Monthly Archives: August 2012
Kovalev coming back to NHL?
Alex Kovalev, who turns 40 in February, aims to return to the NHL and says he has a couple of tryout offers.
The Russian spent last season in the KHL with Atlant Mytischi but played only 22 games because of injuries. Once an offensive star in the NHL, Kovalev managed only one goal and five assists.
The winger was in Switzerland this week training with the Servette Geneva team. Kovalev said he plans to go to the U.S. to work out but did not identify the teams offering tryouts.
Kovalev has 428 goals and 596 assists in 1,302 regular-season games with the New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators. He had 16 goals and 18 assists in 74 games with Ottawa and Pittsburgh in 2010-11, his most recent season in the NHL.
http://www.torontosun.com/2012/08/16/kovalev-coming-back-to-nhl
Report: Canucks, Burrows negotiating new deal
According to Vancouver’s CKWX News1130, the Vancouver Canucks have started negotiations on a contract extension for winger Alex Burrows.
Burrows, 31, is heading into the final year of a deal that pays $2 million annually. The four-year, $8 million deal he signed back in 2009-10 represents one of the league’s best bargains — since signing, he’s averaged 29 goals per season and missed just 12 games to injury.
Last season, he averaged a career-high 18:28 of ice time and finished tied for 21st in even strength goals (23) with Jamie Benn and Jonathan Toews.
http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/15/report-canucks-burrows-negotiating-new-deal/
Yandle over Bouwmeester
A report out of Calgary last week had the Red Wings offering Valtteri Filppula, Jonathan Ericsson and a prospect to the Flames for Jay Bouwmeester. But it seemed like wishful thinking, at best.
Even disregarding the value of Filppula and Ericsson to the Red Wings, Bouwmeester is in the conversation mostly because of his disappointing play for the Flames.
He does not play physically, especially not up to his ample size, and his offensive skills have waned.
Bouwmeester is, in sum, a drastically overpaid, veteran defenseman capable of soaking up an average of 22 minutes.
As much as the Red Wings need help, it is doubtful they would trade prized scoring and playmaking, a developing young defenseman and more, for Bouwmeester.
And the Flames are unlikely to part with Bouwmeester for much less.
Meanwhile, with two recent injuries and also failing to acquire defensemen this summer, the Flyers are likely to compete with the Red Wings for Bouwmeester, keeping the price high.
A far more attractive acquisition through a big trade is Keith Yandle, the young mainstay for the Coyotes, who is signed through 2016.
Phoenix Coyotes sale back on track as Greg Jamison secures investors
The perpetually on-again, off-again saga regarding the sale of the Phoenix Coyotes hockey team is on again.
Prospective Coyotes buyer Greg Jamison has brought investment money and partners back into the fold and could soon close on the purchase of the team from the National Hockey League. The sale would keep the team in Glendale at Jobing.com Arena.
Jamison’s group has been trying to buy the Coyotes since last year.
Two sources with knowledge of the three-year-old Coyotes ownership saga say Jamison now has the investors and partners in place to finally buy the Coyotes and a deal could close very soon.
All that comes as free agent Coyotes captain Shane Doan puts off signing with a new team while Jamison tries to close the deal. The fact that Doan has held off signing with a new team could be an indicator that he is waiting on the Coyotes sale to close.
Doan could re-sign with the Coyotes if Jamison can buy the team. He’s also considering the Vancouver Canucks, Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers. The Nashville Predators and Los Angeles Kings could also be in the mix if Doan leaves Phoenix.
http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2012/08/08/phoenix-coyotes-sale-back-on-track-as.html
Could the Pens make a move for Ryan?
If the Pens have any interest in Bobby Ryan, now might be the time to strike. Philly wants him but has to concentrate on D, I’d think.
Red Wings talking to Calgary Flames about making trade for veteran defenseman Jay Bouwmeester
After failing to land a top defenseman through free agency, the Detroit Red Wings are looking to bolster their back end via trade.
A team source confirmed the Red Wings are talking with the Calgary Flames about making a deal for veteran defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, who has been the subject of trade rumors for more than a month.
The Red Wings are attempting to solidify their defensive corps with a trade because no top defensemen remain available through free agency.
Bouwmeester became expendable in Calgary when the Flames signed Dennis Wideman to a five-year, $26.25 million deal and the Red Wings need help on defense after captain Nicklas Lidstrom retired and Brad Stuart was traded to San Jose before he could sign with the Sharks as a free agent.
Wideman’s contract hiked Calgary’s payroll to $66.6 million, which is under the $70.2 million salary cap. But if the cap is reduced as expected when a new collective bargaining agreement is reached, that could force the Flames to dump salary and the possibility might reduce their asking price for Bouwmeester.
http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/2012/08/red_wings_talking_to_calgary_f.html
Source: Sharks among favorites for Doan
The San Jose Sharks are among the favorites to land the services of free agent forward Shane Doan, a source has told CSNCalifornia.com.
Doan, who will turn 36 in October, is the top unrestricted NHL free agent still available.
According to the source, the Sharks, who are generally very tight-lipped about personnel decisions, have flown “under the radar” in their pursuit of Doan.
Doan reportedly met with the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, and has also drawn interest from the New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres. His preference is to remain in Phoenix, but the uncertain ownership situation there has led to him exploring other options.
There are reports that Doan is seeking a four-year contract worth $30 million, averaging out to a $7.5 million cap hit. According to CapGeek.com, San Jose has approximately $5.57 million in cap space.
Mark Messier wins $6-million arbitration case against Vancouver Canucks
Mark Messier has been awarded a $6-million settlement in the Hall of Famer’s long-standing grievance over money he claimed he was owed by the Vancouver Canucks.
George Nicolau, an 87-year-old New York-based arbitrator with a long history of handling high-profile sports arbitration cases, rendered his decision recently after meeting with both sides earlier this year.
The Canucks made only a brief comment on the decision.
“Canucks Sports & Entertainment is aware of the arbitrator’s decision and will have no further comment on the matter,” the team said in a statement to The Vancouver Sun Thursday.
Messier did not return a message left for him with the New York Rangers, for whom he serves as special assistant to the president.
Messier signed a five-year, free-agent contract with the Canucks in 1997 for $6 million a season. The dispute between Messier and the team is believed to centre on deferred money the hockey player felt was owed to him.
It has been reported that Messier had a clause in his contract that would compensate him if the value of the Canuck franchise increased over the life of his contract, which expired in 2002.
Messier ended up playing only three seasons with the Canucks, who exercised an option in the contract to buy him out for $2 million after the 1999-2000 season. Messier, now 51, returned to New York and played four more seasons for the Rangers before retiring after the 2003-04 season.
Leafs should avoid Bernier: 5 reasons
When Jonathan Bernier, the Los Angeles Kings‘ well-regarded backup, announced his desire to be traded, rumours swirled that Toronto would be an appropriate landing spot. Here are five reasons why a Bernier-to-Leafs deal should not be struck.
1. They already have him.
More or less: Canadian goaltender chosen in the 2006 draft; will enter the 2012-13 season at 24 years of age; never played a playoff game; save percentage just on the friendly side of .900.
Take away the Mennonite background and last season’s rash of injuries — not a small deal, we know — and James Reimer is Jonathan Bernier. Neither is quite ready to carry a team into the postseason, but both have shown hints of brilliance that, with patience, health and some strong coaching, could get them to that proverbial next level.
Thing is, on paper, the Leafs goalie looks equal to or better than Bernier, who carries with him the perception of a potential star netminder being selected 11th overall (to Reimer’s 99th) and having won gold with Canada at the 2008 World Junior Hockey Championships. (Bernier went 1-1 in the tournament, splitting post duties with Steve Mason.)
Sure, there are hockey minds out there that believe Bernier’s hybrid stand-up/butterfly style and quick reflexes make him a prime candidate to improve with experience, but who’s to say a healthy Reimer (or even the untested Ben Scrivens, for that matter) won’t appreciate at the same rate?
Reimer has played 71 games to Bernier’s 48, has actually won more games than he’s lost (34-24-9 to Bernier’s 20-17-5), and has posted comparable stats — despite playing behind an appreciably worse defence. Reimer has six shutouts, Bernier five. Bernier has a .910 save percentage, Reimer’s is .914.
2. Bernier wants to be a starter now, but might not deserve it.
Bernier told TVA that he wants to be a starter in this league, but his impatience could be his undoing. Yes, it was only one interview, but Bernier and his Stanley Cup ring could have chosen to play things cool. There are worse jobs than getting paid millions to platoon in for a quarter of a season in a gorgeous city on a young, excitable winning team, allowing your skills to improve under limited scrutiny behind the second-best defence in the entire NHL.
- 1