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Alexei Yashin rumored to have an offer to return to NHL

Jul 18

Posted by Chris in Rumors | 1 Comment

Nearly three weeks after Jaromir Jagr returned to the NHL after several seasons abroad with the KHL, it appears as if another former NHL superstar could be on his way back as well.

Rumors have started to gain momentum that former New York Islander Alexei Yashin could be back on his way to the NHL after a four-year stint in the Russin KHL after it was announced today that Yashin’s team, SKA St. Petersburg, would not be renewing the 37-year-old’s contract for next year. Yashin’s agent has also reported that his client has already received a contract offer from one NHL team.

Yashin last played in the NHL for the New York Islanders in 2006-07 where he posted 50 points, including 18 goals, in 58 games. However, Yashin failed to score a single point in five playoff games and was eventually bought out by the Islanders at the end of the season thanks to questions about his level of effort in relation to his enormous 10-year, $87.5 million contract.

In 2009-10, Yashin enjoyed one of his best offensive season in years with 64 points in 56 games. However, Yashin severely declined last season when he posted only 33 points in 52 games.

Perhaps even more speculative than a potential return to the NHL is Yashin’s potential impact on a contending team looking for an offensive boost. While it was still considered a gamble for the Philadelphia Flyers to sign Jaromir Jagr to a one-year contract three weeks ago because of Jagr’s time away from the NHL game, his production at the World Championships showed that Jagr still has what it takes to play at the highest level. That may not be the case with Yashin who has shown inconsistencies over the last several seasons and hasn’t played at a national stage against the world’s top competition since 2006 as a member of the Russian Olympic team.

With several teams still beneath the salary cap floor, there is chance that a team could toss a large one-year deal at Yashin in an attempt to both meet the floor and possible garner some scoring depth. Before being bought out by the Islanders, Yashin was very keen on the idea of returning to the Ottawa Senators, the team that drafted him second overall in 1992. However, the Senators were not interested at the time in bringing Yashin back into the fold. Could they be interested in Yashin now as a free agent?

Pittsburgh and Detroit could also get in on Yashin after missing out on Jagr. On both teams, Yashin would be looked upon to provide depth scoring instead of being the central figure of the team’s offense. Could Yashin be the winger the Penguins desperately seek for Sidney Crosby?

Regardless, after watching the Jagr drama drag on for months, don’t get your hopes up on anything happening with Yashin in the immediate future. Yashin hasn’t commented on his willingness to even return to the NHL despite the supposed offer and could opt to sign with another club in the KHL.

Mike Modano Retire?

Jul 16

Posted by EB in News, Rumors | 2 Comments

If Modano retires, life won't be so bad spending time with wife Willa Ford.

With the free agency pool depleted of all the big names, with the exceptions of both Steven Stamkos and Drew Doughty, it is easy to miss the remaining crop of players. Once such player is that of veteran Mike Modano, who, will be faced with a decision to retire or not.

Modano, who is currently 41 years of age, broke into the NHL in the ’80-’90 season with the Minnesota North Stars. His impact on the team was immediately felt.  Playing 80 games, Modano posted 29 goals and 46 assists for an impressive 75 point season. Today, the veteran has accumulated 561 goals and 813 assists in 1,499 games played. His production holds the record for most goals (561) and most points (1,374) by an American-born player in NHL history. In the ’98 – ’99 season, Modano lead the Dallas Stars to their first ever Stanley Cup Championship, the only to his name currently.

Last season Modano played for the Detroit Red Wings, his first non Minnesota North Stars/ Dallas Stars team. In 40 games played, he totaled an unimpressive 15 points. Fans would credit the low production to a string of bad luck. Modano suffered a cut tendon in his wrist from the skate of Columbus Blue Jacket’s R.J. Umberger. Ultimately needing surgey, Modano’s injury sidelined him for 41 games.

The bad luck seemed to continue after returning to the ice as Red Wing’s Head Coach Mike Babcock scratched Modano on multiple occasions to rotate younger, grittier players into the lineup. Ultimately, Modano was such a last resort that at one point in the playoffs, Babcock opted go with a injured Johan Franzen who could barely skate, instead of a healthy Modano. For many, the writing was on the wall for the veteran player.

The critics would say the fairytale ending with the Dallas Stars is over, his legacy slightly damaged this past season. Perhaps it is time to hang up the skates, acknowledge his best years are behind him, and begin a respectable after career-career in the front office of the Dallas Stars organization.

The fans would point out he will not be the workhorse of yesteryear, but put him on the third line and give him some powerplay time, Modano will surely produce 30 points in an injury free season.

Modano is expected to make a decision within the next few weeks if he plans to come back for another season as a player. It seems unlikely that the Detroit Red Wings will sign him, but other teams would most likely express interest in the still, very talented player.

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Semin rumors swirl while Capitals seek cap relief

Jul 15

Posted by Chris in Rumors, Soap Box | 2 Comments

The Washington Capitals have some tough decisions to make concerning their 23-man roster in the coming weeks as the team finds themselves roughly $900,000 over the salary cap after the recent signing of defenseman Karl Alzner, leading many to speculate that a big move could be on the horizon for a team looking to add depth and become cap compliant.

The trio of Alexander Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Semin eats up roughly one-third of the team’s salary cap – and rightly so as they also accounted for 35 percent of the team’s offense last season. With the former two locked up by long-term contracts, the most likely candidate to be moved appears to be Alexander Semin and his one-year, $6.7 million contract. As a top three scorer, moving Semin could not only give the Capitals the cap relief they need, but it could also help the team balance their scoring and make them a deeper team offensively.

The New York Islanders, Nashville Predators, Colorado Avalanche, Phoenix Coyotes and Winnipeg Jets are all currently under the salary cap floor. Semin’s contract could easily push several of these teams over the floor, but many of them may not be willing to trade the assets required to obtain Semin.

The Capitals need scoring depth, they need roster players capable of joining the team and paying immediate dividends – not prospects and draft picks. The Capitals would likely look to pick up a good second or third line center in a deal as well. Colorado has a lot of good, young talent and could benefit from Semin’s scoring touch, but the Capitals wouldn’t receive the necessary cap relief if they traded for Paul Stastny and the Avalanche would be very hard pressed to trade budding star Matt Duchene.

In fact, most of those teams have few assets up the middle making it difficult for them to trade away those assets. The more likely scenario would be for many of those teams to sign remaining free agents like Alex Kovalev to lucrative one-year contracts to meet the floor. That way they can retain their budding star players and still become cap compliant.  

The Detroit Red Wings are one team continually associated with Semin trade rumors. This could mostly be a product of the Wings’ available cap space, however. The Wings have just under $6.5 million available in cap room with only a backup goaltender left to sign. The Capitals would likely target Valtteri Filppula in the trade, along with picks or prospects, but the Wings would probably be more eager to move Jiri Hudler in a packaged deal in order to retain Filppula. Adding Semin to the Wings would give Detroit more of an offensive punch and Semin would fit in well on the top line with fellow Russian Pavel Datsyuk. The Red Wings tend to drag their feet in situations like this, however, so a deal is highly improbable.

The Capitals will likely explore all options that would allow them to retain Alexander Semin and still become cap compliant, most of which include trading lesser salaries and bringing up young players to fill bottom line holes. But if the team is serious about winning soon, they will also explore options that could send Semin elsewhere in exchange for offensive depth.

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Ryan Smyth Trade Rumors

Jun 26

Posted by EB in News, Rumors, Soap Box | No Comments

For those not living under a rock, news media everywhere are reporting on the potential return of Ryan Smyth to the Edmonton Oilers.  The trade is currently put on hold though, leaving this story to have more drama than a soap opera.

The frenzy began with TSN reporting that Ryan Smyth had removed his no trade clause in hopes of returning back to the Edmonton Oilers. Smyth, who currently plays for the Los Angeles Kings, started his career in Edmonton back in the 1994-1995 season as a rookie and played for 12 seasons with the club.

The rumors began to continue from there, as it was then reported that Smyth would be moving to the Calgary Flames. The deal seemed possible as the Calgary Flames have asked defenseman Robyn Regher to remove his no trade clause. With the removal of Regher, the Flames look to be cleaning up cap space. Once again, the Calgary rumor began to fizzle.

Rumors and talks are not done yet. A “done deal” trade between the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings has Captain Canada in exchange for a Gilbert Brule and a fourth round draft pick. Oh what another disappointment for fans as the deal is yet again falling through.

Why you ask? Because Brule is currently injured. The Los Angeles Kings had the intent of buying out Brule, however the collective bargaining agreement forbids teams from buying out an injured player.

Where this story ends no one knows. What I do know is that there has been some lousy reporting. Sure Smyth could have gone to the Calgary Flames, but don’t count your chickens before they hatch. And the report of Smyth going to the Edmonton Oilers for Brule seems like a no brainer when it is known you cannot buyout an injured player’s contract. Why even print stuff when you know it cannot be done? Heck, Yahoo! even has Smyth already on the Edmonton Oilers.

If I were Smyth, I would stay in L.A.. At 35 years of age, I would want a chance at the Stanley Cup, a chance the developing Oilers will not have for another 3-5 years. The Kings on the other hand, recently picked up star center Mike Richards from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for forwards Wayne Simmonds and Brayden Schenn. Throw in a healthy Anze Kopitar, the Kings will not only look to make a push to the top of the tough Pacific Division, but a push for the Stanley Cup.

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Steve Stamkos rumors heat up prior to draft, free agency

Jun 21

Posted by Chris in Rumors | 1 Comment

What team wouldn’t want a player who is one year removed from scoring 50 goals on their team? And what would a team be willing to sacrifice to obtain that player?

Questions are abound concerning the future of Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos, a restricted free agent come July 1 if Tampa Bay can’t lock up the gifted goal scorer before then to a contract extension. And rumors circulating on the internet indicate that Tampa Bay might not be able to.

Some reports indicate that Stamkos and the Lightning are not close to reaching a deal, and as the days move closer to the draft and free agency, the likelihood that Tampa Bay trades his rights becomes higher. If Stamkos does make it to July 1 without signing a contract extension, it’s nearly 100 percent certain that someone will deliver an offer sheet for Stamkos. At that point the Lightning could choose to match the offer sheet or they could choose to let Stamkos get away in exchange for a compensation package of draft picks.

After reaching the Conference Finals this season, Tampa Bay probably doesn’t want draft picks in exchange for Stamkos. With aging veterans like Martin St. Louis on their roster, the Lightning have the tools and the desire to win now, not after years of rebuilding with potential draft picks. The alternative for Tampa Bay involves trading away the rights to Stamkos in exchange for roster players ready to contribute immediately. This actually seems like a legitimate scenario, and here’s why.

Consider who the general manager of Tampa Bay is and the model he is used to seeing on the ice. Teams like the Detroit Red Wings, Vancouver Canucks and San Jose Sharks have been very successful in recent years building teams around depth and defense rather than one or two superstars, like the Capitals or Rangers. General manager Steve Yzerman may choose to trade away Stamkos in order to solidify the depth on his roster.

Yzerman may have another move up his sleeve as well. Free agent forward Brad Richards has supposedly expressed interest in returning to Tampa Bay where he won a Stanley Cup in 2003. Could Yzerman attempt to trade away Stamkos in exchange for second-and-third line depth players and then sign Richards to a deal? Hockey Gods help the East if Yzerman can swing an incredible move like that.  

Teams supposedly interested in Stamkos include the Islanders, Rangers, Red Wings and, of course, the Maple Leafs. As a Canadian, Stamkos may relish the opportunity to play for a Canadian team like the Leafs. The Islanders have the cap space and a lot of young talent, but would Stamkos be willing to sign with a team seemingly so far away from winning a championship? The Rangers likely do not have enough cap space to absorb Stamkos while the Red Wings are probably the least likely team to extend an offer sheet to anyone, although they might be able to work up a juicy trade package, but cap space would still be a huge concern.

Heed any rumors regarding Stamkos with a grain of salt. As arguable Tampa Bay’s greatest offensive weapon, the team will do everything in their power to re-sign Stamkos to a long term deal and alot can happen over the next few days. If a contract appears unlikely, however, Yzerman may opt to explore other options and get the maximum in return. Expect trade talks to heat up the closer we get to the draft this Friday.

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Reports confirm Jaromir Jagr wants to play in Detroit

Jun 17

Posted by Chris in Rumors | No Comments

Jaromir Jagr, one of the game’s most prolific scorers and five-time Art Ross Trophy Winner, appears to be ready to return to the NHL after three seasons abroad playing in the Russian KHL.

Word initially popped up several weeks ago during the World Championships that Jagr had a desire to come back to the NHL, but nothing was certain and Jagr was staying tight lipped about his plans for next season. Several teams were interested in Jagr’s services and it was speculated that Jagr had interest in playing for a handful of select teams, including his former teams the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins.

Now it appears as if Jagr might be interested in a different location: Detroit.

Rumors first surfaced earlier this week that Jagr was interested in donning the Winged Wheel, but it was brushed off as mere speculation about who would be a good fit for Jagr – not definitive word from his camp on where he wanted to play. Now, several major media outlets in Detroit are reporting that Jagr’s agent, Petr Svoboda, has indeed been in touch with Detroit general manager Ken Holland and Jagr himself talked with Detroit head coach Mike Babcock and the message is clear – if Jagr returns to the NHL, his preferred destination is Detroit.

In fact, it was evidently Svoboda who called Detroit about the possibility of his client playing for the Wings, not vice versa. Holland declined to comment on the situation stating only that the team is exploring the idea of bringing Jagr to Detroit. Svoboda reportedly also contacted the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens to gauge their interest in Jagr.

Jagr’s recent play at the World Championships, where he scored five goals and added three assists in eight games, showed he still has what it takes to compete at a high level of hockey. Jagr would bring plenty of experience to the Wings, not to mention a great scoring touch, and the 39-year-old could benefit from playing with world class talent such as Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Lidstrom (if he returns). Detroit also has plenty of cap space after the retirement of Brian Rafalski, but most of that is expected to go toward bringing in a free agent defenseman or two to help replace Rafalski on the blue line.

However, the Wings are leery of Jagr due to his advanced age and the fact that he hasn’t played in the NHL for three seasons. The NHL is a much tougher grind for players because of the 82-game season, as opposed to the 56-game season of the KHL. Playing in Detroit would also mean more travel as well and Detroit worries whether Jagr could keep pace.

Make no mistake, Detroit will not over pay for Jagr’s services and hand out a lucrative contract based on a name, but the Wings are definitely interested in Jagr and will try to work him into their lineup at a reasonable price.

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Finnish scoring leader Lahti may be free agent target

Jun 14

Posted by Chris in Rumors | No Comments

With a lack of quality scorers in this year’s free agent pool, some NHL teams may choose to look outside the box for sleeper players ready to contribute to their team. That’s what Finnish scoring leader Janne Lahti is hoping anyway.

Lahti is gaining attention as a possible sleeper in this year’s free agency pool after having played in the Finnish hockey league the past three seasons. Last year, Lahti racked up 37 goals and 59 points in 59 games with Jokerit Helsinky.

This wouldn’t be Lahti’s first go-around with North American hockey, however. Lahti spent a season with the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League in 2007-08, but struggled at times and only managed a meager nine goals and nine assists in 65 games.

Rumors are swirling that Lahti is weighing offers from several NHL clubs right now with the New Jersey Devils and Detroit Red Wings being the frontrunners for his services, but a decision will need to be made soon as June 15 is the deadline to sign European players for NHL teams. New Jersey probably holds an advantage over Detroit as Lahti could immediately step in and claim a roster spot with the Devils where the Red Wings would possibly choose to put Lahti back in the AHL to see what he is capable of  and allow him to acclimate to the North American style if he doesn’t earn a roster spot out of training camp – something that is highly unlikely as Detroit has an abundance of players right now both waiting to crack their lineup and hoping to return instead of being forced into retirement.

Several other teams are looking for quality scoring and could get in on the hunt today or tomorrow before Lahti makes a decision. The Kings, Rangers and Maple Leafs have all expressed interest in beefing up their offense this offseason.

Landing a highly coveted European free agent comes with its risks. Several years ago, Fabian Brunnstrom was a relative nobody garnering a lot of attention from NHL clubs. After being courted by several teams, Brunnstrom decided to sign with the Dallas Stars where he was offered an immediate roster spot. Brunnstrom struggled and has spent most of his career in the minors since signing in 2008-09.

Ville Leino was another highly coveted European free agent when he signed with the Detroit Red Wings in 2008 after posting 77 points in the Finnish league. Leino came in with high promise but never fully panned out with the Wings but found himself a home with the Philadelphia Flyers where he was a key component in their Stanley Cup playoffs run last season. Leino followed up that performance with 19 goals and 53 points this past season and could still have more potential in the future.

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Reports state that Rangers will buy out Drury’s contract

Jun 9

Posted by Chris in Rumors | No Comments

The Brad Richards to the Rangers rumors are heating up today amid speculation that the Rangers are looking to shed salary and create cap space through buyouts of several players – most notably captain Chris Drury.

Drury has one more season remaining on his contract with a cap hit of just over $7 million a season. A buyout would save the Rangers $3.3 million toward next season’s salary cap and allow the 34-year-old center to become a free agent on July 1. Drury initially signed a five-year $35.25 million contract with the Rangers in 2007 after a career season with Buffalo where he posted 37 goals and 69 points in 77 games. However, Drury has been increasingly ineffective for the Rangers culminating in an injury-plagued season last year in which the captain only played in 24 games.

Rumors are also circulating that Rangers GM Glen Sather may buy out the contract of forward Wojtek Wolski as well. Wolski, who also has another year remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $3.8 million, failed to have the breakout season that many expected last year by posting only 35 points in 73 games. Wolski split time between the Phoenix Coyotes and Rangers last year after getting traded mid-season.

The NHL’s buyout period begins next week and runs through June 30.

The idea of buying out Drury’s contract makes perfect sense. After all, the Rangers way overpaid for Drury’s services by offering roughly $7 million per year to a player who has only scored 30 or more goals three times and scored 60 or more points twice in his career. Add in the numerous injuries over the years and the team would be dumb not to buy out Drury’s remaining year and apply the leftover cap space to a free agent that can contribute on a nightly basis.

However, it might be a little suspect for the team to buy out Wolski’s contract. Sure, almost $4 million a season is a bit much to pay for a player whose potential thus far has topped out at 40-50 points a season, and Wolski had a down season last year, but can you blame a guy for poor production when he’s played for three different teams in two years? When he’s on his game, Wolski is capable of providing offensive depth and good secondary scoring.

If the Rangers do land Richards and give up Wolski, the team will be relying mostly on Richards and Gaborik for offense. Gaborik struggled last season for long stretches of time and is fragile as glass, so if he goes down with an injury the team will rely mostly on Richards and Dubinsky for offense. After a breakout season last year Dubinsky showed he is capable of shouldering the load, but the team won’t make it far without secondary scoring. Plus, signing Richards might mean forfeiting some of the team’s top-notch defense – most of whom are free agents of some variety this summer.

Rangers have many questions heading into the free agency period, which begins in roughly three weeks. Richards remains by far the best offensive talent available on the market this year, but as such doesn’t necessarily mean he is the best fit for the team in the long run. Still, it appears as if the Rangers are looking to spend big this summer and it will be fun to watch how they maneuver the draft and free agency period.

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Brad Richards will not be offered a contract by the Dallas Stars

Jun 2

Posted by Chris in News, Rumors | 3 Comments

General Managers with a lot of spending money this offseason just got some good news – Brad Richards will be hitting the free agent market.

With management and ownership of the Dallas Stars in a state of flux, the team has decided not to offer star center Brad Richards a contract this offseason with Richards set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Richards posted 28 goals and 49 assists in 77 games with the Stars last season. He tallied 91 total points the season before.

“We have had talks with Brad throughout the year, and he’s not going to sign with us unless we have the ownership situation resolved, and it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen by the start of free agency,” general manager Joe Nieuwendyk told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

At 31-years-old, Richards is in the prime of his career and already has one Stanley Cup championship with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004 where he also won the Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP. His resume speaks for itself, but in a year where there is very little offensive talent in the free agent pool, Richards will be highly coveted around the league.

However, after making $7.8 million last season, Richards could be outside the price range of many general managers. However, it’s highly likely that Richards could sign a long-term deal with a team that front-loads his contract to help keep the annual salary cap hit lower. A lot will depend on Richards and whether he wants to play for a contender or if he wants to seek out a big pay day.

Several teams appear to have the cap space to adsorb a big salary like Brad Richards, but many of them are teams currently in the rebuilding process. The Florida Panthers currently have the most cap space with $41 million available and could offer Richards a hefty contract, but Richards would likely have to endure several years of rebuilding and regrouping before Florida becomes a contender. With $27.8 million in cap space, the Colorado Avalanche could be a possible destination. The team has a lot of good, young talent and Richards could really help put the team over the edge. But don’t count out the New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings or the Toronto Maple Leafs as contenders for Richards. Both the Leafs and Kings have been itching for a solid forward for several years with rumors swirling that the Kings heavily courted Kovalchuk last season before he signed with New Jersey. The Leafs would love to get Phil Kessel a proper center while the Rangers would love to get the same for Marion Gaborik and Richards would be a huge boost in offense for either team.

All hope is not lost for the Stars, however. The team will likely trade negotiating rights for Richards to another team, although Richards would still need to waive his no-trade clause for that to occur. The team that lands the rights to Richards will be able to solely negotiate with Richards before the free agency period opens. While this is certainly not a new option for teams preparing to lose their star players, teams looking to acquire the negotiating rights run a risk of giving up something for nothing if a player has no intention to sign with that club. This happened last season when Montreal landed the negotiating rights for goalie Dan Ellis from Nashville in exchange for forward Sergie Kostitsyn and future considerations. Ellis rebuked Montreal’s offers and signed with the Lightning at the open of free agency instead. If nothing else, the Stars will likely get draft picks in exchange for Richards’ negotiating rights before the NHL Entry Draft later this month.

 

 

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Could the Thrashers be on the Move?

May 17

Posted by Eddie in Rumors | 1 Comment

Chalk up the Atlanta Thrashers under the list of "Things that have failed under Gary Bettman".

In some news that has been brewing behind closed doors for some time now, the possible relocation of the Atlanta Thrashers to Canada has some momentum according to recent reports by various media. The two sides have not entered into an exclusive negotiating period nor has a deal been reached. But where there is smoke, there is fire.

TSN and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported today that Atlanta Spirit LLS is in negotiations to sell and relocate the team to True North. True North’s plan is to relocate the team to Winnipeg, Manitoba. This move is similar to when the Atlanta Flames relocated to Calgary, Alberta in 1980.

Under current rules, NHL owners do not have to get league approval to identify potential buyers and work out an agreement to sell their franchise. However they would have to get permission to negotiate with a party interested in relocation. Once an agreement in principle has been reached, the league’s Board of Governors would be asked to judge the acceptability of the new ownership. 

It is widely believed that the two sides are quickly trying to work on the move, as various deadlines regarding next season are right around the corner including the 2011-12 schedule being released traditionally during the Stanley Cup Final and division realignment logistics. True North attempted to purchase the Phoenix Coyotes over the course of the last five months, but those plans failed when the city of Glendale ponied $25 million to cover operating costs of a team that the NHL owns. The part of the process where there has to be Board of Governor approval for a team to relocate is why the move isn’t as quickly to happen as one thinks.

The chatter in Detroit sports talk radio is that it could be Detroit’s chance to finally move to the Eastern Conference. The Red Wings log more air travel miles than any other team as they and the Columbus Blue Jackets are the two franchises located in the Eastern Time Zone playing in the NHL Western Conference. Red Wing fans say the move could improve television ratings and pump more money into local bars and restaurants as they are more likely to go to a bar to watch a 7:30 road game on a weeknight versus a 10:00 or 10:30 p.m. game on the west coast when they have to work the next morning. The Red Wings and their fans at home were sparred the late starts in the recent playoff series versus San Jose, as Game 5 and Game 7 in California were played at 9:00 p.m. Detroit time.

The move could also reignite historical rivalries with Toronto and Montreal, teams they do not have the opportunity to play twice a season due to the current NHL schedule format where every team will play in every arena every-other-season at the latest. But do not be surprised if it is the Nashville Predators who will move to the Southeast division, while the Winnipeg franchise will play in the Central division despite geographically being closer to the Northwest division teams.

True North owns the AHL Manitoba Moose, as well as the 15,000 seat MTS Centre, an arena that opened in 2004. Besides being located in a small market that had less appeal to the NHL TV revenues like Phoenix had,  the inability to build a new arena to replace the aging Winnipeg Arena were reasons the Jets left for the desert in 1996. A source within the NHL told The Sporting News that the Thrashers were losing $20 million per season and are last in the league in ticket revenues.

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