After he graduated to pro hockey from the Edmonton Oil Kings, Bailey entered the Bruin system with the Oklahoma City (CHL) Blazers in 1967. He enjoyed a solid NHL career with various teams, notably Boston and Washington.
When he retired from playing, Bailey caught on as a coach and the Oilers had him coach their minor league team (again CHL) in Wichita. Walt Poddubny and Charlie Huddy were on that team, and there are some legendary stories about Bailey's antics over the years.
Any references to Bailey now involve 9-11. As a hockey man, he enjoyed a terrific junior career, a decade as a solid pro, a short coaching career and a long run as a scout.
--
It's time to talk about pennants. It's my belief that the NHL now--at 30 teams--should recognize and reward the two clubs who get to the finals each season. It's important: if we did this as a matter of course, worthy men like Mark Howe wouldn't be outside the Hockey Hall of Fame. So much importance is placed on winning a Stanley (Nikolai Khabibulin's contract serves as witness) that it's beyond reasonable to ask all HOFers to win one before fading into the distance.
Pennants are (imo) a nice compromise. Two teams per season are recognized for outstanding and historic runs. Here are the pennant winners since 1967 expansion:
- Montreal (11): '68, '69, '71, '73, '76-'79, '86, '89, '93
- Philadelphia (8): '74, '75, '76, '80, '85, '87, '97, '10
- Boston (7): '70, '72, '74, '77, '78, '88, '90
- Edmonton (7): '83, '84, '85, '87, '88, '90, '06
- Detroit (6): '95, '97, '98, '02, '08, '09
- New York Islanders (5): '80, '81, '82, '83, '84
- Chicago (4): '71, '73, '92, '10
- Dallas (4): '81, '91, '99, '00
- New Jersey (4): '95, '00, '01, '03
- Pittsburgh (4): '91, '92, '08, '09
- Calgary (3): '86, '89, '04
- New York Rangers (3): '72, '79, '94
- St. Louis (3): '68, '69, '70
- Anaheim (2): '03, '07
- Buffalo (2): '75, '99
- Carolina (2): '02, '06
- Colorado (2): '96, '01
- Vancouver (2): '82, '94
- Florida (1): '96
- Los Angeles (1): '93
- Ottawa (1): '07
- Tampa Bay (1): '04
- Washington (1): '98
- Atlanta
- Columbus
- Minnesota
- Nashville
- Phoenix
- San Jose
- Toronto
In the west, we see San Jose is still waiting for their first pennant and the Canucks are back hoping the third time's the charm.
--
Nation Radio is back on the air today. Among the scheduled guests:
- James Mirtle from the Globe and Mail. I could have him on every week, the guy writes about five interesting articles a week.
- Gregg Drinnan from Taking Note. Subjects include the WHL championship (won by the Ice), the draft and some off-season news relating to the dub.
- Terry Jones from the Edmonton Sun. I'll ask him about Vancouver's chances to win the Stanley, the Oilers and their draft and off-season plans and a few other items.
- Olivier Gabriel from the Columbus Blue Jackets. I'll ask him about his draft year experiences and why he decided to sign with the Jackets (he had several teams interested in him).
Landsberg had Dominic Moore on OTR this week. I believe Moore is a Harvard graduate and accordingly Landsberg asked him who is the smartest guy on the team.
ReplyDeleteMoore said he thought there were 10 or 11 college grads on the Lightning which made it a tough call, but he would bet on Dwayne Roloson.
That seems a strange post LT... is it two posts comblambered into one? Is the Ace part, which I think you've done before, about Boogard? About the HOF?
spOILer: No, it's about pennants. Bailey was on two pennant winners for the Bruins, I was looking for someone for that group. Have no idea how Boogaard would tie into the post.
ReplyDeleteLT: As always I enjoy your info and argument about pennants. My own view remains that each season already has two champions, the President's Trophy champs and the Stanley Cup champs. The former recognizes - although in not nearly high-enough profile - those six months of hockey between October and April. Extra recognition of the losing finalist (as is already done in a sense with the Wales/Campbell trophies) simply puts more attention on the playoffs and even less on the regular season.
ReplyDeleteWhile I have no problem with an "all of the above" solution, the advantage to the PT/SC pair is that both are open to all 30 teams. On those relatively rare occasions that the same team wins both and achieves the "double", that is an accomplishment worthy of particular note. In my own personal recognition system such teams are "super champions" who sit a little higher on the pedestal than teams that win the Cup alone. It's possible to be the best in the regular season AND in the playoffs, whereas teams can only be the best in the East OR the West.
Using last year as an example, I would rate the champions as follows:
1. Chicago - Stanley Cup (also Campbell Bowl) champs
2. Washington - President's Trophy champs
3. Philadelphia - Prince of Wales champs
One place where we entirely agree is Mark Howe who belongs in the HHoF long since. Besides his two pennants, Howe won the equivalent of a President's Trophy when the Flyers finished first overall in 1985. The PT was formally introduced the next year.
Tragic endings is all I got.
ReplyDeleteDid you catch Luedeke's re-telling of the 1981 Draft shocker involving Carpenter? He's been knocking it out of the park recently. He would be a good guest for your radiola show.
Bruce, I like your take of going more Premiership than Baseball. Besides we all know Van is going to have a President's Trophy parade anyways, right?
ReplyDeletethink whoever wins West is going to win SC. So one chronic underachiever is going to do it this year
ReplyDeletePost lockout (cap era)the numbers are:
ReplyDeleteDetroit 08,09
Pittsburgh 08,09
Edmonton 06
Carolina 06
Anaheim 07
Ottawa 07
Chicago 10
Philadelphia 10
This will be interesting to watch now that the GM job is an efficiency contest. Teams loaded with HOF'ers (MTL,NYI,EDM) won't exist anymore long term.
Although with the cap going up again, there is starting to be separation between haves and have-nots again.
If David Poile ever has a job where he can spend to the cap, I'd bet on him to ring up a few pennants.
Word was that NAS had their best ever regular season gate (had more sellouts by Jan 15 than they ever had in one season). Add to that the extra playoff gate of 6 games and Poile may have a bigger budget next year.
Hubbub is that Radulov wants to come back to the NHL. If NAS welcomes him back or Poile can turn him into something good, NAS will continue to improve.
I have no idea why I just went on and on about NAS. Maybe because Poile wins the efficiency battle year after year and I'd like to see him win.
curious to know if anyone here would trade Hemsky for Ryan Ellis.
ReplyDeleteI emailed Gregor and he wouldn't do that from the Oilers side. I thought he would say Nashville wouldn't do it, but he thought Hemsky is proven and Ellis is not.
What say you folks?
The reason I ask is there is some speculation the Oilers would trade Hemsky to Columbus for the number 8 pick if they can get Ryan Murphy.
Is Ellis better than Murphy?
Not sure but he is two years closer anyways.
Comments welcome on all items:
1) Hemsky for Ellis?
2) Hemsky for number 8 if RM is available?
3) Murphy better than Ellis?
With any trade proposal involving Hemsky, so much depends on the chances of his re-signing (his chances of resigning are essentially zero, I think). I hope the Oilers have a better grasp of those chances than I do, so I'm largely deferential to them. If they know he's going to bolt, it's hard to imagine getting a better return than either Ellis or the #8, but if we could extend Hemsky at reasonable money I'd rather do that. So
ReplyDelete1. Maybe
2. Maybe
3. No idea
I'd be surprised to see either Poile or Howson do that, though, unless they somehow knew that they stood an excellent chance of extending Hemsky.
That Hemsky guy is pretty good. I think they should probably keep him around.
ReplyDeleteI still think Ellis' size might heavily jeopardize his upside.
ReplyDeleteIs Hemsky really tradeable while he's on a major rehab? And Columbus is hurting for Dmen, wouldn't they be looking for a quality option there before Hemsky? And, considering their budget wouldn't a Huselius be coming back the other way?
ReplyDeleteI don't know of better place to look so might a pose a question and quickly be of our your hairs?
ReplyDeleteI'm looking for a post where Behindthenet, or, perhaps someone who is now writing papers based on those stats (MC79, Willis, ect) shows the consistency in the BTN numbers when measured against a fixed variable.
Or, better yet, what exactly IS the fixed variable in which we can measure one player against against another and not against randomness.
Thanks
spoiler:
ReplyDeleteI don't think you will get primo value for Hemsky -but if he's available for a dime then I bet Tambellini's phone rings 29 times.
I like Hemsky's chances of recovering from injury a lot better than, say, a random draft pick in 11-20 range ending up better than Hemsky.
That said, I absolutely deal Ales Hemsky.. if for no other reason to put Sam Gagner back at RW- the only place he was half decent occupying and force Tambellini into rectifying the 10-89 disaster that has wiped out Edmonton's chances of winning like a wave crashing down on a sand castle.
I liked the part where you went an entire post without mentioning Horcoff.
ReplyDeleteIf Hemsky gets traded, I think moving Gagner to RW is the way to go. But I would want a very good defenceman coming back.
ReplyDelete"I liked the part where you went an entire post without mentioning Horcoff."
ReplyDeleteMy bad. "Horcoff" and "Pennants" don't belong in the same thread (still waiting for LT's landfill post).
Remember 2006, when Horcoff's team won the pennant?
ReplyDeleteDiscula - a round, flattened, Transylvanian.
I wonder if we'll all do this at the old folks home? I'll be sitting there staring out the window and Traktor will be screaming "Horcoff" ever 10 seconds.
ReplyDeleteFrom across the room, Steve Smith will say "I don't think Horcoff means what you think it does."
porph: what poor people morph into.
"Remember 2006, when Horcoff's team won the pennant?"
ReplyDeleteNo, because I adhere to Bruce's definition of "Pennant".
Do yo remember in 2007,2008,2009,2010,2011 when "Horcoff's team" failed to even qualify for the playoffs.
I feel like I'm Schrodinger talking at the Copenhagen institute mid-1920's
ReplyDeleteLT, of course, is Niels Bohr.
LT: In fairness, I think it's been at least a few days since a post fell apart into a Traktor-fuelled Horcoff "discussion".
ReplyDeleteThen again, blogger wasn't working for a day either.
Hmm.
estrabul!
Completely unrelated - but does anyone have RNH shooting %?
ReplyDeleteJust discovered Seguin was shooting at a 21% rate in his draft year. That's ridiculous.
I've always thought of myself as more of a "William the Silent."
ReplyDelete"If you think you understand Horcoffian hockey, then you don't understand Horcoffian hockey."
ReplyDelete--R. Feynman
What I've found is that Steve Smith's position can we anywhere in the world (even mars) but as soon as I post "Horcoff" we know his exact position.
ReplyDeleteHe is in front of his computer typing out a reply.
Spooky action at a distance
...but as soon as I post "Horcoff" we know his exact position.
ReplyDeleteHe is in front of his computer typing out a reply.
Only because you're watching.
PunjabiOil said...
ReplyDeleteJust discovered Seguin was shooting at a 21% rate in his draft year. That's ridiculous.
That's interesting. May I ask where did you find the shooting data?
That's interesting. May I ask where did you find the shooting data?
ReplyDeleteSorry, my mistake. That was the % of team goals, not shooting %.
PJO: Well that seems rather normal... if you take in account for the points he goes up to 43% which seems standard for top picks.
ReplyDelete(On unstacked teams)
Thomas not having his best game.
ReplyDeletebutimmid: you want to put that where?
And then he absolutely robs Downie.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting comments there by Healey on Weber. He thinks it will be a very difficult negotiation, that Weber won't take a discount and may be looking for as much as 8 million dollars a year... and since they have to sign Suter and Rinne the year after, they won't have any money to bring in some forward help.
ReplyDeleteIt would be worthwhile to be talking to Poile. Although I would think they would prefer to move Suter, I still call and see how badly they want to improve their offense immediately. And they could use a first rounder this year.
Hemsky, a younger cheaper Dman and the 18th should be a reasonable starting point.
Of course we would need permission to talk to Weber's agent first.
Blogger spOILer said...
ReplyDeleteVery interesting comments there by Healey on Weber. He thinks it will be a very difficult negotiation, that Weber won't take a discount and may be looking for as much as 8 million dollars a year... and since they have to sign Suter and Rinne the year after, they won't have any money to bring in some forward help.
It would be worthwhile to be talking to Poile. Although I would think they would prefer to move Suter, I still call and see how badly they want to improve their offense immediately. And they could use a first rounder this year.
Hemsky, a younger cheaper Dman and the 18th should be a reasonable starting point.
Of course we would need permission to talk to Weber's agent first.
Oh, good grief, why would Weber have any interest in being an Oiler?
DSF: Well, it might not be up to him for one. As good as Weber is, 8 Million is a lot of money for any team in the Salary Cap era. If somehow the Oilers acquire the rights to Shea Weber and offer him 8.5 million for, say, 3 years and he balks because he 'doesn't want to play in Edmonton' maybe he finds another team, and maybe he doesn't. What other team has both the cap space and the money to offer than kind of contract? Toronto, LA maybe, but do you really want to wager between 8-9 million dollars on it?
ReplyDeleteWeber's never struck me as the kind of guy who would "refuse" to play for a team. If he was a UFA and the Oilers came to him with an offer and he turned it down that's a different story, but Weber is an RFA.
I have no expectation of Shea Weber being an Oiler in October, but the reason he won't be here isn't because he would have 'no interest in playing for the Oilers.'
$8 million would make him the highest paid defenseman in the league, and the fifth highest paid player (by cap hit). I'm not sure he could get that from a lot of teams on the UFA market. If money is really his top priority, it's conceivable that he'd sign with Edmonton if good teams weren't willing to pay that much (and how many good teams can afford to?). My guess is he wouldn't be interesting in signing here, but I don't think it's beyond the realm of possibility.
ReplyDeleteRight, I totally forgot that Weber's an impending RFA, not UFA. That makes it even more plausible.
ReplyDeletemelancholyculkin said...
ReplyDeleteDSF: Well, it might not be up to him for one. As good as Weber is, 8 Million is a lot of money for any team in the Salary Cap era. If somehow the Oilers acquire the rights to Shea Weber and offer him 8.5 million for, say, 3 years and he balks because he 'doesn't want to play in Edmonton' maybe he finds another team, and maybe he doesn't. What other team has both the cap space and the money to offer than kind of contract? Toronto, LA maybe, but do you really want to wager between 8-9 million dollars on it?
Weber's never struck me as the kind of guy who would "refuse" to play for a team. If he was a UFA and the Oilers came to him with an offer and he turned it down that's a different story, but Weber is an RFA.
I have no expectation of Shea Weber being an Oiler in October, but the reason he won't be here isn't because he would have 'no interest in playing for the Oilers.'
Elite players want to play for elite teams.
He would be much more likely to play for Detroit or Vancouver.
Vancouver has Salo, Bieksa and Ehrhoff coming off the cap. ($7.85M)
Weber is a BC boy like Hamhuis.
Book it.
Drearily Self-defeatist Fox:
ReplyDeleteWhy would you make that assumption without making an inquiry? No harm can come of it. If it ain't there, it ain't there. But you're professing to know the mind of a complete stranger. This is going to come as a shock to someone seemingly as narrow-minded as you but the world is filled with people who hold a wide range of differing values. I'm not surprised though, given your displays of heavy cynicism, that you would choose giving up over making the oh so difficult effort of picking up a telephone. Hope that self-defeatist philosophy is working out well for you in life.
Or are you in such a sad place that you need to represent yourself this way, despite how foolish it looks, to gain the negative attention you so desperately need?
Elite players want to play for elite teams.
ReplyDeleteHe would be much more likely to play for Detroit or Vancouver.
Vancouver has Salo, Bieksa and Ehrhoff coming off the cap. ($7.85M)
Weber is a BC boy like Hamhuis.
Book it.
So, you use that 7.85 million to sign Weber to an offer sheet. Assuming Nashville doesn't match for whatever reason, that makes Vancouver better how? The Canucks are already up against the Cap, and even assuming it goes up to ~62 Million, that would leave the Canucks with approximately 5-6 Million dollars with which to re-sign (or replace) Higgins, Torres, Lapierre, Hansen, Glass and Tambellini, as well as signing another top 4 defenceman and two bottom pairing dmen.
So the Canucks could tie up their money and cap space with an elite defender, but it would the bottom half of their roster in a mess.
*leave the bottom half of their roster a complete mess.
ReplyDeleteSo, you use that 7.85 million to sign Weber to an offer sheet. Assuming Nashville doesn't match for whatever reason, that makes Vancouver better how? The Canucks are already up against the Cap, and even assuming it goes up to ~62 Million, that would leave the Canucks with approximately 5-6 Million dollars with which to re-sign (or replace) Higgins, Torres, Lapierre, Hansen, Glass and Tambellini, as well as signing another top 4 defenceman and two bottom pairing dmen.
ReplyDeleteSo the Canucks could tie up their money and cap space with an elite defender, but it would the bottom half of their roster in a mess.
Vancouver won't offer sheet Weber, they'll trade for him.
The Canucks are not up against the cap.
They have $14M available.
Amazing what you can do when you don't have $10M tied up in Horcoff and Khabibulin.
melancholyculkin said...
ReplyDelete*leave the bottom half of their roster a complete mess.
Saturday, May 14, 2011 8:59:00 PM MDT
Phhtt...good teams get bottom six players for peanuts.
Check the salary structure of the Vancouver bottom six.
The only one making money is Malhotra...and he's worth it.
DSF,
ReplyDeleteQuestion to you is wtf does vancouver have to trade that they would be willing to part with and Nashville would want?
Mr Smitty : Not my question but Shroeder/Hodgson seem plausible.
ReplyDeleteAltough no fucking way any reasonable man would take that over Hemmer. (To win now)
Mr.Smitty said...
ReplyDeleteDSF,
Question to you is wtf does vancouver have to trade that they would be willing to part with and Nashville would want?
Saturday, May 14, 2011 9:09:00 PM MDT
Well, since Vancouver has little use for draft choices at this point...how about a first rounder in 2012, Chris Tanev and Jordan Shroeder?
A.) Trade for Weber with whom? Realistically, unless the Canucks are willing to part with one or more of their good forwards, they don't have anyone that they could conceivably trade that would be able to get this deal done.
ReplyDeleteB.) Say Samuelsson and Burrows are involved in this hypothetical deal. Burrows and Samuelsson for Weber. Who replaces Burrows and Samuelsson? Hodgson and Shirokov? The Canucks are going to have to give up something substantial in order to get Weber, and they will then have to replace whatever they give up, either through free agency, trade or promotion from within.
I don't believe that Nashville is interested in picks or prospects. They make their money through selling tickets, and making the playoffs means more gate revenue, so if Nashville does shop Weber they will be looking for actual NHL players in any trade that can help them continue to make the playoffs.
C.) Even with the cap going up, the Canucks would still be tieing up 7.85 million dollars in a single player. They would then have to sign 6 forwards (not including any they gave up for Weber), one top 4 defenceman and 2 bottom pairing dmen. That's 12 players. Half of an NHL roster, and they'd have to do all this with not a whole hell of a lot of money. This also excludes the cost of replacing what they had to give up to get Weber.
D.) Nashville had one of their best, if not the best, regular seasons in terms of selling tickets, and they made it to the second round of the playoffs. They will have more money to spend this offseason. As good as Weber is, I don't think that he's worth 8 million. Nashville can take him to arbitration and the judge will probably agree with me. Shea Weber will not be recieving an 8 million dollar contract this offseason.
I would be willing to bet that Nashville re-signs Weber this offseason for something in the neighbourhood of 6.75 million a season.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteBoondock said...
ReplyDeleteVancouver has Salo, Bieksa and Ehrhoff coming off the cap. ($7.85M)
Weber is a BC boy like Hamhuis.
Book it.
Last fall, a Canuck amateur scout told me they have been made aware that Weber's absolute first choice for next season is the Canucks.
Saturday, May 14, 2011 9:52:00 PM MD
Of course.,
Best of luck to the Vancouver Canucks this playoff season.
ReplyDeleteIt will be a glorious day in Lowetideville when our host finally pulls the drawbridge on that smug Canuck troll for good...what we will do then without him to remind us of how bad the Oilers are?
ReplyDeletekingsioi: royal punk?
Hoil: Have the standings as your wallpaper?
ReplyDeleteHoil: Pay even the slightest attention to the Oilers?
ReplyDeleteDan Barnes is reporting that the Oilers are one of a few NHL teams after defenceman Ville Lajunen, a 6' 185lb 23 year old playing in the Finnish Elite league. He had 24pts in 60 games this year. Last year he had 38 pts in 58 games.
ReplyDeleteSounds like Tambo/Lowe are trying hard to land a FA from the World Championships.
Sounds a bit like Foster.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=9895&lang=en
He's younger though, and given the glacial development path of defencemen, it sounds like a good low risk way to shore up the defensive depth of the team.
Well, he's about three feet shorter than Foster.
ReplyDeleteBut what the hell - he's never played in the NHL, so we're probably not talking big money, so no harm in trying, as long as they're willing to give up if he proves to be a failed experiment.
Frolov signs with Omsk, 3 year deal I believe. Cue the Jagr speculations.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletePot:
ReplyDeleteYes, I am. It's quite slimming.
Kettle
Finns win.
ReplyDeleteMore Finns please.
That is all.
fpb,ss,
ReplyDeleteI don't need anybody to remind me of how bad the Oilers have been, it's a recurring nightmare for years.
ReplyDeleteBut what the hell - he's never played in the NHL, so we're probably not talking big money, so no harm in trying, as long as they're willing to give up if he proves to be a failed experiment.
Oilers need a good RH Dman and their N.A. pro scouting resembles monkeys with type writers (Blurst of times!?!?!?!)
After Bieksa the RH Dman FA market falls into a crevice, so I like this move, if they can indeed pull it off.
All I am saying, is give Finns a chance.
All I am saying, is give Finns a chance.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. I'm just saying don't give them nine or ten chances instead of trying to find somebody better.
Duce
ReplyDeleteAgree with you that it is a good idea that the Oil are trying to sign guys as free agents. Which is great to my mind, or at least they are having a nice European holiday. But Matheson in reporting on Victor Fath refers to him as the #3 goalie for the Oilers.Would he have got that from Oiler management? because in what world would the # 1 goaler at the worlds w/ 968 SP be behind Khabby and DD?
Another example of Oiler management not wanting to say: hey we kinda screwed up the Khabby signing but cannot, yet, figure out how to blame that mistake on EIG.
Lowetide missed Oiler nation radio yesterday running errands with wife. She simply reached over and flipped dial to FM. Last weekend running errands with youngest duaghter when she went to flip dial to FM...... I asked "what do you think you are doing" Not yet afraid of my daughter
t least they are having a nice European holiday. But Matheson in reporting on Victor Fath refers to him as the #3 goalie for the Oilers.Would he have got that from Oiler management? because in what world would the # 1 goaler at the worlds w/ 968 SP be behind Khabby and DD?
ReplyDeleteI'm praying to a couple of different gods that all the "Khabby is still #1" smoke is just that, smoke for public consumption.
May many gods help us if they actually believe that.
Frolov signs with Omsk, 3 year deal I believe. Cue the Jagr speculations
ReplyDeleteMatheson said today he expects a team with lots of Czech's (and cheques I guess) or PIT. He said no rebuilds.
Agreed. I'm just saying don't give them nine or ten chances instead of trying to find somebody better.
ReplyDeleteI doubt they will since Vish didn't draft him.
Ducey... Yeah, I read that too. I'm going to guess the Rangers or Pitt. Leaning towards Pitt; then he can play with the best player in the world. Again. Just sayin there's going to be lots of speculation on whether he comes over and where he ends up.
ReplyDeleteAnd agreed guys in the D discussion. This team is not adequately Finned yet. He sounds Chorney-sized though.
But Matheson in reporting on Victor Fath refers to him as the #3 goalie for the Oilers.Would he have got that from Oiler management?
ReplyDeleteWell, Oilers managment is also famous for making too much out of international tournaments. So I don't mind the caution.
The dude has never played in the NHL and played behind the shooting gallery that is the Oilers. Plus they are negotiating with this guy. Finally, the Leafs have signed a bunch of these guys (the Monster comes to mind) and none are the starter.
Its not unreasonable to name him the #3 before he has even signed or even practiced with the team.
And agreed guys in the D discussion. This team is not adequately Finned yet. He sounds Chorney-sized though.
ReplyDeleteHaven't you seen Dejardin's Finn to NA Skater ratio?
You add 3" and 20lbs if a player is a Finn. See, Timonen, Kimmo; Rutu, Tuomo
I don't know why they don't give Gerber a shot. He would be cheap, motivated. Waive Khabby bye bye. He'd be an expensive 3rd goalie, but teams have to be willing to bury their mistakes if they're going to improve.
ReplyDeleteGerber buys you time to the 'compete window' and hopefully either something appears by way of the flush goalie market, or by development.
And if he doesn't work bring Khabby back up. If someone steals him, oh damn.
Captcha: gamer... Finn.
Hmmm. This would be interesting for Montreal. We do have Czechs and Cheques.
ReplyDeleteWonder if they have the guts to send Gomez down to Hamilton and replaced him with Jagr.
He did play with Plekanec in the last 2 WC/OG.
Always hope. (God I hope they flush that bastard)
I'm praying to a couple of different gods that all the "Khabby is still #1" smoke is just that, smoke for public consumption.
ReplyDeleteWG: That particular smoke is emanating from a crack pipe.
I have no difficulty with Gerber as our #1 goalie either but the Oilers "we're looking for a #3 goalie" is just so much BS. The Monster is as good as DD and noticeably better than Khabby.
ReplyDeleteGotta love the Finns...... Soviets demand naval base in 1939 and the Finns tell them to piss off!! They are attacked by 1 million soviets and the Finns put up textbook winter war defense. Similar circumstances French last 22 minutes BUT 15 million subsequently self report to be in the Resistance
Jagr money hunt begins...
ReplyDeleteBarnes tweets....
Gotta love Jagr. Said he doesn't think Omsk really wants him. Thought out loud about 1 more NHL year with Pitt or NYR or Montreal.
"I didn't really get any offers from Omsk, not really on paper. We just talk about it. They sign some really good players." - Jagr.
Jagr confirms he got a letter from Pitt GM Ray Shero, inviting him to a golf tourney. "First of all, I don't play golf."
"The other thing is if I decided to play in Russia, I already would be practising. The training camps here start in July." - Jagr.
"Maybe it would be still fun to go back to NHL. Maybe Pittsburgh. Maybe Montreal. Maybe New York." - Jagr.
"Pittsburgh, I play there for a long time and Mario is the owner. It's better to play with great centres like Crosby and Malkin." - Jagr.
More Jagr: "New York, I always had a great feeling about that city. They gave me a second chance. I never forget about that."
Last Jagr: "Montreal and Canada, it's totally different hockey. The fans are crazy about hockey. I've never played in Canada in my life."
No mention of Edmonton this time. Hah.
Jagr chuckled that he would leave his playing fate to God, rather than his agent. "I trust him more than my agent."
ReplyDeleteI would like a righthanded defenceman with superhuman strength. And a old wooden Koho called Mjolnir that can't be broken. If he also has Ancient Norse blood running through his veins, so be it.
ReplyDeleteI have no difficulty with Gerber as our #1 goalie either but the Oilers "we're looking for a #3 goalie" is just so much BS. The Monster is as good as DD and noticeably better than Khabby.
ReplyDeleteYeah, right:
Duby save % .916
Bulin .890
Monster .890