Will the Grievance Charge Solve Things?

More bad news for the LA Kings because it just seems that Dean Lombardi has had enough of people who have overlooked this entire Ryan Smyth trade.

The Kings have filed a grievance charge with the NHL on Friday, on which they believe that Colin Fraser, the player they acquired in the Ryan Smyth trade, is unfit and unable to be with the team. Also, he has a broken ankle fracture which the Oilers said would be healed in the next few days. Well, guess what? The trade was like a month ago and he's still not healed.

The Kings are expected to release Fraser but they can't release him until he has completely healed from his ankle fracture and that'll take time. Unfortuntately, I think Dean Lombardi doesn't want to play him the money when he can't play and that's probably what he's mad about.

Earlier, Lombardi tried to acquire Gilbert Brule from the Oilers but found out he was also injured. He settled with Colin Fraser but after looking at him, he's had enough of the Oilers being misleaders in their attempt to get Ryan Smyth.

Lombardi's not asking for a void in the trade, as I expected he would say. Fraser's just not healthy, and he believes the Oilers tricked him into getting a player that's not healthy. And that's enough for him to file a grievance charge.

Grievance charges are not that easy and sometimes they may take months to even clear up. But for Dean Lombardi, he's probably got something going. He got a player that was injured and he can't do anything with him until his ankle fracture is over.

Ankle fractures take time to heal. I've had one when I was younger and it completely ruined the entire summer. Yes, it took me three months (July, August, and September) to completely get myself healed. So it's not surprising that it's taking Colin Fraser this long to get himself healed. But Lombardi just wants to get rid of him now!

My advice for Lombardi: If he wins it, let Colin Fraser still play for him! You've done your job and Colin Fraser is a great player. Just wait until he's healed and then you'll see how much of a factor he's had. I'm just afraid Lombardi might not listen to me. So he couldn't keep Ryan Smyth but he's creating too much drama to try to get his point across.

What'll happen now? Will he win? Or will Gary Bettman find another answer? Seems like the mess is going on for a while and there's probably no end in sight. We'll just have to wait and see, puckheads. The drama for LA is not over.

Is Bradley's Dismissal A Concern For The U.S. National Team?

Surprising news out of the world of soccer today, and this piece of news might be either the most concerning and the most surprising one people have heard in a while.

Bob Bradley's tenure with the US National Team is officially over, as Sunil Gulati, the President of US Soccer, told the media that Bradley has been relieved of his duties as the US coach. Although his immediate replacement has not yet been found, the US team has now gotten rid of a coach who had a very successful time with the US but ultimately has left a few dents in the road, especially ones in the Gold Cup and the World Cup.

He has a 43-25-12 record overall as a coach since being hired in January of 2007. 25 of those wins, however, came as exactly the wrong times, especially with two losses against Mexico and big upset World Cup losses against Ghana as well as the 2-1 close loss to Panama in the Round Robin tournament of the Gold Cup. So with all that said, will the new coach come in and put the team where it should be? The answer is, I don't know.

The US team has very many question marks concerning the team and with the new coach coming in, I'm not sure if all of it can be addressed. They'll certainly have to figure out a way to stop losing against poorer teams if they want to win the next World Cup and the next Gold Cup. This coach will have to know exactly what he's doing and what it honestly takes for this team to get far. Because let's face it, even though Bob Bradley was a good coach, it ultimately didn't translate to wins when the team needed them most.

This isn't really surprising, honestly, since I believed this would be coming, even though he signed a contract extension through the next World Cup. The US team needs to find a coach that can get them to their World Cup winners goal, because it hasn't really been much for the US team, except for the Gold Cup Finals when they had a pretty good run until losing to Mexico. But here's a name to look out for: Bruce Arena. He's a good coach and he knows exactly how to power this team to victories. With the Galaxy, he's doing pretty well. I wouldn't be surprised if that success translated with the US national team.

Whether or not the US team is ready for the next step, Bob Bradley will be manning the team. They'll have to find someone who can take this team far. Will the US team find a coach to get them to their goals? If so, who do you think might get there? We'll know soon enough, soccerheads.

Toss-Up July 26th, 2011

It's that time again for the return of the Toss-Up. It's been a while since this has been done, since there has been few debate questions in the past couple weeks, but I've finally managed to see five good debate questions right out of the pot. Agree or disagree? Post what you think here. And also if you have debate questions of your own, send them to hoodenterprise@yahoo.com or the Reid's NHL And MLS Insight Facebook page. Let's get to it.

Kris Draper's retirement. Big deal or no deal at it?
Anytime you talk about a Red Wing player, especially one at a caliber level, it's a huge deal. Kris Draper was one of the main reasons that Detroit was very successful. Now that he's retired, how will the team fare? Yes, I know Lidstrom is coming back for one more year, but you can't seem to lay all of the teams' wins on Liddy's shoulders. So this is a big deal because we don't know how Draper's retirement will affect the Red Wings going forward.

How do you think Derek's Boogaard's trial with go? Guilty or innocent?
The thing here is innocent until proven guilty. But let's make something clear. His brother sold him these drugs and then Derek died from mixing alcohol. He's going to be found guilty on one of those drug charges, but I don't know if he'll get the rest. Anybody who sells drugs should be in prison for a long time. So yes. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. He's going to do some time. I'd be shocked if he was found innocent on that mishandling drugs charge.

How do you like your Canadiens staff? Winners or losers?
The Canadiens may have one of the best fanbases in the NHL, but they're a confusing team when it comes to hiring their new coaches and assistant coaches. I'm guessing these guys will be winners because if they were, their GM probably wouldn't have brought them in. If the coach of the Canadiens wants these guys, then yes he'll do fine with them. If not, there could be consequences. I think they're trying to be winners. I don't think losers will cut it in that fanbase.

Where do you see Trevor Gretzky in the future? Chicago or somewhere else?
Okay, so the Cubs signed the hockey legend's son, which I think is a great idea. But will Trevor actually bring it to Chicago? I debated this like a month ago and I said that he'll probably have to find success somewhere else. I think he can find success here with the Cubs. The problem is, no one is watching that team right now because it's in the gutters. Maybe Trevor will bring back that fanbase but for his future, he'll do well in Chicago but his ultimate destiny lies somewhere else. Right now, he'll have good luck in Chicago.

The Winnipeg Jets' new logos? Ugly or awesome?
I'll tell you what's ugly. The Canadien's throwback uniforms because they look like prison uniforms. If you look at some of those logos, they are awesome. It says it's inspired by the Royal Canadien Air Force, which I think is a great salute to a piece of military, modern or history. I can't wait to get the jersey with these logos next season, because it looks great to see them and on players, it looks even better. This is definitely an awesome logo.

Five debate questions. One answer for each. Keep checking back for more news and notes from around the NHL and the MLS. Until next time, keep enjoying your offseason, puckheads, and enjoy that soccer frenzy, soccerheads.

Another Retirement for a Red Wing Veteran

Red Wings fans just lost another great player on their team to a big retirement, and this one did come with great respect.

Another winning three Stanley Cups and piling together more than 400 wins, Red Wing veteran Chris Osgood has retired, offically ending the veterans' tenure with the Red Wings as a player. He will continue with the team as a goaltender consultant, but his accomplishments are just that important to a career that has gone back-and-forth from time to time.

This is just the Red Wings' second retirement in as many weeks. As you may have remembered, defenseman Brian Rafalski retired and now comes along Chris Osgood, but Osgood has left a much bigger impact on the team than Rafalski did. He earned most of the attention along with returnee Nick Lidstrom and supreme player Stevie Yzerman. He's 10th on the NHL list in goals with 401 and went 71-49 in the playoffs, one of the best winning percentages ever in the playoffs.

Chris Osgood will be remembered by what he brought to the Red Wings. Not only his courage and his leadership but also his gifted abilities in goal and his fate towards the city of hockey. I think Osgood's retirement says it all. This guy did what he could and he decided to hang it up after a great career with the Red Wings, Islanders, and Blues. But his other teams are not as important as that of the Red Wings.

With the great veteran Chris Osgood gone, the Wings have now brought back Ty Conklin, who is expected to fill that backup role to Jimmy Howard. Osgood will be great at his goaltending consultant position, but fans will remember him as one of the many players that lead the Red Wings to history.

Galaxy-Real Madrid Recap

No complaining for Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid in their first preseason game of the 2011-12 season, especially one that involves the LA Galaxy.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a beauty of a goal in the 53rd minute of play, while three other Madrid players got on the board, earning them a 4-1 preseason win over the LA Galaxy in a game that perhaps most fans of LA would have seen rather than the Red Bulls-Chivas USA game going on at the Home Depot Center.

Things were tense between the two teams all match but it was Real Madrid that got most of the upper hand on the Galaxy's smaller forwards and defenders that were anxiously trying to block the big guys of Madrid. In the end, it probably wasn't meant to be the Galaxy that would walk out of this one.

David Beckham wore the captain's band that game in order to try and make a statement against his former team, but ultimately failed to even produce some sort of impact on the field before he was replaced in the 61st minute. I think this was a good idea for Beckham to get it. I'm just not sure it would've mattered anyway seeing that Real Madrid came out and really blasted the Galaxy's offense and defense.

For the Galaxy, a great match is all we ask, and certainly it proved it at the LA Coliseum. They'll have to move forward though in the MLS as Seattle is gaining ground and threatening to take over the entire MLS from the Galaxy. This game helps get the Galaxy's offense back on track Wednesday when they face Columbus, but they'll have to do work in order to get balls past Wiliam Hesmer, the Crew goalie.

Real Madrid looks in fine shape right now, even though it is their first game. Wednesday they'll face CD Chivas Guadalajara at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. I think they'll dominate that game too because of the performance they show and it looks like the new players for Madrid are really clicking on all sides of the field, whether it be offense, defense, or goaltending. It is expected to be a tough game though as Chivas will not go down without a fight.

It was a great game at the LA Coliseum and hopefully left some important memories on those of Real Madrid fans in LA, Galaxy fans all over, and Real Madrid fans in other parts of the world. I don't expect they'll be back in LA next year but if they are, I expect a great game just like the one I saw on Saturday.

Fans, I have many great pictures from the Real Madrid-Galaxy match, but I'll only be posting about 10-15 photos because I took over a hundred photos in total. Here's the recap of the game and look at the beauty goal scored by Ronaldo.

Don't Rip Edmonton, Dean Lombardi!

If you think the Ryan Smyth trade was a big-time addition for the Oilers, Kings fans are already starting to get heat up about the trade, especially Dean Lombardi who felt that the Oilers has misled him in trading Ryan Smyth for a player he believes can't play.

Now comes the drama for the Kings. Dean Lombardi might be issuing a mistake to league counsel David Zimmerman in saying that the Oilers are just trying to mislead the Kings in order to get their prized Ryan Smyth back.

Now the Oilers have said that the player Los Angeles acquired, Colin Fraser, is two weeks away from playing on the ice again after breaking a foot last month, but Lombardi apparently believes he'll be less than ready for when the season opener comes. The Kings were preparing to waive Fraser when Lombardi decided to lash out.

Dean Lombardi doesn't need to voice frustration just because he traded away Ryan Smyth to Edmonton. He has instrumental in getting Mike Richards from the Flyers and Simon Gagne from the Lightning. So here's my question: What is the big deal here? The Kings can compete for a title without Ryan Smyth. I would feel a lot better if Lombardi would've just acquired draft picks instead of players who he feels can't play. I think it's time that Lombardi shuts up and sees how his season plays out before deciding to rip another club. Colin Fraser is a good player and he was great with the Blackhawks and Oilers for the past two seasons. So don't even think about ripping the Oilers any more, Mr. Lombardi.

L.A. will move forward but with all this drama, it'll move forward very slowly. Even without Ryan Smyth in the lineup, I see the Kings going far in the playoffs. In the meantime, Dean Lombardi needs to cool down and show respect for the player he's got. Colin Fraser will be a factor in the Kings' season when he does play again, and it would surprise me if Lombardi would try to get rid of him.

Are the Ducks Getting the Right Players?

A first-round playoff exit for the (my) Anaheim Ducks was a stepping stone in their pace back towards the Stanley Cup. Now the offseason will prove if they can actually take that next step, and it starts with acquiring players from Edmonton...or is it really a step backwards?

Over the past few days, the Ducks traded for Andrew Cogliano and signed Jeff Deslauriers to serve as a backup for potential returnee Jonas Hiller. The Ducks did not resign Ray Emery, leading to the Deslauriers signing. I think the Cogliano signing was a lot better and while Deslaurier was great for Edmonton, he proved at times that he's not the most reliable player in the league.

I think the Ducks are getting the players but it's going to take a while for them to really blend in with the Ducks' offense, especially since Todd Marchant is retired and the potential retirement of one Teemu Selanne. If Selanne does indeed retire, I think Cogliano can fill the void that Selanne will leave. He is very speedy through the center and prove time-and-time again that his speed and agility really helps shut down defenses. If you looked at him in Edmonton last year, he was very agile and knew exactly how to kill the defenses, such as Calgary and Minnesota to name a few.

Now while I believe Teemu might not retire, it doesn't mean that he's already an impact for the team in the offseason. If Teemu does come back, it means he and Cogliano are going to be a great help along the Ducks' offensive line. It also means that the Ducks will be more improved than they were last season, especially with Cogliano.

Let's go back to goaltending now. With Deslaurier coming in, will we see the end of Dan Ellis? I am a big fan of Dan Ellis when he was with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Now that he's with the Ducks, he has proven himself a great goaltender when the Ducks have asked him. But Deslaurier might signal the end of the Ellis in Anaheim. I would look for him to get traded before the trading deadline next February because if Deslaurier is signed for two years, it means that Ellis might already be on his way out. I hate to see Dan Ellis go but some things are unavoidable when it comes to Anaheim Ducks GM Bob Murray.

There are still some things that I just don't get about the Ducks. Their offseason moves either seem to leave question marks or prove that they are not reliable. However, with Cogliano, I think the Ducks will have a shot. What do you think, Ducks fans? Will Cogliano prove himself in Anaheim? We'll find out, puckheads.

Who Should Play in the Eastern Conference?

The realignment talks are already starting to heat up. With news that the Atlanta Thrashers are going to be the Winnipeg Jets, teams that are in the east part of the Western Conference are already making talks that they would like to be moved to the other conference.

With the departure of Atlanta, realignment comes as no surprise to anyone in the league, especially teams that are in the Eastern part of the Western Conference, such as Nashville, Detroit, or Columbus. All teams are ready to make the jump to the Eastern Conference but who is the likely candidate?

Detroit has that big-time rivalry with Chicago and if Detroit does move, it would potentially eliminate the possible rivalry between the two teams. On the other hand, Detroit wants to play with teams in the East, since they feel it is easier to get into the playoffs in the East then in the West. Columbus and Nashville might want to go for those reasons, and Nashville wants to win the Stanley Cup and it might seem like an easier road for them to play in the Western Conference since Boston and Tampa Bay might seem like the only powerhouses on the East Coast. Columbus can go because if it moves to the Eastern Conference it can have that big-time rivalry with Pittsburgh, even though the Penguins already share one with Philadelphia. The truth of the matter is, they need to find a way to get into the playoffs whether or not they stay in the Eastern Conference.

Now those three teams seem like the obvious choices to make the switch to the Eastern Conference. Any other teams? The only other option I see is Dallas moving to the Southeast Division and that means Colorado will move to the Pacific Division and play with Anaheim, LA, San Jose, and Phoenix. If Nashville, Columbus, or Detroit move, Minnesota might move to the Central Division. At least that's how I see it.

So who really should move to the Eastern Conference? I don't think Dallas is going to move, even though it should. Detroit has that big rivalry with Chicago, so if they move, there might be uproars about that. Nashville is east but it's not east enough. That leaves Columbus and I think that Columbus will have a better shot at a winning record in two years if they move to the Eastern Conference. They will have an easier shot to get into the playoffs if they move to the East. Nashville and Detroit have already proven they can get in and Dallas really can't move. So we'll see if Columbus actually makes the move or if the league surprises us by picking either Detroit, Nashville, or Dallas.

Well, realignment will happen after the next season ends and will it happen? Will those three teams jump? Or will Dallas surprise everybody and move to the Southeast Division? We won't know for a long time, puckheads, but be ready to see some major changes come to our conferences.

Second Sharks/Wild Trade: Impact For Both Teams?

The Wild and the Sharks went at it again and this time, it seems that one of the key players in the Sharks' lineup is taking his talents to the Northwest Division.

In the second monster trade between the two teams this offseason, the Sharks traded Dany Heatley to the Wild in exchange for Martin Havlat, one of the co-leading scorers for the Wild last season. He and Heatley have similar numbers and the fact that he has a lower contract in terms of money saves the Sharks the possibility of adding another free agent if they so choose.

I wouldn't expect much than what the Sharks are already doing. Doug Wilson is already starting to get furious that his team is not getting that Stanley Cup and he is already starting to deal away players that he has deemed unfit for the Sharks. First Devin Setoguchi, a top goal scorer, for Brent Burns, a guy who hasn't necessarily been at the same level as Setoguchi. Then there's Dany Heatley, a guy who wanted to go to the Sharks, and did, but now has found himself back up near Canada in Minnesota. Martin Havlat now runs Heatleys' role in San Jose. Okay, so what? It means that the Sharks are tired of getting left out, and they're perhaps starting to quit. Yeah, sure, say what you want to say, but Setoguchi and Heatley were the reasons that the Sharks MADE the playoffs, while Burns and Havlat aren't necessarily guys you can deal with once postseason starts.

It just seems that the Sharks are done as big-time contenders for the Stanley Cup. In fact, even with these moves, I don't see them as big division champions anymore. They may have just met their untimely fate and now the Sharks are going to be feeling that once the regular season starts.

As for the Wild, their chances have just increased. Two big-time guys who can put the puck in the back of the net and that's certainly what Minnesota needs since their past few seasons have gone horribly wrong. In fact, I see Minnesota actually getting to the Stanley Cup semifinals and maybe even the Conference Finals. They know what they're doing, and it looks like it's definitely going to pay off for the Wild come regular time. I feel pretty good now about the Wild's chances. They have somewhere to go and I think that direction is up.

So it looks like there's two teams heading in different directions, at least I think so. For the Sharks, they might have the right pieces, but will it actually show come regular season? For the Wild, is this their year to shine? Only one way to find out: Wait until October 7th. Then we'll finally see who has the upper advantage in these two trades.

Will Jaromir Jagr Help the Flyers?

Hey, puckheads. I hope your 4th of July was great. Hotdogs, hamburgers, fireworks, Joey Chestnut. Haha. I got you on that one. No seriously, another big hot dog eating win for Chestnut. But guess what? The free agency period has started and many big names are already moving on to new teams. One of these big names is Mr. Jaromir Jagr, a former big-time NHL star who has returned to the states and has now signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Shocker? Surpriser? Probably so. Let's get something straight. Jagr has very lucrative deals from the Penguins and the Red Wings to join their respective teams. However, he says he felt "more at ease" when he heard what the Flyers were going to give him. One question: What?! Would you turn down a lot of benefits in those contracts to play for a team that might be revamping their entire roster? One thing's for sure: Jagr is willing to take that risk.

According to a report by ESPN.com via the Associated Press, he liked what GM Paul Holmgren was doing in revamping the Flyers, and that the addition of Ilya Bryzgalov was a reason why he signed on with the team, instead of taking the deals from Pittsburgh and Detroit. Okay, so Ilya Bryzgalov is a good goalie but would you sign on without the additions of Mike Richards and Jeff Carter? Unfortunately, he would and right now, Jagr seems like the choice to replace those two starred forwards. But as a veteran, it might be better if we just wait and see what he brings to the rearranged Flyers team.

I don't know where the Flyers are going right now. Flyers fans say that this team definitely is going in the right direction. But right now, things are a little bit dicey. Will Bryzgalov prove himself for Philadelphia? Will Jagr provide the offense left by Richards and Carter? There's so many unanswered question and it looks like the work is not done for the Philadelphia Flyers.