Let’s start with a clarification. Dan Wood with the Orange County Register is on top of things in the Scott Niedermayer case and, in an e-mail, broke down the salary cap ramifications of Niedermayer’s return. There’s a a term called “tagging” that Dan attempted to explain, and it’s part of the new complex CBA. Quite honestly, I couldn’t make sense of it, but the bottom line is this: The Ducks are okay this season with the salary cap and would have to clear about $1 million from next year’s budget.

As Brian Burke told Dan, “We will have to move contractual obligations for next year.” That said, Wood also pointed out that the Ducks are interested in clearing more salary than that to re-sign Corey Perry to prevent somebody from signing Perry to an offer sheet. So moving a guy like Mathieu Schneider, like we talked about yesterday, could still be a possibility even though it’s not necessary.

But you guys seemed lukewarm to the idea, and that’s fair enough. He isn’t young, and if you couldn’t ship Alexei Zhitnik as part of the deal, that would leave the Thrashers with three older defensemen under contract for next season in Klee, Z and Schneider. The best point was made by Jarndyce, who said what the power play would lack under the scenario I presented is a true pivot. Good point.

We know the goalie rotation right now — Johan Hedberg tonight and Kari Lehtonen against the Caps in DC. So do you like it? I know a few of you shared your opinion yesterday, but you had to split up the back-to-back games anyways, so I have no issues with it. I would think the starting goalie would get the home start, but it’s looking like this is more of a 1 and 1a instead of a starter and backup.

As we sit here right now, Ilya Kovalchuk is on pace for 70 goals. It’s been quite awhile since that’s been done (since 92-93 season) but do you think he can do it? I asked around the Thrashers lockerroom this morning, if players thought it was going to happen. My new favorite corner is the Eric Boulton - Eric Perrin and Chris Thorburn corner of the room, so I presented it to them. I asked Perrin, and Boulton piped in, saying basically ‘good luck answering that. If you say yes you jinx him, if you say no, you’re saying no.’ So Perrin thought about it a moment and said “If anybody can do it, it’s Kovy.” Thorburn refused to talk about it altogether. So what would you put the odds at — How about this, I’ll set the over/under at 64 goals. You going over or under?

Word around the rink was that the Rangers are starting Steve Valiquette tonight, although I didn’t stick around for Tom Renney’s press conference to hear it from him. If Valiquette goes, he’s 1-0-1 with a 2.42 GAA this season in three games this year with the Rangers.

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