2013: The NHL season that almost wasn't

Darren Dreger of TSN is also tweeting that the axe may finally, mercifully come down soon on the Phoenix Coyotes. Prospective new homes, no surprise, include Quebec City, Kansas City and Seattle.

 

To further speculation: Providence Bruins made top prospect Alexander Khokhlachev a late scratch before their game tonight.

 

Goodness, it seems like we hear this every springtime. Has Hamilton, Ontario, fallen off the radar?

 

As soon as Jim Balsillie was out of the picture, so was Steeltown.

 

That's kind of ashame, IMO. Had read some positive things about Hamilton. If a market is a good (or poor) market, that shouldn't change regardless of who the owner is.

I've grown so tired about speculation over the Coyotes that I really ceased to care where they play. I'm sure it's tough on the players and coaches, but, heck a lot of them change teams/cities often anyway. So what's the difference?

About the only thing that matters to me is getting it done early enough that if they move somewhere east, the conferences and divisions can be properly aligned so you don't wind up with a situation like Winnipeg in the Southeast. If they moved to, say, Quebec City, put them in the Eastern Conference and move Detroit or Columbus back west.

Los Angeles at Quebec City should not be a division game.

 

Meanwhile......

Tremendous game in Boston. Montreal up 2-0, then Boston up 4-2 and 5-3. Montreal ties it in the dying seconds and it goes to the sixth round of a shootout with no scoring until Brendan Gallacher gets thewinner. Peter Budaj looked great in relief of Carey Price in the third period and OT.

Great rivalry and one more meeting left in the regular season. I really get the feeling the Northeast Division could come down to the final days of the season.

 

Would be willing to bet folding money it won't be KC. Sprint Center is turning a hell of a profit for its owners without having to X out 40-plus home dates a year, including preseason and playoffs.

 

EDIT: It's official - Iginla will in fact be wearing black and gold - just not the jersey that was earlier thought:

 

Flames got fleeced. Two college prospects -- though I admit I know little about Agostino and Hanowski, but neither are on Hockey's Future top prospects list for the Pens -- and a first round pick this year that will likely be a 30th overall pick at the least 28 or 29th.

For the face of the franchise.

It seems low to me. Two second tier prospects and a late first rounder? If I'm a Flames fan, I'm apocalyptic tonight. I know he's a rental if there ever was one, but damn, the Pens did not give up a whole lot for him. They are so loaded now after adding Brenden Morrow, Douglas Murray and now Iginla. This for a team that had won 12 games in a row and leads the East by five points.

* Correction, found them on the Flames page, but are still second teir prospects in a system that lacks bankable talent.

 

Man, the Pens are really going for it.

 

Have to imagine this is just the beginning of the yard sale in Calgary with Kipprusof, Bouwmeester, Cammalleri, Tanguay et al to follow. You don't trade Iginla unless you're prepared to tear it down