So as some of you sleepyheads will have noticed by now, at approximately 1:30 a.m. this morning, Darren Dreger revealed that Shea Weber has signed an offer sheet from Paul "Mad Man" Holmgren for over $100M and 14 years.

Should the David Poile and the Nashville Predators choose not to match this offer, the compensation for the deal would be four first round picks from Philadelphia. As PPP commenter Spezzal Teams Playa pointed out last night: "Would you trade four Tyler Biggseses"? The answer should be an easy "yes", since the Flyers would likely be giving up four picks in the mid-20's. This would be a huge coup for Holmgren, who needs to bolster his defence with someone other than Luke Schenn.

Poile has to match. He has to. Here's the snag. Does Nashville have $26M to fork over for the first season? He has seven days to figure that out.

In other news, the owners are in discussions with the NHLPA, whining that contracts should be limited to 5 years max, and of course, they'll also want salary rollbacks, the elimination of signing bonuses, and a narrower range of spending between the cap floor and ceiling. Somewhere, Donald Fehr is laughing at their demands.

On a completely different note, I'll ask you to follow @GlobeOlympics on Twitter. The ever-insightful James Mirtle will be in foggy Londontown covering the Games, and you might as well get your news from the best.

Happy reading, everyone.

Shea Weber Links:

Shea Weber signs offer sheet with Philadelphia, everything is happening

Justin Bourne has a small freakout.

Wake up! Right now! Paul Holmgren sends Shea Weber 14-year, $100 million offer sheet
Go get the Flyers fans' reactions at Broad St. Hockey.

Media reports Shea Weber signs offer sheet with the Flyers
Here is the Globe and Mail's blurb.

Shea Weber inks 14-year offer sheet with Philadelphia Flyers; will Predators match?
Greg Wyshynski has his say.

Leafs Links:

VIDEO POST!!! Yay or Nay for Bernier, Luongo, Reimer
Steve Dangle and Cam Charron appear before you to chat hockey.

Would The Leafs Be Ready For Another Lockout?
Yours truly ponders the idea at The Leafs Nation.

Jonathan Bernier: Is His AHL Success Meaningful?
BCapp says that it is, but not meaningful enough for the Leafs to trade for him.

Make your best offer to get Luongo…
Michael Langlois isn't a Luongo guy, but wonders just how much folks are willing to part with. What's your max?

Maple Leafs identity: Part II - "The underdog fetish"
Cam Charron posts another team effort at The Leafs Nation.

MLSE board expected to undergo major change after sale is finalized
Bell and Rogers are expected to create a co-owned company that votes for both of them so there aren't any stalemates at the boardroom table. Good thing none of this could get confusing. From David Shoalts at the Globe.

House of the Week: $1.7 million for hockey legend Doug Gilmour’s East York home
From the site Toronto Life.

Vintage Leafs: Rick welcomes Wendel to the Leafs
Browse around at Vintage Leafs, because Harold C. has added a bunch of new photos

Other Hockey Links:

The 5 most .GIFable bench moments from the 2011-2012 season
Some of these are great, but I think the crowd at PPP could contribute a few gems to Justin Bourne's collection.

Rec Hockey Tips: Come back to the puck already, forwards
I'll admit it. I can be a lazy winger. From Justin Bourne.

Here’s why Rick Nash really doesn’t want to come to Canada
The latest from Ryan Lambert at Backhand Shelf.

Ilya Bryzgalov set to play in Russia if there's an NHL lockout
Oh... Ilya? Are you still here? From Travis Hughes.

Unmade Movie Sequels: The Mighty Ducks 4
The latest from Dirty Dangle.

NHL owners' other leaked CBA demands
Down Goes Brown has more info on the NHL owners' demands.

LA Kings’ Doughty won't face date-rape charge
Well that's just lovely. From the AP via the Globe.

Newest Blue Jackets Foligno and Aucoin believe franchise not far away
Team doctors surmise both players are both having difficulty with their vision, and their common sense. There's no way the Jackets are close to any kind of winning.

Red Wings agree to 2-year contract with D Kyle Quincey and avoid arbitration

The deal is worth $7.55M over the two years. From the AP via the Globe.

NHL ownership, union philosophies far apart
Forget those two, think of how far apart just the OWNERS are! Some say the cap needs to be lower, some make offer sheets for over $100M while the CBA is being negotiated. From David Shoalts at the Globe.

An Afternoon With Former Avalanche Enforcer Scott Parker - Part 1
Brett Shumway posted this at Mile High Hockey. Definitely worth a look.

An Afternoon With Former Avalanche Enforcer Scott Parker - Part 2
...And here's the rest!

Thoughts on the CBA Negotiations
Scott Reynolds provides some insight at The Copper & Blue.

From The Branches