NHL 2012-2013 Offseason and On.

[Doogie2K]

Originally Posted by biosc1

I've had some (or listened in on) conversations with very hockey oriented people including an agent and some players who are family friends. Everyone mentions that Kovalchuk is the best 'pure goalscorer' in the league at the moment. Extremely under-rated.

Absolutely. It baffles me that anyone ever thought his lack of playoff performance was a failing on his part. True, he had Marc Savard, Dany Heatley, and Marian Hossa riding shotgun at different points, but two players does not a hockey team make. Just ask Columbus.

[Serapth]

Originally Posted by MalReynolds

they will keep him a year and then trade him... Weber does not want to be in Nashville he came out to media and said so

What would they get out of such a trade that would be greater than a bunch of 1st round picks they would get already?

[Doogie2K]

Originally Posted by Serapth

What would they get out of such a trade that would be greater than a bunch of 1st round picks they would get already?

Don't forget the $27M they'd have paid him by the time he was trade eligible ($13M now, $1M salary, $13M on July 1 next year). It'd be amazingly stupid to trade him with that level of investment, given Nashville's finances, especially in his prime.

[Hyperglide]

Originally Posted by Doogie2K

Don't forget the $27M they'd have paid him by the time he was trade eligible ($13M now, $1M salary, $13M on July 1 next year). It'd be amazingly stupid to trade him with that level of investment, given Nashville's finances, especially in his prime.

They can't trade him for the first year anyways. RFA rules.

I think he gets traded anyways. They can get more for him now that he's in their organization for good then just let him walk for 4 late 1st round picks that won't be worth it.

Plus Philadelphia will have to give more if they want him in their system so bad. I think it's a win for Nashville and a lose for Philly.

[MalReynolds]

Originally Posted by Serapth

What would they get out of such a trade that would be greater than a bunch of 1st round picks they would get already?

because Philly is gonna end up in the top of the east for at least the next 4 season so those picks arent all that great especially in top heavy drafts

[MalReynolds]

The Philadelphia Flyers have locked up one of their own restricted free agents, signing forward Jakub Voracek to a four-year, $17 million contract. Voracek, 22, scored 18 goals and 49 points in 78 games with the Flyers last season.

Hurricanes sign Semin to a one year contract worth $7 million

Ok deal for Flyers but that Semin deal is terrible no matter if its one year or not

[Primus]

Sad to see Semin go, but hey now hell be top line and have a bunch of quality centers to work with.

[Dark Prince]

Would've been nice to see Semin in NJ, but that price is way too high for just one year. I would've went with like 5.5 or 6 tops.

[Doogie2K]

Originally Posted by Hyperglide

They can't trade him for the first year anyways. RFA rules.

I didn't. That's what I meant by "trade eligible."

Originally Posted by Hyperglide

I think he gets traded anyways. They can get more for him now that he's in their organization for good then just let him walk for 4 late 1st round picks that won't be worth it.

Plus Philadelphia will have to give more if they want him in their system so bad. I think it's a win for Nashville and a lose for Philly.

Possibly. Even if it makes sense for Nashville, though, I wonder if they won't look at the sunk cost and decide it's not worth it, having already made such a massive investment in such a short period of time just to keep the guy.

As for Semin: I like the deal for Carolina. I mean, yeah, they got no discount on money whatsoever for a guy coming off his worst year since his rookie year but he could easily bounce back under a more compatible coach, playing in another loaded top-six. More to the point, it's only one year, so they can part ways if it's not working out, and all it's cost them is money. And hey, if he puts up 30 or 35 again while playing alongside the Staals and Skinner, he'll have earned his money.

[Hyperglide]

The pullout line

Semin-Staals

The Sperm bank line

Semin-Staals

[Doogie2K]

Hyperglide: I expect Twitter and the blogs to have a field day with those puns this year. My favourite was still @NHLRulebook's "Staal/Semin/Staal will now be one of the top lines in the NHL, and not just the typical guy's frantic internal monologue in the bedroom."

The Score compared the media comments about Rick Nash and Alex Semin today. Granted, the numbers will naturally flatter Semin a bit because he had better teammates, but it's still interesting to me that it took "ultimate coach killer" Semin four years and 329 games to get rid of Boudreau, yet Nash has never played for the same coach that long (though Hitchcock came close, and was really killed by Steve Mason).

[MalReynolds]

NEW YORK POST: New Jersey Devils owner Jeff Vanderbeek is reportedly $20 million short of his goal of paying off his lenders, with only a week to go. If Vanderbeek fails to meet his goal by August 14, it’s possible he could lose control of the team.

Shitty deal

[Dark Prince]

Originally Posted by MalReynolds

Shitty deal

No kidding. Was wondering when we'd hear any sort of update at all about this. I had thought he had found another investor for the team to let him keep ownership.

I swear if I had 20 million dollars lying around, I certainly would have no problem buying a share in the team to prevent the NHL from taking control.

Hopefully he finds something under his matress.

[Doogie2K]

And that's with all the tens of millions you make in a Finals run?

Holy Christ, how deep underwater was he?

[Dark Prince]

Originally Posted by Doogie2K

And that's with all the tens of millions you make in a Finals run?

Holy Christ, how deep underwater was he?

Last I heard it was around 80 million dollars owed. It's insane the trouble that's happening now.

[Hyperglide]

It would be a sad day to see the Devils leave. I hate them with all my heart but they got a great legacy and had some awesome teams.

New Jersey already lost the Nets they can't lose the Devils.

[Doogie2K]

Originally Posted by Hyperglide

It would be a sad day to see the Devils leave. I hate them with all my heart but they got a great legacy and had some awesome teams.

New Jersey already lost the Nets they can't lose the Devils.

I can't imagine they will. I know they just let the Thrashers move last year, but at the same time, the Thrashers never had a chance to ingrain with the community (bad teams, indifferent ownership) and had zero prospects for ownership despite years of (quiet) efforts. Phoenix, Nashville, and Pittsburgh all had much more public ownership/relocation battles, but always had possibilities. I'd imagine there's someone out in that neck of the woods with a few million to burn who might want a minority stake in a team, for vanity's sake if nothing else.

Plus, there hasn't been a Stanley Cup champion moved or folded since the Depression. If the NHL's willing to go to this long for Phoenix, I don't think they'll let one of the most successful franchises of the last 20 years just up and bugger off.

[Hyperglide]

Originally Posted by Doogie2K

I can't imagine they will. I know they just let the Thrashers move last year, but at the same time, the Thrashers never had a chance to ingrain with the community (bad teams, indifferent ownership) and had zero prospects for ownership despite years of (quiet) efforts. Phoenix, Nashville, and Pittsburgh all had much more public ownership/relocation battles, but always had possibilities. I'd imagine there's someone out in that neck of the woods with a few million to burn who might want a minority stake in a team, for vanity's sake if nothing else.

Plus, there hasn't been a Stanley Cup champion moved or folded since the Depression. If the NHL's willing to go to this long for Phoenix, I don't think they'll let one of the most successful franchises of the last 20 years just up and bugger off.

I know it happened the next year but you could count the Quebec Nordiques as a Stanley cup team that folded and moved. I don't have any doubt that if the Avalanche stayed in Quebec that year in 95 they would've still won the cup.

Also Phoenix is done. They just need to move the team already instead of dumping cash in that money pit. Florida, Columbus and Nashville are also in dire straights.

[Dark Prince]

Originally Posted by Hyperglide

I know it happened the next year but you could count the Quebec Nordiques as a Stanley cup team that folded and moved. I don't have any doubt that if the Avalanche stayed in Quebec that year in 95 they would've still won the cup.

Also Phoenix is done. They just need to move the team already instead of dumping cash in that money pit. Florida, Columbus and Nashville are also in dire straights.

I still don't get why the Florida Panthers even exist. I mean, they have a more successful Tampa Bay Lightening team that has won the cup in the last 8 years. The Panthers have only reached the playoffs once and haven't done anything substantial since 1996 and since their inception and have turned into another Thrashers team.

[biosc1]

Originally Posted by Dark Prince

I still don't get why the Florida Panthers even exist. I mean, they have a more successful Tampa Bay Lightening team that has won the cup in the last 8 years. The Panthers have only reached the playoffs once and haven't done anything substantial since 1996 and since their inception and have turned into another Thrashers team.

For certain 'very rich people', having a business that loses a ton of money is good for your taxes.