Selanne returns to Ducks

The Finnish Flash is back.

Teemu Selanne has shunned retirement and re-signed with the Anaheim Ducks for the remainder of the season, and at a bargian $1.5M base + $1.35 performance bonus (playing 10 games). Prorated that's $2M against the cap.

Even with their best two players well-rested, winning a back-to-back Stanley Cups would be a remarkable achievement. Still, if the Ducks can pull it off, expect a lot of complaining from GMs around the league.

Niedermayer to return

Color me shocked.

Ducks GM Brian Burke confirmed today that defenseman Scott Niedermayer will return for the remainder of the season, predictably ending the speculation surrounding the former captain.

Burke will have to shed some salary to accommodate Niedermayer's multiyear contract.

Niedermayer is not eligible to go back on the 23-man roster of the Ducks until Anaheim GM Brian Burke clears cap space for next year - called "tagging" room - by moving a player currently on the roster who is also under contract next season. By everyone's estimate, the Ducks need to free up about $3 million worth of next season's salary commitment in order to get Niedermayer back in the lineup now.

- TSN's Bob McKenzie

Thanks to Niedermayer's suspension, his salary to date this year isn't on the books and the Anaheim has just enough cap room to accomodate the prorated remainder of his $6.75MM paycheck - but next year is another story (assuming Niedermayer doesn't extend his off-season again). The contract extensions for Ryan Getzlaf and Chris Kunitz have maxed out the Ducks for the 08/09 season, and Burke still has to resign RFA Corey Perry and a number of role players.

McKenzie and others speculate Matthieu Schneider and his $5M contract will be on the block to clear cap space for both this year (with the double benefit of paving the way for the possible return of Teemu Selanne) and next.

The Bryz moves to Phoenix

Love him or hate him, you almost have to respect what Ducks GM Brian Burke did for goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov.

Stuck behind J-S Giguere and his freshly inked long-term, no-trade contract, Bryz was never going to get the chance to be a number one in Anaheim. Burke tried to deal him, but as an impending UFA there weren't any teams willing to give up much (or anything as it turns out) for Bryzgalov.

Burke could have held onto Bryz and just not resigned him at the end of the season. A perhaps selfish act but one any GM would do in a heartbeat, cap permitting. Instead he put Byrzgalov on waivers.

Perhaps Burke wanted to do a solid for a likable player or maybe he just wants Jonas Hiller as their backup. We may never know.

“We’re making this move, first and foremost, to give Ilya Bryzgalov a chance to play,” Burke said. “He’s a good guy who’s played well for us, but we’ve committed to the other goaltender.

“I promised Bryz I would find him a place to play. He’s been great. He has not asked for a trade. This whole schematic here is mine. He never came to me and said ‘I want out.’ His agent never did. When we signed Hiller, when we re-signed Jiggy, we never heard a word out of Bryz...

“We’re committed to Jonas Hiller,” Burke said. "We think he’s the real deal. We didn’t sign Jonas Hiller to play in Portland.”

- OC Register

Kinda sounds like when you don't want to insult the mother of your children but you're still leaving her for another woman.

If you think this is about cap space, you're wrong. Yes, Hiller makes $500K less than Bryzgalov, but his hefty $2.35M signing bonus hits the books with his call-up.

So how does Bryz celebrate his new starter status? A 1-0 shutout against the rival Kings, of course. Maybe things are looking up again for Phoenix.

Interesting to note that the Oilers had waiver priority over the Coyotes. How pissed would Burke have been if Kevin Lowe had claimed Bryzgalov?

And they're off!

So don't ever ask me what team you should put money on. My prediction about the season opener would have lost you a bundle.

Despite a seemingly unimpressive preseason punctuated by a goaltending hangover from last year, the Kings claimed the first victory of the NHL season by beating the Stanley Cup champ Ducks 4-1.

Jonathan Bernier was impressive in his NHL debut and will make it hard for LA to send him back to junior, particularly if Jason LaBarbera fails to identify himself as the clear starter.

Here's my latest prediction: Add Bernier to your fantasy team now. He'll soon be the no. 1 guy in LA. You can put money on it, just don't come crying to me when I'm wrong.

Niedermayer suspended

The Ducks went through the formality of suspending Scott Niedermayer. He did not report to camp, which opened today. The move was to be expected and takes the captain's $6.75M salary off the books. GM Brian Burke now has the cap room to find a replacement for Teemu Selanne, a UFA who also has yet to decide on his retirement. (Burke effectively found a replacement for Niedermayer, albeit a lesser and older one, by signing Mathieu Schneider.)

The talk around town is Niedermayer will take some time off to recharge his batteries and return mid-season to guide the Ducks on another Stanley Cup run. Presumably, Burke will have to shed some of his new found cap space to welcome Niedermayer back from suspension.

Brings to mind the Ruotsalainen Rule. For those unfamiliar, Reijo Ruotsalainen was a small but fluid skater in the 1980s. Most notably he was a power play specialist for the Oilers when they won the Cup in 1987 and 1990. GM Glen Sather would let Ruotsalainen spend most of the season in Europe - a much lighter and less physical game schedule. He'd join Edmonton before their playoff run without the wear and tear of an NHL season. As a result, the league implemented a rule which requires European players to clear waivers in order to join their NHL club after opening night.

I can't really blame Burke if he's using Niedermayer's inevitable suspension to clear cap room while still retaining the future services of his star defenseman. It's perfectly within the rules of the CBA. But if in fact that's the case, look for the NHL to close the loophole. How's this for a "Niedermayer Rule": If a player returns from suspension mid-season, his entire salary counts against the cap?

Great Scott, make up your mind already!

The Ducks called a press conference today so that Scott Niedermayer could address the open question of his possible retirement.

And the answer is...

...he's still deciding.

I'm sure those journalists are glad they trekked to the Honda Center for the non-announcement.

On a more serious note, my mind is starting to speculate on why he can't make a decision. Niedermayer never struck me as player who would put his team in this position. His $6.75M salary handcuffs the Ducks with respect to making any player moves -- resigning Teemu Selanne or trading for another elite winger, for example -- not to mention the distraction it continues to create.

I wonder if there's an unreported health issue. Is it simply indecision or is he waiting on a doctor's OK? If in fact it is the former, it's time for the Captain to put the team first and declare his intention.

Burke calls Lowe "gutless" and more

Ducks GM Brian Burke addressed the press today in response to Kevin Lowe's offer sheet to Dustin Penner. He had a lot of not so nice things to say, calling Lowe "gutless" for not telling Burke directly about the offer and "classless" for stealing the thunder at tonight's BC Hockey Hall of Fame.

One of Burke's less sensational comments is what should really concern fans and the league itself:

"I have no problem with offer sheets, they are part of the CBA," Burke said on a conference call. "I think it's a tool certainly a team is entitled to use. My issue here is this is the second time this year in my opinion Edmonton have offered a grossly inflated salary for a player, and it impacts on all 30 teams."

- Canadian Press

We'll have to wait and see if these sheets start driving up salaries but it's a real possibility.

The Vanek offer was a bit more reasonable. A proven point-a-game guy with a solid +/- can easily command $7M per year. But Vanek should have to string together at minimum back-to-back seasons like that before sniffing that kind of cash. Consistency is what separates a good season from a great career.

The same could be said of Penner: great potential but unproven. The problem here is, his sheet is about $1M above market for guys with similar numbers.

If Burke refuses to match, he'll receive Edmonton's first, second and third round picks. The Ducks could conceivably have a shot at both the Cup and first choice in the 2008 draft.

If I was Burke, I'd take the picks and start lobbying for John Tavares to enter the draft early.