Vermette & Bowman

Well, I'm glad to announce that the Senators avoided a potentially nasty arbitration case with Vermette.  It was a 2-year deal paying out $2.5MM and $3.0MM. I think this is fair.  He might have been awarded a bit more, but in my mind it was not worth going through the hearing. There is also a mutual understanding that he is expected to produce more and will be given the opportunity to do so.  I think this is what the guy has been waiting for. It is put up or shut up time. He will still bring an NHL leading faceoff percentage, penalty killing and world class speed. Now he just has to score 35+ goals...

 

In others news, Scotty Bowan was hired as a hockey advisor to the Blackhawks next year.  As a Red Wing fan, I'm curious as to why he would leave Detroit.  I always considered him a secret weapon and assumed his scouting of teams and tremendous experience were invaluable to the Wings.  But, it seems that this move is a homecoming of sorts, as his son is the assistant GM of the 'Hawks. As a young, up-and-coming team, his experience may help speed their rise to prominence.

Randy Couture meets Ono Boys

So Kalani and I went to Barnes & Noble last night and got a photo-op with Randy Couture at his book signing. In the 10 seconds or so of standing there with him, he was a genuinely nice guy. I know it's in his best interest to put on a good face, but he gave everyone a smile and thanked them for coming. It also didn't hurt that he liked Kalani and gave him a high-five and fist bump. So the guy's OK in my book. I also noticed Kim Couture on a back patio, but she was unavailable for a photo-op.

The back story is that my fellow MMADudes.com friend Scott, went with me. He got us two Xtreme Couture t-shirts at the last minute and after work, with the hopes that Randy would sign them. It was clear from the signs that he wasn't going to sign other stuff. But, we took them in anyway. Well, Scott got a case of mudbutt from Jamba Juice on an empty stomach, or nerves from being within 50-feet of an MMA Legend. So, he bailed to the bathroom at the last second. I had Kalani, camera, book & stroller so only Alisia could have handled that while also pulling out a t-shirt and sharpie. Bottom line? No t-shirt autograph. Bummer. At least Scott saved the receipt, so I'm not out $40 for a t-shirt I'll never wear.

Below is a Qik video I shot with my phone.

Meeting The Natural

Going with Scott to Randy Couture's book signing at Barnes and Noble tonight. We tried to buy his t-shirt for him to autograph, but haven't found any yet. It's 11th hour. So, we will probably settle on a book and photo-op.  Well, I didn't really want to shell out $50 for a t-shirt anyway and there was no guarantee he would sign it.

RFA: Antoine Vermette

Well, it's 24 hours and counting for Vermette. 'Twan is going to an arbitration hearing if the team doesn't sign him. I will admit that the guy is a classic underachiever, but he's worth a 2-3 year extension.  Is having inconsistent, superstar skill a blessing or a curse? Because it wouldn't be a surprise if the guy blossomed next season, and was playing with another team.  Even if he peaks out at 22 goals, 65 points, that's not a bad deal.  But players have egos, and those can get crushed at a nasty arbitration hearing; where the point is to show the weaknesses and flaws in a player. Sign the guy already.

 

 

12 pounds of satay?

MLE (Major League Eating) debuted in Singapore last weekend and Kobayashi got a bit of revenge.  He beat Joey Chestnut in a chicken satay eating contest. He put down roughly 12 pounds in 12 minutes, with Chestnut trailing at 9 pounds. A side note was that Kobayashi's hair was blue this time around.

Quiet Times

Well, there hasn't been too much NHL news of late.  Apparently the Canucks are interested in Vermette.  I am conflicted.  The guy has all the talent in the world, a good attitude, but marginal finishing ability. Trading him for a solid, young, big, offensive defenseman might not be a bad deal.  But that's exactly when the guy breaks out. There's also no Tiger right now, so the golf world is quiet. I still hit golf channel but the 'regular' sports sources don't care about golf if Tiger ain't playing or Daly ain't drinking. There have been some good MMA fights lately.  Fedor Emelianenko and Anderson Silva showed why they are the considered the best fighters in the world by destroying their opponents. I also caught some of the recent Dream 5 tournament. It was great. The fighting style is more technical. Either kickboxing or submission based dudes squaring off, very few ground-and-pound wrestler types. Also, the fighter walk-ins are quite a production and Bas Rutten is the John Madden of MMA announcers. To make things further quiet, Alisia took the kids to see her family.  So, I saw The Dark Knight. Aptly titled.  It's a dark movie, but exactly what I expected and fully enjoyed. By far one of the best interpretations and adaptions of Batman and comic books in general to the big screen. That's all the misc ramblings I have for now.

Jaws 2008

Long before a Tiger roamed the links there was a different predator that ruled, The Shark. Norman currently leads the British Open.  Even if it is only the 36-hole lead, what a great story. I like that Norman is relevant again, even if for only a day; but I hope it's for a weekend. The guy has built an empire from his golf earnings, and it's something that Tiger could aspire to. But Tiger already has a mountain of cash without significantly investing any of his endorsement earning or prize winnings. As much as I like Tiger's heroics, it's Norman's collapses that are legendary and make him more human and sympathetic. C'mon Sharky!

Murray the next Kings Coach

Terry Murray was announced as the head coach of the LA Kings today. He's probably best known for taking the Flyers to the Cup Final during the Eric Lindros/Legion of Doom era. He's been around and can handle the young Kings team. I wanted Nolan, but he was more of a wildcard. The interesting thing is that Terry Murray is the brother of Bryan Murray, GM of the Senators. So, I will be monitoring this family quite a bit next year.

3-way

I've heard about a possible trade involving the Sens, Kings, Blackhawks and goalies. Sens would get Khabibulin and Seabrook.  Kings get Gerber and Meszaros.  Chicago gets Kopitar. It doesn't make sense to me on several fronts. The Kings need goaltending, but not at the expense of Kopitar, at least not for Gerber. Sens would probably not give up Meszaros to get Khabi. I don't feel that Khabi is a good replacement for Gerber, more expensive and more mileage. The trade just doesn't add-up.

 

Note to Kings: Ted Nolan is available.

The Isles fired Ted Nolan with a year remaining on his contract. This is surprising since he was responsible for getting a pretty weak roster to over-achieve and make the playoffs. It's also not surprising, since Ted Nolan is a strong hockey personality and speaks his mind, which basically got him a bad rep and out of the NHL for the last 8 years. But the Islanders management is more than a bit wacky, so I can't blame Nolan if there were personality differences. I really like him as a coach. I think it could be a good hire for the Kings.

 

On the other hand, I'm not sure how Nolan will do with such a young club. He is known for over-playing the veteran performers, if necessary.  But there aren't any on this team.  Armstrong, Handzus, & Gauthier? The best players are under 30, on the Kings.  Still, I think it's worth a shot. If it fails miserably, at least the Kings would have a shot at John Tavares (the Next, Next Gretzky) in the draft, for finishing last.

Mr. Smith goes to Ottawa

The Senators signed defenseman Jason Smith to a 2-year deal. I think it's a good deal. His $2.6-million/year salary won't break the bank. And he's a solid defenseman with tons of character. A shot blocker. Pretty much your defensive defenseman. He was captain in Philly last year and a big part of Edmonton's Cup run. He can take Luke Richardson's spot as veteran and mentor of the young half of the defense corps. A player that will take charge of the dressing room. Ottawa needs a guy that will call players out, if necessary. I think that trait is worth most of his salary.

Dasvidanya Emery

Ray signed with Russian Continental League team Atlant Mytishchi, for a reported $2-million dollar (or 756 trillion rubles, JK).  I wish him luck.  Apparently not too many teams were interested in his services or willing to take a chance on his limited upside and vast downside. I wonder if they will send to Siberia if he acts up for the Russian League?

Overtime Thriller!

It was a close one. Joey Chestnut jumped out to an early lead, but was caught and passed by Kobayashi. With a minute left Kobi still had a 1.5-2 dog lead. Chestnut made an awesome effort to catch-up. Well, they called it a tie after 10 minutes of battle. Apparently, there is a 5 hotdog sudden death contest to decide the winner. My hero has fallen. Kobayashi loses to Chestnut. It was a tough way to start the 4th.

NATHAN's in HD

So I've read that ESPN is covering the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest in HD this year. Yes! That will mean Kobayashi in HD. I'm pulling for him to regain the title this year. Contest is 12PM EST. So set the TIVO if you are sleeping in past 9AM PST.

Hot Wings

Well, you just won the Stanley Cup. What do you do for an encore? Get one of the best wingers you played against in the Finals to play on your team. Word has it that Marian Hossa has signed with the Red Wings. It might just be an early rumor, but this is a pretty sweet signing for Detroit. It's only a one-year rental deal, but much wiser than the trade deadline deal the Penguins pulled. The Wings are not losing anything other than cap space and have a full year to get Hossa up to speed with the team. Hossa might just fit with the Wings style, and is a proven finisher. Damn. Best team in the NHL just got better.

 

Also, the Wings signed another piece of the Penguins yesterday in Ty Conklin. The Wings have a thing for goalies that are re-proving/reinventing themselves. Conky almost supplanted Fleury for the Penguins starter role, when Fleury's game went south at mid-season last year. He saved them from a mid-season collapse as the wheels were coming off for the team. I don't think there's a better backup free agent goalie, and the Wings got him for $750K.

 

Some nice moves by Detroit so far.  But that's the luxury of having most of your team already intact and just adding chrome detailing to the engine.

 

 

"Free" Agency Madness Begins

Free Agency opened up today and teams were dealing and signing. I was hoping to hear that the Senators had landed Brian Campbell to replace Wade Redden, but it was not to be.  The Blackhawks threw $56-million at him for 8 years.  I wouldn't have wanted the Sens to give him that, so I'll let that one slide.

The Hawks threw big dollars at Huet, too. He's going to get $5.6/year, for 4-years. Too bad. I was just starting to like him as a starter for Washington. There was quite a bit of goalie movement in day #1.  Huet's signing lead to the Capitals going after Theodore; $4.5/year for 2-years. A bit of a gamble in my mind. Kolzig bolted to Tampa Bay. Cujo signed with the Leafs (sort of a pre-retirement homecoming). Lalime went to the Sabres. Finally, the Senators signed Alex Auld.

 

I'm not crazy about the Auld signing. There's not much else out there, so I can't name a better option. At least he is cheap at 1-million. I am ultimately hoping that Brian Elliott shows he can play in the NHL. With Auld they don't have to rush Elliott, but I would really love to see him force a buyout of Auld next year and complete with Gerber for the starting role.

 

So far, no one has signed Wade Redden or taken a flyer on Emery.

Lubo Shipped to Oilers

Lubomir Visnovsky and his long term contract are heading out of LA.  I'm a bit surprised by this. I believe that he signed that $28MM, 5-year deal last summer.  Three years ago he was the teams leading scorer.  So, after one bad season, they shipped him out of town?  It makes the GM look bad at fist glance.  The other thing that bothers me is they got marginal return.  Jarret Stoll is coming off a disappointing season himself, and Matt Greene has limited offense potential for a defenseman.  They didn't immediately replace Lubo, that's for sure.  I have a feeling there's more to this story than meets the eye. He must have wanted to be traded. Maybe the Kings are confident in their defensemen of the future: Jack Johnson or Thomas Hickey or Drew Doughtry coming in to fill the void. But of these guys, only Johnson is NHL ready.  Outside possibility for Doughtry.

 

I like the move since it brings in two tough players for one expensive skill guy.  And the Kings need a young physical shutdown defenseman. As a salary cap move, it could be a shrewd if Lubo continues a steady statistical decline.  But Lubo will not be easy to replace.  And this could look like a typical Kings disaster move, if he regains his form with the Oilers and Stoll doesn't find his mojo.