I know...the season just ended 20 minutes ago...but the boys will be having organized skates before we know it. What are your teams' goals for the offseason? Personnel concerns? Need a coach? The Note have had a busy time already, since getting booted in the WCF. Hitch signed for next season with the understanding that this will be his last ride. It's now been announced that Mike Yeo will come in as Associate head coach and will take over for Hitch after the season ends. I think it was a nice move to get the coaching situation wrapped up. Yeo can work with Hitch, all the players, then take the handoff and hopefully it will all be seamless. Our free agent situation will not be quite as smooth. Armstrong has said re-signing Jaden Schwartz is top priority. So...who are we gonna lose from out of Backes, Brouwer, Brodziak and Shatty? Backes is 34 and this will probably be his last go around at a payday. What's he gonna want? What are the Blues (or any team) gonna want to give? 3 years? Shatty is 4.25m against the cap. Let him walk and roll with the youngins on the blue line like Parako, Edmondson and Schmaltz? Also, I really like what Brouwer did in the post-season. Going to be interesting.

so people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones because they risk having boulders crash down on their lovely homes (c) big ace.

i think it's too early to make a lot of predictions but i guess i will try some. i think stamkos is gone from tampa and the best they can hope for is that he zeroes in on a team and they trade his negotiating rights for a pick. i frankly don't think they should pay him what he can command on the open market; they will need that money to keep their team together. they have a lot of guys under team control who are good. break the bank for hedman later.

blackhawks managed to dump bickell's salary. 2nd/3rd plus a cap dump is a decent haul for teravainen but they are pretty unlikely to replace him with either pick. pretty talented player. nice move by ron francis, they have too many picks to make them all. i suspect we will see them dealing for more young roster players and also consolidating picks (trading up) in the next two years. basically they will stockpile cheap contracts and prospects while the status of the franchise is determined. they got a good deal here because bickell helps them to the cap floor and can actually dress for them probably, obviously tervainen is the prize here as a talented young player with a low salary. nice deal by francis, realizing there weren't many other teams in a position to take bickell's salary on and the ones that were didn't necessarily have a stockpile of picks. i imagine buffalo is the team that pushed the price to where it got.

lots of rumors about the coyotes wanting the No. 1 pick and being willing to overpay for it. could be the usual toronto b.s. they do have pieces that could make it worth the leafs' while but i doubt anything comes of it.

coaching hires i guess have been interesting. minnesota is about to improve considerably under boudreau. he is a better coach then they have had since lemaire and maybe the best one they have had period. lots of players who are coming into their own there, guys like coyle and dumba that are on the verge of making their presence felt.

i didn't like the carlyle hire in anaheim but they didn't have a ton of options. obviously the core guys who played under him were on board with it. we shall see, i don't like re-hiring the same guy, personally, but i also don't think the in-house candidates were very strong. carlyle scouted the team pretty often since the leafs fired him and obviously he had a number of these guys (perry, getzlaf, fowler) previously.

expansion is coming to vegas, which i have known months and should have been obvious to anyone paying attention. i don't think expansion into a canadian market is viable rather i think quebec city (and any other destination like hamilton) will get a relocated team. let's face it, at some point something has to give with some of these struggling franchises. the panthers have new ownership and are making a push. the coyotes have new management but can't get much traction. the hurricanes are emerging as the team maybe most likely to bolt. something strikes me as perverse about the old whalers becoming the new nordiques.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

Caps gonna lose a player or two I'm real sad about.

Early predictions are having to choose between Karl Alzner and Dmitry Orlov.

Obviously Cowen will be bought out and I think teams will have interest. Still a big body who could improve his game. When you're small, you have to prove you can play. When you're big, you have to prove you can't. In Nashville, Eric Nystrom is almost pretty certain to get bought out, unless some team miraculously offers something for him.

Everyone thought Bickell would be bought out. I don't think Carolina will. They are pretty thread bare in terms of salaries, though I guess they have some big-ticket guys still.

Jim Nill said no when asked about buying out one or both of his goalies. Seems ridiculous to me. They absolutely need to solidify themselves in goal. Keep one veteran, get a young guy who is the future. Cannot bank on Campbell. There are good young goalies stuck in log jams now. They cann't afford to spend close to $11M on these two guys again next year, cmon.

The Panthers dumped Savard's contract on the Devils, which is a sign to me that they are going to start worrying about the cap ceiling and not the floor now. Dave Bolland will get bought out, I think, or dumped on some team looking to hit the floor preferably. His contract is pretty terrible and he doesn't play.

Andrew Ference I suspect will just run out the string in Edmonton. No huge urgency to buy him out though they would if they could. Probably cannot pass a physical (which is a requirement for a buyout).

I do not think Vanek will be bought out or at least I consider a huge mistake to buy him out. For this year alone they are unlikely to find a more talented player and even if he sucks, which I don't think he will, they just get the cap space free and clear next year. He was pretty good under Yeo, the coaching change and injuries set him back. He is somewhat of a lackadaisical player in some areas (always has been) and that doesn't fly when you aren't putting up big numbers. But a new system and a contract year--he has always loved money--seem like a recipe for rebound. It's tempting to cut him and get the $6.5M in cap space, but again I don't know if they can land anyone better and the experiment costs them nothing, in fact they gain $1M in space for next year when he walks.

If Philly were smart they would keep cutting. They dumped most of Schenn and Lecavalier's money, now it's time for R.J. Umberger and Andrew MacDonald both to go. I would seriously consider trading Mark Streit, though if the value isn't there there is no rush. He will have value at the deadline if healthy and for now he helps their team as a power-play specialist and mentor to some young guys they have on D.

Dustin Brown is an intriguing one. I think stripping him of the captaincy was a mistake unless they are going to buy him out, frankly. It is not a wakeup call or anything else, he understood his responsibilities and delivered on them even if he wasn't scoring many goals. They cannot trade him, realistically speaking. His buyout would be costly though. I think they will keep him and hope he gets taken in the expansion draft, which he probably will not be. I also think Lombardi is loyal to Brown. Some have compared this to the Mike Richards situation. That is bullshit, totally distinct set of circumstances, and Lombardi's misplaced loyalty there will not factor into this decision. The Kings suddenly find themselves in a tough position. They have several needs and money to fill maybe one of them.

You have to figure both Calgary and Vancouver will be looking to clean house. Burrows, Wideman, Higgins, maybe Ryan Miller (not likely) are among the guys I think could get the ax.

The Blue Jackets also might be filling out some pink slips. Clarkson has been as trashy as any critic expected. Their defense corps has a lot of holes, Tyutin seems like the most likely buyout. I could see them moving Jack Johnson, but more likely in a trade.

Another interesting one is Dan Giradi. With four years left, it's a costly buyout. Can he bounce back from what seems to be a pretty steady decline? This guy has blocked a lot of shots and played physical for his size. I don't see the rush though, unless they plan on re-signing Yandle and sticking with him. It's a tough call, same thing with Eric Staal who certainly didn't earn his money there last year. If they let all three guys go, those are pretty big holes in the lineup.

I think Lupul may be bought out, the Leafs I am sure intend to go all in for Stamkos and if not they may court other wings like Eriksson and Boedker. Lupul is injured all the time and definitely not part of the long-term outlook.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

Clarkson, MacDonald, Girardi

yikes

and then they just got worse.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

I do think what are considered by some to be the two top FAs in terms of salary commanded will hit the market, Stamkos and Eriksson, but I am much more interested in what the Islanders do. They have both Okposo and Nielsen up for free agency. I think either would be an excellent addition to just about any team. Okposo is a bona fide top-six winger with a 60-point floor for a full season IMO. Nielsen is the kind of two-way center any team would benefit from having, and he is also very good in shootouts.

I suspect the Avs will lose Boedker. He has a chance at a very lucrative contract. He turned down $5.5M per, a clear indicator he wants more. I always liked him but I am not sure I would break the bank for him. He hasn't evolved defensively the way I would have expected. On the right team I think he could improve his offensive output considerably, he has wheels and hands, very good at making plays at full speed. I could see a team offering him a lot of money, 5/35M. I don't see that team being the Avs.

I think the Kings will retain Lucic. He likes it in L.A., their style of play suits his game and I think they will make a competitive offer. The bigger money is always tempting but my bet is that they keep him, especially given that they invested quite a bit in him last summer.

Backes will stay in St Louis, zero doubt in my mind, really.

Eric Staal is an odd one. What is his real value? I could see him signing a heavy deal with a very short term, maybe with a competitive team that has cap space to burn. He would be an interesting fit on Florida, for example, and make them deep at center. Maybe Arizona would take a look, it depends where they are with the floor. He could be a big-ticket addition with limited commitment and a guy to tutor guys such as Domi, Dvorak and Strome. I can't see him getting big money over a long term, but I also think there will be enough demand for a shorter deal that he won't end up signing either a longer deal at moderate money or a short deal for cheap to chase a Cup.

Ladd will probably bounce, I wouldn't pay him any big pile of money and Chicago doesn't really have it to spend. Even if they end up getting it, it would be better spent elsewhere. Someone will overpay on the open market.

Brouwer I also think is gone, he probably reinvigorated his career with that playoff performance so someone will overpay him also.

I could see Dallas re-signing Kris Russell. They were high on him when they brought him in and paid a decent price. They have the money and a decent role for him. I also think they will re-sign Demers. Goligoski's return probably depends on his expectations in terms of his contract. Their problems last year were on the back end and they might have the flexibility to change a lot of it. There isn't much out there in free agency though. You have a lot of faces from the past two trade deadlines (Yandle, Pollak, Schenn, et al) that they passed on. They do have some promising prospects on defense though, not so much in goal.

Brian Campbell is an interesting one. He came off a huge contract, does he want to cash in one last time or does he want to pursue the Cup one last time? I wouldn't be overly interested in him at any sort of high price, personally.

Lee Stempniak is the consummate journeyman and a solid pro. I hope he gets a shot with a good team this time instead of being a bridge player for a bad one like usual.

I would not touch Teddy Purcell. Not all that reliable of a scorer and doesn't do much else. Panthers will let him walk, I think they may try to keep Hudler though. I would take a look at Hudler for the right terms; he won't replicate his numbers from two years ago but he brings skill to the table anyway.

Radim Vrbata could be a steal for someone. Pretty much zero chance he is back in Vancouver. When healthy, he can still put the puck in the net. Same thing with Hamhuis, seems to be snakebit but can play when he is good to go. Vrbata I think has a decent chance of going to a good team and making an impact as a relative bargain.

David Perron is another guy like that. I kind of suspect Anaheim will re-sign him. They are one of the more fascinating teams this offseason. They made a lot of minor moves last year and pretty much fucked up every single one of them.

Who cares what happens to Luke Schenn? The Kings might be desperate enough to re-sign him. He is slow and definitely in for a pay cut.

Jamie McGinn is the opposite, a guy who seems like he can play intermittently but then gets hurt and/or disappears. I could see Anaheim bringing him back, but a lot of this will now be evaluated by Carlyle. Some team might luck out with him but I doubt it.


Dale Weise is a gamer and a big body. Some team will be fortunate to add him as I don't know if Chicago can afford him, even though he won't make a ton of money (relative to his role he will be well paid).

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

but I doubt the Caps can make either work.

.

so um, how about Chimera and Mike Richards, lol. Actually both are UFAs anyway.

A 2nd round pick and a defensive prospect like Madison Bowey? or a forward prospect like Jakub Vrana.

Shatty is only 27? I'd consider Orlov.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

I think Paryako could be come their PP quarterback, Hitchcock has said it. Backes I think will not bend them over for open-market price. Those others guys can stay or go, it won't make or break the long-term situation. But Shattenkirk is a guy who could save them a little now and save them a lot later--his next contract will be big-- and also get good return. They do have a replacement lined up for him. It's risky though. I think they are weakening a big strength of their team for now. I would definitely trade him East, too. Boston, naturally, is in many of these rumors.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

which seems dumb

I think now seems better though because the draft is nearer and roughly as many teams have room, especially since no one is going to pick him up as a rental. The idea will be to have him long term, otherwise the price is too high.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

If you told me Glen Gulutzan and SmutsBoy were cousins, I would believe you. Seems like a good dude who didn't get much of an opportunity in Dallas. He hasn't exactly been aboard a buoyant ship in Vancouver either. This has been rumored for a while. I thought they might go with a first-time head coach--lots of up and comers--but this is kind of a happy medium between that and a retread. I think all 30 teams have coaches now.

Drouin formally withdrew his trade request, not that it wasn't evidence that the two sides had kissed and made up already.

The Coyotes paid the modest price of a fifth-round pick for the negotiating rights to Alex Goligoski. I am not surprised he was the odd man out in Dallas, even though he was pretty productive during the regular season and playoffs. They definitely want to shape their D corps in a way that adds defensive stability, even if it's at the cost of some points.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

Sami Vatanen re-signs in Anaheim, pretty reasonable deal at four years and about $5M per. He is a player with such potential, always working on his strength and defensive game and blessed with great instincts and speed going the other way. I feel like they were better off when they had Beauchemin and Lovejoy but this Ducks group is still very promising, especially Vatanen and Lindholm.

Pavel Datsyuk made it official, he is headed home to Russia. The Wings instantly become players in the Stamkos sweepstakes and any other peripheral competition for top free agents. Datsyuk is probably the most entertaining player I have ever seen. He didn't quite have the power of Forsberg but he had all the imagination and creativity, maybe more. Just a brilliant player who could do things with his sticks and his skates that few others could, and he put all his tools in a very tidy box. That all jumped out at me right away 15 years ago, but over the course of his career his defensive game became absolutely superlative. I think this guy is the mark by which all his peers should be measured, including guys who are considered "better" by many like Crosby and Toews. He was a complete player and there was never a dull moment with him on the ice.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

Or is it the red wings? Not sure how Tampa keeps him

I think it's more the long-term outlook of what a huge ass contract would do. They have Kucherov and Killorn as RFAs this year and they could conceivably sign both and Stamkos. They'd be right at the ceiling then though. Hedman is a UFA next year. Johnson will need to get paid soon. If it were me personally in Yzerman's position I would get creative. Tailor a deal for him that is 100% to his liking but not totally ridiculous, give him a no-movement clause that takes effect next year. That gives him what he wants and you can trade him, get some real assets in return from one of these teams. Just an idea, but probably not a real possibility.

Detroit probably needs to move Datsyuk's contract to be a real player in the sweepstakes. I would say it's maybe 50/50, not too many teams looking to hit the floor but never underestimate some franchises' ability to cheap out. We will see after buyouts are all done what's what.

I would expect Toronto, Buffalo and Calgary all to make big runs at Stamkos. Not a very attractive list of suitors maybe but the good teams don't have the money generally. I don't think he'd be interested in Dallas but that's an interesting possibility, imagine the firepower they would have.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

The Leafs get Frederik Andersen for #30 overall plus a second rounder next year. Nice buy for a legit starter. He has had injuries but nothing chronic, fluky stuff. You have to figure Calgary offered more but Bob Murray did not want to trade him within the West. Might the Flames now court Jonathan Bernier? I highly doubt he plays next season in Toronto. Time for both parties to move on. One year, a little over $4M on his deal, not a bad reclamation project.

The Rangers, as expected, will not re-sign Keith Yandle. They traded his negotiating rights to Florida. I expect the Panthers will sign him. They are shopping Kulikov now. Campbell's status is uncertain but either way he won't play forever. Yandle would be a nice addition for them. I still believe in this guy. Some guys are not cut out to play in New York, Toronto, etc. Going to Florida will be a lot like playing for the Coyotes, where he thrived.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

as I expected.

let's also not underestimate that he never quite slotted in right because other parts of their D were deteriorating. boyle was basically dead on his skates and girardi fell off a fucking cliff. macdonagh was even banged up. i think he will be good for florida and they do need to mix it up a little.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

It was a poor use of assets.

He is one of those guys who came into his own after his draft year, should have been a higher pick.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

terrible trade, then and now.

Boston made a run at him, too, teams must have been offering similar packages. Then again there is often a line to make a mistake, especially at the trade deadline.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

I still don't see why they need to expand. You've got a team in Arizona that's about to lose it's arena, why not just move them a few hours north to Vegas (as opposed to sending the Coyotes back to the Suns building and it's awful hockey sightlines?) That way there's still an even number of teams and you won't need to realign.

------

12 play and 12 planets are enlighten for all the Aliens to Party and free those on the Sex Planet-maxxx

XBL: trkc21
Twitter: @tyrcasey

or an actual question about something Bettman is trying to do?

Remember, we're talking about the guy who added franchises to a desert and a place called Sunrise, Florida.

The 13,200 pledged season ticket number is an outright lie. They have exactly ZERO in reality. That number counts partial season strips and the commitments were made with the assumption that they would begin play in 2016-2017. Thanks to the process being delayed, those are all null and void. Vegas is still a modest-sized market with few locals. People saying it will fit into the "show business" atmosphere of Vegas don't understand how the economics of sports work or that most seats are relatively expensive compared with the sort of established shows people see in Vegas. It is a horrible idea. I have had people try to convince me otherwise and none of their arguments hold even an ounce of weight. Not only should they not expand to Vegas, they shouldn't relocate to Vegas and they shouldn't expand period.

Want a prediction? The Hurricanes will be in Quebec City within five years.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

>It is a horrible idea. I have had
>people try to convince me otherwise and none of their
>arguments hold even an ounce of weight. Not only should they
>not expand to Vegas, they shouldn't relocate to Vegas and they
>shouldn't expand period.

And if they're going to go there anyway, why not at least end the shitshow in Arizona?

Expansion vote was apparently unanimous, so get ready for a 31 team league!

------

12 play and 12 planets are enlighten for all the Aliens to Party and free those on the Sex Planet-maxxx

XBL: trkc21
Twitter: @tyrcasey

Expansion is favorable to relocation for the $500M fee. It's as simple as that. I think the Canes will move before the Coyotes. The Coyotes and Panthers both got new ownership recently. The Canes will probably sell soon and likely to a group looking to relocate. The Quebec City bid didn't get any traction because of these realities. The league knows that paying nearly $650M CDN would put a small-market Canadian franchise in a big hole, and they want the venue as a plan B for whatever flailing franchise fails first. My money is on Carolina.

The Vegas thing is embarrassing, frankly. Apart from the logistical disaster of a hockey team in the 110-degree heat of a city with a transient population, you have the whole gaming thing. The NBA kicked the tires on Vegas and passed. Some people think the NFL will go there and I don't get why. This says people don't give enough of a fuck about professional hockey for us to be concerned with integrity or scandal. It makes the NHL look very minor-league in addition to being a bad decision.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

http://www.fieldofschemes.com/2016/06/23/11266/las-vegas-gets-nhl-team-clearly-anyone-with-a-500m-check-can-have-one/

Posted on June 23, 2016 by Neil deMause

As expected, the NHL announced yesterday that it will add an expansion franchise in Las Vegas in 2017, leading to celebration in that city and lots of derisive snorts from people who’ve noted that there are at least half a dozen bigger markets without NHL teams, most of which have a stronger history of hockey support than Vegas. (Seriously, Hartford has more TV households than Las Vegas.) What they don’t have, as I discussed last night in an article for Vice Sports, is a bunch of rich guys willing to sign a $500 million expansion fee check (at least not $500 million in U.S. dollars), and since the rich guys in question include one Florida financier and two Maloofs, there’s at least some suspicion that this is more an attempt to get into the NHL club than a long-term commitment to Las Vegas.

As for the arena angle, the new team (possibly to be called the Black Knights after owner Bill Foley’s financial company, but that’s yet to be decided) will play in T-Mobile Arena, which was privately built by MGM and AEG as part of Vegas’s arena land rush, and which is all new and shiny and apparently exciting to NHL bigwigs. What I haven’t been able to find any record of, probably because it’s a transaction between two private parties, is how much Foley and the Maloofs will be paying the arena as part of their lease, or how long the lease is for, all of which will have a huge impact on the team’s profitability, and on whether the Vegas franchise ends up there for the long haul or follows the Atlanta Thrashers into the long NHL history of failed experiments.

As for cities that didn’t get a team this time around, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman left the door wide open for further expansion, particularly citing the strength of the Quebec application, which was unfortunately undermined by the weakness of the Canadian dollar. Given the glut of billionaires compared to the limited number of major pro sports franchises, the NHL is clearly interested in following MLS’s lead and cashing in on expansion fees while the cashing is good — so if you have half a billion dollars burning a hole in your pocket and a desire to watch hockey from the owner’s box, give them a ring.

Goligoski getting 5.5M and 5 years is not a good deal but it's better than some recent UFA contracts. They had to compete with the open market because he was a few days away from it. Not sure if I like this signing for Arizona, who has to be very judicious with big contracts. Hopefully it doesn't mean they are angling to trade Ekman Larsson. This is where they spent the savings from Boedker's cap dump, I guess.

As I expected the Kings were not able to sign Milan Lucic and he will become an FA July 1. I expect both parties to continue communicating, the Kings want him and he does like it there. However I think the open-market money will be too much to compete with. This is Lucic's chance for the real big pay day, no way can they sell him on taking less for a team that, while it's very good, seems to be drifting further from being a top-tier contender.

I think Goligoski's signing makes it more likely that Yandle hits the FA market. I also think the price being so low for his negotiating rights indicates he wanted to test the market anyway.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

why not just go with Knights? you already have the Black Hawks and you are gonna end up calling them the Vegas Knights anyway.

anyway, good to see another hockey team in the desert. need another success story to rival that of the Coyotes.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

as American as apple pie and sub prime mortgage fraud.

I work in IT and they have one the worst reputations as a company for their employees in the industry.

How nice of them to spend all that money on an NHL team too.

Seven years at 44.5M total for Yandle. Paid open market price pretty much, less per annum but a longer term. He is 29 years old. This deal has him signed through age 36. Six years of no-movement clause is the kicker to me. The deal I could swallow maybe but I would have given him a limited NTC at most. I think they will regret this contract but at the same time the ownership showed it was serious and they did fill a need here. Still pretty poor terms.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

couldnt get a deal done with the Kings. Wonder what team shitty team is going to pay his asking price? What contenders actually have room for a 6 million dollar a year wing?

November 8th, 2005 The greatest night in the history of GD!

He was just making $4.75M on his last deal and he is a UFA. Not sure where Lombardi thought this guy was taking a hometown discount or where he's had any luck at all with those sorts of deals. Those are for guys in their 30s, not their prime. This is the biggest contract Looch is going to sign in his career, he wasn't going to take a deal like Gaborik's. And Gaborik's deal sucks for the Kings. Lombardi now knows why he took it. I have to say that I am pretty restless about the future of these two SoCal teams. I don't like the way the Ducks are dicking around when they just needed minor adjustments to get over the hump. The Kings have backed themselves into a corner despite getting huge breaks (Richards voided deal, for example, no cost from the Voynov fallout, etc). The big thing I see is that the Kings haven't drafted very well either, and of course they traded a lot of their picks, which I understand. If they let Lucic walk, they are paper thin. They are real solid in goal, top two centers and top D, everything else is a little iffy or out of place.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

Mersch, Dowd, Gravel, Forbort, and Kempe. I think Mersch can and should be on the roster next season. Maybe even start giving Forbort some minutes on the blue line. He cant be worse than McNabb or Mcbain were last saeson. We can win games with our offense. Our blue line is where we are struggling. McNabb regressed last season. He definitely needs to get better. But Schenn was solid. Hopefully Greene comes back healthy this year.

November 8th, 2005 The greatest night in the history of GD!

Kempe might be legit but these guys are all role players at the top level. I don't even see the point in developing those guys unless they are going to be perfect at what they do. You can get their veteran equivalent for the same money as soon as their ELCs are up. They basically said fuck the future, we wanna keep this group together. It worked for a second Cup so hard to question it, but now they have to face the reality that there is work to be done if they want to get back to that point. They dealt picks and some of the ones they made busted. They took Gibson when they had zero need for goaltending and now two or three teams later he might be all right. They traded up to get Zykov and he was essentially a disappointment.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

Kane ran away and hid with the Hart. Thought Parayko would get more votes for the Calder.

http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/news/2016-nhl-award-winners-analysis-and-reactions/

Calder would have been interesting if Ghost had played a full season but he didn't. Paryako was good at the start and kind of at the end, didn't do shit in the middle really.


Doughty I thought was more worthy of the Norris last year but whatever he is the best DMan in the league so I have no problem with him winning the award whenever.

Similarly you could say Kesler should have edged out Kopi for the Selke but Kopitar was also excellent. He was due to win one. Thornton I thought should have been a finalist this year, he was good defensively. I am hoping Couturier wins one of these eventually; oddly he may have to score more points to do it. He is a solid shutdown guy that doesn't always get his due.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

like the R*dskins win off seasons.

I am not sure how about I feel about this. From a personal standpoint, I hate it. Fowler, like other guys who have come through the organization recently, is a very high-character person who works hard at his profession. He's very honest, very supportive of his teammates, he knows his limitations and he knows his strengths. Great guy for any locker room and a player with a lot of tools. He eats minutes for them and is very sound positionally, also very good on breakouts and moves the puck smartly in general.

But at the same time I think the Mr Nice Guy act is over in Anaheim and they want guys with that killer instinct in there. He doesn't have that. He will never be a physical defenseman either, though I don't think he has to be to be very successful. On one hand, I could write an impassioned defense of him and conclude it by saying replacing him will not be easy, hell it probably won't even be possible. But on the other, at the end of the year when I was running through guys they could move to change the makeup and get value back, his name was the first one that popped into my head. Whoever gets him is getting a good asset, we are talking about a good contract for a player entering his prime who is already proven in a big role. That should fetch a nice haul.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/kevin-shattenkirk-derby-could-be-nhl-draft-day-s-costliest-145631215.html

came over for Erik Johnson and Jay McClement.

per twitter:

Source: #stlblues and #oilers in talks about Shattenkirk. Oilers offering Nugent-Hopkins; Blues asking price: Taylor Hall or Jordan Eberle.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

Lars Eller to the Caps to be the 3C. I dig it.

Shaw brings the assholeness that the Habs lack, Eller is a nice addition in that role and the Wild like to spend on FAs so might as well free up that money. I still think Vanek is a contract year is nice to have, but maybe they want to spend the money on D.

Pretty light day of trading but I guess some of the bigger names didn't really swirl around the draft.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

happy

He is a pretty good passer and pretty good at digging around the net.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

happy

great two way player, if he ups his offensive output with talented wingers it will be gravy.

Ovi-Backstrom-Oshie
Galiev/Bura-Kuzy-Bura/JW
MoJo-Eller-Williams
Winnik-Beagle-Wilson-Latta

2nd line wingers can be flexible, moving MoJo and Justin Williams around as necessary. Plus maybe we'll see some offensive development from Tom Wilson one of these days. He's still got potential, IMO.

he scores timely goals and he scores ugly goals. that will help them a lot. i think this was a more realistic goal that trying to improve the defense with a big signing or trade. not much on the market, which means what is there is overpriced. i don't really think they have a personnel problem there, they just had everyone except carlson fuck up a little here or there.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

dominating Giroux's line and then Crosby's, until Alzner re-tore his groin (which had been partially torn all season).

The problem was Orpik sucking, and then during his suspension we had no one to replace him on the 2nd pair.

And as we've discussed, the Caps 3rd pair (Schmidt & Orlov who are very young), absolutely shit the bed in the playoffs.

I'm not terribly worried about it but I'm not sure how it will shake out this year. Maybe Orpik ends up on the third pair and Orlov (who has tons of potential) steps up to the 2nd pair.

Or they trade for a 2nd pair veteran d-man at the deadline.

Orpik hurt then suspended, Alzner hurt, third pairing guys having their roles extended, etc. But in the end 4/6 guys didn't give them what they needed consistently. I don't think they need to make personnel changes either unless there is a sort of analytics acquisition out there, someone in a situation where they could be playing more and aren't because of depth. Not too many guys like that on D, where you need seasoning and also prices are high for anyone who can play at all.

Like I said at the end of the playoffs, I'd be comfortable bringing back the same group if I were them. They were dominant during the year and they were close during the playoffs.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

and a conditional 3rd round pick.

StL had a glut of goalies, and Calgary desperately needed a starting caliber goalie.

And Fleury makes more money, too.

This fills a need at a reasonable price and they aren't locked up forever. Elliott and Ortio is an OK tandem, I guess. It's a shame that this is the end of the line for Moose in St Louis but long term Allen makes more sense.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

Moved Datsyuk's $7.5M cap hit in exchange for swapping down from 16 to 20...and we got a 2nd rounder

Gonna make a serious run at Stamkos i would assume

WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE

who the hell were they competing against? giving up a second to move up four slots is a little rough even if you are not taking a shitty contract. i guess they dump $1.1M on Detroit and not get a big chunk of cap hit that they have to pay $0 on. it wasn't so much bidding against someone else but what this meant financially to them.

ah well. i am interested to see what the wings to in free agency. obviously the wings, sabres and leafs are going to be active, probably minnesota, too.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

I figured the Wings would find a taker and it's no surprise that it's the Coyotes. The league should put some sort of stop to this, frankly. If these teams want to hit the cap floor, they should make legitimate deals for guys with one kinda bloated year left on their deal. Wouldn't the Coyotes be served better by say Mark Streit or Thomas Vanek than they would be by a guy who won't play one game?

I get that they don't have to pay Pronger and Datsyuk and that is why they did it but that seems like a weak ass loophole. They closed loopholes for the wealthy teams (ridiculously structured contracts, stashing guys in the AHL) now it's time to close them for the struggling teams.

The Kings signed Trevor Lewis to a four-year extension. Good pro, good PK guy, always clutch in the playoffs. They also traded for Jack Campbell. Big disappointment for Dallas moving him for a bleh defense prospect. This guy was supposed to be a stud and apart from like half a season he has been a dud. Decent reclamation for the Kings, who suddenly found themselves with shit for goaltending depth. Campbell should have every opportunity to be their guy in Ontario this year.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

If they are willing to cheap out in net, Tampa might be able to pull this off. I get the sense that Stamkos would like to stay in Tampa if their offer is competitive. That could be pretty difficult though as Toronto and Detroit are both going to make huge offers. Tough call for Yzerman. Like I have said all along, if I were him I would hook Stamkos up with whatever deal he wanted and an NMC that kicked in in year two. Trade him and get a good asset in return. LeBrun asked him and he said something initially vague but seemingly clear to the effect of "I haven't though about it, but I guess I'd prefer to get an asset." In other words, he has thought about it and he would try it if it becomes apparent they are going to lose him/can't afford him.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

Slightly surprised that Boston didn't go after Kulikov given the price but makes sense for the Sabres. I like Bennett to the Devils. If he can stay healthy he gives them a talented player not yet in his prime at a reasonable price. I think he was just a casualty of a tight cap and some role guys stepping up in Pittsburgh.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

Six years and $36M for Forsberg to stay in Nashville. He was an RFA or it would have been more money. Domingue, an unlikely pro success last year, gets two more years from the Coyotes and a good chance to be their starter again.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

Kinda weird how free agency plays out. Islanders are/want to be contenders and they're letting him walk. Meanwhile other contenders might be able to make the room to sign him.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/everybody-wants-some-kyle-okposo-in-2016-nhl-free-agency-155751267.html

In a real sense, they don't really seem to give a shit.

I would love to have Okposo on Philly. Honestly I think he is the prize of the FA market, given that Stamkos wants to stay if possible and will command an obscene sum of money if he doesn't. I would definitely prefer Okposo to Lucic or paying Eriksson until he is middle-aged.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

I love that guy, he brings basically everything you could want in a non-super star, but that is a lot of cash.

Four years, $32M? Yes

My money is on him landing in Minnesota.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

and he allegedly said that Backes is gone...she hinted that Elliot asked to leave a couple days before he got traded, so...we'll see.

The Blues can spend that money better than on a 32 yo, even if he's the captain.

.

Backes is a tough call. Yes, signing him until he is 37 sounds risky but he is right to ask for it. You have other teams doing it with similar guys (e.g. Ryan Kesler, Kopitar both signed til age 36) and some other team will do it for him. I don't know that letting your captain walk in free agency is the right message to send to a team that was awfully fucking close to the finals this year. If they let him walk and try to spend the money in free agency, who are they going to get? Eriksson who's not as good and going to be looking at a deal until 35 or 36 also? I also don't think they'd be shopping Shattenkirk if Backes were not in their long-term plans.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

made some qualifying offers to Schwartz and some more dudes. Backes, Brouwer and Ott will be unrestricted.

dude will still have time for another payday when this deal is done.

This is kind of like the deal Tyler Myers got, but it's a few years later (prices are higher in general) and Jones I think has a higher ceiling. Pretty good job by Jarmo and JD, which is not something many people have said lately haha.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

This is a pretty standard bridge deal. That is great for the team, who couldn't really afford to pay him long-term and strive to improve a little this summer. When he comes up for a big deal, they will have shed some veteran money and they will also have a clearer idea of how much he deserves.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/subban-trade-nashville-weber-1.3658615

They wanna throw a bunch of blame on PK for shit that is basically luck and/or bad management. I get what they are trying to do here but they just traded a heavy contract for an onerous, a younger player for an older player and a faster player for a slower player. Nothing against Weber, who is an excellent player, but I think this is a reactionary move by Montreal. They have good scouting and weak management if you ask me. They mishandled PK's situation from the jump. Weber's contract was basically a poison pill but Nashville had to match after losing Suter. Now they dump it for the prime years of a defenseman who is roughly as good and actually fits their style of play better. Great deal by Poile, one of the best GMs out there.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

.

Great trade for the Devils. Nothing against Larsson, but he hasn't quite lived up to his draft billing and will never be a Hedman type player. They got a legit first-line forward here. This deal reeks of desperation for Edmonton. What does this say about Shattenkirk? Maybe the above discussion about Backes is true. If Backes leaves, there is no real reason to trade Shattenkirk; they will have the money to extend Shattenkirk. If Edmonton was willing to give their top trade chip for a potential No. 1 defenseman, you have to figure they offered it to the Blues and likely along with another asset since most would regard Shattenkirk as better than Larsson. If the Blues turned that down, they either have a huge offer on the table from someone else or Shattenkirk is staying.

And you will know MY JACKET IS GOLD when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/lightning/steven-stamkos-staying-with-lightning/2283579

Captain Steven Stamkos is staying with the Lightning, TSN's Bob McKenzie reported today.

Stamkos, 26, was due to be an unrestricted free agent Friday at 12:01 p.m, and had been talking with other teams through a five-day interview window. The Leafs, Red Wings, Sabres were among many teams interested.

Terms are unknown. The Lightning is believed to have offered Stamkos an offer of $8.5 million annual average.

Stay tuned for updates.