In Glacialis Blog

Permaneo nox noctis, EGO vigilo Flyers quod Insula pugna is sicco in Venatus 6 of 1980 Sto Vas Denique in NHL Network. Unus of res ut EGO couldnt’ succurro animadverto erant awesome mustaches, talis ut illud lusum per Bryan Trottier quod Expedio Gillies. Miserabile, they iustus dont’ grow ‘em amo ut anymore. Solus mustachioed vir quisnam statim adveho ut mens inter current NHL ludio ludius belongs ut Ducks: George Parros.

Est illic a ludio ludius sicco illic quisnam can erigo talea in mustaches? (illud nasty Oreo crustulum mustaches dont’ duco, aut) Olie had a bonus satus fere viginti annus abhinc, tamen is eventually added goatee pro eschewing facial saeta omnino. Lascivio barba quoque dont’ duco, acsi Ovechkin did lucror “ lascivio Barba of Mensis” exPlayoffBeard.com. Utpote fossa es cyclical, suus’ tantum a res of vicis pro mustache formo est tergum. Quod EGO dont’ volo video vidi visum illud penicullus- tenuis tardus ’80s mustaches. Reputo Ius Nazi ut econtra ut John Aequora.

Donatus Folium C Jiri Tlustys’ repensnaughty photo incident, maybe is should satus growing a magnus ol’ mustache illo dissimulo vultus ( tamen non quoque Volubilis Fingers vel quisquam). Iustus a sententia.

Hodie, Eric Lindros est specto nuntio suus decessus ex NHL. Bob Expedio, quondam Flyers GM quod current senex VP, nupertrutino in in Lindros quod suus potential candide pro Hockey Aula of Laus:

“is won MVP, is eram an Totus- Astrum, is went ut Sto Vas denique. Si vos eliminate crap ut orbis him, sit facile a Aula of Laus hockey ludio ludius” said Expedio… “Had suus parentes left him unus EGO dont’ teneo quis is kid could have perfectus quoniam is could vere lascivio”

Donatus altus pugnax history inter Expedio quod Lindros, plures erant admiratio per Expedio’ overwhelmingly positus ingens. Alius erant’ sic sanguine:

“Statistics es valde tamen is wasnt’ a bonus teammate, is wasnt’ a bonus caput, is did non proveho venatus of hockey via is should exsisto proveho” said [Mike] Milbury.

Dementis Mike isnt’ exigo quis EGO would dico vox vocis of causa, tamen vel Flyers fans wouldnt’ oro per suus sententia. The700Level ineo in Lindros’ decessus per similis sensus:

Intus a mensis universus urbs eram taedium orange “88″ jersey. Totus nos had efficio iam eram sit tergum quod exspecto patienter pro Senior Eric protelo Flyers ut multiple Sto Cups andHart… trophies. Iam hic nos es 16 annus laxus. Haud Sto Vas. Unus Hart trophy. Quod plurrimi concussed humanus res/ maximus disappointment is urbs has umquam seen est receptum. Quod Peius’ exsisto pia, EGO dont’ vel teneo quis team is eram lascivio pro.

Is isnt’ loquor ut Lindros didnt’ proficio multus per suus tenura; is won multiplex awards quod duos Olympic medals quod ludio ludius in six Totus- Astrum venatus. Is torqueo sursum numerus ut plures ludio ludius would invidia, comprehendo suus 115 cuspis in ‘95-’96 season per Flyers. Tamen is eram totus downhill inde. Gratiae ut Concussion Mediocris, quisnam saluto saepius ( quod quisnam quoque efficenter nisus frater Britones’ tutela), orbis terrarum would nunquam verum teneo ambitus of Lindros’ talentum. Nonnullus may dico is karma, tamen alius could animadverto is ut a admonitio subcribo of vetus adage “dont’ duco vestri pullus pro they securis” Haud ludio ludius, haud res quam ingens, est iens ut singlehandedly verto a sic- sic team in a powerhouse. Vos nunquam teneo quis’ in pecto. Secundum totus, EGO nuto Lindros would have umquam imagined ut is penetro NHL ut hed’ exsisto receptum iam, quindecim annus quod duodeviginti concussions laxus.

Medius Atlantic Press eram pius satis transmitto nos an provectus effingo of suum newest titulus,Jonesy: Loco Vestri Caput capitis Down & Skate, per quondam Lavatio Caput Keith Jones. Drafted in septumdecim rotundus of 1988 draft per Caps, Jones quoque ludio ludius pro Colo colui cultum quod Philadelphia.

“Jonesy est fabula of Keiths’ tutela in league pariter ut totus of interesting repono is exaggeratus super tractus of suus tutela, lascivio per nonnullus of leagues’ optimus ludio ludius in permaneo 15 annus…”

Written per ESPNs’ John Buccigross, suus’ a cognatus brevis libri, 187 pages, quod a velox quod securus lego. EGO perfectus is in an vesper. Ut vos insisto Jones’ hockey tutela, vos es tracto ut nonnullus interesting repono ( talis ut suus iunctio ut Clyde Petkovich) quod nonnullus odd res. Vel:

• Prothoplastus NHL venatus Keith famulor eram in 1987-8 ut Lavatio Caput saluto Maple Folium Ortus. Keiths’ primoris NHL venatus ut a ludio ludius eram fere ut a Caput procul Maple Folium Ortus.
• Keith est solus ludio ludius in history ut ustulo suus primoris NHL calx procul a quietus site.
• Keith est solus ludio ludius in NHL history insum three diversus teams ut blew a 3-1 lascivio serius plumbum ( lavatio, Colo colui cultum, Philadelphia).

Jonesy has suus serius moments pariter. In introduction, Keith confero nex of suus senior frater Greig semel per suus hockey tutela quod quam usus gave him vires quod a humanus species is antea penuria. libri ends per an ultimate contactus quod tear-jerking ratio of quare John Penuriosus quod suus Keith Jones Caput jersey eram opulentia vir in rink.

Tametsi libri has pauci proventus, talis ut super utor of term “ vas of capulus” ut referring ut a concisus punctum lascivio in NHL, is should non dissuade vos ex picking sursum a effingo quod usura insights.

Quoque, exsisto certus sisto sicco Off Pennae Sententia ut Eric McErlain has been stipes nonnullus excerpts ex libri quod has secui unus of suusspatium per Keith.

Quis would a manus manus of hockey bloggers careo divinatio pro novus NHL season?

Nos dont’ vindicatum potior aut crystallus ball vel spys’ eyes inside palaestra castra of 29 alius stipes, tamen nos sententia is vires exsisto benevolens ut nostrum lector ut congero a album of offseason ( quod tardus permaneo season) ludio ludius tractus, in a concisus lima, quod have aliquantulus fun vitualamen sursum nullus- quoque-accountable “ pollex Sursum” vel “ pollex Down” forecasts pro totus 30 teams.

Basically, a team meritus a “ pollex sursum” si nos sententia suus manuevering quod maturation innutum ut itd’ amplio super suus 2006-07 cuspis numerus. Stipes ut “ subsisto pat” vel engineered boneheaded volo quod/ vel inedicabilis, altus- terminus solvo procurator farewells erant awarded “ pollex down.”

Sic weve’ dummodo panton “primer” a puckhead could postulo hic.

Praeter beer.

Team	Comings	Iens	Juvenis est Servo	Verdict
	Mathieu Schneider	Selanne quod Neidermeyer ( pro iam?), Pulvis Penner	Bobby Ryan
	Eric Perrin, Ken Klee, Todd Niveus	Scott Mellanby, Crur Hnidy, Glen Metropolit, Keith Tkachuk, Denis Harniis, Eric Belanger,	Bryan Parum(?)
	Glen Metropolit, Aaron Pupillus pupilla, Peter Schaefer	Crur Donovan	Res Ferito (?)
	Jocelyn Thibault	Fere sulum	Dan Paille, Drew Baculus
	Adrian Aucoin, David Vigoratus, Cory Sarich, Owen Nolan	Tony Inter, Jeff Amicus, Romanorum Hamrlik, Brad Stuart, Andrei Zyuzin	Eric Nystrom (?)
	Res Runco	Jack Johnson, Anson Currus, David Tanabe	Nullus	Hmm . . .
	Brent Spoel, Robert Lingua, Sergei Samsanov, Andrei Zyuzin, Yanic Perreault	Michal Manus manus, Adrian Aucoin, Peter Vinculum, Jason Cullimore	Jonathon Toews, Pium Kane, Jack Solers
	Scott Hannan, Ryan Smyth,	Ken Klee, Pierre Turgeon, Ossi Vaananen, Pium Brisebois	Nullus
	Michael Peca, Jiri Novotny	Vepres Boucher, Bryan Berard	Gilbert Brule, Insulto Orichalcum (?)	Hmm . . .
	Todd Fedoruk	Res Barnaby, Jon Klemm, Eric Lindros, Ladislav Nagy, Pium Stefan, Darryl Sydor	Niklas Grossman
	Vepres Rafalski, Dallas Drake	Robert Lingua, Todd Bertuzzi, Kyle Calder, Danny Vestigium, Mathieu Schneider	Igor Grigorenko
	Crusta Acidus, Joni Pitkanen, Pulvis Penner, Denis Grebeshkov, Dick Tarnstrom	Ryan Smyth, Joffrey Lupul, Petr Sykora, Jason Smith	Sam Gagner, Ryan OMarra’ (?)	Hmm . . .
	Uber Zednik, Radek Dvorak, Tomas Vokoun	Ed Belfour, Alex Auld, Bellicus Gelinas, Sarcalogos Memor, Todd Bertuzzi	Nullus
	Brad Stuart, Tom Preissing, Kyle Calder, Michal Manus manus, Ladislav Nagy	Mathieu Garon, Jamie Heward, Tom Kostopoulos, Jamie Lundmark, Aaron Miller	Jonathon Bernier, Jack Johnson
	Eric Belanger, Sean Tumulosus,	Ratio Fernandez, Todd Niveus	Benoit Fomentum (?)	Hmm . . .
	Romanorum Hamrlik, Bryan Smolinski, Tom Kostopoulos	Crusta Acidus, Radek Bonk, Sergei Samsanov, Mike Johnson	Tutela Pretium, Kyle Chipchura, Andrei Kostitsyn
	Bellicus Gelinas, Radek Bonk	Fere sulum	Villa Koistinen, Kevin Klein (?)
	Fastidiosus Zubrus, Vitali Vishnevski, Kevin Weekes, Karel Rachunek	Scott Gomez, Vepres Rafalski	Nicklas Bergfors (?)
	Bill Guerin, Mike Socius, Ruslan Fedotenko	Fere sulum	Sean Bergenheim (?)
	Scott Gomez, Sarcalogos Drury	Michael Nylander, Karel Rachunek, Res Runco, Kevin Weekes, Brad Isbister	Proficiscor Staal, Ryan Callahan (?)
	Tondeo Donovan, Luke Richardson, Denis Harniis	Mike Socius, Tom Preissing, Peter Schaefer, Oleg Saprykin	Nick Foligno, Vepres Lee
	Daniel Concisus, Joffrey Lupul, Jason Smith, Bellicus Biron, Scott Upshall, Kimo Timonen	Peter Forsberg, Joni Pitkanen, Kyle Calder, Robert Esche, Todd Fedoruk, Mike York	Braydon Coburn, Ryan Parentis
	Alex Auld, Radim Vrbata, Niko Kapanen, Mike York	Owen Nolan, Jeremy Roenick, Velum Joseph, Mike Ricci	Peter Mueller
	Darryl Sydor, Gary Roberts, Petr Sykora	Eric Cairns, Joel Kwiatkowski, Jocelyn Thibault, Michel Ouellet, Nils Ekman, Josef Melichar	Kristopher Letang
	Craig Flumen, Jeremy Roenick	Scott Hannan, Bill Guerin, Vesa Toskala	Nullus	Hmm . . .
	Paul Kariya, Keith Tkachuk	Radek Dvorek, Dallas Drake, Glen Metropolit, Jamie Flumen	Erik Johnson
	Michel Ouellet, Sarcalogos Memor, Jan Hlavac	Cory Sarich, Ruslan Fedotenko, Eric Perrin	Karri Ramo (?)
	Jason Blake, Vestigium Campana, Vesa Toskala	Jeff ONeill’, Michael Peca, Yanic Perreault, J.S. Aubin	Jiri Tlusty (?)
	Brad Isbister, Ryan Crur	Bryan Smolinski, Brent Sopel, Jan Bulis, Rory Fitzpatrick,	Luc Bourdon (?)
	Michael Nylander, Viktor Kozlov, Tom Venenum	Fastidiosus Zubrus, Kris Beech, Bryan Muir, Jiri Novotny	Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Viridis, Tomas Flesichmann

Channel 1000 papaver sursum, insolitus reus, infirmo calx- tendo, quod a vehemens comeback featuring 5 rectus calx — doesnt’ sanus amo vestri typical preseason venatus.

• Suus’ preseason, ut nos servo res told, sic is doesnt’ vilis quisquam in porro run, tamen Tom Venenum’ turnover plumbum ut Philadelphias’ primoris calx vultus aliquanto Goncharian.
• Is can exsisto difficilis subsequens a venatus in lectulus penitus fenestra, tamen ustulo ovis no is vel congelo. Forsitan suus’ baseless bene, tamen Spero panton ero straightened sicco nunc.
• Permaneo nox noctis eram prothoplastus nox noctis Ive’ seen nonnullus of chemistry inter Viktor Kozlov quod Alex Ovechkin ut Ive’ been lectio quod auditurus esse super. Is could iustus exsisto ut Kozlov est plurrimi ingeniosus obscoena cardo hes’ ludio ludius per in D.C., tamen is vultus amo illic eram quispiam illic.
• EGO etiam have nonnullus sollicitudo super Ovechkins’ stickhandling in angustus. EGO have haud talis sollicitudo super Alexander Semins’.
• Dave Steckel quod Mike Viridis persevero suum validus castra. Steckel est questus is perfectus per res constans, smart quod opportunistic, tamen Viridis est tractus eyes per suus proventus fiducia of suus obscoena venatus. Opus a tribuo- quod- vado, occasus sursum in obscoena puteulanus- versus, vel captus puck sursum sui in a vado, Viridis has ostendo emphatically ut is volo insum Oris Nox noctis versus- sursum.
• vox lascivio didnt’ vultus proprie bonus, tamen is eram nice video vidi visum vir- sursum squads validus ut retain possessio of puck in obscoena plaga.
• Neither team got stellar lascivio ex suum netminders quod Niittymaki, in proprius, vultus jumpy.

Solus vix moments of permaneo nox noctis erant prothoplastus duos periods quod Alexander Semin caput capitis ut scamnum per an malum. Mike Vogel opinio Semin mos non exsisto ex versus, sic haud sollicitus in ut frons. Prothoplastus duos periods, vero, mos forsit have Cogo Hanlon quod suus baculus verto a velico oculus versus suum squad.

Iocus’ Rink permissum Caput’ angustus season ticket contemplatio ex pera ut quondam iterum broached thema of “ glacies Puella”. Neither OrderedChaos neque nec EGO suscipio season ticket contemplatio, sic nos dont’ teneo si is comprehendo praeter quinque questions memoratus per Iocus’.

Tametsi nos have penso informatio of Lavatio Caput’ Glacies Puella, nos dont’ teneo si is est a perfectus paciscor necne. Potissimum ceterus teams have iam held suum tryouts. Est Lavatio secundum curvo, sic oro? Vel have eximius specialis auditions iam been held quod glacies puella es promptus pello pepulli pulsum glacies in September 8th?

In ullus theca, nos erant curiosus ut ut quot alius teams have talis squads. refero may admiratio vos.

• Anaheim Ducks Vox Ludio ludius
• Atlanta Thrashers Puteulanus Crew
• Boston Frendo Glacies Puella ( link ut Glacies Puella pelagus page eram lost secundum profugus ut NHL servo)
• Calgary Flamma Glacies Crew
• Carolina Turbo Tempestas Squad
• Pullus Blackhawks Glacies Crew
• Columbus Puteulanus Jackets (quisnam vere have 2 humus) - Vox Patronus & Glacies Crew
• Dallas Astrum Glacies Puella
• Florida Pardus Glacies Presul
• Nashville Predators (quisnam quoque have 2 humus)
• Calx Puella
• Presul
• NY Insula Glacies Puella
• Ottawa Orchestra Vox Patronus (magis of a phasmatis humus quinymo quam glacies puella/cheerleaders)
• Philadelphia Flyers Glacies Team
• Phoenix Coyotes Sarcina
• Pitsburgh Penguins Pens Patronus (magis of a phasmatis humus quinymo quam glacies puella/cheerleaders)
• Tampa Sinus Levitas Puella
• Vancouver Canucks Glacies Team

update[: Dan Steinberg est procul Kettler quod has non seen ullus “ glacies- substructio letifico alio”]
update[ 2: Dan Steinberg suscipio confirmation ex Nate Ewell, Presul of Interventus Consanguinei, ut illic erohaud glacies- substructio letifico alio roaming Phone Tabernus is season.]

Caps mos inaugurate suum formalis palaestra pro upcoming season in Imbuo, September 8, ut rookies devenio Kettler Caput. Sequens Wednesday rookies mos eo ut Rectum Center Flyers Skate Plaga in suburban Philadelphia quod scrimmage obviam tener Flyers.

Tunc September Philly mos reverto eo ventus quod transporto suum kids ut Kettler Caput parumper scrimmage. Is est subtilis quidam quaedam quedam quidam suscito broadening of tellus’ hockey usus no possible per having a flagship facility quibus exerceo. Nos erant a secui of vibrant aer in permaneo mensis’ infero Imbuo vesper scrimmage procul Caps’ Development Castra. Statua aer per Orange quod Niger in domus tunc cado.

Caput did ut pollicitus: they erant major domus ludio ludius in solvo procurator venalicium is offseason. Quod suus’ haud certus res ut theyre’ perfectus paciscor, ut negotium of RFAs via professio has been a civitas calx of team pro mensis.

Im’ non sententia ut Michael Nylander, Viktor Kozlov quod Tom Venenum erant absolute optimus hockey ludio ludius sursum pro carpo; tamen volo reddo smart permoveo ut directus oratio teams’ postulo vacuus caveo posterus. Plurimus maximus, permoveo amplio team statim dum servo satis crumens manus manus ut obfirmo in Ovechkin quod Semin — Id’ quinymo animadverto team ante sursum illi duos super ullus of magnus- nomen porro huic annus’ UFA proventus. Los Angelus Rex rgis took a similis propinquo ut Caput’, volo cardo Michal Manus manus ( quattuor annus, $16M), volatilis Ladislav Nagy ( unus annus, $3.75M ) quod Kyle Calder ( duos annus, $5.5M) quod D Tom Preissing ( quattuor annus, $11M). Alius cognatus responsible restocking huic offseason of magnus prodigo.

Quam did ceterus 28 teams fare? Puteus, lets’ recenseo pauci of notabilis. Quinymo quam a typical grading ratio, Peius’ rudimentum a Hollywood Astrum ratio instead: Scarlett Johansson, Lindsay Lohan, vel Nicole Uber.

Scarlett Johansson

Undeniably venustas, smart, quod sexy. Quod Scarlett aint’ nocens aut. Nonnullus teams no iustus vox permoveo, non only in suum choice of ludio ludius tamen quoque per paciscor they dedi. Quinymo quam prodigo amo Datum Trumps’ e-wives, certain teams instituo vox ludio ludius() pro vox pretium.

Avalanche fans ero thrilled per Ryan Smyths’ adventum in Colo colui cultum. Per addo in Smyth (5 annus, $31M) quod Scott Hannan (4 annus, $18M), Avs adepto duos scabrosus- quod- tumbus ludio ludius cuius penicullus opportunus team perficio. 31-annus- vetus Smyths’ quinque- annus paciscor est non tantum a iuste affordable solio ledo, tamen a oportet tentatio ut foedus ut nonnullus alius volo.

Detroit Rutilus Pennae persevero suum minor- est- magis propinquo per volo iustus unus notabilis ludio ludius in prothoplastus duos dies of UFA- Solemnitas: Vepres Rafalski. Secundum losing 38- annus- vetus Mathieu Schneider ut Ducks, Pennae curo ut upgrade dum non losing a dime per volo 33- annus- vetus Rafalski. Suus $6M per annus pro quinque annus est super quis Ducks es pensio Schneider per annus; etiamnunc Rafalski est quinquennis iunior. In addition, Rafalski notched 55 cuspis permaneo season (30 in PP) dum lascivio Diabolus’ ultra-conservative ratio. Unus would reputo abyssus’ tractare vel melior in Motor Urbs’ magis suscito penicullus of lascivio. Quondam iterum, Detroits’ procuratio curo facio vox permoveo vacuus effrego bank; suus’ haud admiratio theyre’ jugis contenders.

Lindsay Lohan

Nonnullus teams went in sinus ut certantibus Ms. Lohan’s. Novus York Rangers quod Philadelphia Flyers signed magnus nomen players to ignotus pactum — condita sexy tamen rabidus permoveo. Amo Tyrone Maior per fragor cocaine, neither team could reluctor prolecto of prodigo per relinquo. Videlicet utriusque teams’ rosters es dramatically amplio pro tunc season; tamen is quasi freewheeling prodigo backfires magis sepius quam non. They utriusque es trying emo championships; quod in hockey, ut rare officina.

Philadelphia coepi suum binge mane, conicio rabidus pre-July 1 paciscor procul Kimmo Timmonen quod Scott Hartnall — utriusque appealing tamen iam- opprimo ludio ludius — whose pactum es rabidus secus ultum in terms of annual salary ut they es in terms of tentatio. Tunc Flyers occumbo themselves per giving telum- ut--groin Daniel Concisus an duodeviginti annus paciscor. Sulum illorum ludio ludius est undeniably ingeniosus; tamen pupa quod tentatio illorum pactum planto unus admiratio si Bobby Expedio est etiam in Philadelphia, opus campester ut vir secundum velum.

Mens vos, Rangers’ rudimentum facio Novus York Yankees videor amo cheapskates est just as stunning. Snagging both Chris Drury and Scott Gomez is quite a feat to be sure. But $7M per year to Drury, combined with a $51.5M seven-year deal to Scott Gomez (who has exceeded 20 goals just once in seven years of play), is insanity.

Including Jaromir Jagr, they now have spent over a third of their salary cap on three players, and they have not signed Brendan Shannahan, Sean Avery, or Henrik Lundqvist yet. Yikes. One wonders how long it will take Jagr to complain about the loss of Nylander if his adjustment to Gomez/Drury is less than perfect. In fact, it sounds like he’s already laying the groundwork for future complaining.

Nicole Richie

So far, the other 2/3 of New York was brutally pillaged by free agency’s raiders. Like Nicole Richie, the Sabres and Islanders are skeletal remnants who practically qualify for Federal disaster assistance.

The Sabres lost both their co-captains and seem to have returned to their spendthrift ways. After their season of excellence was eclipsed by the Ottawa Senators, Sabres management let both captains walk away with apparently minimal effort to stop them. With intense league-wide interest in both Drury and Briere, nobody expected the Sabres to retain both players. But losing both is a crushing blow to the team, not just in terms of skill but of leadership as well. Management’s half-hearted contract offers, particularly to local hero Drury, indicate a “well, we tried” attitude settling in with Buffalo’s brass. Here’s one Sabres fan writing for ESPN who certainly feels that way

As for the Islanders, they lost Kozlov, Poti, Ryan Smyth — who turned out to be a rather expensive rental, costing two former first-round picks plus this year’s first rounder — captain Jason Smith, and Richard Zednik. They appear to be emulating the Florida Marlins, only without the championship (well, not in the past 20+ years). Next they’ll rename their arena to Nassau Mausoleum. Isles fans cannot be happy losing three of their top six scorers — and their sole UFA signing of Jon Sim is not the answer. Dark days are ahead on the Island.

And . . .

Other teams were relatively silent, most notably the Caps’ Southeast rivals. A View from the Cheap Seats looked at the Caps’ divisional foes, and is similarly unimpressed with their signings so far.

A few other moves of note: the Blues snagged Kariya and Tkachuk (a.k.a. “The St. Louis Boomerang”), the Leafs acquired Jason Blake from the decimated Islanders, and the Penguins wisely re-signed Ryan Whitney (but what’s with the Darryl Sydor signing? Shades of Philly’s Derian Hatcher mistake), and Chicago brought in Robert Lang. The Ducks overpaid Todd Bertuzzi to ensure they have someone to take stupid penalties if Pronger gets hurt. Nothing too exciting there, though the Blues are clearly looking to return to the playoffs with those veteran deals.

As for the Capitals, fans seem pretty happy about the teams’ acquisitions; some may even renounce their hockey grumpiness. The Hogs are similarly pleased, and Off Wing Opinion has some interesting quotes from the GMGM conference call.

All in all, it’s been a good couple days for Capitals bloggers and fans alike . . . with perhaps more good news on the horizon.

[Feel free to post your take as a comment — either on the Caps’ moves or other teams’ signings.]

A compelling early storyline on the 2007 free agent season is the arms’ race within the Atlantic division — wildly resembling the free-spending days previous to the NHL’s 2004 lockout — while the Northeast division appears content to be picked clean.

The Flyers and GM Paul Holmgren signaled their intention of expensively revamping their roster ahead of last weekend’s Entry Draft, when they lavishly overpaid for a pair of six-year contracts for recently acquired Predators Kimmo Timonen ($38 million) and Scott Hartnell ($25 million). To this they added UFA pivot Daniel Briere on Sunday, locking him up for eight years at $6.5 million per.

Also yesterday Holmgren shipped out promising young Finnish defender Joni Pitkanen for Oilers’ captain Jason Smith and on-again, off-again winger Joffrey Lupul. If there’s one thing to be gleaned from all the sweater-changing on Broad Street this offseason, it’s that locker room chemistry last season was a bit of a weakpoint. Another might be: Holgren and Flyers’ management is hell-bent on spending their way out of it. 

Not to be outspent by a division rival — or anyone, for that matter — Rangers’ fantasy league GM Glen Sather ponied up a combined $85 million on Sunday for a pair of no. 1.5 centers, Chris Drury and Scott Gomez. Drury has 70 goals his past two seasons, and as such perhaps is signaling himself a legit 30-goal guy (at least on 110-pt. Sabre clubs), but in six of his eight seasons he scored fewer than 25. He turns 31 this August. Gomez is coming off a 13-goal campaign in Jersey, and in six of his seven big-league seasons has failed to score 20 goals. So no wonder he earned a $7-million-dollar-a-year deal. At least it can be said that while with the Devils Gomez skated in an offensively restrained system, and now on Broadway, he’ll enjoy a good deal more freedom. Like Briere’s deal in Philly, those for the new Rangers’ centers extend well into next decade.       

Drury and Gomez are terrific hockey players, and they are exceptionally wealthy now. But they also appear to be very similar to the caliber of players whose July contracts drove the NHL into financial panic a mere three years ago.

Pittsburgh apparently believes that its Stanley Cup aspirations require an anti-youth movement: its three most significant roster additions, beginning with February’s trade deadline and continuing into free agency, are Gary Roberts, Petr Sykora (the decent-but-in-decline one), and Darryl Sydor.   

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 — 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.  

The most vivid illustration that, to borrow a phrase from Mike Vogel, it’s hockey’s most wonderful time of the year, was on display last night in the Calgary Saddledome: a Stampede of Red, a Sea of Red-Out, the Calgary iteration of the novel fashion spirit begun more than 15 years ago in Winnipeg. Remember all those Jets’ fans and their white-out of their home arena? Why Winnipeg? My hunch: spring in Winnipeg generally starts in July, and so it wasn’t so much a concerted fashion effort on the part of Jets’ fans as their simply arriving at the rink in April and May blanketed in snow.

Whatever their origins, color-outs by the home crowd have retained their vitality through the years. They’ve avoided fading into fad or cliche. That’s because they’re only hauled out of closets in the postseason. It’s a special act reserved for a special time.

It occurs to me that they’re a novelty unique to the arena spectating experience. For one thing, it’s far easier organizing the fashion sense of 15,000 than for 75,000. But it’s also the arena fans’ proximity to the playing surface that delivers the color-outs their visual dynamism.

I’m not sure they have any appreciable impact on the games themselves. But I’m sure that doesn’t matter. They’re unifying, in perfect taste, and they’re indigenous to hockey.

But it also occurs to me that there’s a cultural component to their durability and devotion. Notice that they emerged and took a lasting legacy in two of the NHL’s smallest markets, Winnipeg and Calgary, while never gaining a chest-hold in the league’s grander markets. When the Jets moved to Phoenix, the desert citizenry commendably carried on the tradition. It’s a grassroots uprising, a passion of the Plains and the plain-speaking, the counterpoint to cosmopolita.

You know for a while the Caps and their fans copy-catted with their own postseason whiteout. When it runs again on ESPNClassic, Game 7 of the Caps’-Flyers heartstopper in ‘88, at venerable Capital Centre, carries a magnificent backdrop of the Big Pringle being awash in white. An OFB reader last week reminded us that amid the delerium of Dale Hunter’s overtime series winner the television broadcast pans in on a fist-pumping Warren Strelow seated in press row.

Can you tell yet where I’m going with this?

Since it’s a summer of change in hockey Washington, I thought I’d propose one of my own: a fresh fashion statement by Caps’ fans next season at Verizon Center, but beginning not with the postseason but rather with the first visit by the Penguins. Gracious but we need to do something dramatic to counteract all the ugliness — and here I’m not referring merely to the prevalence of visiting colors and their allegiance — clotting our rink by mullets and slugs.

We can have fun sorting out the specifics, but in general, I’d like to see Verizon Center enveloped in Red, White, and Blue. Maybe you have a half dozen rows in alternating bands of red and white, representing the bars of our flag. Maybe you have variance of the colors section by section. But you do it for Pittsburgh. Not Tampa, not Atlanta, not Carolina. Division alliances, middling as they are, be damned. Our rival today is clear. A fresh war was declared here on March 27. Management will do its part this summer to answer it. We as fans need to as well.

Today, the NHL announced that its Draft Lottery will be held at high noon on April 10th at the league offices in New York. The results will be announced immediately afterward.

Teams that did not make the playoffs (or those that acquired the first-round picks of those non-playoff teams) will participate in the lottery. However, only the worst 5 teams in the league will be eligible for the top pick, as a team may not move up more than four positions in the draft order.

The current percentage chance of being selected in the Draft Drawing is as follows, based on team finish:

30th………..25.0%
29th………..18.8%
28th………..14.2%
27th………..10.7%
26th………….8.1%
25th………….6.2%
24th………….4.7%
23rd………….3.6%
22nd…………2.7%
21st………….2.1%
20th………….1.5%
19th………….1.1%
18th………….0.8%
17th………….0.5%

Currently it is a foot race for the second best chance at the top pick as Philly looks like a lock for the worst this year. Here’s the standings before tonight’s games.

Thanks to Paul Kukla for the primary assist.

The latest issue of The Hockey News has ranked all 30 NHL team’s prospect systems. They have defined prospects as players under 22 years of age as of January 31, 2007. This ranking does not take into account any movement of players at the trade deadline. Note that three of the Caps’ Southeast Division rivals bring up the bottom-5 rear.

1. Pittsburgh [Last Year’s Ranking 1]
2. Washington [7]
3. Nashville [6]
4. Los Angeles [10]
5. Chicago [8]
6. Boston [12]
7. Anaheim [2]
8. St. Louis [28]
9. Montreal [17]
10. N.Y. Rangers [19] (Continued)

I found the following on James Mirtle’s blog:

TOP 20 SELLING PLAYER JERSEYS ON SHOP.NHL.COM (Feb. 1-28, 2007)

1. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
2. Daniel Briere, Buffalo Sabres
3. Ryan Miller, Buffalo Sabres
4. Maxim Afinogenov, Buffalo Sabres
5. Thomas Vanek, Buffalo Sabres
6. Jason Pominville, Buffalo Sabres
7. Chris Drury, Buffalo Sabr