NHL Offseason 2012

[Jeff]

What an overnight...  if I was Pekka Rinne or any Nashville fan, I'd be seriously worried right now.  First we stole your Suter, now Philly is trying to steal your Weber.  Makes me hope Jamie isn't out there somewhere, curled up in the fetal position clutching his Smashville "we're #1" foam finger and crying.   

If Nashville won't (or can't) match the offer sheet (they would be on the hook for $27 mil before they could trade Weber a year from now  ), things in the Atlantic just got crazy.  You almost have to imagine that someone (JJ's Penguins?) will take a chance on Semin now.  And the NYR will probably over-react and go out and trade for Nash or Ryan.  No idea what NJ can really afford to do, but with Parise gone they may try something too.

Should be an interesting weekend of rumors as everyone tries to guess what'll happen next... 

[Jesse James]

I think the Pens would be more interested in Nash than Semin, but they're also interested in Shane Doan (lots of rumors on him) because he has a lot of what they lacked last year.  Semin's poison in the locker room I hear, he's openly bashed Penguin players in the media (not that we care...  what's he accomplished again?).

I brought it up locally on the one sports show...  Bad reactions were what I got.  I think it's maybe where he's at that made him that way, but then again do you take a chance on that?  I see Semin as a Ranger...  Sounds about right.

Pens have so much depth in their camp I don't think they're paniced...  They're already talking maybe Despres with Letange and just waiting things out to trade deadline.  Crosby didn't even play half a season last year, and still was a dominant player when he came back, so I'm thinking they may just wait it out than sacrifice the future for a guy you can't pin anything on.  That's why I think Doan's a lot more likely to wind up here since you're not likely to give up a ton for him, but you're also not taking a risk by getting him either because you know what kind of guy he is.  Semin has to go somewhere else to prove he can be a better guy, and Nash you're gonna give to get.

[jjks]

I hate hockey right now.

[TheSon]

I hate hockey right now.

At least you have another reason to hate the Flyers. I remember being upset when they did this with Chris Gratton in the 90's, but that does not hold a candle to what you are going through....Damn Flyers.

[Morgbug]

Wow Jeff, your tickets are pretty similar to mine.  We're 15th row, but dead center behind the net.  $8500 for the pair for a season 

No Jets game for you though, sorry.     Unless you come up here for the early January game (or I guess you get the preseason game, assuming it happens). 

The Preds have been pretty much, um, er, assaulted, this off season.  That's just really scary.  I understand losing your UFAs but the Weber thing is downright nasty.  I'm somewhat worried someone will do the same with Evander Kane up here, though he is an RFA at least.  Discussions sound hopeful (6 years 29 million) for him with most of the talk centering around length of term.  Then we'll have to lock up Wheeler, Bogosian and Little next year.  Enstrom will be an RFA as well so they'll either tie him up early or likely end up as trade bait and the deadline. 

Was really surprised to see some info on Byfuglien today too.  He only got two days of community service for reckless boating.  Through the whole thing I wasn't aware that he had only blown 0.03 on the preliminary breathalyzer.  Most of our media had him slated for "drunk boating".  Gotta love the accuracy of the media.  Not that drunken boating didn't endear him to the fans here. 

[Morgbug]

  And the NYR will probably over-react and go out and trade for Nash or Ryan. 

Oh mighty Vizier, though art wise. 

Though it didn't seem too bad a trade really.  I think Columbus could have got more, but it seemed they just wanted it over with. 

[Jeff]

So Jamie gets to keep his Weber afterall.  It will be interesting to see if he gets that "no trade" clause or not...

And Semin ends up in Carolina on a one year deal.  Good news for Doan I guess since the desperate will be even more desperate now...

[Jesse James]

I'm hoping the Pens land Doan since the douchebags Wild took Parise...  Semin I brought up to some of the local talking heads and it was pretty widely accepted that a guy who publicly **** all over Crosby and who puts out zero effort (so far) wasn't an ideal choice for here...  I thought, maybe it was his environment and not him.  The "experts" seemed to disagree with my suggestion, and I wasn't really with it.  Again though I don't think the Pens will pay heavy for Doan, given his age and slowdown, and if he goes for a lot they'd probably prefer waiting things out and seeing how the season goes, and then make a move at the deadline when they could be sitting pretty.  I'm ok with that.  The team's not exactly shoddy as it is.

[McMetal]

I'm hoping the Pens land Doan since the douchebags Wild took Parise...  Semin I brought up to some of the local talking heads and it was pretty widely accepted that a guy who publicly **** all over Crosby and who puts out zero effort (so far) wasn't an ideal choice for here...  I thought, maybe it was his environment and not him.  The "experts" seemed to disagree with my suggestion, and I wasn't really with it.  Again though I don't think the Pens will pay heavy for Doan, given his age and slowdown, and if he goes for a lot they'd probably prefer waiting things out and seeing how the season goes, and then make a move at the deadline when they could be sitting pretty.  I'm ok with that.  The team's not exactly shoddy as it is.

Yeah, you dodged a bullet with Semin. Let Carolina deal with that headcase. Addition by subtraction for the Caps.

[Jesse James]

Yeah they weren't letting him float away for no reason...  Dude has talent but he's like the Terrel Owens of hockey sometimes it seems.

[Morgbug]

Sneaky play today by the Jets in locking up Enstrom for five more years (six total given his current contract doesn't expire until after this season).  Given what some of the defensemen got this year as UFAs I'd say we managed to get a hell of a bargain on Enstrom to keep him in Winnipeg.  $28.75 million per year over five years. 

[Paul]

And Dallas goes out of their way to sign Jaromir Jagr?  If we are trying to build a 90's Dream Team, bring back Modano and Ed Belfour...I'll go to a few games just to see those guys skate..

While Dallas has a New owner (finally some stability), i think he is playing "Fantasy" owner.  The new job affords me the opportunity to go to at least half the home games, I need them to be good so I can enjoy it.

[John C]

I'm going to try and get a job with the Wild in the TV production booth.  Wish me luck :)Getting paid to watch hockey=awesome if I can do it.

[JesseVader08]

So Bettman is making it clear that he'll lock out the players on Sept 15 if a new CBA isn't reached.  Sigh.  Can't we just watch some hockey?

[Morgbug]

I cannot believe I'm saying this, but I actually think Bettman did the right thing to help negotiations progress.  Fehr was taking his sweet time with presenting a counter proposal and frankly that's counter productive.  To get to a deal, progress needs to happen. 

Of course the players would continue with an extension - this would favor them relative to what will likely happen in the new CBA.  But in the absence of a formal extension, I don't believe for a second the players would have played through the full season.  They'd have waited until they had some real leverage, say a month or so before the playoffs, and then gone on strike much as baseball did years ago.  That would hurt the owners.  As it stands though the owners have all the leverage - no start to the season, no salaries paid out. 

It sucks and I really, really want the season to go ahead.  I think the players need to protect themselves but I think they should legitimately give a good look to how the NBA and NFL players deals worked out - i.e. not in the players favor.  If they think they're more important to fans than the NBA and NFL are then they are completely delusional.  Canada quite simply is not a big enough market and that's where people really care about the NHL.  Due respect to the mad hockey fans dispersed throughout the States but there just aren't enough of you.  Doesn't pro bowling rank higher than hockey with ESPN?  'Nuff said.