A lot happened this weekend without much happening publicly.
From what I’ve gathered, San Jose had a new, Cheechoo’less, offer on the table. How that offer looked and how it would have worked considering San Jose’s cap situation is still a mystery.
Murray seemed to be at least intrigued by the offer as it remained on the table for consideration till at least the late hours of Saturday night before being turned down.
After almost 2 full days of nothing, late this evening Doug Wilson apparently tabled a new offer featuring Cheechoo, Vlasic, along with 2 prospects assumed to be Logan Couture and Samuel Groulx.
As for the other team involved, Buffalo has emerged in the rumour mill as the “mystery team”, however I have to question whether or not a) Murray would trade Heatley with-in the division and b) Would Heatley waive his NMC to facilitate a trade that would have him playing the Sens 6 times a season?
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The revealing of the new vintage "O" store in SBP has caused rampant speculation that the Sens will be revealing a "new" 3rd jersey or a 4th jersey.
As much as I would love to see the Sens play in the black "O" jerseys, it just isn't in the cards.
The backlash from the fans alone would be enough to cause a bigger scene thenthe one Heatley's causing.
Besides why make it a current jersey when it will sell really well on its own.
I may be wrong, and I'm only basing this on my own opinion, but it doesn't make sense from a public relations stand point and when your business is dependent on the public, you usually don't want to puck them over.
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(Warning: The next section is my personal opinion and may come across as a rant)
Does anyone still believe the NHL is acting in it's best interest by keeping a team out of Balsillie's hands?
Atlanta, Florida, Buffalo, Phoenix and technically Tampa are all working towards more financially stable owners, Anaheim's owner is a felon (or close enough to one), Minnesota has probably the most crooked mother pucker of an owner in all professional sports and the Hockey equivalent of Mark Cuban is being fought every step of the way?
Judge JB on his choice of path thus far, but has he really had any other choice?
In Pittsburgh JB was told, if he buys the team that the NHL takes control over the franchise while he spends his money on it. (It did end up working well for Pitts, congrats on that)
Balsillie was literally screwed by NHL intervention as the Preds were sold for well below JB's offer and then Boots took his money from Nash and bought the Wild unchallenged. And now Nashville is still no better off than they originally were. (Season-ticket deposits or not JB got hosed by the supposedly fair NHL)
Now after the PR beating Bettman and the NHL has taken from the media of both Canada and the US and after approving JB as suitable owner despite what happening in both Pitts and Nash. The NHL hadn't revoked his Ownership privilege until last week.
The NHL has been forced to reveal that the 'yotes have NEVER had a profitable season and has been losing more and more money each year.
And now they're prepared to allow Reinsdorf buy the team despite a bunch of conditions that should have nothing to do with running a profitable club in Phoenix. All the new owner should be allowed to do is re-negotiate the lease with Glendale for the Arena, that's it!
Before they were forced to reveal the problems officially with Phoenix, the NHL preached that a new owner would only need to rework the arena lease and management with-in to turn a profit. Now they need to tax the hell out of the area to make the team sustainable?
Serious how is Jim Balsillie still the bad guy in this? I can't imagine how horrible potentially losing your NHL has to feel, but is it worth the city and potentially the state spending tax dollars to save a team that has even seen life since it moved?
If a bidder comes in with a logical solution or fair attempt to save the franchise in Phoenix, I will back his attempt all the way to the end but allowing Reinsdorf to buy it for less money and force the coyote fans to pay quite a bit more to maintain a dead franchise is pure negligence on the part of the NHL and will result in the team moving anyways.....
I don't hate Phoenix; I hate that despite all of the arrogance, lying and pure neglect on the part of the NHL that one of the best things to happen to the NHL from a business standpoint may not happen, because they've made a personal vendetta against Jim Balsillie and his millions and millions of dollars.
If JB loses this battle, the NHL will ignore everything that has happened and return to spewing propaganda to its investors, sponsors, players and fans. That not a good thing for hockey at any level.
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Mark Christopher
[email protected] 
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