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Tuesday, August 7
Lemieux could key talks
with players and owners

By Al Morganti
Special to ESPN.com

Mario Lemieux is still learning the politics of being a club owner, but over the course of the next few years he could be the most important voice in the NHL as the league and the National Hockey League Players Association (NHLPA) try to avoid a damaging standoff when the current Collective Bargaining Agreement ends in 2004.

In fact, Lemieux's voice probably will get increasingly important well before the deadline.

As a former player, Lemieux will become a valuable participant who is respected by both sides. And can you imagine if Wayne Gretzky gets involved in ownership over the next couple of years? In that case, Gretzky and Lemieux could become a forceful combination to get the two sides to solve the problems facing the NHL as it heads into the next century.


	Lemieux has leverage with owners and players.

"I realize that the league will want me to offer some views, and I realize the league will want me to (get some points across)," said Lemieux in a recent interview at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh. "I remember as a player, we often wondered about how much of the truth the owners were telling. We thought they were hiding things. Well, at least in Pittsburgh, I can tell you that's not the case. I think our situation is pretty clear."

In Pittsburgh, Lemieux was almost forced into ownership to get even a chance at recouping some of the long-term money he was owed when he retired as a player. The Penguins were bankrupt, and after all sorts of legal gyrations, Lemieux wound up as owner.

"I think you'll see it more and more," said Lemieux, who recently talked with Michael Jordan after Jordan got involved in ownership of the Washington Wizards. "The money that athletes make, it's only natural they will be interested in teams."

Well, it only makes sense if it makes financial sense. Like Jordan and Gretzky, each will have the unique perspective of knowing how valuable a player is to a team, and trying to balance that with a financial plan to allow a league's member clubs to be solvent.

You can bet that over the next few years, Lemeiux will be used as a sounding board by both the NHL and the NHLPA, realizing that he will have a large voice in the philosophical wars which have already heated up about the next CBA.

Healthy Capital returns
Washington Capitals general manager George McPhee attributes his club's success in part due to off-ice changes. The Capitals have been among the NHL's most injured teams over the past several seasons, and last summer, McPhee changed virtually the entire medical and training staffs.

"I think us being healthy is a big reason we could turn our season around," said McPhee on Monday. "We changed just about everything, from the way to treat injuries to our training. Everything from more stretching to how we rehab, and it seems to have worked."

What also helped was Chris Simon coming to camp in the best shape of his career, and Adam Oates refusing to look like a player headed toward 40-years old.

The Capitals recently took a chance on Joe Murphy, who cursed out Boston coach Pat Burns and wound up in Washington. So, this is punishment? Murphy ends up in Washington, playing for one of the hottest teams in the league, and on a line with the passing genius of Oates, with tough guy Simon riding shotgun on the other side. Not a bad form of detention.

"We didn't look at it as much of a risk," said McPhee. "There is no long-term commitment, and besides that, he's the kind of guy that (coach) Ron (Wilson) likes to work with, and the kind of guy who he can get the most out of."

Avalanche sweeps East
The Colorado Avalanche swing through some big tests in the east this week. At first glance, the Avs appear to be sliding even further away from their recent status as champions, but after a closer look, it would be foolish to think of them as has-beens.

Despite their third loss of the season to Detroit on Sunday night, check the box score and you'll see that second-year player Chris Drury and rookie Alex Tanguay scored goals. Those two, along with forward Milan Hejduk make up the young, secondary "core" of the team. But the team is still dependent upon veteran goalie Patrick Roy, along with stars Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg and Adam Foote, all three of whom have battled injuries this season.

In none of the losses to Detroit were Sakic, Forsberg and Foote all healthy.

And coming into this week, only twice this season have Sakic and Forsberg been available for an entire game. Forsberg and Foote could rejoin the club on the road trip, and if the team is healthy in April and May, the Avalanche are still a real threat to be playing well into the month of June.

As for the trip through the East, it will be a time to remember as the Avs started against former teammate Chris Simon in Washington, and then continue to New Jersey against recent teammate Claude Lemieux, and then New York for a meeting with Valeri Kamensky, Theo Fleury and Sylvain Lefebvre -- all of whom signed with the Rangers as free agents last summer.

Three former Stars who Dallas could use
Goalie Roman Turek, who is among the league leaders in wins, shutouts and GAA for the St. Louis Blues; forward Pat Verbeek, who scored 16 goals this season in just 43 games for the Detroit Red Wings; and forward Dave Reid, who already has more goals this season, than he did last season for Dallas -- you got it, another team which could steal the Stars' title.

Some quick hits

Don't be surprised if Pittsburgh Penguins newly appointed associate coach Ivan Hlinka winds up with most of the authority behind the bench before the end of this season. Nothing to do with the club's lack of faith in coach Herb Brooks, but more likely a case of Brooks realizing he doesn't have the same zeal for the NHL game as he has in the past.

The Florida Panthers might be interested in acquiring Montreal defenseman Vladimir Malakhov. The Canadiens were incensed that Malakhov was seen skiing while he was rehabbing from a knee injury, and he is likely out of town by the trade deadline. Not only would Malakhov help Florida, but there aren't many ski resorts around Miami to interfere with his focus.

According to several scouts, the Canadiens will try to offer a big package of Shayne Corson, Malakhov and goalie Jeff Hackett to any team willing to give up a premier young player or two. Don't count any many takers, and Corson and Hackett could wind up back in Montreal next season.

In Tampa Bay, the best many veterans can hope is for an escape from the losing. And defenseman Petr Svoboda will be a prime candidate for a late-season move.

If the San Jose Sharks have any chance to recapture their early season magic, it will have to start with forward Vincent Damphousse rediscovering his scoring touch. Damphousse came into this week without a goal in 22 games, and the Sharks lose their teeth when Damphousse is shut down.

The Flyers acquired tough guy Gino Odjick from the Isles on Tuesday, which makes you wonder why any roster needs the triple punch threat of Odjick, Sandy McCarthy and Craig Berube. The best guess? McCarthy or Berube are quickly out of town. In the meantime, whispers still abound about the Flyers interest in Nik Khabibulin from Phoenix.

Al Morganti covers the NHL for ESPN.


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