Breaking...Roman Josi extended by the Preds...9M AAV...Details to come... Ek: Thanks so much for your "what the ek" questions. I thought I'd attack the comment questions first...will get to twitter and emails soon...cheers.
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Jaynay3131 asks…What are the odds Jamie Ben is moved if Dallas continues this all season? Where do you think he will end up?
Ek: I would say really high...and maybe even if they pick it up.. Nill is a smart GM and I think he senses Benn may have passed by his peak and why not try and get max return? Where does he go? My guess is to a team that thinks they can win it all and sees their window possibly shutting. Pittsburgh, San Jose...Philly has interest, but they are more in the middle of a retool Jaybell12 asks… What the ek is going on with Leafs right now? Should we consider moving a skill forward to get back size/grit/energy type forward? Because right now they need it.
Ek: They are in a really uncomfortable spot and there is an obvious difference of opinion on direction between the GM and the coach..I honestly see them moving a top pick for some playoff leadership and experience...In my opinion, goaltending is the scariest and biggest potential minefield. Wolfeyes asks… What should the Oilers do about the 2nd Lw with nuge?
Ek: I really like the young prospects they have coming up on the left side, but many are still a while off. I am big fan Chiasson playing on RNH's left...I thought Jurco might step up...
Rinosaur asks… Hey EK, three blogs ago you said you rumors to come, but never posted. Are those coming?
Ek: I am always talking to folks and often I am told, “something looks like it is up… and not always will that come to fruition….I pass what I hear along to you, but when nothing materializes or a source goes dark it can mean a lot of things...I have learned over the years that sources going dark usually means I asked them something that is close and they can’t say. I have an understanding with many sources that they will tell me if I am barking up the wrong tree, but when they can't say anything they will go radio silent. The Penguins and Rutherford are hard at work, but exactly where they are looking is shifting a lot right now.
TJTJY asks… EK, thought on the Hawks start and chance of a shake up.
Ek: They need to solidify their D and so far Robin Lehner is looking frustrated and has been way less than they expected. I picked them to win the division so this start is obviously not what I expected. I still really like this teams makeup. They could go on a run and get right back into it.
Leafsfann asks… What the EK? How long does Babcock have to turn this around before he gets his pink slip? And Stinger1990 asks.. What the ek? Is Babcock's job on the line after another fall in the 3rd period?
Ek: the general acceptance has been that Babcock is safe this season, but I am not buying it. I very much think Shanny puts a ton of energy into controlling the message with the media, especially the top insiders. He will squelch any and all talk of Babcock to try and keep the heat off...so I don’t believe for a second Babcock is nearly as safe as everyone wants us to think. They have spent a ton of money and have a defense that is built for THIS season only...so expectations are set.
JetsAvs asks… Ek, as a jets fan we’ve heard a lot of Rumor regarding the status of Buff. We want him back on the ice but if he’s not going to come back, why is this being extended with band aid patches on defense? A retirement would mean cap space to make a move for significant help on the d. What are you hearing about a deadline for buff? (Side note, how good has Neal pionk been for the Jets this year? He’s done a great job replacing Trouba for a fraction of the price)
Ek: Great questions… Pionk has been all they could have hoped for an more..without him, can you imagine? As for Buff. I believe he is returning, but he has always struggled when it comes to his weight and being in shape. He is not going to come to camp unless he has that under control. He would sooner retire.
Habsfan702 asks… The Canadiens seem to be in on every hot rumor but never make any significant moves, is this finally the season they make the splash for a top pairing D-man or elite scorer? Ek: the funny thing about that is I actually go out of my way to try and monitor the Habs rumors. I put out a lot less than then there are because there are so many. The team owners want the playoffs and the GM and staff are everywhere scouting on high alert. Because of the mounting pressure on teams, the salary cap, and the coming expansion I believe the Habs will find a partner and it will get done. Lincoln_Vamos asks… This will be years back... but do you have any idea/comfortable sharing, what the return was from either the rangers or flyers in the Shea Weber sweeps right before he signed the offer sheet? I remember hearing from you I believe that Poile was going to go with the rangers offer and that’s when philly got the offer sheet together.
Ek: All I know is the Rangers offer that Poile told the Flyers was so strong that Flyers felt they had to offer sheet Shea or he would be at their rival in NYC for the rest of his career. So the Flyers and Ed Snider decided Weber would be a Flyer or a Pred. Poile is usually brilliant, but in this case I believe he overplayed his hand trying to get the Flyers to up their offer... Lettit B. asks… What the ek? When will the Ottawa Senators get a new (competent) owner? Ek: The NHL is putting some pressure on, or at least that is what I hear….but there is only so much they can do Bruinzfan77 asks… What are the price tags on the following players? Toffoli Tuch Hall
Ek: Toffoli asking is a first rounder….don't know they get that. I don't believe Tuch to be available and as for Hall it will be huge. #1, #2, Prospect, current roster player….at the least...
Ion Sabres asks… WTF EK!?!! What is the status of that E5 Offer Sheet for that Western Conference player reported in late August??
Ek:Sorry...I went into the archives of my articles and tried to find this? I know the Sabres were working on Tkachuk in Calgary early in August. I wouldn’t put an E5 on anything unless I am told it is done...or at least the offer sheet was signed...
Rogeramjet112 asks… Do you think Babcocks seat is getting hotter with his mismanagement of prioritization of games (back to backs) especially when the second game is against a divisional team? I think Dubas must be getting awful tired of the righteous Babs ego/attitude. Ek: It should be way hotter...and I believe it is. Despite the message they want out there...
Drunkfan asks...… Why not just tweet Bob or Darren. They would give you a realistic answer.
Ek: I agree Drunkfan.....They are the best. They have their own contacts, some of whom we share...some of who they talk to and I don’t. I have a few contacts they don’t have but they have more...especially Bob, who has two decades of experience and a company that has been a rights holder...
Tebaume asks… Hey Ek what percentage of your rumors ever become reality? I am thinking of becoming a hockey insider and think I can at least be right as often as you. Where do I sign up?
Ek: Go for it, the more the merrier. It only takes perseverance and years of trust-building. So the best way to start I tell people is try and cover some AHL games and work your way into the press box that way. Percentages of rumors that turn into fact is a fun number. The lower the percentage is the better job I am doing I guess. Math. When you consider the actual number of finalized transactions is a constant, the more I find out about and report in the various discussions that I put out there means the percentage of rumours to actual deals decreases...This is true for the obvious reason that Rumors and Deals are not correlated… You could ask “What percentage of all team/gm discussions do you post as a rumor on hockeybuzz? That number would probably be below 1%. There are 31 teams and GMs, countless agents trying to better their player’s situations...If they aren’t exploring options every day they aren’t doing their jobs. I don’t post 31 plus rumors a day...all I can do is post whatever I can find out...and try and make that info something you find value in. And since millions of you visit each year...a few must find some value in it.
Tumbleweed asks… why come does carter hart suck so much?
Ek: He doesn’t. He is in a critical period though. The second season for a goalie in the NHL is eye-opening. Every other team has people who are looking at your weaknesses on video and these players can hit any spot they want to. So the second season is often more about beating your own problem areas. Carter is smart and knows this. He will be a great goalie, but this will be a battle.
And finally… Porkchops1977 asks… What the ek? Why even make a blog for this?
Ek: Laziness….Instead of thinking about what to write about and what you all are interested in, I get you to tell me directly...
Thanks all....more to come and the Buzzcast at 1