Archive for Headlines

Stewart was a sleeper in the true sense of the word last season, scoring 64 points (28g-36a) last season. Don’t expect him to fly under the radar for too long in this season’s fantasy drafts.

Kelly criticized Bettman for siding with ownership on just about every issue relating to player contracts. Not surprisingly, Kelly helped Savard receive a lengthy frontloaded contract, one that the Bruins are attempting to ship elsewhere.

In case you heard the name and were wondering: yes, it is the same guy. The Oilers will be an interesting team to watch, as former first-round picks Paajarvi, Jordan Eberle, and Taylor Hall are all expected to crack the roster this season.

Staal is expected to be ready for the start of training camp, however. Staal is recovering from a serious foot injury that he suffered during the playoffs. It might not hurt to move him down your rankings a little, in case the recovery continues to be slow.

Price did not quite receive the $3 million per season that he was reportedly demanding, but the amount is fairly close and more worthy of his NHL track record. Even if he struggles again this season, Price should see the lion’s share of the goaltending work in Montreal and is worth a selection as a number two fantasy goalie.

The Chicago Blackhawks decided to walk away from the $2.75 million awarded to Niemi through arbitration. As a result, he is expected to compete with fellow Finn Antero Niittymaki for the starting role for the Sharks. Although both goalies should earn their share of wins for a strong team, it’s probably not a good idea to pick either goalie in the early rounds of fantasy drafts, especially with the strong possibility of a timeshare.

The report said that the league would “grandfather” in all three contracts, provided that the PA met several conditions. One of the conditions is that future multi-year contracts should not include any seasons with the player over 40 years old. If the PA doesn’t accept the conditions, then the league would disallow the Kovalchuk contract, void the Luongo contract, and investigate the Hossa contract. For the record, the NHL’s Bill Daly has denied the report.

Ranger missed all but the first eight games of the season due to personal reasons. Bolts GM Steve Yzerman assumed that Ranger wouldn’t be ready to return, but he would allow Ranger to return when he is ready.

Guerin downplayed the skate, saying that he was already in the area visiting his father-in-law. He said that his agent had been in contact with the Flyers, but he was interested in getting back on the ice for a skate. If he happens to sign with the Flyers, he would have to sign for a bargain basement price, given the Flyers’ tight cap situation.

If Niemi is signed, he will push offseason signing Antero Niittymaki to a backup or a timeshare role, lowering Niittymaki’s fantasy value. Thomas Greiss would be lowered to a third-string AHL role, negating any fantasy value he would have possessed as a backup goalie. Check back for further updates regarding a formal announcement.