well as a Panthers fan im obviously exited...but you guys shouldn't be that pissed, i seriously would have taken Mason just as well as Vokoun, to me they are the same, Mason rocked this past season...so i think it was time for him to settle down as the starter, and we really needed a solid golie like Vokoun, just hope he settles in quite well and can cover the hole left by Luongo..
Florida's 2008 1st round pick, Florida's 2nd round pick this season (#58?), and a conditional 2nd round pick either this season or next, but the decision must be made this evening.
on top of being a panthers fan, i'm a big marlins fan as well. so i definatley know what it feels like. not trying to rub it in in any way at all.
mason is still a very good goalie that happened to be $5million cheaper. i think, under the circumstances, you're fortunate to have as good an option to fall back on as you do.
just hang in there. things dont look good right now, but they didn't look good for the marlins after the 98 firesale and just five years later, we were having another championship parade in downtown miami. i hope the same thing happens in nashville!
Mason is more than capable of keeping us a playoff team. I'm not that worried about goaltending.
I'm more upset that we couldn't get Florida's pick THIS year. SJ got a first pick in this year's draft for Toskala...
I still think we got a pretty good return on Vokoun considering our situation. Look at what the Panthers received for Luongo, who is clearly a better goalie in all aspects. Basically, they received a backup goalie and a disgruntled, overpriced Bertuzzi (Woywitka and Allen I consider a wash).
I'm real sad to see Timonen and now Vokoun gone, two mainstays of the predator lineup. Its going to be weird on opening night. Here's hoping this team improves a few needs, such as a 3rd line, over the UFA signing period, and next season we scrap and claw our way to a playoff spot.
and then this news:
NASHVILLE PREDATORS-Issued qualifying offers to F Vern Fiddler, F Darcy Hordichuk, D Greg Zanon, F Matt Ellison, F Alex Henry, F Ville Koistinen, G Pekka Rinne and D Kevin Klein.
I'm a Panther's fan, but i'm also an NHL fan, and i think the Preds have been a good example of why expansion isn't such a bad idea. I don't like to see GMs lying through their teeth either. So, i'm sorry.
I'd rather have had Vokoun been in Carolina and have us steal him from them. You guys don't deserve it, and it sucks.
But keep your heads high, you've got Mason who proved himself quite well last year, and those picks will come in a really good draft next year. But as a Panther's fan, i feel your pain.
I promise he won't be taken for granted.. Not after some past trades we've made. Good luck, and i hope to see Nashville in the NHL so they get a chance to rebuild.
This is just awful. The Predators were looking to be on the rise and then this happens. I don't know, I haven't really been following the Preds that closely, but it seems as if everything they've worked towards has been a waste now.
You all underrate Mason, there's a reason Trotz had a hard time naming a starter.
We still have a boatload of talent on this team.
Arnott, Sullivan, Radulov, Dumont, Erat, Legwand, Weber, Hamhuis, Suter, Zidlicky and still with Mason in net.
We'll be fine and hopefully tougher.
Like I said, i was a vocal proponent of Mason all of last year. I felt like we could deal Vokoun...admittedly under different circumstances. It's kind of a shame it had to be a strict salary dump, because any other scenario that saw us dealing Vokoun would likely be a big opportunity.
My problem\fear is what this does to public perception...something that's extremely important with an attendance threshold to consider.
Well first I just want to say that I think Mason is/will be a great goalie for us. He proved last year that he was ready for a starter role. He's a great person and the team loves him and the city loves him. And he wants to be here.
However, I think this trade sucks. I mean, I can understand the reasoning behind it, wanting to cut salary. But I don't like what we got back. We only got a second round this year and maybe another one this year. I know next year is supposed to be a better draft, but who knows where the pick will be, more than likely it won't be top 10, and it could be below 20 again.
And I'm not totally convinced that Rinne can be our backup. Yeah he played well in those few games 2 seasons ago. But is he really completely healthy? Is he really ready to be an NHL goalie for 82 games?
I don't like this whole "binding deal" situation either. It just seems that Balsillie would just put down some money on Saturday or whatever he needs to do to enter the binding deal if he's so desperate to have a team.
I think that with this trade and the Hartnell/Timonen (I hope someone steps up and is willing to park his ass in front of the net like Hartnell did/I have no problem with our defense, it's going to be a top group in the league) deals, Paul Kariya will choose to not resign here. Poile said that if Kariya sees us as a competitive team he probably would resign and unless we make some other move for a Dumont type name I don't see PK resigning b/c I don't see us being successful as a 2 line team. And all the people on the fence about tickets will see all this as a lost cause/firesale (like the titans before they went 3-13) and won't want to come see a (percieved) losing team and we won't reach the 14k mark and the team will be gone, rendering the '08 1st round pick useless.
And wasn't it nice of Poile to give us that glowing vote of confidence when he was asked if he team would be in Nashville after this coming season.
Unless this local group seriously steps up, and we have some good replacements, I don't see the team here after 07-08. I'll be here until the end, at rallys, games or whatever. I've emailed/called the NHL offices. I called other teams for help. In fact, the Carolina people said that they have had other calls from Predator season ticket people and their GM was very aware of the whole situation. Then in true southern fashion, the lady I was talking to said, "oh honey, bless your heart" and wished us luck. But, yeah, I'm about thisclose to crossing the line.
Vokoun, the last of the expansion draftees. Only David Legwand is left who played a game in the first year. I'll miss Vo-koooouuuuuun.
I'll miss Vokoun, with his horrible acting and his ridiculous accent in those cheesy commercials LOL
Well I dont know what to think. We traded away our 'face' of the franchise for future draft picks. I know Mason is capable of being a #1, and had similar numbers to him. Still, I think all of these moves are premeditated, meant to discourage ticket purchases... because it looks like Leiopold is hellbent on selling to Basillie and making it easy for him to move to the team.
I'm happy with the trade. Very happy, even though I loved tv. He may/may not recover for next year-- he always has been a bit of a head case. He likely will but it isn't a sure thing. Meanwhile, we go with the cheaper option in Mason and one that I think the players like more truthfully. I think he is more of a team guy. This is a chance to re-stock the system to be better longer, hopefully in Nashville.
Keep coming by from other teams and saying how sorry you are and hopefully your team will similarly underestimate us for next year-- I like being the underdog with a pit bull mentality going into next year.
Sorry about all this
