NHL Off-season Thread

Anybody know any details about Janne Pesonen?  Pen's just signed him today for pennies.  He's out of Finland and apparently he's been running a train on European leagues the past couple years.  Winning scoring titles and championships.  Obviously they don't play at the level of the NHL.  But I'm interested in seeing how this dude pans out.  Watched his highlights on youtube and he's got a pretty nasty shot, and is pretty fast and agile. 

Canucks fan above: don't get stressed, it's july 8th, not october 8th. Gillis wants an instant contender (which means we're gonna SUCK in a few years) and he'll make it happen. Sundin didn't turn down the 20mil (though I hope he does, because fuck that noise), and we'll sign Bernier, hopefully soon and hopefully for 4-5 years. That makes the bottom 3 lines look like this:

2: Sedin Sedin Bernier
3: Burrows Kesler Pyatt
4: Raymond Johnson Wellwood



Or something like that. Sub in Hordichuk when we need to beat people up, or maybe one of the forwards will be traded, like say Pyatt. That's an extremely good 2nd line, a 3rd line that rates among the top checking lines in the league and Kesler can score, too, and a 4th line that has speed and a proven two way center who can win draws. So really, all Gillis needs to do is shore up a top line. Rumour mill has it that there's a possible trade in the works, straight up, Kevin Bieksa for Antoine Vermette. Take that, sign Demitra and you have two thirds of a legitimate top line. Tack on our already very good D core and Lui and you have a divisional contender. Kinda wish we'd signed Bert for that 3rd line RW spot though...

Looks like we've got Demitra, 4-mil per, but both sources are in Slovak.

http://sport.joj.sk/hokej-nhl/8-7-2008/clanok/demitra-do-vancouvru.html

"Slovenský hokejista bude v najbližších troch rokoch obliekať dres Vancouvru, zarobiť by mal 4 milióny dolárov za sezónu."

http://www.bleskovky.sk/cl/12/247970/NHL-Vancouver-sa-zaujima-o-Demitru

I wonder what the Wild would want for Gaborik... probably an eye for an eye.

Demitra - Vermette - Gaborik
Sedin - Sedin - Bernier

One can dream...

^ I agree. I don't know how much truth is in this Vermette rumor, but we sure as hell aren't getting Gaborik

the thing is I just hate having these average seasons. I'd like to make it further in the playoffs or tank and get some draft picks. Being average for over a decade is what killed this team (and some bad drafting).

First, don't be so sure. Gaborik loves demitra. I'd personally rather throw a D-man and Raymond or Grabner Minnesota's way and then lock Gaborik up longer-term for 10 mil than Sundin.

Second, we tried being bad, remember? Messier's years? Didn't really help us.

well i like hockey!!!

I was hoping to wait until next off-season, and assuming Demitra's with us, we could sign Demitra then, without sacrificing any of our prospects. But I guess it depends how quickly Gillis wants things done and what he's willing to give up.

And to the second point, perhaps it's time for us to overhaul our scouts completely.

Finally, it's official. Demitra's a Canuck


And that post above Klazo, I meant we could sign Gaborik next off season, not Demitra, woops.

The habs just acquired Robert Lang. If nothing else, I'm happy all the rumours of a Sundin move will be put to a rest and I'll never hear his name again.

Oh, and Breezer resigned.