Free Agency Frenzy and Re-Signings

Crazy Contracts Being Handed Out
Free Agency, July 1, is still two days away but GM's across the NHL are already showing signs of being off their prozac.  Quick gets a 10 year contract?  I'm actually okay with the pricing, $58 million, but 10 years??  Does anyone outside of the Kings' management think this guy is the next Brodeur or Roy?  I think not.  And for the love of frozen vulcanized rubber discs, what are the Penguins thinking giving Sidney "Perennial-Mush-Melon" Crosby a 12 year, $104.4 million dollar deal?  Geez, I thought the Wild paying Bouchard's salary for being perennially disabled is outlandish.  Good luck with your cap space in the coming years Pens, you're gonna need it.  Oh, and just stay the hell away from Zach Parise.  The Wild need him waaaay more than you do.  


Speaking of the Wild...
With much sadness the puckbunny in me says au revoir to Guillaume Latendresse, better known as Let'sundress.  He's decided to enter the free agent market, looking to sign with a team in Canada which is home to his rock star girlfriend and 4 year old daughter.  Let us take a moment to drink him in one more time:

Nick Johnson was not offered a qualifying offer by the Wild so he'll enter the free agent market as well.  I had such high hopes for Nick but he fell short. 

Kris Fredheim was not offered a qualifying offer by the Wild. 

Much to Alex Daggett's dismay the Wild will let Mike Lundin go to free agency.  

Kurtis Foster, Jeff Taffe, Jeff Penner, Jon DiSalvatore (can go to Europe), Warren Peters, Jed Ortmeyer and Erik Christensen (KHL-bound) will all go to free agency on Sunday.   

According to Russo, "the Wild is working on an extension for Justin Falk, but it's not done yet, so he was officially given a qualifying offer to retain his rights. Chad Rau agreed to terms on a two-year deal last week. Others to have qualifying offers tendered are Chay Genoway, David McIntyre, Nick Palmieri, Jarod Palmer and Carson McMillan."  Qualifying offers mean these players are restricted free agents, not unrestricted. 

Cody Almond, who decided to sign a contract in Switzerland without so much as a howdy-doody to the Wild's management, was tendered a qualiftying offer so the Wild hangs on to his rights.  The Wild did the same thing for Dennis Endras who will play in Germany next season.

Stephane Veilleux has been signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Wild along with Chad Rau.

Matt Kassian got himself his first one-way deal.  It's a 2 year deal for $550,00 and $600,00.


Wild In The Market
The Wild's interest in signing Ryan Suter has been for naught since the Flames traded for his rights. 

The quest for Zach Parise is ongoing and as many of you know the Wild aren't the only ones on the bidding sheet.  The Devils may very well work to get him re-signed and then there's the Penguins who have to be absolutely salivating at the thought of Parise permanently attached to Crosby's hip as his number one winger.  Sally will go into overdrive to officially recruit me if that happens. 

One thought that comes to my mind with Latendresse being gone is the Wild possibly going after Dustin Penner.  A girl can dream on behalf of her team. 

My Eastern Conference Crush
Most of you know I'm a Washington Capitals fan and you probably think it's soley based on my adoration for Alexander Ovechkin.  Y'all would be wrong.  Adam Oates is the reason I'm a Caps fan.  Adam was one of my first hockey crushes, my first admission of puckbunny feelings in my tummy.  I've followed Adam's career from his rookie year in Detroit, to the Blues where he played with Brett Hull (Hull and Oates line), to the Bruins where he played with Cam Neeley and Wes Walz...hmmm, how many degrees of separation was that on Wes?  Anyway - I really connected with the Caps during the time Oates played with them and it's stuck ever since.  Back to Adam - the Blues traded him to the Caps in 1997 and he changed his number to 77 in homage to Ray Bourque, further cementing my undying respect from that point on as a true hockey fan in addition to my puckbunny love for him.  Adam went on to play a season each in Anahiem and Edmonton before retiring in 2004. 

Oates has coached with the Lightning and Devils (assistant under Lemaire).  Now he returns to the Caps as the head coach for the 2012-2013 season.  I couldn't be more excited for my Capitals this coming season.  This will be a salve for me being stuck here in the eastern conference.  Oh, and he got some other kind of small recognition this week - induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.  

Note to Vicki: Adam also played lacrosse so there's that connection with Emily ;) 

Here's one of the best NHL commercials ever:


I hear my MN family and friends are having some very Georgia-like heat and humidity in the early stages of this summer.  Can't say as I feel your pain because you know I'm soaking it up for all it's worth down here.  In addition, Georgia yellow peaches are in season and I'm eating my way through half of the state's harvest all by myself.  Very Yummy.          

Kings Win The Cup

8th Seed Team Wins It All

Congratulations to the L.A. Kings.  They and their fans have waited a long time to hoist The Cup. 

The Kings came to play in game six.  They came to get the job done.  The name of the game was to take it to the Devils early and often.  Boy, did they ever.  The Devils were chasing their tails from the first drop of the puck.  Instead of taking a deep breath and regrouping the Devils decided to play cro magnon hockey.  It cost them The Cup.  Bernier boarded Scuderi to give the Kings a 5 minute power play.  The Kings did what they had to do.  I could just picture Bernier sitting in the locker room taking his skates off and hearing the horn blow for one, then two and finally three goals as his team mates were left to defend his stupidity.  And that was just the first period. 

In the second period the Kings added insult to injury and scored their fourth goal of the game at full strength.  The Devils continued to spiral downward, taking 4 more penalties, two of which were additional misconducts.  Blood was spilled by sticks and collisions.  Even one of the linesmen was brutalized when he couldn't get out of the way of incoming player traffic.  Adam Henrique finally got one past a sprawling Quick so any thought of a shutout for The Cup Win was demolished.  

The Devils continued their parade to the penalty box in the third.  Zhidlicky, in his true fashion, tripped and hacked his way to the box.  The Kings took their share of penalties but came away unscathed.  With 3 minutes left the Devils pulled Marty.  It took the Kings 2 seconds to score the empty netter.  Marty came back in.  It took the Kings 4 seconds to score on him.  After that the Kings just skated aound, not wanting to make it any worse for the Devils.  Final score: 6-1 Kings.  

Best moment through the handshake line: Quick and Brodeur hugging it out and congratulating each other.  

Conn Smythe: Jonathan Quick

And there it is - the most coveted trophy in professional sports: The Stanley Cup.  It is a thing of pure beauty.  One day, some day... a Wild fan can dream.     

 And let the battle for Parise begin!!   

Hell Of A Hockey Game!

Dear Devils: the key to winning this game is to keep the puck out of your zone - just sayin'. 

How cool is it hearing Ticking Clocks by Cold Play on a real organ?!!  Dear Wild - take note.

Dear Devils: the other key to winning this game is to put the puck in the opponent's net, especially while on the powerplay.  0 for 15...stinky.

See, that's how ya do it!  Devils up 1-0 in the first. 

The Rock is rockin'!  The crowd is so loud Doc may as well not be talking.  And that's saying something.

By far the best hockey the Devils have played in the series.  Marty's still making me nervous but the guys in front of him seem to be running on all cylinders. 

Second period and Quick is flopping around like Marty.  Frick, spoke too soon.

Dear Marty: Could you not be a sieve?

Dear Marty: That's how you make up for that goal.  Fantastic Save!!

Dear Quick: Suck It!!  Devils up 2-1

Dear NHL: I love the overhead camera replay of saves/goals.  Nothing sexier than seeing a goalie go down from that angle.  Oops, was that out loud?

Dear Zhidlicky: YOU SUCK!  Different team, same chant.  Stop with the friggin' turnovers. 

Dear NHL: Thank you for the high stick no goal ruling. 

How some of these Devil shots aren't going in is pure mystery to me.  Clearly they're driving this game through two periods.   

That was the right call for no penalty on the follow through stick injury to Devils but damn, that looked like it hurt. 

And then the Devils follow it up by showing how to commit a true high sticking penalty.  

Talking smack with a neighbor in the complex who's from California.  She's the only Kings fan in her family.  I'm thinking Sharks for the rest of her clan... DEVILS, BABY!! 

Dear Willie Mitchell: You're not gonna score.  Not when Bryce Salvadore is goaltending. 

Dear Dustin Brown: It's a holding penalty and you just showed how to be the poster boy for it.  Shut up and go to the box.  

Let's see, late in the game and the Devils are in the lead.  Will Zhidlicky pull his usual march to the penalty box?  

Dear Devils: Spend the remaining 4 minutes of the game in THEIR zone, not yours.  

Group hug inside Quick's net resulting in 4 on 4 hockey for the last 2 minutes.  Kings can't buy a break at this point, deflecting the puck out of play on a shot on goal.  Last faceoff of the game comes to the outside circle.  

GAME SIX, BABY!!!  Monday night, 8:00 p.m. NBC.  
   

Pool's Open!
Thanks to everyone back in MN for the great pics of puppies in pools.  Nothing better than a happy, cool dog in the summer.  Here's Buster at play - courtesy of his girlfriend, Mia.  

The Stanley Cup Goes To...

The Sound of Silence
I was MIA for a couple of games due to some technical difficulties.  I was watching, I just didn't have access to one or the other: my phone or the interwebbyz.  And in fairness to all of my hockey texting partners it was probably good that I couldn't text all of the four letter words that were streaming from my mouth.  I was so apoplectic, especially during game 3, that I likely would have been texting gibberish and left you all wondering if I'd actually had some kind of cranial episode.  I mean, C'MON DEVILS, could you have been any more absent?  I had to keep looking at their sweaters to be sure it wasn't the Wild on the ice.   

Speaking of the Wild, Russo Radio from Tuesday this week yielded a great interview with Ken Hitchcock, head coach of the Blues.  Michael asked Ken some great questions regarding how the team was in total disarray when he came in.  You know, like not putting forth consistent effort night in and night out, slackers not giving it their all.  And then poof!  Ken walks in the door and whaddyaknow...the Blues turned their ship around and started playing for each other and the team.  If you missed Russo's second stint on KFAN here are the links to the second and third hours of his show.  Great stuff, I especially loved the Kevin Weekes interview in the third hour.  I wonder when Michael will get the offer to do a weekly 3 hour hockey show on KFAN?  It would be heaven, at least for me.


And The Stanley Cup Goes To...
Back to New Jersey for game five! The Cup was in the building for game four. Nobody can tell me the Kings weren't distracted by It and then a tad bit devastated to not be hoisting It in front of their own fans on home ice. Hey, it could still happen. But for now the Devils live to play another day. I don't care what the tv analysts say, Brodeur looked bad out there for the most part.  He got lucky and finally got some offense from the guys in front of him.  And because of that Tim has to endure a game five.  Because It's The Cup! 

The Kings looked a little off during the game but really felt they held the upper hand for the majority of the game.  I can only refer back to Michael Russo's interview of Kevin Weekes on Tuesday this week.  Kevin basically says: "I dare anyone to come up with what the Kings are doing wrong."  Their defense is spot on, their offense never gives up on banging away at the puck, their goal tending is supernatural.  They don't have Marek Zidlicky.  Lord, I love Ms.Conduct! 


Piecing Things Together
On the one year anniversary of Derek Boogaard's death the New York Times did a follow up article detailing the work Derek's father has done in trying to piece together his son's spiral into drug addiction.  The piece, for me, leaves many more questions than it answers but it does start to paint the picture of just how many people were involved in 'managing' Derek's pain issues.  What's clear to me is that the NHL needs a serious overhaul in their medical care program and that Gary Bettman still has his head up his ass when it comes to concussion/head injury damage.  What's also clear to me is that Derek's family and loved ones, while meaning well, didn't do him any favors along the way.  This is not a new story when dealing with addiction but it is noteworthy.  Enablers are those folks closest to addicts, and they love the addict very much, but can be as deadly as the drug/drink of choice that's slowly killing someone.  If you don't think this is true, watch an episode of Intervention on A&E sometime.  If you missed the original three piece article on Derek click here.  


Greatest Commercial This Week

  
I mean, seriously - how great is it to have Rob Zombie doing your product's commercial and have Clint Howard starring in it?!!  Of course, you kinda have to be into the horror flick genre to appreciate Rob Zombie, but who isn't...right??

Best Mini Series Of The Year So Far
The History Channel has really outdone itself with the Hatfields and McCoys production.  I don't think Kevin Costner should do anything but period work since he's clearly cut out for it.  I have to admit that I'm not a huge fan of Bill Paxton, but his acting in this won me over.  For those of you who have DVR'd the series and haven't watched it make plans to devote the entire block of time needed to watch it straight through.  You'll be too hooked to walk away from it.  I'll supply the link for those who want to check it out online.