NHL

– The Sharks have re-signed F Patrick Marleau to a 4-year/$27.6M deal worth $6.9M annually, and F Joe Pavelski to a 4-year/$16M deal worth $4M annually. Like most of the long-term deals now, both of these contracts are heavily front-loaded. Marleau led the Sharks with 44 goals in the 2009-10 season, capping his remarkable season with a strong playoff showing. Pavelski recorded 25 goals in the regular season but came alive in the playoffs, scoring 9 with 17 points in 15 games. The Sharks off-season just got a little brighter with these two huge signings. GM Doug Wilson said,

”We are very pleased that Patty and Joe have committed to this organization now and in the future. They expressed a strong belief in the direction this franchise is heading but also understand the challenges to keeping a talented group like ours together.. Both players had a tremendous regular season, excelled on the ice for their respective countries at the Winter Olympics and elevated their game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.  They have solidified their place in the game among the League’s top forwards and we are excited as an organization to have Joe and Patty back in San Jose to build on what we accomplished last season.”

– The Oilers have acquired F Colin Frasor from the Blackhawks for a 6th round pick (#151 overall) in the 2010 Entry Draft. Fraser, who just picked up his first Stanley Cup ring with the Blackhawks, will be a restricted free agent on July 1. He had seven goals and 12 assists in 70 regular season games for Chicago.

– The Leafs are not actively pursuing a trade for D Tomas Kaberle. Toronto’s associate GM David Nonis commented on Kaberle, saying the team is not looking to deal him at this moment. “What happens on the day of the draft is he becomes a player that is available. If someone makes an offer on Tomas that makes sense…we’d have to look at it. But, in terms of an asking price or shopping Tomas around, that’s not happening.” These contradict every earlier report, so the Leafs appear to be flip-flopping. Stay tuned.

– Oilers’ GM Steve Tambellini is interested in moving D Sheldon Souray to either the Rangers or Stars. Souray has publicly stated he wants out of Edmonton and has given a list of teams he’d be willing to waive his NTC for. Souray is likely to be dealt before the season starts.

NFL

– Beat writer Kevin Acee confirms that the Seahawks were the team that called the Chargers to inquire about WR Vincent Jackson. Acee believes other teams have called as well, but he hasn’t been able to confirm that. While it’s only June, we’re becoming quite concerned about Jackson’s 2010 season. Acee is told that the Chargers will not deal V-Jax, and the star receiver has made it known that he has no qualms about holding out into the season. With five years already accrued, Jackson could sit out the season and gamble on unrestricted free agency with a new CBA in 2011.

WWE

– According to the Wrestling Observer, while Vince McMahon informed Bryan Danielson he was being let go from WWE due to choking ring announcer Justin Roberts with a tie, some within the company believe spitting on John Cena was the real reason for his release. McMahon hates spitting and has banned it in WWE’s rings for the past several years. In addition to spitting, McMahon greatly dislikes people smoking cigarettes and sneezing as it’s been noted that if someone near him sneezes, he will lash out at the guilty part for it. On another note, it’s said to be guaranteed that Danielson didn’t spit on Cena without clearing it with him ahead of time.

– Linda McMahon’s latest United States Senate campaign ad takes a very different approach from previous ads, embracing (sort of) her experience as the CEO of the WWE. McMahon has previously downplayed her wrestling past, but since her political opponents have tried using her involvement with WWE against her, she’s embracing it and making it work for her. Linda calls WWE a “soap opera” and says “It’s not real – but Connecticut’s problems are.”

TNA

– TNA’s push to bring in Paul Heyman continues, as TNA President Dixie Carter has been in regular contact with Heyman in recent weeks. Carter wants Heyman to take over the TNA creative team as well as be an on-air character as part of the ECW originals storyline. Heyman has made it clear that he won’t be involved in the creative process if Vince Russo is involved, which wouldn’t be a problem, since Russo is looking to take a different role in the company. Heyman is said to have no problem working with Eric Bischoff.

Regarding Heyman coming to TNA, Spike TV has been involved in the negotiations with Heyman, as they were with guys like Sting, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair and Mick Foley. Heyman is currently serving as one of Brock Lesnar’s agents and has two book projects in development.

– Mick Foley will be returning to TNA in the next month or two, with TNA planning to use him at Bound For Glory.

– Kurt Angle (rest) will remain out of action for the next few weeks.

– After parting ways with TNA just a few weeks ago,  there is talk within the company that Lisa Marie Varon (a.k.a. Tara) will be back soon.

– Several different ideas are being discussed for the ECW originals angle, including the idea of creating a new “hardcore” spinoff brand with its own television show on Spike TV. Spike has given the green light for TNA to feature more violence on its shows, so we’ll see how this plays out.

– Unlike the case of Roxxi, there has been no strong reaction to ODB’s departure from TNA Wrestling. A number of people within the company felt bad for Roxxi because she showed up for work on the day of Slammiversary and hastily informed her services would no longer be required. Many feel the Knockouts division “has gone to hell” as Roxxi was one of the better in-ring performers they had left. On another note, there is said to be no interest on the company’s part in marketing women’s wrestling, sans pushing “The Beautiful People” and Angelina Love.

VoV

Marc Valeri – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
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BANANAS. This years playoffs have been INSANE. The Habs coming back from 3-1 against the Cup-defending Penguins!? The Flyers, without Carter and Boucher, coming back from 3-0 against the Bruins!? I love it. This is the greatest game on the planet. Last round I went 2-2, so I’m now 8-4.

Eastern Conference

(7) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (8) Montreal Canadiens

I haven’t got a clue who’s winning this. Chris Pronger’s streak of leading his new team to the Stanley Cup final could continue (Anaheim, 2007 and Edmonton, 2006), and the team itself is deep defensively. That said, the Canadiens are faster, have more balance and have the nod in goaltending. It’s hard to imagine a team with more momentum coming into this one, since they came back from 3-1, but the Flyers are back from 3-0. The Penguins were the most well-rounded team in the playoffs, and with the Habs beating them, you’d have to think that gives them the advantage.

Pick: Habs in 6

Western Conference

(1) San Jose Sharks vs. (2) Chicago Blackhawks

This is the Sharks year that they win the Cup. This team finally has some playoff confidence, and that’s going to go a long way. I’d love to see the Blackhawks/Canadiens in the Cup, making it a nice Original Six matchup, but I don’t see it happening. San Jose has the edge in goal, and with more than one productive offensive line, it’s going to be tough for anyone to stop them. The league’s best regular season shutdown tandem – Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook – will need to find a way to stop Heatley-Thornton-Marleau-Pavelski, while Dan Boyle and company will need to stop Kane-Toews-Hossa-Sharp. This has the makings of a great series.

Pick: Sharks in 7

NHL
2008: 12-3 (80%)
2009: 10-5 (67%)
Total: 22/30 = 73%

NBA
2008: 11-4 (73%)
2009: 9-6 (60%)
Total: 20/30 = 67%

MLB
2008: 5-2 (71%)
2009: 4-3 (57%)
Total: 9/14 = 64%

NFL
2008: 9-2 (82%)
2009: 7-4 (64%)
Total: 16/22 = 73%

VoV

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Can you feel the FEVER!? It’s that time of year again! The 2010 NHL playoffs begin TODAY! We’ve got a bunch of great matchups this year, and hopefully, we’ll be strapped in for an intense 2.5 months of playoff hockey. Is there anything better?

Below, I’ll take a look at the top matchup for each conference, my pick to win the series and why, as well as picking an X-Factor for each time. It’s usually someone that is either underrated, under-the-radar, undervalued, a keyplauyoff performer, or someone needing to step up. They’re players with the potential to rise up in the postseason and win a series for their team, and maybe even a Stanley Cup.

Eastern Conference

All eyes should be on the Penguins and their attempt to repeat as Stanley Cup champions. The Capitals, however, ran away with the Presidents’ Trophy. So, who gets the nod? Sid the Kid or Alexander the Great?

Washington, with a franchise-record 54 wins and 121 points, finished head-and-shoulders above of the East’s next closest pursuer, the Devils, at 103 points.

But, as critics would ask all season long, are they that good? The Caps were one of only four teams in the East to eclipse 100 points. All but one of the West’s eight qualifiers crested the century mark. The Caps are also playing in a brutal Southeast Division, so wins are much easier to come by. The Southeast was the only division that has one playoff team.

There’s no denying that the Caps are the East’s most potent offensive team, having scored nearly 100 more goals than the second-place Devils (318-222), but everyone knows that offence alone will not win you a Stanley Cup. Pittsburgh’s ability to play shutdown hockey was consistently overlooked last season, and that’s the reason why they were able to oust the Red Wings in the Cup Final on their second time around.

The Capitals made good use of the NHL trade deadline to add third- and fourth-line role players who bring playoff savvy and experience into the dressing room and onto the ice. The additions of F Eric Belanger, F Jason Chimera and F Scott Walker will pay dividends, even though it may not show on the scoresheet. Those could be the kind of pieces that make the difference in winning a deciding game this season, as opposed to getting blown out at home against Pittsburgh in Game 7 of the second round last year.

(1) Washington Capitals vs. (8) Montreal Canadiens

Game 1 @ WAS, Thu, Apr 15 7:00pm EDT, TV: VS., TSN
Game 2 @ WAS, Sat, Apr 17 7:00pm EDT, TV: VS., TSN
Game 3 @ MON, Mon, Apr 19 7:00pm EDT, TV: TSN
Game 4 @ MON, Wed, Apr 21 7:00pm EDT, TV: TSN
Game 5 @ WAS, Fri, Apr 23 7:00pm EDT, TV: VS., TSN
Game 6 @ MON, Mon, Apr 26 7:00pm EDT, TV: VS., TSN
Game 7 @ WAS, Wed, Apr 28, TBS, TV: TSN

The regular-season series was tied, with the teams splitting four games and each winning once at home and once on the road. Three of the four games were decided by a single goal (the other by two), with one by a shootout and another in overtime. Usually, any series involving Montreal would mean the pressure would be on the Habs, who have won a record 24 Stanley Cups, but this year, that’s not happening – The pre-series pressure is squarely on F Alex Ovechkin and the Caps, who haven’t played a meaningful game since last year’s playoffs.

Montreal just barely hung on to make the postseason, while the Capitals are still a finely-tuned machine even when they’re running at less than full capacity. This series will come down to one wild card – goaltending, as both sides have been mediocre at best. The Caps goaltending has been questioned all season long, while G Jaroslav Halak the ability to steal games. And what about G Carey Price? If Halak sutters, can Price do anything to get his trade value back up? Both Halak and G Jose Theodore are in their contract years and playing for their salary next season, so you can expect both to stand on their head in this matchup. Thedore making his return to Montreal will be something fun to watch. You know he’ll be trying extra hard to stick it in Habs fans’ faces for the disappointing end to his Canadiens career.

Ovie broke out of his late-season goal-scoring slump, which is bad news for the Habs. Montreal will have to try and find a way to slow down Washington’s high-powered attack. But because Montreal is so soft in their style of play, it’s hard to see them doing anything against such a potent offence. They lack offensive punch, they’re slow on defence, and they don’t play a physical game. The Caps offensive dominance will be too much for the Habs to handle, but they’ll still come away with a game or two.

X-Factors: Canadiens’ F Travis Moen and Capitals’ G Jose Theodore. For a team that’s going to need physical play and someone to do the dirty work, not to mentioned being undersized, Moen is key to the Habs’ success. While he only has one goal since December 16, he did score seven playoff goals for the Ducks during their Cup run in 2007. And that’s exactly why Montreal signed the 6’2″, 215 pound forward last summer – for his experience, his grit, his leadership and his size.

Washington’s defence and goaltending are criticized this postseason, and rightfully so. Time and time again, the playoffs have proven the “offence wins games, defence wins championships” phrase right. Washington can score all the goals they want, but if they want to make it deep in the playoffs, they’ll need to learn to keep the puck out of the net and to defend. Last year, Theodore lost Game 1 to the Rangers and never played again. This year, he gets another chance to prove he’s still the same netminder as the one who won the 2002 Hart Trophy. And the fact he goes up against his old team gives him plenty of reason to get back to form.

Pick: Caps in 5

(2) New Jersey Devils vs. (7) Philadelphia Flyers

Game 1 @ NJ, Wed, Apr 14 7:30pm EDT, TV: TSN
Game 2 @ NJ, Fri, Apr 16 7:30pm EDT, TV: TSN
Game 3 @ PHI, Sun, Apr 18 6:00pm EDT, TV: TSN
Game 4 @ PHI, Tue, Apr 20 7:30pm EDT, TV: TSN2
Game 5 @ NJ, Thu, Apr 22 7:00pm EDT, TV: TSN
Game 6 @ PHI, Sun, Apr 25, TBD, TV: TSN
Game 7 @ NJ, Tue, Apr 27 7:30pm EDT, TV: TSN

Philadelphia beat New Jersey in all but one of their six regular-season meetings, so the Flyers at least go into the series as somewhat confident underdogs. Keep a close eye on G Martin Brodeur, who’s recent playoff performances have been sub-par to say the least. He also appeared in 77 of 82 games for the Devils this season, and as usual, Brodeur will be gassed come the second season. The Flyers come in with an odd goalie tandem, set by Brian Boucher and Sebastien Caron, rather than Ray Emery (hip surgery) and Michael Leighton (high ankle sprain, out at least for the first round). Boucher is years removed from his incredible regular-season shutout record with Phoenix, but he is an experienced netminder who plays well under pressure. One thing Boucher will need to watch for is his rebound control.

Philly’s best chance to win is through their style of play – blue collar, physical hockey along the boards. Playing into Jersey’s system won’t do them any good. D Chris Pronger and D Kimmo Timonen will have to set the tone on the blueline, while F Mike Richards, F Simon Gagne, F Danny Briere, F Scott Hartnell and F Jeff Carter will need to produce up front.

While we know what the Devils will do defensively, they’ll need to put the puck in the net. F Zach Parise showed his offensive potential on Team USA, and he’s the first Devil to record back-to-back 80-point seasons. F Ilya Kovalchuk’s playoff psyche is unknown, having only played 4 career postseason games. He’ll need to be the difference maker. The Devils will also need to rectify the powerplay issues that plagued their team towards the end of the season if they want any chance at making a run for the Cup.

On paper, this looks like a blowout. Brodeur vs. Boucher? A structured Devils team vs. an unpredictable Flyers team? All of this means that there’s potential for an upset. Will the Flyers pay the price for not upgrading in net at the Trade Deadline?

X-Factors: Flyers’ F Claude Giroux and Devils’ F David Clarkson. Giroux scored the shootout winner in the final game of the season against the Rangers, which got the Flyers into the playoffs. He’ll need to be that clutch and more in the playoffs. In the ’09 playoffs, Giroux was the Flyers’ best player too, scoring two goals and five points in a six games against the Pens. Carter’s health remains a concern, so expect Giroux to get a lot of ice time.

Clarkson, 26, is the Devils’ version of Bruins’ F Milan Lucic. He hits, fights and plays aggressive, not to mention score. He’s their go-to power forward. He missed nearly half of the 2009-10 season due to injuries, but when healthy, Clarkson has been an impact player, contributing 11 goals and 24 points in 45 games – great numbers for a third-liner on a defensive-structured team.

Pick: Devils in 6

(3) Buffalo Sabres vs. (6) Boston Bruins

Game 1 @ BUF, Thu, Apr 15 7:00pm EDT, TV: CBC
Game 2 @ BUF, Sat, Apr 17 1:00pm EDT, TV: NBC, CBC
Game 3 @ BOS, Mon, Apr 19 7:00pm EDT, TV: VS., CBC
Game 4 @ BOS, Wed, Apr 21 7:00pm EDT, TV: VS., CBC
Game 5 @ BOS, Wed, Apr 21 7:00pm EDT, TV: VS., CBC
Game 6 @ BOS, Mon, Apr 26 7:00pm EDT, TV: CBC
Game 7 @ BUF, Wed, Apr 28 7:00pm EDT, TV: CBC

These two teams have been so surprising this season: who would’ve thought that the B’s would have so much trouble to just make the playoffs, and who thought that the Sabres would dismantle the Northeast? If G Tuukka Rask folds under the pressure, G Tim Thomas has plenty of reason to pick up the slack – he’ll be dueling his fellow Team USA netminder, G Ryan Miller. After a great postseason last year, he lost his starting gig after a terrible first half this year.

This series has the potential to be a great goalie matchup. The Bruins’ total of 206 goals scored is the fewest among the 16 playoff teams.  Miller should be rested for the series. He played in one of the final three games in the regular season, and he will be key to Buffalo’s hopes, along with their great penalty kill that’s been very hot as of late.

The Sabres are getting bitten by the injury bug at the wrong time – currently, the Bruins start the playoffs without No. 1 centre F Marc Savard, and top-six D Dennis Seidenberg, D Mark Stuart and D Andrew Ference – all of whom are great players. The Sabres aren’t fully healthy either, as F Tim Connolly, F Jochen Hecht, F Drew Stafford and F Patrick Kaleta were all out at the end of the regular season with unspecified timetables for return. Rask was 4-1 against the Sabres this season, and I think he steals a first-round victory from Miller. This matchup has the potential for another upset. Even if Boston loses, they’re immediately consoled: they get either F Taylor Hall or F Tyler Seguin at the 2010 Entry Draft, and they have the Leafs’ 1st-rounder in 2011, as another bad season in T.O. could mean another top-5 pick for Boston. Either way, I sense an upset.

X-Factors: Bruins’ F Milan Lucic and Sabres’ F Tomas Vanek. Lucic, 21, is a beast and is the model example of someone who is capable of single-handedly changing a series. He hits, he scores, he fights, and he plays that ‘style’ of playoff hockey – everything needed for postseason success comes naturally to him. Like the rest of the Bruins, however, Lucic has struggled through an injury-plagued season. He broke his finger (14 games) early in the season and suffered a severely twisted ankle (18 games) at mid-season. After an encouraging 17-goal, 42-point effort in 2008-09, Lucic was limited to nine goals and 19 points in 49 games this year, and he hasn’t been the dominating physical presence that had Bruins fans had projected him to be – the next Cam Neely. He does, however, enter the playoffs on a three-game point streak.

Vanek’s skill must come through this postseason. He recorded 27 goals after seasons of 43, 36 and 40, and thus, fall well short of expectations. Rather than competing for the ‘Rocket’ Richard trophy every year, he raises questions about his performance. Can he step up? After missing six games with a groin injury, Vanek returned for the season finale and scored four goals – by the end of the second period – against Washington in a 5-2 Buffalo victory. The Sabres hope he’s clicking at the perfect time.

Pick: Bruins in 7

(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (5) Ottawa Senators

Game 1 @ PIT, Wed, Apr 14 7:00pm EDT, TV: VS., CBC
Game 2 @ PIT, Fri, Apr 16 7:00pm EDT, TV: VS., CBC
Game 3 @ OTT, Sun, Apr 18 6:30pm EDT, TV: CBC, VS.
Game 4 @ OTT, Tue, Apr 20 7:00pm EDT, TV: CBC, VS.
Game 5 @ PIT, Thu, Apr 22 7:00pm EDT, TV: VS., CBC
Game 6 @ OTT, Sat, Apr 24 7:00pm EDT, TV: CBC, VS.
Game 7 @ PIT, Tue, Apr 27 7:00pm EDT, TV: CBC

The Penguins are starting with the same seed they had last year when they won the Stanley Cup. The Pens have been successful in pacing themselves this season – Pittsburgh went 45-28-9 for 99 points last season and went 47-28-7 for 101 points this season. The Penguins appear to be healthy as they begin their title defense. With F Evgeni Malkin healthy, this team is much more dangerous than they have been of late. The goaltending experience alone should be enough for the Pens to come out on top – but, both teams rank 14th and 16th among playoff teams in goals allowed.

The Senators are missing a huge ingredient to their success. F Alex Kovalev (torn ACL in left knee), the team’s fourth-leading scorer, is out of the playoffs. Kovalev scored 18 goals and contributed 31 assists in 77 games. Regardless of Kovalev’s inconsistency, his offensive talent will be missed this postseason.

Usually, the No. 4 vs. No. 5 matchups are close, but not this year. The Penguins, who are much deeper offensively, more experienced on defense and superior in goal. The Pens move across the street to the Consol Energy Center and the NHL’s newest arena next season, so they’ll be looking to shut down Mellon Arena with a second straight Stanley Cup.

The Senators and Penguins meet in the playoffs for the third time in four seasons. The last time the Sens and Pens met, Ottawa was sent packing after four games. An argument can be made for the Sens getting stronger and the Pens getting weaker. There remains a big talent gap, however, and I don’t expect a very different result. The Pens are my team to beat in the East.

X-Factors: Penguins’ wingers and Senators’ F Matt Cullen. Pittsburgh is deep down the middle, with F Sidney Crosby, F Evgeni Malkin and F Jordan Staal on the draw. But the only Penguin to reach the 20-goal plateau this season was F Bill Guerin. F Chris Kunitz, F Ruslan Fedotenko and F Pascal Dupuis continue to look for permanent spots on lines, and with the acquisition of F Alex Ponikarovsky at the Trade Deadline, they wanted to add some production. But not to the tune of two goals, nine points and a minus-6 rating in 16 games. Poni is in a contract year, and with Malkin as his centre, he’s got a prime opportunity to play big.

Cullen, acquired from the ‘Canes at the Trade Deadline, is a scoring, faceoff-winning bigman. He plays the point on the PP, and his big frame is great along the boards fighting for pucks. Cullen will need to produce in the absence of Kovalev if the Sens want any chance of beating the Pens.

Pick: Penguins in 4

Western Conference

In the West, seven of the eight playoff teams reached 100 points. No one would be surprised if a lower seed were to knock off a higher one in the conference quarterfinals, or any round for that matter. The matchups are just that close.

The Sharks won the West for the second straight season after the Blackhawks failed to earn the extra point at home against the Red Wings on Sunday. The Sharks are once again in the drivers’ seat, and while many are counting them out early, this year, that may be a mistake.

While San Jose has a terrible post-season track record, this year could be different. The Sharks better built for playoff success this season, with the additions of F Dany Heatley, F Manny Malholtra, F Scott Nichol and D Niclas Wallin will do for a positive playoff outlook. In addition, the big-three of Heatley, Marleau and Thornton each won Olympic gold medals in 2010, and with the experience of winning on the grandest stage, it might be just enough to will them deep into the playoffs.

That said, Chicago is the most well-rounded team this post-season, finishing 6-0-1 in their last 7. Coming off a conference finals appearance last spring, Chicago didn’t skip a beat in the regular season. The Blackhawks forced opponents to play their style of game by maintaining puck possession, scored goals and showing that they work together as a cohesive unit, ready for a run at the Stanley Cup.

The rest of the field is up in the air. The Canucks are more than a dark horse. They’re often overlooked in the West, and they easily have what it takes to rise above. Detroit’s chances for a three-peat as conference champion are great with a spectacular 17-3-2 run to end the season.

But the real question is how the newcomers will react. Who could have guessed that the Coyotes, Kings, Predators and Avalanche would all make the top eight? The three youngest teams – the Coyotes, Kings and Avalanche – all started fast and were able to maintain their level of play, holding off the likes of the surprisingly disappointing Flames, Ducks, Stars and Blues.

(1) San Jose Sharks vs. (8) Colorado Avalanche

Game 1 @ SJ, Wed, Apr 14 10:30pm EDT, TV: VS., CBC
Game 2 @ SJ, Fri, Apr 16 10:30pm EDT, TV: VS., CBC
Game 3 @ COL, Sun, Apr 18 9:30pm EDT, TV: VS., CBC
Game 4 @ COL, Tue, Apr 20 10:00pm EDT, TV: VS., CBC
Game 5 @ SJ, Thu, Apr 22 10:30pm EDT, TV: VS., CBC
Game 6 @ COL, Sat, Apr 24, TBD, TV: CBC
Game 7 @ SJ, Mon, Apr 26, TBD, TV: CBC

San Jose is healthy as it enters the post-season, vastly different from last spring. While G Evgeni Nabokov has been up and down following his disappointing Olympics, he was strong in his last couple appearances and he, like F Patrick Marleau, wants to atone for last year’s early exit.

Denver is a two-hour flight from San Jose, much easier to deal with in terms of jetlag than journeying to Nashville or Detroit. The Avs shouldn’t be able to handle the size and speed of the Sharks’ forwards, and Colorado is very young and lacks postseason experience at key positions. The Avalanche have to be very proud of simply reaching the playoffs. There’s no pressure on them to perform – the exact opposite of what the Sharks will be facing. But Colorado is truly outclassed in almost all facets of this matchup.

Another early exit for San Jose would spell big changes in the Tank. While Marleau isn’t expected back, an opening round loss would also likely spell the end for several other high profile Sharks. The Avs are playing gutsy, aggressive hockey. That leads to at least one win against the Sharks, but it also leads to mistakes. They’ve have cooled down considerably since their early season dominance and are still too young to hang around with the big boys. The Sharks are 5-1 in their last six conference quarterfinals, then the trouble historically starts. The Sharks are squeezing horseshoes and 40leaf clovers that they didn’t draw the Kings or Red Wings in the Quarters.

X-Factors: Sharks’ F Joe Thornton and Avalanche’ G Craig Anderson. Thornton and company have a long reputation of being playoff chokers, and they get a little kid in the form of the Avs to take it out on. Will this give them any momentum heading into the next round? As for Anderson, he’ll need to do everything possible to stop the biscuit. He’s struggled during the second half of the season, and I don’t see that changing now.

As for the Avs, no other team in the NHL has gotten more mileage out of its rookies. They’ll need a big swig from the fountain of youth to get by. Speaking of youth, F Darcy Tucker, 35, hasn’t been in the postseason since 2004, so you know he’ll be psyched. Plus, five of his 10 goals this season came in Colorado ‘s final 13 games; will it carry over?

Pick: Sharks in 5

(2) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (7) Nashville Predators

Game 1 @ CHI, Fri, Apr 16 8:30pm EDT, TV: VS., TSN2
Game 2 @ CHI, Sun, Apr 18 8:30pm EDT, TV: VS., TSN
Game 3 @ NSH, Tue, Apr 20 9:00pm EDT, TV: VS., TSN
Game 4 @ NSH, Thu, Apr 22 8:30pm EDT, TV: VS., TSN2
Game 5 @ CHI, Sat, Apr 24 3:00pm EDT, TV: NBC, TSN
Game 6 @ NSH, Mon, Apr 26, TBD, TV: TSN
Game 7 @ CHI, Wed, Apr 28, TBD, TV: TSN

The Preds will rely on D Shea Weber, D Ryan Suter and D Dan Hamuis to not only stop the ‘Hawks’ balanced attack, but to generate offense in transition. G Pekka Rinne is a young goalie getting his first taste of the big game, and he’ll need to be stellar to give Nashville a shot at making this a competitive series. The big question is in the other net – G Antti Niemi. If he falters, they go to G Cristobal Huet, also unproven in the playoffs. This is a big series for unproven G Antti Niemi, who started only one of six against the Preds this year. Will the decision not to trade for a goalie come back and haunt the Hawks?

The Blackhawks are very deep, an understatement for a team that’s been so finely tuned, even with D Brian Campbell out. He’s expected to remain out until early next month. The Predators are healthy with the exception of D Denis Grebeshkov.

The Predators finally get someone other than Detroit or San Jose in a playoff matchup, but they still won’t win a game on the road and they still won’t advance. The Predators have failed to break through for even a single road win in 10 tries. That has to change if they want to entertain thoughts of a major first-round upset. It’ll be the Predators’ underrated defence against the Blackhawks’ pressure and puck possession. Only once during the six-game regular-season series between them did a game feature more than five goals combined. Nashville is underrated in just about every facet of the game. They’re also very physical, but Chicago’s offensive firepower will be too much to handle.

The Hawks are nearly perfect – offensively and defensively, the team is sound. Despite the huge question marks between the pipes, they are my team to beat in the West.

X-Factors: Blackhawks’ G Antti Niemi and Predators’ G Pekka Rinne.

They’re going with first-year NHLer Niemi over the veteran Huet. Niemi started Chicago ‘s final nine games of the regular season and finished the year with an impressive 26-8-3 record and a 2.25 GAA that was among the top five in the league. The 26-year-old Finnish native, who’s about a month too old to qualify as an NHL rookie, had a six-game win streak snapped when Chicago lost to Detroit in overtime on the final day of the season. The ‘Hawks have a stacked team up front and on the blueline, but their Stanley Cup hopes will hinge on whether Niemi can carry over his regular season success into the spring. As for Rinne, he’ll have to stand on his head. Playoff hockey starts from the net out, and he’ll have to stop every puck his way if the Preds want to stand a chance.

Pick: Blackhawks in 5

(3) Vancouver Canucks vs. (6) Los Angeles Kings

Game 1 @ VAN, Thu, Apr 15 10:00pm EDT, TV: VS., CBC
Game 2 @ VAN, Sat, Apr 17 10:00pm EDT , TV: CBC, VS.
Game 3 @ LA, Mon, Apr 19 10:00pm EDT, TV: VS., CBC
Game 4 @ LA, Wed, Apr 21 10:00pm EDT, TV: VS., CBC
Game 5 @ VAN, Fri, Apr 23 10:00pm EDT, TV: CBC
Game 6 @ LA, Sun, Apr 25, TBD, TV: VS., CBC
Game 7 @ VAN, Tue, Apr 27, TBD, TV: CBC

Easily the best series of the Quarters. This matchup has the potential for a long, hard-fought battle – just the way it should be. Both teams should like the easy travel and consistent schedule in this series – simple flights up and down the coast without having to cross any time zones and games set up for every other night.

The major question remains how the Kings’ young talent will adjust to playoff hockey. F Anze Kopitar, D Drew Doughty and G Jonathan Quick are all inexperienced, but with F Ryan Smyth and D Rob Scuderi being playoff vets, they should be able to make the adjustments.

Los Angeles didn’t play as well after the Olympics, but the Kings are still a dangerous opponent because, like the Avs, Preds and Coyotes, they don’t have any expectations or pressure.

The Canucks will be looking to F Daniel and Henrik Sedin, F Ryan Kesler, and of course, G Roberto Luongo to be difference makers. And while the Kings are healthy, the Canucks hope to have several defensemen back in time to start the playoffs. D Sami Salo, D Shane O’Brien and D Aaron Rome all suffered injuries in the final two games of the regular season, but all are expected to be back in time for Game 1. The Canucks, defensively deep, will be tested.

Quick had a great season in L.A.’s net, but he went cold in the final weeks. I think the Kings will adapt quickly to the postseason style of play and force the Canucks to a seventh game. With Luongo’s gold medal win, he’s finally gotten a taste of what a big win feels like. Will it help him in the playoffs?

X-Factors: Kings’ F Justin Williams and Canucks’ F Kyle Wellwood. Williams, 28, is a two-time 30-goal scorer with Carolina in 2005-06 and ’06-07 (seven goals and 18 points in 25 playoff games during Carolina ‘s ’06 Cup championship). Since those days in Carolina, Williams has had a bad run of injuries, including missing 28 games with a broken right leg this season. He returned from that setback on March 12 and was slow to regain his form, collecting just one assist in his first 10 games. Come April, Williams started to pick it up, with two goals and four points in six contests. The Kings are a young team playing in the postseason for the first time since 2002; they need their veterans, like Williams and Smyth, to lead the way.

Wellwood is a head-scratcher. He’s not big, he’s not physical, and is often criticized for disappearing for long stretches. He’s also very skilled near the net, and he proved in last year’s playoffs that he can elevate his play and be a two-way player. After coming to camp in the best shape of his career, the undersized Wellwood had a rough first half, not scoring his first goal of the season until Game 20. He’s woken up and has collected seven goals since the Olympics. Vancouver gets another offensive weapon if Wellwood continues his scoring success.

Pick: Canucks in 7

(4) Phoenix Coyotes vs. (5) Detroit Red Wings

Game 1 @ PHO, Wed, Apr 14 10:00pm EDT, TV: VS., TSN
Game 2 @ PHO, Fri, Apr 16 10:00pm EDT, TV: VS., TSN
Game 3 @ DET, Sun, Apr 18 3:00pm EDT, TV: NBC, TSN
Game 4 @ DET, Tue, Apr 20 6:30pm EDT, TV: TSN, FSAZ
Game 5 @ PHO, Fri, Apr 23 10:00pm EDT, TV: VS., TSN
Game 6 @ DET, Sat, Apr 24 2:00pm EDT
Game 7 @ PHO, Tue, Apr 27, TBD, TV: TSN, FSAZ

The Coyotes are in their first playoff appearance since 2002, but how much do the Wings have left after a wicked run to fifth in the West coming off of back-to-back Stanley Cup Final showings? Phoenix management look like geniuses after adding F Lee Stempniak, F Wojtek Wolski, D Derek Morris and D Mathieu Schneider. Coach Dave Tippett has turned the ‘Yotes into a feared competitor.

So what does Phoenix’ great season get them? A date with Detroit, who has been to back-to-back Cup finals, winning in 2008. The Coyotes have the speed and skill to compete with the Wings. The Wings are still recovering from injuries, and haven’t had much time to gel – their late-season streak was the team that they expected to have on opening night. Who knows what spot they’d be in had they been healthy all season.

I think it’ll come down to goaltending, although I’m not sold on rookie G Jimmy Howard, despite the solid numbers. If he falters, how short is the leash before G Chris Osgood comes in? Coach Mike Babcock only hoped he could get his injured troops back on the ice to make a run at it, and that has happened since the start of the calendar year. Detroit’s top players came through as they have so many times, and Howard finally lived up to the expectations of management. At the other end, the Vezina Trophy favourite G Ilya Bryzgalov gives his teammates plenty of confidence going into this best-of-seven series.

If Howard remains stabilized, the Wings take it in 6. Phoenix wins two at home. Detroit’s depth and experience prevails against Phoenix’ youth. Detroit is too experienced, too healthy and too hot. They closed with a 17-3-2 run and put the fear in everyone’s head that the Red Wings were the one lower-seeded team to try and avoid in the first round.

X-Factors: Coyotes’ F Lee Stempniak and Red Wings’ G Jimmy Howard. 14 goals in 18 games after being moved from Toronto, Stempniak has found his niche as a go-to scorer on a team that was desperate for offense. Only four full-time Phoenix players scored more than Stempniak’s 14 goals as a Coyote.

Like their Original Six opponent in the Central Division, Chicago, the Wings are riding a 26-year-old goalie into the postseason. Howard, unlike Niemi, is eligible for the Calder Trophy and figures to be one of the three finalists. He was in the minors for a long time before finally getting his chance this season. After a slow start in October, he stepped into in when Osgood fell apart and hasn’t looked back since. The fact remains, though, that Osgood was a stellar performer for the Wings in the past two postseasons as Detroit advanced to back-to-back Cup finals, winning in 2008. It’s a lot to ask of Howard to deliver the same calibre of play in his first postseason appearance, but thus far, he’s shown the ability to succeed under Red Wings franchise pressure, as well as against difficult Western Conference opponents. This year, Hockeytown’s playoff expectations remain the same – anything less than the Cup is considered a disappointment.

Pick: Red Wings in 6

Since VoV started predictions on the site, I’ve had some good years and some bad years. VoV.com’s predictions record are as follows:

NHL
2008: 12-3 (80%)
2009: 10-5 (67%)
Total: 22/30 = 73%

NBA
2008: 11-4 (73%)
2009: 9-6 (60%)
Total: 20/30 = 67%

MLB
2008: 5-2 (71%)
2009: 4-3 (57%)
Total: 9/14 = 64%

NFL
2008: 9-2 (82%)
2009: 7-4 (64%)
Total: 16/22 = 73%

VoV

- Email – captaincharisma [at] hotmail.com
- Twitter – @VoiceofValeri
- FB Group
- FB Fan ap

NHL

– Team Canada has named its’ Olympic roster for the 2010 Olympics: G Martin Brodeur, G Roberto Luongo, G Marc-Andre Fleury, D Chris Pronger (A), D Shea Weber, D Brent Seabrook, Scott Niedermayer (C), D Dan Boyle, D Drew Doughty, D Duncan Keith, F Sidney Crosby (A), F Jarome Iginla (A), F Jonathan Toews, F Rick Nash, F Eric Staal, F Mike Richards, F Brenden Morrow, F Dany Heatley, F Joe Thornton, F Ryan Getzlaf, F Patrick Marleau, F Corey Perry, F Patrice Bergeron.

– Team Finland has named its’ Olympic roster for the 2010 Olympics, which includes: G Niklas Backstrom, G Miikka Kiprusoff, G Antero Niittymaki, D Lasse Kukkonen, D Sami Lepisto, D Toni Lydman, D Janne Niskala, D Joni Pitkanen, D Sami Salo, D Kimmo Timonen, F Valtteri Filppula, F Niklas Hagman, F Jarkko Immonen, F Olli Jokinen, F Niko Kapanen, F Mikko Koivu, F Saku Koivu, F Jere Lehtinen, F Antti Miettinen, F Ville Peltonen, F Jarkko Ruutu, F Tuomo Ruutu, F Teemu Selanne.

– Team Finland has named its’ Olympic roster for the 2010 Olympics which includes: G Ondrej Pavelec, G Tomas Vokoun, D Jan Hejda, D Tomas Kaberle, D Filip Kuba, D Zbynek Michalek, D Roman Polak, D Marek Zidlicky, F Petr Cajanek, F Patrick Elias, F Martin Erat, F Tomas Fleischmann, F Martin Havlat, F Jaromir Jagr, F David Krejci, F Milan Michalek, F Tomas Plekanec and F Josef Vasicek.

– Team Germany has named its’ Olympic roster for the 2010 Olympics, which includes G Thomas Greiss, D Christian Ehrhoff, D Dennis Seidenberg, D Alexander Sulzer, F Marcel Goc and F Marco Sturm.

– Team Switzerland has named its’ Olympic roster for the 2010 Olympics, which includes G Jonas Hiller, G Martin Gerber, D Mark Streit, D Yannick Weber and F Luca Sbisa.

MLB

– Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse believes that Mets OF Jason Bay’s four-year/$66M contract has a $17M vesting option, bringing the total to a five-year/$80M deal. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense on the surface, but his best guess is that it becomes $66M over four years if the fifth year option doesn’t vest – in other words, he would receive a $3M buyout. If the option vests as easily as many expect it will, most likely with a games played clause, Bay will simply earn $80M over the course of five years. Bay will have to pass a physical before the contract is official.

– Buster Olney of ESPN.com reports that the Cardinals’ offer to free agent OF Matt Holliday is “believed to be” over $100M. Scott Boras might not net an eight-year/$180M contract for his client like he did with Yankees 1B Mark Teixeira last winter, but the $100M threshold is a significant one. With Jason Bay off the table, there’s little reason for the Cardinals to increase their offer at this time, so the previously reported eight-year/$140M offer sounds like a stretch.

– The Giants have re-signed UTIL Juan Uribe. The deal, which is thought to be a one-year contract with a club option for 2011, is only pending a physical. The 30-year-old Uribe hit a respectable .289/.329/.495 this past season with 16 home runs and 55 RBI. He’ll probably serve in a super-utility role for the Giants in 2010.

WWE

– “Dr. Death” Steve Williams has lost his battle with cancer and has passed away at the age of 49. He had been battling throat cancer for a number of years, first apparently beating it in 2005. It came back this year and his health had worsened in recent months.

Williams held numerous titles in North America and Japan throughout his lengthy career in the wrestling industry. He also achieved All-American status as a collegiate football player at the University of Oklahoma. Williams, a close friend of Jim Ross, wrestled for WWE, WCW, UWF, All Japan among other organizations around the world. After the death of longtime rival and friend Mitsuharu Misawa this past June, Williams made the decision to retire from the ring after twenty-seven years of service. His final match was held on October 25, 2009 in Tokyo.

Our condolences go out to the family and friends of Steve Williams.

– WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has updated his blog at JRsBarBQ.com with his thoughts on Bret Hart hosting Monday’s edition of WWE RAW. Here’s what Ross said about the Hit Man’s return:

Bret Hart Hype on Monday’s RAW: The Bret Hart content on Monday Night Raw really added to the overall viewing experience of the program. I watched the show from start to finish and I felt like it was one of the better Raw broadcasts WWE has presented in several weeks. To say that I did not feel compelled to be sitting there at ringside with so many new developments on tap would not be truthful…What a great video package on Bret Monday night and it was timely as many younger fans likely were not as familiar with the WWE Hall of Famer since his last appearance on WWE TV was in November of 1997 excluding his HOF, TV exposure.

The King Returns: Ironically, Bret will return to WWE TV from Dayton, Ohio the site of the 1993 King of the Ring that I had the opportunity to broadcast. Bret won the tourney which was my 2nd WWE PPV after debuting at WM9 in Las Vegas.

Other Top Legends Returning: With Bret Hart returning to Raw as the G.M. next week, some fans are curious as to what that does to the chance of a return in the same role for either Dwayne Johnson or Steve Austin. I don’t have an answer to that question but I do feel that both men will eventually return to Raw in either the guest G.M. capacity or another role that provides them a “one off’ opportunity to entertain their fans and to promote what it is that they are involved….likely their films.

– According to the PWInsider, Melina has suffered a torn ACL. She suffered the injury at Tuesday night’s WWE Raw house show in Manchester, New Hampshire. During a Divas tag match, Melina slipped on the mat and was immediately grabbing her knee. The match was ended abruptly, with Melina getting pinned quickly and helped out of the ring. She did not take any further bumps in the match after going down. She was examined backstage and is seeing a specialist this week to diagnose the extent of the situation.

– The 12/28 edition of WWE Raw drew a 3.6 rating, up from last week’s disappointing 3.2. The show did hours of 3.49 and 3.73.

NFL

– 49ers WR Isaac Bruce stated in a conference call with St. Louis media Wednesday that there’s a “75%” change he’ll retire after this year. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “those who know Bruce say it’s closer to 100 percent.” The 49ers do plan to let Bruce play in their season finale Sunday against the Rams, with whom Bruce spent nearly his entire career. It will be interesting to see if Bruce makes the Hall of Fame. While he does rank second all-time in receiving yards and fifth all-time in receptions, Bruce made only four Pro Bowls and was never named All Pro.

NBA

– The NY Times reports that the Knicks are discussing the possibility of acquiring Rockets F Tracy McGrady. The Knicks like his expiring one-year/$23M remaining on his deal, as it comes off the books in time for the big free agent summer of 2010.

– Kings G Kevin Martin had a CT scan showing improvement and healing in his broken wrist, but won’t be cleared to play before January 12, when he’s scheduled to meet with doctors. “Splint is off. Just rehab to work on range of motion. So when that’s good I’m good. I got cleared to do all basketball activities without contact until my motion is good. And I’m not putting any dates on anything.” We should have a better idea of when he’ll play again after the January 12 meeting.

– The Chicago Tribune is reporting that the Bulls are considering Lawrence Frank and Doug Collins for Vinny Del Negro’s head coaching job.

– The Columbian is reporting that the Blazers are set to sign F Shavlik Randolph. The 6’10″, 236-pound played 10 games for the Blazers last season.

VoV

– Email – captaincharisma@hotmail.com
– Twitter – @VoiceofValeri
– Facebook – facebook.com/marc.valeri

NHL

– According to ESPN, the Senators have traded their two-time 50-goal scorer, F Dany Heatley in a three team deal.

To Sharks: F Dany Heatley
To Kings: F Patrick Marleau
To Senators: F Alexander Frolov, F Jarret Stoll

Heatley signed a six-year/$45M contract extension less than two years ago. Heatley’s contract comes with a $7.5M cap hit towards the $56.8M salary cap next season. He had 39 goals and 33 assists in 82 games last season, the lowest point total in four seasons with the Senators.

MLB

– Mets ace LHP Johan Santana (elbow) has undergone arthroscopic surgery to remove bone chips from his left elbow and will be out the rest of the season. Santana is expected to be ready for spring training next season. Mets GM Omar Minaya said Santana was evaluated around the All-Star break, adding the injury worsened in recent weeks, especially after his last start. The GM said “nothing major was there” during the previous checkup. “It’s mostly soreness. It’s my understanding from the doctors there are bone chips. We all want to see Johan Santana pitching in September. But this is a smart move because we want to see him pitching for the long haul.” Santana has four years left of a six-year/$137.5M deal. He’s now the 12th Met to hit the DL (retroactive to August 21), joining 3B David Wright, OF Carlos Beltran, SS Jose Reyes, 1B Carlos Delgado, RHP J.J. Putz and RHP John Maine, among others. He finishes the season at 13-9 with a 3.13 ERA.

– Speaking of the Mets, they have traded future HOF closer LHP Billy Wagner to the Red Sox for OF Chris Carter and one PTBNL. The Red Sox will also not pick up his $8M option for next season, making him a free agent, as desired. They can still offer him salary arbitration in the offseason, meaning they would be entitled to draft picks as compensation if he signs elsewhere. The deal was thought to be dead, but after some heavy lobbying by the Mets, Wagner, 38, changed his mind and waived his no-trade clause. Only two appearances back from Tommy John surgery, Wagner shouldn’t be expected to throw more than two or three times a week, but the Red Sox are one of the few teams that can absorb his remaining contract while monitoring his workload closely.

– The Astros have placed RHP LaTroy Hawkins on waivers. Keep an eye on the Rockies, Cardinals and Dodgers to heavily pursue the 36-year-old vet. Colorado, with the lowest winning percentage of the three, would be given first crack. Hawkins has held opponents to a .645 OPS in 48 2/3 innings this season. He has a 2.03 ERA and 1.15 WHIP.

– According to CNN, Pete Rose is not getting any closer to re-instatement into the MLB HOF. Rose has been banned from baseball for exactly 20 years today, and he recently seemed to gain some momentum toward getting himself unbanned and into Cooperstown. Hall of Famers Mike Schmidt and Hank Aaron even gave him some very public support. But Commissioner Bud Selig appears to have made up his mind: Rose isn’t likely to get re-instated under his watch, which currently goes until 2012.

– The Reds have transferred RHP Edinson Volquez and RHP Mike Lincoln to the 60-day DL, and have placed OF Chris Dickerson (ankle) and C Ryan Hanigan (concussion) on the 15-day DL.

– The Rangers have placed OF Andruw Jones (hamstring) on the 15-day DL.

NHL

– San Jose GM Doug Wilson denied a report that F Patrick Marleau didn’t waive his no-trade clause. The report, out of the Orange County Register, said that Marleau nixed a three-way deal that would have involved Senators F Dany Heatley coming back to San Jose. It is just a rumour, but one that makes logical sense for both teams involved. Marleau trade rumours will become frequent as he is set to become a UFA next summer.

– Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie has submitted an amended proposed agreement to buy the bankrupt Phoenix Coyotes for $212.5M and immediately move them to Hamilton, Ontario, with or without the NHL’s consent. The document filed Monday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court says Balsillie can walk away from the deal if the contentious issues in the complex case have not been resolved in his favor by September 14 – four days after the scheduled auction of the team and one day before the Coyotes are to play their first preseason game. Balsillie, who heads the company that makes the Blackberry, wants Judge Redfield T. Baum to rule his bid valid even though the NHL board of governors voted 26-0 against his application to become the team’s owner.

The NHL says it is impossible to move the team for the coming season. The league wants a new owner who would keep the team in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, where it has lost more than $30M each of the last three seasons. The NHL contends that with better management and an improved product on the ice, the Coyotes can be successful.

– The Canucks are set to sign D Mathieu Schneider to a one-year deal. The 40-year-old has more than two decades in the league and is coming off shoulder surgery, but is expected to give the Canucks some stability on the blueline and help quarterback the powerplay (17th last season), which was one of the team’s priorities on their to-do list.

NBA

– The Knicks are still after Bucks RFA G Ramon Sessions. Sessions reportedly has a $1M qualifying offer from the Bucks that would allow him to be an RFA next summer, but he also has a deal on the table from the Knicks worth $4M for this season and less for next year because the team wants to create as much salary-cap space for the massive 2010 free agency summer. The Clippers keep getting named as a potential destination for Sessions, but there’s no word of any offer and it is looking like the Knicks are the only serious player for the 23-year-old’s services.

– Disgraced former NBA referee Tim Donaghy was back behind bars Tuesday, accused of violating his federal probation by not showing up for work. Donaghy, 42, was being held without bond a day after his arrest at a halfway house in Tampa where he was finishing his 15-month sentence for gambling charges.

– TNT’s Kenny Smith appears to be leaving the broadcast table. Smith is apparently looking to do something different, as he Tweet’ed, “Yes coaching or management is next…Will be super difficult to leave TNT when that happens.”

WWE

– No guest host has been announced for next week’s edition of RAW, but there have been rumblings that it may be Lilian Garcia. If so, her final act would be to name her successor as the ring announcer of RAW.

Many have speculated that this week’s edition of RAW would be Lilian Garcia’s final night in WWE considering she had August 24 listed as her last confirmed date with the company on her schedule.

When asked on Twitter if Monday would be her last night with WWE, Garcia responded with the following: “Nooooo!! Is NOT my last night!!! That was a rumor. I should be here a few more weeks. Thks for all the love everyone!”

– The day after his brutal TLC match with CM Punk at SummerSlam, Jeff Hardy posted a brief message on his Twitter page that says, “Hurting…” Despite the pain, Hardy will be back in action at tonight’s WWE SmackDown tapings when he faces new World Heavyweight champion CM Punk in a steel cage match.

– Brett DiBiase, the younger brother of legacy member Ted, made his WWE TV debut at SummerSlam as a crazed fan who attacked the referee during Randy Orton’s WWE title match with John Cena. The next night on RAW, it was revealed that the crazed fan was actually Ted DiBiase’s younger brother Brett.

Brett has been described as a “stud” by one WWE source and is alledgedly more relaxed than his sibling when the cameras are on. Regardless of this, some within the company are surprised he has been called up to the main roster considering how “green” he is.

There is also another DiBiase brother, Mike, who also is said to have a lot of potential but hasn’t been brought in by WWE yet. There were apparently plans to have all three brothers in the company in a “Billionaire Boys Society” and have them act like “preppy pompous asses.”

– Happy birthday to WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, who turns 64 years old today. He was born on August 24, 1945.

– Vince McMahon introduced the new Breaking Point submission-themed PPV on RAW. There are plans for a Hell in a Cell Pay-Per-View later this year and it appears WWE is looking to create more gimmick-themed events. A survey was sent out to the WWE Universe on Tuesday asking for feedback on several other new Pay-Per-View themes:

1. Street Fight Event: Main events would feature no disqualification street fights
2. Tournament Event: Single elimination tournament where Superstars would compete in multiple matches during the night to crown a winner
3. Tables, Ladders & Chairs Event: Main events will be TLC Matches

– So far, two matches have been announced for WWE Breaking Point on September 13: John Cena vs. Randy Orton for the WWE Championship in an I Quit Match, and MVP & Mark Henry vs. The Big Show and Chris Jericho for the Unified Tag Team Championships.

TNA

– The website of TNA Wrestling has released the official Bound for Glory PPV poster (October 18). The poster features a picture of Sting and teases the icon may be retiring. The tagline reads, “The Final Curtain?” I certainly hope so.

UFC

– UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar (4-1) will face Shane Carwin (11-0) at UFC 106 on November 21 in Las Vegas. It was originally rumoured that Carwin would fight Cain Velasquez (6-0) at UFC 106 with the winner getting a shot at Lesnar next year. However, Valasquez will now fight an unnamed opponent and there’s talk of him getting a shot at the winner of Lesnar-Carwin. For those unaware, Carwin is almost a mirror image of Brock. Should be a dandy.

MLB

– The Cardinals have signed RHP John Smoltz. Smoltz, 42, is 2-5 with an 8.33 ERA in eight starts for the Red Sox this season. Great add for the playoff run. GM John Mozeliak said Smoltz would likely start Sunday at San Diego, and would probably get at least a few turns in the rotation.

– The Astros have placed SS Miguel Tejada on waivers, but pulled him off when another team made a claim. The Astros did the same thing with former C Ivan Rodriguez, and a similar fate is expected to happen with RHP Jose Valverde. For some reason, owner Drayton McLane and GM Ed Wade continue to state that they are still in it for this year and aren’t building for next year.

– The Mets have released RHP Livan Hernandez. The 34-year-old Hernandez was 7-8 with a 5.47 ERA,  and had allowed 18 earned runs in 14 1-3 innings. He allowed six runs in a 10-1 loss to San Francisco on Monday, and the Mets went 2-10 in his last 12 starts.

Speaking of the Mets, they have placed LHP Billy Wagner on waivers, and according to ESPN, he is apparently ready to waive his no-trade clause. Anybody who takes Wagner will have to shell our about $2.7M for the rest of this season, in addition to a $1M buyout for next year. Wagner will be in tough for a job, though, as he has an $8M option for next season. It’s unlikely anyone will claim him off waivers, so the Mets will probably try and work out a trade. Wagner is coming off Tommy John surgery and hasn’t pitched in the bigs since last September, so his trade value is rock bottom. Still, Wagner doesn’t want to finish his career this way and apparently would like to get up to the 420-save mark or thereabouts. He’s at 385 now.

Still with the Mets, they had placed OF Gary Sheffield on waivers last week, and pulled him later on. It’s now believed that Sheff won’t last the season with the team. If the Mets place him on waivers again, they lose the ability to pull him off or negotiate a trade. Sheffield, 41, says he wants to go somewhere with a strong lineup, but thus far, only the Marlins and Rangers have shown interest.

According to the NY Post, Sheffield asked for a contract extension from the Mets Thursday and was denied, and is now threatening to leave the team and might soon be released outright. Things had been running smoothly in New York until Sheff made a couple of curious comments on Tuesday night in reaction to trade rumors. “Based on what I know now, no, I do not think I will be here. But if I am sent to a team that I don’t want to play for, I would go home.” He was scratched from the lineup Thursday night.

– The Brewers have traded 3B Bill Hall to the Mariners for P Ruben Flores. Hall hit 35 home runs in 2006 and was rewarded with a four-year/$24M contract, but he was hitting only .201 with six homers and 24 RBIs in 76 games when the Brewers designated him for assignment last week.

– The Orioles have claimed RHP Chris Lambert off of waivers from the Tigers. The 26-year-old Lambert was 0-1 with a 14.85 ERA in two relief appearances with the Tigers this season. He was 6-7 with a 3.55 ERA in 21 starts with Triple-A Toledo.

– D’Backs RHP Jon Garland has cleared waivers. Arizona will likely have to part with some cash to make up for the $4M left between his contract and his 2010 buyout, but there’s a chance that a contender in need of pitching depth may decide to take their chances and deal for him. Stay tuned.

– The Reds have placed RHP Johnny Cueto (arm) on the 15-day DL. Cueto is 8-10 with a 4.61 ERA in 24 starts.

– The Dodgers have signed RHP Vicente Padilla.

– The Nationals have named Mike Rizzo as their next GM. Rizzo was acting in an interim role this season following the firing of Jim Bowden.

– The Rangers have placed RHP “Everyday” Eddie Guardado (knee) on the 15-day DL.

– The Mariners have transferred LHP Erik Bedard to the 60-day DL. His season is over.

– The Reds have placed OF Willy Taveras (quad) on the 15-day DL.

– The Dodgers have placed RHP Hiroki Kuroda (head) on the 15-day DL, retroactive to August 16.

– The Royals have released 3B Travis Metcalf.

– The White Sox have placed OF Dewayne Wise (shoulder) on the 15-day DL.

– The Mets have placed SS Alex Cora (thumbs) on the 60-day DL.

– The Astros have placed LHP Mike Hampton (torn rotator cuff) on the 15-day DL.

– The Rangers have placed 2B Esteban German (groin) on the 15-day DL.

NBA

– According to sources, F Amare Stoudemire is playing his last year with the Suns this season. Amare was reportedly very unhappy when Shaq was dealt to Cleveland, and was unhappy with being put on the trade block last February when he was supposedly in talks with the Warriors. He’s putting his odds of staying with the team after next summer at 50/50, though, as he can decline a $17.6M salary for 2010-11 next summer and become a free agent. Stay tuned.

– Bucks F Andrew Bogut still hasn’t participated in contact drills as he continues to recover from a lower back stress fracture that ended his season early last year. Bogut’s main goal is to be ready for training camp, but he’s been working on a limited schedule since July and the fact he hasn’t had contact drills yet is a concern.

– Nets F Yi Jianlian may be allowed to skip the rest of the Stankovic Cup in China and return to New Jersey earlier than expected in order to prepare for the start of the season. Yi has been playing very well for Team China, but the Chinese media is reporting that team officials are considering his request to return to the states early.

– According to the Arizona Republic, Cavaliers F Shaquille O’Neal’s new reality show, “Shaq Vs.” apparently was an idea that Shaq stole directly from Suns G Steve Nash when Shaq was originally traded there in February of 2008. Nash talked to a lawyer and now he’s listed as executive producer on the show.

– Knicks G Nate Robinson was arrested Tuesday after officers pulled him over in the Bronx at about 5:30 p.m. and discovered he had a suspended license. According to the NY Post, the 25-year-old RFA was apparently a complete jerk to the cop who pulled him over for driving with an unfastened seat belt. He turned up the volume pretty loud when the cop walked back from Robinson’s SUV to the police cruiser to check his license and then kept singing the words to the rap song when the officer returned to the window. As soon as he heard he was being arrested, Robinson apparently pulled out the I’m-A-Celebrity-card and tried to sway the officer to let him go. KryptoNate was taken to the 52nd Precinct and charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and issued a summons to return to court at a later date.

– The Magic have signed G Jason Williams. Williams, who sat out last year, will back up G Jameer Nelson and probably immediately move in front of G Anthony Johnson on the depth chart.

– G Desmond Mason will not return to the Thunder next season.

– The Grizzlies continue to look into G Jamaal Tinsley, G Flip Murray and G Tarence Kinsey.

WWE

– Unless things change at the last minute, Jeff Hardy’s last day with WWE will take place at either SummerSlam or the following SmackDown! taping. WWE is still trying to get him to stay, though. As a result, it pretty much goes without saying that he will be dropping the World Heavyweight Championship to CM Punk next week. Matt Hardy tweeted the following message to Jeff Hardy yesterday morning: “The time is near for the Hardy Empire to begin.. Starting with the Charismatic Enigma.. 8/25/09″ Hmm…

Also, WWE released the first-ever “WWE Kids Poster Book” special edition on Tuesday, which features individual posters of practically every male star on the roster. One glaring omission is that of Jeff Hardy, who is not featured on the poster. You can see the giant poster here.

– There is a lot of talk within WWE about having DX vs. Legacy in the main event position at SummerSlam, even though it would go against the tradition of ending with a title match. The feeling is that if CM Punk is going to beat Jeff Hardy for the World Title, which there’s a good chance of that, it’s better to end SummerSlam on a happy note. This would also indicate that John Cena isn’t planned to take the WWE Title from Randy Orton but that’s not confirmed.

– As of last week, there was a rumour that WWE was planning a major swerve at SummerSlam that would involve either Triple H or Shawn Michaels turning heel at SummerSlam. WWE is now advertising DX vs. Legacy in a steel cage match for the SmackDown and ECW tapings on September 1 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. This could be a sign that plan was changed or it could be a way to keep a possible heel turn a surprise.

– WWE.com has announced that ECW Champion Christian will defend the gold against #1 contender William Regal at Summerslam this Sunday.

– Former WWE superstar and Hollywood heavyweight Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson recently spoke to the UK’s The Sun. Some highlights:

His Troubled Teen Years: “I had a very checkered past. I got into trouble a lot and had multiple arrests. For a lot of years I struggled to stay on the right path. I had multiple arrests by the time that I was 17. The last time I was arrested, my parents came down to the police station to get me. My parents were struggling at that time, even to put food on the table. That was a lot of stress at that time and I was adding to it. When they came to the police station I remember their disappointment. For years the disappointment had never bothered me but for some reason this time the disappointment in their eyes moved me. And that was when I realized that I was causing a lot of pain for my parents and I did not want to continue to do that.”

His father’s reaction to ‘The Wrestler’: “He didn’t take it very well. We lived the life that you saw in the movie, The Wrestler. That essentially was my dad. The character that Mickey Rourke played so wonderfully was my dad. So when I graduated from college and had an opportunity to play pro football, naturally it was easy for my father to say he did not want me to wrestle. He had nothing to show from a wrestling career. We lived in a one-bedroom apartment and he did not want that life for me. But instinctively I thought I had something to offer that world of entertainment. It took a little of convincing him but eventually we worked together. But being a parent I now understand where my dad was coming from.”

Getting Into Acting: “Ten years ago I knew that I wanted to be a good actor as I wound down my wrestling career. There is a great amount of acting in wrestling and wrestling is a great form of entertainment. For me that training ground was really invaluable because I did not go to school for acting. I went to school for football and studied criminology. I knew it was going to take time and 10 years went by pretty quickly.”

– Former WWE star Ken “Mr. Kennedy” Anderson’s no-compete clause with WWE is set to expire within the next 2 weeks. He will therefore be able to work for any wrestling promotion that wants to hire him. He now goes under the name Mr. Anderson and TNA is said to have high interest in signing the former WWE star.

– As announced Friday afternoon on WWE.com, Nick “Eugene” Dinsmore was released from his WWE contract. According to several sources, the feeling is that he showed up at last week’s RAW taping looking terribly out of shape and Vince McMahon made the decision right then and there to cut him loose. He had just been hired back about a month ago. McMahon is pretty big on first impressions. For instance, his first impression of Takeshi Morishima following a tryout match a year ago this week killed any possible interest in signing him.

An issue of Power Slam noted the following: “August 19: Still on the warpath, Vince claims two more victims: he basically says Morishima looks like a giant, fat girl and that Laurinaitis was wasting his time by hyping such a s colourless and podgy wrestler. Vince also sagely notes that because fellow Japanese name Kenzo Suzuki tanked in WWE, obviously Morishima was likely to be a failure as well – solely on the basis of their shared ethnicity.”

Reportedly, the creative team wanted to get Eugene on television very quickly, so the fact that he was released after his first appearance adds further credence to the theory given.

– This week’s edition of WWE Monday Night RAW drew a 3.8 rating, which is down from last week‘s 3.9 rating. The first hour did a 3.58, while the second hour finished off with a 3.99.

NHL

– Blackhawks F Patrick Kane, 20, and his cousin James Kane, 21, pleaded not guilty during a brief arraignment before Buffalo judge Thomas Amodeo. The appearance came a day after the two were indicted by a grand jury. The Kanes are facing misdemeanor assault, theft and harassment charges that he and his cousin beat up a cab driver over a fare. The panel dismissed a more serious felony charge of second-degree robbery.

– The Sharks have removed captaincy from F Patrick Marleau. Yeesh, about time.

– The 2-month-old son of Capitals G Jose Theodore has died. The goalie’s sister-in-law made the announcement Thursday during her show on a Montreal-area radio station. Theodore also has a 3-year-old daughter, Romy. My condolences go out to the Theodore family.

– The Hurricanes have signed F Stephane Yelle to a one-year/$550K deal. The 35-year-old had seven goals and 11 assists with Boston, and has won the Stanley Cup twice with the Avalanche.

– The Sabres have signed F Jeff Cowan to a one-year deal. Cowan is an eight-year NHL veteran but spent last season playing for Peoria of the AHL. He previously played two years with Vancouver, where he combined for seven goals and four assists, and 203 penalty minutes in 88 games.

– The Ducks have re-sogned D Brett Festerling to a two-year contract. Festerling played 40 games with Anaheim as a rookie last season, recording five assists and 18 penalty minutes. He also played extensively for the Ducks’ top minor league affiliate in Iowa.

– Mark Messier was not offered the head coaching job with the Oilers last season when Craig MacTavish was fired.

– Stars owner Tom Hicks is not putting the team up for sale. Forbes says the team is worth about $405M, but one suspects somebody could get the team for less than that. Hicks’ HSG has until August of 2010 to satisfy his debts before any kind of movement by creditors could be made to take over the teams. He dug himself a hole, though, when his HSG defaulted on a $10M interest payment at the end of March on $525M in loans.

NFL

– WR Plaxico Burress pleaded guilty to felony weapons charges in a Manhattan court Thursday and received a two-year prison sentence. This could easily end the 32-year-old’s career. NY State still must approve Burress’ plea deal – if it doesn’t, Plax could stand trial for two counts of second-degree criminal weapons possession and one count of second-degree reckless endangerment, and face even more prison time. Plax has probably played his last NFL down.

– The NFP is reporting that Raiders assistant Randy Hanson will turn over medical records, and he’s expected to cooperate with Napa, California police. Police, as well as NFL Security, have been attempting to get Hanson to talk since the story of his fractured jaw emerged earlier this week. It’s believed that he will now cooperate because the Raiders will not allow him to return to his former position. The next step is likely an investigation and a possible felony charge against head coach Tom Cable. Cable has declined to comment.

– The Chiefs have signed WR Ashley Lelie.

TNA

– TNA World Heavyweight Champion Kurt Angle spoke with WTAO in Pittsburgh. Here’s what he said: “I don’t like confrontation, so I kind of back away from it. This is really hard for me. I spent nine hours in jail and it was the lowest point of my life,” Angle said as he started to break down crying pleading for his reputation. “I was sitting there in a county jail thinking about why I even started dating this girl. I don’t even know when I’m allowed back in my own home. I just hope that the hearing goes okay and I can move back into my home. I just want my life back.”

F1

– YouTube co-founder and CEO Chad Hurley has confirmed his involvement with the new Team US F1. US F1 will be joined on the 2010 starting grid by Manor Grand Prix and Campos Meta 1.

– F1 teams will go back to qualifying on low-fuel for the final session next season. According to FIA , the final 10 cars involved in the Q3 qualifying session will not have to declare their fuel levels due to the fact there will be a ban on refueling next year.

That should bring back the days of a real qualifying shootout in which the fastest car is actually the one on the pole. That was not always the case under the current system as teams were forced to declare their race day fuel levels before Q3, meaning different strategies forced teams to use different fuel levels.

Other changes to the rules will see eight cars knocked out in both Q1 and Q2 to take into account the expected increase to 26 cars next season on the starting grid. The current point system will also be maintained for at least one more season. There have been recommendations to go to an Olympic-styled medal system in which the driver with the most wins would be declared the world champion. Even though the FOTA-based teams have agreed not to use the KERS system next year, the FIA rules have increased the weight of the cars to 620kg to take into account the additional weight of the energy recovery system. Tire warmers, which were also expected to be banned along with refueling, will remain – at least for one more season.

MMA

– Kim Couture, the wife of UFC legend Randy “The Natural” Couture, has responded to Lisa Marie Varon’s (a.k.a. Victoria) comments about a potential MMA bout. “I think that with my name I have a target on me. That’s fine. I don’t imagine that’s going to go away any time soon I’ll fight whoever they put in front of me. If she can make my weight – she seems from the picture a lot taller, a lot bigger than me. But if she can make 135 pounds, if (Strikeforce CEO Scott) Coker wants to put it together then so be it.”

NHL

– Sharks G Evgeni Nabokov says he would give up his no trade clause in his contract if the San Jose Sharks asked him to. The Sharks are up against the cap and need to move some salary, but it doesn’t make sense to trade their top netminder. “If the organization wants me to leave, I will leave. I would never stay with an organization that didn’t want me.” If the Sharks needed to make a move for salary cap reasons or just to shake up a team that has disappointed in the post-season over the last two seasons, captain F Patrick Marleau or another high priced forward makes a lot more sense.

NBA

– According to the NY Post, the Knicks made a have made a five-year contract proposal to F David Lee, but could pull back the offer next week. Lee’s agent is still hoping that the Blazers make him an offer to boost his leverage, but if that doesn’t happen, Lee could be stuck with the Knicks’ offer. Lee’s agent also confirmed that G Nate Robinson received a two-year/$10M offer from the Greek team Olympiakos that the Knicks aren’t expected to come anywhere close to.

– F Lamar Odom has called the Lakers in hopes of re-starting negotiations. Buss reportedly had withdrawn the Lakers’ offers to Odom after Odom’s agent, Jeff Schwartz, didn’t respond quickly enough and began negotiating with the Heat and Mavericks. The Heat reportedly offered a five-year/$35M deal.

– The Pacers have signed G Earl Watson. This all but confirms the loss of G Jarrett Jack to the Raptors, though nothing is set in stone.

– The Pistons have signed F Chris Wilcox to a two-year/$6M deal. Wilcox is coming off a down year, having averaged just 7.2 points playing for the Thunder and Knicks. Detroit lost F Rasheed Wallace and F Antonio McDyess this summer and are hoping Wilcox will bring size and toughness to their frontcourt.

– The Magic are very interested in Warriors RFA G CJ Watson.

– The Nuggetts are close to giving coach George Karl a contract extension. Karl’s agent is still negotiating terms with the Nuggets, but a deal is expected to be done before the start of the season.

MLB

– According to sources, Dodgers manager Joe Torre has “made it clear he wants Jays RHP Roy Halladay.” The problem is that Toronto has asked for LHP Clayton Kershaw as the centerpiece of any deal, and the money might be prohibitive for LA. The Dodgers are also looking for a setup reliever. 

– The Brewers are flying under the radar for Halladay. The Blue Jays love prospect SS Alcides Escobar, but the Brew Crew might not have the young pitching needed to complete a deal. It’s unsure if Doc would approve a trade to Milwaukee.

– The Tigers have had discussions about Halladay, but an offer is unlikely. The Phillies remain the frontrunners. The Angels want to keep their prospects, while the Rangers don’t have the money to bring Doc aboard. The Yankees are not expected to make an offer.

– The Padres are not shopping 1B Adrian Gonzalez or RHP Heath Bell. GM Kevin Towers says it makes “no sense” to move those players now, but it could be a different story in the offseason since teams may be more willing to discuss Major League players then.

– According to FOXSports.com, The Orioles aren’t “terribly enthused” about trading either 1B Aubrey Huff or OF Luke Scott. The O’s could try to retain the free agent to be Huff in the offseason by offering him arbitration, and taking the compensation draft picks if he declines. Scott is still under team control for another few seasons.

– At the moment, A’s OF Matt Holliday is drawing minimal interest around the league, but that could change closer to the deadline.

– The A’s have received calls about RHP Michael Wuertz and RHP Brad Ziegler, but they aren’t in a rush to move either guy since they’re cheap and under team control for the next few seasons.  

– ESPN reports that RHP Ben Sheets continues to make progress as he returns from elbow surgery, but it’s unclear if he’ll be able to pitch at all in 2009. Earlier this month, they reported that Sheets may not pitch at all this year.

– According to a number of sources, the Pirates have asked 2B Freddy Sanchez and SS Jack Wilson to take sizeable paycuts in their latest contract offer, which now makes it unlikely that the double play combo will re-sign. Wilson, who is making $7.25M this year, was offered a two year deal plus a club option. Financial terms aren’t known, but the offer reportedly includes a significant pay cut. The club has already privately decided to buy out Wilson’s $8.4M option for 2010 for $600K.

Sanchez, who is only 252 plate appearances away from having his $8M option for 2010 vest, was offered a two-year/$10M deal. The extension reportedly seeks forfeiture of that 2010 option as well. The Pirates have given both players a small window of opportunity to accept the deals, as they want to have as much time as possible to work out trades should the players reject the offers.

The Pirates might be making lowball offers that Wilson and Sanchez have no choice but to reject just to they can come back and say they tried to extend them before making a trade. The team was heavily criticized when they traded OF Nate McLouth and OF Nyjer Morgan in separate deals earlier this year. The team is allegedly more inclined to keep Wilson and deal Sanchez. Stay tuned.

– According to the Associated Press, the Braves are interested in adding former ace RHP Greg Maddux as a spring training pitching instructor. Maddux worked in a similar capacity for the Padres last spring.

– The Mets are interested in SS Julio Lugo.

– The Mets are expected to release RHP Tim Redding and eat the remainder of the one-year/$2.25M contract. A release could happen sometime next week.

– The Cardinals are expected to move 3B Troy Glaus to the outfield when he returns from his shoulder injury.

– The Angels have released RHP Rudy Seanez. Seanez, 40, allowed four earned runs on eight hits during nine innings of relief for Triple-A Salt Lake.  Seanez posted a 3.53 ERA in 43.3 innings for the Phillies in ’08, but also walked 5.2 batters per nine innings.  He’ll look for a minor league contract elsewhere.

– The Royals have placed RHP Gil Meche (back) on the 15-day DL.

TNA

– The PWTorch Newsletter reports that Kurt Angle was unable to wrestle at Saturday night’s TNA house show in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Kurt said he suffered a groin injury on a movie set this week. Kurt had trouble walking, but he did sign autographs after the show. He is scheduled to wrestle in the main event of Sunday’s TNA Victory Road PPV against Mick Foley in a title match. There’s currently no indication of a lineup change for the event.

NHL

– The Leafs have signed D Francois Beauchemin to a three-year/$11.4M deal. Beauchemin signing on has just about put the final nail in the coffin of D Tomas Kaberle’s tenure in T.O.. The deal I reported here involving Kabs being dealt to the Canucks for G Cory Schneider is getting closer. The Thrashers, Stars and Kings are also vying for Kaberle. Stay tuned.

– The Sens have signed F Alexei Kovalev to a two-year deal/$10M deal. Kovalev will get first line minutes in Ottawa as the Senators look for him to perform on the ice like he did two seasons ago when he managed 35 goals and 84 points including 47 points on the power play. He slumped last season to 26 goals and 65 points.

– The Sharks and Sens are discussing a swap involving F Dany Heatley going to the tank for package deal involving F Patrick Marleau.

– The Leafs have also signed F Nazem Kadri to a three-year, entry level deal. The 18-year-old London native placed ninth in the OHL with 53 assists and 15th with 78 points in 2008-09.

– The Canucks have signed G Andrew Raycroft. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Raycroft, 29, spent the 2008-09 season as a member of the Colorado Avalanche where he posted a record of 12-16-0 with a 3.14 GAA and a .892 SV%.

– Flyers D Chris Pronger says he’s willing to discuss a contract extension with the Flyers that will keep him in Philadelphia beyond next season, and help keep the organization a perennial Stanley Cup contender. Pronger, introduced by the Flyers at their practice facility on Monday, wants to end his career in Philadelphia.

Pronger and prospect Ryan Dingle went from the Ducks to Philadelphia for F Joffrey Lupul, D Luca Sbisa, first-round picks in 2009 and 2010 and a conditional third-round pick in 2010 or 2011.

The 34-year-old Pronger, who had 11 goals and 37 assists last season, will earn $6.25M next season. He is hopeful a new deal can be reached before the start of the season. Contract talks have already begun with Flyers GM Paul Holmgren.

WWE

– Early reports indicate that Edge’s Achilles injury will indeed require surgery and will be out a minimum of six months, pencilling a best-case scenario return for January 2010.

– Matt Hardy successfully underwent surgery on July 2 to repair a serious tear in his abdominal muscles. He will be out of action for eight-to-ten weeks, according to The Sun.

He posted the following message on his MySpace blog last week, two days before the surgery:

“The Hurdle awaits. And I’m ready to cross it, jump it, or plow over it. Either way, I’m excited to enter into a new, better, chapter of my life and career. A chapter that I’ve waited for many years to finally write, and the time is now… Get ready, cause when I re-debut on Smackdown, nothing’s gonna stop me in the ring or in life.”

He then posted a picture of himself, Shannon More, Shane Helms and a few other friends with the caption, “Celebrating July 4th, 2009 at Shannon’s place … Only 2 days out from MAJOR surgery.”

– Multichannel News has an interview with WWE’s Senior Vice President of Distribution and Affliate Marketing, Peter Clifford. Clifford talks at length about WWE’s strategy regarding future PPV events, including renaming September’s Unforgiven event to Breaking Point. “We’ve been doing these PPVs for a few years and we felt that some of the PPVs were a little flat in terms of what we wanted the titles to project, so we looked to see which ones we can rename,” he said. Clifford also wouldn’t rule out dropping some monthly PPV events to maximize overall annual buys. “We’re constantly looking at our product to find out how to make it better.”

NBA

– Heat G Dwyane Wade’s future with the Miami Heat hinges entirely around the team returning to NBA title contention. The reigning NBA scoring champion, who can opt out of his Heat deal after the coming season, said Monday that simply getting to the playoffs “is not enough” to satisfy him. Wade’s contract status is the biggest issue facing the Heat this summer. He could sign an extension as early as next week, but before committing Wade wants assurance that Miami is taking steps to get back to the level that brought a championship three seasons ago.

NFL

– QB Steve McNair’s 20-year-old girlfriend bought a gun a couple of days before she was found dead alongside the slain former NFL quarterback, her relative said Monday. Farzin Abdi said police told him about the gun purchase by his aunt Sahel Kazemi, who was raised with him like a sister. Kazemi and McNair were found dead on Saturday in a Nashville condominium leased by the former Titans star. Abdi said police told him they are almost sure Kazemi was the shooter, but the 27-year-old nephew said he doesn’t believe she would do it. Abdi didn’t know what day of the week the gun was purchased or what type of gun it was.

MLB

– The Royals have acquired OF Ryan Freel for a PTBNL.

NHL

– With UFA season just hours away, so much is still to be determined, with each move impacting the next. Let’s take a look at what could happen over the few days…

– I’m hearing that Sens F Dany Heatley will be traded before July 1 or not at all. He is owed a $4M bonus on July 1, and if Heatley is still a Senator by noon on July 1, it is extremely doubtful that he will be moved. Nonetheless, the Rangers continue to push to bring in the talented sniper, but to this point, they have not included a package involving Rangers D Marc Staal, which is believed to be the base price for Heatley.

– The Sharks are still looking at dealing the captain, F Patrick Marleau, but G Evgeni Nabokov is no longer on the block. Marleau looks like he could be dealt later in July.

– As I reported here, G Jonas “The Monster” Gustavsson was intrigued by the possiblity of starting in San Jose, but with Nabby no longer on the market, Gustavsson has all but turned down the Sharks. The two finalists for Gustavsson appear to be the Leafs and Stars. It looks like it’s going to be a toss up, as Gustavsson is limited to the amount of money he can sign for, so it will likely come down to which city he has the best chance to start in.

– Canucks GM Mike Gillis has flown east to Sweden to give the Sedin twins one final push into re-signing with the Canucks. Nothing new on the contract front, but if the Sedins do walk, keep an eye on the Leafs, Canadiens, Wild and Islanders.

– Bruins F Phil Kessel is still on the market, but according to a source, the Bruins could wait until the free agent frenzy is over in order to maximize the return for him. With that said, the Bruins are right up against the cap and would struggle to match any offersheet of above $3.5M, which is around the number it would cost to just qualify Kessel.

– As far as Leafs D Tomas Kaberle goes, he will likely move in the next 10 days, with the Bruins, Ducks and Flyers all having inquired about him over the last few days. The Flyers remain interested despite just recently landing D Chris Pronger, but in order for any deal to work, Toronto would have to be willing to take back some salary from Philly if they want to be able to land their specific target.

Speaking of Kaberle, I can now re-confirm that the deal with the Bruins involved Kessel, a first-round pick in 2010 for Kaberle and the No. 7 pick in the 2009 Draft (F Nazem Kadri). Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli learned early Friday evening, some 2.5 hours prior to the start of the draft, that Leafs GM Brian Burke never intended to include the No. 7 pick. The proposed deal ended there, with the Bruins unwilling to give up Kessel and their first-rounder next June for Kaberle alone.

– According to a source, the Flames and D Jay Bouwmeester began contract negotiations today, and the Flames are optimistic that they can get J-Bo to ink. Stay tuned.

NBA

– Rockets team physician Tom Clanton confirmed on Monday that F Yao Ming’s broken left foot “has the potential for him missing this next season and could be career threatening.” Yao is scheduled to meet with more specialists to determine the best course of action, hopeful to avoid yet another surgery. He hasn’t had any pain or swelling, but the results of a recent CT scan were “shocking” for both Yao and the Rockets. Surgery is a realistic option, and no matter the course of treatment, it sounds like Yao will miss at least a big chunk of 2009-2010.

NFL

– Yahoo! Sports reports that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is “leaning toward” indefinitely suspending free agent WR Plaxico Burress. Yahoo!‘s Jason Cole also says it looks like free agent QB Michael Vick’s indefinite suspension will be continued. A similar stance to the one Goodell took with Donte’ Stallworth is expected in both cases. Cole says there’s a “reasonable” chance that Vick won’t play at all in 2009, and that Plax’s suspension could be levied even before his legal issues play out. Burress wouldn’t be worth a flier pick in fantasy leagues if he receives an indefinite ban.

WWE

– WWE has been involved in a multi-year trademark dispute with Muscle Flex Inc. over their “In the Raw” trademarks, which WWE claimed infringed on their “WWE RAW” property. After a ruling from the CIPO (Canadian Intellectual Property Office) sided with Muscle Flex, the company is now considering further legal action (damages) against WWE. Stay tuned.

– WWE executive Andrew Whitaker recently spoke to IndianTelevision.com. Here are some highlights:

On competition, like TNA: All forms of entertainment are competition for WWE as we compete for the public’s attention and entertainment dollar. For any sports or entertainment company, whether you are Manchester United, U2 or WWE, the biggest concern is the enormous proliferation of content in the market. However, WWE is a significant force within entertainment and pop culture. Within our specific entertainment genre, we clearly are the industry leader. While TNA is pro-wrestling, WWE is entertainment.

On who WWE’s top three performers are, in terms of PPV buys and ticket sales: The great thing about WWE Superstars and Divas is that they each hold a different appeal for different fans. While one fan will follow Rey Mysterio or John Cena, another will be a Jeff Hardy supporter. WWE offers something for everyone and that diversity comes to life at live events just by observing the amount of different WWE Superstar signs that are being held and merchandise worn by the fans.