Around the league (signings, RFAs injuries)

[BurningBeard]

You really think Mark wants yo coach? Would be funny him having MacT and Lowe as his bosses. Maybe he will become special assistant to the prez.

I have no idea, but he did say Sather approached him to coach the Rangers. He also coached Canada in the Spengler Cup. I believe he currently has an advisory role with the Oilers. It was Bob McKenzie who I heard say there are "rumors floating around" about Messier moving into the coaching position.

Seems like it's a good fit to me. After all, Messier is the finest leader the game has ever known.

[Zamboni Driver]

I think the NHL and PA did the right thing on this one with respect to the cap. As much as I love seeing a rival suffer it is the correct approach in not having it count against the cap. As in all precedents the NHL sets they won't feel bound by it. They will simply say it's different the next time something happens. They are not accountable outside the PA.

All in all, no more story here. It has been handled the best way possible and kudos to the NHL for being pro active.

Yeah, another one of Bettman's favorite teams (read - major market) gets a break.
NJ gets their Kovalckuk penalty reduced.
Philly gets the LTIR relief for Pronger even after he moves into a new job.
Tampa still gets the fiction that Ohlund is an active but injured player, instead of retired.
But Vancouver gets slammed with the "Roberto Luongo rule" as punishment for structuring contracts the way the CBA allowed.

Call me a cynic, but I'm betting that if Voynov played for Vancouver there'd be no Cap relief.

[Hockey Widow]

^^^
Ohlund benefits, he collects his full salary. When it's time for Luongo to retire his salary may not worth his time collecting. But I hear Ya. Hard not to be cynical with the NHL, or any other pro sports league. It's all about more money, for everyone.

I wonder who wil, get hurt for Boston so they can make a trade?

We'll take Lucic for Kassian to help them out although we don't have the cap to do that move.

[ukcanuck]

^^^
Ohlund benefits, he collects his full salary. When it's time for Luongo to retire his salary may not worth his time collecting. But I hear Ya. Hard not to be cynical with the NHL, or any other pro sports league. It's all about more money, for everyone.

I wonder who wil, get hurt for Boston so they can make a trade?

We'll take Lucic for Kassian to help them out although we don't have the cap to do that move.

I think I'd rather keep kassian than take the headache lucic would bring. Especially if it means dumping salary to make it work.

[Chef Boi RD]

I hope Craig McTavish reveals his hand lets the world know who he will be drafting - McDavid or Eichel and how good he feels about having his much well deserved 4th first overall draft pick in the last 6 drafts, the other 2 a third and a seventh and how lucky he must feel that the league has yet to penalize teams for tanking and does he think another one dimensional 18 year old skilled forward in the line up next season is what this team needs to finally beat the men around the league and goaltending, defence, veterans and forwards who know how to play the 200 foot game is overrated

[dbr]

Finally, Kevin Lowe's jersey will be retired. There was allegedly some debate about this, but one they played the clip about Lowe knowing a thing or two about winning, that sealed the deal.

It already was. I wonder if they'll re-retire it when Taylor Hall walks as an unrestricted free agent?

[donlever]

So do the rumours involving Eberle suggest that he is the pouting malcontent in the dressing room?

Or is he just one of several?

Rumblings out there have the Oil coveting Milan Lucic in return for whomever they are willing to deal out of their crop of young forwards.

Does the Yugoslav - Canadian wunderkind also play D or goal?

[herb]

Rumblings out there have the Oil coveting Milan Lucic in return for whomever they are willing to deal out of their crop of young forwards.

Of course they do.

An undisciplined, party boy, power forward who's UFA in a year is really what Hall, RNH, Yak & Co. need right now.

[Meds]

Rumblings out there have the Oil coveting Milan Lucic in return for whomever they are willing to deal out of their crop of young forwards.

Of course they do.

An undisciplined, party boy, power forward who's UFA in a year is really what Hall, RNH, Yak & Co. need right now.

And we all know that Lucic would happily waive his NTC to go to Edmonton!

[Hockey Widow]

A culture change is required, but does firing coach and gm do that? Not if the team is fundamentally flawed. Tough decisions for Oil brass.
10:31 AM - 4 Dec 2014
Darren Dreger


Pot calling the kettle black, or is it a man living in a glass house throwing stones?

[Hockey Widow]

Lucic has a modified NTC, at 6m per
Marchand has a modified NTC, at 4.5 per
Eriksson no longer has a NTC as he was traded to the Bruins prior to his NTC kicking in, at 4.25 per.

I could see the Bruins trading Macrhand and possibly Eriksson to make room for an Eberle type. But the on
Y me that they could freely move would be Eriksson. Not what Edmonton needs. This they need a third team involved if they want to clear cap.

[Meds]

^^^
Ohlund benefits, he collects his full salary. When it's time for Luongo to retire his salary may not worth his time collecting. But I hear Ya. Hard not to be cynical with the NHL, or any other pro sports league. It's all about more money, for everyone.

I wonder who wil, get hurt for Boston so they can make a trade?

We'll take Lucic for Kassian to help them out although we don't have the cap to do that move.

I think I'd rather keep kassian than take the headache lucic would bring. Especially if it means dumping salary to make it work.

I would rather just wait another year and hope that Lucic wants to come home to Vancouver as an UFA and play for Benning again.

We will have almost $16M worth of salary entering free agency at that point. Vrbata will be done and just turned 35. Juice and Hamhuis will be UFA and will be 35 and 33, respectively. If the team is competitive, I can see Bieksa taking another home-town discount.....he wants to be in Vancouver. For both him and Hamhuis I could see them signing 1 or 2 year deals here if they feel the team is close and haven't won a Cup yet.

So depending upon what decisions Benning makes regarding several players, maybe we have room to make a decent offer to the Looch.

Sedin - Sedin - ______
Lucic - Horvat - Shinkaruk?
Kassian - Matthias - Virtanen
Burrows - Cassells - Hansen

Yeah.....that would be DEADLY (depending who fit in with the Sedins).

[donlever]

Well, at least we now know Craig is "pissed off" and he is "evaluating" the situation.

Whew!

That takes a load off.

[Topper]

All this Oiler talk has me thinking.

What do I give a shit about a fan paying off three wrecked chipped out turbo F350's with 8" lifts, 37" tires, sled decks and a turbo charged Polaris 800.

[Hockey Widow]

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/crai ... onference/

Part of the presser.

MacT says he believes, visually, they have a better team and challenges anyone to say different, visually.

Believes in the core.

Sees players taking accountability and that's positive growth.

Believes in the plan, internal development and growth and will continue on that plan.

Hard to make trades and any trade would be lateral and bring back the same type of player, one that has to develop and grow.

He is pissed off and understands the fans are frustrated but they will stick to their plan.

Gotta wonder why he had a presser.