On The Eve of the New Season: North of the Border Editio

Caps massively overpay for Orpik

Niskanen still on the board. Thornton/Marleau trade still hasn't went down.

Gionta to Sabres

Hiller to flames

Iginla still on board.

Julian, wrote:
Iginla still on board.

His agent is on my whatsapp World Cup thread and has been silent all morning….

vansmack wrote:

Julian, wrote:
Iginla still on board.

His agent is on my whatsapp World Cup thread and has been silent all morning….

To Avs. Three years.

Stralman to Tampa.

Detroit literally has done nothing with $15mil in cap space. Supposedly out on Niskanen.

Detroits FA signing day

Literally missed out on the entire top 20 free agents.

Niskanen to Caps. 7y at 5.75. The market for him was imagined to be much higher.

Julian, wrote:
Thornton/Marleau trade still hasn't went down.

your finishing school just called…

sweetcell wrote:

Julian, wrote:
Thornton/Marleau trade still hasn't went down.

your finishing school just called…

You should just be glad someone cared about this community enough to liveblog trade/signing updates from his phone as I drove around yesterday.

Part of me is wildly jealous of the ducks getting Heatley for $1mil for one year. The other part of me still wishes Heatley had died in that car crash.

Julian, wrote:
Part of me is wildly jealous of the ducks getting Heatley for $1mil for one year. The other part of me still wishes Heatley had died in that car crash.

It is absolutely a plug your nose and accept it deal for me too.

vansmack wrote:

Julian, wrote:
Part of me is wildly jealous of the ducks getting Heatley for $1mil for one year. The other part of me still wishes Heatley had died in that car crash.

It is absolutely a plug your nose and accept it deal for me too.

Yeah. I keep hearing rumors of the wings trading for joe thornton, and I literally don't think I could bear to watch if that gutless weasel was on my favorite team. It'd be second only to pronger hypothetically being on the team.

And the World Juniors are to a flying start….

vansmack wrote:

Julian, wrote:
Part of me is wildly jealous of the ducks getting Heatley for $1mil for one year. The other part of me still wishes Heatley had died in that car crash.

It is absolutely a plug your nose and accept it deal for me too.

Heatley placed on waivers. He's effectively done in the NHL.

Julian, wrote:Heatley placed on waivers. He's effectively done in the NHL.

Too slow to play on the top line, not tough enough for any other line suitable to his speed.  The groin didn't help either.  Maybe nobody claims him and he gets fit in the AHA and provides depth later on, but I, like you, doubt that.

It's time for the rookie Max Friberg to play on the top line…

vansmack wrote:
And the World Juniors are to a flying start….

unfortunately came crashing down for the 'mericans:  "It was the fourth consecutive win for Russia over the U.S., which hasn?t beaten the Russians at the World Juniors since December 29, 2007.

The Americans, whom many predicted would face Canada in the final this year, will go home without a World Junior medal for the second straight year." (http://www.worldjunior2015.com/en/news/usa-rus-qf/)

i'm currently watching the final and i'm having deja vu all over again: canada's 5-1 lead over the ruskies has evaporated to 5-4, with the commies about to start the on a power play.  fucking hell.  would someone teach those kids to finish what they start?

Mike Richards getting sent to AHL (after clearing waivers) is a really sad case, similar to Wade Redden. He still has NHL talent and every team would love him in their bottom 6 forwards… but not at that salary.

http://www.sbnation.com/2015/1/29/7945469/ahl-west-relocation-news-american-hockey-league

Kinda big news at the AHL level. I'm going to miss the opportunity to see the Griffins when they'd come to Norfolk, but I agree there needs to be AHL teams on both coasts.

MIN over STL in 6
NSH over CHI in 5
ANA over WPG in 5
CGY over VAN in 7
MTL over OTT in 7
DET over TBL in 6
NYR over PIT in 5
NYI over WSH in 6

NSH over MIN in 6
ANA over CGY in 4
MTL over DET in 7
NYR over NYI in 5

ANA over NSH in 7
NYR over MTL in 6

NYR in 5

i don't like that i have 3 of the 4 one-seeds making it out of their divisions.

After going 13 of 15 series last year including the eventual champion (and getting all of the champs series length's correct as well, iirc), I elect not to pick because I want to go out on top.

As long as Bruce Boudreau remains in charge, I have to temper expectations for the playoffs.