NHL Offseason: All 10 weeks of it

[Ninot]

Lowe also said no to Florida, according to TSN.

Shoulda traded Pronger before his trouble with the women. We shipped Theo off, and then he got in Paris .






Btw, for my offseason hockey fix, I'm reading Back to you Dick, a double biography on Dick Irvin Sr. and Jr., written by the Jr. Tremendous reading, full of amazing hockey stories. You can pick it up tremendously cheap off Amazon, I highly recommend it.

[Sava]

Originally posted by Asher


The ideal is age 25-30 for defensemen. After that, they tend (not always -- some continue to be monsters) to decline as their body ages.

The average age of Norris trophy winners since 1990 is 31.

Once again, Asher doesn't know WTF he is talking about.

Defenceman rely on experience, which is why guys like Chelios, MacInnis, Lidstrom, and Larry Murphy were able to play past their mid-30's. Granted, those are big name guys, but those are only the ones who have extended their careers to the extreme and continued to be key contributers on the blue line, well past their prime. As NYE has pointed out, there are lots of other lesser known D-men across the league who log lots of ice time for their clubs. Why? Because the young guys don't have the experience. That's why coaches like the older guys... the veterans.

A guy like Dion Phaneuf is the exception, not the rule.

[Ninot]

Yeah, Asher is off base on most of his "expert" knowledge.

Correcting all of it would take quite a while though. Besides, it's not like he'll learn.

[Sava]

True.

A willingness to accept criticism, a realization that you don't know everything, and essentially, knowing when you are wrong... all this is part of being an intelligent person.

Sadly, some people just don't have these qualities.

The funniest part is when people continue to believe they are right, even after they have been proven wrong.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Asher

With little icetime. When he was playing this season, he was still recovering from injury and wasn't playing very well. He's getting paid the 2nd most on the team (second only to Iginla) and is in the 2nd or 3rd defensive pairing on the team...that's how well he was playing.

huh?? Odd . .. . Hamrlik was paired with Phaneuf pretty much all season from what I saw.


There is value in an established vet to help the younger players

[cinch]

Originally posted by Ninot
Don't forget Nabokov!

I wouldn't want Cloutier on my farm team.

Oh, yeah. I was thinking only of UFAs.

I guess we should toss Giguere on to the pile, as well.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Sava
The average age of Norris trophy winners since 1990 is 31.

...

A guy like Dion Phaneuf is the exception, not the rule.

Norris trophy winners are the exception, not the rule.

Once again, Asher doesn't know WTF he is talking about.

Defenceman rely on experience, which is why guys like Chelios, MacInnis, Lidstrom, and Larry Murphy were able to play past their mid-30's. Granted, those are big name guys, but those are only the ones who have extended their careers to the extreme and continued to be key contributers on the blue line, well past their prime. As NYE has pointed out, there are lots of other lesser known D-men across the league who log lots of ice time for their clubs. Why? Because the young guys don't have the experience. That's why coaches like the older guys... the veterans.

I understand that, and if you and Ninot would care to read closer I've acknowledged that defencemen rely more on experience than other players. I've also said that is a generalization as well, which is easily offset by competent defensive coaching (most coaches in the league concentrate on offense) and a system that allows them to play on their strengths. That's why a club like Calgary is dominated by young defencemen, and a club like Calgary is considered to be one of the best defensive teams.

I will repeat this because it seems to get lost in this thread: yes, defencemen rely on experience...but they also rely on physical conditioning. Chelios is certainly extremely experienced, but he's terrible these days because of that physical ability.

You guys are all stuck on the old paradigm that to be a great defensemen you have to be old. Look at Eric Johnson (the StL draft pick), Brent Seabrook, Dion Phaneuf, Andrej Meszaros, etc.

This is all a moot point anyway. When talking about value to the club, you need to consider the long-term value (not just the monetary figure that some of you are obsessed about). A young, up-and-coming defenseman is largley considered to be more valuable to a club than 35-year old veteran defenceman in the sense that the young guy will be around for much longer. Of course, the veteran is also valuable, but he's not going to be around nearly as long as the younger guy.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Flubber
huh?? Odd . .. . Hamrlik was paired with Phaneuf pretty much all season from what I saw.

There is value in an established vet to help the younger players

Yes, of course there is. Phaneuf was paired with Hamrlik or Marchment most of the season for that reason.

But near the end of the season, Hamrlik's TOI dropped substantially as he was recently injured/soon to be injured again.

[Asher]

Example from TSN.ca's "numbers game" on the Tanguay trade:

http://www.tsn.ca/fantasy_news/news_story/?ID=169788&hubname=fantasy_news

By shedding Tanguay's salary, and expected future salary, the Avalanche will be creating more room for other summer maneuvering (Leopold will earn $1.15-million in 2006-2007), but with the expectation that some of that money will be going to re-sign veteran blueliner Rob Blake, it has to be the rarest of instances in which a 36 year-old top defenceman was deemed to be more valuable to a franchise than a 26 year-old first-line winger. Maybe it is more difficult for the Avalanche to replace Blake but, in a summer with many free agent defencemen available, that's debatable.

[Asher]

Finally some good news for Edmonton -- MacTavish might be on his way out.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/article.jsp?content=20060627_101233_6380

MacTavish leaving Edmonton?
June 27, 2006
Sportsnet.ca

Is Craig MacTavish about to go the way of Chris Pronger and leave the Edmonton Oilers?

According to the Edmonton Journal, the Oilers had an option on MacTavish for one more year but chose not to exercise it. This leaves MacTavish, who just led his team to within one win of a Stanley Cup championship, without a contract and essentially a free agent.

The decision on whether to extend MacTavish's contract had to be made before the playoffs began.

What makes this scenario so strange is that between the end of the regular season and the end of the playoffs the Oilers did pick up the options on assistant coaches Charlie Huddy, Bill Moores and Craig Simpson.

With Edmonton's dramatic playoff run still fresh in everybody's mind, MacTavish will undoubtedly be fielding a lot of offers by other teams in the next few days. But Oilers management expects him to stay with the club.

"I'm 100 per cent confident we will get it wrapped up within the next week," said Oilers president and chief executive officer Patrick LaForge. "I don't think anybody should read anything into it."

LaForge hinted that MacTavish might have come out ahead by the Oilers' failure to extend his contract, given that the team just made it into the playoffs as a No. 8 seed and then went all the way to the Stanley Cup final.

[notyoueither]

I think MacT is staying with the Oilers, and I don't think very many people are going to be unhappy about it.

[Asher]

From ESPN, a very sensible list:

Here's a look at 25 of the top free agents available on July 1:

Zdeno Chara: He's the biggest, in almost every sense of the word, free-agent defenseman on the market. The Senators will try to keep both Chara and Wade Redden, but if they have to choose one, Chara will be looking for a new, expensive home.


Will Ottawa be able to keep Wade Redden (left)? Only if he believes the team will make a serious attempt to make its roster more Cup-worthy.

Ed Jovanovski: Rumors are rampant the Florida Panthers will try and reacquire the big, mobile defenseman. And the newly acquired Todd Bertuzzi, who played with Jovo in Vancouver, will likely give him the hard sell. The Canucks won't let him go without a fight, but chances are he's played his last game in GM Place on the home side.

Wade Redden: A prototypical defenseman for the "new" NHL, Redden will be a top priority for Ottawa GM John Muckler. Redden has insinuated he will walk if he thinks the Sens aren't Cup-worthy, though.

Bryan McCabe: Someone will overpay for the physical blue-liner with the big shot who disappeared in the second half of the season. If not the Maple Leafs, who've tendered a big offer, then someone else, such as the New York Islanders.

Marc Savard: In terms of production, Savard is the biggest point-producer on the open market this summer, coming off a career-best 97 points, good for ninth in NHL scoring. But he is a defensive liability and takes a boatload of bad penalties. He is also rumored to be looking for Olli Jokinen money, which is about $5 million annually. That's too much for most sensible GMs.

Patrik Elias: A true blue-chip, free-agent forward, the longtime New Jersey Devil will be as heavily courted as any forward in the marketplace. The Devils are desperate to retain his services, but there will be a push from the Czech-heavy Rangers, as well. There's also the persistent rumor he would like to play with close friend Martin Havlat, now in Ottawa.

Doug Weight: The classy veteran, who earned his first Stanley Cup ring in Carolina, is likely headed back to St. Louis.

Dwayne Roloson: He's arguably the highest-profile free-agent netminder in a market, where as many as eight teams may be looking for a starting goalie. Roloson will want both long-term and dollars. The kicker is he's going to be 37 next season.

Jay McKee: McKee's profile and his stock jumped dramatically during the Sabres' run to the seventh game of the Eastern Conference finals. As a result, he'll likely be too expensive for the Sabres, but look for the Rangers and possibly the Leafs to be interested.

Jaroslav Spacek: Unheralded until his strong postseason in Edmonton, where he was among the league leaders in ice time and chipped in 14 playoff points (second among all defensemen), Spacek's playoff experience will move him up the depth chart for many GMs.

Sergei Samsonov: In the past, the prospect of landing the skilled Samsonov has always made opposing GMs drool. And with the emphasis on skill in the "new" NHL, the diminutive Russian will garner a lot of attention. Still, a tepid performance in the finals against Carolina might see his stock drop at least a little.

Michael Peca: Peca endured a miserable regular season in Edmonton, but redeemed himself with a sensational playoff run. Peca is likely to be too expensive for the Oilers and will almost certainly be headed elsewhere. Maybe back to Long Island, where new GM Neil Smith and coach Ted Nolan will be looking for leadership.

Mark Recchi: Carolina is unlikely to exercise its club option, making Recchi a free agent. He will likely return to Pittsburgh to play out the string on a long and admirable career.

Matt Cullen: Cullen, who turned in a wonderful performance in Game 7 of the finals and was terrific all season, will be an attractive second-line center because of his speed, skill and character. Carolina GM Jim Rutherford will try to keep him in the fold and it will be a surprise if he moves, given what seems to be a natural fit for both player and team.

Patrik Elias
Andy Mead/WireImage.com
Many teams, including the Rangers, will likely make a run at the Devils' Patrik Elias.

Brendan Witt: The hard-hitting Witt will be attractive to a lot of teams looking to add character along the blue line, but Nashville GM David Poile will be under pressure to sign him after giving up a first-round pick to get him from Washington at the trade deadline.

Brendan Shanahan: There are conflicting reports out of Detroit, where the Red Wings have to make changes after a third straight disappointing playoff performance. Can Detroit afford Shanahan and Nicklas Lidstrom and get a top-notch starting goaltender? Can they afford to have graybeards Chris Chelios, Steve Yzerman and Shanahan in the lineup? If the answer is no, look for Shanahan to land with a Cup contender looking for a veteran presence.

Alyn McCauley: He's one of the great character guys in the game and a solid two-way player. After a terrific campaign in 2003-04, McCauley's productivity dropped and he played hurt during the playoffs.

Nicklas Lidstrom: If Lidstrom will agree to take something less than the maximum salary, he'll remain a Red Wing. Hard to imagine GM Ken Holland won't make it happen.

Rob Blake: One of the most productive, valuable defensemen of his generation, Blake will almost certainly remain in Colorado, even if it means taking less than he could garner on the open market, just as captain Joe Sakic did this week in signing on for next season.

Jason Arnott: He's an interesting midrange forward whose 76 points were second only to Dallas captain Mike Modano on the team. The Stars would like Arnott back, but watch for former Dallas GM Bob Gainey to try to lure Arnott to Montreal. Arnott also won a Cup playing alongside fellow unrestricted free agents Elias and Petr Sykora. Hmm.

Chris Mason: He's an interesting dark horse among the goaltending set. Mason performed well in relief of Tomas Vokoun late in the season and through the Predators' first-round loss to San Jose. He'll be less expensive than others and might be just as good.

Fernando Pisani: The Oilers' playoff scoring hero won't be going anywhere far from Edmonton's little Little Italy, even though his five game-winning goals and 14 total goals were tops in the playoffs and will drive his value through the roof.

Jeremy Roenick: Roenick insists he isn't done in spite of what last year's performance might indicate. Could a return to Chicago be in the offing? In many ways, the man and the franchise deserve each other. If Roenick bows to Father Time, watch for him to turn up on OLN's broadcasts.

Jamie Langenbrunner: The Devils are in big trouble if they can't return both Elias and Langenbrunner, who had 53 regular-season points and was among the team's best players in the postseason.

Jason Allison: The big center with the soft hands had 60 points in 66 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was, however, minus-18 and rumors persist he's a difficult guy in the dressing room. Still, there's always room for a point-a-game pivot in the NHL and Allison will have much to prove.

(I will shoot myself if Allison becomes a Flame)

[joncha]

Promise?

[notyoueither]

Shamelessly ripped off from another site

This just in...

Edmonton wants out!
Rumour has it that Edmonton is sick of being the capital of Alberta, and would rather relocate to be the capital of Missouri.

Reasons cited include sibling rivalry with Calgary and an undisclosed 'out of marital boundaries' relationship with the girl next door, Sherwood Park.

Edmonton has been cited by the media as stating: "Although my mall, West Edmonton, is the largest mall and has 2 Gap stores, I think I would fit in much better in an area with a higher population density."

Edmonton has contacted the provincial and federal governments in order to request waiver of its 'no-trade' clause.

[Asher]

Maple Leafs' McCabe to accept deal
Bryan McCabe

6/28/2006 8:01:03 PM

The waiting is over for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Sources say defenceman Bryan McCabe, who is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on Saturday, has informed the NHL club he is accepting the five-year deal worh $5.75 million a year that was essentially negotiated a few weeks ago.

McCabe had told the Leafs he needed some more time to settle some personal matters before making the commitment. The Leafs gave McCabe a deadline of Thursday to let them know whether he would accept the offer or not and sources says the Leafs received that commitment today.

A formal announcement is expected in the next day or two.

Wow...

Now that is getting raped. Toronto lives in a different hockey world than the rest of us.