Pride is good in small doses, but never something to depend on. With last nights’ varying adjustments in pride, attitude, and stripping away false senses of security, the bottom eight of both Conferences as well as that elusive shot at the Prize of the West, are anything but solid.

The firestorm from Calgary arrived in Charlotte, and an eager Canes band, newly re-united with Eric Cole proceeded to put them out like a dog soaking a lit cigarette in the street. Any boost the recent trade deadline produced, coupled with the win over Philadelphia was sufficiently damped.

I don’t think this was truly much more than a bad shift of the moon and just one of those nights that the best intentions go awry. Calgary was at least present during the game, but flat. They certainly owed their goaltender Curtis McElhinney more than they have delivered to him in his 13 NHL appearances.

On the flipside, it has been nice to see Sergei Samsonov in the similar form he was as an Edmonton Oiler, with the Moscow native netting 2 points, and the game winning goal.

While not an utterly critical game for the Flames, it was a necessary duece for the Hurricanes, who remain on the cusp of a Playoff hunt.

The Great One led his pack of canine-like creatures into the Herd to tangle in Buffalo. And now you know what it sounds like when a great crushing occurs.

Even with the best efforts of Ilya Bryzgalov and one of my favorite defencemen, Ken Klee, Maxim Afinegenov and the Slug pack pulled a win out of the hat. Even if watching Klee bank Afinegenov off of the boards like a five cent bouncy ball made me hold me breath for a moment.

With one point and one game separating the Sabres once again from the Stanley Cup Playoffs it was a do or die game delivered to throngs of blue and gold from familiar names like Jason Pominville and Tim Connolly. Having Patrick Lalime minding the net for Buffalo’s injured Miller Time hasn’t been a bad call on Lindy Ruff’s part, either.

A Sabres win tonight against Ottawa will bounce Pittsburgh out of the Top 8, and Buffalo into the golden block.

Nothing says retribution like playing against the team that traded you only two weeks before. But for Mathieu Schneider, it’s a full circle come to life as the current Habs defenceman plays on the roster of the very man who centered his 1993 Stanley Cup victory against the Los Angeles Kings, Guy Carbonneau. It would not only be the last time the Canadiens would hold the Cup, but the last time they would even see the Stanley Cup Finals since.

Unfortunately, with the way Les Habitats played in Philips Arena, minus the obvious work of Schneider and excellent goaltending of Cary Price, Playoff dreams could potentially slip away. The play was lackluster and uninspired at best.

Atlanta, however, actually brought a game to the arena to give the fans something other than the door prizes to take home. At the worst, it would have made a South Park caricature.

Carbo believes that the Habs brought some effort. I didn’t see it. Except for when young Zach Bogosian took a healthy beating with a smile on the assaulting Hab’s face. That was like warm cocoa on a cold winter night.

Skate ‘em, Carbo, for old time’s sake.

St. Louis met the Lightning at home in Tampa Bay’s St. Pete Times Forum, where they proceeded to sing a song of good ole hockey that gave the Bolts the blues. In typical fashion, Tampa responded to a 3 goal deficit in the third period with their own set of three to force overtime.

But there would be no tacos.

First, they were in Tampa. Second, in sudden death overtime, a forth goal was the night’s limit.

Since that made no sense to most hockey greenhorns, I’ll explain it. Before the infamous Hockey Lockout of 2004-2005, local Taco Bell restaurants in the St. Louis area offered thirty-five cent tacos the day following a Blues game when the Blues scored five goals or more. On the forth goal, the crowd would begin to chant, “We Want TACOS!”

And I’m going to miss Gary Roberts. It was an honor to have him grace the Bolts jersey.

In a must-win battle for the potential 8th seed in the West, the Dallas Stars and 10th ranked Anaheim Ducks met in a battle royale. The Stars, in an onslaught once again spearheaded by Ribiero and backended by Marty Turco, show us what the Dallas Stars do best on the ice, divide and conquer.

They continually kept Anaheim split on the forecheck, drove a triangle pattern to the net, and somehow it worked. I haven’t seen much of Anaheim this year, but it appears the Ducks are flying south, with the Stars rising into the eighth slot. With the matchup of Edmonton and Toronto, the future of that slot remains insecure.

The bottom ranks of the East and West are shifting day to day, so get ready for March’s Hairy Ride to the Finish.

And that, my friends, is hockey as we know it.

And yes, I love this job. Thanks to Alin Mateescu and staff for bringing me to RMT.

Arguably, the best fan-centric franchise in the NHL resides at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. In their fledgling nine years, as of January 3rd, 2009, the Wild have sold out every home game in their arena’s history. They have also retired only one jersey in that nine year history. It chokes me up to think about it, because when I look deeply into my inner canuck, I realize that this is simply the way things should be in our great sport.

The Minnesota Wild will never have a player with the number 1 on their jersey, because that star player is their fans.

If you drive north for three hours, you are still in Wild territory. You will also find yourself in the presence of the World’s Largest Hockey Stick, in Eveleth, Minnesota.

Waivers. There’s something disheartening about that word, one that makes a player rethink their history, hope for the future, and attempt to avoid a sense of misery. It’s not a trade, a trade has a larger sense of respect to it.

Yet, there he was. He had been to the Stanley Cup Playoffs with Anaheim, in the megolithic age of players like Steve Rucchin, Paul Kariya, and Niclas Havelid, back when the Ducks actually had a logo.

He had a ring with the Carolina Hurricanes, when against a storm of attacks from the League’s best in Chris Pronger, Michael Peca, and Ryan Smyth, he was allowed to have his day with Lord Stanley’s Cup.

And yet again, the silver taste on his lips hung as he chased it, once again in the Playoffs with Ottawa as a Senator.

Then, he found himself on waivers.

There’s something brewing in Toronto, and as much as many of us outside of Burke’s domain have ridiculed him, we saw, as Alex Ovechkin also watched from the sidelines, a sense of urgency and fury that we should not so quickly expect from a currently bottom third ranked team.

Ovechkin’s good, but I’m gaining faith in the Swiss Martin Gerber. For a goaltender who has been to the Playoffs with every team he’s played on, this could be a sign, Toronto.

It’s easy to get a big head. You have the contract, get to date the pretty models, and if you are proactive enough, you find yourself in the news quite a bit. It’s all cake until your only claim to fame is the “Most Hated Player in Hockey”. Bettman gets kudos. I’ve been watching the interviews, watching the play of our titled anti-hero, and I have to say, the guy I used to despise is growing on me.

I can’t believe I’m truly beginning to like Sean Avery. Finally, the guy has come to actually play hockey.

If I had nothing to like about the Rangers before, as a Bolt fan first and foremost, I have to say Torty is an excellent fit. Maybe with these and the new trades of Antropov from Toronto, and Morris from Phoenix, there will be a Rangers team Mark Messier can once again respect.

The West is nothing less than a horse race to the finish every year. I am pleased to actually see the Blue Jackets gracing the Top 8, for the first time in their history. Although the Wild have tasted Playoff hockey, Columbus has not, even with the incredible talents of Rick Nash and the former defenceman Sergei Fedorov. With Kristian Huselius and the newly acquired Antoine Vermette, expect more firepower from the already impressive arsenal to reach into May.

While the Jackets suffered a visceral defeat from a determined Predators team, don’t count them out. We certainly have not seen the last of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

He won a Stanley Cup, and then found himself traded to the Flyers for some upshot named Rick Tocchet. You know where I’m going with this. He won a second Stanley Cup with our aforementioned Martin Gerber. He has been to more teams than even he would care to name, and in just over a calendar year, has now played on four different teams: the Penguins, Thrashers, Tampa Bay, and now called forth to add to an already impressive Boston Bruins. While his service as a player under the coaching of the very upstart in 1992 that placed him with the Flyers, Mark Recchi is the man you call when you need something solid, something with heart. Having Recchi on your roster is the same as loading up with sorghum syrup before a happy day of logging.

Playing Boston was rough before. Now it’s like playing the Bruins on crack, with the Jolly Green Giant for a Captain.

Don’t feed the Bears, folks.

The Atlanta Thrashers have a new motto: “When you care enough to get rid of the very best”. First it was Mathieu Schneider to Montreal (who will be in Atlanta to clean their collective clocks tonight), now Niclas Havelid to New Jersey. If there is a player more professional and dedicated to his sport and his fanbase, I’d like to meet them.

For me, since I have met Havelid personally, this is a well-deserved move, both for Havelid and New Jersey. He taught my son that you can’t touch the Cup until you win it. So when it came to Atlanta, the little one wouldn’t. Perhaps this is his year. He certainly belongs on a team of the Devils’ caliber.

Now that God is back in the net, this should all get very interesting.

Tonight, Carolina and Buffalo are in must-win games, and the fate of Dallas-Anaheim hangs in the balance with each team striving to displace Edmonton for 8th seed in the West. The gangly roots of the Playoff Beard are beginning to grow.

And that, my friends, is hockey as we know it.

Jordan Staal is a hometown favorite, and expected to become an all-star caliber player.  Would the Pens trade Staal. 

Many fans last year did not expect Colby Armstrong to be dealt, he was also a fan favorite and he was close to Sidney Crosby.  I don’t think Staal is untouchable, however I cannot see a deal the Pens can make that will imporve their slim chances at making another Stanly Cup Finals Run. 

Ray Shero so far has looked like a savior.  The Hossa Deal last year proved he can make the tough decisions.  The Chris Kunitz deal this year showed he can make trades that give immediate returns.  I am not sure if he wants to press his luck and deal away Staal and his potential for just a small chance of getting to the big show again this year.

What got them there? Well honestly a resilient offense and timely goaltending from someone not named Martin Brodeur for most of the season is what got the Devils to this point. When Brodeur went down on November 1st…did anyone expect them to be in this position? No! Scott Clemmensen did an incredible job under the worst circumstances with 25 wins for Jersey. However he did tail off the last 10 days sort of like he did the first 10. Patrik Elias has 65 points for the team and Zach Parise has 73 points. The Devils, in all, have scored 186 goals in 61 games which is good for 3.05 goals per game. As an oh by the way Jamie Langenbrunner, the captain has chipped in with 52 points including 19 goals and 5 GWG’s….he is a clutch man when clutch is needed. Travis Zajac in his third year also has 52 points which has been a huge surprise for a team that did not expect quite that much from him.

Now what got them there to me is a simple philosophy that quite a few people forgot about. That started during last year’s playoff series in Game 3 where the Devils decided to play a little more of a run and gun style. They would go on to lose to the Rangers in five games but it set the stage for this season. Signing Brian Rolston and Bobby Holik helped play a big part in that. Now they have not produced in the way expected but they have been effective. Effective works as most know! Still this team does have some needs and that is a cold reality as team vie for the Stanley Cup come April.

What they need? It looks like the team needs a defenseman for starters. The goaltending is obviously covered. Never hurts to have an all-world netminder….ever! Ideally the Devils need a two way defenseman to create some more offense while being able to muscle guys out of Brodeur’s way. A guy like Jay-Bo wouldn’t hurt but the reality may dictate more a return of Scott Niedermayer or Jordan Leopold and even that might not be all that likely. After all, that is the whole point of a wish list. You wish for it but it does not mean you will get it. Sad commentary on life that your team cannot always get what they want.

This team could use another scoring forward especially if Brian Gionta really is as digruntled as people have said. That of course depends on who you read and who you ask. The Devils could bring up someone from Lowell if they really had to. It would not hurt to get a little younger as Gionta is having a nice season but should have just about a point a game with who he is playing. He did nearly score 50 once but that seems like eons ago! Rolson has also been a bit of a disappointment in that sense…people just expected more I guess. Maybe it will come next year but for chemistry’s sake a 2nd line scorer couldn’t hurt. Who could they get? Well Gabork is out…how about maybe a Tim Connolly perhaps. Time will tell.

What Will They Get? Not sure truthfully….there are so many wild rumors out there that usually the quiet ones are hard to gauge. This time of year really is like a “Christmas” of sorts for teams as they find out what they will have to work with as they go into battle for the Stanley Cup! Leopold might be the most practical and affordable but will the Devils have enough “goods” to aim higher? Brian Gionta and a pick or two, toss in a Pandolfo and the Devils might be able to address their needs. Then again the trade deadline is like high stakes poker….sometimes you have to go all in to get what you want.

Come Wednesday Evening we will see what the Devils wind up getting. Will it be enough? I do not know but surely we will be back with analysis of the Devils Trade Deadline as well as the NHL Trade Deadline. Enjoy the hockey till then!

Guerin to the Capitals is a done deal in my books… expect an announcement tomorrow. 

Leafs News:

NHL News

Jamal Mayers has got some interest. The Red Wings are the most likely team to acquire him. San Jose, Calgary, and Pittsburgh are interested. 

According to CBC Hotstove, Ian White was involved in a trade idea, but Burke quickly declined. I will try to find out who and what was involved. 

Bill Guerin is on his way off the Island. He was pulled out of the lineup, prior to the game, and word is that he will be dealt to an Eastern Conference team. No Devils, Flyers, or Bruins, apparently. I have heard that Buffalo, Montreal, or Carolina could be involved.

Derek Morris is not going to play until he is dealt. He will be dealt shortly. Montreal leading that race, I am told, but Boston and New Jersey very interested. Boston’s situation may depend on a couple bigger fish (Kaberle and Pronger).

I’ll be back tomorrow with some more updates.

Thanks, 

Maurizio Zambito

Neither Conklin nor Ozzie have been good enough this season, and let’s face it the Wings won’t repeat the great cup run with a .890 save percentage.

My personal solution, DO NOT TRADE FOR ANYONE, DO NOT CALL OUT OZZIE OR CONKLIN, simply CALL UP HOWARD

Jimmy Howard has been a Red Wing prospect for the last 3 seasons, although he’s never played more than 4 games in a season, he’s a decent prospect, I believe the Red Wings as a team have nothing to lose, the defence is clicking, the offense has chemistry, besides Howard must gain experience if the management wants him to become the next Chris Osgood.

I think that the Toronto Maple Leafs organization and Brian Burke think too highly of the Kazakhstan-born right winger and therefore will be expecting too much in return. Unless something spectacular occurs between now and the March 4 trade deadline or some team has faith in his skills and makes Burke an offer that he just can not refuse, every trade offer will not be what Burke expects and Nik Antropov will still be a Leaf. The numbers that Antropov has put up so far this year have been a lot better when compared to his statistics from last year but that is only because his teammates rely more heavily on him now with the departure of Mats Sundin and the fact that the Leafs do not have one player that can be considered their “sniper”.

When reporters asked Antropov about the trade rumors surrounding him, he replied with this statement: “The trade stuff probably is in the back of my mind,” Antropov admitted. “But it is not in my control. That is up to Brian Burke.” All that Nik Antropov can think about is the task at hand, that being helping the team put up a few more wins on the board as the Leafs try to make a push for the playoffs, which is highly unlikely this season considering the way the team has been playing. I think that if Antropov strives to do his best for the rest of the season, he will make a name for himself and have a better chance of being signed this off season when he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

On the other hand, Ron Wilson has a different point of view of the right winger:

“When you look at his numbers, they’re not unlike his other years in the NHL,” Wilson said. “He doesn’t have someone of Mats Sundin’s magnitude to play with, so I actually think he’s having a pretty good year. He had a slump that he seems to go through every season — a period in December and January when he struggled to score. A lot of players have things like that. But, where we’re going in the future is an entirely different story. We’ve got to get younger; we’ve got to get quicker; we’ve got to get meaner. In many cases, we’ve got to get more skilled. So, there’s going to be a lot of changes, and we’ve talked about that all year. I don’t think this [Antropov discussion] should be a revelation to anyone,” Wilson went on to say.

 All we can do is wait until the deadline approaches to see whether Nik Antropov will have a change of scenery or will lace up his skates as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs – the waiting begins!

What is going on these days, NHL-KHL, now KHL-NHL? This has to stop! First of all Zherdev was still under contract to play in the NHL so his departure was a no go, fine. Now rumors are surfacing that Jagr could come to the NHL and play for the Oilers? Don’t get me wrong, Jagr was one of the best players in the NHL for a long time, and might still have what it takes to play, not to mention that he has been playing hockey all season unlike a certain Swedish player who sgined in December and just got in to shape now, but how can the NHL allow this?

If a player decides to skip town when his contract is over and play in the KHL that’s fine, same goes for leaving the KHL and coming to the NHL, but why mid-season, this is completely ludicrous! The players have to wait untill the current season is over.

This all started with Teemu Selanne, and Scott Niedermayer taking their sweet time in coming back, then Zherdev wanting to leave, followed by Mats Sundin having to ponder his future in the NHL until late December when he signed with the Vancouver Canucks, now Jagr?

Yes I know, if the teams are willing to let this happen and be a part of it then the players will use and abuse it, but does that make it right? And let’s not forget Brendan Shanahan signing late this season as well.

The NHL has to put a stop to this other wise more and more players will do this, and the league will be a joke. The NHL has to put a policy in place that players have until the day before the season opens to sign their contracts and if the players have to ponder their career, well they have the whole summer to do so, or else they will have to wait until the current season is over.

This might become really annoying to fans who already think that players are making too much money, now they are allowed to sign contracts in the middle of the season? Ridiculous! but as long as owners are willing to let this happen and the league goes along with it, well then I imagine it will keep happening.

More on this NHL-KHL topic, pick one. NHL or KHL and live with your decision, no well i would like to play in the NHL again, too bad. Wait until the season is over then sign a free agent contract or else too bad. Same goes the other way. The Montreal Canadiens lost one of their defense-men to the KHL, Pavel Valentenko decided that if he wasn’t playing with the big club then off to Russia it is. I say suspend him for a whole year from coming back, after his contract is up with the Habs affiliate Hamilton Bulldogs.

Enough with this non-sense. You play in the NHL or the KHL, not come and go as you please. Let’s hope that the NHL will look into instating a policy which prohibits players from signing with an NHL club once the season has started, and also that they look into more specificaly players from another league whichever one it is and prevent NHL clubs from signing them during the current season.

For the most part of the season, the Habs loyal have linked their club to many star players. Stars like  Vinncent Lecavalier, Brad Richards, Jay Bowmeester, Tomas Kaberle, have according to Montreal fans been subject to trade talk.

Whether this has actually did happen or not, I do not know, but still, I believe the Habs loyal are pressuring too much on  a Gm that has done great things for the club, still Bob Gainey can’t perform miracles, for example the Brad Richards thing, Why would the stars trade arguably their most important star up front after fighting so much for getting him on their team just a year before?

Montreal has needs, but it isn’t a team that has no future on the playoffs, the truth of the matter is the Habs fans have the obssesion having a dream season, 100 years another Stanley Cup.

As a personal opinion I believe they should leave their GM and their players play the game, cheer for them, just do not make up these weird trades, believe me Gainey knows what he is doing.

Devils GM Lou Lamoriello is rumored to be shopping Brian Gionta to shed some salary to add a veteran top four defenseman. Gionta, who is making $4 Million, is set to become an unrestricted free agent at season end and could be the most valued trade commodity for the Devils.

The veteran forwards productivity has continued to decline since his 48 goal season in 2005-2006. This season, while playing on a line with Patrick Elias and Dainius Zubrus he has netted 11 goals and 30 assists but only has 2 goals in the last 14 games. 

The addition of Brendan Shanahan has given the Devils some scoring depth upfront and the freedom to move a forward via a trade. The Devils have also been shopping forwards Jay Pandolfo and John Madden, both who earn just under $3 million this season, though Pandolfo has been a healthy scratch the past five games and Madden’s lack of offensive ability make them much less valuable than Gionta.

With several top line defenseman available like Scott Neidermeyer, Chris Pronger, Jay Bouwmeester, Tomas Kaberle, just to name a few, the Devils will need to shed some salary. Currently just sitting under the cap, the Devils will be forced to package a forward, defenseman and draft picks if they are to land one of the high priced veteran defenseman.

Yes of course having a Vincent Lecavalier on the team would be great! Vinny would be the big scoring centre from Quebec that the Habs have needed since Jean Beliveau. Vinny would solidify the number one centre position for the next ten years, and the Canadiens would have their impact player they have been searching for. But what about the back end?

The Canadiens have showed that even with players like Andrei Markov, Mike Komisarek and Roman Hamrlik that they still need someone else to complete their four man scheme. Josh Gorges and Francis Bouillon are good, especially Gorges who has an impressive +18 this year, and Bouillon never ducks away from the rough play, unfortunately they are both small. Patrice Brisebois is playing well again this year, but is showing signs of fatigue as he is looked upon to be the number four guy.

The solution could be prying Pronger away from the Ducks. With Pronger’s size, mean streak and toughness, to go along with his defensive and offensive skill, he might be just what the Habs need. Think of playing the Boston Bruins or the Philadelphia Flyers in the play-offs this year. Both of those teams are big and like to pound the corners, and with Komisarek being the only one who really pounds back with any consistency, the Habs are lacking back-end size and toughness.

And what about at the forward position? Even with all the injuries the Canadiens have had this year they have still managed to score goals, so scoring doesn’t seem to be the problem. An aging Steve Begin is doing what he can to play a tough and hitting game but can’t do it every night. Tom Kostopoulos is doing what he can to defend players but seems to be more of a punching bag. Guillaume Latendresse is concentrating on scoring or passing and not finishing his checks.

Could the solution be getting Neil out of the Sens line-up? Think of Georges Laraque back in the line-up playing beside Neil. The Bruins and Flyers would have a hard time with the likes of Komisarek, Pronger, Laraque and Neil. The forwards for the Habs would be able to run free and play the way they can without worrying of retribution from the other teams. Carey Price would be a little less worried about peolpe crashing his net as he would know that there would finally be some pay back.

As I mentioned before, Lecavalier would definitely be great, but if it is impossible to get him, then Pronger and Neil would be a solution to some of the problems that the Habs have. The Canadiens would definitely be tougher team, and would surely be harder to push around.

Last year in the play-offs the Habs out hit the Bruins, but where so tired after that series that the Flyers were able to push them around, if the Canadiens acquired Neil and Pronger, that would be different, especially with Laraque in the line-up.

Hopefully Bob Gainey will make the right decision and help the Habs fill in the holes they have.

Let’s start with the players:

Who’s been great this year:

1.-Kyle Quincey, one of my personal favorites of this year, in Detroit he was a nobody (not because he didn’t play hard, but because the star filled defense of the Red Wings limited his ice time), if you read my article after the Red Wings won the Cup, you’ve might have seen that I sort of saw this one coming.

2.- Milan Lucic, If someone asked you one year ago, who is Milan Lucic? more than half of us wouldn’t have known what the hell were you talking about. This has been the Boston Bruins year (even if San Jose is higher than them on the overall Standings), all because players like Lucic have been clicking for their team (as a matter of fact I could also have chosen half of the roster, but Lucic has become one of my favorites this year)

3.-Patrick Kane, maybe one of the most predictable picks for this year, after all he’s been one of the brightest stars of the Blackhawks roster, when I look at how this guy and Jonatan Toews have changed the Blackhawks from a bottom of the standings team to a top team in the west makes me forsee a great future for the Franchise.

4.-Zach Parise.- No Brodeur = No Playoffs? Ask this guy! He’s been the most valuable Devil on the roster, his offensive explosion has given hope to a team that after the Brodeur injury was supposedly out of the playoffs.

Who’s been not so great this year:

1.- Marian Gaborik, I must say it’s not a 100 percent his fault, but he was going to be one of the “players to watch” this season as he will become a UFA, but still this guy played less than 15 games for the Wild, a team that was hoping to sign him long term or deal him at the deadline. Good luck trying to deal a guy on the long term injury list! It’s a shame because he’s a natural goal scorer.

2.- Chris Osgood I must say one of my favorite players, he’s led my favorite team to two cups (I’m not counting 1997 because it was Mike Vernon not Chris Osgood in goal), but this year he’s been not so great.

3.- Alexei Kovalev.- A point per game guy that just isn’t producing as much as last year, but then again he usually is a second half of the season guy

4.-Vinny Lecavalier, a franchise player that’s just in the middle of a franchise in conflict, in my personal point of view it’s not his fault, he just has no chemistry with his current roster, maybe the Lightning should shake things up for him or the roster (let the debate continue).

On teams I’ve got two choices on great:

San Jose: who would have imagined last summer that after just adding Rob Blake and Dan Boyle this team would be this Good! It really makes me wonder, can Ron Wilson take you all the way to a Stanley Cup?

Boston Bruins: WHAT A CHANGE! In just one year, they went from the 8th spot on the east to leading the east, it’s amazing! Everything is clicking for a team that was “lost” without Joe Thorton

On bad teams:

Ottawa: What the hell happened? Nothing is clicking, and unless Bryan Murray accepts it and shakes things up NOW things will probably go worse.

Dallas : Is one player that much a difference? Sean Avery’s prescence aparently destroyed a team that was supposed to go deep into playoffs.

The signing of the veteran forward has sparked speculation of which forward may be watching from the stands once Shanahan is ready to be inserted into the line-up. Shanahan’s presence will put pressure on several Devils forwards to step-up their games, but the most effected may be John Madden.

Madden, who is set to become a restricted free-agent after the season, has been mediocre at best this season. After posting a 20 goal season in 2007-2008, he has 4 goals and 8 assists in 37 games this season.

The 10 veteran, all as a New Jersey Devil, has seen his ice time and role diminish under Brent Sutter. The time when you would see John Madden checking the other teams top line has become a distant memory. This season has seen the long time duo of Madden and Pandolfo separated, Madden go through a 24 game goal scoring drought and at times even seen him relegated to the fourth line. Not something that you would expect for the center who will be playing between two scoring wingers in Rolston and Shanahan.

Lamoriello and Sutter both understand that to be a top contender for the Stanley Cup, you need three lines that can score and play defense. The addition of Shanahan gives the Devils the potential of three productive scoring lines, depending on how John Madden plays at center between the veteran duo of Shanahan and Rolston.

There has been speculation all season that Madden, who’s career high was 23 assists, may be moved by the trading deadline and replaced with a playmakingcenter. Now with signing of Shanahan the rumors may become reality. So after 10 years with the Devils, John Madden’s future with the organization will all depend on how much offense he can produce over the next few weeks.

The Montreal Canadiens have more points, have scored more goals and have let in fewer than at this point last year. Unfortunately the Habs power play is near the league basement this year. Who would have thought that with Chris Higgins, Saku Koivu, and Mathieu Dandenault being out for over a month each that the Canadiens would still be in good position this year. Carey Price has been battling an ankle injury for the same amount of time and Alex Tanguay and been put out twice this season thanks to two clobbering hits, and yet still the Habs are able to manage not to fall to the basement.

What’s even more intriguing is that the Habbies acquired big George Laraque in the free agent market this past off season and Laraque has not played too many games this season due firstly to a pulled groin earlier this year, and most recently a problematic back. Not to mention that Alex Kovalev who does have almost thirty points has dropped off in his goal production this year.

Tomas Plekanec has also dropped in the point producing department, which may be a factor in Kovalev dropping his production.

Mike Komisarek was injured for a few weeks also with a slightly separated shoulder.

And the second string goalie Jaroslav Halak has played in all the games since Price went down, looking decent in a couple of those, but horrible in most yet the Habs still manage to win.

The Habs good surprises this year include Matt D’agostini who was called up and started like wildfire, he has since slowed down but shows the attitude that he wants to stay with the Habs. Another is Max Pacioretti who was recently called up and has been steady with the club. Perhaps the biggest surprise this year is Mr. +- this year Josh Gorges with a +18. Not to forget aged and long in the tooth Patrice Brisebois who has played well again this most probably his last season.

Robert Lang is also proving to be a great pick up as he leads the team in points this year.

Maxim Lapierre has played well with Tom Kostopoulos this season, and since coach Guy Carbonneau told Guillaume Latendresse to smarten up after benching him for a few games this year, Latendresse has played decent with Lapierre and Kostopoulos.

Andrei Kostitsyn has woken up also, although his little brother Sergei is slowly coming out of his shell this year.

Alex Kovalev. Jaroslav Halak and Laraque seem to be the biggest let downs this year.

Factor in all that is mentioned above and realize the type of team that the Habs have. The depth they have to keep winning even-though they have lost key players with long rehab injuries this year which still have not come back yet.

I think that when all these players come back to the team at 100 per-cent that the Canadiens will be able to play the style they want.

But will the team be the same in the next few weeks?

There are rampant rumours that Bob Gainey is speaking with the Tampa Bay Lightning to help them get their salary down by taking Vincent Lecavalier off their hands.

TSN was the first to report that a trade between Montreal and Tampa Bay could happen. In the article it even goes as far as to stipulate who would be going the other way for Vinny. Plekanec, Higgins, Gorges and possible P.K. Subban as well as a couple of draft picks.

The Collective Bargaining Agreement was an utter nightmare for MLSE. No longer could they purchase the most expensive players in the off-season in an attempt to contend for the Stanley Cup like they had in previous years. They were forced to change their ways. In an effort to get a fresh start, they decided to part ways with long-serving GM Pat Quinn and introduced the relatively unknown John Ferguson Jr. However, MLSE was not going to let the former scout do as he pleased. Every trade, signing, waiver move and decision was to be passed to the board for review. CEO Richard Peddie was adamant that every decision go through him, in other words, it was difficult for JFJ to sneeze without Peddie feeling the mist. “Puppeteer” isn’t the right word, but it’s the first word that comes to mind. The situation certainly put the amateur GM in quite the quagmire. Perhaps if JFJ’s tenure were not so assessed, he may still be the boss. However, as we know, after three years of substandard and paltry decision making by the rookie GM, he was finally let go. The past few seasons have left Leaf supporters quite hopeless and disconsolate as John Ferguson Jr. led this team to post-lockout failure.

After the ineptitude of Ferguson was dealt with, it became abundantly clear to MLSE that a promise had to be made to the new GM. Richard Peddie and the rest of the board surely realized the error of their controlling ways, and assured that the new GM would have full autonomy over the club. This announcement came soon after the legendary Scotty Bowman was rumored to take over and demanded that this be a stipulation. Why they did not hire one of the most respected, most knowledgeable men in all of hockey is beyond me. “Mistake” isn’t the right word, but it’s the first word that comes to mind. But who am I to judge? There may have been many other factors contributing to the termination of this deal. Now that Mr. Bowman has joined his son on the revamped Chicago Blackhawks, this speculation is now over. The vacant spot was filled in by former GM Cliff Fletcher. He has taken the reigns for the remainder of the 2008-2009 season and has done an admirable job to date. He has previously stated that he is by no means a full-time replacement and is just ‘keeping it warm’. There have been numerous newspaper articles, press conferences, blogs and other forms of hockey writing that have speculated the future of the dormant General Manager position and the ambiguous state of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Watching past press releases and rifling through hockey articles, it became more and more obvious to me that Brian Burke would fulfill his contractual duties with the Anaheim Ducks and join the Maple Leafs at the inception of the 2009-2010 season. On paper, this seems like the most logical decision. He has long been rumored to want to manage the Maple Leafs, his wife is involved in the media and this hockey-crazed city would certainly bode well for her career, he would join long-time friend Ron Wilson and would undoubtedly be the highest paid figurehead in all of the NHL. Leaf fans should be excited at the prospect of this as Burke had constructed a solid foundation in Vancouver before joining the Anaheim Ducks and winning a Stanley Cup within a couple years of his appointment. Without sounding overly patriotic, my fondness for him stems from his penchant for signing and drafting hard-hitting Canadian born players. For me, this is unparalleled and it certainly doesn’t go unnoticed. His resume speaks for itself and is certainly shaping up to be the chosen one for many Leaf followers. While this very well may be case, it’s quite certain by the way MLSE has handled previous situations, that anything is possible.

However, everything in Leafland is not how it seems. This fairy tale is seemingly about to jump through some hurdles. With speculation running ramped, the idea of Burke being the knight in shining armor is slowly becoming less and less of a reality. MLSE may be beginning to explore other options should the long rumored assumption not come to fruition. Something we have all heard before. “Typical” isn’t the right word, but it’s the first word that comes to mind.

In a recent interview with co-owner Larry Tanenbaum, he ostensibly shut the door on recent speculation of long-time Detroit Red Wing Steve Yzerman taking the reigns after this season. I understand MLSE being hesitant to hire another rookie GM as the first experiment did not go as planned. They have stated in previous press releases that the new GM would have extensive experience and a proven track record. But I would not be so quick to dismiss the long time player. For sometime now, Yzerman has been working side by side with Ken Holland, Scotty Bowman and the other brilliant hockey minds that comprise the Detroit Red Wing staff. He has certainly been educated on the intricacies and the savvy of putting together a Stanley Cup squad. As a player, he has won on virtually every level he has played in. As a Peterborough Pete he was a star attraction, he won the championship in both the World Junior’s and the Olympics, if that is not enough, he captained the Detroit Red Wings to three Stanley Cups. I would concur that this Hall-of-Fame candidate unquestionably understands how to win. However, it is argued that these feats have come as a player and he has merely only begun to get his feet wet in a managerial role. Steve Yzerman is undoubtedly one of the greatest players to ever play the game, but that is by no means a reason to hand over an enormously demanding position, one that he has very little experience in.

Another option that hasn’t grabbed headlines as of yet is the idea of Joe Nieuwendyk becoming Cliff Fletcher’s successor. Considered one of the top minds in hockey today, Nieuwendyk was coveted for quite sometime. In the off-season, the Florida Panthers granted Toronto permission to talk to him and he was hired almost instantaneously. He was recently named special assistant to the GM where he will observe his surroundings and garner the aspects of running an organization. Perhaps Nieuwendyk will be given a long look as the replacement once Fletcher departs. However, much like Yzerman, he may be too inexperienced to assume the job. It’s difficult to speculate at this point what MLSE’s plans are with the former Toronto Maple Leaf, but it certainly seems as he is being groomed for the General Manager position at a later date.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have certainly benefited from the past years of Stanley Cup success dating back 40 years ago. The tradition of being an aficionado of the blue & white has been passed down from generation to generation. Will this trend of blind faith continue with a losing franchise? That question remains to be seen. As MLSE is seemingly putting the business aspect on the backburner in an effort to promote new winning ways, it seems logical that they hire someone competent and experienced enough; to usher in this new era. The new GM, whomever that may is, will be expected to make this losing team contend for a Stanley Cup almost immediately. This organization is on a downward spiral and is becoming less and less efficacious year after year. How long will it take for MLSE to realize that while they may have an extensive collection of faithful fans in the present, this may not be the case in the future if they continue their losing ways. “Panic” isn’t the right word, but it’s the first word that comes to mind. Let’s hope for Leaf fans everywhere, they make the right choice.

The only remaining player on the team that has yet to be sent to the Hamilton Bulldogs formation is Kyle Chipchura. The chipper is being kept s a precaution as the Habs still have some light groin injuries to a couple of their players, but Chipchura should be sent down soon enough.

With all the young talent that has impressed not only the Montreal Canadiens orgainzation, but many other teams as well as both French and English media, it’s a wonder that they were all sent down to Hamilton.

Names like Max Pacioretti, Ben Maxwell, Matt D’agostini,  and soon Kyle Chipchura are all Bulldogs for now. But all these players impressed hard in the pre-season and look to be 90% NHL ready. Are the Habs saying that Mathieu Dandenault is better than all of those players? Dandenault was riding the bench for much of the season last year.

Carey Price having lost 21 pounds this off-season looks NHL ready this year. He played really well and made some spectacular saves during all of his games.

Jaroslav Halak has a tweaked hip but with the demotion of Marc Denis to Hamilton, the Habs believe that Halak will be ready to back up Price for the start of the season. Halak also played well during his pre-season games.

The only acquisition that the Habs made in the off-season that didn’t play one pre-season game is Georges Laraque who is still nursing a groin pull. Scott Livingston ( Canadiens strength and conditioning coach) believes that big Georges should be ready be day one of the regular season.

This year is seemingly the year for the Habs as most of the team is either a restricted or un-restricted free agent at the end of the 2008-09 season.

Christopher Higgins, Saku Koivu, Alex Tanguay, Alex Kovalev, Tomas Plekanec, Sergei Kostitsyn, Robert Lang, Steve Begin, Tom Kostopoulos, Mike Komisarek, Francis Bouillon, Patrice Brisebois, and so on are all RFA’s or UFA’s at seasons end.

So it would seem that it’s now or never for the Habs. Or is it?

There has been some speculation as to the 4.5 million of Saku Koivu and where it will end up. Most seem to beleive that Koivu will either be traded or leave at the end of his contract. Would that mean that Plekanec would then become the number 1 centre of the team and the money would go to re-signing him along with someone else?

The Pittsburgh Penguins are in need of some defence-men, could the Habs trade some to them along with Higgins and a prospect for Jordan Staal?

Trades or no trades, speculation or not, Sundin or no Sundin. The Montreal Canadiens have far too many players that will play for their next contracts to be an average team this year. No matter what team individual players play for, when their contract are up at the end of the current season, the players always up their play in the hopes of securing that big money contract they all want. With that notion alone not counting the fact that the Habs won the Eastern Conference last year, should bring them back into the play-offs.

The addition of Laraque should help the Habs not only in the regular season, but in the play-offs as well, as the Habs were a little too small and being pushed around in the post season last year.

Carey Price with his weight loss should be even quicker than last year, and his conditioning will help him not to be tired in the post season.

Not to mention the fact that there are many young players nipping at the heels of some veteran players. Gregory Stewart could replace Begin next year. Pacioretti could replace Guillaume Latendresse. Maxwell could replace Maxim Lapierre, as could Kyle Chipchura. D’agostini could replace Kostopoulos. P.K. Subban, or Pavel Valentenko could replace Bouillon.

Basically, there are many players that could be replaced within the organization, which Habs fans haven’t seen in at least 18 years.

So is it now or never, or is it now or possibly soon? We will all see.

The Habs start the season Friday October 10, 2008 against the Buffalo Sabres, then Saturday October 11, 2008 against the hated Toronto Maple Leafs.

Lets all hope that the players playing for a contract next season coupled with the talent waiting to come up will push the Habs to at least the Conference finals, and possibly the Stanley Cup.

Good luck boys. May the Price be with you.

Bob Gainey. Along with Glen Sather (New York Rangers Gm), and Cliff Fletcher (Toronto Maple Leafs Gm). But more to the point, Gainey.

The Minnesota Wild have all but given up trying to sign their star forward Marion Gaborik. Previously the Wild have stated that they were not and will not try to deal Gaborik stating that they want to keep their star forward long term. There are some reports that Risebrough has been asked the same questions and has now replied “no comment”.

The link I tried to provide to the Star tribune who interviewed Risebrough did not work. But you can find the article at the Star Tribune.com in the sports section. Here are some quotes from that interview.

When asked what the progress was in the contract negotiations are between the Wild and Gaborik, Risebrough had this to say,

“Not making any headway. I was trying to do something before the season. It’s not happening… It’s not going to happen by the start of the season”.

When asked if the Wild would put him on the trade block, Risebrough answered this,

“That I’ll have to determine”.

When asked if he had been in or is currently in talks about Gaborik, Risebrough said this,

“I’m not going to comment anymore”.

The good thing about this for the Montreal Canadiens is that Gainey and Risebrough are good friends. Being that the sour taste in Risebrough’s mouth is still fresh, and that the Wild are playing the Habs tonight, could there be a chance that Bob Gainey could work something to get the star forward?

Even though Gaborik is often injured he still has scored 30 goals in almost all his nhl seasons, to go along with his over 40 goal season. Depending on what the trade would involve, it might be a good thing for the Habs.

RDS is reporting that there could be a transaction involving Ryan O’Byrne.

There is also the fact that Mathieu Dandenault seemingly has no place in Montreal.

With all of the young talent that impressed both Bob Gainey and Guy Carbonneau this pre-season, perhaps the Habs are finally in a situation to let some veterans go and make room for more youngsters.

Bob Gainey still wants an impact forward, even though Mats Sundin took too long to decide for the Habs, Gainey has stated for the past two years that he wants an impact forward.

Also consider that the Boston Bruins are actively trying to trade Marc Savard. Could be interesting.

There is the fact that Nashville is upset at Alex Radulov (with good reason) and that they could be looking to move him.

The Game at the Bell Centre against the Detroit Red Wings last night had 22 scouts in attendance. Sure the scouts could have been looking at the Wings also but…..

Although Marion Gaborik still isn’t signed for next season 2009-10, and that the Minnesota Wild are trying to sign him, Gaborik might be traded. All indications point to the Vancouver Canucks so that he could play with his buddy Pavol Demitra. But, there have been some rumours stating that Saku Koivu could be traded there to play with his brother………..

Either way the additions of Alex Tanguay, Robert Lang, and Georges Laraque are greatly beneficial for the Habs, and will bring some excitement to the fans, neither one is the impact forward that Gainey has said he wanted. Will Bob Gainey make a move thanks to the play of his young stars in the pre-season, or will the additions of the above mentioned players combined make the impact forward that Gainey wanted?

I guess we will all see.

Now why would Bill Daly and the NHL make this public? It is certainly not an important topic for the time being and when considering the current state of the NHL it emphatically strikes one as superfluous. Are they gauging the reaction from fans and players alike? Do they want to put increased pressure on the newly-formed Kontinental Hockey League (KHL)? There are many questions surrounding this new hot-button issue, queries that I have no intention of answering without any amount of hard evidence. But that is why there is always speculation.

Since ratifying the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), there have been an increased number of games played in Europe every year. There is no doubt that hockey takes precedent over many other sports in Europe as seen by fans in London booing the latest NFL game played at the O2 Center and seemingly would be supported immensely by fans of the game overseas. Hockey tournaments that take place across the Atlantic always have the arenas buzzing with a myriad of fans. With approximately one-third of the players in the NHL from European countries, on paper it’s not difficult to imagine how this abovementioned statement could someday become not only an option but a reality in the near future.

While I do believe that this announcement is certainly laudable, in reality it is hard to believe that this option becomes a certainty in the foreseeable future. As we know, just five years ago, the NHL was engrossed in turmoil as they were the first professional sports league to fold for an entire season due to a lockout. Despite the tumultuous years preceding it, the NHL over the past few seasons has become very renascent. Under the new CBA, it is beginning to come into its own. But are they really ready to become the first of the four main professional sports leagues to expand overseas especially when one considers the fact that the CBA is in its final year?

With 30 teams existing in the NHL already, only the National Football League boasts more than 30 franchises in its league with 32. So where does that leave the NHL in terms of expanding? If expansion into Europe is agreed upon, my estimation is the NHL would have to set up a minimum of 6 franchises overseas, as having one or two would not be sufficient. Let’s take a moment and speculate which cities in Europe would be a viable destination for hockey franchises. Moscow, St. Petersburg and Omsk in Russia would be risky because of the KHL, but would still be high on the favored list. In other popular hockey markets such as Scandinavia; Stockholm, Sweden and Helsinki, Finland would surely be options. In Eastern Europe; Prague, Czech Republic and Bratislava, Slovakia are highly sought after hockey markets. These are cities in which hockey takes a high precedent over other sports and all posses populations above the one million mark. The reason I do not account for megalopolis’ London and Paris, because hockey undoubtedly takes a back seat to soccer (or football) in those cities, although they certainly have the population to support a franchise.

Now, another burning question; do these speculated teams expand into the league or expand via relocation? Which teams are in danger of losing their franchise? It’s been long hypothesized that Southern cities in the United States such as the Nashville Predators, the Atlanta Thrashers and the Tampa Bay Lightning to name a few, have been in danger of relocation. But as long as Commissioner Gary Bettman has any say, those teams are not going anywhere, as he seems hell-bent on auspiciously promoting hockey in the Southern United States. Under his watch, he has admirably attempted to endorse hockey to lesser known markets and has in sorts become his legacy. So I strongly believe he is objurgating relocation as a feasible option. So where does that leave them, 36+ NHL franchises? In the interest of time and space, I will refrain from trying to meticulously break down that nightmare of a schedule.

Carolina Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford brought up a very good point in his comments to the Globe & Mail. He went on to say that if the NHL was looking for expansion or relocation, they would be wise to stay in North America. I am inclined to agree with this. Not to sound overly patriotic, but this league is severely lacking in Canadian teams. There are a plethora of cities and untapped markets up and down the 49^th parallel that yearn for a hockey franchise. One city that comes to mind is the once beloved Winnipeg Jets franchise. I’m sure fans in Manitoba and people all over the country would relish the reincarnation of the once storied franchise. It has been widely speculated that the province of Ontario could support many more than the current two teams that it hosts. The city of Toronto could be a possible destination for a second franchise, although it is unforeseen how the Toronto Maple Leafs brass and fans alike would react to this doppelganger. Research In Motion guru Jim Balsille has vehemently tried to relocate a team to either Kitchener or Hamilton in an attempt to feed off of Canadian team success, the new CBA and the high Canadian dollar but to date it has been in vain. I have a feeling that because the aforementioned Balsille was so ostentatious when attempting to create another Canadian franchise, he will have an uphill battle should he ever try again. Fantasizing, I could not envision another way of going about it though. He was trying to prove to the high-ups in the NHL that Canadian teams will work, especially under the CBA. Canadian team hopefuls need men and women like this, people that will stop at nothing to bring another franchise to Canada, one that is long overdue.

While the prospect of the NHL in Europe is exciting, not only for the economics of the game, but for promotion as well, it is simply inchoate to even remotely discuss the possibility of an overseas expansion. There are too many questions surrounding the issue, ones that even the NHL may have difficulty trying to fulfill. In addition to the abovementioned questions, there are a myriad of others; how do the economics work? Can and will fans in European cities pay NHL prices for tickets? Is the travel going to be too difficult for the players? How would it change the playoffs? These are just some of the many issues that they will have to tackle in order to make this proposed transition successful. The truth is it’s difficult to gauge the effects of expansion into Europe, as the NHL would serve as a guinea pig to this experiment and it is unknown what the affects may be. I understand that in recent years the NHL has been in peril and are desperately trying to promote the game. And what better way to do it than to be the first to expand to a different continent? But the NHL needs to reach a state of reliable economic stability and establish itself as more of a perennial powerhouse amongst major sports at ‘home’ first. Fans in America will undoubtedly remember two years ago when networks continually interrupted NHL playoff games for horseracing, NASCAR and even poker. At the risk of sounding redundant, the NHL must ascertain fans here on this continent before they even consider crossing the Atlantic.

Until next time,

Alex Fineberg