News and Views: Shanny's legacy more than big numbers

It's too bad Brendan Shanahan had to go out the back door, but that's what ends up happening when a 40-year-old who wants to play one more season can't find a team that thinks he still can.

Even so, coming to terms with this reality six weeks into the current season doesn't diminish a great 21-year career or a player whose impact goes beyond the Hall of Fame numbers he put up.

Shanahan scored 656 goals and 1,354 points in 1,524 NHL games. (US Presswire)

Shanahan can certainly be in the debate about the all-time greatest power forward after scoring more goals than all but 10 players in history, winning three Stanley Cups and being an All-Star eight times. He wasn't afraid to drop the gloves either, but Shanahan might have made his most important contributions to the game by fighting to improve the product on the ice. The "Shanahan Summit" he organized during the lockout set in motion rules changes and the eventual formation of a competition committee that has opened up the game and made it faster, better and more entertaining than ever.

And that may be Shanahan's greatest legacy.

News: 'Hawks opening the vault to keep three young stars

Views: There's never been any doubt the Blackhawks would lock up Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith before they hit free agency next July. The franchise needs them and Chicago is one of the NHL's best situations for players right now. A meeting of minds always seemed inevitable as result, just not necessarily this quickly. Canadian network TSN reported new long-term deals for all three are nearly done and the players all but confirmed it with their comments to Chicago beat reporters the same day.

With deals in the range of $6 million per season, the players are getting good market value, but they are also providing a reality check for the many guys in the room who now have seen the potential reason for being moved staring them in the face. That's an issue most of the Blackhawks would prefer to avoid thinking about until after the season, and they would have, had the predictable agreements with the three foundation players been reached then.

Chicago has the pieces to win the Stanley Cup this season, largely because the core group is young, talented and has developed together over the last few years. They've been rewarded financially, too, but that has created some serious salary cap issues for the organization. When the new deals come into effect, Chicago will exceed the limit with only 15 players signed, making roster changes inevitable. The players understand that as part of the business, but instead of worrying about later, the news now will serve as a reminder throughout the season.

News: Peter Forsberg gives the thumbs (foot?) down to the NHL

Views: And you can bet a lot of general managers are breathing a sigh of relief. Not publicly of course. Out loud, teams like the Rangers, Flyers, Bruins, Avs and Canucks -- the usual suspects presumed to be in the running for the Swedish star's services -- wouldn't dare admit they are happy Forsberg has decided to stay home.

Clearly a player like Peter Forsberg is appealing, but the reality is that his unique blend of talent and toughness hasn't held up well over the years. Forsberg was sidelined frequently by a variety of upper- and lower-body injuries throughout his career, and now at age 36 back home, he is trying to play on a regular basis for the first time in two years.

That said, Forsberg is still Forsberg, and when he announced he would return to his home team Modo, several NHL clubs felt compelled to inquire about him. But signing a reluctant Swedish veteran in midseason is a risk, as Vancouver found out last season with Mats Sundin. So with Forsberg announcing he doesn't think his injured foot can take the rigors of the NHL, everyone is off the hook.

News: First-round Columbus draft pick returns to Russia

Views: Whatever Nikita Filatov and the Blue Jackets say about trying again next season, forget it because the sixth pick in the 2008 draft has said goodbye to Columbus with this move.

Officially, Filatov is on loan to a Kontinental Hockey League team, where he'll be paid about what he'd make on the Jackets roster rather than the 90 percent cut he would have taken by going back to Columbus' minor-league team. But money wasn't the reason the Jackets wanted to send the 19-year-old down, his play was.

In Columbus, Filatov has become a latter-day version of Nikolai Zherdev to coach Ken Hitchcock, a skilled young forward who fights the system and ends up in the doghouse as a result. Hitchcock has had some issues with younger players during his career -- think of Mike Richards and Jeff Carter under him in Philadelphia -- but others like Jackets captain Rick Nash have flourished by buying in. So while Filatov said he needed to play more to be better, Hitchcock didn't think he earned the time -- and chances are that won't change next season. But if Filatov does show off his talent in Russia over the next few months, he'll make it easier for the Jackets to trade him.

News: Florida Panthers shuffle ownership structure

Views: The Panthers have been trying to cast news that local businessmen Cliff Viner and Stu Siegel have become co-general partners as a good thing since both are avid hockey fans committed to building a winner in Florida. Of course Alan Cohen said the same thing when he led a group that bought the team in 2001. Instead, Cohen's era did not produce a single playoff appearance, but six general managers, as many coaches and a variety of team building strategies while losing about $20 million a season.

It's not that Cohen tried to run things on the cheap. He spent close to the salary cap limit since the lockout, but it never helped the Panthers find the right mix. In the process, a fickle fan base that had its curiosity piqued less than a decade ago has dwindled and is unlikely to return until this team can produce a deep playoff run. That looks like a long time away, even with upbeat new owners.

News: St. Louis owner calls out team

Views: You'd think that after the Rush Limbaugh debacle involving the NFL's Rams, Dave Checketts would want to stay away from the spotlight for a little while. Instead, the Blues boss decided to unload on a team that is either severely underachieving so far or seriously overachieved last.

Either way, the Blues are struggling and Checketts wanted the world to know he wasn't happy, knocking the team's "compete" level and claiming it should be in the hunt for the division lead, not its cellar.

What he didn't say, though, was that he and the brain trust may have overestimated what it had. St. Louis was out of the postseason picture until January, but got to the playoffs with a great second-half run, and made no meaningful offseason changes other than backup goaltender Ty Conklin. The Blues have some good young talent in the lineup, but in many ways they played above their heads late last season and now seem to be finding a more telling level.

At least Checketts still believes, or so he suggests by insisting no changes in personnel or behind the bench are in consideration.