The folks over at the fourthperiod have this on their site:
“Various reports have also linked the Habs to Toronto’s Tomas Kaberle, with forward Chris Higgins and either defensive prospects P.K. Subban or Ryan McDonagh packaged in exchange.”
Also Cujo is getting a rare start in Ottawa tonight. Showcasing him? Highly doubtful. Last hurrah? Perhaps. Nothing? most likely…
Up at horseshoe valley so the kids can get in some skiing. Mrs. TSM got to pick today’s bikini (no, this is not Mrs. TSM- no comments LT). So from our dear friends at bikinibeat.org here is the last bikini for February 2009:
Allan Muir of Sports Illustrated puts together some deals that he thinks make some sense from both sides. Here are Maple Leaf ones from his article:
“Toronto sends Tomas Kaberle to Florida for Keaton Ellerby, Shawn Matthias, a 2009 first-rounder and second-rounder
In public, Brian Burke says he doesn’t want to deal Kaberle, a reliable puck-mover signed at a fair price for two more years, unless his doors are blown off. In private, I’m guessing Burke realizes that Kaberle’s part of the transition, not the long-term solution. A mid-level first-rounder and Ellerby (10th overall, 2007) would expedite Toronto’s rebuild. Ellerby has filled out nicely since he was drafted, adding 30 pounds to a now 6-4, 205 frame. He has the look of a solid, top-four blueliner.
Word out of Florida is that they’re not inclined to take salary back — they recently laid off some front office staff — but any team appreciates good value. At $4.25 million, Kaberle is a relative bargain. And by dressing up the roster with Kaberle, the Panthers accomplish two goals: they set themselves up for a legitimate run at the playoffs and make themselves a more appealing long-term option for Jay Bouwmeester. Make that three: if Bouwmeester is deemed unsignable prior to the draft, his rights can be dealt, and Kaberle is in place as insurance.”
“Toronto sends Nik Antropov to Chicago for a first-rounder
The Hawks need immediate help with Patrick Sharp on the sidelines — and depth down the middle when he returns — but they can’t afford to take on significant salary or give up pieces of the current puzzle. Antropov is big, he can be physical, and he can play anywhere up front, giving Chicago valuable depth for their first playoff run since 2002 . . . and all he’ll cost is a pick.”
Read the rest of Allan’s deals here
Quote of the day:
“It’s hard because the only thing you get from the fans is you’re an idiot.” Tampa Bay Lightning owner Oren Koules
Ya think that may because you given no evidence to the contrary?
The Hat Talks Burke:
I include this cause I just love saying, from tomorrow’s paper:
“LIFE OF BRIAN: It’s hard not to get mesmerized when Leaf GM Brian Burke is in a voluble mood – as he was the other day on a conference call with reporters, when he outlined a whole lot of specifics about what he had in mind for his Toronto squad going forward. Burke was equally candid about big-picture broader issues, relating to the deadline; the upcoming free agent season; and just about any topic that didn’t involve specific individual players under contract to other teams, which of course, would constitute tampering.
So Burke cannot say if that all the cap space that he’s hoarding at the moment will be offered to the Sedin twins, or Mike Cammalleri, if any or all hit the open market this summer; or if the window to deal Tomas Kaberle, when it opens this summer, will be used to make a move on Pronger, for whom he’s traded for twice in his career and would be a logical place to start the chemistry change that he wants so badly in the organization, even if the thirty-something Pronger is not of an age to help the long-term rebuilding of the team. When asked about preliminary contract talks with player agents, Burke said the primary man on that front is assistant GM Jeff Jackson. However, Jackson relays information to Burke and their collective view is that agents have yet to factor in the changing economic times into their demands for new contracts. “I don’t sense that they would concede the economic conditions, looking ahead, might have changed as much as we feel they have,” said Burke, who said he too is personally experiencing the effects of the recession, with two houses for sale in California. “I don’t think I’ll be able to sell those homes, even what I paid for them, for three years. That’s a stark economic reality for us. Not complaining, just to me, I don’t need to speculate on whether the economy’s off, there’s first-hand evidence of it in our family. That’s going to come home to roost. Whether it has yet or not (with agents), I don’t sense that it has. ”Meaning that agents who are using salary comparables from the last few years to establish market value for their clients in today’s changing economic climate may be in for a surprise? “I wish them well in their quest,” said Burke. Burke went on to say that as a seller, it helps his cause that the playoff races are so close “There’s good bunching; I think that’s good for our business,” said Burke. And even if it hurts his own cause, trying to get value for the players he has on offer, Burke would not retreat from his claim that GMs, more often than not, get it wrong at the deadline.“Any mathematician will tell you that we’re all crazy,” said Burke. “Collective pronoun again. We’re all nuts – because there are 30 teams and there is one parade. After the first round, there are only eight teams playing. So after the first round, you get 22 teams on the sidelines. The math is horrible. “The notion that you’re going to add to your team and hope you win a round, the math defies that. But the human element is, first off, there’s that optimism we all share, that belief we’re missing that one piece. Second, your team expects it. Your players are looking to you to add weapons for this last part of the race. “So we all get sucked in.” And while some GMs do make decisions that help them win in the short term, Burke contends: “There are five or six of us that made poor ones that same day. It’s an awful day, it’s an exciting day, it’s a day full of magic, and a day full of very poor decision making.”
Read the rest of Eric Duhatschek’s column here
Word is that Buzz Hargrove has replaced Eric Lindros as the NHLPA’s new obudsman. Great news. Great news as long as you are looking for a labour war!
Here is the best story you will hear all day (unless Burke unloads a bunch of players for several draft picks):
“A BUSINESSMAN who lost his mobile phone on a beach was amazed when it turned up — in the belly of a massive cod.
Andrew Cheatle thought his Nokia handset had been lost at sea after it slipped from his pocket.
But a week later his girlfriend’s mobile rang and it was fisherman Glen Kerley saying he’d found the phone in a 25lb fish.
Andrew got the handset back, dried it out — and amazingly it still works.
Andrew, 45, said: “I was messing about with my dog and my phone must have fallen out and been swept out in the swell.
“I kept calling it but I gave up hope after a couple of days.”
He was shopping for a new phone with girlfriend Rita Smith, 33, when her mobile went off.
She told him: “Your old mobile number is calling my phone.”
Andrew continued: “She said some guy was going on about my phone and a cod so she handed it over to me and he told me where he had found it.
“I thought he was winding me up but he assured me he had caught a cod that morning and was gutting it for his fish stall and that my Nokia was inside it — a bit worse for wear.
“I didn’t believe him but went to meet him and found it was my phone — a bit smelly and battered — but incredibly it still worked after I let it dry out.”
Trawlerman Glen, 45, had tried to use the phone but it didn’t work. So he took out the SIM card and put it in his handset to try to trace the owner.
Glen, of Worthing, West Sussex, said: “Cod are greedy fish — they’ll eat anything. They have big heads and big mouths.
“I’ve found plastic cups, stones, teaspoons, batteries and I’ve also heard of someone finding false teeth in one.
“This fish was about 25lbs and about 4ft long — not unusual but bigger than average.
“I know what it’s like to lose your phone. It can be really frustrating. So I thought I may as well make a few calls to see if I could get it back to him.
“It was a bit smelly but I was glad to return it.”
Andrew — who runs an online retail company — still uses it.
He said: “It was working but it kept playing up so I had to get the circuit board changed in the end. But now it’s fine. I know it sounds a fishy tale but it is 100 per cent true.”
see it for yourself here
First, from our friends at bikinibeat.org:
On with show…
On the Fan 590:
Open phones with McCown from 4:05 to 4:40
- Grapeline with Don Cherry & Brian Williams at 4:45
- co-hosting with Bob McCown from 5:00 to 7:00 is Jim Kelley
- Friday roundtable from 5:00 to 7:00 with Wayne Parrish and Mary Ormsby
thanks to mike s
On 640 Toronto with Bill Watters and Greg Brady:
Bob Mckenzie 440
Cory Clouston, Ottawa Senators Coach 510
Ron wilson, Maple Leafs Coach 540
Darren Dreger & Scott Morrison 610
By Steven Ovadia
With the trade deadline looming, no team wants to get burned the way the Oilers did when they overpaid for 19 games of Sergei Samsonov’s service in 2006.
The trade deadline (it’s Wednesday, so mark your calendar) can be great for fantasy teams, since sometimes a player just needs a change of scenery or a different situation to blossom. Sadly, trades often turn solid players into total duds. It seems that for every Joe Thornton to San Jose there’s a Sergei Samsonov to Edmonton. That’s just the way it is.
The first big deadline deal was Penguin defenseman Ryan Whitney to Anaheim for forwards Chris Kunitz and Eric Tangradi (a minor leaguer). Whitney missed the start of the season and never really found a rhythm. After putting up almost 100 points in the last two seasons, he has just two goals and 11 assists so far this year. A less prominent role in Anaheim might actually open up his game, although I’m not sure I would necessarily dump a successful player for Whitney. At least not yet. Kunitz has basically been a 20-goal scorer his entire career, but he already had accumulated 16 goals and 19 assists for the Ducks this season. If he winds up on a line with Sidney Crosby, which is expected, he could presumably end the season with 30 goals. He’s definitely worth a look if he’s available.
Of course, trades aren’t the only agent of change in the NHL. There are a lot of factors. For instance, the return of goalie Martin Brodeur to the Devils sent shockwaves through the fantasy world, as Scott Clemmensen, who filled in ably for Brodeur and as a fantasy goalie (2.39 goals against, .917 save percentage) was unceremoniously sent down to the AHL, ruining not just Clemmensen’s day, but also many rosters. Brodeur put up a shutout his first game back, so if he’s still available, you might want to mirror real life and use him to replace Clemmensen.
A new coach can also be a huge change. For instance, earlier this week the New York Rangers fired coach Tom Renney and hired coach John Tortorella. If you have any Rangers on your roster, you know they’re not scoring, which was a symptom of Renney’s hyperdefensive style. Now, with Tortorella, you can expect a much more aggressive, uptempo style with important players getting major minutes. Fantasy duds like Scott Gomez, Chris Drury, and Nikolai Zherdev might actually start performing. It won’t be instantaneous, but it’s worth keeping an eye on these guys to see how they do under Tortorella. And while you’re doing that, keep an eye on goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who should see a lot more action now that the guys in front of him won’t be playing five men back the entire game. His numbers might suffer because of it.
According to ESPN, Boston’s David Krejci, the NHL’s +/- leader, isn’t universally owned across leagues, so if he’s available, you need to grab him and his 20 goals and 39 assists.
Another guy that might not be owned is Jason Arnott, who, after potting two goals and an assist in the last two games, is on pace for his first 30-goal season as a Predator. He ripped home the game-winner Thursday as Nashville improved its playoff chances with a third straight win. The Preds are in 11th place in the West, but are just one point behind the Minnesota/Dallas/Edmonton/Anaheim logjam who are all tied with 65 points.
The Week Ahead
Looking for some entertaining sports banter this afternoon? Even if you aren’t a blue jays fan or a baseball fan, it’s worth check in out the Globe’s Jeff Blair blog and tweets as the Jays take on the Detroit Tigers. You can read the blog here and follow Jeff @GloBlair is blogging from the Jays game today vs the detroit tigers
Good stuff on a Friday afternoon
Top of the wet morning folks.
So the deadline is a coming and lots of names are in the news. One for certain (believe what you will) is Vincent Lecavalier. Vinny has a charity that is near and dear to his heart, and our pally Greg Brady (calm down Mike S. 
)wrote about it on his blog this am. Here is what Brady has to say:
” Vinny’s dream of a state-of-the-art facility called the Vincent Lecavalier Pediatric Centre and Blood Disorders Centre. Lecavalier has already donated well over three million dollars of his own money to the facility’s growth, and hosts the families of kids with cancer in his luxury suite at many Lightning games during the season.
The folks with Vinny’s charity approached us with an amazing vacation idea that you can experience in Tampa when the Maple Leafs play there later in the month.
Here are the details…and what you get….
***4 Day / 3 Night getaway for ten to sunny Tampa Bay to watch
the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Toronto Maple Leafs Tuesday, March 17th
*** Travel Dates : Monday, March 16 thru Thursday, March 19
Be the highest bidder and you and your guests will enjoy unsurpassed VIP accommodations and treatment, along with tickets and VIP privileges to an incredible event. Your Suite Escape package includes:
*** Five, oceanfront junior executive Suites at Clearwater Beach’s new Sandpearl Resort (www.sandpearl.com) beginning Monday, March 16th, 2009 with departure Thursday, March 19th
*** Lower Level Box VIP Suite (seating for 16) including food and beverage for the Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Toronto Maple Leafs game on Tuesday, March 17th at the St. Pete Times Forum. Former Maple Leaf Dave Andreychuk will join you in the suite.
*** Private Meet and Greet with Lightning Captain Vinny Lecavalier following the game; AND
*** Limo and Dinner for ten at your choice of restaurants including Roy’s, Capital Grille or Flemings Steakhouse*.
Now, the retail value of this is estimated at just under $15,000. Vinny’s charity is starting bids at $10,000. That’s one thousand dollars a person for this amazing experience. Airfare isn’t included but Sunwing Airlines offers some real cheap flights down to St.Petersburg Airport, I can assure you of that from my Super Bowl experience this year. Besides, maybe four people from Toronto will bid for this, and you already know six people in Florida who want to join you, and that makes the airfare tab a lot less.
Obviously, your donation would be tax-deductible since you are contributing to a fantastic charity. We’ll be mentioning it on the show a few times and both Dave Andreychuk and Vinny Lecavalier will be on the show next week, as mentioned to discuss and promote.
Here’s the website:
www.vinny4.com
(Click on the box which reads “V4 Victory Charity Auctions”)”
So for those of you out there with the ‘clink’ or corporate folks whose companies (i know in these difficult times) would like to do a non-vegas get away…this is pretty cool.
More later of course.
TSM
Twitter: yyzsportsmedia
