Random Thoughts on Trade Deadline Eve

For Stars fans located here in Texas, trade deadline is tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. (3:00 p.m. EST).

The rumors are swirling now about the possibility of picking up Brad Richards or Marion Hossa. In the past two weeks, we've seen hockey news go from a standstill to marching along nicely. I personally am of the opinion that Richards and Hossa carry individually too much of a hefty pricetag to be worth it to the Stars. Generally, I hope no one gets traded and we keep the team we have. It would be nice to have a little extra scoring, but I can't see us getting it at a great price. The only way we could probably get it is to overpay, and I'm not big on that.

Then again, I'm not a co-interim GM, so there you go.

And then there's around the league...

As far as Mats Sundin goes, if he wants to stay in Toronto, he's earned it. Everyone can bitch about how Mats is hurting the franchise, but if we're hurtling blame at anyone, let's throw it squarely at MLSE, not Mats Sundin. Mismanagement has ruined that team.

Patrick Marleau is going to have to get traded from San Jose. I read over at Kukla's Korner today that Marleau is a staggering -21. MINUS TWENTY ONE, and the guy's pulling down several millions a year. Sheesh, and I get upset about Matty Norstrom's -8 at $4.25 million/year.

Brian Campbell needs to leave the Buffalo Sabres. The contract negotiations don't look good on his part, and he needs to go somewhere else where he can stand in the defensive zone and look like a dumbass. What he's asking for is, in my opinion, unjustifiable. People need to stop giving such long-ass contract extensions around the league. It's patently ridiculous. (Ted Leonsis, I like you, but thirteen years? Dear God!) "Let's lock in Player X for a ridiculous sum at...twelve years!" A year to a professional athlete is like dog years. There's so many uncertain variables in the general equation that you can't guarantee that Player X is going to be worth $6 million ten years down the line.

I'm too busy laughing at the Red Wings' unfortunate trade fate to make a snarky comment about that. Ha!

Tampa Bay has screwed themselves over. Aren't they like, eight billion dollars in debt carrying over the max cap limit thanks to St. Louis, Lecavalier and Richards? (And bad management/coaching?)

In short, I don't predict that tomorrow will really bring any blockbuster trades or anything we didn't already marginally suspect. Sundin has kind of taken the wind out of everyone's sails by not going and being a rental player for some other team.

And Jeremy Roenick? Still an asshole!

It Could've Happened This Way. Promise

Setting: A hospital room, somewhere in Dallas, with a recuperating patient recently released from surgery. A doctor and nurse are in the room, discussing the surgery in question with the patient.

Doctor: So then, we inserted the screw into this bone here (:points to x-ray) and sewed you back up. You'll be able to go home in about two or three days, and you'll need to keep weight off of it for at least three weeks.

Russian: A screw? You inserted a screw into my foot? This is not what I asked for at all! And where is my alligator?

Nurse: (horrified) What? We don't allow alligators into hospitals, sir!

Doctor: What request are you talking about exactly, Mr. Zubov?

Russian: I told you, just chop the stupid foot off and put a replacement foot on there. (exasperated) Seriously, this is not that difficult. I sent you a memo through the head nurse, and I also specifically requested that my alligator be allowed to come stay with me during my time here. He is leash-trained and everything! I am highly disappointed, doctor.

Doctor: Sir, we can't just put a replacement foot on there. I'm not sure anyone is currently performing...foot transplants. Also, I have no idea where you'd find a "replacement foot".

Russian: Hmph. I'm sure any foot in my size would have done just fine, unless you had gone to Sweden and chopped off Peter Forsberg's.

Nurse: Who?

Russian: Shouldn't you be doing something useful? Like finding my alligator?

Doctor: Mr. Zubov, it's not like feet are growing on trees around here. Plus, you will do just fine as long as you give it the requisite time to heal. You won't be able to skate for a month or so, but you should be mobile and healthy after that!

Russian: Outrageous! This is ridiculous! What is the point of a capitalist society if you can't demand something like this and get it, especially for what I paid you for a simple screw! I could've done that on my own with a bottle of vodka and a Black and Decker drill! Where is that Niskanen kid when I need him? He would've given me one of his feet! And damn it, where is my alligator?

Nurse: We are not bringing an alligator in here, sir. It's unsanitary.

Russian: Oh, don't worry. He doesn't eat nurses. Just cameramen.

Doctor: Nurse, page Dr. Smith. We're going to need a psych evaluation...stat.

Stop Creeping Me Out, Stars

First of all, I'd just like to say there's no timetable on Russian's return. He's still in the little fabric and plastic boot, that poor man. Godspeed to you, Russian; however, Bouche should be returning shortly - as in, before the month is out, I believe. Both items per The Amazing Heika.

Secondly, I got my season ticket holder renewal information in the mail today. I have a partial season ticket plan through the Stars, and if you've been conscious in Stars-land, you know that Jeff Cogen wants to fill the AAC with as many full season seat holders as humanly possible.

For someone my age in their early 20's, a full season is just not possible. While I do not have a husband or children or own my own home, I am still trying to put back more money for college, pay off old student loans, pay down credit card debt from college and so on and so forth. Even with the cheapest seats, 2 seats at $13 per seat works out to $1,092 assuming a full season comes with 42 games -- and that's before playoff games, which is the additional information that came with my packet. $1,100, if we're rounding up, is still a pretty hefty chunk of change for regular season tickets if you think about it. (That's if you're sitting in the rafters!)

Sadly, I don't have a scanner, but my unmitigated joy at tearing open the nice packet the Stars sent me was tempered by the actual packet itself. My expression, no doubt, went from joy to shock to utter confusion.

The front itself is black with a white fade at the bottom. The Stars logo is there with the text "Remember your first kiss?"

My train of thought was probably something like this:

"Huh? What? Why do they want to know that? What does kissing have to do with hockey? When WAS my first kiss? Ewww, I don't want to remember THAT! What in the good Christ is going on here?"

Then I flipped it open to discover the fold-out of Mike Modano kissing the Stanley Cup. Okay, I get it now, Stars, but I have to wonder who thought this little marketing ploy up?

The billboards were way better.

Stars vs. Red Wings 02.17.08

Stars 1, Red Wings 0

You know, there comes a time when it feels good to throw your head back and laugh, laugh, and laugh some more...at the pure, pure schadenfreude that is beating the Red Wings. I suppose if you root for the Stars, this would be one of those times.

I suppose if your name is Marty Turco, you haven't been able to stop laughing (or celebrating) since the 17th.

I slept through part of the game since I'm overly medicated at the moment, but the 75% I saw was fairly solid. I'm fairly glad that Niklas Hagman plays for us and not some other team.

Trade deadline is rapidly approaching (we're only 8 days away from the 26th; actually, we're less than 8 days away as I write this) but I think that Red Wings game should be highly indicative to management that you don't need a blockbuster trade to help this team. In fact, perhaps only one or two minor members of this team should be traded at best. One of the trades the GMs should have in mind starts with an "N" and ends with an "-orstrom". (Sorry, Matty. You're nice, but I don't think Dallas is a good fit for you.)

The game had fairly solid play (with outstanding goaltending from Turco) minus some bobbles in the first. They need all the points they can get as the Pacific Division is fairly tight and then some, so we'll see how the next week shapes up.

Deep Thoughts On Blogging

Okay, so I've somewhat returned.

For those of you in the know, so to speak, Hockey Coma used to be located over on Wordpress, but I've now moved it to Blogger. Suffice it to say, I missed the nosy thrill of Google Analytics and being able to tell from where my readership comes.

I put Hockey Coma on hiatus primarily because an immediate family member is facing a protracted illness. We have received word that said illness will take considerably less time and care than we were informed previously, so I have a bit more time to blog now. Posting, however, should be more or less sporadic until the 15th of March or so, which is the original timetable I set.

However, even before putting Hockey Coma on hiatus, I briefly wondered to myself if I was really having all that much fun with this whole fancy-schmancy blogging thing. Cat & Jen will tell you I am my own worst critic. I can very well stand up and admit it; I am a trembling, quivering walking mess of neuroses and self-doubt at the best of times. I wasn't really appreciating what I was writing. I felt as if too often I had essentially half-assed what could have been better.

In essence, for those of you who read this blog, I am going to lay out some simple guidelines and rules for myself and for the blog for the road ahead that directly involve you.

#1: I Promise To Remain Ad-Free
Let me first of all say that I have no problem with blogs that run ads. However, I see little need to suck in cash over my overexuberance for hockey. I personally think that for me, running an ad or any other sort of ad program, like AdWords, etc., is too distracting.

#2: I Promise To Give You The Best That I've Got
My best may not be good enough, but it will be the best that I have. I will not put anything up that I have not proofread, spell-checked, fact-checked and credited sources correctly. Moreover, I'll work on whatever it is so it doesn't suck...really hard.

#3: I Highly Encourage Participation
Tell me it sucked or tell me it rocked. Either way is fine, but I like to know what people think. If you have a better idea, let me know. I'm highly interested in what people think and what people would like to see. One of the reasons I blog is for the interaction of the hockey blogging community, not just the selfish, egotistical satisfaction of seeing words that I wrote on the internets. (Okay, so a lot of it is the whole selfish, egotistical thing, but I still like the part about that whole "community" bit.)

#4: Your Opinion Is Respected Here
I see an awful lot of hockey fans being disappointed by the way blog maintainers/writers have acted toward them in the past. No matter what your opinion is, it's respected here. Granted, there will probably be respectful dissenters as well, but I think it's at least important to highlight the fact that I think not only should everyone's voice be heard, but it should be heard with a reasonable ear (and said with a reasonable tongue).

#5: All That Being Said, I Still Reserve The Right To Moderate Your Comments, Y'Know
Abusive, troll-like behavior makes your comment go bye-bye. Enough said! It's sad that it has to be said, but self-restraint is not everyone's forte.

#6: It Will Be A Frosty Day In Hell Before I Ever Accept A Press Pass From The Stars
More and more these days, it seems like the line between blogger and journalist is becoming a bit blurry. Many bloggers have access to press boxes and get press credentials. (I actually see this as a good thing.) The Stars currently have no such system in place, but if they did, and somehow managed to offer me a press pass, the answer would be a resounding "no". Why? Because it would make me hesitate to say something like this on the blog:

"Brett Hull looks like he takes advantage of that Arby's Five for Five deal five times a day! For the sake of the children, slow down on the roast-beef and cheddar, man!"

I feel it would make me less likely to articulate that whole "Crazy Random Thing That Totally Just Popped Into Caitlin's Head" thing, and more likely to tiptoe around an issue.

That being said, Ted Leonsis: Get me a press pass and a plane to Washington, tickets to a Caps game and an Alexander Ovechkin T-Shirt in medium and I will totally tell the world about what a great and good owner you are.

As always, you can contact me at hockeycoma@gmail.com