Last night during the Western Conference finals Game 3, Detroit Red Wings defenceman Niklas Kronwall destroyed Chicago Blackhawks forward Martin Havlat along the boards... effectively removing him from the puck, and the remainder of the game. Kronwall was assessed a game misconduct for the hit (which I thought was overkill... actually I thought the hit was clean).
The Blackhawks held on to win Game 3, 4-3 in OT... bringing the series to 2-1 in the Wings favor. Havlat looked pretty shaken up after the hit, but did leave the ice on his own. Whether he returns or not will be a major concern for the Hawks.
The Chicago Blackhawks shocked the NHL yesterday by dropping the hammer on their coach Denis Savard after just four games.
Savard who had just led the Hawks to their first win of the season over the Phoenix Coyotes was dismissed in favor of former Avs and Blues head coach Joel Quenneville.
Savard, like most was shocked by the firing, but rumors were circling that it was because he had favored playing goaltender Nikkolai Khabibulin over newly acquired keeper Cristobal Huet. Khabibulin had been in net for the Blackhawks first win, and has been the better of the pair thus far.
Quenneville lands in a choice position of leading a Chicago roster that is stacked with young talent. The Blackhawks have been annointed by just about everyone to make a trip to the post season this year.
The Chicago Blackhawks placed goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin on waivers today.
Khabibulin appeared to be the goalie on the way out after the Blackhawks made a surprising dip into the free agent pool and signed UFA keeper Cristobal Huet to a 4 year deal worth $22.5 million. Khabibulin was on the final year of a 4 year deal worth $27 million.
The Blackhawks are believed to working on a trade for the Khabibulin but his high salary makes moving him difficult, if not impossible.
The Pittsburgh Penguins got some rough news today (as did NHL Fantasy Managers) when they announced that the club would be without star defenceman Sergei Gonchar for 4-6 months. Gonchar will undergo surgery to repair his left shoulder. Gonchar was injured during the a pre-season game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Penguins also lost defenceman Ryan Whitney till December with a foot injury.
The Anaheim Ducks re-signed forward Teemu Selanne to a two year deal worth $5.25 million this week, just days after clearing cap space by trading defenceman Matthieu Schneider to the Atlanta Thrashers.
Selanne sat out more than half the season last year as he contemplated retirement, but with 26 games remaining chose to return to action.
July 1st is always a date to look forward to on the NHL calendar as it usually brings with it the feeling of hope, new beginnings and excitement, and after October those same notions more often than not, rapidly become unfulfilled expectations, let-downs, and bitter dissapointment. This summer obviously has brought us more of the same.
The Detroit Red Wings obviously made the biggest news this week, with their short-term marriage with free agent prize Marian Hossa. Hossa who was a singular thorn in their side in the Stanley Cup Final while facing off against them as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins was difficult to overlook. Similarly, Hossa saw the team that dispatched him and his new team mates an easy path to winning and getting his name on the Stanley Cup. The Pittsburgh Penguins are apparently upset with the manner in which Hossa has quickly switched sides and joined the enemy, and one could hardly blame them. However, the Penguins have just finished locking up superstar winger Evgeni Malkin, defenceman Brooks Orpik, and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to long-term deals that will keep the franchise moving in the right direction. They also picked up forwards Miroslav Satan, and Ruslan Fedotenko to plug the gaps left by Hossa, Malone, and Ruutu. Wouldn't it be ironic if the Penguins and Red Wings meet once again in the Stanley Cup finals this year... and this time around the Penguins come out on top? Or perhaps it would be poetic.
The Chicago Blackhawks landed defenceman Brian Campbell, the top blueline free agent to a multi-year deal in the $70 million range. They also signed free agent goaltender Cristobal Huet to a long term deal worth roughly $5 million per year. A curious move that could foreshadow the trade of current goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin. Otherwise the Hawks will be carrying over $10 million in salary for their goaltending tandem. Either way the Blackhawks should be fighting for a playoff berth next season, as they had already made tremendous strides last year thanks in large part to the youth of their club, specifically Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews.
The Edmonton Oilers made some big moves that should also have them battling for playoff contention as well. The Oil went the trade route and acquired star winger Erik Cole from the Carolina Hurricanes and defenceman Lubomir Visnovsky. With Visnovsky and Souray on the powerplay, the Edmonton Oilers will be a scary squad to take penalties against... although there have been some Souray trade rumors swirling. Edmonton is also on the Jaromir Jagr watch, and has apparently tendered the big winger a contract offer.
The New York Rangers brought free agent defenceman Wade Redden to the Big Apple for a modest sum of $6.5 million a year over the next years and re-signed defenceman Michal Rosival to a 4 year deal worth $20 million. Redden had an awful season last year in Ottawa, but then again, so did everyone else on the Senators. GM Glen Sather is banking on Redden rediscovering his game... I hope he's right. The Rangers also acquired Nikolai Zherdev and Dan Fritsche from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Fedor Tyutin and Christian Backman. Jackets fans, you will enjoy Tyutin's play, and as for Backman... well you will enjoy Tyutin's play. The Rangers bid farewell to UFA pest Sean Avery who fled South to Dallas where he signed the multi-year deal he was looking for at nearly $4 million a season, and unfortunately may have also disrespected Jaromir Jagr enough to see him in another jersey next year, or maybe even another country.
The Washington Capitals picked up goaltender Jose Theodore for $9 million over the next pair of seasons, and locked up their stud blueliner Mike Green for $21 million over the next 4 years.
The New Jersey Devils welcomed former Devils Bobby Holik and Brian Rolston back into the fold. Holik signed a one year deal worth $2.5 million and Rolston for $20.25 over the next four seasons. The Devils also re-signed Jay Pandolfo for $7.5 million over 3, and defenceman trade deadline pickup Bryce Salvador for $11.6 million for the next 4 years. I like what the Devils have done, and they are apparently still looking for more scoring and testing the waters on a few of the B-list wingers still available.
The Tampa Bay Lightning signed everyone. I kid you not. Forward Ryan Malone signed for $31.5 million for the next 7 years, and former Pens teammates Gary Roberts and Adam Hall followed suit by joining the Lightning. Tampa Bay signed forward Radim Vrbata for $9 million over the next three, and goaltender Olaf Kolzig to a one year deal worth $1.5 million. The new ownership has come out swinging, and stacked the forward lines, but they haven't addressed their blueline yet, and rumors are circling their one big gun in the back Dan Boyle. Regardless of what happens, the offensive corps will be a formidable one and this team doesn't look to be repeating last season where they finished in last place.
For an up to the minute look at all the transactions occurring in the NHL, check out the TSN Free Agent Tracker, as there is certainly much more to come.
The two big fish still remain unsigned. Former Toronto Maple Leaf Mats Sundin, and former New York Ranger Jaromir Jagr. Both have already recieved lucrative deals, but both players have their own sticking points. Jagr is looking for more than one year, and Sundin is not sure if wants to continue playing. Both seem content to wait the summer out now and take time before making a final decision. The Vancouver Canucks reportedly offered Sundin a $20 million contract for 2 years, which would make him the highest paid player in the league, and he is rumored to also have recieved very competitive offers from the Habs and Rangers as well. It is looking more and more like he will either retire, or eventually rejoin the Leafs. As the summer rolls on, most teams will have to make decisions on their rosters long before he makes up his mind. The Leafs will most likely be the only club with the cap space available to sign him in August. For Montreal and Vancouver to gamble on waiting for him, could be disastrous. Jagr has a 3 year deal from a Russian club waiting for him at $35 million tax-free. I could hardly blame him for taking it. There are also reports that the Penguins are trying to lure him back to Steel-town. No matter where they end up, I do hope that both continue to play in the NHL. It would be a shame to see them retire.
Have a Happy 4th of July everyone! Remember to keep your beards away from the fuse.
Has Martin Havlat taken the role of most talented forward to never play a game for the Chicago Blackhawks from Eric Daze?
Often injured forward Martin Havlat will once again miss the bulk of an NHL season for the third consecutive year. Havlat underwent season-ending shoulder surgery yesterday to repair damage that occurred in the Hawks opener against the Minnesota Wild. He missed 22 games following that, then returned and re-injured against the Phoenix Coyotes in late February. In the 35 games he did play this year, Havlat collected 10 goals and 17 assists.
Havlat expects to be ready for training camp next season. So he can be healthy enough to get hurt again? Havlat for the most part is a point a game player. The point is, that he rarely plays. The most games he's ever played was last season when he appeared in 56, and had 57 points (25 goals, 32 assists). Next year is the final year of his three year deal with the Blackhawks.
Quick Shave:
Not so fast Pronger! New video of Anaheim Ducks defenceman's tap dance on Vancouver Canucks forward Ryan Kesler surfaced today, and was sent to the NHL for review. He's not out of the woods yet..... but I doubt he will get the premium Simon Package suspension. Had Kesler been injured he probably would have recieved the Bertuzzi special. Expect a handful of games, and little else.
Is there a hotter player in the NHL right now than Henrik Zetterberg? I think not. Within the last month HZ has 26 points (13 goals, 13 assists) is a +10 rating, and 6 of his goals are game winners!
While his stats aren't at the top of the NHL yet, his reunion with Pavel Datsyuk has been a huge success. Zetterberg may not contend for league MVP, but he is clearly the Detroit Red Wings best player, especially in 2007. In 61 games this season, he has 66 points (32 goals, 34 assists), and is a + 28 rating.
Last night, Zetterberg continued his dominant performance by scoring a pair of goals in the third period to lift the Detroit Red Wings over the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 last night. Datsyuk also scored and setup Zetterberg's game winner.
Quick Shave:
The San Jose Sharks finally won a game last night! Barely. The Sharks managed to escape with a 3-2 shootout win over the Washington Capitals. The victory was their first in three games, and will perhaps help them right the ship for their post season run.
Game of the Night:
New Jersey at NY Rangers 7:00 PM
Ottawa at Buffalo 7:30 PM
Toronto at NY Islanders 7:30 PM
Montreal at Nashville 8:00 PM
Playoffs! Playoffs! Playoffs! Playoffs! Playoffs! Playoffs! Wow are these games serious or what!?!? Enjoy the games my friends!
New York Rangers forward Brendan Shanahan who was knocked unconcious on Saturday afternoon after a colliding with Flyers forward Mike Knuble dropped by and hour before yesterday's match to wish his teammates well. The brief appearance was not so much to inspire, but as he put it to let them know he was ok, and put their minds' at ease.
The New York Rangers ripped off a 2-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks at the Garden yesterday where they have played terribly all season. Unfortunately, the Rangers' best games have come on the road this season, and home, where they should dominate, is a place where they themselves are dominated. The Rangers prepare themselves now for a home and home with the Devils, that starts in New Jersey on Tuesday night.
Quick Shave:
Unfortunately, I was away for a large part of the weekend, but did witness some of the NHL's highlights on Saturday evening, however, I think the email I received from our friend Jeff says it....so I will give him the floor:
"So...Zetterberg gets his first carrer hat trick--and naturally, Datsyuk gets a playmaker. Brodeur gets his 91st shutout, 10th of the season. Why, you ask? Because he's God between the Pipes. Holmstrom resigns with the Wings. Mike Knuble and Brendon Shannahan--both former Red Wings--have inadvertant mid-ice collision that hospitalizes both of them. Knuble has a fractured orbital, and Shanny...well, aparently they're still not sure.
Man, I can only imagine what tommorow will bring, ay?"
Good stuff, for a good man.
Game of the Night:
Phoenix at Nashville 6:00 PM
The debut of Peter Forsberg for Nashville, was less than stellar, as the lad finished with a humble -1 rating and 1 shot on goal. Perhaps tonight will bring better? Enjoy the games!
The Chicago Blackhawks could be one of the biggest surprises this season, aside from the total collapse occurring in Philadelphia. While most, including myslef, expected very little from this franchise, even after several big trades that saw them acquire Martin Havlat from Ottawa, and Michal Handzus from Philly, Chicago has weathered some early adversity and appears to be making a push for the post season.
While a large part of their ressurgence has been because of forward Martin Havlat, who while only playing in 12 of the Blackhawks 32 games, leads the team with 11 goals, and has 21 points on the season. Havlat is also an impressive +13 rating and is obviously relishing the role of being the goto player on the team. The other big reason why the Blackhawks are turning it around. Goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin. Khabibulin has rediscovered his game that made him one of the most dominating netminders in the NHL, and helped bring the first ever Stanley Cup Championship title to the Tampa Bay Lightning franchise. Khabibulin has won 11 of his 19 starts for the Blackhawks including last night's 28 save performance that helped his team defeat the Colorado Avalanche 2-1. The Chicago Blackhawks now have 33 points and are just 2 points out of playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Quick Shave:
The New York Rangers have completed quite possibly the worst back to back performances in 10 years this weekend. Surrendering 14 goals in the outings. Last night they were completely outclassed by the New Jersey Devils who routed them for the second straight evening 6-1. Let's get it together blueshirts! The Nashville Predators edged the St. Louis Blues last night 2-1 in OT on a goal by Kimmo Timonen. The loss was St. Louis' 11th row, and it is not a question of if, but when they will start unloading their high priced veteran talent for draft picks and prospects.
Game of the Night:
Detroit at Columbus 7:00 PM
Calgary at Anaheim 10:00 PM
Both of these matchups look pretty interesting. Columbus came back down to earth after their winning streak, and will look to test themselves against the always formidable Red Wings, and Anaheim will be looking to rebound against the Calgary Flames after a tight loss to the San Jose Sharks. I don't really think we'll witness any HTC action tonight, but I'll take my chances on Lidstrom. Enjoy the games!
Icing a team that was without their top stars Martin Havlat, Michal Handzus, Tuomo Ruutu and goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin, the Chicago Blackhawks stood little chance against the offensive onslaught that the Vancouver Canucks through at them(Michal Handzus is apparently getting a second opinion regarding his knee before having the season ending surgery...his teammates are all at least 2 weeks away from playing).
The Sedin twins had a 6 point evening for the Canucks. Henrik Sedin scored 2 goals, and an assist, while brother Daniel added three helpers. Matt Cooke, Brendan Morrison, and Taylor Pyatt also scored for the Canucks. Henrik's goals were his first of the season, but had 11 assists on the year prior to last night's match.
Roberto Luongo, got his first shutout of the year, and for his new team, stopping all 32 shots he faced, and helping the Vancouver Canucks to a 5-0 victory. The win puts Vancouver in second place in the Northwest Division, behind rival Minnesota.
Quick Shave:
Congratulations to Colorado Avalanche captain Joe Sakic on getting his 1,500, and 1,501 points last night against the Washington Capitals. Sakic recorded a goal and an assist on the evening, but his accomplishment was overshadowed by Capitals goaltender Olaf Kolzig's 48 save performance that lifted his team to a 5-3 win. Alexander Ovechkin scored his 5th goal of the season and gave the Caps a scare after taking a slapshot to the leg near the end of the game. Ovechkin walked it off.....that kid is a bear. The New York Rangers continue to not play any defense. After scoring Petr Prucha scored to tie the game, the Rangers continued to celebrate so much, that the Panthers took advantage and quickly regained the lead. Josef Stumpel had a pair of goals on the evening. The Minnesota Wild remained unbeaten at home by defeating the L.A. Kings 3-1 last night. Brian Rolston scored his 7th and 8th goals of the season, and Manny Fernandez made 35 saves on the night. Chris Pronger welcomed his old team to his new home last night, and helped the Anaheim Ducks defeat the Endmonton Oilers 6-2. Pronger had three assists against his old team. The Detroit Red Wings ended their three game losing streak with a 2-1 win over the San Jose Sharks. Defenceman Matthieu Schneider scored a goal and an assist while Dominik Hasek stopped 22 shots.
Game of the Night:
Buffalo at NY Islanders 7:30 PM
Can the 15 year man on the Island stop the Buffalo Juggernaut??? Probably not, but man what a huge statement it would be if DiPietro and the Isles handed the Sabres their first loss. Now you gotta watch! Enjoy the games my furry-chinned friends!
The injury bug has hit the Chicago Blackhawks hard over the last few days, and now casts a shadow over a great start that has propelled the club to 2nd place in the Central Division. After losing star forward, and then leading scorer Martin Havlat to an ankle sprain, which will keep him from the lineup for a few weeks, the Blackhawks have now lost goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin and Michal Handzus to injury.
Khabibulin suffered a broken finger on his blocker hand during the pre-skate on Saturday, and is expected to miss up to two weeks. The biggest blow to the team is the loss of Michal Handzus. The newly acquired center tore a ligament in his knee (the ole ACL) against the St. Louis Blues Saturday night and will miss the remainder of the season.
Havlat and Handzus have been a solid addition to the Blackhawks who have floundered in mediocrity for several seasons, and while their acquisitions were widely panned by critics the two were the leading scorers on the club prior to their injuries. Havlat has often been criticized because of his injury history, and I guess this is doing little to change the minds of said critics.
Quick Shave:
Anyone catch that sweet move Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan Getzlaf pulled on the shootout last night to give his team the win? Talk about a deke! Garon was on the wrong side of the stadium after Getzlaf was finished burying the puck.
Game of the Night:
Buffalo at Montreal 7:00 PM
If you haven't watched the Sabres thus far, turn this game on, and find out why they are destroying every team they face. Habs defenceman Janne Niinimaa has apparently called down the thunder and predicted a win for his team over the undefeated team from Buffalo. At least he will get the Sabres 'A' game tonight. Good Luck Janne! Enjoy the games!
Crosby and company came out tonight and made Bosh look pretty good in picking them to make the playoffs this year. Yes Sidney Crosby looked great and scored a goal and an assist in the 4-0 shutout victory, but the real hero of the evening was Marc-Andre Fleury.
The Penguins were outshot 40-21 in the game, but Fleury stopped them all and even killed of two, powerplays where the Flyers carried a two man advantage. I would say this kid thrives on adversity. Having all but lost his starting job to veteran Jocelyn Thibault, Fleury was named the number 1 goalie in the Penguins final pre-season game. Fleury responded with an amazing effort, and his team finished it for him and their new prospective owner, Canadian businessman Jim Balsillie, who was in attendence and had to love what he saw.
Eric Staal's younger brother and Pittsburgh's first round draft pick Jordan Staal made his NHL debut tonight and is expected to remain with the team at least until the return of center Evgeni Malkin is able to return.
Shanahan scores his 600th in Ranger debut
The New York Rangers officially introduced forward Jaromir Jagr as the 24th captain in franchise history, and he responded by opening the scoring 29 seconds into the game. After that Shanahan made his presence known in his New York Ranger debut by potting two goals, his 599th, and 600th of his career. Shanahan becomes the 15th player to join the elite goal scorers club. The Rangers went on to defeat the Washington Capitals 5-2.
Luongo shines for Vancouver
Another debut, and another success. Roberto Luongo played his first game between the pipes for the Vancouver Canucks, stopping 27 shots and helping his new team defeat the Detroit Red Wings 3-1.
Havlat and Chicago defeat Nashville in goalfest
An evening of debuts that for the moment appear to be looking for the teams that have acquired them, continued in Nashville tonight. Chicago's newest forward Martin Havlat scored 2 goals and 2 asssist in his Blackhawks debut, and helped Chicago come from behind twice to defeat the Predators in a wild 8-6 win.
Islanders fall hard in Phoenix
Ok, not all debuts were easy one's tonight. Ted Nolan's return to coaching after nearly a decade is one he would probably like to forget. The Islanders $65 million dollar goalie Rick DiPietro was lit up early and often by the Coyotes who went on to defeat their New York counterparts 6-3. DiPietro was eventually pulled in favor of his backup Mike Dunham who started the third. Wayne Gretzky's team looked good at even strength and on the powerplay, and forwards Doan, Nagy and Reinprecht were all over the scoresheet.
The Late Game!
I don't want you West Coasters not to feel the love from the Bosher, so I stayed up and watched an unbelievable game between the St. Louis Blues and the San Jose Sharks. This match was back and forth with Mark Bell looking like he had sealed the game with a goal to make it 4-3 in the final minutes, but the relentless Blues kept up the attack, pulled Legace from the net, got a fortunate half-man advantage from Ville Nieminen's broken stick and tied the game on a Keith Tkachuk goal with seconds remaining. The match went to OT where Curtis Brown buried the game winner halfway through the extra period! What a game!
The first two nights have come and gone in the NHL, and I feel like the NHL Center Ice package has already paid for itself. If you haven't gotten it yet, they are running a free preview which I'm pretty sure is running till next week. Give it a look. If you are a hockey fan, this is the best investment you can make! If you order early, I think they will knock $20 off the price. Tell them Captain Bosh sent you (just so you can hear them say 'Who?').
The pre-season has been tough on a lot teams so far. Injuries are abound and the season hasn't even begun yet. So far it appears the groin is the most popular ailment. Here's a list of the wounded:
Toronto Maple Leafs
Kyle Wellwood - groin
Michael Peca - groin
Darcy Tucker - unknown
Ben Ondrus - unknown
Wade Belak - groin
Tomas Kaberle - unknown
Brendan Bell - bone bruise
San Jose Sharks
Jonathan Cheechoo - groin
Joe Thornton - bruised foot
Nashville Predators
Jason Arnott - groin
Atlanta Thrashers
Vitaly Vishnevski - groin
Steve Rucchin -groin
Buffalo Sabres
Daniel Breire - hip flexor
Carolina Hurricanes
Oleg Tverdovsky - groin
Chicago Blackhawks
Tuomo Ruutu - knee
Michal Handzus -shoulder
Mikael Holmqvist - groin
James Wisniewski - back
Dallas Stars
Eric Lindros - groin
Detroit Red Wings
Danny Markov - knee
Greg Johnson - heart (abnormal EKG)
Florida Panthers
Ville Peltonen - shoulder
Philadelphia Flyers
Antero Niittymaki - hip
Ummmm, does anyone stretch before they play hockey anymore? Come on guys! Either that or the NHL needs to look into getting some better trainers. This is ridiculous!
The Ottawa Senators have traded forwards Martin Havlat and Bryan Smolinski to the Chicago Blackhawks, in an unusual three team trade. The Blackhawks have sent Mark Bell to the Sharks for Tom Priessing and Josh Hennessey, who they then flipped to Ottawa along with Michal Barinka and a 2008 2nd round pick.
Nice pick up for the Hawks. If they can sign Havlat to a long term deal, then it's a great pick up. For the Senators, it appears that Muckler was tired of Havlat's on ice antics, and his refusal to sign a deal longer than one year. Havlat has been adamant about testing the free agent waters next summer when he becomes a UFA. Smolinski is a salary dump, plain and simple. The guy is a good player but he is making way too much money.
I apologize for the downtime folks, I had some technical difficulties sponsored by the fine folks over at Verizon.
A lot happened on Saturday....here's a quick rundown:
Atlanta sent Patrik Stefan (a #1 pick years ago, and their first draft pick ever if I'm not mistaken) and Jaroslav Modry to Dallas for Niko Kapanen and a 7th round pick.
Kings traded Pavol Demitra to the Minnesota Wild for Patrick O'Sullivan and their 1st round pick. The Kings used the pick to draft Trevor Lewis...who apparently is a bad ass from the USHL. Demitra should help Gaborik offensively, but this was definitely the WTF trade of the day. When it was announced the entire arena gasped. I did as well.
The Avalanche traded Alex Tanguay to Calgary for defenceman Jordan Leopold, a 2nd round pick, and an conditional pick in 2007 or 2008. Iginla finally gets his wingman. I expect these two to put up some impressive numbers next year. Now they just need a center to get them the puck......
Blackhawks buy out Matt Barnaby and Curtis Brown. No surprise there. They should buy out the management there, which next to Boston and the previously the Islanders (before the purge) is the worst in the league....and perhaps in sports.
Canadiens resign Cristobal Huet to a 2 year deal, which I guess means David Aebischer is now on the available goalie list. Perhaps they should wait and see, in case Huet goes into a Raycroft like slump in his sophomore year. What a segue! Raycroft got traded Saturday, but I can't remember to whom...nor do I really care.
Same goes for Dan Cloutier who I think is making way too much money to be a backup, since he will most certainly be waxing the bench while watching Luongo start.
Phoenix just traded defencemen Paul Mara and a pick to Boston for Nick Boyton and a pick.
Pronger is apparently on his way out of Edmonton. Where and when is the question. What do the Oilers need, and who needs a solid blueliner that can 75 minutes a game? Not too many teams right!
Calgary Flames acquire Jamie Lundmark from the Phoenix Coyotes for a draft pick.
Vancouver Canucks acquire Eric Weinrich from the Blues for a prospect and a pick.
Phoenix Coyotes acquire Oleg Kvasha from the Islanders for a third round pick.
Dallas Stars acquire defenceman Willie Mitchell and a 2007 2nd round pick from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for defenceman Martin Skoula and Shawne Belle.
Philadelphia Flyers acquire forward Nikos Dimitrakos from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a third round draft pick.
Colorado Avalanche acquire forward Jim Dowd from the Blackhawks in exchange for a fourth round pick.
Ottawa Senators acquire forward Tyler Arnason from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for forward Brandon Bochenski and a pick.
Edmonton Oilers acquire forward Sergei Samsonov from the Boston Bruins in exchange for forward Marty Reasoner, a second round pick and a minor league player.
Atlanta Thrashers acquire defenceman Steve McCarthy from the Canucks in exchange for a condition pick in 2007.
Detroit Red Wings acquire defenceman Cory Cross from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a fourth rounder.
Nashville Predators acquire Brendan Witt from the Caps in exchange for a first round pick and forward Kris Beech.
New York Rangers acquire defenceman Sandis Ozolinsh from the Ducks in exchange for a third round pick.
Phoenix Coyotes acquire defencemen Jamie Rivers from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for a seventh round pick in 2007.
Damn! A whole lotta action! I'll give you guys some breakdowns, plus winners and losers tomorrow!
Todd Simpson traded to Montreal...Bertuzzi trade looming?
The Canadiens have acquired Todd Simpson from the Chicago Blackhawks for a 6th round pick.
Interesting point by Bob McKenzie on TSN.ca is that the Habs are stockpiling players for a big trade to Vancouver for Todd Bertuzzi. I can't disagree with his assessment at all. The Habs have two great young goalies in Huet and Danis....Aebischer seems to be the odd man out right now, unless they deal one of the French boys. We'll know more before 3pm today!
The Chicago Blackhawks placed goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin on waivers today.
The Penguins also lost defenceman Ryan Whitney till December with a foot injury. 
July 1st is always a date to look forward to on the NHL calendar as it usually brings with it the feeling of hope, new beginnings and excitement, and after October those same notions more often than not, rapidly become unfulfilled expectations, let-downs, and bitter dissapointment. This summer obviously has brought us more of the same.
The Chicago Blackhawks landed defenceman Brian Campbell, the top blueline free agent to a multi-year deal in the $70 million range. They also signed free agent goaltender Cristobal Huet to a long term deal worth roughly $5 million per year. A curious move that could foreshadow the trade of current goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin. Otherwise the Hawks will be carrying over $10 million in salary for their goaltending tandem. Either way the Blackhawks should be fighting for a playoff berth next season, as they had already made tremendous strides last year thanks in large part to the youth of their club, specifically Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews.
The New York Rangers brought free agent defenceman Wade Redden to the Big Apple for a modest sum of $6.5 million a year over the next years and re-signed defenceman Michal Rosival to a 4 year deal worth $20 million. Redden had an awful season last year in Ottawa, but then again, so did everyone else on the Senators. GM Glen Sather is banking on Redden rediscovering his game... I hope he's right. The Rangers also acquired Nikolai Zherdev and Dan Fritsche from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Fedor Tyutin and Christian Backman. Jackets fans, you will enjoy Tyutin's play, and as for Backman... well you will enjoy Tyutin's play. The Rangers bid farewell to UFA pest Sean Avery who fled South to Dallas where he signed the multi-year deal he was looking for at nearly $4 million a season, and unfortunately may have also disrespected Jaromir Jagr enough to see him in another jersey next year, or maybe even another country.
The New Jersey Devils welcomed former Devils Bobby Holik and Brian Rolston back into the fold. Holik signed a one year deal worth $2.5 million and Rolston for $20.25 over the next four seasons. The Devils also re-signed Jay Pandolfo for $7.5 million over 3, and defenceman trade deadline pickup Bryce Salvador for $11.6 million for the next 4 years. I like what the Devils have done, and they are apparently still looking for more scoring and testing the waters on a few of the B-list wingers still available.
The two big fish still remain unsigned. Former Toronto Maple Leaf Mats Sundin, and former New York Ranger Jaromir Jagr. Both have already recieved lucrative deals, but both players have their own sticking points. Jagr is looking for more than one year, and Sundin is not sure if wants to continue playing. Both seem content to wait the summer out now and take time before making a final decision. The Vancouver Canucks reportedly offered Sundin a $20 million contract for 2 years, which would make him the highest paid player in the league, and he is rumored to also have recieved very competitive offers from the Habs and Rangers as well. It is looking more and more like he will either retire, or eventually rejoin the Leafs. As the summer rolls on, most teams will have to make decisions on their rosters long before he makes up his mind. The Leafs will most likely be the only club with the cap space available to sign him in August. For Montreal and Vancouver to gamble on waiting for him, could be disastrous. Jagr has a 3 year deal from a Russian club waiting for him at $35 million tax-free. I could hardly blame him for taking it. There are also reports that the Penguins are trying to lure him back to Steel-town. No matter where they end up, I do hope that both continue to play in the NHL. It would be a shame to see them retire.
Has Martin Havlat taken the role of most talented forward to never play a game for the Chicago Blackhawks from Eric Daze?
Is there a hotter player in the NHL right now than Henrik Zetterberg? I think not. Within the last month HZ has 26 points (13 goals, 13 assists) is a +10 rating, and 6 of his goals are game winners!
New York Rangers forward Brendan Shanahan who was knocked unconcious on Saturday afternoon after a colliding with Flyers forward Mike Knuble dropped by and hour before yesterday's match to wish his teammates well. The brief appearance was not so much to inspire, but as he put it to let them know he was ok, and put their minds' at ease.
Icing a team that was without their top stars Martin Havlat, Michal Handzus, Tuomo Ruutu and goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin, the Chicago Blackhawks stood little chance against the offensive onslaught that the Vancouver Canucks through at them(Michal Handzus is apparently getting a second opinion regarding his knee before having the season ending surgery...his teammates are all at least 2 weeks away from playing).
Crosby and company came out tonight and made Bosh look pretty good in picking them to make the playoffs this year. Yes Sidney Crosby looked great and scored a goal and an assist in the 4-0 shutout victory, but the real hero of the evening was Marc-Andre Fleury.
