300 Goalies, Patrick Marleau after a career year, some coaching changes and the summer of Kovalchuk, welcome to the 2010 NHL offseason. Devils kicked it off today by hiring Johnny Mac as their head coach. THANK GOD. It's about time we gave him a chance, and I like having a coach I know isn't going to quit after a year or two. http://www.nj.com/devils/index.ssf/2010/06/john_maclean_is_devils_new_hea.html What are you looking forward to? Where do you think Kovy lands? (I kind of hope he bolts to the KHL to fuck over the guy in my keeper league who wouldn't trade him to me after the Devils picked him up last year.) Aaaanndddd discuss.
It actually is a good deal. With all the UFA goalies about to flood the market, there wasn't much value for Halak out there. He's an RFA with arbitration rights, and the Habs didn't want to get stuck with an inflated contract, so they shipped him out for a former first rounder and another prospect. With each passing day his value would have dropped, so I think they did well for themselves. I don't have a ton of confidence in Carey Price with even more pressure on him now though.
I get to my blackberry after work and I have the breaking news (per THN - its a nice app) that Halak's rights have been moved. I get home and check my typical hockey sites and they are all laughing at Montreal. In my mind, Montreal got the better end of the deal. Look, I think when its all said and done Price will end up with a better career than Halak. Halak, from what I know about metrics in hockey, played above his potential this past season and will likely never put up numbers on a consistent basis like he did. On the flip side, this gives Price incentive and motivation to have a bounce back year (which I think he will do). Point is, I give props to Bob Gainey for having the balls to sell a player while he's on his high. Lars Eller is a nice NHL ready prospect who should give a nice youth edge to the Habs next season as well.
I'm with you on this (except for the props to Bob Gainey who hasn't been GM for five months, though this move is very much his style) I'm unsure. I'm a habs fan so naturally I assume the worst whenever we move a goalie. I've always viewed Price as having a peak above Halak - it's just Halak has reached his peak and Price still needs to get there
I'm not sure I'm liking this deal, rumor has it he was bad in the room before we dealt him the first time. But I'm still now wondering if this means I should keep Arnott in my long term super deep keeper league...
Matt Cooke signs with Pittsburgh. 3 years, $1.8mil cap hit each year. I'll take that. Is he a dirty player? Yeah, I think so. But I also think he's a great asset. Now that he's signed, the Pens have a bit better idea on how much they have available to pay Gonchar. I don't know if they're going to be able to match the years and cash that he wants though. I'm not big on re-signing him though. I felt he slacked in the playoffs. He's also soft in his own zone. However, the Penguins need an offensive-defenseman and someone to run the powerplay. I really don't like the idea of moving Letang up just yet. His shot lacks accuracy and he is a turnover machine. Sharks will not be re-signing Nabokov. The trend seems to be going for modestly paid guys who aren't stars, but won't lose the game for you either. Hall of Fame voting took place, letting in Dino Ciccarelli ahead of Gilmour and Nieuwendyk. The first females were also elected to the Hall. 2010-2011 schedules were released today. The CBA was extended to the 2011-2012 season.
The Plekanec signing is pretty good. 5.0M*6yrs is not a hometown discount by any means but it isn't the worst deal imaginable. Columbus or Nashville or Pheonix could've, and would've signed him for much more. The problem with a signing like this is that it's always fine and dandy the first two seasons but by the third season you almost always, invariably, think the player should be traded/is tradebait. Ribeiro is trade bait in Dallas after two good seasons, Hamrlik in Montreal, Souray in Edmonton, Rolston is bait after just two years, Gomez was traded after two, Drury has been tradebait since last season, Weiss is now tradebait in Florida, Lupul in Philly was traded after two or three seasons, Semin is mad tradebait, Heatley requested a trade two years after his signing, God-damn Kaberle etc. I just know that Habs fans will turn on him unless he really becomes an elite two-way player, which could happen but probably won't.
HA! Rolston isn't even trade bait. Rolston is on the discount rack. At this point Lou would do to him what he did to Malakhov. Trade him and a high draft pick for a career minor leaguer just to get rid of the salary. Fucing Rolston. If an over 35 player gets shot and killed, will his salary come off the books? I know we're stuck with his cap hit even if he retires, but maybe murder would rid us of yet another Lou Lamoriello Salary Cap Abortion.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100624/ap_on_sp_ho_ne/hkn_blackhawks_thrashers_trade This is what he gets? He proved himself a as a presence and a force in the playoffs, and in return gets sent to Atlanta, a team that will never see the playoffs. Ever. Poor guy, but at least he's got a cup already.
It was a good move by Chicago. IMO Buff will never play that well again; and he was teamed up with two of the best players in the league for a good amount of the playoffs. Chicago has the depth to recover, and they get some solid prospects back in return. Atlanta also gets Ben Eager, who will see more minutes and is capable of more than his 15 point season with Chicago.
And now to Pittsburgh. On a side note, I go to NHL.com and all I see is Cam Fowler. Did I miss something? Why is the league so hard for this kid? He got drafted 12th. I know that's great and I could never do it. But 12th and he's half the front page stories? WTF.
Ottawa signs Gonchar for $5.5mil / yr for 3 years. Pittsburgh bounced back and quickly signed Paul Martin and Zbynek Michalek to 5 year deals. As a Penguins fan I'm pretty happy with this. Gonchar really wanted that third year and he just wasn't worth the cost. Plus he's over 35 so that's guaranteed against the cap. They more than made up for it by signing a great defensive D-man and a good two way guy. In other news, the Maple Leafs signed Colby Armstrong to a 3 year, $9 million deal. Pfffffffffffffffffffft. I mean, good for him getting out of Atlanta, but come on Toronto. Don't they have better things to do with their money? Like solid gold toilet seats or displaying the elephant man's remains in the Air Canada Centre?
RIP Bob Probert. <a class="postlink" href="http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=326672" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=326672</a>
at 12 days and counting, Kovalchuck has taken more time to sign than any post-season he's ever been involved in
Now it looks like he's on the verge of signing with the Kings. Twice this happened, twice he didn't sign with them. I think the Devs are getting him, then I think they lost him, then I think they're getting him again, now I think he's in his final negotiatians with Lombardi and, according to Eklund, he may give Lou a shot to counter whatever LA offers him. I want Kovalchuk. Look at the past three cups. Detroit - Datsyuk and Zetterberg Pittsburgh - Malkin and Crosby Chicago - Kane and Toews (ok, and Hossa, but mostly Kane and Toews) The NHL is a two-star league now. You need 2 guys who can come through for you. Devils have Parise, they NEED Kovalchuk. But I no longer think it's going to happen. Another Atlantic Division crown, another first round flame out this year. Balls.