Showing posts with label Ohlund. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ohlund. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Sedins re-signed, Bolts sign Ohlund

The Vancouver Canucks have re-signed Daniel and Henrik Sedin to 5-year, $30.5 million contracts. Brochu's take: Not a bad deal at all. For comparable scorers, it's quite a bargain.

Tampa Bay Lightning have signed defenseman Mattias Ohlund to a seven-year contract worth $24.5 million. Brochu's take: It's front loaded, so he will earn significantly less in the later years.

Just to wrap up what happend yesterday...

The Montreal Canadiens acquired centre Scott Gomez, winger Tom Pyatt and defenceman Mike Busto from the New York Rangers in exchange for winger Chris Higgins and defencemen Doug Janik, Ryan McDonagh and Pavel Valentenko.

The Calgary Flames have signed defenseman Jay Bouwmeester to a 5-year contract worth $6.68 million per year. Brochu's take: So the Flames essentially got Bouwmeester for a third rounder. Great move by GM Darryl Sutter, who managed to sign the blueliner at slightly less than market value.

The New York Islanders have traded forward Ben Walter and future considerations to the New Jersey Devils for the rights to forward Tony Romano.

Sunday, February 08, 2009

Weekend rumor roundup for Feb 7-8, 2009

There will probably be another part of the rumor roundup on Monday, just to pick up the rest of the reports this weekend.

According to Pierre LeBrun of ESPN, the Detroit Red Wings can only sign one of Johan Franzen or Marian Hossa, because of the CBA's tagging rule. The other player will have to wait until July 1st. Brochu's take: The moneys' on Franzen being signed, as he will cost significantly less than Hossa. Hossa wants to stay in Detroit, but unless he takes a massive hometown discount, he won't be with the Red Wings come next season.

The Vancouver Canucks have yet to officially make a contract offer to veteran defenseman Mattias Ohlund. Ohlund has a no trade clause. Brochu's take: It's likely that the Canucks will keep Ohlund (unless they are out of the playoff picture) and let him walk into the sunset come summertime.

There has also been contract discussions between the Canucks and the Sedin twins, but talks have stalled. Both Daniel and Henrik Sedin denied a report that they were seeking a $6-7 million a year contract each. They re-iterated their desire to stay in Vancouver and play together. Brochu's take: They will have to take a big hometown discount to stay together in Vancouver.

LeBrun also reports the Canucks, along with the Montreal Canadiens, Colorado Avalanche, New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres may also have interest in Atlanta Thrashers defenseman Mathieu Schneider. Brochu's take: Schneider's name has been in the rumour mill a lot lately. Look for him to be moved to a playoff contender at the NHL trade deadline. Source

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

LeBrun also reported that goalie Ray Emery has left his KHL team Atlant Moscow. Allegedly, the team has been using the wrong exchange rate most of the season and Emery is about 33% shy right now of what he should have earned. There are still several NHL teams interested in his services. Brochu's take: He would have to clear waivers first anyways. There's also been tons of speculation that KHL teams have been unable to pay their players.

Monday, December 01, 2008

NHL and Hockey Rumors for Dec 2, 2008

Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke has requested and been granted permission by the Anaheim Ducks to talk to Dave Nonis about a position with the Leafs. Nonis has been a senior advisor in the Ducks organization. Brochu's take: Everybody in the NHL knew Burke would call his old buddy as soon as possible. Look for Nonis to become the new vice-president and director of hockey operations.

According to the Vancouver Province, Canucks assistant GM Laurence Gilman met with Mats Sundin's agent J.P. Barry in Calgary on Saturday. While the main topic of discussion was contract extentions with Mattias Ohlund, Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin, Mats Sundin's future was also in play. It's believed that Barry will speak with Sundin about narrowing down his choices to 3-4 teams. Meanwhile, Sundin has been skating and working out at a secret location in Southern California. Brochu's take: Sundin's ETA back to the NHL won't be until after the new year, and possibly in February. By the way, I think this blog should be called Sundin is Hockey, as almost there are daily (or hourly) Sundin rumors. Source

The word is that the Chicago Blackhawks are also aggressively courting Sundin, and GM Dale Tallon is on the hot seat to make a winner of the Hawks this season.

Marty York of the Metro News is reporting that the Edmonton Oilers "are poised to complete a significant trade and/or fire coach Craig MacTavish, likely this week. [President] Kevin [Lowe]’s just about ready to pull the trigger." Brochu's take: MacTavish has been given a vote of confidence by Lowe and GM Steve Tambellini, so I don't think he will be fired. As for the "significant trade", the Oilers need a shakeup in the worst way. The word is that the Oilers are considering putting either Mathieu Garon or Dwayne Roloson on waivers, to clear some cap space. Source

The Philadelphia Flyers have placed forward Josh Gratton on waivers.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kirill Starkov has left the organization and has signed with KHL club CSKA Moskva (Moscow). Source

Poll Results:

When will Brian Burke become the GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs?

In the next two weeks
70 (46%)
Before Christmas
38 (25%)
After Christmas
23 (15%)
Never
20 (13%)

Total Votes: 151

Thanks to everyone who voted in the polls! This poll ended after Burke was named GM!

Thursday, November 20, 2008

NHL and Hockey Rumors for Nov 20, 2008

According to the New York Rangers blog on Newsday.com, there were several scouts at the Vancouver Canucks-New York Rangers game. The Detroit Red Wings, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers and the Phoenix Coyotes each had one scout, while the Los Angeles Kings, Florida Panthers and New York Islanders had two each. Brochu's take: Several of the East coast teams can be explained. However, there are rumors there are several NHL teams are interested in Petr Prucha, who has been a healthy scratch for a lot of games this season. There's also been a lot of speculation that the scouting teams are looking at Mattias Ohlund, who everyone knows by now is a UFA this summer. Source

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

NHL and Hockey Rumors for Nov 19, 2008

Sorry about the late update today, I will make another one tonight.

Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun is reporting that GM Bryan Murray could be stepping up his pursuit of Vancouver Canucks defenseman Mattias Ohlund, noting "Canucks GM Mike Gillis and assistant Lawrence Gilman were on the list of scouts for last night's Ottawa Senators-New York Rangers game". Brochu's take: Gillis did admit to looking at both the Sens and Rangers closely, noting their "makeup". Source

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports that Minnesota Wild GM Doug Risebrough was scheduled to attend the recent Ottawa Senators-New York Rangers game but could not make it. "Ottawa and the Rangers are two teams that could make sense for a potential Marian Gaborik trade. Bryan Murray, Ottawa’s GM, loves making blockbusters, and Rangers GM Glen Sather is buddy buddy with Risebrough," writer Michael Russo wrote. Brochu's take: Nothing will be done until Gaborik comes back from injury, but this is something definitely to chew on. Source

Bob McKenzie of TSN reported on his blog that there are rumors that the Minnesota Wild are very close to trading forward Marian Gaborik.

McKenzie is also reporting that "the Chicago Blackhawks, according to multiple NHL sources, have a standing deal ready to go at a moment's notice to acquire veteran center Michael Nylander from the Washington Capitals." The rumble is that the Hawks will ship out goalie Nikolai Khabibulin, but there appears to be a shortage of suitors. Source

The St. Louis Blues have claimed forward BJ Crombeen off waivers from the Dallas Stars.

The Minnesota Wild have placed defenseman Tomas Mojzis on waivers. He has cleared.

The Detroit Red Wings have placed forward Darren McCarty on waivers. He has cleared.

The Blues have also placed forward David Koci on waivers.

Thursday, November 06, 2008

NHL and Hockey Rumors for Nov 7, 2008

According to Darren Dreger of TSN, negotiations between defenseman Mattias Ohlund and the Vancouver Canucks aren't going anywhere and GM Mike Gillis is fielding offers for the defenseman. It's believed Gillis has talked to other teams about trading Ohlund, but he still has a no trade clause. Brochu's take: I really don't see Ohlund being traded yet, as it is November. If the Canucks are out of the playoff race by the trade deadline, than there's a possibility.

Dreger also quotes sources that say the Canucks have had discussions with the Tampa Bay Lightning about the availability of defenseman Matt Carle, who would fill a void in the event Vancouver is able to find the right fit for Ohlund. Brochu's take: Carle's stock has dropped significantly in the last two years. Source

Lightning GM Brian Lawton is "fielding interest" in goalie Olaf Kolzig and forward Radim Vrbata. Brochu's take: Kolzig would make a good fit in New Jersey, with Brodeur out for 4 months. No one is interested in Vrbata, who has no goals in 5 games at $3 million a year.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have placed forward Alexandre Picard on waivers.

Bruce Garrioch speculates that December 1 will be the likely date for Mats Sundin to come back and sign with an NHL team. Brochu's take: I'm not going to name any teams here, as all 30 NHL teams would like to have him. No one team has a clear advantage over another at this point.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

New York Rangers forward Andreas Jamtin as cleared waivers and is rumored to be signing with HV71 in Sweden. Source

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

NHL and Hockey Rumors for Nov 5, 2008

During TSN's broadcast of the NHL game between the Vancouver Canucks and Nashville Predators, analyst Bob McKenzie mentioned that Canucks defensemen Mattias Ohlund and Kevin Bieksa have both been in the rumor mill, and several teams have been asking if they are available. McKenzie suggests that teams with surplus offensive players, such as the Philadephia Flyers, could help out the Canucks, while at the same time shed some salary to fit free agent Brendan Shanahan. Brochu's take: McKenzie also mentioned the possibilty of a Joffrey Lupul or Jeff Carter moving. It will take a good package to pry those steady defenseman out of Vancouver.

According to the Sun Sentinel, Florida Panthers GM Jacques Martin spoke about the Panthers’ tepid start and noted that he’s considering moving some veteran players who aren’t producing. “When I look at our performance so far, I don’t think it’s good enough,” Martin said. “We made some moves in the offseason and some of our players have to be better. Some of our veterans have to give us a better performance.” Brochu's take: Since there's not exactly a surplus of veterans on the Cats' roster, I would assume he is speaking about Richard Zednik and Jay Bouwmeester. Bouwmeester continues to be rumored to be headed on his way out of Florida. Source

The Tampa Bay Lightning have placed defenseman Janne Niskala on waivers.

Martin Gelinas has signed a two-week try-out contract with Swiss hockey club SC Bern. He will be given a chance to participate in the European Champions Hockey League and may earn a full contract. Brochu's take: The mainstream media has unfortunately forgot to mention that this is a two-week tryout. Bern will decide on November 24 if they will sign Gelinas long term. Source

The news of New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur possibly missing up to 4 months with elbow surgery has sparked rumors that they could be interested in Chicago Blackhawks goalie Nikolai Khabibulin or Edmonton Oilers goalie Dwayne Roloson. Brochu's take: While Roloson is the cheaper option, Khabibulin could be a better fit. With Brodeur out for almost the entire regular season, Khabibulin's contract won't be that much of a burden.

Saturday, November 01, 2008

Welcome to Brochu is Hockey, Mach II!

Hi everyone!

As you can see, Brochu is Hockey has a new look. It's been coming for a long time, and I hope you like it. It's a bit streamlined now, and I've optimized the site for widescreen monitors. Some of the links may not work, and some details need to be ironed out but overall, I think it looks really good. If some of you can't see the new look, I suggest clearing your cache. Feel free to leave a comment.

Thanks to everyone who have visited the site over the last few years! Hopefully, this new look will take Brochu is Hockey to the next level, whatever that is. ;-) Look out for new features in the next couple of weeks.

Now let's back to what you're here for, rumours!

Another Sunday edition of Bruce Garrioch's "Rumours Du Jour":

Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer (of CSI fame) has backed off on its interest in building an arena in Las Vegas and has pulled its bid off the table.

Brendan Shanahan could be headed to the Montreal Canadiens, Colorado Avalanche or the Carolina Hurricanes. Brochu's take: Rumor is that Shanny wants to stay in the East, so that rules out Colorado.

The Anaheim Ducks may be shopping forward Chris Kunitz in order to make room for Mats Sundin. Brochu's take: Kunitz is probably on the market, but there's not much interest in him.

"Expect to see the Sabres move [forward] Ales Kotalik, who is making $2.5 million, before the March 4 trade deadline." Brochu's take: They might, but again the market is not strong for underperforming forwards with big cap hits.

"[Vancouver Canucks GM Mike]Gillis was telling anybody who would listen last week he is not going to trade [defenseman] Mattias Ohlund. As I told Gillis in an e-mail, he can deny he won't deal Ohlund all he wants, but if he doesn't get him signed before the trade deadline, then a move is a strong possibility. Oddly enough, Gillis admitted that "teams have called" on all his players and that means there's interest. He can't deny that." Brochu's take: That could be said about any player that has an expiring contract this season! And I could say that all 29 teams have interest in Sidney Crosby, and there's "no denying that".

The Anaheim Ducks have apparently jumped into the Mats Sundin sweepstakes: Brochu's take: I'll file this under "SC", as in salary cap.

According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, the Senators are pushing hard for a puck-moving defenseman, and may be willing to part with a roster player. Garrioch suggests that the Sens could part with forward Mike Fisher or Antoine Vermette, who have both under-performed this season. Brochu's take: Fisher isn't going anywhere, but Vermette's name has been in the rumour mill for some time. Maybe the Hawks will come calling? Source

The "Between the Circles" blog on the Chicago Daily Herald website is reporting that the Chicago Blackhawks are looking for a top-6 forward, preferrably a centre, and another defenseman. Tim Sassone suggests they could send goalie Nikolai Khabibulin and defenseman Cam Barker to the minors, but they have both played well. Brochu's take: Like Sassone said, the Hawks are pushing the cap as it is. Unless they trade someone off their roster or demote them to the minors, they won't be making any moves. Source

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Weekend rumor roundup Oct 25-26, 2008

Here are some of the latest NHL and hockey rumors from CBC's Hockey Night in Canada intermission program, "The Hotstove":

Al Strachan reported that the Tampa Bay Lightning are in such a sad state that during their European games, co-owner Len Barrie came into the dressing room and started drawing plays and schemes on the board. Strachan also speculated that coach Barry Melrose has until November 15th to turn things around. Brochu's take: This is according to a player that spoke directly to Strachan.

Analyst Pierre LeBrun also reported that the Chicago Blackhawks have inquired about free agent forward Mats Sundin, and Strachan believes the Vancouver Canucks are still the frontrunners to land him.

Strachan also reported that the Montreal Canadiens turned down the Minnesota Wild's offer of trading Marian Gaborik, but still believed that they could be involved in a 3-way trade. LeBrun also reported that the Los Angeles Kings are interested in Gaborik, but only if he agrees to sign a long-term contract with them.

LeBrun also mentioned that contract negotiations between the Senators and forward Daniel Alfredsson are not going smoothly as previously thought.

According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, the price of Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin has gone up, but the Ottawa Senators are still somewhat interested. Garrioch also reports of "talk" that the Canucks are shopping Mattias Ohlund. Brochu's take: There's still the little matter of fitting Khabibulin's big contract under the Sens salary cap. As for Ohlund, Garrioch must have fascination a with him, as he has been the only media person reporting the "rumor". Source

According to RDS, the Habs are no longer interested in Marian Gaborik and could be focusing their attention on Hawks forward Martin Havlat, who is due to be an unrestricted free agent next summer. Brochu's take: Havlat has the same injury concerns as Gaborik, but won't command the same price. Source

Bob McKenzie of TSN mentioned in an interview on TEAM 1040 radio in Vancouver that the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers are the only real teams in the Mats Sundin sweepstakes. Brochu's take: Wake me up when Sundin actually signs.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Weekend rumor roundup Sept 27-28, 2008

The Ottawa Senators have re-signed defenseman Luke Richardson to a one-year, two-way contract.

The Anaheim Ducks have signed forward Teemu Selanne to a two-year, $5.25 million contract. However, the club is still around $1.2 million above the salary cap. Brochu's take: More moves may be on the way. Stay tuned.

According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, there are "whispers" that the Ottawa Senators are interested in Vancouver Canucks defenseman Mattias Ohlund. Brochu's take: First, remember that Garrioch started the Ohlund rumors a few weeks ago. Ohlund also has a no trade clause. Source

Marty York of Metro News is reporting that the Edmonton Oilers are looking for a quality defenseman and are dangling goaltender Dwayne Roloson. Brochu's take: Roloson rumors are bound to pop up all season, as he is expected to be traded. Source

Brochu's European rumour roundup:

After being released by the New York Rangers, Petr Nedved will play for his hometown team, HC Bili Tygri Liberec of the Czech Extraliga.

Los Angeles Kings forward Petr Kanko has signed with HC Ocelari Trinec in the Czech Republic for the 2008-2009 season.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

NHL and hockey rumors for Sept 26, 2008

The San Jose Sharks have re-signed defenseman Douglas Murray to a four-year, $10 million contract extension, set to start next year.

The Atlanta Thrashers have re-signed defenseman Tobias Enstrom to a four-year extension, starting in 2009-2010.

The Raleigh News & Observer is reporting that free agent forward Mark Parrish has declined an invitation to training camp from the Carolina Hurricanes. Source

The Montreal Canadiens have signed goaltender Robert Mayer to a three-year contract.

The St. Louis Blues have signed defenseman Mark Cundari to a contract. Terms were not released.

There have been some rumors that the Vancouver Canucks will not re-sign defenseman Mattias Ohlund to a contract extension after this season, but Ohlund and his agent are still in negotiations with GM Mike Gillis.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Weekend rumor roundup

According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, the Vancouver Canucks are "quietly shopping" defenseman Mattias Ohlund. Ohlund has one year left on his contract, and the Ottawa Senators could be interested in him. Garrioch also suggests that the Carolina Hurricanes are willing to trade defenseman Frantisek Kaberle and Joe Corvo. Brochu's take: The Hurricanes actually do need defenseman to play NHL games, despite what Garrioch thinks. Ohlund has a no trade clause in his contract, and is unlikely to waive it. Source

The St. Petersburg Times is reporting that there are rumors that the Tampa Bay Lightning are trying to trade forwards Michel Ouellet, Jussi Jokinen and Jason Ward to make some salary cap space. Source

Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal is suggesting that the Calgary Flames may send defenseman Adrian Aucoin to the Los Angeles Kings. Brochu's take: This would bring the Kings up to the cap, but Aucoin is not a solution to the King's need for an offensive defenseman. Source

There have been several confirmed discussions between the Kings and Anaheim Ducks about defenseman Mathieu Schneider. It would seem a deal is inevitable. Source

Stay tuned for my European rumor roundup on Monday.

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

The latest NHL rumors for Feb 7, 2008

A rumour was reported on CKAC 730 AM radio in Montreal about the Montreal Canadiens trading Michael Ryder and Ryan O'Byrne for Calgary Flames forward Alex Tanguay. Tanguay has a no trade clause and is reportedly sick of hearing rumors about him heading to Montreal.

Andy Strickland of 1380 ESPN radio in St. Louis is reporting that defenseman Matt Walker has asked the Blues to be traded. There is a lot of speculation that the Blues are on the verge of a trade, possibly involving defenseman Eric Brewer and Barret Jackman.

Swedish reports have indicated that the Toronto Maple Leafs may be interested in signing forward Linus Klasen. Bill Meltzer of NHL.com also adds that both Philadelphia Flyers GM Paul Holmgren and Vancouver Canucks GM Dave Nonis, along with many other NHL scouts watched prospects Fabian Brunnstrom, Linus Klasen and Linus Videll, along with many other NHL scouts on a recent trip to Sweden. Source

Many Canucks fans' hearts skipped a beat on Wednesday when defenseman Mattias Ohlund was removed from the roster of the Canucks official website, prompting rumours of a trade. A later email from the webmaster indicated it was a glitch due to Ohlund's absence from the team for personal reasons.

The upstart European hockey superleague that was reported a few weeks ago is one step closer to reality. On Wednesday, Bloomberg news reported that Vladislav Tretiak, the legendary goaltender who's now president of the Russian Hockey Federation, and energy tycoon Alexander Medvedev have signed an agreement to create the rival league by April 15. The rival league will be known as the Continental Hockey League, and will have 20 Russian teams and an undetermined number of foreign clubs. It's possible that this new league will attract some NHL players to play in Europe. Source

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Olli Jokinen rumours

According to RDS, TSN and Sportsnet, Olli Jokinen has been shopped by Florida Panthers GM Jacques Martin. It was reported that four teams were contacted, with at least one team in Canada. However, Jacques Martin, Panther's owner Alan Cohen and Jokinen himself have all denied the rumor. Cohen went as far as saying "I'm never trading him." Source

Mattias Ohlund may receive a suspension for his actions on Friday night. Ohlund took a two-handed slash to Mikko Koivu's leg after Koivu tried elbowing Ohlund in the head. It's been reported that the Minnesota Wild forward has a broken fibula and will miss at least a week. There is speculation that the Vancouver Canucks defenseman could receive a 5 game suspension from the NHL. Source

These following rumours come courtesy of the often imitated, but never duplicated Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun:

The Dallas Stars are close to some deals and a name that's been mentioned is Glen Murray of the Boston Bruins.

Calgary GM Darryl Sutter is busy trying to land a No. 1 centre and sources say Sutter has held talks with Sharks GM Doug Wilson about Patrick Marleau. Wilson has maintained he's going to keep Marleau, but situations change. Marleau has a two-year extension kicking in next season that includes a "no-movement" clause, which means if Wilson wants to make a deal he has to do it this year.

Monday, August 20, 2007

Ohlund, Visnovsky,Warrener on the block?

According to Metro News, Mattias Ohlund, Lubomir Visnovsky and Rhett Warrener are "being mentioned in blockbuster-trade possiblities." However, it would seem unlikely given that Ohlund has a no trade clause and Visnovsky just signed a 5-year extension. Warrener would hardly be considered a "blockbuster", unless he was packaged with a player like Kristian Huselius, who is rumoured to be on the move. Source

Don Meehan, Mike Peca's agent, confirmed that Peca will make his decision tomorrow (Tuesday). The Rangers and Blue Jackets are the most likely destinations, with an unknown third team. Source

According to TSN, Serge Payer has signed with the Wild. It is a one year, two-way contract. Source

Several league sources have indicated that the NHL is paying very close attention to the Hawk-Eye technology that may be used this season in the English Premier League. Officials are studying the costs and implementation of this innovation, with a possible look to using Hawk-Eye sometime before the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.