With the official NHL trade deadline set for 3 PM ET on Wednesday April 3rd, rumors have been picking up over the last few days involving almost every club in the league.
According to the Daily Herald, the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Islanders may be discussing a deal involving forward Frans Nielsen and possibly Mark Streit. Defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky was reportedly being discussed before New York signed him to a new two year deal worth $9.5 million this week.
If we’re being honest, the Phoenix Coyotes probably aren’t long for Phoenix, which bums me out as someone who recently relocated from there myself. It’s a great spot.
But, they’ve been in limbo long enough, the city of Glendale is sick of dealing with them, and things simply need to get cleaned up one way or the other. We don’t know all the details – hell, we don’t know many details right now – all we know is that tonight, Darren Dreger took to Twitter:
NHL continues to fight to keep Yotes in Glendale, however, relocation decision could take player before the playoffs. #TSN
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) March 28, 2013
Typo….decision could take place before the playoffs.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) March 28, 2013
Quebec City, Seattle and Kansas City among relocation sites. Aside from conference issues, Que City appears best fit. Far from done deal…
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) March 28, 2013
NHL will continue to meet prospective buyers, but it’s clear time is running out and relocation must be considered.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) March 28, 2013
With all due respect to Dreger, part of the reason he breaks news is because it’s given to him in exchange for, oh, maybe occasionally leaking things to the public the league would like leaked. This feels like one of those things. Get us used to the idea, and whatnot.
More on this as news comes out. Read the rest of this entry »
Yesterday brought word of the first player under NHL contract saying “nah, I’m good, I’m gonna stay overseas” when Islanders’ defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky released the following statement through his agent Neil Sheehy, as first reported by Arthur Staple:
“I have decided to stay and continue my career in the KHL for the remainder of the 2012-13 season. I am thankful to the Isles for being so good to me. My decision not to play in the NHL is due to family and personal reasons.
“I have made no decisions on next season. My focus now is on Slovan Bratislava, and enjoying my family in my home country.”
I assume the “personal reasons” consist of “I personally don’t want to play for the Isles,” but whatever. He’s passing up a few million dollars to avoid it, so he must really not want to come back.
And today…hold your breath Devils fans: there are rumblings Ilya Kovalchuk might want to do the same thing.
I’ve heard Kovalchuk rumors (staying in RUS?) but not able to confirm. NJD told me they “haven’t heard (Kovy) isn’t coming back.”
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) January 8, 2013
So gist of all that is Kovalchuk stuff is just rumors right now. May very well turn up in NJ but many hearing he might not.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) January 8, 2013
The Twitters are all abuzz this afternoon, as rumours out of the NHL/NHLPA CBA meeting seem to be relatively positive. The word on the street? The latest offer from the PA has them just $182 million apart over five years from the NHL. Here’s the reaction so far:
a good headline would be Blink $182m
— Jeff Israel (@jeffisrael25) November 21, 2012
Damn. Too late.
Fehr: Our proposal has a difference of $182-million in players share over 5yrs. ‘We’ve moved far past halfway’ — Michael Grange (@michaelgrange) November 21, 2012
Something that seems to have gotten lost in the shuffle in the last week, what with the cancelation of the Winter Classic and the renewed and possibly-positive negotiations for the new CBA, is the fact that Edmonton Oilers radio guy Bob Stauffer was conducting an interview with Kevin Lowe last Thursday and the team president dropped what would have, in any normal week, been a Hiroshima-quality bombshell.
Obviously people have been speculating for some time now that the Oilers would do well to move someone from their glut of ultra-promising and very good young forward prospects for someone who knew how to play defense a little better than Theo Peckham, and who could play with slightly more reliable healthiness than Ryan Whitney. Now, before you go writing your Nail Yakupov- and Jordan Eberle-related trade proposals on HFBoards, let’s first acknowledge that no such thing would ever happen in a million years. Nonetheless, Lowe had this to say:
You’re going into a game with lots of trump cards. That’s the only way you can make deals is if you have assets that are attractive to other teams. When you have assets then you can make deals.
So, absolutely, we’re at some point, whenever that is, we’re probably not too far down the road, we’re going to have to make some tough choices and maybe move some players, or a player, draft picks, to get a piece or two that finishes off the formation of what you feel is a championship team. Read the rest of this entry »
"Little do they know I'm ducking out early to take the Duff Brewery tour."
It’s been a long seven months for Leaf fans. Last season came to the same end that so many seasons before it had and we were forced to spend our days dreaming of next season while reading the LA Kings’ Twitter account and wishing it was ours (or jumping on the Jays’ bandwagon. Which went super great). As usual, the only respite we had from our misery was desperately searching for rumors for anything resembling hope. Thankfully, Twitter exists so this hunt has become easier than ever. Every time a rumor came down the pipeline (the pipeline is my name for Bob McKenzie’s mouth) I frantically began searching the Internet to see what it’s Eklund rating was. I demand at least four Es for my rumors! Eklund, you are my spirit guide.
Nail Yakupov is currently the favourite to go #1 in the NHL Draft tonight, but you never really know until it happens. After all, the Oilers do need a defenseman.
Ryan Murray is undeniably going in the first five picks as the top-rated D prospect, so…would the Oilers bypass the draft’s best player for its best defenseman?
Here’s a tweet from Ryan Murray’s brother Nathan this morning.
not that i know for absolute sure but its looking pretty good that we could be making some alberta trips in the near future. #JustSayin
— Nathan Murray (@Murzzy18) June 22, 2012
Innnnteresting. Very, very interesting.
(s/t to @mc79hockey and @mc91)
Jo Innes, Ryan Lambert, Daniel Wagner, Cam Charron, Ellen Etchingham, Jake Goldsbie, Darren Kritzer
