Olli Jokinen back to the Flames.

I know I'm way late on this and that most of the hockey bologosphere has already filed this tidbit away for future 'rippin on Darryl Sutter' columns, but still, every single time I think about this move, and then Sutter's defense of it, I just crack up.

I was on Yahoo! Sports earlier today (like I am every day) and I started reading an article by Sam McCaig from 10 days ago about the various needs that Canadian teams would attempt to address via free agency (the premise was that the Canadiens and the Canucks were the two teams that needed the least and would make the fewest moves. I was/am skeptical, since the needs of a contending team can be dealt with better via free agency than, for example, the gaping holes that Toronto and Edmonton have in their rosters.) Anyways, the article was pretty simple and kind of just basic common sense, but there was one team section that made my day.

Take it away Sam:

Calgary Flames This should come as no surprise: The Flames need a No. 1 center to set up power winger Jarome Iginla. Just like last season, the season before that and the season before that (and the season before that). Calgary’s current top centers, Matt Stajan and Daymond Langkow, simply don’t cut it; Stajan is a second-liner at best, while Langkow turns 34 in September and is slowing down.

Problem is, the Flames have less than $7 million to spend, and need to re-sign defenseman Ian White as well as at least three other depth forwards. Not to mention, Calgary is banking on Swedish rookie Henrik Karlsson to back up Miikka Kiprusoff. Karlsson, 26, is a 6-foot-6 specimen who starred in Sweden last year, but he hasn’t played a second in the NHL.

Another problem: Beyond ex-Flame Matthew Lombardi, there’s not a lot out of there in the way of UFA centers. It’s not like Calgary is going to bring back Olli Jokinen.

"...It's not like Calgary is going to bring back Olli Jokinen." The author of the article has got to have some kind of extremely potent blackmail on Darryl Sutter (I mean I think he must, but how do you blackmail a man who feels no shame?), because there's no way he wrote this column without already knowing exactly how this was all going to play out.

Read it again, and this time keep in mind what we know now, that Olli is, at this very moment, enjoying the "agriculture-related attractions and free, fun-packed activities and presentations" offered by Agrium Ag-tivity in the City at the Stampede. It's the greatest bit of comedy ever written right? The whole Flames section sets up that last punchline perfectly.

And speaking of great comedy, I want to take this opportunity to revive the 2nd most popular piece of artwork to ever adorn the pages of the HCP:

The Olli: