Is Montador a gritty, in-your-face (won't take any crap to him or his goalie and teammates) defender?

Losing Spacek's shot and offensive skill hurts, but I like this move.

Yeah, pretty much.

How is his hockey IQ?

Only thing i worry about Buf losing Spacek is on the PP.

He wasn't in Boston for very long but he looked ok in terms of positioning and things like that. I'd say Chief Rum or any one of the Ducks fans could tell you better since they watched him more. Montador is a 5th or 6th defenseman but he can also play a little wing and won't back down from anyone. I'm sorry he won't be back in Boston but the Sabres gave him a lot of money. He's a good guy to have on your team.

It didn't take long for Montador to become a bit of a fan favorite. Very steady in his own end, didn't make mistakes, not afraid to mix it up, and every now and then he surprises by jumping up on the play and helping make things happen.

I and many other Ducks fans I know were disappointed to lose him, and hoping a bit to bring him back. Quality signing for Buffalo, as long as you keep him in the type of role he can handle (second pairing D-man, at best, definite best spot is on the third pairing, doing well to have him there).

Things have pretty much gone as I expected for Carolina. Rutherford is nothing if not loyal. Carolina's three major signings are just re-signings of our own players (Jokinen, Cole, LaRose). Jokinen and LaRose I thought were good deals, but I still think Cole is a bit higher than I wanted (I was thinking low $2's as opposed to nearly $3 over two years). The only other re-signing I want to see is Ruutu, which should be a decent possibility since he's an RFA. He's also likely to get a major amount of whatever leftover spending money Rutherford has (the team's looking at a budget of about $50 mill tops) which means that Carolina once again isn't going to be making a splash in free agency. Again, not unexpected. However, the fans here are very devoted to the players on this team (see that bizarro #2 overall in ESPN's franchise poll), so while there is some muttering about not going after big fish, a lot of them seem pretty content with how things are.

With the way free agency money flows around, it seems like giving a lot of money is the name of the game.

Heatley had to be invited. He always plays for team Canada when he's able to and has been a very effective and successful player in international games. He's a 50 goal scorer to boot. You can't not invite the guy just because he's pissed off at his coach and doesn't want to live in Edmonton.

Heatley's invitation is a no-brainer. In fact, he has a better shot to make the final roster than most.

He won't make the cut if he isn't playing competitive hockey leading into the Olympics, though, which right now doesn't look very likely. It is just interesting how character doesn't really factor into these decisions at all.

Character isn't as large an issue in a condensed tournament, especially when even the most douchiest Canadian guys will usually give their left nut for an Olympic medal.

I think the biggest character thing the Canadian organizers generally take into account is whether the player will accept a role that isn't the norm for him (ie penalty killer or checker, or winger instead of center). As long as they feel a guy can check is ego at the door for a couple weeks they'll choose talent over character. A lot of this is fallout from... '98 I believe?... when they tried to put too many role players and stuff on the team and it didn't work out.

Again, I don't really think that demanding a trade because you dislike your coach and exercising your contractual rights to veto going someplace you're not interested in going to is really all the indicative of someone have "low character." You're blowing things way out of proportion with this whole "character" thing.

I am more surprised that Marc Savard didn't get invited. We'll be hearing about that one a lot on "Coach's Corner."

Given Heatley's track record overall, I'm somewhat surprised (and at the same time not) that there's anyone on earth who would actually get anywhere near defending his character. Kind of tough to defend what doesn't seem to exist at all.

You act is if the problems with Heatley began three weeks ago w/ his trade demand.

I wouldn't want Heatley on my team, especially with his salary. But in a short tournament like the Olympics and with all the leadership and veterans that will be in that room, not to mention the personalities behind the bench, I wouldn't fret too much about it.

Ruslan Fedotenko stays in Pittsburgh 1 year $1.8M

HUGE steal. He made $2.25M last year. So he takes a discount, and on a 1 year deal, to stick around.

That leaves some space to sign Scuderi's replacement now-- either on the 3rd pair with Gologoski, or 2nd with Letang and moving Eaton down to the 3rd pair.

Also, Pens now have 3 guys who have scored game 7 CUP winning goals on the roster:

Rupp (NJ 03) Feds (TB 04) and Talbot (PIT 09)

Vancouver signs Samuelsson from Det.

bbor beat me to it

So I'll add 3 years $7.5M

And SJ keeps Ryane Clowe 4 years at $3.5 per

Leafs possibly in trouble for tampering.....I heard the interview live with Wilson on air and i thought immediatly "boy he should'nt be saying that!"

Leafs contend with tampering twitter over Sedin signings

This is about the only significant thing Michael Rupp has ever done or will do in his career or maybe even his life. I imagine that the number of goalie interference calls against the Penguins is about to rise exponentially. He plows into goalies a lot.

Surprised the Wings didn't sign him then. ;)

I'm concerned more about the honor being handed to somebody like Heatley. Guess it is "refreshing" to know that Canada considers winning more important than sending the right message, just like the USA.

Rick Nash will be staying in Columbus for the long haul. The 25-year old forward has signed an eight-year, $62.4 million contract extension with the Blue Jackets. The yearly cap hit on the deal is $7.8 million. Nash who scored 40 goals last season, was the first overall pick in the 2002 draft.

Sorry ML :)

For all the talk on Wednesday night, I'm just glad this deal is done and the cap hit stayed under 8 million.

Now who wants to trade us a PPQB?

Your response works too CR.

I was leaning towards the 'Bettman won't call goalie interference against the Pens' stance

Pretty fun tool

CapGeek.com - NHL salary cap calculator, buyout calculator, free agents and more!

See cap effect of proposed trades, signings, buyouts, etc.

Just reading this at TSN

Chicago might have fucked up ROYALLY with tendering their RFAs.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=283634

Possible that Versteeg, Barker, plus 4 others become UFAs if their tender offers were not handled properly.

Nights like tonight make me wonder why I ever go to the main boards over at HF.

75% of the posts are OMGLOLZZZZ!!! Nash is overpaid, one-dimensional floater who doesn't deserve that much money, he's making more than Zetterberg, ect..

Morons.

TSN reporting that Ryan Smyth has been traded to the Kings but not what the Avs are getting back as of yet.

Without knowing what LA is sending back, why take on Smyth's contract?
Especially when there are guys still available like Tanguay and Kovalev that they don't have to give up anything, other than cash, to get.

Colorado picks up Quincey, Priessing and a 5th rounder.

Makes almost as much sense as Montreal trading for Gomez given the market at the time.

Colorado just taking garbage back.

Quincey is a nice piece, but not a centerpiece of a trade.

So Tanguay back to Colorado?

Wow, great trade for my Kings! Smyth is the type of player the Kings need and one of my favorite players, albeit overpaid. The reason it's a great trade is because of what they gave up. The only thing of any value they lost was Kyle Quincy who is an alright young defenseman, but someone they picked up on waivers last year and certainly not something they can't replace (kings are loaded with young dman). The other involved parts Preissing and a 5th round pick just about balance each other out as Preissing is a positive to be rid of.

Maybe too soon to speak, but with Scuderi and Smyth added to a young and improving lineup, I think the playoffs look like a good possibility now. Just need to get JMFJ and Frolov locked up long term and the offseason is a big success as far as I am concerned.

It's looking like the Wings will be a lot younger next year. I don't really see Hudler coming back at this point because it'll be going to an arbitrator and he could end up making 3 + mil that way.

Holland has went from saying Abdelkader will be in Grand Rapids to sounding more like he'll be down in Detroit to start the season. Personally I am all for it but we still need another winger. I think at this point the lines next year are:

Franzen - Zetterberg - Cleary
??? - Dats - Holmstrom
Leino - Flippula - Helm
Maltby - Draper - Abdelkader

I really don't know who slides into the 2nd line. I think it could be Leino. The guy can score and would be perfect to compliment Dats. Flip could also move to the wing and play on the second line but he has to shoot more if he wants to play at that line.

Regardless of how it shakes out I am excited. More so when Malts, Drapes and Holmer are off the books. I loved what they've done here but it's time to move on I'm afraid.

You realise we are the same nation that celebrates sending Bobby Clarke over the boards to break a young Russian's ankle, right? I don't think Yzerman has to worry too much about 'sending the right message' on this one.

Damn, you add Smyth when you already have that jerk off Gauthier? Why don't you guys call Chelios & see if he wants to make the trip out, and then see if McSorley wants to give it the ole college try. Then I can hate you guys proper.

I totally agree.

There are still some guys out there and I'm sure the Wings will spend a little money to sign a guy or two on the cheap to see if one of them can play on the top two lines. If not, they can wait and see where the team is at the trade deadline and make a move then, picking up a pending UFA.

This team will not be as good as last year's team, but it will be interesting to see the young players taking on permanent roles and watching them develop.

I'll admit to having some vague notion of what you're talking about here, but I love the quotes I found.

"To me, that was the low point of the series. If Clarke hits him with a body check and knocks him out, that's fair and square. To go out and deliberately try to take somebody out, there's no sportsmanship in that."

"To me, it's the same as shooting a guy in the hallway. Clarke was probably the only guy on the whole team that would have done it. We had a lot of tough guys on that team but there weren't many guys who played hockey that way. We had guys who would stand up and look you right in the eye, punch you in the nose if you had a fight, but I don't think they would bushwhack. But that's the way Clarke was as a player, and that's the team he's put together down in Philadelphia. That's been his trademark. But it's a free country."

- Canadian hockey hero Paul Henderson recalls the historic 1972 series between Canada and the USSR. Valery Kharlamov, widely regarded as the best Soviet player, missed game seven and was ineffective in game eight after a slash to the ankle from Canada's Bobby Clarke. (Canadian Press, Sept. 16)

"I think it's improper to criticize a teammate 30 years later. If it was so offensive why didn't he bother to say something after the game? I'm surprised at him because we were a true team. Thirty years ago, we put forth the ultimate team performance. I thought it was foolish for him to say that. It doesn't hurt me, but I don't understand why he would bring it up now."

"Listen, I never brag about what I did to [Kharlamov]. The only time I talk about it is when I'm asked."

- Bobby Clarke responds. (Toronto Globe and Mail, Sept. 19)

"I called Clarke over to the bench, looked over at Kharlamov and said, 'I think he needs a tap on the ankle.' I didn't think twice about it. It was Us versus Them. And Kharlamov was killing us. I mean, somebody had to do it. And I sure wasn't going to ask Henderson."

- John Ferguson, an assistant coach with Team Canada '72, claims credit for the whole thing. (Calgary Sun, Sept. 20)
(JiMGA note: Ferguson also said in a different interview that he wasn't going to ask Rod Gilbert to do it either, because he wouldn't have done it.

"If I hadn't learned to lay on a two-hander once in a while, I'd never have left Flin Flon."

- Bobby Clarke, in 1972. (Canadian Press, Sept. 16)

And then later, Henderson apologized to Clarke
"I apologized to Bobby for causing him aggravation," Henderson told The Fan 590 on Thursday. "I don't think anybody needs that and that's not my style to trash somebody like this. ... "The context was in this thing, was it right or was it wrong?" Henderson explained. "Thirty years later, I think it was wrong in the sense of my grandchildren doing it.

"The last thing in the world I want is (to) trash Bobby Clarke. We've got a scrum and, people, they fire questions at you in a certain way that you're damned if you do, damned if you don't."

Henderson told Clarke as much via telephone on Thursday.

"At the same time, I said, 'You know, this is my opinion,'" Henderson continued. "I stand behind my opinion that, in terms of sportsmanship, I don't think there's any place for it then and I don't think there is any place for it there. In 1972, did I condemn him? No, I certainly didn't. I'm a lot different person today than I was back then."

Realized I haven't said anything on it yet, so let me go officially on the record as being pro the Gaborik contract. Yes it's a lot of money for an injury risk, but we really needed to take a chance on a guy like him.

I loved the signing. His hip should be 100% and this is a guy who played in the most offensively stifling system in the NHL and still put up 40 goals and over a point per game average when healthy.

He is going to be fun to watch when Torts lets him go.

No doubt in my mind Gaborik is a top 10 talent in the NHL and well worth the risk.

I think its pretty lame of Henderson to criticize Clarke years later, especially since Henderson was only in the position to become the hero he is thanks to what Clarke did. If Kharlamov isn't hurt, I'm 99% positive Canada doesn't come back to win that series. Henderson was a pretty forgettable player if not for the series-winning goal.

I disagree, I'm not a fan of the signing. Gaborik is way too injury prone, and is not a top 10 talent. I'd say top 25, but you can't pay a top 25 guy top 10 money for 5 years, especially when you'll be lucky if he plays 70% of your games in that span.

I dunno what it would take to get him...or if he is actually even still available...but when i saw that hole in the second line it screamed Tanguay at me.

Strangely enough, that's what I said, but I didn't want to say anything, for fear it would make it come true.

Actually, it would be just like the Wings to swing a sudden deal for Heatley (as much as Wings fans would hate that, the rest of us would not like a great goal scorer, even without heart, in a Wings jersey), and juggle the lineups a little to get him in..

I agree. Gaborik is not a top 10 player. This is typical Glen Sather. Give $50M for 7 to Gomez, give 35 for 5 to Drury. Give Redden $50M. More of the same.

I was too young to see the series but I've got it on DVD. It's incredible watching the series from start to end, the swings in emotion, the genuine animosity between the teams and delgations. It was a different time and place. It was Us against Them like never before. Clarke would never have done that in a Stanley Cup against a North American player.

One of the best parts was hearing a contingent of Canadians in Moscow screaming "Nyet, nyet Soviet! Dah, Dah, Canada!" The Soviet crowd was virtually silent.

It's likely we'll never see anything like that again.

While, I don't think it the deal is super crazy, I was kind of surprised by it a bit. I really felt like we had seen the end of the 5+ year, $7+ million per year contract (Rangers, not included). Given the whole cap not going up this year and the prediction that the cap would be going down next year, I really felt like more teams and players would see the reasoning behind a more sensible deal. I think I would include Nash in the category of players who could, potentially, play up the level of that kind of contract (along with Crosby, Malkin, Ovechkin, Iginla, Chara, Lidstrom), but you'd think a player would realize the value to his own career of taking a bit less per year to allow management to build a better team around him.

That said, Nash is still young, seemingly scores a hat trick in every other game against the Wings, still has room to develop and is definitely the foundation of that franchise.

Over the weekend a good friend of mine, who is from Edmonton, sent me a link to Maple Leafs' post Heatley post on "Down Goes Brown." Speaking of which, I loved the Bryan Murray/Brian Burke buffet scene. It made me laugh.

He actually added on the 8th year personally, as the 2 sides had been negotiating a 7 yr deal with a cap hit around 8.3 million. When Nash talked to his agent, he told him to add an 8th year to the deal and a couple million more, so that the cap hit would go down.

Personally, I was expecting something in the 8-8.5 range, so getting him in under 8 was a good deal. Also, he's making 7 million this year, even though his cap hit is 5.4 mill, so he's only going to be receiving a 500k raise in the first year. Its hard to compare him to some players out there, but I think the situation that is most comparable (well, sans the Stanley Cup) is Eric Staal. Face of a non-traditional market, close to the same age, third contract for both (I believe), both solid young players.

I think he could have commanded 8.5-9 on the open market. I know that sounds crazy for a guy who hasn't won a playoff game yet, but he's scored over 40 twice in his career with fantastic centermen as Andrew Cassels and Manny Malhotra on his line. Here's a little nugget of information that I found: "Nash has the seventh-most goals in the NHL over the last five seasons. Here's the list -- 1. Ilya Kovalchuk (Atlanta) 230; 2. Alex Ovechkin (Washington) 219; 3. Jarome Iginla (Calgary) 200; 4. Dany Heatley (Ottawa) 193; 5. Vincent Lecavalier (Tampa Bay) 188; 6. Marian Hossa (Chicago) 187; 7. Rick Nash (Columbus) 177."

EDIT: I guess what was driving me nuts was the fact that most people don't realize that the days of cheap young players is over. You can argue that the Nash's current contract was the start of that, and I still blame MacLean for giving him that much, especially 7 million this past year. Although, in Doug's defense, Rick's probably earned it.