European Playoffs

Ill have an update tonight for the European teams tonight around 10. Plus ill have an Nhl update as well! Stay tuned

KHL Playoffs Update

Its playoff time for the KHL and it's currently in the semi-finals. It's been a pretty good playoffs so far Russian pundits are saying. I have yet to see a game myself but I have been following the results closely. If anyone knows where we can watch KHL games online it would be awesome if you could share. Here are the Semi's so far.

4 Dinamo Moscow vs Ak Bars Kazan 1 (Series Tied 2 - 2)
(March 24th)
0-1 Oleg Petrov (Andrei Pervyshin, Aleksei Badyukov)
1-1 Eric Landry
2-1 Aleksei Kalyuzhny (Sergei Zinoviev)
3-1 Denis Denisov (Karel Rachunek, Mattias Weinhandl)
4-1 Eric Landry (Mattias Weinhandl)

2 Metallurg Magnitogorsk vs Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 4 (Series 2-1 Metallurg)
(March 24th)
1-0 Jan Marek
1-1 Ilya Gorokhov (Ivan Tkachenko, Dmitri Semin)
1-2 Aleksei Yashin (Zbynek Irgl)
1-3 Zbynek Irgl (Johan Åkerman, Josef Vasicek)
2-3 Tomas Rolinek (Jaroslav Kudrna, Stanislav Chistov)
2-4 Aleksei Vasiliev (Dmitri Semin)

The Next games go as followed:
March 25th - Ak Bars Kazan vs Dinamo Moscow
March 26th - Lokomotiv Yaroslavl vs Mettallurg Magnitogorsk
March 27th - Dinamo Moskov vs Ak Bars Kazan

Ice Scoopz: Friday Early Morning

*-> Well I'm back after a much needed 2 week vacation. Starting tommorow their will be daily posts again covering the playoffs from around the globe and also everything NHL as well. I'll have extensive coverage of the draft including scouting reports and prospect reviews leading up to the draft. Free Agency is also just around the corner so theres lots of on going rumors regarding upcoming UFA's. See you tomorow and thanks for staying tuned during my vacation.

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Ice Scoopz: Carboneau fired!

*-> The Montreal Canadians have parted ways with head coach Guy Carboneau this afternoon. Not really much is know to why but I'd assume it's because of the Canadians rough patch they hit the last few months. Bob Gainey will resume the role of head coach for the remainder of the season along with all three assistant coaches. More Soon.

Ice Scoopz: Monday Afternoon

Well I'm back after taking a week off to relax and get caught up in my course work. Although trade deadline day was a bit slow compared to recent years and many of the trades were minor I thought a lot of teams did very well. Let me know who you thought won or lost trade deadline. I will be doing a trade deadeline week later review on all of the deals later this week.

Many people have asked me whats next since there's a long time before the trade window opens again. This site is not about just trades and rumors, I am also hoping to get more into the European leagues next year and since their playoffs have started I'll keep you updated. Also the draft is one of my favorite and also one of the most important days of the NHL year so I will be covering that extensively. I'll have reviews on all the players in the draft possible and a fantasy draft based on my predictions. Also free agency starts July 1st so I will keep you updated on who signs down the stretch. Plus I'm going to still have the I.R report and any major NHL news. My weekly column will also follow any of the leagues major debates and news stories.

Stay tuned because I really thought this year went well and next year is going to be even better and I have a lot more in store. A new site is in the works with many interesting new features and I'll have a couple of different columnists to help me out. Help me get this thing big so pass it on to your friends and keep checking us out! Thanks

Trade Catch-Up!

*->The Toronto Maple Leafs acquire injured goalie Olaf Kolzig, defenseman Jaime Heward, defenseman Andy Rogers, and a 4th round pick in exchange for prospect Richard Petiot from the Tampa Bay Lightning.

*->Carolina trades Justin Williams for a 2nd round pick and Patrick O'Sullivan from the Kings.

*-Edmonton trades Erik Cole back to the Carolina Hurricanes for forward Patrick O'Sullivan and a 2nd round draft pick.

*->Edmonton trades the 2nd round pick to Buffalo for Ales Kotalik.

*-> San Jose trades prospect Nick Bonino, goalie Timo Pielmeier, and a conditional draft pick to Anaheim for Travis Moen and defenseman Kent Huskins.

*-> Chicago trades defenseman James Wisniewski for Samuel Pahlsson from the Anaheim Ducks.

*-> Philly trades their 6th round draft pick to the San Jose Sharks for Kyle McLaren.

*-> Calgary trades goaltender Kevin Lalonde to the Columbus Blue Jackets for a 4th round draft pick.

*->Tampa Bay trades Steve Eminger to the Florida Panthers for defenseman Noah Welch and a 3rd round.

Trade! Eric O'Dell to Atlanta

* Prospect and one of my buddies Eric O'Dell gets traded from Anaheim to the Atlanta Thrashers for Erik Christensen.

Trade! Dominic Moore -> Buffalo

*Dominic Moore gets traded to Buffalo for a 2nd round draft pick.

Trade! Derek Morris To The Rangers

* Derek Morris of the Phoenix Coyotes gets traded to the New York Rangers for Nigel Dawes, Dmitri Kalinen and Petr Prucha.

Trade! Bright Lights & Big City For Antropov

*Nik Antropov of the Toronto Maple Leafs gets traded to the New York Rangers for a 2nd round pick.

Trade! Older Trade Missed

*The Anaheim Ducks trade defenseman Steve Montador for prospect forward Petteri Nokelainen of Boston.

Trade! Carcillo To Philly

*Philly gets Dan Carcillo from the Coyotes for Scotty Upshall and a 2nd round

Trade! Guerin Finally Gone

*Bill Guerin to the Pittsburgh Penguins from the New York Islanders for a 5th round pick if the Pengs don't make the playoffs. If they do that 5th turns into a 4th and if they win a round it's a 3rd. Got it?

Trade! Recchi To Boston

*Mark Recchi gets traded by the Tampa Bay Lightning to The Boston Bruins with a 2nd round pick, for forwards Matt Lashoff and Martin Karsums? This is a weird one where does the 2nd round come into play?

Trade! Jokinen To Flames

* Olli Jokinen goes from the Coyotes to the Flames for Mathew Lombardi, Brandon Prust and a 1st round draft pick this year.

Trade! Pittsburgh and St. Louis

* Pittsburgh trades defenseman Danny Richmond to St. Louis for defenseman Andy Wosniewski in a minor deal.

Waiver Wire Updates -> Buffalo Gets Tellqvist

Martin Gerber -> Toronto
Craig Adams -> Pittsburgh
Brendan Morrisson -> Dallas
Gary Roberts -> Cleared
Erik Reitz -> Toronto
Aaron Voros -> Cleared

*Buffalo gets backup goalie Mikael Tellqvist from the Phoenix organization for a 4th round pick this year.

Trade Deadline Predictions Part 3

-Philadelphia-
*G Antero Niittymaki - Washington, Calgary, Detroit
= Stays in Philly

*G Martin Biron - Colorado, Washington
= Wont Go No Trade

-Phoenix -
*C Olli Jokinen - Calgary, Montreal, Minnesota, Edmonton, Columbus, Florida, Nashville
= Calgary

*C Steven Reinprecht - Buffalo, Nashville,Chicago, Carolina
= Chicago

*D Derek Morris - Calgary, Washington, Buffalo, Boston, Montreal, Philly, Edmonton, Columbus
= Washington

*D Ken Klee - Dallas, Philly, Pittsburgh, Montreal, Detroit
= Detroit

*G Mikael Tellqvist - Calgary, Buffalo
= Will Stay

-Pittsburgh-
*RW Miroslav Satan - Edmonton, Montreal, Florida, Washington, Buffalo, Nashville
= Florida

-San Jose-
*RW Jonathan Cheechoo - Pittsburgh, Nashville, Vancouver
= Stays in SJ

-St. Louis-
*LW Keith Tkachuk - New York Rangers, Boston, Montreal, Chicago
= Boston

-Tampa Bay-
*C Vincent Lecavalier - Montreal, New York Rangers, Columbus
= Highly unlikely but I wanna say MTL

*RW Martin St. Louis - New York Rangers, Boston, Vancouver
= No Trade Wont Go


*RW Mark Recchi - Carolina, Montreal, New York Rangers, Vancouver, Chicago, Detroit, Florida
= New York Rangers


*LW Gary Roberts - Pittsburgh, Calgary, Edmonton, New York Rangers
= Calgary


*LW Vaclav Prospal - Ottawa, Pittsburgh, Edmonton, Buffalo, Carolina, Nashville
= Nashville


*C Jeff Halpern - Chicago, Minnesota, Florida, Carolina, New Jersey, Boston
= Chicago


*C Jason Ward - Florida, Carolina
= Stays In TB


*D Marek Malik - Calgary, Buffalo, Philly, Montreal, New York Rangers, Boston
= Buffalo


*RW Radim Vrbata - Nashville, Calgary, St. Louis, Florida, Edmonton
= Nashville


-Toronto-
*C Nik Antropov - Columbus, Montreal, Calgary, Chicago, Dallas, Nashville
= Montreal


*G Curtis Joseph - Detroit, Calgary, Buffalo, Columbus
= Calgary


*LW Ryan Hollweg - San Jose, Detroit, Nashville
= No Deal


*RW Jamal Mayers - Detroit, San Jose, Calgary, St. Louis
= St. Louis


*RW Alexei Ponikarovsky - Pittsburgh, Dallas
= No Trade


*D Tomas Kaberle - Philly, Boston, Florida, Calgary, Buffalo, Vancouver
= Wont Go


*D Pavel Kubina - Philly, Boston, Buffalo, Calgary
= No Trade


*D Jeff Finger - Dallas, Buffalo
= No Deal


-Vancouver-
*D Shane O'Brien - Detroit, Pittsburgh, Montreal
= Stays In Vancouver

-Washington-
*C Michael Nylander - Montreal, Chicago, Calgary
= Wont Waive No Trade

Trade! Leopold to Calgary

Jordan Leopold To the Calgary Flames from Colorado. Lawerance Nycholat, and MTL's 2nd round pick and prospect Ryan Wilson.

Trade Deadline Predictions Part 2

-Los Angeles-
*D Denis Gauthier - Edmonton, Carolina
= Edmonton

*D Sean O'Donnell - Edmonton, Carolina, Dallas, Pittsburgh
= Stays In LA

-Minnesota-
*RW Marian Gaborik - Montreal, Nashville, St. Louis, Dallas, Washington
= Minnesota Keeps Him

-Montreal-
*RW/D Mathieu Dandenault - Pittsburgh, Detroit, Minnesota, Edmonton
= Minnesota

*RW Alexei Kovalev - Edmonton, Pittsburgh, Columbus
= No Deal

*RW Georges Laraque - Pittsburgh, San Jose
= Stays In Montreal

*G Jaroslav Halak - Calgary, Toronto, Philly
= Stays In Montreal

-Nashville -
*C Radek Bonk - Chicago
= Stays in Chi-town

-New Jersey-
*G Kevin Weekes - Calgary, Columbus
= Stays in NJ

*G Scott Clemmenson - Calgary, Buffalo, Philly, Washington
= Calgary

-New York Isles-
*RW Bill Guerin - Boston, Buffalo, Washington, San Jose, Chicago, Calgary, Carolina
= Washington

*C Doug Weight - Chicago, Columbus, St. Louis, Montreal, Washington, Carolina, Pittsburgh
= St. Louis

*LW Jon Sim - Dallas, Carolina, Chicago, Florida
= Carolina

*C Dean McAmmond - San Jose, Chicago
= Stays

*D Brendan Witt - Edmonton, Boston, Washington, Dallas, Atlanta, Florida
= Boston

*D Radek Martinek - Calgary, Buffalo,
= Buffalo

-New York Rangers-
*Petr Prucha - Pittsburgh, Edmonton, Florida
= Stays In NYR

*Aaron Voros - Ottawa, San Jose, Minnesota, Calgary, New York Isles
= Ottawa

*Erik Reitz - San Jose, Pittsburgh
= Pittsburgh

*Mark Bell - Minnesota
=Stays In Minors

-Ottawa-
*Jason Spezza - Vancouver, Columbus
= Ottawa

*Jarko Ruutu - Pittsburgh, San Jose, Carolina
= Stays In Ottawa

*Chris Neil - Toronto, San Jose, Detroit, Calgary
= San Jose

*Mike Comrie - Columbus, Carolina, Florida, Dallas, LA
= Stays In O-Town.

*Christoph Schubert - Edmonton, Buffalo, Phoenix, Florida
= Edmonton

*Alexandre Picard - Buffalo
= Stays

*Martin Gerber - Calgary
= No One Wants Him

*Alex Auld - Calgary, Columbus, Buffalo
= Stays In Ottawa

*Brendan Bell - Calgary, San Jose, New York Rangers
= Stays In Minors

Ottawa Trades Antoine Vermette -> Columbus

*Ottawa Trades winger/center Antoine Vermette to Columbus For netminder Pascal Leclaire. not Official but almost done!

Kuba Signs Ottawa

*UFA Filip Kuba of the Ottawa Senators has just signed a deal with Ottawa so take him of the market. $3.7 Mil over 3 years apparently.

Deadline Predictions Part 1

- Anaheim -

*D Brett Hedican - Buffalo
= Will Not Move

*D Chris Pronger - Philly, St. Louis, Boston, Toronto, Buffalo
= Doubtful He'll Go but If He Does It'll Be St. Louis

*C Brendan Morrison - Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa
= Returns Home To Vancouver

*C Samuel Pahlsson - Dallas, New Jersey, Carolina
= Will Eventually Re-sign

*D Steve Montador - Buffalo, Boston, Edmonton
= The Edmonton Oilers Need A Big Body On The Back

- Atlanta -
*C Erik Christensen - Pittsburgh, Edmonton
= No Deal

*C Eric Perrin - Dallas, Carolina
= Dallas


*C Marty Reasoner - Edmonton, Calgary, Minnesota
= Edmonton With Moreau Out


*RW Colby Armstrong - Calgary, Pittsburgh
= If Pittsburgh Can Catch A Big Fish


*G Kari Lehtonen - Washington, Philly, Colorado, Ottawa
= Philly


-Boston-
*G Manny Fernandez - Washington, Calgary
= Will Stay In Boston


-Buffalo-
*C Tim Connolly - Montreal,Chicago, Columbus
= Columbus


*RW Maxim Afinogenov - Edmonton, Pittsburgh, Chicago
= No One Will Risk It

-Calgary-
*C Mathew Lombardi - Columbus, New York Isles, Nashville
= Calgary Needs Offense So

-Chicago-
*RW Craig Adams - Carolina, Calgary, New Jersey
= Carolina


*G Nikolai Khabibulin - Ottawa, Washington, Philly
= Stays In Chicago


-Colorado-
*LW Ryan Smyth - Edmonton, Calgary, Montreal, Nashville
= Stays In Colorado


*C Tyler Arnason - Chicago, Columbus, Minnesota
= Chicago


*RW Ian Laperriere - Montreal, Pittsburgh
= Montreal


*D Jordan Leopold - Buffalo, Boston, Philly
= Stays In Colorado

*G Andrew Raycroft - Calgary
= No One Wants Him


-Columbus-
*G Pascal Leclaire - Ottawa, Colorado
= Ottawa


-Edmonton -
*LW Erik Cole - Boston, Pittsburgh, Carolina
= Boston


*C Robert Nilsson - Nashville
= Stays Unless A Throw In


-Florida-
*D Jay Bouwmeester - Ottawa, Philly, Boston, Montreal, Washington, Buffalo, St. Louis
= Highly Unlikely But Philly


*D Nic Boynton - Boston, Edmonton
= Boston If They Cant Get Another Name

Ice Scoopz: Tuesday Evening Waiver Frenzy

*-> A lot more players can be added to the already big list of players on waivers this afternoon. Ottawa has placed Brendan Bell, New York Rangers have placed both tough guy Erik Reitz and Aaron Voros as well. Aaron Voros is expected to be claimed and rumor has it the Sharks or the Red Wings might. Eric Perron is another name that should be claimed as well. Chicago has waived veteran Craig Adams and any team looking for pk help might grab him. Carolina is one name I'm hearing. Minnesota has put Peter Olvecky and New York Isles has also put Jon Sim on waivers. All players if not claimed will clear by noon tomorrow.

*-> Mark Recchi and Gary Roberts of the Tampa Bay Lightning have been skratched tonight as they await new homes. Recchi has a few suitors while Roberts already on waivers will almost certainly be taken.

*-> Mathieu Carle a defense prospect playing for Hamilton whose under contract for Montreal has asked for a trade today adding to the list of players unhappy with the Montreal organization. Expect him to be included in any deal Montreal makes in the next 24hours.

Ice Scoopz: Tuesday Evening

*-> Pesky 3rd liner Jarko Ruutu of the Ottawa Senators is attracting attention from his former club the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Detroit Red Wings are also interested.

*-> The Minnesota Wild have resigned goaltender Nikolas Backstrom to a 4 year 25$MIL deal this morning. This means that the Wild are no longer shoping Backstrom like most pundits have predicted.

*-> Derek Morris has presented his list of teams he's willing to be traded too and it includes the Bruins, and the Flyers like predicted but also the Washington Caps as well. My guess is the Bruins as the Flyers have cap issues.

*-> Mark Bell has been sent back down to the AHL last night to make room for Avery. Bell it seams is just an insurance marker incase injuries go down for the Rangers.

*-> Aaron Downey and Jonathan Ericsson have been recalled by the Detroit Red Wings and Darren Helm and Ville Leino have been sent down to Grand Rapids of the AHL.

*-> Los Angeles Kings have recalled Oscar Moller from the Manchester Monarchs.

*-> Montreal has signed Andrew Conboy to a three year deal.

Ice Scoopz: Tuesday Morning Quick Hits Before Work

*-> The Minnesota Wild's star forward Marian Gaborik has been cleared to play by team doctors yesterday. Gaborik who isn't in game shape will be practising with the team for the next two weeks to get into shape for the playoffs. The doctors have said his hip is at 100% and it was a sucessfull recovery. This could mean that the Wild may soon start getting some offers for the star and there are more than a handful of teams who would like him for a playoff push. The Montreal Canadians and the Pittsburgh Penguins will both make a push although Wild management has stated they'd rather keep him for the playoffs and attempt to resign him and quite possibly loss him this summer than trade him away at the deadline and have "what ifs".

Waiver Wire: Too Many To List!

So this year waivers is becoming more and more of a key tool for GMs to manuver against the cap with as even more big names have been placed on waivers.

*-> Sean Avery of the Dallas stars was claimed as expected by the New York Rangers today. Avery will start practicing with the team this week.

*-> Tom Preissing of the LA Kings was placed on waivers last night by his club. A few teams have showed interest in the pp quarterback such as the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and the Boston Bruins.

*-> Martin Gerber was place on reentry waivers this morning by the Sens hoping the 3rd time is the charm. Calgary has shown some interest in the past.

*-> Miroslav Satan has been placed on waivers by the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Wild seam to be interested in the winger as apparently the Pena don't feel he fits with Crosby. This could be a setup for Armstrong.

*-> Veteran winger Gary Roberts was just placed on waivers by the Tampa Bay Lightning. A lot of teams are claimoring for him. Expect him to be claimed right away by any team looking to upgrade experience and grit. The Flames, Bruins, Ottawa, Montreal, Pittsburgh and Edmonton are all reportedly interested.
*-> Brendan Morrisson of the Anaheim Ducks has also been put on waivers in a busy morning. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks are rumored to wants his services.

Ice Scoopz: Monday Evening -> Avery On Re-Entry Waivers

*-> The Dallas Star's have placed super pest Sean Avery on re-entry waivers today after announcing it Friday afternoon. The Dallas Stars are hoping that the New York Ranger's are going to claim him for their playoff run. There has been no secret that the Ranger's want Sean back and having to pay only half his salary should help that cause. If the Ranger's don't claim him it's highly unlikely another team will. Rumors say Avery hasn't been the same player since he got back from his rehab program. My thinking is that he just needs some time to get game ready and that also he's playing soft because he's hoping a team will grab him and he wants to be healthy.

*-> A big rumor out of Ottawa has surfaced today as Bryan Murray continues to work the phones. The Columbus Blue Jacket's interest in Antoine Vermette has increased as of late and Columbus scouts and GM Jay Howson was seen in Ottawa this Saturday night watching the Sens and Leafs. Ottawa has apparently shown interest in goalie Pascal Leclaire and many feel a deal could be worked out between the two sides as a 1 for 1 swap. There is no secret Ottawa still needs goaltending and Vermette hasn't exactly shined in his role in Ottawa. The Blue Jacket's would love to see Vermette playing with Rick Nash. Some pundits have put Jason Spezza as the man the Blue Jacket's want and it could even involve a multi player deal. I doubt they would shop Spezza unless they could get another big name or blue chip prospect in return. anything could happen though it's trade deadline day.

*-> Another Columbus rumor to bring out is that the Blue Jacket's have apparently called the Buffalo Sabre's organization in regards to soon to be UFA and often injured center Tim Connolly. The Buffalo Sabre's are really reluctant in trading Connolly because he has been playing extremely well as of late but they may risk loosing him this summer. The Jacket's feel he would resign with them and he would be a good fit for Nash.

*-> Rumor has it the reason the Guerin deal is taking a lot longer than expected is that there are more suitors than expected. Most teams deny interest or talking to the Islander's but that's just politics. The Montreal Canadian's have stepped into the fray as the Carolina Hurricanes. The leader though still appears to be Washington as they would like to add experience and Bill Guerin's leadership to their young core.

*-> Brian Burke of the Toronto Maple Leaf's spoke out today and squashed all rumors he was working on a deal with the Boston Bruin's for Tomas Kaberle. Burke claims this is not the case and he has never spoken with the Bruins about Tomas Kaberle and nor would as they are division rivals. This doesn't sound like politics to me as it's highly unlikely unless the Bruins were willing to pay over the top for the allstar blueliner.

Edmonton Trade Deadline Review

As it comes to my attention I wont have enough time to finish my deadline day review I'm going to try and get all of the major players this deadline day. My buddy Codes gave me a hand in reviewing Edmonton so here it is, sorry about the Reviews I'm trying my best.

Deadline Day Review – Edmonton Oilers

For the first time since the Ryan Smyth days, the Edmonton Oilers head into the Trade Deadline as a playoff bound team. They are in the heat of a playoff race where 6th to 12th are separated by only 4 points, and are under more pressure than ever to make it to the dance. For those reasons, the Oil should be buyers on deadline day.

Oilers GM Kevin Lowe is known for being a deadline dealer, and would love to breathe some life into a club with a few crucial games coming up. The Oilers first game after the deadline is in Ottawa before swinging through the other Eastern Canadian teams. What a great opportunity to bond with new acquisitions. After that they have multiple games against the Wild and Ducks before March is out, games they must win to keep their playoff dreams alive.

Look for Erik Cole to be shipped off at deadline day. Despite over 17 minutes of ice per game, the once powerful forward has disappointed this year with only 25 points and hasn’t been solid in his own end at -5. Rather than lose him for nothing this summer as an Unrestricted Free Agent, Edmonton would love to ship him out as part of a bigger deal. Perhaps an exchange for a younger player with finish would be in order, but certainly not without giving up a pick or a prospect as well.

One name being floated around is Dwayne Roloson. While Rollie is a pending free agent this summer, don’t expect him to go anywhere. He is arguably the Oiler’s best player right now and Lowe understands that his playoff hopes rest in his goalkeepers hands. On top of that, Roloson is a fan favourite and very likely to re-sign in the off season.

And if you’re a GM who thinks Edmonton will trade off their future for short term success, think again: Gagner, Cogliano, Eberle, Nash and Petry are untouchable.

Players who Lowe might be willing to move include Robert Nilsson, who has been a healthy scratch of late, and possibly underachieving prospect Taylor Chorney. Look for Nilsson to be moved for a depth defenceman with size, (think Cristoph Schubert).

Could this be the year Rob Schremp is traded? The Oilers haven’t given up yet, but surely some other teams must be loving those hands.

Trade *-> Havlid To Nj

*-> The Atlanta Thrashers have traded defenseman Nik Havlid to the New Jersey Devils for defenseman Annsi Salmela who the Devils signed as an undrafted free agent last summer. This is a strange trade unless the Thrashers and Devils know something about this kid we don't.

The Calgary Flames Deadline Review

Calgary - NorthWest Division - 3rd - 80pts
Total Salary = $54,049,167
Cap Space = $2,650,833

The Plot:
The offense starved Flames have been on top of the Western Conference since day one despite not being able to score. The Flames rely on strong defensive play and goaltending to win games. Franchise player Jarome Iginla carrys much of the offensive load on his shoulders as per usual and Mike Cammalleri contributes the rest while leading the team in goals with 32. Todd Bertuzzi is still a force in front of the net and center Daymond Langkow contributes while playing a solid two-way game. Rene Bourque has finally found a home and also found his scoring touch teams saw in his junior career. Craig Conroy adds offensive depth at center to round out the top two lines. In the back half the Flames have found sucess with Mathew Lombardi, David Moss and Calgary native Curtis Glencross. There 4th line however isn't what it should be but still provides the toughness you need to survive the West with Andre Roy enforcing. The rest of the line depends on the night with Dustin Boyd, Brandon Prust, Wayne Primeau, and Eric Nystrom all seeing time. Not exactly the shut down line of a champion.

On the backend the Flames would like to see more of a powerplay presence and a little more defensive work. However it still is a good group anchored by Dion Phaneuf who plays all situations and has any forward coming in their zone keeping their heads up. Robyn Regehr provides a defensive presence but hasn't been what the Flames expected this season. Adrian Aucoin has turned his career around and shown there is life after his Chicago career. Cory Sarich has been a nice presence on the blueline and helps guide the youth on the team. Mark Gordiano and Adam Pardy round out the defensive squad while James Vandermeer steps in when asked to fill in as the 7th D or add toughness.

As for the Flames goaltending it can be summed up by one man, Miikka Kiprusoff. He has been the reason why the Flames have stayed competitive since that awful trade for San Jose. He can steal a game in any given night but at the same time if he doesn't show nether does his teamates. The Kipper has played in 57 games so far and it doesn't look like he's going to get a break with Curtis McElhinney being incompetitent at the NHL level with no wins in 6 starts. Clearly the Flames need to find Kiprusoff some help.

Major Injuries:
D Rhett Warrener - Most likely out till end of season with a shoulder injury.
C Wayne Primeau - Out till playoffs with a broken bone in his foot.
D Mark Giordano - 2 to 3 weeks with an undisclosed upper body injury.
LW Rene Bourque - Out for a month with a high ankle sprain.

Key Prospects:
1. C Mikael Backlund - Kelowna Rockets WHL
2. D Keith Aulie - Brandon Wheat Kings WHL
3. RW Greg Nemisz - Windsor Spitfires OHL
4. C Mitch Wahl - Spokane Chiefs WHL
5. G Leland Irving - Quad City Flames AHL
6. G Matt Keetley - Las Vegas Wranglers

Players On The Block:
D Robyn Regehr - Regehr's time in Calgary may be coming to an end if they can find another solution on defense. Although he is not regarded as an offensive defenseman the Flames brass would like to see him step up a bit more. His cost at 4$MIL per season also holds the Flames back this summer when they expect to upgrade their offense. A defensely challenged team may bite and over pay this deadline if the Flames decide to shop him.

C Mathew Lombardi - The Flames have given Mathew Lombardi enough time to show what he can do and it appears Lombardi is destined to play on the third line. It may be time to time to let go and try and catch another team sleeping. If the Flames need a throw in to a deal expect Lombardi to be the guy.

Team Wants/Needs:
The Flames main want is another body who can help put the puck in the back of the net. The Flames would like someone who can bring some life to the 2nd line especially now that Rene Bourque is going to be out for quite a bit of time. The other want or should I say need is a backup goalie that can shoulder the load incase Miikka Kiprusoff goes down and someone who can also give him a much needed rest.

Possible Targets:
G Curtis Joseph - Joseph is not the ideal target for the Flames but hes a familiar one. He played for the Flames this time last season and did alright. He's by far not a number one anymore and his days are counting down but he can still provide a save or two at a discount price. The Leafs would likely trade him for next to nothing and hes a UFA this summer so no hangovers.

C Nik Antropov - The Leafs wont part with Antropov for less than a 1st round and they'll be a lot of bidders so this is highly unlikely but Antropov could be the guy to put the Iginla, Cammalleri line over the top and push Langkow on to the 2nd line to give some help. He'll be hard to acquire as his stock keeps rising.

G Scott Clemmensen - Clemmensen carried the Devil's the entire time Brodeur was out and this is exactly the kind of guy that the Flames want behind Kipper incase an injury goes down. The Devil's already have Weekes and Brodeur it's highly unlike they'll keep the three of them and I highly doubt Brodeur is not going anywhere and Weekes wont ether with his play and pay.

LW - Gary Roberts - Roberts would give an there 4th line an instant punch and experience upgrade. It might not be the role Roberts would expect but he'd definately fill it perfectly. I'm sure if given the ice time on a second line he'd be able to contribute in a playoff run. Remember Roberts once called Cowtown home and won a cup there.

D Derek Morris - The Flames once drafted Morris and would definately welcome him back as they are rumored to be putting a package together for the Coyotes. Morris as a tough presence but also can quarterback a powerplay and give Phaneuf some needed help. Whether or not Morris would like to return to Calgary that's another story.

G Antero Niittymaki - If the Flyers are going to need to clear some cap space to bring in Kari Lehtonen it looks like Niittymaki will be the guy moved out of Philly. He's proved he can be a number one but needs a change of scenery as Philly is clearly unhappy with their goaltending team. Biron's got a no trade so Niittymaki is the odd man out. Calgary would love to have a guy like Niitymaki as Kipper's backup.

C Olli Jokinen - The Coyote's might be willing to part with Jokinen after a disapointing season and now that the Coyote's are having financial problems it only makes sense to cut their losses. Jokinen could easily add instant offence by himself for the Calgary Flames 2nd line. It might cost a high pick and prospect though.

The Final Word:
The Calgary Flames are a good team but need some offensive help. Expect them to definately look at a backup goalie for sure while trying to land an extra forward with a scoring touch. The Flames know that if Kiprusoff goes down then there season might as well be over. Don't expect them to make a major move but add a few small missing peices for insurance purposes.

Trade Deadline Day Info

I'm sorry for the slowness and all the problems with my trade deadline review but I do also work a full time job plus am in school for scouting. I'm trying the best I can and for these reasons I probably will only have the Canadian teams and a few major sellers done. Trade deadline will however be up to date and on schedule all day long. Stick with this site cause it's only going to get better. Next week I'm going to release a full schedule for this site and 100% stick to it so please be patient I'm trying my hardest!

Monday
- Edmonton Oilers
- 3 Ice Scoopz

Tuesday
- Vancouver Canucks + Colorado Avalanche
- A Massive On The Block
-5 Ice Scoopz

Wednesday
- Morning Ice Scoopz
- Scoopz Predictions
- Up To The Minute Trade Posting All Day Long
- Analyzation Of All Trades
- I'll Be In Yahoo Chat: Hockey 1 Room Live
- Trade Txting Service ---->Sign Up Now!