The Hockey Thread

[Gabriel]

I would edit my last post again, but this is such big news.

Alex Kovalev is officially done as a Hab, as he has reportedly signed a contract with the Ottawa Senators. Bryan Murray will talk to the media a little under an hour from now.

What does this mean? Dany Heatley will, 100% for sure, not be returning to the team, unless Kovalev somehow signed a deal for peanuts.

EDIT: The deal is for two years, no word on how much yet.

Edited July 6, 2009 by Gabriel

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

Leafs get Beauchemin.

Are they gonna be converting these guys into wingers or something?

[SeanDMan]

Oh for fucks sake.

Like we needed Luongo to play MORE games.

[The Sultan of Swank]

If they don't keep Kaberle, the Lwafs officially have a

D which can compete, battle and shut down top players, which they haven't had in years so that's excellent for them as they hemmoraged goals last year. Kaberle can be traded for offense now. The leafs have their d now, there's no threat of them scoring but it looks like they'll be battling it out in a lot of 2-1 and 3-2 games. Without any real scoring threat they might lose a bunch of them but there's still 3 months till more hockey and obviously fixing the d was priority number one.

Bob needs to go? Maybe... I think we did do good to upgrade offensively, sort of. We replaced outgoing players with better players but I just feel like were not going to be much better next year. Our d will be fine without Komi as we got Spacek Gill and also Weber and Subban coming up. so this year it'll be depth on d. I just feel like the other teams in the East got more better than us. Ottawa has Kovy, Toronto won't give up 5 goals a game this year, Pronger is here...

We've got a whole new team, by game 82 either We finish highband Bob is a

Genius or it's a spectacular failure and we made only sideways progress.

[Gabriel]

Beauchemin gives Toronto 9 NHL defensemen.

Exelby, Finger, Frogren, Kaberle, Komisarek, Schenn, Van Ryn, White and now Frankie B.

But with Kabs likely on the move, I can see Frogren possibly playing in the AHL, unless Finger or Van Ryn can be moved as well.

Also, the Kovalev deal pays him $5 million per season... so, yeah... Heatley will NOT be returning to the Senators.

[Cactus Drags]

Rangers have signed Tyler Arnason... why?

Fortunately it's a two-way deal, stick him down in Hartford

WE'RE FREEEEEEEEE! FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE I TELLS YOU!

The Colorado Avalanche have traded Ryan Smyth to the Los Angeles Kings for defencemen Kyle Quincey, Tom Preissing and a fifth-round pick.

I like this trade. I LOVE Preissing, and we clear some good cap space (I assume) The bummer on this deal is that Sakic was rumoured to be not coming back (haven't seen it confirmed anywhere) and I think this all but confirms it.

It's not necessarily confirmation, but Sakic did apparently appear on the recent Team Canada Olympic Camp roster.

Also, for the same price as Darcy useless-piece-of-shit Tucker, the Avs could have kept Lappy, Guite and McCormick. But didn't. The Smyth trade is bizarre considering he was one of the best players in Colorado last year (not saying much I know) and the Avs were hardly deep at the wing with him. Seems management is only interested in cutting costs, not putting a decent team on the ice.

Since when could you only do one of those things? Sure, they moved Ryan Smyth, but they added depth to their back end, AND have signed a guy in Craig Anderson, who very well could have pushed Tomas Vokoun out of Florida and stolen the number one job there.

The way I see it, they're removing cap space that people will take (and believe me, no one is going to take Darcy Tucker unless Colorado takes back someone of equal value and output), and they're rebuilding their team with relatively inexpensive pieces that need the opportunity to prove that they are ready to be top guys. Anderson is a great example of that. I believe he signed for less than $2 million a season, but I can't recall exactly. Inexpensive, and ready to prove he's a legit number one guy.

I like what they're doing there.

Admittedly, I didn't make the point very well. I was questioning the Avalanche's judgement, letting three guys who are fan favourites, proper heart-and-soul guys go, yet the unpopular and largely useless Darcy Tucker has a roster spot for the same price. The Smyth move just leaves us with a bunch of meh defensemen who could but might not pan out, at the same time thinning us out at left wing, where we're already thinned out (Chris Stewart, Cody McLeod and new signing David Koci). They're not rebuilding, they're hoping that their cut-price players aren't going to be useless sacks of shit.

[SeanDMan]

This year is all about cutting salary and making room for next year. Look at all the UFA guys next year, man. Don't worry, it's all part of the plan. </Maple Leafs Fan>

[Gabriel]

I definitely understood what you were talking about.

I'm just saying... you move what you can. The reason the fan favorites are gone is because they were moveable assets. Who's going to want Darcy Tucker? The Avalanche are stuck with him at the price tag he has. Actually, you know what, if the Edmonton deal for Heatley falls through, a straight switch, Tucker for Dustin Penner, might benefit both teams. Penner would have different players to work off of in Colorado, and Tucker is the physical kind of force that the Oilers were hoping Penner would be.

[Cactus Drags]

Ian Lapperriere was probably the most important player on the team last year. The dude's a warrior.

[NobBe Nobbs]

This year is all about cutting salary and making room for next year. Look at all the UFA guys next year, man. Don't worry, it's all part of the plan. </Maple Leafs Fan>

Replace "Maple Leafs" with "Knicks" and it's still valid!

[Gabriel]

Ian Lapperriere was probably the most important player on the team last year. The dude's a warrior.

There's a very good crop of young talents in Colorado, and it's unfortunate to lose a guy like Lappy, because as you said, he was the most important guy to the team last season... but at the same time, they weren't going to win with what they had. Sakic is almost done and with a new GM and Coach, the team needs to find an identity and build.

There are still plenty of good players on the market, and the team doesn't have to be bad this upcoming season. Bombing obviously isn't the plan, otherwise they would have just kept Raycroft instead of signing a number one guy.

[SeanDMan]

I predict a bounceback, Vezina candidate season for Raycroft in the 5 games he plays against mediocre opposition.

[Plubby]

I sort of get where Dragsy is coming from. I get that we have to rebuild, but it STIIIIIIINKKSSSSS to lose Lappy to pay that price. I'm willing to wait on the new season to see how we go and not pass judgement on Goofy Greg Sherman yet, but all I can say is that he better get REAL busy in FA fast, because we are shooorrrt on goalscoring up front.

[Cactus Drags]

Hopefully Super Joe gives us one more year, because we had trouble enough lighting the lamp lastyear and there's even less firepower out there at the moment.

[Toe]

Exelby, Finger, Frogren, Kaberle, Komisarek, Schenn, Van Ryn, White and Beauchemin

If Kaberle stays, those are the six I see starting for the Leafs. Finger has a big contract that you can't really move and is a guy I think Burke would want on his team, while Van Ryn could probably be moved but isn't worth too much due to his history of injuries.

Kaberle is the quarterback on the powerplay while Ian White has the ability to get the puck on net, even if he is firing through a crowd. Outside of White and Kaberle, we have a lot of defensive ability and grit. We lacked that last year outside of Finger.

[The Sultan of Swank]

leafs being investigated for tampering per the fan 590.

[The Sultan of Swank]

Gustavsson signs with the Leafs. Time to see how he does in the NHL. 1 year 900,000

[NobBe Nobbs]

Jonas Gustavsson puts an end to the speculation, he's with us for a year at $810k. Quite where this leaves Pogge, I don't know.

Also, Chicago have kept Cam Barker around for another three years at about $3.1 million a season.

[Reddaye]

Quite where this leaves Pogge, I don't know.

In the AHL to continue working on his game, I'd assume. He had troubles even holding down the starting position on the Marlies half the time from what I've heard. With Allaire around to work with him a little bit, he should improve a bit more...maybe get a call up or two.

There's no way he's ready to play as even a backup at the NHL level. Maybe with our newly built defense he'd have an easier time...but I dunno.

[Toe]

Not a fan of Gustavsson signing for just a single season, but if Toskala falters, he will be given a shot to be #1.