Jovo rejected trade to Islanders...

Phoenix Coyotes defenceman Ed Jovanovski reportedly rejected a trade that would bring him to Long Island this past offseason by using his very handy no-no clause.

Rumours had been swirling for much of the offseason and heading into the new campaign that Phoenix was intent on trading the veteran pointman if he could waive his no-trade clause.

This is surprising, as the Rangers were the rumoured New York team to be seeking Jovanovski, in a rumour that was shot down several times due to cap constraints involving the overpaid Canadian's $6.5 million figure.

Why overpaid?

Simple, Jovanovski has done close to nothing to merit that kind of paycheck from the Coyotes.
He's been injured far too many times and his offensive prowess that got him this deal has suffered in the desert under the regime of Yotes' head coach, Wayne Gretzky.

A change of scenery would do him good, although, I hear players love living in Arizona and that most of their families are well settled there; and despite their not-that-unobvious hockey woes, players accept to play there, even if it means for a losing team (no offence meant) and a cool salary like JovoCop's.

As stated in the article linked above, Isles GM Garth Snow proceeded to sign both Andy Sutton and Bryan Berard instead of Jovanovski.
And despite Sutton's inconsistency, and Berard's uncertainty (of how long his decent performance so far will last), I'd take them both any day over Jovanosvki because:
a) Their salaries combined barely surpass half of Jovo's.
b) They will eventually combine for more points together
c) They're buff and gritty and look like Islanders...Jovanovski, would not look good as an Islander, it just wouldn't feel right.
d) They aren't locked into a contract that long (Jovo's got 3 more years)
e) Last time I checked, having 2 pointmen of a decent to above average caliber who can toughen out the minutes, hit hard and score on the powerplay is better than having an overpaid, aging, injury-prone and underachieving veteran.

Many are calling Jovanovski "McCabe revisited"; as the latter has struggled since signing a huge deal with the Maple Leafs as well, and is drawing criticism from fans and the media alike for his occasional brain cramps and missed opportunities.

On a happier note, happy 33rd Saku!

-BBeR

Coyotes Howl-a-thon

I've been missing in action this season but I've gotten the insane urge to uptalk my boys... maybe I'm hoping that if I get to it first then it won't sting so bad when everyone starts trashing us. :)

First off, I must say that Coyotes fans are never satisfied (except myself, of course). The Phoenix Coyotes had zero creativity in the front office last year and the fans wasted no time in letting them know. Now that they are trying something new with the fuzzy French snowman (yes, I said fuzzy snowman) commercials, the new video and music selection at games and the billboards and posters splashed all around our fair city, all anyone can do is bitch.

"It's too loud." "The language isn't family friendly." "The strobes irritate me." "The commercials are stupid."

Get over it, guys. You can either have an uptempo Linkin Park song in the opening video or you can have Britney Spears. I think I'm one of the minority that loves the new way of doing things. The songs get me pumped up and while the strobe lights through the ENTIRE game might be pushing the envelope, how else are they expected to get our dead crowd excited?

Now that that's off my chest, I can turn to the real reason for the post - the game itself. In our first game we played the Blues and we beat 'em in every way shape and form. Sorry Blues fans but you know it's true. We outskated, outshot and outplayed your team. We were chipper and feisty and we wanted the win BAD, so we did what we were supposed to do and we went out and TOOK it.

Unfortunately, the luck/skill didn't spill over to our next game vs. the Bruins. The first peiod was completely owned by Boston and it didn't get a whole lot better the rest of the game. We ended up losing (albeit not by much) and the fans were pissed. My question is why? We knew from the beginning that this year was going to be atrocious but because we won that first game everyone's hopes leapt into the air only to crash back around their feet when they realized that no, this isn't an overnight project.

We lost Zbynek Michalek for 4-6 weeks with a broken hand the day before the season began and we're still missing tough-guy Josh Gratton with his broken finger. Us Coyotes sure have a way of immobilizing ourselves. Anyone who thought that Zbynek was a waste of space before this better take a good look around, watch the rest of the d-men scramble around to fill the spot left by the little Czech.

It's a fun season so far (2 games deep is early to call it, I know). I'm looking forward to more losing because then at least my boys will learn what not to do. Get all that junk out of the way now so that when it comes time to put it all on the table they're not afraid to do what they're supposed to.

Goooo Coyotes!

Ka-Chow!!

This entire off season, the (small) population of Coyotes fans have been sitting back cursing in the general direction of the whole management team for not having any good news about Keith Ballard. Fret no more Coyote lovers (if indeed you DO exist). The Coyotes have finally resigned the poster child to a 2 year contract. That, of course, means we have to go through this whole ordeal in a couple years but we're out of the fire for now and that's all that matters. Isn't it?

Here's to another two years of the deadly hip check (fondly referred to as the booty bump), playing goalie when ours is off in candy land or wherever those dazed goaltenders go when they are not doing what they should be and entertaining us fans through the long nights ahead of us. Take a shot and pass it around Coyotes fans, even with our baby back we've still got a long, hard ride ahead of us.

Survivor: Coyotes Edition

I've never actually watched Survivor but from what I've heard, there's a lot of backstabbing and feeding each other to the sharks (no pun intended) so I'm looking forward to seeing who will be the first to cry... I know, I know, I have a mean streak in me. All I can say in my defense is that I love these guys to death, even the ones I don't really know yet; as soon as they put on that Coyote uniform, they steal my heart and I will go to bat for them, no questions asked. That being said, I want them to fight for it. I am sick of guys coming here simply to retire (and because we have good golf); I want them to come here because we are using a winning system and they want to be a part of it.

So who's it going to be? Will it be our backup from last year, Mikael Tellqvist? Will it be one of the two new guys brought in to duke it out for the top spot, David Aebischer or Alex Auld? Will David Leneveu finally have his shot at the big club or will this be the end of his run in our organization? Where will my boy Josh Tordjman rank in this line up? Will he continue to be San Antonio's backup or will he move up and become their number one, shaping him to show up for us in the next year or so?

So many questions with no answers. They should, at the least, give us all a good show at training camp next month. Whoever is chosen, though, should know that they can't just coast through. "Oh, it's only the Coyotes, they're not going to the playoffs anyway, I'll just take tonight off." Nay, goalie, nay. You'll have to prove every night that you deserve to be here... we're not taking any shit from anyone. Or at least I hope we're not...

(X-Posted to TrueCoyoteLove & the HLOG)

Lurk-a-sitis

So far I've seemed to have a strange case of lurk-a-sitis on this blog, you know the one; You sign up for a blog you love and then nothing comes up that is particularly interesting to write about. You're then left sitting around hoping that the owner of said blog doesn't think you've just decided to blow the blog off after he painstakingly entered your spiffy Bio on the sidebar. Man, life is rough for those of us suffering from lurk-a-sitis.

I don't have a whole lot to say about my team at the moment because we've been being relatively invisible this off-season. We've signed a couple guys for the AHL and a couple that are (hopefully) pieces to our rebuild puzzle. Most important was the goalie situation. We've gotten word that Cujo won't be back with us (at the least) next season so we only had Telly to rely on and we (as fans) know how much trouble that can get us into. According to some fans we were in desperate need of a goalie; I, however, was choosing to plant my faith in the Telly/Lenny duo. My logic being that we're not going to be contenders for a few years anyway, why not give the young guns a chance to get in there and show what they're made of?

Of course, we all know that whenever you start to think you know what your team should do they turn and do the exact opposite. Maybe that's just my team...

So we went out and we signed David Aebischer to a one year $600,000 contract. I've heard a lot of conflicting opinions on this signing. No one really seems to think that this is a fabulous signing for my 'Yotes but the general consensus is that if Abby can keep it together then it'll at least be a steal for the Coyotes because of his low price.

I haven't quite made up my mind yet. On one hand he did come really cheap and he'll (hopefully) get Telly and Lenny in the mindset that they need to fight and keep fighting for their position next year; They'll know they won't be able to just coast through because we have no one else to turn to, we'll have others who can take their place. On the other hand, when I think 'No. 1 Goalie', Abby doesn't even come close to the top of my list and it's no secret that I was really hoping to hold out for Vesa (before he was traded). It's another case of me thinking I know what we'll do and then getting slapped in the face with reality.

All I can really say at the moment is that the Coyotes are taking baby steps toward what we hope is a Stanley Cup winning future. Don't laugh! It could happen...

Say that again...Coyotes sign...David Aebischer?!

Usually I will think of a logical solution for every team's UFA signing, but sorry folks, certainly not this time around!

The Coyotes today picked up former Canadiens goaltender David Aebischer off the free-agent front, signing the "crappy" Swiss goalie to a 1-year contract worth a thrifty $600,000

You read the vulgarity right, and Habs fans know that all too well.

I don't understand why a goalie like David Aebsicher would be of logical interest to any general manager in the game at this point in his career.

Surely the 'Yotes could've done better than a 3.57 GAA and a .885 SPCT after the all-star break.
This is the same goaltender who was expected to be a decent 1B goalie and step up when needed.

Well, he was needed, in late February, Montreal starter Cristobal Huet suffered a pulled hamstring and would be out an entire two months, thus making Aebischer the undisputed no.1 goalie during his absence.
So how did this all turn out for our good friend?

Well, he didn't step up like the team needed him to do...so you guessed it, he sucked.
He sucked so bad, that my blood pressure would rise every single time a crappy goal would go in.

At one point, the scouting report opposing teams had on Aebischer was simple...shoot anywhere and you will score.
The team ultimately missed the playoffs and one could argue Aebischer's horrible play in the second half was the main reason.
Even in his backup role down in Hamilton, Bulldogs' goaltender Yann Danis could've performed a hell of a lot better than the Swiss stopper.

I just don't get what was the problem with bringing up Cornell University star David LeNeveu from down in San Antonio?

Exactly, nothing, useless signing, wasted money.

And David isn't too bright either, accepting a backup/1B role on a shaky NHL team with his reputation as a stopper at an all time low while he could've easily signed on with a European team and earned a better living as a no.1 goalie.

This is Aebischer's last good chance to prove he has something left, as he'll likely battle for the starter's role with Swede Mikael Tellqvist.
In 2006, Canadiens GM Bob Gainey pulled off a shocker, dumping the struggling and the troubled Jose Theodore to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for David Aebischer.

Despite his poor numbers with Montreal, Gainey swung a deal that is still being hailed as a steal in the Canadiens' favour, as Habs fans happily watch the miserable Jose Theodore ride the pine at an expensive $6.5 million down in Colorado.

And to this day, I am grateful for this deal, so long Abby, you will not be missed!

--BBR

To the dismay of many Quebecers...Shane Doan named captain of Team Canada at WHC...

Shane Doan has been named captain of Team Canada at the upcoming WC in Moscou.

This is a very controversial decision in the eyes of some Quebec hockey fans.

While scanning some message boards this morning, I realized there were many hatrid posts against Doan for his being named captain of Team Canada.

"He's a racist" "He insulted us!"

I understand, as I live amongst Quebecers, that they probably weren't happy to hear Doan insult French-Canadians in a game last season.

But really, some of these people should get on with their lives, a lot of crap is shot in a hockey game.
And trust me, I've been there enough to know what can be said on the ice.

A guy who needs to get on with his life and just forget about this, is Liberal member Denis Coderre (who happens to be a Quebecer)who's taken this a little too far, to put it politely, when he said on CKAC radio and as reported from RDS, that he plans to pursue this decision by bringing it to Canadian PM, Stephen Harper's office.

Monsieur Coderre, again, I understand your disapproval of this situation, but really, is it really worth going through all this just to get a guy off a hockey team?
He's Canadian, so are you, and despite his alledged slur fest last year, he has every right to be in there.

You know why, Mister Coderre, why this has been blown out of proportion? (and I better watch the way I explain myself here, not to offend anyone).

And I'm saying this respectfully to all my fellow French-Canadians, but the only reason this situation got as far as it has, is because it was a French-Canadian that was insulted.

Before you think to insult me, or if you're Denis Coderre, take this matter to Mr. Harper as well, please consider what I have to say.

If the referee Doan nsulted on the ice would have been an American, like "F$#%@!*9^ American", it would be no big deal, we would have never even heard about it.
I just don't get why every single time there's a racial insult on the ice towards a French-Canadian player (see Georges Laraque again)it's such a big deal!

Words are spoken, crap is said, and enough of this should be said.

Get on with your life Mr. Coderre, Shane Doan didn't kill your wife and kids.

And again, Doan was probably carried away when he said that by the emotion of the moment, maybe some French-Canadian born player insulted Doan on the bench, and he felt compelled to return that.
And besides, it was the ol' famous French media that reported this originally, and, that's all you need to know on how this have been COMPLETELY blow out of proportion.

Glad I got that out!

...OK! I know I should end my post right here, but Stephen Harper won't do anything about this. Have fun wasting your time Mr. Coderre!

The new "AK" in town...

No it is not Alex Kovalev, the Canadiens have a new young stud in town and his name is Andrei Kostitsyn... (and please not that ridiculous spelling Kastitsyn, I know in Russian the "o" for us is pronounced like an "a"...Ovechkin in Russian is pronounced Aiviechkin, Kastitsyn, Kostitsyn, whatever...)

Kostitsyn, a former 10th overall Canadiens pick back in '03, is finally blossoming into the young superstar the club wants him to be.

He has 1 goal and 6 assists in 13 games so far with the Canadiens and has received ludicrous time on the powerplay and scoring lines.
In fact, he's been so good, Alex Kovalev is now the league's most expensive 4th liner...

When the Canadiens ever-famous second line made it clear it was not working and that Sergei Samsonov was not the force the club signed him to be, Bob Gainey recalled Andrei Kostitsyn from his minor-league affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs.
The fans here in Montreal have been high on him ever since he was touted with the 10th overall pick, however things started to get questionable with the young Belarusian as he failed to impress with his callup and duty on the 2nd line with Alex Kovalev at centre and Alexander Perezhogin on the right wing.
He showed limited offensive instinct and was invisible without the puck.
He did however give those fans some hope with his speed and slick puckhandling skills.

That was not enough to keep him in Montreal and on the 2nd line.

After 2 games he was returned to the Hamilton Bulldogs and impatience grew with Kostitsyn.
In his first 14 NHL games he failed to show why he was a 1st-round pick by amassing 2 goals and 1 assist in his first 14 games while going -1.

It seemed as if he had been destined to become yet another Pavel Brendl.
Brendl was also highly touted and was selected in 1999, 4th overall, behind the Sedin twins and "he missed it!" Patrick Stefan.

In 4 days when he turns 26, Brendl is set to become one of the many European bust the great game of hockey has seen come and go. If you're interested, he's currently playing in the Swedish Elite League and is having the kind of season the Flyers, Rangers, Hurricanes and most recently, the Coyotes wanted out of him.
He's putting up the kind of numbers these teams wanted out of him, namely 57 points in 54 games with 34 goals.
He did not come close to that production in the NHL, accumulating just 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists) in 78 career games...

Kostitsyn was labeled "Pavel Brendl" by many a few months ago but not anymore.

He's tearing it up and his numbers how it, very un-Brendl like; he scored his first goal against the Leafs on Saturday in a 3-2 shootout Habs win and even added the shootout winner in extras and still managed to be picked as a star by the RDS hockey crew...

He's finally flashing the speed and scoring he's showed in the minors with the Bulldogs...the way he's going, there's no telling what can stop him.

All we can do now is wait and see into the excellent player he'll surely become.

Up next for the Canadiens "to-fully-develop list" is Mikhail Grabovski, who's a potential "team-maker" for next season.



Ah, the enigma of European players: they're either (insert name here) or Pavel Brendl.

Looks like Ol' Jeremy is finally finished.

"My body's tired. I'm tired of a lot of certain mentalities that go along with
this game," he said. "A lot of it I induce myself because of stuff I say, but
I'm okay with that. If this happens to be the last year, I'll walk away knowing
I had a pretty darn good career and I can enjoy my life after hockey."

This is what Roenick told Grant Kerr in today's Globe and Mail after being a healthy scratch in the Yotes' game versus the Canucks.

Jeremy Roenick looks like he's ready to retire, and sadly, for he hasn't yet reached the 500-goal mark. He is eight shy of this milestone and with his current sad offensive production, along with his sharp decline, it may not be likely for Roenick or his body, to reach that milestone.

He will likely be known as the guy who just missed the 500-goal mark, such as Sammy Sosa in baseball, who still sits 12 homers shy of the 600-homer mark.

Roenick went from being a decent offensive force with the Flyers and his career went downhill after a downright dissapointing season with the Kings and an even more miserbale one this season with Phoenix.
You know something is wrong with him, as he's stopped dancing on the ice, singing to Michael Landsberg and being open to the media.

It looks like the door is closed on Roenick now.

My morale would decline too if I found out I was traded for nothing to a slumping team (Los Angeles). After a respectable 47 point injury marred 2003-2004 season, it looks like the new NHL isn't mean for ol' Jeremy as he's averaging now mediocre 20 point seasons.

God, I would retire too.

Bleu, Blanc et Rouge.

Curtis Joseph says he'd play for only Montreal or Toronto if he were dealt.

During today's trade special day, Curtis Joseph could possibly become a Montreal Canadien or a Toronto Maple Leaf. Though it is unlikely CuJo will return to Toronto because of Andrew Raycroft's presence, Montreal would seem like a good fit for him.

With David Aebischer floundering and letting in weak goals and giving up huge rebounds, the Canadiens' playoff hopes rest on him, but, with the way he's played recently, I don't think he's up to it.

Joseph has had his share of problems and has struggled to be the clear no.1 goalie with the presence of Mikael Tellqvist. He has struggled this season (which led to the acquisition of Tellqvist) as he posts a 3.13 GAA and a paltry .898 save percentage.

However, I don't think either that rookie Jaroslav Halak, despite a few remarkable starts, is up to the task either and that the Canadiens, despites CuJo's struggles, should take a look at him.

Here's the quote from the Arizona Central.

"Joseph said he'd prefer to stay in Phoenix, too, but acknowledged that being in the playoff hunt is appealing. He'd likely agree to a trade to only Toronto or Montreal."

Bleu, Blanc et Rouge.