Now, the question is: can Hartford not only pay Francis what he's worth, but also build a good team around him?
Tank til you drop: the 91 Lindros race
- Thread starter Alberta89
- Start date
As a Pens fan, we are screwed. No titles in 91 and 92 (and maybe not until the Crosby era, if the team still survives the 99 bankruptcy proceedings).
However, Francis may go somewhere. I heard that Eddie Johnston was ordered to get rid of him and Ulfie.
Also, if Ulf goes somewhere else, it may do wonders for Cam Neely's career.
1. Yeah, maybe the Pens end up in Raleigh. Maybe Denver? Hell, maybe Karmanos buys the Pens instead of the Whale...
2. He could, but at least there's a chance they get a better package than Cullen, Zalapski and Parker.
3. Neely was a well respected foe. He deserves a full career. There's always a chance Samuelsson ends up in the Campbell/Western Conference.
If Vancouver wanted him, they could have taken him at number two. They took Nedved instead.
The real question is: Who's picking 5th TTL and will they take Jagr?
I think Carson and Simpson make Pitt better by at least 5 - 8 points, possbly moren which pushes the Isles, Kings and North Stars up the board a space...unless of course the Pens just completely own the Isles and Flyers TTL, in which case the whole draft board gets turned upside down.
Big ripples off this trade.
Didn't he tell the Canucks that he was going to stay in Czechoslovakia for 90-91 so the Flyers or Penguins would draft him?
He may have, I hadn't heard that.
Does that mean he'd have Elwayed every team that isn't the Flyers or Pens OTL?
TTL Pens don't have a first round pick, so does that mean Flyers or he stays home?
I knew I didn't like that guy...
My thinker says he was trying to go to the Patrick specifically. Either he plays with Lemieux or faces him 7 times a year.
I know that he wanted to play in Pittsburgh. Didn't know about the Philly angle, though. They picked right before Pittsburgh that year, but they passed on Jagr.
Monthly Recap: 11/89
December 1, 1989
November Recap
Adams
The Sabres and Canadiens are still engaged in a fight for first. Buffalo’s Pierre Turgeon and Montreal’s Guy Carbonneau engaged in a literal fight on the 2nd as a way to prevent an all out brawl. Buffalo would wind up winning that game 6-4, and that’s the difference between these two teams as we head into December, though the Sabres have a couple games in hand.
Boston is right now a dark horse for the division win as they’re just 3 points back of the Canadiens with 5 games in hand. Helping the Bruins on their push in a tight Adams are stars Cam Neely and Ray Bourque, each tied for the Boston lead in points at 27 apiece. You can’t count out Hartford either though, as they’re only 3 points behind Boston.
The Nordiques continue to slide as their winless streak reaches 25 games. Unless something changes quickly, they may just become the first NHL team to be relegated! All jokes aside, multiple Nordiques, most notably Peter Stastny and Michel Goulet, continue to express disgust at Quebec’s play. Those players are likely candidates for being dealt before this year’s deadline.
Patrick
The Rangers have slowed down a little bit, but they’ve won another 8 games in November and remain atop the league. Brian Leetch said after the Rangers most recent game, a 4-4 tie with Winnipeg, “If we keep at this rate we’ll break the 1940 curse!” Needless to say, that is not a guarantee.
Below the Rangers, we have a three way tie for second. The Devils, Capitals, and Penguins have played in the same number of games, and each hold the exact same record. Pittsburgh had to put up a torrid October to do this, and they did. Lemieux’s scoring streak is now at 25 games, and new acquisition Jimmy Carson put up 9 goals in November to put the Pens in a position to potentially take home ice advantage going into the playoffs. Craig Simpson has also found a spot on the Pens, as he has 7 goals and 14 points since the trade.
In the Patrick basement, we find the Flyers and Isles. These two eighties powerhouses were riddled with injuries throughout November, and thus have found it difficult to be competitive. We wish them well.
Norris
Chicago and St Louis are the teams fighting for the division lead. Denis Savard continues to lead the Blackhawks with 41 points, while the Blues Brett Hull continues on an absolutely astounding scoring pace, as he has 31 goals through November.
Meanwhile, the North Stars have absolutely plummeted during November, allowing Stevie Y and the Red Wings to pull ahead of them. Stevie is currently 3rd in the NHL in points with 47, only behind Gretzky and Lemieux.
The Leafs continue to struggle, dropping to second last in the league. Gary Leeman, who leads the Leafs with 18 goals and 33 points, has said that if Toronto continues to play this way, he may want out.
Smythe
The Calgary Flames remain firmly on top of the division. They have 4 players, Theo Fleury, Gary Roberts, Al Macinnis, and Joe Nieuwendyk, with more than 30 points, and Mike Vernon is putting up a Vezina caliber season. The defending Cup champions are among the favorites to do it again.
The battle for second in the Smythe has become a four way race. Edmonton, Los Angeles, Vancouver, and Winnipeg are all only separated by three points, and all have winning records. This division could very well be the deepest one in league history.
Important news
Harold Ballard Jr has put the Leafs up for sale.
The Gund Brothers may be trying to move the North Stars to San Francisco.
Nordiques owner Marcel Aubut is being held for questioning on a sexual assault case.
November Recap
Adams
The Sabres and Canadiens are still engaged in a fight for first. Buffalo’s Pierre Turgeon and Montreal’s Guy Carbonneau engaged in a literal fight on the 2nd as a way to prevent an all out brawl. Buffalo would wind up winning that game 6-4, and that’s the difference between these two teams as we head into December, though the Sabres have a couple games in hand.
Boston is right now a dark horse for the division win as they’re just 3 points back of the Canadiens with 5 games in hand. Helping the Bruins on their push in a tight Adams are stars Cam Neely and Ray Bourque, each tied for the Boston lead in points at 27 apiece. You can’t count out Hartford either though, as they’re only 3 points behind Boston.
The Nordiques continue to slide as their winless streak reaches 25 games. Unless something changes quickly, they may just become the first NHL team to be relegated! All jokes aside, multiple Nordiques, most notably Peter Stastny and Michel Goulet, continue to express disgust at Quebec’s play. Those players are likely candidates for being dealt before this year’s deadline.
Patrick
The Rangers have slowed down a little bit, but they’ve won another 8 games in November and remain atop the league. Brian Leetch said after the Rangers most recent game, a 4-4 tie with Winnipeg, “If we keep at this rate we’ll break the 1940 curse!” Needless to say, that is not a guarantee.
Below the Rangers, we have a three way tie for second. The Devils, Capitals, and Penguins have played in the same number of games, and each hold the exact same record. Pittsburgh had to put up a torrid October to do this, and they did. Lemieux’s scoring streak is now at 25 games, and new acquisition Jimmy Carson put up 9 goals in November to put the Pens in a position to potentially take home ice advantage going into the playoffs. Craig Simpson has also found a spot on the Pens, as he has 7 goals and 14 points since the trade.
In the Patrick basement, we find the Flyers and Isles. These two eighties powerhouses were riddled with injuries throughout November, and thus have found it difficult to be competitive. We wish them well.
Norris
Chicago and St Louis are the teams fighting for the division lead. Denis Savard continues to lead the Blackhawks with 41 points, while the Blues Brett Hull continues on an absolutely astounding scoring pace, as he has 31 goals through November.
Meanwhile, the North Stars have absolutely plummeted during November, allowing Stevie Y and the Red Wings to pull ahead of them. Stevie is currently 3rd in the NHL in points with 47, only behind Gretzky and Lemieux.
The Leafs continue to struggle, dropping to second last in the league. Gary Leeman, who leads the Leafs with 18 goals and 33 points, has said that if Toronto continues to play this way, he may want out.
Smythe
The Calgary Flames remain firmly on top of the division. They have 4 players, Theo Fleury, Gary Roberts, Al Macinnis, and Joe Nieuwendyk, with more than 30 points, and Mike Vernon is putting up a Vezina caliber season. The defending Cup champions are among the favorites to do it again.
The battle for second in the Smythe has become a four way race. Edmonton, Los Angeles, Vancouver, and Winnipeg are all only separated by three points, and all have winning records. This division could very well be the deepest one in league history.
Important news
Harold Ballard Jr has put the Leafs up for sale.
The Gund Brothers may be trying to move the North Stars to San Francisco.
Nordiques owner Marcel Aubut is being held for questioning on a sexual assault case.
1/1/1990
Happy New Year!!!
And now for our December NHL recap…
Adams
The four horses of the Adams division continue to fight for first. Right now, it's the Whalers on top with a little help from the Isles yesterday. Ron Francis looks like he’s headed for his best season yet, as he pulled off a 26 point December! He currently has 54 points in 39 games.
Meanwhile, the Sabres and Bruins are each only one point back of Hartford, as Buffalo’s Pierre Turgeon and Boston’s Cam Neely continue to have outstanding seasons. Both players are on pace to hit well over 50 goals this season. We are also happy to hear that Sabres goalie Clint Malarchuk is back from his stitches replacement. The stitches were from the horrific injury he suffered on March 22nd, where a skate blade sliced his neck open. The stitch replacement has gone well, and he was in net yesterday in the Sabres’ latest game. Malarchuk made 27 saves in the 5-3 loss to the Islanders.
The Canadiens have sunk to fourth in the Adams, but that doesn’t mean they’re out of the division race. Patrick Roy had a fantastic December, allowing only 2.2 goals per game, but Montreal struggled to score. Still, they’re only 4 points back of the division lead, though everyone else has a few games in hand.
Big news: The Quebec Nordiques’ winless streak FINALLY came to an end with a 4-3 victory over Vancouver. The streak lasted an NHL record 31 games! Despite this win, along with another against the Isles on the 30th, Michel Goulet has officially announced: he wants out of a Quebec team that is 3-30-5 on the season. Meanwhile, owner Marcel Aubut appears to have been distracted, as he’s been subpoenad as a witness for the defense in a sexual assault case.
Patrick
After their terrific 21-6-5 start to the season, the Rangers have slumped as of late, despite expert goaltending from John Vanbiesbrouck. One of the main reasons is a lack of scoring depth. Besides John Ogrodnick, Darren Turcotte, and Brian Leetch, no Ranger is even on pace for 60 points. They do still lead the division, but by a slim margin.
New Jersey and Pittsburgh have a budding rivalry as they fight for second place. When the two teams faced on the 8th, the teams got into a full brawl early in the first. We saw 347 total penalty minutes handed out in this game, while Mario Lemieux went on an absolute roll in the third, scoring 3 times and adding 2 assists to send the Pens to a 10-7 win. He’s up to 32 goals and 85 points on a 38 game point streak. The Devils, though, have had their way on the out of town scoreboard, as they lead Pittsburgh by 3 points going into January, just 2 points back of the Rangers. Washington has slowed down thanks to an injury to defenseman Scott Stevens, who will miss at least the next week as well, and the Isles and Flyers battle for the basement.
Norris
St. Louis has charged into the division lead on a 7 game unbeaten streak with help from Brett Hull. The superstar scorer slowed down in early December, but has picked it up as of late, scoring 9 goals in the above stretch. Hull has piled up 42 goals in 39 games.
The Blackhawks have slipped as of late to second, but they’re still not far behind the Blues thanks to a Jeremy Roenick hat trick on the 28th against Minnesota. Chicago won that game 8-5, and nearly won their next game against Hartford. Denis Savard had 5 points in the 6-6 tie.
The Red Wings have moved into a position to be a dark horse for the division win. Thanks to a hot December by Russian import Sergei Fedorov, Detroit has won 6 of their past 9 games to move within 3 points of Chicago, while Steve Yzerman has moved to within 3 points of Mario Lemieux in the scoring race.
And once again, in the Norris’s bottom two slots, we have Minnesota and Toronto. Both teams are having issues with ownership, and both are playing poorly. The North Stars are 3 points up on Toronto for the final playoff spot despite a 10 goal December from Gary Leeman. Leeman, who is having a terrific season for Toronto, announced yesterday that if they can’t get their game together by February, he’ll want out.
Smythe
Due to a December slump, Calgary, despite having four players at a point per game pace, has lost their grip on the division lead. They are currently in a tie with the Oilers for the division lead, though they do have the advantage in goal differential thanks to the aforementioned offense along with the spectacular performance of goaltender Mike Vernon. Edmonton’s Bill Ranford, in the meantime, has had a fantastic December to allow the Oilers to push to the position they are in. Jari Kurri, Mark Messier, and John Cullen have also had terrific Decembers to help the Oilers in the division race.
You can’t count out anybody else though. Winnipeg is getting a great year out of Dale Hawerchuk, as he’s on pace for 110 points, while sophomore D-man Teppo Numinen is helping solidify their blue line. Los Angeles is also in contention, as Wayne Gretzky is having another great season, though he is just behind Detroit’s Steve Yzerman for second in the NHL scoring race. Bernie Nicholls got out to a slow start to the season, but has since caught fire in December with a 28 point month! Nicholls may not contend for the scoring race this year, but his 63 points are helping the Kings keep the Smythe tight.
Of course, in any division, there has to be a weaker team, and in this year’s Smythe, it’s Vancouver. They are still in the fight, but are 4 points out of a playoff spot in a division that is absolutely packed with talent. Sophomore Trevor Linden leads the team with 35 points.
Rumors
Although the trade deadline is still two months away, rumors have been swirling around several players. The Nordiques’ Michel Goulet and Peter Stastny are both likely to be moved, while Toronto’s best players are also said to be tired of losing. A surprise is rumors swirling around Kings center Bernie Nicholls. Bruce McNall remarked in a press conference soon after a Kings loss that “they need more grit.” Nicholls, who seems among the competitors for the Byng this year, may be a man that McNall decides to move before the deadline. Anyone with rumored offers is welcome to submit them to this site!
In the meantime, the NHL’s owners are apparently working on a solution to the Gund problem, as they have announced their intention to move the Minnesota North Stars to the Bay area in California. A possible solution is expansion, something the NHL hasn’t done since the 1970’s.
And that’s all for our recap! If you have any trade rumors to report (read: trade offers) submit them any time. See you next time!
Happy New Year!!!
And now for our December NHL recap…
Adams
The four horses of the Adams division continue to fight for first. Right now, it's the Whalers on top with a little help from the Isles yesterday. Ron Francis looks like he’s headed for his best season yet, as he pulled off a 26 point December! He currently has 54 points in 39 games.
Meanwhile, the Sabres and Bruins are each only one point back of Hartford, as Buffalo’s Pierre Turgeon and Boston’s Cam Neely continue to have outstanding seasons. Both players are on pace to hit well over 50 goals this season. We are also happy to hear that Sabres goalie Clint Malarchuk is back from his stitches replacement. The stitches were from the horrific injury he suffered on March 22nd, where a skate blade sliced his neck open. The stitch replacement has gone well, and he was in net yesterday in the Sabres’ latest game. Malarchuk made 27 saves in the 5-3 loss to the Islanders.
The Canadiens have sunk to fourth in the Adams, but that doesn’t mean they’re out of the division race. Patrick Roy had a fantastic December, allowing only 2.2 goals per game, but Montreal struggled to score. Still, they’re only 4 points back of the division lead, though everyone else has a few games in hand.
Big news: The Quebec Nordiques’ winless streak FINALLY came to an end with a 4-3 victory over Vancouver. The streak lasted an NHL record 31 games! Despite this win, along with another against the Isles on the 30th, Michel Goulet has officially announced: he wants out of a Quebec team that is 3-30-5 on the season. Meanwhile, owner Marcel Aubut appears to have been distracted, as he’s been subpoenad as a witness for the defense in a sexual assault case.
Patrick
After their terrific 21-6-5 start to the season, the Rangers have slumped as of late, despite expert goaltending from John Vanbiesbrouck. One of the main reasons is a lack of scoring depth. Besides John Ogrodnick, Darren Turcotte, and Brian Leetch, no Ranger is even on pace for 60 points. They do still lead the division, but by a slim margin.
New Jersey and Pittsburgh have a budding rivalry as they fight for second place. When the two teams faced on the 8th, the teams got into a full brawl early in the first. We saw 347 total penalty minutes handed out in this game, while Mario Lemieux went on an absolute roll in the third, scoring 3 times and adding 2 assists to send the Pens to a 10-7 win. He’s up to 32 goals and 85 points on a 38 game point streak. The Devils, though, have had their way on the out of town scoreboard, as they lead Pittsburgh by 3 points going into January, just 2 points back of the Rangers. Washington has slowed down thanks to an injury to defenseman Scott Stevens, who will miss at least the next week as well, and the Isles and Flyers battle for the basement.
Norris
St. Louis has charged into the division lead on a 7 game unbeaten streak with help from Brett Hull. The superstar scorer slowed down in early December, but has picked it up as of late, scoring 9 goals in the above stretch. Hull has piled up 42 goals in 39 games.
The Blackhawks have slipped as of late to second, but they’re still not far behind the Blues thanks to a Jeremy Roenick hat trick on the 28th against Minnesota. Chicago won that game 8-5, and nearly won their next game against Hartford. Denis Savard had 5 points in the 6-6 tie.
The Red Wings have moved into a position to be a dark horse for the division win. Thanks to a hot December by Russian import Sergei Fedorov, Detroit has won 6 of their past 9 games to move within 3 points of Chicago, while Steve Yzerman has moved to within 3 points of Mario Lemieux in the scoring race.
And once again, in the Norris’s bottom two slots, we have Minnesota and Toronto. Both teams are having issues with ownership, and both are playing poorly. The North Stars are 3 points up on Toronto for the final playoff spot despite a 10 goal December from Gary Leeman. Leeman, who is having a terrific season for Toronto, announced yesterday that if they can’t get their game together by February, he’ll want out.
Smythe
Due to a December slump, Calgary, despite having four players at a point per game pace, has lost their grip on the division lead. They are currently in a tie with the Oilers for the division lead, though they do have the advantage in goal differential thanks to the aforementioned offense along with the spectacular performance of goaltender Mike Vernon. Edmonton’s Bill Ranford, in the meantime, has had a fantastic December to allow the Oilers to push to the position they are in. Jari Kurri, Mark Messier, and John Cullen have also had terrific Decembers to help the Oilers in the division race.
You can’t count out anybody else though. Winnipeg is getting a great year out of Dale Hawerchuk, as he’s on pace for 110 points, while sophomore D-man Teppo Numinen is helping solidify their blue line. Los Angeles is also in contention, as Wayne Gretzky is having another great season, though he is just behind Detroit’s Steve Yzerman for second in the NHL scoring race. Bernie Nicholls got out to a slow start to the season, but has since caught fire in December with a 28 point month! Nicholls may not contend for the scoring race this year, but his 63 points are helping the Kings keep the Smythe tight.
Of course, in any division, there has to be a weaker team, and in this year’s Smythe, it’s Vancouver. They are still in the fight, but are 4 points out of a playoff spot in a division that is absolutely packed with talent. Sophomore Trevor Linden leads the team with 35 points.
Rumors
Although the trade deadline is still two months away, rumors have been swirling around several players. The Nordiques’ Michel Goulet and Peter Stastny are both likely to be moved, while Toronto’s best players are also said to be tired of losing. A surprise is rumors swirling around Kings center Bernie Nicholls. Bruce McNall remarked in a press conference soon after a Kings loss that “they need more grit.” Nicholls, who seems among the competitors for the Byng this year, may be a man that McNall decides to move before the deadline. Anyone with rumored offers is welcome to submit them to this site!
In the meantime, the NHL’s owners are apparently working on a solution to the Gund problem, as they have announced their intention to move the Minnesota North Stars to the Bay area in California. A possible solution is expansion, something the NHL hasn’t done since the 1970’s.
And that’s all for our recap! If you have any trade rumors to report (read: trade offers) submit them any time. See you next time!
Hmm, wonder what would be the price for a certain quebecois Center on the Leafs...may i inquire about Damphousse?