One Year Ago
- Quincey
- O’Sullivan
- Calder
- Preissing
- Armstrong
- Boyle
- Gauthier
- Zeiler
Today:
- Smyth
- Williams
- Parse
- Segal
- Jones
- Scuderi
- Drewiske
(LaBarbera was traded a year ago yesterday)
That’s O’Sullivan, Calder and Armstrong for Smyth and Williams; Boyle and Zeiler for Parse and Segal; Quincey, Preissing and Gauthier for Scuderi, Drewiske and Jones.
Brian Boyle Throwing Punches at His Own Teammates — via Ranger Rants
One thing to remember: hockey players fighting is not like you fighting with somebody, even a friend. For the most part, it’s a very swift current taking the water under the bridge. So Brian Boyle and Brandon Dubinsky lobbing a couple of punches at each other at today’s optional skate is not headline material. The two were quickly separated, even as Aaron Voros tried to get in on the action, and joked about it together soon after in the dressing room.“We’re giving you stuff to write about,” Dubinsky told the media as he passed by Boyle’s stall. “The stuff you write is so stale.”Boyle, who missed Monday’s 3-1 win at Carolina after his back went out in the first period of Saturday’s 2-1 win at Philadelphia, said he was hoping to play tomorrow when the Rangers host the Panthers prior to their two-day Christmas break. But Boyle seemed to be walking pretty stiffly and coach John Tortorella might not be looking to change his lineup after a very solid game.
via Ranger Rants.
Lowetide: Writing Off O’Sullivan
It looks like the Oilogosphere has made up its mind about Patrick O’Sullivan. He’s been an Oiler for over half a season and hasn’t delivered close to his established level of ability. It’s my belief that if we took a long look at O’Sullivan’s successful seasons 05-06 in the minors and 07-08 in the majors and then compared them to this year we’d find out some things.
A quick glance at his career tells us that most of his NHL goals scored before arrival in Edmonton were at even strength 30 at EV, 7 on the PP and 4 on the PK and that he played mid-level opposition with good linemates in the 2007-08 season. He played about 18 minutes a night that season 13:38 at EV, 2:25 on PP and 2:38 on PK.So I think a case could be made that O’Sullivan is an NHL player. If the Oilers had the depth to be able to play him in a similar role mid-level opponent, good linemates, lots of EV time to the one he played in Los Angeles one could argue the Oilers would have more than three Tyler made an excellent point last night about Penner, Horcoff and Gagner players who could help them win hockey games.
Patrick O’Sullivan doesn’t look like a difference maker [...]. However, there is some evidence that he can play in the NHL and on this team that has tremendous value.
Gare Joyce reflects on the effects of getting cut in juniors
I remember Mike Comrie and Matt Zultek tearing it up in the last exhibition game on the eve of the cut and yet they still got the early wake-up call. “Sour” doesn’t start to describe their reaction. Comrie has gone on to a pretty decent NHL career, although not one distinguished by team success and not one endorsed by the love of his team-mates. Would playing at the world juniors, wearing the red and white, changed his attitude and made him less of a me-first guy? Maybe, but probably a long shot. Zultek, a mid-first-rounder in the previous NHL draft, couldn’t have known that his career would be wrecked by knee injuries but at least he had a chance to score a Memorial Cup-winning goal with the Ottawa 67s. Still, a turn with the Canadian juniors would have been something he could treasure, another parting gift. (Last time I talked to him he was working as a firefighter in Pennsylvania.)
The Hockey News/The Hot List: The Hot List: Panik room
6. Nick Bjugstad, C – Blaine Bengals (Minn. HS): A towering 6-foot-5, 190-pound pivot, Bjugstad will be one to watch on the Minnesota high school circuit this year. The Golden Gophers commit already hung a hat trick on a good Roseau team and the points won’t stop there. Draft eligible in 2010.
Scott Bjugstad’s nephew. Woot.
via The Hockey News: The Hot List: The Hot List: Panik room.
The American Hockey League | AHL announces suspensions
The AHL also announced that Rockford IceHogs goaltender Dan Cloutier has been suspended for one (1) game as a result of his actions in a game vs. Manitoba on Dec. 6.
Cloutier was suspended under the provisions of AHL Rule 51.4 after being assessed a match penalty for roughing.
Cloutier will miss Rockford’s game on Friday (Dec. 11) at Texas.
via TheAHL.com | The American Hockey League | AHL announces suspensions.
The Copper & Blue weighs the value of Patrick O’Sullivan
When O’Sullivan was acquired at the trade deadline, his acquisition along with a second round draft pick in exchange for impending UFA Erik Cole and a 5th rounder was widely considered a master stroke by Oilers‘ GM Steve Tambellini. “We got two years plus of O’Sullivan for 20 games of Cole … what a steal!” went the refrain. Indeed, when Tambellini converted the second-rounder into Ales Kotalik, a big experienced winger who came a lot closer than O’Sullivan did to replacing Cole down the stretch, the argument could be made that Oilers got O’Sullivan for next to nothing.
Except the man with the unfortunate acronym of “POS” came with a contract, one that included both term and substantial dollars. In other words, we got an asset and a liability. Which weighs more?
Follow the link, read the rest: This contract is a POS – The Copper & Blue.
Rangers Analysis: Grading the Blueshirts thus far – Blueshirt Banter
Brian Boyle: I expected more scoring out of him and currently he is doing little more than taking the body occasionally. He always talks about how he needs to score more but he only has 2 goals. Grade C-.
via Rangers Analysis: Grading the Blueshirts thus far – Blueshirt Banter.
O’Sullivan is the worst defensive player on the Oilers right now – Cult of Hockey
Patrick O’Sullivan plays the easiest of defensive positions, the wing, and yet he leads the team in defensive errors. This guy is leaking goals. Now, I’ve had a few folks tell me I’m too hard on him, and I should be patient, he’ll start scoring.
Let me make this clear — I’m not so worried about his lack of production. I’m sure he’ll score more (especially if he’s again put on a line with Anze Kopitar).
But this leaking of goals against, it has to do with a lack of effort, a lack of hockey acumen, a lack of fight, and it’s got to stop, and I won’t be letting up on Mr. O’Sullivan until he picks it up in this regard.
via O’Sullivan is the worst defensive player on the Oilers right now – Cult of Hockey.
Not ready for prime time – The Copper & Blue
Several still-not-ready-for-prime-time players have posted some underwhelming numbers at both ends of the rink: Robert Nilsson, 1 goal, -12; J.F. Jacques, 2 goals, -9; Patrick O’Sullivan, 4 goals, -11. Ouch, ouch, and more ouch.
Thanks for nothing, Mike Milbury – Cult of Hockey
Mike Milbury of the CBC, who didn’t exactly cover himself in glory as the general manager of the New York Islanders, offered the following to Oilers management:
“They got to find the rats and get them off the ship because in this situation guys will start to reveal their character, guys who don’t want to get hit in the corner, guys who don’t want to play tough and dirty. You might as well get rid of them now because they’re not doing any good. You got nothing else to lose, if you’re going to go out, go out with guys on your shield, guys who want to play hard.”
And exactly how Mr. Milbury, in this age of guaranteed contracts and the salary cap, are you going to do that?
Let’s say you decide that Ethan Moreau is a rat, which I don’t think he is, just an aging grinder. He’s got another year left on his $2 million per year deal. Who is going to take him?
Same with Patrick O’Sullivan, who actually has exhibited some pretty ratty play as of late. Is there really another NHL team that is going to take on his $3 million per year contract?
I can’t imagine it’s ever been more difficult to move NHL hockey players than it is now. The rich teams that might have taken on a Moreau or an O’Sullivan as insurance in the past don’t have the cap space. Most of the teams with cap space are broke.
So let’s dispense with this fantasy of the Oilers dumping off high-priced, under-performing players.
An Edmonton Oiler fan’s rant about things he never wants to see again – Cult of Hockey
2. Patrick O’Sullivan floating around his own zone, not picking up anyone, as the opposing player next to him slams home a shot from the slot.
via An Edmonton Oiler fan’s rant about things he never wants to see again – Cult of Hockey.
Tom Preissing Waived – Mile High Hockey
The Colorado Avalanche have placed defenseman Tom Preissing on waivers. This is not at all a surprise move; its actually one weve been speculating would happen for some time now. Preissing has a $2.75 million salary and is signed through the end of next season. It is highly unlikely that he will be claimed and will instead be headed to the AHL he cleared waivers in the spring when the Kings sent him to their farm team. In making this move, the Avalanche clear some cap space and Preissing gets a chance to play every day.
O’Sullivan really needs to get serious and other thoughts in wake of another Oilers defeat Player grades, Sharks, 5, Oilers, 4, by Smokin’ Ray Burnt – Cult of Hockey
The Cult of Hockey Grading System: 10-perfect game, 9 extraordinary, 8 great, 7 good, 6 above average, 5 average, 4 below average, 3 poor, 2 terrible, 1 deserves to be in minors.
#19 Patrick O’Sullivan (4) – He really needs to step up and get serious about hockey. At points during the game he seemed timid and was almost scared to do anything. I don’t know what to think of him anymore. He led the team in shots with six, but most of those were not even good shots. He just seems to be in a funk. And the funk stinks.
#71 Lubomir Visnovsky (5) – He wasn’t great, but he wasn’t bad. He always makes good plays and shows off his superior stick handling skills, but tonight he seemed a little off. His defensive plays were good but he seemed to not be pushing it offensively. It could be that Quinn wanted him to be that way but I doubt it. I just can’t quite put my finger on what’s wrong. He was +2 and had two shots. He needs to be better than what he did tonight. He needs to be better than average.
And for good measure, here’s something plucked from the comments:
I was actually at the game tonight. Oh, how I cringed almost every time O’Sullivan was on the ice. I’d have given him an even lower mark. His basic play on offence is the pull-up shot from outside, a pretty useless play. On defence, he shows no bite, nothing. What is wrong with this kid?
“I don’t care what Mike Milbury has to say. He’s on TV for a reason.” – The Copper & Blue
“I don’t care what Mike Milbury has to say. He’s on TV for a reason.”
– Patrick O’Sullivan, via Dan Tencer’s Twitter Feed
“If Pat keeps up this level of play, he’s not going to be on TV for a reason.”
– Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
via “I don’t care what Mike Milbury has to say. He’s on TV for a reason.” – The Copper & Blue.
The Hockey News: Rumor Roundup; Oilers, etc.
Given Oilers winger Patrick O’Sullivan has been earning negative reviews of late for his seeming distaste for physical play, don’t be surprised if some of the more creative Internet rumors expands this to a Kostitsyns for O’Sullivan-Cogliano deal.
via The Hockey News: Rumor Roundup: Rumor Roundup: Maple Leafs shakeup.
From Cult of Hockey: Patrick O’Sullivan gets ripped to shreds by CBC announcers Milbury, Hrudey
I think this will sound familiar to Kings fans:
“Get him out of there right now!” Milbury calls for O’Sullivan’s benching.
I thought hockey fans could be tough and nasty in their player critiques on the Oilogosphere, but CBC announcers Mike Milbury and Kelly Hrudey just got as harsh as any anonymous Internet hater. The two CBC announcers thrashed and trashed Oilers forward Patrick O’Sullivan after the first period of the Oilers-Hawks game on Saturday night, bashing him for not going hard after a puck along the boards, evidently so he could avoid body contact with Hawks defender Duncan Keith.
At least that’s how it looked to me, and that’s certainly how it looked to both Hrudey and Milbury. Hrudey started off the hammering, then tagged off and Milbury utterly put the boots to the young Oilers forward.
Said Hrudey, as the replay aired, “Watch the puck battle, or the non-existent puck battle. He doesn’t even want it right here. You have to want that puck and get it on your stick and do something.”
Said Milbury: “This is what really keeps people out of the league. Patrick O’Sullivan, tremendously talented. This is a bail out. Let’s call it what is is. A bail out. I don’t want to pay the price to win the hockey game. They’re seeing that on the bench. Pat Quinn sees that on the bench. His teammates see that on the bench.”
“Would you bench him?” Hrudey asked Milbury.
“Get him out of there now!” Milbury said. “Right now! Give me Pat’s phone number. I’ll let him know.”
It should be noted that O’Sullivan wasn’t benched.
But Milbury was right. O’Sullivan deserved to be.
It was a terrible moment for this young player, his lack of fight for that puck, but it’s a symptom of the game he has been playing, a not very aggressive, not very intense outside game. He hardly ever takes the puck to the net, something he did more regularly when he first came to the Oilers last spring in a trade for Erik Cole.
O’Sullivan, 24, has just four goals in 23 games this year, with a shooting percentage of 5.8 per cent, which might be viewed as bad luck which he will soon snap out of except for the fact that he’s a career 7.0 per cent shooter in the NHL.
Maybe he’s not generating enough close in, high percentage shots, the type that come from charging the net and/or screening. I can’t recall him screening the goalie much at all this year. According to Behind the Net, he does shoot the puck from a greater distance, on average, than most other Oilers forwards. For instance, Andrew Cogliano, who does go to the net, has an average shot distance of 26.3 feet, while O’Sullivan’s is 31.4 feet.
If O’Sullivan was sent to the minors for a wake-up call, I’d say the move was deserved, not that I expect that to happen, not at his salary, and not with what new Oilers GM Steve Tambellini has invested in this player.
Some folks really liked the trade that brought in O’Sullivan, partly because Erik Cole was an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, but mainly because they put a lot of stock in two stats, the fact that O’Sullivan took a lot of shots and the fact that he was part of a Kings unit that outshot the opposition. It’s not clear now how significant either of those two things were, but we’ve seen enough of O’Sullivan now to know that whatever good was happening on the ice when he was with the Kings, he certainly wasn’t leading the charge.
Other observers, who didn’t rely on the stats so much but could go by what they had seen of the player, were more circumspect about O’Sullivan. Helene Elliott of the L.A. Times said: “He’s not aggressive or very physical, but he will work the boards and go into the corners.”
O’Sullivan has one more year after this season on a deal that pays him $2.9 million a year, a huge chunk of the Oilers’ salary cap.
Like so many of the young Oilers forwards, he does appear to have some skill, but he must raise the level of fight and intensity in his game or he will not be in the NHL past his current contract.
I suggest he be given several hours of videotape from last season’s Stanley Cup finals so he can watch the play of Dan Cleary, a player much like O’Sullivan who has transformed himself into a tough, cagey battler, doing most of his work right in front of the goalie and becoming a valuable member of a great team.
via Cult of Hockey
Oilers shine in wide-open game, but don’t get win (player grades, Columbus 3, Oilers, 2) – Cult of Hockey
Patrick O’Sullivan, [player grade:] 6. He is the Roberto Duran of the Oilers. If you don’t understand the reference, search “Manos de Piedra” in Google.
It’s not a compliment for a hockey goal scorer.
I’m starting to think that O’Sullivan’s low shooting percentage over his career isn’t a fluke, isn’t just bad luck. Yet in the shootout, he often drains them, doesn’t he?
On the plus side, he was a contributor on a handful of good scoring chances at even strength, and it’s also satisfying not to have to watch him as the powerplay pointman. He was never suited to that job.
Self-Serving Moulson Premonition
Quispsaid:
Purcell’s dominating season in the AHL puts him a notch above Moulson for now, but it’s clearly possible for either one of them to excel. Purcell is more a natural top-six type. Moulson has been thought of as third line, but could easily be second line material. The interesting thing about Moulson is that he is a natural left winger, and that’s something of a rarity (Luuuuuuuc).
QuispAnthony, you’re like that that 60s Star Trek creature they kept firing their phasers into, before they realized it fed off the energy; [...]But I can’t help myself: [you wrote] “Were Kopitar and Brown healthy scratches tonight? Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot. They were on the same line with the Magnificent Moulson. With the exception of one shift, Kopi and Brown were invisible. They even looked frustrated with their linemate. But what can you say, Terry Murray loves the magnificent Moulson.”
Anthony, I don’t think you should write off Moulson just yet. He is a natural goal scorer. Murray knows it. Lombardi knows it. You’d rather we ditch him now so he can do it for some other team?
QuispMoulson has a knack for scoring. Moller has a knack for scoring. Purcell has a knack for scoring. Simmonds has a knack for scoring. Give them the time it takes them to feel comfortable, where they stop thinking, “damn, I’m in the NHL!” [...] And don’t forget, Moller and Simmonds arrived at least a year early (even by my optimistic projection). When that tree bears fruit, nobody is going to miss Michael Cammalleri.
cristobalOk quisp. I’ll take your word and wait for Moulson to flower. You’ve been correct about Moller and Simmonds.
Quispsaid:
Moulson scored 25 and 28 goals in his last two AHL seasons, and last year managed 9 points in 22 games with the Kings (roughly same as Moller this year over the same number of games). [someone commented that] Moulson…”should stop thinking he’s an offensive player because he’s not.” Why? Because, the rest of his career notwithstanding, he didn’t click with Brown and Kopitar who so far this season have clicked with exactly nobody, not even each other?
April 20, 2009 11:33 AM
Quisp
Moulson will definitely find a home somewhere. He’s a left wing (always coveted); he’s got the skill set; he’s affordable. It comes down to a bunch of stuff we can’t know, whether Moulson wants to play for the Kings, likes TM and/or DL, whether they value him or think he’s useful. it will be easy to lose him, since he can sign anywhere and the Kings — who have announced they will be big players in the UFA market this summer — appear to have their sights set a bit higher. [...] Moulson’s offensive upside is at least what Boyle’s is. He’s a kid who could easily show up on another team scoring quite a few goals, causing us to gnash our teeth in frustration and shame.
QuispMatt Moulson is also a UFA (VI) this summer. I know people are tempted/inclined to write him off, given his uninspiring performance with the Kings last season. But I hold out as much hope for him as for Boyle. For one thing, he’s a LEFT WING. Which we have exactly one of (Frolov). Two, he’s one of those guys who isn’t especially fast or graceful, or physical, or especially ANYTHING, other than he has a knack for putting the puck in the net. You know, like that Luc guy. Now, I’m not saying he’s Luc, or even 1/2 Luc, which I would take. But I think it’s just as likely that Moulson could score thirty goals for someone else than Boyle being the one to do it.
The problem is, Moulson can sign anywhere he wants after 7/1, so DL would actually have to want him bad enough to stop him from shopping himself elsewhere. And there will be takers, because he’s a guy who can score.
Quispsaid:
I agree completely that we need help on the left side. By 2011, at least one of Wudrick, King or Clune should have arrived. And maybe — maaaaaaaybe — Moulson gets signed and sticks this time. I still hold out hope that he’s one of those Robitaille-like guys who can score a ton despite the fact that people think he shouldn’t be able to skate in this league. He has “the knack.”
Lombardi tells Moulson He’s Complacent; Moulson says be fruitful and multiply (but not in those words)
On the drive home after seeing his son Matt get cut from yet another Triple-A hockey team, Scott Moulson looked over at the 15-year-old and leveled with him.
He saw Matt outplay other kids who made the team and he saw Matt refuse to give up during tryouts despite being so sick he was throwing up in the dressing room afterward.
But that was simply not enough.
“If you want to continue to play hockey,” Scott told his son, “then you have to work harder and play so much better than everyone else that a team can’t afford to cut you.”
“That,” said Moulson, now 26, “has been my philosophy ever since.”
And it has to be.
Because as much as Islanders fans may view him as a sudden miracle of goal-scoring, some apparition that magically materialized in the off-season to invigorate a goal-starved team, Moulson endured a lengthy, arduous, obstacle-riddled road to his current success as the team’s top-line left wing and leading goal-scorer.
His circuitous route to the NHL took its first detour more than ten years ago, when Moulson – criticized for his size [he's now 6-1, 206] and skating – was cut at every single Triple-A and junior hockey team tryout he attended.
Moulson shrugged off the rejections.
“Matt has tremendous character,” said Frank Del Monte, Moulson’s family friend and childhood hockey coach in Mississauga, Ontario. “If you tell him ‘no’, he’ll find a way to prove that ‘no’ was the wrong answer.”
Instead of dwelling on the snubs, Moulson accepted an invitation to play Double-A hockey for Jim McGuire, a coach who made hockey fun again and gave Moulson the opportunity denied to him elsewhere.
“What could’ve been a down year,” said his father Scott, “turned out to be a positive one.”
After a successful season in Double-A, Moulson went on to play junior hockey in Guelph and then four seasons at Cornell University from 2002 to 2006.
After Cornell, Moulson was signed as a free agent by the Los Angeles Kings and assigned to their AHL affiliate Manchester Monarchs. He played a full season for the Monarchs in 2006-07, and 22 games for the Kings and 57 games for Manchester in 2007-08.
In 2008 he made the Kings out of training camp. He had finally cracked an NHL lineup from the get-go. He thought he had arrived.
But his joy and satisfaction did not last long. He was abruptly demoted and sent back to Manchester after only seven games. The reason? Kings GM Dean Lombardi told Moulson he was “too complacent.”
“That’s what made me so angry,” Moulson said. “I’ve never been complacent.”
Humble and hard working, yes. But complacent? For someone shunned and discarded at practically every level, that didn’t fit. Regardless, Moulson shelved his anger and trudged forward.
“He didn’t bring it to the rink,” said Manchester head coach Mark Morris. “He just got back on the horse and kept riding. No sulking, no pouting.”
Despite being sidelined six weeks with a knee injury, Moulson finished the season with 47 points (21 goals, 26 assists) in 54 games for Manchester and garnered interest from the Islanders, who signed him as a free agent in July.
Impressed with Moulson’s scoring ability in the AHL, coach Scott Gordon wanted to take a chance on him, despite the fact he was a late bloomer.
“Sometimes when a guy is that age, you wonder, ‘Why hasn’t he made it?,” Gordon said. “Sometimes you look for the flaws first instead of the assets.”
Moulson quickly emerged in training camp with his nose for the net and led the team in preseason scoring, essentially forcing the Islanders hand. They had to keep him.
“I just needed a chance – a true chance – to show what I can do,” Moulson said.
His production in training camp proved to be no fluke. While spending almost the first month of this season patiently plugging away while living out of a Long Island hotel room, Moulson not only continued to contribute – he has eight goals and eight assists in 19 games before last night – he also developed a keen chemistry on the ice with top draft pick John Tavares.
Tavares, who has seen Moulson’s incomparable work ethic while training with him during summers back in Ontario, isn’t surprised with Moulson’s rapid ascent, albeit through such a distinctively different path from his own.
“He’s had to prove himself every step of the way and it’s a credit to him,” Tavares said. “He’s a good friend and he deserves everything he got.”
And now that he has his shot, don’t expect him to let it to slip.
Could the veneer of his Cinderella story fade, could he fall short of the expectations that he has raised for himself?
Moulson won’t even entertain the possibility. Not after everything he’s had to overcome.
“I don’t think I would ever let that happen,” Moulson said. “There’s not even that thought in my mind.”
Kyle Quincey: #1 Defenseman? – Behind The Net
Article from Behind the Net with my comments:
Kyle Quincey has been front-and-center in the Colorado Avalanche’s quick start to the season. The off-season pickup from the Los Angeles Kings has had all the hallmarks of a top defenseman – he’s at the top of the depth chart at even-strength, on the power-play and on the penalty-kill.
While the Kings sheltered him last year and kept him away from the penalty-kill and defensive zone faceoffs, Colorado has thrown him in the middle of everything, with great results – they lost just one of their first 13 games in regulation, and Quincey led their defensemen in ice time and points. I certainly didn’t see this coming: if you’d asked me six months ago if Kyle Quincey could be the #1 defenseman on a good team, I’d have given you 10-1 odds against.
So was this something we should have expected?
Only if you’re me. Here’s my self-stroking cut-and-paste from the Inside the Kings comments section:
***
said:My dad and brothers are all wings fans, and they say Quincey is defensive-minded, big but quick, and they’re pissed that he’s gone. The Johnson injury is a bad, bad thing, but Quincey is a good, good pick-up.
He’s not on waivers because he sucks. He’s on waivers because the Wings have too many defensemen, they have cap issues, and have to make moves they wouldn’t ordinarily want to make.
Of his 26 total NHL games, 13 are playoff games, which makes him simultaneously one of our least experienced players and one of our most experienced in playoffs (behind, I’m going to guess, Handzus, Stoll, Greene, O’Donnell, Calder and Preissing).
November 8, 2008 11:18 AM
said:I actually think Quincey is going to prove himself to be better than Bouwmeester, as well. But I’ll grant you I might be wrong about that.
[much mockery ensues from other commenters, after which I said:]
Let me put it this way about Quincey: he’s played, I believe between 20 and 25 regular season NHL games. Right out of the gate he led the Kings in ATOI. He leads all Kings D in points. He is responsible defensively and can play offense. He is smart, aggressive and he’s a leader. I did not mean to say that as a pure talent, in terms of raw skills, that he is superior to Bouwmeester, who has always been regarded, as you say, as elite. As you know, I was singing Quincey’s praises back in September when it looked like Detroit was going to have to unload a defenseman, and it probably makes me look a little unstable to be canvassing to retire his number after his first week in a Kings uniform. But I’m going to stick by my hope that picking Quincey up on waivers turns out to be the single greatest achievement of DL as Kings GM. Wishful thinking? I suppose that’s likely at this point. But let’s wait and see.
p.s. Bouwmeester in his first season: 4 goals, 12 assists, plus/minus -29. Quincey, at his current pace, projects to: 7 goals, 27 assists, plus/minus +7.
Again, in many ways they are apples and oranges. But, as crazy as the comparison is, it’s not that crazy.
April 20, 2009 5:20 PM
said:Quincey: retire his jersey. If he had played one fewer game in either of his two seasons with Detroit, he would have been a rookie this year, and as such would have led all defensemen (rookies) in points, by a long shot.
***
Now, back to the Behind the Net blog:
Quincey had one only pre-draft season in the OHL, with the London Knights. He found himself fairly far down on the depth chart, and was drafted in the 4th round of the 2003 draft by the Detroit Red Wings, 132nd overall. He worked his way up to the #1 spot in his Age 20 season, and made the jump to the bottom of the depth chart in Grand Rapids the following season. After three years in the AHL, Detroit still couldn’t commit and tried to sneak him through waivers. They ended up losing him to the LA Kings, where he finally cracked the NHL roster
The Kings’ big move was to give him a big chunk of the power-play minutes. The net result, as you can see above, was 25 points at 5-on-4, more than he had in three seasons in the AHL. The Kings then traded him to Colorado in the Ryan Smyth deal – it seemed like they were selling high, but now Quincey’s a new player.
via Kyle Quincey: #1 Defenseman? – Behind The Net.
I miss KQ. I’m not at all surprised he’s blowing people away in Colorado. Also, let’s not forget he did what he did last year with an injured back. He was injured when he arrived in LA. He played the whole season hobbled. Now healthy, I expect great things. I think people are fooled because he looks kinda dorky.
Tavares-Moulson connection? All chemistry
Maybe it’s that old sports cliche, chemistry, that explains the immediate collaborative efficiency between celebrated Islanders rookie John Tavares and free-agent discovery Matt Moulson.
Maybe it’s a familiarity that goes back at least five years, when Tavares, the emerging hockey phenom, was playing lacrosse and hockey with Moulson’s younger brother Chris in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga – a connection that led to a friendship between their parents and to summers of long training sessions together for Tavares and Moulson.
“We never were on the same team, but we skated a lot together,” Moulson said Tuesday. “But he said he always had good chemistry playing with my brother. Maybe it’s in the blood.”
Or maybe, with the latest manifestation of their telepathic anticipation – Moulson’s Gretzky-like, from-behind-the-goal feed for Tavares’ snap goal against Edmonton on Monday – it’s just a matter of Tavares “yelling pretty loud,” Moulson said. “I think he would’ve killed me it I didn’t give him the puck.”
Whatever. This partnership is working out well. While top draft pick Tavares, only 19, is living up to his pre-NHL reputation, with five goals and six assists in 14 games, the 26-year-old Moulson (six goals, five assists) has raised a lot of eyebrows by equaling Tavares’ team-leading point total.
“He’s fit in well,” coach Scott Gordon said of Moulson, who spent most of the past three seasons with the Los Angeles Kings’ American Hockey League affiliate. “I knew he could score in the AHL. When he came to camp, we were hopeful, but it doesn’t happen too often” that a potential hockey vagabond has an NHL breakthrough.
Gordon still was fiddling with line possibilities in training camp when Moulson demanded attention with his scoring touch, and the coach liked the idea of pairing Moulson’s instinct for being around the net with Tavares’ playmaking ability. The third piece of the No. 1 line then became the relentless Kyle Okposo (three goals, seven assists so far), who is “strong on the puck, has a bigger body, adds an element of speed to create more room for the guys who can score,” Gordon said.
Moulson had called Tavares when Moulson was in talks with the Islanders during the summer. “He said, ‘Well, sign. Hurry up and sign,’ ” Moulson said. “We were hoping to get a chance to play together. But I didn’t ask too many questions” about where he might fit in.
“That last exhibition,” Gordon said, “I told [Moulson], ‘You made our team. But, every day’s your last day here.’ “
So, maybe it’s the urgency. Every last day has been good.
via Tavares-Moulson connection? All chemistry.
Well, I don’t want to say I told you so…
LA Kings Mayor (mayor119) on Twitter
SJSharks Captain Rob Blake is a team worst MINUS 6. Nothing says leader like leading from the bottom. Well, that & being Captain by default.
via LA Kings Mayor (mayor119) on Twitter.
I believe this is called reverting to the mean.
From the Montreal Gazette: Honour overdue for ex-Habs goalie Vachon
Great article of Rogie in the Gazette. I would have called it: “Rogie’s mask is in the Hall of Fame, but he’s not.”
Newspaper stories in the autumn of 1967 were suggesting that Canadiens goaltender Rogatien Vachon might soon be returned to the Houston Apollos, the minor-league farm club from which he had been summoned the previous winter.
So a 10-year-old Vachon fan took pen to paper and addressed the first fan letter of his life to his first hockey hero, telling “Mr. Vachon” in as many words that he should simply ignore any demotion and stay put.
The CH-crested envelope was in my family’s mailbox less than a week later, a classic black-and-white postcard of Vachon in the half-splits, the puck about to hit his outstretched blocker.
“Don’t worry, I’ll never let them send me down,” his reassuring, paragraphs-long reply read in part.
Rogie Vachon grinned when I told him this story yesterday. He enjoyed a modest show-and-tell as we spoke at his hotel – his face in a plastic marble that I’d dug out of the sugar of a 1969 Post cereal box, after many Vachon-less boxes had been consumed; one of his earliest Topps bubble gum cards; a full-size replica of the first mask he wore, acquired a year ago for my office wall.
Full disclosure, I told him: I became a Vachon fan when he made his first NHL save on Feb. 18, 1967, a Gordie Howe breakaway. I remained one when I disowned the Canadiens for trading him to the Los Angeles Kings in a 1-for-4 deal in November 1971. I stuck by him no matter how bizarre he looked in the jerseys of Detroit and Boston as his career wound down in the early 1980s.
And the autographed postcard didn’t hurt.
Vachon, 64, was in Montreal for a brief visit to a sports collectibles show at Centre Pierre Charbonneau. He’d flown in from L.A. on Saturday evening, dined with old friends, had Sunday brunch with a few family members, signed autographs yesterday afternoon and was on a dinnertime flight home.
The three-time Stanley Cup champion had never before done a signing in the city where his NHL career began. He does precious few, in fact, maybe one every few seasons, and only good timing and direct flights confirmed this one.
It was the first time in several years that he’d visited Montreal, using the airport mostly for connections to visit family in the Rouyn-Noranda area.
Vachon is surprised by the boom in sports collectibles, as are most of his generation. He has kept very little from his playing days beyond a few jerseys, his final gloves and skates and a purple, crown-painted mask he wore with the Kings. His last game-worn leather pads disintegrated in garage storage, decomposing in the California heat.
“Most of the stuff just got thrown out,” he said. “Or the trainers made a little money with it on the side.”
He remains at his playing weight nearly 30 years after his final game, thanks to four rounds of golf a week, two energetic grandchildren spoiled by him and his wife, Nicole, and the willpower to skip dessert.
Vachon still wears the familiar mustache he grew as a Canadien, the trim salt-and-pepper replacing the Fu Manchu and muttonchops he cultivated in tandem with teammate Mickey Redmond.
“Toe Blake was not very happy,” he joked about his old-school coach’s distaste for facial hair. “He said he was going to send Mickey and me back to the minors if we didn’t shave.”
It was Blake who threw a 21-year-old maskless goalie to the wolves on Feb. 18, 1967, a callup from Houston when Gump Worsley was injured and backup Charlie Hodge struggled.
“I didn’t know I was going to play that night – Toe just handed me the puck before the warmup and said: ‘You’re in,’ ” Vachon recalled of what would be a 41-save, 3-2 victory.
“I was sort of in shock, still trying to pull myself together when Gordie broke in alone from the blue line. Luckily, I stopped it. And I’ve joked with Gordie that this save probably kept me in the league for years.”
That save, yes. Along with an acrobatic style that earned him a share of the 1967-68 Vézina Trophy with Worsley, three championships in 41/2 Canadiens seasons, and a lifetime 395-291-127 record with 51 shutouts and 2.99 average through 795 games – despite being caught in frequent puck blizzards with more than a few clubs in Los Angeles to whom defence was a nasty rumour.
Vachon could have stuck it out in Montreal after the emergence of Ken Dryden, who debuted late in the 1970-71 season and carried the Canadiens to the club’s 17th Stanley Cup victory while winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the playoffs.
But he didn’t want to warm the bench at age 26. General manager Sam Pollock dealt him to the Kings for Denis DeJordy, Dale Hoganson, Noel Price and Doug Robinson.
Vachon soon was enormously popular in L.A., and became the first King to have his number retired. After his playing days, he would fill most every front-office job for the club, from goaltending coach to president. He retired from it all last season, most recently having been an ambassador.
On the ice, his most famous work probably was in the international arena. Vachon led Team Canada to victory in the 1976 Canada Cup with a brilliant .963 save percentage, 1.39 average and two shutouts in seven games, selected to the all-star team while being named the tournament’s best goalie and his country’s MVP.
As a three-time Stanley Cup winner and a Vézina recipient, and a player who led hockey out of a palm-tree wilderness before a forward named Gretzky, this remains a mystery:
Why is Vachon is not in the Hall of Fame, especially considering the enshrinement of contemporaries whose statistics are no better?
To say nothing of the curious 1989 induction of Vladislav Tretiak, a fine international goalie who is in the Hall, no matter the argument selectors might offer, almost uniquely for the landmark 1972 Summit Series and its political importance.
“People are shocked when I tell them I’m not in the Hall of Fame,” Vachon said, shrugging. “They assume I am. I’d love to be in there, but there are things in life that you can’t control.”
None of that mattered to him yesterday, nor to the many who queued at his signing table with photos, pucks and miniature Stanley Cups.
If even for a few hours, Rogie Vachon had returned to the city that gave him his start. There’s a Canadiens jersey in his Los Angeles home that says he’s never forgotten that.
And he was delighted to sign my replica of his first mask. He doesn’t have the genuine article – it’s in the Hall of Fame.
Red Wings blog: Ex-Wing Robert Lang enjoying the desert | Detroit Free Press | Freep.com
Since leaving the Red Wings after the 2006-07 season, Robert Lang has made a home in Chicago and Montreal. Now he’s a six-hour drive from his off-season home in San Diego, centering the top line for Phoenix between Shane Doan and Taylor Pyatt and helping the Coyotes to a surprising 5-2 start.
“It’s always nice to get off to a good start, especially here,” Lang said this morning after Phoenix’s skate at Jobing.com Arena. “Nobody really expected anything, but Dave Tippett came here and put in simple but pretty effective system in. Guys just want to play and so far it’s been working, so it’s been fun. It’s kind of nice to get off to a good start and just feel good and just play hockey.”
Lang, who signed a one-year deal worth $1 million to come to Phoenix, said all the off-ice distraction about the Coyotes (their financial state, the Wayne Gretzky saga, etc) isn’t worth worrying about because “you can’t really solve it. There is literally nothing you can change by you doing something. If you win, obviously the chances are better that the team is going to be successful, but even then, there are no guarantees.”
I asked Lang if he’d kept in touch with Jiri Hudler (Lang used to refer to Hudler as his “fifth kid” during their days in Detroit). “No,” Lang said, laughing.. “I didn’t talk to Huds since he left. I’m kind of wondering sometimes how he’s doing, but I’m sure he’s fine.”
Lang is just as certain the Wings – who have just seven points after seven games – will soon be back in the mix of things as usual.
“They are a good team,” he said. “They are going to get their points. I’m not worried about Detroit, nobody is, I don’t think. We are playing well right now. They are playing well always, so it should be a good game. It’s always fun to play those games. I’m looking forward to it.”
The Fourth Period: Red Wings had traded Kyle Quincey to Dallas, but failed physical led to waiver claim by Kings | Snapshots – MLive.com
In the Fall issue of The Fourth Period Magazine, a featured story on Colorado Avalanche defenseman Kyle Quincey revealed that the 24-year-old nearly became a member of the Stars at the beginning of the 2008-09 regular-season.Quincey, who was with the Detroit Red Wings at the time, was actually traded to the Stars, but the deal was nixed after he failed to pass a physical.”They told me to turn the cab around,” Quincey said in the article. “The Stars doctor saw my MRI and saw the herniated disk, and they said they didnt want to deal with it.”
from http://blog.mlive.com/snapshots/2009/10/the_fourth_period_red_wings_ha.html
Gauthier and O’Donnell to Oversee Kings’ Defense, According to People who Don’t Do Their Homework
One unexpected windfall of successful clubs dealing with salary-cap troubles is that valuable talent is forced elsewhere. Such was the case with the Kings’ newest addition, Rob Scuderi, late of the Cup champion Penguins who was inked to a four-year deal.
He, along with 37-year-old Sean O’Donnell and 32-year-old Denis Gauthier will oversee an evolving defense which paradoxically allowed the second-fewest goals in the Pacific Division despite a last-place finish.
At its best, the Kings defense used its size advantage to clear space in front of the net while maintaining puck possession to jump-start a dynamic transition game. Keeping the road-block O’Donnell on course and having the hit-happy Gauthier patrolling the blue line is a solid foundation.
via 2009-10 Los Angeles Kings Preview – Hockey Wires – MiamiHerald.com.
Nikolai Khabibulin’s Costly Turnover — NHL FanHouse
Goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin made his debut in Edmonton on Saturday night, and it couldn’t have gone any worse for the veteran netminder. Just seconds after Oilers forward Patrick O’Sullivan missed the net on a wide open shot at the opposite end of the ice, Khabibulin came out of his crease to play a loose puck, only to turn it over to Calgary’s David Moss who directed it into the open net, giving the Flames a 4-3 lead with just 47 seconds to play in The Battle Of Alberta.
PuckCentral.net (PuckCentral) on Twitter
During preseason he showed some promise & protected puck well. Last night, turned it over a lot @skorka32 Boyle is about 6’7″ of USELESS.
Fans enjoy endless fun following the fortunes of former Canadiens
If you’re a Canadiens fan, life is good, because not only do you have your team to follow with seven new faces already anointed as “a bunch of leaders” by Mike Cammalleri to fret and fuss about, but there also is the matter of following the fortunes, or otherwise, of the eight who have gained employment elsewhere.
via Fans enjoy endless fun following the fortunes of former Canadiens.
Oh, now he’s a leader.
THE FISH STINKS FROM THE HEAD
And Rob Blake is the new captain of the San Jose Sharks. So this is a team that replaced their long-time captain with a geriatric mercenary with at most one more season left in him. They replaced a guy who supposedly was too soft-spoken (or whatever the euphemism was) with a guy who is supposedly even more soft-spoken. You know, “he leads by example.”
From Some Phoenix Newspaper, let’s say “The Phoenix Post Gazette Intelligencer Times”: Coyotes reach deal with Robert Lang
The Phoenix Coyotes, who open the regular season Saturday in Los Angeles against the Kings, have reached a tentative contract agreement with center Robert Lang, contingent on him passing a physical.
Lang, a former Phoenix RoadRunner, spent last season with the Montreal Canadiens, where he tallied 18 goals and 39 points in 50 games. The year prior, he scored 21 goals for the Chicago Blackhawks.
He has also played for Detroit, Washington, Pittsburgh, Boston and Los Angeles in his 17-year career.
via Coyotes reach deal with Robert Lang.
I have always rooted for Robert Lang, from way back when his name was pronounced LAH-ng and Barry Melrose wouldn’t give him more than 3 shifts a game.
That’s what we need: a “minister of culture and identity”!
Wayne Gretzky’s stint in Phoenix ended in disgrace last week, and most thought he would spend some time away from the National Hockey League following his unceremonious departure. But Los Angeles Kings general manager Dean Lombardi hopes he can bring Gretzky back to the place where he left his biggest stamp. Lombardi told Toronto radio station the FAN 590 on Tuesday that he would like the Great One to come back to the Kings in an advisory capacity. While nothing has been finalized, Lombardi joked that Gretzky could be the team’s “minister of character.” L.A.’s young squad will have star veteran leadership for the first time in years this season in Ryan Smyth.
via Gretzky’s road back to NHL could go through L.A. – Posted Sports.
Actually, what he said was “minister of culture and identity.”
Visnovsky of the Oilers is about 23.43 per cent – Cult of Hockey
Warning signs for Oil as Visnovsky doesnt even look like half the player he used to be.If Lubomir Visnovsky wasnt the Edmonton Oilers best defenceman last season before his season-ending shoulder injury see photo, the best was Sheldon Souray.But Visnovsky was right up there, a wheeling, dealing, racing, skating puckmeister with the range factor of Ozzie Smith.Whats the old saying — the seven seas cover 90 per cent of the world, Lubomir Visnovsky covers the rest.Something like that.In Wednesday nights game against Calgary, a 5-3 loss to the Flames, Visnovsky struggled badly.Hes clearly still recovering from his shoulder surgery, and from what Ive seen so far, Im betting it could well be 20 or 30 games into the season before we see anything approaching the Lubomir Visnovsky of old.This is bad, bad, bad, bad news for the Oilers.
http://communities.canada.com/edmontonjournal/blogs/hockey/archive/2009/09/24/visnovsky-of-the-oilers-is-about-23-per-cent.aspx
Quincey big hit in Avs’ OT win – The Denver Post
Kyle Quincey is one of only two ex-Detroit Red Wings to play for the Avalanche. While Todd Gill was the other, he essentially quit the team midway through his one season in Denver, 2001-02.
The Avs have plans to keep Quincey in a burgundy and blue uniform a lot longer than one year, and they certainly won’t mind if Quincey lays a bunch of big hits on the Red Wings like the kind he did in his preseason Avs debut Sunday night.
Quincey, the principal player brought over from Los Angeles in a summer trade that sent Ryan Smyth to the Kings, was outstanding in Colorado’s 2-1 overtime victory over the St. Louis Blues at the Pepsi Center.
Quincey, a 6-foot-2, 207-pound defenseman, assisted on Milan Hejduk’s game-winning
COLORADO AVALANCHE
View photos of Blues-Avalanche preseason game Sept. 20
View photos of Stars-Avalanche exhibition Sept. 17
View photos of Avs captain Adam Foote
View slide show of Avalanche rookie Matt Duchene, the third pick in the draft.
Search the NHL’s 2009-10 season schedule by team
View slide show of Joe Sakic’s standout 20-year career
Find notes and analysis from the ice on the All Things Avs blog.
Ask Adrian Dater about the team or NHL in the Avs Mailbag.
Post photos of your team spirit.
goal in OT for the Avs (2-1 in preseason). Quincey also had a handful of thundering checks on Blues players in his nearly 20 minutes of ice time.
“It was my first game here, so I got a little bit of nerves in the beginning, but got ‘em out of the way,” said Quincey, 24. “It went pretty well. The guys here have been real easy to play with.”
Quincey posted 38 points for the Kings last season, an excellent offensive number for any defenseman. He showed some reasons why Sunday, moving the puck quickly. He also has a big slap shot, although only four of his 38 points with the Kings came on goals.
“He’s got a lot of poise with the puck,” Avs coach Joe Sacco said. “When he’s in situations where he thinks he’s in trouble, he seems to get himself out of trouble. We’re looking for him to have a positive impact on our club.”
via Quincey big hit in Avs’ OT win – The Denver Post.
I love Kyle Quincey. Would have led all rookies in assists last year, maybe even points (I forget), if he had played one fewer game the season before so he could qualify as a rookie in his first full season.
No country for old Oilers – Cult of Hockey
The clock is ticking on Souray, Visnovsky and Staios (as well as the Oil’s playoff hopes).
Sheldon Souray and Lubomir Visnovsky were born in 1976, Steve Staios in 1973.
That makes Souray and Visnovsky 33-years-old and Staios 36-years old this hockey season.
How much longer can these guys last? This is a pressing concern given their value to the Edmonton Oilers and their expensive, long-term contracts.
Each man is earning top dollar: Visnovsky $5.6 million per season for the next four years, until he is 36-years-old; Souray $5.4 million per season for the next three years, until he is 35-years-old; and Staios $2.7 million this year and next year when he will be 37.
Based on their play last season, all three earned their money well enough, as all three performed at a high level overall and near their own peak career levels.
[...]
But, given the age of the three players, it will take some luck for the Oil to get through the year without one of them missing a huge chunk of time due to injury, as happened with Visnovsky last season, with Souray the season before, and with Staios the season before that.
Goalie Dan Cloutier will try out with Red Wings – MLive.com
Veteran goaltender Dan Cloutier, out of hockey last season, will attend the Detroit Red Wings’ training camp (Sept. 13-15) on a tryout.
Cloutier, 33, who contacted the club and asked for the tryout, hasn’t played since appearing in nine games with the Los Angeles Kings in 2007-08. He has been bothered by a series of ailments, including a season-ending hip injury midway through 2006-07.
This doesn’t mean Jimmy Howard’s status as Chris Osgood’s backup is in jeopardy. Cloutier is a long shot to earn a contract from the Red Wings.
A 10-year NHL veteran who also has played for the Rangers, Tampa Bay and Vancouver, Cloutier is best remembered — by Detroit fans — for letting in Nicklas Lidstrom’s shot from center ice in Game 3 of the 2002 first-round playoff series against the Canucks.
The Red Wings, reeling after losing the first two games of the series at home, went on to win the Stanley Cup.
Cloutier has a career NHL record of 139-142-33, with a 2.77 goals-against average and .899 save percentage.
via
Goalie Dan Cloutier will try out with Red Wings – MLive.com
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Jimmy Murphy (Hockeyscribe22) on Twitter
Writing on Mike Cammalleri. Huge Van Morrison fan! Nice! Habs found a great player!
via Jimmy Murphy (Hockeyscribe22) on Twitter.
Cammalleri’s stock rises on the Kings Kool Aid Stock Exchange (KKASE).
Los Angeles Kings (LAKingsHockey) on Twitter
“I have scored 731 goals in the NHL and I remember every single one. Pick a number!”
-Marcel Dionne
From Ryan Garner@HockeyBuzz.com: How the Boyle and Blake Acquisitions Wrecked the Sharks
The future isn’t very bright in San Jose because the Sharks don’t have the cap space to bolster the roster, don’t have the prospects to force their way onto the roster, and don’t have talent they can move because of either no-trade clauses or exorbitant salaries. Plus, since the team hasn’t had a first-round pick each of the last two years, there isn’t much promise in the pipeline. The Sharks would have a first-round prospect and a little more cap space if they hadn’t made the Blake-Boyle moves.
via HockeyBuzz.com – Ryan Garner – How the Boyle and Blake Acquisitions Wrecked the Sharks.
2009 NHL Free Agency: What The Toronto Maple Leafs Might Do – Pension Plan Puppets
Mike Cammalleri turns his back on the Flames for the last time. Will he walk all of the way to Toronto?
via 2009 NHL Free Agency: What The Toronto Maple Leafs Might Do – Pension Plan Puppets.
TOLD. YOU. SO.
NHL Transactionist (NHLTransactions) on Twitter
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING: Made qualifying offers to forwards Blair Jones, Martins Karsums, Radek Smolenak and Lauri Tukonen…
From HockeyBuzz.com – Matthew Barry: Enough Draft Talk – It’s FREE AGENT Time!!!
With my unsolicited comments:
I still say Travis Moen is a King July 1st -
That would complete the Handzus/Simmonds line. Okay, that would be interesting.
I also think Samuelsson comes over to play with Simmonds and Handzus – -
Oh, wait. So, Moen would be … LW on the Stoll/Brown line? I think it would have to be one of those guys or the other. But what do I know?
– that is unless Dertoit DOESN’T sign Hossa or Cammalleri and DOES re-sign all of the players that actually GOT them to the finals.
Cammalleri wants Hossa-esque money, though, right? So that’s not going to work out. I still have my money on Hossa going elsewhere. Previously, I thought he might go for the $1MM Kariya contract, but now it sounds like, no, he wants more than 4 or 5. Therefore, I think Detroit keeps Hudler and Samuelsson and lets Hossa walk. And locks Cammy out.
The Kings will try and move Brad Richardson, who failed to make an impression and whom assistant GM Ron Hextall said “didn’t fit in”.
I missed that. But it’s not surprising.
They also have to try and find a sucker…er… taker for Manchester bound Tom Preissing who was impressive in Ottawa, but miserable in L.A. and surpassed by guys like Peter Harrold and Davis Drewiskie. Good luck getting rid of THAT contract.
Buy out? Or he just spends the year in the AHL…
The Kings need a veteran presence (other than Sean O’D) in the back, so look for a 2 year “bridge” player with some grit – I think Ohlund will be asking for too many years and the way Komisarek acted in the playoffs I’m sure turned off Lombardi for good.
Johnson-Doughty
Quincey-Greene
(Hickey or Voynov)-SOD
Drewiske
I don’t think there’s room for another defenseman, unless they think neither Hickey nor Voynov are ready. Which would make me sad. Of course, if one of these Johnson rumors turns out to be true, there will be a top-four hole that needs to be filled.
They also need scoring, but Lombardi has already stated “it has to be the right fit” – Could Lehtonen be the answer as a “filler”? Not for 4 million, but maybe if he wants 2 years at 6. It’s not Fedotenko. Trust me on that one.
That’s a lot of money for a back-up-plan UFA.
via HockeyBuzz.com – Matthew Barry – Enough Draft Talk – It’s FREE AGENT Time!!!.
Pension Plan Puppets (mlse) on Twitter
Cory Clouston just called Heatley a liar. Awesome.
Details, please.
Matt Reitz (ViewFromMySeats) on Twitter
The line of the day:
@mlse What? Cammy wont resign? What a shocker… Sincerely, Every Kings Fan Alive
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