Poll Question

Easy: Pick the Best Signing So Far...

My votes would be torn between Ouelett in TB, Lang in CHI, Kariya in STL, and Drury with NYR.

What's your take on this lovely Independence Day?

Various Signings Tonight

Minnesota re-signed Wez Walz for 1 year.

Vancouver signed Curtis Sanford - 1 Year, $600K

Raffi Torres re-signed in Edmonton. 3 Years, $6.75M total.

Kings signed Brad Stuart - 1 Year, $3.5 Mill. Kings continue to build.

Brad Ference is signed with the Red Wings.

Speaking of the Kings, Jason LaBarbera signed a 2-year extension with them. Finally, they can keep him at the NHL level.

Lightning deal Lukowich

He really became irrelevent once Rachunek signed.

Lukowich signs 3 years, $4.7 M per year.

Darren Dreger reports that Sidney Crosby is in talks with Ray Shero and the Penguins on a contract extensions, rumored to be between $7.5-9.5M per year. But Dreger reports that he may take less if Shero promises to surround him.

Brian Smolinski's deal with the Habs kills Yashin's deal there.

Edmonton, Washington maybe interested in him.

Ed Jovonovski may be being shopped around by the Coyotes. He has 4 years left on his contract. He's not crazy about it.

Everything That's Happened So Far

SIGNED:
Brad May (2 Years, Terms Undisclosed)
Todd Bertuzzi (2 Years, $4M per year)
Matheiu Schnieder (2 Years, $5.625M per year)

RE-SIGNED
Sean O'Donnell (2 Years, $1.25M per year)
Kent Huskins (2 Years, $600K per year)

ANALYSIS: The rich get richer. The Ducks are still the best in the West even if they lose Nieds and Selanne.

SIGNED:
Ken Klee (2 Years, Terms Undisclosed)
Eric Perrin (2 Years, $750K per year)
Todd White (4 Years, $2.375M per year)

RE-SIGNED:
Pascal Dupuis (1 Year, $880K)

ANALYSIS: Call me at the end of the year, and compare Todd White and Keith Tkachuk's numbers. The Thrashers are in trouble.

SIGNED:
Shawn Thornton (No Terms Disclosed)

ANALYSIS: Another team that was bad last year that failed to improve.

RE-SIGNED:
Adam Mair (3 Years, $758K per year)

ANALYSIS: Briere and Drury hurts. Their big regret might be not going after Dainius Zubrus. But Buffalo will make the playoffs again next season, they still have enough talent and are stacked in the farm system.

SIGNED:
Owen Nolan (1 Year, $1.75M)
Cory Sarich (5 Years, $3.6M per year)

RE-SIGNED:
David Hale (1 Year, $590K)
Wayne Primeau (3 Years, $1.4 Mill per year)

ANALYSIS:
Now Owen Nolan can play with Tony Amonte on the "You Still Play?" line. It will be an interesting year in Calgary.

SIGNED:
Jeff Hamilton (1 Year, $800K)
Wade Brookbank (1 Year)
JD Forrest (1 Year)
Tim Conboy (1 Year)

RE-SIGNED:
Ryan Bayda (1 Year)

ANALYSIS:
They really didn't improve anything. For a team that missed the playoffs a year after winning the Stanley Cup, that's inexcusable.

SIGNED:
Yanic Perrault (1 Year, $1.5M)
Robert Lang (2 Years)

ANALYSIS: Maybe the most improved team not called the Rangers. They are now a legit playoff contender. They gotta hope for a lotta' young guys to come thru, but now they have the right mix fo vets and kids.

SIGNED:
Ryan Smyth (5 Years, $6.25M Per year)

Scott Hannan (4 Years, $4.5M Per year)

ANALYSIS:
Expect the attendence problems in Denver to go away, as Colorado's added the buzz and now has the team to be competitive for the next 5 years. Joe Sakic finally has the team that can take him in to retirement, when he's comfortable doing so.

SIGNED:
Sheldon Brookbank (1 Year)

Jiri Novotny (2 Years)

RE-SIGNED:
Alexander Svitov (2 Years)
Ole-Kristian Tollefson (2 Years)

ANALYSIS:
Columbus has gotta' hope people stay healthy, and Nash finally starts playing like a superstar again. And that Zherdev does as well. And that Adam Foote stays healthy. Lotta' ifs for a team that added nothing.

RE-SIGNED:
Sergei Zubov (1 Year, $5.35M)

ANALYSIS:
Dallas is still due for a revamp, and they're pretty much going into the next year with the same team they had last year.

SIGNED:
Brian Rafalski (5 Years, $6M Per year)

ANALYSIS:
Detroit might be in for a drop this year if they can't find a way to sign a serviceable goaltender.

SIGNED:
Dick Tarnstrom (1 Year)

Matheiu Garon (2 Year)

RE-SIGNED:
Denis Grebeshkov (1 Year)

ANALYSIS:
Possibly the biggest loser of the frenzy, Kevin Lowe might wanna check the want ads.

SIGNED:
Radek Dvorak (2 Years)

Brett McLean (3 Years, $1.7M per year)
Richard Zednik (2 Years, $1.6M per year)

RE-SIGNED:
Jozef Stumpel (2 Years, $2.25M per year)
Craig Anderson (2 Years)

ANALYSIS:
Florida also added Tomas Vokoun via trade, and may finally return to the playoffs for the first time since Pavel Bure led the league in goals.


SIGNED:
Tom Preissing (4 Years, $2.75M per year)

Kyle Calder (2 Years, $2.75M per year)
Ladislav Nagy (1 Year, $3.75M per year)
Michal Handzus (4 Years, $4M per year)

RE-SIGNED:
Jaroslav Modry (1 Year, $1.2M)

ANALYSIS:
The Kings were really left for dead by many after day one, but they came back roaring on day two. With some pieces in place already, Preissing will fill out a 'D' that already features Modry, Rob Black, and Jack 'JMFJ' Johnson. While Calder, Handzus and Nagy will be playing with the likes of Frolov, Brown, Cammaleri and Kopitar.

SIGNED:
Steve Kelly (1 Year)
Nolan Schaefer (Terms Undisclosed)

RE-SIGNED:
Martin Skoula (Terms Undisclosed)
Mikko Koivu (4 Years, $3.3M per year)

ANALYSIS:
Minnesota will stick to Jacques Lemaire's system and get over 90 points, but is that enough in a crazy Northwest Division where they didn't get better and everyone but Edmonton did?

SIGNED:
Roman Hamrlik (4 Years, $5.5M per year)
Brian Smolinski (1 Year, $2M)

ANALYSIS:
Biggest losers of the UFA frenzy. They need to find a way to make Montreal a better place to play.

SIGNED:
Greg De Vries (2 Years)
Radek Bonk (2 Years)
Jed Ortmeyer (2 Years, $750K)

RE-SIGNED:
Alex Henry (1 Year)
Scott Nichol (2 Years, $750K)
Pekka Rinne (2 Years)
Ville Koistenen (1 Year, $475K)

ANALYSIS:
The Preds are not completely out of playoff contention, with 5 of their top 6 d-men back, a couple of decent offensive lines, and the amazing Alex Radulov, but it'll be a tough sell for what could be the final year in Nashville.

SIGNED:
Dainius Zubrus (6 Years, $3.4M per year)
Karel Rachunek (1 Year, $1.5M)

RE-SIGNED:
Johnny Oduya (Terms Undisclosed)

ANALYSIS: Zubrus and Rachunek are no Gomez and Rafalski, but they'll get this team at least as far as Round 2 of the playoffs, which is where Gomez and Rafalski brought them the last two years. Whether or not Zubrus plays wing or center will determine a lot in how the Devils shape their offense this year.

SIGNED:
Jon Sim (3 Years, $1M per year)

ANALYSIS: The Islanders are in deep trouble, in more than one way, after letting Smyth and Blake going and replacing them with Jon Sim.

SIGNED:
Scott Gomez (7 Years, $7.36M per year)
Chris Drury (5 Years, $7.05M per year)

ANALYSIS: I hate to say it, but the Rangers are the early favorite out of the Eastern Conference.


SIGNED:
Matt Carkner (1 Year)

RE-SIGNED:
Danny Bois (2 Years)

ANALYSIS:
Ottawa didn't improve on last year's team. Letting Comrie and Preissing walk will hurt.


SIGNED:
Daniel Briere (8 Years, $6.5M per year)

ANALYSIS: Add this to the signing of Timmonen and Hartnell, the trade for Lupul and Smith, and the Flyers are back in the Atlantic Division title contention.

NOTHING

ANALYSIS: Same as it ever was in the Valley Of the Sun. New GM, Same Problems. Good luck to Jovo and Doan with this bunch.


SIGNED
Petr Sykora (2 Years)
Darryl Sydor (2 Years, $2.5M)
Danny Sabourin (2 Years, $512K)

RE-SIGNED:
Ryan Whitney (6 Years, $4M per year)

ANALYSIS:
It will be interesting to see how Sykora meshes with the rest of this bunch. Sydor will help with Ryan Whitney's development as a defenseman.

RE-SIGNED:
Joe Thornton (3 Years, $7.2M per year)

ANALYSIS:
Maybe the Sharks will be ready to take the next step this year. Maybe.


SIGNED:
Paul Kariya (3 Years, $6M per year)

RE-SIGNED:
Barrett Jackman (1 Year)
Keith Tkachuk (2 Years, $4M per year)

ANALYSIS:
Kariya is a big "get" for JD and the Blues. They will be a team to contend with this year. Many people forget they finished 10th in the West last year. I have a feeling they'll be a lot closer with Nashville and Detroit dropping in quality and only Chicago improving more.


SIGNED:
David Schneider (1 Year)
Jay Leach (1 Year)
Matheiu Darche (1 Year)
Michel Ouelett (2 Years)

ANALYSIS:
Ouelett will blossom into the sniper he showed signs of becoming in Pittsburgh. Brad Richards point total will increase by double digits.

SIGNED:
Simon Gamache (2 Years)
Jason Blake (5 Years, $4M per year)

RE-SIGNED:
Jay Harrison (1 Year)
Bates Battaglia (2 Years, $650K per year)

ANALYSIS:
After all that, the Leafs aren't that much better. They still need to do more to become a playoff team.



SIGNED:
Byron Ritchie (TBD, $675K)
Brad Isbister (TBD, $525K)
Greg Classen (Terms Undisclosed)
Lukas Krajicek (2 Years, $1.1M per year)

RE-SIGNED:
Brad Moran (Terms Undisclosed)
Jason Jaffray (Terms Undisclosed)
Jeff Cowan (2 Years)

ANALYSIS:
Whole lotta' nothin' for the Canucks. Some career minor leaguers and career fourth-liners. Krajicek provides depth on the 'D', but overall there wasn't much VanCity could do.


SIGNED:
Tom Poti (4 Years, $3.5M Per year)
Michael Nylander (4 Years)
Viktor Kozlov (2 Years, $2.5M per year)

ANALYSIS:
Good character guys for Capitals. With Nylander, Kozlov and Backstrom, they're set down the middle for a while. Nylander and Ovechkin will make each other better players. Poti will make for a dangerous DC power play.

Columbus, Edmonton make Moves

Columbus has signed Washington's Jiri Novotny.

Edmonton signed LA's Matheiu Garon.

Eric Belanger to Minnesota

After a year in Raleigh, he signs a 3 year deal worth 5.2 Million.

Your Thoughts on Zubi; Ryder Files For Arbitration; Canucks Sign 3

What does everyone think of new Devil Dainus Zubrus? I like the signing, if it took 6 Years to get him, It'll be ok.

Michael Ryder and the Habs will go to court for an arbitration hearing. He'll get close to 4 Mill.

The Canucks have signed Cory Schneider, Brad Isbister, and former-Flame Byron Ritchie.

Zubrus to the Devils

TFP Reporting, 6 Year Deal.

This is a decent signing for us.

Devils Sign Rachunek

1 Year, 1.5 Million.

We totally got the Rangers back.

Right?

Right?

May Re-Signs

According to TFP, Brad May has re-signed with the Ducks.

No Man is (on) an Island....

As the promise of a new tomorrow for the Islanders faded like Alexei Yashin in the spring, all Islanders fans can do now is shake their head and wonder what just went down. First we took a Gomez face rub to the kisser, then a Drury elbow to the head, and then a most painful Smyth slash to the groin. Then as if stunned and unable to react to the environment around him, Snow watched most tier two free agents sign elsewhere. There goes Hannan, Bertuzzi, Calder, Preissing. Hey isn't that Nylander, Lang, and Handzus zipping right by? Hey wait stop!! Come back! Nothing doing. Well, good thing we can still sign our own UFAs. Wait, Blake signed with the Leafs. And there goes Kozlov and Poti. Wow, at least we still have Yashin. Oh right, we finally cut him loose. How sad that a Yashin is looking great right around now.

So I wake up this morning from this continuing horrible nightmare to find Snowbury expressing surprise at the salaries being paid all around him and blaming the old barn as a primary reason that players don't want to be here. Umm, yeah, okay. I keep thinking back to Eklund's proclamtion a couple of weeks ago that the Isles were poised to have a huge July 1. Oh, man, it was huge alright. This week may be looked back upon in a few years as the week that led to the Islanders relocation to KC or Vegas, because if you thought the fan base was anemic last season, wait until this year. Cricket, cricket. If an Islander scores a goal but there is no one there to see it, did he really score?

The Islanders really, really needed to sign a top tier free agent. Even just one. The fans expected as much. But if you told me last week that as of July 3, the only press releases would be to announce the signing of Jon Sim and Andy Hilbert, I would not have believed you in a million years. On the other hand, does anything that happens with this team really surprise you?
From Newsday, this is how our lines are shaping up for next season:

1. Sean Bergenheim TBA Miroslav Satan
2. Andy Hilbert Mike Sillinger Trent Hunter
3. Jonathan Sim Richard Park Jeff Tambellini
4. Chris Simon Shawn Bates Frans Nielsen

Gee, I'm going to make some calls. Some of my street hockey teammates may have an interest in playing for the Islanders. How hard could it be to crack this line up? And if you project goal scoring from this motley crew, I'd say were talking less than 100 goals. Not that the puck will ever be in the opponent's zone with such a fine defense behind it. It doesn't get any better than Freddy Meyer the IV. If Ricky thinks last year's headaches were bad....

Well, I predict that the Islanders will announce the signing of Sheldon Souray for some ridiculously inflated salary. Same with Zubrus. And then Snow will proclaim that these were the players he coveted all along. Of course we will never know how these players work out for us as we won't be at the mausoleum. If Newsday continues to cover the Isles this season, Logan can be the daily bringer of bad news - if I choose to read about it.

Load of Signings

-Calgary Signs Owen Nolan, 1 Year
-Anaheim Signs Todd Bertuzzi, 2 Years
-Nashville Signs Radek Bonk, Greg De Vries, both 2 Years
-Los Angeles strikes again, signing Kyle Calder for 2 Years
-Smolinski to the Habs, 1 Year, 2 Million

What do you all think?

Rumors

-Ladislav Nagy and Michael Handzus to Los Angeles. Both would be solid signings for them.
-Zubrus possibly to the Leafs.
-Preissing to the Kings as well.

Today's Signings

I was off working on a film today, so here's a roundup of what's happened:

-Lang to CHICAGO, 2 Years
-Roman Hamrlik to MONTREAL, 4 Years, 22 Mill
-Nylander to WASHINGTON, 4 Years, 18 Mill
-Krajicek to VANCOUVER, 2 Years, 2.2 Mill
-Battaglia to TORONTO, 2 years, 1.3 Mill


Your thoughts>?

Sykora a Penguin; Nylander an Oiler

Petr Sykora signed a two-year deal in Pittsburgh.

Michael Nylander has reportedly signed with Edmonton.

Sydor a Penguin

Daryl Sydor gets 2.5 Million a year outta Pittsburgh.

TFP's Best Still Available

Here's What's Left:

1. Peter Forsberg (Interested Teams: NSH, PHI, COL, VAN)
2. Sheldon Souray (Interested Teams: MTL, LA, PHI, WSH, FLA, ANA, SJ, NJ)
3. Teemu Selanne (Interested Teams: ANA)
4. Todd Bertuzzi (Interested Teams: DET, FLA, PHX, MTL, TOR, BOS)
5. Michael Nylander (Interested Teams: NYR, EM, PHX, WSH, BUF, NJ, PHI, CHI)

Also Available:

-Yashin
-Shanhan
-Handzus
-Kozlov
-Stuart
-Sykora
-Guerin
-Nagy
-Stutton

Wrapping Up Day One

Thank you all for being here today. We had 30,000 visitors, which is miles ahead of our old record.

We'd like to keep you watching, so we'll try to update more frequently the next couple days than we usually would.

Once again, were looking for more bloggers, e-mail me at SMLepore@comcast.net if interested.

Thank you so much everyone. See you all tomorrow.

-------->

Kariya to STL, Smyth to the Avs

Ryan Smyth - 6 Years, $31.25 Mill with Colorado. First year is rumored at $8 Mill.

Paul Kariya - 3 Year-Deal with the Blues.

Boy

I want my lockout back, Gary.

What a rough one this has been.

Isles sign Jon Sim

The Isles have announced that they have signed forward Jon Sim.

WWWWWHHHHHHAAAAAATTTTTTTT????????????????

Kozlov to Caps

TSN reports Victor Kozlov has signed with the Caps.

Drury a Rag too

Sportsnet reports that the rags have signed Chris drury. Details unknown as of yet. Great for the Rags, but as an Islanders fan, just kill me now.

Blake a Leaf

TSN reports that Jason Blake has signed a 5 yr $20 mil contract with the Leafs. Though not unexpected, this will hurt the Isles big time.

Gomez to Rangers

ESPN reports that the Rangers have signed Scott Gomez to a 7 year deal.

Recap

Michel Ouellet signs with TB for 2 years.
Carolina lands Justin Hamilton for 1 year.

Folks, this was a great day, but I need a huge break.

I'll be blogging all the action tomorrow, stay tuned!

3:30 Update...Bloggin For a While

5:18 I'm headed for a break. I'll be back at 6.

5:12 Buffalo fans, how do you feel about all this?

5:11 Briere says that other teams offered him more cash per year.

5:01 FLORIDA HAS SIGNED RADEK DVORAK TO A 2-YEAR DEAL.

4:57 It'll be interesting to see if the Devils re-sign Johnny Oduya in the wake of the Rafalski walk.

4:49 TFP is reporting Pat Quinn may be the next Devil coach. Ugh.

Also, Canes and Kings in the market for Brad Stuart.

4:46 Rumor is that Souray's getting close to a decision. Devils and Kings are big in the running.

4:40 SCOTT NIEDERMAYER HAS TOLD BRIAN BURKE THAT HE IS LEANING TOWARD RETIREMENT!

4:37 That's a real smart signing by the Hawks. Does that mean they've given up on Zeus?

4:36 No Panic Yanic (! at the Disco) Perrault signs with the Hawks. 1 Year/1.5 Mill.

4:34 Alexei Morozov announced that he'll stay in Russia for another season.

4:32 The Caps are looking into bringing back Michael Nylander.

4:28 Haha, speculators. TFP reports that NJ is after Souray now that Raffy has signed in Detroit.

Just a word for the Red Wings: If you love pathetic point shots, your in for a great year.

4:24 Devils may have a shot in the Gomez race again.

4:12 Look for the possibility of Roman Hamrlik signing with New Jersey, or one of the other lower-tiered D-men (Hannan, Stuart) or even Souray.

4:05 SARICH TO CALGARY, 5 YEARS, 18 MILLION.

4:04 RAFALSKI TO DETROIT, 5 YEARS, 30 MILLION.

4:04 It's calm..for now.

3:57 Final note on Briere: The contract features a no movement clause.

3:53 DO NOT LISTEN TO ANY REPORTS OF GOMEZ TO THE RANGERS UNTIL TSN OR SPORTSNET SAYS IT.

WFAN is airing a Mets game at the moment. They likely did little research (if any) and likely mentioned it in passing during a station ID. This is by no means a done deal.

3:51 Rafalski has an offer from Edmonton, they're waiting his answer.

3:48 Official word on Briere's Salary: 8 Years, 52 Million. He'll be a 10 million dollar man for the 07-08 season.

3:47 WFAN in NY is reporting Gomez to the Rangers. Discard it for now, WFAN is by no means a trusted hockey source. And it's also the Devils flagship, so I don't think they'd get the info before TSN or SN.

3:44 TSN REPORTS THAT DANIEL BRIERE's DEAL IS 8 LONG YEARS, between 48-56 million in salary.

3:41 Denis Grebeshkov re-signs with the Oilers. So the Ryan Smyth deal wasn't a TOTAL failure. Ok...it was.

3:40 Toronto is talking to Kariya, Smyth and Blake. Likely topics: What a playoff game Post-Lockout looks like.

3:37 THE FAN 960 is REPORTING THE THE FLAMES HAVE SIGNED CORY SARICH

3:33 GOMEZ RUMORED TO THE LEAFS FOR 5 YEARS.

3:31 BREAKING NEWS: FLYERS GET BRIERE! SPORTSNET.CA REPORTS

3:30 Back at the helm, I see I've missed nothing. I'll update some rumors momentarily.

2:30 Update, Blog it for now

3:02 SHORT BREAK FOR DINNER, BACK SOON!

3:01 Chris at The Arena Program informed me that Schnieder signing opens up the possibility of ANA signing Drury if Niedtoretire (Sorry, slightly bitter Devs fan still) and Selanne hang it up. Certainly he has the cash to go head-to head with anyone.

2:58 One more on Burke, he still has $9 Mill in cap room, $15-16 mill if Nieds decides to hang it up.

2:56 If Nieds returns, you can just put him and Pronger out there every other shift, and have Beauchemin and Schnieder out with a little O'Donnell and DiPenta mixed in. Either way, the Ducks are set for another serious run.

2:54 Now we might see some dominoes fall. Watch the rest of the day go by without an inking. Brian Burke = God frankly. If your a Ducks fan, and you don't a golden shrine made in his image yet, your nuts.

2:53 The Ducks have signed Matheiu Schnieder, 2 years

Year 1: 5.5 Mill
Year 2: 5.75 Mill

Very interesting.

2:49 The FAN 590 in Toronto is reporting that Brian Rafalski and Philly are talking and getting very close.

2:48 Shout out to AllDucks.com, and all the members reading the stuff over there. Thanks for reading. I have a feeling Ryan Smyth and Daniel Briere are going to take their time. This is just pure speculation, but I think Drury might get done today, same with Gomer.

2:42 6 Years, $24 Million for Ryan Whitney in Pittsburgh.

2:41 Still not sure if the Jokinen for Tanguay rumor is true.

2:36 Atlanta could still be busy, trying to re-up Slava Kozlov.

2:35 Many sources are saying Schneider to the Isles, or possibly Anaheim. Detroit will likely re-up if they can't get Brian Rafalski.

2:30
Tom Poti - WSH - 4 years, 3.5 Mill per
Brett McLean - FLA - 3 years
Richard Zednik - FLA - 4 yers
Ryan Whitney - PIT - TBA

BoNY LiveBlog 1PM Reset! Breaking News!

2:00 PM SEE YOU AT 3:00 PM!!!!! THANK YOU FOR COMING!

1:59 PM The guys try to excuse wasting your last 3 hours. I say...it was just fun speculating.

1:59 PM Drury will likely be the first domino, says Pierre.

1:58 PM Bertuzzi and Lang are ones to watch. Shanahan as well.

1:58 PM They repeat the numbers again.

1:57 PM Parise and Emery may be RFA candidates.

1:56 PM They scrape the bottom of the bottle talking about RFA Offer Sheets.

1:54 PM The Edmonton Oilers are in the mix for a trade.

1:53 PM Chris Drury may be meeting with LA face-to-face right now. LA, MTL, STL, PHI and NYR are in the mix. McKenzie says Gomez and Rafalski will be signed by 6PM.

1:51 PM White was not ranked among TFP's Top 30 UFA, and scored 13 goals last season. Atlanta has made all the signings today. All 2.

1:50 PM Yeah, breathtaking, eh? 10 minutes to go.

1:48 PM BREAKING NEWS: Atlanta Signs Todd White, 4 year/9.5 Million.

1:47 PM The Reporters are as dull as The Sports Reporters...who knew?

1:46 PM They blab about choices players make when they decide on a team.

1:45 PM More The Reporters.

1:44 PM Doug says the big key is self-imposed GM budgets, and not the cap.

1:43 PM Doug bets Michel Ouelett's had many offers today.

1:42 PM Petr Sykora
Pierre: Pittsburgh
Doug: Detroit

Michel Ouelett: Atlanta
Pierre: Atlanta
Keith: Washington

1:41 PM Michal Handzus
Pierre and Keith: Stay in Chicago
Doug: Columbus

Tom Poti
Keith: Calgary
Pierre: Rangers (Not a chance)

1:40 PM Bill Guerin
Jonesy: Ottawa

Brad Stuart
Doug: LA

1:39 PM More right fits for players.
Matheiu Schnieder
Pierre & Keith: Detroit

Slava Kozlov
Doug: Detroit

1:37 PM COMMERCIAL

1:36 PM RUMOR: ALEX TANGUAY TO FLA FOR OLLI JOKINEN

1:33 PM More stuff on Iginla. 4 or 5 year deal.

1:33 PM BoNY PROGRAM NOTE: I WILL BE GOING OFFLINE FROM 2-3PM, BUT WILL BE BACK FROM 3PM till the rest of the day for updates. Keep tuning in to Battle of NY for the latest news! And we've got 27 minutes of blogging to go!

1:30 PM Commercial Again.

1:28 PM Answering TSN's question, I'd take Thornton over JI any day.

1:26 PM Treading through filler material right now.

1:24 PM Danny Briere's received 9 offers, narrowed them down to 5.

1:23 PM Miller says teams are dropping out right now as the prices go higher.

1:21 PM Who could use Drury the most? LA. Los Angeles apathy is at an all-time high, they need a good, proven winner, and an American kid. Hmm, who could fit that bill.

1:20 PM Commercial.

1:19 PM Souray's hair will land him in NY according to Dougie.

1:18 PM Brian Rafalski
Pierre: Detroit
Doug: Some US City

1:16 PM 1 Year Deal for Jackman btw.

1:15 PM Chris Drury:
Pierre: San Jose
Doug: Colorado
Keith: Los Angeles

1:14 PM They're talking about good destinations for the Top 5. Pierre says Gomez would be a good fit in VanCity or Philly. I still don't think Gomez will stay in the East. MacLean says LA. He'd look good feeding Anze Kopitar.

1:13 PM Commercial.

1:11 PM Hopefully Jumbo Joe and Iggy will return the dollar values to normalcy now. Probably not.

1:09 PM Briere and Drury have likely narrowed it down to Philly, LA, and Montreal. Ryan Smyth's received offers from 9 teams. BREAKING NEWS: Jarome Iginla close to signing a 4-year extension, 7 million a year. THN Reports.

1:08 PM Reported offer for Briere from MTL would be 6 yrs./$42 Mill. Briere and Drury are in LA right now.

1:08 PM KT's tried calling Paul Kariya, but he wouldn't take the call. BREAKING NEWS: Barrett Jackman re-signs in St. Louis. Tkachuk is surprised.

1:07 PM Yeah, Tkachuk should use his experience with Team USA to base free agent acquisitions on.

1:06 PM They'res the Tkachuk phone again. They're talking to him now, from his kids baseball tournament in Kansas City, with cheers in the background. Keith bullshits Duthie about "possibly" coming back to STL.

1:05 PM Talking Head goes on about news you already know. Dupuis, Tkachuk, Jumbo Joe.

1:04 PM Looks like this'll be nothing but a scare. They go to a SportsCenter update. I thought we left VERSUS to get away from SportsCenter.

1:04 PM Here we go.

1:01 PM DAMN YOU CLIFFHANGER!

1:00 PM Still with the friggin' HHOF. Enough already.

12PM BoNY Free Agent Frenzy Livebloggers

12:59 PM I'll reset with the breaking news in the next post!

12:59 PM McGuire says he's got a signing "Coming Forward"

12:58 PM God dammit, talk about Mike Modano's Hall of Fame chances when he retires, how about that.

12:58 PM BREAKING NEWS: BUT THEY WON'T TELL US!

12:57 PM Hockey Hall of Fame Talk. Pierre would take Belfour, Zubov over Joseph, Blake for the HHOF.

12:54 PM Commercial

12:53 PM 16-20, Handzus, Poti, Hamrlik, Sykora, Ouelett.

12:53 PM TSN's 11-15, Schneider, Zubrus, Kozlov, Stuart, Guerin

12:52 PM The reporters say Boston's moves will hurt team chemistry.

12:51 PM Devils fans? What do you think of Alex Auld for 15 games at under $1 Mill?

12:50 PM Gomer rumored to St. Louis, Chris at the Arena program reported at possibly 7 mill a year.

12:49 PM The Reporters debating Hasek. Dougie took a shot at Hull for his shots at CBJ on NBC last year.

12:46 PM Commercial.

12:44 PM Duthie references THN's Player Poll for a 4th time.

12:43 PM Leafs Lunch is saying Gomez will sign 7 years/7 mill a year with NYR/PHI.

12:42 PM Any UFA's, if you're taking a look at NJ...look at this beauty!

http://www.newjerseydevils.com/njd/prucenter/view-cam.php

12:41 PM Kevin Lowe is interested in Rafalski, maybe Souray, Hamrlik. Gomez is interested apparently, close to home. He'll be looking at Drury and Briere.

12:40 PM James Duthie's Gospel is apparently the THN Players' Pool. The same one where 65% of players said they'd accept a homosexual teammate. Sure. Edmonton is the 2nd least desirable place to make money and play hockey apparently.

12:39 PM Edmonton has re-signed Dick Tarnstrom, who played in Switzerland after spending 05-06 in PIT and EDM, as they turn their focus to the Oil.

12:38 PM COMMERCIAL.

12:37 PM Sheldon Souray could come to New Jersey, and start an NJ version of their pizza place in MTL. I'd happily come. I always love a fresh take on pizza.

12:34 PM Duthie thinks Crosby should be the next $10 million player. I sort of agree.

Battle of New York INSIDER's PERSECTIVE

Mike Chen, Battle of California:

I'm guessing they'll nail down Marleau for about $6 million per year and I don't think that any oftheir forward signings (if they do try to get anyone) will be for morethan Marleau's contract. That's just an educated guess.

And contrary to what Keith Jones says, I do think it's possible tograb Drury and keep them together IF Drury takes about $6 million togo to a contender. Cheechoo's locked in for cheap and they've gotenough young talent as long as a FA forward isn't hemmed in for morethan 3 years. I don't think this'll happen though, and I think SJ willfocus on D.

My guess is that SJ's budget will be about 45 mil.

12:33 PM Calgary may be looking at Scott Hannan.

12:32 PM TSN doesn't use any eye candy reporters. Dude in CGY says D.Sutter has 11-12 Mill under the cap. If you've got Jarome Iginla, Mikka Kiprusoff, Daymond Langkow becoming a UFA possibly next year, and Dion Phaneuf an RFA, you save a little money.

12:31 PM New Jersey will be a scary place if it's without Gomer or Raffy next year. There may be shots fired in the rink instead of outside. Sorry, bad joke, I'll be here all week.

12:30 PM Dreger says all the coveted players will take their time.

12:28 PM Gord Miller's Wild Card of the Day: Brian Rafalski. All of them seem genuinely surprised that he's still on the market. Bob says the phones are going crazy for him.

12:26 PM Commercial.

12:23 PM Players apparently love it in SJ. California is going to be a force to reckoned with in the hockey world for some time.

12:22 PM Joe Thornton - "California Rocks".

12:21 PM Jumbo Joe loves SJ, apparently not enough to live there. He's on the line with Duthie right now.

12:20 PM Kudos to Thornton. Based on what we've been seeing, he could've easily commanded $10 Million. Now the worry goes to Marleau. What do you think the Sharks will do? Leave comments, E-Mail at SMLepore@comcast.net, and IM at Incudude530.

12:19 PM BREAKING NEWS: THE SHARKS HAVE SIGNED JOE THORNTON TO A 3-YEAR EXTENSION, WORTH $7.2 Million A SEASON

12:19 PM Pierre McGuire argues that, complaining about his lack of playoff production. The panel chooses Scott Hannan over Brad Stuart.

12:18 PM Doug says, at 27, Danny Briere's the only guy that's worth the big bucks.

12:16 PM Kyle Calder may be an ideal guy for the Canucks.

12:14 PM They check in on VANCity right now. 'Nucks would like to be 2 mill under, giving Dave Nonis 7 mill to work with. They apparently need another forward.

12:11 PM COMMERCIAL. Back after this.

12:11 PM Remember when BUF could've had Briere for 5 yrs/$25 mill last year?

12:09 PM TSN's going through the Top 5's again.

12:08 PM Front-loading contracts will kill small market teams, says Dreger.

12:07 PM Miller, McKenzie and Dreger say there's a possible $10 million with the flexible salaries.

12:05 PM The guys talk about Rafalski's value, saying that a team might make a mistake overpaying him. Once agian, they remind us that the cap is $50.3 mill, the floor is $34.3 mill, and the max salary is $10.06 Mill, sadly.

12:04 PM Keith and Doug won't shut up about COL, but they're very right.

12:03 PM Dougie Mac says the GM calls the agent, and asks for permission to talk to the player. I like Doug MacLean, but I disagree with a lot of what he says. Pierre says STL will have a big draw. I reported last night on KK that Scotty Gomez might be interested there.

12:02 PM Recap of what's happened so far...nothing, unless you count Pascal Dupuis re-upping for $800K in ATL. Keith Tkachuk and Manny Fernandez went back to STL and were traded to MIN yesterday. That cell phone during the fatty Tkachuk interview's annoying.

BoNY Liveblog: The NHL UFA Frenzy

12:00 Noon THE TAMPERING PERIOD ENDS! General Managers may now show interest in unrestricted free agents. Blah blah blah. Let's see where the first domino falls. My pick? Michal Handzus.

11:59 AM Commercial as we hit 12!

11:57 AM Pierre McGuire says John Paddock should coach the Sens. Dale Hunter and Patrick Roy are Jonesy's choices, and former teammates. Dougie says Murray should do both.

11:56 AM Doug MacLean says bigger creases, Pierre McGuire says no, Keith Jones says no.

11:55 AM Can we not talk about Phil Esposito right now?

11:54 AM Haha, Jonesy's dumb. Jonesy, PMac say Xenophobia caused Cherri's drop. DMac says it's the right call.

11:53 AM We go back to P-to-the-Mac-G's raving lunacy about Alexei Cherepanov's consistent bridesmaid status. They're doing something called the Wednesday-Night Quiz.

11:51 AM They're using all their commercials for before the start so that they can have time to break stories when they want.

11:50 AM Technically, he's not even a Bruin for another 10 minutes, since Boston would be over the 06-07 cap.

11:48 AM Manny Fernandez on the line with JDuth. Am I the only person who thinks this move isn't a great idea?

11:47 AM They suggest that if you deal UFA, they can't go back to the team for a certain time period.

11:46 AM The reporters are Canada's answer to ESPN's The Sports Reporters. Dave Hodge, Damien Cox, Michael Farber and Steve Simmons debate the "rent-a-player" system.

11:45 AM A Reminder, drop me a line at E-Mail SMLepore@comcast.net, AIM Incudude530 or leave a comment if you have any questions!

11:41 AM Lindros is no longer a gamble because he's a 4th liner. Dougie Mac says he'll have a hard time finding a job. Commercial.

11:41 AM Forsberg could go back to Philly or Denver at a bargain.

11:40 AM Pierre says not Montreal, but other teams will risk on Yashin.

11:38 AM Matheiu Schnieder and Dainus Zubrus are possibilities for Les Habs.

11:37 AM Habs are looking for 2 d-men and a top 6 forward.

11:37 AM Gainey's got some room to play, but will have to deal with some arbitrations.

11:36 AM The gang is talking Habs right now.

11:34 AM Another break. We're halfway to Noon.

11:33 AM Wow, they're really given it to MacLean about this stuff.

11:32 AM I think Jonesy's lost me on the fact that Toronto still sucks.

11:31 AM Pascal Dupuis (ATL) has re-signed for 1 year, $808,000. I like Dupuis a lot, he'll provide them energy off the 4th line.

11:30 AM They have the money for Ryan Smyth, and would be interested in Jason Blake and Paul Kariya.

11:30 AM JFJ is looking to dump Kubina or McCabe.

11:29 AM JFJ has about $6 mill in wiggle room. $8 mill counting the 10% overage.

11:28 AM Back and headed to Toronto.

11:27 AM Commercial

11:26 AM TFP's 10 Best Available (Teams Interested in Parens):

1. D. Briere (BUF, MTL, NSH, MTL, WSH, LA, EDM, SJ, PHX, CHI)
2. S. Gomez (NJ, WSH, LA, CHI, EDM, PHX, PHI, VAN, TOR)
3. P. Forsberg (NSH, PHI, COL, VAN)
4. C. Drury (BUF, ATL, PHI, WSH, TOR, CHI, SJ, NSH, COL, BOS, MTL, NYR, CAR, LA)
5. S. Souray (MTL, LA, PHI, WSH, FLA, ANA, SJ)
6. R. Smyth (NYI, EDM, TOR, PHI, PHX, VAN, COL, CGY, DET, NYR, DAL, ANA, OTT, SJ)
7. J. Blake (NYI, NYR, VAN, ATL, MTL, DAL, TOR, STL, EDM, CHI)
8. S. Hannan (SJ, PIT, ATL)
9. T. Bertuzzi (DET, FLA, PHX, MTL, TOR, BOS)
10. P. Kariya (NSH, VAN, ANA, MTL, OTT, TOR, NYI)

11:22 AM The Sens will let Oleg Saprykin go. MacLean says OTT's in the worst cap shape of any team, and Redden's "Not goin' anywhere".

11:21 AM Phoenix has placed Dave Scatchard on waivers.

11:20 AM TSN's James Cybulski says Redden, Emery, Schaefer and Corvo could be on the block in Ottawa. Redden is the most likely moved due to his salary.

11:18 AM They're looking at needs for all 6 Canadian Teams. This is a good time to remind you that TFP is your source for all the chatter. Right now, they're reporting that MTL is after Daniel Briere.

11:18 AM We're Back.

11:16 AM Commercial. Back after the break.

11:14 AM Is it just me, or is Brian Burke much smarter than everyone else in hockey?

11:13 AM BRIAN BURKE! Says he hasn't heard from Nieds or Teemu. He's giving them as much time as they want.

11:13 AM Cool, the NHL takes privy over NASCAR and Boxing here.

11:12 AM Pittsburgh, Toronto and Vancouver will all be players according to Miller and Duthie.

11:12 AM More rankings:

6. Sheldon Souray
7. Scott Hannan
8. Paul Kariya
9. Jason Blake
10. Michael Nylander

11:12 AM Pierre is shocked that Rafalski hasn't resigned with the Devils yet.

11:11 AM Duthie and McGuire are naming the Top UFAs.

5. Brian Rafalski
4. Daniel Briere
3. Ryan Smyth
2. Chris Drury
1. Scott Gomez

11:10 AM Miller points out that if your team missed the playoffs more than once recently, you have no shot at signing anyone.

11:10 AM Bob says the Sharks want to sign Joe Thornton first, before they take care of anything.

11:09 AM Gord Miller, Bob McKenzie and Darren Dreger have their own insider's studio. They make jokes about Blackberries and Hamilton and whatnot. Dreger points out that their are some key players who need to look into re-signing (Crosby, Heatley, Ovechkin, Emery, etc.).

11:07 AM Note that the salary floor is $34.3 mill, the cap $50.3 mill, and the max player salary is $10.06 million. Doug MacLean say no one will make $10 Mill. MacLean says no one should make $10 mill, but players might be able to command $8 mill.

11:06 AM Pierre says that Toronto's John Ferguson, Calgary's Daryl Sutter and Edmonton's Kevin Lowe will be active. Jonesy says his Flyers, the Sharks, the Rags, the Avs, and the Kings will be active. The Avs will be active because they have what every team wants.

11:05 AM Doug MacLean, Keith Jones (!) and Pierre McGuire are the panel for today. Duthie points out that this is the youngest UFA Class ever.

11:04 AM Also talk of the deal between Minnesota and Boston for Manny Fernandez.

11:04 AM Quick talk about Keith Tkachuk's re-signing

11:03 AM Souray also in that group, Kariya as well, Jason Blake...really? Nylander, now we're just going Tier 2.

11:01 AM The panel is hosted by James Duthie and right now they're showing highlights of the top UFA prizes, Briere, Drury, Gomez, etc.

11:00 AM Let's rumble!

10:54 AM Remember to leave comments and questions, I will look for an answer.

10:52 AM Just so that no one is comfused, please note that what we'll be watching is TSN's "Free Agent Frenzy" show on NHL.com (and TSN and TSN.ca in Canada) with the myriad of TSN hockey experts and Bob McKenzie, Darren Dreger, and Pierre McGuire on cell phones live on camera.

Should be fun! See you in 7 minutes or so!

10:43 AM "The frenzy! The greatest experience in life and I missed it"
-Dr. John Zoidberg

Don't miss out on all the hooplah, we'll be ready to go with Free Agent Frenzy coverage in about 15 minutes tops.

Free Agent Frenzy Liveblog -- Spending 3 Hours on NHL.com so you can spend them here!

I'll be liveblogging TSN's Free Agent Frenzy show, which will be simulcast on NHL.com, and I'll be poking thru the rumors surrounding the draft.

Right now, the big report is that Manny Fernandez will be dealt to Boston the minute the clock strikes 12 Noon and the cap moves to $50 million.

See you at 11:00 AM tomorrow!

Stevens a HHOF!!!!!!!

Well done and well deserved Scotty!

Day 2 DraftCap/Milbury Talk

Neil Best told me that NBC is talking to former Islanders Coach/GM/Coach Again/Coach for a short time/GM Mike Milbury about filling Brett Hull's arrogant ass in the NBC studio chair with Clement and Ferraro. Would be a good move for NBC if they could do it.

Here are the rest of the locals Day 2 Draft Picks:

New Jersey

57	N.J	MIKE HOEFFEL	4/9/1989	North Oaks, MN	US	6' 2"	186	USDP	USA U-18	W	L
79	N.J (from CGY)	NICK PALMIERI	7/12/1989	Utica, NY	US	6' 2"	212	OHL	ERIE	RW	R
87	N.J	CORBIN MCPHERSON	9/7/1988	Folsom, CA	US	6' 4"	210	BCHL	COWICHAN VALLEY	D	R
117	N.J	MATT HALISCHUK	6/1/1988	Toronto, ON	CA	5' 10"	173	OHL	KITCHENER	RW	R
177	N.J	VILI SOPANEN	10/21/1987	Valkeala, Finland	FI	6' 4"	209	FINLAND	PELICANS	W	R
207	N.J	RYAN MOLLE	1/29/1989	Winnipeg, MB	CA	6' 2"	190	WHL	SWIFT CURRENT	D

NY Rangers

17	NYR	ALEXEI CHEREPANOV	1/15/1989	Barnaul, Russia	RU	6' 1"	183	RUSSIA	OMSK	RW	L
48	NYR	ANTOINE LAFLEUR	12/12/1988	Gatineau, QC	CA	6' 4"	186	QMJHL	PEI	G	L
138	NYR	MAX CAMPBELL	12/21/1988	Strathroy, ON	CA	6' 0"	170	WJRB	STRATHROY	C	L
168	NYR	CARL HAGELIN	8/23/1988	Sodertalje, Sweden	SE	5' 11"	176	SWE-JR.	SODERTALJE JR.	LW	L
193	NYR (from MTL)	DAVID SKOKAN	12/6/1988	Poprad, Slovakia	SK	6' 0"	191	QMJHL	RIMOUSKI	C	L
198	NYR	DANNY HOBBS	6/21/1989	Ottawa, ON	CA	5' 11"	178	USHL	OHIO	C/RW	L

NY Islanders

62	NYI (from PHI)	MARK KATIC	5/9/1989	Timmins, ON	CA	5' 9"	180	OHL	SARNIA	D	L
76	NYI	JASON GREGOIRE	2/24/1989	Winnipeg, MB	CA	5' 10"	175	USHL	LINCOLN	LW	L
106	NYI	MAXIM GRATCHEV	9/26/1988	Novosibirsk, Russia	RU	5' 10"	196	QMJHL	RIMOUSKI	LW	L
166	NYI	BLAKE KESSEL	4/13/1989	Madison, WI	US	6' 0"	210	USHL	WATERLOO	D	R
196	NYI	SIMON LACROIX	5/29/1989	Ottawa, ON	CA	6' 1"	172	QMJHL	SHAWINIGAN	D	R

Recap

I'll tell you something folks. You saved this blog tonight.

I was very unsure whether this blog would stick around through next season. I just didn't feel like we had enough writers who could sustain it on a daily basis. It's been very spotty since the Conf. Finals started, and it's mostly my fault. This draft liveblog was really a last resort to see how much interest we could draw.

And frankly folks, you saved it. We're well over a 1,000 hits, double our previous record in one day. The site has never been busier. You have made us a hockey destination.

Since I have your attention, here are my plans for the future:

-I will be liveblogging Free agent signing Sunday from 11:30 Am - 3PM on Sunday, July 1. Hopefully you'll all join me for that.

-I will be updating free agent news daily from July 1 - July 8.

-After that, I am vacationing. Not just from blogging, but from all my commitments to columns and whatnots. I do not plan to return until I've moved into the dorms at college, August 28th will re-set.

-As for the staff, this is a big one!

-I will be back. Derek and Rob have an open invitation to return in their curret capacities. I have a feeling Derek might want to scale back to a couple days a week, and Rob is only around once a week. So this is an open call, ANYONE WHO IS A RANGERS or ISLANDERS fan willing to blog on each team at least once a day during the regular season, please E-Mail me at SMLepore@comcast.net. All we require is a sample blog and writing skills. If you'd like to be a part of liveblogs like this, you'll be included if you join the Battle of New York team.

- I am also looking for a weekly Devils columnist. Someone who's interested in writing a weekly roundup of all things red & black, a la Rob's column. Again, e-mail at SMLepore@comcast.net if interested.

-With that, I give you the first 30 picks of the NHL draft:

1 - Patrick Kane - Chicago Blackhawks - RW
2 - James Van Riemsdyk -Philadelphia Flyers - LW
3 - Kyle Turris - Phoenix Coyotes - C
4 - Thomas Hickey - Los Angeles Kings - D
5 - Karl Alzner - Washington Capitals - D
6 - Sam Gagner - Edmonton Oilers - C
7 - Jakob Voracek - Columbus Blue Jackets - C
8 - Zach Hamill - Boston Bruins - C
9 - Logan Couture - San Jose Sharks - C
10 - Keaton Ellerby - Florida Panthers - D
11 - Brandon Sutter - Carolina Hurricanes - C
12 - Ryan McDonagh - Montreal Canadiens - D
13 - Lars Eller - St. Louis Blues - LW
14 - Kevin Shattenkirk - Colorado Avalanche - D
15 - Alex Plante - Edmonton Oilers - D
16 - Colton Gillies - Minnesota Wild - C
17 - Alexei Cherepanov - New York Rangers - RW
18 - Ian Cole - St. Louis Blues - D
19 - Logan MacMillan - Anaheim Ducks - C
20 - Angelo Esposito - Pittsburgh Penguins - C
21 - Riley Nash - Edmonton Oilers - C
22 - Max Pacioretty - Montreal Canadiens - LW
23 - Jonathan Blum - Nashville Predators - D
24 - Mikael Backlund - Calgary Flames - D
25 - Patrick White - Vancouver Canucks - C
26 - David Perron - St. Louis Blues - LW
27 - Brendan Smith - Detroit Red Wings - D
28 - Nick Petrecki - San Jose Sharks - D
29 - Jim O'Brien - Ottawa Senators - C
30 - Nick Ross - Phoenix Coyotes - D

Have a great night!

BoNY LiveBlog Part 2 - 9:00 PM

10:30 PM NHL.com will stream the NHL Draft's Rounds 2-7 will be on NHL.com, as TSN's coverage is done.

10:25 PM I'm shocked VERSUS is still on.

10:24 PM Long commercial break.

10:19 PM Big headline today is how Cherepanov and Esposity fell to great teams.

10:16 PM Just a thank you to everyone who read the liveblog tonight. Thanks to my contributors, Mike Chen and Lyle Richardson. I'll be working on Day 2 from 10-12 PM tomorrow, see if we can't get Derek in after that. This has been a lot of fun and I will certainly do it again. I'll liveblog any action till 11PM, when I'll post a full recap.

10:15 PM Phoenix at the podium. Nick Ross, who worships Scott Stevens and Chuck Lidell.

10:12 PM Coyotes on the clock.

10:10 PM Jimmy O'Brien from the University of Minnesota. Fast-tracked his way to Minnesota. Youngest player in the NCAA. Ottawa will have to choose between defense and forward.

10:10 PM Ottawa to the podium.

10:09 PM Looks like VERSUS hasn't dumped out yet. Shocker.

10:06 PM Ottawa is next.

10:05 PM Washington TRADES their pick to San Jose, and they take Nick Petrecki of Omaha of USHL. I had him higher. Bobby Orr is his agent.

10:02 PM Washington is up next with the pick they received in the Dianus Zubrus trade.

9:59 PM INSIDER's PERSPECTIVE:

Lyle Richardson, Spector's Hockey:

I'm just surprised that Esposito and Cherepanov went as low as they did. I understand the Russian transfer agreement ( rather, the lack of one) was an issue but like Pierre Mcguire I expected him to go in the top ten. At least it worked out for Esposito going to Pittsburgh where he'll fit in well. I wasn't surprised that the Habs passed over Esposito for Ryan McDonagh, since the Canadiens lack defensive depth in their system. I was also a little surprised that Hickey went as high as he did, otherwise, not too many other surprises.

I think the lack of trade activity during the first round gave it an anti-climatic feel, especially after all the movement that occured in the 24 hours leading up to it.

9:58 PM Steve picks another one right! Smith's girlfriend has a gap in her teeth.

9:57 PM Stevie Y Picks Brendan Smith!

9:55 PM David "White Skates" Perron. That's a great influence on a young hockey player (Womp womp waaaaaaamp).

9:54 PM Detroit is on the clock.

9:53 PM David Perron, whom many had going higher, goes at #24.

9:51 PM NOW The Blues are up. They have #26.

9:48 PM Patrick White. A little off the board, USHL's Tri-City (Gomer!) #46 on the TSN list. #60 by THN, #23 by THN and NHL Central Scouting.

9:48 PM VanCity to the podium.

9:47 PM Vancouver is up next.

9:45 PM St. Louis has 2 of the next 4 picks.

9:45 PM Backlund had injury troubles last year, but is 100% healed.

9:44 PM Coming back from a short break, Mikael Backlund is headed to the Calgary Flames. I had him going much higher, this is a steal for Iron Mike and Calgary

9:38 PM Calgary is up.

9:37 PM Nashville selects Jonathan Blum.

9:35 PM Nashville to the podium. This is an interesting pick.

9:33 PM Nashville's next.

9:32 PM Max Pacioretty from Connecticut, of the USHL (Sioux City). Headed to UMich.

9:30 PM The Canadiens are next at #22.

9:27 PM Riley Nash of the BCHL (Kyle Turris' League). Edmonton obviously wanted him. He'll be the 2nd of 3 Tier 2 Jr. Players taken.

9:26 PM Edmonton heads to the podium.

9:25 PM Edmonton is up.

9:24 PM TRADE! Oilers and PHX look to be involved. Phoenix trades #21 for #30 and #36 (Rd. 2)

9:19 PM Angelo Esposito to the Pens!

9:15 PM Pens to the podium.

9:14 PM Pens are up. Do they dare take Esposito?

9:12 PM Logan McMillan. PEI kid (Woo spector!) son of former NHLer Bobby McMillan, nephew of former NHLer Billy McMillan.

9:12 PM Now, Anaheim is up.

9:09 PM 3rd US NTDP player in the first 18.

9:08 PM St. Louis goes off the board with Ian Cole from the US NTDP. Interesting pick. A proud day for USA Hockey.

9:07 PM Backlund, Esposito, Petrecki and Perron are the Top 4 available.

9:06 PM STL is up again.

9:06 PM I like this Chere..Trade! CGY trades #18 to STL for #24 and #70 (Rd.3)

9:02 PM Cherepanov finally. His favorite player is some guy who wears #68. An absoulte steal if he heads to the NHL next year. Oh, an absolute score for the Rags. Will try to get some thoughts from Derek before the night is over.

9:02 PM Alexei Cherepanov!

9:01 PM Rangers at the Podium.

9:00 PM and the Rangers are on the clock. Still nothing big yet.

Battle of NY Draft LiveBlog

8:57 PM Colton Gillies to Minnesota. Clarke Gillies' nephew. I will be re-starting for the next post.

8:57 PM Minnesota to the podium.

8:56 PM INSIDER's PERSPECTIVE

Mike Chen, Battle of California


Sometimes, the Sharks make trades up to zero in on someone whom theythink will have even the tiniest chance of being taken by someoneelse. Logan Coutre (who, by the way, has an awesome porn name) waspenned anywhere from 10-15 in most of the draft stuff I saw, so forSan Jose to grab him at 9 means that Wilson & Co. really, really,ridiculously wanted him. The forward depth of the organization'sprospects is drying up, pretty much because players like Bernier,Michalek, and Pavelski have already made the big club.

Courtre's a character and grit guy with skill, which is big with theSharks' staff. I don't know if the comparison to Jonathan Cheechoo isaccurate, but I can see parallels in their personality that must havefit the scouting staff's liking. I'm assuming the first thing they'llbe doing is sending him to power skating school.

If Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton are signed to multi-yearextensions, Courtre won't get an opportunity to get serious scoringplaying time for the next few years. That's fine for now cause he'llneed time to develop, but Courtre will have to seriously turn someheads or experiment with wing if he hopes to crack the Sharks lineupover the next 3-4 years.

8:55 PM They're saying this is where it ends for Esposito or Cherepanov...Possibly Colton Gillies.

8:54 PM Minnesota is up.

8:53 PM Trade the #16 to Minnesota for picks #19 and 42.

8:53 PM TRADE!

8:52 PM Anaheim is up.

8:50 PM Plante out of Calgary of the WHL.

8:50 PM Alex Plante, and Lepore calls it!

8:50 PM Edmonton to the podium.

8:49 PM This is the pick EDM got from the Isles.

8:48 PM A MINOR TRADE. Pens deal Chris Thorbrun to ATL for a 3rd rounder.

8:47 PM Another cliffhanger.

8:46 PM Edmonton is up next. Let's see if Lou goes to work here. Hey, I'm just saying.

8:45 PM KEVIN SHATTENKIRK. Another American kid. From New Rochelle, New York.

8:45 PM Avs to the Podium.

8:43 PM Avs are on the clock.

8:41 PM Lars Eller. I thought this would be Mikael Backlund. But the Danish kid gets in at #13 to St. Louis. Should be interesting.

8:40 PM Blues to the podium.

8:37 PM St. Louis is on the board again. We'll be getting Mike Chen's take on the Sharks pick shortly...

8:35 PM RYAN MCDONAGH to HABS. Mr. Hockey in Minnesota, Esposito and Cherepanov fall past #12. Doug McLean calls him the sleeper of the draft. His uncle is Super Bowl winning QB Steve Walsh.

8:30 PM BRANDON SUTTER. Very interesting. The 9th Sutter to the NHL.

8:29 PM Carolina to the podium.

8:28 PM Carolina is on the clock. This could be Espo.

8:24 PM Keaton Ellerby. Interestinly, I had him going #7 to the CBJ.

8:23 PM After a quick break, we're back and the Cats are at the podium.

8:17 PM Logan Couture. Of the Ottawa 67's. Out of the OHL. A character pick.

8:15 PM San Jose heading to the podium. Could this be Cherepanov?

8:14 PM A TRADE!!! St. Louis Trades the #9 to San Jose for the #13 and their 2nd this year and their 3rd next year. San Jose's on the clock.

8:11 PM New Boston jerseys. Next up is St. Louis, San Jose looks to be involved in something.

8:09 PM Zach Hamill! Ryan the temp goes at #8.

8:08 PM Cam Neely at the podium

8:05 PM Boston is up. I think they might get Esposito.

8:04 PM Jakub Voracek is the first Euro to go into the draft.

8:03 PM Jakub Voracek!

8:01 PM Or not, CBJ is on the podium.

8:00 PM Apparently Bettman is going to announce something.

7:55 PM Columbus is on the clock.

7:54 PM Edmonton take Sam Gagner, son of Dave, out of London of the OHL.

7:53 PM Oilers are headed to the podium.

7:50 PM Edmonton is on the clock. This will be interesting.

7:49 PM It's Alzner! Karl Alzner of the WHL at #5.

7:48 PM Washington is on the podium. Wyshynski says Alzner.

7:46 PM Pittsburgh may be dealing with ATL. This will be a curious pick for the Caps.

7:42 PM I had Hickey going at #22. Washington's on the clock. New Jersey alert.

7:41 PM WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA? Thomas Hickey, a defenseman from Seattle of the WHL. 5'11'', 182 lbs. at D. The first shocker of the draft. 6 teams had him as a 2nd rounder.

7:40 PM Kings to the podium.

7:36 PM Turris is headed to America, to play at the U. of Wisconsin. The worry is that he's not dominant vs. Top Tier players.

7:35 PM Kyle Turris to PHX!

7:34 PM Gretzky at the podium to standing ovations.

7:32 PM Coyotes are looking to start from scratch.

7:30 PM The Coyotes are on the clock. Holmgren says JvR reminds him of John LeClair.

7:29 PM This is the first time ever that Americans have gone 1-2.

7:28 PM Americans go 1-2 as the Flyers take JvR outta the National Team Dev. Program. Many compare him to Rick Nash, but Doug MacLean questions that. Some say he may be the most NHL ready player.

7:27 PM JAMES VAN RIEMSDYK!

7:26 PM Philly's at the podium.

7:23 PM Kane reminds many of Pavel Datsyuk, the worries are about his size. I say, with Brian Gionta scoring bunches of goals, it's not a worry.

7:21 PM Pat Kane it is! Patrick Kane of London of the OHL. This is the 1st time that two consecutive Americans will be drafted at #1.

7:20 PM Here we go, Chicago at the podium....

7:19 PM Booos for the Hawks

7:16 PM Booooooooooo! Bettman steps to the podium.

7:15 PM Apparently Craig Leipold has advised that the NHL not approve the sale of the Preds to Jim Ballsillie. Everyone on the team, however, can get the hell out.

7:14 PM Apparently it's curious that Bettman han't addressed the crowd yet, there's no clock or anything. A deal perhaps?

7:13 PM Eric McErlain reports that Nationwide Arena is full.

7:11 PM Habs are talking with CBJ, ANA and SJ.

7:08PM Dennis Bernstein says the Hawks should hold on to the 1st pick.

7:05 PM Montreal and Anaheim are looking to make a deal according to TFP.

7:04 PM Eric Duatscheck says it may be almost done.

7:00 PM HERE WE GO!

6:57 PM The Latest from Greg Wyshynski at the NHL Fanhouse (NHL.AOLSPORTSBLOG.com)

"Latest rumor on the floor is Phoenix trading for the top pick and selecting Kyle Turris (C, Burnaby, BCHL), in exchange for a position player (Derrek Morris?) and the No. 3 pick. This could open the door for the Philadelphia Flyers to potentially take Patrick Kane (RW, London, OHL) or James vanRiemsdyk (D, US U-18, USDP).
Ah, but the latest? That the deal has fallen through, and Chicago will take Kane. Stay tuned..."

Ah, the fun of rumors.

6:55 PM New rumor is that the roster player is Boynton headed to CHI. However, some are denying that it is happening.

6:51 PM Once again, EDMONTON and PHILADELPHIA are interested in Gomez for a trade and sign. The report is that the Devils are not returning the Flyers calls, but are seriously talking with the Oilers.

6:42 PM This draft special is very depressing I must say. Anyway, here are the rules for our rumors. All rumor sites, TSN, TFP, HockeyBuzz, will be used and taken with a grain of salt. Right now HB is reporting that Phoenix has Traded a roster player for the #1 pick from Chicago. Phoenix will take Turris, Philly will take van Riemsdyk and Chi-Town at #3 would take Kane.

6:30 PM Here we go folks, the NHL Draft is 30 minutes away. Right now, VERSUS is airing an all access special on the St. Louis Blues which I saw on the Blues website. Boy it mustg suck to be a Blues scout, based on this. Right now, there is a lot of news flowing around, and it'll be interesting to see where the night takes us. The big thing were following right now is the Washington Caps jersey unveiling. Even though you've all already seen it on a billion different blogs.

Leave questions for myself and Patricia (Who will suit up shortly for the blogging) in the comments section and one of us will try and respond.

The LiveBlog Will Start Shortly

We'll be getting going in a few minutes.

News

Florida Panthers have grabbed Tomas Vokoun from Nashville for a 1st rounder and a couple more picks.

Chicago's 1st has two serious offers from the West, as per TFP.

We'll be liveblogging from 6:30 on.

SFM/BoNY Mock Draft

Here's the mock draft I did for SFM, note that it was complete prior to the Sharks/Leafs trade:

I'll probably end up wrong with the #1, as I've been told CHI's starting leaning toward Kane, but we will see.

Pittsburgh has signed Mark Recchi (2 mill) and Gary Roberts (2.5 Mill)

1. Chicago - Kyle Turris (BCHL)
2. Philadelphia - James van Riemsdyk (USNTDP)
3. Phoenix - Patrick Kane, C (OHL)
4. Los Angeles - Karl Alzner, D (WHL)
5. Washington - Sam Gagner, C (OHL)
6. Edmonton - Jakub Voracek, RW (WHL)
7. Columbus - Keaton Ellerby, D (WHL)
8. Boston - Angelo Esposito, C (QMJHL)
9. St. Louis - Alexei Cherepanov, RW (Russia)
10. Florida - Zach Hamill, C (WHL)
11. Minnesota - Ryan McDonagh, D (Minn. HS)
12. Montreal - Logan Couture, C (OHL)
13. San Jose - Mikael Backlund, C (Sweden)
14. Colorado - Kevin Shatenkirk, D (USNTDP)
15. Edmonton - Alex Plante, D (WHL)
16. Anaheim - Nick Petrecki, D (USHL)
17. NY Rangers - Maxim Mayorov, RW (Russia)
18. Calgary - Brandon Sutter, RW (WHL)
19. Minnesota - Colton Gillies, LW (WHL)
20. Pittsburgh - Max Pacioretty, LW (USHL)
21. Phoenix - David Perron, LW (QMJHL)
22. Montreal - Thomas Hickey, D (WHL)
23. Nashville - Tommy Cross, D (CT HS)
24. St. Louis - Jon Blum, D (WHL)
25. Vancouver - Brett McLean, LW (OHL)
26. St. Louis - Oscar Moller, C (WHL)
27. Detroit - Nick Ross, D (WHL)
28. Washington - Akim Aliu, RW (OHL)
29. Ottawa - Brandon Smith, D (QJPHL)
30. Edmonton - Dana Tyrell, C (WHL)

Deals and Rumors

SJ Gets: Toronto's 1st (#13) and 2nd Round picks this year and a 4th rounder next year.

TOR Gets: Vesa Toskala (G) and Mark Bell (C)

BoNY Exclusive: Insider's Perspective
Mike Chen, Battle of California:

I'm not sure how this will play out since Wilson's
basically said he sees it as a 1-10 type thing before a huge dropoff.
They may package that #1 for something else or move up, so I'll wait
for it to happen before contributing my thoughts on the deal.

The more I think about it, though, the more I like it. It frees up
enough cap space to have some flexibility with free agents, Bell was a
healthy scratch/4th liner at this point with emotional problems from
his DUI, and they got a lot of commodities to try and create a deal.
Just gotta hope Wilson turns it into something further.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Other Rumors: Reportedly Edmonton is speaking to Gomez about either a sign and trade or his exclusive negotiang rights. Philadelphia was rumored to be involved but has said that they haven't asked about it. Fernandez and Bryzgalov talks are heating up.

Expect Atlanta to make a move today.

Welcome...

Patricia Greuter of 2-man Advantage will be joining me for the liveblogging action tomorrow!

The 2-man (which is now kind of 3-man) awesomeness combining with ours will be some show!


Follow up that awesome news with some awesome rumors!


RUMORS ROUNDUP (From TFP): Adrian Aucoin to Calgary, little in return but the riddance of his 4 million dollar salary...Minnesota has received as many as 4 offers for Manny Fernandez...The Kings may make a deal...The Panthers are looking into Ilya Bryzgalov and Chris Mason.

Goodnight all!

First News of the Evening

J.S. Giguere re-signs with the Ducks, 4 Years, 24 Mill:

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=211485&hubname=

Nathan Hortan gets 6 years, 24 Mill from the Panthers:

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=211469&hubname=

Ray Emery undergoes Succesful wrist surgery:

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=211451&hubname=


DRAFT RUMORS: Right now, the Lightning, Panthers, Canucks and Ducks look to be the most looking to deal on Draft night...The Caps will pick Karl Alzner if he's available at #5.

Battle of New York Draft Coverage! (Post #600)

Battle of New York will be liveblogging the VERSUS (aka the simulcast of TSN) coverage of the NHL draft this Friday from 6:00 - 10:00 PM. I will be digging around the web, with the assistance of many, on the hunt for truth and rumors, and I hope you will join me!

BoNY Awards Picks

Enjoy the ceremony tonight at 7 on VERSUS.

Hart Trophy (MVP)
Steve: Brodeur
Derek: Luongo
WINNER: CROSBY

Pearson Award (Players' MVP)
Steve: Lecavalier
Derek: Crosby
WINNER: CROSBY

Calder Trophy (Rookie of the Year)
Steve: Malkin
Derek: Malkin
WINNER: MALKIN

Selke Trophy (Best Defensive Forward)
Steve: Pandolfo
Derek: Pahlsson
WINNER: Brind'Amour

Jack Adams Award (Coach of the Year)
Steve: Vinneagault
Derek: Therrien
WINNER: Vinnegault

Norris Trophy (Best Defenseman)
Steve: Lidstrom
Derek: Lidstrom
WINNER: LIDSTROM

Lady Byng Trophy (Most Gentlemanly Player)
Steve: Sakic
Derek: Sakic
WINNER: DATSYUK

Vezina Trophy (Best Goalie)
Steve: Brodeur
Derek: Brodeur
WINNER: Brodeur

Enjoy the show!

Ducks Pimpslap Sens in Game 5

That's it. Ducks Win. 6-2. Great stuff at the end is always.

Head to the NHL Fanhouse for words and VERSUS.com for vids.

Bye-Bye Yashin

The Isles have finally, finally bought out the contract of Alexei Yashin, who didn't come close to a point a game in his bloated, overpaid, dramafilled tenure with NYI. The Isles will take a 2.2 Million cap hit for the next four years, but should return some goodwill from their fans, who have hated Yashin since the day he got here.

In the scams and flams dep't. someone needs to get Andy Greene a better agent. He re-signed with the Devs for 2 years at $600,000 a year. Really? For a guy who was solid enough to get decent ice time in every playoff game? That's it? This reeks of kool-aid.

Game 5 tonight. NBC. Ducks with a chance to bring home Lord Stanley's Cup. This is what it's all about. I don't think Ottawa will bring it back to the Skank.

But for hockey's sake, let's hope for more games, eh?

Maybe this'll end up being one of those shocking 5-0 road wins that you sometimes see in Game 5's. Eh, maybe not. It's been fun anyway. Enjoy your hockey.

Game 4 Tonight

NBC, 8 PM. Enjoy the Game Chris Pronger.

It's a Series -- For Now

Sens take Game 3 5-3.

What a fantastic game filled with offensive scoring chances and fights and rough play. All the stuff that makes me proud to be a hockey fan.

Game 3

Ducks lead 2-0. The series shifts to Ottawa and NBC. Doc, Eddie and Pierre with the call. Bill, Ray and Brett live in Ottawa for the pre-game, intermissions and post.

LIVE PRE-GAME AND POST-GAME is at NBCSPORTS.com, plus a streaming interactive feature all night long.

Chris Kunitz is in the lineup tonight for the Ducks, in a shocking turn of events as he makes his way back from a broken hand.

Enjoy it at 8PM.