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Un porto per il Hockey senza alimenti

I giorni più freddi scaldano il più bene il mio cuore del hockey

I have a difficult time working up any sympathy for Jersey DevilLou, but in just the past couple of years he’s watched the likes of Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer, Petr Sykora, and Scott Gomez walk away, uncompensated for. He’s got a brand new building to fill showcasing hockey that this morning appears, if possible, even more boring than that of the past six or seven years.  

But to the extent we should feel any sympathy for any other Eastern conference rival (and I’m not suggesting we should), take a look at the roadkill carcass on Long Island. Gone are Ryan Smyth, Tom Poti, Jason Blake, Viktor Kozlov, and (mercifully) Alexei Yashin. Team Wang did add Jon Sim. (That’s no doubt got the phones of the Isles’ sales staff buzzing.) Remember last summer when UFA signee Brendan Witt talked of something special being built on Long Island? It’s not a long overdue replacement for Nassau Mausoleum, and it’s sure not a postseason hockey club in ‘07-’08.  

Meanwhile, things sure are acquisition-quiet in the Northeast, which certainly is better than being the road pickings on the Isle. For weeks all I heard among the ‘Net chatter was how Bob Gainey and Montreal were posied to make a big overhaul of a middling roster. That may still happen, buit it’ll take trades to achieve it â€â€� the high-end free agent movement passed them by unacted-upon. Free agent “Bridesmaids” is the operative word out of Montreal early this week. Gainey lost the game’s most fearsome point presence in Sheldon Souray and late this afternoon replaced him with Roman Hamrlik. Downgrade.   

The Leafs, like the Habs, were forecast to be offseason roster movers and shakers. They came out of the gate Sunday and signed Jason Blake. His 40 goals last season were a breakthrough. Or a Brady Anderson flash-in-the-pan. He turns 34 this September.

The Bs missed the playoffs and have also sat still. Ottawa is in the best shape of anybody in the Northeast, having drafted so well at the top, middle, and late in drafts, up front and on the blueline. Still, late Monday it appeared as if the Eastern champs were slated to lose quality blueliner Tom Preissing. The Sens have been picked at the past two summers by free agency and are now joined by Buffalo as victims of their standings success.  

If the Islanders have a rival in roster-gutting, it’s Buffalo. Last season the Sabres were lauded for their four-line depth. They’ll need emergency reserves in ‘07-’08, cause they’ve lost 150 points down the middle. Sad, isn’t it?

The Southeast has, I think, showcased only one headline player in free agency thus far, and that’s who it needed to be: we in D.C.