Every Monday morning The Ice Sheet will take a close look at everything that's happened in the NHL since Friday night at 5:00 p.m. To read them all, click here.

On Saturday morning when I passed along the news that Petr Prucha was actually going to get into the lineup for Saturday's Rangers-Lightning tilt in Prague, I also made a point of linking to a rather angry Larry Brooks column where the Slap Shot columnist let loose with every little complaint he had about the way the Rangers were handling their pre-season. After giving it a read, you could be forgiven for thinking the team was in a bit of disarray:

It's all about Renney coaching a team without Jagr and Shanahan to lean on, and it's all about this group filling the huge voids created with the decision to dispose of the team's post-lockout identity as if it were toxic.

It's all about one of the most vanilla Rangers teams in memory bonding in order to form a unit greater than the sum of its underwhelming parts.

Well, here we are a little less than 48 hours later, and all is forgotten in the wake of a pair of 2-1 victories over the revamped Lightning. Rangers newcomers Markus Naslund and Wade Redden combined for two goals and two assists over the weekend, as the New Yorkers pretty easily dominated the run of play as the Lightning played against type. While new owners Oren Koules and Len Barrie spent most of the Summer stacking the team with loads of new offensive weapons, it was their goalies, Mike Smith and Olie Kolzig, who kept things close, stopping 76 of 80 shots over the course of two games.

Welcome to the NHL FanHouse 2008-09 season preview. While other sites are previewing "30 teams in 30 days," we decided to take advantage of the extra time off before the start of the season to bring you all 30 previews over the next three weeks. We're counting down in reverse order of finish from last season in each conference every weekday from now until October 3. Look for an Eastern Conference preview every morning and a Western Conference preview every afternoon. Click here to read them all.

Who's In: Jarkko Ruutu, F (FA - PIT), Filip Kuba, D (Trade - TPA), Alex Auld , G (FA-BOS), Jason Smith, D (FA-PHI), Brendan Bell, D (FA-PHX), Ryan Shannon, F (Trade -VAN), Brad Isbister, F (FA-VAN)

Who's Out: Ray Emery, G (FA - KHL), Andrej Mezaros, D (Trade - TPA), Cory Stillman, F (FA - Florida), Luke Richardson, D (UFA - Unsigned), Wade Redden, D (FA - NYR), Brian McGrattan, F (FA - PHX), Mike Commodore, D (FA - CBJ), Lawrence Nycholat, D (Trade - VAN)

What's Changed: The Blue Line, that's for sure. Redden's departure was written in the stars last fall, so there's no surprise there. We'll see how well he handles the pressure of playing in New York, since we all saw how well he handled it in Ottawa. If you think this team is Cup material, consider this addition by subtraction. Then again, one has to have a defense to even get to the playoffs, and Redden is solid enough to get you there.

Couple that with The Lisp holding the line on contract numbers with Mezaros and we have the first trade of the Cap Era forced by the threat of an RFA Offer Sheet. So, out go two of the team's Top 4 defensemen (not to mention rental Mike Commodore) and in return come Filip Kuba, Alexandre Picard and war-horse Jason Smith. What's changed is that Ottawa's blue line will be meaner than previous versions as both Mezaros and Redden are not what you'd call physically dominant.

Late Friday night the Andrej Meszaros mini-series came to its dramatic conclusion when the Ottawa Senators sent the restricted free agent to Tampa Bay in exchange for defensemen Filip Kuba and Alexandre Picard and a first round pick. The Bolts wasted no time signing the 22-year-old rearguard to a six-year/$4 million deal and over-selling their new acquisition to anyone within earshot:

"Andrej is an elite player ... no doubt about it," [Bolts vice president of hockey operations Brian] Lawton said.

Really? Elite? Let's take a closer look at that assertion.

Senators GM Bryan Murray referred to Meszaros' play over the past two seasons as "[leaving] a lot to be desired" (not something you typically hear of the game's top defensemen), and the numbers certainly represent something a lot closer to "pretty good player" than "time to adjust the game plan, we're facing Andrej Meszaros tonight" -- Meszaros finished last season 25th among the League's defensemen in scoring and 68th in that group in plus/minus. He was 80th in ice time, 35th in power-play scoring and 100th in shooting percentage.

Perhaps someday Andrej Meszaros will be an elite player (of course, so too might Alex Picard or the player Ottawa selects with that first round draft pick). But to call Meszaros, a blueliner who has yet to have 40 points in an NHL season or play in an All-Star Game, an "elite player" doesn't pass the laugh test. Then again, what would a circus be without laughter?

Check out Puck Daddy for much more on the trade.

Here's a shocker for the end of the work day: Just a couple of hours after Ottawa Senators GM Bryan Murray announced that the team had been unable to come to an agreement on a new contract with restricted free agent defenseman Andrej Meszaros, Adam Proteau of The Hockey News is reporting that Meszaros has signed an offer sheet with an unidentified NHL team.

Apparently, it's a multi-year deal with an average salary exceeding $5 million per season. As to who it might be, I guess it's time to get out your spreadsheets and start guessing. Our colleague James Mirtle lists possible destinations as St. Louis, Toronto, Montreal, Columbus, the Islanders, Phoenix and Atlanta. Mirtle also cites LA as a possible destination thanks to all their cap room, however, they would need to reacquire a third round draft pick in order to make it happen.

Losing Meszaros and Wade Redden in the same offseason couldn't have been part of the plan for Murray and the rest of the Ottawa front office. A defense that was deep and solid just two seasons ago during a run to the Finals now looks horribly vulnerable. What's worse, while the Sens might be thin on the blue line, they're still loaded up front, which makes taking the draft picks and embarking on a rebuild program something of a non-starter.

If I'm Sens owner Eugene Melnyk, I'm getting ready to ask Murray some very difficult questions about the future of the franchise.

It's been a huge Summer for Wade Redden. First, he signed a mega-bucks deal to leave Ottawa and join the New York Rangers. And now, to top things off, he's gone off and gotten himself married. And while most of us didn't snag an invite to the intimate affair in Kelowna, British Colombia, two Vancouver-based wedding photographers are sharing a few shots from the happy couple's wedding album.

Here's how Chris+Lynn Photographers set it up:

What can we say about Danica & Wade? She is fun, fiesty, and full of an adventurous spirit. He is calm, down-to-earth, and has a quiet strength about him. As a couple, they are simply beautiful together - in the laughter they share, the tenderness in their words, and the pure love with which they look at each other.

Awwww. I think it's safe to say that Mr. Redden is an incredibly lucky guy, if you know what I mean.

After all, as Sean Avery reminded us a few weeks back, New York can be an awfully lonely place for an athlete when things aren't going well. It's good that Wade won't be making the trip by himself.

Life is tough for Toronto Maple Leafs fans. Heck, it's been 41 years since they won a Stanley Cup, and while the Leafs have fans all over Canada, they also have plenty of vocal enemies. It's gotten so bad that Alena Sharp, a Canadian player on the LPGA Tour, will be leaving her Maple Leafs club cover at home when she plays at the CN Canadian Women's Open outside Ottawa this weekend.

Here's what Sharp told the Ottawa Sun's Chris Stevenson:

Hamilton's Alena Sharp, Canada's top player on the LPGA Tour this year, has a Toronto Maple Leafs head cover on her driver, but she said today she's willing to chuck it for this week.

"I was waiting for that one to come up. Last year in Edmonton, I got flack about it...so if someone is willing to bring an Ottawa Senators head cover, I'll put it on my bag for the week. I guess you can put that out in the media."

Abandon the Leafs for the Sens? Somebody alert Battle of Ontario, we've got a deserter to deal with!

Then again, there's always the Shania Twain solution.

Sharp, by the way, proudly displays a Maple Leafs logo on her official Web site, right alongside one from the Boston Red Sox. If you happen to be looking for a Maple Leafs club cover all your own, click here.

Thanks to J.P. for the pointer.

There are multiple press reports this morning that Ex-Ottawa goalie Ray Emery has signed a one-year contract with Atlant Mytischi of the new KHL. Our pal Dmitry Chesnokov is passing along an English translation of an interview from the pages of Sovetsky Sport. This time, Pavel Lysenkov was on the scene with an interview with Atlant's GM Leonid Veisfeld about the signing. Here's the translation:

LV: "Actually, so far we only have the English language version of the contract signed ... Now I am waiting for the Russian language version of the contract with a signature. Until I receive it can't attest that Ray Emery will play for Atlant next season. I remember so many cases when players changed their minds at the last minute."

PL: But still, the possibility of Emery playing in Russia is close to 100%. Please explain to us why you decided to negotiate with this goaltender?

Troubled goalie Ray Emery is the latest NHL player to be leaving for the oil fields of Russia, although few people around the league will really miss him all that much.

After the Senators bought out Emery, when it was obviously nobody wanted any part of the fiery netminder, the free agent goalie found little interest on the market even after his lofty contract was shed.

Thus, Emery had to settle for signing a one-year deal with a Russian league club, although for a LOT more than he'd be getting in the NHL.

The 25-year-old former Sens netminder has signed a one-year deal with Atlant Mytishchi of the Continental Hockey League in Russia, according to the Ottawa Sun. The deal is worth more than $2 million, plus bonuses.

Emery's first choice would have been to play in the NHL, but his agent J.P. Barry received just three calls.

"Unfortunately, it's only been a short time since the buyout and there isn't anybody willing to give (Emery) a second chance at this time," Barry told the Sun. "I think if people knew the things that he's done over the last little while to turn the corner, there might be more interest out there."

It takes more than a month or two to "turn the corner", especially since a leopard, or crazy goalie, can't often change their spots.

I don't think this is so bad for Emery, given that he'll be paid a healthy sum to play hockey and get a chance to cool off for awhile. If Emery can rediscover his game, and truly prove that he's matured, I'm sure NHL clubs will be ringing up J.P. Barry this time next summer.

There are a lot of big names still on the board through the early stages of free agency today. The one position that there's been no shortage of movement at? Goalie. Goalies are changing teams left and right today and the effects of some of the moves are going to be pretty wide-ranging. Let's take a look at some of the moves that have taken place and what they might mean. All of the exhaustive contract details are via TSN.

Jose Theodore to the Capitals- It's a two-year, $9 million deal and Eric's got the details below. Theodore did seem to regain some of his form this past year with the Avalanche, but he melted down in the playoffs against the Red Wings while suffering from a bad case of the flu. He'll probably give the Caps an upgrade over what Olie the Goalie was giving them earlier in the year, but he won't carry them the way Huet did down the stretch last year. And $4.5 million seems like a lot of money for a guy that just might be washed up, doesn't it?

Cristobal Huet to the Blackhawks- With a ton of moneyalready tied up in Nikolai Khabibulin (~$7 million a year), the 'Hawks are now paying Huet $5.635 a year as well. Huet's an upgrade over what the Blackhawks have, for sure, but I'm trying to wrap my mind around paying more than $12 million a year for their top two goalies.

More goalie moves after the jump.

Is it too hot for hockey? You may be right, but until the cold weather returns, welcome to The Bag Skate, FanHouse's afternoon roundup of everything that's happening on a typical offseason weekday.

Today's primal scream comes from the guys at Melt Your Face Off, who have penned an open letter to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman in wake of the news that a small knot of his own owners engineered a loan to help a penniless businessman -- William "Boots" DelBaggio -- boost a piece of the Nashville Predators.

Did I forget to mention that they did it behind Bettman's back?

HOW DO YOU LET THAT HAPPEN? You are the commissioner for a top-flight sports league in the most industrialized nation in the world. You are supposedly the most powerful man in your sport. Now, you claim that while owners are lending each other money to keep the franchises in their own little AllTel Circle of Friends, you thought everything was hunky dory?

"Most powerful man in your sport?" Come now, everybody knows that Brian Burke is the most powerful man in the NHL. Just ask him.

That being said, the very moment when Bettman discovered this little bit of chicanery has to be marked as the low point in his tenure at the top of the league. It's one thing for everyone fan in the world to use you as a human punching bag, but it's another thing entirely when the very men who hired you to do the job don't trust you enough to let you know what they're doing.