2013 NHL Off Season News Thread

[dammage79]

I might be missing something but we don't have a general purpose NHL thread for this offseason. So I would like to start this one for off season news for other NHL teams.

Going to start this one off with the potential of a Vezina candidate leaving for the KHL before he could potentially win the award.

Slava Malamud ‏@SlavaMalamud 17h
Some totally expected news. SKA Saint Petersburg are after Sergei Bobrovsky, who played there during the lockout. Big money on table #CBJ
Retweeted by Mark Spector

Aaron Portzline ‏@Aportzline 31m
No deal is done, but told #CBJ and C Artem Anisimov are nearing a contract. More progress here than with Sergei Bobrovsky, certainly.
Retweeted by David Pagnotta

[FBI]

Is this one of the threads where we don't put comments in?

[dammage79]

Giver.

[blankall]

The Jackets sign McBackup:

http://bluejacketsxtra.dispatch.com/...ers/index.html

Good on him. Always liked him. Too bad he just didn't play well enough here.

[mrdonkey]

Originally Posted by blankall

The Jackets sign McBackup:

http://bluejacketsxtra.dispatch.com/...ers/index.html

Good on him. Always liked him. Too bad he just didn't play well enough here.

On a slight tangent, I found this little nugget in another column slightly further down the list:

Comeau is in limbo. (Limbeau?) He fancies himself a second- or third-line winger with scoring touch, and his numbers with the New York Islanders (44 goals across two seasons) are a pretty good argument in his favor. But he was a lost soul with the Calgary Flames, settling into a fourth-line role with very little offensive opportunity. The Flames aren't exactly a well-run operation these days.

So the writer is essentially blasting the Flames for being a worse-run franchise than both the Islanders and the Blue Jackets, based off the assumption that Comeau wasn't given enough offensive opportunity in Calgary.

I can't help but laugh at the abundance of errors in that statement.

[HotHotHeat]

A general hockey news thread on a site dedicated to hockey news and discussion.

Ok then.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by HotHotHeat

A general hockey news thread on a site dedicated to hockey news and discussion.

Ok then.

There is usually plenty of little news tidbits that do not get their own thread. If this doesn't take, then it will go away.

[dammage79]

Like this:

Andy Strickland ‏@andystrickland 3m
Adam Cracknell signs first one-way contract of pro career...one year deal to remain with the #stlblues #NHL

[SebC]

Originally Posted by HotHotHeat

A general hockey news thread on a site dedicated to hockey news and discussion.

Ok then.

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=126140

[Poe969]

For a second, I thought a team in the KHL wanted Bryz.... He would make their goal scores look better!

I don't see Brobovsky going over unless he only cares about money. If he does go, I wonder who'll say "you're off the case Brobovsky" first

[Cheerio]

Please fix the title, it's bothering me every time I see it.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by cheerio

please fix the title, it's bothering me every time i see it.

edit: Nvm

[Free Ben Hur!]

Originally Posted by mrdonkey

On a slight tangent, I found this little nugget in another column slightly further down the list:

So the writer is essentially blasting the Flames for being a worse-run franchise than both the Islanders and the Blue Jackets, based off the assumption that Comeau wasn't given enough offensive opportunity in Calgary.

I can't help but laugh at the abundance of errors in that statement.

Limbeau! Ha, he's got a thousand of 'em!

[dammage79]

Interesting as I thought he had plans on going back to Russia once his deal was up with Detroit.

ESPN NHL coverage ‏@ESPN_NHL 1m
Pavel Datsyuk of Detroit Red Wings hopes to sign new deal http://es.pn/18EvuSi

[devo22]

The Flyers have signed 24-year-old Austrian forward Michael Raffl to a 3 year contract. Really happy for him, he has worked very hard and it seems his play at the WC has attracted a few NHL teams. He had a great season at Leksands (46 points in 49 games, top scorer of the team and outscoring teammate Filip Forsberg, who had 33 points in 38 games). Raffl will probably need a year or two in the AHL, but standing at 6'2 and 195 lbs and playing a physical game, I think he can compete for a bottom 6 spot pretty soon.

So we'll have at least 4 Austrians in the NHL/AHL next year ... obviously Vanek and Grabner, plus Nödl, who is an RFA though. There's also a big possibility that 27-year-old goaltender Bernhard Starkbaum could get signed soon. He had a stellar year for MODO in the SEL (2.06 GAA and .933% svs) and I'm sure he would already have an NHL contract if he hadn't had a pretty average WC tournament. Austrian sources say the Sabres, Flyers, Predators, Oilers and Canadiens are interested in his services nevertheless.

[OILFAN #81]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Interesting as I thought he had plans on going back to Russia once his deal was up with Detroit.

ESPN NHL coverage ‏@ESPN_NHL 1m
Pavel Datsyuk of Detroit Red Wings hopes to sign new deal http://es.pn/18EvuSi

Mike Babcock did an interview during round 1 and said there was no truth to him going to the KHL and Datsyuk wanted to sign and retire as a Red Wing.

[OILFAN #81]

Oilers are looking for an associate coach and had Paul Maurice and Dallas Eakins come in for interviews.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by OILFAN #81

Oilers are looking for an associate coach and had Paul Maurice and Dallas Eakins come in for interviews.

Crossing my fingers for Maurice.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by OILFAN #81

Oilers are looking for an associate coach and had Paul Maurice and Dallas Eakins come in for interviews.

I would be shocked if Eakins took an associate position. Seems like there is significant interest in him as ahead coach.

[OILFAN #81]

Defenseman Jeff Schultz has asked to be traded.

Also, goalie Antti Raanta has narrowed his choices down to Minnesota, Winnipeg and Edmonton (he was the Finnish Elite League's MVP this season and played for Finland at the World Hockey Championships).