NHL OFFSEASON - 2011

[ninersdd]

As a Wild fan, I must say I do love the trade they made. Its about time Chuck Fletcher did something to make this team better. Does anyone know if Setoguchi is an enforcer or not really?

No, not even close.

[Jhero34]

Stamkos update from Philly.com

Toronto may go $9M/yr on an offer sheet

maybe this is why they chose the awful cover for NHL 12, they can just swap the shoulder logo to a leafs shoulder and be done with it

[Jhero34]

As a Wild fan, I must say I do love the trade they made. Its about time Chuck Fletcher did something to make this team better. Does anyone know if Setoguchi is an enforcer or not really?

have you ever even seen setoguchi play?

he has a nice scoring touch, will be interesting to see how he plays with koivu instead of a guy like thornton feeding him the puck

[Sport]

Now the dirt about the Carter situation starts to come out. Dude loved to party, and loved the shore. Guess he'll get over it and report to Columbus, but I'd hate to get a guy who is so jacked about being moved.

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/flyers/Carters-agent-Holmgren-lied.html

I don't blame him for being upset. He gave Philadelphia his future at a discounted rate and on more than one occasion Holmgren told him that he wasn't getting traded. Same goes for Mike Richards. As long as Holmgren is GM, the Flyers aren't going to be able to sign anybody in the long-term from now on.

I can't say I would react differently, but I know he's been in contact with Rick Nash and his issues don't stem from where he's going, but from the Flyers putting a bullet in his head. At least, that's what I want to believe. I'm not worried about him not reporting. He's got 5 million reasons to show up. I am worried about his attitude. I don't know if he's mature enough to handle this.

Of course, it could go the other way and this is the kick in the ass that he needs. The Blue Jackets play at Philadelphia on November 5. If it were me, that'd be motivation enough to bust my ass this offseason.

[Don]

As a Wild fan, I must say I do love the trade they made. Its about time Chuck Fletcher did something to make this team better. Does anyone know if Setoguchi is an enforcer or not really?

lulz

[The_Admiral]

As long as Holmgren is GM, the Flyers aren't going to be able to sign anybody in the long-term from now on.

I said this before it all went down and I maintain that I'm right. Isn't Giroux up at the end of this year?

Paul Holmgren looks like your neighbor that used to teach 6th grade social studies, but retired and now spends a pathological amount of time tending to his lawn. Everyone has this guy.

[dfwabel]

I did not see this from last night's draft thoughts or in the Jets thread.

Drastic realignment (by timezone) up next?

[NEW.ERA]

I did not see this from last night's draft thoughts or in the Jets thread.

Drastic realignment (by timezone) up next?

Posted it in the Pointless Realignment thread.

But yeah it may work and it's different that's what I like about it.

[FrankCostanza]

I did not see this from last night's draft thoughts or in the Jets thread.

Drastic realignment (by timezone) up next?

I would like two 8-team divisions for the Eastern Time Zone, two 7-team divisions for the Pacific, Mountain and Central time zones with no conferences. Top four in each division make playoffs with the first two playoff rounds played within division. Have the four division winners seeded 1-4 in the semifinals, 1 plays 4, 2 plays 3 and have the winners meet in the Stanley Cup Finals. That is if Phoenix stays or moves somewhere outside of the Eastern Time Zone, if they move to Quebec then this is no longer an option as we will return to having 17 teams in the Eastern Time Zone.

[Brendan]

As long as Holmgren is GM, the Flyers aren't going to be able to sign anybody in the long-term from now on.

I said this before it all went down and I maintain that I'm right. Isn't Giroux up at the end of this year?

Paul Holmgren looks like your neighbor that used to teach 6th grade social studies, but retired and now spends a pathological amount of time tending to his lawn. Everyone has this guy.

Giroux already signed an extension. JVR might be tricky to lock up.

[BBTV]

As long as Holmgren is GM, the Flyers aren't going to be able to sign anybody in the long-term from now on.

I said this before it all went down and I maintain that I'm right. Isn't Giroux up at the end of this year?

Paul Holmgren looks like your neighbor that used to teach 6th grade social studies, but retired and now spends a pathological amount of time tending to his lawn. Everyone has this guy.

Giroux already signed an extension. JVR might be tricky to lock up.

Players want to play for the Flyers. Players want to play in Philadelphia. Hell - they've already signed up someone long term since this. Yes, if everything that has been said is true, this is shady - and to be honest, it's about the first shady thing that's come out about an otherwise loyal and honest to a fault organ-eye-zation. Carter's agent should've been smart enough to have had the no-trade added on to his current deal or to have the extension re-worked into his current deal somehow, but he and Carter didn't, and they left themselves this gap. Apparently, he's down the shore right now, and not talking to anyone (well, any males.) Media are at his house and waiting at some of the bars, but he's not giving up anything.

[The_Admiral]

The CBA doesn't allow for no-trades to kick in till a certain age, so he couldn't have had one on his current contract anyway. However, no-move clauses (no trades, no assignments, no releases) can apparently be granted at any age, because Toews and Kane have them on their second contracts and they're both younger than Carter. That's what I suspected might change in the next CBA: no-trades granted at any time, and effective immediately, which would close the not-till-July-1st loophole that claimed Carter.

I agree that this is out of character for the Flyers organization. Ed Snider is one of the few owners who you can call a credit to the league. For all the Broad Street Bullies stuff that leads people to characterize the Flyers as hockey's Raiders, they had always run a terrific organization. Of course, this same trajectory can be applied to Al Davis...

[Cujo]

Ryan Smith has been traded back to where it all began. Edmonton sends Colin Fraser and a 7th rounder to the Kings.

[BBTV]

The CBA doesn't allow for no-trades to kick in till a certain age, so he couldn't have had one on his current contract anyway. However, no-move clauses (no trades, no assignments, no releases) can apparently be granted at any age, because Toews and Kane have them on their second contracts and they're both younger than Carter. That's what I suspected might change in the next CBA: no-trades granted at any time, and effective immediately, which would close the not-till-July-1st loophole that claimed Carter.

I agree that this is out of character for the Flyers organization. Ed Snider is one of the few owners who you can call a credit to the league. For all the Broad Street Bullies stuff that leads people to characterize the Flyers as hockey's Raiders, they had always run a terrific organization. Of course, this same trajectory can be applied to Al Davis...

I think he's just pissed, realizes he's getting older, has PhillyLive opening in a year or two, and wants another cup as soon as possible (1. to coincide with the opening and jumpstart the whole venture, and 2. because he just wants one before he dies.) The team does occasionally do "shocking" things (firing Ken Hitchcock after guaranteeing that he'd coach out his contract, then replacing him with John Stevens who along with his former Phantoms players Carter and Richards was supposed to lead them into the new era), but rarely do they dick over a player (other than Lindros, but that's a whole other story.) Snider has given a lot more power to Peter Lukko, who I think handles the day-to-day stuff for the Flyers and Sixers (not that they think about the Sixers for more than 30 seconds per month), but apparently this edict came from him directly. He was not happy with the culture of the team, didn't think that Richards had developed as a leader, and (I am just speculating on this one, but I am sure that it's accurate) felt that Carter was more concerned about partying and going down the shore.

EDIT: off topic, but while doing some quick fact checking about some things, I came across this quote that I vaguely remember from when they essentially fired Roger Neilson because he got cancer:

"The Neilson situation - Roger got cancer - that wasn't our fault. We didn't tell him to go get cancer. It's too bad that he did. We feel sorry for him, but then he went goofy on us."

Then they fired his replacement a month into the next season. Then fired his replacement (Clarke's HOF teammate Bill Barber) a year after he was named coach of the year, and his wife died.

[BBTV]

Went to the Ohio State (I mean Columbus Dispatch) site today. Was shocked at how little coverage there really is for the Blue Jackets. Anyway, on the blog, it mentions that Carter hasn't even spoken with anyone in the Blue Jackets organ-eye-zation since the trade, save for a quick text exchange with Rick Nash. Apparently, they're rounding up the troops to come to Philly and get him.

http://blog.dispatch.com/cbj/2011/06/get_carter.shtml

Multiple sources from around the NHL have confirmed today that a Blue Jackets contingent, led by GM Scott Howson, is traveling to meet with newly-acquired center Jeff Carter today.

One source indicated that majority owner John P. McConnell and captain Rick Nash are with Howson, that they were traveling to Philadelphia. Neither Howson nor Nash immediately responded to text messages from The Dispatch seeking comment.

Another source said that Blue Jackets forward R.J. Umberger plans to meet the contingent and Carter in Philadelphia.

Carter was traded to the Blue Jackets on Thursday. But as of Saturday, Carter had not spoken to any member of the Blue Jackets, including Howson. The only communication was a brief text message exchange with Nash.

His agent, Rick Curran, told The Dispatch this morning that Carter will play with the Blue Jackets. "I don't think it's going to be an issue," Curran said.

[NEW.ERA]

My god Jeff Carter quit being a baby, you make tons of money and play a game. Grow up and report, you haven't been a great player in this league and don't deserve to bitch and moan about going to Columbus also your NMC/NTC doesn't kick until next July.

Deal with it!

[CS85]

Went to the Ohio State (I mean Columbus Dispatch) site today. Was shocked at how little coverage there really is for the Blue Jackets. Anyway, on the blog, it mentions that Carter hasn't even spoken with anyone in the Blue Jackets organ-eye-zation since the trade, save for a quick text exchange with Rick Nash. Apparently, they're rounding up the troops to come to Philly and get him.

Ah, the ol Favre method.

[CS85]

Canucks are now affiliated with the Wolves. Not too sure how to feel about this just yet.

[NEW.ERA]

Well the Flames deal with Abby runs out next year I believe and you know the Canucks will be on them. I don't know why it's such a big deal? The Hawks aren't even affliated with the Wolves can someone tell me why?

[CS85]

Well the Flames deal with Abby runs out next year I believe and you know the Canucks will be on them. I don't know why it's such a big deal? The Hawks aren't even affliated with the Wolves can someone tell me why?

Well SOMEBODY's gotta own the amazing Rockford Icehogs...