NHL Blog Banter
The Olympics are now just a faded memory as teams around the NHL have returned to the ice to begin their battle for a spot in the playoffs. Earlier this week we offered a preview with our thoughts on how the Western Conference playoff picture might shape up, and today we'll take a look around the expansive Fanball NHL Blog Network to see what our correspondents are buzzing about during this final stretch of NHL regular season action.
Did Slava Kozlov never ask to be traded? News broke several weeks ago that the veteran had spoken with Atlanta management and requested to be dealt to a new team. In reality it appears he merely said he would waive his no-trade clause if asked to do so, but never requested a deal to be made. This just goes to show you that you can never be too careful with the sources you trust on-line or on Twitter.
Edmonton has had a disaster of a season, and that's being kind. The trade deadline came and went, and clearly the rebuilding process has already begun for the Oilers. The club was able to dump some salary, but still has a long ways to go before they will compete in the Western Conference.
If you drafted David Booth with a high pick in fantasy leagues this season, you were devastated when he missed a huge chunk of the season following a questionable hit by Philadelphia's Mike Richards (it caused a concussion). When Florida squared off with Philadelphia earlier this week, Booth sought to let his emotion out on Richards and do what many fantasy owners wish they could have done. Not seen as a fighter, Booth dropped the gloves and scrapped with Richards, showing that the Florida winger has plenty left in the tank. Booth may not have panned out for fantasy owners this season, but it is clear he will be chomping at the bit to come back and make the 2010-11 season his.
Los Angeles looked to add some depth at the trading deadline by bringing in Jeff Helpern and Freddy Modin. Did the Kings do enough at the deadline to make themselves a true Stanley Cup contender?
The New York Islanders were primed to be big participants at the deadline, but many were surprised when the front office sat mostly quiet. Lots of interest and speculation surrounded goaltenders Martin Biron and Dwayne Roloson, but both remained with the Isles after the deadline came and went.
The Phoenix Coyotes were the big winner of deadline, adding several new faces to their roster. Jim Neveau profiles the teams big day that saw numerous other contenders sit idle.
Could St. Louis have another miraculous playoff run in them this season? Last year saw the club march from the brink all the way into the sixth seed which raises the question: what will happen this year?
The Toronto Maple Leafs reside in the basement of the Eastern Conference but still have a lot to play for down the stretch. The team will be gauging the effort put in by their youngsters through these last few games to help determine what the plan will be with the roster moving forward. Recently the side lost to Boston in OT, but the game contained a lot of positives to examine moving forward.
David Rogers is an Associate Editor for Fanball.com Owner's Edge and Rototimes.com. You can follow also follow the happenings of the game of hockey on our Twitter Page: FanballNHL.
Did Slava Kozlov never ask to be traded? News broke several weeks ago that the veteran had spoken with Atlanta management and requested to be dealt to a new team. In reality it appears he merely said he would waive his no-trade clause if asked to do so, but never requested a deal to be made. This just goes to show you that you can never be too careful with the sources you trust on-line or on Twitter.
Edmonton has had a disaster of a season, and that's being kind. The trade deadline came and went, and clearly the rebuilding process has already begun for the Oilers. The club was able to dump some salary, but still has a long ways to go before they will compete in the Western Conference.
If you drafted David Booth with a high pick in fantasy leagues this season, you were devastated when he missed a huge chunk of the season following a questionable hit by Philadelphia's Mike Richards (it caused a concussion). When Florida squared off with Philadelphia earlier this week, Booth sought to let his emotion out on Richards and do what many fantasy owners wish they could have done. Not seen as a fighter, Booth dropped the gloves and scrapped with Richards, showing that the Florida winger has plenty left in the tank. Booth may not have panned out for fantasy owners this season, but it is clear he will be chomping at the bit to come back and make the 2010-11 season his.
Los Angeles looked to add some depth at the trading deadline by bringing in Jeff Helpern and Freddy Modin. Did the Kings do enough at the deadline to make themselves a true Stanley Cup contender?
The New York Islanders were primed to be big participants at the deadline, but many were surprised when the front office sat mostly quiet. Lots of interest and speculation surrounded goaltenders Martin Biron and Dwayne Roloson, but both remained with the Isles after the deadline came and went.
The Phoenix Coyotes were the big winner of deadline, adding several new faces to their roster. Jim Neveau profiles the teams big day that saw numerous other contenders sit idle.
Could St. Louis have another miraculous playoff run in them this season? Last year saw the club march from the brink all the way into the sixth seed which raises the question: what will happen this year?
The Toronto Maple Leafs reside in the basement of the Eastern Conference but still have a lot to play for down the stretch. The team will be gauging the effort put in by their youngsters through these last few games to help determine what the plan will be with the roster moving forward. Recently the side lost to Boston in OT, but the game contained a lot of positives to examine moving forward.
David Rogers is an Associate Editor for Fanball.com Owner's Edge and Rototimes.com. You can follow also follow the happenings of the game of hockey on our Twitter Page: FanballNHL.
