Official NHL Regular Season Thread... Capitals win President's trophy
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by addictedtofreshkicks,
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Oh... haha. Nevermind.
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The casual hockey fan is going to pay good money to see both Crosby and Ovechkin play...as great as Lidstron and Brodeur are, there isn't anyway dudes who casually follow the game are going to pay money to go see. In a shorter amount of time, Crosby/Ovechkin have had a bigger impact on the NHL andtheir globalization than the other two...Originally Posted by bjm5295
@ that thing saying Ovie/Crosby have had a bigger impact on the decade than Lidstrom and Marty. Are they better/the best in the league right now? Sure. Over the decade? No way.
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Steve Mason man
You single handedly ruin my fantasy team week in andweek out and now you're banished to my bench. I gave you the benefit of the doubt and you continuously let me down.
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Well put.Originally Posted by DoubleJs07
The casual hockey fan is going to pay good money to see both Crosby and Ovechkin play...as great as Lidstron and Brodeur are, there isn't any way dudes who casually follow the game are going to pay money to go see. In a shorter amount of time, Crosby/Ovechkin have had a bigger impact on the NHL and their globalization than the other two...Originally Posted by bjm5295
@ that thing saying Ovie/Crosby have had a bigger impact on the decade than Lidstrom and Marty. Are they better/the best in the league right now? Sure. Over the decade? No way.
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Originally Posted by GingersAintBad
Steve Mason manYou single handedly ruin my fantasy team week in and week out and now you're banished to my bench. I gave you the benefit of the doubt and you continuously let me down.
Whats wrong with this guy... It seems like every time i put on a CBJ game, this guy is getting shelled.
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I just read that the Caps are going to be in the Ilya Kovalchuk sweepstakes if he's going to be traded....
That would be a DANGEROUS move IMO...could benefit short term, and if they went to and won the Cup, it would be worth it....
however, there are rumblings that the caps won't retain Semin because he's due for a big pay day and they still have to re-sign Backstrom within thenext year or two. With all the money that is tied into AO, how do you make that Kovalchuk deal happen? Unless either Kovalchuk/Backstrom would be content innot making as much as they hoped....
That would be a DANGEROUS move IMO...could benefit short term, and if they went to and won the Cup, it would be worth it....
however, there are rumblings that the caps won't retain Semin because he's due for a big pay day and they still have to re-sign Backstrom within thenext year or two. With all the money that is tied into AO, how do you make that Kovalchuk deal happen? Unless either Kovalchuk/Backstrom would be content innot making as much as they hoped....
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^ they would be stupid to go after Kovalchuk and just let Semin go... Kovalchuk is unnecessary at his price for the Capitals. They should use that money on agreat defenseman and keep Alex Semin.
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I agree w. you 100%....offense is NOT the problem w. the Caps. Kovalchuk is unnecessary, and I hope that George McPhee & the Caps show alittle restraint.
I would love for them to bring in a bruising d-man who can drop the gloves a little bit. This team gets pushed around like you wouldn't believe, andthat's because no one respects their toughness. Runs are being taken at their stars, and that wasn't necessairly the case when the caps had Brashearlast season.
FWIW, I think it was wise to let Brash go because it makes no sense to pay a guy 1.5 mil to skate 5 minutes per game. That being said, he did police andprotect his teammates big time. If the caps don't go after a d-man, they need to add some toughness...but a guy who can actually put the puck in the net alittle bit. Chris Neil is the first dude who came to mind...
anyways, it's going to be an interesting couple of weeks leading up to the trade deadline.
With Nylander now off the books, the Caps have a ton of flexibility....stay tuned.
Kovalchuk is not a Lemaire/Lamarello type of player, I highly doubt the Devils even call to ask. But if I were Lou, I'd call and see how I could get Vinnyout of TB.
I think Ian White would be a good fit to that Washington team, give them some grit. Asking price may be a little high but you gotta figure Souray pairedw/Green would be lethal and you know it's just a matter of time until Edmonton starts dumping salary.
I think Ian White would be a good fit to that Washington team, give them some grit. Asking price may be a little high but you gotta figure Souray pairedw/Green would be lethal and you know it's just a matter of time until Edmonton starts dumping salary.
[h3]Oilers' trade buzz[/h3]
9:43AM ET
[h5]Edmonton Oilers[/h5]
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The Edmonton Oilers are looking to shake up their roster, and are looking for draft picks and expiring contracts.
But the Ottawa Sun writes that GM Steve Tambellini is having a hard time moving his big contract, as he's trying to deal Shawn Horcoff, Sheldon Souray and Lubomir Visnovksy.
Previously the Edmonton Journal wrote, "As good as some of the young talent on the team is -- namely Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson, Jordan Eberle, Riley Nash, Sam Gagner, Andrew Cogliano, Ladislav Smid and Theo Peckham -- the group needs one or two more big name scorers or defenders to bring this bunch to full potential."
http:// [h3]Selanne trade talks will heat up[/h3]
9:40AM ET
[h5]Teemu Selanne | Ducks[/h5]
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Teemu Selanne may soon go on the block, as the Anaheim Ducks may decide in the next few weeks that their playoff chances are slim.
The Ottawa Sun writes, "GM Bob Murray is expected to start unloading salaries before the March 3 trade deadline. He%u2019s going to get plenty of calls about the 39-year-old Selanne."
Though Selanne has said he wants to stay in Anaheim -- and he has a no-trade clause -- an NHL vet told the Sun, "I'm sure if he had the chance to go somewhere for a couple of months to win the Stanley Cup, he'd think about it."
http:// [h3]Murray, players still at odds?[/h3]
9:36AM ET
[h5]Andy Murray | Blues[/h5]
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Bruce Garrioch has a rumor for us: "St. Louis coach Andy Murray pushed one of his daily scouting reports under a player's hotel door recently and the player pushed it back out. Then, Murray pushed it back in. Can't be true, can it?"
Hmm, interesting. Already, Murray was rumored to be on the hot seat, and Fox Sports' Spector suggested it might have to do with him clashing with some key players: "There were rumors Murray was clashing with some of his young players, particularly Patrik Berglund, who's been a huge disappointment this season after his solid debut in 2008-09."
One possible replacement, according to Bruce Garrioch, is former Atlanta Thrashers coach Bob Hartley.
[h5]Puck Prospectus[/h5]
The talent is there
"St. Louis has a wealth of talented offensive forwards who score above that 2.0 threshold of even-strength points per 60 minutes, like Paul Kariya, Andy McDonald, David Perron, the slumping David Backes and -- if they bounce back -- Brad Boyes and Keith Tkachuk. They also get reliable secondary scoring from youngsters like Patrik Berglund (1.and T. J. Oshie (1.9). Coach Andy Murray has a wealth of talent, it's up to his staff to leverage it." -Robert Vollman
http:// [h3]Blues trade plans[/h3]
9:33AM ET
[h5]St. Louis Blues[/h5]
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The St. Louis Blues might explore some trades while the holiday trade freeze is in effect, and they're out likely looking for options that will boost their scoring.
Though president John Davidson doesn't expect many trades before the Olympics, he said GM Larry Pleau and VP of player personnel Doug Armstrong are out watching a lot of games and observing their options.
"Larry's on the phone all the time every day," Davidson told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "He talks to various general managers around the league. Larry is going on the (road) trip and he'll see the general managers out there in all those cities. One day something might click. If not, we deal with what we have and try to get them to play better."
There really hasn't been many rumors about the Blues in the trade market, other than some odd ones linking them to Jaroslav Halak and Eric Staal -- both likely untrue.
http:// [h3]Gretzky, Messier in NY?[/h3]
9:32AM ET
[h5]New York Rangers[/h5]
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OK, we'll tally this one up in the "purely rumor" bin, but the Ottawa Sun suggests the New York Rangers could rid themselves of GM Glen Sather and coach John Tortorella and bring in Wayne Gretzky as coach and Mark Messier as GM.
It's assumed Messier will take over as GM one day, but several people have suggested might be worth speeding up that process.
Sather's job was rumored to be in danger this week when the buzz was that if the New York Rangers lost to the New York Islanders, they would fire GM Glen Sather.
The only way to know if this was true was if the Rangers lost -- and they didn't. So there's no way to know if the "very reliable" from Craig Carton on WFAN with Boomer Esiason was right (via Hendrick's Hockey).
Most of the experts around the internet are saying he's not going anywhere, like David Pagnotta who writes that he's not going to get canned until the end of the season.
The New York Post adds that there is no indication Sather will be fired -- at least not yet.
http:// [h3]A nixed Halak trade[/h3]
9:29AM ET
[h5]Jaroslav Halak | Canadiens[/h5]
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Montreal Canadiens tried to land Jeff Carter from the Philadelphia Flyers for backup goalie Jaroslav Halak, but the Flyers nixed the trade, the Ottawa Sun reports.
Previously, Spector wrote that the Habs are looking for a scorer, but they'll have to package a pick with Halak to land one.
Habs GM Bob Gainey feels Halak deserves to be a starting goalie, so he may be looking for as much as a top-six forward.
The Sporting News listed three possible destination for the 24-year-old goalie: the Philadelphia Flyers, Dallas Stars and Chicago Blackhawks. The Habs already tried to deal with the Flyers, but they are not interested. The Blackhawks already have a current goalie (Cristobal Huet) and a future goalie (Antti Niemi), so unless they can somehow save money with the trade, it won't happen. The Stars are posssibility because they may not want to re-sign Marty Turco at the end of the season.
Also rumored to be interested are the St. Louis Blues and Detroit Red Wings. The Wings have a long-term and short-term option; the Blues may be interested in a younger goalie (both their goalies are 33) but the veterans are playing very well thus far.
http:// [h3]More Lecavalier trade signs[/h3]
9:26AM ET
[h5]Vincent Lecavalier | Lightning[/h5]
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Tampa Bay Lightning GM Rick Tocchet made Alex Tanguay a healthy scratch last week, which might've gotten on the nerves of Tanguay's good friend, Vincent Lecavalier.
And as Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun writes, "There has been a lot of speculation about Lecavalier's future with the Lightning. Don't be surprised if that situation comes to a head before the trade deadline."
The move probably ticked off Tanguay too, who came to Tampa in the offseason hoping to complement Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis. But with Lecavalier's unhappiness well known around the league, there might be some big shakeups soon.
A Lecavalier trade has long been rumored, but his big contract makes him hard to move. This offseason, however, the Lightning may choose to go with a new generation of players, led by Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman. But this would require trades that won't just happen with the flick of the wrist.
http:// [h3]How Leafs get Kovy[/h3]
9:08AM ET
[h5]Ilya Kovalchuk | Thrashers[/h5]
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Despite all our speculation, Ilya Kovalchuk is still not officially on the trade block. But the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Jeff Schultz writes that it appears Kovalchuk wants more money than the Thrashers are willing to offer.
It's rumored he wants a 10-year deal worth $11.3 million a season -- the maximum allowable contract in accordance with the collective bargaining agreemenet -- but GM Don Waddell has said he isn't willing to give it. That might mean, despite their ongoing negotiations, they will eventually end up at an impasse.
If Kovalchuk somehow gets to free agency, the Toronto Star writes that GM Brian Burke might choose to save up money and spend $10 million on a star like Kovy -- especially given how two of his regulars might demand $10 million combined.
But chances are, he'll be dealt first. So get in line, folks, because this might become a bidding war. Here are the teams that might get involved:
Boston Bruins: ESPN.com's John Buccigross writes that a potential trade might have Kovalchuk going to Boston for Blake Wheeler, Tuukka Rask and the 2010 first round pick they received from Toronto for Phil Kessel. This will need some smart money management.
Colorado Avalanche: This is pure speculation, but Lyle "Spector" Richardson of FoxSports points out on Puck Daddy that the only team that can "comfortably" afford to sign Kovalchuk as an unrestricted free agent is the Avalanche. But they have young players who they might need cap room to sign down the road.
Philadelphia Flyers: The Flyers may also be interest, but there's a lot they have to take care of before working out a deal of this magnitude.
Los Angeles Kings: The Kings are reportedly willing to part with Dustin Brown, but two sources say this rumor is false.
Calgary Flames: Calgary GM Mike Gillis' denied the rumors, as did other Canucks sources in the media, but it's possible they are playing this one close to the vest.
KHL: KHL president Alexander Medvedev might also swoop in with a huge deal. He said he's already talked to Kovalchuk and can offer a better deal than the NHL because of tax laws.
[h5]Puck Prospectus[/h5]
Thrashers' great future
http:// [h3]Leafs might deal forwards[/h3]
9:05AM ET
[h5]Toronto Maple Leafs[/h5]
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The Toronto Maple Leafs are glad Phil Kessel is helping out his teammates so much, but the Toronto Star writes that it could result in his teammates demanding bigger contracts because of their inflated numbers.
The two cases the Star points to are Matt Stajan and Alexei Ponikarovsky. Both have significantly improved with Kessel, and might not be affordable in the offseason.
Stajan is 21st in scoring among centers, which might mean he's due for at least $5 million a year -- a big number to swallow. Ponikarovsky might demand $4 million, without breaking a sweat.
That said, The Star's Damien Cox writes, "If the salary demands of Stajan and Ponikarovsky are too high, either or both could be gone before the deadline even if the Leafs are in the playoff hunt."
http:// [h3]Still no Plekanec talks?[/h3]
8:59AM ET
[h5]Tomas Plekanec | Canadiens[/h5]
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Tomas Plekanec, a free agent-to-be, might still not have heard anything from Montreal Canadiens GM Bob Gainey about an extension.
A month ago, Plekanec told the Montreal Gazette, "The ball is in his court. If he's going to call my agent, he will. We'll see."
And now, La Presse reports there still hasn't been any talks. Gainey has typically refused to negotiate with potential free agent in-season, and he definitely doesn't tell the media about it. But it might also be Gainey realizing he doesn't have money to sign him.
With all the Habs' free agents at season's end -- including Carey Price, Glen Metropolit, Paul Mara, Marc-André Bergeron and Jay Leach -- Gainey will have to make decisions on who to sign an who to let go. So perhaps Plekanec might not fit under the salary cap. Because if he continues to play at this pace, he'll demand about $4 to $5 million a year.
[h5]Puck Prospectus[/h5]
The Rangers should give him a call
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Let me be the the second person to say it, Kovalchuk will not nor will he ever be a Devil. They don't pay for the big names. The only person they will paya significant amount is Parise. Kovalchuk isn't great defensively and the team is doing fine now without him. They have certain players whom they couldpackage but it would almost certainly involve Zajac who they just resigned and other draft picks like Tedenby or Joseffson which they are extremely high on.Its dumb that the writer even said that.
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Marian Gaborik first to 25 goals...
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yeah. i cant even watch the flyers anymore
and im really tired of mr high and wide jeff carter.
and im really tired of mr high and wide jeff carter.
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High and Wide Carter lol, last year everyone of you were slurping dude.
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dude was hitting the net last year.
this year
dont know how many odd man rushes he caused
and Hartnell on the PP
dude is a turnover machine
and Hartnell on the PP
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Devils simply own us this season
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shutout 104
congrats Marty
congrats Marty
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Some D man for the Oilers just had the perfect one timer...on his own net.
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Congrats to Marty, sucks it is against the Pens but it's all good, he is amazing
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Marty
My 3rd favorite goalie behind Roy and Fuhr.
My 3rd favorite goalie behind Roy and Fuhr.
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Did anyone else hear that dumb comment Steigerwald made? (Pens $*!#@ homer announcer)
DeadsetAce
Supporter
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good win by the bruins tonight. timmy really played well tonight...he better get hot considering claude keeps playing his flopping @$*.
savard's pass to marco on his goal was
hats off to marty b too...he's the man
savard's pass to marco on his goal was
hats off to marty b too...he's the man