Us Panther fans though, have reason to celebrate, the consensus is that the Florida Panthers have won this trade. I am not any different, I think exactly the same. In fact, it’s been quite some time since the Panthers had won a trade, really, lets not go back to Olli Jokinen which was a debatable trade, but never mind Roberto Luongo. It seems like the Panthers have really only made two good trades, those being, Bryan McCabe and Tomas Vokoun. Other than that, it’s not looking too great.

And with that, McCabe rounds out the Panthers’ top four quite nicely. McCabe, a long with Jay Bouwmeester, Keith Ballard, and Bryan Allen make a formidable top four, not only in the division, but the conference, and heck, even the whole NHL. It’s not hard to see what GM Jacques Martin is doing here, building from the net out. So, our cross state rivals over there in Tampa Bay, stocking up on their offense, we are down south stocking up on defense, it’s like hot and cold. The Panthers’ won’t score a lot of goals, I can say that now. But with that kind of defense and goalie, will they need to?

It’s hard to imagine this phenomenon of a player has any competition for the number 1 spot in this year’s draft, but alas, he does. Swedish defenseman Victor Hedman is making headway to the top of the 09 draft. Often mentioned in the same breath as fellow country man and six-time Norris trophy winner Niklas Lidstrom, Hedman has quickly drawn favorable comparisons to the Anaheim Ducks’ Chris Pronger. Certainly, there will be doubters, especially with the recent trend of over hyped prospects emerging out of Europe. Including but not limited to: classic late-bloomer Fabian Brunnstrom, who has yet to step foot on NHL ice, but is already drawing comparisons to Henrik Zetterberg and Daniel Alfredsson, which mind you is very possible, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet. Lest we forget glorified Toronto Maple Leaf defenseman Anton Stralman, who by many accounts from over-zealous Maple Leaf followers is considered to be the next Bobby Orr. However, while these players receive warranted attention, this particular 6’6, 220lbs defenseman is considered the complete player. He skates like the wind and plays a risky, bordering on dirty game, and completes that with sublime offensive skills. Last year at the age of 17, he was playing full-time for MoDo in Sweden’s Elite League (SEL). A paucity in a league deemed to be not that far removed from the caliber of the NHL. This upcoming season, he will be expected to be a staple on the parent squad. He has franchise defenseman written all over him and has proved time and time again, whether it be in the SEL or a circuit in the World Juniors, that he can play with the best of them.

Of course, there are a select few others that may take the ranks of the #1 spot this fall. 2006 1^st overall selection of the Spokane Chiefs; Jared Cowen is turning heads in the WHL, and is widely considered to be a lock in the top 5. Another standout comes from the WHL, his name is Brayden Schenn. Sibling to Toronto Maple Leaf’s first round selection Luke Schenn. Unlike his brother, he plays forward. In his inaugural season, he amassed 28 goals and 43 assists, for 71 points in 66 games. By all accounts, he is expected to improve on those numbers with aplomb. Rounding out the top 5 is Swedish prospect; Magnus Svensson-Pääjärvi. A name I still have trouble trying to pronounce, this slick Swede is being mentioned in the same breath as Ilya Kovalchuck. While these players have an amazing amount of skill, scouts across the globe believe that the number 1 pick belongs to one of John Tavares or Victor Hedman. This upcoming season will be the mitigating factor in which we see these potential franchise players end up.

Personally, I believe that these two players have an inordinate amount of talent. They are both masters at their craft and equally skilled in their own regard. That is why I imagine that when D-day arrives, it will be a choice of position rather than skill. For years, the philosophy amongst NHL GM’s is that they will always take the best player available. While that statement still rings true, I believe that these two franchise players are equal in talent and will ultimately be up to the specific teams needs. For the purpose of simplicity, let’s analyze only the projected bottom five teams of this years’ NHL season. The Atlanta Thrashers, New York Islanders, Toronto Maple Leafs, Los Angeles Kings & St. Louis Blues all have a legitimate shot and receiving the 1^st overall pick this June. With Ilya Kovalchuk’s contract coming to a completion at the conclusion of the 09-10 season, the Atlanta Thrashers will be desperate for offence. Furthermore, with the inclusion of recently drafted Zach Bogosian, they already have a potential franchise defenseman. Could the addition of John Tavares entice Kovalchuck to stay? Next is the New York Islanders. Seemingly devoid of any top-line talent at forward or defense, they could go either way. A duo of John Tavares and Kyle Okposo could be very intriguing. However, they are severely lacking in defensive prospects as well. The Toronto Maple Leafs recent drafting of Luke Schenn pretty much eliminates them from choosing Hedman, as they are desperate for a scoring forward. What better way to replace long-time captain Mats Sundin with home-grown native John Tavares, something that will certainly please Leaf nation. The Los Angeles Kings and St. Louis Blues are two teams that are stock-piled with defensive prospects. While the former has Drew Doughty, Thomas Hickey and Jack Johnson, the latter has Eric Johnson, Alex Pietrangelo and Steve Wagner. These two teams would almost certainly jump at the opportunity to bolster their lineup with some much needed offence. At first glance, it almost seems that the glaring need for these five bottom-feeding teams is offence, in which John Tavares certainly fits the bill. But, in what may become one of the biggest debates throughout the NHL’s 08-09 season, it really comes down to choice. Who would you pick?

Now some of you may say; the last four years have been horrendous for Leaf fans.   They have had to endure a half-decade long playoff drought; so, the Leafs must make the playoffs.  Others would say; rebuilding a team is a process, this method takes time.  This recent trend of black and white thinking has become an eternal struggle, it is an argument I have had with many followers of the Maple Leafs.  Though I do not have a dogmatic, narrow-minded view of the current Maple Leaf situation, I am inclined to agree with the latter.  Simply because while the Maple Leafs do have a myriad of future assets including but not limited to; Jiri Tlusty, Nikolai Kulemin, Justin Pogge and the newly-acquired Mikhail Grabovski, to name a few. None of these potential stars really stands out to attain the status of super-star.  Now that they have finally obtained one of these superstars in Luke Schenn, it is time to acquire someone equally as high in status and talent to launch the Maple Leafs into triumph.

Take a second to look around the league, while the most extreme example being the Pittsburgh Penguins (Crosby, Malkin, Fleury) there are many others around the league who have had high draft picks over the last few years and will surely be successful in the near future.  Perhaps the most talked about turn-around in hockey, the Chicago Blackhawks, have a dynamic duo in Jonathan Toews (3^rd overall in 06) and Patrick Kane (1^st overall in 08) to go along with their abundance of other career NHLers such as Cam Barker, Dave Bolland and Jack Skille.  The Los Angeles Kings who have been quietly stock-piling future talent for years, made there biggest splash this year with 2^nd overall pick Drew Doughty to accompany future stalwart Jack Johnson (3^rd overall in 05).  Another standout of course is Wayne Gretzky’s new and improved Phoenix Coyotes who acquired Danish prospect Mikkel Boedker (8^th overall in 08) to complement Kyle Turris (3^rd overall in 07) and Peter Mueller (8^th overall in 06). FYI: I firmly believe these aforementioned teams will be a top the NHL standings in no later than two years.

These are just mere examples of what the Leafs are now facing. But one thing is abundantly obvious; most dominant teams are built on at least two or three standout prospects.   It has been 41 years since the great city of Toronto has seen the Leafs hoist the Stanley Cup.  Is it really too much to ask to endure one more season of failure?  Personally, I do not wish for a top 10 pick, I believe it’s imperative to obtain a top 3 pick.  Wouldn’t it be nice to have the choice between mega-prospects John Tavares, Victor Hedman and Luke Schenn’s brother; Brayden, among others. The Maple Leafs have been mired in mediocrity for so many years, it has certainly become an exercise in futility.  Many Leaf followers wish for the return of Mats Sundin and for some strange reason, Maple Leaf brass is seemingly leaving the door open for his return.  The team Cliff Fletcher has fielded for the 08-09 season has hockey pundits everywhere saying that not only is this team not good enough to make the playoffs, they will be lucky to escape with the 13^th spot in the Eastern Conference.  It is almost set in stone that the Leafs are a shoe-in for another playoff mishap for the fifth consecutive year. With presumably the only bottom-feeders below them being the Garth Snow inflicted; New York Islanders and the one-pony show; Atlanta Thrashers.  So if Sundin loyalties get their wish, it is my belief that it may only move them up a mere one, maybe two spots in the standings.  Is that really what we want?  You really have to ask yourselves Leaf-fans, do you want another Nik Antropov in the 09 draft, or someone who can vault this team to Stanley Cup success? So I implore you Leaf fans, as a life-long fan myself, we must lose, really lose, to win.

The big talented Swede would most likely help the Habs attain the Stanley Cup Final. Mats Sundin would give the Canadiens that big player that is talented down the middle that they have been searching for these past fifteen or so years. Sundin would give the Habs three good scoring lines to play against anyone in the league including the Detroit Red Wings. But enough is enough!

Sure Sundin has earned the right to take his time and make a decision. But how much time is too much? No matter where he plays, his decision is taking far too long. The Canadiens being one of the teams trying to land the big Swede are wasting far too much time waiting for Sundin to make his decision.

Consider this, the Habs tried to acquire Sundin at the trade deadline, but Mats refused to waive his no trade clause. Being that Sundin had a no trade clause, one could see that Sundin was well within his rights to not waive it, but never the less the Habs were still not able to acquire him.

Next try for the Habs was at draft day when they traded for the exclusive right to talk contract with him until July 1, the same result ensued. Since draft day was the second time that Sundin was not able to be obtained by the Canadiens, they should have moved on, but general manager Bob Gainey decided to go the patient route. Alright but it has been one and a half months and still no progress.

Enough! If Mats Sundin still doesn’t know where or if he will play this coming season, either he is stalling, or he does know and it isn’t the Habs but he’s waiting to see if other teams are willing to compensate him the way he wants, not neccessarily with money. Either way the Habs have to look somewhere else and get what they think they need for the up and coming season.

The Habs traded for Alex Tanguay, and signed George Laraque this off-season so they have already improved their team. The Canadiens still need that one player, that un-deniable superstar to push them over the edge. Mats Sundin could be that player, but the waiting game has turned ridiculous. Yes I would like to see a player who has played for two of the Habs enemies play for the Habs only because Sundin would give us an edge over many other teams, however, the Habs should not wait until New Years Eve to hope to acquire him.

How about going after Eric Staal who wasn’t resigned long term? How about Ilya Kovalchuk who is in his last season, and would probably love to change teams, or Marian Gaborik?

Sundin is the star the Habs have been looking for, but if I was Gainey I wouldn’t let Sundin guide me by the nose like he is currently doing. Perhaps the other players that are out there wouldn’t have as profound an impact on the Canadiens as Sundin would, but at least they would help the Habs get further in the post season, and who knows anything can happen.

I would give Sundin another week, after that, too bad so sad, let other teams be used by Sundin to see what his value is.

Too bad, Habs fans would love too see Sundin play for Montreal in his last season. Unfortunately for him, the fans are getting a little annoyed at how much time he is taking to make his decision, and may not even care if he plays for the Habs at all. Way to go Mats!

Obviously, if GM Bob Gainey wants to add Sundin to the mix, he’s going to move a player or two. Who are the potential candidates? We can rule out any defenseman for now, as Gainey stated a while back that his top 6 defenseman were set-Markov, Komisarek, Hamrlik, Gorges, Bouillon, O’Byrne. The 7th defenseman will either be brought in via UFA, most likely Patrice Brisebois if Sundin does not come to Montreal, or brought up from Hamilton…Pavel Valentenko probably is the guy right now, but things can change come training camp.

So who will Gainey unload up front to bring in Sundin?

If a team is willing to take on his 1.75 million dollar contract, Mathieu Dandenault is the clear cut choice. Dandy is fast, and he showed his versatility last year a la Mark Streit, by playing both offense and defense. At times, however, he seemed invisible on the ice, and spent some time in the press box. He bounced back well every time he got back into the lineup, but then his performances would decline until we would see him back upstairs. He was inconsistent at times, but then again all you usually look for is energy from a 4th liner, and he wasn’t providing that. A young team that is willing to take a chance on him could use his experience, as he has won 3 Stanley Cups during his career. His slip down the depth chart in Montreal, the returning players from last year and the addition of tough guy Georges Laraque, makes it look like Mathieu Dandenault might not be a Hab next season-regardless of the Sundin situation.

Another question is Guillaume Latendresse. The 20 year-old power forward is still young, and has shown some flashes of a potential future Todd Bertuzzi, but to reach that level he’s got to improve some aspects of his game…and that has to start this year. He’s got to earn his ice-time, and earn it with guys that can set him up. He’s shown he can score with a guy like Koivu centering him, and you can’t blame the guy, there is just no room on the top two scoring lines, and he’s forced to play a style that isn’t his. If he wants to emerge as a legitimate power forward, he’s got to improve his skating and play more physical. Gui, your 6′2, 222 pounds, throw your weight around! Intimidate the other team! Impose your will! Set the tempo! He has the tools, we just have to be patient, and hopefully we see Gui come into his own in his third year. He’s also an RFA at season’s end, which is added incentive.

What about the power-play? Will it suffer with the loss of Streit? Will it flourish with the addition of Tanguay and perhaps Sundin? Who will take Streit’s spot on the right point? Will Sergei Kostitsyn see more time working the blue line with Andrei Markov? Will Josh Gorges find his offensive prowess that he showed in junior?

The big question: can the Habs repeat the magical season from last year? Did they overachieve last year? Of course they did, analysts had them anywhere from 9th to 14th…the rest is history. But of course, the city of Montreal wants something else. Something more. We want a Cup-can this team deliver?

Last but not least, Carey Price. Personally, I think he is the real deal, but he’s yet to show that over a full season. He had a rough post-season, but the guy is 20 years old, playing for the Habs…of all teams to be a rookie goalie on! With the history and the expectations, it was just too much. He has too live up to his billing now. He’s had his baptism by fire, and now he’s got the shoulder the load for the whole year, from Day 1. If he falters, Jaroslav Halak and Marc Denis are waiting in the wings, ready for any chance to unseat Price. We already know he has the talent and the nerves of steel. It’s the Carey Price show now, let’s hope the Price is Right.

Cory Stillman, signed July 1st, was not a bad signing at all, in fact it replenishes about 70 points of Olli Jokinen’s annual 80 or 85. Now full time General Manager Jacques Martin is taking a risk, it’s pretty much written in stone that unless Martin brings in a forward via trade, Shawn Matthias, the Panthers perhaps most valued prospect will make the team out of training camp and center Stillman. I’m not quite sure about this, but in four games last season Matthias scored 2 goals. Not bad at all. Can he do it for 82 games a season against top pairing defense men? Tough call, very tough call.

Peter DeBoer, very solid move on Martin’s part, bring in a coach that can get to these young players, I have a good feeling that he can get the best out of a lazy Nathan Horton, and bring perhaps once highly touted Anthony Stewart, to actually play the game. The Panthers offense would be a lot better if DeBoer got 40 goals out of Nathan Horton who has previously scored over 30. Anthony Stewart also would be tremendous if he put his mind to it. We will see what DeBoer can do there.

Jay Bouwmeester, flat out needs to be signed, bottom line. He needs to be signed, if he’s not, it will be a devastating set back. The only way that can be deemed not devastating is if he is traded for a monstrous return. Bottom line is, trading him shouldn’t be an option unless Bouwmeester has commented to Martin that he would indeed like a trade. Give the man the money he wants, he more than deserves it, through his six years of being a Panther, he has been a complete professional and has done his job each and every night. Kudos to him, if he wants out, grant his wish, I won’t like him any less. Just get a good return for him!

Jay Feaster had been the club’s GM since 2002 and he was an assistant GM since 1998. This guy turned the Lightning into a cup winner (something no one would have imagined), he brought Martin St. Louis, Dan Boyle and Nikolai Khabibulin.

Although it seems he lost his golden touch after the lockout as the Lightning never returned to its cup winning ways.

In my opinion he did some questionable signings in his last days in the Lightning, but still he could be a good Gm for another team that finds itself with an interim GM (aka Toronto Maple Leafs)

Anyways the Lightning must find a new GM, I wonder who will that be?

I have no doubt in my mind it’s a challenge few are up to, after all its way more difficult than winning the Superbowl, sorry NFL fans, and I’m certain one of the keys to do it is to continue with that DESIRE TO WIN NO MATTER WHAT.

So what should my favorite team do in order to repeat the championship?

First of all try not to lose the core players for the next season, something Kenny Holland already has done (in my mind that’s one of the reasons why the Ducks couldn’t repeat the championship), by core players I’m referring to Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Nicklas Lidstrom, Tomas Holmstrom and Brian Rafalski

Try to create some space for free agents via trade or just letting some players go (hopefully Brad Stuart will stay), like Dallas Drake and Andreas Lilja, although I love those two, they aren’t getting any younger, and over the long haul it would be the best for guys like Justin Abdelkander and Kyle Quincey to get more ice time.

But above all a team must not lose the will to win, the team must continue to drive forward as they did before, because playoffs test which team has the biggest will to win.

Alex Tanguay native of Sainte-Justine Quebec has played eight seasons in the NHL. The Colorado Avalanche had Tanguay’s services for six seasons, one of which is a Stanley cup season.

The Calgary Flames had Tanguay for two seasons.

Now, the Montreal Canadiens acquired Tanguay. Michael Ryder is most likely going to be the odd man out now.

Tanguay has played eight seasons in the NHL, here are some interesting numbers for him. Within Tanguay’s eight seasons in the NHL he has 4 years with over 70 points, 5 years with over 60 points, 1 year with 81 points, and 7 years with over 50 points.

A slight comparison between Tanguay and Michael Ryder at their worst. Ryder having his worst season this year had 14 goals and 17 assists for 31 points. Tanguay had 18 goals and 35 assists for 48 points. As one can see even with Tanguay’s worst year, he still has more points than Ryder at his worst.

At 6′1” and 189 pounds, Tanguay is a little taller than Ryder, but a couple of pounds lighter as well. Tanguay is the better all around player. His skating is superior, his defensive coverage is better, and he is a better passer than Ryder, to go along with scoring at the right time.

Tanguay is consistent. Unfortunately for Ryder who in his defense has only played half the seasons than Tanguay, his time is most likely over in Hab town. Perhaps he will flourish in another organization, but the fact that the Habs have only offered a one year deal for Ryder the past few seasons says that they were never really sure they wanted to keep him anyway.

Tanguay has stated that he hopes to sign an extensionwith the Canadiens. Bob Gainey-GM of the Habs–has stated that perhaps Tanguay could remain a Hab for longer than one season.

The Montreal Canadiens have in Tanguay, a player that can play either side of centre, or centre itself. With the speed Tanguay possesses he is already better than Ryder. And Tanguay’s vision is better than Ryder’s also. To put it brief, if Tanguay plays with Saku Koivu, they should both have a good season. Koivu’s confidence in Ryder had been almost in-existent this past season. Tanguay should provide the Habs with a second scoring line that can produce, something which they needed in the post season against the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Canadiens won the Eastern Confernce without the consistent scoring of Koivu’s line. If Koivu’s line produces, what can the fans expect this year with two lines scoring?

Tanguay will have pressure as a French Canadian player who has talent playing for the Habs. But playing with Koivu on a team which is getting better year after year with young blood should be just what he needs to keep his consistency up and make the Habs better than they were last season.

On a side note, the Canadiens have the exclusive rights to talk to Mats Sundin until July 1. But if Mats decides that he doesn’t want to come and play in Montreal, the Habs should go after Marian Hossa. Possibly Sean Avery and or George Laraque as well depending on who the Habs acquire. Sundin for two years would be great, unfortunately he seems to be playing games with the Habs saying that he hasn’t decided if he wants to play hockey again. Look Mats, I know you gave everything you had to the Maple Leafs when you played for them, but this is business. Either tell the Habs that you are not interested so the team can move on, or sign with them. Sundin only has 1-2 years left in him. If he plays the waiting game, he might regret it in the end.

Hopefully for the fans, Sundin will sign with the Habs. If not then Bob Gainey should move on to the next target as it appears that the Habs are serious about putting the right talented veterans with their crop of young guns this year.

It’s almost as if Doug Wilson, the Sharks’ GM, is going to have to pick between a season guy and a playoff guy. Thornton does an outstanding job for the Sharks during the season and Marleau does an Ok job compared to what he use to do before. But who would be the perfect one to include in a trade intended to make the Sharks a better team for the future?

Well apparently, among teams interested in acquiring Marleau’s services are The Montreal Canadiens, The Columbus Blue Jackets, The New-York Islanders and the Ottawa Senators. Any team in the Western Conference interested in his services should forget about it right away because Doug Wilson is never going to move Marleau in the same conference as his. Marleau could bring something good to the Sharks, but I wouldn’t trade him.

If I was Doug Wilson and was about to make a trade, I would think of trading Joe Thornton before Marleau. To do so, I’d have to convince Joe to let go of his NTC, but once that’s done with, I believe trading Thornton would bring better players in a bigger trade to San Jose and maybe it would bring Marleau back to his level of play back when Joe wasn’t in SJ. But where would Thornton accept to be traded? Obviously one wouldn’t mind to go where he really wants to go, and in that case, Joe has said it already that the teams he wanted to play for while growing up happen to be The Detroit Red Wings and The Toronto Maple Leafs. I’m sure Joe wouldn’t mind going there, and obviously, any of these two teams wouldn’t mind adding him to their line-up!

Hughes even believes that the Lightning wants LeCavalier to end his career with them in the future. He claimed not to have spoken with the team yet about a contract, but from what he’s heard, the team really wants to keep him.

The Lightning’s GM Jay Feaster has already made it clear that he intends on speaking to LeCavalier and Hugues about a new contract before Vincent an unrestricted free agent in 2009. He will have a chance to sign an expansion to Vincent’s contract as of July 1st and I believe, like many others, that Feaster is going to try to put an end to this case and put rumors to rest once and for all.

It’s very normal for the Lightning to want him to stay in Tampa Bay, seeing how the let Brad Richards and Vaclav Prospal leave like that. LeCavalier is the heart and soul of the Lightning and letting him go would take away a big part of the team’s success. It is true that Steven Stamkos’ era is on the verge of starting, but you only have one LeCavalier, and what if Stamkos is a disappointment? I wouldn’t take the risk of having him leave…at least not without getting anything in return!

Ok. Barry Melrose is really getting on my last nerve! Do you want to come back in th NHL or do you want to keep your job at ESPN? Ok, we got it, you love your job, but you’d love to come back and coach again for a NHL team. I believe it’s time for that guy to take a decision once and for all! The Toronto Star reported that Melrose is set to come back behind The Tampa Bay Lightning’s bench. The reason for Melrose’s hiring would be to enhance the sell of hockey in Tampa Bay. We will have to wait for the team’s sale approval to find out the truth about that story.

Halak has yet to sign a new contract with the Canadiens as a RFA, but many believe that if he does, that would mean he is to start in net for a little more than 25 game next season due the fact that the 07-08 season has been a horrible and probably career defining one for young Halak.

Both Halak and Price are on vacation now working on their techniques. Canadiens’ goaltending coach Roland Melason says he told Price to spend a lot of time in the gym to make his body stronger and tougher. He has also stated that he expects Halak next season to be able to push Price more than he did in the last one, therefore getting the most out of both goaltenders by doing so.

The Canadiens have a handful of goaltenders on their team and as I stated earlier, they intend on getting a new one. The Canadiens might very well sign Halak and trade him. With Cristobal Huet out of the picture and Yann Danis probably leaving the Hamilton Bulldogs to go look elsewhere, some positions are going to be open, and that is especially if Halak is traded.

Many people are stating that Carey Price is going to need a veteran goaltender to guide him. That goaltender is obviously going to be the number two goalie since Price is the number one starter for next season. Now the hard part is who would sign that type of contract? Someone who has nowhere else to go. Someone like Olaf Kolzig. It’s undeniable that Kolzig has more than enough experience to share with Price and he would be a good number two, not to mention Olaf still believes he could be a dominant goaltender in the NHL. What’s better than a goaltender that believes in his abilities? If not Kolzig, than why not Patrick Lalime? He had a pretty good season with Chicago and he even impressed many people.

Now they’re going to need another goalie in Hamilton for the Bulldogs now that Yann Danis is not part of the plans anymore. They do have Cedrick Desjardins that is ready to make the step in the AHL after finishing last season with the Cincinnati Cyclones, but Melason stated that he wishes to get a good number three in Hamilton, place Desjardins as number two, and get a number one veteran goaltender. Whatever happens, I believe the Habs are going to try to draft one or maybe two goalies at this year’s draft. Let’s see how interesting they’re going to make this one, especially with their camp starting beginning July. Wonder who’s going to be present at the camp…

Ok so Montreal is still dreaming of LeCavalier’s venue. Will it happen? Well Vinny’s trade to Montreal would explain a lot. It would most certainly explain why Montreal Canadiens GM Bob Gainey is not making any moves yet. Maybe he’s looking to review every aspect of the plan and decide who’s leaving the team, who’s staying in Montreal, and who would such a trade include. It would explain why the Lightning want to draft Steven Stamkos more than anything. Maybe Stamkos is set to replace LeCavalier as of next season. But then again, maybe Stamkos is there in case Vinny leaves once he hits free agency. Or maybe they’re just intending on keeping both.

Others are claiming that Vinny is on the verge of signing a multi-season deal with the Lightning, therefore meaning he will most probably play his last NHL game with the Lightning’s jersey on his back, but that is unless he is to be traded after the contract is signed, therefore making the trade more appealing.

But then again why would LeCavalier sign this long-term deal with Tampa Bay? The place is nice, but is the club going anywhere any time soon? The only thing that looks promising in their future is Stamkos to me. A franchise player like LeCavalier knows it and sometimes you tend to wonder how come your team keeps losing. Since the team ended last season as one of the worst team in the NHL, if I were Vinny, I would definitely want to have a long talk with the owners and analyze the franchise to see where it’s going. Because it’s unlikely LeCavalier signs a 5-10 years deal with a team that has no plans of being a serious contender.

John Paddock got fired, Bryan Murray came back behind the bench, but the results remained the same. Many believe the team needs a change, but what kind of change? It’s already been told by GM Bryan Murray that goaltender Ray Emery doesn’t figure in the Senators plans for next year, but maybe some other people are about to loose their place in the team. Perhaps some players that had nothing to do with the Senators horrible performances…

Maybe someone like Jason Spezza. Jason Spezza is most certainly a high profile player that could be traded for a big… and I mean really big package. But why would the Sens want to trade a player like Spezza? If you look at a team like the Montreal Canadiens, none of their players are close to Spezza’s talent, but they still manage to be a top team and surpass the Senators. I believe having players like Saku Koivu and Tomas Plekanec gives you the same results as Spezza. I think success comes with many small key players instead of one big key player. Let’s not forget that Senators won’t lack big key players having players like Dany Heatley and Daniel Alfredsson in the line-up.

Another thing this team needs is a goalie. A number one starter that will do the job in front of the Senators’ net. I truly believe trading a player like Spezza could easily bring two small key players to the team plus a number one goaltender.

There were rumors not too long ago about a Spezza-Luongo trade. I have to say a trade like this would most definitely transform the Senators team and believe it or not, the Canucks too.

Why do I say that? For one simple and easy reason. First, the trade must involve more players. I could easily picture a trade involving Spezza-Emery for Luongo-Kessler. That would work for both team only if Emery because the player he was when he led the Senators to the Stanley Cup Final. That would give Vancouver more offense, and we all know that’s what they need, plus when Emery’s at the top of his form, who knows what he’s capable of. It would give the Senators a number one goaltender and a player like Kessler could put good number and learn with players like Heatley and Alfredsson around.

Whatever is going to happen to the Senators during the off-season, it seems that Jason Spezza is eventually going to be part of Bryan Murray’s moving priorities.

Sundin and his agent met with GM Cliff Fletcher last night and the situation today remains as clear as mud. Unfortunately, it looks like this situation is going to drag on for another few weeks until Sundin figures things out.

Am I a little peeved at his request for more time? Absolutely. The Leafs have been off since the second week of bloody April. Mats has had plenty of time to think about his future. Is he entitled to as much time as he needs? Yes, he most certainly is. Does his request for more time mean he’ll hit the free agent market? I don’t know, and I’m fucking done with all these questions I’m answering myself.

Those who read this tiny corner of the interweb, and those who know me well, know that I’m a staunch supporter of Mats Sundin. Always have been. Always will be. Sundin is, as the kids say, my dawg. I support him until the end. He’s made a lasting impression on my soul. While I haven’t been able to convince the woman to name our unborn son “Mats” - she’s, umm, not too fond of the idea - I’m pretty sure we’ll be able to reach a compromise: the middle name. Something Mats Vaswani. I like it already. It just rolls off the tongue.

Anyway, come September Sundin may no longer be a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. After refusing to waive his no-trade clause and leave the city back in March, Sundin left the door open to signing with another team come July 1st, when asked by the media about his immediate future. He said the odds were “50/50″ in returning to Toronto. Sundin is, clearly, a genius. No surprise they’re fifty-fifty! He’s either back, or he’s not. His insight is remarkable.

His comments, of course, set some Leafs fans off. Why? I’m not sure. What they were expecting him to say - 100%? That it as an absolute certainty he’ll be back in the blue and white? Yeah, that would work real well for him in contract negotiations.

Sundin’s comments didn’t irk me. In fact, I thought they made a lot of sense. Seriously, can you blame him for keeping the door open to other options? Are the Leafs really the most attractive team for a 37-year-old aging superstar? I certainly don’t think so. Sundin has, of course, made it publicly known that his dream is to retire a Maple Leaf. It will definitely be interesting to see if he’s a man of his word. I most certainly believe he is.

Do his comments have anything to do with him not waiving his no-trade clause a couple of months ago? No, frankly, they don’t. Sundin refused to waive his no-trade clause because he didn’t want to be a rental player. The two issues are separate. If he signs a contract with, say, the Detroit Red Wings, problem solved. He’s not a rental player, he’ll be with the Wings all year (to go through the “process”), he’ll have a chance to win the Stanley Cup, and he’ll get to do it on his terms. What’s there to be mad about?

It’s my belief, and I’ve made it well known, that Sundin owes the Leafs, and us the fans, nothing. His contract with Toronto expired and as most smart people would do, he’s likely going to hit the open market and see what type of offers come his way. As much as you and I love the Maple Leafs, we’d do the same. He’d be an idiot not to, really. Yes, Sundin’s made a lot of money and lives a lofty lifestyle thanks to the Toronto Maple Leafs, but he owes the team nothing. He doesn’t owe them any players in return, or any draft picks in return, or a home team discount on a new contract. Sundin needs only to look after himself, and that’s what I’m sure he’s going to do. How can I be mad at him for that?

Personally, I want him to come back. As if I actually had to tell you that. There’s no better Maple Leaf - ever - and Sundin is the perfect man to drive this bus back to some modicum of respectability.

However, expectations in Toronto are going to be low next season, and probably the season after that. Pretty damn low. Unless Cliff Fletcher, or whoever the next GM of this team is, is able to pull off some David Blaine type stuff, the Leafs are going to stink for a while. It’s the nature of the business. It’s clear the Leafs don’t represent the best opportunity to win for Sundin right now. While I think it’s crazy to think that Sundin doesn’t care about winning, I think that at the end of the day it’ll be hard for him to put another jersey over his shoulders. I tend to believe that Sundin cares about that Leafs logo, just like you and I do, and he’ll come back to lead the next generation of Toronto Maple Leafs. But he’s still got to keep his options open, and really that’s all he’s doing.

Will I be mad at, and/or hate, Sundin if he chooses to continue his career with the hated Montreal Canadiens, or Ottawa Senators, or some other franchise? While those are both nightmarish situations, the Ottawa one more so than Montreal, I don’t think I’d have it in me to hate him. Both those teams offer Sundin a better opportunity right now than we do and I wouldn’t be able to hate Mats for choosing to put himself first. It’s something he never did in Toronto - he’s been the consummate professional - and, well, maybe it’s time he did.

Mats is a leader. He won the Mark Messier leadership award because when the situation was at its worst, Sundin didn’t bail. He didn’t pull the chute. He stuck around. He chose to try and be a part of the solution instead of taking the easy way out and abandoning ship. He is the ultimate Captain. He went down with the ship. That’s leadership, folks, and that’s why I want him to stick around.

I think it is a complete and utter travesty that Sundin is getting ripped on and lambasted simply for keeping his options open. This has nothing to do with the no-trade clause and his refusal to waive it! Sundin’s never mentioned any teams, yet media speculation has tied both the Red Wings and les Canadiens to him already.

It must also be remembered that Sundin never made any demands during his multi-year tenure in Toronto. He never asked for the huge contracts. He never asked for super talent around him. By utilizing his no-trade clause, he used a stipulation in his contract that was negotiated on in good faith by both parties. Sundin never held this organization hostage, so why isn’t he being given the same respect? It saddens me. It truly does.

I think it’s an exercise in futility to rip Sundin about his future and whether to question if he’ll be back. The more important question is how much Sundin is worth. If Sundin does hit the free agency market July 1st, the Leafs will be one of a number of teams to send him an offer. While the idea of trading his rights before July 1st has been thrown around, I just don’t see it happening. Come on guys, this is the Leafs we’re talking about here.

What’s Sundin worth to you? How much should the Leafs be willing to pay him to keep him in Toronto? He made $5.5 million last season and it was one of his best in the past decade. He is what he is, and that’s a point-a-game player on a team with very little offensive talent. It could easily be argued that he’s in line for a raise, but I don’t think that’s fiscally responsible for the Leafs if they want to turn this ship around. The Leafs can’t ice a more competitive team, a fucking playoff team, if they’re paying Sundin upwards of $6 or $7 million dollars. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not asking for Sundin to give Toronto a home-town discount. Remember, he owes us nothing. What I’m saying is that if he’s not comfortable in coming back for around the same money he made last year, it may in fact then be time to turn the page on the Sundin era. Unless the Leafs can find a way to open up some cap space (see ya, Bryan McCabe!), and unless the team wants to be better and make the playoffs, Sundin can’t be tying up a substantial portion of the salary cap. Like my man Mos Def said, “it’s all mathematics.”

It’s clear that due to the fact that Sundin is off the idea (huge!) of being a rental player, any contract will have to include another no-trade clause. I know, it’s the last thing the Leafs should be handing out, but I think Sundin will refuse to sign anywhere unless he gets one. Here’s what I suggest: Fletch and co. offer Mats a one-year deal, with a no-trade clause, for $5.75 million. Nothing more, nothing less, and leave it on the table come July 1st. If Sundin gets $6 million from the Habs and chooses to take a drive east on the 401, I wish him nothing but the best and thank him for his tremendous service. He will live on in my heart, as a Maple Leaf, forever. No hard feelings.

With the Stanley Cup finals soon to wrap (Wings in 6), the real drama is just getting started. I look forward to a summer of defending Sundin. Anything less would be uncivilized.

And while I can wax philosophical on Mats all day long, and how he’s never, ever wrong, certain happenings always seem to put things in perspective. Rest in peace, Luc Bourdon…

Why not? Kolzig although 38 years old, could be a mentor for a couple of years for young Carey Price, not to mention the fact that the Montreal Canadiens would have two big goalies.

Kolzig who called it quits in Washington, has stated that he is not ready yet to retire, but if no offers come in, then he will sit by his pool, and drink his beers while taking it easy.

With Jaroslav Halak stating earlier this week that he would like to play more than 25 games next season, Bob Gainey has some questions that need answering. First there’s the how many games does Price want to play, next being the fact that Halak is a restricted free agent as of July 1 2008, will Gainey be able to sign him to play 25, or fewer games? Will Bob Gainey be able to attract a veteran goalie like Kolzig to mentor young Price, and will Kolzig want to play, but in a reduced capacity?

This situation puts the Habs in a good position, both Price and Kolzig have played for Tri-City, Price needs some fine tuning, which Kolzig could help Price with, as well as be ready and not too tired to play when Price needs a break. The reason that Ollie the goalie was tired is because he was the no.1 goalie for the Caps, in a reduced role, Kolzig could regain some of his stature, Kolzig has 7 seasons of 20 wins, as well as 5 of 25 wins, he’s not the best goalie, but perhaps he would be the best back-up for Price, if of course Kolzig would accept that role.

There has been no mention of this possibility, but consider that Halak has to be signed, and for the amount of games that he would play next season for the Habs, that is looking unlikely, so if the Habs are going to try and attempt to sign a veteran back-up goalie, why not Olaf?

Bob Gainey would be wise to contact Kolzig’s agent as soon as possible, as the draft is in a month’s time, and Gainey could trade Halak at the draft to either get a higher pick, or a forward if he knows that Kolzig would replace Halak.

Let’s hope that Gainey is awake, and smelling the occasion that could be his, if he acts quickly enough. Kolzig has two years left in him, at a reduced capacity, why not bring him to Montreal, he would be good for Price as well as the team.

Hopefully Gainey will inquire about Kolzig, if Gainey is able to sign Kolzig, then the Habs would have one less thing to worry about next season, as they would have a good veteran back-up goalie.

What a farce! Already players don’t want to come to Quebec to play hockey for reasons such as, the taxation rate, the language debate, not being able to send their kids to English schools, the fact that even if they already know four languages, and could only play for the Montreal Canadiens for one season, why don’t they speak french, the constant nit-picking by the French media, and so on. Are people going crazy?

Last time I checked, some of the top selling albums in Quebec belong to 50 cent, Shania Twain, Kelly Clarkson, see any pattern there? You know for a society that prides itself on the French in it’s province, they sure love English music!

I have French in my blood, I’m bilingual, and believe that if one comes to Quebec to live, then they should learn to speak French, but if you are a hockey player, not knowing how long your stay in Montreal is, should you really be forced to speak it?

What in the world is the difference what music is played at the Bell Centre? The music is there to entertain the crowd, and possibly the players as well, and I guarantee that even the French speaking people in the crowd enjoy the top ten English hits of the music world!

With the Habs being first in the East this season, and having a good team, even Bob Gainey stipulated that it would hopefully be easier to entice players to come to Montreal, well guess what, unless you pay that player 11 million dollars, that player will look at the language issue here and stay away.

The political parties here make it a point to constantly argue the language issue here, but this is sports, not politics! Look Toronto is slated to have the NFL’s Buffalo Bills play a few games there for a few years, what if that was Montreal, would the French activist politicians say that the Bills would have to learn French as well?

Sports is sports, leave it that way. In Quebec, a person who’s father did not attend English school in Quebec can’t go to one, so players from the United States are out of luck, unless they send there kids to school in Hawkesbury, or Ottawa, that is ridiculous. Our taxes here are too high, another reason why if we do land a superstar, that we would have over pay him to compensate the tax difference between us and the States. Saku Koivu being the captain of the Habs is constantly peppered about the fact that he has been here for 13 years and doesn’t speak french, who cares! Sure he could have made an effort, but does that change any-one’s life?

In Montreal we are hard on our players, we don’t like players who mail it in during games, but I believe that no person, who calls themselves Habs fans would give a damn if Koivu, or Alex Kovalev, Mike Komisarek, or Sergei Kostitsyn scored the game winning goal in the seventh game of the Final series to win the Stanley Cup, yes it gives the fans something to follow when a player is from here, and speaks French, sort of an identity that they see on the team, but in the end, it wouldn’t matter who scored the game winning goal, as long as we won.

Leave the Language issue for the politicians, it has no place in hockey, the music at the Bell Centre could have a little more French content, but the fans listen to English music anyway, so what is the difference? Perhaps the reason is so we can show the rest of Canada how ignorant we are. Please, leave the political arguments in the Senate, and leave hockey alone, there are already too many reasons for players not to come to Quebec to play hockey, don’t give them anymore, the Habs did well this year, and have a chance to get some good free agents, don’t kill the opportunity, or do you never want to see a great team, and only a good one?

With players like Brian Smolinski, Patrice Brisebois, Mark Streit, and Michael Ryder being unrestricted free-agents, the Habs have some space on the team. Un-restricted free agents like Maxim Lapierre, Andrei Kostitsyn, Mikhail Grabovski, Ryan O’Byrne, Jaroslav Halak, and Josh Gorges, the Habs have some decisions to make.

Personally, I think that Smolinski, Ryder, and Brisebois should be thanked for their services, with those three players gone, the Habs wold save a little over 5 million in salaries, to go with the money they already had in the bank, not to mention all the money that the Habs got in each round of the play-offs. Streit will be an interesting debate, although small, he helped the Habs in the regular season achieve the #1 power-play in the league, however in the play-offs, had an injury to his back, no doubt due to the physicality of the series with the Boston Bruins. With this in mind, also keeping in mind that the Habs need more size, will Streit’s new salary demand be explainable? Will the Habs keep him on the third or fourth line but use him on the point for the power-play?

As for the RFA’s, Lapierre showed me nothing in the play-offs, with the exception of some speed, and a few good plays, he was decent in the regular season,  so if the Habs were to lose him big deal, sign him to the league minimum, or send him back to the Hamilton bulldogs. Mikhail Grabovski will either replace Tomas Plekanec, or Saku Koivu, which doesn’t appear to be in the near future, however both Koivu, and Plekanec are UFA’s, and RFA’s at the end of next season, will they be traded for something, who knows, but for now Grabovski doesn’t fit. Halak is another story, a good goaltender, but not what Carey Price needs as a back up, unless the Habs think that they can sign him to play 20-25 games a season, then they have to move him. O’Byrne seems to be afraid of laying people out, he’s a good skater for a big man, but will have to learn how to punish forwards on the boards as Mike Komisarek did, or else with the plethora of defense-men on the farm team waiting for a chance, he might not be here either. Gorges is a good defense-man, he is small however, and Francis Bouillon is also a small guy, so one of them will have to go. As for Andrei Kostitsyn, he is going to be a decent sniper, not a superstar, but there are un-confirmed reports that he has been asked to play for the Russian Super League, with a salary of 4 million a year, he would follow in the foot-steps of Alex Perezhogin. If that is the case, then that would open up another spot on the roster as Kostitsyn isn’t worth that yet.

With the few players like Raffi Torres, or Paul Gaustad, and Jordin Tootoo, the Habs would definitely be a bigger, more physical team, and with defense-men like Pavel Valentenko, and Alexei Yemlin, and Ryan McDonagh, to come up soon, the Habs will have their sand paper players behind the blue line, all these factors would let the skilled forwards play like they did in the regular season, but would allow the Habs to be more physical, and grittier, in the regular season as well as the play-offs. These additions would also make it more interesting for fans to watch, as well as being able to protect their stars, which might make it more atracting for other players to come here. 

Right now this is how the team will look:

Higgins-Koivu-?

A.Kostistyn, if he doesn’t got to Russia- Plekanec-Kovalev

Begin-?-Kostopolous

Latendresse-Lapierre-?

Here’s how it could look:

A.Kostitsyn-Plekanec-Kovalev

Begin-Gaustad- Torres

Tootoo-Stoll/Lapierre-Kostopoulos/Boogaard/Stewart

Of course, depending on what the Habs do with the Ilya Kovalchuk hopes of the fans, the other line could look like this:

Higgins/S.Kostitsyn-Koivu-Kovalchuk

On the defensive side it looks like this:

Markov-Komisarek

Hamrlik-O’Byrne

Gorges-Bouillon

It could look like this:

Markov-Komisarek

Hamrlik-O’Byrne/Valentenko

Yemlin/Gorges-Bouillon/ Mcdonagh

Without making drastic changes in the defensive core, maybe bringing up Valentenko, the Habs would be a team to be reckoned with, of course perhaps none of these changes would happen, but it would be a team to be feared, both in the scoring department, as well as the physical department.

I don’t want a team of superstars, or goons, just a good mix. All the players I have named are not that expensive, and would still leave room for the Habs to acquire a free agent star.

Those are the people I believe the Habs need in order to advance further in the play-offs, probably without Kovalchuk, as he would cost a fortune. Besides Kovalchuck, the other players are good players with heart, and determination to get what is needed to win, it would be nice to see.

Sure there are the Marian Hossa’s, and the Mats Sundin’s of the world, but who are the under-rated players that could help the Canadiens next year? There are some funny rumours in Montreal that fans have brought forth, I guess they are more hopes rather than reality, but the suggestions are to trade Mikhail Grabovski, Jaroslav Halak, the Habs first round pick this year, and possibly Ryan O’Byrne, and maybe Chris Higgins to the Atlanta Thrashers for Ilya Kovalchuk. Well if you want to put all your eggs in one basket, he i