I believe that Iginla could end up being the Flames’ Mats Sundin.  He wants to stay.  He wants to be part of the solution. But what if he has to be traded to make the team better?  That’s the question Calgary is left with.  So despite indications that Iginla wants to stay, the Flames may try to convince him to go elsewhere because their current plan isn’t exactly working.

Filatov trade may be imminent:

Relations between Nikita Filatov and the Columbus Blue Jackets have turned chilly, and this might mean that a trade is imminent.  The Jackets could bring him back this season to see what he can do, but it would he horrible for locker room chemistry.  So the bet here is that Filatov will never again wear a Blue Jackets sweater, that he’ll be traded at the NHL entry draft in June or later in the summer.  Filatov is still considered an elite prospect — some still feel he could turn into a superstar.  That might mean the Jackets can yield a proven NHL player in exchange for the 19-year-old winger.

Thomas to Flyers possible:

The Philadelphia Flyers tried to trade for Tim Thomas at the trade deadline and with their goalie troubles right now, they may try again in the offseason.  The Flyers lost Ray Emery to a potentially career-threatening injury and, now, they’re without Michael Leighton for the season.  So it’s Brian Boucher all the way.  That’s bad.  So although they could target Marty Turco, Dan Ellis for Evgeni Nabokov — all impending free agents — I feel that they’ll target Thomas instead.

In Boston, Tuukka Rask has taken over the No. 1 job and if the Bruins can hold onto their playoff spot, it looks like Rask will be starting over Thomas, the reigning Vezina winner.  What makes Thomas even more appealing to the Flyers is the dip in his salary each of the next three years. He’ll make $6 million next season, but that goes down to $5 million in 2011-12 and then $3 million in 2012-13.

Following a six-year absence from the National Hockey League, Theoron Fleury is trying to crack the Calgary Flames’ lineup at the age of 41.  Last night he took one step closer to achieving his goal.  He scored on a breakaway with 7:53 left in the 3rd period and he assisted on another earlier in the game.  It was his 2nd goal of the preseason after he scored the game-winner in a shootout against the Islanders in his first game.  Many people in hockey were doubting whether or not Fleury would be able to still compete at such a high level, after last night’s performance it looks like he still has a little juice left in the tank.

A few days ago I said that Pittsburgh Penguins forward Tyler Kennedy got the first chance to replace Max Talbot and play alongside Evgeni Malkin and Ruslan Fedotenko.  Since the move he’s playing so well that the question isn’t whether he’ll be able to substitute for Talbot — it’s whether he’ll replace Talbot, even when the injured player comes back.  Kennedy has been a pleasant surprise for the reigning Stanley Cup Champions.  This is just what the league wants to hear, the Pens getting stronger.

At some point, it looked like the Toronto Maple Leafs 2009 1st round draft pick Nazem Kadri wasn’t going to make the team — it was a sure thing.  But Kadri has played so well that the buzz is that he definitely has a chance to stick.  The thinking is that he could mesh well on a line with newly acquired Phil Kessel.  Both are young and can understand each others game.  Kessel will be looked upon to help Kadri develop.  It seems like the Maple Leafs future is bright.

While he didn’t notch 50 goals, as he did in 2007-2008, Jarome Iginla scored 35 goals and 89 points and he’s averaged nearly 94 points per season over the last three years, second-best among NHL wingers (behind Alex Ovechkin) in that time.  However, Iginla’s consistency at both ends of the rink can be better.  Not many players in the league surpassed expectations like Rene Bourque, who notched a career-best 40 points and plus-18 rating despite missing 24 games with an ankle injury.  Bourque is a solid two-way winger and penalty killer, who showed more offensive flair than anticipated.  Like Bourque, Curtis Glencross was an off-season acquisition that paid off handsomely.  Glencross is a high-energy winger who gets in quickly on the forecheck to create scoring opportunities, offering a little offensive upside for a checking winger.  Ageless Craig Conroy had a tremendous season, registering 48 points and a plus-20 rating while providing his usually reliable two-way game.  He’ll be 38 next season, and is entering the final year of his current contract, but Conroy’s a safe bet as the third line center.

As I mentioned earlier Bouwmeester and Phaneuf will provide a strong 1st pair on the blueline as well as the powerplay.  Phaneuf can be an intimidating presence, but needs to learn how to pick his spots so that he doesn’t get caught out of position and can handle one of the league’s heaviest workloads.  Cory Sarich is rock solid and durable on the blueline and his 20 points and plus-12 rating from last season represented career-bests.

While netminder Miikka Kiprusoff has been incredibly durable, averaging 75 games per season over the last four years in Calgary, his goals against average and save percentage have declined every year; perhaps an indication that he’s not at his best when carrying such a heavy load.  For better or worse, the Flames are committed long-term to Kiprusoff, so they had better find a way to reverse the trend.

Former player-turned-agent Mike Gillis showed a lot of immediate moxie after taking over as GM.  One of his best moves was keeping the faith with Vigneault during trying times, and he was able to lock up the Sedin twins and sign Mikael Samuelsson.  They still have Roberto Luongo, of course, and the Canucks and Calgary Flames will benefit from what is becoming a bottom-heavy division, reminiscent of the Central of a few years ago.

The offense is well taken care of now that the Sedin twins Daniel and Henrik have re-signed with the team with a pair of five-year contacts worth $6.1 million a season with no-movement clauses included.  Playing side by side for the Canucks, the duo has amassed 288 goals, 634 assists, and 922 points in 1,288 games combined.  The 2008-2009 season was arguably their best year yet, with Daniel leading the Canucks in goal scoring with 31 - the second highest output of his career - while Henrik had a career-high 22 goals. Both finished with 82 points on the season.  A late season move onto the wing with the Sedins elevated Alex Burrows from checking winger to prime sniper for a couple of months and, as a result, he ended up as the only NHLer with more than 20 goals, 50 points, a plus-20 rating and 150 penalty minutes. 

Ryan Kesler continued his steady improvement and, not unlike Burrows, discovered an unexpected scoring touch in the second half of the season (scoring 34 points in 34 games after the All-Star break), while often playing with Mats Sundin and Pavol Demitra.  Kesler is one of the better checking centres in the game, but now that he’s added an offensive dimension, he can be an impact player at both ends of the rink.  Samuelsson, 32, recorded 40 points in 81 games last season and 10 points in 23 playoff games with Detroit through to the 2009 Stanley Cup Final.  he’ll make a fine adition to the canucks and will probably end up plaing on the 2nd line.  The Canucks also will likely count on Cody Hodgson, last year’s 10th overall pick, to not only make the jump to the NHL, but to play a prominent role.  No one can argue that Vancouver doesn’t have the depth to go far.

The Vancouver Canucks signed right-winger Sergei Shirokov to an NHL contract to help out the Canucks with another scorer.  Shirokov, 23, had 17 goals and 41 points in 56 games with CSKA Moscow of the KHL in 2008-09.  He has also played in two world junior championships with Russia in 2005 and 2006. In 12 tournament games he had seven goals and six assists.  Shirokov, a five-foot-10, 176-pound native of Moscow, was selected 163rd overall by the Canucks in the 2006 NHL draft.

When it comes to the defense, Alexander Edler has developed beautifully in his first three pro seasons, now quarterbacking the power play in addition to providing crisp first passes and sound defensive play. He can use his size even more as he matures, but Edler is already a terrific building block for this unit.  Oft-injured Sami Salo has played more than 70 games only twice in his ten NHL seasons, which helps to keep his contributions under the radar, but he’s a solid top-four defenseman with one of the league’s hardest shots from the point.  32-year-old shutdown defenseman Willie Mitchell is coming off the best season of his career, tallying a career-high 23 points along with a career-best plus-29 rating.  Mitchell handles the toughest defensive assignments and while his lack of speed can be exposed on occasion, his strength and competitiveness make him a handful for the league’s top forwards.  Kevin Bieksa enjoyed a bounceback season, notching a career-high 43 points and leading Canucks defenceman with more than 23 minutes of ice time per game while regularly playing with a proverbial burr under his saddle.  For Bieksa to take the next step in his development, he needs to do a better job picking his spots because his defensive play can suffer as a result of his over-aggressive nature and, as a result, he tied for worst among Canucks blueliners at minus-4.

Th Canucks selected 5′8″ 175 lb center Jordan Schroeder out of Minnesota of the WCHA with the 22nd overall pick in the 2009 NHL draft.  He’s a dynamic player, a leader and a type of player that has developed into a complete offensive and defensive threat every time he is on the ice.  He has a rocket of a wrist shot and he can beat you by putting the puck in the net, going around a defender, or freezing the goaltender and passing it off to one of his wingers.  The concern is going to be his overall size, like there was with current NHL stars such as Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta and with Patrick Kane, but at the same age he is probably a little thicker and a little bit more compact than they were.  He’s a great hockey player who should have a successful NHL career.

Last but certainly not least Vancouver’s goaltending situation.  Though his season came to an inglorious halt in the second round of the playoffs, surrendering seven goals in the deciding game against Chicago, Roberto Luongo had another strong season between the pipes for the Canucks, ranking second in the league in shutouts with 9 while finishing fifth in both goals against average and save percentage.  Luongo, 30 is entering the final year of a four-year, $27 million contract and is coming off a 2008-09 campaign where he posted a 33-13-7 record.  However as of this post GM Gillis and Luongo are philosophically very close to a contract extension.  Luongo, 30 is entering the final year of a four-year, $27 million contract.  He is coming off a 2008-09 campaign where he posted a 33-13-7 record.  After two impressive seasons in the American Hockey League, Cory Schneider could be ready to make the jump to the NHL and be a competent and reliable backup.  This would also make financial sense for the Canucks as they are very close to their cap limit.

With what we saw last year from this talented team is that they have all the tools to make a run at the Stanley cup Trophy.  Having all the right tools helps and the Canucks definitely have them.   The season can’t get here fast enough for me to see how this team performs.  I’ve always said that the NHL would be more successful if a Canadian team goes deep into the playoffs and even wins it all but that is a story and discussion for another time.

After helping Boston University to an NCAA title in April, Colin Wilson,the sophomore star quickly decided to turn pro.  He signed a three-year entry-level deal with the Predators, who had selected him with the seventh overall pick in 2008 NHL draft.  The 6-foot-1, 213-pound power forward was the Terriers’ leading scorer with 55 points in 43 games during the ‘08-09 college campaign.  Now, the 19-year-old seeks to follow in the footsteps of his dad, former NHLer Carey Wilson, who played for the Calgary Flames, the Hartford Whalers and the New York Rangers during a 10-year career.  While the Predators definitely can use some offensive help — they ranked in the bottom third of the league last year — Wilson will have to have an impressive training camp to make the big league roster in October.  In recent years, Predators veteran GM David Poile hasn’t been quick to rush his top prospects to Nashville.  Rather, he usually opts to give them further seasoning with the club’s AHL affiliate in Milwaukee.  Now or in the near future, Wilson projects as a top-six forward.  A workout warrior who impressed scouts with his physical conditioning during his draft year, Wilson has terrific puck skills and excellent hockey sense.  In fact, longtime BU head coach Jack Parker went out of his way on several occasions to talk about Wilson’s hockey smarts.  His heady nature is definitely something that will be a big help at the next level.  He’s getting into his mid-30s, but Jason Arnott remains very productive, scoring 33 goals in just 65 games.  He remains Nashville’s offensive leader.  Jean-Pierre Dumont led the Predators with 65 points, but he managed only 16 goals, his lowest total since 2002-2003.  Still Dumont will play a big role in the offense again next season.

The Predators, a team that was good on the defensive side of the puck last year is littered with blue-line talent.  Rising star Shea Weber is the cornerstone of the Predators defence corps, if not the entire franchise.  He finished second on the team with 23 goals and led the Predators in ice time, shots on goal and power play goals.  Weber can still tighten up some defensively and, if he does, he’ll be a Norris Trophy contender for the next decade.  Dan Hamhuis is a durable top-four defenceman.  He’s not a standout in any one aspect of the game, but does just about everything well while handling the toughest defensive assignments.  Naturally, the Predators will try to address their shortcomings on a budget, so one or two prospects like Jonathon Blum and Cody Franson could make the squad.  Blum, coming off a dominant junior season, may have the most potential, while Franson had good size and a couple of years of AHL seasoning in his favour.

Lets move onto The Predators goalie situation.  As it now seems to be an annual occurrence in the Predators’ crease, the number one goaltender at the start of the season wasn’t the number one by season’s end. Last season, it was Pekka Rinne, the lanky 26-year-old Finn who finally landed in the NHL after three seasons in the AHL.  The year before, Dan Ellis was the surprising sensation in goal for the Predators, and he struggled somewhat under the weight of the starting job.  Nevertheless, the tandem of Ellis and Rinne gives Nashville a strong and economical goaltending situation.  The organization has terrific depth in goal as well, with prospects Chet Pickard and Mark Dekanich in the pipeline.

With the 11th pick in the NHL draft Nashville selected Ryan Ellis, the 5′9″ 175lb defenseman out of the OHL.  Ellis is a really smart, heady defenseman.  His puck movement is excellent and the way he moves the puck around the zone is excellent.  He’s a real high-end offensive guy. He’s got a great shot and he gets it through to the net.  A lot of guys have their shots blocked, but he’s got a real knack for getting it through, and that leads to a lot of tip-in and rebound goals. He’s a smaller guy, but he’s not afraid of taking the body.  He shows no fear of getting involved in scrums, he never gets intimidated.

Nashville has the makings of a team on the rise.  There’s still time for them to pick up another winger who can put the biscuit in the basket and with all the other facets of their game coming together we’ll be seeing a much more competitive Predators team in the near future.  For Predator fans the rallying cry this year will be “playoffs,playoffs”.

The Florida Panthers locked up one of their young cornerstones by signing forward David Booth to a six-year contract worth $25.5 million.  Booth led the Panthers with a career-best 31 goals along with a personal-high of 60 points in 72 games.  In three seasons, all with Florida, the 24-year-old has recorded 56 goals and 110 points in 193 games.  The Panthers also have re-signed winger Radek Dvorak to a two-year deal averaging $1.7 million a season.  Dvorak played 81 games with the Panthers last season, scoring 15 goals and 36 points.  Stephen Weiss’s gradual development since he was drafted fourth overall in 2001 has led to his being underrated in recent seasons, but that shouldn’t be the case any longer after he put up a career-high 61 points and plus-19 rating last season. Weiss needs to keep improving offensively if he’s wants to become a true top NHL centerman.

Goaltending was an obvious strength for the Panthers last season, allowing the most shots in the league, yet tied for ninth in goals against.  Tomas Vokoun was brilliant at times and finished with a career-best six shutouts and .926 save percentage.  If he’s not an elite NHL goaltender, he’s not too far off that level.

With the 14th pick in the NHL draft the Panthers selected defenseman Dmitry Kulikov.  He’s a great skater who can carry and shoot the puck well.  He’s strong, he can take big hits and they don’t seem to bother him.  He knows when to join the rush and recognizes the holes but he plays defense first.  He shoots the puck well on the powerplay and I believe that he will have cracked the panther lineup early next year.

Florida’s really not that far off from challenging for a playoff spot but if they have any aspirations of really contending for the Stanley Cup trophy then all of their young core will have to rise to  a level of play beyond anyone’s wild expectations.  We’ll see if the Panther’s can pull it off.  Stranger things have happened.

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.

Jay Bouwmeester agreed to terms on a five-year deal with the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night, forgoing unrestricted free agency.  His deal is worth an average of $6.6 million per season which is an increase from the $4.875 he made this past season.  Bouwmeester is one of the most complete defenseman in all of the NHL.   Bouwmeester who is a native of Edmonton just completed his sixth season with the Florida Panthers in 2008-09, he recorded 42 points with 15 goals and 27 assists.  The six-foot-four, 213-pounder has 203 points in 471 career NHL games. He was picked with the third overall draft pick by the Panthers in 2002.

When the day started at 12:01 a.m a lot of players became free agents.  By the end of the week we will have a pretty good idea of who will be signing where and for how much.  One thing I’m looking forward to is the flurry of activity.  It’s always fun to speculate the possibility of your team getting all the best players, in reality that doesn’t usually happen but that’s why they call it dreaming.

A Quick Tidbit

The General Manager of the Calgary Flames Daryl Sutter is making moves which will see his younger brother Brent take over as the Flames next head coach.  Brent stepped down as New Jersey’s head coach on June 9.  O f coarse all this was speculation until it was announced that the two sides are extremely close to announcing that a deal has been struck.  It’s becoming a family affair in Calgary as the Flames also suit up a member of the Sutter family.  Darryl’s son Brett made his NHL debut in 2008-09 after two seasons in the American Hockey League.