Goaltender Options for the Flyers - Part 3 posted by Kevin Christmann

Part 3 of my “Goaltender Options for the Flyers” series will include a couple of “international” goaltenders, and additionally, I will give you my final opinion on what I’d like the Flyers to do.

Part 1 of the series covered Unrestricted Free Agent Options. Part 2 covered Restricted Free Agent Options as well as trade possibilities.

Before I begin, I’d just like to make an update to one of my previous entries. I read a rumor today from Eklund (love him or hate him…I personally hate him) that I thought I’d just throw out there. It said that Giguere is apparently Holmgren’s Plan A this offseason. Although Giguere has his no trade clause and was in the Anaheim area for his son’s eye condition, he doesn’t really want to be a backup goalie, and if the Ducks plan to stick with Hiller he may consider moving. If true, it is certainly interesting news. The Flyers would definitely need to shed some salary in order to get him. To me that means Briere, Lupul, Carle, Jones or maybe Gagne.

Ray Emery

It pains me to even make this entry, but I told a friend I would, and I’d also like to shed a bit of light on him. He has been playing in Russia this past season after nobody in the NHL wanted him (or at least wouldn’t pay him what he wanted). Recently, there was word that the Flyers had contacted his agent. I guess it’s good that the Flyers are considering every option, they should be; but Ray Emery is not a very good goaltender. Ray Emery had one decent season, the only one in which he was the full-time starter. In 2006-2007 he posted a 2.47 GAA and a save percentage of .918; both of which are pretty good numbers. However, I see no reason to believe that wasn’t a complete fluke. He was on a GREAT Ottawa Senators team; a team that had 105 points that season. For comparison, the Flyers had 99 pts this past season, and Biron’s numbers were arguably better (the SV% was, the GAA wasn’t).  In my opinion, Emery rode that awesome Senators team to the Stanley Cup Final, where they were promptly run over by Anaheim.  Somehow, Emery managed to convince people he was a good starting goalie. He managed to get himself a nice contract ($3.167 million cap hit), and was bought out shortly thereafter by the Senators when he showed his true colors. Those true colors being a GAA of 3.13 and a SV% of .890. Oh yea, did I mention that as part of being bought out, you then have to clear waivers? That means every single team in the league passed on him. But I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and say that no team wanted him at a hit of 3.167 million. However, that doesn’t then explain why nobody wanted him as a free agent, when they could sign him for whatever price they see fit. The explanation is one of two things. Either literally nobody wanted him, or he thinks way too highly of himself, and wouldn’t sign the contracts being offered to him. Both of those don’t speak well for Mr. Emery. Oh yea, I haven’t even gotten into the fact that he’s apparently a coke head (with former teammate Brian McGratton), was perpetually late for practice, and beat up his trainer.

My Top 10 NHL Defenseman posted by Kevin Christmann

I thought I’d give a top 10 list a shot, and I thought defenseman was the place to start. I’ve noticed that the thoughts regarding the top 10 defenseman in the league are quite erratic, and there doesn’t seem to be a widely accepted pecking order. So I present you with mine. I’ve taken all around play into consideration. Both defensive and offensive abilities have been considered.

1)      Zdeno Chara
Chara is just the most dominant force in the game in my opinion. He is so big players just can’t match up with him. He skates very well for being so big, and it’s damn near impossible to beat him one on one. He can swallow you up physically, and nearly reach from board to board, so he plays incredible defense. He’s a physical presence, and he puts up great offensive numbers, with the NHL’s hardest slapshot this past season. He is currently a nominee for the 2008-2009 Norris Trophy (as the league’s best defenseman).

2)      Nicklas Lidstrom
What can be said about Nicklas Lidstrom? One of the greatest defenseman of All-Time, and he’s been doing it for…well, forever. The guy is 39 years old and has won the Norris Trophy 6 of the past 7 years; with no hockey being played in 2004-2005 due to the lockout. The guy just does it all. He is also currently a nominee (AGAIN) for the Norris Trophy; however, I see Chara taking it from him.

3)      Chris Pronger
Chris Pronger is a guy you either love or hate. If you’re a fan of a team from the West, you probably hate him because he’s been punishing, annoying, and playing stellar defense against your team for years. He is a hard nosed, and frankly, probably a pretty annoying guy, but that is what makes him such a great player. He’s physically imposing, plays fantastic defense, and puts up offensive numbers. As a Flyers fan, he is exactly the kind of player I’d love to see in Orange and Black.

What Next for Florida? posted by Jeff Ponder

At the March 4th NHL Trade Deadline, the Florida Panthers were stuck between a rock and a hard place.  Being tied for the eighth and final seed in the NHL playoff picture, the Florida franchise had to decide what was more important: winning in the current moment and going to the playoffs, or trading away a valuable asset to the team to acquire pieces for the future of the franchise.  General Manager Jacques Martin saw it fit to keep that valuable asset, but missed the playoffs just a short month later.  Irony is a sick joke.

Jay Bouwmeester became one of the top stories during the deadline, but ended up staying put in order to help for the playoff run.  The problem is Bouwmeester's open-ended thoughts to the media.  He was asked just before the deadline by the Florida Sun-Sentinel what the likelihood of him returning in a Panthers jersey would be for the 2009-10 campaign.

"I don’t know. Down the stretch here, there’s been a lot on your mind. To be quite honest, it’s something I’m going to have to sit down and do some serious thinking about. For me to say one way or the other right now is not really fair."

This is the kind of response that Manny Ramirez gave right before his deal to the LA Dodgers last season.  Responses like this lead the reader to believe that he is, to put in layman's terms, looking for better opportunities (**cough, cough more money**).  With his current $4.88 million price tag, it would be hard for the Panthers to give him a raise.  With just over $2 million left in salary, Florida has more holes to fill than just a star defenseman.  Stud backup goaltender Craig Anderson will be an unrestricted free-agent, as well as defensemen Nick Boynton and Jassen Cullimore and forward Ville Peltonen, among others.  Every one of these players plays an important role in the success of the Panthers. 
Continue reading "What Next for Florida?"

NHL Playoffs Rock On! First the East posted by Joshua Tarkoff

Welcome everyone to my first post here on the hockey blogs! I know I am a Floridian, but hockey certainly runs through my veins. Today, I will first be talking about the Eastern Conference. And...how about them Bruins! They look like the team they were when the season started. I was a bit concerned about them in the middle of the season, I mean after all they lost to the Panthers and the Lightning in one road trip. I did not think they were contenders when the playoffs started, but I am starting to rethink that now. Their power play gives me nightmares. Bruins in sweep, I say.

The biggest surprise series so far has to be Caps-Rangers. Just like the Bruins, I was not much of a believer in the Rangers, but after taking the first 2 in Washington, they may just have a chance. I must say that the Washington fans are tough, I watched them lose to my Panthers in March and the team started booing after just giving up 2 goals...rough crowd! Things do not look good if Ovie gets going though. Maybe it was because he was caught watching the Rangers practice the other day ( http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/playoffs/2009/news?id=4083635). Lol, that Ovie. Whatever his off the ice antics, I firmly believe he is the best player we have in the game right now. I had the privilege of watching him twice this year and I was astounded at how good he is. Caps in 7.

And NJ is quietly doing their thing without much fanfare. While I am not too much of a Devils fan, it is tough to go against Brodeur and company. They may not be pretty, but they do have a solid playoff system going there. I was thinking upset by the Canes at first as they finished the regular season so strong, but I can't go against Brodeur quite yet. Devils in 6.

It's Time for... Better Know An Even More Obscure Sports Team! posted by Nicholas O'Malley

Today we'll be covering...

The Florida Panthers! 

Yeah, in case you didn't know- there's a hockey team in Florida called the Panthers. I dont' know why they exist. I'm gonna try to do this with no research- let's see how it goes.

I can't name a playe on this team. Ever. Then again, they could've been an expansion team this year and I'd have believed it. I just saw the Boston Bruins play them why I was eating my buffalo chicken chowder bread bowl at the Souper Bowl the otehr night. I've heard of the Tampa Bay Lightning, they won it all a few years back with St. Louis, LeCavalier, and that goalie, Nikolai Havi... Habby, Habi... Holly.. Halibubu? Habubooblin? Habibubu... What? It starts with a K? Screw it I'm looking it up. (Khabibulin).

Holy crap, this team's been around since '93. They're based in Miami (like the Florida Marlins) and are owned by Wayne Huizenga of Miami Dolphins ownership. Their organization includes two hall-of-famers, their first head coach and first GM/president.

Ok, so the Florida Panthers are not interesting or publicized- at all. I guess this is why I (or you) have ever heard of them and is the reason the NHL neeeds less teams.

 Note: Remember that one guy that got his jugular slashed open with a skate and then ran off the ice while leaving a trail of blood. Yeah, he played for the Panthers.

Stars sign former Panthers D Skrastins (AP)

The Dallas Stars have signed free agent defenseman Karlis Skrastins to a two-year deal worth $2.75 million. The Stars gave the 34-year-old Skrastins $1.1 million for the 2009 season and $1.65 million for 2010. Skrastins played in 80 games for the Florida Panthers last season and had four goals, 14 assists, 18 points and led the team with 171 blocked shots. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Booth, Panthers agree to 6-year deal (AP)

The Florida Panthers agreed to a six-year contract extension with David Booth, shortly after the young forward became a restricted free agent on Wednesday. The deal was announced Wednesday, early in the NHL's free-agent signing season. In 72 games for the Panthers last season, Booth recorded 31 goals and 29 assists, both career highs. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Flames ink Bouwmeester to multiyear deal

The Calgary Flames have signed star defenseman Jay Bouwmeester to a multiyear agreement.The Flames acquired the rights to Bouwmeester on June 27 from the Florida Panthers in exchange for Jordan Leopold and the 67th pick in the 2009 NHL entry draft.Bouwmeester, a native of Edmonton, completed his sixth season with the Panthers in 2008-09, recording 42 points with 15 goals and 27 assists.The six-foot-four, 213-pounder has 203 points in 471 career NHL games. [read full article]

From FOXSports.com News for NHL

Flames ink Bouwmeester to multiyear deal (AP)

Jay Bouwmeester didn't wait for the start of free agency and signed a multiyear contract with the Calgary Flames on Tuesday. Flames general manager Darryl Sutter traded Jordan Leopold and a draft pick to the Florida Panthers at the NHL draft last weekend to acquire Bouwmeester's rights and get a head start on the competition for the 25-year-old star. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Flames acquire Bouwmeester from Florida

The Calgary Flames have acquired smooth-skating defenseman Jay Bouwmeester just four days before he is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent.The Flames sent defenseman Jordan Leopold and a third-round pick in Saturday's NHL entry draft to the Florida Panthers to complete the deal.The trade gives Calgary a window of exclusivity in negotiating a new contract with Bouwmeester and his agent, Bryon Baltimore. Bouwmeester can become a free agent on Wednesday. [read full article]

From FOXSports.com News for NHL