Tools For The Trade Deadline

There are many tools you can use to keep on top of the news for the trade deadline:

Web pages
Newspapers
Blogs
Cable sports channels

One huge tool you may want to avoid this year: Eklund

Today the pseudonymous one took a break from telling us about his kids and dog to do some serious investigating (no, not on TSN this time (T5)), but by actually picking up a phone.

The story he felt compelled to investigate was not a trade rumor (there's no need to investigate those - at all), but rather something that had been troubling him for some time.

Perturbed by the "unprofessional" blogsite run by PuckDaddy, he checked out a story they had reported about a parody twitter someone was doing for Brian Burke. I don't know the nuts and bolts of the story like our other NHL and Leaf brethren do, so I'll lead you to them (Barry Melrose Rocks and Down Goes Brown. Our Score Federation friend DGB makes me laugh the hardest when he says this:

"I'm not sure which is stranger, the idea of Eklund taking a stand against anonymous online fakers, or that even when reporting the incredibly obvious Eklund is still 12 hours behind the mainstream media."

Other chuckles come from Eklund's blog where he gives Brian Burke's actual response (T1):

"Anyone who pretends to be someone else like this is just scum, and anyone who would would pretend to be a journalist or run a credible site that would allow something so obviously bogus should be held accountable for their actions and should seek serious medical attention because they [are] obviously not right in the head. This is not a professional and this is a serious issue."

Not like supporting hideous assaults during hockey games, eh Burkie?


{UPDATE: Go and read Puck Daddy's interview with the man behind the parody]

Mats SundinTo Cement His Place Among Highest Paid Ever

Don't know if you knew, but Mats Sundin was a free agent. What's more he signed yesterday for some silly amount with the Vancouver Canucks (Little Sweden). I hadn't heard or read about him for so long that I'd nearly forgotten that he was the best player in the league and therefore deserved to earn more than Niklas Lidstrom, Crosby, Malkin and Ovechkin.

In fact, I shouldn't have forgotten, because if pay is the way to judge (and it must be with Keith Tkachuk perennial cup winner so high up the list, then Mats Sundin is the third best player of all time.

OK, facetiousness aside, he is a good player. And in a salary cap environment you're not a good GM if you have $10 million spare at the end of the year. So, indeed, why not sign Sundin?

Am I bitter the Habs lost out? Well I'd rather have Sundin to Lang, but not overly bitter no.

Leafs fans on the other hand have reason to be bitter. My esteemed Score Federation compatriot at Down Goes Brown explains why here.

As for the Canucks, they are "happy". Some must be. Their fans (all proudly wearing their retired number 7) will expect a lot from the team that already has shutout machine Luongo. Cup or bust.