Back From The Brink

So I have had a week, well just over a week, to digest what occurred and accept what I witnessed as fact, and not some awful nightmare. I will not dwell on the negatives (A double dose of quitter or a fragile psyche), but look forward to what is to come. The past cannot be changed, so there is no use dwelling on it.

I want to touch a bit on the NHL Awards, happenings around the league, and finally the draft. However, I want to devote an entire post to the draft, so I will be going through every draft pick tomorrow afternoon, reading scouting reports, looking at stats, and seeing what the "experts" say. So lets go around the league first:

-The biggest news post Stanley Cup has to be the return of hockey to Winnipeg. As it turns out it was Atlanta that lost its team, and wasn't the return of the original franchise. But I don't think these people really cared. Plus you have to name them the Jets, that was a given. This is just further proof that Gary Bettman has been an epic failure for the NHL. Once Phoenix or Florida moves to Quebec, its time for him to go. I don't care what anybody says, Vancouver fans were right to boo that midget, and throw cups at him.

-Philadelphia traded for the rights to Ilya Bryzgalov and then signed him to a 9-year $51 million deal. This was after they traded Jeff Carter and Mike Richards. They got a nice package of picks, and Voracek, Simmonds, and Brayden Schenn. But I don't know if this guy is the answer to your goaltending woes or worth giving up your top two Centers. Good luck Philly.

-The NHL Awards ended up pretty much how I figured. Although how Steve Yzerman and Guy Boucher did not win for GM and Coach of the Year is beyond me. What a joke. They turned an 80 point team into a 103 point team. Oh and both of them were in their first years at their respective positions. These awards feel more and more like the Grammy's every year.

-Our friends at Canucks Army take a Conference view on the moves in Philadelphia. Paul Holmgren just made the Western Conference a lot better. He took a head-case goalie and gave up two top notch Centers. Good news is Brian Boucher will get a lot of time in net.

-This is definitely an Oilers story, but I just find it funny that Edmonton reacquires Ryan Smyth after refusing to sign him to the contract he is under. I think Kevin Lowe has lost his mind.