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?

TSN reports are that the Maple Leafs will send McCabe to Florida along with another player, with at least one player coming back from the Panthers. Not Panthers defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, though. Sportsnet’ Nick Kypreos suggests that the player heading to Toronto is defenseman Mike Van Ryn.

However, McCabe’s agent, Ian Pulver, says that his client hasn’t made a decision on his future yet and the two sides continue to talk about a compromise.

“We continue to talk to the Leafs about whether he is going to remain a Leaf or move to another team. Technically he won’t waive the no-trade until there is a trade and there hasn’t been a trade.”

Pulver notes that McCabe may in fact stay in Toronto.

“Having said that, he may remain a Leaf. There’s a lot of things to discuss.”

Maple Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher appears to support Pulver’s stance, saying that a deal is not imminent.

“(McCabe) hasn’t even said he would accept being traded yet. We’re working on it.”

It’s expected that if the Maple Leafs were to move McCabe, they would do it after September 1st, the day he is to receive a $2 million signing bonus.

McCabe is set to earn $6.15 million (including the $2 million dollar signing bonus) this season, and $4.15 million for the next two seasons remaining on his contract. His salary cap hit will remain at $5.75 million.

Frank Mazzola: You were drafted 8th overall in 1994. Obviously, being selected that high comes with high expectations. Did you feel any adverse pressure to perform because of this and, if so, how did the pressure affect your approach to the game?

Jason Wiemer: There was definitely pressure, but I think, being that young, I didn’t even realize the magnitude of it. Looking back now, the ignorance was probably a blessing.

(Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images)

Lubomir Visnovsky #17 of the Los Angeles Kings ties up Jason Wiemer #28 of the Minnesota Wild in front of the net in the first period during the NHL game on January 26, 2004 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.

FM: You’ve played with 6 different teams (Tampa Bay, Calgary, Florida, New York Islanders, Minnesota Wild, New Jersey) during your career. Where was your favorite place to play and why (location, fans, the area…etc.)?

JW: Of course, playing in Florida was nice. However, my favorite place was Minnesota. They have a great organization, some of the best coaches and fantastic fans.

FM: Tell us about the most memorable goal you scored in the NHL.

JW: It would have to be my first one. I would like to tell you it was end to end, top shelf, but I’d be lying. It was against Quebec and I think it went off my shin pad. But it was my first N.H.L goal and it was pretty exciting.

FM: Were there any particular players you dreaded suiting up against (due to their skill, fighting ability…etc)?

JW: I don’t know if I dreaded playing anyone, but there were a few I didn’t look forward to. Tony Twist was a guy that made you look over your shoulder. I was lucky enough to play against some of the game’s greats like Lemieux, Gretzky and Messier. Playing guys like that was always a thrill and something I’ll never forget

FM: Who was your least favorite goalie to face and why?

JW: I’d have to say Hasek. He was in his prime and was pretty much unbeatable. Not to mention, he would be out in the corner playing pucks or at the blue line, flopping around like a fish.

FM: Hockey players are notorious for having pre-game and season-long rituals. Can you share with us any particular superstitions or routines you might have employed during your career?

JW: Actually, I was one of the rare ones that tried not to get wrapped up in superstitions. Maybe that’s because I never got on a long enough hot streak to keep doing the same thing (laughs).

FM: How did the game change from the time you were drafted up until the end of your career? What sorts of adjustments did you have to make to adapt?

JW: The game has changed in many ways in the last fifteen years. I think the biggest difference has been the size of the players. When I was drafted, teams were all about big guys. Now, they are leaning towards the smaller, faster players. The most important thing for me was to get faster. I dropped six or seven pounds to try and accomplish that.

FM: Now that you are retired, do you have any plans to seek employment within the league (coaching, player agent, league official… etc.)?

JW: I don’t have any plans to get back involved with the NHL, but I am doing some coaching here in Calgary [ Note: Jason is instructing this summer at National Sports Development, a youth hockey camp.]. It’s been fun to stay involved in the game and pass on any knowledge I may have learned to young players.

FM: Has the labor dispute which caused the cancellation of the 2004-05 season affected the relationship between the owners and the players? How did you spend your time during the lockout?

JW: I don’t know if has affected the relationship that much. As you can see, the players are still making big salaries, some even bigger than before. So, I think the players are happy with the new CBA. As for the lockout, I spent most of the time doing things I wasn’t able to do when I was playing…. a lot of hunting, fishing, hiking and skiing. It’s a good thing I could play hockey because…well, I’m a really bad skier (laughs).

FM: In your opinion, can the salary cap continue to rise in the NHL despite falling revenue and flagging interest in the American market? Are the salaries that recent free agents have received out of line with the current economic state of the league?

JW: I don’t know if it can or not. Its funny, though: Before the lockout, all the owners were crying bankruptcy and now they’re paying out more than they were. The amount and length of some of the contracts is concerning, but wiser men than me are running these organizations. So, hopefully, the league will continue to thrive in Canadian markets and grow in some of the American ones

FM: Jason, thanks very much for your time. Good luck with the hockey camp and your other future endeavors.

JW: Thank you.

The point I’d like to make is that the NHL and hockey people in general should say is either you’re with us or against us. The game will never reach certain segment/demographics in the US and the NHL should realize this and market the game to the established fans and established markets. The idea that NHLers playing in the Olympics will somehow make fans out of Joe Smith watching an Olympic game in Arkansas and then have him turn around and become a Florida Panthers fan is foolish.

The league also has a problem with fighting as far as not marketing it but also not really distancing itself from that aspect. The point here is that they should either offer up suspensions if you fight or better yet, market that aspect of the game. The reason being if you go to YouTube and do a search for hockey the number 1 through about 10 videos are all fighting related. So, the NHL should embrace that aspect and market it, obviously it’s what a certain segment of the established fan base likes. I don’t necessarily agree with it but it’s like smoking, gambling or drinking… some people like it and if that is why they are watching hockey, then so be it, market the game to them. Maybe they’ll eventually come around to the realization that hockey is a game of finesse, team work and skill and that those traits win hockey games, not one’s fists.

So, Mr. Bettman and Mr. Dailly, market the game to the people you can reach, those who are somewhat interested in the game and then market the skill of the game but also the goon aspect of the game…give the people what they want.

My next post will talk about the marketing that I am doing with my upcoming Hockey book.

Thanks for reading!

Howard Shapiro

www.hockeyplayerforlife.com

howard.shapiro@hotmail.com

866.520.4286

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!

First the update. Habs Inside Out is stating that the new contract that Maxim Lapierre inked with the Habs will pay him $575,000 for 2008-09 and $800,000 for the 2009-10 season for an average of $687,500 a season. Not far from the $700,000 I suggested in a previous article.

Next we have RDS who is reporting that the Kloten Flyers of Switzerland are interested in Corey Locke. Well I guess that this gives an out to Habs General Manager Bob Gainey. If he Locke decides to play for the Flyers of Kloten then that would give the Habs a little more to work with and combine it to what they have all ready. Locke is a good minor league player however at 5′9 and 169 pounds he is a little on the smallish side for the NHL at the centre position.

Next we have un-confirmed reports that the Habs asked about acquiring Brian Campbell when the Marian Hossa deal fell through, and that there is a possibility that they are wondering if he will be available come July 1.

I don’t know why the Habs would pay Campbell 7-$8 million when there are other possibilities available to them if they are looking for a defense-man.

The Miami Herald wrote that soon to be restricted free agent Jay Bouwmeester is noncommittal about his future for the Florida Panthers. Jacques Martin had this to say about the situation,

“There is no progress in contract talks. He wants to win. That’s the issue. He wants to be in the play-offs. We all do.”

Why not try and grab Bouwmeester instead of Campbell. He would be just as good and a little bigger but would not cost as much in salary as Campbell. Unfortunately to get Bouwmeester would mean a trade.

How about RFA Shea Webber of the Nashville Predators? At 6′3″ and 213 pounds with a mean streak, why wouldn’t the Habs offer a little package for him?

Of course this is all speculation as Canadiens GM Bob Gainey stated in an end of season press conference that he will be looking to bolster the forward position. Was that statement a smoke screen? Are the Habs trying to land a D-Man and a forward?

Well one thing is for sure, the Habs are in on a lot of high profile names at the forward position.

The wizards ( NHL planning directors ), thought of something controversial, the team that wins in overtime gets 2 points, the one which loses gets 1 point. By doing this I find that the wizards are rewarding losers, which once you become a professional, should not exist, the players are not children anymore, they don’t have to reward effort, you lose, tough luck, no points. Why should teams be babied, to tell owners that the wizards have their back, well who has the fans back??

The shoot-out is a different story, if both teams have made it past the overtime, then they should have at least one point each, with the extra point going to the winner of the shoot-out. That is the way it should be, if you make it past the overtime, you get a point, you lose in overtime, no point for you, enough with the constant child like rewards.

Unfortunately, the loser point has made things interesting in the race for the play-offs this season as a multitude of teams which should not be in the hunt are. Teams like the Florida Panthers, Washington Capitals, Buffalo Sabres, Edmonton Oilers, and so on, even teams which are at the top would possibly not be there if the loser point wasn’t there, but some teams at the top also lost in the shoot-out, so some would still be at the top anyway.

In the current situation, I do not think that the NHL will remove this loser point anytime soon, it’s giving teams which arguably shouldn’t be in the race a chance to get into the play-offs, in the end the owners of low market teams probably like it that way, some teams don’t want to spend more then the floor cap, and they are happy to be in the hunt for the play-offs. It is exciting as all spots are pretty much up for grabs, however they should be challenged by winners, not overtime loser points, shoot-out loss is o.k. as both teams made it past overtime, by the old standard, they both get a point, but please, players, and owners are past the age of positive reinforcement.

One must wonder why the Panthers really just have such a hard time winning against such a depleted team. The fact is, even when they are depleted, they still seem tough as ever. That’s with losing Cory Stillman and Mike Commodore to trade, Rod Brind’amour to injury and Justin Williams, others as well. Yet they keep moving along like nothing has ever happened. Quite amazing to me. A team so injury plagued, they still put up a fight each night and victorious on most. Even new comers to the team like Patrick Eaves and Joe Corvo look like they could have been there all season. Is it Peter Laviolette? Or is it just the amount of skill and experience the team itself has. I’d think its both, they don’t get rattled by much. The worst can happen and they will still play their system the best they can and keep doing what they do best. Sometimes thats all they need to win games they shouldn’t be in, too.

After being denied a history making eight game winning streak, the Panthers decided to start another winning streak by beating Tampa Bay. If they want to make the playoffs they need to get about 10 more points and rely heavily on teams out of the playoffs to put up a fight with the seventh and eighth spot holders.

Unlike other teams, the Panthers have a schedule that is heavily in their favor. Tampa Bay Lightning twice, Washington Capitals twice and the Hurricanes twice. Tampa Bay, I don’t see being a problem but the Capitals and the Hurricanes just might be a thorn in the side. The Capitals aren’t that same team that you just look at and expect them to fold to teams that are making a playoff push. They are right in it as well and needless to say a much better team on top of it all, than they used to be. Olaf Kolzig? Good goaltender but Huet I believe is more consistent, Sergei Fedorov definitely helps them and I believe Matt Cooke has a bit of an edge over Matt Pettinger. With Bruce Boudreau coming in as well and doing a wonderful job, I just don’t think winning against Washington will be all that easy.

I already talked about how we can’t seem to have any luck against Carolina, to begin with. Winning against the Capitals will be the MOST important objective to get into the playoffs, winning both games eliminates them from the playoff race because ideally Florida and Washington are chasing the same spot. Both games are must win scenarios for the Panthers. The Panthers also need to at least win one game against Carolina to stay in the chase. Although the schedule looks easy, to me, it really isn’t. The Panthers need to come out and play some of the best hockey they could ever imagine playing to make it that far. There is no other way around it. This roster on paper, wouldn’t make the playoffs. They are playing with their hearts and souls into the game. Thats the way they need to play to win. Thats the only way. Florida just does not have the Michael Frolik’s and the Shawn Matthias’ ready for the club yet.

I personally could not fathom the feeling of seeing the Panthers in the playoffs, in my opinion they have every right for being there as much as the next team. It would just be so nice to overcome the “laughing stock” that the Panthers are, in the NHL. Its never easy or nice to hear, “They haven’t made it into the playoffs in over six years.” Over and over again. I blame that on the endless ring of coaches and general managers that Mr. Alan Cohen felt was needed to make this team into a winner.

Olli Jokinen has certainly stepped up his game. After the Zednik incident he went into a prolonged slump. Something not good for this club that already has horrible troubles trying to score. Not only that but its like dressing a player that is injured. He was close to useless for that time. It took him to score against Henrik Lundqvist in a Panthers win to snap out of it, and ever since he has been back to the captain clutch, that he is. That the Panthers need. That the team relies on. If there is no Jokinen leading the way and helping the team. There is no playoffs. There is no leadership. There is no hope. Most of all, everybody in that locker room loves that guy. If there isn’t Jokinen doing what he does best, there isn’t a Panthers team that has desire to do much.

With Kubina’s strong play as of late, he could become “attractive on the trade market this summer.”

Nashville Predators GM David Poile tells John Glennon of The Tennessean that he is unlikely to sign any of the club’s pending free agents until season’s end.

The Predators have a group of free agent that includes defensemen Shea Weber (RFA), Ryan Suter (RFA) and Kevin Klein (RFA), forward Martin Erat (RFA), goalie Dan Ellis (UFA) and forward Darcy Hordichuk (UFA).

San Jose Sharks pending unrestricted free agent forward Jeremy Roenick tells USA Today’s Kevin Allen that he doesn’t plant to retire at season’s end. Roenick has revitalized his career in San Jose, and hopes to continue playing for a little while longer.

“I’m definitely thinking about (continuing to play),” Roenick said. “With the way my body feels, and the way it has gone and the quality of this organization, I definitely would like to play another year. But I’m not going to make this an in-season thing and cause any distractions.”

Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports that a number of teams called to inquire about the availability of Florida Panthers forward Olli Jokinen before the trade deadline.

First off, the Oilers could use a “sniper” to bolster their attack, some in the mold of San Jose Sharks forward Jonathan Cheechoo.

Secondly, the Oilers will look to add some toughness. While it’s unlikely that former Oilers tough guy Georges Laraque will return to Edmonton, there are other options. Those include UFAs Wade Belak of the Florida Panthers, Jody Shelley of the Sharks, Darcy Hordichuk of the Nashville Predators, and Todd Fedoruk of the Minnesota Wild.

Jean LeFebvre of The Calgary Herald suggests that Calgary Flames pending UFA forward Kristian Huselius may have a hard time getting the contract he wants this summer.

While his play in the months of October, December, January, and so far in March, has been superb, November and February saw the skilled forward play the worst hockey of the season.

Ottawa Senators pending UFA forward Cory Stillman tells James Gordon of The Ottawa Citizen that he’d love to re-sign with the club.

“I’d like to stay. It’s close to home, to my home town,” the Peterborough, Ont., native said. “You know, I was happy in Carolina, but (Ottawa) is one of the places I had said that if I ever had the chance to play, I would jump on it.

“So I’m here now and hopefully I can continue on for a couple years.”

Stillman says he hasn’t had any talks about a contract extension with Senators’ management, yet.

“My thing right now is to come play, win hockey games and continue to play into June,” the 34-year-old said.

According to Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post, Washington Capitals pending restricted free agent forward Brooks Laich could receive a significant raise this summer. A three-year, $3 million deal isn’t out of the question.

It’s good to see Zednik slowly skating again, wow, what a sight for every viewer that saw Zednik’s neck get slashed by a team-mates skate. It was really bad, but he seems to be over it, good thing for the league as Zednik is a good player, but even he wasn’t, it’s nice to see that the injury he suffered is not as bad as it looked. Hopefully the Florida Panthers make the play-offs, and Zednik gets to play again.

Zednick seems to be as unfortunate as when he played for the Montreal Canadiens, when he received a vicious elbow to the head by Kyle McClaren of the Boston Bruins at the time, which put him out for the rest of the play-offs that year, Zednik stayed in the hospital for a while after that hit, and no-one new if he would come back from it.

I hope that Richard can stay away from getting those type of injuries so he can exploit his talent, as he might not have blazing speed, but he’s fast enough, and he has great hands and can score some nice goals for the Panthers, if he stays away from the hospitals. I felt so bad for the guy after his latest injury, I told myself poor guy, he isn’t lucky at all.

The Florida Panthers are just a few points away from the final play-off spot, with any luck, Zednik could conceivably be back for the Panthers last 2, or 4 games, and that might help them to get into the play-offs, if that’s the case, then way to go Zednik, way to come back so soon and help your team, if not, then hopefully they make the play-offs and Zednik can help them. It’s a good thing he’s o.k. as it was an accident in the first place.

According to Bucky Gleason of The Buffalo News, the Chicago Blackhawks GM Dale Tallon will try to move high-priced forward Martin Havlat and goalie Nikolai Khabibulin during the off-season.

Trading both players, who become unrestricted free agents next summer, would give the Blackhawks $12.75 million to spend in free agency.

If the Blackhawks don’t trade both players, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun believes that the club will certainly deal Havlat.

Jim Matheson of The Edmonton Journal reports that Los Angeles Kings pending unrestricted free agent defenseman Rob Blake would like to continue his NHL career for one or two more seasons. And preferably with the Kings.

However, for that to happen, Matheson suggests that the veteran blueliner will have to take a significant pay cut down to around $3 million per season.

Matheson also reiterates earlier reports that the Ottawa Senators can buy out goalie Ray Emery between June 15 and June 30 at one-third of the $6.75 million left on the last two years of his contract. That translates to a salary cap hit of $562,000 each of the next four years. Matheson suggests that that the Senators will indeed take advantage of this opportunity to dump Emery.

Look for the Edmonton Oilers to shop defenseman Joni Pitkanen in the off-season, according to Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch.

Portzline also reports that Oilers pending UFA forward Geoff Sanderson will retire at season’s end.

Garrioch believes that the New York Islanders will not trade goalie Rick DiPietro despite the friction he and head coach Ted Nolan.

Garrioch also reports that Colorado Avalanche pending UFA goaltender Jose Theodore could be pursued by the Kings and the Tampa Bay Lightning should he decided to go on the market.

More from Garrioch, he reports on a number of non-trades leading up to last month’s trade deadline.

First off, word is that the Philadelphia Flyers were willing to part with forward Jeff Carter and their first round draft pick for Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Tomas Kaberle. The deal fell through when Kaberle invoked the no-trade clause in his contract.

Secondly, the Atlanta Thrashers were unsuccessful in their attempts to move defenseman Alexei Zhitnik.

Lastly, Minnesota Wild GM Doug Risebrough wasn’t willing to meet the asking price for Florida Panthers forward Olli Jokinen.

- It looked as though Friday night the Panthers just plain played better than us. They were making great passes and plays to lead to odd-man rushes and wayyyy to many breakaways. I guess the defense had too much fun this break. Anyways the highlights weren’t anything special. They had good goals and we had good goals, we just couldn’t beat them.

- Saturday night looked a little differently. They got their first goal on a crash the net play at the end of the 2nd with Picard jamming it home out front, not much you can really nitpick on that. Same goes for the 2nd by St.Louis, a tip and two bounces gives them a 2-0 lead. The Rangers seemed to play much better after that goal. What can you say when Sjostrom gets absolutely robbed by Smith on the wrap around? Nothing. What can you say when Picard makes a kick save and a beauty at that on Jagr with 6 minutes to go? Nothing. It just seemed like both nights we just weren’t meant to win, so I think the Rangers should take this weekend with a grain of salt and move on to Tuesdays date with Crosby & Co.

- Henrik Lundqvist took his break pretty seriously. He kept the Rangers in it on both games and made some fantastic saves of deflections and breakaways. We need another great performance on Tuesday to stifle the Pens.

- Will Renney change the lines now? Who knows. I didn’t watch the games shift-in and shift-out so I’m not one to judge right now, but I bet you no major changes will be made. Announcers say he was thinking about it after Friday night, but who will he move? You can’t break up Avery-Dubi-Jagr now, and its tough to break up Dawes-Gomez-Shanny, so only time will tell what happens.

- As I said, Pens are up next on Tuesday at the Garden, lets hope we find our touch again. - Rob

Why is this? Why can’t they sustain a level of play like this for at least half a season so they can have a rather good chance of making the playoffs? I think honestly its just a matter of growing as a team. Besides the team’s core there are only secondary scorers who really don’t score all that much. So needless to say, a lot of Florida’s hockey games are decided by the young core that is still learning. They tend to take nights off and only start to play desperate hockey when there is less than ten minutes left in the game.

That’s not the case with this six game winning streak. The Panthers are playing hockey the way it has been needed to be played all season. A relentless style. There is no doubt that this Florida lineup cant compete skill wise with most clubs. They have to outwork their opponent to win games. That won’t change for a while until this group matures into their prime. Do they have a chance? A little one, yes. As of last night, they were three points out of eighth position. I believe that spot is held by the Philadelphia Flyers. The problem there is, they have two games in hand on the Panthers. My guess is that the Panthers, although it hurts to say it, won’t make the playoffs. Don’t get me wrong, I would be totally psyched if the Panthers did make it in. The team just has to realize that they need to possess a strong work ethic to make it that far. It won’t come easily to them like the Ottawa Senators or The Detroit Red Wings the Panthers just do not have that type of talent to take a night off and still win the game.

Some have given Coach and General Manager Jacques Martin a rough go of it, mainly the fans for the team’s problems this season. Well usually isn’t that were it would always fall, on the coaches shoulders? Yes, mostly I’d have to say, but most fans need to keep in mind that this team is growing and that you can’t right a ship in three seasons, well maybe with a team that has a more deep talent pool, but for the Panthers who have had a revolving door of coaches and general managers, I don’t see how you can blame him for the problems.

The thing is, whenever a coach or general manager is fired the process of learning a new system starts all over again, and if its for a general manager, the process of bringing in quality players, or players in general that fit the coach’s system starts. The Panthers have gone through that, well, more than five times.

Fans need to give Martin the time he needs to bring in his players that will play his system, and also give him time to develop the younger players on this team. If the Panthers could learn anything from their history, its try sticking with one coach and sticking with one direction, because if you fire Martin because he couldn’t get to the playoffs in an unrealistic amount of time given, well, that process of hiring and firing will go on forever.

However, both players refused to waive the no-trade clauses in their contracts.

Kaberle says that while it’s flattering other teams showed interest in him, he had no intentions of leaving Toronto.

“It’s nice when there is interest,” Kaberle said of the Flyers. “But I’ve said it every day in the past month — I wanted to stay here. I love it here.”

Steve Gorten of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that Florida Panthers pending UFA defenseman Jassen Cullimore hopes to stick around with the club past this season.

Still with the Panthers, GM Jacques Martin tells Gorten that there’s nothing new to report in regards to suspended forward Chad Kilger. The former Toronto Maple Leaf is still to report to the team that acquired him on deadline day last month.

Martin said he has talked with Kilger “a couple of times” last week, though he remains unsure whether the veteran pivot will play again this season.

“I don’t know if I can say that, but there’s no new development on it.”

Tim Sassone of the Chicago Daily Herald reports that Chicago Blackhawks GM Dale Tallon shopped forward Martin Havlat and Nikolai Khabibulin at the deadline, but didn’t find the right deal. Sassone suggests that Tallon may try to deal the duo in the summer.

If it were up to Sassone, though, he would hang on to Havlat and try to clear out Khabibulin to make room for goalie Corey Crawford.

Adrian Dater of The Denver Post suggests that Avalanche goalie Jose Theodore “will keep Colorado at the top of his wish list if/when he does become unrestricted” this summer.

There was some thought last summer that the Avalanche may buy out Theodore, but that did not happen. The former Hart Trophy winner may take that into consideration and give the Avalanche a better chance to re-sign him.

The team rebounded well from their meltdown in Tampa Bay a night earlier and played a decent game against the Florida Panthers last night. Florida was simply the more desperate bunch, getting goals from Kamil Kreps, Stephen Weiss, Karlis Skrastins and an empty netter from Brett McLean. New York’s goals were tallied by Bill Guerin and Blake Comeau.

Many fans wondered about the psyche of G Rick Dipietro and whether he would be able to recover from the 8 goal shellacking from the night before. He played reasonably well last night, stoning Nathan Horton on a late-game breakaway. What fans should be more concerned about is the possibility that he may be playing injured. He has been slow to get up after making some saves and his lateral movement across the crease has not been as smooth as it was prior to the All Star game. If Dipietro is indeed hurt, Coach Ted Nolan should not hesitate to shut him down for the rest of this lost season.

The lineup has become a version of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (necessitated by the injury woes) and fans were able to see what the team may have stocked in it’s cupboard for the future. The Bridgeport Kids have looked good in their short time with the big club. Here is a breakdown of some of them from last night’s game:

-Jeff Tambellini: He is playing a grittier style of hockey than he did when he was previously called up. He had a nice hit on Florida’s Jay Bouwmeester and contributed an assist on Guerin’s goal.

-Blake Comeau- He played his finest game as an Islander last night, scoring a power play goal and moving the puck up the ice like a veteran.

-Tim Jackman: He provides energy, hits everything that moves and had a nice breakaway attempt.

Overall, Isles’ supporters can expect the losses to mount up as the season draws to a close with this inexperienced lineup taking the ice each game. However, getting the youngsters used to the pace of the NHL will prove invaluable for next season and beyond.

- The biggest rumbling and evidence about the NHL Winter Classic this week came out of New York involving the Rangers. The Daily News of NY went as far to say that the Rangers have all but locked up to be the host, but with only the task of finding the right opponent. The game would be at Yankee Stadium, and it would be the last event in its history. And here is more evidence of this:

That photo was taken by a man who was touring the stadium and happen to stumble upon this evidence. Its an interesting placement for the rink. The picture is courtesy of the website NHL Tournament of Logo’s, and you can read the whole story here. I am all for NYR getting an outdoor game as I have said before, but I have a few problems with this idea and situation.

Baseball stadiums are unique venues. As you can see from the photo, the first rows near the dugouts will be closer than a football stadium but will they be high enough to see all of the action? I like how it will be a closer feeling to the rink, but I would rather have the NHL stick to keeping the Winer Classic in football stadiums. Another thing with this photo is that they would almost certainly build makeshift stands in the outfield, bringing the fans even closer. Wikipedia says that the stadium holds just under 58,000 for a baseball game. So an accurate guess with the layout above would be around 60-65,000 due to the fact that most of the outfield seats wouldn’t be used because of the makeshift stands that would have to be created in the outfield. I do not think that is enough people, which is why the Winter classic should stay in Football stadiums, where more people can get through the gate ($$$) and where putting the rink up wouldn’t be a logistical problem. If the Rangers have truly locked up the ‘09 classic, they should attempt to play it in Giants Stadium, which fits 80,000 no problem. I see a couple of advantages and disadvantages.

For one, filling Giants stadium wouldn’t be a problem. 40,000 tickets sold out in Buffalo in 37 minutes, which is a testament to the loyalty to the fans and what a fantastic event this is. Another advantage and disadvantage at the same time is that Giants Stadium is located in New Jersey. Its an advantage because the event wouldn’t be in the Bronx, but its a disadvantage because it might turn away the average fan FROM the Bronx who doesn’t want to travel. Regardless, I’m glad to see that the Rangers are heavily in the talks for the ‘09 classic. Rumored teams to play the Rangers are the Islanders, Bruins, and Red Wings. I believe the best choice would be the Bruins. The media would play off the Boston-NY rivalry heavily. If you chose the Islanders the Buzz might not grow as big because of the game being so local. If you chose the Red Wings it might become to bland. The Bruins play hard and have given NYR great games this season, and all I want is to see a hockey fight outdoors in the Bronx on National TV.

- Moving on to Franchise relocation. Being an old-tyme (get it, with a y!) Hockey-ist, I’ve never liked the rapid expansion into the Southern part of the US by the NHL. And to begin, if the NHL decides to expand past 30 teams they will surely regret it. The NHL has planted the seeds of the “New” NHL, now they need to water it from time to time and let it grow. I feel like the NHL is trying to “grow” hockey upon markets instead of trying to find Hockey markets and place teams there. There are many rumbles of possible cities for relocation above the Mason-Dixon line involving Kansas City, Seattle, Portland, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Milwaukee, and moving into Canada with Hamilton, Quebec City, Winnipeg and Saskatchewan. Teams that are involved in moving rumors are Florida, Tampa Bay, Columbus, Nashville, Atlanta, and Phoenix. First I will Rank each team in my opinion on who should move ASAP from 1 through 6.

1. Nashville. As much as Business is reportedly coming back, the franchise is in trouble. Bettman did now allow Basile to buy the franchise because of his intentions to move it to Hamilton in Ontario. I have a feeling this franchise will be on the move in the next five years though. The following isn’t enough to support a franchise with greater market opportunities out there.
2. Florida. Florida for this season so far is ranked last in % filled in total attendance. (ESPN) Although you don’t hear about many problems from Florida, you don’t hear much of anything either. When your home city is named Sunrise, your just not a hockey town. Its bad enough Florida has two teams, and at least one has to go. Sorry Panthers, but you don’t have a cup unlike your in-state foes on the west coast.
3. Next up would be Columbus, who edges out Florida in total attendance by 1.2%. The same goes here. As much as there aren’t many problems, there also aren’t many positives coming out of Ohio.
4. Phoenix. A move back to Winnipeg could be in the cards for the former-Jets. Winnipeg is pressing hard for a franchise and Phoenix hasn’t enjoyed much success in the desert since its move. There are two problems though. First, Jobing.com arena is almsot brand new and in sparkling condition. Second, Winnipeg needs a new arena. Don’t look for this to happen anytime soon.
5. Atlanta. The All-Star game might not have been a big hit on TV, but fans packed Phillips Arena all weekend. Phillips arena is another obstacle as it too like Jobing.com is in fantastic shape. Atlanta will still be around past 2015 but if its still below the 90% mark after that, they could be moving.
6. Last is Tampa Bay. Again, hockey and Florida don’t really mix, but the league will be reluctant to move Tampa as it in its short history the already have a ring on their fingers. Plus as I watched the Islanders visit them, there was a good show in the stands, especially in the 100 seats.

So basically I want to obliterate the South-eastern division, but its just a clear fact that Hockey isn’t America’s sport, so why should the NHL try to force it in area’s where Ice doesn’t even form once a year? Hopefully in the next ten years we see a northern migration. My top US cities would be Salt Lake and Las Vegas. My top Canadian cities would be Winnipeg and Quebec/Hamilton. I just worry about the affect of putting a team in Quebec city due to the strong Montreal following.

There’s a little rant for you. I’ll be doing more of this over the summer. Rangers at Panthers, Friday night at 7:30, let’s go Rangers. - Rob

Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Anze Kopitar of the Los Angeles Kings, Paul Stastny of the Colorado Avalanche, Phil Kessel of the Boston Bruins, Alexander Radulov of the Nashville Predators, Drew Stafford of the Buffalo Sabres, Jiri Hudler of the Detroit Red Wings, David Booth of the Florida Panthers, Brandon Dubinsky of the New York Rangers, and Travis Zajac of the New Jersey Devils.

While not all are expected to receive long-term deals such as the one signed by Philadelphia Flyers forward Mike Richards last December (12 years totaling $69 million), it’s possible that some of the top tier players may.

Looks like we were on to something: the NHL’s CBA prohibits teams from buying out injured players at two-thirds of their salaries, as Luke DeCock of The News & Observer suggested the Carolina Hurricanes may do with defenseman David Tanabe this summer.

DeCock reports today that for the Hurricanes to be allowed to buy out his contract for 2/3, Tanabe would have be declared fit to play by July 1.

Otherwise, the Hurricanes would be on the hook for Tanabe’s entire $900,000 salary. The good news is that it wouldn’t count against the salary cap.

Look for the St. Louis Blues to bolster their inconsistent offense during the off-season.

St. Louis Post Dispatch President John Davidson tells Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post Dispatch that while he’s well aware of his club’s shortcomings, the organization still needs to pinpoint where their troubles stem from.

“For whatever reason, we haven’t scored and we have to figure out why,” Davidson said Sunday, one day after the Blues’ 4-2 loss to Vancouver.

“… there’s a lot of variables that we’ll have to sift through.”

When the Anaheim Ducks placed goalie Ilya Bryzgalov on waivers last November, Lombardi admits he wasn’t as aggressive in trying to land the Russian netminder. The Phoenix Coyotes picked up Bryzgalov, where he has won 23 of the last 34 games he played for them.

“Uh, yeah. That’s a good one,” Lombardi said. “I think the jury is still out. There were some issues, things you heard out of Anaheim in terms of him being a teammate… In retrospect, we should have been more aggressive. This is how a mistake can lead to another, a logjam of contracts there cut off our flexibility.”

Last summer, Lombardi passed up the opportunity of trading for then Nashville Predators goaltender Tomas Vokoun because he did not want to part with a first round draft pick and a second round draft pick as well as goalie prospect Jonathan Bernier. Vokoun ended up being dealt to the Florida Panthers.

Two summers ago Lombardi tried to acquire Chris Pronger of the