TropicalFruitGirl26

Well guys, I've been sitting on this trade for awhile, trying to figure out where the Bolts are going with this. What they gave up to get Garrison in the 1st place isn't such a big deal (2nd round pick in this year's draft). My concern was more how Garrison fit into the grand scheme of things, and make no mistake, he WILL have to fit in, given that he's got 4 yrs left on his contract. Looking at the current crop of Bolts defensemen, the thing that keeps coming up is that Sami Salo's shot and Mattias Ohlund's stay-at-home physical play need to be replaced. Salo's main contribution was his powerful shot from the blue line, and although, according to jammer's statement, Salo would be a better skater, the shot is on par as is his ability to play a tougher style game as Mattias Ohlund should have been doing all this time for the Bolts. Ohlund of course, is quite done at over age 35 and having had double knee surgeries. I will be honest and say I had not watched much of Jason Garrison the last couple seasons, so his overall speed is something I am not entirely familiar with. I do know a few years ago he was considered a nicely rounded defensemen. He is not old now by any stretch (he will be 30 just after the season starts), but losing a step or two is entirely possible. That said, if he isn't quite up to snuff in the speed department, then he BETTER play his positional game to a T. When Ohlund patrolled the blue line for us, he too was not the fastest defenseman around...in fact, some days he looked downright pylon-like. However, he played his position reasonably well, had a good shot, and really knew how to put opposing players on their arses. If Garrison can provide that for the Bolts, then this should go well. With the kinds of forwards the Lightning have, that big shot from the point and on the PP is a must. Since Salo's departure, the Lightning really don't have a guy that provides that. The Bolts could also use a guy on defense who is quite physical. Radko Gudas does his job there quite admirably, however, he is still young and learning his position, and getting him some help with other guys who are just as hard on opposing forwards would be nice. Maybe someone who can be that real good shut down type defenseman that every team in the league seems to want to have. I thought guys like Eric Brewer or Keith Aulie can be that, but to date, that hasn't worked out that way. Brewer does a few things well, but he is getting older, one year left on his deal, and some days, well, he just doesn't seem to play his position particularly well. Unacceptable for a veteran of his tenure. Keith Aulie? There is still hope for him (6'6 around 220) as he is only 24 with his 25th birthday coming next month, and as we all know, many defenseman, particularly large ones like Aulie, don't come into their own until their mid to late 20's. I am thinking Aulie may be somewhat Jason Cullimore-like? But the Bolts have given him plenty of chances to show, at the very least, that he can be a real pit bull on the blue line (not necessarily scoring points) and not be a liability, but again, to date, that has not worked out yet. Bolts also seem to be waiting around for Andrej Sustr (23 yrs old, 6'7 and about 225) to develop...another big body who has shown flashes of being able to play real, consistent, physical hockey, but has yet to do it to the point where the Bolts feel comfortable giving him an everyday spot in the lineup. In fact, Sustr, as we speak, is still an RFA, and I thought the Bolts would have done something with him by now, and they haven't. Same with Aulie. Enter Jason Garrison. The Lightning dragging their feet a bit on Sustr and Aulie seems a bit telling, and perhaps the Bolts want to make sure they have at least someone who can play NHL games right away if they decide to move in a different direction from those two young defensemen. Or, perhaps, if they do get a deal done with either, give them more time at the AHL level. That's my early take on why Garrison is here anyways. We will see how the rest of the off season shakes out. That should shed more light into how he fits in. Garrison doesn't fit the mold of the perfect solution obviously, but in the same manner that Yzerman has gone about trying to address the various needs of the team (from bigger forwards to goaltending), he is doing SOMETHING to try and improve an area (in this case, heavy shot and shut down body), and quite frankly, I'd rather him continue doing that than just sit on his rear and 'hope' things work out with what he has.

Good. I never was a salary cap fan, but if we must have one, make it enough for teams to be able to keep most of their high end talent, while still making GM's make good decisions regarding contracts. Personally, with the new CBA rules in place regarding player salaries, I think a cap of about 80 million would be perfect. High enough where the richer teams can spend if they want to, but not so far that the lower end teams can't compete. Oh, and I do like the salary floor. This way we won't see owners pocket the bulk of the money they make and put out a crappy 20 million payroll product on the ice.

Probably because its WAY too early to tell. Ducks are in WIN NOW mode...Kesler helps that. Vancouver....rebuilding. The players they got back plus the pick helps that. Safe to say both teams starting today got what they wanted. Now, how it all works out will remain to be seen of course. I honestly don't think Anaheim cares about what they gave up as long as Kesler puts them that much closer to a Cup....if not Cup owners.

He may center the 2nd line. I wasn't suggesting he was going to play on the same line as Getzlaf and Perry, but just that opposing defenses are now going to have to account for him, and use their top d-men accordingly, whenever he is on the ice, just as much as when Anaheim's original 1-2 punch are. As for flat out numbers, sure, they may not be as impressive as some other players, but as you realized, the DOES play a more than solid two way game, the Anaheim Ducks play a much more aggressive offensive style than the Canucks, which I believe will help him, and now that he is 'across the ice' from the Canucks when the teams meet, I can see a guy like him being extra motivated to put up some nice production against not only the division and league, but specifically against his former teams....as ex-players of a franchise are often apt to do. Even if Kesler never hits the 40 G plateau again (which likely he won't), if he can give the Ducks 20-25 to go along with about 60-70 points for the two years he is in Anaheim on top of the other stuff defensively he brings, I think the Ducks will be extremely happy with him.

At 5 Mil per year to get a complete power forward like Ryan Kesler, I'd say Anaheim just got a HELL of a lot stronger. Getzlaf, Perry...now Kesler too on the front lines? Pretty formidable. Crazy thing is, the Canucks were actually willing to trade Kesler WITHIN the division. May speak more to how the Canucks' hands were tied as far as what kind of return they could have expected for him. Luca Sbiza and the 1st round pick I think were the key returns, yet somehow, it feels underwhelming. Sbiza is only 24 and may turn out to be a very good, steady NHL defenseman yet, and who knows what the 1st round will yield for Vancouver.....and not to discount Nick Bonino...maybe he has found his game, but to this point, with the exception of last season, he has been pretty average in the league. The mess in Vancouver continues methinks.......... But now teams in the West and the Pacific particularly, are going to have their hands full more than they ever have trying to decide whether covering Getz, Perry, or Kesler is the priority for their top D-men. That all said, the one area where I always felt Anaheim was a bit weak was their overall defensive coverage. Their own d-men definitely are going to have to step up their game. As good as Anaheim was last season, teams could always count on some blown coverage to generate scoring chances against the Ducks...which leads me to their goaltending. If those breakdowns are gonna happen...do the Ducks have the goalie to stand on his head on a consistent basis to keep the team from giving up more goals than they can score themselves? Plus, how will that work in the playoffs when NHL defenses are supposed to be ultra tight? Plenty of time for Anaheim to address those areas....they certainly still have cap room. But for the here and now, I will call this a preliminary win for the Ducks on the trade. Lots of other teams right now grumbling over the fact that THEY could have gotten Kesler for, what looks to be on the surface, not that high a price..... We will see how this works for Anaheim...also, will be interesting to see what sorts of counter moves their division rivals may make.

Well, thinking if Minnesota brings in someone else, it could be either...depending on whether they really think Kuemper is the man or not. If they think he is, then they may consider bringing in a solid backup....meaning they will have to deal Backstrom. Honestly not really sure what the Wild can do with Harding should he not be able to play...which is a very real possibility. If they DON'T think Kuemper is the guy, then bring in someone who can be a starter....gasp....whispers of Ryan Miller have been heard around these parts. Brodeur's name has been mentioned on a few local outlets as well. Interestingly enough, Chad Johnson's name has not. Not that I think Miller isn't a good goalie, but IMO, he presents more problems to this particular team than he solves. I just hope the 'whispers' remain just that....noise in the background. Say Minny brings in a guy like Miller, or even Brodeur, and they get hammered with the formidable opening schedule...then what? Wild would be stuck with either an aged or overpaid goaltender whom many would have lost confidence in before a dozen games are played. No thanks. Would rather Minnesota take the Kuemper starter/Backstrom-Harding backup route. Kuemper has shown improvement over the course of time he has been with the Wild, and more importantly, has shown a calmness in the face of adversity. There were some games where he absolutely stunk it up, yet didn't look panicked, and could be counted on to come in next time and put on a better performance being none the worse for wear. Only thing troubling about Kuemper is the concussion problems he had....two last year....yikes. But if he shows no ill effects heading into the season, I see no reason why the Wild wouldn't rely on him being the number one. From all indications at this point, Minnesota still seems to like him as such too. Varlamov, Quick, Smith, Bishop, Rask, Lundquist...just to name a few of the goalies Minnesota will be seeing to start things off....whether its Kuemper, Backstrom, Harding....Minnesota better NOT go into any of these games with an aged hockey shop manager as their 'emergency backup' like they had to last season!

Not all sure of the names that would best fit in with the Bruins, but I do know this: During last season's playoffs the Bruins looked like they had a case of "The Slows". I know they have some aging vets on the team (well, Thornton is gone...but big Z, while still effective, adds another few pounds of rocks to his skates every year), but I am talking just the team as a whole. Perhaps it was the speed of the Montreal Canadiens (which is pretty formidable), but then, the Bruins will be dealing with LOTS of really fast teams in their division come next season once again...with many of those like the Wings, Bolts, and Panthers being a bit better as a group than they were last year. Even though I know the Bruins best hockey is played on the "half court" and rely on tough checking, timely scoring, and great goaltending, I think they may want to draft in ways to help increase their overall team speed. Nothing in the rule book that says you have to be a slow, plodding team to play good defense like the Bruins usually do after all....

That too.... Barring any concussion issues, I believe Darcy Kuemper should be the number one going in, with Nik Backstrom or Josh Harding as the backup. Not set in stone obviously...but like you said, this needs to get worked out pronto. It has occured to me the Wild may pull some unforseen move and bring in someone else entirely.....which would probably mean the end of either Backstrom or Harding (or both!) as a Minnesota Wild. And this opening stretch of games...yea, team doesn't want any monkeying around in regards to who is their guy manning the pipes.

This... This team had been a real head scratcher for a couple seasons now. You look at the players on the roster, what they had been able to do while missing key players at times, and the versatility the team showed in styles of play and you think "No way this team stays down for long". Unbelievable job by Paul McClean with this team through its challenging phases by the way....and it seems they will have lots more challenge going forward. Last season, there were two teams in the East who jumped out at me early on, that got me thinking they were underperforming given their rosters: the Ottawa Senators and the Philadelphia Flyers. Well, obviously, Philly, while being far from a 'solved case' did what they needed to do to get into the playoffs, Ottawa never quite got out of the gate. For every one thing you can level at Ottawa that they did 'wrong', you can also find a player or two on that roster that does exactly what you would want them to. They don't score enough? Hmm..well, they did have a number of players over 20 goals on the season...and a couple more close to that mark. They don't defend enough? Well, that may be a downright fair point...goaltending has always bailed this team out as their defense has been suspect for a few years now, and last season, the goaltending did not perform as many miracles They aren't tough enough? No need to look much further than Chris Neil, Zack Smith, and Matt Kassian for that, not to mention the gritty play they can get from some others such as Clarke MacArthur and Marc Methot. I guess it is also a matter of team chemistry and putting things all together as a cohesive working unit. Spurts and flashes of what could have been simply aren't going to cut it for this team. Yea, they do have a mess going forward. I've learned not to count out the Senators because seems that when people do that, they surprise, but honestly, even I have a hard time fathoming how they can come out next season and keep up with the likes of division rivals Boston, Montreal, Detroit, Tampa Bay, the always hard working Florida Panthers....and even no-defense Toronto!

Was doing a quick perusal of the schedules released for the upcoming season and couldn't help but notice that the Minnesota Wild are gonna have to come out of the gate flying! Have a look at this... Home @ Home with the Central Division champion Avalanche (1st in St. Paul, then in Denver)... That Denver game is the start of a three game road trip that takes them to California where they see the Pacific Division champion Ducks followed by the Stanley Cup Champion Kings. Then they come back home for a short two game stand featuring the Coyotes (could be underrated in 2014-15) and the Steven Stamkos-led Lightning….with maybe Jonathan Drouin on board at that point as well. Then off on the road again to New York to face off against the Eastern Conference Champion Rangers, followed by the Atlantic Division champion (and President Trophy winning) Boston Bruins....oh and by the way, the NY-Bos games are on back to back nights.. Finally finishing off the month of October and heading into the first week of November at home against San Jose, Dallas, and the Metro Division champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Whew...what a way to start off a schedule! 10 different opponents (they see Colorado twice) and NINE of those 10 were in last year's playoffs with the lone non playoff team being the Yotes. On top of that, they will see ALL FOUR division winners (Ana, Col, Bos, Pit), plus the Eastern Conference champs and the Stanley Cup champs. The Wild simply have no room to start off sleepy eyed (no pun intended...YES, there IS a town called Sleepy Eye in Minnesota haha), or they could easily find themselves firmly on the short end of .500 . Fortunately, the Wild do have lots of speed and youth and they will need every bit of energy in those young legs of theirs to get through that very tough opening schedule. If Minnesota does well, it could really help set the tone for the rest of the first half of the season, as the team's confidence in being able to play with "the big boys" has grown by leaps and bounds over the last couple seasons. For a long time, all Wild fans kept hearing was "the future, the future"....well, I believe the Wild's time is now! Will they be Stanley Cup contenders this coming season? Well, THAT might be jumping the gun just a bit yet...but still, anything short of a deep playoff run, and having OTHER teams worry about facing them for a change, would be conisdered a failed season, IMO. Looking at that rogue's gallery of opponents to start their season, they have the opportunity to truly show just how far they have come as a franchise, and how far their young players have come....with still some ceiling to be reached by quite a few of them.

@Vanflyer re: Callahan vs Gaborik signings You know, I was thinking about those, and let's say for argument's sake that Gaborik's deal, dollar for dollar, for the production he brings IS the better deal.......still, we would have to go back to the old "fitting in" type thing. At this point in time, while I aleady stated I agree that Callahan was perhaps overpaid by the Bolts, he brings EXACTLY what this team lacked so many times last year: Grit and toughness at key times. And its not like the Lightning doesn't have players that can play that way, it's that, for whatever reason, they hadn't done it consistentlly outside of the few players I mentioned in my earlier post. Callahan has the ability to not only play a tougher style game, but perhaps help bring that out more often in his teammates. Flip flop the Gaborik and Callahan contracts, and I think Gaborik doesn't really improve the Lightning had he signed with them. Sure, Gabby would have brought even more of scoring dynamic to the team, but it probably would have been short lived when the very good NHL defenses shut down the Bolts scoring. Meanwhile, Callahan would have brought much less to the LA Kings, who already had plenty of grit, leadership, and tough grinding play and are always in need of pure scoring......something Ryan would NOT have brought them. At the end of the day, when you are a small market team like the Lightning, you make the smart decisions regarding your young and/or homegrown talent, and yes, you may have to overpay to keep a much needed veteran type brought in from elsewhere. Such was also the case when the Bolts signed Matt Carle. Carle was overpaid, but at the time, the Bolts needed a legit NHL caliber defenseman and he was the best fit available at the time....same with Callahan now: best fit available for what the Bolts needed. And again, as long as the Lightning are smart about who they retain going forward and if Callahan stays healthy enough for most of that contract for the Bolts to get what they paid for, then it is all good. As a Lightning fan, THAT is where my single biggest concern with Callahan is: health.

I've been a fan of Gaborik since his Minnesota Wild days, to his travels to the Rangers, to Columbus and now Los Angeles.... wow...for some reason, Keep on Rockin Me by the Steve Miller Band pops in my head...haha. Anyways.....outstanding game changer....but LA better hope to hell he can stay healthy.....its THE reason Minnesota didn't hang on to him in the first place at a time when the Wild were absolutely hurting for offense. Good luck in LA Gabby....you got your Cup, but now, they are giving you the kind of money and tenure that says "Go help get us another one!"

Wow. Color me a bit surprised. I guess I kinda had it in my head that Callahan will simply end up elsewhere and that the main parts the Bolts would have left from MSL's departure would be the two 1st round picks this year. Obviously, I've heard the talk that TB may try keeping Callahan...I also heard stuff in regards to Callahan's price may be too steep AND that he may then get in the way of the Bolts' ability to retain certain RFA players and re-sign others when their contracts come due... i.e. Ben Bishop, 1 yr left...Steve Stamkos, 2 yrs left, and Victor Hedman as well, who has 3 yrs left on his deal. To me, those three players represent the largest cornerstone players the Bolts have that are NOT RFA's that the team absolutely needs to keep. Do I like the signing? Yes....but with cautious optimism. Callahan NO DOUBT is a top grade player....can do it all just about...score, check, battle along the boards, crash the net, defend, play both sides on special teams, lead in the locker room and on the ice, heck, on occasion, the guy will even fight. Thing is, none of those things he will be able to do well if he can't stay healthy...and he HAS been bitten with the injury bug a bit the last few seasons, missing some stretches of games. Also, this contract takes him to the age of 35 with the team. Not terrible, but, given his style of play and the wear on his body to this point, it may be a concern about halfway through the contract. Will have to keep my fingers crossed on this. The annual price for Callahan is kinda steep, but it is palatable if the Bolts get great mileage out of the guy. Fortunately, Callahan won't have to be THE GUY in Tampa....that falls to Steve Stamkos. And to help Stamkos out, will be other guys who can take starring roles as well, such as Ben Bishop, Victor Hedman, Tyler Johnson, and hopefully, Jonathan Drouin. If Ryan can take a mostly pseudo-starring role and be a great support member any other time, I am good with that. Some other positives are that the Bolts bought out what remained of Malone's contract, Anders Lindback is out...meaning those are two guys the Bolts don't have to worry about paying or giving large contracts to any longer. If the Bolts can somehow move the enigmatic Teddy Purcell and his 4.5 mil cap hit (2 yrs left) that could also go towards alleviating Callahan's financial burden on the team. I suppose, finances aside, I really should be happy to see Callahan remain on the team. After all, one of my biggest gripes last season was that outside Radko Gudas, sometimes Eric Brewer, Nate Thompson, BJ Crombeen, and when he was any good, Ryan Malone, NO ONE on the Bolts played with any consistent grit, and the team, at times seemed a bit too passive for my tastes....particularly on the PK. Ryan Callahan and his aggressive play can change that dynamic and he also has the leadership qualities to possibly have that style of play rub off, even if just a bit, on some of his other teammates. Guys like Hedman, Killorn, Palat, Panik, and Sustr have shown that they are capable of that kind of play when needed...perhaps it may take seeing first hand a vet like Callahan do it night in, night out, for those guys to make that part of their permanent gameplans, which in turn could make the Tampa Bay Lightning as a team THAT much harder to play against. Yes, the price is a bit high, yes, the Bolts may have to get creative when it comes time to pay some other players (and be smart about NOT re-signing others), and yes TB gives up a 2015 2nd rounder.....but I am hoping the positives outweigh the negatives on this signing, and if the Bolts become consistent playoff contenders, make deep runs, and *gasp*, even win a Cup before Callahan is old n broken down, then it will have been worth it.

Been a hockey fan for some time now myself...granted, not as long as you or some others on this site, but long enough. 1994 was when I was really first made aware what a great sport hockey was.....and this was as a kid growing up in Florida. Talent watered down? Expanded too much? On the contrary...I believe the overall talent level is quite high in hockey right now. In fact, as good as some of the 'old time' hockey players were, I just have to wonder if many of them can play in this day and age of stat tracking, coaching staffs and defenses who have positional play down to a science, and the flat out superior overall athletes that dot the landscape of today's hockey world. Yea, yea...the whole Era A vs Era B thing....that has been going on for years in all sports.....nothing will ever be solved from arguing it, but people do it anyways...well, because it is fun. Truth is, there is talent ALL over hockey now, not just in the NHL. You have so much top notch talent coming from places other than Canada and the United States now. Leagues over in Europe, that, while still not quite at the NHL level's, measure up quite well. So well, in fact, that NHL teams have dedicated scouts going out to see players in those leagues to see who they may want to bring over AND have their own prospects developing over in the KHL, Swedish, Finnish and Czech elite leagues waiting for their chance to shine in the NHL. There is, I believe, enough talent in hockey now that it is entirely possible to field competitive teams up n down the NHL landscape...from the top team to the 'lowly' 30th team. The difference between winning and losing in the league seems to be quite small, and as some teams like Colorado and Tampa Bay (ooo, look...a FLORIDA team ) have shown, can quickly turn things around in a season or two, simply by utilizing that talent that they have gotten from all over the world....not just in North America. While I can appreciate the history of the NHL and the great players that came before, I think the NHL today, is LOADED with the kind of talent that the league way back in the 60's WISH they could field for each of their teams in the league at the time. As for your point of over expansion, well, that can be debated all day and all night. True, there are markets that seem less receptive to the sport (at least in attendance at arenas)...but then, can we REALLY blame that on 'over expansion'....or can we say that everytime the NHL gets positive momentum as a league and starts to get more and more casual fans on board with the ever present hardcore fans that the NHL does stupid things to shoot themselves in the foot like, oh, say work stoppages every few years? Seems to me the NHL has taken a step or three backwards at times whenever they've worked so hard to make a step forward as a mainstream sport in North America, competing with the likes of the NFL, NBA, and MLB. It is possible the league at points has expanded too fast for its own good, however, I feel that has NOTHING to do with the actual talent available, but rather, the league probably didn't think all things through before doing actual expansions of a given franchise. Proof of that is the constant flipping of teams around to different cities. I am willing to bet that had the NHL over the last 20 years or so had been more consistent with its own regulations and not had work stoppages mucking up the works, that perhaps more people would be finding their way to hockey arenas today than they currently are in some cities. And honestly, climate has nothing to do with that either. Granted, some are more natural for the sport of hockey, but again, with the tech available today, the internet, the world wide coverage of just about anything on television, why NOT have hockey in non traditional markets? If the NHL wants to truly compete with the other three major North American team sports, then they NEED to think outside the box, put their product wherever they can to expose it to the most people possible.....hey, I wouldn't be an NHL fan today if somebody didn't have the crazy idea of putting a team or two in Florida. The trick of course, is planning. Think things through and have the right, smart people making decisions, and like any business venture, it can work. The NHL has to CONSTANTLY be in a state of 'forward thinking'. Evolve, if you would, with the times and part of that are things like expansions, culling talent from unlikely places (France? Really? Yup..... ). Again, I can appreciate the history of the NHL, understand the great players of old have paved the way for many who play in the game today....and I LOVE talking to people who have witnessed first hand some of hockey's history. But frankly, if the NHL were to be ruled by the 'old ways' with no change whatsoever, then we probably wouldn't have an NHL today....and some of those same 'old time' fan type thinkers probably would have been to blame for not being capable of evolution......just like the the mighty T-Rex. And that is no offense to 'old time' fans and thinkers.....I do, after all, have a dad (in FLORIDA!) who knows a thing or two about that as well.......

Looks like a flippin 'Select Character' screen from one of my nephew's games, @JackStraw .....

Whaaaat?? The 'Shark Boy' look doesn't sit well with you guys??

Yea, the signings are comparable, as are the players: Similar sizes, skillsets, production numbers to this point in their careers. In fact, while I am very happy with the Killorn signing, I would even dare say that Schenn, over the long haul may have a slightly higher offensive upside, being 2 years younger than Killorn, perhaps a bit faster skater, and, despite being younger, actually has MORE NHL games under his belt. A 2.5 mil average cap hit for the next two years for B. Schenn is quite tolerable and fair, IMO. And after that, Schenn will STILL be an RFA (according to capgeek), and the Flyers then can see how Schenn has either progressed, regressed, or stayed the same, and act accordingly, contract-wise, at that point.

Here is an article from NHL.com, where it is mentioned Gallant believes the Panthers are not too far off from contenders....and you know what? He could be right... http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=723474&navid=nhl:topheads Let's not forget that it wasn't too long ago that the Panthers won their division, albeit, it was the mediocre South East, but still, they beat out teams like the Caps, Lightning, and Jets at the time in that division by out playing those guys....and that doesn't look to change anytime soon (the outplaying teams part). Difference now, as opposed to then is, the team has more actual talent on the roster AND that talent has better room for growth. Everything from the forward lines, the defense, and of course, in goal. All the Cats need to do is shed make smart signings while their core develops, continue their philosophy of "we ALWAYS got a chance to win". I've watched enough Panther games the last two seasons to know that these guys do NOT mail it in, do NOT take shifts off, and do NOT believe they should roll over for anyone in the league. Sure, they lost lots of games, but that is because on most nights, despite their work ethic, they were simply outclassed in the talent department. That is looking to change, and I think it's something new head coach Gerard Gallant sees as well.

Oh very much agreed here. And truthfully, I suspect there are MANY natural centers in the minors who get converted over to wing positions for various reasons, only to play some center anyways when and if they make the NHL level. I guess what I was driving at was, don't sign a guy like Brad Richards, only to have some long time center on the team signing him, have to move over simply because "Brad Richards is here now". Then you have a situation where guys are playing disgruntled, harboring animosity towards the coaching staff or the new player coming in, etc.. In the case of your Sharks, I suspect most of those guys were eased into their roles. You would know more than I on that, but it wasn't like someone played many games at C for the Sharks was suddently told, "Hey, you're a winger now because we got this other guy, and well, we want him to play center instead of you". Obviously, if a situation arose where a player had to move to wing because of a Richards signing, I would think the team signing him would look at the overall picture and see if it made sense, or even go over things with the coach and players in question to see if the player being moved was fully on board with that. Not necessary for the coaches or GM's to do such a thing (clear things with a player), I get that...but still, could go a long way towards getting a player fully co-operating since the courtesy and respect was shown to him by clueing the guy in on the plan. In the case of Richards himself, I also agree, even with his diminished skills, he still makes a better center than wing himself because, even though some of his scoring touch has faded, his speed isn't quite what it used to be, he STILL finds his wingers, has an eye for what is going on the ice, and hence still puts up decent assists because of that. No better place to take advantage of that particular skillset than at the C position, IMO. Now, whether he is 2nd or 3rd line will depend on the make up of the team, the coach, and what chemistry he can develop with wingers, but Richards should probably ALWAYS be a center.

If so, @yave1964 , about his reputation with development, then it is a good hire for the Panthers. I think Florida is one of those teams that simply doesn't have a 'quick fix' solution to its competitive problems. They show flashes of great play, followed by much mediocre play in between. The team DOES show up to play night in, night out, cept, right now, they simply aren't very good at maintaining any consistency. There is a difference between a team that is losing lots of games that has many guys 'mailing it in' on a regular basis, and a team that loses lots of games, yet has young untapped potential within their ranks and in their minors system.....I think the Panthers fall in that second group. So, if Mr. Gallant can get them playing consistent hockey while developing the younger players potential, AND have them continue to play good hard hockey like they have already, it probably won't be too long before Florida is on the competitive playoff map. Also, they probably would want to shed away any 'dead weight' vets (sorry, but Tom Gilbert and Scott Gomez come to mind...), and just hang on to those few vets who CAN contribute either on the ice, or in the locker room, and set great examples to how games should continue to be played each and every night. They already have one of the hardest parts to get covered (goal) in the form of outstanding veteran goalie Roberto Luongo. Perhaps keeping Ed Jovanovski around would help the younger players, particularly defensemen, (i.e. Erik Gudbranson and Dmitri Kulikov), even though his own skills are a far cry from what they were, and then in turn signing the RIGHT free agent vets to mesh and help along the younger forwards, would be the way to go for this new coach and team. And who knows...if the Lightning can stay competitive and the Panthers get competitive at the same time as the Lightning, then maybe there really CAN be a rivalry in the state of Florida in hockey...and not just some made up schtick manufactured by the media simply because both teams reside in the state...

You know, Brad Richards' production numbers may not have lived up to his lofty contract (really, what player's ridiculous contract ever really does?), and yes, I do agree his skillset is NOT what it once was, but honestly, looking at the big picture, if Richards can swallow his pride just a bit, be ok with making an acceptable annual salary (he is set financially with the buy out and whatever else a team will pay him going forward after all), and be willing to play more of a supporting role instead of a starring one on a team, he could STILL be quite helpful to a contender...particularly a young contending team. His overall numbers for the past season aren't terrible by any stretch, but of course, his contract demanded he do much more. And he didn't help his own cause by not performing at crunch time in the Finals. Then, you simply have the numbers game where NY needed to keep certain young players and fill in needs elsewhere, and one can easily see where Richards' hefty and long contract was an albatross. Still though, as long as Brad has the desire to play, play well, and is willing to be part of the picture rather than the whole picture, I believe whomever signs Richards next (reasonable contract) will be very happy with him. That said, like some other players we could mention, the FIT has to be right. Richards would have to go somewhere where it isn't a total rebuild going one...somewhere where a team may need a solid #2, but more likely, an excellent #3 type puck distributing center to get them 'over the hump'. Also, a team that could actually USE a center, and not just sign him as one, only to have him play wing, or displace another natural center to play wing....Philly fans know this all too well already. The guy is only 34 and while that means that as long as he has desire he will find employment in the NHL, it also means his days of long contracts are done. Two, three years MAX is what I believe he will get from anyone going forward. It has been often said about Richards that he is a businessman himself, so, if that is true, he would understand that. Seems to me, the bottom line here was, the Rangers NEEDED to do this in order to stay competitive starting next season, and Brad Richards himself gave the team no reason to even consider keeping him on any longer with his numbers vs his contract. That said, Rick Nash has not really been much better, but I suppose Nash's flashes of brilliance and downright dominance (when, it seems, he feels like it), and the fact Nash is younger than Richards, will keep the team hanging on to him in hopes that he finally puts it all together for them and leads the teams in all phases of the game. NY, of course, may come to regret that at some point, but for the here and now, Nash looked more the keeper than Richards to the Rangers. Wishing Brad Richards good luck in finding a suitable landing spot. Hopefully, he is smart in any offers he accepts and not just looks a the $$$. Again, he is being paid by the Rangers to NOT be there, so really, any lower rung salary he gets combined with that, should be enough for him and his family to live their lives as they always have. All comes down to being at the right place, at the right time, then doing all the work necessary in the off season himself to be sure he is ready to go come the 2014-15 season.

Agree 1000% with @hf101 . I've run into the problem where it is very difficult to market this site to other hockey fans I know, because they come here, and see just about EVERYTHING shoved into 'Flyers' forums, and it is a turn off for many. I understand the history of this forum and it's founding admins and posters....but if this site is to truly be a fan for "everything hockey", then yes, the site itself needs to reflect that. Most fans, including myself, can live with the extra Philly vibe on the site....again, due to how the site was founded, it is very understandable, but topics regarding other teams simply should go where they belong. There IS NO trolling if a legit topic is put up where it goes and a proper discussion comes from it. To the topic of the Pens tanking...well, that could be and will be debated for years to come, however, I certainly hope, whether they did or not, no other teams follow suit. Honestly, the NHL has enough problems in many other areas they are trying to amend, adjust or just flat out solve, the NHL, or the game of hockey does NOT need teams to go around throwing seasons just to get a certain guy in a draft. Teams should always play to win, coaches should always coach to win, and GM's should ALWAYS do their jobs and put out the best possible product they can on the ice. Hockey fans are too smart and you will lose many of them (and in the process not really attract any new ones) by crapping away a season or two just to get 'potential' in a draft. My opinion on that anyways. Talk about undermining integrity of the game.....

From NHL.com http://lightning.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=723041 And a slightly more detailed article from the Tampa Bay Times: http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/lightning/lightning-re-sign-alex-killorn-to-a-two-year-deal/2185065 Bolts secured yet another of their young players they view as part of the future. Coming on the heels of a pair of 3 yr deals to Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat, the Bolts give Alex Killorn a 2.55 Mil rough average per for the two years he signed for. Alex Killorn, like Johnson and Palat, came up through the Bolts' system, though he brings a different type of game than the speed/scoring game of his two teammates. Killorn will bring more of a grinding type style, whether it's along the boards, battling along the lines, or in front of goaltenders, he makes sure the other team works very hard to keep him from getting his chances. And though Killorn is no upper level speedster, he is FAR from slow of foot and CAN score if he can make room for himself. Killorn has yet to crack the 20 goal mark as either an AHL'er or NHL'er, however, the kind of work he puts in and the chances he can create for himself suggest once he plateaus, he may be a regular 20 goal scorer at the NHL level, with about the same number or more on the assists. Obviously, those would not be eye popping numbers, and I believe long term, Killorn, with his good size, excellent puck control, ability to play center or wing, would make an excellent scoring/grinding 3rd liner / PK type guy, who can also contribute on perhaps the 2nd PP unit as well. A VERY valuable commodity to have, a guy who is as versatile as he is, when the depth of your team is tested throughout the course of a season and during tough playoff runs. His deal is a raise from the 875K he made previously and he would still be an RFA again at 27 years of age, giving the Lightning some good flexibility in not only seeing if he can continue to improve over the course of the next two years, but, if he does, whether they want to keep him longer term after that with a bigger money contract. I am pretty happy with the deal. Team friendly, Killorn himself seems happy to get it done so quickly, and it allows the Lightning to NOT have to pay higher $ on the FA market just to GET a guy who can grind and score like Killorn can.....and hey, even though I categorize him as such, there is still a small chance he could bloom into a very good solid 2nd line power winger as well, as he did score pretty regularly as a college player for Harvard. Yea, yea, I know...Harvard, pros, two different things, but point being, he does have the potential to be quite a bit more still than what he has shown so far. Here are his career numbers, courtesy of Elite Prospects: http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=12523 That is 3 down and possibly 2 more main RFA's to sign for Tampa Bay....IMO, I am thinking Sustr and Panik. I have been saying defenseman Andrej Sustr should be next on the list, but the Lightning also have Brett Connolly, Anders Lindback, JT Brown, and Keith Aulie, and Mark Barberio to look at.

You guys are all very welcome. Hope you enjoyed Sunday with your families! And congrats to @Poulin20 !

Ok, ok, so this isn't a 'General Hockey' topic...but still, seeing as how the majority of the posters here are male AND have families, I thought I would fit it here nonetheless. Happy Father's Day to all current and soon-to-be dads and also, to those who have taken on the responsibility of being a dad to perhaps some children who are not their own....you count just the same. Way to showcase how a real man should be! For whomever it applies, here is hoping you gentlemen enjoy your day!