ARTHUR:
Have you been keeping up with Scott Niedermayer this offseason? He's not making it very difficult. The Ducks captain joined Sportscenter as an analyst in April, and now he's blogging the Stanley Cup Finals for the LA Times (Game 1, Game 2). Niedermayer the Analyst certainly has his foot in the door, whether we see Niedermayer the Hockey Player again or not.
And, as has become the predictable season finale for Anaheim, the captain has until Draft day to make up his mind about playing hockey. Last year, he dragged that cliffhanger out until the very last minute, and these forays into life after hockey, while interesting, may have no bearing on how long he takes this year. And his final decision, whether yes or no, could spur a trade as big as the one he caused last year. Does Murray have a deal in place? Are the Ducks one of the two teams that are 'more than nibbling' at the hook that Brian Burke has baited with Tomas Kaberle? The transfer, whether directly or indirectly, of players and staff between the organizations since Burke left has been substantial: Francois Beauchemin, Brad May, Francois Allaire, Justin Pogge, Vesa Toskala, Jason Blake, and Jean-Sebastien Giguere. Burke and Murray may work something out on Draft day, that is, if they don't already have something planned.