Harry How - Getty Images
The NHL Trade Deadline is still several weeks away (February 27), but speculation season is ready to roll, thanks to a candid interview which Anaheim GM Bob Murray gave to Helene Elliott of the L.A. Times yesterday, in which he pretty much put his roster up on Craigslist and opened up the bidding.
This makes perfect fodder for those of you looking to scratch that trade speculation itch - feel free to write up a FanPost (Defending Big D offers a helpful guide) outlining whether or not the Nashville Predators should do business with the Ducks, and where you see a reasonable opportunity for David Poile to bolster his lineup. Please, no "Jack Hillen & Alexander Radulov's rights for Corey Perry" junk.
While you sharpen your pencils and get down to work, make sure to read through this morning's hockey news...
Save money on Preds tickets by taking the OTF Discount!
The View from 111: A Small Act of Kindness Speaks Volumes
Mark shares a nice anecdote from a recent home game.
First Impressions and Lost Opportunities | Hack Whack and Snack
Dave digs into what is perhaps the most pressing issue facing the Nashville Predators these days - the video intro before the team comes onto the ice.
FROM THE WARDEN: Let’s make it 7 (straight sellouts)! | Section 303
Mark Hollingsworth lauds the ticket numbers so far this season. You have to like where things are going, but let's not get too carried away with 7 straight sellouts being some kind of epochal event.
Fixing the Penalty Kill | Admirals Roundtable
Just like in Nashville, the Admirals' PK unit isn't exactly up to standards.
Mueller, Ellis Selected to Play in AHL All-Star Classic - Milwaukee Admirals
Chris Mueller & Ryan Ellis get the call for the AHL All-Star Game. But will Ellis be able to make it, or will he still be with Nashville on January 29 & 30?
Brian McGrattan’s Christmas break was definitely a merry one - Nashville Predators Examiner
Jim Diamond gets the scoop on the big lug's recent engagement.
Smashville 24/7: Trotz: Weber progressing; Wilson feels 100 percent
Ryan provides an update from yesterday's practice.
Ducks lose to San Jose, 3-1, and Bob Murray is irritated - latimes.com
Crank up the trade rumors again, folks. Anaheim GM Bob Murray is willing to move pretty much anybody outside of Saku Koivu (why?) and Teemu Selanne.
Nash would waive no-move clause; should Columbus request it? - Puck Daddy
Well now, that would be interesting...
Dallas Stars News and Notes: January 4 | The Hockey Writers
A smattering of updates on tonight's opponent.
The Hockey News: THN.com Top 10: Storylines for 2012
Adam Proteau ignores the Weber-Suter situation in his list of top stories to follow this year.
NHL Suspends Carcillo For 7 Games, Should Have Been More - The Copper & Blue
Should a 10-time offender get something stiffer?
Reckless elbow on Backstrom earns Rene Bourque 5-game ban - Puck Daddy
Yeah, that was entirely unnecessary on Bourque's part. Easy call here.
John Tortorella Fined $30,000 By NHL For Remarks After Winter Classic - Blueshirt Banter
Joking or not, you know the league can't condone the kind of things that the Rangers head coach said in the Winter Classic aftermath.
WJC2012: This is why they think we’re sore losers; Calgary columnist writes hit piece on Kuznetsov - Buzzing The Net
Neate takes Eric Francis to task for a whiny attack column on Russia's Yevgeni Kuznetsov.
Springing Malik: The Pain Game 2011/12 - Part Three
In this latest update to a unique line of "which teams are suffering the most significant injuries" analysis, the Preds appear to be doing OK relative to most other teams. The data runs up through December 31, so the loss of Shea Weber is only beginning to have an impact here.
Sabermetric Research: Do NHL referees call "make up" penalties?
Here's an idea that warrants further study.
Leafs Place Orr On Waivers " Toronto Maple Leafs Hot Stove
Was he not truculent enough?
The Importance of A Full-Time Goalie Coach - The Goalie Guild
We're a bit spoiled in Nashville, as not every team has a full-time goalie coach.
Silver Nuggets: Negotiating with Erik Karlsson - Silver Seven
Up in Ottawa, they've got a headlining young defenseman they need to lock up long-term, too.
Panthers sign center John Madden - Litter Box Cats
It seems like they've been talking about this forever, but it finally happened.
The five most bafflingly successful teams in the NHL - Puck Daddy
A collection of gravity-defying teams... but how many will still hang in there by season's end?
Is this one of the guys who assaulted Rangers fans at Geno's Steaks? - Broad Street Hockey
Did SB Nation's Flyers blog catch a criminal using the tempting lure of Facebook?
Michael Leighton will play in Philly on Friday, also named AHL All-Star - Broad Street Hockey
Remember when Leighton was playing for the Flyers in the Stanley Cup Final, after which Philadelphia gave him a two-year contract? Well, he's pretty much been an AHL regular since then.
Wild At Canucks Recap ; Stars Shine Bright (3-0W) - Nucks Misconduct
The Canucks are fully in the Northwest Division's passing lane, and have left the Wild in the dust.
Sharks defeat Hiller and dismal Ducks, face Columbus Thursday - Fear The Fin
The Sharks picked up a 3-1 win, as they retook first place in the Pacific.
Larserrific! Habs Crush Jets on Eller's Four Goal Night - Habs Eyes On The Prize
Montreal fans were loving on Lars Eller last night as he led the Habs with 4 goals in a 7-2 win over Winnipeg.
0 recs | 66 comments
Dear Hack, Whack and Sack ( and other Preds bloggers)
If you offered anonymous commenting, I would comment.
I’m not signing up for something just so I can leave a comment on your blog.
cisar - January 5, 2012
Not speaking for anyone else, but personally, I turned off anonymous commenting because of trolling, baiting, flamewars, spam, etc.
Patten - January 5, 2012
That’s a big part of why we don’t have anonymous commenting here.
Dirk Hoag - January 5, 2012
And I’m sure yours works the same way – even if someone uses a fake name/throwaway e-mail, I can see their IP. Discovered VERY quickly who one of my trolls was.
Big Brother is watching.
Patten - January 5, 2012
I know why people don’t allow it. How many trolls were showing up on your site?
I’m not signing up for anything just to leave a comment at some page. I have a facebook page, mainly to easily message family and a few friends. I’m not ‘liking’ OTF, even though I like it. I’m not using my facebook profile to sign-up for other things.
I signed up here. If people want to meet me at the game, they can learn my real name.
I had a AOL IM name maybe twelve years ago, maybe I should dust that one off.
cisar - January 5, 2012
you mean you’re not Marian Cisar? Disappointed. So much for those “brush with greatness” stories I’ve been telling my friends.
Griz-ATL - January 5, 2012
Great. Now you’ve put my first name out there. Thanks. It’s back to Bratislava for me. Farewell!
cisar - January 5, 2012
Your first name is Marian?
Nelson point and laugh
HA-HA!
djzielin - January 5, 2012
You did that so you could comment here…
What is the big deal? I don’t care if people know who I am on here because I am not going to say something on here that I wouldn’t say to your face—unless perhaps you are very large and drunk and/or holding a hockey stick.
Melissa Vanderpool Wallace - January 5, 2012
Great. You don’t care if people know who you are. You let people see your picture and the pictures of your friends and children. I don’t. I enjoy this thing called privacy. When my children are old enough to decide for themselves that they want their pictures on the internet, they can make that decision for themselves. I am not going to post a bunch of photos of them that will be around forever on the internet without their consent.
Just to prove a point, I called someone that posts here on OTF, who doesn’t even use her real name. I wanted to see if she wanted tickets for a game over the holiday. I did a little search and used those results to do another search. Two searches and I had her phone number. From a screen name. I’m not a stalker, but I could have been.
I am not on here calling people names, and I, too, would not say anything on here that I wouldn’t say to someone’s face. That doesn’t mean I give you a trail to learn everything about me.
cisar - January 5, 2012
Privacy is an illusion. Is your phone number listed in the phone book? Do you write checks? Have you purchased a home? Do you receive mail at our home? All these activities open you up to people invading your privacy. The internet may open you up to a wider circle, but that’s it.
You have every right to not sign up to comment on someone’s sight, but don’t get mad at them if they want to know who they’re talking to.
Melissa Vanderpool Wallace - January 5, 2012
Grammar Nazi moment:
sight – what your eyes allow you to have
site – a physical location like a website or construction site.
Yes, privacy is not absolute on the Internet. And you probably can track someone down with information from searches. But, you still have to respect when people want to be left alone. I don’t want to sign up for every site where I want to leave one or two comments either.
DonBorvio - January 5, 2012
I don’t fault anyone who wants to be left alone, but if you really want to be left alone, you probably shouldn’t be on the internet at all and you certainly shouldn’t be commenting on blogs.
I seldom comment on blogs because I generally don’t find it worth the trouble, usually because of people who feel compelled to be Grammar Nazis;) But if I am going to comment then I should be willing to identify myself to the other members of that community. And you should not be upset that those people want you to do so.
That was my point.
Melissa Vanderpool Wallace - January 5, 2012
Well, that’s why I don’t use a real name here. Once I meet someone face-to-face, flesh-and-bone, I don’t have much problem identifying myself to them. “Being left alone” is I don’t want someone online, without my permission, calling my phone or stopping by just because they can find my info online.
DonBorvio - January 5, 2012
FWIW, cisar, I agree with you. Everyone has their own comfort level and that’s the way it should be. I don’t post pics of myself or my kids. I don’t tell people where I work. There are reasons to be open and reasons to be protective. If they wanted to find that stuff out. they could, but I’m not gonna make it easy for them. That’s not to say it’s wrong to do it. I just don’t want to.
I don’t want to get spammed with email. I don’t want to wade through 5000 commercial messages on my FB page to see what my best friend is doing. I don’t want to hear about every political thought my favorite celebrities have. And all of that’s okay.
It would be nice if there were an option to allow people who don’t want everyone knowing everything about them to be able to comment on blogs, but there’s not. So, okay. TTYL.
CAustin - January 5, 2012
Your comments on Hack Whack and Snack
Thanks for your comments..However, you do not have to sign up for anything in order to leave a comment on my blog. All you have to do is to leave your name and email. The email isn’t tracked. Trust me..I don’t have the time to see who all has leaving their emails. For the first week, I didn’t have that information required. And my inbox got flooded with spam. You can also sing in using your facebook or twitter account if you don’t feel like filling in any additional information. This is pretty much standard practice in most all blogs
Dgutzman - January 5, 2012
Anonymous Commenting
One other thing. I am just launching my new website. This is more of a hobby, then a job for me. Nobody knows about my website yet and I have very little traffic. And yet, the minute I put out a test post two weeks ago just to see how it would look, I got flooded with emails for everything from breast implants to canadadian drugs companies.
That is why I have the functionality in place..It isn’t to obtain personal information from anyone who comments.
Dgutzman - January 5, 2012
i enjoyed the article man...wow some of those older intros looked very low budget..
JBoogie22 - January 5, 2012
Hillen and the rights to.......
Oh, wait, that doesn’t work in reality. :D
It’ll cost a lot to get any one of Ryan, Perry or Getzlaf, not sure GMDP would go that route. For Ryan I’d offer up Blum, Watson, one of our goalie prospects (including Lindback) and a #1 pick. I’ll throw in the rights to Rads too! :D
Grizzledbear - January 5, 2012 via mobile
That sounds like too much to me, but I think it will be an auction.
vols7381 - January 5, 2012
For a legit top 3 winger like Ryan? If anything, the Ducks could probably get a better offer than that from another team. The only reason I didn’t include Ellis in that trade proposal is due to the uncertainty of Suter and Weber’s situation.
Grizzledbear - January 5, 2012 via mobile
I like your offer better than Seth’s offer of Wilson-Blum-Halischuk-1st.
DonBorvio - January 5, 2012
Hell NO
I would not trade Wilson, Blum, Halischuk, and a 1st for Bobby Ryan. No freakn way. Way too much.
Dgutzman - January 5, 2012
It was for Ryan and Sbisa, sorry. still too much.
DonBorvio - January 5, 2012
Yeah, sending Wilson back the other way negates to much of the purpose for getting Ryan in the first place. We need to add to our forward lines, not add and subtract.
Grizzledbear - January 5, 2012 via mobile
He’s still a Duck, no matter what way you slice it. He’s not one of the worst Ducks, but he’s a Duck. There will have to be an intensive de-sliming program to make that acceptable to me. Even then, he better not take any stupid penalties for acting like a Duck.
CAustin - January 5, 2012
We’ll pluck the Duck out of him! :)
Grizzledbear - January 5, 2012 via mobile
i'd take Ryan for sure, Getz and Perry....not so much...
JBoogie22 - January 5, 2012
You'd have to package Blum in for Ryan...
… I mean… how would you feel if I stomped on your foot and then became your teammate?
djzielin - January 5, 2012
Trade for Ryan?
Bobby Ryan would cost a lot, but I think you offeredup too much. I would offer up SK74, Blum, and a 1st. If that wasn’t enough, I would throw in Jeremy Smith who is our #1 goalie prospect in Milwaukee. However, I wouldn’t offer Watson. He still has potential for us. As for Rads, I would consider throwing him in but would want a conditional pick coming back in return if he came over to Anaheim.
Dgutzman - January 5, 2012
Watson is a 50/50 prospect, hardly a can’t miss top 6 forward. It will take an impressive package going back to Anaheim for Ryan, so we’d have to part with a few players who have potential.
Grizzledbear - January 5, 2012 via mobile
[Cough, cough] Weber for Ryan [cough, cough]
TNBrando - January 5, 2012
Ducks would be in fore sale mode, not contract swapping mode. draft picks and prospects will be the price and somebody like Toronto will offer everything they have for a player of that caliber, Detroit would also and probably half the league.
Poile knows that if the Ducks are in fire sale mode, it would be cheaper to obtain Rick Nash under the radar than get into a bidding war for anybody from the Ducks.
jeffery101y - January 5, 2012
hmmmm
i thought for sure I read a quote from the Ducks GM that they would only trade a star player for a star player
JBoogie22 - January 5, 2012
Trading within the conference
I think trading within the conference can back fire on a team, probably better to trade with teams in the eastern conference, you don’t wanna give a really good player to a conference rival
Preds&niners - January 5, 2012 via mobile
They won't be
in the conference next year.
vols7381 - January 5, 2012
All Star Voting Done
Weber and Rinne will be there regardless, but voting in a guy like Suter would have been nice. He may not get picked otherwise.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Please-welcome-your-2012-NHL-All-Ottawa-er-All?urn=nhl-wp21664
PekKarlsson - January 5, 2012
Suter IN!
I would hope that as players start to pull out due to injuries, Suter would get the invite.
Dgutzman - January 5, 2012
hopefully
but while Weber and Rinne get tons of attention, Suter plays Robin so to speak.
On the other hand, are there 12 more deserving or similar calibre D?
Weber, Chara, Karlsson, Phaneuf, Campbell, Keith, Lidstrom, Del Zotto, Timmonen, Edler or Bieksa, Yandle, based on stats……some of those guys are stretches, may get hurt, tail off……
PekKarlsson - January 5, 2012
I wouldn’t trade the dirty dishes in my sink for Corey Perry. I know he is a goal scoring genius and what not but I cannot stand him and it’s not Ryan Kesler, “O I hate him—I wish he played for us” hate either.
Melissa Vanderpool Wallace - January 5, 2012
I agree, totally.
cisar - January 5, 2012
So do I
Weintraut - January 5, 2012
You and I are thinking alike.
See my reply to GB above.
CAustin - January 5, 2012
Bobby Ryan for whatever it takes....
Okay, a qualifier: Within reason.
No pick or prospect should be safe, not even ones named Ellis. And moving SK74 or HornQ would be acceptable as well.
Oh, and why no Teemu? Wouldn’t that be a treat, to see Selanne in a Preds uniform?
MaASPredFan - January 5, 2012
If we get Teemu, can we bring back Kariya?
predshockey37129 - January 5, 2012
I'm just afraid that Teemu could start tailing off any day now
Hopefully he’ll pull a Chelios because he is one of the better stories in the NHL right now.
JBoogie22 - January 5, 2012
It’s fine to go after Bobby Ryan, after all maybe he can teach Legwand that trick he pulled on him in game 5 last year. Don’t do anything crazy though- I think the Preds have pretty good chemistry, and I’d hate to see a good portion of that traded away. I’d think something along the lines of Spaling, Radulov’s rights, a minor league prospect, and a first round draft pick? Or three of the four maybe…
vols7381 - January 5, 2012
I DO NOT WANT PERRY!
I would much rather have Getzlaf or Ryan, but please do not bring Perry to this organization. With that being said, he will probably be the one we will go after if any of them.
predshockey37129 - January 5, 2012
Not after Vince Gill called him a sissy we won’t.
cisar - January 5, 2012
Getzlaf can stick it where the sun don't shine.
Whiners need not play for the Preds
vols7381 - January 5, 2012
Small Act of Kindness
I’ve noticed before how it always seems like Hornqvist talks to the Blueliner, if he’s starting. It does speak volumes of the integrity these guys have!
ILovethe#6CannonFire - January 5, 2012
Good story
My favorite blue liner moment was a few weeks ago when we had the teeny tiny goalie back there next to Peks and he leaned over to talk with him before and after the anthem.
predrock - January 5, 2012
I wish they would lean over and say “Take off your helmet for the anthem.”
cisar - January 5, 2012
I'm sure it's a safety thing
The Preds don’t want to run the risk of liability should the kid fall and hit his head.
Dirk Hoag - January 5, 2012
That’s always been my assumption too.
ILovethe#6CannonFire - January 5, 2012
Perhaps that was brought up, because I saw one of them do it, but just once.
cisar - January 5, 2012
Is there a link out there for Trotz's comments from yesterday?
I saw a bit of an interview last night and Barry was hilarious. I heard it was all like that. has anyone got a link?
predrock - January 5, 2012
trading for Ducks??
I would be very cautious about taking on a duck. We and others have done nothing but complain about the underhanded selfish ways that they play. Would the talent gained really make that risk worthwhile? I would be interested in the stats of exactly how much penalty time the team gets compared to the rest of the league. And how many suspension repeat offenders do they have? Why buy a piece of that headache? Could that type of play be retrained out of them?
Wendy H - January 5, 2012
First, any duck would need to be taught defensive responsibility, including the defensive players.
Next, corey cheap shot perry should not be on our radar. Totally unacceptable as a player, no matter how much he scores.
Other than the one player, as an organization you gotta at least make the call. They want to re build, which equates to picks and youth and we have both. Ryan and/ or getzlaf ( if you can keep him from whining to the media) would be beneficial to our team, both in strength and committment to winning.
Predator Don - January 5, 2012
Would trade for Perry or Ryan in a heartbeat
I know I’m in the minority about Perry but he’s one of the top players in the league. I have no interest in Getzlaf – I think he is an awful (whiney) captain.
Certainly the Ducks would entertain offers if Weber or Suter were included. How about Weber and Suter for Perry and Ryan? Now there’s a blockbuster.
Griz-ATL - January 5, 2012
Cam Fowler for cheap
Pick up Cam Fowler and pair him with fellow Spitfire Ryan Ellis. Yeah he’s a -19, but that’s because Duck’s forwards don’t care for defense and hang there D and goalies out to dry. Cam playing in a proper system learning under #20 and #6? Sick. We could even give them cool nick names, like, “billy the kids” or “the lone rangers”
Defense parings:
Suter – Weber
Cube – Klein
Josi – Hillen
Fowler – Ellis
Blum+Pick for Fowler.
*Blum goes home to SoCal
meetdb12 - January 5, 2012
8 starting defensemen??????!!!!!
Well there goes our scoring prowess!!!!
djzielin - January 5, 2012
naturally with injury’s and poor play, some would hang out on the scratch train.
But thats a damn good pool to choose 6/7 from every night…
meetdb12 - January 5, 2012
Fowler is likely the last player the Ducks would consider moving. He’s a cornerstone type Dman who is only 19 or 20 years old.
Grizzledbear - January 5, 2012 via mobile
Each individual is entitled to his/her opinion
but I’m scratching my head over some of the remarks regarding Corey Perry. To pass on a 50-goal scorer simply because you don’t like his style of play is just mystifying to me. How good would the Predators be with an offensive talent of his caliber on the team—assuming, of course, that Trotz didn’t mess with his game? I would welcome that dude in a heartbeat..
shoot the puck - January 5, 2012
BRyan is the guy here
off the ice, he’s a perfect fit for Nashville. Those who scoff at the idea that personalities don’t factor into where a player chooses to play are sorely mistaken. Look at $hea, $uter, and Radulov as examples of guys who wanted out for a larger spotlight.
That being said, I don’t know if the Ducks would trade for an UFA now that the team is being sold. I proposed Suter for Ryan, Visnovsky, and their 1st the other day. I’m more inclined to say they’d take a prospect and a pick for him now. Either Blum or Ellis and a 1st would be my offer. If they need a sweetener, throw in Kostitsyn. My 2cents anyway.
Shawn Kehoe - January 5, 2012
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