thisgivensunday theoutsidecorner crossoverchronicles puckdrunklove crystalballrun runthefloor

Will Dominik Hasek excel if he returns to the NHL?

Written by David Rogers on .

DominikHasek
Reports are indicating that Dominik Hasek is contemplating a return to the NHL. Hasek, 47, hasn't appeared in the NHL since he called it quits following the 2007-08 season where he minded the net for the Detroit Red Wings. We aren't pulling your leg. Even at the ripe age of 47, Hasek is apparently extremely motivated to play again in the NHL.

Hasek admits that he isn't sure if a team would be willing to take a chance on him but he has stated that he believes he can complete if given the opportunity. If a team decides to take a gamble on Hasek what should they expect from the goaltender that hasn't seen any NHL action over the past four seasons?

Jonathan Bernier deserves a new opportunity

Written by David Rogers on .

BernierTrade
Free Jonathan Bernier.

One can only imagine how frustrating Jonathan Bernier's career has been so far. The Los Angeles Kings selected the netminder 11th overall in the 2006 NHL Draft but have used Bernier sparingly thanks to the talented Jonathan Quick clogging the path from the bench to the ice. 

Bernier's frustrations have finally boiled over as the goaltender requested a trade to a new team in order to have a chance of seeing some real playing time. Bernier anticipates he will be dealt but believes a deal won't be reached until training camp gets a bit closer. For Bernier, a trade should bring an opportunity to finally prove himself at the NHL level.

Shane Doan wants to stay with Coyotes, but huge offers making it tough

Written by Laura Astorian on .

Shane Doan has always been more than vocal about the fact that he wants to stay put with the franchise that drafted him. The last member of the Coyotes who also played for the Winnipeg Jets, Doan is the team's captain and centering force in the locker room. He's beloved by the fans, and he wants to stay in the city he calls home. He's lived there for sixteen years, so the thought of up and leaving the only team you've ever played for and leaving where you've rooted your family would be a tough thing for anyone to do.

The blow to the Coyotes' collective psyche would also be hard to take. They've lost team leader Ray Whitney to free agency and the Dallas Stars. You factor in losing the captain during such a tumultuous time in the desert and the blow to the franchise and the fans' confidence would be tough to rationalize. 

Teemu Selanne returning to Anaheim Ducks for one more season

Written by Laura Astorian on .

Breathe easy, hockey fans. Those of you who want to cling to your youth (such as yours truly) have dodged a bullet today. Teemu Selanne, the 42 year old forward who plays like a man half of his age, agreed to one more year with the Anaheim Ducks. According to Lisa Dillman his contract is worth $4.5 million, which is a half-million more than he made last season.

Does someone of his age deserve a raise? Well, when you consider that Selanne scored 26 goals and 66 points last season, it's hard to argue against it. He's older, yes. Is this his last season? Chances are good... but he's playing better than most of the forwards in the league ten years younger than he is. I'm not sure if it's training, conditioning, or genetics, but Selanne always strikes me as someone who could continue to play until he's 50 and still contribute to a team. His age isn't a joke and it's not a reference point -- it's a point of wonder. He's been playing for twenty seasons, and he still played all 82 games last season. If you can't marvel at that, then you can't marvel at anything.

Lifetime Selanne has 663 goals and 1406 points in 1341 games. He holds six franchise records and three single season records for the Ducks, and two single-season records for goals (76) and points (132) for the Jets/Coyotes franchise. As if you needed reminding, he put up those totals his rookie season which also set a record league wide for rookie scoring that may never be broken. 

facebook Like PDL on Facebook twitter Follow PDL on Twitter | Email PDL


Two NHL alumni games at the Winter Classic promise twice the nostalgia

Written by Laura Astorian on .

Alumni games are always fun. It's great for fans to see the players of their youth lace up the skates again, and it's a blast for the guys to go back out on the ice where they made their livlihoods, this time for fun. Franchises get to re-live the moments that made them great, and the host team gets a chance to sell a ton of tickets, most of which are more affordable than seats to the Classic itself. 

This year, with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings, you have a ton of history to go around. While, obviously, you're not going to get too many guys from the actual "olden" days (aside from Ted Lindsey and Gordie Howe, who will be on the roster/make an appearance for Detroit), you will be able to get a ton of players who have had a historical impact on the game. The two franchises have had so many outstanding players play for them that the NHL has deemed it appropriate for there to be two alumni games this year at the Winter Classic. Full rosters aren't set, obviously, but the names that've agreed already to play are impressive.

Roberto Luongo's World Series of Poker dream

Written by David Rogers on .

LuongoPoker
Roberto Luongo's future is a mystery. He appears destined to leave the Vancouver Canucks, a story we talked about here. Where will Luongo play in 2012-13? What twists and turns will life deal Luongo next?

Interestingly enough, Luongo may have a potential career doing something completely unrelated to hockey. The World Series of Poker's biggest event, the Main Event, is currently taking place in Las Vegas. Luongo, an avid poker fan, decided to enter the 2012 Main Event, battling against a field of 6,598 players. At stake is a grand prize of $8.5 million. After three days of tournament play Luongo finds himself still in the thick of the action. 

UPDATE: Luongo exited the tournament in 634th place, taking home a sum of $19,000. Reports indicate that he will donate the money he won to charity. 

Dallas Stars might be shopping Brenden Morrow

Written by David Rogers on .

brendenmorrow
Earlier this month we featured an article about the Dallas Stars and their plethora of moves so far this summer. To recap, the Stars have dealt several pieces away while acquiring Derek Roy, Ray Whitney and Jaromir Jagr. Are the Stars finished turning their roster over? Don't bet on it.

A report from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch suggests that the Stars may be fielding calls from teams about the availability of left winger Brenden Morrow. There's no guarantee of truth to these rumors (yet) but it's believed the St. Louis Blues are legitimately interested in Morrow. 

Roberto Luongo ready to move on

Written by David Rogers on .

Luongo
Where will Roberto Luongo play in 2012-13? Is his time with Vancouver finally coming to an end? Will the reign of Cory Schneider in net finally begin? Will the day come where Luongo finally admits to his secret life as the movie star Sacha Baron Cohen? All of these questions have been swirling around Vancouver since the Canucks were ousted from the playoffs by the Los Angeles Kings. 

Finally, we have some answers. In an interview you can read over on TSN.ca, Luongo opened up about his situation, stating that he has enjoyed his time with Vancouver and loves the city but he feels it's probably time to move on. Luongo admitted that he would be willing to waive his no-trade clause if the Canucks asked him to. 

Minnesota Wild pull shocker, sign both Zach Parise and Ryan Suter

Written by Laura Astorian on .

Image courtesy of wild.nhl.com

There were big teams in competition for Ryan Suter and Zach Parise, the two biggest free agents of the season. The Penguins, the Red Wings, the Chicago Blackhawks (specifically for Parise), even the Carolina Hurricanes were tossed about as probable destinations for the two players. Glamorous places, all. Filling Nicklas Lidstrom's spot on the Detroit blueline? Playing alongside Sidney Crosby or Patrick Kane? Who would want to pass any of that up? Or, even if it was a long shot, there was still a chance that both of the guys would sign with the Nashville Predators and the New Jersey Devils, their respective original teams.

Jaromir Jagr heads to ... Dallas?

Written by David Rogers on .

JaromirJagr
The Dallas Stars have been one of the most interesting teams to follow this summer. They started out by dealing arguably their best forward Mike Ribeiro to the Washington Capitals in exchange for a second-round pick and Cody Eakin. The Stars then signed free agent Ray Whitney, formerly of the Phoenix Coyotes. For an encore, the Stars made perhaps their loudest noise of the summer when they dealt Steve Ott and Adam Pardy to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Derek Roy. 

Two trades and one major signing later, it appeared Dallas might be content with their lineup. Wrong. Jaromir Jagr was signed by the Stars to a one-year contract (Source), effectively completing the overhaul of the Dallas offense. 

no comments