NHL Jambalaya - The National Hockey League News

This and that

2011-08-09T15:19:00.000-06:00

I was quite disappointed with the results of the vote in Uniondale. I am a huge admirer of the old Islanders and the 4 cups they won in the eighties. I can imagine that it was hard for Bossy and Nystrom to watch. The Islanders are a once proud franchise. It is a crying shame to see this situation develop.

It is nice to see the Islanders come back to remain loyal to Long Island. The NHL cannot afford to lose this team.

In Calgary there seems to be a feeling that they really did not have a chance at Richards at all; that he had already made up his mind where he was going to play. Several media outlets reported that he was going to New York. What irritated the fans even more was the trading of Regehr to the Sabres. Why would he trade Robyn to make room for Richards? Especially when Richards had no intentions of playing out of New York?

In Nashville, they could not get together with Weber. As a result, they went to arbitration. It cost the Preds $7.5 million. But that was not the real loss; this process really wrecks a lot of relationships. If both parties were saying the right things, it still begs the question: What exactly was the argument used by the Preds? Weber is by far the best dman in the game, and he deserves to be paid. The problem the Preds will have is that next year Weber will have to be qualified again; at you guessed it: $7.5 million.

The other problem the Preds have is two major UFA'S coming up next season. Ryan Sutter and Pekka Rennie could demand major bucks. Especially Ryan, who could demand as much as $6 million a year. It will not be easy to keep all three in Pred sweaters.

Finally, I have to admit I really like the way the Kings are looking. They are really my pick to win the West, as they probably have the best two Centers in Mike Richards and Anze Kopitar. The arbitration could have a dire consequences for the Kings in trying to sign Drew Doughty. I can just see Drew's agent rubbing his hands together over the amount of money that Drew could get.

In New Jersey, the Devils avoided arbitration by signing Zach Parise to a one year contract. They now have the rest of the season to sign a long term deal. They have also avoided the ugly process of arbitration, with all the bickering that goes with it.

Fan Poll question:

How much does Drew Doughty get? And do the Kings actually trade him?

Randy Logged

The Leaked Winnipeg Jets Jersey @NHLJets

2011-07-27T10:56:00.000-06:00

This looks an awful lot like the Washington Capitals jerseys. You be the judge.

http://gamerant.com/nhl-12-developer-diary-ai-anticipation-dyce-97629/new-winnipeg-jets-jersey/

All Free Agent's Signed Since July 1st.

2011-07-03T18:07:00.033-06:00

1. Matt D'agostini re-signs with St. Louis, 2 Year Deal.
2. Krill Kabanov signs with NY Islanders, ELC.
3.Brett Connolly Signs with Tampa Bay, ELC
4.Andy Greene Re-Signs With New Jersey, 4 Year Deal
5.Mathieu Garon Signs with Tampa Bay, 2 Year Deal, $1.3 Per Year
6.Andrew Ebbett Signs With Vancouver, 1 Year Deal
7.Ben Eager Signs with Edmonton, 3 Years, $3.4M
8.Jamal Mayers Signs With Chicago, 1 Year Deal, $550,000
9.Brett Mclean Signs With Chicago, 2 way, $525,000
10.Jose Theodore Signs With Florida, 2 Years, $1.3 Per

11.Adam Pardy Signs with Dallas, 2 Year Deal, $2M Per Year
12.Chris Butler Re-Signs With Calgary, 2 Year Deal, $1.25M Per Year
13.Sean O' Donnell Signs With Chicago, 1 Year Deal, $850, 000 Per Year
14.Scottie Upshall Signs With Florida, 4 Year Deal, $13M
15.Jeff Halpern Signs With Capitals, 1 Year Deal, $825,000
16. Michel Ouellet Signs with Tampa Bay, 2 Way Deal,
17.Mike Smith Signs With Phoenix, 2 Year Deal, $2m Per
18.Raffi Torres Signs With Phoenix, 2 Years, $1.75M per Year
19.Jamoir Jagr Signs With Philidelphia, 1 Year, $3.3M
20.Mark Mancari Signs With Vancouver, 1 Year, $525,000
21.Boyd Gordon Signs With Phoenix, 2 Years, $1.3M
22.Jan Hejda Signs With Colorado, 4 Years, $3.25M Per
23.Vernon Fiddler Signs With Dallas, 1 Year, $1.8M
24.Tim Brent Signs With Carolina, 2 Years, $750,000 Per Year
25. Radek Dvorak With Dallas, 1 Year Deal, $1.5M Per Year
26. Ed Jovanovski Signs With Florida, 4 Year Deal, $16.5M
27.Jakub Voracek Signs With Philadelphia, 1 Year, $2.25M
28.Andrew Brunette Signs With Chicago, 1 Year, $2M
29.Andreas Lilja Signs With Philidelphia, 1 Year
30.Cody Beach Signs With St. Louis, ETC
31. Carter Bancks Signs With Calgary, ETC
32.Joe Piskula Signs With Calgary, ETC
33.Marcel Goc Signs With Florida, 3 Years

34. Semyon Varlamov Traded To Colorado For 1st Rounder In 2012 and 2nd Rounder in 2012 OR 2013
35. Johan Hedberg Re-signs with New Jersey, 1 Year Deal
36.Trent Whitfield Re-Signs With Boston, 2 Years $575,000 Per Year
37.Radim Vrbrata Re-Signs With Phoenix, 3 Years, $9M
38.Max Talbot Signs With Philadelphia, 5 Years, $9M
39.Semyon Varlamov Signed With Colorado, 2 Years, $2.75M Per Year
40.Derek Meech Signed With Winnipeg, 2 Way, 1 Year, $700,000
41.Brian Boucher Signed With Carolina, 2 Years, $950,000 Per year
42.Jiri Tlusty Signs With Carolina, 1 Year Deal, $525,000
43.Peter Budaj Signs With Montreal, 2 Years, $2.3M
44.Mike Rupp Signs With New York Rangers, 3 Years, $1.5M Per Year.

45.Mike Commodore Signs With Detroit, 1 Year, $1M
46.Steve Sullivan Signs With Pittsburgh, 1 Year, $1.5M
47.Marty Reasoner Signs With NY Islanders,2 Years, $2.5M
48.Joel Ward Signs With Washington, 4 Years, $12M
49.Roman Hamirlik Signs With Washington, 2 Years, $7M
50.Alex Bolduc Signs With Coyotes, 2 Way, 1 Year, $575,000
51.Adam Cracknell Signs With St. Louis
52.Erik Cole Signs With Montreal, 4 Years, $18M
53.Darcy Hordichuk signs with Edmonton, 1 Year, $825,000
54.Cam Barker Signs With Edmonton, 1 Year, $2.25M
55.Alex Auld Signs With Ottawa, 1 Year, $1M
56.Michael Ryder Signs With Dallas, 2 Years, $7M
57.Jake Dowell Signs With Dallas, 1 Year, 800,000
58.Kris Versteeg (Flyers) Traded to Florida for 2012 second Rounder And San Jose's 3rd Rounder
59.Benoit Pouliot signs with Boston, 1 Year, $1M

60.Panthers Sign Nolan Yonkman
61.Ducks acquire Kurtis Foster From Edmonton for Andy Sutton
62.Ville Leino Signed with Buffalo, 6 Years, 4.5M Per Season
63.Marco Sturm Signed with Vancouver, 1 Year, $2.25M
64.Alex Ponikarovsky Signed with Carolina, 1 Year, $1.5M
65.JS Giguere Signs with Colorado,
66.Ryan Potulny Signs with Washington, 2 Year, $525,000
67.Jim Vandermeer Signs With San Jose, 1 Year, $1M
68.Sheldon Souray Signs with Dallas, 1 Year, $1.65M

69.Tomas Fleishmann Signs With Florida, 4 Years, 18M
70.Curtis Sanford Signs With Columbus, 1 Year, 600K
71.Eric Belanger Signs With Edmonton, 3 Years, $5.25M
72.Chuck Kobasew Signs With Colorado, 2 Years, $2.5M
73.Francis Lessard Re-Signs With Ottawa, 1 Year
74.Brian Elliot Signs with St.Louis, 2 Years, 1.2M
75.Ryan Poultny Signs With Washington, terms Undisclosed
76.Corey Potter Signs With Edmonton, 1 Year
77.Dan Carcillo Signs With Chicago, 1 Year
78. Tanner Glass Signs with Winnipeg, 1 Year, $750K
79.Andrew Ebbet Signs With Vancouver, 1 Year, $525K
80.Michal Handzus Signs with San Jose, 2 Years, $5M
81. Sean Bergenheim Signs With Florida, 4 Years, $11M
82.Ruslan Fedotenko Re-Signs With NY Rangers, 1 Year, $1.4M
83.Brad Richards Signs With NY Rangers, 9 Years, $60M
84.Matt Gilroy Signs With Tampa Bay, 1 Year, $1M
85.Chris Bourque Re-Signed With Washington, 1 Year, $1M
86.Nolan Baumgartner Re-Signed With Vancouver, Undisclosed Terms
87.Tim Connolly Signed With Toronto, 2 Years, $9.5M
88.Anthony Stewart Signs With Carolina, 2 Years, $1.8M
89.Simon Gagne Signs With Los Angeles, 2 Years, $7M
90.Alex Bodulc Signs With Phoenix, 1 Year, $575K
91. Ian White Signs With Detroit, 2 Years, $5.75M
92. Randy Jones Signed With Winnipeg, 1 year, $1.15M
93.Tomas Vokoun Signs with Washington, 1 Year, $1.5M
94.Kent Huskins Signed With St.Louis, 1 Year, $1M
95.Rick Rypien Signed With Winnipeg, 1 Year, $700K
96.Josh Green Signed With Edmonton, 1 Year
97.Niclas Bergfors Signed With Nashville, 1 Year, $575K
98. Steve Pinizzotto Signed With Washington, Undisclosed Terms
99. Nashville Trades Andreas Thurreson to NY Rangers for Brodie Dupont
100.Nashville Trades Matthew Lombardi and Cody Franson to Toronto For Brett Lebda and Robert Slaney
101.Lightning Sign Jeff Taffe, Undisclosed Terms
102.Lightning Sign Trevor Smith, 1Year, 525K
103.Jordan Pearce Signs with Detroit, 2 Years, 2 Way, $525K
104.Danny Richmond Signs With Washington, 1 Year, $525K
105. Boris Valabrik Signs With Pittsburgh, 1 Year, 2 Way, $550K
106.Guillaume Desbiens Signs With Calgary, 1 Year, $525K
107.Alexandre Giroux Signs With Columbus, 1 Year, $825K
108.Curtis McElhinney Signs With Phoenix, 1 Year, 625K
109. Brett Sterling Signed With St.Louis
110. San Jose Trades Dany Heatley to Minnesota for Martin Havlat
111.Mike Weber Re-signed with Buffalo, 2 Years
112.Anton Babchuk Re-Signed with Calgary, 2 Years, $2.5M
113. Theo Peckham Re-Signed With Edmonton, 1 Year
114. Ryan Keller Signs With Edmonton, 1 Year
115, Yann Danis Signs With Edmonton, 1 Year
116. Chris Drury Signs In Switzerland
117. Gnaret Exelby Signs With Detroit, 1 Year, 2 Way
118. Brock Trotter signed with Montreal, 1 Year Contract
119. Mark Denkawhich signs with Columbus, 1 Year, &550K
120.Peter Delmas Signs With Montreal, 3 Years, 2 Way
121.Garret Wilson sign with Florida, 3 Years
122. Tim Kennedy signs with Florida, 1 Year, 550K
123. Jed Ortmeyer Signs With Minnesota, 1 Year, 585K
124.Tyler Eckford signs with Phoenix, 1 Year, 525K
125. Trevor Frischmon signs With NYI, 1 Year, 2 Way
126. Ryan Hamilton Re-Signs with Toronto, 1 Year, 525K
127. Matt Ford Signs with Washington, 1 Year, 525K
128.Cody Beach Signs With St. Louis, 2 Years, $1.825M

129. Scott Nichol Signed With St.Louis, 1 Year, $700k
130. Zenon Konopka Signed With Ottawa, 1 Year, $700k
131.Ruslan Salei Signed With Lokomotiv Yaroslavl Of The KHL
132. Logan Pyett Signed With Detroit, 1 Year, $525K
133.Andrew Ladd Signs With Winnipeg, 5 Years, $4.5M
134. Aaron Johnson Signs With Columbus, 1 Year, $550K
135. Alexandre Picard Signs With Pittsburgh, 1 Year, 2 Way
136. Ben Bishop Re-Signs With St. Louis, 1 Year, $600,000
137. Kyle Wilson Signed With Nashville, 1 Year, 2 Way, $550K
138.Zach Stortini Signs With Nashville, 1 Year, 2 Way, $550K
139.Keith Yandle Signs With Phoenix, 5 Years, $26.25M
140. Darroll Powe Signed With Minnesota, 3 Years, $3.2M
141.Marc Methot Re-Signed With Columbus, 4 Years, $12M
142.Greg Scott Re-Signed With Toronto, 2 Years, 2 Way, $1.075M
143. Tomas Kaberle Signed With Carolina, 3 Years, $12.75M
144. Bryan Rodney Signs With Anaheim, 1 Year
145. Josh Hennessy Signs With Boston, Undisclosed Terms
146. Carolina Traded Joe Corvo To Boston For A Fourth Round Pick
147. Brad Thiessen Signs With Pittsburgh, 1 Year, 2 Way
148. Sven Baertschi Signs With Calgay, ELC
149. Nathan Lawson Signs With Montreal, 1 Year, 2 Way, $525K
150.Nathan Oystrick Signs With Phoenix
151. Clarke MacArthur Signs With Toronto, 2 Years, $6.5M
152. Thomas Greiss Signs With San Jose, 2 Years, 2 Way, $1.175M
153. Jason Bacashihua Signs With Philadelphia , 1 Year, 2 Way, $550K
154. Jason Arnott Signs With St.Louis, 1 Year, $2.8M
155. Jamie Lagenbrunner With St. Louis, 1 Year, $2.8M
156. Radek Martinek Signs With Columbus, 1 Year, $2.2M
157. Philippe Dupuis Signs With Toronto, 1 year, $600K
158. Colin Stuart Signs With Buffalo, 1 Year, $525K
159. Matt Pelech Signs With San Jose, 1 Year, 2 Way, $525K
160. Tom Pyatt Signs With Tampa Bay, 1 Year, 2 Way
161.JF Jaques Signs With Anaheim, 1 year, 2 Way, $600K
162. Peter Condra Signs With Ottawa, 2 Years
163. Leland Irving Signs With Calgary, 1 Year, 2 Way, $600K
164. Chris Connor Signs With Detroit, 1 Year
165. Brian Willise Signs With Montreal, 1 Year, 2 Way
166. Montreal Trades Ryan Russell To Columbus For Mike Blunden
167. Matt Lashoff Signs With Toronto, 1 Year
168. Alex Sulzer Signs With Vancouver, 1 Year
169. Cal O`Reilly Signs With Nashville, 1 year, $1.05M
170. Nick Spaling Signs With Nashville, 2 Years, $2.1M
171. Matt Halishchuk Signs With Nashville, 2 Years, $1.425M
172.Alexandre Picard (LW) Signs With Tampa Bay, 1 Year, 2 Way
173. Ryan Shannon Signs With Tampa Bay, 1 Year, $625K
174. Ben Guite Signed With San Jose,
175.Brian McGrattan Signs With Anaheim, 1 Year

I Will Update With All The Latest Signings when they Happen.

Hour Five Deals

2011-07-01T14:57:00.000-06:00

1.Panthers Sign Nolan Yonkman
2.Ducks acquire Kurtis Foster From Edmonton for Andy Sutton
3.Ville Leino Signed with Buffalo, 6 Years, 4.5M Per Season
4.Marco Sturm Signed with Vancouver, 1 Year, $2.25M
5.Alex Ponikarovsky Signed with Carolina, 1 Year, $1.5M
6.JS Giguere Signs with Colorado,
7.Ryan Potulny Signs with Washington, 2 Year, $525,000
8.Jim Vandermeer Signs With San Jose, 1 Year, $1M
9.Sheldon Souray Signs with Dallas, 1 Year, $1.65M

Hour Four Deals

2011-07-01T14:03:00.001-06:00

1.Mike Commodore Signs With Detroit, 1 Year, $1M
2.Steve Sullivan Signs With Pittsburgh, 1 Year, $1.5M
3.Marty Reasoner Signs With NY Islanders,2 Years, $2.5M
4.Joel Ward Signs With Washington, 4 Years, $12M
5.Roman Hamirlik Signs With Washington, 2 Years, $7M
6.Alex Bolduc Signs With Coyotes, 2 Way, 1 Year, $575,000
7.Adam Cracknell Signs With St. Louis
8.Erik Cole Signs With Montreal, 4 Years, $18M
9.Darcy Hordichuk signs with Edmonton, 1 Year, $825,000
10.Cam Barker Signs With Edmonton, 1 Year, $2.25M
11.Alex Auld Signs With Ottawa, 1 Year, $1M
12.Michael Ryder Signs With Dallas, 2 Years, $7M
13.Jake Dowell Signs With Dallas, 1 Year, 800,000
14.Kris Versteeg (Flyers) Traded to Florida for 2012 second Rounder And San Jose's 3rd Rounder
15.Benoit Pouliot signs with Boston, 1 Year, $1M

Hour Three Deals

2011-07-01T13:01:00.000-06:00

1. Semyon Varlamov Traded To Colorado For 1st Rounder In 2012 and 2nd Rounder in 2012 OR 2013
2. Johan Hedberg Re-signs with New Jersey, 1 Year Deal
3.Trent Whitfield Re-Signs With Boston, 2 Years $575,000 Per Year
4.Radim Vrbrata Re-Signs With Phoenix, 3 Years, $9M
5.Max Talbot Signs With Philadelphia, 5 Years, $9M
6.Semyon Varlamov Signed With Colorado, 2 Years, $2.75M Per Year
7.Derek Meech Signed With Winnipeg, 2 Way, 1 Year, $700,000
8.Brian Boucher Signed With Carolina, 2 Years, $950,000 Per year
9.Jiri Tlusty Signs With Carolina, 1 Year Deal, $525,000
10.Peter Budaj Signs With Montreal, 2 Years, $2.3M
11.Mike Rupp Signs With New York Rangers, 3 Years, $1.5M Per Year.

Hour Two Deals

2011-07-01T12:00:00.000-06:00

All the Signings from 1pm-2pm:

1.Adam Pardy Signs with Dallas, 2 Year Deal, $2M Per Year
2.Chris Butler Re-Signs With Calgary, 2 Year Deal, $1.25M Per Year
3.Sean O' Donnell Signs With Chicago, 1 Year Deal, $850, 000 Per Year
4.Scottie Upshall Signs With Florida, 4 Year Deal, $13M
5.Jeff Halpern Signs With Capitals, 1 Year Deal, $825,000
6. Michel Ouellet Signs with Tampa Bay, 2 Way Deal,
7.Mike Smith Signs With Phoenix, 2 Year Deal, $2m Per
8.Raffi Torres Signs With Phoenix, 2 Years, $1.75M per Year
9.Jamoir Jagr Signs With Philidelphia, 1 Year, $3.3M
10.Mark Mancari Signs With Vancouver, 1 Year, $525,000
11.Boyd Gordon Signs With Phoenix, 2 Years, $1.3M
12.Jan Hejda Signs With Colorado, 4 Years, $3.25M Per
13.Vernon Fiddler Signs With Dallas, 1 Year, $1.8M
14.Tim Brent Signs With Carolina, 2 Years, $750,000 Per Year
15. Radek Dvorak With Dallas, 1 Year Deal, $1.5M Per Year
16. Ed Jovanovski Signs With Florida, 4 Year Deal, $16.5M
17.Jakub Voracek Signs With Philadelphia, 1 Year, $2.25M
18.Andrew Brunette Signs With Chicago, 1 Year, $2M
19.Andreas Lilja Signs With Philidelphia, 1 Year
20.Cody Beach Signs With St. Louis, ETC
21. Carter Bancks Signs With Calgary, ETC
22.Joe Piskula Signs With Calgary, ETC
23.Marcel Goc Signs With Florida, 3 Years

Hour One Deals

2011-07-01T11:05:00.000-06:00

These are all the deals that happened after 12PM EST.

1. Matt D'agostini re-signs with St. Louis, 2 Year Deal.
2. Krill Kabanov signs with NY Islanders, ELC.
3.Brett Connolly Signs with Tampa Bay, ELC
4.Andy Greene Re-Signs With New Jersey, 4 Year Deal
5.Mathieu Garon Signs with Tampa Bay, 2 Year Deal, $1.3 Per Year
6.Andrew Ebbett Signs With Vancouver, 1 Year Deal
7.Ben Eager Signs with Edmonton, 3 Years, $3.4M
8.Jamal Mayers Signs With Chicago, 1 Year Deal, $550,000
9.Brett Mclean Signs With Chicago, 2 way, $525,000
10.Jose Theodore Signs With Florida, 2 Years, $1.3 Per

HAPPY FREE AGENT FRENZY DAY!!!!!

2011-07-01T08:19:00.002-06:00

July 1st. Whats Important today? FREE AGENT FRENZY!!! Oh ya, Happy Canada Day! To most hockey fans, today is a great day. Our country was founded 144 years ago, and the best free agents in the NHL sign contracts.

A Chaotic day is in the future for us hockey fans. Here are some last minute rumors. Every hour I Will update with all the new signings.

Brad Richards- The Rangers will try to sign Richards, but while they’re the favorites to sign him, they’re apparently unwilling to get into a bidding war for his services. Sources have said Buffalo may make a big bid to sign him, and may likely the team who gets him. But another new development came out of the NHL last night: Toronto is very interested and will offer around $8M. Toronto has been interested since the beginning.

Zenon Konopka- Who? The fourth liner seems to be attracting A LOT of Interest. Ottawa and Philadelphia are the front runners. Konopka made $600,000 last season, and had 2 goals and 7 assists. So why is he popular right now? His 309PIM. He plays his role of a fourth line grinder very well.

Raffi Torres- Torres will be in talks with Vancouver until the deadline, but looks like the talks will go no where.

Scottie Upshall- Upshall will be in high demand. The Predators are interested in him again.

Flyers- The Flyers want to make a big splash in the Free agent market. They will try to trade Kris Versteeg, and even though they pulled out of the Stamkos race, they will try to target some 2nd line forwards.

Matt Bradley- This guy is a perfect player for Edmonton. Strong, can score... with Stortini and Jaques gone, this would be a perfect fit.

Ed Jovanovski- Edmonton and Detroit are very interested in this guy, but I think he signs with New Jersey. They need defence, with Andy Greene testing the free agent frenzy.

Michael Handzus- Handy will become a UFA today.

Follow me on Twitter, @Sykoshockeybuzz

Free Agent Market Changes Dramatically Today, What Will Happen July 1st?

2011-06-29T21:21:00.001-06:00

Here is a recap of some of today's events:

Dwayne Roloson signed a one year deal with Tampa Bay.

James Wisnewski traded to Columbus.

Steve Mondator traded to Chicago from Buffalo.

Christian Ehrhoff traded to Buffalo From NY Islanders.

Chad LaRose signed a one year deal with Carolina.

David Jones re-upped with Colorado.

Semyon Varlamov off to KHL.

Few other minor signings.

More on Ehrhoff: Ehrhoff and Darcy Regier will have a contract discussion today. The islanders tried signing him for his asking price, but he has no interest in playing for the Islanders.

Jamoir Jagr: This story is getting interesting. Reports say Jagr had signed with Pittsburgh, but a deal would be finalized once Jagr got off the plane he was on. But he never landed. So right now he is lost somewhere. He apparently declined Pittsburgh's offer, giving Montreal the chance go sign him.

James Wisnewski: Montreal could not come to terms and traded him to Columbus.

Mike Commodore- Commy was informed yesterday he would be put on waivers with purpose of buying him out.

Vancouver/New Jersey Deal?- I don't think it's anything more then just speculation, but the Devils are interested in Cory Schneider and New Jersey is interested in Zach Parise.

Look for some last minute signings today.

For all updates on The NHL , Follow Me On Twitter @SykosHockeyBuzz. If yo mention this post to me, I will follow you.

Stamkos Close, Talbot in Talks With Other Teams, Huet?

2011-06-28T21:54:00.001-06:00

Steven Stamkos- According to sources, The Lightning and Stamkos are close to inking a deal, worth around $7M. Many teams talked to him today about an offer sheet, yet no teams would confirm. Philadelphia and Toronto seem to be the top team that will put in an offer sheet.

Toronto- The leafs seem to be interested in about every single player right now, but will they actually sign anyone? A big rumor today was that Toronto is trying to acquire the rights to Max Talbot from the Penguins. Another rumor is Toronto is trying to corner Matt D'agostini. They seem to like what they have seen from him.

Christian Ehrhoff- The New York Islanders acquired Ehrhoff's rights yesterday from Vancouver. Reports indicate he will likely sign with the Islanders.

Tyler Kennedy- The Sabers have interest in signing Kennedy, but as it stands now it looks as though Pittsburgh wants to sign him.

Cristobal Huet- The Blackhawks want to buy-out Huet. It will most likely happen today or tomorrow.

Jamoir Jagr- It looks as though Jagr will sign today. Pittsburgh put in their final offer today, a 1 year deal. But reports indicate that Montreal has the better money offer. We will find out soon.

Tomas Kaberle- The Bruins sent out a league wide email last night offering Kaberle's rights. Just a few years ago he was near the top in Defenceman in terms of value. Now no one wants him. Toronto may want him back.

Johan Hedberg- There have been talks in the Devils camp about Hedberg returning on a one year contract. But will they target a goalie who can possibly be the starter in years come, like Cory Schneider from Vancouver or Andreas Lindback from Nashville?

Dwayne Roloson- It seems as though he will test the free agent Market after all....

For all updates on The NHL , Follow Me On Twitter @SykosHockeyBuzz

Qualifying Offer Deadline, Stamkos News and More!!

2011-06-27T22:06:00.001-06:00

Monday was the deadline for teams to offer players qualifying offers before their RFA's become UFA's. Here is a list of players who did not get offers and will become free agents on July 1st:

PLAYERS WHO DID NOT RECIEVE QOs (WILL BECOME UFAs)
ANAHEIM: Kyle Chipchura, C ; Ryan Hillier, LW; John de Gray, D; J.P. Levasseur, G.
BOSTON: Matt Dalton, G; Anton Khudobin, G.
BUFFALO: Felix Schutz, F.
CALGARY: John Armstrong, F; Gord Baldwin, D; Hugo Carpentier, F (Signed with LNAH); Josh Meyers, D; Matt Pelech, D.
CAROLINA: Troy Bodie, RW; Jiri Tlusty, LW.
CHICAGO: Jake Dowell, C.
COLORADO: Philippe Dupuis, C; Brian Elliott, G.
COLUMBUS: Sami Lepisto, D; Anton Stralman, D; Tomas Kana, C (Signed in Czech Republic); Petr Kalus, RW (Signed in Finland); Michael Ratchuk, D; Gustaf Wesslau,G (Signed in Sweden).
EDMONTON: J.F Jacques, LW; Zack Stortini, RW.
FLORIDA: Nicklas Bergfors, RW; Steve Bernier, RW; Byron Bitz, RW.
LOS ANGELES: Rob Bordson, RW.
MINNESOTA: Patrick O’Sullivan, C.
MONTREAL: Alexandre Picard, D; Tom Pyatt, RW; Benoit Pouliot, LW; Dustin Boyd, C; Nigel Dawes, LW.
NASHVILLE: Dan Gendur, F; Mark Santorelli, F.
NEW JERSEY: Anssi Salmela, D.
NY RANGERS: Matt Gilroy, D; Justin Soryal, F; Devin DiDiomete, F.
PHILADELPHIA: Dan Carcillo, LW.
PITTSBURGH: Tyler Kennedy, RW.
SAN JOSE: Patrick Davis, F; Kevin Henderson, F; Carter Hutton, G; Joe Loprieno, D; Nick Schaus, D; Mike Swift, F.
ST. LOUIS: Matt D’Agostini, RW.
TAMPA BAY: Mike Lundin, D; Matt Smaby, D; Alex Berry, F; Stefano Giliati, F; Kevin Quick, D; Vladimir Mihalik, D; Levi Nelson, F; Paul Szccechura, C
TORONTO: Christian Hanson, C; Brayden Irwin, F; Fabiann Brunnstrom, LW.
VANCOUVER: Lee Sweatt, D.
WASHINGTON: Josh Godfrey, D; Joe Finley, D; Trevor Bruess, F.
WINNIPEG: Rob Schremp, C; Anthony Stewart, RW.

Rumor time:

Steven Stamkos- Stamkos did NOT receive a qualifying offer. Not exactly sure what's going on in Steve Yzerman's head right now. They can either trade him and get a lot in return, or wait for another team to offer him a contract. Tampa must be really interested in BRAD RICHARDS, because a team has to have a good reason not to sign their star players. Toronto and Philadelphia now look like he teams to swipe Stamkos off of the Lightning, and personally I think Toronto has a better chance, with Stamkos growing up In the area.

Brad Richards- The Rangers have always been in the mix, and they are expected to put CHRIS DRURY on waivers today so they have a chance to get Richards. Richards said he would play in New York If they were willing to pay the money.

Jamoir Jagr- Multiple sources say Pittsburgh and Jagr will announce a deal within the next day. While no one within the organization has been able to confirm anything is close, Jagr was big in Pitsburgh, and a return is likely.

Cory Schneider- Vancouver Canucks GM Mike Gillis recently admitted he’d received trade inquiries about Cory Schneider but he sounds unlikely to shop him. Schneider has promise, and If the Canucks are serious about Luongo, maybe trading Schneider is not such a bad idea after all.

Ryan Malone- Tampa has many Free Agents that they hope to re-sign, and Malone's big contract could lead to him being traded or bought out. With so many teams below the cap minimum, he will likely be traded to a team lacking grit and needing to fill be cap.

Florida- The Panthers are way below the cap, so look for them to trade for more Brian Campbell type salaries. They want to bring back Tomas Vokoun, but he is looking to sign elsewhere. They are still shopping Stephen Weiss and David Booth, so they may be able to gain salary.

For all updates on The NHL , Follow Me On Twitter @SykosHockeyBuzz

Smyth To Edmonton; Is Calgary Looking for Another Winger?

2011-06-26T21:44:00.001-06:00

Calgary- The Flames missed out on Ryan Smyth, who they were trying to grab off of L.A. It looks as though they could be going after a winger to play on the first line. Malkin may be a stretch, but there have been some Rumors he would head there around trade deadline. According to sources, Brooks Laich may be headed there July 1st.

Tampa- The Lightning have talked to both UFA Goalies, Mike Smith and Dwayne Roloson about contracts, but it looks like Smith will not be back. Roloson will likely be the Starter this season, with Dustin Tokarski or Cedrick Desjardins backing up. If Roloson is not signed, they may go after Cory Schneider.

Brad Richards- Nothing new on Richards, but he will more likely then no test the free agent waters.

Matt Gilroy- The Rangers did not offer Gilroy a qualifying deal, so he will become a UFA. Sounds like Minnesota and Calgary are interested.

James Wisnewski- As much as Montreal wants to keep Wisnewski, he will likely sign elsewhere. The Ducks seem to want him back, along with Red Wings, Blue Jackets and Rangers.

Tomas Vokoun- There is a good chance he signs with the Colorado Avalanche. He can sign for a huge price, as the Avalanche are $21M below the salary cap. That sounds pretty good for any NHLer. At one point it seemed as though Montreal had interest, but with Carey Price, it is highly unlikely.

Semeyon Varlamov- As I reported a month ago via Twitter, Varlamov will not return to the Capitals. Some suggest he goes to the KHL, but is still a young, talented goalie who can perform. Not much interest yet.

Mike Komisarek- With many teams below the Cap minimum, Komisarek will likely be in play. For teams needing salary, Komisarek can be a good pickup, and at times, a reliable Defenceman. Avalanche ARE interested.

Jamoir Jagr- The Penguins may be out of the Jagr Race. They have to sign Tyler Kennedy, and there is better talent out there then Jagr. Habs and Wings still leading.

Marian Gaborik- The Ottawa Senators are in a rebuilding stage, and want Gaborik apart of it. Only problem is how much is he worth? With Jason Spezza trade Rumors, it can be a one for one deal, but in an ideal situation, the Senators want both together.

For all updates on The NHL , Follow Me On Twitter @SykosHockeyBuzz

Gomez, Giguere, Non NHLers?

2011-06-25T22:44:00.001-06:00

The NHL Entry Draft is over, but July 1st is nearing us!

Ryan Smyth- A deal was believed to be in place that had Smyth traded to Edmonton for Gilbert Brule. But as reported by TSN's Bob Mckenzie, the deal was not official and there appears to be backlog in the trade. Calgary is very interested in Smyth and will continue to pursue him, but after signing Alex Taungay to a 5 year deal, it's unlikely he becomes a Flame.

Js Giguere- Jiggy recently moved from his Toronto home, meaning some to speculate he won't be returning to Toronto next season. With James Reimer locked up, it's unlikely The Leafs will re-sign him. Washington seems interested in him, along with the Coyotes.

Scott Gomez- Easily one of the most underachieving players in the NHL, the Canadiens are trying to either buy him out or trade him. The Coyotes have a lot of cap space and is looking for a center man. Colorado may be a sleeper.

Evgeni Malkin- Toronto was taking a run at getting him. Seriously.

Tomas Kaberle- Kaberle seemed to have wanted to stay in Boston, considering they did win the Stanley Cup, but recent reports have led many to believe he may be headed back.... To Toronto.

Jamoir Jagr- Jagr met with Penguins GM Ray Shero before the draft. But as it stands, Montreal and Detroit are the only ones with serious offers.

Vesa Toskala- I was told by multiple sources that Toskala wants to return to the NHL. He is still a good quality goaltender, despite what his Toronto stats show.

Toronto- The Leafs may have missed out on acquiring a number 1 center at the draft, but don't count them out. They seem to be dark horses to land Brad Richards. Toronto is rumored to offer Steven Stamkos around $9M, but The Lighting don't want to let him go.

Florida- The Panthers are shopping Stephen Weiss and David Booth. Toronto seems to be interested in both, and can dump some salary on the Panthers.

Flyers- With locking up Ilya Bryzgalov to a 9 year deal, the Flyers are shopping Sergei Bobrovsky. There is lots of interest in the Russian Goaltender. I'm surprised the Flyers didn't trade either Bobrovsky or Brian Boucher to Phoenix for Bryzgalov.

Tampa Bay- Tampa's top priority is to sing Stamkos. Brad Richards has some interest in returning to the team he captured a cup with, which would mean Stamkos would be done with the Lightning. GM Steve Yzerman is still trying to sign Sean Berginheim, and Goalies Mike Smith and Dwayne Rolson. They just signed Eric Brewer on Friday.

Follow me on twitter for all NHL Updates @SykosHockeyBuzz

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Draft Day Rumors

2011-06-24T09:58:00.000-06:00

So it's that time of year again. The NHL's future will be chosen tonight and tomorrow. Who will go First? Who Will Go Second? What Deals will we see? That will be all found out at 7pm Tonight on TSN.

RUMORS:

Jamoir Jagr- During the last 2 weeks, the rumor has been that Pittsburgh and Detroit have been the only teams interested in him. But now the wheel has turned- It looks like Montreal is the only one putting in a serious offer. But I just heard that the Red Wings have put in an offer for Jagr. This is getting interesting.

Flyers- Even though the Flyers risked their future by Trading Jeff Carter and Mike Richards, it looks as though they are not done. With over $7m in cap space, they have some room to land a big player. The Flyers talked to Derek Roy and even... Steven Stamkos.

Steven Stamkos- It would take Steve Yzerman alot not to sign this superstar. But Brad Richards has interest in T Bay. The Leafs and Rangers from what I Have heard are the teams that would take advantage of Stamkos not signing with Tampa.

Capitals- The Capitals want a Goalie. They Have Mike Green and Alex Semin available for trade.With those talents, they can make some pretty crazy deals. The Wild have been talking to the Capitals, most likely involving those names.

Jason Spezza- The Leafs, Avalanche, Rangers and Sharks are all interested. The Avs are trying to trade Paul Stastny, a deal can happen involving the 2 superstars. The Sharks want to Re-unite Spezza And Heatly.

Toronto- The Leafs are way too quiet to not have a deal in place. They seem to have interest in Derek Roy In Buffalo. The Leafs will make a big deal in the next few days.

Marian Gaborik- Now The Senators are talking with New York about Marian Gaborik. Interesting. Nothing more then just talks now.

Blockbuster Trades??? Carter and Richards Dealt

2011-06-23T15:04:00.001-06:00

1st Jeff Carter was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Jakab Voracek and 2 draft picks.

Then Mike Richards was traded to the Los Angeles Kings for Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds, plus a 2nd round pick.

To top it all off, the Flyers reportedly signed Ilya Bryzgalov for 9 years and $51 million dollars.

Holy crap Philly... Holy crap!

-WRITTEN BY SMOKIN'RAY-

Top 10 Free Agents by Position- Goaltenders

2011-06-21T08:45:00.000-06:00

1. Ilya Bryzgalov- Philidelphia Flyers-UFA- A 2010 vezina canaditate, there is no chance of him going to Winnipeg. Any team looking to swipe one of the best goalies in the NHL would have to do so quick: He has lots of interest in the KHL. The Flyers recently traded for his rights. The fact the Coyotes got him on waivers for nothing, he was a great pickup.

2010-2011 Stats: 68GP-36 Wins-20 Losses-7 Shutouts

2. Dwayne Roloson- Tampa Bay Lightning- Roli the Goalie had an outstanding playoffs for the TB Lightning. At 41 years old, Roloson showed no signs of aging. Any team with weak goaltending but a strong offense/defence with a young goalie will most likely pick him up.

2010-2011 Stats- 34GP, 18W-12L-4SO

3. Tomas Vokoun-Florida Panthers-UFA- Vokoun has always been on an offensivly challenged team (Montreal, Nashville, Florida), so don't look for him to sign with a team that has no idea how to put a puck in the net. Jacob Markstrom will probably be the starter next season in Florida.

2010-2011 Stats: 57GP-22W-28L-6SO

4. Ray Emery- Anaheim Ducks-UFA- Easily the best bargain in the NHL ($500,000), Emery was a great story for the Ducks. With Jonas Hiller injured, Emery took over from Dan Ellis as starter and impressed many, considering he was injured for most of this season.

2010-2011 Stats-10GP-7W-2L-0SO

5. Mathieu Garon-Columbus Blue Jackets-UFA- For the second straight year, Garon outplayed 2009 Calder Trophy winner Steve Mason, but recieved less starts. After 2 months, Garon did not lose in regulation, going 8-0-4. He proved he can still be a NHL starter at a cheap price.

2010-2011 Stats: 36GP-10W-14L-3SO

6. Brian Boucher-Philidelphia Flyers-UFA- Many believe he was the reason the Flyers went to the cup finals in 2010, despite getting injured in round 2 to Boston. But he was part of the 3 headed goalie problem this post-season. With Bryzgalov traded to the Flyers, there is no chance Boucher will be back.

2010-2011 Stats: 34GP-18W-10L-0SO

7. Semyon Varlamov- Washington Capitals- RFA- Varlamov will not be back with The Capitals next season. Varly, the highest rated Capital in this years The Hockey News top goalies of 2010-2011 (12), has had many injury problems in 2009-2010 and 2010-2011. His injuries forced Michael Neuvirth and Braedon Holtby in to action, and they outplayed Varlamov.

2010-2011 Stats-27GP-11W-9L-2SO

7.Ty Conklin-St. Louis Blues- UFA: Conklin is still one of the best backup goalies of all time, but its time for him to move on. St. Louis has Jake Allen and Ben Bishop battiling for the backup position. Conklin has alot of big game experience (2 Cup Finals and 3 Straight Winter Classic Starts), so he can be valuable to a team that needs a talented backup. He will likely sign with a team that has a young, unproven goalie.

2010-2011 Stats- 25GP-8W-8L-2SO

8. Js Giguere-Toronto Maple Leafs-UFA: With a Stanley Cup and a Conn Smythe with the Anaheim Ducks, Giguere says he wants to stay in Toronto. Only problem is there is no place for him, with James Reimer and Jonas Gusstavson. There is a good chance he will go to a contender, as he is still a reliable goalie. The Capitals have alot of interest in him.

2010-2011 Stats: 33W-11W-11L-0SO

9. Marty Turco-Chicago Blackhawks-UFA- There is not many teams who wouldn't want to sign one of the best goalies in the past decade. Arguably the best playmaking goalie in the NHL, Turco was outplayed by Rookie Corey Crawford. He may return as a backup to Crawford, but is still a cheap descision for most teams.

2010-2011 Stats: 29GP-11W-11L-1SO

10. Peter Budaj- Colorado Avalanche-UFA- Budaj is a career backup goalie. He never got a chance as starter, behind Jose Theodore, Craig Anderson and Brian Elliot. His Chance is now. He has shown he can be a relaible goalie, but he needs his team to perform.

2010-2011 Stats: 45GP-15W-21L-1SO

My list's for forwards and defence will be released in the next week.

Boston Bruins: 2010-2011 Stanley Cup Champions!

2011-06-16T09:59:00.001-06:00

Tim Thomas And The Boston Bruins Win The Stanley Cup!

I dislike The Bruins.

After defeating both The Canadiens and Lightning in 7 games and sweeping the Flyers in 4, the Boston Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks 4-0 in game 7, after starting the series 2-0. It was the first time the home team lost in the series. However, the first team to take the lead in every game won.

The Bruins were clearly the best team in the Playoffs. Winning 8-1, 4-0, 4-0 and 5-2, Vancouver had no chance. With the terrible play of Luongo, mixed with the disappearence of the Vancouver offense, (IM LOOKING AT YOU SEDIN TWINS), the Canucks were not a threat. I question what Boston was doing in the games Vancouver won.

I would like to congratulate Tim Thomas on his outstanding year. A Stanley Cup, Conn Smythe and soon the Vezina. He was the best player in the NHL this year, no question. He was the most dominating player in the playoffs. Its hard to believe that just a few years ago no one wanted him.

I would also like to congratulate Mark Recchi on a great finish to a great career. He played this season like he was 22, not 42. He was a force for Boston. I think he could play a few more years in the NHL. Congrats Mark, have a good rest.

And On The Riot

This is a message to the stupid Canucks fans involved in the riot last night. You disgraced the City of Vancouver, Canada, the Canucks and the NHL. You lost a hockey game, not a war. There was no reason to destroy the city you live in. I hope you all get in trouble for what you did.

That is all.

Follow me on Twitter, @Sykoshockeybuzz

Goodbye Atlanta-Hello Failure?

2011-05-31T09:53:00.004-06:00

The Atlanta Thrashers no longer exist.

Welcome Manitoba Moose to the NHL. The long awaited returrn of NHL hockey to the city of Winnipeg is finally here. Every painful day since the end of the 1996 playoffs, natives of Winnipeg waited for a team to come back to the city that lost the Jets. For a few years now, a team in the North looked like a reality. With both the Coyotes and Thrashers in financial holes, it was only a matter of time before us Canadians got a 7th team.

As of the time I write this post, it hasn't been officialy announced. It will be in the upcoming hour.

I Am Canadian and I am very happy to have a team back here where it belongs. But will it work?

Look at Winnipeg's arena, the MTS Center. It only holds 15,000 people. That's the lowest of any team. But the sad thing is thats better then the majority of Thrashers games.

Then you need to look at their roster. Dustin Byfuglin. Evander Kane. Andrew Ladd. Brian Little. Not exactly household names. But those are their top players. Its going to be hard to convince fans this team is as good as the Jets, back when they had Keith Tkachuk or Bobby Hull. Other then Ilya Kovalchuk, Marian Hossa and Dany Heatley, the talent hasn't been exactly oozing out in high numbers.

Oh ya by the way, the weather isn't so great there. If you are Brad Richards, are you more likely to sign with your former team in Tampa, where the weather is nice, their are many attractions and the you have a chance to win the Stanley Cup, or would you go to Winnipeg where the weather sucks, there is nothing to do and your hoping to not finish last?

With a team now in Winnipeg, the former AHL Manitoba Moose will move to Newfoundland.

Don't get me wrong, I Am very excited about the the new team. But will it work? Unless fans can commit to supporting the team long term, I don't think the team will work out.

-WRITTEN BY SYKO-

Derek Boogaard Has Passed Away At Age 28

2011-05-13T20:39:00.001-06:00

In some shocking news, NHL player Derek Boogaard has passed away at the age of 28.

Boogaard was one of the toughest men in the NHL and was currently playing with the New York Rangers. He was found by some members of his family inside his apartment in Minneapolis. Cause of death unkown as of this writing.

Just shocking.

RIP Derek. Condolences and prayers to his family.

Nashville Predators: A Great Story

2011-05-10T07:31:00.001-06:00

Pekka Rinne. Jordin Tootoo. Shea Weber. Joel Ward. Colin Wilson. Ryan Suter. David Legwand. Carrie Underwood's husband.

Who? What do you wanna bet that 5 years ago you didn't know a team existed in Tennessee? Well thanks to Carrie... I mean Mike Fisher, and the rest of the Preds, Nashville has become a hockey market.

The diehard Predator fans knew the team all along had the ability to compete for a Stanley Cup. Until they were eliminated by Vancouver last night, winning Hockeys most valuable prize looked like a reasonable possibility. A great first round by Tootoo, Nick Spaling and Ward gave them hope. With a Vezina nominee in Rinne, a Norris Hopeful in Weber and a Jack Adams possibility in Barry Trotz, the only Nashville coach in the organization ever the team has great potential.

You have to hand it to their scouts. Rinne, Weber, Suter, Klein, Tootoo, Legwand..... I can go on and on.

They easily have the best Defence in the entire league, along with Dan Ellis, Chris Mason, Tomas Vokoun, Mike Duhnam, Andreas Lindback and Rinne in net in recent years.

If they are ever going to become a serious contender in the Spring, they need offense. Alex Semin in Washington is a perfect fit. He doesn't play well with the Caps. He needs a change in scenery. Nashville has alot of cap space left. Could he become a Predator in the offseason?

If you are a Nashville Predator fan, be loud and be proud.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Phoenix Coyotes: The End Of A (Forgettable) Era?

2011-04-19T12:26:00.000-06:00

Goodbye Coyotes.

Go to Google. Type in Phoe. The first thing you will see: Phoenix Coyotes. But will this be the case, say, 2 weeks from now?

The Coyotes have had a, to say the least, a bumpy 16 years in the NHL. Lack of fans, and very poor performances on ice have definitely had a big impact when the team filed for bankruptcy in 2009. With no buyers, the team was bought by the NHL. Jim Ballsille, CEO of Research In Motion, tried buying the team and relocating it to Hamilton, Ontario. The NHL did not approve. But why? More people can fill Copps Coliseum then there are people who know Hockey exist in the desert. Canada only has 6 NHL teams, and 5 in the AHL. Isn’t Hockey a Canadian Sport? Guess not. Hockey can’t survive in Atlanta, Phoenix, Columbus, Florida and New York (ISLANDERS). So why not move a team back to Canada? In what world would hockey survive in a place that isn’t cold enough to have Ice in the first place? Why take it away from Winnipeg? Wake up Bettman! THE TIME IS NOW!!!! Actually, the time should have never came, Hockey belongs in the NHL, NOT IN AN AREA THAT DOESN’T EVEN GO BELOW FREEZING POINT!!!

If the Jets are not back in Canada next year, Bettman, I want you fired.

Who Will be This Year's Playoff Hero?

2011-04-15T15:01:00.003-06:00

Could We See Shane Doan Back In Winnipeg?

Jaroslav Halak. Antii Niemi. Sammy Pahlson. Cam Ward. Dustin Byfuglin. Those names come to mind when thinking of past playoff hero's for their teams. Only problem is that other then Byfuglin and possibly Ward, they have had mediocre seasons afterwards. Niemi led his team to the 2010 finals, but was shaky. This year his San Jose Sharks are a serious contender for the cup, but it’s not been because of his play.

Here are some players who might come up big for their teams this spring:

Carey Price (Montreal): Halak’s performance last season is still fresh in the minds of all people. Especially Price. He was demoted to backup after bad play forced Montreal to use Halak, who played outstanding. There is pressure on Carey to perform. After winning game one against Boston, though, some may think Halak has returned. Just in a #31 jersey.

Jordan Staal (Pittsburgh): With injuries to Crosby and Malkin, the Penguins have a lot of work to do, with little offense. Formerly a 3^rd line center, Staal has been forced to play big minutes and produce points for the battered Pittsburgh squad. If Staal doesn’t perform, who will?

Joe Thornton (San Jose): This can apply to all of the Sharks, but this player in general needs a Cup. The former 1997 first rounder has been the Sharks best player since getting 125 points in 2005-2006, his first year with the club. San Jose has not played well in the Post-season the last few years, so anything less than a cup is a complete failure.

Shane Doan (Phoenix): This team needs leadership. They have been through so much in previous years, and this may be the end. If they don’t get fans QUICK, they are done. Winnipeg is knocking on the door. The Coyotes need to play like it’s the end, because, in reality, it probably is the end.

Roberto Luongo (Vancouver): Vancouver’s time has come. 40 years. Luongo has won at every level, except the NHL. Think there’s is pressure on everybody to repeat this seasons success. Roberto needs to step it up. His playoff performances have......been less then stellar.

Roman Hamrlik (Montreal): The defence in Montreal has taken a huge hit this season. Half the NHL is there defence. With no Gorges or Markov, the time is now for Roman to step it up. He may never have a chance again to go far. His high salary will not get much interest this summer unless the potential UFA steps up to the plate.

Patrice Bergeron (Boston): Bergeron hasn't exactly been the player all Bruins fans were hoping for. Boston has a strong team this time around. Even without Marc Savard. But if Boston doesn't go far....... They need to make some moves. Bergeron needs to step his game up.

What Needs To Be Done To Get Rid Of Headshots?

2011-04-01T11:17:00.001-06:00

Marc Savard May Never Play Again. Is This What You Want, NHL?

It's only a matter of time before someone dies from headshots.

For a long time fighting was the talk of The NHL. But with the percentage of fighting going down, it's not an issue anymore. Sidney Crosby, Marc Savard, Max Pacioretty, Andy McDonald, David Perron, Kurt Sauer, Ratis Ivananis, Mathew Lombardi, Jim Slater, Peter Mueller..... need I Continue? Do we want to see someone die? What if Pacioretty died from his hit by Chara? Would the NHL Do something then?

Air Canada, one of the NHL's largest financial corporate backers, is threatening to withdraw its sponsorship if the league doesn't take "immediate" and "serious" action on headshots. So far, the only thing Gary Bettman has done is that all players have to be checked out by team doctors to see if he is fine. If that's all that’s getting done........Air Canada won't be the only major company backing out.

Players WILL die if the rules stay the way they are. Players need to be SEVERLY punished. Of Course some no talent, 4^th line thug will go try to take off Alex Ovechkin’s head. What does he have to lose? A 5 game suspension? Wow... So now he doesn’t play his 2-3 minutes a game? What about Ovechkin? What if he can never play again? That’s a little price to pay for knocking out a superstar for a long period of time.

Mario Lemieux is fed up. He wrote a letter to the NHL suggesting actions the league should take. The fines for teams with a suspended player would range from $50,000 for a one- or two-game suspension to $1 million for a team whose player is suspended for more than 15 games.

"The current system punishes the offending player but does very little to deter such actions in the future. We need to review, upgrade and more clearly define our policies in this regard, so that they can provide a meaningful deterrence and effectively clean up the game,” said Lemieux, who is faced with the decision of what to do with Matt Cooke, who has a history with headshots. On March 7, 2010 game against the Boston Bruins in which Cooke delivered a blow to the head of Savard, causing a concussion. Savard missed almost two months, and Cooke was not suspended.

When Daniel Paille of the Bruins injured Raymond Sawada, it was clear he was head hunting. Andrew Ference made it clear that it was unacceptable, calling out his teammate on a radio station.

"I mean it’s a bad hit, right? That’s what they’re trying to get rid of and you can’t be hypocritical about it when it happens to you, and say its fine when your teammate does it. It’s a hit they’re trying to get rid of. I mean you hear it from every player after they do it, they feel bad, and same thing, I talked to Danny and he feels bad. It’s tough, that back checking forward, to make those kind of hits, and it’s so hard to do it in a clean fashion, with the new rules. It is what it is. He hurt the guy, and I’m sure he’ll have a conversation."

So What Needs To Be Done?

Suspend the player long term. Not 2 games, not 5, BUT 20-82 games. Players don’t play hockey to get hurt and have mental illness. If the players realize its not worth getting suspended for long periods of time, they may stop.

Syko

Twitter.com/sykoshockeybuzz

Dustin Brown: The Player All Teams Need

2011-03-16T22:09:00.001-06:00

Your an NHL GM. Your goal: To Win. First things first, you need great leadership. How about L.A Captain Dustin Brown?

This guy is great for the league. Not only is he a great player on the ice, with the ability to get 60+ points a year, he gives back to the world outside of hockey. He uses social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to reach out and give back to the community, and the world.

Dustin loves his fans. He does regular ticket give aways to his many loyal fans in L.A. He responds to them. He interacts with them in the community. Doesn't matter if the person is 4 or 94, he loves them no matter what.

With the recent devastation in Japan, Dustin donated $1 for every new follower he received during a time period. According to his twitter, he got over 8000 new followers. I did not see that from any other professional athlete, and that's what makes Brown's agent, Scott Norton, very proud of his clients. If every single NHLER did that, imagine how much money would be raised for terrible disasters like the one in Japan?

He has been the leagues best checker for a few years now, leading the league in that category. He donates money for every check he does every season to a local charity in L.A. Trust me, that's a lot of money.

And it's not only his off ice help that has him loved by many. A former 60 point scorer, he has a long time left in the NHL, and Kings fans are already rejoicing for their captain. He is part of a youth movement in L.A. Brian Burke and the rest of the United States National Olympic hockey team management squad were so impressed with him that he was chosen as an alternate captain on Team USA At the 2010 olympics, where he won silver medal.

He is a great model athlete for all sports. I think if all athletes in all sports looked at what he does on and off the ice, the world would be a greater place. Dustin, keep up the great work!

Check him out on twitter @DustinBrown23

Syko

AN HOUR LEFT!!

2011-02-28T12:04:00.004-07:00

Ok will we see a bunch of deals during the last hour? Here are the deals since Noon:

Bryan Allen To Carolina. Panthers get Sergei Samsonov...

Phoenix Sent Scottie Upshall and Sami Lepisto to Columbus for Rostislav Klesla and Dane Byers.

Shawn Belle to to Colorado. Edmonton gets Kevin Montgomery.

Chris Campoli To Ottawa for Ryan Poultny and A Second Rounder

Brad Winchester To Ducks For 3rd Rounder

Jason Arnott To Caps?

Dustin Penner Teubert, 1st Rounder and 3rd rounder

JM LILES

Toronto is out of the race. A Buffalo source says they will make a push to get him closer to the 3pm deadline.
Hawks

Blackhawks close to deal for D...

Canucks
Barret Jackman in play with Canucks.

Arnott

One source told me Arnott doesn't want to be dealt to Montreal and he wants to go To Washington. He also said that The Caps may not have much interesst in him.

JP DUMONT
Habs Have Interest in Him right now. May easily become a Hab Today. They are interested in Andrei Kostitsyn, but the Canadiens also want Ryan Ellis.

Last Update. Follow Me On Twitter... @Sykoshockeyshow

More Rumors With A Few Hours Left

2011-02-28T09:53:00.002-07:00

Ok So Here is the only OFFICIAL deal so far....

Thrashers Get Radek Dvorak and a 5th rounder for Niclas Bergfors and Patrick Rissmiller.

Dennis Wideman To Caps for Jake Haswirth and third round pick in 2011

Spezza....

Ottawa is taking calls on their best player.

Konopka.....

It's a matter of time Anaheim will trade for him. It will mean the Ducks officialy become a Boxing League.

Smid.....

He's the most wanted D Right Now.

Hemsky......

Eric Duhatschek stated that the package for Ales Hemsky would have to include Wayne Simmonds, a 1st and a prospect.

Richards.....

To Rangers is very close. It may include sending Del Zotto and Dubinsky to Dallas.

Arnott......

Montreal and New Jersey may be close....

Weiss....

Very Unlikely hes traded.

Kadri....

According to Howard Berger, "Kadri possibly in play, but only as part of package for true No. 1 centre. Same with first-rounders."

Oduya.........

Montreal looks like the leading team.

Wild, Flyers

Minnesota Wild forwards Chuck Kobasew or Andrew Brunette could be on the Flyers radar

Update Around 2

Arnott Leaving Jersey? Dumont Leaving Nashville?

2011-02-27T18:25:00.001-07:00

Chris Phillips......

Ottawa is still trying to get contract done.... If nothing happens by the end of tonight, expect him to be dealt.

Montreal........

It was believed JP Dumont would be traded to the Canadiens for Andrei Kostitsyn.... So far nothing but I think Montreal would want more in return, like Ryan Ellis. With no interest in Phillips anymore, the Canadiens are still searching for a D. Klesa from Columbus and Bogosian from Atlanta come to mind.

Clarke MacArthur.......

Nashville seems very interested.... I think Dumont and Ellis may go through... If no deal is done tonight, he will most likely be done.

Brad Richards........

It's all over the place

JM Liles........

Rangers are now in the hunt, which is odd. They got McCabe yesterday.

Update: Liles is willing to waive his NTC to join The Blue Jackets, who, yesterday, said the had too many Defenceman.

Kings.......

Most likely done according to Kings source. But.... You never know.

Arnott.....

He wants out. But who will take him?

Il update more tomorrow. Remember to follow me on twitter @Sykoshockeyshow

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Seabrook Signs Extension; 24 Hours Until Deadline

2011-02-27T12:34:00.001-07:00

Today Brent Seabrook signed a 5 year deal, worth $29m. There was speculation he would be traded. Even though that's still not out of the question, it's highly unlikely now.

Brad Richards.......

The Kings seem pretty serious about getting him. I'm thinking if Hemsky is not traded there, it's Richards. He can give the immediate help. He has won a cup before so he should be able to mentor the younger players, while Also scoring. Rangers are talking to Stars but not much is going on.

Zach Bogosian.........

The Islanders, Habs, Pens and Leafs seem like the teams interested. The Islanders have a very week D core and is looking at trading Rob Schremp. The Habs main defense are injured, and are no longer going after Chris Phillips. The Pens and Leafs have lost their top D to trades, so they are looking for some support.

Jason Arnott.........

80% chance he's dealt. I've heard Philly, Montreal, Pittsburgh and Caps have some interest, but if Zheredev is traded, he will more likely be sent to Philly. BUT... The Flyers will need to make some cap room. JVR Was sent down.

Chris Neil.....

Montreal seems to be the favorite. Trade Tom Pyatt for him.

JP Dumont......

Dumont is scratched for today's game and says he's willing to waive his NTC to go to Montreal.....

Ales Hemsky.....

I'm hearing him to Rangers for Dubinsky and Del Zoto. If they get that chance, do it.

Dustin Penner........

The Wild seem like the favorite here. Chuck Kobasaw and A third rounder being rumored to be heading to the Oil.

That's it. For now.

Location:Toronto

McCabe To Rangers; Plus More Rumors

2011-02-26T19:13:00.003-07:00

Bryan McCabe Is Now A Ranger.

Today McCabe was traded to The New York Rangers for Tim Kennedy And A Third Rounder. Nice pickup for the team that just lost Marc Staal.

Some Rumors:

Vokoun

The Flyers are said to still be interested in obtaining a veteran goaltender and are looking at Florida's Tomas Vokoun. They need someone to Solidify their Playoff Chances. I haven't heard anything about Jean-Sebastien Giguere heading south, but I think he would fit in their better, but that all depends on if Bobrovsky makes a serious push to the Finals.

MacArthur

Im now wondering if Clark MacArthur and the Maple Leafs can reach a compromise on a new contract before the trade deadline. It would be interesting to see what he's worth. He may also be traded, but that may end up killing the Leafs unless they get a good return.

Hemsky

If Hemsky is traded, it will likely be part of a deal that brings Prospects to Edmonton. Ryan Ellis and a second Rounder from Nashville comes to mind. Edmonton would get Defense it needs. Ellis is a great young D with an amazing offensive ability. Nashville then gets a scorer they have been searching for since they joined the league. Oliver Ekman-Larsson from Phoenix may also be shipped over for Hemsky.

Montreal

There are rumors the Habs have interest in Klesla, however I am still hearing they are willing to wait and see if the Senators and Phillips can get their deal done. If they can't Montreal will push fully for Phillips. Klesa has had alot of injuries in the past, something the Habs NEED to avoid.

More Toronto Related News

Toronto is still looking at Stephen Weiss. They have picks available for trade. Other forwards they have interest in are Dustin Penner, Paul Stastny, Niclas Bergfors and Andy McDonald. Some D Are Jackman, Liles and Foster.

Richards

Apparently, if Richards is traded, it's tonight. L.A is looking at him closely. If So, No Hemsky. Richards would be a good fit in L.A, with Kopitar and Brown.

Columbus

With picking up Craig Rivet, the Blue Jackets have too much D. This is why Klesa will be a good fit In Montreal....or anywhere else.

Not My Last Update For Sure

Waiver News; Plus LOTS More Trade Rumors

2011-02-26T11:11:00.003-07:00

Chris Phillips Seems to Be a Popular name this Season.

Either every team is going to make a deal or they just hate all their players.

Here are todays Waiver News:

Brett Carson (CAR), Jason Jaffray (ANA), D.J.King (WAS), Nathan Lawson (NYI), Rob Schremp (NYI), Pascal Leclaire (OTT) Ty Conklin (STL), Curtis McElhinney (TB), Tim Stapleton (ATL). Guys who cleared waivers: Newbury (NYR), Commodore (CBJ, re-entry), Ford (WAS), Belak (NSH). Players claimed on waivers: Sturm, from L.A. to WAS; Rivet, from BUF to CBJ on re-entry, Boynton (from CHI to PHI)
Wow....

Im hearing Marty Reasoner may be heading to Vancouver. They have lots of interest in him.

Per Nick Kypreos' tweet this morning, McCabe is willing to waive his NMC to go to Broadway.

San Jose Has Been Looking At Chris Campoli. Ottawa is probably not willing to trade him unless a good offer comes out as the Sens are just trading away key players for nothing (AKA Alex Kovalev for a seventh Rounder).

I don't think the Leafs will get JM Liles. If they wanted him they would have gotten him already. They are looking at 2003 Calder Trophy winner Barret Jackman. McArthur has been in a lot of Trade speculation this week, and don't be surprised if hes shipped To The Blues. The Latest talk recently is that the Leafs may have interest in Dennis Wideman

Jason Arnott will likely ask for a trade. He wants to play for a contender.

The Islanders are looking for a Defenceman. With a bunch of injuries to their D-man, look for Chris Phillips or Liles to be traded there. With Schremp being put on waivers, could he possibly be part of a deal?

Speaking Of Phillips, Montreal and Pittsburgh are still trying hard to acquire him.

Even Though Nick Boynton was picked up by the Flyers on waivers, Philly has a strong D Core and may look to trade Boynton.

The Coyotes and Kings have seemed close to making a deal with the Oilers About Hemsky. I have nothing new to confirm, but the Kings looked like they were offering Wayne Simmonds. The Caps have had weak offense and may trade for him, but what they need most is a second line center. The Wild have interest also in Hemsky as they have Koivu and Latendresse on the sidelines.

If Stephen Weiss is traded, Toronto and Montreal lead the pack for him. He would be a good fit for both teams. The Kings also have interest.

Most Likely, Brad Richards will not be traded. There is interest, but the asking price is high.

Jean-Sébastien Giguère is back from injury, but his timing may have came late. He will likely not be traded.

Vokoun is not having a great season, which may make him overlooked. I would be surprised, though, if Philly or Washington does not make a serious offer for him.

What About Dustin Penner? He was rumored to go to the Kings, but no cant-miss offers for him yet. Maybe Zach Bogosian For Penner? That would highly benefit both teams.

It’s been reported Fletcher is allowing Kobasew’s agent to speak with other teams to see if there’s any interest in him in the trade market. The Canucks might need a fourth-line center so Kobasew wouldn’t be a fit there. The Thrashers and Hurricanes might be possibilities depending on the asking price.

I've heard talk about Mike Greir going to Tampa, but thats unlikely.

Mark Spector reported the Vancouver Canucks could have interest in Minnesota Wild center John Madden, but with the Wild in playoff contention they’ll want a roster player in return…He also listed Edmonton’s Ladislav Smid, the Islanders’ Milan Jurcina, Colorado’s Ryan O’Byrne, Florida’s Mike Weaver, Ottawa’s Brian Lee, Edmonton’s Jason Strudwick and Colorado’s Jonas Holos as trade options for clubs seeking affordable depth defensemen, plus Buffalo’s Steve Montador.

The Wild are also interested in David Booth.

I'm hearing that Buffalo are interested in the versatility of winger/centre Nick Foligno to upgrade their forward ranks. Getting Foligno would afford Buffalo flexibility to move Hecht.

Montreal, Toronto and New York have been watching Andrew Brunette and Jose Theodore. Are they all looking at a legit playoff run?

More To Come In The Next Few Days.

UPDATE: James Van Reimsdyk has been assigned to Adirondack. Even though he won't be traded, there may be something happening in the Philly camp. Maybe Boynton will be gone.

RUMORS HEADING TO DEADLINE DAY

2011-02-25T11:07:00.001-07:00

Will Craig Rivet Be Moved Back To Montreal?

OK, Craig Rivet is not going to end the season in Buffalo. The Captain needs out. He's wasting time. Chicago has expressed intrest in him, but in doing so they probably have more moves in mind like Seabrook getting shipped. The Sabres believe they have a team who would grab Rivet on Re-entry waivers.. I believe the Sharks or Habs may be this team. Habs Lost Spacek, Markov and Gorges for the entire season. We will probably find out what happens tomorrow when he clears or gets picked up on Re-Entry...

Milan Hejduk has recieved some interest from Pittsburgh, L.A and Toronto, but is unlikely to be moved. The Pens and L.A have decent offers and would probably be more needed there. It's more likely that if he is moved, its at the draft. He is a pending UFA.

The Oilers and Panthers are talking. While it's known Florida is willing to move players like Stephan Weiss, Edmonton makes absolutely zero sense as a destination for him. Weiss is a center, but he wouldn't offer a better option to Edmonton than Sam Gagner or Shawn Horcoff already provide. Could Vokoun be headed there?

Colorado's goaltending is not going to take them anywhere anytime. They aquirred Elliot, but seriously? That's not a starting goalie. Vokoun won't likely be traded there, but Ray Emery could possibly be moved there...What about Mike Smith?

Face It Leaf fans, Brayden Schenn is not getting moved. Why trade a top of the line prospect?

The Avalanche, Rangers, and Ducks are believed to be in talks with the Hawks in regards to moving a d-man...sources say the Hawks have multiple options here. Ducks would probably move Sheldon Brookbank. But like I said before, if they bring someone in, are they possibly looking to move Seabrook? like Then there is Rivet....

The Florida Panthers are active and looking to make some moves. Bryan McCabe may be shipped out before the deadline but there is one player the Panthers a receiving tons of interest for....Stephen Weiss. The Bruins seem interested...Could They use Toronto's First Rounder?

Marco Sturm Is On Waivers...Is something brewing in the Kings Camp?

NEW: Alex Sulzer Traded To Florida. What does This Mean For Bryan Mccabe?

One On One with Dustin Leed of thefourthperiod.com

2011-01-28T21:45:00.001-07:00

Today's blog is a one on one with Dustin Leed As I continue explore the teams of the NHL.

Does Peter Laviolette deserve Coach of the Year?

One would venture to say that Peter Laviolette deserves coach of the year honors, but because of how talented the Flyers roster is - it's unlikely a coach like Laviolette gets honored with that award. One thing Laviolette does better than the average coach is that he expects excellence - and that's a big reason why the Flyers have been so successful - he deserves a lot of the credit.

The main reason I like Laviolett is because of what he has done to the team. He has turned the team around and given them direction. The players have bought into what he has to offer. He has given the team a reason to believe. It takes a great coach to turn the team around.

Who is the MVP on the Flyers?

They are a ton of options as to who the Flyers' MVP is this season. Claude Giroux, Danny Briere, Mike Richards, Jeff Carter... there are lots of options. But I will go with Danny Briere. He has continued his 2010 postseason year into the regular season and he leads the Flyers in goals. He has 43 points and is a plus 16 and has been the centerpiece on the Flyers' most dangerous line this year - centering Ville Leino and Scott Hartnell. Five of his 25 goals have been game winners.

I remember when Philly signed Danny Briere, and how upset everyone in Quebec was. Well, the Flyers are getting their money's worth. I really like his skating and how good he is with the puck. He is a very skilled offensive forward, who does everything right. A very good pick, Dustin.

Are the Flyers the real thing this season?

I think this the closest the Flyers have been to the 'real thing' in some time. They are a much improved bunch from the team that finished two games from the Stanley Cup last season - hands down. Their defense is talented and deep, they have six guys who can log 20+ minutes, they have one of the deepest groups of forwards in the League, and their goaltending has been very good. They have eight players with 10+ goals and four players with 40+ points. If the goaltending can stay on point through the end of the regular season, the Flyers are the absolute favorites in the East - and maybe in the NHL.

The main reason I love this team is because they simply don't have any weaknesses. They have one of the best top 6 forward combinations in the League. The defence, led by Pronger, is one of the best in the League. Their young goaltender is fantastic and has come out of nowhere. I agree they are the real thing.

What are the keys for the Flyers' success?

The Flyers must keep working. They have the tendency to go invisible at times, and not put together full 60 minutes of hockey. The key is to continue playing with passion and come out with a relentless forecheck. They must limit the opposing teams shots and chances (like they have been doing) and stay the course.

The only way this team can go wrong is beating themselves. The best formula for winning is hard work, no matter how good you are. If Philly puts in 100%, they are a powerful team.

Hey how can we find follow you and keep in touch with ya?

You can follow me on Twitter @D_LEED for all of my updates and read my writing at www.thefourthperiod.com and at www.thehockeyguys.net.

Dustin is a great guy. I am lucky to be able to get some of his time. I would highly recommend you follow him

One one One with Jon Moncrief

2011-01-21T23:52:00.000-07:00

Today's blog is on the LA Kings. They are probably one of the most puzzling teams in the League. Any team that has the talent the Kings do should not have to battle making the playoffs.

Among the forwards, they have one of the most talented young forwards in the League: Kopitar. That kid can do anything. He is not alone. The Kings have a solid winger in Ryan Smith, who is a leader on this team. Justin Williams actually led this team in scoring at one time; he is a solid winger with fire power.

On the defense, the Kings have one of the best young defencemen in Drew Doughty. Drew is probably one of the best skaters and puck-moving players in the League. They have one of the best stay-home defencemen in the League in Willie Mitchell, who is very sound in his own end.

In goal, they have Jonathan Quick; the Olympian goalie is one of the best young goalies in the League. He is a quick (no pun intended), agile goalie with great reflexes. Quick is a fundamentally sound goalie who plays his angles and has all the talent to become a star in the League.

Yet with all this talent, the Kings continue to struggle. So I went to find out the scoop with this team; and who better to ask than Jon Moncrief, LA Kings Examiner? He would know far more than I would, which is not saying much. I asked Jon some pertinent questions on the Kings.

The Kings should be one of the best teams in the League with all of their talent. What is going on? I mean, what do you see as the main reason for the spiral in the standings?

They have certainly had a Jekyll-and-Hyde season to be sure, and it comes from their ability or inability to understand their talent level. They have it certain areas and are lacking in others. When they play their system for 60 minutes, they can beat any team in the league soundly. When they get away from doing all of the little things, they can have lapses that expose them as the flawed team they seem to be. With the Kings, it’s all about the confidence they have in themselves.

How are the fans feeling right now? Is there a lot of pressure on the Kings to win?

The fans are understandably frustrated because of the way thing went earlier in the season, and the promise that this season brought because of the Dean Lombardi rebuilding plan. Making the playoffs last year meant that the next logical step was contending for a division title and winning a round or two in the playoffs. You have to remember: these fans suffered through a lot of years of ownership mismanagement, trying quick fixes and selling the future to come up short, and watching the “younger brother” down the freeway in Orange County win a Stanley Cup already. So there is pressure on the Kings to win, but not nearly as suffocating as say in Vancouver or Toronto or markets like that. Still, the fans that I’ve talked to recently are disappointed in that they think more needs to be done in the short term. It’s hard to argue with what they are saying, but part of the historic problem has been the franchise’s unwillingness to take one step backward in order to take two or three steps forward.

The next question has to do with Drew Doughty. Have the injuries really affected his play? He has not been the same player as last year. Are the Kings happy with his play of late?

Doughty has certainly been the whipping boy for some fans, because it has been perceived that he came into the season unprepared to take the next step up that someone nominated for the Norris at 20 should. I think he came back a little too soon from the concussion, but the other issue has been that the Kings are a little thin on the blue line overall. Beyond Jack Johnson and Doughty, you have an often-injured Willie Mitchell who’s game is predicated on physicality, and two defensive-defensemen in Scuderi and Greene who are great defenders but contribute nothing offensively, putting a lot on Drew and JJ. Alec Martinez has been a nice find, but they are woefully thin back there. Terry Murray has been talking with Doughty regularly about playing his game more, not trying to do too much beyond what he can. His game Saturday night against Edmonton was easily his best game in the last month and arguably of the entire season. In some ways, these growing pains he’s struggling through this year I feel will only benefit his development because he will understand that everything doesn’t come easily.

Are the Kings going to be active at the deadline? Who is going to be the hired gun to get the Kings to the promise land? Or are the Kings even going to get a rental?

The answer will be determined on their upcoming franchise-record 10-game road trip. Thanks to the Grammy Awards and the NBA All-Star Game here at Staples in February, the Kings will be on the road from February 1 through February 24 and will play teams like Pittsburgh, Washington, Philadelphia and the NY Rangers during that stretch. If they are still within eight points of a spot or in playoff position by then, then they will be active buyers to a point. If not, they may be sellers in terms of vets that might fit other teams. Dean Lombardi has never been a big-name blockbuster trade kind of GM, and I don’t expect that to change, despite the reemergence of the Jarome Iginla rumors and the daily rumors of guys like Patrik Elias, Mike Fisher, and others. I think he will stay the course and look towards the summer to address some issues.

Jon Moncrief has been covering the Los Angeles Kings for Examiner.com for three seasons now, and also covers the NHL in general and baseball’s Dodgers for Examiner as well. He is also the co-host of INSIDE SPORTS, a weekly sports web-TV series, and serves as a featured contributor to the college football site Bowl Gamer. Jon has been covering sports on-line and in print for over a decade, and was lead writer for the award-winning sports documentary film 4CHOSEN

The Best Team In The NHL

2011-01-12T12:36:00.003-07:00

Ok so I decided to do a chart of the best first, second, third and fourth liners, best Defense pairs along with the best Starting and Backup Goalies. This is all based on my opinion of their play this year and this year only. The fourth line is based on players who can do more then scrap. Feel free to comment.
   GOALTENDERS
Starting Goalie- Carey Price (MONTREAL CANADIENS): In only 38 games, Price is 2 wins off of his all time best wins record, which is 23, set in his rookie season. Price has had a breakout year, considering last year he easily lost the starting role to Playoff star Jaroslav Halak. He was named to the All-Star team and many think he may win Vezina and possibly The Hart Trophy for best player in the League.

Notables: Tim Thomas

Backup- Andreas Lindback(NASHVILLE PREDATORS): Lindback was a great solution when Rinne went down with his injury. Lindback had 10 wins and 3 losses in 18 games. He also had 2 shutouts. HE is on pace for 32 wins and 9 losses. Not bad for a goalie who many thought would lose the backup role. He is 9th in Save Percentage with .922.

Notables: Sergei Bobrovsky/ Brian Boucher (DEPENDS ON PERFORMANCE)


   DEFENCEMAN
1. Niklas Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski (DETROIT RED WINGS): No doubt about it, these guys are a dominant tandem. At 40 and 36 years old, they still have it, and head coach Mike Babcock knows it. In both the regular season and the playoffs, they were used more than half of the time on the Red Wings' power play, playing at 52 percent and 51 percent rates respectively. They may be old, but they can play as well, if not better, then most d pairs in the entire league.

2. Duncan Keith And Brent Seabrook (CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS): For Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, there was almost no room to slow down. During the regular season, the duo played together 94 percent of the time, or 56 minutes a game. In the playoffs, they were together for 53 minutes a game, which is about 89 percent of the time. Despite the fact that they were used so heavily by Joel Quennville, they still produced at a high level and were two big reasons why the Hawks won their first Stanley Cup in 49 years.

3. Chris Pronger And Matt Carle (PHILADELPHIA FLYERS): 2nd overall selection by the Hartford Whalers in 1993, Chris Pronger is entering the latter stages of his career, but still remains one of the best—and most hated—defensemen in the league. He has been a part of the Stanley Cup Finals two of the last four years and knows what is necessary for a team to succeed in the playoffs. Matt Carle, on the other hand, is a young player with plenty of upside. He will greatly benefit from playing with one of the NHL's best defensemen and should be an important part of the Flyers' franchise going forward.

Notables: Dustin Bufuglin and Tobias Enstrom

   Forwards
Line 1- LW-Patrick Sharp (CHICAGO), C-Sidney Crosby (PITTSBURGH) RW-Martin St.Louis (TAMPA): Sharp is having a career year so far, with 25 goals, 44 points in 43 games. Playing on a powerhouse like Chicago helps with those goal totals. Some say that Daniel Sedin is the best Left wing in the NHL, but how would he play without Henrik? Crosby, as usual, is tearing up the league with 32 goals and 66 points and is on pace for 61 goals and 126 points. Not bad for the former first overall draft pick by the Penguins. And Martin St.Louis has played outstanding with Steven Stamkos this season. He hasn't played this well since he was with Lecalvier and Brad Richards. St.Louis is getting old, but so far has proved he still has it. With Vinny Injured, many thought St.Louis would not play well whatsoever, but he's rejuvenated with Stamkos.

Notables: Henrik And Daniel Sedin.

Line 2- LW-Clarke Mcarthur(TORONTO)-C- Ryan Kesler(VANCOUVER)-RW-Patrick Kane(CHICAGO)- Mcarthur may be the best bargain in the NHL. He makes only $800,000 this year, and has 36 points in 42 games. He could just be the most overlooked player in recent years, along with Dustin Byfuglin, Rich Peverly and Patric Hornqvist. Playing on a bad Toronto team, he has made the most of his opportunities playing with another revived player, Mikhail Grabovski. They both sometimes play on the first line. Ryan Kesler,one of the better center-men in the NHL made the 2011 All-Star Game, along with the 2 Sedin twins. Kesler has 41 points in 42 games so far. Not bad for a player that has been in many trade talks in recent years. Patrick Kane could be a First liner on most teams, but when you play the same position as Marian Hossa, it's hard to be a clear number one winger. Kane scored the big game winner to win the 2010 Stanley Cup, and some say with him and Toews, along with a bunch of other young stars, Chicago will be a fixture for the cup for years to come.

Notables: Tomas Plekanec And Ville Leino

Line 3- LW-David Krejci(BOSTON), C-Jordan Staal(PITTSBURGH) RW-Jiri Hudler(DETROIT)- Staal is a no brainer. He hits. He scores. Done. Playing behind Crosby and Malkin is a hard thing to live up to, and he plays his role well. Pittsburgh doesn't need him to score, with the amount of firepower they have already. Krejci is a great play-maker who is capable of getting 70 points a season. He has a tough job with Boston, but still plays well in every situation. Could he be a fixture for playing top line with Boston? We will have to wait and see as he is still young, but has alot of potential. Hudler returned to Detroit after signing in the KHL for a year. He is part of Detroit's future, and has a lot of skill too, like most Russian Players. Although sometimes Inconsistent, he can fill in in the top 2 lines if someone is injured or not playing up to Mike Babcock's standards.

Line 4- LW-Mike Brown(TORONTO)-C-Chris Drury(RANGERS)-RW-Chris Neil(OTTAWA)- Brown may be one of the better skaters in the NHL. The guy with the Weird 'stache can drop the gloves, as well as get a few goals. Sad to say, but he may be one of the most talented players on a talentless Toronto squad. I don't think anyone expected Chris Drury to be a fourth liner ever in his career, but that's how it has turned out. He is not playing up to any standards, but still, he isn't worthless. He has proved in his career he can play, but right now he's trying to prove himself on a Rangers squad with a strong middle. Maybe a change in scenery will help. Chris Neil has shown he can dangle like the best of them. He probably is the most talented fourth liner in the NHL, and is one of the Fourth liners all teams want: Physical, with a bit of skill.

Notables: George Parros.

My Fav 5 Who I would love to be traded.

2011-01-08T11:37:00.000-07:00

So who does everyone expect to change addresses this season? Who out of the superstars should plan on being traded? Well, I have my own list of those who I feel could be had. Of course, I have a different list of superstars than most people do. Today's column is on the 5 players who I see as most likely to go at the deadline, in no particular order.

Jarome Iginla

Yes, I know what Jay has said; but really, he really needs to rethink his philosophy. No-one deserves to stay in purgatory for as long as Iggy has. I know he loves this city and would never request a trade. He is too classy for that. But in order for the Flames to get back to respectability, they need to restock the shelves.

The best way for the Flame to rebuild the team is through the draft, or at least some really good prospects. I am sure the Flames could get a pretty darn good prospect and a high pick. Iggy would be a great asset for any team down the stretch.

David Booth

This may be an odd pick, but I really like his game, and he could really add some punch to a team's offence. His speed is another great asset to a team. He would cause quite a few turnovers with his speed.

Brad Richards

I think Richards would be a prize at the deadline if he became available. If the Stars cannot re-sign him, they may opt to get something for him at the deadline. Brad is a great play-making center, who has great vision on the ice and can get a sniper the puck. He also is a great leader, and with his cup ring, he knows what it takes to be a winner. His leadership skills are a good match for his playing skills, which makes a good asset.

Tomas Kaberle

Kaberle is the best puck-moving dman on the wish list. He can do anything offensively that he is asked to by any team. Tomas would make the perfect powerplay quarterback with his passing abilities. He has a great shot from the point, which he can usually get through. He is underrated on the defence side. He is adequate defensively and won't cause too many breakdowns. He has decent speed to make up for his mistakes. Tomas would could push a contender to the promised land; a valuable asset to any playoff team.

Ales Hemsky

If the Oilers were to trade Hemsky at the deadline, they could get a hefty bundle for him. He is a smooth-skating center, who has speed to burn. I have seen him do things with the puck that should be outlawed. He is a highly skilled winger, who could be just what the doctor ordered. He would be another great addition to any powerplay, but I highly doubt that he will be on the block. But if he is, a contender would be a fool not to take him.

Team of the Week

The Canucks are the best team in this League by far. They have possibly the best top 6 in the NHL. They have the best goalie in the League in Louongo. The twins are backed up by Raymond, Burrows, and of course Kesler. Let's not forget they have a defence that is so strong that they can trade Bieska, Salo, or Ehrhoff for even more assets. In fact, because of the cap, they probably will. Right now, they are by far my pick to win the Cup this season.

Fan Poll

Who are your favourite 5 that you would love to see traded?

Randy

One oneOne with Erik Erlendsson

2011-01-03T16:49:00.001-07:00

One of the biggest surprises in the League has to be the team in Tampa. I, for one, did not expect it at all. You have to consider Stampkos one of the best in the League, don't you? I mean, you have to consider Steve the MVP of this surprising team, or is he?

To get to know this team a little more, I contacted one of my most favourites reporters on Twitter, Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune. You can find Erik on Twitter at http://twitter.com/erlendssontrib. So let's get to know the Bolts, shall we?

No one really expected the Bolts to do as well as they have. Are you surprised at the success of the Bolts?

I think you have to be surprised by their success to this point. You have a team with a brand new management staff in place, with a brand new coaching staff running a roster more than half-filled with new players. Add in the fact that Simon Gagne missed 18 games, Vinny Lecavalier missed 15 games, and Steve Downie has missed 13 games and counting, a horrible travel schedule that included a stretch of 15 out of 21 games on the road, five one-game homestands, and substandard goaltending for the most part, there's really not much which suggests this team should be in first place.

But the special teams have been a strength all season; Steven Stamkos has been a scoring machine, Marty St. Louis is a driving force, and the team has been very opportunistic getting contributions up and down the lineup.

If somebody would have said all those odds were going to be stacked against this team, I can't imagine many would have thought they would be in a playoff position at Christmas, let alone in first place in the division.

Do you think Vinny will get traded this season or the off-season?

No way Lecavalier gets moved any time soon, because his contract and production essentially make him untradeable. Perhaps somewhere down the road, it might have to be explored, or possibly even further down the line, a buyout may be something the team looks at, but right now, if you can ignore the large annual salary, he makes a good second line center and is somebody still capable of playing an effective two-way game and win some faceoffs.

Who is the MVP: Stamkos or Marty? They work so well together.

As gaudy as the numbers are for Stamkos this season, St. Louis is the MVP of this team. He is the heart-and-soul, and the engine that drives the train. His tenacity and drive on the ice inspires the rest of his team; and that, combined with his skill level, forces his teammates to try to keep up with him. St. Louis is a guy who makes others around him better, and Stamkos benefits from his linemate without a doubt.

NHL Season:

I have been getting a lot of feedback on the headshots this season. Do you feel the NHL does enough to stop it?

There is not enough being done for headshots in the NHL, and I give you the suspension earlier this year of Joe Thornton as Exhibit A. There was an outcry from many who felt Thornton did not deserve a penalty, let alone a suspension, for his hit to David Perron. But in my estimation, Thornton should have been hit harder to show to everybody that the League is serious about trying to remove those kind of targets to the head, instead it looks more passive on the League's part. The NHL has always been more of a reactive League as opposed to proactive, and I get the feeling that nothing will be done on a more strict scale until somebody gets seriously injured as the result of a hit to the head, whether it be a life-threatening situation or career-threatening. I hope that moment never occurs, but I fear that's what it's going to take to get the League to make a serious crack-down on hits to the head.

I would like to thank Erik and the Tampa Tribune for the interview.
He is a great guy and I highly recommend following him.
Randy

The Future Of Womens Hockey: Is It Done For?

2011-01-03T09:54:00.002-07:00

Womens Hockey. One sport that no one seems to care about. Why? Is the world Sexist? Or is it that people don't think that girls have any talent at the sport we call "Hockey". Well i asked one of the best about this and she says that people should pay attention to female hockey.

"The game is getting faster and the players are a lot bigger," said 2010 Hockey Hall of Famer and 7 time International Gold Medalist Angela James. "I think the game has improved in the last 5 years and the players are more conditioned and train for their sport which in turn will increase the power of skating , shooting and the game overall. I would like to see a Womens National Hockey League as well.

"We need to share our resources to help other countries. Send over different coaches. They do this on the men's side. Attitudes in other countries need to change for woman's hockey. They are still in the mind set of 25 years ago.

"I think you will see more women go into the hall as well as women builders."

James, along with Cammi Granato, were the first women inducted as players in the Hockey Hall of Fame. That was great for the sport and they certainly deserve to be there. But the competion lacks in the womens game, so will there be many more inducted in the next while? Well considering only a few major players have retired and major people like Pat Burns, Paul Henderson, Ron Ellis, Wendel Clark, Doug Gilmour, Ed Belfour, Ron Hextall, Theo Fleury, Alexander Mogilny, the list goes on and on and on and on, it may be a while before we see and more women in the HHOF. With only one women hockey player to play an NHL game, it may be even harder.

Think about all the girls who go to the Olympics, hoping they can win the Gold Medal. Well unless you play for team Canada or the United States, you might as well be shopping. Canada and the U.S dominate all international events. And why is this? It's because they are the only countries with strong programs trying to make womens hockey competitive. Countries like Sweden, Russia, Czech Republic, and Finland could care less about their womens programs as they only want to make their men's programs better. How do you think it makes players feel when their country doesn't in any way support what they want to do when they grow up?

I want to tell you about a 14 year old girl named Katie Bidulka. She is a goalie who plays AA bantam for her city. She has major hopes of making Team Canada in the next 5-10 years. But there has been talk about womens Hockey getting pulled from the Olympics, due to the lack of competition.

"It better be in the Olympics or i will somehow putting up a fight. This is what i want to do. I think it will evolve more, with China recently getting a new rink. Like all sports people will want to be better then others, and then there's all the competition with canada and usa being the better teams for womens hockey, everyones going to want be competing with them."

The owner of the site, better known as Oilersjambalaya from twitter, says this about womens hockey:

"I have 2 girls myself and there is nothing more that I want then to see one of them make the NHL in 18 years. Not sure yet how I feel about women in the HHOF, but I am softening more to it."

I also asked Detroit Red Wings Coach Mike Babcock about this. He said that he hopes that the game of hockey will appeal more to other countries, meaning more competion in world events.

I agree with that. Watching the 2010 Olympics, i thought that if Canada and the U.S were going to dominate, they might as well have a bunch of different Canada and U.S teams in the tournament, instead of just two teams who win by 10 goals in every game. It's Always been a Slaughterhouse. Nobody wants to pay a big chunk of money to see one team completley dominate the world. Look at the World Juniors. Canada won 7-2 and 10-1 in 2 of the games. Is that competion? No. But that is mens hockey. The teams that lose by huge amounts in those games could probably destroy most womens teams in the olympics.

There are many young girls who would love to compete in the olympics for their countries. But the IOC and the IIHF have talked a lot about taking the womens game out of future games. Is this what needs to be done? Is the game officially dead? Well if the same 2 teams dominate the 2014 olympics, i think that the game will be immediatley removed and the sport will be forgotten, even more then it has been right now. If countries dont stop ignoring Womens Hockey, we will not see any more Angela James' or Cammi Granato's Or Haley Wickenheiser.

Girls can play too. Give them a chance, and they can play as well or even better as a big portion of the players in the NHL. Remove the Derek Boogard's and Colton Orr's: Include players that are good enough to make the greatest league ever, better.

Unfourtanley, i still think Womens hockey in the olympics will not be around much longer. It's a slap in the face for Girls with talent. But since the biggest league in the world is the NHL, which is all Men, i don't see other countries paying attention to females, resulting in a collapse of all womens leagues.

I would like to thank all who contributed to this.

One on One with Adam Proteau of the Hockey News

2010-12-31T23:26:00.001-07:00

First of all, I would love to thank Adam Proteau for today's Media Corner. If there is a topic that really bothers me, it is the head shots. Saying I have a lot of anger towards them is an understatement. I just don't get the players' mentality over this. I have heard a lot of discussion one way or the other whether the NHL has gone far enough to discourage it. I feel the rule was too vague. So I went to Adam and asked him.

Has the NHL done enough to discourage head shots?

No, not in my opinion. When I hear quotes coming out of GM meetings like "we need to continue to study this before we act on it" or "we don't want to change the game", I know the League isn't doing all it can. There are all sorts of medical experts crying out for an aggressive approach to dealing with concussions and head injuries, and the hockey establishment still holds tight to a romanticized notion of what it means to play the game (and by extension, to be injured playing it).

Ask players who have been through multiple concussions whether they would go through it all again if it meant suffering the same fate. I think you'd be surprised at how many are exactly like Pat LaFontaine – a guy who recognizes the NHL has come a ways in dealing with head injuries, but who is pushing for more education, prevention, and, yes, punishment.

Let's put it this way – the old saying is "nobody's bigger than the game". I disagree. I think the game is bigger than nobody, and I think we need to alter it (a) to ensure people will still enroll their kids in the sport, and (b) to keep people healthy after they've risen through the ranks to play it at a high level.

I have heard the same comments from the General Managers. What really bothers me is it is all talk and no action. I am sure if you ask the players who have had the concussions, that something could have been done to prevent it. The players also have to take some of the blame here. I completely agree; yet the League seems to continue to protect its violators.

Everyone has an opinion on whether the NHL has reverted back to the pre-lockout days; that the clutching and grabbing has not changed. Adam, you have seen the League for some time (although I have shoes older than you!) What is your opinion on whether the game has reverted to the old NHL?

I don't think we're back in the Dead Puck, clutch-and-grab Era, thankfully. You can't scrum up guys forever along the boards as you once did, and teams actually can recover from giving up a lead to an opponent.

That said, there's no doubt scoring numbers aren't where they should be – and that much of the scoring that's done in the League is more about chaos (i.e. traffic in front of the net for screened shots from the point) than the type of skill Guy Lafleur used to display as he charged down the wing and picked the top corner.

Rarely do we have players rushing end to end. I really miss the end to days of Guy Lafleur. Whether we ever will is the question.

I still think the goalie equipment (and player equipment in general) can be whittled down, but my biggest issue is the overcoaching of the sport. Assistant coaches, video coaches, goaltending coaches – they're all great for former players looking to stay within the game, but it has led to a symmetry of style that doesn't always make for great entertainment.

I am all for whittled down equipment as long as it is still safe. Safety for the players first.

How you change? That is the real question, as coaches are almost always going to act in self-preservation mode when drawing up their tactics. Oh, and I'm not dead set against the idea of bigger nets. When cities needed new NHL rinks to replace their old ones, the seats were made bigger to acknowledge the, er, "growth" of the population, so why should hockey be any different?

I strongly agree the coaches are not going to change their coaching ways. They will do what it takes to win. I really wished the refs would be come more consistent, or else the bigger nets may very well be the only option.

The last question is a fun question. Which major superstar, if any, do you see could be traded at the deadline? Or do you feel there will be no major deals done?

I do feel like Brad Richards will be traded at or before the deadline. With nobody stepping up to buy the Stars, I can't imagine an executive placed in temporary charge of Dallas' finances giving the green light to a multi-year contract extension. Other than that, it's hard to say what teams will be in a seller's mindset by that time.

I see Richards leaving Dallas, especially if Dallas falls out of the playoff race. I also see the Flames considering trading Iggy if the Flames fall out of the hunt like most of the experts are predicting. Richards would be a real stud for a team down the playoffs.

I would like to thank Adam for his time. He is a real friend for giving up his time and helping a small time blogger. Thanks again, Adam.

Randy

2011 NHL Winter Classic / Pens vs Caps (Including Episodes)

2010-12-29T23:35:00.003-07:00

http://www.nhl.com/ice/eventhome.htm?location=/winterclassic/2011

LINK TO THE ALUMNI GAME PAGE

LINK TO EPISODE #1

LINK TO EPISODE #2

LINK TO EPISODE #3

**coming soon**

LINK TO EPISODE #4

**January 5th, 2011**

Pens vs Caps 24/7 Road To The Winter Classic Episode 2

2010-12-24T13:00:00.001-07:00

Penguins vs Capitals 24/7 On The Road To The Winter Classic / Episode 1

2010-12-19T12:06:00.000-07:00

Tim Thomas: Making A Case For The Best Goalie Of All Time

2010-12-09T09:44:00.000-07:00

Tim Thomas is one of the most acrobatic goalies of all time.

You may Not have to read the rest of the article after you see these videos: Tim Thomas Completley Robs Francois Beauchiman-Goalietributes, Tim Thomas Tribute Video (HD)-Goalietributes, Tim Thomas puts on a show vs Washington-dafoomie

1994-Drafted By The Quebec Nordiques. 2002-2003-First Career NHL Game Played. 2008-2009: Vezina Trophy Winning Goaltender/ All Star Game Debut. 2009-2010: Olympic Silver Medalist/ Boston Bruins Backup Goaltender?

After playing for 12 different pro teams in 7 different leagues since he was drafted in 1994, 36 year old Tim Thomas has had a rough path to elite goaltender status. But his path to the best Hockey league in the world is one of the reasons he is one of the best goaltenders ever to strap on Goalie Pads.

Tim Thomas wasnt the only one who thought his career was over, only one year after getting the Vezina trophy for the best goalie in the world. He was demoted to backup behind Tukka Rask, who is struggling this year. Injury problems and inconsistent play and Rask's outstanding year helped move Thomas to the bench. He thought he was done. But as you may have noticed from this year's play, that is not the case.

As Of Demember 9th, Thomas is 14-2-2 in 19 games. He is third in wins and is first in SP and GAA, with .955SP and 1.49GAA. He also has 5 shutouts, first in the league. Both him and Carey Price have had rejuvenated seasons, and both are in the top in All-Star voting for goalies. Both are having remarkable years so far and are battiling for the top postion in every goaltending category, except losses and goals against. Both are amazing goaltenders to watch.

Rask is struggling, which is giving Thomas A LOT of playing time. This is the best chance he has ever had to prove he is one of the greatest goalies ever to play the game of hockey. Not many teams gave him a chance. But for now, he is proving all of his skeptics wrong. He is one of the best.

Is Carey Price The Early Season MVP?

2010-11-23T10:01:00.001-07:00

2009-2010: 41 Games played, 13 wins, 0 shutouts. 2010-2011: 20 Games Played, 12 wins, 4 shutouts.

Carey Price Seems like a Rejuvenated Starting Goalie. This is the way he was expected to play when Jaroslav Halak was traded to St.Louis. In a recent article i wrote for Habs Jambalaya, i said that Carey should perform the way he did before the 08-09 All-Star Game. Many People booed him in the pre-season and wanted him out of town. So Far, he has played the most games, which has translated into the most wins as of November 22nd and tied for most Shutouts, with 4 tieing another reborn NHLer, Tim Thomas.

Price has a 2.05 GAA, 4th in the league, and .932 SP, tied for third in the league. Those numbers have generated interest for another possible All-Star game appearance. All Habs fans remember that after the last time he played, he couldn't stop a single puck. Not Something fans want him to repeat. Alex Auld has played only 1 game, resulting in a win. 21 games into the season and Price has played all but one game? Is Jaques Martin Over playing Price? That I cannot answer. He is playing outstanding with many highlight real saves. It seems like no pucks can get past him. His defence isn't as good as it could be, with Andrei Markov pretty much out for the season. The pressure is on the D to do a better job clearing the front of the net, a little traffic is to be expected but some of the goals were just a sea of people around the blue paint.

His puck handling has gotten tiny bit better in my opinion than it was in October, he's still been very mistake prone which is obviously unacceptable but he looks to have a bit more authority a lot of the time and is making quicker decisions. I'm not sure what's behind the puck handling slump but he needs to get back to where he was because this D needs all the help it can get. Ive Noticed that he holds his glove hand higher then he has done in the past, which gives the shooters less room.

Last seasons struggles were inspiration, along with the constant boos from the Canadiens faithful, to make him play the way he is now.

Is He The Early Season MVP? Only Time Will Tell.

Sad News

2010-11-19T16:57:00.000-07:00

I Have Sad News To Report. :(

Former Habs, Leafs And Devils Coach Pat Burns Has died today. It was confirmed by The Devils and the NHL. He Died From A Lengthy battle with Cancer. Over fourteen seasons between 1988 and 2004, he achieved a record of 501-350-161-14 in 1019 games. He Was 58.

Rest In Peace, Patty.

Rick Rypien Attacks Fan=Suspension

2010-10-20T14:23:00.001-06:00

So Rypien was suspended 5 games for this:

I Completely agree with it. That is unacceptable.

Note To NHL: PLEASE NO LOCKOUT!!!

2010-10-20T14:08:00.000-06:00

1994-1995 frustrated many fans. It was the first time the NHL had a lockout. But that lasted only half the season. Fast Forward to 2004-2005. The second NHL lockout in 10 years takes place. By then, many fans had it. Fans were lost. But the NHL brought in a new CBA to make the game better. But it has only made more problems.

There is talk the NHL will have another lockout in 2012. Give me a break. That would be the last straw. If Im not mistaken, that's the year people say the world will end. It would also be the end of the Hockey world. The 04-05 lockout hurt everyone connected to the NHL: The Players, the League, The General Managers, and us Fans. What can possibly be gained from no NHL?

The answer is nothing. Not The GM's because they would not make any money. You cannot make any money if you don't have a team to make sell tickets. And other then conerts, most arena's would not make any money. There are Arena's that operate multiple sports teams, Like the Air Canada Center In Toronto, but not all arena's do. Most arena's make their revenue from NHL games, and when theres no NHL, there is no money. And All the NHL seems to care about is Piles and Piles Of Green Paper.

Some players may never return back to the NHL. Robert Esche was never the same and went to the KHL. He's just one of a few players that have never returned. It's the other leagues that threaten the NHL the most. Look at some of the players who have left in the past few years: Alexi Yashin, Marcel Hossa, Alexander Radulov, Maxim Afinogenov, Ray Emery, Jaromir Jagr, Slava Kozlov, Jiri Hudler (Now with Detroit), Anton Babchuk (Now With Carolina) to the KHL, the Pro league in Russia. People go there for good pay and because it's good competition. Ilya Kovalchuk, Alexander Frolov and Vesa Toskala are also names thrown around that could have been going overseas. What happens to the NHL if they lose all their star players? Dont forget the 2014 olympics. If the NHL does not compete, you may see the end of NHL careers for stars like Kovalchuk, Ovechkin and Malkin. And what do the players gain? Nothing. They dont play, they dont get payed. They would have to go to smaller leagues or not play at all. The AHL and KHL are the 2 leagues that gain the most from no NHL.

What Does The League Gain? Nothing. Zero. Zip. Just bad Publicity. Not like the league needs it. They would lose out on major t.v. deals. Who wants a year without Don Cherry or Pierre Mcquire? People can't stand the boring re-runs of non-important games on the NHL network during the summer. But an entire year? Arrgggh! Why kill us? Unless the NHL doesn't care about what us fans think or want. Like i said before, they only care about Money. They won't get any if they are no games to attend. Please NHL: SAVE OUR SOULS! NO LOCKOUT!! I may only be a kid who wasn't born to remember the first lockout and was not a big enough fan to remember much from the previous one, but i do know it hurt the league badly. Why lose fans?

I Hope The NHL Reads This.

New Ducks Jersey

2010-10-19T10:02:00.000-06:00

The New 3rd jersey for the Anaheim Ducks was leaked today. Heres a look:

This was seen on Puckdaddy.com. Sources have said it is official. So Far Im A Fan Of The Jersey.

Goaltending Tribute Videos

2010-10-16T15:08:00.001-06:00

Hey Guys.

I Make Goalie Tribute Videos on My YouTube Account, GoalieTributes.

Here is the channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/GoalieTributes?feature=mhum

Carey Price

Jaroslav Halak

Martin Brodeur

Josh Harding

Brian Boucher

Miikka Kiprusoff

Cam Ward

And for more great goalie videos, search GoalieTributesHD or go here: http://www.youtube.com/user/GoalieTributesHD

What Is With Sheldon Souray?

2010-10-06T17:55:00.002-06:00

I know most NHL general managers would not agree with me, but Sheldon Souray Belongs on every team.

Who would not want a player who was good enough to be in the 2009 All-Star Game? The 71st overall pick in th 1994 draft by The Devils, Souray had 26 goals and 64 points in 2006-2007, his final year with the Montreal Canadiens. That doesn't sound like minor leaguer numbers.

But he has not been able to repeat that. He had 76 points in 144 games with The Oilers. He has been slowed by injuries.Then he shot off words not appreciated by Edmonton He healed and said he was excited to join the Oilers for Training Camp. But The Oilers had different plans, and said he was not welcome. Edmonton put him on waivers. But they hate him alot, and after he cleared waivers, was sent to play in Hershey, Washington's minor league affiliate. Not somethimg you expect from the player with the hardest shot in the history of the Oilers Skills Competion.

Same thing is with Jonathan Cheecho. His Carrer is done, getting an AHL only contract by Worchester, the AHL affiliate to The San Jose Sharks, the team he got 56 goals for in 2005-2006. It's funny how a pro athlete's carrer can change due to injuries or one mistake.

Souray is still a great defence and would be a great addition to any team. With cap room left, if he goes through re-entry waivers, look for the Blue Jackets, Avalanche or Islanders to pick him up. And Washington has the best look at him, so throw them into the mix.

Pat Burns

2010-09-17T09:56:00.001-06:00

Sorry guys who read this article wrong. Earlier today it was announced that Pat Burns passed away at the age of 58. IT turns out he is still alive! YAY!

Some Rumors Around The NHL

2010-09-13T15:56:00.003-06:00

There are a few Rumors that might interest you people.

Of course, there are the Rumors i told you about in earlier posts. One of them were about Tomas Kaberle. Well heres another one. I reported earlier on my twitter (twitter.com/sykoshockeyshow) that Bobby Ryan likely was not staying with Anaheim. I was right, and now there are trade rumors that he can be trade for Kaberle. Anaheim will have to add a few draft picks to make it a deal.

The Islanders and Caps are looking at Sheldon Souray. But what could look like a possible trade is Souray to Columbus for Mike Commodore. Columbus will probably have to add to the deal.

Blake Wheeler could be going to Toronto. Could it be Savard, Wheeler for Kaberle and someone else?

The Sharks, who improved greatly by acquiring Niemi aren't done yet. Sources have told me the possibility exists the Sharks make another move for a D-man and have had talks with the NY Rangers about Mark Staal, The Canucks about Kevin Bieksa, and Paul Mara, and even MA Bergeron.

New York Would Like Setgouchi off of San Jose. New York told Staal if he is not signed by training camp to not even come.

Ryan Johnson has interest in Montreal, but with Jeff Halpern i doubt he will go there.

I will update this post whenever i hear anything.

Best UFA's Still Available

2010-09-10T18:34:00.003-06:00

As of September 10th, 2010, there are still many good free agents available. Im surprised a bunch of these guys are still available.

Il start off with Jose Theodore. The former Canadiens and Capitals goalie had 30 wins and 7 losses. He has already won the vezina, so you would think someone with the skill could have been signed already. Maybe Edmonton, Florida or Ottawa should be interested?

While there have been talks about Bill Guerin signing with either Philly or the Devils, he is still a free agent. He can still get 40-50 points, so he can be a good signing still. Also look for Toronto to possibly pick him up.

In 60 games, Marc-Andre Bergeron had 34 points. Not bad for the UFA defencemen. Actually, he is the best Defence still available in my mind. He is still young, so we can see something like 2-4 years.

Miroslav Satan showed up for games for Boston last year. Watch him be a good second or third line guy. he can be used anywhere, but look for a young team like Washington, Edmonton or Colombus pick him up. Cheap.

And if anyone is looking for a third line winger, look no further then the Aging Owen Nolan. He can still be valuable and rack up PIM's at the same time too.

Other good players include goalie Ray Emery, winger Patrick O' Sullivan and center Brendan Morrison. Look for all these players to sign a contract by the beggining of the season in 2011.

And dont count out Alexei Zhitnik. He claims he has interest from NHL teams. He can still be a reliable defenceman.

EDIT: Bobby Ryan is still a RFA, but if things dont work out in Anaheim, he could be picked early by any team.

Important Leafs Trade Rumor

2010-09-09T15:09:00.002-06:00

Hearing the Leafs and Devils are talking again.

From a source: "The trade would involve Tomas Kaberle and a 4th rounder ending up in NJ,
With Rolston, Langenbrunner, a first in 2011, and a second in 2012."

The Devils may also then move Salvador to San Jose or Anaheim for a draft pick.

That would be if Rolston would waive his no trade contract. Same with Kaberle. It would be a great trade for both teams, but would New Jersey be giving up too much?

NHL 11 Review

2010-09-08T18:11:00.001-06:00

Just got NHL 11 for the PS3. Demo Impression: Not that much different then NHL 10. But Then i got the game and just love it.

My favourite mode had always been Dynasty/Be a GM. So far, amazing. The RFA and UFA options in the game make people like me, who want it to be as realistic as possible, happy. I also like how you can trade picks from future years. I lost Carey Price to free agency due to the salary cap. I got Toskala, Ramo, Auld, Sanford and Legace instead. Cheaper the going with Pricey Price.

Also, Be a Pro mode is better. You start off in the CHL Memorial game and then get drafted. Then you try to make your way up to the NHL. While im not a fan of playing as one player and prefer Be a GM, i still love this mode and it is one of the best additions to this series.

The new physics sold me once i played. The broken sticks, the more realistic hits, the amazing dekes, man it doesnt get better. Imagine how exciting it would have an opponent miss an empty net in the last seconds of game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals because it bounced off a broken stick. Then you get the momentem and end up scoring to tie it up. That happened to me in the demo.

So Overall, this is the best NHL video game yet. Go buy it right this second!

Here is a video of a goal i scored.

Kings, Senators Trade Rumor

2010-09-06T17:30:00.004-06:00

Jason Spezza Could Become an L.A. King by trade deadline day.

I've heard a rumour about a trade between the L.A. Kings and Ottawa Senators. I also heard that L.A. was interested in Jason Spezza. Spezza has a no-trade clause, so he would have to waive it if a trade was possible. But what does L.A. have to offer?

Well let's see.They wont trade any of their goalies, Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, Drew Doughty or Jack Johnson. Well, Ottawa did say they wanted roster players. Well that leaves a few good names: Ryan Smyth, Michal Handzus, Rob Scuderi, Justin Williams, etc. Could a possible trade be Spezza for Smyth, handzus and a second round pick? Well L.A. Said they wanted another player. Maybe Spezza with Filip Kuba? That will give youngsters Karlsson, Cowen and Lee a chance to stay with the big club. The kings can also put in Erik Ersberg as he will end up playing in the AHL with Quick and Bernier in the NHL. Elliot and Leclaire are shaky and Robin Lehner could be a Year away.

Im just guessing here, but this trade will take a little while to unfold.

2014 Olympics

2010-09-05T14:08:00.005-06:00

Sochi Olympics
2014

Hey, guys. I'm a new writer for nhljambalaya.blogspot.com and I am Happy to join. You can call me Syko (Pronounced Psycho).

I bet all Canadians that were alive in 1972 remember Paul Henderson scoring the greatest goal in Canadian History. That was the best players from two countries battling it out to see who was the best. Then there was Sidney Crosby Scoring The game winning goal in Overtime of the 2010 Olympic finals against the United States.

Since last February, Gary Bettman and the NHL have been talking about not letting the best Players in the NHL compete for the country for Olympic gold medal any more. There are many reasons why this would be bad for the NHL.

Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin have publicly stated they would go play elsewhere for the 2013-2014 season so they can play in the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia. The G.M.'s Of Pittsburgh And Washington are fine with letting them go play for their home country. Most Teams wont do that. For Starters, it's too expensive. And Second, Players can get injured. We have seen that in the past with Dominik Hasek. His season went great until he injured his groin in the '06 Olympics. The Sens begged for him to come back, but did he want to return? No.

And let's be honest, would you rather see the best players in the world compete in the Olympics or have Canada and the U.S. lose out on repeating the 2010 finals because they can only use minor leaguers. Look at all the players in the KHL who can play in the next Olympics.

So Like i said before, Ovie and Malkin both have said they will play in the Olympics no matter what. Think of all the disappointed Russians from the last Olympics who will want to Win for their country. What will some of the junior stars think that the only way they can make the Olympics is play elsewhere?

I think if Gary Bettman doesn't let the best players compete, it will not be good for the NHL. So Please, let the players Play!

-Written by Syko-

Chicago Blackhawks 2010 Stanley Cup Champions

2010-06-09T22:25:00.002-06:00

Congratulations to the Chicago Blackhawks on winning the NHL's Stanley Cup.

The Hawks were a special team who achieved greatness tonight. Good on them for showing the world that they could do it. They believed it... now so do we.

For this moment, you are the best in the world. Congrats!

History Will Be Made (The Video's)

2010-05-04T21:16:00.000-06:00

Here is all the History Will Be Made Videos by the NHL (so far).

WAYNE GRETZKY

MARK MESSIER

RAY BOURQUE

BOBBY ORR

STEVE YZERMAN

MARIO LEMIEUX

PATRICK ROY

PAVEL DATSYUK

JAROSLAV HALAK

MIKE CAMMALLERI

JOE PAVELSKI

KRIS VERSTEEG

Jacques Lemaire Informs Devils He's Out As Coach

2010-04-26T13:41:00.000-06:00

Jacques Lemaire is walking away from the head coach job with the New Jersey Devils. After failing to take the team out of the 1st round, Lemaire has quit.

Lemaire had this to say, "It's not the team, it is not the result or the lack of result we had in the playoffs,"

"It's not that at all. It's the end of the line. I'll be 65. It's just time."

It's been reported that he will stay within the Devils organization in some capacity. Not sure yet what that role is.

TSN has the full story.

-Smokin' Ray-

The 2009/10 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs 1st Round Brackets

2010-04-14T14:18:00.001-06:00

The 2010 NHL Playoff Brackets (Quarterfinals)

Eastern Conference:

(1) Washington vs. (8) Montreal (Game One: 4/15 at 4 p.m. PST)

(2) New Jersey vs. (7) Philadelphia (Game One: 4/14 at 4:30 p.m. PST)

(3) Buffalo vs. (6) Boston (Game One: 4/15 at 4 p.m. PST)

(4) Pittsburgh vs. (5) Ottawa (Game One: 4/14 at 4 p.m. PST)

Western Conference:

(1) San Jose vs. (8) Colorado (Game One: 4/14 at 7:30 p.m. PST)

(2) Chicago vs. (7) Nashville (Game One: 4/16 at 5:30 p.m. PST)

(3) Vancouver vs. (6) Los Angeles (Game One: 4/15 at 7 p.m. PST)

(4) Phoenix vs. (5) Detroit (Game One: 4/14 at 7 p.m. PST)

Graham James, How Did He Get Pardoned?

2010-04-04T16:10:00.001-06:00

Apparently with new allegations (Theo Fleury) against convicted sex abuser Graham James, it's been revealed the former Junior coach was pardoned in 2007 by the National Parole Board and even the Prime Minister's office is upset by this.

Wait. What? He's was pardoned in 2007? Really? That's three years ago for crying out loud.

Can someone explain how a sexual predator like Graham James gets pardoned?

The pardon was signed off by Pierre Dion, a full-time member of the Appeal Division of the National Parole Board. We can assume he will have some questions to answer.

James (now 58) then fled to Europe after being released from prison, and still coaches youth hockey there.

The shocking part of that last sentence is the fact HE STILL COACHES YOUTH HOCKEY!!! From 2001 to 2003 James coached hockey in Spain, including the national team. Amazingly his Spanish employers were fully aware of his Canadian police record. What is wrong with this world?

James was given a lifetime ban from coaching by the Canadian Hockey Association and can not coach here in Canada ever again. THANK GOD!

On January 14th, 2010, Theo Fleury filed a complaint with the City of Winnipeg police.

Fleury had this to say, "I have been reflecting on this a long time," said Fleury. "I wanted to make the biggest impact on preventing this kind of thing from happening in the future."

So now that Fleury has brought all this back up again, James' pardon comes to light and no one should be happy about this.

So what does all this mean?

A pardon does not erase a person's criminal record, but it means the information is kept in a separate file and doesn't show up on checks of the Canadian Police Information Centre.

In the case of someone convicted of serious sex offences, the criminal record is kept apart from others, but the name is flagged in the CPIC system.

According to the parole board, that means details of the person's conviction would be discovered by a security check that takes place if they apply to work with children, the disabled or other vulnerable people. If you ask me, Graham James should be on this list. Don't you?

Recently, he has been reported as living in the Montreal area.

Stay tuned for more developments.

-Smokin' Ray-

The Jets Back In The Peg? It's Option #2

2010-03-29T14:40:00.001-06:00

Once again there are reports that the Phoenix Coyotes may move back to Winnipeg.

Don't laugh. It's for real.

The Phoenix Business Journal is reporting that the NHL is working on a backup plan with Toronto billionaire David Thomson and the Winnipeg-based True North Sports and Entertainment. The deal could send the Phoenix Coyotes back to Canada if a deal with Ice Edge Holdings or Jerry Reinsdorf to keep the team in Arizona falls through.

Crazy stuff huh? I know!

I'm not exactly a fan of the Jets, but I would love to have them back in Canada. The Jets fans would love it, Canadians as a whole would love it. It would be good for hockey.

The PBJ is also reporting that all this COULD happen as early as next season.

I guess the big question should be... is there any Jets fans still out there?

-Smokin' Ray-

Secret NHL Players Poll Taken

2010-03-27T13:09:00.000-06:00

ESPN the Magazine, which recently conducted an anonymous poll of 50 NHLers have brought us some interesting information.

Here are the highlights;

The 50 players thought that Edmonton was the 4th worst franchise at a 12% vote. Phoenix was voted the worst.

Detroit Red Wings were voted the best NHL franchise.

Roberto Luongo was voted the most overrated player in the NHL.

Alex Ovechkin was voted the best player in the NHL.

Derek Boogaard was voted the toughest guy in the league.

32% of the votes went to the Black Hawks when asked who would win the cup this year.

The Smartest NHL Coach was Mike Babcock with 22% votes.

Last coach they would want to play for in the NHL was John Tortorella.

40% of players would like to see a relocated team go to Canada.

Pittsburgh has the worst visitors dressing room while the Wild have the best room.

52% of the players thought that the NHL would benefit the most from more TV coverage.

Former Oiler Chris Pronger was voted the NHL's dirtiest player. No surprise there.

The Flyers have the meanest fans and the Canucks have the best fans. What, no Oilers on the list?

Do you guys agree with these choices?

-Smokin' Ray-

Marc Savard Speaks About Matt Cooke

2010-03-27T12:48:00.000-06:00

Marc Savard has finally spoke about the hit that knocked him out from Matt Cooke. Here is what Savard had to say.

"I think it was a play that didn't need to happen obviously," Savard told the media on Saturday. "To me, it wasn't a shoulder. I think there was an attempt to injure."

"I don't have any interest in talking to [Cooke]. That's just how I feel. Maybe down the road, but right now I'm not feeling any better, so I'd rather just not talk to him."

Savard has not given any timeline on returning to the Bruins.

"I'm just trying to feel normal right now," Savard said. "I don't feel that way now. I've had better days, but I still have bad days in the middle."

Like anyone else who has had a concussion, he's in pain.

-Smokin' Ray-

Alex Ovechkin Gets A Two Game Suspension

2010-03-15T15:57:00.003-06:00

With the latest harsh hit by a hockey player, it seems that the fans and players, new and old, are getting tired off all the injuries that have been happening lately in the NHL.

Washington Capitals star, Alex Ovechkin, is the latest guy to injure someone -- in this case it was Blackhawks defenceman, Brian Campbell -- and have people scream for a suspension. It appears that Campbell may be out for the rest of the season. But is a suspension really deserved? Watch it for yourself.

"I respect everybody," Alex Ovechkin said. "We respect everybody here in the locker room and outside, but over there [on the ice], we play for our team, and we make some hard hits, and sometimes, you get hurt. That's a hockey game."

Bob MacKenzie from TSN had this to say today on Twitter; "I will be surprised if Ovechkin is not suspended for a couple of games. Campbell's injury is the big factor now."

The Verdict?

The Washington Post is reporting a two-game suspension for Ovechkin.

Do you think that this is fair?

-Smokin' Ray-

Which End Of The Rainbow Is Your Team?

2010-03-11T11:57:00.000-07:00

With the NHL regular season starting to wrap up, the excitement builds around the who finishes first who finishes last in the regular standings.

Teams like the Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, the New York Islanders and the Carolina Hurricanes are looking for that elusive 1st overall pick at the 2010 draft. Well not quite the Leafs, it's more like the Bruins are hoping for their fall as they have the Leafs 1st round pick at this years draft. Lucky them.

The Oilers are last in the NHL right now and if they stay in that spot, they will at least get to pick second overall depending on who wins the draft lottery. Most Oiler fans want nothing more than to get that 1st pick at the draft. Hall or Seguin? That's the burning question.

Now on the other side of the rainbow, you have teams like the Washington Capitals, San Jose Sharks and the Chicago Blackhawks trying to get that Presidents trophy and home ice advantage for the entire NHL playoffs. Home ice advantage is huge for a team. The fans behind you, screaming and clapping. That's what drive the playoffs. Those rabid fans.

While home ice advantage doesn't guarantee a win at home, it sure helps.

So what end of the rainbow do you want your team to be at?

NHL REGULAR SEASON STANDINGS

News & Rumors

2010-03-02T14:00:00.005-07:00

Islanders send:

D Andy Sutton

Senators send:

Conditional draft pick

------------------------------

The Wild have re-signed Defenseman Marek Zidlicky to a 3 year deal worth 12 mil

The Atlanta Thrashers have signed Defenseman Chris Chelios

Oilers should make at least 2 more moves before the deadline

Follow me on twitter @ ToddNHLtalk2

Add me on facebook

Today's news & rumors

2010-03-01T13:39:00.002-07:00

Blues send:

G Hannu Toivonen

D Danny Richmond

Blackhawks send:

G Joe Fallon

---------------------------

Panthers send:

D Jordan Leopold

Penguins send:

2nd round pick

---------------------------

Ducks send:

Evgeny Artyukhin

Thrashers send:

Oystrick and a conditional pick in 2011.

---------------------------

Flames have re-signed Forward Matt Stajan to a 4 year deal worth 14 mil.

Stars have re-signed Forward Steve Ott to a 4 year deal worth 11.8 mil.

I expect the Oilers to make at least 3 moves before the deadline on Wednesday.

According to Senschirp Senators GM Bryan Murray no rpogress has been made in re-signing Defenseman Anton Volchenkov and is not ruling out a trade.

Canada Wins Gold!!! Vancouver 2010 Olympics

2010-02-28T16:00:00.002-07:00

CANADA WINS THE GOLD MEDAL IN MEN'S ICE HOCKEY!!!

For this moment, the world can suck it!

2010 Vancouver Olympic Games - Consider the Podium Owned

2010-02-28T11:39:00.002-07:00

What a fantastic Olympic games. What started out as what could possibly the worst winter Olympics ever, turned out to be pretty damn good after all.

The Canadians athletes made the country so proud that it sparked a lot of interest into the winter sports. People all over the place are now interested in some crazy sport a lot of us didn't know it even existed. Like Ski-Cross. That event was awesome and even inspired me to say to the wife that I want to try that. I don't care if I am 33 years old, I can do that. Couldn't I?

Probably the best part about watching the 2010 Olympic games was that I was able to introduce them to my two year old daughter. Every day I would come home after work and was greeted with a "GO GO CANADA!!!" from her. Not only did she grasp the concept of cheering for Canada (and not just the Oilers), she embraced it and watched a lot of the events with me. It made me proud as her father that she even gave a crap about the games with little understanding of what she was watching. Watch out 2026 Olympic games, little Miss Ava will be there winning a gold medal with her old man yelling from the stands.

Here are my favorite parts of the Olympics; The Medal winners:

1) The opening ceremonies were awesome yet, embarrassing. I touched on it at the beginning of the Olympics and you can read it here.

2) I don't care if Jenn Heil won silver and not gold, she did great. She was so upset by not winning, but she won the first medal for Canada at these games. It was a start of something great for this country.

3) Alex Bilodeau was the first Canadian to (Men's Moguls) win Gold in Canada. He was great and skied really well. His story was fantastic and it was great to see him succeed. A great and touching moment for me.

4) The Speed Skating - Long and Short Track - were very fun to watch. There was some great moment and Canada won a variety of medals in the speed skating events.

In Short Track Speed Skating, (my favorite) Canada won silver in the Ladies 3000m relay, Marianne St Gelais won silver in the Ladies 500m, the Canadian Men won Gold in the 5000m relay and Charles Hamelin won Gold and François-Louis Tremblay won the bronze in the Men's 500m race.

In Long Track Speed Skating the Canadians also did well. Christine Nesbitt won gold in the Ladies 1000m race, Clara Hughes won bronze in Ladies 5000m, Kristina Groves won silver in the Ladies 1500m race and won bronze in the 3000m race and the only medals the Men won were in the Men's Pursuit race. They won gold in that event.

5) The Skeleton is always fun to watch. I paid a little more attention to the sliding sports after the tragic accident at the start of the games. Even after they altered the track, it was still dangerous and scary and I wouldn't be caught going down that track. Bobsledders, Lugers and Skeleton riders crashed hard and often. It made all the races very intense to watch.

I loved watching the Skeleton race. How did Canada do you ask? Jon Montgomery won gold. He seems like a real good guy and I was happy for him to win the gold.

Bobsledding turned out not how I had envisioned it to play out. Canada won bronze in the Men's Four-Man Bobsled. No it wasn't the Lueders sled either. Surprised? I was. The Ladies also did well and I'll tell you that was crazy to witness. Canada finished gold and silver in the Two-(Wo)Man Bobsled. What a night that was. Both teams did well and made Canada proud.

6) The Curling was really exciting for me. For one, I don't watch Curling outside of the Olympics and the finals of the Hearts and Brier tournaments. The Cheryl Bernard rink played a hell of a tournament and made it to the gold medal game. But she blew her last shot in both of the last ends to earn a silver medal. Not bad, but she blew it. Kevin Martin's rink on the other hand, made it count when he needed it to. They played great and won the gold for Canada.

7) What the hell is Ski Cross? That's what I was asking. I know what it is now and I want to try it. Ashleigh McIvor won gold in the Ladies race. Thank you to the IOC for allowing this sport in the games. I LOVE IT!

8) Snowboard Cross is equally cool. Mike Robertson kicked some ass and took a silver home in the Men's Snowboard Cross race. Maëlle Ricker dominated in the Ladies Snowboard Cross and took home the gold medal. I look forward to the next Olympics to watch some more of this.

9) Jasey-Jay Anderson lived a life long dream by winning gold in the Men's Snowboard Parallel Giant Slalom. He was very humble about the win and this may have been his last race.

10) Now while I hate to admit it (no homo), I did watch some Figure Skating. Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir won gold in the Ice Dancing competition. They did well and the crowd there went nuts.

11) The saddest story for Canadians at these games was the story of Canadian Figure Skater Joannie Rochette. Joannie lost her mother to a sudden heart attack just two days before her competition. She could have pulled out but she didn't. She choose to skate. Joannie went out and skated her skate for her mom and she won the bronze medal. I think the whole country cried a little for her that night. She was a brave and courageous woman.

12) Now on to the great game of Hockey. My favorite sports of all sports. Now I won't lie to you and tell you I watched all of the Women's games. I didn't. In fact, I think I watched more than enough of it. It's kind of boring. The gold medal game was great and they beat the USA team 2-0 to win a gold. The girls won gold for Canada and even caused some controversy along the way. First they were criticized for running up scores. Then they were in the eyes again with their post game beer drinking, cigar smoking celebration. I don't care what happened after that game was over, I'm just glad the girls won gold.

13) Now to the Men's tournament. If you asked me who the top 4 teams were going to be, I would have said Canada, Russia, Sweden and the Czech Republic. Boy was I wrong. Finland face the Slovakian team for the bronze medal and the Canadians face the Americans in the gold medal game. I will update this once the games are over. **UPDATE** The Fins had a quick 3 goal outburst and that propelled them past the Slovaks to win 5-3 for the bronze medal. It was a good game to watch. I can't wait for the gold medal game.

14) I was impressed with the CTVOlympics.ca website. Very easy to look around and it was sweet to have all the channels right there on my PC. Thanks for that CTV.

I also was quite impressed with the way that CTV, TSN and Sportsnet all worked together. What a strange but nice surprise.

Things that made me say WHAT?!?:

1) The goalies that were the #1 goalie on their respected team that DIDN'T have a painted mask. Miikka Kiprusoff was one of those people. What, couldn't afford it?

2) Why did the Team Canada games always feature Pierre MacGuire? I hate that guy with a passion and when the team was stinking, listening to him pissed me off even more.

3) I was really disappointed with the handling of Brian McKeever. I don't know all the facts on why he was banned from racing in a Cross Country Skiing event, but if it's only for being legally blind than that's bullshit. No matter the placing out come, Brian McKeever should have been given a chance to compete.

4) It turns out former Canadian and current Australian Dale Begg-Smith is the guy responsible for Malware and spam emails. I'm glad you lot the gold and I'm glad you don't live in Canada anymore. You are a piece of trash Dale Begg-Smith. I hope you choke on the money you have made. *middle finger raised*

-----------------------

IS IT 2014 YET?

Sochi Olympics in Russia are next. Can't wait!

News & Rumors

2010-02-25T16:00:00.000-07:00

The Nashville Predators have re-signed Goaltender Pekka Rinne to a 2 year deal earning him 3.4 million a year. This means they are shopping Dan Ellis.

The Calgary Flames have re-signed Forward Rene Bourque to a multi year deal.

The Minnesota Wild have re-signed Forward Cal Clutterbuck to a 3 year deal.

Alex Auld of the Dallas Stars has cleared waivers.

NHL Jambalaya Apology

2010-02-22T20:55:00.003-07:00

I apologize to my faithful readers for the Hockeybuzz post today. I will never advocate or promote that jerk off and I promise it will never happen again. I guess I will have to check what people post on this site before it's posted.

I'm sorry.

-Smokin' Ray-

**edit** To be clear, Andy Strickland is not the jerk off, Eklund is the jerk off fraud. Why he is associated with a crook like him is beyond me. He's way better than that.

Daily News & Rumors

2010-02-17T17:04:00.003-07:00

According to Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch, GM Scott Howson said the team is leaning toward selling. Names like Raffi Torres and Freddy Modin have came up, there is believed to be a lot of teams interested in Raffi's services.

There is serious interest in Alexei Ponikarovsky, several teams have contacted the Leafs about Alexei and if he remains a Leaf after the deadline I will be SHOCKED.

Price or Halak? We have been asking this question for a while now and a decision may finally be here, I personally think Price will be dealt, and the team that seems the most interested is the Chicago Blackhawks believe it or not.

NHL Olympic Freeze - Last Minute Trades

2010-02-12T14:37:00.002-07:00

TRADES

Canes send:
F Matt Cullen

Sens sends:
D Alex Picard
2nd round pick

---------------

Wild send:
D Kim Johnsson
D Nick Leddy (1st round pick last draft)

Hawks send:
D Cam Barker

----------------

Sharks send:
F Jody Shelley

Rangers send:
6th round pick

----------------

WAIVERS

Flames place Jamie Lundmark on waivers
Senators place Jonathan Cheechoo on waivers
Red Wings place Brad May on waivers

Daily News & Rumors

2010-02-11T14:13:00.004-07:00

According to Bob McKenzie of TSN the Dallas Stars have claimed (F) Brandon Segal off waivers from LA.

According to Bob McKenzie the New York Rangers have put tough guy Donald Brashear on waivers.

According to HockeyLeaks.com, The Vancouver Canucks are shopping Goaltender Cory Schneider. They would try and bring in some depth on the blue line. Schneider a top prospect will never get a shot in Vancouver as he is behind Roberto Luongo who is locked up for a long time.

According to thefourthperiod.com the Atlanta Thrashers are taking calls for Forward Slava Kozlov. Kozlov has been a dud so far this season, however he has a ton of Offensive talent that many teams want.

Montreal sends:

2nd round draft pick in 2011

Florida sends:

F Dominic Moore

Follow me on twitter

Trade in the Works

2010-02-09T17:55:00.005-07:00

According to Chris Vivlamore (Thrashers beat writer) for AJC Kari Lehtonen may have been dealt to Dallas.

"I'm hearing more than rumbles that Kari Lehtonen has been traded to Dallas. Didn't accompany team to Denver."

**UPDATE** From Chris Vivlamore "Deal for Lehtonen could involve defenseman Ivan Vishnevskiy. Maybe a low-round draft pick."

**UPDATE #2** This from Bob McKenzie "Kari Lehtonen trade from Atlanta to Dallas has not yet been completed but it MAY happen later tonight. Stay tuned."

**UPDATE #3** Bob McKenzie "The deal is Kari Lehtonen to Dallas for defenceman Ivan Vishnevsky and a fourth-round draft choice."

Daily News & Rumors (Gainey/Sutton/Colaiacovo/Whitney)

2010-02-08T14:40:00.007-07:00

According to Chris Botta of Islanderspointblank.com, the New York Islanders are receiving calls on Defenseman Andy Sutton. It is unknown if they are willing to trade him.

Canadiens GM Bob Gainey has stepped down as GM of the Montreal Canadiens, Pierre Gauthier will take over.

According to Andy Strickland the St. Louis Blues have made it known that Defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo is available.

According to Adrian Dater, Defenseman John Michael Liles will be a healthy scratch yet again. It is believed that the Colorado Avalanche are currently shopping him.

It looks like there are several teams still interested in former Oiler Ray Whitney. It appears the Kings, Bruins, Sabres and Flyers are leading the way.

-----------------------------------

Fantasy team of the week

W - Alex Ovechkin (7G, 3A, 10P, 18 shots)

C - Nicklas Backstrom (2G, 8A, 10P, 7 shots)

W - Daniel Alfredsson (2G, 3A, 5P, 6 shots)

D - Brian Rafalski (0G, 4A, 4P, 3 shots)

D - Shea Weber (0G, 2A, 2P, 11 shots)

G - Jean-Sebastien Giguere (2W, 0GA, 60 SV, 2 SO)

Follow me on twitter @ ToddNHLTALK2

Daily News & Rumors (Flyers and Red Wings Make a Trade)

2010-02-06T09:56:00.007-07:00

**FIRST TRADE OF THE DAY**

Flyers send:

D Ole-Kristain Tollefsen

5th round pick this year

Red Wings send:

RW Ville Leino

**UPDATE**

According to Bob McKenzie of TSN the Red Wings have placed D Ole-Kristain Tollefsen on waivers.

-------------------

Stay tuned for more NHL coverage...

Our Condolences To The Burke and Reedy Families

2010-02-05T22:10:00.003-07:00

We have received some very sad news in the hockey world today. 21 year old Brendan Burke and fellow vehicle occupant, 18 year old Mark Reedy, were tragically killed in a car accident earlier today.

The vehicle that they were driving had slid sideways and struck an oncoming truck. The driver of the truck was not hurt in the accident. They did manage to get Mr. Burke to the hospital, but he later died of his injuries.

Snow and bad roads were the root cause of the accident and as far as we know, drugs and alcohol were not a factor. For more on this story and complete updates, CLICK HERE

On behalf of everyone in the Jambalaya family, we want to send our thoughts and prayers out to the Burke and Reedy families in this troubling time. God bless you folks.

-Smokin' Ray-

Daily News & Rumors

2010-02-05T13:57:00.002-07:00

According to Darren Dreger of TSN, Sheldon Souray has submitted list of teams he would waive his NTC to go to. The teams on the list are the Ducks, Kings, Stars, Rangers, Capitals, and Flyers.

The Nashville Predators have re-signed Forward Jordan Tootoo to a 2 year deal worth $1.25 million per year.

According to John Kincade of The Fan 680 Kari Lehtonen will most likely be traded. He said the Stars and Blues seem to be leading the way.

Daily News & Rumors

2010-02-04T13:48:00.004-07:00

Kovalchuk is officially on the trading block as Thrashers GM Don Waddell offered 101 million dollars for 12 years and Ilya declined.

It looks like the 3 remaining teams in on Kovalchuk are the Kings, Rangers and the Devils.

This from Larry Brooks of the NY Post "Source: price of NYR rental of Ilya is Staal or Del Zotto + Callahan or Dubinsky + Kreider or Stepan or Grachev + first rounder = No deal."

Ryan Whitney and Tim Gleason will fill in for Mike Komisarek and Paul Martin on the USA Olympic team.

This from Chip Alexander "Jim Rutherford said a deal is pending that will send Nic Wallin to another team. Rutherford not saying which team."

I was attending an OHL game last night and had no connection to the internet so I could not post the trade.

Devils send:

F Patrice Cormier
F Niclas Bergfors
D Johnny Oduya
1st round pick (this year)
2nd round pick (this year)

Thrashers send:

F Ilya Kovalchuk
D Anssi Salmela
2nd round pick (this year)

Daily News & Rumors

2010-02-03T13:47:00.007-07:00

According to Darren Dreger of TSN the Oilers may be closing in on a deal that would send Ethan Moreau and a prospect/pick in exchange for Garnett Exelby or Lee Stempniak.

According to Bob Mckenzie of TSN Ilya Kovalchuk has been told that he will be dealt in the next few days "RDS reports that Don Waddell met Ilya Kovalchuk today and told him to expect a trade in the coming days. Now it's on."

The New York Islanders have placed Defenseman Brendan Witt on waivers.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have fired Head Coach Ken Hitchcock.

Hurricanes Defenseman Nic Wallin has waived his NTC and will not be in the Hurricanes lineup tonight, he is likely heading to San Jose.

Team USA Takes A Loss Weeks Before 2010 Olympics

2010-02-02T10:00:00.003-07:00

According to the New Jersey Devils official website, defenseman Paul Martin has withdrawn for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

He was chosen by the USA team and was expected to be an integral cog to the American machine on their quest for gold. But with suffering from a slow healing broken arm for a while now - Martin was injured on Oct. 24 when they were playing the Penguins and he was hit by Bill Guerin's shot - he's just not going to be ready in time for the Olympics. He chose to step aside rather than possibly hinder the team in any way. Very commendable.

He had this to say yesterday, “After careful consideration, I have decided to withdraw my name from participation with Team USA at the upcoming Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. While the decision was an extremely difficult one, I feel it is in my long-term best interest to not rush any return to the ice.

“Team USA was informed of my decision earlier today. I look forward to re-joining my New Jersey Devil teammates in the near future, and would also like to wish my fellow Devils’ Olympians and the rest of Team USA good luck in their pursuit of the gold medal.”

I suppose now Team USA has a decision to make this week. Who replaces Paul Martin? Look for a Rob Scuderi or a Ryan Whitney to replace him. Gleason or Hainsey are also other options.

**EDIT (2/4/10) 1:58pm MST** Ryan Whitney and Tim Gleason have been added to Team USA as the replacements for the two (Mike Komisarek and Paul Martin) injured players.

Daily News & Rumors

2010-02-02T05:40:00.006-07:00

TRADE

To the Flames:

F Ales Kotalik
F Chris Higgins

To the Rangers:

F Olli Jokinen
F Brandon Prust

Slava done in Atlanta?

Thrashers Forward Slava Kozlov has been a healthy scratch the last 2 games and will be a healthy scratch again tonight. Slava is obviously not happy about it and is being shopped by the Thrashers.

Nick Boynton

Nick Boynton clears waivers today at 12:00 ET, I would be surprised if he does not get claimed by someone.

**UPDATE** Nick Boynton has cleared waivers.

Caps call-up Alzner

The Washington Capitals have called-up Defenseman Karl Alzner.

Souray update

It looks like Sheldon Souray is done for the season with a broken hand.

LIVE TweetCast (no signup) at NHL Jambalaya - Oilers vs Hurricanes (2/1/10)

2010-02-01T19:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome everyone to another fine TweetCast by Oilers Jambalaya broadcasted right here at NHL Jamabalaya.

Tonight you will see the tweets/comments of Paq Twinn, Smokin' Ray, Nick Walker, Scarlett, Dan Tencer, The official Edmonton Oilers and the official Carolina Hurricanes tweets.

Feel free to comment by typing in the box below. It's easy and no signup required. Once you comment, we will unmoderate you and you can then speak freely. Be patient if we don't see you right away. You will get on.

We hope you enjoy the TweetCast and we are glad you stopped by. GOILERS!

Nick Boynton - Does Anyone Need Him?

2010-02-01T15:52:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my main man Todd for posting the news right here at NHL Jambalaya.

Nick Boynton is an interesting guy to look at for any team. Does your favorite team have anyone out for a long period of time, does claiming Boynton fill the gap? He might. Let's take a look and see if he fits the bill.

He' listed as 6'1" and 218 lbs. OK, he's not a little guy. Check.

He's 31 years old and is old enough and experienced enough to step in without calling up a rookie. Check.

Is he a UFA at seasons end? Yes. Check.

Is he physical and tough? Yes. Check.

So far he looks good doesn't he? But what could be so special about a guy who is being sent down? He must suck right?

No, he doesn't completely suck. His biggest drawback is his $1.5 million dollar contact. That's pretty steep for a 5th/6th/7th guy. However, he did have his best season was in 2003-04 with GP81 G6 A24 P30 Not bad, but it's 2010. How much has changed? The biggest thing that I like seeing, he has a career NHL stat of +16. Not too shabby.

So I don't know. What to do?

Do any teams out there actually claim him? I guess it's possible. What would you do?

Monday News & Rumors

2010-02-01T06:37:00.001-07:00

Kotalik

According to CBC's Elliotte Friedman there was a trade in place (Prust and Jokinen for Kotalik and Higgins) but it caved in...more to come.

Update - It may still happen but likely after Calgary's game tonight. Via Bob Mckenzie

Bruins looking for depth

Also Jimmy Murphy of NESN.com suggests the Bruins are taking a good look at Matt Cullen and former Oiler Ray Whitney.

Kovy to the Kings

Mark Everson of the NY Post is reporting that Atlanta Thrashers GM Don Waddell was at the Kings/Devils game yesterday and suggests Don was scouting players that he would want in return for Ilya Kovalchuk.

Habs suffer big blow

According to Bob McKenzie of TSN Canadiens Forward Mike Cammalleri will be out 6 to 8 weeks with a knee injury.

Ducks place Boynton on waivers

The Anaheim Ducks have placed D Nick Boynton on waivers.

Fantasy team of the week

W - Alex Ovechkin (2G, 4A, 6P, 25 shots)
C - Anze Kopitar (3G, 3A, 6P, 12 shots)
W - Jarome Iginla (3G, 4A, 7P, 13 shots)
D - Nicklas Lidstrom (3G, 3A, 6P, 8 shots)
D - Drew Doughty (2G, 2A, 4P, 4 shots)
G - Jon Quick (4W, 8GA, 111SV, 0 SO)

News & Rumors

2010-01-31T17:54:00.001-07:00

According to Larry Brooks of the NY Post Forward Ales Kotalik has been told he will be traded and has left the team.

This from Larry Brooks "Rangers tentaive deal to move Kotalik fell through due to complications, per NYR."

Leafs trade imminent

2010-01-31T09:29:00.001-07:00

Leafs - Leafs GM Brian Burke is holding a press conference at 11:30 AM eastern on leafs TV, it will likely be a trade for J.S Giguere from Anaheim. It may not be the only move done today by the Leafs says Darren Dreger of TSN on his twitter " Could be multi-deal, multi-player. Big makeover...if all comes together for Toronto. My blackberry may blow!"

Update - This from Darren Dreger "Something enormous is about to go down. Working on it."

Update # 2 - From Darren Dreger " Phaneuf to the Leafs"

Update # 3 - It seems as leafs will get Giggy, Phaneuf and Sjostrom

Update # 4 - Stajan and White are involved.

To Flames: Stajan, White, Hagman, Mayers

To Leafs: Sjostrom, Phaneuf, Keith Aullie (AHL Defenseman)

Update # 5 - Another deal in next 30 minutes says Brian Burke.

Update # 6 - Marlies Forwards and Sjostrom will fill in vacant Forward spots on Leafs.

Update # 7 - Burke says sit tight we should be back soon.

Update # 8 - It looks like Finger and Toskala for Giguere and a 1st round pick.

Update # 9 - It may be Exelby instead of Finger or Blake.

Update #10 - The Ducks want to send a player, Leafs want 1st.

Update # 11 - Darren Dreger says Toskala and Blake for Giggy done deal.
As always, all comments are welcome.

Saturday morning rumor update

2010-01-30T06:46:00.000-07:00

Mike Comrie - According to Larry Brooks of the NY Post, the New York Rangers are more than just one piece away from being Stanley Cup contenders, he suggests the Rangers could use a few players but don't expect Phaneuf or Kovalchuk. Sather needs to let the team play it out. If he wants to make a move, maybe acquiring a Centre like Comrie for a small price would be worth a shot. If this is the case Mike would likely play on line 1 with Marion Gaborik.

Bobby Ryan - Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.com suggests that Ducks GM Bob Murray will not trade Bobby Ryan and is confident they can get him re-signed.

Petr Sykora - The Minnesota Wild sent Petr Sykora down to there farm team however, Petr did not report and both sides have agreed to terminate Petr's contract and let him become a UFA.

UPDATE: The Anaheim Ducks have re-signed Goaltender Jonas Hiller to a 4 year deal worth 18 mil/ 4.5 a season.

As always all comments are welcome.

Follow me on twitter @ ToddNHLTALK2

Daily dose

2010-01-29T05:58:00.000-07:00

Lubomir Visnovsky - According to Graig Woodburn of Weei.com sports radio network the Boston Bruins are not willing to give the Thrashers what they want for Kovalchuk so they will pursue players like Alexei Ponikarovsky, Ray Whitney, Matt Cullen, and Lubomir Visnovsky.

Ilya Kovalchuk - According to Bob Mckenzie of TSN he stated the the LA Kings are the front runners for Ilya Kovalchuk. Also NHL Analyst Steve Kouleas was having a chat with Puck Daddy on the score television network and Steve suggested that if the Kings were to acquire Kovalchuk they would have to give up something like Alex Frolov, Jack Johnson, a young roster player/prospect and a 1st round draft choice like I suggested yesterday.

Ray Whitney - According to Darren Dreger of TSN Ray Whitney may be the most sought after player in the NHL. If what Darren said is true up to 10 teams have interest, he suggested the LA Kings, Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators all have interest just to name a few.

Ethan Moreau - Whoever stated that 5 to 10 teams are interested in Ethan Moreau is full of crap maybe a team or 2 but based on how he has played as of late I can see why not many teams are interested.

Follow me on twitter @ ToddNHLTALK2

Pikkariainen to the KHL

2010-01-28T12:38:00.000-07:00

The New Jersey Devils have assigned right wing Ilkka Pikkariainen to CSKA Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Ilkka had 1 Goal and 3 Assists in 31 games with the Devils.

Follow me on twitter @ ToddNHLTALK2