NHL Transactions, Injuries & Rumours

[Phion Keneuf]

Lupul is 50/50 to practice tmrw as per Carlyle....

For some reason I'm thinking that's a huge exaggeration. I doubt Lupul is back... But we can only hope.

[Robin Hood]

Lupul is 50/50 to practice tmrw as per Carlyle....

For some reason I'm thinking that's a huge exaggeration. I doubt Lupul is back... But we can only hope.

Power of positive thinking. It's all I have at the moment.

[hong57]

The Vancouver Canucks lowered their demands in a Roberto Luongo deal in the final 60 minutes before Wednesday’s 3 p.m. ET trade deadline, but apparently not enough to persuade the Toronto Maple Leafs to swallow the star goalie’s massive contract.

Sources tell ESPN.com that the Canucks were willing to unload Luongo on Toronto for goalie Ben Scrivens and a pair of second-round picks in their final, final offer before the minutes ticked away.

The answer was still no by Toronto, which thought all along that no other team in the NHL was even remotely interested in Luongo and, because of that, the Canucks essentially should be giving him away.

Not that Vancouver’s last offer wasn’t close. I suspect that if the Canucks had been willing to retain a bit of Luongo’s salary in the trade -- a new feature in this collective bargaining agreement -- the Leafs might have pulled the trigger.

So they were somewhat close to a trade, which is why the Canucks pulled Luongo off the ice in Vancouver before the end of practice just in case they got a deal done and needed the netminder to sign off on waiving his no-trade clause.

But there was no deal.

And now both franchises have a gamble in front of them:

• Toronto, because it heads into the playoffs without experience in goal.

• Vancouver, because now it must figure out what to do with Luongo in the offseason, when there will be more competition on the goalie market. Ryan Miller most likely will be on the trade block, ditto for Jonathan Bernier and perhaps Mike Smith will hit free agency.

The failure of the Canucks and the Leafs to reach a Luongo deal, however, will no doubt fuel bigger-picture conclusions and storylines from many.

Let’s face it, Leafs GM Dave Nonis and Canucks GM Mike Gillis don’t like each other, the latter replacing the former as GM in Vancouver.

Which no doubt will lead some people to wonder whether Nonis always wanted to string the Canucks along, only to leave them holding the bag on deadline day. Leafs sources vehemently denied that.

Good read, and it looks like Shep called it....Nonis wanted to 'lead gillis along' just so the nucks were stuck with both goalies.


link:http://espn.go.com/blog/nhl/post/_/id/2 ... -to-launch

GMMG failed to analyse how the goalie market is.

[The BBKL Insider]

I guess Ben Bishop was the hot goalie of the day, TSN said as many as 5 teams were in on him (bidding).

[Mike]

I guess Ben Bishop was the hot goalie of the day, TSN said as many as 5 teams were in on him (bidding).

With good reason. Starts it off with a shutout.

[Shep]

Thank God he didn't go to Phoenix, eh Mikey?

[The BBKL Insider]

I guess Ben Bishop was the hot goalie of the day, TSN said as many as 5 teams were in on him (bidding).

With good reason. Starts it off with a shutout.

ya, and a big one, like 49 saves or something.

[Mike]

Thank God he didn't go to Phoenix, eh Mikey?

Now I need to be nice and trade him to the new guy

[armandtanzarian]

For a 5th round pick.

[The BBKL Insider]

Thank God he didn't go to Phoenix, eh Mikey?

Now I need to be nice and trade him to the new guy

or paul

he needs a goalie lol

[Shep]

Thank God he didn't go to Phoenix, eh Mikey?

Now I need to be nice and trade him to the new guy

Maybe I'll go for the tandem for no reason.

[Robin Hood]

No Lupul at practice...FML

[The BBKL Insider]

No Lupul at practice...FML

we play tomorrow, hopefully another day of rest and he'll be good to go,,,,he's been the key to your offense this year, at this point i'd say he's been more important than kessel to our team.

[Robin Hood]

No Lupul at practice...FML

we play tomorrow, hopefully another day of rest and he'll be good to go,,,,he's been the key to your offense this year, at this point i'd say he's been more important than kessel to our team.

Kessel is now our 3rd best foward...which is only a good thing. Lupul and Kadri are true stars. Kessel is that guy on the 2nd line that gets a bunch of goals and can put up points - which is a role he is more suited for. JvR being there also takes pressure off Kessel.

[The BBKL Insider]

No Lupul at practice...FML

we play tomorrow, hopefully another day of rest and he'll be good to go,,,,he's been the key to your offense this year, at this point i'd say he's been more important than kessel to our team.

Kessel is now our 3rd best foward...which is only a good thing. Lupul and Kadri are true stars. Kessel is that guy on the 2nd line that gets a bunch of goals and can put up points - which is a role he is more suited for. JvR being there also takes pressure off Kessel.

As of right now, (in order of talent/dominance) i'd say it goes:


1a) Kadri
1b) Lupul
3) Kessel
4) JVR


That's just our forwards, Dion would probably take over #3 and push kessel to 4 if we included everyone.

[Nick]

Dion has been our best player this year, IMO by a tight margin, but the most consistent and biggest impact.

Kadri is dominating, in his role, but without drawing shutdown - Kessel demands that attention and as embarrassing as it is, the NHL reacts slowly to new stars, which Kadri is. Lupul however is known and is awesome, deadly duo. Next I probably put Kules & Grabo - they are awesome. Bozak ahead of JvR as well, to me.

This JmL + Kostka ahead of Gardiner thing needs to end, last night was hard to watch when they were hemmed in... I hate Franson for so many reasons, but can openly admit that his offence now makes him worth dressing every night, just wish his effort and stick were more consistent - Fraser covers for both - awesome elite top end bottom pair.

[The BBKL Insider]

Dion has been our best player this year, IMO by a tight margin, but the most consistent and biggest impact.

Kadri is dominating, in his role, but without drawing shutdown - Kessel demands that attention and as embarrassing as it is, the NHL reacts slowly to new stars, which Kadri is. Lupul however is known and is awesome, deadly duo. Next I probably put Kules & Grabo - they are awesome. Bozak ahead of JvR as well, to me.

This JmL + Kostka ahead of Gardiner thing needs to end, last night was hard to watch when they were hemmed in... I hate Franson for so many reasons, but can openly admit that his offence now makes him worth dressing every night, just wish his effort and stick were more consistent - Fraser covers for both - awesome elite top end bottom pair.

Kostka sucks

Get the new guy in and get him out.

Also - Gardiner should be over someone, probably Gunnar, his injury is really holding him back.

[Robin Hood]

Dion has been our best player this year, IMO by a tight margin, but the most consistent and biggest impact.

Kadri is dominating, in his role, but without drawing shutdown - Kessel demands that attention and as embarrassing as it is, the NHL reacts slowly to new stars, which Kadri is. Lupul however is known and is awesome, deadly duo. Next I probably put Kules & Grabo - they are awesome. Bozak ahead of JvR as well, to me.

This JmL + Kostka ahead of Gardiner thing needs to end, last night was hard to watch when they were hemmed in... I hate Franson for so many reasons, but can openly admit that his offence now makes him worth dressing every night, just wish his effort and stick were more consistent - Fraser covers for both - awesome elite top end bottom pair.

Kostka sucks

Get the new guy in and get him out.

Also - Gardiner should be over someone, probably Gunnar, his injury is really holding him back.

Nah Liles...Gunnar is awesome.

[The BBKL Insider]

Dion has been our best player this year, IMO by a tight margin, but the most consistent and biggest impact.

Kadri is dominating, in his role, but without drawing shutdown - Kessel demands that attention and as embarrassing as it is, the NHL reacts slowly to new stars, which Kadri is. Lupul however is known and is awesome, deadly duo. Next I probably put Kules & Grabo - they are awesome. Bozak ahead of JvR as well, to me.

This JmL + Kostka ahead of Gardiner thing needs to end, last night was hard to watch when they were hemmed in... I hate Franson for so many reasons, but can openly admit that his offence now makes him worth dressing every night, just wish his effort and stick were more consistent - Fraser covers for both - awesome elite top end bottom pair.

Kostka sucks

Get the new guy in and get him out.

Also - Gardiner should be over someone, probably Gunnar, his injury is really holding him back.

Nah Liles...Gunnar is awesome.

Liles has been decent the past couple of weeks, Gunnar is been pretty poor imo, i know you have gunnar, but after this week it probably wont matter much, you'll be like me, watching from the sidelines!

That said - gunnar has been pretty terrible.

[Robin Hood]

Dion has been our best player this year, IMO by a tight margin, but the most consistent and biggest impact.

Kadri is dominating, in his role, but without drawing shutdown - Kessel demands that attention and as embarrassing as it is, the NHL reacts slowly to new stars, which Kadri is. Lupul however is known and is awesome, deadly duo. Next I probably put Kules & Grabo - they are awesome. Bozak ahead of JvR as well, to me.

This JmL + Kostka ahead of Gardiner thing needs to end, last night was hard to watch when they were hemmed in... I hate Franson for so many reasons, but can openly admit that his offence now makes him worth dressing every night, just wish his effort and stick were more consistent - Fraser covers for both - awesome elite top end bottom pair.

Kostka sucks

Get the new guy in and get him out.

Also - Gardiner should be over someone, probably Gunnar, his injury is really holding him back.

Nah Liles...Gunnar is awesome.

Liles has been decent the past couple of weeks, Gunnar is been pretty poor imo, i know you have gunnar, but after this week it probably wont matter much, you'll be like me, watching from the sidelines!

That said - gunnar has been pretty terrible.

I hate Liles..Takes up 4M in cap, sucks in our own zone and doesn't generate all that much offence + is replaceable with Gardiner's minutes.