Blackhawks ship Versteeg to Maple Leafs

Hockey Betting Lines

06/30/2010 - Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Battling against the salary cap, the defending champion Chicago Blackhawks have traded gritty forward Kris Versteeg to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a five-player deal.

The Maple Leafs also acquired the rights to forward Bill Sweatt while sending Chicago forwards Viktor Stalberg, Chris DiDomenico and Philippe Paradis.

Versteeg, who burst onto the hockey scene with 22 goals and 31 assists in 78 games as a rookie in 2008-09, recorded 20 goals and 24 assists in 79 regular season games this past season while adding 14 points in the team's run to the Stanley Cup.

The 24-year-old had recently signed a three-year contract last offseason after being named a finalist for the Calder Trophy, but the Blackhawks were forced to make some roster moves due to the restrictions of the salary cap.

Versteeg moves to a team that is in desperate need of his offensive skill. The Maple Leafs, who finished with the league's second worst record at 30-38-14, scored only 214 goals last season, which was 13th out of 15 Eastern Conference teams.

Sweatt, 21, was a second-round pick of the Blackhawks in 2007 and has spent the last four seasons playing for Colorado College. Last season, in 39 games, he registered 15 goals and 18 assists.

Stalberg, a sixth-round pick in 2006, split last season with the Leafs and the club's AHL affiliate. In 40 NHL games, he registered nine goals and five assists.

DiDomenico was a sixth-round pick of Toronto in 2007 and played only 12 games last season, all for the Drummondville Voltiguers of the QMJHL. Despite the limited action, he registered seven goals and 15 assists.

Paradis will move on to his third organization after being sent to Toronto last season from Carolina for Jiri Tlusty. He finished the season with two assists in four games with the Leafs' AHL affiliate after registering 24 goals and 20 assists in 63 games with the QMJHL's Shawinigan Cataractes.

The 19-year-old Paradis was originally the 27th overall pick of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft by the Hurricanes.

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Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds

Super Bowl XLIII, the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Super Bowl XLIII is now set, the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers will meet each other on February 1st in Tampa's Raymond James Stadium to battle it out for the coveted Lombardi Trophy. The game kicks off at 6:00pm ET on NBC with announcers Al Michaels and John Madden covering the on-field action. Super Bowl XLIII betting odds at online bookmaker MySportsbook.com have the Steelers listed as an early -6.5 against the spread favorite.Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds

Pittsburgh earned their passage to the big game by beating their division rival, the Baltimore Ravens, 23-14 in yesterday's AFC Championship Game. The Steelers jumped on Baltimore early, building a 13-0 first half lead, and never let up on their way to a fairly easy win. Although the Ravens did close to within two points in the fourth quarter, it never appeared as if they had enough offense to pull off the upset.

The Steelers dominating defense held Baltimore to a total of 198 yards while allowing them to convert just three third downs in 13 attempts. Pittsburgh also forced quarterback Joe Flacco into three interceptions, one of which safety Troy Polamalu returned fourty yards for a touchdown.

The Cardinals, by far the playoff team with the longest odds to reach Super Bowl XLIII, did so yesterday with a 32-25 upset of the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship. Arizona charged out of the gates and built a 24-6 halftime lead that had the Eagles venerable defense reeling. Quarterback Kurt Warner and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald did most of the damage, connecting on three first half touchdowns.

Arizona, however, could not sustain their momentum and the Eagles took a 25-24 with 10:45 left to play in the fourth. The Cardinals, with the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance hanging in the balance, mounted a fourteen play, 72 yard touchdown drive that consumed 7:52 off the clock. Warner hit running back Tim Hightower on a short screen for the go-ahead, game clinching score that will forever live in Cardinal infamy.

MySportsbook.com's Super Bowl XLIII Betting Odds:

Pittsburgh Steelers -6.5 (-110), Over 46.5 (-110), -260 (Money line)

Arizona Cardinals +6.5 (-110), Under 46.5 (-110), +220 (Money line)

Matt Foust won both of his conference championship plays yesterday and he is ready to serve up plenty of Super Bowl action. Each individual play costs $15.00, however, MySportsbook.com recommends purchasing Matt's NFL Playoff Package which includes all of Matt's Super Bowl props and picks from just $45.00.

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