Monthly Archives: September 2011
Wolski wants spot on Rangers' top line
History instructs us that Rangers coach John Tortorella rides his horses when he has them. We know, too, the coach will go into the season with Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik as a pair of first-line thoroughbreds.
Much of the Rangers’ training camp that commenced yesterday with the on-ice conditioning tests that continue today before pucks enter the equation tomorrow, will be devoted to finding the left wing to ride shotgun with Richards and Gaborik on the first line.
Markov's setback casts pall over camp
The health of defenceman Andrei Markov is the No. 1 concern as the Canadiens gather at their training facility in Brossard on Friday for the start of their main training camp.
Physicals and fitness testing are on the schedule for Day One and a setback in his rehabilitation from knee surgery will limit Markov’s participation when the players hit the ice Sunday.
Kings still at odds with Drew Doughty over new contract
Defenseman Drew Doughty was not expected to report to the Kings’ El Segundo training facility Friday for the first day of training camp, clouding the start of the season for a team that had finally assembled the scoring power, depth and maturity to contend for the Stanley Cup.
Doughty, a restricted free agent, was home in Canada late Thursday while his agent, Don Meehan, and the Kings remained at odds over a new contract. Meehan said he had received communication from the Kings on Wednesday and replied Thursday after talking to Doughty.
Sergei Samsonov to tryout for the Wings?
Sergei Samsonov , who played for the Detroit Vipers, has been skating with the Red Wings during the conditioning period.
An unsigned unrestricted free agent, Samsonov lives in Oakland Township and is considering several professional tryouts.
Nothing, though, is definite.
Boston Bruins Roster Finally Set For 2011/12
With Marchand being signed and Savard confirming that he’ll miss the upcoming season due to injury, the Bruins roster has fully taken shape for the upcoming season.
ISLES' TAVARES, SABRES' MYERS NEARING MULTI-YEAR EXTENSIONS
New York Islanders forward John Tavares and Buffalo Sabres defenceman Tyler Myers are both on the verge of multi-year contract extensions with their respective teams.
While the deals have not yet been finalized, they are both believed to be in six-year range and worth an annual average of roughly $5.5 million.
Both Tavares and Myers have one year left remaining on their entry-level deals signed in 2009.
Alexei Yashin still deciding on future
The 37-year-old former captain said today he’s just “enjoying skating with the guys” and hasn’t settled on plans for next season.
Yashin has been working out at IceWorks with nearly the entire Islanders veteran roster for the past few weeks and did so again today after attending last night’s rookie game at the Coliseum, where he sat for two periods with owner Charles Wang and GM Garth Snow.
Drew Doughty to Maple Leafs?
The NHL has training camps starting soon and a number of teams have made some great additions during the off-season. The LA Kings are one of those teams, but they’re having trouble signing Drew Doughty, one of the teams best young players and perhaps the top defenseman on the roster.
The LA Kings don’t need distractions heading into the regular season and making a deal might be the teams best move if some headway doesn’t happen soon with contract talks. The latest trade rumor as reported on Bleacher Report has the Kings making a deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Bryan McCabe still waits for deal
The 36-year-old unrestricted free agent is hanging out at his South Florida home still pondering his future.
“There have been discussions with several teams,” his agent, Ian Pulver, told ESPN.com on Monday. “Bryan is still considering his options.”
Devils skate to verge of bankruptcy
The New Jersey Devils training camp doesn’t open until tomorrow but already the three-time NHL champs are skating on thin ice, The Post has learned.
The attendance-challenged, heavily indebted team missed its Sept. 1 loan payment, giving its lenders a breakaway chance to push the team into bankruptcy, a source with direct knowledge of the situation said.
“The Devils are blowing up,” the source said.
Doughty Rejects Kings' Offer: Toronto and 4 Teams That Could Trade for Him
Drew Doughty has shot down a nine-year deal worth $61.2 million, and perhaps now it’s time for the Kings to consider dealing him. The idea seemed insane to me a month ago, and even though I questioned his personality and if he should be the cornerstone of the Kings, plenty of fans came to his defense.
With these new reports from Nick Kypreos, NBC Sports and the LA Times it may be wise to reconsider the no way, no how trade stance. Franchise blueliners don’t grow on trees, but neither do 21-year-olds fresh off of a concussion-shortened season that turn down nearly $7 million a year.
Selanne might put off decision until camp
Teemu Selanne raised the possibility Friday of putting off his decision of playing a final NHL season with the Ducks until after training camp opens next week.
Selanne skated each day this week in informal workouts at Anaheim Ice and continues to maintain he wants to announce a decision before camp opens Sept. 17, saying that “it would be best for everybody.”
NHL bylaws cover worst-case scenarios
It’s horrible to consider — a plane crash wipes out an entire NHL team — but the league has thought about it nonetheless.
That’s why the league requires teams to have a $1-million (all figures US) insurance policy on each player, one of the provisos in the NHL bylaws made public over the weekend in court filings regarding the bankruptcy of the Phoenix Coyotes.