FanHouse

ECHL Team Piggybacks on McCain VP Announcement

Eric McErlain — 2008-08-29T13:52:00 00:00

Sitting here in the office, I've had my television tuned to MSNBC all morning as speculation raged over presumptive GOP presidential nominee John McCain's choice of a vice presidential running mate. A little more than an hour ago, McCain shocked the political world by selecting a self-described "hockey mom" and relative political neophyte in Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

After the speech where Palin introduced herself, she and McCain worked their way across the stage shaking hands with supporters, I couldn't help but notice McCain stopping in front of a knot of men wearing Dayton Bombers hockey jerseys. Soon enough, somebody offered the Senator a personalized jersey with his name on it, which he took as a cue to pose for a picture.

According to a spokesperson for the Bombers, one of their fans was able to get tickets to the event for Bombers owner Costa Papista along with three players -- Dan Riedel, Joe Van Culin and team captain Greg Labenski -- and three other staff people. Before heading out to today's event, Papista did something that he always does when a celebrity comes through Dayton -- he has a personalized jersey made in preparation for a possible presentation. This time, he also brought a second blank jersey in case he had a chance to present the jersey to the candidate.

When I reached Papista in Dayton a few minutes ago the first thing he said to me was, "I can't believe a hockey mom could actually be on the way to the White House." Coming down off an obvious emotional high, Papista said that both McCain and Palin were "pretty excited," to get the jerseys. He was also quick to add that he suspected that the McCain campaign "must have known about Sarah having a hockey connection," which was what led them to be positioned so prominently on stage.

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Report: Meszaros Signs Offer Sheet

Eric McErlain — 2008-08-28T18:50:00 00:00

Filed under: Senators, NHL Economics, NHL Free Agency

Here's a shocker for the end of the work day: Just a couple of hours after Ottawa Senators GM Bryan Murray announced that the team had been unable to come to an agreement on a new contract with restricted free agent defenseman Andrej Meszaros, Adam Proteau of The Hockey News is reporting that Meszaros has signed an offer sheet with an unidentified NHL team.

Apparently, it's a multi-year deal with an average salary exceeding $5 million per season. As to who it might be, I guess it's time to get out your spreadsheets and start guessing. Our colleague James Mirtle lists possible destinations as St. Louis, Toronto, Montreal, Columbus, the Islanders, Phoenix and Atlanta. Mirtle also cites LA as a possible destination thanks to all their cap room, however, they would need to reacquire a third round draft pick in order to make it happen.

Losing Meszaros and Wade Redden in the same offseason couldn't have been part of the plan for Murray and the rest of the Ottawa front office. A defense that was deep and solid just two seasons ago during a run to the Finals now looks horribly vulnerable. What's worse, while the Sens might be thin on the blue line, they're still loaded up front, which makes taking the draft picks and embarking on a rebuild program something of a non-starter.

If I'm Sens owner Eugene Melnyk, I'm getting ready to ask Murray some very difficult questions about the future of the franchise.

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NHL Looks to Freeze Unsigned Europeans

Eric McErlain — 2008-08-27T16:10:00 00:00

Filed under: Rangers, NHL Draft, NHL Economics, NHL Free Agency

While other hockey writers are grasping at straws trying to manufacture storylines, the New York Post's Larry Brooks, whose Slap Shots column is on hiatus until the middle of September, keeps pushing out newsworthy copy. The latest -- a report saying that ex-NHLPA head Ted Saskin is prepared to testify against his former employer and on behalf of the league when it comes to an important detail inside the CBA regarding European-based players:

The issue at hand concerns the status of drafted European players who do not sign before June 2 of the second calendar year following their selections. Article 8.6 of the CBA states that clubs lose their rights to such players if they are not signed on or by that date.

[...]

The NHL, however, is claiming that the absence of transfer agreements with European hockey federations renders that portion of the CBA obsolete. It is the league's position that those unsigned players revert to what was known as "defected status" under the CBA that expired on Sept. 15, 2004, and thus remain the property of their drafting clubs forever.

So what's the angle for Brooks? Of immediate concern to his hometown Rangers is the status of 2007 first round pick Alexei Cherapanov, currently playing with Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League. That would mean that Cherapanov, among others, would be eligible for the 2009 NHL Entry Draft in Montreal if he remains unsigned. The arbitration hearing where Saskin will appear is scheduled for tomorrow.

But here's where it gets a little hairier. Cherepanov, who announced last month that he'd be playing in Russia this upcoming season instead of in North America, is represented by The Puck Agency (they're blogging these days too) the same folks who represent erstwhile Nashville Predators winger Alexander Radulov. If this interview uncovered by Beyond the Blueshirts is any indication, Cherepanov is all to aware of the potential mine field he has to negotiate these days.

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Cuba Gooding, Jr., Hockey Fan

Eric McErlain — 2008-08-26T13:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Wings, NHL Gossip

All the right people showed up yesterday in Oakland, Michigan for the Illitch Celebrity Golf Classic. Among the attendees: Gordie Howe, Steve Yzerman, Bill Laimbeer and Al Kaline.

But it's important to remember that whenever Red Wing Defenseman Chris Chelios is involved, it usually means that a boatload of his buddies from Malibu are going to show up too.

In this case, that meant John Cusack, Tim Allen, Dave Coulier, Thorsten Kaye, John McGinley and D.B. Sweeney were all on hand. One other familiar face who showed up, but didn't play, was Chelios buddy and Oscar-winner Cuba Gooding, Jr., who spoke with Ken Bradley of Sporting News Today:

"I play hockey, all kinds of other stuff, but no golfing," Gooding joked. "We have this great pickup (game) every Monday night in Los Angeles that is sponsored by CAA and Pat Brisson specifically -- he handles Sidney Crosby. I skated with Wayne Gretzky ... even skating with Chris Chelios I got a proper elbow to the head. It was awesome, just awesome to be out there."

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Kostitsyn: NHL Still Best League in the World

Eric McErlain — 2008-08-21T14:25:00 00:00

Filed under: Canadiens, Predators, NHL Economics, NHL Free Agency

Sergei Kostitsyn just gave an interesting interview to Russian Prospects where he touched on a number of different subjects, but the parts I found most interesting had to do with Alexander Radulov's defection to the KHL and what Kostitsyn thinks about its future.

As it turns out, Kostitsyn and Radulov both vacationed in Turkey early in the offseason, with the two staying in adjacent hotels. According to Kostitsyn, the cat was out of the bag about Salavat's offer to Radulov well before the actual announcement came at the beginning of July.

With two years remaining on his own rookie contract, the reporter was wise to ask the 21-year old winger what he would do if confronted with the same choice:

- What would be your choice in this situation?

- Right the opposite. To leave the best league in the World?.. No, thank you.

- That means you're skeptical about the potential of KHL?

- I disagree with the statement that KHL can catch up and take the lead against the NHL in the nearest future. If it ever happens it is a matter of not few years. Also, it's too early for me to talk about "zeroes" in the contract. I'm still young, will get mine when it's due.

[...]

- Don't you feel regret that even after successful debut in the NHL you'll have to play for Montreal on the rookie contract without the right to re-negotiate it? And we're talking about Russia, where you'd been offered double of "untaxed" at least.

- I'll get over. There is time for everything.

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In Hockey, it Pays to Fight

Eric McErlain — 2008-08-20T11:35:00 00:00

Filed under: NHL Economics, NHL Fights

Like most NHL fans, I'm an unabashed fan of hockey fights and the men who drop their gloves to protect their more skilled teammates. In their guts, most fans know that if it wasn't for players like Donald Brashear and Brian McGrattan, skaters like Dany Heatley and Alex Ovechkin wouldn't have nearly as much room to dazzle us the way they do.

Now, there's solid empirical evidence to back it up. In a study published by Ruhr Economic Papers, Blood Money: Incentives for Violence in NHL Hockey, John P. Haisken-DeNew and Matthias Vorell found a positive correlation between fighting and winning in the NHL.

Here's how The Atlantic saw the paper:

After analyzing league statistics-including penalty minutes, goals scored, and salary figures-the authors determined that strategic fighting can improve a team's playoff chances, and that players possessing the unique skills of an enforcer are duly rewarded for their efforts.

[...]

While a player earns a "wage premium" of $10,925 when he assists on a goal, they calculated, he earns $18,135 for winning a fight and $11,993 even for losing a fight.

According to the researchers, the most effective way to curb fighting in hockey would be to levy a $36,000 fine on each team per fight, and then apply the fine against the team's salary cap. I'm sure that idea would give Anaheim GM Brian Burke a severe case of agita.

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Stefan Legein Just Retired ... Or Did He?

Eric McErlain — 2008-08-20T00:24:00 00:00

Filed under: Blue Jackets, NHL Gossip, NHL Media Watch, NHL Rumors

Stefan Legein, a 2007 second round draft pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets who is just 19 has retired. Or has he?

The kid -- a promising prospect on a lot of levels -- is coming off a season where he helped Canada win a World Junior championship. But as surprising as this news might be, the way that news made it online might be just as interesting.

The first online report of Legein's retirement came from Aaron Portzline at Puck-Rakers, the Blue Jackets blog at the Columbus Dispatch. But when it came to nailing down the story, Portzline had an assist from a local blogger:

This story is shocking on so many different levels. Earlier today, I got an email from a Puck-Rakers reader, Bethany, of Bethany's Hockey Rants. Actually, it was a "forward" of an email she got from an anonymous person in Ontario saying Legein had retired.
After a slew of phone calls to sources throughout the NHL, I finally got somebody to tell be [sic] off the record that's it true. Just a few minutes ago, Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson confirmed it.

Of course, the next question has to be: Why? Why would a kid who had a pretty good shot at eventually making his way to the NHL decide to walk away from it all? From all indications, Legein didn't do much of anything to telegraph his punch.

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Redden to Arrive in NYC with New Wife

Eric McErlain — 2008-08-19T15:40:00 00:00

Filed under: Rangers, Senators, NHL Gossip

It's been a huge Summer for Wade Redden. First, he signed a mega-bucks deal to leave Ottawa and join the New York Rangers. And now, to top things off, he's gone off and gotten himself married. And while most of us didn't snag an invite to the intimate affair in Kelowna, British Colombia, two Vancouver-based wedding photographers are sharing a few shots from the happy couple's wedding album.

Here's how Chris+Lynn Photographers set it up:

What can we say about Danica & Wade? She is fun, fiesty, and full of an adventurous spirit. He is calm, down-to-earth, and has a quiet strength about him. As a couple, they are simply beautiful together - in the laughter they share, the tenderness in their words, and the pure love with which they look at each other.

Awwww. I think it's safe to say that Mr. Redden is an incredibly lucky guy, if you know what I mean.

After all, as Sean Avery reminded us a few weeks back, New York can be an awfully lonely place for an athlete when things aren't going well. It's good that Wade won't be making the trip by himself.

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Bodog Makes Wings and Pens Early Cup Favorites

Eric McErlain — 2008-08-19T15:15:00 00:00

Filed under: Penguins, Wings, NHL Gambling

Yes, I know it's August.

And yes, I know we're still about a month out before training camp.

Still, if The Hockey News can put most of its hockey yearbook to bed complete with predictions in August, what's the harm in checking in with people who actually have some skin in the game if they get things wrong? In particular, I'm talking about the folks at Bodog who have just published odds for winning the conference championships and the Stanley Cup Finals for the 2008-09 NHL season.

Up top, there's not much of a surprise, as Bodog has installed the Red Wings (10-3) and the Penguins (~~5-2~~ 6-1), as co-favorites in their respective conferences -- see those odds after the jump. Rounding out the top 10 are San Jose (9-1), Montreal (10-1), Anaheim and the Rangers (12-1), Washington (15-1), New Jersey (16-1), Ottawa (16-1), Chicago, Dallas and Philadelphia (18-1).

For those of you looking to lay your money on a long shot, Atlanta and Los Angeles are at the bottom of the board at 100-1, followed by Toronto (75-1) and Columbus (65-1). For a complete list of odds on the Stanley Cup as well as the winners of both the Eastern and Western Conference, look after the jump.

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Reading the KHL Tea Leaves

Eric McErlain — 2008-08-19T07:20:00 00:00

Filed under: Predators, NHL Economics, NHL Free Agency

It's been an interesting few days in the continuing standoff between the National Hockey League and Russia's Kontinental Hockey League. Let's recap some events:

With little fanfare in the North American press, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman traveled to Europe last week to meet with KHL officials to begin negotiations over a new player transfer agreement. KHL President Alexander Medvedev has subsequently said that he presented a formula to determine compensation based on a player's age, how high he was picked in the draft and other "variable" factors.

While these negotiations were going on, erstwhile Nashville Predators winger Alexander Radulov sat down with the Russian press and let loose with fusillade that would warm the heart of the most ardent Russian nationalist, accusing the NHL of "robbing" Russia of hockey talent since the end of the Cold War.

On a Summer Saturday when hardly anyone would be paying attention, the folks running the KHL thought it was important for their North American-based press service to issue a news release announcing that the league was "unilaterally" extending its moratorium on signing NHL players, with the proviso that it would be terminated if and when the NHL violated the agreement.

On Monday evening, the Globe and Mail reported that Radulov's KHL team, Salavat Ufa, had made a compensation offer in exchange for the winger, one that the NHL rejected out of hand. Further, the NHL reiterated its position that there would be no international transfer agreement until Radulov's contract with Nashville was honored.

So what are we to deduce from the recent goings on?

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Yet Another Hilarious Ovechkin Video

Eric McErlain — 2008-08-18T23:05:00 00:00

Filed under: Capitals, NHL Videos

Thanks once again to Tuvanhillbilly for unearthing another inexplicable video starring Alex Ovechkin. Last week it was an Ovechkin appearance plugging his search for a wife, and now we have evidence of his participation in some bizarre Russian game show:

Thanks to Puck Daddy for the pointer.

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After 19 Straight, Del Potro Eyes the Open

Eric McErlain — 2008-08-17T17:20:00 00:00

Filed under: International Tennis, Tennis, Breaking News

In a world dominated by always on broadband Internet connections, it's hard for any athlete to sneak up on sports fans anymore. But over the past few weeks, with the sports world focusing relentlessly on the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, a 19-year old Argentine may very well have put himself in the best position to win the Men's Singles Title at this year's U.S. Open.

The young man I'm talking about is 19th-ranked Juan-Martin Del Potro, and the reason to get excited about his prospects is that he hasn't lost a tennis match since he exited the second round of Wimbledon back on June 25. Toss in the fact that he's got the sort of looks that could win him a second career as a male model, and you can see why plenty of folks think he's ready to break out in a big way.

After an early exit from Wimbledon, Del Potro won a pair of clay court tournaments in Europe -- his first wins on the ATP Tour -- before decamping to the USA for the Countrywide Classic in Los Angeles where he beat Andy Roddick in the final in two sets. Here all week in Washington at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, it's been nothing but more of the same, as Del Potro ripped through his side of the bracket as the tournament's second seed, running his consecutive win streak to 18 matches. Meanwhile on the other side of the ladder, #1 seed Roddick was upended in the quarterfinals on Friday night by the unheralded Serbian Viktor Troicki, Del Potro's opposition in today's final.

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Team Owners Favor McCain Over Obama

Eric McErlain — 2008-08-15T14:35:00 00:00

Filed under: Featured Stories

Over at The Politico, reporters Ken Vogel and Matt Lindsey did plenty of scout work to determine that when it comes to owners of major league sports franchises, Republican Senator and presumptive GOP Presidential nominee John McCain is doing far better than his Democratic Party counterpart Barack Obama in the fundraising department:

Owners Backing Candidates

While the presidential election will not be decided until November, Senator John McCain holds the edge over Senator Barack Obama in contributions from sports moguls. See where some of sports' most influential team owners have thrown their support.

AP / Getty Images

Woody Johnson - New York Jets
$70,000 to McCain from his own pocket and $500,000 in "bundled" contributions

M. Spencer Green, AP

Ted Leonsis - Washington Capitals
Maxed out contributions to both McCain and Obama
"Who we vote for is our own personal decision. Whoever wins, we hope they will enjoy coming to Caps games next year."

Stephen J Boitano, Getty Images

Jerry Reinsdorf - Chicago White Sox
$22,000 to McCain and $2,300 to Obama

Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images

Tom Hicks - Texas Rangers, Dallas Stars and Liverpool FC
Total of $309,000 for McCain

Shaun Botterill, Getty Images

Bill Bidwell - Phoenix Cardinals
$350,000 in "bundled" contributions for McCain

Carl Pohlad - Minnesota Twins
$217,000 in "bundled" contributions for Obama

Tom Olmscheid, AP

Bob Johnson - Charlotte Bobcats
$2,300 to Clinton and $100,000 in "bundled" contributions
$32,000 to Obama and $200,000 in "bundled" contributions

Douglas C. Pizac, AP

Sam Zell - Chicago Cubs
$22,000 to McCain and $2,300 to Obama

Charles Rex Arbogast, AP

Through the end of June, team owners in the four major sports and their families have given to or raised as much or more than $3.2 million for McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, compared with as much as $615,000 for his Democratic rival Obama, according to a Politico analysis of data from the Federal Election Commission, the campaigns and interviews.

Not only did McCain raise more than Obama from the owners in each of the four major professional sports leagues analyzed, but McCain even raised six times more from the owners of teams in Obama's hometown of Chicago.

As you might expect, there are a lot of familiar names thrown about here. But the most stunning revelation isn't revealed until far deeper into the piece -- apparently, most of the team owners who were big donors to the presidential campaign of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, have yet to make a contribution to the Obama campaign, perhaps an indication of some lingering resentment after a bruising primary season. Just one example is New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, who donated $2,300 to Clinton's primary campaign, but has since made donations to McCain's join presidential campaign committee.

One notable exception to that seems to be Charlotte Bobcats owner Bob Johnson, who donated the $2,300 maximum to Clinton's campaign while "bundling" another $100,000 in contributions -- efforts that Johnson has since matched and then exceeded on behalf of the Obama campaign. And for those of you who might be wondering, Bobcats minority owner Michael Jordan donated $2,100 to Obama's primary campaign, but has yet to make a contribution to his general election bid.

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McEnroe Tossed from Geezer Tennis Tournament

Eric McErlain — 2008-08-15T01:25:00 00:00

Filed under: Tennis

For those of you who might not have been around in the 1980s, there were few things in professional sports more entertaining than a full-on John McEnroe tirade. Sure, the act didn't sit too well with the folks at Wimbledon, but the people running the ATP tour knew full well that McEnroe, along with fellow bad boy Jimmy Connors, were promotional gold.

When Nike decided it was time to dive whole hog into mega-athlete endorsements, it wasn't any surprise that McEnroe was the only tennis player they could possibly be interested in.

A couple of weeks ago I got to see McEnroe play in person for the first time since I was in the stands at Louis Armstrong Stadium at the 1981 U.S. Open Final. After spending an entire evening watching him play World Team Tennis for the New York Sportstimes against the Washington Kastles, it seemed clear to me that at least for one night, time had mellowed him.

Then again, maybe not.

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Video of the Day: Ovechkin Unleashed!

Eric McErlain — 2008-08-14T11:11:00 00:00

Filed under: Capitals, NHL Gossip, NHL Media Watch, NHL Videos

Like my friend, J.P., I was more than a little dumbstruck after watching the following clip from Russian television promoting a contest where women can call Caps winger Alex Ovechkin in hopes of getting married:

I really want to write some more, but I'm not sure where to start. I'll just keep my comments to noting that we shouldn't be surprised if average Russians have a distorted view of life in the USA.

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Canadian LPGA Tour Pro Leaves Leafs Logo at Home

Eric McErlain — 2008-08-13T15:21:00 00:00

Filed under: Maple Leafs, Oilers, Senators, NHL Fans

Life is tough for Toronto Maple Leafs fans. Heck, it's been 41 years since they won a Stanley Cup, and while the Leafs have fans all over Canada, they also have plenty of vocal enemies. It's gotten so bad that Alena Sharp, a Canadian player on the LPGA Tour, will be leaving her Maple Leafs club cover at home when she plays at the CN Canadian Women's Open outside Ottawa this weekend.

Here's what Sharp told the Ottawa Sun's Chris Stevenson:

Hamilton's Alena Sharp, Canada's top player on the LPGA Tour this year, has a Toronto Maple Leafs head cover on her driver, but she said today she's willing to chuck it for this week.

"I was waiting for that one to come up. Last year in Edmonton, I got flack about it...so if someone is willing to bring an Ottawa Senators head cover, I'll put it on my bag for the week. I guess you can put that out in the media."

Abandon the Leafs for the Sens? Somebody alert Battle of Ontario, we've got a deserter to deal with!

Then again, there's always the Shania Twain solution.

Sharp, by the way, proudly displays a Maple Leafs logo on her official Web site, right alongside one from the Boston Red Sox. If you happen to be looking for a Maple Leafs club cover all your own, click here.

Thanks to J.P. for the pointer.

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Sean Avery Falls Into the Gap

Eric McErlain — 2008-08-13T13:24:00 00:00

Filed under: Stars, NHL Economics, NHL Fans, NHL Gossip, NHL Media Watch

Sean Avery's adventures in the world of fashion took another turn yesterday when The Gap announced that the brand new Dallas Stars winger is going to be one of the celebrities featured in the company's Fall marketing campaign.

Also appearing in the ads along with Avery are Liv Tyler, Ginnifer Goodwin, Hugh Dancy, Edgar Ramirez, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Melvil Poupaud, Clemence Poesy, Nate Parker, Joe Anderson, Georgina Chapman, Julia Restoin Roitfeld, Scott Schuman, Leigh Lezark, David Benioff, Max Lugavere & Jason Silva, Cecilia Dean and Ryan McGinley.

Here's Sarah Mahoney from Marketing Daily:

The ads, featuring the first full collection by Patrick Robinson, Gap's head designer, rely on portraits of a quirky list of celebrities ... a group that is considerably less recognizable than celebs Gap has used in the past.

As for Avery, he'll be pictured wearing the "Classic V-Neck," soon to be available at your local Gap outlet for $44.95. Then again, perhaps Liv Tyler wearing the "Boyfriend Cardigan," might be more your speed. For those of you who might actually be interested in what Avery ought to be expected to produce on the ice next season in Dallas, click here.

HT: Andrew's Dallas Stars Page.

For a behind the scenes shot of Avery at the photo shoot, look after the jump.

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Islanders Hire Gordon, AHL Coach of the Year

Eric McErlain — 2008-08-13T11:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Islanders

The last vacant head coaching job in the league was filled last night when the New York Islanders announced last night that they had hired Providence Bruins Head Coach and reigning AHL Coach of the Year Scott Gordon to replace Ted Nolan. The announcement comes just a few days after Newsday's Greg Logan reported that Gordon was a finalist for the job along with ex-Atlanta head coach Bob Hartley and former Toronto head coach Paul Maurice.

It's hard to quibble with GM Garth Snow's choice. The Islanders are going to go young, and there's little doubt that an experienced AHL hand like Gordon -- he's got more than five full seasons behind the bench as a head coach and another three as an assistant under his belt -- has a pretty good read on what it takes to motivate young players.

Better yet, there's little doubt that Gordon will come at a far more reasonable price than any of the other NHL retreads that were competing with him for the job. And, as Lowetide noted last night, the bar for success can't be set terribly high for year one -- just keep feeding the kids ice time and find a way to get Rick DiPietro healthy and Gordon is sure to be ahead of the game.

So what's the feeling on Long Island? In short, it's all over the place.

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Could Michael Nylander Be On The Move?

Eric McErlain — 2008-08-12T13:35:00 00:00

Filed under: Canucks, Capitals, NHL Economics, NHL Fans, NHL Rumors

One rumor we keep hearing in and around the Washington Capitals this offseason concerns the disposition of veteran centerman Michael Nylander. With the team almost $2.7 million over the cap after re-signing a passel of players and a logjam up the middle, it's hard for the folks who watch the team not to speculate as to what General Manager George McPhee might have up his sleeve to get under the cap by opening night.

Toss in the fact that Nylander's former agent, Mike Gillis, is now General Manager in Vancouver, and you have a pretty typical recipe for intrigue.

And here's something new for the mix: Our FanHouse colleague Jon "J.P." Press, with an assist from some of his readers, discovered that Nylander put his Potomac, Md. house on the market back on July 17. The discovery is just more fuel for the fire, as former goalie Olie Kolzig's departure from Washington was also presaged by a real estate listing for his home.

When you take a look at the numbers, it's clear that moving Nylander, who was imported from the New York Rangers as a free agent before the start of last season, would solve the team's cap problem in one fell swoop. Coming in at a cap hit of $4.875 million, trading the veteran center would take care of the overage and provide about $2 million in cushion going into the season -- just the sort of cushion that most GMs would like to have come the trade deadline.

But will the Caps need to move Nylander at all? The answer: It depends.

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AEG Throws Boots Under the Bus

Eric McErlain — 2008-08-11T14:05:00 00:00

Filed under: Kings, Predators, Wild, NHL Economics

Say what you will about Larry Brooks and his Sunday NHL column in the New York Post, there's little doubt that everyone in the league reads it -- which is probably why Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) President and CEO Tim Leiweke decided to turn to Brooks when it came to coming clean about AEG's low-profile loan to William "Boots" Del Baggio.

One of the hottest stories going in the league off the ice during this offseason has been the starting revelation that Del Baggio had some covert help when it came to financing his purchase of a minority interest in the Nashville Predators.

As most folks have read by now, Del Baggio, who seems to have been a little light in the wallet when it comes to his own cash reserves, was able to buy a piece of the Predators thanks to some creative financing from AEG, the owners of the LA Kings, and Craig Leipold, the former owner of the Predators who is now in control of the Minnesota Wild. And, as we've also subsequently discovered, the deal was pulled off without the commissioner knowing a thing about it.

From the outside looking in, it's clear Leipold was looking for any way to grease his skids out of Nashville after losing millions on the Predators, while you don't have to be a rocket scientist to conclude AEG was in on the deal to help Del Baggio gain control of the team and move it to Kansas City where another AEG-owned arena is looking for an anchor tenant.

Needless to say, the commissioner is a little miffed and is promising an investigation.

Enter Leiweke, a sports executive who has been around the block a few times.

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