News: League GMs meet for conference in upcoming days

[Guest Crymson]

All 30 general managers will be in Naples, FL for a conference on NHL affairs. Amongst these are (quoted verbatim from article):

-Whether the league should award three points in the standings for a regulation-time victory;

-A re-examination of the instigator penalty;

-Pre-game ceremonies and the need to curb how long they run;

-"Soft penalties," better defining hooking calls without easing up on the officiating standard;

-Discussion on No-touch icing;

-Goalie interference - NHL netminders are once again getting run;

-The issues of goalies overfreezing the puck to gain a stoppage in play.

More importantly for the immediate interests of this board, having all 30 general managers in the same hotel so close to the trade deadline is sure to produce some deals--though this is not "officially" the purpose of the conference-- so never fear. This will be open season, probably the best and most involved trades-session this year.

EDIT: Holland says, "I think the timing of having the GMs meeting a week before the trade deadline adds to the intrigue, certainly from a fan standpoint," said Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland, his team on the lookout for an impact forward. "In this age of BlackBerrys and cellphones, you're never out of touch. But certainly this week having people together, face to face in a room, where you can pull someone aside for five minutes, that might help the process of eventually getting a deal done, whether it's done in Florida or if it happens right at the trade deadline."

Edited February 18, 2007 by Crymson

[theman19 47]

we could have used that last one when the oilers froze the puck every 5 seconds

[gowingsgo 3]

I won't be shocked if Kenny deals Datsyuk. He is UFA after the season and we need to get something for him instead of breaking the bank on him. I would build this team around Z v Datsyuk.

[Hockey13Playa 240]

I won't be shocked if Kenny deals Datsyuk. He is UFA after the season and we need to get something for him instead of breaking the bank on him. I would build this team around Z v Datsyuk.

You really think He would deal Dats? I don't think hes going anywhere at the trade deadline.

Maybe in the future due to a contract dispute, but not from a trade at the deadline.

[Guest Crymson]

I won't be shocked if Kenny deals Datsyuk. He is UFA after the season and we need to get something for him instead of breaking the bank on him. I would build this team around Z v Datsyuk.

I doubt it. The word out is that Kenny is trying very hard to sign Datsyuk before he becomes a UFA, so that the top line can remain together.

[Salviaman 104]

I won't be shocked if Kenny deals Datsyuk. He is UFA after the season and we need to get something for him instead of breaking the bank on him. I would build this team around Z v Datsyuk.

Well yeah I would do the same thing but I woul deal Lang away before dealing Datsyuk away, since they both are UFA's.

[gowingsgo 3]

You really think He would deal Dats? I don't think hes going anywhere at the trade deadline.

Maybe in the future due to a contract dispute, but not from a trade at the deadline.

Trade him now and you get a return. Let him go into the summer UFA and he walks without getting anything back. I would rather get a return on him for developing him then letting him walk.

His agent screwed us last time he was UFA. I would expect the same this time around.

[Hockey13Playa 240]

Trade him now and you get a return. Let him go into the summer UFA and he walks without getting anything back. I would rather get a return on him for developing him then letting him walk.

His agent screwed us last time he was UFA. I would expect the same this time around.

Yeah , thats what most of US would do, but Kenny really likes him. I think he would try and sign him first, then if no absoulte deal can be done, he might consider sending him away.

[johnnyoski 0]

Trade him now and you get a return. Let him go into the summer UFA and he walks without getting anything back. I would rather get a return on him for developing him then letting him walk.

His agent screwed us last time he was UFA. I would expect the same this time around.

Yeah but breaking up the ONLY line that is producing right now might not be in our best interest.

Unless you get something great in return I think you have to keep him for the playoff run.

[betterREDthandead 58]

My unsolicitied opinion on this stuff:

-Whether the league should award three points in the standings for a regulation-time victory;

Yes. I want to see the 3-2-1-0 format for awarding points

-A re-examination of the instigator penalty;

GET RID OF IT.

-Pre-game ceremonies and the need to curb how long they run;

Interesting. I'm surprised they're taking a look at this. I never thought of this as an issue, but looking back, Stevie's ceremony was scheduled for one hour with the game to start at 7:30, and it started at 8:30. Some of those speeches (Devellano's especially) got a little lengthy.

-"Soft penalties," better defining hooking calls without easing up on the officiating standard;

I still say it should be a penalty to ever touch an opponent with any part of your stick unless your intent is clearly to play the puck and only the puck.

-Discussion on No-touch icing;

No thanks. I like the hustle play to nullify the icing, either by touching the puck yourself or forcing the goalie to play it. The rule change to not allow a defensive change after an icing is one of the best brainstorms they ever came up with, no need to play with the icing rule any further.

-Goalie interference - NHL netminders are once again getting run;

Major penalty for blatantly running the goalie when you could have stopped?

-The issues of goalies overfreezing the puck to gain a stoppage in play.

Perhaps no freezing the puck unless all skaters on both sides are in the offensive zone?

[Guest Crymson]

Trade him now and you get a return. Let him go into the summer UFA and he walks without getting anything back. I would rather get a return on him for developing him then letting him walk.

His agent screwed us last time he was UFA. I would expect the same this time around.

You speak with the unequivocal assumption that Datsyuk will walk no matter what. That is not the case. Datsyuk MIGHT walk. However, I am confident that the intangibles are in our favor.

Edited February 19, 2007 by Crymson

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

Why trade him when hes doing so well , I mean he's done nothing to get 6 million , but If the hot line hes on contiues in the playoffs , I could see 4-5 million for 3-4 years , which would be reasonable

[betterREDthandead 58]

Why trade him when hes doing so well , I mean he's done nothing to get 6 million , but If the hot line hes on contiues in the playoffs , I could see 4-5 million for 3-4 years , which would be reasonable

Somebody will offer him 6 million if the Wings don't.

I don't think it's a done deal that Pavel will be gone, but I'm not as optimistic as Crymson either. Datsyuk's agent has played hardball before. I promise you that if he wants to follow the money, somebody will throw it on the table.

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

Doesn't matter what Datsyuk does after the season; he's in it for the haul and going for the Cup just like every year this season, in Detroit. Put trading him out of your mind, it really just isn't going to happen.

[Guest Crymson]

Doesn't matter what Datsyuk does after the season; he's in it for the haul and going for the Cup just like every year this season, in Detroit. Put trading him out of your mind, it really just isn't going to happen.

Exactly. In any case, what will everyone say if Datsyuk wins the Conn Smythe this playoff year?

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

-Whether the league should award three points in the standings for a regulation-time victory;

-A re-examination of the instigator penalty;

-Pre-game ceremonies and the need to curb how long they run;

-"Soft penalties," better defining hooking calls without easing up on the officiating standard;

-Discussion on No-touch icing;

-Goalie interference - NHL netminders are once again getting run;

-The issues of goalies overfreezing the puck to gain a stoppage in play.

1. The league better get to 3-2-1-0 point format. Three for regular-time win. Two for winning in overtime. One in a shootout if it remains tied after OT (I do like the shootout). 0 points for a loss at any point in the game. No if's/and's/but's.

2. The instigator penalty is dead to me.

3. Soft penalties...what I'd like to see is more calls for oscar clips and embelishments causing the opposing player to get a penalty. Definitely hard to do in the heat of the moment, but hopefully that could be done.

4. Actually against no-touch icing. It's dangerous when you got two guys going full speed into the boards for icing/no icing, I remember seeing D-Mac back in the Wings days actually slide skate first into the boards and take a nasty hit for an icing. You don't want to see any player get hurt in an instance like this, but it's just so infrequent IMO to change the rule.

5. Goalie interference...the only thing (outside of a 2:00 minor) to do I think is keep track of if a player deliberatly charged a goalie. Nothing really changes of a minor penalty call, but if it is a repeat offender, suspend him for a game/two, something like that, and it gets worse down the line if you keep doing it.

6. Don't know what a change in goalies freezing the puck would do. I don't think there's an over-embelishment of freezing the puck by many 'tenders to stop play, and it's also a judgment call to stop play by the referee. This doesn't really get to me one way or the other.

[gowingsgo 3]

I think if Holland suspected that Dats was going to be an impossible deal then he would have went balls out for Foresberg.

Besides, why would any one want to break up the hottest line in the National Hockey League heading 1st place in the playoffs? We're very much a contending team, lowest GA's, solid D, and have one of the Hottest goalies in the league.

I'd almost agree shopping Dats if our playoff chances weren't so solid.

The Pens are 14-0-2 in their last 16 games. I would think whatever line Sidney Crosby is on is the hottest line in the league at the time being.

[YoungGuns1340 1]

Doesn't matter what Datsyuk does after the season; he's in it for the haul and going for the Cup just like every year this season, in Detroit. Put trading him out of your mind, it really just isn't going to happen.

At least some person on here is same. Datsyuk is not going to be traded. Period.

Something is severely wrong on this board when people want to trade Datsyuk and keep Williams. Any trading of Datsyuk shouldve been done much early in the season. its too late now.

[TheLegend19 1]

My unsolicitied opinion on this stuff:

-Whether the league should award three points in the standings for a regulation-time victory;

Yes. I want to see the 3-2-1-0 format for awarding points

-Discussion on No-touch icing;

No thanks. I like the hustle play to nullify the icing, either by touching the puck yourself or forcing the goalie to play it. The rule change to not allow a defensive change after an icing is one of the best brainstorms they ever came up with, no need to play with the icing rule any further.

-The issues of goalies overfreezing the puck to gain a stoppage in play.

Perhaps no freezing the puck unless all skaters on both sides are in the offensive zone?

-I kinda like the league awarding more points for a regulation victory, but I'm more concerned about still awarding points for an overtime loss. I abolustely hate that.

-I agree. I don't like the no-touch icing. Makes the game boring. (College game).

-I doubt anything will happen with overfreezing the puck.

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

Is there anyone that's really upset about goalies freezing the puck too much? I've never really noticed it, it's basically a non-issue.

JUST LIKE FLIPPING THE PUCK OVER THE GLASS I MIGHT ADD HEY LETS GO FIDDLE WITH s*** THAT DOESNT NEED IT AM I RITE NHL ???

[Guest Crymson]

Is there anyone that's really upset about goalies freezing the puck too much? I've never really noticed it, it's basically a non-issue.

JUST LIKE FLIPPING THE PUCK OVER THE GLASS I MIGHT ADD HEY LETS GO FIDDLE WITH s*** THAT DOESNT NEED IT AM I RITE NHL ???

How about the trapezoid? Sheesh--what an imbecilic rule. Want to speed up play? How about you don't immobilize the goaltender?

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

How about the trapezoid? Sheesh--what an imbecilic rule. Want to speed up play? How about you don't immobilize the goaltender?

Word. Both were essentially things that were fine as they were and nobody cared about 'til some genius decided, "Hey, let's see what happens when we f*** with this!"

Okay, /rage.

[wingslogo19 281]

They should get rid of the delay of game rule when you flick the puck out of play in the defense zone

[Kp-Wings 3]

They should get rid of the delay of game rule when you flick the puck out of play in the defense zone

I'm all for that. Look at how many teams score of off that idiotic penalty. It's rediculous. That penalty is what knocked Buffalo out of the playoffs last season (Carolina scored a PP goal that turned out to be the winner off of a penalty where a Buffalo player flipped the puck over the glass in the defensive zone). Of all the lame rules that the NHL currently has right now, this is by far the lamest.

[stevie for president 42]

i think if a player with the puck crossed the blue line, off sides shouldnt be called. i see very often that a player goes offsides because his team mate made a move at the line so the puck didnt cross the line, even if the player with possesion did.