NHL Hot Stove

[sensei_hanson]

So after Comrie's 11th meeting with the Oil to re-confirm that he'll never play in Edmonton again, it looks like that deal w/Anaheim is just about done.

I feel for Lowe and the rest of the Oilers brass. Not only are their collective nuts being thrown in a vice by this little bastard, they've suddenly become the second-best team in Alberta for the first time in about seven years. I know Lowe doesn't want to get anything less than market value for Comrie, but the rest of the NHL is pretty aware of the Oilers' struggles and, generally speaking, desperate teams make desperate moves to upgrade talent. Which means nobody is going to overpay for Comrie.

Apparently it's Chistov and Lupul for Comrie. Anaheim can afford to mortgage some youth given the makeup of their team (somewhat veteran laden) - and I guess this would help out the Oil as they get two good prospects while keeping their current roster intact.

 

[sensei_hanson]

Bruce Cassidy got the axe in Washington today.

While I don't necessarily care about the Caps or their future, I feel for Cassidy. His first NHL job was to manage a collection of overpaid, brooding malcontent Europeans who basically only play when they feel motivated to do as much.

You don't even coach that lot, you just kinda supervise them. Even more depressing is that Glen Hanlon looks like he's going to get his first NHL head-coaching gig having to deal with this mess.

Enjoy being the sacraficial lamb for the rest of the year, Glen.

 

[Buckfast]

Diaper Dandies

Datsyuk's goal. Off the hizzy.

Buckfast

 

[Argyle]

So much for the Canucks enforcer!

Sens claim Brookbank, demote Emery

Canadian Press
12/19/2003

OTTAWA (CP) - Defenceman Wade Brookbank is on the move again.
The Ottawa Senators claimed Brookbank off waivers from the Vancouver Canucks on Friday and also assigned goalie Ray Emery to Binghamton of the AHL.
Vancouver acquired Brookbank, 26, from the Nashville Predators for future considerations Wednesday, then placed the native of Lanigan, Sask., on waivers. Had the six-foot-four, 255-pound Brookbank cleared waivers, the Canucks would have assigned him to the Manitoba Moose, their AHL affiliate.
Nashville picked up Brookbank from Ottawa during the NHL's waiver draft Oct. 3. Brookbank appeared in nine games with the Predators, registering 38 penalty minutes.
Ottawa signed Brookbank as a free agent in July 2001.
Emery, who was recalled Dec. 9, served as backup to Patrick Lalime for two games before stopping 27 shots in a 6-1 win over Chicago on Thursday.
Emery, a Hamilton native, has appeared in 18 games for Binghamton this season. He has posted an 8-7-2 record, 2.37 goals-against-average and .917 save percentage.

 

[Argyle]

Forget last post...

Wade Brooksbank is back with the Canucks...but for how long. We should start him his own thread.

 

[zenga]

Bertuzzi's the people's choice


Despite his struggles this season, the power forward was the top vote getter for forwards in the Western Conference.

Power winger Todd Bertuzzi of the Vancouver Canucks and three members of the struggling Dallas Stars were elected by the fans to start the 54th NHL all-star game, the league announced Thursday.

Bertuzzi will be in the Western Conference line-up when it meets the Eastern Conference in the all-star game Feb. 8 in St. Paul, Minn.

Also: Avery still fuming over Cooke

The six-foot-three 235-pound right-winger led Western forwards with 104,361 votes by fans, who elected the starting line-ups for an 18th year.

Bertuzzi's line will include winger Bill Guerin (86,657 votes) and centre Mike Modano (86,199), both of Dallas. The Stars' Marty Turco will be the starting goaltender after drawing 79,305 votes.

"It's certainly a great honour considering all the things that have happened this year, and personally the way I've been playing," said Modano, who had eight goals and 17 assists heading into their game Thursday. "If I wasn't voted in, I probably, absolutely wouldn't be going."

The West defence has Detroit Red Wing Nicklas Lidstrom (90,995), who will make a sixth consecutive all-star game start, and Rob Blake (104,809) of the Colorado Avalanche, who will make his fourth start in five years.

The Eastern Conference team includes the backbone of the Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils, with Martin Brodeur (136,495) in goal behind defencemen Scott Niedermayer (104,567) and Scott Stevens (121,838).

It will be a 14th all-star game for Stevens and the seventh for Brodeur.

"Having three of us starting is the ultimate honour," said Brodeur.

Added Niedermayer: "This will be my third time there, but with three of us starting it is going to be a lot of fun."

The most popular player was dynamic Atlanta Thrashers winger Ilya Kovalchuk, who drew 145,380 votes. His linemates are Martin St-Louis (79,707) of the Tampa Bay Lightning and centre Joe Thornton (51,247) of the Boston Bruins.

The rest of the all-star teams will be picked by the NHL's Hockey Operations Department in consultation with the league's general managers. The full teams will be announced Jan. 22.

As usual, there was some bizarre voting.

The Thrashers' Dany Heatley, who has not played this season due to injuries from a car crash last summer that killed teammate Dan Snyder, drew 38,158 votes, 11th among Eastern Conference wingers.

"(Heatley) tells me it was lots of fun. It's going to be exciting," said Kovalchuk, a first-time All-Star. "He is a great player. We all miss him."

And Jason Allison of the Los Angeles Kings, who also missed the first half because of an injury, was fifth among Western centres with 47,833 votes.

Three Canucks just missed starting assignments. Markus Naslund finished third among wingers with 82,622 votes, goaltender Dan Cloutier was second to Turco with 59,078 and Ed Jovanovski was third among defencemen with 85,208.

Toronto goaltender Ed Belfour came in second to Brodeur in the East with 89,685 votes while Montreal's Jose Theodore (39,951) was fourth and Ottawa's Patrick Lalime (35,091) was fifth.<

Toronto's Owen Nolan was fourth among Eastern wingers with 61,082 while Leafs captain Mats Sundin was fifth among centres with 36,618.

Fans also voted for an NHL Legendary All-Star Team among retired greats. It is to be announced during all-star game weekend in St. Paul.

 

[zenga]

Cliff Ronning signed a one year deal with the Islanders.

 

[Keeper]

Sportsnet.ca:
After breaking his stick on a scoring chance midway through the third period, the Senators captain faked throwing it in the stands, seemingly poking fun at his Swedish counterpart Mats Sundin, the Maple Leafs captain suspended for Thursday's game because of his stick-throwing incident two nights earlier.

Did anyone else see this highlight? Fun-ny.

 

[TheRob]

If you're going to try to show somebody up you better be ready to pay the price down the line. - Pat Quinn.

Waaaa waaaa waaaa. Why is it that everyone who goes to Toronto turns into a fcuking baby.

 

[zenga]

How about Brian Boucher 5 straight shut outs.

zengacanonlydreamofthatmany!

 

[ParkHead]

That is unbelievable! 5 straight shutouts. I can't belive that could happen. I honestly can say I never thought I would see that. You would have to think that a deflection or something would happen in 5 games.



Truly amazing.


Parkhead

 

[knvb]

Sounds like Yammy Jeger has been traded to NY Rangers for Anson Carter.

 

[the manager]

turns out that jager's equipment was already packed for Ny and he was on the plane with the caps getting them to sign memorabiia and stuff

 

[girth]

Sounds like Yammy Jeger has been traded to NY Rangers for Anson Carter.

I feel sorry for Washington fans,although Jagr can be a bit of a cancer.The big apple won't put up with Jagr's attitude he will learn fast and probably be the player he was and probably still is.

 

[TheRob]

Just like all the other superstars on the Rangers learned? Come on Girth. What the fcuk have you been watching? The Rangers are cancer heaven.

 

[the manager]

i heard sather will do anything to keep his job at this point...when are they going to learn that their approach of buying the most expensive players doesn't equate to having a championship team. its like sather is trying to cling to his glory days in Edmonton and somehow repeat the magic he was once a part of.

a barn full of individuals...

manager

 

[the manager]

ESPN.com news services

WASHINGTON -- After months of speculation, the Capitals have worked out a deal to trade All-Star forward Jaromir Jagr to the Rangers for forward Anson Carter.

The league approved the trade Friday evening.

The two teams had held off-and-on discussions concerning a trade to move Jagr for more than six months. But, prior to now, the negotiations had reached an impasse when discussing how to handle Jagr's $11 million per year salary.

According to The Sports Network of Canada, the Capitals have now agreed to pick up approximately $20 million of the $44 million that will remain on Jagr's contract after this season. Sources told TSN that Jagr has agreed to defer $1 million a year for the balance of the contract. That money is guaranteed and will be deferred with interest.

Jagr signed a seven-year, $77 million contract, with an option for an eighth year, after the Capitals acquired him from Pittsburgh in the summer of 2001.

Sources told the Washington Post that Jagr departed the Capitals' Florida hotel about 3:30 p.m. ET Friday afternoon to catch a flight to Ottawa, where the Rangers will play the Senators on Saturday night.

Carter did not practice with the Rangers at the team's practice facility outside New York on Friday. The Rangers delayed their charter flight from New York to Ottawa on Friday morning, but Carter was on the flight when the plane took off.

While adding Jagr does not address the Rangers' biggest weakness -- defense -- it will certainly make the team more dynamic offensively and a bigger draw at Madison Square Garden.

The Rangers allow the sixth-most goals in the NHL, and have suffered major injuries on the back line, most notably Darius Kasparaitis and Greg de Vries.

Jagr has not provided the payoff expected when the Capitals made him the highest-paid player in the league. The team failed to reach the playoffs in his first season and was eliminated in the first round by Tampa Bay last year. Attendance has sagged for a franchise that was already losing approximately $20 million per year.

Jagr has fought sporadic slumps and injuries to average about one point per game with the Capitals, but those numbers are well down from his superstar years with the Penguins.

Jagr had 16 goals and 30 assists entering Friday's game at Florida and was chosen on Thursday to play in the All-Star Game for the ninth time.

In eight NHL seasons with the Rangers, Capitals, Edmonton Oilers and Boston Bruins, the 29-year-old Carter has 153 goals and 174 assists. He has 10 goals and seven assists in 45 games with the Rangers this season.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

from ESPN moments ago

 

[The Apprentice]

Looks like The Moose has already taken a liking to mister Jagr. His little Czech Bitch.

 

[LucVanLierde]

Is it just me or is Glen Sather the luckiest idiot in the history of pro sports. He was so absolutely fortunate to have that edmonton team in front of him. I honestly believe that If anyone of us were behind the bench during the oiler days, we would have 4 or 5 cup rings. What is it 5 years now, and no playoffs...70 mil payroll......great players......1 retard named sather. I could be way off, but thats how im starting to see it.

 

[revolutionary]

McKeech in the morning was talking about the firesale going on in Washington and said that Brian Burke is seriously looking at Olaf Kolzig. That would be an interesting goaltending group. He didnt say who would go the other way but one would have to assume Hedburg or Auld who I believe is ready to step up for regular NHL action.