Gator Madness

It appears that the reason Jason Smith hasn't made a decision between Buffalo, Tampa Bay, and Atlanta is because the Tampa management isn't sure if Dan Boyle is going to waive his no-trade clause or not. Boyle, a quality puck-mover who puts up good numbers every season and had his last one derailed by a freak injury, signed a six-year contract with the Bolts at the trade deadline and got the contract insured with a no-trade clause.

The Bolt Junta is asking him to move.

Will Boyle waive his no-trade clause? If he does, the Bolts have a lot more money to throw at Jason Smith. If he doesn't, Smith will sign with Atlanta or Buffalo. And really, isn't Atlanta the better option?

If Boyle does get traded and Gator goes to live in the Bay, there's a slight chance he could come to Atlanta. Hmmmm...

Meanwhile, Mike Knobler of the AJC wonders if we might be going after restricted free agents now. As far as I know, Detroit's Valterri Filpulla is still on the market. Center for Kovy?

A minor quibble with the AJC: if a journalist asks a public personality (like, say, Don Waddell) a question and receives a non-answer or a cloudy vague statement, he ought to press some follow-up questions more forcefully. It shouldn't be a surprise that public figures on any scale--NHL general managers or politicians--give lukewarm responses and make shit up and keep the truth safely out of view. If a journalist feels he hasn't gotten a satisfactory and clear answer, he should ask more questoins. Rudely, if possible. In fact, you should begin with the assumption that powerful figures of whatever kind aren't being 100% up-front and honest, not a passive acceptance of whatever happens to come out of their mouth.

That is all. As you were, comrades.