The official NHL thread

[WOLF]

Nets minority owner Bruce Ratner has outbid MSG for the rights to redevelop the Nassau Coliseum.

No clue what this means. Could the Isles stay put? Could the AHL's Sound Tiger's move there?

Redevelop the Coliseum or the land? If its the latter they could build a shopping mall there if they wanted to, or condos. In reality, they will probably create some kind of a complex that includes something sports related, retail, etc. I think the Isles to Brooklyn is a done deal, but every deal has outs.

If the Isles do move, it would be silly to then build a new arena. A soccer pitch maybe, for a MLS franchise, or maybe a minor league baseball stadium? "Redevelop" is a REALLY broad term.

[NeverSurrender]

Wolf, it will be a 13,000 seat hockey arena. Scaled down.

It will most likely ice an AHL team.

[WOLF]

Wolf, it will be a 13,000 seat hockey arena. Scaled down.

It will most likely ice an AHL team.

That seems silly. It wouldn't have cost that much more to turn the 13,000 arena to an 18,000 arena, and in doing so the Isles could have stayed put.

I don't know all the ins and outs of Charles Wang's relationship with Long Island, but I guess either he really wanted out, or they really wanted him out. Pity.

[Facedown]

Bruins extend Chiarelli for 4 years.

[WOLF]

Bruins extend Chiarelli for 4 years.

Great move. He may very well be the best GM in the NHL.

[EatTheGlass]

Settle down, homer.

That Bergeron contact is questionable at best, and the Rask contract is fucking HORRIBLE.

Best GM in the league, give me a fuckin break.

[WOLF]

Settle down, homer.

That Bergeron contact is questionable at best, and the Rask contract is fucking HORRIBLE.

Best GM in the league, give me a fuckin break.

I'm a Habs fan, so far from a Bruins homer. Actually, as far as one can possibly get.

However, credit where credit is due. The Bruins finally went outside of the organization, hired a bright, young hockey mind away from the Senators. The guy traded well, worked with his scouting staff and drafted well, and made some good signings - and bad, like every GM. The Bruins are set for years because of Chiarelli's work.

Personally, I don't see the Bergeron and Rask contracts as "bad", but more a sign of the times. Agents are always going to lean on comparables. If Price is making what he's making, Rask needs to get that much plus. Maybe Bergeron is being paid for being a warrior. He's revered in Boston, so if his value is pegged as higher because of that, and it works within their cap, so be it. It also sends a message to players around the league, that the Bruins reward you for loyalty and playing hard, and it makes other guys want to sign there.

Name me some GMs who have done a better job than Chiarelli the last few years. There are certainly some, but not many.

[EatTheGlass]

Settle down, homer.

That Bergeron contact is questionable at best, and the Rask contract is fucking HORRIBLE.

Best GM in the league, give me a fuckin break.

I'm a Habs fan, so far from a Bruins homer. Actually, as far as one can possibly get.

However, credit where credit is due. The Bruins finally went outside of the organization, hired a bright, young hockey mind away from the Senators. The guy traded well, worked with his scouting staff and drafted well, and made some good signings - and bad, like every GM. The Bruins are set for years because of Chiarelli's work.

Personally, I don't see the Bergeron and Rask contracts as "bad", but more a sign of the times. Agents are always going to lean on comparables. If Price is making what he's making, Rask needs to get that much plus. Maybe Bergeron is being paid for being a warrior. He's revered in Boston, so if his value is pegged as higher because of that, and it works within their cap, so be it. It also sends a message to players around the league, that the Bruins reward you for loyalty and playing hard, and it makes other guys want to sign there.

Name me some GMs who have done a better job than Chiarelli the last few years. There are certainly some, but not many.

Wait a second, you're using Price as the comparable? A player who's won nothing? What makes you think that Price's contract is any better? How about using Jonathan Quick as the comparable.....who just might be the best goaltender in the league right now? That dude just won a cup AND the Conn Smythe.....AND was nominated for the Vezina, and probably should have won that if not for the east coast bias in the league. Quick just signed an extension with a 5.8 mil cap hit.....but you think Rask is worth is 7mil?

So now on to the topic of better GMs....if you haven't figured it out by now, I'll go with Dean Lombardi. That dude wins a cup, with the most dominant performance by a team in decades, and manages to keep the entire team intact.....from there, that team goes all the way back to the WC finals....not bad. DL has the core locked up....Quick, Kopitar, Richards, Brown, Carter, Doughty, Voynov.......and yet this guy gets very little respect.

[WOLF]

Price is a comparable for Rask because they were drafted the same year, and they've progressed through junior, the AHL, and pro's at a similar pace. And yeah, agents love to cite the guy who's struggling as the comparable, because they can say "Carey Price has won nothing at the NHL level, has stats inferior to my client, and makes 6.5 million per year - my guys gets 7 million or he's walking as soon as he's UFA". Quick's deal is a steal, but it's way easier to convince an American guy to stay in LA, than it is a Finn to stay in the Northeastern US.

As for Lombardi, he's a fine GM, one of the best as well. Every GM has good and bad deals on their record. I will say Chiarelli had a more immediate impact in the league, in his first GM job, than Lombardi did. In fact, Lombardi got the rep of never being able to get over the hump in San Jose. Many in hockey circles credit the fact that his father-in-law is Bob Pulford, to Lombardi getting so many kicks at the can in SJ and the league in general.

[EatTheGlass]

Price is a comparable for Rask because they were drafted the same year, and they've progressed through junior, the AHL, and pro's at a similar pace. And yeah, agents love to cite the guy who's struggling as the comparable, because they can say "Carey Price has won nothing at the NHL level, has stats inferior to my client, and makes 6.5 million per year - my guys gets 7 million or he's walking as soon as he's UFA". Quick's deal is a steal, but it's way easier to convince an American guy to stay in LA, than it is a Finn to stay in the Northeastern US.

As for Lombardi, he's a fine GM, one of the best as well. Every GM has good and bad deals on their record. I will say Chiarelli had a more immediate impact in the league, in his first GM job, than Lombardi did. In fact, Lombardi got the rep of never being able to get over the hump in San Jose. Many in hockey circles credit the fact that his father-in-law is Bob Pulford, to Lombardi getting so many kicks at the can in SJ and the league in general.

Sorry, not buying your goaltender comparable.....Rask is the 2nd highest paid goalie in the league behind Rinne, I don't see how, at the age of 26 he's done enough to deserve that. Great GMs don't get fleeced.....and we'll just have to see how this plays out, but for 7-mil, you better have a goalie who consistently can win games on their own.

As for Lombardi......take a look at the teams both GMs had to work with when they started in 06-07, and try telling me again about immediate impact. As far as SJ goes, the teams under Lombardi improved point-wise every year, and it's not like they've done much better without him.

Did you know that the only reason Boston hired Chiarelli in 06 was because Lombardi turned the job offer down?

[WOLF]

Did you know that the only reason Boston hired Chiarelli in 06 was because Lombardi turned the job offer down?

Never heard that. I guess it worked out for everyone then. Seeing that they both have Cup rings.

[NeverSurrender]

I'm ready for the season and some Olympic hockey.

[WhiteHouseSubsAC]

I'm ready for the season and some Olympic hockey.

Crazy that it's so close. Bring it on.

[pieceofme]

I'm ready for the season and some Olympic hockey.

Me too. Although no doubt it will be another high draft pick this year.

[Lardbucket]

Corey Crawford extended - 6 years, 36 million.

[WOLF]

Corey Crawford extended - 6 years, 36 million.

He just brought the Stanley Cup home to Montreal. I took my kids to meet him and get pics this afternoon. Coincidentally enough, at one point he left the Cup and signing table for a while, and went into the local rec center/arena. Apparently, he went in to sign his new 6-year/$36 million contract, and then came back out to continue meeting with us peasants.

All kidding aside, he's a good guy who scrapped it out to make it where he is. He derserves his success and took a lot of time out for the kids from his local association today, and even those from outside his association, like mine, who came out to see him.

[Kid-Wicked]

corey crawford is a 6 million a year guy?

wow.

[Lardbucket]

corey crawford is a 6 million a year guy?

wow.

I think they overpaid, but after losing Niemi I think they needed to appease the fans. I think 4 per year would have been about right.

[EatTheGlass]

corey crawford is a 6 million a year guy?

wow.

Another fuckin rip off....

[pieceofme]

corey crawford is a 6 million a year guy?

wow.

Another fuckin rip off....

That I will agree with.

[Kid-Wicked]

corey crawford is a 6 million a year guy?

wow.

Another fuckin rip off....

That I will agree with.

all season all the talk was that goaltending was the hawks weak point. so he wins a cup and now he's in the top 5 goalie salaries.
crazy

[jizzyjizim]

I'm ready for the season and some Olympic hockey.

Me too. Although no doubt it will be another high draft pick this year.

too bad it wasn't going into the 2015 season and pick up Connor McDavid not sure who's projected to go #1 over-all this year.

[NeverSurrender]

Isles to name John Tavares captain at start of training camp. Hopefully Hamonic gets his old A.

JT = Hope.

[johnk5150]

Crawford deal is a reach but they have Kane, Keith, Hjalmersson, Toews and Sharpe locked up for years. This team is going to be great for a long time. They're stealing Kane and Toews.

[johnk5150]

Crawford deal is a reach but they have Kane, Keith, Hjalmersson, Toews and Sharpe locked up for years. This team is going to be great for a long time. They're stealing Kane and Toews.

[johnk5150]

Crawford deal is a reach but they have Kane, Keith, Hjalmersson, Toews and Sharpe locked up for years. This team is going to be great for a long time. They're stealing Kane and Toews.

[pieceofme]

I'm ready for the season and some Olympic hockey.

Me too. Although no doubt it will be another high draft pick this year.

too bad it wasn't going into the 2015 season and pick up Connor McDavid not sure who's projected to go #1 over-all this year.

Don't worry I'm sure we will still be in the running for him!

And I think it is Ekblad who is the favourite to be number 1 pick in 2014.

[alecjonsludge]

Move over,Captain Highliner, step aside Wild Wing, have a seat Burger King, there is a new contender to worst 3rd jersey ever.

[WOLF]

Move over,Captain Highliner, step aside Wild Wing, have a seat Burger King, there is a new contender to worst 3rd jersey ever.

I don't know why people mess with a good thing. The classic Sabre unis, logo, and color scheme are awesome - almost as good as the original 6 sweaters. Don't fuck with that. Just tweek it every now and then, like the Habs/B's/Leafs/etc. have, but don't do THAT! That's down there with the mustard colored Preds unis, and the famed, short lived Dallas "mooterus" shirts (the ones that looked both like a steer, and a uterus)!

http://pucksandrocks.blogspot.ca/2010/0 ... ersey.html

[alecjonsludge]

Move over,Captain Highliner, step aside Wild Wing, have a seat Burger King, there is a new contender to worst 3rd jersey ever.

I don't know why people mess with a good thing. The classic Sabre unis, logo, and color scheme are awesome - almost as good as the original 6 sweaters. Don't fuck with that. Just tweek it every now and then, like the Habs/B's/Leafs/etc. have, but don't do THAT! That's down there with the mustard colored Preds unis, and the famed, short lived Dallas "mooterus" shirts (the ones that looked both like a steer, and a uterus)!

http://pucksandrocks.blogspot.ca/2010/0 ... ersey.html

I liked Dan O'Toole's tweet; remember that car Homer Simpson designed? It's like someone from Buffalo said give me one of those,but in a jersey.

These jerseys are yellow bellied- hardly the jersey to dispell the claims that the Sabres lack intestinal fortitude.