Leafs beginning life without Sundin?

According to The Source on Hockey Bums, GM Cliff Fletcher and the Maple Leafs are preparing to move on without Mats Sundin. Possible players that Fletcher could acquire are Patrick Marleau, Jussi Jokinen, Jeff Halpern, or Michel Ouellet. Pavel Kubina is the obvious moving chip for the Leafs. An interesting development the day before "Sundin Day"...

Vermette re-signs with Sens & Today's Updates

It's official... RFA Antoine Vermette has re-signed with the Ottawa Senators. It's a 2-year, $5.5 mil deal.

One of two things will happen:
1. This could make it easier to trade him as other teams now know the contract details.
2. He will not be traded and stay in Ottawa.


Other tidbits from today:
- D-man Jaroslav Modry has elected to sign with a team in Czech Republic. The 37-year-old signed a 2-year contract with HC Liberec.
- Scotty Bowman will reportedly become a senior advisor with the Chicago Blackhawks... an announcement is expected later today or tomorrow.
- The Oilers have made some moves in the front office today. Kevin Lowe will be the President of Hockey Ops as Edmonton has hired Steve Tambellini general manager. He was most recently the assistant general manager with the Vancouver Canucks.
Preds news while I'm at it:
- The Predators have re-signed PK specialist Jerred Smithson to a 2-year extension through 2011. In total, it is a $1.475 million deal.
- Nashville has also spoken with Mark Parrish's agent about signing the veteran. Parrish was waived by Minnesota earlier this week. If signed by the Preds, Parrish would bring great leadership and extra offensive boost to the Music City.
- A couple days ago, 1st rounder Colin Wilson decided that he will return to Boston University for his sophomore season instead of jumping to the NHL...

*more info as it becomes available

Today's happenings...

- Detroit has signed forward Valterri Filppula to a 5-year, $15 mil contract before his arbitration hearing. Very good signing by the Wings. Filppula has great potential in the Motor City.
- The Blue Jackets have re-signed RFA goalie Pascal Leclaire to a 3-year, $11.4 mil deal. Leclaire needs to prove this season that he wasn't a one-year wonder... I still have my doubts about him.
- The Mats Sundin sweepstakes has apparently increased to a 6-team race, according to HockeyBuzz.
- There's rumors around the web that feature a trade between VAN and BUF involving Maxim Afinogenov... if they're true, I would assume that Bieksa would go to Buffalo.

Today's happenings around the NHL

- Mark Parrish was waived by the Minnesota Wild. He was due to make $2.85 mil this season. I thought this was an interesting move.. I'll be curious to see who signs him (Nashville, Atlanta??)
- Predators d-man Ville Koistinen received a 1-year, $700k deal through arbitration. Koistinen is a budding star here in Nashville. He should replace Zidlicky on the power play...
- A good source is saying that John Tortorella may not be the coach of the Islanders after all.. Bob Hartley and Joel Quenneville should the favorites to fill the position if Torts doesn't get it.
- Boston re-signed RFA's Nate Thompson and Martin St. Pierre.

High Fives

5 teams that could make the playoffs this season that didn’t last year

1. Chicago Blackhawks
IMO, the ‘Hawks are a lock for the postseason. Kane and Toews heading into their second season should be lethal, and the signings of Campbell and Huet were the last nails in the coffin. To be honest, if Martin Havlat stays healthy for the full season, I can see a scenario where they could push the Wings for the Central. Chicago is a scary, scary team in the wild, wild West.
2. Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers finished last season going 14-5-1 in their last 20 games. Gagner and Cogliano each have a season under their belts, Mathieu Garon seems to fit well between the pipes in the Great White North, and the off-season additions of Visnovsky, Cole, and Brule were for the better. Edmonton suffered mightily from the injury bug last season. So if they stay healthy, they should compete with Calgary for the Northwest Division.
3. Carolina Hurricanes
The Southeast Division is still a very winnable division, even though Washington seems to have full grasps on it at the moment. Carolina has had luck go against them the last couple of years since winning the Cup. Peter Laviolette is on the hot seat, so he’ll have the gang ready for action every night. Having Corvo and Pitkanen on the blue line for the full season shall be a major boost, also. Look for the ‘Canes to end their two-year hiatus from the playoffs.
4. Tampa Bay Lightning
They’ll be everyone’s darling to overtake the Caps for the Southeast, but not so fast. They’re very thin on defense and in net from their forward-signing spree. But still, the East looks very weak at the moment, and they could sneak in if the big guns can stay healthy.
5. Vancouver Canucks
Mats Sundin has a big say in this. If he signs on with Vancouver, they’re suddenly the frontrunners for the Northwest. If he doesn’t, they’re looking at a 7 or 8 seed. The acquisitions of Demitra and Bernier should help up front as they got rid of the disgruntled combo of Morrison and Naslund. You know what you’re gonna get from Luongo in net, it’s just the other pieces that need to fall in place…

Monday's Tidbits

- Panthers d-man Jay Bouwmeester has signed a 1-year deal
- Steven Stamkos and the Bolts have reached an agreement on a 3-year contract.

*more info as it becomes available

Random Thoughts

First off, I would like to say thank you to Chris of The NHL Arena Program for stepping in this weekend...

Where will Mats Sundin sign??
Montreal. I believe he’s going to drag this out into late August, and end up signing with the Habs. They give him the best shot to win the Cup. You put him on that roster, and the Canadiens are almost as good as the Wings (talent wise).
Where will Antoine Vermette end up??
I think Ottawa will be able to receive a 2nd round pick for Vermette. I’m going to say Atlanta will acquire him. They still need some forward depth, and would be willing to part with a high draft pick for him. Other teams to watch would be Vancouver, Minnesota, Chicago, Anaheim, and Florida.
Will Nikolai Khabibulin be traded??
In the end, I honestly think Chicago will hang on to him. The minute Cristobal Huet signed on with the ‘Hawks, GM Dale Tallon repeatedly stated that he will go with the two this season, even though they both have hefty contracts.
Will Mathieu Schneider be traded??
Yes… and to the Ottawa Senators. You very well could see a Schneider/Vermette swap here. If not, the Ducks would probably get a pick or prospect in return.
Who will be the next coach of the New York Islanders??
John Tortorella. This will likely happen this week. Torts’ interview went well with the Isles, and would be a good fit on the island. If things fall apart between the two, though, I think Joel Quenneville will be next in line.

This Week

HELLO RED LIGHT DISTRICT

I regret to inform you wonderful hockey fans I will be away for the week therefore no article this Thursday. SORRY GUYS

Scotty

A slow one today.....

Hopefully the big man is enjoying his much deserved mini vacation.

Here are some tidbits for today.....

-- The NHL Arena Podcast is on at 8pm PT. 90 minutes of hockey talk on the debut show.
-- With several teams over the cap...Spectors offers some scenarios that could help alleviate their problems.
-- Mats Sundin may make his decision to play August 1st and not who he is going to play for necessarily. Stay tuned on that...the saga continues.
-- Status quo on Sakic and Selanne...no one has heard anything on those fronts.
-- Matthew Barnaby an ESPN analyst??....according to an LCS interview...he is going to go for the lead analyst position. Crazy says I.
-- Will there be any arbitration fireworks?? I expect several when it comes to Bouwmeester and Vermette....maybe the two will swap addresses this week perhaps?


The big man will be back tomorrow...hopefully some news breaks.

Awesome News For Wild Fans.

The Wild have avoided arbitration with Pierre Marc-Bouchard signing him to a five year, 20.4 million dollar contract. This will not only keep him in Minnesota till the 2013-2014 season but will help then in their efforts to extend Marian Gaborik who had not make it so secret about his desire to leave if PMB was not extended.

I have heard from several Wild fans in the span of this morning and they are ecstatic and relieved at the same time.

Here was a quote from cityhockeyfever:

It's too bad that it appeared to be of a low priority from the outset of the free agent season to get PMB re-signed. Of course we were prepared to see him leave as rumors he could've been traded away had surfaced. The fact the Wild lost out on the Marian Hossa sweepstakes, allowed Pavol Demitra to walk and failed to bring back Brian Rolston, I have a feeling that Doug Risebrough was now backed into a corner to retain one of the key players left that were his own free agents.

Well, what's done is done. Glad to see PMB stick around and maybe he'll have an even better year than the last one.

That sums it up right there. Excitement yet resigned relief all at the same time.

In other news.......

Fredrik Sjostrom got a 1 yr 840K deal from the Rangers. That needed to be done.
Glen Murray has been bought out according to several sources officially making him a UFA.....teams like Edmonton and Atlanta may be early frontrunners.

More later tonight or as news breaks.

Just in......

Shaone Morrison gets awarded 1 yr 1.975 million dollar deal. Could set a bad precedent here especially for a guy like Vermette who may get more than Ottawa can handle.

Greetings!!

See they will just let anyone in here.


The obligatory mugshot......





Yes indeed you know me as the director of The NHL Arena Program among many other things. Thanks to Ryan, the fearless director of this blog for allowing me to run the show for the weekend.

Expect the usual updates and a little of the unexpected as it may be a slow Saturday and Sunday but then again you never know. Aloha!

Third Jerseys coming

Over the next month or two, teams will be unveiling new third jerseys and new logos to go along with. It's pretty interesting to see what teams are considering. Tomorrow, the Atlanta Thrashers are supposed to be unveil a totally new look to their fans.

Here's a link to Icethetics, the king blog for updates on new logos and jerseys. This post is basically about rumors or leaks about possible thirds...

Take a look!
http://icethetics.blogspot.com/2008/07/third-jerseys-whats-coming.html

Shanahan returning to NHL

Per Michael Farber of CNNSI.com, Brendan Shanahan will be returning to the NHL this season. He is contemplating a one-year offer from the Rangers. If he declines that offer, he will sign with another team.

Other tidbits...
- Veteran Mike York has signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Blue Jackets.
- Marek Svatos (RFA) has re-signed with Colorado... it's a 2-year deal.
- Nashville re-signs RFA Rich Peverley to a 2-year contract and extended Pekka Rinne for one year, through the 09-10 season.

The Quiet Time Of Year

Hello all Hockey fans and fans of hockey. We all know that right now is one of the most boring times in the hockey world. Its right in the middle of Free agency and Arbitration , so theres really not much going on. Therefore this blog is going to be harder than expected. Im going to just go over a couple players that are headed to arbitration and what it will meen for there team.

JAY BOUWMEESTER: Bouwmeester is a big rugged d-man. He will play the puck when needed but will also lay a crushing hit when it is needed to get momentum going for his team. Theres one problem, he's an RFA and he does not want to be a Florida Panther anymore.MY PREDICTION: Bouwmeester Will Be Traded Before His Arbitration Hearing.

ANTOINE VERMETTE: Vermette is a highly rated penalty killer who has great speed and a great set of hands. Hes a big help in the way that he can play in any situation...PK,PP,Even Strength, Pulled Goalie. The best part about that is that he can also dominate and each situation. Heres the problem for him and the sens HE WANTS TO MUCH MONEY! I think the sens want to give him between 2 and 3 million and he wants at least 3.5. MY PREDICTION:Vermette Signs For 3.25 million in arbitration and the Senators make a trade to open cap space.


Ive Got Things To Do So I Got To Run I Will Try To Do Another Couple RFA's Next Week.

Scotty

High Fives

5 players who will have breakout seasons in 08/09:

1. Bobby Ryan, ANA
Ryan is sure to be in the top six forward mix in Anaheim this winter. And with Bertuzzi gone and possibly Selanne, the #2 pick in the Crosby draft will be heavily relied on to contribute to the Ducks offense. He only scored 10 points in 23 games last season, but he was just getting his feet wet, and played on three different lines. Expect Ryan to have his breakthrough season in 08/09, especially if he plays with Getzlaf.
2. Mathieu Garon, EDM
I really think Garon is about to have a great season coming up. He played solidly in goal down the stretch last year before his injury, and has finally found his home in Edmonton. He’s had the ‘potential tag’ for what seems like forever, and will get a chance to prove himself as the starter for the Oilers this winter. Look for Garon to be a key piece to Edmonton’s puzzle this season.
3. Mikko Koivu, MIN
Sticking with the theme out west, this is the year for Koivu to emerge as a star in Minnesota. He’s been inching towards stardom with some stellar stretches over the last couple years, but he’s ready to do it full-time now. He’ll be a much more important ingredient to the Wild’s offense this year with the departures of Demitra and Rolston. I’ll even go as far as saying he could approach the 90-100 point mark this season. He’s got that much potential… remember, he was the 6th overall selection in the 2001 draft.
4. Joe Corvo, CAR
I’m looking for Corvo to produce huge numbers from the blue line this year. He was very productive with the ‘Canes late last year after coming over from Ottawa. He scored seven goals (21 points total) in 23 games with Carolina; and with Joni Pitkanen by his side on the man advantage, Corvo’s set to have a career year in the 08/09 campaign.
5. David Krejci, BOS
He has the potential to put up solid offensive numbers in Beantown this season. In his rookie season, Krejci scored just six goals in 56 games. If he doesn’t put up the numbers right away this winter, look for him to become a key two-way forward for Boston this season. I really this kid and his potential…

Others to watch:
Colby Armstrong, ATL
Nick Foligno, OTT
Tyler Kennedy, PIT
Antti Pihlstrom, NSH
Devin Setoguchi, SJ

Wednesday Tidbits

- TSN is reporting that Mats Sundin will make his decision on Friday, August 1st.
- Veteran Glen Murray has been placed on waivers by the Bruins.. it was just a matter of time.
- Randy Carlyle has been given a 2-year extension from the Anaheim Ducks.
- D-man Dennis Wideman has signed a 2-year deal with Boston; he was a restricted free agent.
- Vancouver signed the following players: Ryan Shannon, Rick Rypien, Mike Brown, Nathan McIver, Zach Fitzgerald, and James Sharrow.

*more info as it becomes available

High Fives

Top 5 Underrated players in the NHL

1. Brendan Morrow, DAL
Morrow has really taken his game to another level in the last couple of years. Ever since being named captain of the Stars, all Morrow has done is score a big goal in the clutch, and provide a very good physical presence on the ice.
2. Henrik Zetterberg, DET
Yes, he won the Conn Smythe last month. Yes, he scored 43 goals this past season. But Zetterberg has the entire package. His defensive skills are tremendous, and vastly underappreciated. He also gets the job done in the faceoff circle, winning 55% of them last year. That’s huge because the Wings bank on their puck-control offense to dominate opponents. Zetterberg not only puts the biscuit in the basket, but is also the best two-way player in the league.
3. Paul Stastny, COL
In 148 career games, Stastny has produced gaudy numbers. He has 149 points in that span, along with a +26 rating. He also has 10 game-winning goals, and is a big reason why the Avs made the playoffs last season. IMO, he doesn’t nearly get enough credit for what he does for Colorado. Stastny is for sure a budding superstar in Denver.
4. Derek Roy, BUF
The 25-year-old Roy had an 83-point outburst this past year, in the absences of Drury and Briere. He anchored Buffalo’s top line with solid two-way play, and a +13 rating. Two years ago, Roy boasted a +37 rating when the Sabres’ won the President’s Trophy. Roy’s offensive production should keep rising, along with his great neutral zone play.
5. Andrei Markov, MTL
After last season, there’s no question that Andrei Markov should be in the discussion with some of the best offensive defensemen. He scored 16 goals, and has a wicked slapshot. He stepped into Sheldon Souray’s role very nicely, and had a decent +1 rating for as much time he spent on the ice compared to past seasons.

Off-Season Grades

Anaheim Ducks: C
There’s been very little activity from Brian Burke’s office this summer. Brendan Morrison was a nice pickup to solidify the second line. I wouldn’t expect too much from Burke for the rest of the summer, unless he trades Mathieu Schneider
Atlanta Thrashers: C+
Don Waddell started quietly after striking out in the Brian Campbell sweepstakes. But he recovered nicely with the signings of Ron Hainsey and Jason Williams. They still have a lot of work to do before they start talking playoffs again, but this organization is on the way up.
Boston Bruins: B-
Everyone had high expectations for Peter Chiarelli this off-season, with the potential to sign Marian Hossa or Brian Campbell. But he opted to settle for a second-tier UFA, and signed winger Michael Ryder, which was a wise decision IMO. He’ll be a nice piece to another playoff puzzle in Beantown.
Buffalo Sabres: D
Buffalo struck out big time during the frenzy, with their only move signing a backup to Miller (Lalime). I don’t like the acquisition of Craig Rivet. I just don’t see that being a great fit. A very questionable off-season in Buffalo, to say the least.
Calgary Flames: B
Some people think the Cammalleri acquisition was a dumb one to replace Tanguay, but I love it. He’ll be a nice fit with Iginla on the top line. As for the Bertuzzi signing, the jury is still out on that one. GM Darryl Sutter also did a good job re-signing Conroy and Langkow.
Carolina Hurricanes: C+
Joni Pitkanen is just what the ‘Canes need, and got rid of the oft-injured Erik Cole. But I think they could’ve done better on the offensive side. They look pretty thin up there, and won’t be able to last if Staal or Williams go down.
Chicago Blackhawks: A
So what, they had to overpay a little to sign Campbell and Huet. Those two signings alone make the ‘Hawks a legitimate playoff team. I’m curious to see what they’ll do in a trade with Ottawa and/or LA. Unloading Khabibulin’s contract would be the icing on the cake this summer!
Colorado Avalanche: C-
The Avs have taken a step back this summer, and will take another if Sakic retires. Losing Theodore and replacing him with Raycroft will hurt this team in the end. Budaj is not reliable as a #1. I will give them credit for re-signing Foote and Liles…
Columbus Blue Jackets: B
I think the Jackets’ brass did a nice job bringing in great offensive depth. The only thing keeping their grade from an A- is not being able to replace Hainsey on the blue line. Commodore and Tyutin are average at best, so Columbus may want to acquire a solid veteran d-man (Schneider?)
Dallas Stars: C+
The losses of Hagman and Miettinen may hurt, but the acquisition of master-pest Sean Avery will offset that. He was what they were missing in the western finals vs. Detroit.
Detroit Red Wings: A+
I can’t repeat A+ enough. First they signed Ty Conklin as their backup for cheaper than the Sens paid Alex Auld. Then, they pulled off the shocker of the frenzy by landing Hossa with a one-year deal. And, they were able to re-sign Stuart and Lilja. Ken Holland knows how to operate things in the Motor City.
Edmonton Oilers: B+
There are mixed feelings over the Oilers’ summer. Personally, I think the acquisitions of Erik Cole and Visnovsky put them a legitimate playoff team. Also, the recent extension of Horcoff was a job well done by K-Lowe. Now, back to the Burke-Lowe feud!!
Florida Panthers: D
Do they even want to make the playoffs in South FLA!? The Cory Stillman signing makes it look like they’re trying, but they definitely got the worse of the Jokinen deal. Jacques Martin needs to wake up before he’s heading out the door…
Los Angeles Kings: F
All you can do is laugh… Terry Murray? I can name 10 better candidates. I think they’re just waiting for Jonathan Bernier to put this team on his shoulders. What do you think?
Minnesota Wild: C
With the departures of Rolston and Demitra, Minny’s offense now lacks ‘pop’. But they improved the blue line by acquiring M-A Bergeron & Marek Zidlicky through the trade route. I really don’t know what to make of the summer that GM Doug Risebrough has put together. Ask me again in March.
Montreal Canadiens: C+
Laraque and Lapierre on the same line!? Scary. They could afford the loss of Ryder after picking up Tanguay via Calgary. But the loss of Mark Streit will hurt. Who will step in on the number one power play?
Nashville Predators: C-
The off-season was going fairly smoothly until the past week. The defection of Radulov will sting this lineup in a big way. He leaves the Preds with little scoring depth. At least GM David Poile was able to re-sign all of those RFA’s!
New Jersey Devils: B-
GM Lou Lamoriello really improved the offense by signing Brian Rolston. Also, I think going back to Jersey could help Bobby Holik somewhat revive his career.
New York Islanders: D
I don’t like their off-season at all. Mark Streit isn’t at all a good fit there, IMO. And then GM Garth Snow threw a curveball by firing Ted Nolan this week. A very confusing off-season for the Isles, but what else would you expect??
New York Rangers: C+
There’s been so much turnover on the Rangers’ roster, it’s hard to give them a good grade. Losing Jagr, Avery, and Shanahan will definitely have an affect at some point. The Redden and Naslund signings were solid, but you don’t know what you’re going to get out of Nikolai Zherdev. I guess we’ll know by March if it was a good summer or not in the Big Apple.
Ottawa Senators: F
I’ve been critical of the Sens’ off-season ever since July 1. I honestly don’t know what Bryan Murray is doing in the nation’s capital. They’ve lost out just about anyone you can think of. Maybe this trade that’s about to happen could benefit them, but this was not the summer Ottawa needed after their late-season struggles last year.
Philadelphia Flyers: D
The cap-strapped Flyers didn’t really have much room to do anything this summer. They did a nice job by getting a lot in return for Umberger, but it’s hard to give them a good grade when they’re not very active at all.
Phoenix Coyotes: B
Gretzky and company needed to make a splash this summer, and did so by trading for Olli Jokinen. They also added good depth on the blue line by signing David Hale and Kurt Sauer. IMO, the ‘Yotes will be in the playoff discussion with this very solid summer.
Pittsburgh Penguins: C
It was a given that they were going to lose Malone and Hossa. But they recovered nicely with the signings of Fedotenko and Satan. Ray Shero also did a great job by locking up Malkin and Fleury long-term.
San Jose Sharks: B
This was a big summer for the Sharks organization, and they’ve done a good job thus far. The hiring of Todd McLellan as coach was a great move. The acquisitions of Rob Blake & Dan Boyle will bolster the defense significantly. If this particular team doesn’t improve their playoff woes, San Jose is officially cursed.
St. Louis Blues: C-.
It’s been a very quiet summer for the Blues. They got a nice backup for Legace with the trade for Chris Mason. But it’s safe to say the Blues didn’t improve their team this summer.
Tampa Bay Lightning: A-
First Stamkos, then Melrose, then Malone, then Vrbata, then… This summer never ended for the Bolts. And they’ve completely revived the fan base down in Florida. All of these moves were great for the offense, but they still need some help on the blue line.
Toronto Maple Leafs: C-
They paid outrageous money for Jeff Finger, but bringing in Nik Hagman and Jamal Mayers will help. But it appears to me that the Leafs are preparing to make a run for phenom John Tavares in next year’s entry draft.
Vancouver Canucks: B-
GM Mike Gillis has brought in some good scoring depth with Demitra, Bernier, and Wellwood. If they’re able to get Mats Sundin in the near future, this grade goes up to an A.
Washington Capitals: B-
Replacing Huet with Theodore for less money was a nice move by the Caps. Also, the re-signing of Sergei Fedorov will significantly help the Caps. Solid off-season for Washington as they look to defend their division title this winter.

NHL Arena Rankings

Over the last 2 weeks, I've conducted surveys across the world wide web on each arena in the NHL. It obviously wasn't the best way to do this, but close enough! Hundreds of fans have responded, using this criteria:

1. Arena atmosphere

2. Fan hospitality

3. Fan knowledge

4. Concessions

5. Gameday promotions

6. Arena surroundings

7. Arena parking

8. The arena itself

9. History & Tradition - applies to team, not arena

10. Ticket prices

11. On-ice product
- 1-7 I put on the survey that the fans responded to... they rated each one 1-10, with 10 being the highest. Then, I rated 8-11 by myself, using the internet and various data.

- The way I ranked the arenas was to add/average all the totals from the surveys... The Bell Centre in Montreal finished with a 91 rating; Staples Center with a 68. All other 28 arenas fell in between.

- This is about the overall experience of visiting the arena on a game night, not just the arena itself.

So, without further ado, here are the rankings:

1. BELL CENTRE (Canadiens)

Strengths: Atmosphere, Arena surroundings, History & tradition

Weakness: Ticket prices

One fans says - "Every night it is 21,273 of the most hardcore, impassioned fans in the world. They sing, chant, and scream until their throats are hoarse..."

2. HP PAVILION (Sharks)

Strengths: Ticket prices, Atmosphere

Weaknesses: Concessions, Promotions

One fan says - "I love the downtown area around the arena. I always go out to dinner before the games and there are a variety of restaurants to choose from. A lot of the restaurants also have TVs so you can watch games while eating."

3. NATIONWIDE ARENA (Blue Jackets)

Strengths: Arena surroundings, Arena itself

Weaknesses: Fan knowledge, History & tradition

4. PRUDENTIAL CENTER (Devils)

Strengths: Arena itself, Concessions, Fan hospitality

Weaknesses: Arena surroundings, Ticket prices

One fan says - "Hospitality of the crowd is top notch, as 99% of Devils fans aren't idiots who throw beer or start fights with fans of other teams."

5. HONDA CENTER (Ducks)

Strengths: Arena surroundings, Atmosphere

Weaknesses: Fan knowledge, Promotions

One fan says - "Attending the games at Honda Center is a total blast. The atmosphere is awesome and you can feel energy as soon as you enter."

6. MADISON SQUARE GARDEN (Rangers)

Strengths: History & tradition, Atmosphere

Weaknesses: Concessions, Promotions

7. XCEL ENERGY CENTER (Wild)

Strengths: Atmosphere, Arena itself

Weaknesses: Ticket prices, Promotions

8. JOE LOUIS ARENA (Red Wings)

Strengths: History & tradition, Atmosphere

Weakness: Arena surroundings

9. JOBING.COM ARENA (Coyotes)

Strengths: Arena surroundings, Parking

Weaknesses: Fan knowledge, History & tradition

One fan says - "The outside of the arena is amazing with the Cardinals stadium and the new attractions closeby!"

10. HSBC ARENA (Sabres)

Strengths: Ticket prices, Arena itself, Atmosphere

Weaknesses: Promotions, Arena surroundings

One fan says - "I have been to very few dull games post lockout."

11. WACHOVIA CENTER (Flyers)

Strengths: Atmosphere, Arena itself

Weaknesses: Ticket prices, Parking

12. SOMMET CENTER (Predators)

Strengths: Arena surroundings, Arena itself

Weaknesses: Fan knowledge, History & tradition

One fan says - "Nashville is the only place in the league where you'll find all of the country music bars right outside the arena. Great atmosphere in the arena and after the games out in the bars!"

13. RBC CENTER (Hurricanes)

Strengths: Ticket prices, Fan hospitality

Weaknesses: Arena surroundings, Parking

One fan says - "Lots of new hockey fans, it is catching on. I have introduced hockey to 6-7 people who are now faithful 'Caniacs."

14. VERIZON CENTER (Capitals)

Strengths: Arena surroundings, Atmosphere

Weaknesses: Concessions, Fan hospitality

One fan says - "Down the stretch this past season, the place was packed almost every night with Caps fans, and rockin'!"

15. MELLON ARENA (Penguins)

Strengths: Atmosphere, History & tradition

Weaknesses: Arena itself, Arena surroundings

16. GM PLACE (Canucks)

Strengths: History & tradition, Atmosphere

Weaknesses: Ticket prices, Parking

17. PHILIPS ARENA (Thrashers)

Strengths: Arena itself, Parking

Weaknesses: Fan knowledge, History & tradition

18. SCOTTRADE CENTER (Blues)

Strengths: Ticket prices, Fan hospitality

Weaknesses: Concessions, Promotions

19. PENGROWTH SADDLEDOME (Flames)

Strengths: Atmosphere, Fan knowledge

Weaknesses: Promotions, Ticket prices

20. AMERICAN AIRLINES CENTER (Stars)

Strengths: Ticket prices, Arena itself

Weaknesses: Concessions, Parking

21. BANKATLANTIC CENTER (Panthers)

Strengths: Parking, Arena surroundings

Weaknesses: Ticket prices, Fan knowledge

One fan says - "The parking is GREAT! There's a lot of it and it's free. Also the BAC is located right off 1-75 and its easy to get to."

22. PEPSI CENTER (Avalanche)

Strengths: Arena surroundings, History & tradition

Weaknesses: Promotions, Concessions

One fan says - "Lots of stuff to do and lots of places to grab a bite from in the surrounding two blocks."

23. UNITED CENTER (Blackhawks)

Strengths: History & tradition, Concessions

Weaknesses: Fan hospitality, Arena itself

24. ST. PETE TIMES FORUM (Lightning)

Strengths: Arena surroundings, Arena itself

Weaknesses: Fan knowledge, Concessions

25. TD BANKNORTH GARDEN (Bruins)

Strengths: Arena surroundings, History & tradition

Weaknesses: Ticket prices, Fan hospitality

One fan says - "Original Six fans know their hockey."

26. AIR CANADA CENTRE (Maple Leafs)

Strengths: History & tradition, Arena surroundings

Weaknesses: Ticket prices, Atmosphere

27. SCOTIABANK PLACE (Senators)

Strength: Arena itself

Weaknesses: Concessions, Ticket prices

28. NASSAU COLISEUM (Islanders)

Strengths: History & tradition, Arena surroundings

Weaknesses: Atmosphere, Arena itself

29. REXALL PLACE (Oilers)

Strengths: History & tradition, Atmosphere

Weaknesses: Arena surroundings, Ticket prices

One fan says - "I love the atmosphere of Rexall. Every time I've gone to a game it's been loud and exciting."

30. STAPLES CENTER (Kings)

Strength: History & tradition

Weaknesses: Arena surroundings, Fan hospitality, Promotions

THANK YOU TO ALL FANS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE SURVEY!!

Dates/Games I'm looking forward to

Circle these dates on your calendar:

October 4th – Opening day of the season in Sweden and Czech Republic. These matchups (Rangers-Bolts, Sens-Pens) are actually interesting compared to last year’s opening weekend across the pond (Queens-Ducks).
October 9th – The real opening night of the NHL! Leafs-Wings, Sharks-Ducks, and Flames-Canucks highlight this night’s action.
October 11th – Montreal and Toronto face-off for the first time this season. Also, Detroit visits Ottawa, Philly hosts the Rangers, and the Flames and Canucks play the second of their home-and-home to open the season.
October 15th – Edmonton at Anaheim… it’s the rematch of the ’06 Western Conference Finals. Or is there something else that goes on between these two??
October 16th – The up-and-coming Caps-Pens rivalry continues as Washington visits Pittsburgh.
October 20th – The return of Sean Avery to Manhattan!! Stars at Rangers should provide some fireworks…
October 25th – It’s the only day of the year that all 30 teams play on the same day.
October 30th – San Jose gets their first their crack at the champs as Detroit comes to town. Are the new look Sharks ready to take down the Wings??
November 11th – A rematch of the finals as Detroit hosts Pittsburgh. Will Orpik attempt to lay out Mr. Hossa??
December 26th – I’m a bit biased on this one, but Detroit makes their first visit to Nashville on this night. Wings-Preds at the Sommet Center is always a rockin’ atmosphere… plus its one day after Xmas.
January 1st – Duh… Detroit-Chicago in the Winter Classic at Wrigley. I absolutely cannot wait for this one… the rebirth of the ‘Hawks versus the reigning champs! Bowl games get pushed aside on New Year’s.
January 25th – All-Star Game in Montreal… usually I don’t really look forward to the ASG until about a week before, but not this year. It’s the centennial season for the Habs, so this ASG could be a special one at the Bell Centre.
February 21st – Hockey Day in Canada!! NHL got this one right… Sens at Habs, Canucks at Leafs, and Flames at Oilers. NHL Center Ice shall be running all day on my tube.
April 12th – The last day of the regular season. Rangers-Flyers and ‘Hawks-Wings highlight this day’s schedule.
April 15th – Who wouldn’t be excited for this day?? Bring on the playoffs!!!

Friday's News & Notes

- Ryan Miller signed a contract extension with the Sabres for 5 years, $31.25 million. GREAT job by GM Darcy Regier...
- Michel Therrien signed a new 3-year contract with the Penguins.
- Johan Holmqvist is going to Sweden, Andrei Zyuzin to Russia, Curtis Brown to Switzerland
- The IIHF has suspended 6 players from international play: Alexander Radulov, Nikita Filatov, Thomas Mojzis, Jason Krog, Fedor Fedorov, and Viktor Tikhonov.
- Angelo Esposito signed a multi-year deal with the Thrashers.
- Jonathan Toews has been named captain of the Blackhawks... pretty high honors for a 2nd year player!

Blockbuster in the works

The Ottawa Sun is reporting that this 3-team trade could go down in the very near future:

Sens would acquire: Nikolai Khabibulin and either B. Seabrook or C. Barker
Kings: Martin Gerber and Andrej Meszaros
Blackhawks: Anze Kopitar

I'll throw in my 2 cents here... I would expect either Vermette or Neil to be included in this deal, also. And, I would just keep laughing at the Kings. Trading Kopitar?? Wow...

The Schedule is out!

Here's the link
Schedule

All Teams Can Improve But At What Cost?

Hey guys im Scotty I will write a blog once a week on here. I just want to say i'm not the greatest blogger I am a breaking news kind of guy but ill do my best here we go.

Now we all know that the best times to improve your team are July 1st(NHL Free Agency) and February 26th(NHL Trade Deadline). Now for free agency, its harder for the lower key teams to pickup guys for 2 reason: 1.The lower key teams don't have the money and 2. The Lower Key teams don't have as good a chance at the Stanley Cup. I'm not saying that the lower key teams, teams like Atlanta And Columbus cant improve but at what cost? Almost all lower key teams at the free agency period have to overpay and i estimate an overpay of 2.5 million on average per year. So lets say the team gets 3 great players and they overpay each by 2.5 million then thats 7.5 million dollars that was used to overpay which leads to 1 of 2 things, it could lead to going over the salary cap limit or it could mean every player that says i want to go to lets say Atlanta will ask for more than there value because they know that theres a good chance a lower key team will give it to them if they have it.

Now For the NHL Trade Deadline: This is the time of year for teams in the playoff hunt to gear up for the final stretch and teams on the outside looking in to dismantle there team and rebuild. Believe it or not for some teams that want to improve its tough because most likely the team unloading there players will want picks and prospects in return and depending on what caliber player you get in return the picks and prospects will have to be higher and of better caliber. So if your a contender or a team in the playoff hunt be prepared that if you want your team to take it to the whole next level that you better be ready to part with some future stars.

So AT WHAT COST? Future Picks,Prospects and Lots Of Overpaying For Low Key Teams.


Im Scotty!

Today's happenings around the NHL

- Predators re-signed RFA d-man Kevin Klein to a 2-year deal.
- Edmonton signed Shawn Horcoff to a 6-year, $33 million extension... good move by the Oilers. Horcoff is kind of the heart & soul of the team, IMO.
- Buffalo re-signed RFA forward Daniel Paille to a multiyear deal. I think he's going to have a breakthrough season this year.
- RFA Jeff Tambellini re-signed with the Isles for 2 years.
- Atlanta has come to terms with RFA goalie Kari Lehtonen on a 1-year deal. This is the make-or-break season for Lehtonen...
- Terry Murray is going to be the coach of the Los Angeles Kings. They are in the finalizing processes.

Schedule teaser

The following are the home openers for most of the teams. The full schedule will be released tomorrow...
Anaheim Ducks
Sunday, Oct. 12 vs. Phoenix Coyotes
Atlanta Thrashers
Friday, Oct. 10 vs. Washington Capitals
Boston Bruins
Monday, Oct. 20 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
Buffalo Sabres
Friday, Oct. 10 vs. Montreal Canadiens
Calgary Flames
Saturday, Oct. 11 vs. Vancouver Canucks
Carolina Hurricanes
Friday, Oct. 10 vs. Florida Panthers
Chicago Blackhawks
TBA
Colorado Avalanche
TBA
Columbus Blue Jackets
Friday, Oct. 17 vs. Nashville Predators
Dallas Stars
Friday, Oct. 10 vs. Columbus Blue Jackets
Detroit Red Wings
Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
Edmonton Oilers
TBA
Florida Panthers
Saturday, Oct. 11 vs. Atlanta Thrashers
Los Angeles Kings
Sunday, Oct. 12 vs. San Jose Sharks
Minnesota Wild
Saturday, Oct. 11 vs. Boston Bruins
Montreal Canadiens
Wednesday, Oct. 15 vs. Boston Bruins
Nashville Predators
Saturday, Oct. 11 vs. Dallas Stars
New Jersey Devils
Friday, Oct. 10 vs. New York Islanders
New York Islanders
TBA
New York Rangers
TBA
Ottawa Senators
Saturday, Oct. 11 vs. Detroit Red Wings
Philadelphia Flyers
Saturday, Oct. 11 vs. New York Rangers
Phoenix Coyotes
TBA
Pittsburgh Penguins
Saturday, Oct. 11 vs. New Jersey Devils
San Jose Sharks
Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. Anaheim Ducks
St. Louis Blues
TBA
Tampa Bay Lightning
TBA
Toronto Maple Leafs
TBA
Vancouver Canucks
Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. Calgary Flames
Washington Capitals
Saturday, Oct. 11 vs. Chicago Blackhawks

2009 Winter Classic announced

Today, the NHL announced the site/matchup of the 2009 Winter Classic. It will be between Original Six rivals Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings, and will play on New Year's Day at Wrigley Field, home of baseball's Chicago Cubs. Yes it's no surprise since it's been rumored for the last few months, but it's now official.

I cannot think of a better place for the Winter Classic than Wrigley Field! I've personally been to Wrigley twice, and there's just something magical about that ballpark. With the 'Hawks coming back to respectability in this league, having two of the brightest young stars in this game, the NHL hit the jackpot with this matchup. Oh yeah, their opponent? The defending champs, and the nationally-loved Red Wings. This will be a great game that the NHL can advertise very easily. It shall be a special atmosphere on the north side on January 1st! Here's to hoping Wrigley doesn't collapse when the Cubs win the World Series in October...

Tuesday Tidbits

- Veteran Dallas Drake has announced his retirement from the NHL after playing 16 years of hard-nosed hockey.
- D-man Joe DiPenta has signed with a team in Sweden. I can't remember the last time that so many NHLers went elsewhere overseas...
- The Blue Jackets have traded forward Joakim Lindstrom to the Ducks for a conditional draft pick.
- Yesterday, the Stars gave head coach Dave Tippett a 2-year extension. Pretty nice for him after he was on the hot seat heading into the playoffs...
- Also yesterday, Ryan Hollweg was traded by the Rangers to Toronto for a 5th round draft pick in 2009.
- HockeyBuzz.com is reporting that Terry Murray is the leading candidate to be hired as head coach of the Los Angeles Kings.

*more info as it becomes available

Ted Nolan fired by the Isles

Today's firing of New York Islanders head coach Ted Nolan is just the latest of a long line of poor management decisions. It's sad that Nolan became the victim instead of GM Garth Snow. Nolan got the most out of his team two years ago when the Isles snuck into the playoffs as the eight seed. He did so again last season, as New York's second team was within striking distance of a return to the postseason until March.

Snow should be the one walking out the door on the island. He's made some bad/suspicious signings the last couple of years. To add on to that, he traded down twice in the draft to select Josh Bailey, which most experts believe he picked him too early. In the process, Snow passed up on big-time defenseman Luke Schenn and power-forward Colin Wilson.

There hasn't been any news on who Nolan could be replaced by, but unless its John Tortorella, the new hiring will probably be a downgrade to Nolan. I'm just going to throw this name out there -- Mike Milbury... something to keep an eye on!

Another reason why today's move was curious was the timing. Why didn't the Islanders brass make this decision back in June when everyone else was hiring & firing?? Who knows...

Other news today:
- Goalie Mike Smith received a 2-year extension from the Tampa Bay Lightning. This basically means he & Kolzig will share the duties to start the season, while Karri Ramo will return to the AHL to polish his game.
- There is a trade brewing between the 'Hawks and Sens, involving Vermette and Cam Barker... stay tuned!
- Flyers center Patrick Thoresen has signed a 1-year contract with Lugano of the Swiss League.
- Kris Draper's daughter, Kamryn, took a dump in the Cup...

Rising salary cap bringing NHL back to pre-lockout memories

In the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals, Daniel Alfredsson scored in overtime of Game 5 to send the Ottawa Senators to their first Stanley Cup Final. Little did we know that that was the abrupt ending to the Buffalo Sabres’ two-year prominence in the Eastern Conference. One month later, the small-market Sabres had to say goodbye to their co-captains, and faces of the franchise, Daniel Briere and Chris Drury, to Philadelphia and New York, respectively. Those two moves right there signaled that a problem was brewing in the post-lockout era.

The Sabres simply couldn’t afford the two because of the rising salary cap. The rise of the cap allowed the Flyers and Rangers to outbid Buffalo to bring in the ex-Sabres. Now we sit a year-plus later, and Lindy Ruff and company had to waive goodbye to the premier puck-moving defenseman in the league, Brian Campbell… this time, at the Trade Deadline. And, there’s no guarantee that Sabres GM Darcy Regier will be able to hang on to starting goaltender Ryan Miller past this upcoming season. Miller is due to become an unrestricted free agent next July 1, and there’s already rumors that he’ll leave Buffalo for the Motor City, or another big-market team that will be able to outbid the Sabres.

Remember the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs?? That could be the last time that the last four teams standing were smaller-market teams (Ducks, Sabres, Hurricanes, and Oilers). Now we fast forward to this past season. The Red Wings, Penguins, Flyers, and Stars were the last four standing… all large-market clubs. You see a difference, eh?

In the summer of 2005, Paul Kariya and Adam Foote signed with Nashville and Columbus, respectively, in what seemed to be a big change in the way free agency will function in the post-lockout era. But just in this off-season, we’ve seen Marian Hossa sign with Detroit over Edmonton, and Brian Campbell leave San Jose to sign with Chicago. We’ve also seen that the Blue Jackets have to overpay free agents to get to the floor… and they’re still not there. The Nashville Predators were able to use the revenue-sharing mula to lock up their young core (Suter, Weber, etc). But with roughly $14 million to spend, the Preds are standing pat because they barely have anymore money left in the budget, while the larger-market teams are spending up to the ceiling of the salary cap.

And all of this may seem bad now, but in the next couple of years, parity could become scarce if the salary cap doesn’t stop rising. The fore-mentioned Miller, Ilya Kovalchuk, Rick Nash, Marian Gaborik, and Olli Jokinen are all due to become UFA’s within the next three summers. There’s a good possibility that they’ll leave their smaller-market (or non-traditional market) teams for the likes of New York, Detroit, and Toronto. This will cause the Columbus’s and Phoenix’s of the world to shift back to their pre-lockout strategy. That is, to rebuild or re-stock through the draft and hope those draft picks become stars in the NHL.

Personally, I loved the 2005-06 season. I am a fan of the Predators, so I was able to witness a small- and non-traditional market team become a formidable opponent to the rest of the National Hockey League. And then in the postseason, the Sabres and Oilers sent shockwaves through the league with their separate Cinderella runs towards the Stanley Cup. The league was back, and the parity seemed to be able to match the NFL’s. But this season reminded me too much of a campaign back in 2000 or 2001. Not even one “small-market” team made it into the second round.

Now, I realize the Flyers and Bruins made catastrophic rebounds from the 06-07 season to make the playoffs, and that Tampa Bay may pull off a similar feat this year; but the overall parity seems to be trickling down to the pre-lockout stages.

Could the Predators, Sabres, Jackets, Coyotes, and the rest of the small-market teams compete this upcoming season?? For sure! But it likely won’t be for a 3-5 year stretch, because looking down the road, the current stars on those teams could be leaving to the highest bidder. I hope Commissioner Gary Bettman and other higher-ups in the league offices realize what is going on. Because if this pace keeps up for the next 5-10 years, we could very well see a franchise move its team, or fold altogether… or we may go through another season like 2004-05… oh wait. Let’s hope for the best!!

Williams signs with Atlanta, not Ottawa

TSN is indeed reporting that the Atlanta Thrashers have signed Jason Williams to a 1-year, $2.2 million contract. This is contrary to the numerous reports on Saturday that Williams had signed with the Senators. For Atlanta, this is a great move. Williams fits in the smaller hockey market, and will thrive if he ends up centering the top line with Kovalchuk.
Now for the Sens, the off-season circus continues. GM Bryan Murray keeps striking out on free agents that could contribute to the team. There's not much left for Murray to pick up. Ladislav Nagy and Brendan Shanahan could be nice additions, but if they trade Antoine Vermette, they're not gaining anything up front. The Sens Army better hope the big three stay healthy, or else Ottawa will be in a world of hurt (no pun intended).

Preseason Schedules

Here are links to some pre-season schedules... if anyone knows of any other teams that have announced their's, please post that link in the comment box!
Anaheim Ducks
Atlanta Thrashers
Carolina Hurricanes
Detroit Red Wings
Florida Panthers
Nashville Predators
Phoenix Coyotes
St. Louis Blues

Lecavalier officially a Bolt for life...

Lightning superstar Vincent Lecavalier signed an 11-year, $85 million contract yesterday. The contract includes a full no-trade clause. Props to Tampa management. Lecavalier is arguably the best all-around player in the league right now, as he tallied 92 points last season (with the worst team in the league), and can play well on defense. Tampa Bay now has two centers (Vinny + Stamkos) in which they can build around for years to come. I really like the direction this team is going... now if they can only get some defense/goaltending!!

Shanahan To Russia???

Hi I'm Scotty from the website hockeybums.blogspot.com I have now become a partner with the RED LIGHT DISTRICT website and will have a blog or 2 up every week. I thought with my first appearance I would give you a new rumor, Shanahan To Russia???

http://hockeybums.blogspot.com/2008/07/shanahan-to-russia.html

Leave Comments!

Scotty

Malkin vs. Ovechkin: Who's better?

NOTE: this story originally ran in March, but I'm just going to bring up the debate once again...

The great new individual rivalry in the NHL is Evgeni Malkin vs. Alexander Ovechkin. These two were drafted 1-2 in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the Caps and Pens, respectively. Ovechkin's currently leading Malkin by one point in the race for the Art Ross Trophy. Ovechkin has the razzle, Malkin has dazzle. This is truly turning into one of sports’ great player rivalries, like Kobe-Shaq, and Brady-Manning. Heck, both are from Russia.

In January, these two got into it a few times in Washington’s 6-5 shootout win in Pittsburgh. Malkin laid a massive hit on Ovechkin, and AO took exception to it.

Ovechkin- AO is more fun to watch between the two, because of his razzle dazzle playing style, and the fact that he leads the NHL in goals with 52. His skills are so off the hook that he can score a goal on his back while sliding away from the net from an impossible angle… with one hand on his stick (OK, so maybe he had a little luck, too!). But “Ovie” is truly the game’s most pure talent, and I have a good feeling we’re only seeing the beginning. I’ve never seen anyone with more accuracy and speed on a wrist shot than Ovie.

Malkin- Geno brings a different style to the game compared to Ovie. He can single-handedly dominate a game by himself. Malkin has been the MVP this season in the NHL, propelling the Penguins to the top of the East with Crosby sidelined with an ankle injury. In the 21 games that Sid missed, Malkin notched 11 multi-point games, including a five game stretch where he tallied 15 points. It seems like he brings that extra flare to the table when it’s needed most. He’s undoubtedly one of the best playmakers in hockey today.

So this raises the debate: Malkin or Ovechkin? Many experts will favor AO because he’s been in the league a year longer, and makes the highlight reel on ESPN every week, and that’s saying something! Plus, they’ll bring up the argument that he plays with middle-of-the-road or inexperienced players, which makes him more impressive.

Although I agree with latter half of that previous statement, I’d have to go with Malkin. I love Ovechkin… probably my favorite player that’s not on a Predator. But if you’re asking who’s a better NHL player, I’m going with Malkin. Geno’s puck possession skills and unselfishness are a main reason why he goes ahead AO. He wins almost every loose puck battle along the boards, and can make the perfect pass to setup a goal. I’ll always remember a goal he scored in his fourth NHL game against the Devils when he stick-handled through the Devils defense, then juked Martin Brodeur for the goal, which a pivotal point in the game. Plus, like Ovechkin, he hasn’t reached his full potential yet, which is a really scary thought.

Radulov defecting to Russia - updated!

I really don't want to believe this...

As you probably know, I'm a season-ticket holder for the Predators. Today's reports that Alexander Radulov is indeed going back home to Russia have stunned me left and right. But I guess it's just part of the business. Nashville's lineup has just taken a HUGE hit. The Preds were depending on him big-time to have his breakthrough season this winter. And with Steve Sullivan's status, the offense will be pretty bleak barring a trade made by GM David Poile.
The timing of this is what really gets me...
1. Yesterday, the NHL and the new Russian League reached an agreement to not have players go back and forth. Radulov has a year left in his contract with Nashville, so he'd be breaking this new agreement, with my understanding of this deal.
2. He waited 11 days too long to make this decision. I'm sure Poile isn't the happiest man right now. Who knows what he would've done during the frenzy if he had known about Radulov defecting. It makes me unhappy, too!
In his year and a half wearing the blue and gold, Rads instantly became a fan favorite at the Sommet Center. His sick skills kept Preds fans on the edge of their seats when he had the puck on his stick. Speaking on the behalf of Pred Nation, we are very sad to see Radulov go. This could be considered a dark day in recent Preds history.

Comments from Poile:
"Alex is under contract with the Nashville Predators through the 2008-09 season. We are looking forward to him being here for training camp and being a part of this franchise's success for years to come."
Comments from Bill Daly:
"It is our understanding, based on the representations made both at our meeting yesterday, but also at an earlier meeting with Mr. Medvedev in May, that the Russian League will not allow a player to play in violation of his contractual obligations in the NHL."
----
GM Feaster out in Tampa
Story per TSN
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=243131&lid=headline&lpos=topStory_main
I'm a bit shocked by this, considering the overhaul they've just done in free agency... the new owners probably want to get their own guy.

Finally a Canuck

After weeks of speculation and anticipation, winger Pavol Demitra has signed with the Vancouver Canucks. Terms of the deal are not disclosed.

Immediately following Minnesota's loss to Colorado in the opening round of the playoffs, Demitra visited Vancouver in anticipation of this summer's free agency. And after a week of speculation, Demitra has finally landed in his desired destination. Demitra will certainly give the Canucks a boost offensively.

Now the question is, what kind of effect does this have on Vancouver's pursuit of Mats Sundin?? It was thought that Demitra was waiting for Sundin's decision. Have the Canucks given up on Mats? Has Mats made his decision? Something to think about...

Other headlines today:
- Martin Straka has signed a 1-year deal with a Czech Republic team... no surprise... this was expected.
- The Oilers have signed veteran defenseman Jason Strudwick to a 1-year deal.

Mid-summer Power Rankings

With everything starting to take shape for this season, here are my power rankings:

1. Detroit Red Wings
I can’t see any reason why the Wings shouldn’t be at the top of the list. The champs have added superstar Marian Hossa, and solid backup Ty Conklin. Dominik Hasek is really the only player Detroit has lost.
2. Montreal Canadiens
The Habs have a really good looking team with the additions of Alex Tanguay and Georges Laraque. They’ll miss Mark Streit on the power play, but someone will step up like Streit did in the absence of Souray. I think Montreal is the odds-on favorite in the east right now.
3. Dallas Stars
I believe the Stars may be the only team that can challenge the Wings for the west. They are solid in every phase of the game, and the addition of Avery will certainly help.
4. Pittsburgh Penguins
Yes, they lost Malone and Hossa, but the Pens have recovered nicely with the signings of Cooke, Fedotenko, and Satan. Sid and Geno have enough tools around them to make another run for the Cup.
5. San Jose Sharks
The Sharks have re-structured that blue line nicely. Rob Blake and Dan Boyle will bring some well-needed leadership in front of Nabokov. If Todd McClellan can get the minds right in the locker room, they could be the best team in the league… but I still have my doubts.
6. Philadelphia Flyers
Philly has been strapped by the cap this summer, having to trade away playoff star R.J. Umberger. They still have three good scoring lines along with good depth on the blue line. This is a team that could easily take the east this season.
7. Washington Capitals
I think the Caps are well on their way to another division title. Bringing back Sergei Fedorov was huge. Jose Theodore isn’t Cristobal Huet, but he’s enough between the pipes with the dynamite offense. Washington is a sleeper to lift the Cup next year.
8. New York Rangers
The Blueshirts have great depth on both sides of the puck with arguably the best goalie in the world – Henrik Lundqvist. It will be tough to breakthrough, though, with the top of the east being so good.
9. Calgary Flames
I think they’re playoff mainstays as long as they have Iginla, Phaneuf, and Kiprusoff. Cammalleri is a very good addition… he and Iginla will be a great 1-2 punch. They also have great grit to go along with the top line.
10. New Jersey Devils
I think the Rolston signing will pay off in the end, but I still think Lamoriello overpaid for him. New Jersey is still very capable of winning the crapshoot that is the Atlantic Division.
11. Chicago Blackhawks
Brian Campbell and Cristobal Huet make the ‘Hawks a very formidable team. Fans in the Windy City should be very excited for this upcoming season. If Martin Havlat can stay healthy, Chicago could come away with home ice in the first round.
12. Boston Bruins
I love this team. Tim Thomas became a big-time goaltender last season. Their top six forwards are very good as a group. Boston could very well sneak up and take the division if the Canadiens take a step back.
13. Edmonton Oilers
This is another team that I really like. It’ll be fun to see Edmonton and Calgary duke it out this winter for the division. The trades they made improved their team, and have a lot of momentum coming off the finish of last year.
14. Anaheim Ducks
I think Anaheim could be a question mark for the postseason. Brendan Morrison was a nice signing, but they haven’t improved from last year. And with so little depth up front, any injury to Getzlaf or Perry could really set this team back.
15. Nashville Predators
The Predators did a nice job locking up the core for years to come. The blue line is very underrated, and the locker room has tremendous chemistry. If Dan Ellis can repeat last year’s excellence, the Preds could fit into the playoffs as a 6 or 7 seed.
16. Tampa Bay Lightning
The Bolts have made some significant changes this summer. I like their offense… they have three lines that could score at any time. But I have my doubts about their defense and goaltending. They still have some work to do back there to become a Cup contender.
17. Minnesota Wild
They are among the losers of this offseason. Jacques Lemaire’s bunch will need win a lot of 2-1games to make the playoffs. Could this be the last season that Backstrom and Gaborik suit up in green and red??
18. Ottawa Senators
I don’t know what Bryan Murray’s doing up there. At this moment, Ottawa’s not a playoff team. Gerber and Auld just do not cut it between the pipes. Murray needs to add another defenseman and offensive depth this summer.
19. Carolina Hurricanes
I don’t know what to make of these ‘Canes. A part of me says they could compete with the Caps for the Southeast, and the other says they will disappoint once again. I’ll settle for somewhere in-between, and they’ll compete for one of the last spots for the playoffs.
20. Colorado Avalanche
They’ve taken a hit this offseason. Joe Sakic needs to return for Colorado to taste the playoffs again. There’s a big question mark in net with Budaj and Raycroft taking over the reigns.
21. Phoenix Coyotes
Sleeper team for the playoffs, no doubt. Olli Jokinen is a great fit in the desert, and the youth movement continues as Kyle Turris will likely make the club this fall. I wouldn’t be surprised if they made a serious run at the postseason.
22. Buffalo Sabres
Darcy Regier and company are having a tough time bringing in players to play in Buffalo. With the potential loss of Ryan Miller after next season, this could be the last chance this core group has to thrill the Sabres fans in April.
23. Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver will be a playoff team if they could land Mats Sundin. But right now, the Canucks just don’t have enough firepower to make it in the west.
24. Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus is still a year or two away from making the playoffs. Time is running out on them as Rick Nash is due to become a free agent after the 09-10 season. To win in the west, you have to have a solid defense. The additions of Huselius and Umberger are a step in the right direction, but they need to boost the blue line before the state of Ohio starts talking playoffs.
25. St. Louis Blues
I’m surprised the Blues haven’t made any big moves this summer. I would’ve thought they would make a run at some second tier free agents after last year’s disappointment.
26. Florida Panthers
I have a hard time believing that the ‘Cats will compete this season. Peter DeBoer won’t last long in South Florida, and basically have no offense left after the Jokinen trade. Horton and Booth have some great upside, but the playoff drought will certainly continue for the Panthers.
27. Toronto Maple Leafs
This is easily one of the worst teams in the NHL, talent wise. If it weren’t for Ron Wilson, the Leafs could be at the bottom of this list.
28. New York Islanders
The Islanders are very capable of being the bottom-feeders in the east. Until they build a new arena on the island, New York’s second team will never compete for the Cup in this new era of the NHL.
29. Atlanta Thrashers
Ilya Kovalchuk gives Atlanta its only ray of hope. Kari Lehtonen isn’t living up to expectations, and the Thrashers have very little depth on both sides of the puck.
30. Los Angeles Kings
They still don’t have a coach, and they’ve been very quiet this offseason. Phenoms Jonathan Bernier and Drew Doughty is the Kings’ only hope of reviving the fan base in LA. Barring a miracle, I don’t see the Queens making the playoffs in the next few seasons.