Now, it's Bruce Garrioch, the Ottawa Sun's answer to Larry Brooks...and boy, does he have a feast of rumors for Caps fans...
All Capitals GM George McPhee did by firing coach Glen Hanlon was buy time. The whisper is owner Ted Leonsis has already initiated the search for a new GM and all McPhee is doing is keeping the seat warm. Don't be surprised if former No. 1 pick Brian Lawton gets a look. Lawton was an agent with Octagon Hockey, but stepped down to pursue an opportunity in management. Other candidates include TSN analyst Pierre McGuire and former Islanders GM Mike Milbury, who is also working for the network...
The Peerless knows little about Brian Lawton in terms of his managerial potential, and Pierre McGuire might not be a total imbecile in the position. But as for the matter of Mike "The Idiot" Milbury, The Peerless has but one word....
NO!!!
Did Ducks GM Brian Burke really give away G Ilja Bryzgalov on waivers? The story making the rounds is the Ducks agreed to take D Brian Sutherby from the Caps for a second-round pick so McPhee would pass on Bryzgalov. That allowed the Coyotes to pick up the netminder off waivers.The Peerless actually thinks this idea has merit. Not picking Bryzgalov (which would have been an upgrade at the backup position for the Caps), then getting a second round pick for a player who couldn't find his way onto the fourth line of a struggling team...well, you do the math.
Is Olaf Kolzig on the move? That's likely up to him. The veteran goaltender has been a good soldier for the Capitals, but he'll be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Making $5.45 million this season, Kolzig has always maintained he wants to finish his career with one team, but there's a strong belief the Caps might give him the chance to exit. The word is Edmonton GM Kevin Lowe has been casting covetous glances in Kolzig's direction because -- among other things -- the Oilers haven't been happy with the performance of either Dwayne Roloson and Mathieu Garon.
Kolzig does make $5.45 million, and he is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. And yes, he has indicated a desire to finish his career with one team. That about covers the "facts" portion of this blurb. Will the Caps give him the option of leaving at the trade deadline, if the Caps are out of contention? We suspect they will...but Edmonton? The Oilers figure to be out of contention sooner than the Caps -- the Caps have played badly, the Oilers are just plain bad. What would possess Kevin Lowe to rent Kolzig for six weeks? What would possess Kolzig to sign an extension there? What would possess The Peerless to use the word "possess" four times in one paragraph?
"The story making the rounds is the Ducks agreed to take D Brian Sutherby from the Caps for a second-round pick so McPhee would pass on Bryzgalov. That allowed the Coyotes to pick up the netminder off waivers."
ReplyDeleteThat doesn't make sense to me, it seemed clear that Anaheim needed to get rid of Bryzgalov no matter who took him off their hands; as they needed to get Jonas Hiller on the NHL roster before a foreign team made a play for him.
Why would the Ducks prefer that he not go to an out of conference team (Washington) rather than a division rival (Phoenix) where Bryzgalov has started out 4-0, including a win over the Ducks?
The Peerless left out the 2nd part of Garrioch's quote which is picked up as: "..thus allowing the Phoenix Coyotes to select him, whose GM Don Maloney might then send something back to the Ducks by the trade deadline."
Somehow I don't see a rival GM being so charitable. If this scenario really was to pan out, why wouldn't Burke simply trade Bryzgalov to PHO for future considerations, instead of dealing a high pick away?
To me, Garrioch's newest complicated conspiracy, (as usual) doesn't seem to add up.
I think the Sutherby trade is totally different. Burke loves the role players like Sutherby and since he has a slew of high draft picks courtesy the Penner compensation, it wasn't that big of a hit to offer a fair deal for Washington.