One Player's Journey With the Cup

The Peerless was glad to find this report on Drew Miller's day of squiring the Stanley Cup around his hometown of East Lansing, Michigan. It's been a pretty good year for the Spartans, hockey-wise. An alum gets called up and joins the ride to the NHL championship, and the Spartan men's hockey team wins the NCAA championship.

Click on the photo gallery link at the story for more of a glimpse of Miller's day with Stanley. Even Sparty looked proud.

From a fellow alum, great job, Drew.

Go green!...go white!








photos: Dale G. Young / The Detroit News

"Lower Body Injury" has nothing on this.

Think the NHL's "lower body injury" description is equal parts vague and mysterious? Hah! Terry Francona, manager of the Boston Red Sox has pushed the envelope of non-descriptive medical issues just that much further . . .

"Red Sox left fielder Manny Ramirez was out of the lineup [for today's game against the Detroit Tigers] with what Francona called 'intestinal turmoil,' but was used as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning after the Tigers gave him antibiotics."

"Intestinal turmoil"

We look forward to that malady in the injury reports to come to a newspaper near you very soon.

But we'll avoid the locker room in which it makes its appearance.

What, you mean he WON'T take the minimum just to play in New York?

Our old pal Larry Brooks must be beside himself this morning. Henrik Lundqvist is getting pinched by the salary cap (not to mention the the $14.4 million in cap room eaten up by the two new shiny toys) and will be taken to arbitration so as to "buy time," in Ol' Lar's words, for resident genius Glen Sather to "make roster moves."

Yeah, that's a way to go...go cheap on your franchise goaltender, pay him half of what he's worth this year on a one-year arbitration deal, then try to negotiate a long-term contract with him . . . and Lar, who must be the keeper of the checkbook inventory for Sather, is even talking in terms of Sheldon Souray as a free-agent signing. That signing -- for a defenseman who tied for the league lead in power play scoring among defensemen but was a -28 for the year* -- should make Lundqvist feel truly loved.

That second helping of $7-million center is looking like it might cause a case of indigestion in New York before too long.




* No full-time Caps defenseman was worse than -14.

Why she's called "The Better Half?"

Well, at least Caps fans might have an opinion, if you read on . . .

"[Michael] Nylander apparently left for the same reason Chris Pronger skipped town. 'He wanted to come but his wife was uncertain,' [Kevin] Lowe confessed.

"By Lowe's numbers, the Edmonton hockey wife discount now stands at a record $2.5 million - the difference between what the Oilers were offering and what Nylander signed for. What gives?"

Thanks, Mrs. Nylander.

Bottle Rocket...

Ooooh…ahhhh.

The Edmonton Oilers shot off a bottle rocket of an offer for Buffalo Sabres restricted free-agent forward Thomas Vanek. It climbed and climbed and climbed and then…..

…fffffft.

Dud.

Darcy Regier spent about four seconds pondering the idea of losing another forward (Chris Drury, Daniel Briere, and Dainius Zubrus for those of you scoring at home). Not even four first round draft picks could dissuade Regier from matching the heavily front-loaded seven-year, $50 million offer that breaks down as follows:

Year 1: $5.0 million signing bonus, $5.0 million salary

Year 2: $3.0 million signing bonus, $5.0 million salary

Years 3-7: $6.4 million salary

Buffalo has lost three players to a combined $107.15 million (ponder that number for a moment and ask yourself if you think that lockout year was worth anything more than a bucket of warm piss). Losing a fourth would leave Buffalo looking a bit like Ryan Miller and 911 on speed dial.

As it is, Buffalo overpaid to retain Vanek. At $7.14 million/year, is he worth more than Drury ($7.05 million/year) or Gomez (ok, Gomez is a little higher at $7.38 million/year)? Then again, what was Buffalo to do? Let him walk? You think Sabres were going to sell out the season with Derek Roy centering Jason Pominville and Maxim Afinogenov? I like those guys a lot, but with Vanek going out the door, you’d have to worry about what was behind those three. Buffalo isn’t looking at a Philadelphia-like collapse – they are still (on paper, especially with retaining Vanek) a playoff-caliber team. But they are not going to be thought of in 2007-2008 on the short list of Stanley Cup contenders, not unless Regier has some moves up his sleeve.

Buffalo was stuck. We’ve raised this point before – a team that sells out its season finds itself in financial straits...it makes no sense. Then, it watches as two of its core players walk out the door (let’s discount Larry Brooks’ breathless “everyone wants to play in New York theory” for the moment). A player it rented walks soon after. Then, perhaps its best up-and-coming young forward is offered the sun, the moon and the stars, forcing the team in to what might be a decision to stave off and further bleeding in the standings or, potentially, its gate.

There are those who think this league is just fine, that everything is alright, if we just give it some time and nurture it and heed our “cost certainty” structure. I think it’s nonsense.

I think JP is dead on with his question of whether Kevin Lowe is trying to get himself fired in Edmonton (is he trying to out-"Milbury" Milbury?). But meanwhile, looking at what’s happening in Buffalo hockey looks, if not broken, then fractured. And that is the franchise that was supposed to epitomize the new NHL.

….ffffft.

Happy Holiday

The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more. You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not.

-- John Adams, in a letter to his wife, Abigail, July 3, 1776.

Adams refers to the adoption of a resolution on the issue of Independence on July 2, 1776 by the Second Continental Congress. Although taken in secret, this action was the statement of the Colonies that they were free and independent of British rule. The Declaration of Independence itself would be adopted two days later, the date on which we celebrate this holiday. And "holiday" is a particularly apt term. Whether one thinks of July 2 or July 4 as "Independence Day," this is as close as it gets to an American "religious" holiday.

It is celebrated with its own peculiar rites and decorations -- picnics and barbecues, bunting and flags, parades and fireworks. It even has it own "carol" -- The Stars and Stripes Forever -- played on its first Independence Day 110 years ago on this day in New York.

So, here is to celebrating with "Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations . . . "

Happy Independence Day.

Has he lost it?

This has not been a good three months for Certified Genius Lou Lamoriello. On April 2nd, he fired his coach in the midst of a playoff run and stepped behind the bench. Then, his team looked all too vulnerable against Tampa Bay in the first round of the playoffs before going quick and quiet against Ottawa in the second round. He didn't have a chance to make a pick in the 2007 draft until pick #57 came around (Mike Hoeffel for those scoring at home). As July started, he watched as Scott Gomez, Brian Rafalski, and Brad Luckowich left the warm embrace of Newark.

So, what did Lou do to strike back?

He signed Dainius Zubrus to a six year deal at $3.4 million per.

I'll repeat that . . . he signed Dainius Zubrus to a six year deal at $3.4 million per.

OK, that's half the cap hit of what Scott Gomez is costing the Rangers, but...geez, Lou.

The Peerless will stipulate that Lou forgot more about hockey over his morning coffee than I am ever going to know, but . . . geez, Lou.

This for a guy who in 79 games centering a supreme goal scorer and then manning a wing on the top offense in the National Hockey League managed to score a total of . . . 60 points. Who was 0-8-8, +1 in 15 playoff games.

$20.4 million over six years.

Geez, Lou.

The plot thickens . . .

“On Sunday, July 1, 2007, Kevin Lowe, Oilers general manager, and Mr. Mike Gillis, certified agent for Michael Nylander, negotiated and agreed to a multi-year NHL Standard Players Contract, starting in 2007-08. Mr. Gillis confirmed same to the Oilers in writing . . .

“ . . . However, while the Oilers were expecting the returned signed agreements from Mr. Nylander and Mr. Gillis, the Oilers discovered through public announcements made mid-afternoon on July 2, that Mr. Nylander had subsequently entered into a long-term contract with the Capitals."

Ah . . . a soap opera to entertain us through the summer.

Uh....where are we?

This is as good a place as any to take stock of where the Caps stand this summer. It’s a chance to step away from the pessimism that too many Caps fans often marinate themselves in and look at the stages that brought us here…

I. Trading Deadline:

Dainius Zubrus and Timo Helbling to Buffalo for Jiri Novotny and Buffalo’s 1^st round pick (28th overall) in 2007.

This was a deal to get something – anything – for free-agent-to-be Zubrus. What the Capitals got was a chance to audition a center and an additional first round pick. Novotny did not make a significant impression in his audition (Novotny would not be extended a qualifying offer, the Caps electing to forsake their rights to Novotny as a restricted free agent). The pick – at the end of the first round in what was widely perceived to be a relatively weak draft – wouldn’t be retained, either, but more on that later.

Richard Zednik to the NY Islanders for a second round pick in 2007.

There isn’t a lot of “there” there in this trade. Zednik was acquired for a third, sent for a second, but in a weak draft. It’s a wash, value-wise.

Jamie Heward to Los Angeles for a conditional draft pick in 2008.

Given that the 2008 draft is thought stronger than the 2007 draft, this could be a sleeper pick, but it doesn’t inspire flights of imagination.

Grade: C+

II. Draft:

The 2007 entry draft did not offer much to distinguish itself after the top half dozen or so prospects (not that there wouldn’t be drama with respect to one of those prospects, although that drama would concern the Caps only in passing). By the time the draft would get to #28, there really wasn’t a lot of distinction between the 28^th pick and the 58^th pick (to pick a number out of thin air).

The Capitals got the man they wanted, if news reports could be believed, with the 5^th overall pick – defenseman Karl Alzner, who might have been the surest bet to have a substantial NHL career of any pick in this draft. But the entertainment was provided by that 28^th overall pick. The Caps held it until the last possible moment, trading it to San Jose for a second round pick in 2007 (41st overall) and a second round pick in 2008. Then, the Caps sent the No. 41 to Philadelphia for the 84^th overall pick in 2007 and the Flyers' second-round pick in 2008. The Caps parlayed the 28^th pick into the 84^th pick in this year’s draft (used to select USHL Player of the Year Phil Desimone) and two selections in the second round in 2008, thought to be a much deeper draft.

In between the hijinks with the Buffalo pick, the Caps picked Josh Godfrey, the news reports for whom read as if he is the second coming of Al MacInnis with his cannon slap shot, and Ted Ruth (the return for the Zednik trade), a defenseman whose nickname might be “Sandpaper,” given his characterization as having “grit.”

Not that the hijinks were over…George McPhee moved the Caps’ fourth-round pick (#95 overall) for a sixth-rounder from Los Angeles (#154 overall) and a fourth-rounder in 2008.

In all, it was a busy weekend – the Caps went to Columbus with 10 picks in the 2007 draft, and they ended up making 10 picks. But they came out with two extra second round picks (three in all) and an additional fourth rounder in 2008 – ten picks in all in what is supposed to be a deeper draft.

Grade: A

III. Free Agency:

The Caps came into the unrestricted free agent signing period with considerable cap room, even relative to the mid-point of the salary range ($42.3 million). Even if one felt that the Caps would end up with a payroll somewhere south of that number, they had to spend money (just to get to the salary floor), so that they would do so on Day 1 was neither a surprise nor a symptom of a more free-spending attitude.

The signing of defenseman Tom Poti right out of the gate, then forward Viktor Kozlov addressed needs, although it appeared that lesser needs were being met – power play help from the blue line and a right wing of some offensive skill to mesh with Alexander Ovechkin and (until a real NHL center could be obtained) Nicklas Backstrom. By itself, that pair of signings would have constituted far less than what fans might have expected, especially since the big-three centers all signed with Eastern Conference teams (Chris Drury and Scott Gomez with the Rangers, Daniel Briere with Philadelphia).

It was left to Day 2 for the other shoe to drop, and with it some unresolved intrigue. As the day progressed the story emerging with respect to Center #4 – Michael Nylander – was that he had agreed to terms with the Edmonton Oilers, that all that was left was the announcement. Based on the effort from some enterprising members of the blogging community, the story was deemed to be false. Then, just before 5:00 pm, the announcement came, not that Nylander signed with the Oilers, but with the Caps – a front-loaded four year deal that would pay him a total of $19.5 million.

The story isn’t over, if this report in the Edmonton Sun can be believed.

Grade: B+

So let’s recap…relative to where the Caps were on June 21^st, they have:

- added two 2^nd round and a 4^th round pick in the 2008 draft while still preserving 10 picks in the 2007 draft

- added a two-way defenseman – Karl Alzner -- via the draft with the 5^th overall pick

- addressed specific needs on the parent club at a fraction of the cost of the “big-three” defensemen. This point cannot be overemphasized. Much as fans would like Ted Leonsis to open the purse strings, that is a risky road to walk in this NHL. Guaranteed, no-trade contracts of eight years (as in the case of Daniel Briere) carry too much potential for “dead money” at the end of the deals. And it’s hardly a sure thing that signing high-end/high-cost free agents contributes to a winner (certainly in the first year of a deal). The Caps added three players at a total cap hit of $10.875 million. At the moment, that is second or third among NHL teams (depending on the as-yet undisclosed terms of the Ladislav Nagy deal in Los Angeles) in the dollar value of salary cap additions. But the Caps did it with a balanced approach (center, defenseman, forward), whereas the Rangers – who added the most salary cap dollars -- did it with typical piggishness (two centers?...and who is playing defense for this team?).

- Preserved some measure of cap room (even if their “cap” is the salary range mid-point) and flexibility to make additional deals

There is much to be done. For example, the log jam at defense now includes (without respect to signing status, waivability, or other pesky details):

Shaone Morrisonn
Steve Eminger
Brian Pothier
Milan Jurcina
Tom Poti
Mike Green
Jeff Schultz
John Erskine
Josef Boumedienne
Karl Alzner
Viktor Dovgan
Joe Finley
Josh Godfrey
Patrick McNeill
Sasha Pokulok
Sami Lepisto
Keith Seabrook
Oscar Hedman
Ted Ruth
Jamie Hunt

What was once an almost embarrassing organizational weakness has the potential to be its strength. But, some of the excess needs to be addressed, and in the short term a stay-at-home defenseman remains a shortcoming.

This isn’t a fantasy league enterprise; this is a dynamic, ever-changing environment that requires both the long and the short view. In other words, it requires the astute application of the word “manage” as a verb. Strategically, in addressing immediate needs, in acquiring future assets (to play or trade), in working within a budget, the Caps deserve a lot of credit for their performance so far. We’ll qualify that (as a Caps fan is almost required by law to do) by saying that the actions taken now might never translate to success on the ice, but so far George McPhee and his staff have done what they’ve had to do and done it rather well.

Here is what signing Nylander means...

Obviously, Michael Nylander provides the Capitals with the first line center that was a requirement for this off season, but there is another benefit as well as it pertains to the strategy this club appears to be pursuing.

Look at the top two lines' experience...

Alexander Ovechkin -- 163 games
Michael Nylander -- 808 games
Viktor Kozlov -- 749 games
Alexander Semin -- 129 games

There is sufficient experience here so that the Capitals can work a youngster (Backstrom) or two (Fehr or Fleischmann) into the lineup to get experience in responsible situations, at least on an experimental basis. The team does not have to bury kids on a fourth line for maybe eight minutes a night, unless their play dictates they're not ready for more.

That is the kind of mix a club wants to employ if it is going to be "draft-centric" in building its core, which in this case is Ovechkin, Semin, Backstrom, and perhaps whoever mans that other right wing.

If Nylander (or a player of similar skill) is not obtained, the carefully-crafted mixing of veterans and youngsters -- to give the kids the best opportunity to succeed without undue pressure -- can't be performed.

And that is why the timing of free agency is important. Until now, the Caps weren't "ripe" enough among their kids to merit investments in higher-dollar free agents. Well, Ovechkin and Semin are well past 100 games of NHL experience (not to mention their international experience); they have kids ready to make the leap to the big club. Now -- not last year, not the year before -- is the time to begin making those investments.

As disappointing as the start to the free agency period looked after Day 1, it looks a lot better now.

Better . . .

Four years, $19.5 million. And now, the Yashin talk can stop . . . and Nicklas Backstrom need not bear the burden of being a rookie in a new league in a new country and being the center on the first line.

Old Habits...

Perusing the salary database at USA Today, The Peerless notes that in 2003-2004, the top four teams in total payroll (among those participating in Day 1 of the free agent signing period) were:

Detroit	77,856,109
NY Rangers	76,488,716
Philadelphia	68,175,247
Colorado	63,382,458

And yesterday, the top four teams in adding salary cap obligations were:

NY Rangers	14,407,143
Colorado	10,750,000
Philadelphia	6,500,000
Detroit	6,000,000

Coincidence? Or the return of the spends and spend-nots to the NHL?

Why ESPN is the Worldwide Leader in Bad Hockey Coverage

Scott Burnside really should market whatever he's smoking for this...

The Capitals quietly have built a tough, talented blue-line corps with last season's emergence of free-agent acquisition Brian Pothier. The Caps added to that mix Sunday by inking Tom Poti to a four-year deal worth $14 million.

That the Caps have upgraded their skill (Poti is pretty much the replacement for the departed Jamie Heward) is not in doubt. But "tough?" Poti and Pothier, "The Po-Po Boys?"* (the new pair pictured below).



I don't suspect there is a forward in the National Hockey League spending sleepless nights at the prospect of either of those two guys manning the crease in front of Olaf Kolzig.


* that's a New Orleans thing

Day 1:

Anaheim: Mathieu Schneider

Atlanta : Eric Perrin, Todd White

Boston: Shawn Thornton

Calgary: Cory Sarich

Carolina: Jeff Hamilton

Chicago: Yanic Perreault

Colorado: Ryan Smyth, Scott Hannan

Detroit: Brian Rafalski

Edmonton: Dick Transtrom, Denis Grebeshkov

Florida: Radek Dvorak, Richard Zednik, Brett McLean

NY Islanders: Jon Sim

NY Rangers: Chris Drury, Scott Gomez

Philadelphia: Daniel Briere

Pittsburgh: Petr Sykora, Darryl Sydor, Dany Sabourin

St. Louis: Paul Kariya

Tampa Bay: Michel Ouellet

Toronto: Jason Blake

Washington: Viktor Kozlov, Tom Poti

18 teams dipped their respective toes into the water on the first day. The big guys are pretty much gone, but if last year was an indicator, the effect these guys will have will be disappointing relative to the "wow" factor of the signing. But winners?...Losers? The Peerless thinks the winner for Day 1 was Colorado.

At first blush . . .

The Peerless will ponder the two signings over the next day or two, but one question keeps popping into his head . . .

When you imagine the Stanley Cup, can you see the names "Tom Poti" and "Viktor Kozlov" on it?

No?

And on top of this, Tarik El-Bashir reports that: a) the Caps aren't done yet, and b) there have been feelers put out about Alexei Yashin.

Here is the first impression The Peerless has of these signings . . . the Caps, desperately needing to be more of a club that is difficult to play against, has the look of a club that is going to be pushed all over the ice next year, even with Donald Brashear dressing every night. Maybe a good night's sleep will temper that opinion, and maybe the Caps have other cards to play that will add some grit to the team, but right now, even though these signings constitute skill upgrades over last year's incumbents at those positions (second line right wing, power-play specialist), it doesn't look like a bold leap forward.

And, if Yashin is added to this mix, this is not a playoff team.

If you're wondering how to spend your summer...

Here is the only list of things to do you'll ever need...

I like #14 (with my own take)....

14. Come up with an ending for the following joke: Ovechkin, Crosby and Phaneuf walk into a bar...

Ovechkin orders a round for the house and puts it on Crosby's tab. Crosby whines, "I don't like this place." Phaneuf checks him into the juke box.

Your Peerless Prognostos...where WILL they go??

Kevin Allen of USA Today lays out the free agency terrain as we get ready for the great land rush that begins noon Sunday...but where will they end up? Ah, that's where The Peerless comes in....

Looking at Allen's list, which is as good a place as any to start, let's look at the top-20:

1. Chris Drury – Los Angeles. San Jose was the early betting favorite, but Los Angeles looks to be stepping up late to make a splash. This would qualify as a splash.

2. Scott Gomez – New York Rangers. At least it has the advantage of saving on moving charges.

3. Ryan Smyth – New York Islanders. The Peerless suspects this one will have some suspense attached to it..it might be a couple of days. But given that the Islanders are stubbornly hanging onto negotiating rights, in the end Smyth stays on the Island.

4. Daniel Briere – Philadelphia. This one qualifies as falling into the lap of the Flyers. There are intermittent stories of the Sabres' indifference to making a top offer.

5. Sheldon Souray – Los Angeles. Hey, they could use some offense from the blue line (he’s not being signed for being a stopper), they have money.

6. Peter Forsberg – retires. Even though the recent surgery on his nettlesome foot was characterized as “minor,” it’s the straw that broke the skater’s back.

7. Slava Kozlov – Detroit. He hates those toxic blue Thrasher uniforms.

8. Paul Kariya – Washington. The Capitals have some work to do to get to a $34.3 million floor. They have to spend money. Here is a chance. Nicklas Backstrom gets to center Alexander Semin and Paul Kariya to start the year. The other Alex asks, "hey, what about me; where's my center?"

9. Mathieu Schneider – Detroit. He’ll shop and shop and shop…and then he’ll think, “hey, Greektown is pretty cool.”

10. Michael Nylander – Chicago. After all the pre-opening chatter, this is a surprisingly hard one.

11. Brendan Shanahan – Rangers. There really is no other choice.

12. Brian Rafalski – New Jersey Devils. Losing him would be quite a blow – not a Scott Stevens blow, but a big one nonetheless.

13. Keith Tkachuk – St. Louis. They didn’t acquire his rights to let him walk.

14. Bill Guerin – Pittsburgh. They’re collecting wingers on the back side of their careers with the idea that somehow, that will fill the void on the wings.

15. Ladislav Nagy – New Jersey. Didn’t exactly endear himself to Stars fans; he’ll be a bargain.

16. Jason Blake – Minnesota. The Peerless just likes the idea of Blake in a red and green uniform….it’ll make him look like an elf at the North Pole.

17. Roman Hamrlik – I have no idea….The Peerless thought he retired.

18. Brad Stuart – Colorado. He’ll be on a stop over in Denver, and never leave….sort of the Viktor Navorski approach to free agency.

19. Scott Hannan – San Jose. Not all free agents change teams, no matter what rumors you read from Eklund.

20. Michal Handzus – St. Louis. Why?...call it a hunch.

…and for you Caps fans, no, Dainius Zubrus is not returning to Washington. Among the red, white, and blue clubs, he’ll end up in…Montreal.

The Overratedness (maybe) of Free Agents

Let me preface this with this qualifier...we are looking at a phenomenon that concerns itself with one year -- the year after a major free agency signing.

OK, there. Last year the top ten 2006 free agency signings (in terms of annual salary) earned approximately $48 million. Nine clubs were represented among the ten players (Zdeno Chara and Marc Savard being united in Boston). And here is the result . . .

-- of the nine clubs, four made the playoffs
-- of the nine clubs, six had a better record than the year before
-- of those six clubs with a better record, three still didn't make the playoffs


Free agency -- on the basis of this limited set of data and for the most lavishly compensated -- isn't a panacea, except for the players and their agents.

You win with . . .

. . . defense.

As Corey Masisak points out in this morning's Washington Times, the Caps have focused on defense in recent drafts. For the record, it isn't just defensemen, but goaltenders, too. Of the 39 total selections over the past four years, 18 are defensemen or goaltenders, including 10 of 14 first or second round picks. By year:

2004:

Jeff Schultz
Mike Green
Sami Lepisto
Clayton Barthel
Oscar Hedman
Justin Mrazek


2005:

Sasha Pokulok
Joe Finley
Andrew Thomas
Patrick McNeill
Daren Machesney

2006:

Semen Varlamov
Michal Neuvirth
Keith Seabrook

2007:

Karl Alzner
Josh Godfrey
Ted Ruth
Dan Dunn

Strength in numbers? Well, that is what is added to youngsters among the defensemen already on the big club: Steve Eminger, Shaone Morrison, and Milan Jurcina, all of whom are younger than 25.

Building from the inside out. What, you got a problem with that?

17 of 116

There are 116 days from the end of the Stanley Cup finals that ended on June 6 to September 30^th. Today is day 17 of that calendar.

And yet, we find ourselves grinding our teeth and muttering expletives about the Caps and their performance this past weekend in Columbus.

Where is the help now?

Well, that’s not what the draft is about; it’s about futures…18 year old kids who can contribute when they are 22. If you’re looking for contributors next year, look to other places.

The draft is one leg of the tripod of roster-building – drafting, trading, and free-agency signing (which might include waivers). There is a time for each, both this year, and in the bigger scheme of building a roster.

There is a good portion of the summer calendar to go; the draft is but the first mile marker along the way. Another comes up at the end of next week, and one would expect the Caps to participate in the bazaar (or bizarre) that is usually the unrestricted free agent market. But all summer long there will be the possibility of trades, perhaps more so as the salary cap limits come into sharper focus, and some clubs need to be identifying salary cap casualties.

The point is, this is the “no excuses summer,” but a summer it is, not a fortnight. Let’s wait to see where the club is on September 30^th.

The Logic of Proscrastination

George?...What were you doing out there, trading all those picks for a bunch of picks next year? Don't you know the club needs help now??

That seems to be an insistent theme among Caps fans today as the 2007 entry draft concludes. The Caps kept trading down and, ultimately, out of the 2007 draft to accumulate picks in the 2008 draft. Is there a logic in this?

Well, this is precisely what we signed on for in a "draft-centric" strategy for building the club....a sustainable strategy for building and replenishing a roster. And that means parlaying picks now -- in what is almost universally thought to be a weak draft -- for additional picks in next year's draft, thought to be pretty strong at this stage. If a "draft first" strategy is what this franchise is going to employ, that means a multi-year focus, maximizing the potential of this draft and, just as important, drafts to follow.

From a strategic standpoint, I think this is McPhee's strongest draft since he started here. Trouble in saying that, though, is that these kids are flesh-and-blood hockey players. Whether they can actually play at this level is an unknown, and is a matter of scouting ability, not strategy.

Red = Stanley Cup? . . . The Science of Red

Seeing red . . . it conjures a number of visions.

Anger, aggression, blood, a raging bull, and…

…science?

Well, yes. Russell A. Hill and Robert A. Barton of the University of Durham took a look at several events in the 2004 Summer Olympic Games with an eye toward establishing whether there wasn't a relationship between a color won by an athlete and outcomes. All of the events involved two-person matches in which the competitors were randomly assigned either competition colors of red or blue. What they found was that athletes wearing red had a small, but statistically significant, advantage and won 60 percent of the time.

Hill and Barton also looked at the team sport aspect of the question by reviewing results from a 2004 international soccer tournament. In this instance teams wore different colored uniforms (i.e., they were not restricted to a single color). When they compared teams that used red as one uniform choice, they found that those teams’ performance was better in red than in other colors.

They attributed the finding to psychological influences. Follow along…it was their conclusion that red, being an indicator of sexual quality among males, and the intensity of the color being a related indicator of the degree of male “dominance” or hormone levels, gave wearers of the color an advantage by instilling feelings of inferiority among opponents (“aw, shucks, we have no chance, look how bright the red is…he must be a real man!”)

But here’s the bad news. Hill and Barton found that the effect was observed only in “symmetrical” contests – those in which the participants were evenly matched. Red won’t make a bad player – or a bad team – good.

But, it can’t hurt.

The article is here (subscription required).

"Cookies" Meets the Press

Caps have a "Muffin" Gordon, now "Cookies" Alzner?...

Karl Alzner Press Conference, 2007 NHL Entry Draft
Uploaded by emcerlain

...thanks to blbean on The Official for pointing the way to this.

The Morning After....

The Peerless notes a fair amount of disgruntlement over on The Official over the selection of Karl Alzner with the fifth overall pick and the dealing of the 28th pick for a lower pick this year and one next year. The Peerless regards the latter as not a big deal. There is a lot of uncertainty among the 50 or so players after the top three (where Esposito and Cherepanov fell is certainly evidence of that). 28 is a higher number than 41 (and that pick has now had four different owners), but the 28th pick isn't likely to be as large a difference in talent or potential than the 41st pick. This draft simply doesn't afford that kind of certainty.

In fact, there is a logic in this if one wants to engage in trying to read minds. If the Caps had a number of roughly equivalent players on their list at 28, then some (if not all) of these players would be available at 34, possibly at 41 (the pick they traded for). For what, perhaps, in their minds was minor tinkering with the order, they got an extra pick in next year's draft. That is not a bad strategy.

On one level, though, the Alzner pick is troubling. Not for the fact that he's a bad player, he's not. He would appear to be the "safest" pick in the first round, the player most likely to play to his pre-draft potential.

It's the "safe" part that is troubling. This franchise is in a fair amount of trouble. Not much success on or off the ice (although I suspect the new jersey will sell well...call that the "Snyder effect"). And what did the Caps do? They went all Hitmen again. From 1999-2003, four of the Caps' five top picks came out of the WHL -- Kris Beech, Brian Sutherby, Nathan Paetsch, and Eric Fehr. Their results have been, well, let's say "mixed." All of them played an NHL game, but none have made a recognizable impact.

None of these guys are a #5 pick (although Beech was a #7), but the Caps appear to have had a "type" in mind, and it was a WHL type. This year, with the franchise in the balance in terms of what the Caps do this summer, they went back to what they know. Was it the right pick? I don't know, I've never seen any of these guys play. Maybe he's a "Keith Carney," dependable, but not spectacular; maybe he's a "Jeff Jillson," a promising start but a disappointing finish.

On the other hand, the Caps are weak down the middle (centers, defensemen), and team sports is about being strong in that area, hockey included. You can’t have too many defensemen. Buffalo won a President’s trophy with depth and balance on their blue line, Ottawa got fine play out of their squad leading up to the Cup final (and a disappointing finish among them – especially Wade Redden – did them in), and Anaheim won the Cup with sturdy blue line play from Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, and the underrated Francois Beauchemin. While the Caps have numbers in this area, they have a lot of unproven talent and question marks, especially in terms of own-end play. Alzner addresses a shallowness in the prospect pool of defensemen. That’s the upside.

This is the first round in a process that will play itself out over the next three months or so. If there is any truth to a rumor that the Caps are in discussions with another club on a trade that has been put off pending the draft, well, that's a part of the process, too. So is today’s round of drafting. The Caps, as Mike Vogel reports this morning, got the man they targeted. If so, then the question that pops into my mind is, “because he was the best player available or the safest pick?”

Gentlemen...start your drafting!

And away we go!

Pre-Game, er, Draft...interesting look at the Blues operation on Versus. It has the feel of a documentary. Nice touch.

...and Jarmo Kekalainen (Director of Amateur Scouting for the Blues) runs a tight ship. A man with a plan and with the discipline, it seems, to work that plan. The Blues look like they have a pretty good prospect pool, too....

7:00...These kids are so wholesome, you want to spread them on a cracker.

7:07...Craig Leopold wants Jim Balsillie to go away. Next up..Kansas City??

7:16...let the show begin...

...ok, Gary, get on with it...

...any time now...

...is this guy running for something?...

...and finally, Chicago is on the clock...

..."not afraid to go in the tall trees?"...Bob McKenzie is channeling Dan Rather.

Chicago picks...Patrick Kane. Well, that was suspenseful. Eklund sure had that one right....hee-yeah, right.

...geez, the kid carries himself like he's been in the league 15 years.

Philadelphia is on the clock....they pick...James Van Riemsdyk. USA, two for two.

...Wayne looks like he had bad sushi for lunch...

Phoenix is on the clock...they pick...oh, wait, the obligatory ovation for Gretzky...

...they pick...Kyle Turris.

...hey, where are all these trades?

...Bob McKenzie...Canada's answer to Mel Kiper.

Los Angeles is on the clock...they select...Thomas Hickey....whoa, Nellie. The Peerless had him going 14th. This makes Washington's pick even more interesting...the Czech, the Russian, the defenseman....or a trade?

McPhee and Kevin Lowe are talking...I coulda sworn I saw McPhee mouth the words, "all right?" Something's up, kids...

...ok, they're making their way to the stage....guess the trade fell through.

Washington is on the clock...Karl Alzner, after Sam Gagner probably came half way out of his chair when George said, "London Kn..."

Seems like it's not just the uniforms going back to the past; so is the pick. Back to the Western Hockey League.

Pierre likes the new duds..."they don't look like postal workers anymore..." Gee, thanks.

Edmonton is on the clock with the first of three picks in this round...they select...Sam Gagner.

The Versus guys think this is the Voracek pick...

Columbus is on the clock...they select...Jakub Voracek. The kid shakes hands like he's grabbing a beer out of the cooler....wham!

Hey, Rick...the playoffs are over, you can lose the beard. Or is that an "I'm not shaving until we make the playoffs beard?"

Nice look at Cherepanov wiping his eyes and having the Versus guys announce him as "plummeting through the draft." What's next, a phone call from Brady Quinn?

Boston is on the clock...Cam Neely joining the other suits to announce the pick...a nice touch. The Bruins select...Zach Hamill. Hmm...another reach...

TRADE....St. Louis trades #9 pick to San Jose for the #13 pick (Toronto's), #44, and 3rd in 2008.

San Jose is on the clock....they select...Logan Couture.

Florida is on the Clock...they select...Keaton Ellerby.

The Peerless thinks maybe they ought to sell tickets to the Doan-Ellerby Boxing Day hockey game.

Pierre is ranting....it is "unconscionable" that Cherepanov is still on the board. "It's insanity." He also thinks the Sharks deal was a pre-emptive strike to keep Florida from taking Couture ahead of them.

Carolina is on the clock....they select...Brandon Sutter. My God....he was swallowed whole on stage by his jersey.

Montreal is on the clock...they select...Ryan McDonagh.

The plot is now "Angelo or Alexei?" Who goes first? And will someone stop refilling Bob McKenzie's coffee cup?? The man is wired...

John Davidson is striding to the stage like he's a bouncer about to abuse a drunk.

St. Louis is on the clock...Lars Eller. "The Great Dane"....groan. Geez, Bob.

13 picks in the book...one trade.

Colorado is on the clock...they select...Kevin Shattenkirk.

Edmonton is up again...the Islanders' pick...they select...Alex Plante. Geez, he's a big kid. I thought he was going to step on Bettman and scrape him off the bottom of his shoe on the edge of the stage. He looks a little like Tree Lane from the Mystery, Alaska team.

TRADE...Anaheim trades the 16th pick to Minnesota for the 19th and 42nd. Angelo or Alexei...one could go here...

TSN is interviewing Cherepanov, who is taking matters as well in stride as one could expect.

Minnesota is up...they select...Colton Gillies. Bobby Mac doesn't seem wild about the pick, Dougie Mac less so...too much of an "us too" following along in Anaheim's wake looking for big guys.

New York Rangers are on the clock....they select...Alexei Cherepanov (finally). Nice fashion statement...no tie, just a t-shirt.

Dougie Mac really needs to get over Zherdev...

TRADE...Calgary trades the #18 to St. Louis for the 24th and the 70th. The Peerless has to think this is the Esposito pick...

St. Louis is on the clock....they select...Ian Cole. Well, that's an interesting pick -- he wasn't in the top-100 in The Hockey News.

Pierre is on a mission...or maybe he wants to be Cherepanov's agent...

Anaheim is on the clock...they select...Logan MacMillan. And hey...Brian Burke smiled. The Peerless thought he didn't have teeth.

Pittsburgh is up...they select...Angelo Esposito. That's a "best player available" pick, but they are turning into the Flyers. All centers, no wings.

Bobby Mac is like the Rain Man with his ability to spout these anecdotes...

TRADE...Phoenix trades the 21st to Edmonton for #30 and #36.

Edmonton is up....again....they select...Riley Nash.

Montreal is up...they select...Max Pacioretty.

The air seems to be going out of the balloon pretty fast in this draft. Seems really quiet in the arena.

Bobby Mac revising and extending his remarks on the Leopold-Balsillie situation. If Balsillie wants to enter into a binding agreement, Leopold will listen.

Nashville is up....they pick...Jonathon Blum.

TSN is interviewing David Poile, who is being the good soldier. He has to admit that he has to ice a "low payroll" team. The Preds will be in Nashville for 2007-2008, but was somewhat non-committal about thereafter, noting the attendance threshold factor. If body english means anything, his demeanor was "well, it is what it is."

Calgary is up and selects...Mikael Backlund. The TSN boys seem to think this kid will never have to play for Mike Keenan....good bet.

Vancouver is at the podium.....they select...Patrick White.

St. Louis is up again...they pick...David Perron. Bobby Mac notes that he wears white skates.

Detroit is up....Stevie Y making the pick...Brendan Smith.

Pierre likes what St. Louis has done...."they're building a juggernaut in the midwest."

TRADE...Washington trades the 28th pick for the 41st in this draft and a 2nd in 2008.

Trading a first for two seconds? One of them next year? Maybe the Caps are confident of their guy being at 41.

San Jose is up...they take Nick Petrecki.

Ottawa is up...they select...Jim O'Brien.

And now, we're at an end....Phoenix is up...they pick Nick Ross.

And there it is, your 2007 draft first round class. Ten years from now, who will be all stars, and who will be also rans? That's part of the fun of nights like this, the looking ahead.

Clearance Sale...Everything Must Go

The Nashville Hamilton Predators have traded goaltender Tomas Vokoun to the Florida Panthers for a first-round pick and two second-round picks.

Predators GM David Poile was quoted as saying...

"We saw Chris Mason emerge as a No. 1 goaltender in 2006-07 and with full confidence in Chris and Pekka Rinne, we felt as if we could make this move. Mason won 24 games for us this past season, starting 21 in a row at one point, and finished with the second-highest save percentage in the NHL. In addition, this trade will help restock our organizational assets and affords our team more payroll flexibility."

Vokoun earned $2.28 million last year, Mason $1.25 million. Vokoun was signed to a four-year contract extension last September; Mason is a UFA after next season. If our math is right, Rinne's entry level deal expires after this coming season.

The fire sale continues. Last one out, lock up the rink.

It's Official

The Caps are going back to their past.

As Tarik El-Bashir reports in this morning's Washington Post, the Capitals will unveil a red-white-and-blue color scheme in their new jersey at this evening's draft party at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex.

The Peerless is sure the fans will be seeing red, as it were, and there will be a lot of marketing crap spewed in support of the new duds.

Frankly, The Peerless sees all that as just so much piffle. It's a shirt. A very expensive shirt, no doubt, but a shirt nonetheless. There are a couple of points in the story worthy of comment though . . .

The Capitals' new look, which has been under development in conjunction with athletic apparel company Reebok for nearly three years, puts a modern touch on the star-laden, red, white and blue uniform the team wore from 1974 until 1995.

Three years? Three years?

"It's important to have equity in a color scheme," [Capitals' chief marketing officer Tim] McDermott said. "Look at the Green Bay Packers -- they own green and yellow. We want fans walking around wearing our stuff. It raises our brand awareness and that helps us create more fans."

What Green Bay owns is three Super Bowl trophies among their 12 NFL championships (including being the only NFL team to win three consecutively) and the legend of Vince Lombardi.

Until The Peerless sees the new sweater in 3-D, he'll reserve judgment. But really, is it that important (as in, is it worth getting one's blue shorts in a twist over?)? It won't be a sweater with nearly the attention-grabbing character of a Montreal or a Detroit jersey, but then again, those jerseys are long associated with winning traditions.

Clothes don't make the man in this instance. The men who wear the sweater -- and the degree to which they succeed on the ice -- make the clothes.

The Peerless Prognosticator's Peerless Mock Draft

And here we are at last. The 2007 NHL Entry Draft from Columbus, Ohio, which reminds The Peerless of a joke…why doesn’t Michigan slide into Lake Superior?

Because Ohio sucks! . . . ok, so I need to keep my day job.

The Peerless makes no claim to have seen any of these fine young men in action. We’re as clueless as Eklund when it comes to their respective skills and depend on what we read from a variety of scouting sites, media outlets, bloggers, and mock drafts. Then, The Peerless throws all that out so he can go for the punch line. But as we rush head long into this year’s “everyone can be a GM” moment, The Peerless is imagining what will transpire . . .

The clock strikes 7:00 pm. Gary Bettman is greeted by throngs of adoring fans adept at masking their cheers as boos. The Commissioner slithers to the podium, clears his throat, flicks his forked tongue once. . . twice . . and announces . . . “with the first overall pick in the 2007 National Hockey League entry draft, the Chicago Blackhawks select . . .

1. Patrick Kane, RW. Patrick Kane is an anagram for “a tanker pick.” Given the Blackhawks’ record since the Pleistocene Age, this might be the only club who could draft Kane and have this happen. Good #1: Sidney Crosby…Alex Ovechkin...Bad #1: Alexandre Daigle.

2. Philadelphia – Kyle Turris, C. Much has been made of Turris coming out of Canadian Junior A. Well, gee . . . Jerry Rice came out of Division I-AA. Think it hurt him? Good #2: Chris Pronger…Bad #2: Pat Falloon.

3. Phoenix – James Van Riemsdyk, LW. He has a scary resemblance to Opie Taylor. The Peerless isn’t sure just what to make of that. Good #3: Scott Niedermayer…Bad #3: Orest Romashyna (ok, that’s going back a few years).

4. Los Angeles – Alexei Cherepanov, RW. His name is an anagram for “each a proven exile.” Well, given the problems one reads about with potential Russian amateurs, the biggest problem with this guy might be getting him across the border. Good #4: Roberto Luongo…Bad #4: Pavel Brendl.

5. Washington – Jakub Voracek, C. Satisfies the club’s minimum requirements of Jakubs if Klepis is moved. Good #5: Jaromir Jagr (no, really)…Bad #5: Daniel Dore.

6. Edmonton – Karl Alzner, D. “Karl Alzner” . . . sounds like he should be in commercials at three a.m. for a personal injury law firm . . . “did you get hit in the head with a puck? Call Alzner and Associates to get what’s coming to you.” Good #6: Peter Forsberg…Bad #6: Scott Scissons.

7. Columbus – Keaton Ellerby, D. Keaton is one of those sturdy Canadian names, like Brendan or Doug. Columbus is one of those sturdy Italian names. Blue Jackets is one of those godawful hockey teams. Good #7: Bernie Federko…Bad #7: Ryan Sittler.

8. Boston – Logan Couture, C. Logan Couture…it sounds like a line of hair care products…Logan Couture conditioner. The Bruins hope this guy conditions the club into winning for a change. Good #8: Grant Fuhr…Bad #8: Jason Herter.

9. St. Louis – Ryan McDonagh, D. His anagram is “mad cranny hog.” Does this mean he’ll be rooting around in the corners for pucks? Good #9: Cam Neely…Bad #9: Brent Krahn.

10. Florida – Angelo Esposito, C. “Poison to Eagles.” Will the Caps see this kid make their lives difficult eight times a year?? Good #10: Teemu Selanne…Bad #10: Dan Gratton.

11. Carolina – Sam Gagner, C. How many centers named “Sam” are there in the Hall of Fame? One (Sam “Rusty” Crawford), and his last year in the NHL was in 1919. Good luck, kid. Good #11: Jarome Iginla…Bad #11: Chris Govedaris.

12. Montreal – Nick Petrecki, D. “Nick Petrecki.” The name just conjures all sorts of images of a big kid with a pack of Camels rolled up in the sleeve of his t-shirt. Good #12: Marian Hossa…Bad #12: Teemu Riihijarvi

13. Toronto – Zach Hamill, C. Did he star in those Star Wars movies? Or was he the figure skater? Whatever. Good #13: Jean-Sebastien Giguere…Bad #13: Michael Stewart.

14. Colorado – Thomas Hickey, D. “Hit macho keys” is his anagram. Colorado only wishes he does that. Good #14: Calle Johansson…Bad #14: Michel Riesen.

15. Edmonton (From NYI) – Jonathan Blum, D. Six feet, 160 pounds. When his name is announced, Kevin Lowe should greet him with a sandwich. Good #15: Alexei Kovalev…Bad #15: Matt Zultek.

16. Anaheim (From TBL) – Colton Gillies, C. Sounds like an extra in a Masterpiece Theatre episode . . . of course, if he was just “Colt,” he’d be on “Days of Our Lives.” Good #16: Markus Naslund…Bad #16: Nick Stajduhar.

17. NY Rangers – Lars Eller, LW. I read somewhere…ok, everywhere, that this kid could be the highest pick ever from Denmark. That might be roughly akin to being the highest rated soccer player ever from Harrisburg. It’s a small sample. Good #17: Zach Parise…Bad #17: Scott Allison.

18. Calgary – Bill Sweatt, LW. Add Bobby Blood, Hal Tearse, and what do you have? Good #18: Bruce Cassidy (just seeing if you’re paying attention)…Bad #18: Alex Forsyth.

19. Minnesota – Kevin Shattenkirk, D. I . . . can’t believethiskidlasteduntil . . . this . . .pick (uh, that’s a Shatner, Kirk thing…figure it out). Good #19: Olaf Kolzig…Bad #19: Jan Ingman.

20. Pittsburgh – Maxim Mayorov, LW. Hey, he’s Russian, so he must want to play with Evgeni Malkin (how does it feel to see the “he’s Russian, so he must want to play with other Russians” nonsense applied to another team?). Good #20: Martin Brodeur…Bad #20: Duncan MacPherson.

21. Phoenix (From DAL) – Mikael Backlund, C. “likeable man duck.” We’ll just leave that one alone. Good #21: Saku Koivu…Bad #21: Selmar Odelein.

22. Montreal (From SJS) – Alex Plante, D. Sounds a liitle like “Bob Mantle” or “Phil Montana.” It’s . . . well, almost right. Good #22: Simon Gagne…Bad #22: Jeff Kealty.

23. Philadelphia (From NAS) – Logan MacMillan, C. Tweed-blazered professor by day, superhero by night . . . it’s “Puck Man.” Good #23: Ray Whitney…Bad #23: Craig Hillier.

24. St. Louis (From ATL) – Brett MacLean, LW. “metal crab net.” The Peerless notes all the accolades about his offense but wonders if this means he’ll be tying up opponents, too. Good #24: Daniel Briere…Bad #24: Eric Lecompte.

25. Vancouver – Oscar Moller, C. My baloney has a first name . . . oh, c’mon, you knew it was coming. Good #25: Mark Howe…Bad #25: Eric Lavigne.

26. St. Louis (From SJS) – Max Pacioretty, LW. Did I read that right? He plays for the “Mouseketeers?” Are his linemates Annette and Cubby? Good #26: Zigmund Palffy. …Bad #26: Nicolas Perreault.

27. Detroit – Dana Tyrell, C. “ardent ally” . . . he’s either going to be a great teammate or code name for an attack on Bumfuckistan. Good #27: Scott Gomez…Bad #27: Mike Speer.

28. Washington (From BUF) – Brandon Sutter, C. 32,914 Sutters have dressed for an NHL game . . . none of them for Washington. Good #28: Mike Richter…Bad #28: Brandy (Brandy?) Semchuk.

29. Ottawa – David Perron, RW. Don’t cry for me, Bryan Murray…The truth is I never left you. All through my wild days, my mad existence. I kept my promise, don't keep your distance. Good #29: Jonathan Cheechoo…Bad #29: Chris Gotziaman.

30. Edmonton (From Ana) – Tommy Cross, D. Rats…if he’d been a little older and drafted a few years ago, he coulda been paired with Cory Cross on the “Double Cross” pairing. Good #30: Randy Carlyle...Bad #30: Par Edlund.

And there you have it...the only mock draft you'll ever need!

It's all part of a piece...

It’s all part of a piece…

We have this story posted last Saturday in the National Post on the possibility of the Nashville Predators embarking on a Florida Marlins-style firesale…

“If the Nashville Predators are not sold by June 30, which seems unlikely now, sources say club owner Craig Leipold is prepared to vastly trim his player payroll next season, even if it means dismantling a Stanley Cup contender . . .

“. . . The Predators are considered one of the deepest organizations in the NHL but the fire sale could begin as early as July 1 when marquee free agents such as Peter Forsberg and Paul Kariya could be jettisoned. The club's depth could very well be tested should Leipold, who spent US$40-million on players last season, choose to scale back his hockey budget.

“The Wisconsin businessman claims to have lost US$70-million since founding the Predators 10 years ago, including a staggering US$15-million last season and US$26-million in the last two years -- even while drawing from the league's shared-revenue pool. The Nashville business community has recently organized with a goal of selling 3,000 season tickets by October, but it remains unclear whether individual fans will support the team should they feel it is leaving town, or should the on-ice product significantly decrease in quality.

"’I have come to the conclusion that I cannot make it work here,’ Leipold said on the day the sale was announced. ‘It's painful to say that. As hard as we tried, and as good a team as we had ? we are by far the lowest revenue team in the league.’"

Today, possibility skated right up to the brink of certainty . . . with this deal consummated between the Predators and the Philadelphia Flyers, reported by Bob McKenzie for tsn.ca . . .

“The Philadelphia Flyers have dipped into the free agent market a little early, thanks to the Nashville Predators.

“Because of Nashville's uncertain ownership future and an expected tight budget in the coming year, the Predators arranged with the Flyers to give them exclusive negotiating rights to two coveted free agents - defenceman Kimmo Timonen and forward Scott Hartnell.

“Sources tell TSN the Flyers have now signed both Hartnell and Timonen to long-term contracts.

“Hartnell, who was scheduled to become a free agent on July 1, signed with Flyers on a 6-year, $25.2 million deal for a cap hit of $4.2 million per year.

“The Flyers also agreed to terms with Timonen on a 6-year, $37.8 million contract for an annual cap hit of $6.3 million.”

Buried in the National Post story is this . . .

“Leipold stands to make a small fortune on the sale of the team, more than US$40-million, with a US$238-million sale price that is roughly double the value of the franchise, according to estimates.”

What to make of this? Well, several things, all of which seem related.

First, “cost certainty” is a joke. Philadelphia shelled out $63 million for 12 years of total commitment for a good defenseman (but not Chris-Pronger-good, whose salary Timonen now eclipses) and a forward who has not had a 50-point season in his first six years in the league. Relevant to the Caps, tell me...how much is a Michael Nylander now worth? Heavens, what is a Dainius Zubrus worth?

Second, forever spare us the charade that the league is “healthy.” You have an owner desperately trying to acquire a pet he can take home to Canada, so much so that he’s willing to overpay for the privilege (and is so transparent about it – note that prospective owner Jim Balsillie is canvassing for season ticket holders in Hamilton, and is now outpacing Nashville signing them up). It isn’t a reflection of a new market price for NHL franchises. Oh, and note to Jim…want a pet? Buy a dog.

Third, deals such as this risk ripping the salary floor away from its moorings – stupid money was more of a problem in the old order than “greedy players,” and here we have proof that even in their immaculately tailored “new order,” some teams just can’t help themselves. Teams who can’t afford ratcheting up prices on good, if not great defensemen, or taking a flyer on “salary futures” on a guy who might or might not ever reach his potential are going to feel the same upward pressure on salaries they felt before the lockout. Trouble now is, they have a salary floor with which to contend.

These elements reflect nothing but an owner with an itch, a city that doesn’t much care, and a team that doesn’t even let “cost certainty” stand in the way of writing checks.

A year of hockey lost…for this?