The Official NHL Offseason Thread

[CanadianChris 0]

What are the penelties of going over the 39 million dollar cap?

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From what I've gathered, there is no penalty, because the league will never allow a team to be over the cap.

[the max 0]

Here's a question for the Boston fans here. We know Joe Thornton isn't happy in Beantown. Supposedly they offered him a five year deal for 25 million; 5 million a year, which is less his current post-rollback salary (tsn.ca has a story about this). Unless the Bruins up that, I doubt he'll sign long term...he'll either demand a trade, or sign a one year deal for 6-7 mil and then bolt when he's unrestricted.

 

So it seems like the Bruins might as well trade Thornton now instead of losing him as an unrestricted and getting nothing in return. Unfortunately everyone knows Thornton wants out so he probably won't get fair market value in return. Shitty deal for the B's.

 

But...there is another franchise player who has a much lower market value than he should. Todd Bertuzzi might be looking for a fresh start (and only playing in Colorado once every three years) after the whole Steve Moore thing. I imagine the B's would want more than just Bert, maybe an extra pick or an exchange of first rounders. Boston would get their 5 million dollar man, and Joe gets out of Boston.

 

If the choice really does end up between getting Bert or getting nothing when Thornton leaves as unrestricted, it actually doesn't seem that bad.

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Here's my issue with this trade:

 

We don't know what Bertuzzi we're getting. Under some circumstances, this wouldn't be a problem since Joe likes to disappear for stretches (see: 2004 playoffs). However, trading the team captain straight up for a player that is no doubt going to be affected by the Moore incident, suspension and lawsuit is a shady trade if you ask me.

 

I've let it be known that I'm not too warm on Joe Thornton. I don't like the fact that he has all the talent in the world, yet has never proven that he's a dominant go-to player. The last few seasons, he's latched onto Murray's coattails and allowed himself to be led instead of leading the team. His job is to lead the team, yet he fails at that. While Bertuzzi is a good player, I can't see him having any different effect in the postseason, I can't see him giving the Bruins what they NEED.

[nl5xsk1 0]

Would I trade Thornton for Bertuzzi? Before the incident with Moore, yes. But now? No, unlikely. Like max pointed out, we don't know what Bertuzzi's mental status will be after what happened. He might never play the same way again (like when boxers kill/cripple someone, they're really not the same fighter afterwards).

 

But there's not too many players that a trade for Joe would work ... I mean, I'd obviously love to see Nash or Naslund or Iginla for Joe, but Columbus, Vancouver and Calgary would laugh MOC right off the phone if he tried that. Maybe Lecavalier for Joe, with a few other add-ons on both sides, would work. But it just seems that there's players that are a step above Joe (the names referenced above) or just a step below (Simon Gagne, for example) but not many that would make good sense for a one-for-one trade.

 

Considering both Boston and Montreal are 10 hour drives each way, its hardly likely I'd be going anytime soon. I would love to back to Boston because I enjoyed myself there three years ago, and I have never been to Montreal before. I'm an hour and a bit from Toronto and 30 minutes from Buffalo, so I'd be seeing more of those teams instead, more so Buffalo because the gf is a Sabres fan.

baron, you should so make the road trip to either Boston or Montreal for a game ... a few seasons ago (2001, I think) some friends and I decided to do 5 games in 5 cities in 5 days (although we ended up skipping Calgary/Ottawa to enjoy the US Thanksgiving) and ended up seeing the B's/Habs in Montreal, then the Leafs/Sabres in Buffalo, then a day off while we spent Thanksgiving in Toronto, then Blues/Wings in Detroit, and lastly saw the B's/Leafs in Toronto for a NHiC game ... such a good trip, and even though it was a ton of driving it was so worth it.

[smh810 0]

Maybe Lecavalier for Joe, with a few other add-ons on both sides, would work.

 

Wont happen, Feaster isnt trading him and Vinny wants to stay and will most likely take less money to stay with Tampa. I know youre talking hypotheticals but dont look for it. Plus, Vinny is NOT the type of player that will perform at his best in a big market.

[nl5xsk1 0]

smh, yeah, I didn't think that TB would make that trade (truthfully, unless it was just to avoid losing Thornton as a FA at the end of the year, I don't think Boston would make that swap, either) ... Vinny was just one of the few players I could think of that are comparable ages, talents, etc.

[treble 0]

According to the ticker on the Score, Goodenow steps down and is replaced by Ted Saskin.

[CanadianChris 0]

According to the ticker on the Score, Goodenow steps down and is replaced by Ted Saskin.

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He had no choice. He couldn't accept a deal this poor and continue on after the stance he took before the lockout.

[the max 0]

Would I trade Thornton for Bertuzzi?  Before the incident with Moore, yes.  But now?  No, unlikely.  Like max pointed out, we don't know what Bertuzzi's mental status will be after what happened.  He might never play the same way again (like when boxers kill/cripple someone, they're really not the same fighter afterwards).

 

But there's not too many players that a trade for Joe would work ... I mean, I'd obviously love to see Nash or Naslund or Iginla for Joe, but Columbus, Vancouver and Calgary would laugh MOC right off the phone if he tried that.  Maybe Lecavalier for Joe, with a few other add-ons on both sides, would work.  But it just seems that there's players that are a step above Joe (the names referenced above) or just a step below (Simon Gagne, for example) but not many that would make good sense for a one-for-one trade.

 

I still stand by my proposed trade with the Avs that I made last year:

 

Thornton, Axelsson, prospect for Tanguay, Hinote, prospect.

 

That way, Axelsson and Hinote are essentially a swap of players. Axelsson leaving gets him away from the players that he makes worse. Tanguay fits more into the smallish style played by Samsonov and Bergeron (who are hopefully there for the long haul).

[starvenger 0]

According to the ticker on the Score, Goodenow steps down and is replaced by Ted Saskin.

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One idiot gone, one more to go...

[nl5xsk1 0]

The problem that I have with your trade, Max, is that I detest the Avalanche ... can't Joe go to a team that I wouldn't mind rooting for? Basically, any established team not based in Colorado, Philly, or the Tri-State region.

 

And starvenger, we're stuck with Bettman for the forseeable future ... he just put a ton of money in the owners pockets, and since they're the ones that pretty much decide if he stays or goes ... methinks he'll be staying.

[the max 0]

Other than Colorado, maybe swing him out to Anaheim for the #2 pick and a role-player like, say, Jason Krog.

 

It's hard to try and figure out a trade because they have, like, 7 guys under contract.

[Guest Ether]

For those wondering about attendance for NHL games, check this out from Pittsburgh:

 

Crosby already scoring for team

Penguins have big rise in ticket sales

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

 

By Chuck Finder, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

Sidney Crosby, in the, roughly, 87 hours since becoming inbound Penguins property, already means this much to the local NHL franchise.

 

A guy called from Australia yesterday wanting Penguins tickets.

 

A guy called from San Diego and purchased a season-ticket package.

 

A guy from Dormont brought his checkbook, showed up at their door and plunked down a deposit on two partial-season plans, all in the moments before closing on his new house.

 

The telephones in the club's One Chatham Center offices have rung so incessantly since the Penguins indeed won the lottery late Friday afternoon -- securing this Saturday's first NHL draft pick in Ottawa -- that four ticket-sales representatives spent all evening at the telephones until midnight Friday. They spent from 8 a.m. until 11 p.m. there Saturday and almost as long Sunday. They even bunked at the adjoining Marriott while trying to field the wild weekend's clarion calls for ducats.

 

Although Penguins officials decline to release figures, it's conceivable that, ever since commissioner Gary Bettman opened their envelope and pronounced them the winner of the Crosby sweepstakes Friday, the Penguins have sold upwards of 150,000 tickets and generated $1 million in down payments alone. These numbers, however, they will divulge: Thanks mostly to No. 87, they received ticket requests from 10 states, added one employee from another department to work the phone lines and continue to look to hire more sales reps.

 

Certainly, the drafting of Ben Roethlisberger never gave this kind of bump to the Steelers, nor any first-rounder to the Pirates, for that matter. Rather, the Downtown arrival of a certain 17-year-old phenom from Nova Scotia is a marketing, merchandising, mega-hype bonanza along the lines of what LeBron James is to Cleveland. In short, Sid sells.

 

"Clearly, we haven't seen a rush like this in a long time," said Tom McMillan, the Penguins' vice president of communications and marketing. "The trends are very encouraging, and we haven't really started [promoting a campaign]. Your biggest spikes in ticket sales don't really start until the schedule comes out," which should be later this week, "and we're way ahead of the curve. We've been selling a lot of full season-ticket packages right now. People are lining up."

 

Just yesterday, a dozen or so people came to their offices, including the guy with his checkbook, Jeff Kuklinski, shortly before he closed on a house in Dormont. Part of the reason he came Downtown: He couldn't get through on the busy phone lines.

 

"We were talking about buying tickets a week ago," Kuklinski said. "But when this happened, everybody said, 'You better get them now.' No reason not to do it."

 

So a guy who usually attends a half-dozen games per season suddenly walked out of the Penguins' offices with 20-game plans for two seats, a $1,200-plus cost for a $150 deposit. With a new mortgage, he was glad to get eight months to pay off the rest of those seats in Section D-23, "the end where the Penguins shoot twice." Nothing against aging Mellon Arena, but Kuklinski also said he hoped politicians and city fathers took notice of the Crosby commotion so "hopefully, we'll get a new arena."

 

The gent from San Diego, a transplanted Pittsburgher, told Penguins sales reps that he planned to attend a few games and try to give away others to family and friends. The Australian, considering he was a half-world away from 66 Mario Lemieux Place, was prepared to immediately buy seats for specific foes without even knowing the game schedule or the availability of inexpensive, trans-Pacific flights, though McMillan said that team officials took his number and basically told him: No worries, mate, "we'd definitely take care of him."

 

"We're going to be the epicenter of the hockey world for a while," continued McMillan, who added that the No. 87 merchandise is coming soon. "We know the excitement is going to be back.

 

"We're going along for the ride right now."

 

Don't bother trying to call to inquire about single-game sales -- they don't begin until early September.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Hooray for Pittsburgh, I was really worried about them, but deep down, I knew the Penguins weren't going anywhere.

[starvenger 0]

And starvenger, we're stuck with Bettman for the forseeable future ... he just put a ton of money in the owners pockets, and since they're the ones that pretty much decide if he stays or goes ... methinks he'll be staying.

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Momentum is in his favour, to be sure. One can always hope, though.

[Guest Rrrsh]

A couple of things

 

Rumor around here is that Nazzy and Peter Forsberg want too play together at a relativly bargin price. Maybe both guys for 8-10 Mill. Obviously Nucks and Avs have the best shot at this, but they are not really to loyal to just those choices

 

Scotty Neid looks to want to play in the West, with maybe Calgary and Vancouver getting the best shot since he is from Cranbrook BC. He is good pals with Morrison and Iginla, so he is being courted by both guys.

[nl5xsk1 0]

Rumor around here is that Nazzy and Peter Forsberg want too play together at a relativly bargin price. Maybe both guys for 8-10 Mill. Obviously Nucks and Avs have the best shot at this, but they are not really to loyal to just those choices

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You mean $8-10 million total, right? Because no team can pay more than 20% of the cap on one player, so the max per player would be ~$8-million ... and even that total will be rarely met, methinks.

[Guest Rrrsh]

Yah, total.

[skullman80 0]

I welcome with open arms Sidney to the 'Burgh...

 

I haven't been this excited about Penguin hockey since the early 90's. It made suffering through the last few years worth it. The Penguins had a plan..they stuck to it and it paid off big time.

 

I myself picked up a 20 game plan for this season as well. I think this has injected some energy into this team , the city, and the fans not seen since Mario came back 4 years ago, or since he was originally drafted in 84.

 

I am actually on my way to pick up my Sidney Crosby jersey to add along with my 2 Lemieux jersey's and 3 other blank Penguin jerseys...

 

It's a great time to be a Pens fan!

[nl5xsk1 0]

I haven't been this excited about Penguin hockey since the early 90's. It made suffering through the last few years worth it. The Penguins had a plan..they stuck to it and it paid off big time.

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"Hey, I have a plan ... let's go on a few year stretch where we're horrible, and rarely win and play with a glorified AHL roster ... then, there'll be a lockout and a lottery to get the chance to pick up that Crosby kid. We'll win it and pick him, and be much, much better as a result. It's genius, I tells ya."

 

Just kidding, obviously, but yeah, you've got to be stoked. Even if he's only half as great in the NHL as he was in Junior, he'll be a star.

[the max 0]

Even though I still think that the thing was rigged, I'm satisfied with the Bruins pick. Now, if they'd only sign some players to actually play...

[skullman80 0]

Even though I still think that the thing was rigged, I'm satisfied with the Bruins pick. Now, if they'd only sign some players to actually play...

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If it was rigged Crosby would have went to a large market like NY, Philly etc...

[LaParkaMarka 0]

So Jeff O'neill was traded to the Leafs yesterday. Don't they need to get rid of salary besides Owen Nolan?

[bob_barron 0]

Even though I still think that the thing was rigged, I'm satisfied with the Bruins pick. Now, if they'd only sign some players to actually play...

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The Penguins had oneof the best chances going into the lottery to get the #1 pick. It wasn't rigged.

[Guest Rrrsh]

O'neil signed a 3Mill, 2 year deal. He took much less to play for Toronto.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Leaf fans should be thrilled.

 

They just got a great deal on a very underrated player, someone who should be scoring at least 20 a year, and he did score 41 a few years ago. And that was on a much worse Carolina team.

[Guest Rrrsh]

Brad Isbister was trdaed to the Bruins today. Also, Joe Neiwendyk and Gary Roberts have signed with Florida.

[the max 0]

I like the Isbister trade.

 

I am shocked at the Panthers signing two pretty good/decent players. What doesn't shock me is I didn't know this until I got home and checked TSN.

[Guest Olympic Slam]

Brad Isbister was trdaed to the Bruins today. Also, Joe Neiwendyk and Gary Roberts have signed with Florida.

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Signing fossils like Neiwendyk and Roberts is the calling card of bad teams or teams GM'd by Keenan. Surprise, surprise. Florida is both.

[bob_barron 0]

Well that sucks. I was a big fan of both guys.

 

Of course Toronto becomes the first team Neiwendyk played for where he didn't win a Cup

[the max 0]

Florida needed the offense. Jokinen is good, but outside of Horton (until he got hurt), he really didn't have any help last year. Plus, Anthony Stewart should be seeing time with the Panthers this season and they have hopes that he'll become the next Gary Roberts-esque power forward, so to have Roberts tutor him would go a long way.