NHL 2010/2011

[Ruki]

Seriously....I am bad luck!

I was out with friends, not paying attention to the game....I come home and it's 2-1 for the Leafs. Now? 2-2. Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

Hopefully they can pull out the win, I would like Reimer to go 3-1

....wait......3-2 Leafs! YAY GUNNER!

[Plubby]

Reimer is 4-1, Ruki

[Ruki]

Bah, that is what I originally had, but I doubted myself and edited it.

[SeanDMan]

Si.com has a listing of all the masks this year, but Jason LaBarbera has to be hands down the best.

[Ruki]

Going through the list, Clemmensen has a shitty mask. Looks like a kid drew it

[Damian WayLNKe]

Varly for the win: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/1101/nhl-goalie-masks-by-team-2010-11/content.60.html

and then there's this: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/1101/nhl-goalie-masks-by-team-2010-11/content.19.html

[TGWL]

so Gaborik is the first person to score 4 goals this season.

[SeanDMan]

Might want to add in a game to have that make sense. >_>

[Toe]

The Rangers and Gaborik kicked Toronto's ass. I hope Ron Wilson isn't ruining Jonas Gustavsson. He is having a tough year, but he could still be our goaltender of the future.

[Gabriel]

The Calgary Flames need an estimated 50 points in 35 games to make the playoffs this season.

Jay Feaster has been the general manager for a couple of weeks now.

It's time to blow things up. 50 points in 35 games is a target that this team has not shown it can achieve, and that's just the way it is. Nobody should be considered untouchable. Feaster should be listening to offers on anyone and everyone, from Backlund to Iginla to Ivanans and prospects as well. Any moves that can be made to make the team better for next season, should be made. Even if it means taking on someone's shit player for the rest of the season so that a playoff team can drop the trash and use that cap space to bring in someone who can help them on their run to the cup.

[caucasianheat]

Unfortunately Calgary won't have the luxury of being a cap relief team and will have to go pretty much dollar-for-dollar (or less) with any trading partner. I see guys like Glencross and the super-cheap Morrison as good targets for teams wanting to add a piece, I'm sure they've had calls about Bourque as well. Those are probably some of their best assets that can be realistically moved and might yield picks or quality prospects.

[Gabriel]

Unfortunately Calgary won't have the luxury of being a cap relief team and will have to go pretty much dollar-for-dollar (or less) with any trading partner. I see guys like Glencross and the super-cheap Morrison as good targets for teams wanting to add a piece, I'm sure they've had calls about Bourque as well. Those are probably some of their best assets that can be realistically moved and might yield picks or quality prospects.

Glencross and Morrison are both guys who can be moved without worrying about next season. Bourque is too important to the team to move without bringing something immediate back.

It's our guys with no trades who are the ones who should be heading out. Guys like Iginla, Bouwmeester and Kiprusoff should be in play. Any one of those guys could bring back a prospect AND a roster player, easy... so long as the numbers work for both teams.

[SeanDMan]

Good luck moving overpaid, underperforming veteran players when you have to SHED cap numbers.

[Gabriel]

Good luck moving overpaid, underperforming veteran players when you have to SHED cap numbers.

The LA Kings have shown much interest in Iginla, and with Detroit's goaltending situation and the Nabokov debacle (where he will likely be claimed), I could see them perhaps taking Kiprusoff if the numbers could be worked out.

It's not so much about finding ways to shed salary, as it is about finding ways to improve the team for next season. Take on guys with the big cap hits and no term left on their deals... or guys with big hits who might do well in the Flames lineup... or just send single players away for a package that adds up monetarily and send some other guys to the minors to make room on the roster.

For instance, just a quick example.

Jarome Iginla to Los Angeles in exchange for Jarret Stoll and Alex Ponkiarovsky. Poni's deal is up at the end of the year, Stoll has one more season on his, and Iggy would be a top flight winger with the Kings for two seasons after this one, not to mention the fact that they have been looking for a solid top line winger and are very much in the hunt as contenders this year.

Of course, for that to work out, the Flames would have to get something else in return. Perhaps a Brayden Schenn or Thomas Hickey type prospect, and the Flames would have to add some stuff on our end, but it could work.

Also, if the Kings are serious about a run this year, why not throw out the idea of taking Kiprusoff as well? $5.8 for three more years, and we'll gladly take a prospect and some additional salary. Henrik Karlsson has been good, and a tandem with someone like Bernier or Quick wouldn't be hard to swallow at all.

Now, on the Kipper front, you look at Detroit, who won't end up with Nabokov unless Ken Holland's entered some sort of gentlemen's agreement with all other 29 NHL GMs. The numbers there are going to be a lot harder to manipulate, but it can be done. Clearly, Detroit isn't happy with their goaltending situation heading into the stretch drive, and Osgood is out for the season. Nabokov won't be the answer, because someone will take him on waivers. Kiprusoff though, could be a good bet there. Detroit plays a good defensive game and has never really been known for stellar goaltending. Having an elite level goalie, whether he's struggling or not, would do wonders for the team. The Wings might have to make some cap space with other deals to make it work out, but I'd gladly take Jimmy Howard or Joey MacDonald for the remainder of the season, provided that other compensation is involved in the form of some of the better offensively skilled depth players or prospects.

Anyone who would take Jay "the One Man Defensive Error Machine" Bouwmeester though, is out of their mind. His holes have been exposed, and he will not get another contract like the one he signed with us, ever again. No one will be dumb enough to give him that again.

[SeanDMan]

Fuck all of that, man, Calgary is a shithole.

In important news, Foppa is coming back!

[caucasianheat]

Sean's right, the litany of bloated NTC contracts Calgary has on the books are going to prevent them from making deals with any great ease. I like Iginla in LA and I think that rumour could probably heat up again with Feaster looking to make his mark and Lombardi searching for a way to put his team back in the playoffs. Whether Iginla goes or whether the Kings are interested in tying up cap space witha big contract right before they have to resign Drew Doughty is another matter.

FWIW and if the Kings are willing to make a big move and fuck themselves to make this run, in my mind CGY sending Iginla and Morrison with Stoll, a prospect (Teubert, Kozun, Hickey, lots to choose from) and a third or fourth round pick coming back seems equitable. It's unfortunate that selling off the franchise player probably still wouldn't be a drastic enough move to really facelift this team, thats how burdened they are with lousy contracts.

re: Nabokov, his contract makes him an ideal backup in Osgood's stead and I think that's all the Wings are really after. Holland said as recently as a couple weeks ago that he wasn't interested in making a big move to change things in net, I don't see them mortgaging their offense to move the salary for Kiprusoff. Signing a player out of the KHL for a song is Holland's MO moreso than making a headline trade and shaking things up midseason; if he can't get Nabokov they'll find another low impact solution. Bringing in an all-star goalie would really be a condemnation of Howard from management and he's played well this season. I don't know if they'll get Nabokov when all's finished (Ottawa probably has some sudden interest amongst others) but I think they want the option that doesn't disrupt a pretty successful group.

[SeanDMan]

Nabakov almost certainly doesn't clear waivers, though.

[caucasianheat]

It does seem unlikely but I don't think it changes the Wings' position much if Nabokov doesn't clear. I'm curious why a basement team hasn't already made the claim though.

Also, Mike Komisarek accused of punching a woman in the face.

[SeanDMan]

Finally, that ugly sucker punch that gave Sidney her concussion will be punished.

[Toe]

It looks like the Islanders have grabbed Nabokov. For the low price, I don't see why any team with issues in net would not take a chance on him.