Training Camp Kick Offs + New Q&A

First, make sure to check out hockeyleaks.com and read our new Q&A with Logan Couture!

Training camps across the league continue to kick off throughout the week, and as they kick off, we finally get to see the remaining jerseys that had yet to be revealed. Toronto's comes out tomorrow, I know a lot of fans are excited for that.

Updates will be very regular now that we finally have some things to talk about.

Please sign up for the PPFL, we already have almost 20 teams registered. Check out the Fantasy section of Hockeyleaks.com for the details.

Roenick Inks With Sharks

JR is not retiring after all. The vet has signed a one year deal with San Jose for $500,000.

Montreal has new jerseys, check the forums for the link to view them. They are pretty much the same, very slight changes.

Don't forget to check Hockeyleaks.com for all the latest, and make sure to re-join the forums if you haven't. Finally, check the fantasy section and make sure you sign up for the Power Play Fantasy League ASAP.

Marleau Inks Extension

2 year extension, check the forums later for the money amount.

Also it looks like Lindros will retire, as soon as today.

Check Hockeyleaks.com for all the latest

Training Camp Invites

The Islanders have invited Bryan Berard to training camp. Some of Berard's best years were in NYI, and I can see him bouncing back there. Good look Bryan!

This is a trend your going to see a lot of: players being invited to training camp. Anson Carter, Curtis Joseph, Jason Allison, Eric Lindros, and many other available players could be invited to training camp next month to see just what they're capable of.

As for Danny Markov, all signs point to him signing within the next week.

Stay Tuned, and don't forget to sign up for the Power Play Fantasy League. Details can be found on the fantasy page at Hockeyleaks.com

Forums Complete, Get Posting!

Please go post like crazy on our forums. Start discussions, post videos, polls, i dont care, lets just get the Hockeyleaks.com forums back up to speed!

The layout took awhile but its finally back to looking like it was. Now we just need the posts and members to return, so get on it!

Don't forget to sign up for the PPFL. If you missed details, go to Hockeyleaks.com/fantasy.html for all info.

Power Play Fantasy League Details 07-08

Power Play Fantasy League 07 - 08 Details

This will be the third season of our PPFL. Bob Adamski has won the first two pools, and will be going for the three-peat this year. Do you have what it takes to take the title from him?

Rules: You will pick six forwards and four defenseman. You get one injury replacement during the season.

Cost: $5 per team. You may have as many teams as you want.

Promotions: 1) 5 Teams for $20.

2) If Payment is recieved by Sept. 20, you will get one additional team free. So two teams for $5, three teams for $10, 6 teams for $20, etc.

Sending Pick Information: Please email your list of 10 players to cjohnson202@hockeyleaks.com. Please do not email your free team until we have confirmed to have received your payment. We will contact you asking for your free team.

Payment Info: Paypal: Send paypal payment to cjohnson202@hotmail.com. If using paypal, please add an additional .50 to cost.

Cheque / Money Order: This year to make things less confusing we got a postal box at a local college. Please send cheque / money order to:

Hockeyleaks.com
Room T210B
203 Humber College Blvd
Toronto, Ontario
M9W 6V3

Please include your email address with your cheque / money order so we can email you and collect your free team.

Prizing: Winner of the pool will receive total money collected, minus the cost of Office Pools, which will keep track of all points and give up the minute standings.

We're Back!

Unfortunatly we've had to start the forums again, so please register and start posting, we need lots of action on them and fast, so new members will not think Hockeyleaks.com is a new place.

Site updates and forum updates are being done as I type this, so please get to posting on the forum, and keep checking Hockeyleaks.com for updates!

A Look To The Future

Hockeyleaks will continue to grow as we head towards the 07-08 season. Here is what you can expect:

- More Q&A's. We've already aquired a few Q&A interviews, and once the site "re-launches" within the next week or so, we will begin posting them once a week or so. The first one will be with Logan Couture, San Jose's first round pick this season.

- A New Betting Section. It will a new section where you will get recommends on who to pick for that nights games. Three sections: A for sure win, your best chance to double your money, and my pick of the night. A lot of people always ask me for my advice when betting on hockey, so I decided to try this as a regular section. This will debut at the start of the season.

- Mail bag section: I will be getting you guys to write in with your thoughts on the league and hockey in general. I will also publically write responses on the website. This section will be updated once a week

- More Columnists, and more columns written on a regular basis. We are going to be re-doing our entire writing staff, bringing some back and adding some new names. This is one of our main focus'.

- Weekly Power Rankings

and of coarse you will get the same rumour and trade coverage you've been getting from us over the past two years.

what do you guys want? and what do you think of the new additions that are coming? Please email me at cjohnson202@hockeyleaks.com

The Blog's Where It's At

Until the site is ready, which I hope will be this weekend (fingers always crossed), I'm going to communicate with you guys through the blog.

Peca is still very close to signing with the Rangers, though apparently the Islanders have made a late push. Toronto still has some interest, but no trades that they are working on seem imminent. Peca to Rangers is most likely at this point, I'm surprised it's not done. Don't expect anything on this now until Monday or Tuesday.

Forsberg to Vancouver does have some potential, though I'm not sure how much. If Forsberg could return to form, he'd answer a lot of Vancouver's problems.

This site was passed on to me through a friend, and i'm going to pass it on to you : http://www.geocities.com/capn89/

It's a list and pictures of all the revealed new NHL jerseys for next year. Some have had quite drastic changes, while the Flames one interests me the most. Tampa and San Jose both have modernized their logos, while many jerseys have yet to be revealed. I'm still excited to see the Leafs jersey, the rumours have been that their logo will be modernized, but we'll have to wait and see

Thats all for now, keep crossing your fingers, and the site will be back before we know it!

Hockeyleaks.com : The Latest.

First of all, I know the site hasn't been updated in three weeks, we're still trying to get the forums back up, and updates won't return until thats done. There isn't much going on right now, and we're just trying to get ready for the upcoming season, which I can promise you will be hockeyleaks.com's best yet. We're hopeful we can get the old forums restored, but if they cannot be in the next week, we may just have to start fresh.

I want to make a comment about all the Mark Bell talk this week. Every media person I've read this week has had nothing nice to say about the troubled winger, and even less to say about John Ferguson Jr. We all know I'm a leaf fan, so I may have bias towards them, but in no way do I agree with any of what is being said about Bell. The Toronto Sun's Steve Simmons wrote a nasty article today about him, while Hockeybuzz writers Berger and Tencer have both taken shots at him in the last 48 hours.

John Ferguson Jr. took Bell because it was the only way he could get Toskala. This was a good move by JFJ, as Toskala is a direct improvement in goal, and was the best goalie for the best price available. Bell is a risk, but this whole situation has been blown out of proportion.

a) Bell will not miss any games because of this. His jail sentence will be in the offseason, he is likely to spend less than 6 months, all of which will likely occur beyond the leafs 07-08 season.

b) If Bell either struggles or does miss time because of this, he can be sent to the minors, and won't count against the cap. He's young, the Leafs can do that. He's not a cap risk.

c) Bell has something to prove, he has a fresh start, and he's not being asked of much. The pressure was on him a lot when he went from Chicago to San Jose. His 20 goal seasons were expected to increase, a lot of pressure for the kid to deal with.

If Bell turns out to be a bust, then there is nothing lost. He can be sent down, no cap issues to deal with. The Leafs didn't pay to get Bell, they paid to get Toskala. In fact, taking Bell lowered the price of Toskala.

If Bell turns out to be good, the Leafs got a freebie. If Bell puts up 20 goals, the Leafs got a steal.

As far as Bell is concerned, there is little risk and a lot of reward. Bell's future looked bright when he was in Chicago, there is no reason to believe he can't re-find his game and move forward with his life.

Please email me your comments to cjohnson202@hockeyleaks.com. I answer all my emails, and love hearing from you guys. Hockeyleaks.com should be back up and running soon.

Update:

I just want to apologize for everything still not being back to normal. The good news is that my hockeyleaks.com email address is working again so you can contact me there. It looks like we will have to start with fresh forums, so it will take me a few days to build them. I am hoping to have everything back to normal by mid-week. I'm very sorry for this taking so long, but this is a learning process and we're moving as quick as we can.

I also want to let people know that I have a full base-set of Upper Deck 2007 Hockeycards for sale. This is 350 cards. The price is $40 and that includes shipping to Ontario or Quebec. If you live elsewhere let me know and we'll see what pricing would be.

Sit tight, things should be normal again soon...

The move is on

We're in the process of moving servers, which is why Hockeyleaks.com currently points to HockeyAnalysis.com, who is providing us with the server. I'm not sure how long this will take, hopefully this will be completed in the next few days. Thanks for the patience.

Oilers Sign Penner To Offer Sheet - Site Update

I know the website hasn't been updated in a few days, this is because we are in the processs of moving the site to a new server. This will be happening in the next few days, and the site may be down for a few days. The blog will still be up, but the forums will be down. I'm not sure if the forums will survive the move, so keep your fingers crossed. worst case is we start with fresh forums, which wouldn't be terrible.

The Oilers have signed Dustin Penner to a five year / 21.5 million dollar offer sheet. Thats 4.3 a season, and as good as Penner is, the Ducks have to walk away. They can't afford that salary, and if they do it will be devistating to their cap situation. Even if Teemu or Niedermayer want to come back, they won't be able to fit in under the cap. Kevin Lowe is not making a lot of friends this off-season. Parise and Cammalleri remain the big RFA's still available.

Gelinas has signed with Nashville. One year, still checking on the money amount. This surprises me, as Gelinas is getting older and obviously wants to win, Nashville just doesn't seem to be the best bet in their current state. Maybe he knows something we don't?

Campoli On The Move?

LeafyMcLeaf on our forums has brought to my attention that Campoli has been removed from the Islanders roster on their website. does this mean he's on the move? If I'm a team looking to trade with the Islanders, Campoli is a kid I'd want in return.

I've also heard Anson Carter could sign with Vancouver this week.

Check the rumour mill at Hockeyleaks.com for all the latest.

Souray to edmonton

Expect the term and money to be quite large...let the Kubina and Jovo race begin...

check hockeyleaks.com for the latest rumours and the forums for the latest discussions

Devils Sign Zubrus

Details to follow at Hockeyleaks.com

Major Site News

Hockeyleaks.com is about to turn two years old. On July 8th, 2005 I started a blog at hockeyleaks.blogspot.com, to update my friends and others about the latest news during the dreaded thing will call the lockout.

The blog began getting hits from all around the globe, and the forums took off instantly. In October 2005, we launched a hockeyleaks.com website, which not only had daily news updates, but standings, rumours, stats, and interviews.

Two full years later, Hockeyleaks.com is one of the top rumour websites on the internet. We've expanded to offer our readers so much more than we could have ever dreamed of. Our blog is currently at 1.95 million hits, while our website has had hundreds of thousands of unique visitor, and over 20 million hits over the past two years. I never expected all of this, and I want to say thank you for giving me the opportunity to provide you with my information. This site is a passion of mine, just like hockey has always been. You have no idea how much I enjoy running this site, and being able to speak to you all on a daily basis.

So we come to the site news. As I said, we've grown a lot since we started. When we were looking to get free webspace to start the Hockeyleaks.com website in September of 2005, we were contacted by a Hockeyleaks.com reader, Roddie from Dallas. He had a server and because we were not that big of a ite, he offered us his server and webspace. We have been very pleased with what roddie has given us, and without him, Hockeyleaks.com probably would not exist.

Unfortunatly, we have grown much bigger than any of us could have expected. Roddie's server can no longer handle us, which leaves us without a server and without web space. That leaves myself with the task of finding a new home for Hockeyleaks.com. As I'm sure many of you are aware, Hockeyleaks.com is owned and operated by just myself. We have had many people help out over the years (and I want to thank Cory (cdog77) for all his help over the years, he helped us from dying a few times with all of his site updating), but as far as the bills go, I have paid for all the costs this site has had over the years. We had a few small ad deals that paid for a chat room here, or a domain name there, but as far as profit goes, Hockeyleaks.com has not made any.

So what does this mean? It means that in 2-3 weeks we will no longer be on the server we are on. I'm in the process of looking for a new server, but it will all depend on the costs and what we can afford. If I am moving forward with Hockeyleaks.com, I refuse to take a server that is less than the one we're on. If Hockeyleaks.com is to exist, it will continue to move forward, there will be no steps back.

I have my fingers crossed that we will be able to save this site, as I think it would be a tragedy if Hockeyleaks.com closed down. I know a lot of people visit this site many times during the day, and we have a few people who I honestly believe never leave our forums. I will do my best to keep this site operating, and lets hope we can move forward and live to see our third, fourth, and so on anniversary.

If your interested in helping us out, any ideas to raise money can be emailed to me at cjohnson202@hockeyleaks.com. You can also click the link below to donate money to our paypal account. I can promise you any and all money donated will go towards us putting a new server. I'm pretty sure if a dollar is donated, just that would force me to put the money out necessary to keep Hockeyleaks.com around. Even if you can spare a dollar, it would help. I've always been against putting large google ads, poker ads, etc on Hockeyleaks.com, as that slows down load time, and takes away from the website and what we're trying to do.

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_xclick&business=cjohnson202%40hotmail%2ecom&no_shipping=0&no_note=1&tax=0¤cy_code=CAD&lc=CA&bn=PP%2dDonationsBF&charset=UTF%2d8

Hockeyleaks will continue to operate as usual until further notice. I'm not sure an exact date that we have to be off the server, i believe it will be mid-july.

Once again, thank you for getting hockeyleaks.com this far, it's been an amazing experience thus far, and I hope it can continue and this will all work out.

Hockeyleaks.com has been updated with today's rumours, check the forums and UFA 07 section for all the breaking signings....like Brad Isbister was just signed to Vancouver...

Bertuzzi to ducks

just got a call, bertuzzi is a duck, two years

Zubrus To Toronto?

I've had two sources telling me it's close, so we'll see...

join us in the forums for our live UFA chat, things are happening fast and furious right now

nagy, handzus to LA

Hockeyleaks.com reported that Handzus signed about a half ago. The media has picked it up now, its a done deal.

I also mentioned earlier that Nagy to LA was very possible, and now it's done. Waiting for details on both, but they are both 100% done

Hamrlik To Montreal

4 years

Nylander To Washington

Deal with Oilers must have fell through..Kevin Lowe must be getting frustrated. Nylander gets four years from Washington, no money amount yet, check Hockeyleaks.com for the latest.

Whats Next?

To see whats coming, you have to look at two things. Which teams got worked yesterday, and which teams have too much.

Teams that had it rough yesterday are:

Buffalo - They lost their two biggest players, and Zubrus (it looks like he's gone), and haven't replaced them at all. I think we may see the Sabres make a trade, and make one or two tier 2 signings.

NYI - Blake, Smyth, Poti, Yashin, Zednik - Five big guys that got you to the playoffs last year...they have a lot to do to repair this team.

San Jose - They free'd up money to land a big name, and instead they didn't, PLUS they lost Scott Hannan.

Montreal - They needed a centre and a big d-man and got neither. I look forward to seeing how this team reacts.

New Jersey - Without Gomez and Rafalski, this team isn't a playoff team. They need to find replacements.

Nashville - Vokoun, Kariya, Hartnell, Timmonen. Thats a lot to replace.

LA - Went after all the big names, and struck out.

Edmonton - See LA

Phoenix - See LA

These teams all need to make deals, and make them soon before the market dries up. It will be interesting to see what these teams do in reaction. Some will make smart moves, others will make moves that hurt them for years.

Then you look to to the Leafs and Rangers. Both teams are close to the cap, and have too many roster players. Both admit they are still working the phones, and rumours are flying around about both. By the end of the week, you will see big moves / signings by both teams, both are not done yet.

Thanks for coming to Hockeyleaks, we had a great day yesterday. I have some news regarding the future of hockeyleaks.com, but I will save that for a day less busy. Thanks again for all you've given me. While Hockeyleaks doesn't make a sense, to see we had almost 500 000 hits yesterday makes me feel like I do all of this for a reason.

live rumour chat now in forums

Im posting rumours as they come in, things are going crazy. Drop by the General Hockey forum at Hockeyleaks.com and stop by. Dominos are about to start falling

Lets Do This!

1 am here in Toronto, meaning 11 hours left to wait. I plan on sleeping soon so that when I wake up, it will be UFA frenzy time. Hockeyleaks will have live coverage tomorrow from 12 until 2 or 3 pm. Make sure to be in the forums for the latest news, and check hockeyleaks.com for the latest details.

Latest has briere going to Montreal, though Philly, LA and Buffalo are still in this.

Bertuzzi to Detroit, Toronto or Montreal.

I am also excited to see what teams shock and awe us. We've been hearing Philly, Toronto, LA, San Jose, Buffalo, Montreal, etc as the big players. It wouldn't shock me at all if Columbus, Minnesota, Phoenix, or another low key team came out of nowhere and shocked us all by grabbing a Gomez or Drury. Gomez still likely to NYR, though Edmonton will offer him the largest deal. Drury out west....Colorado, San Jose, LA...though you can never count Buffalo out.

The Leafs are said to be ready to make a few giant splashes tomorrow. They're plan is to grab two wingers tomorrow, we'll see what happens. Expect toskala's extention to be announced tomorrow as well.

Get some sleep, tomorrow will be fun

Fernandez To Boston

For Petr Kalus plus a future fourth-round pick in the NHL draft.

Ottawa News

Pollock should be named new head coach by tomorrow's noon free agent kick off...

Emery is likely heading to a new team. Even if a team doesn't steal him as a RFA, arbitration likely would mean the end for Ray in Ottawa. Fernandez may be the one to come in as a replacement.

More To Come, things are getting busy

One More Day, Rumours a plenty

One more day until it's christmas for the 30 nhl teams. The best UFA crop EVER hits the open market tomorrow, and teams are already armed with their cheque-books. Salaries are about to get back to where they used to be pre-lock out, but dont get me started on how the lockout was a waste of time, we'll save that for when we have less to talk about.

The Leafs, Sens, Canucks, Wings and Habs are all working the phones hard today, trying to free up some cap room for tomorrow.

The Leafs are looking to move Kubina, Raycroft and Kilger to give them some more room to persue big guys. Stajan maybe too, if they can get good return. I'm hearing they would love to add not one, but two wingers tomorrow. Bertuzzi is one of them it appears.

The Sens would love to move Gerber, Shaeffer and/or Corvo. They really want some extra cash to make a serious attempt at Gomez, who they feel would strongly consider calling Ottawa home.

Vancouver wants Kariya I've been told, and are still looking to move Morrison to free up the extra cash. Washington still seems the most likely, though they may wait to see if they can grab Nylander on the market tomorrow.

The Wings are letting go Robert Lang, which frees up a little room, but not enough. They want to bring Schneider back, if they can afford him. Bertuzzi is looking less likely to return, but they would love to add Ryan Smyth. Finding 7 million to offer him, however, is a problem for them.

Montreal was upset the cap didnt go to 52 mil like some expected it to. They now only have about 7 million to offer briere, which will not be enough it seems. They are working the phones, trying to get a few more million free'd up.

I cannot wait for tomorrow. I'll be in the forums starting just before 12, and I'll be in there as long as I possibly can. Come by and chat with me, as we break all the signings and trades (if there are any). Make Hockeyleaks.com your home for UFA Day 2007. It will be a busy Sunday tomorrow, no doubts about. For more rumours, check Hockeyleaks.com.

More if something breaks today..

Waiver Wire

Phoenix has placed Kevyn Adams and Nick Boynton on waivers.

Vancouver has placed Marc Chouinard on waivers.

Some may be bought out if they clear.

Rumours section has been updated on Hockeyleaks.com for today.

Rumours

Pitkanen to Carolina for Wallin is close im hearing. I'm also hearing that the Oilers are somehow involved in this trade, maybe with Torres.

Leafs working on deals with Washington and Nashville. Kubina is involved. Eklund confirms this.

Rangers, Sharks, Flyers seem to be final three for Drury. From what I have heard he has told the Sabres that he wont be back. Colorado is in this as well, however.

Vancouver is looking to free up Cap Space. Morrison has been offered to Washington.

Montreal continues to look for a centre. Marleau and Briere are the two they want, but are committed to getting at least one top centre before July is done.

I have set up a rumour Q & A forum in the Hockey Rumours Discussion forum. Feel free to drop by and ask me a question about a player, team or rumour. I will do my best to answer all questions.

It's Almost Frenzy Time

Just a few more days and things will go nuts. I want to first mention that I will be in the forums all day long on Sunday holding a Q & A chat inside the forum. You will have to be a member of the forums to post and view the topic, so please sign up for the forums ASAP to be prepared. July 1st promises to be a crazy day.

The Leafs have Jason Blake, Ryan Smyth and Paul Kariya on their radar. Talk has them interested in lower-end UFA's as well, such as Todd White and Kyle Calder. While his name has not come up at all, I expect the Leafs to make a significant push for Nagy as well as the bigger name players. Landing a Nagy and a Kariya isnt out of the question.

Dallas Drake has cleared waivers and will be bought out by St. Louis.

Phoenix is making a push for Manny Fernandez as Boston is having trouble meeing Minnesota's asking price.

Chicago continues to be in the market for a center, and will offer Briere, Drury and Gomez large contracts. With that said, it is doubtful any of them will become Blackhawks.

Regehr could be finished in Calgary. With the aquiring of Aucoin, some believe Regehr will be on the move. Watch New Jersey on this one.

Make sure to check Hockeyleaks.com for all the latest news and rumours, and make sure to join the forums!

Hockey Leaks 2007 Draft Coverage

Here is a summary of the first round of the draft. Picks will be updated periodically, so keep refreshing your page. Draft day trades will be announced on the bottom of this post as well as in TradeLeaks.

1. CHI - RW Patrick Kane
2. PHI - LW James Van Riemsdyk
3. PHX - C Kyle Turris
4. LAK - D Thomas Hickey
5. WSH - D Karl Alzner
6. EDM - C Sam Gagner
7. CBJ - RW Jakub Voracek
8. BOS - C Zack Hamill
9. SJS (from STL) - C Logan Couture
10. FLA - D Keaton Ellerby
11. CAR - C Brandon Sutter
12. MON - D Ryan McDonagh
13. STL (from SJS/TOR) - C Lars Eller
14. COL - D Kevin Shattenkirk
15. EDM (from NYI) - D Alex Plante
16. MIN (from ANA/TBL) - C Colton Gillies
17. NYR - RW Alexei Cherepanov
18. STL (from CAL) - D Ian Cole
19. ANA (from MIN) - C Logan MacMillan
20. PIT - C Angelo Esposito
21. EDM (from PHX/DAL) - C Riley Nash
22. MON (from SJS) - LW Max Pacioretty
23. NAS - D Jonathan Blum
24. CAL (from STL/ATL) - C Mikael Backlund
25. VAN - C Patrick White
26. STL (from SJS/NJD) - RW David Perron
27. DET - D Brendan Smith
28. SJS (from WAS/BUF) - D Nick Petrecki
29. OTT - C Jim O'Brien
30. PHX (from EDM/ANA) - D Nick Ross

TRADES

1. SJS gets 1st round pick (conditional), 2nd round pick in 2008, 4th round pick in 2009
TOR gets G Vesa Toskala and LW Mark Bell

2. FLA gets G Tomas Vokoun
NAS gets 1st round pick in 2008, 2nd round pick in 2007, 2nd round pick (conditional)

3. SJS gets 1st round pick in 2007
STL gets 1st round pick in 2007 (from TOR), 2nd round pick in 2007, 2nd round pick in 2008

4. ANA gets 1st round pick in 2007, 2nd round pick in 2007
MIN gets 1st round pick in 2007

5. CAL gets 1st round pick in 2007 (from ATL), 3rd round pick in 2007
STL gets 1st round pick in 2007

6. EDM gets 1st round pick in 2007 (from DAL)
PHX gets 1st round pick in 2007 (from ANA), 2nd round pick in 2007

7. SJS gets 1st round pick in 2007 (from BUF)
WSH gets 2nd round pick in 2007, 2nd round pick in 2008

Hockey Leaks Draft Coverage Begins at 7:00 PM EST

It is I, your long lost blogger Yick. With CJ unable to cover draft day, I will take over and provide you with al the information about the first round of the draft as well as any trades that might take place.

Two trades have already taken place today: Vesa Toskala and Mark Bell going to Toronto in exchange for a conditional 1st-round pick, a 2nd-round pick next year, and a fourth round pick in 2009. Tomas Vokoun was also traded to Florida in exchange for a first round pick next year, a second round pick this year, and a second round pick either this year or next year.

Stick around, draft coverage begins in half an hour.

Leaf Trade Fall-Out

Fernandez to Boston is looking VERY likely at this hour. The Bruins wanted Toskala but will settle for Fernandez and his larger salary.

Dave Tallen says he will keep his first pick, but Tampa Bay is still trying to get it off of him.

Buffalo is trying hard to deal for Philly's second round pick. This is something to keep an eye on.

Some confusion, as many are emailing me saying "toskala is an RFA? Is that why the Leafs are working on an extention with him?"...nope, Toskala will be a 1.375 cap hit for this season. The Leafs will look to extend him for another 2-3 years. Like I've said in our forums (which will be draft central tonight, unfortunatly I will not be around until after 11), this is a great deal for Toronto, they are a much better team right now.

Raycroft is being quietly shopped right now, and the Leafs would still love to move a defenseman. I don't think Ferguson is done yet.

It's going to be an exciting day. For more rumours, check the Rumour Mill at Hockeyleaks.com, it was updated today and has some of the latest rumours I am hearing. Enjoy the draft and all the action that is about to happen.

Leafs Aquire Toskala, Bell

The Maple Leafs have aquired Vesa Toskala and Mark Bell from the San Jose Sharks for a first round pick in 2007, a second round pick in 2007 and a fourth round pick in 09.

Expect a blog in 25 mins or so with thoughts, and rumours

Aucoin To Calgary, Richards To Chicago Soon?

The flames have aquired Adrian Aucoin from the Chicago Blackhawks. No word yet on who is going the other way, check Hockeyleaks.com for all the latest. This is a salary dump by the Blackhawks, who have their eye on bringing in Brad Richards from Tampa Bay. This is close, very close.

JS Giguere is the first of the big-names to re-sign with his club. 6 a year, four year deal. For those who can't do the math...four years, 24 million total.

The Leafs have re-signed Carlo Colaiacovo to a new three year deal worth just under 1.3 million per season. I am hearing Kubina or McCabe are dealt this weekend or prior to July 1st. Stajan is also being dangled this weekend, while Dallas is pressing hard to get Steen from Toronto. The Leafs continue to look for another goalie.

Four teams have inquired about Wade Redden, Edmonton and Detroit are two of them. The Sens will only deal Redden if they can't get him signed long-term.

The Phoenix Coyotes are trying to get Fernandez out of Minnesota, and have offered Nick Boynton. Toronto, Tampa Bay and Boston are in these talks as well. Boston is also talking to San Jose about Toskala, and is offering a package that includes one of their two current goalies, likely Hannu.

Expect the next few days to be crazy. The Oilers are really pressing to make a deal, as they have three first rounders. A lot of action is expected tomorrow and Saturday. I unfortunatly have to work tomorrow night during the draft, but I am hopeful someone will be here covering the draft.

Also, remember we have items up for auction that we are selling to raise money for the site. Please go here and bid on some of these, it will help us a lot!

http://search.ebay.ca/_W0QQsassZcjohnson202QQhtZ-1

More Information Later, as it comes in.

Please Help Us!

As we head into a busy off-season, things are about to get very busy around here. We want to make improvements, but they wont be cheap. To help raise money I am selling many very rare hockey cards from this past season, including many rookie cards, including malkin. All money raised by selling these cards will go into a new site, that will hopefully launch in time for next season. Please check out the auctions here:


http://search.ebay.ca/_W0QQsassZcjohnson202QQhtZ-1


If you win an auction, please let me know you are a hockeyleaks reader and I will give you a discount on shipping! Thank you



Lots of rumours coming tonight, I'm working on some good ones.

News and Notes

First off, thank you all for coming back to Hockeyleaks.com, our numbers have skyrocketed once again since sunday, when the rumours were brought back and the UFA preview went up. I often get emails during the playoffs or after the trade deadline that say "Eklund is still doing UFA previews, and trade rumours, why are you not?"...the truth is, things don't happen like that. If I were to post rumours in April or May, they would be guesses. While sure, a few teams may have an idea of who they would be interested in come July 1st, there is too much time between. This is the first week we can really start to put rumours out and them actually mean something. This is the week things start to happen, it's exciting for all of us, and we hope you stick around here to find out what happens.

Mats Sundin has signed a one year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs, it is worth 5.5 million. The caption of the team wants to go on one-year deals from now on, so that if he is forced to retire, his team is not on the hook. 5.5 million is alslo 800,000 less than his cap hit would have been this year if he had had his option picked up. Great move by the team and Sundin, lets just hope JFJ finds Sundin some offense to work with.

Pierre Turgeon has apparently called it a career. While nothing is official yet, we should here something official by the end of the day.

Finally, the draft is just over a week away, but I will be unable to cover it. I will be at work, and cannot get the day off. Fear not though, this problem will be fixed, and someone will be here covering the draft and all it's happenings. If only they had stuck with the Saturday/Sunday schedule...Friday Night Draft? We'll see what thats like.

Email me at cjohnson202@hockeyleaks.com for all questions, comments or ideas. We're always looking for new writers, and we're still looking for some re-design help. I respond to all emails, so feel free to drop me a line. Have a good tuesday

Trade Winds Are Blowing...

As we approach the draft, several teams are looking to free up cap room to either make a bigger trade, or sign a big name free agent (and if you've checked out our top 35 list, there are a lot of tem). With this activity, the rumours are starting to swirl.

The Leafs would love to move one of their two high-priced defenseman. Freeing up the 5+ million that both Kubina and McCabe make would allow them to not only bring in one big name UFA, but maybe two. McCabe would likely only go to the Islanders, as he has a no movement restriction in his contract. Don't think for a second that the Islanders wouldn't want him, they do. The Leafs would want good return for him, maybe a first round draft pick plus a prospect. As for Kubina, he does not have a NTC, meaning he could be dealt anywhere. St. Louis tried hard to sign him last summer before he signed with Toronto, while a new rumour suggests the Leafs and Blue Jackets had talked about a trade involving Kubina and Zherdev. Toronto's blue line should be watched very closely, because they have a lot of guys signed to one way deals back there. Last count: 9 if you count Colaiacovo, who is just days away from being re-upped.

What about Ottawa? The Sens wont have that much wiggle room left once July 1st rolls around, and they would love to do some shopping this summer. While dealing Gerber would be optimal, it will also be tough. Wade Redden to Edmonton rumours are going crazy, Cogliano would be part of any deal. Watch this one.

Montreal could deal Saku Koivu as well, don't count this out.

Finally, keep an eye on the Lightning. They would really like to grab Giguere, but have no cap room to even sign a cheaper goalie such as Hasek or Belfour. One of the big three is on the move from what I hear. Vinny is the only one without a NTC, but how do you trade one of the league's top scorers, and the best of your big three? Martin St. Louis to Chicago for Khabibulin is in the whispers again, while Brad Richards to Montreal for Huet is also being swirled around.

The next 20 days could have a few interesting stories to unfold. When July 1st rolls around, there will be a few teams with a little more cap room to spend thanks to a pre-july trade.

Speaking of the cap, I'm hearing it will be between 50.4 and 52.8 million. We will find this out soon.

Free Agency 07 Starts Now!

The free agency section of hockeyleaks.com is up now, please go check it up. Rumours are also updated, and you can expect new updates each and every day on both those sections. All buy-outs / RFA's not qualified will be added to the top UFA list, which currently sits at 35.

Also, the forums are back up so make sure to go back there. If you are not a member yet, please sign up as we have some great topics always going there.

Enjoy whats left of your weekend

Site Update Coming / Web Designer Needed

I plan on spending part of tonight and hopefully tomorrow doing the free agent 07 page. I hope to have it ready for Monday, so look for that. The Daily Rumour Mill will also return on Monday, and the site will be updated daily starting Monday. The free agent 07 page will kick off with my top 25 free agents and where they are rumoured to be heading. Once July hits it will be updated as the deals happen. For those here on the trade deadline, we expect to have a similar set up for free agent day, with the up to the second tracker.

The forums are currently down and I dont' know why, hopefully that gets cleared up ASAP.

With the busy period coming up, we'd love to add more writers to the team, so please email me at cjohnson202@hotmail.com if your interested.

Also, I'd love to get someone to re-design the site for us. I'd love someone to offer their help free of charge, but if you are a web-designer with reasonable rates please contact me as well. The site makes no money but I can pay you out of my own pocket if necessary. Proposals of what you'd like to do to the site are appreciated with your email. I want to take Hockeyleaks.com to the next level but I need help getting there!

The Cup, The Buy Ouy, and The Re-Sign...

We start with the Stanley Cup, which could be given out tonight. Anaheim is 7-0 when they are at home and have a chance to finish off a series, i like those odds. Giguere will win MVP if/when the Ducks win. Sorry Sens fans, but the end is near. I'm going to predict a 4-2 Ducks win.

Yashin was bought out today, which leaves the Islanders with quite the cap hit. 2.2 million will be held against the cap for the next eight seasons! Thats a long time...For some reason I see Yashin going west, Colorado or Detroit...

The Leafs have re-signed Antropov to a 2 year deal worth around 4 million dollars. 2 million a year is too much, but the Leafs should be alright as the latest rumours have the cap going as high as 52 million next season. Big things will happen in Leaf land, we could see it prior to July 1st through trades, Draft day will be very exciting (Oilers are expected to make a few big draft day trades)...

Watch the game tonight, it will be a great one.

UFA Preview - Part 1

Here is an early look at what could be coming over the next 45 days. Things will change from now until July 1st, so stay tuned, things are about to pick up...

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Paul Kariya – Ever since joining the Nashville Predators, Paul Kariya has once again become one of the elite in the NHL. That being said, Kariya is getting older and the cup is on his mind. A return to Nashville is doubtful, as the lack of playoff success as well as the team’s lack of local attention are not things Kariya is happy with. A return to Anaheim seems most likely, while Vancouver would love to bring the skilled winger home.

J.S. Giguere – While he may be a playoff MVP, the Ducks may take a pass on the all-world goalie. With big contracts to their big defenseman already signed, it looks like Giguere may be a cap casualty for the Ducks. Detroit would love to have bring him in, and seem to be the early front-runner. The Kings are a long shot to bring in Giguere, while Tampa Bay could only dream about finding cap space to afford him.

Chris Drury – Drury has been one of the best players in the league for awhile now, and this season he once again took his game to another level. The Sabres will try hard to bring him back, but they will have steep competition. Philadelphia would love to bring him in to help re-build a contender, while Colorado would love to bring Drury back into their fold.

Peter Forsberg – From what I’ve heard, there are two options here: Philadelphia and Colorado. Sweden isn’t as likely as many of you have heard, at this point I am feeling Philly lands him.

Daniel Briere – Some feel he’s the best UFA on the market, but I believe it’s too close to call. Either way, Briere will attract a lot of attention from a lot of teams. As with Drury, the Sabres would love to hold on to him, but it will be tough. Once again, the Flyers are very interested in bringing in Danny, and are the early favorites to land him. Montreal also has a lot of interest, while Detroit and Toronto could get involved in this as well. Let the bidding begin.

Ladislav Nagy - Nagy started off slow in Dallas but eventually found form, is it enough for Dallas to hang on to him? The Stars will make an offer, but can they compete with eastern teams such as Toronto, Montreal and Pittsburgh? All three of these teams went hard after Nagy prior to the deadline, so it’s expected they’ll be back in the race for the winger. Colorado, Detroit and Chicago are teams in the west expected to make solid pitches.

Ryan Smyth – While Edmonton was thought to be out of the race, they are said to be back in it. Calgary and Vancouver are also very much in this, Toronto and Buffalo as well.

Sheldon Souray – The LA Kings have been the rumoured team for the past year, and nothing has changed. Anaheim would love to have him, but they may find better ways to spend their money. Don’t count out the Sharks either. As for Montreal, I don’t see them finding a way to fit him in.

Bill Guerin – Back to St. Louis for Bill it seems…

Jason Blake – Toronto and Anaheim are the early favourites in this race, while it is very unlikely Blake returns to the Island. Nashville and New Jersey are two other teams I would watch in this one, and Pittsburgh I’m hearing is starting to ask questions about what it would take to bring him in.

Scott Gomez – At this point, New Jersey appears to be a long-shot. Gomez may be the most under-rated UFA out there. His name has been kept quiet, and where he ends up is anyone’s guess. You can expect it’s with a team who is close to winning, as Gomez has been a winner his entire career. Early whispers have been Ottawa and Detroit.

Brendan Shanahan – I’d expect the Rangers to do what it takes to bring him back, but if not I believe he’ll enter the North-East division.

Teemu Selanne – If he didn’t stay in Anaheim, I’d be shocked.

Curtis Joseph – He’s publicly stated he’ll play for two teams: Toronto and Phoenix. Both teams have interest in the goalie, but will also see what else is available.

Dominik Hasek – While many feel Tampa and Detroit are big Dom’s only two options, I’ve heard otherwise. Phoenix has some interest, while Toronto has also been in Dom’s rumour world over the past few weeks. Tampa is my guess at this point.

Brad Stuart – Calgary may have a hard time keeping the defenseman. San Jose would love to get this guy back, while the Kings have heavy interest in him as well.

Eric Lindros – A return in Dallas is likely, though Calgary is another team said to be ready to make an offer to the large centre.

Todd Bertuzzi – The Wings are interested in keeping him, but with Bertuzzi, price is key. Big Bert publicly said last season that he’d love to play in Toronto, and that is very possible. Montreal, NYR and Boston are all rumoured at this point as well.

Gary Roberts – Toronto, Ottawa, Pittsburgh. These are the only teams you should expect to see in the Roberts hunt.

Tom Priessing – Ottawa will do what it takes to bring him back as he’s quickly become a large part of this team. Should July 1st come and Priessing still be a free agent, there will be countless teams in the bidding for the power-play quarterback.

The Hamilton Predators

First off, I want to let you know that I have not only gotten my job back, but it's better than before, which is good news for me.

Second, as one of the few that picked the Ducks to take this series, I am looking quite good right now.

And finally, as it's almost 3 am here in Toronto, I wanted to point you all in this direction:

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/article.jsp?content=20070531_001140_2400

we thought we'd see the Waterloo Preds, or maybe the Winnepeg Preds, but the Hamilton Predators seem to be in our future...

Here We Go!

First I want to say sorry for the lack of updates this past week. I've had a very hard week with my own life and haven't had much time for anything else. Unfortunatly I lost my regular job, so I've been busy trying to put things back together. Hopefully things with me will be resolved shortly and we can move forward. If anyone is hiring, feel free to contact me, haha! Also, we are still looking for someone to help us re-design Hockeyleaks.com so if you would like to help I'd love to hear from you. Cjohnson202@hockeyleaks.com

So I head into the finals with a 12-2 record, which is the best I've ever done in the post-season. A lot of people I talk to believe Ottawa is the team to beat, but I really like Anaheim in this series. Anaheim in my opinion has a better defense and goaltending, while Ottawa has the better offense.

It was a year ago that Chris Pronger led a mediocre Edmonton team to the final, and that team was one win away from winning it all. This years Anaheim team is far superior that last year's Edmonton team, in all aspects. That being said, Ottawa is also far better than last years Carolina team, which makes me optimistic that we will see one hell of a series over the next two weeks.

In the end, I am picking Anaheim to win in seven games. J.S. Giguere will likely be the Conn Smythe winner, though a strong series by Pronger could give it to him as well.

In other news, the Habs have signed Markov to a four year deal. The numbers are not known yet, but the talk the other day was $5 mil per year. The agent denied that, and I thought that was a little much, so we'll wait until we get a number.

Enjoy your Monday, it's a nice one out there!

Adam Breaks Down Cup Final

Adam Forsyth has been our top writer for over the past year, and he writes amazingly. Here is his breakdown of the cup final. Expect a blog from me tomorrow taking a look at the Preds ownership situation as well as my cup final prediction.

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How they match-up

Goaltending - J.S. Giguere has the experience of going to a game 7 final and the understanding of the nerves that will contribute to the performance of such a game, while this is all relatively new for Ray Emery. Giguere has been playing extremely well, and has a Conn Smythe Trophy with his name on it for his performance in a losing effort in the 2003 Stanley Cup Playoffs, in getting the boot by the Scott Stevens & Niedermayer led New Jersey Devils. Ray Emery has the confidence of his teammates and has been a cool and collected performer throughout the season. Even as the Sens struggled out of the gate of the 2006-07 season, flailing away to a sub-par and close to .500 start, it was in no way the fault of Emery. He was one of the lone bright spots, after having big off-season free agent signing Martin Gerber flop. Midway into the season though, something changed, and seemed to simplify the Sens defensive scheme to playing and they were led by the play of their last line of defense. While Emery deserves a great deal of credit, it is usually experience in the playoffs that tends to be the difference.

Advantage: J.S. Giguere, Ducks

Forwards - The Ducks have a plethora of young stars that can put the puck in the net. They tend to play three lines worth of scoring touch, and are nicely complimented with grit and enough mucking to slow down an offensive juggernaut. With Selanne, McDonald, Getzlaf, Penner, and Perry on board, they can definitely put the puck in the net. While it has been a glaring display that as goes Selanne, so do the Ducks, droughts from their big line will be magnified in a series against the all-around Senators. The Perry-Penner-Getzlaf line (affectionately called, the PPG line) proved they can potentially step up in a dire need, by playing huge in the deciding game 6 versus the Red Wings, they will surely need more performances such as that to make this series a winnable one for them. A healthy Todd Marchant will also help in their shut-down approach in containing the big line that the Sens have. Pahlsson will continue to be a thorn in the sides of the top offensive offerings, and back-checking won't be an issue. The Ducks have shown signs of scrambling at times, which will be a no-no against the Ottawa bunch, as they will make you pay. The Sens will continue to roll four lines comfortably, and get excellent contributions from them all. It has been an incredible performance thus far of Heatley, Spezza and Alfredsson, as they have taken charge and decidedly turned their game up a notch (or two) and led this team to the promise land. The trio has been scoring at will regardless of what match-ups opposing coaches throw their way, and will need to continue that way in order to have success in this years final series. The only question that many have, is should they stumble along the way, is there anyone that can step up and take the initiative to score the big goal? They definitely have the firepower down the line, as the addition of Mike Comrie could become huge, as well as dependable net-fillers Fisher, Kelly, Schaefer and Vermette are more than capable in assisting the top line should any issues arise. Truth be told, the Sens will need a more balanced attack in taking on Jiggy and the Ducks. I expect some big goals to be scored by some lesser known heroes and not only by the likes of Alfie, Spez and Heatley.

Advantage: Ottawa Senators

Defense: - Man, what a group of overall defensemen we have here. On one side of the ice, we have what is arguably the best two-man tandem ever to be formed on a team in a long time with Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer leading the Ducks defense corps. On the other side of the ice, we have one what has to be the most talented top 6 defensive line-up in recent memory. With apologies to the rest of the Ducks d-men minus Francois Beauchemin; who has really blossomed into an excellent 3rd option for the Ducks contributing on both sides of the rink, but O'Donnell, Huskins, DiPenta and whomever Randy Carlyle decides to throw out for limited minutes between Ric Jackman and Aaron Rome the Ducks are definitely depending on big minutes and contributions by their big three of the blue line.As for the Sens on their blueline, each of their top 6 defenders contributes in a way that is and has been critical to their success along their journey to the Stanley Cup Final. Wade Redden has been the power play specialist that they expect him to be, moving the puck and allowing the creation of many offensive opportunities. Joe Corvo has been everything that they would have hoped for in acquiring him in the off-season. Tom Pressing has been steady and played in every situation possible, while contributing offensively as well. All the while, the trio of Anton Volchenkov, Chris Phillips and Andrej Meszaros have played over 20 minutes a night, while shutting the door to the offensive superstars they have faced. Throw in the spot duty of the talented Christoph Schubert and the Sens can throw seven extremely capable options the Ducks way. When they are rolling on all cylinders, which they seem to have been doing since the new year started, the Sens are tough to beat.

Advantage: Ottawa Senators

Power Play: This is a classic case between one teams incredible quarterback tandem of Pronger & Niedermayer (along with a strong 3rd option of Beauchemin) and comparing them to the offensively gifted forward trio of Heatley, Spezza and Alfredsson. Ottawa has 14 PPG's heading into the final in 70 chances for a success rate of 20%. While the Ducks have scored 13 PPG's in their 85 opportunities for a success rate of 15.3%. The Sens will definitely continue to get a bunch of opportunities as the Ducks aggressive in your face style of play will surely open up the ice with numerous man advantages, allowing the Sens to potentially change the game with odd man goals. I expect the Sens to continue to get the big goals when they need it, led by their superstars.

Advantage: Ottawa Senators

Penalty Kill: Only due to the fact that the Ducks will be more seasoned in PK situations, along with the fact that they have two great penalty killing forwards in Marchangt and Pahlsson do I feel that this is a definite advantage to them. I understand that the Sens have been firing on all cylinders, and have even gotten stellar backchecking efforts from their stars, but for the most part, they won't see the ice as frequently when down a man. How can you deny a PK with the overpowering D that the Ducks have?

Advantage: Anaheim Ducks

Intangibles: The Ottawa Senators have a lot on their side. They have the momentum of quickly disposing each team thrown their way. They took care of the young upstart Penguins in 5, a tough Devils squad in 5 and then easily handled the regular season champion Sabres in 5 as well. The Sens only had home ice advantage in their opening series, so they have proven that they can win on the road. They played their last game on Saturday (May 19th) and with the opening game to this series taking place on Monday, May 28th, will that week and a half off help, or hinder? Of course their bumps and bruises will heal, but talk to anyone in the know, and that much time off, without a true shoulder rub, hard-hitting affair (which the Ducks will definitely supply) it usually has a negative effect. Depending on what type of series this is, the Sens will play their own brand of hockey and will have the upper hand on the skill level. If grit is necessary, players like Neil, Volchenkov and McCammond's services will continue to be critical.The Ducks will also get a bit of time to heal, with a 5 day break in between games. That should help some of the aches and nagging pains that tend to persist this time of year. Home ice is and always will be huge, especially if the series goes the distance. So, the Ducks get the edge there, for sure. The Ducks ability to muck it up and win ugly can also help them along the way. As stated many of times, the Wings were the better team in the Western Conference final, but the Ducks found a way to win. Sometimes, there isn't an explanation for it, but the final score is ultimately what it is all about. In saying that, the experience factor could be critical should the Sens feel shell-shocked in what is all but one of their players first appearance in a Stanley Cup final (minor role player Oleg Saprykin played with the Flames in the '04 Final vs. Tampa Bay) in comparison to the abundance of not only appearances in the Finals, but leadership in the greatest of shows. Scott Niedermayer has won a trio of cups, while Pronger, Giguere, O'Donnell and the other Niedermayer have at least been there in recent history. So, they know what it is like to be on that grand of a spectacle.

Advantage: Anaheim Ducks

Overall Advantage: Ottawa Senators will win the Stanley Cup in 6 games, becoming the first Canadian based NHL franchise to win the cup since the 1993 Montreal Canadiens upset the Wayne Gretzky led Los Angeles Kings.

Conn Smythe Trophy Winner: Ottawa Senators Jason Spezza

Hockey Card Sale

As we approach the off-season, which will be a busy time for us all here, we're looking for a way to raise a little money in hopes of purchasing a few upgrades. As the 06-07 season draws to a close, the 06-07 Upper Deck Hockeycards will go out of print. So, we are offering some of these cards at huge discount prices.

If you wish to help us out and purchase some hockey cards at the same time, here is what you get. We are selling them in sets of teams. If you do not know Upper Deck, they issue two series' per year. So if you purchase our toronto package you will get all of the Toronto Maple Leafs base cards from series 1 AND series 2. All team packaging are just $1, unless noted below:

Toronto: $1.50 due to rarity of a few of the cards
New Jersey: $2 (good deal considering Brodeurs card alone is worth $2)
NYR: $2.50 (two gretzky cards worth over $4 combined)
Pittsburgh: $3 (good deal considering the Crosby card by itself is worth $3, plus Crosbys checklist card is worth a few bucks also)

Is set has 13-14 cards in it. Shipping is 3.99 to Canada, 4.99 to US and 5.99 over seas. This shipping price applies for 3 sets or less. For each additional set add .75. If you are interested please email me at cjohnson202@hockeyleaks.com. Feel free to email me to ask any questions you have.

Thanks

Saskin Fired

The NHLPA has fired Ted Saskin. Check the forums for the latest.

No Surgery For Sundin + Leafs News

Sundin has met with doctors and Sweden, and he will not need surgery. He has a small tear in his labrum, but it will NOT require surgery to repair.

When this story first broke I was sent two newspaper articles from Sweden, talking about how angry Sundin was with this. The belief around people I talked to is that one side of ownership (Tanenbaum) wanted Ferguson fired along wiht Pat Quinn last year. That never happened, and apparrently Larry still wants Ferguson gone. It is believed that someone on Tanenbaum's side leaked the hip injury information in hopes of embarressing Ferguson, and hoping there would be more of a reason to fire him. It doesn't seem as though this has happened, and all signs point to allowing Ferguson to handle this seasons off-season tasks.

The Leafs have signed defenseman Ian White to a three year deal worth 850k per season. Not a bad deal at all, as White has developped into a very good young defenseman.

Final leaf news of the moment, Toronto will pick 13th in the Entry Draft...if I was them, I would move up a bit and grab 11th ranked Angelo Esposito. Yes, the kid has falled about 10 spots, but I also think he'll have something to prove. Whoever selects him will get a huge steal.

Round 3, Lets Do This!

My first round was a dandy, I went 8-0 with four perfects...in the second round I went 3-1 with 2 perfects making my total 11-1 with six perfects...(not bad, I've perfectly predicted half the series, and picked 11 of 12 winners)...this round is not easdy though...

(1) Buffalo vs. (4) Ottawa
- The two teams everyone thought would make it to finals have, and what a series this should be. Friends I've talked to all believe it will come down to who is better: Miller or Emery. I, however, feel it will come down to the defense of each team, and I feel Buffalo has the advantage there. Both teams have great offense, and solid young goalies, but Buffalo is a bit stronger and more reliable on their back-end. Sabres in six games. (I want to say seven, but i am jus feeling six).

(1) Detroit vs. (2) Anaheim
- Detroit has home ice which could be HUGE in this series, but Detroit's defense is also pretty banged up. I think Anaheim lacks the offense they may need against Detroit, but with Detroit's hurting defense, I think Anaheim can do this. Ducks in six.

I promised a Sundin story and you will get it, but since it's May 8th, and Sundin is meeting with doctors tomorrow, I'm going to hold off.

Big Choices In Net

Over the last few years, we've seen a lot of two-headed monsters in the nets of NHL teams. We've seen Roloson and Fernandez, Miller and Biron, Giguere and Bryz, Nabokov and Toskala, Vokoun and Mason, and the list goes on...

Roloson and Fernandez were the first to split, and just a few months ago the Miller/Biron monster was broken apart. This summer, it appears we'll lose a few more, but in these cases, how do you decide which one to keep.

We start in Anaheim, where Giguere is set to become unrestricted at season's end. Giguere has done so much for this franchise over the past five years, in my opinion it would be a no-brainer to bring this guy back, but all talk has Anaheim going with Bryz and letting Giggy walk. Lets compare the two Anaheim goalies playoff stats, shall we

Giggy: 6 games played, 4-1, 1.42 GAA, .950 SV%, 0 SO
Bryz: 5 Games played, 3-1, 2.09 GAA, .929 SV%, 0 SO

Both goalies have amazing numbers, which is why its not fair to keep both of them, but clearly JS Giguere is the better goaltender. Yes, he's making more money, but I think it's worth it.

Next we go to Minnesota, where Backstrom is set to become an unrestricted free agent. Backstrom started all five Minnesota playoff games, which to me is a clear statement that he's their guy. How do you start Fernandez next year after you told him he wasn't good enough to play in last year's playoffs? Backstrom went 1-4 in the playoffs, but his GAA was only 2.22 and his SV% was .924. He's good enough to be a #1 goalie, and if Minnesota lets him walk, I think they've made a big mistake. If they can't trade Manny, then suck it up and keep both goalies. Letting Backstrom leave would be a serious negative for this franchise.

We head to Nashville, where there are some serious questions around what to do with their goaltending. Nashville decided to go with Vokoun in all five of their playoff games, and that didn't turn out well. Vokoun went 1-4 with a 2.96 GAA and a .902 SV%. I am confused as to why this team didn't turn to Chris Mason, who played most of the season in Nashville this season, while putting up amazing numbers. Mason had a better SV% and GAA during the season, and has been the better goalie over the past year. Once again, Money is the issue, with Vokoun making a lot more than Mason. If I'm Nashville, I find a taker for Vokoun, and move forward with Mason. This guy is the real deal.

Finally we head to San Jose, where their two headed monster seems to be working best. Both guys are under contract for next season, so this doesn't have to be resolved, but the rumours still swirl that San Jose would like to get rid of one of these guys. Nabokov has started all eight playoff games for the Sharks, going 6-2 with a 2.01 GAA and .922 SV%. Nabokov has been a great goalie for a long time now, and I think he's a permanent fixture in San Jose. With that said, I feel Toskala should be given a serious chance, and that would have to happen on another team. The 30 year old went 26-10 this season, with a GAA of 2.35 and SV% of .908, numbers which are good enough for a starting goaltender to have. Career, Toskala is 65-28 with a 2.35 GAA and Sv% of .914, very good numbers. Nabokov is the man for San Jose, but if I'm a team needing goaltending, I'm trying to find out how to get Toskala out of San Jose. He's cheap, he's young, and he's one hell of a goaltender.

I'd love to hear what you think on these goaltenders, who would you keep, and who would you let go? Which teams do you think would be interested in picking up one of the extra netminders? Email me at cjohnson202@hockeyleaks.com.

I've been digging for the last 24 hours on the Mats Sundin story, I'll post what I know in a few hours, stay tuned.

Best Ice?

Forum member RJD today posted a story where MSG was voted by the league's players and officials as having the best ice...I wonder how many of them are changing their votes after today's game?

What a game this has been, you have to give the Rangers credit, they are playing great today. Give equal credit to Ryan Miller, he's really kept the Sabres in this. If your not watching this game, switch it on right now. 1-1 in the first overtime. It's broadcast on NBC, which means 99% of you are getting todays game.

A few days ago I talked about deadline deals and how Avery was the best so far. I made a mistake, and usually I am corrected by several emails when I make a mistake, but nobody caught this one. Avery was the 2nd best deadline deal, but the best by far is Buffalo's move to get Zubrus. The Sabres are not as dominant offensively without this guy.

In my hockeypool I have with some friends and co-workers I picked five sabres: Connolly, Briere, Drury, Afiniganov and Vanek. I had Campbell over Connolly but I changed it, and I knew I shouldn't have took Maxim, he's once again vanished come playoff time. That being said, Zubrus would have been a great choice on my part. If Buffalo loses Drury and/or Briere, I suggest they make sure to keep Zubrus, he's playing amazing in Buffalo and is a for-sure keeper.

6 points in 7 games coming into today's came, he's been a great pick-up for Buffalo.

Finally, Scott Gomez leads the playoffs in scoring on a offensively challenged New Jersey Devils team. In my opinion, he's the best UFA available come July 1st.

Enjoy this game, Double Overtime's up next.

Thanks!

I want to send a quick thank you to all of my readers today. A few days ago I posted two emails I had sent to me, one was a very positive email and one wasn't so positive. In the past few days I have recieved about twenty-five emails praising the site and I really appreciate it. I've said it many times that I started this blog as a way for people I personally knew to be kept in the loop, and to see the level it's grown is amazing. The Blog is almost at two million hits, hockeyleaks.com had 10.1 million hits in 2006, and 2007 is looking even better as we're already at almost 6 million hits in just the first four months. You guys are what makes me want to improve this site, and I promise you that as we move on things will always improve.

I said before I am planning a UFA preview to be released before the playoffs end, here are a few players and where I see them going.

Drury - I've always heard he's #1 on Philly's list, but things may have changed. Drury wants to go West apparently, I know Calgary will make a strong pitch for him. There have also been some rumblings that Colorado may have interest in him, but who knows if Drury would go back to the franchise that drafted him.

Scott Gomez - While New Jersey would love to keep him, but he'd love to go to a more offensive minded team. Latest has the Islanders very interested, especially if they lose Ryan Smyth (I'm hearing Calgary and Vancouver will be fighting over him, Toronto will make a pitch as will the Rangers). I'd expect Gomez to stay in the East.

Ruslan Fedetenko - Red Wings REALLY want this guy, and I dont see him staying in Tampa.

JS Giguere - He's leaving the Ducks it appears, unless something changes. Detroit would love to have him if they can find a way to afford him. Babcock will make Holland persue this to the end.

Dom Hasek - Tampa Bay is the latest I'm hearing. He's the best goalie they can get for a half-decent price. If Detroit replaces him, I expect Dom to return to the East.

Niklas Backstrom - Minnesota would love to hang on to this guy, and I expect him to stay and Fernandez to go. If he leaves, Tampa, Florida and Detroit are the three teams to watch.

Curtis Joseph - Would love to return to Toronto. If they don't want him, Phoenix is likely, Edmonton isn't out of the question either.

Sheldon Souray - Likely to leave Montreal. Anaheim, San Jose and LA are the three teams to watch for this one, though sources say Philly may make an offer too good to refuse.

Peter Forsberg - Big question mark here, some rumours say he'll retire from the NHL and play in sweden. Others say he'll play half a year in Sweden and then come back to the NHL in December-January. Three teams to look at : Colorado, Philly, Atlanta. I don't expect Nashville to get him back

Enjoy your weekend, I expect some great hockey games! If you attend any of the playoff games, feel free to email me your story! I will post them on the blog.

Mailbag

At Hockeyleaks we get thousands of readers a day, many of which get the blog emailed to them. I also recieve a lot of emails, most of which are very positive thanking me for the work I do on the site. I want to share two emails I got yesterday, one positive and one negative. I will leave the names off both incase they don't want their names published.

"Hey Corey, nice work predicting the series', it's been clear all along that you know your stuff. Thanks for all your hard work all year wrong, I can't wait until free agency starts, when will we start hearing rumours about who's going where come July 1st? Thanks a lot and keep up the hard work"

- Thanks for the email and the kind words. To answer your question, SOON. I've already started work on a preview that will go up before the 2nd round of the playoffs. Now, to email #2.

"Hey buddy give it up. I know afew people that went 8-0 and 4-4. Your not a hero. So stop giving me these stupid emails, GET A JOB.......and then predict 6-6 on lotto 649 then you can email me after that. Nobody cares on your playoff emails, half your rumors were so off this year, my buddies just said stop emailing them to. So buddy get a life. YOUR NO SUPERSTAR GOOF.. "

- first of all, my blog yesterday was more of a joke, as comparing myself to a monkey would usually be a degrading thing to do. I've never claimed to be a superstar or even to know what i'm talking about. I get rumours from many different sources and I pass them on, thats what I do. If you don't like what I have to say, simply don't read the blog, the website, and definitely don't subscibe to my emails (which this reader does). Also, I cannot remove you from my mailing list, you signed up for it, and it's your job to remove yourself. Google Groups is the place to do that, so feel free to do it. For the record, I have a job, and I have a very busy life. Like I said, if you don't like whats on here, then don't read it, it's not hard...

I love recieving emails from you guys, positive or negative, and for free agency season and beyond into next season I will be making a mailbag section a permanent section of Hockeyleaks.com. Feel free to email me at cjohnson202@hockeyleaks.com with questions or comments at any time, I respond to all emails.

Round two begins today, should be some great games. Enjoy the games!

Maggie The Monkey Slips Up...

Lets quickly go over the prediction standings from around the sporting world, shall we?

Corey Johnson 8-0
Darren Dregger 8-0
Bob McKenzie 7-1
Jeremy Roenick 6-2
Maggie The Monkey 4-4

So currently I'm tied with Darren Dregger and a perfect 8-0, but I am going to guess Dregger didn't get 4 perfectly right like I did...maybe he got three, but four is just beyond his reach. So it's time to take a look at the second round as I make my push for 12-0.

(1) Buffalo vs. (6) NYR
- This series is going to be great (as they all will be), and its really hard to choose a clear cut winner. Buffalo has been on top of the east all season long, while the Rangers just swept Atlanta and may be playing there best hockey. That being said, Buffalo's offense is too complete to argue with, the Rangers defense scares me. Sabres in 6.

(2) New Jersey vs. (4) Ottawa
- Of all the series, this was the hardest for me to pick a winner. I never like betting against Brodeur because he's such an amazing athlete. New Jersey can slow their game down to a point where their opponents are ready to just give up, but Ottawa has an offense that may be able to break through Jersey's trap. Ottawa in 7, but this one is almost too close to call.

(1) Detroit vs. (5) San Jose
- Hasek's gone so long without a groin injury, is it just a matter of time? Saying Detroit will be Calgary is one thing, but in my opinion San Jose is the team to beat in this playoffs. They are the complete package from goal to offense, and they are, at this point, my pick to win the cup. They'll knock off Detroit in 6 games.

(2) Anaheim vs. (3) Vancouver
- Vancouver has the best goalie in the Playoffs, but Anaheim has two goaltenders that are pretty good themselves. Anaheim has the best defense in the playoffs, so position wise these teams are 1-1...so it comes down to offense...due to the fact that Vancouver has none, I'm taking the Ducks in 5...sorry Nucks fans...

In other news, Scott Mellanby has retired. His last NHL memory will be getting swept by the New York Rangers. I'll always remember Mellanby as a Florida Panther, he should have stayed there...his golf game would be much better. This means Atlanta needs a new captain. I vote Tkachuk...oh wait he's leaving. Waddell's job could be in trouble, I mean when you trade a large chunk of your future for a guy who doesn't prevent you from getting swept in the first round, you don't look so good. I don't like the Coburn for Zhitnik trade either...look how good Coburn is doing on a bad team like Philly? Thats why Holmgren got his extension.

Rental players are amazing arn't they? Atlanta gets Tkachuk...gone in 4. Nashville gets Forsberg...gone in 5. Islanders get Ryan Smyth and Richard Zednik...gone in 5. Pittsburgh gets Roberts...gone in 5. Calgary gets Brad Stuart...gone in 6. The only team who would have done well to get a rental would have been Tampa Bay, wow do they need a goalie...

Some rental players are still in the playoffs. Oleg Saprykin, Bill Guerin, Todd Bertuzzi, Brent Sopel, Sean Avery....the first four players on that lit have a combined 5 points, so they really have done nothing. However, Sean Avery has five points in four games, making him the best rental player at the moment...this is a guy every team should want come July 1st...he's got a big mouth, but he's also got big talent.

Andy has a brand new article at Hockeyleaks.com so check it out. If your looking for somewhere to have your articles put up, Hockeyleaks.com is here for you. Just email me at cjohnson202@hockeyleaks.com, we're always looking to add to our team. I'd love to find a new webdesigner as well, so if you want to help make Hockeyleaks.com better please email me as well.

Thanks and enjoy this beautiful Tuesday!

McLennan Suspended / Playoff Picks Review

First off if your not watching the Tampa Bay / New Jersey game turn that on, it's been a great game. New Jersey can finish Tampa off with a win today, NJ currently leads 3-2.

Jamie McLennan has been suspended for his brutal slash against the Detroit Red Wings. McLennan played a total of 18 seconds and I feel five games wasn't enough. Watch the video of him slashing yourself in the hockeyleaks.com videos section. Make sure to reply to it and let me know what you think of it, too harsh? too light?

Lets take a look at how my picks are doing...

Buffalo over the Islanders in 5 - Perfectly correct

New Jersey over the Bolts in 6 - that could happen if New Jersey wins today (NJ leads 3-2)

Rangers over Atlanta in 7 - Rangers won much more quickly than I thought, but I picked the winner

Ottawa over Pittsburgh in 7 - It only took the Sens five games, can we blame crosby's broken foot for that?

Detroit over Calgary in 7 - Detroit currently leads series 3-2

Anaheim over Minnesota in 6 - Anaheim did it in 5

Vancouver over Dallas in 7 - the series has gone to seven, but will Vancouver take it? they're at home so I'll say yes.

San Jose over Nashville in 6 - San Jose did it in 5.

So I'm currently 5-0 with two perfects. I can still go 8-0 with 5 perfects. TSN hired a monkey, so I want to put myself out there. Anyone out there need a playoff expert, i'm available for cheap :).

Come join me in the forums, we always have great discussions going on there. I am also once again looking for someone to help out with web design. Our last designer has disapeared so we're conce again looking for someone to help us improve Hockeyleaks.com. I'm not looking for something amazing, just something thats an improvement over our current design. Also not looking for it to be done quickly, maybe done by mid-June? If your interested please email me at cjohnson202@hockeyleaks.com. I'd appreciate it, thanks.

Enjoy the hockey today, there are going to be two great games completed by the end of the day.

Coyotes News + Playoff Predictions

The Coyotes have fired Mike Barnett and Cliff Fletcher. Details to come, check the forums...here are my playoff predictions, please leave yours in the forums

Buffalo vs. NYI
- Buffalo should take this one, and quite easily. Rumour has DiPietro coming back for Game Three but thats yet to be seen. Sabres in 5.

New Jersey vs. Tampa Bay
- Tampa won the season series, but you can never bet against Brodeur, especially when Tampa's goaltending is always a giant question mark. New Jersey in 6.

Atlanta vs. NYR
- Atlanta makes their first playoff appearance, while the Rangers have struggled in every playoff series they've been in during the last ten years. It's a toss up, but I'll go with the Rangers in 7.

Ottawa vs. Pittsburgh
- Crosby may have won the scoring title, but I have to give Ottawa the advantage going into this one. Two un-proven goalies will also make this interesting. Ottawa in 7.


Detroit vs. Calgary
- Calgary can never be overlooked, but I just don't see Detroit losing this. It will be closer than most expect. Detroit in 7.

Anaheim vs. Minnesota
- I want the Wild to win, but I see Giggy coming up huge for the Ducks. Pronger was brought in for a reason and we'll see that in these playoffs. Anaheim in 6.

Vancouver vs. Dallas
- The goalies will be the focus of this series. Luongo makes his first playoff appearance, while Turco has struggled in all of his playoff appearances. I want to pick Dallas, but for some reason I'm taking Vancouver in 7.

Nashville vs. San Jose
- This is a hard series to predict, as both teams are very strong. Nashville looked like they would win the West all season long, and they almost did. I see Thornton having a big series, and I see San Jose taking this in 6.

News and Notes

The Habs (specifically Bob Gainey) have called a press conference for 4 pm. Speculation is that Gainey will step down as GM of the Habs, citing personal reasons. That being said, this may just be a season ending PC and may have no news what so ever. In other Habs news, they've signed rookie goalie Carey Price to a three year entry contract.

Draft Lottery goes at noon today, Flyers are the likely pick to win the 1st overall pick, stay tuned to Hockeyleaks.com's forums for the results.

I will preview the playoffs in a blog tonight, so watch out for that...

also, in case you missed it yesterday: Sakic re-upped in Colorado for another season while Ottawa signed Volchenkov to a new three year deal.

Finally, congrats to Bob Adamski, who won the Hockeyleaks Power Play Fantasy League for a second year in a row! Can he three-peat? Signups for next years league will start in August.

Article On Tonight

Rahim Jaffer, one of Hockeyleaks.com's newest writers, sent me this article just now. I felt it would be better suited on the blog, since it's about tonight's Eastern battles. Here you go, enjoy

All everyone has been talking about as of late is who will make theplayoffs between the 3 teams left in the East; Toronto, NYI, orMontreal. Keep in mind when reading this article, that I am a Leaffan. Tonight the biggest game of the season for both Montreal andToronto goes down, and as a Leaf fan, I know the worst feeling wouldbe beating Montreal, and then seeing the Islanders make the playoffs.My key factors for a Montreal victory are the powerplay, thecreativity and speed of the youth, and goaltending. If the Canadiensare going to win this game, they have to capitilize on theiropportunities; especially on the powerplay. Look for Sheldon Souray tohave a big game anchoring the powerplay and more specifically thepoint. If you recall the last time the Leafs and Canadiens faced off,it was a young unknown in Andrei Kostitsyn who was the hero of thegame. If the youth of the Canadiens can keep the pace up, and usetheir pace to control the speed of the game, they should have noproblem beating the Leafs. Lastly, a lot tonight rides on theshoulders of Cristobal Huet. It's really difficult to tell whether hewill show rust today, but whatever happens tonight, the goaltendingwill be a huge part of it. Carbonneau had a hard choice to make, andthe one thing we know is that if the Canadiens lose, you know he willbe blamed for putting the wrong goalie in net. THe key factors for aToronto victory are the "SKY" line, Andrew Raycroft, and neutral zoneturnovers. The SKY line has been producing as of late decently, butagainst NYI they were invisible. They have amazing power and muscle tocycle the puck well down low, but against the Islanders, NY kept thepuck in the Toronto zone for long periods of time and the line couldnot capitilize on opportunities. I believe I saw one very goodsequence, where the line showed their cycling abilities, but that isnot enough to win a hockey game that large in importance. Mats Sundinhad a sequence on the powerplay where he shot the puck 3 times fromthe same area; twice Wade Dubielewicz made the easy stop; the otherwas blocked. This was the first time I thought Sundin had the thoughtof Darryl Sittler's record in the back of his head. Tonight is wherehe has to come out with his heart on his sleeve, and this is the timefor him to show how much he loves the city of Toronto. We love youMats, but you have to start producing! When the Maple Leafs signedAndrew Raycroft, they expected him to be a consistent goalie. We can'tcriticize him too much when we spent $7.5 million on the tandem ofKubina/Gill and they really haven't been able to completely shut downthe opposing team's star players on any single night. Gill has beengreat on the PK, and Kubina has brought some physical play andoffense, but the point is Raycroft is still being pressured to makesaves he can't. But this is one night where Raycroft is expected toshow his gratitude to the Leafs for taking a chance on him. Tonight,he must stand tall and play passionate hockey; which we haven't seenhim do in a long time. Lastly, the Leafs have to minimize neutral zoneturnovers. We all know the Canadiens play at a faster pace than theLeafs, but if they minimize turnovers, goals won't be scored. The NewYork Islanders have won the first of their two games, and in myopinion, they will get the last laugh, being the team that makes theplayoffs of the three. They look a little bit tired, but New Jerseywill being resting some players, and I'm not sure this game is at allvital to their success in the playoffs. So my predictions are Torontosqueezes by Montreal in regulation (which they must), but the New YorkIslanders beat the New Jersey Devils and make the playoffs.

Three Days Left...

Thats all thats left, three days in what has been an incredible season. We've seen a great batch of rookies, we've seen the two teams that made it the furthest last year - miss the playoffs this year...and so much more. But we're not done, we still have some battles going on.

How about the Colorado Avalanche who looked to be down and out. While they still would need a lot of luck to make the playoffs, for them to still be alive at this point in the season is something to be proud of. This is a very solid young team, and I'm hearing they are getting ready to have quite the off-season (how about a Joe Sakic - Ryan Smyth pairing in Denver?). Colorado is on their way back up, even if they do fail to make the playoffs this year.

As for the Eastern Conference, here is how it works...

A Montreal regulation loss tomorrow night would eliminate them from the playoffs.
A New York Islander loss (regulation or overtime) in their next two games would eliminate them from the playoffs.
A Toronto loss or overtime win would eliminate them from the playoffs...

so in other words...

for Montreal to make the playoffs, they have to win tomorrow nights game or lose in overtime.
for Toronto to make the playoffs they must beat Montreal in regulation and NYI has to lose a game
for NYI to make the playoffs they must win both their games and Toronto must beat the Islanders in regulation...

and while it's unlikely, A Montreal win, two Islander wins, and a two regulation losses by Tampa Bay...and Tampa is out and NYI and Montreal are both in...confused yet? This could come right down to Sunday, when NYI faces off on the road against New Jersey.

Detroit Red Wings lost last night, but I'm sure they are still smiling today. They have re-signed Pavel Datsyuk to a new seven year deal worth somewhere between 6-7 million per season. So much for the Datsyuk to Washington rumours, looks like AO will have to find a new playing partner.

Hockeyleaks.com would also love to congratulate Bryan Bickle, who played in his first NHL game last night and scored his first NHL goal. Bryan grew up in my area and I've been fortunate enough to watch him several times. He's a great player and a great person, and Hockeyleaks.com wishes him a very long and great NHL career.

Where They Stand

First to note, the site has been updated today, my life has been VERY busy for the last week, things should return to normal now.

So we are in the final stretch, the Eastern Conference race is ever so tight. Here is where we sit.

Tampa Bay - 92 points - With two games remaining (Florida,Atlanta), Tampa Bay needs one point to clinch. For them to miss the playoffs they would have to go 0-2-0, and all the teams below them would have to pretty much win all there games. Tampa looks as good as gold

NYR - 92 points - Two games remaining (Montreal, Pittsburgh). Toronto would have to go 2-0 while Montreal would have to go 1-1. This is a very possible scenario still. That being said, a Ranger point in either of the final games clinches them a spot.

MTL - 90 points - 2-0 would get them in the playoffs. A win tomorrow night combined with a Toronto loss would also likely cement their playoff spot. It may come down to who wins Saturday in Toronto.

TOR - 89 points - 2-0 would assure them a playoff spot. If they lose tomorrow night they are done if Montreal gets a point in their game against the rangers.

NYI - 86 points - three games to go, anything less than going 3-0 with everyone else loosing pretty much every game and they are done...

this will be a fun ride...

A BIG Saturday Night

First, here is my updated "chart" involving the Eastern Conference playoff race...

6th - Tampa Bay - must go 2-2 in their final 4 games to make the playoffs
7th - NYR - must go 2-2-1 in their final 5 games to make the playoffs
8th - MTL - must go 3-1 in their final 4 games to the make the playoffs
9th - TOR - must go 3-1-1 in their final 5 games to make the playoffs
10th - NYI - must go 4-1 in their final 5 games to make the playoffs
11th - CAR - must go 4-0 in their final 4 games to make the playoffs

Tampa's win last night gave them a good step on the playoffs, as they now really only need to finish at .500 to make the post season. When your final four games are against Washington, Carolina, Florida and Atlanta you would think splitting those games would be easy, while even coming out with 5 or 6 points is possible. I think at this point it would be hard for Tampa Bay to miss the playoffs.

The Rangers can play at less than .500 to make the playoffs, as long as one of those losses is in overtime. Tonight's game in Philly is very winable and will put them in very good shape heading into the final week of the season. They then play Toronto tomorrow night, followed by the Islanders, Habs and Penguins. While they have a VERY tough week ahead, maybe the toughest, a win tonight and they would be left with only having to go 1-2-1 in that stretch, which shouldn't be too hard for the red-hot rangers. A loss tonight, however, would really put the pressure on this team.

Montreal suffered a tough loss last night, and now must go 3-1 to reach 92 points on the season, the estimate required to make the playoffs. A big game against the Sabres tonight, though Conklin starts for Buffalo so this game is winable. A loss tonight and it's all up hill. Boston, NYR and Toronto await next week.

Toronto plays a Pittsburgh team that has beat them up all season long. The good news for Toronto is they've won six straight at the ACC, which is where they play tonight. The leafs then play the Rangers tomorrow in a very key matchup that could possibly by tomorrow be for 6th spot (or could be for much lower). They finish the season off against Philly, followed by two huge games against NYI and Montreal. Both winable games, but both just as easily lost.

The Islanders loss last night may have finished them off. DiPietro will not play tonight, and we may even see them play their AHL goalie as starter tonight. Ottawa is playing red-hot and a loss tonight would likely put the Islanders out of it (though if they could beat Toronto and NYR next week, yes both of them, not just one) they may find their way back in. That being said, if DiPietro isn't back, the Islanders should be easy pickings for the Rangers and Leafs. Ottawa, NYR, Toronto, Philly and New Jersey is what the Islanders have to look forward to. Not looking good considering they have to win four of those five games to get to the next stage of the season.

Finally Carolina, who will become the first team to win the cup one year and miss the playoffs the next. 4-0 t0 end the season is what they need to prevent that, and even then that may not be enough. Can the Hurricanes go 4-0 against Florida twice, Atlanta and Tampa? It's possible, but even an overtime loss would cripple the Canes. Better luck next year...

So tonight, here is what we're looking at

Pittsburgh @ Toronto - A win could move the leafs as high as tied for 7th, or it could leave them in 9th (with game in hand on possible 8th place Montreal). A win tonight would put the Leafs in great shape, while a loss wouldn't cripple them, unless everyone else won which is doubtful as a lot of teams face up-hill battles tonight. A win for the Penguins would likely keep them even with fourth place ottawa, but more importantly would put them into 2nd place as they'd pass NJ for the division lead. Big game for both teams tonight.

Buffalo @ Montreal - This will be a great game. Buffalo wants the win to expand their presidents trophy lead, while Montreal needs the win to not only move up the Eastern Standings but to hold off Toronto and NYI. Conklin and Halak are the netminders, should be a great game.

Ottawa @ Long Island - Still no Dipietro, so I'd put solid money on the Senators. A win tonight by the Islanders could put them tied for 8th, or keep them in 10th depending on what those in front of them do tonight. An Ottawa win would keep them in fourth place, a loss and they could possible fall to 5th.

NYR @ Philly - Ask Carolina, Philly isn't a team that is just going to roll over. The Rangers could jump into 6th with a win tonight, while a loss and they could be tied for 8th. This is a game the Rangers really need to win.

Washington @ Tampa Bay - Revenge time for Tampa, as they got blown out by Washington last week. A win is likely necessary if Tampa wants to keep 6th place. A loss and they could be possibly tied for 7th, while the 9th place team could be just one point back with a game in hand.

Do you see a pattern yet? One loss and you could be in deep trouble...or if you get lucky, your still in the same spot. It's a crazy race, but I can see the finish line. In 8 days the playoff picture will be set, I can't wait.

92 Point Theory

The theory is, if you get 92 points in the east you will make the playoffs. So here is a look at what the teams in the race have to do in their remaining games to pull this off.

6th - NYR must go 2-2-1 in their final 5 games to make the playoffs
7th - TB must go 3-2 in their final 5 games to make the playoffs
8th - MTL must go 3-2 in their final 5 games to make the playoffs
9th - TOR must go 3-1-1 in their final 5 games to make the playoffs
10th - NYI must go 4-2(or 3-1-2) or in their final 6 games to make the playoffs
11th - CAR must go 3-0-2 in their final 5 games to make the playoffs

I will update you now daily with this race and what has happened as well as what needs to happen. Tonight is a crucial night in the east playoff race

TB @ CAR - Tampa Bay can pretty much take Carolina out of the playoff picture with a regulation win tonight. If your a fan of any team in the race, you want Carolina to win this one, as you want Tampa to stay right where they are. Carolina cannot lose in regulation if they wish to make the playoffs (unless they go 4-1 which seems unlikely), so giving them a win tonight wont hurt. A tampa regulation loss would give Toronto and Montreal games in hand, and with a win by either they'd pass Tampa Bay and be ahead of Carolina. I predict this a close battle, but I think Carolina will take it, they have two blowout losses to motivate them, and there season is on the line.

MTL @ OTT - A win tonight could put Montreal up into 6th spot, while a loss would still keep them in 8th. The Habs have won 5 straight but I like Ottawa in this game. Montreal is in for a rough weekend as they play Buffalo tomorrow night. Two wins this weekend would likely put them in the playoffs, while two losses and they will be really in a tough spot heading into the final three games of the season. If your a Habs fan, your hoping for a split.

NYI @ BUF - So it came out today that DiPietro has suffered two mild concussions in the last two weeks, not good news for the Islanders' playoff hopes. Dunham will get the start. I'd expect Buffalo to win this one, but the Islanders should put up a fight. A loss will leave them even in 10th place, while a win would put them in 9th, ahead of Toronto by a point, while they would either be tied or behind by Montreal by a maximum of two points, with a game in hand on the Habs. Islanders play Ottawa tomorrow, and if they don't have DiPietro for that one, well it may not be pretty. Bad injury at the worst possible time. After this weekend series of hell, they play Toronto on Tuesday, where the season could be decided depending on how the Leafs fair Saturday against Pittsburgh and Sunday against the Rangers.

Leafs and Rangers have the night off tonight, both will be back in action tomorrow night. Leafs are at home to the Penguins while the Rangers hit the road to face Philly. Both games should be battles. Tampa hosts Washington (remember last time these teams faced? no win is guarenteed at this time of the year) tomorrow as well. Wins by Tampa and Montreal tonight would give them some much needed distance, however, losses by both and we have a race too close to call.