Ok folks the July 1st Free Agents Frenzy went as expected.
I will only comment on the Toronto Maple Leafs signings.

I agree with the Niklas Hagman signing - 12 million 4 year deal.
Seems fair to me as he is somewhat of an adequate offensive
player. Here are his stats last year with the Dallas Stars:
27 goals, 14 assists, 41 points.

I think the Curtis Joseph signing is a Status Quo signing.
I am willing to forgive Cujo for his comments he made
about the Toronto Maple Leafs when he left to go to
Detroit to chase a Stanley Cup. Why? He didn't win
a Stanley cup and ended up for years in what I consider
the purgatory of Hockey; the Phoenix Coyottes. His
wins there was so pathetic that it almost ended his
career. I think he has paid penances for his crimes.
We saw that he is still a quality goalie with his time
last year with Calgary. So lets forgive Cujo, he is
a perfect goalie to back up Vesa Toskala this year,
plus it is a one year contract.

What about Jeff Finger? Is this for real? 4 year 14 million
contract? Is Cliff Fletcher going Senile? Or does he have
some sort of magical vision like a magician pulling a
rabbit out of a hat. I listened to the panel on TSN criticize
the Maple Leafs for the Jeff Finger signing, and on the
Sports Round Table I listened to the Jokes about Hagman
and Finger leading the Leafs to the promise land.
Seems the search engines are being flooded with "Finger"
jokes and folks we are in for 4 years of "Finger" jokes.

Don't get me wrong I think Jeff Finger is a good defenceman
for here are his stats: age 29, GP 94, G 9, A 15, Points 24.
Selected by Colorado Avalanche round 8 #240 overall.
Previously he earned the league-minimum salary of $475,000
last season. So people why is he getting a raise from
$475,000 to $3.5 Million? I think he is a good defenceman
but definitely has of yet to earn that raise.

Besides I thought the Maple Leafs were in rebuilding mode
and now they are signing some older players Jamal Mayers,
Niklas Hagman and Jeff Finger. If it was upto me the Maple
Leafs would have done no signing and completely rebuild
through the draft, take their lumps for four years then have
a run at Lord Stanley in four years. I dont see the point in
signing older free agents. I would just totally build through
prospects in their farm system and draft pics.

Just my insites

Best Regards
Michael Grant
http://mapleleafs.ning.com

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See Stamkos?

No surprise, but the Lightning selected Steven Stamkos with the 2008 overall pick at the NHL Entry Draft.

Interestingly enough, Jay Fester recently spoke these words about our number one pick, "We think he's NHL-ready right now. At the NHL trade deadline when we traded Brad (Richards), we knew we'd immediately be looking for a second-line center... We think he has the ability to step in and play now."

Looks like lucky number 91 is up to replace another 91 (see: Brad Richards, previously our beloved number 19 until the move to Dallas forced him into a number flip). I'm excited to see how Stamkos does in training camp. And at any rate, this upcoming season is going to be fun to watch unfold with Stamkos around. Kid can handle a stick like no other.

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Here are some Toronto Maple Leaf Videos I have so

far. Enjoy. Best Regards, Michael Grant

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how stupid was the trade minnesota did to get chris simon? of all of the decent players out there they go and get the biggest goon that ever laced up the skates. personnaly i think the wild are just trying to copy the vikings and the timberwolves to see who got JACKED the worst in these trades. No matter what minnesota always gets the raw end of the deal, what a bunch of top class general managers.lol

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Another hockey post...

I'm not going to say a great deal here, but I was pretty darn happy when the Chicago Blackhawks recently traded Jimbo Vandermeer to the Philadelphia Flyers.  When the Flyers picked him up, they said, "We feel that he brings a lot of experience, and he’s been a real good player."  The Hawks replied by saying that if Vandy was as good as they were claiming he was, Chicago would never have traded him in the first place.

That was less than two months ago.  Now, Vandermeer finds himself playing for Calgary.  Ha ha ha ha ha, Jimbo!  You suck!  You don't have the talent to play in the NHL long-term, and you were nothing but a cheap-shot artist here in Chicago.  You'll never find a true NHL home because of it.

Thank God the Hawks are going in a younger, more-talented, and HONORABLE direction with their D.  I'm sick of the goons.  Maybe Jimbo will find a job as a bar bouncer.  He's no hockey player.

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And now there's proof!  Check out this Forbes article.

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A few days back waxy posted about the British Movietone Archive, and since work is both crap and slow at the moment, I've been searching through it to find interesting stuff.  This morning I found a few ice hockey clips from the 1930s, both starring the Rangers.  The first against Detroit, the second against the Canadiens.

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As a pretty serious Chicago Blackhawks fan, I have, since I understood the issue, felt pretty darn badly about how the Hawks dissed Bobby Hull.  I'm certain it was Bill Wirtz who nixed things with the Golden Jet, as I once worked for someone like Mr. Wirtz (RIP), and it's personality that runs the show for these guys, not brains.

Anyway, one of the first things Rocky Wirtz did as chairman of the Blackhawks was to contact Hull and Stan Mikita, make up with them, and ask them to be official ambassadors of the team.  Of course, they were delighted to do so. 

Seeing Bobby Hull (for myself, the first time) again in a Blackhawks jersey last night in Montreal, celebrating the 82-year rivalry between Chicago and the Montreal Canadiens, was a moment to be cherished.  And to see Stan Mikita, who had also been ostracized, drop the puck, was also special.

Welcome back, Hull (#9) and Mikita (#21)!

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Anyone who follows the NHL in any serious manner knows the name Mike Smith.  I've been within throwing distance of the man, and I can assure you that he was both abrasive and conceited.  He also sucked as general manager of the Chicago Blackhawks.

Wonder of wonders, Smith has written an article on the trials of being a GM in the NHL for The Hockey News.  And guess what?  I got to comment!  Check it out.

ADDENDUM TO ORIGINAL POST: Well, whaddaya know?  The Hockey News chose to remove my comments from the above-mentioned article, so I'm no longer bothering to send anyone to that piece-of-crap bit of nonsense by Mike Smith.

Two questions for the hockey "experts" at The Hockey News: (1) Why does your new website feature so much less than your old one, as in no player photos on the bio pages (and none of the cool "insider" stuff the old website had on bio pages that actually made it worth reading), a transaction page listed by team only (you used to be able to search all league transactions at a glance and could even tell instantly which ones involved a player moving teams), and your totally phony "blogs" (you'd think someone there would know what a blog IS and what a blog ISN'T, but big companies trying to protect their image rarely get this one right)?  (2) What is the point of accepting comments when you're going to censure them?  There was no cursing, only to-the-point reasons why no one should be listening to Mike Smith about hockey.

Respect for the cynical losers at The Hockey News = none left.  You guys suck, and I'm happily posting this to every hockey group I can find on Vox.

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