Still no trades or signings in Sharksland, so the dudes get creative.  Some other peripheral news happened around the world of hockey, and several listeners pitched in again to help Mike and Doug out.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

It’s summer, it’s sports, let’s argue about some stuff.

1.  Styles and the Hall.  I know Doug said on the DOH Facebook page that JR is a Hall of Famer, and I just sort of assumed that was true, but then I read Sean Leahy’s post on Puck Daddy called “Is Jeremy Roenick a Hall of Famer?  Then So Is Pierre Turgeon“.  I don’t know about you, but I don’t generally regard Pierre Turgeon as a Hall of Fame candidate, but his career numbers compare pretty favorably with JR’s.  So do Doug Gilmor’s and Adam Oates’, and they’re not in the Hall either.

It’s a bit eye-opening for me.  I guess it comes down to some big questions- is a HOF candidacy only about your NHL production as a player?  Does JR’s mouth ambassadorship merit extra consideration?  What about the fact that he’s an American, the 2nd highest scoring of all time?

After a bit of thought (but not too much), I say, let ’em all in.  If Bernie Federko is in with fewer points (and fewer games) in one of the most scoring intensive times in NHL history (the 1980’s), then it’s not time to be picky.  The NHL HOF probably is the easiest HOF of the major sports to get into.  You can’t start having a conscience about it without advocating purging some of the lesser-deserving.  Let’s not get tight-assed now by taking it out on JR.  As a wise man (Todd Bertuzzi) once said, “it is what it is.”

2.  Is Joe Thornton in the top 10 (or out of the top 50)?  I’ve been reading with interest Adam Gretz’ latest series on AOL, where he names the top 50 current NHL players in declining order.  As of now, he just named Martin Brodeur at #11, with the top 10 yet to come.  So far two Sharks are there, Boyle at #46, and Nabby at #31.  But Jumbo isn’t on the list yet.   We seen some players that several people have argued are better than Joe already named, like Getzlaf, Mike Richards, and Vincent Lecavalier.  On one hand it’s seems ludicrous that Joe wouldn’t be in a list of top 50 players in the NHL.  But by the same token, it seems odd to put Joe above some of the guys that have already been named.  It should be noted this list is not taking into account future value or contracts- it’s just who is the best right now.   I think it’s possible Joe might not make the list at all. What do you think, and which would be a greater travesty?

The rumor mill has kicked into another gear with Dany Heatley and the Sharks, and the dudes roll that into their now-weekly Crazy Trade segment.  After more listener emails, Mike and Doug do a quick breakdown of all the Eastern teams, and rate their off-season moves so far.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Looks like the Heatley rumors have gained in frequency and intensity.  I just happened to have seen this a second ago:

A league source said Tuesday in Toronto that Dany Heatley will be traded to the San Jose Sharks “in the next two days”.

Stay tuned.

Wow.  Anyway, that’s basically the main focus for this week’s podcast, so check it out.  However, I also just read this quote in David Pollak’s latest:

I do have it on good authority that there won’t be any big-time distractions between now and 11 a.m. Thursday, so don’t hold your breath on those Dany-Heatley-to-San-Jose rumors leading anywhere just yet.

Who the hell knows?  It seems that the Sharks are the last man standing when it comes to Heatley, and if Brian Murray is really trying to get a deal done, there seems to be a good chance that Doug Wilson will take his time, and maybe try to pull off a “Joe Thornton 2 – This Time It’s Personal” kind of a trade.  That’s the message when you’re dangling Cheechoo and Ehrhoff for Heatley.  Let’s be honest- a GM would only take that deal if they are over a barrel.  Which Brian Murray is.

Some GMs seem to be thrill seekers.  How else would explain Glen Sather signing both Chris Drury and Scott Gomez for over $7M a year?  That’s a high risk-high reward stuff.  Doing coke off a stripper’s stomach while driving kind of stuff.  And now Sather has done it again this off-season, by signing Marian Gaborik for another $7M+ per year.

Doug Wilson doesn’t seem to be one of those guys that likes to take chances like that.  On the plus side, you don’t get stuck with these gigantic contracts for many years.  On the minus side, it could be death by a million papercuts.  Maybe Michalek’s deal isn’t the best deal ever.  But you couple that with Vlasic, Cheechoo and Ehrhoff making over $3M per, and Murray making $2.5M per, and you’re at the gates of Cap Hell.  The good thing is these contracts are easier to move, so I would take the smaller movable deals rather than the big job-buster, but Heatley is definitely in the latter camp.

Doug estimated how likely it was that Heatley was coming to the Sharks, and that number surprised me (I’ll make you listen to it to find out what it is).  What’s your estimate, and if this major deal does happen, is it a sign that Doug Wilson is starting to play fast and loose?