-The Ottawa Senators resolved their need for experienced blueline depth by signing former Philadelphia Flyer Jason Smith to a two-year contract. Financial terms weren’t disclosed.

It was rumored Senators GM Bryan Murray was in the market for a trade with Anaheim for Mathieu Schneider or San Jose for Kyle McLaren. Smith’s signing negates the need for the latter and appear to indicate they’ll re-sign Andrej Meszaros which would remove the need for Schneider

Smith was believed in talks with the Buffalo Sabres but evidently he liked what the Sens had to offer. His gritty performance in this spring’s playoffs, particularly against Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby, raise his stock on the UFA market, and heading into this week was the best available blueliner left on the market.

-Reports claim Pavol Demitra is either close to signing or has signed a multi-year deal with the Vancouver Canucks.

That could raise complaints of tampering from some Minnesota Wild fans given Demitra’s spring sojourn to Vancouver as the guest of former Canucks captain Markus Naslund as well as the fact Mike Gillis, the Canucks new general manager, is Demitra’s former agent.

The league already looked into that matter and found no evidence of tampering. Gillis’ previous relationship with Demitra obviously has some influence but the bottom line is the Canucks desperately need offensive depth and are willing to consider taking on an aging, injury-prone forward.

-Speaking of the Canucks, they now have seven days to decide if they’ll keep forward Steve Bernier.

The St. Louis Blues signed Bernier, who was acquired from the Sabres last week by the Canucks, to a one-year contract offer sheet worth $2.5 million.

Consider that a bit of revenge on the part of Blues president John Davidson for Gillis’ attempt last week to sign forward David Backes to a three-year, $7.5 million contract offer sheet, which the Blues matched almost immediately.

Gillis will likely match this offer but like the Blues with Backes will end up paying him more than desired.

**UPDATE** As expected the Canucks management announced they would match the Blues offer sheet for Bernier.

-Defenseman Paul Mara is returning to the NY Rangers, signing a one-year, $1.95 million contract, a significant cut in pay from the $3 million he made last season with the Blueshirts.

Given that fact it’s a good bet he wasn’t attracting much interest or offers of note from rival clubs on the UFA market.

As expected former Vancouver Canucks forward Brendan Morrison was signed on Monday, and stayed on the West Coast, joining the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.

Terms have yet to be disclosed but it’s reportedly either a one or two year contract.

It’ll be interesting to see what Morrison’s new contract will be, given the Ducks are currently sitting around $54 million in cap space.

Of course the Ducks coud get some additional cap relief if as rumored they end up peddling Mathieu Schneider’s $5.75 million contract for next season.

Morrison’s performance has been hampered by injury over the past three seasons, two of which he played through nagging pain which clearly affected his play. If he can stay healthy this season however he could be good for 55-60 points this season and provide valuable offensive depth to a Ducks club lacking scoring punch last season.

The Tampa Bay Lightning meanwhile continued to add to their forward depth by signing veteran forward Mark Recchi to a one-year, $1.25 million contract.

For those wondering why the Bolts are loading up at forward at the expense of their defense, it’s believed they’re planning to shop a forward (possibly Jussi Jokinen or Michel Ouellet) for a defenseman.

Recchi had a rough start to last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, netting only 8 points in 19 games and becoming a healthy scratch, but rallied after being dealt to the Atlanta Thrashers with 40 points in 53 games.

If Recchi can manage that same pace for a full season with the Bolts he could be a good, affordable addition.

It may be the start of the Independence Day long weekend in the United States but  Buffalo Sabres general manager Darcy Regier had a busy Fourth of July.

Regier first dealt forward Steve Bernier to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a draft pick next season and in 2010, then acquired defenseman Craig Rivet from the San Jose Sharks. It’s believed those picks were the ones acquired from the Canucks.

Bernier’s now on this third team in a year, having been shipped to the Sabres from the San Jose Sharks last February. He made a sensation debut in his first game with the Sabres, scoring twice and defending Derek Roy late in the game, endearing himself to the Sabres faithful, but his production tailed off in the final games of the season.

The Canucks will be hoping he can provide some much-needed scoring depth in the wake of the departures of Markus Naslund and Brendan Morrison to free agency.

Regier was seeking a veteran defenseman with Dmitri Kalinin signed by the Rangers and Teppo Numminen not expected to return. It had been rumored Maxim Afinogenov might be dangled but his poor performance last season may have scared off suitors.

Rivet had one of his best season of his career in 2007-08 with the Sharks, with a career-best 35 point performance, and having played most of his career with the Montreal Canadiens he’s no stranger to the Eastern Conference and the Northeast Division.

He’s signed through to 2010-11 at $3.5 million per season and with his experience could be a good addition to the Sabres defense corps.

New York Rangers GM Glen Sather continues to add veteran depth to his roster via this summer’s UFA market, adding forward Markus Naslund and defenseman Dmitri Kalinin.

Details are still pending on the Kalinin signing but Naslund has been signed to a one-year, $4.5 two-year, $8 million contract.

Naslund’s been considered a fading force in his final years with the Vancouver Canucks but it’s possible he could bounce back if he weren’t facing pressure to carry the offensive load.

This move might also be seen as possible enticement for Mats Sundin to sign with the Rangers although these signings likely means less room for the kind of money he’s been attracting in the UFA market.

Kalinin struggled at times in his final two seasons in Buffalo occasionally earning a place in head coach Lindy Ruff’s doghouse. It was rumored earlier this spring he might sign with a Russian team .

If Kalinin can rebound with a fresh start in New York he could be a solid addition to the Rangers blueline, but if not he could replace the departed Marek Malik as the favorite target of the MSG boo-birds.

**UPDATE** GM Glen Sather stated during a media conference call announcing this trade that Jaromir Jagr won't be back with the Rangers.

Kalinin's contract is a one-year deal, financial terms are still unavailable.

The Vancouver Canucks may be in a bidding war for Mats Sundin and Marian Hossa but they managed to make a lesser signing of a UFA forward today.

Former St. Louis Blues Blues checking forward Ryan Johnson has reportedly signed a two-year, $2.4 million contract with the Canucks.

Johnson’s a versatile forward who can play center and left wing and should provide the Canucks checking lines with valuable depth and experience.

Last summer the first offer sheets didn’t appear until several days into the UFA market.

This year we’ve got one on opening day, as the Vancouver Canucks have signed St. Louis Blues RFA forward David Backes to a three-year, $7.5 million offer sheet.

As per TSN the Blues now have a week to match the offer or received the Canucks second round pick in the 2009 entry draft as compensation.

Canucks GM Mike Gillis promised to make some bold moves and this one is certainly bold, although this move is a puzzling one.

Backes is a promising young forward whom the Blues hoped to re-sign but in his first two NHL seasons he’s posted up 23 points in 49 games and only 31 in 72 games last season.

The Canucks are hoping to bolster their offensive depth and it’s understandable they’d want to bring in a younger forward with his best years still ahead, but $2. 5 million per season is a steep raise and could put significant pressure on Backes if the Blues match or not.

I’m not sure if Backes is a former client of Gillis when he was still a player agent but if he is that’ll go a long way to further explaining why the Canucks new GM is taking this risk.

**UPDATE!**  The Blues wasted little time in announcing they would match the Canucks offer, meaning Backes will be staying in St. Louis. Swing and a miss for Gillis.

Vancouver Canucks fans are anxiously awaiting news that their team will be bringing in some much needed offensive help via the free agent market.

So far Canucks GM Mike Gillis has made only one signing, inking RFA forward Kyle Wellwood to a one-year contract worth just under $1 million.

Gillis acquired Wellwood off waivers last week from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Hang tough, Canucks fans, the UFA market only opened and Gillis has lots of time to make a major signing or two.

The Florida Panthers have announced placing center Jozef Stumpel on waivers in what could be a prelude to buying out the remainder of his contract.

Stumpel has one year at $2.25 million remaining on his current contract. He’d been a consistent 50-point player throughout this decade but last season struggled with injury posting his lowest offensive totals in a decade.

It’s possible he could play overseas next season but he might test this summer’s NHL UFA market where he could be an affordable depth.

The Vancouver Canucks have claimed center Kyle Wellwood off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Not a bad move by the Canucks as this is an affordable way to bring some depth at center. Wellwood has the potential to be a second line scorer but the injury prone center must improve his conditioning to reach that potential.

The Ottawa Senators have parted ways with tough guy Brian McGratton, shipping him to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for a fifth round pick in 2009.

McGratton’s presence should make teams in the Western Conference think twice about taking liberties against the Coyotes best players. He’s a restricted free agent but the Coyotes shouldn’t have too much trouble getting one of the league’s best brawlers under contract.

Former NY Islanders goaltender Wade Dubieliewicz has reportedly signed a two-year contract with AK-Bars Kazan of the newly formed Kontinental Hockey League.

Dubielewicz rejected a contract offer from the Islanders and was eligible for UFA status in July.

Captain Canuck is calling it a career.

Trevor Linden recently announced his retirement from the NHL after 19 seasons, sixteen of which were spent with the Vancouver Canucks, nearly seven of those as team captain.

Linden hasn’t been captain of the Canucks for years but in the minds of most of the team’s fans he’ll always be considered the best captain the team ever had.

His best seasons were in his first go-around with the Canucks from his NHL rookie season of 1988-89 through the 1997-98 campaign, where he’d score over 30 goals six times and exceed the 50 point mark seven times, including four 70-plus point seasons.

Linden was never flashy as teammate Pavel Bure during that time but his strong two-way play and leadership made him a standout and the true heart-and-soul of the club for most of the 1990s.

He also earned a reputation as a solid playoff performer renowned for his clutch play, and he was never better than in the 1994 playoffs, captaining the Canucks to a thrilling seven game Stanley Cup final series against the NY Rangers, where the Canucks rallied from a 3-1 series deficit before falling to the Rangers in the deciding seventh game.

Dealt to the NY Islanders mid-way through the 1997-98 season for Todd Bertuzzi, Bryan McCabe and a third round pick (used to select Jarkko Ruutu), Linden struggled with injuries as he bounced from the Isles to the then-equally mediocre Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals over the course of four seasons.

But early in the 2001-02 season Linden was dealt back to the Canucks where he truly belonged, and while he was no longer the captain and his offensive skills were in decline he was still relied upon for leadership and strong defensive play.

He was also president of the NHL Players Association for 8 years, during which the NHL was shut down for an entire season due to a lockout.

Linden was a loyal lieutenant of PA Executive Director Bob Goodenow but broke with him in March 2005 following the league’s cancellation of the 2004-05 season, joining with PA assistant director Ted Saskin in negotiating the current collective bargaining agreement which brought the lock to an end in July 2005.

His role in the firing of Goodenow later than month and in the controversial hiring of Saskin as the PA’s new executive director remains murky, and resulted in his stepping down as PA president

Linden has also been a long-time active member of the Vancouver community, particularly in charity work associated with the BC Children’s Hospital and other charitable organizations, which has only deepened the love Canucks fans feel for Linden.

Presently it’s unknown if Linden will have a role in the Canucks organization in the near future, but considering all he’s done for the team on and off the ice as a player as well as in the community the Canucks hierarchy would be daft not to hire him, if not in management then at the very least a goodwill ambassador.

Linden finishes his NHL career with 375 goals and 867 points in 1, 382 regular season games, and an even more impressive 99 points (including 65 assists) in 124 playoff games.

It remains to be seen if he’ll ever be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the Canucks retired his number 16 in honor of the most popular player in team history.

Promising young Vancouver Canucks defenseman Luc Bourdon was killed today in a traffic accident in Northern New Brunswick when the motorcycle he was driving collided with a tractor trailer.

He was only 21 years old.

Bourdon was drafted 10th overall in the 2005 entry draft by the Canucks and was a member of Canada’s gold medal winning team at the 2006 World Junior Hockey Championships,where he was a tournament all-star. He was also part of the Moncton Wildcats team that won the QMJHL championship that year and played in the Memorial Cup final.

He made his NHL debut with the Canucks early in the 2006-07 season but was returned to the QMJHL after nine games, where he split the remainder of the season with the Moncton Wildcats and Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.

Bourdon split last season between the Canucks and their AHL affiliate in Manitoba.

I watched Bourdon play with the Wildcats soon after he returned to the “Q” in the 2006-07 season and it was obvious by his size and skills that he would one day become a full-time NHL player. Sadly, that will never come to pass now.

My condolences to his family and to the Canucks organization.

He’s the great mystery man of the NHL who’s yet to play a game on pro hockey’s biggest stage yet he’s apparently had the general managers of 20 NHL team panting for his services.

He’s comparable to the Loch Ness Monster, in that you’ve heard of him but never seen him (with apologies to TSN analyst Glenn Healy) except on grainy YouTube video clips.

He’s been called the next Daniel Alfredsson or Marian Hossa but at the same time is considered in some quarters an over-rated talent.

He’s considered talented enough to be a potential top-six forward in the NHL, yet had 37 points in 54 games in the Swedish Elite League.

He’s Fabian Brunnstrom and he’s apparently close to signing with an NHL team for next season.

Brunnstrom, 23, is considered a late bloomer by the standard of NHL prospects. By that age most have paid their dues in juniors or the minor leagues to make the NHL, or face a life-long career playing in the minors or in Europe, or the stark reality that a pro hockey career isn’t attainable.

And he’s not content just to sign a entry-level contract with an NHL team. No, Brunnstrom wants to sign with a team that’ll give him the best opportunity to break into the league immediately.

Until the Vancouver Canucks fired Dave Nonis as general manager they were believed not only the front-runners but also close to having him under contract, but now he and his agent are considering other clubs.

The Detroit Red Wings are believed among those on the short list for his services but they apparently won’t guarantee anything beyond the opening month of the season to evaluate his performance before committing a full-time roster spot for him.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators are also believed on the list and it’s rumored the Leafs may now be the front-runners.

But is Brunnstrom worth the hype?

Most of it has appeared over the last couple of months, a period when player movement is non-existent and the start of the annual unrestricted free agent spending frenzy is still over two months away.

It’s tempting to dismiss it therefore as just so much overwrought media babbling by bored hockey writers in cities where the local NHL club is on the golf course rather than chasing the Stanley Cup, but then there’s that reported number of NHL teams interested in Brunnstrom: 20.

If that number is accurate it means two thirds of the league’s general managers, based on reports from their scouts, believe Brunnstrom has the goods to become a top-six forward in the NHL, maybe with time a scoring star.

That many general managers along with their respective scouting staffs aren't  suffering from collective insanity. They've obviously heard and seen enough of Brunnstrom to believe he has the potential to become a quality NHL player.

Given the shallow depth in star talent in this summer’s UFA pool and of course the high prices that would be paid to sign them, the opportunity to land a reasonably mature 23-year-old prospective top-six forward at an affordable three-year entry level contract appears too good to pass up.

But is he worth promising a roster spot to?

Apparently that depends on how desperate a general manager is to bolster his offensive depth, hence the reason the Canucks, Maple Leafs and Senators are among those interested in landing him.

The Red Wings don’t lack offensive punch, but since they’re also on the short list of suitors for Brunnstrom -and were rumored a couple of months ago close to signing him -one has to assume it’s because Brunnstrom really wants to play for them if they’d only give him a chance.

And the Wings do want to give him a chance, but as they aren’t hurting for scoring depth they can insist that he either prove himself worthy of a roster spot or spend time in the minors developing his skills. The other front-runners might not have that option.

Brunnstrom is expected to make a decision shortly as to which NHL team we’ll sign with. By this fall, hockey fans will discover if he was worth the speculation, and his new NHL team will discover if he was worth guaranteeing a roster spot.

It didn’t take long for the Vancouver Canucks to find a replacement for recently deposed general manager Dave Nonis.

Various reports on Tuesday night claim the Canucks will call a news conference on Wednesday where it’s expected they’ll announce the hiring of player agent Mike Gillis as their new general manager.

Team owner Francesco Aquilini declined to comment on Tuesday afternoon when questioned by reporters.

As per the Vancouver Sun/Canwest News Services:

“Gillis, 49, is a former NHL player with the Boston Bruins and former Colorado Rockies. He has never worked in management but has represented players since 1991.

His first client was former Canuck Geoff Courtnall and he currently represents Canuck captain Markus Naslund.”

Hmmmm, represents Naslund, eh? Who’s eligible for unrestricted free agency this summer, eh?

Of course, Gillis cannot represent Naslund once he’s officially hired as Canucks GM, but one has to wonder if retaining his soon-to-be former client might be one of his priorities this summer, perhaps by making some moves to bring in more offensive depth.

You can bet that’ll be among the first questions he’s asked at the press conference.

This could be a very interesting summer in Vancouver.

The Vancouver Canucks missed the playoffs this season for the second time in three years which spurred speculation roster changes were coming. On Monday, however, the ax fell on general manager Dave Nonis.

Despite the Canucks futility during Nonis’ three-year tenure, this move still seems surprising. The Canucks only narrowly missed the playoffs in 2006 and 2008, and Nonis was generally considered as having done a good job in taking over for former GM Brian Burke.

The Canucks struggled in 2005-06 was due in large part to a lack of strong goaltending and quality defense, as well as the distraction from Todd Bertuzzi’s legal troubles from his on-ice attack on former Colorado Avalanche Steve Moore in 2004.

Nonis had to make some difficult decisions heading into the summer of 2006. In addition to the aforementioned, there was talk that the team had grown tired of head coach Marc Crawford, and with limited cap space he faced the loss of puck-moving defenseman Ed Jovanovski to free agency.

Nonis acted quickly, pulling off the blockbuster deal of the decade by shipping the unhappy Bertuzzi with two players to the Florida Panthers for all-star goalie Roberto Luongo, defenseman Lukas Krajicek and a draft pick, and peddled goalie Dan Cloutier to the LA Kings.

Nonis also moved to improve his team’s defense corps, signing veteran defenseman Willie Mitchell as an unrestricted free agent and re-signing Mattias Ohlund and Sami Salo to long-term contracts. Krajicek turned into pleasant surprise having a strong performance in the 2006-07 season.

Two notable forward re-signings were the Sedin Twins, who emerged over the last two seasons as the Canucks offensive leaders.

He also hired Alain Vigneault to replace Crawford as head coach, and under Vigneault the Canucks improved to a franchise record 105 point performance in 2006-07, earning him the Adams trophy as NHL coach of the year.

Nonis also did a good job at the draft table, selecting promising youngsters Cory Schneider, Mason Raymond, Alexander Edler, and Luc Bourdon.

Injuries to several key defensemen and center Brendan Morrisont his season severely hampered the Canucks , as did the decline in production of team captain Markus Naslund,and they slid to an 88 point performance and out of the post-season.

Nonis acknowledged at season’s end that his club needed to bolster their offensive depth, and while he was adamant against trading away his promising youth, suggested the willingness to perhaps trade a defenseman or shopin this summer’s UFA market. for scoring help.

While the Canucks are still a work in progress, it’s clear that Nonis was doing his best to build the team the right way, from the net out. Had the Canucks been healthier this season, odds are they would’ve made the playoffs despite their offensive struggles and Nonis wouldn't have lost his job.

It appears that team ownership has panicked, making Nonis the scapegoat for the club’s step back this season.

Nonis couldn’t be blamed for the lack of cap space available to him over the last two years to bolster his scoring depth when the club’s defensive needs and the retention of the Sedins took priority, and certainly couldn’t be faulted for the rash of injuries that dogged the team throughout the season.

Having proven that he’s capable of making smart trades and free agent signings to address his team’s previously biggest needs, he deserved the opportunity this summer to address the club’s offensive shortfalls.

It’s puzzling why ownership would make this decision, and it’ll be interesting to see who they decide to bring in as Nonis’ replacement.

 A rumor in the Toronto Sun this past weekend hinted that former GM Burke was apparently interested in returning to Vancouver, so don’t be surprised if this speculation gains steam in the coming days if ownership doesn’t immediately announce Nonis’ successor.

It’s been said that the best hockey of an NHL season isn’t truly seen until the playoffs, but in my humble opinion the race for the playoffs in the final month of the regular season can bring about excitement every bit as worthwhile as a playoff game.

This season is no exception, as once again several teams are battling to clinch the final two playoff berths in each conference, and every remaining game in this season for those teams carries the same importance as a post-season contest.

In the Eastern Conference, seventh and eighth overall are very much up for grabs, with the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers desperately clinging to those two berths, with the Buffalo Sabres, Florida Panthers and Washington Capitals breathing down their collective necks.

As of this writing, only five points separate seventh-place Boston from 11th place Florida, with the Flyers, Capitals and Sabres sandwiched between them.

Looking at the standings as of March 19th, the Bruins have 83 points, the Flyers 82, the Capitals 80, Sabres 79 and Panthers 78.

Of these five team, the Capitals and Panthers have been red-hot, both clubs winning seven of their last ten games, which doesn’t bode well for the struggling Bruins (3-4-3), Flyers (4-3-3) and Sabres (4-4-2). If the Caps and Panthers can keep up their torrid pace they could end up playoff bound.

The race isn’t quite so close in the Western Conference, as a four-point gap separates the eighth overall Colorado Avalanche from the 9th overall Nashville Predators and the Avs also enjoy a five point gap over the 10th overall Edmonton Oilers.

As of March 19th the Avalanche had the same number of points (84) as the sixth overall Vancouver Canucks and seventh overall Calgary Flames. These three clubs appear to control their destiny over their final handful of games.

Still, these three clubs cannot afford a letdown. The Predators may be struggling (4-6-0 in their last ten games) but they’re not out of the hunt yet, and with 8 games remaining still have enough time to claw their way into a berth of the Avs, Flames or Canucks stumble.

The Oilers also cannot be completely counted out, having gone on a remarkable 8-2-0 streak in their last ten games and with 8 games remaining they too have enough time to catch those ahead of them if they falter.

Wouldn’t it be great if it came down to a final game of the season for one of these teams, as it did last year for the NY Islanders?

The Isles blew a two-goal lead in their final game of the 2007 season against the New Jersey Devils but won it in a shootout thanks to a savvy poke-check by Islanders backup goalie Wade Dubielewicz, clinching the last playoff berth in the East in a thrilling contest.

Consider this battle for the final playoff spots a primer for the upcoming 2008 Stanley Cup Finals. Who knows, maybe one of these teams could go on to become a “giant killer” in this year’s post-season.

Chris Simon, a notable NHL goon player with a history of suspensions for dirty play, stomped on Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jarkko Ruutu earlier this season and gets a 30 game suspension .

Chris Pronger, an All-Star defenseman, former Hart and Norris trophies winner, also with a history of suspensions for dirty play, stomps on Vancouver Canucks forward Ryan Kesler during a recent game and gets….nothing.

Many fans, bloggers and pundits were up justifiably up in arms over Simon’s action, which was clearly a deliberate attempt to injury.

Hardly a peep was heard about Pronger’s action, likely because the video replay appeared inconclusive that his stomp was a deliberate act and may have been accidental in an attempt to disentangle himself from Kesler following a collision along the end boards.

The commentators of the Canucks-Ducks game claimed deliberate intent by Pronger but TSN’s Bob McKenzie suggested the video evidence is inconclusive and that’s why the Ducks defenseman wasn’t suspended.

Still, this will raise the point that the NHL has two sets of rules, one for its stars which slaps them on the wrist for questionable play, and a much harsher set for lesser lights for similar infractions.

Ultimately, I have to side with McKenzie on this, but I would suggest that, given Pronger’s suspension history, the league should keep a close eye on him.

**UPDATE**

A new video angle has surfaced of the incident, which appears to show more clearly that Pronger's stomp may have been more intentional than originally perceived in the first video of the incident.

As a result, the league is reviewing the incident again. According to TSN.ca, a telephone hearing is slated for March 15th and a suspension could be likely. The report also noted Pronger waived his right for an in-person hearing, and while a phone hearing usually results in suspensions of four games or less, this one could be more severe. Pronger declined to comment further on the incident.

Judging by the new footage, it could indeed be more severe, although the Pronger camp will likely argue that it was inadvertent as he was trying to disengage from Kesler. It'll be interesting to see what punishment the league hands out, which could be coming as early as March 16th.

I'm guessing it won't be anywhere near as lengthy as Simon's, probably between five to ten games, with the league suggesting that Pronger's intent wasn't as deliberate as Simon's, which won't do anything to dampen criticism of the NHL's disciplinary arm.

**SECOND UPDATE**

I guessed right. The league handed Pronger an eight-game suspension on March 15th. No word from disciplinarian Colin Campbell as to why Pronger got so few games while Simon got 30 games, and this certainly won't sit well with Campbell's critics.