Thursday, July 10, 2008
OMFG!! Pavol Demitra is a Canuck!
by Jes
PAVOL!!!
PavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavol
PavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavol
PavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavol
PavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavol
PavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavol
So, it's official.
My favourite player landing with my hometown team ... hell must be reeeeeeeeeeaallly cold today
I'll post more tomorrow after I recover from my heart attack.
If anyone knows where to get the best deals on customized jerseys/sweaters in Vancouver, please let me know. Yes, I finally have incentive to get a Canucks sweater after 29 years.
PAVOL!!!
PavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavol
PavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavol
PavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavol
PavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavol
PavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavolPavol
So, it's official.
My favourite player landing with my hometown team ... hell must be reeeeeeeeeeaallly cold today
I'll post more tomorrow after I recover from my heart attack.
If anyone knows where to get the best deals on customized jerseys/sweaters in Vancouver, please let me know. Yes, I finally have incentive to get a Canucks sweater after 29 years.
Labels: Canucks, Free Agent Signings, Pavol Demitra
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Post-Vacation Viewings
by Jes
While on vacation, I was able to access some brief internet forays and day-old newspapers for a bit of NHL news. What I saw was the usual blend of GM madness, Canucks inaction, and Leafs stupidity.
---
The Canucks have put all of their eggs in a cheap Ikea basket with their 2-year offer for Mats Sundin ... $20mil!! If it doesn't work, what is Plan B? I'm a bit nervous about any plan that relies on a guy to make up his mind and ultimately not choose the Canucks.
To those Canucks fans comparing Sundin to Messier: Shut the hell up!
Mats has nary the ego nor lack of drive that Messier had. Messier already had 6 cups, a history of big egoness, and no incentive to win. Sundin? He's still waiting to get his name on the cup.
That is why I think Sundin won't choose the Canucks. Yes, our GM is offering the most cash, but why would Sundin want to play for a mediocre team? If he wanted to do that, he could stay in Toronto.
Meanwhile, the Canucks signed 4th-line/PK specialist Ryan Johnson, because we never have enough of those ... but made up for that by trading 2 draft picks for Steve Bernier.
Remember how Bernier was a big up-and-comer for the San Jose Sharks? At one point, he appeared to be a solid 30-goal Power Forward in the making.
He didn't do much in San Jose, and I blame Ron Wilson's choking system for that. Just ask Patrick Marleau how hard it is to produce offense for that coach.
Bernier clearly needed a change of scenery, and we saw how he could produce during his short Sabres' tenure.
The Lightning are mighty busy, signing and trading with the intent of becoming instant contenders.
The problem? Their defense really sucks, and their goaltending duo isn't exactly solid like a rock.
The Lightning D thus far: Matt Carle, Filip Kuba, Shane O'Brien, Paul Ranger, Alex Picard, and Matt Smaby
Yeah ...
Speaking of the Lightning ... Olaf Kolzig?
This move surprised me for 2 reasons
1. Anyone who saw Kolzig play last season should clearly see that Godzilla is finished
2. Kolzig seemed intent of being a Cap-or-nothing.
I guess $ talks. In this case, it's saying stupid things.
Maid Marian Hossa signed a 1-year deal with the Wings for just over $7mil.
To Wings fans, you have to understand why the rest of us are very angry at this.
Simply put: The rich get richer.
When 29 other teams are trying to win the Cup, it pains us to see a star player take less money to play with the Wings. Imagine if a lot of players started doing this, and the top 4-6 teams were constantly able to lure star talent for 1-2 years for cup runs?
That said, I'm not gonna be like Skeletor Gallagher (I'm too lazy to link his crappy article) and rip on Hossa for what he did.
1. Who cares if Hossa's salary isn't $9-10 mil! Is the NHLPA really going to suffer? Mmm, try looking at some of the signings. Exactly.
2. Hossa has every frickin right to sign with whatever team he wants at whatever price he can get. So, he wants to forego some security and a couple of mil to play for the Wings ... he earned that right.
If I were Hossa, I might very well do the same thing. With the younger UFA age, players can afford to wait 1-2 years to capitalize on that one BIG contract.
Jagr to Russia ... well, this does surprise me.
1. Jagr's goofy sense of humour doesn't mesh well with serious Russians.
2. Russian hockey is extremely defensive and passive in nature. Why does Jagr want to play in a system that is opposite to his own style?
It must be the women.
While on vacation, I was able to access some brief internet forays and day-old newspapers for a bit of NHL news. What I saw was the usual blend of GM madness, Canucks inaction, and Leafs stupidity.
---
To those Canucks fans comparing Sundin to Messier: Shut the hell up!
Mats has nary the ego nor lack of drive that Messier had. Messier already had 6 cups, a history of big egoness, and no incentive to win. Sundin? He's still waiting to get his name on the cup.
That is why I think Sundin won't choose the Canucks. Yes, our GM is offering the most cash, but why would Sundin want to play for a mediocre team? If he wanted to do that, he could stay in Toronto.
Remember how Bernier was a big up-and-comer for the San Jose Sharks? At one point, he appeared to be a solid 30-goal Power Forward in the making.
He didn't do much in San Jose, and I blame Ron Wilson's choking system for that. Just ask Patrick Marleau how hard it is to produce offense for that coach.
Bernier clearly needed a change of scenery, and we saw how he could produce during his short Sabres' tenure.
The problem? Their defense really sucks, and their goaltending duo isn't exactly solid like a rock.
The Lightning D thus far: Matt Carle, Filip Kuba, Shane O'Brien, Paul Ranger, Alex Picard, and Matt Smaby
Yeah ...
This move surprised me for 2 reasons
1. Anyone who saw Kolzig play last season should clearly see that Godzilla is finished
2. Kolzig seemed intent of being a Cap-or-nothing.
I guess $ talks. In this case, it's saying stupid things.
To Wings fans, you have to understand why the rest of us are very angry at this.
Simply put: The rich get richer.
When 29 other teams are trying to win the Cup, it pains us to see a star player take less money to play with the Wings. Imagine if a lot of players started doing this, and the top 4-6 teams were constantly able to lure star talent for 1-2 years for cup runs?
That said, I'm not gonna be like Skeletor Gallagher (I'm too lazy to link his crappy article) and rip on Hossa for what he did.
1. Who cares if Hossa's salary isn't $9-10 mil! Is the NHLPA really going to suffer? Mmm, try looking at some of the signings. Exactly.
2. Hossa has every frickin right to sign with whatever team he wants at whatever price he can get. So, he wants to forego some security and a couple of mil to play for the Wings ... he earned that right.
If I were Hossa, I might very well do the same thing. With the younger UFA age, players can afford to wait 1-2 years to capitalize on that one BIG contract.
1. Jagr's goofy sense of humour doesn't mesh well with serious Russians.
2. Russian hockey is extremely defensive and passive in nature. Why does Jagr want to play in a system that is opposite to his own style?
It must be the women.
Labels: Free Agent Signings, musings
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Alexander Ovechkin is Richkin, Bitchkin!
by Jes
So, the bomb has dropped and Alex "1d8" Ovechkin is now the proud signer of the most lucrative contract in NHL contract. $124mil over 13 seasons. Yes, 13!!! Alexei Yashin must be fuming in a jealous rage right about now.
Now, any time you start talking about a contract for 10+ years, you are pretty much going into insanity territory. Locking yourself to a player for that long of a period just has so many fricking risks, and we've seen how such contracts have blown up on the teams that signed them. Alexei Yashin, Rick DiPietro (it will), and Alex Rodriguez (who wiggled his way out to get more $..geezus).
Of course, Alexander Ovechkin is one of two rare talents that you could consider signing to such a deal and not be considered to be smoking BC's finest export plant. (If you can't figure out the other player, please put on a tinfoil hat so we know who you are)
When two parties sign a contract, both parties *should* assume half of the risk if the contract is truly a fair one.
In this case? The vast majority of the risk is with the Capitals.
"But Jes, Ovechkin could have earned like $15mil a season if he had waited"
That's valid, but Ovechkin, barring a Capitals bankrupcy, is guaranteed to make $124 million!! No matter what happens to him tomorrow, he'll be set for life. When you get those kind of numbers, what else do you have to worry about? Male-pattern baldness?
What if 1d8 gets injured himself next week, or gets paralyzed in a car accident next month and can't play again, or has to retire due to concussions some time down the road? No matter what, Ovechkin is going to make more than me, you, and all the visitors to this site combined for our entire lifetimes.
"But Jes, Ovechkin may be caught with a crappy team for the next 15 years, thanks to him eating up a mondo chunk of cap space"
The risk that the Caps could suck is valid, but I expect the Caps will eventually make a regime change and not suck the entire 13 seasons. Ovechkin obviously likes where he is, or he'd bolt the first chance he got. Forget all of these dumb rumours you hear about unhappy he is in Washington. It's obvious he's having a blast.
The fact is that the risk is really with the Capitals.
1. Look at Ovechkin's style of play. Doesn't he remind you of Pavel Bure? Bure was a dynamic goal scorer with an edge, and paid for it big time. Bure's knees are basically dust.
What happens if Ovechkin runs into a string of injury problems? Guys like Bure, Forsberg, Neely, and possibly Ovechkin, have shorter shelf lifes than the guys who hold back a bit on the physical play.
2. What happens when the North American economy collapses, and people can't afford to pay insane prices for tickets? What happens if overall NHL revenues tank? Then the Caps are stuck paying a very high salary no matter what happens.
3. 13 years is a fricking long time ... longer than most career. Ovechkin is already in his third season. If he finishes this contract, he'll have played 16 seasons. To perform at such a high level for such a long time is a rare feat, indeed. Bobby Orr couldn't do it, and Mario Lemieux certainly miss a lot of time during his trek.
Now, I understand perfectly why the Caps did what they did, and I don't think it's as god-awful as what the Isles did, but any such long deal certainly has more risk than reward. Look at what happened when the Caps signed Jaromir Jagr to a long-term expensive deal? I figured they'd be more careful after that.
So, the bomb has dropped and Alex "1d8" Ovechkin is now the proud signer of the most lucrative contract in NHL contract. $124mil over 13 seasons. Yes, 13!!! Alexei Yashin must be fuming in a jealous rage right about now.
Now, any time you start talking about a contract for 10+ years, you are pretty much going into insanity territory. Locking yourself to a player for that long of a period just has so many fricking risks, and we've seen how such contracts have blown up on the teams that signed them. Alexei Yashin, Rick DiPietro (it will), and Alex Rodriguez (who wiggled his way out to get more $..geezus).
Of course, Alexander Ovechkin is one of two rare talents that you could consider signing to such a deal and not be considered to be smoking BC's finest export plant. (If you can't figure out the other player, please put on a tinfoil hat so we know who you are)
When two parties sign a contract, both parties *should* assume half of the risk if the contract is truly a fair one.
In this case? The vast majority of the risk is with the Capitals.
"But Jes, Ovechkin could have earned like $15mil a season if he had waited"
That's valid, but Ovechkin, barring a Capitals bankrupcy, is guaranteed to make $124 million!! No matter what happens to him tomorrow, he'll be set for life. When you get those kind of numbers, what else do you have to worry about? Male-pattern baldness?
What if 1d8 gets injured himself next week, or gets paralyzed in a car accident next month and can't play again, or has to retire due to concussions some time down the road? No matter what, Ovechkin is going to make more than me, you, and all the visitors to this site combined for our entire lifetimes.
"But Jes, Ovechkin may be caught with a crappy team for the next 15 years, thanks to him eating up a mondo chunk of cap space"
The risk that the Caps could suck is valid, but I expect the Caps will eventually make a regime change and not suck the entire 13 seasons. Ovechkin obviously likes where he is, or he'd bolt the first chance he got. Forget all of these dumb rumours you hear about unhappy he is in Washington. It's obvious he's having a blast.
The fact is that the risk is really with the Capitals.
1. Look at Ovechkin's style of play. Doesn't he remind you of Pavel Bure? Bure was a dynamic goal scorer with an edge, and paid for it big time. Bure's knees are basically dust.
What happens if Ovechkin runs into a string of injury problems? Guys like Bure, Forsberg, Neely, and possibly Ovechkin, have shorter shelf lifes than the guys who hold back a bit on the physical play.
2. What happens when the North American economy collapses, and people can't afford to pay insane prices for tickets? What happens if overall NHL revenues tank? Then the Caps are stuck paying a very high salary no matter what happens.
3. 13 years is a fricking long time ... longer than most career. Ovechkin is already in his third season. If he finishes this contract, he'll have played 16 seasons. To perform at such a high level for such a long time is a rare feat, indeed. Bobby Orr couldn't do it, and Mario Lemieux certainly miss a lot of time during his trek.
Now, I understand perfectly why the Caps did what they did, and I don't think it's as god-awful as what the Isles did, but any such long deal certainly has more risk than reward. Look at what happened when the Caps signed Jaromir Jagr to a long-term expensive deal? I figured they'd be more careful after that.
Labels: Alexander Ovechkin, Capitals, Free Agent Signings
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Wings Extend Osgood for Three More Seasons
by Jes
In terms of team building, the Detroit Red Wings rarely do anything wrong. The Wings are experts at bringing in the right Free Agents to compliment the talent that has been developed in-house, plus having an excellent coaching staff on hand to utilize that talent.
Now, every team is prone to have a bad day, and I believe the Wings made a bit of a boo-boo by granting Chris Osgood a 3-year contract extension.
His new deal will pay him $1.7 million next season, $1.45 million in 2009-10 and $1.1 million in 2010-11.
Normally, you'd look at the stats (19-2-1 record, 1.68AA, 93.2SV%) and be liked "Damn right I want that for a few more years!"
The problem?
1. Osgood is 35 years old, and one of the league's oldest goaltenders. He is far from his prime. At the end of this deal, he'll be qualified for an old age pension.
2. Osgood is just not that good, normally. Look at his career stats, and tell me which season is the outlier.
This season: 93.2SV%
Career: 90.8SV%
Osgood has a long string of mediocrity over his career, fluctuating between below-average and just-above average. His recent seasons have been an adventure, but certainly nothing outstanding. Osgood is really not the type of goaltender you want playing more than 25-30 games a season for you if you have true cup contention hopes.
I can see signing him for another season as the backup/1B goaltender, but 3 seasons? What happens when the clock strikes midnight and the Wings are left with a 38-year old pumpkin? Look at how Dwayne Roloson hit the wall!
OK, I realize it's not nearly the worst contract in the world, but it smacks of buying a stock when the price is near its highest.
Now, the big question is ... who will the Wings go with in the playoffs? Hasek, the oft-injured guy, or Osgood, the Cinderella goalie? Perhaps the Wings figure they can win the cup with Osgood in net, since they did it before by playing so air-tight in front of their oft-maligned netminder.
In terms of team building, the Detroit Red Wings rarely do anything wrong. The Wings are experts at bringing in the right Free Agents to compliment the talent that has been developed in-house, plus having an excellent coaching staff on hand to utilize that talent.
Now, every team is prone to have a bad day, and I believe the Wings made a bit of a boo-boo by granting Chris Osgood a 3-year contract extension.
His new deal will pay him $1.7 million next season, $1.45 million in 2009-10 and $1.1 million in 2010-11.
Normally, you'd look at the stats (19-2-1 record, 1.68AA, 93.2SV%) and be liked "Damn right I want that for a few more years!"
The problem?
1. Osgood is 35 years old, and one of the league's oldest goaltenders. He is far from his prime. At the end of this deal, he'll be qualified for an old age pension.
2. Osgood is just not that good, normally. Look at his career stats, and tell me which season is the outlier.
This season: 93.2SV%
Career: 90.8SV%
Osgood has a long string of mediocrity over his career, fluctuating between below-average and just-above average. His recent seasons have been an adventure, but certainly nothing outstanding. Osgood is really not the type of goaltender you want playing more than 25-30 games a season for you if you have true cup contention hopes.
I can see signing him for another season as the backup/1B goaltender, but 3 seasons? What happens when the clock strikes midnight and the Wings are left with a 38-year old pumpkin? Look at how Dwayne Roloson hit the wall!
OK, I realize it's not nearly the worst contract in the world, but it smacks of buying a stock when the price is near its highest.
Now, the big question is ... who will the Wings go with in the playoffs? Hasek, the oft-injured guy, or Osgood, the Cinderella goalie? Perhaps the Wings figure they can win the cup with Osgood in net, since they did it before by playing so air-tight in front of their oft-maligned netminder.
Labels: Chris Osgood, Free Agent Signings, Red Wings
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Trevor Linden Re-Signs With the Canucks
TREVOR!!!!
It's about frickin' time!!
It's about frickin' time!!
Call off the investigations and put away your detective hats. After almost four months of questions and predictions, Trevor Linden re-signs and will return in a Canucks uniform for the 2007-08 season.
Linden's excited to re-join his team of 15 years (going into his 16th) and is positive about the changes made over the summer.
Like all of the fans, he's hoping for more in the coming season and is confident of the team that will enter GM Place in October.
Labels: Canucks, Free Agent Signings, Trevor Linden
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Thrashers Bring Back Karel Pilar ... W0T??
by Jes
Karel Pilar, the guy with the serious heart condition, has found a road back into the NHL via the Atlanta Thrashers. Greg must be creaming in his pants right about now.
I seriously hope this doesn't end badly. Remember, Pilar has battled a serious heart condition for the past few years, and has played just 16 games in the past 2 seasons.
Here's a little reminder of what Pilar can do for a club. Check out the clip of him and Robert Reichel back in their Litvinov days.
Karel Pilar, the guy with the serious heart condition, has found a road back into the NHL via the Atlanta Thrashers. Greg must be creaming in his pants right about now.
I seriously hope this doesn't end badly. Remember, Pilar has battled a serious heart condition for the past few years, and has played just 16 games in the past 2 seasons.
Here's a little reminder of what Pilar can do for a club. Check out the clip of him and Robert Reichel back in their Litvinov days.
Labels: Free Agent Signings, Karel Pilar, thrashers
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Bloggers Poll #1: The Worst Free Agent Signing This Off-Season
by Jes
On a lark, I decided to poll a few of my fellow hockey bloggers with a selected question. This could become a regular feature, since it offers the chance to get a spectrum of views in a nice capsulated format.
The first question: What was the worst free agent signing of the NHL off-season?
The one with the most answers with mighty-mite Daniel Briere, for which the Flyers were panned heavily for giving out such a long-term deal to a shrimp.
Mike Chen:
I'm going with Daniel Briere. Who the hell gets an EIGHT-YEAR term not named Crosby or Ovechkin? (Jes: Rick DiPietro) Couple it with the fact that the Flyers don't play Buffalo's go-go-go system, nor do they have the same offensive depth as the Sabres, and you're looking at a marked point drop and a bad cap hit for years to come. I could be wrong, but I see Briere's skills tapering off around year four of his deal.
Snoopyjode, from The Sidney Crosby Show:
BY FAR, my choice is the Daniel Briere signing. The Flyers basically bet the entire ranch on him. He's a somewhat decent and reliable player, but he's only had one really notable "standout" season in the NHL, so he's not even close to being worth what he got in that deal.
AND, Earl Sleek from the Battle of California:
In my opinion, the worst free agent signing this offseason was Philly's signing of Daniel Briere. I don't watch a ton of eastern conference hockey, but looking at the dollars and years committed, I think he's a guy who's very likely to underperform over the life of the contract.
Ritch Duncan, the American Hockey Fan (yes, the only one), had a very unique choice: Kevin Garnett to the Boston Celtics.
OK, how is a basketball trade the worst move of the hockey off-season? I'll tell ya. If there was one consolation for Bruins fans living in a town dominated by the Sox and Patriots, we could argue that with the Celtics around, the B's weren't the most pathetic team in town. It wouldn't have been a strong argument, but one could make it. Now, thanks to Mr. Garnett ( who has 2 inches on Zdeno Chara, by the way), the Boston Bruins are the least interesting sports draw in New England.
My fellow FanHouse cohort, Greg Wyshynski, wasn't too excited about the Habs paying heavily for a 2nd line defenseman.
Roman Hamrlik, four-year, $22-million deal with Montreal. He nearly had Mark Streit's stats, and now he has Sheldon Souray's money.
Michael the Hockey Fanatic chastised Kevin Lowe for his crazy RFA bids. I have to disagree about the 'playing nice' part, however. Hockey is war, on and off the ice ...
"I think the Vanek/Penner signing was the worst this off season because it exposed a loop hole in the FA rules when everybody is supposed to play nice and focus on the big picture of winning back fans."
JP Swenson, my San Francisco tour guide, and webmeister of the long-running Sharkspage.com agrees with me that the Ducks signing Todd Bertuzzi was dumber than Eddie Murphy thinking we want to see him making bad jokes in a fat suit for the third time.
Instead of hanging on to a young, dominant physical power forward and matching Edmonton's offer to Dustin Penner, Burke signs an aging Bertuzzi to a contract that hamstrings the Ducks financially. Bertuzzi has yet to regain his previous form after returning from injury, and there are too many off ice issues that might cause distractions down the line. Burke did not want his players to develop in a "fear free" environment, but now they may have to fear how the loss of a Niedermayer and Selanne will effect the team down the stretch run and in the playoffs.
The Acid Queen loves to hate (the Red Wings) and is predicting woe to those who sign Peter Forsberg and his "glass ankles".
It's going to be whoever signs Peter Forsberg--hopefully that'll be Detroit, so I can laugh at them. The guy has glass ankles, and he's breaking down rapidly. Peter The Great is no longer so. He should just retire from the NHL and head back to Sweden so he can try to win an SEL title with MoDo.
As for myself, I almost agree with my girlfriend, who suggest that "Anyone who doesn't sign Jan Bulis" is the answer to the worst FA signing question, but I'll have to go with Dustin Penner.
As much as I like the big lug, he is nowhere near worth $4mil per season AND all of the draft picks the Oilers gave up to get him. The Flyers will give up just cap space, while the Oilers give up that and some future assets for a 2nd line winger.
PS: HAPPY 20TH BIRTHDAY TO SIDNEY CROSBY!!
One more year and he can legally drink in the US of A.
On a lark, I decided to poll a few of my fellow hockey bloggers with a selected question. This could become a regular feature, since it offers the chance to get a spectrum of views in a nice capsulated format.
The first question: What was the worst free agent signing of the NHL off-season?
The one with the most answers with mighty-mite Daniel Briere, for which the Flyers were panned heavily for giving out such a long-term deal to a shrimp.
Mike Chen:
I'm going with Daniel Briere. Who the hell gets an EIGHT-YEAR term not named Crosby or Ovechkin? (Jes: Rick DiPietro) Couple it with the fact that the Flyers don't play Buffalo's go-go-go system, nor do they have the same offensive depth as the Sabres, and you're looking at a marked point drop and a bad cap hit for years to come. I could be wrong, but I see Briere's skills tapering off around year four of his deal.
Snoopyjode, from The Sidney Crosby Show:
BY FAR, my choice is the Daniel Briere signing. The Flyers basically bet the entire ranch on him. He's a somewhat decent and reliable player, but he's only had one really notable "standout" season in the NHL, so he's not even close to being worth what he got in that deal.
AND, Earl Sleek from the Battle of California:
In my opinion, the worst free agent signing this offseason was Philly's signing of Daniel Briere. I don't watch a ton of eastern conference hockey, but looking at the dollars and years committed, I think he's a guy who's very likely to underperform over the life of the contract.
Ritch Duncan, the American Hockey Fan (yes, the only one), had a very unique choice: Kevin Garnett to the Boston Celtics.
OK, how is a basketball trade the worst move of the hockey off-season? I'll tell ya. If there was one consolation for Bruins fans living in a town dominated by the Sox and Patriots, we could argue that with the Celtics around, the B's weren't the most pathetic team in town. It wouldn't have been a strong argument, but one could make it. Now, thanks to Mr. Garnett ( who has 2 inches on Zdeno Chara, by the way), the Boston Bruins are the least interesting sports draw in New England.
My fellow FanHouse cohort, Greg Wyshynski, wasn't too excited about the Habs paying heavily for a 2nd line defenseman.
Roman Hamrlik, four-year, $22-million deal with Montreal. He nearly had Mark Streit's stats, and now he has Sheldon Souray's money.
Michael the Hockey Fanatic chastised Kevin Lowe for his crazy RFA bids. I have to disagree about the 'playing nice' part, however. Hockey is war, on and off the ice ...
"I think the Vanek/Penner signing was the worst this off season because it exposed a loop hole in the FA rules when everybody is supposed to play nice and focus on the big picture of winning back fans."
JP Swenson, my San Francisco tour guide, and webmeister of the long-running Sharkspage.com agrees with me that the Ducks signing Todd Bertuzzi was dumber than Eddie Murphy thinking we want to see him making bad jokes in a fat suit for the third time.
Instead of hanging on to a young, dominant physical power forward and matching Edmonton's offer to Dustin Penner, Burke signs an aging Bertuzzi to a contract that hamstrings the Ducks financially. Bertuzzi has yet to regain his previous form after returning from injury, and there are too many off ice issues that might cause distractions down the line. Burke did not want his players to develop in a "fear free" environment, but now they may have to fear how the loss of a Niedermayer and Selanne will effect the team down the stretch run and in the playoffs.
The Acid Queen loves to hate (the Red Wings) and is predicting woe to those who sign Peter Forsberg and his "glass ankles".
It's going to be whoever signs Peter Forsberg--hopefully that'll be Detroit, so I can laugh at them. The guy has glass ankles, and he's breaking down rapidly. Peter The Great is no longer so. He should just retire from the NHL and head back to Sweden so he can try to win an SEL title with MoDo.
As for myself, I almost agree with my girlfriend, who suggest that "Anyone who doesn't sign Jan Bulis" is the answer to the worst FA signing question, but I'll have to go with Dustin Penner.
As much as I like the big lug, he is nowhere near worth $4mil per season AND all of the draft picks the Oilers gave up to get him. The Flyers will give up just cap space, while the Oilers give up that and some future assets for a 2nd line winger.
PS: HAPPY 20TH BIRTHDAY TO SIDNEY CROSBY!!
One more year and he can legally drink in the US of A.
Labels: blogger poll, Blogging community, Daniel Briere, dustin penner, forsberg, Free Agent Signings, roman hamrlik
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Canucks Bring Back Balej
by Jes
WTF??? The Canucks signed yet another Slovak? This is bizarre.
Forget the news about Dustin Penner heading to the Oilers, the Canucks signing of Jozef Balej is 10x bigger than that!
OK, maybe not, but it's nice to see the Canucks continue to relax their Anti-Slovak policy.
Apparently, coach Vigneault is a big fan of Balej's from their days with the Manitoba Moose?
Me? I'm not expecting too much. Even though Balej has some mad skillz, he's basically got Robert Petrovicky's work ethic and consistency.
His numbers in Switzerland last year were not impressive. 30 points in 37 games? meh... even Josh Holden (Remember him?) was better.
Well, I hope he proves me wrong. It's basically a good move for the Manitoba Moose, if nothing else.
WTF??? The Canucks signed yet another Slovak? This is bizarre.
Forget the news about Dustin Penner heading to the Oilers, the Canucks signing of Jozef Balej is 10x bigger than that!
OK, maybe not, but it's nice to see the Canucks continue to relax their Anti-Slovak policy.
Apparently, coach Vigneault is a big fan of Balej's from their days with the Manitoba Moose?
Me? I'm not expecting too much. Even though Balej has some mad skillz, he's basically got Robert Petrovicky's work ethic and consistency.
His numbers in Switzerland last year were not impressive. 30 points in 37 games? meh... even Josh Holden (Remember him?) was better.
Well, I hope he proves me wrong. It's basically a good move for the Manitoba Moose, if nothing else.
Labels: Canucks, Free Agent Signings, Jozef Balej
Friday, July 27, 2007
Derek Roy is Rich, Biatch!
by Jes
It's usually in a team's best interests to avoid salary arbitration. Not only do the players seem to win a majority of the cases, but the bitterness tends to linger with the player as they listen to their employer belittle and rip apart their game.
The Sabres paid big to ensure Derek Roy would not have his contract determined by a 3rd party, and signed the midget to a huge deal.
I'm quite surprised on a couple of levels.
The length and width of the contract surprised me. I had never pictured Derek Roy as a $4mil/season player, nor did I expect the Sabres to tie themselves down so much in the wake of having to shell out for Vanek. Then, I realized that the Sabres must be tired of losing players, and want to lock down some of their young guns as long as possible
I had also never realized that Derek Roy was so effective last season. I had always known him a great 2-way 'role-player' type ever since his junior days, but he was so much more than that for the Sabres, and still has room to grow as a player. Sure, he'll have far less talent to work with this season, but Roy has a pretty good track record during his pro career.
Given all that has happened in the marketplace and to the Sabres, I think this is a deal that is good for them. The dollar amount is a tad high, but they might easily come out ahead if Roy continues to play as well as he did last season. They also ensure that they won't lose the guy any time in the near future, which is probably a large part in why they were willing to agree to $4mil/season.
I'm sure Sabres fans must be pleased with the deal.
It's usually in a team's best interests to avoid salary arbitration. Not only do the players seem to win a majority of the cases, but the bitterness tends to linger with the player as they listen to their employer belittle and rip apart their game.
The Sabres paid big to ensure Derek Roy would not have his contract determined by a 3rd party, and signed the midget to a huge deal.
Derek Roy avoided salary arbitration Friday by agreeing to a US$24-million, six-year, contract with the Buffalo Sabres.
It's a hefty deal for a third-line centre coming off a career season in which he finished fifth on the Sabres with 63 points (21-42) in 75 games. He was also a plus-37, fifth-best among all NHL skaters.
The deal will pay him $4 million on average per season, a significant raise for Roy, who made $627,000 last year.
"Derek is a solid young player who will only continue to improve,'' general manager Darcy Regier said in a statement. ''He will play an increased role for our club, and we look forward to having such a quality player in our organization for many years to come."
I'm quite surprised on a couple of levels.
The length and width of the contract surprised me. I had never pictured Derek Roy as a $4mil/season player, nor did I expect the Sabres to tie themselves down so much in the wake of having to shell out for Vanek. Then, I realized that the Sabres must be tired of losing players, and want to lock down some of their young guns as long as possible
I had also never realized that Derek Roy was so effective last season. I had always known him a great 2-way 'role-player' type ever since his junior days, but he was so much more than that for the Sabres, and still has room to grow as a player. Sure, he'll have far less talent to work with this season, but Roy has a pretty good track record during his pro career.
Given all that has happened in the marketplace and to the Sabres, I think this is a deal that is good for them. The dollar amount is a tad high, but they might easily come out ahead if Roy continues to play as well as he did last season. They also ensure that they won't lose the guy any time in the near future, which is probably a large part in why they were willing to agree to $4mil/season.
I'm sure Sabres fans must be pleased with the deal.
Labels: Derek Roy, Free Agent Signings, sabres
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Still Waiting
by Greg
Well, Jes has kept the place clean. I've sort of been in hockey hibernation -- when last I checked in, I was still agog over the Avalanche's signings of Ryan Smyth and Scott Hannan. I've sobered up a little, and I realize Jes is likely right in saying the Avalanche will probably regret the last couple years of the Smyth contract, and Dear Lord Stanley is correct in pointing out that Smyth isn't a cure-all, but hey -- the Avalanche identified needs and filled them. Good on 'em.
How about the rest of my summer hockey wishlist?
1. Never hear about Jim Balsillie or the status of the Nashville Predators again
2. Good homes for Tomas Kloucek and Petr Tenkrat
3. The Thrashers following Colorado's lead and filling some gaping holes
#1 is obviously not happening in my lifetime. #2 -- well, Tenkrat looks like he'll be staying in Timrå. According to the town's official website, Timrå has "good service and fine transportation links," not to mention good fishing and a large shopping center nearby. I'm sure he'll be happy. Kloucek is still hunting for a home.
#3 -- pretty far from happening, unless you identified the Thrashers' most pressing need as "more AHL-level talent." That wasn't high on my wish-list, alas. Going in, I would have said the Thrashers' most pressing needs were as follows: defense, centers, scoring depth. Picking up Todd White sort of addresses the latter two (though I would have liked a bit more), holding onto Slava Kozlov keeps the depth sort of steady -- although speaking of deals that'll look ugly down the line, I'm not looking forward to seeing Kozzie get $3.85 million for nine goals in 2009-10.
Defense? Eeeeek. They've lost Greg deVries, Andy Sutton, and Shane Hnidy -- added Ken Klee. Sutton is no big loss -- at some point, bozo penalties and turning over the puck in front of the net repeatedly are no longer canceled out by the occasional big hit. But deVries was steady (and never got credit for it), and Hnidy was at least reliable. Klee is a "cagey veteran," or "old and slow" if you prefer. (There was a priceless line in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, in which Klee said that every time he became available in the past, the Thrashers were always interested -- now, presumably, that no one else wants him, he'll sign.)
So that leaves Atlanta with five NHL-caliber defensemen. I'm fine with Niclas Havelid and Alexei Zhitnik. I'd be fine-r if they were the #2 and #3 defensemen, rather than #1 and #2. Beyond that, though? Steve McCarthy is starting to look perpetually "enigmatic," Klee and Garnet Exelby are lower-end. Mark Popovic isn't anything more than a spare defenseman. By all accounts, Boris Valabik isn't ready for the NHL.
The Thrashers may be relying on Swedish import Tobias Enstrom to step in, but he hasn't, y'know, played in the NHL yet. And there aren't that many options left on the free agent market -- looking at James Mirtle's list, the only attractive options are Danny Markov, Brent Sopel, and maybe Ossi Vaananen. The rest are headcases, burnouts, or generally useless.
The Capitals and Panthers have both improved considerably this offseason; the Lightning and Hurricanes are both likely better than they showed in 2006-07. Yeah yeah, I know they don't play the games 'til October -- but at least at this point, with the Thrashers' hopes resting almost entirely on Kovalchuk/Hossa/Lehtonen, last year's playoff berth is looking likely to be an aberration.
Well, Jes has kept the place clean. I've sort of been in hockey hibernation -- when last I checked in, I was still agog over the Avalanche's signings of Ryan Smyth and Scott Hannan. I've sobered up a little, and I realize Jes is likely right in saying the Avalanche will probably regret the last couple years of the Smyth contract, and Dear Lord Stanley is correct in pointing out that Smyth isn't a cure-all, but hey -- the Avalanche identified needs and filled them. Good on 'em.
How about the rest of my summer hockey wishlist?
1. Never hear about Jim Balsillie or the status of the Nashville Predators again
2. Good homes for Tomas Kloucek and Petr Tenkrat
3. The Thrashers following Colorado's lead and filling some gaping holes
#1 is obviously not happening in my lifetime. #2 -- well, Tenkrat looks like he'll be staying in Timrå. According to the town's official website, Timrå has "good service and fine transportation links," not to mention good fishing and a large shopping center nearby. I'm sure he'll be happy. Kloucek is still hunting for a home.
#3 -- pretty far from happening, unless you identified the Thrashers' most pressing need as "more AHL-level talent." That wasn't high on my wish-list, alas. Going in, I would have said the Thrashers' most pressing needs were as follows: defense, centers, scoring depth. Picking up Todd White sort of addresses the latter two (though I would have liked a bit more), holding onto Slava Kozlov keeps the depth sort of steady -- although speaking of deals that'll look ugly down the line, I'm not looking forward to seeing Kozzie get $3.85 million for nine goals in 2009-10.
Defense? Eeeeek. They've lost Greg deVries, Andy Sutton, and Shane Hnidy -- added Ken Klee. Sutton is no big loss -- at some point, bozo penalties and turning over the puck in front of the net repeatedly are no longer canceled out by the occasional big hit. But deVries was steady (and never got credit for it), and Hnidy was at least reliable. Klee is a "cagey veteran," or "old and slow" if you prefer. (There was a priceless line in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, in which Klee said that every time he became available in the past, the Thrashers were always interested -- now, presumably, that no one else wants him, he'll sign.)
So that leaves Atlanta with five NHL-caliber defensemen. I'm fine with Niclas Havelid and Alexei Zhitnik. I'd be fine-r if they were the #2 and #3 defensemen, rather than #1 and #2. Beyond that, though? Steve McCarthy is starting to look perpetually "enigmatic," Klee and Garnet Exelby are lower-end. Mark Popovic isn't anything more than a spare defenseman. By all accounts, Boris Valabik isn't ready for the NHL.
The Thrashers may be relying on Swedish import Tobias Enstrom to step in, but he hasn't, y'know, played in the NHL yet. And there aren't that many options left on the free agent market -- looking at James Mirtle's list, the only attractive options are Danny Markov, Brent Sopel, and maybe Ossi Vaananen. The rest are headcases, burnouts, or generally useless.
The Capitals and Panthers have both improved considerably this offseason; the Lightning and Hurricanes are both likely better than they showed in 2006-07. Yeah yeah, I know they don't play the games 'til October -- but at least at this point, with the Thrashers' hopes resting almost entirely on Kovalchuk/Hossa/Lehtonen, last year's playoff berth is looking likely to be an aberration.
Labels: avalanche, Free Agent Signings, summer, thrashers
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Tomas Surovy: Back from the Abyss
by Jes
I know most of you don't know/care about Tomas Surovy, but you should!!
D00d is back from the Swedish abyss, and has signed with the Phoenix Coyotes (from one hell to another, eh?)
I think he's going to do quite well, thanks, and would be a good pickup for your fantasy league types. I'm also glad to see another Slovak back in the NHL Now, we just need to campaign for the return of Lubos Bartecko.
Read the full spiel over at NHL FanHouse.
I know most of you don't know/care about Tomas Surovy, but you should!!D00d is back from the Swedish abyss, and has signed with the Phoenix Coyotes (from one hell to another, eh?)
I think he's going to do quite well, thanks, and would be a good pickup for your fantasy league types. I'm also glad to see another Slovak back in the NHL Now, we just need to campaign for the return of Lubos Bartecko.
Read the full spiel over at NHL FanHouse.
Labels: Free Agent Signings, Tomas Surovy
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Sheldon Souray Signs ... With the Oilers
by Jes
Well, well, well!! It looks like the Oilers finally caught a big fish in the old free agent pond.
Was it the superbly produced DVD that boasted about how 'great' Edmonton a city is to play in?? Not bloody likely.
Let's face it, Souray and his agent greatly overestimated the market for the big lug's services, and the Oilers were just so desperate to land a big free agent that there were more than willing to overspend.
The damage? $27mil over 5 seasons. OUCH!
Now, normally signing a defenseman that just scored 26 goals and 64 points last season would be cause to crack open a bottle of Cristal. However, Souray is not "normal". How many offensive-minded defensemen are bit oafs?
Before last season, Souray's career high in points was 39. Can you say 'outlier', kiddies?
48 of 64 of Souray's points last season came on the Power Play (wow!), and he's a big, slow, lumbering dough-head.
As Big Mac mentions over at NHL FanHouse:
A tad one-dimensional? Souray is the kind of defenseman that is always looking for big hits, and putting himself out of position to do so. Bad penalties and bad positioning = one overrated d-man.
Yes, one team was bound to take the bait and Edmonton was it. Take Souray's Power Play goodness out of the equation, and you have a big pylon (albeit a dreamy pylon with model good looks).
Souray is also 31, and is only going to get slower than he already is. Just wait until the later part of this contract, when he'll have trouble keeping up with the likes of Derek Boogaard.
I'd imagine Oilers fans are pretty pleased, given how badly the summer has gone for them.
As for the Habs, they spent $5.5mil a season on Roman Hamrlik. If I was a Habs fan, I'd be a bit pissed that my team ended up with a non-descript 2nd line defenseman, rather than the Blaster Master at around the same price tag.
Well, well, well!! It looks like the Oilers finally caught a big fish in the old free agent pond.
Was it the superbly produced DVD that boasted about how 'great' Edmonton a city is to play in?? Not bloody likely.
Let's face it, Souray and his agent greatly overestimated the market for the big lug's services, and the Oilers were just so desperate to land a big free agent that there were more than willing to overspend.
The damage? $27mil over 5 seasons. OUCH!
Now, normally signing a defenseman that just scored 26 goals and 64 points last season would be cause to crack open a bottle of Cristal. However, Souray is not "normal". How many offensive-minded defensemen are bit oafs?
Before last season, Souray's career high in points was 39. Can you say 'outlier', kiddies?
48 of 64 of Souray's points last season came on the Power Play (wow!), and he's a big, slow, lumbering dough-head.
As Big Mac mentions over at NHL FanHouse:
The knock on Souray this offseason has been pretty simple: Despite setting an NHL record for power play goals by a defenseman, his game is a tad one dimensional -- something that was easy to see as he posted a -28, 135 penalty minutes (third highest in the league among defensemen) and seven cross-checking penalties (most in the NHL) along with all those goals
A tad one-dimensional? Souray is the kind of defenseman that is always looking for big hits, and putting himself out of position to do so. Bad penalties and bad positioning = one overrated d-man.
Yes, one team was bound to take the bait and Edmonton was it. Take Souray's Power Play goodness out of the equation, and you have a big pylon (albeit a dreamy pylon with model good looks).
Souray is also 31, and is only going to get slower than he already is. Just wait until the later part of this contract, when he'll have trouble keeping up with the likes of Derek Boogaard.
I'd imagine Oilers fans are pretty pleased, given how badly the summer has gone for them.
As for the Habs, they spent $5.5mil a season on Roman Hamrlik. If I was a Habs fan, I'd be a bit pissed that my team ended up with a non-descript 2nd line defenseman, rather than the Blaster Master at around the same price tag.
Labels: Free Agent Signings, oilers, Sheldon Souray
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Hey Nonis, WTF?!
by Jes
Oooh, big free agent news in Vancouver.
Isbister? You gotta be kidding me? This guy is lazier than your boss and is not good at ANYTHING. He is one of my least favourite players, and I'm not even a bitter Oilers fan (just ask them how much he rocks).
Brad Isbister, before he hits the beach.
Ritchie? Another hyper-active undersized center that can't score.
Is one of these folks 'the guy' Nonis was talking about?
What a crock... was Vernon Fiddler unavailable? How about we call Terry Yake out of retirement.
Oooh, big free agent news in Vancouver.
Vancouver Canucks Senior Vice-President and General Manager Dave Nonis announced today that the Canucks have signed centre Byron Ritchie and winger Brad Isbister. In keeping with club policy, no financial terms of the deal will be released
Isbister? You gotta be kidding me? This guy is lazier than your boss and is not good at ANYTHING. He is one of my least favourite players, and I'm not even a bitter Oilers fan (just ask them how much he rocks).
Brad Isbister, before he hits the beach.
Ritchie? Another hyper-active undersized center that can't score.
Is one of these folks 'the guy' Nonis was talking about?
What a crock... was Vernon Fiddler unavailable? How about we call Terry Yake out of retirement.
Labels: Brad Isbister, Canucks, Free Agent Signings
Monday, July 02, 2007
The Free Agency Madness. Get Used to it!
by Jes
I've had myself wrapped up in a case report for the last week, so I haven't been nearly as deep into the UFA madness as most of my other blogging peers.
Quite frankly, it would probably be best to wait until the dust settles before trying to figure out just how insane this market has really been.
We should have expected this when the UFA age was lowered like it has been. Fine.
The salary 'cap' isn't much of a cap now that it's so high that many teams won't/can't spend to it. Fine.
What chaps my ass is that we were forced to endure a season without hockey, and be spoonfed crap about 'cost certainty' and 'parity' and levelling the playing field, etc etc etc... And, in the end, we get the exact same bunch of headless chickens tossing around insane money like we did before the lockout.
As much as Scott Gomez is a fine playmaking center, how can he possibly be worth $7mil a season? Well, I know he is to the Rangers, but that's just stupid stupid stupid!!!
Just some randumb thoughts ...
1. The Leafs got a great deal on Jason Blake for $4mil a season. Blake is truly a great 2-way player, a hard worker, and fun to watch. I really wish Blake would have been in a Canucks uniform, but now he's playing for Team Evil North. Bah!!! The Leafs finally did something right...weird
2. There is loyalty: to the $. It's amazing just how few players are re-signing with their old teams. Schneider, Rafalski...well, just about everyone has a new uniform.
3. Joe Thornton is a bargain!! Yes, the Sharks got him to re-sign early for $7mil a season. Watching inferior players like Gomez get that kind of dough must be making Sharks GM Doug Wilson all giddy inside.
4. Weirdest signing? Paul Kariya to the Blues. I am amazed the Blues got a big fish, especially Paul Kariya. It just doesn't seem right. Oh, I like the move, though. Kariya is teh bombz0r.
5. The Oilers got totally punked on Michael Nylander (who went to Washington to play with a real scoring winger), and have ended up with NUTHIN! So much for that well-produced DVD.
6. It must suck to be a Sabres fan right about now. Drury = Gone. Briere = Gone.
Tom Luongo is such a fan, and gives his thoughts on the recent losses.
7. Scott Hannan sucks. The Avalanche suck. Good on them.
8. Bertuzzi to the Ducks. Blech... now I have a reason to hate that club.
Typical Burke. He's got a hard on for Brad May, and now Bertuzzi.
9. Don't put the blame squarely on Bettman. It's not his fault that so many GM's are willing to dish out large&long-term contracts for any player who can score .75 points a game. He actually helped give the GM's and owners a chance for some sanity, but clearly they just want to ensure that the owners get their constant % of profits.
10. Habs give Hamrlik $5.5mil a season for 4 seasons? WTF? They play hardball with Souray (not a bad move, mind you), and then they give superstar money to a 2nd line defenseman?
11. Penguins have a great time of things getting Sykora, Sabourin, and Sydor while re-signing Roberts and Recchi.
12. The Avs will regret the last 2-3 years of that Smyth contract.
13. I'm glad the Canucks are avoiding this insanity. They re-signed Krajicek and Cowan to reasonable deals, and maybe can pick up a bargain (Jason Allison) when the other GM's are done overspending.
I've had myself wrapped up in a case report for the last week, so I haven't been nearly as deep into the UFA madness as most of my other blogging peers.
Quite frankly, it would probably be best to wait until the dust settles before trying to figure out just how insane this market has really been.
We should have expected this when the UFA age was lowered like it has been. Fine.
The salary 'cap' isn't much of a cap now that it's so high that many teams won't/can't spend to it. Fine.
What chaps my ass is that we were forced to endure a season without hockey, and be spoonfed crap about 'cost certainty' and 'parity' and levelling the playing field, etc etc etc... And, in the end, we get the exact same bunch of headless chickens tossing around insane money like we did before the lockout.
As much as Scott Gomez is a fine playmaking center, how can he possibly be worth $7mil a season? Well, I know he is to the Rangers, but that's just stupid stupid stupid!!!
Just some randumb thoughts ...
1. The Leafs got a great deal on Jason Blake for $4mil a season. Blake is truly a great 2-way player, a hard worker, and fun to watch. I really wish Blake would have been in a Canucks uniform, but now he's playing for Team Evil North. Bah!!! The Leafs finally did something right...weird
2. There is loyalty: to the $. It's amazing just how few players are re-signing with their old teams. Schneider, Rafalski...well, just about everyone has a new uniform.
3. Joe Thornton is a bargain!! Yes, the Sharks got him to re-sign early for $7mil a season. Watching inferior players like Gomez get that kind of dough must be making Sharks GM Doug Wilson all giddy inside.
4. Weirdest signing? Paul Kariya to the Blues. I am amazed the Blues got a big fish, especially Paul Kariya. It just doesn't seem right. Oh, I like the move, though. Kariya is teh bombz0r.
5. The Oilers got totally punked on Michael Nylander (who went to Washington to play with a real scoring winger), and have ended up with NUTHIN! So much for that well-produced DVD.
6. It must suck to be a Sabres fan right about now. Drury = Gone. Briere = Gone.
Tom Luongo is such a fan, and gives his thoughts on the recent losses.
7. Scott Hannan sucks. The Avalanche suck. Good on them.
8. Bertuzzi to the Ducks. Blech... now I have a reason to hate that club.
Typical Burke. He's got a hard on for Brad May, and now Bertuzzi.
9. Don't put the blame squarely on Bettman. It's not his fault that so many GM's are willing to dish out large&long-term contracts for any player who can score .75 points a game. He actually helped give the GM's and owners a chance for some sanity, but clearly they just want to ensure that the owners get their constant % of profits.
10. Habs give Hamrlik $5.5mil a season for 4 seasons? WTF? They play hardball with Souray (not a bad move, mind you), and then they give superstar money to a 2nd line defenseman?
11. Penguins have a great time of things getting Sykora, Sabourin, and Sydor while re-signing Roberts and Recchi.
12. The Avs will regret the last 2-3 years of that Smyth contract.
13. I'm glad the Canucks are avoiding this insanity. They re-signed Krajicek and Cowan to reasonable deals, and maybe can pick up a bargain (Jason Allison) when the other GM's are done overspending.
Labels: Free Agent Signings, musings
Sunday, July 01, 2007
It's Easy to Hate the Ranger$ Again!
by Jes
For awhile, it was kind of hard to hate the Rangers. Messier was gone, the Czech mafia came in, and the Rangers actually *gasp* let some youngsters play.
Now, the Ranger$ have finally come back to destroy the free agent landscape by opening the vault and signing anyone they can get their hands on.
*GAG*
Drury - 5 years for $32.25mil. I've never liked this prick.
Gomez - 7 years for $51.5mil. Joe Thornton was a much better deal.
Meanwhile, the Philly Flyers are going insane, the Canucks are laughing from the sidelines and doing nothing, and Greg's Avs picked up Scott Hannan for 4 seasons.
If I wasn't knee deep in a case project, I could get my head around all of this monetary insanity.
But, at least I know it's OK to hate the Rangers again.
And Buffalo...damn... talk about a dark day in team history.
The cap? I think it was more about the players hating Buffalo (remember the THN poll?) than the salary cap.
For awhile, it was kind of hard to hate the Rangers. Messier was gone, the Czech mafia came in, and the Rangers actually *gasp* let some youngsters play.
Now, the Ranger$ have finally come back to destroy the free agent landscape by opening the vault and signing anyone they can get their hands on.
It was a big day for the Rangers as the 2007 free-agency period got under way on Sunday, bringing with it two of the league's best available centers. Joining the team are two Stanley Cup winners in former Buffalo Sabres co-captain Chris Drury and longtime New Jersey star Scott Gomez. These two, who combined for 129 points in 2006-07, are both famous for coming up with the big goal.
*GAG*
Drury - 5 years for $32.25mil. I've never liked this prick.
Gomez - 7 years for $51.5mil. Joe Thornton was a much better deal.
Meanwhile, the Philly Flyers are going insane, the Canucks are laughing from the sidelines and doing nothing, and Greg's Avs picked up Scott Hannan for 4 seasons.
If I wasn't knee deep in a case project, I could get my head around all of this monetary insanity.
But, at least I know it's OK to hate the Rangers again.
And Buffalo...damn... talk about a dark day in team history.
The cap? I think it was more about the players hating Buffalo (remember the THN poll?) than the salary cap.
Labels: Chris Drury, Free Agent Signings, Scott Gomez
Monday, December 11, 2006
BONZAI !!!!!!11111oneoneone
By Gőlbez
After a very busy weekend away from the real world, I find out that secret agent Peter Bondra has signed with the Chicago Blackhawks and ended his 'retirement'.
I'm happy to see Bondra back, because he still does have something left in the tank and can be an exciting player to watch. As a secondary player with the Atlanta Thrashers, Bondra used his bomb from the point on the Power Play and put up a respectable 21 goals and 18 assists in 60 games.
He's also sitting on 498 career goals and you know the Hawks are just waiting to print the Goal #500 t-shirts to sell to their remaining 3000 fans.
Will this signing propel the Hawks into the playoffs? No, but it will improve their offence and energize their fanbase somewhat.
You would have figured that Bondra would have been a perfect fit in DC, since that is where his family lives. Apparently, he burnt some bridges and that was never an option.
I would have loved to have seen Bondra sign with the Canucks. With the ship sinking, the Canucks need to be looking out there for guys like Bondra and Kvasha and DO SOMETHING!
Of course, the Canucks anti-Slovak policy hinders them once again.
On another note, HOLY HAVLAT, BATMAN! He's got 10 goals and 8 assists in 9 games and he doesn't look the worse for wear.
I always felt Martin Havlat was held back somewhat with the dull Senators. Havlat is a brat and a wild child and now the Hawks have unleashed his fury. The d00d is playing like a boy possessed and that's how it should be. Yes, he'll take his fair share of dumb penalties, but the offensive payoff is well worth it. It's just too bad that most of us will miss it because of where he plays.
After a very busy weekend away from the real world, I find out that secret agent Peter Bondra has signed with the Chicago Blackhawks and ended his 'retirement'.
I'm happy to see Bondra back, because he still does have something left in the tank and can be an exciting player to watch. As a secondary player with the Atlanta Thrashers, Bondra used his bomb from the point on the Power Play and put up a respectable 21 goals and 18 assists in 60 games.
He's also sitting on 498 career goals and you know the Hawks are just waiting to print the Goal #500 t-shirts to sell to their remaining 3000 fans.
Will this signing propel the Hawks into the playoffs? No, but it will improve their offence and energize their fanbase somewhat.
You would have figured that Bondra would have been a perfect fit in DC, since that is where his family lives. Apparently, he burnt some bridges and that was never an option.
I would have loved to have seen Bondra sign with the Canucks. With the ship sinking, the Canucks need to be looking out there for guys like Bondra and Kvasha and DO SOMETHING!
Of course, the Canucks anti-Slovak policy hinders them once again.
On another note, HOLY HAVLAT, BATMAN! He's got 10 goals and 8 assists in 9 games and he doesn't look the worse for wear.
I always felt Martin Havlat was held back somewhat with the dull Senators. Havlat is a brat and a wild child and now the Hawks have unleashed his fury. The d00d is playing like a boy possessed and that's how it should be. Yes, he'll take his fair share of dumb penalties, but the offensive payoff is well worth it. It's just too bad that most of us will miss it because of where he plays.
Labels: Blackhawks, Bondra, Free Agent Signings, Slovak hockey
