The Ditch part deux

i'm very comfortable with Pattie Wahhh bashing. please do continue *DRINK*

 

nice to see hossa going on LTIR, can't get bought out...
I really enjoy the circumvention of the buyouts. If a player has a no trade in his contract, he doesn't have to go through waivers...BS, cough, BS, cough...rich get richer

 

letang turns down a 56 mil contract, wow

 

He has the leg to stand on with this, the money his new contract should bring will flatten the tires on the Brink's truck.

 

I'm really noticing how every negotiation in Pittsburgh has little to no surprise in it.

Is it an organizational philosophy to "air out" every attempted transaction? Good way to get headlines. All the big boys at TSN and the booyahs have this stuff first for Pit. Usually a beat writer that beats them with most other franchises.

Is it a business plan to keep the headlines flowing? I think it's a good one.

 

I have a few things I would love to see the NHL do and IMO this is a good move by the Penguins to keep them and the league relevant through the off-season.

I could go off on a rant of sorts here with how the league screwed up during the strike.

I really believe they let the ship sail on an opportunity to go international and compete with soccer as the world sport.

 

I really do think the nhl could have a euro division, probably have better ice. The biggest problem is James controlling ownerships.

 

Letang had the worst year to hit the street. Most of the big market teams are hurting with the $ drop on the salary cap. The teams that don't have that problem are hurting because of owners not willing to go red, even if they could turn it around. I see the usual selling from the lambs and gluttony from the hawks.

 

The NHL needs to cut some U.S. teams, keep the Canadian teams and add Euro teams and at least one Soviet team IMO.

 

Has to be a NMC. Nice little throw in for the PA.
Hossa doesn't have one of those and the Hawks probably aren't looking to trade him anytime soon. Both buyouts will be gone by noon I think.

When are they going to just buyout Luongo and be done with it? Why they heff to make it so difficult?

 

A Euro division could be fun, but I think it would have to be a Euro-conference.

That means games all day...I like it. Wife would be pissed.

 

lol.

Letang knows he's getting 7.5. Funny nobody in STL has a clue how much they should make.
Pit fans too conditioned to Orpik and Martin and others that can't do anything with the puck except chip it out of the zone against a decent forecheck.

 

Baby steps. They still have to hit 32 franchises before they go overseas.

 

Rocky Wirtz doing the right thing in the Boston Globe today with the full page ad. Nice to have another owner on the "good" side. When is Charlie taking over? Loved that story about the fan in her late 70s that he took care of the last few years when her season ticket prices shot up.

 

I read that story too. It was a great thing he did for her...pretty cool. Hopefully she lives many more years and can take full advantage of the gift.

Should be an interesting weekend in hockey news...wich I will pay attention to, cause there arnt any games

 

Big parade/party today in downtown Chicago. You going bob?

 

Believe it or not, if I have to time to go to a parade or time to go touch a trouphy, I have time to go fishing and I'll use it that way. I just need the win, I find offseason transactions much more interesting than parades. Last time I did listen to the radio coverage of the parade, I'll probably do the same this time if I do anything about it at all. It's a good time from what I hear, I'm thinking it will be bigger than last time. hundreds of thousands taking work off. Most of the fans have been on the Hawks for 3-5 years now, should be much different than last time, and much bigger.

 

Lennie is going to explode with all the excitement of the LeCavalier availability. They have at least another week to kill time with the story in the markets that aren't going to make noise in the draft.

 

So are they going to move Peverly or Kelly to keep Horton in Boston?

Trade market for Bolland just got weaker.

 

On a follow up note:

Bergeron has been released from the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery. Broken rib, damaged cartilage, seperated shoulder, and a punctured lung. Damn...pass the vicodin, please.