Today at a live press conference Alain Vigneault announced superstar goalie Roberto Luongo as the new Captain of the Vancouver Canucks. Luongo becomes the 12th Captain of the Vancouver Canucks. Some may now breath a sigh of relief now as the supposed European captain curse will finally be lifted from the Canucks.

According to the National Hockey League (NHL) rules Goaltenders may not be designated as captains or alternate captains because of the logistical challenges of having the goaltender relay rules discussions between referees and coaches and then return to the crease.

This leaves the question of if this was passed by the league and if we will see a new trend to goalies as Captains.

What do you think of this news?

Every year the Canucks publish their schedule in various formats but they never seem to do it in a PST file which is supported by Outlook. I have put together the 2008-09 schedule for download which you can import into your own Outlook. It includes a hour reminder.

To use the file in your Outlook….

• Download the file and save it to a easy to remember location
• Choose File from the menu and select Import and Export
• A little window will pop open from it pick Import from another program or file
• On the next screen pick Personal Folder File (.pst)
• Then browse to the pst file and choose to ‘do not import duplicates’ on the next screen
• On the next screen click Finish

Get stuck somewhere post in the comments.

Wow, I did not do particularly well in the second round after a respectable 6-2 in the first round. Only one of my second round predictions, the Pittsburgh Penguins made it to their conference final.

Eastern Conference

(1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (6) Philadelphia Flyers

My Prediction: Canadiens in 5.
Result: Flyers in 5.

Well, at least I got the number of games correct. The Habs choked big time after going into the playoffs as one of the favorites to win it all. 20-year old starting goaltender Carey Price put up a good fight but didn’t perform well under pressure and backup Jaroslav Halak was even worse. However, it’s tough to pin the loss on Price as he was still one of the better Montreal players on the ice during the series. And what the heck happened to RJ Umberger? He almost single-handedly propelled the Flyers into the next round with the explosion in his offensive game.

(2) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (4) New York Rangers

My Prediction: Penguins in 6.
Result: Penguins in 5.

I thought the Rangers would be better in this series but there was little they could do against all that talent on the Pens lineup, which has only lost a single game this post-season. Heck, even the usually shaky Marc-Andre Fleury is posting some stellar numbers.

Western Conference

(1) Detroit Red Wings vs. (6) Colorado Avalanche

My Prediction: Avalanche in 6.
Result: Red Wings in 4.

In my defense, Colorado was decimated by injury by the first game of the series and you can’t win against Detroit when some of your best players are sidelined. The Wings cruised through this series barely breaking a sweat.

(2) San Jose Sharks vs. (5) Dallas Stars

My Prediction: Sharks in 7.
Result: Stars in 6.

Wow, someone is totally getting fired. Going into the playoffs as the league’s hottest team, the Sharks had some serious expectations. Many named them the favorites for the Cup this year. Heck, a simulation from EA had them as the champs this year too but they were on the verge of being swept before winning a couple to stay alive. Marty Turco has been playing unconscious this post-season. Not to say Vezina Trophy finalist Evgeni Nabakov wasn’t awesome as well (did you see that ridiculous save in the game 6!?) but Turco is outshining just about everyone. That and captain Brendan Morrow just may give Turco a run for his money for the Conn Smythe if the Stars win it all. That guy is a great leader…hitting, fore-checking, scoring.

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Right, so that leaves me with a 7-5 overall this year so far.

(2) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (6) Philadelphia Flyers

Tough call. Both teams have a well-balanced attack, solid defense and a normally inconsistent goaltender that is playing extremely well in the playoffs.

Getting lost in the shuffle of superstars such as Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Sergei Gonchar, Marian Hossa, etc on the Pens are the veterans that are making some great contributions like Pascal Dupuis, George Laraque and Jarkko Ruutu. For the Flyers, who are led by Daniel Briere and R.J. Umberger on the front lines for the first two series, some of the lesser lights like Mike Knuble and Scottie Upshall have been great as well.

The Flyers will be playing an opponent similar to their second round match-up with Montreal. Offensively minded with high-flying young players, a young goaltender and gritty veterans in the mix. If the Flyers can maintain the hard-hitting mindset that they went into Montreal with, they might have a good chance. They’ll have a better chance if Martin Biron can stop Crosby, Malkin and company. However, I don’t think I’ll bet against Pittsburgh here.

Prediction: Penguins in 7

(1) Detroit Red Wings vs. (5) Dallas Stars

The Stars have been one of the strongest teams in the playoffs so far after coming into the post-season on a bit of a late slump. After knocking out two of the favorites for this year in the Anaheim Ducks and the San Jose Sharks, the Stars now face the best team for…oh, the last decade. Seriously, anyone remember a time when the Detroit Red Wings were bad? No one?

After replacing Hasek in net, Chris Osgood has been solid although he has had plenty of help from the likes of Henrik Zetterburg and Pavel Datsyuk. And what’s with Johan Franzen? Where did all these hat tricks come from!?

It’s not to say the Stars are a bad team. They’re a spectacular team with great goaltending and great leadership and some fantastic skill players. It’s just that every team they’ve beaten so far has been the better team on paper. So what’s to stop them from beating the Wings?

Well, Marty Turco, for starters, has not been very good against Detroit or in Detroit, going 0-7-2 at Joe Louis. They also face a very strong defensive team with one of the league’s best checking lines of Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby in addition to Selke finalists Zetterburg and Datsyuk. Oh, did I mention this guy named Nicklas Lidstrom, who has been the best defenseman in the league for the just about his entire career?

Yeah, that’s a tough task for Dallas to take on, especially considering they had a tough series against San Jose when the Wings have had some rest after sweeping Colorado. But they won’t go without a hell of a ruckus.

Prediction: Red Wings in 6

First off, let’s review how I did in the first round.

Eastern Conference

(1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (8) Boston Bruins

My Prediction: Canadiens in 4.
Result: Canadiens in 7.

It was a serious surprise to me to see the Canadiens pushed to the brink but the Bruins since Montreal has dominated Boston for the past two seasons. However, Carey Price was amazing and the Canadiens move onto Round 2.

(2) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (7) Ottawa Senators

My Prediction: Penguins in 5.
Result: Penguins in 4.

Not much of a surprise here as the Senators have some serious problems both on the ice and in the locker room. It’s already been announced that backup goaltender Ray Emery (who has been blamed for many of the Sens chemistry woes) will not be returning next year and the Senators could see many other changes with many high-profile UFAs probably not up for another contract. Captain Daniel Alfredsson returned early from injury but was largely ineffective against the young guns of the Penguins.

(3) Washington Capitals vs. (6) Philadelphia Flyers

My Prediction: Capitals in 7.
Result: Flyers in 7.

It came down to one goal in overtime and it was the Flyers moving on. The Cinderella story ended a little earlier than Caps fans, and probably the NHL, wanted. You just know the NHL was hoping for a Ovechkin/Crosby matchup in the second round to sell the game to the American markets and probably NBC and ESPN.

(4) New York Rangers vs. (5) New Jersey Devils

My Prediction: Rangers in 6.
Result: Rangers in 5.

This wasn’t a particularly interesting series and I didn’t watch any of the games. The only significant story to come out of this series was Sean Avery’s behavior in front of Vezina candidate Martin Brodeur which prompted the NHL to make a rule change in regard to facing the goalie and waving your arms in the air. Seriously, I understand being a pest but that doesn’t mean you have to be a jackass…

Western Conference

(1) Detroit Red Wings vs. (8) Nashville Predators

My Prediction: Red Wings in 5.
Result: Red Wings in 6.

Give the Preds credit…they weren’t even expected to be anywhere near the playoffs after dismantling their club in the off-season and yet they managed to push the President’s trophy winners to six games with some seriously gutsy efforts. They outplayed the Wings for large stretches but there’s no substitute for playoff experience.

(2) San Jose Sharks vs. (7) Calgary Flames

My Prediction: Sharks in 6.
Result: Sharks in 7.

As expected, the Calgary Flames put up a serious effort with the team’s veteran leadership stepping up big but in the end, they fell to the team most experts expect to be in the Stanley Cup Final this year. Calgary’s goaltending was a bit inconsistent as Miika Kipprusoff was pulled in game 7 in favor of veteran backup Curtis Joseph, who stole a game for the Flames earlier in the series. The Sharks big guns had a good series with Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau (coming off a very disappointing regular season) and Jonathan Cheechoo putting up some decent numbers but surprisingly, it’s Ryane Clowe and Joe Pavelski leading the way. Brian Campbell, who was definitely the best pickup of the trade deadline, had an unconvincing series and was responsible for several turnovers that resulted in Flames goals. Vezina trophy favorite Evgeni Nabakov stood tall and was solid for the Sharks in net.

(3) Minnesota Wild vs. (6) Colorado Avalanche

My Prediction: Avalanche in 6.
Result: Avalanche in 6.

Who would’ve thought Jose Theodore would pull out a series like this? Seriously, he was universally trashed for being the most overpaid backup goaltender in the league for the last two or three years but in this series and in the latter half of the regular season, he was showing some of the form that won him the Vezina and Hart earlier in his career. And what can be said of Burnaby Joe that hasn’t been said already? Here’s another guy that seriously elevates his game when it matters and even though he’s one of the older guys in the league, there’s few players that are as clutch as Joe Sakic.

(4) Anaheim Ducks vs. (5) Dallas Stars

My Prediction: Ducks in 5.
Result: Stars in 6.

Seriously, who saw this one coming? After getting Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne back, the Ducks looked like the defending Stanley Cup champions but they utterly failed to match the intensity of the Dallas Stars, who were determined to not make another first round exit. This was a real shocker, especially with how great the Ducks looked going into the playoffs.

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So that gives me a 6-2 record in the first round.

So, for the second round…

(1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (6) Philadelphia Flyers

The Canadiens play another team that they’ve dominated all season, beating the Flyers in all four meetings this season. However, they also beat the Bruins in eight meetings this season and the first round match up went to a game seven. Although the Flyers are a better team than the Bruins, don’t expect this one to go the distance as Montreal is hitting their stride. At times, the Flyers were seriously dominated by a younger and less experienced Washington Capitals team and beat them by only a single goal in overtime in game 7. If the Flyers are to have any chance, Martin Biron needs to be outstanding and Daniel Briere needs to stay on fire. However, I’d expect the Canadiens to continue the domination we saw in their game 7 with Boston (5-0 in favor of Montreal) and take this series.

Prediction: Canadiens in 5.

(2) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (4) New York Rangers

Although this match up isn’t as awesome as the prospect of a Ovechkin vs. Crosby/Malkin second round series, we still get the Penguins against Vezina trophy candidate Hennrik Lundqvist, Jaromir Jagr and Scott Gomez. Both teams dispatched their first round rivals quite easily and are well rested for what should be a very good round. The Rangers will no doubt have superpest Sean Avery in Sidney Crosby’s face throughout the series but I wouldn’t expect him to be all that effective. The Penguins have a number of players who are willing to drop the mitts to shut Avery up, including heavyweight Georges Laraque. Even skill players like Ryan Whitney and Ryan Malone aren’t going to shy away from the rough stuff.

The Rangers have the edge when it comes to defense but we haven’t seen the best from the Penguin’s blueline, which was rarely tested by a weak, disintegrating Ottawa Senators team. This one might go to six or seven but I think the Penguins are the better team, especially considering the fact that everyone is healthy and rested.

Prediction: Penguins in 6.

(1) Detroit Red Wings vs. (6) Colorado Avalanche

These aren’t the same Red Wings that cruised through the first half of the season barely losing a game. For whatever reason, something has changed with this team and they could be on the verge of being upset in this round, given the trouble they experienced at the hands of a less experienced and much less skilled Nashville Predators team. Some will argue that they are the best team in hockey when you look at their record but consider that the Wings play in one of the weakest divisions in the league, where most of their wins will come against the Predators, Blue Jackets, Blues and Blackhawks. The Central certainly isn’t as competitive as the Northwest that the Avalanche come out of. The Red Wings are perhaps too soft and not built for playoff hockey, which would explain their lack of playoff success in recent years despite regular season domination.

There’s no shortage of veteran superstars on both sides and this will definitely be the series to watch as there is bad blood between these two teams considering their history. It will be a physically challenging series and in that aspect, Colorado has the advantage. Also consider the goaltending situation. Jose Theodore has been damned near lights out with a GAA of 1.88. The Wings aren’t far behind but Dominik Hasek has been shaky and Chris Osgood was rarely tested in the first round.

Prediction: Avalance in 6.

(2) San Jose Sharks vs (5) Dallas Stars

It comes as a huge surprise to me that the Stars are even in the second round when you consider that they were up against the reigning Stanley Cup champions. I don’t have much to say about this one since while on paper the Sharks have a huge advantage, the Stars won their first round series extremely convincingly while the Sharks barely squeaked by the Calgary Flames. Traditional thinking goes out the window here, although I still believe the Sharks are the ones to beat in the Western Conference.

Prediction: Sharks in 7

Eastern Conference

(1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (8) Boston Bruins

I don’t think there will be a big surprise upset here. The Canadiens have had the Bruins’ number all season, taking all eight meetings this year (outscoring Boston 38-16) and 11 straight overall. The two teams are almost polar opposites with Montreal scoring the most goals in the league and having the best power play going into the playoffs at 24.2%, Boston is near the bottom of the league in both. Same goes with the PK. The only place the Bruins might be able to match the Canadiens is in net, where Tim Thomas has been very good lately and although Carey Price has been on fire to end the season, we all know that experience is huge in the post-season.

Both teams have to deal with some serious injuries as Montreal will probably be without captain Saku Koivu and the Bruins have been without leading scorer Marc Savard and Patrice Bergeron for an extended period of time. However, unless something absolutely insane happens, look for Montreal to come out on top and possibly go for a serious Cup run.

Prediction: Montreal in 4.

(2) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (7) Ottawa Senators

The Sens are a huge mess right now and barely squeaked into the playoffs after burning the league up at the beginning of the season. They’ve been mediocre since mid-January and were in danger of missing the post-season despite having three of the best players in the game in Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza and captain Daniel Alfredsson. The Pens, on the other hand, played a significant amount of time without superstar Sidney Crosby and still came within two points of the Eastern Conference title, mostly on the back of Evgeni Malkin’s 106 points, which will most likely earn the sophomore some MVP consideration. A healthy Crosby playing with sniper Marian Hossa, acquired from Atlanta at the trade deadline, and possibly the league’s best offensive defenseman Sergei Gonchar, give the Penguins an offensive edge considering Ottawa’s woes. However, the Penguins lack a real defensive stud and will have to deal with Wade Redden, Chris Phillips and Andrej Meszaros before they get anywhere near Martin Gerber.

Look for Gerber to continue to start for the Senators despite having less playoff experience than Ray Emery, who backstopped the Sens to a finals appearance the year before. Emery has been a distraction for the Sens all year, getting into fights with teammates and getting in trouble with the law. On the flip side, Marc-Andre Fleury has been fantastic since his return from injury and backup Ty Conklin was a big reason why the Penguins almost won the East so give the Penguins the edge in goal.

Most of Pittsburgh is healthy at the moment while Ottawa’s Alfredsson is on the mend. Take the Penguins to come out on top.

Prediction: Penguins in 5.

(3) Washington Capitals vs. (6) Philadelphia Flyers

The Caps have to be the feel-good story of the year, coming around after a coaching change to win their division after languishing at the bottom of the league at the start. This will be Alex Ovechkin’s first post-season appearance and the MVP front-runner has been hot as all hell this year, leading the Caps to win 11 of their last 12 games and scoring 17 points (with a +13) during that stretch. You can be sure he’s excited to make the playoffs and will try to elevate his game to another level, which is ridiculously scary. The Flyers are still without Simon Gagne and Daniel Briere was out for the last couple games of the season. Philly hopes to have Briere back for the round and will rely on him, Mike Richards and Vaclav Prospal up front. Although the numbers will say the Flyers have the edge offensively, the Caps forwards have really turned it on after being terrible to start the season so it will be very close either way.

Defensively the Flyers have a more experienced corp with youngster Braydon Coburn probably drawing the Ovechkin assignment. The Flyers will also probably get Derian Hatcher back soon to add to Kimmo Timonen and Jason Smith. The Caps are a make-shift bunch on the blueline but coach Bruce Boudreau has everyone working hard. Although Martin Biron had a shutout streak to finish the year, Washington’s Christobal Huet ended on a nine-game winning streak and has been fantastic as of late.

There’s no clear choice here but with the season the Caps are having, you have to think that their Cinderella story isn’t ending in the first round.

Prediction: Capitals in 7

(4) New Jersey Devils vs. (5) New York Rangers

It’s really hard to bet against Martin Brodeur. Although he started slow, the man who will probably end up as the best goalie of all time when he hangs up his skates has had another great year. However, the Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist has gone 7-0-1 against the Devils this year with a GAA of just over a goal a game. Although Brodeur has much more experience, it is hard to argue with numbers like that.

Neither team has had a lot of success scoring goals as Jaromir Jagr finished with his lowest numbers since the early ’90s and, well, no one on the Devils as been great offensively all year. The Rangers probably have the slight edge in depth up front and the Devils in the back just because they’ve got a slight size advantage. I wouldn’t expect this series to be a barn-burner. Although the Devils haven’t had any success against the Rangers this year, they’ll put up a fight here.

Prediction: Rangers in 6.

Western Conference

(1) Detroit Red Wings vs. (8) Nashville Predators

Everyone who thought the Predators, who traded away so many key players and slashed payroll in anticipation of an ownership change, would make the playoffs this year put up your hands. Congratulations…all of you with your hands up are liars.

The Preds have some solid players all around but there’s no denying that Detroit has the advantage just about everywhere. Up front is Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterburg. Leading the defense is Nicklas Lidstrom, one of the best defenseman of all time. Seriously, this guy has never even had a minus season and while putting up points that are near or at the top of the league’s d-men every year. The only question for Detroit is in goal but Chris Osgood and Dominik Hasek have the experience necessary for the playoffs.

Although the Wings have struggled in the latter half of the season, they are still the league’s best team. The Preds have been surprising but they will be overwhelmed by Detroit.

Prediction: Red Wings in 5.

(2) San Jose Sharks vs. (7) Calgary Flames

No team is hotter than the San Jose Sharks going into the post-season and everyone in the West wanted to stay the hell away from them so the Flames are going to have their work cut out for them. Luckily for them, they are led by possibly the best man for the job in Jarome Iginla. Iginla has another gear when everything is on the line and he’ll bring it this series. He’ll probably be playing with Daymond Langkow and Kristian Huselius, although the latter has fallen out of favor with coach Mike Keenan for his lack of physical play, which is a big factor in the playoffs. However, the three have had success playing together this year and will need it against big Joe Thornton and Brian Campbell, who is probably the best acquisition of the trade deadline.

The Flames are no slouch on the blueline either with Dion Phaneuf but he has yet to show he can bring it in the playoffs. Robyn Regehr and Cory Sarich are likely to match up against Thornton as Calgary’s shutdown pair and have the size and toughness over the Sharks in that department. However, the Sharks are bigger everywhere else and have a more balanced team overall.

Miikka Kiprusoff is a perennial Vezina candidate but he hasn’t been in top form this year. Evgeni Nabakov, on the other hand, could be this year’s favorite to take the top goalie award and working with the San Jose defense, he’ll have the advantage in net.

Prediction: Sharks in 6.

(3) Minnesota Wild vs. (6) Colorado Avalanche

When healthy, Marian Gaborik may be one of the best forwards in the league, and lucky for Wild fans, he’s been healthier this year than ever before in his career. Although the Wild still don’t play a particularly offensive brand of hockey, they can bust out a massive goal output at any given time. Gaborik in particular can burn teams with his speed and incredible goal-scoring skills, as he did with a five-goal effort earlier this year. The Wild have a speed advantage over the Avs and will be able to match them for depth up front with Pavol Demitra, Brian Rolston, Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Mikko Koivu.

The Avs, however, have the bionic man Peter Forsberg, who looks like he might be back to game shape despite being a disappointment since signing near the trade deadline. When healthy, Frosberg is a dominant blend of size, hands and speed although he has seldom been healthy in recent years. The Avalanche are led by Joe Sakic and Paul Stastny who have been sidelined with injuries most of the year but scary when healthy.

On the blueline, it’s hard to bet against Adam Foote, another player who really brings it in the post-season. The Wild aren’t going to dazzle you but their defensive system is solid. Neither team really has the edge here, which is the same story in net. The Wild goaltenders have been solid all year but Jose Theodore is one of the best comeback stories of the year. The former Hart trophy winner could be considered the Avs’ MVP after he kept them in the playoff hunt despite the team being decimated by injuries all year long. This will be a hard fought series and we could see an upset here.

Prediction: Avalanche in 6.

(4) Anaheim Ducks vs. (5) Dallas Stars

The Stars haven’t had much post-season success in recent years after early round exits. Captain Brendan Morrow, Mike Modano and Mike Ribeiro (coming off a career year) lead the Stars up front along with deadline acquisition Brad Richards. Although Richards had five assists in his Stars debut, he hasn’t been particularly good or even visible since. He’ll definitely need to show some of his Conn Smythe-winning form in order for the Stars to have a chance against the Ducks. The Ducks, on the other hand, could sure use leading goal-scorer Corey Perry as healthy as possible and for Chris Kunitz to step up his game. However, the returning Teemu Selanne and Ryan Getzlaf is formidable enough. The real story up front is the Ducks shutdown checking line of Samuel Pahlsson, Travis Moen and Rob Niedermayer. Pahlsson is possibly the league’s best defensive forward and could’ve won the Conn Smythe last year. They were essential during last year’s Cup run and will be again this year.

On D, the Stars had a pleasant surprise this year in Matt Niskanen who had a fantastic rookie season but they’ll need Sergei Zubov back as soon as possible. I mean, for the Ducks you have Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, Mathieu Schneider and Francois Beauchemin. That’s almost unfair.

Marty Turco had some absolutely ridiculous numbers against the Canucks last year even though his team lost the series but this year, he hasn’t been as good as he should be so give the J.S. Giguere the edge in net…as well as the Ducks in the series.

Prediction: Ducks in 5.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are already having a pretty rough time this season, but just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, Vesa Toskala lets in a shot from 197 feet out. To make matters even more embarrassing, it was a short-handed goal.

I had a fair bit of respect for Toskala, especially during his days with the San Jose Sharks, and I still respect him as a quality goaltender, but the poor guy from Tampere, Finland is never going to live this down. Never.

So after telling the world that he was not particularly confident in his health and ability to make an impact in the National Hockey League, reports are that Peter Forsberg has reached an agreement with the Colorado Avalanche for the remainder of the season. I’m not all that surprised he went to Colorado where he won two Stanley Cups but I was rather shocked at the signing after seeing everywhere that he would not be returning to the NHL this season.

Before everyone gets into a frenzy about the Foppa signing, let’s all take a step back to a place I like to call “Reality”. In this extra special place, we have to remind ourselves that Forsberg is seriously no longer the game-breaker he used to be. Although he was over a point-a-game in ‘05-06 and damn close last year with Philly and Nashville (he’s actually more than a point per game for his career), he was a hair away from retiring this year. When healthy, Forsberg is right up there with the best in the world but as it stands, I wouldn’t put too much stock in his comeback although kudos for at least staying away and training for the beginning of the year rather than forcing it. Good luck to Foppa on his return but to all the fantasy owners out there, don’t drop more consistent talent for him. However, if you’re a gambling man and have a bench spot to spare, take a chance. Who knows…maybe he’ll see some time with Sakic or Paul Stastny?

- The biggest name in recent trade talks, Mats Sundin, took himself off the market yesterday by refusing to waive his “no-trade” clause. Sundin has been linked to…everywhere for absurd returns like four first round picks or four former first round prospects and/or roster players. I know because the rumor was that the Vancouver Canucks were to offer something ridiculous like Ryan Kesler, Luc Bourdon, Cory Schnieder and a first round pick for the 37-year old Leafs captain. Sundin cited his desire to remain in Toronto, where he has spent the last 13 years of his career, and the fact that he does not believe in being a “rental” player.

“I cannot leave my teammates and join another NHL club at this time,” Sundin said in a statement. “I have never believed in the concept of a rental player. It is my belief that winning the Stanley Cup is the greatest thing you can achieve in hockey, but for me, in order to appreciate it, you have to have been part of the entire journey and that means October through June. I hope everyone will understand and respect my decision.”

It’s no secret that the Leafs are looking to rebuild after another terrible year, which has them currently in 12th place in the Eastern conference and six points behind the Flyers for the last playoff spot, somewhere they haven’t been since ‘03-04. The Leafs could’ve sped up the process with the assets they would’ve received in exchange for Sundin playing somewhere else for two months but now they’ll have to look elsewhere.

Some Leafs fans are already criticizing Sundin, considering him selfish for not accepting a rental deal but like so many things out of Toronto, this is rather ridiculous. They should be thankful their captain, who is still an All-Star caliber player, is willing to stick with the team even though he could go to a contender. Loyalty should be rewarded. However, staying essentially rules Sundin out of winning a Stanley Cup as Toronto is years away from contention. Without any real prospects and a battalion of overpaid, underperforming players under contract for the next couple years, it is unlikely Mats will get his name etched on the trophy.

- Vinnie Prospal becomes the first semi-big name traded close to the deadline. He goes to the Philadephia Flyers in exchange for Alexandre Picard and a conditional pick in the ‘09 draft. The Lightning are looking to clean house after a disappointing season and new ownership coming in soon.

Prospal has been rather good with 57 points in 62 games this season and has been fairly consistent with the Bolts (although it’s hard not to be playing with talent like Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis). The move bolsters the Flyers’ lineup, which has lost ten in a row in addition to breakout star Mike Richards and Simon Gagne. It’ll be tough to replace guys like that but with so few names available, they had to go get someone.

- Dan Boyle re-signed to a six-year, $40 million dollar contract extension ($6.6m per season) with the aforementioned Lightning. He put up career highs last season with 63 points but has been on the sidelines for much of this year because of injuries. Since his return, he has been scoring at the same pace.

This move goes against the common belief that the Bolts are looking to dump salary as the team also has their three big forwards, Lecavalier, St. Louis and Brad Richards, signed to big contracts, almost $20m between those three. Tampa has a self-imposed salary cap which is lower than most other teams in the league so with over $26 million eaten up by just four players, it’s unlikely they’ll have much room to work in the off-season, where they’ll probably want to get Lecavalier extended as soon as possible before his contract is up after ‘08-09.

Boyle’s re-signing further fuels the rumors that Brad Richards is on his way out of Tampa Bay. He has been linked to Dallas (for Mike Smith and Jussi Jokinen), Vancouver (Cory Schnieder and Luc Bourdon), Chicago (Nikolai Khabibulin) and Columbus (Gilbert Brule and Fredrik Norrena). It’s believed that the Lightning are looking for a goalie and a reasonable roster player or prospect as their netminders have not been very good this season. They can’t expect too much since Richards’ contract makes him nearly untradeable and any team that takes him will be doing so to help the Bolts dump salary. So far, it looks like Dallas is the front runner as Mike Smith is probably the best option in net out of these teams. Khabibulin’s contract is almost as high as Richards’ so that trade is quite unlikely.

- Barret Jackman was re-signed by the Blues to a four-year, $14.4 million deal. He’s a solid blueliner and just entering his prime but it remains to be seen how this deal works out for the Blues. He won’t put up many points but is a physical, defensive presence.

Forsberg is still not 100% and his chronic foot issues have still not be corrected. In one way I am glad that this over but disappointed that the media, fans and teams were all lead to believe he would be returning.

So who will be this years big trade? Hossa? Sundin?

Last night, Richard Zednik was caught in the neck with a teammates skate, severing an artery and leaving a trail of blood on the ice. It was a horrifying sight, eerily similar to the one that almost cost goaltender Clint Malarchuk his life almost 20 years ago. Thankfully, Zednik reacted quickly, clutching his neck as he skated to the bench where medical staff was able to stabilize him before transporting him to a local Buffalo hospital. He’s said be be in stable condition and thank goodness for that.

- In trade news today, the Ottawa Senators and the Carolina Hurricanes made a four players swap. Ottawa sent defenseman Joe Corvo and forward Patrick Eaves to the ‘Canes in exchange for forward Cory Stillman and defenseman Mike Commodore. This is probably the biggest trade of the season so far, as the player market has slowed due to the new parity in the NHL brought on by the salary cap and collective bargaining agreement.

In Stillman, the Senators acquire the top-six scoring forward they were looking for as with the injuries to Dany Heatley and captain Daniel Alfredsson in the last few weeks have exposed them as a one line team (albeit probably the best single line in hockey). Although Stillman’s production has slowed as of late, he gives Ottawa another scoring threat and will likely relieve a bit of the pressure on the first line. Fantasy owners might have to wait and see as Stillman, who waived his no-trade clause to accommodate the trade, as his icetime may drop playing behind Heatley, Spezza and Alfredsson. However, if he ends up on a line with either Spezza or Alfredsson, his fantasy value will undoubtedly rise.

I’ve always though Mike Commodore was a rather underrated defensive defenseman. He will most likely play on the second pairing but is capable of playing big minutes as well. He’s a big (6′5″, 230lbs), physical d-man who will be a great addition to the Senators’ blueline.

Eaves has been touted as a top-six forward through his short career but has been rather disappointing. I know because I’ve drafted him in late rounds in hockey pool for two years now since you always think he might see ice-time with Spezza and Heatley so Alfredsson can play on another line. However, it never happens and he has a bit of an injury plague as well. If he doesn’t have a serious breakout season soon, he’ll most likely become a career third-liner and just filling in space. The former first-round pick has been sidelined since late January.

Despite being 31-years old, this is only Joe Corvo’s fifth NHL season. He doesn’t (or can’t) play the big minutes, usually playing around the 15-16 minute mark each game, but is a solid offensive, puck-moving defenseman. However, that being said, he hasn’t finished on the minus side of plus/minus in his five years and will address the Hurricane’s need for a PP blueliner.

A relatively even trade, overall, although the Senators probably got the better end of the deal. Now if they could only address the Ray Emery situation, they would be a very serious contender to reach the finals again this year.

C’mon, how many of you weren’t expecting this? Honestly, the timing is a bit strange since I thought it would be sooner rather than later but at least the rest of Canada can now live in peace without having Leafs news crammed down our throats by the “Center of the Universe” media.

It’s tough to blame all of the Leafs troubles on John Ferguson Jr. even though Toronto is, as of today, six points out of the playoff race. That doesn’t sound like much but with the new parity in the NHL, a six point margin makes it real difficult to catch the teams in front of you unless they have a monumental collapse.

No, the blame can also be placed on the owners and their absurd situation where no one has any real power to do anything without consulting the entire Maple Leafs Entertainment ownership group. One can also blame the Toronto media and Leafs fans as JFJ’s actions were really just a reflection of their own flawed logic, going for quick fixes at the expense of the future. For the last several years, the Leaf’s draft picks have been terrible and very few have made it to the big club. Rather than building from within, the Leafs go out and sign aging, overrated players like Jason Blake and give everyone else absurd contracts with no-trade clauses.

The greatest tragedy out of all this is perhaps that Ferguson deserved a little better. The Leafs were clearly looking for his replacement while he was still employed and regardless of what you thought about the job he did, no one deserves that level of disrespect in a professional environment.

As for Ferguson’s successor? Many pundits point to Brian Burke, the current GM of the Anaheim Ducks. This may seem strange since Burke still has a year left on his contract with the Ducks but this may actually work out for everyone if he decides to jump ship. Of course, he’s unlikely to be fired since he just built a team in two years that went from a bunch of overpaid, overrated players to a Stanley Cup champion but there are ways that Burke could be GM of the Leafs by next season.

For one thing, he is probably the ideal GM for the troubled franchise. When he arrived in Anaheim, the moves Burke made paid immediate dividends. For one thing, he managed to dump the $6m salary of Sergei Federov, who had been underperforming for years and had a contract that made him basically untradeable. Bringing Chris Pronger from Edmonton gave the Ducks the most formidable blueline (with Scott Niedermayer) in the league. This sort of action could be just the juice that Toronto needs.

There’s always the issue of the year remaining on Burke’s contract but if he wants out of it, I’m sure Toronto could adequately compensate the Ducks. Let’s face it, if the Leafs want Burke, they’ll wait the extra year to get him. I’m sure Burke also wants the job as the man loves the spotlight…and there’s no bigger than the one in Toronto.