I’m going to let you folks behind the curtain a bit and give you some inside information about the kind of people that visit PuckPodcast.com. You’d think that people visiting this site are intelligent, attractive, passionate hockey fans like yourselves with great sex lives (if you’re over 18), large bank accounts, tremendous futures and loads of friends. And, 99% of the time, you’d be right. However, there is that 1% and it’s to those folks who I’d like to speak to now.

Hello Shannon Elizabeth fans! Thank you for using an internet search portal like Yahoo, Google and/or MSN to search for Shannon Elizabeth websites, photos and information. Somehow your search has led you here and because of that I welcome you to the official website of the #1 hockey podcast in the world today. (Nah, that’s being too humble - let’s try this…) …I welcome you to the official website of the #1 hockey podcast in the history of the world. I hope you bookmark this page for future Shannon Elizabeth photos, information and, occasionally, some news and opinions about the NHL.

It appears that people are finding our website by searching for Shannon Elizabeth. I’m not entirely sure how this happened but I’m delighted about it. The fact that someone would be on the internet and, knowing that they could search for anything in the world, chose to perform a search for Shannon Elizabeth - the incredibly good looking actress, poker player and celebrity rug cutter (not a lesbian term but rather an antiquated reference to dancing) - and then as a result of that search found their way onto our website is fascinating. As of this writing over 68 people have found their way to PuckPodcast.com as a result of searching for Shannon Elizabeth…in just the last 24 hours!

It appears that this comes as a result of one sentence I posted in my preview of the NHL games for March 12th, 2008. (Before you bombard the comments section of this post or our e-mail address (puckpodcast@aol.com) with questions - yes, the “daily” previews will be back as often as possible next season for your non-gaming enjoyment.) Since one sentence has brought us hundreds of visitors in the last five months you can bet your bottom dollar that similar mentions of frequently searched for items will be appearing in my posts from now on (Paris Hilton). Hello to all Paris Hilton fans, by the way.

So again, welcome to all Shannon Elizabeth fans and I hope you enjoy your visit to PuckPodcast.com. Come again soon, you never know when I’ll post an update on the stunningly beautiful actress!

Sincerely,

Doug Stolhand

Fan of the way Shannon Elizabeth looks

(I’ve never met her so I can’t comment on her as a person)

As you heard on the July 19th episode of the Puck Podcast there are a number of games that I am already looking forward to watching during the 2008-2009 NHL season. Here’s a list of those games with the reason I am looking forward to it. What games are you looking forward to and why? Post your response here and let me know.

October 4 & 5: Penguins vs. Senators in Stockholm, Sweden and Rangers vs. Lightning in Prague, Czech Republic

October 12: Sharks @ Kings – Rob Blake’s return to Los Angeles and Kings fans will pick up where they left off when he was with the Avalanche…BOO! Also the home opener for the Kings and home debut of new head coach Terry Murray.

October 16: Capitals @ Penguins – Alexander Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Niklas Backstrom, Marc-Andre Fleury, Mike Green…you’ve got the last two MVP’s and many of the best young players in the game.

October 20: Stars @ Rangers – Sean Avery’s first game against Rangers in New York. How will fans treat him and how will he treat his old teammates?

November 8: Panthers @ Coyotes – Olli Jokinen’s first and only game against the Panthers

November 10: Lightning @ Capitals - Olaf Kolzig’s first game in Washington as a member of the visiting team.

November 11: Penguins @ Red Wings - Stanley Cup rematch and Marian Hossa’s first game against the Penguins.

November 13: Canadiens @ Bruins – Two original six teams and my favorite rivalry in hockey. With Georges Laraque on the Habs and Michael Ryder now on the Bruins I can guarantee there will be a lot of hits and probably a few fights.

November 22: Rangers @ Senators - Wade Redden’s first game against the Senators.

November 26: Blackhawks @ Sharks – Brian Campbell’s first game in San Jose.

December 13: Capitals @ Canadiens – Jose Theodore in Montreal.

January 1: Red Wings @ Blackhawks - Winter Classic at Wrigley Field.

January 19: Stars @ Lightning – Brad Richards first game against Lightning in Tampa Bay.

February 8: Red Wings @ Penguins – Stanley Cup rematch Part II. Hossa’s first and only game in Pittsburgh.

February 21: Senators @ Canadiens, Canucks @ Maple Leafs & Flames @ Oilers – Hockey Day in Canada.

That’s 20 games that I can’t wait to watch this coming season. I hope you are able to watch them as well and join in the discussion of them once they happen.

Doug

In today’s world it’s very tough to keep secrets, especially when members of the press are present as news happens. Thus it is that we have new information regarding how Lord Stanley’s Cup was dented by the Detroit Red Wings at Cheli’s Chili Bar in Detroit. Here’s what James Duthrie wrote onthe Ottawa Citizen’s website:

“(Chris) Chelios was atop the bar, Coyote Ugly style, Cup in hand, with the packed crowd cheering madly. At some point there was an attempted handoff to Brett Lebda. Whether it was the chaos of the crowd, or the…umm…content of the blood, balance was lost. Down went Lebda. Down went Stanley.

And no, the dent wasn’t “slight”. In fact, it needed emergency service. Mike Bolt, the Keeper of the Cup, was taken to Joe Louis Arena, where Stan, like a forward who took a puck in the eye, was placed gently on the trainer’s table in the Red Wings dressing room, and operated on. Bolt had to use a hammer to carefully pop the dent out, a procedure that resembled neurosurgery in its intricacy. One of the bands that contain all the names popped off at one point.

The Detroit Free Press then asked Brett Lebda and Chris Chelios about the dent and Duthrie’s account and here’s what they had to say:

Lebda: “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t drop it. That’s a bad rumor going around.”

Chelios: “I’m not saying nothing. I looked at the Cup today — there’s no dings in it. There’s nothing wrong with it. So it’s a rumor. A bad rumor.”

Only in the NHL would players be partying with the championship trophy at a Chili Bar and allegedly damage the trophy to the point that a hammer is required to fix it. If what Duthrie says is true I would hope that Mike Bolt keeps a close eye on things, and a toolbox nearby, when Chelios and/or Lebda get their day with the Cup later this summer.

As you heard in the June 14th, 2008 episode of the Puck Podcast I will be watching the new (to the USA) soap opera on SoapNet - MVP. This is a show that chronicles the lives, loves and struggles of the players on the Mustangs, a fictional hockey team, and the women that love them.

The show has already aired in Canada but is making it’s American debut on SoapNet on June 19th at 11pm.  I plan on watching it for as long as they put out new episodes and I fully expect it to be awful. But, having it be bad will be a large part of the fun…at least for me.

If you watch it and would like to discuss it I will be happy to chat about it with you right here at PuckPodcast.com. Just click on “comments” and tell me what you think of the show.

The website JumptheShark.com chronicles the exact moment that a television show goes from being good to being awful. The title of the site refers to the infamous episode of Happy Days in which Fonzie literally jumped a shark on water-skis.

The site has identified certain themes that repeatedly force a show to jump the shark. One of those themes is “They Did It” which refers to the moment when two characters with sexual tension between them finally get together romantically. An example would be the show Moonlighting (for those that are old enough to remember). The show was great when there was sexual tension between the two main characters (played by Bruce Willis and Cybil Sheppard) and the dialogue between them was always entertaining. Then…the two of them got together and from then on the spark was gone both in their relationship and in the show. The two of them getting together was something the fans of the show had been waiting for and yet the moment it happened the show began its decline.

I mention this not because I want to plug their site, though I do get a great deal of enjoyment out of it, but because I feel that the NHL is in danger of jumping the shark.

Right now Sidney Crosby is Bruce Willis and the Stanley Cup is Cybil Sheppard. Clearly Sidney REALLY wants Stanley, and truth be told Stanley wants Sidney as well. But the fact that the two of them have never gotten together is a huge storyline for the NHL right now and it’s one that could keep people tuning in for years to come. Unless, of course, Sidney and the Penguins win the Cup this season in which case he and Stanley will spend the summer together and the tension and anticipation of the moment will be gone forever. The NHL will, in essence, have jumped the shark.

Sidney Crosby is the face of the league, like it or not, and they’ve invested a lot in this young man and his career. The expectation is that he will eventually win a Stanley Cup and take the throne as Undisputed Best Player in the Game. However, I believe it is better for the NHL the longer that it takes for him to win the Cup.

If Sidney were to win the Cup this season there would be no drama around him in the future. He will have won his Cup and cemented his place in hockey history before he even turned 21. If, however, the Red Wings win the Cup this year than we can go into next year wondering if it will be the year that Sidney finally gets to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup. If he were to go another 10 years before he won it think of the drama and the emotion there would be!

Ray Bourque was never the face of the league and was never even the undisputed best defenseman in the sport due to guys like Al MacInnis, Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger and Scott Stevens. But Bourque was a fan favorite in Boston and a guy that hockey fans all over the world rooted for. When he finally won the Cup with the Avalanche everyone was happy for him because he had waited so long. Had he won it earlier in his career that storyline simply wouldn’t have been there that season and the drama would not have been as compelling.

So, I contend that the longer Sidney Crosby waits to win the Cup the better it will be for the NHL. Having the media be able to ask “is this the year he’ll win it? Will he ever win it?” will build interest in the sport on an annual basis and the longer it builds the bigger the payoff will be when he does win it. It’s great to have him in the Finals but I am hoping he waits a little longer to become a champion.

I realize that by writing this I am taking a big risk. I realize that there’s a very good chance I will be proven wrong just eight hours after I post this. I realize that by doing this blog I may, in fact, be angering the karma gods and thus sealing the Penguins fate. But despite all that I am going to say it anyway…I still think this series is going to a seventh game.

The Penguins were embarassed in Game One and Game Two and then won a great game in Game Three. Game Four was not a strong game for either team but Detroit got the win and now have a chance to win the Stanley Cup on their home ice in Game Five.

However, I think the Penguins will win tonight. I think that they are done being afraid of losing and are going to play “who gives a damn” hockey tonight. To give you an example of what I mean I will tell a story.

I am a guy that likes to play golf but I do so very rarely and I am not very good at it. I go out on the course and I always think I’m going to play well but I start off poorly and get frustrated. Somewhere around the 11th or 12th holes I usually say to myself, “screw it.” From then on I quit trying to make the perfect shot everytime and I just swing the club. Almost everytime I do this I play better and the last few holes are the best holes I play all day. I think after Game Four the Penguins told themselves “screw it.”

I expect Pittsburgh to play very loose and aggressive tonight. After all, why wouldn’t they? What do they have to lose at this point? Most of the national media and in fact most of their fans have resigned themselves to the fact that Detroit is going to win the series and most think it will happen tonight. Pittsburgh can take the fact that there is no longer any pressure or expectations on them and use it to their advantage and I think they will.

Also in the Penguins favor is the fact that Detroit has shown an inability to close out teams. In the Western Conference Finals the Red Wings had the Stars down three games to none but were unable to end the series until Game Six. They were clearly the better team but they simply were not able to close out the Stars even though Game Five was in Detroit following a loss. I think the same thing will happen here.

Not only do I think that Pittsburgh will win tonight but I am going to predict that Evgeni Malkin scores a goal. I think it will come on the power play and that he will smile bigger than former Michigan State star Mateen Cleaves:

Once the Penguins win Game Five they will head back home where, as the media will remind you every five minutes, they have only lost once since February and where Marc-Andre Fleury has only lost once since November. I’m willing to bet that they won’t lose back-to-back games on their home ice so I think they’ll win Game Six and force a winner take all Game Seven in Detroit.

If it does get to that, though, Pittsburgh will tighten up again as the pressure and expectations will be back on them and they will not be able to rise to the challenge. I think Detroit will win Game Seven and Pittsburgh’s players and fans will suffer a broken heart after their first ever loss in the Finals.

Again, I realize that the very fact I am putting this on the internet almost assures that it will not happen, but these thoughts have been on my mind for a couple of days now so I wanted to get them out there. Game Five is tonight…we’ll see if Pittsburgh plays “who gives a damn” hockey or not. Personally, I’m looking forward to seeing Malkin’s smile.

P.S. - It wasn’t until after I wrote this post that I saw this picture. Now I’m certain that the Penguins will win! How could God deny this woman? After all, she took the time to covert her prayer into towel form! Sorry, starving, abused and impoverished of the world…your prayers will have to wait while God tends to this woman’s plea for a hockey team to win a game! (Where’s the eye-rolling smiley face when you need it?)

You heard us talk about it on the show, you even heard the call from the announcers, now see it for yourself! Here is the Puck Podcast Play of The Week for May 31st, 2008:

You heard us talk about it on the show, you even heard the call by the announcers, now see it for yourself! Here is the Puck Podcast Play Of The Week for May 3rd, 2008:

As you heard on the April 12th, 2008 episode of the Puck Podcast listener Mark in Montana found a jersey from the movie Sudden Death for sale online, bought it and was kind enough to send it to us as a gift. Mark is obviously a loyal listener as he knew that both of us have ridiculed the movie Sudden Death many times in the past. All Mark asked for in exchange for his generosity was that we take photos of us wearing the jersey and post them online. Mark, it’s a deal. Here are those photos for you, and all Puck Podcast listeners, to enjoy. Thanks again for the jersey and for supporting the show.

The Dallas Stars are now 6-2 in the postseason with four of those wins coming on the road against Pacific Division rivals Anaheim and San Jose. The Stars have outscored their opponents 28-17 in those eight games (giving up an average of just over two goals per game) and have looked dominant throughout most of their games. Unless San Jose can find a way to win four of the next five games the Stars will advance to the Western Conference Finals to play the winner of the Red Wings/Avalanche series.Yet, unless you are a member of the Stars organization or a Stars fan chances are you are not rooting for this team. The reason? They are boring.

I have no idea if they have considered it or not, but this thing should be the Boston Bruins mascot beginning immediately.

(This post is also available to read and discuss at Hockeybuzz.com)

The Anaheim Ducks are coming off a nice 4-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday night and the attention of the team and fans should be on the remaining nine games and what seeding the Ducks will have as they enter the Western Conference Playoffs. But instead all the talk has been about Chris Pronger and his alleged stomp on Vancouver’s Ryan Kesler.

On Thursday the NHL announced that there would be no discipline and that was that. But then the NHL found out that Abraham Zapruder was at the Pond at the time of the game and that he has some new footage of the incident from an angle previously unseen! Now the case has been re-opened and a hearing has been scheduled with Pronger, the NHL and the surviving members of the Warren Commission. No word yet on whether or not they are investigating the “Magic Skate” theory.

Many people have compared this to the incident earlier in the year in which Chris Simon stomped on the foot of Jarkko Ruutu and received a 30-game suspension. The difference that people are forgetting is that Simon’s occurred during a stoppage in play and Ruutu was not doing an impression of Antonio Inoki (look it up). Kesler was without a doubt trying to keep Pronger from being able to skate up ice by holding Pronger’s right foot between his legs. Pronger, once he finally gets his foot free, appears to give Kesler a kick/stomp on the lower leg.

Someone very wisely decided to go and find out what Chris Simon himself thought of all this and after waiting around for over two hours outside of the Islanders locker room waiting for Simon to come out they were informed that Simon now “plays” for the Wild. After a quick trip to Minnesota we finally got to hear what the NHL’s most disciplined player had to say:

“It would be nice to have things treated fairly, at least. I don’t think in that instance it’s fair at all. I couldn’t believe right away that nothing was going to be done about it. I still can’t believe it. I watched the tape and I think the tape’s self-explanatory. It shows what he did. It’s more disappointing that I can get the amount of games that I get and the player never misses a shift, and other players can hurt players. And then the same thing, if not twice, happens in the Vancouver-Anaheim game and there is not even a review. It is decided there is no suspension.”

Conventional wisdom is that a suspension will be coming and an announcement is expected within the next day or two. If Pronger is suspended it will be the eighth time in his 14 year career.

I saw a poll on TSN.ca asking fans if they thought that Pronger deserved to be suspended. Amazingly 93% of those that voted said yes. That poll wasn’t exciting enough so they changed it to “How many games should Pronger be suspended for?” Oddly 86% believe it should be five games or more! Of course, asking Canadians (which includes a lot of fans of both the Canucks and Oilers) to vote on this incident is like asking Al-Jazeera viewers if Israel should be recognized as a country.

I’ve seen the incident from both angles and have even seen it re-enacted via interpretive dance to the theme from Arthur and after analyzing it over a nice bowl of lobster bisque - yes, Pronger deserves to be suspended in my opinion. How long? I don’t know. That’s for the league to determine after hearing from Pronger and I’m not privy to those conversations. That being said I think a suspension between four and 10 games would be fair.

There’s little doubt that Pronger intentionally kicked at/stomped on Kesler (and there’s little doubt that Kesler should have been called for interference) and the league cannot tolerate players intentionally hitting opponents or officials with their skate blade. Thankfully Kesler was not hurt on the play or else the TSN polls would be debating which province Pronger should be hung in.

In the February 23, 2008 episode of the Puck Podcast I told you about the Buffalo Sabres new program called Blue & Gold Make Green. This is a program that the Sabres have started to educate their fans about how easy it is to make small changes in their homes and their day to day life to help the enviornment.

I have joined the Green Team and I urge you to consider doing the same. Most of the changes they are suggesting are very simple such as buying a different type of light bulb, recycling used cans and newspapers, adjusting your thermostat, cleaning out your car and turning off lights when not in use. All of these are very easy to do but they can add up to make a big difference if enough people commit to them.

For more information please check out the links below and thanks again to the Buffalo Sabres for starting this program.

Read the Blue & Gold Make Green Mission Statement

Join the Buffalo Sabres Green Team

—–> SCROLL DOWN FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION <—– 

Puck Podcast fans,

Thanks for logging on to my 2008 trading deadline blog. This is the place where I will post analysis and opinions on the trades made on Tuesday, February 26th as they happen. All updates will be in this blog so check back often to see if anything has been added.

Monday, February 25th - 6:42pm PT

FORSBERG TO AVALANCHE 

The Avalanche have signed Peter Forsberg to a one-year, $5 million deal. Since there are only 19 games left for the Avalanche he will actually only be paid about $1.1 million which will also be what his cap hit will be.

To me this signing is like a Frilled Lizard - it seems bigger than it is.

Forsberg was reportedly not healthy enough to return to the NHL just a week ago, but now he’s ready to comeback and expects to be a factor in Colorado’s attempt to make the playoffs? I don’t think so. It’s nice that he’s returning to the franchise that he started his NHL career with but how much of a difference will he really make? I don’t think it’ll be much. The Avalanche were already getting back Joe Sakic so offense was most likely not going to be a problem for them. Defense and goaltending, on the other hand, are still question marks for Colorado and Forsberg will do nothing to solve that.

Assuming that Forsberg is even able to play in every game once he does return I’d be surprised if he gets 10 points this season. He’s good but he’s not what he once was.

Now, if the Avalanche are to make the playoffs (they are currently 10th in the Western Conference - four points behind the 8th place Predators) then I think Forsberg will be a factor for them in the postseason. This signing, and the fact that it’s only for one year, seems more like a chance for Forsberg to retire as a member of the Avalanche and less like a chance for Forsberg to get one more Stanley Cup. Either way, I can’t wait to watch the first home game he plays as the environment should be incredible.

Monday, February 25th - 7:13pm PT

PROSPAL TO FLYERS 

Philadelphia Flyers get: Vaclav Prospal

Tampa Bay Lightning get: Alexandre Picard, 2nd or 3rd round pick in 2009

At first glance you would think that the Flyers are getting the better end of this deal but upon further review I think this is a great trade for the Lightning. Prospal has had a very quiet 29 goals and 28 assists this season (57 points - I do the math so you don’t have to) and the Flyers are getting a good player for the remainder of the season. However, I’ve watched enough of the Lightning games this year to know that Prospal was the benefactor of being on a line with Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis. I don’t think he will be nearly as productive in Philadelphia where he is now in a playoff race playing pressure filled games with linemates who are NOT as dominant as Lecavalier and St. Louis are.

Alexandre Picard is a defenseman who was taken in the first round (8th overall) by the Blue Jackets in 2004. He’s 22-years old and gives the Lightning a good defensive prospect for the future. He’ll be a RFA after this year but he’s almost assuredly going to be re-signed by the Lightning in the offseason and if there’s one thing they need it’s defense. The conditional pick is almost certainly based on whether or not the Flyers re-sign Vaclav Prospal who will be a UFA after this year. If Philadelphia re-signs Prospal (doubtful) then it will be a 2nd round pick. If not it will be a 3rd round pick. Plus, the Lightning will have a chance to re-sign Prospal in the offseason if the Flyers do let him test free agency.

And just how many 3rd round picks do the Flyers have? They sent one to the Kings for Jaroslav Modry, then they got one in exchange for Jim Vandermeer and now they’ve sent one to Tampa Bay. Third round picks in Philadelphia last about as long as a Twinkie at a fat camp.

Monday, February 25th - 8:34pm PT

BOYLE STAYING IN TAMPA 

Not a trade, but the Tampa Bay Lightning have re-signed defenseman Dan Boyle to a six-year, $40 million deal. Good for the Lightning to lock him up long-term, but that’s a lot of money and a lot of years to give him. Boyle will be 37 years old when this contract expires, so barring injury he should be productive throughout the contract. It averages out to $6.66 million a year (again, I do the math so you don’t have to) which is a very unfortunate average salary. Couldn’t they have bumped it up or down a notch so that it would average either $6.65 or $6.67 million a year?

Boyle is a very good defenseman and this deal gives the Lightning some stability on the blue line for years to come. However, it could hamstring them from making moves in the future. Boyle now makes more than Chris Pronger, Mathieu Schneider, Ed Jovanovski, Sergei Gonchar, Sheldon Souray and Dion Phaneuf. Boyle’s good, but I don’t think he’s $6.66 million a year good.

Tuesday, February 26th - 7:35am PT

JANSSEN TO BLUES, SALVADOR TO DEVILS 

I just woke up and turned on the NHL Network and it’s as if they were waiting for me! The first trade of the day is announced as the New Jersey Devils send Cam Janssen to the Blues in exchange for Bryce Salvador. Salvador was one of the many names I mentioned on the show this past week as a guy who could be traded to a team looking for defensive depth. Salvador will be an UFA after this year so it’s a rental for the Devils but he should give them more depth in the postseason and that always helps.

As for Cam Janssen, I’m surprised that’s all they got in return. He’s a 24-year old goon with no scoring ability at all (he has one point and 205 penalty minutes in 95 NHL games) but he is from St. Louis so at least it’s a homecoming for him. I like goons, but do you really need to trade for one? Wouldn’t a draft pick had better?

Tuesday, February 26th - 8:15am PT

BELAK TO PANTHERS 

Speaking of draft picks, the Florida Panthers sent a 5th round draft pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Wade Belak. Belak is a lot like Janssen, only older. He has 29 points and 1,096 penalty minutes in 425 career games so the Panthers are not getting anything that will help them put the puck in the net. However, Florida is not the toughest team in the league so Belak will help them in that regard. The 5th round pick is a good price to pay for a goon so this looks like a good deal for both teams.

Tuesday, February 26th - 9:19am PT

CAMPBELL TO SHARKS 

Wow! Quite a bit has happened in the hour it took me to get to work! Let’s start with the Sabres trading Brian Campbell and a 7th round draft pick in 2008 to the Sharks in exchange for Steve Bernier and the Sharks 1st round pick in 2008. This is a great trade for Buffalo who was going to lose Campbell as a UFA this summer and it’s also a good trade for San Jose.

Campbell is a good defenseman and I think he immediately becomes their best defenseman. As Eddie and I talked about on the show this past week the Sharks needed to get some defense and Campbell definitely fills that hole. Whether or not he’s the piece that puts the Sharks over the top in the Western Conference - I doubt it. He’s an offensive defenseman and I think the Sharks need a more dominant stay-at-home guy. There’s still time, though, and more deals to come.

For the Sabres they are getting a good young player in Steve Bernier and a very valuable draft pick in the Sharks 1st round pick this year. Bernier was a 1st round pick of the Sharks back in 2003 and already has 42 goals and 81 points in 160 NHL games. He’s only 22-years old and should be a good player for Buffalo for years to come.

This is reportedly a very deep draft and even though the Sharks pick will most likely be 20th or lower it should still get the Sabres a good prospect to add depth to their organization. They could also trade that pick, or their own 1st round pick, to get some other assets. I think it’s a good return for the Sabres and their fans should be very happy with this trade.

BRAD RICHARDS TO STARS

The big trade of the morning is the Tampa Bay Lightning sending Brad Richards and Johan Holmqvist to the Dallas Stars for Mike Smith, Jussi Jokinen and Jeff Halpern. Now that’s a great trade! The Stars are getting an extremely high-priced center that won the Conn Smythe Trophy back in 2004. Richards makes $7.8 million a year and is under contract through 2010-2011. Johan Holmqvist is certainly the back-up to Marty Turco for the playoffs and the immediate future and that’s a big drop off from Mike Smith who is a very good goalie.

I’m not sure how good Richards will be in Dallas, but he’s a good player who can score, hit and is a proven playoff commodity. The Stars are better with Brad Richards than they were with Jussi Jokinen and Jeff Halpern. However, the salary is so big I wonder how much of an impact this will have on them down the road.

Tampa Bay got a good return and addressed some needs. They got a good young goalie in Mike Smith who is 24-14-2 in his NHL career with a 2.34 GAA and .909 SV%. Granted, those numbers come behind a good team defense in Dallas and he’s now going to be playing for a traditionally weak defense in Tampa Bay but it’s still a big upgrade in net for the Lightning. I’m not entirely convinced that Mike Smith can’t go down there and help the Lightning win the Southeast Division! They are 12 points back of first-place Carolina but they have three games in hand and it’s not like Carolina is slump-proof at this point. It’s a longshot, certainly, but it’s not impossible.

This deal makes both teams better immediately and in the future so what a great deal for both teams.

CRISTOBAL HUET TO CAPITALS

This trade baffles me. The Montreal Canadiens sent Cristobal Huet to the Washington Capitals for a 2nd round draft pick in 2009. Montreal, who I thought was a sleeper team to win the Stanley Cup this year, just gave up their starting goalie for a 2nd round draft pick. Huet is 21-12-6 with a 2.56 GAA and .916 SV% this season and now the Canadiens, barring another move, will turn the reins over to Carey Price who is 20-years old! Price is 12-9-3 with a 2.83 GAA and .909 SV% this season and he’s now the man in net for Montreal. This is a shocking move to me and, taken by itself, makes no sense whatsoever. I have to believe that the Canadiens are working on another trade or else they are taking a huge gamble with a rookie goalie.

SALEI TO AVALANCHE, SKRASTINS TO PANTHERS 

There were two other trades while I was on my way to work - first was the Florida Panthers sending Ruslan Salei to the Colorado Avalanche for Karlis Skrastins and a 3rd round pick in the 2008 draft. I watched Salei play many years in Anaheim and I know that Colorado is getting a good stay-at-home defenseman that is very responsible in his own end. He will make the Avalanche defense better immediately.

The Panthers are getting a serviceable defenseman in Skrastins (he’s not as good as Salei) and a decent draft pick for the future. I’m not thrilled with what the Panthers got, but they didn’t give up a cornerstone piece of their future either.

RUUTU TO HURRICANES, LADD TO BLACKHAWKS 

The other trade was Tuomo Ruutu going from the Blackhawks to the Hurricanes for Andrew Ladd. Ruutu is a former first round pick back in 2001 and is a good forward while Ladd is a former first round pick back in 2004 who is only 22-years old and who won a Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes. The Blackhawks get a younger version of Ruutu and a guy with playoff experience. I’m not sure why the Hurricanes made this trade but Ruutu is not going to embarass himself out there so it’s not too big a risk either way.

Tuesday, February 26th - 10:05am PT

FOOTE TO AVALANCHE 

The Colorado Avalanche continue to completely rebuild their team by trading for Adam Foote. Foote joins Ruslan Salei as new defenseman in Colorado and with Peter Forsberg the Avalanche will certainly look different in the weeks to come. Foote’s best years were in Colorado, but they were also behind him. Perhaps this will spark him to play well and give them a boost if they are to make the playoffs, but for a team that is out of the playoffs right now and in the Western Conference it seems like they are pushing awfully hard to lose in the first couple of rounds at best. Do they really think that these trades will be enough to get them past the Ducks, Stars, Sharks or Red Wings? I don’t.

Turns out the Blue Jackets are getting a 1st round pick in either 2008 or 2009 and a conditional pick. If the Avalanche make the playoffs this year the Blue Jackets get their 2008 first round pick. If they don’t Columbus will get their 2009 first round pick. The conditional pick is based on whether or not the Avalanche re-sign Foote in the offeseason and how long of a deal it is. That’s a huge return for Foote. Good for Columbus and as for the Avalanche - wow. In what is being called a very deep draft to potentially give up your first round pick for Adam Foote is shocking to me. That’s a bad deal for Colorado, especially since Foote had made it clear that he would only go to the Avalanche. I’m not sure who the Avalanche think they are but adding Forsberg, Foote and Salei is not enough to get you past the Big Four of Dallas, Detroit, Anaheim and San Jose and they’ve given up some good draft picks in the process.

LAPOINTE TO OTTAWA

The Ottawa Senators traded a 6th round pick in the 2008 draft to the Blackhawks for Martin Lapointe. This trade reminds me a lot of the Ducks trade for Brad May last year as Lapointe will bring the Senators grit and experience. He’s won two Stanley Cups as well so will bring that experience with him to a team that should be a strong Cup contender in the Eastern Conference. The return the Blackhawks get is better than nothing, and since Lapointe was going to be a UFA this summer it’s not a bad move.

Tuesday, February 26th - 10:20am PT

FEDOROV TO CAPITALS 

The Washington Capitals have traded for Sergei Fedorov. The Capitals are getting a big name with very little left in the tank. It will be interesting to see if the Capitals put Fedorov on the same line as Alexander Ovechkin - I have to think that Fedorov was a hero of Ovechkin when Alexander was growing up and it would be fun to watch those two play together. The Capitals have added a new goalie and a new center - clearly they are making a push at the Southeast Division title. I don’t think it’ll be enough, but at least they are trying and not giving up a lot to it.

The Blue Jackets are getting Ted Ruth, a defensive prospect that is a former second round pick of the Capitals. Amazing how little a guy like Fedorov can get, isn’t it? I wouldn’t have believed that Ruslan Salei would get a bigger return than Fedorov at the deadline.

Tuesday, February 26th - 10:40am PT

DAVISON TO ISLANDERS 

Two more minor deals have come through. First, the San Jose Sharks sent defenseman Rob Davison to the New York Islanders for a 7th round pick in the 2008 draft. Clearly Davison was no longer needed in San Jose now that the Sharks have Brian Campbell and while a 7th round pick is not much it’s better than nothing. I’m not sure how much of a chance Davison will get on the Island but he’s a serviceable defenseman. He’s not going to be a difference maker but he will give them better depth on the blue line.

COOKE TO CAPITALS, PETTINGER TO CANUCKS 

The other deal was the Washington Capitals getting Matt Cooke for Matt Pettinger. The Capitals continue to reload their roster and Cooke has decent offensive skills though he is having a miserable season offensively with just seven goals and 16 points in 61 games. Pettinger is a former 20-goal scorer that is having an equally bad year with just two goals and seven points in 57 games this season. Perhaps a change of scenery will do both men some good. It couldn’t hurt.

Tuesday, February 26th - 11:52am PT

GILL TO PENGUINS 

After more than an hour of no trades the Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired Hal Gill from the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs get a 2nd round and a 5th round draft pick in the 2008 draft. Gill is very big and very slow and I don’t think he’ll fit in well with the Penguins fast-paced style of play. If he stays back and does nothing more than clear the crease he’ll be fine. That’s good return for Gill as far as Toronto is concerned.

Tuesday, February 26th - 12:31pm PT

HOSSA TO PENGUINS, THRASHERS GET BIG RETURN 

I just got out of a meeting and the big news welcoming me back is that Marian Hossa is now on the Pittsburgh Penguins. He, along with Pascal Dupuis, are on their way to the Penguins in exchange for Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen, Angelo Esposito and the Penguins 1st round draft pick in 2008. WOW!

Yes, the Penguins are getting a great player in Marian Hossa but they are giving up a LOT to get him and he’s going to be a UFA on July 1st. They had better re-sign him or else this could hurt them in the long run. I am a big fan of Colby Armstrong and think he’s a gritty power forward with untapped offensive potential. He’s been buried behind some really good players in Pittsburgh but could shine in Atlanta. They also get Erik Christensen who had 18 goals last year, Angelo Esposito who was the Penguins 1st round pick last year, and the Penguins 1st round in 2008! That’s an incredible return for a guy that was going to walk away as an UFA on July 1st. Good for the Thrashers to get three first round picks (Armstrong, Esposito & the 2008 pick) and Erik Christensen.

Clearly the Penguins are going after the Stanley Cup this season and Hossa will help them, but how much offense does a team need? Are the Penguins good enough on defense and in net to win the Cup? I have my doubts, especially since they just got rid of one of their best defensive forwards in Colby Armstrong. It’s a big gamble for the Penguins but I’m sure the Pittsburgh area is buzzing with the news that the biggest name moved at the trading deadline is coming to the Penguins.

Tuesday, February 26th - 12:52pm PT

I’m still trying to catch my breath after the flurry of deals right at the deadline. There were a lot so let me list them off and give a quick comment or two:

CHRIS SIMON TO WILD

Chris Simon, fresh off the longest suspension in NHL history, is on his way to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for a 6th round draft pick. Why the Wild want him I’m not sure. They’ve got enough grit with Derek Boogaard and Todd Fedoruk but apparently they wanted to make sure they had enough. They are now a very nasty team on the fourth line and will be very tough to play against in the playoffs. For the Islanders, good for them to get rid of this guy and getting a 6th round pick is gravy. The best news for them is that if Simon snaps again he won’t be wearing an Islanders jersey when he does it. The Wild picked up Sean Hill from the Islanders after he got suspended for steroids and now they get Simon. Interesting.

STUART TO RED WINGS

Brad Stuart was traded from the Kings to the Red Wings in exchange for a 2nd round pick and a 4th round pick. Good move for both teams as the Red Wings get a defenseman to provide immediate relief while Brian Rafalski and Niklas Lidstrom are hurt and the Kings get a couple of more draft picks to build that championship caliber team in 2014.

AUBIN & BERGERON TO DUCKS

The Anaheim Ducks now have Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Jean-Sebastien Aubin as they traded to get Aubin from the Kings in exchange for a 7th round draft pick. This move gives the Ducks some depth in net in case Giguere gets hurt but it’s not good depth. Aubin is average at best and awful at worst so it’s an interesting move to say the least.

The Ducks also got Marc-Andre Bergeron from the New York Islanders in exchange for a 3rd round draft pick. This is a great move because if there’s one thing the Ducks needed it was help on defense (yes, I’m kidding). The Ducks now have Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, Mathieu Schneider, Francois Beauchemin, Sean O’Donnell and Marc-Andre Bergeron. Kent Huskins, a good defenseman, will most likely be sitting with me up in the press box the rest of the season. That’s a very odd move, though Bergeron is a power play specialist of sorts and in fact leads the NHL with power play goals among defenseman. Anaheim’s defense is the best the NHL has seen in a very, very long time and they have a variety of choices when it comes to match-ups with the opposing team and power play point men. I’ll be intersted to see if the 3rd round pick the Ducks gave up was their own or the Oilers pick that they got in the Penner deal.

BACKMAN TO RANGERS

The New York Rangers added a solid defenseman in getting Christian Backman from the Blues in exchange for a 4th round draft pick in 2008. Backman is not going to single-handedly turn the Rangers around but he’s good enough to help them play better defense and that’s the biggest problem the Rangers have had. The 4th round pick is a pittance to give up for defensive depth so I think this was a good trade for the Rangers.

MONTOYA TO COYOTES

If you listened to the show this past week you’ll know that I thought the Rangers should trade Al Montoya and that whoever got him was going to be getting their goaltender of the future. Well, he was traded and he’s now a member of the Phoenix Coyotes! Al Montoya and Marcel Hossa go to the Coyotes in exchange for David LeNeveau, Fredrik Sjostrom, Josh Gratton and a conditional draft pick.

I’m very surprised to see this deal only because the Coyotes just signed Ilya Bryzgalov to a long-term deal and already have Mikael Tellqvist as his back-up for this season. Montoya could be moved again in the offseason or at next years deadline but I can’t see that he will be happy as the back-up to Bryzgalov for the next four years. Very interesting move, though good for the Coyotes to get him.

As for what the Rangers got for him I’m not really impressed. LeNeveau is average at best but they have already have Stephen Valiquette as the back-up to Henrik Lundqvist so I guess this is to replace Montoya in the AHL. Sjostrom was a first round pick of the Coyotes back in 2001 but he’s never really established himself as anything more than just a decent NHL player. He only has 32 goals and 73 points in 261 career games so he’s not an offensive threat and his career -19 +/- rating tells me he’s not great on defense either. Marcel Hossa was a 1st round pick by the Canadiens in 2000 and is pretty much the same as Sjostrom. Hossa has 31 goals and 61 points in 223 career NHL games. Sounds like they are trading two very similar players and hoping that each reacts positively to a change of scenery and teammates.

Gratton is a goon and the Rangers do need one of those so I guess that’s a good thing. I’m not sure what the conditional draft pick is based on but unless that turns into a 1st or 2nd round draft pick for the Rangers I think they lost out on this trade. To give up a former 1st round pick who has the potential to be a dominant goaltender for years to come I’d think you’d get better return. What did the Rangers get that they didn’t already have? They got an AHL goalie, a goon, an almost identical player to Marcel Hossa and a conditional pick. Good trade for the Coyotes in all.

KILGER TO PANTHERS

The Florida Panthers acquired Chad Kilger for a 3rd round draft pick in 2008. Kilger is very well travelled and he could just be coming to Florida to replace Richard Zednik for the remainder of the year. 3rd round picks appear to be a dime a dozen this year and for Toronto to get that in return for Kilger is adequate. Kilger, by the way, was a 1st round pick by the Ducks (4th overall) back in 1995. Remember that when this years draft comes around - for every Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin there are a lot of Chad Kilger’s.

MOTZKO TO THRASHERS

Joe Motzko won a Stanley Cup with the Ducks last year and now, after a few months with the Capitals, he’s on his way to Atlanta. In exchange the Capitals get Alexandre Giroux. If either of these players make any impact with either team I’ll be stunned. I’m not even sure what the point of trading 4th line/AHL forwards is. Maybe to help the AHL teams, but that’s just a guess.

Tuesday, February 26th - 1:22pm PT

HLAVAC TO PREDATORS

This trade just trickled in (the deadline was an hour and 22 minutes ago) and it sends Jan Hlavac to the Nashville Predators in exchange for a 7th round draft pick. Hlavac was drafted in the 2nd round by the Islanders back in 1995 and has since jumped all over the NHL. In his first two years with the Rangers he scored 47 goals and 59 assists. Since then he’s had 40 goals and 60 assists. It’s doubtful he’ll ever regain the scoring touch he had in New York and Nashville will be his sixth NHL team. The Predators didn’t give up much to get him so it’s a low risk move and if nothing else he gives them a veteran player to round out the bottom two lines.

Tuesday, February 26th - 1:41pm PT

BOCHENSKI TO PREDATORS

Just when I thought it was safe to go to lunch the Anaheim Ducks have traded Brandon Bochenski to the Predators for the always popular future considerations. Good for Bochenski who was absolutely buried in the Ducks depth chart. This is the third team this season for Bochenski (he started the year with the Bruins) and along with Jan Hlavac he should make the Predators third and fourth line very experienced and deep.

I got up early today and watched the Rangers play the Bruins on NBC and what I saw was a New York team that is lost. They have no identity as a team, there is no ‘Rangers style’ of hockey and there is no consistency from one game to the next. The lines are not working, the defense is terrible and the team seems to lack a spark at the beginning of games. Since January 1st the Rangers are 2-6-2. They are currently in last place in the Atlantic Division at 22-20-6 and if the season were to end right now they would not make the playoffs.

All of this is unacceptable considering the roster that the Rangers have. Jaromir Jagr, Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, Henrik Lundqvist, Brendan Shanahan…no team with that many offensive stars and a goalie that’s been a Vezina Trophy finalist in each of the last two years should be in the position that the Rangers currently find themselves. Something has got to change and the sooner the better.

The Rangers, like every team in the NHL other than the Anaheim Ducks, are looking for help on defense. Since there are very few, if any, defenseman on the trading block that would actually help them and since the competition/price for those defenseman will be sky high it’s unlikely that the Rangers will get that help this season. Therefore, the only thing they can do right now that can affect their season is to fire head coach Tom Renney.

I believe that Renney should be fired during the All-Star break and that the Rangers should hire Pat Burns as the interim head coach. Burns is a three-time Jack Adams trophy winner who has a 501-350-161-14 record as a head coach in the NHL. He’s won a Stanley Cup and is the best man available to get the Rangers to play better right away. Burns last coached with the Devils in 2003-2004 and left the team due to cancer. According to reports Burns’ health is good enough for him to return to coaching and I think the Rangers would be a perfect fit. He could finish out the season and then determine this summer if his health allowed him to continue coaching or not.

The Rangers must make a move soon before the Leafs have a chance to hire Burns and New York must do something now while there is still time for the move to make a difference. A few years ago the Kings waited until March to fire Andy Murray and by then it was too late to turn things around in time for the playoffs. John Torchetti came into Los Angeles and the losing continued. The Rangers, though, have a chance to make a move over the All-Star break which would give their new coach a chance to get his staff on the same page and get a few practices in to get his players back on the right track. Now’s the time, Rangers. Make the move or else kiss your promising season goodbye.

The hockey brawl of the year is not in the NHL, or even in North America! It’s in the Russian Super League! (Hint - just when you think it’s over…it’s not) 

Who knew that the Philadelphia Flyers had a farm team in Russia? I’m told that this resulted in 378 penalty minutes. The problem with brawls in hockey is that, unlike any other sport, there’s nothing that the coaches or police can do but watch because of the ice. A guy in tennis shoes can’t go out there and do anything so you end up with what you see here - 44 guys fighting and four men trying to stop it while thousands of people just watch it all unfold.

I don’t know whether or not anyone got hurt in this, but there are a few guys that appear to get their asses kicked at least once. I’m going to go ahead and call the next meeting between these two teams as must-see TV.