Metal Reviews

Canada's Olympic Orientation Camp Invitees Announced

Goalies:

Martin Brodeur
Roberto Luongo
Marc-André Fleury
Steve Mason
Cam Ward

Defencemen:

Jay Bouwmeester
Dan Boyle
Scott Niedermayer
Chris Pronger
Robyn Regehr
Dion Phaneuf
Marc Staal
Shea Weber
François Beauchemin
Brent Burns
Drew Doughty
Stéphane Robidas
Mike Green
Dan Hamhuis
Duncan Keith
Brent Seabrook

Forwards:

Sidney Crosby
Shane Doan
Simon Gagné
Dany Heatley
Jarome Iginla
Rick Nash
Joe Sakic
Martin St-Louis
Eric Staal
Joe Thornton
Vincent Lecavalier
Ryan Smyth
Jeff Carter
Ryan Getzlaf
Milan Lucic
Patrick Marleau
Andy McDonald
Brenden Morrow
Corey Perry
Michael Richards
Derek Roy
Patrick Sharp
Jordan Staal
Jonathan Toews
Dan Cleary

I must say it's pretty bogus that Steve Mason got invited and Chris Osgood didn't, especially when you consider that it's Steve Yzerman who's running the show.

Drew Doughty invited, pretty sweet for a teenager. Doubt he'll snag a spot on the final roster though, Canada's D looks stacked!

If Canada does not win gold at the olympics I will shit bricks. No Joe Thornton please.

As for the Habs signings... Way too much to pay for those guys. Cammi is not a first line player, and not worth over 6 million a season. Gionta only scored 20 goals last season, he is not worth 5 million.

I can't wait for the Leafs to play the Habs next season. Their little forwards will get destroyed by our big punishing D core.

I think we could of got more for Kubina, but it clears 5 million off the cap. Garnet Exelby might not be the best d-man out there. But he has punishing hits. I will never forget when he destroyed Sundin a few years back. Or that game last season when he rocked 3 Avalanche players in 21 seconds. He may not put up points, but he will crush those little Habitants player. And that will be nice.

Nik Antropov a Thrasher.

Rob Scuderi a King.

Adrian Aucoin a Coyote.

Hurricanes re-sign Chad LaRose.

Leafs re-sign Mikhail Grabovski.

Jordan Leopold a Panther.

Bruins re-sign Mark Recchi.

Rick Nash and Blue Jackets ar far apart on contrat negotiations. Me like this!

Dany Heatley most hated man in hockey.

and a couple of other low level signings today.

Glad Chad LaRose was signed.. Didn't come as a surprise as JR sounded much more optimistic last night than the night before. The money is getting tight though, and I don't think we'll see a proper winger for star nor a top quality defenseman. In fact, it doesn't surprise me if JR gets Tollefsen, the Norwegian dude who surprisingly didn't get a new contract with Columbus

Mikael Samuelsson a Canuck.

Shane Hnidy a Minnesota Wild.

Teemu Selanne and Mark Recchi say they will retire at the end of the season.

San Jose re-signs Ryan Clowe.

Pittsburgh re-signs Ruslan Fedotenko.

Rick Nash re-signs with Columbus.

8 years at 7.8 million a year. There go my dreams...

TRADE ALERT TRADE ALERT TRADE ALERT

The Colarado Avalanche have traded Ryan Smyth to the Los Angelas Kings for Kyle Quincey, Tom Preissing, and a 5th round draft pick.

Yaiks. I love Ryan Smyth, he's a perfect fit for what coach Terry Murray is doing with the team and what his philosophy is. That's one big contract though, Smyth also has a history with injuries and isn't exactly getting any younger.

Still, the leadership and grit he brings plus a willingness to score "dirty" goals will prove very valuable. Our young forwards can learn much from a guy like that.

Gonna miss Kyle Quincey, he was great, but in the end we got him off waivers just one year ago. Preissing is awful defensively, as soft as they come and was overpaid. His value is probably negative. The 5th round pick is nothing.

The biggest fear i have is that Smyth's contract will force us to let Frolov go next season.

The Leafs would be more than happy to sign Frolov.

but to break my joy of the Leafs signing Jonas Gustavsson, it seems that Super Joe will retire this week.

Joe Sakic, easily one of my favourite players to ever lace up the skates. 20+ seasons, 13 all star games, won gold with Canada at the 2002 olympics and was named MVP of the tournament, played 1378 games, scord 625 goals, had 1016 assists, for 1641 points, won the cup with the Avalanche, sits 8th all time in NHL scoring, and just an all-round classy and great guy.

It is a sad day to learn this. Joe, you will be missed.

to a great career

first ballot hall of famer that's for sure.

forgot to mention his very impressive playoff stats:

172 games played
84 goals
104 assists
188 points
2 stanley cups

no one deserved the title Captain Clutch more than Super Joe.

+1 Sakic was the man. I feel so old now that all of the hockey heroes of my youth are gone or very soon will be.

20 years in the NHL and he was better than a point a game. Not many people can say that.

Goodbye Sakic. He had an awesome career and was a great player.

And goodbye Kovalev to Ottawa and now Koivu to Anaheim... Both of you will be missed. Especially Koivu, who is consistently underrated. A good player, but a great captain.

I wonder how Koivu will do with Selanne on his wing.

Complete 2009-10 schedules out now. Check respective teams website for their full schedule.

Leafs vs. Habs as season opener, very nice.

+ 1 Conn Smythe Trophy


Sakic was by far my favorite player. I've been following him since 1988 with the Quebec Nordiques being my favourite team at the time. It is indeed a sad day!

bought my 09-2010 NHL Yearbook today.

It's the most wonderful fucking time of the year!

NHL pre-seaon next month!

So with the pre-season right around the corner and the regular season not far after that, it's time to get back into the hockey mood.

So I decided to look up all bigger off season moves to show how different teams will look come October.

Some more recent moves:

Tampa Bay Lightning sign F Alex Tanguay.

Vancouver Canucks trade a pair of propects to the San Jose Sharks for D Christian Erhoff and D Brad Lukowich. Vancouver also signs D Mathieu Schneider.

Peter Forsberg planning another comeback to the NHL.

Toronto Maple Leafs grant try-out to F Jason Allison.

and the bigger summer moves:

Los Angeles Kings trade D Kyle Quincey to the Colorado Avalanche for F Ryan Smyth.

Toronto Maple Leafs sign D Mike Komisarek, D Francois Beauchemin, F Colton Orr, G Jonas Gustavsson, trade D Pavel Kubina to Atlanta Thrashers for D Garnett Exelby, D Anton Stralman to Calgary Flames for F Wayne Primeau, G Justin Pogge to Anaheim Ducks for draft pick.

Montreal Canadiens sign F Mike Cammaleri, F Brian Gionta, F Travis Moen, D Hal Gill, D Paul Mara, trade F Chris Higgins to New York Rangers for F Scott Gomez.

Anaheim Ducks sign F Saku Koivu, trade D Chris Pronger to Phillidelphia Flyers for F Joffrey Lupul and D Luca Sbisa.

Ottawa Senators sign F Alex Kovalev.

Chicago Blackhawks sign F Marian Hossa, F Tomas Kopecky, and F John Madden.

Detroit Red Wings sign F Todd Bertuzzi.

Calgary Flames sign D Jay Bouwmeester.

Atlanta Thrashers sign F Nik Antropov.

Tampa Bay Lightning sign D Kurtis Foster, D Mattias Ohlund and G Antero Niitymaki.

Washington Capitals sign F Mike Knuble.

Minnesota Wild sign F Martin Havlat and D Greg Zanon.

New York Islanders sign G Dwayne Roloson and G Martin Biron.

New York Rangers sign F Marian Gaborik and F Vaclav Prospal.

Colorado Avalanche sign G Craig Anderson.

Vancouver Canucks sign G Andrew Raycroft and F Mikael Sammuelson.

Columbus Blue Jackets sign F Samuel Pahlsson.


I probably missed some, and I definitely mis-spelled names, but that is most of the bigger changes from this summer. I think this season will be a great one just because I want to know how certain teams and players will do. How will my Leafers do with all those d-men and a new goalie? How will Les Hobbitants do with most of their team from previous seasons gone and an average height of 5 foot 8? Will Jay Bouwmeester put the Flames over the top? How will the Wings do after losing Hossa and finally struggling because of the cap? How will Hossa do in Chicago? Havlat in Minnesota? Gaborik and Higgins with the Rags? Kovalev with the Senaturds? Will Heatley be traded? Did Tampa do the right moves on the blue line? How bad will Colorado suck this year? Will Theo Fleury make a succesful comeback? Peter Forsberg? Mats Sundin? How will the Devils do after losing Madden and Gionta? So many questions...

I can not wait for this season to start.

Yahoo is really annoying me with their inability to get the new fantasy season up and running.