The Official NHL 2007/2008 Thread

[Malcolm]

Sundin will not waive no trade clause

After weeks of trade speculation, Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin has made his decision and will not waive his no trade clause.

Sundin and his agent J.P. Barry met in Ottawa on Sunday in an effort to provide Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Cliff Fletcher with an official answer on whether or not the Leaf captain will consent to a trade.

"I have carefully considered the team's request that I waive my no-trade clause," Sundin said in a statement. "I have always believed I would finish my career as a Toronto Maple Leaf so the actual request was still a very difficult one for me to contemplate."

"I have spoken to and listened to my family and those closest to me about this issue. In the end, there is no right decision in a situation like this one."

"I cannot leave my teammates and join another NHL Club at this time. I have never believed in the concept of a rental player. It is my belief that winning the Stanley Cup is the greatest thing you can achieve in hockey but for me, in order to  appreciate it you have to have been part of the entire journey and that means October through June. I hope everyone will understand and respect my decision."

 "He advised us that he's staying where he is, which is his contractual right, and that at this time he's not interested in entering into a deal for next year," Fletcher told The Canadian Press on Sunday night.

"Hey look, when people sign contracts, both parties are happy with it when they sign them," said Fletcher. "The club was happy to give the player a no-trade contract and the player exercised it - what can you say? It's the business of sport. So we'll live with it, we'll move on and we'll do what we can to start moving the club forward."

Sundin has been in Toronto since being acquired in a June 1994 trade.  This season, he has scored 25 goals and 37 assists.

In 970 career games with the Maple Leafs, Sundin has 413 goals, 558 assists and 971 points.

Sundin is a Class A guy and I respect his decision and am glad to know hes staying put in the Leafs uniform...what a great guy

[D]

Wow this guy defines class.

I always hated when athletes chased a ring or a cup. Do it with YOUR team and I think its awesome what he said about being apart of the entire journey.


If I could skate with Dany Heatley and the rest of the awesome Ottawa Senator team, I think I would've waived the no trade, I dont know many who wouldnt.

[AxlsMainMan]

Sundin will not waive no trade clause

After weeks of trade speculation, Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin has made his decision and will not waive his no trade clause.

Sundin and his agent J.P. Barry met in Ottawa on Sunday in an effort to provide Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Cliff Fletcher with an official answer on whether or not the Leaf captain will consent to a trade.

"I have carefully considered the team's request that I waive my no-trade clause," Sundin said in a statement. "I have always believed I would finish my career as a Toronto Maple Leaf so the actual request was still a very difficult one for me to contemplate."

"I have spoken to and listened to my family and those closest to me about this issue. In the end, there is no right decision in a situation like this one."

"I cannot leave my teammates and join another NHL Club at this time. I have never believed in the concept of a rental player. It is my belief that winning the Stanley Cup is the greatest thing you can achieve in hockey but for me, in order to  appreciate it you have to have been part of the entire journey and that means October through June. I hope everyone will understand and respect my decision."

 "He advised us that he's staying where he is, which is his contractual right, and that at this time he's not interested in entering into a deal for next year," Fletcher told The Canadian Press on Sunday night.

"Hey look, when people sign contracts, both parties are happy with it when they sign them," said Fletcher. "The club was happy to give the player a no-trade contract and the player exercised it - what can you say? It's the business of sport. So we'll live with it, we'll move on and we'll do what we can to start moving the club forward."

Sundin has been in Toronto since being acquired in a June 1994 trade.  This season, he has scored 25 goals and 37 assists.

In 970 career games with the Maple Leafs, Sundin has 413 goals, 558 assists and 971 points.

Sundin is a Class A guy and I respect his decision and am glad to know hes staying put in the Leafs uniform...what a great guy

That's too bad.

Sundin is well past his prime, and hasn't done shit for Toronto in ages.

[Malcolm]

Ru kidding me? Hes been there leading scorer almost every year, usually by a long shot, easily there most productive player and is the heart and sole of that team, not Tucker like some think....Hes the only superstar they have and is showing no signs of slowing down

[CheapJon]

Sundin have always been my favourite hockey player, there's nothing to not like about him, he's a legend

[AxlsMainMan]

Ru kidding me? Hes been there leading scorer almost every year, usually by a long shot, easily there most productive player and is the hear and sole of that team, not Tucker like some think....Hes the only superstar they have and is showing no signs of slowing down

Yeah..and what do Toronto have to show for it?

This team has been a joke for ages, yet fans will still fork over their money to see the Leafs lose, and not make it to the playoffs.

Even if Sundin were to hit the road, it wouldn't change a damn thing.

The whole team sucks.

Their coach sucks.

Their management sucks.

[Malcolm]

Forsberg returns to NHL with Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche have won the 'Peter Forsberg sweepstakes', signing the centre to a one-year deal to return to the team for the rest of the season. "We're proud to announce to our fans that Peter Forsberg has decided to come back and play with our franchise where he's enjoyed so much success early in his career," said Avalanche Executive Vice President and General Manager Francois Giguere in a statement. "His addition should complement our roster and will bring our team to an even higher competitive level." Sources tell TSN Forsberg will earn $5 million (US) prorated for the remainder of the season, approximately $1 million. The deal also includes a no-movement clause.

Red Wings sign McCarty to one-year deal

The Detroit Red Wings have signed right wing Darren McCarty to a one-year contract and assigned him to Grand Rapids on a 14-day conditioning loan. ''Darren has earned this opportunity,'' said Red Wings General Manager Ken Holland. ''He's made great strides in the past several months and we wanted to give him the chance to continue in hopes he can contribute to the Red Wings once again.'' Sources tell TSN McCarty's contract is for $535,000 (US) plus bonuses.

Jackman signs extension with Blues

Barret Jackman won't be going anywhere at the trade deadline as the St. Louis Blues have signed the defenceman to a four year contract extension worth $14.4 million. Jackman will earn $3.6 million in each of the four years of the deal.

Flyers acquire Prospal from Lightning

Vinny Prospal will be returning to the team that drafted him. The Lightning have shipped forward Vaclav Prospal to the Philadelphia Flyers for defensemen Alexandre Picard and a second or third round draft pick in 2009.

Lightning, Boyle agree to 6-year pact

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed the 31-year old defensemen to a six-year, $40 million dollar deal. TSN has learned that the deal will pay Boyle $6.66 million per year for six years. The deal will include a no trade clause in the first four years and a modified no trade in years five and six.

Isles sign Comrie to 1-year contract

The Islanders and centre Mike Comrie have agreed to a one-year, $4 million deal to keep the Edmonton, Alberta native in Long Island.

Devils acquire Salvador from Blues

The New Jersey Devils have bolstered their defence for the stretch run, acquiring defenceman Bryce Salvador from the St. Louis Blues for forward Cam Janssen.

Avalanche get Salei from Florida

The Colorado Avalanche have acquired defenceman Ruslan Salei from the Florida Panthers for defenceman Karlis Skrastins and a third-round draft pick.

Hurricanes get Ruutu from Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks have traded forward Tuomo Ruutu to the Carolina Hurricanes for winger Andrew Ladd.

Sharks ship defenceman Davison to Isles

The San Jose Sharks have dealt defenceman Rob Davison to the New York Islanders for a seventh-round draft pick.

[Malcolm]

Sharks acquire Campbell from Sabres

Unable to sign their potential unrestricted free agent to a long-term deal, the Buffalo Sabres have traded defenceman Brian Campbell to the San Jose Sharks for forward Steve Bernier and a first-round draft pick.

Lightning trade Richards to Stars

After much speculation, the Tampa Bay Lightning have agreed to trade one of their 'Big Three' forwards, sending centre Brad Richards and goaltender Johan Holmqvist to the Dallas Stars for goalie Mike Smith, centre Jeff Halpern, winger Jussi Jokinen and a fourth-round pick. Richards, who makes $7.8 million a season through the 2010-11 camapaign, waived his no-trade clause for the deal to go through.

Blue Jackets trade Fedorov to Capitals

The Columbus Blue Jackets have traded centre Sergei Fedorov to the Washington Capitals for blueline prospect Theo Ruth.

Avalanche bring back defenceman Foote

The Columbus Blue Jackets have traded veteran defenceman Adam Foote to the Colorado Avalanche for a conditional first-round draft pick in 2008 or 2009.

Maple Leafs trade Belak to Panthers

The Toronto Maple Leafs have traded forward Wade Belak to the Florida Panthers for a 2008 fifth round pick.

Senators add Lapointe from Blackhawks

The Ottawa Senators added some more grit to their lineup, acquiring winger Martin Lapointe from the Chicago Blackhawks for a 2008 sixth-round pick. Lapointe, 34, was signed to a three-year, $7.2 million contract by the Hawks in 2005 and becomes an unrestricted free agent this season.

Canucks trade Cooke to Caps for Pettinger

Washington Capitals added anohter veteran player acquiring forward Matt Cooke from the Vancouver Canucks for left winger Matt Pettinger.

Habs trade goaltender Huet to Capitals

The Montreal Canadiens have traded goaltender Cristobal Huet to the Washington Capitals for a 2009 second-round draft pick.

Leafs send defenceman Gill to Penguins

The Toronto Maple Leafs have traded defenceman Hal Gill to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a second-round and fifth round pick.

Rangers acquire Backman from Blues

The St. Louis Blues have traded defenceman Christian Backman to New York Rangers for a fourth round draft pick.

Wild acquire Simon from Islanders

The Minnesota Wild added lots of toughness on Tuesday, acquiring Chris Simon from the New York Islanders for a sixth-round draft pick.

[Malcolm]

Penguins land Hossa from Thrashers

The Atlanta Thrashers have traded sniper Marian Hossa and winger Pascal Dupuis to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for prospect Angelo Esposito, forwards Colby Armstrong and Erik Christensen and a first-round pick.

Wings get defenceman Stuart from Kings

The Detroit Red Wings added a healthy body to their blue line Tuesday, acquiring Brad Stuart from the Los Angeles Kings for a pair of draft picks.

Leafs trade Kilger to Panthers for pick

The Toronto Maple Leafs traded forward Chad Kilger to the Florida Panthers on Tuesday for a third round draft pick.

Coyotes trade Sjostrom in multi-player deal

The New York Rangers and Phoenix Coyotes pulled off a multi-player deal on Sunday, with the Coyotes sending forwards Fredrik Sjostrom and Josh Gratton and goaltender David Leneveu to the Rangers for forward Marcel Hossa and netminder Al Montoya.

Defenceman Bergeron goes to Anaheim

The Anaheim Ducks added some blueline depth on Tuesday, acquiring Marc-Andre Bergeron from the New York Islanders for a third round draft pick.

[D]

WOW Hossa playing with Crosby and Malkin. I'm tempted to buy NHL Center Ice now just to watch that.

Atlanta's my team, but Hossa wasn't re-signing unfortunately so he had to be dealt. damn shame they gave u Heatley for him though.


Colorado seem to be reaching a bit much into the past. Forsberg still has a bad foot right? Adam Foote is getting old as well.

[tim_m]

Pittsburgh was clearly the big winner. They have to be the favorite to come out of the east now.

[CheapJon]

Colorado seem to be reaching a bit much into the past. Forsberg still has a bad foot right?

his foot has been a big sports-talk here in Sweden.. they say it's good now but it can probably get hurt like on the game on saturday..

he once was the best in the world so if he can stay healthy he can probably help Avs a bit but he really does have a history of injuries

[Malcolm]

Murray replaces Paddock as Sens' coach

Having dropped six of their last eight games and 14 of their last 21, the Ottawa Senators fired head coach John Paddock with just 18 games remaining in the regular season.

Bryan Murray, who coached the Senators for two seasons before taking the general manager's job last summer, returns behind the bench for the stretch run.

"(The change) comes certainly because of performance lately," Murray told reporters at the team's hotel in Philadelphia.  "I think the results that we'd been having or not having was an indicator that some adjustment, that some emotion had to be brought back to the team."

The team also announced that assistant coach Ron Low was relieved of his coaching duties, while assistant coach Greg Carvel, goaltending coach Eli Wilson, conditioning and player development coach Randy Lee and video coach Tim Pattyson remain on the staff. Paddock has been offered to stay with organization in a different role, and Murray said the former head coach will take a few weeks and decide.

[The Dog]

Pittsburgh was clearly the big winner. They have to be the favorite to come out of the east now.

I am not a fan of this trade.  Hossa is a free agent at the end of the year, he also does not perform well in the playoffs.  Colby was Sid's best friend and a VERY popular player on and off the ice.  Esposito could be a stud in a few years AND we gave up ANOTHER future 1st rounder.

If Hossa doesn't resign, this was a GOD awful trade

[Loaded NightraiN]

^ Yup if the pens dont get the cup this year(which they wont) time to rebuild 

[AxlsMainMan]

Kane powers Blackhawks past Canucks

The Canadian Press

3/2/2008 7:44:18 PM


CHICAGO - The Chicago Blackhawks and rookie Patrick Kane were more impressed with their defence than their offence after beating the Vancouver Canucks.

Kane, the NHL's first overall draft pick in 2007, had two goals and an assist to lead Chicago to a 4-1 victory Sunday night.

Andrew Ladd and Patrick Sharp also scored for Chicago, which is 7-3-0 in its last 10 games.

With three points, Kane retook the NHL rookie scoring lead. He entered the game tied with idle Washington's Nicklas Backstrom with 52 points.

Although depleted by injuries - six Blackhawks regulars sat out - Chicago dominated the Canucks with aggressive play. Chicago managed 28 shots, while holding Vancouver to a season-low 10.

"Every win is huge," Kane said. 'We'll try to do things the right way to get in (to the playoffs). From defence comes offence, like the last goal today."

The Blackhawks are six points out of eighth place and the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Canucks are in a three-way tie for eighth in the West.

"We had everybody going," Chicago defenseman Duncan Keith said. "Defensively we were doing the little things."

"It was a big game and we stepped up," Blackhawks coach Denis Savard added. "We stuck to our gameplan. There were barely any turnovers and we finished our checks."

Ryan Kesler scored for Vancouver, which lost its third straight (0-2-1), but first in regulation in nine games. The Canucks entered the contest with points in each of their eight previous games, going 5-0-3.

"They wanted it more than we did," Canucks captain Markus Naslund said. "They came out hard and we didn't respond to them at all.

"Ten shots on goal? That's embarrassing," he added. "Considering where we are, we should be more desperate than they are."

Canucks coach Alain Vigneault agreed.

"They came to play," he said. "They played hard, they were physical and they were the better team on the ice."

Chicago's Patrick Lalime made his fifth straight start in place of the injured Nikolai Khabibulin (back spasms).

Vancouver's Roberto Luongo blocked 22 shots in his 14th straight start before being replaced by Curtis Sanford at 9:49 of the third period.

"Maybe it's best that we just forget about this one," Luongo said.

Chicago outshot Vancouver 9-2 in the first and took a 1-0 lead on Ladd's goal with 2:58 left.

From the edge of the crease, Ladd knocked in a rebound of Kane's shot. Kane set up the play when he stole the puck from Canucks defenceman Willie Mitchell in the Vancouver zone, turned and drove to the net through traffic.

The goal was Ladd's second in three games with Chicago since being acquired from Carolina last Tuesday.

Kane's power-play goal at 4:19 of the second made it 2-0. His screened shot from the slot bounced past Luongo's right side.

Kesler cut it to 2-1 with 1:29 left in the period during a 4-on-4.

Sharp made it 3-1 at 5:27 of the third, scoring on a mid-air deflection of Keith's shot from the left point.

Kane extended it to 4-1 with his second goal at 9:24 of the period. He knocked in a rebound of Ben Eager's shot out of the air at the right side of the crease.

Notes: With Khabibulin out, Lalime was backed up by Corey Crawford. Besides Khabibulin, Chicago regulars sitting out with injuries were: LW Martin Havlat (shoulder); C Robert Lang (back) D Brent Sopel (wrist); C Yanic Perreault (wrist; and C Kevin Adams (knee surgery). Adams has resumed skating. . The Blackhawks will determine this week whether Havlat's injury is season ending. . Chicago recalled forwards Bryan Bickell and Jacob Dowell from Rockford of the AHL in time for Sunday's game. . Out for Vancouver were C Brendan Morrison (wrist) and D Lukas Krajicek (shoulder). Veteran Canucks C Trevor Linden was a healthy scratch.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=231088&hubname=

 

[AxlsMainMan]

Blackhawks keep playoff hopes alive with win over Minnesota

St. Paul, MN (Sports Network) - Jason Williams had a goal and an assist as the Chicago Blackhawks doubled up the Minnesota Wild, 4-2, at Xcel Energy Center.

Duncan Keith, Dustin Byfuglien and Craig Adams each lit the lamp for the Blackhawks, who have won three of their last four games. Patrick Lalime made 28 saves in the win.

Chicago currently has 70 points and sits four points out of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

"We've been thinking about the playoffs for a long time," said Chicago's Brent Seabrook. "We've been digging and fighting to get into that final playoff spot. Our team is really clicking right now and we can taste it. Everyone is stepping up and it shows."

Pavol Demitra and Stephane Veilleux each scored a goal for the Wild, who had a three-game winning streak stopped. Niklas Backstrom stopped 30 shots in the loss.

"With the way the standings are right now it's a tough loss," said Veilleux. "It's a tight race and we need to take care of business at home. Obviously tonight we didn't do it."

Minnesota is tied with Calgary atop the Northwest Division with 77 points.

Minnesota got the first goal of the game just 5:56 in. Marian Gaborik skated down the right wing and slammed on the brakes at the right circle before sending the puck across the ice to Demitra, who one-timed the puck past Lalime for his 14th goal of the season.

Chicago, though, tied the game just 45 seconds later as Williams beat Backstrom with a wrister from the left circle.

The Blackhawks took a 2-1 lead at the 7:40 mark of the second period as Keith tipped in an Andrew Ladd shot for his ninth goal of the year.

Lalime stopped all 14 shots he faced in the second period.

Chicago padded its lead to 3-1 on the power play just 2:32 into the third period. Williams skated the puck from his end to the Minnesota zone and from the high slot fed the puck over to Byfuglien, who blasted a shot between the pads of Backstrom for his 14th goal of the season.

The goal proved fortunate as Minnesota made it a one-goal game at the 6:47 mark. Kim Johnsson rushed the puck into the zone, but lost control of it near the left circle. However, the disc bounced around before landing near a scrambling Lalime, who was unable to cover the puck before Veilleux slammed it home.

Lalime made a big save on a Gaborik shot with under a minute to play and Adams' empty-netter sealed the victory.


Game Notes

The Blackhawks host Anaheim on Wednesday...These teams split the season series, but Minnesota has won nine of the last 11 games...Minnesota hits the road for a game in Carolina on Thursday...Chicago went 1-for-5 on the power play while Minnesota finished 0-for-4...Chicago's Rene Bourque finished the game with two assists.

http://146.145.120.3/default.asp?c=ocregister&page=/nhl/news/ADN4136004.htm

 

[Malcolm]

Face it Stoned there not making the playoffs lol...I've always liked Chicago...and they have a bright future...but this is Anehiems year again....no questions asked

[AxlsMainMan]

There are 16 games left, and Chicago has won 7 of their last 10 games.

It's still entirely possible, and I bet they'll do it

Anaheim vs. Chicago tonight

[Malcolm]

They dont have the goaltending with The Khabi...Lalime is playing good, but whos gonna come out of those top 8 spots? There all a lock except Vancouver...and I hope Phoniex makes it over Vancouver