SB Nation User Blog: OdinMercer

New Offer Expected In Sale of Phoenix Coyotes

OdinMercer — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 06:09:25 -0000

More photos » by Paul Connors - AP

Phoenix Coyotes goalie Ilya Bryzgalov stops the puck of people whiming about how there's only one offer on the team.

According to filings made by the NHL on Wednesday, and now several newspaper reports, the NHL is expecting another bid on the Coyotes to be made. The offer would keep the team here in Phoenix. The offer itself has not been filed as of yet, so there's no telling who the offer is from yet. It could be from the group headed by John Breslow who is already a small investor in the team, the team of David Cynamon and Howard Sokolowski the Toronto Argonauts owners or that "Unnamed Party" that kept popping up. What is clear is that who ever it is has already missed the June 26th deadline that had been set for bidders to submit transfer applications. However, in court the judge said that while those deadlines would be used for the NHL, if anyone else showed up with offers they would be looked at as well. Therefore just because it's late doesn't make the offer invalid in the eyes of the court.

The globe and mail also wrote that the NHL stated in the filing that "The League has been informed that this bidder will submit an application for transfer of ownership, but does not know whether the prospective purchaser will submit a definitive bid by July 24." That could mean anything, but what's at least clear is that there's another player wanting to keep the team in the Valley and that's a good thing.

The only thing I'm hoping for is that Breslow isn't the one making the offer. No offense to the guy, but I don't want anyone involved with the current ownership group involved with the new one. Let's get a whole new crew in there that can turn things around.

Found NHL Foodstuffs: Maple Leafs Edition

OdinMercer — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 06:51:11 -0000

In my continuing spiral into no hockey madness, I'm starting a new continuing feature here on Five for Howling combining my two favorite things, hockey and snacks. Because, well, why not? I was inspired to start this by the found cookies below, but i'll be finding something unusual for each NHL team over the next few months. I'll try and keep them less than obvious. (eg. no blue and white gummy sharks for the sharks, lame...) we'll see how long I can keep this up. If you have suggestions, feel free to send me an email, Tweet or carrier pigeon with your ideas. If I can, I'll even try them out and let you know if they actually capture the essence of the team they represent, or some such nonsense...

Yesterday I was sent on an errand to Target to pick up some various widgets and sundries. While parusing the cookie aisle for some treats I stumbled upon a bag of these:

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm a Coyotes fan first, but with nothing happening in the hockey world, I'm looking for hockey anywhere I can find it. Even hidden in tasty foodstuffs. So I had to buy these to try them out. The cookies even look like little maple leafs. I'm sure that these are old hat to people that actually live in Canada, but these were cool to find in my local Target.

I got the cookies home (along with some decoy cookies so others wouldn't eat them) and just kind of stared at them. Sure they reminded me of Maple Leafs, but what did that mean? How could I share that with the world? Oh right! I have a blog! I could blog about my cookies and the relation to hockey... hmm... not a bad idea... But what about the other teams? What about my OWN team? How could I forget about them? Well I can't, that's why I'll have to find other foodstuffs to represent them. But first let's get to the snack in front of us.

Dare Maple Leaf creme cookies are made by Dare Foods of Kitchner, Ontario, Canada. By the way, Coyotes player Mikkel Boedker played for the Kitchner Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League. So there's that. They're a little bigger than Oreos and taste like, well, maple. The cookie portion is a lot like any other shortbread cookie. The filling is what tastes like maple. It's not overly sweet, but a little dry. You need milk to drink with them. The wife did not like them very much. So there's a cookie I can get and have all to myself (score!).

Here's a picture comaring the cookie to the old leafs logo. Coincidence? Perhaps...

So there's part 1 of 30 of my NHL foodstuffs series. Don't forget to send in your suggestions of what I should be on the look out for. Try and make it stuff I can actually find on locally or on the internets. Hope you enjoyed my randomness. I'm off to figure out what goes with with the Coyotes...

I Hate Virtual Jarome Iginla, He's Ruining My Summer

OdinMercer — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 03:22:20 -0000

More photos » by Jeff McIntosh - AP

The real life twin of the guy that is making my summer suck.

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The lack of hockey and the constant beating Phoenix is taking right now may be taking it's toll. Look forward to more of these type of articles over the loooong summer.

We all know summertime can be a bit boring for all of us hockey fans. The playoffs have ended. The draft has come and gone. "Free Agency Frenzy" is almost completely over. Even NHL Network knows that there's nothing going on and so NHL Live is on hiatus until training camp. For those of us not in Canada that means we get very little televised hockey news. So what are we to do? Well, it really leaves us with few options for our hockey fix. I chose to fill this time by ordering an XBox 360 and NHL 09 to beat everyone with my Coyotes. There are some friends I can play online, but as a teacher on summer break I get to play dynasty mode during the day when everyone else is at work. I've had the game for all of 3 days and I've started to pick it up to the point I can usually beat the computer except for one damn team... the Flames.

One would think that this wouldn't be an issue. I can beat the Red Wings and Penguins, what's the big deal? Well sir or madam, the issue is one Virtual Jarome Iginla and his impossible friggin scoring. I get that in real life Mr. Iginla is a fine hockey player, captain of his team and generally a good guy. Heck wikipedia even describes him as "Known for his polite and generous nature..." That begs the question then, how can your virtual representation be such a jerk? Are you getting virtual Mick McGeough to referee these games? Are you paying of the virtual NHL or my virtual teammates? Because that's what it seems like good sir. I get that you can score a lot in a season, you had 52 in 07/08, but getting my players to simply move out of your way seems a little fishy. Especially when I'm beating your team late in the 3rd and then you magically just skate up to my goalie and he gets out of your way. What did you do to virtual Ilya Bryzgalov's pregame hot dogs good sir?! Or have you mastered Star Trek type transporters to just make the puck appear behind my goalie, cheating me out of a victory. Whatever the reason (it surely can't be my defense), I don't like it. I don't like you either Virtual Jarome Iginla. In fact I hate you. Thanks for screwing up my summer you jerk.

Two Coyotes File for Salary Arbitration

OdinMercer — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:08:56 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

Phoenix Coyotes left winger Daniel Winnik was one of 20 NHL players to file for salary arbitration.

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Of the boatload of Restricted Free Agents that the Coyotes are attempting to resign, only two filed for arbitration. Daniel Winnik and Nigel Dawes are both in the group of 20 NHL players to file. Neither had all that great of seasons, so the numbers on the qualifying offers can't be that far off of what they're looking for. Like Mirtle pointed out in his piece, the vast majority of players that file for arbitration never get to the hearings, the teams and agents usually work something out especially in situations like these where the money amounts don't get overly large and neither player was overperforming their previous deals.

Phoenix Coyotes Ink Adrian Aucoin to One Year Deal Worth 2.25 Million

OdinMercer — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:42:08 -0000

More photos » by Jeff McIntosh - AP

Adrian Aucoin, right, shoves the Chicago Blackhawks' Patrick Sharp around like a small child.

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This morning the Coyotes signed a One-year deal worth 2.25 million dollars with free agent Defenseman Adrian Aucoin. Formerly with the Calgary flames, Aucoin should be able to eat up ice time which others like David Hale and Ken Klee were never really able to do. In Calgary he was getting 20+ minutes a game. He also fills the leadership hole on the defense that not signing Ken Klee creates. Aucoin can help out a little on the offensive end going 10-24-34 last year in the regular season.

All in all I'm pretty happy with the signing since we can't go after any of the big names right now. Aucoin won't have to be "the guy" but fills a hole on the defense. Here's what our defensive pairings should look like with him now on the team.

Michalek - Sauer

Vandermeer - Jovanovski

Aucoin - Yandle

Hale

While some would say that Aucoin and Vandermeer might work better since they were in Calgary together, a Jovo-Yandle pairing would be awful. Both of them like to jump in the play too much. As for Michalek and Sauer, I wouldn't recommend breaking up the top shot blocking pairing in the league. Now we just need one more decent center...

Your Free Agency Day 2 Open Thread - Heatley is a Diva

OdinMercer — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:00:02 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

Carolina Hurricanes' Chad LaRose is one possible target of the Phoenix Coyotes... Hey, it could happen...

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So Dany Heatley totally screwed his own team last night. After demanding a trade he found out that the Sens had worked out a deal with Edmonton. He turned his nose at that, killing the only team willing to wait for him. In the process he managed to cost the Senators 4 million in bonus money. There's a guy you want on your team for sure... Moral of the story? It doesn't pay to be a whiney little git in a sport that punishes diva behavior. Now he'll be stuck on a team he demanded out of and hated by the guys that actually want to play there. Way to be. I'm glad we're big on the character players like Shane Doan instead.

Anyhow, we're on to day 2 of the festivities and a lot of the big names got taken. Who am I kidding though, we're not getting the Gaboriks and Havlats or Hossas, we're looking in the value section again this year. No problem with that, but it makes for less excitement. Who could we still be looking at?

Derek Morris: He still lives here in the valley and while he had a lower than average production he's still a solid player. His price tag could be a little higher than GMDM is willing to pay though.

Travis Moen: Has a good first name. Is a younger guy with plenty of talent. Not sure what kind of pay he'd be looking for either. He may not be the offensive minded guy we're looking for right now though.

Taylor Pyatt: Another solid winger in the middle age range that we're looking for. 10-9-19 in 69 games last year. A change of scenery could be good for the guy too.

Chad LaRose: Decent Centerman but cold be looking fora bit to much money. Decent at faceoffs and was 19-12-31 las year so he can pitch in offensively.

Those are just a few of the names we could go after, but we'll likely see players even further down the money list. hopefully GMDM can come through with at least one bigger name over the days to come...

Phoenix Coyotes Sign Jason LaBarbera for 2 Year, 2 Million Dollar Deal

OdinMercer — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:53:00 -0000

Jason LaBarbera

#30 / Goalie / Phoenix Coyotes

Height: 6-3

Weight: 225

Born: Jan 18, 1980

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2008 - Jason LaBarbera	28	1446	8	10	6	0	67	2.78	674	607	.901	2

The Coyotes announced just a little while ago that they signed Jason LaBarbera to a two year deal worth 1 million per year. This gives the Coyotes an actual backup goalie to Bryzgalov instead of rushing Tordjman or Montoya up to the big league. LaBarbera was traded to Vancouver from LA last year to back up Luongo. He didn't do a terrible job there, but he did go 3-3-2 with a .915 sv% after going to Vancouver. So maybe if our boys can play a bit better than the Kings were he could do alright.

What he likely wont do is chase Ilya Bryzgalov from the starting spot, or really challenge him or push him at all. Bryz could use someone with that ability to get him to the next level and Jason isn't that guy. I'm glad it's a relatively short and cheap deal though as Montoya could be ready very soon.

Phoenix Coyotes Sign Vernon Fiddler to 2yr. 2.2 Million Deal

OdinMercer — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 22:03:22 -0000

Vernon Fiddler

#0 / Left Wing / Phoenix Coyotes

Height: 5-11

Weight: 204

Born: May 09, 1980

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2008 - Vernon Fiddler	78	11	6	17	-13	24	1	2	2	0	114	9.6

The Coyotes signed Vernon Fiddler, previously of the Nashville Predators to a 2 year, 2.2 million dollar deal. Fiddler is a Left Wing / Center that's not going to get top line minutes. Dirk from On the Forecheck, SBNation's Preds Blog, did a profile of him here. Basically look for Fiddler to get a lot of PK time and to get some chances in shootout situations is what it boils down too. Hopefully GMDM has a few more tricks up his sleeve over the next couple of days.

Deputy Commissioner says that Phoenix will get an NHL All-Star game

OdinMercer — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:30:21 -0000

Deputy Commissioner says that Phoenix will get an NHL All-Star game

He wasn't specific on the date but we're still owed one from when we we supposed to host it in the lockout year.

Coyotes Announce Prospect Camp Roster and July 11th Open House

OdinMercer — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:26:54 -0000

Coyotes Announce Prospect Camp Roster and July 11th Open House

20 Players including New Picks Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Mike Lee and Chris Brown along with retuning prospects Jonas Ahnelov, Jared Staal and Nick Ross will be at the Open house at Jobing.com arena from 12:30 to 2:30 on Saturday the 11th.

Training will take place on July 8, 9 and 11 from 9:15 to 11am at the Desert Schools Coyotes Center in Peoria.