Flames Re-Acquire Cammalleri

Trade Details:

Calgary Flames acquire Mike Cammalleri, Karri Ramo, and a 5th round pick in 2012 from the Montreal Canadiens for Rene Bourque, Patrick Holland and a 2nd round pick in 2013.

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Calgary Flames Acquire:

LW. Mike Cammalleri Age: 29 Height: 5-9  Weight: 190 CONTRACT:  Cap-Hit: $6,000,000 Expires: 2014 (UFA) Important Facts: -Has a Limited No Trade Clause in his contract -The last two years of his contract (2012-13 & 2013-14) his actual salary increases to $7,000,000 per year. -Has hit the 80 point plateau twice in his career. -During his one season with the Flames (2008-09) he had a career high in goals (39) and points (82). -In 32 career NHL playoff games, he has 32 points.

G. Karri Ramo Age: 25 Height: 6-0 Weight: 215 Unsigned Prospect- During the 2009 off-season he became a Restricted Free Agent. After the Lightning retained his rights with a qualifying offer he signed in the KHL. Important Facts: -Hasn't played in North America since the 2008-09 season. -For the past two years (09-10 & 10-11) he has been selected to the KHL all-star team -Incredible stats in the KHL ---2009-10 he had a 2.11 GAA and .913 SV % in 44 games ---2010-11 he had a 1.97 GAA and .925 SV % in 44 games ---So far this year (2011-12) he has a 1.87 GAA and .932 SV % in 29 games

5th Round Draft Pick In 2012 -Originally owned by the Columbus Blue Jackets -Acquired on June 29th in-exchange for the rights to James Wisniewski.

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Montreal Canadiens Acquire:

LW. Rene Bourque Age: 30 Height: 6-2 Weight: 211 CONTRACT:  Cap-Hit: $3,333,333 Expires: 2016 (UFA) Important Facts: -Has a Modified No Trade Clause in his contract -Actual salary this season is $4,000,000, next season (12-13) is $3,000,000, 2013-14 is back to $4,000,000, and then the last two seasons (2014-15 & 2015-16) its down to $2,500,000. -For the past two seasons he's had at least 50 points -For the past three seasons he's had at least 20 goals -Suspended twice in the past month.

RW. Patrick Holland Age: 20 Height: 6-0 Weight: 175 Unsigned Prospect- Drafted by the Flames in the 7th round (193rd overall) of the 2010 NHL Draft. Important Facts: -Has played three seasons in the WHL (all for the Tri-City Americans) -Third on his team in points (17 goals, 40 assists)

2nd Round Pick In 2013 -Calgary's own pick.

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Analysis:

At around nine o'clock last night the Montreal Canadiens pulled Michael Cammalleri from the game against the Boston Bruins. Internet message boards crashed, and twitter was overloaded with fans discussing where he could possibly be headed. Eventually it was announced that he had been sent to the Calgary Flames along with Karri Ramo and the Columbus Blue Jackets' 5th Round Draft Pick in this upcoming draft. In return the Flames sent Rene Bourque, Patrick Holland, and a 2nd Round Draft Pick in 2013.

Once the details of the trade began to leak to the public Flames fans became excited at the addition of Cammalleri, who played incredibly well in his one season with the club. The Flames were in search of a proven goal scorer that could play with Iginla and Cammalleri fits the bill perfectly especially because of the fact that we know that there won't be a problem creating chemistry between the two players give in their success the last time Cammalleri played on the Flames. I am confident he will flourish with Calgary. The Flames also added Karri Ramo, a goaltender who was originally drafted by Flames GM Jay Feaster when he was apart of the Tampa Bay Lightning organization. Ramo is a big question mark, primarily because he may never wear a Flames jersey. Many people believe he won't return to North America again, and will remain in Russia. He has been dominant in his three year career in the KHL with an average GAA of 1.98, and save % of .923. So far this season he is on pace for his best of the three years with a 1.87 GAA and .932 SV % in 29 games. If the Flames do end up getting him to come back over, he may be a very nice asset to the club. The final piece headed to the Flames was the 5th round pick in this year's draft that was originally owned by the Columbus Blue Jackets. It will be a high pick in the round, and I have been impressed with the depth of the 2012 draft so I am sure there will be some nice prospects on the board when their turn comes around.

The Flames did receive a nice package, but they sent some quality assets the other way. The center piece of the package headed to the Habs was Rene Bourque. Bourque has seen his career evolve and eventually flourish in Calgary as he is coming off of back-to-back 27 goal and 50+ point seasons. He will step into the Canadiens' line-up very nicely as his impressive size is sorely needed. The biggest problem with Bourque is his drive and consistency which just this season has been very evident. Its a big issue that will definitely be questioned by the extremely critical Montreal media. Regardless of the on-ice result of this deal, the Habs financially come out on top as they were able to save almost $3,000,000 by swapping Cammalleri for Bourque. Along with Bourque, the Canadiens acquired an unsigned prospect in Patrick Holland. Holland was drafted by the Flames with their 7th round draft selection in the 2010 draft. His upside seems limited, but so far this year he's third on his WHL club in points with 57 points in 40 games. Most people believe the absolute best-case scenario is that he makes it to the NHL as a grinding fourth-liner. I expect him to be  a fringe NHLer, first call-up type player at the higher levels. Another valuable piece headed to the Canadiens is the Canadiens 2nd round draft pick in the 2013 draft. Right now that draft is shaping up to be a good one as well.

Although its early to choose a side, I feel like the Flames won this deal. Not by as large a margin as I previously thought, but I stick with my gut that Cammalleri will excel in the Flames roster

Special Moment At Isles-Detroit Game

Jimmy Howard's Kindness Turns Tears Into Smiles
If you look at the score of last night's Islanders-Red Wings game, you would think that Detroit fans would have very little to be proud of about that performance and normally I'd agree with you, but last night there was something different to take pride in for the Wings.

Late in the third period with the Islanders way out in front of the Red Wings there was an incident by the visitors tunnel. A puck flew over the boards and a few spectators raced for it. Coming out victorious was a well-known Islanders fan who wears a shiny gold wig. Walking away from the scramble empty handed and broken hearted, was a young (described as "about five") Red Wings fan. The gold-haired Isles fan noticed the situation and instead of following the norm and handing the puck to the child, he reportedly began to taunt the young child with the puck. As this was unfolding, Jimmy Howard (the goaltender who was backing up for the Wings) was watching with dismay. Another Islanders fan sitting next to Howard said "He (Howard) kept looking over and you knew he would have loved to call him (Islanders fan) out if he was allowed". 

Now this is the part of the story that I absolutely love. Howard then got the child's attention and called him over. After having a quick chat, Howard asked for the boy's jersey and proceeded to get a few autographs for him. Howard's actions put a huge smile on the young fan's face, and it was the type of move that truly makes you appreciate the great people that are involved with this game. This moment could have possibly ruined this young impressionable fan's outlook on this great game had it not been for the kind and considerate actions of one of the classiest players in the game of hockey. 

Red Wings fans, even though you may not be proud of your team's play on the ice last night, please be proud of your star goaltender Jimmy Howard who reminded this young boy and all hockey fans, why we love this sport.

WAIVER UPDATE: 1/9/2012

WAIVER UPATE- January 9, 2012

Placed On Waivers:

Waiver Wire Players Of Interest:

(RE-ENTRY) RW- Gilbert Brule (Oilers):  Plays an energetic style that might be of interest to a team that is looking for a little spark. Along with his strength as an energy forward, he has a solid offensive game, but unfortunately it has never translated to the NHL when he has made appearances at this level. He is still relatively young and who knows, maybe with a larger role he could show his offensive talent in the big leagues. At half price I would think at least one team dealing with injuries might take a gamble on him.

Other Players Placed On Waivers Today:

D- Mark Fraser (Ducks) C- Brodie Dupont (Predators)

Flames, Lightning Swap Players In Minor Deal

Trade Details:

Calgary Flames acquire Blair Jones from the Tampa Bay Lightning for Brendan Mikkelson

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Calgary Flames Acquire:

F. Blair Jones Age: 25 Height: 6-2  Weight: 216 CONTRACT:  Cap-Hit: $525,000 Expires: 2012 (RFA) Important Facts: -Has a Two Way Clause in his contract ($105,000 AHL Salary) -Ten points in 78 NHL Career Games -319 Games Played In The AHL

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Tampa Bay Lightning Acquire:

D. Brendan Mikkelson Age: 24 Height: 6-3 Weight: 205 CONTRACT:  Cap-Hit: $721,875 Expires: 2012 Important Facts: -Has a Two Way Clause in his contract ($62,500 AHL Salary) -Has played 86 NHL games in his career -Has played 150 AHL games in his career

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Analysis:

This may seem like a very minor move, but there may be some interesting ramifications stemming from it. A few media personnel have stated that they believe this move is a precursor to a much larger and much more significant trade involving the Calgary Flames. For right now, this gives the Flames a depth player in Blair Jones that can play any forward position and provide a good two-way game. They have been looking for some help up front, and they are hoping that he can be a useful player. To acquire Jones they sent Brendan Mikkelson to the Lightning. The Lightning have been having some serious troubles on their back-end as Victor Hedman and Mattias Ohlund have gone down with injuries. They have been looking for a defenseman that can step in and they hope Mikkelson is up to the task. The twenty-four year old has a rare combination of great size (6'3", 205 lbs) and great skating, but he doesn't bring much else to the table. He can do a nice job filling in for now, but I am not sure if he will be a long-term NHL option.

DiPietro Nearing Retirement?

Is Rick DiPietro Nearing His Retirement From The NHL

I am sure you are well aware of the state of Islanders goaltender, Rick DiPietro and what his injury ridden career has become. The sad regression from a franchise net minder and NHL All-Star to a fringe back-up that struggles to stay healthy for a week, has been a huge cloud over this Islanders organization. Its become so negative that he has developed into a bit of a villain amongst some Isles fans. I do not fall into that group, but I think we can all agree that his career has dwindled down into something terrible. 

At some point he's got to begin to think about hanging up the skates, and according to IncarceratedBob as well as some people I have talked to personally, that time may have come. DiPietro has discussed in deep detail with his close friend and owner, Charles Wang, about what steps to take next in regards to the transition to a post-retirement role in the organization. After getting some early details ironed out with Wang, DiPietro's legal representative (I have also heard him called DP's personal assistant) began talk with the National Hockey League's insurance provider regarding the long process that will be needed to get the remaining $40.5 million that will be lost by forfeiting the last nine years of his fifteen year contract. 

I think its safe to say that by the end of this upcoming off-season Rick DiPietro will retire from professional hockey. It will be very interesting to see if he sits out the rest of this season, or if he pulls a Doug Weight and begins to sit on the bench in a suit while on the IR. Regardless of what happens with DP from now until the end of the season, I think his time has come and he realizes it. This will have several implications on the Islanders some of which will take place immediately. First if DP is out of the picture, the Islanders will have only Al Montoya and Evgeni Nabokov as NHL goaltenders which means you can stop speculating about trades involving Nabokov. Another interesting situation that will result from this will be the loss of $4.5 million in salary which will put the team drastically under the salary floor. The Isles will need to add $4.5 million from an external source to make it up. Next year's Islanders team will look a lot different than this year's one and lets hope thats for the better.

Ducks, Leafs Make Minor Trade

Anaheim, Toronto Complete Minor Trade; Swap Struggling Prospects

To Toronto: Nicolas Deschamps To Anaheim: Luca Caputi

Analysis:

The Anaheim Ducks and Toronto Maple Leafs completed a minor trade that sent Luca Caputi to the Anaheim Ducks and Nicolas Deschamps to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The twenty three year old Caputi has had some rough times this season with only three points in twenty one games with the Marlies of the AHL. At one time he was thought to be a solid prospect and a player that might make it as a solid third liner, but injuries have really damaged that. Maybe he finds his game with a new club, but things aren't looking too bright for Caputi. The player going the other way is Nicolas Deschamps, who has also struggled after he was once highly looked upon. Deschamps was a 2nd round pick in 2008, and he didn't do too bad last year in his rookie AHL season, but so far this season he has not done well. His seven points in thirty one AHL games this season have been much less than he would have hoped for and it was fairly obvious a change was needed. Unlike Caputi, I feel as though Deschamps still has a chance at being more than just a fringe NHL'er. He's two years younger than Caputi and has a much higher ceiling at this point. This trade is really about giving two struggling young players a fresh start in a new organization.

Josh Gorges Signs Extension

Josh Gorges Signs Big Six-Year Extension With Montreal

Official Montreal Canadiens Press Release MONTREAL -- Montreal Canadiens general manager Pierre Gauthier announced Sunday the signing of defenseman Josh Gorges to a six-year contract extension (2012-13 to 2017-18). As per club policy, financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Gorges, 27, one of the team’s assistant captains since the start of the 2011-12 season, played in the Canadiens’ 39 games this season, collecting 10 points (1 goal – a game-winning tally at Phoenix on November 10 - and 9 assists) and 24 penalty minutes. The defenseman ranks first on the team with a +6 plus/minus differential and leads all NHL players with 101 blocked shots. Gorges has recorded 60 hits while averaging 22:35 seconds of ice time per game. In 307 career games with the Canadiens, Gorges has posted 59 points (9 goals, 50 assists). Three of his goals were tallied on the powerplay. He displays a +16 plus/minus differential and served 150 penalty minutes. Gorges was the 2009-10 recipient of the Jacques Beauchamp-Molson Trophy, awarded annually to the member of the Canadiens who played a predominant role during the regular season, without earning any particular honor. Since his NHL debut back in 2005-06, Gorges has registered 69 points (10 goals, 59 assists) in 403 NHL regular-season games. The 6’1’’, 201 lbs left-shooting defenseman has recorded 207 penalty minutes and maintained a +18 plus/minus differential. Gorges recorded three of his goals on the powerplay. He has accumulated seven assists in 46 career NHL playoff contests. A native of Kelowna, British Columbia, Gorges first signed with the San Jose Sharks as a free agent on September 20, 2002 after four seasons with the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets and a silver medal at the 2004 World Junior Championship. He was acquired from San Jose on February 25, 2007 along with a first-round draft pick in 2007 (Max Pacioretty), in return for Craig Rivet and a fifth-round draft pick in 2008.

CONTRACT DETAILS: Length: 6 Years (2012-13)-(2017-18) Cap-Hit: $3,900,000 Pay-Out Details: 2012-13 - 2017-18 $3,900,000 Contract Clause Details: 2012-13  Full No Trade Clause 2013-14 - 2017-18 Limited No Trade Clause

Reaction:

For the past few months the Montreal Canadiens have had many rumors surrounding their club regarding possible personnel changes. One of the most common names brought up is that of Josh Gorges. Usually that means that he is one of the more coveted players the team has, and quite honestly I would want Gorges as well. He plays a terrific defensive game, that is made even more impressive by his great work ethic and willingness to sacrifice his body. His great defensive style of play has made him one of the most dependable players in the Canadiens organization which is shown by his impressive plus/minus at plus-6; the best of anyone on his team. One of the aspects of his game that makes him such a stabilizing force in his own end is his puck-blocking ability. He has been phenomenal in that particular area of his game, and so far this season he leads the entire National Hockey League in Blocked Shots with 101. The Canadiens look to Gorges as an important piece to their defensive corps, and this contract shows how much they truly value his contribution.