***The 2011 NHL Off Season Discussion Thread***

[nyr469]

Thats who it should be. However it's possible that Tamballini will listen to teams willing to trade for it too. A lot of rumours right now.

i don't think they will move the pick. i think like last year they threw it out there so if another team wants to severally overpay they will listen. but they aren't looking to move the pick...

[samcanadian]

the senators and the flames really are terrible. I think that the leafs will make the playoffs, I was really impressed with the 2nd half of their season...it seemed as if the team was finally coming together. Kulemin, Grabovski, Armstrong, Kadi and MacArthur were all impressive, but obviously Reimer was the star. If he plays the way he did last season he will lead them to the playoffs. And with the draft picks coming up and the long break, hopefully Ron Wilson and the leafs can get their **** together to become stanley cup contenders. I'd like to see them win it before i'm dead, please

I wonder if Kadri can stick it out. He's looked really good and REALLY bad in his callups and I wonder if the Leafs are rushing him.

Grabovski and Armstrong are going to help that franchise a lot though I think. There are enough building blocks now to at least set the team up for a fresh injection of talent from the trade flurry before the deadline if it looks like they'll be able to compete.

[thegenerel]

Colby Armstrong is a 2/3 line tweener. he was bff's with Crosby and couldnt make it work with Sid. at best he is a 20/20 guy, and has reached 40 pts (exactly) twice.

[GetBigyo]

This sucks that Sather can't ****ing buyout Drury.

Hopefuly he just retires if it is a career ending injury but he won't because I think he'll lose his 5 mill.


nooooooooooo

[LVI]

yess! Bieksa for captain! Kessler wouldn't be a bad pick either. On a side note, I think that the leafs and the oilers are going to do very well next season...surprisingly.

I'm no wizard, but 2 yrs ago right after Khabi's injury i callled to my co workers that we'd finish dead last. we did and got Hall.

Last year i predicted a 11-15 place western Div finish. We did and have 1st again. Next year we'll probably get somewhere between 8-12th. Possibly fighting for that last spot a little past the trade deadline, or not at all; but not bad enough to be a lotery pick.

But in 2 seasons i can see a similar regular season to what the Penguins and Hawks showed in there 1st years back into legitimate contention.

[samcanadian]

Colby Armstrong is a 2/3 line tweener. he was bff's with Crosby and couldnt make it work with Sid. at best he is a 20/20 guy, and has reached 40 pts (exactly) twice.

I think he's more consistant in that role than a lot of other guys they've had go through there. Good depth player, anyway. You're right though, it's not like he's going to lead the scoring charge for them next season.

[thegenerel]

- Wild hire Mike Yeo, was Pens assistant in 09, hired to coach Houston Aeros last year. He was in charge of the PP here, and it was not very good...eh, not crazy about him as a coach

- Pittsburgh has 5 prospects in the draft this year, which is pretty huge for the area. Malone and Umberger are the best, 13 total have made it to the NHL. Also Parros (he was born in an area that is all farms and fields...odd), Christian Hanson, Dylan Reese (NYI), Grant Lewis (ATL/WPG), and Matt Bartkowksi with the Bruins.

John Gibson - #1 NA Goalie
Brandon Saad - #19 NA Skater
JT Miller - #23 NA Skater
Vince Trochek - #41 NA Skater
Michael Houser - #19 NA Goalie

I would be pumped if the Pens got Saad, he was #8 NA Skater a few months ago. The area goes from 13 NHL'ers EVER to getting at least 5 drafted this year, maybe 1-3 in the 1st round.

[Jaroctor]

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Jan-L...tract/89/36444

Looks like Rangers are out of the Richards race, there's no way they can afford him and sign all their RFAs.

That knee condition would explain very well why he was struggling the last few years.

The fact he even played is actually pretty impressive

[nyr469]

This sucks that Sather can't ****ing buyout Drury.

Hopefuly he just retires if it is a career ending injury but he won't because I think he'll lose his 5 mill.


nooooooooooo

well if he is forced to retire due to injury he could get a chunk of that $$ as an insurance settlement...thats what i'm hoping for.

[Bodybreak]

Colby Armstrong is a 2/3 line tweener. he was bff's with Crosby and couldnt make it work with Sid. at best he is a 20/20 guy, and has reached 40 pts (exactly) twice.

Agreed but armstrong is worth far more than just numbers.

[TheGoldenGoal87]

Colby Armstrong is a 2/3 line tweener. he was bff's with Crosby and couldnt make it work with Sid. at best he is a 20/20 guy, and has reached 40 pts (exactly) twice.

Armstrong brings more to the game than just scoring. If the Leafs can fill the #1 C position by either signing (Richards) or Trade (Stastny perhaps?), as well as get a legit PMD (Wisnewski, Ernhoff etc) while we wait for Gardiner to develop I think we will not only make the playoffs but have a chance to go deep.

[nyr469]

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Jan-L...tract/89/36444

Looks like Rangers are out of the Richards race, there's no way they can afford him and sign all their RFAs.

this does not take the rangers out of the richards race...first they can afford richards even without getting rid of drury. And it only impacts their summer cap until they can put drury on LTIR. it just makes life more difficult but it can still work.

worst case scenario it forces them to buyout wolski which frees up the same $3.3 mil that a drury buyout would have.

[thegenerel]

Agreed but armstrong is worth far more than just numbers.

Armstrong brings more to the game than just scoring. If the Leafs can fill the #1 C position by either signing (Richards) or Trade (Stastny perhaps?), as well as get a legit PMD (Wisnewski, Ernhoff etc) while we wait for Gardiner to develop I think we will not only make the playoffs but have a chance to go deep.

I know these things, I watched him play for the first 4/5 years of his career. He fills the 3rd line role really well, but is marginal as a 2nd line RW. He is a good guy to have as part of a team, and helps bring everyone together. 3M might be too much for everything he brings though.

[Bodybreak]

Armstrong brings more to the game than just scoring. If the Leafs can fill the #1 C position by either signing (Richards) or Trade (Stastny perhaps?), as well as get a legit PMD (Wisnewski, Ernhoff etc) while we wait for Gardiner to develop I think we will not only make the playoffs but have a chance to go deep.

I think its richards or bust and if we dont get him then you just pray to god bozak was just having a sophmore slump.

Getting a guy like statsny will cost far too much. Also Id take Ernhoff but I think Wiz is way overpriced.

TBH I was happy with our defense corps coming down the stretch, they had one of the best GA coming down the stretch and were in the top 10 for GF coming from defenseman. Dion really started to shine.

I know these things, I watched him play for the first 4/5 years of his career. He fills the 3rd line role really well, but is marginal as a 2nd line RW. He is a good guy to have as part of a team, and helps bring everyone together. 3M might be too much for everything he brings though.

Idk yet, hes yet to have a solid season with the leafs so we will see.

But from what I saw he was awesome, just a great character player who could shut down the top players and add a little offense.

[thegenerel]

wow, Puck Daddy's blog ripped apart the Canucks



http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puc...medium=twitter

Ed. Note: As the Stanley Cup Playoffs continue, we're bound to lose some friends along the journey. We've asked for these losers, gone but not forgotten, to be eulogized by the people who knew the teams best: The fans who hated them the most. Here is Sam Fels of the Chicago Blackhawks blog Second City Hockey, fondly recalling the 2010-11 Vancouver Canucks. Again, this was not written by us. Also: This is a roast and you will be offended by it, so don't take it so seriously.)

By Sam Fels

I think there was a part of all of us that wanted to see how much trash the Rogers Arena crowd could throw into the Cup from the top deck. Instead, Canucks fans, you saved it for Gary Bettman, which has to be the hardest target ever. Not only is it classless, but far too challenging. You work your way up to that, people. Maybe start with that latest car you set on fire.

Anyway, we've come here today to kick dirt, dance gleefully, avoid the fires witness the burial of the Vancouver Canucks.

Oh how they told us it would be different this year. What was it you said after the Hawks were defeated? "They've slayed the dragon?" Well, it doesn't really help if you slay the dragon but the town is still destroyed. It helps less if you destroy the town yourself.

Eulogy: Remembering the 2010-11 Vancouver Canucks

Ryan Kesler(notes) doing his "how do you like me now" celebration over a smoldering rubble just isn't the same.

But little did we know that barely escaping the first round against a beat-up and exhausted 8th-seed in OT wasn't the Prestige, but merely the Turn. As we all know, making what is known suddenly disappear isn't enough — you have to bring it back. Well, unless you're named Sedin. And thankfully, you did bring back the Canucks we all knew and…well, knew, just in time.

That's OK, maybe you can hang yet another meaningless banner that you seem to love so much to commemorate your 1st-round victory. Right there next to that one applauding yourselves. After all, you gave one to Markus Naslund(notes). What, was Gerald Diduck busy that day?

Hey, you there, lighting the car on fire. We know how you in B.C. like to medicate yourselves in times of stress, but you can't hotbox an entire province. Save that for your car or bathroom. Oh? What? Oh is that Canucks fans acting without any class? Sorry, I should have guessed. Anyway, let's move on.

Fear not Nucks fans, this can be a time of learning. You….what? I'm sorry, what did you say? "Learning"? It means to acquire knowledge for future use. You're not familiar with that? Well, stick with us here, you might be. I know, it's going to be rough, but I promise you'll get through it. And put that Malakhtov cocktail down, you still look like a wanker.

Eulogy: Remembering the 2010-11 Vancouver Canucks

Right, first thing you can learn? Don't trumpet your offseason acquisitions as strokes of utter genius in July. That tends to turn people off.

Yes, Dan Hamhuis(notes) is a fine D-man. Chris Pronger(notes) he ain't. If he were, he wouldn't have been so ably replaced by one Cody Franson(notes) in Nashville, who then proceeded to go farther than they ever have. But it must be something in the water up there that turns players into lamentable characters. Even after Hamhuis waxed so lyrical about how frightened he was of what concussions meant long term, there he was trying to combine his elbow with Dave Bolland's(notes) cerebellum after he had just returned from the same affliction. Must be what you make legal over there.

Keith Ballard(notes)? Ah, he was going to really add to things too, wasn't he? And I'll bet he did. No one attacks the pressbox spread like Keith Ballard. Everyone knows this.

What else can you learn? Your midseason acquisitions won't redefine the sport either. Oh you Canadian media, you try so hard. It's kind of adorable. Picking up Maxim Lapierre(notes), you made it seem like Guy Carboneau was cloned and brought back to his younger years. And yet when the Ducks acquired him, it considered a case of Anaheim just wanting yet another piece of trash. Hmmm. Chris Higgins(notes)? The man with a picture in the post office in New York and Montreal? He was the difference? God, that is some really good stuff you have in the bong, isn't it?

But there's so much more you can glean from this year, Nucks fans. The biggest lesson is that there is something as using up all your "Hockey Magic" too soon.

Every Cup winner has it. Those moments where you know it's destined to be yours. You have to spread them out. But you couldn't do that, could you? Blew your wad too excitedly? We've heard you have that problem. After all the dives, and non-calls against, and the goals that went in off someone's body, and the non-suspensions, there was a moment when you should have known the well went dry.

You were too busy celebrating, but you could hear it: It was when Alex Burrows scored in OT in Game 2 of the Final. Because he shouldn't have been on the ice, and you knew it. You ignored it, but you knew. And when he scored, you could here the savings account of karma or magic run dry. You were out. There was nothing left. And then the overage charges started when Aaron Rome(notes) hit Nathan Horton(notes) late enough to fit four Rene Rancourt fist-pumps in.

But there are other lessons to be learned. I know, you're getting dizzy now, but this could help. You can learn that your coach is an utter dunderhead.

Yes, he got you this far, but don't you think there's a reason that for the past three years your team has been wound so tight their collective colon is up around their eyeballs?

Your GM, slightly less of a dunderhead but far more of an air-raid siren, did his best to make this team Vigneault-proof. Almost pulled it off. While we're on the subject of Mike "I would have gotten away with it if it weren't for these meddling refs" Gillis, you can't really complain about officiating when you have Raffi Torres(notes), Lapierre, Burrows and Bieksa roaming around. That's truly a case of the pot calling the kettle a cheat and a cheap shot artist, and then punching him in the back of the head. The latter maneuver will be heretofore known as "The Canuck Handshake."

Hang on tight, we're almost done. All that caterwauling you did about Ryan Kesler's underperformance? Kesler was hurt you say? Then what does it say when he was the only Canuck during Game 7 who looked like he wasn't skating through birthsauce? And yet he could still only manage to fire it off the glass again. So excitable that one, must be contagious in B.C.

Which brings us to the Sedins.

Have two players ever rung up a Hart Trophy and Hart Trophy nomination that are so hollow? They can have their own percussion section now, though they'd actually have to make contact with something to make that work.

But remember, if you absolutely need someone to dominate in the playoffs when you have a two-man advantage, the Sedins are….well, a candidate. Anything else, they can't help you. But hey, you're only paying them for three more seasons while they're on the wrong side of 30.

So where to now, Canucks? I imagine it involves overpaying Kevin Bieksa(notes) and watching him return to the yappy douchebag ways while he does the Dougie over to the penalty box repeatedly. It probably involves moving Christian Ehrhoff(notes) along while keeping Alex Edler, both of whom leave their feet on a check so much one wonders if Quinn The Eskimo just arrived. If he did, you'd only hurl debris at him anyway.

It probably involves a lot of wailing about if only Manny Malhotra(notes) had been around the whole playoffs, even though he was there the whole Final. Sharks fans can tell you with striking clarity what a difference he might have made. A healthy Hamhuis? Yes, assuredly one player could make up the minus-16 goal-difference you racked up in the Final. Except you'd have to pay that player $45 million a year plus virgins.

But what it should be is a realization that your best opportunity to bring the Cup home is gone, and isn't coming back. Both the Wings and Hawks have cap space to improve. The Sharks might finally figure out that tossing out the same 9 forwards every year and expecting different results is what lands people in rubber rooms. Maybe Dean Lombardi in LA grows a pair and brings in another premier forward (sit down, Penner!) to compliment the overworked Anze Kopitar(notes).

You'll still gather your points against what is a sitcom of a division, but elsewhere everyone is coming for you.

In the first draft of this, I surmised that you should be happy you lost. Because winning would have given you an identity, and that's not what you are. You're Western Canada's faceless team. No history, no tradition, you're basically the Pacific Time Zone Senators.

Your other neighbors there in the West have Cups and Hall of Famers and classic uniforms. You? You have a statue of a guy bitching about the refs immortalized. Oh, and Trevor Linden got a gate named after him. All your so-called rituals are stolen. Your Green Men? Taken from "It's Always Sunny." Your towels? Preceded in Pittsburgh by a decade. Your PA announcer's "Woo!" after goal announcements? Taken from your most recent conquerors. Your colors? Whaler-colors. Your original logo is the most perfect, non-descript in every way, giving no indication as to what you are or what you do.

And based on the damage around the city, apparently you've decided to adapt the Montreal method for dealing with loss. You couldn't even be original in your pathetic-ness. Maybe the problem is hitting the ice to U2. Are all your fans single women over 30? Apt that it's "Where The Streets Have No Name". They don't now, you burned all the signs.

But in the clear of the morning, I and all of us have come to realize that these playoffs did give you an identity. You are clearly marked out as a classless organization and fanbase, and a gutless team. That will go down in history.

Think about what you've accomplished. You couldn't rally the country of Canada around you in the least, and they'd get behind 13 hobos and a sloth if they thought it might bring back the Cup across the border for the first time since 1993.

Moreover, you turned a giant swath of people into rooting for a Boston team. You know how hard that is? Most outside New England consider Boston sports to be the athletic world's shingles. Singularly unpleasant. And we all became fervent fans of theirs these past two weeks. Brad Marchand(notes) is a human nut-punch, and yet we were all leaping through the air like he was when he scored (no, not leaping like that, Alex and Christian).

I doubt there's been a team and fans that the rest of the hockey world took such glee in watching them fail. Now you can stop wondering why everyone hates you, like the kid in high school who ratted out the biggest party of the year to the faculty and wonders why he isn't a hero. You can stop invading our blogs to look for love, like your goalie who needed it from the opposing stopper.

(Hey Roberto, allow me to borrow a line from Tallahassee to chide you for your wanted affirmation from Timbo. Didn't you ever read "He's just not that into you"? You can't make yourself too available.)

When we're all done shaking our heads at your shameful, pathetic, and simply abhorrent displays after Game 7, everyone not in blue and green is going to be laughing at you. Laughing at your now empty-smugness. Laughing at your sense of entitlement. Laughing at your complaints. Laughing at your tears.

Laughter, laughter. All you will ever hear or see is laughter.

Laughter, laughter. Laughing at all your cries!

[AgRyan]

[Ralph Wiggum]

I'm not sure if Bryzgalov would even sign with Philly. Look what happened with Hamhuis last year.

Bryzgalov wants a lot of money.

Bryz and his wife flew in to Philly this week from Moscow. I'm pretty sure he's interested. They are waiting til the salary cap is announced to see what they have to do to get it done.

[samcanadian]

Bryz and his wife flew in to Philly this week from Moscow. I'm pretty sure he's interested. They are waiting til the salary cap is announced to see what they have to do to get it done.

He'd help that team out a LOT if they can get him signed. I wonder what he'll make compared to what he made in Phoenix ($4.5 or something?)

[ChaseW]

Bryz and his wife flew in to Philly this week from Moscow. I'm pretty sure he's interested. They are waiting til the salary cap is announced to see what they have to do to get it done.

yeah they were checking out school districts and looking at houses so it's not exactly a longshot he gets signed...

[VTheKing]

I think the only Canadian teams that will get worse are probably the Canucks (Not like they'll be that much worse, but you can't really improve from a Game 7 Stanley Cup appearance) the Senators and the Flames. The Flames just about need to blow up that team, they're garbage.

Win the Cup before a Game 7?

Canucks CAN get better, but it really depends on what MG does this offseason. Unfortunately Luongo is unmovable so we can't take a gamble with Schneider, call up Lack and essentially have $4M extra to spend on a big-time winger.

Let's see how things work out. Assuming that:

-Hansen, Torres, Bieksa, Lappy all get raises.
-Salo takes a discount
-Ehrhoff, Higgins walk



CAPGEEK.COM CAP CALCULATOR

FORWARDS
Daniel Sedin ($6.100m) / Henrik Sedin ($6.100m) / Alexandre Burrows ($2.000m)
Mason Raymond ($2.550m) / Ryan Kesler ($5.000m) / Mikael Samuelsson ($2.500m)
Raffi Torres ($1.500m) / Manny Malhotra ($2.500m) / Jannik Hansen ($1.225m)
Victor Oreskovich ($0.575m) / Maxim Lapierre ($1.000m) / Cody Hodgson ($1.666m)

DEFENSEMEN
Dan Hamhuis ($4.500m) / Kevin Bieksa ($4.250m)
Alexander Edler ($3.250m) / Sami Salo ($2.000m)
Keith Ballard ($4.200m) / Chris Tanev ($0.900m)
/ Aaron Rome ($0.750m)

GOALTENDERS
Roberto Luongo ($5.333m) / Cory Schneider ($0.900m)

CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(these totals are compiled without the bonus cushion)
SALARY CAP: $59,400,000; CAP PAYROLL: $58,700,000; BONUSES: $850,000
CAP SPACE (21-man roster): $600,001

IF the cap raises to $63 Million as rumored then we can afford to sign either a goal-scoring or an all-around winger to play with Kesler. If that doesn't happen, we can move Ballard for whatever we can get, try signing a veteran D-man for a 1-year deal and also get that winger. Don't have that much time to venture who exactly but I'll come back later.

[Mac_xX]

Any other caps fans unbury themselves from the sand yet?

I hope GMGM makes some moves this summer, instead of insisting that the current roster is okay. For starters, Jeff Schultz needs to go.


Alzner - Carlson
Hannan - Green
Wideman/Poti(if he returns?)/The Orlov/Erskine

I'd like to see them move Alex Semin, thank **** he doesn't have a retarded contract.....

Semin+ for Kesler? yes pls.

Haha yeah, like we need another soft forward from europe on our team.

IMO Kesler should be the captain now, take it from Henrik.

[thegenerel]

yeah they were checking out school districts and looking at houses so it's not exactly a longshot he gets signed...

youmustbenew.jpeg

a few years ago when Gaborik was a free agent, all this talk of him buying a house meant he was a lock to sign with Vancouver

[JM2412]

Bryzgalov just joined twitter (I'm pretty sure it's him).

http://twitter.com/#!/bryzgoalie30

I translated some of his earlier posts and he says, "Negotiations, negotiations, negotiations." and "Wait for the news! Soon, soon.".

Take it for what it's worth...

[thegenerel]

Bryzgalov just joined twitter (I'm pretty sure it's him).

http://twitter.com/#!/bryzgoalie30

I translated some of his earlier posts and he says, "Negotiations, negotiations, negotiations." and "Wait for the news! Soon, soon.".

Take it for what it's worth...

sounds like we are about the get invaded. start manning the AA guns

[CLEAN_SET_OF_10]

i made this

[brandon2743]

http://tloadbalancer-2048871061.us-e...omas-handshake

[Coppatop]

http://tloadbalancer-2048871061.us-e...omas-handshake

HOLY SH*T!! I laughed the entire time at that hahah. Will rep on recharge.

[Slayer12]

i made this

nice brah

[Slayer12]

http://tloadbalancer-2048871061.us-e...omas-handshake

pervert

[JM2412]

Oh snap.

@bryzgoalie30
bryzgoalie30
I went to Geno's and ate legendary pillycheesesteak! If you are there be sure to ask for new item on the menu phillycheesebryz