Ang's NHL (3/4)

[Angelus]

All for 1 unit.

Anaheim -131
I think the Ducks will be a good team to tail for the next few weeks. They've gone through their slump and most of their guys are healthy. I like their chances against a Preds team that played yesterday. Predators allowing their fair share of goals lately...

Dallas -129
Stars coming off two losses in OT?? When's the last time that happened? If it goes to OT again, I can't see the Stars losing yet again. Sharks have lost four straight and have looked horrible doing it.

Canucks/Wild Overtime +300
Just kind of going with a gut feeling on this one. Wild play everyone in the West tough and I can see this being a 1-1 or 2-2 game at the end of reg.

GL everyone!

[FlyersFan]

Angelus- GL!....dang i am torn on that SAN/DAL game. I really wanted to bet SAN under 2 1/2 goals team total, but i just keep waiting for them to wake up. And we all know Turd-co can throw in a clunker every now and then. And on a side note, haven't talked to you in a while, but i think Smyth is a chicken shit for his little boo hoo press confernce if in fact the rumors are true that EDM offered hime 5.2M a season. That is very fair money, and if he wanted to stay in EDM, he could have done so. I just wish players would be honest and say...hey i like EDM, but i like the cash better and they can't pay me so im leaving...rather than the sob story like he tried to sell everyone. If i was an Oilcan fan i would be pissed as all get up at him. Just my 2 cents, though. GL!....

[Angelus]

Thanks FF.

The Smyth situation is hard to judge. There are a lot of different reports on exactly how far apart they were. Smyth said it was more than 200K otherwise he would still be an Oiler. I don't know what the real numbers were and I never will. I just think Smyth never really believed the Oilers would trade him. He probably figured they would need him for a playoff push not really realizing Lowe already knew they were out of it. So it came as a pretty big shock to be leaving his home. He said very early on in the negotiations that there woudl be no home town discount. I don't really understand that...Tucker took one to stay in TO...why couldn't Smitty take on here? Ferraro (on NBC) said today that Smyth tried to bluff with a bad hand in a game of poker and lost. I'm not sure he lost because I think he's going to get a pretty sweetheart contract with a team like Anaheim...but we'll see. A lot of Oiler fans are furious with Lowe while only a few are upset with Smyth. I tend to be in the latter group...I think Lowe did what he had to. Enjoy the Island Ryan...

[vazman05]

gl today ang

[FlyersFan]

Angelus- i don't understand the angst towards lowe. Most of the xperts and guys on like XM hockey all are baffled by the whole thing and really think smyth is greedy and phony. i mean if i were an NHL player and i was playing for PHI and they offered me a fair contract to stay a Flyer, i would do so in a heartbeat. Because there is more to life than money. I think it's a pretty sad statement that if EDM was offering 5+(it was at least 5...nobody knows how much above 5 it was) and he wanted more like 5.7 or so.....wouldn't you say it is worth it to take 5 and stay with the team you supposedly have had your basement painted in their colors for years? It's not like they tried to lowball him with a 4.2M offer or something. I can't blame him for wanting to get paid, what i blame him for is being a wuss and hiding behing that presss conference. I agree on guys who took less to stay with their teams. Heck, peyton manning redid his whole deal and defferred tons of money (and gave up a little) to give them cap room to sign other guys.

[Angelus]

I agree FF. For whatever reason, I guess because of their emotional attachment to Smyth, Oiler fans dont' see it that way. If Smyth loves Edmonton and this team, as much as he says he does, then he should have taken the home town discount. Plus, by taking a little less, he allows the team more resources and more room under the cap to improve it.

Also, 5.2 million in Edmonton would go a lot further than 5.7 (or whatever) in New York...or Anaheim...or pretty much anywhere...

[JohnnyMapleLeaf]

I kinda agree with FF here....Smyth put on a little bit of a show, when the whole time he could have stayed for a fat 5/25 contract. I think Smyth in his agent put out the 5/27.5 number and stuck to their guns figuring there is no way Lowe can lose their most popular player since Messier, especcialy after losing Pronger and Peca in the offseason. Also, it was brought up alot how Calgary signed Tanguay to the 5.2 million per year contract, and if he is worth that to the cross-province rivals, then a better player and face of the Oiler franchise should be worth more, and this is most definitely correct. In the end they both stuck to their guns...it's a tough one for me....I think Smyth IS worth 5.5 to Edmonton, but I also think he coulda signed the 5.2 for the hometown discount ala Tucker.

At least Lowe had a little vision to get some picks and youth. But the biggest thing is how he spends the 5 million he is saving from SMyth in the FA market next year.....he really has to come up with a big name. And remember....Smyth can STILL have a change of heart and re-sign in Edmonton as a FA....would Lowe ever look like a genius in that scenerio!

Edmonton fans bitching about Lowe? Excuse FF and I if we don't feel sorry for them. FF can give you a laundry list of Clarke fuckups, and Ferguson is quite inept as well.

Here's Ferguson's previous deadline dealing...He traded away a first-round draft pick, two second-round picks, a fourth and a fifth for Brian Leetch, 36, Yanic Perreault, 36 next month, Luke Richardson, 37, and Ron Francis, 41. Leetch played all of 15 games for Toronto, Richardson lasted 21, Francis played just 12 and Perreault will finish out this season before re-signing in Phoenix in the summer. Five draft picks squandered with nothing much but old news to show for him.

Ferguson's FA signing career: Jason Allison, out of hockey; Eric Lindros, having a dismal season in Dallas with the Stars; Alex Khavanov, defenceman, Swiss Hockey League.

BRUTAL!

[Leafs3113]

I agree with all of you on this one. All players are really the same at least the ones that leave like Smyth. Smyth wanted money and thats all there is to it. Edmonton didnt want to give him wat he wanted and that was the end of it. I also think that he didnt know about Lowe having the trade in his back pocket the whole time and tried to wait out after the deadline to get more money cuz oil fans would have really been upset about not trading Smyth and losing him for nothing. Funny how it would be the other way around then the situation now. I also think there blind if they feel Smyth will come back.

What i keep hering was one on TSN that said he wanted 5.7 or 5.8 mill and the oil were offering 5.4. The one i heard last night on satelite hotstove was the oilers were at 5.4 million per season while smyth wanted 5.5. He then said he would buy and apartment or w/e it was that the oilers owned that costed 100,000 that the oilers would be getting back from Smyth. So they would pay him 5.5 million and be getting 100,000 back from him for the apartment or condo he would be living in each year.

Kinda wierd nether budged or compirmised in the middle. There must have been bigger problems than just the numbers. They must have gotten frustrated with each other to let 100,000 stop them from signing a contract.



By the way good luck with your picks today Angelus

[Angelus]

Originally Posted by Leafs3113

I agree with all of you on this one. All players are really the same at least the ones that leave like Smyth. Smyth wanted money and thats all there is to it. Edmonton didnt want to give him wat he wanted and that was the end of it. I also think that he didnt know about Lowe having the trade in his back pocket the whole time and tried to wait out after the deadline to get more money cuz oil fans would have really been upset about not trading Smyth and losing him for nothing. Funny how it would be the other way around then the situation now. I also think there blind if they feel Smyth will come back.

What i keep hering was one on TSN that said he wanted 5.7 or 5.8 mill and the oil were offering 5.4. The one i heard last night on satelite hotstove was the oilers were at 5.4 million per season while smyth wanted 5.5. He then said he would buy and apartment or w/e it was that the oilers owned that costed 100,000 that the oilers would be getting back from Smyth. So they would pay him 5.5 million and be getting 100,000 back from him for the apartment or condo he would be living in each year.

Kinda wierd nether budged or compirmised in the middle. There must have been bigger problems than just the numbers. They must have gotten frustrated with each other to let 100,000 stop them from signing a contract.



By the way good luck with your picks today Angelus

I do not believe they were only $100,000 apart as some have suggested. My best guess would be somewhere around 500K...

[JohnnyMapleLeaf]

Originally Posted by Angelus

I do not believe they were only $100,000 apart as some have suggested. My best guess would be somewhere around 500K...

I agree....I think their firm final number was 5.5 per over 5 with a no-trade, and the Oilers were coming in around 5 per over 5 with a no-trade.