by Ken Campbell - July 3, 2009 12:10 AM EDT
Declining salary cap? Meh. Economic turmoil? No problem. Circumventing the CBA? Not to worry. If players are out there to be had, teams are going to spend big bucks to get them.
There really was some sanity there if you looked hard enough to find it. Vancouver Canucks GM Mike Gillis staring down the Sedin twins and their 12-year contract demand and Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland having the courage to tell Marian Hossa to take or leave a 10-year deal worth $40 million were among the more level-headed moves of the first day of free agency.
by Ken Campbell - June 29, 2009 2:44 PM EDT
With plenty of big names poised to leave or switch teams, the parity-ridden Northwest is ripe for a power-shift.
CALGARY FLAMES
Cap space - $11.3 million
UFAs – Adrian Aucoin, D; Todd Bertuzzi, LW; Jay Bouwmeester, D; Mike Cammalleri, LW; Jamie Lundmark, C/RW.
by Ken Campbell - June 27, 2009 3:36 PM EDT
Other than a pair of big name defensemen, none of the anticipated big moves were pulled off... UFA buzz... and courting 'The Monster.'
MONTREAL – When Chris Pronger was dealt to the Philadelphia Flyers on the first day of the NHL draft, the Florida Panthers watched the value in Jay Bouwmeester’s rights evaporate in a big way.
by Ken Campbell - June 26, 2009 9:44 PM EDT
Giving up a top prospect and a pair of first round draft picks will leave Philadelphia very thin in young talent and cap space in the very near future.
MONTREAL – There are trades made for hockey reasons and trades made for financial ones and the Chris Pronger deal represented both sides of the equation.
by Ken Campbell - June 25, 2009 4:27 PM EDT
Any one of Chris Pronger, Dany Heatley or Vinny Lecavalier could be on the move as early as tomorrow.
MONTREAL – The long-term future of the Anaheim Ducks will be decided in the next 24 hours and could include trading star defenseman Chris Pronger.
by Ken Campbell - June 24, 2009 1:47 PM EDT
Documents obtained by THN all but prove the Lightning's co-owners cannot co-exist and that could very well result in the team falling further off the map.
So, it appears NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has stepped in and, at least temporarily, quelled the spat between the two parties in the most dysfunctional ownership group in the NHL.
by Ken Campbell - June 18, 2009 11:09 PM EDT
Even though there were few Canadian nominees and even fewer award winners, the depth of the Great White North's pool is still the greatest.
LAS VEGAS – Perhaps it’s only fitting that the NHL has moved its awards ceremony out of Canada because for the second straight year, Canadians were distinguished only by the dearth of them accepting awards.
by Ken Campbell - June 18, 2009 10:34 AM EDT
Even though many believe it would flourish, a team in Las Vegas isn't coming anytime soon... Balsillie fights on... and Roenick's future.
LAS VEGAS – The NHL awards will be handed out here Thursday night, leading many to believe this is the first step in Sin City getting either an existing or expansion franchise.
by Ken Campbell - June 13, 2009 1:36 AM EDT
The Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins have been built for years of success and will be the cream of the crop going into 2009-10.
DETROIT – If you liked what you saw from this year’s Stanley Cup final – and if you didn’t you’re either a Detroit Red Wings fan or you might want to check to see that you have a pulse – you might want to consider getting used to seeing these teams steal the show at the NHL’s annual spring dance.
by Ken Campbell - June 12, 2009 2:29 PM EDT
Stats, predictions and history are all out the window as the battle for Lord Stanley's mug will be decided in a single game.
DETROIT – Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final seems to be a magnet for syrupy stories about playing on the pond or in the driveway. It’s also a big time for people to trot out meaningless statistics and trends that have absolutely nothing to do with the game about to be played.
by Ken Campbell - June 11, 2009 2:21 PM EDT
He's played in plenty of big games during his short hockey career, but there is no doubting Friday's game is the biggest and Sidney Crosby has to put on a show.
PITTSBURGH – Last summer, the marketing people at the NHL came to Sidney Crosby with a somewhat unusual request.
As part of its excellent advertising campaign, it had a still photo of Crosby and his teammates after the Penguins lost Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final and had him step out of the picture to talk about the experience.
by Ken Campbell - June 10, 2009 1:13 PM EDT
Jordan Staal played more than Sidney Crosby in Game 6 and while that is a surprise, on many other teams Staal would be a first-line player.
PITTSBURGH – Jordan Staal had more ice time than Sidney Crosby and just slightly less than Evgeni Malkin in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final.
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Who wins the Smyth-Quincey/Preissing trade?
"I'm not here to replace him."
- Martin Havlat, who signed with Minnesota a few hours after former Wild star Marian Gaborik inked a UFA deal with the Rangers.
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