2009/2010 Official NHL Hockey Thread

[Malcolm]

SOURCE: FLAMES, RANGERS TO ANNOUNCE JOKINEN-KOTALIK DEAL

Sources tell TSN the New York Rangers and Calgary Flames are expected to announce a trade that will send Calgary centre Olli Jokinen and forward Brandon Prust to the Rangers in exchange for forwards Ales Kotalik and Christopher Higgins.

Sources indicate that New York is awaiting Calgary's final sign-off before the trade call is made and the deal becomes official. It's unlikely any of that will be completed prior to Monday morning.

Jokinen was originally acquired by Calgary from the Phoenix Coyotes at last year's trade deadline. The 31-year old veteran has 11 goals and 24 assists in 55 games with the Flames this season.

Prust, 25, will potentially land in New York after taking a circuitous route between Calgary and Phoenix so far in his career. He was drafted by the Flames in the third round of the 2004 draft, and was traded to Phoenix at last year's trade deadline in the deal that brought Jokinen to Calgary. Prust was then traded back to the Flames last summer for Jim Vandermeer. The native of London, Ontario has one goal and four assists in 42 games this season in Calgary.

Kotalik, 31, had been sent home from New York's road trip earlier on Sunday after being told by the team that he would be traded.  He has been scratched by head coach John Tortorella in eight of the club's last nine games. Kotalik was signed to a three-year, $9 million deal as a free agent by New York last summer.

In 45 games, Kotalik has eight goals and 14 assists, with a plus/minus of -18. His best offensive season was with the Buffalo Sabres in 2005-06, when he scored 25 goals and added 37 assists.

Higgins, 26, is in his first season with the Rangers after he signed with New York last summer. Originally, the Montreal Canadiens had traded his rights to the Rangers prior to the July 1 free agent signing period.

Starting in 2005-06, Higgins had three straight seasons in which he scored 20 or more goals with Montreal, but his production dropped to 12 last year in an injured-shortened season. This season he has six goals and eight assists in 54 games.

[Loaded NightraiN]

Seriously kot-a-lik my balls was given $9mil?!?!?!


He really took em to town on that one

[Malcolm]

Seriously kot-a-lik my balls was given $9mil?!?!?!


He really took em to town on that one

Over 3 years ya...he had 25 goals and 30 assists in 2006...point is 3 mil is ok if the player has the potential to return to that status...but he didnt

Also the Jokinen deal is on hold for now I guess

[Loaded NightraiN]

he had 25 goals and 30 assists in 2006...

Look @ all of the stats of the sabres that year.... Alot of guys had career years that year... Drury, Briere, Pominville, Roy, Hecht, Afinogenov, Vanek, Dumont....

Altough most of them are still quality players, none of them have replicated themselves since leaving the sabres(or since the current sabres lost them as teammates)

Kotalik was never THAT impressive... Good midgrade player yes, but 3/mil a year??? no thanks!

[Malcolm]

Congrates to Giguere and Phanuef who helped the Leafs to a 3-0 win in there debut...From all accounts i've heard Gigueres a great guy

[Loaded NightraiN]

Giguere is a stand up guy & a great goaltender... I've been a fan of the guy since the Cup finals VS the Devils...

He got a MAJOR shaft with the Ducks... Only problem is he's in the sabres division 

[CheapJon]

  Ilya Kovalchuk is a New Jersey Devil.

The Atlanta Thrashers dealt their captain, an impending free agent, to the Devils on Thursday night for a package that includes defenseman Johnny Oduya, rookie forward Niclas Bergfors, junior prospect Patrice Cormier and New Jersey's first-round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

Defenseman Anssi Salmela, traded by the Devils to the Thrashers last March for Niclas Havelid, will return to New Jersey as part of the deal. The teams will also flip second-round picks.

"This wasn't an easy deal to make," General Manager Don Waddell said Thursday night. "Ilya Kovalchuk has been with us for eight years. He's been the face of our franchise and done so many good things for us, on and off the ice.

"We tried everything we can. I had great support from ownership. We offered him over $100 million in a long-term contract. He had said he wanted to be a Thrasher for life. We tried to make that happen, but unfortunately we couldn't reach a deal.

Kovalchuk owns almost all the offensive records in Thrashers history and is having another excellent season with 31 goals and 27 assists for 58 points in 49 games. But he will become a free agent on July 1 and had not reached agreement on a new contract with the team.

"It's disappointing, but we have to turn the page," Waddell said. "He's been a great captain for our team. We thank him for everything he's done for us. Now we look forward to the new guys coming in."

The Thrashers had offered multiple deals, including a $101 million, 12-year contract that Waddell said Thursday had been rejected. Kovalchuk reportedly had been looking for a contract worth the maximum of 20 percent of the salary cap on a deal that would last 10-12 years.

Since the Thrashers drafted him with the No. 1 pick in 2001, Kovalchuk leads the NHL with 328 goals. But Atlanta, an expansion team that debuted in 1999-2000, has made just one playoff appearance and has never won a postseason game.

"[New Jersey] is a good team and it's a great chance to play in the playoffs and go far in the playoffs," Kovalchuk told the Atlanta Jornal-Constitution. "It's sad at the same time because now -- I can say it -- I've been a Thrasher for eight years. I'm appreciative of everything, the organization and the fans."

Kovalchuk, who has 328 goals and 615 points in 594 NHL games, is a two-time 50-goal scorer who has at least 41 goals in each of the last five seasons. He fiures to be a major offensive boost for the Devils, who've slumped badly in the last few weeks and are in danger of dropping out of first place in the Atlantic Division.

Devils GM Lou Lamoriello noted that while the Devils gave away a lot, they have the depth in the organization to overcome it. He also noted that the Devils' recent scoring slump played a part.

"We felt Kovalchuk was a player who could come and fill the need that we felt we had for an explosive scorer and someone who could add a different dimension to our power play with the type of shot," Lamoriello said. "Then it was just the case of trying to make it work somehow where we could not sacrifice tomorrow."

Lamoriello said the idea of trying to re-sign Kovalchuk wasn't a consideration in the deal.

"That has not even been a thought at this moment," Lamoriello said. "What we want to do is just get him here, get him into the environment, get him into the lineup, get our coaches to see what he brings. We see what he brings, he sees what we bring and not even think about that (re-signing him) whatsoever. That is not the thought process at this time. It is to get this team better and in the next couple of weeks, get sort of an acquaintance, so that once the break is over we get all of our players back. Paul Martin will be back. David Clarkson will be back. Certainly, Patrik (Elias) should be back before then, hopefully, and then we'll know what we are."

Oduya, a 28-year-old, has 2 goals and 4 points in 40 games this season. Bergfors, New Jersey's first-round pick in 2005, has 13 goals and 14 assists for 27 points in 54 games, but hasn't scored a goal since Dec. 30 and has gone 13 games without a point.

"We're very excited to be adding Johnny Oduya to our hockey club," Waddell said. "He's a top-four defenseman and he's going to be playing in the Olympics for Sweden. Nicklas Bergfors is a first-year player with 13 goals who has a lot of potential."

Cormier was captain of Canada's world junior championship team. He has been suspended for the rest of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League season for an elbow that left an opponent in convulsions. Waddell said he's hopeful Cormier can make the Thrashers next season.

[Malcolm]

PANTHERS TRADE DEFENCEMAN LEOPOLD TO PENGUINS

OILERS SEND GREBESHKOV TO PREDATORS FOR SECOND ROUND PICK

SENATORS ACQUIRE DEFENCEMAN SUTTON FROM ISLANDERS

LEAFS TRADE PONIKAROVSKY TO PENGUINS FOR SKOULA, CAPUTI

MAPLE LEAFS SEND RECENTLY ACQUIRED SKOULA TO DEVILS FOR 5th

COYOTES ACQUIRE MORRIS FROM BRUINS

PANTHERS TRADE SEIDENBERG TO BRUINS

WALKER SHIPPED TO CAPITALS IN EXCHANGE FOR 7TH ROUNDER

[Malcolm]

VETERAN D SCHNEIDER HEADING TO COYOTES

The Vancouver Canucks made a deal with the Phoenix Coyotes, trading veteran defenceman Mathieu Schneider for blue liner Sean Zimmerman and a 2010 conditional sixth-round draft selection.

BLUE JACKETS SEND TORRES TO SABRES FOR PAETSCH, DRAFT PICK

KINGS ACQUIRE HALPERN FROM LIGHTNING FOR PURCELL, DRAFT PICK

DUCKS ACQUIRE WARD FROM HURRICANES FOR POGGE, DRAFT PICK

DUCKS SEND TOSKALA TO FLAMES FOR MCELHINNEY

KINGS ACQUIRE MODIN FROM JACKETS FOR FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS

LEAFS SEND F STEMPNIAK TO COYOTES FOR DRAFT PICKS

[Malcolm]

CAPITALS ACQUIRE CORVO FROM HURRICANES FOR POTHIER, OSALA

OILERS SEND STAIOS TO FLAMES FOR JOHNSON, DRAFT PICK

The dismantling of the Edmonton Oilers continues as they have sent veteran defenceman Steve Staios to the Calgary Flames for defenceman Aaron Johnson and a third round draft pick. It's the first time that the provincial rivals have ever completed a trade with one another.
"The fact that I'm the first one is something to talk about. For me personally, it's not a big deal," said Staios in a conference call. "I'm a Flame now and I'll have no problem doing what I do once I get the jersey on."

OILERS SEND VISNOVSKY TO DUCKS FOR WHITNEY

The Anaheim Ducks power play is about to get a big boost from the backend as they have acquired defenceman Lubomir Visnovsky from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Ryan Whitney and a sixth-round draft pick. The 33-year old Slovakian blueliner has three years and $14 million remaining on his contract. "Lubomir Visnovsky is a skilled defenseman with a proven track record," said Ducks' Executive Vice President/General Manager Bob Murray in a statement. "We feel this is a major addition for us, not only for our stretch drive but going forward."

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

Going to the Kings game tonight!

Hopefully they will play with more energy than they have been playing with lately.

[kaasupoltin]

Congratulations Teemu for the 600th

[Malcolm]

Congratulations Teemu for the 600th

Indeed..Class A player..Will be sad to see him go...Very intense games right now...loving the stretch, theres so much parody in this league now..

and wow just seen Drury tied up the Rangers game against the Devils with like 30 seconds left, they were down 3-2 and the Rangers needed at least a point this game to stay close in the race..How much more clutch of a player can this guy get

[Alan]

so who's going to win the cup

[AxlsMainMan]

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph my Blackhawks better not fold against Nashville

[chineseblues]

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph my Blackhawks better not fold against Nashville

They will, you now have the Hossa curse....

[Alan]

if they had the hossa curse they'd lose in game 7 of the final 

[chineseblues]

Really the Hossa curse means you won't get the cup, doesn't really matter when you go out, you just go.

[Malcolm]

Best hockey I have seen in a long ass time.

[Alan]

canucks kings series is aweomse.

i'm supporting ovi and the caps in the play off's this year, they're having a good series with the habs too.