DBAHO

Australia's going to kick your ass anyways.

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Jul 3, 2008 -> 02:32 PM) Don't take that as him being an 12 pt, 8 assist guy. I'm telling you, he's nothing more then a role player. By running a team well, I mean he won't take sumb shots, won't make dumb turnovers, and won't try fancy passes. He's solid, thats about as far as I'd go. No he's going to be a backup, but to hear solid is good. I think he "could" be a borderline starter on some teams maybe, but for a bench guy, he's going to give you pretty decent production. Better than Arroyo who's all flash and just plays no defense whatsoever anyways.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Jul 3, 2008 -> 10:06 AM) So you're from Austrailia and you've never had Kangaroo until you came to the US? Whats'a matta with you?!? No I have, over a campfire also. I just thought I'd re-inforce the fact that I tucked into some more of Skippy last night. On Skewers as well.

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Jul 3, 2008 -> 02:13 PM) Someone lied to you! He's a career back-up, but knows how to run a team pretty well. He's not much of a scorer at all, and has a very inconsistent jumpsot. Yet, every season, he has 2-3 30+ point games where he will just light it up. He's a slightly above average defender. Yikes. That's all I wanted to hear. I'd prefer Dooling, but that's probably not gonna happen now. Duhon won't have to be a scorer for us, and if he can pass well and play good defense, it's a good fit for us.

QUOTE (Gage Loves Me @ Jul 3, 2008 -> 01:47 PM) Landing Zherdev has raised my hopes a little bit for this season. I can't believe we got Zherdev for 2 garbage defensemen. Slats is a magician. Shows how much Hitchcock wanted him out of Columbus, guess he's not a "two-way" forward, and in that system of his, you have to be. I think it's a great deal for the Rangers, if they give Zherdev plenty of time to settle in on one of the 1st 2 lines.

So I had some Kangaroo last night. It's quite good, you should try it sometime.

QUOTE (jackie hayes @ Jul 2, 2008 -> 06:12 PM) Acc to rotoworld, it's 2 years, $7 mil. Is that confirmed though? I read on the Orlando Sentinel he's close to accepting a 3 year $10M deal with the Magic (which would take us out of the Maggette negotiations, and Keyon Dooling won't be back). Also you guys know more about Duhon than I do. I've read he's supposedly an "elite defender". Is that really the case?

QUOTE (whitesoxfan99 @ Jul 2, 2008 -> 04:04 PM) Maggette is from Chicago Ah ok. Well his parents live in Orlando now, and he has a house there (which is why he's mooted in the press about "coming home").

QUOTE (JFields27 @ Jul 3, 2008 -> 03:03 AM) Latest Blog on the Boyle front: http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=16057 throw in your Khabby wishes wheres needed Khabby plus 2nd rounder acquired from Calgary for Boyle. You know you want to Barry Melrose.

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Jul 2, 2008 -> 02:35 PM) If all it takes is the MLE, I think the Bulls would be stupid not to go after Magette. But knowing Pax, he'll sit on his hands like always. I can't see Maggette choosing the Bulls over another team with the MLE. He'd either play for his home town (Orlando), or with a major contender (Boston or San Antonio). But I think the Spurs will get him. Otis Smith wants to re-sign Dooling, and maybe bring is Chris Duhon if they can split those 2 over the MLE. And yeah even if we signed Maggette, our bench would be terrible (unless you played Turk off the bench in a Manu type of role). But SVG plays his starters for 40 mins a game anyways.

Yeah if they get Long signed, this would have been one of the best draft's we've had in quite a while. I doubt it happens though, but at least they're going to give it a crack.

Ummm wow RE Hossa. The guy obviously wants to win a Stanley Cup. It's risky as hell, but I admire the guy for not settling for a long - term deal with a bad team.

Losing Rolston will hurt them, unless Brunnette can give them the same output (doubtful). So yeah they'll be on the bubble also.

Well my thoughts on everything; I think DT has done very well so far, deserves a B+ at least, will move to an A if he can trade Khabibulin for salary relief. They got the guy I wanted in Campbell. I know a lot of people would have rathered Hossa, but he's going to get $9M a season it looks like at least, and we're paying $2M less for Campbell. This team has been craving for a puck moving defenseman for a long time. We're been anemic on the PP for so, so long now. Getting Campbell on the point should help us bolt into the top 15. And that's something around an extra 15-20 goals at least hopefully, and that could be worth another 8-10 points in the standings. I'd play him on the top line on the defense, but wouldn't give him major PK time on the top line unless he showed his play was up to it. Still, he should easily log 25-30 mins a game, and having that kind of passer and guy to set-up play from the back is only going to help the likes of Kane and Toews score more points. Huet is another signing I liked. There have been some flaws of his game pointed out, but if he can continue to give something around a .920% SVG, he'll be a very, very solid goaltender for us, and an upgrade on what Khabibulin provided. For $5.6M a season, there's no way he'll be splitting time, that's just a stupid waste of resources. We could be missing a top 6 forward if Williams leaves (which it appears will be the case). But we've got Kane, Toews, Sharp, Ladd, Lang and Havlat which is a decent top 6. Bolland could play on the 2nd line also, but he'll probably start on the 3rd. Right now, I see the team in around 7th - 8th in the West. I see Phoenix making in the playoffs behind a full season from Ilya and the acquisition of Jokinen. Colorado may slide without Sakic, Forsberg and Theodore. Nashville is another team I think we'll leapfrog. The rest, I'm not so sure yet.

Danks has a 1.98 ERA since the Twins start, which was his 2nd start of the season IIRC. He certainly deserves a spot, and I'll be disappointed if he misses out. Quentin should go, Dye's borderline and Linebrink is 50-50 (probably deserves a spot, but closers over middle relievers). Guys like Soria may make it over Linebrink just because each team has to have a representative.

QUOTE (Frankensteiner @ Jul 1, 2008 -> 03:57 PM) More along the lines of: "Vazquez has 1 good year, and people are ready to annoint him an ace." GMAB with this stuff. Career 4.29 ERA, working on his 4th below average season in the last 5 years, and you're trying to tell me it's 1 bad month? Please. What you see is what you get. People should realize last year was the exception, not the norm. It just goes to show that guys with good stuff will always get the benefit of the doubt. Buehrle's pretty much had 1 bad season in his career. Bad comparison. Last year was the exception? Ok believe that if you want, but JV's numbers from the 2nd half of 2006 to the end of last season indicated argubly he was the White Sox's best pitcher throughout that period. That to me showed the guy was making progress after Coop tweaked something in his delivery. And he 1st 2 months of the season were pretty good, ERA just under or around 4 IIRC, which is not bad. But like I said, it's been 1 bad month. How often over the past 5 seasons have we seen Mark Buehrle get hit hard over a month? Quite a bit I would say. But just because he has a track record he got more of the beenfit of the doubt over the 1st 2 months than JV has over the last month. Is a guy with a 4.29 career ERA really that bad though? All Vaz needs to do more is to get his control back on track and start pitching inside more.

OH YEAH!!!! This has a 2005 style victory written all over it. Danksy brilliant again, shame he didn't pick up the win. Alexei, OC and Wise, well down in the 10th boys. That's what 6 in a row now. Keep stretching that lead.

Yeah a nice outing there for Aaron. Hudson went 4IP, 3R, 2ER, 2BB's and 5K's.

Davis for $10M a season is crazy. But now Maggette has to settle for the MLE. Boston have already offered it to him though. Let's see if he "really" wants to go back to Orlando.

3:40pm ET - Sorry for the big gap, things are a little hectic around here. Chicago, Ottawa and Atlanta are among the teams pushing hard to get Brian Campbell... Hossa camp being very hush-hush right now. 4:22pm ET - Word is Hawks close to trading Nikolai Khabibulin to Kings, meanwhile Kings already got Denis Gauthier from Philly. I'm thinking its for one of their forwards maybe? Edmonon offered Hossa $9M a season IIRC.

I'd love to get Mezaros (I can't spell any of these guys) the young defenseman who wants a raise. Depends what they do with Wade Redden I guess. They'd want to keep at least 1.

Yeah those numbers with the Caps are pretty studly. I think he's French as well.

Yeah that's why it's smart on our part, if we can deal Khabi. Depends on what we get back though. A top tier defenseman should be the priority. I wouldn't have minded Vishnosky (know I spelt that wrong), before he was dealt to Edmonton (even though he had a down year). Too bad Florida have Vokoun, because I'd love to dangle Khabi + pieces for Bouwmeester.

I like the move. I'm a fan of Huet, even though some people think he's a system goalie. I think he puts that theory to rest a little with his play in Washington. So I think he's an upgrade on Khabibulin, who at his best was great, but just wasn't consistent enough, and too injury prone over the length of the deal. DT could really get himself a nice forward or defenseman here by dangling Khabi.

Goodbye Khabby then if the above does happen. My guess is he's off to Tampa. Kolzig isn't a starting caliber NHL goaltender anymore. But they do have Mike Smith there also, but I don't know if he's a bonafide #1. Maybe Edmonton could be the team that trades for Khabby, they've been clearing salary today, and need an upgrade in goal from Roloson, so there are some definite possibilites. Oh and the Senators, definitely.