Bleacher Report - Articles by Elie Aintabi

NHL Notes and Picks for Oct. 12

Elie Aintabi — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:21:17 -0400

New York Ranger Ales Kotalik was the hero yesterday around the NHL, his third period power play goal was the one that found the net and snapped a late tie against Anaheim. It should be mentioned that New York is 4-0 now excluding one loss in the season opener against Pittsburgh.

In Vancouver, a shootout was needed to finish the game in absence of Daniel Sedin. The Canucks were still able to score three regulation goals to keep their offensive attack up to standards. Ribeiro, Richards and Benn scored for the Stars while Kesler, Burrows and Mitchell scored for Vancouver.

Both my picks took the game last night, increasing my total to 12-5.

Tonight’s Games

Colorado (2-1-1) v Boston (2-2-0)

The Bruins managed to squeak a win against the Islanders on Saturday, but they needed overtime to do it. That has me concerned, especially when playing a very streaky Avalanche bunch.

The smart money points to Boston being a favorite by far, but I’m reluctant to jump to that conclusion. After considering, I have to go with the Bruins, but I’m not comfortable about it.

Los Angeles (3-1-0) v New York Islanders (0-0-3)

The Islanders are still looking for their first regulation win and this is my underdog pick of the night. Tavares and company will find a way to steal one eventually and I think that they will do it tonight. Look out, because I think the Kings are going to pepper the Islanders with shots 2:1.

Toronto (0-3-1) v New York Rangers (4-1-0)

The Rangers are just a team that looks unstoppable right now. It’s hard to go against them, but this is another game that I feel the underdog has the advantage. The Rangers played an overtime and shootout last night against the Anaheim Ducks, a very physical team.

Now they walk into Francis Beauchemin, Mike Komisarek, Garnet Exelby, Tomas Kaberle, Like Schenn, Mike Van Ryn and more. I think the game last night and the extreme physical play from Toronto will slow the Rangers down.

New Jersey (2-2-0) v Washington (2-2-1)

Ovechkin, Semin, Backstrom. Never bet against the best player in the league (sorry to all your Crosby/Malkin lovers, he is just better. Period).

Pittsburgh (4-1-0) v Ottawa (3-1-0)

Very tough call. Pittsburgh has been getting wins, so has Ottawa. Ottawa hasn’t looked like a team that is very fluid in their style of play, and Pittsburgh looks like they’ve drank about 14 bottles of whiskey before each game. Both teams have my confidence. I’ll throw this to Pittsburgh, only because they have that big Stanley-whatsit-called.

Florida (1-3-0) v Tampa Bay (1-1-2)

It seems every year I’m a sucker for the Lightning. They have more talent collectively then the entire western conference. Lecavalier, St. Louis, Stamkos, Hedman, Ohlund, and whatever else it just makes you scratch your head and wonder how this bunch isn’t producing numbers that are similar to the Rangers ranking.

I can’t bet against them, but this is another pick I’m not comfortable with. Tampa Bay in regulation.

Edmonton (2-1-1) v Nashville (2-1-0)

An overrated Oilers bunch versus a surprising Nashville group. I’ll take Edmonton, but only because I’m Canadian.

Calgary (4-1-0) v Chicago (2-1-1)

This is where my personal conflict becomes an issue here. I love Chicago. I’m a sucker for them, and I loved them before it was cool to love them. Calgary has tremendous talent and the best defensive units bar none in the entire NHL (even if they’re not playing like it yet).

Calgary has my vote here, but I don’t want to watch this game.

Phoenix (2-2-0) v San Jose (3-2-0)

Heatley get’s another hat trick. Not really, but San Jose walks away with two in regulation.

My Picks record to date: 12-5 (70.58%)

Oct. 9 record: 1-1 (50%)

Oct. 10 record: 9-4 (69.2%)

Oct. 11 record: 2-0 (100%)

NHL Recap and Picks: Oct. 11

Elie Aintabi — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:16:08 -0400

Boston scored three late-period goals against the Islanders, with the last tying goal coming about two and half minutes before the game buzzer, to set the stage for an overtime and ensuing shootout ending in a 4-3 Boston victory on Saturday.

Out in Toronto, Sidney Crosby scored a pair of goals and Evgeni Malkin had a flurry of assists as the Penguins claimed a 5-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, whose defensive corps has yet to demonstrate the type of play that Ron Wilson is looking for.

Over in the nation's capital (mine, at least), Alexei Kovalev finally started to show what the $5 million per year is going to get for the Senators. Kovalev's first goal came with Ottawa's best game of the season in a 4-2 victory over Atlanta. The Senators controlled the pace of the game and came out with a balanced attack and improved their record to (3-1-0).

Anaheim scored twice in the third period, including the tying goal with some 20 seconds left in the game, to send this one into overtime and an ensuing shootout. In the end, Anaheim took it in the shootout, 3-2, moving to 1-3 as Philadelphia fell to 0-3.

New Jersey was able to muster up some scoring from Rob Niedermayer, Travis Zajac, and David Clarkson all contributing goals to overcome Florida in regulation.

Washington played a strong game, including fine play in net by Jose Theodore, but Alex Ovechkin was held goal-less and his team lost, 3-2. Ville Leino, Jason Williams, and Tomas Holmstrom all scored for Detroit, which played its first full game without the "Mule," Johan Franzen.

Tampa Bay got roaring after an uneventful first period, scoring five times to flat-line the Hurricanes. Ryan Malone had a hat trick, with Paul Ranger and Steve Downie contributing as well.

Los Angeles had a close call last night against St. Louis despite walking into the third period with a two-goal lead. Alex Steen scored a short-handed goal to cut the lead within one, but Jonathan Quick was able to hold his ground for the win.

Even after the bold prediction of Puck Daddy blogger Greg Wyshynski predicted that Nashville would be the only unbeaten team left in the NHL when it played Buffalo, it was the Sabres that walked away with two points as Mike Grier scored late in the third period en route to Ryan Miller's NHL shutout.

In the Chicago game, a shootout was needed when both teams couldn't get a deciding goal despite walking into the third period, 3-3. Colorado had a three-goal flurry in the second period to force the issue into overtime.

Columbus spoiled the Coyotes' first home game of the season (and an announced sellout) by shutting them down, 2-0.

Montreal couldn't muster a third-period comeback as Edmonton, which dominated the game, it seemed, held down the fort winning by a one-goal margin of 3-2.

San Jose rolled over Minnesota, 4-2, with a three-goal second period and an insurance goal nine seconds into the third. Dany Heatley scored on the power play in the second period.

Tonight's Games

Anaheim Ducks (2-1-1) vs. New York Rangers (3-1-0)

Anaheim is playing very good hockey, but double-headers take their toll on any team. Combine that with an energized Rangers bunch with a Marian Gaborik that has a groin that's waiting a week or two before acting up, and you can pretty much guess my pick. The Rangers are walking home in regulation with a win, I think.

Dallas Stars (1-0-2) vs. Vancouver Canucks (1-3-0)

Roberto Luongo has my money any day of the week, despite the announced injury of Daniel Sedin, who is out for four to six weeks with a broken foot, which he incurred in the 7-1 humiliation against the Montreal Canadiens.

My record to date: 10-5 (66.7%)

Oct. 9 record: 1-1 (50%)

Oct. 10 record: 9-4 (69.2%)

NHL Picks for Oct. 10

Elie Aintabi — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 15:25:25 -0400

On my debut, I managed to squeak out a win.

Here are my picks for the day and why:

Islanders (0-0-2) vs. Bruins (1-2-0)

The champions for the East are having a slow start, but that doesn't mean that this trend will go on forever. The Bruins have too much depth in the all their lines, and Tim Thomas, despite his age, is bound to find his game.

The Islanders, despite having 2009's No. 1 overall draft pick in John Tavares, couldn't muster up a win against Ottawa, which leads me to believe the same result will happen here. Boston takes this one.

Pittsburgh (3-1-6) vs. Toronto (0-2-1)

Pittsburgh is starting to wake up despite a humiliating loss to the unowned Coyotes. Despite Ron Wilson's big talk, the Maple Leafs haven't been able to muster up a regulation win. That won't happen against Crosby, Malkin, and Fleury. Toronto loses this one as Pittsburgh wins by a wide margin.

Atlanta (2-0-0) vs. Ottawa (2-1-0)

This one really is kind of a coin toss for me. On one hand, Alfredsson, Spezza, Kovalev, and Co. should be able to shut down the Thrashers here. Advantage Ottawa.

Anaheim (1-1-1) vs. Philadelphia (3-1-0)

The Flyers are way too strong for me to go against them, despite Anaheim's surprising streak in the playoffs. I think Philly has this one.

New Jersey (1-2-0) vs. Florida (1-2-0)

Florida, this is a coin toss as well, but again I take Florida.

Washington (2-1-1) vs. Detroit (1-2-0)

My money is on Ovechkin scoring two goals, but Detroit walks away with two points.

The Rest of My Picks

Tampa Bay
Los Angeles
Nashville
Chicago
Phoenix (sold out crowd, beating the Penguins; this one is theirs)
Edmonton
San Jose

A Challenge To Ritter: Here Are MY NHL Picks

Elie Aintabi — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:25:29 -0400

After going through Mark Ritter’s picks of the day, I started to think—why should he get all the fun? A little competition never hurt anyone, so I decided to take it upon myself to throw my hat in the ring and see if I can best the hard-hitting Ritter at his own game.

I understand he is at a disadvantage—what with me starting a few games into the season—so for my internal purposes, I’m going to give him a fresh start as of tonight’s games with these picks.

So here are the games tonight and my picks:

1. Visitor: Florida (1-1-0) vs. Home: Carolina (1-2-0)

2. Visitor: Dallas (0-0-2) vs. Home: Calgary (4-0-0)

My pick: Calgary, and here’s why:

Even though Dallas is more rested, only playing two games to Calgary’s four, I have to pick the Flames here. The defensive corps is probably the best in the NHL and with Iginla and Jokinen starting to find a groove, it’s hard to bet against them.

Their fourth line (dubbed the 'Storm Line' in a conversation I had with Fraser Elliott) has been energetic and determined, and is playing extremely well.

My pick: Carolina, and here's why:

With Erik Cole out with a leg fracture (4-6 weeks) and Joni Pitkanen (day-to-day) questionable and unlikely for tonight’s game, there are serious questions about the offensive firepower left in the tank for Carolina.

Pitkanen has been reliable in the past to produce some offense (33 points, seven goals in the 2008-2009 season) and will be missed on the blue line tonight. Combine that with the less-than-normal play by Cam Ward, who signed a lengthy contract extension, you have to wonder about who to pick.

Carolina will be out to show that neither Pitkanen nor Cole hurts their chances this season that much, so I’m picking them to win…tonight. Come the weekend or next week, I might not be so generous.

So there we have it. Ritter, this is my bold-faced challenge to you for picks for the rest of the NHL season. Can you keep up with me, or will you smoke me in the dust? We’ll see…

Sharks-Blue Jackets: Dany Heatley Nets Hat Trick as San Jose Bests Columbus 6-3

Elie Aintabi — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:34:02 -0400

Dany Heatley knows how to impress.

In his first game in San Jose, Heatley instantaneously made everyone forget about the summer.

Heatley netted his first hat trick of the year in his home opener for San Jose, pummeling the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-3 Thursday night.

"It was a great night," the ex-Senator said. "The crowd was great from the introductions on. As a group we played real well tonight, we skated well, forechecked well, and got rewarded for it."

Heatley seemed to be unstoppable in the second period, when two of his three goals occurred. The last tally for the hat trick came in the third period, when the crowd began chanting his name in a suspenseful penalty shot.

Heatley can’t claim all the credit; big center Joe Thornton tied a franchise record by obtaining four assists en route to the victory.

Other goal scorers included Dan Boyle, who netted a goal and added two assists on the night.

This brings San Jose’s record to 2-2-0 on the season, setting Columbus at 2-1-0 (their next game is in Phoenix, which is reportedly sold out at extremely reduced ticket prices).

On the opposite side, Rick Nash, Jason Chimera, and Raffi Torres scored for the Blue Jackets.

The game was briefly tied in the 2-2 before Heatley and Marc-Edouard Vlasic scored a pair in the final two minutes of the period to establish a solid lead walking into the third.

Heatley was on the ice for all of San Jose’s goals and assisted on Devin Setoguchi’s goal in the third period.

Montreal Canadiens Embarrassed 7-1 by Vancouver Canucks

Elie Aintabi — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:24:22 -0400

Since no one else managed to rally a review (I was hoping someone else would, so I wouldn't have to), I guess I will take a crack at it.

This is by far the worst review of a game I had to do for my Montreal Canadiens that I can remember.

In short, the Canadiens must have missed their flight from Calgary to Vancouver because the bunch of people on the ice on Wednesday night was not our Canadiens.

Out-shot, out-played and out-scored. The final tally was 7-1 for Vancouver. Who was our lone gone scorer? Andrei Kostitsyn.

Vancouver was obviously looking to make a message to the league. After starting off 0-3, they wanted to dominate a game, and it just so happens that the Canadiens were first in line to receive this pummeling from a more dedicated Canucks team.

The Canadiens are now 2-2, looking to close their road trip on Saturday against Edmonton before opening at home against Colorado and the surprising Craig Anderson.

So far, all the wins can be accredited to the grit, determination and play of Carey Price. There is no way, if a goalie of a less caliber was in nets, that the Canadiens would have walked away with wins in Toronto and Buffalo if it were not for him.

Vancouver jumped into the game with a huge start, scoring three quick goals in the first period, out-shooting the Canadiens 14-4.

The only glimmer of hope was when Kostitsyn (whose brother finally reported to the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs...reportedly on the promise he will be traded eventually by doing so) scored early in the second period.

The score by the end of the second period was 5-1, despite the Canadiens peppering Roberto Luongo with 14 shots.

As for Price, he played surprisingly well, having regretted one or two lone goals at the most.

To quote Dave Stubbs, "every defenseman on his team owes him an apology for having hung him out to dry in front of family and friends before he was mercifully lifted for Jaro Halak when the Canucks made it 7-1."

I think that says it best, our defensive corps did not come to this game eager to help out the net minder. It shows how one key defenseman (Andrei Markov) can make a difference in a lineup.

The penalty killers went 2-of-5, allowing three goals, while the power play went 1-of-6.

Price seemed emotional after the loss. On Thursday, it was reported he punched a hole into the drywall in Vancouver, showing his anger at the situation.

"I was pretty excited for that one," Carey Price said after the game, "It's coming home, you know? It wasn't the way I wanted it to go, but hopefully I'll have a lot more opportunities to play in this building again."

Hopefully next time, his defensemen will be there as well.

Calgary Flames Best Montreal Canadiens in Regulation

Elie Aintabi — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 08:56:56 -0400

Before last night's clash of the undefeated Montreal Canadiens and the Calgary flames, one thing was certain as to the outcome; one team would still remain undefeated.

That team was the Calgary Flames.

The Flames owe their win to the grit, determination and style of play of their fourth line; Eric Nystrom scored twice and Steffan Kronwall netted his first NHL goal en route to surpassing the Canadiens.

Both Robyn Regehr and Dion Phaneuf played less then stellar, each being a minus-three on the night.

Also, Jerome Iginla added his first of the season while being limited to a small amount of playing time in the first.

Montreal had a lackluster second period, being out-shot 16-6, but managed to walk away tied at 3-3 at the end of 40 minutes.

Scott Gomez, Guillaume Latendresse and Tomas Plekanec scored for Montreal; the first two goals came 33 seconds apart.

This game was not about special teams; only one power play in the entire night and it was for the Flames, and Iginla did not miss his opportunity. After Jokinen wired a slapshot which rang the post, Halak had his head turned to see if the puck was in the net.

It wasn't.

It was on Iginla's stick, he then put it in the net off a backhand from a very sharp angle.

The game winning goal came at 2:16 in the third when Kronwall's shot went through a ridiculous among of traffic. At first the goal was awarded to Nystrom, accrediting him with the hat-trick, it was later shown that it deflected of Josh Gorges and Kronwall was awarded the goal.

This game marked the first appearance of the season for both Jaroslav Halak and Yannick Weber.

Halak played very well despite losing focus on the Iginla goal, and Weber looked solid on defense.

Montreal is back in action tonight against Vancouver, and Saturday against Edmonton which wraps up the away portion of the beginning of the season for them.

Montreal Canadiens in Talks With Marc-Andre Bergeron

Elie Aintabi — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:01:48 -0400

The Montreal Canadiens are in talks with the free agent defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron.

Bergeron, who played last season with the Minnesota Wild, scored 14 goals (seven on the power play) and added 18 assists in 2008-09.

Bergeron's career started with the Edmonton Oilers in 2001. He has also played for the New York Islanders, Anaheim Ducks and, most recently, the Wild.

Bergeron's reputation definitely precedes him as being a fast-skating defenseman with a knack for end-to-end rushes. His other accomplishments in the NHL include back-to-back victories in the hardest shot competition.

Bergeron has been traded three times in his career. The first came in 2007 when he was traded to the Islanders with a third-round draft pick for Denis Grebeshkov.

The second came in February 2008, when he was traded to the Ducks for a third-round draft pick.

The last and most recent trade came on June 10, 2008, when he was acquired by the Wild for a third-round draft pick.

In 339 NHL games, Bergeron has 62 goals and 98 assists for a total of 160 points. Bergeron has had 24 postseason appearances, with six points split evenly between goals and assists.

Andrei Markov Down for the Count: Canadiens Defenseman Out for Four Months

Elie Aintabi — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:38:02 -0400

Okay, so that lasted all of what, 45 minutes?

Absolutely devastating news came out of Montreal early today, with RDS breaking the way announcing that Andrei Markov will be out of the game for [up to] four months including rehab.

In short, the only hockey he is going to be seeing is on TV until about after the Olympic games set in Vancouver in February.

Just a side note before continuing: Markov was the last Canadien from last season to steadily wear the "A" in the past.

Markov stayed in Toronto as the rest of the team left for Buffalo, undergoing surgery to repair a "lacerated tendon in his left ankle."

How did this injury happen? Markov was cut by a skate, none other than Carey Price's skate, while he scrambled to get back into position before the Maple Leafs scored their third goal.

This is the second time Markov has been hurt in Toronto at the ACC. Last season, in the final game he was hit from behind into the boards by former Canadiens forward Mikhail Grabovski, blowing out his knee and forcing the defenseman to sit out the remainder of the season and playoffs.

To fill the void that Markov leaves, the Habs are going to rely on Roman Hamrlik, recently recovering from the flu, and TSN is reporting that Yannick Weber is expected to be called up from the Hamilton Bulldogs.

Weber was cut from camp and sent to the Bulldogs last week.

Finally, the worst statistic any Canadiens fan wants to hear right now (and dreadfully remembers from last season): 7-20. That's the Canadiens' record when Markov is missing from the lineup.

The best news a Canadiens fan could hear? This doesn't spell doomsday.

Jaroslav Spacek had some time last night quarterbacking the power play, which is good news with this injury.

Josh Gorges had his hands full last night, scoring the overtime winner with 12 seconds left to go in the OT. He also had a piece of Montreal's tying goal, getting the shot off while Glen Metropolit redirected it in.

With Weber and the above mentioned Hamrlik, the Habs will look to rely on Spacek, Hal Gill, Paul Mara, Gorges, and Ryan O'Byrne.

Defense looked to be a concern last night as Price was peppered with 43 shots. Something like another 25 were blocked by Canadiens defensemen.

Montreal Canadiens: A Start of a New Hab-It, I Hope

Elie Aintabi — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 09:14:54 -0400

It may be the preseason, but what the hell, it's been too long anyway. Besides, I don't know how many reviews of a game I'm going to feel this good about while I'm writing it.

So here it is, without further delay: a review of the seafood line.

The seafood line is a nickname that has spread throughout Montreal radio and small-talk pretty quickly; callamari and two shrimps, clearly referencing newcomers Cammalleri, Gomez, and Gionta. Seafood, see? It's funny, you'll get it later.

Nothing was funny about last night's game, which saw the Canadiens down walking into the third period.

That's when the lines were shuffled, Cammalleri went up to the first line after Max Pacioretty was injured. (on a side note, Jacques Martin, head coach, said "It’s nothing serious but we decided to keep him out for the third,"—so fret not about Max, he will also be re-evaluated on Tuesday.)

The result was Gionta connecting and scoring two goals and adding a helper to Scott Gomez' goal.

This marked the first time all three of the big acquisitions of the offseason played together, and big results came out of it.

After the game, Gionta had the following to say about the way the team played: "Any time you can feel good about your game at the end of it, when you finish strong, that’s good, that seems to be the theme this season, we’re finishing strong. We have to work on our starts a little bit but we’re building some good chemistry out there. They brought a lot of character guys in and kept some character guys, every third period, whether we’re behind or not, we’re giving ourselves a chance to get back in it."

As for rekindling chemistry, how about when Gionta connected with Gomez for a nice shot-handed goal, which tied the game 2-2?

About that, Gionta can only say "It’s good to be in a situation like that where you know where the guy’s going to be[...]"

As for Carey Price, he was happy his team was able to bring them back in, Price posted a .903 save percentage, stopping 28 out of 31 shots the entire game which included a strong performance in the first period with 14 saves.

Some side notes; both Crosby and Staal were held pointless tonight, Malkin, Geurin, and Gonchar all scored for Pittsburgh.

This win caps off the five straight games the Habs have played, settling the preseason record at 3-2.

The nicest goal was by far the last goal when Gionta sent it to Cammalleri who sent it back to Gionta for a one-timer where there was no chance.

On to camp cuts; notables P.K. Subban, Mike Glumac, Shawn Belle, and Erik Nielson where all sent down to the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs.

Three Stars

1. Brian Gionta

2. Scott Gomez

3. Andrei Markov

The 10 Best Solutions for the Coyotes

Elie Aintabi — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 10:57:45 -0400

Credits go to funnytoptens. Not so long ago in a desert not so far away Judge Redfield T. Baum shocked the courtroom in the Phoenix Coyotes Bankruptcy preceedings by saying he might choose neither the NHL's bid or Blackberry Billionaire Balsillie's bid for the troubled NHL Franchise. Obviously they need some help to get things done down there so here are the proposed solutions to end this mess with Phoenix, Jim Balsillie and Gary Bettman. I hope the judge is reading this, it has the best solutions that no one has said yet!

Begin Slideshow

Why Trade Dany Heatley? Seriously?!?

Elie Aintabi — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:09:34 -0400

Can somebody tell me what the hell is wrong with the hockey world today?

I don't know what's going on but today's news seem the slowest of the offseason.

What little news is being published in blogs, sports sites and even *shudder* eklunds rumor site revolves consistently either around Heatley or Phoenix.

I'm sick and tired of Phoenix. If Baldberry Balsillie wishes to bid, buy or whatever $240 and change million that's about $239 million more then what it is worth.

I don't care who get's it, the best scenario for me is if the team implodes and get its players get drafted across the NHL.

That is not the focus of this article however; I have a bigger bone to pick.

Dany Heatley. Everyone seems to be content on saying that the best thing for everyone is he gets traded as soon as possible.

Literally, what the hell.

2005-06 103 Points / 50 Goals

2006-07 105 Points / 50 Goals

2007-08 82 Points / 41 Goals

2008-09 72 Points / 39 Goals

And the best thing for a team that finished out of the running for the post-season is to NOT have him?

Honestly, what the hell?! Bring him to camp, sit him down, play his game and give him more ice time. He wants to be on the first power play unit? Fine. Does he want to be interviewed first? Fine.

Who the hell cares! The guy has scored 180 goals in four seasons.

Do you know how many Evgeni Malkin has scored in three seasons? 115.

To TIE Heatley he would have to score 65 goals this season. 65.

How about Marian Hossa? 151 in 4 seasons, 29 shy of what Heatley has done.

Never mind Heatley is coming off an off-season.

So what the hell is everyone thinking?

Is this relationship beyond a point of repair? You're telling me that Heatley isn't willing to sit down (even though the media says he is willing to) with Coach Clouston and work things out?

"He’ll do whatever they want him to do and if they want to sit down, that’s fine,[...] the situation isn’t any different. He’ll be there when camp opens and he’ll be ready to go [...]" says J.P. Barry, Heatleys agent.

I mean, I don't speak the same language as NHL-agent's do, but that seems pretty damned close to a "I'm getting worried I won't get my way, so let's sit down so I can at least play hockey without suffering an entire year" deal as it gets.

Can you imagine a team with Kovalev (assuming he can wake up more then 50% of the time), Spezza, Alfredsson and Heatley? Throw in a goalie who can do his job mostly? Why the hell would you want to trade that?!?

I have to ask, why the hell is everyone rushing to force a trade? Hold on to him! You're not going to get what he is worth, and he will still play damned good hockey. Make some concessions for the guy, he is an elite level player.

Why not give him what he wants?

What is he? Dr. Evil asking for a bazillion dollars? No. He was pissed off about ice time, which PP unit he plays for and other extremely stupid bullshit that could have been swept and dealt with a long time ago.

My question is how the hell Bryan Murray still has his job?

The NHL's Laughable Collective Bargaining Agreement Is a Serious Problem

Elie Aintabi — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 09:42:25 -0400

The salary cap has been scrutinized for quite some time. People have misused or abused it. Many facets of it hurt today's game in more ways then one. It attacks both players, teams and the league. How on earth, with lawyers on both sides when this piece of net was being written, did it manage to ever be signed and agreed by all parties?

Teams going around the salary cap was to be expected, we all knew it was going to happen. No matter what was said during the lockout, in no way did anyways actually expect the cap to bring bottom-feeders or teams without a market closer to a postseason run.

They may have said it, but they where lying straight to your face.

Before we divulge into the madness that is Hossa's contract with Chicago, Luongo's contract with Vancouver or Pronger's contract with Philadelphia, the cap is so ineffective and hurtful in so many other ways it's important to stress those other points as well.

No-Trade Clause

We might as well call this the Dany Heatley clause. This guy ruined his own reputation and damaged his teams as well all by himself. Not only did the specifics of the potential trade with Edmonton get leaked (by the way, Cogliano, Smid, and Penner aren't exactly feeling the love from Edmonton at this point) but he tied the hands of his GM, limiting the amount of free agents his team will be able to attract.

Who wants to play on a team where there best player is leaving you out to dry?

Maybe the leaked details wheren't Heatley's fault, but if there was some provision of a pre-arranged list of five teams he would go to at the beginning of his contract then you would have to wonder, would this mess have been anything other then a big name trade a team would make after not making the postseason?

If you want to use a No-Trade clause when a team is trying to sign a player long term, and is using that as a no bargaining chip you can't help but point out that the team agreed to it. If they where willing to agree to it, how much of a problem can it be?

Well, look at where Ottawa stands now.

Either do away with the No-Trades or have a list drafted which they can't object to. Plain and simple.

Long-term contracts

Ok, this is a big one.

The amount of thievery that goes on in the NHL should be reported to the cops, and if it were, Chicago would be Al Capone.

How on earth do you sign Marian Hossa, easily an $8 million player (or more), for a cap hit of roughly $5 million?

In a world where the salary cap is supposed to even out the playing field for teams, how do you explain Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Stall on the same team?

Towes, Cane, and Hossa?

Heatley, Alfredsson, and Spezza?

Lecavalier, Stamkos, St. Louis, and Hedman?

Maybe you're sitting and saying every team has players like that. Ok, stop kidding yourself.

These teams signed these players to contracts so long it makes you want to puke. How can you justify Hossa playing until he is beyond his 40s? Everyone, including Chicago and Hossa at the time of signing knew damned well that Hossa is going to retire before he reaches the end of his contract, and he will be bought out so the cap hit shrinks drastically.

But then enter the argument of the Vancouver Canucks; Luongo is being paid money he should be paying, and when you analyze salaries of comparable goalies over 40 the price being paid would be the same.

True.

But there's more to it. How on God's green earth do you expect Luongo to play beyond his 40s? He will be close to 43 in his last year of his contract, and I think the number is only eight goalies who have ever, since the 1920's have played at that age.

The wear and tear of today's goalies, never mind the fact that Luongo is playing more games consistently, is much higher.

When you take a close look only Dominik Hasek has played games beyond his 40's since 1970. He played 56 games for the Detroit Red Wings the season he turned 42 and 41 matches in the season he turned 43. As Ken Campbell of THN says "Chances are, Luongo will retire after the 2018-19 season when the big money stops rolling in.

Let’s, for a moment, assume that will be the case. That means the Canucks will have paid Luongo $60.38 million over nine years. Spread over that time period, the cap hit would be $6.71 million, so, essentially, the Canucks save almost $1.4 million in cap relief over the course of nine seasons."

A good point indeed.

Revenue Sharing

You may agree with the concept of spreading the wealth to teams who weren't as successful, but the perspective from those teams aren't as rosy.

Take an example from the Montreal Canadiens.

The increased Canadian Dollar means more money being left from their pocket since contracts are signed in US currency. That factor can't be blamed on the CBA but revenue sharing can. More money is being shifted from the pockets of the owners to players, but also revenue is being shifted to teams that don't perform as well in terms of attendance, merchandising and concessions.

Canadiens (Soon to be ex) Owner George Gillett says "We're paying substantially more in revenue sharing (and salaries) than we're saving against the old system. Some of these things are going to need examination."

I'm all for helping out the Islanders, the Coyotes and the Panthers whose markets just simply aren't in the mood to support their teams; they have nothing to support. That goes on the weight of the ownership and the General Managers, they have to build a winning team for their fans to support.

At one point enough is enough and you have to draw a line as to how much revenue from the league and other teams you are going to shift to those non-performers and just potentially move them to a market where performance isn't as much of a factor in terms of attendance.

Escrow Funds from Player Salaries

The CBA has it's upside and downside for teams and players too. One example of how the CBA is unfair towards players is as such;

In short, this year the CBA requires that some 14 percent of their total salaries be set aside for revenue shortfalls. This year alone the NHL is, and I quote, "poised to take some $120 million in cash from the escrow fund that was set up to insure that salary costs don't exceed the projected $58.7 million per-team cap."

In other words, because of the teams in the league not generating enough revenue, these monies set aside from players paychecks will go towards revenue instead of salary to insure the minimum balance. This is obviously a bad point for the players, who would be willing to fight tooth and nail for over a tenth of their paycheck.

Guaranteed Contracts

As you know, teams can buy out of a contract but still pay a portion of their salary. The thing is, if a player (see Niedermayer) decides to sit out and just not play, the team can only suspend him.

But the second he decides to come back and play, provided it is before the trade deadline when full rosters must be met, they must lift the suspension and allow him to play. The team cannot force him to retire or do anything to start playing again except for sitting and waiting.

These guaranteed contracts present a number of problems and unfairness. Nothing is stopping a team from signing a veteran player with mileage left (Sundin, Niedermayer) and having him sit out, without pay, until the trade deadline so that player doesn't get worn out for the playoffs.

These are just a portion of the bones I have to pick with the CBA. Disagree or agree, let me see it in the comments.

Dark Clouds Hover Over Tampa Bay Lightning Co-Owner Len Barrie's Buyout

Elie Aintabi — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 09:56:59 -0400

Details are starting to emerge about a buyout in Tampa Bay.

Oren Koules is wrapping up his proposal to buy out Len Barrie as co-owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning and will present it to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman by, what he hopes to be, the end of this week.

It's reported that Koules is receiving his financing from Detroit Pistons owner Bill Davidson to absorb the 35 percent share of the franchise that Len Barrie currently owns.

Only bad news has emerged out of Tampa Bay as the two are frequently reported to be combative and in non-agreement about day-to-day operations as to how the franchise should be operated; it became evident that as co-owners this relationship would not last.

Koules, citing a gag order imposed by Bettman on the situation, declined to comment. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly also declined to comment.

As far as this goes, right now it could be Barrie would be out as co-owner in the near future, but without details on a timeline, it's hard to tell. Barrie is actively seeking his own method to be bought out by dealing with Anthony Sansone Jr., a real-estate developer based out of St. Louis.

Rumors out of those deals state that Barrie actively told Bettman that this buyout method would not work, but details as to the specifics aren't clear enough to accurately state the progression of that path.

Barrie had the following to say, "Well, I haven’t pulled out yet." He added that he is “still dealing with the guy from St. Louis,” as well as “a couple other groups.”

This news comes out after reports that claim that Barrie misappropriated funds from the Bear Mountain Resort, potentially embezzling $2.5 million to buy his share of the Lightning.

These reports come from the former auditor of the Resort.

San Jose Starts To Fill Out Roster

Elie Aintabi — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 09:42:39 -0400

The San Jose Sharks started filling out the empty spots on their roster yesterday, resigning Torrey Mitchell, Brad Staubitz, and Benn Ferriero to a three-year deal, one-year deal and a two-year deal respectively.

Torrey Mitchell missed the entire season last year but did make a brief stop in the playoffs, and a rather shot stint of two games in the AHL. His previous statistics and accomplishments include in 2007-2008 he played the entire 82 game season accumulating 20 points, split evenly between goals and assists, a -3 rating and 50 penalty minutes.

Brad Staubitz adds a toughness to the sharks, standing tall at six-foot one-inch weighing in at 215 pounds. To date he has played 35 games in the NHL, all with San Jose adding up one goal, three points and 76 penalty minutes. Staubitz has been shuffled back and forth from the NHL to the AHL countless times since 2005, when he was signed as a free agent by the San Jose Sharks.

Benn Ferriero played last season as a senior for Boston College, appearing in 165 games and accumulating 64 goals and 75 assists. Originally drafted in 2006 in the seventh round, 196th overall Ferriero by the Pheonix Coyotes, Ferriero was picked up by San Jose this year in August. He was awarded to the All Rookie team in 2005-2006 season and the All Tournament team in 2007-2008.

In short, Torrey Mitchell is expected to be a solid bottom six center and Staubitz might make appearances to be a needed tough guy on the ice.

Tampa Bay Lightning Poised for a Strong Season

Elie Aintabi — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 11:44:03 -0400

In a recent article outlining the reviews of the offseason and predictions of the regular season outcome I received some scrutiny about a specific team and my prediction of them making the post-season.

That team would be the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Instead of continuously writing replies as to why these Lightning squad would be enjoying a postseason berth, I decided to write a detailed analysis as to why specifically I feel this team will make the jump from 14th to eighth or better.

Firstly if the forwards, you cannot deny that this bunch has the talent comparable to successful playoff-bound teams. They have Vincent Lecavalier, arguably one of the top forwards in the league who has already hoisted the Stanley Cup.

He has highlight reel goals almost every week and he is good for—at worst—close to 70 points a year. At his peak he has had over 50 goals and 108 points. Lecavalier is already a superstar, and the rest of his team is capable of complimenting his talent.

Next we have Martin St. Louis, who on a bad season is worth 60 points. His peak came at 102 points with 43 goals and even during last years abysmal season, he scored 30 times for a total of 80 points.

These two form a dynamic duo that can light it up on any given night.

Then we have recently drafted Steven Stamkos. His first half of his rookie season wasn't that great, in fact bomb was a word that could be used to describe it. In the second half, however, he light it up and showed a taste of what is in stock for this season. He ended the season with respects, with a total of 46 points split evenly between goals and assists.

You can't ignore Ryan Malone either, who is consistent for a good 40 to 50 points a year establishing himself as a forward who has vision, control and a good shot as well.

Throw in the most recent draft pick of Victor Hedman, known for scouting the blue-line and putting up points to boot you can expect that the Lightning blue-line will be somewhat of a challenge this year to get past.

The 220 point six-foot-six defenseman was ranked as the top European player available in the draft. He also had international experience, representing his country in each of the previous two world junior championships, winning the silver medal twice.

People can start pointing out chemistry issues, or the same type of deal as last year with major tweaking and changes while enjoying no success. To expect a repeat of that would mean you'd have to find the cracks that existing in this line-up from last year to see if it is actually repeatable this year.

Clearly, a damaging point last season was the Lightning's blue-line. This year, it enjoyed a complete overhaul. The lightning went through over 20 defensemen last season, not one of them enjoying decent numbers. Injuries occurred more often then not, and not one played more then 60 games.

What changed this off-season? Well the lightning went out and bought a couple of very good NHL caliber defense-men.

Mattias Ohlund from Vancouver, Matt Walker from Chicago, Kurtis Foster and David Hale all joined the Lightning D-Corps. Not to mention we already spoke about the No. 2 overall draft pick Victor Hedman.

To sum up so far, offence is not an issue. Stamkos, Lecavalier, St. Louis, and Ryan Malone can produce the offence needed for postseason run, and we didn't even cover their secondary scoring.

Defense looks tight, with an abundance of players looking to crack the line-up and make a slot in the NHL.

The only lingering questions that remain from last season is in goal-tending. By now, Mike Smith should be off the injury list, with his concussion problems gone.

Also, newly acquired Antero Niittymaki can be counter on to split the load should it be required.

Either way Niittymaki and Smith are walking onto the ice with a much better defensive corps ready to ease the load on these two goaltenders. So how much of a question really remains in goaltending?

So there it is, my review on the Tampa Bay Lightning and the reasons outlining my belief for a postseason berth. Agree with it or not, let me hear about it in the comments.

NHL Eastern Conference Review and Predicition

Elie Aintabi — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:29:43 -0400

As every hockey fan shuffles into their basement, grabs out whatever memrobilia they can find about their favorite team as training camp looms, everyone can only agree on two things; Dany Heatley pissed off just about everyone and this off-season has been defined simply by one word; "transactions".

So many moves have been made, some teams played the stag game and did nothing, others pretty much wiped the slate clean and went in another direction completely.

A lot of predictions have been made from Atlanta to Washington, almost always never in agreement. Let's take a look at how each team in the east sizes up, and then a prediction on when the smoke settles, where everyone will stand. Keep in mind, this prediction will be most probably 0% accurate, as are almost all predictions before a season starts.

Reviews

Atlanta Thrashers

Most people begin their assessment of the Thrashers by speaking about the Kovalchuk, situation. Will Kovalchuk sign an extension for whatever the GM Don Waddell throws his way or will he go the way of Hossa, going to the most predictable Stanely Cup Champion so that he can finally have some post-season success? That whole debacle aside, one of the key factors in Atlanta is Kari Lehtonen. The Goalie was sined in 2002 with the second overall pick, and was predicted to be a stellar NHL-calibre goalie in the ranks of Marty Brodeur and Roberto Luongo. That clearly hasn't happened, in fact this goalie has rarely played over 50 games (only once) and his injuries are the only consistent thing about him. The rest of the team bears the broad title of 'mediocre' and Kovalchuk lacks the supporting cast needed for a playoff-bound team. Even if Lehtonen plays the way everyone predicted he would, the only corner stone in this franchise is ready to jump ship after a short season.

Boston Bruins

My goodness this team was a surpise last season. In 2007-2008 the Boston Bruins finished with a grand finale of 94 points, good enough for 8th place to squeek into the playoffs. It took the Canadiens 7 games to beat them, despite the fact that they where heavily favored but it gave the Bruins a shot to show the NHL what was in store for next season. This team underwent changes that flew under the radar for quite some time. During the last season they shot up to a conference-best 116 points, one point shy of a league best just losing out on the Presidents Trophy for best regular season standings. They didn't make it past the second round, losing out in the 7th game to the surprising Carolina Hurricanes. Huge role players like David Krejci and Milan Lucic stepped up big for the Bruins, cornered by the tower that is called Zdeno Chara. And a surprise goaltender like Tim Thomas didn't hurt either. The only downside is cap space is tight, and Phil Kessel still hasn't been inked with the Bruins. Kessel was their top goal scorer last season, and while plenty of depth is available on the roster losing him will make the Bruins slightly more exploitable in the upcoming season.

Buffalo Sabres

Buffalo had one of those off-seasons that can only be called perplexing. A team that doesn't make the playoffs typically makes some changes to their lineup to improve from their faults from the previous seasons. Buffalo was not one of those teams. Clearly, the Sabres are banking on Tim Connolly and Ryan Miller staying healthy for the season . When Miller is healthy, it seems that he can be in the top 5 talent of the NHL goaltending gene-pool. His health is paramount to the Sabres success. With the loss of Briere and Drury some time back, the Sabres have never really filled the gap that those two corner stones left when they departed. That is where the bulk of weight rests on Tim Connolly's shoulders; proven to be a point per game player but somewhat injury ridden during the past two seasons. Personally, I expect this team's performance this season to remain stagnant, unless some players play beyond their potential for an extended period of time.

Carolina Hurricanes

Surprise surprise, this team is nothing but a bag of surprises. Playing past the first round last season against the Devils and Marty Brodeur last season was probably one of the biggest upsets in the playoffs. Some called it fluke, citing that bare last second goal against Brodeur in the first round. But the Hurricanes proved their strength by toppling the heavily favored Bruins in the second round over seven games. A series that people expected the Bruins to sweep as they did the Canadiens turned out to be a small preview of the determination and strength of this underrated team. The only reason I feel that Pittsburgh swept them in the conference finals was simply the Hurricanes had nothing left in the tank. Two grueling game 7's against statistically better teams took it's toll on the better players and their run came to an end. Cam Ward was able to dismiss rumors that his performance to a cup run a few years back was simply conjecture, and he is trying and able to gain a place as an elite NHL goaltender. Eric Stall proved why he was on the cover of NHL 08. If he can play the way he did in the playoffs for the entire season, it will prove to be a healthy return for the Hurricanes. Even if they just edge into the post-season, this team will prove to be a tough nut to crack.

Florida Panthers

I'm going to call this team "just what where you thinking?". How do you lose Boumeester, Luongo and Jokinen for relatively nothing over such a short period of time? This team has pretty much nothing to speak about. No franchise players and nothing breaking out in terms of depth. I don't expect much from them and quite frankly, I don't know if anyone on the roster does either. This group is relatively young with an average age of just under 28, this team still needs serious work in order to become a contender and getting into the post-season. I wouldn't put them much higher then 12th.

Montreal Canadiens

If you can name one aspect of this team that stayed the same you'd be shocking me. The core of players, the coaching, the owners, rumors of ousting the current president Pierre Boivin even the goaltending and condition coaches have been shuffled. Nothing of this team whose performance was just ranked under 'crap' right above 'looking forward to playing golf' has stayed the same this season. An eye-popping $100 million was spent this off season on inking names from the far corners of the universe; Mike Cammalleri, Travis Moen, Brian Gionta, Jaroslav Spacek, Paul Mara and Hal Gill all don the Canadiens Jersey for the first time. Say goodbye to local heros Alexei Kovalev and Saku Koivu, alongside Matthieu Schneider, Francis Boullion, Mike Komisarek, Alex Tanguay and so many others I don't even want to list them. Where will this team rank shouldn't be predicted, it should be determined through a good game of 'pin the tail on the donkey'. This team pretty much relies on its young goaltender Carey Price, who was pretty upset with himself last season waiving the post-season goodbye a la Patrick Roy style in the game 4 sweep that the Bruins handed the Canadiens. No less during their centennial season. When they finished 1st in the conference a season before that. The stings kept rolling for Montreal this past season and no one knows where they will land. All I can say is I would hate to be GM Bob Gainey if this team starts off poorly come ten games into the season.

New Jersey Devils

Let me introduce two old friends, trap this is New Jersey. New Jersey, this is the trap. The return of Jacques Lemaire's defensive-styled play won't be welcomed to much in New Jersey. Oft considered the most boring hockey to watch, you can't argue with the success Lemaire has had in the past with the trap. Lemaire returns to see old faces like Marty Brodeur but has some new superstars like Zach Parise. The question, what do you get when you mix Lemaire, the trap and pretty much 0 time devoted to offense with a 45-goal scorer like Zach Parise?

New York Islanders

Instead of writing a lengthy review, can I just sum it up and say John Tavares and everyone moves on as pretty much every Islanders fan did this off season? That's all they pretty much did except for stack up on goaltenders. This kid may be good, but he can't make a team successful over the regular season to make the post-season himself. No one can do that, Sidney Crosby couldn't do that himself without a decent supporting crowd. More moves needed on the offensive and defensive unit, stop stacking goaltenders.

New York Rangers

Hello Marian Gaborik. This guy is a top sniper in the NHL. Who cares if his legs are made of glass and his torso composed of play-dough. Sure they made great progress by freeing up cap space by sending Gomez to Montreal, but who fills that role of a number one center? Cap space is comparable to to the economy; everything says its starting to look up but the entire nation is still broke. No money for a first line center to support Gaborik means a key ingredient is missing, but the post-season is pretty much locked for the Rangers. See below for where they will fall.

Ottawa Senators

Every time I talk about the Senators to someone I'm oft called profanities I'd rather not repeat. I don't care what you say, if Heatley stays then this team marches to the Playoffs. Kovalev may be inconsistent but if you couple him with any of the big three in Ottawa (Spezza, Alfredsson or Heatley) and it's just not fair anymore. Chemistry is down, but it will go up. A few good games (and there will be many) will mean these 4 will light up the opposition more then anyone will predict. Even if Heatley and his 50 goals a season walks, Kovalev will put up a little more then half of that with the supporting crowd here. Only question mark is in nets and if Pascal Leclaire is ready, and healthy enough to be a star.

Philadelphia Flyers

Welcome back, Ray Emery. Have you left your ill-temper in Russia and find your heart yet? Obviously Emery is a key here, but not as important as people may think. The blue line has been bolstered with the inking of Chris Pronger, who will surely help out Emery from time to time. Emery has something to prove, and his cockiness and ego will be bruised beyond repair if he can't find his form that led the Senators to the Cup Finals way back when. I think he will return to form, perhaps not an elite level but with the supporting cast on this team perhaps an elite level Goaltender isn't needed.

Pittsburgh Penguins

I've never hopped on the Crosby bandwagon. I still stand by my firm statement that Ovechkin trumps Crosby from the day of the entry draft and I point to the entry of Malkin as the turning point for this teams rise and claim to fame. Will this team be able to repeat? I don't think so. Big holes have been created on the blue line, with only Jay McKee coming in to try and close them but I fear it just won't be enough. Nothing else really ground breaking here, Bill Guerin signed on again but Petr Sykora is gone, as well as his production and leadership. He was a sniper and even at his age, he knows how to shoot. This team didn't fall apart by any standards, but they've peaked and they know it as well.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Every off season this team gets me going. I always said this team is star-studded but the chemistry just falls. Goaltending has always been an issue here, but the supporting cast of Lecavalier, Tanguay, St Louis, Stamkos and now Victor Hedman make this team highly volatile and dangerous at least on paper. I have to say this is the end of the bottom-feeding for them. I see them in the post-season and I see them there strong. Disagree with me if you must, but can you imagine if this team gets another top-3 pick? I think they've hit rock bottom and are going to crawl up from here on in.

Toronto Maple Leafs

You know I read a prediction earlier today that pegged the leafs at 8th. I just don't see that, Burke knows how to manage a team better than anybody in the NHL. He came in and saw something he didn't like. A team that got pushed around and was lit up too often for his taste. So he did what he thought best; make this team the one that does the pushing. With the additions of Komisarek, Beauchemin and Colton Orr, he did just that. This team is one of the bigger muscle teams in the NHL. Burke relatively ignored offense, which is needed as well. Burke is relying on the fact that rebuilding a team doesn't take one year and he is right. He fixed the defensive corps so Toronto doesn't get manhandled this year, soon it will be time for offense. Just not yet.

Washington Capitals

Alexander Ovechkin. Period. The most clucth player in the NHL today, and apparently made of steel as well. We know offense isn't exactly a red flag, but how do defense and goaltending stack up here? You have the emerging Semyon Varlamov, who is giving every announcer a run for his money, up and coming and looking to plant his feet in Washington. Then you have Jose Theodore, the one Vezina winning goaltender looking to remake his image and credibility in the NHL. Both have something to prove and want to establish themselves (in Theodores case, once again) so you can assume that Goaltending will only rarely breakdown on this team. Besides, with Ovechkin putting up over 50 goals how many saves does a goaltender need to put up?

And finally, dear readers my absolutely 0 guarantee at how the regular season will end.

1 Washington Capitals

2 Boston Bruins

3 Pittsburgh Penguins

4 Tampa Bay Lightning

5 New York Rangers

6 Philadelphia Flyers

7 Montreal Canadiens

8 Ottawa Senators or Carolina Hurricanes (to close to call)

Hope you enjoyed the read, I'm sure some of you have a thing or two to say to me about the above critique, so feel free to use the comments and I'll be sure to reply.

Free Agents, Females and the Frickin' Media: A Rant about Our Montreal Canadiens

Elie Aintabi — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 10:04:15 -0400

As the dauntingly long offseason attempts to dwindle down, there isn't much to write about our Montreal Canadiens. The stories have been dominated about Dany Heatley, multiple-team trades, a cab-hating Blackhawk, and even the untimely death of a certain ex-Habs goaltender's son.

Regardless, too much can be written about the Canadiens upcoming season.

A lot of obstacles must be side-stepped for our team to be a contender and make it into the playoffs.

Most people would say, "How can you possibly consider an abysmal performance when we've spent over $100 million in a few days?"

Pretty easily, and for many reasons too!

The first isn't what you'd expect. It all falls on No. 31 Carey Price. The entire season rests pretty much squarely on his shoulders. His performance will be a clear indication of where the team falls when the dust settles.

His only hope is to shrug off last year's performance, and count on the fact that fans in this city have the attention span of goldfish. When we hate, we hate. When we love, we love.

And it's as easy to switch as a light.

The second is chemistry; this team has signed on six significant big names: Scott Gomez (from NYR in a six player trade), Brian Gionta (from NJD), Mike Cammalleri (from CGY), Travis Moen (from SJS), Paul Mara (from NYR), and Hal Gill (from PIT).

So you have to wonder, with so many new pieces from so many different locations, how can these newcomers mix in a city that makes it difficult enough already? Sure, Gomez and Gionta have experience alongside one another, but in New Jersey, playing a trap system.

Montreal is the center of the hockey universe, I don't care what people say about Toronto. We scrutinize and we dig and we bash players, despite their performance. How will they get along, and how long will it take to establish chemistry on and off the ice?

The third is the media. I almost love it while I most hate it.

I love it because there is always something to read about my favorite team that I follow almost religiously. I hate it because of the crap they print.

I quite honestly don't care if the Kostitsyns go out with people of questionable morals and values. Have you looked at either of them lately? They wake up thanking their lucky stars they are hockey players. I mean, they wouldn't exactly get the best looking women on their character.

Quite frankly, I don't care what they do or on what/whom they spend their money. They have a good profession, and they are entitled to do whatever they want to do. These players aren't politicians, and their lives shouldn't be scrutinized as much.

And that's just their personal lives! If Price has two soft games, you couldn't pick up any newspaper, from Le Journal to the Gazette that says how much of a slump he is in, how much the city relies on him and whatnot.

These people play hockey, they don't make a city budget. They didn't put the potholes on the 40 west and they didn't design the cesspool that is Decarie.

It's unbelievable on its own that we manage to have people stay here for the duration of time that they do, which is one of the most significant reasons I admire Koivu; he dealt with too much crap in this city.

Lastly is the fans; do you think for one season (or at least a few weeks) we let these newcomers be for just a little while? Let's not throw them under the limelight (or bus, depending on performance) for just a few weeks?

Expect some bad times in the beginning, and give them a break. These guys don't know what they've gotten themselves into.

I remember reading a piece of an interview with Scott Gomez who said something about learning French and comparing the media and fans of New York to Montreal. Gomez, with respects, you don't read this Web site, but if you do, you have no idea what you're talking about.

Prepare to be thrown women and alcohol, all on Buona Notte or Time SupperClub, prepare to be booed one minute and cheered the next. You're about to go on a roller coast that Six Flags has been trying to mimic for years.

Personally, I wouldn't want to be Bob Gainey for a few weeks into the season. He's not an idiot, by anyone's standards, so he knows tough times are ahead for the first few games. It should be expected that chemistry is built, not bought.

I know this team will click. Whether it is before December or not is anyone's guess.

I hope for the sake of Bob Gainey, the new owners, and new teammates that they can shrug off most of the media, about half of the fans, and a hell of a lot of critics and focus on the simple task at hand that gets lost in all of the above.

Playing hockey for the greatest city in the world.

Curtis Sanford To Montreal: Precursor to a Major Move

Elie Aintabi — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:32:41 -0400

All day today, all sources pointed to the Habs being involved in a three way trade with a couple of teams all surrounding the never ending drama that is Dany Heatley.

I dismissed it all as rumors, conjecture and/or speculation with no merit or fact behind it. The latest move by the Habs makes me think differently.

If you live in Montreal, you know the saga already. Price and Halak, battling for the starting position. Halak seemed to not get his rightful shot in Montreal, with too much weight behind the conception that Carey Price will carry this team to a new height.

Last season, as Price's play strayed from the straight line we all thought he would measure up to, Halak stepped in and played extremely well, especially towards the end of the season.

Some called for Halak to start in the playoffs. Some said Halak wanted out when he wasn't given a shot he thought he had earned by that point.

This latest piece of news makes me thing something big is about to go down in a town where hockey is important as air to its citizens.

Montreal had signed goaltender Curtis Sanford from Vancouver. No numbers have been announced yet; Sanford made $650,000 last year. What is more important then his previous cap hit was his play; 2.69 goals-against average over 35 regular season games with a .903 save percentage.

So what, you might ask? I think this acquisition makes room to potentially drift Halak out of town, giving him a shot in a city where he will have a greater shot at a starting position. In other words, signing Sanford makes Halak trade bait.

The word is this makes way for a three-way trade with San Jose and Ottawa, potentially setting ground for Heatley to the sharks and Marleau to the Canadiens.

With cap space very tight in San Jose, rumors of Heatley going to Edmonton brewing again and the numerous moves by the Canadiens mark these words—something is about to go down in the NHL.

NHL Free Agency Deadline: Last UFA's Standing

Elie Aintabi — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 10:04:09 -0400

We are well past the free agency period, and this year, there was a large amount of players up for grabs. Most of the big names have been signed and locked up, some for a ridiculously long time (Marian Hossa may be playing when his first born is ready for the draft).

So you have to wonder:

Who is left?

I stumbled across a list of the top 38 UFAs out of what was perceived to be the 100 most coveted UFAs, and I feel the need to re-post it here on B/R.

Rank	Name	Position	Age	Team	Salary Cap Hit*
1	Alex Tanguay	LW	29.6	Montreal	$5.25
2	Sergei Zubov	D	38.9	Dallas	$5.35
3	Martin Biron	G	31.9	Philadelphia	$3.5
4	Robert Lang	C	38.5	Montreal	$4
5	Manny Fernandez	G	34.8	Boston	$4.3
6	Mats Sundin	C	38.4	Vancouver	$8.211
7	Petr Sykora	RW	32.6	Pittsburgh	$2.5
8	P.J. Axelsson	LW	34.3	Boston	$1.85
9	Derek Morris	D	30.8	New York Rangers	$3.917
10	Jason Williams	C	28.9	Columbus	$2.2
11	Taylor Pyatt	LW	27.9	Vancouver	$1.575
12	Manny Malhotra	C	29.1	Columbus	$1.2
13	Brendan Shanahan	LW	40.4	New jersey	$0.8
14	Dennis Seidenberg	D	27.9	Carolina	$1.2
15	Domonic Moore	C	28.9	Buffalo	$0.9
16	Mike Comrie	C	28.8	Ottawa	$4
17	Martin Gerber	G	34.8	Toronto	$3.7
18	Mathieu Schneider	G	40	Montreal	$5.625
19	Jassen Cullimore	D	36.6	Florida	$0.83
20	Andy Hilbert	C	28.4	New York Islanders	$0.675
21	Miroslav Satan	RW	34.7	Pittsburgh	$3.5
22	Michael Grier	RW	34.5	San Jose	$1.775
23	Michael Sillinger	C	38	New York Islanders	$2.2
24	Michael Peca	C	35.3	Columbus	$1.315
25	Blair Betts	C	29.4	New York Rangers	$0.615
26	Martin Skoula	D	29.7	Minnisota	$1.8
27	M-A Bergeron	D	28.7	Minnisota	$1.254
28	Francis Bouillon	D	33.7	Montreal	$1.875
29	Bret Hedican	D	38.9	Anaheim	$0.871
30	Rob Neidermayer	C	34.5	Anaheim	$2
31	Ville Peltonen	LW	36.1	Florida	$1.1
32	Eric Perrin	C	33.7	Atlanta	$0.75
33	Maxim Afinogenov	RW	29.8	Buffalo	$3.333
34	Todd Bertuzzi	RW	34.4	Calgary	$1.95
35	Philippe Boucher	D	36.3	Pittsburgh	$2.4
36	Christian Backman	D	29.2	Columbus	$2.3
37	Radek Bonk	C	33.5	Nashville	$1.475
38	Ryan Bayda	LW	28.6	Carolina	$0.475

*all salary amounts are in millions.

A couple of eye-poppers there, don't you think?

There are several players who had ridiculous salaries last year, only to not be signed this year, indicating a significant drop-off.

Out of the list, here is who I feel would be an absolute steal:

Brendan Shanahan

At 40-years-old, you can get him for last year's price. A one-year deal at just under $800,000 would be a nice pickup for someone of his talent and age. A veteran of the times, he is sure to add some spark to any team.

Maxim Afinogenov

This guy had his best season before, Buffalo was knocked out of the playoffs a few years back. He is the type that needs a solid center to feed him the puck, but his speed and eyes on the ice should be coveted by any team looking for a pretty solid second line winger. He might have been overpaid last year at close to $3.5 million, but don't expect him to wait until training camp starts before he is inked.

Alex Tanguay

This is interesting, considering Montreal picked him up just last year for a first round pick. He may be recovering from a significant injury, but at 30 you have to assume he's got a few good years left. His dismal debut with Montreal will lead to a salary cut no matter where he signs, but not by much, thanks to his output before the 2008-09 centennial season with the Canadiens.

Martin Biron

You'd think with a lot of teams in both conferences looking for a solid and consistent performance between the pipes, this guy would have been picked up already.

Philadelphia and Buffalo have been able to count on Biron numerous times in the past and his numbers which always seem to go up (.908, .918 and .915, respectively from 2006-07 up until today). There has even been chatter about Biron headed to the KHL.

With numbers like his, and a significant increase to the offensive punch of all teams in the NHL, why is no one picking up a veteran goaltender?

Mats Sundin

At least there weren't 500 stories over the summer (so far) about whether he will do as he did last year. We know with the new contracts Vancouver signed with the Sedin twins that there isn't much cap room to pay out another $8.5 million for his services, so where he will go is entirely up to him.

Thank goodness we haven't been bombarded with stories about him by TSN.

Petr Sykora

After freshly winning the cup with Pittsburgh, and scoring that goal in game five, you would think Pittsburgh would try to keep him, even at his current salary or maybe at a discount. Some players have been known to do this, especially to remain with a cup contending team, but you can count that out for Petr. Numerous stories and sources say he is done with Pittsburgh, the reason being he and new head coach Dan Bylsma just haven't connected.

Manny Fernandez

Another solid NHL goaltender. Fernandez has shown he can handle the starting position, but his previous salary shows he won't come cheap. Obviously, Tim Thomas took the number one job from Fernandez, and that drop in playing time will obviously force him to take a hit under $4 million per year at whatever length of a contract. One thing is for certain, there is always a home for a decent goaltender in the NHL.

All in all, there are still some bargains and discounts out there. I wouldn't mind seeing Radek Bonk back with the Canadiens, personally, or at his price, Peca on a third line with some offensive grit.

By now, these free agents are getting nervous that the offer sheets haven't been rolling in, so don't be surprised if you hear an announcement of the addition of Martin Biron at $2.5 million per year for 3 years or Alex Tanguay signed to a 4 year, $15 million contract.

These players will sign, and at a lower price they could very well be on your team as well.

Montreal Canadiens Player Profile: Hal Gill

Elie Aintabi — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 17:47:32 -0400

Note to the reader: This is the fourth of a series of articles reviewing the newly acquired players who have signed with the Montreal Canadiens.

As the series continues, today we will be taking a look at what Hal Gill brings to the table in his acquisition to the Montreal Canadiens. Considered to be a strong stay-at-home defenseman, Hal Gill brings strength and size to the smaller Montreal Canadiens.

The 34 year old just came off a stellar season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, winning the Stanley Cup for the first time in his entire career.

Gill, originally drafted by Boston in the eighth round (207th overall) in 1993, played most of his career which include eight seasons and 600 games for Boston. After all this time and relatively reliable play, he signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2006 as a free agent.

In his entire career, Hal Gill has amassed 31 goals and 120 assists for a grand total of 151 points over 851 career NHL games.

Gill's play wasn't as consistent as the Maple Leafs expected, and was eventually traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he won the Stanley Cup. But what he brings to Montreal is his size and strength.

Standing tall at 6-foot-7 and 250 pounts, Hal Gill is the apparent answer to what the Habs have in line for Brian Burke's revamping of a much bigger and strong Toronto Maple Leafs. In fact, Hal Gill will be the biggest player in the Canadiens history.

Gill is not the fastest of defensemen, but Hal Gill is surely there to be a brick wall. The question remains however, what is Montreal doing stocking up on left-handed defensemen?

Hall Gill was signed the day free agency began to a two-year, $4.5 million contract, keeping him here for the immediate future.

Travis Moen Signs Three-Year, $4.5 Million Deal with Montreal Canadiens

Elie Aintabi — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 11:56:46 -0400

The Montreal Canadiens and General Manager Bob Gainey continued to reshape the face and defensive core of Les Habitants today, signing Travis Moen to a three-year $4.5 million contract.

Moen, the second acquisition in as many hours on Friday, adds some much needed grit, size, and toughness on the front lines, while the addition of Paul Mara adds an even bigger thickness to the blue line.

"Travis Moen is a character player, he is versatile and he plays hard. His size and style will contribute to adding physicality to our team," Gainey said in a release addressing the media regarding the addition of Moen.

Moen has made many stops in his career, tuning up his engines in both Anaheim before being traded to San Jose collecting seven goals nine assists. In his entire NHL career, Travis Moen has 29 goals and 27 assists with more penalty minutes (487) than amount of games played (362).

Moen also brings his Stanley Cup experience to the team, scoring the winning goal to click the Cup back in 2007 with Anaheim.

"I'm a physical guy, finish my checks, stick up for teammates, am good defensively, do a lot of (penalty-killing) and try to chip in offensively when I can. There's a lot of history in Montreal and they look like they're going to have a great team again." Moen said to reporters Friday.

Moen knows the western conference very well, adding stops in Chicago and being drafted by Calgary to his repertoire. Despite being drafted by Calgary in the fifth round, 155th overall in 2000, he was never tendered a contract by his Calgary Flames and remained in the WHL.

After his short stint, Chicago picked up the left-handed winger and broke the lineup in the 2004 season, playing all 82 games in the season.

In his short career with Anaheim, he played on the third line and was never sent down or switched lines. He scored the Cup-winning goal and enjoyed winning the Stanley Cup.

When asked why he joined the Montreal Canadiens, Moen said it was because he felt the latest acquisitions conducted by GM Bob Gainey made Les Habitants Stanley Cup contenders.

Montreal Canadiens Player Profile: Mike Cammalleri

Elie Aintabi — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:12:56 -0400

Note to the reader: This is the third of a series of articles reviewing the newly acquired players who have signed with the Montreal Canadiens.

In a city where hockey is more then a game, a passion or even a way of life, Bob Gainey is king.

The Canadiens GM is responsible for so much, more so then any other GM. Most other GMs have an owner or a board of executives to answer to and in some cases, there is not to much to answer to.

Montreal is quite the opposite; this team doesn't belong to the Molsons, who have put in a bid and are wildly accepted to be the new owners of Les Habitants. In actuality, the three million residents of the city consider themselves to be the owners; much more if you include the population of the majorly francophone province.

We have discussed two acquisitions the team has made thus far; Scott Gomez and Brian "Gio" Gionta. These so far are not the biggest names to be added to the Montreal Canadiens.

The biggest splash in the pool that is Montreal is Mike Cammalleri, the Ontario native who was signed after playing his biggest NHL point producing season with the Calgary Flames. Cammalleri had 82 points, a figure that included 39 goals.

A self proclaimed Maple Leafs fan, Cammalleri was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the second round (49th overall) back in the 2001 NHL entry draft.

Later, Cammalleri was involved in a three-way deal with the Anaheim Ducks, the Calgary Flames and the Los Angeles Kings. The Flames acquired Cammalleri from the Kings while swapping their 17th overall pick in the draft. Los Angeles then dealt their 17th draft pick along with their 28th pick to the Anaheim Ducks for their 12th overall pick.

This was at the same time another former Flame made their way to Montreal; Alex Tanguay, who has not been signed by any team as of the time this article is being written.

Mike Cammalleri was recently on TSN's Off the Record with Michael Landsberg, where he discussed an array of topics, including his hit on Martin Havlat which many argue should have been a suspension but only received a two-minute minor;

"Yeah, well, it's a good thing your doing this...No I don't think I was surprised [I did not get suspended] I think that there where some circumstances that the league went through and reasons they made the decision they did." Cammalleri said.

About his most recent season and success, he had to answer about where he would go, and why; "It's pretty interesting trying to go through it all with my agent, and figure out where you might be and all those things and the market sets itself for its value that day, and so, really anxious, really nervous."

Cammalleri added that three or four teams where all bidding around the same number, and to why he chose the Canadiens; "No it's, I couldn't be happier with the Canadiens...I love the Leafs, but a lot of love for Montreal."

After a few more words, Cammalleri showed what talent he has in the French language. When asked a question in French which translated to "Do you think it will be difficult to play with a defensive minded coach?" he answered, "Thank you very much" (in french).

Cammalleri then seriously added that to be successful and to be a good offensive team you have to start with a good defense.

About playing with Scott Gomez, Camalleri says the acquisition played a big role in his decision, showing what he (Bob Gainey) was trying to do.

About the media in Montreal, Cammalleri simply said, "It can bring a level of focus and bring your game to another level. It's quite a privilege to know that so many people are so passionate about the team."

Cammalleri added, "When you know the fans are that passionate about your team and your performance where it can make so many people happy or unhappy it's just, it's a motivator."

Mike Cammalleri, like many other big free agents, has had a successful international career as well as a successful NHL career; Cammalleri was a member of the Canadian IIHF World Championship team that won the gold against Finland in Moscow in May.

He also won bronze in 2001 in the World Junior Championships and silver in the 2002 World Junior Championships while going on to become the tournament's Most Valuable Player.

Cammalleri was signed to a five-year, $30 million deal with the Canadiens on July 1. He's coming off his best season ever, as Montreal locks him up through the 2014 season.

Mike Cammalleri is expected to pick up the scoring load following the departure of mostly all of the Canadiens former UFAs which include snipers Alexei Kovalev and Alex Tanguay.

The attribute that makes Cammalleri an interesting acquisition is his ability to be shifted through lines. You can potentially throw him on the first line with Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta as a winger or as a center to distribute your scoring power more evenly.

Cammalleri is also a proven power play surgeon, but the issue remains to be seen if he can produce without the likes of Jarome Iginla to compliment his talent or better yet if he can make other players around him excel.

All in all, no one knows where to put the Canadiens based off these signings alone. Will the chemistry be there and prove to be a decent decision to commit long term to these three players? Or will a free agent frenzy bust be more likely?

Montreal Canadiens Player Profile: Brian Gionta

Elie Aintabi — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:15:41 -0400

Note to the reader: This is the second of a series of articles reviewing the newly acquired players who have signed with the Montreal Canadiens.

He goes by the name of "Gio." That's how the media in New Jersey call him, it is what his teammates call him and it's what I'm going to call him.

That is the nickname of one Brian Gionta. Gionta, no stranger to the playoffs or success, has played thus far his entire career with the New Jersey Devils. Some 310 games into his career (plus an additional 50 in the postseason) made him a coveted asset to the Habs, specifically general manager Bob Gainey, who sought after Gionta days after he acquired his former teammate Scott Gomez through a trade.

Gionta was a member of the 2003 Stanley Cup championship team. Gionta, not know for his size but more for his fiery play, is officially listed at 5'7" inches. Literally one of the smallest players in the National Hockey League.

Before the free agent frenzy, Bob Gainey of the Canadiens released a statement declaring his intentions for a big first-line franchise player, similar to what Vincent Lecavalier is to the Lightning, or what Rick Nash is to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Bob Gainey took a different step with Gionta, realizing the potential to rekindle that Stanley Cup chemistry that Gomez and Gionta had back in 2006.

Gionta was the secret weapon of New Jersey. Ignoring his size, Gionta never allowed that to interfere with his point production. It's no surprise that both Gomez and Gionta enjoyed their best seasons playing alongside one another.

Gionta holds numerous records with the New Jersey Devils, including the franchise record for goals in a season which he set at 48.

To date, Brian Gionta has played 488 NHL games, all with the New Jersey Devils, for a total of 324 points, 157 of which where goals.

In 60 postseason appearances with the Devils, Gionta has 35 points, 17 of which were goals.

You can expect to see Gionta on a line with Gomez and Cammalleri, as those were the three biggest acquisitions this year for the Canadiens.

Paul Mara Signs $1.9 Million Deal With Montreal Canadiens

Elie Aintabi — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:59:42 -0400

Like sand through the hour glass, these are the days of our Habs.

Bob Gainey, GM of the Montreal Canadiens, knows what it means to be a worker bee. First, he traded Christopher Higgens combined with the rights of another player and a first-round draft pick for Scott Gomez and his $7.3 million per year contract for the next five years.

Then he spends just about $107 million in signing Hal Gill, Jaroslav Spacek, Mike Cammalleri and Brian Gionta in contracts ranging from two years to five years.

His next move to beef up and make up the loss of Mike Komisarek to the Toronto Maple Leafs?

Signing Paul Mara to a one-year contract. Terms of the deal have not yet been released but it is estimated to be in the $1.9 million range.

"Paul Mara will bring size and experience to our group of defensemen. He can contribute to all facets of the game," Gainey said in a statement.

Paul Mara came off a less-than-impressive season last year. With 16 assists and five goals, his point production was capped at 21. In his 10 seasons in the NHL, Mara has a total of 239 points, 63 of which are goals.

Mara was considered to be a potential top two defenseman, as he went seventh overall in the 1997 NHL entry draft.

Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Antero Niittymaki

Elie Aintabi — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:41:41 -0400

The Antero Niittymaki dilemma finally came to an end today. The announcement came from Executive Vice President and GM Brian Lawton, saying, "We fully recognized the need to add an experienced backup goaltender this summer and today we feel we’ve accomplished that goal.

“Not only is Antero already an established number two in the NHL who can steal games, but we feel he is very capable of working with Mike Smith to give us a formidable one-two punch in goal."

The Finland native Niittymaki has been looking for a new home as of recent when he and Martin Biron could not agree on contracts with the Philadelphia Flyers, the only NHL team Niittymaki ever played for.

It is not that Niittymaki was a bad goaltender--he has played 161 NHL games while posting close to .500 with a 62-61-23 record--and he appeared to be somewhat consistent, maintaining a 90.1 percent save percentage.

In his rookie year, Niittymaki was tied for third among NHL rookie goaltenders with 23 wins, which was a Flyers first since 1986-1987.

Niittymaki had more international success, sending Team Finland to the gold medal game, eventually winning the silver medal in the 2006 Winter Olympic Games. He was also named the tournament MVP.

Niittymaki brings a solid touch of goaltending to a star-studded Tampa Bay Lightning squad. Goaltending has always been considered to be the only crack in the wall that is the Lightning.

Last season was an improvement for Niittymaki, as he saw both his save percentage increase from .907 to .912 and his goals-against decrease from 2.91 to 2.76.

With stars such as Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St-Louis, Steven Stamkos and second overall pick Victor Hedman, who signed a three-year entry deal, the Lightning appear to have few weaknesses in offense or defense.

The question remains, can the Finnish goaltender handle the pressure and strain of a full NHL season and backstop the Lightning to another success playoff appearance?

Canadiens Player Profile: Scott Gomez

Elie Aintabi — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:15:29 -0400

Note to the reader: This will be the beginning of a series of articles reviewing the newly acquired players who have signed with the Montreal Canadiens.

Scott Gomez has had a decorated career. Just creeping up in his 30s, Gomez is considered to have a lot left in the tank. This obviously played a big impact in the deal. Canadians GM Bob Gainey traded away Christopher Higgers, who recently signed to a contract with the New York Rangers, along with others to pick up the 5' 11", 200 pound left handed center.

The former Calder Memorial Trophy winning center is also a Stanley Cup Champion, as you undoubtedly know with the New Jersey Devils. His best success was playing alongside Brian Gionta, who was also recently acquired by the Canadiens.

To date, Gomez has played in 706 NHL games posting 578 career points of which 148 were goals.

Before the free agent frenzy started, Bob Gainey was quoted as saying, "It's no surprise we are in the market for a big first line center."

Gomez is not that big, but he will be the first line center for the Montreal Canadiens.

His salary was what was most spoken about when he was acquired, an annual cap hit of $7.35 million. Not only is his salary costly, but so was the price to acquire him.

Les Habitants had to send down a consistent 20 goal scorer in Christopher Higgers, alongside former first-round draft pick Ryan McDonagh, Pavel Valentenko (who hasn't seen any NHL experience), and the rights to Doug Janik.

Montreal was thrown Tom Pyatt and Mike Busto, both having never played in the NHL before.

The Rangers agreed to this deal in order to free up cap space. This is pretty apparent as they have signed injury-plagued Marian Gaborik to a multi-year deal.

Both Gaborik and the New York Rangers have stated his injury-riddled days are well behind, and he is capable of playing a full season.

Gomez last season didn't have a fruitful season, limiting himself to 58 points, 16 of which were goals. With the league average for points being 23, Gomez produced some results. It's still not enough to warrant his salary and cap hit, which is the sixth highest in the NHL for the upcoming season.

Canadiens GM Bob Gainey said, "We are extremely pleased to have acquired a player of the caliber of Scott Gomez. He is an outstanding play maker and an excellent skater. Having won the Stanley Cup twice with the New Jersey Devils, he brings to our team a lot of playoff experience. Scott is an elite player who will certainly contribute to the success of our team for years to come."

That is what Montreal hopefuls are praying for. If the production of Gomez continues to steadily decline, the salary cap hit will make trading the center nearly impossible in the future.

Then the Habs would be stuck with a lame duck center at an expensive price for the next 5 years.

Gomez was selected in the first round in the 1998 NHL entry draft, going as the 27th overall pick by New Jersey. His playoff experience is undeniable, he was named the league's best rookie forward in his entry year while simultaneously winning the Stanley Cup for the first time.

It is this reason why GM Bob Gainey most likely signed Brian Gionta. It is alongside this winger that Scott Gomez enjoyed his most success and best point production. Surely Bob Gainey wishes to rekindle this chemistry that existed.

All in all, you can expect Gomez to be alongside Brian Gionta once again, along with newly acquired Mike Cammalleri. He is coming off his best NHL performance to date with 82 points, 39 of which where goals with the Calgary Flames.

All three of those players where newly acquired by the Montreal Canadiens. You don't need a crystal ball to see that they have more then just being the future top line of the Canadiens.

All are considered to be relatively small, sticking with the Canadiens motif that skill outweighs size. Will it succeed in the NHL? Only time will tell.

Ales Kotalik Signs Three-Year, $9 Million Deal with Rangers

Elie Aintabi — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:22:50 -0400

It appears as though Ales Kotalik is packing his bags and leaving oil-rich Edmonton. Kotalik, the latest on a short list of acquisitions by the New York Rangers, has been signed to a three-year contract worth $9 million, as reported by multiple sources.

While this isn't exactly the player the Rangers were looking for, the right winger has had relatively good success, specifically in 2005-06 when he had his career high in goals (25), assists (37), and points (62) on the Buffalo Sabres.

In the season following he had a 71.5 percent success rate in the shootout and was tied for the second most shootout-winning goals in the league. Kotalik was sent from Buffalo to the Oilers on March 4, 2009 in exchange for a second round draft pick in the 2009 NHL entry draft.

Kotalik has twice entered the international playing level, including the 2006 Winter Olympics and the 2008 World Championships, posting a total of 11 games played, five goals, and two assists (all in the 2008 World Championships), but posting no points in the 2006 Winter Olympics.

Saku Koivu to Anaheim Ducks: End Of an Era

Elie Aintabi — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:25:39 -0400

Saku Koivu is as widely known in Montreal as Santa Claus.

Montreal has revolved around him as captain of their Canadiens for nine years.

He has the second-longest tenure as captain during Montreal's' 100-year-old history.

But a new day has started in Montreal.

Many free agents have left, and all but a handful of veterans with experience remain. At the end of the postseason last year, Koivu knew that his time was most likely coming to an end.

His contract was not renewed—we are not even entirely sure if he was tendered an offer sheet. Some were hoping the GM of the Habitants would throw him a contract. Maybe good old Koivu would settle for a hometown discount.

Koivu knew the team would probably be changing direction, stating after the postseason, "If I'm not signed by July 1, I don't think I'll be back in Montreal. Finishing your career with one team would be awesome in a way, but it's too early to say because I don't know what the team's plan is."

That is not the case. Today, Koivu signed a one-year, $3.25 million contract with the Anaheim Ducks.

Koivu will reunite with a teammate from the international level, Teemu Selanne. The pair helped Finland get the Silver Medal in the 2006 Olympic Games.

"I'm very excited to join the Ducks this coming season, I'm also looking forward to a full season with Teemu Selanne as a teammate," he said.

Koivu is one of those story players; one who overcame adversity on and off the ice.

He was not only plagued with career-ending injuries, but life threatening ones as well.

His first was in the 2002 season when he battled with Intra-abdominal non-Hodgkins lymphoma, a type of cancer. The next was came 2006 when Koivu was struck in the eye during a playoff match against the Hurricanes.

Koivu has played 792 games, all with the Canadiens. He has 191 goals and 450 assists for a total of 641 points.

"Saku Koivu's character and leadership qualities are unquestioned, he is a skilled playmaker and we are thrilled to add him to our team," Ducks' GM Bob Murray said.

Jiri Hudler Signs with Dynamo Moscow of the KHL

Elie Aintabi — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:22:54 -0400

It has been a sour state of affairs in Detroit for the Red Wings of late.

It's already been said numerous times that the loss of Hossa to Chicago, Samuelsson to Vancouver, Kopecky, and Conklin will hurt the Red Wings enough.

Then it came down to Jiri Hudler, who elected to go to salary arbitration with his Detroit Red Wings. No coach or GM likes salary arbitration, as it always leaves a somewhat bitter taste in their mouths.

Arbitration works like this: A player presents his accomplishments and qualities to an arbitrator, indicating that his services are worth whatever amount of dollars he thinks.

Here is where the sour taste comes in. It is then that the GMs turn to indicate the downside and negative effect the player has had in attempts to deflate his value so an amicable price can be reached for both parties.

Constructive criticism isn't welcomed by most, hockey players included, especially when it dictates salary.

The latest reports are coming from TSN and their sister station in Quebec, Canada titled RDS.

They claim that Jiri Hudler has signed a one-year, $2 million contract within the KHL (Kontinental Hockey League) with the Dynamo Moscow.

As you may or may not know, the NHL and the KHL do not have the best of relations with one another, as players ignore contractual obligations with clubs to swap to the other side.

Hudler was believed to be in the middle of negotiating a contract with the Red Wings when he filed for arbitration, which was supposed to have taken place from July 20 and Aug. 4 for all players that elected to go that route.

By filing for arbitration, Hudler locked his options since rules and by-laws dictate that no other team can tender an offer sheet.

The Red Wings seem to be dropping a significant portion of the Stanley Cup winning roster from 2008. That same lineup went to the seventh game for the Cup in 2009.

Hudler had 23 goals and 57 points last season with the Red Wings while making just over $1 million.

These latest events continue the bitter relationship, and battles over player rights with respects to their obligation to existing contracts between the NHL and KHL, where no one sees an end within reach.