NHL 2012 - 2013

[Fordel]

I honestly, can not give two shits about what the divisions are called.


6 game losing streak, ENGAGE.   

[Ashamanchill]

Ah sad Toronto fans......oh wait they won a game?!? Thanks for keeping my seat on that wagon warm buddy!

[Speedy Cerviche]

Im kind of impressed they managed to keep to their usual mid-late season collapse pattern even during a shortened season. Like clockwork...

[murdoc]

I have to admit, I kinda don't want to go back to an 82 game season.

[Ceryse]

I have to admit, I kinda don't want to go back to an 82 game season.

While it has its upsides (Oilers playing meaningful games in March!?) there are so many reasons it can't work as a norm.

But this shortened season is full of all sorts of weirdness (see: Cogliano in Anaheim or the West standings -- Columbus in particular). Its kind of fun, kind of maddening.

Thankfully reffing is its normal shit-show. At least some things never change.

[murdoc]

...there are so many reasons it can't work as a norm.

Revenue being #1.

[Fordel]

It's the only reason basically. There is no way they are giving up the 20-40 games of revenue.

The old 40-50 game season is dramatically better, games mean more, less filler, less roster rotation due to injury. It's not coming back though.

[Hoax]

It's the only reason basically. There is no way they are giving up the 20-40 games of revenue.

The old 40-50 game season is dramatically better, games mean more, less filler, less roster rotation due to injury. It's not coming back though.

I'm going to say it. I quit hockey after the bullshit this year and I haven't missed it all that much. If they are going back to having nba length seasons I don't think I'll ever come back and if they can't get refs who aren't utter paid off shit in the playoffs I probably wont even watch those anymore.

[Azaroth]

Uh oh. B.A. Baracus hit a shot from center ice at a Blackhawks game. Now I'll have to stare at Mr. T's ugly mug every time I got to NHL.com for the next two months.

"Penguins win the Stanley Cup...

... also, we had a celebrity at a game once!"

[murdoc]

Uh oh. B.A. Baracus hit a shot from center ice at a Blackhawks game. Now I'll have to stare at Mr. T's ugly mug every time I got to NHL.com for the next two months.

Video!

[Ceryse]

So, Iginla is now a Boston Bruin with the Bruins sending Khokhlachev and Bartkowski to the Flames along with a conditional 1st round pick if Iginla (pending UFA) signs with Boston.

Not too bad of a trade both ways, imo, although Iginla isn't the player he used to be. Being a second or third liner in Boston should work out pretty well for him. Curious if this causes a number of the other trades rumoured to be out there to get pushed through now that the Iginla sweepstakes are over.

[murdoc]

I knew the return wasn't going to be great, but a conditional first? Goddammit.

Flames about to hold a press conference to confirm.

[murdoc]

Holy fuck - or it's Pittsburgh!


That... that was from left field. WOW.

Iginla for Kenneth Agostino, Ben Hankowski and 2013 first-round pick.

[Azaroth]

Screee.

That was fun and exciting and also hilarious.

[Ceryse]

So yeah.... Pittsburgh.

Irony?

The Bruins deal was getting Flames' fans furious. So what does Feaster do? Takes an arguably worse deal from the Pens. Sure, they get the guaranteed draft pick, but the prospects involved are the 10th and 12th best in the Pens' system, instead of the 2nd best prospect in the Bruins systems (Khokhlachev) and a 5-6 d-man in Bartkowski with a conditional pick thrown in.

Man.. Feaster has no idea what he's doing.

[Azaroth]

The Assistant GM in Calgary is a college hockey guy and likes those prospects a lot, apparently.

Also, the first rounder.

They say Koko's ceiling is a 2nd line center. So...

Future 2nd line center vs. a first round pick in a deep draft and two college prospects that the organization likes a lot.

I know what I'd take.

[Ceryse]

The two college prospects Pittsburgh sent Calgary's way won't amount to much from what I was able to dig up on them. Agostino has a chance to, admittedly, but he's a definite long-shot. The first rounder is nice (and more importantly could be bundled together with the Flames' own first round pick should they need/want to move up in the draft to grab a specific player), but Calgary's draft history is fairly hit and miss recently.

Khokhlachev is someone I've seen a fair amount of and from what I've seen he's actually a very sound prospect. His ceiling is likely 2nd line center (who don't exactly grow on trees, especially for the Flames who have been starved for centers) and while not large he plays a fairly physical, gritty game -- and could be NHL ready in the next year or two. He by his lonesome might be on par with the first round pick the Flames got from the Pens, depending on how that selection goes (and there was significant interest in Boston about re-signing Iginla, so that conditional could have panned out, but agreed it was hilarious to offer).

All in all the Flames didn't get a great return. To be fair, there was no way the Flames were going to "win" the trade. They simply needed to get enough in return and I don't think they did. Thankfully for them, however, they still have a couple other players they can move to hasten the rebuild that badly needs to happen.

[Fordel]

Because the Penguins needed more talent on that team. 

[Shannow]

Fuck the Flames, Fuck the Penguins and most of all Fuck the Canadiens.

[murdoc]

So yeah.... Pittsburgh.

Irony?

The Bruins deal was getting Flames' fans furious. So what does Feaster do? Takes an arguably worse deal from the Pens. Sure, they get the guaranteed draft pick, but the prospects involved are the 10th and 12th best in the Pens' system, instead of the 2nd best prospect in the Bruins systems (Khokhlachev) and a 5-6 d-man in Bartkowski with a conditional pick thrown in.

Man.. Feaster has no idea what he's doing.

The Boston deal was the preferable one, but ultimately Iginla had say where he went and he went to Pittsburgh. This also looks like purely a rental for the Pens, as they are going to be a bit tight on cap space next year to resign him. Now, the Flames need to continue tanking and secure that top 5 draft pick! Sadly, the return on trading Bouwmeester will net them more than they got for Iginla.

[Speedy Cerviche]

Good chance Iginla will re-sign with Calgary anyway. And they didn't have much leverage since apparently he would only waive no-trade clause for 3 teams so there was no huge bidding war like we've seen for lesser players.

Getting 2 prospects and a 1st for a 2-3 month rental is still better than nothing. They're not blue chip, and it's a late pick, but if 1-2 of those prospects/pick become legit NHLers down the road that's a ++ for Calgary eventually for a guy who will be by then retired.

[murdoc]

Good chance Iginla will re-sign with Calgary anyway.

Disagree - think there's almost no chance he re-signs with Calgary except for a "retire as a Flame" deal.

[Ceryse]

Iginla is on record saying he wanted out of Calgary if they were going to rebuild (which is the main reason King told Feaster not to rebuild last year) as he didn't want to go through that. I don't see how he returns to Calgary after this season unless its a retirement deal where he signs, retires or plays just one year for relatively little money.

More likely in the off-season he signs with a team he thinks has a good shot at getting him back to the Cup and can afford him.

[Shannow]

fuck it I didn't want Iginila anyway, I want Marty St. Louis. 

Though I will seriously enjoy it if the Bruins beat the Penguins in the playoffs. Hell hath no fury as a hockey fan scorned and all that.

[Phildo]

As a Pittsburgher, I just wanted to drop in here and say "hahaha."

Now, when the Penguins choke against someone like Philadelphia, it will be even more amusing.

[WayAbvPar]

Oh my god the whining from the Boston brass (and their fans, but to a lesser extent) is just DELICIOUS.  

Almost makes up for Iginla making Pittsburgh sickeningly good.

[Ginaz]

What most likely happened was Boston and Pittsburgh both made offers and Iginla preferred to go to Pittsburgh.  Had Pittsburgh not made an offer, he would have gone to Boston.  Whether or not Boston made a better deal doesn't matter.  It was up to Iginla to decide.  And I do love the whiny bitching coming out of Boston.   Also, no crying at the press conference, unlike what a couple of Oilers did ( Gretzky & Smyth).  Having been to Edmonton a few times, I'd cry too if I was leaving...tears of joy.

Living in Calgary, I'll probably be hearing about this trade for months.

[Ceryse]

Iginla did choose the Pens over Boston. Basically there was a deal in place with Boston around noon yesterday. They were told it was 'done' but they wanted to talk with Iginla, give him time, etc., etc.. Then radio silence, Feaster refused to let Boston talk directly to Iginla (which is the only weird part) and Pittsburgh made their push and they went to Iginla with the two trades and asked him to pick.

The Boston trade was the better trade, but when a no trade clause is involved.. that doesn't always matter. Its a great move by the Pens, but I could never cheer for them to win the Cup, despite the fact I used to love the team, but I just can't stand Crosby and a few others there.

It'll be interesting to see how the Bouwmeester trade, if one occurs -- though its pretty likely at this point, shakes out for Calgary. It could really jumpstart a rebuild (a luxury Edmonton didn't have due to inept management and waiting three years into our current sucking to actually go for a rebuild). I'm really hoping they get fleeced on it, though.

[Fordel]

Who is Iginla going to play with on the pens? What's the new doom line 

[murdoc]

All that guy needed to be good was a decent center. 

[Ceryse]

To be fair, Iginla has been on a noticeable decline lately. Struggles a lot more versus strong opposition whereas he used to be a strong power verse power player.

Of course, given he could be lining up with Crosby or Malkin.......

Also notable that Feaster screwed up the trade because he relied on Iginla's word that he'd accept a trade to any of the four teams on his list, instead of getting it in writing and filing it with the league like he should have done (and knows to do given prior experience in Tampa).

[Shannow]

Couldve also been swayed by the fact the Pens are on a 7 game win streak and the B's have kinda been stinking up the joint lately.

I'm not really pissed, more annoyed about the loss to the Canadiens. And can't we all agree, that as hockey fans, we hate the Canadiens?

If anything this deal continues to tell us how absolutely amazingly incompentent the Calgary Flames management are.

[Fordel]

I don't hate the Canadiens, I'm more jealous of them. Their fans actually get to have hope once in awhile.

[Ginaz]

If anything this deal continues to tell us how absolutely amazingly incompentent the Calgary Flames management are.

Yes.  Combined with the almost debacle with the Ryan O'Reilly deal, the Flames look like a bunch of incompetent amateurs.  They've been living off that 2004 Cup final for years now.

[Azaroth]

I think Iginla will end up with Malkin and Neal. I'm fairly certain they're not too eager to break up Crosby's line, which is chewing up the league based entirely on speed and chemistry.

So then you have first defensive pairings going out against Crosby's buzzsaw line, and you trot Neal-Malkin-Iginla out afterward and...