Lupul extension is official

From Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer:

The Flyers did just that yesterday by signing the 24-year-old Lupul to a four-year extension, worth $17 million through the 2012-13 season.

Lupul will make $2.3 million this coming season. The extension has no effect on this year's cap, which the Flyers have nearly reached.

"The Flyers have put a big commitment in me and a lot of other young guys who have been locked up for years to come," Lupul said in a statement. "The way that we can kind of all continue to play and develop these relationships on and off the ice, it is pretty exciting."

Read the entire article here.

Lupul's average salary over the course of the extension will $4.25 million per season. The Edmonton native should become a consistent 30 goal scorer in Philly, so this contract seems like a pretty reasonable one for both sides.

Lupul close to extension with Flyers

From Sam Carchidi of the philly.com:

Right winger Joffrey Lupul is close to signing a four-year contract extension with the Flyers.

Lupul, who had the second 20-goal season of his career last season, denied an Edmonton radio report that he had agreed to a four-year extension, but he acknowledged that the sides were near a deal.

"We're still talking, but it's not finished yet," he said yesterday. "Hopefully, it'll get done early next week."

Read the entire story here.

The initial reports had Lupul's contract averaging around $4.5 million per season. The Edmonton native should eventually become a consistent 30 goal scorer, so something around $4 million certainly isn't unreasonable.

Lupul on the trading block?

Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal: "The Flyers' season has only been over for 10 days and already Joffrey Lupul's name is popping up as possible trade bait to get more speed on the back-end, certainly an achilles heel for Philadelphia. If not Fort Saskatchewan's Lupul, then it's Fort McMurray's Scottie Upshall. Both had good playoffs for the Flyers, with Lupul eliminating the Washington Capitals in Game 7 in overtime in the first playoff round and Upshall being a general pest with some offensive touch."

Here is the full article courtesy of the Edmonton Journal.

It wouldn't be the spring without a Joffrey Lupul rumor. That being said, Matheson is one of the most connected writers in North America and when he writes a rumor there is most certainly some substance to it. In fact, trading Lupul for some back-end help makes sense for the Flyers. Maybe the Oilers are interested? They have a young mobile defenseman named Joni Pitkanen who is reportedly on the block.... (I kid, I kid).

Update: Jonathan over at Copper & Blue also had Pitkanen come to mind. It just makes too much sense...

NHL Morning Papers: Playoff Teams (Wednesday Edition)

Note: This is the last installment of the first round playoff matchups. Starting tomorrow I will be writing second round morning papers.

Here are the morning papers for the Eastern Conference playoff match ups:

Montreal versus Boston:

• The Canadiens were 4-0 against the Flyers in the regular season, so they are not afraid of facing Philadelphia in Round 2.
• The Bruins are already very excited for next season and are taking a lot of positives from their 2007/08 campaign. The play of the team's young players was extremely encouraging, writes Howard Ulman. In awards news, Zdeno Chara has been nominated for the Norris Trophy.

Pittsburgh versus Ottawa:

• Penguins winger Pascal Dupuis has been a pleasant surprise since his arrival from Atlanta. The Penguins face the Rangers in Round 2, marking the first time Jaromir Jagr has played his old team in the playoffs. Here is the second round playoff schedule.

Washington versus Philadelphia:

• "I just told them they gave me the best year of my life, and I thanked them," said Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau after his team was defeated in Game 7 by the Flyers. The wait is finally over for the Ted Leonsis and Capitals fans for a proven winner and contender. The Capitals fans were so impressed, that at game's end they gave their team a standing ovation.
• Joffrey Lupul got to score the goal all kids dream about in their backyards, writes Ed Barkowitz. Martin Biron has been one of the great stories for the Flyers so far this playoffs, writes Ed Moran. The Flyers don't have much time to savor their victory, as they visit Montreal to begin Round 2 on Thursday night.

New Jersey versus New York Rangers:

• The NHL reaches new levels of hypocrisy, writes Larry Brooks, after it has been discovered that the league approved a Sean Avery t-shirt by Reebok. On the ice, the Rangers' next series versus the Penguins doesn't lack for stars. The Rangers seem more focused for Round 2 this year than they were last year.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

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

NHL Morning Papers (Saturday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• In his weekly notebook, Eric Duhatschek of the Globe & Mail discusses the importance of the NHL Entry Draft, among other things.
• Tim Wharnsby of the Globe & Mail provides readers with details on Fabian Brunnstrom, a player the Leafs may very well have blown their chance to sign last summer.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• "He'll be out this weekend, and we expect him back next week sometime," said Thrashers coach and GM Don Waddell in reference to Ilya Kovalchuk's knee injury he sustained this past week.
• Marc Savard has been steady as a rock for the Bruins all season long, writes Barbara Matson of the Boston Globe. The Bruins have a statement game on their hands tonight, as the best team in the NHL, the Detroit Red Wings, comes to town.
• The Sabres blew a 4-3 lead in Atlanta last night with less than twenty seconds remaining in regulation and ended up losing 5-4 in a shootout. Sabres netminder Jocelyn Thibault may be forced into action over the next few games because Ryan Miller injured his leg in last night's contest.
• The Hurricanes are going to be without Matt Cullen for an extended period of time because the forward is having trouble with blurred vision.
• With last night's 3-1 victory over the Devils, the Rangers are now 5-0 versus New Jersey on the season, writes Mark Everson of the NY Post. The Rangers are getting closer to signing Henrik Lundqvist to a contract extension writes John Dellapina of the NY Daily News.
• The Flyers are looking at tonight's game versus the Ducks as a big test to see where they stand in the NHL hierarchy. Flyers winger Joffrey Lupul is expecting to return to the line up next week from post-concussion syndrome.
• After being picked up on waivers three times in three weeks, Kris Beech readily admits that he has had about as unpredictable a season as one could imagine. In other Penguins news, Marc-Andre Fleury is confident he will return before the 10-14 days the team has projected for him.
• Suffice it to say that Alexander Ovechkin is blowing the minds of his Washington teammates.
• Mike Berardino of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel thinks Roberto Luongo should have been a Panther for the rest of his career. Even though Luongo may be the best goaltender in the NHL, last night newest Panther goalie Tomas Vokoun demonstrated why he was selected to the All-Star Game as he led the Panthers to a 4-3 shootout victory over the Canucks.
• The Habs have decided to ride Cristobal Huet for as long as he can take them and, as a result, the veteran netminder is probably earning himself a lot of money come this off-season.
• After last night's 3-1 loss to the Rangers, the Devils have now lost ten straight games versus the two New York teams, writes Rich Chere of the Newark Star-Ledger.
• Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune talks about Brad Richards and his case of mono.
• With the Senators facing off against the Leafs tonight, Mark Zwolinkski of the Toronto Star says the match up is not what it used to be. In other Leafs news, the team is not going to get an apology from the NHL for its video review calls on Thursday.
• In Ottawa, Jason Spezza has matured to a point where John Paddock's public call out of him, doesn't shake his confidence.
• Ted Nolan says his team's effort has to improve, writes Erik Boland of Newsday.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• The Ducks lost 1-0 to the Blues in a shootout as Manny Legace and J.S. Giguere took part in an intense goaltending battle last night in St. Louis, writes Dan Wood of the Orange County Register.
• Not even Craig Conroy the interviewer can get Dion Phaneuf to talk about his possible contract extension, writes Scott Cruickshank of the Calgary Herald. Meanwhile, Steve Macfarlane of the Calgary Sun thinks the Flames may be best off letting Daymong Langkow and Kristian Huselius walk this summer.
• Blackhawks coach Denis Savard let his players vote on who would be the alternating captains in February, writes Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune.
• Tom Reed of the Columbus Dispatch takes a closer look at the new fighting trends in the NHL. Reed's colleague Aaron Portzline analyzes the Jackets trade of Curtis Glencross to Edmonto for Dick Tarnstrom. Here are the Jackets' probable lines for tonight's contest versus Minnesota.
• The Stars got Jere Lehtinen back in the line up last night and he helped them defeat the Oilers 4-1 at Rexall Place. Marty Turco was tremendous last night, writes Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News.
• Dominik Hasek recorded his 80th career shutout last in his team's 2-0 victory over the Avalanche. The Red Wings continue to dominate the NHL and their long-sustained success is no fluke, writes Kevin Allen of USA Today.
• Wild coach Jacques Lemaire is not letting his team get overly excited about their last victory, a 5-1 dominating performance against the defending Stanley Cup champion Ducks.
• The Blues defeated the Ducks 1-0 on Friday night, but Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Dispatch wonders if the team can sustain its success without consistent scoring output. In other Blues news, rookie David Perron was a healthy scratch last night.
• Newest Sharks forward Jody Shelley is excited to debut with his new team but understands that he has to play within his role to be successful.
• The Coyotes acquired Radim Vrbata from the Blackhawks this off-season in what was an unheralded move, but boy has it paid off.
• John Glennon of the Tennessean provides readers with the details behind J.P. Dumont's newly signed contract extension.
• The Oilers lost to the Stars 4-1 last night but they deserved a better fate, writes Joanne Ireland of the Edmonton Journal. Oilers fans will appreciate this spoof of the newest NHL commercial. (Writer's note: Thanks to Illegal Curve friend Dave Staples of Cult of Hockey for sending this along.)

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

illegalcurve@gmail.com

NHL Morning Papers (Tuesday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• William Houston of the Globe & Mail wonders if it is time to stop playing the NHL All-Star Game in its current form.
• Mark Spector of the National Post says the hardest part of rebuilding a hockey team are the first few steps.
• Even with yesterday's signing of Teemu Selanne, Kevin Allen of USA Today tells readers that Brian Burke is still looking to make another big move to improve his forward corps.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tries to figure out whether the Atlanta Thrashers are any worse than the Atlanta Hawks.
• With every team so close in the Eastern Conference playoff race, the Bruins cannot afford to get off to a slow start post All-Star break. Apparently neither P.J. Axelsson nor Glen Murray are close to returning to action for the Bruins.
• Maxim Afinogenov is close to returning to the Sabres lineup, writes Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News.
• The Hurricanes have given the second most goals in the entire NHL and if they want to make the playoffs, they will have to shore up their defensive game, writes Rachel Carter of the News Observer.
• Jozef Stumpel will return to the Panthers lineup for Wednesday's game against Buffalo. With a number of injuries on the roster, the Panthers made a few call-ups yesterday from Rochester of the AHL.
• Chris Higgins of the Canadiens says the team's ultimate goal this season is to win the Stanley Cup.
• Depending on their place in the Eastern Conference standings, the Devils may opt to give Martin Brodeur more time off over the remainder of the season with so many back-to-back games on the schedule.
• Larry Brooks of the NY Post tells readers that the Rangers' asking price for defenseman Marek Malik is quite high. Meanwhile, Rangers coach Tom Renney is hoping that his team can play the same way they did to close out last season.
• "I think teams always play well against the elite because there's some fear if you don't, you're going to get blown out," said Islanders captain Bill Guerin about his team's game tonight versus the powerful Senators.
• To say John Paddock is sick and tired of Ray Emery's antics would be an understatement. Emery was back practicing on Tuesday morning, but there has been no word on his future with the club, writes Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen.
• Flyers forward Joffrey Lupul is hoping to return to the team's lineup in two weeks.
• Colby Armstrong will miss the Penguins' next two road games with the flu. Here are some news and notes about the Penguins.
• Dan Boyle has returned to the Lightning's lineup and wants to be a leading hand in turning his team's fortunes around.
• The Leafs could learn a thing or two about the Blues' rebuilding plans writes Damien Cox of the Toronto Star. In other Leafs news, Cliff Fletcher had a discussion yesterday with Mats Sundin but "nothing tangible" was discussed.
• The Capitals are only one point out of first place in the Southeast Division and have their sights on winning the division.

The Western Conference morning papers are soon to follow...

• As Jeff Miller of the Orange Country Register tells us, Teemu Selanne's return to the Ducks has brought much joy to Anaheim fans, players and management.
• Mike Keenan is not going to change the approach he has with the Flames for the entire season just because the playoff push is about to get underway, writes Scott Cruickshank of the Calgary Herald.
• After his tirade last Thursday, Blackhawks coach Denis Savard was happy to see his team rebound with a good, up-tempo practice on Monday.
• Adrian Dater of the Denver Post provides a number of hypothetical situations in which the Avalanche would not make the playoffs
• Rick Nash gets to reunite with the two defensemen he made look foolish two weeks ago, when the Coyotes visit Columbus tonight. Tonight's game is a match up between two possible Jack Adams candidates as Wayne Gretzky and Ken Hitchcock face-off against one another. Here are the Blue Jackets' lines for tonight's game.
• The Stars are poised to make a run over the remaining portion of the season because the tough part of their schedule is behind them, writes Richard Durrett of the Dallas Morning News.
• Darren McCarty is trying to work his way back to the NHL and his next stop is Grand Rapids of the AHL.
• Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal, tells Oilers fans that the team probably needs to win 22 of its remaining 30 games to crack the NHL playoffs.
• The struggling Kings are set to embark on an eight-game road trip, which may see some of their players traded along the way.
• The Wild had a spirited practice yesterday and, more importantly, are getting closer to full health just prior to the stretch run.
• "Our missing piece is a top-six forward,'' Predators GM David Poile said on Monday.
• The last thing the Coyotes want for the stretch-run is a rental player, writes Jim Gintonio of the Arizona Republic.
• With cold temperatures in Northern Alberta, the Sharks only have hockey to worry about as they start the second-half of their season.
• Blues coach Andy Murray wants his defensemen to move the puck more efficiently, writes Jeremy Rutherford of St. Louis Disptach.
• Curtis Sanford of the Canucks will be starting tonight with Roberto Luongo in Florida with his pregnant wife.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Fantasy Watch: Scouring the Waiver Wire

F Joffrey Lupul, Philadelphia Flyers
After enduring a rather disappointing season in Edmonton last year, the Flyers took a chance on Lupul, hoping that a change of scenery would help jump start his career. Only seven games into the season and it appears that the move has paid off. Scoring two goals and five assists with Philadelphia, Lupul has proved to be an excellent acquisition thus far, leading the Flyers atop the Atlantic Divison.
Fantasy Take: Although the goals aren't there yet, Lupul has been getting his chances, as his 18 shots rank third on the team. If he is available in your draft, it might be wise to pick up the former Anaheim Duck, as a strong rebound season appears to be in the cards.

F Patrick Sharp, Chicago Blackhawks
It's difficult to find any success in Chicago's season a year ago, but one of the lone bright spots was certainly Patrick Sharp. Scoring 20 goals for the first time in his career, Sharp ended off the year with 35 points, good for sixth on the team. With many of Chicago's top goal scorers gone, Sharp has been given an increase in playing time, which has resulted in six points in his first eight games. Benefiting from the play of rookies Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, Sharp has been given a great opportunity to surpass his career high's in points, goals and assists set a year ago.
Fantasy Take: Although Sharp has six points on the year, three of those points came in one game. Before making a waiver claim on Sharp, keep an eye on his next few games to see if he can keep up this increased pace.

F Marek Svatos, Colorado Avalanche
Scoring 32 goals and 50 points in 61 games two seasons ago, Svatos was a highly regarded forward last year. Unfortunately for owners, the young Czech did not produce scoring only 30 points in 60 games played. Beginning this season mostly unnoticed, Svatos has emerged over his last four games, netting two goals and one assist. Although it's too early to call for another breakout season, it should be reminded that Svatos is only two years removed from his 30+ goal season.
Fantasy Take: Svatos has produced well over his past four games, but owners should not jump the gun quite yet. There are plenty of other options out there that can out produce Svatos, but continue to keep an eye on the Czech as he has a rather high upside.

F Ryane Clowe, San Jose Sharks
Clowe has been the main beneficiary in Cheechoo's struggles, as the forward has appeared alongside Joe Thornton, as well has receiving several minutes on the power play. Scoring a power play goal on Monday, Clowe now has five points in eight games and has seen his minutes steadily rise over that time.
Fantasy Take: Those in deeper leagues may want to take a flier on Clowe as Thornton is one of the best in the business at setting up forwards.

F Sam Gagner, Edmonton Oilers
Drafted sixth overall this past year, Gagner has had an immediate impact on the Oilers. Leading the club in scoring with seven points, Gagner has given Edmonton a much needed scoring option. Look for the rookie to be in contention for the Calder Trophy throughout the season.
Fantasy Take: Gagner is an excellent keeper selection, and an efficient starter. Although his plus/minus may suffer, continue to start the rookie in most formats.


For Illegal Curve, Im Jonny Remis....

...HAPPY BIRTHDAY RICH!

Morning Musings

Here are the morning papers:

• Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun is reporting that Peter Forsberg may make a decision on his future by November 15 and that the Senators are one of the teams that the superstar is interested in coming to.


• Damien Cox of the Toronto Star tells readers which people are really to blame for the Leafs' seemingly endless struggles. In other Leafs' news, coach Paul Maurice appeared to have a heart-to-heart with a number of Leaf veterans at center ice after practice on Monday.


• The Bruins were riding high until they played in Montreal last night and got humbled by a score of 6-1. Marc Savard only lost two draws last night, unfortunately for the Bruins, both lost draws resulted in immediate goals for the Habs. While, Manny Fernandez was given the opportunity to start back-to-back games and flopped.


• In Detroit, Igor Grigorenko was recalled from the AHL because Dallas Drake is currently injured, however, Ken Holland said it is unlikely that the youngster wins a roster spot because, "he hasn't wowed us."


• Kings' coach Marc Crawford says there is nothing to the rumors that L.A. is looking to trade either Alexander Frolov or Dustin Brown for a netminder.


• It is unclear whether Wild winger Pavol Demitra will be healthy enough to dress in the team's first game of a three game road trip Wednesday at Calgary.


• The struggling Predators are going to attempt to end their losing skid by trying new line combinations tonight. Michael Cass of the Tennessean has more news on the sale of the Predators.


• Flyers' winger Scottie Upshall thinks he is about 9-10 days away from returning to the lineup from a wrist injury suffered in the preseason. Coach John Stevens was happy with the results of his Mike Knuble/Joffrey Lupul line swap.


• The Penguins are looking to make it three wins in a row tonight on national television versus the high-powered Rangers. After yesterday's practice in which he took a high stick to the face, Jordan Staal now looks like a real hockey player.


• Chris Pronger hardly has any ties to the St. Louis area anymore writes Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.


• As Tarik El-Bashir tells us, Chris Clark will be returning to Alexander Ovechkin's line for tonight's game and maybe beyond.


• Ducks' coach Randy Carlyle doesn't want to hear any more excuses because he knows his team can succeed on the road. Meanwhile, Dan Wood of the Orange County Register informs us that former Duck Paul Kariya has no hard feelings towards his former organization.


• It looks like the Thrashers are going to split up the combination of Slava Kozlov and Marian Hossa for tonight's game.


• Flames' coach Mike Keenan gave Miikka Kiprusoff the hook near the end of the second period of last night's game 4-1 loss to San Jose. It wasn't all bad news for the Flames last night as veteran Owen Nolan played in his 1,000th NHL game. Forward David Moss did not play in last night's contest due to a concussion he suffered at the hands of Raffi Torres on Saturday night.


• The Hurricanes were impressive in their 3-1 victory over the visiting Canucks last night.


• Brad Zeimer of the Vancouver Sun opines that the Canucks need to stay out of the penalty box if they want to turn their ship around and get above the .500 level. Markus Naslund was visibly frustrated after last night's game, so much so that he questioned the Canucks' offensive system.


• Rocky Wirtz is doing what his dad refused to do and that is putting home games on television in the Chicago market. (Writer's note: It's about time!)


• Ryan Smyth admits he will probably breakdown tonight in his return to Edmonton, the only place he knew as home in the NHL until the end of last season.


• Smyth told the Edmonton media yesterday that are no hard feelings against his former club. Dan Barnes of the Edmonton Journal says the team has yet to replace Smyth with a new face of the franchise. The Oilers are going to try to avoid distraction tonight and keep their attention on the task at hand and that's maintaining a winning record at home.


• The Blue Jackets need to improve their five-on-five goal output writes Tom Reed of the Columbus Dispatch. Here are the Blue Jackets' line combinations for tonight's contest versus Chicago.


• The new NHL crackdown has significantly benefited Stars' center Mike Ribiero; Bill Nichols of the Dallas Morning News has the story.


• With injuries abound in Florida, expect a lot of lineup shuffling come game time tonight says Panthers' coach Jacques Martin


• Although the 6-1 score was lopsided for the Habs, it may not have been so had Cristobal Huet not turned aside all the Bruins' chances in the first period writes Red Fisher of the Montreal Gazette. Owen Nolan wasn't the only NHL player to play in his 1000th game last night as Bryan Smolinski joined him in achieving this relatively rare feat.


• Brent Sutter has challenged his two big star forwards , Patrik Elias and Brian Gionta, to up the quality of their play writes Rich Chere of the Newark Star-Ledger.


• Rangers' superstar Jaromir Jagr is not sure why his team is struggling. Jagr's teammate Brendan Shanahan thinks he has the answer to the Rangers' problems so far this season and that's that the team is too selfless.


• Islanders' captain Bill Guerin thinks Long Island is a perfect fit for him writes Mark Herrmann of Newsday.


• According to coach Wayne Gretzky, Derek Morris has been "unreal" for the Coyotes this season.


• Coach John Tortorella doesn't think Vinny Prospal's upcoming free agency has anything to do with his production so far this season. Carter Gaddis of the Tampa Tribune profiles the Bolts' equipment manager Ray Thill.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Tonights Linkage

Tonights Links

• The Senators talks with Dany Heatley hit a speedbump on Thursday as negociations took place for five hours but a deal could not be reached. TSN reports that Heatley is seeking $8.5 million while the Senators want to pay $7 million similar to Joe Thornton and Jarome Iginla. Somewhere Eugene Melnyk is cursing Daniel Brieres $10 million salary.
• Todd Bertuzzi is feeling lighter and younger skating with the Ducks. He is fitting in nicely with the Ducks and wants to repay his father...I mean General Manager Brian Burke for believing in him.
  
• Eric Duhatchek also wonders if the RBK Edge jerseys will go the way of the synthetic basketball
• Dean McAmmond accepts Steve Downies phone call apology.
  
• The Score lists 10 players not named Sidney Crosby to keep your eye on this upcoming season
• Teppo Numminen was released from the hospital. I wish the former Winnipeg Jet a speedy recovery, and hope to see him playing for the Sabres later this year.
• Apparently, Joffrey Lupul's wrist isn't broken. Unfortunately, their diagnosis was correct for Scottie Upshall and RJ Umberger who will miss up to six, and two weeks respectively.
• Donna Spencer wonders if Mike Keenan is a right fit for the Calgary Flames
• St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay McKee who is in the second year of a four year $16 million deal, will be out 4-6 weeks with a fractured right foot.
• Brendan Morrison could end his consecutive games played streak (512) with an injured wrist
  
• Sports Illustrated gives their Atlantic Division previews and lists the Rangers as the team to beat.