Canucks offseason

THE CANUCKS FUTURE IS NOW…
THE DIRECTION OF THIS FRANCHISE FOR THE NEXT 5 YEARS WILL BE DECIDED IN THE NEXT MONTH…
DANIEL AND HENRIK SEDIN ARE ON THE TOP OF THE LIST…
THEIR AGENT J.P. BARRY NOW SAYS THERE ARE AS MANY AS 5 TEAMS THAT INTERESTED…
IT’S NO SECRET BRIAN BURKE AND THE TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS ARE ON THE TOP ON THAT LIST…
IF THE CANUCKS ARE UNWILLING OR UNABLE TO SIGN THE TWINS…THEN ALL BETS ARE OFF…
THE SALARY CAP DOES NOT ALLOW TEAMS TO REBUILD THROUGH FREE AGENCY…
YES…THERE ARE A HALF A DOZEN UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS THAT WOULD HELP ANY TEAM…
SUCH AS:
JAY BOUWMEESTER…
SCOTT NIEDERMAYER…
MIKE CAMMALLERI…
MARIAN HOSSA…
MARIAN GABORIK…AND MARIN HAVLAT…
BUT NONE OFFER ANY REAL LONG TERM SOLUTIONS…
THE LOSS OF THE SEDINS WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY PAVE THE WAY FOR THE DEPARTURE OF ROBERTO LUONGO…
HOWEVER…SHOULD GENERAL MANAGER MIKE GILLIS GET THE SEDINS SIGNED…LUONGO WOULD BE NEXT IN LINE…
ALL OF THIS COULD BE DONE BY AS SOON AS JULY 1ST…
AS IT STANDS NOW…THE CANUCKS HAVE COMMITTED $33 MILLION DOLLARS TO 12 PLAYERS FOR NEXT SEASON…
THEY ARE ONE OF ONLY A FEW TEAMS IN THE NHL WITH ENOUGH CAP SPACE TO MAKE SOME BOLD MOVES THIS SUMMER…
WHICH GETS US TO SCOTT NIEDERMAYER…
IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS NIEDERMAYER IS EXPECTED TO SIT DOWN WITH ANAHEIM GENERAL MANAGER BOB MURRAY AND MAKE A DECISION ON HIS FUTURE…
HIS AGENT KEVIN EPP IS NOW ON RECORD AS SAYING…SIGNING WITH THE CANUCKS IS NOW…QUOTE…”A DEFINITE POSSIBLITY”…
OVER THE WEEKEND AL STRACHAN OF HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA ATTEMPTED TO DISMISS THIS STORY BY SAYING…
GILLIS HAS NOT RAISED A FINGER TO GET THIS DEAL DONE…
“AL SHOULD KNOW BETTER”…
GILLIS CAN NOT TALK TO EITHER NIEDERMAYER OR HIS AGENT UNTIL JULY 1ST…
IT’S CALLED “TAMPERING”…
THE TRUTH IS…THIS TIME OF YEAR EVERY TEAM IN THE NHL…INCLUDING THE CANUCKS…ARE LOOKING TO IMPROVE…
AND THE DECISIONS THAT ARE MADE… WILL GO A LONG WAY IN DETERMINING…
WHO’S STILL PLAYING HOCKEY…THIS TIME…NEXT YEAR…

Roberto Luongo

MARK TWAIN WOULD PROBABLY PUT THIS WAY…
“THE COLDEST WINTER ROBERTO LUONGO WILL EVER SPEND…IS A SUMMER IN VANCOUVER”…
IT APPEARS THERE IS MORE FORGIVENESS…IN THE HEARTS OF HOCKEY FANS IN THIS CITY…FOR MICHAEL VICK…THAN THERE IS FOR LUONGO…
7 GOALS IN A PLAYOFF GAME IS…“THE ULTIMATE SIN”…
AS A RESULT…THERE IS NOW A MOVEMENT IN VANCOUVER TO NOT ONLY TRADE LUONGO…
BUT ALSO KEEP HIM OFF TEAM CANADA….
THIS MORNING THE HEADLINE ON THE VANCOUVER PROVINCE READ…“CRAZY TALK”…
ON THE INSIDE…JASON BOTCHFORD ATTEMPTED TO BRING SOME REASON…TO ALL THIS MADNESS…
BOTCHFORD USED SMALL WORDS…AND POINTED OUT…THAT SINCE THE LOCKOUT LUONGO HAS THE BEST SAVE PERCENTAGE OF ANY CANADAIN GOALTENDER IN THE NHL…
NICE TRY BOTCH…HERE’S THE PROBLEM…
YOU ASSUMED “THE PINHEADS” CAN READ…
BIG MISTAKE…
NO QUESTION $7.5 MILLION IS A LOT TO PAY FOR A GOALTENDER…
BUT THE CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS HAVE $12 MILLION COMMITTED TO THEIR GOALTENDING…AND THEY’RE IN THE CONFERENCE FINALS…
THE REASON IS…
THEY HAVE DRAFT PICKS SUCH AS KANE…TOEWS…VERSTEEG…BOLLAND AND BAKER ALL MAKING LESS THAN A MILLION DOLLARS A SEASON…
DETROIT HAS 8 DRAFT PICKS IN THEIR LINE UP MAKING THAT KIND OF MONEY…
IT’S WHY THE WINGS CAN PAY LIDSTROM…HOSSA AND DATSYUK A COMBINED $22 MILLION A SEASON…
SINCE TAKING RYAN KESLER IN 2003…THE CANUCKS DO NOT HAVE A SINGLE PLAYER DRAFTED IN THE FIRST ROUND THAT IS CURRENTLY IN THEIR LINE UP…
INSTEAD THE TEAM PASSED OVER THE LIKES OF…
MIKE GREEN…
JOHAN FRANZEN…
ANZE KOPITAR…
PAUL STASTNY…
MILAN LUCIC…
PATRICK BERGLUND…
AND DAVID PERRON…JUST TO NAME A FEW…
YES CODY HODGSON IS ON THE WAY…
BUT GENERAL MANAGER MIKE GILLIS IS STILL FORCED TO LIVE WITH THE MISTAKES MADE BY OTHERS…
IN THE MEANTIME…HERE’S A REALITY CHECK…
DURING THE REGULAR SEASON…THE CANUCKS WERE 20 GAMES OVER .500…WITH LUONGO IN GOAL…
WITHOUT HIM THEY WERE 2 GAMES UNDER .500…
WITHOUT LUONGO THE CANUCKS NEVER SEE THE PLAYOFFS…LET ALONE THE SECOND ROUND…
MEMO TO THE PINHEADS…
IT’S BEEN NEARLY TWO WEEKS SINCE GAME 6 IN CHICAGO…
GET OVER IT!!!

Pierre Mcguire

PIERRE MCGUIRE IS ONE OF THE BEST TALKERS IN HOCKEY…
UNFORTUNATELY IN THE LAST WEEK…HE WAS NOT ABLE TO TALK HIS WAY INTO BECOMING THE NEXT GENERAL MANAGER OF THE MINNESOTA WILD…
ACCORDING TO TSN…THE JOB NOW BELONGS TO CHUCK FLETCHER…
WHO IS NOW THE ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER OF THE PITTSBURGH PENGUINS…
IRONICALLY…THE MAN WHO BROKE THAT STORY…WAS PROBABLY…PIERRE MCGUIRE…
EARLIER THIS WEEK MCGUIRE WAS TOLD HE WAS A FINALIST…
FOR GOOD REASON!!!
MCGUIRE HAS AN IMPRESSIVE RESUME…
HE WON 2 STANLEY CUPS IN PITTSBURGH AS AN ASSISTANT COACH IN THE EARLY 90’S…
HE WAS A HEAD COACH IN HARTFORD…
AND HE HAS ALSO BEEN AN ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER…
BUT…THIS IS WHAT HURT HIS CHANCES…
PIERRE MCGUIRE HAS NOT BEEN INVOLVED WITH ANY TEAM IN 12 YEARS…
THAT’S A LONG TIME TO SIT ON THE SIDELINES…
THE TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING TOOK A SHOT WITH BARRY MELROSE THIS SEASON AS THEIR HEAD COACH…
MELROSE HAD NOT COACHED IN 13 YEARS…
HE LASTED A GRAND TOTAL OF 16 GAMES…
NEVERTHELESS THERE ARE SUCCESS STORIES OF BROADCASTERS MOVING INTO THE FRONT OFFICE…
THE MOST RECENT ARE…
DALE TALLON IN CHICAGO…AND JOHN DAVIDSON IN ST. LOUIS…
EVEN IF ONE DAY MCGUIRE BECOMES A GENERAL MANAGER IN THE NHL…THERE IS NO GUARENTEE OF SUCCESS…
UNLIKE A HEAD COACH…THE SURVIVAL OF A GENERAL MANAGER DEPENDS ON MORE THAN JUST WINNING…
POLITICS PLAY A MAJOR ROLE…
NOT ONLY WITH THE OWNERS…BUT ALSO WITH:
THE PLAYERS…THE AGENTS…THE OTHER GENERAL MANAGERS…THE NHL FRONT OFFICE AND ABOVE ALL…THE MEDIA…
ANY ONE THEM CAN COST A GM “HIS JOB”…
BUT DO NOT KID YOURSELF…
THERE IS NOBODY IN BROADCASTING THAT PLAYS THIS GAME BETTER THAN PIERRE MCGUIRE…
WE KNOW HE CAN “TALK THE TALK”…
SOME DAY WE MAY FIND OUT IF MCGUIRE CAN ALSO…“WALK THE WALK”…

Scott Niedermayer

THE FUTURE OF THE VANCOUVER CANUCKS…
WILL BE DECIDED IN THE NEXT 40 DAYS…
THE SINGLE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FACING GENERAL MANAGER MIKE GILLIS IS GETTING DANIEL AND HENRIK SEDIN SIGNED TO LONG TERM CONTRACTS…
LET’S SAY FOR A MOMENT…THE TWINS SIGN…
THE NEXT MOVE WOULD BE TO GET ROBERTO LUONGO SIGNED…
LUONGO HAS NOT MADE ANY SECRET OF THE FACT…HE WANT TO WIN A STANLEY CUP…
IN HIS WORDS…“WHICH EVER TEAM IS GOING TO GIVE ME THE BEST CHANCE TO DO THAT…IS THE TEAM I WANT TO BE WITH”…
YOU CAN DEBATE HIS JUDGEMENT IN MAKING THAT STATEMENT…
BUT WHAT YOU CAN NOT DEBATE IS WHERE HIS PRIORITY IS AT…
IT IS NOT ABOUT “THE MONEY”…
IT IS ABOUT WINNING…
AND GILLIS HAS MADE IT CLEAR…HE INTENDS TO GET LUONGO SIGNED…
IN HIS WORDS…“WE HAVE A WAY TO MAKE IT WORK…AND WE INTEND TO DO THAT”…
SO NOW THE QUESTION IS…HOW???
CERTINALY THE SEDINS ARE THE FIRST STEP…
BUT ADD TO THAT…THE CANUCKS HAVE 12 PLAYERS ALREADY SIGNED FOR NEXT SEASON…FOR A TOTAL OF $33 MILLION DOLLARS…
AND THERE COULD BE AS MANY AS 3 OR 4 PLAYERS ADDED FROM THE MANITOBA MOOSE…
INCLUDING CODY HODGSON…
WHICH MEANS…
EVEN AFTER THE SEDINS GET SIGNED…GILLIS WILL HAVE ENOUGH ROOM UNDER THE CAP TO MAKE A BIG DEAL…
AND THAT GETS US TO:
SCOTT AND ROB NIEDERMAYER…
BOTH ARE ABOUT TO BECOME UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS…
WORD ON THE STREET IS… THE TWO HAVE EXPRESSED AN INTEREST TO FINISH OUT THEIR CAREERS HERE IN VANCOUVER…
NOT ONLY WOULD THIS BE A HOME COMING…
BUT IT WOULD ALSO ALLOW SCOTT NIEDERMAYER THE OPPORTUNITY TO WIN AN OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL IN HIS OWN BACK YARD…
AFTER THE DUCKS WERE KNOCKED OUT OF THE PLAYOFFS…
SCOTT SAID A DECISION ON HIS FUTURE WOULD COME VERY SOON…SIMPLY OUT OF RESPECT FOR ANAHEIM GENERAL MANAGER BOB MURRAY…
SO NO MATTER HOW ALL THIS PLAYS OUT…
IT WOULD APPEAR…CANUCK FANS ARE ABOUT TO GET A GOOD LOOK AT THEIR FUTURE…
AND THEY MAY BE VERY SURPRISED…AT WHAT THEY SEE…

Phoenix Coyotes

TRUST ME ON THIS KIDS…
WHAT’S AT STAKE TODAY IN A PHOENIX COURT ROOM…IS A LOT MORE THAN JUST…THE FATE OF THE COYOTES…
THIS IS ABOUT WHO RUNS THE NHL…
ON THE SURFACE IT APPEARS THIS FIGHT IS BETWEEN JIM BALSILLIE AND COMMISSIONER GARY BETTMAN…
IN TRUTH…THIS IS A FIGHT BETWEEN JIM BALSILLIE AND THE TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS…
THE PRIZE…IS A SHARE OF THE BIGGEST HOCKEY MARKET IN THE WORLD…
TO PUT IT QUITE SIMPLY…THE LEAFS DO NOT WANT TO SHARE IT…
AND IT’S BETTMAN’S JOB…TO MAKE SURE THEY DON’T…
LET’S DO THE MATH…
SHOULD THE COYOTES MOVE FROM PHOENIX TO HAMILTON FOR NEXT SEASON…
THE TEAM WOULD TAKE A FRANCHISE LOSING $40 MILLION DOLLARS A SEASON…AND TRANSFORM IT INTO A TEAM GENERATING $200 MILLION DOLLARS A SEASON…
THAT MONEY WOULD FIND ITS WAY INTO THE POCKETS OF EVERY PLAYER AND OWNER IN THE LEAGUE…
SO WHY IS THE NHL FIGHTING WITH A BILLIONAIRE…WHO IS WILLING TO BAIL THEM OUT???
SIMPLE…
BALSILLIE REPRESENTS A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER TO “THE ESTABLISHMENT” THAT CONTROLS THIS LEAGUE…
A HAND FULL OF OWNERS…SUCH AS ED SNIDER IN PHILADELPHIA…JEREMY JACOBS IN BOSTON…AND ABOVE ALL…
THE TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS…
THESE TEAMS ARE THE SINGLE REASON WHY BETTMAN STILL HAS A JOB…
HOWEVER THEY ARE STILL A “MINORITY”…
AND THIS FIGHT OVER THE COYOTES…HAS CERTAINLY RAISED SOME SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THE LEADERSHIP AND DIRECTION OF THE LEAGUE…
KEEP IN MIND…
BEFORE THE LOCK OUT…BETTMAN GUARENTEED THESE OWNERS “COST CERTAINTY”…
NO WHERE IS THAT “FAILURE” MORE EVIDENT…THAN IN PHOENIX…
UNFORTUNATLEY FOR THE NHL…THIS IS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG…
THERE ARE AT LEAST ANOTHER 5 FRANCHISES THAT ARE IN IMMEDIATE NEED OF RE-LOCATION…
THE LIST INCLUDES…ATLANTA…NASHVILLE…FLORIDA…TAMPA BAY AND THE NEW YORK ISLANDERS…
BETTMAN’S VISION OF RAPID EXPANSION AND RELOCATION INTO NON TRADITION MARKETS HAS BLOWN UP IN HIS FACE…
THE LOSSES ARE NOW BEING COUNTED IN THE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS…
ADD IT UP…AND NO MATTER WHO WINS IN COURT TODAY…
BY THE TIME THE SMOKE CLEARS…THIS IS GOING TO COST GARY BETTMAN HIS JOB…