What is wrong with Kovalev?

Mind I ask why you want to sign Sykora for 3 years? I'd sign him to a 1 yr deal if he wants..

And as for Kovalev...i'm 50/50 on the guy...he is great when he tries and plays hard but I've seen a couple MTL games and he sometimes just skates around and doesn't give a shit...and then give up the puck as well.. I can see him fitting in well with the Devils.

i like kovalev, i think if he signs with the nucks he'll try harder cuz our team is better then the canadiens. Must've been so demotivating seeing how good the canadiens were on paper but they didnt do shit.

Kovalev is a cancer in the dressing room, as soon as things go south he will drag other players down with him, he certainly does not posses the character traits of which MG is building the team around which is why he won't be coming to van

hondaracers lock of the day

:werd:

Looks like we signed Samuelsson!
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=283610

^ just saw that :) great signing

yayy we're actually doing shit. I was getting bored lol

not a hockey nerd so i dont know much about role players. but anyone from detriot cant be bad

good stuff MG

Good linemate for the Sedins?

Kev

Canucks sign Mikael Samuelsson

By Jim Jamieson 07-03-2009 COMMENTS(0) The White Towel


The Vancouver Canucks General announced Friday morning that they have signed right winger Mikael Samuelsson to a three-year deal that will pay him $2.5 million annually.

Samuelsson, 32, looks to play on either the Canucks’ second or third lines, where he slotted in during his time in Detroit while sometimes playing with Henrik Zetterberg. Samuelsson, who has a heavy shot, also played the point on the Red Wings second power play unit.

The 6-foot-1, 205 pound Swede became expendible as the Red Wings were squeezed by the salary cap. It came down to a choice for GM Ken Holland between Samuelsson and younger restricted free agent centre Jiri Hudler.

Samuelsson recorded 40 points (19-21-40) in 81 games last season and 10 points (5-5-10) in 23 playoff games with Detroit through to the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals. In 466 career NHL games Samuelsson has 208 points (86-122-208) and 244 penalty minutes. The Mariefred, Sweden native was a member of the 2007.08 Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings team and has produced a career total of 35 points (13-22-35) in 69 postseason games.

Samuelsson was a member of Team Sweden, winning gold at the Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy in 2006, where he recorded four points (1-3-4) in eight games.

Leafs contend with tampering twitter over Sedin signings


By Jason Botchford, The Province

July 3, 2009 7:42 AM


Leafs coach Ron Wilson (right, with GM Brian Burke at the NHL Draft) told a radio show Toronto was targeting the Sedin twins a day before free agency began.

Leafs coach Ron Wilson (right, with GM Brian Burke at the NHL Draft) told a radio show Toronto was targeting the Sedin twins a day before free agency began.
Photograph by: Dave Sidaway file, Montreal Gazette

For a couple of days now, Internet message boards have been humming with amateur sleuths who have been trying to determine if the Toronto Maple Leafs should be investigated for tampering with the Sedin twins.

Even if most media have ignored this story, they are not alone.

Privately, team execs have been wondering the same thing. Did Leafs coach Ron Wilson breach NHL bylaws on a Toronto radio show when he suggested his team was targeting the Sedin twins a day before the start of free agency?

"I heard what he said and it seems to be a clear-cut case of tampering. He basically tells those two free agents: 'Hey, we're coming for you, wait for us,'" one NHL executive said. "There's not a question in my mind. It could have left the Canucks high and dry. Look at what he said, then look at what (Leafs GM) Brian Burke did. He flew to Sweden."

On June 30, Wilson was on Prime Time Sports, hosted by Bob McCown on The FAN590 in Toronto. He was asked an abstract question about the difference between North American and European players. Wilson quickly got off track, turned his attention toward the twins. He implied the Leafs planned to go after the Sedins on July 1 when they were scheduled to become unrestricted free agents.

Wilson said: "You're hearing right now, and this sounds very contradictory but, there's a real possibility, I would think, that we would be going after the Sedins. Let's just speculate there."

Later it was learned that just after Wilson made those comments, Burke was on his way to Sweden on an overnight transatlantic flight.

The NHL's rigid tampering rules leave almost no wiggle room. The punishment is severe and can include fines, suspensions, and loss of draft picks. And the NHL vowed it would take any tampering case seriously heading into this free agent season.

Recently, each NHL team received stern memos which they had to sign off on, warning them about the league's strict tampering rules. Teams were warned the rules didn't just apply to GMs; they covered every employee and representative. Breaches were going to be dealt with severely. Under NHL bylaw, 15 organizational employees are not permitted to express interest in any player belonging to another NHL club.

The bylaw states tampering to be: "The making or causing to be made through any medium, public or private, any statement indicating any intention or desire of or interest in acquiring the services (of a player on another club)."

Burke is well-schooled in this area. Not only were there questions when he left the Anaheim Ducks, Burke himself accused Kevin Lowe of tampering after Lowe made a comment about how he liked Corey Perry and would take him in a trade on a radio station.

"It is our understanding that clubs are not entitled to express interest in a player belonging to another NHL organization," Burke said last summer.

"Our understanding is that such an expression of interest constitutes tampering."

According to NHL bylaw 15, Burke is right.

Making this case more serious are reports out of Toronto that Burke flew to Sweden on the eve of free agency because he was going to make a big-money offer to the Sedins.

The Sedins agreed to their deal with the Canucks only hours before becoming free agents and it happened while Burke was en route. The Sedins' agent JP Barry made it clear the Sedins spent a lot of time thinking about all of their options before signing.

Was one of those options Toronto? And, if so, could Wilson's comments have given the Sedins a heads up that Burke planned to make a big splash?

It should be something for the NHL to look into, not just the Internet sleuths. The league did not respond to phone calls or e-mails for this story.

E-mail: jbotchford@theprovince.com
© Copyright (c) The Province

omg...wings lost samuelsson
wish him all the luck in vancouver.

http://www.theprovince.com/News/Leaf...907/story.html

:lol

I think we should get some draft picks ;)

draft picks would be nice

Time for the Canucks to finally get that top 5 pick!

Great pickup by the nucks, now if they add a decent defenseman how can you not say the team is better than last years?

Samulson replacing pyatt essentially, having rypien on full time, bernier will be better, wellwood as well

and all our core back together

we add one forward one dman and were good to go!

Samuelsson, decent signing if the cap hit is $2mil or less. Red Wings fans where so frustrated with him and didn't want him back, he shoots a lot but always into the chest of the goalie or into defenders shins and apparently he turns the puck over quite a bit.

He's signed for 2.5 per. 3 year contract.

We should land Burnaby Joe O_O

No thanks

he wouldn't come to a division rival
and he also doesnt have any fingers left

Uh...Noir was right about you.

Read 7seven's post below to know that this isn't exactly a "great" pickup.

His career numbers would say otherwise for a 2.5 cap hit