Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Ian White Reaches Contract Agreement With Flames

30, Jul 2010

via NHLPA tweet,

Ian White settles with #Flames on 1-year $2,999,995M contract prior to arbitration hearing.

Puck Headlines: Witt hits waivers; Kovalchuk grievance details set

30, Jul 2010

Here are your Puck Headlines: a glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.

• Ryan Kennedy’s plan for the Boston Bruins to get under the salary cap? Either put Tyler Seguin(notes) in juniors after nine games or trade Marc Savard(notes). [The Hockey News]

• Brendan Witt(notes) will soon have more time to fight SUV’s after the New York Islanders placed the veteran defenseman on unconditional waivers with a buyout likely to come. [Islanders Point Blank]

• The San Jose Sharks re-signed Jason Demers(notes) to a two-year deal worth $2.5 million. [TSN]

• And it looks like Devin Setoguchi(notes) will sign on for one year with the Sharks very shortly, according to Craig Custance. [Sporting News]

• Peter Regin(notes) joined the long list of players who avoided arbitration and signed a two-year deal worth $2 million with the Ottawa Senators. [SilverSeven Sens]

• Down Goes Brown and other NHLPA grievances in the wake of the Ilya Kovalchuk(notes) contract situation: "Hey, you know what would be completely awesome? If we all stopped hitting each other in the groin with slapshots! (Grievance suggested by Sami Salo(notes).)" [DGB]

• Some bit of news on the Kovalchuk front: According to The Record’s Tom Gulitti, a system arbitrator has been agreed upon and a date and location have been set for Kovalchuk’s grievance hearing. [Fire & Ice]

• Brendan Shanahan(notes) talks about the NHL’s upcoming research and development camp [NHL.com]

• Los Angeles Kings defenseman Matt Greene(notes) underwent shoulder surgery recently and is expected to be out for three months. [LA Times]

• A fantastic remembrance of John Kordic and his impact on fighting in the NHL. [Butterflies & Black Aces]

• Via Risto Parkarinen, here’s a random photo of Hakan Loob doing a split at age 50:

• Best of luck to Capitals beat writer Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post who’s leaving his post after five years. [Washington Post]

• Really cool story about a guy who installed the old boards from UMass-Lowell into his backyard rink. [Backyard-Hockey]

• Who has the toughest set of back-to-back games this season?[On the Forecheck]

• A call for the Boston Bruins to honor former TV/radio announcer Fred Cusick in a very special way. [Days of Y'Orr]

• If the Chicago Blackhawks walk away from the Antti Niemi(notes) arbitration decision, would Flyers fans want Paul Holmgren to pursue him? [BroadStreet Hockey]

• New Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik wants current team radio analyst Phil Esposito to have an increased role for the club. [Lightning Strikes]

• One man’s list of the 10 best goaltenders in the NHL. [Hockey Primetime]

• Curtis Zupke offers three reasons to look forward to and three reasons to be scared about the upcoming Anaheim Ducks season. [Orange County Register]

• Finally, here’s Brett Hull’s appearance on "Late Night with David Letterman" featuring his fantastic mullet:

Eklund: The Latest On 13 Available Players Who Could Have An Impact.

30, Jul 2010

Your 2010 UFA/RFA Rumor Chart Update
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Info from sources on some of the best left right now…

On Kaberle…

“Not close to imminent.”

On Marc Savard…..

Buffalo is the team to watch currently. The Isles are there, but not as intensely interested as they w…

Who could fill those empty roster spots?

30, Jul 2010

NHLHS writer Erika Zimmerman discusses the Pittsburgh Penguins roster holes and wonders who will fill them come October. Although the offseason isn’t over yet and perhaps another few free agent signings are expected (Please, Ray Shero, give us another year of Guerin!), it’s time to look ahead to training camp…or maybe that’s just me, impatient [...]

Peter Regin’s Value Contract

30, Jul 2010

Last year Peter Regin a rookie with the Ottawa Senators scored 29 points in the regular season in limited playing time and with limited power play time while playing against relatively weak opposition.  In the playoffs when he started to get a larger role, he tied for the team lead in playoff goals with three.  He showed some very good signs that he might develop into a top player, especially his high Corsi rating which when adjusted for team and zone start effects finished 16th in the league.  That is quite an accomplishment given that all the players above him had significantly more ice time.

A player like that should expect to see a significant raise in a contract year.  Peter Regin filed for salary arbitration likely expecting a significant raise from his entry level deal that had paid him $620,000 plus bonuses last season.  However, before his arbitration case could be heard he blinked and signed a two year contract with a $1 million a year salary cap hit.

New York Rangers: Offseason 2010

30, Jul 2010

NHLHS New York Rangers Correspondent Jason Arbeitman discusses the New York Rangers off-season to date. After falling to the Philadelphia Flyers in a shootout on the final day of the regular season the Rangers missed the playoffs by a single point for the first time since the 2003-04 season. As expected with the Rangers cap [...]

Arbitration Hearings Can Get Nasty

30, Jul 2010

from Vicki Hall of the Calgary Herald,

Barring a last-minute deal on the steps, Jay Feaster will mark his 48th birthday this morning in a downtown Toronto boardroom.

There, the Calgary Flames assistant general manager will argue why defenceman Ian White does not deserve the salary he thinks he deserves.

The conversation will no doubt get critical, with White listening to a laundry list of his negative points — perceived or otherwise.

“If you survey the 30 clubs today, there’s always concern about players having their feelings hurt,” says Feaster, a lawyer by trade. “But if you don’t want your feelings hurt, then let’s negotiate an agreement before this point.

“You really as a club start to understand the player has elected this. The players understand what this is about.”

continued

Sean Avery says he’s back

30, Jul 2010

Sean Avery – “Hes baaaaack”

Blackhawks Continue To See Red Ink

30, Jul 2010

from Mellissa Harris of the Chicago Tribune,

Season ticket prices will increase by an average of 20 percent this fall, which is projected to rocket them from the second-cheapest in the National Hockey League three seasons ago to among the 10 most expensive, according to the team. And fans should expect “more modest” increases in the future, team owner Rocky Wirtz said.

Wirtz first revealed that the team was not profitable in private. “It’s going to take four (or) five years before we can actually get back in the black,” Wirtz said at an April 19 forum at the Economic Club of Chicago, according to a transcript. “And right now we’re still supporting the Blackhawks with our other Wirtz organizations.”

In a follow-up interview this week, Wirtz said that the Blackhawks ran out of cash several times last season. Each time, he received a memo, known as an internal capital call, in which the team requested money from Wirtz Corp., the Blackhawks’ parent company, to cover operating expenses. And at the end of the season, Wirtz said he double-checked that the playoffs did not cover those losses; the franchise remained in the red, the team’s accountant told him.

more

thanks to a KK reader for the pointer

Who Should Be the Vancouver Canucks Captain?

30, Jul 2010

With a meeting (announced at the Summer Summit) set next month between Canucks GM Mike Gillis and current captain Roberto Luongo to discuss the captaincy, this now brings up the question of who should be the new face of the appointed leader.

There are a number of players that would fit that position who already are wearing an “A”, so it would be ideal for one of them to be elevated to the captain’s role.

Even though Luongo has stated many times that the wearing of the “C” does not add any extra pressure of playing, that is not what appears to be in his actual play, especially what we saw last season.

He has done an admirable job of answering the media after most games, but surely it must wear on a person having to face them on nights you would just rather exit into the night.

In all, Luongo was the seventh goaltender that has been an NHL captain, with Bill Durnan of the Montreal Canadiens being the last one in the latter half of the 1947-48 season.

Prior to that season, there had been five other goaltenders who had been captains between 1924-34, so it’s not as if it was an abnormality.

But in saying that, there are number of other factors on why a goaltender has not been a captain since those times.

The NHL rules state that the only player allowed to speak with referees about rule interpretations is the captain, or, if the captain is not on the ice, an alternate captain.

It is also well known that the captain has numerous responsibilities to the team.

Besides being the team liaison to management with players’ concerns, he is also a locker room leader.

If the captain happens to be the franchise player or star, he is also looked upon to lead or motivate the team.

We have all seen ceremonial on-ice functions, like face-offs and awards, where the captain is the team’s representative, and of course, the after game scrum in front of the media.

This is quite a load to carry, and if Luongo is not having a stellar game or has run into a string of inconsistent games, how does one get up in the dressing room and lead, when your play is not indicative of leading by example?

So with that being said the following are a number of players who would better suited for the captaincy, in no particular order.

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Mike Augello: KABERLE TALKS MAY GO UP TO DEADLINE

30, Jul 2010

The trade talks involving Tomas Kaberle have started to pick up according to an article posted on the Montreal Gazette website. Michael Traikos of the National Post ( http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/Logic+dictates+Kaberle+deal+imminent/3338938/story.html#ixzz0v9CnoLz5 ) stated that “trade offers — six teams reportedly remain interested — are coming in almost daily now, each one seeming…

Mike Augello: KABERLE TALKS MAY GO UP TO DEADLINE(UPDATED 4PM)

30, Jul 2010

The trade talks involving Tomas Kaberle have started to pick up according to an article posted on the Montreal Gazette website. Michael Traikos of the National Post ( http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/Logic+dictates+Kaberle+deal+imminent/3338938/story.html#ixzz0v9CnoLz5 ) stated that “trade offers — six teams reportedly remain interested — are coming in almost daily now, each one seeming…

NHL Free Agency Sputters Along the Way

30, Jul 2010

This is a free agent frenzy?

In the free agent class of 2007, 27 contracts were negotiated and announced on the first day of free agency on July 1. Names like Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, Danny Briere, Ryan Smyth, Jason Blake, and many, many others went on the first day to huge contracts not only in terms of years, but in overall value.

On the second day, another 20 names were crossed off the list, and when the first week was over, another 57 were signed, sealed, and delivered, most to monster contracts.

This season, although the number of players signed through the first week have actually been higher, the dollar amount of the contracts handed out have been a mere fraction of what they were then even factoring in Kovalchuk’s monster would be deal.

We all know the salary cap has played a major role in curtailing the amount of money thrown around, but the reasons go a little beyond simply the cap itself.

Would Ilya Kovalchuk remained unsigned for as long as he was this year if he were a free agent in 2007?

Keep in mind that there was a salary cap in 2007 also. One that was much lower than it is today at around 59 million now to 40 million then.

So what are the other reasons for the huge step down in money commitment?

Could it be the talent available?

Could it be that General Managers are no longer willing to throw big money at players that are coming from other organizations?

Could it be that the big money teams that typically have the cash to throw around are at or near the salary cap?

Let us examine.

2010 has been no banner year when it comes to free agents. I would not be the first writer to say the class of 2010 is a weak one.

This being said, it is now July 30th and to see some of the players that are still available is simply mind boggling.

Some notable forwards are: Lee Stempniak, Paul Kariya, Teemu Selanne, Maxim Afinogenov, Bill Guerin, Brendan Morrison, Raffi Torres, John Madden, Mike Modano, and Glen Metropolit.

Granted this is 2010 and not 2000, so Selanne, Kariya, and Modano do not have nearly as much clout as they used to but any one of them could help a team.

Stempniak and Torres are still very young, and personally, I would love to see the Islanders sign one or both of them.

Morrison has had injuries derail his career at times but is a gifted playmaker.

On goaltenders and defense we have Kim Johnsson, Mike Mottau, Andy Sutton, Marc-Andre Bergeron, Marty Turco, Jose Theodore, Ray Emery, and Aaron Ward.

Any one of these players can help a team considerably, including former MVP of the league Theodore who had an amazing 30-7-7 record last year with the Capitals.

Turco may be past his prime, but he is still a very solid netminder.

Looking at some of the names up there makes me wonder why after over four weeks of free agency they still remain unsigned.

Let us examine.

1. The salary cap puts the usual big spenders on the sidelines. This is not a rumor or a speculation; it is a fact.

The Rangers, Toronto, Montreal, Chicago, Boston, Detroit, and Philadelphia are the usual big spenders come free agent time.

They are all for the most part dormant in July, and it is because they simply cannot spend any more money due to the cap.

Maybe if the Maple Leafs weren’t throwing around 16 million dollars to Jeff Finger, they could have made a run at Kovalchuk and bring a face to their franchise.

With the big money teams out of the picture, it lets the middle level teams have real shots at signing the big names. Would the New Jersey Devils, despite their sparkling new arena, have a ghost of a chance of landing a guy like Kovalchuk if he could run to the millions of one of the big boys?

It’s like taking the Yankees and Red Sox out of the picture in baseball.

2. This year’s free agent class is sub par. There are lot of people who would disagree with this. Most of the top defensemen have been snapped up already, some going for what some would say Jeff Finger money.

The forwards and goaltenders seem to be the ones lingering here. There are three bonafide number one goaltenders out there. One of them is a former MVP, and the other has won the Stanley Cup.

There is talent there, so I do not believe that talent is the main issue.

3. Free agency is not the way to build a franchise. If the league’s current top teams have taught us anything, it’s that signing that flashy 40 goal scorer should be the final piece to the puzzle of building your team and not the starting point.

In the past, big market teams have thrown obscene amounts of money at what are perceived to be the “top free agents” of any given year, and it took hours, not weeks, to complete multi year, multi million dollar mega deals.

Now it takes a proven, young 40 goal scorer three weeks to sign a contract after July 1?

That is something that was unheard of as recent as two years ago.

Needless to say, the landscape has drastically changed.

The top dogs will always get their money. That free agent who is perceived to be the top guy, the corner-stone type player.

Gone are the days of multi year mega contracts to second and third tier players like Scott Gomez, Jason Blake, and Chris Drury just to name a few.

In are the days of one year deals to players who would normally be getting this type deal.

Where else would a guy lead his team in goals and get only a one year deal? (Matt Moulson)

How about a guy who gets 58 points and 20 goals and only gets a one year deal (Vinny Prospal)?

The landscape has changed, people. So many teams have abandoned the free agent fix and now favor building through youth. Especially now that 18 year olds making an impact for $375,000 per season over paying a free agent millions more for the same output.

Free agency will always be prevalent, but it seems in order to cash in big time, you have to actually BE big time.

It has turned into a way to tweak your team, and teams have finally figured out it has never been a successful tool in the NHL to build a winning franchise.

Please post your thoughts below.

Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com

Steven Hindle: The Caps and Their Cap Space

30, Jul 2010

$5.3 Million in Cap Space

After locking down Tomas Fleischmann to a much more reasonable one year pact of $2.6 million for next season, the Capitals are now looking at the trade and UFA landscape to round out their roster for the upcoming 2010-11 season.

After inking Flash, only hours prior to his arbitration hearing, George McPhee set about addressing the need to add grit and toughness…

Jersey Fouls: Sharks get creatively awful; hockey movie pass/fail

30, Jul 2010

Jersey Fouls is our ongoing exploration of the rules and etiquette for proper hockey jersey creation and exhibition. If you spot what you think may be a foul in your arena, email a photo to us at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com for inclusion in future installment.

San Jose hasn’t just established itself as the West Coast epicenter of Jersey Fouls; San Jose Sharks fans may also exhibit the most creativity in their crimes against hockey fashion.

(We still marvel at the Sharks fan with the numbers from "Lost," for example.)

From Puck Buddy Gary C., on "Nokurblokov":

Here’s a stupid sweater from a pre-Shelley-trade Sharks game. I’m talking about that great Russian ruffian, Jody Shelley(notes).

Indeed he is. But this appears to be part of some larger trend at Sharks games of silly Russian-inspired puns … if the jersey on the right from reader Tom is an indication.

From Tom:

This is just wrong on so many levels… is it a commentary on Nabokov’s work ethic?

Well, that’s the KHL’s problem now. Meanwhile, we’re left wondering if these Sharks jerseys are the work of many fans or one fan; and whether that one fan is, in fact, Yakov Smirnoff.

Coming Up: Yet another baffling Sharks Foul; font issues in Tampa; Sidney Crosby(notes) mocked; a Blackhawks fan on the cheap; how not to wear your sweater; and two pass-or-fails based on the movies.

And here … we … go.

Puck Buddy Roman T. sends in this DIY Chicago Blackhawks effort from the Stanley Cup Playoffs:

When the game got going, clips were used to hold banner he and his buddy had…Cardboard nameplate ended up underneath the seat.

If your message of support for the home team looks like a ‘kick me’ sign, it’s a Foul.

Nice work from Puck Buddy Ben L. here, noticing that the Mattias Ohlund(notes) jersey on the left has what appears to be a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey font; whatever it is, it’s not what Ohlund wore last season.

This Foul from ‘emmamia’ reinforces what we said at the top: San Jose is just bizonkers for the J-Fouls.

Honestly, we have no idea what this Foul is about. Honestly, we’re not about to speculate, because Mr. Balbas looks like someone who could Nokurblokov.

And another from "emmamia," as Sharks fans have moved on from Russian puns to honoring the 50 states or the great show "Hawaii Five-O." Tragically, this fan was beaten to a pulp later in the evening by someone wearing a "Guam 51" jersey.

From Tom L. at a Pittsburgh Penguins game at the New York Rangers last season.  This Fails on several levels; but mostly because this snarky young man has created a jersey that can easily be read as "I Suck Crosby." Which, we’re guessing, wasn’t the intent.

Puck Buddy Jonathan R. sends in this Foul from a Red Deer Rebels game during the WHL playoffs:

Sgt. Zeek likes to tuck in his jersey when he’s out with his buddies. Possible pocket-pool going on as well.

Moral of the story: No matter what your rank is, for the love of Wrangler please do not tuck your sweater in your jeans. Ever.

All right, now a couple of Pass or Fails for your approval or disapproval.

First is the Cam Neely "Sea Bass" Boston Bruins sweater captured by Eric P. We’ve seen these before, and we’re thinking about making an exception to the No Nickname Rule because of the unique pop-culture aspect of this particular nickname.

So, Pass or Fail on the Sea Bass Jersey?

Finally …

Puck Buddy Tim H. states his case:

Wondering what your stance is on movie-inspired hockey sweaters.

Here’s the thing – last weekend I stood up with my best friend as he got married. We grew up on the Mighty Ducks movies, especially the first one. As a groomsman’s gift, he got me a jersey from the movie, with my name embroidered on the back and everything.

It’s pretty rad. He bought one for himself, too. If we wear these to an NHL game, will we see ourselves on the next edition of Jersey Fouls? Should we keep these for our rec league and pond hockey?

Pass or Fail: You can get your name on the back of a sweater for a team that never existed and have it not be a Foul.

And if it’s a Pass, well get ready to see Wyshynski and Leahy Monroeville Zombies jerseys …

Shaune Vetter: Arbitration Avoided

30, Jul 2010

Ian White who came over in the Dion Phaneuf deal will receive a sizable raise to just 5 dollars short of 3 million dollars after signing a deal and avoiding arbitration this morning.

Considering that the consensus was that he’d be around the 3 million range if going to arbitration one has to wonder if the move was made to simply avoid the process as I’m sure in an ideal world the Flames would h…

White, Flames agree to one-year deal; Bruins sign Wheeler

30, Jul 2010

Only five arbitration cases this summer have reached the hearing stage and it was looking like Calgary Flames defenseman Ian White(notes) would become the sixth. But joining the likes of Fabian Brunnstrom(notes), Matt Moulson(notes), Anton Stralman(notes) and Andrew Ladd(notes), White and the Flames came to an agreement on a deal right before the hearing was to begin.

It’s a one-year, $2,999,995 million deal for the 26-year-old White. Next summer he’ll reach unrestricted free-agency status, but in the meantime the deal puts Calgary over the salary cap by $2,349,995, so Darryl Sutter and Jay Feaster still have plenty of work to do before October.

The Calgary Herald’s Vicki Hall points out that Calgary’s current cap number includes the $3 million salary for Ales Kotalik(notes) who’s been waived, but not for the $1,237,833 for Mikael Backlund(notes). Kotalik and his salary look bound for either Abbotsford of the American Hockey League or a European assignment.

In other arbitration news, as expected, the Boston Bruins signed Blake Wheeler(notes) to his one-year, $2.2 million award announced Thursday night. The deal puts the Bruins over the cap by $2,187,771 with first-round draft pick Tyler Seguin(notes) still to be signed.

Time to fire up those Marc Savard(notes), Tim Thomas(notes) and Michael Ryder(notes) trade rumors again?

The Ice Will Show Everything

30, Jul 2010

©2010 On Frozen Blog. All Rights Reserved..

Top 10 Hockey Agitators of All Time

30, Jul 2010

Curious as to who are the top 10 hockey agitators of all time? TSN put together a video, and DayWalk3r was kind enough to put them up on youtube for us. You know, even before watching this video, that Sean Avery and Steve Ott are going to be in there, but who else? Anyone want …

2010-2011 Chicago Blackhawks Season Preview, Part I: October 2010

30, Jul 2010

The NHL released the 2010-2011 schedule shortly after the completion of the Stanley Cup Finals, making it a short wait for hockey fans.

The Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup this past season and are poised to make another run at the Cup providing that they can overcome their schedule next season.

In a six part series, we will analyze all six months of the Blackhawks schedule.  We will look at each opponent, what their record was in 2009-2010, and how much better (or worse) they will be during the upcoming season.  Finally, we will predict how many games the Hawks will win depending on their current personnel and state of the team.

The first month we will look at is October 2010.

The Hawks kick off their new season with a game at Colorado versus the Avalanche.  The Avalanche made the playoffs and are looking like a better team in 2010-2011.  

The Blackhawks played Colorado four times during the 2009-2010 season earning a 3-1 record and should be able to beat them to start out the season on the right foot.

The Blackhawks play the Detroit Red Wings in the month of October (their second game and just one time during the month) as well.  During last season, the Hawks split six games with the Red Wings (3-3), and both teams traditionally play each other very tough, so any game between the Hawks and the Red Wings is a good one. 

The Blackhawks will play the Buffalo Sabres twice during the first month of the season.  Last year, the Blackhawks played just one game against the Sabres, a game that they didn’t win.  Can they beat them this season?  We shall find out, but the Sabres have improved and could present a challenge for the Blackhawks. 

Chicago will face the Nashville Predators, a 2009-2010 playoff opponent in their drive towards the Stanley Cup.  Not including the postseason, the Blackhawks split the six games they played against the Predators in 2009.  They play them once in the month of October.

The Columbus Blue Jackets play the Blackhawks twice during the month of October.  Last year’s record against the Blue Jackets was 3-2, but Columbus promises to be a much tougher opponent this season thanks to some offseason moves.  The Blackhawks may have a tougher time with the Blue Jackets next season.

The Blues play the Blackhawks twice in the month of October as well.  In 2009-2010, the Blackhawks edged the Blues three games to two last year and will battle them once again this year several times.  The Blues and the Hawks always play good competitive games and getting over the “Blues” can get the Blackhawks back towards winning the Stanley Cup.

The Canucks and the Blackhawks will face each other once during the first month of the new NHL season.  In 2009, Chicago beat Vancouver just once in the regular season (on their way to a one and three record against them) and will have to contend with this team again in 2010-2011.  The Canucks are returning a lot of the same guys that they had last season, so they will continue to be a difficult matchup for Blackhawks this coming season.

The Los Angeles Kings will come to the United Center in October to play one game against the Blackhawks.  Last season, the Blackhawks went 3-1 against the Kings and should be able to do well against them again in the 2010-2011 season.  Look for them to beat the Kings in their October contest.

Chicago will also host the Edmonton Oilers once in October.  During the 2009-2010 season, Chicago went 4-0 against the Oilers last season and despite the fact this team made some strides during the offseason, the Blackhawks should be able to beat them again this year.

Finally, to close out the month of October, the Blackhawks will play the Minnesota Wild.  The Hawks went 2-1 against the Wild last year and should have similar success against them this coming season.

For all those interested, here is a look at the Blackhawks schedule in October of 2010:

October 7th at Colorado
October 9th versus Detroit
October 11th at Buffalo
October 13th versus Nashville
October 15th at Columbus
October 16th versus Buffalo
October 18th versus St. Louis
October 20th versus Vancouver
October 22nd at St. Louis
October 23 versus Columbus
October 27 versus Los Angeles
October 29th versus Edmonton
October 30th at Minnesota

Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com


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