NHL Offseason - 2007

[Red Baron 0]

Petr Nedved is going to Europe to play hockey next year.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Toronto is no where near to be a cup contender. Playoff bound? Yes. Contender. No

 

This. Ditto for Buffalo and Philly.

[Red Baron 0]

Philly isn't going to make the playoffs, and Buffalo might not either.

[Fartsauce 0]

Ty Conklin signed with the Penguins according to TSN. They have now won the Stanley Cup.

[Red Baron 0]

Why didn't Buffalo and Pittsburgh just trade Thiabult and Conklin.

[CanadianChris 0]

I don't even know if they're playoff bound, really. They'll probably be scrapping for the last couple of playoff spots at the end of the season again. In fact, I can see the same five teams as last year (Leafs, Habs, Canes, Lightning and Islanders) fighting for the last two spots and the right to be eliminated by the Sens and Rangers in the first round.

[Red Baron 0]

Al Arbor to coach one game with the Isles this coming season. The game would be against the Pens on Nov. 3. This game will mark Arbor's 1500th game coaching the Islanders.

[World's Worst Man 0]

Toronto would have made the playoffs last year with a league-average starting goaltender. Quite easily too. They have a better team this year, and a new goalie. Unless certain players underachieve, they should easily make the playoffs this year.

[Red Baron 0]

Toronto defence needs to improve on not letting on so many good scoring opportunities. If they don't improve that, then Toskola isn't going to help them improve.

 

With Blake, they hope their powerplay improves.

[World's Worst Man 0]

Toronto would have won 8-10 more games last year if they had a competent goalie, so Toskala will improve them significantly if he performs to his standards. Their defence really had nothing to do with it. There is no defence against your goalie letting in 50 foot point shots, or bad angle shots off the rush, which often happened, and often cost them games.

[Red Baron 0]

So would Montreal, if Abby wasn't in net.

 

But thats if and whats.

[Guest]

I'd be fairly surprised if Toronto didn't pull down a 5 seed. Some of the teams in the conference went to shit. Atlanta, Tampa, the Islanders and New Jersey are going to have some problems. Carolina, Toronto and Philadelphia should find their way back into the playoffs. Boston may find their way in as well, as may Florida. Toronto and Philadelphia are the best bets for postseason play out of those 9 teams I mentioned.

[CanadianChris 0]

I have a feeling we're going to see some very diverse opinions in the NHL Predictions thread.

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0]

When is that thread going to start again? Mid August?

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

I posted my picks the day the Crocodile Hunter died last year...So let's say early September. There's too many medium-big names unsigned before we can really get a thread going.

[CanadianChris 0]

Yeah, I think I started it around the start of training camp last year.

[Red Baron 0]

I'm thinking about starting a roundtable since now there is a chat.

[CanadianChris 0]

I was just looking back at this year's playoff threads, and realized that I forgot to post this picture that I got after my wife noticed it on TV. I thought it was quite funny. This was during the Ottawa celebration in the corner after the series-winner against Buffalo:

 

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

That's awesome.

[Red Baron 0]

Dave Aebischer signed a one year deal with the Coyotes.

[AntiLeaf33 0]

Dave Aebischer signed a one year deal with the Coyotes.

He might actually get to start again (thats if he doesn't play himself to the bench)

 

Also, I really don't know why people are giving Raycroft a hard time. I'm not a Leafs fan by any stretch (just look at my name) but from what I've seen of him, he was a good goalie who got burned out from having too many starts in a row. The guy was finally healthy and the Leafs just burned him out. Aubin could have easily made a couple of starts towards the end of the year during weaker teams, which would have kept Raycroft fresh. Toronto needs to learn that not every Number 1 goalie can handle a Broduer or Luongo workload and still play at the top of their game.

[Red Baron 0]

And realize their name is not Joseph or Belfour.

 

This might happen to Toskala as well.

[World's Worst Man 0]

Raycroft's SV% was basically sub-.900 all year. His season went like this - average to start, followed by horrible, followed by decent, followed by horrible. He had a stretch of 3-4 weeks where he wasn't consistently blowing games and another stretch where he actually stole a couple. The rest of the year was awful. SV% + GAA doesn't lie. He actually had a slightly sub-3.00 GAA despite having an .894 SV%, that means he wasn't facing tons of shots. He didn't need to be stealing games like Joseph and Belfour, league average for a starter is all I ask for.

[KGB 0]

Raycroft was inconsistent at best. I do agree he would have been more effective if he wasn't ridden so hard. As for the Leafs defence, they sure weren't any worse last season than they were at any point during the Quinn years. Then again, I'm a guy who thinks people are too hard on McCabe: yes, he's overpaid but is that his fault? I mean, I just look at his performance for what it is and while the brainfarts are frustrating, the guy is not a bad defenseman overall.

[Red Baron 0]

Yashin is going back to Russia. He signed a one year deal with Club Locomotiv

[Red Baron 0]

Raycroft was inconsistent at best. I do agree he would have been more effective if he wasn't ridden so hard. As for the Leafs defence, they sure weren't any worse last season than they were at any point during the Quinn years. Then again, I'm a guy who thinks people are too hard on McCabe (yes, he's overpaid but is that his fault?)...

 

McCabe had an average season. It was Kubina who turned out to be a bust.

[CanadianChris 0]

Bon voyage, Alexei Yashin!

 

AND DON'T COME BACK!!

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Seems inevitable we'd get at least one of these stories:

 

Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie undoubtedly had his share of challenges trying to purchase the Nashville Predators.

 

But perhaps the biggest challenge came right from the top.

 

According to ESPN.com, Balsillie is accusing NHL commissioner Gary Bettman of tampering with his bid to buy the Predators and claims that Bettman told team owner Craig Leopold to break off discussions and instead direct his focus on a bid from a Kansas City group led by William "Boots" Del Biaggio III.

 

"We were advised by Mr. Leipold that the commissioner had found out about the existence of the negotiations and ordered him (Leipold) to immediately cease any further communications with us," Balsillie's legal representative, Richard Rodier, told ESPN.com.

 

Leipold and representatives of a local group bidding to keep the team in Nashville met Wednesday with Bettman in New York.

 

Leipold is trying to sell the team after losing approximately $70 million US since being awarded the expansion franchise in 1997.

 

The Nashville group has yet to detail its offer. Balsillie's bid of $220 million has stalled since a letter of intent signed in May, and Del Biaggio offered $190 million. Del Biaggio has an agreement with the Sprint Center to own any NHL team that relocates to Kansas City.

 

Meanwhile, "Our Team" - a fan group in Nashville - is working to ensure the Predators' lease remains in effect after the 2007-08 season no matter who winds up owning the team. The Predators averaged 13,815 in paid attendance this season after finishing third in the NHL with 110 points.

 

Leipold exercised a clause in June that would allow the team to end the arena lease if the Predators do not average a minimum of 14,000 in paid attendance

[CanadianChris 0]

Bettman is the worst commissioner in the history of North American sport, and it's not close.

[RepoMan 0]

I hate Bettman as much as anyone, but I see no reason why Ontario should have another franchise. If the Preds move, it be mutch better for the league to try out the KC market again.