The Fifth Liners

As the NHL season edges ever closer, the Calgary Flames are still missing a vital piece of their team jigsaw. Johnny 'Hockey' Gaudreau is still yet to put pen to paper on signing a new contract.  Currently a restricted free agent, Gaudreau is focusing on his role with team North America in the World Cup of Hockey, but it's unclear if he'll have a role to come back to after the tournament ends.  The Flames' superstar has reached the end of his three-year, entry level deal with Calgary; but as he only played one game in his first year, he's not eligible for unrestricted status. Gaudreau would have had to have played at least 10 games in the NHL or AHL in year one to tick that box. He's ineligible for arbitration for the same reason.  There are a few reasons why Gaudreau is holding out for big money and why it's worth a punt. He's the best skater Calgary has. If you're having flashbacks to 2013's Nazem Kadri hold-out, then y

News broke recently that Raffi Torres has signed a PTO contract with the Carolina Hurricanes and will attend training camp next month. Torres is an controversial character who's earned nearly twice as many penalty minutes as he has points since joining the NHL way back in the 2001/02 season (260 points, 497 PIM). Drafted by the New York Islanders in 2000, Torres has also plied his trade for the Edmonton Oilers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Buffalo Sabres, Vancouver Canucks, Phoenix Coyotes and most recently the San Jose Sharks. As well as a raft of AHL teams. Currently an Unrestricted Free Agent; Torres hasn't played a game in the NHL since October 2015 when he was suspended for 41 games after an illegal check on Jakob Silferberg: Not cool. Who can forget Torres' hit on Marian Hossa that earned him a 25 game suspension? Later reduced to 21 on appeal. So the fella isn't going to win the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy any time soon, but he's still a skater who needs

In NHL.com's Five Questions With series, Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland admitted be believes that the Wings are not legitimate contenders: "I don't know that there are more than five or six legitimate Stanley Cup contenders; we're probably not in that group." Ken Holland to NHL.com Is this a kick in the teeth for Red Wings fans or a much-needed blast of realism? Is anyone surprised by Holland's words? Probably not. Having been a Red Wing fan for as long as I can remember, I'm under no illusions that the team aren't in the best place for winning Lord Stanley's cup. I'm not even sure we'll make the playoffs. 25 straight playoffs is a solid achievement; but since the Red Wings haven't made it past the Conference Semifinals since the 2008-09 season, that achievement doesn't really count for much as it isn't bringing any silverware home. We haven't made it past the first round in the last three seasons. Let's be hon

Shimano's MT34 2016 SPD shoes have been my go-to commuter shoe since my trusty MT41s were retired. After five years and countless miles, it was time for a new daily shoe.  As a commuter on a budget; I didn't really want to spend more than £50, and the shoes had to have a good tread as I want to be able to actually walk in them, even it's just around the shops. The MT34 seemed to be a perfect fit and four months in; they're still a great shoe. They arrived much cleaner than this.  It was not love at first ride though. It took half a dozen rides to break the shoes in, the upper sides around the top lace holes were stiff to the point of being painful, although they quickly softened. Now the shoes are as comfortable as my old MT41s and as good as any hard-soled non-SPD trainer/shoe. Build quality is good for a budget shoe, there's a little bit of flash left over from the moulding where the uppers meet the sole. Overall design is fine. Mine are a mix of ma

Whether you're commuting or just out hitting the trails, everybody needs a hot drink every now and then. The Trail 42 Pack Flask can also be used for keeping cold stuff cold, but I live in Britain so there's little chance of a cold drink ever seeing the inside of this bottle. As someone who cycles to work all year round, it's nice to have a hot drink ready for when I get off the bike, especially with the weather that Greater Manchester likes to drop on its residents. After failed experiments with travel mugs; this was recommended on a bike forum as a good alternative. Size comparison with a regular size mug.  I ordered mine direct from Trail 42 , it arrived quickly and was well packaged, complete with a nice Trail 42 company logo sticker. Not sure where that's going yet. The flask itself isn't huge, it's capacity is 0.33L so it'll hold a cup of tea or coffee with no problems. It's small enough to not take up valuable rucksack space if you'

As someone who spends a lot of time in front of a computer, podcasts have become a regular part of my day. Fortunately there are a plethora of NHL and other hockey podcasts available for your listening pleasure, Every so often a new podcast comes along, vying for your valuable ears. The  Garage Hockey Podcast  is one such new venture. Hosted by Felix Sicard, Nick Burger and Joe Burger, this new podcast comes to you 'straight out of a garage in California.' So the name is pretty apt.  The venture is new, i.e. I can't find it on Stitcher yet. I haven't checked iTunes yet but their website doesn't say anything. Rome wasn't built in a day though, and this podcast has promise. Is it worth a listen? Definitely. It's not perfect but it's a solid effort for a first time, it sounds good and there are no dreaded awkward silences.  The subject of the first podcast is " Way Too Early NHL Predictions " which is always a fun subject and prett

Rick DiPietro (1st overall, New York Islanders 2000) Where better to start on this list than the first ever player selected in the new millennium. Boston College's Rick DiPietro became the second ever goalie to be drafted first overall. His career record of 130-136-31 with 36 shutouts; 2.87 GAA and .907 save percentage from 318 starts might not look too shabby, however, it was far from the type of stardom this young man was supposed to bring the New York Islanders. What is more baffling is the fact that the Isles had so much confidence in this deal, they traded away Roberto Luongo to the Panthers. DiPietro would go on to spend more time in the treatment room than on the ice. Surprisingly this was still enough for Islanders to sign him to a mammoth 15-year deal back in 2006! Soon his injuries took a serious toll on his performance and the Islanders bought him out of his contract in 2013. These days he has taken the Tim Tebow approach into broadcast analysis. Nail Yakupov (1st

Well I guess it's official now: "My family and I have decided that it's time to return home" - @Datsyuk13 — Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) June 18, 2016 Detroit Red Wings superstar forward Pavel Datsyuk will not be returning to the team at the end of the season. I'm sure there isn't a single Red Wings fan on the planet who isn't grateful to Datsyuk for his effort and commitment given to the team in his 14 seasons. Let's not dwell on Datsyuk's decision though, let's take a look at the options that the Red Wings organisation has for handling the $7.5 million cap hit the team will suffer next season. There's been talk of trading Datsyuk's contract to one of the teams that can comfortably absorb it, although at what cost? Ken Holland said he's not optimistic about trading Datsyuk contact but has spoken to teams. The price is high. — Ansar Khan (@AnsarKhanMLive) June 18, 2016 Then we had this: Hearing contract w

The Stanley Cup playoffs will soon be over, that means it'll soon be time to announce the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy , awarded to the playoffs' Most Valuable Player. Minty fresh breath. Is the Pittsburgh Penguins' forward Phil Kessel the skater who deserves to win the 2016 Conn Smythe? Kessel has taken a lot of stick over the last few seasons, mainly because he played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, a team capable of making good players look bad.  As many a playoff bracket will attest, the Pens' march to the final took many by surprise. That success owes a lot to Phil Kessel. The former Bruin and Maple Leaf has (so far) played 23 playoff games, scored 10 goals and assisted on 12 more. Statistically he's the man driving the Pens' success, Kessel is leading the team on points with 22. Line-mate Nick Bonino, another contender for the Conn Smythe, has 18 points.  Speaking of which; the Hagelin - Bonino -Kessel line has contributed 20 goals i

It was announced on Twitter that 2013’s third overall draft pick Jonathan Drouin wants out of Tampa Bay, the situation being described as ‘untenable’ by his agent. It’s probably no coincidence that the statement was released as the 20 year old forward was assigned to the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, although the trade request was made back in November. It’s nice to hear Lightning news that doesn’t involve wild speculation about Steven Stamkos’ future in Toronto , but this isn’t really news. Drouin is in contract until 2017, even then he’ll become a restricted free agent so the Lightning hold the upper hand whatever happens. We can only speculate as to why this trade has been requested, although Drouin’s limited ice-time is probably a factor, and reportedly there’s no love lost between Drouin and Lightning head coach Jon Cooper either. Lack of ice-time is the reason that GM Steve Yzerman sent Drouin down to the AHL, he’s not playing at his best, so the Crunch will give him more g