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.

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

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

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

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

Laraque accepted to sign a three years contract with the Habs that is going to bring 1.5millions a year. Other teams were interested in Laraque services, but he prefered to play for his own city and come back to montreal. Montrealers are very happy about this and Laraque is certainly a great addition and I’m sure he is going to do a very good job crashing the net during the powerplay.

Later on the Canadiens signed offensive defense man Alex Henry to a one year contract. No word yet if he is going to be part of the Canadiens plan long term, but Henry is probably going to play in Hamilton next season.

The Canadiens then signed ex-Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Marc Denis to a one year contract too. The signing of Denis leaves many options for the Habs. Marc could either go play in Hamilton with Cedrick Dejardins, which by the way just signed a two year contract with the Canadiens earlier today. or he could play on the Canadiens team as early as next year behind Carey Price, and that would give the opportunity for the Habs to trade someone like Jaroslav Halak. Why? Well because since Carey Price is set to become the number one goalie in Montreal for many years to come and since Halak has enough potential to take over a number one spot in many NHL cities, adding Halak to a blockbuster deal could bring a superstar player to Montreal.

Keep up the good work Gainey. All you need to do next is convince Mats Sundin to play in Montreal and that would definitely give you a star in the hall of fame.

Boyle does not intend on playing anywhere but in Tampa Bay next season and that is very unfortunate for the Lightning, because from what I am hearing, the offers are very, but very interesting and really deserve consideration. Thanks to the no-trade clause he signed earlier this year, he had full rights to reject the Lightning’s demand.

It is a weird move coming from the Lightning since they just signed him not too long ago to a 6 years/40millions contract, but from all the thing’s I have seen so far from the new owners, it seems like owning an NHL concession has just turned into a mascarade.

Now the bad news for Boyle is that there is no clause that prevents the Lightning to send him back to the minors and if I was Boyle, in that case, I’s rather get the hell out of somewhere I am not wanted.

To be honest with you I consider Ryan Malone a good forward, while he may not enter in the elite category of the NHL he can still raise some eyebrows.

But don’t you think 7 million dollars a season is just too much for a guy that has not yet produced over 70 points?

In my opinion I believe Tampa bay will either sink or swim during the next season.

Either way it should be fun for everyone to see Steven Stamkos play along with Vinny Lecavalier, Ryan Malone, Dan Boyle and Martin St. Louis.

Rumours are that the Tampa Bay Lightning are a little worried. First they are worried that Vinny might not sign a long term deal when he becomes an un-restricted free agent after the 2008-09 season. Secondly they are worried about Vinny making a full recovery after his shoulder operation.

There are also rumours that Montreal Canadiens General Manager Bob Gainey is up to something. What it is however remains a mystery. However, with the Habs only signing Maxim Lapierre so far and having only started discussions with Andrei Kostitsyn and no one else at this point so close to the draft, well, one could presume that something is happening.

These rumours about Vinny, are hopeful speculation at best. Even though Lecavalier stated to a newspaper earlier this month that he likes they way the Habs play, Lecavalier has also said that he would “possibly” like to stay with Tampa.

Some are saying that if a deal was to happen between the Habs and the Lightning, it would include Chris Higgins and possibly Jaroslav Halak, to go along with a pick.

But these rumours are un-confirmed at this point.

If Tampa doesn’t think that they can sign him, then why not trade him to a team which would give them so much in return? These rumours are un-confirmed, but not ridiculous at this point.

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.

Jay Feaster said that it was a very hard decision to take, seeing the good things John has done for the team, including winning the cup for them in 2004, but he says that the decision had to be taken and that signing an expansion to his contract wasn’t an option for them. For Feaster, it was one step further to a better future for the team. Feaster added that Tortorella changed the Lightning’s organization and that what he accomplished in Tampa is simply remarkable.

Players like Andre Roy weren’t surprised when they heard the news. According to him, many players weren’t getting along anymore with Tortorella and were sick of hearing the same speeches from him over and over again.

Now that this has been confirmed, is Barry Melrose going to take over behind the Lightning’s bench?

Where is John Tortorella going to coach next? Does he even intend on coaching again anyways?

John Tortorella won the Stanley Cup in 2004 with the Lightning and is 239-222-36-38 in seven seasons with them.

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

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

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

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

Many newspapers columnists have been writing and claiming that the hiring of Melrose, which apparently involves a two years/two millions contract, should be announced in the following days or week. Melrose commented the rumor to the Toronto Star by making the following clear: nothing has changed for him in the past ten years, he’s been approached by NHL teams every year since he joined ESPN, he does want to coach again in the NHL, but he loves his job at ESPN.

So if he’s not coaching the Lightning next season, who is? And where is Tortorella going to end up? Jobless? I could very well picture a guy like Tortorella, tough as he is, coaching a team like the Senators…

One thing is certain in all of this, Tortorella is said to not being appreciated by the players and the Lightning’s new owner, and another is said to be true, new owner Oren Koules is looking for someone to replace John Tortorella. But not just anyone. Someone that could be able to sell hockey very well in a place like Florida. If, and that’s a big if, the rumor happens to be true and kept secret, it should be announced to the public once and for all as soon as the sale of the Lightning is approved, which is set to happen on June 18th.

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

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

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

The Montreal Canadiens are heading into draft day so far without signing any of their RFA’s or UFA’s. With the top priority for the Habs being the Mark Streit situation, there has been no news since the end of the Habs post season campaign. One has to think that Gainey is up to something.

Mats Sundin–who the Canadiens tried to acquire at the trade deadline–has yet to make up his mind about his future, or has he?
David Shoalts of The Globe and Mail wrote an article called “Sundin Coy About Future”. In this article Mats Sundin was asked if he was going to retire or return to the Maple Leafs, Sundin replied,

“I do think I have a lot of different options I can explore. I think I still want to end my career as a Toronto Maple Leaf. Saying that though, the way the situation is right now, I don’t have everything in my control either.”

Sundin went on to say,

“There’s got to be a mutual agreement there. And as I said, I don’t have anything I can say about what’s going to happen next year yet. I don’t know. Obviously what’s going to happen in Toronto is very interesting, and it’s going to affect my decision in the future.”

When Sundin was asked when he thought his decision would be made, Sundin had this to say,

“In the next month or so, I guess.”

Wow. For someone who said in late February that he wanted to stay in Toronto he sure changed his mind quick.

If Sundin becomes a UFA come July 1, Montreal will surely knock on his door again. Sundin made $5.5 million last season and if one reads between the lines he will want more to play next year. Will the Habs clear some space to accommodate him? I believe so.

With Bob Gainey studying what’s happening around the league right now, is he also planning something? Gainey has a plethora of young players to sign and his pick in this year’s draft to go along with a potentially un-happy goalie in Jaroslav Halak to deal with. Will Gainey make something happen at the draft and worry about signing players after the draft to see what he has left?

There are rampant reports in Montreal that the Tampa Bay Lightning could be preparing a trade including Vincent Lecavalier and Evgeni Artyukhin. Could Gainey be secretly in on this deal? With the sale of the Bolts being imminent, I find it hard to believe that the new owners wouldn’t want Lecavalier’s star power on the team but they could also want to start their own team with Steve Stamkos expected to be their pick in this year’s draft.

Then there is the Marian Hossa sweepstakes which will commence on July 1, 2008. Hossa will be the most sough after UFA this summer. With most likely almost all the 30 teams in the NHL already talking to his agent, Hossa will have exactly what he wants. Gainey also went after Hossa at the trade deadline. Will he attempt to sign Sundin and Hossa? Is Gainey preparing something at the draft to enable him to do so?

The goalie situation is also interesting. With Carey Price being the franchise goalie it and the Habs needing an experienced goalie to help Price develop and provide some relief duties, will Gainey go after disgusted goalie Olaf Kolzig? Kolzig was basically replaced buy Christobal Huet when the Canadiens traded him there at the deadline. Kolzig has said that he will not be returning to the Washington Capitals.

TSN wrote an article on Kolzig, when asked about his feelings on how the turn of event affected him Kolzig replied,

“For me it was disappointing the way it ended. It’s unfortunate because they have a good team here now. It’s a fantastic team, fantastic group of guys. Not to be part of that is going to be tough, especially after 17 years and three years of what we went through post lock out.”

When Kolzig was asked about his future he had this to say,

“I haven’t completely made up my mind. For me it’s all about my family. The situation has to be good for my family. I still feel that I can be a dominant goalie in this league. If the offer is not out there…. I’ll just sit by the pool with a six-pack.”

It is too quiet in Montreal right now. Nothing is going on. Some are speculating that there is something going on. Gainey could be setting the table to do something at the draft to either set his team up to sign a couple of UFA’s (Sundin, Hossa) or acquire a player to entice one or both of those players to come to Montreal. Gainey has to make his team better than last year as all NHL eyes will be on the Habs considering all the celebrations planned for this year.

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.

Since the lock-out season in 2004-05, the cap has steadily continued to increase. From three years ago until now the NHL has increased it’s cap, with three years left in the CBA, it isn’t ludacris to suggest that by the end of the current CBA the NHL will have a salary cap of over 70 million at the current rate of inflation.

It’s a good thing that the cap continues to climb, sure the fans are paying more for their tickets, but it also means that even if ticket prices have soared the fans are willing to pay, which in turn means more revenue for the NHL, and teams.

Unfortunately for the NHL when the current CBA ends, if the cap is 70 million or over, teams like the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, and maybe a few others will be able to maintain a competitive team, however there might be another debate as to small market teams like the Edmonton Oilers, and Calgary Flames–to name only two– and if they will be able to survive with the cap and floor being so high.

This could result in the public and players as well as the owners losing one year of hockey and revenues as well as salaries for nothing, Eventually you might have teams being able to support two three or four players making over 8 million a season. That doesn’t mean that a certain team will be the best. Look at the Tampa Bay Lightning, until the trade deadline Tampa had Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards, and Martin St-Louis, and they did poorly even though those players had a good year.

I presume that for now all the fans can do is go with the flow, and challenge their respective teams to use the accending cap to acquire better players or keep the good players that they already have. However if the world of hockey is subject to another lock-out in three years I don’t think that the fans will be so quick to come back to the sport.

For now let’s all enjoy the fact that there is hockey, and make our teams use the money that is available to them and acquire some more players, let’s enjoy it while we can.

This year’s Rookie Draft features only one “Can’t Miss” prospect….Steve Stamkos, a scoring dynamo whose potential appears to be just slightly below that of current Hockey Gods Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin. Unless the Universe completely implodes before June 20, it seems to be as certain as Death and Taxes that Stamkos will end up with the Tampa Bay Lightning, who hold the #1 pick.

Trying to ascertain where the rest of the field of prospects might be drafted has produced a great deal of heated debate, especially among Islander fans. There is a huge contingent who declares that obtaining a player with offensive skills should be the highest priority. There is an equally large group who is of the opinion that the Islanders should take the best player available, regardless of the position he plays.

Where Ms. Luck was exceptionally cruel was in how she chose to let the season play out. Up until the last day of the season, the Isles had an opportunity to move up another spot to the #4 position, which would have narrowed the speculation and increased their chances to pick the player that they want, whomever he may be. However, even though their 79 points tied St. Louis for the season, it was the Blues who won the tiebreaker. A few losses here and there coupled with a little bit more success on the part of St. Louis and the Draft landscape might be looking remarkably different.

Alas, it was not to be. GM Garth Snow is now charged with the Herculean task to determine which of the remaining available skaters might alter his team’s fortunes for the better. Though there are excellent players beyond just Stamkos, they all come with question marks regarding their individual games. Should Snow select poorly, his decision could have ramifications for years to come.

Lady Luck….Baby….I promise to do the dishes, clean the bathroom and cuddle with more frequency. Fine…we won’t have Arby’s more than once a week. I’ll do anything you want.

Just don’t reject my advances again.

With all the projected restricted free agents, and un-restricted free agents to hit the market come July 1, teams will once again have a bidding war for certain players, and salaries will rise up again. Take Marian Hossa for example, he will reportedly be asking for something between 7 and 9 million dollars, Mats Sundin will most likely ask for 6 million if he plays for another team, Brian Campbell will ask for between 6 and 8 million, are theses guys crazy. Oh, and don’t forget that Evgeni Malkin’s contract is up at the end of next season, anyone care to suggest how much he will ask for?

The only thing that changed was the fact that players salaries can’t exceed 48 per cent of revenues, but nothing is stopping the owners from paying a player 20 million a season, sure they wouldn’t have much of a team after that, but the possibility still remains. Look at what happened to the Tampa Bay Lightning, they were a really good team, until they were basically paying three players almost 30 million, and couldn’t afford a great goalie because of that, this season Tampa will be lucky to not finish last.

So the fans lost hockey for a year for nothing, and players lost their salaries, and owners lost revenues for nothing. Fine, there’s a cap floor, and a salary cap, big deal! Owners are the first one’s to complain about player salaries, they are also the first one’s to offer them, the NHL should adopt a policy which puts a limit on how much a player can make, and how long they can be signed for, 15 years, 10 years, that is too long, and players will never refuse offers like that.

The salary cap is expected to go up again this year, giving owners a little bit more room to try and compile a team together. And also allowing owners to offer more people on their respective teams higher salaries. It’s ridiculous. Sure players should be compensated for what they accomplish, but their is a limit, no-one is worth all the money they are getting, I know Alex Ovechkin is the best player this year, and yes if I was an owner, I would most likely give him alot, but I’m not, and as a fan saying that tickets are already almost over-priced for most people, giving players too much money will only result in fans not being able to go see the games, it might make your team better, but no-body will be able to afford going to watch them.

I love hockey, and there is alot of skill and talent out there that I enjoy watching, but I don’t think anyone is worth 10-15 million dollars, I don’t care what your name is! Hockey is a great sport, the lock-out gave owners a limit of what they could spend on their team, but not how much one player could make, and with Sidney Crosby set to make 8.5 million starting next season, Malkin will probably ask for more than that, there are a few free agents for the Pittsburgh Penguins come July 1, will they become the next Lightning?

Hockey is heading back to what it was before, by the time the CBA runs out, the cap will probably be over 60 million, which a few teams were able to manage, and we will all say that hockey is the same as it ever was.

Perhaps that’s why Flyers GM Paul Holmgren has initiate contract talks with Carter’s agent, Rick Curran, as Chuck Gormley of the Courier Post Online reports. However, a deal isn’t close to being completed.

Carter was almost traded along with a first round draft pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs before the trade deadline in exchange for defenseman Tomas Kaberle. The deal was called off when Kaberle refused to waive his no-trade clause.

Erik Erlendsson of The Tampa Tribune suggests that with the addition of “couple of top-six forwards” (whether acquired via free agency or the entry draft), “at least one more veteran defenseman,” and “a solid backup goaltender” the Tampa bay Lightning would be a much better team.

The Lightning have $33 million already committed to 14 players for next season, leaving them perhaps as much as $23 million to spend under the salary cap. Of course, the club may have a different budget to work with depending on what ownership may impose.

Atlanta Thrashers forward Slava Kozlov tells Craig Custance of The Atlanta Journal Constitution that his team could really use a top defenseman.

“This team needs a foundation, defensively - like a [Zdeno] Chara or [Nicklas] Lidstrom. Good teams, they have one or two very good defensemen who can play 30-35 [minutes per game]. Like [Chris] Pronger on Anaheim - one of those guys. They’re hard to find, but that’s what we need. With our goalie, he can win a game by himself, but we have to help them. We can’t let the other team shoot 40-45 times.”

According to Damien Cox of the Toronto Star, the future of pending UFA forward Mats Sundin with the Toronto Maple Leafs is up in the air.

The team may decide to offer him an $8 million deal over two years, or not even bother to bring him back.

Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun suggests that any team thinking of spending the $3 or $4 million Calgary Flames pending UFA forward Kristian Huselius may ask for this summer, would be better off spending their money elsewhere.

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.

The belief is that Carter will seek a similar deal to the one signed by teammate Mike Richards, who signed a 12-year, $69 million contract extension earlier in the season. Carter and Richards have similar career statistics, and so would be comparables during negotiations.

Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch suggests that the Columbus Blue Jackets may re-sign pending UFA forward Michael Peca because he has a great “dressing room presence” and could help guide Rick Nash through the “early stages” of his captaincy.

Portzline also speculates that the Buffalo Sabres will botch contract negotiations with goaltender Ryan Miller much in the same way they did with forwards Chris Drury and Daniel Briere, and defenseman Brian Campbell.

Miller is set to become a UFA after the 2008-09 season, and word is that he already sees himself playing for the Detroit Red Wings in 2009-10. A native of East Lansing, Michigan, Miller is also good friends with Red Wings goaltending coach Jim Bedard.

Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun suggests that if the Toronto Maple Leafs can’t trade forward Darcy Tucker, they should buy him out.

A buy out would cost the Maple Leafs two-thirds of Tucker’s $6 million contract; the club would be on the hook for a $1 million cap hit per season, over six years.

Garrioch also wonders if teams like the Flyers, Los Angeles Kings and Chicago Blackhawks may put in an offer sheet to Montreal Canadiens pending restricted free agent goalie Jaroslav Halak this summer. Aside for Cristobal Huet of the Washington Capitals, the free agent market appears to be pretty bare, leaving teams looking for an upgrade in net to perhaps try and poach RFAs.

Lastly from Garrioch, he reports that if Boston Bruins struggling forward Glen Murray doesn’t start scoring and help the team earn a playoff spot, he will likely be dealt in the off-season.

Murray’s $4.15 million salary could then be used by the Bruins to try and land Pittsburgh Penguins pending UFA forward Marian Hossa.

Tampa Bay Lightning head coach John Tortorella tells Damian Cristodero of the St. Petersburg Times that 23-year-old defenseman Paul Ranger is an “untouchable” in terms of trades.

“To me, he’s an untouchable because of what he’s going to be.”

“He’s one of the most underrated players in the league,” Tortorella said. “He’s a huge piece of our team as far as transition, as far as his stick, getting us out of our end zone, penalty killing. Ranger is more physical than any of our D. He’s grown.”

However, Commodore tells Chris Stevenson of the Ottawa Sun that before he makes such a decision, he will have to assess if the club’s style of play suits him.

“Before I sign a contract here, I have to see if I can play here,” he said.

“The way it’s been going, I’ll wind up being a minus-300 player for my career.”

Commodore has been struggling since his arrival form the Carolina Hurricanes. He tells Koshan that his awful statistical numbers are a result of his inability to adapt to the club’s system, rather than effort.

“Not through a lack of effort, but for whatever reason, the system change has been a struggle for me. In Carolina it was always get up the ice when you can, make the play and go. Here it is more back off, let the forward do the work.”

Still, Senators head coach and GM Bryan Murray doesn’t appear to be too down on the player he acquired before last month’s trade deadline. Murray says that what Commodore lacks in skill he makes up for with his grit and determined play.

“He does not have a great deal of skill, but he tries hard,” Murray said. “People like that can bring intangibles in the playoffs.”

Meanwhile, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reports that while the Senators haven’t held any contract talks with pending UFA defenseman Wade Redden thus far, it doesn’t necessarily mean the club won’t initiate talks before July 1st.

To stay in Ottawa, Redden would have to take a significant pay cut form his current the $6.5 million salary. Unlikely to happen, Garrioch suggests.

Lastly, Garrioch reports that the Senators will try to re-sign Tampa Bay Lightning pending UFA forward Andre Roy if he hits the open market July 1st.