Sather no longer averse to no-trade/no-move clauses

From Larry Brooks of the NY Post:

Before last summer, Sather had a policy against no-trade or no-move clauses. Then he gave a full five-year no-move to Chris Drury, in addition to $7.05M per. Oh well. Live and learn.

Except this year, there are two more exceptions. Somehow, $8M over two years wasn't enough to get Markus Naslund to agree to come to New York, so what did Sather do? The GM gave Naslund, who will be 35 at the end of the month and is coming off two consecutive disappointing seasons in Vancouver, a full no-move clause.

Hello?

It also seems Wade Redden needed a sweetener to take his $39M, seven-year deal. So the GM gave the defenseman the annual right to give management a list of eight teams to which he cannot be traded, and it will just be unfortunate if Atlanta should want him in a deal for Ilya Kovalchuk, won't it?

Brutal.

Read more from Brooks here.

When in the heat of negotiations, it looks like Sather felt he needed to include these no-trade/no-move clauses to get certain deals done. They may comeback to cause trouble for Sather, or if the Rangers contend like he hopes, they may have no affect at all. Time will tell...

Are old free agents worth the price?

From Dave Staples of the Edmonton Journal:

In the summer of '07, there was a group of old hockey players with great reputations that could be signed as free agents, exciting names that excited fans across the NHL: Michael Nylander, Jason Blake, Paul Kariya, Keith Tkachuk, Brendan Shanahan, Bill Guerin, Chris Drury, Brian Rafalski, Sheldon Souray, Ryan Smyth, Roman Hamrlik, Ray Whitney, Todd Bertuzzi.

But, after one season, how many of these players provided good value for the teams that signed them?

Read the entire post from Cult of Hockey here.

Staples makes a sound argument for being extremely cautious when throwing big money at aging free agents.

Who should captain the Rangers?

From Steve Zipay of Newsday:

Counting backward: Jagr, Messier, Leetch, Kisio, Greschner, Beck, Tkachuk, Dave Maloney, Espo, Park, Hadfield and all the way to the first, Bill Cook in 1926-27.

Who's next?

My money's on Chris Drury.

It's all but certain Brendan Shanahan won't be back, and personally, a "C" for Brendan would have been purely ceremonial at this final stage in his career. Going forward, the Rangers should have a captain in command for more than a year.

Read the entire entry here.

I agree with Zipay. Drury is the logical choice to captain the Rangers for the foreseeable future. He has the experience and leadership skills necessary to shoulder such an important role on the team.

Larry Brooks on Jagr and the Rangers

Brooks: "And if the Rangers commit now to Jagr at some cost to Drury and Gomez, then doesn't last summer's call not to give Nylander the deal that would have kept him on Broadway appear terribly misguided?"

Here is the link to the full NY Post article.

My take: Brooks tackles the Jagr issue from a number of different angles. That, of course, makes for an interesting read; however, he does not address who would take Jagr's place should the Rangers let him go. Never mind the fact that Jagr was far and away the Rangers' best player during their two round playoff stint. I think it would be foolish for the Rangers to let Jagr go.

NHL Morning Papers (Sunday Edition)

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• The Thrashers put forth one of their worst performances of the season last night in Toronto, writes Craig Custance. It is official, the Thrashers will not be re-signing Marian Hossa before Tuesday's trade deadline.
• The Bruins capped off a successful five game road trip last night with a 5-3 victory over the Lightning, writes Fluto Shinwaza. Kevin Paul Dupont says he expects the Bruins to make a deal before Tuesday. (Writer's note: Dupont's articles are always top notch.)
• Even though he scored twice last night, Ales Kotalik wore the goat horns, writes John Vogl. The Buffalo fans didn't exactly give Chris Drury a warm welcome in his first game back at the HSBC Arena.
• After last night's victory over Washington, the Hurricanes stretched their lead to six points in the Southeast Division.
• Jaromir Jagr ended his twelve game goalless drought last night in the Rangers' 4-3 victory over the Sabres. Larry Brooks of the NY Post gives kudos to the NY Islanders franchise and also provides readers with a fair number of rumors to chew on before deadline day. Meanwhile, if you are expecting a Jaromir Jagr trade--don't, writes John Dellapina.
• The Flyers were less than five seconds away from ending their nine-game losing streak last night, but unfortunately for Flyers fans, the team blew their 1-0 lead and lost 2-1 in overtime. Also in the Philly papers, Tim Panaccio takes a closer look at the GMs efforts to minimize goalie equipment.
• The Penguins blew a 3-0 lead to the Senators at home yesterday, and are hoping that their blown point doesn't come back to bite them in the end. Off the ice, the Penguins are doing terrific at the box office.
• The Capitals continue to lose crucial ground in the Southeast Division race, writes Tarik El-Bashir.
• Having blown third period leads far too many times this season, the Panthers finally were able to turn the tables last night against the Flyers, writes Steve Gorten. In a strange way, Jacques Martin's future depends on the play of Olli Jokinen, writes Ethan Skolnick.
• The shutout machine that is Pascal Leclaire ruined Bob Gainey night in Montreal, leading the Jackets to a 3-0 road victory. Habs coach Guy Carbonneau was disappointed with his team's performance last night.
• Martin Brodeur made sure the Islanders' dominance of the Devils stopped yesterday, writes Rich Chere.
• On Long Island, the Isles have lost Mike Sillinger for the season with a hip injury.
• The Senators were ripped into by coach John Paddock last night, and the team actually responded, writes Bruce Garrioch. Here are Garrioch's Sunday rumors and here are more rumors courtesy of Garrioch.
• There are rumors all over the place about Brad Richards, writes Erik Erlendsson.
• Rose Dimanno of the Toronto Star breaks down Mats Sundin's possible line of thinking. Sundin isn't the only player being asked to waive his no-trade clause, writes Mike Zeisberger.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• Today's important tilt versus the Wild, could go a long way in determining who wins the Northwest Division, writes Jean Lefebvre of the Calgary Herald. The Flames are treating every remaining game like a playoff contest, writes Steve MacFarlane.
• The Blackhawks were able to salvage two points last night in Los Angeles after they blew a huge lead to the Kings in the third period.
• Terry Frei previews the trade deadline in this morning's Denver Post.
• Jackets netminder Pascal Leclaire can't explain why Quebec is a goaltending factory, writes Aaron Portzline. Bob Hunter of the Columbus Dispatch has some advice for Jackets GM Scott Howson.
• With the way the Stars are playing, Mike Heika wonders if they have to do anything at the trade deadline.
• Kevin Allen of USA Today gives Red Wings fans his take on a lot of issues involving their favorite team. In injury news, Chris Chelios has joined the rest of the Wings' ailing defensemen with a chip on his fibula.
• In Edmonton, Ethan Moreau continues to exhibit why he is such a great leader. Ryan Smyth will be returning to Edmonton for the third time this season, but this will be his first trip back without his legendary mullet.
• The Kings made a valiant effort to comeback on the Blackhawks and earn a point in the standings.
• Michael Russo has the details behind the Wild's re-signing of Nick Schultz.
• The Predators were playing short-handed last night, but that doesn't mean they couldn't have brought a better game to the table, writes John Glennon.
• Coyotes forward Mike York's play has improved as of late, writes Jim Gintonio.
• Sharks coach Ron Wilson has experienced his fair share of trade deadlines, writes David Pollak.
• The Blues saw what could happen at last year's trade deadline, so they aren't averse to some movement again this season.
• With a healthy defense corps, the Canucks are looking like their old-selves these days, writes Jason Botchford.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Email any thoughts, ideas or suggestions to illegalcurve@gmail.com

NHL Morning Papers (Sunday Edition)

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• The Thrashers only mustered thirteen shots on net last night, but that was enough to defeat the Washington Capitals 2-0 and move back into first place in the Southeast Division. Injured Thrashers forward Ilya Kovalchuk had a successful off-ice workout yesterday and is hoping to return early next week.
• The Bruins weren't perfect last night, and that is why they lost 3-1 to the dominating NHL force that is the Detroit Red Wings. Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe has an interesting Sunday article focusing on the lost art of takeaways.
• It looks like the Sabres dodged a bullet, as goaltender Ryan Miller's injury is not considered serious and he should be in between the pipes on Tuesday night.
• The Hurricanes can't say they weren't warned about what would happen in the third period if they continued with their lackadaiscal play, and lo and behold, the team blew their 1-0 lead going into the final period and lost 4-1 to the Penguins. In other game notes, Erik Cole finally got his revenge on Brooks Orpik for his hit from behind two seasons ago, as the two dropped the gloves on Saturday night.
• Rangers coach Tom Renney has thought about resting Brendan Shanahan because of all the small injuries he has been playing with. Meanwhile, Chris Drury is enjoying playing on a line with Nigel Dawes and Petr Prucha. In other Rangers news, Larry Brooks of the NY Post advises the Rangers to take a pass on the Peter Forsberg sweepstakes.
• The Flyers had an impressive 3-0 victory over the defending Stanley Cup champion Ducks last night at the Wachovia Center.
• The Penguins didn't panic when they were trailing 1-0 at the second intermission because they knew the goals would come; and they did, as the Penguins defeated the Hurricanes 4-1. The Pens are slowly but surely getting their injured players back, as Colby Armstrong returned to the line up last night.
• "I don't think we were hungry enough tonight," said Capitals defenseman Mike Green after his team's 2-0 loss to the Thrashers last night.
• The Panthers pulled out a big win last night with a 3-2 victory over their state-rivals from Tampa. Richard Zednik hadn't scored in seventeen games but he picked the right time to breakout of his slump by scoring the game-winnger last night.
• If it isn't the power play leading the Habs to victories, it is the penalty kill, as the Canadiens killed off five penalties yesterday and added a shorthanded goal in their 4-1 victory over the Islanders. The Islanders are starting to lose their playoffs chances with a 1-5-1 record in their last seven games, writes Herb Zurkowsky of the Montreal Gazette. Rick DiPietro is a tremendous netminder, but he can't do it all himself, writes the legendary Red Fisher.
• The Devils defeated the Kings 6-3 on Saturday night, but it was not without a little drama on the bench that saw Brent Sutter and Jamie Langenbrunner yelling at each other in full view to the fans at the Prudential Center and at home on television.
• "We had three or four Grade-A chances when the game was still relatively close. We had a lot of quality chances. We just didn't put them in," said Islanders coach Ted Nolan after losing 4-1 at Montreal.
• The Senators left Ray Emery out to dry last night in their 4-2 loss at Toronto, writes Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun. Brennan also tells readers that the Senators are interested in adding Swedish forward Fabian Brunnstrom to their roster for next season.
• Lightning GM Jay Feaster doesn't usually like to negotiate contract extensions during the season, but Feaster is willing to make an exception for defenseman Dan Boyle.
• With all their injuries, and the suspension to Nik Antropov, the Leafs had some new faces lead them to a 4-2 victory over the rival Senators. Rosie Dimanno of the Toronto Star believes Mats Sundin deserves better treatment.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• Jarome Iginla's goal-scoring struggles continued last night as he failed to score for the eighth straight game and the Flames were defeated 2-1 at home by the Stars. Scott Cruickshank of the Calgary Herald has the recap. The Flames and Dion Phaneuf are expected to resume contract talks on Monday.
• The Ducks losing streak reached six games last night as they were defeated 3-0 in Philadelphia.
• The Blue Jackets got their largest home crowd in one year but disappointed their fans immensely with a 4-1 loss to the Wild, marking the team's third straight loss since the All-Star break. "We are mentally fragile right now," said Jackets defenseman Ole-Kristian Tollefsen after last night's contest. Off the ice, the Jackets are expected to open talks with goaltender Pascal Leclaire about a contract extension.
• Marty Turco was tremendous once again last night in defeating the Flames 2-1 at the Saddledome, writes Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News. Forwards Steve Ott and Jeff Halpern have demonstrated great chemistry since being paired together on the team's checking line.
• The Red Wings' penalty killing shifted the momentum in last night's game and helped Detroit take down the Bruins 3-1 at the Banknorth Garden in Boston. In other Wings news, defenseman Derek Meech has loved being a regular with Niklas Kronwall on the sidelines.
• The Kings lost 6-3 to the Devils yesterday, but the bigger news surrounding the team was the loss of Rob Blake for at least two weeks to a broken ankle.
• The Wild dominated the Blue Jackets last night in Columbus, on the back of two goals by Marian Gaborik, writes Michael Russo of the Star Tribune. You don't hear his name much, but Nick Schultz is a well-known name in the Minnesota area.
• Alexander Radulov scored the overtime winner to extend his goal-scoring streak to six games in leading the Predators to a 3-2 victory over Phoenix. Last night's game marked the end of J.P. Dumont's sixteen game point streak.
• Jeremy Roenick tallied the shootout winner last night over the Blackhawks, and had extra incentive to do so because he didn't want his son to miss his flight home to Phoenix. "I didn't know what to expect all day today. It was like a first game again. I was so jacked up and excited. You just try to contain that and remember to play hockey," said newest Shark Jody Shelley about his San Jose debut.
• The Blues made too many mistakes at home yesterday in their 6-4 loss to the Avalanche.
• The Coyotes lost to the Predators 3-2 in overtime, but they were happy to at least earn one point in the standings after trailing in the game 2-0.
• Tony Gallagher of the Vancouver Province says the Canucks require more offensive talent in order to make a playoff run.
• "It's always disappointing to lose in a shootout like that, but we can hold our heads high and know we played a good game," said Blackhawks center Patrick Sharp after his team's 3-2 shootout loss at San Jose.
• The Avalanche continued to show that they can win without their top three offensive players last night with a 6-4 victory over the Blues. Terry Frei of the Denver Post thinks acquiring a rental player for the playoff run and attempting to secure his services after is still a reasonable option for a team to choose.
• After missing Friday's game versus Dallas, Oilers center Shawn Horcoff is hoping to be back in the team's line up for Monday night's game versus Calgary. "He's a poster boy for every bit of work you put in the game paying off," said Oilers head coach Craig MacTavish about Oilers winger Zack Stortini.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Email any thoughts, comments or suggestions to: illegalcurve@gmail.com

Fantasy Watch: Last Night's Recap

F Chris Drury, New York Rangers
1 G, 2 A, 22:24 TOI, +3, 4 SOG

In his first game with the Rangers, Drury didn't disappoint, assisting on two goals, while netting the game winning goal himself. Look for an improvement on last year's 69 point output, as playing with Jaromir Jagr will yield a lot of opportunities.

F Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning
3 A, 24:38 TOI, +3

After posting two 90+ point seasons in the last four years, their are still some out there who are skeptical of St. Louis's talent. Scoring three assists in his first game should erase any doubt as the forward should be able to recreate last year's totals.

G Chris Mason, Nashville Predators
Stopped all 35 shots in Nashville's 3-0 victory over Colorado

Backing up Vokoun last year, Mason started in 48 games going 24-11-4 with five shutouts. Now that Vokoun is in Florida, Mason has become the Preds starting goaltender and could finish the year among the NHL's elite.

G Niklas Backstrom, Minnesota Wild
Stopped all 27 shots in Minnesota's 1-0 victory over Chicago

A reliable backup last year, Backstrom posted 23 wins in 36 games started. With the starting job all his, expect a steady output of wins.

F Daniel Briere, Philadelphia Flyers
2 G, 19:19 TOI, +2, 6 SOG

Scoring the game winning goal against a very talented Calgary team, Briere appears to have Philadelphia back on track. Owners should expect a similar point total for the former Buffalo Saber.


Honorable Mention:
F, Jason Arnott, Nashville Predators

Phoenix Coyotes (undefeated!)

F, Martin Havlat, Chicago Blackhawks (It was obvious the fragile forward would go down, but the first game? Really?)


For Illegal Curve, Im Jonny Remis

It's all about the recap: The new Legion of Doom?

• Chris Drury impresses the New York Fans fans with 3 points and Marek Malik adds 3 assists. The Rangers win their opener over the Panthers 4-2.
• The Sens begin at 2-0 with their second consecutive win over the Leafs. Daniel Alfredsson scores two including the game winner.
• Brent Sutter loses his first game as the Devils' coach 3-1 to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Vinny Lecavlier continues last years torrid pace. After the loss Martin Brodeur called him "the best player in the league.
  
• Chris Mason shines making 35 saves earning the shutout over the Avs.
• Niklas Backstrom and the Wild squeak out a 1-0 win over the Blackhawks. Marty Havlat left the game with a shoulder. Didn't see that one coming.
  
• Jarret Stoll pots the shootout winner for the Oilers, they win 3-2 over my pick for the ugliest new jersey, the San Jose Sharks
  
• Mike Keenan loses his Flames coaching debut 3-2. The Gagne, Briere, Knuble had two points each . The new Legion of Doom? Let the naming contest begin!
  
• Phoenix begins the year 1-0 with a 3-2 victory over the St Louis Blues. It was a two point night for former Winnipeg Jet Keith Tkachuk.

Morning Musings: Is there anything better than a Brian Burke interview?

Last night I had the privilege of watching Brian Burke's interview with James Duthie of TSN and it was anything but a letdown. When asked about his relationship with Kevin Lowe after the summer offer sheet he gave to Dustin Penner, Burke responded, "If I had run my team into the sewer like that I wouldn't throw a grenade at the other 29 teams and my own indirectly." All I can say about that comment is WOW. Burke even went on to say that he wouldn't speak with Kevin Lowe even if he coveted one of his players in a trade; rather, he would have his assistant GM Bob Murray make that call. I am still wondering if the best part of the interview was Burke going off like that or James Duthie's "okay" response as you could see the anchor was in shock by what had just been said. Either way, it makes for good television.

I know Burke gets his fair share of criticism but, to be honest, I'm still not sure why. He does a tremendous job of building teams and fan bases as Eric Duhatschek points out in the Globe and Mail. Additionally, he gives his frank opinion on issues. In my mind that is a breath of fresh air. In this particular interview, Duthie asked Burke a question and regardless of your opinion on his response, you can't argue with the fact that he was being honest. Straight shooters are more rare in the game today than they were, say, twenty years ago and in my humble opinion, the NHL needs more personalities like Brian Burke.

On to the morning papers:

• Alexei Kovalev is making an effort to help his young teammates out this season writes Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette. As far as predictions go, Hickey believes the Habs will finish in the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference and just squeak into the playoffs.
• Radek Bonk has impressed his new coach Barry Trotz with his poise both offensively and defensively. Meanwhile, Preds' forward Martin Gelinas will have stitches removed from his hand before the team's opener on Thursday.
• Rich Chere of the Newark Star-Ledger has a must-read human interest piece on Brent Sutter this morning. In other Sutter news, the new Devils' coach will wait to make a decision on team captain and open the season with three alternate captains. It is interesting to note that neither John Madden nor Jay Pandolfo were named alternates.
• Larry Brooks of the NY Post is unimpressed with Tom Renney's plan to have Scott Gomez on the Rangers' second powerplay unit. It appears Chris Drury will get every opportunity to prove he can mesh with Jaromir Jagr to stick on the team's number one line.
• At Islanders' camp, Jeff Tambellini was demoted to Bridgeport of the AHL on Tuesday, however, a decision has not yet been made on the future of Bryan Berard.
• Due to their playoff success a season ago, the Senators are now a team with a target on their backs writes Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. Chris Phillips is not buying the argument that this may be the Sens' last chance to compete for the Cup.
• Hugh Adami of the Ottawa Citizen suggests that Bryan Murray make Jason Spezza his first priority ahead of signing Dany Heatley.
• You can count Mike Richards as one player who is happy John Stevens is behind the Flyers' bench this season instead of Ken Hitchcock.
• Phil Sheridan of the Philadelpia Inquirer wonders if expectations are too high for the Flyers heading into the season.
• Heading into Thursday's opener against the Blues, Coyotes' coach Wayne Gretzky has finalized his team's lines. After looking at these lines, you can't help but think it is going to be a long season in the desert.
• David Pollack of the San Jose Mercury News provides readers with the line combinations at Sharks' practice on Tuesday.
• For Jordan Staal, adjusting to left wing is not as hard when your linemates are Sidney Crosby and Petr Sykora.
• The Blues' roster is so young that Doug Weight jokes he may have to go shopping for a new wardrobe to keep up with his new, hip, well-dressed teammates.
• John Tortorella never questions Vaclav Prospal's effort and expects a big year out of the winger. Tortorella also announced his starting goalteder for Thursday's opener will be Johan Holmqvist.
• It is time for the Leafs to start playing games that count writes Paul Hunter of the Toronto Star. While Damien Cox of the Star believes the time has come for Mats Sundin to pass the torch on to a teammate. Sundin is fully aware he is nearing the end of his career writes Mike Zeisberger of the Toronto Sun. (Writer's note: There was a brilliant quote by Jason Blake in Paul Hunter's piece this morning. "All three of us have different characteristics. Mats is big and strong. Nik is big and strong. I'm small and weak. Hopefully things will work out." Ummmm, I'm not sure, but I think big and strong and big and strong would be the SAME characteristics!!!)
• Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post examines how the CBA has worked two years after the inception of the salary cap.
• Roberto Luongo believes he is a better goalie than he was last season writes Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Province. (Writer's note: Is that even possible?)
• Modest Mike Modano is closing in on becoming the all-time leading U.S. born scorer in NHL history writes Kevin Allen of USA Today.
• As Illegal Curve told you last night, Bobby Holik is the newest captain of the Atlanta Thrashers.
• Milan Lucic, David Krejci and Shawn Thornton were all excited to see cut-down day go by without their names being included writes Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe. Here are the Bruins' line combinations heading into the season.
• The Sabres will use a monthly captain rotation this season with Jochen Hecht sporting the C to begin the season.
• Steve Macfarlane of the Calgary Sun has a Q & A with new coach Mike Keenan. Keenan is the key to the team's fortunes this season writes Eric Francis of the Sun.
• Bruce Dowbiggen of the Calgary Herald provides readers with a preview of the Flames this season IF readers are ready for it.
• The Ducks are back from Europe and ready to renew their rivalry with the Wings.
• Luke Decock of the News Observer does a good job of capturing the optimism that surrounds the Canes heading into 2007/08. (Writer's note: The Canes won't be televising the team's first game. However, fear not Carolina fans, the league is working to get the Montreal feed on the Center Ice package so Canes fans can get the game. Nothing like a sound marketing strategy. I mean there has to be about two people with Center Ice in Carolina and I'm betting they probably don't speak French.)
• Injuries are no longer an issue for the Blackhawks heading into the season opener writes Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune.
• As Adrian Date of the Denver Post tells us, Joel Quenville has strayed away from the team's successful line combinations from a season ago by flip-flopping Milan Hejduk and Andrew Brunette. Meanwhile, Terry Frei of the Post has a great piece on the adjustment to life in the Rockies for Ryan Smyth and his family.
• The Blue Jackets will start the season with a platoon in net writes Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch. It looks like Mike Peca may not be ready for the season opener due to back spasms.
• Dave Tippett has become better at realizing when he needs to give his mind a rest from thinking about hockey; Mike Heika has the story in the Dallas Morning News.
• Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press provides readers with a few reasons why the Wings won't win the Cup this season. However, it is clear her article was just for argument's sake because in the Free Press prediction column, St. James has the Wings taking home Lord Stanley's Cup.
• New goalie Tomas Vokoun is the key to the Panthers' fortunes this season.
• Ladislav Smid was pushed to the AHL by the increased crop of talent that was in the big camp this season writes Joanne Ireland of the Edmonton Journal.
• Apparently Craig MacTavish has quite a simple formula for picking the team's next captain.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Getting Noticed

Along with the NBA, NFL and Major League Baseball, the NHL used to be considered a major sport in the United States. That "big four" has now shrunk to become the "big three." In the mid 90s the NHL was "hot" and the NBA was "not." Characters from major TV shows like Friends and Seinfeld would go to NHL games, and I can't see that happening on shows today.

The NHL was a fast-paced game on the way to the top until teams were shuffled into non-hockey markets. Needless expansion diminished the quality of play. Now, more people are watching the food network, poker, fishing, darts, the WNBA, pretty much anything other than the Stanley Cup.

Here are four things that I think the NHL has done/needs to do to draw attention to itself and catch the view of the media and public eye.

Playing Games in Exotic Places: Whether its outdoors at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo, in Britian or in smaller non-NHL cities/towns in Canada, the NHL is looking to extend itself to all over North America and the world by staging their games in non-traditional areas/markets. While the games in Europe and outdoors are obvious cash grabs & publicity stunts, it is something that brings the NHL to the front page of ESPN and onto sports talk radio and tv. The NHL is no longer a major sport in the United States and anything that gets people talking is a good thing. If this season's events are successful, there will be more to come.

The RBK Edge Uniform System: Most of the offseason talk has revolved around the unveiling of the new jerseys. The NHL claims they will increase performance by being lighter, form fitting and water repellent. But in reality, their purpose is to increase sales and boost revenues. In the past month, many ugly looking jerseys have been trotted out. Some look like practice jerseys (Oilers) or like a womens halter top (Flyers). Last year when the new Sabres jerseys were introduced they were hated by fans. petitions were made to revert back to the old jerseys, but it became the leagues top selling jersey. What will happen with the new jerseys? Will they go the way of the synthetic basketball, or will they become a big hit and record massive sales? Either way, it has been great publicity for the NHL and RBK. Although if nobody buys them, it could be a huge bust. One of many for Commissioner Bettman.

Chris Drury, Scott Gomez & The New York Rangers: The New York Rangers vaulted themselves to the top of the Eastern Confrence power rankings with the off-season signings of all-stars, Chris Drury and Scott Gomez. After missing the playoffs for eight straight years, the Rangers have risen back to Stanley Cup contender status. In the spring, they had a nice playoff run bowing out to the Sabres in the second round. With stars like Jagr, Drury, Gomez, Shanahan, Lundvquist and Sean Avery feeding the media frenzy, the Rangers are primed for a cup run.

The post-lockout Stanley Cup Finals have been Edmonton versus Carolina and Anaheim versus Ottawa. Blech, not exactly a television station's dream. The ratings, not surprisingly, were abysmal and did not help hockey regain its mid-90s form. If New York, a major US market, can get even closer to the Stanley Cup, it will grab the attention of the largest American city.

People are attracted to winning. Isiah Thomas has singlehandedly destroyed the Knicks. The only shot New York has at a title in June is with the Rangers. If the New York Rangers can hoist the the most famous trophy in sports, people will be watching, and drinking Jagr-bombs all over the bars in New York. (Why isn't Jagermeister all over this?)

Sidney Crosby: Sidney Crosby is the best thing to happen to the NHL. He is young, handsome, and very humble about his dominance over the NHL. In only his second season, at the age of 19, he won the scoring title and was league MVP. His skills will only continue to grow. If a sport has a player who not only dominates, but completely obliterates the competition, people watch. Ratings demonstrate that far less people watch golf when Tiger Woods is not competing. If Crosby continues to dominate, and continues to be the face of the NHL, appearing on Saturday afternoon NHL on NBC broadcasts and in various commercials (Gatorade, RBK, Tim Hortons), he can become a huge star and draw more people to watch him skate circles around the opposition. Wayne Gretzky appeared on tv shows, movies, video games, Coca-Cola commercials, and Wheaties boxes, why cant Crosby?

While the NHL is getting people talking with the new jerseys and outdoor/overseas games. If everything goes its way during the 2007/08 season, the NHL can begin its ascent back to being one of the four major sports.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Michael Remis.