Thomas Vanek wants the Islanders to know that its not personal. Its just business.
On Monday, Vanek turned down the Islanders and their multi-year contract extension for "substantial" money.
Its not about the gobs and endless gobs of money that they offered him. Its about something else.
Thanks, SNY
Vanek’s seven-year, $50 million contract expires in July. What he's saying without coming right out and saying it is that he enjoyed his time playing with John Tavares, Kyle Okposo and the NY Islanders. Now, its time to move along to unrestricted free agency.
Vanek hasn't said so publicly that he wants to go home to Minnesota, but he doesn't have to.
I haven't spoken with Vanek since his trade from Buffalo. however, I can tell you from my many experiences speaking with him over the years that he has an intense sense of family. I first met him in 2005 when he was fresh out of the University of Minnesota. He was quiet, shy and very observant. He was a young kid on a veteran team in Buffalo. Over the years, he became and husband, then a father. He was a natural at balancing his work life with his family life. I'm reminded of a conversation that I had with Vanek in November 2013 when he had just arrived home from his home country of Austria where he played for the Graz 99ers for one month during the NHL lockout. Vanek is a national hero in Austria and his presence sold out buildings all over the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga (EBEL). Vanek was loved and adored by the fans and hockey zealots in Austria. He told me that if it were just he and his wife, he would have stayed there longer. However, he's a father of three young boys and he felt strongly about packing them up and moving them to Graz for an extended stay. Vanek didn't put his wants and needs above those of his "team". His home country wanted more of him, but he felt it was the appropriate time to leave to return to Buffalo. There is a humble duality about Vanek that's very rare to find. He's a high profile athlete who was recently selected as one of Austria's top 100 athletes of all time. Yet, craves the solitude of his home and family. Vanek is equal parts NHL All Star and All American family man.
In the end, I am confident that the Minnesota Wild will land and reunite Vanek with his best friend in hockey and life, Jason Pominville in Minneapolis-St. Paul. It may happen at the trade deadline, or it may have to wait until the free agency period opens in July.
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Ryan Miller told reporters on Tuesday that he has not had any substantive conversations recently with the Buffalo Sabres management team about his future with the club.
Miller sat out Monday night’s 3-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. He will get his net back for when Sid, Geno and his Team USA head coach Dan Bylsma travel to Buffalo on Wednesday night. Might this be Miller’s final home game at First Niagara Center?
"Anything’s possible, just with the way the season's gone and the direction it could be headed," Miller said. "We'll just wait to see what the plans start to become."
Video courtesy Sabres.com
The NHL Olympic roster freeze kicks in this Friday afternoon. The NHL trade deadline is March 5. Still, Miller continues to wait and see.
"Still don’t know what to say," Miller said. "There’s been a change here. There was a change here before. So it's like waiting to see what the plan is and waiting to see what they have to offer. We haven't talked about anything with regards to contracts, talked about anything in regards to trades. They're doing their business. …
"I have a limited no-trade agreement and that's something I put out there in the summer. That's not something they approached about altering, changing or discussing. So let's just assume they're doing their business. I can't control it."
"It's a private conversation about a business transaction," Miller said. "That's what it comes down to. I'm waiting to see what kind of the plans are around here."
And so, we wait…
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The aftermath of Sunday’s Washington Capitals’ 6-5 OT win over the Detroit Red Wings has been more entertaining and interesting than the game itself. NBC Sports rinksuide analyst Joe Micheletti raised more than a few thousand eyebrows when he said on air during the game broadcast that Capitals GM George McPhee told him that his team would have “10 more points” (in the Eastern standings) if they had better goaltending this season. According to reports, McPhee declined further comment on his alleged statement to Micheletti. Instead, Caps head coach Adam Oates and starting goalie Braden Holtby spoke on the record about McPhee’s comments. Oates seconded his boss’ emotion, saying that he thought that the Caps have left 10 points on the table this season. Holtby wasn’t as diplomatic when he said:
“I think if we pay any attention to comments like that I think it brings the team apart,” Holtby told CSN Washington after practice on Monday. “We have to go out there and play on the ice. We can’t focus on that other stuff.
“We’re all trying to accomplish the same goal of winning games and we don’t want to be separated by things like that. In one ear, out the other and we’ll focus on the next game.”
I applaud Holtby for sticking up for himself and his G-Unit mates, Michal Neuvirth and Philip Grubauer. However, he may want to vote the same party line as his GM and head coach with regard to the inconsistencies that have occurred in the Washington net this season.
The NHL trade deadline is March 5.
The Caps currently rank 24th out of 30 teams in the NHL with a 2.87 GAA.
Holtby is 15-13-2 with a 3.00 GAA and .909 save percentage.
Neuvirth is 4-5-2 with a 2.97 GAA and .910 save percentage.
Grubauer, sent back to AHL Hershey on January 20, compiled a 6-4-5 record with a 2.38 GAA and .926 save percentage when he was called up to the Caps.
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