Official NHL 2013 Off-Season Thread

[philou21]

Yeah that's weird. I don't see him fitting with Calgary at all. At least he is not DG but he'll probably be consult for trades.

[CJ]

Yeah that's weird. I don't see him fitting with Calgary at all. At least he is not DG but he'll probably be consult for trades.

Why doesn't he fit with the Flames? I don't know Burke that well, but if I remember correctly was it he who was fired from the Leaves? Calgary keeps doing stupid mistakes all the time... when does it stop? They are a team that could be there in the top!

Even MacGyver was a Flames fan!

[philou21]

I don't know, he doesn't fit with the orange/red color. Thought he liked blue much more.

[philou21]

Kipper officialy takes his retirement. Burke probably scared him off.

[batdad]

Burke and Feaster are good friends. Have been for a long time. Does not shock me at all they end up working together. But LOL FLames...buy a goalie ...any goalie.

[Primis]

Burke and Feaster are good friends. Have been for a long time. Does not shock me at all they end up working together. But LOL FLames...buy a goalie ...any goalie.

I bet they start the season platooning Ramo and MacDonald, and try to make a move later. CGY is going nowhere anyways and they all know it.

[coombs14]

Burke and Feaster are good friends. Have been for a long time. Does not shock me at all they end up working together. But LOL FLames...buy a goalie ...any goalie.

Or how long until Calgary trades for Reimer?

Just kidding...I think...

Also, don't forget that they also have Reto Berra who didn't put up great numbers in the Swiss League but did play really well in the World Championships for Switzerland. Maybe Hartley saw something in him during his time coaching in Switzerland?

[CJ]

Karri Rämö has been superb the last three seasons in KHL (Avangard Omsk). I hope he succeeds in Flames.

[Primis]

Also, don't forget that they also have Reto Berra who didn't put up great numbers in the Swiss League but did play really well in the World Championships for Switzerland. Maybe Hartley saw something in him during his time coaching in Switzerland?

Both MacDonald and Ramo have to be ahead of Berra on the depth chart. JoeyMac has quite a bit of NHL experience, and Ramo has some as well. Berra has basically nothing NHL or even AHL-wise.

MacDOnald is actually pretty good. He was continually buried in Detroit on the depth chart but he had REALLY good goalies ahead of him. When they needed him, JoeyMac did a good job, most DET fans felt.

[coombs14]

I agree that MacDonald will be ahead of Berra on the depth chart for now. I don't think that MacDonald represents a long term solution for Calgary's goalie woes though and from what I read at the time of the Bouwmeester trade (take it with a heavy grain of salt), Calgary really pushed for including Berra in the trade. I think management is quite high on him but he will most likely start the season in the AHL. If he puts up good numbers in the A though, I wouldn't be surprised to see him get an audition.

[Primis]

I agree that MacDonald will be ahead of Berra on the depth chart for now. I don't think that MacDonald represents a long term solution for Calgary's goalie woes though and from what I read at the time of the Bouwmeester trade (take it with a heavy grain of salt), Calgary really pushed for including Berra in the trade. I think management is quite high on him but he will most likely start the season in the AHL. If he puts up good numbers in the A though, I wouldn't be surprised to see him get an audition.

Well yeah, MacDonald isn't young. He's 33 anyways, I'm only thinking of this season. He maybe has 2 or 3 more good seasons in him.

CGY was demanding a goalie back, yes. In DET we heard Feaster demanded Petr Mrazek back for JBo and that Holland basically ended all discussions there.

[coombs14]

CGY was demanding a goalie back, yes. In DET we heard Feaster demanded Petr Mrazek back for JBo and that Holland basically ended all discussions there.

That is interesting. My family lives in Ottawa and I watched some games Mzarek played with the 67s. He is going to be a good goalie. I don't blame Detroit for not wanting to let him go. His play in the AHL playoffs certainly seems to indicate that his game translates to the pros.

[batdad]

Dan Cleary...clearly screws around the FLyers and goes and signs with the Dead Things again. After agreeing to a deal with Philly and being willing to go to camp on a PTO only until Flyers could put Pronger on LTIR...and then signing...Clearly Cleary backs out and resigns with the Dead THings. HAve always respected and liked Danny...but CLEARLY Cleary widdled me off here.

[philou21]

Yeah that was a weird move.

[Primis]

Dan Cleary...clearly screws around the FLyers and goes and signs with the Dead Things again. After agreeing to a deal with Philly and being willing to go to camp on a PTO only until Flyers could put Pronger on LTIR...and then signing...Clearly Cleary backs out and resigns with the Dead THings. HAve always respected and liked Danny...but CLEARLY Cleary widdled me off here.

I'm no fan of the signing. The reasons are many. I don't like that he has no knees left basically. Keep in mind I own a Cleary red and white #11 though, I've always loved him as a player. But it's time to let younger legs play. I'm saying this kindly, and I wasn't at all kind in my assessments earlier today.

Lost in all this is what the move means. It basically means Darren Helm probably isn't playing in 2013-14. His back is not well still, that's I think where Holland is planning on getting the roster spot for it.

There are also a lot of rumors that he got signed because DET is preparing to send a package to Buffalo for Vanek, and that would open up roster and cap space.

[Primis]

BTW, some other scuttlebutt re: what Cleary's signing means.

A known Wings organizer in camp & prospect tourney tweeting from Traverse City (where the Wings are having camp now) today tweeted she personally talked to Tomas Tatar briefly, and he's very unhappy with Cleary coming back, and he flat-out said he would not report to the AHL again if assigned and would go to Russia (KHL) instead if it came down to it. That's what Jan Mursak did after last season after getting jerked around and not much of an NHL shot, he bolted for the KHL this season.

That's not speculation, and that's a trusted source. So Ken Holland has a real mess on his hands now. He has the reigning AHL playoff MVP, who has nothing left to prove anywhere else, irked and openly considering a move overseas. And I would imagine Gustav Nyquist and Joakim Andersson aren't very happy either, as well as a guy like Cory Emmerton.

[batdad]

Sorry...but if Holland thinks Cleary helps the team more than any of those kids you listed who are upset....I tend to go with Holland over anyone else. Guy has made VERY VERY FEW mistakes in his evaluations and decisions. Sure no Jim Nill now, but he would definitely know Nill's opinions on these players from before he left.

And really---is Tatar capable of playing Cleary roles? Or any of those other guys?

Wings are still a strong team.

ITs not like these kids do not know when they go to the Dead Things how things work for them...if they are impatient and want to move on...so be it. Move on. Back to Russia, Sweden, Siberia, Timbuktu for you.

[Manimal]

Players have the right to be upset. But it is what it is. The best way to handle it is to work even harder and prove to management that you are good enough to play.

[Primis]

Sorry...but if Holland thinks Cleary helps the team more than any of those kids you listed who are upset....I tend to go with Holland over anyone else. Guy has made VERY VERY FEW mistakes in his evaluations and decisions. Sure no Jim Nill now, but he would definitely know Nill's opinions on these players from before he left.

And really---is Tatar capable of playing Cleary roles? Or any of those other guys?

Cleary roles? Aside from a somewhat-flukey (because ANA is such an incredibly-poor skating team) good series against ANA, Cleary had a disappointing year and was a frequent whipping boy of Wings fans. Babcock kept trying to force Cleary to work out on the top line with Pavel Datsyuk and it failed and failed and failed some more. Lo' and behold out of desperation Justin Abdelkader and his younger legs worked out about 484390435 times better up there.

If you play Abdelkader (the piano mover) with Zetterberg and Datsyuk, that leaves Franzen-Weiss-Alfredsson (which already looks set in stone). Boom, your Top Six set already. So what role does Cleary have then? Bottom Six? You then have Nyquist, Miller, Eaves, Emmerton, Andersson, Samuelsson, Bertuzzi, and Tatar all already vying for only 6 spots (and not counting Helm as #10 if he miraculously gets healthy ever again).

[CJ]

Alex Pietrangelo signs a new deal.
Seven-year contract; $45.5 million/$6.5 million per season.

[philou21]

Jared Cowen signed too with the Sens. 4 years 12 millions. Nice deal if you ask me.

[CJ]

Jared Cowen signed too with the Sens. 4 years 12 millions. Nice deal if you ask me.

3 mil a season? Wow...that's a big surprise. IMO he's not worth that much... A big D-man who's played one full season in NHL!?

[Primis]

Jared Cowen signed too with the Sens. 4 years 12 millions. Nice deal if you ask me.

3 mil a season? Wow...that's a big surprise. IMO he's not worth that much... A big D-man who's played one full season in NHL!?

That's just the going rate now. Look around the NHL, you'll see those kind of guys getting that kind of deal if they're defensemen, especially if they also have 2 or 3 years of AHL under their belt too.

[philou21]

I think at three millions Cowen is a great deal for the Sens. He's a solid defensive d-men for his young age.

[batdad]

Bottom 6---Grinder, possibly kill penalties, fill in top 6 for injuries. And generally be a solid hard working leader. The young guys...Tatar et al are not the type of positionally solid smart players that Babcock and Holland want. Cleary is never going to be and never has been a 40 goal scorer...but neither is anyone playing 10-12 minutes on the 4th line or 3rd line. Cleary is happy to do that, and does exactly what he needs to without pouting. Tatar et al....since they are pouting already...not bloody likely to be able to handle that. They are likely just entitled little muppets who have had sun shining out of their asses according to all their freaking agents and people around them since they were 2.

Work for something? Beat CLeary out and have him waived by Detroit because they beat him out of a job? Why should they have to do that? They figure they should just have it given to them.

Sorry, but no sympathy. Get out there and prove to your bosses that you can handle it and are a better option. CLearly Holland and Babcock do not think they are or they would not have resigned Dan when he came to see them even after he had the deal in Philly all but done. Obviously the people that matter---who have a TRACK RECORD of NOTHING BUT GOOD DECISIONS--Feel Tatar et al have not shown they are more capable than CLeary at his point. Maybe some time this year they will...but so far NOPE.

So whine, pout all you want...go home then...who cares? Their attitudes suck if they want to cry and pout....which shows to me EXACTLY why Holland is right to bring back a guy like Cleary over them to play in the bottom 6. They do not need the whiners. ..... You know like Cody Hodgson. BYE BYE.