Frozen-Man

I know some don't like it but I think the NHL knows it has to become much more national if it wants to be able to compete with football, baseball, and basketball. I have signed Yzerman, Fedorov, and Zetterberg jerseys as well as a game used Datsyuk stick hanging in my law office and clients are always amazed that someone would have those things in an office in New Mexico and ask how in the world did I get interested in the sport. If the NHL wants to expand its brand it has to do it nationwide.

I may have been reading it wrong but I didn't take that article as saying Mrazek is #2 out of the seven goalies listed just that he is one of the seven best goalies available in the expansion draft.

I keep looking to get tickets for the outdoor game, I can't wait for that.

It does however negate your suggestion that they should be the ones benched.

I don't disagree with what you are saying about Howard being a "huge reason why this team has made the playoffs" but conversely with his play after the all star break he is also a huge part of the reason why this team almost missed the playoffs and it seems that goalies more than most players are hot or cold and Howie has been pretty cold for quite a while. edit: grammar

Ansar Khan ‏@AnsarKhanMLive 11m11 minutes ago Babcock said he hasn't decided if Datsyuk and Zetterberg will be split. Could depend on whether Abdelkader is available, he said.

Chris Johnston @reporterchris $40 .25M over seven years from #caps for Matt Niskanen, to be precise.

I think most of that misses the original point, Alife WANTED to come here, Dekeyser WANTED to come here, and Weiss chose to come here. They were all highly sought after and all chose to come here, whether they worked out or not is irrelevant to countering the statement that UFA's don't want to go to the Wings. Some do and some don't and on a guy like Dekyser it isn't really fair to say he was a hometown move and so discount him but not discount all the other FA's choices that involve family, friends, location, climate, etc. None of that is to say that I disagree with your final statement that the Wings are a tougher sell than they were 5 years ago, I agree they definitely are, but that is different that than the original assertion that UFA's don't want to go to Detroit anymore.

I think he can be counted on in limited minutes but when it really matters (i.e. end of games) and could really help the development of guys like Ouellet.

I think $4M is a little high for Hemsky either way but I mostly agree with you, which is why I was saying earlier, as much as I like Nill, what he needs to do in Dallas is vastly different and easier than what Holland needs to do in Detroit.

I agree, LGW would be in melt down mode for $4M for Hemsky for the next 3 years.

Elliotte Friedman @FriedgeHNIC Hemsky is 3 yrs, $4M AAV in DAL

Bob McKenzie @TSNBobMcKenzie Ryan Miller's deal with VAN is three years with an AAV of $6M .

I agree he has declined a fair bit but I still think he would be good for the team.

Pierre LeBrun @Real_ESPNLeBrun Ales Hemsky has agreed to terms with the Dallas Stars

Pierre LeBrun @Real_ESPNLeBrun Stuart to Colorado for a 2nd round pick and a 6th round pick I'd have liked to have Stewie back.

Pierre LeBrun @Real_ESPNLeBrun Stastny breakdown in St. Louis: $6 .5 million, $7 M, $7 M and $7 .5 M. Plus NTC

Bob McKenzie @TSNBobMcKenzie Bolland gets 5 years at $5 .5M per in FLA. #TSN

I like Nill a lot and think he is doing a great job but the team/situation he has and the road Dallas needs to traverse is very different than the team/situation that Holland has and the road Detroit needs to traverse are incredibly different.

We didn't have a first round pick in Emmerton's draft year (2006) it was traded to Phoenix.

I absolutely disagree with this statement. I'm an attorney and know quite a few attorney's who have left bigger, more prestigious firms to go to smaller firms or even to go into solo practice. They generally make less than half the money they did and almost all of them think it was a wonderful career move. There is motivation behind career choices that goes well beyond just the biggest/most prestigious/best firms and salary. There are time issues, pressure issues, expectation issues, area of practice issues and many others. Tim may like less pressure, he may like Florida better than Massachusetts, who knows what else but all of those can factor into his career choices. Additionally, you keep saying: While technically this might be true, it is at best misleading. His last full NHL season he made $5M this year his salary is $2.5M but he has $1.25M in bonuses, which are easier bonuses everyone seems to think he will easily meet (similar to the little doubt DeKeyser would reach his bonuses). With his bonuses he would be getting 75% of what he made his last full NHL season. Additionally, the 2012-2013 season that he sat out he was supposed to make $3M. Tim should be making $750k (20%) MORE than that this year. Also, you cannot over look the huge tax saving he is getting being in an income tax free state as opposed to a state that taxes income at 5.3%. He may really like where his career is, he is making a lot of money, playing with very little pressure, warm climate. He may have made a perfect career choice for himself.

The reason that I mentioned separated shoulders and eye injuries is because your post stated: Hockey players will never be able to play hockey (in any form that is a semblance to what it currently is) AND be safe too. The game is not safe, it is violent, risky, and dangerous. I understand that your chief complaint is hits to the head and fighting but the point I was trying to make is that your definition of an employer's responsibility: and There are many things that would completely alter the game of hockey but would be required if an employer must do "absolutely everything in their power to keep [player's] safe on the job" and if "it's the responsibility of your employer to make sure that you're safe at work." The line between employer/employee responsibility and also an athlete's assumption of the risk (which even the term over simplifies it, the legal term is volenti no fit injuria which translates "to a willing person, injury is not done.") For example the illustration that most law schools use is a boxer consents and assumes the risk of the dangers of being punched repeatedly with a gloved fist but does not consent or assume the risk of being hit with a baseball bat. To boil that all down to it being the responsibility of the employer to make sure an employee is safe and that hockey players have a right to play the game they love and be safe ignores to a large degree the violence involved with the the sport/occupation even at the best of times. Whether the league knew and hid information or failed to make reasonable efforts to eliminate unreasonable hazards from the sport.

I am corporate counsel for a large heavy construction company and you are incorrect that "it's the responsibility of your employer to make sure you are safe at work." While the employer's responsibility for employee safety is very fact fact, industry and situation specific the most general standard is from the US Department of Labor OSHA and states that an employer "shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees." U.S.C. 654(a)(1). The problem is that it is very fact and occupation specific, for example what is considered a recognized hazard in highway construction is very different from what is a recognized hazard for for a secretarial firm. Hockey as a specialty occupation which is inherently dangerous will have a drastic impact on what is considered a hazard in general and when such hazard became a "recognized" hazard in the industry. It is unrealistic for professional hockey players to to want to play the game that they love AND be safe too, they can play a version of hockey but it will be a drastically different game if they are going to play hockey and be safe, there are too many injuries that occur daily from normal legal hockey plays (think about Dekeyser's separated shoulder, Eaves' concussion from a puck, or even Yzerman's eye injury). The vast majority of injuries in the NHL occur from normal legal plays, unless you are talking not about "being safe" and just about concussions from fights illegal hits. The problem is and it will be a detriment to the plaintiff's in this case is assumption of the risk, boxers are aware that injuries occur from boxing matches but the industry still continues even though their employees (i.e. the boxers) are not safe from the moment they step into the ring (and in fact not really safe even during practices). The court will have to decide if they were aware of the inherent risks of playing in the NHL and the dangers associated therewith, this is a hard line to determine and made even more so by the fact that the vast majority of NHL players in every poll taken want to keep fighting in the game. The reality in almost all cases like this is that even if legally they business is likely to prevail it is not worth the PR capital that is spent to fight it and usually they will just settle. *None of this should be taken to mean that I do not think that ALL employers should take reasonable precautions to protect their employees from unreasonable dangers of their professions. I am merely stating my take from a legal prospective.

I know, Patty has always seemed to have a great attitude and done everything asked of him and then to not even let him know in person before hand. Unbelievable.