The additions of Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson, Jordan Eberle and the highly touted #1 overall pick Taylor Hall one would expect Sam Gagner to have a break out year in his upcoming 4th NHL season.

In his previous 3 years he has managed 49, 41, and 41 points respectively for a total of 131 points in 224 games. He is yet to show his offensive capabilities like he did with the London Knights of the OHL but of course this is the NHL not juniors.

In Sam’s defense he has played up to par with the rest of his draft class perhaps minus Patrick Kane but he is very comparable  stats wise to players like James Van Riemsdyk, Kyle Turris and David Perron. Gagner was drafted 6th overall in the 2007 NHL entry draft class.

The Edmonton Oilers are in a rebuild mode with a superabundance of young players coming in and are fairly deep in the minor system in regards to forwards. Defense is another story but it’s a start for the Oilers who finished dead last overall in the NHL last season.

The mixture of veterans like Dustin Penner, Shawn Horcoff, Nikolai Khabibulin and Ales Hemsky plus a defensive core with Ladislav Smid,Taylor Chorney, Kurtis Foster and Ryan Whitney along with a tough guy like Jim Vandermeer anchoring the back end should prove to be quite an exciting team this up coming season.

Sam could be playing on a number of different lines this season and the match-ups are endless. Could you see Gagner centering players like Hemsky and Penner? Or perhaps on a line with Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle? This upcoming season for the Edmonton Oilers will be an exciting one especially watching these young kids gel into full time NHL players. The question is can the Oilers keep the puck out of their own net? The offense will be there but the defense is the main question at stake.

If  Sam stays healthy and gets ample power-play time which I would assume he would, I would project Sam getting 25 goals and 40 assists this upcoming season in what looks to be an offensive and dynamic forward line up.

Trent Kondo
NHLHS Edmonton Oilers Correspondent
tkondo@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @TK0N

According to Andy Strickland and Jeremy Rutherford the St. Louis Blues have sent enforcer DJ King to the Washington Capitals. King agreed to a two-year contract extension totaling $1.25 million prior to the trade.

King was the Blues 6th Round pick (190th overall) of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. Since making his NHL debut on October 5th, 2006 King has appeared in 101 games with the St. Louis Blues. In that time frame he has accumulated 4 goals, 9 points and 185 penalty minutes.

While one of the strongest and fiercest fighters in the NHL – he has slowly fallen out of favor in St. Louis. Back to back injury plagued seasons and the growth of local boy come home Cam Janssen have limited DJ’s opportunities to play. Only appearing in 13 NHL games the last two years.

In his last full season King appeared to possess the skill required to take a regular shift every night. After the long term shoulder injury in 2007 King came to camp on 2009 looking to make his way back to the roster. By that time Janssen had taken his fair share of punches and endeared himself to many a Blues fan. Much of the fanbase had grown to believe in Cam as the better option for an enforcer and Cam backed it up at camp. His skating, stickhandling and hockey sense all noticeably improved. Janssen still has far to go, but has quickly hit the same playing level as DJ King.

It appears that the local appeal and lack of injury history turned the table in Janssen’s favor.

In return the Blues acquire Stefan Della Rovere. He was the Caps 7th Round pick (204th overall) in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. The 5’11, 200-pound forward has a large amount of winning experience. He was a member of the 2009 Canadian WJC Gold Medal team and the 2010 Silver Medal team. HE captained the Barrie Colts in to a deep OHL playoff run. To close out his 2010 season he played for the 2010 Calder Cup winning Hershey Bears of the AHL. In 230 OHL games, Stefan registered 138 points (65 goals, 73 assists) and 479 penalty minutes.

Yes, 479 penalty minutes. For those of you who took in the last two U-20 World Junior Championships you know what I am talking about. Della Rovere was a Grade-A pest for Team Canada. He is an aggressive and tough forward who will get under opponents skin. There is the potential for a the thin line between right and wrong to be crossed. However, the same can be said of any player of his ilk. His game lives on the edge and teams benefit because of it.

He is not Patrice Cormier.

This is another solid deal made by Doug Armstrong. Turning an unnecessary surplus in to quality depth. Della Rovere has shown he can play at the highest levels and will get a shot in St. Louis. At age 20, he will not be heading back to the OHL. The expectation for now is that he will compete against Vlad Sobotka, Brad Winchester and BJ Crombeen for time on the energy lines. Most likely he will start the season with the Blues AHL affiliate, the Peoria Rivermen.

You can find the full release from the Blues on their Official Website.

Jeff Quirin
NHLHS St. Louis Blues Correspondent
jquirin@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @MuSigma45

The Edmonton Oilers have signed Gilbert Brule to a two year deal. This is a significant signing as Brule is a versatile player whom brings a physical presence, solid fore-checking and the ability to score on occasion. Offense was a big part of Brule’s game while playing junior for the Vancouver Giants in the Western Hockey League with his most notable year being in 2004/05 amassing 39 goals and 87 points plus 167 PIMS in 70 games.

The Columbus Blue Jackets liked what they saw in Brule and drafted him #6 Overall in the 2005 entry draft. He also played seven games with Columbus scoring two goals and adding two assists in that very year. Gilbert played his first full season the following year with Columbus playing more of a 3rd and 4th line specialty role with the club but eventually fell out of favor of the Jackets in 2007/08 in being sent down to Syracuse after he had played 61 games with Columbus.

Brule became expendable in the eyes of the Jackets which prompted the Edmonton Oilers to make a deal in 2008 swapping Raffi Torres for Brule in which at the time most felt it was a salary dump on Edmonton’s part.  Gilbert spent most of his time in Springfield in the AHL and was called up for 11 games in 2008/09 where he had 3 points in 11 games.

The 2009/10 season was his most productive season by a landslide, he played 65 games and had 17 goals and 37 points and was quickly becoming a fan favorite amongst Oiler nation as they started to fall in love with the intensity that Gilbert brought to every single game he played. Not only were the Oiler’s and fans noticing what Brule was doing on the ice last year but so were other teams as his name was a hot topic near the trade deadline but G.M. Steve Tambellini decided to keep the rugged forward.

One would expect Brule to get more ice time this upcoming season and I fully expect him to surpass his yearly totals in points from last season. Many may feel this is a minor deal for Edmonton but all in all the signing of a solid role player with his capabilities may just open up a few more eyes this coming  season.

Trent Kondo
NHLHS Edmonton Oilers Correspondent
tkondo@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @TK0N

The Vancouver Canucks have re-signed Mason Raymond to a 2-year deal that will pay the speedy winger 2.5 million this season and 2.6 million in 2011-12. The deal happened right before both sides were going to present their case in Raymond’s arbitration hearing. Had the hearing gone on as planned, many believe that Raymond would’ve been awarded 3-3.5 million per year and that would’ve made it difficult for the Canucks to re-sign him considering their current cap situation.

Here’s what the two sides wanted, according to Jason Botchford:

Canucks: $2 million a year, similar to the deals that Ryan Callahan ($2.3m with NY Rangers) and Eric Fehr ($2.2m with Washington Capitals) received.

Raymond’s camp: $3.5 million a year, like Ryane Clowe ($3.6m from San Jose) and Travis Zajac ($3.8m from New Jersey) got in their deals.

Both sides were very happy to get the deal done without going to arbitration. While this pushed the team over the salary cap, there is still plenty of time for Mike Gillis to get that straightened out. Raymond took less money to stay with the Canucks and this is a great sign from the fan perspective. Management has continued to show their dedication and commitment to building a championship team (without tanking it several season to get high draft picks like Pittsburgh and Chicago did) and players want to play in Vancouver.

With players like Pavol Demitra, Michael Grabner, Kyle Wellwood, and Steve Bernier departing in the off-season and Alex Burrows (most likely) beginning the season on IR, Raymond will get a chance to get off to a great start and prove he’s worth the money he signed for. Let’s hope he has a great follow-up season and continues to improve on last years numbers.

Of course at the end of the day the Canucks could also trade him, since he’s now signed for 2 years and has a very reasonable contract for a player with so much potential.

Read the official Press Release from the Canucks

I-5 Canucks
NHLHS Canucks Correspondents
Hipcheck44@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @Hipcheck44 and @WCE71944

On Wednesday the St. Louis Blues announced that talented forward David Perron had agreed to a two year contract. Per Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post Dispatch the deal breaks down in to $1.8 million in 2010-2011 and $2.5 million in 2011-2012.

This contract could prove to be a steal of a deal for the Blues. Perron is a highly skilled offensive juggernaut in the making. All the tools are there. The stick skills, the vision, the dangling and the burning desire to score. Take a look at what he does to Mark Striet and tell me he doesn’t have “it”. There are few players out there being paid less than $2 million next season who have the ability to post a 25 goal, 50 point campaign. The relative cost to output should allow the Blues some flexibility down the road to add salary to fill deficiencies elsewhere.

For all the potential positives the contract brings, there are tangible concerns as well.

David still lacks (or appears to at times) the realization of that killer attitude to compete on the ice. That is why the Blues were wanting a term of two years and not four or five. At times his level of effort on the ice has drifted. Needing a “4th line reminder night” or two in hopes that he understands the difference between walking the walk and talking the talk. The Blues hope here is that David sees this contract as a challenge. A taste of the NHL and a reminder that there is much more to be done.

Few will that his passion is there, it just doesn’t always show.

The Blues front office can now put their full attention on taking care of franchise cornerstone, defenseman Erik Johnson. The 1st Overall selection from the 2006 NHL Draft has yet to sign a new deal. As mentioned on Thursday by Rutherford on Twitter the Blues are not close to reaching an agreement with Johnson. He quoted Blues GM Doug Armstrong as saying, “I do feel the goal posts are getting closer, but we’re not where either side is ready to accept the other’s position.” Johnson’s agent, Pat Brisson, also confirmed with Rutherford that they are looking for a short term extension. Perron’s contract does not set a precedent for Johnson, but the contracts will likely end up similar in their structure. Before the season ended the early conjecture was that Erik was looking for a deal similar to draft roommate Jonathan Toews. A season lost to injury sandwiched between inconsistent seasons has raised red flags in the Blues camp. With no investor coming in to replace TowerBrook the Blues are hard pressed to sign long term deals. Especially when the commodity has not been proven.

Speculation points to Johnson to taking a two year deal in the $4 million to $6 million range.

Make no mistake, the Blues want and expect Johnson to become the cornerstone they drafted him to be. They want to see him prove it before they start signing the checks.

For those Blues fans concerned with the enforcer situation. There is no news on the return of DJ King. He will likely be re-signed, it’s just a question of when. I do not expect both to start the season on the NHL roster as they did in 2009-2010. Expect one or both to go to the Blues AHL affiliate, the Peoria Rivermen, to start off 2010-2011.

For those interested…

I run a weekly Blues Q&A on Twitter. Three questions a week and two days to vote on each question. Friday is Question #3 for the week with voting going through 11:59pm Central on Saturday. Follow me @MuSigma45. So far this week Blues fans have voted on the Blues staying out of Kovy-drama and if the time is right to make David Backes the Captain. Check in tomorrow morning for Question 3.

Jeff Quirin
NHLHS St. Louis Blues Correspondent
jquirin@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @MuSigma45

There has been quite a discourse regarding the Blues perceived lack of inactivity on the free agent front. Angry Blues fans from the water cooler to message boards are chiming in that they are not so happy with Doug Armstrong’s alleged inability and unwillingness to bring in “upgrades”. I mean not to harm the feelings of my Blues brethren, but there is also a fan unwillingness to accept the reality of the situation the team is in.

Fans are emotionally involved with their teams. Its something that gives professional sports a great depth of substance. Often those emotions neglect to take in to account that their team is really a business. In business, at least in my experience, FAQs are often disseminated to explain “why” and provide background in to a process or event.

Here is my attempt at a Blues Free Agency FAQ. Questions I have seen on Blues sites, blogs, message boards, or just from co-workers and friends. I’ve paraphrased the questions to lump together the most common issues.

Q. Doug Armstrong said this would be an “ambitious summer”. How is one trade (Halak) ambitious?

A. Words have connotative meanings, a personal interpretation. When Armstrong said this he was going more creativity rather than going all in.

The reality of the Blues situation is that there is not a lot of available money long-term. Many of the best free agents want lover terms. This is more to do with the lack of a replacement for TowerBrook than it is about Barret Jackman‘s contract. They just can’t take on an inflated contract right now. What money that is available will be reserved for the homegrown talent. That means Erik Johnson and David Perron this summer and David Backes, TJ Oshie, Roman Polak and Patrik Berglund next summer.

Given those constraints Armstrong had to find scoring other ways. Hence the trade for a young energy line player with skill like Vladimir Sobotka. Acquiring AHL scorer TJ Hensick. Retaining Matt D’Agostini. Finding scoring from cheaper avenues.

Ambition from filling holes in unconventional ways. Not ambition in terms of spending a lot of cash.

Q. The Blues said they won’t spend money on free agents. How can this be?

A. This quote from an early off season interview has been largely misunderstood. The correct paraphrase of the quote from John Davidson is that the Blues wouldn’t spend over a certain amount per year on one free agent.

The example given was $8 million dollars a season or more on someone like Patrick Marleau or Ilya Kovalchuk.

As covered already this has to do with the loss of TowerBrook and the Blues lacking long-term financial backing with deep enough pockets to eat a salary like that. The Blues haev spent money in free agency. They have retained many of their own players and signed three players they traded for. Jaroslav Halak, Sobotka, and Hensick.

Q. The Blues are short on scoring, how can they not go after Kovalchuk?

A. Outside of the fiscal concerns there are team building issues at work. The Blues have said they believe in building strong from the back out. Having a stable netminder to grow with and a solid core of defensemen. You can argue that the Blues have that now with Halak, Erik Johnson, Roman Polak, and Alex Pietrangelo. At the same time there are still question marks surrounding each one of those players. The assumed core the Blues will rely on in the back end hasn’t been proven yet. It’s very hard to a team to justify spending what Kovalchuk wants when you don’t have the base of the team totally squared away.

Fans also shouldn’t forget that in the summer of 2011 the Blues have to re-sign David Backes, Patrik Berglund and TJ Oshie up front. Allocating $8 million or more just to Kovalchuk means that two of those players are gone come 2011-2012.

One final thought to take in to account. The Blues don’t feel like they are short on scoring. There is a real belief that players like Berglund, Backes, and Brad Boyes will recover and post seasons closer to their 2008-2009 totals.

Given what Kovalchuk’s New Jersey contract is rumored to look like he would addroughly $7-$8 million in salary to the payroll. With only Eric Brewer’s $4.25 million contract coming off the books, there would be very little wiggle room.

Q. Why did the Blues re-sign Brad Winchester?

A. I’ve seen this question a lot and I understand why its asked. Brad did well under Andy Murray, but seemed to be a pet project. As terrible as that sounds many fans have that feeling. After a successful run in the second half of the 2008-2009 Brad couldn’t find the mojo throughout 2009-2010.

When Brad is on he is skating with purpose, forechecking, taking the body and crashing the net. At $700,000 the potential to score 20 goals is an amazing value. Not many may believe he can do it, mainly because Murray said he could, but the potential is there. The Blues are hoping that a low dollar gamble can pay off big time.

Low Risk, High Reward ambition.

Q. Why re-sign Colaiacovo? That makes it harder for Pietrangelo to make the team.

A. On the surface this is a legitimate question and concern. One that I struggled with. If the Blues want to inject more home grown talent, why potentially pay inflated open market prices for Colaiacovo?

The Blues didn’t have to pay full open market price. Colaiacovo was allowed to shop his services and he didn’t find the price he wanted. Teams like Tampa, Buffalo, and the Islanders could have used his services, but they weren’t going to give Carlo the deal he wanted. His contract is very economical with an average of $2.15 million paid over the two seasons. Leaving room for a good sized Entry Level Contract like Pietrangelo’s to sit on the NHL roster.

Davis Payne is now the Head Coach. With a full season to twist and mold his team he could break away from the mold of a defensive defenseman paired with an offensive defenseman. The trend could easily become “who are the 5th and 6th best defensemen right now? Play those two”.

Until Pietrangelo comes to training camp and shows what he can do, the door is wide open. Mind you he is competing against Ian Cole and Tyson Strachan for one of the last two available roster spots on defense.

Q. Why did the Blues add “tweener” forwards like Matt D’Agostini, Vladimir Sobotka, and TJ Hensick?

A. I’ve covered this some already with the Armstrong brand of “ambition”. There is more to these three though.

D’Agostini scored 12 goals in 53 games as a rookie with the Montreal Canadians in 2008-2009. A projected pace of roughly 19 goals in 82 games. That’s only two behind the pace that Patrik Berglund gave the Blues in the same season. Matt can score and could greatly benefit from a full season under a coach like Payne. A more open system allowing players to rely on their talents instead of relying on the system.

Sobotka brings a good amount of experience at his young age. He was an important part of Boston’s playoff run this spring. There is a skill level he has that Blues energy line players haven’t had in a while. Not to mention his speed compared to Keith Tkachuk’s in that role last season.

Hensick has all the skill needed to be an every day NHL player. It just hasn’t happened yet. If he doesnt catch on in the NHL, you know he can bring you experience and a scoring punch at the AHL level to a very young Peoria roster.

Q. Did the Blues overpay for Alex Steen?

A. Not yet. Players like Steen do not grow on trees. There are not many who can play all special teams situations, serve on the top line or shut down line and pace to score 25 goals and 50 points. That is exactly what Steen did in an injury shortened season.

Q. If the Blackhawks could add a big name to their young core of players, why can’t the Blues?

A. The Blackhawks are a money making machine right now. Even before their Cup victory they were the darlings of the second most important city in America. They were all over TV and selling out every game. Real sell outs, not the Blues version of sellouts. Their ownership is stable. Yes, they rolled the dice big time. However, they made sure money was left to secure their core. That means protecting guys like Keith, Kane, Toews, Sharp and Seabrook. Cap management has not been an easy task for them, but the money was there for the guys who matter most. Once they had the funds and scenario secure to make a move, they did.

Are the Blues racking money in hand over fist? Nope.
Is their future core secure? Not yet.

The two teams aren’t on even ground for the Blues to make that kind of move…yet.

Q. Are the Blues making a mistake if they don’t lock Perron and Johnson down long term?

A. That is perhaps the most open ended question I’ve seen out in Blues nation. Neither player has really had that “break out” season yet. Erik was hampered by his golf cart injury forcing him to miss all of the 2008-2009 season.Perron hasn’t been able to sustain a consistent level of effort over long stretches his whole career.

Which begs the question, have they proven that they deserve the long term deal yet?

No, they haven’t. Which is why the speculation persists that before either player can sign long term the Blues want to see what they do over the course of a shorter deal. This puts both players in the ball park of two years and much less than they likely wanted.

If they take one year deals then their backs are against the wall. Having to prove their worth over the other four free agents I mentioned earlier. Survival of the fittest brings out the best in players? We shall see.

Jeff Quirin
NHLHS St. Louis Blues Correspondent
jquirin@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @MuSigma45

The Canucks made their first selection in the 2010 NHL Entry draft in round 4, taking Patrick McNally, a mobile defensemen, from Milton Academy in Massachusetts.  With good size at 6’2” and 180 lbs, the Long Island, NY native had 35 points (14-21–35) in 28 games to lead his team last season. He has one more season of high school hockey then it’s on to Harvard University in the fall of 2011.

Along with leading his team in scoring last year he was named the New England Prep School Defenseman of the Year, U.S. Hockey Report’s Prep Defenseman of the Year and was a First Team All-New England selection.

Here’s what his coach and Gary Eggleston of NHL Central Scouting had to say about him:

Milton Academy head coach Paul Cannata
“He created a lot of offense from the blue line and provided a lot of spark.  He (McNally) is a great student, a good kid and a pleasure to coach. He loves to play hockey, carry the puck, skate, and make plays. There’s a freshness to his game that is really enjoyable. You don’t want to coach that out of him.”

NHL Central Scouting’s Gary Eggleston
“Pat is an offensive defenseman whose strength is in rushing the puck and putting constant pressure on the defense. He is a very good skater with mobility, speed and quickness. His skating skills and quick hands allow him to escape trouble and move the puck quickly out of danger. In the defensive zone he has very good lateral mobility and closes quickly on the puck carrier, forcing him into quick decisions or mistakes. He is an excellent passer whose passes are accurate and proper for the situation. Doesn’t play a physical game, but relies on quick stick and smarts to gain puck possession.”

Unlike a first-round pick, players selected in the later rounds are chosen based on their potential and future needs of the organization. A team picks a player that will “hopefully” make an impact years down the road. This is definitely the case with McNally and the Canucks were pleased that he was available when they made him the 115^th overall selection in this year’s draft.

The selection was even more important as the Canucks had traded their first round pick to Florida (along with Michael Grabner and Steve Bernier) for Keith Ballard and Victor Oreskovich. Their 2^nd round selection went to Columbus (via Buffalo) in the deal that ironically brought Bernier to Vancouver a few years ago. They gave up their 3^rd round pick last year in a deadline deal that brought defenseman Andrew Alberts from Carolina. (Don’t ask Canuck fans how the Alberts deal turned out – we’re all hoping he finds his groove this season.)

In selecting McNally the Canucks were obviously looking towards the future. Hopefully he will continue to develop his skills in the ECAC and develop into a future NHLer with the Canucks. If not, a mobile puck-moving defenseman is always in demand.

I-5 Canucks
NHLHS Canucks Correspondents
Hipcheck44@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @Hipcheck44 and @WCE71944

Reading the daily rumor mill as to whether or not the Los Angeles Kings are still in the running to sign unrestricted free agent Ilya Kovalchuk has become tedious, at best.

Let’s see, today is the 12th…it’s an even day, so the Kings are in talks with Kovalchuk and his agent, Jay Grossman.  But come tomorrow, there will be “no new talks scheduled”.

It’s hard to believe that these rumors have only been going on for less than two weeks.  Every day there is a new one, and today is no different.

TSN.ca is reporting that the Kings are denying reports that they will announce today the signing of the biggest free agent on the market this year.

Kings’ GM Dean Lombardi says that Kovalchuk is flying to Los Angeles to meet in person as talks continue.

The two sides are said to still be far apart on terms of a contract, with L.A. reportedly offering deals for 12 years for $63 million and 13 years for $84.5 million.

Kovalchuk’s camp is looking for a 10-year, $100 million guaranteed deal.  With upcoming collective bargaining agreement negotations and the possibility of another owner-induced lockout looming after the 2011-12 season, the guaranteed money has to be a sticking point for the Kings.

The 27-year-old sniper has scored 40 or more goals in each of the last six NHL seasons, netting a career-high of 52 in 2005-06.  He lit the lamp 41 times last season playing for the Atlanta Thrashers and New Jersey Devils.

While he remains one of the most predominant, dynamic players in the world, Lombardi and company may want to proceed with caution as they head into further negotiations with Kovalchuk.

The situation in the City of Angels bears a striking resemblence to that of the Philadelphia Flyers in the early 1990′s.

The Flyers had gone through a patch of three consecutive non-playoff seasons, but were starting to re-build with a solid base of players.  But GM Russ Farwell added youngsters such as Rod Brind’Amour, Mark Recchi, Mike Ricci, and a newly drafted phenom named Peter Forsberg, a winning team was beginning to take shape.

But Philadelphia ripped the franchise apart to acquire another young superstar-in-the-making in Eric Lindros, sending Forsberg, Ricci, offensive defenseman Steve Duchesne, starting goaltender Ron Hextall, a bevy of other young players, draft picks, and cash to the Quebec Nordiques for the rights to Lindros.

This set the team back a few years, and they failed to make the playoffs over the course of the next two seasons.  In the meantime, the trade provided the cornerstone for the Quebec / Colorado Avalanche franchise’s Stanley Cup-winning teams.

Up until last year, the Kings had not made the NHL’s postseason dance for the past six NHL seasons.

In this scenario, they are well ahead of the early-90′s Flyers’ progression. as a team  Under Lombardi, the team has gotten younger, deeper, and better.

Boasting such young star players as Drew Doughty, Anze Kopitar, Jack Johnson, Wayne Simmonds, Jonathan Quick, and Jonathan Bernier, there is a threat that this group also could be torn asunder.

If Lombardi were to sign Kovalchuk for the contract demands that the player’s camp is asking for, Los Angeles faces the risk of having to part with some of the good, young core that has been developed.

While the Kings have in excess of $17 million of cap space available for the upcoming campaign, the problem would arise after the 2010-11 season.  That’s when the contracts of Doughty, Johnson, Simmonds, and Bernier are set to expire, and the youngsters will be due hefty raises as they become restricted free agents.

Also set to become unrestricted free agents after next year are veterans Michal Handzus, Justin Williams, and Erik Ersberg.

Further complicating matters are the whispers that the owners are going to demand that the existing upper salary cap limit of $59.4 million be lowered.  This would almost certainly lead to a lockout by the owners as the NHLPA would fight a reduction vigorously.  And the Kings would still be on the hook to pay Kovalchuk with a guaranteed deal.

But Lombardi would have his work cut out for him in getting his core players signed if the cap were to remain the same, let alone any possible decrease.

If Lombardi wants to take a gamble and truly believes that signing Kovalchuk is the key piece to pushing his team over the top, he may want to take that chance.

But it is a risky choice.  As it appears now, Lombardi has his team on the right track and headed very quickly in the right direction.  Being able to keep the core intact, they should have a window of opportunity to be contenders over the next several seasons going forward.

But Lombardi’s modus operandi historically has been to build his teams through youth and patience.  And it’s obvious that he is on the right track.  If he were to go after Kovalchuk and risk losing some of his young core, it would be a totally different train of thought.

Is Lombardi a betting man?

We shall see.

David Strehle
NHLHS Flyers Correspondent / NHL Writer
dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @PhilaDAVEia

In a signing that surprises no one, the St. Louis Blues signed their most recent goaltender acquisition to a four year, $15 million contract deal that is sure to upset Canadiens fans.

Fans of Montreal were convinced that Halak was the team’s future starting goaltender and that Carey Price would be put up on the chopping block.  GM Pierre Gauthier disagreed, and in a move that upset an entire province, traded Jaroslav Halak to the St. Louis Blues for Lars Eller and Ian Schultz – two top prospects.  The Blues have been building up prospects over years of smart drafting for a chance such as this, and new GM Doug Armstrong leaped on the chance to make a good first impression.

What a first impression it was – this very aggressive trade gave ticket brokers new ammo for season ticket renewals, and it gave a team hope for another playoff run much deeper than its last appearance in 2009.  Today the news was released that the Blues signed the new goaltender to a four year contract at $a 15 million cap hit – a healthy payraise from the $800,000 he made last season with the Habs.  He declined arbitration yesterday and trusted his agent Alan Walsh to work something out with the Blues, and he made a wise decision.  A pay raise, a lengthy contract, and a chance to get the team back to, and far into, the playoffs.  It’s win-win for everyone involved.

Except for Canadiens fans.

Now Playing: The Razor’s Edge – AD/DC

(Author’s Note: Please take a few moments to check out the links in this article.  Those people all do fantastic work, you will enjoy it.)

Just a few short hours after both Canada and the United States finished the weekend-long celebrations for their respective national holidays, the hockey world suffered an immeasurable loss as one of its own, Bob Probert, met his end at the young age of 45.  Widely regarded as the best “tough guy” to ever lace it up in the NHL, Probert played one of sport’s most difficult roles for an astounding 17 NHL seasons, first for the Detroit Red Wings, then for their division rival Chicago Blackhawks.

Probert’s career followed a path that was anything but conventional.  In his first season with the OHL‘s Brantford Alexanders, he played a scant 15 games, but in that time amassed 12 goals, 28 points, and 133 penalty minutes.

He certainly seemed to be a jack-of-all-trades kind of player. As time progressed, however, he found his niche as an “enforcer”, doing the dirty work and protecting his teams’ top scorers with his intimidating physical presence and ten pound hands.  There is even sports apparel bearing his post-scrap image with the tagline: “Give Blood. Fight Probie.”

Over the years, many of Probert’s on-ice bouts have become things of legend as he grappled with the likes of Jeff Odgers, Craig Coxe, Joey Kocur, and of course, 13 “trips to the boat races” with Tie Domi.  As tweeted by former NHL player and Domi teammate Nick Kypreos: “Tie told me he had 13 go’s with Probert. Asked him if that’s the most Probie’s had with one guy? Tie said ‘Can’t imagine anyone stupid enough to go for 14′.”  Adrian Dater from the Denver Post reported that veteran Ian Laperriere texted him describing Probert as the “scariest player to ever play against, for sure”.

Respect abounds throughout the league for the man affectionately known as “Probie”.  Former Blackhawks goaltender turned analyst and broadcaster Darren Pang tweeted: “There was nothing quite like knowing Bob Probert was heading to the front of your net. A big man with great hands. Sad day.”  Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch wrote a great piece on former Columbus Blue Jackets’ big man Jody Shelley‘s reaction to Probert’s passing where Shelley stated: “He’s what us other guys wanted to be. He played the game like a man.” (Read the full article here.)

Even in the role of on-ice policeman, Probert made the 1987-88 NHL All-Star team and finished the regular season third on the Red Wings in points.  He proceeded to lead the team in post-season points taking the Wings to the Campbell Conference Finals.  That year the great Steve Yzerman played only three playoff games due to injury, so Probert understood the need for a leader and stepped his game up accordingly.  Claude Lemieux, as quoted by The Hockey News on Twitter, said it best: “He was the ultimate team guy. … He really was a good player. More than a tough guy. Fans really connected with him, related to him. He’s going to be missed.”  More and more reasons why no matter how much players and fans hated seeing their team play against Probie, it was impossible not to respect the passion with which he played the game.

In keeping with the theme of an unorthodox storyline, Probert’s career was not without its stumbling blocks.  He had several run-ins with the law, and a well-documented penchant for the “rock star” lifestyle.  He indulged in alcohol and illicit drugs on and off throughout his career and even afterwards, including multiple stints in rehab clinics.  This tried the patience of the Red Wings management and was ultimately what led to his departure from the organization, and, to a certain extent, from the Blackhawks years later.

Probert’s on-ice ferocity and nastiness might lead many to think that he carried himself in a similar manner away from the rink.  In Probert’s case however, nothing could be further from the truth.  As a former long-time teammate and current general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Yzerman told Tampa Tribune’s Erik Erlendsson: “Despite being a rugged hockey player, he was really a kind-hearted guy.  He was always upbeat and always had something nice to say.”  Lest anyone think that Yzerman was biased because Probert fought for him all those years, in a quote to Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun, rival Doug Gilmour praised Probert as well: “Loved the guy. He was a gentle giant. A sweetheart guy off the ice. A fierce competitior on it.”

A personal favorite memory was the one brief time I met Bob Probert.  It was just a few seconds in the concourse of the United Center when he was doing broadcasting work for the Blackhawks.  I rounded the corner and almost literally ran into him.  He said “Oh, pardon me”, and I almost kept walking without looking up.  Luckily I did look up, and once I realized who it was, I shook his frying-pan hand, said a quick word about how much I appreciated his play, and tried to let him get on his way.  It was to no avail, as autograph seekers saw who it was and engaged their tractor beams immediately.  He obliged every single one with a huge smile and a “Thank you”.  Until that day I didn’t think I could like him any more than I already did, and this is a guy who played for the Detroit Red Wings!  (Quite a big deal for many Hawks fans, as we chanted “Probert Sucks!” almost as often as “Detroit Sucks!” in the late Chicago Stadium.)

One last quote from the guy with whom he had arguably his most epic battle, Marty McSorley: “The guys around the game always cheered for him and wanted well for him.  We knew he had troubles but we wanted best for him” (thanks again to Steve Simmons).  The demons he battled were no secret to anyone, and everyone truly wanted him to come out the other side as successful as he was on the ice.

Bob Probert wasn’t a goon, a meathead, a thug, or “dirty”.  He was a hockey player in the truest sense of the word.  If you didn’t believe that before now, the words from some of his greatest adversaries should illustrate the reverence and admiration he earned from players and fans of hockey everywhere.  Probie embraced his role by defending himself, his teammates, his sweater, and the rabid fans for whom he bled with the utmost fervor, and he will be remembered as one of hockey’s favorite sons.  In an era where speed dominates the game, not only may Bob Probert have been the last truly complete ”enforcer”, but he also definitely makes the team photo for the greatest to ever play the role.  To Bob’s family: Hockey fans worldwide will keep his legacy alive, he was a great player and human.  To Bob: Your contributions to our favorite game will never be forgotten, but you will be forever missed.  Thank you.

A few of the fondest memories we have of Probert:

Bob Probert vs Marty McSorley:

Bob Probert vs Joey Kocur:

Bob Probert vs Tie Domi:

Bob Probert: Last goal ever scored at Maple Leafs Gardens:

RIP Bob Probert (1965-2010)

Ryan Hackett
NHLHS Blackhawks Correspondant
rhackett@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @hawknut