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Loading ...Relax, this is going to be G-rated. Well, PG-rated and catering to juvenile senses of humor at any rate.
Word around the Caniac Campfire is that Niclas “Mr. OT” Wallin is being asked if he’d be willing to waive his no-trade clause so that he can go to Philadelphia in exchange for Joni Pitkanen. I dunno how I’d feel, really.
“Nicky, we’d like you to waive your NTC so we can trade you for a Finnish kid whose name sounds like the Sanskrit word for your wife’s babymaker.”
Umm….yeah. I’ll wait for you mooks to stop with the Beavis and Butt-head impressions.
Moving right along….
According to my boy Luke DeCock, Bret Hedican has formally informed JimR that he’s going to be giving it a go in training camp. Jim-bob, predictably, has declared that he won’t be looking to land any free-agent defensemen come 1 July. What do I think? I think that by not pursuing a contingency plan of some sort (and I’m sorry, but Snatch Pitkanen isn’t it), the man is setting himself up to get shot in the ass again. As for the rumored trade for Pitkanen….
My sources* tell me that Edmonton did some background checking on the the young Finn (what, they were trying to find out if he was the second coming of Janne Niinimaa?)–and that checking apparently turned up something that made the Oilers drop the idea of trading for the kid like a hot rock. Velly interestink, if you ask me. I think I’ll give that an A1.
The Hall of Fame’s Class of 2007 will be announced this week–Mark Messier will of course get in, but the question on everyone’s mind is (of course) “who will be able to fit on the stage with that guy’s ego?”
Conventional wisdom has Al MacInnis, Orenthal Scott Stevens, and either Ron Francis or Adam Oates as the other inductees–but personally? I think that Francis will wind up getting overlooked, just like he has been overlooked his whole career (especially by Bristol–screw you John Buccigross, for comparing St. Francis of Assist to Bernie fucking Federko back in ‘04).
The Hurricanes are shopping for a third-line center to replace the departing Joe, Lord of Evil–and wouldn’t you know, Kevyn Adams was waived by the Coyotes the other day. It seems perfect, Kevyn coming back to the team he won a Cup with, but I’m wondering if there aren’t some issues stemming from the fight he and Bret Hedican had last season. Mind you, I could be all wet–but I just get this strange feeling that this is a fence that might not be so easily mended.
In news from other teams (well, one other team)….
The Boston Bruins canned yet more people in their haste to clean house after yet another lackluster season: this time, they got rid of assistant coach Jeff Gorton and amateur scout Daniel Dore. Yet another futile attempt by the Bruins to reverse the fortunes that are pretty much ruined by a bastard who’s more concerned with raw profit than with actually having a team that has at least a snowball’s chance in Muspelheim of winning a Cup. And whose bright idea was it to name Jeremy Jacobs as President of the Board of Governors?! The only suggestion that would have been worse would have been naming Bill Wirtz as BoG President!
Sheesh.
*: TSN, Canadian Press, and Sportsnet. Come on people, who do you think I am–Eklund?
Anyone know what set off the row between Hedican and KAds? I’ve always wondered about that.
I’ve been fretting for weeks that Ron Francis was going to be the odd man out when it came Hall of Fame time so my husband atleast is thrilled that I can stop complaining about it.
Mer: I suspect that we’ll never know–my guess is that it was an outgrowth of the early-season frustration the team had, and it just boiled over.
Heather: I’m happy that Mr. Francis didn’t get overlooked–the WhalerCanes now have their very first HoF player, and it was a long time coming. His selection was really about as no-brainer as you can get. I shouldn’t have underestimated the selection committee like I did.