Ok, I am only hear at nights with the new job, but I will try to keep the page updated with the latest player movement.

So let's startt off with 2 overpaid flyers, keep it real in your new locations guys!

The Philadelphia Flyers have bought out the contracts of forwards John LeClair and Tony Amonte.


The 36-year-old LeClair spent 10 years with the Flyers, and was a member of the famed "Legion of Doom" line with Eric Lindros and Mikael Renberg in the mid-1990s.

LeClair, who entered the lockout due $9 million in the final year of a five-year contract, was to make $6.84 million after the leaguewide 24 percent pay cut.

"Obviously I'm disappointed," LeClair said. "But it was something I was prepared for. I knew it was a very realistic possibility for over a year now. My disappointment comes from knowing my years with the Flyers are over."

Amonte, who started the lockout at about $5.82 million, was due $4.26 million. In 14 seasons with New York, Chicago, Phoenix and Philadelphia, Amonte tallied 392 goals and 436 assists in the regular season; he had 20 goals and 31 assists in 86 playoff games.

By buying out LeClair's contract, the Flyers clear about $4.51 million in cap space. Philadelphia is looking to create payroll flexibility under the new $39 million salary cap mandated by the new collective bargaining agreement.

"The deal is not about me, it's about all 700 players," LeClair said. "You've got to do what's best for the union. Then you kind of have to sit back, take it all in and see how it affects your situation."

Amonte's deal will save the Flyers $2.96 million against the cap.

LeClair tallied 382 goals and 379 assists overall in the regular season in his career with the Flyers and the Montreal Canadiens; he had 42 goals and 47 assists in the playoffs.

Despite having back surgery in May, LeClair plans to continue his NHL career.

"Right now I plan to sit back, see what comes about, and see how my health is," he said. "I just have to wait and see how it plays out."

Flyers captain Keith Primeau said LeClair will be missed but that everyone understands this sort of move will be common in the new hockey economic landscape.

"When you talk about Johnny, you talk about a name synonymous with the Flyers," Primeau said. "The only reason John LeClair doesn't return as a Philadelphia Flyer is because of the new economics. A guy like Tony Amonte gets caught in the crossfire as well because of the substantial dollars he earns."

Flyers general manager Bob Clarke called both players Saturday morning to deliver the news and said it was "not the best way to start off a day."

Coach Ken Hitchcock said both LeClair and Amonte epitomized class while with the Flyers.

"I understand the economics of the new game but it doesn't make it any easier for a coach," Hitchcock said. "They've been tremendous ambassadors not only for our team but the league."

When I've been looking at the free agents available, I haven't even considered the number of awesome players with big contracts who will be bought out. I think it's gonna be wierd to see some of the contracts that players are signed to. For some reason, I imagine a lot of players will take smaller contracts to play where they want to play this year.

The next few weeks will surely be interesting.

Agreed.

I can't wait to hear whether or not Forsberg will be back in the NHL, or if he's done, or if he's staying with MODO, or what.

Detroit has waived Derian Hatcher, Darren McCarty and Ray Whitney.

Are they completely eliminating the 'tie' category?

Yes, but you get 1 point for an overtime or shoot-out loss.

Didn't they do that before? Just without the shoot-out part...

rumor has it the pens are looking at domi

No ties.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2116061

Red Wings to shed veteran trio
Associated Press

DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings placed defenseman Derian Hatcher and forwards Darren McCarty and Ray Whitney on waivers Monday, effectively cutting ties with the three high-profile veterans.

If the trio go unclaimed, the Red Wings have the option of buying out their contracts and making them unrestricted free agents.

Hatcher's contract calls for a salary of $4.94 million this season, Whitney is due $2.66 million and McCarty $1.71 million.

"They've been a big, big part of our franchise," Red Wings assistant general manager Jim Nill said. "This is just a part of doing business right now with the new CBA."

The NHL's new collective bargaining agreement features a $39 million salary cap, and teams were granted a six-day window on Saturday to shed cumbersome contracts.

The 33-year-old Hatcher, a former Dallas Stars captain, signed with Detroit as a free agent before the 2003-04 season. Considered at the time to be one of the best all-around defensemen in the league, the big, bruising Hatcher had little impact with his hometown team, tearing a knee ligament in the third game and missing the majority of that season.

Whitney, 33, also signed as a free agent with the Wings during 2003. He had 24 goals and 52 assists the season before with Columbus, and the Red Wings hoped he could fill the void created when Sergei Fedorov signed with Anaheim. With Detroit in 2003-04, Whitney managed 14 goals and 29 assists.

McCarty, who has spent his entire 11-year career with Detroit, is a fan favorite whose style of play embodies the blue-collar spirit of the city. The 33-year-old McCarty won three Stanley Cups with the Wings and scored the series-winning goal against Philadelphia in 1997.

"He's a hardworking, roll-up-your-sleeves kind of guy," Nill said. "He's really what the city's all about. He came every night to play hard. He was a big part of our success."
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I'm shocked that McCarty was cut.

question about the new rules. first i heard that anyone who fights in the last 5 minutes of game gets a game misconduct, game suspension, and the team gets fined 10k. then i heard those penalties are only for instigating a fight in the last 5 minutes of a game. does anyone know what the deal is w/ this?

i personly think fighting should be mandatory.

if you fight within the first 5 minutes, you are tossed, given a one game suspension, game misconduct and there will be a 5 minute penalty assessed that doesn't end when someone scores.

sakic and blake stay

Sakic, Blake to stay; Forsberg, Foote up in airAssociated Press


DENVER -- The Colorado Avalanche spent a decade building a team that could contend for a Stanley Cup every year. The new collective bargaining agreement will chip away at that team, although the men in the front office aren't ready to give up on being great.

General manager Pierre Lacroix said Monday the Avalanche will honor the contracts of two core players, Joe Sakic and Rob Blake, and insists he hasn't given up on the notion of keeping Peter Forsberg and Adam Foote on the roster, as well.

"Who do I want back? I want everybody back because we are very proud of what we accomplished for 10 years," Lacroix said. "That is the goal. Is it possible? Sure it's possible. There is going to be some adjustment."

In reality, it will be nearly impossible for the team to keep both Forsberg and Foote, two free agents who will go on the open market if not signed by Colorado by Aug. 1.

When he's healthy, Forsberg is widely considered the best player in the game and can likely get the NHL-maximum $7.8 million on the open market. Foote, a top defenseman, can likely make around $4 million. The salary cap is set at $39 million. After their 24-percent salary rollbacks, Sakic and Blake will combine to count about $13 million against that cap. The Avalanche have only eight players under contract -- with the possibility of buying out a few of those contracts -- and need to sign 15 more.

Despite the new agreement, in which the players agreed to big pay cuts and a salary cap, Blake said he wouldn't be surprised to see a player like Forsberg take less money to stay with a contender.

"There's an option to go to teams that can win," Blake said. "I don't see that changing by any means."

Over the next few days, Lacroix must decide where the value lies -- in a scorer like Forsberg playing in a league with new rules designed to promote offense, or in a defenseman like Foote, whose value would seem to decline under those same rules.

"As far as how I will be coaching the team, I don't foresee change in our style as much as letting our players have freedom to play," said coach Joel Quenneville, who was hired in July 2004 and has yet to coach a game for the Avalanche.

While many markets around the league worry about how the lockout will affect fan support, Denver is not one of them.

The Avalanche have the NHL's longest sellout streak. Almost all season tickets have been renewed for 2005-06 and there remains a waiting list of about 1,000. On Monday, the team announced a 20 percent discount for the vast majority of season ticket holders who kept their money on deposit with the team while the lockout was ongoing.

Of course, nothing draws like a winner and Lacroix has kept the Avalanche in that category since the team moved to Denver from Quebec in 1995. Colorado has won two Stanley Cups, advanced to the conference finals six times and won the division a record nine straight times, from 1995-2003. (The first of those nine titles came in Quebec.)

"One thing we have done over these 10 years in Denver, we have been able to have the trust of our fans in the way we've managed the team," Lacroix said. "We aren't going to disappoint them. We are going to put together the best product possible."

Under the old system, where money flowed freely, Lacroix was thought of as one of the most creative executives in the business. Now, his model has changed and he'll have to be creative in a different context -- with a hard salary cap and a fraction as much money to spend.

"Pierre said he'd love to keep the group together," Quenneville said. "I would be fortunate to have that type of group. We have been preparing for a number of training camps."

The Avalanche also has to make decisions on Milan Hejduk, Alex Tanguay and goalie David Aebischer, among others. Lacroix said management has made a list of priorities and answers will be coming shortly.

In the meantime, the general manager said the Stanley Cup will remain the goal for the Avalanche.

"We get up in the morning for one reason: To be there for the last day," Lacroix said.

*last

And it's only for instigating a fight, not just fighting.

thank god

i still think there should be a minimum of one fight per game

This sounds like a dumb rule. People love fights just like people love crashes in NASCAR. I don't know why the NHL wants to cut down on fighting if its a reason why people watch. That being said, I doubt this rule will cut down on the number of fights anyway.

DMac

I'm really happy that they were able to keep Sakic and Blake. I hope that they find a way to keep Forsberg and Foote as well. I would hate to see either one of them go. August 1st is right around the corner...I will have to check the Avs site regularly.

Thanks for posting the article.