AGRI Biz

Written By: Mark “The Hard Hitter” Ritter In a desperate attempt to add some goaltending depth, Philadelphia Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren has gone way off the chart to sign Sebastian Caron. Originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the third round (86th overall) in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, Caron has most recently played in the Swiss Elite League with HC Fribourg-Gotteron where he compiled ...

It’s no secret that the Buffalo Sabres are amongst the NHL’s best when it comes to keeping the puck out of the net. Through 76 games, the Sabres are ranked fourth overall in goals against at just 2.43. To the surprise of many, the Sabres have inched their way up in the rankings offensively and are now ranked a very respectable ninth overall at 2.86. A big reason ...

Written By: Mark “The Hard Hitter” Ritter   The NHL has issued another suspension, this time it’s Philadelphia Flyers forward Dan Carcillo getting two games for cross checking New Jersey Devils winger David Clarkson during their Sunday tilt.   Sportsnet.ca reported that Carcillo apologized to Clarkson face-to-face after Carcillo “used his stick to cut Clarkson in the right eyebrow."   Clarkson, who required three stitches to close the wound, was quoted as saying “from what I ...

Various news sources are reporting that the Toronto Maple Leafs have signed University of Vermont forward Brayden Irwin to a two-year, entry-level contract.Irwin stands 6’5” and weighs an impressive 215 pounds. Known as a tough, grinding player with average hands, Irwin led the Vermont Catamounts with 15 goals and 34 points in 39 games this season—while also racking up 72 penalty minutes.A former teammate of current Maple Leaf forward Victor ...

Written By: Mark “The Hard Hitter” Ritter Given the Philadelphia Flyers' salary cap restrictions it will be tough for them to land a goalie via free agency this summer. In fact, landing a goaltender like unrestricted free agents Evgeni Nabokov, Marty Turco, Jose Theodore, Chris Mason, or perhaps even Ray Emery will be next to impossible.Sure, there are quite a few “average” free agent goaltenders available next season (Dan Ellis, ...

Written By: Mark “The Hard Hitter” RitterThe Philadelphia Flyers lost in embarrassing fashion to the Pittsburgh Penguins yesterday by a score of 4-1, inching them closer and closer to becoming a team that is on the outside looking in come playoff time.Comparatively, the team that is chasing them—the Atlanta Thrashers—beat up on the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 4-0, inching them closer to the eighth and final playoff spot ...

Marred by a three-game losing streak, the Philadelphia Flyers playoff picture was starting to get a little blurry. The Flyers iced a lineup against the Minnesota Wild that was void of their No. 2 centre and top scorer, Jeff Carter, and arguably their most consistent defenseman, Matt Carle. Add in the fact that the Flyers were dressing their third-string goalie, and there were not a lot of fans of the ...

The NHL’s unrestricted free agent crop of 2010 is not a particularly strong one. Patrick Marleau and Thomas Plekanec make up two of the strongest forwards available, while Nik Lidstrom and Evgeni Nabokov are two of the strongest players available on the back end. It is the belief of most prognosticators that Marleau, Lidstrom, and Nabokov will all re-sign with their current clubs, with Plekanec being the most likely to move ...

Written By: Mark “The Hard Hitter” Ritter   TSN is reporting that the NHL is looking at instituting the blindside rule without the Players Association’s approval and it says here that they should be applauded for it.   The NHL has been under a ton of scrutiny for not instituting the blindside rule immediately. The fact that they are now trying to speed up the process is an indication that the NHL is tired ...

  If the Philadelphia Flyers are going to make the playoffs this season it looks as if they will have to do so without the services of Centre Jeff Carter. The Flyers have announced that Carter is expected to be out of the lineup with a fracture of his left foot for up to three to four weeks.   When you do the math, three to four weeks would mean Carter will likely ...