More Rumors From the Ice.

Anaheim Ducks GM Bob Murray was spotted at the Atlanta Thrashers-Toronto Maple Leafs game, which might indicate that something is going on between the Leafs and Ducks.  Meanwhile, Leafs scouts have been spotted at previous Ducks games, only furthering the speculation.  Rumor is that Murray has been entertaining numerous trade scenarios.  Teams have inquired about the availability of Bobby Ryan and Scott Niedermayer, but it appears Ryan isn’t going anywhere while Niedermayer may be trade bait.  Two names that keep coming up in Ducks trade talks are Joffrey Lupul and Jean-Sebastien Giguere, so those guys may be moved at some point this season.  Though the Leafs will likely stay away from Giguere, Lupul might be the guy they’re after.  One possible scenario might be a Giguere for Vesa Toskala deal, with other pieces involved.

Canadiens goalie Jaroslav Halak going to the St.Louis Blues is looking like a possibility. Some have felt Halak should be starting over Carey Price in Montreal, but since that doesn’t look like it’s going to happen, it might be time they spun their backup goalie into some gold.  One possible destination for Halak is Philadelphia, where Flyers starting goalie Ray Emery is hurt and while backup Brian Boucher is taking on the No. 1 job, there seems to be no long-term option there, so Halak might be the fix.

Another rumor is that the St. Louis Blues are interested.  With Chris Mason and Ty Conklin, though, it doesn’t seem it’s an urgent matter.  As with every goalie rumor, the Detroit Red Wings might be looking this direction, too, but acquiring Halak might mess with the development of Jimmy Howard so the Wings might be favoring a short-term veteran stop-gap.  Even so, NHL scouts say that teams are interested in Halak.

The chances of superstar forward Ilya Kovalchuk re-signing with the Atlanta Thrashers is 70-30 according to my sources.  But if he doesn’t want to re-sign with the Thrashers then it’s possible he may be traded to the Edmonton Oilers.  If the Thrashers are moving their captain and best player at the deadline, it means they can’t sign him and he’s going to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.  That complicates things for the team dealing and the team that’s interested because Atlanta wants to get something for a guy who’s going to walk, but can’t get market value for an impending unrestricted free agent.

Anaheim Ducks netminder Jean-Sebastien Giguere could be headed north to the Toronto Maple Leafs after Vesa Toskala’s struggles.   Also, Jonas “The Monster” Gustavsson who is looking to unseat Toskala as the teams number 1 goalie got his first start last night and ended up losing 2-1.  There are reports that the Leafs are afraid that Toskala is not viable and that he will continue to struggle.  The leafs acquired Gustavsson in the offseason because they were not convinced that Toskala would be their future between the pipes.

It seems as though Semyon Varlomav playoff run last season has not won him any favors with the Washington Capitals coaching staff.  Head Coach Bruce Boudreau needs Varlamov to be mentally tougher.  He lets opposing teams score in bunches and that zaps his confidence.  In the playoffs it’s easier to keep your head in the game because everything is always on the line, sometimes you get caught up in the regular season feeling as if things should be easier only to find out they’re not.  The rookie needs to keep his chin up and all will be good, let’s remember he does have a few guys who can score in bunches of their own like MVP Alex Ovechkin.

I’m hearing rumblings of an NHL team moving back to Winnipeg.  Their have been ongoing negotiations with the Atlanta Thrashers to possibly relocate.  It’s no secret that the Thrashers are losing money (6 million a year to be exact) and now word comes that Canada’s richest man may be getting involved.  David Thomson is interested in bringing a team to the northern Manitoba city.  Thomson already owns the arena where the Manitoba Moose play and is looking to revive the history of the Jets.  The team left Winnipeg for Phoenix Arizona where they thought they would find greener pastures. Over fifteen years later that isn’t the case and that same team is hemorrhaging money.  Blackberry owner Jim Basillie is trying to acquire the Phoenix team and move it to Hamilton.  He hasn’t been successful yet which is why I feel Thomson is getting involved with the NHL, he is way to wealthy and influential to not get what he wants.

Stay tuned for more on this developing story. Follow us on Twitter @hockeylicious.

As if it’s not enough for the Ducks to have two big forwards with outstanding skills, they added Bobby Ryan to the mix last season and Ryan had an exceptional rookie season, scoring highlight-reel goals and looking every bit like a future star. Assuming he can avoid a sophomore slump, Ryan should be more productive as he can handle at least a couple more minutes of ice time per game.  Though 38-year-old Teemu Selanne has lost a step, he’s still a valuable power play performer (scoring 28 of his 54 points with the man advantage) and, with the right linemates, he can help take some pressure off the young guns.  Andrew Ebbett earned his place on the second line.  He’s an undersized perimeter player with strong setup skills who has always managed to put up points.  If Ebbett can build on his rookie season, he would certainly provide good value.

As for the defense, they will be led once again by the return of defenseman Scott Neidermayer.  Neidermayer will anchor the blueline and look for help from Ryan Whitney.  Whitney struggled early in the season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but started to turn his game around after arriving in Anaheim via a trade. Whitney doesn’t use his size as much as he could, but his vision and puck skills make him a valuable contributor.  Adding James Wisniewski at the trade deadline was a stroke of genius, as he brings puckhandling, toughness and the ability to play in any situation.  Tough guy Sheldon Brookbank didn’t play a lot, but he was solid in limited minutes.  He’s inexpensive depth and plays the hard-nosed style that befits the Ducks, look for him to get extensive playing time.

Jonas Hiller emerged as a quality starter in his second NHL season, taking the reins from Jean-Sebastien Giguere down the stretch and into the playoffs where he was even better.  The natural progression would be for the 27-year-old Hiller to assume the starting job next season but despite Hiller’s breakthrough campaign in 2008-09, he hasn’t been handed the starting goaltending job entering this season.  Giguere, the veteran Cup winner from 2007, has been told he’s got an equal shot at it.  It’s a fascinating decision by head coach Randy Carlyle, given Hiller’s stellar play against San Jose and the Red Wings in the playoffs, but I also think it’s the correct one.  Maybe this hasn’t even played into Carlyle’s decision, but I think it’s important for the Ducks to rebuild Giguere’s asset value around the league.  It’s hardly a secret that Ducks GM Bob Murray tried to trade the goalie  in the offseason but found no takers for a player slated to earn $13 million over the final two years of his deal ($6 million this season and $7 million next season).  However, if Giguere recaptures some of his old form, then teams will have to give him a mulligan after he lost his focus following the death of his father last season.  I think a few teams will realize they’re not good enough in goal come December and will try to trade for the veteran.

All in all after last years performance the Ducks showed that they’re really a true contender to win the Stanley Cup.  A few minor tweaks here and there and we will once again be watching this team go deep into the playoffs.

The Sharks were lead by a balanced scoring attack that saw 6 players score 20+ goals led by their captain Patrick Marleau with 38 goals and sophomore sensation Devin Setoguchi with 31 goals.  Last year also saw a resurgence of both defenseman Dan Boyle tallying 57 points and Rob Blake puting up 45 points especially on the 3rd ranked power play where they combined for 54 points.

Up front this team is fast, deep, and excels in scoring the difficult goals, exemplified by their top scorer Joe Thornton with 86 points.  Big Joe has been dynamic since his trade to the Sharks and will once again be asked to be the team leader on the ice and especially on the power play where he had a team high 11 goals and 35 points.  The team will also expect bigger things from their improving young guns, Setoguchi and Joe Pavleski, who are both restricted free agents at the end of the season and both coming off career seasons last year.

This year, the Sharks’ blueline will be helped dramatically by the continued development of  Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who, at just 22, is entering his fourth NHL season.  The Montreal native took another step forward last season, putting up single-season bests with six goals, 30 assists and a plus-15 rating.

Once again this team will be evaluated on the playoff success.  We all know they are talented and should win the Pacific Division for the third straight year.  If they come out slow, or are not playing to expectations right before the trade deadline, don’t be surprised if Doug Wilson pulls the trigger on trading Patrick Marleau or Evgeni Nabokov as the GM has said change is needed for this team that constantly does not live up to their potential.

Netminder Manny Fernandez is rumored to be signing a two-way contract with the Montreal Canadiens.  Fernandez had contemplated retirement because of back injury that has plagued him the last two seasons but it seems like he’s ready to go.  That rumor has fueled another, which has backup goalie Jaroslav Halak on his way out of Montreal.  Another rumor had it that Francis Bouillon signing with the New York Rangers was imminent but that’s definitely not the case.  The Rangers are eying the 5-foot-8, 200 lb, defenseman to add some depth to their blue line, but nothing is set in stone yet.

Theo Fleury might end up playing in the AHL, ECHL, Europe or even Asia.  But he might be stuck there — and out of the NHL.  Fleury, the 41-year-old who is eying a comeback is willing to play anywhere.  Fleury’s comeback is being compared to Claude Lemieux’s.  Lemieux came back last season at the age of 44, playing in China, the AHL and, finally, the Sharks.  But the difference is Fleury may be stuck outside the NHL.   He hasn’t completed a drug rehab program that the NHL required him to take after being suspended in 2003 for violating the substance abuse policy.  So he might meet red tape when he tried to make his NHL jump.  The sad part about this comeback attempt is that he’s really only doing it because he needs the money.  Fluery is broke and his NHL pension doesn’t kick in until he turns 50 years old.  Nine years is a long time.

The Anaheim Ducks traded for former wunderkind goaltender Justin Pogge, but that doesn’t meant Jean-Sebastien Giguere will be moved.  Giguere lost his starting job to Jonas Hiller last season after Hiller took the Ducks deep into the playoffs losing to Detroit in 7 games in the conference semi-final.  The team needs three goalies.  Although goalie prospects are available in the organization, none are ready to step into the third-goalie role.  I believe that having these three goalies gives the Ducks one of the strongest netminding threesomes in the league.

NEWS and NOTES

So it looks as if Jerry Reinsdorf owner of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls and MLB’s Chicago White Sox is making another bid to buy the Phoenix Coyotes. He has taken a significant step in his bid to buy the bankrupt Coyotes, reaching an agreement in principal with the franchise’s largest secured creditor.

Jason Spezza will get a shot at the 2010 Olympics after all.  After being passed over when the 46 invites were sent out in July, the Ottawa Senators sniper was added to Team Canada’s orientation camp roster Tuesday.  Two spots at this month’s camp opened up when Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan Getzlaf needed extra time to recover from off-season surgery and Joe Sakic declined to attend after retiring from the NHL.  That left Spezza at the top of executive director Steve Yzerman’s list. Yzerman called the Toronto native Monday to extend the invitation to the Aug. 24-27 camp in Calgary and he quickly accepted.

One step forward that Philly’s GM took was trading for Anaheim’s defenseman Chris Pronger and left winger Ryan Dingle.  Philly gave up RW Joffrey Lupul, D Luca Sbisa and two first-round picks creating an opening spot on offense.  Flyers are hoping that forward Claude Giroux ( who was the Flyers 1st round pick in 2006 ) will play a more significant role next season so that there’s no dropoff in offensive production.

At 6-foot-6, Pronger is poised, can handle the puck and is well-renowned for his tendency to play on the edge, whether it’s with high hits or menacing work with the stick.  Last season, Pronger put up 48 points, the ninth time in the last ten seasons that he has surpassed 40 points (the only year he didn’t was in 2002-2003 when he played just five games due to wrist surgery), so he’s established a high level of consistency.  He’s also a workhorse, having played at least 26 minutes per game in each of the last five seasons and his edgy style should not only endear him to a Flyers fan base that enjoys guys who don’t mind getting nasty, it will help Philly in their attempts to shut down the top scorers in the Eastern Conference.  Dingle is a 25-year-old journeyman forward, who has produced little in two years at the pro level after scoring 80 points in 78 games in his last two seasons with the University of Denver.  The Flyers are hoping that the light will finally turn on for Dingle.  Braydon Coburn didn’t develop as expected, yet still logged big minutes on the Flyers blueline.  He possesses a rare combination of size, mobility and passing ability, so he should be more productive than he was last season, maybe playing alongside Pronger will help Coburn take that next step towards stardom.

Philadelphia feels that they have addressed their goaltending needs by acquiring new goalies Ray Emery and Brian Boucher.  Emery agreed to a one-year contract with the Flyers worth about $1.5 million.  Emery played last year in Russia’s KHL and dominated the competition with a 2.12 GAA and .920 save percentage, but will he be ready for the superior NHL competition since his semi-banishment.  Emery’s contract was bought out by the Senators in June 2008, ending a tempestuous time marked by a run to the Stanley Cup finals in 2006-07, but also tardiness to practice, fights with teammates and accusations he was poisoning the dressing-room atmosphere.  Philly is poised to believe that he has gotten his head together and is again ready to prove he belongs in the NHL where he helped the Ottawa Senators to the Stanley Cup finals in 2007.

Another Little Tidbit

They’ll face the Boston Bruins at Fenway Park on New Year’s Day 2010 in the NHL’s Winter Classic.

Paul Mara brings some serious size and toughness to the Canadiens blueline.  At 6′4″ 215 lbs not to many people are going to stay on their feet once they get hit by Mara.  He also brings a level of experience having ten years of NHL play under his belt.  Mara was the 7th overall player selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning back in the 1997 NHL entry draft.

Detroit Red Wings forward Jiri Hudler plans to play in the Continental Hockey League this upcoming season.  Hudler, a restricted free agent who had filed for NHL salary arbitration, agreed to a two-year, tax-free deal with Moscow Dynamo worth anywhere from $3 million to $5 million annually.  The contract was filed and registered with the Russian league Thursday.  What I don’t get is how do you walk away from a current contract to go play in another league when you’re legally contracted to play for the Red Wings.  When a restricted free agent files for salary arbitration, in the eyes of the league it is acknowledgment of a player’s intent to play in the NHL the following year.  So Unless I’m missing something the NHL can contest the validity of this new deal and possibly prevent Hudler from leaving.  Hudler, who made $1.15 million this past season, had 23 goals and 57 points, both career highs.

One last note, veteran centerman Brendan Morrison was signed by the Washington Capitals on Friday to play on the 2nd line taking Sergei Federov’s place after the Russian bolted the Caps to return to his home country to play in the  Russian premier league.  Morrison, who turns 34 next month, has played 12 seasons with Dallas, Anaheim, Vancouver and New Jersey. He has 175 goals and 330 assists in 755 career games, with career highs in goals (25) and assists (46) in 2002-03 with the Canucks.  If he really is healthy then he will be an extremely solid addition to a Washington team that can use all the help it can get.

The players shown the red carpet started with the signing of Buffalo Sabres free agent defenseman Jaroslav Spacek to a three year $11.5 million contract replacing the departed Komisarek.  Pittsburgh Penguins champion Hal Gill was also added to the Montreal blueline.  He signed a 2 year $4.5 million contract.  Both players will fit nicely with Andrei Markov and Roman Hamrlik, along with Yanick Weber and Josh Gorges the Habs should be solid.

On offense they signed Calgary free agent Mike Cammelleri to a 5 year deal worth $30-million.  Last year in his only year with the Flames, he scored a career high 39 goals.  In Cammalleri, the Canadiens get a two-time member of the 30-goal club, who has netted more than 80 points in two of the last three seasons.  The 27-year-old has posted 132 goals and 155 assists for 287 points in 364 career games.  He spent the first five seasons of his NHL career with the Los Angeles Kings, before being acquired by Calgary at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, as part of a three-way trade with the Kings and the Anaheim Ducks.

Montreal’s next move was acquiring center Scott Gomez from the New York Rangers in exchange for foward Chris Higgins.  Gomez, a nine year veteran played his first seven years with the New Jersey Devils before moving on to the Rangers.  Some people say that Gomez is a little on the small size but I feel that if you outskate and outwork your opponents then you will outplay them and that’s what counts.  After playing his entire seven year career in New Jersey, Brian Gionta is on the move having signed a five-year,  $25 million deal with the Montreal Canadiens.  The former Devils forwards are suddenly teammates for a second time in their careers.  Each player had his best season in 2005-06 with the Devils, when center Gomez had 33 goals and 51 assists and winger Gionta scored 48 goals and added 41 assists.  A plus for the former Devils is that they flourished in a defensive-oriented system in New Jersey.  That is how the Canadiens are expected to play under new coach Jacques Martin.

The last piece of the puzzle for the habs is to take care of their goaltending issues.  They have two really good goalies in Carey Price and Jaroslav Halak.  Price’s problem is not between the pipes where he has turned in stellar performances, the problem is between his ears.  Last year, with the Canadiens collapse after the All Star game and a 4-0 sweep in the first round of the playoffs at the hands of the Boston Bruins, the young netminder’s confidence along with their hopes of winning the Stanley Cup went down the toilet.  Head coach Jacques Martin has the enormous task of restoring Price’s confidence and get him playing like the player we all know he’s capable of being.  Halak is a very good and steady backup that can come in and give you quality play.  He is the type of player who has shown glimpses that he is able to shoulder the load for short periods of time without any drop-off in play.

With the 18th pick in the draft the Canadiens selected center Louis Leblanc.  Leblanc was considered the best player in his year in Quebec, but opted to play for Omaha in the USHL this year to keep his NCAA eligibility.  His hands and his evasiveness with the puck are what separates him from other players on the ice right away.  Leblanc is headed for Harvard in the fall and says he plans to stay at least two years in college, majoring in business.  With all the changes Montreal has made Leblanc can take his time getting ready for the vigor’s of the NHL.

So there you have it, the Canadiens have made so many changes to there roster that next year is sure to be very exciting.  The players that have been acquired all have the capability to put the puck in the net and make plays, something the Habs were definitely lacking this past season.  General manager Bob Gainey will be hoping and praying that all this activity pays off, if not, then this time next year Gainey will be looking for a new job.

In another move by the Maple Leafs they shored up their goaltending woes with the signing of  swedish goalie  Jonas “The Monster” Gustavsson.  Gustavsson signed a one-year deal with the Leafs worth $810,000, including a signing bonus of $90,000, to back up current starter Vesa Toskala.  Labeled the best goaltender outside of the NHL last season, the 6′3″, 181 lb backstop was the top goalie in the Swedish Elite League last season while playing for Farjestad. He posted a 1.96 goals against average and a save percentage of .932 in the regular season, and led the team to the league championship this spring.  These two playing together should make Toronto a real threat in the eastern conference next season.  The team also signed first round draft pick Nazem Kadri, and a group of five other players including Ben Ondrus and Ryan Hamilton.

Now that Gustavsson has been signed another free agent goaltender will now be able to figure out were he will be playing next season. Philadelphia Flyer free agent Martin Biron will now be receiving calls from the San Jose Sharks and the Dallas Stars which will probably be bidding on the 31-year-old netminder.

The Chicago Blackhawks are reportedly on the verge of finalizing a three-year contract worth more than $9 million with free agent forward Kris Versteeg.   The contract is similar to the one signed by defenceman Cam Barker on Monday.  Versteeg was a Calder trophy finalist this past season and is a key component to the Blackhawks young nucleus which made it to the western conference finals this past season.

Chris Pronger has signed a seven-year contract extension with the team worth $35 million.  The contract also includes a no-movement clause, meaning Pronger, 34, is likely to wrap up his time in the NHL as a member of the Flyers.  Pronger was sent from the Anaheim Ducks to Philadelphia along with forward Ryan Dingle in exchange for forward Joffrey Lupul, defenceman Luca Sbisa, two first-round draft picks and a conditional third-round pick in 2010 or 2011.

The Vancouver Canucks apparently filled their back-up goaltending position today with the signing of free agent goaltender Andrew Raycroft.  He signed a one-year, one-way deal at $500,00.  What I don’t understand is that Vancouver has prize prospect Cory Schneider, the Manitoba Moose goalie who was named the AHL’s top stopper last season and who has nothing left to prove at that level.  I’m sure Vancouver knows Schneider’s trade value will only increase next season as the backup to Roberto Luongo, (who’s expected to soon sign a long-term contract extension) especially if he gets enough starts behind the Canucks workhorse.  Then what of Raycroft?  Is he in a battle with Schneider for the backup job or is somebody expendable in all this?  I’m still trying to figure this one out.

News and Notes

The Anaheim Ducks retained a lot of experience this week when ten-time all-star and future hall of famer Teemu Selanne announced that he would be returning to the team for one more season.  He is the Ducks’ all-time scoring leader with 352 goals, including 59 game-winners, and 743 points.  Selanne’s decision, announced by the Ducks on Saturday, came a day after defenseman Scott Niedermayer, who turns 36 in August, told the team he’s coming back. Selanne turns 39 next week.  He and Niedermayer were key players in the Ducks’ run to the 2007 Stanley Cup championship.

The NHL’s salary cap for next season will be $56.8 million, the league announced on Friday.  The figure is a mere $100,000 increase from the cap total of last season, what a joke.  When you think about it Hockey was lucky to have the run in the playoffs like they did this yearand they deserve to be rewarded.  However, next years cap will be reduced to 40.8 million dollars, way to reward the players.  NHL commissioner Gary Bettman must do a better job at marketing the game because right now hockey is a distant 4th when it comes to money compared to the other major sports, baseball, football and basketball.