Nashville Predators

WHO ARE THE NASHVILLE PREDATORS KIDDING???

YESTERDAY THE TEAM HELD A TICKET RALLY AND SOLD 750 SEASON TICKETS…

THE HOPE IS THE PREDS CAN AVERAGE 14 THOUSAND FANS THIS SEASON…

THAT WOULD KILL THE OUT CLAUSE IN THEIR LEASE…

THIS IS A TEAM THAT COLLECTED 110 POINTS LAST SEASON…THE THIRD BEST RECORD IN THE ENTIRE NHL…

AND YET DREW AN AVERAGE OF JUST 13, 815 FANS PER GAME…

THE MESSAGE IS CLEAR…

NASHVILLE IS NOT A HOCKEY TOWN…

OWNER CRAIG LEIPOLD HAS LOST 70 MILLION DOLLARS SINCE HE WAS AWARDED THE FRANCHISE…

AND THAT INCLUDES 27 MILLION IN THE TWO SEASONS AFTER THE LOCK OUT…

THE NEW CBA REQUIRES A TEAM TO SPEND A MINIMUM OF $34.5 MILLION IN SALARIES THIS SEASON WHICH MEANS THE PREDATORS WOULD NEED TO AVERAGE 16 THOUSAND FANS JUST TO BREAK EVEN…

THAT’S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN…

THIS SUMMER THE TEAM HAS GUTTED ITS ROSTER…

GONE ARE…PETER FORSBERG…PAUL KARYIA…TOMAS VOKOUN…KIMMO TIMONEN AND SCOTT HARTNELL…

NASHVILLE IS NOT EVEN EXPECTED TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS…

IN THE MEANTIME JIM BALSILLIE STILL HAS AN OFFER OF 238 MILLION DOLLARS ON THE TABLE TO BUY THE TEAM AND MOVE IT TO HAMILTON…

THE ONLY THING STANDING IN HIS WAY IS NHL COMMISSIONER GARY BETTMAN…

BETTMAN HAS PLENTY OF PERSONAL REASONS TO KILL THIS DEAL…

NONE OF WHICH ARE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE NHL…

TO START WITH…IT WAS BETTMAN WHO CONVINCED LEIDPOLD TO PUT A TEAM IN NASHVILLE…

ITS FAILURE IS BETTMAN’S FAILURE…

THERE IS ALSO A NEW ARENA IN KANSAS CITY OWNED BY THE ANSCHUTZ FAMILY…WHO ALSO OWN THE L.A. KINGS…

BUT WHY WOULD YOU TRADE ONE FAILED U.S. MARKET FOR ANOTHER FAILED U.S. MARKET…

AND THAT GETS US TO THE TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS WHO ARE STRONGLY OPPOSED TO HAVING ANY COMPETITION IN SOUTHERN ONTARIO…

IN THE END…THIS IS NOT ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE NASHVILLE PREDATORS…

THIS IS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF GARY BETTMAN…

THE NEXT NHL BOARD OF GOVERNORS MEETING IS SET FOR SEPTEMBER IN CHICAGO…

CLEARLY BETTMAN HAS OVERSTEPPED HIS BOUNDS…AND HAS PAINTED HIMSELF INTO A VERY SMALL AND TIGHT CORNER…

750 NEW SEASONS TICKETS IN NASHVILLE ARE NOT GOING TO BE ENOUGH TO GET HIM OUT OF IT…

Free Agents

AS OF 4 O’OCLOCK THIS AFTERNOON NHL TEAMS HAVE SIGNED A TOTAL OF 71 FREE AGENTS…
AND THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE DOZENS OF PLAYER WHO HAVE SIGNED CONTRACT EXTENTIONS WITH THEIR EXISTING TEAMS…
THE LANDSCAPE OF THE NHL HAS BEEN DRAMATICALLY CHANGED…
THE BIG WINNERS INCLUDE…
THE NEW YORK RANGERS WHO LANDED SCOTT GOMEZ AND CHRIS DRURY BUT WERE ALSO ABLE TO RESIGN BRENDAN SHANNAHAN AND HENRIK LUNDQVIST…
THE COLORADO AVALANCHE ADDED RYAN SMYTH AND SCOTT HANNAN…
THE PHILADELPHIA FLYERS SIGNED DANIEL BRIER…KIMMON TIMONEN AND SCOTT HARTNELL…AND PULLED OFF A TRADE WITH EDMONTON GIVING THEM JASON SMITH AND JOFFREY LUPUL…
THE ST. LOUIS BLUES OVER PAID TO GET PAUL KARIYA AT 6 MILLION A SEASON…BUT THEY ALSO RE-AQUIRED KEITH TKACHUK…
THE LEAFS ADDED JASON BLAKE AND ALSO TRADED TO GET VESA TOSKALA…WHO THEY SIGNED TO A TWO YEAR EXTENSION…
THE L.A. KINGS OPENED UP THEIR CHEQUE BOOK AND ADDED…BRAD STUART…MICHAL HANDZUS…LADISLAV NAGY…TOM PRESSING AND KYLE CALDER…
BUT THE BIGGEST WINNER WAS PITTSBURGH…
GENERAL MANAGER RAY SHERO UNDERSTANDS THAT THE FUTURE IS NOW…WHICH IS WHY HE NOT ONLY RE-SIGNED GARY ROBERTS AND MARK RECCHI…BUT ALSO ADDED DARRYL SYDOR AND PETER SYKORA…
SHERO SAVED THE BEST FOR LAST…
HE SIGNED SIDNEY CROSBY TO A 5 YEAR EXTENSION FOR $43.5 MILLION…WELL BELOW MARKET VALUE…
THE PENGUINS NOW HAVE A SIX YEAR WINDOW TO WIN THE STANLEY CUP…
THE BIGGEST LOSER OF THEM ALL WAS BUFFALO…
THE SABRES LOST DRURY…BRIER AND ZUBRUS AND GOT NOTHING IN RETURN…
BUFFALO HAS BEEN TO THE EASTERN CONFERNCE FINAL FOR THE LAST 2 YEARS…
THIS SEASON THE SABRES WILL BE LUCKY TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS…
AS FOR THE CANUCKS…THEIR BIGGEST SIGNING WAS AARON MILLER…
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY GENERAL MANAGER DAVE NONIS WAS ABLE TO KEEP THE CORE OF HIS TEAM TOGETHER…
WHETHER THAT’S ENOUGH WILL NOT BE KNOWN UNTIL AT LEAST CHRISTMAS…

WELCOME TO THE NEW NHL…SAME AS THE OLD NHL…
TODAY THE CANUCKS SIGNED KEVIN BIEKSA TO A THREE YEAR CONTRACT EXTENTION…
THE PRICE…$11.25 MILLION…
THIS FOR A DEFENCEMAN WHO HAS PLAYED A GRAND TOTAL OF ONE FULL SEASON IN THE NHL…
NO QUESTION BIEKSA WAS THE BIGGEST AND NICEST SURPRISE OF LAST SEASON…
BUT THAT’S ONE SEASON…
THE REALITY IS KEVIN BIEKSA WOULD HAVE BECOME AN UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT NEXT SUMMER AND IF HE HAS ANOTHER GOOD SEASON HIS PRICE TAG WOULD HAVE GONE THROUGH THE ROOF…
AS IT SITS NOW…BIEKSA IS SET TO MAKE $3.75 MILLION IN A YEAR FROM NOW…
ONLY ROBERTO LUONGO IS GUARENTEED TO MAKE MORE…
HE ALSO WILL BECOME THE HIGHEST PAID DEFENCEMAN ON THE TEAM…
NEXT YEAR MATTIAS OHLUND…WILLIE MITCHEL…AND SAMI SALO ALL WILL MAKE $3.5 MILLION…
UNDER THE OLD CBA BIEKSA WOULD NOT HAVE BECOME AN UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT UNTIL HIS WAS 31…
THAT’S 5 YEARS FROM NOW…
UNDER THAT SYSTEM BIEKSA WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN OFFERED ANY WHERE NEAR THE MONEY HE LANDED TODAY…
LAST WEEK THE EDMONTON OILERS SIGNED RESTRICTED FREE AGENT THOMAS VANEK TO A SEVEN YEAR OFFER SHEET WORTH $50 MILLION DOLLARS…
VANEK LIKE BIEKSA WAS COMING OFF HIS FIRST GOOD SEASON…
BUFFALO HAD NO OPTION BUT TO MATCH…
HAD THE SABRES WALKED AWAY…NOT ONLY WOULD THE OILERS HAVE BEEN ON THE HOOK FOR $50 MILLION BUT THEY ALSO WOULD HAVE SENT FOUR…COUNT ‘EM…FOUR FIRST ROUND DRAFT CHOICES TO BUFFALO…
THE CANUCKS NOW HAVE THEIR TOP FOUR DEFENCEMEN UNDER CONTRACT LONG TERM…
YOU CAN ARGUE GENERAL MANAGER DAVE NONIS HAS OVER PAID…
BUT THE NHL TODAY IS VERY MUCH LIKE VANCOUVER REAL ESTATE…
IT’S A SELLERS MARKET…

Cory Schneider

SOMETIMES THE BEST DEAL YOU MAKE IS THE ONE YOU DON’T MAKE…
IT’S ONLY NATURAL FOR CANUCK FANS TO WONDER WHY GENERAL MANAGER DAVE NONIS DID NOT DO MORE AT THE START OF UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENCY…
NOW STOP…TAKE A DEEP BREATH…AND ASK YOURSELF…IS TODD BERTUZZI REALLY WORTH 8 MILLION DOLLARS OVER THE NEXT 2 YEARS…
IN 2003 BERTUZZI SIGNED A 4 YEAR DEAL WITH THE CANUCKS…WORTH $28 MILLION DOLLARS…
HE PRODUCED A GRAND TOTAL OF 45 GOALS…
THAT WORKS OUT TO BE $620 THOUSAND DOLLARS PER GOAL…
LAST YEAR THE BOSTON BRUINS SIGNED ZDENO CHARA AS AN UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT…
CHARA IS NOW PAID $7.5 MILLION DOLLARS A SEASON…
IN HIS FIRST YEAR AS A BRUIN HE WAS A MISERABLE MINUS 21…
AS YOU MAY KNOW THE BRUINS MISSED PLAYOFFS…
ANSON CARTER WANTED $9 MILLION OVER 3 YEARS…
THE CANUCKS PASSED…
LAST SEASON CARTER SCORED A DISSAPPOINTING 10 DOLLARS FOR COLUMBUS AND CAROLINA…
INSTEAD THE CANUCKS TOOK CARE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF BUSINESS ON THEIR PLATE…
NONIS FINALLY GOT GOALTENDER CORY SCHNEIDER TO SIGN AN NHL CONTRACT…
HAD SCHNEIDER GONE BACK TO BOSTON COLLEGE FOR ANOTHER YEAR HE WOULD HAVE BECOME AN UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT NEXT SEASON…
IT SETS UP THE POSSIBILITY FOR THE CANUCKS TO PACKAGE UP SCHNEIDER AS PART OF A MULTI-PLAYER DEAL THAT COULD ALLOW THE TEAM TO MOVE EITHER NASLUND…MORRISON OR OHLUND…
THE CANUCKS ALSO TOOK CARE OF SOME OTHER HOUSE CLEANING…
FIRST NONIS RE-SIGNED DEFENCEMAN LUKAS KRAJICEK…
AND THEN ADDED SOME DEPTH BY SIGNING TWO VETERAN FORWARDS IN BYRON RITCHIE AND BRAD ISBISTER…
THE CANUCKS ALSO PASSED ON RE-SIGNING GOALTENDER DANY SABOURIN WHO IS GOING TO GET MORE PLAYING TIME IN PITTSBURGH…
IT OPENS THE DOOR FOR DREW MCINTYRE TO BECOME LUONGO’S BACK UP FOR NEXT SEASON.
NONE OF THIS ALL THAT SEXY…
BUT WITH $42 MILLION DOLLARS ALREADY SPENT ON 15 PLAYERS…THERE WAS NO WAY THE CANUCKS COULD STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND GO AFTER PLAYERS SUCH AS…
RYAN SMYTH…SCOTT GOMEZ…PAUL KARIYA…CHRIS DRURY…AND DANIEL BRIERE…
COMBINED THOSE 5 PLAYERS NOW HAVE CONTRACTS WORTH NEARLY $200 MILLION DOLLARS…
AT THE END OF THE DAY THE CANUCKS DID NOT MAKE A MAJOR SPLASH…
BUT RIGHT NOW THEY ARE A BETTER TEAM THAN THEY WERE 24 HOURS AGO…