CANES HOLD ROOKIE CAMP

Carolina

The Canes continue their steady improvement in the offseason with a whirlwind of deals.

The end result, however, is yet to be determined.

For now, the Canes have a rookie camp underway, where several hopefuls have a chance to display their talents in hopes of starting the season with the big club in Raleigh.

“It is a dream to actually have a legitimate shot at making this club,” said Jeff Carter, one of the early candidates for one of the final spots on the roster. “There is a lot of talent here but I played with most of them last season. I think we all know what we can do but it is an opportunity to show off our talents to the coaches here. It is really all we can ask.”

Carter, who is currently on a line with Sergei Mozyakin and long time linemate Ryan Getzlaf, has been impressive in both intersquad games, scoring 4 goals and adding 2 assists. Both games were won by the red squad.

For the white squad, Igor Mirnov and Nigel Dawes have failed to have any sort of chemistry. The Two have floundered throughout much of camp and at the moment, it seems neither will be on the starting roster come October.

“Sometimes nothing works,” said Dawes, a small feisty forward who has waited several seasons for the opportunity. “We go out there but when nothing is going in, there really is not much you can say.”

Canes blueliner Dion Phaneuf has shut down the duo through both games. Tomas Mojzis, on the other hand, has not looked impressive.

“I think that team white just has not found a groove. Rob Zepp has not been spectacular, the big duo has not clicked and overall, no one seems to be doing much. Carter and company have stolen this show,” said head coach Joel Quenneville.

The Canes rookie camp continues on through next week. With resignings on the horizon, hopefully the Canes can sort out their lineup before opening night.

ANOTHER MOVE IN CAROLINA

Carolina

Following the huge acquisition of sniper Dany Heatley, the Canes went out and secured themselves another big time offensive forward in the likes of Finnish star Olli Jokinen. Jokinen, who was dealt to Philadelphia from the Flames last season, found himself another home and will likely remain a key part of the Canes movement to become one of the league's elite teams.

Boasting one of the better shots for centers in the league, Jokinen comes with a lot of size and skill and is never one to not be counted on defensively. The likelihood that this new acquisition will center the newly acquired Heatley and slick sniper Brian Gionta has a lot of fans in the area excited about the upcoming season.

"By getting Olli, we have essentially taken last years top center in Briere and made him our second line guy," said head coach Joel Quenneville. "I think Daniel is better suited there to really pump up the offensive flow of our second unit, especially on thepower play. Our top line could easily compete with any in the league now and that was what we wanted going into this season."

The Canes offensive issues seem to be solved now heading into the season. Adding veteran gunner Brendan Shanahan, the explosive Dany Heatley, and centers Matt Lombardi and the aforementioned Jokinen, along with the emergence of Dion Phaneuf and Brian Gionta, the club looks ready to rock and roll.

"We might have to add an additional defenseman to cover for Carlo. We have left ourselves with 6 pro ready guys and one more would be ideal at this point. We are loaded up front and have plenty of depth to deal from."

Could this be more foreshadowing?

Oilers Training Camp Continues....

The Edmonton Oilers had another scrimmage Yesterday and announced some cuts to their rosters. Players from Oilers are all fighting for a spot on the roster from Junior Players trying to get called up for a permanent spot on the Roster to experienced players that dressed no games on the Oilers roster last year and other players that were invited to camp to help the Oilers decided whether or not they are going to re-sign them there is a lot of competition out there. 60 players in total were invited to camp and the first set of cuts occured early this morning. Chopping the # of players in camp from down to __. In goal the Oilers decided to assign 2 goalies to their Junior Affilate and Released another. Youngster Brian Elliott and Last Years Junior backup Jean-Francois Racine were sent down to Junior, While the Oilers opted not to resign 34 Year Old Frederic Chabot who spent all last season as a back-up in the AHL to Starter Andrei Trefilov who remains in camp along with Junior starter David Leneveu who had an Excellent year in Junior last year putting up some fantastic numbers. Brian Boucher and Ty Conklin remain in camp of course and are expected to be the starting tandem this upcoming season. At Left Winger, Joe Juneau & Claude Lapointe were released and are expected to announce their retirement before the next season begins, Todd Harvey, Vitali Yachmenev, Todd Salmelainen & Alexei Mikhnov are involved in an intense battle for a spot in the starting line-up. Kariya & Dupuis haven't been seeing much ice during the intra-squad games mainly because they aren't in question of making the roster at all. The Oilers assigned Left Wingers Dwyer, Stephenson, Baum & Jones to their Junior affiliate. The Oilers have a lot of Depth at Center with the newly acquired White. Primeau and White are battling it out for the 2nd line center position. While Veterean Marty Reasoner is expected to play on the 4th line and Penalty kill. Youngster Brian McConnell has been looking excellent in camp as well however the Coaching staff is weary of his lack of discipline he showed last year on Junior. Look for McConnell to earn himself a two-way contract and maybe see some Pro ice-time this upcoming season. The Oilers assigned Centers Isakov, Caron, Genovy, Collins & Shinker to their Junior affilate while Released veterans Stephane Yelle & Stu Barnes. Greg Classen who saw a lot of Ice Last year is going to have to fight hard to get re-signed. He showed some improvement and him being re-signed will depend strictly on cap room, Expect Classen to make it to the end of camp before a decision is made. On Right Wing recently acquired Junior Lessard reported to camp just in time for a scrimmage and showed his scoring talent early. The Oilers are happy with their new acquistion and there is not much competition for Lessard on the Right Wing spot. Vladimir Antipov was surprisingly released, proving the Oilers confidence in giving young Lessard a starting position. Kovalenko and Atcheyum were assigned to the Oilers AHL affilate. Leaving just 4 Right Wings in camp, One of which being Unsigned Unrestricted Free Agent Tony Amonte. Look for the Oilers to sign a free agent Right Wing during the off-season. The Oilers Defense has a brand new look. Niklas Havelid has been outstanding in camp and is expected to make the Pro Roster maybe as high as the 2nd line. Aucoin, Hatcher and Boughner are obvious picks for the top 3 defenseman on the team. The competion is between offensive defenseman Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre, Veteran Jason Smith, Solid Stay Home defenseman Jason Wallin and Junior Graduate Paul Flache for the final two spots on the Pro Roster. Look for some regular mix-up here depending on what styles of defense they need in the line-up. The Oilers sent Chris McAllister to their AHL Affilate while releasing Jindrich, Khavanov & Ferguson. The Oilers also assigned Pock, Atherton, Senez, Smith, Semenov, Gawryletz, Demone & Platt to continue their development in Junior. All-in-All the Oilers roster already looks a lot better then last year, Extreme improvements on Defense for sure.

CANES OFFENCE "HEATS" UP

Carolina

With the offseason continuing to progress, the Carolina Hurricanes made a splash by acquiring one of the league top young forwards in Dany Heatley. The Canes sent several young players including the highly touted offensive defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo, forward Brad Boyes and the newly acquired Columbus first round draft choice, which will be 5th overall in this years draft.

In Heatley, the team has acquired a bonafide top line winger who could easily compliment the smallish sniper Brian Gionta on the club's top line. Heatley had stated his wishes to leave Atlanta after another tough year and the Canes management felt more than happy to oblige his wishes.

"Dany is one of the leagues most noticeable players," said Joel Quenneville, head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes who was noticeable excited about the teams new acquisition. "I think Dany had too much pressure on him to do everything there. I think the way Atlanta would win was if he scored, they would lose if he did not. Here, he is part of the puzzle and we do not expect him to win games by himself."

Dany had mentioned he would hold a press conference about his trade but was not able to be reached for any additional comments.

The Canes, on the other hand, have been rumoured to be in the process of acquiring up to three other players in their quest for a solid playoff run. The likelihood that the Canes upgrade their top line center should be up front and center, pardon the pun. The Canes rely heavily on two centers who are both better suited as number 2 guys. Look for the Canes to find that third piece of the top line.

Oilers Make Off-Season Transactions, Hatcher, Lessard & Dupuis

The Oilers have made some big moves this week resulting in 3 new faces coming to Edmonton. The 1st deal saw Right Winger Junior Lessard come from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Centerman Matthew Lombardi. Lessard had been competing with Getzlaf for a starting spot and he found one without having to beat out Ryan at all by being trading to the Edmonton Oilers. Chances are higher that Junior will earn a starting spot on the Oilers Pro roster. Lessard had an outstanding Junior year last year with the Hurricanes Junior Affilate finishing 2nd in the team in points with 25 goals, 39 assists for 64 points. Better then any Junior Oiler. Lessard assets are his puck control, fluent skating and natural scoring ability his prescence will be a welcome contribution to the Oilers line-up this year.

The second of the two recent deals in Edmonton is definately the bigger of the too. The Deal saw the Oilers Blue Line get a Lot Bigger and better with Derian Hatcher joining the line-up. Hatcher is the type of Veterean prescence they were missing in their defensive line-up last year. Last Season Hatcher had a rough year on a week team and looks forward to joining the Edmonton Oilers who appear to be getting continually stronger. The 2nd acquistion in the deal saw Winger Pascal Dupuis join the Oilers line-up. Dupuis who played for the Oilers 2 seasons ago Held out from the Oilers managment and ended up traded as a result. Dupuis struggled last season as well scoring only 19 pts in 82 games. The Oilers are hoping both of these players will turn around in the Edmonton Line-Up. The Oilers surprisingly dealt away young winger Alexander Frolov. Frolov had a great season with the Oilers last year but the Oilers blame their lack of success in the playoffs on their lack of Defensive depth. With a stronger defense and some other notable improvements the Oilers are looking to have an excellent season.

CANES ACQUIRE VETERAN

Carolina

With offseason in full swing, the Carolina Hurricanes made an addition to their forward units by acquiring veteran power forward Brendan Shanahan from the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in exchange for highly touted prospect Alex Goligoski, a 4th round draft selection in 2010 and an undisclosed amount of cash.

In Shanahan, the Canes have picked up a very viable option for one of the top two scoring units and a leader on and off the ice, something that was noted as being missing during last seasons run.

Shanahan, 37, will be expected to play a lot of power play time and help the teams young defense get shots through and on net by setting screens. Brendan has taken on this role before and the likelihood of him having an impact is quite high.

"Shanny is one of the leagues most noticeable guys off the ice," said head coach Joel Quenneville. "He is more than just a solid player, he is a true leader and we hope that all our guys will benefit from this experience and his drive. We need more guys like him in our current state. We roll a lot of young kids in and out of the lineup and hopefully he can help stabilize the situation here."

The projected line at the moment will see Shanahan and Brian Gionta on the win of Daniel Briere, the speedy playmaking center who did not have a good dress rehearsal for the Canes last spring.

"He needs to get going. This is the guy we want to be our top center, and if he cannot do it, we will find someone who can."

The Canes apparently are rumoured to have several buns on the fire in the trade market. Look for another deal in the near future.

CANES ROOKIE CAMP DISPLAYS DOGGED BATTLE WITH KIDDY LEFT WINGS

Carolina

With the rookie camp under way in Raleigh, the Hurricanes looked on. Of key interest was a solid battle for what could possibly be the last left wing spot on the opening day roster.

The combatants?

Nigel Dawes, the dimunitive forward who's nose for the net and pure heart over shadow his lack of size. Dawes, 21, is an offensive catalyst who can shoot the puck as quick as any at camp and is relentless in driving the net.

Igor Mirnov, the slick Russian star, has also provided a lot of pop for the dollar. Mirnov, 22, has an aggressive side to his game and is a stand out skater already.

Sergei Mozyakin, the talented Russian, has excessive wheels and finds holes in the defense with the best of them. Mozy has achieved a lot in a short career and has displayed his talents, even at a high level of speed.

While the trio are all offensive upside types of kids, the Canes recognize that their depth at the position will likely lead to little gravy time on special teams for any of the three.

"Right now, we look deep at that spot," said head coach Joel Quenneivlle. "Of the three, it seems that Mozyakin has the upper hand, based solely on speed. He moves well in traffic and he can find the man. Dawes will be heading to a skating camp later in the season, but right now, his offensive talent shines above the others. I need him faster though. Mirnov does all the right things. He is aggressive on the puck and is shifty. I think he needs work in his own end though. He does not really see the play develop form a defensive side of things."

With the talented trio battling it out, the Canes no doubt have a lot of options. Look for a heated battle with Ryan Getzlaf and Junior Lessard for the last right wing spot as well.

CANES FINALLY ABLE TO BARKER UP THE RIGHT TREE

Carolina

After over a season of trade talks and numerous offers, the Carolina Hurricanes and the Atlanta Thrashers finally agreed on a deal sending defenseman Cam Barker to Raleigh. The Canes, in return, sent the 6th overall pick (acquired in the Brendan Morrison deal), along with defensemen Mike Egener (also acquired in the Morrison deal) and Mattias Karlsson. The deal, while looking lopsided on paper, was made to acquire another piece of the Team Canada puzzle of 2005.

"We had targeted Barker since he was selected second overall last season," said head coach Craig Hartsburg. "We wanted him in a Canes uniform and felt we had the defensive depth and the wealthy stockpile of draft picks to cover our bases this season, so we pulled the trigger. The pick is going to bring in a very good player for Atlanta, that much cannot be debated. Losing Egener and Karlsson at once is going to sting our junior club heavily this season but Barker is ready to take on a minute logging role."

Barker, 19, now adds to the Canes collection of Canada defensemen from the 2005 team, who also include hart hitting Dion Phaneuf, the steady Braydon Coburn, the solid two way force of Shea Weber and the consistently strong Brent Seabrook. In Barker, the Canes receive a two way guy with a bit more offensive upside than Coburn. Barker moves the puck well, knows his responsibilities in his own end and is not afraid to lay out a hit or two.

"This is very exciting for me," said Barker. "Being back with a lot of these guys and knowing the team is drafting Ladd puts us in an advantage. We know everyone here. I look forward to being able to play with whoever here, but I have been told that I am likely going to have time with Coburn. Any time you play with him, you can bet you do not need to worry about your own end as much, he is great."

With the acquisition of Ladd looming, the Canes now only have 3 players in the league who were members of the gold medal winning club in 2005. All three players currently play for Colorado. Clark MacArthur, the scrappy winger, Shawn Belle, the strong defenseman and Patrice Bergeron, one of Canada's offensive catalysts.

The Canes are never done dealing. Stay tuned.

Rangers GM Surfaces, Moves Bodies, Disappears

After a horribly disappointing playoff the New York Rangers' General Manager went into seclusion and was only rarely seen wandering through the mirc channel mumbling semi incoherently about Daniel Alfredsson's stupidity.

All that changed in the blink of an eye as the wiley GM resurfaced and pulled off two blockbuster deals.

The first sent Jocelyn Thilbault to Atlanta for young up and coming centre Par Backer and the second saw former untouchable Mathew Spiller move to New Jersey for Karel Pilar.

The first deal was an obvious cost cutting manouvre and the Rangers obviously deemed Thilbault to be expendable after a disappointing year in New York. The Rangers unloaded his 4 million dollar salary and got a quality young player in return. Backer is rounding into a solid depth player and could move up to a great second line centre in a few years. Atlanta got the starting goalie they were sorely lacking in the deal.

The second deal saw the Rangers upgrade their vaunted defence by adding Pilar but they had to give up some depth to make the deal happen. The Rangers moved Spiller but also had to move Jason Blake, a key player on the team last year, and young blue chip prospect Brady Murray. Murray developed incredibly well last year and is one of the top rated Centre's in junior. The Rangers also parted with a 5th round pick but did manage to get Alex Kaigordorov to cover roster violations in junior.

Backer is a similar player to Blake so he should step in and fill Blake's role, and the Rangers upgraded their defence with Pilar. All in all it looks like the Rangers may be even tougher on defence this year than last. The biggest question at hand is whether Mike Dunham can repeat the dream season he had last year.

The Rangers have cleared cap room and are rumoured to be in the hunt for another winger or defenceman on the free agent market.

DUCKS AND CANES SWAP PICKS AND PLAYERS

With Anaheim looking to capture more depth in their system, the Carolina Hurricanes quickly made some calls and got a deal done.

Heading to Carolina would be the Anaheim owned Dallas Stars pick, currently 8th overall, and speedy right wing Blake Comeau, a high energy forward who can also play center.

"We are looking to make a splash at this years draft," said junior coach Craig Hartsburg, who has spent much of the spring watching junior footage. "We have the second pick, and now we have the 5th and 6th, but the 8th will give us more options. We have wanted to move up to begin rebuilding our farm system and this was a good way to do it."

Gone from the team are the Hurricanes own first rounder and the Toronto Maple Leafs third. The Canes also sent offensive left winger Justin Keller to the Ducks as well as an undisclosed amount of cash.

"Comeau is more of our teams style," said Hartsburg. "We feel quite strong on the wing now with his acquisition."

The Canes now have several high end picks and there is a lot of speculation as to who will end up in the Carolina ranks.

Leafed!

The Bruins training practice apparently worked - but probably a bit too well. The team came out of the gates firing away, taking more shots in the first two period than in the previous two games combined.

Unfortunately, with their muscles sore, aching, and nearly ready to collapse, the team was unable to come through in the final frame, taking only five shots - connecting on one - but coming up one goal short, as they fell 6-5 in the final score.

For the Bruins, five different players contrubited to the total. Keith Tkachuk continued to ramp up his performance, scoring his twenty-third of the year and second in as many nights, as he lead the team with a scoring line of 1-1-2. Pierre Turgeon also notched two points with his assists on the Sykora and Kaberle goals.

But the goaltending of Andrew Raycroft fell flat again, as he allowed five goals on twenty-four shots in the first two and a quarter periods. John Grahame spelled him at the 6:18 mark of the third.

Bruins hold shooting practice

The Boston Bruins were punished with leaden sticks and dull skates for their morning practice.

"As a result of your pisspoor offensive outputs lately," GM Joshua Anderson screamed via teleconference from Luxembourg. "I've told the coaching staff to work your sorry asses like dogs! You will practice, practice, then practice some more! For the love of freakin god, SHOOT THE DAMNED PUCK! This twenty and twenty-two shot crap has to stop - you're not that freakin good to take so few shots."

Coach Robbie Ftorek worked the Bruins for nearly six hours in the practice facility, until all had collapsed to the ice under the crushing weight of the leaden sticks - literally. Ftorek and the staff had attached lead donuts to the bases of the sticks to up the weights by as much as ten pounds.

"This should increase their shooting speed," Ftorek explained. "When they go back on the ice and are swinging lighter sticks, they should get more oomph behind them... we hope."

The Bruins visit Toronto tomorrow night, which should prove out if the theory worked or not.

Oilers Resign Aucoin

Early this morning it has been confirmed that the Edmonton Oilers have struck a new deal with their star defensman Adrian Aucoin. Aucoin was acquired last season by the Oilers from the Sharks and led the Oilers Defense in points with 56 on the year and +/- with an outstanding +23. Aucoin has been Nominated as one of the 5 players contending for the Norris trophy this year and He was 7th in Defensman points in the league this past season.

Senators Look for G and picks!

The Ottawa Senators have been looking for ways to acquire a 1st Round pick. GM Schmucky has 5 callups from Jr arriving this year, that is if he decides to sign them all, and will need to fill those holes in the roster through the draft.

Schmucky says he would rather pick up a first rounder then a later pick, even if it means it would be more expensive. "A good Jr squad is crucial to the future of a franchise in this league. You can't expect to just trade for vets every year and be competitive. This is one league where you actually have to build from the ground up."

The Senators also have other looming concerns; the biggest being in net. The Senators need a legitimate change in goal in order to contend for a playoff spot this season. Roman Turek is locked down to a long term deal for not a whole lot of cash. However, after a sub-par season and high expectations for the upcoming one, it looks like Turek may be on the way out, or on his way to a backup role.

The Sens are open to sending Turek in a package to pick up a new starter or keep him and slide him into the role of 2nd man. Whatever happens, the Senators are excited to have this new look squad playing to potential and ready to roll into the new season of CLUTCH.

CANES SHOCK WORLD, DEAL TAMBELLINI

Carolina

What can only be considered a shocking turn of events, the Carolina Hurricanes sent talented speedster Jeff Tambellini to the Columbus Blue Jackets, along with the Calgary Flames first round draft selection (acquired in the Brad Ference deal) for the Jackets first round pick, fifth overall.

Tambellini, who had quickly made himself a fan favourite in the junior ranks and was known as one of the clubs more prolific goal scorers, leaves the club as a gigantic surprise. A former Team Canada player himself, Tamby was always known as one of the better team guys in the dressing room and speculation that if he was to remain in the junior ranks, would have been named captain.

"This really was not a fun decision to make for our club,” said head coach Joel Quenneville, who had apparently been one of Tambellini's fans within the organization. "I hat eto see our club deal away natural talent like Jeff. He has the wheels and he has the explosiveness and I am sure he will do well wherever he goes. It just ended up to be a numbers game. We have two talented Russians in Mirnov and Mozyakin incoming and of course Nigel Dawes, who essentially split time with Jeff. Hard to see him go though, that is all I can say."

The draft pick acquired, however, has the potential to bring in several options. The Canes are keeping quite quiet about who this player could possibly be. They have let it slip that their number two pick will be Calgary Hitman Andrew Ladd, the punishing power forward.

The Canes have also been rumoured to be making more deals regarding the draft. Stay tuned!

Oilers Prepare for 1st Off-Season with GM Schmuck

Well after quickly being moved from his temporary position in the Front Office of the Ducks and asked to take a full time position as the Oilers GM last year this will be GM K. Schmuck's 1st Off-Season with the Oilers. There has been more activity in the head office of the Oilers in Edmonton then ever seen before, Special Scouts have been hired to prepare for the upcoming draft, An accounting specialist is helping to balance the teams finances and make more cap room available to pick up Free Agents and GM Schmuck is carefully weighing his roster to make sure any short falls from last year are rectified for this upcoming season.

LOTTERY LUCK SWIRLS THROUGH CANE-TOWN

Carolina

With 4 teams first round draft picks in the lottery of 16 teams, the odds were that the Canes might luck out and snag one of the top 4 picks. As luck would have it, the Canes snagged the second overall choice with the New Jersey Devils pick, a pick acquired last season in a deal for Marco Sturm.

The second overall pick has opened the door to something the Canes have wanted, and made no bones about it, in order to select Calgary Hitman forward Andrew Ladd. Ladd, a powerful left winger has put up some impressive numbers in his time in the WHL and more importantly, has a gold medal from the World Junior Championships to show for his efforts. Centered by current Cane Jeff Carter, on a line with fellow Hurricane Ryan Getzlaf, the trio was one of the more important lines in World Junior history, as Carter has now claimed top spot all time for Canadian goals scored in the tournament. Ladd was a key part of that success.

"I guess I could still end up in Atlanta," said Ladd. "But the chances of that are slim in a draft that has big Evgeni Malkin. I am really excited about playing with my former team mates, I think it will be a great experience all around."

The Canes boast several members of that gold medal winning team now, including two complete lines, the top defensive pairing and both netminders.

"The plan was to try and pick up as many as we could without sinking ourselves into debt to do so," said head coach Joel Quenneville. "So far, the plan is starting to come together. Adding Ladd will really benefit us in the long term. This year, we will add a few to our pro roster. Getz, Carter, Phaneuf, and Dawes will all get more than enough looks at camp."

The Canes also hold the 6th overall selection in the draft. The team is holding their cards close to their chests with that pick however.

Oilers Acquire Todd White

The Edmonton Oilers have traded Junior Players Aaron Rome (Defensman), Junior Left Winger Scott McCulloch and 2 draft picks in this upcoming draft for Solid Centerman Todd White. White scored 17 goals and got 34 assists for 51 points last year with the Flyers. His veterean experience will be a nice addition to the Oilers 2nd line.

Senators in the Hunt for Goalie

The Ottawa Senators have made it no secret that #1 Goalie Roman Turek will most likely be replaced.

With a very grim UFA market for goalies approaching, Schmucky has been forced to delve into the very scary CLUTCH trade market on the hunt for a new #1 man.

Turek's numbers were ugly, to say the least, this past season. In 65 games, Roman posted a 3.75 goals against average with an even nastier .874 save percentage. That is not to say that the odds weren't against him. The team looked ugly from the start. With this years revamped squad, they look to improve everywhere.

GM Schmucky stated that, "Roman is a leader. He leads by character in the dressing room and works his ass off like he's still a rookie in practices. He's a leader and a good competitor."

Schmucky is rumoured to be looking for an 80+ guy to take over the reigns this year but would not turn down offers to replace Roman with an equally rated player. Sometimes players just need a change of scenery to perform. Maybe with two guys close to the same rate, we could have a great tandem of tenders.

Schmucky is available in mirc or via email at jasonschmuck@hotmail.com.