Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Hail Senator Forsberg?
by Jes
It seems the Peter Forsberg rumor train, that has toured through Colorado and Detroit, has no landed in Ottawa.
Yes, Bryan Murray and the Ottawa Senators apparently have interest in Forsberg, and would love him to play for their squad once he's healthy (as healthy as Forsberg can be, I suppose)
Murray thinks they are friends? Hmm, all of the scuttlebutt I've heard suggests that they are anything but. While Naslund and Forsberg are quite cozy, Alfredsson has, allegedly, been unhappy with the way Forsberg gets star treatment from the Swedish national squad.
However, these are grown men and could put aside such squabble for the common goal of winning a Stanley Cup. The Senators are at $46.4 million in committed cap space, so Forsberg would have to come at a discount, or have part of his salary not count due to injury.
Just imagine the havoc that the follow forward unit could pull off in a playoff situation ...
Heatley-Spezza-Eaves
Vermette-Forsberg-Alfredsson
Kelly-Fisher-Neil
McAmmond-Hennessy-Donovan
Over at The FanHouse, Greg W. is far from impressed ...
I would figure Forsberg's ideal team WOULD be Ottawa, despite its cold winters. The Senators are a definite favourite to take the Eastern Conference, and give Forsberg a shot at one more cup ring.
It seems the Peter Forsberg rumor train, that has toured through Colorado and Detroit, has no landed in Ottawa.
Yes, Bryan Murray and the Ottawa Senators apparently have interest in Forsberg, and would love him to play for their squad once he's healthy (as healthy as Forsberg can be, I suppose)
"There should be a number of reasons why we'd be one of the teams he may be interested in joining. I hope he thinks we have a good team, that we got to the final and we have a chance to do it again, and I think Daniel Alfredsson is his friend. I think there are things in our favour."
Murray thinks they are friends? Hmm, all of the scuttlebutt I've heard suggests that they are anything but. While Naslund and Forsberg are quite cozy, Alfredsson has, allegedly, been unhappy with the way Forsberg gets star treatment from the Swedish national squad.
However, these are grown men and could put aside such squabble for the common goal of winning a Stanley Cup. The Senators are at $46.4 million in committed cap space, so Forsberg would have to come at a discount, or have part of his salary not count due to injury.
Just imagine the havoc that the follow forward unit could pull off in a playoff situation ...
Vermette-Forsberg-Alfredsson
Kelly-Fisher-Neil
McAmmond-Hennessy-Donovan
Over at The FanHouse, Greg W. is far from impressed ...
Despite being a Cup contender, Ottawa just doesn't seem to fit the profile for what Forsberg and his agent desire. But hey, you can't blame Murray for trying: When your biggest off-season addition is a 38-year-old defenseman playing for his fourth team in three years, dropping Forsberg's name months before he's ready to play is a nice distraction.
I would figure Forsberg's ideal team WOULD be Ottawa, despite its cold winters. The Senators are a definite favourite to take the Eastern Conference, and give Forsberg a shot at one more cup ring.
Labels: forsberg, rumours, senators
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, March 08, 2007
Photo(s) of the Day: The Softer Side of Hockey
Contrary to what the critics say, Hockey isn't always a violent bloodbath.
The things Sid will do for the NHL...
Get a frickin room, you two!
Some guys REALLY like Peter Forsberg...
Now, that's team chemistry!
The things Sid will do for the NHL...
Get a frickin room, you two!
Some guys REALLY like Peter Forsberg...
Now, that's team chemistry!
Labels: forsberg, photo of the day, sidney crosby
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Forsberg a Pred?
by Greg
Them's the reports, at least... more to come...
update:
The Philadelphia Flyers have traded Peter Forsberg to the Nashville Predators for Scottie Upshall, Ryan Parent, a first round pick and a third round pick, sources tell The Canadian Press.
update update: I planned to do all sorts of amazing analysis, but, well, I'm at work. And it's hairy. I'm sure Jes will drop some serious science later -- in the meantime, James Mirtle does a nice job of breaking it down.
(Here comes Jes on the backcheck)
Talk about selling the mansion to rent a cottage!! The Preds are obviously going all-in on a straight flush like the Carolina Hurricanes did last year.
With some serious offensive firepower up front, and great goaltending, the Predators are one scary looking team at the moment. They are already 2nd overall in goal scoring and sport the best goal differential in the league (+55)
Here's how their team looks now..
If this move doesn't generate some ticket sales and excitement in Nashville, just give it up and move the frickin' team!
Let's not also forget that the Flyers get a great return on a guy they signed as a free agent and were likely to lose... that's a lot for 'nothing'.
On another note, it seems Sportsnet didn't do much of a job of fading out The Fraud's face...
Nice beret, buddy! I guess Klessel's 'cover' is finally blown on national TV.
Them's the reports, at least... more to come...
update:
The Philadelphia Flyers have traded Peter Forsberg to the Nashville Predators for Scottie Upshall, Ryan Parent, a first round pick and a third round pick, sources tell The Canadian Press.
update update: I planned to do all sorts of amazing analysis, but, well, I'm at work. And it's hairy. I'm sure Jes will drop some serious science later -- in the meantime, James Mirtle does a nice job of breaking it down.
(Here comes Jes on the backcheck)
Talk about selling the mansion to rent a cottage!! The Preds are obviously going all-in on a straight flush like the Carolina Hurricanes did last year.
With some serious offensive firepower up front, and great goaltending, the Predators are one scary looking team at the moment. They are already 2nd overall in goal scoring and sport the best goal differential in the league (+55)
Here's how their team looks now..
LW C RW
Kariya Forsberg Sullivan
Erat Arnott Dumont
Hartnell Legwand Radulov
Nichol Fiddler Smithson/Tootoo
DEFENSE
Timonen Weber
Zidlicky Suter
Vishnesvki Hamhuis
Zanon
GOALIES
Vokoun
Mason
If this move doesn't generate some ticket sales and excitement in Nashville, just give it up and move the frickin' team!
Let's not also forget that the Flyers get a great return on a guy they signed as a free agent and were likely to lose... that's a lot for 'nothing'.
On another note, it seems Sportsnet didn't do much of a job of fading out The Fraud's face...
Nice beret, buddy! I guess Klessel's 'cover' is finally blown on national TV.
Labels: flyers, forsberg, predators, the fraud, trades
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Someone Do Something
by Greg
Note: this was written as I sat in a bar, waiting for the Super Bowl to begin. So there's a few beers involved. It was also written before the Sean Avery trade, but that earthshattering development aside, the basic message still works for me. Anyway:
This is the time of year when I'm scanning the wire reports, when every blip on the hockey transactions creates a mild rush of excitement. And so, I implore the general managers of the National Hockey League -- do something interesting. Anything.
Sorry, Kyle Wanvig-for-Andy Delmore isn't cutting it. We're hearing so much about possible trades, but the most interesting development of 2007 has been a 35-year-old second-line center for a still-young underachiever and a few draft picks (and now, with safe hindsight, good job, Rangers -- transforming two top-ten picks in one year into Jamie Lundmark and Pavel Brendl. It's a reverse alchemist's dream, the ultimate example of turning gold into crap).
Both my teams need some help (and both, to best illustrate this, have been sipping deeply from the oasis of suck lately). Of course, the only real rumor surrounding either team involves Peter Forsberg. And it's still disorienting to have the Avalanche rumored to be trading for Forsberg, as if they just mislaid him for a bit.
Of course, the Avalanche and Thrashers are just two of the 48 teams rumored in the hunt for Forsberg. The saga may end with Philadelphia trading him to the Flyers. I'll be pleased if he ends up (and healthy) with the Avs or Thrashers, nonplussed if he ends up with the Canadiens or Predators, mildly amused if he ends up with the Blues or Jackets, mildly annoyed if he ends up with the Sabres or Canucks.
And if he ends up with the Red Wings? I'll root for his ankle bone to split off during practice. I can't think of a less-pleasing image than Foppa in Twizzler Red.
Note: this was written as I sat in a bar, waiting for the Super Bowl to begin. So there's a few beers involved. It was also written before the Sean Avery trade, but that earthshattering development aside, the basic message still works for me. Anyway:
This is the time of year when I'm scanning the wire reports, when every blip on the hockey transactions creates a mild rush of excitement. And so, I implore the general managers of the National Hockey League -- do something interesting. Anything.
Sorry, Kyle Wanvig-for-Andy Delmore isn't cutting it. We're hearing so much about possible trades, but the most interesting development of 2007 has been a 35-year-old second-line center for a still-young underachiever and a few draft picks (and now, with safe hindsight, good job, Rangers -- transforming two top-ten picks in one year into Jamie Lundmark and Pavel Brendl. It's a reverse alchemist's dream, the ultimate example of turning gold into crap).
Both my teams need some help (and both, to best illustrate this, have been sipping deeply from the oasis of suck lately). Of course, the only real rumor surrounding either team involves Peter Forsberg. And it's still disorienting to have the Avalanche rumored to be trading for Forsberg, as if they just mislaid him for a bit.
Of course, the Avalanche and Thrashers are just two of the 48 teams rumored in the hunt for Forsberg. The saga may end with Philadelphia trading him to the Flyers. I'll be pleased if he ends up (and healthy) with the Avs or Thrashers, nonplussed if he ends up with the Canadiens or Predators, mildly amused if he ends up with the Blues or Jackets, mildly annoyed if he ends up with the Sabres or Canucks.
And if he ends up with the Red Wings? I'll root for his ankle bone to split off during practice. I can't think of a less-pleasing image than Foppa in Twizzler Red.
Labels: forsberg, greg is bored, thrashers, trades
