Two Year or Not Two Year
So, the Twitter mill has Michael Leighton signed with the Flyers for 2 years. The Twitter I initially saw (and have since seen re-tweeted many times already) said “Sportsnet has learned Michael Leighton has come to terms on short term 2 year/ 3.1M with the Flyers.” I posted a question on a message board about what a “short term two years” is. Hence the title. It is apparently a symptom of FTD (frenzied twitter disorder), the typing of redundant phrases and accompanying blindness to the same.
More rumor says that the Flyers are not ruling anything out, except 6 million dollar goalies, I imagine. Rumors earlier had them inquiring about big-dollar defensemen, which sort of hinted that they were about to sign Leighton. At least, I thought it did. (more…)
Psychic For Hire?
Not quite yet… I don’t have to set up shop as a psychic just yet. I have been feeling quiet lately, listening for murmurs. I see little blurbs tucked into articles about Turco and Nabby, saying the Flyers are still talking to Leighton. Not sure how reliable that source is, but I have seen a bevvy of articles mention that Paul Holmgren is still talking to Leighton. Nothing dubious about that.
Then I heard whispers that the Sharks had asked permission to also talk to Leighton. That gave me a start. I can’t really process it. A source close to me assures me that I am not psychic, just sensible, says that this would probably be a good business decision. Right, whatever. It still freaks me out. (more…)
Mississippi Crossing
It would appear that the Sharks will not get their 7th round pick from Philly next year. Both Nabby and Hamhuis are likely to wait until after July first to sign with anyone. Hamhuis wants to go west, Nabby may still go east. Nabby’s agent has apparently also dangled the threat of the KHL to inspire potential suitors.
Ah well, I suppose feelings have been hurt, or business is business. Probably it is both. I think the KHL suggestion is a little bit funny. Not that I haven’t considered trying to get to Russia to watch some hockey games. One more team to go watch would make the trip more fun. (more…)
Lying by Omission
Wallin and one of those other guys
(The following is a reaction to the sound and fury heard yesterday (June 26) over the 2010-11 Walling contract.)
I have just become a fan of Niclas Wallin. Call me bull-headed, other people do. He doesn’t have good numbers, but I have been clear about how I feel about numbers: they lie, or at the very least they don’t tell you the whole truth.
What I see in his record is a lot of time with the Hurricanes, who of late have a habit of dumping folks I like. I am biased against them. They fired Lavi, they neglected Leights, and they wear red. They also traded Wallin mid-season for a draft pick. I don’t know what the hell is going on in North Carolina, but I am inclined to put very little stock in their decision-making ability.
The official Sharks policy is to not discuss salary figures. Would confirmation only cause more of a stir? Is the figure a problem because it isn’t exactly what people think it is? As I understand it, there is some peculiarity about contracts for players over the age of 35. Probably there are other ways of making numbers look “better” than they are. The real impact of the contract has yet to be revealed, it is merely fuel for speculation. (more…)
Second Draft Day
A Czech bird in teal
So rumor has it that the Sharks just re-signed Wallin for one year at 2.5 million. There has been no verification of this at this point, but a tweet like that doesn’t need verification to spark a wildfire.
My thoughts: “that is more than people were speculating he would get,” and also “HEY! That’s my Czech money you’re spending, Mister!”
People have already suggested that this salary figure might 1) be inaccurate, and 2) represent something other than a 2.5 million dollar cap hit. I buy that. Whatever the criticisms hurled at DW, the Sharks have not gone bankrupt and have not tumbled to the bottom of the league so probably his plan is not without merit. (more…)
A Little Bird
Little Orange and Black Bird
———-around 7pm PST———–
Oh wow. The Orange Crush helpful again. Lurking on his Twitter Feed, I came across this:
“I am told the Flyers are talking with San Jose about the rights to Evgeni Nabokov.” (http://twitter.com/DNFlyers)
(I have no idea how to properly cite a twitter feed.)
Evidently negotiations with Hamhuis are not going so well right now. I remember hearing that he wanted to be in the West, apparently preferred Vancouver but maybe SJ better than Philly?
I was following the draft, understanding nothing, just waiting for the trade rumors people said would attend it. This first bit of news was very very exciting, heart racing. No idea how legit the rumor is, no idea what will come of it but right now very exciting. (more…)
Money Matters
Patrick Marleau didn’t know if San Jose wanted him back.
Everybody's happy
That got my attention. Why would he need more reassurance, even though he was considered absolutely one of the most desirable players likely to be available this off-season? Maybe people were being really really negative about him before the playoffs. Fans certainly had fits whenever he was absent (actually or figuratively) during the playoffs. You can’t beat up on the artistic soul, not if you want them to be productive.
I don’t think he had any reason to doubt being welcome. It’s not like people were saying he didn’t deserve to treated like a star. No one was tossing him back to the AHL. But maybe he was getting all the wrong vibes, for the reason stated above: everybody wanted him. Massive popularity is a breeding ground for fits of unfounded jealousy.
petshark 