The Six Pack

Gustavsson Chooses Maple Leafs

Daniel Santos — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:28:00 GMT

Leaf Nation is alive and well. One day after the Maple Leafs landed free agent defenceman Francois Beauchemin, the Leafs won the Jonas Gustavsson sweepstakes.

It's so nice to see that the Leafs are able to attract free agents again. It feels like the old days when we got who we wanted, when we wanted. The difference now is that we are not doing it with money. Instead, we're doing it the right way, with proper management structure and a proper plan that young free agents find attractive.

So why did Gustavsson choose the Maple Leafs?

I know that the new Leafs' defence corps and the fact that he won't be thrown into the starting role right away were Gustavsson's main reasons for choosing the Maple Leafs, but I wonder how much of the decision was based on coming to a multicultural city like Toronto a la Hedo Turkoglu. It seemed that Dallas was the next best contender and it's reasonable to suggest that the Swedish netminder saw Toronto as a better place to live than Texas.

What's next?

With the Beaucehmin signing, which defencemen have to go? Is it automatic that Tomas Kaberle will go? I'd like to see Kaberle stay, as we'd need a power-play quarterback to set up Beauchemin and his big shot from the point. I really don't think that Anton Stralman would be able to fill Kaberle's shoes.

Ian White seems like the next most likely d-man to go, as his versatility and affordability are attractive to other teams. However, by those same points, I'd like to see him stay too.

As much as I'd like to see both Kaberle and White stay, we still have way too many defencemen and are still lacking a much needed top-6 forward, so someone's got to go.

It'll definitely be an interesting couple of days for the Maple Leafs. Is a Kaberle trade inevitable? Who's coming back in return? On the other hand, maybe Kaberle stays. I for one wouldn't mind keeping Kaberle and signing a free agent forward like Alex Tanguay or possible free agent Kris Versteeg. Who else is giddy with excitement to see what's next?

Murray goes mental, signs Kovalev for 2 years - $10 million

Jon Ciarlo — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:12:00 GMT

What's next... Sundin in Red, Black and Gold? My only hope is that this is a sign and trade situation and maybe part of a package with the Oilers.

I won't deny that Kovalev is one of the most skilled players in the league... but only when he feels like it.

I'm sure Clouston is just dying to deal with this guy!

I'm lost for words... let's hear your comments!

GO SENS GO!

New Look Oilers....

Doug Otway — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:09:00 GMT

I was going to do a season in review when I thought that why should we discuss a train wreck. Obviously the Oilers underachieved this year. Obviously there were some changes that needed to be done (gonna miss you MacT). Obviously this team needed a shake up. So why talk about what went wrong when we can now just start to see how this ship has been righted.

First off, Dany Heatley. As I said in an earlier post I am not ape s**t about the guy becoming an Oiler. Before the potential deal was leaked I thought the price would be too high and it wouldn't be worth it. While I was wrong about the deal, it was definatley a steal for the Oilers, I am still not nuts about the idea. The biggest lost from our end would be Cogs. This kid has huge upside and will be in the NHL and contribute for the next 15-20 years. While I would not be happy to see him go you don't find a 50 goal man every day. Penner, as much as people don't want to admit it, would be a loss as well. On a sub par team last year he was a + player all year long and is still capable of 20-30 goals a year. I just wish that we could send him a video of Dustin Byfuglien and show him what is expected of a man his size in the new NHL. Smid is a solid 5-6 guy and with the prospects the Oilers have quite easily replaceable. All in all it would be a great deal for the Oilers as long as we got a Heatley that wanted to play and shows up. If we got a guy who is just waiting for his next ticket out of here then it is a huge loss for Edmonton. The only reason I am still talking about it is that with the lack of interest in Heater and his obvious disdain for Clouston, I actually think he will be in Oilers Silks before the start of the season. With Daly stating that a grievance could allow Ottawa to add $4 Million to the price of his trade to make up the bonus, the D-Day of July 1st was something that the Management was just trying to push forward. While I can see why Heatley is upset at the short notice, once he asked for a trade it is Murray's job to get the best deal for the Senators, not the best deal for Heatley. Anyways, enough on this saga that is still far from over and besides all the crap talk, a 50 goal man beside a 60 assist man with a centerman who can watch the other end of the ice when those two commit sounds like a rather good first line and the first step toward building a contender. I may have thought Pronger was an Ass when he wanted out but the proof is in the pudding and Anaheim got a cup by bringing in the 'Prima Donna Arse' much like the Oilers would be greatly improved with this 'Prima Donna'.

As for the Oilers team that exists today, I like it. In fact, I like it a lot. Steve Tambellini has taken the steps to prove that this is his team and he is not a figure head handcuffed by by what Lowe thinks is right or wrong. All loyalties to the old regime mean nothing and all that matters is how you play hockey today. I think that the deal he had in place for Heater, the signing of our coaching staff and pick up of Khabibulin shows that Tambo is in it to win it and that makes me happy.

On the Khabibulin signing, I think it is great. Sure the guy is 36 but at $3.75 he is affordable. He has a Ring. He just recently eliminated both of our biggest divisional foes from the playoffs en route to the WCF and obviously, he wants to be in Edmonton. If JDD can play well in 25-30 games next year and Nik can repeat the performance he had last year than the Oilers should taste the post season for the first time in four years. Obviously there is more to a team than one position but with a healthy campaign from the rest of the team expectation will be high.

I guess the Oilers really don't have that new of a look on the ice but one of the biggest moves had to come off the ice and did. First off, I was and still am a big fan of MacT. I thought he did a good job with the team over the years and based on the number of draft picks on the team his player development was on par as well. The problem is that no matter how good the coach there is only so much a guy can do. After this long players begin to tune out and progression begins to slow. I thought that the change would come mid season but I am happy the way it went with who we have now.

To me, the Oilers now have one of the best coaching staffs in the NHL. You have a pair of guys who are both capable of handling the reigns, both have worked together before and both are hungry to go the next step and bring their team to a championship. While Quinn was questioned about his work with young players before, after back to back gold medals leading young Canadian national squads he has silenced the critics. Renney is an acccomplished bench man who has shown he can work with anyone (Hello, Jagr) and get them to contribute where others have failed. As disappointing as this team was last year, we barley missed the playoffs. In my opinion, had Visnovsky not been hurt we probably would have squeaked in the 8th spot and it is probably best the way things went as changes were needed and failure is often the precursor to change.

Now you have a fresh mind set on the bench which will result in a fresh mind set on the ice. The dealing of Brodziak and the potential moving of an up an coming star like Cogliano tells the team that no one is safe. You have to produce to make it on this team and if you don't you will probably find yourself somewhere else before you know it. Assuming the Heatley deal doesn't go throught I think the Oilers are fine where they are. The only spot that needs filling is the wing on the first line and whether is it Heatley or Kotalik, I am fine. There is plenty of established talent on the team already with a few prospects who will push for a roster spot come September. I expect big things from this team this year and hopefully I will not be disappointed like I have been the past two. July 2nd and already I can't wait until the fall.

Let's Go Oilers!!!!!!!!!!!!

On a quick side note, since there still is no Flames Blogger, how about JayBo in a Flaming C. While the Flames clearly have a very strong blue line, the 60 + goals missing from the front end sure is going to hurt. Not to mention the fact that with the signing the Flames have roughly three million dollars to sign three more players to fill out the roster. Is it me or does Calgary look to be in the same position it was last year where someone gets hurt and they have no cap room to bring up a player to fill the void. Anaheim may have won the cup with a solid D corps but they also had two solid Offensive lines and a shutdown third line, something Calgary does not have.

Out with the old, in with the new

Jonathan Bliangas — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:01:00 GMT

When Bob Gainey signed on as General Manager of the Montreal Canadiens back in 2003, he came in with a plan. He had a vision of what he wanted his team to look like. He formed a nucleus, drafted well, and watched them come together through some difficult seasons and some successful seasons. However, after watching his team peak two years ago with the best record in the Eastern Conference only to bow out in the second round of the playoffs, and then sitting through a tumultuous Centennial campaign last season, Mr. Gainey has decided pull the plug on his old plan, and start up a new one.

After countless off-seasons of mid-tier signings and patchwork solutions, Gainey has finally reacted to what I believe this franchise desperately needed following a year like the one that just passed: some new blood.
So far Bob has officially waved goodbye to Christopher Higgins (NYR) and Mike Komisarek (TOR), and in the same breath he has welcomed in Scott Gomez, Mike Cammalleri, Brian Gionta, Jaroslav Spacek and Hal Gill. While it's going to be hard to watch some of Montreal's core pieces over the last six years dawn new threads next season, I'm absolutely giddy at the fact that Gainey has found a way to lure FIVE significant players to La Belle Province. Gainey has suddenly turned into the salary-cap era's version of Glen Sather and Pat Quinn back when the Rangers and Leafs would outbid as many teams as they could because they had the money and the freedom. In Gainey's case, he has both the money and the cap space. It's almost as if something went off in his brain. Enough was enough. It was time to shake things up.

Of course the best part about all these signings are the contracts and opinions that come with them. Hockey fans and enthusiasts have suddenly become capologists with accounting degrees over night. There are lots of people who say the Canadiens are overpaying for these guys, and to a point, they're right. That being said, here's my take on each of the five contracts. And please keep in mind, I dropped high school calculus.

SCOTT GOMEZ (5-YEARS / $33.5M)
This signing was New York's wrong-doing. Montreal just inherited it. The good news for Gainey is that Gomez's deal was front-loaded, so it only works out to $6.7 million per year for the Habs (which is still a lot, but not as bad, all things considered). It's also hard not to forgive the fact that the size of Gomez's contract isn't necessarily a reflection of the actual value he is worth in comparison to other NHL centers. His price tag is merely an indication of what he was worth compared to the other free agents at the time.
Money aside: Gomez is a small, speedy, durable, 2-way play-maker. He's missed 32 games in his career (9 seasons).

MIKE CAMMALLERI (5-YEARS / $30M)
I really don't have a problem with paying a two-time 30-plus goal scorer $6M a year. Cammalleri was one of the most sought after free agents as soon as the clock struck noon, and the Habs were obviously the highest bidders. If you want him to play, you must pay.
Money aside: Start stitching the "A" on Cammer's sweater. He scored 39 goals on a line with another sniper in Jarome Iginla in Calgary. Daymond Langkow was centering that line for most of the season. I see no reason why Mike can't put up 30-plus goals with Gomez as his everyday centerman.

BRIAN GIONTA (5-YEARS / $25M)
This is the only player I feel like Gainey overpaid for, but that only means that Gionta will have some added pressure to perform.
Money aside: Gionta's best season came in 2005-2006 when he registered 89 points with the Devils. That was the same year Scotty G registered a career-high 84 points on the same line. The fact that these two have been reunited is no coincidence. Bob knows.

JAROSLAV SPACEK (3-YEARS / $11.5M)
This deal works out to $3.833M per year. He was making $3.33M last year on Buffalo. Big whoop.
Money aside: I'd still rather have Komisarek over Spacek, but this is as good a backup plan as any. Spacek is a solid #3 defenseman who can work the power-play and put up offensive numbers, as well. Last year Spacek actually tied a career-high with 45 points. The veteran blue-liner will be 38 when his contract expires in 2012-2013.

HAL GILL (2-YEARS / $4.5M)
A decent rate for a serviceable defenseman. The man's value slightly rose once he won that big trophy in June.
Money aside: I'm only going to compare Gill to Zdeno Chara because I love the thought of offending Bruins fans. But in all honesty, I can't even get away with describing Gill as a poor-man's Chara. Height and stick length are about the only thing the two have in common. Gill is far less physical in front of the net and along the boards than Chara is, but he's a proven penalty-killer and top-4 defenseman on 29 other NHL teams.

People also don't realize that Montreal still has a little over $10 million of cap space to work with despite these high-priced acquisitions. Whether Gainey decides to use that money towards other free agents or as wiggle room during the regular season remains to be seen. Another factor to keep in mind is that Gomez, Cammalleri and Gionta are locked up for the same length of time (5-years). This basically means that these 3 players will be the focal point of the team for at least the next 5 seasons, and all 3 players are proven "point-a-game" guys.

I leave you with my opening-day lineup.
*Subject to change depending on future signings/trades.

LINE 1: Cammalleri (A) - Gomez - Gionta
LINE 2: Sergei - Plekanec - Andrei
LINE 3: D'Agostini - Lapierre (A) - Latendresse
LINE 4: Laraque - Metropolit - Stewart

D1: Markov (C), Hamrlik
D2: Spacek, Gill
D3: Gorges, O'Byrne

G: Price, Halak

Allez les Glorieux!!!

The Waaah-ny Heatley saga continues

Jon Ciarlo — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 05:14:00 GMT

It's been awhile since my last post due to summer holidays, etc...

Sens fans were kept on the hook through Canada Day, wondering if Dany Heatley would eventually waive his no-movement clause to facilitate a trade to the Edmonton Oilers. In the end, Dany chose to NOT waive said clause and he remains an Ottawa Senator.

I thought the Oilers were on his list, but apparently not. So add another team to his boo-list. I wasn't thrilled with the projected deal, but at least we had 35 goals coming back our way which was better than some other deals that were in the rumour mill.

I was sure that when the Gaborik signing was announced by the Rangers that Healtley would accommodate the trade, but I guess I was wrong. Now Eugene Melnyk is on the hook for Heatley's $4 million dollar "bonus" which makes any other potential trades even tougher.

This all comes on the heels of a family friend of Heatley's berating the fans, media and coach for the situation at hand. That article all but identified the reason for the trade request as a rift between Heatley and Couston. Oh yeah, and he also mentioned the fact that the Senators have been on a decline since our Cup run in 2007. I'm sorry, but I didn't realize that the success of our team was a clause in his contract. We suck now, so I want out. I've been asked to be accountable for my ice-time, so I want out.

The worst is that Heatley still hasn't given any kind of interview on the whole subject. A friend of mine also brought to my attention that he finds it odd that Spezza hasn't been interviewed and he's supposedly a best friend and stands to lose a major contributor to his stats. I agree. What's your position on this Jason? Is Dany still in your wedding party next month?

When Heatley's camp originally refused to waive the no-movement clause I thought that it was because they were waiting on the Rangers or another team that had an offer brewing, but obviously that wasn't the case. I thought maybe that the Sharks were going to come forward since they were quiet on free-agent day, but that never materialized.

I was happy when I heard that Chris Neal came to terms and agreed to terms on a 4 year, $8 million dollar contract to stay in Ottawa. I don't think that Cody Bass can fulfill his role as an everyday fighter and I would have dreaded to see him sign in Toronto or New York where he was reportedly offered more money.

The Heatley saga can only get uglier from here. Any team wanting him will now will likely have to take on a couple of extra players in the deal to offset the "bonus" that Heatley will now receive from the Senators (likely Jason Smith and Schubert), which won't be attractive to most teams. At this point I'm hoping that Melnyk will play hard ball with the disgruntled forward. I don't want him here any more than most other Senators fans, but I'd love to see him show up and earn that bonus until a reasonable trade has been offered. His spot on Team Canada at the Olympics could be in jeopardy.

You want out... fine. But at least give the team that made such a huge investment in you a chance to get equal value in return. You're a scumbag and quitter in my eyes Dany... it's time for you to come out of hiding and give an interview. You never saw half of the criticism that Spezza and Fisher get on a regular basis.

GO SENS GO!

Brian Burke Makes His Mark

Daniel Santos — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 03:35:00 GMT

On the first day of free agency, Toronto Maple Leafs General Manager Brian Burke finally backed up his words and put his stamp on the team.

Leaf fans thought major changes were coming at the trade deadline. Nope. We thought the draft would result in some big moves. Nothing. But today, we finally got what we were waiting for.

First, the Leafs signed Rangers tough guy Colton Orr. Not a big move by any means, but he definitely fills a void in the lineup left empty since the departure of Wade Belak.

Then, Burke traded Pavel Kubina and his fat contract to the Thrashers for rugged defenceman Garnet Exelby and forward Colin Stuart. Sure, the Leafs probably could have gotten more for Kubina, but Exelby is a good addition to the back end and it freed up some salary.

Finally, the Leafs signed Mike Komisarek to a 5-year/$22.5M deal. $4.5 million a season seems like a lot, but he should help in two of the most glaring holes we had last season, toughness and defence.

With today's moves, the defence corps is looking a lot stronger than it was last year:

Kaberle
Komisarek
Schenn
Exelby
Finger
White
Frogren
Van Ryn

True to his word, Brian Burke has made the Leafs a lot bigger and a lot tougher. No longer will the Maple Leafs be pushovers. No longer will Luke Schenn be the only one stepping up for his teammates.

He's building a team that the people of Toronto can be proud of again, a team that will play hard and stick up for each other. Well done so far Brian, well done.

Significant Offer for Tomas Kaberle?

Daniel Santos — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:14:00 GMT

So apparently, the significant offer the Toronto Maple Leafs received for Tomas Kaberle was Phil Kessel. In addition, the Leafs would give up the 7th overall pick in tonight's draft.

I'm sorry, but giving up Kaberle and the 7th overall pick would be a terrible deal. The 7th pick alone would arguably, be a pretty reasonable deal for Kessel. Or, Kaberle for Kessel straight up would be okay as well.

Don't do it Burke. I hope you were just pretending to be seriously considering the offer (if in fact this is the offer), in order to get better offers from around the league.

It's too bad that all the reported offers the Leafs have received have been brutal. Ryan Clowe for the 7th pick? No way. I hope the other GMs are just waiting until crunch time to reveal their 'best offers.'

I can't wait to see what goes down tonight. Cross your fingers and hope that Brian Burke pulls off something big.

Montreal Canadiens Mock(ery) Draft

Jonathan Bliangas — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 22:48:00 GMT

Some hockey fans say the NHL season begins the second the Stanley Cup Finals are over. Others believe it starts on July 1st, when free-agency opens. Then there are those who would argue that the games begin once players report to training camp. For me, it's starts at The Draft.

This year, with the draft being held in Montreal, heavy sets of eyes will fall upon the Canadiens' draft table, where General Manager Bob Gainey & Co. will be nestled shoulder-to-shoulder, leafing through their scouting reports and combine results, anxiously awaiting to approach the podium to announce their 1st-round selection. Let's face it, the entire hockey community cannot wait to see if the Habs are going to select the USHL's Louis LeBlanc over Sweden's Jacob Josefson, or whether the likes of Ryan Ellis from the Windsor Spitfires will actually fall to them at 18. I certainly know I can't.

...

In the words of Homer Simpson in his 'Thank you' note to Mr. Burns: "In case you can't tell, I was being sarcastic".

The real storylines on this year's draft day lie in the selection of the top-10 (with special attention to the top 3), as well as the potential swapping of big name, high-priced players for picks and futures. The only people who actually care about the picks made past number 10 are fans of the teams selecting, or obsessed hockey analysts who get a kick out of comparing 19-year olds to current-NHLers. The bottom-line is, Joe Hockeyfan from Parts Unknown, Canada is going to forget all about these kids once the draft is over, and he'll start to care again once they're NHL-ready.

That being said, I've decided to take a page out of the "obsessed hockey analysts" notebook, and I'm going to try my darndest to overanalyze the crap out of the NHL's first chapter to the 2009-2010 campaign in as little words as possible. And just as a warning to all non-Habs fans, my NHL mock draft will be conducted through Habs-coloured glasses.

FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2009

7:00 PM ET: Coverage of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft begins. The opening shot is a triple split-screen image of Islanders General Manager Garth Snow, Lightning General Manager Brian Lawton, and Avalanche General Manager Greg Sherman. Snow looks like he's ready to vomit as throngs of Islander supporters have already begun heckling him, demanding he draft John Tavares. The only problem is, Snow has already made up his mind on deep sleeper Matthew Hackett, a goaltender out of Plymouth. He figures he badly messed up with the contract he gave to Rick DiPietro, and with the chronic knee problems he's already experiencing at the age of 29, he needs a steady backup that he can lockup for the same length as DiPietro's deal. Who better than the nephew of below-average goaltender (and former HAB) Jeff Hackett?

7:06 PM ET: Nervous as heck, Snow approaches the podium and calls Hackett's name. A chorus of boos reign down from the cheap seats at the Bell Centre. Islander fans can't believe their ears. Projected to go late in the 2nd-round, Hackett is away from his seat. Nevertheless, Uncle Jeff jumps at the opportunity to take a picture representing the 1st-overall pick. It's a dream come true for the 41 year-old. The Islanders waste no time, agreeing in principle to sign Hackett through 2020-2021. However, as per league policy, the signing doesn't become official until Hackett turns 21. What a pick. The Islanders are set.

***COMMERCIAL BREAK***

7:15 PM ET: The Tampa Bay Lightning are on the clock. The camera now has a triple split-screen shot of the top-3 prospects: John Tavares, Victor Hedman, and Matt Duchene. Matthew Hackett, meanwhile, just found out he's been drafted first overall. He thinks it's a practical joke so he just goes back to his seat while Uncle Jeff does interviews with members of the media.

7:17 PM ET: Steven Stamkos makes his way to the podium alongside members of the Lightning front office. Tampa thought the Islanders would make their decision a lot easier for them, but now Brian Lawton actually has to think about his pick. Since thinking requires too much brainpower, he flips a coin. Tampa selects Victor Hedman. The camera goes to shot of John Tavares sitting on his cell phone doing his best Brady Quinn impression. The camera then switches to a shot of Toronto GM Brian Burke licking his lips as Tavares falls closer to becoming a Leaf.

7:20 PM ET: In an interview after his pick, Lightning GM Brian Lawton reveals that he was leaning more towards selecting Hedman over Tavares anyway. He talks about how Hedman will be a cornerstone player in the Lightning organization for years to come, and how he's thrilled that the team now has a Benicio del Toro lookalike on their roster. He says Hedman's new nickname will be Victor "the Bull". Before ending the interview, Lawton makes mention of some very tempting trade offers he's received for Vincent Lecavalier. He says how the Canadiens have practically made him an offer he can't refuse.

***COMMERCIAL BREAK***

7:25-7:50 PM ET: The Avalanche draft Matt Duchene. Atlanta selects Evander Kane. The Los Angeles Kings are on the clock.

7:54 PM ET: Over the last 25-minutes there have been countless shots of a shocked John Tavares twiddling his thumbs, a salivating Brian Burke anticipating an early Christmas, and split-screens of Brian Lawton on the phone with Habs GM Bob Gainey. The cameraman also spots Matthew Hackett sitting tight waiting to hear his name called.

7:55 PM ET: Kings General Manager Dean Lombardi steps-up to the podium and selects Brayden Schenn from the Brandon Wheat Kings. Toronto's dreams of a Brayden-Luke connection have been shattered. Thanks Lawton. Thanks a lot. However, on the bright side, there's still a great chance the Leafs could get Tavares at the cost of absolutely nothing. Burke has begun drooling so much that they give him a bib. The Phoenix (Hamilton) Coyotes are up next.

***COMMERCIAL BREAK***

8:00 PM ET: Returning from commercial break it is being reported that Brian Burke had tabled some very enticing offers to several teams in an attempt to move up in the draft as John Tavares fell closer-and-closer. However, now with Tavares just a pick away, Burke is just crossing his fingers and hoping for the best.

8:01 PM ET: In an interview, Victor Hedman states he would like to be addressed by his new nickname: The Bull.

8:02 PM ET: Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney approaches the podium. He begins by expressing is thanks to the dozens of fans who have shown their loyalty in helping keep the Coyotes in the middle of the dessert. He says that today's draft pick will help move the franchise in the right direction. The Phoenix Coyotes proudly select John Tavares.

8:05 PM ET: Tavares smiles for the cameras in his "Make It Seven" tee-shirt and matching cap. The broadcast shifts to a satellite feed of Jim Balsillie applauding the selection from his multi-million dollar chalet in Muskoka.

8:06 PM ET: The unflappable Burke remains calm as he unties the saliva-soaked bib from around his neck. He failed to move up in the draft, and he just missed out on brother Schenn and Tavares. The Maple Leafs end up drafting Jared Cowan in the 7-hole.

***COMMERCIAL BREAK***

8:10 PM ET-8:26 PM ET: Dallas drafts Nazem Kadri. Ottawa takes Dmitry Kulikov. The Oilers go with Jordan Schroeder. The Nashville Predators are on the clock.

8:27 PM ET: Commissioner Gary Bettman makes his way to the podium for the first time tonight. He lowers the microphone and has a trade to announce. The Nashville Predators have dealt the 11th-overall pick to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Dany Heatley. In addition to the 11th-overall pick, the Senators will also recieve J-P Dumont, Shea Webber and Jordin Tootoo. Nashville was one of the seven teams Heatley was willing to go to. He figured accepting a trade to Music City USA was his best chance of winning his bet with Mike Fisher, who told Heatley he'd never be able to date a bigger country singer than the one he landed. Heatley is thrilled to be moving to a city where nobody will care about how well he performs. A great deal for everybody involved.

8:30 PM ET-9:06 PM ET: The St. Louis Blues have just finished selecting Scott Glennie out of the WHL. Over the last 50 minutes there have been countless interviews conducted with players who have already been drafted, players who have yet to be drafted, and players who aren't sure whether or not they've been drafted (i.e. Matthew Hackett). The kids have pretty much used every cliche in the book about how excited they are to have a shot at playing in the NHL. It's beautiful.

9:07 PM ET: With the Montreal Canadiens on the clock, commissioner Bettman approaches the podium for the second time in the last half hour. He has another trade to announce. The Canadiens have traded their 18th-overall pick, along with Tomas Plekanec, Christopher Higgins, Jaroslav Halak, and the Kostitsyn mobsters to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Vinny Lecavalier. The fans inside the Bell Centre go bananas. Bob Gainey is all smiles. After failing to bring the likes of Daniel Briere, Marian Hossa, and Mats Sundin to La Belle Province, he finally manages to package a deal sexy enough to bring home the cream of the crop.

9:11 PM ET-10:15 PM ET: The rest of the first round flies by without a hitch. Anaheim ends up trading Chris Pronger to L.A., and the Sharks send Patrick Marleau to the Oilers. A few minor deals are also thrown into the mix, but the big names went. What more could a fan ask for?

Allez les Glorieux!!!

DRAFT DAY WINNERS: Montreal Canadiens, Vincent Lecavalier, Jeff Hackett, Benicio del Toro, Phoenix (Hamilton) Coyotes, Jim Balsillie, John Tavares
DRAFT DAY LOSERS: Garth Snow, Matthew Hackett, Brian Burke, Dany Heatley

Brian Burke, the Biggest Hypocrite in Hockey

Doug Otway — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 21:20:00 GMT

Before I take the time to finally do a season in review for the Oilers I can't help but take a couple minutes out of the day to throw some shots the way of Ol' Mr. Burke. Being as Brian thinks he needs to tell the hockey world his view on everything and how we should all bow to his superior intellect and knowledge I am shocked at the hypocrisy in his choice of words today.

Commenting on the Heatley situation, Burke decided to tell everyone he is not interested in him (the Laughs wouldn't know what to do with a 50 goal scorer anyway) and that he has no interest in a player who deals with wanting to be traded and going about it in the way he did. What? Are you Serious? You want nothing to do with a player who publicly declares he wants a trade and handcuffs a GM on what he can get return. Unless you are talking about Chris Pronger of course. Then you are first in line to offer up your share of crappy deals and hope that the GM decides yours is best.

This situation is no different than the Pronger one in Edmonton and Burke was front and center reaping the benefits which in the end was a Stanley Cup. To say that know you abhore the idea when a couple years back you put your team over the top as a result of the same situation is utter hypocrisy. The only thing that makes me happy is that this moron will lead the Leafs nowhere in the next few years and will finally be shown as the second rate GM he is not being able to succeed on the NHL's biggest stage where money and player loyalty is second to none.

After all of this, the funniest thing is that if Heatley even wanted to come to Toronto (which he doesn't) you would be a complete moron to not take him. Not exactly sure what the total is (Jon might know), but a guy who has averaged 45 goals a season for the last 4 years is a great addition to any team. Senators fans will hate him like Oilers fans hate Pronger but the team that gets him in the end is up by a long shot.

Let's Go Oilers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Murray... don't give in to the scumbag!

Jon Ciarlo — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 06:04:00 GMT

So the latest news is that Heatley's agents have given a shortlist of a couple of teams to which he would accept a trade. Can you believe the nerve of this guy? I'm starting to think he's a complete idiot who is being misguided by his agents. First you decide to walk out on the team who banked on you as a cornerstone of the franchise for the next 5 years, and now you want to severely limit what we can get in return for you? This is where these no-movement clauses become a complete joke. It's supposed to be for a player to protect himself from being trade unsuspectingly by his team. Once you demand a trade, that clause should be null and void!

I'm sure the teams on that list are aware of the situation and will bargain accordingly, knowing that Murray will be desperate to unload Heatley before July 1st when his 4 million dollar signing bonus kicks in.

It appears that Heatley has the upper hand, but the Senators also have some bargaining power with the 2010 Olympics on the horizon. If Heatley's camp makes it too hard to deal him, there's always the option to NOT trade him at all. Then he has to report to camp or sit out and risk not being selected for Team Canada. And it's not like he could just show up and dog it... there's plenty of talented players that will be playing their asses off.

Dany Heatley ended his biography stating that he still had 2 goals left to accomplish... to win a Stanley Cup with the Ottawa Senators, and to win an Olympic gold medal with Team Canada. If he can take away one of our dreams, we can certainly make it tougher for him to get the other.

Rot in hell Dany Heatley! I don't want you here in Ottawa anymore, but I'd be glad to keep you here if it makes life hell for you.

GO SENS GO!

Heatley wants out of Ottawa!

Jon Ciarlo — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 18:18:00 GMT

Just when the Spezza rumours were starting to go away, out comes this blockbuster announcement that Danny Heatley wants out of Ottawa and would like to play for a Western team.

It took me a few minutes to get over the initial shock of this news, but now I think I've figured out why Danny wants out. I don't think it has anything to do with playing under the microscope of a Canadian team. Heatley knows what that's all about and enjoys the spotlight. I truly think this has more to do with Cory Clouston's new system.

Heatley came out publicly and said he was having a hard time adjusting to the new system and felt he was forechecking to high, etc... Could it be that Dany cares more about personal stats then team success?

"We signed [Heatley] to a long-term deal and we expect him to honour it," Murray said on Tuesday. "At this point in time he's a Senator."

That's fine to say publicly, but you better get on the phone! Why would you ever force a guy to stay here if he wants out?

Ok folks... time to start speculating. I haven't really had a chance to look at who's available in the West, but I'll start the thread with this:

Danny Heatley to Colorado for the 3rd pick in this year's draft and a prospect.

GO SENS GO!

Montreal's next move

Jonathan Bliangas — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:48:00 GMT

Four questions have surrounded the Montreal Canadiens since their season came to end back in April:

1) Who would be the team's next head coach?

2) Would Bob Gainey stay on as General Manager?

3) Is George Gillett going to sell the team? And if so, to whom?

4) Which of the team's 10 unrestricted free agents are going to re-sign?

Question 1 was answered on Monday. Question 2 looks like an unofficial 'yes'. Question 3 is still very blurry. And question 4 will be answered in the coming weeks. Basically, Habs fans are waiting to see what's going to happen next.

However, instead of worrying about whether the team's next owner is going to be Celine Dion, the Molson family, or Serge Savard, and instead of listening to Russian gossip stories involving Saku Koivu, Alex Kovalev, and the Canadiens' captaincy, the Habs might be better suited to revisit the possibility of trading for a superstar forward. Namely, Vincent Lecavalier.

The rumours of the Tampa Bay Lightning unloading Lecavalier and his massive contract before his no-trade clause kicks in on July 1st have suddenly resurfaced after GM meetings Tuesday in Pittsburgh. While the potential suitors for Vinny's superstardom has expanded well beyond just the Habs, with $34.45 million coming off Montreal's books, trading for the Ile-Bizard native could actually work and make sense for both teams. The financial picture has never looked better from Montreal's point of view. The Lightning could unload Lecavalier's salary and begin to structure their team around a new era of young studs in Steven Stamkos and either Viktor Hedman or John Tavares. If Vinny were to stay in Tampa, it's hard to imagine how they would be able to keep so many high-priced talented offensive players under one cap in a struggling hockey market. The only snag I see would be the players and picks the Canadiens would send Tampa's way. The Lightning are obviously going to want a boatload in return, and with so many players set to become UFA's in Montreal, I'm not even going to start with the semantics of a sign-and-trade. The combinations are endless.

So while Habs fans continue to wait for the pieces of the puzzle to fall into place for next year's season, I propose a 5th question they can begin to ask themselves:

5) Will the Canadiens trade for Vincent Lecavalier?

I personally hope they do. And I hope that Gainey does whatever it takes to bring him home.

Allez les Glorieux!!!

Canadiens hire Jacques Martin as head coach

Jonathan Bliangas — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 20:25:00 GMT

With 27 days left to go before the 2009 NHL Entry Draft in Montreal, the host city have found themselves their next bench boss.

The Montreal Canadiens held a press conference Monday afternoon where General Manager Bob Gainey introduced Jacques Martin as the team's next head coach. The hiring comes a little over a month since the Canadiens were eliminated from the first round of the playoffs, and almost 3 months since Gainey took the reigns after firing Guy Carbonneau.

Martin joins the Canadiens after a stint with the Florida Panthers, where he was head coach from 2004 to 2008, and acted as GM for the last 3 season. His lifetime coaching record is 517-406-119-56 during tenures with the St. Louis Blues, Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers. Martin's 517 wins ranks him 9th all-time amongst NHL coaches, but his 38-47 playoff record leaves something to be desired as he gets set to lead a team whose fan base hasn't seen them advance past the 2nd round since they won the Stanley Cup in 1993.

Some knocks against Martin are that he's a defensive-minded coach, and that he had trouble in Ottawa getting the best out of an eventual superstar in Jason Spezza. Martin insists that good defense leads to an exciting offense, and used the current Detroit Red Wings as the perfect example. As for the handling of star players, should the Canadiens choose to re-sign Alex Kovalev, Martin will have his hands full in trying to shake his balky reputation.

Of course the main thing that Martin brings to the head coaching position in Montreal is experience; something the Canadiens have lacked since Jacques Demers was behind the bench. He's not the type of guy you have to "bring along", the way Gainey tried with Michel Therrien, Claude Julien and Guy Carbonneau.

Despite the current ownership uncertainty in Montreal, today's hiring of Martin looks like a clear sign that Gainey will be staying aboard as the team's GM, and he's already attempting to right the ship after a disasterous centennial season. Now it's time to see which of the 10 pending free agents he decides to keep, and which of the 10 he decides to let go.

Oh, and one more thing. This hiring could also be the start of "Jay Bouwmeester and Marian Hossa to Montreal" rumours. Two players who are UFA's this summer and who had a good relationship with Martin on the Panthers and Senators. I'm not holding my breath.

Allez les Glorieux!!!

Jordan Staal crying?

Jon Ciarlo — Sun, 31 May 2009 06:30:00 GMT

Tell me I wasn't the only person to notice Jordan Staal crying during the National Anthem for Game 1? Actualy, my wife was the one who noticed him crying and I immediately ridiculed her for saying it. But the PVR did not lie and I conceded that he did indeed appear to be sobbing and he even seemed to be trying to hide it.

Ok, I'm sure the emotions are running high in such a big game.... but crying?

Can someone elaborate on why that happened? I never heard if it was brought up during Coach's Corner.

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We got our Man!!!!!!!!!!!!

Doug Otway — Tue, 26 May 2009 17:33:00 GMT

I was going to wait until the end of the playoffs to address the Oilers and any off season action but a little bit of excitement has brought me here early. It appears as though the Oilers are about to name Pat Quinn their new Head Coach with Tom Renney as assistant. I am extremely happy with this hiring and think it is the proper direction for the team to go. I will do a post about the team, the MacT firing and everything else after the playoffs end as I find this is a time to discuss the teams still playing, not the ones golfing.

Let's Go Oilers!!!1