MacK_Attack

He's averaged 45 goals a season since he was traded to Ottawa. He never scored more than 41 in Atlanta.

Luongo, Brodeur & either Ward or Fleury will be the trio for Canada in net, almost guaranteed. You'll see Bouwmeester, Phaneuf, Weber, Niedermayer (will probably play, seeing as the Olympics are in his home province), Green, Pronger & Keith for Canada on the blueline. Guys like Dan Boyle, Brent Burns & Marc Staal will be mentioned, too.

Yeah, but he's not going to sign another one year deal. The free agency market is going to be pretty dry next summer and there's no way he'd intentionally set himself up to be a free agent when there's not as much money to be had. Look for Hossa to sign for 5-7 years with whomever he decides to sign with.

I think it's highly debatable that Bouwmeester is among the top-5 defencemen in the league.

What? Do you mean he has a $4 million bonus on July 1st? If so, that doesn't affect his cap number, it's still the same...$7.5 million.

Yeah....if you can wait until December....

He can't. He's signed already. Anyways, Bryan Murray will try to take somebody to the cleaners in this trade. I have a feeling his job may depend on it. He's certainly running out of time to show Eugene Melnyk that he can turn that team around. It'll cost a top prospect, a 1st round pick and a young roster player with lots of upside and perhaps a veteran contract to soak up some of that cap hit going the other way.

The Red Wings have had similar hard times in their history not all that long ago. It happens.

It officially comes out in late June, usually a week or so before free agency begins. But Bettman already said the cap will drop a bit, unless the NHLPA uses its right to boost the cap by 5%, which would bring the cap back in line with where it was this past season. So in the end, it'll either be down a bit, or relatively the same.

....but you're not bitter.

In being extremely premature and obviously without knowing what moves teams will make over the summer, my early pick to come out of the East next year is Boston.

Olympic Gold.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2009/06/10/leafs_allaire/

They've made it abundantly clear that they want Gustavsson. Anyways, the Leafs had limited time to get Allaire, as Montreal was after him, as well. Also, the deal is for three years.

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=281356

What does Vancouver have to give up? (Not being a smartass, legit question)

Ottawa has Leclaire, Elliot & Auld under contract already.

Yeah, I said the future, because the current Ottawa team is just as bad as the Leafs, despite their obvious front-end talent. Alfredsson is old and won't be traded. That leaves Spezza. Other than those guys, the Sens really don't have anything.

So we're going to split hairs over 2 points in the standings? But it's not like the Leafs & Sens are ever going to trade with each other in the first place. I would say the Leafs are in better shape for the future than Ottawa is.

Pogge has million dollar talent and a 10-cent brain. He's 6'3", he moves so well laterally, yet he can't put it all together. There was lots of talk that he didn't take his AHL season seriously and felt he was entitled to time in the NHL (which he promptly blew).

Leafs are definitely targeting Jonas Gustavsson as "Plan A" and apparently Martin Gerber is "Plan B". Toskala gets $4 million this season, so there won't be any extravagant spending on goaltending. Latest is that if Gustavsson is signed, Justin Pogge won't be.

Heatley has a no-movement clause and essentially controls where he goes. It won't be to a bottom-feeder. Presumably, that's why he's getting out of Ottawa.

Ottawa isn't near the finals next year. Murray has pretty much locked up last year's team to extensions already. Only guys like Neil & Comrie aren't signed. $51 million already committed. Unless the Sens find 4 or 5 defencemen somewhere this summer, they're in trouble. Now with Heatley wanting out, that takes a bite out of their scoring....and they're already void of secondary scoring. What will be interesting to see is if Ottawa goes for immediate help or the future considerations route with this trade.

The wheels completely fell off the cart in the past 18 months. He's jumping off of a sinking ship.

I can't see that. Players are going to do all they can to avoid becoming free agents next summer. Get the long-term deal now while they're still money to be had.