From the Rafters – Nash formerly requests to be traded in the off season…

"I am all about being loyal and all, but my shelf life as an player at my peak is about 5 to 7 years tops… and if I am going to go out and bust by hump night after night for ‘the man’, all I ask is that ‘the man ‘put some talent around me so that I could have a remote chance in he** of winning."

How many more years can pass you and I by before this kind of statement goes from merely a tongue in cheek sarcastic shot of mine directed squarely at a certain GM to a jaw dropping reality leaving a bunch of front office staff baffled at what they would call a move "out of nowhere"? And frankly, who could blame him.

When I heard the first whispers about Brad Richards having whittled down his suitors to three (with Columbus still in the running), I began to develop cautious optimism. This was not the right move. The better move in this case was no move at all. I was being duped into thinking that talk at this stage was a sign of good things to come. Richards was a name, Columbus was in the hunt, interesting… Trade day was going to be memorable. Or so I thought. Eventually Dallas picked up the Island boy, but all was still good. The ball was rolling…

I started picturing Hossa on the right side, Nash on the left, and Vaclav Prospal up the middle. I could envision the highlight reels, two star wingers blasting and wristing home puck after puck. Just when you see them head off, the second line hops the boards. Zherdev, rocketing past his own shadow, leaving a vapour trail somewhere back in the neutral zone, flinging the puck across to Chimera for a backhand… the ever developing Brule draped around the goalie, jamming for a rebound.

Don’t stop there. A move on the backend like adding Campbell would be outstanding… they have cap room… And for a final touch, maybe shake a tree and add the goon Steve Downie who fell out of it to the lineup. For no other reason then because the fans deserve it after this long. Next thing you know you would have had a team worthy of the cup semi finals. But instead we get this…

"The Columbus Blue Jackets have acquired forward Nate DiCasmirro from the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for forward Steve Goertzen, Blue Jackets General Manager Scott Howson announced February 28." At the end of the day there are about 19 games left and I am apathetic. I can only wonder how the players feel. Do they care anymore? Hockey players may not be curing cancer or splitting atoms, but they certainly know that they just played the role of sellers, not buyers.

Soon I will have another summer ahead to evaluate whether my loyalty is in vain. Perhaps to humour me they will at least call up Nason and let him get his feet wet in goal. I’ll still be pulling for them but John H McConnell is soon going to be off my Christmas card list if he doesn’t start spending…

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Canucks stand Pat at Deadline

There are going to be quite a few unhappy fans in Vancouver, with the fact that Dave Nonis did not pull off a monumental deal at the deadline. With Names like Brad Richards Mats Sundin and Olli Jokinen on the block, Vancouver was rumored to be in contention for all of them and Nonis did not pull the trigger. I can clearly say, he did the right thing.

If you look at the Richards deal, the Stars did not give up a lot but had to give up Mike Smith, who Tampa is hoping will be a #1 guy. The Canucks do not have another goaltender capable of starting at the level.

Other than for Richards, it would most likely take prospects and draft picks to get somebody. I would have no problem giving up draft picks, but the prospects would be a problem. Cory Schneider is the only prospect that I, and most likely Nonis would give up. The other prospects who would be asked for, Edler, Bourdon, Grabner, and Raymond are not guys you trade for a rental who may not even get you past the first or second round, then bang, hes a free agent. Bourdon, who has not developed quite as quickly as the others, is still a top rate prospect and with Edler,and Bieksa could help anchor the Canucks blueline for years to come. Up front Raymond has been a sparkplug for a struggling offence, while Grabner will be a go-to guy in a couple seasons, and down the road, these 4 guys will provide more for this team then any deadline acquisition. Even with Richards or Jokinen, or Sundin, (yes I know Sundin was not really on the market) this team was not guarenteed to go anywhere anyways.

The Canucks made a minor upgrade trading Matt Cooke for Matt Pettinger. Pettinger plays the same physical style, but is a bit younger and has more offensive upside. Also both players were in similar situations, as both had fallen out of favor with their respective head coaches.

The way this Canucks team is playing, they could make some noise without another scorer. Just ask Calgary. They have a similar line-up, great defence, great goaltending, and a lack of depth up front which cost Calgary in the finals but they did get there. Yes, Scoring is still the biggest problem for this Vancouver Canucks team, but Nonis was not willing to pay the price to get a scorer who is not guarenteed to be a cure-all problems guy anyways. Just Ask Nashville how it worked for them with Forsberg last year.

Even without a scorer this team should still make the playoffs, and if this team stays healthy, gets everyone working together at the right time, who knows what could happen.

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Sharks-Flyers: Sharks Snap Season-High Losing Streak

I raced home from my job to reach my DVR so I could watch the Sharks game. I couldn't believe what I had heard from my co-worker: the season-high five-game losing streak ended for the Sharks with a 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers.

I am a big Sharks fan, and it always makes me feel good when the team snags a win, but I didn't expect them to come out of Philly with the two points. Before going into the game, the Flyers were at an eight-game losing streak, needless to say I was anticipating that the Flyers would come out with more intensity than the Sharks. 

Here were the lines for the night, and I decided to do an analysis of each line and player. Just to try something new for the few that read my column...

Michalek-Thornton-Cheechoo

• Cheechoo remains to plant himself in front of the net, which can only bring good things for the Sharks. That's how Cheechoo became the Rocket Richard winner, and that's why lately he's become "en fuego", if you will.
  
• Thornton was on the receiving end of a huge hit by Jason Smith. Even though I was sitting comfortably on my reclining couch, I could feel Joe's pain. Thornton also gave a terrific feed to Cheechoo for his sixteenth goal of the season, his twelfth in the last seventeen games.
  
• Michalek made an amazing game-winning goal, becoming the first twenty goal-scorer on the Sharks this season.

Marleau-Pavelski-Bernier

• Marleau was looking a little better tonight, putting more shots on net. I'm still not fully convinced that he is still a suitable captain for the Sharks.
• I'm convinced Pavelski should be getting more ice time. He managed to get an assist and a +2 rating.
  
• Bernier registered an assist on Murray's goal, but only put one shot on net. This was his first point in eight games. I expect more from Bernier, who has been noticeably less apparent on the score sheet compared to last season.

Rissmiller-Mitchell-Grier

• Mitchell's speed continues to amaze me. He is definitely the rookie of the year for the Sharks.
• This line was pretty flat during the Devils game, but provided a source of energy in the game tonight.
  
• Grier is one of the hardest-working players on the team. I don't want to waste space raving about him, but just know he's one of my top ten players in the lineup.

Shelley-Goc-Roenick

• Shelley was a terrific pickup for the Sharks. He always makes good plays and puts shots on net, resulting in opportunities for rebounds. He's also stepped up as a leader in the locker room, something the Sharks need desperately.
  
• Goc continues to move his feet and put shots on net, and I'm glad Wilson continues to keep him in the line-up.
  
• I was impressed with the Flyers organization for honoring Roenick's 500th goal before the game, it showed a lot of classiness. I was rooting for Roenick to score a goal, but I was disappointed.

Ehrhoff-McLaren

• Defensive mistakes always stick in my head after reviewing a game, and Ehrhoff didn't have a good read on a particular play during the first period. His mistake could have resulted in a goal for the Flyers. Despite his slip-up, Ehrhoff is still probably one of the best defensemen on the Sharks lineup.
  
• McLaren was better defensively during the game and had an assist on Michalek's goal. 

Carle-Rivet

• Carle did show signs of improvement in this game. I'm sure his confidence has taken a big hit this season, but I hope he can get it together. His last goal was on December 29th.
  
• Rivet did make a good play to block a shot by Briere on an odd-man rush, but I was disappointed with a particular play that resulted in the Flyers' only goal. Instead of planting himself in front of the Flyers' net, he should have been giving support to Murray. Because Murray was the only man back when Cheechoo turned the puck over, the Flyers made a great tic-tac-toe play for a goal at the end of the second period.

Murray-Vlasic

• Congrats to Murray for his first-ever goal! Yes, if you are not a Douglas Murray fanatic like I am, you read that correctly. Murray went 115 games without a goal.
• Vlasic picked up an assist on Cheechoo's goal tonight, and has had five assists in his last eight games. 

Nabokov

• Good to have the iron-man back. He had some amazing saves tonight, and I'm glad that he didn't get any other injuries from that puck to the face. Definitely made some impressing saves.
• He gave a great post-game interview to Randy Hahn and Drew Remenda, and gives great insight into the game. People would be surprised to know that he's a funny guy!

The Sharks play the Penguins on Sunday, and hopefully the Sharks can keep the Cheechoo train rolling!
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The Toronto Maple Leafs: Confusion and Commitment

The Toronto Maple Leafs may have had the wrong GM. They may have the wrong ownership, fans who are optimistic one minute and pessimistic the next, and one of the most disorganized front offices in the league.

But at least they have the right players.

Well, kind of.

See, the word around the city is that these players are selfish, self-absorbed, self oriented—however you want to look at it, these players are made to look as if the only people they care about are themselves and their enormous paychecks. Just because of a little "no-trade" clause.

I have a question: Based on what these players are saying, aren't they the opposite of selfish?

In an era where players are itching to get out of losing markets, players like Darcy Tucker, Thomas Kaberle, Bryan McCabe, and Mats Sundin are continually telling the media that Toronto is where they want to be.

They signed on to play in Toronto, they took no-trade clauses in their contracts so they could decide when they wanted to leave, and (so they're saying) they want to be the ones to help turn it around.

Pretty selfish eh?

I mean, Tomas Kaberle is living and dying by the mantra "I signed here, I want to be here". I mean it's not like he still gets his $4.25 million if he gets traded right? Staying in Toronto is the only way he makes the full amount right?

Wait, it isn't?

So why does he want to stay here?

Bryan McCabe has been ridiculed the entire season here in Toronto. From tripping over the net, to scoring on his own goal, to turning the puck over to Mark Streit in over-time for a breakaway goal for a Montreal win, McCabe has said that he's committed to the city and he doesn't want to take the easy way out.

Fans still want him gone though.

So why does he want to stay here?

Darcy Tucker, the man that has been the heart and soul of this team for so long, the man who endeared himself to Leafs fans with that 2002 playoff run. Now he's not producing up to his previous standards.

Up until a few games ago, he was having a miserable season and people were assuming that he was either:

A) Injured or

B) Giving up on the team

So why does he want to stay here?

Then there's Mats Sundin: The man who's accused of not wanting to win—even though he took less money to stay in Toronto so that they could put a winning team around him. The man who's been accused of being stubborn and doing "what's worst for the club".

The guy bleeds Blue and White. He was given a no-trade clause so that he could escape if the exact situation that the Leafs are in now arose.

But he says that, as always, he's here to lead the Leafs from the darkness and to help the team into the future. He is showing a commitment to this team that many "captains" in professional sports are lacking.

Meanwhile, the fans could care less. They say it's not his right and he doesn't have the best interests of the club in mind.

So why does he want to stay here?

The reason these guys want to stay here? It's because they're the right people.

Granted, they may not be the right players for this team skill-wise anymore, and none of them may be the most talented at their positions, but at least Toronto is signing the right kind of players. Players who will stick it out when the going gets tough and have the character to stay around and not take the easy road.

Yes they're worth more to the team if you were to able to turn them into prospects and picks. And yes, that extra cap space would definitely be helpful in the years to come, but if you were to survey players on the bottom five teams in the, how many do you think would rather stick it out with their teams than go off and wind a championship?

Exactly.

So in our cries for a fire-sale—in spite of our languish over the futility in Toronto—remember that these guys are human beings too. Committed human beings who just want to see through what they started.

Sure it may not be the right thing to do with regards to the team's future, but think of it this way—is it more effective trying to escape from prison on your own, or is it more effective trying to escape if you stop laying blame on each other, stop trying to escape on your own, and make it a team effort?

As I said, Toronto has done a lot of things wrong in the past few years—but at least they've got the right attitude.

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Sidney is great, but needs help from better players...

Sidney Crosby is the new face of the. I've heard that phrase so many times it now haunts me in my dreams. But I have a few reservations about that statement. For years everyone has been pondering how to improve the on ice product of the. What makes us think there is something wrong with the game? I love it. Everyone I know who loves hockey loves it. Boring neutral zone trap? More boring than not watching? I don't think so. While I do, however, agree with many of the rule changes, particularly the trapezoid and the acceptance of the two line pass, the game was and is great. Believe it or not, I talk to many hockey-ignorant sports fans every time I leave my house. What are we going to do when we leave our respective homes? Going to the bar to watch Tony Romo, Shaun 'I'm Afraid to Put My Shoulder Down' Alexander, Randy Moss and Marion Barber III. We also go to watch Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant and AI. Whats that? You already know who these guys are and what sports and even positions they play? Hmm... The problem in the is a formerly three billion dollar industry cannot find competent marketing strategies. It's all about recognition. When Barry Bonds is at the plate, his name and stats are on the overlay. Same for pitchers. When Ray Allen makes a jumper, casual sports fans can see that clearly. Tom Brady throws a pass, we know it's him. We know Randy Moss caught it. Have any of us(hockey fans) left the house in search of a random pick up game to watch? Of course not, because the players would be meaningless to us. We play sports because we love them. We watch because we love the teams, the faces; the recognition, the loyalty. When people watch ESPN and hockey highlights come on, they hear a name, but all they see is a guy with a number on his back. To unfamiliar fans, hockey is a bunch of indistinguishable guys skating all over the place. The simply needs to do a better job marketing players, not 'improving the on-ice product'. So now we have the 'new face of the' in Sidney Crosby, but I feel like The Kid's got the personality of a cardboard box. I don't mean to insult Crosby, but he doesn't seem to have the natural charisma that some other players do: Sean Avery, Ray Emery, Marty Turco, Jarome Iginla, to name just a few. Even Alex Ovechkin has more charisma and he hardly speaks any English. The last two TV appearances that I can recall were Crosby, then a bunch of Ducks on Jay Leno. The guests were more or less boring, all lacking genuine depth, intrigue, or humor. If Sean Avery were to go on Conan O'Brien he'd surely have some funny stories and would earn plenty of enthusiasm, and I'm not saying that because I'm a Rangers fan. Get Rick Dipietro, the NY Islanders goaltender who turned down an offer to star on the reality show the Bachelor, which would have been a golden publicity opportunity. Sidney's skills certainly talk a big game. The unfortunate thing is that ability will only resound with those already fluent in the hockey. To buy into hockey, most Americans will need more than just the promise of great skill in a vaguely understood sports language.

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GDT Vancouver at Minny

02/18/08 Gametime: 5:00 pm PST TV Coverage: Rogers Sportsnet Radio Coverage: Team 1040

Venue: Xcel Centre Season Series: 2-2

Vancouver Canucks Overall: 29-22-8 Away: 13-11-5 Last 10: 4-3-3		Minnesota Wild Overall: 34-21-4 Home: 18-9-2 Last 10: 7-2-1
Starting Goaltender Roberto Luongo Record: 25-18-7 GAA: 2.23 Save %: .921	Leading Scorer Henrik Sedin Goals: 12 Assists: 48 Plus/Minus: 14	Starting Goaltender Niklas Backstrom Record: 23-10-3 GAA: 2.50 Save %: .913	Leading Scorer Marian Gaborik Goals: 32 Assists: 30 Plus/Minus: 11
RECENT NEWS: The more things change the more they stay the same. The Canucks have points in four of their last five games, but lose another man to injury. Pyatt is out and no word on how long it'll be or who will replace him.		RECENT NEWS: Wild have been on fire as of late. They are looking to pull 8 points ahead of the Second place Canucks, and close in on their first division title.

The Eastern Conference Shuffle

The Eastern Conference has been like board games as of late. Teams have been up-down and in-and-out of the playoff picture, like Shoots and Ladders.

Grab your wooden letters, place them carefully and strategically on the Scrabble board. Spell out the name of your team, with the bonus letters in place, and they just might make the cut after tomorrow night.

If you roll the dice on Boardwalk and Park Place, you may just pass. Stop on 'Go,' you may collect a berth into the next round, or, you may just 'go-to-jail.

I have plenty of more cliches, but, you catch my drift.

Let's take a quick peek, starting with the Atlantic Division.

Aside from the Richard Zednik quick recovery, is there a better 'feel-good' story of the year than The Pittsburg Penguins? What looks to be, a back-to-back playoff run, the Penguins are on a roll. Without phenom Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin has stepped out from Sid's shadow, and has proven to be a superstar in the. He has helped carry the team-in the absence of Crosby-to the top of the division. They are now tied with the New Jersey Devils for the top rank in the Atlantic.

Philadelphia is slipping, slipping and struggling. Now, I got a lot of heat from you Forsberg haters-but he can only help you!

The Flyers are in the midst of a 7 game losing streak, without Simon Gagne. Hey Philly, he could be done for the season! Does that help you with the Forsberg potential signing?! The Flyers are just one-point away from slipping out from the playoff picture, into 9th overall place in the East.

And look-out for the New York Rangers. They are just a mere 4 points away from the top-spot-and playing very well lately.

Off to the SouthEast. Certainly, the weakest division-not only in the East-but in the entire league.

Just 6 points separate this entire division-from Carolina(64) to Tampa Bay(58).

The Washington Capitals(62) Atlanta Thrashers(62) and Florida Panthers(60) are in the mix. It looks as though the winner of this division will obviously move on, while the second tier team-well, will be hitting the links early.

I don't see Washington pulling it out with their goaltending-granted they have the best player in the league in Alex Ovechkin.

The Thrashers are almost guaranteed to deal their second best player in Marian Hossa. (to my Boston Bruins-please!) So, I say they're out.

And the Panthers have had their best player, Olli Jokinen, on-the-block forever now. How focused can they be? A nice team, but not gonna cut it.

Last, but not least, the Almighty NorthEast Division:

The Ottawa Senators have been one of the premiere teams in the last number of years. They got hit with a few key injuries this season-ie:Dany Heatley-yet still manage to stay on top of the leader board. They also landed a steal-of-a-trade by aquiring D Mike Commodore and Stanley Cup Vet LW Cory Stillman from Carolina.

Their goaltending has been suspect-of-late. Ray Emery has been an absolute bust this season; while Martin Gerber started off white-hot, but has faded into a mediocre netminder. Playoffs? For sure. Cup contenders? Not this year.

The Boston Bruins have been a .500 team, more-or-less, this season, in the toughest division in the East. All Stars Zdeno Chara, Marc Savard and Tim Thomas are literally carrying this team. That is-until Marian Hossa comes aboard! I'm not losing hope here folks. Watch the B's slip in that all-important 8th seed.

Finally: The Montreal Canadiens.

My Pick for the Stanley Cup this year. The entire team is playing so efficiently.  From top-to-bottom, the Canadiens are the quintessential team in the.

Between the pipes-Christobal Huet has got to be a Vezina Trophy front runner. Back-up rookie Carey price has done a phenomenal job, when called upon.

The offense is dominanting. Alex Kovalev and Tomas Planec have been the go-to-guys, while Mike Komisarek, Roman Hamerlik and Andrei Markov round out the tough D-line.

Keep your eyes peeled in this playoff chase. The right move will 'king-me,' while the bad play will end up in, "you sank my battleship." 

PS. T-Minus 8 days before the Bruins acquire Marian Hossa... 

 

 

 

 

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First NHL career shutout for Carey Price.

 

The Montreal Canadiens and the Philadelphia Flyers were playing the first game of their mini-series tonight at the Bell centre in Montreal.

Montreal's rookie goaltender Carey Price played a flawless game and registered his first shutout in career. The goaltender kept his best saves for the third period as the Flyers applied a lot of pressure on the Canadiens' defense. Price stopped the 34 shots from the Flyers offense tonight.

Despite the offensive efforts deployed by both teams tonight, only a single goal was scored in the game. Andrei Kostitsyn on a Alex Kovalev pass went alone with Flyers' netminder Antero Niittymaki who stopped the initial shot. But Kostitsyn took control of the rebound and twisted himself to send the puck in the net ''à la Ovechkin''. A spectacular goal that we will see in this week's highlight reel.

Final score: Montreal Canadiens 1 - Philadelphia Flyers 0

The intensity level deployed tonight by both teams was matching the intensity level of a playoff game. We saw a lot of pushing and shoving in front of the nets after the referee whistles and some bone crunching hits along the boards.

Both teams will meet again tomorrow evening at the Wachovia Centre in Philadelphia.

(Picture: Carey Price, Canadian Press.)

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Modin scores twice as Detroit's skid hits 5

Fredrik Modin scored twice and the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Red Wings 5-1 on Friday, handing-leading Detroit its fifth straight loss.

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Desperate Times in Toronto for the Maple Leafs

    The headline on TSN read Islanders Damage Leafs Playoff Hopes—at least someone's keeping the faith.

   Hell, even John Ferguson Jr. thinks that this team should be selling off their assets, but the opinion of an ex-GM is the last thing that Leafs fans want to hear right now, as we've come to uncharted territory.

    We're finally coming to grips with reality.

    For the past few years, we've come close to the playoffs—that is to say, we've come close following hot streaks that the New York Giants and Colorado Rockies would be proud of.

    In 2005-06, the Leafs weren't expected to be anywhere near the playoffs with names on their roster such as Khavanov, Lindros, and Allison. The Leafs were hot and cold throughout the season, and looked to be on the outside looking in on the playoff picture for the first time in eight seasons. However, false hope was given to Leafs Nation as the Buds went 11-3-2 to finish out their season, only to find out after their 80th game, that their season would be finished two games later.

    In 2006-07 it was much of the same. The same expectations to miss the playoffs, the same underachieving players, the same hot and cold play. The fact that the Leafs decided to turn it on late and again bring false hope to the city of Toronto also remained consistent, as the Leafs finished the season 10-6-2, only to have their playoff dreams dashed the following day by Wade Dubielewicz and the New York Islanders' shootout win.

    In both of those years the Leafs made minor deadline moves to try to improve the club just enough so that they could squeeze into the playoffs: In 2005/06 Luke Richardson was added, and in 2006/07 Yanic Perreault was brought back for a third stint in the blue and white. 

    In two years of missing the playoffs what do the Leafs have to show for it? One first round pick, a new starting goalie for each of the past three seasons, and a fan base that's balding not because of age (well...some of them are), but because of the frustration brought on by the mediocrity that they're forced to buy into year after year.

    So what's different this year? Well there are a few things:

1) To start with, Leafs fans want that number one draft pick. Hell, they NEED that number one pick. If you listen carefully you can hear hundreds of thousands of people who are hyperventilating at the idea of Steven Stamkos, a Drew Daughty, or a Kyle Beach. Within the span of a season, Leafs fans have suddenly realized that Mats Sundin won't be around forever, and at this point, there's no one in line to become the next "face of the franchise".

Sure, there's players that could wear the "C" for the Leafs, but once Sundin leaves, there's not much on this roster to get excited about (I'd say "not a single player on this roster will put butts in the seats" but you could probably throw dancing bears out on the ice and sell-out the ACC. It'd probably make Joe Bowen's job a lot more enjoyable).

2) In additon to the lack of a "bonafide future superstar", the idea of mortgaging the future that the Leafs have accumulated (as has been the recent trend) is beginning to give Carlton the Bear grey hairs. As has been the case for years, the Leafs are far too willing to give up on prospects for "established&quot talent* and the fans are sick of it.

*If you were to look up established talent in the Toronto Dictionary of Hockey, you'd find that it stands for the following:

         "Any player(s) who can be exchanged for one or more prospects and/or draft           picks. The player(s) that the Toronto Maple Leafs receive in return may not be               younger than thirty-five (35) years of age, and must have no more than one            season remaining on their contract."

3) We've been staring at the same mid-level overpaid free agent acquisitions for years now. What's worse? We're stuck with them because of the no movement clauses in their contracts. All we ask for is a change, and maybe some players from that "next level" of talent.

And most importantly...

4) We want to have a good team for the future...not just a team that's good for that fleeting two month period to close out the season. 

    That's it. We just want to be good. We finally opened our eyes to the past two seasons and realized that we started challenging for a playoff spot because we got hot at the right time, like the Rockies and the Giants before us (except they made the playoffs and made it to their respective championships).

    We finally realized that, to be good, we'll have to part with some of the players that we've grown to love (and overrate) over the past few years because we want to be proud of our team—not just the individual players on the team.

    So Cliff, if you're listening, or reading, or having this dictated to you, or scoffing at it while you light a big fat cigar in the press box with a (Canadian) hundred dollar bill:

    Do the right thing. Tank the season. 

    The last thing we need right now is another "close call" playoff run.

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Oh Eklund...why the Jackets won't acquire Tanguay

Let me start by saying I'm not an Eklund hater. The guy has found a niche as a rumor monger and gives fanboys (like myself) across the web all kinds of fodder to chew on.

..but....if its not obvious to you by now, all he's basically doing is throwing shit against the wall and seeing what sticks. There really doesn't seem to be a whole lot of thought put behind some of his rumors -- especially teams not named Philadelphia or Toronto.

So his latest Jackets rumor has the Jackets interested in Alex Tanguay of the Calgary Flames. Tanguay is an excellent player. He a 28 year old winger whose making 5.375 million this season and next. His best years came as a Colorado Avalanche where he scored 70+ point 3 out of the 6 years he was there. He's solid - real solid.

The probelm is that wing is the deepest position the Jackets have. If they are going to throw money around they need to throw it at center and defense and Howson knows this. Sure if the Jackets had the luxury of spending to the cap then Tanguay may make sense -- the problem is they can't thus they need to fill their biggest needs first before looking at positions of relative strength.

Yes he can score, but the Jackets need transition players on defense and centers who can get the puck to guys like Nash, Modin and Chimera....and Tanguay while a better playmaker than those three would still need people to get him the puck.

So unless JMac really increases the budget for next year which would still allow for Howson to fill bigger needs in the offseason, I would not count on Tanguay becoming a Jacket any time soon.

-LTL

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Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Willie Mitchell could play Thursday

From.nhl.com:

Defenceman Willie Mitchell says he could return to the Vancouver Canucks lineup Thursday after missing 10.nhl games with a back injury.
But Mitchell and coach Alain Vigneault still seem to be on different pages when it comes to his health. Mitchell, who has been sidelined with a fractured vertebra in his back, skated with the team at practice Tuesday and said he could be ready to play against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday.
"I'm feeling good, the stiffness is OK," said Mitchell. "We will see how it is tomorrow.
"This is the time of year when I play my best hockey, when you're going down the stretch, fighting for a playoff berth."

As long as Willie won't aggravate his injury, I whole-heartedly welcome his return. His stable presence in front of Luongo has been sorely missed.
The Canucks are going to have to put a winning streak together soon, as they are about to play several games against divisional rivals.

T Tags: Willie+Mitchell+return Canucks Injuries
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Tuesday, February 12, 2008

NHL Trade Watch

As I continue my coverage of the's trading deadline, which will culminate with live blogging all day long on deadline day February 26th, I thought I'd pass this along for anyone who hasn't seen it.

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=13256

As stated on the page above, this isn't my clip, nor that of the website I've taken it from. Full credit goes to a member of Peter's fan group on Yahoo.

It's a brief clip, but he certainly looks good in it for sure.

Deadline Coverage Breakdown

As reported on here, I will be live blogging all day long on Trade Deadline day, breaking trades as they happen to keep everyone connected as teams vie for what they think will be pieces of their playoff run (for the buyers) and their club's future (for the sellers.)

Coverage will begin this Saturday when I release an article that covers each team’s trade needs at the deadline, whether they are buyers or sellers.  

Then of course on February 26th (deadline day) I will be live blogging all day, beginning bright and early at 10 AM eastern time. As soon as a trade passes through my ears, it will pass through your eyes right here on Bleacher Report.  

I am looking forward to the Deadline Day fun, and I hope you will all join me as we break the's latest trades and break them down live as they happen. 

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Monday, February 11, 2008

Don't Trade Antropov

His three game suspension over, Nik Antropov returned to the Maple Leafs lineup with a bang yesterday afternoon. The lanky Kazakh tipped in Anton Stralman's shot from the point to give the Buds a 3-2 overtime win against the's best Detroit Red Wings.

So, looking back to last Saturday, the Leafs have defeated the Ottawa Senators (#1 in the Eastern Conference), the Montreal Canadiens (#2 in the East), and the Detroit Red Wings (#1 in the). Between the victories over rivals Ottawa and Montreal was an 8-0 shelling, on home ice no less, at the hands of Florida Panthers, the twelfth-best team in the Eastern Conference (or the third-worst, depending on how you look at things in life). Go figure. The Leafs are one strange hockey team.

What made the past week even more perplexing is that the Leafs were able to beat the Senators and Canadiens without their second-leading scorer, Nik Antropov.

Yes, you read that right. Antropov is second to only Mats Sundin this season, with 42 points in 54 games. Although I hate to think that I might be jinxing him, I think it is fair to say that Nik Antropov has, finally and mercifully, arrived. His goal against the Red Wings, to give the Leafs one hell of an improbable win, was his 19th of the season and a new career high. Last season, Antropov was limited to only 54 games because of injury, and potted a personal-best 18 goals.

It's kind of fitting that yesterday was his 54th game of this season. For once, and knock on wood (seriously, do it, please, for Nik), Antropov is healthy. The three games he missed while suspended were the first games he's missed this season. For Antropov, that's nothing short of a miracle. That's like Carlo Colaiacovo playing 30 games in a row. It's unheard of!

I've got to admit, I've got a little bit of a man crush on Antropov. He's always had so much potential and he seems to have finally developed. He's a big boy, strong on the puck, beauty down low in the corners, physical, and for a big man has a pretty sweet pair of hands, which he displayed early on in his career. He also shows emotion, even though this particular display got him suspended. I have enjoyed very much his success this season, especially after some people I know ridiculed the fact that he was signed to a two-year deal in the off-season for just over $4 million. At that price, the man is a bargain.

Of course in this town, where no one is ever satisfied, the calls to deal Antropov before the trade deadline have begun. I've heard people tell me trading Antropov is a great idea because his value has never been higher, along with the regular psycho's calling in to the radio shows saying that he must go.

Trade Antropov? I don't think so, Homey don't play that. Sure, his value has never been higher, but that's because he's finally performing and living up to the potential of a player selected 10th overall in the first round of the entry draft. The Leafs selected Antro back in 1998 and, here we are, 10 years later, finally getting a decent return on our investment, and now we should trade him? I'm sorry but I don't understand that logic.

Antro should be one of the few guys the Leafs should hold on to. I waited 10 freakin' years, and through two devastating knee injuries, for this guy to become a decenter. I don't want him to go anywhere. The point isn't to groom talent and trade it once it starts contributing. What are we, hockey's Montreal Expos (RIP), or Florida Marlins? Antro is scheduled to make $2.15 million next season and for someone set to become a 25-goal and 65-point man, that is a steal. And he's turning only 28 years old next week. Considering all his injury problems and how long it has taken him to find his game, he's only entering his prime.

Antro's only three points away from his career high of 45, set eons ago back in the 2002/2003 season, when he played 72 games, another career high. While #80 does take the occasional moronic penalty - ok, occasional is being generous - he still brings a lot of positives to this Leafs team. This season, he's second to only Sundin in goals and points, and he leads the team in power play goals with nine, and in game-winning goals with four.

Nik Antropov is in the midst of his best season as a professional hockey player, and all a bunch of the Toronto faithful can think of is trading him. Don't do it, Fletch...

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Saturday, February 9, 2008

Montreal-Atlanta or Montreal-Calgary? Make your call.

The Canadiens traded Hamilton Bulldogs center, Francis Lemieux, to the Red Wings in return of Brett Engelhardt, of the Grand Rapid Griffins.

Lemieux, who will turn 23 on February 22nd, joined the Bulldogs in 2005-2006. This year, in 33 games, he got six assists but no goal. He has recently been reported to complain about the time on ice his coach -Don Lever- was giving him; and asked Bob Gainey for a trade.

The new 'Dogs member is a 27 year-old right wing, who has had 16 points in 42 games with the Grand Rapids this season. He formerly played for the Toronto Marlies, having more than 40 points in two consecutives seasons. Engelhardt (we will have to learn to pronounce it right) has immediatly joined his new teammates through the day. Welcome aboard!

That is one trade...an AHL trade. What about the?

In the big league, it is all about rumours and speculations; sometimes denied, sometimes ignored.

At the start of the season, Montreal and Calgary were rumoured to exchange Alexei Kovalev in return of Alex Tanguay. If we all know what Kovalev's last season was made of, Tanguay has also been reported not to get along with the Flames's coach, Mike Keenan. Since Kovalev has become a tremendeous player, it seems no one talks about trading him anymore (what a coincidence!)

Then, with Michael Ryder's struggles, it all started again with the Tanguay's case. If Ryder's future with the team is quite unsure, Tanguay does not want to hear anything about any trade-related story.

Some might think that despite his past two 30-goals seasons, Ryder is not enough against Tanguay (now with 43 points, and plus -12 rating in 55 games). Well, now, speculations send both Ryder and rookie Defenseman Ryan O'Byrne to Calgary.

Another team, other rumours.

Don Waddell (the Atlanta Trashers GM) was in Montreal for Sunday's game against the Senators. Waddell is currently trying to sign star Marian Hossa before the trade deadline, but since nothing is sure yet, he is reportedly "flying around" to do some prospecting.

What about Saku Koivu and Michael Ryder against Marian Hossa? Both are having hard times in Montreal right now, and despite coach Carbo who is still expecting at least from his Captain to get up, some would send Koivu to new horizons.

The latest rumours however involve Chris Higgins. The Montreal new Assistant Captain would be sent to Atlanta, along with a draft pick, in return of Hossa.

Still, those are just rumours; and no one knows what are GM Gainey's real projects to improve his team.

Coming back to real facts now, the Habs will face the Sens, Saturday.

Talking about Ottawa, they played Florida at the ScotiaBank arena on Thursday. A game that should be named "Heatley, the return". Indeed, to mark his comeback to the game, Dany Heatley scored twice and added an assist in a 5-4 win. Daniel Alfredsson is also expected to come back Saturday. Both players surely represent a threat to Carbonneau's team. Alfredsson has 77 points in 60 games against Montreal in carreer, while Heatley has 36 points in 28 games in carreer vs Habs.  

The Habs lost 4-2 to the Leafs on Thursday. Coach Carbo expressed his issues about the defensive play. It seems the strong defensive machine had more lows than highs lately, leaving too much scoring chances to the other teams. One piece of the puzzle at the blue line, Roman Hamrlik, may still not play on Saturday. He has not been performing all week, due to a flu.

Cristobal Huet will be in the net.

So, Saturday: OTT vs MON. 7.00 pm

From Montreal, it's Friday night!

 

 

 

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Friday, February 8, 2008

NHL loosens the leash: Tocchet to rejoin Gretzky on the bench in PHX

It's hard to believe that it's been 2 years since Operation Slapshot went down. It was even harder to believe that certain individuals within the had a hand in the illegal gambling ring that shocked the hockey world. Among those implicated in this fiasco was Phoenix Coyotes associate coach and formerer, Rick Tocchet.

Throughout the investigation, Tocchet was labeled as the main financial backer of a high level underground operation that involved a New Jersey State Trooper, among many others in the northeast.

But as the details came to the surface, Tocchet became less and less of a target and simply seen as a participant in the operation. He pleaded guilty to promoting gambling and conspiracy to promote gambling. It was a minor offence, and when all was said and done, Tocchet received 2 years probabtion and a 3-month suspension from the. Speaking of participants, whatever happened to all the talk around Janet Gretzky betting up to $500,000 on games? I suppose those details were swept under a very large rug.

Anyway, Tocchet's 3-month suspension has been lifted and he will be reappearing in the tonight when the Desert Dogs host the Dallas Stars. All this talk about gambling makes me want to go do a ProLine. 'Til next time...
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Thursday, February 7, 2008

Project Franchise: Buying a Fan-Run Team

At some point in our lives, all sports fans once dreamed of becoming pro athletes.

Before we were old enough to know better, "football or baseball" seemed like reasonable career choices, rather than what to watch in October.

As the years passed by, we all slowly came to the realization that hearing our names called on draft day just wasn’t in the cards. Now, as we struggle to make it through our softball seasons without alcohol poisoning or a stint on the DL, we dream about a different role in pro sports, "The Owner." 

When sports fans buy a lottery ticket, most of us will tell you that the first thing we’d buy with the winnings is our favorite sports team. As it turns out, the only thing harder to become than a pro athlete is the employer of pro athletes because even a massive lotto jackpot probably isn’t enough buy your favorite franchise.

The founders of Project Franchise stopped buying lotto tickets, did our homework and came up with an innovative business model that will turn the dream of running a pro sports team into a reality, for all of us.

The concept is simple. In order to raise the money needed to buy a sports franchise, we are selling fans the right to vote on all team decisions related to the franchise we purchase. In effect, the team will be entirely run by real fans that care more about the win column than the bottom line. 

The fans will choose which team we purchase, select a new team name and vote on everything from rosters and lineups down to the condiments at the concession stand. We are looking for fans that share the dream of running a professional sports team, and know that they can do a better job than the overpaid suit that’s about to draft the next Ryan Leaf.

Basically, for $5, we are selling the opportunity to participate as the "Collective GM" of a professional sports franchise.

We aren’t completely insane. While we’d love to raise enough money to purchase a team from the NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS, or, we realize that this is a bit of a stretch. 

Realistically, we are trying to acquire (at least a majority stake) in a minor league or semi-pro sports team (Independent Baseball, NBADL, ABA, AHL or Arena Football.)  These leagues offer flexibility that the big leagues don’t and give the fans the ability to get involved for a fraction of what we already spend on fantasy football or video games.

We have already had productive discussions with some of these leagues and they have been very receptive of our approach. The most common question I’ve gotten so far is: "Do you really think that the average fan is capable of running a sports team?" 

The answer is unequivocally "Yes!"

We believe regular fans do have the capacity to run a sports team, but they just haven’t been given the opportunity or access to the right information. Right now, fans have to base all of their opinions on second or third-hand knowledge from some guy who spent more time in the makeup chair than watching practice. 

Project Franchise is all about fan control and access. Fans will be able to not only look at stats, but watch practices, games and tryouts via the web and come to their own conclusion rather than have one jammed down their throat by the likes of Screamin’ A. Smith or Skip Bayless. 

Given the right information, regular fans can absolutely do as well or better than most of the Owners and GM’s out there. In some cases, like the Knicks, they can’t possibly do any worse. 

Our inspiration is a guy like Mark Cuban (who actually reads e-mails from Mavs fans.) Take away his billions and he’s a lot like the guy in Row 37 yelling for the ref to watch the three-second violations. Considering where they were as a franchise before Cuban took over, I’d say that attitude is working pretty well in Dallas.

To ensure none of our fans get screwed out of any money, we will not be offering any voting rights for sale until there are enough people interested to actually support the purchase of a team. 

All we are asking right now is that fans visit www.ProjectFranchise.org and sign up for the free online community, with no obligation to purchase voting rights. 

By doing this you are just letting us know that you think the idea is interesting and we will keep you in the loop as we progress. Please contact us with any questions or comments.

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Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Feeling the Heat from...Detroit?

Detroit's got something cooking, but not many are feeling the heat.

Heat? Well, there's not much of it in Michigan in February. The Red Wings are skating all over the rest of the. The snow won't melt for at least another two months.

The heat is radiating from what seems to me the most unlikely of places: Comerica Park.

That is not to say that the baseball world does not appreciate the Detroit Tigers, who suddenly appeared in the playoffs in 2006. But, honestly: the Tigers?

My idea of the Tigers has always been somewhat akin to that of the Devil Rays. A Tigers series added three to the win column. Season ticket holders gave their tickets for the Tigers game to the coworker they like the least. I don't think I've ever met a Tigers fan.

Yet the Tigers, for once, find themselves at the top of the baseball heap. They are the second-richest team in baseball, trailing only the New York Yankees. And with all this money to spare, they have signed and re-signed with exponentially more chips than ever before.

Not only do the Tigers retain key players from last season (Carlos Guillen, Placido Polanco, Magglio Ordonez, and Marcus Thames), they picked up the option on formidable catcher Ivan Rodriguez.

Perhaps the most crucial returner, Curtis Granderson, was re-signed yesterday. Most surprising to me is that, though Granderson became third all-time to achieve the 20-20-20-20 last year, just one year ago, no one knew his name.

The youth-to-veteran quotient on the Tigers is reminiscent of the re-emergent Boston Celtics. And we have all seen how well that works.

Added to the roster are names that should have caused far more of a stir.

Miguel Cabrera. Dontrelle "D-Train" Willis. Edgar Renteria. Jacque Jones.

The perfect marriage of money and silence this offseason has catapulted the Tigers into a prime position to take hold of the league.

Detriot's got something special this year. If the young guys can stay consistent and the veterans do not disappoint, the Tigers will no longer be able to hide their heat.

America, get ready: These Tigers are prepared to pounce on the MLB and leave us wondering why we ever gave away those tickets.

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Tuesday, February 5, 2008

The Need for SPEED

Is it possible that we all witnessed the reason for Toronto's poor showing this year? Could it be as simple as one word? Could it be that the Leafs, as a team, have simply lacked speed?

In some ways it makes perfect sense. Before the lock out, slow players could still be incredibly effective and they clutched and grabbed their way through a game. The Leafs have the most hold-overs from that era. With the new rules, speed wins. Speed means more opportunities. More penalties for the opposing team. Easier, more confident decisions with the puck, better ability to back-check... I mean, on Saturday night, didn't Ottawa look just like the Leafs have recently? One step behind.

It could even explain how Antropov's production tailed off this year. Early in the season, while players are getting their legs, he was scoring in bunches. Then, as the season progressed, and the speed of the game went up a few notches, he stopped scoring.

So if we look at revamping the Leafs, shouldn't we be looking at more speed throughout the line up, instead of a few speedsters here and there? Could it be that simple?

Here's what I propose:
Trade, demote, or buy out:
- Tucker $3M
- Antropov $2M
- Poni $2M
- Bell $2M
- Woz $.5m
(- Raycroft $2M)

Thats's $11M

If we can play young, speedsters such as Earl, Moore, etc, and pick up some speedy prospects, could we not replace that group for about 500k each? or 2-4M? Thats 7-9M for free agents and retains a youthful corp of Steen, Stajan, Wellwood, Colaiaccovo, White, Kaberle?

Throw in a departure of Kubina, and you're laughing.

Then, let the speedsters play. And play and play.

Speed. You can't teach it. Could it be the crux of this team's issues this year?
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Monday, February 4, 2008

Leafs-Senators: Toronto Snap Skid With Win Over Ottawa

The Toronto Maple Leafs snapped a four-game skid last night with a 4-2 win over the Eastern Conference-leading Ottawa Senators.

Despite holding the top spot in the conference, the Sens are also in a slight skid—they have now dropped lost seven of their past 10 contests. 

Carlo Colaiacovo notched the game-winner for the Leafs at 4:28 of the third period. It was Colaiacovo's first goal of the year, as he's been sidelined for various reasons over the past 12 months. 

Robbie Earl appeared in his first career game and assisted on the winning goal for his first career point.

Earl was drafted 187th overall in the 2004 entry draft by Toronto. In 44 games this year, the Chicago native has scored 11 times and added 22 assists for the Toronto Marlies of the AHL.

Jiri Tlusty added his second goal in as many games for the blue and white playing on the top line alongside Mats Sundin.

Dominic Moore and Jason Blake added the other goals for the Leafs while Chris Neil and Nick Foligno scored for the Senators.

Moore's goal was his first in a Leaf uniform, an achievement that left him ecstatic. 

Vesa Toskala stopped 19 of 21 shots in goal for the Leafs in victory, while Ray Emery stopped 22 of 26 in the loss.

The Leafs next game is a home against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday.

The Sens also play their next game on Tuesday, in Montreal.

Montreal is three points back of the Sens for the Northeast Division and Eastern Conference lead. They'll look to gain ground on the Sens with another win on Tuesday.

n on Tuesday.

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Sunday, February 3, 2008

Red Carpet Debut

TAMPA -- David Brine gets the call to replace Jozef Stumpel, and it's the debut for the 23-year-old who has jumped some real obstacles to get to this point.

Good for him. Hope all the folks in Nova Scotia are tuned in (yes, I know Nova Scotia is quite large).

-- Brine is sporting No. 45, only the third player to do so in Florida's illustrious history. The others? Take a guess.

-- Good news for Panthers is David Booth is good to go. And that's bad news for Stefan Meyer, who joins Magnum Johansson in the press box as a healthy scratch.

-- Stumpel has a slight separation of his shoulder, JM says. We'll know more Monday.

-- Tomas Vokoun in net tonight to no one's surprise.

-- If you guessed Rhett Warrener and Brad Ference are the only other Panthers to wear No. 45, you're right! Give yourself something special as a reward.

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Saturday, February 2, 2008

Red Wings Shut Out Colorado 2-0

Red Wings 2,

Avalanche 0

 

DETROIT (AP) -Henrik Zetterberg's 30th goal broke a scoreless tie with 2:20 left and Dominik Hasek made 15 saves for his 80th career shutout to lift the Detroit Red Wings to a 2-0 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night.

Avs netminder Peter Budaj stopped 34-of-35 shots on Friday in Colorado's 2-0 loss to the Detroit Red Wings

Kris Draper added an empty-netter with 13 seconds left for league-best Detroit, which won its sixth straight.

Peter Budaj stopped 34 shots for Colorado.

An apparent goal by the Avalanche's Milan Hejduk with eight seconds left in the second period was waved off because of incidental contact with Hasek.

Colorado didn't have a shot until T.J. Hensick forced Hasek to make a save 11:20 into the game.

Detroit had a 14-3 shot advantage in first period. The Avalanche had only one shot in the second period, coming at the 9:28 mark. Detroit had nine shots in the second period.

Notes: Detroit D Niklas Kronwall missed the game because of a shoulder injury. ... Colorado G Jose Theodore didn't play because of back spasms. ... Detroit D Brett Lebda returned after sitting out a game with a sore wrist.

 

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Friday, February 1, 2008

GDT Vancouver at Florida

02/01/08 Gametime: 4:30 pm PST TV Coverage: PPV Radio Coverage: Team 1040

Venue: BankAtlantic Centre Season Series: 0-0

Vancouver Canucks Overall: 26-21-5 Away: 12-11-3 Last 10: 3-6-1		Flordia Panthers Overall: 22-25-5 Home:10-12-4 Last 10: 3-5-2
Starting Goaltender Roberto Luongo Record: 22-17-4 GAA: 2.10 Save %: .925	Leading Scorer Henrik Sedin Goals: 10 Assists: 42 Plus/Minus: 17	Starting Goaltender Tomas Vokoun Record: 20-21-4 GAA: 2.74 Save %: .917	Leading Scorer Olli Jokinen Goals: 24 Assists: 25 Plus/Minus: -11
RECENT NEWS: Luongo's first visit back in Florida since the trade. God team as any to knock the snot out of.		RECENT NEWS: Jokinen and Martin apparently don;t like each other, maybe he can leave when the Canucks do. I'm sure we can find a spot for him.

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