For those of you not near a TV or in the US, here are my quick notes from tonight's HNIC Hotstove. You can usually find this on youtube later in the evening but I knew you guys would appreciate this a little earlier:
-Atlanta and Kovalchuk trying to work on a contract SOONER THAN
LATER... Atlanta is apparently his first choice but don't rule out a
huge offer from the KHL to lure him away as "their first poster boy"
-NHL is against taking the Olympics to Russia in 2014 largely in part
to not having a current transfer agreement in place. This might be a
little hardball in getting a transfer deal done.
-salary cap rumoured to be "flat" or down "1 million at worst" for next
year which is a lot better than earlier projections which had it
dropping up to 10 million. Chicago (Kane/Toews/Sharp) will love this
news with all 3 needing new contracts at the end of the season.
-Franzen will not be rushed back from his knee injury. Detroit really
misses Conklin, but won't dump the future to replace Osgood.
-Kessel deal: how many players have been traded in the past twenty
years for TWO first round picks? Four times: Chris Pronger to Hartford,
Rob Blake to Colorado, and Ken Wregget. Only once it has been in this
situation though (to a non-contending team): Eric Lindros to Philly.
Has Brian Burke made a mistake? If Kessel "isn't Eric Lindros", this
might have been a mistake.
-Marc Savard hasn't signed yet and is UFA at the end of year... is a reunion with Kessel in Toronto possible this offseason?
-NHLPA: Chris Chelios wants changes and will propose voting out
Pink/Harsgrove and voting in Penny.... for now. A new player panel
might include Sakic/Shanahan or former president Trevor Linden. Milbury
says something needs to be done and direction needs to be chosen.
Talking to Donald Fehr (MLBPA) is a mistake!
Thoughts?