A brief history of the fine work upper management has done of late. I think it's high time we won a big deal. Please?

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Hey guys, originally posted at matchsticksandgasoline, but I saw a number of you gave the initial letter a ponder...much appreciated(good people here)!  Here's my post-mortem.  Dissect at will!

To whom it may concern,

Well...shit, eh?  

This isn't how it was supposed to end. This isn't how it all played out in your mind. The Cup was supposed to come home to Canada, brought back by the mighty Canucks, ending almost 20 years of it being won by those bastard teams south of the border.  

But, yet it wasn't. And now amidst your burning cars, burning Luongo jerseys, and burning hatred of the rest of the world who weren't cheering for you, you are left with one question: What happened?

Allow me...

In my earlier missive to you, I mentioned that something had changed in Boston, changed after Rome's hit on Horton. However, after looking back at this series, I think that may have been misplaced. That game did change, but it was always just a matter of time before Boston won this.

I think the question I want to pose to Canucks fans is this:  Are you proud of your hockey team?  

Many would answer, "Yes." And to them I say, "Great!" However, I think there are many Canucks fans out there, there have to be, who would say..."I guess so."  

I remember when Calgary made their run in 03', the Red Mile in full swing...we were convinced we were bringing that fucker home. Iggy was going to carry us, Miikka was going to backstop us, and Dion and Reggie were going to destroy everyone that came down the ice. We came short that year, but I never once felt our key players let us down, never doubted the heart and will of our team, and for that I will forever be thankful. 

I got a text today from my Dad as the seconds ticked down on game seven and it said, "Gotta love it."  He is an Oilers fan and a non-Canuck hating hockey guy, but yet he said in three words what I had been thinking all along. 

A true hockey fan, someone who respects the game, respects what we play for, would never cheer for Vancouver over Boston.  Not in a million years.

The best team in hockey won last night, the team that realized they had to win it, the team that realized nothing comes easy, that you have to earn that motherfucker, earn the privileged right to be called Stanley Cup champions.

I often refer to your team as "Fake Tough", and they are.  Boston knew this, knew if they pushed you, you would break. And that is exactly what happened.  

Game seven provided a perfect example of this.  Burrows gets demolished, pops up...whining to the refs, then goes out and gives a little cheap shot to one of the Boston players. Garbage. Legitimate dudes don't do that. Men don't do that.  What they would do is get out there, forecheck the shit out of you, and change the game.  Vancouver was incapable of doing this.

In a big game, your best players have to be your best.  Sure, the role players will play an important role, but your best have to be your best. And in this game, in the biggest game of their lives, your stars Vancouver...well, shit the bed.

The Sedins, peripheral at best. Kesler, solid...but where was that the rest of the series? Bobby Lou, not going to jump all over him, but Thomas was better, much better.

Despite all this, you are still very, very, close to being the best team in hockey.

I think you know what has to change Canuck fans. You need a Mark Recchi, you need a Shawn Thornton, you need that heart. You need players who will drive possession, give every ounce of their being to get the job done, because they know what it takes.  That was not there this year.  

I realize this may be contradictory, to a degree, from what I said earlier, but I don't think it is. Bergeron was excellent, Marchand blew me away with his Crosby impression, and Chara was the beast he is.

The future however, does remain incredibly bright. You will probably have back to back MVP's in the Sedin's. Luongo does remain one of the best goaltenders in hockey, whether you regard him as a choker or not. The farm system is solid, you have a brilliant trade chip in Schneider, and a rock solid core moving forward.

The problem is though, and the question will remain: Does the core of this team possess what it takes to bear down, get dirty, and get the job done? This run leaves that question hanging out there...and to me, that is a tough one.  

You want to love your team, respect your team, believe in the will of your team to do whatever it takes. If I was a Canucks fan, I could not sit here this morning and say that.  

Vancouver got beaten by a better team and so I believe, regardless of your affiliation, regardless of who you cheer for, only one thing is left to be said: Congratulations to the Boston Bruins, the best team in hockey in 2010-2011. 

Love (as always), 
Burnie

P.S. Riots?  Really, Vancouver?  Really?!?!  Fucking clowns.

To whom it may concern,

Well...shit, eh?  

This isn't how it was supposed to end. This isn't how it all played out in your mind. The Cup was supposed to come home to Canada, brought back by the mighty Canucks, ending almost 20 years of it being won by those bastard teams south of the border.  

But, yet it wasn't. And now amidst your burning cars, burning Luongo jerseys, and burning hatred of the rest of the world who weren't cheering for you, you are left with one question: What happened?

Allow me...

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 To whom it may concern,

Well, you've reached the Stanley Cup Finals and are now just two wins away from hoisting the Stanley Cup, hockey's Holy Grail. Feels good doesn't it? 

Along the way, you've been proclaimed "Canada's Team" and every grandparent, aunt and uncle has jumped onto your bandwagon. Shit, I can't even eat at Boston Pizza anymore without being reminded of the fact that your amazing hockey team may just be Canada's first champion since 1993.

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I think like most, I was completely baffled by the Kessel move to center.  So it got me thinking...

What if: One day, old pals Brian and Ron are sitting around their morning coffee....

Brian: "Ronnie, what do you need to make this team better?"
Ron: "Some first line talent would be nice."
B: "I hear you, but I've called everyone and no one is offering up first line centers.  And really, I like how our wing depth is shaping up."
R: "Well, hell.  I dunno.  My magic line juggler can only do so much!"
B: "Actually Ronnie, theres one thing we haven't tried..."

And at this point, the light bulb over Ron's head illuminates.  A chorus of angels sing in heavenly harmony.  The mullet of Al Iafrate appears on every man...the mustache of Wendel Clark on every woman.

R: "Dangnabit, Bri-Bri.  Think you can get me a top winger?"
B: "Let me hit those phones!"

Burke pops in a fat chew and walks off....

So, what I'm trying to say is: What if Brian Burke hasn't been able to find a top center available in a deal, but has perhaps landed on a few wing names.  Maybe this is a trial run of sorts to see if Kessel can handle it?  Like I said at the start, just a thought.

Have at thee!

Regular Hockeybuzz blogger Matthew Barry posted this yesterday:

".. I was told by a member of the press that two sources, one from Canada, claimed that Calgary had offered Jarome Iginla to the Kings in exchange for Brayden Schenn, Andrei Loktionov, Thomas Hickey and the Kings 1st round pick. He also went on to say that this will probably be confirmed by a legitimate Canadian newspaper."

Two thoughts come to mind.

Does anyone actually believe Iginla could be moved? And if he is indeed on the block, is this return acceptable?

I would have to say, yes.  But if we do lose our heart and soul it would be one of the toughest things I have ever endured as a Flames fan. 

Thoughts all?

Editor's Note: Here's the link to the Jewel's From the Crown discussion. They're less enthralled with this than even we are.

While we all wait for something to happen this summer, an interesting game came to mind...the ol' potential game! 

I used to play this with friends all the time and thought it would be fun to bring here.  Simple little idea, take a prospect/young player and give your idea of his potential when compared with current NHL'ers.

For arguments sake, I'm just going to throw out 10 Leafs that I hope should get an interesting amount of responses. 

I always like seeing how people view hockey players.  Here goes and have fun all!

            Player                                                 Comparable

1.     Nazem Kadri                                         Brad Richards
2      Nikolai Kulemin                                     Rene Bourque
3.     Tyler Bozak                                           Marc Savard
4.     Jerry D'Amigo                                        Brenden Morrow
5.     Marcel Mueller                                       David Backes
6.     Luca Caputi                                           Drew Stafford
7.     Carl Gunnarsson                                   Joni Pitkanen
8.     Keith Aulie                                            Willie Mitchell
9.     Luke Schenn                                          Robyn Regehr
10.   Jonas Gustavsson                                   Ilya Bryzgalov

Dear Brian Burke,

This all seems way too obvious.  The Toronto Maple Leafs are in dire need of an elite left-wing.  The best available free agent at the moment is a 27 year old, 2-time 50 goal scorer, who has also proven to be very durable. 

Yes, I am going to say again what has been said so many times: "Why is Ilya Kovalchuk not a Toronto Maple Leaf?"

When I need bread and I have money, I buy bread.  Why is filling a need on a hockey team any different?

By all accounts, it sounds as if Kovy will re-work his deal with the New Jersey Devils and will retire somewhere on the East coast.  The fact you Brian are not in on this however, confuses me to no end. 

Unless Ilya has stated that he does not want to play in Toronto, (which if he has and I missed it, this whole message is moot) it seems like a great fit.  Solid goaltending, a top-5 NHL defense, and young talent around him.  The Atlanta Trashers this is not. 

To add Kovy to this team, would transform the team from playoff contender...to perhaps, contender.

I know you must look around the NHL, as many of us do, and see that more and more young stars are getting these deals.  A new CBA may eliminate some of the deals we are seeing, but long-term deals are a trend I do not see going away. 

Here you have the rare ability to get (in my opinion) the second best pure goal scorer in the NHL and you get him for nothing less than dollars. 

What am I missing Brian? 

Surely you can move a couple salaries to make this work.  Finger, Grabbo should get you close.   Move Beauchemin as well if you have to.  Bring in a cheap vet for the seven slot.

Why not even use the huge reach of your owners to get Kovy a couple million extra in endorsements a year. The ol' "wink, wink..nudge, nudge."  

Why the heck not.

Money does grow on trees for the Toronto Maple Leafs.  Hall of fame goal scorers in the prime of their career do not. 

Make that splash Brian, you will not regret it. 

Sincerely,
Your ol' buddy Burnie

Allow me to begin this by making a few things clear: I am a Calgary Flames fan.  I have never cheered for the Toronto Maple Leafs in my life.  However, that is about to change, and it all begins and ends with Brian Burke.

Growing up in Western Canada, the Toronto Maple Leafs were always that "goddamn team we had to watch every f*cking Saturday, because all the CBC cares about is Toronto."  They were a team that was forced down our throats. As such, I had no love for the Blue and White.  

Then Brian Burke was hired.

There are plenty of people who hate Burke; call him a "blowhard", accuse him of "riding coattails to a Stanley Cup title" or "leaving Vancouver with nothing."  Bollocks.  

In any organization, pro sport or otherwise, leadership starts at the top.  When Brian Burke was hired in Toronto, it sent a clear message to the rest of the hockey world that things were about to change.  A Barack Obama moment, if you will.  There was hope in Leafland that soon all could be well.

In less than two years, the Toronto Maple Leafs have undergone a face-lift the likes of which I have never seen. Without a painstaking amount of research, it's one I would venture to say the NHL has never seen. 

Out: Middling players such as Stajan, Hagman, Blake, Toskala. 
In: Players with skyhigh potential in Dion Phaneuf,  Phil Kessel, Jonas Gustavsson.

It's been like watching a fantasy hockey league manager shape a team and it's been absolutely fascinating. 

The turning point for me was the Dion Phaneuf deal.  I remember seeing the headline on TSN and saying, "What the fuck?! We just traded Dion?  Who did we get?"  Then I saw the return and wanted to smash a wall.  We got fleeced. Then, he moved Toskala and Blake.  And again, I was amazed.  Then Versteeg.   He must have spent summers with Bobby Fischer as a kid. 

But Burke's most important move comes this week in the form of Tomas Kaberle.

It's been interesting watching the debate about Kaberle throughout his trade window.  His value, running the gamut depending on the who you were talking to.  I tend to believe however, without bias, that he is of exceptional value to the rest of the NHL.

The way the game is played today: quicker, faster, more emphasis on the power play; a player like Kaberle is in a small group.  In terms of pure offensive skill he is certainly top 10.  Granted, he is not a physical player, but that is not his game.  There are very few players who bring to the table what Kaberle does.

The question now is, what is he worth?  We will soon have that answer and with it (and perhaps a few more minor moves) the transformation of the Toronto Maple Leafs should be complete.  Gone is a team stuck in the muck and mire and in it's place a franchise with a true sense of hope for the first time in a long time. 

When the Kaberle deal is announced, I have a feeling once again I will be left shaking my head in awe.  

The Toronto Maple Leafs, my second favourite NHL team.  I never, ever thought I would be saying that.

What you see is what you get...

In examining the state of the Flames on Capgeek recently, I noticed a disturbing trend...a lot of little locks next to player's names. 

This got me thinking, "How does Calgary stack up against the rest of the league when in comes to NMC clauses?"

The answer:  We WIN!!!!

In all, Darryl Sutter has handed out contracts to 10 players that involve NMC Clauses.  They are:

Jarome Iginla: 3 years remaining / $7.0m per
Daymond Langkow: 2 years remaining / $4.5m per
Matt Stajan: 4 years remaining / $3.5m per
Rene Bourque: 5 years remaining / $3.33m per
Ales Kotalik: 2 years remaining / $3.0 m per
Olli Jokinen: 2 years remaining / $3.0m per
Alex Tanguay: 1 year remaining / $1.7m per
Jay Bouwmeester: 4 years remaining / $6.68m per
Robyn Regehr: 3 years remaining / $4.02 m per
Miikka Kiprusoff: 4 years remaining / $5.833m per

http://www.capgeek.com/charts.php?Team=9&salary_cap_mil=59&salary_cap_thou=4

In looking at this, one has to believe, we are in for very little change to this Flames team.  Especially over the next two seasons. 

There will be $42.563 million committed to these ten players in 2010-2011 and $40.863 million committed in 2011-2012 once Tanguay's deal expires.

2012-2013 should bring a little more relief as Langkow, Kotalik (providing of course he sticks around) and Jokinen come off the books.  That brings the Flames total NMC promises to $30.363 million. 

2013-2014 may be the first year we can realistically expect to see a true change in this team, without a player or two waiving their NMC. $11.02 million in additional space will be freed up, assuming Jarome Iginla and Robyn Regehr are not re-signed.  That leaves $19.343 million to the remaining "core" of Bouwmeester, Kiprusoff, Bourque and Stajan.

The team that comes closest to Calgary in handing out NMC clauses are the lovely folks out in Vancouver, who have dished out 8 to their respective employees.

http://www.capgeek.com/charts.php?Team=29&salary_cap_mil=59&salary_cap_thou=4

Although, it does appear as if they have been a little more judicious in their NMC's.  However, Manny Malhotra kind of blows that idea out of the water. 

Nonetheless, I digress.

The point of this was to illustrate just how hamstrung Darryl now is if he wants to make any meaningful changes to this club.   The problem is, it doesn't seem like does. 

As fans, we just have to hope that  "Darryl's Decemvirate" prove his decision making correct or we could be in for years of the same ol', same ol'.

(Nothing really new here, just wanted to write that headline.  Wow.  Compared to Ales Kotalik though, he is a steal!)

If indeed we are buying out Ales Kotalik, which I believe will be 1 million per year against our cap for the next 4 years, allow me to ask...WHAT THE F&@K?!?!?! (excuse my French) 

Career stats with the Calgary Flames:
26 games: 3g 2a 29 pim

Woooo, my slipping faith in Darryl has been restored!!  Brilliant!!!  ARGHHH ARGHHGHGH ARGGGHGHGHGH!!!

Oh, apparently this has to be 75 words long. 
ANIMALLLL!!!
HULK SMAAAASHSHHHH!!!
WOCKA WOCKA WOCKA!!!!

*Edit: Just wanted to add this in:

So, breaking this insane sequence down as it stand right now…

Calgary gets:
1 million cap hit annually for four years

Calgary gives up:
Matthew Lombardi, Olli Jokinen, Brandon Prust (twice), Jim Vandermeer (thanks PrairieStew) and a 1st round pick (Brandon Gormley).

Craze.

For the first time in years, I am feeling a disconnect from this hockey team and it's a bizarre feeling.  After so many years of being so close, believing that one quick fix is all that was needed to get us over the hump, a scary reality is sinking in.  Who are we?

No longer are we plucky underdogs.  Nor a fast, young, hardworking team.  Nor a tough team no one wants to play.  Players like Stajan, Kotalik, Hagman bring neither the ability to scare an opponent with their skill or their physicality.  Honestly, even our dear Captain looks as if he is losing the former as well. 

On defense, Bouwmeester is one of the best one on one defenders in the game, but his offense has to improve.  Giordano has to maintain his upward swing and Reggie needs to bounce back or else we are in trouble.  Oh yeah, and we have to figure out Ian White's place/pay scale on this team.

In goal, we are set.  Miika is still one of the best in the game and shows no sign of slowing down.

I can't get over the thought that all we will see this off-season is minor tinkering.  Sure, we may win our share next year, but right now I look at this roster and honestly don't really like this team. 

Aside from Iginla, Miika, Bourque, Regehr, Gio, Backlund who elicits any kind of loyalty or pride?  Who getting moved would truly upset you?

To me, there are almost more players on this roster I would like to see leave than stay and I can't remember the last time that has happened with Calgary. 

The disconnect is happening and there's a certain rebuild out East that continues to pique my interest.  Please Darryl, don't drive me to the dark side.

Per DobberHockey.com: "To Calgary: Henrik Karlsson, To San Jose: 2010 6th round pick (143rd overall) Karlsson was rumoured to have signed with a KHL team last week, but it now appears that he will head to Calgary’s training camp to compete for the backup position behind Miikka Kiprusoff. His numbers last season in the SEL are very impressive (2.45 GAA, .914 SV %). He is a presence between the pipes, checking in at 6’5".

I think everyone seems to agree something has to happen with Calgary, here's my idea for re-building the club.  By the way, cheers all...been watching this site for a little while and finally decided to join!

Trade 1:
Miikka Kiprusoff, Greg Nemisz, 2011 2nd round pick to Philadelphia
Jeff Carter, Claude Giroux to Calgary

Trade 2:
Daymond Langkow, Adam Pardy to Minnesota
Brent Burns to Calgary

Trade 3:

Robyn Regehr to Montreal
Carey Price to Calgary

Free Agent signings (step 4):
Dan Hamhuis 4 years, 16 million
Ian White: 3 year, 9 million
Martin Biron: 2 years, 3 million

Random salary dumps (which have to happen): Ales Kotalik, Cory Sarich

Line-Up

Forwards:
Claude Giroux - Jeff Carter- Jarome Iginla
Rene Bourque - Mikael Backlund - Niklas Hagman
David Moss - Matt Stajan - Chris Higgins
Curtis Glencross - Eric Nystrom - Nigel Dawes

Defence:
Jay Bouwmeester - Mark Giordano
Dan Hamhuis - Brent Burns
Ian White - Steve Staios

Goaltending:
Carey Price
Martin Biron

Total Payroll (per capgeek):
$55,047,832

A little long-winded and far fetched, but not improbable...maybe.