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

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

The Toronto Maple Leafs had much work to do this offseason in order to become more competitive for next year. They took a huge step forward last night by acquiring yet another Chicago cap casualty, Kris Versteeg.

If there was one thing that was certain this off-season, it was that the Leafs needed major renovation prior to entering this season. It was a priority to beef up the top six by acquiring/signing high quality forwards. With the defense “presumably set”, the Leafs set their sights on acquiring  forwards at the least possible cost. Enter Kris Versteeg and the Chicago cap situation. Chicago was forced into dealing onr of their better, more expensive players in order to keep their “core” locked up. It was a necessary transaction, because Chicago was in deep cap trouble, and Brian Burke came in and swooped like a vulture. Like the Dion Phaneuf trade, he was able to turn a few spare parts that didn’t fit in going forward,  into the top six forward he has coveted.

To be fair, he didn’t just give up any old players. Viktor Stalberg is a speedy offensive threat, who, if able to find his game could become a good second or third line player. Chris DiDomenico is a resilient, young player with offensive and defensive abilities to be proud of, and he is projected as a high energy, bottom line player. Philippe Paradis was a relatively unknown prospect in Toronto, having been previously acquired a short while ago in exchange for Jiri Tlusty. He was only expected to be a big, industrial checker on the fourth line, so nothing really lost there. His stock was falling fast.

It is my opinion that the drafting of Josh Nicholls and Sam Carrick in this years entry draft made DiDomenico and Paradis expendable. Then you factor in that Stalberg is older than Versteeg, and Versteeg has accomplished much more, you see why Toronto made the deal.

It’s hard to determine a winner yet on the deal, but you can see that obviously both teams addressed their issues: Chicago’s cap problems and Toronto’s lack of top six forwards.

Chicago Blackhawks receive:

• Marty Reasoner
• Jeremy Morin
• Joey Crabb
• 2010 first round draft pick (via New Jersey)
• 2010 second round draft pick (also via New Jersey)

Atlanta Thrashers receive:

• Akim Aliu
• Ben Eager
• Brent Sopel
• Dustin Byfuglien

At an average player age of 27.52 years, the Toronto Maple Leafs are on the younger side of the league. Unfortunately though, they could not use their youth to their advantage this season.

This year the Maple Leafs fell flat, again. After making a costly trade with Boston to acquire Phil Kessel, the Leafs saw their future disappear. Toronto gave Boston their first and second round pick in the 2010 draft and their first round pick in the 2011 draft.

Unfortunately, Kessel did not save the Leafs. He missed the first month of the season because of a shoulder injury. Plus he never prolifically scored for the Leafs. Kessel even finished the last six games of the season with only one assist.

Then, at the end of January, their season mostly gone, the Leafs traded away Matt Stajan, Niklas Hagman, Jamal Mayers, and Ian White. Those four skaters produced 108 points with the Leafs this season and an additionally 48 with the Calgary Flames.

In return from the Flames, the Leafs acquired Dion Phaneuf and Fredrik Sjostrom. Neither outstandingly succeeded in Toronto.

Furthermore, the Leafs traded veteran Jason Blake to the Anaheim Ducks. He registered only 26 points with the Leafs this year after successfully recording 63 the year before.

Though most of the younger teams happily absorbed the youth’s talent, the Leafs could not seem to make it work. Their youth hurt them more than anything.

Defenseman Luke Schenn, who had a fantastic rookie year in 2008-2009, flopped. He became a liability on the ice many nights, that is when he did not sit up in the press box as a healthy scratch.

With the big trade in the second half of the season, the Leafs once more traded away their future by surrendering sturdy defenseman White. His number may not exceed anyone’s expectations, but he did learn a lot the last two seasons.

Though Phaneuf is a year younger than White and the better of the two, he could become the Leafs’ next captain. At 25 years old, Phaneuf already played with one of the best centers in the game, Jarome Iginla. He knows leadership from Iginla.

Yet, one of the other big stories throughout the year (and offseason) with the Leafs comes at the expense of Tomas Kaberle. The defenseman has a no-trade clause in his contract, but the Leafs constantly seem ready to trade him away.

Kaberle, 32 years old, ranks as the oldest defenseman on the Leafs. His play never lived up to what the Leafs hoped he could become. Although, in the last five years he broke the 40 point mark four times, and only missed on the fifth year because he missed 25 games.

General manager Brian Burke already stated this offseason that he has some interest from other teams for Kaberle, and the defenseman could relocate soon.

If Kaberle does receive a trade, it could possibly involve the Leafs acquiring a draft pick for the first or second round.

But wait, the Leafs had goaltending issues all year too.Vesa Toskala started the year as the starting netminder, but quickly lost that spot after the first four games (which he lost).

Additionally though, Toskala suffered many injuries throughout the year before the Leafs finally traded him to the Ducks.

Jonas Gustavsson went on to play 42 of the remaining games for the Leafs. Unfortunately, in December, Gustavsson left after the first period of a game due to a heart murmur. He played just 16 days later.

With Toskala gone, the Leafs grabbed Jean-Sebastian Giguere from the Ducks. Giguere won six of his fifteen games with the Leafs– with his first two wins coming by shutout.

Despite all the drama and heartache the Leafs gave their fans this year, their age could help in the future. Their oldest player, Wayne Primeau(34 years), may not last much longer with the Leafs. But, after that their youth will develop into a strong team that could possibly resemble this years’ Chicago Blackhawks (with a few strong draft picks though).

Unfortunately, the Leafs gave up their first round draft pick this year, which ended up as the second overall pick. That move will hurt the Leafs in many years to come.

Probably the biggest factor to worry about next season though comes in the form of injuries. Seventeen players suffered injuries this year, and many of them lasted a significant time. Youth can bounce back from injuries, but not all the time.

Katlyn Gambill
NHLHS Feature Writer
kgambill@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @freezethepuck

After the final horn went to officially end game five, the tell tale signs were all there that this may finally be the end of the line for the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Flyers players looked tired.  Despite outhitting the Chicago Blackhawks, 45-35, Philadelphia took the more punishing checks for a good portion of the night.

Mike Richards looked gassed.  As did Claude Giroux, Simon Gagne, and just about every other Flyer, for that matter.

Chicago forward Dustin Byfuglien laid several bone-crushing hits, particularly on Philly defenseman Chris Pronger.

Those hit appeared to take a toll on Pronger, and the defenseman finished the game a career-worst -5.

Philadelphia left the ice a defeated team Sunday night.  Chicago had beaten them in nearly every aspect of the game, and the Blackhawks needed just one more win to lock up their first Stanley Cup in 49 years.

When you have a team in this spot, you don’t do anything to provoke them.  Let a sleeping dog lie.

You use the tactic that Philadelphia Eagles coach Dick Vermeil employed back in the 1980 NFC Championship game.

Up against a tough and talented Dallas Cowboys’ team, Vermeil used the media to stroke the egos of the Cowboys players and organization during the time off leading up to the game.

By the time the contest started, Dallas thought all all they had to do was show up and they would be well on their way to the Super Bowl.

The Eagles ran all over the Cowboys for the entire 60 minutes that day, easily beating an overconfident Dallas team.

I have never forgotten that moment, and wondered why more teams haven’t used it themselves.

These past two days were the perfect time for Chicago to use Vermeil’s example, to say all the right things and hope that the Flyers went quietly into the night on Wednesday.

But instead, the struggling Chicago Tribune took the exact opposite approach and decided to publish this photo centerfold in hopes of more sales:

There is a difference between taking good-natured shots at players and crossing the line into cheap shot classlessness.

It’s rather ironic that the Tribune basically forgot about the Blackhawks, much like the rest of Chicago, during their years of futility.

Now that the team has been rebuilt and stands on the threshold of greatness, a bad sideshow was not what Chicago wanted to portray.

Pronger couldn’t have cared less:  ”I don’t read what you guys write.  Good or bad.  I really don’t care, to be honest with you.  I’m worried about playing this game.”

Perhaps the biggest disappointment in the whole situation is that the Blackhawks coach and players weren’t even involved.

Joel Quenneville must be furious.  Trying to finish off the fourth and final win in a Cup Finals is difficult enough, a task that could become even more arduous with the cheap shot.

Do you really want to anger the opposing player who has been the best on the ice for much of the series?

And if there is any justice, the hockey gods will give Pronger and the rest of his teammates a strong second wind.

And maybe even give Pronger the opportunity to do a curtsey at United Center’s center ice on Friday night with Lord Stanley raised above his head.

Worst-Kept Secret “Revealed”, Leighton Probable Starter in Game 6

Since the end of game five on Sunday night, it has been amazing to see all of the media outlets pondering which goaltender would be manning the Philadelphia crease on Wednesday night for game six.

Incumbent starter Michael Leighton was pulled after the first period of game five trailing 3-0, having given up three goals on 13 shots.

Leighton’s goals given up were not horrendous.

The first, scored by Blackhawks’ defenseman Brent Seabrook, was a deflection off of defenseman Chris Pronger’s skate.  It changed direction just enough to keep the puck away from Leighton’s waiting right pad, and ended up as a seeing-eye goal that went just between the Philly net minder’s right skate and the goal post.

That one play seemed to shift every player on the ice into a different gear.

The players in the red home team uniforms, already moving faster than their opponents, kicked it into overdrive.

And conversely, anyone in the road whites seemed to downshift into first gear.

The second goal was probably the one that Leighton would like to have back.  On a delayed Philadelphia penalty call, David Bolland’s flip banked off of Leighton’s right skate, which he didn’t get up against the post, and trickled into the net.

And Leighton played down the effect of being hit on the knee by a shot in warm ups prior to game five.

“It’s just a bruise.  It didn’t affect the way I played.  Once you get on the ice, you don’t really think about it.”

Laviolette’s pulling of Leighton in favor of Brian Boucher has been done before, most-recently in game one in Chicago.

Some even took Laviolette’s decision not to name a game six starter as a sign of not having confidence in Leighton.

But as Laviolette stated today, “Our goaltender has the best numbers in the playoffs, I didn’t think I’d have to announce it.”

Leighton has been this team’s best goaltender over the course of the entire season, and there is no reason to change that now.

Sporting an 8-2 record with a 2.34 goals-against average, Leighton has earned the right to play Wednesday night.

End of “story”.

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

- How High, Tellin’ Stories- The Charlatans

President and General Manager of the Los Angeles Kings, Dean Lombardi

Why hello… it’s been a while.. too long. And normally after such an absence, I’d like to catch-up, talk and chit-chat. However, since I have another, sweeter, kinder entry on the way for after Stanley Cup Finals that is actually about us, the Kingdom; I think we’ll save our sweet nothings for then. Mind you, I don’t mean to say that this fireside chat is mean or negative. Actually, just the opposite.  Instead, it is President and General Manager of the Los Angeles Kings, Dean Lombardi giving quite the positive take on the Kings future and then a real honest look at the NHL, and how the finances work <or don’t> for the NHLPA.

It is nice to be writing about the boys again, though. If I recall, when I last left the Kingdom, we were licking our wounds after a sudden ending to a long-awaited NHL playoff berth. Looking to the bright lights of the future, many were praying those lights weren’t attached to a speeding train <runs for cover.. > I KID I KID!  Hey, look, I’m not the pessimistic one... ok most of the time. So we that in mind and fittingly enough, just three weeks out from the draft, I come to you and bestow a glimpse of a very well-lit future I promise will not get you run over by any freight trains.

THROW THE TWINKIE!! THROW THE DAGGER!!… HELL THROW THE TWINKIE AT THE DAGGER!!!

It seems that “DO-IT DEANO” has been discussing our fate with not just Rich Hammond but a brilliant radio show in Toronto. Now, per usual, I am going to have to back into the start of this little monster of mine <big shocker there, I’m sure>. Anyone crazy enough to follow the insanity I create on Twitter, Face Book or otherwise, knows I’ve now adopted the Chicago Blackhawks until they ride Chris Pronger like Zorro and the Stanley Cup right down Madison Avenue because <and say it with me now.. throws out the most smitten voice possible..> they threw the twinkie! Truly out of loyalty to our boys, it must be done… Blackhawks or bust… driving back and forth to Chicago and all.. then October comes and all bets are off .

Huh? What.. Oh.. YES I have a point-I might be a liiiiittle rusty.. but yeah I’m getting there! See- watch, err.. read: Monday, June 7th, on Toronto’s AM Radio 640 Dean Lombardi was interviewed on  The Leafs Lunch show. He, like I <seeee- told you there was a point…> started with those same Blackhawks, an organization that he felt built itself correctly, from bottom-to-top. However, in that comparison, he was quick <heh. The dorkiness remains.. the pun was not intended but will not be removed> to note that the Blackhawks seven-year build to Western Conference contenders could be matched by the LA Kings in less time. Rightfully, I’m going to note, that since Lombardi’s arrival in 2006 he has spoken of a “plan <also mentioned by him in the interview>“.. and truth be told he should be given credit for sticking to that plan.

Lombardi went on to commend the  Blackhawks at not only building within, 2-3 players per draft and now… “they’ve learned to win”. We all remember my crawl, walk, run speech- before- during- after the playoffs? AD NAUSIUM EVEN??? That would be what I spoke of.. And what is this? Another piece to a rebuilding puzzle for the Blackhawks: free agency? JESUS MARIAN &HOSSA! However, he was careful to qualify his statement with how precise the Blackhawks were with their signings. Making sure each provided the most impact at key times <specifically naming Marian Hossa and Soupy…errr… Brian Campbell>.

Now, forgive me, or don’t if you must. However, I’m going to add Tomas Kopecky <DONT EVEN.. Don’t look at me like that, you had to see this coming from ME> . First off, the Blackhawks did one thing that has nothing to do with Kopecky himself. They signed him WITH Hossa. That took vision. How much do you think that helped the transition from Detroit to Chicago? Now.. he was raised by the Detroit Red Wings and say what you will but Detroit raises them well. He was only let loose because Detroit couldn’t find him the ice time due to their plethora of talent <excuse me while I find my souvenir game 6 barf bag to barf in it yet again> Furthermore, Kopecky, received limited playing time in the first half of this season but came on in the second-half. During the playoffs he was always emotional, gritty and offensively on-target. Since the loss of Andrew Ladd, he has been invaluable. But I digress.. or add-on for the accountable talk, depending on how much slack you want to give me or if Lombardi was here, but  he’s not… DAMN IT! JANET! Moving on… Why would we make it to the level of the Blackhawks, quicker then they did?

Shall I Take You to Our Leader?

<please remember that all quotes are from the radio show noted above.. as are the background/paraphrasing unless where noted that it is my own opinion or knowledge.>

Take it away Mr. President, “I think that some of our kids are ahead of schedule. I think that this year, the way that the way we approached the playoffs from the top down, versus the Cinderella method; I think that they’ve learned to start dealing expectations.” Now I <key word: I> could go on and make an attempt to read into that statement <who’s ahead, who’s behind, who’s a surprise and who the hell has to go…> but by the grace of the Hockey Gods I’ll refrain. I could do the same when he goes on to say that this also all depends on how aggressive the Kings are in adding the piece or two through free agency…. Um.. ok.. I’m just going to have to do this one… I mean did you expect me to hold back TWICE??? sorry.

ENFORCER DEAN — I’m sick of the scratches– THEY HURT- broken legs, smashed faces, sprained ankles, pulled groins, sprained backs etc… Matt Greene and Sean O’Donnell fighting is heroic but there is a fine line between heroism and stupidity. In fact, I’ve watched the New York Rangers long enough to know that bless and love Adam Graves but he crossed that line almost everyday of his career!!!!  I mean what is the point of another forward being signed that is just going to get thrown around like the answer that isn’t blowing in the wind??? NONE! NO POINT! NO ANSWER! NO NOTHING! <too much @bobdylansays on twitter, me thinks> If said forward is on the IR the whole freaking season then he’s not going to do us a whole lot of good, now is he??! You know, I think I wrote a whole blog dedicated to the Manchester Monar… oh no.. that was PB <PRE BLOG YOU FOOL not Peanut Butter> around Thanksgiving. They are an incredible and talented bunch of men. Without them, we would not have made the playoffs. But, really??? The AHL should NOT be playing the NHL under any given circumstances… just sayin’. But now that I got that out..

Lombardi went on to etch-a-sketch the lines between dots that represented key agents and the core kids essential to the Kings present and future. Alright, admit it. How many people just aged themselves with the etch-a-sketch joke… heh….. Then he spoke directly to all of it coming together through those same franchise players continued development, ahead of the game or not <not that it matters if they are injured and can’t move forward because they can’t play?!> Sorry… I’m trying..I really am.

What Can Brown Do For You?

Kopitar's Two-Way Play Moves Forward

“I think they have to continue improve,” he explained.  ”I said this last year. No matter who we add it’s not going to matter unless Brown and Kopitar and Quick and Doughty and Johnson all improve themselves. But I think we have a chance to do it a little quicker then Chicago.”

I’ll Gladly Pay You Tomorrow for a Burger You’ll Let me Eat Today…

Now, furthering this thought, we have to begin to hone in on what money the Kings have to spend on potential free agents. And in all honesty, this is not my strongest suit when it comes to any sport. However, like I tell the kids where I work, I am a life-long learner, as they should be and so I try. And the way it is dealt with here.. well it ROCKS! And, by George, I think I’m starting to get it <just bare with me a second or 10> ! So, a player comes into the league and he has one salary until the free agency age of 27. Then they hit this second tier where you suddenly have to sign him to another, usually way-long contract that is going to eat up a lot of cap room long-term. So it might look like the Kings have a lot of money to spend short-term but if they do, it is going to bite them when it comes to signing the Terror Twins? Yes? I think that, in essence, is what was said. It was also then compared to the Backstrom situation in Washington. Now..<you stayed with me so far… let’s see if I got this, shall we> here’s the kicker!

Our master of the purse strings says: “The dilemma is <do you> get aggressive or just focus on keeping your own… When you look at our cap room now, you see we have 10 million dollars in space. But if I put a guy in at 6.5 and then I’ve got Doughty and Johnson and Simmonds and these guys add-up and boom, it’s gone.” <as you’ll notice in a moment or 4.. Dean-o is fond of his “BOOMS!” aye-carumba, Batman!> Now check out how this son of a bitch rolls out because here is where I think Dean Lombardi shows not only his knowledge of the business but his fan base, the sport and even more importantly, his passion for it. For Lombardi, it is about what is best for the teams, the league, the sport, the players, its union <but what’s best for the union and the players it represents should be the same, no? <— my thought.. MINE!> and the fans.  <I’m actually going to leave out the fan bits and save it for that other little monster I’m working on that will be out for all your beach reading pleasure when the Finals are complete!>

“It’s backwards in terms of the way it used to be. Where young players came up, their leverage increased a little each year and then, eventually, once they learned to win, you got Joe Sakic dollars but there was a process in place for these kids. And again, this is NBA stuff where a guy gets one contract, you make him a star, and he’s never played a playoff game and here’s 10 million a year.” Now, part Deuce, let’s bring it back to the Kings for one second <ok 10> -because I’m on a roll here- Lombardi goes on to explain the flipside- irony- of all of this and that includes us. Ultimately, although it might sound odd, it really works out better for a lot of teams to sign older players. Their contracts are shorter. They are going to get more money up front <in the short-term where the space IS> because it brings your long-term numbers down<long-term where the space is NEEDED>.

You can’t do that with the kids. Round and round we go.. a circle only has one side… MY POINT <keyword kids? MY> A ND SO.. . Riddle me this, Batman... Where does the young-to-averaged age, one-dimensional, forward who wants the long term 5-6 year deal at 7-8 million per make ANY LOGICAL SENSE??! Well IT DOESN’T! DUH!! Not when you look at the cap implications DOWN THE ROAD. Now you bring in say, an older, cheaper tough-guy… hmmm.. and no I’m NOT apologizing THIS time because that whole she-bang made sense.. and you know it! And truly.. I think that was pretty damn succinct for the amount of information it took… SO THERE <STOMPS FOOT>! … <silence..eye twitches>

<Damn it! I need advil.. that hurt my head…>

Pie? Did Someone Say Something about Pie?

Now that I have advil and a twitchy, wonky eye.. <hey, how is Briere?> we can get back to the debacle of free agency and those age dependent tiers <see now I thought this was just a problem with Illinois and their educational system.. ADD..squirrel.. sorry..> Lombardi made his stance very clear. Let’s break this down before going into the details, shall we?

1) The cap is not the evil axis.

2) It is not the players total revenue take-in that should be reduced. How it is distributed among them, should be.

3) Free Agency at 27 makes a long-term plan like the Blackhawks or the Kings very difficult in smaller markets.

Ok now.. let us take this step-by-step… it was Lombardi’s and the host’s opinion <NOW your key words are: Lombardi’s and host’s opinion see how that works?> that when the Free Agency age was dropped to 27, most GMs new right away that it would present a huge obstacle in keeping drafted talent. Because we all know that right now, in most sports it goes something like this…

HEY! Look who we drafted! Good kid, great potential! 3 years later…

He wants what?? SCREW HIM! THAT BACK STABING SON OF… I knew he didn’t want to play here.. I could see it… in that.. THAT.. THAT WONKY EY OF HIS!

Since the lockout, teams that have a young player with possible pay-offs but nothing proven yet, have to decide if he’s Kane or Abel <ok that one is Mom’s from game 5 of the finals when Kane scored- I can’t take credit>. Do you gamble and sign him long-term. Not to mention gambling with invested dollars and cap space, or do you let him go and risk kicking yourself when his hat trick knocks you out of the playoffs? <been there, done that, burned the t-shirt>

Lombardi explained, “It’s almost impossible to be like Buffalo was; they were winning, had built through the draft, had younger players and younger usually meant cheaper and they could compete with teams that didn’t draft well.  Well, now those teams like a Nashville or whatever that draft well, now you can’t keep it down because, like I said in the old-days, with free agency at 31. You still had to deal with hold outs, but you at least had the rights to the players.” And it is at this point that I wonder and again with the key words being I WONDER if Dean is showing some brutal honesty from his different positions throughout his career,from the management side of the coin. I mean take it from any position in management <of the NHL.. I’m not talking middle-management on Park Avenue>. Whether you are a coach, a GM, what have you.. Its gotta suck when you tell your fans <qualifying statement: you have to MEAN WHAT YOU SAY FOR THIS TO WORK> that you are rebuilding, drafting and bringing them in. But then, because of the way free agency is set up at 27 instead of 31 it becomes impossible to keep that promise. Suddenly you are bidding against teams in larger markets that don’t go through the draft and losing the players you brought up. NOT FAIR.. JIP.. REDO! Didn’t work on the playground… isn’t going to work now.

Take’r home Dean-o… “Now you build through the draft, you tell your fans to be patient, the kid starts coming along… only got three-years pro, so how predictable he’s going to be, you still don’t know but it’s like, I can’t lose this guy now. Aaaaand, so, boom! Now you’re looking at the six-million.” <ok you can argue the number of “a”s I put in the “and” but yeah, that’s a direct quote … love the “BOOMS!” wash. rinse. repeat..> Here’s where the player’s overall well-being comes into play. Look my dear Kingdom, I swear to you that I started this damn thing at about 8PM on June 8th 2010 and its 2:30 AM CST on June 9th. I have a 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM day ahead of me tomorrow. I had dinner while I wrote. I have the interview memorized, mmm k? So here it is, nowhere that I can tell, does Lombardi or the host of this lovely show <and it is incredible> in any way insinuate that the players should make less money on a whole or that they deserve to bring in less of the overall revenue. And this is my strength.. the inferencing, synthesizing, inferential unstated kind of information.. yeah.

Lombardi’s argument.. no, not even an argument.. his concern is that, much like the United States in general, you have a spreading gap of haves and have-not players. Yet everyone is paying the same dues to the union and work just as hard. Actually, often times, the players working hardest <the ones in the corners, the ones winning the battles , taking the body, blocking the shots> are getting paid the least- and that is the majority of them. While the minority of the players are taking home the largest amount of the revenues. He’s going to go with the pie analogy here.. so if you are hungry, you  might want to break and eat.. or get some grub while you read..

Go Dean-o, Go…”Now you can say the union don’t like this; but nobody is saying take away their pie. It’s the allocation within the pie.”And again.. there is nowhere that I hear anything other than good intent. However, with the following quote, I’m sure there are some who would find that a GM possibly putting words in the players mouth.. is well.. kosher as Christmas?

Calling the spade, a spade… “It’s the allocation within the cap and I don’t know how many players really think it’s fair either to have that much discrepancy, particularly for a young player… It’s just something about what the nature of sports is supposed to be; when three guys are taking 70% of the payroll and the other guys are making $400,000.”

Admittedly, I’ve heard and read that some don’t necessarily buy into Lombardi’s concerns  for the overall well-being of the NHL’s financial state, let alone the NHLPA. Could it be a preemptive, proactive, make-nicey PR move for the players? Hey look, you want to be Negative Nancy and Debbie Downer, be my guest. And yes, there was mention of another possible issue with the upcoming CBA, which Lombardi quickly waived off as nonsense <not his word>. However, maybe in my nativity, <however there isn’t any kool-aid in MY fridge> I think this is some pretty great stuff, Mr. President. WHEN I put it together from other interviews in print, audio and video, I am choosing to believe that he is what he says he is. He cares about building not just a team the right way, but people. He cares not just for our Kingdom but the entire sport. Because of these factors, yes, he might actually care that it is ass-backwards for any player; even ones named Crosby <SHADDAP>, to make more money in a year then Sean O’Donnell will have seen in his entire career. Especially, when they are paying the same dues to the NHLPA.

And so I am going to leave you with the following quote that encompasses his beliefs in one shot.

“And again, I think the players are entitled to their share. Its more the allocation in there. It makes it reasonable for both sides. I think it helps the team, I think it helps the union, and I think it’s good for the game.”

Not only has there been great debates on whom the Oilers should take albeit Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin but since a leak broke out about Jason Spezza being on the block along with his 7 Million dollar cap hit through 2014-2015 has sparked rumors aplenty across NHL nation this last week.

First off, the decision between Hall and Seguin seems to be a touch choice with Hall being the more dynamic player and seemingly is more of a drive to the net type of player with the “give me the puck” attitude. Hall is a left handed shot, which does not really matter unless you’re a defenseman, and a natural winger plus many feel he can play center if needed. He has been compared to the likes of Ryan Smyth or Glenn Anderson but with more overall skill then either of the two.

Seguin is a natural centerman which at this point seems to be the Oilers biggest concern of holes to fill. In my humble opinion I believe the Oilers biggest weakness is on their blueline but will they select Cam Fowler before Hall or Seguin? Not a chance. That would “almost” be like taking Cam Barker over Ovechkin or Malkin which had no chance of happening in the 2004 NHL entry draft.

Either of these 2 players will be a great addition to Edmonton and likely playing along side of players such as Jordan Eberle, Sam Gagner, Andrew Cogliano and Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson to name a few of the nice young players the Oilers have in the system. Reminds you of the Chicago Blackhawks with Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Dave Bolland which creates a great nucleus to rebuild from.

Enter the rumor mill! There are many rumors that Steve Tambellini could and should trade the top pick to acquire an already proven player in the likes of Jason Spezza who is still young and turning I believe 27 years old next week but also has a hefty price tag of 7 million per year. While many Oiler fans want to win right now and would love to see Spezza who is a nice talent on this team he most certainly will not make the Oilers a Stanley Cup winning team next year and adding that much of an addition to the salary cap would be down right ridiculous.

Boston has made it no secret that they want Taylor Hall and would probably make a deal with Edmonton to swap picks. Now that’s an offer Tambellini should most definitely consider especially if they are leaning towards Seguin anyways, ultimately the Oilers could probably dump some salary on Boston in a deal for example like this: Edm 1st overall pick and Sheldon Souray to Boston for the 2nd overall pick, Dennis Wideman and another draft pick. That would save about 1.5 million per year and remove a disgruntled and oft injured Souray from the Oilers and gain a solid d-man in Wideman along with another pick.

If I am Steve Tambellini I select Taylor Hall and keep the rebuild and youth movement going, attempt to trade the unhappy Souray for a solid role player or a good young upcoming defenseman if possible and just keep building your team as planned. If the right deal comes forth Tambo has a lot of nice trading pieces to get a deal done to improve the Oilers now and for the future without busting the bankroll. While many may disagree with this I think the Oilers have a very good chance of making the post season next year with a healthy squad and some fine young gunners coming in they just may surprise a few people.

It will be a busy off season for the Edmonton Oilers having to deal with the draft, 4 Unrestricted free agents and 8 Restricted free agents currently on the big league roster. Let’s hope the Oiler brass makes the right decisions for this storied franchise.

And through the years, the Philadelphia Flyers have been involved in their fair share.

In the 1985 Stanley Cup Finals, Philly goaltender Pelle Lindbergh, battling dehydration, asked that a water bottle be placed on top of the net so that he could drink at stoppages.  Edmonton Oilers’ head coach Glen Sather saw it as a ruse, and wryly commented:  “What are they going to want up there next, a bucket of chicken?”

Officials allowed the bottle to be left on the net, and has since become a fixture for all goaltenders.

In the 1987 Wales Conference Finals, the Flyers took exception to a ritual of shooting the puck into the opposition’s net after everyone had cleared the ice after the pre-game warm ups by Montreal Canadiens’ forwards Claude Lemieux and Shayne Corson .

Prior to game six, Lemieux and Corson again stayed on the ice, waiting for all the players to exit after the warm ups.  But this time, Philadelphia’s tough defenseman Ed Hospodar and backup goaltender Glenn “Chico” Resch remained on the ice.

As Corson and Lemieux gathered the puck and readied to fire it into the empty Flyers cage, Resch slid his goal stick in an attempt to block the puck from entering the net, and Hospodar grabbed Lemieux and started throwing punches.

What ensued was a 15-minute donneybrook with no officials on the ice to break it up.  Players spilled back onto the ice from their respective locker rooms.  Flyers’ enforcer Dave Brown was shirtless, with just suspenders holding up his hockey pants.  Defenseman Doug Crossman was in flip flops.

The result was over $42,000 in fines for numerous players, and a suspension for Hospodar.

This season has been no different.

With the Flyers making it to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1997, some shenanigans should have been expected.

Pronger gives a not-so subtle smirk during press conference

As most NHL enthusiasts know, a winning goaltender usually likes to snatch the game puck and take it as a souvenir.

Chicago’s Antti Niemi is no different, and wanted to collect the pucks when time expired after games one and two.

After Philadelphia dropped a one-goal decision in Chicago to the Blackhawks in game one, defenseman Chris Pronger took it upon himself to pick the puck up off the ice and disappear with it into the Philadelphia locker room.

When Pronger repeated the act after game two, Blackhawks forward Ben Eager took exception and said something to the Flyers defenseman.

Pronger shot a towel at Eager, and the two got into a heated verbal exchange.  Both players received 10-minute misconducts for their troubles.

When Eager was asked what happened, he said:  “He’s been picking up pucks after the game, and I just told him he can keep it.”

When Pronger was asked what Eager said to him, he responded:  “I don’t speak that language, whatever he was speaking.  I couldn’t hear him.”

So surely Pronger would let us know what he did with the pucks when he carried them off the ice.

“It’s in the garbage.  Where it belongs.”

Ouch.

Flyers’ coach Peter Laviolette seemed amused by the entire affair.  “So what is it they’re going to do?  What added incentive do they have?  They’re angry?  It’s the playoffs.  We’re going to compete like hell (Wednesday) night.  I promise you that.  I don’t know what else they can do because we stole the puck.  I think it’s comical.”

Mike Richards added:  “I don’t have a problem with it.  If he wants to get the puck, give him the puck.  I’m not going to tell him not to.  Eager can tell him not to take it if he wants.”

Fans in the Philadelphia area have even gotten into the mix, making up their own satirical takes, even in this listing on CraigsList:  http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/clt/1770129512.html

Whichever side you take on this issue, one thing is clear.  Pronger is trying to distract the Blackhawks players, and somehow give the Flyers an edge.

And really, that’s all Pronger cares about.  Giving Philadelphia any kind of edge, no matter how small, to help break through and give his team a window of opportunity to climb back into the series.

“I don’t know.  Apparently, it got him (Eager) upset.  So I guess it worked, didn’t it?  It’s too bad.  I guess little things amuse little minds.”

And so it goes as the Blackhawks move into Philadelphia tonight to play game three against the Flyers.

Have the Philly players gotten into the Blackhwaks minds at all?  That remains to be seen.

But it isn’t for a lack of trying, especially on the part of Pronger.

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

Now Playing: Fuel – Sunburn

The Chicago Blackhawks have undergone more transformations in the last three seasons than a reality television star on a plastic surgery shopping spree, and yet their latest one has been the most essential to their post-season success.  The team has recovered from a rocky start in the 2010 second season to become one of the best finishing teams in the NHL.

Knowing how to close games is a characteristic of championship teams in every sport on every level of athletics.  It seems that the Blackhawks have learned how to accomplish that at an alarming rate mostly within this post-season.  For instance, take a look at the first series against the Nashville Predators.  Out of the Blackhawks 17 goals in the series, only four of them came in the third period or overtime, a mild 23%.  The Hawks saw that, and raised it in the following two series, as they notched totals hovering around the 47% mark in both of the following series (11 of 23 against the Vancouver Canucks, and 6 of 13 against the San Jose Sharks) which both also eventually led to series victories for the Chicago squad.

In total, the Blackhawks have outscored their opponents 21-11 in the third period or overtime so far in the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and they have learned how to use it to their advantage.  (Note: even when taking out goals scored on an empty net, the Blackhawks still hold a 17-6 scoring edge over their opponents)  Not only have they used ten, count them, TEN different players to score those late goals, but they have ignited a flame under what is now considered the best kept secret in the NHL (except to those in Chicago), big #33 Dustin Byfuglien.  Not only has this behemoth registered 5, 5, FIVE goals in the deciding time-frame (one of those in overtime), four of them have been game-winners, and as soon as he started getting into the act with his improbable hat trick against Vancouver the dominance started on behalf of the Indian Head.  “Big Buff” leads the team in goals after the 40-minute mark (trailed by Patrick Kane with four) and has established himself as a force to be “a nightmare” to goaltenders league-wide.

In the interest of full disclosure, one would be remiss to address the Blackhawks defensive improvements in the post-season as well.  After coughing up 46% of the Predators goals in the third period in round one, they promptly halved that  in the following series against Vancouver (and then some, allowing only 16% in the third period), and shaved a couple more percentage points off of it in the drive-thru sweep of the Sharks with a mere 14% of San Jose’s tallies coming late.  It is clear that they have learned not only to step up their killer instinct when the game is on the line, but have also embraced a two-way style of hockey that has their foot on the throats of competitors.

This team has matured together since the 2007-2008 season when they narrowly missed the playoffs.  They learned from that campaign and shocked the world by making it to the Western Conference Finals in the 2008-2009 season.  As painful as it was to watch this team lose that series last year, they have proven they were providing more than lip service by saying it was something they would learn from and use to get better.  It is obvious that this is a team that is mature well beyond its years and has taken a significant leap in big-game experience during their current playoff run, an image perfectly personified by its Captain, Jonathan Toews, who is a leading candidate for the Conn Smythe Trophy as the post-season’s Most Valuable Player.

May the best of luck be with the Philadelphia Flyers, as this Blackhawks team has “Blues Brothers”-esque and “Mission From God”-like determination in its eyes.  They may be young, but now they’re young and experienced.  That can be very dangerous.  Pay no mind to what they say about giving youngsters caffeine, let’s get a round of Colombian Roast for this Blackhawks team because everyone knows, “Coffee is for closers“.

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