Official NHL 2005-06 Season Thread

[Halladay_is_God]

In the Western Conference Finals, Edmonton takes game 1 from Anahiem by a score of 3-1.

Buffalo and Carolina start today.

I forgot to post my picks for the ECF and WCF

Buffalo in 6
Edmonton in 7

so far I am 11-1 in the playoffs

[Halladay_is_God]

big news with Tampa Bay

Brad Richards sign new 5 year deal worth 39 million
http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=166601&hubname=

The Tampa Bay Lightning signed their top playmaker to a long-term deal Monday - and he didn't come cheap.

The Lightning inked centre Brad Richards to a $39-million US, five-year contract extension, making him the second-highest paid player in the NHL. The 26-year-old made $3.4 million this season, and could have taken the team to salary arbitration in the off-season.

He was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of next season, but said he had no intentions of leaving Tampa.

''I didn't want to put in a long summer dealing with this,'' Richards said Monday from Tampa, Fla. ''I had my mind pretty much set that I wanted to be here. I didn't want to start a war. It just went really well.''
Related Info

The slick passer will average $7.8 million over the course of his new deal. Only New York Rangers forward Jaromir Jagr ($8.36 million) draws a bigger paycheque - heady company for a player with just five NHL seasons under his belt.

[realmofotalk]

If Richards gets $7.8 million per year, how much will Crosby, Staal, and Ovy get in the near future?

****in Edmonton is 2-0

[Halladay_is_God]

****in Edmonton is 2-0

[Halladay_is_God]

Edmonton Oilers beating the Anahiem Mighty Ducks in 5, Oilers going to the Stanley Cup

Buffalo/Carolina tied up at 2-2

[realmofotalk]

Off the ice news: The Bruins hired the Peter Chiarelli, the assistant GM of the Senators, as their new GM. Maybe the Bruins won't trade Joe Thornton. Oops.

[Halladay_is_God]

Off the ice news: The Bruins hired the Peter Chiarelli, the assistant GM of the Senators, as their new GM. Maybe the Bruins won't trade Joe Thornton. Oops.

Pittsburgh named Ray Shero as their new GM and gave him a 5-year deal, former Predators' assistant general manager.

Francois Giguere named Colorado's GM, former Dallas Stars' assistant general manager.

the New York Islanders are still looking for a GM and head coach

[Halladay_is_God]

Curtis Joseph re-signed by the Phoenix Coyotes to a 1 year deal worth 2 million dollars.

[Giants666]

Game 1 Carolina Hurricanes vs. Edmonton Oilers

[Giants666]

Avs send Tanguay to Flames for Leopold, picks

DENVER -- The Colorado Avalanche traded left wing Alex Tanguay to Calgary for defenseman Jordan Leopold and two draft picks Saturday in a draft-day deal between Northwest Division rivals

Tanguay, 26, was Colorado's second-leading scorer last season with 78 points on 29 goals in 71 games. He has scored 400 points in 450 NHL games and was a key member of the Avs' 2001 championship team.

Tanguay scored two goals in Game 7 of the 2001 Stanley Cup finals to help the Avalanche clinch their second Stanley Cup.

He was Colorado's first selection and the 12th overall pick in 1998.

Trade talk circulated around Tanguay this season when the Avalanche were shopping for a veteran goaltender. He required a $3.23 million qualifying offer from the Avalanche by July 1 to retain his rights.

The trade caught Leopold off guard.

"I went into the day thinking I wouldn't be traded," he said. "To be traded within the division was even more unlikely, but I guess that's all part of the business."

Colorado also received a second-round pick in Saturday's draft and a conditional second-round selection in either the 2007 or 2008 draft.

Leopold played in 74 games for the Flames last season and had two goals and 18 assists.

"I have an offensive background and I like to show it," he said. "In Calgary, we played in a defensive scheme and we took pride in keeping goals down."

Leopold won the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as college hockey's outstanding player as a senior at the University of Minnesota in 2001-02 and made his NHL debut with the Flames in 2002-03.

He has 15 goals and 52 assists in 214 career games.

"Jordan is a solid defenseman and a very good skater," Avalanche general manager Francois Giguere said. "He is only 25 years old and has a bright future ahead of him."

Leopold also posted a plus-6 rating and finished second on the team in average time on ice (22:19). He skated in all seven playoff games for the Flames, notching one assist.

Colorado finished second behind Calgary in the Northwest Division this season.

[Halladay_is_God]

Tanguay gone by next year

[Giants666]

NHL Draft

[Giants666]

Oilers GM Lowe: Pronger's agent has contacted team

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- While Kevin Lowe was helping build the future of the Oilers organization at the NHL Draft on Saturday, the general manager was dealing with the "disheartening" reality that one of his stars does indeed want out.


Lowe admitted Saturday that defenseman Chris Pronger has officially requested a trade and that the team has heard from his agent.


"We've been aware of it for a period of time," Lowe told reporters before the start of Saturday's draft. "Just let me say, yes, we have heard from his agent, that [Pronger] prefer to be traded.


"We're not going to be quick to act on this unless we have a real strong opportunity for the organization. It's better we assess all of this and see what's best."


Rumors surfaced earlier in the season that Pronger was unhappy in Edmonton after being acquired by the Oilers in the offseason from St. Louis. A source familiar with the team told ESPN.com some time ago that Pronger's wife was unhappy with the prospects of a long stay in Edmonton. Pronger has four years remaining on his contract at $6.25 million annually.


Lowe refused to specifically comment about Pronger's situation after Friday's GM meetings, but was more forthcoming Saturday, saying he was disappointed by the news "considering the run we had [to the Stanley Cup finals]."


Lowe also said that several teams have contacted him about Pronger, but gave no specifics.


The problem for Lowe is that it would be almost impossible to get full value for Pronger, the team's most important player during their run to the Cup finals and a player many believed should have been named playoff MVP.


At $6.25 million, he's a relative bargain, especially with the salary cap set to go up. And it's hard to imagine any package would offset the gaping hole his absence would leave along the Edmonton blue line.


Pronger has not yet publicly commented on the trade request and is reportedly vacationing in Mexico with this family.


Pronger led all Oilers in playoff scoring with five goals and 16 assists in 24 games and averaged an outstanding 30:57 in ice time. The St. Louis Blues traded Pronger to Edmonton last offseason in a multiplayer trade made possible by the new collective bargaining agreement.


Edmonton's trip to the Stanley Cup finals was the first for Pronger, who won the Hart and Norris trophies after the 19992000 season. He was the first to win both awards since Bobby Orr did it in 1972.

[realmofotalk]

Rob Blake is back with the Kings.
If Blake does not retire in a Kings uniform there will be hell to pay.