NHL Offseason: All 10 weeks of it

[notyoueither]

Leopold and picks (2nd this year and a future year) to Colorado for Tanguay.

[OzzyKP]

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/news/nation/14895312.htm

Carolina Residents Confused, Terrified As Victorious Hurricane Players Riot In Streets

RALEIGH, NC—Only hours after the Carolina Hurricanes won the NHL Championship Monday night in a hard-fought Game 7 against the Edmonton Oilers, North Carolina Gov. Michael Easley mobilized the National Guard to contain over two dozen members of what he described as "some sort of depraved, violent, heretofore unheard-of gang calling themselves the Hurricanes."
Enlarge ImageCarolina Hurricanes

Hurricanes defenseman Bret Hedican celebrates his team's victory in the quiet, empty streets of Raleigh, causing shocked residents to wonder what is going on.

"These strange men came out of nowhere with absolutely no warning," Easley said of the Stanley Cup-winning Hurricanes, who emptied garbage cans, overturned vehicles and set them aflame, looted local businesses, and frightened hundreds of citizens out of their sleep. "Nobody had ever heard of them before. No one knows what they want. And nobody knows why they were acting so crazy."

Police chief Jane Perlov is reporting that the NHL club, which was known as the Hartford Whalers until moving to North Carolina in 1997 and has struggled to attract much local attention, "somehow gained access to Raleigh's RBC Center earlier Monday, engaged in some sort of ritualistic violence involving sticks and nets, and then proceeded to drink heavily before heading to their cars."

"Following their leader—a man Canadian officials have identified as one Rod Brind'Amour—a group of between 26 and 30 heavily bearded Caucasians drove onto the Raleigh Chapel Hill Expressway at speeds exceeding 120 mph, causing several traffic accidents and overturning one 16-wheeler, which eventually exploded," Perlov said. "The members of the gang we're calling 'The Hurricanes' then exited their vehicles and descended on Hillsborough Street, where they entered the storied Velvet Cloak Inn, woke up guests by throwing alarm clocks, chairs, and mattresses out the windows, and then promptly burned them."

The Hurricanes then proceeded to loot cherished Raleigh establishments such as Brother's Pizza, Snoopy's Hot Dogs, and the Waffle House, leaving many business owners, who had never seen or heard of the players before, confused and frightened.

"We couldn't believe what was happening," said Sam Weber, owner of Playmakers, a Raleigh sports bar. "I still don't understand it. We had a decent crowd here to watch the 1982 North Carolina vs. Georgetown NCAA Championship game on ESPN Classic when out of nowhere a lamppost comes crashing through the front window. Then these huge pasty white guys, all wearing, like, matching sweaters, run in screaming like madmen and holding this giant planter over their heads, which they demanded I fill with beer. They invited all my customers to join them, but we were too shocked, terrified and disoriented to even move, so the gang got angry and stole four of my big-screen televisions."

"They weren't from around here, I'll tell you that much," Weber added. "When the police arrived, no one could remember having seen a single one of them before."

From there, the Hurricanes traveled to Raleigh's historic Pullen Park, where they took turns riding the cherished Pullen Park Carousel with the Stanley Cup. When no townspeople joined them on the carousel, the players began to grow morose, and demonstrated their displeasure by removing the horses from their mountings and carrying them back to their cars.

"I had never seen a scarier group of people," said Raleigh resident Max Sherwood, who was enjoying a quiet, calm Raleigh evening in the park with his mother. "They all had scraggily looking beards and they reeked of sweat and alcohol. They were screaming things like 'We ****ing did it!' and 'Stanley!' When I politely asked them who Stanley was and not to cuss in front of my mother, well, that's when they came after us."

Sherwood suffered a mild concussion as well as facial lacerations after being forced to drink warm champagne out of "some type of weird birdbath."

In an attempt to assuage the confusion and fears of many Raleigh citizens, the Carolina Hurricanes public-relations team, in partnership with the National Hockey League, has issued a statement saying that the "gang" had in fact been playing "hockey," and that North Carolina did, in fact, have a hockey team. The team has also set up a crisis center offering free first aid to anybody who was injured during the riots and free counseling for anyone who wants to learn about the sport of hockey, its rules, its history, and possibly buy discount season tickets for next year.

However, most locals have yet to come to grips with the events of this past week.

"This is a sad, shameful day, not only for Raleigh but for the state of North Carolina," Mayor Charles Meeker said Wednesday. "I still do not understand exactly what caused these 'Hurricanes' to hold their strange celebration in our streets. But I think I speak for all of North Carolina when I say I hope that they never repeat whatever it is again."

[Asher]

Originally posted by notyoueither
Leopold and picks (2nd this year and a future year) to Colorado for Tanguay.

Tanguay and Iginla on a line together.

Get us a playmaking center for that line, pair that up with Kipper and the best D-corps in the league.

[Asher]

I'm a bit surprised that Sutter drafted a goalie in the first round...

Though it is a long-term strategy, I 'spose.

Calgary Flames - Leland Irving, G
- Set Everett records for wins, saves, GP and GAA in a season. Led CHL goalies with 3, 791 minutes played. Bob McKenzie's take: "Team's had this kid ranked as the No. 1 netminder at the draft. He already has an invite to the 2007 WJHC development camp."

[Asher]

And Edmonton's draft. WOW!

Good thing they gave up those draft picks.

[Asher]

Originally posted by notyoueither
Leopold and picks (2nd this year and a future year) to Colorado for Tanguay.

That's what TSN says, but NHL.com and the Canadian Press are saying something different:

Colorado Avalanche trade star forward Alex Tanguay to Calgary Flames

VANCOUVER (CP) - The Colorado Avalanche have traded Alex Tanguay to the Calgary Flames in exchange for defenceman Jordan Leopold and a second-round pick in Saturday's NHL draft.

The Flames also get a conditional second-round pick in either the 2007 or 2008 entry draft.

Tanguay, 26, is a restricted free agent and his qualifying offer will have to be $3.23 million US.

The six-foot, 190-pound left-winger from Ste.-Justine, Que., was second on the Avs in points with 29 goals and 49 assists in 71 games during the 2005-06 regular season.

Colorado took him 12th overall in the 1998 draft and played in the 2004 NHL all-star game.

Leopold, a 25-year-old blue-liner, had two goals and 18 assists and had a plus-minus of plus-6 in 74 games for the Flames. He averaged 22 minutes per game.

He also played for the U.S. at the Olympics in February and had a goal in six games.

Leopold was a second-round pick of Anaheim in 1999 and was dealt to Calgary at the 2001 NHL draft.

That must be a mistake?

If that's true, that's essentially a Leopold->Tanguay trade...which would be hilarious.

Edit: It is a mistake:

VANCOUVER — The NHL Entry Draft was just one pick old when the Calgary Flames made a big splash on the trade front by acquiring sniper Alex Tanguay from the Colorado Avalanche.

General manager and coach Darryl Sutter announced the acquisition of Tanguay in exchange for defenceman Jordan Leopold, a second round choice, 59th overall, in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft and a conditional, second round draft choice in 2007 or 2008...

And Tanguay, contacted by calgaryflames.com at his home in Quebec following the trade, said he has more to show.

"I don't necessarily think I have shown all my potential," said Tanguay. "I think I have a lot more ability than I have shown. I believe that you come into your prime between 26 and 32 as a hockey player and I am now 26. Personally I don't think I have played up to my potential yet. Hopefully I can come into Calgary and help my teammates."

In 450 career NHL games Tanguay has posted 400 points (137 goals, 263 assists) and 219 penalty minutes.

The Avalanche selected Tanguay in the first round, 12th overall, in the 1998 Entry Draft.

Tanguay is listed as a left winger but can play both wings and is a playmaker. He recorded 54 assists in 2003-04 and has scored 25 or more goals in four of the last five seasons.

And he is more than pumped about coming to Calgary.

"This is an A List team. I am thrilled to be going to a team that won our division last season," said Tanguay. "I am not going to a rebuilding team. This is a team that can win the Stanley Cup right now."

Tanguay was a Stanley Cup champion in Colorado in 2001.

He was also excited about the chance to play with Flames captain Jarome Iginla and goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff.

"Jarome, in the playoffs, is one of the best players there is and Miikka is a great goalie," said Tanguay. "Hopefully I can bring my best game to Calgary."

Leopold was a mainstay on the Flames blueline for the past two seasons, recording nine goals and 24 assists in 2003-04 and then adding 10 assists in the run to the Stanley Cup in the spring of 2004. His production slipped somewhat last season as he recorded two goals and 18 assists in 74 games.

He was partnered with Robyn Regehr much of the past two seasons and the pair logged plenty of ice time.

So the old trade cliche applies here: You have to give something good away to get something good in return. The Flames wanted to beef up their offence and the acquisition of a player of Tanguay's calibre can certainly achive that.

Tanguay is a restricted free agent so the Flames will have to sign him to a new contract. He made about $3.2 million US last season in Colorado.

"When they announced I had been traded I was a bit surprised but I am happy. With the reality of them (Colorado) hving so many high-priced players I thought something might happen," said Tanguay.

[notyoueither]

A silver lining?

TSN had reported that the Oilers pick at #80 would go to Atlanta conditional on the Oilers resigning Peca. I'm not sure how that works, but Atlanta picked in the #80 spot.

[Asher]

Calgary draft picks (updated in progress): http://www.forecaster.ca/demos/hocke...Cgy&DraftID=13
Edmonton draft picks (updated in progress):

http://www.forecaster.ca/demos/hockey/draft-team.cgi?Edm&DraftID=13

Sutter picked up a goalie and three centers so far. Wonder which position he thinks we're hurting in.

[Asher]

http://www.forecaster.ca/demos/hockey/tradelog-viewtrade.cgi?2006-07&x_id=587

What does it give the Calgary Flames?
Offense. Something the Flames were desperately lacking. Alex Tanguay is one of the premier offensive left wingers in the game, and will instantly inject 25-plus goals into the lineup and give Jarome Iginla a legitimate setup man for a linemate. Whoever becomes their centerman will certainly hit the jackpot.

Bring on the next season! Can't wait!

[notyoueither]

Toronto grabbed Raycroft from Boston for prospect Rask. Strange?

Demitra to the Wild for O'Sullivan and the 17th pick (acquired from the Oilers). This has some wow in it. Minn just got quite a bit better.

[Asher]

I think Toronto got hosed on that trade.

Rask was hugely promising and Raycroft is not really consistent...

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Asher
Pronger is overrated, and any GM worth his salt will probably recognize that. If it was him alone that could bring an 8th seed to game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, you'd think he'd have done that a lot in St. Louis when he was paired with better defencemen.

You're kidding yourself if you think you'll get a first line winger and a top four D for him. He's old and overrated. Maybe an old first line winger and an old top four D for him...

Hell, if I were a GM I would value a player like Dion Phaneuf way more than a player like Pronger, if only for the value proposition.

Rumour is Toronto offered Kaberle and Stajan. Lowe wants Steen.

What exactly do you know about hockey other than Flames=good, everyone else=bad?

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Asher
I think Toronto got hosed on that trade.

Rask was hugely promising and Raycroft is not really consistent...

Yes, and Phaneuf is worth more than Pronger.



In all seriousness, TO still has Poggggge, so...

[Asher]

Originally posted by notyoueither
Yes, and Phaneuf is worth more than Pronger.



In all seriousness, TO still has Poggggge, so...

Depends on your perspective. I don't look at this year-by-year, I look at building a core team.

A guy like Pronger, who performed very well in the playoffs, is not worth the $6.5M he gets a year, nor is he worth a long-term contract as he's getting up there in years.

As a GM, I would value a player like trading for Phaneuf more than I would trading for Pronger. If I needed a rental for a cup run, Pronger would be up there perhaps...but he's not someone I'd want to build a team around.

I look at thing from long-term perspectives. I'd value a player like Ovechkin or Crosby more than Sakic, as well. Once hockey players are over 32, they're going downhill and are more prone to injury, they're not likely to improve, and they're frankly starting to slow down. Pronger and McCabe are both very highly-regarded defencemen around the NHL, but frankly I wouldn't want either of them on my team. Give me young, fast talent.

IMO, too many GMs spend way too much time and money on old guys who are known to be good instead of investing the time into young guys who can be great.

Example? Carolina-Toronto. Carolina offloaded Jeff O'Neil, they then went out and signed Whitney, Recchi, and someone else... Cullen maybe? with the same salary money.

[Asher]

And I believe Sutter takes the same mindset as GM. He simply doesn't trade for older players, because their time is running out...

Tanguay, for instance, is a fantastic trade.