NHL Offseason: All 10 weeks of it

[Kontiki]

Here's a few good quotes from some Toronto sports writers on McCabe:

James Mirtle, writer and editor for Globe & Mail:

...but it is interesting that the Maple Leafs are having such difficulty signing a contract most would agree is above and beyond McCabe's worth.

Dave Sholts, Globe & Mail:

Just about everybody in the league agrees McCabe is not worth the five year, $29 million the Leafs offered him.

Damien Cox, Toronto Star:

When you add it all up, McCabe is not a $5.5 million-a-year defenceman. Moreover, he's not worth 30 per cent more than partner Tomas Kaberle, yet the Leafs have made the choice to pay him like he is.

[Ninot]

Habs head of scouting says budding prospect Latendresse is in the best shape of his life and hinted at him making the team in September, which would drive this city wild!


Oh, and Leafs are dumb, Kontiki. We all knew that.

[Asher]

Not all of us. Tingkai thinks he's well worth it, and then took a side-trip to discuss why Toronto is a better team than Calgary and has a brighter future.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Tingkai



Flames fans are so delusional. To them, a flash in the pan is a massive forest fire.

A rookie D-man has a good year, and they declare him a future Norris winner. Any sensible fan would realize that it is too early to say.
.

I made no comment on the Flames this time but they are a good defensive team with outstanding goaltending. Some added punch up front and they are a real contender . Without it they are not.

As for Phaneuf I watched him in junior including some of his visits to play Calgary and every game of that downright awesome world junior team. Also went to Calgary games this season. In person you get a chance to really see a player's whole game in a way the TV only sometime shows. He has a physical presence and can score. With a little experience he has the potential to be the best offensive AND defensive defenseman in the league. He is THAT good.

How do I know ? I watch him play. But if my view is not convincing , read the hockey news or listen to TSN or whatever. I am far from alone in what I see.

[Flubber]

Oh and Tingkai

I have no Flames blinders. I am a bigger Habs than Flames fan and there is no one on either team with the potential of Phaneuf. My view of him would be unchanged if they traded him to Chicago.


But since you seem to want to talk about the Flames .. . they have materially strengthened their offense at the cost of a good d man but one that was expendable

[notyoueither]

Beaten like a rented mule

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=170040&hubname=nhl

Lange let go as Pens' play-by play man

TSN.ca Staff

6/29/2006 5:01:34 PM

Mike Lange, longtime voice of the Pittsburgh Penguins, has been let go after 30 years of working as the team's play-by-play announcer.

He will be replaced by radio play-by-play man Paul Steigerwald.

Lange was worked for the Penguins hockey radio and television network since 1975. In 2001, he received the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for his outstanding work as a broadcaster.

Lange is best known for his colorful expressions during Penguins games that are picked up by sports news and highlight shows across the continent, which include:

- "I'll be cow-kicked!"
- "Oh no, Eddie Spaghetti!"
- "Heeeeeeeeeeeee shoots and scores!"
- "Scratch my back with a hacksaw!"
- "Well shave my face with a rusty razor!"
- "Great balls of fire!"
- "He was hit so hard his kids will be born dizzy"
- "He left the defensemen on the parkway going to the airport!"
- "You would have to be here to believe it!"
- "Look out Loretta!"
- "Buy Sam a drink and get his dog one too!"
- "He doesn't know whether to cry or wind his watch"
- "Michael, Michael, Motorcycle"
- "Get in the fast lane Grandma, the bingo game's ready to roll!"
- "She wants to sell my monkey!"
- "Call Arnold Slick from Turtle Creek!"
- "He beat him like a rented mule!"
- "Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has just left the building!"
- "Book 'em Dano!"
- "He Picked His Pocket Like He was Walking down 5th Avenue"
- "Smilin' like a butcher's dog"
- "He takes the heat out of a hot kitchen"
- "How much fried chicken can you eat?"
- "Oh slap me silly Sidney!"
- "Get that dog off my lawn!"
- "And the kitchen is closed!"
- "He smoked him like a bad cigar!"

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by notyoueither
Let's settle the question of who is the best GM and judge of talent or value.

$44million. Fill your team. You can change it around til training camp starts, after that it's frozen.

You can sign 25 players. You can only count the best 12 forwards, 6 d, and 2 goalies.

We'll come back in 10 months and see who had the best team.

Excellent idea.

How can we set it up? Should we wait a bit until most of the free agents are signed?

[notyoueither]

Have to. We need to know the salaries for 2006-07.

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by Asher

McCabe is NOT reliable -- he's got tons of turnovers and takes bad penalties and is generally a douche with the puck. That's why he didn't finish above 0 in +/-. He's strictly an offensive defenceman, and frankly I think those are rather worthless. If a d-man isn't competent defensively, he shouldn't be a frickin' defenseman and he should only be out on the powerplay. Even then, he's overrated (look at his stellar Olympics play!).

Does the name Bobby Orr mean anything to you.

The days when defencemen did not contribute to offence are long gone.

Offensive defencemen are a vital part of any team. That's what McCabe is being paid to do and he delivers the points.

Yes, in the past he has taken bad penalties, but that was part of the old NHL where D-men would clutch and grab and most of the time get away with it, and some of the time not.

In the new NHL, McCabe has been forced to adjust and change his game, and he has done so. With Maurice as coach, McCabe will be forced to become more disciplined.

As for his salary, it is inline with other league salaries.

The comments by Cox was written early in the month. This week we're seeing that McCabe's salary is not out of line. Redden is $6.5 million, which reflects his superior skills.

As for hits, I love seeing them and I'd love to see a Leaf deal out crushing blows, but let's remember that hits are not the only thing that make a great defencemen. Do you really think Brooks Orpik or Stephane Robidas are among the top defencemen in the league just because they lay in a lot of hits. Lidstrom only had 28 hits.

[Asher]

Does the name Bobby Orr mean anything to you.

The days when defencemen did not contribute to offence are long gone.

So many strawmen...

I'm not saying they should not contribute offensively at all, but it should be a secondary contribution to their defensive play.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Tingkai




Does the name Bobby Orr mean anything to you.

.

Sure-- I knew Bobby Orr and McCabe is no Bobby Orr .



Get serious Tingkai . . . you are coming across as a deluded fanboy of everything associated with the Maple Leafs.

My view of them is that they might buy their way into the playoffs again but they are not really that close to being a legitimate contender.

Prattle on about ancient history if you must but if historical cups are a measure of things, you would have to be applying most of your "logic" to an even greater degree to Montreal. After all, they have more cups and more recently than Toronto.

[Asher]

The Edmonton Exodus continues.

Georges Laraque has yet to been made an offer and his contract expires tomorrow

Radek Dvorak has "no interest in returning to Edmonton"

http://www.canada.com/topics/sports/hockey/oilersstory.html?id=87c4c163-0c99-4ea7-bb54-cd66a4bb3350

This is somewhat perplexing to me (okay, so not really). Why does everyone hate Edmonton, even the players who make millions there?

[Asher]

The Sedins sign 3-year contracts for Vancouver.

[cinch]

Marc Denis to Tampa for Freddy Modin and Finnish goalie Frederik Norrena.

[Asher]

More action.

Tampa gets Marc Denis from the Columbus Blue Jackets for forward Fredrik Modin and Finnish netminder Fredrik Norrena.

Wings lock up Lidstrom for 2 years.

Leafs buy out Domi and drop Belfour.