Larry Brooks, via Twitter, is reporting that the Rangers were originally going to send a defenseman (Gilroy?) to Calgary along with Kotalik, but the Flames made a late demand for Higgins.
...a Hober Baker winner with the potential to be a top offensive defenseman in the league or a forward who couldn't hit the ocean from a pier. Ummm, great choice Flames.
...ok now I'm going to bed.
Update, 11:58 p.m.:
Rick Carpiniello at the Rangers Report says that Kotalik's limited no trade clause could also be a reason for the hold-up.
...just when you're ready to give Sather credit for getting this deal done, you find out he gave Ales Kotalik, yes Ales Kotalik, a no trade clause. Awful.
Greg Wyshyski at Puck Daddy also has more on the potential trade.
...i don't expect anymore updates tonight, so I'm headed to bed.
Original Post:
Darren Dreger of TSN is reporting, via Twitter, that the Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust for Ales Kotalik and Chris Higgins trade won't be announced tonight as the Flames are holding it up....they probably just realized they were trading a former 30-goal scorer for Kotalik and Higgins.
6 comments:
uh-oh...
Maybe just doing this for internal/media reasons and not substantive concerns about the deal?....maybe? please?
The media has just exploded with all of this, I don't think there is a turning back, most likely a media thing. Possibly trying to assemble the press corps in Calgary for a late night presser. Based on the reports I've read, this deal is everything but done, so hold your breath, within 12 hours Jokenin will be a ranger and we can all sleep a little easier.
I hope to god this goes thru finally some toughness and maybe a center that can provide on a constant basis a huge improvement over kotalik and higgins who couldnt hit a soccer net. and march 14th is a big date on the calender carcillo wont be pulling that same shit with prust on the ice. knowing if you go after gabby there will be reprucussions. sather sucks at free agency but his trades have not been bad at all. plus it frees up a good amount of cap space at the end of the year if jokinen doesnt work out.
yeah, sather is brutal at free agency but god damn that cigar smoking bastard can sell his mistakes to another team. I think this is sather trying to keep his job which i kind of hope he loses no matter what happens
Who cares what I think but this is what will happen:
We will get Jokinen and Prust. Flames will get Gilroy and Higgins.
Kotalik won't move
Jokinen becomes an even bigger bust than in CGY at but saves his season by getting the team into the play-offs in the last three to five games. Sather re-signs him at around 5 million a year for 4 years and he TOTALLY busts in the following season.
Higgins bangs in 20-25 goals next season with the Flames and plays solid hockey on the second line.
Gilroy's development sky-rockets in his second year. Pressure and expectations falling off of the shoulders with the combination of playing with better D-men such as Bouwmeester and Regehr makes it ideal for him to develop. He becomes a solid offensive D-man. All of this while the Albatross Twins and Sather send Heikkinen to KHL and Sanguinetti to another team.
TRUST ME!
I SO HOPE THAT IM WRONG AT THE END OF THE DAY!
But lets face facts. Jokinen is 31 and not getting any younger (Will become a Redden on the center position) while Higgins has three 20+ goals seasons prior to the last and this one and is 26!
Like I said. I hope I'm wrong. But this has disaster written all over it!
No Trade Clause to Kotalik? I am now officialy starting to mail newyorrangers.com with one e-mail a day demanding Sathers departure. Nothing nasty, just a sign of protest.
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