A few days ago, after reading about the insane 17-year deal that Lamoriello offered Ilya Kovalchuk, I thought, “Man, that is dumb.” Last evening the NHL rejected that 17-year, $102 million contract.

I am of the opinion that Lamoriello knew all along that the contract would be rejected. 

The Kovalchuk deal flew in the face of New Jersey Devils tradition. Lamoriello has always built that team without spending insane money on free agents or trades. The Devils have let players walk in the past instead of overpay them, players that others thought were indispensable or lifetime Devils. Why would Lamoriello destroy the tradition of “team first” that he had built over that last 20-plus years? 

Lamoriello is one of the most astute GMs in the history of the NHL, having won three Stanley Cups. This feat is even more impressive when you realize that Lamoriello never played, coached, or managed in the NHL prior to becoming president and then naming himself GM of the Devils. To think that this man didn’t know that the NHL would reject this contract is unrealistic.

Where does this put the Devils, the NHL, and Ilya Kovalchuk? The NHLPA will surely file a grievance in this matter. The NHL will argue that due to the structure of the contract, the Devils know that Kovalchuk will not play out the final few years of the deal, a deal which ends when he will be 44. Kovalchuk will argue that there are many players that play until they are that age.

The NHL will argue that the contract is written to pay Kovalchuk a high wage while absorbing a low salary cap hit over the course of the contract, $6 million over the life of the deal.

All these arguments will head to an arbitrator, who will then decide the fate of the parties involved.

My feeling is that the contract will be rejected and Lamoriello will be in the driver’s seat to negotiate a new, cheaper deal with Kovalchuk. Kovalchuk has stated that he wants to win in New Jersey and that it’s not about the money. We’ll see if this is true if a new deal needs to be hammered out. Lamoriello has the statements of Ilya in his pocket and will win in the court of public opinion if Kovalchuk decides to pursue money elsewhere.

A s I said earlier, dumb is one word never used to describe Lou Lamoriello.  

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If the NHL hadn’t taken notice yet, let it be known. Charles Wang is a pure genius.

Debatable? Maybe? But Wang is all in on this 10 million dollar hand. Grand Prize? Stud FA and most sought after Russian since Anna Kournakova: Ilya Kovalchuk

Andy Sutton, once quipped “What are you? An Expert?” Well Andy, seems you were on to something there because Free Agency in the social networking age seemed to spawn a million experts.

Rumors from New Jersey to Los Angeles that were legit and then the insanity of Washington, and I quote from twitterverse “well they’ve been quiet all day.” Yeah. There, Andy Sutton, is your expert.

Thankfully, a real expert grabbed the reigns and Garth Snow via text message confirmed to an ESPN correspondent that the New York Islanders had officially joined the race.

While Kovalchuk slept mulling over, according to Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet.ca, a multi-year deal from Dean Lombardi and the LA Kings, Wang and the Islanders saw that bet and raised their hand: 10 years at $10 million per.

You don’t bet the house, without the owner’s permission. Wang: Enter stage left.

On-ice the New York Islanders get a game changer and someone to take the pressure of the young and developing John Tavares. Off the ice, you get leverage. With Nassau County, with the fans, a competitive media market… in short? With everything.

Need anyone be reminded of the Lighthouse Project? The frustration levels have risen. It is now no longer a game. What Charles Wang wants he gets. His target is now Kovalchuk. Thus leading into, the hopes of, further development in a positive light regarding the Lighthouse Project and the new arena for the Islanders.

Without jumping ahead of ourselves, yet hypothetically speaking that Kovalchuk does sign in New York, the contract only helps the team creep gently above the cap floor.  Thus, no room for fear when new contracts are in order for the rest of the boys.

Superstars don’t work on their own. The foundation has to be in place. Checkmate.

Kovalchuk brings a superstar talent to an organization that is on the rise. Start with John Tavares. Add: Kyle Okposo, Josh Bailey, Jack Hillen. Oh and… Nino Neidereitter, Kevin Poulin, Kirill Petrov and Kirill Kabanov… Kovalchuk is going to be like a kid in a candy store.

No such thing as bad publicity? Maybe. But in the state of the Islander Union in Uniondale… well, there is such a thing as bad publicity and the organization can ill afford it now. The announcement must be definite, no mistakes and if Kovalchuk declines, well then the hatred turns in the direction of the player, not in the direction of Snow.

Charles Wang is doing this for the team on the ice, absolutely. But make no mistake. This is a play for the face of the organization. A new arena, a fan base and a historical franchise on the line. Wang isn’t letting Kovalchuk sleep on that. Oh no, the house always wins and this is Wang’s house.

The only problem is, right now it is simply speculation, although, as of this writing, Helene Elliot of the LA Times has reported that a deal is being finalized between both clubs.

Maybe this dream is indeed turning into a reality for Isles nation? Only thing left to do is wait and see…

(hat tip to Susan Crosby of the ChicksWhoGiveAPuck for lending a helping hand with this article.)

Here is more from Brooks:

Biron, who will turn 33 next month, is a nine-year NHL veteran who recorded a 3.27 GAA going 9-14-4 for the Islanders last season after previous runs as a No. 1 with Buffalo and Philadelphia.

GM Glen Sather and head coach John Tortorella had focused on obtaining a quality veteran to support Henrik Lundqvist in order to reduce the King’s workload.

Lundqvist matched his career high of 72 starts last year, going 17 straight (and 24 of 25) down the stretch. The Rangers would like to keep their franchise goaltender to approximately 65 starts.

In addition to offered quality in goal, Biron is known throughout the league as an outstanding teammate with an excellent work ethic.

This is probably the best move the Rangers can make at this point because of their payroll flexibility, or lack of it. This could be a more of a minor move that pays off big time. Lundqvist is one of the most important pieces on this team, and his health and well-being are paramount. Without it, the Rangers are certainly bottom-dwellers.

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The New York Islanders made it official today as to who would be back with the club and who will obtain an opportunity to find work in another city.  Sometimes a change of scenery is not a bad thing.  It helped Robbie Schremp out, who officially earned a full time NHL spot last year playing with the Islanders.

The team qualified five players who were restricted free agents.  Those five are:  Robbie Schremp, Dylan Reese, Dustin Kohn, Matt Moulson and Nathan Lawson.  Of the five, four will likely be full time skaters with the Islanders club this season.  Lawson will make his case to be either a back-up to Dwayne Roloson or spend another season with Bridgeport if Rick DiPietro is actually healthy to start the year.

Sean Bergenheim was not given a qualifying offer, and will become an Unrestricted Free Agent on July 1st.  Jeff Tambellini was released from the organization as well.

Neither were working out nor playing to their potential to begin with. It became only a matter of time before this news was released. Most Islanders fans saw it coming, and if the fans knew the players must have known as well.

The advantage here is the door that has opened for Eric Nystrom. At least that’s the whispers being put together as writers attempt to feel out this roster pre-UFA excitement.

Thursday will arrive before we all know it.  GM’s and organizational brass are all likely setting up their blueprints for Plan A, B, C and onward.

As many feel it might be a dud this year, I for one do not.  Expect the Islanders to be very busy, with many different routes they can take.

Today is the deadline to have all qualifying offers processed by the league.  So now is the time that GM’s will scramble to get last minute QO’s sent out, and sent in.

Stay tuned for an in depth look as to everything that goes on Islanders based over the next few weeks time.

Wait, what?

Yep, those same Rangers from 2009-10 who couldn't buy a goal with all the money they wasted over the years on Pavel Bure, Eric Lindros, Petr Nedved (twice), Theo Fleury, Anson Carter, Alex Kovalev (also twice), and many more took a big, mean defenseman with their first-round pick tonight, much to the surprise of, well, everyone.

As the first few selections of the 2010 NHL Draft unfolded, it became apparent that talented forwards were held at a premium, at the expense of high-profile defensive prospects Cam Fowler and Brandon Gormley, who were consensus top five selections in everyone's mock drafts.

With Fowler and Gormley still on the board, Rangers director of player personnel Gordie Clark went with McIlrath, the 6'4", 212 lb. defenseman from the WHL with the 10th pick. The team's selection was met with immediate outrage by its loyal fanbase, including yours truly . And for good reason, so we thought.

After all, the Rangers' immediate need was in the offensive zone, not the blue line. A team that finished 16th in goals per game—an inflated ranking thanks to a late-season surge—had a serious need for a prospect who could find the back of the net.

Apparently, so did eight of the first nine teams in the draft. By the time the Rangers were on the clock with the 10th pick, Alexander Burmistrov, Nino Niederreiter, and Jeff Skinner, who were widely assumed to be three of the team's top choices, were all gone.

Clark and Blueshirts' oft-criticized general manager Glen Sather were stuck without a viable way to fill the organization's lack of offense. So they went out and filled a need that isn't nearly as publicized: toughness.

Did they explore their options via trade? Of course they did, as any team would. But according to Sather, via the Rangers' official Twitter account , they got their man.

Last year, McIlrath led all of Canadian Junior Hockey with 19 fighting majors. Who was in second place? Erik Gudbranson, the third overall pick courtesy of the Florida Panthers, dropped the mittens six times.

For the mathematically impaired, that's less one third of McIlrath's total. Now, that's not to say that the Rangers got themselves a goon, per se. The kid who scouts often refer to as "The Undertaker" just isn't afraid of anybody. Seriously, YouTube this guy . Not someone I'd want to dance with.

Fellow former Rangers' Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Frank Castaldi , one of the very few in the Rangers' Bleacher Report community (I'd link you to it, but I don't want to waste your time) who actually knows the game, texted me shortly after the announcement by Clark, convinced we had just drafted the next Jeff Beukeboom .

He's not wrong. McIlrath's got potential to be a belligerent shut-down defenseman who plays the game with a complete disregard for the safety of those in a different sweater.

But this selection stands for something bigger than just one big bruiser. It signifies the end of a fatal flaw that captivated the Rangers' scouting system for the better part of 15 years. They have stopped looking for the next Brian Leetch (you're damn right I just linked that video. That's my favorite goal in Rangers' history).

Since Sather traded Leetch to Toronto in 2004, the team had been on a relentless search for the next great puck-moving, offensively-gifted defenseman. They wasted plenty of years, prospects and money on players like Tom Poti, Michal Rozsival, and Wade Redden, to name a few, hoping each time that they'd energize an anemic offense from the blue line.

Enough already! The term "offensive defenseman" is after all, an oxymoron. I can't stand it anymore. Let the defensemen defend and find a way to promote offense with your forwards, you know, the guys that are paid to carry the majority of your offense? If I hear the phrase "power-play quarterback" to describe one more potential Ranger, I swear I'm heading straight for the Los Angeles Kings bandwagon.

Note: Mr. Del Zotto , you are exempt from this since you seem to be aware of your surroundings within 15 feet of your own net.

Passing on Fowler and Gormley was more of a shock to the hockey community, and McIlrath himself , than his high selection.

"To be honest, I’m a little surprised,” said McIlrath in his first interview as a professional with NHL.com. “But in the back of my mind, I knew they were a team that was interested. But with the other teams (Dallas, Anaheim, Vancouver, Florida), I thought it might be one of them."

Bob McKenzie of TSN said via Twitter that the defenseman was expected to be off the board by the 15th pick.

Many Rangers fans were upset that Sather & Co. didn't trade down to get him, but with that in mind, how far could they have afforded to drop?

No, this was the right pick at the right time for the Blueshirts. Is there still a significant lack of scoring? Sure there is. And newsflash: Ilya Kovalchuk isn't the answer. The influx of young talented forwards such as Chris Kreider, Evgeny Grachev, Artem Anisimov, and Derek Stepan will remedy that problem, in due time. Don't be surprised if Clark adds at least one more name to this list tomorrow afternoon, too.

But tonight, Clark took another step solidifying the post-Redden/Roszival blue line in Gotham. Just make sure you remember how angry you initially were when you heard he was drafted the first time he catches John Tavares with his head down. You'll feel that much better about it.

Be patient, Rangers fans. And trust Gordie Clark. He's the key to this team's eventual success.

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From the Sharks perspective:

Most of this series was played with the score tied.  San Jose had a slight advantage on shots, but just didn't get the goaltending.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins had the puck a lot more than Montreal did during their series, and Pittsburgh gave up the puck a lot more as a result:

I watched all of the scoring chances in this series, and I found that Pittsburgh made more bad defensive clears and giveaways that led directly to scoring chances than Montreal did, by a margin of 10-6.  So I was wondering if the official scorer recorded more defensive zone giveaways for the Pens.  Nope:

Offensive zone giveaways happen all the time, especially when you control the puck, so we can pretty safely ignore the difference there.  But defensive zone giveaways that led to chances were very close.

As you can see, the first 10 giveaways by each team are approximately in the same locations.  Pittsburgh then had a few more giveaways 40-50 feet from the goal, while Montreal had a few more just inside the blue line.  The expected goal differential resulting from the locations of those defensive zone giveaways is very small.

Here's something that surprised me - giveaways by zone when the score was tied:

If that looks like a team bearing down and committing fewer mental errors in close games, you could have fooled me.  But what we also see is Pittsburgh making an extreme number of turnovers when they were trailing in the game:

That looks like Pittsburgh digging a hole for themselves when they were down.  For completeness, here's the same data for Pittsburgh leading:

So Pittsburgh didn't do themselves any favors when they were losing...And Montreal didn't do themselves any favors when the game was close.  If Montreal was winning, their giveaways made them more likely to continue winning; but if the game was tied, they were more likely to get behind.  Giveaways are not what decided this series.

One Trick Thid and the Pens are listed at 1900 on OLN.  Wings are listed at 1930.  What game will I get to see if I only have Gary’s closed-circuit tv station?

Updated: Here’s your answer to the VS question.  Conspiracy? No. Just more obvious bias toward Gary’s Baby Boy.

From Jennemy of the Skate in the comments below:

The whole nation will be watching Pittsburgh Vs Montreal and the San Jose /Wings game will be JIP (Joined in Progress).

If you take a look at the versus schedule (Above link) you will see that not a single Penguins game is JIP.

With curiosity, I asked the young lady what drives their viewing schedule and was shocked by her response....."The NHL tell us which games to air and that all Penguins games are to be shown live.”

Continue reading "Questions For Your Live Blog"

Whether or not that is as a Ranger is too early to tell.

Zherdev, 25, last played in the NHL for the Rangers during the 2008-09 season. He was one of the team’s leading scorers, but his time on Broadway was sullied by inconsistent play.

He then exited New York after Rangers general manager Glen Sather decided that it wasn’t worth the contract to bring Zherdev back (that was the same offseason Sather thought it was a good idea to give Donald Brashear and Ales Kotalik contracts—so much for fiscal responsibility).

The Rangers consistently struggled with offense though last season, and considering that we’ve already heard his name connected to the team this offseason, it is certainly possible that they bring him back.

Money is probably going to be the big issue here though. If Zherdev is interested in taking $3 million or less to play on Broadway, then there might be an agreement. Any more than that and he could be a free agent for a while.

As always, we will keep you posted if anything else comes up.

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