From Larry Brooks/NY Post: Isles could trade for Thrashers star forward
The other team in town is big-game hunting. Islanders’ GM Garth Snow has checked in with the Thrashers about the availability of marquee all-star left wing Ilya Kovalchuk, leaving the message with Atlanta GM Don Waddell that the team intends to be in the mix if the impending unrestricted free agent is placed on the trade market, The Post has learned from a well-placed source.
Kovalchuk, who is believed seeking a 12-year contract in the neighborhood of $120 million, has stated his preference to finish his career in Atlanta, but the cash-poor Thrashers’ ownership may be unable or unwilling to commit to a deal that, in essence, comes close to equaling the value of the franchise.
If Waddell concludes he will be unable to sign Kovalchuk, the Thrashers would presumably look to move the 26-year-old goal-scoring machine in what likely would be a rental deal, though the Islanders most certainly do have the cap space to accommodate such a long-term contract.
Kovalchuk, who has 26 goals and 24 assists in 39 games this season, has recorded 323 goals and 284 points in 584 career games, all of which have been played with the Thrashers. He is among the league’s most high-profile athletes.
The Islanders, who sent a No. 1 and two prospects to Edmonton to pull off a rental deal for Ryan Smyth at the 2007 trade deadline for a No. 1 and two prospects, have a plethora of young assets throughout the organization-with some currently on the Island-that could put them into prime position to acquire Kovalchuk.
The NHL trade deadline is March 3, but deals are expected before the Feb. 12-28 Olympic roster freeze goes into effect.
It is believed that while the club would quarantine NHL emerging talents John Tavares, Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey, Snow would be willing to part with this year’s first-rounder in addition to presenting a “One from Column A/One from Column B menu” that could feature Oshawa defenseman Calvin de Haan; Brandon defensemen Travis Hamonic; Saskatoon defenseman Jyri Niemi; Russian winger Kirill Petrov, currently playing for Almetivsk; and 22-year-old winger Jesse Joensuu, currently playing for AHL Bridgeport.
Snow declined comment when reached by phone this morning by The Post.
Acquiring Kovalchuk would give the Islanders a huge boost on the ice in their effort to make the playoffs, it would give them a marquee box office attraction and a presence in New York sports they currently do not have.
It is unknown whether Kovalchuk, who is expected to receive a huge offer from the KHL should he reach July 1 unrestricted free agency, would be willing to sign a long-term deal with the Islanders if one were offered.
There is, however, no question that Kovalchuk’s presence on the Islanders would increase their value as club owner Charles Wang seeks either a new venue or a buyer for his team.
Interestingly, the Islanders were in position to select Kovalchuk with the first-overall pick of the 2001 draft by finishing with the NHL’s worst record in 2000-01. At that time, Kovalchuk expressed enthusiasm at the prospect at playing on Long Island.
But the Thrashers, who’d finished third from the bottom, won the lottery and thus moved up to first overall. GM Mike Milbury then traded the second overall pick plus Zdeno Chara to the Senators for Alexei Yashin.
via Isles could trade for Thrashers star forward.
I put the most interesting (and most humorous) part of this in bold. To me, this is like Lombardi saying, you can’t have Schenn, Clifford, Bernier or Loktionov, but feel free to pick one of Teubert or Hickey and one of Purcell, Lewis or Zatkoff. Who knew the price was going to be so low?
Are Waddells hands tied in Kovalchuk standoff? – NHL News – FOX Sports on MSN
Spector:
A source familiar with the talks suggested Thrashers’ ownership might be tying Waddell’s hands by an unwillingness to pay what it takes to commit to the franchise’s success.
The Thrashers are owned by Atlanta Spirit, a group of nine businessmen which also own the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks as well as Phillips Arena, where both teams play.
In recent years the group has been mired in legal infighting which critics claim has become a distraction hurting both franchises.
Atlanta Spirit recently faced criticism for not investing in the upkeep of the arena, and for the most part has been unable — or unwilling — to keep pace with the NHL’s increasing salary cap since 2005-06.
That’s created a belief amongst pundits and fans the group isn’t interested in doing what it takes to turn the Thrashers into a winning franchise, leading to poor attendance and fueling uncertainty over the club’s future in Atlanta.
Waddell recently hinted the snag in Kovalchuk’s negotiations wasn’t his status as a franchise player but rather the necessity to ensure they can re-sign him and have enough cap room to continue growing the franchise.
That would be an issue if the Thrashers were pressed for cap space, but they currently have just over $25 million committed to 11 players for 2010-11. They must spend over $15 million just to be above the mandated cap minimum, which for this season is currently $40.8 million and could remain the same or increase slightly for next season.
If they were to re-sign Kovalchuk to, say, $10 million per season that would still leave over $20 million (assuming the salary cap remains over $56 million) to re-sign other key players and fill out the remainder of their roster. That’s of course assuming ownership is willing to invest more in the club’s payroll than it has in the recent past.
This situation isn’t unique to the Thrashers.
The Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals and Chicago Blackhawks were once-struggling franchises which in recent years committed to retaining their best players resulting in varying degrees of success, earning praise for maintaining competitive rosters under the constraints of the salary cap.
It’s been suggested the Thrashers might be better off without Kovalchuk as the club hasn’t won anything with him in the lineup and perhaps would be better off instead focusing on their rising talent and other veterans.
Yet that suggestion was rarely heard last summer when the Vancouver Canucks re-signed Roberto Luongo and the Sedin twins to an expensive, long-term contract despite the fact that team hadn’t won anything with them in the lineup. The Canucks front office was praised for the most part for their commitment to their future by retaining their best players.
Given Kovalchuk’s strong performance as a Thrasher it’s baseless to suggest the team would be better off without him or for that matter to lay blame for the club’s poor record during that time at his feet, considering the criticism the front office has received in recent years for poor player management decisions.
Kovalchuk’s negotiations are not just an evaluation of his market value as a free agent but also an evaluation of Atlanta Spirit’s commitment to the Thrashers’ future.
An investment in their best player would be a considerable part of that future.
via Are Waddells hands tied in Kovalchuk standoff? – NHL News – FOX Sports on MSN.
From Frozen Royalty: Lombardi Makes Cryptic Prophesy
“I’m always looking for the next piece,” Lombardi said in a recent interview. “We’re right on schedule. I met with the owner back in July. We talked about if he was happy with our record. This is the way I saw it, this is my projection on what we’re going to need to be a contender, if everything came together the way I thought. To get to the next level, these are the three things we need to have.”
“So for those things, I’m always on the [lookout],” Lombardi added, even though he would not reveal what those three things were.
via Dean Lombardi: The Time To Make A Big Splash May Be Now « Frozen Royalty.
Ok, I’ll bite. WHAT ARE THE THREE THINGS? (I think I have a pretty good idea.)
Red Light District: Top 5 potential suitors for Kovalchuk
The way it looks right now, Ilya Kovalchuk will become the prize acquisition at this year’s trade deadline. With negotiations between Ilya Kovalchuk’s agent Jay Grossman and Thrashers general manager Don Waddell not going in the right direction, few people around the league are optimistic an extension will get done. If they can’t reach a deal in the very near future, look for Waddell to start exploring trade options for ‘Kovy’; a deal would likely go down before the Olympic break. Here are five teams that would go after the 27-year-old Russian rental…
1. Los Angeles Kings
Southern California could be the most likely destination for Kovalchuk based on the package the Thrashers could receive in return. The Kings have a wide array of prospects from which Atlanta could choose from [sic]; defensemen Colten Teubert and Thomas Hickey would instantly be rumored [Quisp says: RUMOR-MATIC USAGE ALERT!] to go the other way. Pending UFA Alex Frolov could also be [IBID] included in a deal.
Terry Murray’s club would certainly improve by getting Kovalchuk. A potential top line (and power play unit) with ‘Kovy’, Kopitar, and Smyth would be scary. A trade like this would also send a message to the city of Los Angeles that the team is committed to winning right now. If they were to do this, I wouldn’t want to play them in the postseason.
via Red Light District: Top 5 potential suitors for Kovalchuk.
And to this trade proposal I say NO: John Buccigross has 29 proposals for Atlanta (and my one answer)
Los Angeles Kings
Proposed trade: Kovalchuk for Jonathan Bernier, Alexander Frolov, Oscar Moller and a No. 1 pick.
This is the other team we are hearing to be among the favorites to land Kovalchuk, and most of us could figure that out. Why? Because the Kings need a proven goal scorer and a talent upgrade to compete with the Western Conference elite. The Kings covet a star to put on billboards, plus they have some cap space, some good young prospects and have a player in Frolov who clearly needs a change of scenery. Frolov is also playing for a contract, and the Thrashers could benefit from that drive. Plus, if he plays well and doesn’t ask for too much money, the Thrashers could re-sign him.
Frolov is a tough sign because he has had an up-and-down career. Three years at $15 million? Five years for $25 million? I’m sure he will go for as many guaranteed dollars as he can get, but I would be hesitant to give him more than a three- or four-year deal. Bernier is a 21-year-old goalie who is having a really good season in the AHL. Moller is a slick, Swedish center, but has yet to show he can be consistent at the NHL level; but I can see him evolving into a real solid player. One of Atlanta’s problems over the years has been a lack of strong center.
via John Buccigross: Ilya Kovalchuk trade talk? We have 29 proposals for Atlanta – ESPN.
Three six things:
(1) No.
(2) Lombardi has yet to trade any of his picks and I would rather he not start now.
(3) If he does trade one of his own drafted players, I hope he doesn’t start with my two favorite ones.
(4) Atlanta is going to need to get more back than what will look to them like one enigmatic Russians and some prospects.
(5) I guess Buccigross hasn’t seen any Kings games this year, because I don’t think Frolov is going to be getting anything approaching $5MM a year.
(5a) I love Frolov and had him pegged for 35-40 goals this season. And if he were somehow to do that (unlikely at this point), he would certainly get that kind of money.
(6) My proposal of Brown and Johnson seasoned with picks is more likely to get Waddell’s attention. I believe the result of such a trade would be that I would be glad with got IK but I would miss JJ and be glad I shipped off Brown when I did.
From Helene Elliott: Kings and Ilya Kovalchuk?
The Kings need a pure scorer who could make a difference in the one-goal games they’ve recently lost and solidify their playoff ambitions.
Atlanta left wing Ilya Kovalchuk, a two-time 50-goal scorer who can become a free agent July 1, has a $6.4-million salary cap hit that would be prorated according to the number of games left in the season. The Kings have the cap space to handle that and the assets to send to Atlanta in a trade.
But there are some hitches. The Kings don’t want him as a rent-a-player and they’re likely to go ahead only if they get permission to talk to him and get assurances he would sign with them long term. Even then it could be dicey, because Kovalchuk is said to want at least $10 million a year for 10 years. In his favor is that he’s 26 and more likely to be productive late in that deal than most players who have gotten lifetime contracts.
If Kovalchuk would commit to the Kings long term and if the Kings wouldn’t have to strip their farm system, acquiring him would be a great move. He’s a game-breaker, and trading for him would send a message to the rest of the team that management is willing to spend to reach the next level.
That is, if management really intends to do that.
via Ducks awaken their playoff hopes – latimes.com.
One slightly catty comment is a very low number and I’m more than a little concerned that Venn diagram of my demeanor and HE’s is overlapping to an alarming degree.
Hey! That’s Brilliant! Kovi can be our superstar AND our enforcer!!
From the Toronto Star:
There’s no reason at all to feel sympathy for Ilya Kovalchuk.
He’s a rich, talented hockey player who is going to get richer soon, and he might just show next month in Vancouver on the big Olympic stage that he’s even more talented than most believe.
Last time we saw the 26-year-old surrounded by this much skill, it was at the 2008 world championships in Quebec City, where he blasted home the winning goal in overtime of the gold-medal game.
But when it comes to Kovalchuk’s ongoing negotiations with the Atlanta Thrashers over a new contract, it’s reasonable to say that from a purely business point of view, as long as he’s dealing with the Thrashers he could be looking at a lose-lose, maybe even lose-lose-lose, situation.
Imagine this scenario: Kovalchuk signs a 10-year contract with Atlanta for $10 million a year. Then, starting next year, outside economic forces push the league’s escrow up from 13 per cent per paycheque to say, 20 per cent.
So now he’s getting $8 million a year.
Then, in 2012, a new collective bargaining agreement between the owners and players includes another 24 per cent salary rollback and new limits on term for individual player contracts.
Finally, the Thrashers sell to new ownership, who sensibly give up on Atlanta, moving the team to Kansas City.
So Kovalchuk might end up playing for a sharply devalued, shortened contract in a city in which he doesn’t want to live for owners he doesn’t trust or like.
Now, it’s unlikely all these dynamics would come into play, but they might.
And if you’re Kovalchuk, already facing the same uncertain labour conditions as other NHL players who are part of a shattered union, why in the world would you add to your potential misery by signing with a consistent loser with ownership and attendance problems?
Still, with the brilliant sniper – 189 goals in the last four seasons – set to test unrestricted free agency July 1, his agent insists Kovalchuk “absolutely” wants to stay in Atlanta if a deal can get done.
“If they came to him and said we’ll make a deal on your terms, then we’ll make a deal,” said agent Jay Grossman.
Atlanta GM Don Waddell, of course, hasn’t been authorized to do that, and from a negotiation strategy point of view, it probably wouldn’t make a lot of sense. That said, nobody seems to really know what the Atlanta Spirit ownership group headed by Bruce Levensen wants to do, either in terms of Kovalchuk and his contract demands or the overall payroll situation with the Thrashers.
Atlanta hasn’t said as a team, as Nashville basically has, that it won’t pay any player more than $5 million per season because it can’t. The Thrashers also aren’t one of those teams pounding at the salary cap ceiling. They’re in-between, a team run by an ownership group that isn’t sure whether it wants to keep the team, sell the team, sign Kovalchuk, trade Kovalchuk or call a timeout and ask for a lifeline.
Logic, then, suggests Kovalchuk will be on the move by the March 4 trade deadline. Waddell told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Monday that a trade “still looms as an option, but it’s not my first choice.”
Just as he was with Marian Hossa two years ago, however, Waddell is pretty much screwed as far as being able to make a superior trade involving Kovalchuk. He’ll just do the best he can.
That may, of course, still mean Kovalchuk will be unrestricted in July, at which point locals may well ask whether Brian Burke will have interest.
Burke doesn’t exactly have a track record in which he has embraced the Russian hockey culture. That said, beggars can’t be choosers, and Kovalchuk at least likes to drop the gloves now and then.
Maybe he can sign Kovalchuk and claim he’s the team’s new enforcer.
via Cox: Is Kovalchuk Burke’s type? – thestar.com.
That solves so many of our problems. Kovalchuk can play 1st AND 4th line LW.
Pierre LeBrun Blog – ESPN
Kovalchuk update
I wrote last weekend that the Thrashers would have to enter into a new phase if there was no contract resolution with Ilya Kovalchuk, and that’s exactly what has transpired. While the team remains focused on trying sign the star captain to an extension, it has also started to quietly talk to teams for the first time all season. It only makes sense; the Thrashers have to protect themselves since Kovalchuk is set to become an unrestricted free agent July 1.
From the National Post: Bruins, Kings among teams that could make a run at Kovalchuk
Let the bidding war begin.
With contract talks between Ilya Kovalchuk and the Atlanta Thrashers reportedly going nowhere, the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent is suddenly at the top of everyone’s wish list. The Los Angeles Kings reportedly sent general manager Dean Lombardi to Atlanta to scout the team and inquire about a potential trade.
Is this true? Someone who actually can find out should find out.
But he is likely not the only GM interested in the Thrashers captain, who has 25 goals this season and has reached the 40-goal mark in each of the last five seasons.
The last time the Thrashers were in this position was two years ago, when the team dealt the similarly-skilled Marian Hossa along with Pascal Dupuis at the trade deadline for Pittsburgh’s Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen, prospect Angelo Esposito and a first-round draft pick (Daultan Leveille).
While the market may have changed since then, Atlanta is likely looking for a king’s ransom in exchange for its captain. The question is whether anybody is willing to package a similar offer.
Here are some of the potential suitors:
Boston Bruins
Why they might be interested: Why they might be interested: Reuniting Marc Savard with his former Thrashers linemate would add much-needed firepower to a team that is having trouble finding the net. Last season, Boston’s offence ranked second in the league (3.29 goals per game). But after trading 36-goal scorer Phil Kessel and losing Savard to two separate injuries, the Bruins are ranked 27th (2.48 goals per game).
What they can offer: Having acquired Toronto’s first-round pick in the 2010 and 2011 drafts, Boston, which has nine total picks in the first two rounds of the next two drafts, can put together a very enticing package of picks.
(more…)
The Hockey News/Adam Proteau’s Blog: THN.com Blog: Kovalchuk mismanagement should spell end of Waddell
Former Lightning GM and THN.com contributor Jay Feaster underscored that point last month when he wrote the Thrashers can’t afford to play a game of contractual chicken with the Russian star – at least, not up to and beyond the March 3 trade deadline – and the time to deal him is now.
As Feaster and I both noted, the opportune window to deal Kovalchuk has long since closed – and that’s why I believe the best Atlanta GM Don Waddell can hope for now is a deal that gets him 35-50 cents on the dollar. It won’t be Alexei-Zhitnik-for-Braydon-Coburn bad, but it’ll be close.
HockeyBuzz.com – Matthew Barry – Dustin Brown Sounds Off
Following practice yesterday, I asked Brown simply, is there a problem?
“I think its an individual thing.” Brown began. “We’re professionals. We’re paid to come prepared to play. I think it’s something that every individual on this team, they need to come ready. Partly it’s coming together as a team but if you’re not ready to go individually, collectively we’re not going to be nearly as strong.”
“I think it comes down to not having enough individuals ready. I think it comes down to purely the individual preparing themselves honestly.”
I asked if it was the captains responsibility to approach that individual. Brown replied, “I think its something we’ve addressed. Hopefully it gets through and people are better at it. We talked about it a few times this year. It has to be corrected sooner rather than later by the individual”.
When asked if it was his responsibility or Terry Murray’s, Brown stated, “I think its a mixture of both. But again, ultimately it falls on the responsibility of the shoulders of the player, or players, collectively. The coach can preach all he wants and people can yell all they want but its up to the athlete to make up his mind if they want to be better and want to play.”
I then asked Terry Murray if he agreed with Brown’s statements. “We have been talking about that, getting ready to get going, making sure that each one of you individually is doing what you need to do to bring your best game… the responsibility for that is the individual player to come and play the game.”
“We need to get to the right level of play to match the intensity of the opponent… or if you’re just inconsistent, we get a couple of really good shifts, which is what’s been happening, and then we’re dropping back off and not following it up and that’s also a concern that needs to be addressed.”
Maybe that’s why Dean Lombardi is accompanying the team to San Jose.
via HockeyBuzz.com – Matthew Barry – Dustin Brown Sounds Off.
Okay, so let’s play along at home. Who could Dustin Brown be talking about? Let’s run down the list…
Himself? I’ll say no.
Kopitar? No.
Williams? No.
Frolov? Maaaaaybe.
Purcell? Maybe, but Murray has been praising him, especially re hard work.
Stoll? No.
Parse? NO.
Handzus? No.
Simmonds? NO.
Ivanans? Yes, of course, it’s Raitis! No.
Richardson? NO.
Harrold? He’s been plenty prepared in the press box. No.
Johnson? Possible, but my impression is that he’s working his *** off and Murray likes it. Mistakes aside.
Doughty? NO.
SOD? No.
Greene? NO.
Drewiske? I doubt it.
Jones? In light of the benching, I’ll say maybe.
So who does that boil down to? Frolov, Purcell, Johnson, Jones. I don’t think it’s Jones. The timing isn’t right. He was playing like gangbusters around the time of Brown’s first comments. Johnson, again, I think it’s unlikely. He’s been getting more icetime, not less.
Frolov and Purcell. And, really, it’s down to Frolov, because Teddy is busting his ass, but choking.
So, Fro…
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.
BREAKING: Sources Say ESPN is Looking Closely at Kings Trade Rumor
According to a source who has knowledge of ESPN’s website, the sports giant is one of several thought to be front-runners to acquire a blockbuster rumor involving potentially-disgruntled Kings forward Alexander Frolov. While the specifics of the potential rumor are not known, speculation is that it could involve Frolov and one or more Kings assets — conventional wisdom points to Jack Johnson — as well as former first round picks Jonathan Bernier, Thomas Hickey and Colten Teubert, three blue-chip prospects widely known to be coveted in previous rumors. Sources say that ESPN is specifically looking only to bring in rumors involving players whose names its subscribers may have actually heard. While only ESPN Insider subscribers have access to the complete rumor, multiple visitors confirm that the rumor names Frolov. Speculation is the rumor will include insinuation that Frolov is unhappy with his role with the Kings. Mention of his pending UFA status and his enigmatic nature would undoubtedly also be involved in any deal with ESPN. It is believed that, were the rumor actually to be acquired by ESPN, another NHL team would be a likely partner.
Calls placed to the Kings were not returned.
HockeyBuzz.com – Matthew Barry – Kings Rookies Shutout Phoenix 4-0 – Heatley/Frolov Trade Rumor Quote
Matthew Barry gets the quote of the day from an anonymous Kings employee (a.k.a. “an NHL source”):
Being that I was standing about 10 inches from Alexander Frolov today, its safe to say he wasn’t on a plane to Ottawa – Since I was actually there, I also asked several Kings personnel about the rumors circulating on XM204 as well as well established NHL outlets. Each one denied the rumor and one added, “How does this make sense? We trade Frolov and we help Dany Heatley go to the Sharks so he can score against us all season?”
*ssburping from The Dark Ranger: Dany Heatley To The Kings? [my answer: not at those prices]
Not a snowball’s chance in hell of this trade happening:
To the Senators
Alexander Frolov (32 goals last season) – 2.9 million cap hit
Oscar Moller (2nd round pick in 07 draft – 19 years of age 7 goals 8 assists in 40 GP)
Thomas Hickey (1’st round pick 07 draft – 4th overall)
A conditional pick based on Frolov resigning or not resigning with the Senators
This deal opens the door and cap room to sign Sykora for 1.5 million on a 2 year deal. (similar money as Bertuzzi)
To the Kings
Danny Heatley – a top player in the NHL who brings baggage but scores 40-50 every year.
Yes, Dean Lombardi is all about trading away the cornerstones of the future for locker-room poison and a $7MM cap hit.
From Tom Benjamin’s NHL Blog: The Heatley Soap Opera
An interesting counter-point to the Heatley mess, from Tom Benjamin:
The level of vitriol being directed at Dany Heatley from the media seems astonishing to me. Dan Barnes, for example. I’m not a big fan of Dany Heatley (the person, not the player) but there is another way to see this story.
While Heatley’s behaviour has been less than admirable, he hasn’t killed any dogs or harassed any cabbies. He really hasn’t done anything worthy of vilification. None of this had to happen and none of it should have happened. I think the Ottawa Senators have handled it poorly, perhaps even cynically. (Full disclosure: I’m on record as saying I’ve lost confidence in Ottawa management. This, of course, taints my view.)
My assumption is that Heatley’s feelings were hurt when Clouston took over the team and cut his ice time. Clouston did not mean it this way but it looked like Clouston thought Heatley’s play was the reason the team was losing. When the team started playing better it looked like Clouston was right even though it was probably simply regression. Heatley’s feelings were hurt and so he verbally asked for a trade in the middle of May. We can all agree that Dany was being childish, and particularly in light of his history, he should have simply accepted the situation and set out to prove Clouston wrong. That, however, is pretty much the worst anyone should say about Heatley.
At that point, the Senators could have made it all go away simply by sitting Clouston down with Heatley and stroking Dany’s ego a little. Or they could tell Dany they had no intention of trading him and they expected to see him in camp with a smile on his face. Either way, the story never sees the light of day. Heatley can’t demand a trade. He can only ask.
The Sens decided they didn’t want to do either of those things because trading Dany Heatley is a good idea for the franchise. Unloading his contract gives them a chance to change direction in the near term and the Ottawa Senators are a losing team that needs to change direction. Spezza probably isn’t tradeable, but Murray clearly thought he could deal Heatley.
So the Senators asked Heatley for the request in writing, presumably to get a list of destinations he would accept. And they leaked the trade request because Murray realized the package he will get for Heatley is going to be less than stellar and he needed a villain in this piece, a villain who wasn’t him. What would Ottawa fans have done if, out of the blue, Murray had traded Heatley for Penner, Cogliano and Smid? They would have gone nuts. The trade request is leaked to make what is almost sure to be a poor hockey trade acceptable to the fans. (Murray wants to make a good salary cap trade which is a different thing.)
This, of course, pissed off Heatley. He’s now hurt and he’s mad. The Sens have plunked a black hat on his head. Leaking the trade request – and turning it into a demand – apparently burned the bridge back to Ottawa if a suitable deal can’t be worked out.
Unfortunately Murray discovered that a Heatley deal wasn’t going to be all that easy because few teams had the cap space and everyone was worried about revenues and the possibility of a falling cap. The only team interested was the Edmonton Oilers, a team that was not on Heatley’s list. Does Murray put the Oilers on hold to discuss it with Heatley? No he doesn’t. He makes the deal with Edmonton and then leaks that, hoping to pressure Heatley into accepting it and saving the Sens $4 MM in a bonus. Heatley is now hurt and really, really mad.
“Screw you,” said Dany Heatley. “You can make me look like an asshole, but you can’t make me play in Edmonton. Either you deal me to a suitable team or I’m your problem next season.”
And that’s where we sit. All Dany Heatley did was ask for a trade, something that surely happens more frequently than fans realize.
From there Bryan Murray messed this bed and now he gets to sleep in it. Heatley can’t win – his star is probably forever dimmed – but the real losers are in Ottawa. Murray can pretend to be the victim but that doesn’t change the fact that the team and the team’s fans are paying the price.Now what, Bryan?
via Tom Benjamin’s NHL Blog » Blog Archive » The Heatley Soap Opera.
Proving that Blogger Rumor Reliability is Inversely Proportional to My Desire for Said Rumor to be True
The Flyers are rumored to have interest in Kings tough guy Raitis Ivanāns.
via HockeyBuzz.com – Eklund – Patrick Eaves to Detroit, Kaberle, Trade Rumor Updates, More.
Two different flavors of wishful thinking in play here. Eklund’s: that he’s reporting something that’s in any way real; mine: that this one time, he’s actually right. Since he gets it right something like 2% of the time, there’s hope. I know, I know. Not really.
From Fantasy Hockey Forums/DobberHockey: preempting a possible Frolov to KHL in 2010 rumor
Interesting tidbit on a Frolov interview in Russian, translated by the often hilarious but rarely nuanced Google Translator:
So, the headline of this, which most people in North America will see, in the translated version, is “Frolov: I am ready to [sic] proposals from Russia.” This is bound to stir up rumors of a possible defection. [But it's also a] sensationalization of what he actually says in the interview, which google translate does a poor job on.
In the second to last question, he is asked “don’t you have a desire to come back to Russia?”. His response is: “I won’t bail on my contract like, for example, Radulov. But, in principle, I am willing to listen to offers. We’ll see what the future brings.”
Earlier in the interview, however, the interviewer asks, “don’t you want to go to a more competitive team at the end of your contract next year?’ He responds: “Negotiations haven’t started yet. The NHL is unpredictable – its a business and you never know what management will decide.”
“But every year I’ve had a greater desire to make the playoffs with LA in particular. It means a lot to rise from the bottom with the team with which you’ve debuted.”
If people in North America pick up on this interview, it is very likely they’ll pick up on the former and disregard the latter. But given that the interview was in Russia, the former seems like lip service and the latter suggests his intention is to stay in LA and in the NHL.
Okay?
From Sportsnet.ca: A trade rumor I want to say is idiotic but is probably just … well, I hope it doesn’t happen. Not for Simmonds anyway.
Meanwhile, 300 km up Highway 2, rumours persist that Edmonton GM Steve Tambellini is shopping one of his four offensive defenceman in an attempt to kickstart the rebuild in Edmonton. We’re hearing Sheldon Souray to Los Angeles — where his children live with his ex-wife, a long distance relationship that Souray has found taxing through two seasons in Northern Alberta. The package coming back would include defenceman Jack Johnson, and we’re guessing a forward with some grit, like a Wayne Simmonds.
From Matthew Barry: Say What? Phaneuf to the Kings???
I was talking about the draft to a person with huge ties to the Kings and we started talking about the up-coming free agency period. He/She said “What would you think about the Phaneuf kid playing for the Kings?”
Of course I replied, “What do you know?”
A chuckle ensued followed by “Can’t tell you anymore”.
Thinking about it, it does make perfect sense. Calgary, if they’re going to ink J-Bo, they desperately need to shed salary. A Phaneuf/J-Bo combination would be deadly, but expensive.
But does Jack Johnson fit the bill of Phaneuf-lite? Yes, I know, it will take a LOT more for the Kings to pry Dion away, but as you can already note, Lombardi has made pretty good deals for Visnovsky and O’Sullivan.
Phaneuf would be the piece Lombardi is obviously looking for to go with his youth program. He can afford the cap hit without worrying about the next few seasons.
via HockeyBuzz.com – Matthew Barry – Say What? Phaneuf to the Kings???.
From Tom Benjamin’s NHL Blog: Still Pretending
I don’t know why hockey fans still get sucked in by all the trade talk in the period that leads up to the draft. I don’t know how hockey reporters can keep buying any of the trade whispers they hear. The fact is there are very few trades in this league. That should quash virtually all rumours as very unlikely, however logical they sound. Every year we hear about the big names who are about to move and every year nothing happens.Furthermore, the trades that are made usually turn out to be inexplicable. I haven’t heard a good explanation for either of the two trades made last weekend. Here’s Eric on Pronger:As GM after GM will tell you, the only real reason to make deals at the draft is if you’re after draft picks in return. The Anaheim Ducks received the equivalent of three first-round choices for defenceman Chris Pronger Friday night.I can understand why the Flyers would like to have Chris Pronger and I can understand why the Ducks wanted to deal him. But why did he cost so much? It seems a crazy price to pay for one year of Chris Pronger. On the other hand, the fact that Pronger is on an expiring contract could enhance his value.If that one seemed weird to me, the other “big” deal seems to be a waste of time. I don’t understand why Calgary bothered to send Florida a draft pick for Jay Bouwmeester a few days before Bouwmeester becomes a UFA, particularly since his agent made it clear he is going to test the free agent market.
Via Tom Benjamin’s NHL Blog [just noticed the link is broken; sorry]
From (the great) Matthew Barry: I Loved All The Things That DIDN’T Happen!
1) Tavares – So Dreger and the Union Leader and almost everyone else on XM204 was saying Duchene was going first – THAT didn’t happen and it didn’t seem like there was ever any doubt it was Tavares.
Dreger – so plugged in, and yet…
2) Brian Burke’s failure to move up – yes, he good a great draft pick and that was a CLASSIC sound byte of him telling Bryan Murray “we’re taking your guy” – but what I loved even more was the look on his face when the Kings took Schenn.
What’s extra funny was that it was obvious even before I heard about the sound byte that this is exactly what he was doing. You don’t usually get a quote — much less an exact quote — and MUCH MUCH less a sound byte of an exact quote — of what would normally be a “photoshop a caption” moment. Also, I agree completely, the shot of Burke after Schenn was selected was like a Saturday Night Live parody.
3) As Ek mentioned, JayBo didn’t move – Vinny didn’t move – Jack Johnson and Alex Frolov are still Kings. Every time Bettman said “we have a trade” it was for draft picks. THAT’S HOW IT SHOULD BE – It was about the DRAFT and not trading players.
4) Flyers fans weren’t given a box of chocolates after being used, abused, and pounded like a slab of veal. FOUR first round picks???? FOUR for Pronger???? That’s just NUTS!!!!! The price just went UP, UP, UP on Heater and every other talented player. If you’re going to pay 4 1st rounders for a guy with 1 year left on his contract and will be on the other side of 35, what’s Heater and Gaborik and Hossa and all of the others worth?
I don’t think it’s going to inflate anything, for the simple reason that, in Heatley’s case, Murray is over a barrel, and the UFAs have to find someone with cap room, which is a rare commodity and getting rarer all the time. Also, to state the obvious, Philly is (probably) out of the UFA market.
Okay, okay, take it easy, I know Lupul was a complete salary dump and I’ll be so happy not to see Prongers stupid grin in the West anymore, but still, Sbisa and 2 first rounders is still a serious price to pay – Now, tell me, now that you ADDED a million dollars to payroll, who gets dumped next?
At least six million worth of somebody.
via HockeyBuzz.com – Matthew Barry – I Loved All The Things That DIDN’T Happen! .
Los Angeles Kings (LAKingsHockey) on Twitter
http://twitpic.com/8i8eu - Right now…Dean Lombardi and Ottawa GM Bryan Murray chatting in front of Kings table…stay tuned! DE
James Mirtle (mirtle) on Twitter
Eric Duhatschek says: “Almost everyone here thinks Matt Duchene is going to go No. 1 to the Isles now” http://www.theglobeandmail….
Right. Sure.
I assume that’s wishful thinking on the part of Toronto sports media people. Because if Tavares doesn’t go first, there’s an infinitesimal chance Burke can trade up and grab him. Or is it that I am still hoping DL trades up and grabs Duchene? Or-or…is Duchene Pat Falloon? What time is it?
Andy Strickland – Will Ottawa Refuse To Pay Heatley His Bonus?
Murray is telling people that if they’re stuck paying Heatley his signing bonus on July first then they won’t be moving him. How awkward will that be for Heatley and everyone else in the Senators organization if he ends up playing in Ottawa this season?
Which to me means they HAVE to move him now. Or at least, Bryan Murray has to feel that way. In other words, NOBODY (e.g. the Kings) should overpay for Heatley.
Things would really be interesting if Senators Owner Eugene Melnyk sticks to his threat of not paying Heatley his signing bonus if they are unsuccessful in moving him. A league source tells me Melnyk has said “There is no way we are paying him his $4 million bonus, I don’t care if he sues us.” Who knows if Melnyk will follow through with such a claim? Can you blame him for being angry though?
Oh that’s so funny.
I’m not so sure they can find a way to get around paying Heatley, but it gives fans a idea of how upset the club is at their star player. Ottawa has bent over backwards for Heatley since the day he was traded there. His career was at a crossroads when you consider his off-ice issues combined with a serious eye injury he suffered. Ottawa did everything to protect him from the media when Heatley was performing his community service hours which was required as part of his plea deal. They also hired and paid for a personal driver to chauffer Heatley around after he had his driver’s license suspended. The bottom line is Ottawa went above and beyond for Dany Heatley to revive his career and this is what they get in return. Sources with first hand knowledge of the Senators tell me the whole Heatley situation has made Melnyk “sick”. There is no doubt he’s an awesome hockey player, but you can’t overlook what Ottawa has done to help this kid out.
But maybe he secretly has the Kings logo tattooed on his ass.
I think what Dean should say to Bryan Murray: “My offer is this: nothing, not even the fee for the gaming license, which I would appreciate if you would put up personally.” Of course, Bryan Murray says no, and then he wakes up in a brothel with a dead hooker and Ron Hextall standing over him saying, “now all that’s left is our friendship.”
via HockeyBuzz.com – Andy Strickland – Will Ottawa Refuse To Pay Heatley His Bonus?.
Darren Dreger (DarrenDreger) on Twitter
Tor, Philly, Minny and LA closing in on Ryane Clowe. SJ still trying to sign him.
Makes sense. Ko, Mo, Fro, Bro, O’D, Jo, Dough, Sto — CLOWE. [I didn't mention Mo(ulson), Bo(yle), Jo(nes), Ro(e), Lo(ktionov), Ho(lloway).] Also, Go(tee-ay). Naturally, this is why they want Ho(ssa).
OilersNation (OilersNation) on Twitter
RT @JasonGregor: Rumblings of souray and 10th to LA for 5th and something else. More at www.oilersnation.com
Ha ha. Sheldon Souray. Ha ha ha.
A thought
It will be interesting to see how much of all this twittering etc adds up to anything real in terms of actual deals, and how much of it is just occupying us like hamsters in a wheel without any cause and effect at all.
NHL.com – News: Senators say there’s nothing imminent on Heatley – 06/25/2009
Assistant General Manager Tim Murray said Thursday that no serious offers for the services of Heatley had surfaced yet, despite published reports to the contrary.
Ottawa executive vice-president and general manager Bryan Murray is shopping Heatley after the sniper told the team during the Stanley Cup Final that he would like to be moved.
“I think there is a lot of tire-kicking going on,” Tim Murray said. “It doesn’t sound serious and then a team calls and makes a serious offer, which could happen at any time. Lots of discussions; I know that Bryan has talked to a number of teams. It doesn’t seem like there is a serious offer there right at this moment.”
Thank god.
via NHL.com – News: Senators say there’s nothing imminent on Heatley – 06/25/2009.
From Working the Corners: Agent on trade rumors: ‘I think Doug tried to see the value for Ryane Clowe’
Just talked with Ryane Clowe’s Quebec-based agent, Paul Corbeil.
He, too, had seen the TSN.ca reports from the NHL draft site saying Clowe was the subject of trade talks that Sharks GM Doug Wilson was having in Montreal with several teams, Toronto and Philadelphia among them.
Corbeil, of course, knows that Clowe’s current contract expires July 1, when he becomes a restricted free agent. Any team to which Clowe is traded would retain his rights for another year, when Clowe turns 27, but after July 1 his new team could have to deal with offers from other franchises that might be interested in luring him away.
Conceivably, that could limit what Clowe brings in return.
“You never know, Ryane could be traded,” Corbeil said. “But I think Doug tried to see the value for Ryane Clowe.”
Wilson did return my call early this evening, but he wouldn’t confirm or deny the reports on TSN.ca, saying only that negotiations with Clowe were ongoing. If one way for Wilson to strengthen his position is to see his value on the market, the GM wasn’t saying.
Corbeil backed up everything Clowe talked to me about yesterday. How Clowe wants to stay in San Jose and isn’t eager to test the RFA market, how he and Clowe both understand the salary cap restrictions that the Sharks are facing.
Corbeil wouldn’t provide details of his contract counter-proposal, but described the current one as “a real fair offer in the market right now. We don’t ask for the sky.”
The agent said he understood that Wilson needed to check out all his possibilities when it comes to Clowe’s future, and said it was the natural that rumors would be circulating just before the NHL draft.
“All the GMs are here right now and all the agents. All the journalists,” Corbeil said. “It’s the time for the rumors.”
Like Corbeil, I wouldn’t rule out anything. Both Wilson and Coach Todd McLellan were disappointed in the performance of the Sharks’ second line in the playoffs and Clowe is on that line. But I also wouldn’t automatically jump to the conclusion that he’s played his last game in teal.
via Agent on trade rumors: ‘I think Doug tried to see the value for Ryane Clowe’ | Working the Corners.
Darryl Evans via Twitter: Kings Interested in Ryane Clowe with two e’s
LAKingsHockeyRyan Clowe’s name came up today in trade circles here in MTL. From what I’ve heard, the Kings have shown interest. DE #nhl
via Twitter
I’m not sure if that makes me more or less secure re Frolov’s future with the Kings. Would he be a #2 LW behind Heatley, or a #3 behind Heatley and Frolov? Ugh.
Russo’s Rants: Trade chatter
As of now, Chuck Fletcher is still trying to make a trade, with the emphasis on the trying. As proof by the crickets throughout the NHL, it’s not easy making a trade right now, not when as a colleague said to me today, there’s about 150 players on the block, of which 100 nobody wants. The problem I am sensing from the numerous execs I’ve talked to is sort of what I alluded either in an article or the blog or the Twitter — I don’t know, it all sort of runs together.
There are lots of teams looking to get rid of really good players, but good players with really big contracts. So those teams automatically want picks and prospects back, which as you know if you’ve been reading the Strib, the Wild isn’t exactly filled to the brim with. So, hence Fletcher’s problem. And hence, the league’s problem. You can’t just acquire a $4 million player in today’s game without giving up some dough.
He’s inquired about nearly 40 players, including Phil Kessel and Dany Heatley. But there are many others that I either don’t know about or don’t want to write because it’s just rumor, so who knows what Fletcher gets done — or quite frankly, if Fletcher gets something done.
I’ve been told Ottawa’s cut its targeted teams down to seven. I’ve been told the Wild is one of them. But I’ve also been told L.A.’s hot after him and would consider giving up winger Alex Frolov, a quality defenseman and the fifth pick, which let’s be honest, the Wild can’t contend with.
And, five minutes later, I still think it’s insane. Check out Hextall’s comments on the Kings website re Heatley. If anything, the red-flag comments seem more damning when you see them in context. Is the entire Kings brain-trust just blowing smoke up our a***s every time they talk about a potential trade? Are we supposed to take every interview or fan-chat as coded messages or shots across the bow of opposing GMs?
I still think it makes no sense to trade one LW for another. Yes, it’s an upgrade, in theory. But, forgetting the red-flags, like for example that Heatley is having a problem in OTT with their — wait for it — DEFENSIVE SYSTEM and doesn’t like — WAIT FOR IT — BEING BUMPED FROM THE FIRST POWER PLAY UNIT, how the hell is that supposed to work with Terry Murray, who bumps people from the first power play unit all the way down to the fourth line as punishment for a bad pass.
I just have to believe DL will not pull the trigger on a Heatley deal. Dealing Johnson I would be okay with. Not Frolov. And not the 5th.
If DL makes that trade, the only way he will be able to make it up to me is by signing Hossa next week.
Michael Russo (Russostrib) on Twitter
Appears L.A. Kings team to beat for Heatley; Alex Frolov, another & the fifth overall pick I’m hearing; No way Wild can beat that #nhl
Okay, that’s f’ed up. Russo is a real writer and a real reporter and is, as far as I know, always reliable. I guess I have to take back the “total b.s.” label for this rumor. It still doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, red-flags etc.. And trading Frolov for Heatley doesn’t solve anything.
From The Hockey News/Ken Campbell: THN at the NHL Draft: Trade buzz building
The most likely player to be dealt is Dany Heatley of the Ottawa Senators, with the Los Angeles Kings and Minnesota Wild emerging as the front-runners. The Kings would likely have to give up a package that would include Jack Johnson and Alexander Frolov, while the Wild might surrender a package that would include second-year forward James Sheppard.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that’s utter b.s..
via The Hockey News: Ken Campbell’s blog: THN at the NHL Draft: Trade buzz building.
Scott Burnside: Trades, rumors and who’ll be No. 1
Another guy bound to be in the middle of about a million rumors this weekend will be Los Angeles GM Dean Lombardi, whose young Kings took a big step forward last season by hanging around the playoff picture well into the second half. Lombardi is now on the hot seat to get the Kings into the playoffs for the first time since 2002. He has cap space and is in the market for a big offensive gun to help solidify what should rapidly become one of the best young blue lines in the NHL. Will it be Lecavalier? Heatley? What about veteran leader Ryan Smyth, who is stuck in Denver where the Avs are in rebuild mode? Lombardi can always try the free-agent route if he cant get anything done draft weekend, but he will control the situation better if he can make a move sooner than later.
Via espn.com (trouble with the links for some reason)
Via Faceoff.com: Heatley remains a tough sell
If Murray can’t get a deal done by Friday, it’s not going to break his heart, because only one of the interested teams has offered a draft choice.
That’s interesting.
Via Matthew Barry: Lombardi on JJ Sr and ALL THAT B.S.
Of course that was a perfect segue for me to ask about all of the off season turmoil surrounding Jack Johnson and that he seems to be talked about in every single trade deal. Lombardi cleared the air.
“Aw, that’s not fair. This is the truth. The thing that set off the firestorm was the comment about the father calling Russia. I kind of just blew it off. I know the coach and I played for the coach over there in St. Petersburg, Gary Smith. I was more pissed at him, “what are you doing? You’re just being used for leverage”. He said “His father called me!”
New information. It wasn’t standing in the hot-dog line, as I still prefer to imagine.
During negotiations last season, Johnson dismissed his agents leaving his controversial father to take over negotiations. “Okay. It’s not the first time a father’s wanted to do it, or sit in on it”, Lombardi explained. “It kind of went on for a while before the father actually came in, sat down and talked for a while.”
When Johnson finally did settle on an agent, his clients included NASCAR and NFL players, and since he needed to learn the ropes and Johnson wasn’t eligible for an offer sheet or arbitration, there was no sense of urgency. Except from a fans standpoint.
“The problem was, it was kind of out there that we’re talking about doing a contract and nothing’s happening so everybody assumes were fighting. There’s nothing happening! There’s no need for it! He’s hurt, he’s changed his agents but there’s a perception dragging on but we just said “fine, we got all the time you want”. THEN somebody puts out there that the kid is asking for 5.5 million dollars. That’s ridiculous. It’s ridiculous because he never asked for it. Even on his proposals that we talked about originally, we weren’t anywhere near that!”
But what about the internet chatter that Johnson had refused a conditioning assignment to Manchester following his shoulder surgery? “We kind of talked but it was a mutual thing. That’s one of the things you ask your coach. Murph said “lets get him in”. I think we talked about it but it was more internally up here (front office) like “what’s the best thing for him?” I do remember having some discussion about it and I probably would have been in favor of putting him down there but Murph said “he’ll be fine. Let me just make sure he’s healthy and we’ll break him in”.
via HockeyBuzz.com – Matthew Barry – Dean Lombardi Interview – PART 2 – Luc to the HHOF.
Spector’s Blog: Lubo
The Edmonton Oilers are rumored willing to part with defensemen Lubomir Visnovsky ($5.6 million per season against the cap until 2012-13) or Sheldon Souray (cap hit of $5.4 million per season until 2011-12) in hopes of landing offensive depth.
via Big Ticket NHL Players Hard to Move. • Spector’s Blog – FOX Sports Blogs.
Kukla’s Korner: Post Game 7 Notes
The only way the Anaheim Ducks steal defenceman Jack Johnson and an early first-round pick from L.A. for diminishing asset Chris Pronger is if Kings general manager Dean Lombardi happens to lose his mind.
via KuklasKorner : Hockey .
From Oilers Nation: Has Chris Pronger Been Traded to L.A.?
Has Chris Pronger been traded to the Los Angeles Kings for Jack Johnson and the 5th overall draft pick. I’ve been updating this situation since Andy Strickland first broke the story, and at this point it’s an awfully tangled web, so I thought that it might be a good idea to list the two sides (“yes, the trade happened/is going to happen” and “no trade has not happened/Hockeybuzz is stupid/The Score isn’t a real network”) of the story, and link to any analysis.
Read the rest: http://www.oilersnation.com/2009/06/has-chris-pronger-been-traded-to-la/#ixzz0IGDh4SNo&C
Via ESPN: Los Angeles Kings looking for star
Kings search for a star
The Los Angeles Kings have been linked all spring to Tampa Bay star Vincent Lecavalier, but we’re told those talks have cooled off for now. One Eastern Conference source told us Saturday the New York Rangers have made Scott Gomez available around the league, but we’re not sure how interested the Kings are in him. It’s a heck of a big contract.
For our money, we believe the guy the Kings covet the most is gritty and skilled winger Ryan Smyth of the Colorado Avalanche. He’s got a big contact as well, but the word is Los Angeles might view him as a character guy who could help its young stars develop. Of course, it’s not clear at this point whether Smyth, who has a no-movement clause, is even available.
That will probably depend greatly on what Joe Sakic decides to do about his playing future. If Sakic wants to come back for another season in Colorado, you have to think new GM Greg Sherman will want to keep the band together and delay the blow-up for a season. Stay tuned.
Blake and the Sharks
We exchanged text messages with Rob Blake on Friday and the veteran blueliner said he was leaning toward coming back to play another season. He’s going to meet with San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson this week and we’re told agent Pat Brisson has already been in talks with San Jose about a new deal. Blake, who is an unrestricted free agent July 1, looked far from done this past season, so we’re not surprised to hear he wants to play again.
Ottawa Sun: More LeCavalier/Johnson — Johnson wants $5.5MM?
Some new rumor plot-points, in bold:
Despite all the denials coming out of the Sunshine State, the Tampa Bay Lightning is trying to deal C Vinny Lecavalier. A league source told Sun Media yesterday the Bolts have informed the NHL they intend to spend at the salary floor of approximately $40.5 million next season. They already have $38 million committed to 17 players and have to sign to get to the 23-man roster limit. Getting Lecavalier’s $10 million salary off the books would clear space for the Bolts to sign blueliners. He’s not only the Lightning player being shopped. League sources insist there are others, but didn’t want to give out any names. A proposal deal to send Lecavalier to the Kings for D Jack Johnson is still on the table. Sources say Johnson, who is coming off an entry-level contract, is seeking a four-year deal worth $5.5 million per season. No wonder the Kings want to deal him. They aren’t the only team in pursuit of Lecavalier. Vancouver, Edmonton and Montreal have all made calls.
via Detroit discount? | Hockey | Sports | Ottawa Sun.
Well, if JJ is really expecting anything like $5.5MM, or for that matter, anything more than $3MM, DL would have no choice but to deal him. [UPDATE: Rich Hammond talked to DL and debunked the $5.5MM figure, from the horse's mouth. And re-reading this, I don't mean to suggest DL would have to deal JJ if he wanted more than $3MM. That's a little extreme. I just don't think he's going to get a contract bigger than high-twos. As if I know anything.]
From Al Strachan: Lightning Rod
Al Strachan repackages the same old rumors; but at least he can write coherently. My comments are in brackets.
The rumors regarding Vincent Lecavalier refuse to go away. [I resist inserting, "whose fault is that?"] Tampa Bay Lightning GM Brian Lawton insists that he has had no trade talks regarding Lecavalier and that he has no intention of trading him. But a number of hockey insiders say that it isn’t up to Lawton.
This is primarily a financial matter to allow the Lightning to save $40 million, the amount they’ve committed to Lecavalier over the next four years. As such, it will be dealt with at the ownership level. [I'm willing to take that at face value; but then, are we to assume Lawton is lying, or that he is going to get fired and ownership will deal VL? -- clearly, we'll know in the next four weeks...]
At the moment, the most widely held theory is this. The New York Islanders are apparently not convinced that John Tavares is worthy of their first over-all pick, and will take Swedish defenseman Victor Hedman. That leaves Tavares for Tampa Bay, and with Steven Stamkos already on the roster, the Lightning would have a nifty one-two punch featuring a pair of the game’s most promising forwards. [also, with Tavares and Stamkos, in four years they wouldn't be able to afford the contracts those two will likely command while still suffering under VL's huge cap hit -- so I guess I will sign off on the logic of that. It boils down to: Tampa Bay is in a bind because of the VL contract and it's more or less obvious this is their last chance to deal him or they're screwed down the road. I'm fine with that, but so far no-one has confirmed any version of "Tampa is therefore shopping VL." It's more at the level of, "they had better be." But who's to say they won't keep him anyway, as stupid or illogical as that might be?]
They would then deal Lecavalier to the Los Angeles Kings for a package that would include American defenseman Jack Johnson. [the inclusion of Johnson still seems like educated guesswork; who has a contract negotiation coming up? Oh, Johnson and Frolov. DL just dealt O'Sullivan. QED!] It is widely known that the Kings intend to try to make a big splash of some sort this summer. [yes, because DL said as much] They had been leaning towards going after a free agent, but a trade for Lecavalier would work almost as well.
[except for the part where we have to give up players and our first round pick and then have to take a $7MM cap hit for the next 11 years.]
Kukla’s Korner: More Loopy Jack Johnson Sr. Stories are Surfacing
There’s this really creepy story about Jim Rutherford having dinner with Jack Johnson while the former was trying to convince the latter to forgo his college career to play for the Hurricanes. After some period of time, JJ revealed that his father was sitting in the parking lot of the restaurant, and had been out there the whole time. Rutherford, taken aback by that news, suggested that JJ bring his father in, but the Johnsons preferred to work it their own way. Their own, creepy way. Even then, Canes fans thought it was a little like Carl Lindros.
Now, this crazy man has written a letter on behalf of his 22 year old son. This is just weird. This whole thing is downright bizarre.
At the end of the day, most Hurricanes fans are happy about the trade. Carolina ended up with a very dependable (regular season, anyway) defenseman in Tim Gleason, they were able to shed some salary in Oleg Tverdovsky, and they got rid of a bad situation with JJ.
via KuklasKorner : Red and Black Hockey : Jack Johnson Sr goes to bat for his baby boy. .
Kings Blog Takes Down Dreger – Pension Plan Puppets
It may have the worst wall paper since that Urkel tribute my-space page, but the blog entry makes up for it with a nice take down of Dreger’s latest trade rumour make-believe.
via Kings Blog Takes Down Dreger – Pension Plan Puppets.
Now hang on.
Bozo Weighs in @ Oilers Nation
From commenter Bozo [who is not me]:
All I’m saying is, not naming your sources is one thing but making a claim that’s so wishy washy that it could never be shown to be wrong is bad form. It makes Dreger look like he’s guilty even if he isn’t. And it makes me a little more wary of Dreger than I was before.
via The lowdown – OilersNation.com.
I wish I had said that.
6 comments