The Fan In Van Podcast & Blog - Matt Lee

The Calgary Flames signed goaltender Curtis Joseph to a one-year, $1.5M contract this morning, allowing CuJo to earn half of that, which adds up to about $650K for the rest of the year.

My only question is: Why didn’t the Los Angeles Kings make a run at Curtis Joseph?

The Kings, while clearly out of a playoff spot, could’ve and probably should’ve expressed interest in the aging goaltender. While he may not be the best catch, Curtis Joseph certainly holds more experience than the other four goaltenders the Kings have used this season (Jason LaBarbera, Jonathan Quick, Jonathan Bernier and JS Aubin).

Signing Joseph to a multi-year contract would’ve been a significant upgrade to when the Kings acquired Sean Burke a few seasons ago. Joseph, arguably one of Canada’s best goalies in history, would’ve plugged the significant hole which has been plaguing the Kings for some time now. Instead, it appears the Kings will continue to flounder for the foreseeable future until Bernier is ready to take the reins on a full-time basis.

Perhaps GM Dean Lombardi feels that Bernier will be ready next season; I, however, am betting on the fact that if the LA Kings defence continues to be hindered by the recent play of Rob Blake and the rest of the lacklustre defence, the Kings aren’t going to be making noise in the Western Conference any time soon. And besides, while Bernier is a top prospect, history has shown that top goaltending prospects don’t always succeed while they’re 20 years of age or younger.

Rick DiPietro and Marc-Andre Fleury being good examples. Sure, they’re top goaltenders now, but their starts in the NHL was not very memorable. Allowing Bernier to blossom for the LA Kings’ AHL affiliate in Manchester would’ve been most beneficial to the franchise.

Instead, CuJo is heading to Calgary to play seven games for the Flames, backing up Kiprusoff.

TEAM 1040: There was a big blowup between Jeff Cowan and Alain Vigneault tonight. The camera caught the two walking down the hall in 2nd intermission, exchanging heated words. Vigneault turned off into a room, Cowan takes step back and swings stick at the door frame.

This is what I caught from last night’s post-game show. And can you blame Alain Vigneault for being frustrated with Jeff Cowan? He’s done little to improve this team and has taken plenty of penalties to boot. He’s amassed one assist in the eighteen contests he’s played in this year, while being beaten for a roster spot by Mike Brown, who has clearly taken his place as the team middleweight.

Jeff Cowan took a needless penalty last night in his fracas with Ed Jovanovski. It was foolish, and it was dumb. As opposed to taking Jovocop with him, he went to the box himself and set his team up for a 5-on-3 penalty kill which lasted the full two minutes and gave the Coyotes a 3-1 lead going into the 2nd intermission, sucking the proverbial air right out of GM Place.

Even if you look beyond last night, what else has Cowan done? Off the opening faceoff against Edmonton in October, Cowan injures himself in a scrap with Zach Stortini and missed a handful of games. Then, when Pittsburgh arrives in December, Cowan gets his shoulder dislocated by the more physical Georges Laraque. He’s missed a ton of games and in that span Mike Brown has proven himself a far more capable fighter and a more healthier, speedier forward.

I think if you look at what the Canucks have right now, they don’t have any more room for Jeff Cowan. He’s earning $750K this season, which is a lot considering what Cowan has brought to the table (basically a bunch of fights where he’s won few). He no longer has that mean demeanor and there’s too many bottom six forwards who have earned a place on this team more than Cowan.

So much for the Brabarian.

I hate Mats Sundin, alright?

Like, I seriously loathe the guy.

Why? Because the guy plays for the Toronto Maple Leafs and pretty much summarizes what it means to be a Maple Leaf: I mean, the guy has had a pretty storied career, spent most of his career with the TML and has gone Cupless over the entire duration of his career while thinking every year his team could win it. What’s to like?

Nonetheless, word on the street is that John Ferguson Jr. and the Leafs brass are seriously considering moving the Swedish captain and arguably the best Maple Leaf in history. Today the Leafs are sitting in 13th place in the Eastern Conference but a mere five points out of a playoff spot. However, with a busy and tough schedule coming up, the Leafs may find themselves slipping further and further in the Eastern cellar and may be lobbied to trade Sundin in order to rebuild for next season.

Now if you’re Dave Nonis, and you really want to address the issue of acquiring a top-line centre, who else better than Mats Sundin? Like I said, I hate the guy, but there’s no questioning his skill. Sundin’s 74 points in 85 playoff games is valuable, as his ability for some clutch goals. He may also be the guy to really get Markus Naslund’s motor running in the playoffs and could very well be the key to the Canucks winning something serious this season. At $5.5M a year, Sundin is acquireable.

What would the Canucks need to package for the Bromma native? I’m thinking that any proposal requires the name of Alex Edler. Sorry Canuck fans, this is the price to pay (at least, most likely). Edler is proving to be a star in the making. Even after the Canucks offer Edler, I think it’ll take a high draft pick as well. There’s always going to be a team at the February 26th trade deadline willing to go crazy for a guy of Sundin’s calibre.

Look at last season’s trade deadline: Keith Tkachuk, the aging veteran, went for a first round pick. Tkachuk pales in comparison to Mats Sundin, and Sundin would be worth a decent prospect, easily. If the Canucks managed to offer Cory Schneider and a 1st, that MIGHT do it, but I wouldn’t bet the farm on it; with JFJ’s time running out in TO, he may be hard-pressed to make a coup for his amiable captain.

…I honestly do shudder at the thought of Sundin wearing #13 in a Canuck uniform. But at the same time, I kind of hope it happens.