Cechmanek/Khabibulin

[nccanes]

Okay, it's from the NY Post, but interesting....

The Flyers, looking for a goaltender, have some interest in Nikolai Khabibulin, whose future in Tampa is unclear after having been benched by John Tortorella in favor of John Grahame for Game 5 of the Devils series. And the Lightning - with former Philly operative Bill Barber a man of much influence in the organization - may be willing to take Roman Cechmanek. We could easily see an exchange of goaltenders taking place if the Flyers were to raise the ante with defense prospect Jeff Woywitka.



oh and a little tidbit about where Federov spends his cash...

Yes, but can LeBron James top this? Sergei Fedorov, a Motor City snoop reports, has just purchased a $650,000 Ferrari that can go 250 mph. Can't wait to see him open it up on the Lodge Freeway.

[StormShaman]

IMO people are making way more of the Khabibulin-Grahame switcheroo than needs to be made--I mean, Tortorella tried to pull a Chairman Mo in the hopes that Grahame would do for the Bolties what Weekesy did for us in the playoffs against the Devils. That's all it was--an attempt to 1) salvage his #1 guy and 2) strike some fear into the hearts of the Devils by using a tactic that worked on them once before.

Call me wierd, but I can't see the Bolts dumping Khabibulin unless they were offered a hella-sweet deal which included a lot more than Roman Cechmanek (who, though I love him dearly, is probably not the guy to lead his team to the Promised Land).

Just my 1/50 of a dollar.

[nccanes]

I suppose the real answer lies with just how po'd both Roman and Khabby are - and none of us know that.

Perhaps the last minute goalie switcheroo was supposed to have the similar effect to what Mo did - but Mo pulled Irbe twice during games before he started Weekes. But Grahame was great in that last game - so it almost worked.

[Turbulence]

Khabibulin wasn't swiss cheese. Sure, he may have let in some goals at inopportune times, but he wasn't horrible. The goalie change was simply a way of lighting a spark under the collective team arse...and it almost worked. I don't believe for a minute that Tampa would give up Khabibulin for someone as streaky as Cechmanek....even with that prospect thrown in. The last thing they need is to have two streaky, unreliable goalies.

Bah!

[Cool Hand Luke]

I tend to agree the Bolts would not "want" to deal Khabibulin, but let's face it goaltenders can be tempermental creatures, especially after a benching. Nicky wasn't very happy earlier in the year when Grahame was doing well, either. His somewhat questionable attitude may be right in the gutter now, and that's not how the Bolts want to start next season.

Interesting scenario to watch.

[StormShaman]

I still think it's making a mountain out of a molehill. I mean, seriously--Khabby got mildly pissy earlier in the season when Grahame was doing well, and that situation blew over quickly. Khabby was a little pissy when he got benched for Game 5, but there hasn't been anything else about it since then.

If there was really something going on in Tampa, we'd have heard about it by now. Seriously.

[Guyute]

I don't believe for a minute that Tampa would give up Khabibulin for someone as streaky as Cechmanek....even with that prospect thrown in. The last thing they need is to have two streaky, unreliable goalies.
Bah!

I don't see it happening either. But really Turby.... Streaky??

do me a favor and pull up Roman's stats over the past 3 seasons. Better GAA (of goalies playing over 150 games in those 3 seasons) than ANYONE. if that's streaky... what do you call our goalies?? :eek: :crazy: lol

Roman's fault lies in the stress of the playoffs. and that's something only he can decide to change. Uncle Bobby's job is to decide whether or not he thinks he can. I don't know.
in any case.... Roman is a hell of a 'tender.

[Captain Slack]

More developments, but not involving Cechmanek:

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?ID=44750&hubName=nhl

From how it reads, it definitely seems like Tampa is going to move Khalibulin. Colorado seems like the likely desitination, IMHO.

[Shell]

I think it's funny how they say it is gonna happen but the only quote from the organIzation is "If you don't watch this year's draft, then you won't miss us trading our goaltender," said Feaster.

Guess it's hard to tell whether the GM is posturing or if the press is trying to create a story in these boring, hockeyless days. Personally, I think it would be a silly move.

[nccanes]

The St. Pete times from today:

http://www.sptimes.com/2003/06/18/Lightning/No_moves_planned__esp.shtml

Excerpt:
Feaster even tore down (again) a persistent trade rumor that could have been the league's hottest heading into two days in which the wheeling and dealing on the draft floor is as anticipated as the selections themselves.

"I have no intention of trading either one of our goaltenders," Feaster said of Nikolai Khabibulin and John Grahame. "I think you start the season with one of the best, if not the best, goaltending tandems in the National Hockey League. Goaltending is the position you have to have strength in."