The week started off with the signing of RFA forward Maxim Lapierre for a two-years contract awarding him 575 000$ in 2008-2009 and 800 000$ in 2009-2010. Was it a right move? Definitly, since Lapierre has been able to establish himself as a hard worker and a devoted player for the Montreal Canadiens and he just keeps getting better at what he does, and let’s not forget to mention how well he plays defensively when the Habs are on the penalty kill. Lapierre ended the 2007-2008 season playing 53 games and scoring 7 goals and 18 point.

That is a good news for the Habs, but what about Andrei Kostitsyn? How are things going with him and did Bob Gainey even start negotiations yet? Gainey told the press two week ago that they have contacted Andrei to talk about his future with the organization, but it appears that a team from Kazan in Russia has made an offer for next season that values 1.5 million. However, Don Meehan, Kostitsyn’s agent, commented the rumor stating that his client intends on sticking to his career in the NHL, but that he would prefer to get him more of a short-term contract, unlike the ones that have been given to other young players such as Mike Richards from the Philadelphia Flyers. He went on adding that he expects the negotiations with the Canadiens to be all but easy. If the rumor happens to be true, than I believe giving 1.5 million for 2 years should do the thing for him to stay in Montreal.

What about other players waiting to know what to do next season? Well it appears that Corey Locke, one of the Habs’ prospect playing in Hamilton, is currently being chased by the Kloten Flyers from Switzerland’s national League. The Flyers’ sports director commented the rumor simply by confirming it and saying his team did indeed make an offer for Locke to consider.

While some are probably going to look at every options, one has made it clear that he is leaving the organisation. Yann Danis, another Habs’ prospect and goaltender for the Hamilton Bulldogs, prefers to leave the Canadiens for good and test his UFA status starting July 1st. Danis was portrayed as one of Montreal’s future goaltender a couple of years ago, but simply lost his place with the team when Jaroslav Halak and Carey Price showed up and took over. I wish Yann all the best and hopefully he will end up with a good team that will use his undeniable talent to the fullest, maybe a team like the Ottawa Senators would do the thing.

Now there are some good UFAs on the market the the Habs are definitely going to pursue come July 1st. Let’s start with Mats Sundin. Sundin is beeing pursued by probably every team in the NHL seeing how good of a player he is and the price to get him probably isn’t going to be that high. Although any team would take Sundin, he wouldn’t take any team. Since he wants to stay in Canada, Montreal is certainly a strong option to consider. The Sundin case is surely and interesting one.

Then you have Teemu Selanne, one of Saku Koivu’s best friend. It appears Koivu has finally been able to convince Selanne to play his last NHL season with the Canadiens while spending time with him at the World Championships. This rumor has been going on for years, but Selanne has never accepted the offer to join the Habs. This time, things are looking a bit different because even the Anaheim Ducks’ GM Brian Burke believes this time might be the right time and that Selanne might finally accept Montreal’s offer. Two days ago, Anaheim’s defenseman Francois Beauchemin commented the rumor saying it was clearly impossible since Selanne has been living in Anaheim for over 10 years and has a house, a family and kids that attend school in Anaheim. He believes that if Selanne plans on playing for another season in the NHL, he’s going to play it in Anaheim and nowhere else and if he can’t come down to an agreement with the team, he is probably going to announce his retirement. One thing is for sure, we are going to have all the answers to our questions come July 1st, since that is the last day Selanne could give an answer to Burke.

Now on to the main event: Marian Hossa. Rumors have been all over the place with that guy and it’s not about to stop, at least not until he inks his name on a contract. Hossa is definitely going to be a target for Montreal this summer and I’m sure Gainey already has an offer planned specially for him. Is Hossa going to consider it? Maybe yes, maybe not. Earlier this week, Hossa said on a radio station in Pittsburgh that he enjoyed his stay with the Penguins and would definitely consider signing a contract for less money to be able to stay with a good and competitive team like the Penguins. But the thing is Montreal isn’t the team it was a year ago. Montreal has become a good and competitive team in the NHL and, if the right moves are pulled by Gainey, they are probably going to become a Stanley Cup contender for next season. Well now it appears that Pittsburgh really intends on keeping Hossa with them since rumors have been circulating as of yesterday that they have pitched a 7-years/50 millions$ contract at him. Is it going to be enough to persuade him to stay with the team? It could to the thing, but how big is Evgeni Malkin’s contract going to be? If they sign Hossa, they are probably going to have to give up on forward Ryan Malone and defenseman Brooks Orpik. If the Penguins do manage to keep Hossa, Malkin, Crosby and Stall all together, Ray Shero definitely deserves to have his name on the hall of fame.

Now enough with the stress and let’s talk about something else.

The NHL awards took place this week and Guy Carbonneau was nominated for best coach of the year. Unfortunately, the award finally went to the Washington Capitals’ Bruce Boudreau. Although I really wanted Carbonneau to win that award, I must say Boudreau deserved recognition for his work just as much as Carbo. He took the worst team in the NHL in November and led them to win their division’s championship and and believe me, nobody expected that to happen.

If Carbo didn’t get recognition for his hard work, Carey Price and Alex Kovalev did. Price was named on the All-Star rookie team and Kovalev had his place on the 2nd All-Star team of the NHL. Now that puts a smile on my face!

Just want to remind everyone that the NHL draft is coming up and the Habs are drafting 25th overall and I wouldn’t be surprised if some trades are made so that recruiting director Trevor Timmins could draft at a higher position. That is going to be very interesting to watch and who knows what Montreal is going to pull out from their sleeves. I would personally be pleased if they manage to draft Jared Stall, the youngest one of them that is expected to get drafted in the 30’s overall. I have learned one thing in the NHL, and it is that you can not go wrong with a Stall! They are like the hockey factory or something!

Enough for now. I will definitely come back soon for more.

First off, RDS is reporting that the Montreal Canadiens are under negotiation with Andrei Kostitsyn. Kostitsyn who is slated to become a restricted free agent come July 1, is said to be general manager Bob Gainey’s top priority.

Bob Gainey said this about the RFA,

“We think in Andrei’s case considering the season he just had, that he is the most important RFA that we have to resign.”

When asked about Mark Streit Gainey had this to say,

“Mark brought the team a particular contribution this year. He had many points on the power-play. The question is if we will have enough room in our team salary structure.”

With the Streit statement, one could surmise that the Habs want to keep him but not at any price. Could there be something else going on for the Habs to possibly use their money?
RDS is also reporting that Habs affiliate team the Cincinnati Cyclones have won the Kelly trophy in the ECHL. A team which Bob Gainey has helped to build.

Now for the good stuff.

The Hockey News is reporting that soon to be unrestricted free agent Mats Sundin might not resign with the Toronto Maple Leafs. And that the Detroit Red Wings could be gunning for him. But Sundin is also rumoured to be asking for 2 years at $8 million per year. Montreal and Ottawa are also rumoured to be getting ready to make a pitch to Sundin.

Next we have un-confirmed reports that Saku Koivu could be trying to convince Teemu Selanne to play with the Habs, this being Koivu’s last contract year. Koivu would like his best friend to play at least one year with him before Selanne retires for good.

Another un-confirmed report states that the Canadiens could be interested in soon to be RFA Wade Redden of the Ottawa Senators. Although I do believe that Redden still has juice in the tank, is he the answer the Habs need at the blue-line? Redden is a puck mover, and is not physical, considering that when the Sens went to the final last season that the Anaheim Ducks pounded him like there was no tomorrow, I’m not sure that he is the answer. He is still good, depending on the price, and depending on who the Habs will have surrounding him to be the physical presence.

Next there is the fact that Pavol Demitra could be interested in the Vancouver Canucks and the Canadiens. Although this winger might still have a good season or two left in him under optimum conditions, he is not the answer for the Habs. He is good but why take a roster spot away from a youngster, I would rather see Selanne.

Lastly, something I mentioned in another article is that Olaf Kolzig could be in Montreal next season. With the New York Rangers so far being the only other team manifesting interest in him, the Habs could luck out. Kolzig is also part owner of the Tri-City Americans, a team which new number one Habs goalie Carey Price has played for.

Also there is mounting evidence that the Tampa Bay Lightning may be a little worried about Vincent Lecalvalier’s shoulder, and might be willing to trade him. Montreal is rumoured among other names to have thrown in Chris Higgins as part of a possible trade. Wouldn’t that be nice.

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!

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…

It’s always easy to point at a coach when a team fails as dismally as the Lightning did this season. Hell, they’re only a few years removed from winning the Stanley Cup (2004)! This year, they managed to finish dead last in the NHL. In fact, since the lockout ended (the lockout was the season following their championship), the Lightning have struggled for two playoff berths before their plunge into the league cellar this year.

So, has Tortorella lost the room? What is the reason for a sudden, covert coaching change, assuming it happens?

Tortorella is notorious for being a hard-liner, often in conflict with his players. A few seasons ago, it looked like he may have alienated Vincent Lecavalier, to the point where trade rumours were floated almost daily. The two apparently made peace, but it is possible that Tortorella simply isn’t getting the most out of his players anymore.

But, on the other side of the coin, one has to consider Tampa’s woeful goaltending situation this past season. They started with the tandem of Johan Holmqvist and Marc Denis, who might well be considered a pair of backups on any other team. Neither looked particularly comfortable in the starter’s role, and neither met with much success. It got to the point where prospect Karri Ramo was inserted into 22 games as the go-to guy, also without great results.

A third factor that people point to is the absence of Dan Boyle, who only played 37 games after having wrist surgery. Boyle is viewed as a very solid puck-moving defenceman, and his absence definitely didn’t help the Bolts, but to attribute their failure this season to his absence is a bit of a stretch.

In reality, the Lightning’s awful season was due to a combination of all of the above, and that necessitates change.

Tortorella will have no trouble finding a job, and Barry Melrose can hop back behind the bench of a team that isn’t very good, just like in the old days of his Billy Ray Cyrus mullet.

Now, let’s take a look at who is out there, and who is looking for a coach.

• Toronto Maple Leafs: The Leafs canned GM John Ferguson Jr. and coach Paul Maurice, and had high hopes of luring in a big name to take charge of both the GM and coaching roles. However, to date they have been rebuked in most of their efforts, save for a multi-day interview with former Canucks’ GM Dave Nonis. In terms of a coach, there hasn’t been much said. Realistically, this could be a great fit for Tortorella, as the Leafs are in desperate need of a whip-cracking coach who will not hesitate to call out players who aren’t pulling their weight.

• Ottawa Senators: The Sens fired John Paddock after the team began a mid-season nose-dive. Many people point the finger to Paddock’s inability to rein in loose cannon goaltender Ray Emery for his firing, but the team overall seemed divided and directionless. More aptly, it was Paddock’s inability to gain the respect of the room that led to his dismissal. So far, it seems that Pat Burns, Pat Quinn and Doug McLean are the top candidates to take over from “interim” coach Bryan Murray. Oh, wouldn’t it be ironic if they ended up with Pat Quinn…

• Colorado Avalanche: They fired agreed to part ways with Joel Quenneville after being ousted from the playoffs in the second round, and have since replaced him with former Avs head coach Tony Granato. This is somewhat odd, since Granato was replaced by Quenneville at the end of 2004. Granato holds a solid 72-33-17-11 record in his previous stint with the Avs, and is a good replacement for Quenneville, who just never caught on in the Mile High State.

• Vancouver Canucks: Tired of not making the playoffs? Fire your ASSISTANT coaches! That’s the approach that new Canucks’ GM Mike Gillis took, sending in head coach Alain Vigneault to do the dirty work. Then, Gillis turned around and extended Vigneault, who is widely viewed as the wrong style of coach on an offensively challenged team like Vancouver.

• Atlanta Thrashers: When Don Waddell fired Bob Hartley early in the 2007-08 season, the thought was that he’d replace him temporarily. Well, that stretched out to the end of the season, and another season of not making the playoffs. So, the impoetus now has to be on finding a capable bench boss to turn things around. A prime candidate here would be Joel Quenneville, at least in my opinion. Other possibilities are Brad McCrimmon or maybe Pittsburgh assistant coach Andre Savard.

Having swept the Ottawa Senators in four games then taking care of the New York Rangers in five games, it was only fitting that the Pens took care of the Flyers in five games as well. So far in the 2008 play-offs the Pens record is 12-2. Pretty good if you consider the fact that the Pens were not a great defensive team in the regular season.

Pittsburgh’s defence in the post season is, well, great. Pittsburgh with players like Evgeni Malkin, Marian Hossa, Sidney Crosby, Ryan Malone, Jordan Stall, Petr Sykora, and Sergei Gonchar have the offence to compete with any team in the NHL. The elite scoring players of the Pens are not only scoring goals, coach Michel Therrien also has them playing defense.

Pittsburgh goalie Marc Andre Fleury who was sent down to the minors this season for some conditioning has played outstanding this post season. Ty Conklin who took over for Fleury when he was sent to the minors has yet to see a post season game for the Pens. For the past couple of seasons Fleury had not been consistent in his play. Fleury has chosen the right time to play well it would seem.

This new Pens team seems like the old team in 1991-92 when they had such players as Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Ron Francis, Alex Kovalev, Mark Recchi, and  Alexei Morosov. WIll this current team have what it take to bring home Lord Stanley’s Cup?

Pittsburgh now awaits the winner of the Detroit Red Wings and the Dallas Stars. The WIngs lead the series 3-2. The Stars will try to tie the series at three games a piece tonight.

Whichever team joins the Pens in the final will meet a rested team ready to prove to the NHL that youth is a good thing.

The NHL is most probably excited that one of the teams that they wanted in the final has already made it. The NHL will never admit that it favors one team or the other, but it must be happy that their t.v. revenues will be high as the Pens are a high t.v. rated team with all their stars. Stars or Wings, doesn’t really matter to the NHL as all three of the remaining teams have marketable players.

Pittsburgh has been waiting for a long time to reach the finals again, question is will they profit from the situation? 

When Marian Hossa played for the Ottawa Senators his performance was undoubtedly marginal for a player with his talent. Hossa’s numbers for the Sens in the post season were 51 games played, 13 goals, 21 assists for 34 points. Hossa only played four games in the post season for the Atlanta Thrashers– a team which he was traded to with Gregg de Vries for Dany Heatley– and his totals were 1 assist for one point.

While in Ottawa Hossa played with Martin Havlat, and Daniel Alfedsson, which is why people were wondering why his totals weren’t higher. When Hossa was playing for the Sens, they really didn’t have more scoring than that line, so it was easy for a team to shut down the Sens.

While in Atlanta, Hossa played with Marc Savard, and Ilya Kovalchuk. To Hossa’s defence he only played in 4 games for the Thrashers in the post season, but he only managed to total 1 assist, which some fans were saying that if Hossa would have scored more, perhaps the Thrashers would have gone further.

Now that Hossa is in Pittsburgh, he seems to be on a tear, with 8 goals, and 7 assists for 15 points in 12 games, I don’t hear anyone criticizing him this year in the post season. Sure Hossa is playing with Sidney Crosby, and the while fact that Evgeni Malkin is on the team doesn’t hurt either, Hossa is having a great play-off run.

Hossa has played with arguably some of the best players in hockey over the last few years. Kovalchuk, Crosby, Alfredsson, Havlat, and Malkin have all called Hossa a team-mate. All three teams that Hossa has played for, have had the luxury of being able to put talent on his line, why is it that in Pittsburgh Hossa is thriving?  Are Crosby and Malkin more talented than Havlat and Alfredsson? Perhaps more talented than Kovalchuk and Savard. Well Savard is the one with the least amount of talent amongst those other names, but having Alfredsson and Havlat as line-mates isn’t bad at all, and having Kovalchuk as your other winger isn’t bad either, so why is Hossa playing better in Pittsburgh?

Perhaps there are better leaders in Pittsburgh. Maybe the coaching suits Hossa’s style more. But possibly, the fact that Hossa’s line– which includes Crosby– isn’t the only line scoring, so teams aren’t only watching, and defending against Hossa. Let’s face it, in Ottawa Hossa’s line was doing almost all of the scoring, in Atlanta, same thing.

Marian Hossa is making some spectacular passes, and scoring some nice goals in Pittsburgh. Unfortunately given the fact Hossa becomes an unrestricted free agent this July 1, it will be hard for the Pens to keep him. Pittsburgh has to deal with Ryan Malone–if they choose to keep him– and Sidney Crosby starts earning the 8.5 million next season, not to mention the fact that Malkin’s entry contract is up after next season.

Hossa has always been a star in the NHL, now he is trying to be a post season star as well. Hossa who almost ended up playing for the Montreal Canadiens in late February, has been rumoured going everywhere, most notably Boston, or Montreal next season. With these play-offs being great for the Slovak, his asking price just went up from 7-8 million to 8-10 million for his next contract. Someone will give him that amount of money, especially if he keeps producing in the post season.

For now Hossa is silencing all of his critics. It’s good to see someone with all that talent not being criticized be everyone for once. Let’s hope that he keeps producing for the Pens.

I have to admit, it’s pretty cool to read an NHL’er’s take on the post-season; not to mention that you can always find little bits of information you previously didn’t know. For example, Ryan is good friends with Colorado Avalanche defenseman John Michael Liles from their days at Michigan State. That’s an interesting tidbit, especially since Liles is an unrestricted free agent come July 1st. Might the two buddies reunite in Buffalo? The Sabres could sure use an offensive defenseman…

Ryan is also kind enough to answer questions from fans on his blog. Of course, I had to take advantage of the situation, so, I posted a question for Ryan. Here’s what he had to say:

RumorMeThis: Hey Ryan! Great blog. It’s really nice to read your thoughts on the playoffs. Speaking of the playoffs, I would be interested to know what is your all-time favorite moment in the post-season (one that you were part of)?

Ryan: Beating Ottawa in overtime to move on to the Eastern Conference Finals. Just the sudden joy of winning in overtime and being able to really celebrate on the ice with the boys.

As a Toronto Maple Leafs fan and all-around Ottawa Senators hater, I found that answer a little humorous. It’s always fun watching the Senators get hoisted from the playoffs, no matter which team eliminates them. Sorry, Sens fans.

I was actually going to ask him about the rumors of him heading off to the Detroit Red Wings when his contract with the Sabres ends, but, browsing questions posted by other fans, I realized that that was already asked. Suffice to say, Ryan didn’t answer any questions regarding his contract. Can’t blame him, I guess. He’s in a no-win situation if he starts discussing his contract publicly.

Anyway, if you want to post a question for Ryan, head off to Maxim.com and ask away.

In the Western Conference you will see the Dallas Stars against the San Jose Sharks, and the Detroit Red-Wings against the Colorado Avalanche.

Stars, Sharks: Evegeni Nabokov against Marty Turco. Nabokov is the better goalie this year by far, but Turco has played really well, and didn’t play as many games during the regular season as Nabokov, one would have to think that Nabokov will get tired eventually. Nabokov has the edge as long as he doesn’t get tired. The Stars still don’t have Sergei Zubov, which could hurt them in this series. If the Stars hope to defeat the Sharks they will have to do the same thing as they did against the Anaheim Ducks, as the Sharks are also a physical team, however they might be a little bruised after their last series against the Calgary Flames. Technically the Sharks should win, but then again, everyone had the Ducks winning too, as the Stars had a bad end of the season, and look what happened.

Avalanche, Red-Wings: As much as it pains me to say it, with the recent play of the almost extinct Dominik Hasek, Jose Theodore is the better goalie so far, Chris Osgood is a good goalie, unfortunately Theodore has been standing on his head in the play-offs, the edge to starting goalie goes to the Avalanche. Ian Laperriere, he has got a target on his back after smashing Niklas Lidstrom into cloud nine at the end of the season. The scorers for both teams are about even, the defence however goes to the Red-Wings. This series should go to the Red-Wings, but they didn’t impress too many people in their last series, are they too old? The Avalanche have some speed, but will it be enough to win? Colorado could upset.

In the Eastern Conference you will see the Pittsburgh Penguins against the New York Rangers, and the Montreal Canadiens against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Penguins, Rangers: Henrik Lundqvist, enough said. Lundqvist is superior to Ty Conklin, and Marc Andre Fleury, by far. Pittsburgh’s offence is better than the Rangers, but, Jaromir Jagr has come out of his shell, that could hurt the Pens. The Pens are all offence, and didn’t have much trouble sweeping the Ottawa Senators in their last series, but the Rangers are not the Sens. The Rangers have Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, to shut down either the Sidney Crosby line, or the Evgeni Malkin line. But will the Pens be able to defend against the re-appearance of Jagr the great, Brendan Shanahan, Brandon Dubinsky, and Martin Straka? Fleury, or Conklin will have their hands full in this series. The only factor that will not be one is Sean Avery, yes he can score some nice goals, which he just might, but his intimidation antics will not work in Pittsburgh with big George Laraque on the ice, Avery better hope that those two don’t meet, or else Avery can book his hospital room right now. Besides goal-tending which the Blue Shirts hold the advantage, the Pens have more explosive talent up front, question is, will they be able to explode on the Rangers, the Rangers aren’t the Sens. Keep the Pens in their own zone. I believe that the Rangers could win this one, if they are able to slow down the Pens, if not, the Pens take it.

Canadiens, Flyers: Where to start, well to keep it short, Carey Price is better than Martin Biron. The Flyers defence is slow, and Derian Hatcher has seen better days. These two teams were no.1, and no.2 in the regular season on the power-play, with the Habs being no.1. The Habs had a hard time against the Bruins on the p.p., but if they can manage to bring it back now that Saku Koivu is back then they will do well as the Flyers are an undisciplined team. Daniel Briere will be deaf when he leaves the Bell Centre, and may have to work on his confidence as well as the Montreal fans will let him have it big time. Montreal has the edge in coaching staff, and defence, as well as in between the pipes. With Mike Knuble, and Simon Gagne out, for sure the Habs have the edge in offence as well, question is, will Philly be able to contain it for seven games if necessary? Montreal should win this one, as the Flyers only impressed themselves by winning, but you never know, still the Habs should prevail if their power-play clicks, and they play their game, and don’t play the Flyers way, yes the Flyers have Steve Downie, but the Habs have Steve Begin, Tom Kostopoulos, Francis Bouillon, and Maxim Lapierre to a lesser extent. The Habs two best players in Alex Kovalev, and Carey Price, are better than the two best players of the Flyers in Mike Richards, and Daniel Briere. Should be a good one to watch.

Well, if you believe in the hype coming out of Toronto, Burke will be the new general manager of the Maple Leafs next season, of course all this hype is coming straight out of Toronto, and nowhere else. Hey I’m not saying that there is no possibility of Burke ending up in Toronto, but Burke likes to answer to one person, not a board of directors made up of 5-10 people. It could happen though, if Burke’s demands are met, meaning salary, and to have carte blanche, and be the only one to make decisions when it comes to player personnel, he might bite in Toronto. Burke is exactly what the Leafs need, he would get that franchise back in order.

There is still the possibility that he remains in Anaheim, however, the Ducks did lose in the first round this year, if the Anaheim owners decide that what Burke is asking for is too steep a price after getting knocked out so early, and decide to let him go, well let’s hope for them that they find someone else that is as good as Burke, there aren’t too many of those out there.

Then you have the Vancouver factor. The Vancouver Canucks fired Dave Nonis last week, could they be in the running for Burke too? Don’t forget, the only thing that the Canucks needed when they were good while Burke was there was a goalie, with Luongo there now, Burke would start with what he wasn’t able to obtain when he was in Vancouver. The Vancouver fans also loved what Burke was able to bring to the organization, and Burke in turn, loved being the man in Vancouver.

Ottawa could also be a pit stop for Burke. With the recent collapse of the Ottawa Senators, Brian Burke would put that team back in order in a hurry. Burke would only need a no.1 goalie again.

Those four teams are the front runners in the Burke sweepstakes, there are probably more that have yet to make it public. Toronto is willing to give just about anything to get Burke, and it may work. It doesn’t matter where Burke ends up, being a Harvard graduate, having a law degree, having worked for the NHL, and being a general manager, Burke has the experience in many fields, and will bring what ever city is lucky enough to get him, a good team. Of course, I do hope that he stays out west……

The Scoring for the Habs went like this, Chris Higgins, from Saku Koivu, then Tomas Plekanec from Steve Begin, following that was Francis Bouillon, from Josh Gorges, and Sergei Kostitsyn, lastly Chris Higgins from Saku Koivu, and Sergei Kostitsyn. Carey Price made 31 saves in the loss.

The Bruins scoring was Phil Kessel, from Marc Savard, and Shane Hnidy, then Vladimir Sobotka, from Peter Shaefer, and Denis Wideman, next was Milan Lucic, from Arron Ward, and Marc Savard, then Phil Kessel, from Marco Sturm, and David Krejci, and lastly Marco Sturm, from David Krejci, and Zdeno Chara. Tim Thomas made 31 saves for the win.

When Saku Koivu won all his face-offs in the first period, and assisted on Chris Higgin’s goal, it seemed as though the Real Habs were back. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. Andrei Markov continues to struggle, one could see that Bouillon doesn’t have his timing back yet, and the effortless performance of the Habs was appalling. Yes they scored 4 goals, but the checking line had one, or two good shifts all game, and the other lines, well…. When the third period started, the Habs were pinned down in their own zone for a few minutes, result, a goal. The Canadiens are having so much trouble clearing their zone, and keeping it in the Bruins zone.

The Bruins showed once again that they want it more than the Habs do, are the Canadiens even thinking about this series, or perhaps in what hot sunny place they will be playing golf next week! Koivu played well, winning most of his face-offs, and having a couple of assists, not bad for someone who started skating three days ago. Bouillon was fine half way through the second period, but what can you expect from two players coming back from injuries? I think that they at least played well considering.

It was a nail biter all the way, every time the Canadiens scored, the Bruins replied not too long after, there was some good hits from both teams, and the goalies were excellent even with the score. I think that perhaps the Habs should look at themselves in the mirror on Sunday, and decide what they want to do after Monday, play golf, or play hockey. The momentum is squarely with the Bruins, and there is the possibility that Patrice Bergeron comes back for game 7 on Monday, like the Bruins needed more motivation.

Well it’s do or die for the Habs on Monday at the Bell Centre, the Canadiens have home ice advantage through-out the Eastern Conference play-offs, meaning all game seven’s well be at the Bell Centre, but if they don’t screw their heads on right, Tuesday will be clean out your lockers day, and Wednesday the team will be dissected by every media source there is, and let’s not forget the fans. There is no reason for a game 7 against the Bruins, yes, yes, the play-offs is another story, but the Habs should have been done with this series on Thursday, now they face elimination as well. Where is the no.1 team in the East? Well they had better show up on Monday, or they will replace the Ottawa Senators on the front page of all hockey magazines this month.

First of all, what happened? The Sens were running away with the Eastern Conference after 20 games, and played decent until the all-star break, how did they come apart?

Well, it could be the fact that Ray Emery who was supposed to be the next big thing in Ottawa, had many problems this season. Starting with the constant practice brawls with fellow team-mates, which I’m sure made Emery some enemies amongst the team, and management. Then there was a few incidences where Emery got to practice late a few times and was told to go home. His excuse for being late was the fact that he pays $1000.00 a week to a private security firm which supplies a live-in and wakes emery up, along with making sure he gets the right meals, was out of town on those couple of occasions. What? Is he serious? How old is Emery, 5 years old? Get your head out of your butt buddy. Emery is supposed to be a professional, maybe he should start acting like one! And those are just a few things wrong with Emery as he pertains to the Sens.

Next you have the Wade Redden problem, last season he was asked if he wouldn’t mind lifting his no trade clause, to which he replied, yes he would mind, and since then he hasn’t played that well. Again this year he was asked if he would waive his no trade clause, to which he again replied no. Wade Redden is no doubt since last year, feeling under-appreciated, and imagine now, after being asked twice in two seasons to waive his clause. Well the Sens don’t have to worry about him this year as he becomes an unrestricted free agent, and will most certainly seek employment somewhere else. Will he get what he wants in terms of salary, not if he asks for too much, as his play has diminished over the years, and I’m sure he will ask for another no trade clause, to which I would respond a resounding no!

The Martin Gerber issue is a small one but it’s still adds up. Gerber was thinking that he would be the no.1 goalie until Emery was signed to a big contract, and felt like he was used, then he was asked during the season after the repeated Emery issues, to take over as no.1, he did what he could and played well enough to get a sinking team to the play-offs, unfortunately, he ran into Sidney Crosby, and company. Not to mention the fact that at the trade deadline, Gerber and Emery were being sent everywhere but never left, great for the confidence that one.

Anton Volchenkov didn’t play as well as he did last year, it’s o.k. though, I wouldn’t panic yet about him, he is still young and will probably bounce back next season.

Andrej Meszaros could have played better also, but the same applies to him as he is still young enough to rebound.

Luke Richardson was too slow this year, his best days are behind him, far behind, he can’t keep up to a lot of the fast players in the new NHL, hopefully the Sens will not take him back next year.

Mike Fisher was constantly injured, so was Daniel Alfredsson, that didn’t help.

The trade deadline acquisitions of Mike Commodore, and Martin Lapointe didn’t exactly pay off either, Cory Stillman was o.k. for them, but not as good as the Sens expected him to be.

Then you have Jason Spezza, and Dany Heatley. Spezza had 92 points for the Sens, 34 of those being goals, but he slowed down at the end of the season, and was invisible in the post season this year. In Heatley’s case, he had 82 points, 41 of which were goals, same thing in his case though, and he was also invisible in the post season.

Daniel Alfredsson, was injured a few times, and didn’t play much in the play-offs. But he did his share of putting points on the board as well with 89, 40 of which were goals.

More than anything besides hiring a new coach, the Sens management has to really look at their team and see what in the world happened, two 40 goal scorers, and a 35 goal scorer minus 1, wow, what happened in deed.

Look for Ray Emery to probably be bought out of his contract, as far as Lapointe goes, I wouldn’t re-sign him. Cory Stillman I would keep however as he is a good player, and has a cannon shot. Commodore I wouldn’t resign either. So to start I would be looking for a goalie, as I don’t think Gerber is the answer, a couple of defenseman to make up for the loss of Commodore and Richardson, and some more gritty, but fast puck movers to play with Shean Donovan, Fisher will have to be looked at also, as he is the type of player every team wants, but is often injured.

Yes Ottawa fans, there is a big problem with your team, maybe a few, take the fact that your team has one of the best drafting personnel in the NHL and sleep better, and that the problems should mostly be gone by the start of next season. However, Bryan Murray will have to ponder what it will take to make his team better, perhaps trading Spezza, or Heatley as a team would have to pay a steep price for one of those players as they are both signed for a while.

Lot’s of sleepless nights are ahead for Murray as he tries to keep his job, and make the Sens what they should be. Good luck, but it shouldn’t take long if the right decisions are made, it took the Montreal Canadiens 15 years to recover from the Patrick Roy trade, and Bob Gainey took his time and did it right, in five years, sure the Habs still need some things but is this an example to follow perhaps?

Stamford, CONN. (April 8, 2008)—VERSUS, the exclusive cable television home of the NHL, will televise wall-to-wall Stanley Cup Playoffs action starting April 9 with the Conference Quarterfinals as the Ottawa Senators begin their series against the Pittsburgh Penguins at 7 p.m. ET followed by Game 1 of the series between the Calgary Flames and the San Jose Sharks at 10 p.m. ET. VERSUS will kick-off the night with “Hockey Central” at 6:30 p.m. ET. The network will air all of the rounds leading up to and including the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final. Each night during the playoffs, VERSUS will televise one or two playoff games as well as the studio wrap-up show, “Hockey Central.”

Now in its third year televising the NHL, VERSUS has seen a substantial increase in total viewership and ratings for the 2007/08 regular season compared to the 2006/07 campaign. At the conclusion of this year’s regular season, national household ratings were up 50 percent (.3 vs. .2), total viewership showed an increase of 28 percent (272,417 vs. 212,366), household impressions were up 20 percent (192,675 vs. 160,134) and viewership for Men 25-54 was up 45 percent (99,753 vs. 69,018).

In the Conference Quarterfinals, which begin on April 9, VERSUS’ coverage is non-exclusive and subject to local blackouts. In the Conference Semifinals, which are scheduled to begin April 23, VERSUS has two exclusive games per series. During the Conference Finals, which are scheduled to begin on May 8, the network will have exclusive coverage of both series. The total number of playoff games will vary depending upon the length of each individual series. VERSUS’ Stanley Cup Playoffs coverage will culminate with the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final, currently scheduled for May 27 and 29. All VERSUS-produced games in each series will be produced in hi-definition. VERSUS will, when feasible, simulcast games from Canadian networks to give viewers the unique perspective of other networks’ coverage.

“As the exclusive cable television home of the NHL, it is our goal to super-serve hockey fans during both the regular season and Stanley Cup Playoffs,” said Gavin Harvey, President of VERSUS. “Our best-in-class production and hours of in-depth coverage, coupled with our tremendous presence online, on demand and on mobile, makes VERSUS the ultimate destination for both the casual and hardcore hockey fan.”

Check out VERSUS’ entire quarterfinal coverage for dates and times.

HOCKEY CENTRAL:

The network’s studio show, “Hockey Central,” is hosted by Bill Patrick with Brian Engblom and Keith Jones and will provide extensive insight and commentary of the games and what’s happening around the Stanley Cup Playoffs each night. VERSUS will also, on occasion, bring players and coaches into the studio to serve as celebrity guest analysts. From April 10 through April 14, Manny Legace, goaltender for the St. Louis Blues, will be the first guest to join the VERSUS studio crew.

Among the regular segments of the studio show are the following:

• Keith Jones’ Odd Man Rush, Keith’s unique look at the plays and players who have put themselves in the spotlight, whether for good or bad
• Brian Engblom’s Reality Check, Brian’s personal opinion on NHL issues
• Highlights from games not airing on VERSUS, as well as Plays of the Week
• Parting Shots; where Engblom and Jones debate bullet point debate topics in rapid fire fashion
• Live-Look-Ins wherever possible, bringing viewers live action from games being played concurrently during VERSUS’ telecast
• Features on NHL players away from the ice
• Historical recaps which spotlight the defining and greatest moments in NHL Stanley Cup history

VERSUS-on-Demand:

Each night VERSUS features a playoff match-up, the network will deliver a condensed highlight version of the game that will be distributed via the network’s VOD platform. These will be available the morning after game play, so that hockey fans who may not have seen the previous night’s game won’t miss out on any of the playoff action.

WEB AND MOBILE:

Throughout the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs, VERSUS.com will continue to provide extensive information about the NHL, including editorial coverage from some of the most knowledgeable hockey sources. The network also launched the playoffs specific microsite (www.versus.com/stanleycup), which features a video library of the defining moments from last year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs as well as the best moments in Stanley Cup Playoffs history. The network’s website will ramp up daily coverage to include game Podcasts and highlights from all of VERSUS’ games as well as daily insider video featuring VERSUS’ NHL talent on the network’s broadband channel “The Player.” Each night after the studio show, VERSUS’ talent will film web-exclusive content that will give the inside scoop on what has happened to-date in the playoffs, as well as their predictions for the future games in the series. The website will also feature a fan zone area where viewers can submit their ultimate NHL moment and photos of a game they attended for a chance to win great playoff prizes.

The network will run media rich banner advertisements on national sports and endemic hockey websites which will, when clicked on, feature expanding video of the previous night’s game highlights. In addition to the media rich banners, VERSUS will also place flash banners on these national sports and endemic hockey sites which will allow viewers to enter their mobile telephone number to receive real-time game alerts throughout the playoffs including when games are about to go in to sudden-death overtime.

VERSUS celebrates real competition in all its forms across all platforms (VERSUS.com, VERSUS on Demand and VERSUS HD). Now in more than 74 million homes, the network is the national cable home of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Stanley Cup Playoffs as well as best-in-class events such as The Tour de France, Davis Cup Tennis, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) and Professional Boxing. The network also offers collegiate sports featuring nationally-ranked teams from top conferences such as the Pac-10, Big 12 and Mountain West. VERSUS features the best field sports programming on television and is a destination for sports fans, athletes and sportsmen to find exclusive, competitive events that audiences can’t find elsewhere. VERSUS, a wholly owned company of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.

Matt D’Agostini stands 6 foot tall and weighs 201 pounds, he has 20 goals, and 27 assists for 47 points in 70 games this season, he also has a meager 32 minutes in penalties for the Hamilton Bulldogs. He usually plays more of a skilled game.

Gregory Stewart stands 6 foot 2 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds, he has 10 goals and 6 assists for 16 points in 69 games this season, he also has 137 minutes in p