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Should I Stay or Should I Go? Unrestricted Free Agents

By MJ Kasprzak | July 2, 2009 | The Cold Shoulder

The free agency period has begun, and Doug Wilson has made moves that have given the Sharks cap space. The question is not whether they will sign new players, it is how effective those players will be. In the summer of 2008, the Sharks made major upgrades on the blueline that were supposed to carry them to a title. Rob Blake, Dan Boyle, and Brad Lukowich certainly provided that upgrade, as the Sharks had arguably the best blueline in the regular season. But the team got no post-season hardware out of their new unit. This should bring Wilson to the realization that the problem is not on the back end, but rather among the forwards. The Sharks have struggled to score in the playoffs for four consecutive post-seasons, and bowed out in the second round each time. The widely accepted theory is that it is defence that wins in the...

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Source: Heatley to SJ for a package involving Marleau/Michalek

By Colin Jeffrey | July 1, 2009 | Colin Jeffrey's 301

Howdy from a now sunny again Ottawa. Rumoured from a source saying Dany Heatley is off to play with Big Joe in San Jose for a package including Patrick Marleau and/or Milan Michalek. Wasn't I just talking about these guys earlier today? Again, rumour only as of now. Nothing else out of the Sens camp...given the need to deal Dany and our cap situation we looked like a 'Day 2'-type team anyways. Colin Jeffrey www.mvn.com/colinjeffrey's301 ...

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Quick Heatley update...

By Colin Jeffrey | July 1, 2009 | Colin Jeffrey's 301

Howdy again from Ottawa. Looks like the New York Rangers and San Jose Sharks are parties Heatley could be dealt too. Don't rule out the Oilers deal yet though. We know what an Oiler deal looks like. A Rangers deal would likely have Staal and Dubinsky in it as well as some spare parts. I'm not for any NYR deal as it wouldn't help our offence in the slightest. The Sharks would be either Marleau or Thornton with some other players/picks potentially. This deal wouldn't really help us either as we'd still be a one-line scoring team, which in today's...

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, NHL, Ottawa Senators, San Jose Sharks

Should I Stay or Should I Go? Restricted Free Agents, Part III

By MJ Kasprzak | July 1, 2009 | The Cold Shoulder

The last group of restricted free agents to examine is those who are eligible for arbitration and did have an impact on the NHL last season: Lukas Kaspar, Brad Staubitz, Marcel Goc, Tomas Plihal, and Ryane Clowe. (Click to see the rules governing restricted free agents and arbitration, see the first two parts of this series.)Some of the suspense in this list has been removed, as the Sharks announced that they have offered contracts to Ryane Clowe, Torrey Mitchell, Thomas Greiss, and Brad Staubitz. Terms of these contracts were not made available.Thus the Sharks will not be offering Tomas Plihal, Marcel Goc, Lukas Kaspar, Riley Armstrong, Taylor Dakers, Mike Morris, T.J. Fox, or Ashton Rome a contract. All are now unrestricted free agents.Thus, instead of offering a prediction on the remaining restricted free agents, I will offer what I would have done in Doug Wilson's shoes...Ryane CloweClowie is the only...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Brad Staubitz, Doug Wilson, Lukas Kaspar, Marcel Goc, NHL, NHL Pacific, NHL Western Conference, Ryane Clowe, San Jose Sharks, Tomas Plihal

Should I Stay or Should I Go? Restricted Free Agents, Part II

By MJ Kasprzak | June 29, 2009 | The Cold Shoulder

In the second installment of Should I Stay or Should I Go?, restricted free agents who are eligible for arbitration are examined. To help analyze the situation, it is important to understand just what rules govern arbitration.Salary arbitration is the only bargaining tool available for some restricted free agents. The player and team each propose a salary for the coming season, and argue their cases at a hearing. A neutral third party decided the player's salary from the two sides' proposals.Most players must have four years of NHL experience before they are eligible for salary arbitration (the term is reduced for those who signed their first NHL contract after the age of 20). Requests must be made by July 5, and cases are heard in late July or early August; negotiations often continue after a filing for arbitration in hopes of reaching a compromise.Teams can also ask for salary arbitration,...

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Should I Stay or Should I Go Now? Restricted Free Agents

By MJ Kasprzak | June 18, 2009 | The Cold Shoulder

The San Jose Sharks have an astounding 26 NHL and minor league players who are not under contract for 2009-10. Nine of those players were regulars in the lineup, appearing in 35 or more games in the regular season or in the majority of postseason games; seven more were active for between two and 19 games between the two seasons. That spells a tough summer of decisions for General Manager Doug Wilson. Those decisions are vital against the backdrop of the clash between past playoff failures and future playoff success. That is why I am out to help Wilson with this series inspired by the the hit single from The Clash, Should I Stay or Should I Go Now? I start with the team's 13 restricted free agents. In order to really analyze what the team should do, it is important to understand the rules governing restricted free agents....

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Top 5 First Round Moments of the 2009 Playoffs

By Grant Beery | April 24, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Round one had some pretty interesting stories. Here are five of my favorite.1. The Ducks/Sharks SeriesThe Sharks have history to blame for their ineffective performance in the playoffs. They've been dubbed choke artists due to their inability to make it out of the first round. This season, with the President's Trophy in hand, that all looked to change. The Ducks had different plans, however. Currently leading the series 3-1, Anaheim hasn't given the best team of the regular season any room to shine or enjoy that home ice advantage. The Sharks have been outscored 12-6 in the series and have been shutout twice. Now they have to win three straight or forever be called the choke artists of the NHL Playoffs.2. .2 seconds!How do you piss off the usually calm, cool, and collected Martin Brodeur? The Carolina Hurricanes did just that in game 3, breaking a tie with just .2...Read more

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A Week of NHL Playoffs Has Taught Us...

By Alan Smodic | April 22, 2009 | MVN Outsider

A week into the NHL Playoffs and only one series has been decided as of today -- a sweep of the St. Louis Blues by the Vancouver Canucks. I didn't think the Canucks would sweep, but I did believe they'd win.With their series win in mind from last night, we'll begin there.Vancouver wins 4-0 against St. Louis - Hockey fans knew at the beginning of this series that Roberto Luongo was good. The sweep just cements that fact. Luongo is a beast between the pipes and it's not out of the question to think that he could carry the Canucks to another series win. It's too early to tell what team Vancouver would play in the second round, but don't be surprised if it's able to advance.Detroit up 3-0 against Columbus - This series is over. If it doesn't end in a sweep Thursday night, I'll be surprised. I picked...Read more

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Quest for the Cup, Who's Your Pick?

By Alan Smodic | April 14, 2009 | MVN Outsider

In keeping tradition with the bracketology craze of college basketball, Faceoff-Factor and The Pensblog joined forces with an idea to create "Rinkotology" in an effort to raise money for the Mario Lemieux Foundation.As the name suggests, it works just the same as your NCAA March Madness pool... simply go to Rinkotology and fill out a bracket. But please donate at least $5 -- the foundation is a very worthy cause.With the introduction out of the way, let me break down my Rinkotology picks and see where I think this NHL Playoff season may be headed. Keep in mind that I've never once won a pool like this and my picks will probably not even happen. And as a Pens fan, I hope they don't happen, because I'd like to see them win it all. But I digress...Western Conference:The West is always Detroit's to lose. Just because San Jose finished the...Read more

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Top 10 NHL Coaches of 2008-2009

By Grant Beery | April 3, 2009 | MVN Outsider

With most of the news about NHL coaches focusing on firings, people tend to overlook the guys who are actually doing well for their teams. Here's a list of the top ten head coaches of 2008-2009 and what they're doing for their teams. 10. Ken Hitchcock, Columbus Blue JacketsHitch is on pace to be the very first coach to lead the Blue Jackets in to the playoffs. With a Stanley Cup under his belt from Dallas, he's certainly got experience. After a losing season in 07-08, Hitchcock is doing much better this year with a 40-29-8 record so far. During the offseason, he signed a 3 year extension with Columbus and earned his 500th win as a coach in February. 9. Joel Quenneville, Chicago BlackhawksJoel Quenneville seems like a perfect fit in Chicago. He's taken a team that is the youngest in the league and has lead them through a...Read more

Read more | 3 Comments | Tags: Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils, NHL, San Jose Sharks, Vancouver Canucks, Washington Capitals

NHL Stock Market - Gagne Keeping the Lamp Lit

By Grant Beery | March 24, 2009 | MVN Outsider

RisingSan Jose SharksThis team is finally remembering how to consistently win games. It couldn't have come at a better time, either. With a win over the Avalanche on Sunday, the Sharks are now in sole possession of the top spot in the league. Leading Detroit by just one point and Boston by four, San Jose has looked very good, winning four of their last five games. Nabokov has had only 6 losses and amassed 4 shutouts since the All-Star break, gaining a .921 save percentage along the way. However, the big story is the scoring touch captain Joe Thornton has found. He's netted 6 goals in his last ten games, including a 3 point night in Phoenix on St. Patrick's Day."For what reason, I don't know. I don't know if I'm shooting more. Once you get into a little groove like that, you realize that every time you shoot you...Read more

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Top 10 Nice Guys of the NHL

By Grant Beery | March 14, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Last week, I brought you the black sheep of the NHL. This week, to give both sides a fair shake, I'm going to show you the nicest fellas ever to play the game.10. Alexander OvechkinOvechkin is probably the one player that enjoys playing the most. With every goal he scores he shows sheer excitement in his celebration. At the most recent All-Star Game, Ovechkin took the opportunity to have fun and put on a show for the crowd. While some have criticized Alex's casual attitude as showboating, it's really just a player enjoying his time in the NHL.9. Mark MessierPlaying 25 years in the NHL and the last active WHA player, Messier exemplified an older style of hockey. One of the most accomplished players in the league as well, Messier won 6 Stanley Cups and is the only professional athlete to be the captain of two different championship teams.Off the...Read more

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NHL Rumor Mill - What Exactly is a Staged Fight?

By Grant Beery | March 10, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Right now the 30 general managers of the NHL are meeting in Naples, FL to discuss a multitude of topics, but fighting will be at the forefront. The GMs would like to get rid of staged fights during games, which are predetermined bouts between two players that aren't in retaliation for anything; they just fight because that's what they're paid to do.At least that's what I think it is. I asked some fellow hockey fans on Twitter to give me their take on what they think a staged fight is."A boxing match""Wrestling"Okay, so apparently the people I follow on Twitter are just a bunch of smart asses. Moving on...Number CrunchersHere's some data the league put together on fighting in the NHL:21.6% - Number of fights this season have happened immediately following a faceoff, which is a 30 percent increase since 2000.23.6% - Number of fights started in defense of...Read more

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Deadline Passes Without Blockbuster Deal

By Alan Smodic | March 4, 2009 | MVN Outsider

The 2009 NHL trade deadline passed about three hours ago. The top story this year? ... well, take your pick. It pretty much depends on what team you follow.This time last year, the Pittsburgh Penguins made the splash of the day, acquiring Marian Hossa from the Thrashers for a slew of players. A "sexy" deal, as one radio personality put it. An equivalent to that one was not pulled today.But that doesn't mean that some playoff-bound, or playoff-dreaming teams didn't improve their rosters. Some notables today:The Calgary Flames made arguably the biggest move, adding F Olli Jokinen and D Jordan Leopold. The Pittsburgh Penguins were back at it again. GM Ray Shero already added Chris Kunitz in the Ryan Whitney trade last week. Today, amid some other small moves, he added veteran winger Bill Guerin in exchange for a conditional draft pick.Eastern Conference leading Boston Bruins added some veteran presence...Read more

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