Jay Bouw to Calgary, Heaters to Edmonton....

*UPDATED*













I will learn to hate you Bouwmeester

So I wrote something earlier for Cycle Like the Sedins for their Free Agent Special, (which I'll post the link once it's up), but one of the questions was: "What is the one thing that I did not want to see this free agency?" I think that would be Jay Bouwmeester signing a 5 year contract with Calgary! I shudder at the thought of Jay Bouw and Phaneuf shutting down Vancouver's top lines 6 times a year! I can only hope now that salary cap revenge will get you Calgary...please do enjoy that 6.6 million dollar cap hit.

On another note, "sources" tell TSN the trade for Heatley to Edmonton for Cogliano, Penner and Smid is all but done.

C'mon Mike Gillis. You need to sign the Sedins or pull off some miracles tomorrow. I want to be saying 'In Gillis I Trust' tomorrow....

Update at 9:30pm PT:
It now seems that Heatley has not waived his no trade clause for Edmonton...

21 hours to free agency...

Gillis flew to Sweden (on the same flight as JP Barry)...
Met with the Sedins and gave his final offer...
Is on the way back to Vancouver...

and now we wait for the Sedins to decide...

CKNW is reporting that the Canucks have given Wellwood a qualifying offer and he will have until July 5th to accept.

Around the NHL...

Well it's been nice to get back into hockey from my little mini hockey vacation. I'm excited to get some hockey news from now till the free agent frenzy is over in early July, because after that it'll be pretty slow in the hockey world until training camp...what is that, only 78 days away? (I'm so making that number up by the way). For those of you who haven't hear about the moves that were made before/during the draft, here's what you missed:

• Pronger (with forward Ryan Dingle) was traded to the Flyers for D Luca Sbisa and Joffrey Lupul and two 1st round picks, and conditional 3rd round pick (if they win the cup). The Flyers overpaid. This is the second time that Lupul has been traded for Pronger. Pronger is in the last year of his contract, and this doesn't guarantee a contract extension with the Flyers, which makes the Flyers have a lot of pressure for this to be THE year. But Carter and Richards are still young, why is there so much pressure on this year being the year for the cup? Won't there be a few chances at it with this core? Whatever, that means Pronger is out of the western conference and now Lupul can party with Getzlaf instead of going to frat parties in Philly with Richards
• Niedermayer tell the Ducks he'll be back for another season yesterday. Today, Selanne does the same.
• J-Bouws rights have been traded to Calgary. Doesn't mean he'll sign there, but if he does, have fun with that salary cap there Calgary.
• Luongo was at the Canucks draft table, he also made selection for Schroeder (and mispronounced it). Cue Luongo's agent denying whatever there is to deny.
• TSN keeps writing stories about nothing. Gillis met with the Sedins' (and half of the league's) agent on Friday night. No news, this reminds me of the amound of 'news' they kept writing about Sundin for months last year.

I was hoping for more trades before the draft...only the Pronger one happened, but hey thats fun to write about, and now we can all hate the Flyers even more.

If you did watch the draft, was is not too freakin long? 4 hours? C'mon...enough with the speaches, just make the pick. I did have great girls to girl out over the selections with, but if I hadn't, I would have lost interest around #12. First 3 went as expected: Tavares, Hedman and Duchene.

If you didn't check it out, James at Cycle Like the Sedins had a Draft Preview from tons of homer bloggers (yes, even me), you can click on the link here. I'll be participating in his Free Agency Frenzy stuff with a Canucks take, so I'll throw up the link once it's up.

Canuck Draft Picks: Day Two

The Canucks have finished their picks for Day Two of the draft
-Anton Rodin, Swedish RW, selected 53rd overall (2nd round)
-Kevin Connauton, D, selected 83rd overall (3rd round)
-Jeremy Price, D, selected 113th overall (4th round)
-Peter Andersson, D, selected 143rd overall (5th round)
-Joe Cannata, G, selected 173rd overall (6th round)
-Steven Anthony, LW, 187th overall (7th round). This pick came from a trade from Vancouver to Phoenix for Shaun Heshka.

I don't know any more about these players than you do. If you really are interested, check out their info at the the Canucks website.

Canucks Select Jordan Schroeder at 22nd Overall

The Canucks picked a forward (C) from Minnesota. After John Moore was picked at 21 (CBJ traded up), Gillis selected the next best player available

-He's 5'8" and 180 lbs, which makes him look huge, but still short

-represented the US at the 2008 and 2009 IIHF World Junior Championships

-played for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers

-Bob McKenzie calls him a steal at 22

Oh and it's pronounce "Shray-der". For more info about him check out the Canucks website.

Luongo to long term contract?

H/t to Wazzupwitchu for telling me first, ESPN's John Buccigross told Pratt and Taylor today that Luongo has agreed to a long term extension that will be officially announced July 1st!

Link to the Team 1040 story here.

Egads. I have no words. I hope this is for real.

Of course Luongo's agent has already denied it. But he also can't confirm it until July 1st....so I'm crossing my fingers.

Draft Preview

**UPDATED**










Vancouver is picking at #22. I'm not going to do a draft preview for the Canucks because I have been lazy while enjoying my time off from hockey and blogging...and I will revisit that again in about a week or so, but right now some hockey stuff.

For draft stuff I recommend to check out Cycle Like the Sedins' draft preview. He has a blogger from almost every team to give their thoughts, which in true CLS fashion, has both insight and humour. I'll update this post when the one for the Canucks goes up.

So here is the link to my take on the Vancouver Canucks and the draft...CLICK IT! DO IT!