The NHL Off-Season Thread Starts With a Bang

[notyoueither]

Oh, geez. Funny, but...

I think I'll take a bit before jumping in on the group stomp of the kid.

[Ben Kenobi]

Whats the difference between Patrick Kane and a canoe?
A canoe tips.

[Flubber]

Oh, geez. Funny, but...

I think I'll take a bit before jumping in on the group stomp of the kid.

I don't see a group stomp--hell I even said the charges are "beyond unbelievable"-- its tough for me to believe that ANYONE gets in a fight over 20 cents

[Kontiki]

I heard an excerpt from an interview with the cabbie's lawyer this morning. He flat out said that this thing had been blown out of proportion and that it's extrememly unlikely that any felony charges are actually going to result from this. None of which excuses Kane's actions, but it sounds like it might not be as big a deal as first reported.

[notyoueither]

I don't see a group stomp--hell I even said the charges are "beyond unbelievable"-- its tough for me to believe that ANYONE gets in a fight over 20 cents

I was referring to the universe beyond Poly.

[snoopy369]

I heard an excerpt from an interview with the cabbie's lawyer this morning. He flat out said that this thing had been blown out of proportion and that it's extrememly unlikely that any felony charges are actually going to result from this. None of which excuses Kane's actions, but it sounds like it might not be as big a deal as first reported.

Precisely ... I have the same feeling I had about the Duke lacrosse scandal. A DA going way overboard for publicity. If the cabbie really did get beat up, they should be charged with that, but robbery is absurd to the point of stupidity.

[Asher]

The Kane thing is starting to turn around for him:

http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/article/679392

Patrick Kane's cabbie didn't have licence: Report

The cab driver who is the alleged victim of a beating by NHL star Patrick Kane and his cousin on Sunday didn't have a valid driver's licence at the time of the incident, the Buffalo News reported Tuesday.

The newspaper said Jan Radecki, 62, also has two drunk driving convictions.

Radecki had a cab licence in the City of Buffalo since May 1996 and became licensed with the city for a Chrysler minivan in 2003. Radecki's driver's licence, however, was revoked in December 1998 after he refused to submit to a chemical test, according to state Department of Motor Vehicle records. He was issued a conditional licence by the agency after the incident.

Four months later, in April 1999, Radecki's licence again was revoked, this time for a driving while intoxicated charge, according to state records.

According to City Court records, Radecki pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated charges in February 1999. He was sentenced to 15 days in jail and three years' probation.

Radecki's lawyer, Andrew LoTempio, told the News:

"I know he went into [Alcoholics Anonymous] and has not drank since then."

His client also served no jail time for the conviction because the 15 days was a suspended sentence, he said.

LoTempio told reporters Monday he believed the incident was blown out of proportion, suggesting Radecki had mistaken the Kanes for college kids when he picked them up at 4 a.m. Sunday in a nightclub district.

LoTempio said it is usual for cabbies to lock riders in the cab to make sure they pay.

The Kanes paid $15 for a $13.80 fare, and got $1 change. The alleged beating and robbery took place when the cabbie said he did not have a further 20 cents for the two.

The Kanes have a felony hearing scheduled in Buffalo City Court on Monday. Patrick Kane has been invited to the Team USA Olympic Orientation camp, starting Monday.

Kane's lawyer, Paul J. Cambria Jr., said he would ask that the hearing be rescheduled for later next week. He also said he believes Kane will be exonerated once all the evidence comes to light.

[Flubber]

Here's the listing of the remaining available free agents-- There isn't a whole lot exciting there although there are still a few that could make real contributions. Do you see any one you want your team to pick up ?? The article is copied from nhl.com .


Forwards Current team '08-09 stats Scuttlebutt

Miroslav Satan Pittsburgh 17-19-36 in 65 GP Satan has been among the NHL's most consistent scorers for the past decade. But he didn't mesh as a linemate with either Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin and is coming off his worst season since 1995-96. He'll have to prove his scoring touch hasn't disappeared.

Robert Lang Montreal 18-21-39 in 50 GP Lang turns 39 in December and is coming off an Achilles tendon injury, potentially cutting down on the number of interested teams. But before he got hurt, he showed he still had something left in the tank.

Michael Peca Columbus 4-18-22 in 71 GP The former Selke winner may still have some value as a checker, penalty-killer, faceoff man and leader. But he's now 35, and injuries have taken away most of his offensive ability.

Ryan Bayda Carolina 5-7-12
in 70 GP Bayda, a college star at North Dakota, finally managed to play a full season in the NHL after bouncing up and down between Carolina and the AHL for five seasons.

Blair Betts N.Y. Rangers 6-4-10
in 81 GP Betts and Fredrik Sjostrom (who signed with Calgary) formed one of the NHL's best penalty-killing tandems last season. But Betts is coming off a serious facial injury, and no one is rushing to sign checkers and penalty-killers.

Maxim Afinogenov Buffalo 6-14-20 in 48 GP Afinogenov's play has dropped off severely in the past two seasons, during which he's also been plagued by injuries. He's all but certain to be somewhere else in the fall.

Dominic Moore Buffalo 13-32-45 in 81 GP Moore, a mid-tier center, was having a decent season for Toronto before being dealt to Buffalo at the trade deadline. He's a nice No. 3 center but might be stretched as a No. 2.

Petr Sykora Pittsburgh 25-21-46 in 76 GP The 32-year-old is coming off his 10th consecutive 20-goal season, but he was a non-factor in the playoffs, playing in only seven games (just one in the Final) and producing only 1 assist. He'll need a new home.

Todd Bertuzzi Calgary 15-29-44 in 66 GP The former All-Star is nowhere near the player he was earlier this decade, but he showed in Calgary last season that he still has some hands and offensive ability left.

Eric Perrin Atlanta 7-16-23 in 78 GP The soon-to-be 34-year-old still has good wheels. But finding a job may not be easy after his offensive output fell from 45 points in 2007-08 to 23 last season.

Rob Niedermayer Anaheim 14-7-21 in 79 GP Brother Scott is back in the fold, but Rob's future is still undecided after an up (14 goals) and down (minus-17) season with the Ducks.

Alex Tanguay Montreal 16-25-41 in 50 GP Like Lang, Tanguay is coming off an injury-ruined season. His point production has dropped from 81 to 58 to 41 in the past three seasons, and he'll have to take a shorter-term, lower-value deal to find a new team.
Nikolai Zherdev N.Y. Rangers 23-35-58 in 82 games Zherdev, New York's top scorer last season, became a free agent when the Rangers walked away from his arbitration award. Though he's still not yet 25, Zherdev's poor showing in the playoffs won't help his bid to get the kind of deal he feels he deserves.

Manny Malhotra Columbus 11-24-35 in 77 GP Malhotra has never lived up to his lofty draft status (No. 7 in 1998), but he's a competent third-line center who's had to play a line or two above his offensive ability with the Blue Jackets. He'd be a good fit and a good value in the right situation.

Taylor Pyatt Vancouver 10-9-19 in 69 GP The former first-rounder is still only 27, but he's never had more than the 37 points he managed in '06-07 and '07-08.

Kyle Calder Los Angeles 8-19-27
in 74 GP He's now 30 and hasn't reached double figures in goals since 2006-07, so Calder is going to have to take less money and a short-term deal if he hopes to keep an NHL job.

Andy Hilbert N.Y. Islanders 11-16-27 in 67 GP Hilbert is a hard worker in all three zones, has some offensive ability and can also kill penalties. He'd make a solid bottom-six forward for someone.

Mike Comrie Ottawa 10-17-27 in 63 GP Comrie's value is down after the worst season of his career. But the five-time 20-goal scorer is still just 28 and could be a bargain if he's finally over the injuries that slowed him in '08-09 -- and willing to take a big pay cut.

Mats Sundin Vancouver 9-19-28 in 41 GP The Canucks hoped adding Sundin at midseason would be the last piece needed for a long playoff run, but he never really found his game after joining the team in January. At 38, he's in the twilight of his career.


Defensemen Current team '08-09 Stats Scuttlebutt

Martin Skoula Minnesota 4-12-16
in 81 GP At 29, Skoula doesn't bring a lot of offense to the table, but he's been a reliable minutes-muncher for years and owns a Stanley Cup ring from his days in Colorado.

Mathieu Schneider Montreal 9-23-32 in 67 GP Even at 40, Schneider remains a useful offensive force on the blue line, especially on the power play.

Marc-Andre Bergeron Minnesota 14-18-32 in 72 GP Bergeron owns one of the NHL's biggest slappers from the point but struggles in his own zone. He could thrive in the right situation.

Christian Backman Columbus 2-5-7
in 56 GP Backman was something of a disappointment for the Blue Jackets, who acquired him from the Rangers last summer. He might benefit from a change of scenery.

Philippe Boucher Pittsburgh 3-6-9
in 41 GP He's now 36 and hasn't been healthy for a full season since 2006-07, when he scored 19 goals for Dallas.

Francis Bouillon Montreal 5-4-9
in 54 GP Bouillon is coming off an abdominal/groin muscle tear that kept him out for the last two months of the season (except for a brief playoff cameo appearance). He turns 34 in October, so the pickings may be slim
.
Jassen Cullimore Florida 2-8-10 in 68 GP He's now 36 and has never produced more than 5 goals or 17 points in a season, so the 6-5, 240-pounder may find a limited market.

Darryl Sydor Dallas 3-12-15 in 73 GP At 37, Sydor's resume includes a couple of Stanley Cup rings. He can serve as a mentor for young defenders and still contribute on the ice.

Dennis Seidenberg Carolina 5-25-30 in 70 GP The almost-28-year-old is coming off the
best season of his career and showed he can play major minutes (22:19 average ice time in '08-09).


Goaltenders Current team '08-09 stats Scuttlebutt

Manny Fernandez Boston 16-8-3 2.59 GAA With Tim Thomas firmly in place as the starter in Boston, Fernandez will have to look elsewhere if he has any hopes of getting a job. He's played more than 44 games in a season just once in his career (2005-06, with Minnesota).

Olaf Kolzig Toronto 2-4-1 3.66 GAA "Olie the Goalie" has 303 career wins -- but he's 39 and coming off an injury-plagued season. To extend his career, Kolzig will need to find a team with a young starter that needs an experienced backup/mentor.

Curtis Joseph Toronto 5-9-1 3.57 GAA At 42, Joseph is likely to have a hard time getting a chance to extend his regular-season victory total past 454.

Manny Legace St. Louis 13-9-2 3.18 GAA One season after making the All-Star Game, Legace spent the last half of 2008-09 in the minors after Chris Mason took the No. 1 job. At 36, his options get slimmer by the day.

Kevin Weekes New Jersey 7-5-0 2.42 GAA Had the first winning season of his career in 2008-09, but he couldn't hold the starting job in New Jersey after Martin Brodeur was injured and will likely have to go elsewhere.

Marc Denis Montreal (in AHL)
27-18-0
2.46 GAA Journeyman backup is looking for a job after a solid season with the Canadiens' AHL affiliate in Hamilton. Denis has more than 300 games of NHL experience, but has spent almost all of the last two seasons in the minors.

[Guynemer]

I think Mike Comrie, at the right price, would be a steal for any team. He's still young, and he's got the talent.

[Flubber]

Comrie is a player I could see giving a shot

A couple of comments on former flames

Bertuzzi in Calgary was a no-hit big guy who would surprise me with his "did you see that " type moves but ultimately his numbers were mediocre for a guy that got so much quality ice time and PP time. he still has potential I guess but I was quite relieved Calgary seems to have no interest. I was frustrated to see him skating by guys with the puck and he seemed to take a lot of hooking penalties.

Tangs-- anothe player that frustrated me with his unwillingness to hit usually but at least he was small.He also frustrated with his relative unwillingness to shoot but he is one of the better passers in the game. he could be a steal for someone since he should come relatively cheap now

[Flubber]

Bert to the Wings?? That surprises me a bit actually.


I am also surprised by some comments I saw that that think Bert "adds toughness". I witnessed Bert's play first hand and he quite simply DID NOT HIT. He took numerous hooking penalties, was useless as a forechecker as he always skated by the puckholder and was not the huge force in front of the net I expected.

That said, he was gifted with the puck. He made numerous 'did you see that' type moves, lots of excellent passes and once he had the puck he was tough to knock off it. But ultimately these flashes of exceptional play were not enough (and many great plays did NOT result in a goal) and his numbers were actually pretty mediocre for a guy that got as much PP time and time with quality players.
So as a Flames fan I am not sad to see him go. He needed to either score more or be more of a physical presence. But I believe he COULD excell. I just don't see him adding toughness unless he completely changes his style of play compared to last year

[Flubber]

The Fan 960 guys were discussing tanguay yesterday and their take/information was that Tanguay is not signed yet since he seems to still be seeking a pretty good money contract but also has no interest in going to a team in the basement. their speculation was he might have to choose between better money and the the chance to go to a team that could be reasonabbly good

[Lord Avalon]

Hawks' Kane indicted on misdemeanors

An Erie County, N.Y., grand jury has dismissed the felony robbery charge against Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane and his cousin James, but both have been indicted on lesser charges.

he indictments on assault in the third degree and theft of services are misdemeanors, and a harassment indictment is considered a violation-level offense.

Patrick Kane met with reporters after the final on-ice session at the U.S. Olympic orientation camp in suburban Chicago, and he said he wasn't aware of the grand jury's decision on the charges.

"That's news to me to be honest with you, I haven't heard yet," he said. "I'll talk to my lawyer after this. If the felony's dropped, that's obviously a positive step, definitely."

Patrick Kane, 20, and James Kane, 21, will be arraigned at 2 p.m. ET on Thursday.

If convicted, the Kanes could get up to a year in jail.

Erie County District Attorney Frank Sedita III says he'll treat the Chicago forward like any other defendant.

Asked if a plea bargain is possible, Patrick Kane's lawyer, Paul Cambria, says there have been numerous discussions but no deal is in place.

"As is the practice in all criminal cases, the assigned prosecutor and defense counsel will discuss a possible resolution of the case short of trial," Sedita said in a statement.

A plea deal would be based on the victim's wishes, the severity of his injuries and other factors, Sedita said. But Kane's celebrity status "is not such a consideration," he said, adding, "Kane will not be prosecuted more leniently or more harshly because he is employed as a hockey player."

The Kanes were arrested after an incident with cab driver Jan Radecki, 62, during the early morning hours of Aug. 9 in Buffalo. Radecki told police they attacked him when he said he didn't have 20 cents in change for the fare.

The cab driver had bruises and broken glasses.

The cabbie has said he wants a public apology from the Kanes, not jail time, said his lawyer, Andrew LoTempio.

"I can't comment as to his point of view," Sedita told The Associated Press. "The name of the action is the People of the State of New York v. the Kanes, not Jan Radecki v. the Kanes.

"We often have domestic violence cases where victims do not want to go forward, but we go forward with it anyway. I'm not saying that's the case here but just to illustrate the point. Obviously, we take a victim's wishes into consideration all the time."

Kane has avoided discussing the legal issues during the three days of activities, although he has made himself available to the media to discuss hockey issues. And he's been generous with his time, signing autographs for the hundreds of fans who have turned up to watch the American Olympic hopefuls skate.

"It's been a fun week. You see all the support you have in Chicago no matter what fans are behind you," Kane said. "I've been trying to sign a lot for them and do the right thing. Like I said before, you realize that it's a privilege to do those things. Sometimes you have to learn that."

Asked if he was looking forward to giving his side of the story, Kane said that wasn't a top priority.

"That's not a big deal to me. I'm just excited to go home at this point," he said.

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/news/story?id=4409633

[Flubber]

well its Brent Sutter now

and what about Brent?

[Asher]

Jose Theodore's 2 month old son died

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalsinsider/report-theodores-infant-son-di.html?wprss=capitalsinsider