Part 2: The Future of the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (Bottom Half)
9. Boston: The Bruins are again a team that has a decent looking team for the next season or two but no one locked up long term. The young forwards for the Bruins seem to really be performing and it wouldn’t be surprising to see one or more of them locked up long term but Peter Chiarrelli just hasn’t done that yet. Boston has a few forwards that are overpaid like Ryder and Wheeler but those forwards are still producing. They also have a few players who are playing above their current value like Marc Savard and David Krejci. On defence, the top two pairing of Chara and Wideman are locked up for two and three years respectively and considering their performance are both worthwhile players. Boston doesn’t have anyone else on defence locked up long term but Matt Hunwick, a good locking rookie is an RFA and may end up being a significant player for Boston over the long term. One of the biggest issues with Boston is their goaltending. They have two mid-range goalies, who could be no. 1’s some of the time while showing flashes of brilliance, and play more like back-up’s at other times, but neither is signed beyond this year. Boston does have Tuukka Rask, a young prospect who may end of stepping in as the back up for next year, but Boston does need to sign another goalie and may have to spend big money to keep either of theirs.
T-10. Ottawa: The Sens have one major problem, players not playing up to their potential. Ottawa has almost an entire line-up signed for next season, but can’t seem to make any real trades without getting rid of one of their big three forwards, because they have signed too many players coming off a career season. Mike Fisher is a good center, but he’s not a great No. 2, and he’s not worth 4.2 million for the next four seasons. On defence, they have neither a top power play quarterback nor a real top pair defenseman. This is simply because they cannot truly afford to do so with the amount of money committed to their forwards. Goaltending is also a scary situation for Ottawa, because they neither have a number one signed, nor can they keep the goalies they have and hope one become a number one. Ottawa really needs to make a dramatic change, to fix their team both for now and for the future, but to be honest, I’m not even sure I would know where to start.
T-10. New Jersey: Martin Brodeur will have to retire sometime right? In the mean time New Jersey’s goaltending is set, it’s the rest of their team that could use some work. New Jersey has 6 of their top 9 forwards signed for at least two more years, the problem is many of those players aren’t producing to the value of their contracts. Players like Elias at 6 million/season, Zubrus at 3.4 million, and Pandolfo at 2.5 million just aren’t worth what Lamoriello is paying them. Jersey’s defence could also use an upgrade where a legitimate number one defenseman is their biggest need. The Devils do have Colin White and Bryce Salvador locked up for 3 more seasons each but neither is top 2 and maybe not even top 4 material. An upgrade on defence, and more value from their forwards would really help New Jersey in the long run, oh and maybe developing someone to replace Brodeur if he does plan on retiring in the next five years, or gets injured again.
12. Atlanta: How does Don Waddell still have a job as GM of Atlanta, he’s done nothing since he came. He emptied the cupboards trying to make the playoffs two years ago, and now he can’t sign either of his superstars, one who’s already gone (Hossa) and the other will be gone at the end of next season or earlier (Kovalchuk). Waddell has made some moves I’ve liked adding players like Jason Williams, Ron Hainsey, and Mathieu Schneider, but those are simply not long term solutions to poor overall management. Atlanta’s defence looks decent for the years to come with Hainsey, Bogosian, and Enstrom all controlled for at least the next four years. It’s goaltending and the offence that is the problem. Atlanta has some decent young forwards in Christensen, Armstrong, and Little, but not a forward is signed beyond two years, and only one is signed beyond next season. It’s also time to give up on Kari Lehtonen and try to find a legitimate number one goalie.
13. New York Islanders Already the 15 year contract to Rick Dipietro looks like a bad move, based on his injuries. This team does have a few young players signed but top end talent really doesn't exist. When your top line includes Bill Guerin or Doug Weight, that scares me. This team would have been a lot better if they had been together 5 or 6 years ago when there players were in there prime. They simply have too many players playing in roles greater than their talent deserves. The fact that Alexei Yashin’s salary will count to a total of 16.5 million over the next 6 seasons doesn’t help either. Sounds like a problem only a backup goalie turned GM could create.
14. Montreal: This rating may change for Montreal if they manage to sign some of their UFA's but right now Montreal has only two of their top nine forwards signed to a contract for next season and only two of their top 4 d-men. Carey Price may be the best young goalie in the league but he is also only signed for next season and them will presumably want a significant pay raise. The one benefit for Bob Gainey may be that he has a significant number of prospects who may be able to step in if necessary and we have already seen the beginnings of that with Matt D'Agostini. Could Montreal be going into rebuilding mode, I don't think so, but Bob Gainey does need to get a lot of names on contracts in order to ice a respectable team for next season and beyond.
15. Toronto: Brian Burke will be the savior of the franchise...the question is only will it take one or two years or five. Who Toronto is able to draft this upcoming year may play a significant part in it as well as whether Burke will be able to get good value for players like Antropov, Kaberle, Kubina, and Ponikarovsky in the form of prospects or draft picks, or whether he'll be able to trade them at all. Toronto does have some good players locked up like Niklas Hagman but also has some questionable contracts like Jason Blake and Jeff Finger. We will simply have to wait and see what Brian Burke is able to do, and how fast he will be able to obtain and sign players that will help Toronto move back to respectability.
9. Boston: The Bruins are again a team that has a decent looking team for the next season or two but no one locked up long term. The young forwards for the Bruins seem to really be performing and it wouldn’t be surprising to see one or more of them locked up long term but Peter Chiarrelli just hasn’t done that yet. Boston has a few forwards that are overpaid like Ryder and Wheeler but those forwards are still producing. They also have a few players who are playing above their current value like Marc Savard and David Krejci. On defence, the top two pairing of Chara and Wideman are locked up for two and three years respectively and considering their performance are both worthwhile players. Boston doesn’t have anyone else on defence locked up long term but Matt Hunwick, a good locking rookie is an RFA and may end up being a significant player for Boston over the long term. One of the biggest issues with Boston is their goaltending. They have two mid-range goalies, who could be no. 1’s some of the time while showing flashes of brilliance, and play more like back-up’s at other times, but neither is signed beyond this year. Boston does have Tuukka Rask, a young prospect who may end of stepping in as the back up for next year, but Boston does need to sign another goalie and may have to spend big money to keep either of theirs.
T-10. Ottawa: The Sens have one major problem, players not playing up to their potential. Ottawa has almost an entire line-up signed for next season, but can’t seem to make any real trades without getting rid of one of their big three forwards, because they have signed too many players coming off a career season. Mike Fisher is a good center, but he’s not a great No. 2, and he’s not worth 4.2 million for the next four seasons. On defence, they have neither a top power play quarterback nor a real top pair defenseman. This is simply because they cannot truly afford to do so with the amount of money committed to their forwards. Goaltending is also a scary situation for Ottawa, because they neither have a number one signed, nor can they keep the goalies they have and hope one become a number one. Ottawa really needs to make a dramatic change, to fix their team both for now and for the future, but to be honest, I’m not even sure I would know where to start.
T-10. New Jersey: Martin Brodeur will have to retire sometime right? In the mean time New Jersey’s goaltending is set, it’s the rest of their team that could use some work. New Jersey has 6 of their top 9 forwards signed for at least two more years, the problem is many of those players aren’t producing to the value of their contracts. Players like Elias at 6 million/season, Zubrus at 3.4 million, and Pandolfo at 2.5 million just aren’t worth what Lamoriello is paying them. Jersey’s defence could also use an upgrade where a legitimate number one defenseman is their biggest need. The Devils do have Colin White and Bryce Salvador locked up for 3 more seasons each but neither is top 2 and maybe not even top 4 material. An upgrade on defence, and more value from their forwards would really help New Jersey in the long run, oh and maybe developing someone to replace Brodeur if he does plan on retiring in the next five years, or gets injured again.
12. Atlanta: How does Don Waddell still have a job as GM of Atlanta, he’s done nothing since he came. He emptied the cupboards trying to make the playoffs two years ago, and now he can’t sign either of his superstars, one who’s already gone (Hossa) and the other will be gone at the end of next season or earlier (Kovalchuk). Waddell has made some moves I’ve liked adding players like Jason Williams, Ron Hainsey, and Mathieu Schneider, but those are simply not long term solutions to poor overall management. Atlanta’s defence looks decent for the years to come with Hainsey, Bogosian, and Enstrom all controlled for at least the next four years. It’s goaltending and the offence that is the problem. Atlanta has some decent young forwards in Christensen, Armstrong, and Little, but not a forward is signed beyond two years, and only one is signed beyond next season. It’s also time to give up on Kari Lehtonen and try to find a legitimate number one goalie.
13. New York Islanders Already the 15 year contract to Rick Dipietro looks like a bad move, based on his injuries. This team does have a few young players signed but top end talent really doesn't exist. When your top line includes Bill Guerin or Doug Weight, that scares me. This team would have been a lot better if they had been together 5 or 6 years ago when there players were in there prime. They simply have too many players playing in roles greater than their talent deserves. The fact that Alexei Yashin’s salary will count to a total of 16.5 million over the next 6 seasons doesn’t help either. Sounds like a problem only a backup goalie turned GM could create.
14. Montreal: This rating may change for Montreal if they manage to sign some of their UFA's but right now Montreal has only two of their top nine forwards signed to a contract for next season and only two of their top 4 d-men. Carey Price may be the best young goalie in the league but he is also only signed for next season and them will presumably want a significant pay raise. The one benefit for Bob Gainey may be that he has a significant number of prospects who may be able to step in if necessary and we have already seen the beginnings of that with Matt D'Agostini. Could Montreal be going into rebuilding mode, I don't think so, but Bob Gainey does need to get a lot of names on contracts in order to ice a respectable team for next season and beyond.
15. Toronto: Brian Burke will be the savior of the franchise...the question is only will it take one or two years or five. Who Toronto is able to draft this upcoming year may play a significant part in it as well as whether Burke will be able to get good value for players like Antropov, Kaberle, Kubina, and Ponikarovsky in the form of prospects or draft picks, or whether he'll be able to trade them at all. Toronto does have some good players locked up like Niklas Hagman but also has some questionable contracts like Jason Blake and Jeff Finger. We will simply have to wait and see what Brian Burke is able to do, and how fast he will be able to obtain and sign players that will help Toronto move back to respectability.
posted by Aidan Tiefenbach at
10:22 PM
2 Comments:
I am confused by your ranking system, maybe I missed where you explained it but I am lost. You're wrong about Mike Fisher's worth though, he's not only a great leader in the locker room but he can turn a game around by his physical play and ability to knock away chances. Perhaps he's not a 2nd line centre but he is definitely responsible on all roles and is among the top in Selke voting each year. He's invaluable to the Sens and he sometimes pots in a goal here and there too.
My ranking system is explained in the previous post. It's based essentially on three things
1. whether a team has players signed to acceptable terms, one year isn't worth much, nor is 12 years for most people or whether the players they have are controlled by RFA status.
2. whether the players they have are signed to conracts of value.....Alexei Yashin would be low on this list.
3. whether players are playing in a position similar to their value. Mike Sillinger on a top line would be poor, as would Alexei Ponikarovsky. Crosby or Heatley on a top line is valuable.
Mike Fisher is a good player, and does bring a lot of intagibles to the game including leadership, Penalty killing ability, playing against the other teams top line, etc. My comments speak of whether reflect the fact that Fisher is making 4.2/season for this year and the next four. You have to be producing a lot more if that's what you're going to get paid.
Similar players to Fisher in the NHL are Kesler in Vancouver (1.75/season), Paulson in Anaheim (1.4 this year), Madden in Jersey (2.9 this year), Brind'Amour in Carolina (3.6 for this season and 2 more), and Jordan Staal in Pittsburgh (2.2 this season and then RFA).
Not all these players have the offensive potential that Fisher has but none of them are paid as much as Fisher and all are currently producing as well as Fisher is this year. For that kind of money Fisher needs to produce a lot more, be a legitimate 2nd line center, and be more consistent.
It wouldn't hurt if he had a legitimate winger to play with him, but that's outside his control.
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