The Six Pack

Maple Leafs Preliminary Look Ahead

Daniel Santos — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:39:00 GMT

What are you looking forward to the most in the upcoming season for the Toronto Maple Leafs? Is it the added toughness? Is it the new defence corps? Perhaps it's seeing who wins the battle in goal or which young forwards blossom? Maybe all that matters is how the Leafs do in the standings. In any case, my anticipation for the upcoming season is really starting to build.

The Maple Leafs should be a tougher team to play against this season. No longer will Luke Schenn be the only guy sticking up for his teammates. Colton Orr, Mike Komisarek and Garnet Exelby's added physical presence should make this team a whole lot tougher, if not better. Toughness is contagious. It rubs off on other players and will make them, I don't want to say 'tougher,' but at least 'less afraid' to get their noses dirty.

Not only will the Leafs be tougher, but they will be better defensively. The additions of Komisarek and Exelby, along with Francois Beauchemin and a more experienced Schenn, should make the Leafs a lot better in their own end. There are questions about the group's mobility in today's NHL, but Tomas Kaberle and Ian White (if he doesn't get traded) are there to relieve those concerns.

Perhaps the biggest factor in improving team defence is goaltending. Vesa Toskala is healthy again and looking to bounce back from a disappointing season. Plus, he'll have Jonas "The Monster" Gustavsson there to push him. While I'm certain that Toskala will be better than last season (how could he not?), it's unclear what kind of impact Gustavsson will have. Is he really going to push to be a #1 goaltender? Or will he need time to adjust? Either way, the Maple Leafs goaltending will be better than it was last year.

So with the defence and goaltending shored up, the biggest questions lie up front. Who is going to score all the goals? Which young players are going to step up this season and carry this team offensively? Are Mikhail Grabovski and John Mitchell ready to be consistent scorers? Can Jiri Tlusty carry over his AHL success to the NHL? What roles will Tyler Bozak and Christian Hanson fill? Training camp will really act like a tryout for spots on the top 2 lines.

With all the changes in the off-season, there a lot of things to look forward to this year. But at the same time, the expectations have been raised. Unlike last season, no longer will I be 'accepting' of losses if the team shows progress. I want results. I want playoff hockey in Toronto.

Final thoughts before training camp.

Doug Otway — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 02:28:00 GMT

With training camps set to start in the next week across the continent, I thought it would be a good time to do some final thoughts non team related before we all get into it. As we all know Canada put the olympic hopefuls through their paces last week and now players across the league have three plus months to play their way on (or off) their respective teams. I thought it would be cool to see what people thought Team Canada should look like and as armchair GM of the national team who you would pick. I will start off with my thoughts and let's see if we are all close in the final product.

Starting from the back out....

Luongo (starter)

Broduer

Fluery

A French Canadian Sweep. Bobby Lou is just too good to not get the nod. In a year of passing of the gaurd, the winningest goalie ever gets to play second fiddle but just like in Salt Lake, any stumbling and he will be ready to take the starting role. Fluery proved his worth with a fabulous game seven triumph over the best team of the past decade plus in their own back yard and deserves a spot on the team even if it is only from the press box.

Neidermeyer(A) - Weber

Pronger - Bouwmeester

Seabrook - Keith

Boyle

First pair gets you grace and speed combined with power and strength. Smaller ice means an aging Pronger still makes the cut as he is the nastiest peice of work on the blue line in the world and Bouwmeester means the top four are balanced with a speedster and shooter for each pairing. Blackhawk twosome shut down the Flames and Canucks when it mattered most and playing together all year makes them a perfect fit on a team with little to no practice time togther. Boyle can take the place of any player in any pair if injury happens and is a solid 7th man.

Crosby(C)-Iginla(A)-E.Staal

Two Stanley cups between the youngsters and one of the best all around players in the league for the veteren presence. I know a lot of people say Iginla gets the 'C' but IMO, Crosby has already lead his team to a cup as the youngest captain in history and has shown he can and will perform when needed most. If a veteran is to get the 'C' I feel Neidermeyer gets the nod over Iginla based on success. Three straight first round exits on a team built for playoff success at some point is going to be a question of leadership.

Getzlaf - Lecavalier - Nash

Riddle for you.... What is 6'4", 220lbs and crashes, bashes, speeds and scores. Answer... this line. All three boys come in at that size and all three can beat you down physically, beat you to the puck and beat almost any goalie in the world. Two Rocket Richard winners and Chris Pronger if he was a forward. Vicous line. Vicous.

M. Richards - Toews - J. Staal

A defensive line that can also scorch your own zone. With our size and international referees this team will be no stranger to the sin bin. Mike Richards has scored more 3-5 goals in his career than most teams as a whole have combined. Penalty killing is going to important and so are the late game draws in our own zone. Staal along with Fluery has a finals performance that vaults him onto the team, the only difference is his place is as a starter. Toews is a solid two way player and a killer in the shoot out and in the Olympics one can not count out getting into a shoot out situation.

Thornton - Carter - Morrow

A little bit of grit combined with a little bit of playmaking and a dash of goal scoring. Thornton may have played his way off the top two lines but I still find it hard to leave a player with the most post lockout helpers off the team. Combined with two crash and bangers who can both find the back of the net and I think you have a fourth line from heaven.

Smyth

#94 gets the thirteenth spot based on prior commitment to team Canada and an always fantastic work ethic. Plus if any player is hurt on the top two lines Thornton easily moves up to take their place and Smytty fills in nicely on the wing with Carter taking over on the dot.

So there is my thoughts on Team Canada. I am sure some of you will disagree but with the talent Canada has it would be hard to be wrong with any line-up. Give me your thoughts on my picks and fire out your own.

Vancouver 2010 - Let's Go Canada!!!!!!!!!!!

Advice for Kovalev

Jon Ciarlo — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:53:00 GMT

Next time you sign a 2 year/10$ million contract with a team, you might want to keep it on the down-low that you'd like to retire with your former team.

Here's my list of alternative quotes that would have been more acceptable (Alexei, I can be reached through this blog if you'd like to hire me as your personal consultant in Ottawa):

"Clearly I'm an idiot. I was called out by the coach on several occasions and Bob Gainey gave me a few games off in the middle of the season to "clear my head", yet I was still surprised when they didn't re-sign me."
"In the end, Ottawa made me the same offer as Montreal did, but I really wanted the chance to play with a legitimate top line center for a change."
"I'm sorry but I'm not allowed to talk about Montreal. I've only been authorized to beg Dany Heatley to come back Ottawa."
"What was the question? I couldn't hear you because I have $5 million in each ear. I love Ottawa and Dany Heatley!"

Honestly, I don't have too much of a problem with what he said. He should have stopped after saying he loved playing in Montreal.

GO SENS GO!

Heatley Speaks; Still Wants Out

Jon Ciarlo — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 14:00:00 GMT

Dany Heatley finally came out and answered some questions, but in the end, his reason for wanting out of Ottawa can be summarized in two words: Diminished role.

Oh, and he probably lumped Paddock and Hartsburg in with Clouston, since this problem has supposedly been escalating for the last two years.

Some of you will probably get your wish and see Dany Heatley at training camp in Ottawa, but he also made it clear that his trade request was still active. This will probably only diminish any potential offers since they know that Murray's back is against the wall.

A part of me wants Murray to just take what he can get and run, and the other part wants him to hold out for a great offer and make him play his ass off in the meantime. I'm hoping for the latter.

GO SENS GO!

Spezza invited to Olympic Camp

Jon Ciarlo — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:25:00 GMT

With 2 vacant spots available due to Getzlaf requiring more time to heal from off-season surgery and Joe Sakic's retirement, Jason Spezza was finally given an invitation to the Team Canada orientation camp. Good for him. He's probably still a bit of a long shot to make the team, but at least he now has the chance to impress at camp.

That camp will also mark Dany Heatley's emergence from hiding. Then again, he might want to come out beforehand for an interview rather than being a distraction to the whole process? His whole handling of this situation should be a great example of the kind of leader that Heatley fancies himself to be. Real leaders face the camera and answer the questions. They don't go into hiding and pull out of every social engagement possible for fear of being asked a question.

The rumoured 3-way deal between San Jose, Montreal and Ottawa seems to have cooled off and has been denied by all parties involved. That's pretty much Heatley's last chance out of town if you ask me. It makes me wonder if Murray is the one leaking these potential deals in a bid to undermine things and keep Dany in town? Then again, there's too many people involved in big deals of this nature to keep things under wraps for long.

GO SENS GO!

Plekanac an Oiler?!?

Doug Otway — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 21:57:00 GMT

Thought that would get some of you with such a strange title. First off, this is just a rumour. Second, it isn't even a reliable rumour. We all surf the net endlessly in the summer and all read the rantings and ravings from differnet sites. This particular rumour just happened to interest me and I figured it would make some good discussioin from the BOA faithful. It made me think of whether this would be a good or bad move for the Oilers and I am not quite sure.

First off, compensation. The rumour stated Smid was in there. So who else would have to go for this to not be a complete steal for Edmonton? I mean, if it is a deal with Smid being the major component it is obviously a salary dump for Montreal. But who else would they ask for and how much is to much? Plekanac has had 20,29 and 20 goal seasons for his last three and can obvioulsly score but he is also a UFA at years end.

Secondly, do we need another center? Right now the Oilers sit with Horcoff, Cogliano, Gagner, Nilsson, O'Sullivan, Pouliot, Brule, Schremp and Potulny as natural centers. In comparison they have three left wingers and three right wingers signed and probable starters. Nilsson has shown he can play effectively on the side but we still need wingers, not another center. But do you take the talent and the man who has turned into a consistent scorer at the NHL level regardless of position.

Third. Is this a sign that the Oilers and Heatley saga is still not at the end. I know Tambellini says they are done with Heatley. I believe it as well. To a certain extent. The math of it is Heatley does not want to play in Ottawa. He has a couple of places he wants to play but without some major salary shifting, it is near impossible. For example, San Jose is the place he likes the most. Currently San Jose is $900,000 off the cap and still has to sign 6 more players to play this season. You don't have to be a math wizard to know that is a lot of players who have to be signed for a very little money. The team Heatley plays for is currently over the cap and can effectively only take back 6.5 in return for Heater meaning that a trade for him would make Ottawa OK and put San Jose over.

The reason I bring all that up is that if you are going to offload a talent like Cogliano you need to replace it. Regardless of the list of centers I put up top, Cogliano is at the top of the talent echelon in that group and would need to be replaced. So having some fun and just stirring the pot to give us all something to argue about in the dead of summer here is my work as armchair GM (considering all NT clauses are waived)

Plekanac for Smid. O'Marra and a second round pick.

Heater for Cogs, Penns and a 1st round pick.

Oilers lineup looks like this

Horcoff, Hemsky, Heatley

Plekanac, Nilsson, Gagner

O'Sullivan, Pisani, Moreau

Schremp, Reddox, Macintyre/Stortini

Visnovsky, Grebeshkov

Souray, Gilbert

Staios, Strudwick

Khabibulin, Deslauriers

Pouliot, Brule in the box with the enforcer that is sitting

Have fun with it boys.

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

Heatley to San Jose picks up steam

Jon Ciarlo — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 12:34:00 GMT

The 3 team deal with San Jose appears to be picking up steam. San Jose reportedly offered Cheechoo and Ehrhoff for Heatley, which wasn't enough to entice Murray so a third team (identified as the Habs by a "source") will likely be involved.

If the players end up being the ones from the original rumour, we'd see Michalek and Plekanec come our way with Heatley going to the Sharks and Marleau to the Habs. As a Senators fan, I like this deal as it rounds up our top 2 lines with 40 to 50 goals coming back our way with a modest $750K in savings.

Heatley's not coming back, so let's get on with it!

GO SENS GO!

Oilers Finally Give Up on Heatley

Jon Ciarlo — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 14:22:00 GMT

Steve Tambellini announced on Friday that they have finally given up on trying to acquire Dany Heatley. The only surprise there is why it took so long to come to that decision, considering the majority of Oilers' fans seemed to be totally against any trade for the disgruntled winger.

Here's the most interesting quote from the article:

Tambellini said everything "seemed fine" in the negotiations early on.

"Then there was a change of position with the way Dany's advisers were talking about things," said Tambellini. "Things changed after that and really never got back on track.

Maybe it's just me, but don't most players have 1 agent? Not Dany Heatley..... he has "advisers".

So now we're back to rumours.... the most recent interesting possibility is a three team deal with San Jose and Montreal. Ottawa gets Michalek and Plekanec with San Jose picking up Heatley and Montreal getting Patrick Marleau. Hopefully I didn't miss a player or two, but that's what I recall.

I know that Ottawa brass are still promoting the idea of Heatley changing his mind and returning to the fold, but I think that's just a pipe dream at this point. Get the best deal possible and let's move on. There's no way to get comparable value in return, so we'll have to accept that just getting rid of all that cap space will benefit the team in the long run. Even if we take back the same amount of salary in 2 players, as long as their contracts are not long term, we'll be recovering $7.5 million in cap space a year or two down the road.

Do any of you think Heatley can still come back? The only way I see that happening is if he fires his "advisers" and finally has a press conference to apologize for his actions and to claim that he was misled.

I can't wait for this saga to end, but at this point there's no rush until training camp starts.

GO SENS GO!

So Long, Stralman

Daniel Santos — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 13:30:00 GMT

When I first heard that the Maple Leafs traded Anton Stralman to the Flames, I was highly disappointed. I wondered why Burke was giving up on a young defenceman who still has a lot of potential? I've always believed in keeping ALL of the young players with ANY potential. We should be stock-piling all of these guys and not be flipping them for 33-year old 4th-line centres.

However, the more I think about the trade, the more it makes sense. Anton Stralman was buried on the depth chart. The overcrowded blue line in Toronto meant that Stralman would likely be stuck in the AHL all season.

Brian Burke has always tried to accomodate players that don't have a chance for enough playing time by moving them somewhere where they'll have a better opportunity, and that's what I believe he's doing here. He's trying to do the same with Justin Pogge. I think that players around the league recognize that Burke treats his players fairly and it looks good on the organization when trying to attract players.

Plus, Wayne Primeau isn't the main piece coming back to Toronto. The 2nd-round draft pick in 2011 is what Burke was really after. Remember that Antropov could only fetch us a 2nd-rounder, so I really don't mind giving up Stralman and Colin Stuart to get one.

Perhaps Burke only made this move to facilitate another. Maybe he wanted the pick so he can turn around and trade it away in a bigger deal. Maybe he wanted the extra pick to make an offer to a restricted free agent (where we'd have to give up draft picks). Let the speculation begin.

Revisiting the Oilers

Doug Otway — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 23:30:00 GMT

Ya know, I wasn't going to re-visit last season as I thought it was a moot issue and we should just go forward. After seeing so many comments though I figured it was time to clear the air with another opinion on how they were as a team last year and how it affects how things play out this season. So, as late as it may seem, here is my take on what happenend last season and how I think things are looking going forward.

Oilers Record 38-35-9, 11th in the West 6 points out of the playoffs, 21st overall. 18-17-6 at home, 20-18-3 on the road. 228 GF (18th), 244 GA (22nd), 17%PP (tied 21st), 77.5%PK (27th)

As we all know, the Oilers missed the playoffs for the third consecutive year. This year though, it fell apart in the last two weeks as opposed to the previous two years where we were out of it with a month to go and made a late season dash the other year to come back into contention and make it interesting. This team had it's own fate in its hand and S*%t the bed. Contrary to the belief of some Oiler fans around here, this team was good enough to make the playoffs but with the youth of the team collapsed under pressure and ended up being the only team with 20 road wins on the season to not make the playoffs. So what went wrong?

First off, losing Visnovsky. The Minnesota Wild missed the playoffs by two points. Gaborik missed most of the year. Had Gaborik been healthy all year that probably would have amounted to 10-12 points more and a playoff berth (if not a division title) for the Wild. The reason I bring this up you ask? The Oilers missed the playoffs by six points. Six. At the time when Visnovsky was injured the Oilers had one of the best offensive blue lines in the league. They were switching places daily with the Sharks and Wings for the top offensive output from the blueline in the league. Had Visnovsky not gone down....1 our PP finishes better on the year 2 our PK finishes better on the year 3 We probably take those 6 points and possibly another 4+ on top of that and make the playoffs.

Why do I think Visnovsky makes such a big difference. In the final 32 games of the season, where we missed the playoffs by going 13-13-6 we controlled our own fate. Of those 19 total losses, they included LA ,ATL, COL and OTT. Four games that should have been winable with the roster minus Visnovsky but definately shut and closed with him in the linuep. I am not pinning the whole season on 1 player, I am just saying, losing your #1 defender puts a major hole in your roster (Ask Calgary how the season and playoffs finished off with no Regehr). I truly believe he would have made the difference and helped this team make the playoffs, just feasting on the bad teams we played, not even factoring in what his contributions would have been against the better teams.

Second, our record against the lower echelon teams. Maybe I am wrong, maybe we don't do better with Visnovsky. While I still feel we do, going 0-2 against Ottawa, 1-1 Vs Toronto, 2-2 vs LA, 0-1 Vs Atlanta, 0-1 Vs Florida, 1-1-2 Vs Nashville and 2-3-1 vs Minnesota was our undoing. That is 10 losses and 4 OT losses against non playoff teams out of 20 games. 16 out of a possible 40 points against teams we should beat.

Finally, our special teams. Near the last in the league the whole season on the PK after being a top 5 team the previous years (Tell me Jarret Stoll isn's a stud on the PK. LA goes from being last on the PK the year before to 7th overall, Edmonton drops from 5th on the PK two years ago to 27th....ouch). And while a 17% rate on the PP is OK, it isn't with the talent this team has. Four of the best offensive blueliners in the league including two with absolute cannons and this team should have been in the top 10 in the league at the least. If the Oilers can jump 4% on the PK that equals roughly 12 less goals against and a 2% jump in the PP works out to roughly 9 more GF. That there is the difference in making the playoffs.

So, looking at last years team, what needs to be improved. First off, health. While there is absolutely no control on this at all, a healthy season to our best players already puts us one step closer to the playoffs if not in. Next is our play against teams we are better than on paper. Third is putting our special teams that can make a difference. If the Oilers can rectify these problems than not only can they make the playoffs with essentially the same team as last year, they can succeed.

So what have the Oilers done to rectify their problems. Well, first off, this team IS YOUNG and IS TALENTED. The first part being the most relevant. So the only way to improve this team is to find a way to harvest the talent out of the youngsters. Enter Pat Quinn and Tom Renney. While some people downplay the effect a coaching change can have on a team (weren't the Pens on the playoff Bubble before their coaching change and subsequent 4th place finish w/Home ice advantage in the playoffs and cup win) I think this is the the first way to right the ship. Talent in players is not easy to come by, coaches are. Sometimes, when someone has been somewhere too long it is time for a change. This team needed some personnell that could work with what they have. While Pat Quinn has been critisized in the past for his work with the younger players, that has all changed in the recent past. After leading an u-18 sqaud which had not medalled in years at the World U18's to a gold he followed it up another gold with the U-20's. So much for not being able to work with the youth. So we now have a coach who has proven succes getting the most out of young talent and has a bit of familiarity with at least one of the Oilers up and coming players.

Next, we talked about special teams. For those of you who want to look at their previous years success take a gander at NHL.com. In Tom Renney's years with the NYR, save 1, the Rangers were in the top half of the league in BOTH PP AND PK. In Pat Quinn's years with the TML, save 1, the Leafs were in the top half of the league in BOTH PP AND PK. So, the Oilers needed improvements on special teams and got not 1, but 2 coaches with proven track records at getting their teams to perform on both the PP and PK. Suddenly it seems as though management, AKA Steve Tambellini, has addressed what is needed on his team except for one thing. This team does need more scoring and we all know he has been doing his best to remedy that.

So the Oilers haven't done much since the end of the season except hire two qualified coaches and replace a 40 journeyman goaltender with 36 year old Stanley Cup first string goaltender. On paper (and trust me, I know that what looks good on paper doesn's always play out that way, just look at the Flames) this team has most of the right ingredients for a team that can compete every night and should re appear in the playoff picture this season. Barring any major setback's, I see great things for the Oilers this season and expect them to surprise a lot of people in the NHL. So much for last year and on to this year.

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

On another note, nice to see Grebs resigned by the Oilers. That puts back together one of the best Offensive blue lines in the NHL and with our new Goaltender hopefully we can start to say defensive as well.

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!