Something a little different for me. This season I'm doing a fantasy hockey column for RotoRob.com (trading weeks with Mike "Moz" Chen).
Also, is it possible Devils coach Brent Sutter has already lost his team? I know the easy joke about the Devils has been that they don't score goals, but the reality is that they were always a defensive team that could capitalize on other teams' mistakes, converting turnovers into goals. Sutter's slightly more uptempo system seems to be jarring the entire team. A team that probably wasn't looking for a new system. But would GM Lou Lamoriello ever fire a coach? That just doesn't seem like him.

John Dellapina from the Daily News takes on the Ed Jovanovski to the Rangers rumor that's been kicking around (most recently seen here): Dellapina says there's no way it can happen for cap (and other reasons). I was pretty shocked when I read about it, because the Rangers are so close to the cap and because Jovo makes so much money. Also, the Rangers are pretty stocked with defensemen, although the quality is a bit of an issue.
So that's all settled then.
Also, Chuck Klosterman had a piece in Esquire featuring four suggestions on how to save sports journalism. He's got some interesting ideas, like not reporting on the ratings of the various sports (<cough>NHL on Vesus<cough>). Another one blames PARDON THE INTERRUPTION (and ESPN, by extension) for what he calls "the argument model" of sports. Obviously, ESPN and PTI stole that particular model from sports talk radio. It's an OK read, though. But I don't get the vibe Klosterman's a huge sports fan. His suggestions seems to be geared more towards bring sports into the mainstream a bit more.

Say what you will about the Florida Panthers, you have to love any team that admits a certain trade is horrible. You know. Like an injured Todd Bertuzzi for goalie Roberto Luongo. For such a great goalie, Luongo sure does get involved in strange trades. The Isles famously traded him to Florida for the top pick that would become Rick DiPietro. In other words, trading a great goalie in the present for someone who probably will be one in the future. And then, as Panthers' GM Jacques Martin alluded to, there's the Luongo trade to Vancouver.
That was a pretty bad trade, but for my money, Joe Thornton to San Jose is way, way worse. I wish Boston would admit to that. I think it would give a lot of people closure.
Also, while I haven't talked much in public about the late-season collapse of my beloved New York Mets, the shocking failure did actually impact the hockey world: Isles play-by-play man Jiggs McDonald, a fantastic announcer, was heading to Long Island to cover for Isles/Mets' voice Howie Rose, who was expecting to be working the baseball post-season. Instead, Jiggs just kept on driving to Florida. Which is a shame, because Jiggs has a wonderful, old-school play-by-play style. I'm sure the man has no desire for the grind of the work, but NBC or Versus should try and pry him loose from retirement for at least a few post-season games.
Also, I did a great interview with n+1 previewing the upcoming season. While it's a little late, it's pretty entertaining stuff:

n+1: Do you ever watch those old Rangers games on MSG? They look like they're in slow motion.

Steven: Yeah. And tiny.

n+1: And bald.

Steven: And grainy.

It's worth a read, in my humble, prejudiced opinion.