Around the NHL (24-1-2007)

Well it's the All-star break and nobody is sturring, not even a mouse. All the Gm's are in Dallas, so we should be hearing some juicy rumours, but nothing yet, or at least something worth reporting besides league executives hoping to land Mr.Forsberg, who has said that he does not want to leave Philadelphia and hoping to return to Sweden and start getting his foot ready for next season.

No wonder Forsberg is in high demand, you have 8 of the potential 16 teams that could be playoff bound come April 9th searching for that extra push that could guarantee them home ice for a good part of the playoffs, espacially potential 4th seed teams in both conferences, like Montreal and Ottawa in the East, San Jose and Detroit in the West. A healthy Forsberg would be a good pick up, but would he be even at 75% ? No doubt, at 75%, Forsberg is better than alot of players at 100%, but is the future of your franchise worth a long shot like that ? In the NHL salary cap era all teams live in, it's a very big gamble.

Teams that we could we possibly see in the Playoffs for the East according to the rythm that they have maintained since the beginning of the season.
In The Eastern conference.
1.Buffalo 117
2.New Jersey 108
3.Atlanta 102
4.Montreal 99
5.Ottawa 95
6.Carolina 92 )(Defending Cup Champions)
7.Tampa Bay 89 (more wins than Pittsburgh)
8. Pittsburgh 89
We should have a great race in the East between, Montreal, Ottawa and Carolina for 4th seed and for the 7th and 8th and final in the East. Games between those teams will be like playoff games.

In the West, it could like this :
1.Nashville 119 (possible winners of the President's trophy)
2.Anaheim 111
3. Calgary 96
4. San Jose 110
5.Detroit 109
6.Dallas 101
7.Vancouver 96
8. Minnesota 90
The biggest battles in the west could be between Vancouver and Calgary for third place and San Jose and Anaheim for second place.

The scenario presented could be altered with the trade deadline and injuries to key players. An exciting end to the season in perspective for sure.

Stay tune Folks !

Around the NHL (15-1-2007)

Saturday, was Hockey day in Canada, the CBC posting a thirteen hour marathon of comments and NHL games opposing Canadian teams. In the first of three games, the most storied franchise in NHL history, the Montreal Canadiens were in the nation's capital to take on the Senators in an afternoon stint. The Habs simply did not show up, and the score after the second period was evidence enough. I think if the players had turned around and slapped Head coach, Guy Carbonneau, and associate coaches, Kirk Muller and Doug Jarvis in the face, the sting would have lasted a shorter time than watching their guys getting stung badly. Saturday's massacre was an insult to the guys behind the bench and the guy who gave them pretty good contracts. They had bled for the red white and blue and have cup rings and the scars to prove it . The Ottawa Senators brass had to offer apologies to Habs GM, Bob Gainey for a tastless clip that appreared on the scoreboard. As we know Gainey lossed his daughter in boating accident last month.


In the second game of the triple header , the Vancouver Canucks took on the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Center. Like the Canadiens in Ottawa earlier, Toronto was smoked 6-1. I'm sure that Leafs coach had plenty to say to his players after the game just like Carbonneau did. It stings more when it happens in your building. At least in the last game of the day, the Oilers showed some kind of opposition to their Alberta rivals.

Tim Panaccio from the Philadelphia Inquirer, notes that rival Gm's should forget about Peter Forsberg, he is going nowhere. He has a no-trade clause and has no intentions on waving it and claims that he owes the Flyers one year.That should not prevent Gm's from asking, espacially that they will know Forsberg's cap hit come deadline time and would make a good pick- up for a team looking to go deep in the playoffs. The phone lines in Philadelphia may burn up come February 27th.

Brett Hull made his debut on NBC's telecast on Saturday, as usual he spoke his mind. And it was not the blah blah you get from JR, but well thougth ideas and opinions. Also on the telecast, they introduced the Bellowing moose, who has kind of a blog thing going. On his last post, he mentions that Pittsburgh Penguins coach, Michel Therrien could be on his way out, and this before the end of the season. The problem is find a replacement at this time of the season, mostly likely one of his assistants could take over til the end of the season.

Around the NHL (7-1-2007)

Tis the season for trades ? A good question. It appears so, last week we saw the Ottawa Senators acquire Mike Comrie from the Phoenix coyotes. Petr Nedved finally landed in Edmonton, after speculation that Ottawa would claim him, that was the plan as far as the Sens were concerned, but the Oilers were quicker. As Scott Morrison from CBC's Hockey satellite hotstove mentionned last week on his blog, the Senators are better off with Comrie than Nedved.

Is Kevin Lowe looking to acquire Brad Stuart from the Bruins ? According to Bruce Garrioch from the Ottawa Sun, the answer is yes. He also mentions that the Sharks, Avs and Wings have also inquired about Stuart, who becomes an UFA at the end of the season, but the Bruins have started contract talks with his agent, and unless the B's tank from now to trade deadline, I don't see Stuart being moved.

In the same article, Garrioch mentions that a fire is lighting up under both Lightning Gm, Jay Feaster and Coach,John Tortorella to bring the team within playoff contention or we could see a major fire sale in Tampa Bay, as in major salary dumps, ie: Richards, St.Louis and Lecavalier. If Feaster was put in the situation of doing so, would he find a taker for one of those hefty contracts ? I think Richards would stay, but either St.Louis or Lecavalier will have to go. Who has the cap room to absorb the remainder of those contracts ? Lecavalier becomes an UFA in 2009 and St.Louis in 2011. Lecavalier would be the easiest to move. But for who ? We might find out soon enough.

Getting back to the Comrie trade. Garrioch mentions the real reasons that they traded the center, was money, what else is new. The Coyotes ownership wanted Comrie's salary off the books as they are not going to make the playoffs. It's believed that Nagy (3m), Nick Boyton (2.95m) and Dennis Seidenberg ($750,000) could be the next to go.According to Garrioch, the Habs, Hawks, Canucks, Rangers and Flames gave the Coyotes a call about Comrie's availability. I guess the call that Habs Gm, Bob Gainey gave, did not last long when he heard who the Coyotes wanted in return.

Speaking of the Habs, they have been hit by the gastro bug, and had alot of players out in their game vs the Rangers. It's not the only bug hitting the team lately. Their poor performances in the last few weeks surely must have Gainey and coach Carbonneau worried. Gainey is not the type of Gm to make trades out of panic. The poor play of his team and two wingers, Samsonov and Ryder, don't give him much options.