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The Official MERB 2011-2012 NHL Hockey Thread

Doc Holliday

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Sep 27, 2003
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Canes sign Ruutu to 4-year extension

RALEIGH, N.C. - The Carolina Hurricanes agreed to terms with forward Tuomo Ruutu on a four-year contract extension on Wednesday.

"Players like Tuomo are extremely difficult to replace, and it is very important for our franchise to keep him here long term," said 'Canes general manager Jim Rutherford. "Along with the physical elements and skill level that he brings on the ice, Tuomo is a popular leader in our locker room. We are very happy that he has committed to what we are building here, and is excited about what the future holds for the Hurricanes."

The 29-year-old has totaled 17 goals and 30 points in 57 games for Carolina this season, his eighth in the NHL.

A former first-round pick of Chicago in 2001, Ruutu has compiled 128 goals, 295 points and 498 penalty minutes in 517 games for the Blackhawks (2003-08) and Hurricanes (2008-present).
 

Doc Holliday

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I have no idea how being a nationality changes things. If you dedicate yourself to something you know it, regardless of nationality.

I agree with you. His comment may have been either stupid or misinformed. Maybe he thinks this is the Olympics & not simply the NHL. Or, maybe he thinks only Canadians make good GM's or coaches. Maybe he's back in the 70's. Or, maybe he's Don Cherry. :lol:

What's up with the Leafs lately? Do they have a lot of injuries? If not, then anyone should wonder why after four years the Burke built Leafs aren't doing better than the playoff 8th seed bubble.

Their goaltending sucks. Right now, they wouldn't even be able to stop a beach ball. I heard the other day that Gustavsson was suicidal after that game against New Jersey where he had let in a ridiculously awful goal in overtime. He walked to the Union Station subway station & then jumped in front of the train as it approached the platform. Guess what happened? Yep! Five hole! The train went right through his legs! So he'll be back on the bench tonight against San Jose......
 

lgna69xxx

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Bwahahahahahahaha!!!! Thanks, I needed that! :lol:

As far as Burke's work in VanC,,,, They are currently atop the power rankings, thanks in LARGE part to Burke/Nonis, and Burke should be given a 5 yr extension right now with the Leafs, anyone who even knows a little about hockey understands why, surely merlot, i do not expect you to understand. ;)

I heard the other day that Gustavsson was suicidal after that game against New Jersey where he had let in a ridiculously awful goal in overtime. He walked to the Union Station subway station & then jumped in front of the train as it approached the platform. Guess what happened? Yep! Five hole! The train went right through his legs! So he'll be back on the bench tonight against San Jose......
 

Doc Holliday

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Jeff Carter traded to LA Kings

The Columbus Blue Jackets just traded forward Jeff Carter (and his crazy 10-year contract) to the Los Angeles Kings for defenceman Jack Johnson & a first-round pick. Carter rejoins his buddy Mike Richards in seeking some of LA's top nightspots.
 

Doc Holliday

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I now know what it feels like to be a Leaf fan and it sure sucks. :smile:

I feel for you. Be ready for another 4-5 years of absolute failure & despair. Just hope that Carey Price doesn't want to move on to greener pastures once he becomes a free agent. Or else, it'll be worse. However, they could always trade for Halak. He'll likely be available once this season is over.
 

Doc Holliday

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Maybe you should let the "brain" know about this. If he is as smart as you guys say he should not pass on Halak.

Halak will only be made available once the season ends. St-Louis wouldn't dare screw up with their current chemistry where the two goalies they have are a big part of it. And why would he be available at all after the season? Because that franchise cannot afford to pay both their two goalies starting goaltender wages.
 

Doc Holliday

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Kostitsyn hopes to remain a Hab

by Sean Gordon, The Globe and Mail

For any of you wiseacres out there who might interpret Andrei Kostitsyn's recent form as a suggestion he's trying to play his way out of town, know this: "I want to stay," he said on Thursday.

The Belarusian power forward, who has 12 goals and 12 assists to show for 51 games, addressed the rumours that have him going to Nashville to rejoin his little brother Sergei - "Don't want to go to Nashville. Want to stay."

In fact Kostitsyn, who earlier this season said he's be willing to take a pay cut to remain a Hab, repeated his desire to stay no fewer than a half-dozen times.

That may not quell the speculation concerning the underachieving Kostitsyn, who is to become an unrestricted free agent in July, and could have some value next Monday to a team looking for secondary scoring.

The Habs hit the road after practice on Thursday - highlight of the session: a minor outburst of handbags-at-twenty-paces between defenceman P.K. Subban and centre David Desharnais - and it's not known how many of the current roster will still be with the team when it returns after next Monday's trade deadline.

Reports in New York have linked defenceman Chris Campoli with the Rangers and Devils, and free-agent-to-be Travis Moen is also garnering wide interest, although there are reports the Habs are interested in trying to re-sign him.

Coach Randy Cunneyworth said it's impossible for players to completely tune out the speculation, "some guys may want to leave, others hope they don't . . . everybody is different, but the focus has to be on the next game," he said. "The job is to play hard no matter what your intentions are or what the team's intentions are."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/spor...syn-hopes-to-remain-with-habs/article2348056/
 

Doc Holliday

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Devils acquire Marek Zidlicky

The New Jersey Devils acquired defenseman Marek Zidlicky from the Minnesota Wild Friday night and sent defenseman Kurtis Foster and forwards Nick Palmieri and Stephane Veilleux back to the Wild in the deal.

The Devils also shipped a previously-acquired second-round 2012 draft pick and a conditional 2013 pick to Minnesota in the trade.

Zidlicky, unhappy with his role in Minnesota, waived his no-trade clause to accept the trade. The disgruntled 35-year-old Czech has 14 assists in 41 games for the Wild this season but has been vocal about his lack of ice time in recent weeks.

After being scratched for three games last month, Zidlicky was critical of Wild coach Mike Yeo and made it clear he did not mesh with Yeo's style of play.

"He wants to play easy hockey," Zidlicky told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. "I tried everything what he wants, but apparently it doesn't work."

Zidicky, who has one year remaining on a three-year, $12M dollar deal, was benched again recently as speculation swirled that WIld GM Chuck Fletcher was looking to send him packing.

Foster, who was scratched for an undisclosed reason before Friday's game between the Devils and Vancouver Canucks, was acquired via trade with the Anaheim Ducks back in December and played in only 28 games with New Jersey.

He heads back to Minnesota where he spent four seasons with the Wild from 2005-09.

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nhl/sto...ls-acquire-d-marek-zidlicky-3-players-2-picks
 

Doc Holliday

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Rangers ship Wojtek Wolski to Florida

NEW YORK, N.Y.—The New York Rangers traded forward Wojtek Wolski to the Florida Panthers on Saturday for defenceman Michael Vernace and a third-round draft pick in 2013.

Wolski, 26, has three assists in nine games with the Rangers this season. He was acquired by New York from the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for Michal Rozsival in January 2011.

In 402 games with New York, Colorado and Phoenix, Wolski has 91 goals and 158 assists. The move should help clear cap space for the Rangers, who are one of the team rumoured to be after Columbus Blue Jackets winger Rick Nash.

Vernace has split the season between the San Antonio Rampage and the Norfolk Admirals of the American Hockey League, registering two goals and 14 assists in 44 games.

The 25-year-old has played 22 career NHL games with Tampa Bay and Colorado, registering one assist
 

Doc Holliday

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Senators acquire Blues' goalie

With No. 1 goaltender Craig Anderson out of action after slicing his hand in a kitchen mishap, the Ottawa Senators moved to fill that gap by acquiring minor leaguer Ben Bishop from the St. Louis Blues.

Bishop was close to signing a one-year extension with the Senators after the trade, a source told ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun. He will be a free agent on July 1 if an extension can't be reached.

The 6-foot-7 Bishop fell down the depth chart with the Blues this season with the emergence of Brian Elliott. Elliott, who took part in the All-Star Game in Ottawa in January, is sharing time with Jaroslav Halak in St. Louis.

Bishop was the 85th overall pick in the 2005 entry draft. The 25-year-old has appeared in 13 NHL games. He was 24-14 with the Peoria Rivermen of the American Hockey League this season.

The Blues will receive a second-round pick in 2013.
 

Doc Holliday

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Jets add CLITSOME; Habs add Staubitz

Two Canadian teams have hit the waiver wire for some Deadline Day shopping.

The Montreal Canadiens have claimed forward Brad Staubitz off re-entry waivers from the Minnesota Wild while the Winnipeg Jets have claimed defenceman Grant Clitsome from the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Clitsome has scored four goals and added 10 assists in 51 games with the Blue Jackets this season.

"It'll be different for me," Clitsome said. "I've never had that experience throughout my whole career. It'll be a learning experience and I'm really looking forward to it.

"I'm excited. They're in a playoff push and they've got a great team. It's going to be exciting times."

The 26-year-old defenceman has one year left on a two-year deal he signed with Columbus in 2011 worth an average annual value of $1.25 million.

Originally selected in the ninth round (271st overall) by the Columbus Blue Jackets at the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, Clitsome has scored nine goals and 27 assists in 93 career NHL games.

Head coach Claude Noel said he wasn't expecting Clitsome to dress for Monday night's game against the Edmonton Oilers.

The 27-year-old Staubitz has posted a minus-7 with no points in 43 games with the Wild this year.

The Wild had been looking to find Staubitz a new home after the 27-year-old forward cleared waivers on February 11.

Staubitz was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by San Jose. He has scored eight goals and 10 assists in 196 career games with the Wild and Sharks.

He is in the final year of a two-year deal he signed with the Wild worth an average annual value of $575,000. The Canadiens will only have to pay half that salary and only half of Staubitz's average annual value will count towards Montreal's salary cap number.

He is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2011-12 season.
 

gohabsgo

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Ferguson's Leafs were better than Burke's

John Ferguson Jr. was basically laughed out of Toronto as an inept general manager for having teams that were more productive than those that have been put forth thus far by Brian Burke.

In three of his four years as GM, Ferguson had more points than Burke has had in any Leafs season yet.


http://www.torontosun.com/2012/02/25/simmons-fergusons-leafs-were-better-than-burkes
 

gohabsgo

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Brian Burke's Maple Leafs crumbling quickly

What has Burke built? On too many nights lately, his self-proclaimed “depth on defence” includes a collection of rearguards who look hapless in front of their own net and hardly gifted at breaking out of their zone. It wasn’t Reimer’s problem that, for one lengthy stretch on Saturday night, the Capitals played keep-away in the Toronto end as though they were enjoying a man advantage, even though the sides were even strength. Boos and patronizing whistles escalated as the visitors dominated. Bryan Hayes, the TSN radio personality, coined it best on Twitter: “The rarely seen 5-on-5 power play.”

What has Burke built? He’s assembled a collection of forwards mired in an en-masse scoring slump that coincides with this current swoon. Phil Kessel has one goal in the past eight games. Clarke MacArthur has one in the past nine. Mikhail Grabovski hasn’t scored since Jan 31. It goes on.

What has Burke built? Since he arrived in Toronto, the home team’s crease has been occupied by the likes of Vesa Toskala, Martin Gerber, J.S. Giguere. Giguere’s the only one of that bunch still in the NHL. The search for reliable goaltending continues.


http://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs...k-brian-burke-s-maple-leafs-crumbling-quickly
 
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