New Yorks Islanders: Thomas Vanek turns down Isles contract offer

This would be a good sign for Minnesota Wild fans that would like to see Thomas Vanek as member of the Minnesota Wild.

Arthur Staple, News Day – It appears that Thomas Vanek's stay with the Islanders likely will not last beyond the March 5 trade deadline.

NHL sources told Newsday that Vanek, acquired from the Sabres on Oct. 27, turned down a substantial contract offer from the Isles and that general manager Garth Snow is fielding offers for the 30-year-old wing.

The offer is believed to be in the same range as Vanek's current seven-year, $50 million deal. That contract expires on June 30.

Steve Bartlett, Vanek's agent, told Newsday on Monday morning that he and Snow have not talked in the past several days. Bartlett said Vanek has not closed the door on the Islanders but added that his client "has no real deadline" to let the team know he intends to go to unrestricted free agency on July 1.

NHL suspends Matt Martin 4 games, Sioux beat UAA 3-1

I will take a 3-1 win against a gritty defensive UAA team. It’s been a long weekend I will post a blog post tomorrow on tonight’s Fighting Sioux hockey game, it was an impressive dominating sweep this weekend and the Seawolves were never really in jeopardy of beating UND. The Fighting Sioux skated through and around the Seawolves forwards and defenders all weekend long and if it wasn't for the Seawolves goaltenders it could have been uglier. The Sioux won a gritty playoff style win against the UAA Seawolves, I think in the future this team will be heard from because they have something like 10 or 11 freshman on their team and the Seawolves compete very hard.

This suspension just came out from the NHL. Matt Martin of the Islanders has been suspended for four games for his attempted Todd Bertuzzi style attack on the Penguins' Max Talbot. I am surprised that Martin didn’t get more than four games.

NHL.COM --- The National Hockey League has suspended Pittsburgh's Eric Godard for 10 games, while Trevor Gillies of the New York Islanders received a nine-game suspension and Isles forward Matt Martin drew a four-game suspension for their actions during Friday's game on Long Island.

The disciplinary actions were announced by NHL Senior Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell following in-person hearings with the Islanders on Saturday evening in Buffalo, where the Isles play Sunday afternoon.

Godard drew an automatic 10-game suspension under Rule 70.11 for coming off the bench to become involved in a third-period fight after New York's Michael Haley squared off with Penguins goaltender Brent Johnson. Godard received a double minor for roughing and a double game misconduct.

Gillies was suspended for leveling Pittsburgh's Eric Tangradi with an elbow and throwing several punches to his head in an incident that led to the Haley-Johnson fight, earning a major penalty and a game misconduct. Tangradi left the game with concussion symptoms.

Martin was suspended as a result of delivering several punches from behind to an unsuspecting opponent, the Penguins' Max Talbot, during the second period. He received a major for fighting and a game misconduct.

Gillies will lose $24,193.53 in salary; Martin will forfeit $41,585.36 as a repeat offender; and Godard will lose $40,322.25.

"The actions by the Islanders' Gillies and Martin were deliberate attempts to injure by delivering blows to the head of players who were unsuspecting and unable to defend themselves," Campbell said in a statement issued by the NHL. "The message should be clear to all players: targeting the head of an opponent by whatever means will be dealt with by suspension.