Posts Tagged Byron Bitz

Afternoon notes on: Radulov, Sedin, Gill, Krejci, Kubina, Rome, Ebbett, Preds and Wings lines, Halak starts

Posted by Mark Easson in Fantasy Hockey News, NHL Injuries, NHL News, NHL Starting Goalies on April 13th, 2012

  • Dmitry Chesnokov via twitter: Predators Alexander Radulov’s Russian agent: “Radulov will most likely spend the next season in Russia.”
  • Craig Custance via twitter: Predators Hal Gill won’t be in the lineup tonight but he’s making progress. He’ll travel with the team to Detroit. Josh Cooper via twitter: Gill: “I’m going to give it some more time. I don’t think at this point I can help the team.”
  • Scott Burnside of ESPN: Flyers defenseman Pavel Kubina will be back in the lineup after being a healthy scratch. He’ll replace Marc-Andre Bourdon who is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
  • Helene Elliott via twitter: For Game 2 Aaron Rome will replace Keith Ballard, and Andrew Ebbett is in for the suspended Byron Bitz.
  • ESPN: Predators lines: S. Kostitsyn – Fisher – Erat , A. Kostitsyn – Legwand – Radulov, Bourque – Spaling – Hornqvist , Yip – Gaustad – Halischuk. Defensive Pairings: Suter – Weber, Klein – Josi, Bouillon – Hillen/Ellis … Red Wings Lines: Franzen – Datsyuk – Bertuzzi , Filppula – Zetterberg – Hudler, Nyquist – Albdelkader – Cleary, Miller – Emmerton – Holmstrom. Defensive Pairings: Lidstrom – Ericsson, Kronwall – Stuart, Quincey – White.

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Flames cut ties with Sutter, Lowery … Stars interested in Parise and a Dman … Some Ducks won’t be back … Brodeur wants to play next year …Bitz gets 2 games

Posted by Mark Easson in Fantasy Hockey News, NHL Free Agents, NHL Injuries, NHL News, NHL Suspensions, NHL Videos on April 13th, 2012

  • Vicki Hall of hte Calgary Herald: The Calgary Flames have mutually parted ways with head coach Brent Sutter yesterday. Assistant coach Dave Lowry will not have his contract renewed. Sutter,“After discussions with Jay since the season ended, it was in the best interest of the organization and myself to part ways. I wish the Calgary Flames all the best.”
  • Ian Busby of QMI Agency: Busby names some possible targets for the Flames next head coach. 1. Troy Ward (head coach of Abbotsford, AHL) 2. Bob Boughner (head coach Windsor, OHL) 3. Bob Hartley (head coach ZSC, Switzerland) 4. Craig MacTavish (head coach Chicago, AHL) 5. Mike Sullivan (assistant coach, NY Rangers).
  • Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News: (Mailbag) If the Stars are able to land a Zach Parise, they may have to unload some contracts, and Brenden Morrow and Steve Ott could be the guys. Other teams will have interest in Morrow and Ott. Richard Bachman will have to battle Jack Campbell for the backup roll next season. Campbell may be better with 1 more year of development. Heika thinks they could land Parise and make a trade for a defenseman. They might have to wait for a new CBA before they make a move on a defenseman.
  • Eric Stephens of the OC Register: Ducks Corey Perry, Jonas Hiller, Cam Fowler and Luca Sbisa aren’t going anywhere. Ryan Getzlaf is entering a contract year and would be hard to replace. Bobby Ryan could be used to improve defense and depth. The Ducks have 8  unrestricted free agents, and hope to re-sign Saku Koivu. Jason Blake, Niklas Hagman and Dan Ellis are as good as gone. Center Rod Pelley may not be re-signed either. They will have decisions to make on George Parros and Sheldon Brookbank.
  • Craig Custance of ESPN: Predators defenseman Hal Gill didn’t practice yesterday and is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
  • Pierre LeBrun of ESPN: The Canadiens have called the Red Wings about Jim Nill for their vacant GM position. In the past the Red Wings have said no to any team calling about him. The L.A .Times reported on Wednesday that the Canadiens are interested in Kings assistant GM Ron Hextall and Kings executive Luc Robitaille. The Canadiens have also inquired about Blackhawks assistant GM Marc Bergevin, Lightning assistant GM Julien BriseBois and Maple Leafs assistant GM Claude Loiselle.
  • Rich Chere of the Star-Ledger: Odds are Martin Brodeur will be back with the Devils next year.“I don’t know what the future will bring me. I want to play more, but a lot of circumstances could happen that I won’t,” he said. “So I’m looking forward to this.”

    “I’m not 100 percent sure about next year because I don’t have a contract and I’m not negotiating or anything,” Brodeur said. “We’ll see what the future brings after these playoffs. But this season definitely answered a lot of questions in the way I’m able to perform and my willingness to do it every day. That was one of the things that was worrying me a little bit.

    “You need to want to come to the rink. You need to want to travel. I’ve been doing it for a long time and I really regained that desire this season. That’s why I didn’t want to lean one way or the other for the longest time. Just because I wanted to see if I was up for the grind.”

  • Canucks Byron Bitz suspended for 2 games.

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Weber fined … Helm out … Neil returns … Pens lines … Elliott skates … Leafs and goalies … Morrow’s future … Bitz has hearing

Posted by Mark Easson in Fantasy Hockey News, NHL Injuries, NHL News, NHL Videos on April 12th, 2012

  • Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News: Red Wings forward Darren Helm had surgery to repair lacerated tendons in his right forearm and will be out from the remainder of the playoffs.
  • Mike Zeisberger of the Toronto Sun: Leafs GM Brian Burke said he wouldn’t move his 1st round pick to bring a goalie like Jonathan Bernier or Anders Lindback. Zeisberger wonders if the Blues would give up one of Brian Elliott or Jaroslav Halak. Even if the Canucks wanted to trade Roberto Luongo, the Canucks “organization despises the Leafs.”
  • Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News: Brenden Morrow’s future with the Stars is up in the air, and he has be hearing criticism from from fans.

    “I’m not going to lie, it’s really tough to hear,” said Morrow of speculation that the team might be better if it moved forward without him. “But at the same time, I saw it with franchise players, good friends. If it happened to Mike Modano, it can happen to anyone.

    “I don’t like it; I’m uncomfortable with it. I want us to win, I want us to be better, but I also understand this is a business and some of the things are out of my control. So what I can control is to get myself as healthy as I can and work as hard as I can and hope I perform as well as I can.

    “I’d love to be a part of the solution next year, and hopefully management agrees.”

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Morning notes on: Toews, Bolland, Brunette, Kassian, Sedin, Ballard, Jets, Blues ownership and Schneider starts

Posted by Mark Easson in NHL News on April 5th, 2012

  • Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times: Blackhawks Jonathan Toews hasn’t been ruled out for Saturday.

    “There’s still signs of the concussion lingering and, when that’s completely gone, I’ll be comfortable playing,” said Toews.

    Dave Bolland is day-to-day with a n upper-body injury. Andrew Brunette (foot) is questionable for tonight.

  • Brad Ziemer of the Vancouver Sun: Canucks Zach Kassian is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Byron Bitz has been recalled. Coach Vigneault when asked if Daniel Sedin has begun light skating,

    “He’s following the protocol. . .there’s nothing to report there. That’s where we are.”

    GM Mike Gillis has said he hopes Daniel is ready for the playoffs. Keith Ballard travelled with the team but won’t play tonight. Kevin Bieksa has missed the last 4 games.

  • Gary Lawless of the Winnipeg Free Press: The Jets need to find a #1 center either through a draft and develop or through free agency. Brian Little, Alex Burmistrov and Kyle Wellwood have been used in the top 6, but are not top-line centers. Top draft pick Mark Scheifele still needs to grow physically and learn to against men.
  • Andy Strickland of True Hockey: Minority owner of the Blues, Tom Stillman, is still working on finalizing a deal to buy the team. No closing date is set. One area that hasn’t been settled with the NHL yet is who guarantees/funds the losses.

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Carcillo to have hearing … Blue Jackets on rumors … Semin out, Green in … RNH out at least 2-3 games … Pitkanen out 4 weeks … Sabres notes

Posted by Mark Easson in Fantasy Hockey News, NHL Injuries, NHL News, NHL Rumors, NHL Starting Goalies on January 3rd, 2012

  • Darren Dreger via twitter: Daniel Carcillo will be hearing from the NHL, logistics for either a conference call or in-person hearing are being worked out.
  • Nick Kypreos via twitter: The Flames have put Raitis Ivanans on re-entry waivers. The Canucks have put Byron Bitz on waivers.
  • Shawn Mitchell of the Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets RJ Umberger on rumors:

    “It’s nerve-racking coming to the rink and not knowing what is going on,” forward R.J. Umberger said. “It’s a lot of extra tension.”

    Derick Brassard on trade rumors:

    “It kind of plays in your head all the time if your name is out there,” Brassard said. “But it’s something you can’t control. If you don’t (block it out), you’re waiting for it, and if it doesn’t happen, you’re disappointed.”

    Umberger added trades are harder for older players as they don’t want to uproot their families.

  • David Staples via twitter: Staples thinks that if the Oilers make a trade, they should trade for 2014 or 2015 option to swap 1st round picks with a fading team.
  • Mark Spector via twitter: Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is still waiting to be examined, He’ll be out at least 2-3 games. Tom Gilbert will be out tonight.
  • John Buccigross via twitter: Hurricanes defenseman Joni Pitkanen had surgery on his left knee, and is expected to be out for 4 weeks.
  • Jonas Siegel via twitter: Maple Leafs coach guesses that Colby Armstrong is 7 to 10 days away from returning to the lineup.
  • Mike Harrington via twitter: Sabress forward Ville Leino thinks he might be able to play on Saturday. Defenseman Tyler Myers joined the morning skate today. Sabres coach Lindy Ruff is optimistic that forward Jason Pominville (flu) will play tonight. Brad Boyes status is unknown as he suffered a stinger to his ankle. Ryan Miller will start in net against Nikolai Khabibulin.

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Could Doughty holdout? Turco having trouble finding a gig … Pittsburgh to host 2012 Draft? Isles may find new home in LI

Posted by Mark Easson in NHL News on August 8th, 2011

  • Adam Gretz of CBS Sports: Drew Doughty and the LA Kings still don’t have contract done, and nothing seems close. From Jim Alexander of the P-E: (Jack Ferreira is the Kings special assistant to he GM)

    And this is part of what veteran hockey men bring to the table: There is little that can happen that they haven’t already seen. Today’s Kings are still at a negotiating stalemate with defenseman Drew Doughty , a restricted free agent. That situation got no easier Wednesday when an arbitrator awarded Nashville’s Shea Weber, a more experienced defenseman, $7.5 million for one year. “This year we were up in Toronto for the scouting combine and Dean had some meetings with Newport Sports (Doughty’s agents),” Ferreira said. “He came back and they were discussing what went on, and I just looked at him and said, ‘Dean, they don’t want to make a deal. They’re not ready to make a deal.’ “That’s gonna be a tough one. I would not be surprised if he was a holdout. I went through it with Paul Kariya, and Dean’s been through it.”

    There is still about 2 months till the start of the season, a month away from training camp, so there is plenty of time to get a deal done.

  • Sean Leahy of Yahoo! Sports: Marty Turco still remains unsigned, and his agent did say last week that he will play next season, but will it be in the NHL? Most NHL teams are not in need of backup. Columbus could be a possibility if they are worried about Steve Mason and the inexperience of Mark Dekanich. He could get a tryout from someone like Ray Emery did. Turco could end up in Europe or he could retire.
  • Josh Yohe of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Nothing has been finalized, but it’s looking like Pittsburgh will host the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Tampa Bay also applied for the draft. The draft hasn’t been in Pittsburgh since 1997.
  • AP in the Globe and Mail: Steve Levy, an Executive of Suffolk County, called Islanders owner Charles Wang to talk about the idea of a new arena.
  • Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Province: 4th line Canucks hopeful, Byron Bitz, thinks he’s ready to go after going through 3 surgeries last year. He had sports hernia surgery last October, a surgery in January to repair a groin tear, and in March it was discovered that he had a labral tear.

    “The hip was causing a lot of the groin problems I was having,” Bitz said. “They had to go in there and shave the bone down to get my hip joint moving again. It took a while to get to the bottom of it, but they finally got it right. I’m so glad they finally figured it out.

    “Now, I’m good to go.”

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