Hockey Trade Rumors

Right now the Habs are playing better, but are still not to where they need to be! If they can keep making progress and win the majority of their remaining games, they should make it, especially if a couple of teams chasing them stumble.

Who should win the Jack Adams this year? It’s a tough call, who do you give it to? My pick might suprise you a bit, but it might not.

There has been something bothering me over the past little while with regards to the Chicago BlackHawks goaltending situation.

Before the start of the year, Chicago signed Cristobal Huet to a 4 year deal worth 5.6 million dollars/year, but when they signed Huet to that deal they still had Nikolai Khabibulin with a 1 year deal left at 6.75 million dollars. Now that being said, I’m going to assume that when they signed Huet to that deal, they figured he was going to be the #1 goaltender for them. I’m not going to take away what Khabibulin has done this year, but it seems like Chicago is going with Khabibulin for the most part for the rest of the season into the playoffs, even though they signed Huet in the off season to take over the number 1 job and take this team to the next level.

Prior to the trade deadline, the Florida Panthers were 6-4. They decided not to trade defenceman Jay Bouwmeester, who is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, and they are 2-5-3 since the deadline. Just before the trade deadline, Bouwmeester was playing very jittery and tentative and hadn’t played like that all year. The Panthers ventured the theory that he was nervous about his future, thinking he was going to be traded away. So they decided not to trade him when they didn’t get an offer that was worth it, thinking he would play better.But he’s played worse and there’s no sign of him coming out of this slump.

The Leafs sent Justin Pogge back down to the AHL on Sunday. This was probably the result of his record of 1-4-1 over the season so far. Although the stats don’t tell the whole story, and Pogge has probably played as many amazing games as he has terrible games, a save percentage worse than .900 and a GAA of 2.70 falls shy of impressive. His record is also a lowly 23-20-5.

All this raises the question of what to do with him? He has potential and could be a great goalie some day, but the Leafs have a terrible defense that prevents him from gaining any confidence and results in him getting shelled every time he plays with the big club. Also, he’s not developing or growing very much in the AHL. So, do Leafs wait for him, or trade him, or play him?

There is nothing bigger in March in the U.S. then the NCAA tournament, particularly the betting via brackets. There is nothing bigger in March (or any other month for that matter) in Canada then the NHL. This is what happens when worlds collide.

As of saturday morning one thing has become evident. That the Edmonton oilers have found a sense of ergency, to belong in playoff contention.
During the season the oilers have lacked consistency and chemistry at some stages.

The following was Tampa Bay Lightning’s defense corp against the Montreal Canadiens, a few days ago :

Lukas Krajicek – Matt Smaby
Josef Melichar – Noah Welch
Matt Lashoff – Richard Petiot

“There is nothing bigger in March in the U.S. then the NCAA tournament, particularly the betting via brackets. There is nothing bigger in March (or any other month for that matter) in Canada then the NHL. This is what happens when worlds collide.

The Denver Post is reporting that Milan Hejduk wants to extend his career past 2010. Previously it was “hinted to a Czech Republic news outlet that he might not want to play beyond the end of his contract, after the 2009-10 season.”

Since the Habs and Leafs are both going to miss the playoffs, emboldening Leaf fans to the point where it’s okay to start another rivalry pissing war, I feel it’s time for the age old argument. Which of these historic rivals can truly be called “the Yankees of hockey”.

There is nothing bigger in March in the U.S. then the NCAA tournament, particularly the betting via brackets. There is nothing bigger in March (or any other month for that matter) in Canada then the NHL. This is what happens when worlds collide.

After seeing Darcy Hordichuk hammer Turco today, and get a penalty for it, I thought I’d right this article.

First of all, when goalies (like Turco) are playing the puck that far out, (in Turco’s casestop of the face-off circle near the boards) they should be allowed to be hit. Think about it, if it is a clean hit, then, why should it be a penalty. Only in the crease should the goalies be protected from hits.