We Hardly Knew Ye, South(L)east Division

Regarded as one of the worst divisions in the history of hockey, if not sports, is now finished. The elimination of the Washington Capitals closed the chapter of the Southeast Division, something that many celebrated for being dead because most of the time these teams were only in the playoffs because they got at least one spot for actually winning the division, putting them in the 3rd spot (at least), many times points behind the 4th finisher.

But was that division as horrific as many people thought it was?? Since the division came about in the 1998-99 season, the Southeast Division sent two teams to the playoffs in eight of the 14 seasons it was around, it yielded only one President's Trophy winner (2009-10 Capitals) and two Stanley Cup Champions (2004 Lightning, 2006 Hurricanes). The Capitals, who were the only team not to move from their original location or be an expansion team, was the division winner seven times, Hurricanes three times, Lightning twice, with Panthers and Thrashers/Jets winning it once.

Now, to look how it looked in every year against the rest of the Conference for the Playoffs:

1998-99: Carolina Hurricanes: Seeded 3rd (Ranked 8th), Lost in First Round
1999-00: Washington Capitals: 2nd, Lost in First Round
                Florida Panthers: 5th, Lost in First Round
2000-01: Washington Capitals: 3rd (Ranked 6th), Lost in First Round
               Carolina Hurricanes: 8th, Lost in First Round
2001-02: Carolina Hurricanes: 3rd (Ranked 7th), Lost in Stanley Cup Finals
2002-03: Tampa Bay Lightning: 3rd (Ranked 5th), Lost in Second Round
               Washington Capitals: 6th, Lost in First Round
2003-04: Tampa Bay Lightning: 1st, Won Stanley Cup
2005-06: Carolina Hurricanes: 2nd, Won Stanley Cup
               Tampa Bay Lightning: 8th, Lost in First Round
2006-07: Atlanta Thrashers: 3rd (Ranked 5th), Lost in First Round
               Tampa Bay Lightning: 7th, Lost in First Round
2007-08: Washington Capitals: 3rd (Ranked T-7th), Lost in First Round
2008-09: Washington Capitals: 2nd, Lost in Second Round
               Carolina Hurricanes: 6th, Lost in Conference Finals
2009-10: Washington Capitals: 1st, Lost in First Round
2010-11: Washington Capitals: 1st, Lost in Second Round
                Tampa Bay Lightning: 5th, Lost in Conference Finals
2011-12: Florida Panthers: 3rd (Ranked 6th), Lost in First Round
               Washington Capitals: 7th, Lost in Second Round
2012-13: Washington Capitals: 3rd (Ranked T-4th), Lost in First Round

In summation: 13 times were lost in the first round, four times in the second round, five times in the Conference Finals, three times to the Stanley Cup, twice winning it. It's very ugly considering the differential that many of the seeded and rankings shows us. Most cases, all the teams would seemingly shoot for is to win the division in order to get to the playoffs rather than shoot for the 8th spot. While you had both in the sights, the easier thing was to hope for a collapse of your division rivals, which at times happened.

It wasn't the prettiest of divisions, it wasn't the most notable, it didn't provide too much excitement outside of who could come up with a better punchline for it. We're all probably better off with the realignment, but it did provide some kind of head scratching goodness come playoff stretch time. While it's not like they actually had a non-playoff team make the playoffs in that 3rd spot, it wasn't as if they deserved that high ranking-- even though they did lose more often than not when given that.

Absurd Goalie Monday: Danny Lorenz

This week's AGM set records in junior and was the face of a franchise who wasn't all that good, but made a decent name for himself. However, he was drafted to a team with a wealth of goaltending prospects, which stifled his movement upward, hitting a glass ceiling in the minors. However, he did make the most of the situation and travelled the world a bit to boot. This week, the profile of Danny Lorenz.

Lorenz started his trek with the Burnaby Hawks of the BCHL in the 1985-86 season for 25 games, but would move to the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL for the 1986-87 season; posting a 12-21-2 record in 38 appearances. Lorenz got the starting role in Seattle for the 1987-88 season, playing in 62 games and compiling a 20-37-2 record. Lorenz was drafted in the third round by the New York Islanders in the 1988 Draft, but would play in Seattle for the 1988-89 season, going 31-33-4 record in 68 games, which was enough to give him Goaltender of the Year honors in the WHL. Also in 1988-89, Lorenz played in four games for the AHL's Springfield Indians, going 2-1-0. The 1989-90 season saw Lorenz finish out his time in Seattle with a 37-15-2 record in 56 games and then going 6-7 in 13 playoff games.

Upon leaving the WHL, Lorenz held the all-time saves record during their WHL career with 6,958 (since broken by Seattle's Calvin Pickard in the 2011-12 season). Sadly, he also holds the record for most career goals given up with 974. With Seattle, Lorenz still holds most games played by a goalie, but behind Pickard in not only saves, but also minutes played.

In the 1990-91 season, Lorenz joined the Islanders organization splitting time between the AHL's Capital District Islanders (5-9-2) and the ECHL's Richmond Renegades (6-9-2), while spending two games with the New York Islanders, finishing with a 0-1-0 record. The 1991-92 season had Lorenz spend most of the time with Capital District, playing in 53 games and putting up a 22-22-7 record and 3-4 in the playoffs; while also going 0-2-0 in two games with New York. The 1992-93 season, Lorenz posted a 16-17-5 record in 44 games with Capital District (0-3 in four playoff games), while going 1-2-0 in four games on Long Island; while in the 1993-94 season, Lorenz split his season between the AHL's Springfield Indians (5-7-1) and the IHL's Salt Lake Golden Eagles (4-12-0).

In the summer of 1994, Lorenz signed with the Florida Panthers--who placed him in the IHL with the Cincinnati Cyclones for the 1994-95 season, where he would go 24-10-3 in his first season and 2-3 in five playoff games. In the 1995-96 season, Lorenz went 28-12-2 in 46 games, while going 1-2 in five playoff games.

Lorenz would move to the Milwaukee Admirals for the 1996-97 season, posting a 33-27-6 record in his first season, while going 0-3 in the playoffs. During the 1997-98 season, Lorenz compiled a 28-18-4 record in 54 appearances while going 5-5 in the playoffs.

For the first part of the 1998-99 season, Lorenz went to Germany to play in 22 games for Alder Mannheim, but would return late in the season to the IHL's Houston Aeros for seven games going 3-2-2 and then appearing in one playoff game, but no decision.

It was a globe-trotting season in the 1999-2000 campaign for Lorenz, who played the majority of his season playing in the ECHL with the Tallahassee Tiger Cats, going 15-12-2 in 33 games; as well as playing in the AHL for the Rochester Americans (0-2-1) and the West Coast League's Tacoma Sabercats (2-0-0). Lorenz would stay with the Tacoma Sabercats for the 2000-01 season, posting a 23-25-6 record , then 1-2 in the playoffs.

Starting in the 2001-02 season, Lorenz went across the pond to play in the British Leagues, starting in the Elite League with the Nottingham Panthers for 46 games, then moving to second-tier league with the Guildford Flames and Newcastle Vipers in the 2002-03 season. 


Lorenz moved back to North America for the 2003-04 season to play with the Central League's New Mexico Scorpions, playing in 32 games with a 17-10-3 record. After that season, he would hang up the pads for good. 


After his playing career, Lorenz went back to where his junior career began and is now the Director of Hockey in the Kent Valley Hockey Association in Kent, Washington; which is where the Seattle Thunderbirds actually play.


While he had a late charge in juniors, the fact he was in an organization where there was a surplus of young goalies made him expendable and lost in the shuffle. While he tried to get his game back in the minors, he could never reach the brass ring that was set out for him. However, he returned to his roots and his helping out the next wave of players coming out of the Pacific Northwest. 

Thanks For Coming Out, Florida Panthers

(While many have their obtiuaries for teams eliminated.....I'll do the same thing, but in a different/same way as others. How is that going to happen?? Well, I don't know until I do them.This all meant in good fun and to really make you think....or something) 

For a team that was a majority of trades and free agents, the chemistry of the Panthers was something to be seen. It all seemed to come together and while they played in a weak division, they made the most of the chances they were given. Now, they have momentum to build off of.

Goaltending is an interesting topic, as Jose Theodore still has a year left on his contract-- which we all know is the best for Theodore since he always plays well in contract years-- but Jacob Markstrom could be ready to take over the Panthers net. Though, do you give Theodore another look or is it time to move a rookie in net in order to see what happens with the future of the team??

The defense has a nice mix of youth and experience, with the experience tied into contracts for the long-term. Ed Jovanovski is a great teacher for the likes of Erik Gudbranson and Dmitri Kulikov; while Brian Campbell can play the role of middle man when it comes to transition. Campbell is a guy who could make or break a defense and it seems he's working well in Kevin Dineen's system, which bodes well of all involved.

With the Panthers young core of offensive power, it's easy to see how many would be threatened with their ability to score if they wanted to. Tomas Fleischmann had a great comeback year from a serious health condition, while Kris Versteeg helped his cause for a new contract. Especially with Jonathan Huberdeau in the juniors coming through the system, they'll just be getting better. Plus, the well-rounded players in Marcel Goc and Sean Bergenheim will prove to give the Panthers depth come next season.

All-in-all, the Panthers really burst onto the scene in a big way, but the point for them now is to not fade off into the sunset. They have the motivation and know what it takes to get to the playoffs and win-- which means that they can either be content with what they have or keep going after it. With Kevin Dineen at the helm, you know that the latter is the only option.

Salvation in Realignment??

The picture above is what everyone is raving about today. During the Board of Governor's meeting, 26 of the 30 teams approved of the idea, with only NHLPA agreement needed for ratification. The jist is that it's four different "conferences" (let's just call them divisions....or "confervision")-- two with eight, two with seven-- and then the top four will go to the playoffs, then move on from there.

While it's great news for people who love divisional playoffs (me especially), it could be interesting for some teams when it comes to this whole thing saving some franchises. Columbus and Phoenix do get a bit of a reprieve, but now it just seems that the one "confervision" that will be interesting to see if two of them will survive in the next five/ten years.

When it comes to the old Northeast Division plus the Florida teams will be the most interesting set to look at-- especially with the future of the Florida Panthers. However, it would prime them to move to Quebec City, leaving Tampa in the lurch hoping for another realignment. You can imagine that the Lightning and Panthers were two of the four teams to not approve of this, and rightfully so-- the closest team in there "confervision" to each outside of the state of Florida is Boston (1,237 miles from Miami, 1,183 from Tampa); which is.....quite the haul for the home-and-home scheduling that seems to be formatted.

The Bolts are on good footing with their new ownership group restructuring themselves perfectly from the Oren Koules/Len Barrie bedlam that happened, so I don't think they'll have issues with the travel costs. The Panthers on the other hand, I feel a little sketchy about. Sure, they've been doing well this year, but still 21st in attendance with just over 15,000 people going to their home games, which is right around their average. There's been questions about their stability for a while, even with them being bought in 2009, but it's not as widely reported as other teams like the Coyotes and Atlanta Thrashers.

Sure, there's some teams that this realignment helps, which is great-- that means hopefully less issues of which team is in peril this week and snap moves in the summer like we saw this past summer. Yet, you're always going to have the questions-- particularly when you have teams more than 1,000 miles from their nearest competition outside of their own state.

Wade Belak 1976-2011

The world lost Wade Belak on Wednesday. It was the second time in just over two weeks the NHL has lost someone close to the community, as Rick Rypien passed on the 15th of August. Both cases seem to be by way of suicide. This is also the third death this off-season, including Derek Boogaard's passing earlier in the summer.

While Belak wasn't always a guy who jumped out on the score sheet for goals or assists, he was a fan favorite and a guy who was always there to help out the team with an energy shift or to stir up things with the other team. He was always there for the media to give a quip and always seemed to have a light-hearted person. He was a character. On the ice, Belak was a scrapper, but it seemed off the ice, he was a teddy bear. The most heartbreaking part of this is him leaving behind a wife and two young daughters who may never know the answers as to why.

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While people are quick to jump on sides and try to play armchair commissioner; it's not that easy. People can clamor for change as much as they want, but by all knowledge; Belak didn't have any known cases of depression nor concussions (according to him, at least). He was a character and always seemed to be a happy-go-lucky guy. The world is less without him on it anymore.

But as far as people blaming the NHL or NHLPA for not doing enough to help out their players-- who's to say they didn't?? Like I mentioned and has been mentioned abound, it didn't seem like Belak showed any symptoms of depression and it hasn't be documented that he ever requested to go into the program at all.

As I mentioned in my post about Rypien, there's a lot of times where guys aren't going to broadcast their problems out there. A lot of guys are on guard because of the profession they got into. They have a strong pride factor with their toughness and if they even show some vulnerability, it could be seen as weakness and they never showed weakness at all.

People can go on and on about the programs and how the league and the PA needs to get harsher on testing and monitoring of players-- but you cannot force someone to go into these programs. They aren't children and if they feel there is nothing wrong; you have to trust them-- especially if they aren't doing any harm to themselves or others outside of the rink.

Any kind of program a person gets into when it comes to depression is only as good as the person who is getting the help. The NHL and NHLPA could have thrown every available option at guys like Rypien and Belak and it still may not have been enough. Hell, Rypien was in a program a couple times and wasn't rushed at all to come back. He had the wherewithal to actually voluntarily go into the program; because he knew something was up and wanted to get himself better.

There's no cure-all for depression, and while the psychological part of it all is just as important as the physical part-- it's much, much harder to diagnosis and to treat; especially if someone believes they are okay the way they are. All the medicine, counseling, and time in the world could be given to any player-- and it still may not be enough.

Because of that-- you cannot blame any party involved. These are sad happenstances that occur and sadly, would have occurred regardless of how early it was caught, how much medicine was given, how much advice or life changes were suggested. That the messed up part of the brain chemistry; no one really knows how someone else feels and you have to be trusting if they aren't showing any signs.

People can go on and on about how fighting or overly physical nature of the game is to blame; but sometimes that's not always the case. These players are also humans-- they have real-life issues, real-life problems, and are just like you and me; but put on a highly pedestal because of their skills they were able to pick-up through playing a game they love, which they turned into a career. It's easy to lose sight of the humanity of the situation until it turns tragic.

God speed to you, Wade-- I hope you have found peace. To the Belak family, my deepest condolences to you all and I hope one day you may all find some peace in all of this.

To those reading this-- hug the ones you love today and let them know you love them. And hopefully I won't have to write another one of these for a good, long while.

Second Expansion Go 'Round in Sunrise

Traveling this past week or so has been the reason for the delay on new stuff-- so apologizes or something.

As the introduction of the new Florida Panthers happen, the questions will always come up about how this new team could actually make an impact and whether or not they will actually be worth all this spending to get to the salary floor. In all honesty, I think a lot of people are rooting for them, but with the guys they brought in for how much they brought him in for-- there's not a lot of hope for this team.

This team is an expansion team for a second time. There's no way around it, but with what the Panthers have done, they will have to learn to how to play together and have to form some kind of chemistry in a short period of time in order to be somewhat competitive. In the early going, you have to think they may have a rough time about it; but they could throw some other teams off because you won't know what's going to happen when them-- though trying to sustain that for the long-term is the real task.

It was a necessary evil for the Panthers to do, however. With the team being wreck from previous GM's tenures; they don't have any "homegrown" talent. The guys they did have who they groomed from the start are off to greener pastures-- whether it's because the GM at the time didn't like them and traded them out or if they didn't feel like dishing out the money to keep them there-- something went wrong. I doubt that Dale Tallon fully expected to spend like a sailor on shore leave with this free agency season-- but at the same time; he had to. He was damned if he did, damned if he didn't in all honest. If he didn't go on this spree, people would be on his case and the Panthers case for not caring. He did make these moves and people are wondering why the hell he gave such big contracts to menial players for big dollars.

The contract length is something I can totally understand, but maybe-- just maybe-- they're giving their newly stocked prospects a chance to grow and learn the system before rushing them into the line-up-- which could be worse than inflated contracts. Odds are, with the younger kids (if they were around) they would be as bad as the veterans they signed and lack the chemistry these new Panthers would have. Plus, there's no guarentee that any of the younger kids would pan out in the NHL style and speed of play-- which could also be worse due to the fact that it could ruin their mentality when playing; being more destructive in the long-run.

While the idea is if a team can't hack it, they should be moved or even eliminated from the league-- which I think should happen-- the NHL won't do it and the NHLPA won't agree to it because it would eliminate many jobs and ruins a lot of the market the NHL has built up. The Panthers, along with the Phoenix Coyotes, are prime examples of why there should be NHL contraction-- mostly in a business sense. It has nothing to do with on-ice product (at least in Phoenix), but the mismanagement that happens off the ice-- that's what kills it for everyone and makes the common fan look down on the organizations; if they even pay attention to them at all.

The bottom-line is that the Florida Panthers, from pillar to post-- were and are in a bit if disarray. While they had some kind of building blocks come their way in the past couple days (Keith Seabrook, Sergei Shirokov, and Angelo Esposito), it's nowhere near what they could have had if they keep and grew their talent from back in the day....or did, but didn't want to dole out the money when contract time was up. Granted-- two of those three names I mentions have bounced around many organizations-- which shows that it's probably going to be even harder to develop because they can't hack it with any team much less this one.

Best of luck to the Panthers-- because they'll need it.

For Your Consideration: Sunrise, Florida

Every year around TV/Movie awards time, some talent agencies have been known to send out reminders to the voters about their clients nomination; or even locations saying to choose there town to shoot a movie. With Free Agency around the corner, I couldn't resist trying to sell some of the markets that could use a big name player. This installation-- Sunrise, Florida and the Florida Panthers.

While they are the bottom of the list in salary accounted for, the team has shown some promise and very unassuming when it comes to their actual team. They're going to have fresh start with the coaching staff and should be able to meet an expectation of.....well, icing a team....but here's the reason to sign on with Sunrise's favorite (and only) team.

They Have The Cash: That's right, if you want to go to a place that's going to need to fill their roster, it's the Panthers. They'll have over $40M UNDER the cap, which means about $20M UNDER the floor; which means they'll have money to burn. With 11 players signed, odds are they'll be looking to get some big names.....or at least recognizable names, including the goaltending position.

It's Fan Friendly: If you sign there, you'll be showing you're one with the people. The team is already making waves in the community, asking the fans how they'd like to see in the line-up. Sure, that's probably a way to gauge who the fans actually want to see and who they could actually maybe get on the market, but still-- it's fun. Granted, there's tarps covering up the upper deck; but that's neither here nor there. If you act now, stuff the ballot box and maybe sway management to sign you.

Not Much Pressure in the Sun Belt: While other warmer climate cities like Phoenix and Tampa have some kind of expectations.....the Panthers haven't been in the playoffs since the 1999-2000 season; so if you don't carry the team to the second-season.....that's not on you, it's the franchise history that's dooming you. But if you do make it, you're a superstar.

They Are Seeing Red: No, it's not the Unwritten Law mainstream hit, nor are they trying to make a big Russian movement (that we know of); but the Panthers are going back to their roots. With the introduction of a red jersey, the Panthers harken back to the day of John Vanbiesbrouck, Pavel Bure, Scott Mellanby.....umm....Dave Lowry....errr....it really drops off from there, not going to lie. But still-- it adds to the redness that's going to be in the Southeastern Division.

So, if there's nothing else to think about and you want to deal with seeing Alex Ovechkin and Eric Staal a majority of the season, then the Florida Panthers are the team for you. Sure, they have a young squad; but even if you had some success with your other team-- you'll be the big man on campus when you sign with the Panthers. Plus, it's warm in the winter....so if the team still stinks-- you can escape to the beach right outside your door.

"Disbanding in the Desert" or "Ridding Relocation Rumors"

Is it wrong to think that if the Coyotes in fact move to Winnipeg for next season, as has been widely rumored, that this could be the end of relocation fascination for the next little while?? Are there cities out there that will be as adamant and serious as Winnipeg is to create a stir and "deathwatch" for teams in financial peril??

While you can't exclude the Quebec City flag-wavers, the fact is that unless they get a new facility, there isn't a chance they'd be included in the movement that the Winnipeg area has had in the past three or so years. Of course, we've mentioned Kansas City on this blog for a while, but that's because it has the facility for a team to move right in, but many think it could be the most Northern Sunbelt team out there, with the unknown of the support that could come from the region.

If it all comes to a head and the Coyotes do move, I think teams like the Florida Panthers, Atlanta Thrashers, and a few other teams with some issues in terms of making ends meet could breathe a bit easier when it comes to the relocation news. After Winnipeg and Quebec, there's not many other cities making noise to get a team-- which is really a disadvantage to owners looking to sell the team, not only because they don't have many potential investors to buy it from them, as well as not many destinations to threaten to move to.

Yet, we do need a break from all this talk and speculation. At this point, this whole scenario has gone on for the better part of four years and it's like we couldn't take another one of these situations. Of course, I don't know how vehemently a city would try to keep a team in town like the City of Glendale has been when it comes to the Coyotes; though Glendale does own the arena and the vested interest is definitely there because they don't want to lose their tenant. The Panthers could have Broward County put up some fight when it comes to leaving the BankAtlantic Center, but probably not to the point that Glendale has. Maybe it's for the best, though.

This whole Coyotes' mess is something that has been a long time coming, though it's not a definite that we're done with it all. Hopefully, one way or another, it will be ended and soon. It's been ludicrous how long this has taken, how many places it's been supposed to be moving to, and how many owners there have been to save this team. The worse part is that the fans have been dealing with all of the shenanigans and being pained at every twist and turn. If this has been a quick-rip, then it may not be as horrific for them-- but now, it's just too much for them to bear and they have the right to been as pissed off as they have been when it comes to this. Whether it's feeling bullied by outside interests groups or saying everyone is against them, because it's hard to deny either scenario.

Let's just hope if it's coming to an end-- it's soon so we can all go on with our lives and cope with it whatever way a person sees fit.

On the Topic of the Trade Deadline

You've gotten through it and now it's time to analyze and over-analyze the trade deadline. Thanks to working graveyard, I'm probably the last to actually do something like this-- so.....huzzah?? In any case, this will probably be along the lines of what others have done so......deal with it.

First, the biggest deal had to be the Dustin Penner deal to Los Angeles. Many thought Penner was on his way out, but it was a matter of where. The destination could be a great fit for him, especially considering he's a guy that can definitely fit what the Kings need; plus they didn't give up the farm in order to get him. It didn't seem like Colton Teubert was going to fill-out to what many though, therefore he was easily expendable. However, the question now is where Penner can regain the hot streaks he had at the beginning of the season and at the end of the calendar year and into 2011. He'll definitely have the scoring chances now and should be the big body for the scoring aces-- but can he actually cash in on it.

Another active trader because they seemingly had to be was the Washington Capitals, who picked up an insurance defenseman in Dennis Wideman and a veteran center, Jason Arnott. With Wideman, while the plus/minus isn't the best (minus-26), he can be an asset on a very stagnant Caps power-play. In fact, Wideman has more power play goals than Alex Ovechkin (8-to-5) and could change that whole game-plan around for them, as well as be an insurance piece for the injuries the Caps seem to have on the blueline. And while Wideman has another year left on his deal, Arnott is a rental and one that I'm not in full agreement with when it comes to response. I can understand that Arnott brings a veteran presence; but at the same time isn't the second-line center that will put them over-the-top. Maybe he could teach Nicklas Backstrom how to get out of a slump and guide Marcus Johansson; but with his recent lack of performance in the playoffs with the Predators; I doubt it'll get the Caps too far.

An active player in the negative sense was the Florida Panthers, who were heavy sellers in their third straight rebuilding campaign. Along with Wideman, Radek Dvorak and Bryan Allen were moved out of Miami-- which also means that there are no pieces left on the Panthers from the Roberto Luongo trade. Yet, the big thing is that Stephen Weiss and David Booth are still a part of the team, even though they were rumored to be on the block; so that's something at least-- yet they probably could have entertained more offers for Tomas Vokoun, because I don't know how much they'd want to re-sign an older goalie who doesn't have much in front of him. With the issues the Panthers have off the ice, you have to wonder how much they're willing to pump into the on-ice product because of it.

One of the more surprising notes was that Ty Conklin was able to seep through the waiver wires unclaimed. You'd think for a low price, some team in need of net insurance would claim him just to be there. He's a decent goalie who could really come in and have a hot streak when called upon. Other teams' lose is the Blues gain, I suppose.

While it was probably one of the most uneventful trade deadlines ever, it's always good to play armchair GM after the fact. Whether this pans out or not remains to be seen, especially trying to deal with chemistry and all of that. Which makes me wonder if the NHL will move the deadline up every year, but at the same-- you like this stuff going down to the wire. Granted, this deadline really happened in the 10 days leading up to it, more specifically the 18th, but still.

I have no real end to this. Thanks for reading.

Infomercials Tactics for the Panthers

Today, the Florida Panthers posted a release on their website that the best party in South Florida is, in fact, a Panthers home game-- which has earned "rave reviews" in the first three games of the season; which includes attendances over 15,000 on two Saturday wins including a sell out for the opener. After a small synopsis, the Panthers put out commentary from ticket holders about their experiences at the BankAtlantic Center.

There's a couple interesting things about this whole PR move. First, the Panthers are averaging 14,563, which is 23rd in the league with Carolina not having a home game yet (though it happens tonight). The BAC holds 19,250, which doesn't include what they have tarped off for Party City ads and to not have as many empty seats there. Second, you're going to sell out on opening night in most instances, so it's should come as a surprise. Third, you have played three home games and to tout something big like that is as silly as people getting crazy over their team being top in the conference after six or so games.

What really bothers me, though, is just the testimonials that they have on their release. It's something that I'd expect if they were hawking Sham-Wows or any other product you see at 3:45 AM on a cable channel that doesn't want to replay anymore of their craptastic shows. While I get the idea they're trying to sell the actual part of going to the game to the people who look at the website and don't attend the games, but it seems like a tacky way to go about-- especially on the official site of the team. Odds are, the demographic that is visiting the site are the ones in the seats.

If they were to do this release and have it widespread into the mainstream media, it'd be a better looking thing for them and it's something that could get a buzz going for the team. However, with the Panthers playing head-to-head against the Miami Heat and the trio of terror they signed this summer-- they're going to get lost in the sports pages because they don't have that kind of allure. If you're going to throw out Tomas Vokoun, Bryan McCabe, and Rostislav Olesz against Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh....the Heat win out, even without Bosh.

You have to like the effort the Panthers trying to do anything through any means in order to get people constantly in the seats, but it seems a bit hacky to do it after three games and within the team website. Especially with the quotes, it's a desperate move by a desperate team. If anything, the Panthers are probably as bad or worse than the Phoenix Coyotes and could be the next team with the heat on them to move if they can't improve their appeal. The appeal is winning and the Panthers have missed the playoffs for nine straight seasons, which won't bode well for the box office. It'll take more than quotes (which I find suspect anyway) to sway some people to spend their money watching a mediocre hockey club. It takes results-- and the Panthers don't have that now.

Friday Five: Injuries Akimbo

It's time for a Friday Five again....because, well, it's Friday. That's how gimmicks go. We're only a week old into the season and we have injuries out of the wazzoo. Shocking how quick it's all going this way so quickly. We'll looking into that and some more fun stuff.

1. If you're the Ottawa Senators, how much of a failure is the Pascal Leclaire experiment??

It's only a failure if you thought that Leclaire was going to be the game-changer the Sens hyped him up to be. He's a fragile guy and really hasn't done much to really warrant being a solid goalie, aside from one good season. Though one season is usually all it takes (right Jim Carey??), but for people to think he'd be a franchise goalie is insanity. The Houses of the Hockey have a great expose about Leclaire's injury history, so with that-- it's not a shock at all it's a failure. I mean, Damian Rhodes was the goalie of the future for this team at one time. That tells you all you need to know.

2. Last week was fighting, now it's concussions. The concussions are running rampant, is there anything to do to limit that??

Hockey helmet companies are doing all they can to limit the concussions, but it doesn't seem to actually be working just yet. With the game run on emotions and what-not, there's not much you can do to limit or deter players from playing the game they've always played. It's a shame, but the honest truth is that unless you take hitting out of the game, not will limit concussions. You look at the John Tavares hit and his was a whiplash occurrence, so it's not like it takes head-shot for these guys to go down; just happenstance.

3. Speaking of head injuries-- is it all that crazy of these Leafs fans to be crazed about their 3-0 start??

I'll be the first to say the Leafs (a team I loathe) have been off to a surprising start and could be a playoff team if they can keep this up. The problem is that it seems the Leafs are the most prepared team and with that advantage, should be having and enjoying the success they've gotten. However, they still have 79 games left to keep up this pace and whether or not they can sustain a healthy pace is yet to be seen. If other teams start to catch up and pass the Leafs-- then you'll see the true will of this team.

4. It seems that the Coyotes are thinking about finally ending this fiasco....again. Will it happen or won't it??

Depends on if you believe reports that Matthew Hulsizer is going to finally purchase the team. If you think he's legit, then it could be over soon. That's bad news for the "Bett and Bals" series. However, we've been through this dance before and nothing has come out of it. While there's been reports of a deal being in place, it's the same song and dance we've heard before. I won't believe the team being safe until they are sold, the papers are signed, the team starts selling 2011-12 season tickets and they drop the puck in October of 2011 at Jobing.com Arena-- then it's something that I could believe.

5. Speaking of teams in trouble, the Florida Panthers are having "retro" nights to celebrate 1996. How soon is too soon for retro nights?? (Bottom of this page on Icethetics)

The Panthers need to do something to get the butts in the seats and remembering the old 1996 Stanley Cup team is the one way to remember the glory the Panthers had. But, it's far too early for a retro night. If there's rules, you should have to be in existence for at least 25 years before you start going all retro on people. It's not like the Panthers have had too drastic of a change in the uniform, unless you count those hideous third jerseys that they have now. Yet-- it seems that if the Colorado Avalanche is going to celebrate their 1996 team-- why not the Panthers; why shouldn't they cash in??

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That's another week. If you didn't like this or have some suggestions for next week's F5; toss me an email at Scotty.Wazz@Gmail.com to give your two-cents in there and maybe....just maybe...your question will show up here.

Chicken Littling the Winless

While we're just about three games into the season, it seems that some people have decided to inch closer to the panic button when it comes to their teams. Most of it has to do with teams like the Anaheim Ducks and Ottawa Senators, both are winless in their three games, both with craptastic goal differentials, and both in tough because of some kind of turnover that hasn't allowed the team to gel.

When it comes to the Ducks, they'll get better, but to adjust to losing someone like Scott Niedermayer is going to take any team who doesn't have the adequate replacement for a star like that. Nothing against Andy Sutton or Lubomir Visnovsky; but they aren't Niedermayer. Once they adjust to that, the whole team will get better-- but the confidence is still not there when they look down the bench and not see him around. Also, Jonas Hiller seems to have the post-big-contract-blues that haunt a lot of players in most cases. Once he shrugs that off, he should be able to regain the form that allowed the Ducks to move J-S Giguere. It's going to be a big overhaul for the Ducks and I have to agree with Jonathan Willis over at Houses of the Hockey in saying that Cam Fowler should be sent back to juniors to get more seasoning. However, I don't see them as being the worst in the West at the end of the year.

As far as the Senators go, it's rough being a fan of this team, I won't lie. A lot of blame is being put onto Pascal Leclaire not being as good as the Sens thought-- and that could be true, but the fact they aren't getting any pop from the rest of the team doesn't help too much. The Sens are 27th in the league in shots-for in the league and only the Ducks (29th) are worse and not registering a win, though the Oilers are the worst in the league-- but have two wins. In any case, the big guns aren't firing for the Sens, as Jason Spezza has been dealing with injuries, Daniel Alfredsson seems to have age catching up to him, while Jarkko Ruutu and Chris Neil are tied for the team scoring lead. Let that last part settle in a bit. Luckily for the Sens, they could turn it all around and maybe actually realize they're better than they are playing.

The Devils have to be a bit peeved too, but most of that has to deal with the fact they have run out of money. They're playing with nine forwards and pretty much trying to stay above the minimum roster in order to stay under the cap. Marty Brodeur seems to be a bit rattled and with the injuries mounting-- it's going to be a long year for the Devils if they can't figure out what they need to do in order to fill out a full roster and have some cash to be able to field a full squad night-in and night-out.

Luckily for the Sens and Devils, the East could very well be a clear-cut loss for the Florida Panthers, who are dealing with a lot of other issues-- including their lack of crowd support and trading one of their top players, Nathan Horton, during the summer. Plus, Tomas Vokoun hasn't been playing well at all and only three goals in their two games. This is a team that'll be struggling for goals and will be the worst team in hockey.

Like I said, we're not a week into it and there's a lot that could change. Hell, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers are undefeated and they were the worse two teams in the league last year. Odds are, once we get out of October; then the panic can actually be legitimate. However-- it's just a bit of worry and just wondering when the entire team will get traded or the coaches, general manager, and owners all fired. Until then, it's just waiting out the rough waters until things actually get set straight.

Absurd Goalie Monday: Rob Tallas

While the pre-season continues along, we look at this week's AGM as a guy who actually enjoyed the pre-season process because he was able to show off his wears. Undrafted and having to play in the minors, he used the pre-season to get himself into the show, if only for a little while. This week, we look at the career of Rob Tallas.

Tallas first got his feet wet in the BCJHL with the South Surrey Eagles and Penticton Panthers. He would play well enough to get selected by the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds in the 1991-92 season, where he would play 14 games, going 4-7-0 in those matches. Tallas would be sent down to South Surrey that season for 19 games and would sport a 6-12-0 record while down there. After a solid camp, Tallas would get the starter's position in the 1992-93 season, where he would play in 58 games and have a 24-23-3 record on a sub-par club, which would get bounced in the first round of the playoffs. Tallas would be back for his overage season during the 1993-94 season, trying to put his best play out there, as he was undrafted. Tallas held steady in his 51 games with a 23-21-3 record for the T-Birds, as well as carrying them to the second round of the playoffs.

After a great junior career despite not much support around him, Tallas was signed by the ECHL's Charlotte Checkers for the 1994-95 season. He would spent most of the season there, playing 36 games, taking home a record of 21-9-3 for his experience. Tallas would get called up to the AHL's Providence Bruins for two game, going 1-0-0 in 82 minutes of play.

The Bruins were impressed with Tallas' performances in the AHL and ECHL, they would sign him before the 1995-96 season. Tallas would be reassigned to Providence, playing in 35 games splitting with Scott Bailey in net and going 12-16-7, while seeing one game in the NHL with Boston with his only game being a win. The 1996-97 season would be a shuttle season for Tallas, starting out in Providence for 24 games (9-14-1), before being called up to Boston as they were going through their goaltending carousel for the year. Tallas would see 28 games with a 8-12-1 record, though his season would come in an end due to an ankle injury. The 1997-98 season would be another shuttle year and one with injury issues. In Providence, Tallas went 1-8-1 in 10 games, while in Boston he would have a 6-3-3 record in 14 games; but Tallas would have to deal with a hamstring injury in January of 1998, which would sideline him for a time. Boston would take a chance on Tallas as a back-up to former AGM Bryon Dafoe for the 1998-99 campaign, and it would do well for Tallas; who would get only 17 games in with a 7-7-2 record. The 1999-2000 would be horrific for Tallas. Not only did he lacerate his finger at the beginning of the season, but he would bomb out in his contract year with a 4-13-4 record in 27 games, even though Dafoe was injured and holding out-- he could not step up.

The Bruins would let Tallas go on the free agent market, where the Chicago Blackhawks would give him an opportunity as a back-up to Jocelyn Thibault for the 2000-01 season. The change of scenary didn't help, as Tallas would only go 2-7-0 in 14 games. It was so bad that he would see a stint with Chicago's affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals (2-2-2 in six games) and Chicago's other hockey team-- the IHL's Wolves, where he had a 0-1-0 record in three games.

The next summer, Tallas was again a free agent and was only able to catch on with the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, where he would see time behind Sebastien Caron and completely crap the bed in that season with a 6-25-5 record in 38 games. The WBS Pens let him have another shot in the 2002-03 season, where it would get better; though things couldn't have gotten worse. Tallas would end up going 14-11-3, while getting most of the starts in the Pens tiny depth and dealing with shuttling goalies.

Seeing his North American options dry up, Tallas went to the European route starting in the 2003-04 season; signing with the Finnish club HPK Hameenlinna. Tallas would play 22 games with the club, while going 8-8-4 and a 1.99 GAA. After that season, Tallas would hope over the Austria, playing for EC Red Bull Salzburg for 12 games in the 2004-05 season, but would post a 4.41 GAA that spent the end for his playing career. He would hang up the pads mid-way through the season.

After retiring, Tallas continued in the game as a mentor and trainer for younger goaltenders. He currently serves as the goalie coach for the Florida Panthers, as well as a hockey instructor at the Florida Panthers practice facility for the area goalies.

While he did shine in a couple places when it matter, Tallas never seemed to have a great string of luck to put forth something that could have prolonged his career in the NHL more, but he was luckier than some who had much success with the minors, but never got a sniff at winning in the NHL. Though he didn't have the best teams in front of him, Tallas showed he could get a win, even if it meant enduring plenty of losses.

Friday Five: Moving and Shaking Organizations

Checking out of the weekend?? Don't go anywhere before the F5 hits. This week, I'm glad that the Columbus Blue Jackets' troubles happened this week, especially since someone sent in a question about relocation and expansion. Let's get right to it.

1. What comes first, expansion or franchise relocation to Canada?? (From Justin W.)

With those being the two options, I think relocation as a no-brainer. The relocation to Canada is the smart idea as it would bring in more revenue to the league, thus raising the cap numbers and allowing more owners to spend. However, the downside is like what we have in Phoenix where there's a lease there with the city and it's near impossible to get out of. With all the legal debates and stuff, the relocating owner would definitely have a lot on their plate to break out of leases and agreements they have with the place they're trying to get out of.

Expansion is the option that is a last resort and would probably only be used in order to feed the demand of owners an prospective locations; which really isn't there right now. It's not like the early to mid 90s when hockey was the hot sports and everyone wanted a piece of it; we're in different times and it's not feasible to have other teams to worry about when it comes to financial stability.

2. Wouldn't expansion also dilute the talent out there??

Yes and no. Obviously, you're going to see a lot of guys you'd never thought would be NHL regulars get into the league. At the same time it would create more jobs, which the NHLPA would love to have for it's players, and maybe give more options for guys thinking about going over to Europe to play. The biggest thing it would impact is more jobs for goalies who are on the fringe and more teams for superstar forwards to victimize, as the defense for the expansion team will probably not be so good. And who knows, you could have guys who get an everyday spot on the expansion squad and turns out to be part of the elite; who would never have gotten a chance anywhere else because of the numbers game.

3. What places would be ripe for expansion/relocation??

You obviously have places like Winnipeg, Hamilton, and Quebec City-- the ones that create the most buzz. Yet, I think that Kansas City would get a look if they can find some solid ownership. They already have an arena there, they have decent size media outlets to deal with (31st in radio, 32nd in TV), and would have a decent amount of rivalry build in with possible the Blues if they were to move there. While it may not be the sexiest option, the Kansas City hockey history not as memorable as some other places-- it's something that really could do well and if they get a good team, actually keep the people in the stands after the buzz is gone.

You could probably mention Las Vegas, but I don't think it'd be plausible since it is a tourist town and you probably wouldn't get many residence turn out every game to make it work there. The good thing about Vegas is you could put the payroll on a hand of blackjack and double your revenue like that....or lose it all.

4. What about contraction, is that a valid option??

I think it's a definite last resort if you can't sell a team, but it's be a fight from some other owners and definitely from the NHLPA, who would have their players lose jobs. That said-- it's something that would probably kill off some of the teams that don't pull their weight for revenue and drag down the earning power for the NHL. Some owners would enjoy it, the others not so much. The reason is because once you actually start contracting teams, where does it stop before you're back down to single-digits.

5. Which team should be the first to go if there is contraction??

This could get some angry responses (or not), but I don't think the Coyotes are the ones who should be the first to go if there is a reduction-- they'd be my first candidate to move. Personally, I think the Florida Panthers may be the best bet to get contracted. While they did have a good team, they also don't get the butts in the seats and it's not really their fault. If anything, they are a victim to their enviroment. Miami loves teams when they win, ignores them when they lose. Most of Florida is like that, actually-- but Sunrise takes the cake it seems. The Marlins and Heat couldn't get people into the stand when they were awful, but when they win-- you can't find a ticket. I think the fact they're going to be putting a tarp over the cheap seats (albeit with advertisements to counteract the losses) shows that this is a team in trouble if they don't start doing something with their on-ice product.

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If you have an idea or question for the F5, like Justin did, then all you have to do is email me at Scotty.Wazz@Gmail.com and pitch it away. Odds are I will use it in the next installment of the F5, mostly due to my own issues with coming up with something worth rambling on about.

Last Teams to Retire One

Since it's the dog days of summer and the announcement of Rod Brind'Amour's number 17 being retired by the Carolina Hurricanes, it made me get into The Hockey News' "Greatest Jersey of All Time" issue and look at the teams who don't have any numbers retired. Since all the teams have been in the league for 10 seasons, it's about time to look at who could be hanging from the rafters of the eight teams who don't have numbers retired.

ANAHEIM DUCKS: While the obvious guys like Paul Kariya, Teemu Selanne, and J-S Giguere will be seeing their numbers hanging from the Honda Center when their careers are done; the candidate now will probably be Guy Hebert, who was the first "face" of the organization. He may not have had the best stats, he was the guy who backstopped those expansion years and held down the fort for the most part.

ATLANTA THRASHERS: The odd part about the Thrashers is that all the big names are nowhere close to retirement and kind of left on shaky terms (read: Dany Heatley and Ilya Kovalchuk), so it's hard to figure out who could be next. While Dan Snyder's number was not officially retired, just taken out of circulation; maybe Ray Ferraro could be considered since he was one of the first bigger name players to start off the Thrashers' appeal. If not, Slava Kozlov may not be too far off from retiring and could be the first to have his number officially put up there.

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS: There's no question that David Vyborny should be the first guy have his number retired. Vyborny was on the original Blue Jackets roster and stayed there until he was done his NHL career and went home to his homeland in the Czech Republic. As it is right now, he's at the top of the Blue Jackets' all-time points, albeit they've only been around for ten seasons....still. If there's one guy who deserves to be there, it's the OG of the Jackets.

FLORIDA PANTHERS: While you have plenty of guys viable, mostly from the 1995-96 team (Scott Mellanby, Brian Skrudland), but there was no one more of a face to that team than John Vanbiesbrouck. He was a big reason the Panthers got to where they did in their Cup run and really one of the first names that came out of the expansion team and made them successful from the start of their organization.

MINNESOTA WILD: While they did the hack retirement of the #1 for the fans, Wes Walz should be the first official and proper number retired. Like Vyborny, Walz was with the Wild from the start and he was someone who encompassed the team by playing hard-nosed and being the little guy who clawed to get where he needed to be. He was much beloved, as well-- which should help the process along.

NASHVILLE PREDATORS: When he retires, expect David Legwand to have his number retired, but beforehand, maybe look at Cliff Ronning for the first to go to the rafters or even the first captain Tom Fitzgerald. An dark horse could be Mike Dunham, but I don't think he left too much of a mark, but maybe more than Ronning and Fitzgerald.

SAN JOSE SHARKS: While Doug Wilson was the first captain, Arturs Irbe and Owen Nolan could be prime candidates as the first to be retired, Nolan having to wait until he's actually done with the game for it to happen. Maybe with Sandis Ozolinsh being an outside guy to steal the first Sharks being raised. You could make a point for Jeff Friesen for his time in the Shark Tank, but that would be a little odd considering what he did after he left the Sharks.

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING: The toss-up for the Bolts could be between Dave Andreychuk and Brian Bradley. Andreychuk was the guy who captained the Bolts to their only Cup championship to this point, but he wasn't the offensive force that Bradley was in his tenure with the Bolts. He turned it on when he got to Tampa and really showed what he had, albeit on a weak team. Even so, I think Bradley should get consideration first for overall achievements with the team.

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There could be a debate for the Ottawa Senators, who retired Frank Finnigan's #8 from the non-expansion days, but don't know how the people feel about that; so I didn't include them.

This is the time where you have to dig into the bag for things to ponder and during retirement season, it's a good choice to wonder about who could be the next going to the rafters. Especially when you have so many teams worrying about the "what have you done for me lately" ideal when it comes to retiring numbers rather than overall to the franchise.

Spakle and Fade

While the Everclear Draft Weekend doesn't start until Thursday for the FOHS fateful, that's what June 22, 2010 was for most people. Probably the most exciting non-game/event day in the recent memory of the NHL; thanks to all the news made. It had everything, but when it came to the main cog-- it fell a little short.

-First, it's started with the NHL schedule being released, the earliest in a while. While I personally didn't care, most NHL road-trippers did. I just wondered the start time of the Heritage Classic and to see if I can weasel my way into the event in some way, shape, or form. Other than that-- check out the Sensational Sean Leahy's write-up about anticipated games.

-Then, we had the trade that had the Boston Bruins picking up Nathan Horton and Greg Campbell from the Florida Panthers for Dennis Wideman, the 15th overall pick in the Draft, and a third-rounder in 2011. For the Bruins, the acquisition of Horton is an improvement, considering he has five straight seasons of 20 goals or more, something the Bruins have missed-- although the injuries issues is something that the Bruins could and should be concerned about. At least they also got the disciplinarians son in the deal as well. Wideman had a season to wipe-away, though he will be the cornerstone in the Panthers rebuilding defense. If he can improve his +/-, the Panthers may have something.

-At the same time, the Edmonton Oilers announced that Pat Quinn had stepped down as head coach and moved to Senior Adviser to the GM, making way for co-coach Tom Renney to take over. Renney was going to get this job eventually, but the fact the rebuild is in full swing, it's better they did this sooner than later. Renney's last job was with the New York Rangers and replaced Quinn once before in Vancouver. While his style isn't exciting, it's often successful for Renney. Whether it will work with the new look Oilers will remain to be seen.

-After that, the NHL said good-bye to Scott Niedermayer; as the defenseman called it a career after 18 years and leaves on 42 players left from NHL '94. Niedermayer won wherever he went and really shouldn't be waiting long after the waiting period to be elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame. I mean, four Stanley Cups, two Olympic Gold, World Juniors Gold, Memorial Cup Champion, World Championship Gold, and he ate the bowl. Not much else you can say, because it says it all in his stats and what he did when he was there. Sadly, we'll miss one of the best playoff beards ever because of this retirement.

-Then the main event-- the Hockey Hall of Fame nominees. This year, it was an allotment for four players, two women's players, and some builders. There was a lot of ruckus around who was going in, who wasn't-- but it created for great off-season debate.....but seemed to be a huge letdown in the end.

Though it is fitting, the first year that the women are introduced, they will be the majority as Angela James-- the Gretzky of women's hockey to start off with; and Cammi Granato will be going to the Hall. James was an innovator in the women's game for Canada, where she was a big fish in a developing small pond and really gave something younger girls could aspire to in Canada. Same goes with Granato, who was basically the USA version of James, only on a smaller scale. Granato did a lot for the women's game in the US and really helped pass along the torch in these new times.

That being done, only ONE spot was filled in the male side, that being Dino Ciccarelli. For a long time, many have wondered when he would get his chance. 600+ goals, 1200 points on the nose; but for some reason-- mostly media unfriendly and a bad rap from the ice-- Dino was always overlooked and pretty much pushed aside. However, in a seemingly weak class; they couldn't avoid him or the outcry of some fans now. Even though he never won a Cup, he did well on so-so teams at the start of his career, but couldn't be a hanger-on in his later years. He did enough to be the Hall of Famer he is now.

It's sad that there's only one. The debate about Adam Oates, Joe Nieuwendyk, Pavel Bure, hell-- even Eric Lindros being on the dias this year, and nothing came of it. Is it something where it was a wide-open field and other votes canceled out others?? Was the hype about this year's class something that was overdone and they weren't the spectacular to begin with?? Maybe we'll find out soon, but it seems like that many could have been looking too deep into the whole thing and overestimated the voters of the Hockey Hall, per usual.

Another thing I'm ticked about is the exclusion of Pat Burns in the Builder's category. We all know that Burns is dealing with Cancer and it would have been the best time to put the great coach into the Hall, but the voters did not. Sure, we shouldn't dismiss the fact of Jim Devellano of the Red Wings and the late Daryl Seaman of the Flames should be there-- but you would have hoped that the voters in the Hall had some kind of heart to include Burns....but....here we are.

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That was the day it was. A lot of opening acts and a somewhat disappointing headlining gig. In the end, it'll only create for more of a debate in next year's Hall of Fame-- but that's what the off-season is for. We saw new beginnings, transitions, endings, and the map for next season. It was every possible emotion fans could have in one day and not have any games played. Hope fans savored it, because it could mean we're in for a long off-season if this is the most exciting day.

Deadline Expectations

With the Trade Deadline about 24 hours away, you can bet teams will be hustling and bustling trying to get their teams set for the last part of the season and into the playoff run. Of course, some teams will be doing more than others; then the hindsight will set-in minutes after the deadline lapses. Here's some of the things I think may or may not happen as planned, as some are serious and some not. You can pick out which is which.

-Edmonton has already started to blow up their team with dealing Denis Grebeshkov to the Nashville Predators. While the Oilers have a lot to give up, the asking price may be a little too much for some teams. Plus, with all the injuries they've had, who knows how many teams will be chomping at the bit to deal with Edmonton and then realize they were sold a lemon.

-There's a lot of talk around the Toronto Maple Leafs and some of their players. While they shed some dead-weight in Vesa Toskala and Jason Blake, many wonder what Brian Burke did to con the Anaheim Ducks into that. Because of it, the GMs are unsure about dealing with Burke due to his Jedi mind-tricks or blackmailing photos he may possess.

-While there's not much to improve, the Washington Capitals could look for more help in the blueline, maybe a Steve Staios type player; mostly to help along the young guys. Some grit wouldn't hurt, but odds are they won't be able to get their dream acquisition, 1984 Rod Langway, mostly due to time travel and cloning not being readily available.

-Realizing they really don't have much after Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, the Pittsburgh Penguins loaded up on another defenseman in getting Jordan Leopold from the Florida Panthers. This way, they'll be able to dress 18 defensemen and hope the two forwards can come up big for them.

-The Florida Panthers started their fire sale with the Leopold move and you can almost assume that other big names will be moving before 3 PM Wednesday. With all the names being throwing out in terms of who's being moved out, it seems to be the first time the Panthers have been really relevant since the Jay Bouwmeester sweepstakes and before then-- the 1996 Stanley Cup Final.

-Figuring that they're okay with what they've got-- the Carolina Hurricanes will stand pat and not move anyone. Even though many players are begging to get out of Carolina, GM Jim Rutherford made his decision on whether to trade a player using Jo Dee Messina's "Heads Carolina, Tails California" and a two-headed coin.

The one thing that will be agreed upon is that there will probably be a lot of moves of role players and minor league deals-- and maybe some few bigger names thrown into the mix-- but it will be active with a lot of speculation of the sort. Also, plenty of mis-announce trades that are said to be done, but never happen.

As for me, we'll be doing a wrap-up on Face Off Hockey Show Wednesday night and I'll be on the panel of Hockey Independent's trade deadline live chat/blog going on over there. Be sure to check both out, because they'll be fantastic.

Absurd Goalie Monday: Trevor Kidd

Since it's the time of year for the World Junior Championships, I should probably key in on someone who has been there before and won two championships with his country-- one as a back-up and one as a starter. And while his international success was not to bad, his subpar play when he was in the professional ranks is what people will remember him most for. At least he has some of the most rememberable pad sets of all time. Look kids, it's Trevor Kidd.

Thanks to his play with the Eastman Selects in Manitoba Midgets, Kidd was able to catch on solidly with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL. Kidd was able to get some decent time as a back-up with the Wheaties, behind Kelly Hitchins, seeing 31 games. Kidd had an 11-13-1 record, which wasn't good enough to help the Wheat Kings into the playoffs. The 1989-90 season would see Kidd go right into the starter's role; getting 61 games and going 24-32-2. While he was able to get the Del Wilson Trophy for top goaltender in the WHL, he still couldn't help the Wheat Kings into the playoffs. Personal success came when Kidd was named to the World Junior team, but played back-up to Stephane Fiset, but got a gold medal out of it. His impressive season did get him plenty of buzz amongst scouts; which made Kidd the 11th overall pick in the first round of the 1990 Draft, as selected by the Calgary Flames. Kidd went ahead of Martin Brodeur (20th overall), which is a decision the Flames probably hate in hindsight. The move wouldn't have been if the Flames didn't trade with the Devils. That's right the Flames and Devils swapped first and second round picks the day of the Draft because the Flames wanted Kidd and knew the Devils would have pick him up ahead of them. The rest, they say, is history.

The 1990-91 season would finally give Kidd the success he had worked hard to get. While he started out in Brandon with a 10-19-1 record for the beginning of the season, Kidd was shipped out to the Spokane Chiefs, who would eventually be the WHL Champions and the representative of the WHL for the Memorial Cup. Kidd would take over the starting gig from Scott Bailey and went 8-3-0 in his 14 regular season games, with an astonishing 14-1 record in the playoffs. Kidd also won all three games in the Memorial Cup to close out a fantastic season for himself. That season included another trip to the World Juniors, where he started six of the seven games, capturing a second gold medal for himself.

The 1991-92 season had Kidd going here, there, and everywhere in between, with the Flames loaning out Kidd to the Canadian National Team. You see, back in the day of no NHLers in the Olympics, teams would loan out their prospects or lower-tier players to play for the National team, who would play in exhibitions throughout the world to get ready for the Olympic competitions. Kidd got a good amount of net time with the National team, playing 28 games and going a solid 18-4-4 in this tenure. Kidd would also be loaned out this third straight World Juniors team, but due to the turnaround of talent, the Canadians would finish sixth in that tournament. Kidd would only see one game in the Olympic Games in Albertville, France; which was a 10-0 destruction of Norway, but it was enough to get him a silver medal for his troubles.

The 1991-92 season also saw Kidd get his first taste of NHL action, playing in two games late in 1992, going 1-1-0 with a 4.00 GAA in his two games. The 1992-93 season had Kidd back in the learning process, playing with the Flames' IHL affiliate Salt Lake Golden Eagles for the season. Kidd fared okay in his first 30 games of professional action going 10-16-1 before falling to a leg injury in February which ended his season. To start the 1993-94 season, Kidd was up with the big club in Calgary, backing up Mike Vernon and held his own in his 31 appearances, putting up a 13-7-6 record and a 3.16 GAA. When Vernon departed after the season, it was Kidd's ship to steer, as he led the league with 43 starts in the lockout-shortened season of 1994-95 and put up an impressive 22-14-6 record with a 2.61 GAA and finished 7th in the Vezina Trophy balloting for the year. The playoff success wasn't too kind, however, as the Flames went out in the first round to the upstart San Jose Sharks in seven games. The 1995-96 season had Kidd sharing duties with Rick Tabaracci, but Kidd got a majority of the games. Yet, at the same time, he was the one with the worse record at 15-21-8 and a 2.75 GAA for the year, but only saw two games of playoff time, with the Flames bowing out in four games to Chicago. Kidd would regain his starter's role, this time over Tabaracci (who was dealt to Tampa early in the season) and Dwayne Roloson. Kidd's early season success to get Tabaracci moved wouldn't hold on as Kidd finished the year 21-23-6 with a decent 2.84 GAA and .900 save percentage.

A lot would change before the 1997-98 season, as Kidd and Gary Roberts were dealt from the Flames to the newly moved Carolina Hurricanes for Andrew Cassels and prospect Jean-Sebastien Giguere. Kidd would take the starter's role in a platoon of goalies, which included Sean Burke, Kirk McLean, Mike Fountain, and former AGM inductee, Pat Jablonski. Kidd played in 44 games, mostly due to missing seven games to a groin injury and seven games to a broken finger. Kidd went 21-21-3 with a great 2.17 GAA and .922 save percentage. The 1998-99 season wouldn't be so kind to Kidd. The Hurricanes had picked up Arturs Irbe from the Vancouver Canucks in the off-season, which gave him the starting role and didn't allow Kidd the time to get into the net as much. Kidd only got 25 games in the season, going 7-10-6, but still had a good GAA (2.86) and save percentage (.905). It was not enough, though.

Kidd was left unprotected for the Expansion Draft, for which he got picked up by the Atlanta Thrashers. However, his stay was non-existent as the Florida Panthers trade for Kidd in exchange for Gord Murphy, Daniel Tjarnqvist, Herbert Vasiljevs, and a sixth-round pick. Kidd made his presence felt in Florida quickly, going 14-4-2 in his first 21 games of the 1999-2000 season, but due to a freak accident in the Panthers' skills competition, Kidd was sidelined with a dislocated shoulder. He lost his only game in the AHL with the Louisville Panthers and then lost his next seven games back in Florida, putting him at 14-11-2 for the season, but better numbers with a 2.63 GAA and .915 save percentage. It was something Kidd could never recover from, especially after the Panthers picked up Roberto Luongo from the Islanders. The 2000-01 season saw Kidd and Luongo do battle for time, but Kidd's 10-23-6 record and dismal 3.31 GAA and .893 save percentage gave the nod to Luongo for the 2001-02 season. It was worse news that season as Kidd went 4-16-5 with a 3.21 GAA and .895 save percentage. With Luongo being the franchise of the Panthers, Kidd wasn't re-signed.

In August of 2002, Kidd would catch on as a free agent with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ed Belfour was the work-horse on that team, which didn't allow Kidd to play much, which showed by his 19 games in the 2002-03 season. Even in those games, Kidd was suspect, going 6-10-2 with a 3.10 GAA and .896 save percentage. Kidd would see less time in the 2003-04 season, playing only 15 games, but with a better record of 6-5-2, but worse GAA at 3.36 and .876 save percentage, which would end up seeing Kidd lose his back-up role to Mikael Tellqvist. Kidd played one game in St. John's in the AHL, winning it and only allowing one goal.

Kidd would go back internationally, but not of his own doing. After waiting out as much as he could, Kidd went over to Europe in January of 2005 playing for HC Orebro 90 of the Swedish Third Division. Kidd played eight games with two shutouts and a 2.37 GAA. In May of 2005, Kidd signed with the Hannover Scorpions of the German Elite League, playing 45 games for them and going out with a 2.75 GAA and .907 save percentage, but no record is given, nor have I found them.

Though Kidd hasn't announced his official retirement, he hasn't been on a team since the end of the 2005-06 season with Hannover. Kidd has moved on, it seems, as he now owns the Mountain Bean Coffee Company, which has three locations throughout Canada.

Kidd never had it real easy in his career, but was able to perform very well under less than desirable circumstances. He had Junior success, International success, and minimum NHL success, but he did what he could with what was handed to him. He wasn't always on the best teams, but he always gave his teams the chances to win and chances to succeed. He just never seemed to get the help he needed.

At Least They Didn't Put "FLA" On The Front

The Florida Panthers revealed their third jerseys on Monday night and it's....different.

As you see, it's got the mix of navy blue and baby blue and kind of rips off both the Pittsburgh Penguins thirds and the St. Louis Blues' third. So, as you can tell-- the creativity machine has been put into retirement with all of this coming to a head.

The logos themselves-- I have to say I enjoy the stylized panther-head logo. It's a little more sharper and modern than what they have on their regular jerseys. However, the sun logo with "FLA" on the shoulders....not a fan. Not only is it an eyesore to me and very out of place with the yellow sun standing out on the shoulder yoke, the FLA looks way too big for the logo and just not flowing with the rest of the scheme.

For a team who used to have a bitchin' red jersey design and solid foundation for jersey awesomeness; the templated piping with their Edge jerseys and unoriginality of their third jerseys, this is an ultimate example of horrific things can get if you don't have the best marketing team or any desire for creativity.

Though it just shows that blue is the new black. This year alone, the Predators went to a whole blue motif, the Avalanche going with the blues, combined with the other blue thirds out there (Blues, Sabres, Canucks, Pens, Isles, Oilers)-- it seems that any shade of blue is something that teams want to go to. You can bet the Capitals would have blues as a third since they don't have anymore options to go to, as well as the Rangers would probably go to a navy options like they did back in the day.

But in the end, there's more bad than good when it comes to the Panthers new thirds. It's something that could have been done a lot better, maybe even bringing the team back to their days of glory, when they made the playoffs and turned a lot of heads. Sadly, it's all for naught.

Thanks again to NHLUniforms.com for the image direction.

"Bett and Bals": Delusion of Grandeur

For those of you who don't know about "Bett and Bals", make sure you read the premise. This is all in good fun and usually used for filler, but hey-- it is what it is, right?? I'm not getting paid for this.....though, if I were....

In any case, the first installment of "B&B" has to do with the recent news out about the NHL, who now owns the Phoenix Coyotes, and the City of Glendale trying to reach a lease agreement on the crazy 30 year lease going on.

(Setting: Phoenix condo, overlooking the desert. The living room of Gary Bettman and Jim Balsillie is were we're at, with Gary on the phone trying to work something out.)

Gary Bettman: Now listen, listen-- I'm thinking about we end this year, then go on a week-to-week to basis from this point on. Okay, maybe week-to-week is a little much, sure-- but think of the demand of tickets if they don't know whether or not the team is staying or not. What do you mean "What about the arena employees??" Isn't the arena the Jobing.com Arena?? There ya go, just surf there and they're halfway to a new job. Hello?? Hello??

Jim Balsillie: HAHA-- oh Gary, you'll be the death of me.

GB: How much did you hear??

JB: Enough to know that you're never going to sway the city like that. I mean, let's be honest-- as much as you say you want someone in the position to keep the team in Phoenix, odds are they won't be able to make headway with the city in order to get rid of that ridiculous lease they have lined up.

GB: Look, we both know that the era of hockey in Phoenix in the NHL is coming to a head if we can't get something going. The team is winning and has a great array of talent and aside from the die-hards, no one is showing up unless it's a big name team they've seen on ESPN before.

JB: By the way, how's that DirecTV thing coming??

GB: SILENCE!! Listen, once we find a sucker to take this team off our hands, we'll be fine. Even if I have to give it to that place that wanted to play some games in Toon-Town. I don't get it, Phoenix had the Coyotes and Roadrunners playing hockey at the same time and it's not called Toon-Town yet?? How the hell does that happen??

JB: What's the deal with the marketing?? Wasn't this area supposed to be all in support of this?? I had my fair share of people bashing me for my tactics. This is like the third time it's happened.

GB: They caused an outlash because you're a douche. The fact of the matter is that I already have the die-hards' money. I need to get something going. Something needs to click. We've done the cheap tickets gimmick, we've done reduced sales, NOTHING!! It's like this climate can't deal with the idea of hockey.

JB: Shocking. It's not like the sunbelt gimmick you tried to pull is a complete failure-- just look at the ownerships in the other places like Miami, Tampa, Atlanta....they're thriving in your experiment in all of this. It's not like they have ownership issues or attendance issues or anything like that.

GB: But....but Tampa won a Cup. They had a guy who did the "SAW" movies and "Two and a Half Men," how could it go wrong?? The Thrashers have nine guys owning the team.

JB: Nine guys??

GB: Nine guys. And Miami....well, who knows when David Caruso will pop-up and remove his glasses. If we have a "Guaranteed David Caruso Night" for a Panthers game-- oh boy will we have a hot bank for that market. If we can do that 41 games a year-- mo' money, mo' money, mo' money.

JB: Great "In Living Color" reference, grandpa. Here's the issue with all of this, I'm looking at those four markets on my new BlackBerry Bold...

GB: Stop with the plugs....

JB:....and those markets are (scroll, scroll, scroll) 25th (Tampa), 26th (Florida), 28th (Atlanta), and 30th (Phoenix) in attendance figures. And it's not like there's not talent-- the ownerships don't know how to market a team in an area like that. They try once and when it doesn't happen for them, they don't try a different avenue. They think it's a one-shot deal and then flounder, wondering why it didn't work. You have to try different things, pick and choose....like your BlackBerry choices.

GB: Oof....but how do you do that?? I mean, even with new owners-- who's to say it'll chance. Hell, we're not doing anything to make them more manageable. The insane part is the people who think movements will do anything. Let's be honest here, odds are this team won't be here in five years unless something miraculous happens. This team is Kansas City bound, hell....maybe we could give this ship to you.

JB: Really??

GB: No, but you got your hopes up didn't you??

(Knock on the door)

GB: It's unlocked, we're trusting like that.

(Door opens to the upstairs neighbor)

Judge Redfield T. Baum: T-BOMBED!!!!!

(Door closes and footsteps run up the stairs)

GB: God, I hate when he does that.

JB: Are you kidding me, that's fantastic. It's the newest hook out there.

GB: Always have to be difficult don't you??

JB: What would this horrific sitcom be without it??

(End Scene)