Modin To Columbus, Denis To Tampa

The Tampa Bay Lightning have acquired goaltender Marc Denis from the Columbus Blue Jackets for forward Fredrik Modin and Finnish netminder Fredrik Norrena.

Also, Ed Belfour's name is now coming up in Toronto and Florida's talks

The Day Before

Tomorrow the UFA market opens, and all 30 teams will be looking to jump into the free agent frenzy, here is the latest...

Lidstrom has signed a two year deal with the Detroit Red Wings, at 7.6 million dollars per season. I am surprised at the amount, as it was heavily rumoured that Lidstrom would come cheaper for the Wings, in hopes the Red Wings could use the extra money to add to this team.

Tie Domi and Bill Guerin have both been waived by their teams (Toronto and Dallas), and Travis Green and Shawn McEachren have both been waived by Boston. All four players will be bought out by the end of the day, as will Ed Belfour, and I'm sure a few others.

The Leafs and Florida are closing in on a deal that will send Gary Roberts back to Toronto. Expect that to be done by the end of the day.

Don't forget Chris Pronger, many believe he could be dealt before midnight tonight, as could several players such as Nabokov, Giguere, and Havlat.

Chara will test the free agent market, and LA apparently is very interested in him.

The Leafs are said to be ready to make offers to McKee, Elias and Arnott when they become Unrestricted Free Agents tomorrow.

The Sedin Twins re-signed with Vancouver today, each signing a three year, 10.75 million dollar deal. Is Anson Carter next for Vancouver?

The Devils, Rangers and Flyers are all not expected to be major players in this season's UFA market. All three would love to get a solid, puck-moving defenseman, though none can afford the big names such as Jovo and Chara.

Edmonton has yet to re-sign Roloson, Pisani,Peca, Samsonov, Spacek and several others, including their coach! With Pronger on his way out, things in Edmonton do not look good.

Roenick has said that Toronto and Ottawa are the two Canadian teams he would most like to play for

Brian Leetch will not be offered a contract by the Bruins. Reports have the Leafs, Rangers, Wild, and Kings interested if they can get him at the right price.

Some site news for you, the UFA preview I did with Blueline radio is now available in our Downloads section at Hockeyleaks.com, I see many of you have already checked it out, but if you haven't, give it a listen!

Guerin To Be Bought Out

100% from a good source, will happen tomorrow

Belfour will also be bought out in the next 24 hours

Redden Re-Signs With Sens

Two Years, 13 million dollars.

McCabe signed with Toronto today, 5 years/5.75 a season

Luongo signed a 4 year/27 million dollar contract with vancouver

and Gary Roberts has asked Florida to deal him Toronto. Leafs only make this deal if Florida will take Belfour, Domi or Antropov, as they don't want to get hit by Gary's cap number

Roenick To Canada?

Good Ol' JR would like to play in Canada next season, and is willing to take less than 2.5 million to do so. Check out the poll on Hockeyleaks.com and vote for which city you think will land him.

As I reported first on Hockeyleaks.com last night, Lidstrom is closing in on a deal with Detroit. I'm hearing three years/20 million. Could be announced as early as today.

As I reported yesterday, Dave Lewis will be named the next coach of the Bruins. You have to wonder, where does this leave Pat Quinn?

Patrick Roy, Dick Duff, Herb Brooks, and Harley Hotchkiss will enter the Hall Of Fame this year, after being selected today. Where's Gilmour and Bure?

Five finalists for Pronger are Anaheim, Toronto, St. Louis, NYR and Florida. I've heard every player on every team mentioned in trade talks, so I'm not even going to get into this.

Even though Jovo is saying he wants to re-sign in Vancouver, he's still going to Florida, probably this weekend.

Thats all for now, I've had to get up at 5:30 all week, and have to again tomorrow, not to mention a very important dinner meeting tonight, so I think I'm going to have a nap. Remember to register at Hockeyleaks.com, so you can submit your own news stories, articles, and web links. If you want to be in our links section, simply log in at Hockeyleaks.com and click "submit weblink". If you would like to advertise your site or blog on the hockeyleaks.com main page, contact me at cjohnson202@hockeyleaks.com. We have really cheap rates to get your site on our front page! Thanks for everything everyone, we're back averaging over 120 000 hits per day again, and it's on the rise!

Dave Lewis To Boston

I am hearing that is all but done, and should be announced before friday.

Update on Pronger to Toronto : One source said that the Leafs were really hoping to get Pronger, to show UFA's that they were serious about contending right away. JFJ really wants to impress Elias, who will be targeted heavily by Toronto and will apparently be offered 7.5 million per season by the club right out of the gate.

Willie Mitchell may end up in Vancouver, while Jovo is all but a lock to sign in Florida. Talk has Ed Belfour going to Florida as well, as Keenan believes an Auld/Belfour combination may actually work well.

Eklund posted today that Aebischer + picks to Tampa for St. Louis was in the works. I have not heard this, but I thought I'd pass that on. Montreal would really win that deal, as St. Louis would excel there.

Finally, the Cap is officially 44 million, which I told you about a month ago! This means that the most a player can earn is $8.8 million. My guess is that Chara and Elias both get offers of this amount, but they may not take them...I mean, would you take $8.8 million to play in Columbus, or $8 million to play in Toronto, Detroit, Philly, etc.

July 1st is so soon, I can't wait! Make sure to check out the free agent tracker on hockeyleaks.com as we have a list of our top UFA's, and where we think they will go

Pronger Watch

A lot of talk concerning Chris Pronger today. I talked to a source today that told me that Pronger has asked Edmonton to have some say in a trade, and apparently they are giving it to him, despite lack of a no-trade clause. From what I've been told, he wants to be dealt to the US, unless it's Toronto. He's not interested in playing in Ottawa or Montreal. St. Louis, Phoenix and Florida all seem to be in the mix as well. St. Louis is offering Brewer among other players, while Florida is offering Bouwmeister and Phoenix, well we have no idea what they are offering, the only name I've heard is Mara. Toronto we all know is offering Kaberle and Stajan, and Edmonton wants Kaberle and Steen. The latest : The Leafs would like to make this a blockbuster, and maybe adding Tucker and Harrison into this deal, only if they can get Torres in return. A good source tells me that Pronger will be dealt by Friday night.

Huet has re-signed in Montreal today. It's a two year deal, no values yet.

Today is the deadline to sign RFA's as far as I am aware, though I'm still trying to clarify that. Florida apparently may walk away from Jon Sim, Steve Montador and Ric Jackman. We'll continue to keep an eye out for RFA's that are not qualified.

Belfour and Domi could both be bought out as early as today. Buying out Domi doesn't save the Leafs much, but it will be more of a message to the fans saying "We're going younger". Yes, I like the Raycroft trade, even though the Leafs gave up Rask, who will be a star. If Leafs get Pronger, Raycroft will look amazing, and even if they don't, he will still play very well for the Leafs, and go back to his Calder form. Mike Peca's name is coming up a lot in Toronto talks as well.

Belfour, Gerber and Biron are apparently high on Detroits goalie wish list, while San Jose would like to clear up their goalie situation by Friday. What about a Nabokov for Pronger deal? Hmm...

We're Just Getting Started...

The 110 000 hits we had yesterday officially shows me that the offseason is upon us! Thanks for all who were here yesterday, thanks to Jon Howe and Cdog for covering things, I was called out to the city and couldn't do much about it. I made sure to text Cdog with any information I got, which he then passed on through the chat! More chats will be occuring as we approach Saturday.

Don't think that this week will be slow, because it won't be. Pronger, Nabokov, Giguere, Cloutier, and Biron are all likely to go before Saturday, as teams want to have their money ready to spend for July 1st.

Pronger to Toronto rumours have heated up, with Steen and Kaberle the apparent asking price. The Leafs countered with Stajan and Kaberle, and I am hearing if the Leafs through in Kronwall or Harrison, this could actually be close to done. I'm not getting too excited yet though.

Ottawa is also in on the Pronger mix, with rumours saying that Ottawa has offered several packages, including players such as Eaves, Phillips, Emery and Havlat. It may take all four to get big Chris.

The first three players have been bought out, and there was one more trade that happened last night that went unreported. Check Hockeyleaks.com for those

Luongo On The Move, Again?

Morning!

Reports this morning have Vancouver possibly dealing Luongo once again, this time to Philly, Toronto or LA. While Vancouver traded for Luongo so he could play for them, a source told me this morning that Nonis would deal him if a good offer came through.

Toronto is working the phones hard this morning, trying to move up in the draft. They are also worried they may not be able to sign Elias in the offseason, and are looking at acquiring that winger they've always needed (I'm hearing Gaborik a lot this morning). Pronger is another player that is coming up in Toronto rumours this morning, with one source saying "Toronto is one of about five teams Pronger would like to be dealt to. St. Louis is one, while Pittsburgh has interest in Pronger, not sure if Pronger has interest in Pittsburgh".

Minnesota is looking to deal at least of their first round picks for immediate defensive help. I have yet to hear any names this morning

Remember that Buffalo/Calgary talk that was swirling around a lot, but no names popped up, so we ignored it? If you don't, then still keep reading. A deal is in the works between the two teams, and the names I've heard are Leopold and Vanek. Why Buffalo would deal Vanek, I don't know, but they're talking.

Afinogenov is being used as trade bait, and Buffalo is hoping to package him with someone else (some say Biron) to get Buffalo a top ten pick. 5-6 teams currently not in the top ten are really trying to get in there. Once 6 PM hits, things could really go crazy.

2 AM Rumours

Leafs are looking at obtaining a top five pick, no idea what they're offering

Cloutier will be gone asap, maybe tomorrow

Red Wings working on a deal to land Raycroft

Jovo likely to Florida not long after July 1st

Marc Denis to Tampa Bay involves swapping of draft picks as well as Modin as this point, source puts it at 70% done

New Jersey may attempt to shed some salary this weekend, hoping to free up money for Elias

Aebischer may end up in LA this weekend, the Kings are not happy they missed out on Luongo

I'm going to bed, busy day tomorrow

Luongo Traded To Vancouver For Bertuzzi

One night before the 2006 NHL entry draft, Vancouver and Florida pulled off the biggest move in the NHL so far this offseason, swapping Todd Bertuzzi and Roberto Luongo, as well as a handful of other players and a pick. Rumours about Luongo leaving Florida have been flying around everywehere so far this offseason, placing him in Los Angeles, Detroit, Toronto, Montreal, and, as HL.com reported on June 21, Vancouver.

The entire deal consists of Florida sending Roberto Luongo, Lukas Krajicek, and a 2006 6th Round Draft Pick to Vancouver in exchange for Todd Bertuzzi, Bryan Allen, and Alex Auld.

This deal solves Vancouver's goalie problems and provides a compliment to the Panthers' offense, with Todd Bertuzzi complimenting Olli Jokinen at centre.

Check back on Hockey Leaks for more post-trade information later.

Yick
HockeyLeaks.Com

Pronger Wants Out + much more

Disregard what I said earlier, apparently there is 100% truth that Chris Pronger wants to be traded from the Edmonton Oilers. Could it happen this weekend at the trade? One report has him going back to St. Louis, while another suggests a Pronger for Luongo trade may be in the works.

Rod Brind'Amour has resigned in Carolina, inking a new deal worth 18 million dollars over 5 years. The first three years he will earn 4 million, while the final two years he will earn 3 million.

Pat Quinn and Dave Lewis are the finalists to be the next Bruins coach. Expect Sullivan to get the axe next week.

Rob Blake is likely to re-sign in Colorado next week, and the same can be said for Lidstrom in Detroit. Redden and Chara may both be close to signing a deal with Ottawa, however, there is talk that the Oilers would really like to sign Redden should he come available on July 1st (and these talks make a lot more sense now that Pronger wants out).

Marc Savard and Willie Mitchell are both going to become UFA's on July 1st, as both would like to test the market. Willie Mitchell is the most underrated UFA this offseason in my opinion, he didn't even make Hockeybuzz's top 75!

Don't believe that it's a lock that St. Louis will draft Johnson. I've talk to one source today who said "St. Louis is tempted to take Stall, and if Pittsburgh makes the right offer, they'd move the top pick. I wouldn't be shocked to see St. Louis then flip Staal to Carolina for Jack Johnson and more"...That's really interesting, I'm very excited for the draft!

Though the Canucks are shopping both Bertuzzi and Cloutier, don't be shocked if Morrison is traded.

Just in as well, the Preds have apparently offered a very high prospect in Shae Webber for Pittsburgh's #2 overall pick. Tomorrow is going to be crazy. Minnesota is also making a lot of phone calls, as they have three first round picks, and would have no problem dealing one of them if it got them some quality return.

What a day tomorrow (and Sunday) should be!

Rumours Rumours Rumours

- Leafs looking at obtaining a goalie this weekend at the draft, with Giguere and Nabokov as the two prime targets. If trade demands are too high on the other side, the Leafs will shift their attention to Martin Gerber. The Leafs are also trying to deal Belfour and Domi, before they buy them out. Finally, the Leafs would love to move up in the draft to get Bryan Little, and talk is Minnesota could be the team to deal with. Darcy Tucker and the 13th pick in the draft could go the other way, while maybe a bigger deal involving Gaborik could happen? You never know

- Vancouver could be active this weekend, with Bertuzzi's name coming up a lot. The Canucks are also sniffing around for a new starting goaltender.

- Montreal is still interested in aquiring the rights to Jason Arnott.

- Tampa Bay is hoping to land a goalie this weekend, though it will cost them one of Modin or Fedetenko. Marc Denis could be the goalie they land.

- Detroit is looking at Giguere, Luongo, and Nabokov, among others. Datsyuk and Zetterberg will not be traded

- Andrew Raycroft and Martin Biron are both possible trade targets this weekend as well.

- Rumours are suggesting that Ottawa is looking for a new winger, and are shopping Havlat. Names I've heard are Doan, Gaborik, and Bertuzzi.

- A lot of rumours suggesting Chris Pronger wants out of Edmonton...I don't believe these at all!

Check Hockeyleaks.com as there are several new articles up there!

Thornton's On The Open Market!

Scott Thornton that is. As Hockeyleaks.com reported earlier today, the Sharks did not pick up Scott's option for next season, which will make him a free agent on July 1st. He should not have a problem finding a home.

McCabe is returning to Toronto next year, and the Leafs hope to announce the deal by the end of next week. The deal is still a 5 year / 28.75 million. This should squash the Lidstrom to Toronto rumours that are very inaccurate.

Luongo isn't coming to Toronto either. Rumours today had him and Roberts going to Toronto for Harrison, Pogge, Suglobov and a draft pick. Not happening! The Kings rumour, however, isn't far off. If I'm Keenan, I'd take Frolov, Garon and Brown for Luongo, as these three guys are guys you can build around. Frolov would look very nice beside Jokinen, don't you think?

I can confirm I will be back on Blueline on July 30th, for a full Free Agent Preview! You will be able to download that from our site, as well as Bluelines site, starting the 30th! We now have a downloads section on the main page of Hockeyleaks.com, and we'd love for you all to submit desktop backgrounds! Anyone who wants to make a Hockeyleaks.com desktop background, I will be forever in your debt! Cjohnson202@hockeyleaks.com is where you can email those! Also, don't forget to register for the new site (hockeyleaks.com), as you will be able to submit your own stories and links!

Rumours and Mock Draft

Brand new rumours, and (NHL Draft Net's Mock Draft are both now available at Hockeyleaks.com. Our numbers are great, thanks a lot guys. We were down to about 10k hits before the site launch, but now we're back over 50k a day, and rising! Thanks a lot, and let me know what you'd like to see on Hockeyleaks.com by emailing me at cjohnson202@hockeyleaks.com

Legace To Toronto?

If you haven't seen my UFA predictions on the new site, make sure to check them out. One prediction I made was Legace to Toronto, and wow are these rumours really heating up. The Leafs do not want to trade to get a goalie, as the price of a goalie this offseason will be high (and you'll see that first hand this year at the draft I believe). The Leafs have internally been talking about the possibility of getting Legace, and having him split time with Aubin. 75% Legace, 25% Aubin. This is a story to watch as we approach July 1st.

I just did an interview with AOL.com's draft site, it will be up soon I am sure, and I will direct you there once it is. Also, I will be back on Blueline on the June 30th show with the official offseason preview, so make sure to look for that!!

Finally make sure you check out and register for the hockeyleaks.com. Registration is free, and will allow you to read and post comments on all news stories. Registered users will also be able to submit their own news storys and links. Not all submissions will be used, but we try to use as many as possible! Make sure to vote in our poll as well, which already has over 100 votes! The site had great numbers yesterday, so keep it up everyone! Enjoy your Friday!

Hockeyleaks.com Launches!

The brand new site is up, go check it out ASAP. Make sure to register for it, as you will now be able to post your own news, articles, rumours, etc! What a great feature for our site, this should really make our site one of the most interactive hockey sites around. Please leave comments, and let me know what you think.

The Free Agent Tracker is still being worked on, so please excuse the messyness of a few of the pages. All the info, however, is correct, so they are reliable! Also, you may notice the exclusion of Internet Radio Broadcasts. Give us another week, it will be back!

Oilers Stay Alive!

Pisani may be the best free agent available come July 1st. He'll stay in Edmonton, why would he leave?

Several sources across the internet are saying Pat Quinn will be named the head coach of the Vancouver Canucks tomorrow. I have heard the Canucks will name their coach tomorrow, but the name I've heard is Vignault. Habsheid is also getting a lot of attention as well. We'll have to wait and see...

Speaking of tomorrow, the brand new Hockeyleaks.com will launch tomorrow. Probably late afternoon, say around 4 PM? Maybe earlier, maybe later, so keep checking back!

Finally, I never commented on the Devils hiring Julien. I don't like this choice, as I think there were much better guys out there for this job. I think this officially ends Elias' stay in New Jersey...Toronto bound? I'd like to think so

Update

You may have noticed, Hockeyleaks.com is down, as we are getting ready to the launch the new site! It will launch the day after the cup final, whenever that may be.

The forums are still up so make sure to keep going to hockeyleaks.com/forums.

Obviously, the blog is still up as well!

Note : The Wade Redden to Anaheim rumour is really gaining steam...

Update

You may have noticed, Hockeyleaks.com is down, as we are getting ready to the launch the new site! It will launch the day after the cup final, whenever that may be.

The forums are still up so make sure to keep going to hockeyleaks.com/forums.

Obviously, the blog is still up as well!

Note : The Wade Redden to Anaheim rumour is really gaining steam...

Selanne Back To Anaheim

Details are not firm, but I'm hearing 2 years at 3.5 a season.

Owen Nolan and the Leafs are back, face to face. According to several reports, the meetings are taking place in Cleveland. No decisions will be made this week, however, those will be left for later this summer.

Also want to point out a new partner of ours.

http://nhldraftnet.aol.com

They will have the best draft coverage over the next few weeks, and also have a great mock draft that will be showcasing on the new site (which is close to launching, remember, day after cup final!!). Make sure to check them out, they do a great job over there.

McCabe to Long Island?

I've talked to a few sources this morning, and apparently there is more than just Roberta McCabe holding up his deal with Toronto. Apparently McCabe is once again interested in Long Island, now that Neil Smith and Ted Nolan are there. Odds are McCabe signs with Toronto, but McCabe could wait this out until July 1st. Toronto's offered him exactly what he asked for, but if NYI makes the same offer, which would he choose? I still think he'll be back in Toronto, but until the contract is signed, we won't know for sure.

What a game last night! Jussi played great, and as questionable as the winning goal was last night, the Oilers deserved the win. This is still anyone's series. Sources in Edmonton are telling me that the Oilers are secretly hoping for a game 6 Roloson return. If Jussi wins the next two games though, then what do you do? Expect Tarnstrom to stay in the lineup for game 4.

How about these Hitchcock to Vancouver rumours? I don't see Hitchcock leaving Philly, and I believe Hitchcock is simply using this to get an extension on his current deal. With young stars like Richards, Carter and Umberger, I believe Hitchcock wants to spend several more years in Philly.

Expect Aleksey Morozov to return to the NHL this season, after a year in Europe. Also, reports this morning suggest Gaborik will seek cap max. I can't see him getting that, and it looks more and more like Gaborik may be on his way out of Minnesota. Look for the teams that miss out on Elias to give Minnesota a call. Finally, Kubina to Philly is something that is growing in size, and makes sense on a lot of levels. The Flyers will not have the cap space to target a Redden or Chara, but a guy like Kubina could be just what the Flyers need. That, and a healthy Peter Forsberg.

Domi, Legace, Roloson, and Markkanen

Rumours surfaced late last night that say Tie Domi will be bought out by the Toronto Maple Leafs. As Steve Simmons pointed out earlier this week, it would cost the Leafs 1.25 million dollars to keep Domi, or 1.26 million to buy him out and bring in a player making 450,000. So it comes down to, do you want Williams or Domi on the ice for you? Should be interesting. Teams have between the 15th and 30th to buy players out.

Legace will not be back with Detroit next season as Detroit GM Ken Holland has told him he will not be offered a contract prior to July 1st. Giguere and Raycroft are two possible replacements in Detroit, but all depends on whether or not Detroit retains Shanny or Lidstrom, or both.

Dwayne Roloson may not be done for the entire series as first thought. Though he couldn't return until at least game 6, there is talk that if the Oilers make it that far, he may be able to return.

Finally, Markkanen is 99% sure to get the start tonight. Hopefully the team in front of his shows up tonight, because I'm not too sure where they were on Wednesday

Who Did It?

Which one of you angry Edmonton fans took out your angry and knocked out my drivers side tail light? Oh well, what a day today has been.

Ty or Jussi? Who gets the start in game three? I'd stick with Jussi, but either way, I see the Oilers winning game three. Cam Ward has to falter eventually, right? maybe? Time will tell. The longer this series goes, the better chance for Edmonton. Carolina is very dangerous when they have momentum, which they have a serious case of right now.

Jason Arnott to Montreal? According to a source in Dallas, the Canadiens have contacted the Stars about a trade to bring Arnott to Montreal. Yes, Arnott is a UFA come July 1st, but Montreal would love to have those bargaining rights until Arnott is let out into the open. LA is also very interested in Arnott, who's days in Dallas seem very numbered.

Leafs picked up Tellqvist's option today, but that doesn't mean he's staying. Leafs will look at grabbing a goalie draft weekend, and if that fails, they'll look into Gerber and Legace. If nothing works there, then maybe they'll try an Aubin/Tellqvist combo, but thats a last resort. In my Q&A With Spector's Hockey's Lyle Richardson (aka the owner of Spectors Hockey), he said that "Toronto would be an obvious choice for Patrick Elias". I thought I'd give you Toronto fans some hope. Full Q&A with Lyle will be available when the new site launches (day after Cup Final). I'd say it's 92% complete, with just a few glitches to work out. It's a lot of fun.

Penalty Problems

Those two words sum up Edmonton's night. They couldn't stay out of the box, they really didn't show any effort in this game. They play two more games like this, and they're done. They're not out yet, but the fat lady is getting her voice warmed up. Wasn't Jussi's fault, it was Edmonton's discipline.

If you haven't already heard, the New York Islanders have finally found two guys willing to take over the disaster known as a hockey franchise. Milbury has dug this team a deep hole, and now Mr. Wang hopes that Neil Smith and Ted Nolan will be the two guys to get them out of it. Nolan deserves the shot and this will be a good situation for him. Neil Smith, however, I don't think is a good fit. That being said, nobody else wanted this job, and Smith needs work. Maybe it is a good fit...

So with another coaching spot filled, Pat Quinn is still looking for work. All signs point to Boston at this point, with Vancouver still a very outside possibility.

If anyone has any ideas for a catchy slogan for hockeyleaks, let me know. We're looking for something, and apparently "Your Home For All Things Hockey", sucks. I liked it, but two certain individuals who may soon be fired if they don't stop complaining (and they know who there are :P), tell me it has to be changed. I don't usually listen to them, but I thought I'd throw it out there, and ask your guys opinions. Cjohnson202@hockeyleaks.com

Very Late Night Rumours

This new site has given me so much more life, I constantly want to tell you all what I'm hearing. Here are some rumours that I've been hearing over the past 24 hours

-Huet and Habs will have deal worked out before June 15th as long as things continue progressing the way they have been.

-Pat Quinn is apparently the front-runner for the coaching job in Boston. He'd get to face Toronto 8 times, which would make for an interested rivalry.

-I've talked to several people in Toronto, and from what I have heard, Elias is there #1 target going into this summer. That being said, that is dependent on locking McCabe up. If McCabe is not re-signed, focus will switch to a top defender.

-Lidstrom likely back in Detroit, Shanahan not so much

-Rumours are swirling about Raycroft going to Ottawa are false

-Rob Blake really wants to stay in Colorado, and could possibly be re-signed by June 15th

-Sakic to Calgary is very possible. According to one source, "The idea of playing with Jerome in Calgary is really appealing to Joe. He'd like to finish his career in Canada, and since Vancouver isn't an option due to cap reasons, Joe is very interested in Calgary. Him and Iggy have played so well internationally together, it seems like a perfect fit"

-Finally, I'm hearing the Bolts and Sabres could be cooking up a big deal that could go down draft weekend. Sabres have high interest in St. Louis, while Tampa Bay would want Biron and a draft pick (1st or 2nd round). Feaster is said to be high on Biron, and really pushed for him back in March.

Now What?

So Edmonton is lacking their starting goalie...now what do they do? They have two options, and neither option was good enough to get them into the playoffs (hence why Rollie The Goalie was brought in). Both goalies are young, and when it comes to playoff experience, neither of them really have any. Conklin played the final few minutes last night, and gave up a goal (and a weak one at that). Markannen at times this season looked good, but at times, he didn't. If I was MacT, which I'm very glad I'm not at the moment, I think my money would be on Markannen. This guy has been around longer than Conklin, and should play well enough to keep the Oilers in this series.

This morning I recieved several calls and emails asking if I still felt the Oilers were going to win the cup. I do. In a series like this, Cam Ward or Dwayne Roloson was not going to be the difference. Last night, nine goals were given up, which is hardly a goaltenders battle. Carolina has a little more veteran leadership, while Edmonton has Chris Pronger, who gets his own category. Markannen could play as well as Ward, or Ward could play as well as Markannen. I don't see this series coming down to goaltending. Before last nights game, I said Oilers in 6, and I'm sticking with it.

Just finished up a Q & A with Lyle Richardson from Spectors Hockey. It is five questions based entirely on possible player movement. I have about three or four Q & A's in the works. You'll see them all around the launch of the new site. Lyle's will launch with the site, and you'll get one or two on draft weekend. All completed Q & A's will be up before July 1st, as you know I asked every single person I talked to about their predictions for this offseason.

Finally, a lot of confusion going around right now about who is and who isn't a UFA. On Eklunds top 75 UFA list, two players he listed are NOT UFA's. Scott Thornton is under contract in San Jose for next season, while Martin Biron is a RFA, not a UFA. Afinogenov and Briere are both RFA's as well, not UFAs. Our Free Agent Tracker has them as UFA's, but it lies. I think everyone is confused by which age groups are UFA's and which age groups are UFAs. Remember : The age doesn't drop to 25 until summer 2007. The Free Agent Tracker on the new page is fully up to date, so your just going to have to wait another week! The site is pretty much ready, we're just waiting for the Oilers to win the cup so we can show off the next step in Hockeyleaks' life. Have a good day everyone

Roloson Out For Playoffs

Just got word, huge blow for Oilers. Cam Ward was outstanding tonight, Carolina will be tough to be without Rolo...

Here We Go!

Tonight it begins. Two teams left, only one will be the Stanley Cup Champion. One team looks to add another cup to their large collection, while the other looks to claim their first title. What a series this should be. I see Carolina winning tonight, but then Edmonton taking the series in six games. Chris Pronger MVP? I think he deserves it.

As for the new site, it's been pretty much done for a few days, and since me and the rest of the crew have nothing else better to do, we find ourselves adding more and more to it. Might as well, we have the time! I think you guys will all very like it. I've also got four Q&A's in the works, and all will be released before July 1st. We've got to ask some great people some great questions, so look forward to those! Our site numbers are back up again, and that is because you are all looking forward to the start of the UFA season. The draft weekend will be a busy one, and come July 1st, the NHL will be one exciting place. Hockey...is there anything better?

The Stanley Cup Final

Well, we're here. I went 1-1 in the third round, and if it wasn't for a late game collapse by the Sabres last night, I would have gone 2-0. So who do I like for the final? Edmonton will take this series, in six games. The Oilers are young, fast, and exactly what the new NHL is about. I also think the goaltending questions in Carolina will hurt them. Who is the starter, Gerber or Ward? It looks like Ward is for now, but we all know that could change. Roloson is the guy in Edmonton, no questions.

As for my pick for MVP, I'm going to say Pronger. I've heard people say Peca, Roloson, Pisani, Smyth and others, but no other guy is more valuable to these Oilers than Chris Pronger. This series is going to be great to watch.

The new site is looking great, an will launch the day after the cup final. Those that have seen it so far have been very impressed. I love it, and find it hard to even look at the current one right now. I'm a very excited guy right now, with the new site launch looming, the Stanley Cup final just days away, and the free agent season right around the corner. Does it get any better than this?