the season without Antero Niittymaki. Niittymaki is out with a torn labrum in his hip. It was first thought to require surgery, it seems that if Niittymaki took cortisone shots, he could delay the surgery until the off-season. Whether or not the Flyers want to risk it is another story.
With Robert Esche still in the mix, it could be possible for the Flyers to hope for the best with the vet in net. The Flyers haven't had a real solid goaltending since Ron Hextall lead the team to the Stanley Cup in 1997 and it seemed that Niittymaki could have been that goalie if he had stayed healthy. With little experience in the minors, the Flyers could be on the market if something good doesn't come out of Esche's first few games.
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In other goaltending news, Dan Cloutier signed a two-year extension with the Los Angeles Kings. The two-year extension for the 30-year-old is worth $6.2M over those two seasons. Cloutier would have become a free agent in the off-season if he hadn't signed.
There's plenty of people out there wondering if this is the right things for the Kings, especially considering Cloutier's history of injury in the past few years. The upside is that the Kings will have a solid #1 goalie for the next two season. If Cloutier can be healthy (which is unlikely given the Kings history), then it could be the best thing for the Kings. Not to knock on Mathieu Garon or Jason Labarbera, but I personally would like an experienced starter in my line-up over some youngsters.
It seems that some of the money is spent for Cloutier, as he has stepped into the 1990's by getting an actual goalie mask.
--------
We're less than a week away before the drop of the puck for the '06-'07 NHL season, and we're already in mid-season form. Check out Face Off Hockey Show every Wednesday night at 9 PM ET. If you can check us out live, you can always get us on the Podcast to take the show where you go.
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Around the Rink 09.20.06
By now, you have heard about the Evgeni Malkin situation. Malkin went down with a seperated shoulder and will have a second opinion of his status this coming week. The result could be a couple weeks to a couple months to the whole season, depending on how severe it is and how much the Penguins want to risk his services.
Somehow, my belief is that the Pens will get as many second opinions as needed to get the answer they want. If it comes to down to Dr. Nick Riviera giving the thumbs-up, they'll do that. If Malkin is deemed out for an extended period of time, you have to figure that this whole adventure he has been on would seem all for nought.
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The New York Rangers and Florida Panthers played in Puerto Rico this evening with the Rangers winning 3-2. James Mirtle said that the pans of the crowd showed less than desired results. Of course, in a place where the sport is foreign, you wouldn't expect much out of there.
There's a time in every plan to expand the game where you just have to look and figure that hockey and hot weather don't really mix that well, especially that close to the Equator.
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Tie Domi retired from the NHL, but fear not-- he'll be in the TSN broadcast team for this season. Domi's retirement pretty much ushers out another heavyweight fighter. With all the rule changes, the role of players like Domi have taken a backseat to that of finesse players and skilled guys. You can see guys like Chris Neil and Brian McGrattan having to switch up their games because of the rule changes and to have a job from year to year.
Domi was a big player in a small frame. I know one thing though, fans behind the penalty box in Philadelphia will feel a lot safer now.
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I know you can tell a lot from the pre-season, but the Nashville Predators and Atlanta Thrashers have really impressed me. The Predators are in their old run and gun style, while the Thrashers seem to get it done high scoring or low scoring. The Predators have been playing fairly elite style hockey in the past couple of season and this could be the climax of all those years of underachieving. I can't leave out the Boston Bruins, either. Their undefeated record shows they could be a force in the Northeast.
After a quickstart, the Blue Jackets have started to fade a little bit. Maybe the loss of Sergei Fedorov hurt them, but I'm sure the AHL roster they have been putting out hasn't helped either. The defending champion Carolina Hurricanes haven't looked overly impressive either, but like I said, good or bad-- you can't really predict anything coming from the pre-season.
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Be sure to check out Face Off Hockey Show at a special Monday Show on the 25th, and returning to Wednesday nights on October 4th. However, if you miss any of the action, you can check out the Podcast for all your FOHS needs.
Somehow, my belief is that the Pens will get as many second opinions as needed to get the answer they want. If it comes to down to Dr. Nick Riviera giving the thumbs-up, they'll do that. If Malkin is deemed out for an extended period of time, you have to figure that this whole adventure he has been on would seem all for nought.
---------
The New York Rangers and Florida Panthers played in Puerto Rico this evening with the Rangers winning 3-2. James Mirtle said that the pans of the crowd showed less than desired results. Of course, in a place where the sport is foreign, you wouldn't expect much out of there.
There's a time in every plan to expand the game where you just have to look and figure that hockey and hot weather don't really mix that well, especially that close to the Equator.
---------
Tie Domi retired from the NHL, but fear not-- he'll be in the TSN broadcast team for this season. Domi's retirement pretty much ushers out another heavyweight fighter. With all the rule changes, the role of players like Domi have taken a backseat to that of finesse players and skilled guys. You can see guys like Chris Neil and Brian McGrattan having to switch up their games because of the rule changes and to have a job from year to year.
Domi was a big player in a small frame. I know one thing though, fans behind the penalty box in Philadelphia will feel a lot safer now.
---------
I know you can tell a lot from the pre-season, but the Nashville Predators and Atlanta Thrashers have really impressed me. The Predators are in their old run and gun style, while the Thrashers seem to get it done high scoring or low scoring. The Predators have been playing fairly elite style hockey in the past couple of season and this could be the climax of all those years of underachieving. I can't leave out the Boston Bruins, either. Their undefeated record shows they could be a force in the Northeast.
After a quickstart, the Blue Jackets have started to fade a little bit. Maybe the loss of Sergei Fedorov hurt them, but I'm sure the AHL roster they have been putting out hasn't helped either. The defending champion Carolina Hurricanes haven't looked overly impressive either, but like I said, good or bad-- you can't really predict anything coming from the pre-season.
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Be sure to check out Face Off Hockey Show at a special Monday Show on the 25th, and returning to Wednesday nights on October 4th. However, if you miss any of the action, you can check out the Podcast for all your FOHS needs.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Around the Rink 09.18.06
The Pittsburgh Penguins are up for sale again-- apparently. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Sam Fingold was unable to reach an agreement on terms with the previous ownership. Right now, it seems that the CEO of Research in Motion, Jim Balsillie, is the lead bidder-- though the Balsillie camp denies the rumors. If you don't know about Research in Motion, it's the company that invented the BlackBerry.
Balsillie was in the inital running to get the Penguins in the first place, but with the deal with the Isle of Capri, it blocked the attempt that Balsillie would have to move the team closer to his Waterloo, Ontario home.
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In other Penguins' news, coach Michel Therrien has announced that there will be no captain for the team this year, but there will be a slue of alternate captains on the ice, all which have yet to be named.
On the surface, it's a good thing, since many reports have pegged Sidney Crosby as the next captain for this season-- but Crosby at 19 may be still too wet behind the ears. However, not to have a captain with guys like John Leclair and Mark Recchi is pretty outlandish. Best of luck to the Pens trying to find a clear-cut leader out of their roster.
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The Philadelphia Flyers re-signed coach Ken Hitchcock to a three-year deal. Since Hitchcock took over in 2002, he has compiled a record of 130-77-39. It didn't take too long for GM Bob Clarke and Hitchcock to make a deal, as Hitchcock has enjoyed his tenure in Philly and will do so for three more seasons.
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In a bizzare incident, former NHL coach Kevin Constantine will be suspended for four games in the WHL after an incident involve his team, the Everett Silvertips. After a 5-0 pre-season tournament loss, Constantine made his players stay in full gear for the post-game meal and the trip back to Everett, a total of five hours.
We'll have more on the Show Wednesday night, but it is an interesting situation. You wonder why someone would do this, but it does show the old-school nature of Constantine. Of course, it shows that he could go off at a moments notice as well, but still.
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The pre-season has started and we'll be with you every step of the way. Just make sure you tune into Face Off Hockey Show this Wednesday night or catch the show on Podcast to make sure you're up to date with all the news and happenings in the pre-season.
Balsillie was in the inital running to get the Penguins in the first place, but with the deal with the Isle of Capri, it blocked the attempt that Balsillie would have to move the team closer to his Waterloo, Ontario home.
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In other Penguins' news, coach Michel Therrien has announced that there will be no captain for the team this year, but there will be a slue of alternate captains on the ice, all which have yet to be named.
On the surface, it's a good thing, since many reports have pegged Sidney Crosby as the next captain for this season-- but Crosby at 19 may be still too wet behind the ears. However, not to have a captain with guys like John Leclair and Mark Recchi is pretty outlandish. Best of luck to the Pens trying to find a clear-cut leader out of their roster.
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The Philadelphia Flyers re-signed coach Ken Hitchcock to a three-year deal. Since Hitchcock took over in 2002, he has compiled a record of 130-77-39. It didn't take too long for GM Bob Clarke and Hitchcock to make a deal, as Hitchcock has enjoyed his tenure in Philly and will do so for three more seasons.
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In a bizzare incident, former NHL coach Kevin Constantine will be suspended for four games in the WHL after an incident involve his team, the Everett Silvertips. After a 5-0 pre-season tournament loss, Constantine made his players stay in full gear for the post-game meal and the trip back to Everett, a total of five hours.
We'll have more on the Show Wednesday night, but it is an interesting situation. You wonder why someone would do this, but it does show the old-school nature of Constantine. Of course, it shows that he could go off at a moments notice as well, but still.
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The pre-season has started and we'll be with you every step of the way. Just make sure you tune into Face Off Hockey Show this Wednesday night or catch the show on Podcast to make sure you're up to date with all the news and happenings in the pre-season.
Friday, September 15, 2006
Around the Rink 09.15.06
The Evgeni Malkin saga continues. Today, a Russian Tribunal ruled that the Russian center is unable to play for any team outside of Metallurg. The NHL responded that they would be open to talk about anything. New York lawyer Alexander Berkovich, who is representing Metallurg, says two options could be trying to uphold the tribunal ruling due to a 1958 treaty were the US and Russia are both signees or to sue the NHL and Penguins for some compensation.
Whether or not this will bring something or not, but we'll have to wait and see. The fact that Metallurg have some kind of US representation may help them out in the short-term. This is something that will probably string out for a while, so sit back and relax.
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Couple of injuries in training camps already. First, the Boston Bruins sent home Alex Zhamnov because he reportedly failed his physical. Zhamnov was a big acquisition who really didn't make a splash in Boston in his first year. Zhamnov is still owed just ove $8M, but that should be covered by insurance.
Cam Barker of the Blackhawks fractured his ankle and will be lost for four-to-six weeks. Barker fractured the same ankle last season while playing in Medicine Hat. Barker was part of the past two Canadian World Junior squads, both who won gold.
Finally, Steve Konowalchuk will have to undergo more test on his heart. The veteran forward's EKG test revealed some abnormalities and will require more testing. Konowalchuk missed most of last season with an injured wrist.
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Keith Primeau announced his retirement yesterday. Primeau's bouts with post-concussion syndrome forced him to retire at 34 years old. Primeau spent 15 season in the NHL with Philadelphia, Hartford, Detroit, and Carolina. Primeau finished with 266 goals and 619 points. Primeau will be most remembered for his heroics in the playoffs, especially in the 2004 playoff drive.
The Flyers announced that in lieu of Primeau retirement, Peter Forsberg will be the new captain with Simon Gagne and Derian Hatcher as the alternates. Forsberg will be the captain for the first time in his career after being an alternate in both Colorado and Philly.
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The NHL announced a couple new rule changes. First off, the maximum amount of the curve has been increased from 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch. This rule is meant to give the shooters a little more zip to their shot and hopefully limit the amount of time shooters get caught with illegal curves for the shootout.
Speaking of the shootout, the home team will now have the choice to shoot first or last in the shootout. I don't think this could be implimented many times, but it's nice to know that there's an option there.
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Camps are in session and for all the latest news and fun, check out the Face Off Hockey Show message boards and tune into the Face Off Hockey Show live or on Podcast each and every week.
Whether or not this will bring something or not, but we'll have to wait and see. The fact that Metallurg have some kind of US representation may help them out in the short-term. This is something that will probably string out for a while, so sit back and relax.
---------
Couple of injuries in training camps already. First, the Boston Bruins sent home Alex Zhamnov because he reportedly failed his physical. Zhamnov was a big acquisition who really didn't make a splash in Boston in his first year. Zhamnov is still owed just ove $8M, but that should be covered by insurance.
Cam Barker of the Blackhawks fractured his ankle and will be lost for four-to-six weeks. Barker fractured the same ankle last season while playing in Medicine Hat. Barker was part of the past two Canadian World Junior squads, both who won gold.
Finally, Steve Konowalchuk will have to undergo more test on his heart. The veteran forward's EKG test revealed some abnormalities and will require more testing. Konowalchuk missed most of last season with an injured wrist.
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Keith Primeau announced his retirement yesterday. Primeau's bouts with post-concussion syndrome forced him to retire at 34 years old. Primeau spent 15 season in the NHL with Philadelphia, Hartford, Detroit, and Carolina. Primeau finished with 266 goals and 619 points. Primeau will be most remembered for his heroics in the playoffs, especially in the 2004 playoff drive.
The Flyers announced that in lieu of Primeau retirement, Peter Forsberg will be the new captain with Simon Gagne and Derian Hatcher as the alternates. Forsberg will be the captain for the first time in his career after being an alternate in both Colorado and Philly.
---------
The NHL announced a couple new rule changes. First off, the maximum amount of the curve has been increased from 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch. This rule is meant to give the shooters a little more zip to their shot and hopefully limit the amount of time shooters get caught with illegal curves for the shootout.
Speaking of the shootout, the home team will now have the choice to shoot first or last in the shootout. I don't think this could be implimented many times, but it's nice to know that there's an option there.
---------
Camps are in session and for all the latest news and fun, check out the Face Off Hockey Show message boards and tune into the Face Off Hockey Show live or on Podcast each and every week.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
15-Years to Life
If you haven't heard about New York Islander goalie Rick DiPietro signing a 15-year deal worth $67.5M; then you're probably better off. Much like the firing of Neil Smith as the GM to hire former back-up Garth Snow-- the Isles continue to be the laughingstock of the NHL.
I can understand that the Islanders would like to re-sign their young stars, but there's something wrong with this. DiPietro is a great young talent and still could become a star, yet his inconsistency in his tenure in the NHL thus far has been something of a disappointment for a former #1 overall draft pick.
Someone like Alexander Ovechkin or Sidney Crosby could get a deal like this and the respective teams would be applauded for doing such a thing, especially when it comes to getting the players through their prime, but someone like DiPietro could have gone for a lot less, both in price and in tenure. Though with the lack of depth in the Islanders system, maybe this is an ordeal where they wanted to make sure they had a goalie for the next decade and a half.
Often I wonder if the NHL should put something in the league constitution to save owners from themselves. This would right now only apply to Isles owner Charles Wang, especially considering the 10-year deal that he gave to Alexei Yashin before this deal. Of course, this could also work for the old-school owners like Bill Wirtz who seems to want to destroy the home market rather than build it up. It would not only help the team, but keep owner under control.
It's a shame for an Islanders franchise who has four Stanley Cups and has had plenty of hall-of-famers, but now it seems that there are two things going down in Long Island: the ship and some iced teas.
I can understand that the Islanders would like to re-sign their young stars, but there's something wrong with this. DiPietro is a great young talent and still could become a star, yet his inconsistency in his tenure in the NHL thus far has been something of a disappointment for a former #1 overall draft pick.
Someone like Alexander Ovechkin or Sidney Crosby could get a deal like this and the respective teams would be applauded for doing such a thing, especially when it comes to getting the players through their prime, but someone like DiPietro could have gone for a lot less, both in price and in tenure. Though with the lack of depth in the Islanders system, maybe this is an ordeal where they wanted to make sure they had a goalie for the next decade and a half.
Often I wonder if the NHL should put something in the league constitution to save owners from themselves. This would right now only apply to Isles owner Charles Wang, especially considering the 10-year deal that he gave to Alexei Yashin before this deal. Of course, this could also work for the old-school owners like Bill Wirtz who seems to want to destroy the home market rather than build it up. It would not only help the team, but keep owner under control.
It's a shame for an Islanders franchise who has four Stanley Cups and has had plenty of hall-of-famers, but now it seems that there are two things going down in Long Island: the ship and some iced teas.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Around the Rink 09.12.06
Simon Gagne and the Philadelphia Flyers have seemingly found a common ground as the winger signed a new five-year deal worth $5.25M a season. Both Gagne and the Flyers have been a little bit apart at the beginning of the month, but it seems the cooler heads prevailed and Gagne will be in camp.
With Gagne signed, Forsberg skating again, it seems that the Flyers could be a solid team. However, like it has been in the past couple of season, goaltending will be the real issue. Yet, if there are goals to be scored, then it could work out. Robert Esche and Antero Niittymaki will have to be on their best to get the job done in net.
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The Nashville Predators rewarded one of the original Preds by signing goaltender Tomas Vokoun to a four-year extension worth $22.8M to keep the goalie in the Music City until the 2010-11 season. Vokoun was picked up by the Predators in the expansion draft in 1998 when the Montreal Canadiens left him unprotected.
There is no doubt that Vokoun is the biggest reason that the Predators are where they are today. He's a workhorse and really can get the job done. You could see that the Preds were struggling when Vokoun bowed out with blood clots late last season.
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In this weekend's Vancouver Province, there was an interesting write-up by Tony Gallagher about Todd Bertuzzi's tenure in Vancouver and what led to the fall-out. Bertuzzi talks about what was going on in the lockerroom, his relationship with former Canucks bench boss Marc Crawford, and how it all came crashing down.
I don't know if what Bertuzzi said was true, but I don't know if something like this should be brought out into the open. It almost seems like he's diverting the cause of failure to other parties other than himself. You all can form an opinion for yourselves, but for me-- it wasn't my cup of tea.
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Apparently there is a market for goaltender's autobiographies. Well, I say this because Martin Brodeur is putting out his autobiography "Brodeur: Beyond the Crease." In it, Brodeur talks about the happenings on and off the ice, including the Todd Bertuzzi incident, seperatism, and soft drink preferences.
I don't know if it'll be a best-seller, but I'm sure that it'll be an interesting read regardless of the quality of Brodeur book-writing skills. I think the most interesting part while reading some of the shots given out by the CP is what it's like to being his own agent. Brodeur has always been quotable, which should continue after this book is out on the market.
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That's all for now, but listen into Face Off Hockey Show this Wednesday night at 9 PM ET or if you can't catch us live, be sure to check out the Podcast to get everything you missed.
With Gagne signed, Forsberg skating again, it seems that the Flyers could be a solid team. However, like it has been in the past couple of season, goaltending will be the real issue. Yet, if there are goals to be scored, then it could work out. Robert Esche and Antero Niittymaki will have to be on their best to get the job done in net.
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The Nashville Predators rewarded one of the original Preds by signing goaltender Tomas Vokoun to a four-year extension worth $22.8M to keep the goalie in the Music City until the 2010-11 season. Vokoun was picked up by the Predators in the expansion draft in 1998 when the Montreal Canadiens left him unprotected.
There is no doubt that Vokoun is the biggest reason that the Predators are where they are today. He's a workhorse and really can get the job done. You could see that the Preds were struggling when Vokoun bowed out with blood clots late last season.
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In this weekend's Vancouver Province, there was an interesting write-up by Tony Gallagher about Todd Bertuzzi's tenure in Vancouver and what led to the fall-out. Bertuzzi talks about what was going on in the lockerroom, his relationship with former Canucks bench boss Marc Crawford, and how it all came crashing down.
I don't know if what Bertuzzi said was true, but I don't know if something like this should be brought out into the open. It almost seems like he's diverting the cause of failure to other parties other than himself. You all can form an opinion for yourselves, but for me-- it wasn't my cup of tea.
---------
Apparently there is a market for goaltender's autobiographies. Well, I say this because Martin Brodeur is putting out his autobiography "Brodeur: Beyond the Crease." In it, Brodeur talks about the happenings on and off the ice, including the Todd Bertuzzi incident, seperatism, and soft drink preferences.
I don't know if it'll be a best-seller, but I'm sure that it'll be an interesting read regardless of the quality of Brodeur book-writing skills. I think the most interesting part while reading some of the shots given out by the CP is what it's like to being his own agent. Brodeur has always been quotable, which should continue after this book is out on the market.
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That's all for now, but listen into Face Off Hockey Show this Wednesday night at 9 PM ET or if you can't catch us live, be sure to check out the Podcast to get everything you missed.
Friday, September 08, 2006
Around the Rink 09.08.06
Two teams locked up their young goaltenders for the next couple of years. First, on Thursday, Kari Lehtonen and the Atlanta Thrashers agreed to a new two-year pact. In 38 games last season, Lehtonen compiled a 20-15-0 record with a 2.94 GAA. Lehtonen was hampered with a groin issue last year, but should be able to bounce back and play up to his caliber.
The Anaheim Ducks re-signed Ilya Bryzgalov for three more years after his stellar performance in the playoffs last season. The big question is whether or not Bryzgalov will be the starter, back-up, or split time with J-S Giguere for the season.
The Buffalo Sabres locked up Ryan Miller for three more seasons on Friday. After a broken thumb kept him out for the middle part of the season, Miller came back and was able to cap off a 30-win season as well as help the Sabres get to the Eastern Conference finals.
These goalies are crucial in their organization, but Miller could be more valuable of the two. Miller has turned the Sabres franchise around and has given the Sabres a top-notch goalie for the first time since Dominik Hasek left.
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A few days are Mike Keenan being pushed out, things are getting clearer about what happened. At first, former Panthers GM Rick Dudley came out to say that owner Alan Cohen was a huge fan of Jacques Martin, which definitely answered questions about why Keenan was disposed of so quickly.
The next day, Jacques Martin came out to say that the relationship between himself and Mike Keenan was just fine and that there was no turmoil between the two. Martin says that he doesn't know why Keenan resigned so suddenly.
Keenan has yet to come out to say why he resigned.
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The issue of captaincy has been hot and heavy this week. First off, Alexander Ovechkin denied the Washington Capitals captaincy due to the fact that Ovechkin still is learning the english language and doesn't think he'll be able to be communicate with the team if need be. It's a mature move by Ovechkin, who knows that this will be his team sooner or later and it not afraid to wait.
Vancouver Canucks' captain Markus Naslund is unsure if he'll be the captain with all the new faces both on the ice and behind the bench. With someone new behind the bench, they may think that Naslund isn't the right fit to lead the team. It should be interesting to see what happens in Vancouver, but it could go one of two ways. Which way is still to be determined.
Finally, in a somewhat surprising move, the Tampa Bay Lightning named Tim Taylor as their captain. The "Toolman" will have forwards Brad Richards and Vincent Lecavalier as his alternates. Though Taylor isn't as flashy as the others, coach John Tortorella believes that the experience will help the team in the long-run.
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Training camps are going to get underway in about a week. There are many questions that will be answers and more problems that will be compounded if something were to go down unexpectedly. However, for all the latest, tune into Face Off Hockey Show every Wednesday and always on the Podcast.
The Anaheim Ducks re-signed Ilya Bryzgalov for three more years after his stellar performance in the playoffs last season. The big question is whether or not Bryzgalov will be the starter, back-up, or split time with J-S Giguere for the season.
The Buffalo Sabres locked up Ryan Miller for three more seasons on Friday. After a broken thumb kept him out for the middle part of the season, Miller came back and was able to cap off a 30-win season as well as help the Sabres get to the Eastern Conference finals.
These goalies are crucial in their organization, but Miller could be more valuable of the two. Miller has turned the Sabres franchise around and has given the Sabres a top-notch goalie for the first time since Dominik Hasek left.
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A few days are Mike Keenan being pushed out, things are getting clearer about what happened. At first, former Panthers GM Rick Dudley came out to say that owner Alan Cohen was a huge fan of Jacques Martin, which definitely answered questions about why Keenan was disposed of so quickly.
The next day, Jacques Martin came out to say that the relationship between himself and Mike Keenan was just fine and that there was no turmoil between the two. Martin says that he doesn't know why Keenan resigned so suddenly.
Keenan has yet to come out to say why he resigned.
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The issue of captaincy has been hot and heavy this week. First off, Alexander Ovechkin denied the Washington Capitals captaincy due to the fact that Ovechkin still is learning the english language and doesn't think he'll be able to be communicate with the team if need be. It's a mature move by Ovechkin, who knows that this will be his team sooner or later and it not afraid to wait.
Vancouver Canucks' captain Markus Naslund is unsure if he'll be the captain with all the new faces both on the ice and behind the bench. With someone new behind the bench, they may think that Naslund isn't the right fit to lead the team. It should be interesting to see what happens in Vancouver, but it could go one of two ways. Which way is still to be determined.
Finally, in a somewhat surprising move, the Tampa Bay Lightning named Tim Taylor as their captain. The "Toolman" will have forwards Brad Richards and Vincent Lecavalier as his alternates. Though Taylor isn't as flashy as the others, coach John Tortorella believes that the experience will help the team in the long-run.
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Training camps are going to get underway in about a week. There are many questions that will be answers and more problems that will be compounded if something were to go down unexpectedly. However, for all the latest, tune into Face Off Hockey Show every Wednesday and always on the Podcast.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Around the Rink 09.05.06
It took a while, but the Pittsburgh Penguins finally signed Evgeni Malkin to a entry level contract. So pretty much, we just wait to see if Metallurg or the Russian Federation will do anything about it. However, it seems they have been less and less vocal about it.
Is it good that this saga is over?? Sure, due to the allowance of everyone in the NHL to get on with their lives and start focusing on hockey. However, it's almost too quiet from overseas and that could be the calm before the storm. We'll keep an eye on this, but for some crazy reason-- this isn't over; not by a long shot. There's still something up the Russians' sleeves.
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Another Russian is coming over from the Motherland, as the Calgary Flames announced that Andrei Taratukhin has signed on with the Flames after spending last season with Lokomotiv of the Russian Elite League.
The former second round pick in the 2001 entry draft put up nine goals and 15 assists last season with 85 PIMs. Taratukhin should be used in a depth role, but could possibly bust out if given the right chance.
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The man with the worst luck in the world, Peter Forsberg, was back out on the ice today. Forsberg was testing out his surgically repaired ankle. Of course, Forsberg was slated to have surgery on both ankles, but only needed to have it on one. Though he was out there earlier than he expected, he still could tell if it made a difference or not.
Though he was limited to 60 games, Forsberg helped Simon Gagne get his scoring touch and helped the Flyers to a 35-16-9 record when he was in the line-up. Forsberg is a very valuable asset to the team, but if he is rushed into playing before he's ready-- it could be a bad start to the Flyers season.
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The Montreal Canadiens are still concerned when it comes to Saku Koivu and his eye injury. Yesterday, at an annual charity golf event, Koivu showed up with his eye still partial shut from the high stick from Justin Williams in the playoffs last season.
Koivu is heading back into the doctor's to see how much his vision has been effected, but it seems Koivu is chomping at the bit to get back onto the ice and test it out during real action. Koivu has also said that he will switch his visor to a bigger size in order to make sure something like this doesn't happen again. Koivu has been skating for two weeks in Finland to help his conditioning.
Once Koivu gets into the game situations, the Habs can see how far along he is. If he is unable to be effective on the ice, then there could be an issue of what to do next with him. The upside to all of this was the ability to get someone like Sergei Samsonov in the line-up to help out on the scoring if Koivu is out for a period of time.
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That's all for today, but be sure to listen tomorrow night (Wednesday for those who forgot what day it is) at 9 PM ET for all the fun and excitement that is Face Off Hockey Show. Can't make it live?? Well, check out our Podcast for all the things you missed out on.
Is it good that this saga is over?? Sure, due to the allowance of everyone in the NHL to get on with their lives and start focusing on hockey. However, it's almost too quiet from overseas and that could be the calm before the storm. We'll keep an eye on this, but for some crazy reason-- this isn't over; not by a long shot. There's still something up the Russians' sleeves.
---------
Another Russian is coming over from the Motherland, as the Calgary Flames announced that Andrei Taratukhin has signed on with the Flames after spending last season with Lokomotiv of the Russian Elite League.
The former second round pick in the 2001 entry draft put up nine goals and 15 assists last season with 85 PIMs. Taratukhin should be used in a depth role, but could possibly bust out if given the right chance.
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The man with the worst luck in the world, Peter Forsberg, was back out on the ice today. Forsberg was testing out his surgically repaired ankle. Of course, Forsberg was slated to have surgery on both ankles, but only needed to have it on one. Though he was out there earlier than he expected, he still could tell if it made a difference or not.
Though he was limited to 60 games, Forsberg helped Simon Gagne get his scoring touch and helped the Flyers to a 35-16-9 record when he was in the line-up. Forsberg is a very valuable asset to the team, but if he is rushed into playing before he's ready-- it could be a bad start to the Flyers season.
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The Montreal Canadiens are still concerned when it comes to Saku Koivu and his eye injury. Yesterday, at an annual charity golf event, Koivu showed up with his eye still partial shut from the high stick from Justin Williams in the playoffs last season.
Koivu is heading back into the doctor's to see how much his vision has been effected, but it seems Koivu is chomping at the bit to get back onto the ice and test it out during real action. Koivu has also said that he will switch his visor to a bigger size in order to make sure something like this doesn't happen again. Koivu has been skating for two weeks in Finland to help his conditioning.
Once Koivu gets into the game situations, the Habs can see how far along he is. If he is unable to be effective on the ice, then there could be an issue of what to do next with him. The upside to all of this was the ability to get someone like Sergei Samsonov in the line-up to help out on the scoring if Koivu is out for a period of time.
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That's all for today, but be sure to listen tomorrow night (Wednesday for those who forgot what day it is) at 9 PM ET for all the fun and excitement that is Face Off Hockey Show. Can't make it live?? Well, check out our Podcast for all the things you missed out on.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Iron Mike Down for the Count......For Now
For some reason, which as of right now is unknown, the Florida Panthers are in for a regime change. Mike Keenan today stepped down as the Panthers' GM and apparently, Jacques Martin will take over the duties to become the GM/Coach of the Cats.
Keenan had been the GM of the Panthers since May of 2004, which technically means he only had one year of job experience for the Panthers. However, he has been in the Panthers organization since December of 2001 when he replaced Duane Sutter.
The thing that strikes me as odd is the timing of this whole announcement. With the moves that have been made in the summer, you would have expected this to happen later or even earlier, so Martin or whomever, can get their team adjusted. Plus, the replacement of Jacques Martin is something that's strikes me as really interesting.
Not to bag on Martin for anything, but taking over the duel role of GM and coach is something that is difficult for the experienced GM or coach, but to have someone who has little experience in the position will be a sight to be seen. Of course, with the limited availability of good GMs out there, as well as the little time between now and the start of the season, it could be a good placeholder for now. Plus, Martin can see who he likes and dislikes from the bench, then go to the office and move accordingly.
Yet, still the surprise of this announcement still gets me. Right now, the question is why did Keenan did this?? Is there another job out there for him?? Is he worn out by what's going on in South Florida?? Was he fed up with who was in charge in Florida and wanted to get out on his own terms before he was put out on the curb??
I'm sure in the next couple of weeks, the answers and reasoning will come out and we'll get a clearer picture. Right now, there's just a lot of disbelief and surprise that this whole think has happened.
Keenan had been the GM of the Panthers since May of 2004, which technically means he only had one year of job experience for the Panthers. However, he has been in the Panthers organization since December of 2001 when he replaced Duane Sutter.
The thing that strikes me as odd is the timing of this whole announcement. With the moves that have been made in the summer, you would have expected this to happen later or even earlier, so Martin or whomever, can get their team adjusted. Plus, the replacement of Jacques Martin is something that's strikes me as really interesting.
Not to bag on Martin for anything, but taking over the duel role of GM and coach is something that is difficult for the experienced GM or coach, but to have someone who has little experience in the position will be a sight to be seen. Of course, with the limited availability of good GMs out there, as well as the little time between now and the start of the season, it could be a good placeholder for now. Plus, Martin can see who he likes and dislikes from the bench, then go to the office and move accordingly.
Yet, still the surprise of this announcement still gets me. Right now, the question is why did Keenan did this?? Is there another job out there for him?? Is he worn out by what's going on in South Florida?? Was he fed up with who was in charge in Florida and wanted to get out on his own terms before he was put out on the curb??
I'm sure in the next couple of weeks, the answers and reasoning will come out and we'll get a clearer picture. Right now, there's just a lot of disbelief and surprise that this whole think has happened.
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Around the Rink 09.02.06
It seems that the Columbus Blue Jackets are going to call Nikolai Zherdev on his claim that he's willing to go to Russia to play if his contract demands are not met. GM Doug MacLean hasn't spoken to Zherdev or his agent since Zherdev rejected a two-year contract worth about $3.8M. It seems the Zherdev camp is looking for a longer term deal and probably more cash.
It's a shame that Zherdev has so much untapped talent, but it seems that he's dead set on getting what he wants or else he'll head back home to play in the Russian Super League. Of course, with Fredrik Modin being acquired the pain of Zherdev not being there is lessened.
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Jeremy Roenick is at it again. This time JR is complaining that the Phoenix Coyotes aren't getting enough TV time, especially since Wayne Gretzky is the coach and part-owner of the team. The Coyotes will be seen on national TV only once on Versus, and that's not until late March.
As much as people may hate JR, I have to agree with him. I can understand that the NHL wants people to watch by putting team on there that casual watcher will recognize; but how do they expect to grow the game if they just show the Red Wings, Flyers, Avalanche, Penguins, and Rangers?? Especially when there's plenty of teams out there with exciting players, it's a shame the talent isn't being exposed as much as it should.
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The Edmonton Oilers are sleeping in a plenty of beds when it comes to AHL affiliates this coming season. The Oilers will have five teams as their affiliates for '06-'07, splitting with the teams who used the teams as a primary role. On the list are the Iowa Stars and Hamiliton Bulldogs, whom the Oilers used last season, while new to the list are the Milwaukee Admirals, Wilkes/Barre Scranton Penguins, and Grand Rapids Griffins.
More than likely, the deal will have the Oilers be able to put a maximum of five players on each of the teams. The Oilers old AHL team, the Edmonton Roadrunners, suspended operations before the '05-'06 season after spending on season in Toronton and one in Edmonton.
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Some other news of interest for you all:
-Steve Yzerman's #19 will be retired on January 2nd. Yzerman spent his entire career in Motown and it is a truly deserving honor for one of the greatest captains in the game.
-The Atlanta Thrashers announced that they will use their baby blue, former alternates, as their home uniform this season. The Thrashers debuted their baby blues in '03-'04.
-New St. Louis Blues owner Dave Checketts is ready to get back on the winning track. Not only has he allowed Larry Pleau to open the checkbook and get bigger names in the line-up, but he's ready to get the team back into the playoffs and get over on the hiccup of last year.
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Remember, training camps open on September 13th and we'll be there to cover the happenings and undoings during that time. So keep checking in and listening up and you'll be fine.
It's a shame that Zherdev has so much untapped talent, but it seems that he's dead set on getting what he wants or else he'll head back home to play in the Russian Super League. Of course, with Fredrik Modin being acquired the pain of Zherdev not being there is lessened.
---------
Jeremy Roenick is at it again. This time JR is complaining that the Phoenix Coyotes aren't getting enough TV time, especially since Wayne Gretzky is the coach and part-owner of the team. The Coyotes will be seen on national TV only once on Versus, and that's not until late March.
As much as people may hate JR, I have to agree with him. I can understand that the NHL wants people to watch by putting team on there that casual watcher will recognize; but how do they expect to grow the game if they just show the Red Wings, Flyers, Avalanche, Penguins, and Rangers?? Especially when there's plenty of teams out there with exciting players, it's a shame the talent isn't being exposed as much as it should.
---------
The Edmonton Oilers are sleeping in a plenty of beds when it comes to AHL affiliates this coming season. The Oilers will have five teams as their affiliates for '06-'07, splitting with the teams who used the teams as a primary role. On the list are the Iowa Stars and Hamiliton Bulldogs, whom the Oilers used last season, while new to the list are the Milwaukee Admirals, Wilkes/Barre Scranton Penguins, and Grand Rapids Griffins.
More than likely, the deal will have the Oilers be able to put a maximum of five players on each of the teams. The Oilers old AHL team, the Edmonton Roadrunners, suspended operations before the '05-'06 season after spending on season in Toronton and one in Edmonton.
---------
Some other news of interest for you all:
-Steve Yzerman's #19 will be retired on January 2nd. Yzerman spent his entire career in Motown and it is a truly deserving honor for one of the greatest captains in the game.
-The Atlanta Thrashers announced that they will use their baby blue, former alternates, as their home uniform this season. The Thrashers debuted their baby blues in '03-'04.
-New St. Louis Blues owner Dave Checketts is ready to get back on the winning track. Not only has he allowed Larry Pleau to open the checkbook and get bigger names in the line-up, but he's ready to get the team back into the playoffs and get over on the hiccup of last year.
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Remember, training camps open on September 13th and we'll be there to cover the happenings and undoings during that time. So keep checking in and listening up and you'll be fine.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Around the Rink 08.29.06
The Nashville Predators added some punch to their forward line as they signed J-P Dumont to a 2-year deal worth around $4.5M. Dumont had 20 goals and 20 assists in 54 games and became a free agent when the Buffalo Sabres declined to sign Dumont to an arbitrator's reward.
The Predators have done some work in getting some more offense into their system. With the signing of Jason Arnott and revitalization of Paul Kariya-- the Preds are looking to take over as the Central Division's top team and enter a new era of hockey. Of course, if Dumont can build off his stellar playoffs where he had seven goals and seven assists in 18 playoff games. With the high-tempo Preds gameplan, Dumont should be assured to up his numbers as a secondary scorer.
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The Sabres were also dealt a blow by hearing that forward Tim Connolly will probably not be ready for training camp, as he is still feeling the effects of a concussion that he sustained during Game One of the Conference Semi-finals against Ottawa.
Connolly continues his history of concussion problems, having to miss out on the entire 2003-04 season with a concussion problem. At only 25-years-old, the worries are that he will become like Brett Lindros, taking too many shots to the head and having a promising career cut short. The Sabres are hoping Connolly will make sure that he is cleared to play before even thinking about stepping back onto the ice.
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The Carolina Hurricanes brought back David Tanabe by signing the defenseman to a one-year, $900k deal. The defenseman was originally drafted by the Hurricanes in 1999 and since then has registered 94 points in 374 games. Tanabe has had some injury problems, but he worked out for the Hurricanes to show that he was over those problems.
Also in Canesland, there are rumors that the Canes have been persuing Brad Isbister to help fill the void that will be left by the absence of Cory Stillman. Stillman will miss up to 35 games at the start of next season as a result of shoulder surgey the forward had on Friday.
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That's all from around the rinks in the NHL. Check out Face Off Hockey Show live on Wednesday night starting at 9 PM ET. If you can't make it live, check out our Podcast for anything you may have missed.
The Predators have done some work in getting some more offense into their system. With the signing of Jason Arnott and revitalization of Paul Kariya-- the Preds are looking to take over as the Central Division's top team and enter a new era of hockey. Of course, if Dumont can build off his stellar playoffs where he had seven goals and seven assists in 18 playoff games. With the high-tempo Preds gameplan, Dumont should be assured to up his numbers as a secondary scorer.
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The Sabres were also dealt a blow by hearing that forward Tim Connolly will probably not be ready for training camp, as he is still feeling the effects of a concussion that he sustained during Game One of the Conference Semi-finals against Ottawa.
Connolly continues his history of concussion problems, having to miss out on the entire 2003-04 season with a concussion problem. At only 25-years-old, the worries are that he will become like Brett Lindros, taking too many shots to the head and having a promising career cut short. The Sabres are hoping Connolly will make sure that he is cleared to play before even thinking about stepping back onto the ice.
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The Carolina Hurricanes brought back David Tanabe by signing the defenseman to a one-year, $900k deal. The defenseman was originally drafted by the Hurricanes in 1999 and since then has registered 94 points in 374 games. Tanabe has had some injury problems, but he worked out for the Hurricanes to show that he was over those problems.
Also in Canesland, there are rumors that the Canes have been persuing Brad Isbister to help fill the void that will be left by the absence of Cory Stillman. Stillman will miss up to 35 games at the start of next season as a result of shoulder surgey the forward had on Friday.
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That's all from around the rinks in the NHL. Check out Face Off Hockey Show live on Wednesday night starting at 9 PM ET. If you can't make it live, check out our Podcast for anything you may have missed.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Around the Rink 08.24.06
It's been too long since a new story has been posted, so here's a look around the important spots of the hockey world.
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Patrice Bergeron will be a Bruin for the forseeable future as he agreed to a 5-year deal worth about $4.75M a season. Bergeron had a career season last year putting up 31 goals and 42 assists after being thrusted into the top center with the departure of Joe Thornton.
With Bergeron locked up and plenty of other key players there for the next two to three years, the Bruins can actually focus on getting back onto the playoff track. There has been a lot of turmoil in the last couple of years, but with new faces behind the bench and in the front office; the fans of the spoked "B" will be hoping to get further than the first round this season.
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According to reports from the Detroit Free Press, the Red Wings will have their first new captain since the 1986-87 season. The reports have pegged defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom as the top candidate for the position, while others on Red Wings fan sites are calling for Henrik Zetterberg to get the "C" since he's younger and could continue the process of long-standing captains.
Mike Babcock was reached and denied anything was happening, but odds are this has been in the making for a long time.
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If you're a Blue Jackets' fan, you may be resigned to the fact that Nikolai Zherdev may not be in the line-up for the '06-'07 season. It seems that the staring game between Zherdev's camp and the GM/Czar of Columbus Doug MacLean has reached it's pinnacle and should see Zherdev head to the Russian Elite League to play for Khimik.
Granted, with Fredrik Modin having been acquired in the off-season, the sting probably won't hurt too hard. As valuable of a talent that Zherdev is, his performances in the past few season haven't been what the Blue Jackets had hoped. With plenty of underachiving performances, the Blue Jackets may welcome the leaving for more development. Getting him back could be the biggest hurdle, but I'm sure they'll cross that bridge when they get to it.
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Winger J-P Dumont has narrowed his search for a home down to about four teams. Dumont, who didn't have his arbitration award signed by the Sabres, didn't mention the teams, but took the Canadiens out of the picture saying they didn't make a formal offer to Dumont's team. Odds are that the Red Wings and Sabres are two of the teams, while the other two could be out of the blue.
It's odd that so many people would be chomping at the bit for a guy who had only 40 points last season (20g-20a), and who's career-high in points is 51 (23g-28a). Of course, for an arbitrator to give said player a one-year $2.9M reward...that's a tad overboard, but who didn't see that coming??
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That's some of the bigger stories that are out there. We're counting down the days before the training camps start, and if you haven't listened the the archived shows through the summer, like the one we did last night, then you're missing out on some crazy, crazy stuff. So check out our webpage, check out our Podcast, and check out our past shows so you can catch up on all the hilarity.
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Patrice Bergeron will be a Bruin for the forseeable future as he agreed to a 5-year deal worth about $4.75M a season. Bergeron had a career season last year putting up 31 goals and 42 assists after being thrusted into the top center with the departure of Joe Thornton.
With Bergeron locked up and plenty of other key players there for the next two to three years, the Bruins can actually focus on getting back onto the playoff track. There has been a lot of turmoil in the last couple of years, but with new faces behind the bench and in the front office; the fans of the spoked "B" will be hoping to get further than the first round this season.
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According to reports from the Detroit Free Press, the Red Wings will have their first new captain since the 1986-87 season. The reports have pegged defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom as the top candidate for the position, while others on Red Wings fan sites are calling for Henrik Zetterberg to get the "C" since he's younger and could continue the process of long-standing captains.
Mike Babcock was reached and denied anything was happening, but odds are this has been in the making for a long time.
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If you're a Blue Jackets' fan, you may be resigned to the fact that Nikolai Zherdev may not be in the line-up for the '06-'07 season. It seems that the staring game between Zherdev's camp and the GM/Czar of Columbus Doug MacLean has reached it's pinnacle and should see Zherdev head to the Russian Elite League to play for Khimik.
Granted, with Fredrik Modin having been acquired in the off-season, the sting probably won't hurt too hard. As valuable of a talent that Zherdev is, his performances in the past few season haven't been what the Blue Jackets had hoped. With plenty of underachiving performances, the Blue Jackets may welcome the leaving for more development. Getting him back could be the biggest hurdle, but I'm sure they'll cross that bridge when they get to it.
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Winger J-P Dumont has narrowed his search for a home down to about four teams. Dumont, who didn't have his arbitration award signed by the Sabres, didn't mention the teams, but took the Canadiens out of the picture saying they didn't make a formal offer to Dumont's team. Odds are that the Red Wings and Sabres are two of the teams, while the other two could be out of the blue.
It's odd that so many people would be chomping at the bit for a guy who had only 40 points last season (20g-20a), and who's career-high in points is 51 (23g-28a). Of course, for an arbitrator to give said player a one-year $2.9M reward...that's a tad overboard, but who didn't see that coming??
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That's some of the bigger stories that are out there. We're counting down the days before the training camps start, and if you haven't listened the the archived shows through the summer, like the one we did last night, then you're missing out on some crazy, crazy stuff. So check out our webpage, check out our Podcast, and check out our past shows so you can catch up on all the hilarity.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
FantasyHockey.com Draft Guide
Do you need a Fantasy Hockey Draft Guide that leave no stone unturned?? Do you need a Fantasy Hockey Draft Guide that gives you in-depth breakdowns team-by-team, player-by-player, stat-by-stat?? Do you need a Fantasy Hockey Draft Guide with two of the four members of "Face Off Hockey Show??" Then you need to get on the FantasyHockey.com Draft Guide.
That's right, it's Fantasy Hockey time again and I have to say this guide came out better than expected, and I'm not saying that because I have plenty of work put in there-- it's really a quality product for the people. It breaks down Fantasy Hockey for the beginners, gives alternate scoring ideas, and break downs of your favorite players and teams. All of it for $5 USD. It's a STEAL at twice the price. It's only available on-line and has 301 pages chocked full of news, notes, and stories you'll need to conquer your Fantasy Hockey League.
Plus, it includes stuff from me (Wazz) and everyone's favorite "That Guy" Jonny P. It's worth the price and worth it if you want to control your league. However, you could win one if all goes well and you answer a weekly trivia question and win in the raffle for the week. Will it happen?? You'll have to listen in to the show to find out.
That's right, it's Fantasy Hockey time again and I have to say this guide came out better than expected, and I'm not saying that because I have plenty of work put in there-- it's really a quality product for the people. It breaks down Fantasy Hockey for the beginners, gives alternate scoring ideas, and break downs of your favorite players and teams. All of it for $5 USD. It's a STEAL at twice the price. It's only available on-line and has 301 pages chocked full of news, notes, and stories you'll need to conquer your Fantasy Hockey League.
Plus, it includes stuff from me (Wazz) and everyone's favorite "That Guy" Jonny P. It's worth the price and worth it if you want to control your league. However, you could win one if all goes well and you answer a weekly trivia question and win in the raffle for the week. Will it happen?? You'll have to listen in to the show to find out.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Cannonball Run: Malkin's Mission
To the surprise of no one, Evgeni Malkin landed in North America on Thursday after being holed-up in an apartment in Helsinki for a while when he was waiting for a work visa in the States. I guess in his time there, he took the Alexander Mogilny approach to come into the NHL. For the time being at least, the situation is cooling down. However, the fact of the matter is the off-ice issues are already in full swing.Outside of the fact that Malkin still needs to be signed, there's a high chance Metallurg will use their legal team to get an injunction of some sorts to block Malkin from playing. Whether or not it will hold up is another thing entirely. I'm sure that the Russian club will make it as hard a possible for the Penguins to get Malkin on the ice in their jersey.....or they think that at least.
However, for all the comments about Russia signing the transfer agreement and be happy with any money gotten, there's plenty of comments talking about how he's not worth the trouble and may be overrated. Granted, some Penguins fans feel that this is the new era for the team......though they said that about Sidney Crosby and M-A Fleury, but they haven't turned the team around in the least.
I can see where the Russian clubs are coming from though. Malkin was brought up through the Metallurg school and was the face of the Russian elite league. For a guy like that, you want top dollar for him because having him there is almost a license to print money. Metallurg wants to get the money that he would bring in and what he would make for future earnings. I'm sure other club teams who play Metallurg would want to have the attendance bank too. To get only $200k for him isn't the fair market value for someone like that.
Yet, the labor law in Russia was the Russian Federation's own worst enemy. You can bet that something will change now that three players have now used that rule to their advantage to get out of their contracts. Some could see it as pretty craptastic, especially after the player signed a contract, but the law is the law.
When Vladislav Tretiak came to be the Russian Federation President, he said one of his top priorites was to get something signed to have a fair deal with the NHL. It obviously hasn't happened, but you can be that once Malkin suits up in the NHL, something will get signed, fair deal or not.
EDIT 7:30 ET-- According to our friends at the Russian Hockey Digest, Metallurg's lawyers have said that Evgeni Malkin's faxed resignation is unacceptable because some lines are illegible and may not have been written by Malkin. The fun has started, kids.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Desert Dogs Looking to Dine on Competition
When you look at the Pacific Division, there aren't many teams who have made a huge splash in the off-season. Outside of the Anaheim Ducks (who acquired Chris Pronger), the Phoenix Coyotes have made a big splash. How it will play out will be the biggest of questions.
Though the Coyotes were able to get Nick Boynton, Ed Jovanovski, Jeremy Roenick, Georges Laraque, Mike Morrison, and more recently Owen Nolan; the general feeling is that the Coyotes wanted to get more experienced players and players whom aren't that intimidated by the presense of Wayne Gretzky behind the bench. Of course, worries of underachieving and injury are very much at the forefront with this group of six mentioned above.
Especially with Jovanovski and Nolan, the injury bug is a very real concern. Of course, Nolan is coming off an ugly ordeal with the Toronto Maple Leafs, in which he was able to get $5M as a settlement for his release. Plus, Nolan hasn't played competitive hockey for two-and-a-half years, so wondering if he'll be able to hold his own in the faster NHL is something that will be seen.
Jovanovski on the other hand hasn't played a full season since the 2001-02 season. However, when healthy, Jovo can be a dominate rear-guard. His 33 points only 44 games also proves that he can keep up, even with his size. With a young defense, the veteran presense will be a welcome addition to the blue-line core.
Roenick is another interesting pick-up. With his abysmal season in Los Angeles last season, Roenick needs to prove to the Coyotes, NHL, and himself that his awful season was just a fluke. Coming out-of-shape last season was the beginning of the end. Now, it seems that Roenick has come in with a new demeanor, he's not spouting off his mouth, and he seems re-focused to actually get back to his old ways. It'll take a lot of work being behind Mike Comrie and Steven Reinprecht in the depth chart, but Roenick just wants to show he still has it.
Nick Boynton may not be able to replace what Paul Mara brought, but his physical force and time in the league should be useful to the team. Georges Laraque is going to be the peacemaker for the club, while Mike Morrison will more than likely back-up Curtis Joseph, giving David LeNeveu more time in the minors to hone himself.
Though the lack of movement in the Pacific Divison, the Coyotes are definitely looking good in their own division behind the Ducks. Whether or not the moves on paper translate to results on the ice remains to be seen, but it can't hurt that the team is willing to put some money out there in order to get the best team out of the ice.
Though the Coyotes were able to get Nick Boynton, Ed Jovanovski, Jeremy Roenick, Georges Laraque, Mike Morrison, and more recently Owen Nolan; the general feeling is that the Coyotes wanted to get more experienced players and players whom aren't that intimidated by the presense of Wayne Gretzky behind the bench. Of course, worries of underachieving and injury are very much at the forefront with this group of six mentioned above.
Especially with Jovanovski and Nolan, the injury bug is a very real concern. Of course, Nolan is coming off an ugly ordeal with the Toronto Maple Leafs, in which he was able to get $5M as a settlement for his release. Plus, Nolan hasn't played competitive hockey for two-and-a-half years, so wondering if he'll be able to hold his own in the faster NHL is something that will be seen.
Jovanovski on the other hand hasn't played a full season since the 2001-02 season. However, when healthy, Jovo can be a dominate rear-guard. His 33 points only 44 games also proves that he can keep up, even with his size. With a young defense, the veteran presense will be a welcome addition to the blue-line core.
Roenick is another interesting pick-up. With his abysmal season in Los Angeles last season, Roenick needs to prove to the Coyotes, NHL, and himself that his awful season was just a fluke. Coming out-of-shape last season was the beginning of the end. Now, it seems that Roenick has come in with a new demeanor, he's not spouting off his mouth, and he seems re-focused to actually get back to his old ways. It'll take a lot of work being behind Mike Comrie and Steven Reinprecht in the depth chart, but Roenick just wants to show he still has it.
Nick Boynton may not be able to replace what Paul Mara brought, but his physical force and time in the league should be useful to the team. Georges Laraque is going to be the peacemaker for the club, while Mike Morrison will more than likely back-up Curtis Joseph, giving David LeNeveu more time in the minors to hone himself.
Though the lack of movement in the Pacific Divison, the Coyotes are definitely looking good in their own division behind the Ducks. Whether or not the moves on paper translate to results on the ice remains to be seen, but it can't hurt that the team is willing to put some money out there in order to get the best team out of the ice.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
NHL: Caribbean Style
Now, I haven't talked about it on here, but it has been mentioned on the show and James Mirtle has mentioned it; but the NHL confirmed it with their releasing of the pre-season schedule. The Florida Panthers and New York Rangers will play a pre-season game in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Frankly, I don't know if I really see the purpose in doing something like this. I understand the branching out the game and all that jazz, but when the country doesn't even have a hockey program in the making; it may not be the best place to go and put a game.
Now, I could be proven completely wrong and the game will be a huge success. The country will then start trying to play the game and maybe get an IIHF sanctioning and be on their way to build up their own program. Why not, there are plenty of obscure IIHF members out there, but they all seem to have their own representation and doing rather well depending on the country, but it could happen.
However, I'm pessimistic. Somehow I don't see the Caribbean folks getting accustom to ice hockey at all. Maybe it's the fact they are so close to the equator that the ice wouldn't last or the extremely foreign nature of the game would not connect with the locals there. Granted, I wish them the best of luck in getting the game a jump start there; but even if it is a one and done-- it will be an interesting story for players and fans alike when it happens.
Frankly, I don't know if I really see the purpose in doing something like this. I understand the branching out the game and all that jazz, but when the country doesn't even have a hockey program in the making; it may not be the best place to go and put a game.
Now, I could be proven completely wrong and the game will be a huge success. The country will then start trying to play the game and maybe get an IIHF sanctioning and be on their way to build up their own program. Why not, there are plenty of obscure IIHF members out there, but they all seem to have their own representation and doing rather well depending on the country, but it could happen.
However, I'm pessimistic. Somehow I don't see the Caribbean folks getting accustom to ice hockey at all. Maybe it's the fact they are so close to the equator that the ice wouldn't last or the extremely foreign nature of the game would not connect with the locals there. Granted, I wish them the best of luck in getting the game a jump start there; but even if it is a one and done-- it will be an interesting story for players and fans alike when it happens.
News and Notes 08.07.06
To the joy of many, the NHL released the TV schedules for the '06-'07 season. TSN, CBC, and RDS will carry national games on the Canadian side, while NBC and Versus (formerly OLN) will carry the national games for the States.
For the States, there will be plenty of Avalanche, Flyers, Bruins, Red Wings, and Penguins games, while it's almost all Leafs, all the time on the CBC. Whether or not that's a good thing depends on who you root for. I'll give VS. one thing, they are trying to switch it up-- there's plenty of Blue Jackets games on there for your Rick Nash fix.
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With the Blues signing Manny Legace, it sures up their goaltending....for now. As much as some people may have been impress with Curtis Sanford, he's still a little rough around the edges to be a full time starter just yet. Also, Jason Bacashihua still needs some time to develop properly. With the new ownership (which equals money) and John Davidson helping make some decisions, then I think the Blues are on their way to rebuild and get back to their days of glory.
Now the real test is for Legace to show that he is more than a great back-up goalie and can be an excellent starter. It will be interesting to see how good he is without the renowned Red Wings defense around him.
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On the heels of the Bruins rejecting the David Tanabe award, the Sabres walked-away from J-P Dumont's arbitration award of $2.9M. Dumont got 20 goals and 20 assists, and to me, 2.9M is a little to much for a guy who didn't do to well in the grand scheme of things. I'm sure that there is plenty of teams that want to get Dumont's services, but the price will have to come down a ton for many to be truly interested.
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Plenty of retirements this past week. First, Eric Weinrich left the NHL after 1,157 games with eight teams. Weinrich will now join the Portland Pirates coaching staff. Another Eric retired, as Philly blueliner Eric Desjardins called it quits after 17 seasons. Desjardins has been hampered by injuries in the past couple of seasons, which could have lead to his retirement. Desjardins is the second highest scoring defenseman in Flyers franchise history.
Also, after 40 years, Harry Sinden stepped down as president of the Boston Bruins, but will stay on with the team as an advisor for owner Jeremy Jacobs. Many Bruins fans feel that this is the first move to help the Bruins get back on the winning track, but until the Jacobs family sells the team, many feel it's just more heartache.
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The joys of the Malkin Saga. Wednesday, Penguins defenseman Sergei Gonchar came out to say that Malkin told Gonchar that he (Malkin) would stay in Russia. When Gonchar asked why, Malkin reportedly said, "I have my reasons." Gonchar had earlier said that Malkin wanted to come to the NHL this season and would do it at any cost.
It just keeps getting weirder and wackier, so definitely stay tuned for this one, because it's just another bump in the road for a promising young star.
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So that's it for now. If you haven't checked out our archives, you should. Head to your favorite Podcast provider or head to our Past Shows section and get back into the game.
For the States, there will be plenty of Avalanche, Flyers, Bruins, Red Wings, and Penguins games, while it's almost all Leafs, all the time on the CBC. Whether or not that's a good thing depends on who you root for. I'll give VS. one thing, they are trying to switch it up-- there's plenty of Blue Jackets games on there for your Rick Nash fix.
---------
With the Blues signing Manny Legace, it sures up their goaltending....for now. As much as some people may have been impress with Curtis Sanford, he's still a little rough around the edges to be a full time starter just yet. Also, Jason Bacashihua still needs some time to develop properly. With the new ownership (which equals money) and John Davidson helping make some decisions, then I think the Blues are on their way to rebuild and get back to their days of glory.
Now the real test is for Legace to show that he is more than a great back-up goalie and can be an excellent starter. It will be interesting to see how good he is without the renowned Red Wings defense around him.
---------
On the heels of the Bruins rejecting the David Tanabe award, the Sabres walked-away from J-P Dumont's arbitration award of $2.9M. Dumont got 20 goals and 20 assists, and to me, 2.9M is a little to much for a guy who didn't do to well in the grand scheme of things. I'm sure that there is plenty of teams that want to get Dumont's services, but the price will have to come down a ton for many to be truly interested.
---------
Plenty of retirements this past week. First, Eric Weinrich left the NHL after 1,157 games with eight teams. Weinrich will now join the Portland Pirates coaching staff. Another Eric retired, as Philly blueliner Eric Desjardins called it quits after 17 seasons. Desjardins has been hampered by injuries in the past couple of seasons, which could have lead to his retirement. Desjardins is the second highest scoring defenseman in Flyers franchise history.
Also, after 40 years, Harry Sinden stepped down as president of the Boston Bruins, but will stay on with the team as an advisor for owner Jeremy Jacobs. Many Bruins fans feel that this is the first move to help the Bruins get back on the winning track, but until the Jacobs family sells the team, many feel it's just more heartache.
---------
The joys of the Malkin Saga. Wednesday, Penguins defenseman Sergei Gonchar came out to say that Malkin told Gonchar that he (Malkin) would stay in Russia. When Gonchar asked why, Malkin reportedly said, "I have my reasons." Gonchar had earlier said that Malkin wanted to come to the NHL this season and would do it at any cost.
It just keeps getting weirder and wackier, so definitely stay tuned for this one, because it's just another bump in the road for a promising young star.
---------
So that's it for now. If you haven't checked out our archives, you should. Head to your favorite Podcast provider or head to our Past Shows section and get back into the game.
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Somewhat Slow News Week
There wasn't much out there for big stories this past week, so I'll try to make this little condensed version worth your while.
"Operation Slapshot" (for a refresher, check it out here) took a turn as former New Jersey State Trooper James Harney plea-bargained and plead guilty and help the New Jersey State's Attorney to investigate outcasted Coyotes' assistant coach Rick Tocchet. Harney will face a maximum seven year in prison, which is far less than the possible 25 years that he was facing in the first place.
Tocchet's attorney Kevin Marino says that the former Trooper is just looking out for himself and not caring about the rest of it. Personally, I can see this as a true scenario, as it seems that the State didn't even trying to broker a deal with Tocchet, mainly due to his "celebrity" and trying to get a high profiled case to their names. As the story goes, so shall we.
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The Sabres finally came to terms with Daniel Briere, picking up his one-year $5M contract that was awarded by an arbitratior. The Sabres also avoid arbitration with many of their players before the hearings. Rumors are now that J-P Dumont and Martin Biron could be packaged up and shipped out of Buffalo to free up some cap space in the line-up.
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The Bruins strike again. Boston walked away from an arbitrator's ruling on defenseman David Tanabe. This is the third time Boston has walked away from arbitation, the first two being with Bryan Berard and Dmitri Khristich. Tanabe is now an unrestricted free-agent and could be picked up in the next week. Tanabe was awarded a one-year, $1.275M contract by the arbitrator.
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What more can you say about the Russian Federation that wasn't said during the Cold War?? It seems the Russian were none too happy with the NHL/IIHF transfer agreement after they actually looked at it. That means that no NHL team can sign a player under a Russian League contract this season, unless something miraculous happens.
Of course, there are always loopholes, which we found out about on Thursday. Evgeni Malkin and his agent Don Meehan apparently found in the Russian Labor Law, which allows employees to give a two-week notice to get out of their contract whatever the work. Apparently, Malkin has given that notice and is now negotiating a contract with the Penguins.
However, even silver linings look a little bleak as nothing has come from the talks or negotiations as of yet.
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Finally, the Flyers and Blackhawks swapped forwards, as Kyle Calder was traded to Philadelphia by Chicago for Michal Handzus. Calder was awarded a $2.95M contract in arbitration, which seemed to rich for Chicago's blood. Calder has played in 359 NHL games (all with Chicago) and racked up 85 goals and 125 assists.
Handzus is a big playmaking forward, who could work well with recently acquired Martin Havlat and oft-injured forward Tuomo Ruutu. In 509 NHL games, Handzus has posted 112 goals and 180 assists, as well as being a +47 career player.
---------
So that's what I got out of the week. Of course, there were some re-signing and minor signings here and there, but you could have checked those out anywhere. Keep in check with us as we are only 6 weeks or so away from training camps taking place.
"Operation Slapshot" (for a refresher, check it out here) took a turn as former New Jersey State Trooper James Harney plea-bargained and plead guilty and help the New Jersey State's Attorney to investigate outcasted Coyotes' assistant coach Rick Tocchet. Harney will face a maximum seven year in prison, which is far less than the possible 25 years that he was facing in the first place.
Tocchet's attorney Kevin Marino says that the former Trooper is just looking out for himself and not caring about the rest of it. Personally, I can see this as a true scenario, as it seems that the State didn't even trying to broker a deal with Tocchet, mainly due to his "celebrity" and trying to get a high profiled case to their names. As the story goes, so shall we.
---------
The Sabres finally came to terms with Daniel Briere, picking up his one-year $5M contract that was awarded by an arbitratior. The Sabres also avoid arbitration with many of their players before the hearings. Rumors are now that J-P Dumont and Martin Biron could be packaged up and shipped out of Buffalo to free up some cap space in the line-up.
---------
The Bruins strike again. Boston walked away from an arbitrator's ruling on defenseman David Tanabe. This is the third time Boston has walked away from arbitation, the first two being with Bryan Berard and Dmitri Khristich. Tanabe is now an unrestricted free-agent and could be picked up in the next week. Tanabe was awarded a one-year, $1.275M contract by the arbitrator.
--------
What more can you say about the Russian Federation that wasn't said during the Cold War?? It seems the Russian were none too happy with the NHL/IIHF transfer agreement after they actually looked at it. That means that no NHL team can sign a player under a Russian League contract this season, unless something miraculous happens.
Of course, there are always loopholes, which we found out about on Thursday. Evgeni Malkin and his agent Don Meehan apparently found in the Russian Labor Law, which allows employees to give a two-week notice to get out of their contract whatever the work. Apparently, Malkin has given that notice and is now negotiating a contract with the Penguins.
However, even silver linings look a little bleak as nothing has come from the talks or negotiations as of yet.
---------
Finally, the Flyers and Blackhawks swapped forwards, as Kyle Calder was traded to Philadelphia by Chicago for Michal Handzus. Calder was awarded a $2.95M contract in arbitration, which seemed to rich for Chicago's blood. Calder has played in 359 NHL games (all with Chicago) and racked up 85 goals and 125 assists.
Handzus is a big playmaking forward, who could work well with recently acquired Martin Havlat and oft-injured forward Tuomo Ruutu. In 509 NHL games, Handzus has posted 112 goals and 180 assists, as well as being a +47 career player.
---------
So that's what I got out of the week. Of course, there were some re-signing and minor signings here and there, but you could have checked those out anywhere. Keep in check with us as we are only 6 weeks or so away from training camps taking place.
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