Sometimes you have a nice morning and a tidy post in your head, and sometimes you get called into work early as effluvia hits the fan. So these are rations of weekend hockey news I saw while not riffing on former hockey flames (note: not "Flames"). Weigh in on any that move you in comments. League stuff first, then Isles links after the jump:
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Prospal to the Rangers for $1.1 million: It's always
temptingstandard to laugh at Sather's folly, but these are the moves you should make when you are light on offense and tight against the cap. (As for how you got into that situation, well...) As The Rivalry said: "The Rangers have added one more 3rd/4th-line player." - Speaking of the Short Island Smurfs, I trust Messier's stint in management will go as well as Gretzky's coaching career. You know, because Messier is apprenticing under the best.
- Remember Caps coach Bruce Boudreau's honest impression of Sean Avery in his forthcoming book? Well, it's coming out in October, and Japers' Rink will have a new excerpt each day this week. The first one is today.
- Patrick Kane is "sincerely sorry" for that whole cab thing -- which is one degree above insincerely sorry for the purposes of my image, while not discussing details for the purposes of my legal interests.
- James Mirtle has 14 points on the Coyotes auction. [From the Rink]
- 10 Reasons the Oilers will make a move by opening night [Lowetide]
Islanders Links
- Katie Strang's update on the U.S. juniors evaluation camp smiles upon Matt Donovan, punts on Aaron Ness.
- If you don't check the FanPosts on the right-side margin of this site, BCISLEMAN has been prolific lately. His latest is an interesting theory on how the Isles can protect Tavares & Co. not by hiring some 3-minute-per-night goon, but by boosting the threat posed by their power play. Fun stuff. Come hither, Anton Babchuk.
- Today begins the U.S. Olympic orientation camp. Which means it's K.O. time. [Okposo Net]
- Chris Botta wonders if Garth Snow would actually pick a kid on a two-way deal for the opening night roster over a less impressive guy on a one-way deal. I'm guessing, "No." [Islanders Point Blank]
- B.D. has one of his cryptic meta-blogga-media posts up that I usually interpret to mean an official has tried to influence him or seduce another blogger into kool-aid consumption. The upshot: Beware the VIP fan/blogger. Alternatively: With access comes temptation in the new-media NHL, so play the game but don't be played. For me: Let sincerity and critical thinking be thy guide. (All banter aside, it's a good and ever-present point that the NHL media collapse and resurrection via online avenues will create opportunities for NHL and team officials to turn online outlets into monetized mouthpieces.