The Latest NHL Rumors……
Lemaire on the hot seat: The St. Paul Pioneer Press calls it a good bet that former Sharks, Penguins and Devils coach Kevin Constantine eventually replaces Wild head coach Jacques Lemaire
Rangers pulling a Craig Patrick: The New York Rangers have turned the tables on forward Sean Avery. Courtesy of the New York Post, “Avery is not a mature player. He plays, at times, like an individual rather than a member of a team. This is sometimes referred to as an inability to see the ice, and in Avery’s case this seems to fit with his overall approach to the game.” The Rangers apparently don’t want their generous free spending this offseason to extend to pesky F Sean Avery, whom the Blueshirts referred to in a salary arbitration brief as “a reasonably effective player as well as a detriment to the team,” according to The Post. Avery is seeking a raise to $2.6M per season while the Rangers are countering with $1.3M. Avery, who scored 18 goals and 48 points in 84 games with the Kings and Rangers, made $1.1M last season. This situation reminds me of the Penguins in 2001. Marty Straka was eligible for arbitration and the cash strapped Penguins turned the tables on Straka saying he was a detriment to the team chemistry. After the hearing the Penguins apologized and awarded Straka with a four year deal.
Offer sheet for Weiss: The agent for Florida Panthers forward Stephen Weiss has warned the Florida Panthers that if they don’t hurry up, another team might force their hand by signing restricted free agent C Stephen Weiss to an offer sheet. Source: South Florida – Sun Sentinel
