I think I am losing it….

Maybe it’s because I saw Sportsnet related entries out there that said Burke was joining the Pittsburgh Penguins…. Maybe it was all the talk of kicking the tires with Burke that I believed it was just a passing fancy on the guy….

Well, correct me because I am wrong. Dead wrong.

Sean Burke has inked a deal to join the Bolts:

“Shortly after the new CBA was announced, Sean Burke was the goaltender we identified as we began formulating contingency plans for how we would proceed if Khabibulin left our team,” Lightning general manager Jay Feaster said. “We did a lot of homework on Sean, and we believe that not only will he come in and compete with John Grahame and battle for the No. 1 spot, but if he doesn’t win that contest, he will be a ‘team first’ player.

I was wondering what Bill Barber had been up to and this has his fingerprints all over it. At least in my opinion. Not that I mind too much - Bill hasn’t done us wrong yet.

This also continues to stress the “chemistry first” movement that has dictated the Lightning’s transactions very visibly in 2003-04. Daryl Sydor was only picked up after Brad Lukowich lobbied for him and answered some of Feaster’s concerns about Daryl’s locker room presence, Stan Neckar was the big trade-deadline acquisition by Feaster, who didn’t want to rock the boat when he added depth to the defensive core.

What I find sort of funny with this move is that there had been so much talk that John Grahame is going to be pushed in the #1 Goalie slot and not just handed the keys. The Lightning signing Philadelphia’s backup goaltender doesn’t exactly look like the Bolts are going to have Grahame pushed for the #1 slot… We’ll see about that in a couple of weeks at training camp though.

All right! Now we’re talking!

Dan Boyle has inked a three year deal with the Lightning, being paid on a 3.33 Million dollar average under the cap. The offensive defensiveman’s inking gives the Bolts less to be concerned about and solidifies a shaky-at-the-moment blue line.

One down, two key members of the Bolts to go (Lecavalier and St. Louis).

But wait, there’s more!

Dmitry Afanasenkov accepted his qualifying offer and inked a one-year deal with the Lightning for just over 700K. Add to that former Lightning forward Rob DiMaio joining the team and you’ve got the most major movement this club has made during the off-season so far.

I’ve speculated about Roman Hamrlik and if the Lightning have been in contact with him… Now there’s more defensive rumblings out there on whom will be on the market…

Brendan Witt is requesting a trade from the Washington Capitals, so sayeth Capital Punishment. Witt was a hot item of speculation during the 2003-04 trade deadline time and with the Washington Capitals gutting their roster, it was assumed Witt would be sent elsewhere.

Now, with the Caps making few - if any - moves and the outlook grim to abysmal for the immediate future as the team rebuilds. Witt wants out at age 30. Gregg Kenner at Capital Punishment adds speculation in his bitter goodbye to Mr. Witt:

I hope you rot in Florida for the rest of your career.

You know, it can be seen as a cool novelty and seen as a bane how fast information can spread on the Internet - or disinformation for that matter.

I’ve already bashed Eklund and Keith has wondered aloud how this fool and liar has such a devote following that he does.

And now some Lightning fans are using Eklund in order to put the hurt on Florida Panther fans.

While musing about the Lightning’s goaltending situation if and when Nik Khabibulin would depart the team (it started before Nik signed with Chicago), a thread at SunSportsTV.com meandered around and turned into discussion of Roberto Luongo and how Miami fans would react if the Lightning tendered Luongo an offer sheet.

Then someone dared, and someone decided to take him up on the offer.

Eklund ran the rumor several day ago — a total fabrication — and it’s caught on but then soon deflated. How’s that for misinformation being spread? You can blame the blog community for not checking sources, or you can blame Eklund himself and his flock-of-seagull following (which includes members of the mainstream media).

And in a related story, CalgaryPuck regulars have constructed a blog specifically to mock Eklund and his blather. More false rumors, more of the time….

Outdoor Living Network?

More like On the Rink Network…

Phil Pilmar over at the NHL is Back reported more than a week ago that it looked like Comcast was going to swoop in and take on the NHL on it’s Outdoor Living Network that currently hoasts Survivor re-runs and the Tour De France each year.

More details are coming out now about money Comcast is putting up in their deal, and while the exposure factor is much less than with TNT or Spike TV or USA Network, it’s a bit higher than ESPN even if ESPN and it’s networks (ESPN 2 - where most NHL games woudl be broadcast) do reach more households.

It’s the eexposure factor.

I’ve brought it up before and again that anyone is better than ESPN simply because ESPN - the Sports and Entertainment network - is far too oversaturated for it’s own good. Game Shows? College hoops? College Football? TV Movies? MLB? NFL action? Poker? The NBA? Gymnastics? Golf? Sportscenter and other news-orientated programming? With such a multitude of sports programs on the network, the NHL wasn’t gettign the same exposure in 2003-04 as it was getting on ESPN in 1993-94. It’s NHL-dedicated news programming was canceled, the playoffs were broadcast almost grudgingly (and porously at that).

To be on a station with a clean slate - such as OLN/Comcast Sports - there isn’t an oversaturation on the network of pro sports. The NHL isn’t going to be treated as fourth tier filller programming… It’s going to be part fo the backbone of a rebuilt network.

The details on this deal are coming to light — Comcast already has a personal stake in the NHL (the Flyers) and would want to see the league successed for their investment. I just plain hope they don’t paint the network as partial tot he Flyers or I will scream.