Rematch

(Found a better photo)

Finale

If Lidstrom is healthy (and I mean HEALTHY - not hanging on by a thread) then Detroit takes this in 6.

If not, and Gonchar is HEALTHY (same criteria), then Pittsburgh in 7.

If both Lidstrom and Gonchar are just 'healthy' then Detroit in 7.

I take Detroit in 7.

Sitting at 7 for 14 now... unless you figure I was wrong on the game counts in which case I am waaayyyy out of it.

Quinn & Renney

I'll go with cautiously optimistic. I do like that every player should get a new 'look-see' but if Quinn is even more vet-happy than MacT then it will all come down to Renney's work on the special teams.

Which could be the bet all along.

One sour note: dropping Huddy was just plain stupid imo.

Balls

Balsillie will win the team. The right to move it... slim. The odds of the NHL pulling the team within a few days of such a ruling... 50/50.

Balsillie lost $600 million once fighting a fight he shouldn't have.

When I look at this I see a guy who could have bought the team for much less than the $212 (say $176?), rejigged the lease, lost $12 or so for three more seasons (just to bring it back to $212 - I'm like that you know) and THEN declared bankruptcy and moved the team.

Because after three years he would have won over enough BoG guys, in a big enough way, to get it done.

I'm sure they have round-ups in the Phoenix area. Balls get cut off at round-ups.

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Have a great evening everyone.

Just In Case You Missed It

Thirds

DET over CHI (in 7)

PIT over CAR (in 6)

hrmmm... now 5 for 12... owwwwww

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Question

Your team is in a bit of a rebuild situation. You have gobs of cash but the cost of what you are considering isn't all 'money-I-am-giving-up-putting-in-my-pocket', some of it will be 'money-I-will-be-taking-out-of-my-pocket'.

Also, what you are considering WILL be scrutinized by the league.

That said, would you, say, trade:

O'Marra, Hrabal, Pitton, 2009 7th rounder and 2010 7th rounder
FOR
Pothier, Theodore, 2009 1st rounder and 2010 or 2011 1st rounder*

* (WASH choice at draft time)

That puts a $3 million value on a late-1st round pick IF you never planned to use the players.

I am waiting for these kinds of deals to start to happen. Burke did a mini-version of this at the deadline but what I am talking about is one-step away from the whole enchilada.

Remember - the Zetterberg deals finally started to happen and all it took were a few warm-ups first.

[Edit to add: btw, there is a deliberate flaw in the math so if you find it GOLD STAR FOR YOU!]

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Have a great evening everyone.

Expansion Teams Incoming

Take Your Pick

Fearless Prediction #1

BoG of the NHL finds a way to dodge the Balsillie bullet altogether. Mostly because the rest of the league doesn't want to miss out on the expansion fees a Toronto team would offer (not to mention the Sabres and Leafs getting their 'our-turf' fee).

Fearless Prediction #2

Balsillie gets the Coyotes but has to keep them there for the next 2-3 years or until another buyer is found. He then gets awarded the expansion team for Toronto... and still has to pay through the nose for the privilege.

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While a second expansion team for Kansas City may or may not be approved in either scenario the real key for Bettman is pointing out to the BoG just what they are missing out on ($) without going the expansion route.

No matter how this shakes out - even if Balsillie wins it all outright - there will finally be a 2nd team in Toronto.

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Have a great evening everyone.

Well That Kinda Sucked

Second Round

Can also mean: chance to try again. Seems I will trend towards the favorites this time:

DET over ANA (in 6)
VAN over CHI (in 6)

BOS over CAR (in 5)
PIT over WAS (in 7)

First round was not kind to me. 3 for 8. Not good.

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Have a great evening everyone.