The Ditch part deux

Just wanted to give a shout out to all my hockey friends and frenemies, and wish the best for Tampa Bay for ole Craig Florida in the afterlife.

 

Hornqvist traded to Panthers by Penguins for Matheson, Sceviour
Forward, two-time Cup winner with Pittsburgh, acquired for defenseman, center

Patric Hornqvist was traded to the Florida Panthers by the Pittsburgh Penguins for Mike Matheson and Colton Sceviour on Thursday.

Hornqvist, a 33-year-old forward, scored 32 points (17 goals, 15 assists) in 52 regular-season games and two points (one goal, one assist) in four postseason games. He has three seasons left on a five-year, $26.5 million contract ($5.3 million average annual value) he signed with the Penguins on Feb. 27, 2018.

Selected by the Nashville Predators in the seventh round (No. 230) of the 2005 NHL Draft, Hornqvist has scored 480 points (238 goals, 242 assists) in 770 regular-season games with the Penguins and Predators, and he has 46 points (25 goals, 21 assists) in 90 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

NHL.com

 

Pitt unloads one bad deal (Hornqvist) and takes on an atrocious one (Matheson).
Hornqvist's play and availability is waining but he can help when he's in the lineup. Win for Florida.

 

Yeah, the leak came out Tuesday morning, and Panthers fans have been waiting with bated breath for it to actually go through. The new GM has been on the job for a week and got done what Tallon couldn't / wouldn't, fixing one of Dale's biggest mistakes and certainly the one that every fan had as their top priority.

The initial deal was Hornqvuist for Matheson straight up, but apparently there was an issue with injury insurance in Hornqvuist's contract. The Panthers ended up throwing in Sceviour, so something tells me that someone in Pitt might've realized just how bad the deal was, and tried to squeeze it a little more. Not really sure how the insurance issue might've worked out to FLA sending more, but who knows. Sceves is a good 4th line utility player - good defensively, great on PK, provides absolutely no offense whatsoever. And for $1.2 mil, he's not going to cost much. But he's also not something Florida can't replace. Both Matheson and Sceviour are really good people, but I won't miss them as hockey players.

Hornqvuist is expensive, but only for three years. And when he's healthy, he will at least contribute on the ice. Matheson is only $500K / yr cheaper, and is on the books for twice as long. He was a healthy scratch on a team that needs defense so desperately. So FLA gets a vet player that will contribute, and is only on the books for half as long as a useless player. Yeah, that's a FLA win.

Suffice to say, the fan reaction down here has been ecstatic. Local fan groups are already picking out a site on which to build Zito's statue.

 

thanks, dline. i was looking forward to your reaction.

You didn't disappoint.

 

Just wanted to give a shout out to all my hockey friends and frenemies, and wish the best for Tampa Bay for ole Craig Florida in the afterlife.

Well done Solo..........Craig was a GREAT guy.......Rest in Peace......\+/

 

Nooooooo!

 

WOW..........he is 33 Solo......I have a funny feeling Patric is going to like going to Florida.

 

They have something like $22+ in cap space now. Should be enough to resign everyone if they want.
Rags building a wagon and adding Lafreniere.

 

That's my cat Chase at the bottom right and @Chargin' Chimp's hairy legs.

 

NHL, NHLPA aim to start next season on Jan. 1

After batting around the idea of starting the 2020-21 season as early as December, the NHL and NHLPA put forth a more realistic start date of next season as Jan. 1, 2021. (One might note that there’s not much “2020” to that 2020-21 season, but plenty of business will take place. As you’ll see beginning with the 2020 NHL Draft.)

“It was just over a week ago that we celebrated the successful completion of our 2019-20 return to play with the crowning of the Tampa Bay Lightning as Stanley Cup champions,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said Tuesday. “Based upon what we have learned and what we know and what we still don’t know, I can say that we are now focused on a Jan. 1 start for next season.”

From a marketing perspective, Jan. 1, 2021 makes a lot of sense to start the next NHL season.

For one thing, plenty of hockey fans associate Jan. 1 with the Winter Classic. Beyond that, the NHL could use marketing such as “New Year, New Season.”

Of course, the NHL aiming for a Jan. 1 start date doesn’t mean that will happen. If the past week of world news reminded us of anything, it’s that COVID-19 can strike just about anyone.

The NHL announced that the start date for training camps has yet to be determined. Early on, reports indicate that the bubble won’t return for 2020-21, at least in the form it took during the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. But who knows, really?

NBC

 

Hell of a player, Justin Wilson Williams announces retirement... 20 years in the books.

 

Williams

 

Really breaks my heart that Teows is not happy about the direction the Blackhawks are going... doesnt like the idea of Crawford and Saad being offed.

My sad face ---->

 

Doc Emerick has retired.


Sashayed right on out a there.

 

Doc Emerick has retired.

He was very good at his Job........and I'm glad he is in the NHL HOF.

 

well played

 

How the Athletic forecasts the offseason through numbers. As you can see they have the Red Wings adding the highest number of wins to their number from last year.
Dont necessarily agree with all of it but I like the idea.
Actually not even sure whether you guys can see the graphic or not.

 

Its showing perfectly... and its interesting.

I sure hope the season can start on January 1st and go for a whole 82 game schedule, but im not holding my breath.

Wings win 30-40, i would be very impressed.