More NHL Teams For Sale?

The Phoenix Coyotes have endured a highly publicized ownership battle over the last two years. Jerry Reinsdorf recently backed out of his bid to purchase the Coyotes, leaving the Ice Edge group as the sole bidder for the resurgent franchise. Talks of relocation have recently picked up more steam, with the NHL admitting that Winnepeg would have been a ‘Plan B’ for the ‘Yotes. It’s all still mired in the rumors and rumblings stage, but now The Hockey News is reporting that Phoenix may not be the only team going up for sale – and that relocation might be on the horizon for some underperforming organizations.

“You see, a big part of Bettman’s job is to ensure the league has as much stable ownership as possible. That way, franchise values remain high and the fellows who write the checks are happy. If there is a sag in ownership in a market, Bettman is intimately involved in every aspect of securing a new owner.

Even if it means battling so hard to keep the Phoenix Coyotes that even when you win, you lose. The ownership situation, as we all know, is a complete mess in the desert, so much so that Ice Edge is back in the picture and could be the new owner of the team if the City of Glendale agrees to a number of concessions that would cover Ice Edge’s operating losses.

Nice deal if you can get it, eh? Build a rink for a team, then get held hostage by it. As was first reported by THN.com in March, Phoenix faces the prospect of caving to NHL/Ice Edge/Jerry Reinsdorf or losing their major tenant to Canadian billionaire David Thomson, who already has a memorandum of agreement to buy the Coyotes and move them to Winnipeg if a local solution can’t be found.

(THN.com has been told, however, that at least if Ice Edge is involved and gets its concessions, its cockamamie scheme to play a handful of games in Saskatoon to offset the loss of revenues will be scrapped.)

But you have to wonder how many more proverbial rabbits Bettman can pull out of his hockey helmet. I mean, you can only stumble over so many Jeff Vinik’s in the world and convince them to risk their wealth on the shaky prospect of NHL ownership.

Bettman and Vinik met at this year’s Winter Classic and in the next few months, Bettman convinced Vinik– a hedge fund manager from Boston and a part owner of the Boston Red Sox – to buy the Tampa Bay Lightning. Now that Vinik is in control of the Lightning, he’s getting a nice glimpse of what a mess things are there. In fact, sources maintain that he has offered the CEO job to five people and they have all turned him down.

If rumblings are correct, however, Bettman is going to have to come up with a lot more Jeff Viniks in the near and long-term future if he wants to clean up all the messes that exist. Depending upon with whom you speak, almost one-third of the teams in the league either is or soon will be put up for sale. And some of the markets are surprising.

We all know about the Coyotes, the Dallas Stars and the Atlanta Thrashers, but if speculation is to be believed, Bettman will have to brace himself for a slew of other owners who will be looking to get out of NHL ownership in the next little while. And if it’s true, it also proves there are even billionaires out there who get tired of watching their cash continually get sucked into a money-losing vortex.

The first spot is Los Angeles, where it’s believed the Kings will likely go up for auction sometime in the near future. We know what you’re thinking. That’s to pave the way for Kings owner Philip Anschutz to move a team into his building in Kansas City, but it turns out he’s apparently just getting tired of losing money.

The other spot where there are rumblings of an ownership change is St. Louis, a team that appears to be on the right track after bottoming out a couple of seasons ago. The Nashville Predators are looking for a cash infusion in the way of investors and there are signs the Carolina Hurricanes and even the New Jersey Devils might be for sale in the near future.

The problem is that almost all of those teams lose money. That, in and of itself, is a problem, but business people also like to talk about “cost of capital,” which is the cost you bear by having your money tied up in ventures that don’t make anything. So assuming the cost of capital is 10 percent, an owner who has his money tied up in an NHL team is losing the opportunity to use that money to invest in something that will give him a better return, plus he has to absorb the operating losses, which, in many cases, are between $20 million and $30 million a season.

Another situation that bears watching is the New York Islanders. Reports that owner Charles Wang is ready to walk away from the franchise appear to be a little premature, but there is little doubt he is running out of patience. The Lighthouse Project, which would have given the Islanders a new arena and revitalized the area, looks like it will be scaled back considerably if it even sees the light of day.” {Campbell, THN.com}

Keep in mind that Campbell doesn’t list his ‘sources’, and this is probably best classified as rumors only, but it’s not hard to imagine that some teams like Tampa, who are struggling with attendance (as well as meeting their own payroll) would be up for sale. Secondly, just because a team is up for sale, doesn’t mean relocation is happening. As Ken mentioned, one of the biggest parts of Bettman’s job is to ensure stable ownership.

But if the Coyotes, Kings, Devils, Stars, Thrashers, Hurricanes, Blues and Islanders (although, the Islanders have had the relocation talk hanging over their heads for some time) are going through some front office issues, it’s certainly troubling. My answer would be to move some franchises to Canada, but Bettman has been hellbent on maintaining his southern expansion. Phoenix was owned by the NHL this entire season – to the point where Gary Bettman had to ensure the press that his name would not be etched into the Cup in the Coyotes won in the finals. Combine this with the payroll ‘bailout’ that the League gave to Tampa Bay right before the end of the season, and the paradigm is perfectly clear. The NHL has, and will, go far out of its way to keep these teams in their underperforming markets.

As we’ve seen with Phoenix, Bettman won’t let a franchise move unless there’s absolutely no other option left on the table. For better or worse, the NHL is going to stick by their dying teams until the bitter end. By the looks of struggling teams like Tampa, Atlanta and Phoenix, the financial problems might force Bettman’s hand.

Gameday Thread (Flyers-Bruins, Penguins-Habs)

Jump on our live gameday, and chat with me and some other people as we watch the games tonight. You don’t have to sign up for anything, just jump on and start blabbing.

Salo Suffers ‘Ruptured Testicle’ Blocking Shot (UPDATE)

Ready for some nightmarish video, gentlemen? Here’s Vancouver defenseman Sami Salo taking a slapshot from Duncan Keith right in the stones.

“Vancouver Canucks defenceman Sami Salo was taken to a Chicago area hospital on a stretcher Sunday night after taking a Duncan Keith shot in the groin while killing a penalty in the final seconds of the first period.

Salo was engaged with Chicago captain Jonathan Toews at the time before he doubled-over and sprawled on the ice in pain. It took him several minutes before he was able to get helped off by teammates.

Fellow blueliner Shane O’Brien also left the game in the second period after being cut by the stick of Blackhawks’ Dustin Byfuglien, who was following through on a shot attempt. O’Brien bled profusely from the forehead as he left the ice but was back on bench after getting stitched up” {TSN.ca}

No word yet on whether or not Salo could return to the lineup for game six back in Vancouver – but who could blame him if he misses a few games? Bad break for the Canucks, who really needed Salo’s presence in front of the net to clear out Dustin Byfuglien. Either case, here’s to a speedy recovery for Salo. We’re all wincing with you, champ.

(UPDATE: 670 The Score in Chicago is reporting that Salo did NOT rupture his testicle. Good news for him, for sure.)

{From Puck Daddy}

Murray’s Headshot on Johan Franzen

During game five of the Sharks – Red Wings series, San Jose defenseman Douglas Murray laid a dirty hit on Johan Franzen.

“He sure didn’t come from the front of me,” said Franzen. “He came from the side. It was a late hit, a blindside hit and it was to the head. I thought two months ago the league tried to take that away. Instead, they come down and get a faceoff in our end instead of us getting a five-minute power play.” {Mlive}

There was no penalty called on the play, and keep in mind, this is during the third period of an elimination game of the post-season. At the very least, this is a textbook elbowing call (if not worse). The Sharks would go on to score the series ending, game winning goal right after this non-call. I’m a life-long St. Louis Blues fan, and even I think they got screwed on this play.

Furthermore, these are the kind of hits that can cause serious injury – it’s not a shoulder-to-shoulder hit intended to remove the puck from the puck carrier, but an irresponsible and careless elbow. Murray clearly leaves his feet, and strikes Franzen up high. I’m not saying that this cost the Wings the series – they lost three straight, and even if they had won game five, they probably wouldn’t have gotten close to advancing. Still, it’s upsetting to see that even with three on ice officials, obvious penalties like this are still routinely missed.

What to Watch For: CHI-VAN / BOS – PHI

Two games are on deck tonight, and both are pivotal games in each series. First, the Flyers take on Bruins in Boston (7PM ET, on Versus), as they attempt to tie the series.

“The Bruins beat the Flyers, 5-4, in overtime of Game 1 to take a 1-0 advantage in the best-of-seven series. Bruins center Marc Savard returned to the lineup for the first time since a March 7 concussion and scored the game-winner in his 16th minute of play. Savard led the team in scoring for three-straight years before this injury-plagued season. As a result of his long rest, he’s fresher than anyone in this series and he could be more dangerous than usual.

“Flyers coach Peter Laviolette acknowledged Sunday his team has to win at least one game in Boston and “Game 2 would be a good place to start.” The Flyers lacked their usual early energy that has led to them scoring the first goal in a majority of games coached by Laviolette. Swarming the opposition with a deep two-man forecheck and getting the first goal was the first element of the system he was able to install. The Flyers blamed their eight-day layoff for the lethargy and responded well thereafter, except for when they were swarmed again at the beginning of overtime. They have to be heartened that they didn’t play their best in Game 1 and it still took the Bruins 73 minutes to win after leading by two goals three times.”

Keys to the Game:

-Brian Boucher

I’ve actually been saying that I think this is the series where Brian Boucher just implodes – it’s not like the Bruins have a great offensive attack, but I don’t think he’s going to lead Philly past Boston. It’s only a matter of time before Boston lights him up for 4-5 goals. Philadelphia, because of their injuries to Emery and Leighton, doesn’t really have a safety net in goal if and when Boucher cools down. The Flyer’s current backup, Johan Backlund, has only played a single game in the NHL.

-Boston’s Injuries / Miro’s Play

Bruins forward Marco Sturm is out of the lineup indefinitely, thinning an already underwhelming Boston top-six. Surprisingly, Miroslav Satan has two game-winning-goals in this series, and over his career, he’s played very well against Philly, notching 21 points in 22 playoff games against the Flyers. If he can continue to be a factor in this series, Boston will get all the goal support they need to help Tuuka Rask.

Next, the Chicago Blackhawks attempt to tie their series as well, hoping to win Game Two at home against the Canucks. (9PM ET on Versus)

“There’s not a lot that went wrong in Game 1 for Vancouver.

The Blackhawks came out firing during the first 10 minutes, but Roberto Luongo was a rock in net. He stopped 17 first-period shots and allowed his team time to rip off two first-period goals en route to the 5-1 victory.

“He’s one of the best in the world,” Henrik Sedin said. “If he’s on top of his game, we can bring our offense like we did (in Game 1).”

All four lines scored in Game 1, providing the necessary scoring balance that’s needed to beat a deep team like the Blackhawks.

“You have to make sure support guys are putting the game away so that (the top-line guys) don’t have to waste that much energy,” said Kyle Wellwood, whose power-play goal midway through the second period made it 4-0.

On Sunday, it wasn’t so much about what the Canucks did right. Players and coach Joel Quenneville were talking more about what they did wrong.

“I think all the goals were self-inflicted wounds last night,” Quenneville said. “I think we have to be better in those areas. It was what we did that generated their offense.”

Antti Niemi allowed 5 goals on 25 shots before being replaced at the start of the third period by Cristobal Huet, but Niemi will be the guy in Game 2 for the Blackhawks.

“Antti’s playing,” Quenneville said. “No doubt. He’s played very well for us down the stretch.”

Keys to the Game:

-Luongo/Special Teams

Vancouver dominated game one, and they’ve won the opening game against a tough Chicago team. In the post-season, special teams and goaltending are absolutely critical, and the Canucks have displayed a capacity for both. Vancouver has killed 18 of their last 20 penalties, stifling a prolific Chicago offense. Luongo wasn’t really tested much in the opening game, but expect a different story tonight in the UC. I’d imagine Luo will see at least 30-35 shots, and he won’t have much of a margin for error.

-Niemi/Duncan Keith

All four lines for the Canucks scored in game one, but I doubt they’ll get that kind of secondary scoring in game two. The Hawks will have to rely on Duncan Keith to shut down the Sedins all game, and his play tonight could make or break this game for Chicago. All eyes are on Antti Niemi, as he got yanked at the beginning of the third period in game one, but not before allowing 5 goals on 25 shots. Can he return to the shutout form he had against Nashville? Expect widespread panic in the Second City if Niemi allows another 4-5 goals tonight.

Series Preview: Blackhawks – Canucks

In the West, the Chicago Blackhawks advanced to the second round to face Roberto Luongo and the Vancouver Canucks. These two teams met last year in the Semi-finals, and the Blackhawks beat Vancouver in six games, moving on to the Conference finals. Led by Art Ross Trophy winner Henrik Sedin, the Canucks are hoping to exact some revenge on Chicago this year.

“Chicago and Vancouver split four regular-season meetings, with each team winning once on its opponent’s home ice. Antti Niemi, who took over the starting job for the Blackhawks late in the season, stopped all 30 shots he faced in a 1-0 win at GM Place on Nov. 22. It was his only win in three decisions against the Canucks, while Roberto Luongo split his four starts. Mikael Samuelsson, who had a huge first round of the playoffs, led all scorers in the regular-season series with three goals.

Whatever mistakes Vancouver made in its first-round, six-game series win over LosAngeles were quickly covered up by its cadre of dangerous weapons on offense. Samuelsson led the NHL during the conference quarterfinals in goals. He and Daniel Sedin each hit double digits in points. Henrik Sedin only scored one goal, but he led the Canucks in assists and put up eight points in the series. He is also a finalist for the Hart Trophy as regular-season MVP. At the moment that’s the least of his concerns, however. Sedin and his teammates have some other hardware they would like to pick up.

“Well, I hope someone on this team wins the Conn Smythe because it means we’ve gone deep,” he told the Vancouver Sun, referring to the trophy awarded to the MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. “Whoever it is, it doesn’t really matter but we’d like to have a few candidates in there, for sure.”

The stakes get higher with each playoff round for the rookie Niemi. He got the best of another goalie making his postseason debut, Nashville’s Pekka Rinne, in a six-game series win for Chicago. Niemi shut out the Predators twice in the first four games, but had his shaky moments over the final two, although the Blackhawks came out on top both times. Now he’ll stare down the ice at Luongo, who, despite being regarded as one of the League’s elite at his position, has not advanced past the second round in two previous tries. How do the two goaltenders match up?

“They’re a lot different as far as mechanics go, that’s for sure,” Kane told the Chicago Tribune. “With Antti, you look at him in the net (and) he doesn’t look like a really big guy (listed at 6 feet 2 and 210 pounds), but he gets the job done anyway. Antti just finds pucks and seems to block them. Luongo (6-3, 217) is probably one of the biggest goaltenders in the League, and he just seems to get his body on everything.” {NHL.com}

This could be one of the most competitive series all postseason, and both teams are very evenly matched. Both clubs posses a potent offense, but Luongo gives the Canucks an edge in net, while Chicago appears to have a bit of a deeper blueline (Keith, Seabrook, Hjalmarsson, Sopel). This series might come down to the play of Antti Niemi – his limited NHL experience could come back to bite the Hawks in crucial moments during the series. All things considered, I see a tough, hard-fought series that ends with the Canucks edging out the Blackhawks in six or seven games.

Adam’s Pick: Vancouver in six.

Series Preview: Bruins – Flyers

Game one of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals starts today at 12:30 ET, as the Boston Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers compete for a spot in the Conference Finals.

“The Flyers won the first two meetings this season and the Bruins won the last two: Claude Giroux’s shootout goal helped the Flyers to a 4-3 victory in Philadelphia on Oct. 22. … Tuukka Rask made 36 saves for the Bruins. Kimmo Timonen had two goals and an assist in the Flyers’ 3-1 victory in Boston on Dec. 14. … Mark Recchi scored the tying goal with 2:18 left in regulation and Marco Sturm scored at 1:57 of overtime to lead the Bruins over the Flyers, 2-1, on Jan. 1 in the 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Fenway Park. … The Bruins chased Michael Leighton out of the net in a 5-1 victory on March 11 in Philadelphia. Brian Boucher stopped 11 of 12 shots in relief. So, the Bruins haven’t beaten the Flyers at TD Garden this season.

The Flyers were fourth-best at penalty killing in the first round, killing 28-of-32 shorthanded situations, or 87.5 percent. They were third-best on the power play, scoring on 8 of 29 opportunities, or 27.6 percent. The Flyers were the last NHL team to qualify for the playoffs, when they won a shootout on the final day against the Rangers, and the first to advance to the second round of the playoffs when they eliminated the Devils in five games. Boucher achieved a long-held goal of outplaying Martin Brodeur in the Devils’ series.

The Bruins are getting their best forward back. Marc Savard hasn’t played since he suffered a concussion on a blind-side hit from Pittsburgh’s Matt Cooke on March 7. Savard led the Bruins in scoring the previous three seasons. The Bruins beat the Sabres with excellent special-teams play. They went 19-for-19 on the penalty kill and 6-for-22, or 27.3 percent, on the power play. You may never see this stat again: The Bruins were the lowest-scoring team in the NHL with 196 goals during the regular season but wound up plus-5 because they gave up the second-fewest, 191. The Bruins have three Stanley Cup winners on their roster, Recchi, Miroslav Satan and Shawn Thornton.” {NHL.com}

Philadelphia dispatched New Jersey in five games, and Brian Boucher looked absolutely solid in between the pipes, but with the loss of Jeff Carter and Simon Gange, the Flyers will likely lack the offensive power they’ll need to beat a streaking Tuuka Rask.

Adam’s Pick: Boston in six

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