Running 2008 NHL Playoffs Thread

Interesting words from Terrible Ted earlier this week. Vladimir Konstantinov was the best hockey player and best defenceman in the world. Not Gretzky, not Orr.

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080512/METRO/805120407

DETROIT -- Hockey great Ted Lindsay testified today that Vladimir Konstantinov was the greatest hockey player in the world at the time of his devastating injury in a 1997 limousine crash and possibly the greatest defenseman of all time.

Lindsay, 82, who won four Stanley Cups with the Red Wings, told a civil trial in U. S. District Court that Konstantinov would have led the Wings to two more Stanley Cups following their 1997 victory and possibly more if he had not been injured.

Konstantinov and Sergei Mnatsakanov, the team masseur, who both suffered serious head injuries in the crash, are suing the Ohio Ford Motor Co. dealership that sold the stretch limousine in which they were riding when they crashed on Woodward Avenue in Birmingham.

Mnatsakanov is paralyzed from the waist down while Konstantinov suffered a serious head injury that makes it difficult for him to talk, walk and remember things.

Konstantinov was 30 at the time of the crash. Lindsay testified he could have played into his 40s.

"He was the greatest machine in the world," Lindsay told the jury of five men and three women. Today, "I see this vegetable and to me it just kind of makes me sick (compared) to what was the greatest hockey player in the world.

"It's a shame."

 

Just curious, but if the Red Wings finish their series tonight and the Pens do the same on Thursday, how soon will the SC Finals begin? The following weekend (Memorial Day weekend) or what?

 

Pierre Mcguire said it would start Tuesday

 

They're suing the dealership who sold the limo?

God, I freaking hate lawyers.

I mean, it's a horrible tragedy, but I don't see the responsibility of the originating dealership. Am I missing something, or is this just the way of the world today?

 

Here's the Pens' roster with salary and cap numbers: http://www.nhlscap.com/capnumbers/pittsburgh.htm

Trouble is on the way, but they're so far under the cap that it's not ridiculous to think they could lock up all the big guns.

As to the Tampa North argument, I don't buy it. Even if they pour enormous $$$ into Crosby-Malkin-Hossa, that's about a brazillion percent better than Lecavalier-St. Louis-Richards, at least in my own very biased opinion.

 

Pittsburgh has the cap space to sign Hossa, Malone, Ruutu, Laraque, and Fleury for next season but the following year is the problem because of Malkin and Staal will have new more expensive contracts in place. Shero believes he'll be able to find guys like Petr Sykora on 2-year deals at $3 million per season to support Malkin or Crosby on the top two lines. I've heard it said on a few occasions, Jason Botterill (Pens Cap guy and former player) has already advised Shero to max out his contract offer to Malone at $3.5 million per over three years.

Malone might try to go into the free agent market so he can see what Minnesota is willing to offer as he has a house in Minnesota and trains at Chuck Grillo's summer camps in Brainerd. If Malone passes and wants to test the market, Shero will have the money to re-sign Hossa in the 5-year $35 million range. They have some guys like Luca Caputi developing into the next top line role players.


At the start of the playoffs, Pens figured they could easily resign Fleury on a 4-year deal for $14 million but his outstanding performance to date could up the ante to $16-20 million as a restricted free agent if a team signs him to a tender offer. Malkin will probably leverage his 1A superstar status alongside Crosby to get somewhere around 5-years $43 million while Staal could be in the neighborhood of a 6-year $30 million deal.

 

You are much closer to the situation than me but from what I've heard Malkin will not accept less than what Ovechkin got.

Is Malone a UFA or RFA? If he's a UFA you know there will be a team out there that will probably pay upwards of 5 per for him.

Whichever way the Pens go they should be alright for years to come.

 

JC - I've heard the Ovechkin salary conversation myself and the usual banter comes back to Malkin and his family wanting to stay in Pittsburgh because he's comfortable and knows he'll get paid a lot of money. Evgeni's family is planning to move to Pittsburgh this year if everything works out. Malone is an UFA on July 1 so if he's unsigned by then, he's almost assuredly going to end up as a Minnesota Wild.

As HB said above, Sather is going to be extremely quick to sign Brooks Orpik. He's been after Orpik for two years and because he refused to give up a young player, Pittsburgh said no thanks. Pens have little reason or payroll space to resign the veteran defenseman with Gonchar, Whitney, Gill, Scuderi, Letang, and Sydor signed for next season and Alex Goligoski (top prospect) ready for action.

 

Rumors in the NYC had Shero asking for Petr Prucha or a package of Prucha and prized defenseman Bobby Sanguinetti.

 

Well, at least the Stars can say they held a lead in this series. They might hold on to take this one back to Detroit.

 

Good to see that the Wings at least won't sweep the Stars.

 

That goal should have locked this one up. But with the Wings, you never know.