Here's what I love about Eklund...and what I hate about him...

First off, here's what you need to know about me before we begin:

1) I don't like Eklund, but I don't hate the guy, he's just a human being.
2) I believe the stuff he posts is crap.
3) I also believe he's just some washed-up no-life stuck in a basement in Philadelphia.
4) I never said I hate him though, but I do love one thing about him:

How he really makes people his pawns by feeding them crap day in and day out which ACCORDING TO HIM, are inside sources to the NHL organisations many of us love and adore.

So, I subscribe to his "Daily Buzz" emails, just to see how he'll make me laugh every day, and get me "buzzed".

Here's what he sent all of his pawns today:

Remember rumours are rumours are rumours...so, PLEASE do not take this too seriously folks. As it gets closer to July 1, it continues to intensify. Every now and again it is important to inform you of a few rules around these parts. (only #7 really matters)

1. I do not make this stuff up.
2. I do not trust everyone.
3. I am fully aware of how I am being used from time to time, but I have learned to tell the difference...it isn't hard to tell.
4. I like to think that we provide a fun place for die-hard hockey fans to discuss these rumors and the possibilities.
5. I don't expect 90% of the rumours I post to eventually amount to anything, but the fun part is the discussion and the 10% that do.
6. It should be fun ALL the time.
7. It is ONLY Hockey

Onto the fun........With Markov signing long term fro BIG bucks in Montreal, it is becoming safer and safer to assume that Sheldon is going elsewhere.
I am hearing alot of Dallas, and the Rangers this morning.

Ok, here's where I really got pissed: Eklund, hello, like everyone can say what they want, if I see that the Stars are in dire need of a good scoring d-man to compliment Sergei Zubov and Phillipe Boucher, I'll say Dallas, and if I see that the Rangers will be in a free-spending mood, just by assuming that Glen Sather still isn't over a few dumb mistakes guys like Fedor Tyutin and Marek Malik made against the Rangers and besides Michal Roszival, there wasn't a single true offensive force from the point, I'll say THE RANGERS NEED HIM.

You see, that was easy, and that kind of exhilirated me.

I can say that the Leafs are interested in JS Giguere because Raycroft stinks, and what, I'll post that "I'm hearing the Leafs have interest in Giguere", and you know where you "hear" this Eklund?

In your own head buddy!

You may be a terrific guy and a terrific hockey fan, but cut with the crap that you have many people reading day-in and day-out, seriously, you're making money off of people who want to believe guys like you can lend them the inside scoop.

Isn't it amazing how many people don't know you were a zamboni driver for the Philadelphia Flyers and that's how you claim you got your inside sources?

And here's all you need to know if you're still clouded about Ek:

What I will do is give you the top 30 UFA’s each week based on what I feel they will get on the open market July 1. I will base this number on the Rumors that I am hearing. Of course you could ask many insiders and you would never get the same list. Where they rank is highly subjective and based on several factors.

THE HOCKEYBUZZ CENTRAL UFA RANKINGS, MAY 21, 2007
some changes this week..more rumor updates later this morning..

1. Chris Drury-Boston
2. Scott Gomez-Ottawa
3. Ryan Smyth-Calgary
4. Sheldon Souray-Dallas/Colorado
5. Daniel Briere-Montreal
6. Kimmo Timonen-Philadelpia
7. Peter Forsberg-Sweden, Colorado
8. JS Giguere-STILL PLAYING
9. Petr Sykora-Edmonton
10. Brian Rafalski- New Jersey
11. Paul Kariya- Vancouver
12. Tom Preissing- STILL PLAYING
13. Gary Roberts- Toronto
14. Jason Blake- Toronto/NY Islanders
15. Dominik Hasek- Tampa
16. Michael Handzus- St. Louis
17. Andrei Markov- Signed with Montreal
18. Mathieu Schneider- NY Islanders
19. Roman Hamrlik- New Jersey
20. Michael Nylander- NY Rangers
21. Ladislav Nagy- Edmonton
22. Niklas Backstrom- Minnesota
23. Dainus Zubrus- Dallas, Montreal
24. Brad Stuart- San Jose
25. Mike Comrie- STILL PLAYING
26. Bill Guerin- St. Louis/Boston
27. Craig Rivet- New Jersey
28. Scott Nichol- Carolina
29. Mike Peca- Toronto
30. Keith Tkachuk- St. Louis

Like, seriously, anyone can make ascertions according to what "I've heard", hell, I can even make my own:........but I just don't feel like it, since it's just what I think, not what some overpaid hockey player who will get more many than many of us will receive in our lifetimes in one year will decide.

Here's the reality:

How would anyone know what only a guy like Bob Gainey and his assistant Pierre Gauthier know about?
Do you think Gainey and Gauthier go broadcasting around what they do, what they talk about?

Hell no, then tell me Eklund, how do you know all this, these "inside sources" of yours, don't know any more about a player than me sitting at my computer desk right here, do you seriously think that they know what Gainey's doing, or what Gauthier told Gainey?

Then answer this: who told your "sources", was it the wall or the wallpaper on it?

Read more at Offwing Opinion, Eric's got a good tell-it-like it is article on the man in question.

--BBR