Is Fighting Near The End Of A 4-0 Blowout Pointless?

Fighting is always going to be a part of hockey, and that fact alone will always be up for debate. Certainly, dropping the gloves with just about two minutes remaining in a 4-0 blowout is not going to help the side in favor of fisticuffs being involved in NHL hockey.

Thus was the case in the Edmonton Oilers vs. Calgary Flames game on the league's opening night of action Thursday. The Oilers were large and in charge of this game, exhibiting some brilliance in between the pipes from Nikolai Khabibulin and tremendous offensive prowess from rookie Jordan Eberle.

But with the game already in the books, Edmonton's Steve MacIntyre and Calgary's Raitis Ivanans decided to put their own stamp on the contest. for Ivanans, it only added further embarrassment to his team.

For MacIntyre and Ivanans, this is what they do for a living in the NHL and have to drop the gloves in order to be of any value to their respective organizations. But as true enforcers, they should also understand that there is a justifiable time and place to have these heavyweight fights. Near the end of a 4-0 blowout is not that time, especially when it appeared MacIntyre was the more eager party prior to the gloves actually being dropped. His team was going to win the game handily - move on.

Granted, this wouldn't be an issue if Ivanans hadn't been rocked with a knockout blow that hit its mark by MacIntyre. If both men were separated by the linesmen and skated off the ice on their own accord, there would be no discussion. But watching Ivanans have no control over his own facilities makes it even more pointless for the fight to have occured in the first place.

Thrashers Pavelec Collapses Early In First Period Of Season Opener

UPDATE: Pavelec was taken to the hospital and has regained consciousness. He will be held overnight for observations. There is still no information as to what exactly caused Pavelec's blackout during the game.

The Thrashers managed to rally against the Capitals and put together an impressive 4-2 win over the defending President's Trophy winners in their season opener.

ORIGINAL: Some scary things can happen out of the clear blue in sports, and that was the case very early on during the Atlanta Thrashers' season and home opener against the Washington Capitals Friday. At 2:25 into the first period, the play was whistled down in the Thrashers offensive zone. Meanwhile, goaltender Ondrej Pavelec collapsed in his goal crease on the other end of the ice. There were no players around him and all available medical personnel was called in to help stretcher him off the ice.

Chris Mason, who was signed as an unrestricted free agent over the summer for the next two years, filled in for the Thrashers and surrendered a goal less than one minute later. Pavelec did not face any shots during his playing time.

Get Out Of My Crease 2010-11 NHL Regular Season Predictions

The puck dropped this afternoon on the 2010-11 National Hockey League, which is far greater sports news than the MLB playoffs and the upcoming fifth week of the NFL season. With that said, it's time for me to drop some predictions here and flesh out how I believe the 2010-2011 regular season standings will look six months from now in April.

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

1. Pittsburgh Penguins

2. New Jersey Devils

3. New York Rangers

4. Philadelphia Flyers

5. New York Islanders

Northeast Division

1. Buffalo Sabres

2. Boston Bruins

3. Toronto Maple Leafs

4. Montreal Canadiens

5. Ottawa Senators

Southeast Division

1. Washington Capitals

2. Tampa Bay Lightning

3. Atlanta Thrashers

4. Carolina Hurricanes

5. Florida Panthers

Final Regular Season Standings

1. Pittsburgh Penguins

2. Buffalo Sabres

3. Washington Capitals

4. New Jersey Devils

5. Tampa Bay Lightning

6. Boston Bruins

7. New York Rangers

8. Atlanta Thrashers

------------------------------------

9. Philadelphia Flyers

10. Toronto Maple Leafs

11. Montreal Canadiens

12. Carolina Hurricanes

13. Ottawa Senators

14. Florida Panthers

15. New York Islanders

Western Conference

Central Division

1. Detroit Red Wings

2. St. Louis Blues

3. Chicago Blackhawks

4. Columbus Blue Jackets

5. Nashville Predators

Northwest Division

1. Vancouver Canucks

2. Colorado Avalanche

3. Calgary Flames

4. Minnesota Wild

5. Edmonton Oilers

Pacific Division

1. Anaheim Ducks

2. San Jose Sharks

3. Phoenix Coyotes

4. Los Angeles Kings

5. Dallas Stars

Final Regular Season Standings

1. Anaheim Ducks

2. Vancouver Canucks

3. Detroit Red Wings

4. San Jose Sharks

5. St. Louis Blues

6. Chicago Blackhawks

7. Colorado Avalanche

8. Phoenix Coyotes

------------------------------------

9. Los Angeles Kings

10. Calgary Flames

11. Columbus Blue Jackets

12. Minnesota Wild

13. Nashville Predators

14. Edmonton Oilers

15. Dallas Stars

Cammalleri Gets One Game Suspension For Slash

Eventually, a day will come when players in the National Hockey League understand that sticks were not introduced to the game to go slapping away at the other human beings on the ice. Unfortunately, that day is not today.

In an exhibition games between the Montreal Canadiens and New York Islanders on Oct. 2, Habs left wing Michael Cammalleri became upset with the Islanders first round pick back in June, Nino Niederreiter, after a hard check near the boards. He thus decided to swipe his stick across the face of Niederreiter and followed that up with a slash the back of Niederreiter's left foot. The video of the incident can be seen below, with tremendous French commentary to accompany it:

As a result of this infraction, Colin Campbell held a conference call with Cammalleri earlier today to dish out a punishment on top of the five-minute major and game misconduct he received during the actual contest. Campbell dished out a one game suspension, which will also cost Cammalleri a day's pay of $32,258.06 to be placed in the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund. 

Preseason Performance Earns Fedotenko Deal With Rangers

When most players agree to join a team on a tryout basis during the preseason, it's probably not going to work out when cuts need to be made. Plenty of them have occurred in recent weeks to players that otherwise wouldn't have had any trouble inking actual deals in previous yearss. But when it comes down to proving themselves in this tryout capacity, a player really needs to go above and beyond.

For the New York Rangers, Ruslan Fedotenko most certainly did that. Throughout the Rangers' six-game exhibition schedule, Fedotenko established himself as a reliable scorer who led the team in points (seven) and developed a great deal of chemistry on the team's third line with agitator Sean Avery and young hopeful Derek Stepan.

The cap-cautious Rangers did not have a ton of wiggle room under the $59.4 maximum allowable salary to sign the 31-year old Ukrainian native. But the two parties agreed on a one year deal worth $1 million, which is $800,000 less than he earned in a down year with the Pittsburgh Penguins last season.

This signing may have less of a financial impact if reports are true from The New York Post's Larry Brooks about Vaclav Prospal's right knee injury status. Brooks' sources have indicated to him that the rest Prospal is receiving over a mandated two-week period may not cure his ailments and season-ending surgery could be required to fix the problem. Prospal re-signed with the Rangers this summer on a one year deal with a base salary of $1.08 million and bonuses totaling $1.4 million. If placed on long-term IR, the Rangers would be free to spend his $2.48 million in total compensation elsewhere.

Islanders To Miss Streit, Okposo For Extended Periods Of Time

The New York Islanders were hardly expected to win the Stanley Cup this year. Making the playoffs alone was a far-reaching goal. But to obtain some marked improvement over their 26th place showing in the standings last year was on the radar. And it would take the great play from all of the assets on this rebuilding squad to accomplish that.

That could become a difficult task this year now that the Islanders will go extended periods of time without their top defenseman (and perhaps best player) and top right wing. Both Mark Streit and Kyle Okposo sustained devastating injuries in training camp that will have the latter out of the lineup an indefinite amount of time and the former perhaps for the entire season.

Streit was the first one to go down after receiving a cross-check from teammate Matt Moulson in a morning intrasquad scrimmage this past Saturday that sent him awkwardly into the boards. Tests would reveal that Streit suffered a torn labrum and rotator cuff in his left shoulder – an injury that will require surgery putting Streit out for at least six months, according to Newsday.

"I don't think anyone replaces him," Islanders Head Coach Scott Gordon said. "You're talking about a guy that was in the top three in scoring on our team as a defenseman. That's pretty hard to match that; guys that do that are all-stars. I like who we have, but you can't expect them to be Mark Streit."

The Islanders brought in several new faces to the defense corps over the summer, including Milan Jurcina and Mark Eaton as free agents and James Wisniewski in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks. On Monday, General Manager Garth Snow also pulled the trigger on a two year contract for Mike Mottau, who spent the past three seasons with the New Jersey Devils. But as Gordon stated, none of those guys can match what Streit brings to the table. They can only hope to lessen the blow.

Streit was officially joined on the shelf Tuesday by Okposo after a weekend of evaluations revealed that the 22-year old needed surgery for a torn labrum in his right shoulder. There is no definitive timeline for Okposo’s return. However, Newsday estimates he will be out of the lineup for two-to-three months. That would put him out until at least very late-November.

Okposo is also believed to have injured his shoulder during a team scrimmage. Katie Strang notes that this injury was suffered last Thursday and was believed to have occured "when Okposo extended his arm to reach back for a puck."

The former-first overall selection by the Islanders back in 2007 has steadily grown into a strong offensive weapon on Long Island. He posted career-highs last year in goals (19), assists (33), points (52), power play points (22) and game-winning scored (4). When put together on a line with John Tavares and Matt Moulson, Okposo truly excelled as a good all-around talent and should have continued developing down that path on the same line this upcoming season. Unfortunately, he will now have to wait a few months to see if his progress and chemistry with those linemates grows further moving forward.

Svatos Heading To Omsk On One Year Deal

Marek Svatos burst into the NHL as a rookie back during the 2005-06 campaign with the Colorado Avalanche and posted 32 goals in 61 games. Unfortunately, he was unable to join his team during the nine postseason games the Avs played that year, as well as the final 19 regular season games, thanks to a right shoulder injury. And thus began the frustrating career of Svatos in the NHL.

A young Slovakian native with offensive potential capable of netting him perennial in 30-goal seasons would never be able to truly shake a rash of injuries that prevented him from playing more than 69 games in any particular season.

Now 28 years of age after spending all six of his NHL seasons in Colorado, the unrestricted free agent was unable to find a home during the offseason with the Avs or any other club in the league. Perhaps teams are hesistant about throwing a large sum of cash toward a player that always misses a healthy amount of games and only managed seven goals in the ones he did play just a year ago.

With no options in the NHL, Svatos has decided to join the Kontinental Hockey League and signed up with Omsk for a one year deal, according to TSN. The KHL is notorious for taking any player from the NHL with any semblance of name value and Svatos certainly fits the bill.

For Svatos' benefit, the one year pact enables him to seek a return to the NHL next summer if he's able to prove he can go a season without any major injuries and puts up some goals like he did during his rookie campaign five years ago.

Boynton Given One Game Suspension For Throat-Slash Gesture

The NHL preseason has just begun, and so has the handing down of punishments by the league office. On Thursday, Chicago Blackhawks' defenseman Nick Boynton was given a one game suspension by the league for making a throat-slashing gesture toward Tampa Bay Lightning forward Blair Jones during a preseason game on Wednesday. The gesture made by Boynton occured after the two engaged in a pretty heavy round of fisticuffs.

As can be seen in the video, Jones went right for Boynton after the defenseman checked one of his Lightning teammates straight to the ice. They grappled for a bit and then Boynton unleashed a few rights. But once Jones could get himself loose, he dropped Boynton with a left-handed bomb to take the victory. Boynton appeared to have a bit of a bloody mouth and the need to save some face by waving his hand in front of his throat and saying what appears to be, "I'm unfriending you on Facebook later." Or something like that - I never did learn how to read lips.

While I want to say this is an overreaction by the league, I'll actually support it. Nothing good ever comes from slashing someone's throat, and I can't imagine this is the image the NHL wants put forth to its fans. However, it's apparently still not as bad as using the term "sloppy seconds" in a pregame interview.

Boyton may continue to play in the remaining games on Chicago's exhibition schedule. He will sit out the team's regular season opener at the Colorado Avalanche on Oct. 7.

Poti, Capitals Agree To Two-Year Extension

The Washington Capitals took a proactive approach with one of their top blue line assets Tuesday by signing Tom Poti a two-year, $5.75 million extension that will kick in during the 2011-12 season. Poti will see $3 million of that money in that campaign while earning the remaining $2.75 million in 2012-13. He will count as a $2.875 million cap hit against the Capitals' payroll during those years. He is set to earn $3.5 million this upcoming season in the final year of a four-year, $14 million signed back in 2007 with Washington.

"I think we have a chance to win here," Poti told Katie Carrera of The Washington Post. "I've played in the league 12, 13 years and still haven't won. I think this is the best chance for me to get a Cup. Not just one Cup but more than one Cup, hopefully. I was willing to give up some money, leave some money on the table, to have a chance at that."


While Mike Green is the alpha defenseman for the Capitals, Poti ranks pretty much at number two on the positional depth chart. The 33-year old, 11-year veteran is a solid all-round presence. His offensive prowess has been on the decline, but he's still capable of putting up points, especially on the power play. He can also log a ton of minutes and use his size efficiently to play a steady defensive presence for his club.

He's had some injury concerns over the years that make him a bit of an risk. But Poti can still be counted on for around 70 games a season at this point.

Last year, he posted four goals (half on the man advantage) with 20 assists and a plus-26 rating in 70 games played. He added four assists in six postseason games before Washington was ousted prematurely in the Conference Quarterfinals by the Montreal Canadiens.

Preseason Actions Begins Tonight

Before we can drop the puck on the regular season, we need to go through a few weeks of preseason games to allow teams to set their rosters and so the players can get themselves into game shape when the contests actually matter. Tonight begins the preseason schedule with nine games on tap.

(Times listed are EDT)

7:00 pm

Florida Panthers @ Carolina Hurricanes
New Jersey Devils @ Philadelphia Flyers
Ottawa Senators @ Toronto Maple Leafs
Columbus Blue Jackets @ Atlanta Thrashers

8:00 pm

Colorado Avalanche @ St. Louis Blues

8:30 pm

Tampa Bay Lightning @ Dallas Stars

9:00 pm

Vancouver Canucks @ Calgary Flames

10:00 pm

Calgary Flames @ Vancouver Canucks
Phoenix Coyotes @ Anaheim Ducks

Rangers Likely To Open Season Without Captain Chris Drury

The New York Rangers and Chris Drury received a tough break Monday morning when the 34-year old captain broke his left index finger during a team scrimmage while attempting to block a shot. He is expected to be out for four weeks, which would have him back on October 18 - or nine days after the Rangers open the regular season on October 9 against the Buffalo Sabres.

“It’s a tough break for him,” Head Coach John Tortorella told Jim Cerny of newyorkrangers.com. “He’s a big part of our club as far as what he brings on and off the ice. I know he was anxious to get back at it this year, but you never know with a guy like him how quickly he can come back."

Drury has been pretty durable for the Rangers during his previous three seasons with the club. He missed five games last season with a concussion, but otherwise has only missed a total of six games out of a possible 246 with New York.

“He’s our captain, a big part of our team, so it’s bad news,” top line right wing Marian Gaborik said. “He works hard every game, does his job on both ends of the ice. We are going to miss him, but we have to manage to do the best we can without him.”

Drury is entering the fourth year of a five-year, $35.25 million contract signed as an unrestricted free agent in 2007. He has largely failed to live up to the offensive expectations as a clutch goal scorer earned as a member of the Buffalo Sabres and the Colorado Avalance. However, he remains a tremendous leader for the organization on and off the ice, as well as a key two-way asset with good penalty killing skills.

Blue Jackets Extend Steve Mason's Contract For Two Years At $5.8 Million

Steve Mason may be coming off a poor sophomore season, but the 22-year old is still being counted on to sport the crease for the Columbus Blue Jackets. On Monday, Mason and the Blue Jackets agreed to a two-year contract extension worth $5.8 million. Mason will earn $2.6 million in 2011-12 and be compensated the remaining $3.2 million in 2012-13. His annual cap hit to Columbus' payroll will be $2.9 million.

"Steve Mason is a young goaltender with great size and athleticism and we are very pleased that we were able to agree on this contract extension," General Manager Scott Howson said in a statement on the Blue Jackets' website. "He is an important member of our team and we're excited that he will continue to be a significant contributor to our hockey club in the future."


Mason is entering the final year of his entry-level contract in which he will be paid $765,000 in base compensation with the possibility of another $50,000 coming his way in performance bonuses. His cap hit to the team next season will be $905,000.

This was a bit of a gamle for Howson, who witnessed Mason put forth a horrendous showing last year. Mason only won 20 of 58 games played while sporting a 3.06 goals against average and .901 save percentage. That was a far cry from a tremendous rookie campaign a year earlier that earned Mason the Calder Memorial Trophy for Rookie of the Year. In 2008-09, Mason went 33-20-7 in 61 games played with a 2.29 goals against average, .916 save percentage and a league-leading 10 shutouts.

If Mason fails to play like he did as a rookie and the sophomore slump we saw last season was simply a sign of things to come, then this extension will be difficult digest down the line. However, there is a lot of hope that Mason will bounce back to that form and perhaps that's something Howson fully expects to see. His confidence could get him in trouble. But by inking Mason to an extension now, he avoids possibily having to pay Mason more money next summer as a restricted free agent.

"Get Pucked Up!" Hockey Feature In October Issue Of Maxim Magazine

For those who thought Maxim was solely for viewing half-naked women in all sorts of compromising positions, well - you're half-right. The October 2010 issue might just go down as Magazine of the Decade for three reasons: 1) they have an Anna Kournikova photo spread in 3D, 2) there is a pretty solid story about the new season of The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck, and 3) there is a four-page feature on the NHL. That's got to be more coverage than ESPN The Magazine provides for the NHL all year!

The NHL article is titled "Get Pucked Up!" and discusses the 20 reasons why you should be watching hockey. If you're reading this blog, I would hope you already do. And this is likely an abbreviated overview since we all know there's plenty more than 20 reasons to be watching hockey.

Some of the topics covered in this piece include new New York Rangers overpaid enforcer Derek Boogaard's advice for winning a hockey fight, America's increasing success in international play and the NHL Draft, players' pre-game superstitions (Alexander Ovechkin's is pretty incredible), Duncan Keith's teeth-dropping Game 4 in the Western Conference Finals, hockey wives and girlfriends (i.e., Puck Bunnies), and the Sidney Crosby/Ovechkin rivalry from Sid The Kid's viewpoint.

All in all, this is a well-done edition of Maxim. The hockey coverage would have been enough. But add in Anna Kournikova in 3D and some UFC talk, and can it get any better than that? Probably. But this is still pretty solid.

(For those wondering - and I know most of you are, the 3D photos of Anna Kournikova are up on the Maxim.com website. Without a copy of the magazine, you will need to dig up your own pair of 3D glasses.)

Goaltenders Ready To Battle It Out For Starter Spot

For teams like the New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks, there is little doubt as to who will be starting in net when the puck drops to start the regular season. No matter how well Johan Hedberg, Martin Biron and Cory Schneider impress in training camp, none of them will supplant Martin Brodeur, Henrik Lundqvist or Roberto Luongo.

Many teams, however, enter camp with at least two options that have realistic chances of taking the No. 1 role when the regular season beings on October 7. While one may have a greater shot than the other, nothing is set in stone for either player and training camp will provide the perfect opportunity for both goaltenders to prove their value to the organization.

Here are a few teams that will need to observe their options closely and select the man most capable of defending their net during the season ahead.

Atlanta Thrashers: Ondrej Pavelec vs. Chris Mason

When the Atlanta Thrashers traded Kari Lehtonen last season to the Dallas Stars, they made the statement that they were ready to move ahead in a new direction between the pipes. Lehtonen had been their guy for a number of years. But his player never equaled expectations and he had a myriad of injuries during his time with Atlanta.

Ondrej Pavelec was the guy waiting in the wings once the Thrashers gave up on Lehtonen. Previous to last year, he played a total of 19 games over two seasons and failed to impress. Last season, he played 42 games (starting 40) and did not do much better as the No. 1 man. He finished the season with a 14-18-7 record to go with a 3.29 goals against average and .906 save percentage. Needless to say, the different direction Atlanta was planning to go in did not pan out much better than the original with Lehtonen.

The new look Thrashers will likely give Pavelec a shot at claiming that No. 1 role for next season. And he will probably be given the benefit of the doubt for his youth and considering they drafted him in the second round of the 2005 NHL Draft for the purpose of sporting their crease in a major way.

But when the St. Louis Blues signed Jaroslav Halak, they allowed Chris Mason to leave via free agency. The Thrashers swooped right in on the opening day of free agency and granted him a two-year deal for $3.7 million. Mason played incredibly well for the Blues during his two years of service with the team and completed last season with an impressive 30 wins.

At 34 years old, Mason may come into training camp as the backup to the 23-year old Pavelec. But Mason has performed better than Pavelec recently and any slip by the youngster can be instant cause for the Thrashers to go with the veteran.

Who Should Be The No. 1 Goalie? - Chris Mason
Who Will Be The No. 1 Goalie? - Ondrej Pavelec

Savard Out At Bruins Training Camp With Post-Concussion Syndrome Symptoms

An already eventful summer for Boston Bruins center Marc Savard added another twist on Friday when training camps opened around the NHL. While the Bruins watch 56 players hit the ice for the beginning of their camp, Savard was not one of them. General Manager Peter Chiarelli announced that the 33-year old informed the organization "during the latter part of the summer" that he had been suffering from symptoms consistent with post-concussion syndrome.

Savard suffered a concussion on March 7 when the Bruins played against the Pittsburgh Penguins. While taking a wrist shot from near the point in the Bruins' offensive zone, he was clocked with a now infamous blindside hit from Penguins agitator Matt Cooke and had to be taken off the ice on a stretcher.

Obviously an injury of that nature needs to be handled with care. But this absence comes as a bit of a surprise considering Savard was cleared to play in the Eastern Conference Semifinals opener against the Philadelphia Flyers after having missed all of the Bruins regular season and playoff games since being taken out. Savard netted the game-winner in overtime to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead in the series.

Kuba Injures Leg On First Day Of Training Camp



UPDATE: TSN is reporting that Filip Kuba will miss 5-6 weeks with a broken right leg following the results of his x-rays. While he will miss camp and the beginning of the regular season with this injury, he should be back by November following that timetable and that's not a drastic amount of time for the Senators to be without him.

ORIGINAL: It's never a good sign when players start going down on the very first day of training camp. For the Ottawa Senators, it's especially not great that it happened just 15 minutes into their camp to a 33-year old defenseman coming off back surgery over the summer.

On Friday, Filip Kuba suffered a leg injury after skating into a rut on the ice surface. The severity of the injury not know, but he was expected to be taken for x-rays Saturday afternoon.

Aside from losing their second best offensive defenseman, the Senators face the loss of a player that does not need any more injuries on his record. Kuba had back surgery this offseason as a result of an injury that forced him to miss the final 11 regular season and all six postseason games for Ottawa last year. Prior to that injury, a number of other ailments forced Kuba to miss games in spurts throughout the year, leaving him to skate just 53 games total during the 2010-11 campaign in his second season as a Senator.

Head coach Cory Clouston is prepared to go forward as necessary if the x-rays reveal some negative news.

"We had to play a lot without him last year, and obviously we may have to start the season without him again. I guess if you are going to do it, doing it at the start of the season is better than at the end of the year when we would miss him for the playoffs," Clouston said.

It's true that the timing of this injury, though not the injury itself, is beneficial for the Senators. Training camp provides plenty of young guns and outsiders an opportunity to earn roster spots. Therefore, options exist for Clouston to fill Kuba's role if it's expected that the Czech-native will miss a significant number of games. The prime candidate to step into his spot will likely be Brian Lee, who has 82 total NHL games to his credit but has spent most of his time the past three years being passed around the Ottawa its AHL affiliate in Binghamton.

Staal Remaining On Broadway Blueline With New Five-Year Deal

Glen Sather is mostly criticized for taking a proud big-market franchise and leaving its fans to simply hope for a playoff berth ever year. His outlandish free agency spending on the wrong kind of players while quibbling over deals for young internal talent has led to much frustration among fans of the New York Rangers. But every once in a while, the general manager does something right and deserves a pat on the back.

One of those should come his way thanks to finally inking a new deal with 23-year old restricted free agent defenseman Marc Staal. TSN’s esteemed hockey analyst Bob McKenzie broke the news via Twitter that a new five-year, $19.875 million deal was agreed upon for the star defensive defenseman. While on Broadway, Staal will count as an average annual cap hit of $3.975 million – or less than two-thirds of what Wade Redden will cost at about four times the talent.

ESPN’s E.J. Hradek broke down the deal year-by-year with these annual salaries:

2010-11: $3.1 million
2011-12: $3.675 million
2012-13: $3.775 million
2013-14: $3.875 million
2014-15: $5.45 million

Additionally, Hradek points out that Staal did not receive a no-trade or no-movement clause in the contract.

League Hands Down Kovalchuk-Penalty To Devils

Even though the New Jersey Devils have their Russian sniper for the remainder of his career and the collective bargaining agreement has been amended to prevent future contracts like one Ilya Kovalchuk received from ever happening again, that does not mean all is well. The NHL still had the option of punishing the Devils for attempting to circumvent the salary cap in their original offer to the 27-year old that included $102 million in compensation over 17 years.

On Monday evening, the league handed down its ruling that includes a mixture of fines and loss of draft picks to New Jersey. Per the NHL's statement, the Devils will lose a first round selection in one of the next four years, as well as a third rounder in 2011. The Devils have the choice of which year between 2011 and 2014 they wish to cede their first round pick and must advise the NHL the day following the completion of the Stanley Cup Finals of that year. These picks are simply eliminated from their respective year's draft.

Additionally, the Devils will pay a $3 million fine. However, that is strictly money and the team will not suffer any kind of salary cap hit. According to Tom Gulitti, the money will go to the NHL Foundation.

In all, that's a pretty hefty price to pay for a move I'm still convinced General Manager Lou Lamoriello did not want to make in the first place, but likely did so at the pushing of ownership. The $3 million is not that big of a deal, but the loss of at least the first round pick hurts a team that always touts its drafting prowess and will need its minor league system more than ever as New Jersey transitions away from guys like Martin Brodeur and Patrick Elias.

The Devils have the option of appealing this ruling, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie. But that appeals process goes through the NHL Board of Governors, so the Devils would likely have very little luck there.

Roberto Luongo Relinquishes Captaincy, Pressure As Canucks Captain

When the Vancouver Canucks chose to designate Roberto Luongo as team captain two years ago, it was kind of groundbreaking. Not only would he be just the sixth goaltender in NHL history to assume the role, but it had been 60 years since Bull Durnam was captain of the Montreal Canadiens and effectively forced the NHL to prohibit goalies from acting as a captain or alternate captain. You see, Durnan would lug himself out of the goal crease so often during games to argue calls that opponents complained it gave the Habs frequent unscheduled timeouts. Thus, the “Durnan Rule” was put into effect and no netminder since him would be granted a “C” or “A”.

To this day, the NHL still restricts goalies from wearing those letters on their jerseys and cting as a captain when it comes to talking with officials or taking ceremonial faceoffs. However, a goalie can be designated a captain for locker room purposes. And it only took six decades for a team to finally do it.



At the time that the Canucks tabbed Luongo as their lead man and painted a “C” on his mask instead, it was the right move for the team to make. Previous captain Markus Naslund vacated the spot when he left for the New York Rangers as an unrestricted free agent and nobody else on the team embodied the leadership and experience required to lead on and off the ice like Luongo.

“Selecting Roberto Luongo as our Captain is a significant decision for our entire organization,” General Manager Mike Gillis said in a statement on Sept. 30, 2008. “Alain [Vignault] and I were looking for someone to lead this team, who inspires his teammates, is respected for his on-ice accomplishments and who embodies the core values we are striving for as a hockey club.”

To be fair, offense was down as the team shifted to become more defensive, the Sedin twins had not yet completely broken out as studs and Luongo was the face of the franchise. The team’s success was believed to be on his shoulders in every conceivable way.

That's not quite the case anymore and Luongo has decided being captain is not the best fit for him. He met with Gillis on Sunday evening and the GM informed the rest of the world on Monday the team would be seeking a new man to sport the “C”.

The Beginning of Crosby's Cross-Over Baseball Career?

Sidney Crosby is more than just one of the best hockey players skating NHL ice today. He is an athlete at the core. So while taking some batting practice swings with the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Sept. 8, it should have come as no surprise that the captain of the Penguins was able to smack one about 360 feet.

Crosby explained to a reporter after his long ball swing that he played baseball until he was 13 years old. In contrast to Tom Glavine but just like pretty much every other Canadian, Crosby chose to pursue hockey. Hopefully that works out for him.

If Crosby does decide to eventually have a Michael Jordan moment, he should find little problem immediately making the Pirates' roster. After all, there is always an open spot from the constant trading done by the organization of any player that can walk and chew bubble gum at the same time. A couple more home runs like the one he hit last Wednesday, though , and he could end up on the block, too.

News From Around The Crease: Fedotenko Attending Rangers Camp, Thrashers Moving Byfuglien To D, Avs Re-Sign Mueller

~ A career-worst performance with the Pittsburgh Penguins last year brought his two-year tenure with the club to an end. At 31 years old and still an unrestricted free agent, Ruslan Fedotenko has decided to accept an invitation from the New York Rangers to attend their training camp on a tryout basis and potentially earn a contract to reunite with head coach John Tortorella from their Tampa Bay Lightning days.

Larry Brooks of The New York Post broke the news Tuesday that the Rangers invited Fedotenko to camp, and TSN confirmed on Friday evening that Fedotenko did accept the offer.

This is a case of the Rangers trying to catch a guy rebounding off a bad year in hopes that he can rekindle his success as a depth player capable of netting important goals in critical situations. He only posted 11 goals and 30 total points last season to go along with a horrendous minus-18 rating with the Penguins. But he typically is a 15- to 20-goal scorer with a pretty decent playoff history and two Stanley Cups to his name. He scored 12 goals in the 2004 postseason in which the Lightning won the Cup, including both goals in Game 7 of the Finals against the Calgary Flames.

Since this is strictly a tryout, it's really is a no-risk situation for the Rangers. If he plays hard and will agree to essentially a minimum salary contract, New York can definitely benefit from the the veteran playing a wing position on the third or fourth line. If he fails, they cut him loose and he'll probably end up in Russia. Either way, the Rangers get to see what he has to offer. And if anybody can push him to be his best, it's Tortorella.

NHL And NHLPA Accept Kovalchuk's Deal As Part Of Amending CBA Rules For Future Long-Term Contracts

The saga that started almost a month and a half ago has finally reached its conclusion (pending the completion of paperwork expected to hammered out very soon.) TSN's Darren Dreger has reported that Ilya Kovalchuk is on his way to becoming a New Jersey Devil for the next 15 seasons as part of an agreement between the NHL and NHLPA to amend the rules of the collective bargaining agreement regarding long-term contracts from here on out. Kovalchuk's deal, valued at $100 million over those 15 seasons, will be the last of its kind and any further contracts will play by new rules.

According to Dreger, long-term contracts are now clearly defined as those consisting of five or more years. The new rules essentially target the ages of 35 and 40 when it pertains to player contracts.

The first change calls for any contract signed by a player beyond the age of 40 years old to have his annual average salary (i.e., cap hit) only calculate for those years up to and including the season in which he is 40 years old.

For long-term contracts extending beyond the age of 40, the contract's average annual value for the years up to and including 40, are calculated by dividing total value in those years by the number of years up to and including 40. Then for the years covering ages 41 and beyond, the cap charge in each year is equal to the value of the contract in that year. (credit: Darren Dreger)

Niemi Joining Sharks On $2 Million Deal

The loss off the Chicago Blackhawks is now the gain of the team they eliminated in the Western Conference Finals during last year's playoffs. It is being reported that the San Jose Sharks have inked 27-year old Finnish netminder Antti Niemi to a one year deal worth $2 million.

Niemi was let go by the Blackhawks after months of contract negotiations gone awry and a salary arbitration award of $2.75 million that was deemed too much for an organization with limited cap flexibility. General Manager Stan Bowman chose to cut ties with Chicago's Stanley Cup winning goaltender and instead signed Marty Turco for $1.3 million next season. Niemi instantly became an unrestricted free agent a year earlier than he normally would have and was free to seek the best offer from teams still in need of a No. 1 goalie.

The San Jose Sharks was one of the most logically landing spots for Niemi. While General Manager Doug Wilson wanted people to believe that a combination of recently signed Antero Niittymaki and still unproven Tomas Greiss was a suitable, cheap replacement for Evgeni Nabokov, that 1-2 punch left a ton to be desired. No official decision has been made with regard to the goaltending depth chart in San Jose. But it's safe to assume that Niemi will sport the crease as the top option while Niittymaki will receive the first crack at No. 2 duties.

Niemi will now have the perfect opportunity to prove his true value in the NHL as a top-tier goaltender. While he did win the Cup last season and placed a crucial role in Chicago obtaining its first hockey championship in 49 years, there were also doubts looming over the head of a one year veteran with 42 regular season games of experience and some flawed postseason performances. In San Jose, he will play for a perennial contender that is constantly looking to get past poor playoff showings. Now that the Sharks managed to make it to the Western Conference Finals, they will look to move on from getting swept by the Blackhawks during that round and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2011. The onus of backstopping the Sharks there will rest on the shoulder of Niemi.

A solid season topped by the ability to do just that in San Jose will likely land Niemi more than the $4 million a season he was seeking earlier on this offseason when he is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent yet again next summer.

Failure to do so, however, could just render the decision made by Chicago the right one.

The Kovalchuk Contract Saga Continues On

If patience wasn’t already wearing thin with regard to the Ilya Kovalchuk and New Jersey Devils contract situation, the NHL and NHLPA have allotted two more days of frustration before rendering their decision regarding the deal's legality under the collective bargaining agreement. An originally set deadline of 5 p.m. on Wednesday evening was extended just prior to that cutoff time by both parties, opting instead to mull over this decision until 5 p.m. on Friday.

"We remain confident that the terms of this contract comply, in every respect, with the CBA and meet both the NHL’s concerns and the principles of arbitrator Bloch’s decision," Devils General Manager Lou Lamoriello said in a statement released by the team. "We remain optimistic that this extension will result in an approval of the contract and that Ilya Kovalchuk will remain a valuable member of the Devils for the balance of his career."

The Devils and Kovalchuk were forced back to the drawing board when a $102 million over 17 years was challenged by the NHL and rendered null and void by Arbitrator Richard Bloch. The deal was deemed a “retirement contract” that would never reach its conclusion, artificially lowered the salary cap hit with just $3.5 million set to be paid out in the final six years of the contract, and included a no-movement/no-trade clause shifting that would have given the Devils an “out” of the contract.

What General Manager Lou Lamoriello and Kovalchuk’s representatives came up with was a deal two years shorter and worth $2 million less than the original. According to sportsnet.ca’s Nick Kypreos, the new deal submitted to the NHL on Friday consists of $100 million over 15 seasons and includes a salary cap hit of $6.67 million, as opposed to the $6 million in the original offer. Additionally, the contract would expire when Kovalchuk is 42 years old instead of the 44-year old concluding age in the original.

The year-by-year breakdown of the new proposal is as follows:

2010-11: $6 million
2011-12: $6 million
2012-13: $11 million
2013-14: $11.3 million
2014-15: $11.3 million
2015-16: $11.6 million
2016-17: $11.8 million
2017-18: $10 million
2018-19: $7 million
2019-20: $4 million
2020-21: $1 million
2021-22: $1 million
2022-23: $1 million
2023-24: $3 million
2024-25: $4 million

While the point of this contract is essentially the same as the first one - get Kovalchuk under contract for the money he wants at an affordable cap hit to the team, it is more in line with other approved deals of this nature, does not go under $1 million in any given season and pays out reasonable salaries in the final few years. There is no word yet on any kind of no-movement or no-trade clause, which was a pretty big sticking point to Bloch in the old offer.

If the NHL chooses to challenge this contract, as well, and either the NHLPA does not file another grievance or fails in doing so, there is a strong chance the 27-year old sniper will return to his native country of Russia and play in the Kontinental Hockey League next season. Kovalchuk's Russian agent Yuri Nikolaev has already stated that Kovalchuk will spend at least one full season in Russia if he signs a deal in the KHL, meaning there will be no out-clause in his deal to return to the NHL at some point during the 2010-11 campaign. SKA St. Petersburgh is the most likely team to sign Kovalchuk and is believed to already have a big offer on the table for Kovalchuk's services.

If the deal is approved, then the Devils will need to act quickly in shedding just under $4 million in salary to become cap compliant for next season. They can remain 10 percent over the $59.4 million ceiling ahead of the start of the regular season on Oct. 7, giving them just over a month to clear salary.

Teams That Can Benefit Most From Adding Antti Niemi

It’s not common for a player to go from Stanley Cup Champion to unrestricted free agent in the fashion that 26-year old Finnish goaltender Antti Niemi did. Though he sought a salary believed to be in the range of $3-4 million a season on a long-term deal with the Chicago Blackhawks, he also filed for salary arbitration and accepted the possibility of making less. Unfortunately for him, General Manager Stan Bowman did not accept the very fair offer of $2.75 million given to Niemi by the arbitrator because of the ‘Hawks’ tight salary cap situation. Instead, they signed Marty Turco to a one year, $1.3 million deal and sent Niemi to the unrestricted free agent market one year earlier than he otherwise would have been eligible.

Now it is time to see if the offseason spent playing hardball by Niemi and his agent, Bill Zito, will result in a more fruitful situation for the 42-regular season game NHL “veteran.” Although no exact list of interested teams has come to light, let’s take a look at some teams that could most benefit from adding Niemi into their goaltending corp.

Columbus Blue Jackets: Over the years, the Columbus Blue Jackets have worked hard to get out of the basement and actually become a playoff contender. Two years ago, they realized that goal by making the postseason for the first time in the franchise’s 10–year history. The team’s ability to get there was due, in large part, to the play of then-rookie goaltender Steve Mason, who received the Calder Memorial Trophy for his phenomenal play throughout the season.

Unfortunately, Mason’s sophomore season included a slump and he didn’t play near to the level of his first year in the league. As a result, the Blue Jackets went back to the outside looking in on the playoff picture. Some doubt now exists over Mason’s ability to backstop this club into a perennial contender.

Of course, there is hope that he can find his game next season. That would truly be the best case scenario for Columbus, since his rookie play was far better than anything Niemi will offer. But if Mason’s career goes the way of Andrew Raycroft, it’ll be hard to hand over the keys to the car to him too much longer. The Blue Jackets may need to seek a more consistent net presence, which will be not Mathieu Garon either.

Niemi would provide an upgrade from what Mason offered a season ago and would be a suitable replacement. The Blue Jackets likely wouldn’t get rid of Mason and would figure out a way to work Niemi’s playing time around spotting Mason 20-25 games through the season, as well. It would just leave Garon as the odd man out. And his $1.2 million salary can either be dealt or very easily buried in the AHL, where he would spend a season in Syracuse before becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch disagrees with this notion, and feels that Columbus is pretty well set with Mason and Garon. But as Bruce Ciskie of Fanhouse points out, it all depends on the confidence the Blue Jackets have in Mason. After last year, you have to wonder …

40-Year Old Selanne Returning To Ducks For Another Season

Not yet ready to follow the lead of Scott Niedermayer and call it a career, Teemu Selanne has decided to return for his 12th season with the Anaheim Ducks and 18th overall in the NHL. An official announcement was made by the Ducks on Monday that Selanne put pen to paper on a new one year contract. The 40-year old Finnish Flash will earn a base salary of $3.25 million with the possibility of making another $1.25 million in bonuses for a total cap hit of $4.5 million, according to CapGeek. He also has a no-movement clause.

“After thinking about it for the last few months, I’ve decided to return to play for the Ducks,” Selanne said in a statement. “I’m excited about the summer additions the team has made. I know this team can win.”

While Selanne is up there in age, and a mixture of injuries and retirement contemplation have forced him to miss plenty of games over the past three seasons, it’s very hard to argue that his productivity is not worth the Ducks bringing him back into the fold. In 54 games last season, he buried 27 goals and added 21 helpers for 48 points – 27 of which were on the power play.

Kovalchuk, Devils Get Contract "Bloch"ed



It took several weeks for Ilya Kovalchuk to finally reach a decision on a contract this summer, and it now appears as if he will need to spend a few more finding a new one. On Monday, independent arbitrator Richard Bloch handed down his ruling in the case between the NHL and the NHLPA/Kovalchuk with regard to the 17-year, $102 million contract the 27-year old Russian winger inked with the New Jersey Devils on July 20. That ruling was in favor of the NHL.

Kovalchuk’s contract is now null and void, meaning he re-enters the unrestricted free agency pool with the option of yet against exploring offers from all NHL (and KHL) teams. The possibility exists that the Devils and he may return to the drawing board and re-structure the contract to be less circumventive. The Los Angeles Kings may also get back into the mix.

To many, this was a surprise decision by Bloch considering the numerous contracts prior to Kovalchuk’s that abused the same loophole as Devils GM Lou Lamoriello to reduce salary cap hits. Marian Hossa, Roberto Luongo and others all have "lifetime" deals that pay them far more money during their prime playing days than those when they are far less likely to even be playing at all.

Bloch, however, found this type of "retirement contract" (as Nick Kypreos puts it) to be the most egregious and agreed with the NHL's agrument, according to Sports Business Journal's Liz Mullen, that the contract is unlikely to reach its conclusion. Even if playing until 44 years of age is possibe,  it is "well beyond the typical retirement age of NHL players," Bloch said, according to Kypreos.

Modano Returning Home To Detroit

 

Although his 20-year career with the Dallas Stars/Minnesota North Stars franchise concluded at the end of last season, the 40-year old center wasn’t yet ready to hang up the skates. After summer long speculation and an early week report by The Detroit Free Press that he finally made a decision, Mike Modano confirmed on Tuesday that he will play next season for his hometown Detroit Red Wings in an interview with Scoreboard Monthly.

“It was a lot of back and forth internally, but I ultimately decided I wasn’t ready to hang up the skates so I’m going to Detroit,” Modano told the Dallas/Fort Worth based magazine.

Modano is expected to make an official announcement tomorrow regarding this move. ESPN Dallas reported that Modano was offered $1.25 million over a one year pact by General Manager Ken Holland, and it’s anticipated that he will at least start the season as the team’s third line pivot.

It’s hard to imagine Modano sporting a sweater other than the Stars’ because the entirety of his career has been spent there to this point. But when the team decided to get younger and move on without him, he was given a free pass to choose whatever destination best suited him. And that turned out to be Detroit, where he will now play 41 regular season and any number of postseason games in front of fans from his home state of Michigan.

Modano considered offers from the Minnesota Wild and the San Jose Sharks. But a talk with friend and former-Stars teammate Brett Hull ultimately led him to choose the Red Wings.

“I did talk to Brett and some other past and present Red Wings and it made me feel very comfortable with my decision," Modano said. "They all told me what a great organization and city it is to play in. And mix in the incredible talent they have playing there and it kind of made my decision for me.”

This is essentially a Jeremy Roenick move for Modano. When Roenick decided to join the Sharks in the last few years of his career, it was mainly to provide some leadership and experience to a squad already primed to make a run at the Stanley Cup. Along the way, Roenick chipped in on the score sheet and proved to be an invaluable commodity during the playoffs.

Modano should play a similar role with Detroit. The Red Wings are already a favorite to challenge for the Cup. The addition of Modano simply adds to their depth, which is no small play considering how much the team values contribution from all four lines. Modano will not need to carry the Red Wings on his shoulders like he did, at least in part, with the Stars. His experience, ability to score and playmaking skills are all Detroit needs from somebody expected to add to an already good team. And if early season play justifies it, his role may grow to garner him plenty of power play ice time and even a promotion to second line center duties.

It’s Official: Blackhawks Walk Away From Niemi Award, Sign Turco To One Year Deal

 

The Chicago Blackhawks had until Monday afternoon to determine if they would accept Antti Niemi’s $2.75 million arbitration award, or step away from him and seek a cheaper replacement in between the pipes. Reports surfaced late Sunday evening from WGN and relayed by The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta that Chicago may have signed former-Dallas Star Marty Turco to a one year deal at $1.75 million. Pagnotta later shot down these reports as inaccurate. But they weren’t far off the mark.

It was officially announced on Monday that the Blackhawks did indeed ink Turco to a one year contract, though it was for an even better $1.3 million. Chicago subsequently stepped away from Niemi’s award and the 26-year old is now free to join any of the other 29 teams in the NHL as an unrestricted free agent. He becomes the eighth member of the Stanley Cup Champion Blackhawks team to depart this summer.

“We exhausted all of our options to make this work,” Blackhawks General Manager Stan Bowman said in reference to Niemi on a conference call Monday. “This is the direction that made the most sense. You have to have flexibility within your roster and this was the best way to defend the Cup.”

Bowman is now ready to shift his attention toward Cristobal Huet and the $5.625 million he is set to earn in each of the next two seasons. Bowman is perfectly happy with a combination of Turco and the $800,000 Corey Crawford, who will combine to earn less than the $2.75 million Niemi would have made alone had Chicago accepted his award. Therefore, there is no reason to keep Huet around and getting his salary off the books is essential to become cap compliant. According to CapGeek, the Blackhawks would go from being about $2.7 million over the $59.4 million maximum allowable payroll to $3,121,744 under it.

The option of waiving Huet and placing him in the minors has existed for a while. Additionally, there is some talk that Bowman may try to work with some teams in the KHL to take him off their hands. Either way, it’s safe to say he will not be suiting up in Chicago next season, while the new duo of Turco and Crawford are set to sport the crease for the defending Stanley Cup Champions.

Rangers Acquire Todd White From Thrashers

 

With the most important restricted free agent the New York Rangers entered the offseason with in Marc Still still un-signed, General Manager Glen Sather continues to plug away at other business. In the wee hours of Monday morning (about 1 a.m.), Michael Russo of The Minnesota Star Tribune reported that Todd White had been dealt to the Rangers from the Atlanta Thrashers. No details were immediately made available about what Atlanta was receiving in return. That did not prevent speculation from revealing a package involving Michal Rozsival and a fourth round pick going the other way.

This deal was made official today, but it did not include the $5 million defenseman and a mid-round draft selection. Instead, the Rangers packaged Donald Brashear and Patrick Rissmiller to the Thrashers in exchange for White.

In White, the Rangers gain a veteran forward who can play center or left wing. He is coming off a fairly poor campaign in which he scored just seven goals and added 19 helpers for 26 points. White is, however, only two years removed from his best NHL season. In 2008-09, he managed to put up 22 goals and 51 assists for 73 points over the course of a full 82-game schedule. It may be wishful thinking on the Rangers’ end to figure he’ll get back to that mark. But White could still post in the neighborhood of 40-50 points and even challenge for a spot on the top two lines. If nothing else, he will provide a depth role for the Rangers and serve as a veteran leader for a team still intent on becoming a bit younger.

The only negative from the Rangers’ acquisition of White is that he brings $2.375 million to the table on the final year of his contract. While Brashear ($1.4 million) and Rissmiller ($1 million) essentially combine to match that mark, Rissmiller was going to end up in Hartford for another season while Brashear would either join him there or be bought out by the Rangers. Their total $2.4 million in salary would have never counted against the Rangers’ cap. Meanwhile, White’s will based on the likelihood of him actually suiting up on Broadway.

Brashear’s future in Atlanta will be a short one. He is expected to be bought out by the Thrashers once he clears waivers and will be free to sign up with another club looking for an aged enforcer who is not nearly as effective as he once was. Rissmiller, on the other hand, could be bought out, as well. There has been no firm indication toward such a move, though, and he may remain with the organization.

Ben Wright of Blueland Blog summed up the benefits this deal presents for the Thrashers:

1. It moves out a player who didn’t necessarily fit the plan for 2010-11 and who underperformed in 2009-10.
2. It frees up a roster spot for a young player like Patrice Cormier, Carl Klingberg, Fredrik Pettersson or Spencer Machacek.
3. It adds a depth asset in Patrick Rissmiller who can hit, kill penalties, and contribute on the scoresheet.
4. It saves some money which can be used in other ways if another opportunity to add a player comes up.

For a team that has been as severely remodelled like the Thrashers, these points make plenty of sense. Move out an aging player that it pretty pricey in order to open up a spot for one of the many Atlanta prospects waiting in the wings. I doubt Rissmiller will be even a minor contributor to the team. But even if he is not, that leave Atlanta with another $1 million on the books if they elect to send him down to the minors.

Turco To Chicago On A One Year Deal?

 

UPDATE (Aug. 1, 11:58 pm): David Pagnotta is now tweeting that he's been told the WGN report is inaccurate. He did not elaborate in what way - if it's a completely false rumor or if the terms are not correct. Either way, we'll have to way to see how this plays out.

ORIGINAL: The Chicago Blackhawks need to make a decision on whether to accept Antti Niemi’s salary arbitration award of $2.75 million for next season. According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the organization may have already made up its mind.

Pagnotta tweeted late Sunday evening that reports out of Chicago are saying the Blackhawks have signed Marty Turco to a one year deal worth $1.75 million. There is no official confirmation of this deal, however WGN has mentioned his signing and that an announcement will be made tomorrow.

If these reports are true, that would seem to indicate the Blackhawks are prepared to walk away from Niemi’s award. The award handed down yesterday afternoon was a fair one, but General Manager Stan Bowman would still have difficulty getting under the salary cap if he accepted. Without Niemi’s contract, Chicago’s payroll stands at more than $400,000 over the $59.4 million maximum allowable payroll in the NHL. Niemi’s deal would bring that up to about $3.15 million over the cap. Turco’s speculated deal leaves it at a still complicated, but somewhat more manageable, $2.15 million over the cap.

Niemi's exit could end up revolving around a sign-and-trade scenario so that the Blackhawks don't lose out completely from his departure. If they choose to just step away, then Niemi will be free to sign with any other team.

When the Dallas Stars decided to head in a more youthful direction, Turco was one of the first long-tenured players from the team to be cast off. But the 34-year old, nine-year veteran has put together an incredible resume in the NHL and still stands as one of the better starting options around the league when he’s on his game. If he truly is replacing Niemi, Turco will be a steady substitute with more proven ability in the No. 1 position and plenty of postseason experience to help Chicago defend the Stanley Cup.

In 53 games last season – his fewest since his sophomore campaign, Turco went 22-20-11 with a .913 save percentage, 2.72 goals against average and four shutouts. The $1.75 million wage represents a sharp $3.65 million decline from the $5.4 million he earned last year.

Sharks Ink RFA Setoguchi To $1.8 Million Deal

 

The San Jose Sharks had a plethora of offseason talent issues to handle this summer and did most of their business either prior to or early on in the free agency period. Two matters still lingered for General Manager Doug Wilson, though, and he scratched one of them off the list Saturday afternoon. The Sharks re-signed restricted free agent right wing Devin Setoguchi on a one year deal worth $1.8 million.

“We’re happy to have Devin under contract for next season,” Wilson said in a statement from the Sharks’ official Web site. “He is an important part of our team and we are looking forward to his on-going growth as a player. We have very high expectations for him.”

Setoguchi, 23, is a big time player for the Sharks who should continue to develop into a dynamic top six forward. His production slipped a bit last season after racking up 31 goals and 34 assists for 65 points in 81 games back in 2008-09. Last year, he only tallied 20 goals and 16 assists for 36 points in 70 games played. But he also put up a career-high four game winners, and added five goals and nine points in 15 playoff games during San Jose’s trip to the Western Conference Finals.

Even with his reduced point output, a salary of $1.8 million does seem a bit low. But on a one year deal, he will have next season to prove he can be the 30-goal, 60+-point scorer from two years ago and subsequently earn a better long-term contract for far more money per season.

Wilson’s focus now shifts toward signing Joe Thornton to a contract extension. The 31-year old power forward has one year remaining at $7.2 million.

Niemi Awarded $2.75 Million Salary, 'Hawks Have 48 Hours To Decide

 

The most anticipated salary arbitration hearing this summer involved the Chicago Blackhawks and their Stanley Cup winning rookie netminder, Antti Niemi. Sporting the crease for Chicago’s first hockey championship since 1961 gave the 26-year old Finnish goalie enough leverage to seek a healthy raise from the $826,875 he earned last season. Blackhawks General Manager Stan Bowman, who is dealing with heavy salary cap constraints, was hesitant to pay starter-level money to a young goalie with still limited playing experience in the NHL and occasional flaws during the postseason run.

Both sides presented their cases before an arbitrator on Thursday. Niemi reportedly sought a $4 million salary for next year and Bowman looked to pay out closer to $1.5 million, according to Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com. Forty-eight hours later, it was announced that the arbitrator met them in the middle and awarded Niemi a $2.75 million salary for the 2010-11 campaign.

Bowman stated in a conference call Thursday evening that the size of the award would play a large role in determining Niemi’s future with the club. The entire offseason has been spent dumping salary in order to become cap compliant. Approximately two months shy of the start of the regular season, CapGeek has the Blackhawks still over $400,000 above the $59.4 million maximum allowable payroll. Accepting this award would move the team’s payroll to about $3.15 million above the salary cap.

A $2.75 million salary for Niemi is far more reasonable than the $4 million he was seeking, but it can still be viewed as a bit too rich for Chicago's blood right now. One thing is for certain with this award, however. The decision Bowman must now make it based entirely on money, not merit. Even with just 42 regular season games of NHL experience and some poor showings in the playoffs, the impact a Stanley Cup can have on a goaltender is immeasurable and the several times Niemi did come up big for the Blackhawks cannot be overlooked. A sub-$3 million wage is fair.

But Bowman must still weight the benefits of continuing to dump talent in order to retain another. He's had to make fiscally responsible moves all summer, and adding Niemi back into the fold will force him to let go of even more high-priced talent. Plus, he'll just have to deal with this problem again next summer when Niemi can become an unrestricted free agent. The Blackhawks should have more cap flexibility by then. However, they will also need to sign defenseman Brent Seabrook to a new contract based on his pending restricted free agency status.

If Bowman comes to the conclusion that he can't afford to accept the award, he can either deal off Niemi in a trade to acquire some assets for the loss or step away completely and allow Niemi to explore his own options as an unrestricted free agent. Bowman has 48 hours to make his decision.

If he elects to let Niemi go and does not obtain a viable goaltender via the trade route, he can look toward the free agent market for a replacement. Marty Turco and Jose Theodore are the likeliest remaining candidates that could immediately step in to a starter role with Chicago and probably do so at a cheaper price tag than Niemi. The Blackhawks could also choose to ride out Cristobal Huet, who earns $5.625 million in each of the next two seasons, and seek a minimum salary backup to complete the 1-2 punch.

Burying Huet's contract in the minors has long been an option, as well. And it would allow the Blackhawks to keep Niemi and possess about $2.5 million in cap space left over. But there has been no indication of the Blackhawks being ready to head down that road and Huet's spot on the roster is still intact to this point.

Arbitration News From Around The Crease: Plenty Of Players Avoid, Kennedy Gets Guaranteed Award & Niemi's Hearing Goes Ahead As Scheduled

 

~ Quite a few restricted free agents who filed for arbitration hearings elected to agree with their clubs prior to said hearings over the last few days.

• Anton Stralman, Defenseman - Columbus Blue Jackets: Stralman had a hearing scheduled for Wednesday, but managed to ink a one year deal worth $1.95 million prior to it. The 23-year old received a $1.285 million raise from his $665,000 salary last season and gets right back into the picture as a top four defenseman with the Blue Jackets. He will need to work on his defensive game as he continues to sport the blue line in Columbus. But his offensive contribution is there, with good puck movement and a solid shot from the point.
• Mark Fraser, Defenseman - New Jersey Devils: Left to watch this whole Ilya Kovalchuk/NHLPA vs. NHL situation play out from the sidelines, the Devils are able to handle some other business within the organization. Fraser had an arbitration hearing scheduled for Friday, and the team was able to get a deal worked out two days prior to it. The 23-year old physical defensive defenseman will be brought back for another season on a one year, $500,000 deal. That is consistent with what he made last year, though the fact that he will make just as much money if sent to the AHL as opposed to an $85,000 salary like last year provides great upside for Fraser. For the Devils, it's a cost effective move that provides depth on the blue line with a commodity they hope to grow in the system behind guys like Colin White and the newly-added Anton Volchenkov.
• Ben Eager, Left Wing - Atlanta Thrashers: The Atlanta Thrashers had a little bit of time to get something worked out before Ben Eager's hearing on Aug. 3. But why wait when you can sign a 26-year old proven agitator with decent offensive upside? The Thrashers locked up Eager for another season at $965,000, which is exactly what he made last year while winning a Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks. Packaged in that Dustin Byfuglien trade to Atlanta, Eager can become an unrestricted free agent next summer, making this a risky short-term signing if the Thrashers wish to retain him for the long haul. However, seeing how he works out next year on a largely re-structured Atlanta roster might not be the worst move, either.
• Andrew Ladd, Left Wing - Atlanta Thrashers: Another player dealt from the Chicago Blackhawks to Atlanta, Ladd was slated to have a hearing on Thursday. He got a one year deal worked out with the Thrashers prior to that hearing instead. He will earn $2.35 million in 2010-11, which would be a $700,000 raise from what he made last year with the Blackhawks. The 24-year old, two-time Stanley Cup Champion is a player the Thrashers definitely want to have and would probably be wise to work out some kind of extension with at some point during the season. He is a physical power foward with keen defensive instincts to go along with solid scoring ability. He may never play himself into a position as a consistent top six forward. But he has great all around ability that makes him more than just a role player. A price tag of $2.35 million is very fair for somebody that was integral to Chicago's Stanley Cup run.
• Peter Regin, Center/Left Wing - Ottawa Senators: Ahead of a hearing tomorrow, the Ottawa Senators inked 24-year old forward Peter Regin to a two-year, $2 million contract that will pay him $950,000 next season and $1.05 million in 2011-12. Regin had a solid campaign in 75 games with the big club last year, notching 13 goals and 16 assists for 29 points. Even more impressive was his three-goal, four-point performance in six playoff games against the Pittsburgh Penguins. It took the former-third round pick some time to move on over to the Senators' roster since being drafted in 2004. But now that he's there, he appears primed to become an important offensive contributor for a club consistently on the lookout for young guns that can improve its scoring.

~ Tim Kennedy did have one of the few arbitration hearings to actually take place. He went to "court" with the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday and the ruling came down 48 hours later. He was awarded a $1 million deal for next season. Since the award is under $1,611,180, the Sabres must accept this award and have absolutely no option with regard to walking away, according to TSN. Kennedy made $635,000 last year in Buffalo, putting up 10 goals and 16 assists for 26 points during his rookie campaign. A modest $365,000 raise was completely called for after that showing, and is a salary Buffalo should be more than willing to pay to see how much the 24-year old can continue to grow within their organization.

~ Antti Niemi's hearing went through as planned Thursday and that could be a good or bad thing for both parties involved depending on the arbitrator's decision. Niemi has long wanted starter money without affording Chicago a hometown discount based on his performance while playing net for the Blackhawks during their Stanley Cup run. He was, however, a rookie that showed plenty of flaws during that postseason to make General Manager Stan Bowman hesistant about inking him to such a long-term, big-money investment based on such a small sample of success. Niemi was reportedly seeking $4 million.

Although the arbitrator has until Saturday to render his award, Bruce Garrioch of The Ottawa Sun reported that Bowman called for a 7 p.m. conference call. This is a bit random and would seem to have something to do with this goaltending situation. According to NHL.com's Dan Rosen, Bowman doesn't really plan on making any news but instead provide an update with the call. Niemi's hearing could be a topic of discussion.

If the Blackhawks do choose to step away from Niemi, much cheaper options like Marty Turco and Jose Theodore remain available on the free agent market.

Maxime Talbot – Not a Fan Of Alexander Ovechkin

 

Obviously forgetting that it’s a ridiculously hot summer in the Northeast and that the 2011 Winter Classic at Heinz Field on New Year’s Day is still over five months away, the NHL held a press conference Tuesday afternoon to hype the overdone spectacle. While those media members this pandered to were likely delighted by the festivities, I would guess that a large portion of hockey fans aren't too worried about this affair at the moment because, well … IT’S JULY!

Anyhoo, even for all of the fluff quotes plundered out there by the likes of Gary Bettman and Mario Lemieux, we did learn a very important lesson as a result of this random media relations moment: Maxime Talbot is not the president of the Alexander Ovechkin fan club.

During the promotion of the game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals yesterday, Talbot was very vocal about his dislike for Washington’s Russian sniper in an interview with 105.9-FM, The X in Pittsburgh.

When asked by the hosts rather sarcastically whether he was upset that Ovechkin would not be in attendance at the press conference, Talbot very honestly replied, “I’m kind of happy he’s not there. I really didn’t want to see him. I just hate the guy.”

Talbot’s hatred is not a new thing, either.

“The first time I met him, he did not give the best impression to me,” Talbot said.

Talbot went on to tell the hosts that during last year’s NHL Awards Ceremony when the Penguins were defending Stanley Cup Champions, teammate Evgeni Malkin introduced him to his Russian comrade. Talbot left with the impression that Ovechkin was a female hygienic practice.

“I’m not really gonna say what happened. But I’m like, ‘Okay, this guy is a real douche.’”

I guess whatever helps fuel this kinda-sorta rivalry is always a good thing. But are we really surprised that a Penguins player isn't too fond of the arch-rival of Sidney Crosby? I mean, when his own countryman doesn't like him, it's hard to expect anybody else be a fan of No. 8.

Full audio of the interview with Talbot can be heard at http://www.1059thex.com/main.html.

Also, be sure to check out this post by Greg Wyshynski over at Puck Daddy, which shows the players in attendance at the press conference (Crosby, Dupuis and Talbot from the Pens; Knuble and Steckel from the Caps) attempting to make field goals by shooting the hockey puck from about 50 yards away through the uprights. Jeff Reed's job is safe.

Moulson, Fleischmann And Brule Avoid Arbitration

Salary arbitration can be an ugly process in where agents turn their clients into rockstars and general managers make them look like mere roadies. It’s where the truth really comes about between two parties that would much rather closet how they really feel. And sometimes, feelings get hurt.

So when a team can avoid going this route with any players, it’s a good thing. Such was the case earlier today when the New York Islanders, Washington Capitals and Edmonton Oilers managed to retain a young star each on new deals that didn’t require the assistance of an independent arbitrator to mediate through their squabbling.

Literally moments ahead of a 9 a.m. hearing in Toronto, the Islanders reached an agreement with left wing Matt Moulson on a one year deal at $2.45 million, according to Newsday. The 26-year old had a breakout campaign on Long Island last season in which he posted 30 goals – eight coming on the power play and five counting as game winners – and 48 points over the course of a full 82-game schedule. This was his first regular action in the NHL after spending three years in the Los Angeles Kings’ system and posting totals of six goals and 10 points in 29 games with the big club.

“I was excited. We figured that if something was going to get done it would be this morning,” Moulson told Katie Strang of Newsday. “I wanted to be back on the Island.”

Kings Move Past Kovalchuk And Frolov, Ink Ponikarovsky To One Year Deal

 

Exhausted by the process of losing out on Ilya Kovalchuk and having just watched Alexander Frolov move on to the New York Rangers, the Los Angeles Kings were in dire need of adding some offensive punch to their roster to render this offseason just short of a complete failure. With plenty of money to spend and the available talent really starting to dwindle, the Kings made a move to bring aboard a top six forward that can actually make the team better at a cheaper rate than Kovalchuk and with a little bit more conviction to his game than Frolov. TSN’s Darren Dreger broke the news Tuesday that Alexei Ponikarovsky was signed by LA to a one year contract at $3 million with a $200,000 signing bonus for a full cap hit of $3.2 million.

Ponikarovsky is coming off a rather subpar finish to last season, in which he was dealt by the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a trade deadline deal. After netting 19 goals and 41 points in 61 contests with the team that selected him in the fourth round of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, the 30-year old Ukrainian netted just two goals and seven assists in 16 games with the Penguins. In 11 postseason games, he added just a single goal and four assists.

But Ponikarovsky is looking to rebound and has plenty to prove in Los Angeles on a one year deal. He has a consistent annual goal output of about 20 per season and, unlike Kovalchuk and Frolov, has a physical element to his game that renders him willing to hit hard and play good two-way hockey. He definitely wasn’t anybody’s first choice when it came to acquiring an offensively productive winger. But he’s far from an utter disappointment.

The Kings still have plenty of cap space left over to concentrate on re-signing their own to contract extensions and possibly re-entering the Kovalchuk race if the grievance filed on his part by the NHLPA over the rejected 17-year deal with New Jersey goes awry. The Kings’ payroll currently sits at $49,363,333 with $12,876,666 remaining in cap flexibility, according to CapGeek.

Rangers Add Offensive Boost With Alexander Frolov

 

The New York Rangers entered this offseason with limited funds and far too many of its own players in need of new deals to worry about becoming major players on the free agent market. To date, the team’s biggest pickups have been backup goaltender Martin Biron and the newest overpaid enforcer Derek Boogaard.

Even with just about $4.4 million in cap space remaining and Marc Staal’s restricted free agency still looming over the organization, the Rangers had a hole to fill in the scoring department. On Tuesday, General Manager Glen Sather finalized an agreement that will inject some more offense into the team with Alexander Frolov being brought into the fold on a one year deal at $3 million.

The 28-year old Moscow native instantly steps in as the Rangers second biggest scoring threat behind only Marian Gaborik. Frolov, who has has twice netted over 30 goals in his seven-year tenure with the Los Angeles Kings, represents a big addition to the Rangers’ top two lines and power play units.

Frolov is, however, also a fairly inconsistent player that has seen his numbers, playing time and overall responsibility hit a decline over the past three seasons with the Kings. The 19 goals he posted last year marks the lowest output since his rookie campaign in 2002-03 when he had 14. His 51 points were the lowest since his sophomore season. And his five power play scores marked a sharp 58.5 percent decrease from his previous year’s total of 12.

Frolov was once one of the Kings’ most dynamic offensive threats. But over time, he became a lesser contributor that lost out on first line duties, played fewer power play minutes and received constant benchings from head coach Terry Murray.

In Frolov’s mind, that was simply a matter of the Kings mishandling him. His agent, Sergei Isakov, told Russian newspaper Sovietsky Sport that the Kings deliberately spoiled his season last year in order to pay him less this year.

More realistically, there is something to be said for a player that comes and goes as he pleases on the score sheet and wishes to take little accountability for that. Frolov in a streaky player that will test head coach John Tortorella’s patience. Tortorella is a big fan of consistency and accountability amongst his players. Frolov will need to do a complete 180 from his previous years in order to accommodate that and remain on Tortorella’s good side.

Whether he can do that remains to be seen. Frolov still possesses 30-goal and near 70-point potential with all the talent and skill to be at least afforded to opportunity to get there. Perhaps a change of scenery could do him some good.

This move is a low-risk one for the Rangers that is financially responsible. On a one year deal, the Rangers can easily part ways with him at the end of the season if they deem him a failure. At $3 million, he is a bit of an investment and takes a good chunk of money out of what could be used to re-sign Staal. But $3 million for a much needed offensive boost is not unreasonable and comes at discount from the $4 million he earned last season and the $5 million per year he was reportedly offered in a four-year deal from the KHL, according to Arthur Staple. This signing leaves the Rangers with approximately $1.44 million in remaining cap space.

If he can have a bounce back year in New York and play up to the standards he set for himself earlier on in his career, Frolov should have little problem earning a bigger, more long-term payday with the Rangers or some other NHL next summer. If he continues to regress, however, a move back over to Russia is probably in order. It's all on his shoulders now to prove the disappointment of last season really was on the Kings and not him.

Frontloaded Contracts Throughout The NHL

In light of Ilya Kovalchuk's recently rejected 17-year, $102 million contract with the New Jersey Devils, here are other deals throughout the National Hockey League that are of the same long-term, heavily frontloaded variety:

Chris Pronger, Defenseman - Philadelphia Flyers
Seven-Year Extension Worth $34.45 million (July 2009)
Annual Cap Hit of $4,921,429
Age at Conclusion of Contract - 42

• 2010-11: $7.6 million
• 2011-12: $7.6 million
• 2012-13: $7.2 million
• 2013-14: $7 million
• 2014-15: $4 million
• 2015-16: $525,000
• 2016-17: $525,000

Marian Hossa, Right Wing - Chicago Blackhawks
12-Year Contract Worth $63.3 million (July 2009)
Annual Cap Hit of $5.275 million
Age at Conclusion of Contract - 42

• 2009-10: $7.9 million
• 2010-11: $7.9 million
• 2011-12: $7.9 million
• 2012-13: $7.9 million
• 2013-14: $7.9 million
• 2014-15: $7.9 million
• 2015-16: $7.9 million
• 2016-17: $4 million
• 2017-18: $1 million
• 2018-19: $1 million
• 2019-20: $1 million
• 2020-21: $1 million

Roberto Luongo, Goaltender - Vancouver Canucks
12-Year Extension Worth $64 million (September 2009)
Annual Cap Hit of $5,333,333
Age at Conclusion of Contract - 43

• 2010-11: $10 million
• 2011-12: $6.716 million
• 2012-13: $6.714 million
• 2013-14: $6.714 million
• 2014-15: $6.714 million
• 2015-16: $6.714 million
• 2016-17: $6.714 million
• 2017-18: $6.714 million
• 2018-19: $3.382 million
• 2019-20: $1.618 million
• 2020-21: $1 million
• 2021-22: $1 million