Official 13-14 NHL Regular Season Thread

[Primis]

Dave Bolland's search for a lucrative extensions could feasibly get him traded out of Toronto.

There've also been rumblings of the Blue Jackets trading Gaborik, though I don't know why...

In addition to Miller and Ott in BUF, add Ehrhoff, though I have no idea the validity of it.

[Peter_Doherty]

Nolan said that everyone in the organisation except Girgensons is available apparently

[batdad]

Yeah Sabres are going full tilt rebuild. Dump everyone we have and start over. Edmonton should too. LOL.

Bolland would have to get something really good back, I just do not see it happening. He is basically there only forward with a defensive conscience.

[philou21]

I heard something about Bergevin putting Markov on the block. Not sure about this one though.

Halak and Allen in STL could be traded as well. Seems like Buffalo could be interested in Allen.

[batdad]

Markov was offered a new 1 year deal. He wants 2. Bergevin does not want to give 2, so would not be totally shocked.

Halak and Allen only because of Miller rumour.

But...there is a story in St Louis that goes like this.

If a rumour gets out there about Doug Armstrong making a move...>Doug Armstrong does not make that move.

[philou21]

Yeah I heard about the one year offer. Something like 6 millions per year. But I still don't know if he's gonna be on the block. With his recent injuries he probably does not worth much on the market. The 1 year deal was perfect though, no need to take risks.

I'm guessing with the development of Beaulieu and Tinordi, Bergevin doesn't want Markov around for too long.

[Primis]

Marty St. Louis has demanded a trade to only one team: the NY Rangers.

Player tampering bottle opened, worms EVERYWHERE...

[CJ]

Marty St. Louis has demanded a trade to only one team: the NY Rangers.

Player tampering bottle opened, worms EVERYWHERE...

The rumor is that he will be traded for Callahan. Why on earth does he want to go to Rangers?

[Peter_Doherty]

Apparently he has his off season house just outside Manhattan, still think this is bs though.

[philou21]

Yzerman doesn't want Callahan I heard though. Because that idiot is asking like 7 millions per years. LOL

[Peter_Doherty]

Yzerman doesn't want Callahan I heard though. Because that idiot is asking like 7 millions per years. LOL

Not just that, he wants 7+ years also. Clarkson and Brown as set a scary standard for "scoring" powerforwards.

[batdad]

Marty St. Louis has demanded a trade to only one team: the NY Rangers.

Player tampering bottle opened, worms EVERYWHERE...

And why is that? St Louis asks to go to NYR and it means NYR tampered? Not sure how that is a sure thing.

[Tasku]

I think St. Louis should go to St. Louis.

That is my expert opinion.

[batdad]

Have a pilsner!!!

Rumour that Kesler asked for a trade and wants out of Vancouver. Said he asked at "start of season". Denied by Gillis, sort of. Agent called it total BS.

[Primis]

Marty St. Louis has demanded a trade to only one team: the NY Rangers.

Player tampering bottle opened, worms EVERYWHERE...

And why is that? St Louis asks to go to NYR and it means NYR tampered? Not sure how that is a sure thing.

Well, does a player demand a trade to *only* one team without knowing if said other team is even interested in him? St. Louis is a good player, but... he's not in his prime, and he's not something 29 other teams are necessarily after. So to limit himself to 1 and only 1 other team... does a player do that blindly, without knowing if the team is interested? Because I think no, he doesn't.

And if he knows they're interested, that itself then becomes tampering. Whether the NYR told him directly, or had another player tell him, or tell his agent, whatever...

It's an ugly situation, and let's be honest, St. Louis comes off looking real bad in this whole thing. But to me, that he has one specific destination in mind reeks of more than just a player trying to engineer something on his own, he has some sort of deal or cooperation from the NYR side. I don't know if Yzerman might pursue than angle or not, I'd hope the league, of its own volition, would be looking into it all RIGHT NOW because yeah.... this whole thing can become precedent rather quickly and it's not a precedent that's good for the league or that anyone should want to be a thing.

[batdad]

Yeah sometimes they might. Admittedly there is probably some reason he says NYR. But if you can long out to me anyone who has any knowledge of the inside of the game (who has credibility with NY and TB I would see it.

Jumping and reaching a bit on this. No need for league to look into it. Maybe he wants to stay in TB if cannot go to NYR for whatever reason he wants. Logic does not mean look at a situation, listen to a rumour and then decide the worst possible scenario must be the case.

St. Louis is upset with Yzerman.
St. Louis wants out but he is 38. That immediately eliminates 15 teams from where he would go.
St. Louis likes Tampa area and aging there. Just feelings are hurt.
St. Louis decides to say -trade me but I have a no trade so I don't have to go anywhere I don't want to. I love the big apple and they are a team that has a shot. Deal me there.
Nowhere are the Rags involved and nowhere is there room for an investigation.

How many shooters were there? Did the govt kill its own guy ? Prove it.

Always jump to the most evil conclusion without looking at the facts.
Is it possible the Rags were involved? Sure. But extremely minutely.

Plus saying we would love to have Marty St. Louis is not tampering. Teams chat with players all the time and with guys from other teams and agents. They are always sayng who they would love to have and what they could do to have that guy. But that's not tampering that's just hey wow that kid can play, wish we had him. And hmmmmmm what could we do to get him. Off hand comments are not tampering. Now if but went to Marty and said hey come to New York ... And sold him on it...another story but really you and who think they did that?

[Primis]

Plus saying we would love to have Marty St. Louis is not tampering. Teams chat with players all the time and with guys from other teams and agents.

Ummm?

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=501402

The league fined the Leafs for tampering because Wilson *talked* about possibly acquiring the Sedins while still under contract. You CANNOT publicly talk about, or to, players under contract to another team (without the contracted team's permission anyways). Leafs got into the same trouble with trying to get Brian Burke from Anaheim.

Remember when Malkin's dad talked about getting an off from the Dallas Stars? That could have amounted to tampering had the Stars in fact been caught communicating or involved with anyone. As it ended up, it appeared to just be Malkin's dad running his mouth, which the league can't do anything about.

Also, going a ways back STL (I think it was STL?) tampering with Scott Stevens and STL losing picks and cash, because STL had been in contact with Stevens while he was under contract.

Either Martin St. Louis is taking a huge, HUGE risk in hoping the NYR actually really want him and are willing to work and pry him from TB (because TB already doesn't want Callahan).... or someone somewhere has been assured of something. I prefer to not think St. Louis is just foolish, frustrated, and a gambler (which he might in fact be, but I don't think he is at this point in his career), so you're left with the option that he knows or has been assured of something from the NYR end. Which would be fine, if TB allowed him to be talked to, but they haven't. Thus if I were the league, I'd be interested in how St. Louis came to the conclusion of only going to the NYR, and felt confident enough to deliver said ultimatum. There's obviously no smoke or fire from the NYR side (not yet anyways), that's why you look into it though because it's probably not going to be blatant and obvious.

But no, you cannot openly talk about acquiring a player under contract to another team, and you cannot talk to said player about doing so. Same goes for staff under contract.

[batdad]

He spoke about it IN PUBLIC. Much different than speaking in general terms about it with an agent, player, team, or anyone.

MUCH DIFFERENT.

darn I love Marty he is a great player...says Sather to the Agent.

WAy more likely than darn i love Marty....here is what i am going to do to go get him, here is why NyR is such a great place to be...etc etc.


But that is NOT THE POINT. The point is you immediately jump to Ranger tampering on this? It is just so like you to think the worst of the situation. No point arguing.

And yes....you can talk in general about the players.....have you not ever heard a GM compliment another team's players? Never heard Babcock say ..."Crosby is a great player? Would love to have him?" Get a grip on reality vs what is tampering.

You can talk to whoever the hell you want in passing. Never seen a GM, Coach, or any staff speak with the staff of another team, and with players from other teams? Really? Pretty sure it happens every SINGLE minute. Wow.

You are so far out there on this one, you need a lift from Jupiter. Are you Mike Milbury?

[Primis]

I'll say this then drop it, period: there's also a big difference between loving to have a player, and being able to acquire said player. There are tons of players GM's would love to have. Very few of them could ACTUALLY be acquired, or fit in, or whatever. In many cases it's mostly lip service, and players would know that and understand the business. To think that someone in the NYR was complimentary of Marty St. Louis and that it was enough to push him to want to go to NY is... silly, and kinda' insulting to St. Louis' intelligence. Besides, are you telling me 28 other teams never were complimentary of him?

At a time when the NYR are trying to move Callahan and getting no takers so far because of the circumstance and asking price, and TB has expressed no interest trading back for Callahan because of his contract demands... either Marty is the stupidest guy in every room and just foolishly made a trade demand that can't be met, or there's something else going on. Does Marty do that and risk Yzerman calling Sather and Sather saying "Well, we have a situation with Callahan now and... we like him, but I don't know that Marty fits well into our plans for this season"?

Had Marty made a trade demand and not said anything else, or gone to a shortlist, this whole thing honestly doesn't look like much save for the frustration and sour grapes it probably largely is. When he's naming one team and only one team at his possible destination, there is so much else suddenly going on there. NYR are in the Top 6 in the East right now, but is not solidly in anything playoff-wise still, 4 pts up on Columbus (who are out) and 1 on Philly (in the final Top 6 spot). Given the situation in the Atlantic, that division likely could send both Wild Card teams. If he wants just a Cup, NYR are somewhat of a curious, arbitrary choice, don't you think? Why not PIT, or BOS? PIT might require cap jostling, but BOS would absolutely have room. I'm just assuming he wouldn't want to go West...

The whole escalation of this thing post-Olympics isn't surprising. That it resulted in him naming his one destination is definitely curious, given who it is. Call me personally crazy, say I'm being "negative" somehow on a situation where a player is openly trying to crew over his current GM and org. Insult me. That's fine. It doesn't address the actual TB-St. Louis situation though, or really explain anything.


FWIW Kesler is publicly saying he has not asked for a trade. That may or may not mean anything I guess, as maybe *he* isn't the one wanting it, VAN could be the ones behind it I guess. Especially since other sources are saying VAN is taking calls of him and have given steep prices in return. Either way it sounds like he *is* on the market to some degree, regardless of how or why he's there.

[batdad]

Not really what I am saying about it. Saying Marty wants to go to NYR if the rumours are true. I am saying that the rags have nothing to do with it, and noone has said, or shown that they have ANYWHERE ON THE PLANET...Except some guy on an anonymous internet forum. When that guy is asked for proof he goes into a whole bunch of theories which make pretty much zero sense, whereas the simplest explanation for this....Marty would go to NYR if he is moved. OTher than that...he wants to stay in Tampa.


Taking that thought to go to a tampering level and tampering speculation about the Rangers.....

from the words of a fan who lives in Detoilet area, who has NO INSIDE knowledge of the situation, who has READ ABSOLUTELY NOTHING IN ANY ACCREDITED SOURCE that accuses the Rangers of tampering, who STATED This:

you cannot openly talk about acquiring a player under contract to another team, and you cannot talk to said player about doing so. Same goes for staff under contract.

From what you state no management personnel can speak to any player on another team. Well...that worked well for the Olympics I guess. No management team can say to anyone...wow you are darn good would love to have you on our roster. No way no how. Give your head a shake...happens every day.

Anyway all of this, plus the previous posting history of the fan with the absolutely totally unsupported by facts, stories or even speculation from media sources, or any hockey person on the planet.... theory that the Rangers may be tampering....

Shows that said fan, on the anonymous interweb forum is exactly knowledgeable of how the real world of the NHL works.....to the point of NOTHING. Absolutely nothing.

You do realize if an accredited media person posts something like you just posted....and then does not provide the proof...there would be a law suit right? But that does not matter to you. You just post rubbish and bull stories and come on here and defend the bull stories with nothing.


THE ONLY REASON I POST IN RESPONSE TO YOU? So that the OTHERS who read this do not think you have some knowledge of anything. Guess what? I also know...that they do not think you do. In fact they think you are OUT TO LUNCH...both here and with negative thinking in the other forum you post in here. I learned that last week or the last time you posted something ridiculous without knowing any facts, or supporting your theory with facts or even speculation from the media.

Your out of this world speculation about things such as this....the Detoilet trainers...etc.....shows you are just a total whack a doo. It is too bad...originally you had some good thoughts on this board. Now you have turned into a clown in each and every thread you post in.

Negative, conspiracy theory, total speculation that has no basis in reality and truth. Sad that you live your life that way.

Now..off to feed my unicorns.

[CJ]

I'm too drunk (again) to read the whole (batdad/primis thing) again. I'll just add my small comment here. I think it's stupid that a player "can/will" demand anything here, especially one specific team.
I'd accept it if Selänne/Jagr would play in let's say Calgary and they would like to get back to their old team.

Anyone remember the Lindros draft? After that I lost all respect for him... You don't demand stuff like that!

*Calgary fans I just used that team as an example, because they haven't played there.

[Primis]

Whelp. That tonight should quiet the Robin Lehner posts for a bit if nothing else.

I think it's dumb too, CJ, especially considering the circumstances and the position TB is in right now. TB is in a prime spot in the East for playoffs *without* Stamkos in the lineup at the moment. However, teams handing out NTC's like candy.... this is what you get for it. You give the player all the power in the world then and open yourself right up to these situations playing out. If you give out a NTC, you better be certain all is well between player and team for the duration of the contract then.

[batdad]

As an FYI...St Louis asked for a trade to NYR in 2009, when Brian Lawton was TB GM. Lawton said so on Twitter today. So it seems...St. Louis has been interested in playing in NYR for some time, and this is not out of the blue.

[jesterx7769]

Perhaps I misread the St. Louis trade talks wrong but I thought they said he initially asked for a trade after being left off Team Canada. I though that meant now he is okay with staying. They are in great place to make a somewhat playoff push once Stamkos returns and if Bishop continues to play well.

Like every sport every year lots of trade talk but we will probably disappointed in not much action. I think a problem may be there are SO many names being talked about it may be hard to get the value teams want to let someone go. "Oh you want X for Player Y? Let me go call the other team with the exact same position player". Also don't see too many teams giving up a lot of the rental players.

[philou21]

Miller got pulled out from the line-up vs the Sharks.