NHL Offseason - 2007

[the max 0]

Neither KC nor Vegas are on the west coast. Those hosts should look at a fucking map.

[Red Baron 0]

Andrei Markov is getting a four year/ 23 million dollar contract.

 

WTF?

[JustJoe2k5 0]

Neither KC nor Vegas are on the west coast. Those hosts should look at a fucking map.

 

Should've checked my words before I posted them, the hosts said "western cities."

[Guest]

I have decided that I want the Kings to sign Giguere in the offseason. No matter what the cost.

[JustJoe2k5 0]

This autumn, if everything goes off without a hitch. They were previewed at the All-Star Game that nobody watched. I suppose it's kind of a throwback to the days when sweaters were tighter (I suppose they got really baggy around the 80s?), but now with HIGH-QUALITY PERFORMANCE FIBER or some shit. If any designs have to be modified to fit within "the uniform system" as they're laughably calling it, then it's a failure, especially if said designs are the Original Six's.

 

Blue Jackets announced they would debut their new uniforms prior to the NHL draft. I wouldn't be surprised if the jerseys presented to each prospect selected in the first-round are the new jerseys. I'm most interested in which teams will debut a new logo, I've heard rumors that Dallas and Washington would change and possibly a few others.

[treble 0]

I think Washington's going back to a red, white, and blue colour scheme.

[HarleyQuinn 0]

Taylor Pyatt signed a 2 year, $3 Million contract http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=209822&hubname=nhl He was solid last year despite his inconsistency. If he can be more consistent, it could be a good deal for the Canucks.

[the max 0]

http://www.newsday.com/sports/hockey/islan...=ny-main-bigpix

 

Looks like the Islanders bought out Ya$hin. I think it's a good move for them. He was absolutely terrible against the Sabres.

[CanadianChris 0]

That was one of the worst trades ever. Yashin for Chara and Spezza was so lopsided, even without figuring in the $90M deal.

[Guest George's Box]

It's no Lindros for Everyone, but it might be top 5.

[JustJoe2k5 0]

Talking Las Vegas Baby

 

from Liz Mullen at SportsBusiness Daily (paid sub.),

 

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly confirmed that the league has been in discussions with powerful film and television producer Jerry Bruckheimer about owning a franchise in Las Vegas, amid growing speculation that the NHL is on the verge of proposing expansion to Las Vegas and K.C. A group led by Bruckheimer, an avid hockey fan, is the front-runner for the Las Vegas expansion and has been in talks with NHL officials for months, sources said....

 

Daly, asked to confirm or deny whether the NHL had discussions with Bruckheimer about owning an NHL team in Las Vegas, said in an e-mail, “Bruckheimer is one of many people we have spoken to about their desire to own a team in Vegas.” Daly added that “no decisions have been made” by the NHL BOG about expanding the league from 30 to 32 teams and that “there’s no ‘agreement’ with anyone” to own an expansion team. But he said, “There have been many expressions of interest by a number of individuals and a number of cities,” including Las Vegas and K.C., where AEG manages the city-owned Sprint Center, set to open in October. At the Stanley Cup Finals Game Four in Ottawa on Monday, there was a buzz that an announcement about the league considering expansion to Las Vegas and K.C. was imminent, hockey sources said. Asked about that, Daly wrote, “I don’t know if or when there might be an announcement. We will update the Board on the expressions of interest we have received.”

[Nightwing 0]

Uh, well... that's pretty out of left field, and in a bad way. I think it's pretty well established by now that the league can't take on any more expansion. How much diluting of the talent pool along with failing franchises will it take to realize that "Expansion=Bad" right now?

[LaParkaMarka 0]

Expansion would be a disaster. I guess they're planning on four divisions in each conference.

 

Something like

 

North - Calgary, Vancouver, Edmonton, Minnesota

South - Dallas, LA, Anaheim, San Jose

Central - Colorado, Vegas, Phoenix, Nashville

Not-East - Detroit, Columbus, Chicago, St Louis

 

I know this is garbage, but no matter how it's stacked up it'll be bizarro. What are they thinking?

[CanadianChris 0]

Another round of expansion will kill the league. I can't imagine even Bettman making such a colossal blunder.

[World's Worst Man 0]

Why didn't they let him buy the Predators instead of that Balsillie idiot who wants to put a team in freaking Hamilton?

[Star Ocean 3 0]

Listen to Tim Cowlishaw and contract some teams. There should've been an Around the Horn special with nothing but him talking hockey.

[World's Worst Man 0]

Bettman would have to be assassinated before the NHL contracts any teams. Which is sad, because that course of action makes complete sense.

[JustJoe2k5 0]

Under Cowlishaw's proposed method of contraction, the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues would likely be the first two teams to be contracted.

 

I don't think the NHL's problems will be solved with more Sidney Crosby in the western conference. It'll be solved with more Sidney Crosby on Regis and Kelly or Saturday Night Live. The NHL needs that mainstream player who will make the rounds on all the talk shows to promote the league. I don't think Crosby has the charisma to get it done, Alexander Ovechkin has shown the ability to be funny but a Russian isn't the best person to market the sport around in the United States.

[CanadianChris 0]

Why didn't they let him buy the Predators instead of that Balsillie idiot who wants to put a team in freaking Hamilton?

As opposed to freaking Las Vegas? Hamilton makes way more sense than Vegas.

[Red Baron 0]

Don't worry, the NHL denied the reports of a team going to Sin City.

 

Leafs sign Antropov to a two year four million dollar contract. It's his year to break out.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Is it hypocritical of me to think that I would rather a team relocate than expanding or outright contracting?

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Well, it doesn't matter what I think. Now that it's 5-2 Anaheim, Gary Bettman is going to starting blowing Arnold Schwarzenegger. I predict an "East", "Central", and "Just Watch Me" conference by 2020.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Don't worry, the NHL denied the reports of a team going to Sin City.

 

Leafs sign Antropov to a two year four million dollar contract. It's his year to break out, hopefully before the Y2K bug hits.

 

 

EFA.

 

I've yet to met a Leaf fan who hasn't criticized this guy to death. He did play a little harder than normal this year, but a guy with his strength and size needs to have more than 35 points a season. "His break-out year" was supposed to be about six straight years now.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Anyone watching the Smythe presentation? Bettman is trying to sell us on Sunbelt teams like it were a house with a leaky basement.

[World's Worst Man 0]

Antropov is a solid player. The problem is that he gets injured every single year. At this point, he'd probably be a 25-30 goal man if he played 75+ games. When he's in the lineup, he's productive.

[Red Baron 0]

Still believe in him?

 

Wow...

[World's Worst Man 0]

Er, well, if you calculate his stats for 82 games last year, he was on pace for 27 goals, so I don't think it's a matter of talent. As I said, if he plays a full schedule, he can be a 25-30 goal man. But that's a big if at this point.

[bob_barron 0]

Leafs sign Antropov to a two year four million dollar contract. It's his year to break out.

 

The Leafs will never give up on him

[Guest]

I think the Kings are looking at signing Alexei Yashin on the cheap with a one year deal. That's the best thing for him, a cheap contract so that he can work harder to get a big payday again. And no, I would never give him anything more than a 1 year, 2 million dollar deal.

[CanadianChris 0]

There was an article wondering if John Muckler should go after Yashin, to which I forcefully replied, "Fuck no, and fire his ass if he does."