Hockeylicious! » Chicago Black Hawks

The Blackhawks and Wild Swap Defenceman–Canadiens Pick Up Moore From Panthers.

David — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 23:11:23 +0000

The Chicago Blackhawks have dealt defenceman Cam Barker to the Minnesota Wild for defenceman Kim Johnsson and 2009 first round pick, defenceman Nick Leddy. The 23-year old Barker, who is the in the middle of the first year of his three-year, $9.25 million contract has recorded 4 goals and 10 assists in 51 games this season. Barker, was one of the five players in Chicago whose qualifying offers did not arrive on time last summer. That led to a grievance being filed by the NHL Player’s Association. The result was that the Hawks gave Barker a more significant raise then they had to, if the qualifying offers were handled properly. Since the Blackhawks already have Marian Hossa, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Brian Campbell signed to big money, long-term deals, dealing away their commitment to Barker makes financial sense. Johnsson, who has six goals and eight assists in 52 games this season is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Leddy has played 19 games with the University of Minnesota, posting 1 goal with 4 assists and 4 penalty minutes.

The Florida Panthers have traded forward Dominic Moore to the Montreal Canadiens for a second-round pick in the 2011 draft. The trade represents the first for Montreal’s newly-installed general manager Pierre Gauthier, who took over earlier this week when Bob Gainey stepped down. Moore, 29, has eight goals and nine assists in 48 games for Florida. He is earning $1.1 million this season and becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Canadiens Making Big Trades? Blackhawks Making Goalie Changes?

David — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:23:10 +0000

It’s early in the season and the Canadiens are already looking to make more moves in overhauling their roster. Latest rumors coming out of Montreal are that GM Bob Gainey has a few possibilities in the works. Nashville Predators veteran centerman Jason Arnott and defenseman Teemu Laasko could be heading to the Canadiens as part of a big trade that would send brothers Sergei and Andrei Kostitsyn, forward Tomas Plekanec and a second-round pick to the Predators. Montreal has been trying to unload the Kostitsyns ever since their off ice incidents with Russian organized crime in the city. Their on ice performance is the main reason for Gainey wanting to move the brothers, both are just not living up to their potential. Gainey is also talking to two other teams as well, the New Jersey Devils and the Phoenix Coyotes. The deal with the Coyotes is: defensemen Adrian Aucoin and Keith Yandle and a first rounder for goalie Jaroslav Halak, the Kostitsyns and Tomas Plekanec. The deal with the Devils is Cory Murphy and Colin White for Sergei Kostitsyn and Glen Metropolit.

After Nikolai Khabibulin took the Blackhawks to the Western conference finals some worried that with his departure to the Edmonton Oilers in the offseason that the goaltending duties would be well handled by Cristobal Huet. Well, it seems that some of those fears are now being realized. If backup netminder Antti Niemi continues to play well, and Cristobal Huet continues to struggle, there will be a change in goal for the Blackhawks. This comes after Huet, the No. 1, was pulled last night after just seven minutes into the third period, after allowing three goals on five shots.

NHL Rumors–Jagr Attempts Comeback?

David — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 03:43:19 +0000

It has been a couple of years since the fans of the NHL have gotten to enjoy the hockey skills of former league MVP Jaromir Jagr. Jagr left the NHL to go back and play in his native homeland but a couple of years later it seems as if he wants to return to the league that made him a star. Jagr is trying to negotiate an extension with his KHL club, Avangard Omsk, but he told his agent to contact NHL teams, too, about returning next season. Whoever is lucky enough to sign him will have gotten themselves a top flight forward who is able to change the outcomes of most games by himself. Jagr may be getting older but he’s still better than 90% of the players in the league.

Other News and Notes

Toronto Maple Leafs rookie forward Nazem Kadri’s good play is spurring speculation that he might make the team, but GM Brian Burke doesn’t like all the speculation. Kadri has impressed all throughout camp and yesterday, he scored a game-tying goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins and the game-winning shootout goal, too.

With Minnesota Wild enforcer Derek Boogaard out with an injury, the fighting might fall on the shoulders of 6-foot-8 John Scott. It would probably be wise for all NHL players to look out for this guy, because Scott boxed with Boogaard and core strength coach Jeremy Clark this summer. The training has really helped a lot with his punching and core power. Case in point: Sunday, he got into a fight with Chicago Blackhawks minor leaguer Danny Bois. After a few seconds, Scott just reared back and dropped Bois to the ice, case closed.

Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov wants to move the New Jersey Nets to Brooklyn. So what’s that have to do with the New York Islanders? Well, if Prokhorov builds the new arena east of Manhattan, there could be a new potential home for the Islanders. Several thousands of Islanders fans voiced their bias toward Brooklyn over the other relocation option, Kansas City because, for Long Islanders, Brooklyn’s a little bit closer. No really, this is actually one of the reasons the Isles fans are clinging to. Seems pretty desperate to me, there will always be someone who is happy and someone who is angry about relocation. That’s sports and money is the name of the game.

Next Up The NHL’s Pacific Northwest–Vancouver Canucks Offseason Review.

David — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 07:02:57 +0000

Last season the Vancouver Canucks lost to a young and talented Chicago Blackhawks team but they came within a goal of beating the Hawks in 7 games. Vancouver has some great talent and with an addition or two of some young blood they will be right back in the playoffs and knocking on the door for a potential Stanley cup victory.

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.

Continuing Through the NHL’s Central Division– The Chicago Blackhawks Review

David — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 07:02:16 +0000

What a great year it was for the Chicago Blackhawks. They managed to become relevant again in the NHL’s Western Conference going all the way to the Conference finals before coming up short against the Detroit Red Wings. Chicago is a very good all-around team, and is likely to get better as its young core of talented players matures over the next few years. Among the things that can derail the Blackhawks are youthful overconfidence and a hangover effect after such an exhilarating season, and complacence after Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews land long-term extensions at some point. Toews had a solid season, if not necessarily the complete breakout campaign that might have been expected. But let’s not quibble about a 21-year-old who has already scored 58 goals and is a combined plus-23 through his first two seasons. He’s a player that the Blackhawks ought to feel comfortable building around. Alongside Toews frequently skates Kane, a small but skilled winger. While he is a creative offensive player, his play without the puck needs work as his minus-2 rating was worst among the Blackhawks’ regular forwards even though he was the team’s second-leading scorer with 70 points. With 62 goals over the past two seasons, Patrick Sharp has emerged as a terrific scoring threat, though he probably remains underrated. When he’s healthy, Sharp has electrifying speed and he’s an excellent complementary scoring threat. Massive winger Dustin Byfuglien was inconsistent through much of the season, but had his moments in the postseason when he used his size to be a powerful presence in front of the opposition net. He still has untapped offensive potential and could be a 30-goal scorer, even if most of them are of the ugly variety.

But perhaps the biggest change that the Blackhawks made this offseason has been the signing of former Detroit Red Wing and Pittsburgh Penguins star forward Marian Hossa. Hossa will surely be a boost to an offense that also saw its best offensive player Martin Havlat depart for the Minnesota Wild when free agency started this summer. All in all the Blackhawks offense is definitely the teams major strength.

Now the defense. While he’s been overlooked at times, Brent Seabrook’s standout performance in the postseason should ensure that is no longer the case. He’s durable, having missed just one game in the last three seasons, and handles big minutes against the opposition’s best. Seabrook could contribute more offensively, but there’s little to complain about following his career-best plus-23 season. Smooth-skating Duncan Keith continues to improve, finishing last season with career highs in points (44) and plus-minus (plus-33). Though he doesn’t have ideal size, Keith is a difference-maker on the blueline and is entering his prime, so he should be a fixture for the Blackhawks.

The one area where the Blackhawks are below average is killing penalties. They’re going to have to be able to shut down other teams’ powerplay units if they want to ensure themselves a place in the Stanley Cup finals. For sure you have to be able to shut down the Red Wings which has proved to be a very difficult task. Fourth-line centre Adam Burish doesn’t offer a lot of scoring, with 17 points in 156 career games, but he’s an in-your-face agitator; a useful player at a reasonable price who if used right can be a huge plus to the penalty killing unit. Look for the Blackhawks to improve in this area during the season.

It was surprising enough when the Blackhawks shelled out big money for goaltender Cristobal Huet as a free agent last summer, especially since they already had Nikolai Khabibulin under contract and Chicago was firmly committed to opening the season with Huet as the number one goaltender. However, a slow start from Huet provided Khabibulin an opportunity for redemption and he responded with his best season in a Blackhawk uniform and then parlayed that into a multi-year multi-million dollar deal with the Edmonton Oilers. Huet still has to prove he’s worth his huge deal in the wake of Khabibulin’s departure. If not then the Blackhawks have internal options available to take over for Huet, as Antti Niemi and Corey Crawford are both on the verge of being ready for NHL action.

Chicago will once again make it deep into the playoffs because their core is extremely strong. Anything less than making it to the cup finals will surely be a major disappointment to the team, its management and all its fans because this team is primed and ready for greatness.

The NHL’s Western Conference Review–Starting With the Stanley Cup’s Runner Up Detroit Red Wings

David — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 07:02:43 +0000

So close. Losing in game seven of the Stanley Cup Final to the Pittsburgh Penguins on your home ice may have been heartbreaking for the Detroit Red Wings, but they have built up a nucleus that promises to contend for the championship for the foreseeable future. Given that the Red Wings’ amazing 112-point season in 2008-09 was their worst since the lockout, it makes sense to make few moves.

The departure of Marian Hossa, Jiri Hudler and Mikael Samuelsson means that the Wings will have to make up for the offensive output that those players provided. Hossa’s departure paves the way for Johan Franzen to join Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk at the elite level. Franzen’s scoring has gone up each of the last four years. He could end up being Detroit’s key to fighting off the Chicago Blackhawks for the division title this year. As for the rest of Detroit’s fire power it seems that after a good, not great, regular season, Zetterberg re-established his credentials as one of the top two-way players in the game with his outstanding work in the playoffs. Not only is Zetterberg a gifted offensive performer, but he is a sound performer in all three zones.

Few players in the league can match the exceptional puckhandling skills of Datsyuk, the slick Russian center who tied his career-high with 97 points last season and has recorded a rating of at least plus-25 for four straight seasons. Datsyuk may have struggled in the postseason, but still dazzled on occasion with his creative offensive moves. Let’s not forget that he was playing hurt.

The Red Wings had only one real weakness in 2008-09: their penalty killing. They ranked 25th in the NHL with a 78.29 percent kill rate. I think Darren Helm and Jonathan Ericsson will help improve the club’s penalty-killing unit. The PK unit also would benefit from a better regular season performance by starting goalie Chris Osgood.

As for the defensive unit Nicklas Lidstrom performs at a level of consistency that is above and beyond the rest of the league and the 39-year-old was tremendous again last season. While it may not have necessarily been another Norris Trophy campaign, Lidstrom provides a security blanket for the entire franchise. In his mid-30s, Brian Rafalski has continued to perform at a high level, putting up a career-high 59 points last season. He may get outmuscled at times, but his mobility and puckhandling skills are an ideal fit for the Wings’ puck control style of play. In my opinion, Ericsson stands among the best young defensemen in the game. He’s a strong skater who is smooth with the puck and isn’t intimidated by the physical game. Watching him, you can’t help but think he has learned a lot from Detroit captain and fellow countryman Lidstrom. Clearly, Ericsson is a keeper who figures to be patrolling the Wings’ blue line for years to come.

When it come to goaltending the Red Wings are going to stick with who they’ve got. On the heels of what was the worst regular season of his career, Osgood’s strong playoff performance should provide some measure of confidence in his ability going into next season. Even at his best, Osgood doesn’t need to steal games for the Wings, just provide stable and consistent netminding.

Next Up On The NHL’s Off Season Report: The New Jersey Devils.

David — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 07:02:18 +0000

The New Jersey Devils were not really a bad club last season, they were solid offensively and defensively. They could have used another scorer but no one could predict that they would lose in the playoffs theway they did. New Jersey gave up two late goals in game 7 of their series with the Carolina Hurricanes. I believe the Devils’ biggest need is on defense, they need to upgrade that group. In a perfect scenario, they would add another top-four type to the blueline corps but we’ll have to see which direction New Jersey is headed in now that they signed head coach Jacques Lemaire. Lemaire is notorious for playing a defensive style of hockey, he likes to pinch the neutral zone instead of attacking the net. Lemaire, who coached the Devils for five seasons in the Mid 1990’s and led them to a stanley Cup Championship in 1995 will get a chance to match or better that record. The deal reunites Lemaire with general manager and president Lou Lamoriello and goaltender Martin Broduer, the combination that turned the devils from a contender to a champion. Lemaire first talked with the Devils GM about the vacant job before the NHL draft in June and the two reached an agreement this past weekend.

A problem for New Jersey is they let snipers Brian Gionta sign with the Montreal Canadiens and John Madden, 36, bid farewell and ended up signing with the Chicago Blackhawks. Both players will have to be replaced by the same type of player otherwise the Devils offense will suffer. The Devils are hoping that forward Tim Sestito who was just recently acquired from the Edmonton Oilers will be able to step up and fill Madden’s role. They also addressed some goaltending needs by signing free-agent Yann Danis. Danis spent last season with the New York Islanders organization and appeared in an NHL career-high 31 games, posting a 10-17-3 mark and leading the team with two shutouts. The 28-year-old had a .910 save percentage and 2.86 goals-against average.

The Devils’ franchise player is now Zach Parise, the star forward who has improved in each of his four NHL seasons. Parise was a legitimate MVP candidate last season and now faces the challenge of duplicating or even exceeding his 94-point season. At 32, Patrik Elias put up his best season since the lockout, notching a career-best 12 power play goals and tying his career mark of 31 power play points along the way. The Devils also hope that captain Jamie Langenbrunner has a repeat performance as he put up career bests in goals (29), assists (40), points (69) and plus-minus (plus-25). He has such good chemistry with Parise and Travis Zajac. Zajac enjoyed a breakout season, scoring 62 points and finishing with a plus-33 rating. As he matures, Zajac should become even more productive.

With the 20th pick in the draft New Jersey selected Swedish defenseman Jacob Josefson. Josefson is a very good two-way player. He shows good responsibility for his defensive duties. He’s more of a playmaker, a guy who sees the ice really well and creates a lot of scoring chances with his smooth passing skills. He’s also very good in traffic because he is an excellent stickhandler. The Devils are hoping that he can contribute due to their defensive shortcomings.

Given that the Devils finished fifth in the league, with 106 points, there isn’t a need for a dramatic roster overhaul. Rather, some tweaking is really all that the Devils would need to get back among the best teams in the league and as long as Martin Brodeur is in goal, they can count on another playoff berth. How far they go once they get there may depend on what kind of moves Lamoriello has up his sleeve this summer.

NHL’s Free Agency Period Spurs Flurry Of Signings And Trades

David — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:17:08 +0000

Yesterday was one of the most exciting days in the NHL, even though the excitement came in the off-season and off the ice. Free agency began at 12:01 am and teams wasted little time in scooping up the talent. By the time the day was over only a handful of top tier players remained. Names like Saku Koivu, Mat Sundin and Rob Scuderi are still available but won’t be for long. Word is that Koivu may end up in Minnesota playing along side his brother Mikko, they have a very strong bond with each other especially since Saku’s battle with cancer a few years ago. A reason that may torpedo the whole deal is that Saku is very respectful of his brother and what Mikko is hoping to accomplish as a professional hockey player. If Saku joined the Wild, he could possibly overshadow his brother. The desire to respect his brother’s place as an emerging leader in Minnesota may be a factor in Saku’s deciding to sign elsewhere. I would think though that the brothers would ultimately just want to play with each other for a few years. Besides, Mikko is 8 years younger then Saku, he has more than enough time to accomplish individual goals.

The city of Vancouver is happy today, the twins are staying put. Henrik and Daniel Sedin have agreed to separate five-year deals worth $30.5 million apiece to stay with the Canucks. The deals also include no-movement clauses. The two elite players scaled back their demands for a mega-multiyear deal and agreed to the twin contracts, ( no pun intended ). They were originally demanding 12 year $63 million each.

I knew the Montreal Canadiens were going to have a distinctly different look next season ( because of all of their free agents ), and that look began to take focus through a day of dramatic moves by GM Bob Gainey. After acquiring skilled, playmaking center Scott Gomez in a trade with the New York Rangers on Tuesday night, Gainey added Calgary free agent Mike Cammalleri, the sniper on the wing Gainey has long coveted. Cammalleri had 39 goals last season for the Flames. The Habs GM then added behemoth blueliner Hal Gill, fresh off his stint with the Stanley Cup-champion Pittsburgh Penguins, and underappreciated Jaroslav Spacek from the Buffalo Sabres. With Andrei Markov and Roman Hamrlik being fully healthy and defensive-minded coach Jacques Martin behind the bench, the Habs’ defense has the potential to be much-improved after finishing 21st in the league in goals allowed per game in 2008-09. The meltdown that occured in Montreal last year has left Gainey no choice but to go for broke. His job is now on the line, if this team he’s putting together doesn’t produce then he will be out of a job. Brian Gionta has also agreed to a five-year deal with the Canadiens. The Habs are hoping he regains his 2005-2006 form when he scored 48 goals and had 89 points with the New Jersey Devils.

A few names that still have yet to be moved are the Ottawa Senators Dany Heatley and Tampa Bay’s franchise player Vincent Lecavalier. For Lecavalier today meant total peace of mind. As of this morning the superstar center is in full control of his future. His no-movement clause kicked in Wednesday along with his 11-year, $85 million deal. Only he, and he alone, has the final say on whether he ever gets dealt and where. As for Heatley, things are still a bit cloudy. A trade to the Edmonton Oilers was completed Tuesday night but could not go through until Heatley decided whether to waive his no-movement clause. Heatley met with Edmonton Oilers president Kevin Lowe and GM Steve Tambellini in his offseason home of Kelowna, British Columbia, earlier Wednesday night, but the sales pitch didn’t produce an immediate result. Heatley has said before that his preference would be to play in New York for the Rangers but earlier in the day they picked up free agent star winger Marian Gaborik signing him to a 5 year $37.5 million contract, so that option is no longer available. One thing that should be mentioned is that Senators GM Bryan Murray has said all along that he’s not interested in moving Heatley after having to pay him the $4 million roster bonus that kicked in at midnight ET. If the deal does eventually go through then the Senators would get forwards Dustin Penner and Andrew Cogliano and defenseman Ladislav Smid in return.

The Chicago Blackhawks made a couple of interesting moves today. First they signed free agent forward Marian Hossa to a 12 year $68.2 million deal which will cost the Hawks an average of $5.2 million annually. Hossa was a key figure in the Wings’ five-game series victory over Chicago in the Western Conference finals this past spring. Now, he’ll be asked to help get the Blackhawks over the hump as they chase the Stanley Cup Trophy, which has eluded them since 1961. They then let goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin sign a four-year $15 million deal with the Oilers. I just don’t understand why you would let go the guy who carried you in the playoffs go. They also let Free agent Martin Havlat leave to sign with the Minnesota Wild. Havlat’s deal is 6 years for $30 million. I guess that’s why Dale Tallon is the GM and not me.

I thought that it was interesting to see Erik Cole stay in Carolina after failing to re-sign before the start of free agency. I think what you saw was a player getting a reality check on the open market and realized it was best to stay where he’s played his best hockey. He signed for $2.8 million next season and $3 million in 2010-11 — a pay cut from the $4 million he made this past season.

Some other NHL signings taking place yesterday was Colorado inking veteran goalie Craig Anderson to a two-year deal worth $3.625 million. Alex Ovechkin will get some help from winger Mike Knuble who has signed a two-year deal with the Washington Capitals for $5.6 million. Scrappy veteran Ian Laperriere has found a new home. He has signed a three-year deal worth $3.5 million with the Philadelphia Flyers. The Columbus Blue Jackets signed veteran center Samuel Pahlsson to a three-year deal worth $7.95 million. Steve Sullivan signed a two-year deal with the Nashville Predators for $7.5 million. The Ottawa Senators re-signed gritty winger Chris Neil to a four-year, $8 million contract.

More NHL Rumors Concerning The Canadiens–NHL Eyes Yankee Stadium For Winter Classic.

David — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:01:04 +0000

The Canadiens seem to be making the most noise before the NHL draft, which takes place at the Bell Center in Montreal. The rumors are now Vincent Lecavalier and Jay Bouwmeester coming in via trade and/or free agency. Tampa Bay is looking to shed their payroll and trading Lecavalier would save them something like 50 million dollars. He is definitely a franchise type player, someone you can build your team around. Lecavalier would love to come and play for the Canadiens, he grew up just outside of Montreal. Earlier in the season the Habs thought that they had a deal with the Lightning but things didn’t work out, maybe this time around it will. Bouwmeester becomes a free agent on July 1, but Canadiens GM Bob Gainey may be interested in trading for the Panther and trying to sign him before he hits the markets. If the deal happens, it will probably be prior to or during the NHL Draft on Friday. New Canadiens head coach Jacques Martin and former Panthers GM also wants Bouwmeester to anchor the Montreal Defense. As for Captain Saku Koivu, he has still not received an offer for next year. He has maintained that if he does not get a deal done by July 1st then he would test the free agent market.

I’m hearing that former Detroit Red Wing defenseman Chris Chelios may be offered a contract by his former club the Chicago Blackhawks. It’s been 10 years since he played in Chicago, but Blackhawks GM Dale Tallon might bring him back. Chelios only played in 28 games this year but feels that he can contribute somewhere for one more year. I think he would be a great addition to a young team like Chicago. His experience in the playoffs would be invaluable.

The NHL is eying Yankee Stadium as a venue for the 2011 Winter Classic. The game would feature the New York Rangers and the Washington Capitals. Leave it to the Steinbrenner’s to figure out a way to make revenue off the stadium in the winter. That’s capitalism at it’s best.

Dany Heatley should have his own sub-section when it comes to rumors concerning where he will play next year. Now the Los Angeles Kings are the favorites to land Heatley. Word is that Heatley will be swapped for Alex Frolov, the No. 5 pick in the draft and another player. Ottawa Senators GM Bryan Murray is trying to trade Heatley by July 1 to avoid paying his $4 million bonus. If he doesn’t pull off a trade, he may just keep Heatley for the season.

NHL Hall Of Fame Calling For 4 Players–Yzerman Leads Way.

David — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 08:52:41 +0000

Some people say to truly be considered one of the best hockey players of all-time, you have to be in the NHL Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame is where past greats like Wayne Greztky, Gordie Howe, Maurice Richard, Gump Worsley and the list goes on, are remembered for their unbelievable play. The sticks they used to score highlight goals, the jerseys they wore when they played in big games are just some of the many items and memorabilia that reside in the Hall of Fame. Most importantly when you walk through the Hall of Fame you get a sense of the greatness and what a privilege it is to be elected. Some players have good solid careers but don’t make the cut, it takes that special player(s) to be elected. This year the hall came calling for the maximum 4 players to be inducted, former Detroit Red Wings superstar Steve Yzerman leads the way for the impressive bunch. He ranks sixth all-time in points with 1,755, and played for 22 seasons ( all for Detroit ). He was named captain at age 21, won the Stanley Cup three times, and won a gold medal with Canada at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.

The remaining three players are Brett Hull, son of current Hall of Famer himself Bobby Hull who had an awesome career spending the bulk of his career in Chicago as a Blackhawk. Brett Hull was definitely no slouch, his 741 goals rank third all-time, he trails only Gretzky and Howe, and his 24 career playoff game-winning goals are tied with Gretzky for the most in NHL history. Brett Hull played for 19 years with the bulk of those in St.Louis. He received the Hart Trophy as league MVP in 1991. Luc Robitaille and Brian Leetch round out the group.

Leetch became the first American-born player to earn the Conn Smythe Trophy after leading the New York Rangers to the Stanley Cup in 1994. He also twice won the Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman. Leetch, whose career spanned 18 seasons (1987-2006), is one of just five defensemen to have a 100-point season. He spent most of his career with the Rangers.

Luc Robitaille’s stats made him a sure bet to get into the Hall of Fame. His 668 goals are the most by a left wing in history and he received the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie in 1987. He played 19 seasons, mostly with the Los Angeles Kings.

A pretty cool fact is that Yzerman, Hull and Robitaille won a Stanley Cup together while playing for the Red Wings in 2002 and now they get to enter the Hall of Fame together.