February NHL News

TFP

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Dec 10, 2007
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Nailed it.

I think he was concussed and didn't see the linesman until the last second, based on how his skates reacted. But for the NHL to go lenient on him would require them to admit that their own concussion protocols failed, which I doubt they're willing to do.

It's also a pretty clearcut suspension for him. It's either 3, 10, or 20 games according to rule book. 10 if no intent to injure, 20 if intent to injure. I think he deserves 10, but will get 20.
 

Haunted

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Aug 23, 2006
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http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/2016/2/3/10906720/dennis-wideman-suspension-linesman-hit-nhl-flames

Imagine for a second: You're dazed, trying to get your bearings on the way back to the bench, and all of a sudden you realize something is right in front of you. You don't know what it is, but you're on a playing surface where people often hit each other. Your instinct would probably be a defensive one, yeah?

The alternative explanation is that, all of a sudden after a decade in the NHL, Dennis Wideman turned into the kind of dude that would sucker-check an official from behind.
I think this hits the nail on the head regarding the context, and while I think a suspension of some sort was appropriate, 20 games seems like the league is - once again - being intentionally obtuse.
 

FL4WL3SS

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Jul 31, 2006
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Andy Brickley's potty mouth
He'll appeal it, it'll get reduced and swept under the rug.

Hitting a ref looks bad, so they had to look tough. Hopefully the more rational side will come out in the appeals process.
 

The Napkin

wise ass al kaprielian
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right here
Apparently if it was only 5 games he was going to be traded to the Bruins after he served it. It was on Twitter so you know it's true.
 

Catcher Block

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Mar 7, 2006
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The Blues are going to be without Alex Pietrangelo for at least the next 3 weeks after injuring his leg in an awkward knee-on-knee hit against the Wild on Saturday. Probably puts the Shattenkirk trade rumors to bed for this season as well.

Link
 

PedroSpecialK

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Dec 12, 2004
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They'd better hope the cap doesn't come down... with Buff and Myers on the books for like $13m AAV, I wouldn't be shocked if they moved Trouba.
 

Greg29fan

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Toronto has traded Phaneuf to Ottawa (announced by the Sens Twitter) - still waiting to see details

 

PedroSpecialK

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upload_2016-2-9_11-26-49.png

Yeah definitely gotta say, this is a win for Toronto, but Cowen is really not good right now - if they figure out a way to fix him, it's amazing for them. Prospects going to Ottawa (likely) won't amount to a whole lot, Lindberg + the '17 2nd are the best looking futures in this deal.
 

Jettisoned

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As a Sens fan I could not be happier with this.

Cowen is by far the worst defenceman to play in the NHL in the last little while. It's not a "settling in" thing, he's just a dunce and can't think fast enough. Always out of position, can't get his head up to make a pass, crazy slow reaction time... just an utterly awful hockey player. I am 99% certain that he is unfixable, because he was never actually good to begin with. Greening also really, really sucks. Michalek has been ravaged by injuries and is now pretty redundant for the Senators, as they've got Hoffman, Ryan, MacArthur and Stone to play wing on their top 2 lines.

Plus look at what these guys are owed next year:

$4.5 million, Cowen
$4 million, Michalek
$3.2 million, Greening

That's $11.7 million next year, plus what they're saving for the rest of this year. The monetary benefits kick in for the Leafs starting in 2017-18, but they've given up $4.2 million in cap space next year.

Lindberg is supposed to be a 2nd/3rd line player, but he's going to be touted as a blue chipper because he's on the Leafs now. He wasn't in the Senators top 10 prospects.

Phaneuf seems like kind of a dick and is definitely not a franchise defenceman, but playing for the Leafs is awful for anyone's career. I think this is a case of a fanbase scapegoating one of their best players because the team as a whole isn't very good. He'll either play with Karlsson and look really good (see Kuba, Filip 2011-12 season), or good against weaker opponents on the 2nd pairing.

I guess fans of other teams will look at this deal without knowing all this and think Toronto did a good job here, but the Sens 1) got rid of their 3 worst contracts, 2) got a pretty good player to shore up the weakest part of their team, and 3) gave up none of their top 10 prospects.
 
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Greg29fan

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I agree w/Jettisoned. I thought Ottawa did very well getting rid of three contracts of their own that weren't very good and Phaneuf will enjoy not being the face of a franchise and behind Karlsson on the depth chart.
 

PedroSpecialK

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I was very careful to not imply the Sens lost this deal - like Jet and G29 I agree there is upside for Ottawa and the short term is rosy.

However, 5+ more years of Phaneuf is a treacherous agreement
 

Jettisoned

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The Senators were never going to spend all the way to the cap anyways, all that matter is the actual money. With the outgoing money, they're basically getting Phanuef free for the rest of this season, all of next season and a bit of 2017-18. Unless he's actually a total disaster and not a highly paid Leafs captain "total disaster" I don't think the deal will be that bad. For the last 3 seasons his salary is $6.5 million, $6.5 million and $5 million, so it's not like they're paying full price for him anyways.
 

The B’s Knees

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Aug 1, 2006
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It's hard to cheer for the Habs to lose, and to just lose enough so as to not make the playoffs, but not lose too often to keep the odds low for winning one of the lottery picks.
Maybe I'm being too picky - I hate them, and having them lose just makes me feel better.
 

cshea

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Nov 15, 2006
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It's weird, but apparently they do have subpoena power for the phone. They had the linesman's as well.

Gary keeps it at 20, so off they go to the neutral appeal. There is a footnote in Bettman's ruling that he's aware of the Flames violating the concussion protocol. He says that's a matter for another day, we'll see if any organizational punishment for the Flames becomes public.
 

cshea

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The Leafs pump and dump continues today...

Roman Polak and Nick Spaling to San Jose for Raffi Torres and 2017 and 2018 2nd round picks.
 

PedroSpecialK

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Nice return for TOR - Doug Wilson evidently wishes to never draft again.

I have no idea how he's still in SJ
 

veritas

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Interesting this is the 2nd trade this year Toronto has made involving an AHL loan. Matt Frattin was loaned back to the Marlies when they traded him to Ottawa, and Torres is being loaned back to SJ's AHL team.
 

PedroSpecialK

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What is Benning doing?

Shinkaruk's a more valuable asset every day of the week and has top-6 wing upside. I'm not sure Granlund's got much to offer long-term than being an average 3rd line center.
 

PedroSpecialK

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That is an unbelievable return for Ladd from WPG's perspective, IMO. Dano hasn't lit it up in the AHL this year, but he's still just 21 and very highly regarded. A guaranteed 1st is a nice add-on, even if it'll be 26-30th.

Though Loui's only got the flexibility to be dealt to 14 teams, he's a better player than Ladd. You've gotta think he can get back something similar, especially with the Bruins' ability to retain one more salary for the year.

edited for wording as I was white girl KenneyCB drunk
 
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RedOctober3829

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Jul 19, 2005
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deep inside Guido territory
The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed defenseman Olli Maatta to a six-year contract extension, it was announced today by executive vice president and general manager Jim Rutherford.
The deal begins with the 2016-17 season and runs through the 2021-22 campaign, and has an average annual value of $4.083 million. Maatta, 21, has six goals, 10 assists, 16 points and a plus-18 in 53 games. His plus-18 is third-highest among all NHL blueliners.
http://penguins.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=870739&cmpid=pit-twt-penguins

6 years, $24.498 million for Olli Maatta.
 

Greg29fan

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I hope the Bruins chipped in like $3.50 since he was one of their best players the other night.
 

twothousandone

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Though Loui's only got the flexibility to be dealt to 14 teams, he's a better player than Ladd. You've gotta think he can get back something similar,
Hockeybuzz seems to think the second best offer was from Tallon in Florida. Eriksson is probably better than Ladd, but Ladd has familiarity with the 'Hawks players and system -- which matters. Last year, it took Vermette most of the remaining regular season to figure it out.

The Panthers first and Michael Matheson was either 1) an offer the Blackhawks topped, or 2) more than Florida was willing to pay for Ladd. I saw one report that Bowman was told a deal for Ladd was imminent, and he responded with Dano.
Would a first and Matheson be the right price for Eriksson?
 
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