The Official NHL Thread

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Originally posted by Alex Mogilny
I hear the Pens are talking about bringing back Warren Young and Kevin Stevens.

LOL, just a hint of sarcasm in there....

But they are actually discussing Ron Francis....

I think Ronnie has lost a few steps in the last few years...

I know that Yanic Perrault has called them...

If I was Craig Patrick, I'd nab him...

No, he's not a huge goal-scorer, but he's the best faceoff man in the league, a major advantage....

[Full Bug]

Lindros joins LeafsToronto signs No. 88 to one-year deal


Eric Lindros works out at a local rink in February 2001. (CP Photo/Kevin Frayer)
TORONTO (CP) — Eric Lindros is a Maple Leaf, finally consummating an on-again, off-again affair that lasted for years.

The one-year deal is worth $1.55 million US.

GM John Ferguson presented Lindros with a No. 88 Leaf jersey at a late-afternoon news conference at the Air Canada Centre.

Have your say: Is Lindros worth it?

“It’s a little dusty,” Lindros joked, referring to his long history of being linked to Toronto.

“It’s about time. This is great. I’m really excited about it. It’s a dream come true,” he added.

In November 2000, Lindros — then an out-of-favour Flyer — announced the Leafs were the one and only team he wants to be traded to. In February 2001, Toronto’s board of governors actually approved a deal to get Lindros in a trade with Philadelphia. But Pat Quinn, then GM as well as coach, said one day later that the Flyers had pulled out of the agreement.

The 32-year-old forward played for the New York Rangers most recently. He had 10 goals, 22 assists and 60 penalty minutes in 39 games during the 2003-04 season.

He was quick to correct a reporter who cited recent concussions, saying his most recent physical problems were a shoulder that had been repaired.

Ferguson said he was satisfied by the team’s “due diligence” in checking Lindros out.

“He’s passed, he’s here and we’re pleased to have him,” said the GM.

Lindros won the Hart Trophy as the league’s most valuable player in 1994-95 and the Lester B. Pearson Award as the most outstanding player in the NHL as voted by the players the same year.

But concussions have taken a toll on the big forward during his NHL career.

He missed all of the 2000-01 season recovering from head injuries after a check from New Jersey’s Scott Stevens in Game 7 of the 2000 Eastern Conference final gave him his sixth career concussion.

Lindros has played 678 career NHL games for Philadelphia and the New York Rangers, recording 356 goals 461 assists and 1,285 penalty minutes.

His salary as a Leaf is a far cry from the $8.5-million US qualifying offer he turned down from the Flyers prior to being traded to New York.

In 1991, after drafting him first overall, the Quebec Nordiques reportedly offered him a $50-million deal, 10-year deal with half the money deferred. It was rejected.

An imposing player when healthy, Lindros has always marched to the beat of his own drums — often making headlines in the process.

In 1989, he was taken first over by the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in the Ontario Hockey League draft of 16-year-olds but refused to report.

In June 1992, both the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers claimed to have reached an agreement with Quebec on a deal for Lindros. An arbitrator later awarded his rights to the Flyers.

Philadelphia named his captain in September 1994. But the relationship soon turned sour. In March 2000, Lindros criticized Flyers’ trainers for not recognizing his concussion. Days later he was stripped of the captaincy.

A string of concussions followed and Lindros eventually wound up in New York.

“Teams were still calling this morning, the interest really picked up, it’s interesting how it worked out,” said Carl Lindros, Eric’s father and agent. “But this is a good situation for him. It’s what he wanted.”

[Full Bug]

At least its only a one year deal, IF he stays healthy it might work out OK, not exactly a trade I was hoping for....

[Va Beach VH Fan]

I wonder if Lindros still has Kasparaitis nightmares....

Good signing by the Leafs, decent price....

[Romeo Delight]

I wish the Canucks would have nabbed Lindros at that bargain price!!

He will do well in TO (I am sorry to say)

[POJO_Risin]

The Penguins are on the move again...apparently ready to sign Palfy's former linemate in the Chech Elite league...Josef Stumpel. What the Penguins have done in this offseason is nothing short of miraculous...

It could be a fun year...

If I decide to watch...

I thought the Lindros deal for Toronto was brilliant. Interesting the players that are making more money than he this year...

You can't lose on a deal like that...Toronto wins no matter what...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
If I decide to watch...

You kill me....

What I'm reading is that both Stumpel and Marchmant will be coming to the 'Burgh, but not until the Russian situation is resolved with Malkin, either good or bad....

So I suppose that if Malkin DOES come over, that'll eliminate Stumpel, but they still need another D-man...

[POJO_Risin]

I saw that too...i'm still amazed at the...

well...

rather amazing turn around...I know you may disagree with me here Va...but I can't stop thinking to myself...

What happens if they suck?....

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Well, if you remember, one of the main problems before the strike was that they really didn't have anyone who could put the puck in the net... After Mario got hurt, that is...

So, you have to admit, adding Recchi, Palffy, and Gonchar (so far) is good for the offense....

And I think Crosby is at this stage a huge question mark in my eyes... I mean, can this KID really light it up at 18 years old ?? If they sign Malkin, add him to that category as well....

Now there are those that still think that they're defense is, well, TOO offensive....

I mean, Gonchar, Tarnstrom, Jackman are all very good OFFENSIVE defenseman...

Orpik is a good young defensive D-man... And Ryan Whitney looks good too....

Adding T-bo should also help with the defense...

So, could they suck ?? I think suck is probably not the best term, they're certainly going to be much improved....

But I think with all of the euphoria over Crosby and the FA signings is the lining up for Stanley Cup tickets.... We'll just have to see how everything matches up before it gets to that point, or anything close to that (like playoff tickets).....

[POJO_Risin]

Well...my worry is simple...Mario decides not to sell...

he throws all this money into the team...not as much as he would have had to in the past...but still...a lot...

They come out sucking ass...which I doubt, but stranger things have happened...

and...well...after this year...don't have a follow up season ticket base...

and lose their asses...

and if they don't get an arena...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

I don't think Mario is throwing any more money than he had previously planned...

It's the ticket sales bro....

I read it again today, they're talking selling out the season....

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/Pittsburgh/2005/08/12/1170668-cp.html

Forget the recovery period, the good times are here.

"I really am working towards a sellout season, in my mind, and I hope we get there and I expect we'll be awfully close to that if we're not there," Sawyer said. "The demand (for tickets) just continues."

The Penguins don't give out exact details on ticket sales, but Sawyer's face lit up when asked about the hike in sales after getting Crosby. After being last in the league in average attendance two years ago at 11,877, the Pens may average more than 16,000 this season.

And it all started July 22 when the Penguins won the draft lottery and the right to take Crosby. The ticket office, which was slated to close at 5 p.m. that day, stayed open until midnight with the phones ringing off the hook. It's believed they've sold more than 3,000 full season tickets since that day.

[POJO_Risin]

I'm actually shocked...

it seems like the NHL isn't getting any backlash from all this shit...

it's unprecedented...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Well, I'm sure the big market teams don't like it at all...

Just ask the Canucks on this board...

But realistically, if you were a team with a 70Mil payroll, obviously you're gonna have to do some major trimming...

On the other end of the spectrum, if you played your cards right, like the Pens did, you only had about 9 million in salary tied up for this year....

Combine the Crosby lottery, with it's frenzy, with free agents coming dirt cheap (relatively), and you've got a sudden influx of money to spend...

Now I seriously doubt that they would be this aggressive in Free Agency if they hadn't won the lottery... They would probably have just started now, with the lower tier FA's.... They wouldn't have been in the market for Gonchar or Palffy....

[Matt White]

I remember the last off season when the RED WINGS spent 40 million on 3 free agents.....

It's good for the game.......

I watch more hockey this year than I have in the last 12.....

More good teams & more teams with a legitimate shot at going all the way........

The "All-Star Teams" were getting boring..........

[Romeo Delight]

Originally posted by Matt White
I remember the last off season when the RED WINGS spent 40 million on 3 free agents.....

It's good for the game.......

I watch more hockey this year than I have in the last 12.....

More good teams & more teams with a legitimate shot at going all the way........

The "All-Star Teams" were getting boring..........

I was sceptical at first, but it is looking good.

One thing I would do to improve is to allow teams to go over cap and then tax those teams to redistribute to smaller markets.

I would limit that amount however, but I worry that teams will lose their talent once they have developed as effective players