My very own Matt Barry comments section
by Quisp on Aug 13, 2010 3:44 PM PDT
in Free Agency
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PrintHockeyBuzz.com - Matthew Barry - Kovalchuk, Kaberle, Mitchell and the Stupid Dustin Brown Rumor
Yes, the Kings have asked about Kovalchuk. Grossman told them N.J. gets first crack. Kings brass have felt used and abused but Lieweke wants to be sure that it’s dead once and for all. (It is Tim, can we please get on with our lives? Stop buggin Lombardi already!)
It won't be over until Kovalchuk is signed and the deal is approved by the league. The whole NJD "gets first crack" tells us exactly where we are. It's June 28th (about). Lou has reverted to his early July mode of "we're trying to work it out." Lombardi has returned to his early July radio-silence. Kovalchuk has said nothing. Personally, I think anyone who says this or that is certain to happen is just hoping for a quick resolution of this story that's already over-stayed its welcome. I don't blame them. But I have no clue how this is going to play out.
However, I don't know if Kovalchuk is willing to sign for $10MM less than he just tried to sign for, or if he's willing to come off his "beat Ovi" numbers, and I don't know if Lou will go as high as a $7MM cap hit, and I would be willing to bet two of those three things will be necessary.
I’ve been told the Kings do have an alternative plan (and a possible trade in the works) for a top 6 forward once Kovalchuk signs. Kings fans will be very happy if it does happen and a certain east coast team's fans will be shocked. (Eklund I'm sure will be investigating while I'm still sleeping.)
I almost don't care who comes in. I'm just afraid of who might go out. Stoll, Williams, Ersberg...fine. Thomas Hickey, Oscar Moller, Jacob Muzzin, Kyle Clifford, Colten Teubert, Nicolas Delauriers, Jonathan Bernier, Andrei Loktionov, Viatcheslav Voynov, Brayden Schenn...no. Not yet. One of Hickey, Voynov oir Deslauriers will be great. One of Teubert or Muzzin, probably. One or both of Moller and Loktionov. Wait to see what happens.
I know that's not realistic. I know you have to give to get. I will be upset if we lose any of those guys for someone over 30 who doesn't score 30 goals.
Yeah, I overvalue prospects. It's true.
[...] Willie Mitchell: Mitchell wants the Kings, the Kings want Mitchell. Hearing its more about numbers and a possible multi-year deal. Could be the Kings are waiting to see where Kaberle falls before pulling the trigger. No later than Monday I’m told (hence the waiting on Kaberle).
Mitchell, as I've been saying for weeks now, would be great. And he's got concussion problems, so he's a perfect Lombardi signing.
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I would take a chance on Mitchell.
The Kings have plenty of cap space to take a 2 year risk with Michell for under $3 million per year. A $4-6 million 2 year contract would be good. He made $3.5 million last year
Dean will probably insist on a 1 year deal and Mitchell will sign somewhere else. The life of a Kings fan…
OTOH, he took a 4-year gamble on Handzus, who was coming off of a bad injury. Granted that a knee is somewhat more predictable than a concussion, but still….
I thought Voynov was going to the KHL if he doesn’t make the NHL this year? Yeah I think its hard to see all those guys making the team, remember you’ll always have prospects and I think if the trade is for a great Top 6 guy I do it depending on prospects involved. I think Moller is expendable over Loki and Schenn is untouchable and I think hickey is too but wouldn’t be surprised. Matt also said Kings offer for Kaberle is Moller and and a pick.
What do you think Moller’s potential is?
Moller's potential is a top 6 forward, but...
…will he ever reach it?
If he can increase his first step speed and bulk up, then he may get there in the NHL. He has the heart and desire, I’m just not sure he can physically handle the rigors of an 82+ game NHL season.
I wouldn’t mind a Moller for Kaberle trade if Dean can get another top 6 forward in another move.
Matt also said Kings offer for Kaberle is Moller and and a pick.
If that pick is a 1st like that stupid Hockeybuzz rumour, Burke should take it and run. This is from the Blue & White side. None of this top 6 fwd business, get us some GD futures Burke!
Tick Tock, Tomas. Tick Tock.
A drinking team with a hockey problem.
by nhlcheapshot on Aug 13, 2010 4:15 PM PDT up reply actions
Moller
led the kings in powerplay goals the first half of his rookie season (as a 19 year old) before he left to captain the swedish junior national team at the WJCs. He broke hsi collarbone there and was effectively out for the season. People like to focus on the fact that he’s small and gets knocked around, but in my opinion, they’re missing the fact that he’s built like a truck (c.f. Loktionov, who is still about 13 in terms of physical maturity), that he knows how to take a hit, that he’s not afraid to put himself in a position to be hit, he plays in the dirty areas, he is also an excellent hitter (and will only get better as he grows into his body), he’s solid defensively, he’s a natural leader, and, as Terry Murray has said repeatedly about him, his pure hockey sense is possibly the best on the team. Oh, and he’s the only pure sniper the Kings have.
His potential is top six forward, multiple 30 goal seasons. If I had to guess how many marbles are in the Volkswagon, I would say he scores 200 goals over the next 8-10 seasons.
But I may be irrational.
Wait till this year.
by Quisp on Aug 13, 2010 4:55 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I like Moller too, but at his size durability has to be a consideration.
I think this is very much a make or break year for him, the mid-season injury did to him probably what it did to Jack Johnson. I do like his ability to get the shot off quickly, he needs to be paired on a speed line… Parse… So who plays 3rd forward with the defensive responsibility? Stoll maybe?
End Corporate Personhood.
I remember Holly, the commenter from Manchester on Hammond’s blog, saying near the end of last season that Moller isn’t really small at all. She said that he has filled out and seems pretty strong. A 5’ 10" guy who is strong in the right places won’t get knocked around too badly. Given that he’s still only 21, I think there’s reason for optimism.
That broken collarbone definitely messed things up for him in terms of his progression. I’d also compare it to Hickey losing most of last season.
Gann Matsuda posted a nice article on Moller a week or so ago.
i think he's a year or two from his make or break season, whatever that actually means.
Parse/Loktionov/Moller was the best line in the AHL before each was called-up.
Wait till this year.
His potential is top six forward, multiple 30 goal seasons. If I had to guess how many marbles are in the Volkswagon, I would say he scores 200 goals over the next 8-10 seasons.
For which team? ;)
What about giving Moller a legit chance then this season? Move Smyth down to the 2nd line and start Moller with Kopitar and Williams. Murray gave Moulson and Purcell their chances with the top line, hopefully he does the same for Moller.
The only thing that worries me about Moller was his disappointing playoffs with Manchester. I thought that was a huge opportunity for him to shine and I ended up more impressed with Holloway. 2 goals in 16 games is not impressive in a lower league.
well, I look at Moller and Loktionov as being earmarked for two seasons from now.
Williams and Handzus are UFA next summer.
Smyth and Stoll the summer after that.
Handzus miiiiight get re-signed at a discount, and I would like that. But, by this time two years from now, the hold-overs from last season’s top nine are likely to be Kopitar, Brown and Simmonds. Maybe Handzus. Add to that Schenn, Loktionov, Moller, maybe hopefully Parse, Clifford, maybe a wild card like Kozun, or Toffoli (no, probably not for a year or so after).
Wait till this year.
the rebuild has been over for about a year
the kings finished with 101 points last season. it’s not about a 3 year or 5 year or 10 year plan. it’s about long-term planning which requires a laddered portfolio of prospects with a couple of them coming due each year. Moller leapt a couple of years ahead of schedule, but really he normally would have been playing his first nhl games about now. i’m not saying he won’t make the team this fall. I hope he does. but it’s completely unfair to judge a teenager as though he’s a grown human male. i know he’s not a teenager anymore. but we’ve been having this conversation for awhile.
Wait till this year.
It's hard to remember now
But he really was a surprise coming out of training camp, probably even more than Simmonds was (because he was younger and smaller). I think that may have set up some unreasonable expectations for him, especially since Simmonds stuck with the team and has flourished without interruption. The fact is, he’s gone from being ahead of schedule to simply being on schedule.
I do think that he is past the point of bring brought up on a trial basis, playing 3rd or 4th line minutes as Murray feels like it. When he comes back to LA, it will be because there is a top-6 spot open for him and the brain trust feels that he’s ready for it. And that may actually delay his return to LA a little bit.
In my books a GM who plans for the future is always rebuilding.
You can cry a million tears
You can wait a million years
If you think that time will change your ways
Don't wait too long
by Joe Hockey Fan on Aug 14, 2010 2:08 PM PDT up reply actions
You took the words right out of my mouth. I was underwhelmed with him in the playoffs and he didn’t look much better in the prospect camp in El Segudo right after the draft. He did, however, look bigger and bulkier. I had the good fortune to sit next to one of the King’s scouts and he said that Moller is actually bigger than Cami and was hoping that Moller could figure out how to get around on the ice better. But putting him on the top line? I’m not sure about that call.
by kings4queens on Aug 17, 2010 11:21 PM PDT up reply actions
Just as long as Mitchell doesn't end up having to be the enforcer...
Who else is gonna fight? Greene is game, but for one thing he already tweaked a shoulder and wrestling on skates seems not so good for that rehab-wise, plus he just ins’t that good at it anyway. Certainly not enough to be “feared.” So who else is gonna fight besides Mitchell? Nobody, except Simmonds, and now you got a top-6 guy risking his hands. I still think there are three needs, and at least two transactions/deals required to fill those needs: L2, D4, enforcer. Unless Westgarth can also skate, but I know nothing about his actual skill set other than the fighting.
End Corporate Personhood.
And killer hair.
In Dinglebarn We Trust
by Niesy on Aug 13, 2010 5:23 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Hey, it was his teammate who compared him to Fabio. Not me!
But I really miss manes like Jagr’s being all flowy. Too hilariously gorgeous for words. Just look at my pic.
In Dinglebarn We Trust
Good info, Rudy...25 not so bad, really. If he did that with big club I would be satisfied
End Corporate Personhood.
East coast team?
I hate rumors. But, just for the sake of curiosity, who are some potentials? I say Gaborik.
Everyone who has scored 50 points the past 2 seasons and is on an Eastern Conference team. Guys who just signed, were traded for, or are too damn good have been crossed out.
Alex Ovechkin WAS
Alex Kovalev OTT
Alexander Frolov NYR
Alexander Semin WAS
Brian Gionta MON
Brooks Laich WAS
Bryan Little ATL
Chris Drury NYR
Chris Kunitz PIT
Daniel Alfredsson OTT
Danny Briere PHI
David Booth FLA
David Krejci BOS
Derek Roy BUF
Eric Staal CAR
Evgeni Malkin PIT
Ilya Kovalchuk NJD
Jamie Langenbrunner NJD
Jason Arnott NJD
Jason Pominville BUF
Jason Spezza OTT
Jeff Carter PHI
John Tavares NYI
Jussi Jokinen CAR
Kris Versteeg TOR
Kyle Okposo NYI
Marc Savard BOS
Marian Gaborik NYR
Mark Recchi BOS
Martin St. Louis TAM
Maxim Afinogenov ATL
Michael Cammalleri MON
Michael Ryder BOS
Mike Fisher OTT
Mike Knuble WAS
Mike Richards PHI
Milan Michalek OTT
Nathan Horton BOS
Nicklas Backstrom WAS
Nik Antropov ATL
Nikolai Zherdev PHI
Patrice Bergeron BOS
Patrik Elias NJD
Phil Kessel TOR
Rich Peverley ATL
Rod Brind’Amour CAR
Scott Gomez MON
Scott Hartnell PHI
Sidney Crosby PIT
Simon Gagne TAM
Slava Kozlov ATL
Stephen Weiss FLA
Steven Stamkos TAM
Thomas Vanek BUF
Tim Connolly BUF
Todd White NYR
Tomas Fleischmann WAS
Tomas Plekanec MON
Travis Zajac NJD
Tuomo Ruutu CAR
Vincent Lecavalier TAM
Vinny Prospal NYR
Zach Parise NJD
And Stevie Y will get a better return for him, and all of Philly will explode! Haha.
I still want Semin (snerk). Just think how entertaining that would be.
In Dinglebarn We Trust
I'm riding on the Semin bandwagon, too.
Aside from watching him play, and what he’d [potentially] do for the team, can you imagine the drinking game that could be made of it?
Bob Miller: Jim, #28 [Stoll’s gone, of course] is having a great game tonight…
Jim Fox: That’s right, Bob. Semin has been all over the ice tonight!
Chris Kunitz’s contract is a little too expensive for us (Pittsburgh) but he’s pretty much our only effective winger and I doubt we’d trade him… we traded to get him while we were in a similar cap situation.
And of course “Malkin to Kings” was the hot rumor of the offseason, but I don’t believe we would trade him either. They’re going to try a new thing with Malkin and Jordan Staal on the same line, and they seem pretty committed to it.
I think Afinogenov went KHL... What about Patrice Bergeron? Boston needs to make move, I thought
End Corporate Personhood.
Mitchell wants the Kings
Just checking — he’s the only one saying this, right? That other rumor had Vancouver, SJ, the Caps, and the Wings. Though of course the Wings look set now.
In Dinglebarn We Trust
Eklund
If Eklund is “investigating” the Kings’ interest in a top-6 forward from the East, you can pretty much rest assured there is no trade brewing involving the Kings, any team in the Eastern Conference, or forwards of any sort.
I’m a little disappointed that hockeybuzz is even being dignified here with a blog about the bull**** they post. I have never once seen anything they put up there come to fruition. I think they just make it up to get hits. They are the damn National Enquirer of hockey news.
by Garrett79 on Aug 13, 2010 8:19 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
At least the BS starts conversations...
…it’s up to everyone else to determine what is clearly BS and what the teams want people to know. I’m sure teams use the media for letting other GMs know what they are looking for. Let the bottom feeders get some nuggets of info before you release it to the “legitimate” media.
People know that Burke was looking for a top 6 forward for Kaberle and when those offers weren’t coming fast enough, rumors began to “surface” about prospects/picks being offered. Then a few days later Burke says he may start looking at “futures” for Kaberle.
Even a broken clock is right twice a day.
You’re absolutely right: Hockebuzz is largely b.s. and they most definitely make s**t up, or at least write like a palm reader at the carny, and they do it for hits. Name of the game, I suppose. But it IS August 13 and there is nothing else out there, and we just looked at Quisp’s old hockey cards for cryin’ out loud! Even the Hockey News is posting filler like this.
And in defense of the National Enquirer.
I have always found it significant that HB is a hot button for Rich Hammond
He rarely gets worked up, but Hockeybuzz is the one hockey blog whose name he will not even speak, but less approve of commenters citing it as a legit source.
hockey buzz is a collection of bloggers, like SBN is a collection of bloggers, a community, whatever word you want to use
they’re structured differently over there, but saying matt barry is b.s. because eklund is b.s. is like saying we’re [insert insult] because ILWT is [insert same insult].
i’ve said this before, but it bears repeating. matt barry reports rumors as rumors and says they are rumors. He doesn’t report rumors as facts. i have no memory of him making things up or pulling nonsense like the whole brown rumor of yesterday that was falsely attributed to rich hammond. mb also talks to kings players and management and as kings fans we enjoy the fruits of that access.
i comment on a rumor if it meets one of two criteria: (1) it’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard; (2) it’s a good leaping off point for a discussion of some player or topic. usually, i just make the mental adjustment of downgrading the rumor to “message board trade proposal.” then we can deal with it as a hypothetical. what is this player worth, relative to that player, etc…
also, as i said last time this came up, he pisses off flyers fans, which is always fun to behold.
garrett -
barry said greene was out three/four months before anyone else had that story. so that’s one off the top of my head. there have been a few others. and as far as the national enquirer goes, they’re half legit now, ever since O.J. I think. maybe it’s because everyone else has stooped to their level, I don’t know.
anyway, I always enjoy MB’s posts. but we’re all entitled to our opinions.
Wait till this year.
That's fair
I take issue with him only in that he refers to Eklund as a legit source. (OK I have a few other issues with him too, but they’re minor). I definitely didn’t mean to impugn your work on this blog, but I see your point. I may disagree with MB and think he jumps to ridiculous conclusions all too quickly, but no, he is not as bad as Eklund. And your blog on SBN is of insanely high quality, whereas the gibberish over at ILWT makes me sad.
I may be wrong
but I assume MB has something of an obligation to operate as though Eklund is a legit source, since Eklund is his “boss.” He can hardly say things like “that moron Eklund seems to think…”
Thank you for the kind words about this blog. It’s actually a community which draws strength from many sources. Frequently the comments sections are better than the original posts. Which is why things said here end up being rough drafts for future posts, which themselves lead to comments, which are rough drafts for —
etc.
It’s early. Haven’t had my coffees yet.
Wait till this year.
I like Mitchell… yeah, he has the concussion issues. But getting a defenseman off of the Canucks would be good. And we need some sort of leadership, with Greene out the first month.
Will it happen… not sure. Somehow, I still think WSH is the favorite, although that’s just off of gut. But we have the cap space to do it, and it’s better than trading away assets for Kaberle.
Denis Gauthier sucks at hockey... and life.
And Kaberle and Mitchell are different kinds of players, too
Mitchell being more of a bruiser and a stay-at-home guy. The Kings needed to bring in someone like that even before Greene went down. So I agree that he would be a better add than Kaberle.
Quisp ol buddy…why would you even dignify a douche like Barry in the august pages of JotC?
I like you guys, and then you go and do that. Look at the 3.5% success rate of that website. End of story.
Now, if someone can give valid proof that they are even talking…fine. But all indications are that Mitchell will probably sign a bonus laden deal with his hometown Canucks. Caps and Sharks are next, but the Kings were never mentioned anywhere until Barry made it up yesterday!
And though he tried to discount it, this is the same silly website that says Brown and a 1st for Kaberle…a 1 year player that won’t sign anywhere until next year….wants to play out East, and has wprse numbers than most any #1-4 defenseman in the NHL. He was -16 FFS…and you can’t put all of that on being a Leaf!!! Supposedly a great PP guy right? 2 goals on the PP last year!
Come on now Q man, the only time you reference Barry should be to mock his lying ….
i disagree (see my response to a similar comment above)
I must have missed the post where Barry posted the Brown rumor.
i personally don’t find the rumors MB reports to be uninformed or unlikely (as so many rumors are). that doesn’t make them true. and maybe the reason the whole issue doesn’t bother me as much as it bothers some people is that I place zero importance on rumors and believe exactly zero of them. I like MB, but I’m not taking his prognostications to the bank. Who does that? People want to feel like they’re plugged into the real behind the scenes shit. They’re not. Reading rumors on the internet is diverting but utterly disconnected from reality. Getting upset about it makes about as much sense as getting irate that the medical advice you got on a message board turned out to be wrong.
Or think of it this way. Anyone who is actually right there in the room, or the assistant of whoever is in the room, is not funneling the actual truth directly to us, the rumor consuming public. It goes from the assistant to the assistant’s friend to his dad back in Calgary to someone’s facebook page and eventually to some guy in a bar who’s drinking with the cousin of someone who is neighbors of keith gretzky. The actual thing at the beginning of the rumor train might be true, but — per the game of “telephone” that every kindergartner plays — it’s distorted beyond recognition.
So, even if a rumor is from a reliable source, and the rumor is actual fact, by the time it gets to us — okay, let’s say the fact is that the flyers are going to trade gagne, he’s been asked for a list of teams he wants to be traded to, he wants to go to tampa; by the time the rumor gets to us, it’s “kings and philly talking about gagne, will waive ntc to come to LA” and what we can take from the rumor is this:
“Gagne. Something may be up there.”
That’s it.
What’s funny about getting upset about Matt Barry, or anyone else, because his rumors are “made up” is not just that it suggests there’s some other rumor source that’s actually reliable, which there isn’t, but that it wouldn’t provoke such anger in people if they weren’t seeking the shit out in the first place. It’s like being upset that a psychic is not really psychic. NO WAY! You don’t pay the psychic to see into the future. You pay the psychic to be entertained.
Wait till this year.
Quisp…I thought I was pretty light hearted about it! I guess the ol’ sarcasm button was broken or something.
Not upset at all.
Here is the thing though with Hockeybuzz. They have a 3.5% success rate for the leader, and if you get a good guy for the team(s) in question, maybe he doubles it. Tessier for the Canucks is pretty plugged in, and there are some others. Most of them take their cue from Ek’ and just write supposition as fact…
So, in the one rumor in question I found annoying, all the usual twitteratti and other rumour sites have been talking about Mitchell going to 4 teams, the Caps, Canucks, Sharks, and Wings. The Wings then sign Salei, and there are 3 left.
As a Canucks fan, and a Mitchell fan, I want to keep abreast with what is going on with him.
And then Barry comes along and makes it up. How do I know? Only a few of the more questionable twitter sources, and none of the other rumour sites even mention the Kings. I haven’t checked your Rich Hammond, but trust you would have posted that here if it was indeed true.
Then, when he sees that it is still not getting picked up as wildly as another rumor that turned out false ( the Brown for Kaberle/Rosehill falsie ), he comes out with another he tries to sell about “talks heating up” Mitchell wants the Kings and the Kings want him", and even says “it will be done Monday”. Only one other “twit”( NHL Sources Say…another with a pretty low success rate!), even deems Barry’s rumour as worthy of possibly sullying THEIR twitter reps ( a very shity quagmire , to be sure ! )
None of the big boys are in on that at all. No Dregers or McKenzies. No Kypreos. None of a usually rabid and almost always on top of these things Vancity media.Just a writer making things up for a column on a website that makes things up.
I end up wasting my time looking all over to make sure… wondering if my fave player is going to be a King!!
It just muddies the waters and obfuscates getting any accuracy when you have a guy out there spinning his own thing. For reasons more related to getting attention than anything else. Its all about hits these days. Truth is less of a concern.
I guess there is a very minute chance that he is the one guy plugged in, but it seems pretty doubtful given the man’s track record.
You give him far too much credit with your description of the birth of a rumour. I get all that. Been following this sport all my life. Been marveling at how the technology makes rumours a contact sport. It used to be just plugged in reporters. Now its guys that get on Twitter, start a rumour, and just make it up. Too many of those, and soon it just becomes too much of a chore to even give that social media any credit, you know?
Matt Barry is what he is. But, I have to admit, when I want a laugh, I read hockeybuzz. And this one is one of the worst on there. He actively promotes a somewhat failed acting career there at every opportunity. Gets on their threads ( where you find the really funny stuff!!) and actively and somewhat cruelly mocks and insults the paying customers !
( and no, I have never bought the membership over there) Never names a source…and from reading the site from time to time…has an accuracy record on par with the boss. 3.5% is the same accuracy statistically as drawing names out of a hat.
I guess I was just annoyed that he wasted my time.
That, and the last team I want to see Big Stick Willie on is the Kings…you guys have enough already.
Leave our grizzled warrior alone!!
LOL
In his defense he did not start the Brown/Kaberle rumor. That started on a Hockeyfights.com message board and Barry said it was bullskit. Barry is a douche but he has proven to have some inside info (especially for Manchester).
Why would Hammond/Dreger/McKenzie/Kypreos/LeBrun/Allen say anything about it unless it was going to happen? They report deals, not people talking. Rumor blogs report people talking, and apparently that’s where you have gotten all of your info.
Setting the debate on sources aside...
I have to say my thinking jives with vancitydan on this one. I have no idea why he’d prefer the Kings above all others. Money? Maybe. But the “Vancouver or these other contending teams” rumor made much more sense to me. I guess we’ll see how this all shakes out soon.
In Dinglebarn We Trust
probably depends on what the offers are, specifically number of years
Lombardi has been known to overlook (or not worry too much about) past injury history. Was Mitchell on LTIR for 100 days last year? If so, it might be the battle between one year/bonus laden offers and multi-year offers. For people who missed 100 days the previous season, performance bonuses are allowed, but only for one year deals. The player is usually going to prefer a multi-year deal. Maybe the Kings are offering one and the others aren’t.
That’s if any of this is true.
Wait till this year.
Good point. I don’t know if he’s worth a multi-year gamble, but Lombardi might. Especially if it means winning the race.
In Dinglebarn We Trust
Oh, I'd be fine giving him three or four years.
If he gets concussed and can’t continue, he’ll retire. The guy would be a huuuuge upgrade over O’Donnell.
Wait till this year.
I suppose he will. When it comes to concussions in Kings players, I’m gunshy. I didn’t even want Gagne. Probably illogical.
Whoever he plays for, though, I hope he has a full recovery. I’m still mad at Malkin for that (and other things…ugh). Thanks for cracking down on that, league.
In Dinglebarn We Trust
he's a character actor
my tone was supposed to be light-hearted as well.
and i totally respect your right to be protective of your team’s player. i do that all the time myself. and the disinformation echo chamber is infuriating and frequently causes me to respond against my better judgment. kings fans have their own in-joke list of players always included in every trade rumor (Bernier, Johnson, Schenn, Simmonds, Moller…Frolov…poor little Fro…Brown…). sometimes a little primal scream therapy helps take the edge off.
Wait till this year.
Dancing Boy aka CBGB aka Matt Barry stirring the pot this morning:
From CBGB @ LGK:
Good morning:
Willie Mitchell is coming to town for a physical
hopefully Gaborik is too :)
Enjoy this beautiful day
Gaborik’s not coming to the Kings. If he did, I’d be pissed that we gave up assets to acquire a guy we could have signed for free last off-season.
I don't think anyone really thinks Gaborik is coming to LA. Even MB. Thus the :)
Wait till this year.
Well…who know’s now.
This guy I do take seriously…http://twitter.com/RealKyper
Maybe MB isn’t totally off his gourd after all!
From Matt Barry:
Willie Mitchell
Sources say he was with the Kings doctors this weekend and everything checked out – He was offered a 2-year deal by the Kings although he was looking for 3. Late tonight I got a text saying Mitchell was giving Vancouver a last crack but I could not confirm. Kypreos also confirmed via twiiter the Kings are close (then again, he tweeted Kovi was done in L.A. as well).
Would not surprise me at all if Lombardi loses out on another UFA due to term. He lost out on Gaborik last year.
Please, Dean, don’t mess up another negotiation with an UFA. 3 years isn’t that bad and AEG has the money.
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