SB Nation - Nikita Filatov

Speculation: Blue Jackets interested in Lee?

DarrenM — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 12:00:24 -0000

Ever since Brian Lee was sent down to the AHL, there has been speculation that he is no longer in Ottawa's plans. There were plenty of rumours going around, even some that involved the Blue Jackets, but Peter and I ignored them because they were not all that credible. Today, Aaron Portzline, beat reporter for the Columbus Dispatch, wrote that the Blue Jackets have made a call inquiring about Lee:

The Blue Jackets have expressed an interest in Ottawa Senators prospect defenseman Brian Lee, The Dispatch has learned.

No trade is imminent. In fact, it's possible that no trade specifics have even been discussed, but the Blue Jackets have made a call to Ottawa. One must wonder if Lee wouldn't be part of a package coming the Blue Jackets' way should they decide to trade prospect forward Nikita Filatov.

That second part is where it gets very interesting, but it's probably not so much a rumour as it is Portzline putting 2 and 2 together. Filatov is a player who likely will get traded from Columbus at some point, given that he and coach Ken Hitchcock don't really fit together and he's already booked it to Russia, but one has to assume the package he could garner around the league is better than one the Senators can offer that includes Lee. I could be wrong, of course, if most GMs feel Filatov won't ever come back to the NHL. Filatov certainly fills a huge hole in the Senators organization: a dynamic, blue-chip offensive prospect, something that the Senators haven't had in their system since, well, Jason Spezza. Assuming part of the package is Lee, I'd have to assume the other would be a forward (Regin, Shannon, Winchester being the most attractive to Columbus, although I'd hate to see Winnie leave), and/or a pick.

Assuming the Blue Jackets are interested in Lee, who could the Sens be looking at acquiring? Outside of Filatov, Kris Russell is perhaps the most obvious. Anytime the Jackets come into trade rumours, Bryan Murray's love for the undersized offensive d-man is mentioned. Given that the team already has Erik Karlsson, though, I just don't see what Kris Russell offers. Other prospects that Murray would be interested in (Cody Goloubef, John Moore) are almost certainly off limits, and there aren't really any obtainable NHL-ready forwards that fill any of the Senators needs. I suppose prospect Maksim Mayorov is intriguing - a 6'2" Russian who potted 17 goals in his first AHL season.

Then again, maybe it's the most obvious trade of all: Alexandre Picard for Alexandre Picard.

So, my question to you is this: do the Blue Jackets have someone on their roster that you think the Senators could make a successful pitch for? If not, what do you think it would take to get Nikita Filatov, and is he worth the risk? It's important to remember that this is all just speculation, and the only confirmation is that the Blue Jackets have called expressing interest.

Also, be sure to check out the reaction from fellow SBN blog The Jacket on this issue.

Rumor: Brian Lee for Filatov

Clint Clark — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 20:45:25 -0000

More photos » by Sean Kilpatrick - AP

8 months ago: Ottawa Senators' Brian Lee fights to get between Boston Bruins' Mark Recchi, left, and Chuck Kobasew, right, during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Ottawa on Tuesday, April 7, 2009. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press,Sean Kilpatrick)

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On the drive home today I heard a snippet on the radio that we may be interested in defender Brian Lee of the Ottawa Senators. This was on The Fan and I was expecting to find the rumor elsewhere on the internet because the Fan is often not the first on a scoop.

My first thought is... wasn't he a highly though of first rounder? A nice right shot defender that could play a little powerplay and had the size to play in the defensive zone. The knack has been that he isn't physical enough... This led to my second thought... isn't this Anton Stralman?

While I do think that we need to upgrade our defense, I'm not sure that Lee does that. While it is just a rumor, it's the first I've heard on the season. I'm not sure what Ottawa would want in return, but I'm sure we are offering one of our extra wings now the Freddy Mo is coming back into the lineup... for a few games.

MAJOR EDIT:

It was brought to my attention that this was officially tweeted by Aaron Portzline. I don't tweet. I Puckrake.

In my opinion. I trade Filatov. It is obvious to me that Filatov will not be a great NHL player for us within the next 2 years. If that's the case then he will struggle to get ice time with Hitch behind the bench and Nash, Huselius, Voracek and Umberger in front of him. I do not hesitate to trade Filatov and the Sens, who have a terrible time on offense badly need to replace Dany Heatley. Filatov would play for the Sens right now and he'd be on a top 2 line.

Now the question becomes value. I'd assume that Ottawa would need to add something to get Filatov from us. Lee is a quality defensive prospect with upside, but Filatov's upside can be massive. There'd have to be something else added.

Brian Lee is also out indefinitely with a strange illness. This makes a trade more unlikely right now. Many Sens fans are not satisfied with his current play.

According to Eric Smith the rumored deal is Filatov + Crunchie for Lee, Ryan Shannon and a 2nd round pick. Shannon is intriguing, but I'd still wonder if we could get a better package. I'd prefer to move Filatov for a guy that will immediately help this team. Preferably a blueliner with more potential/ status than Brian Lee.

I'd hope we'd shop Filatov around a little more than this though, because I'd be very interested to see what other teams might be willing to offer for him. Hopefully this is a sign he's officially on the block.

I think the Islander, Panthers, Canadians, Maple Leafs, Thrashers, Hurricanes, Wild, Coyotes, and Predators would all have substantial interest in Filatov. Some of those teams have much more intriguing blueline options for us in my opinion. I'd hate to make a deal with Nashville, but if we could land a top blueliner, I'd consider it.

Debate. What do you think?

Saturday Links: "Adjusting the Saturday Drinking Routine" Edition

Poor College Student — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 12:00:40 -0000

Normally, Saturday nights are reserved for drinking and Blues hockey. I'll have to adjust the clocks to get in the right frame of mind.

Blues News:

The comparisons to the MLK miracle have begun. I'll give you 3 guesses as to the content of the first comment.
Nothing like hockey at 3PM on a Saturday. Blues vs. Kings ~~tonight~~ today.
Here's an AP preview. The spacing is craptacular.

NHL News:

Big news from Friday: John Stevens gets the honor of being the first coach to get the axe. Peter Laviolette, Canes' Stanley Cup bench boss in '06 gets the job of coaching Richards, Pronger, and co.
Puck Daddy has his take on the firing. There are a couple of stories up on Broad Street Hockey, too.
If you've got an iPhone, you can try out this NHLive app, according to some guy named George Uno. Let us know if it's any good if you decide to make the purchase.
Canadiens celebrate their 100th birthday with a whooping of the Bruins. Habs Eyes on the Prize remembers the honorees in the pre-game ceremony.
Puck Daddy's Russian liasion interviews Nikita Filatov. Dear God, don't let this ever be Berglund.
Boston hosts the Toronto ~~Kessels~~ Maple Leafs tonight. I imagine the Bruins will have a gift basket waiting for their former forward.
You might have seen TSN's 100 reasons to love the Canadiens. And in case you missed it, here's Stanley Cup of Chowder's 85-point rebuttal.
Scores from Friday.
Saturday's Schedule.

Other Stuff:

Christmas Gift Ideas: This one's perfect for the geographically-challenged "drunk on the go"
Ever wonder how I see things?
Here's the perfect frame for that picture of Kane/Franzen/that bitchy roommate you have.
Twilight saga satire and LOLcats.

Video:

Brad (not Brad Lee), one of our fans from the southern part of the country, passes along a video appropriate enough after Houston receives a record-setting early snowfall. The $64,000 question here is: Did he hang on to his crappy Dobbs Ice Scraper Giveaway from the 90s?

Now You're A Man

If running up a hill with a beer in hand isn't manly, I don't know what is.

Come on back for the Game Day Thread. And let's build on some momentum, eh?

Gametimelinks (at) gmail.com

The Trading Block: Who The Blues Could Move

gallagher — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:30:12 -0000

More photos » by Gerry Broome - AP

The trade of Lee Stempniak signaled to the Blues that it wouldn't be Andy Murray that would be held accountable for their slow start. Who could be this year's Stempniak?

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On Nov. 23 last year the Blues were 8-8-2 and 13th in the Western Conference, dead-last in the Central Division. They'd suffered some odd injuries, including an emergency appendectomy to one of their players. Fans were grumbling about the coaching of Andy Murray and the lack of team scoring (just 55 goals in 18 games to that point).

The next day the team traded Lee Stempniak, considered by most followers of the team to be one of the franchise's youthful building blocks, to Toronto for Alex Steen and Carlo Colaiacovo. The deal was a classic sell-high, buy-low for the Blues, as Stempniak had a bit of a point streak going at the time (he had three goals and 10 assists in 14 games to that point) and had been a 27-goal scorer once before in his short career. Meanwhile, both Colaiacovo and Steen had long since worn out their welcome in the Center Of The Hockey Universe as underperforming former first round picks.

But the trade was more than a "let's get two-for-one" deal for the Blues; this was a direct message to the players that Murray would be staying and if their performance continued to be mediocre, it was they that would be a-going.

The team continued to struggle along through November and December before going 6-4-1 in January and then, of course, going on The Run that ended with the Blues in the sixth seed in the West.

With the exception of waiving Manny Legace on Feb. 6, the Blues made no other roster moves after the Stempniak deal. Considering the similar state of the team today and the recent comments made by team owner David Checketts that the time to move forward is now, if the team doesn't start to climb the standings soon, another move will be made to shake up the roster. For the sake of this argument, we're going to assume that Andy Murray will not be fired and that the team will deal with first quarter doldrums in the same manner that they did last year and trade someone.

But who fits the bill to be traded this year? Last year's trade of Stempniak was unforeseen and shocking to fans, media and presumably, the players. If a trade is to be made this year, it'd likely be designed to shake up the players who remain behind. The problem is identifying a player who is shocking to see leave and sends the message, but not be the type of player that goes on to make you regret his departure.

Similarly, the roster is full of players that fans might want to see traded, but simply cannot be moved for one reason or another.

We'll analyze the current roster to see who is tradeable and who is not, leaving the minor leaguers and prospects out of the discussion as we're not talking about specific packages or team needs at this point. In the end, we'll give our most likely candidates to be moved if the Blues decide to dangle one of their players.

David Backes

#42 / Right Wing / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-3

Weight: 216

Born: May 01, 1984

G A P +/- PIM

2009 - David Backes 4 6 10 1 38

David Backes, RW: The Blues thought highly enough of Backes to match Vancouver's RFA offer to him before last season, agreeing to overpay him to the tune of $2.5 million a year. Backes paid back the Blues in spades last year with his 31-goal effort and his nightly physical domination. He became known as Chuck Norris around these parts and it was justly deserved.

But is he tradeable today? Backes' slow start made him an early candidate for consideration in a shake up trade, but his six points in his last four games has made him an even more potent trading piece. If the Blues were to trade Backes it would definitely shake up the roster and send the message that no one here is untouchable, but giving up on the 25-year-old could end up being seriously short-sighted. The return might be great, but what of the loss? Have we seen the top of Backes' game or is he just getting started?

Patrik Berglund

#21 / Center / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-4

Weight: 187

Born: Jun 02, 1988

G A P +/- PIM

2009 - Patrik Berglund 3 2 5 -4 2

Patrik Berglund, C: The former first rounder from 2006 enjoyed a great rookie season, becoming coveted around the league for his 21 goals and 47 points in 76 games, despite playing in twice as many games as he ever had in a season previously. This season, however, has been the epitome of the sophomore slump for the young TechnoViking. He is on pace for just 11 goals and 18 points. His minus-4 stands out when compared to his solid plus-19 from last year.

Is he tradeable? Certainly. Would it be shocking? Absolutely. Would it be giving up on a talent who has not reached his final height yet? Probably. Depending on the return that could be gotten back, Berglund could find himself the target of a "needs a change of scenery" trade.

Brad Boyes

#22 / Right Wing / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-0

Weight: 195

Born: Apr 17, 1982

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Brad Boyes	6	9	15	-5	2

Brad Boyes, C/RW: In his short NHL career, Boyes has bounced from Toronto to San Jose to Boston to St. Louis. His talent is evident as he has scored 43 and 33 goals over the last two seasons, but his streaky nature and perceived lack of hard work has kept him on the move. He is on pace for 29 goals this year, despite a recent streak of nine points in his last 10 games. At just 27 years old, he is still an NHL commodity and would surely find suitors if he were on the Blues' trade block.

But can the Blues trade a guy who one could argue is the only real sniper on the team? The last person to score 33 goals in the Bluenote was Tkachuk in 2003-04. The last to score 43 was Brett Hull in 1995-96. Yes, Brett Hull. In 1996. He'd likely draw some talent back to the team, but scoring, even if it is streaky, is not a strength from which the Blues have a deep well to deal.

Eric Brewer

#4 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-3

Weight: 222

Born: Apr 17, 1979

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Eric Brewer	1	2	3	-8	11

Eric Brewer, D: Calm down, boo-birds. Yes, Brewer might find himself atop many fans' Trade Now lists, but the Robot Captain seems to still be respected within the organization. His statistics continue to track along his career normal, in that area around 20-29 points, but his glaring minus-8 will keep the fans letting him know, "Brewer You Suck!"

If he hadn't missed a calendar year of hockey with various knee and back surgeries and if he wasn't currently on the shelf with another 'lower body' injury, Brewer might have some value. But add to those red flags his current contract of $4.5 million for this year and next and it's unlikely Brewer is going anywhere anytime soon.

Carlo Colaiacovo

#28 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-1

Weight: 200

Born: Jan 27, 1983

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Carlo Colaiacovo	2	7	9	0	17

Carlo Colaiacovo, D: The beneficiary of last year's "change of scenery" trade, Colaiacovo has revived his career in St. Louis. The offensive defenseman, who never put up more than 24 points in an NHL season before, finished last year with 30 and is on pace for even more points this season, his contract year. He remains haunted by the injury bug, though he managed to play a career-high 73 games last season.

If the Blues think he can be re-signed and continue to be productive in a leading role for the team (he is only 26 now), he won't be traded. If they think he'll be squeezed out by upcoming defenders, Colaiacovo could be a prime trading piece.

Ty Conklin

#29 / Goalie / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-0

Weight: 184

Born: Mar 30, 1976

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Ty Conklin	7	386	3	2			15	2.33	204	189	.926	1

Ty Conklin, G: Conklin has only been with the team for this season and played only seven games. he's been solid and (most importantly for a goalie) uncontroversial in the back-up goal. He fills a serious need for the team and he's paid appropraitely for this year and next.

There's no shock value to shake up the roster by trading Conklin and any trade involving him immediately opens a hole that has to be filled.

B.J. Crombeen

#26 / Right Wing / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-2

Weight: 212

Born: Jul 10, 1985

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - B.J. Crombeen	1	3	4	2	63

B.J. Crombeen, RW: The Beej has a very specific role on this team and depending on the night, he either plays it well by hitting and checking and making life a nightmare for the opposition, or he decides he's needed on the ice and puts himself on the ice for a too-many-men penalty. Basically, he's a role player who can chip in some points and allow older fans to boast that they remember when his dad played here.

Trading B.J. wouldn't be much of a blow to the team. Some might say that it sucks, but not too many fans or players would choke on the trade if it were made. There wouldn't be much of a return on a B.J. trade either because most people would see him as a starter, not the main event in any exchange.

Barret Jackman

#5 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-0

Weight: 203

Born: Mar 05, 1981

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Barret Jackman	0	4	4	5	13

Barret Jackman, D: The World's Angriest Defender (TM), owner of the best You're An Idiot (R) look in the NHL, Jackman is an original Blue, drafted in the first round back in 1999. He has had to re-learn the game as a defensive defenseman after the new rules were implemented after the lockout. Despite his inexplicable role as "the guy we hate when Brewer is out of the lineup", Jackman plays a steady if unspectacular game and while he has seen time on the power play during the less-offesnive days, he clearly doesn't relish the offensive role and is happier defending his own net.

Jackman's trade would definitely shake up the team and the fanbase, though the return would not be terribly flashy due to his unflashy role and large contract ($4.5 million this year and next, $3.5 million in 2011-12).

Cam Janssen

#55 / Right Wing / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-0

Weight: 210

Born: Apr 15, 1984

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Cam Janssen	0	0	0	-1	50

Cam Janssen, RW: It's almost superfluous to put Janssen's position in this description as all it does is designate where he lines up on face-offs. The local boy gone pro, Cam Smash, King of Eureka, spends his entire shift running around the rink looking for someone to run into or to punch. St. Louisans love their home-town products and Janssen is no exception. He plays a specific role and with his better skating and durability than heavyweight fighter D.J. King, Janssen has been useful to the team. Also, did we mention that the fans love him?

While his game has gotten better since he arrived here in February 2008, Janssen could be traded. The return would be low and the biggest shake up it would cause would be down I-55 south of 44, where they still need every body they can get to fill sandbags come spring.

Erik Johnson

#6 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-4

Weight: 219

Born: Mar 21, 1988

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Erik Johnson	4	14	18	6	16

Erik Johnson, D: Despite missing all of last year to a golf cart jousting incident (allegedly), the Eeeej leads the team in scoring, changes the way teams have to prepare for the Blues' attack, does a mean Napoleon Dynamite impression, isn't afraid to get down with your girlfriend in your car in Al MacInnis' driveway (allegedly) and is likely going to stage some sweet raid on Oshie's condo at some point to get his Elmo hat back.

How do you spell 'franchise'? Not sure, but it definitely has an E and a J in it. This kid isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Paul Kariya

#9 / Left Wing / St. Louis Blues

Height: 5-10

Weight: 180

Born: Oct 16, 1974

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Paul Kariya	6	5	11	4	12

Paul Kariya, LW: We owe Paul Kariya a bit of an apology. earlier this year we said something to the effect of, "The next time Paul Kariya takes a hit to make a play with be the first." Since that time, Kariya, who must have heard our admonishment through cyberspace, has been offering up his tiny, waif-like body to make plays. And, thankyouverymuch, it has resulted in Kariya's point totals rising, with points in each of the last three games.

Kariya is still on pace for a terrible offensive year, but that isn't the only reason that trading Kariya is a tough task. In fact there are 6 million reasons that other teams don't want to deal for Kariya. That hefty price tag, small offensive output and the final months of a contract owed to a notorious mercenary when it comes to free agency (just ask Anaheim, Colorado and Nashville) combine for a perfect storm of "hell no, we don't have interest in Kariya" among the rest of the NHL teams.

Chris Mason

#50 / Goalie / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-0

Weight: 195

Born: Apr 20, 1976

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Chris Mason	19	1129	7	8			43	2.29	557	514	.923	0

Chris Mason, G: Mason is the goalie. He's not winning enough games because he's not getting enough help from the rest of the team. His personal stats are great (eighth in GAA and seventh in save percentage) and that's tough to do on a struggling team.

Trading Mason would happen if only one of two things were happening: 1. Tha Canucks called and said, "How about Luongo for that Mason fella straight up?" or 2. The Blues called a press conference and announced, "Screw this year, we love drafting high."

Jay McClement

#18 / Center / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-1

Weight: 201

Born: Mar 02, 1983

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Jay McClement	4	4	8	0	6

Jay McClement, C: Silent Jay, one of the original members of the Blues' post-lockout Kid Line (along with the traded Stempniak), has developed into a legitimate Selke candidate right before our eyes. His even plus/minus is all the more impressive when considering that he sees most of his minutes against other team's top lines. McClement is also locked up for two years after this season to a reasonable contract ($1.45 million per). Plus, his stock photo looks like he has a skelton's grin, which is awesome.

McClement's trade would shock the locker room more than the fans, especially casual fans who too often overlook his quiet, workmanlike contributions to team success. His contract, work ethic and skill set make him a perfect add for an opposing team. His trade wouldn't bring back the intangibles he adds. It could happen, but it would likely be shortsighted.

Andy McDonald

#10 / Center / St. Louis Blues

Height: 5-11

Weight: 183

Born: Aug 25, 1977

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Andy McDonald	6	8	14	-2	2

Andy McDonald, C: McDonald is struggling offensively this year but everyone has seen what he can do with the puck when he starts running hot. Plus, the Blues just locked him up for another three years after this year at an average of $4.7 million a year.

Trading McDonald would be the Blues saying that they made a mistake with a big contract and are having buyers' remorse. Which would put them on the 'sell low' end of the negotiations, the bad end to be on. The trade wouldn't shock fans or the locker room and the return would be less than impressive.

T.J. Oshie

#74 / Center / St. Louis Blues

Height: 5-11

Weight: 170

Born: Dec 23, 1986

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - T.J. Oshie	4	9	13	1	10

T.J. Oshie, C/W: Oshie only seems like he's in a the throes of a sophomore slump because his rookie season took the city by storm. Young Mister Furnace Face scored the NHL.com goal of the year, blew up Rick Nash so badly (twice) that the fans coined the phrase "Oshied", got voted by someone to be his or her mayor in an actual election and had his name chanted by over 19,000 people on multiple occasions last year. By comparison, a second season where he only tallies 50 points would seem like a let down.

Last year, even suggesting that Oshie be traded would be reason enough to go into Salman Rushdie-like hiding for a writer. This year, it would be like suggesting that Anheuser-Busch is better off being owned by a foreign company like Inbev. It's still fighting words in most places, but in others, well, whatever, they just drink Schlafly anyway. Which isn't to say that Oshie's trade wouldn't shock the team and the fans, beacause it certainly would. The problem is that Oshie can score, but his intangibles are worth at least as much as his points, so the return on him wouldn't match what the team would give up.

David Perron

#57 / Left Wing / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-0

Weight: 180

Born: May 28, 1988

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - David Perron	9	7	16	-1	14

David Perron, LW: Perron leads the team in goals, works his poutine-loving ass off on every shift (doing a great rookie Oshie impression) and has an early nod for selection for this year's NHL.com goal of the year. Despite what has happened between Perron and the coach in the past, he is newly mature and coming into his own. And he's only 21.

Despite the fact that he's coming into a contract year and will certainly be looking for a huge pay increase this summer, the day a competing general manager picks up his phone to learn that the Blues are calling to offer Perron in a trade is that GM's best day ever. David Perron is untradeable at this point, no matter the return (sort of insanity, which can happen in the NHL) because of his ceiling.

Alex Pietrangelo

#27 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-3

Weight: 206

Born: Jan 18, 1990

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Alex Pietrangelo	1	1	2	-9	6

Alex Pietrangelo, D: There's a rule in hockey that goes something like this: goalies hit their stride and their prime later than any other position. Defensemen hit their stride and their prime earlier than goalies, but still not until later in their careers. Forwards can be thrown into the league earliest at all because creativity, speed and their shot can compensate for other factors.

Pietrangelo isn't playing enough in the NHL for most observers and he's got nothing left to learn in junior, but that hardly makes him prime trade bait. The fourth overall selection from just last year going on the trade block would garner a ton of calls from around the league, but the fact is that the offers would almost always be "you take our busting project for your young defenseman who isn't playing anyway".

Roman Polak

#46 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-1

Weight: 227

Born: Apr 28, 1986

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Roman Polak	2	4	6	6	22

Roman Polak, D: He's 23, he's locked up for this year and next for a little over a million bucks each, plays solid defense, can contribute offensively and is fast enough to rush the puck and get back to protect his own zone. He's quiet and unheralded and he's the Jay McClement of the defense. Plus, his fake Twitter account is awesome. As is farting in teammate's helmets.

The shock value is high, his replacement is fairly easy considering the Pietrangelo, Junland, Rundblad, Cole pipeline and the return on him would likely be comparable, if not exactly earth-shattering.

Alexander Steen

#20 / Left Wing / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-1

Weight: 205

Born: Mar 01, 1984

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Alexander Steen	1	1	2	-1	6

Alexander Steen, LW: Steen has been a staple on the McClement line almost since his arrival in St. Louis and he has also shown flashes of the offense that caused him to be drafted in the first round by Toronto back in 2002. But unlike his trade-mate Colaiacovo, Steen hasn't exactly made himself a more desired commodity around the NHL. he plays an important role for the team, but his role can be filled by plenty of similar players in Peoria who would love the opportunity.

No one nose what value Steen might have around the NHL, but we smell a boring trade if he's the tip of any deal because he's at the end of his contract and has likely reached his beak.

Darryl Sydor

#44 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-1

Weight: 211

Born: May 13, 1972

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Darryl Sydor	0	4	4	6	10

Darryl Sydor, D: Sydor's best days are well behind him. He's lucky that he happens to have a skill set that allows him to be paid premium dollars (a cool million for this season) to act as 'mentor' and not really be expected produce much offensively. Sydor's only value in trade would be at the deadline as a depth/veteran presence guy. As for shock value in trading Sydor at this point, it's unlikely there would be much shake up in the locker room after the initial "I couldn't believe he took Pronger's number in the first place" discussion.

Keith Tkachuk

#7 / Center / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-2

Weight: 232

Born: Mar 28, 1972

G A P +/- PIM

2009 - Keith Tkachuk 5 8 13 -3 22

Keith Tkachuk, LW/C: The days of trading Tkachuk for a big return are probably long gone. If the trade deadline were looming, there might be a ~~sucker~~ general manager or two out there who might still fall for the siren song of "big body, proven goal scorer, veteran presence" for their playoff run, but as for a trade today, there won't be many takers around the NHL.

Tkachuk is on a short, NHL-cheap contract and does have a strong locker room presence... which is exactly why the Blues want him and will be unlikely to trade him. It'd shake up the roster, but the return at this point wouldn't be worth the exchange.

Mike Weaver

#43 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

Height: 5-9

Weight: 182

Born: May 02, 1978

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Mike Weaver	0	1	1	5	8

Mike Weaver, D: Small but steady, Weaver doesn't get mentioned much because he is a defensive defenseman who does his job effectively. Not being mentioned much is a compliment for defensive defenseman.

As for trade value, Weaver has virtually none. There'd be little shock value to the team due to his journeyman status and zero shock value to the fans (have you ever seen a Weaver 43 jersey worn by a fan?) and the return would be the definition of infinitesimal.

Brad Winchester

#15 / Left Wing / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-5

Weight: 228

Born: Mar 01, 1981

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Brad Winchester	0	2	2	1	24

Brad Winchester, LW: It's hard to believe that a guy who stands 6'5 tall and weighs nearly 230 pounds could ever be described as invisible, but Winchester has done just that and in the process has proven how a guy who is taken 35th overall in the NHL draft (2000) can muster only 200 NHL games and 36 points in the following nine years.

Yeah, this is about trade value and shake up of the roster, neither of which describe Winchester.

***************************************

So where does that leave the Blues if they are looking to make a trade? Here are our best guesses, by category.

Untradeable Due To Value:

These guys aren't going anywhere because they are too important to the team now and/or in the future.

Erik Johnson. If the trade documents came to the NHL offices, even those numbskulls would void it based on sheer stupidity. Wayne Gretzky got traded, sure, but not when he was 21 and the best player on his team.
Chris Mason. What do you need the second you trade Chris Mason? A top-10 ranked starting netminder. Whoops!
Jay McClement. Much like Mason, if you trade McClement, you suddenly need a guy just like McClement.
T.J. Oshie. Oshie's intangibles outweigh anything the team would get for him unless some other GM was eating peyote and then firing up the Blackberry to offer up some ridiculous package for the kid. The P.R. hit alone would making trading the Teej a huge mistake.
David Perron. The kid will be worth three first round draft picks to some RFA-contract-offering idiot this summer, so if the Blues are willing to lose an emerging talent like Frenchie, they should wait until then to do it.

Untradeable Due To Lack Of Value:

These guys aren't going anywhere because the return is too small.

Eric Brewer. The Robot is too broken and expensive to warrant interest from another team.
Paul Kariya. It isn't 1996 anymore. Kariya costs too much, is too close to unrestricted free agency and is producing far too few points to be of any interest to any but the drunkest of general managers.
Andy McDonald. We have no doubt that McDonald will be valuable again one day, but right now he too closely resembles the guy who was easily required for a virtually worthless Doug Weight two seasons ago.

Untradeable Due To Role:

Unless these guys are a problem in the locker room, and there's no reason to think they are, no possible advantage can be gained from trading them.

Ty Conklin. This guy gets traded and has to immediately be replaced by a guy who plays like him, gets paid like him and has the same demeanor as him.
Cam Janssen. Add in the hometown bump you get for having this guy in the lineup, the team would have to get something special to let go of the P.R. advantage Janssen brings. No GM in the league is about to overpay for Janssen.

Could Be Traded For Low Impact:

These guys could get traded, but the return will be small and the shock to the team won't likely be enough to cause significant change.

B.J. Crombeen. Swapping a role player for a mid-to-late pick or another role player isn't going to have the impact the team is looking to get. Plus, why ruin a whole season of blow job jokes if you don't have to?
Alex Steen. The worst thing that can happen to a player is to get injured and then have someone step into your role and make everyone forget you were gone. Steen has played 11 games this year. Seems high, doesn't it?
Darryl Sydor. "Oh no! They traded a 37-year-old depth defenseman they brought in for one year and would have been gone in six months anyway! I guess they are serious; anyone can be traded!"
Mike Weaver. Seriously, how many people really know Mike Weaver is on the team right now anyway? Impact of trading him: all of his immediate family have to update their mailing address for him. As if anyone mails anything anymore.
Brad Winchester: "So we have an offer for 228 pounds worth of hockey pucks. We lose maybe one more fight but we do save about $200 in souvenir costs."

Are You Kidding Me? Seriously. Are You Kidding Me?:

You want shock value? You want some return on your exchange? These are the guys the management and staff are going to argue about trading and the guys who, if traded, would make you call your friends liars when they told you about the trade.

David Backes. Sure, he's struggling. Sure he gets paid a lot for a guy his age. Sure it's been a long time since anyone here has vehemently compared him to Chuck Norris. But general managers in the NHL aren't as easily freaked out by slow starts as fans are. If Backes were made available, the list of teams with nice offers in hand would be long. Trading Backes shakes up the team, nets a good return and lets everyone know that no one is safe. The downside is that he almost certainly becomes a monster and regularly returns to haunt his former team.
Brad Boyes. Most fantasy hockey guys will tell you that the second you trade a great player you immediatley make yourself believe he was never on your team. Boyes can be streaky and frustrating and may always leave you wanting more, but when he's on your team he's a guy that can change a game. Trading him likely brings a nice return, scares the other players into focus and makes all of us go fantasy GM and pretend he never played here, because he's got at least a couple more great scoring seasons ahead of him.
Patrik Berglund. In five years we'll know what we had in Patrik Berglund. He's no Peter Forsberg, but is he going to become the shifty Swedish version of Pavel Datsyuk? Or is he on the fast track to becoming our next Jim Campbell? If he gets traded and blossoms into the slick playmaker with a nasty power play one-timer that we saw in glimpses next year, we'll be tasting our own vomit for the next 10-15 years. If he becomes the next great suburban Mite coach, we'll be applauding his trade like we used to talk about the Christer Olsson for Pavol Demitra deal.
Alex Pietrangelo. Classic giving up too early trade. The kid is 19-years-old and if not for a bout of mono in his draft year could have been drafted before Drew Doughty and Zach Begosian. If he goes away the Blues are counting on Jonas Junland or David Rundblad, both high-risk, power play specialist type of players, to round out their game and fill his spot as they swap him for a slumping scorer of comparable value like Columbus' Nikita Filatov.

On The Block:

These are the guys whose age, reputation, contracts and shake up value to the current roster make them the most likely players to become 'former Blues' should the team decide to go that way.

Carlo Colaiacovo. The guy is young and stepping into his game, but the crunch on the blueline, his contract status and injury history makes him a prime candidate to get dangled out there. His ceiling is probably ahead of him, but he's expendable from a P.R. standpoint, a talent standpoint and in terms of return.
Barret Jackman. This would be even more shocking than the trade of Stempniak last year, but his contract and the depth of the Blues' defensive pipeline makes this a 'head' move more than a 'heart' move. The return would likely be good, too, as Jackman's reputation around the league is excellent.
Roman Polak. How different is Roman Polak today from Dennis Wideman back when he was traded for Brad Boyes? When considering the current and future depth on the blueline, if the Blues could trade Polak today for another streaky sniper do you think they'd do it? Yeah, us too.
Keith Tkachuk. He's the vet with the good story because his family lives here and everyone sees him around town, but he's been rumored to be in the middle of more than one split locker room in his time as a pro. Sending Tkachuk away shocks the Blues' system, forces a younger guy to step up and likely results in a decent return. Short of a no-trade clause we don't know about, it could happen.

******************************

Trade rumors are always a risky proposition and the saying goes that when a team is struggling it's easier to change out one guy (the coach) than a whole team, the Blues have proved in the past that they're willing to change out one player to shake up the others.

Will this year be any different?

Nikita Filatov honored as KHL Player of the Week, less than two weeks after leaving Columbus

Dirk Hoag — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:38:07 -0000

I guess Nikita Filatov, the Columbus Blue Jackets winger who left the team to play in the KHL, enjoys the home cooking over in Russia. He's already been chosen as one of the league's Players of the Week. This from the KHL:

KHL Salutes Top Players from Week 11

The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) recognizes the top goalie, defender, forward and rookie each week. The weekly selections are chosen by the KHL Statistics and Information Bureau and based upon both statistical results and overall performance.

Week 11 honorees are:

Best goalkeeper: Yuri Klyuchnikov (Sibir Novosibirsk). Klyuchnikov posted wins (including one shutout) in each of the two games he played last week, with a 1.00 GAA and a 96.43 save percentage.

Best defender: Sergei Zobov (SKA St. Petersburg). In three games, Zubov scored two goals (one a game winner) and added two assists. Zubov also registered a +/- rating of +6, the week’s highest rating for a defenseman.

Best forward: Albert Leshchev (CSKA Moscow). In four games, Leshchev scored seven points (one goal, six assists), while also registering a +/- rating of +6.

Best rookie: Nikita Filatov (CSKA Moscow). In four games, the 19-year-old striker had four goals (two of them game winners) and two assists.

UPDATE: Tikhonov "loaned" to KHL, will play for Red Army

zyllyx — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 19:51:17 -0000

More photos » by Paul Connors - AP

Anaheim Ducks goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere, left, cannot keep Phoenix Coyotes right winger Viktor Tikhonov, right, of Latvia, from poking the puck in the net for the game-winning goal in the shootout period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 11, 2009, in Glendale, Ariz. Tikhonov allegedly has returned to Russia to play out the season in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) with CSKA Moscow. (AP Photo/Paul Connors)

Browse more photos »

UPDATE @ 11/28/09, 5:00pm MST: The Coyotes' website states that Tikhonov was "loaned" to the KHL, presumably in the same way a prospect player is "loaned" back to his junior team which holds his rights. The loan is only valid until the end of the 2009-2010 season.

Phoenix Coyotes' prospect Viktor Tikhonov has left the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League for the greener pastures - and bank accounts - of the Russian Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

Tikhonov is the second high-profile NHL prospect defection to the KHL in as many weeks, following on the heels of Nikita Filatov's public departure from the Columbus Blue Jackets.

There is currently a dispute between the CSKA Red Army team and Severstal Cherepovets over which team holds the young prospect's rights. It is likely that CSKA will forfeit draft picks to acquire Tikhonov's rights to enable him to play for the Red Army squad.

The move is something of a surprise considering that Tikhonov's own stated intentions were to remain in the Coyotes' system until he achieved his goal of becoming an NHL regular. However, the Rampage are in a significant streak of consecutive defeats and have just fired their head coach; combined with the significant increase in tax-free salary money available in the KHL, there is certainly plenty of motivation for Tikhonov to return home to play.

Interestingly, Tikhonov's player card has been removed from the "Future Coyotes" section of the official Coyotes website, although his stats remain online there as well as at the San Antonio Rampage website.

The most likely scenario is that Tikhonov will finish the season with CSKA before returning to North America next year to attempt to make the Coyotes' roster out of training camp.

The young native of Riga, Latvia spent most of his upbringing in California, where his father Vasily was employed as a coach with the San Jose Sharks franchise. His grandfather Viktor is a Russian hockey legend and former coach of the Soviet National Team.

Tikhonov, the Coyotes' 28th overall selection in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, played in 61 games with the Coyotes last season, posting 8-8-16, a -3 and 20 PIM. For the Rampage this season, Tikhonov accumulated 2-6-8, +5 and 12 PIM.

Viktor Tikhonov

#41 / Right Wing / Phoenix Coyotes

Height: 6-2

Weight: 187

Born: May 12, 1988

Weekend notes: Preds look to start new winning streak, find new arena name

Dirk Hoag — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 14:31:00 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

The new 3rd jerseys didn't carry Nashville to victory last night, but they'll get another shot tonight against the Florida Panthers.

Browse more photos »

It's going to be a busy, busy weekend for Nashville Predators fans, with holiday shopping getting started just as the team battles through 3 home games in 4 nights. The good news, of course, is that even with the win streak over at 7, the Preds are still in 2nd place in the Central Division, and 6th in the Western Conference, thanks to a loss by Dallas.

After the jump, however, we've got all the hockey news to get you started this morning. There is a host of reaction to last night's loss to St. Louis, a look at the dispute between the team and the Sommet Group over arena naming rights, and a rare column in the local newspaper about hockey by a sportswriter normally stuck on football and NASCAR...

Predators News

Preds On The Glass: Blues, Mason End Preds Streak with 3-1 Win
Buddy's post-game work includes a comment from Dave Scatchard, who got into a fight just seconds after scoring his first goal as a Predator.

The Win Streak Is Snapped By St. Louis, 3-1 - Brandon Felder
Brandon's post-game quotes include some thoughts from Chris Mason on beating his former teammates again.

See Puck City: Blues Break Streak: Preds Fall 1-3
SPC wonders of the Thanksgiving feast got to the Preds last night...

Are the Predators still purchasing from Sommet’s business units? - Nashville Predators Examiner
Jim Diamond looks at the main complaint the Sommet Group has leveled at the Predators, that they haven't given their various divisions enough of business.

Streaking Blackhawks Reach the Top -- NHL FanHouse
Adam Gretz ranks the Preds in the league's Top 10...

Brophy: Preying on defence - sportsnet.ca
Mike Brophy lauds Barry Trotz for Nashville's hard-work ethic that's paid off over the last few weeks, but doubt it will carry the team to playoff success this year.

Predators live, die by power-play success - The Tennessean
Did Joe Biddle get lost last night? I can't remember the last time he wrote a Preds article for the print edition of The Tennessean.

Naming rights for Predators arena may be hard sell - The Tennessean
A good piece looking at the challenges and opportunities for selling arena naming rights. How's about "SB Nation Thunderdome"?

We also get a good indication that perhaps the Sommet Group didn't get the biggest bang for their advertising dollar, since nobody seems to know what "Sommet" means anyway - this video comes from The Tennessean:

Around the NHL

Nikita Filatov: "I might stay in KHL for one more year" - RussianHockeyFans.com
He hasn't even been over in Russia for a couple weeks, and already Columbus Blue Jackets winger Nikita Filatov is talking about staying there for 2 years, not just one. While Columbus is putting their best face on this, it's looking more and more like Radulov II. Hat tip on this one to Neutral Zone Trap.

The Battle of Alberta: Points v. Scoring
A meditation on how much we should really value Points as a measure of offensive productivity...

Rutherford, Canes face tough decisions | newsobserver.com blogs
Will the Carolina Hurricanes pull the plug on this season and start making personnel moves aimed at next year?

I Might Just Be A Hockey Fan In California - Hockey From the Cheap Seats
A host of thoughts from a busy week of NHL action.

NorthJersey.com: Ex-NHL enforcer entering the ring
Former Nashville Predator Nathan Perrott has launched a second athletic career, and has his 2nd professional boxing match scheduled for next week.

For discounted tickets to any Nashville Predators home game, you can follow this link and use the special offer code "PREDS".

Columbus Blue Jackets 2010 Olympics Preview

Mike MacLean — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:30:34 -0000

View full size photo »

SBNation is doing a series of Olympic Previews, taking a look at each team and which of their players may be suiting up for their countries in Vancouver. As a baseline, we are going to give an indication of their chances of making their team by using these arguments: "Pack Your Bags", "Nearly a Lock", "Fairly Safe Bet", and "In a Battle". The Jackets have a few players who could become Olympians, here's a look at them:

Rick Nash (Canada) - Pack Your Bags
There is almost no way, outside of injury, that Nash will not be a member of Team Canada. In fact, he is penciled in by most as the man riding shotgun to Sidney Crosby. Nash has plenty of international experience in his young career, including being a member of the 2006 Olympic Team, which failed miserably. He is a more mature and complete player now, and will look to be an offensive leader for the Canucks at home in Vancouver. My favourite Nash goal at an international tournament didn't take place at the Olympics, it was at the World Championships, but here it is anyway:

Steve Mason (Canada) - In a Battle
At least he was at the beginning of the season, that is. Before the start of the regular season this year, many experts thought that when it came to Canada's goaltenders, Roberto Luongo and Martin Brodeur were locks. The battle was for who the third goaltender was going to be. The three main contenders were Mason, Marc-Andre Fleury and Cam Ward. With Ward's injury, that made it a two-horse race. The problem is, Mase never showed up. His play this season has been downright awful. I'm not a believer in sophomore slumps, but the proof is in the pudding here. Look for Fleury- who is coming off of a Cup win and is playing great right now-to get the third goalie nod.

Kristian Huselius (Sweden) - Fairly Safe Bet
The man we call Juice may not be on the top of the list of skilled Swedish forwards, but he is a strong candidate to be on the Swedish team. His last international exoerience was at the 2002 World Championships, where the Tre Kroner won the bronze medal. He has never played in an Olympics, but he is on the Swedish short-list for 2010.

Samuel Pahlsson (Sweden) - Nearly a Lock
Sammy will almost definitely be on the Swedish team in 2010. He helped the Swedes win the Gold Medal back in 2006 in Torino, playing on a line with Freddy Modin (more on him in a minute). A dedicated checking center like Pahlsson will be very important this time around, with the Olympics being in Vancouver, the games will be played on NHL-sized ice, meaning tighter checking.

Fredrik Modin (Sweden) - In a Battle
I saw that Freddy is in a battle, not necessarily with other players trying to make the team, but with his own body. After being lauded for his amazing durability, the last couple of seasons have been near write-offs for Freddy as he has been hit with injury after injury. That said, if he is healthy I can't imagine him not playing for the Swedes, even in a fourth line role. He is after all, one of the very few players who are a member of the Triple Gold Club.

Anton Stralman (Sweden) - Nearly a Lock
Stralman is off to a great start since joining the Jackets, putting up good point totals. He is one of the main reasons the Jackets' powerplay has gone from last in the league a year ago, to best so far this season. He has played in three straight World Championships for Team Sweden, from 2007-2009. The Swedish defensive corps are a talented group, with Anton fitting in nicely. With the injury to Kronwall, Stralman may see top line duty with Nick Lidstrom.

Jakub Voracek (Czech Republic) - Nearly a Lock
The Czechs are a team that always seems to surprise at international tournaments. Look no further than the '98 Olympics, where they took home the Gold based on the amazing play of Dominik Hasek. In 2010, the Czechs are a good team, and Voracek should be a member. He likely will play a third or fourth line role, with the top six wingers likely being Jagr, Hemsky, Prospal and Hejduk/Havlat.

Rostislav Klesla (Czech Replublic) - In a Battle
Rusty is a fringe player in terms of the Olympic team. He does have international experience, but he is in tough this time around. He has to beat out the likes of Kaberle, Kubina, Rozsival, Hamrlik, Spacek and Kuba. It's not completely impossible though, and with the smaller ice a rugged player like Rusty could shine.

Jan Hejda (Czech Republic) - In a Battle
Like Rusty, Jan is fighting for a spot. He's defense-first, which may help him because the guys he is fighting for a spot against are generally puck-moving types. He has international experience, his most recent was at the 2008 Worlds. Given the play of Jaro Spacek, one of Hejda or Klesla could make the squad.

Fedor Tyutin (Russia) - Nearly a Lock
The Russians have scary forwards, plain and simple. They are the most dynamic group in the world, hands down. That said, they don't have spectacular defense. A hybrid defenseman like Tyutin will fit in very well on the Russian squad, and he could see powerplay duty with Sergei Gonchar.

Nikita Filatov (Russia) - In a Battle
Filatov wasn't at the Russians Olympic came this past summer, but he is no doubt still very much on the radar of the National Team. With his recent return to Russia, his stock has certainly risen, but he is still in tough to make the squad, given their amazing talent and depth up front.

R.J. Umberger (United States) - In a Battle
I wanted to include Umby mainly because I believe that it is wrong that he wasn't invited to the Team USA camp. He is a much better player than a handful of guys who did get the invite, but it all has to do with his history with USA GM Brian Burke. Umby didn't sign with Vancouver, who drafted him in the first round when Burke was the GM. This led to bad blood, which has clearly carried over to the Olympics. RJ's play hasn't done much to convince Burke otherwise either.

To finish things off, being a Canadian I am excited as hell to have the Olympics here in my home country. After the disappointment of Torino, I, like every other Canadian, want to see the Gold come back to Canada. Here's my prediction of the Team Canada Olympic Roster:

Rick Nash - Sidney Crosby - Jarome Iginla
Dany Heatley - Ryan Getzlaf - Corey Perry
Brendan Morrow - Mike Richards - Shane Doan
Patrick Marleau - Joe Thornton - Martin St. Louis
Steven Stamkos

HM: Jonathan Toews, Jeff Carter, Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards

Chris Pronger - Scott Niedermayer
Dan Boyle - Duncan Keith
Shea Weber - Jay Bouwmeester
Drew Doughty

HM: Brent Seabrook, Mike Green, Stephane Robidas

Roberto Luongo
Martin Brodeur
Marc-Andre Fleury

HM: Marty Turco

Nikita Filatov Flavored Links

Mike MacLean — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:54:41 -0000

Here's a binch of links for everybody to chew on, with a distinct Filatov flavor:

Aaron Portzline's take on the FIlatov situation, he backs off on the Hitch/Howson animosity that he initially speculated on yesterday.

Michael Arace, also of the Dispatch, gives his thoughts. Very entertaining in my opinion.

Of course, here's Puck Daddy's take. I'm amazed at how quickly he got the interview!

Pierre LeBrun, who writes for ESPN, takes a rosy look at what's happened with Filatov.

NHL Fanhouse has a great little piece on Cody Goloubef.

A few days old, but here's a good article by the Winnipeg Sun on why prospect Matt Calvert chose to return to Brandon of the WHL, rather than sign a contract with Columbus.

I will be heading to downtown Halifax this evening to watch Sidney Crosby run with the Olympic torch, it will be awesome to see it!

Check this video out, Puck Daddy gives us a laugh.

Wednesday links: Eight is too much edition

averagejoe — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:15:16 -0000

Do the Blues still play hockey? I sure do miss them.

Blues news

You know those big books your parents used to use to look up "home" phone numbers? The Blues are on the cover of one. [Blues]
The Blues have eight healthy d-men. Don't think for one second that the team won't stay that way for a few games. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch]
Kelly Chase talks about playing with Brendan Shanahan. I'm just going to go ahead and say it, the fans love for Shanny lasted way, way too long for how little time he spent here. People still wax nostalgic about a man who played just four out of 21 years wearing the 'Note. [NHL.com]
Alex Pietrangelo should stay, but the Blues are being tight-lipped about what will happen with the youngster. [Belleville News-Democrat]

Hockey news

Here is your schedule for tonight. [Yahoo! Sports]
Last night's results. [Yahoo! Sports]
Bob McKenzie on TSN is reporting on potential deals for Patrick Kane, Jon Toews and Duncan Keith. Second City weighs in. [Second City Hockey]
Things are not going good for our friends, the Leafs fans. [Pension Plan Puppets]
Everyone is hurting, which may cause some salary cap issues. [From The Rink]
Talented Blue Jackets forward Nikita Filatov is leaving the NHL for the KHL. [ESPN]
Filatov says hes leaving because the Jackets are not letting him play his style of game. [Puck Daddy]
Alex Ovechkin scores in his return from injury. [ESPN]
With the way the Blues are playing, let's look at the NHL draft! [TSN]
Caps goalie Jose Theodore has left the team for personal reasons. [TSN]
Markus Naslund will team up with Peter Forsberg — for free. [TSN]

Other links

I'm really kind of glad I haven't met this girl. She seems like a total bitch. [Craig's List]
Some people invent the weirdest things. [Totally Absurd]
Get to know some famous Captains, Eric Brewer not included. [Pixlmonster]

Video

So this video is going around the intertubes and I thought I'd share it with you. Seth MacFarlane has a formula.