That’s the suggestion of some Flyers fans in chat rooms, message boards and blogs, as well as in comments on some of my Foxsports.com articles.

NHL officiating always gets knocked more in the post-season than it does in the regular season (when there’s always a steady drumbeat of discontent over it).

I haven’t found the officiating to be any better or worse in this year’s playoffs. It seems about the same, some games it’s good, some games it’s questionable.

As for the Flyers, it seems to be part of their cultivation of their underdog status, their “us against the world” mentality in this year’s post-season to suggest they’re not getting the benefit of the calls or for some of their fans to outright make that claim.

So, is there any truth to it?

Granted, the Flyers are bound to be watched more closely than other teams given the notable suspensions handed down to a couple of their players during the season, which at one point earned them a stiff public rebuke by the NHL ‘s disciplinary arm.

In the Flyers-Washington Capitals series, both teams drew 35 penalties, the most notable being Washington’s Tom Poti’s  tripping call that led to Joffrey Lupul’s overtime series-winning goal in Game Seven.

In the Flyers-Montreal Canadiens series, the Flyers had 22 penalties to the Canadiens 14, 8 of those coming in the very rough third game when Derian Hatcher took a stupid boarding call that saw him tossed from the game and put his team shorthanded for half of the third period. In the other four games, two saw the teams draw equal number of penalties , one saw the Flyers draw one more and the other two more than the Habs.

A questionable call on Mike Richards for tripping Alex Kovalev late in Game One resulted in Kovalev’s game-tying goal, but the Canadiens Steve Begin took a silly interference late in the third of Game Four that snuffed out his club’s rally and resulted in the game winning PP goal by Daniel Briere.

Against the Penguins in the Conference Finals, the Flyers have been assessed 11 penalties, the Penguins 10, with six of those 11 penalties coming in Game Two.

Flyers fans were justifiably upset over Scottie Upshall’s tripping call when a similar one later in the game by a Penguin was not called, and Evgeni Malkin’s blatant elbow to the head of Daniel Briere in Game Two going uncalled.

Overlooked however was Jason Smith’s punch to the face of Sidney Crosby in Game Two that went uncalled, as did a couple of other questionable tactics on Crosby and Malkin that the officials missed.

In the final assessment thus far, except for three games (one in each series) where undisciplined play got the better of them, the Flyers haven’t been getting the worst of the calls. It's was dead even against the Capitals, only one game skewed the numbers against the Habs (a game the Flyers won anyway), and it's been almost even against the Penguins in the first three games.

As far as calls go, some have certainly been missed for the Flyers, but so too have they gotten their share of breaks against their opponents. 

The only thing beating the Flyers in their series against the Penguins is the talent depth of the Penguins, the absence of Kimmo Timonen and Braydon Coburn from the Flyers blueline and the inability of the rest of the Flyers defense to contain the Penguins speed.  Penalties have nothing to do with it. 

The Boston Bruins made their first significant signing of their off-season on Tuesday, re-upping forward Chuck Kobasew to a three-year, $7 million contract extension.

The deal pays Kobasew $2 million for next season and $2.5 million per season for the following two, breaking down against the Bruins cap as $2.33 million per season.

Kobasew had his best season to date in 2007-08, with 22 goals and 39 points in 73 games with the Bruins.

If there’s a knock against him it’s a tendency toward injury. He’s an energetic forward and tries to play a physical style which has been the result of his recent injuries. He suffered two concussions last season which sidelined him for a considerable period of time, and he missed the last seven games of this season and the playoffs with a fractured tibia.

Still, he’s entering his playing prime now and has the tools to be a very good second line winger or as a third line energy forward. His performance this season obviously impressed Bruins management enough to commit to him for three seasons at an affordable salary.

General manager Peter Chiarelli will now focus his attention on re-signing RFAs Dennis Wideman and Mark Stuart and UFAs Glen Metropolit and Aaron Ward.

Nashville Predators general manager David Poile told reporters after his club was eliminated from post-season play that he intended to re-sign the team’s restricted free agents, the most notable being defensemen Ryan Suter and Shea Weber and winger Martin Erat.

On Monday the Predators GM proved how serious he was with that statement, re-signing Erat to a seven-year, $31.5 million contract extension, which breaks down to $4.5 million per season.

The 26-year-old Erat had his second-straight 57-point season in 2007-08 and proven to be a valuable member of the Predators offensive attack, continuing to make steady improvement since he was drafted in the seventh round by the Predators in 1999.

Some will inevitably question the Predators paying Erat that much but it’s keeping with the going rate for players of his caliber. Besides, Poile couldn’t run the risk of letting Erat going unsigned after July 1st, where he might’ve gotten as much if not more via offer sheet.

It’s also another example of a team paying for potential. Erat’s consecutive 57-point seasons suggests he’s capable of more, and over the next seven seasons he’ll be in his playing prime which traditionally for players is their late-twenties through to their early-thirties.

With the cap continuing to rise and salaries rising accordingly Erat’s salary will be a bargain in a couple of years, especially if he puts up more than 57 points per season.

Having re-upped Erat, Jordin Tootoo and J.P. Dumont since January, Poile’s attention now turns to Weber and Suter. It could prove more costly to retain those two but the Preds GM is determined to get it done, and has already indicated he’ll match any offer for those two if they’re still unsigned by July.

The Erat signing along with those of Dumont and Tootoo is a good sign for Predators fans of just how serious their team is to retain their best players only a year after previous ownership forced Poile to make cost-cutting trades of Kimmo Timonen, Scott Hartnell and Tomas Vokoun and allowing Paul Kariya to walk via free agency a year ago.

If anyone still thinks the Preds will be slashing payroll or unwilling to spend on their roster for next season, the Erat signing should dispel that.

 

The NHL recently announced the finalists for their individual awards, which will be presented to the winners in a ceremony in Toronto next month following the Stanley Cup Finals.

Here’s the list of nominees in each category and my picks for the winners. As always I’ll be interested in reading your comments, folks, just keep it clean.

VEZINA TROPHY (Top goaltender): Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils; Henrik Lundqvist, NY Rangers; Evgeny Nabokov, San Jose Sharks.

My Pick: Brodeur. Tied for most games played with Nabokov with 77, was second in wins behind Nabokov with 44 and was fifth behind Nabokov in GAA with a 2.17 average. However, what clinches it for me was his .920 save percentage, superior to Nabokov’s .910 and Lundqvist’s .912. He faced the fourth highest shots of all goalies this season and made the second-most saves.

NORRIS TROPHY (Top Defenseman): Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins; Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings; Dion Phaneuf, Calgary Flames.

My Pick: Lidstrom. Not only did he lead all defensemen in assists and points but also in plus-minus with +40, well above Chara’s +14 and Phaneuf’s +12. Lidstrom is the best all-round defenseman playing today.

CALDER TROPHY (Top Rookie):  Nicklas Backstrom, Washington Capitals; Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks; Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks.

My Pick: Kane, who led all rookies in assists and points after making the jump from Junior A despite his small size (5-9,160). Kane not only rose to meet lofty expectations, he excelled and led the Blackhawks in scoring.

LADY BYNG(Sportsmanship): Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings; Jason Pominville, Buffalo Sabres;Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning.

My Pick: Datsyuk. He finished fourth in overall points, second in overall assists, led the league in plus-minus with +41 and led the Wings in scoring, all while only racking up a mere 20 minutes in penalties. Proof that you can excel at both ends of the rink and still play a clean game.

SELKE TROPHY (Top Defensive Forward): Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings; John Madden, New Jersey Devils; Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit Red Wings.

My pick: Datsyuk. Madden is more of a pure defensive forward but Datsyuk’s defensive game is every bit as strong as his offensive game, putting him in the same class as former Red Wing Sergei Fedorov in 1994.

HART TROPHY (League MVP): Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames; Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins; Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals.

My Pick: Ovechkin. Not only did he lead the NHL in points and become the first player in 11 years to score over 60 goals in a season but he also carried the Capitals to their first playoff berth in five years.

ADAMS TROPHY (Best Coach): Mike Babcock, Detroit Red Wings; Bruce Boudreau, Washington Capitals; Guy Carbonneau, Montreal Canadiens

My Pick: Boudreau. Babcock and Carbonneau did a tremendous job with their teams but both had far more to work with than Boudreau, who took over a team in disarray early in the season and turned them into a playoff club.

The Fabian Brunnstrom sweepstakes finally came to an end this week and the Dallas Stars emerged the winners.

After months of being courted by as many as twenty NHL teams Brunnstrom signed a two-year entry level deal with the Stars, which with bonuses could add up to $2 million per season.

Give credit to his agent, JP Barry, for stoking interest in his client, especially with a recent tour of several NHL cities where he was courted by the management of the Stars, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens and others.

I’ve previously written about Brunnstrom wondering if he’s worth the hype. Many of the teams interested in him obviously did their homework on this guy,  but one has to wonder if a player who had only 9 goals last season in Sweden, who never earned an invitation to play for their national team in the World Hockey Championships (currently being held in Halifax and Quebec City), is good enough to have earned the attention he’s received in recent weeks.

Brunnstrom has also set the bar high for his NHL debut by seeking top six forward minutes, which was the sticking point that apparently cooled some teams’ ardor in this services, which must’ve been the main selling point for him signing with Dallas.

He at least wisely opted not to make his debut in a bigger hockey center. No offense to Dallas, but he won’t face as much pressure with the Stars in their market as he would’ve had he signed with Detroit, Montreal or Toronto.

For the Stars it’s a gamble but an affordable one, even with the high number of free agents they have to re-sign this summer. At best, he’ll cost them nearly $2 million per season which means he’ll be a top player for them if he does. At worst, he’ll cost them the league maximum for entry level contracts (less than $1 million per season) if he doesn’t, a figure they could always erase from their cap by demoting him to the minors.

Check 'em out in detail here.

In short, Pens and Wings in Six.

Oh, and just a coupla points regarding predictions:

1. I don't mind folks disagreeing with me, but please, spare me the profanity-laced tirades if I didn't pick your team. I'm not disrespecting the Flyers and Stars, their fans or respective cities, ok, and if you feel otherwise you really, REALLY need to lighten up.

2. Like most commentators - media, blogger or fan - I do predictions for fun, not as a life and death scenario where the value of my "cred" is based on how they pan out. The late, great Canadiens coach Toe Blake dismissed predictions as "for gypsies" which is an opinion I share. The fact TSN employs a BLEEP to spin a wheel to make predictions after their hockey minds sagely make theirs tells you all you need to know about how seriously they take them. In other words, they make them for fun!

3. I do appreciate hearing from hockey fans but disparaging my predictions doesn't hold much weight if you wait to do it midway or 3/4 of the way through a series when the outcome is pretty much a foregone conclusion. That only makes you a troll and no one likes trolls. Have the guts to make your calls before the series start or don't waste my time or those of other commentators.

4. I don't mind if my picks are wrong because I really do enjoy upsets. OK, not if my favorite team is at the receiving end but hey, that's playoff hockey for you. If every series went as predicted it would be boring as hell. Upsets add BLEEPe and make things interesting.

5. Enjoy the Conference Finals!

The Calgary Herald recently reported Flames have apparently taken steps to mend fences with one of their young defensemen, hoping at the same time bolster their blueline corps for next season by re-signing Mark Giordano to a new contract.

Giordano made headlines last summer by spurning the Flames offer of a two-way contract, opting instead to play the 2007-08 season with Moscow Dynamo in the Russian Super League. Cap constraints and questions about Giordano’s ability to stick with the Flames full time last season were behind the Flames offer, and GM Darryl Sutter reportedly wasn’t pleased over Giordano’s decisions.

But time and necessity heal all wounds. The Flames need young, swifter legs on their blueline and they still hold Giordano’s rights, making his re-signing that much easier.

The Herald reported Giordano will be getting a three-year, one-way contract, meaning if he’s demoted to the minors his salary won’t decrease, which was why his rejection of last summer’s two-way deal was a problem for the young blueliner.

No official word from the Flames yet on the re-signing but it’s believed it’ll be made official after July 1st, when the 6’, 205 lb Giordano is no longer under contract with his Russian team and becomes a restricted free agent. A source suggests the deal could be worth $1 million per season, making Giordano an affordable addition to a Flames team that will again face a potential cap crunch for next season.

Giordano, 25, showed promise in his first season with the Flames, with 15 points in 48 games, including 3 powerplay goals and a plus-minus of +7. He had 13 points in 50 games with Moscow Dynamo last season.

Florida Panthers general manager Jacques Martin made the first of his off-season signings on Monday, re-signing forwards Wade Belak and Kamil Kreps to two-year contract extensions. Belak's deal will be $1.3 million over two years whilst Kreps will receive $1.365 million over two years.

Belak, a tough, physical player who can play both forward and defense, was acquired by the Panthers from the Toronto Maple Leafs at this year’s trade deadline for an eighth round draft pick.

Drafted by the Quebec Nordiques 12th overall in the 1994 Entry Draft, Belak’s bounced from Colorado and Calgary, with various stops with their minor league affiliates before finding a home in Toronto, where he played the last six and a half seasons primarily in the role of enforcer.

As personable as he is tough, the 32-year-old Belak has lasted nearly 10 NHL seasons due to his pugilistic abilities and positive attitude. He also proved to be a decent depth player as well as a fan favorite with the Maple Leafs, which should carry over in Florida.

Kreps, 23, played his first full NHL campaign with the Panthers in 2007-08, posting 25 points in 76 games, finishing the season on the Panthers top line.

While that was in part due to Richard Zednik’s last season neck injury it should in no way detract from Kreps’ performance and improvement this season, which earned positive reviews from Martin and thus his new contract.

It remains to be seen if Kreps will return to the Panthers first line next season but he could easily fit in as a second or third line player. Given his age he still has plenty of time to further his development and solidify a hold on a roster spot.

Fresh from NHL headquarters:

2008 EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL

SERIES M                                #2 Pittsburgh vs. #6 Philadelphia
Friday, May 9, 2008                                Philadelphia at Pittsburgh        
Sunday, May 11, 2008                                Philadelphia at Pittsburgh                
Tuesday, May 13, 2008                        Pittsburgh at Philadelphia                
Thursday, May 15, 2008                        Pittsburgh at Philadelphia
*Sunday, May 18, 2008                        Philadelphia at Pittsburgh                
*Tuesday, May 20, 2008                        Pittsburgh at Philadelphia                
*Thursday, May 22, 2008                        Philadelphia at Pittsburgh

                                               
2008 WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL

SERIES N                                #1 Detroit vs. #5 Dallas
Thursday, May 8, 2008                        Dallas at Detroit                        
Saturday, May 10, 2008                        Dallas at Detroit                        
Monday, May 12, 2008                        Detroit at Dallas
Wednesday, May 14, 2008                        Detroit at Dallas
*Saturday, May 17, 2008                        Dallas at Detroit                
*Monday, May 19, 2008                        Detroit at Dallas                
*Wednesday, May 21, 2008                        Dallas at Detroit

Player transfers between the NHL and leagues in the International Ice Hockey Federation are about to become more difficult.

As per The Hockey News:

“The Czech Ice Hockey Association has decided not to sign the IIHF’s player transfer deal with the NHL after the 14 hockey clubs in the Czech Extraliga voted in favor of ending the current deal immediately. This likely means there will be no regulations surrounding the transfer of players between the European teams and the NHL next season.

The existing NHL-IIHF player transfer agreement was originally supposed to last until 2011, but the Euro nations in the agreement demanded it be reopened in December 2007. In order to gain time to negotiate a new, long-term agreement, the IIHF and NHL have been working to arrive at a one-year extension of the existing agreement.

Support for the one-year extension agreement has recently been secured from five of the six main European countries, but the NHL requires that all six European countries support the arrangement.”

According to an NHL spokesman, the league isn’t likely to accept a transfer agreement with just five of the remaining countries.

Both the NHL and the president of the IIHF would prefer a transfer agreement be in place, otherwise the NHL would have to negotiate on a player-by-player basis.

The Czechs, like the Russians before them, claim that they’re taking this stand in hopes of slowing the loss of their young players to the NHL, but the real reason is monetary. Quite simply, the Czechs and the Russians aren’t happy with what they’re being compensated for the loss of those players and believe they’re entitled to more.

That may well be, but considering they’re in no position financially to out-bid the NHL for their best players they’re not dealing from a position of strength, and thus are exercising the only real option they have by backing out of the current transfer agreement.

The NHL would prefer a transfer agreement because of the ease in paying a set rate of compensation for buying players out of contracts rather than negotiating on an individual basis, where the cost could vary wildly depending on the player, the team and the league he plays in.

This will also have implications on the NHL draft. One reason why the number of Russian players selected in recent drafts has declined was the absence of a player transfer agreement between the NHL and the Russian Hockey Federation. It was part of the reason why highly touted forward prospect Alexei Cherepanov – predicted to be among the top five picks in the 2007 NHL entry draft - was selected 17th overall.

Obviously now NHL teams will be leery of selecting Czech and Russian prospects as high picks in future drafts without a transfer agreement, but it won’t stop those players being selected.  Instead, Czech and Russian prospects can expect to go in the later rounds unless they’re considered “can’t miss” prospects like Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin were in their respective draft years.

Most NHL clubs will likely be patient, waiting for most of their young Czech and Russian prospects to complete their contracts, except in the case of the aforementioned “can’t miss” types, where the teams will be more willing to negotiate on an individual basis.

The absence of a transfer agreement is also risky for the Russians and Czechs. Just as players under NHL contracts have been able to bail on their existing NHL contracts to sign more lucrative deals with countries that aren’t part of a transfer agreement, so too can players in those leagues now do the same to come to the NHL.

That would hurt the countries without a transfer agreement more than it’ll hurt the NHL. The European leagues lack the financial clout to successfully tempt away the NHL's best players, thus having to content themselves with fading stars like Alexei Yashin, disappointing youngsters like  Alexander Perezehogin, or veterans past their prime unable to sign with NHL teams.

Conversely, if a rising young superstar wants to come to the NHL, there’s little that their team or country can do to stop them from bolting on their contracts short of restricting their travel, which the Malkin saga two years ago proved was a fruitless venture.

At some point, either later this year, next year or several years from now a new transfer agreement will be hammered out between the NHL and the IIHF, one that will hopefully prove more mutually beneficial. In the interim, the absence of an agreement may slow the flood of young European talent, particularly Russian and Czech talent, to North America and the NHL, but it won’t stop it.

The NHL is the top professional hockey league in the world, and the best young players around the world dream of strutting their stuff on the NHL stage along with the wealth and fame an NHL career could bring them.

Ultimately, that’s a draw much more powerful than the chance to play in front of the hometown fans.

Lost in the media kerfuffle over Sean Avery’s hospitalization, the Fabian Brunnstrom sweepstakes and of course the Stanley Cup playoffs was news earlier this week that gritty agitator Steve Ott had been re-signed by the Dallas Stars to a multi-year contract.

Ott, 25, will according to TSN’s website earn $1.35 million for next season and $1.5 million in 2009-10 for a total of $2.85 million over two years. That’s break down as $1.425 million per season against their cap starting next season.

Stars co-GM Les Jackson praised Ott for developing “into a valuable piece in our team chemistry and he brings a solid work ethic to our hockey club day in and day out.''

He certainly has earned it as Jackson suggested. As per TSN:

"The 25-year-old Summerside, P.E.I., native set a new career high in goals (11) this season and tied his career-high of 22 points. He led the team in faceoff percentage (183-311, 58.8%) and penalty minutes (147), and ranked third in hits (182). In the first eight games of this playoff run, he has collected two goals, including a game-winner in Game One of the first round at Anaheim."

In other words, he’s one of those players that you hate to play against but love to have on your team, so it’s not surprising the Stars re-upped him for two more years.

Grim news today out of New York as Rangers bad boy forward Sean Avery was rushed to a Manhattan hospital this morning unconscious and not breathing after what the New York Daily News called cardiac arrest hours after his team lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game Three of their Eastern Conference Semi-Final game.

TSN reports Avery suffered a lacerated spleen and is out for the rest of the playoffs but is expected to make a full recovery.

Regardless of what Avery's critics (of which I am one) may think of his on-ice actions and off-ice comments here's hoping that Avery does indeed make a full recovery and returns to action next season.

**UPDATE** Reports of Avery rushed to hospital unconscious and not breathing were not true, according to a Rangers spokesman.

As per The Globe & Mail:

"The spokesman said Avery went to St. Vincent's Medical Center in Lower Manahattan after the game with a team doctor in a town car. He walked into the hospital and was not on a stretcher, the spokesman said."

Regardless, best wishes to Avery for a speedy recovery.

The respective management of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Anaheim Ducks have begun re-signing their free agent players.

On Tuesday the Blue Jackets announced the re-signing of defenseman Jan Hejda to a three year, $6 million contract, while the Ducks re-signed forward Ryan Carter to a three-year contract.

Hejda’s new contract breaks down as $2 million per season against the Jackets salary cap, while financial terms for Carter’s new deal have yet to be disclosed.

The 29-year-old Hejda was coming off his second NHL season and his first with Columbus but under the terms of the NHL’s CBA he was eligible for unrestricted free agency this summer.

Given his statistics from last season, however, it’s not surprising that Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson was loath to lose him to the UFA market. In 81 games this season Hejda registered 13 points and an impressive plus-minus rating of +20, best on the Jackets and tied for tenth amongst NHL defensemen.

Hejda was a true workhorse on the Blue Jackets defense, regularly logging over 22 minutes of ice time per game. Had he hit this summer’s unrestricted free agent market he would’ve attracted considerable interest from clubs seeking defensive depth, so it’s a good move by Howson to retain Hejda and at a reasonable price.

Carter, 24, saw limited action with the Ducks this season as he bounced between the big club and their farm team in Portland earlier in the season. Recalled in mid-December he stuck with the Ducks until sidelined in late-February with a broken wrist, although he returned in time to play in all six of their playoff games this spring.

He was only under contract for $560K this season so it’s unlikely he got much more than that, however, Carter is to be commended for his hard work in making and sticking with the defending Stanley Cup champions this season.

The Hockey News’ 2007-08 Yearbook ranked him tenth among their top ten prospects, noting he “combines skill with a physical presence”, which were notable in his limited action this season with the Ducks. He’s also a versatile forward, capable of playing both center and left wing.

Following the NHL lockout the league’s newly formed competition committee introduced legislation designed to improve their product by speeding it up and increasing the potential for more offense.

Among the legislation were restrictions which shrunk the size of goaltending equipment. The theory was such reductions would increase goalscoring by prevent netminders from wearing oversized equipment, as there were numerous complaints that goalies wore such equipment more to block shots than for protection, the primary function of their equipment.

It appeared to be working in the first season following the lockout as goalscoring increased, but since then the increase has been so marginal as to appear stagnant, leading again to complaints that goaltenders were finding ways to work around the system to again wear out-sized equipment.

Several reasons why scoring hasn't significantly increased include the conditioning and skill of today's netminders compared to their predecessors and the adjustments in defensive systems by NHL coaches. Still, goaltending equipment remains a hot button issue.

As a result the NHL and NHLPA announced on April 29th the formation oBLEEPoalie Equipment Working Group, consisting of five players and four general managers, who’ll meeting in Toronto on June 11th to address again this niggling issue.

As per their press release:

“ The NHL representatives include Doug Risebrough of Minnesota, Garth Snow of the New York Islanders, Jim Rutherford of Carolina and Brett Hull of Dallas (co-GM). The NHLPA’s Executive Board voted to select three goalies and two skaters. Martin Brodeur of New Jersey, Rick DiPietro of the New York Islanders, Ryan Miller of Buffalo, Dany Heatley of Ottawa and Mike Cammalleri of Los Angeles will represent the NHLPA.

The Goalie Equipment Working Group will meet on June 11, 2008 in Toronto to examine the configuration and dimensions of goaltender equipment with respect to safety and performance. If the working group decides alterations to the rules governing goaltender equipment are warranted, and will not jeopardize the safety of the goalies, these recommendations will be forwarded to the Competition Committee for consideration. “

It remains to be seen what, if any, recommendations the group will make and if they’ll have any significant impact.

Eric McErlain of Off Wing Opinion - one of my favorite hockey bloggers - was among the first to voice skepticism:

“We already know that goaltenders are a pretty tight group, and I have little doubt that Snow, a GM and former goalie who is extraordinarily close with DiPietro, will fight tooth and nail to protect his team's most valuable -- and some would say only -- asset. And thanks to a Sports Illustrated piece from a few months back, we already know that DiPietro and Brodeur form something of a mutual admiration society.

Combine them with Miller, and that's four solid votes against doing anything that's going to make a goalie's job harder than it already is. And while those four could very well be outvoted if the other five stick together, my guess is the group won't want to forward any recommendations to the Competition Committee if they aren't unanimous.”

He suggests that Brodeur could cast a significant vote against such changes, but with all due respect to Eric, that doesn’t jibe with comments the Devils netminder has made in the past. If anything, Brodeur could be among those voting for change:

From NHL.com, September 29, 2003: “Brodeur, who led the Devils over Giguere's Mighty Ducks for the Stanley Cup, told Le Journal de Montreal recently, said that complaints by his goaltending brethren that restrictions to the size of the equipment -- and more precisely many flaps used as add-ons by goalies -- leave them vulnerable to injuries is not true.

"The limit for the height of goaltender's pads is 38 inches, so?" said Brodeur, a three-time Cup winner. "Mine have always been 34 inches and that's enough. I've always preferred less bulky equipment so I could move around easier. Certain goaltenders have really gone too far in the last few years and I can understand why the League wants to stop it.

"I have to point out that I don't use the butterfly style, unlike most Quebec goaltenders. With plastic foils attached to their pads, butterfly goalies could completely close the space between their legs. I can understand why forwards complained they can't score when they shoot for the 5-hole. Jean-Sebastien Giguere was the target of such complaints last year."

From The Sporting News, October 6, 2003: “"It's got to be proportional to your body" says Brodeur, who wears 34-inch pads. "That's why the rule should be individual. The advantage of a little goalie wearing 38 is bigger than a bigger goalie wearing 38. Everybody should get measured and say, 'OK, you can have this.' And the guys who don't (follow that) should be penalized. You shouldn't be penalized for being 6-4 or 6-5."

Most recently, from the Toronto Star, February 20, 2008: “From my point of view, and I hope they think about this, they need to make the effort to size everyone individually," said Brodeur in an interview from New Jersey. "If they do that, they'll see a big difference. They have to reduce the little guys to being little guys and the skinny guys to being skinny guys. Those guys are taking advantage of the system."

Brodeur, who is 6-foot-2, wears pads that are 34-35 inches in length and can't understand why most goalies in the league are wearing the maximum 38-inch pads.

"There's no reason why anyone under six-feet should be wearing 38-inch pads, but everybody is wearing them," he said. "It's like if you have a 33-inch waist, you shouldn't be allowed to wear XXL pants."

Garth Snow might be keen to protect DiPietro, but the aforementioned Star article also noted that, when the subject was discussed during this past February’s meeting of NHL general managers, he gave them information on how he used his equipment to add blocking area.

And given that the GM’s emerged from that meeting unanimously agreeing to address this issue, including Snow, it appears those in this group determined to maintain the status quo could be in a distinct minority.

Last summer’s exodus of fading NHL players heading to Europe to continue their playing careers didn’t really start until July, but this year four players aren’t wasting any time signing with or planning to sign with European clubs for next season.

The most notable is long-time Columbus Blue Jackets forward David Vyborny, who reportedly has signed a three-year contract starting next season with HC Sparta Prague of the Czech Extraliga, and will apparently also have a management role with the club.

Vyborny, an unrestricted free agent, is the Blue Jackets franchise leader in games played, assists and points, and until this season was considered among their top forwards, coming off back-to-back 60+ point seasons, but managed on 26 points in 66 games in 2007-08, and wasn’t expected to be re-signed.

He was the last of the original Blue Jackets, and his departure along with the recent death of team owner John H. McConnell truly marks the end of an era of growing pains for this young franchise.

Another Blue Jacket – by way of the Edmonton Oilers – believed heading back to Europe next season is defenseman BLEEP Tarnstrom, who reportedly will play next season for his hometown team AIK Stockholm, which has been trying to advance into the Swedish Elite League.

Tarnstrom’s NHL career began with the NY Islanders in 2001-02, but it was his two seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins from 2002 to 2004 where he had his biggest NHL success, with seasons of 41 and 52 points respectively.

Acquired from the Penguins by the Edmonton Oilers mid-way through the 2005-06 season, Tarnstrom would play a key role as a depth defenseman for the Oilers during their run to the Stanley Cup finals in 2006.

He went unsigned as a UFA in the summer of 2006 and played the 2006-07 season in the Swiss Elite League and returned with the Oilers this past season but was unable to recapture his once-notable offensive form and finished the season with Columbus. It’s unlikely he’ll be returning to the NHL again.

Tarnstrom isn’t the only defenseman heading back to Europe, as New Jersey Devils d-man Karel Rachunek will reportedly play for Moscow Dynamo next season.

Rachunek was signed as a UFA last summer by the Devils but saw limited action in only 44 games this season, due in part to injuries, the improvement of younger Devils blueliners, and as recently suggested in the New York media, his apparent contract talks with Moscow Dynamo during the course of this season.

He denied the latter although he admitted he and his agent had had dinner with representatives of Dynamo but regardless it’s likely  the reason he saw so little ice time with the Devils was that he was unable to meet the demanding standards of head coach Brent Sutter.

Rachunek was a low draft pick of the Ottawa Senators in 1997 (229th overall) who exceeded expectations to play most of four seasons with the Sens until he was deal to the Rangers in 2003-04.  Unhappy over being dealt he remained in the Russian Super League for another season following the lockout before returning with the Rangers last season prior to signing with the Devils.

Like Tarnstrom, Rachunek probably won’t be returning to an NHL career.

Another blueliner expected to head back overseas is Minnesota Wild defenseman Petteri Nummelin, who reportedly is expected to sign with Lugano of the Swiss Elite League, where he spent five seasons prior to joining the Wild this season.

Nummelin’s NHL career was a short one. Prior to his limited 51-game season with the Wild he’d played 61 games with the Blue Jackets back in 2000-01.

He’s spent 8 years of his pro career in the Swiss Elite League and that’s likely where he’ll finish his playing days.