Around The NHL: Ryan Smyth, Craig Ramsay, Salary Cap

According to TSN, former Islander Ryan Smyth has informed the Los Angeles Kings he'd like to be traded back to the Edmonton Oilers. Smyth, 35, has one more year on his contract, in which he'll earn $4.5 million but will cost $6.25 million on the cap. Smyth scored 23 goals and assisted on 24 others last year in a full 82 game season.

Smyth played 18 games for the Islanders in 2006-07 and scored 5 goals and had 15 points.

CH: Okay, I have to say this confuses me for a bunch of reasons. First, Smyth pretty much had to be traded in 2007 because he wouldn't budge on $100,000 per year for an extension. Then the guy cries when he is traded to the Islanders. Then he signs with Colorado, before getting traded to Los Angeles. He finally finds himself on a team that is primed to make the playoffs every year, and all of a sudden he wants to go back to Edmonton. This whole situation is bizarre.

Don't get me wrong, and I don't mean to rehash old memories, but I would make the trade for him every time. Even at 35, he is a very useful player. When the Islanders had him at 31, he was fantastic and was a huge difference maker after Rick DiPietro went down. Looking at the now, does it even make sense for Edmonton to take on that kind of contract? They've finished 30th two years in a row, so do they want to hand a 3rd line spot to a declining Ryan Smyth or let a young guy take the reigns? Especially for a $6.25 million cap hit. Unless the Kings end up buying Smyth out and he signs in Edmonton on the cheap, I don't see this happening. But this report was certainly unexpected.

AT: This kind of reinforces my opinion that Smyth leaving was better for the team. For him to turn this way on LA is absolutely pathetic on his part. Yes, he helped us out when Snow traded for him, but if he was going to act like this a year or two into his contract wanting to go back to Edmonton, I'm happier with what we have here. That's all I can really say about this.

The Winnipeg(s) have informed former Atlanta Thrashers coach Craig Ramsay and former Edmonton Oilers coach Craig MacTavish that they will not be hired for the vacant head coaching position. The two finalists for the job are Chicago Blackhawks assistant Mike Haviland and former Blue Jackets Head Coach Claude Noel. 

CH: Well it's clear now that Kevin Cheveldayoff and the Winnipeg(s) are going in a new direction. Ramsay did a good job working with the young kids in Atlanta last year, but with a relocated franchise, it's understandable that Cheveldayoff wanted to bring in his own guy. Mike Haviland has been a guy rumored to be ready for a head coaching position for a while, so it wouldn't surprise me for Cheveldayoff to go with him. That said, I think the better choice is Noel, whose little NHL experience could be important for a young team. He also coached the Manitoba Moose last year, so he has a rapport with the area and the fanbase. We'll see what direction they go in.

AT: Haviland seems like the most likely choice. Local guy, fans know of him and his system, works well with the organization, etc. Ramsay's a good coach but I can see why Haviland would be a more likely option.

Chris Johnston is reporting the NHL salary cap for next season will settle in around $64 million. Consequently, the cap floor will be approximately $48 million. 

CH: So now the cap floor for 2011-12 is going to be about $9 million more than the cap ceiling in 2005-06, when the salary cap was first instituted. It really makes you wonder. Now the smaller market teams are going to fall behind again, as big market teams like New York and Toronto have the ability to spend to the ceiling. So while the cap was originally supposed to reel in those teams, here we are 7 years later and the cap ceiling is $25 million more than it was seven years ago. However, the increases are a result of increasing revenues to the NHL, so that is a great thing.

As far as the Islanders are concerned, well, they obviously have a ton of room to play with. The only question is...will they use it?

AT: As much as I hate to see the Rangers getting more room to add on to their already ridiculous contracts, as Carey said this is an indication of increasing revenues with the NHL and that is nothing but good news to me. With the Islanders, I can see a more substantial version of the Wisniewski trade occurring. I have honestly no idea who the Islanders could possibly go for, although Brent Burns was rumored to be available. It is going to be one of the most important offseasons in his GM career for Mr. Snow.

Report: Winnipeg Offers GM Job to Kevin Cheveldayoff

According to NHL.com, True North has offered their vacant GM job to Kevin Cheveldayoff. The former 1988 first round draft pick of the Islanders was recently the assistant GM of the Chicago Blackhawks and the GM of the AHL's Chicago Wolves before that.

No word on whether Cheveldayoff has accepted or not yet.

CH: I'm not so sure I love this move from a Winnipeg standpoint. There is no question that Cheveldayoff has potential in management. He was rumored back for the Islanders job in 2006 before the position went to Neil Smith. I am just concerned that he is being shoved into a very high pressure situation in Winnipeg with a rebuilding team. That's a lot to put on a rookie GM, especially with the importance of putting a good product on the ice for the team's future in Winnipeg. Between Rick Dudley and Cheveldayoff, I think Dudley would have been a better option for Winnipeg, but it's clear True North wanted to start as fresh as possible.

AT: I also think Dudley would've been better, but as you said it's pretty obvious Winnipeg wants a new start on the team, both in management and in style.

Around The NHL: Game 2, Winnipeg, Rick Dudley

Photo Credit: TSN via Getty Images

In Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals, the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Boston Bruins 3-2 in overtime to take a 2-0 lead in the series. Alex Burrows scored the game winning goal for Vancouver just 11 seconds into overtime. Game 3 will be in Boston on Monday at 8 PM on VERSUS. 

CH: Unfortunately, I missed the game but it sounds like it was a great game all around. Huge win for the Canucks who will now maintain home ice advantage as the series moves to Boston.

AT: Great game by both sides. Nice to finally see some regulation scoring! Bruins D looked tired by the end of the game. Vancouver looked fast as hell... hence scoring so quickly into OT. Great game all around. Onto Boston.

TSN is reporting that True North has decided to not retain Rick Dudley as the new Winnipeg team's General Manager. Dudley had four years remaining on his contract after signing an extension with the Atlanta Thrashers this past January.

CH: Very bold move by the new ownership of the Winnipeg team. Dudley is a fantastic talent evaluator and could have really helped propelled the team to take the next step. Dudley will surely not be around for long, and if the Islanders wanted to take advantage of his availability, he would be a great candidate for a Team President type role, or just one who oversees all hockey operations with the front office. I don't expect this to happen by any stretch, but whoever does land Dudley will be getting a fantastic hockey mind in their organization.

AT: Agreed. Very odd that they'd rid themselves of Dudley as he clearly had a plan, but I guess True North has other plans. Good luck to them.

Speaking of Winnipeg, TSN is reporting the new team sold out 13,000 season tickets within 20 minutes of availability to the public as well as a long waiting list. With the MTS Centre's capacity at a little over 15,000, only 2,000 tickets will be available to the public per game.

CH: The response by the Winnipeg community has been outstanding and exactly what needed to happen for this to work. The only question is if they will be able to maintain it if the team continues to struggle. One would hope and expect they would. The amount of tickets sold here puts Winnipeg in the top half of teams for revenue sharing. Congratulations to True North, the Winnipeg community, and the NHL for making a seamless transition from a very unfortunate situation in Atlanta.

AT: Just an awesome job by the Winnipeg area fans. They've shown everyone that they're ready to have a team again, and that they will support it.

Around The NHL: Drew Stafford, Winnipeg, Game 2

TSN is reporting that Buffalo Sabres forward Drew Stafford has signed a 4 year, $16 million extension with the team that will keep him under contract until the 2015 offseason. The 25 year old forward had 31 goals and 52 points last season. 

CH: Pretty slow news day in the NHL today, so this is our substitution for the top 5 countdown. Regarding this move by the Sabres, this is exactly what they needed. In recent years, Buffalo has suffered somewhat of an exodus of players leaving from players such as Chris Drury and Danny Briere to lesser "name" players such as Toni Lydman and Henrik Tallinder. Stafford is clearly a member of the Sabres core at this point and deserves every cent of this contract. Keep in mind that from an Islanders perspective, Michael Grabner is two years younger, scored more points, and is earning one million less per year (on the cap) than Stafford. That doesn't imply the Stafford deal is a bad one, but actually shows how great the Grabner deal could be for the Islanders.

AT: Great move by the Sabres. Stafford is going to be a continuous goalscorer in this league. He was very impressive in the times I saw him play the Isles.

In other news, TSN is also reporting the new Winnipeg team has sold 55% of it's season ticket quota of 13,000 as of yesterday. 

AT: Update as of 4:30 PM - Done. Congrats to Winnipeg... you guys showed you're definitely involved and ready to support the new team.

CH: With sales opening to the general public tomorrow, the team will have no problem getting the remaining 45%. The only question will be how fast the rest of the tickets go. This is exactly what needed to happen with the recent announcement of the Atlanta Thrashers moving to Winnipeg. With this step over halfway completed, it will be interesting to see how True North responds from a hockey operations standpoint. Who will they keep? Who will they let go? Can they sign Andrew Ladd to a contract extension? Are free agents going to sign there? It will be very interesting to see what direction the new Winnipeg team goes in.

Finally, Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals is tonight at 8 PM (EST) on NBC. It should be another great battle.

AT: Do we get more biting?! Tell me we get more biting!

Around The NHL: June 2, 2011

5. Sidney Crosby Cleared For Off-Ice Workouts

TSN     Pittsburgh Post-Gazette     ESPN

CH: This is very encouraging to hear. Like him or hate him, Crosby is the best player in the world and it is extremely disadvantageous for all parties for him to be sidelined with this type of injury. Considering the NHL is trying to cut down on head injuries, having Crosby as the lead example would be a disaster. Most importantly, however, it's important Crosby is able to continue his career as one of the top players of the generation.

AT: The NHL is roaring back, and Crosby and his magnificent skills on ice are a huge part of it. To lose him would be catastrophic for the sport. He may very well lead the Penguins to several more Stanley Cups (much to my dismay), and will continue to lead the league in points and goals scored. The NHL needs you back, Sid. Get well soon.

4. New Winnipeg Team Has Sold Over 4,000 Season Tickets In Two Days

TSN     Winnipeg Free Press     ESPN

CH: When Commissioner Bettman stated that for the Winnipeg project to work, the team must sell 13,000 tickets, he wasn't kidding. So far, the city has responded to this demand as 4,000 Manitoba Moose season ticket holders have already signed on as season ticket holders for the new Winnipeg team. When tickets open to the general public in a few days, there should be no problems whatsoever getting to that 13,000 number.

AT: This is very encouraging news. I'd like nothing more than to see Winnipeg succeed. Hopefully with new ownership and a Canadian location, they'll be able to bring in higher end FAs as well. I'm very excited for the first Winnipeg-Islanders game.

Photo Credit: Ric Ernst

3. Dan Hamhuis Questionable For Game 2 With "Middle-Body" Injury

TSN     Vancouver Sun     ESPN

CH: Hamhuis is without question a big part of the Vancouver defense, which has been outstanding in these playoffs. The Canucks have set themselves up very nicely with their defensive depth. Keith Ballard should be able to step right in and do a solid job if Hamhuis is unable to go. Speaking of Ballard, he is a possible trade candidate in the offseason and potentially someone the Islanders may want to look into if they are interested in another Wisniewski-type deal.

AT: Vancouver's D is absolutely stacked. While losing a top 2 D-Man is always scary, I don't see it being a gigantic problem for Vancouver. I certainly hope not. If I have to see another Boston team win a championship, I may just quit the 4 major sports and pick up competitive chinese checkers.

2. Alex Burrows Faces No Suspension For Biting Patrice Bergeron

Photo Credit: Reuters

TSN     Vancouver Sun     Boston Globe     ESPN

CH: There is no excusing what Burrows did to Bergeron (though some may argue what Bergeron was doing putting his hand there to begin with). The fact of the matter is the NHL is not going to hand out suspensions in the Stanley Cup Final to a top line player unless he practically decapitates someone on the ice. During the regular season, Burrows probably gets a game or two, but it's not the regular season. The only irony I see here is that the day Gary Bettman asks for harsher supplemental discipline, something like this goes unpunished. Both teams are ready to move on, which is what they should do. Game 2 is Saturday night at 8 PM on NBC.

AT: As Carey said, it's the Cup finals. It was the right thing to do. They'll get over it. 

1. Dallas Stars Trying To Trade Brad Richards Before July 1

TSN     Dallas Morning News     ESPN

CH: Richards is the top pending unrestricted free agent on the market, which makes the Stars' inability to sign him a big, intriguing story. Logic will dictate big market teams like the Rangers, Maple Leafs, and Kings being in on trading for Richards' rights. However, the Stars are going to do what's best for them and if a smaller market team (such as Tampa Bay) comes along and offers them the best deal, they'll probably take it. That said, I would not expect the Islanders to even make an offer to Dallas. We will continue to keep tabs on this story as it continues to unfold during the Stanley Cup Finals and beyond.

AT: I question whether the Rangers can afford him with some major RFAs needing new deals. I can see him fitting in perfectly in Toronto, and they're certainly the kind of team to make a silly trade... calling Phil Kessel!