Top Line: Is Kimmo Timonen's career over?; Islanders won't sell; more news
An annotated guide to this morning's must-read hockey stories:
• Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen is suffering from blood clots in his right leg and lung, and Philly GM Ron Hextall says that this is a long-term situation. How long? Could Timonen's career be over?
• The 39-year-old veteran's absence on the Philadelphia blue line could create an opportunity for a prospect like Shayne Gostisbehere, who former Flyers coach Terry Murray has compared to Paul Coffey and Al Iafrate. Yeah, no pressure there, kid.
Top Line: Time to buy low on Del Zotto?; most hated teams; more news
• Or the Flyers could just throw money at the problem by seeking out a replacement on the free-agent market signing, say, Michael Del Zotto. Oh, yes. That's more like it.
• It seems that Islanders owner Charles Wang won't be selling his team to Philadelphia-based hedge fund suitor Andrew Barroway. Talks between the two have reportedly crumbled. Wang has said that others are interested in purchasing New York, which ranked 26th in Forbes's team valuations with an estimated value of $195 million. Though the Islanders have been on shaky financial footing for years, the team's planned move to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn in 2015–16 means that whoever buys the franchise could see a significant return on their investment. The Nets, who moved to Brooklyn in 2012, nearly doubled their value in two seasons at the Barclays Center ($780 million, up from $357 million in ’12). Wang is keenly aware of that fact, so don't expect him to sell unless he gets a huge offer.
• After news yesterday that the Oilers had hired analytics blogger Tyler Dellow, who ran mc79hockey.com, Yahoo!'s Greg Wyshynski said that the mainstreaming of hockey's fancy stats was complete.Will Dellow be able to help Edmonton, though?
• A little late on this, but a report in the Sports Business Journal claims that NHL commisioner Gary Bettman got a raise during the lockout-shortened season of 2012–13, making a reported $8.8 million that year.
• Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist has done an underwear ad for Bread and Boxers, a company that doesn't actually sell boxers but rather boxer-briefs and tighty-whities only. For $18 a pair. You heard me.
• Rejoice, cake-eaters!!! The Mighty Ducks and D2 are now on Netflix.
• The Starsshopped aging defenseman Sergei Gonchar pretty hard this summer, according to The Dallas Morning News's Mike Heika. If GM Jim Nill can't find a trading partner, then the team is going to have to find a way to keep the 40-year-old blueliner effective.
• The Penguins re-signed center Brandon Sutter for two years.
• Alex Ovechkin was in a very minor car accident in Russia.
• The Oshawa Generals will retire John Tavares's uniform number 91 in September, bestowing on the Islanders' center the same honor given to other such Oshawa luminaries as Bobby Orr and Eric Lindros.