The calm before the storm....

July 1st is just days away, and for some hockey fans, it will be sweet bliss as their favorite teams' general managers and owners shell out serious cash for some of the league's elite players. For some fans, however, this day is nothing short of Armageddon. Why Armageddon you ask? Well, its quite simple. It is not unheard of for teams to go through "rebuilding" phases, meaning trading any player of value for young players who may or may not develop, but don't cost more than a "shanghai-surprise" from your local massage parlor. You spend the next few years "dying alive" (sorry to use that quote two posts in a row) as you watch your team lose 60 games. Hence how Pens nation felt post-Jagr trade.....

The NHL playoffs ended only a few weeks ago, but are a distant memory in many peoples mind. Of course, for us Pens fans, it seems like yesterday you watched that last second shot by Crosby in game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals barely miss the net and Hossa almost burying it as time ran out....Oh man that was so close. That memory alone, of what could of been, but was not meant to be, could turn even the strongest of men from having a successful career in law to a successful career in doing sex acts for crack in an alley.....it's a fine line my friends.

So what it really boils down to is that there are some amazing players available the minute the clock strikes midnight and the month turns from June to July. This little quiet town we live in known as Hockey Village will turn into Bourbon street during Mardi Gras. Owners will be showing some nipple while throwing bags of cash to get the rights to guys such as Marian Hossa, Brian Campbell, Ryan Malone, Jaromir Jagr and Mats Sundin. Even players under contract will be showing some skin and tossing beads trying to lure in a solid FA to help their team. It becomes a dog eat dog world, just hope that the higher ups running your team have a lethal bite, or prepare yourself for a long year. I, however, do not have to worry, because the penguins have Ray Shero making their moves. Let's put it this way, if it really is a dog-eat-dog situation, Ray Shero would be the apple of Michael Vick's eye; the undisputed, undefeated heavweight champion of the canine division. Go Pens.