The 2005/2006 Hockey Season Thread

[prime time]

And as far as Salami Hider #1's comments about Ottawa's players not wanting to re-sign, I don't see that to be the case at all.  Hossa said that he wanted "Iginla money" when he has not led his team to game 7 of the finals the way Iginla did.  And to be honest, the only reason you think that way is because you're such a diehard Leaf fan that it is just your nature to hate anything that the Sens do.

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Actually I was popping a boner over the chance of Chara being an UFA and maybe being in the blue and white.

But you have to admit that Muckler made a poor decision in the way he handled the negoations. This could hurt future dealings if players know what he has been doing.

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[SeanDMan]

A lot of people saw the trade coming, as Muckler always said that "no one makes more then the captain". Hossa wanted more.

I guarantee before the ink was dry on the contract, Muckler was shopping Hossa around. If it came as a shock to Hossa, it was because he was still masturbating over the rediculous money he got.

I have to admit, I don't know what Ottawa was thinking. Hossa was an RFA and was locked down forever. He could have not been signed, and likely with the cap system, never gotten an offer sheet. Ottawa just knew he would be disenfranchised and wanted to get an asset back, but man, I saw Dany Heatly's eye bleeding on that ice. He is a big gamble right now. Since the car accident he hasn't played the same, whether that is mental or physical, it's factual. He is not an upgrade over Hossa. And throwing in deVries, for free, makes no sense. deVries may have been dealt anyway to make more cap room, but geez, giving him up for nothing was quite stupid.

I dunno. Ontario GMs make no sense.

[grind your soul]

Why is this thread dying, god damnit?

Let's get some predictions for the season!

I'm thinking Pittsburgh and Philly in the Eastern Conference finals, and darkhorses Phoenix and Calgary in the Western Conference, with perhaps a Philly - Calgary finals, and Philly taking the win.

I see Ottawa in the play-offs, though I am having a hard time seeing Toronto in them.

Oh, and I noticed a few pages ago SDM called Alex Zhamnov a defenceman - and then started spouting defensive traits of his. This would be all nice and good, but ZHAMNOV IS A FORWARD. Zhitnik is a defenceman, maybe you confused them. Anyway, Zhamnov is overrated but when he's on - he is ON like Donkey Kong.

And to those who criticized the Bruins, I think you're all wrong. They will definately be a play-off team, and could possibly go very deep. Thornton, Murray will still be solid, and with Leetch and Gonchar patrolling the blue line, you can expect heavy point production. Defensive defenceman are their weak point, but Hal Gill is a damn monster and will help a lot, as will Nick Boynton. Izzy and Scatchard will probably man the third line [maybe fourth for Izzy] and both will definately cause some damage. They're not there to score points; they're there to grind, they're DEFENSIVE forwards.

I also think Vancouver could go deep, by the way. Adding Anson Carter, the return of Bertuzzi, and so on and so forth could really help them.

[triplexpac]

I have a good feeling about TO this year. Maybe it's because I just moved here... but I'll be rootin' for the Leafs more than ever. Lindros was a childhood hero of mine, so hopefully he'll be able to step up.

I'm stoked for the first night of hockey. Leafs vs Sens, Coyotes vs Vancouver... it'll be killer.

[CKN]

I think this is dying because there hasn't been much off-season action lately and predictions would probably start in the eventual 2005/2006 NHL (Regular) Season Thread.

Anyways I am really hoping the lesser teams of Columbus, Atlanta, Minnesota and possibly Phoenix if you consider them lesser to really break out this season or that could just be me wanting to see Rick Nash, Ilya Kovalchuk, Marian Gaborik and Shane Doan to all play amazing and take their teams to the playoffs.

[Clawson]

Philadelphia is the main contender out of the East. I think Toronto has a good shot if a) Belfour doesn't injure himself and b) the defense is solid. Hell with all the Zetterburg rumors flying around the Leafs could be even more dangerous.

As for the West it's more of a crapshoot.

[triplexpac]

Zetterburg might be going to TO? That would be awesome... although I guess it would eat up their cap room, in case they want to make a trade later

[triplexpac]

Report: Datsyuk signs with Russian club

TSN.ca Staff

9/5/2005 2:54:24 PM

MOSCOW - It appears that Pavel Datsyuk meant it when he set a Monday deadline in his talks with the Red Wings.

According to Reuters, the restricted free agent signed a one-year contract with Russian club Avangard Omsk today.

The 27-year-old All-Star centre, who reportedly turned down a $5 million offer by Detroit was apparently looking for a deal of at least $6 million with the Red Wings.

"I think I am worth at least what (Dany) Heatley or (Joe) Thornton got from their deals," Datsyuk told the Russian media.

Datsyuk has a clause in his Avangard contract, allowing him to leave for the NHL midway through the season.

[Clawson]

Looks like the Zetterburg rumors won't be floating around anymore. It apparently depended on Datsyuk signing with Detroit.

[triplexpac]

As if Datsuk didn't take the 5 mil. I mean, isn't Forsberg only making 5? There's no way Datsuk deserves more than Forsberg.

[Malenko]

Datsyuk is a very good player. I wasn't a big fan of him when i first saw him but he grew on me in the past 2 seasons (or 3 not counting the last one obviously). However, he apparently thinks he's better than what he really is.

"I think I am worth at least what (Dany) Heatley or (Joe) Thornton got from their deals"

Note the bolded part. It's like he's saying he's better than Thornton but he was doing the favour of accepting just how much Thornton won.

As for Forsberg, i think he had a good chance of being the best paid player in the league if he was a 82 games a season player, which he isn't.

EDIT: btw, regular season starts in exactly 1 month. Seems like forever, but after waiting the whole year, I can wait another month

Edited September 5, 2005 by Malenko

[triplexpac]

Some more TSN news. Thought I'd try to keep this thread going

Bondra, Kovalchuk among those unsigned

Canadian Press

9/6/2005 4:57:47 PM

Veterans Peter Bondra and Vincent Damphousse headline the list of unrestricted free agents still looking for work but the real action these days is with the restricted free agents, where NHL stars such as Ilya Kovalchuk, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg have yet to re-sign with training camps just around the corner.

Kovalchuk, who shared the Rocket Richard Trophy as top NHL goal-scorer with 41 in 2003-04, can be an unrestricted free agent in July 2008 so Atlanta Thrashers GM Don Waddell would like to get the 22-year-old sniper under contract for more than three years.

But that will come at a price, likely around $6 million US a season.

"I've spoken to Don Waddell pretty extensively about it and we will continue to have our conversations and hopefully it will be something that gets resolved in time for camp," Kovalchuk's agent Jay Grossman said Tuesday, not wanting to shed any more light on talks.

One restricted free agent who appears close to signing, according to sources, is New York Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro. He's set to sign a short-term deal in the next day or so, sources said.

That wasn't the original plan. Sources confirm GM Mike Milbury had toyed with the idea of a shocking $60-million, 15-year contract for the 23-year-old goalie - a deal worth $4 million a season - but the concept, which was well received by the DiPietro camp, was dropped mainly because of insurance issues. Milbury has been down this road before, signing centre Alexei Yashin to a $90-million, 10-year deal.

Other notable restricted free agents who need new deals are Ryan Smyth in Edmonton, Adam Hall in Nashville, Nick Boynton and Andrew Raycroft in Boston, Olli Jokinen in Florida, Jay McKee in Buffalo, Mark Parrish with the Islanders and Michael Ryder in Montreal.

Smyth, his agent Don Meehan and the Oilers have a basic agreement on a one-year contract but were trying to work out a long-term deal. That hasn't worked out at this point and all signs point to a one-year deal, which would bring the 29-year-old star winger to unrestricted free agency next summer.

There aren't many options for restricted free agents other than sit at home when camps open around the league next week. The new collective bargaining agreement does stipulate, however, that they must be re-signed by Dec. 1 or else they can't play in the NHL this season.

Or perhaps Europe gives some leverage.

Datsyuk, 27, signed a deal with Russian club Avangard Omsk, a one-year contract apparently worth $6 million. If the deal includes an out-clause, and it would be a shock if it didn't, then he remains free to re-sign with the Detroit Red Wings but GM Ken Holland can't dish out that kind of money. He only has about $7 million under the $39-million cap and has to re-sign Datsyuk and Zetterberg.

Holland, who spoke to Zetterberg's agent last Thursday, hoped to resume talks with the Swede's agent this week.

As for Datsyuk, who has been unsigned since last summer, Holland had long feared this would be a difficult process.

"I negotiated from May 2004 to early September 2004 with them and we were so far apart at that point in time that I guess I was figuring if we picked up where we left off we were a long ways apart," Holland said Tuesday. "We'll see what happens."

The situation with Datsyuk could have an impact on the 37-year-old Bondra, who has 477 NHL goals on his resume.

"We've got two or three teams in the mix, and maybe four if Detroit is interested," said Bondra's agent Ritch Winter. "Ken and I have talked numerous times about Peter but he doesn't have the funds that would allow him to do what we would like him to do."

But if Datsyuk is out of the mix, the Bondra camp could come calling.

As an NHL veteran over 35, Bondra can sign a deal that includes bonuses. Those bonuses are allowed to surpass the salary cap by 7.5 per cent but would then count against next year's cap. That could give some short-term flexibility to teams with little cap space now.

On the unrestricted side, Vincent Damphousse, 37, is close to making up his mind on joining an NHL club.

"I may have something to announce later this week," he said Tuesday.

Defenceman Bryan Marchment, 36, would like to return to Toronto.

"I'm hopeful that Toronto will recognize their need to fill a certain dimension on their team and they'll be able to sign him," his agent Rick Curran said Tuesday.

Scott Stevens, 41, took his name off the free-agent list Tuesday when he announced his retirement after 22 NHL seasons.

"What he's given to this organization, you can't even put into words," New Jersey Devils GM Lou Lamoriello said. "We respect his decision."

Decisions are also expected in the next little while from fellow future Hall of Famers Mark Messier, 44, Ron Francis, 42 and Al MacInnis, 42. Francis and MacInnis are likely going to retire, but Messier remains a mystery.

Wouldn't it be nice to see Messier end his career in Edmonton, where he began his NHL career in the fall of 1979?

Either way, the NHL lockout not only robbed fans of an entire season and a Stanley Cup champion, but also possibly the chance to see those players retire in style.

"But I'm not one to look for a final year to say goodbye to everyone, that's not my style, I'm a private person," Stevens told reporters on a conference call Tuesday.

"I guess I've been dragging my feet on this. But I think it was time to let everyone one and let the Devils move on."

[SeanDMan]

Scott Stevens retiring is really suprising, but moreover, without Neidermayer and Stevens, Martin Broduer is about to get a whole lot busier.

[Guest NYJetFan86]

Stevens retiring is a big loss for the Devils. I thought for sure he would come back since Niedermayer left the team

[SeanDMan]

Watch the Sportscentre top ten on TSN tonight. It covers Scott Stevens top ten hits. The Kariya, Lindros, and Landcow hits are all clearly visible elbows, and the Kozlov one is a harder to spot but vicious forearm to the chin. It really put into perspective, a perspective I forgot, how dirty Scott Stevens is. Sure, he can hit, but so can guys like Jovanovski, Hatcher, Chara... and Stevens is labelled as a first ballot hall of famer based on his incredible hitting, but at least five of his top ten hits, the top four mentioned above and his hit on Tie Domi, are blindside elbows. That's, frankly, bullshit.

[Clawson]

Wow Sean your right I just checked it out on TSN.ca and all those hits were clearly elbows as you can see him putting his arm down after his hits. I never realizied how dirty he was. Tis a shame really.

[gunnar hendershow]

You didn't realize how dirty a player Stevens was?

They talked about it alot on SportsCenter back when the Lindros hit happened.

[KRC]

I'm surprised Clawson hasn't taken a dig at me yet. If your wondering, yes I have been crying in the corner for the past day and a half

Stevens was my favourite player ever, he's the one who really got me following the Devils after I seen him nearly kill Kozlov in '95 (and no comment on the dirty hits issue *ahem*). I just loved the way he played, great captain, great team leader and in my eyes a great defenceman (though not a point scorer). I'll miss him, and it's a huge hit for the devils defence. Hopefully the new editions in McGillis & Malahkov (sp?) can somewhat make up for losing Scotty & Neidermayer.

On another note, my early favourites would be Ottawa (because they've got a large chunk of their core back) and Philly (who I think got alot better with all their moves). In The West it's really a toss-up and i've got no clue who could come out of there.

oh....the memories................

[Clawson]

I'm surprised Clawson hasn't taken a dig at me yet. If your wondering, yes I have been crying in the corner for the past day and a half 

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[SeanDMan]

You didn't realize how dirty a player Stevens was?

They talked about it alot on SportsCenter back when the Lindros hit happened.

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I never wanted to use the Lindros hit as a litmus test... I am a Flyers fan, and so any hit on Eric Lindros cannot be used to judge a player's cleanliness. I bitched about it at the time but it was probably more the fanboi in me, but boy, was that Kariya hit hard to watch.