With the Couture and other NHL news coming in, it’s back to awesome hockey.  And Patrick Deggelman joins the podcast as the winner of a DOH fantasy league, which are due to start up again.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Not much is happening, but the Dudes can pull topics out of their hats like magicians.  Plus, there’s a bit of Sharks news.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Not much Sharks news, but the Dudes make their own news with a new friend of the show.  Pics enclosed.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Another week, more new Sharks.  Colin White and James Sheppard join San Jose, and Mike and Doug break it all down (albeit posted late).

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Now that Brent Burns has signed a 5-year extension, the Dudes can give him a proper welcome, and really compare him to other defensemen out there an their contracts.  Also, Mike and Doug identify 10 players that are still out there, somewhat surprisingly, and identify their favorites.  Finally, the Shea Weber saga is discussed, and the wisdom of the Preds to let it drag out so long.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Mike and Doug find a solution to the lack of news in July.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Mike and Doug have plenty of time to talk about the signing of Andrew Murray, the top 10 Sharks prospects, and more philosophical musings about the NHL.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Mike and Doug feast on the small scraps of news that happens this time of year, the signings of Ben Guite, John McCarthy, and Matt Pelech.  They also talk about the different game plans that other successful teams have used to make a run for the Cup, and how the Sharks have been different.  Finally, the Dudes try to come up with somebody, anybody, that the Sharks might be interested in and (most importantly) is available.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

WILSON! SIGN US SOME ROLE PLAYERS! WILSON!!!!

Mike’s on vacation so the next podcast will be delayed a few days. Luckily, there’s not much news to talk about since Doug Wilson appears to be out of whoppers for the moment. In the mildly interesting news department, the Sharks resigned RFA John McCarthy to a one year, $525,000 deal and signed former Columbus forward, Andrew Murray, to a one year, two-way deal, no details confirmed. He is a bottom six forward with size and 181 NHL games of experience. It should be noted that when healthy he can throw the body around with 147 hits in the BJ’s 2008-09 playoffs debut. Unfortunately, he missed all four of their playoff losses with a hamstring injury. There’s that little health thing again. He hasn’t played a minute of AHL hockey in four years, and he won’t likely want to ride the bus, so if he’s healthy, Murray might be a guy to keep an eye on in camp to see if he pushes the Sharks young guns (Desjardins, McGinn, McCarthy and Ferriero) for a roster spot.

Also joining the Sharks this week were former Avalanche, Bruin and Predator, Ben Guite, and former Calgary Flame 2005 first round draft pick, Matt Pelech. Both these guys have been plying their trade in the AHL recently and I’m pretty confident they will be looking for an apartment in Worcester. Pelech is an interesting story though. He’s a shutdown defender that in 2009 was hospitalized with a life threatening blood clot in his shoulder. This combined with other injuries led to a disappointing professional run with the Calgary organization, but he got decent marks from Flames Nation in their profile and projection of him in 2010. Did I mention in the useless fact department, he’s also the nephew of Canucks GM, Mike Gillis. I’m not expecting much from Pelech, but he’ll likely gobble up some of Mike Moore’s minutes in Worcester and how will he aid or hinder the development of Dudes on Hockey love child, Nick Petrecki?

In Kyle Wellwood news, Andrew Strickland is reporting that Wellwood can’t even get a single NHL team to pick up the phone and give him a call. Pretty amazing for a guy who likely thought his stock was raised by his admirable performance in Teal after being claimed on waivers. Apparently, Wellwood’s agent was told by a few teams that they might be in touch later, but no one initiated any conversations with Wellwood, according to Strickland. In the words of Larry David, I find that “Pretty…Pretty…Pretty…shocking! Cheryl, do you respect Wood?” If Kent Huskins can drum up business, what gives with Wellwood? Also, at this point, if the Sharks wanted him back, wouldn’t he have pulled a Benjie Molina and come crawling back to DW like Molina did after no one offered him a deal in 2010? I think the cord is cut and Wellwood is using his floaties. 1-800-KHL-KYLE? Ouch.

This week is the Sharks Prospect Camp. If you follow coverage of other teams around the NHL, there is tons of news about their prospect camps, rosters published, coverage of scrimmages and all that great stuff that keeps someone like me entertained over a Blue Moon. Under a cloud of secrecy, the Sharks prospects skate this week with no real media coverage and I can’t find a prospect list published (if you’ve seen it, post it below). All we’ve seen is a quick interview of Tommy Wingels and a profile of how thick Brandon Mashinter’s skull is on the Sharks official website. Such a bummer. Would love to know more about what’s happening there this week.

We’ll kick the tires on all this and more on the next podcast. Please send your questions as we enter the lull of July and we’ll aim to have some more guests before training camp rolls around. Until then, soak up some rays and talk to you soon on tape delay.

So far, so off the radar this offseason with the additions of Handzus, Vandermeer, Burns and Havlat.

You gotta love how Doug Wilson operates so far off the grid, it keeps us guessing and the next move could come at any moment – or not until February. Who knows? I’ll give Doug Wilson high marks for his efforts this offseason and we know this about our GM – he will not spend the 6.1M in cap space that remains just because it’s there. If a player is available that fits any amount of that space that is on the infamous “Ghost Roster”, he will act quickly. If not, he will wait.

In the past, Doug Wilson has acquired a 3rd line energy forward with fighting ability in Travis Moen and Ben Eager. While Eager’s ability to play on the 3rd line is debatable, Moen has been pretty effective everywhere else other than San Jose in that role of hitting people and chipping in with some goals and rough stuff.

In 2009, the Sharks were linked at the trade deadline with The Beast from the East, Ottawa Senators forward, Chris Neil. He ended up not being traded and signed a contract extension, but with two years left on his deal at 2M per season, he fits my final roster goal of adding a rugged 3rd line winger who will hit anyone and anything. Neil played 80 games last year, finished 6th in the NHL in hits with 258 (Dougie Murray had 203 as a point of hitting reference). Neil played nearly 13 minutes a game and almost all of it came even strength. He has playoff experience during the Senators playoff run in 2006-07 and he didn’t lose his mind like Eager and was able to suit up for all 20 games, playing over 10 minutes in all the Cup Finals tilts.

You can choose to believe the rumor mill or not, but Neil’s name in Teal has come up multiple times, as has Jason Chimera’s (a guy we’ve talked about on the podcast as another potential roster casualty in Washington). Chris Neil would be a real solid addition and complete the Sharks remodeled look on the 3rd line. He’s an intimidating presence, an experienced agitator who has some hockey skill and a great locker room reputation.

What would it take to get him? Ottawa needs young forwards and might be interested in someone like Tommy Wingels, Benn Ferriero or Brandon Mashinter. They aren’t going to win many games this year, so they might want to go for youth and shed Neil’s salary. I think they’d want a young player who could potentially play now, not someone who is two-three years away.

What do you think? Does Chris Neil match what you’d like to see Doug Wilson do next?

Neil-Dog in Teal?