It doesn't but I haven' had sufficient time to complain about it. Damn!
- HawkintheD

Why does Stan need to sign Ward now, the timing of the deal is all wrong. Certainly he can wait a couple months and sign Ward for less. Another Bowman fail....

Why does Stan need to sign Ward now, the timing of the deal is all wrong. Certainly he can wait a couple months and sign Ward for less. Another Bowman fail....
- DarthKane

Bowman fortune as a GM could be on a stake and if he doesn't get burned, he acted sooner rather than later on filling some needs

Congratulations to Michal Kempny:

OFFICIAL! Kemps is ALL OURS!

Washington Capitals have re-signed defenseman Michal Kempny to a four-year contract. Average annual value of $2.5 million.

https://twitter.com/capit.../1012689065119027202?s=21
- walleyeb1

Very happy for the guy, he totally deserves it. It didn't work out in Chicago but it's good to see Kempny being a good fit somewhere else.

That $2.5MM could have been better used to get the team closer to being a Cup contender - not next year, but in two or three years.

Signing Ward not does NOT get them closer to being a Cup contender this coming season - whether Crawford is Crawford or not - and does nothing for the future.

Wasting Rocky's money (no real concern of mine) but also possibly wasting cap space that could have been better used.
- StLBravesFan

Except allowing the young goalies to mature and grow without thrusting them into roles they aren't ready for.

Does the collective opinion change if CC has less than a 50/50 chance of playing this season?

Bowman fortune as a GM could be on a stake and if he doesn't get burned, he acted sooner rather than later on filling some needs
- jhawk59

Yes but had Stan waited even a couple weeks, he could have had Ward for $2.4M or $2.45M...FAIL!

Very happy for the guy, he totally deserves it. It didn't work out in Chicago but it's good to see Kempny being a good fit somewhere else.
- DarthKane

Happy for the guy too. It's too bad he never got a fair shake in Chicago. You can see he has the ability to play at this level, but it seemed he lacked the confidence at times.

Whew that was a lot of comments. Someone asked for Canes fan perspective, I’ll try to remember and address what I can. Guess first is Faulk and Ward. Put simply they’re enigmas.

In regards to Ward the Canes haven’t been making the playoffs with him, he’s not elite and it’s time to move on. 2006 and 2009 were awhile ago. That said he’ll let in the softest goal you’ve ever seen and make the save of the year in the same game. For some reason he curses any goalie that comes in, see Lack, Khudobin, and Darling. Despite the soft goals it was rare that I would say he lost the Canes games, if anything there were times last year when it felt like he was the only reason they were still in a game. 1 yr 2.5 isn’t a bad deal, it’s not jump up with joy, but not end of the world either.

Faulk is a two-way defender that found offense and forgot what it’s like to defend when given the C. That’s how I see his career. When paired with a defense minded partner, or even a conservative two-way guy he’s a very effective guy in the top 4 and potent on the power play. As for potential trades I’ve seen from other places every single one involved Saad and Hossa’s contract for Faulk. I don’t see anyway the Canes add in a Roy or Zykov(especially since he’s penciled in for next season) to take on Hossa’s contract even if Saad is the return.

A couple random tidbits someone asked about McKeown, I felt had he been left handed he would’ve been the guy instead of Fleury to step up last year. Great outlet passes and above average speed. I could see him on a 2nd pairing someday, but maybe I’m missing something. Faulk has a NTC that kicks in July 1 I’d think any trade would happen before then if it does. Jordan Staal has never had a concussion that I’m aware of although that trade offer was something that Canes would have zero incentive to do. I probably missed some things but honestly it was a lot of comments.

Carcillo is really starting to get some traction on his crusade to get the NHL and the NHLPA to acknowledge and address the risks of TBI and CTE. He's had millions of views on his latest Player's Tribune video.

http://www.chicagomag.com...Traumatic-Brain-Injuries/

ETA: his quote in here about talking to goalies who get kneed in the head made me wonder if he's been working with Crow (thanks again, Malkin)

Niemi won a cup before too but he was still a bad goalie the last few years. Ward's cup came in his rookie season and he's not been close to replicating that playoff's run of luck.
- L_B_R

Ward has been getting praised and giving status as one of the best since he won the cup back when Bush was president. . Hope I'm wrong but he is not that good

*NEW* blog up with my thoughts on what the Hawks could do this weekend + rumors:

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=93686

Justin, you should think about bringing in a psychologist for this upcoming season, hell, if you can get one before Sunday, it'd be a good idea.

Lots of posters are having severe breakdowns in here.
- BlazinMike

I'm not a psychologist, but I did stay at a Red Roof Inn last night.

True but 3 years of playing on a weak Carolina team and he's had a winning record? We'll see
- BetweenTheDots

True but the thing I recall about Ward and I admitt I'm going from highlight I've watched Is he gives up alot of very weak goals

Mike Kelly

Fluid situation but appears likely scenario for Erik Karlsson is....
1) Gets traded to Vegas with Bobby Ryan sooner rather than later...
2) Senators look to free agency to fill open D spot as opposed to what would come back from Vegas.

The reason why they haven't talked about Crawford is because of his enrollment in a drug recovery program with the league for alcoholism. As they are not at liberty to talk about players in that program, that is why they are staying hush just using the concussion and broken vertebrate that happened over last Christmas break as a way to drag out not saying anything about the drinking problem. I believe Crow will be back (and should be healthy by now), but the drinking is a serious issue and that is why Stan unfortunately is going to have to acquire a more suitable 1B than Forsberg because they need a good insurance policy for Crow.
- Budi1782

If you have some proof or some source, that's another story, but you don't. So, honestly, stop trying to promote the same narrative over and over again.
- Crawford

I honestly don't care what you think. I'm reporting what I know from inside the locker room from a source that is very trusted. This isn't some rumor or off the cuff remark by me. So I will keep saying it over and over as much as I care to given it is the truth. You don't like it, too bad. The source is not a reporter or a blogger, but a friend of Kane's family, so I'm not going to release the name of the person for obvious protection of that person's identity.