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Rumors and Questions About Rumors and Me |
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How about some rumors, followed by some answers to common questions about me and the way I report on rumors.
The Habs are seriously considering LeCavalier (e2). So are Phoenix and Colorado.
The Rangers would love to get Martin St. Louis, and that door is slightly opened (e1) but currently have their eyes on Eric Brewer (e2) from the Blues, or Nick Boyton (e2) from Phoenix.
The Coyotes are on the verge of making a very big deal according to sources. Shane Doan may be a part of that. (e3) Ottawa and Phoenix have had discussions according to a source.
Bruins goalie, Hannu Toivonen has been sent down for a three-day conditioning stint, but it is widely believed and rumored that when Hannu returns to the NHL it could be elsewhere. Perhaps even by this afternoon.
The Flyers will likely do a deal in the next few days I have been told. I have also been told that the Avalanche and Flyers could be hooking up for a trade (e3), no names, but keep your eyes on that one. It may not be much, but then again it may be. The hottest rumor is that the Flyers have a deep interest in Toskala. As reported here a few weeks back, the Flyers did everything they could in the final days of Clarke to get Toskala. Now it could be a reality or the Flyers could be a pawn in another game being played as the Bruins are going after Nabokov.
More to come I am sure…
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Everyday I get emails, and in every thread I get the same questions from readers. Some ask their questions politely looking for answers, while other call me an idiot. I thought this would be as good as any to put out some general answers to these questions and thoughts.
The number 1 question I get is "Why Don't You Just Use Your Real Name?"
There are a few answers to that question, but first and foremost answer is that it keeps things interesting. Many of my sources would be less likely to talk if I used my real name, since my real name would link me to certain hockey people and leave them a bit exposed. If I stay anonymous then they can talk to me under an extra layer of anonymity. During the lockout it was FAR more important than it has become now. Then it was a two billion dollar business and the people around me were very nervous to give information. Yet I really admire many of them. They took big risks because they didn’t want to forget the fans and they felt an obligation to the fans of the game to get the real stories out there. They were worried, as was I, that this fringe sport needed to be kept alive somehow.
Also I think who I am is far more boring than what Eklund has become. It is even more boring than who many people say they have "figured out" I am. A few people who bloggers have claimed to be me I have become friendly with. Believe me, they are even more interesting than I am.
On occasion I have considered bagging the anonymity, but than I think, “What fun would that be?”
My identity would be a big story were I Gary Bettman or Ted Saskin, and although I never confirm or deny anything, I will tell you all that I am not Gary.
I also get many other questions are always about the rumors I put out there.
A few words about rumors to clarify how I work here. How I do things is a little different than most and therefore is often completely misunderstood. I wish I could post this somewhere permanently. Until I do, I will continue to get between 300 and 600 emails a day. That is my reality.
Here are the Seven Rules of Eklund and Hockey Rumors.
Rule #1. I report on what I hear from over 400 NHL contacts at all levels. I spend way too much time on the phone and, quite often, I run over my 6,000 minutes per month. That is scary.
Rule #2. I don't make things up. Quite often I put out something that to my knowledge doesn't make sense, but you never know. Clarke is no longer GM in Philly, Garth is in NY. The Fedorov and Thornton trades, had I had them, would have gotten ripped apart.
Rule #3. Since I am writing everything I hear, most of what I write will NEVER happen. Based on what I have learned, only 5% of what is discussed between GMs or GMs and agents ever amounts to anything. And yet they are always talking. I know that I manage to dig up only a small percentage of that. So you do the math. If I nail ten things a year, I am very happy. I write this suff, because who doesn't like to look at a trade possibility and think about whether or not they would do it? At least here you can be assured that it came from a source that is trusted. People used to try and trick me all the time, and last year I fell for a few of them. Now I don't report a rumor unless the source has proven to be reliable, I have talked to them on the phone or they have confirmed they are on the inside through a mutual hockey friend that I trust.
Rule #4. I don't always get the complete deal. Often I get some of the names that are being discussed. This is an email that I have had to write a thousand times. Especially if the deal doesn't make "cap sense." What is fun for me is if I get a solid rumor that a deal doesn't make cap sense, because that leads me in the direction of what kind of deal will get made to clear up space.
Rule #5. It is only hockey, so try and have some fun here. I will remove any comments that don't bring anything to the table and are just intended to rip me. Trust me there are plenty of places on the net to rip me, but this is my house. Rip the trade if you think it is a bad move, but don't shoot the messenger.
Rule #6. Don't believe everything you read about me on other blog sites. There is a TON of misinformation about me. As you have seen, I have NEVER ripped a single other blogger or writer in the hockey world. There are a ton of rumor people out there, and who am I to judge? There are also some really great writers and some really bad ones. Many of the good ones and some of the bad hold some sort of hatred for me that I have never fully understood. I have repeatedly tried to reach out to without any response. Like I said, It is only hockey, and in my opinion the more bloggers the better. I grew up in a time where the only hockey I read was in the Hockey News once a week. This is much better.
#7 I don't put out personal rumors about players even if I know them to be fact, and I don't put out rumors of impending firings. That to me is gossip.
THE E-System Explained.
I learned early on that hockey fans are passionate and sometimes get their hopes up when they read a rumor. That would only lead them to getting crushed later if it didn't happen, and they would turn on me because the deal didn't go down. So I put together a system called the e-system to rate the strength of the rumor. I think it has worked really well.
(e1) This is a rumor from a good source not connected to the actual rumor directly.
(e2) This is two or more (e1 sources) not connected to the rumor or each other.
(e3) This is a rumor from a source connected to the rumor in some way.
(e4) This is two or more (e3s) or one (e3) and several other (e1s)
(e5) This is not a rumor. This is a done deal that hasn't been announced yet and to my knowledge isn't yet up on any other site. When I get one of these I jump up and down, hug the dog, etc. There were I believe 4 e5s this summer during the UFA period.
Every (e5) I have ever written has happened. It is very hard to get a (e5) before other outlets with far more man power and clout than I have. However with the stats on the website being what they are, I am getting more all the time. I would guess about 25% of (e4s) have happened, and the percentages go down from there as you get to (e1). One of the fun things to follow is that when I put out a (e1), I will often get a call or two that can push it up to an e3-4.
So that should answer many of your questions, especially since we have about 5,000 new IP addresses visit us every day, and most are understandably confused by the e-ratings.
But Enough About ME…..
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