A potpourri of tidbits.
Friday, June 23, 2006
Argh! Too much stuff has happened and I want to touch on it all!
Lance Armstrong calls out Dick Pound; NHL chimes in
Eric at Off Wing pretty much summed up the best way to put this: sneaky, but very effective. With Dick Pound probably on the defensive now thanks to the results of the earlier independent investigation that both cleared Armstrong and criticized WADA, the NHL is taking advantage of this situation to trumpet their own displeasure with the loud-mouthed head of the anti-doping agency.
Good on them, I say. Regardless of whether or not Pound has any semblance of logic or validity, he deserves to be called out.
Salary Cap increased to around $44 million
Great stuff and whatnot, but does this mean that MacLean will spend more this season or no? He has already made it pretty clear that even though he is able to spend higher than he currently is, that the Jackets themselves do not want to spend (or don't have to spend) near the cap.
I'm fine with not spending to the cap. It isn't always about throwing money around, as we should all know from the past (pre-lock out Rangers, anyone?). Even so, a higher cap should at least give MacLean the impression that he is capable of pushing the team salary higher if it will have some positive results. No need to be too frugal.
Malhotra re-signs with the Blue Jackets
Three years, for $3.6 million. I want to say that it's good to have Manny back ... I really do. But when you look at his numbers over the several seasons he has played, and also the fact that this deal was etched out somewhat close to the NHL Draft, would it have perhaps been better to just go looking at what is available down in Syracuse, or through free agency?
It has been noted that he gelled pretty well down the stretch with his linemates on the third line, so we'll see if that continues into 06-07. Here's hoping, right?
NHL Draft on Saturday
The Blue Jackets are going to be holding a shindig of a draft party starting at 4 PM EST (6 PM is when the draft itself starts), and I am all but definitely going. I'd like to meet some of the personnel, radio and TV personalities, and also see the unveiling of the draft logo that the Blue Jackets will use next year when Nationwide Arena hosts the draft. I'll be dragging my laptop along with me, and with a little luck I might be able to catch a Wi-Fi reception from the Starbucks which is at the opposite side of the arena. If not, I'll still be writing what I can as the draft goes on.
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That about wraps up this capsule of events. There's something else I want to write on, too. Apparently there's rumors that a few deals have been tossed back and forth between the Jackets and the Tampa Bay Lightning over Marc Denis and some Lightning players. Michael Arace over at The Columbus Dispatch has his thoughts on it, so check it out. I'll have some thoughts on this hopefully later tonight.
Lance Armstrong calls out Dick Pound; NHL chimes in
Eric at Off Wing pretty much summed up the best way to put this: sneaky, but very effective. With Dick Pound probably on the defensive now thanks to the results of the earlier independent investigation that both cleared Armstrong and criticized WADA, the NHL is taking advantage of this situation to trumpet their own displeasure with the loud-mouthed head of the anti-doping agency.
Good on them, I say. Regardless of whether or not Pound has any semblance of logic or validity, he deserves to be called out.
Salary Cap increased to around $44 million
Great stuff and whatnot, but does this mean that MacLean will spend more this season or no? He has already made it pretty clear that even though he is able to spend higher than he currently is, that the Jackets themselves do not want to spend (or don't have to spend) near the cap.
I'm fine with not spending to the cap. It isn't always about throwing money around, as we should all know from the past (pre-lock out Rangers, anyone?). Even so, a higher cap should at least give MacLean the impression that he is capable of pushing the team salary higher if it will have some positive results. No need to be too frugal.
Malhotra re-signs with the Blue Jackets
Three years, for $3.6 million. I want to say that it's good to have Manny back ... I really do. But when you look at his numbers over the several seasons he has played, and also the fact that this deal was etched out somewhat close to the NHL Draft, would it have perhaps been better to just go looking at what is available down in Syracuse, or through free agency?
It has been noted that he gelled pretty well down the stretch with his linemates on the third line, so we'll see if that continues into 06-07. Here's hoping, right?
NHL Draft on Saturday
The Blue Jackets are going to be holding a shindig of a draft party starting at 4 PM EST (6 PM is when the draft itself starts), and I am all but definitely going. I'd like to meet some of the personnel, radio and TV personalities, and also see the unveiling of the draft logo that the Blue Jackets will use next year when Nationwide Arena hosts the draft. I'll be dragging my laptop along with me, and with a little luck I might be able to catch a Wi-Fi reception from the Starbucks which is at the opposite side of the arena. If not, I'll still be writing what I can as the draft goes on.
----
That about wraps up this capsule of events. There's something else I want to write on, too. Apparently there's rumors that a few deals have been tossed back and forth between the Jackets and the Tampa Bay Lightning over Marc Denis and some Lightning players. Michael Arace over at The Columbus Dispatch has his thoughts on it, so check it out. I'll have some thoughts on this hopefully later tonight.
