Five Things Adam's Noticed

Here is a great new article by our very own Adam Forsyth, plus a few rumours from me at the end


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Five Things That I've Noticed...

The first thing that I've noticed, is that the slow starts by teams like the
Ottawa Senators, and the Nashville Predators really tend to sway the pre-season
mentality that they may be two of the top teams to beat. Unlike the
Philadelphia Flyers, who may have reached their peak over the last 5-7 years,
these two teams are built for the now. They are well balanced squads that will
turn around their season and begin to play a simple and sound game, and make
their way up the standings. As a matter of fact, we've already seen the Preds
float on up to the top of a pretty weak Central division and the Sens are
starting to put the puck away while straight lining it to the top of the Eastern
Conference...Oh wait, that spot is reserved for the Buffalo Sabres, which leads
me to item number 2.

The second thing that I've noticed, is that these Buffalo Sabres are for real!
In tying the record with wins to open up a regular season ('93-'94 Leafs with
10) could this team go 82-0 and become the first professional team since the
1972 Dolphins whistled through the NFL season? Alright, let's not get ahead of
ourselves. The Sabres are a very well rounded team, with 3 deep scoring lines
and a stellar offensive attack lead by Drury, Briere and Afinogenov, youngsters
like Vanek & Roy chipping in also helps out quite a bit. The Sabres are
also blessed with a very solid defence corps, and an excellent goaltending
tandem with Ryan Miller & Martin Biron solidifying the confidence of a free
wheeling team built for the new speed of the NHL. With a tough week in
mid-November where they face Carolina, Ottawa twice and an up and coming Pittsburgh
Penguins attack, the surging Sabres could indeed become 16-0. A tough test as a
great another surprising early season performer comes to town to test Buffalo in
what could be there record breaking game. If only they could get rid of those
horrendous rags that they call jerseys! Man, those are horrible!

Speaking of horrible...The next thing that I've noticed, is that the trouble
that has finally reached the boiling point in Philadelphia has been bubbling up
and near explosions have been at it for several years. With the Flyers having
enough of the Hitchcock experience, letting go the coach that they so calmly
extended a contract with earlier in the year, and the significance of Bobby
Clarke stepping down, the team may now be headed for quite an overhaul.
Additionally, the significance of placing three players who were supposed to be
marginal players in at least keeping things status quo in Philly on waivers
(Baumgartner, Nedved & Dimitrakos) it appears that enough is enough, and
even Bobby Clarke himself realizes that the mess that he has made, may not be
able to piece itself
together with him at the helm. While it is no doubt in my mind that Clarke is a
very dedicated, passionate and very loyal executive, the fact of the matter is, that
Clarke may not know how to build a team for the new NHL. It was apparent after
picking up players like Hatcher and Rathje, that he may have missed the memo about
the importance of mobility and agility. Not saying that those players aren't
quality, but they have to be situational players, not guys that you build around.
Also remember the revolving crease factor, that the team had no stability in between
the pipes going into the playoffs the last (what seems like) decade or so. It is a
rarity in today's day and age to go year to year without a man that they can trust
(minus injuries) as a number one goalie. For the most part, goaltending
is a building block to franchise stability. The Flyers however, have taken a
revolving door approach and have come up snake eyes in doing so. Perhaps youngsters
like Gagne, Carter and Richards will be able to lead the new look Flyers to
supremacy.

A quick one...Is Joe Thornton EVER going to score again?

And finally, the fifth thing that I've noticed...The Pittsburgh Penguins are an
exciting team to watch. Just the other night, I realized that the raw energy
that youngsters like Crosby, Malkin, Staal and Fleury bring to this team, makes
this team one to watch for years to come. I don't believe that I am going to
confuse them with say that '81 Oilers or anything like that, with peach fuzz
faced players like Gretzky, Messier, Coffey and Fuhr breaking through a new
generation of the "coolest" game on earth. The Pens are however going to cause
some noise on their way up to the top of the standings. They will have to do it
in baby steps though, as last year was a rough go. This year, may be the first
of many steps towards a Stanley Cup championship though. Making the playoffs
isn't out of reach,
and it wouldn't be a stretch to consider a first round upset. Alright, alright, I
know that they've only played 8 games, and sit in the 7th spot in the Eastern
Conference, it's just that the potential of young players like that is not always
predictable. Malkin and Sid the Kid look so comfortable together, and Staal is
playing with the confidence of a 10 year veteran. I would be confident in saying
that this team is being built for a nice stretch of success and the Pens have done
it the right way. Through strong drafting, and touching up here and there in trades
and signings. It's too bad that Super Mario's health couldn't have stuck it out for
another year or two...

So, we'll see. Maybe I'm crazy, maybe I'm wrong, but those are just some of the
things that I've noticed.

Adam Forsyth
aforsyth21@hotmail.com


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With things quickly falling apart in Philly, there is a lot of trade talk. One rumour I heard this morning was the Flyers packaging Gagne and Esche together in hopes to bring in some defensive help. Do not believe Gagne is untradeable, as just about everyone on this team is.

Calgary's need for a center continues to increase, and Craig Conroy is a name that is coming up a lot. Conroy was the Flames main center a few years ago and he really helped Iggy's game. A Tanguay - Conroy - Iginla line would be dangerous if the Flames can swing this deal.

Jason Allison is still out there, and I am hearing it's down to the Hawks and the Kings. Guess we can't count Calgary out of this one either.

Phoenix is still looking for a goalie. A report this morning said Nabokov was close to becoming a Coyote, I am hearing this is not accurate. The Coyotes are still looking, but are really interested in Biron and seem to be waiting for the Sabres to struggle a bit before making a serious offer. Biron will be a UFA on July 1st

Clarke, Hitchcock Now Unemployed

The Bobby Clarke era in Philly is over, as Clarke resigned today, while Hitchcock was fired. Nobody should be surprised, as the Flyers are a team that is expected to win, and when you currently sit last place in the entire NHL after eight games, something has to change. John Stevens has been promoted to head coach, while Paul Holmgren will become the team's new General Manager. I wish them both luck, it's going to be a long season in Philly.

The Leafs have been rumoured to be after another defenseman, but I don't see that happening. Bell and White both played very strong games last night and should be the teams new 3/4 pairing, which would leave Gill and Belak at 5/6. That being said, Kubina is back in about a month which would give the Leafs six very strong defenders. Don't expect Belak to be in the lineup for this entire week, as Colaiacovo is looking at a Tuesday or Thursday return. I expect him to challenge Bell and White for a bigger role.

The Blackhawks have lost Havlat for up to three weeks, which could hurt them. The blew a lead against St. Louis last night, which is not something they can continue to do if they want to continue to be a serious playoff contender.

Pittsburgh continues to look good, as the kids are really producing. Jordan Staal scored his 2nd and 3rd goals of the season last night. All three of his NHL goals have come shorthanded. I can't see how Pittsburgh can send him back to junior, and would be surprised if they did. Ryan Malone broke his arm last night and will miss -6 weeks, which should help Staal's case. Malkin also picked up his third goal in his third nhl game. Pittsburgh is 4-3 at this point, and with Philly, NYI and NYR struggling, they may have a chance to do some damage this year. Pittsburgh will be fun to watch.

Buffalo continues to roll, improving to 8-0 on the season. The Northeast will be one very good battle this season, as Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa cannot yet be counted out. Boston, however, continues to face injuries, goaltending problems, and just problems of all kinds. Here's hoping Chara can re-find his game and carry the Bruins up the standings...I'm not holding my breath.

Ottawa returned in a big way, beating New Jersey 8-1. The fact that Emery was in net makes things interesting, as he's been by far the better goalie in Ottawa thus far. A big home and home with Toronto this week will be fun to watch. Their season series is currently tied 1-1, with Toronto outscoring Ottawa 7-4 overall.

Thats all for now, have a great Sunday

Nightmare In Philadelphia

Some predicted to the Flyers to miss the playoffs, but i don't think anyone thought they could be this bad. After 8 games the Flyers find themselves in dead last in the entire NHL, putting together a record of 1-6-1. Three of their starting players have already been placed on waivers, two of which were sent down the AHL. I'm hearing Hitchcock will be very lucky to make it through the Weekend, while Clarke could be on his way out soon as well. If Hitchcock does indeed get fired, who replaces him? Wouldn't it be funny watching a Pat Quinn coached Flyer team? We all know how close Clarke and Quinn are...The Flyers now don't play again until Thursday. We'll see how many changes take place over the next five days.

On the other end, how about those Sabres? They go into Boston tonight looking for their 8th straight win. This season already has a lot of stories, both good and bad. Great starts for teams like Anaheim and Buffalo were expected, but to have teams like Toronto, Chicago and Minnesota playing so well and proving doubters wrong, this is fun. Also, Ottawa currently sits 14th in the East and tied for 29th in the NHL. You have to wonder what is going on in Ottawa, and how they will turn this around. It could be another rough night for Ottawa tonight as they face New Jersey, who has been stellar early on this season.

I got a lot of emails this morning in response to Eklund's "Glen Murray for Nabokov" rumour, and I will say that this has been floating around for several days now. At this point I'd say it's speculation, and with Nabokov playing so well right now, I'd be surprised if San Jose would move him this early. Like I said a few days ago, as soon as one starting NHL goalie goes down with injury, the price of Nabokov, Giguere and Biron sky rockets. I think all three of these teams will wait until they can really cash in

The new site is on it's way, and I have already got several people that will add their own blogs for the new site. If you are interested in having a blog or contributing to the new site, please email me at cjohnson202@hockeyleaks.com. Have a good saturday, a lot of good games on tonight!

Flyers Waive Three...

What do you do after a 9-1 loss to Buffalo? You place three players on waivers.
The Flyers have waived Nolan Buamgartner, Niko Dmitrakos, and Petr Nedved.

Buamgartner and Dmitrakos were Clarke's too star aquisitions over the summer. Now they're available to everyone. As for Nedved, I'm surprised Clarke would waive him, but they have. Ricci is very close to returning, and should play tomorrow.

Could these waiver moves be a way to free up some cap room, to maybe bring in a goalie? hmm? Things are starting to get interesting in Philly

The Domino Effect

More than any other sports league, the NHL loves having a domino effect scenario. Usually it involves defenseman. I remember just prior to the lockout, once Gonchar was dealt, the other defenseman followed. This offseason we saw Redden and Lidstrom go, then the others followed. We're at that point again right now, except this time we're not talking defenseman. We're only two weeks into the season, but we're on the verge of seeing a domino effect happen. Goaltending is a very important thing in the NHL, and if you don't have it, your not going to succeed. Thankfully at this point, if you need goaltending, you have a lot of options.

The price for goaltending at this point is higher than you might think, simply because the teams with extra goalies are all strong and well-rounded. They don't have to deal one of their goalies, but will if the price is right. There are a few goalies on the market right now that are very good #1 goalies that could turn a struggling team around, and though your not hearing a lot about it, there are several teams already thinking about making an offer for one of them, if they haven't already.

We'll start with Philly, who got shelled for 9 goals against tonight. Their two goalies have allowed 26 goals in 6 games. They're record is 1-4-1, nowhere near where it should be. The Flyers need a goalie, its that simple. Richards, Umberger or Carter is likely what it will cost them, but it's worth if they can land a goalie from San Jose, Anaheim of Buffalo.

Taking a step back for a second, I believe Giguere will stay with Anaheim. His game seems better than ever right now, and his salary isn't that easy to move. At this point it's hard to say who San Jose will part with, if either of their goalies. Toskala has played very well this season, but he makes less money than Nabokov which makes him more attractive.

So Philly is the first team in need of a goalie, and they are my guess for the first to go out and get one. Just like that, one goalie is off the market. That leaves two goalies (assuming San Jose decides to move one) on the market. Phoenix looks like they could use a goalie after allowing 25 goals in their first six games. Curtis Joseph is getting older, and it may be time to bring in someone to split some time with him. If I'm Phoenix, I bring in Martin Biron (because I don't see Anaheim or San Jose dealing a goalie of quality to a division rival). Biron could split time with Joseph this season, and then sign long term after the season (both Joseph and Biron will be UFA's after this season).

So two goalies gone, and now there is only one very good goalie left on the market. Boston has two goalies, and neither one is working out for them. They may be in the market to bring in a better goalie. The Rangers have allowed 25 goals in just six games, showing they may need some help between the pipes as well.

Then we get into injuries. Several NHL teams are currently relying heavily on their starting goaltender. Many of today's top NHL teams are a goaltender injury away from disaster. In Vancouver, New Jersey, Atlanta, Carolina, Florida (If Auld goes down, your stuck with Belfour, who has been awful), Minnesota, Calgary, and Dallas, you don't have a backup that can perform at a top level. Sabourin can't handle any more than a game a month at this point, Clemmenson has been sharp at times but in no way could be strong for any amount of time, Hedberg and Grahame are very streaky, Belfour has already shown how dangerous he is to his own team, Backstrom and Smith have no NHL experience and McLennan has never been a #1 NHL goalie and will never be one.

At this point it may look like there are a lot of goalies available, but the reality is, there isn't. Sure, there are a lot of quality backups available such as Tellqvist, Aubin, Bacashihua, Labarbera and Garon, but they won't help a team in need. The truth is, there are three big goalies available, and once one goes, the pressure is on.

Now with all that being said, a few more "bigger" name goalies may be added to that list. Montreal has two fairly good goalies, but niether one has been consistant enough to be named the true number one. The same thing goes in Ottawa, though Emery appears to be miles ahead of Gerber.

Bobby Clarke's team is currently in 30th place in the NHL, and he's not a man who usually sits back and waits for change. Clarke will shake things up at some point, and though his defense needs some work, I think everyone knows the real problem in Philly is the goaltending. Once one domino falls, the goalie race will begin.

Nashville Tries Again

Nashville once again will look for their first win tonight when they play host to the Phoenix Coyotes. It will be interesting to see who gets the start in goal for the preds tonight, as Vokoun has struggled, and Mason looked very good in his last start despite the loss to Chicago. Phoenix is another team who are having goaltending issues, though rumours continue to fly that Phoenix may address this problem if it continues. Nashville can't fix their goaltending, because no matter how Vokoun plays, his contract means he's Nashvilles goalie for awhile.

Ottawa is another team currently in a goaltending slump, with Gerber struggling. Emery will get the start in goal against Ottawa tonight, while Huet will get the start for Montreal.

Carolina visits Pittsburgh tonight in what should be a very exciting game. Pittsburgh has played very good hockey so far this season, while Carolina has struggled. If it wasn't for Ray Whitney's last second goal last night, Carolina may still be winless. Staal and Letang are making strong cases to stick around, despite the very strong rumours they will be sent back to junior. I bet the Pens are happy they didn't deal Fleury prior to the season...

Another great game tonight will be Calgary at Toronto. The Leafs are 2-1-2 and will look to rebound from a very ugly game against New Jersey which saw them blow a three goal third period lead, and lose in a shootout. Raycroft will be back in net tonight, in which should be a goaltenders match up. The Leafs were able to tally six goals on Brodeur, but Kipper, at least in my opinion, is the best goalie in the world. That being said, if Calgary (2-2) wants to win, they will have to find their offense. Iginla, their leading points scorer, has three. Wellwood leads the Leafs with seven points.

Keep sending in your predictions, and I will post as many as I can on the blog. Here is the latest from Andy Tahltan.

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East:
1) Buffalo
2) NY Rangers
3) Atlanta
4) Ottawa
5) Montreal
6) New Jersey
7) Pittsburgh
8) Toronto
9) Philadelphia
10) Carolina
11) Florida
12) Tampa Bay
13) Boston
14) Washington
15) NY Islanders

West:
1) San Jose
2) Nashville
3) Edmonton
4) Anaheim
5) Calgray
6) Minnesota
7) Vancouver
8) Chicago
9) Dallas
10) Detroit
11) Los Angeles
12) Columbus
13) Phoenix
14) Colorado
15) St. Louis

Stanley Cup Final:
Edmonton Vs Atlanta
Edmonton in 7 games
Con Symth: Peter Sykora

Awards:
President's Trophy: San Jose Sharks
Art Ross: Martin Havlat
Hart: Roberto Luongo
Roberto will lead the canucks back into playoffs again.
Vezina: Roberto Luongo
"Rocket" Richard: Martian Havlat
Norris: Chris Pronger
Calder: Anze Kopitar
Jack Adams: Ron Wilson

First Coach Fired: Jim Playfair why can not find away to get Ignla and Tagnuary
playing and Darryl Sutter will be back!
First GM Fired: Jim Rutherford because he can not turn things around in Carolina!
Break Out Player: Michal Handzus because he is Martian Havlat center nuff said!

Adam Forsyth's Predictions

Here are Adam's predictions of what will go down this season. The new Hockeyleaks.com is on it's way, and hopefully with this site, you will get to hear a lot more from our writers, with each getting his/her own blog. If you want to be a part of Hockeyleaks.com, feel free to email me at cjohnson202@hockeyleaks.com. We're always looking for more people to write for us. Anyways, here are Adam's Predictions, feel free to email me with your own, and make sure to email Adam with some feedback.

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EASTERN CONFERENCE

ATLANTIC DIVISION NORTHEAST DIVISION SOUTHEAST DIVISION
Philadelphia Flyers Ottawa Senators Carolina Hurricanes
New Jersey Devils Buffalo Sabres Atlanta Thrashers
New York Rangers Montreal Canadiens Tampa Bay Lightning
Pittsburgh Penguins Toronto Maple Leafs Florida Panthers
New York Islanders Boston Bruins Washington Capitals

PLAYOFF SCENARIO
*1) Ottawa Senators
*2) Philadelphia Flyers
*3) Carolina Hurricanes
4) Buffalo Sabres
5) New Jersey Devils
6) Atlanta Thrashers
7) Montreal Canadiens
8) Tampa Bay Lightning
9) New York Rangers
10) Toronto Maple Leafs
11) Florida Panthers
12) Pittsburgh Penguins
13) New York Islanders
14) Washington Capitals
15) Boston Bruins

WESTERN CONFERENCE

CENTRAL DIVISION NORTHWEST DIVISION PACIFIC DIVISION
Nashville Predators Calgary Flames Anaheim Ducks
Detroit Red Wings Edmonton Oilers San Jose Sharks
St. Louis Blues Minnesota Wild Dallas Stars
Columbus Blue Jackets Vancouver Canucks Phoenix Coyotes
Chicago Blackhawks Colorado Avalanche Los Angeles Kings

PLAYOFF SCENARIO
*1) Calgary Flames
*2) Nashville Predators
*3) Anaheim Ducks
4) San Jose Sharks
5) Detroit Red Wings
6) Edmonton Oilers
7) Dallas Stars
8) Minnesota Wild
9) Vancouver Canucks
10) Colorado Avalanche
11) Phoenix Coyotes
12) St. Louis Blues
13) Los Angeles Kings
14) Columbus Blue Jackets
15) Chicago Blackhawks





HARDWARE HANDOUTS

President's Trophy - Ottawa Senators
With all the right pieces to the puzzle in place, this team could match the Wings output of last year, and actually turn it into a decent, if not stunning playoff run. Other teams to watch, Buffalo Sabres and the Nashville Predators. Yes, I did indeed say the Nashville Predators
Art Ross - Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh
With a greater support cast surrounding him, I feel that this year is going to be a year that Sid the Kid breaks out and has his first 50 goal season, and takes the scoring title on the last weekend of action, slightly beating out a close 2nd and 3rd of Joe Thornton and Alexander Ovechkin.
Hart - Mikka Kiprusoff, Calgary
In leading the scoring deprived Flames to their first place finish among Western competition, Kiprusoff will tear away the competition during the 2nd half of the season where he will no doubt display his worth to the surging Calgary Flames. A near second and third place finish will be Crosby and Ovechkin respectively.
"Rocket" Richard - Alexander Ovechkin, Washington
Call me crazy, call me a follower, but who else is going to score goals on the Caps? I mean, the guy is going to continue to account for 50% + of the Washington offence, until a proper support group is put in place. Until then, the kid is going to go nuts, and only the sky is the limit on his full out potential. Red light regulars, Ilya Kovalchuk and Jarome Iginla will trail Ovechkin and his 60+ goal season for runners-up.
Norris - Chris Pronger, Anaheim
A change of scenery, and large group of hecklers from Edmonton, will indeed encourage a swift and magical season for Pronger and the Ducks as a whole. Feeding off of the energy, and chemistry of co-Canadian Olympic teammate Scott Niedermayer, Pronger will play strong defence, and put up the type of offensive numbers that will challenge the league leaders among rearguards. This year may mark a rarity in having teammates being nominated for the same trophy as the aforementioned Niedermayer and the Red Wings' Norris regular Nicklas Lidstrom will also be in the running.
Vezina - Mikka Kiprusoff, Calgary
See above for clarity, as Kipper will have a 40+ win, 9-12 shutout 'tender this year. Tomas Vokoun and Martin Gerber will also be in the running, but the Flames backstop should win this award in a romp.
Calder - Wojtek Wolski, Colorado
Alright, alright. Malkin is going to be incredible, and he will more than likely win. However, I'm going to go out on a limb and realize that this is indeed a re-build type season for the Avs, and Wolski is going to get every opportunity to play important minutes, and play with Sakic. Wolski has the talent and ability to put up some great rookie numbers. Should be a great race. Evgeni Malkin and Gilbert Brule will come up just short in the Calder rankings, but will be another great year for first year stars.
Jack Adams - Barry Trotz, Nashville
Trotz will finally get some respect for leading a very solid Nashville Predators team to their first divisional title, overtaking the annual powerhouse Red Wings. With great goaltending, steady offense, and a great corps of defence, the Preds are going to surprise many and officially join the NHL's regular season "Penthouse" teams. Two other top competitors for the honour will be Jim Playfair from Calgary and Lindy Ruff of Buffalo.
Stanley Cup Match-Up - EAST Buffalo Sabres vs. WEST Calgary Flames
This will be the year that the Stanley Cup finally, FINALLY makes its way back across to Canada! A new age "Sea of Red" will flow over the Province of Alberta, as the team has all the pieces to make a long run. Rookie coach Jim Playfair will be directing a re-vamped offence, a strong defensive unit, and will rely heavily on the stellar play of the Kipper in net, which in my eyes is a recipe that will certainly soothe the pain from their loss in the Cup finals two short seasons ago. The Sabres will come close, losing in 6 games, but the better team will win in this case.

Agree? Disagree? Only time will tell…

Adam Forsyth
aforsyth21@hotmail.com

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Leetch, Allison Close To Finding Homes

Brian Leetch has been talking to the Flyers over the last week and many believe this deal could be done in the next 48 hours. Another team who has shown some interest this past week is Carolina, but the Flyers seem like they will take the cake on this one.

Jason Allison is also talking to several teams, with Calgary still out in front. Washington is another team, while Carolina and LA are also showing moderate interest. I expect both players to be signed within the week.

How upsetting is it that Ed Belfour will not be starting in goal tonight when Florida visits Toronto? Speaking of the Leafs, one more injury and Tellqvist will hit waivers. The Leafs have not found a team willing to take Tellqvist for just a draftpick, and are getting very thin on defense with injuries to a lot of their young kids. Jay Harrison will make his season debut tonight.

I'm off for another Thanksgiving dinner, what a busy weekend it has been! Power Play Fantasy League standings will be posted in the blog tomorrrow. For those who are in the league, payment information will be sent out as soon as we can confirm our postal address. That should hopefully be done this week. Hope everyone enjoys their turkey!

Game Predictions Returns!

One of our most fun features at Hockeyleaks.com is our Game Predictions forum. This is where you can predict who will win each night. Last season it was a lot of fun, and this season will be even better. The game also has a new format. Three points will be awarded if the team you pick wins in regulation. Two points will be awarded if your team wins in Overtime or a shootout, and one point will be awarded if your team looses in overtime or a shootout. The person with the most points at season's end will win! This game is free, and I may be inclined to give the winner at the end of the season a prize, we'll just have to wait and see!!

Tomorrow wake up with a smile on your face, because the NHL is back baby!

Gionta Signs Three Year Deal

Well he only signed for three years, and he did take a discount. Three years worth 4 million per season. Next up...Paul Martin

One More Sleep...

I feel like I'm five again, just excited to go to sleep because I know when I wake up, the start of the NHL season will be upon us! I know I have my tickets for the Leafs' home opener tomorrow, and I hope some of you out there get a chance to catch a home opener as well, it's going to be a blast.

The Devils seem to be pretty much home free with Mogilny's contract not counting against the cap, however, I still see them moving a defenseman (either Martin or Rafalski) because things are still tight, and unless Gionta takes a huge discount price (I'm hearing whatevr deal he signs will be a long one, six years) the Devils will be so close to the cap it will be dangerous.

Rumours are flying that Marc Andre Fleury could be dealt to Pittsburgh for Jack Johnson and either Labarbera or Garon. At this point, Thibault has looked much better than Fleury, and the Pens are starting to get frustrated.

For you Leaf fans, they will submit their final roster at 3 pm today. Suglobov will make the team, and Battaglia and Harrison are both likely to stick around, at least until Kubina is un-suspended and Antropov is back from injury. They will also keep all three goalies up, with hopes of trading one in the next two weeks. I've heard Vancouver offered Cooke for Tellqvist and a pick, but the Leafs just don't have the cap room.

Thanks to all who have entered the power play fantasy league, if you still want in, I have extended the deadline until 12 am tonight, just incase a few of you forgot yesterday!!

Also thanks for all the offers of web help! I have talked to several of you, and I am hopeful we can have a new hockeyleaks.com website up very soon! Hockey's back, and I can't wait!

Waiver Madness

As teams get down to their final rosters, many players find themselves on waivers

Brad brown, Jason Labarbera, Sean Burke, Tyson Nash, Grant Marshall, Brad Ference are among some of the bigger names on waivers. Leafs will also spend today trying to deal either Aubin and Tellqvist, though teams are trying to deal back some contract to the Leafs, which they just can't afford to take.

Richard Park has signed a two year deal worth $500,000 per with the Islanders

You have very little time to join the Power Play Fantasy League! We are already set up on Office Pools, so your going to be able to track your status 24/7. For $5 US or $6 CDN you will have a chance to win great cash and/or prizes, so join now before it's too late

And yes, the group of anti-Ted Saskin NHLPA members are filing a lawsuit, but I cover rumours and news, not this pollitical stuff. I don't understand why this is still an issue.

I'm hoping to re-do the site again, so anyone with any web design experience that wants to get involved in bringing Hockeyleaks back in a big way, please email me at cjohnson202@hockeyleaks.com

More later if something breaks

Devils Deal Malahkov To Sharks

With conditional first round pick for Korlyuk and Fahey. That should help their cap situation....