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NHL - - Summer 2016

I see the Pens signed some ex-Leaves 1st rounder named Stuart Percy to a FA contract (presumably 2-way at a minimum salary). While I'm sure Laughs Nation is roaring with laughter over this signing, those same idiots were equally excited at acquiring the Identical kind of garbage (Kerby Rychal) on Draft weekend, presumably SOLELY because it was made by Saint Lou and Pope Mike.

The extent to which the League media......which has been Toronto centered for a pretty long time......has already begun to drink the Leaves kool-aid is truly hard to believe. Not saying they don't have a reason (for the first time in a generation) to be enthused, but even I didn't realize how much the hacks actually rooted for them.

Meanwhile, speaking of the Canadian media, it's also interesting how respected Shea Weber was within the game until he was traded for the almighty PK Subban......and today he's little more than an overpaid, broken down old war horse. It'd be funny if Weber gave the Montreal (and Toronto) media the middle finger when he shows up for camp. After all, he doesn't need them......he's already spending the biggest contract in League history.....and THEY'VE spent the first 48 hours of his tenure with the Habs crucifying him publicly.
 
This isn't a new story this morning, but it sounds like the GMJR contract extension could signal the end of Jason Botterill in the Pens front office.

It appears Botterill is in line to talk with Las Vegas when they begin their GM search; and while I myself doubt (not that anyone cares what I think) a brand new franchise is likely to hire a GM with no past experience running an organization, he'd seem to be as good a candidate as any IF Bill Foley doesn't care about that. Of course, JB's profile couldn't be any higher than it is right now.

I obviously don't want the Pens to lose Botterill.......though I admit I don't know exactly why (other than the fact he's their long-time Cap guru).....but I'd be very happy for him if he got this opportunity. My own early bet for the job in Vegas is former 'Yotes GM Don Maloney.
 
I see the Pens signed some ex-Leaves 1st rounder named Stuart Percy to a FA contract (presumably 2-way at a minimum salary). While I'm sure Laughs Nation is roaring with laughter over this signing, those same idiots were equally excited at acquiring the Identical kind of garbage (Kerby Rychal) on Draft weekend, presumably SOLELY because it was made by Saint Lou and Pope Mike.

The extent to which the League media......which has been Toronto centered for a pretty long time......has already begun to drink the Leaves kool-aid is truly hard to believe. Not saying they don't have a reason (for the first time in a generation) to be enthused, but even I didn't realize how much the hacks actually rooted for them.

Meanwhile, speaking of the Canadian media, it's also interesting how respected Shea Weber was within the game until he was traded for the almighty PK Subban......and today he's little more than an overpaid, broken down old war horse. It'd be funny if Weber gave the Montreal (and Toronto) media the middle finger when he shows up for camp. After all, he doesn't need them......he's already spending the biggest contract in League history.....and THEY'VE spent the first 48 hours of his tenure with the Habs crucifying him publicly.
CM...I've been outta the loop somewhat over the last week, as I am actually WAY up in northern Quebec on the Gaspe Peninsula (absolutely beautiful area on the ocean), trying to muddle my way through my relatively speaking limited French lol. Also spent 3 nights on the coast of Nova Scotia and one night in Halifax (one of my fave cities anywhere)...anyway...
In driving through Montreal area the night of and morning after the trade it became almost painfully obvious how much both French and English Quebecers loved Subban...I admit he's a talent and has done well for the community but I tend to look at this deal from what I think is the same angle as you...Weber is an absolute STUD D man! Yes he's a bit older, but his D skills match his O prowess imo, his leadership can't be questioned and he plays the game the right way....
I look at it this way from my perspective....Habs fans, you just traded the borderline number 7-8 Defenseman on Team Canada for an inarguably top 3 on Team Canada!!! And you're all bent outta shape?!?....this deal makes your team INSTANTLY better, and a more complete team.....just my opinion....
 
CM...I've been outta the loop somewhat over the last week, as I am actually WAY up in northern Quebec on the Gaspe Peninsula (absolutely beautiful area on the ocean), trying to muddle my way through my relatively speaking limited French lol. Also spent 3 nights on the coast of Nova Scotia and one night in Halifax (one of my fave cities anywhere)...anyway...
In driving through Montreal area the night of and morning after the trade it became almost painfully obvious how much both French and English Quebecers loved Subban...I admit he's a talent and has done well for the community but I tend to look at this deal from what I think is the same angle as you...Weber is an absolute STUD D man! Yes he's a bit older, but his D skills match his O prowess imo, his leadership can't be questioned and he plays the game the right way....
I look at it this way from my perspective....Habs fans, you just traded the borderline number 7-8 Defenseman on Team Canada for an inarguably top 3 on Team Canada!!! And you're all bent outta shape?!?....this deal makes your team INSTANTLY better, and a more complete team.....just my opinion....

Glad you're back. t, but don't waste too much of your holiday time here......anyway, it was clear to me by the day after the deal that the biggest issue Habs fans had with the deal was simply how much they liked Subban. I knew he was popular in Montreal, but I didn't realize to what extent.. I know Toews is big in Chicago, but I don't think even they'd get this bent out of shape if the Hawks traded him.

Will be interesting to see if PK follows through on that $10 million donation to the local hospital; I assume he won't do it now, but who knows.
 
Perhaps t knows this already, but DK reports today that Sportsnet's John Shannon broke the story yesterday north of the border that Phil Kessel just underwent hand surgery for an injury which occurred in the Rangers series. Josh Yohe (from DK) is saying GMJR claimed the original injury is something PK dealt with all season, and it was aggravated versus the Rangers.

The current thought is that PK will be ready to go for Day 1 of camp. Maybe this partly explains the trouble Kessel had around the net this past season, especially earlier.
 
Pens this morning reportedy have only about $1 million in cap space available to sign both Cullen AND Schultz. While nobody seems to have the foggiest idea how much Schultz will eventually settle for (from anyone).....two weeks ago, I thought he'd sign with someone next season for $2 million, but now THAT looks high..... it seems that Cullen's camp is currently playing the Wild and Pens off one another in search of the biggest possible offer. And I guess you can't blame them.

But I honestly can't imagine the Pens sign him for the same number as last year, which I believe was $800K. Knowing GMJR, he'd probably LIKE to give MC a raise given what he's done for the team. But something tells me Cullen is looking for $1.5 million for his final season, and that probably redefines the term "pipe dream" right now. Besides, I doubt even the Pens would anticipate him to even come close to duplicating in 16/17 what he did last season.
 
Eklund [poop] is "reporting" today.....though I'm not sure that's what he does, exactly.......the Bruins are making what he calls a "big" pitch for Justin Schultz. For all I know, some janitor at TD Garden send a PM to Eklund and said he thought the B's should offer Schultz a one-year deal at League minimum.

With that smart remark out of the way, it's fairly clear they do need D help.....and are just outside the top 1/3 of the League in available cap space. So, they can afford pretty much whatever they need to secure a signed contract if he's really that attractive to them. Not sure why they don't focus a little more on Kris Russell, though I suspect JS is considered a better puck-mover (and probably isn't looking for as much money). But if there's any legitimacy to this idea at all, it tells me they're not ready to turn over the keys to their PP to shrimp Torey Krug; even though they just resigned him for $20 million +.

But as is the case with pretty much everything Eklund serves up, I'll believe it at such time the signing is formally reported.
 
Justin Schultz re-ups with the Pens for 1 year @ $1.4 million. If GMJR actually has the cap space, that's a pretty good deal for a 3rd pairing guy with upside.
 
Does this pretty much assure that Lovejoy is gone?

Lovejoy signed with New Jersey on the first day of free agency; 3 years $8.1 million.

He'll play in their Top 4 from Day 1, and is arguably expected to replace Adam Larsson (who was traded to Edmonton in the Taylor Hall deal). His $2.67 million AAV is well over twice what he was being paid with the Pens ($1.1 million AAV)......and I'm happy he got a nice raise. But even given how well he admittedly played in the playoffs, I might be willing to take my chances with Schultz at roughly half his cap number.

According to this afternoon's Post Gazette.....after subtracting Schultz's $1.4 million, the Pens will supposedly have $1.45 million of cap space after placing Pascal Dupuis on LTIR on the first day of the new season. From what I can tell, that total would have to cover whatever they'll need to re-sign Matt Cullen (and leave space for any emergency call-up).
 
Per a Trib Review story this morning on the Schultz signing, the Pens have apparently already made their best offer to Matt Cullen......which my personal guess reflects a small raise maybe to $1 million.

GMJR is quoted in the piece to have said their offer is not in keeping with what he did last season, but is rather what they consider "available" given their cap space in return for his signature. This would mean the Cullen camp is out there selling him to the highest bidder, which is understandable enough.

I assume the only way the Pens resign him now is if he gets no other guaranteed offer, and is unwilling....and I'm not sure it would be a very good idea given his age.....to sign a tryout contract to make perhaps a few hundred thousand more.
 
Since today is Sid Crosby Day in Cole Harbour with the Cup, I thought it time to put on my weird, old fart stalker hat and ask about somebody in the following video:

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/crosby-visits-cole-harbour-tim-hortons-stanley-cup/

Obviously, that's Trina and Troy standing either side of him around the Cup in San Jose mugging for the post-game photographer, and I'm about 97% sure that's their daughter/his sister wearing the Pens hat. But who's that light brunette standing next to Trina ??

Sid does a pretty fair job keeping his personal life personal, but that particular gal would seem to fit the basic physical profile of someone a guy like him could be dating. If so, I don't know her name or anything about her.....if nothing else, I'd like to know if she's Canadian or from Pittsburgh or elsewhere......but it does beg the question if (at his age) he might finally be kicking around the idea of settling down.

After all, it's kind of hard to imagine he'd invite a comparatively casual date to join him on the ice for a picture like that one. And besides, he's hardly been a Patty Kane-type who continually sets the social (and crime blotter) pages ablaze in the off-season. To be honest, I think taking a wife would actually be fairly beneficial to his public persona. If nothing else, it might help bury (once and for all) that horribly antiquated "Sid the Kid" moniker which so many seem to insist holding onto.

And I hear he's got enough room in his new home in Sewickley (as well as his waterfront getaway in Cole Harbour) to accommodate her......and maybe even a child or two.....at some point.
 
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Since today is Sid Crosby Day in Cole Harbour with the Cup, I thought it time to put on my weird, old fart stalker hat and ask about somebody in the following video:

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/crosby-visits-cole-harbour-tim-hortons-stanley-cup/

Obviously, that's Trina and Troy standing either side of him around the Cup in San Jose mugging for the post-game photographer, and I'm about 97% sure that's their daughter/his sister wearing the Pens hat. But who's that light brunette standing next to Trina ??

Sid does a pretty fair job keeping his personal life personal, but that particular gal would seem to fit the basic physical profile of someone a guy like him could be dating. If so, I don't know her name or anything about her.....if nothing else, I'd like to know if she's Canadian or from Pittsburgh or elsewhere......but it does beg the question if (at his age) he might finally be kicking around the idea of settling down.

After all, it's kind of hard to imagine he'd invite a comparatively casual date to join him on the ice for a picture like that one. And besides, he's hardly been a Patty Kane-type who continually sets the social (and crime blotter) pages ablaze in the off-season. To be honest, I think taking a wife would actually be fairly beneficial to his public persona. If nothing else, it might help bury (once and for all) that horribly antiquated "Sid the Kid" moniker which so many seem to insist holding onto.

And I hear he's got enough room in his new home in Sewickley (as well as his waterfront getaway in Cole Harbour) to accommodate her......and maybe even a child or two.....at some point.
Back on Terra Firma CM after a wonderful trip through eastern Canada and Quebec Gaspe region ...saw 6 moose in about a 2 hour drive through the mountains up there (the 'Chic Chocs' about same elevation as the mountains in WV maybe 4000 ft, and the start or end of the Appalachian chain depending on how you look at it), one BIG bull, 4 cows and one calf...more than I have ever seen in Newfoundland (the supposed highest density on earth), and yes we went through Cole Harbour during our travels just to see the sign indicating it as Sid's home lol...
Yes I believe that is his girlfriend in the video apparently a model who hails from Virginia...her name escapes me right now.

Lots happened it seems while I was on my sojourn lol...I really like the Schultz sign at that number. Upside is there and he performed fairly well when called upon during the run!
 
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Do any of you Pens fans remember this trade ?? I remember who they got in the deal.....and how well the key guy played for them......but before reading this piece for the first time in 15+ years, I couldn't have told you who they traded to get him.

http://a.espncdn.com/nhl/news/2000/0314/424249.html
I had a chuckle at the 'temperamental ' handle given Ole Tommy...I remember him in this fashion early during his career in Buffalo but his last few years in Pittsburgh he seemed a bit standoffish and opinionated...not temperamental IMO anyway ....
 
Jamie Benn re-ups 8 years/$76 million ($9.5 million AAV) with Dallas......certainly a nice deal if you can get it (he's now tied with Geno for 3rd highest AAV in the League) and it's pretty clear he didn't take any kind of hometown discount. Looks like Jim Nill is figuring on Benn and Tyler Seguin (in 3 years) as the League's latest Crosby/Malkin or Toews/Kane two-headed monster.

Can't help but wonder if Stammer is scratching his head today as to why he gave Yzerman such a nice discount on his new deal......especially since Benn isn't paying State tax either.
 
Back on Terra Firma CM after a wonderful trip through eastern Canada and Quebec Gaspe region ...saw 6 moose in about a 2 hour drive through the mountains up there (the 'Chic Chocs' about same elevation as the mountains in WV maybe 4000 ft, and the start or end of the Appalachian chain depending on how you look at it), one BIG bull, 4 cows and one calf...more than I have ever seen in Newfoundland (the supposed highest density on earth), and yes we went through Cole Harbour during our travels just to see the sign indicating it as Sid's home lol...
Yes I believe that is his girlfriend in the video apparently a model who hails from Virginia...her name escapes me right now.

Lots happened it seems while I was on my sojourn lol...I really like the Schultz sign at that number. Upside is there and he performed fairly well when called upon during the run!

I did a little research on the Gaspe Peninsula after reading your post, and that looks like a REALLY cool place to get away from it all. Speaking of seeing mooses :) glad you didn't run into Bullwinkle driving down the road; I understand that's a pretty common occurrence in that area.

Not sure if we were connected with one another at the time, but if not......my son spent a month in Newfoundland three years ago at a summer Opera Program in St. John's at Memorial University, and he just loved it. He'd like to go back again, and he's interested my wife and me to that comparatively remote area of the world as well. If we ever end up there, I'd certainly make the other Maritime provinces part of the trip as well.
 
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I had a chuckle at the 'temperamental ' handle given Ole Tommy...I remember him in this fashion early during his career in Buffalo but his last few years in Pittsburgh he seemed a bit standoffish and opinionated...not temperamental IMO anyway ....

For all practical intents and purposes......and from what I THINK I remember...... Barrasso didn't talk to reporters for the bulk of his career in Pittsburgh. After awhile, I think reporters simply quit trying to interview him; and I don't get the impression he's significantly more open and available to reporters even today.

Speaking of TB, I see he's been coaching in Italy the past 2 seasons after actually spending a couple seasons coaching goal in the KHL, of all places. To be honest, I thought he was still with Carolina......he's now been gone 4 years..... though maybe Ronnie Francis just finally got sick of that shitty attitude he brought to the rink everyday and told him to go away permanently.
 
I see Canadiens players are now slowly (though anonymously) coming out in dispute of all these supposed problems they were said to be having in the room with Subban. I don't know (and honestly don't care a lick) what the truth happens to be; but I admit that still seemed largely to be the main......if not only.....outward justification for making this deal.

Not surely exactly what PK did to piss-off ownership; but to me, it's now beginning to appear as though his problems went beyond Therrien and Bergevin. Maybe they simply thought he'd become bigger than the team coming off the disastrous '15/'16; I'm not sure even Beliveau or Lafleur ever went that far.....of course, they did nothing but win titles and everyone was always happy. I admit I find myself wondering if the almighty Carey Price was the one who couldn't stand Subban.....and told ownership if they didn't move him, he wouldn't re-up next season.

Meanwhile, I still think it's a sin how poorly Shea Weber has been treated in Montreal; he's got to be wondering what in the hell he did to be get this kind of treatment. It's going to be very interesting to see how long the public war between the media and the Habs continues; I'd assume it'll be alive and breathing when the team comes to camp, and will continue into the regular season. It looks like Weber may be forced to break Brad Marchand's neck in order to warm himself to Montreal.

As for Subban, his introductory tour of Nashville the other day was a PR masterstroke; I mean, after 48 hours, the guy already owns the sports scene in a town where the Preds are no better than the third story on the sports pages on their best day. It's hard to believe how well and effectively he plays the media; I can't immediately think of another athlete in any sport right now (even LeBron James) who's any better at it.

Gawd help us all if he somehow finds his way to Los Angeles at some point........
 
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FYI....number 81 did bring the Cup to Toronto yesterday...and in a classy manner IMO. Without informing media outlets he dropped in at 'Sick Kids Hospital', to allow a bunch of kids who could use just a bit of a lift some time with it and him.
Well done Phil! :smiley:
 
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FYI....number 81 did bring the Cup to Toronto yesterday...and in a classy manner IMO. Without informing media outlets he dropped in at 'Sick Kids Hospital', to allow a bunch of kids who could use just a bit of a lift some time with it and him.
Well done Phil! :smiley:

From the media reports I've read, even the more cement-headed Leaves fans are going out of their way to commend PK for his appearance in town. All I'm waiting for now is Mike Brophy......who I've really come to dislike over the past couple months......to either ignore this altogether in print, or else find some new way to use this to as a means to justify how much better the Leaves are without him.
 
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Man, what's it going to take for this guy to grow up ??

http://www.tsn.ca/kane-arrested-by-buffalo-police-1.531000

Five years ago, what kind of odds do you think you could have gotten that the League's two most notorious problem children off the ice in 2016 would share the same last name.....and a connection to the city of Buffalo (though PK is a native, while EK obviously brought previous problems to town with him) ??

For EK's sake.....and to a somewhat lesser extent, that of the Sabres......I hope these new charges are disproven/thrown out. Unfortunately, I'm not all that hopeful.
 
Man, what's it going to take for this guy to grow up ??

http://www.tsn.ca/kane-arrested-by-buffalo-police-1.531000

Five years ago, what kind of odds do you think you could have gotten that the League's two most notorious problem children off the ice in 2016 would share the same last name.....and a connection to the city of Buffalo (though PK is a native, while EK obviously brought previous problems to town with him) ??

For EK's sake.....and to a somewhat lesser extent, that of the Sabres......I hope these new charges are disproven/thrown out. Unfortunately, I'm not all that hopeful.
I'm 100% for due process....however...trouble sure seems to follow this guy (and the other Kane) around doesn't it? Whether or not the growing laundry list of allegations on EK are true or not, you'd like to think somebody would be so kind to advise him that he's obviously putting himself out there in some rather foolish/careless scenarios...
 
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