Hockey Central

Team Canada reaction

2009-12-30T18:37:00.002-06:00

The news that all Canadian hockey fans have been waiting for - today's announcement of Canada's Olympic hockey team - was mostly anticlimactic. There were very few surprises, and almost nothing to be debated about the roster. There's no players like Rob Zamuner or Todd Bertuzzi (must be something about the letter Z) this year - everyone deserves to be there and has played well so far this year, with the possible exception of Eric Staal, who should improve. The omissions of forwards Vinny Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis are justifiable, as is Jeff Carter's not making the roster. The defence is perhaps the only suspect area, as Drew Doughty and Brent Seabrook will have to prove themselves to justify Yzerman's skipping over Mike Green, Robyn Regehr, Dion Phaneuf, and Jay Bouwmeester - but at least the taxi squad is pretty much set. So far, the Canadians appear to have the best chance at gold of all the teams announced, and even if there are a couple of injuries, there are several players who can step in on a moment's notice and help out. Team Canada is in good shape for a home Olympic win.

Weighing in on the Double Standard

2009-10-26T11:58:00.005-06:00

This is a response to a discussion that is currently happening within the pool that I am in and due to its length I was unable to post it there but I guess it's also good to read it here. The discussion thusfar has been about the Richards hit and the NHL's decision to not suspend him. Ideas offered have been letting the players police it themselves and such but he's my observation on the whole thing.

When looking at these kinds of issues you have to examine what is best for the game and like how Clauswitz believes that the military and governments are afftected by the joint triangle of the people, government and the military so to it works in the NHL with the Owners/Governors, the fans and the players and what would be the best solution for all 3.

Owners/Governors - The NHL for the past while has been promoting the stars of the NHL and how great they are this has been demonstrated in the road trip type commericals (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07R5T9ekAXw) and anything with Sidney Crosby which I think covers a wide variety of products with the exception of baby food and suppositories. So when their stars pull boneheaded moves like Richards hit and Ovechkin's slewfoot they do anything to protect them. So what is best for them (in their minds) would be for the stars to be protected. What may be best is a top down enforcement of the rules within the organization and when a player does something like that not only should they lose a substantial amount of games but the team itself also has to pay a bunch of money as well on top of the salary that was intended to go to that player. This would keep both parties accountable.

The Fans - This has already been discussed in some detail already and how if incidents like Richards hit are not brought to justice then the game could spiral out of control. What is best for the fans then? The NHL believes that it is in promoting the stars in which their argument is valid but the problem with that is the protectionist and two-tiered system that is now in place. The fans want a winner, plain and simple, and they want something entertaining. Each market is different but let's consider three types of markets: a Canadian one (Oilers), an original six (Chicago) and a sunbelt team (Ducks).

With teams such as the Oilers which despite their years of mediocrity in the playoffs and regular season with the occasional stint of depth this team has seriously not contended in over a decade (with the obvious exception of their recent Cup run anomaly which scientists are still trying to figure out). Despite all this the team still sells out because of the loyalty of the fans whether it be because of the dynasty years, the promise of a future with the kids or the plain and simple fact that sometimes people just want to see a puppy kicked around on the ice. Canadian fans are loyal and despite how crappy the team is they will show up because of the loss of teams like the Jets and Nordiques Canadian fans know that with Bettman as commissioner their teams have a short leash. So no matter if their player is suspended or not their will still be fans, just not the happiest at times, as the Canucks potentially lost a Stanley Cup when Bertuzzi ended Moore's career and got suspended. The fans still showed up and cheered because the loyalty will still remain.

Chicago, an original six team, like any original six team, can play on its past to bring out the fans despite the on ice product. Of course the owners almost killed this atmosphere a few years back but one thing is for sure an original six team is expected to compete year in and year out because they have been around the longest and teams such as that are expected to lead the way in how teams compete, it goes without saying. You'd have to be a bonehead to keep the fans away when there are generations of fans to fill your coffers with. You may not sell out every game in the low years but it does not take much to get the fans back. Look at Chicago in this matter as even though they had yet to make the playoffs at one point they were selling out their games (and then some) before the fans knew for sure that they were in. The on ice product was good and the team under a new owner knew how to promote their product. So what do the fans want here? They want a winner, of course, and to succeed in doing that you have to have your best players not in suspensions but on the ice. To keep the team accountable to the fans the team has keep the players accountable for their actions.

Finally a sunbelt team. I used the Ducks as a case point in this for prior to their first Cup run with Giguere in net stealing every game away the Ducks were on the verge of bankruptcy and there was discussion of them moving or folding and then they got deep into the playoffs and everyone's attitude changed. We have a winner on our hands and though they came up short a run like that breathed life into a dying team. So in general teams in the sunbelt require a winner and only a winner to survive. It's how Carolina does so well and how Phoenix is doing so poorly. The Hurricanes have been fortunate in their early years to put a couple runs together and claim a Stanley Cup because nothing creates a history or a myth for fans to follow like a Stanley Cup (look at the Leafs fans and how they grasp onto the 67 Cup- not saying all of them here but some). We will see how strong this myth is during the rebuilding years that are sure to come some day.

So the fans like winning and the best way to win is to have your best on the ice. That is what the NHL believes and so they believe that that is what they are trying to protect on being soft to the big boys.

The players - They are the ones who are getting hurt and the ones who are and are not getting suspended. It's their literal necks on the line on the ice and what is their attitude about it? A lot want sterner punishments and then there are others who want to keep their job and think injuries like that are just a part of the game and will happen. With the bulkiness of players nowadays, the wide variety of sizes between players (St. Louis vs. Chara) and the speed of the game injuries are bound to happen and incidents are going to occur when your responses are being pumped by adrenaline. You go up to Ovechkin before a game and ask him do you intend to go out and slewfoot Peverley this game and his answer will obviously be no and the same will be for Richards and his hit. Everybody makes boneheaded moves at their work, sometimes we forget a tool back at the shop once we've walked all the way to a job site, we give incorrect change at the counter or we're so much into the game that quick decisions which may take milliseconds to decide or just plain instinct can cost a player his career or even a life. The players will want justice on these incidents but they know sometimes that just the way the game is things like this will happen and that's why a lot of times the victim will forgive the offender because they are in the game and can understand and they are only fooling themselves when they say otherwise.

The longer a game is around the more people will get involved and the deeper the game gets and in hockey's case the longer it has gone on the better players can develop and grow into superstars is accelerated whether it be through training methods or the energy drinks that they drink which keep them more hydrated. The game is faster now. The game is rougher now. The game is bigger now. We cannot look into the past and say these type of things did not happen because they did but since the players were smaller they did not happen on such a large of scale. Incidents such as Richards hit are an example of what the current state of the NHL has become; it's a rough game where players can bring themselves to a point where they can hit a guy like that and not get suspended because that's just the nature of the faster, stronger NHL.

The Colin Campbells claim that they look at a player's past history to weigh in on their decision and so if incidents like this are not brought to a suspension point then they will be forgotten and the "past" history will not be recorded. A hit like that warranted a suspension of AT LEAST one game. That way when the history is brought into question again they have that one suspension on record. It seems too easy to point on that its the NHL leadership that has brought us to this point in the game but there are many factors to bring into question. I'm sorry for the length of this but we need to examine all points of the argument here and I know I haven't covered them all. We all want to watch hockey and we all want to see our favourite players in action and some times for that to happen is for them not to get suspended. The question we have to ask is what would have happened if it was not Booth, a forward playing for a backwater team like the Panthers whom few people care about, but a Sidney Crosby or an Ales Hemsky, players that are more well known in their markets in which fans will stand up more for and be baying for blood if nothing happened? The fans would go crazy so the NHL has to walk a fine line between what they think is best for the game and sometimes it is no suspension and other times it is a big one. There has to be some sort of balance and they think they have it but here we are discussing what was a dirty hit with no consequences except the lone player taken out on a stretcher.

The Injury Bug

2009-10-23T23:20:00.003-06:00

We're only 8-10 games into the season but already numerous teams have ran into significant injury issues. Whether it's players like Phil Kessel or Matheiu Schneider who have yet to play a game yet or others who have been through training camp but have run into an injury and been knocked out for a significant period (see Johan Franzen, Andrei Markov, Sergei Gonchar, Daniel Sedin or Marc Savard) the injury bug has seemed to hit numerous teams and hit some of there most important players.

No team has been hit harder than the Vancouver Canucks who have lost two of their top six defenseman in Sami Salo and Matheiu Schneider, and two of their top six forwards in Pavol Demitra and their leading goal scorer, Daniel Sedin. While the Canucks have not had the fast start that they were hoping for they are one of few teams that are actually prepared to handle significant injuries like this. In the off-season the Canucks continued to stockpile forwards, both young prospects and solid veterans and made a stingy trade acquiring two solid defenceman from the San Jose Sharks, who were too close to the cap.

Knowing that his defence had previous injuries issues Mike Gillis acquired Christian Ehrhoff, Brad Lukowich, Aaron Rome, Lawrence Nycolat, and Matheiu Schneider even though he realistically only needed two or three defenceman to fill out his roster. On offence he acquired Tanner Glass, Mikael Samuelsson, Sergei Shirokov and re-signed Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Steve Bernier and Alex Burrows, even though he had numerous young prospects who may have been able to break the line-up as well.

Mike Gillis has realized one of the most important factors of a cap system: salaries do not cost go against the cap if the players are in the minors and depth is something that always seems to be needed. Last season the Canucks had 6 forwards in the minors who had significant NHL experience and though he only ended up using a couple of them throughout the season, this strategy seems to be really valuable this season. The Canucks have also been able to develop players in the minors without putting too much pressure on them or ruining their development by bringing them up too early. The notion of a trial by fire works for some people but definitely not everyone and development generally works a lot better by being too patient rather than being too hasty.

Every team has to deal with the injury bug at some time or another but have a strategy in place to deal with it ahead of time and developing players so that they are ready to step in when needed can dramatically change how a team is impacted by losing a significant player. This was clearly evident last season when Vancouver lost Roberto Luongo for a third of the season but still managed to hang around the playoff picture. In comparison last years two teams that had made the playoffs the year before were blindsided by injuries (Colorado and Dallas) and because they did not have the depth to overcome it, they were unable to make the playoffs again.

Toronto Oilers or Edmonton Maple Leafs?

2009-10-13T10:57:00.004-06:00

I've heard of big trades before, but this article in the National Post brings it to a new level. To think that Pocklington and Ballard would have made such an audacious move only proves that the NHL owners' club is a ridiculously out-of-touch and incapable group. As much as Bettman and co. would try to convince fans that the days of Pocklington and Ballard are long gone, and that the likes of McNall have been excised from the league, the fact remains that recent owners like Boots del Biaggio have been jailed for financial foolishness, and that the owners remain a supposedly unified group against Jim Balsillie. NHL owners have always been a shady bunch; it's just now that we are learning about the depths of their stupidity.

2009-10 Predictions

2009-10-03T20:32:00.004-06:00

Western Conference
1. San Jose
2. Chicago
3. Vancouver
4. Detroit
5. Anaheim
6. Columbus
7. Los Angeles
8. St. Louis

Eastern Conference
1. Boston
2. Washington
3. Pittsburgh
4. Philadelphia
5. Carolina
6. New Jersey
7. Buffalo
8. Tampa Bay

Teams who have no chance to make the playoffs: Phoenix, Colorado, NY Islanders, Florida

Stanley Cup Final: Vancouver vs. Washington, Winner is Vancouver
Hart Trophy Winner: Sidney Crosby
Art Ross Trophy: Sidney Crosby
Rocket Richard: Rick Nash
Calder Trophy: Nikita Filatov
Vezina Trophy: Roberto Luongo
Norris Trophy: Chris Pronger
Conn Smythe: Roberto Luongo

Comeback Forward of the Year: Justin Williams
Comeback Defenceman of the Year: Michal Rozsival
Comback Goalie of the Year: Ray Emery/Marty Turco
Comeback Line of the Year: Edmonton Oilers: Dustin Penner, Mike Comrie, Patrick O'Sullivan
Oldmen Most Likely to Retire Mid-Season: Rod Brind'Amour, Kris Draper, Craig Conroy,
100 point players: Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Marc Savard, Joe Thornton, Nicklas Backstrom, Ryan Getzlaf
Top 10 Breakout Candidates (Players who will beat their career highs by 10 points or more): Drew Stafford, Chris Kunitz, Jordan Staal, Matt Stajan, Patrick O'Sullivan, Dustin Byfuglien, Antoine Vermette, Wojtek Wolski, Brooks Laich, Dustin Brown
UFA's most Likely to be Traded at the Deadline: Ilya Kovalchuk, Pavel Kubina, Alexander Frolov, Owen Nolan, Alexei Ponikarovsky

All-Rookie Team: Nikata Filatov, John Tavares, James Van Riemsdyk, Tyler Myers, Erik Karlsson, Semyon Varlamov
First-Team All Stars: Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Rick Nash, Chris Pronger, Mike Green, Roberto Luongo

Talking heads are getting ready...

2009-05-27T12:32:00.004-06:00

The stage is (almost) set (barring a miraculous comeback by the upstart 'Hawks), and there are storylines aplenty for this year's Cup Finals: Marian Hossa. The first possible repeat champion in ten years. The first rematch of teams since Edmonton-Boston in 1988 and 1990. The comparison to the Edmonton Oilers-New York Islanders Finals of 1983-84. Two of the three nominees for MVP. Can Crosby win it? Osgood finally getting the respect due him (and the ensuing debate about whether he is a Hall of Famer - I think a win puts him as a lock, especially if he wins the Conn Smythe). This is one of the best possible outcomes for the NHL - a rematch with many young stars in two hockey-mad towns in the US. I think it promises to be an entertaining finals no matter what happens, but I think the coaching and defensive edge goes to the Red Wings, who will win in 6.

Analyzing the Canucks' failure

2009-05-12T09:52:00.002-06:00

The day after is never easy...trying to explain how things went wrong and why another season is over prematurely, the could-have-beens and should-have-beens, and the where-do-we-go-from-heres. The Canucks had it all going for them, but now they are losers yet again. So what happened? One of the easy explanations is to point to a shift in momentum in the series in the last three minutes of Game 4. Rather than returning to Vancouver with a 3-1 series lead, the series was tied, and the Hawks had it going for them. But it's not all based on momentum; after all, the Canucks could have regained control simply by winning Game 5 at home. I think their collapse (which is the best word for what happened) was due to a combination of several factors:
1. Luongo's wear showed at the end of the series. He played hard through an injury and regained his form, but he was tired by the end of the series. He was not helped by his defense, who let a lot of shots through, but he looked more fallible than normal.
2. The young players made mistakes. While Edler, Burrows, and the other baby Canucks had played above their pedigree against St. Louis, they started making errors and showing their inexperience.
3. Whither the Swedes? The Sedins and Sundin were all but invisible against Chicago. For players going to the free-agent market, Daniel and Henrik did not try as hard as they could (or should) have.
4. A lax attack. The Canucks backed off a lot as the series went on, and they didn't put pressure on the Hawks. Their forwards had more space, and the Canucks didn't press for shots.

So, there's the explanation. It doesn't help Canucks fans, especially because this year was shaping up to be one of their best opportunities to win the Cup. Their last best chance was 2003, when they choked away a 3-1 series lead against the Minnesota Wild. I don't know if the window is closed, but it's a little narrower now. And it's back to the drawing board for the Canucks, and the key question is whether this collapse is indicative of a need for a drastic rebuilding or just a little tinkering. My thought is that the team is a contender as is, and that they just didn't perform against a young, hungry team. The Canucks need to work on re-signing the Sedins and tweaking their line-up, rather than wholesale changes. After all, there is always next year...

Balsillie's bold move

2009-05-07T13:11:00.004-06:00

Advantage: Balsillie. In the latest entry into the ongoing pissing contest between Blackberry CEO and prospective team-owner Jim Balsillie and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, Balsillie has the distinct advantage. He has made his move - the offer to purchase the bankrupt Phoenix Coyotes and move them into the most profitable hockey market imaginable - at the perfect time, and it could easily be argued that this display of tenacity and ingenuity is just the kind of character that should be present in an NHL owner. I honestly do not understand why the NHL does not want Balsillie involved, other than a seemingly meaningless vendetta emanating from Bettman's office. Perhaps it has its roots in pressure from the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have been accused of wanting to keep their monopoly in hockey's biggest market. I don't think that another team would make a dent on the Leafs anymore than the Senators have - if anything, it will bring more fans to the game and make the team more profitable as true fans emerge to support their team in the face of a regional foe. It might also make the Leafs want to develop a system in which a team would challenge for the Cup, which is good for hockey in general (yes, I realize how cynical that sounds; years of disappointment have left me jaded).
I can see why Bettman would not want this to happen - it demonstrates the folly of allowing the Jets to leave Winnipeg for Phoenix in 1996 and it almost certainly precedes his resignation within the next year. I just do not see how Bettman can justify keeping a team in Phoenix with the problems in the market. Gretzky coaching in Southern Ontario is the NHL's dream, and I think too many of the owners will finally turn on Bettman and side with Balsillie.

Round 2...fight, fight!

2009-04-29T09:48:00.002-06:00

I'm pretty pleased with my first round picks. I got the lengths of the series incorrect, but I did pick 6 of 8 correctly, including all 4 in the East. So I'm sticking with my picks in the East - Carolina over Boston (in 6) and Washington over Pittsburgh (7). In the West, I'll take Vancouver over Chicago (6) and Anaheim over Detroit (6). Thoughts?

Wild week in Minnesota

2009-04-22T10:06:00.002-06:00

In less than a week, the Minnesota Wild's organization was flipped around. The only coach in club history, Jacques Lemaire, resigned earlier in the week, and then the team told the only GM in club history, Doug Risebrough, that his contract would not be renewed for next year. The Wild have had that tandem working together for a decade with a fair amount of success: a run to the conference finals in 2003, a team that has been competitive almost every season, and a strong developmental system that has produced Marian Gaborik, Nicklas Backstrom, and Brent Burns, among others. So the question is whether the Wild made the right decision in letting Risebrough go; the initial answer seems to be that they did. With Lemaire and his stifling defensive style moving on, it seems to be a natural time for a shift in philosophy in Minnesota, and that meant that Risebrough had to go. The Wild should look at bringing in a GM and coach who will work on the offense, especially with Marian Gaborik debating his future. New owner Craig Leipold has said that he has candidates with experience (like Pat Quinn) on his list, as well as new faces. I think he should look for a newer face for the GM, but hire someone with experience as the coach: perhaps the maligned Paul Maurice, who is known for his offensive schemes and working with role players. I think the Wild will respond well to the change, and that they will be back on top of the division as soon as next year, especially with the problems in Edmonton, Calgary, and Colorado.

Turner's first-round picks

2009-04-14T14:20:00.003-06:00

Eastern Conference:
Boston vs. Montreal - I am almost tempted to pick Montreal. Almost. Bruins in 6.
Washington vs. New York Rangers - Washington in 5. Ovechkin 5 goals.
New Jersey vs. Carolina - The red-hot Hurricanes against the slow but steady Devils. I think momentum wins out. Carolina in 7.
Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia. The rematch of last year's conference finals comes way too early for both teams, but especially for Philly. Pittsburgh in 6.

For the record, that makes my second round Boston vs. Carolina and Washington vs. Pittsburgh, which I think will lead to a third round of Carolina vs. Washington, with Washington as the finalist.

Western Conference:
San Jose vs. Anaheim - The best possible match for the Sharks and the worst for the Ducks. San Jose in 5.
Detroit vs. Columbus - Columbus will put up a fight, but Detroit is too strong. Detroit in 6.
Vancouver vs. St. Louis - The Canucks are hot; though the Blues are too, they are no match for Luongo. Canucks in 6.
Chicago vs. Calgary - Easily the toughest series in the West to predict and for the players. I pick Iggy to will the Flames to the win in 7.

That would make my second round as San Jose over Calgary in 6 and Vancouver over Detroit in 7. San Jose and Vancouver battle it out in 7 games in the Conference final, which Vancouver wins. Yes, I'm seriously picking Vancouver to come out of the West. And it's not just the coastal air.

So I think Vancouver and Washington will play in the "someone's finally getting a cup final", and the more I think about it, I think Vancouver is winning the Cup. It sounds ridiculous, so call it a gut feeling.

The Mule Stays

2009-04-11T15:15:00.003-06:00

Every time I think the Detroit Red Wings are pooched for cap space GM Ken Holland finds a way to squeeze another player under it. His latest signing is Johan Franzen, who signed an 11 year 43 million dollar contract. I personally am against long term contracts like this one, unless the player is question is a franchise player (Mike Richards - good, Daniel Briere - bad) and I wouldn't put Franzen in the franchise player category. Given the economic downturn, and the possibility that the cap will drop over the next few seasons, this is a questionable move, but long term contracts are always high-risk high-reward propositions. If the cap suddenly jumps a few million Holland will look like a genius. I'm not worried about the Wings depth either. Detroit is very good at taking other teams cast-offs and turning them into solid everyday players (i.e. Dan Cleary).

Sometimes They're Top Notch Players After All

2009-04-02T16:13:00.003-06:00

It's easy to be skeptical or doubt your players especially with the fact that they are drafted so young. The chances for a 1st or 2nd rounder to make the NHL and have an impact are 50/50 at best. Early this year there were many highly touted youngsters who struggled, some have turned it around, while others haven't. Then there are the few highly touted youngsters who have struggled and are now proving that they were worth the hype. Here are 6 such youngsters who look like they'll be top line players after all.

Kyle Okposo 63 GP, 18 G, 20 A, 38 Points on NYI
Through December 20th, his first 21 games he had only 2 goals, 3 assists, since then he has had 16 goals and 17 assists in 42 games. This young kid is developing some chemistry with Josh Bailey and if the Islanders could add another scoring forward to this line, they could be one of the best in hockey in a couple years. Expect Okposo to score 30 to 40 goals ten times in his career.

Steven Stamkos 74 GP, 20 G, 22 A, 42 Points for TB
Through January 8th, his first 40 games he had just 4 goals and 10 assists, since then he has had 16 goals and 12 assists in 34 games. It took some time for him to get his confidence back after the Barry Melrose debacle but it seems like Stamkos is as good as we all thought. His slapshot on the power play is phenomenal.

Tobias Enstrom 77 GP, 5 G, 24 A, 29 Points for ATL
Through Feb. 23rd, his first 60 games he had just 1 goal and 11 assists, since then he has had 4 goals and 13 assists in 17 games. He was a solid offensive defenseman last year but lost a lot of his opportunity with Mathieu Schneider around. Since Schneider's departure he has produced exceptionally.

Sam Gagner 71 Gp, 14 G, 23 A, 37 Points for Edmonton
Through Dec. 16th, his first 22 games he had just 1 goal and 5 assists, since then he has had 13 goals and 18 assists in 49 games. Through the first quarter of the season it looked like Gagner was going to endure the dreaded sophomore slump. Instead he's turned it around and though his stats haven't improved over last season, he's proven he can deal with adversity.

David Backes 77 GP, 26 G, 21 A, 47 Points for St. Louis
Through Dec. 3rd, his first 23 games, he had 4 goals and 4 assists, since then he`s scored 22 goals and 17 assists in his last 54 games. Backes has been around for a couple seasons but finally seems to be transforming into a solid power forward. He also has 159 penalty minutes and has really developed as a premier physical force.

Andrew Ladd 76 GP, 13 G, 30 A, 43 Points for Chicago
Through Nov. 29th, his first 22 games, he had 3 goals and 5 assists since then he`s had 10 goals and 28 assists in 54 games. Ladd finally looks like he`s producing like we all hoped he would. He`s already broken his previous best in games played:76 from 65, goals: 13 from 11, assists 30 from 10, and points: 43 from 21.

Team Canada: In Position

2009-04-02T12:09:00.002-06:00

Eric Duhatschek, Pierre Maguire, and Scotty Bowman recently made their selections for the 2010 Men's Olympic hockey team. Here is their projected roster:

GOAL: Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo, Steve Mason

Others getting votes: Cam Ward, Carey Price

DEFENCE: Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, Dion Phaneuf, Shea Weber, Duncan Keith, Jay Bouwmeester, Mike Green

Others getting votes: Robyn Regehr, Dan Boyle, Brent Burns, Marc Staal

FORWARDS: Jarome Iginla (C), Sidney Crosby, Vincent Lecavalier, Dany Heatley, Ryan Getzlaf, Rick Nash, Mike Richards, Joe Thornton, Shane Doan, Jeff Carter, Martin St. Louis, Patrick Marleau, Eric Staal

Others receiving votes: Simon Gagné, Ryan Smyth, Jonathan Toews, Derek Roy, Corey Perry, Marc Savard, Brenden Morrow

There are a lot of things to like about this team. There's a solid mix of grit and skill, and there are enough specially skilled players included (ie. faceoff men, penalty killers). There seems to be a good mix of youth and veterans, and there are a number of intermediate veterans who have significant international experience but are still in the prime of their careers (Iginla, Lecavalier, Heatley, Bouwmeester). There are no "Rob Zamuners" on this team (over Mark Messier in Nagano? I still shake my head at that one), nor are there any players who are there because of their past (though Smyth and Gagné were still considered). It's a solid team from top to bottom.
There are a few minor things that are questionable, though. It's very heavy on centres and left-handed shots (as the analysts admit); though it likely will not pose a problem, it's something to consider. I think that Toews should be included, but I'm not sure at whose expense. More notably, one of the primary problems in Turin was our slow defense (which seems to have been addressed), but also the lack of a shutdown defender. This may lead to Regehr being included in favour of someone like Keith.
I think the that most important decision (not discussed there) is the coach. Pat Quinn was very outclassed in 2006, and I'm not sure that Ken Hitchcock is the man to do it in 2010 (though he has done well in Columbus). My vote is for Mike Babcock, with Hitchcock assisting. The only question that's left is who makes up the injury replacement squad. I like Ward, Boyle, Burns, Gagné, and Marc Savard.

If I were a Scout, I'd Spend My Time in Saskatchewan

2009-03-30T21:36:00.007-06:00

So recently I stumbled upon an obscurity about how many current and former NHL'ers were born in Saskatchewan. There are 17 of the 238 players in the Hockey Hall of Fame have come from Saskatchewan including Bernie Federko, Clark Gillies, Bryan Trottier, Glenn Hall and Gordie Howe. For a province who population is only 1 million now, those are crazy statistics, far above any other area on a per capita basis. So I decided to look at current players and put together the all Saskatchewan team.

Forwards
Scott Hartnell..............Ryan Getzlaf.............Brendan Morrow

Chris Kunitz.................Patrick Marleau.......Brooks Laich

Curtis Glencross..........Jarett Stoll................Colby Armstrong

Darcy Hordichuk.........Mike Sillinger...........Travis Moen

Blake Comeau

Defenseman
Wade Redden.................Luke Schenn

Nick Schultz....................Brendan Witt

Cory Sarich......................Brett Clark

Ryan Parent

Goalies
Cam Ward

Josh Harding

Dan Ellis

Random facts: the total cap hit of these players total 65.1313 million, so it would be unlikely that one could ever make this team. Also, a large number of these players are quite young, in their 20's with Mike Sillinger being the only player nearing retirement.

So there you have it, the all-Saskatchewan team, there may be other markets wear more NHL players come from, but few places produce this kind of talent on a per capita basis.

Which NHL Team has the best Offense?

2009-03-23T22:16:00.002-06:00

The question is simple, but the answer is not. How do you evaluate who has the best offense? Does a ton of top goal scorers make you the best? Does 3 balanced scoring lines put you to the top? How about have 2 top lines? Where does a good power play fit in? How about having the most offense from your defensemen? Frankly, it's all about opinion, so I want to know what you think.

Here's some teams worth considering:

Detroit: They are leading the league in goals with 273, 30 more than the 2nd place team. They also have the best power play currently clicking at 26.3%. Detroit has 3 players with 30 or more goals and Zetterberg is knocking on the door with 29. With Rafalski and Lidstrom they also have 3 defenseman in the top 10 in scoring. If there's an argument against Detroit, it's the fact that they only really have 2 scoring lines, partly because of poor production and partly because of injuries.

Calgary: Calgary is a team with incredible depth of scoring with 12 players with 10 goals or more (10 forwards and 2 defenseman). They have 3 players in the top 21 (and ties) in goal scoring and with Jokinen is currently on fire, he could easily make it 3 players in the top 15 by the end of the season.

Boston: Boston has probably the most unique situation. None of their top 3 lines would be considered an elite top line, but they get more production out of their 2nd and 3rd lines than most teams could dream of. Earlier this year their 3rd line centre, David Krejci was in the top 15 in scoring. Boston has had a lot of injuries among their forwards and so consistency has been an issue but they still have 7 forwards with 17 goals or more (Lucic would probably join that group to make it 8 if he hadn't missed 10 games from injuries). Boston also has 2 of the best offensive defenseman in the league, with Wideman and Chara both in the top 14 in scoring for defenseman. Also, in regards to potential, Boston should be able to keep their team together for far longer than Detroit or Calgary because of the youth on their top 3 lines.

Philadelphia: Philly is one of only two teams with 6 players with 21 goals or more and have 5 players with 26 goals or more. They also have two other significant contributors who have barely played this season, Danny Briere who's only played 19 games but has 8 goals and 14 points and Claude Giroux 32 games, 5 goals, 19 points but who is improving and producing more every game. Philly does have one elite defenseman with Timonen currently tied for 19th in scoring among defenseman.

Pittsburgh: They may have not had the best offence throughout the year, but with the trades they made bringing in Kunitz and Guerin, and getting Gonchar back from injury they are in the running. Oh yeah, and they have arguably the 2 best playmakers (and the top 2 in points) in the game in Crosby and Malkin. If Bill Guerin gets another goal they'll have 6 guys over 20 goals and could figuratively have another if Satan wasn't in the AHL. On defense, Gonchar was 2nd in scoring among defenseman last season but isn't this year because he missed more than half the season with an injury.

San Jose: The Sharks are third in the league on the power play, and are only one of two teams with 7 players with over 50 points (Detroit is the other). Besides Philadelphia, San Jose is the only other team with 6 players who have scored 21 or more goals. They are also the only team with 4 defenseman in the top 34, and those 4 d-men all have 33 or more points. And now for a random fact, they have the most balanced 2nd line in hockey: Michalek, Clowe and Pavelski all have 52 points and have Pavelski has only one goal less (21) and one assist more (31) than Michalek and Clowe (22,30). Just think how much better they could be if Jonathan Cheechoo ever gets his scoring touch back, he's a former Rocket Richard trophy winner, but his production has steadily declined since then. He had 56 goals in 05'06 (37 in 06-07, 23 in 07-08) to just 9 goals this season.

Washington: The case for Washington is simple, elite talent: they have the leagues leading goal scorer in Ovechkin and the leagues top scoring defenseman in Mike Green (who's got 28 goals so far). Both Green and Ovechkin have huge leads on the 2nd place players in goal scoring. They also have two others besides Ovechkin in the top 19 in scoring (Backstrom and Semin). Washington has the 2nd best power play in the league, clicking at 24.3%.

Here's one more bizarre comparison for you. Take the top 7 scorers from each of these 7 teams and let's look at the goals per game of each contributor.

Detroit: 180 goals in 458 games played. 0.393 goals per player. 2.75 goals per game.
Calgary: 170 goals in 458 games played. 0.371 goals per player. 2.60 goals per game.
Boston: 153 goals in 480 games played. 0.319 goals per player. 2.23 goals per game.
Philadelphia: 180 goals in 442 games played. 0.407 goals per player. 2.85 goals per game.
Pittsburgh: 152 goals in 446 games played. 0.341 goals per player. 2.39 goals per game.
San Jose: 166 goals in 490 games played. 0.339 goals per player. 2.37 goals per game.
Washington: 172 goals in 452 games played. 0.381 goals per player. 2.66 goals per game.

So what are your thoughts? What team do you think is the best offensive team in hockey? Are there any of these teams that really don't belong in the conversation in your mind? What factors would you use to decide what team is the best?

Looking Back on Trade Deadline Day

2009-03-17T19:31:00.009-06:00

It's only been two weeks since the trade deadline but the impact of the players moved has already been noticable. Some of the players moved have made dramatic impacts on their new teams while others have done relatively nothing. So here's a look at how some of those traded are doing with their new teams. Remember, its about expectations, we don't expect a role player to score a goal a game, so some players with similar stats will fall in different lists all because of expectations.

Hot: Playing above the expectations of the team

-Bill Guerin: 7 GP, 2 G, 7 A, +2.....Pittsburgh's unbeaten since he joined them and is playing great on a line with Kunitz and Crosby.

-Eric Cole: 6 GP, 2G, 6 A, +4.....Not only is Cole playing well, but he has boosted Eric Staal's performance as well.

-Olli Jokinen: 6 GP, 8 G, 2 A, -1.....Jokinen has been on fire, and combined with Cammalleri and Iginla, may be able to lead Calgary deep into the playoffs.

-Nik Antropov: 7 GP, 4 G, 2 A, Even....Seems to be the offensive boost the Rangers needed.

-Antoine Vermette: 5 GP, 3 G, 3 A, +2......Has fit in quite nice as a complimentary scorer and his playoff experience could help this team as well.

-Travis Moen: 6 GP, 2 G, 1 A, Even......2 goals and 3 points from a checker is a nice contribution.

-Scottie Upshall: 7 GP, 3 G, 1 A, -1.....Hey, -1 on Phoenix is pretty good, he had 7 goals in 55 games for Philly, and already has 3 in 7 games with Phoenix.

Lukewarm: Playing slightly above or below the expectations of the team

-Derek Morris: 7 GP, 2 A, +1......he's been one of the Rangers better defenceman so far....but can he really help their power play?

-Dmitri Kalinin: 7 GP, 1 G, 2 A, -1.......almost in the hot category, maybe Kalinin can be an offensive contributor after all.

-Matthew Lombardi: 7 GP, 1 G, 3 A, -3.......not a bad start for Phoenix, but needs to continue producing.

Petr Prucha: 7 GP, 3 A, -2......Can Prucha ever be the goal scorer that he was in his rookie season, perhaps lots of ice time in Phoenix will get him back on track.

-Erik Christensen: 4 GP, 2 A, -3.....Production balances off poor defensive play, Anaheim is hoping he can be a second line winger or third line center.

-James Wisniewski: 4 GP, 1 G, -1.....Hears to hoping that Wisniewski can take this chance and become a top 4 d-men. He showed glimpses with Chicago, but 4 games is just to early to tell.

-Mark Recchi: 7 GP, 3 G, 0 A, -2.......His goals are good, but he needs to do more. He's a veteran top 6 forward and needs to help lead the Bruins deep into the playoffs.

-Daniel Carcillo: 7 GP, 0 G, 3 A, 3 P, Even, 23 PIM......3 points for a role player isn't bad but the Flyers need him to be even more physical, he could be the next true Broad Street Bully.

Cold: Detracting or not contributing to the team

-Ales Kotalik: 6 GP, O points, -1......Welcome to Edmonton, killer of the scoring winger, how come so many offensive wingers struggle here? Cole, Penner, now Kotalik. How long will it be until he see the press box, like so many others have in Edmonton.

-Jordan Leopold: 6 GP, 1 G, 0 A, -4...........for as good as Jokinen has been, Leopold has been equally disappointing.

-Dominic Moore: 6 GP, 0 G, 0 A, Even.........brought in to supplement scoring and simply hasn't done anything.

-Steve Eminger 6 GP, 0 P, -3......Florida wasn't asking for the moon, just get a point or two and don't put up big minuses, so far Eminger hasn't even been able to do that.

-Mikael Tellqvist 2 GP, 0 W, 1 L, .875 SV%, 4.17 GAA.....he's supposed to be filling in for Ryan Miller, but come on, any AHL goalie can let in 4 goals a game.

-Patrick O'Sullivan: 6 GP, 1 G, 1 A, Even.....he's not playing horribly, the Oilers simply need more from him.

-Nigel Dawes: 6 GP, 1 A, -3.....I know everyone on Phoenix seems to be playing at a minus but where as some are embracing their new surroundings, Dawes doesn't seem to be doing much at all.

Injured

-Sammy Pahlsson: He has yet to play for Chicago. Injured since Jan. 31 but will be activated from the IR today.

I know it's only been two weeks since the trade deadline, but I think there are some important information coming out of it. If you are trading for a UFA you are obviously hoping that the player you pick up is going to help you get into the playoffs, and secondly help you in the playoffs. We can see definite benefits for Pittsburgh, Calgary, Carolina, Columbus, and N.Y. Rangers based on the players they brought in. On the other hand the acquistions of Edmonton and Buffalo specifically have done little to help their team. It often takes time to build chemistry but it's a huge benefit when that chemistry comes naturally and production follows. For teams like Pittsburgh and Carolina the production of the players they picked up have already made an impact and because of this they have the lead in the race to the playoffs.

Signing the Sedins

2009-03-10T23:23:00.007-06:00

Matthew Sekeres of the Globe and Mail writes that the Vancouver Canucks and Daniel and Henrik Sedin are still millions of dollars apart in contract negotiations. The twins are seeking five-year deals that average $6.5-million (all currency U.S.) a year. The Canucks have countered with $5.5-million over three or four years.

It is a well known fact that the Sedins are a package deal and, based on that idea, they think they are worth essentially 13 million a year for 5 years (6.5 million for each of them). It is also expected that the salary cap will remain around the 56 million that it currently is for next season and then could drop to as low as 46 million for 2010-2011. So based on these salary cap estimations I've gone through the salaries of every team to see who else can really afford the Sedins with a cap of 56 million next season and we'll estimate a cap of 50 million for 2010-11 and beyond.

Barring any major trades by a team, these are the teams that currently have room for the Sedins at 13 million for the even the next 2 seasons:

Atlanta is a possibility as they have 30 million committed to 12 players for next season and only 14 million signed in 2010-11.

Dallas is a major longshot but it's technically possible as they have 38.5 million committed to 14 players for next season and 21 million signed in 2010-11.

Montreal is a team to be considered, if the Sedins don't re-sign in Vancouver, as they have a miniscule 23.5 million committed to 11 players and only 18 million committed in 2010-11. They also have a ton of young prospects which makes signing high priced free agents easier to work with.

Nashville seems to have the cap space with 14 players signed for 33.5 million and 26 million committed in 2010-11 but one has to wonder whether they would want to spend even more money on forwards since they already have 4 forwards making 4 million or more.

N.Y. Islanders also could be a major player as they have 15 players signed for only 30 million next year and have 24.5 million locked up in 2010-11.

Phoenix could afford them as they have 36.5 million committed to 16 players and have 24 million committed in 2010-11.

St. Louis is also a longshot but again it's possible as they have 40 million committed to 16 players for next year and 21 million signed in 2010-11.

Vancouver seems to be the leading candidate but may not be willing to commit the 13 million that the Sedins want. They have 31 million committed to 11 players but only 13 million invested for 2010-11. I simply don't forsee most of these teams going after a 13 million dollar acquistion.

For a team outside of this list to consider signing the scenes would require a major salary dump or trade. Consequently, I see two options, that the Sedins will not be able to sign together with the same team or that they will not be able to sign for the amount they want, or necessarily in the market they want. This bodes well for all Canucks fans, knowing first that you may not have to pay the Sedins 6.5 million a season (13 for the both of them), and secondly that you have a far greater chance of keeping the Sedins because of fears of the cap going down. For once the "economic recession" may actually be a good thing, that is, as a Canucks fan.

Roberts flames out

2009-03-10T10:45:00.003-06:00

Gary Roberts retired today. It was probably a year overdue, as he had not played much in Tampa Bay this year, and there was not a market for a 42-year-old forward at the trade deadline. Roberts was one of my favourite Leafs for the first half of the decade, and he was arguably one of the toughest old guys in the NHL from 2000 to 2004. He is a classically Canadian hockey player, a 50-goal scorer once, and a force as a power forward for most of his career. He was also an inspiration for how he was able to overcome a neck injury that could have ended his career and how he focused on humanitarian needs in whichever city he played. So here's the question: is Gary Roberts a Hall of Famer? His numbers are impressive, though not amazing: 20+ seasons, 1,224 games, 438 goals, 471 assists, 2,560 penalty minutes, 1 Stanley Cup (Flames in 1989). He was a top-three forward on the Flames and Leafs, and he demonstrated a high level of fitness and ability through to the end of his career. I think that, by the numbers, he'd be just on the outside, but that when all factors are considered, Roberts should be elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Thoughts?

Predictions: Who will make the Playoffs?

2009-03-07T18:27:00.007-06:00

Well now that we know what each team will essentially look like for the remainder of the season, I'm willing to make some predictions as to who will make the playoffs. It's a dangerous business, one in which my reputation as a psychic will probably be destroyed but I'm willing to go there anyways. As I write, the Eastern Conference is as tight as ever, and the Western Conference has been close for a couple of months. The East has 6 teams fighting for the final four playoff spots and only two points seperating Montreal in 5th with 75 points from Carolina in 10th with 73 points. The West has a bit more seperation but also has more teams vying for fewer spots. Between 6th and 13th there is only a spread of five points: Nashville, Columbus, and Dallas are all tied for 6th with 70 points while Los Angeles is all the way down in 13th but is still close with 65 points.

So it comes down to the predictions. What team has more games left? What team has good chemistry, good goaltending, or made good deadline acquistions? Are there players coming back from injuries, or who have recently gone out with an injury? What team has an easier schedule (quality of opponents, more games at home or on the road, and how do they fare at home or the road)? Throw all these factors in, and finally add what your gut is telling you and from that I make my predictions. So here they are.

Eastern Conference
1. Boston: Guaranteed Playoff Spot
2. New Jersey: Guaranteed Playoff Spot
3. Washington: Guaranteed Playoff Spot
4. Philadelphia: Goaltending is an issue but this team will be fine outscoring the competition.
5. Florida: Chemisty and a vote of confidence in keeping Jay Bouwmeester put Florida into the playoffs.
6. Pittsburgh: Finally fielding a full lineup and from that they have won their last five (four of which were without Crosby). Last years run to the cup has given them the experience they need.
7. Montreal: Though the team is playing poorly at the moment, they have 11 or 17 games left at home and are the 2nd best team in East at home.
8. Carolina: Getting Eric Cole will spark this team, especially Eric Staal. Having four of their last five at home will also help.
9. N. Y. Rangers: Good bye Glen Sather, well I'm not sure you'll get fired but you deserve it. The Rangers made some of the biggest moves at the deadlines but I don't think it will help their power play, and that will be their downfall: scoring goals.
10. Buffalo: Personally I'm rooting for Buffalo but they finish the season playing 7 games in 11 days; 4 of those games are against division leaders.

Also missing the playoffs: Toronto, Ottawa, Tampa Bay, Atlanta and N.Y. Islanders.

Western Conference
1. San Jose: Guaranteed Playoff Spot
2. Detroit: Guaranteed Playoff Spot
3. Calgary: Guaranteed Playoff Spot
4. Chicago: Guaranteed Playoff Spot
5. Vancouver: Two scoring lines, a great goaltender, a healthy defence, and no chemistry issues. Oh and they are the hottest team in the NHL right now.
6. Columbus: If Steve Mason plays as well as he has they'll be in. It also doesn't hurt that they have one of the easier schedules left in the NHL.
7. Dallas: This team has had a dramatic turnaround since Sean Avery left. Sometimes it's all about chemistry.
8. Edmonton: Good moves by Steve Tambellini at the deadline. Kotalik should fit well with Hemsky, he's played with him before in the 2006 Olympics. Injuries could drop them out of the playoffs though.
9. Nashville: They have 11 of 17 games left on the road and are 12-17-2 on the road. Hard to overcome that. They need better goalscoring and in that they really miss Alex Radulov.
10. St. Louis: They've made a nice run and will continue to play well but just won't make it. The biggest problem is that they're actually moving further away from a lottery pick.
11. Minnesota: Lack of offence, injuries to your top 2 forwards (Brunette and Gaborik) and 11 of your 18 final games on the road: Minnesota's just not gonna make it.
12. Anaheim: Simply put they've played too many games and just aren't gonna get hot in time for the playoffs. Bob Murray was smart enough to realize this and re-tool for next year and their future.
13. Los Angeles: Traded one of their young stars in Patrick O'Sullivan for a more proven scorer and added some experience, but it will take some time until Justin Williams is back to his normal self. Look for L.A. to make the playoffs next year.

Also missing the playoffs: Colorado, Phoenix

The 6 teams with a chance for John Tavares: N. Y. Islanders, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Phoenix, Colorado, Ottawa.

Deadline day winners and losers

2009-03-04T14:50:00.003-06:00

It wasn't a big surprise that Deadline Day was an overall dud, what with the economy tanking and all. But there were a few things to know after today.

Winner of the day: Olli Jokinen. Not only does he get to try for the playoffs for the first time, but he gets out of the mess formerly known as the Phoenix Coyotes.

Losers of the day: Anyone who went to "the mess in AZ". (Dawes, Kalinin, Prucha, Lombardi, etc.) And the Vancouver Canucks. How do you not do anything? I know they're on a roll, but even a role player or two would have been something.

Acquisitions with highest possible upside: Jokinen to Flames and Recchi to Boston. Recchi might be that final piece for a still underrated Bruins team.

Most mindboggling trade: Olaf Kolzig, Jamie Heward, a 4th round pick, and Andy Rogers to the Leafs for a prospect. I'm trying to figure this one out...do the Marlies need the help? Is this a salary trade? Did Brian Burke just want to have the Leafs in the news? I don't get this one!

Acquisition(s) we notice least now that might have most impact: Kotalik to Edmonton, Pahlsson to Chicago, McLaren and Carcillo to Philadelphia.

Teams that improved themselves today: Calgary, Toronto, Boston, Chicago, Edmonton

Teams that are worse off after the day: New York Rangers, Buffalo

Teams that mystified me today: Anaheim (are you making the playoffs or not?), San Jose (Will Travis Moen and Kent Huskins make that much of a difference?), Pittsburgh (Bill Guerin is your big pick up?), Ottawa (all you do is trade Vermette for Leclaire?), and Toronto (that last trade still stymies me).

Final verdict: Very little changed as a result of today. Calgary is the only team that substantially changed anything, and it likely won't change their standings in the season. (They're 10 back of Detroit and 8 ahead of Vancouver...not much changing.) But the proof is in the playoffs, I suppose...

Iggy and Avery

2009-03-03T18:25:00.002-06:00

First off Kudos to Iginla for passing Theoren Fleury in the points department though I think he did it in like 128+ more games than Fleury did which he was keen to point out in the Calgary Sun. Eric Francis interviewed Fleury before the Iginla surpassed his mark with a 5 point game in a losing effort against Tampa Bay... yeah you read that right. As a kid I liked Fleury mainly because I'm a Moose Jaw boy and Fleury came from the Warriors so of course you had to cheer him on just like I do Ryan Smyth (despite the fact that they actually both play(ed) for the Avalanche; a team I just love to hate). Fleury was a player who played with a lot of heart and grit who let his off-ice vices get a hold of him. I enjoyed watching him play and it is too bad that we do not have a time machine where we could transport Fleury and see how he would do in today's league when he was in his prime. He thinks he would be great and so would I.

Today Avery returns to the NHL and is back in New York where he shared such great moments as making Kari Lehtonen look like a tool and then making himself look like one waving his stick around in front of the greatest goaltender in the game. People are worried about what Avery will bring or take away from the Ranger locker room and frankly it does not matter. If he is a disruption than it is Sather's fault for bringing him back but Avery did help that team when he was there and I think people should recognize that. There are a few worries outside of that however. One being that Shanahan, who kept Avery in line as much as he could, is no longer there. You need a veteran presence in that locker room to keep him in line and that the Rangers have in abundance in Redden, Naslund, Drury and you might be able to fit Gomez in there as well but I do not really want to. If the team is going to hold together and build off of what Avery is going to bring to their game then it is up to these three guys to do that. Of course this is all moot if Avery does not need a veteran chaperone. This then brings in the other worry is if Avery calms down too much and does not have the edge that he played with before. He is a dynamite playoff performer and even the Avery haters have to admit that - though he can disappear. One thing is for sure Tortorella has his hands full now, even more so than when he took charge of this sliding team.

I do not want to be the first one to throw a stone at Avery (and I know for a fact that I am not) but I do enjoy his play when he is on his game. I heard on the radio on my way home today that a guy (who will remain unnamed) wants Avery to fail again and then the league can be done with him. I say no, this guy has the potential to be a new Jeremy Roenick and he has been given a lot of chances but perhaps this Dallas experience has finally set him straight. I, myself, can only hope that he has changed for the better but I know I am in the minority. Good luck to you Avery. Don't screw it up.

A Trade I Simply Don't Understand

2009-02-27T19:22:00.004-06:00

To Pittsburgh

F- Chris Kunitz

F- Eric Tangradi

To Anaheim

D- Ryan Whitney

Well to start I must state I am a fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins and, from that point of view, am a fan of this trade. What I don't understand primarily is why Anaheim would pick up Ryan Whitney and trade away a top 6 forward, and a top forward prospect. Since Anaheim's Stanley Cup in 2007, Anaheim has continuously lost or got rid of their top forwards, have spent lots of money on defence, and have had cap trouble. Anaheim has traded away Andy McDonald for Doug Weight last season (and then chose to not re-sign Weight), traded Chris Kunitz this season, and allowed Dustin Penner to go to Edmonton for draft picks when he was signed as a Restricted Free Agent. In that time they have gone from have 6 quality scoring forwards (Kunitz, Selanne, McDonald, Getzlaf, Perry, and Penner) to 4 (Selanne, Perry, Getzlaf, and Bobby Ryan, a rookie this season). What made Anaheim such a tough team in the playoffs was that they had three lines contributing, but currently it looks like Anaheim only really has four forwards contributing rather than 7 or 8 during their cup run.

Anaheim has a lot of money spent on their defence, which leads us to assume that either Chris Pronger or Scott Neidermayer won't be playing for Anaheim next season. Now if they traded Pronger (which has been highly rumored) perhaps Anaheim would be able to pick up some young or inexpensive forwards in return. If so, maybe this trade makes sense but I don't understand it for right now. Ducks fan have to hope that their current roster will get a change because their is simply not enough scoring available and too much money invested in their defence.

On Pittsburgh's side of the equation this trade seems to be exactly what they needed. Pittsburgh had a significant need (top 6 winger) and was trading from a significant area of strength strength (offensive defenceman). Often trades like this are hard to make because other GM's know that Pittsburgh needs help at forward and would love to trade one of their defenceman to do it but in the end Pittsburgh was able to get a solid winger to play alongside Crosby and in the process create greater cap flexibility. Realistically, Pittsburgh may be forced to trade Crosby or Malkin at some time in the next few years because of the mammoth side of their contracts. But if Pittsburgh is able to stay young but still be productive, they may be able to keep both of them. This deal did exactly that, it allowed for Alex Goligoski to be recalled from the minors to replace Ryan Whitney (not a significant drop off the way both players were playing earlier this season) and in doing so, Pittsburgh is able to spend more money on their forwards (i.e. Kunitz). The Penguins are working the delicate balance of cap management...spending less money on their defence (while not losing on performance) but also improving their scoring.

So I understand Pittsburgh's desire to get a top quality forward, but what i simply don't understand is why Anaheim needs another defenceman, especially another defenceman who costs 4 million a season. Also I don't understand, why Anaheim simply would be willing to give up a top 6 forward, and also a top forward prospect because of their lack of depth at forward. Why would you deal for a defenceman, an area where you are quite strong, for a top 6 forward and a forward prospect, two areas that your club is decidely weak in.

As a fan of Pittsburgh, I am a big fan of the trade, I simply don't understand why Anaheim was willing to make it.

Comrie Back in Ottawa

2009-02-26T18:01:00.002-06:00

Completely unexpected. After a horrible season, everyone, including yours truly, thought the Senators were going to cut their losses, and possibly some cap space, and enter the John Tavares sweepstakes. Perhaps Sens GM Brian Murray is feeling some pressure to make the play-offs this year, or find another job. Trading away a 1st round pick for a proven player means the Senators still think they're in the play-off picture, which means they will be buyers at the trade deadline, not sellers, like many predicted.

Value of an NHL Draft Pick

2009-02-22T02:33:00.002-06:00

TSN has an interesting article up about, you guessed it, the value of an NHL draft pick. You can read it here. Discuss.

Ottawa Senators

2009-02-12T16:00:00.004-06:00

Well, now that the trials in my life are finally slowing down I have decided to post about one of the hardest things for me to do this year... support my hockey team. I don't keep it secret that I am an Ottawa Senators fan and have been for a few years which is proudly displayed on my car, "Spartacar", with a Go Sens Go! sticker in the rear window and a Sens flag which I let fly more during the playoffs. This of course is what I probably will not be doing this year if you pay any attention to the standings. At the time of writing this the Senators are the third last place team in the league. This is surprising due to the fact that the core of this team was in the final two seasons ago and has been in the playoffs eleven straight years. What indeed has happened to this organization?

The transition from the Muckler era to the Bryan Murray era at first appeared to be a promising change. The Senators changed from a defense-responsible team to a run and gun all pistons firing offensive machine. Years had passed since the era of Yashin and with Spezza, Alfredsson and Heatley now running the show the team boasts one of the best top lines in the league. With this new offense and with Murray eventually taking over Muckler's job the Senators thus began their decline. To lay the sole blame on Murray would seem unfair in one case however for the situation that Ottawa now faces. The new offense made Ottawa's depth appear more tantalizing and every player was looking for a significant pay raise. Ottawa had already dealt its best second line forward in the often injured Havlat and the deals made to make the team go all the way fell short.

The defense which had benifitted from the years of Jacques Martin's defensive approach have now been reduced to only 2 defensemen from that era: Chris Philips and Anton Volchenkov. The exits of Zdeno Chara (who is still in his prime), Wade Redden (who is not in his prime) and Brian Pothier (who was a solid d-man who could put up points on the odd occasion) along with the short lived times with Tom Preissing (who felt undervalued in Ottawa) and Joe Corvo (whom I personally liked but go picked on too much by other fans) the exit of quality defenseman over the past few years has made a huge impact on their blue line. (I also might note Andrej Meszaros here as well who in his rookie year was a +34 but I think he benefitted from a Redden that was still quality and a high octane offense which when it dwindled so did he - I personally think the guy makes more turnovers than McDonald's) With the blue line now thin it reflects on the rest of the team but one of the things that I think Hartsburg really helped to develop was getting them back, a least a little, of their defensive game. The Senators offense has been lacking and for an undersized group the defense has been performing as well as they can without the bodies they used to be able to throw around. Picard and Kuba have been a nice payoff for Meszaros and it would be a mistake to deal either of them any time soon because they are the two best puck moving defensemen on the team currently (though Lee is making some strides).

With the defense thin this affects the forward situation and it is blatently obvious. The Senators, when they do win, win because of their depth forwards scoring (i.e. Fisher, Foligno, Ruutu, McAmmond, Vermette, etc.) supporting their top three. One can make the case that they are losing because the top three are not scoring and that Jason Spezza is back to his old ridiculous ways of turning the puck over trying to do too many dangles. When the depth are not scoring the team only has the top line option so when other teams shut that down what other options do they have? Each one of their forwards is having a down year and this can be attributed to laziness. Perhaps the training staff is to blame... One could continue to point the finger around the room but when it all comes down to it the GM is the one left holding the pen which just signed all these people to contracts. Again, the players basically priced themselves out of town, a team that was rich in talent could not pay the price to hold on to it anymore and we are then left with the situation we have now.

What now? How do we solve this? Some suggest trading Spezza before his no trade clause kicks in next year and use that money to bolster the defense. The usual excuse of getting a better goaltender. Ottawa seems to have issues of not producing goalies, Glass and Elliot look like they could probably have a bright future and one of the good things this year is that Elliot is getting some decent playing time and is running with it. I do not want to focus on the goaltending issue however as it is always the scapegoat in Ottawa but instead I will look at the youth movement.

Foligno is in his second year and his development seems to be coming along nicely. The defense could be strong again in the next couple years if they hold on to their youth. This is referring to Lee, Picard and Schubert. Lee and Picard could be two excellent guys on the blueline quarterbacking powerplays while Schubert, if he plays to his size, could be a great shutdown guy. Philips and Volchenkov should stick around for the next couple years with their contracts and so one should not worry about the blueline too much, just give them time. Unfortunately time means that they may not make the playoffs this year and maybe the next and fans do not like that. The issue is with the secondary scoring. Fans often griped about Ottawa lacking grit the previous years and that is why they did not do well in the playoffs. Now they have it and they cannot make the playoffs. They do need gritty forwards who can get points and Vermette and Fisher can be those guys if they just get their 'A' game back. In any case, a serious infusion of talent needs to occur which has been lacking the past few years due to Ottawa's strong regular season performances they have not been able to draft high in a long time and also trading away prospects for short term gains.

The problems could very well be solved soon and turned around quickly like things in Philadelphia last season. Murray needs to make some tough decisions soon and Sens fans can only hope he makes the right ones.

Countdown to Vancouver: Goaltending

2009-02-12T11:35:00.002-06:00

The newspaper in Regina got me thinking about Olympic Hockey today. They had an entire section devoted to the Olympics (with about half of it on men's hockey, not that I'm complaining).

Everyone has their own version of what the Olympic roster should look like, which is fine. Speculation on rosters is half the fun. But what shocked me was how many people left Martin Brodeur off their roster.

It's obvious that, barring major injury, either Brodeur or Roberto Luongo will be starting for Canada in 2010, but many writers figured that Brodeur is too old to back-up Luongo, and if Luongo starts, the back-up spot should fall to Carry Price. It's odd because I always figured the third string goalie spot was reserved for the up and comer, because, if Luongo reinjures his groin right before, or during, the Olympics, do people really want Carry Price in the net?

Look, Brodeur is still one of the worlds best goalies, but he's not getting any younger and Canada does need to look to the future, but in doing so it can't sacrifice the present. Even if Luongo gets the starting job, having a solid, experienced back-up in Brodeur is preferable to the youngster Price.

In fact, I'm not even sure Price should be on the Olympic team. You have to think that Steve Mason's spectacular play this season has earned him atleast a token invite to Hockey Canada's summer camp. And if he can continue his great play into next season, I see no reason not to put him in the number three spot.

Andy McDonald Re-Signs with Blues

2009-02-11T15:14:00.007-06:00

Just a quick note on Andy McDonald. I had previously posted that I though McDonald could be moved at the deadline but it now looks like that won't be the case. Now that McDonald is healthy and seems to be back to his regular form, it appears that he will be with the Blues for a while. He signed a 4 year/18.8 million dollar contract which will average out at a 4.7 million dollar cap hit for the Blues.

This looks like the makings of a good deal for both sides, especially the Blues who have locked up a top centre for a solid term. McDonald surely got his value out of the deal but it didn't cost the Blues an arm and a leg, nor are they locked into McDonald for an absurd amound of years (see DiPietro, Ovechkin, Zetterberg, and Richards). The best thing for the Blues is that they have a few top forwards locked up but also have the cap space to be able to build around them. Unlike many teams, St. Louis has the ability to still sign top caliber players or to take other contracts in a trade if necessary (St. Louis only has 40 million signed for next season, where as many of the other teams are in the high 40's if not low 50's). St. Louis has the makings of a good team for years to come, and probably only needs a couple of additions, and some good health to make them a solid playoff team again.

Finally, here's some comparison of others centers (and their contracts) who have produced similar to McDonald over the last few seasons. Andy has averaged 71.67 points over the last three seasons, and besides his injuries this year has been incredibly healthy over his career (he has played all 82 games the last 3 years).

3 year Comparison
Andy McDonald: 246 games, 215 points = 71.67/season
4.7 m/season for 4 more years
Chris Drury: 240 games, 194 points = 64.67/season
7.05m/season for 3 more years
Patrick Marleau: 237 games, 212 points = 70.67/season
6.3 m/season for 1 more year
Daymond Langkow: 243 games, 201 points = 67/season
4.5m/season for 3 more years
Shawn Horcoff: 212 games, 174 points = 58/season
5.5m/season for 6 more years
Brad Richards: 238 games, 223 points = 74.33/season
7.8m/season for 2 more years
Anze Kopitar (2 yrs): 154 games, 138 points = 69/season
6.8m/season for 7 more years

I think McDonald's deal may be below market value, or at least where market value should be. St. Louis made one solid signing.

One final note: I could still see St. Louis selling off some of its assets at the trade deadline this year (Tkachuk, McKee, Legace) and try to rebuild some more. It simply appears that Andy McDonald has been identified by John Davidson, president of the Blues, as part of St. Louis solution.

Top 10 Unrestricted Free Agents Who Should Be Available At The Trade Deadline

2009-01-27T13:29:00.006-06:00

Yes, I know it's a long title but it encompasses the category: UFA's who should be available whether it's because their teams are non-contenders or simply unlikely to re-sign with their current team. Now start dreaming about how one of these players would fit well in your teams line-up.

1. Mathieu Schneider: The biggest catch with Schneider being moved is that Atlanta is close to the cap floor. So look for Schneider to be traded either as part of a large move or for players instead of prospects. He could really go to a variety of teams that need a puck moving defenceman.

2. Jay Bouwmeester: Any team looking to trade for Bouwmeester will be looking to sign him long term and may even look for a short window to sign him before the trade is agreed. Regardless, Bouwmeester will definitely be the most talented UFA available at the deadline. It is also still possible that Florida could re-sign him but it seems like a stretch at the moment.

3. Bill Guerin: Has not been having a phenomenal year but can still be a top 6 winger. Injuries also haven't been a concern for him in the last few years so he seems ready to go to a team on the fringe. It also shouldn't cost a lot to get rid of him.

4. Mike Comrie: Comrie has been traded at the deadline before and has proven to be able to produce quickly. The team trading for him won't necessarily need to worry about re-signing him but also won't have to give up that much to get him. Something like a late 2nd or early 3rd round pick would do, or a B grade prospect.

5. Matthias Ohlund: Mike Gillis does not wat to trade Ohlund but may decide that he is the easiest or best asset to move in order to add some scoring help. Vancouver defence is one of the best in the league and removing Ohlund from it would not dramatically hinder Vancouver's depth or its ability to produce.

6. Andy McDonald: McDonald has been injured for much of the year but is expected to be back from an ankle injury either this week or next. Andy has produced more than a point per game this season and would seem to be a solid no. 2 or maybe even no. 1 center on most teams. St. Louis is really struggling and would be wise to go into full re-build mode, consequently if McDonald is healthy, he seems destined to be playing for someone else this season.

7. Nik Antropov: One of the better forwards available, and we all know that Brian Burke is trying to clean house. This may drive his value down a bit, but either way I would expect him to go because of his ability to be a productive 2nd liner on a contender.

8. Filip Kuba: Now Ottawa needs more puck-moving defenseman rather than less, but if Bryan Murray is thinking logically, he should now he'll be able to get more from Kuba by trading him than trying to re-sign him. Should be a solid addition to a playoff team as a 3rd or 4th d-men and playing on the 2nd power play unit.

9. Nikolai Khabibulin: Whether Chicago is wanting to trade Khabibulin or Huet will be a big question but with Huet playing better it only makes sense to get rid of one of them for scoring help, prospects or even some picks. There are plenty of fringe playoff teams that could use some help in the net: see Washington

10. Jere Lehtinen: Lehtinen has been playing for the Stars for a long time and may be inclined to sign an extension with the team instead of going elsewhere, but he may be an attractive option to teams looking for both defensive and offensive help; he is also a player who has been injured for more than half the season.

Honourable Mentions

Ian Laperriere, Hall Gill, Gary Roberts, Mark Recchi

Two intentional omissions
1. Marian Gaborik: It sounds like contract talks were going no where but right now he's injured and expected to be back sometime in March (perhaps after the trade deadline). He may be traded but that's a big maybe; if so it will be done with the expectation that he is fully healthy or will be soon, and may have some conditional picks or prospects attached to it based on whether he signs or whether he is healthy enough to play for the rest of the year.

2. Daniel and Henrik Sedin: It's possible they could get moved but only if Vancouver tanks over the next month. Mike Gillis would love to sign them but seems to be having trouble deciding both on term and on the dollar amount. If the Sedins are traded it could very well be part of a blockbuster deal that wouldn't necessarily have to include a playoff team.

Part 4: The Future of the Western Conference

2009-01-20T14:23:00.002-06:00

The final chapter of the four part series detailing the future of NHL franchises according to the players that they have signed.

Western Conference: (Bottom Half)

9. Phoenix: If the Coyotes don’t go bankrupt and fold, they do have a decent future, at least better than what their past has been. Pheonix has a wealth of young forwards (Mueller, Turris, Boedker, Hanzal, Tikhonov, Lisin, Porter) and, though not all are developing as the Coyotes would hope, their potential is still very high. All 7 of these forwards are 22 or under and therefore should be locked up for years through RFA status. Phoenix’s defence is definitely poorer than their forwards, Phoenix has adopted a policy of signing veteran defence every offseason, but most of these d-men are not high end talent or legitimate top 4 defenseman. Ed Jovanoski is the only quality d-men Phoenix has locked up and doesn’t have too much for prospects coming up to fill those gaps as well. Goaltending looks good as Ilya Bryzgalov is locked up for two more years, and seems to be developing into a number one goalie.

10. Minnesota: Drafting and developing top end talent is the biggest concern for Minnesota. The Wild have a lot of good looking young forwards but whether they can develop into first line players and stars in the NHL is a different question. Minnesota’s defence looks like their strongest asset with Johnsson, Schultz, and Burns a pretty solid top 3. If Kurtis Foster is able to recover for his horrific broken leg and is re-signed, then he also would add significantly to this group of d-men. Minnesota is hoping that there young forwards (Sheppard, Pouliot, Gillies) in the same way that Bouchard and Koivu have in the past few years. It appears that Gaborik will not be with this team after this year, then again with his injuries, it barely seems like he is a part of the team anyways. The Wild also have a decision to make in the off-season whether to re-sign Backstrom to a significant or to hand over the starting goaltending job to Harding. Injuries have hurt this team the most and some questionable drafting as well.

11. St. Louis: The Blues are trying hard to blend to re-build and to provide a competitive team through free agents, and I don’t think they are succeeding. They have attractive players at forward and defence but can’t seem to put together a good enough team at either end of the ice. St. Louis defence looks most promising with Johnson (injured), Pietrangelo (OHL), and current NHL’ers Jackman and Brewer making a good looking top 4 next season. At forward, it has been inconsistency and some injuries that are hurting the Blues; currently Kariya, McDonald, and Oshie have missed over 80 games between them. St. Louis’s forwards have decent talent, but may either need to develop more, become consistent, or simply play to their potential. Brad Boyes is the Blues only forward locked up for more than 2 seasons. In goal, St. Louis has Chris Mason locked up for next season but that’s it; whether Mason is a legitimate No. 1 goalie seems to be undecided.

12. Vancouver: The Canucks defence is one of the best in the league and have a nice mix of proven veterans and youngsters. Ohlund is the only top 6 d-men not locked up for next season, and Willie Mitchell is the other d-men not locked up beyond next season. In goal, a healthy Luongo is arguably the best goalie in the league but he needs to be locked up to a longer term, he’s only signed past next season. It’s Vancouver’s forwards that are the biggest question; the Canucks have only 1 player signed for two seasons and that player is Darcy Hordichuk. They only have 3 of their top 9 forwards signed for next season and their top three forwards, the Sedin’s and Sundin, aren’t signed beyond this year. Mike Gillis has done a fairly good job as a first year GM, but needs make some significant signings or trades to improve this team long term.

13. Colorado: The Avalanche are living on past glory. They have a decent number of players signed but they are expecting too much in both production and health from players like Joe Sakic, Darcy Tucker, Ryan Smyth, Tyler Arnason, Adam Foote, Scott Hannan, and Jordan Leopold. Colorado’s has signed or acquired many of these players to contracts based on their best seasons not based on their future seasons. Consequently, you get a lot of decent names playing for Colorado, while their talent drains away. Colorado has only two forwards signed beyond next season, Smyth and Stastny, both who are making more than 6 million. The Avalanche have 5 d-men signed for next season, but none signed beyond 3 seasons. Also those d-men are all making over 3 million each: Foote, Salei, Clark, Liles, and Hannan; try to convince me that they way those players are each worth 3 million or more. In goal, neither Budaj or Raycroft are signed beyond next year, though Budaj is a RFA. Then again maybe that’s a good thing because neither of those goalies are starters in NHL the way they are playing.

14. Anaheim: The Ducks have officially become old, not Chris Chelios old, but still an old team where most of their players are in their 30’s and if not signed, are UFA’s. On offence, the Ducks have some good top end talent in Getzlaf, Perry, Ryan, and Kunitz, but have only Selanne and Ryan Carter signed beyond this season. On defence, the Ducks only have control over 4 defenceman for the next season whether signed or through RFA status, and currently only Pronger and Francois Beauchemin are real top 6 defenseman. In goal, Anaheim has J.S. Giguere locked up for two more seasons, and their back-up Jonas Hiller is emerging as a solid goalie, and he’s signed for another season as well. As a whole, the players that Anaheim has signed are quite talented and are all signed for acceptable or affordable contracts; the biggest problem for Anaheim is that they simply have so few players signed to contracts.

15. Dallas: The Stars have a good number of players signed but have a lot of players either past their prime or called on to play roles that they simply aren’t talented enough to play. Dallas could almost ice a full team for next year with the players that they currently have signed but that team would probably compete for one of the worst spots in the league. Dallas has four major problems: injuries, aging players, young players not developing, and Sean Avery. Avery’s contract is almost 4 million and may have to be bought out. The Stars age includes many of their top players who simply aren’t signed beyond this season or may no longer be able to their contract value: see Zubov, Modano, Lehtinen, and Sydor. Their young players not developing describes Brunnstrom, Neal who were expected to be top 6 forwards, and Daley, Robidas, Niskanen, and Fistric were all expected to contribute more or develop into top 4 forwards. For injuries see Zubov, Morrow, Lehtinen, Lundqvist, Ott, and Brunnstrom. Dallas only real strength is in goal. Turco had a rough start but appears to be the top 5 goalie that he has been for the last few years and he is signed for two more years. The only other quality signings the Stars have is Ribeiro and Morrow both signed for 4 more years at just over 9 million between the two of them.

Part 3: The Future of the Western Conference

2009-01-14T21:04:00.003-06:00

This is the third of a four part series started last month that discusses the future of franchises in hockey. To re-iterate the guidelines in case you haven’t read the previous posts, this focuses specifically on players that the current teams have and looking at the contracts those players have signed. Each team is evaluated on their top 8 forwards, 4 defenseman, and 1 goalie as part of their ranking with the belief that the other players on the team should not as a whole make much of an impact on the salary cap. Teams are evaluated based on numerous criteria including length's of contract, affordability of contract, whether players are playing out of position (ex. 2nd liners playing on the first line), amount of money wasted on bought out contracts, length of time players are controlled by RFA status, etc.. Essentially the more players that a team has locked up who are affordable or exceptional, the better their ranking is. This is not necessarily a reflection of the performance of a team but on the potential for these teams to be healthy long term and have future success.

Part 3: The Western Conference (The Top Half)

1. Edmonton: The Oilers take first place in the Western Conference and it wasn’t really that close. The group of prospects, high draft picks and especially young forwards that the Oilers have developed and have control over for the next 3-5 five years is incredible. I’m not necessarily sold on all or most of these players, but the kind of potential that Gagner, Cogliano, Schremp, Nillson, Penner, Brule, O’Marra, and Pouliot have leads me to believe that at least a couple of them will develop into top line 70-90 point players. The Oilers do have a few players who have questionable contracts like Souray, Penner, and Pisani, but if they perform like they can when these contracts were signed then the deals are acceptable. The Oilers have a significant amount of their team locked up for at least 3 years and few contracts are too long, or too expensive. The big issue is goaltending where it currently doesn’t appear that the Oilers have a credible No. 1 goalie either this year or for the future. We’ll see if the development of Garon, Drouin-Deslauriers, or Dubnyk can become the long term solution that the Oilers need.

2. Chicago: When you have high draft picks and make worthwhile picks within them, you can be set for what looks like years to come, and that looks like Chicago. Add in a few well placed signings to take pressure off and mentor the young kids and you’re team looks like Chicago. Some people don’t like the signings of Brian Campbell or Cristobal Huet, but I personally think they’re great for a young up-and-coming team for like the Hawks. Chicago could have a problem if some of their young RFA’s want high-value, long term contracts but at least for the next couple of years, Chicago looks quite good. Development will be the key, and it appears Chicago is pretty good at it, especially if you look at Cam Barker who just last year looked out of place at the NHL level and now looks like a top 3 d-man for the next 15 years. Chicago’s GM, Dale Tallon will have some decisions to make this off-season with Havlat and Khabibulin as UFA’s and Barker, Versteeg, and Dave Bolland as RFA’s plus no one signed beyond 3 seasons besides Brian Campbell’s which means top forwards like Kane, Toews, and Sharp need to be signed.

3. San Jose: The major factor for San Jose being such a high ranking is flat out talent. San Jose doesn’t necessarily have a great looking future but the players they do have are playing to their potential or even exceeding it. One essential category I evaluate on is are the players you have playing in positions that their talent matches, and San Jose has lots of talented forwards and defence to fills their needs. Neither Thornton, Cheechoo, or Marleau are signed beyond two years, so San Jose has some decisions to make. San Jose does have a nice group of young forwards coming up including Setoguchi, Pavelski, Clowe, and Torrey Mitchell, with some good young prospects as well. The defence is set up even better with 4 of 6 d-men signed for 2 or more seasons. In goal, Nabokov is only signed for one more season but currently his contract is only 5.375 million, so he’ll probably be looking for a raise if San Jose is able to re-sign him. Overall, San Jose’s future is looking good, but that could change a year or two down the road if they don’t bring in new players or re-sign their current stars like Nabokov, Thornton and Marleau.

4. Los Angeles: The Kings have a group of forwards that are all signed for a good while. 7 forwards who are currently among the Kings top 10 forwards are signed for 2 or more seasons and their best forward, Anze Kopitar, is signed for the next 7 seasons. The Kings seem to be back in their youth movement after a failed attempt at signing a bunch of free agents a year ago. Consequently, young forwards like Moller, O’Sullivan, Simmonds, and Kopitar are really being given a significant amount of ice time, and are producing in response to it. Jack Johnson’s injury will really stunt his growth because this would have been a very significant year for the young d-man in both ice time and responsibility. Yet, the Kings defence looks pretty good for the next 5 to 10 years with current NHL’ers and Calder candidate Drew Doughty, the aforementioned Jack Johnson, Matt Greene, and Peter Harrold, and young 1st rounders and members of Canada's world junior team, Thomas Hickey and Colton Teubert. If they can keep this group together and even a few of them are able to reach their potential, Los Angeles will be one of the best defensive teams for years to come, with only one condition: Goaltending. Los Angeles has lived for the last few years without a goalie and that may require them to rush goaltending prospect Jonathan Bernier. In the short term Erik Ersberg seems to be surviving, but I'm not sure he is a long term solution for Los Angeles’ goaltending issues.

5. Columbus: Scott Howson was busy this past off-season and because of his moves, the Blue Jackets have a decent looking future. Columbus has a high percentage of their forwards and defenseman locked up long term, the only question is whether they have enough top end talent. Columbus looks best in goal where the tandem of Steve Mason and Pascal Leclaire are both promising young netminders who are both locked up for 2 more years each. At forward, Columbus has a few good young forwards in Brassard and Vorachek, and have picked up a few other top 6 forwards to make them pretty respectable. The health of this club has to be a concerned with players like Torres and Modin both being counted on to produce, while trying to fight off their injury woes. On defense, Columbus has a decent group of d-men but really doesn’t have top end talent. Columbus could really use a power play quarterback and puck moving defenseman to help them move to the next level.

6. Detroit: When you’re the reigning Stanley Cup champions and you get better in the off-season, is it fair to have lists like this? Well I’m not sure, but Detroit’s forwards may need some help next season unless UFA’S Franzen, Hossa, Samuelsson and Zetterberg all give the Red Wings a hometown discount. Detroit’s defence looks solid: their top 4 is one of, if not the best in the league, and even though Lidstrom isn’t signed past next season, I couldn’t imagine him signing with another team. Goaltending will be the weak point of this team until they can develop a goalie of their own or steal one from somebody else. With a strong forecasted group of UFA goalies available, maybe this will be the year that Detroit can upgrade over Chris Osgood. Now Detroit’s forwards could be hurting but then again they still have Datsyuk, Cleary, Filppula, and Holmstrom signed, so consequently compared to some teams, they don’t look that bad. Either way, if Detroit is going to continue to be the dynasty that they have been, they will need to re-sign some of their aforementioned UFA’s or find some other forwards to replace them.

7. Calgary: Oh Calgary, Darryl Sutter sometimes looks like a genius and other times like a fool. The Flames have a few top players signed to great players and a few mediocre players signed to bizarre contracts. The Flames need to either sign or replace Cammalleri, Bertuzzi, and Moss because all have contracts expiring after this season. Without them Calgary has a decent first line, and otherwise a bunch of 3rd and 4th liners. Calgary has a lot of money invested on defence, and contracts to Phaneuf, Giordano, and Regehr all look really good, but I don’t understand the money given to defensive d-men like Sarich and Vandermeer who make almost 6 million between them. In goal, if you’re a Kiprusoff fan be happy that he’s locked up for 5 more years; but if you’re a skeptic like me, you see the downturn in his play and wonder what value he’ll be with over 29 million still owed to him. Calgary has some solid top end talent but may have trouble filling out there line-up with 31 million locked up with just six players for the next three years.

8. Nashville: The Predators have a strong group of players that are locked up both for term and for reasonable contracts as a whole. The biggest question for the Predators is their goaltending. Sometimes it looks like either Dan Ellis or Pekka Rinne could be number one goalies for years to come and other times it looks like they are simply temporary stop gaps. An additional concern for the Predators is their lack of depth at forward and a good number of players playing out of position. Jason Arnott, Martin Erat, and J. P. Dumont are all good players, but look a lot better as second liners than as first liners. Match that line against other top lines in the league, and the production simply doesn’t match up for Nashville. The Predators could really use Alexander Radulov to come back to the NHL. Nashville’s defense has some of the best young d-men in the NHL but would do well to lock some more of these men up for the long term.

Mid-Season NHL Awards

2009-01-12T18:03:00.003-06:00

The title says it all, so without further ado...

Biggest Surprise: Boston Bruins

From Milan Lucic, to Tim Thomas, to Marc Savard, the 1st place Bruins have cornered the market on surprises. Will they be able to keep it up for the rest of the season?

Runner-Up: Unanimous Selection

Biggest Disappointment: Tampa Bay Lightning

The only surprise here is that more people didn't see this coming. A team with suspect goaltending and weak defense lets is best defenseman leave over the summer, and then spends the money it saved on a bunch of forwards. Dumb.

Runner-Up: Ottawa Senators

Best Free-Agent Signing (so far): Dan Boyle, SJ

The leagues highest scoring defenseman is on pace for his best season ever. His 3 GWG are tops among defenseman, and his arrival is a big reason why the Sharks power-play is operating at above 20%.

Runner-Up: Marian Hossa, DET

Worst Free-Agent Signing (so far): Sean Avery, DAL

Was there ever any doubt? Avery's antics were tolerated in New York because he was scoring and the team was winning. No such luck in Dallas.

Runner-Up: Cristobal Huet, CHI

Comeback Player of the 1/2 Year: Nikolai Khabibulin, CHI

The Bulin wall was widely regarded as trade bait following the off-season acquisition of Cristobal Huet. Even yours truly felt Khabi's days were numbered. However, the Russian netminder has bounced back with a strong 2.31 GAA and a .926 save percentage with the offensive minded Blackhawks. Unfortunately, he still isn't worth 6.75 mil a season.

Runner-Up: Rob Blake, SJ

Rookie of the 1/2 Year: Steve Mason, CLB

Mason leads the league in GAA, save percentage, and shut-outs. It's hard to argue with those statistics.

Runner-Up: Unanimous Selection

Strangest Injury: Joe Sakic, COL

Sakic's snow-blower escapades brought back memories or Riders FB Chris Szarka slicing his finger tips off with a table saw. It's nice to see Sakic is still down-to-earth enough to shovel his own driveway, but from now on the Avalanche will likely send over a lackey.

Runner-Up: Matt Stajan, TOR

Slow Starter Heating Up: Erik Cole, EDM

After scoring only 3 goals in his first 30 games, Cole has racked up 5 in his last 11. That kind of production is what the Oilers had in mind when the brought him over from Carolina.

Runner-Up: Marty Turco, DAL

Hot Starter Cooling Off: Miroslav Satan, PIT

11 goals in his first 30 games followed by 1 in his next 13. I know Satan goes as Crosby and Malkin do, but this is ridiculous.

Runner-Up: Nikolai Zherdev, NYR

Player Quietly Having a Good Season: David Krejci, BOS

Does is surprise you to know Krejci is averaging a point-per-game this season? Me too. His 46 points put him 11th overall in league scoring. He's just one of many Bruins having an outstanding year.

Runner-Up: Thomas Vanek, BUF

Speed Round:

1/2 Season MVP: Tim Thomas, BOS

Fight of the 1/2 Year: Eric Godard vs. Riley Cote

Biggest Cheapshot: Tom Kostopolous on Mike Van Ryn

Hardest Hit: Doug Weight on Brandon Sutter

Best Save: Jason Labarbera on Mike Ribero (sorry about the poor quality)

Sweetest Goal: Blake Wheeler

Sweetest Goal (Shoot-Out Edition): Pavel Datsyuk

Fine Print:
All statistics accurate as of the writing of this post.

A Tale of Three Knights

2008-12-17T04:21:00.006-06:00

I couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with Sam Gagner (the former London Knight) when I watched Chicago destroy Edmonton last night. Gagner was considered to be a rising star after scoring 49 points in his rookie season and there were definitely some huge expectations for him this year but he just hasn't looked the same this season. He even had a bit of a chip on his shoulder after getting snubbed by NHL 09 for a poor ranking compared to his linemate Andrew Cogliano. Gagner's goig through the dreaded sophomore slump but realistically his biggest problem is that Gagner isn't yet able to contribute in enough aspects of the game to make him worth waiting for him to break through the struggles. He's not big enough to contribute physically, nor can he really help out on the cycle and he's not that fast skater. He is a very good passer, and does seem to really have good hockey sense but that doesn't seem to mean he can produce at the moment.

Sam is usually good because he knows he belongs, and because when he has confidence he can pass as good as anyone. But compare him to his former teammate in junior, Patrick Kane and you can see a big difference. When Chicago had injuries to deal with last year, Kane was able to take Chicago on his back and was able to score in important situations. This year, Kane has been surrounded by good players, but he himself is showing that he is the best on the team, competing with the league leaders in goals and points. Kane has the ability to create offense for himself and the ability to score goals, rather than set others up for goals. Gagner doesn't seem to be able to create offense for himself, and even worse, he's currently not able to set up others either.

So what is the solution, well I believe that comes with a third London Knight....Rob Schremp. Schremp has torn up the AHL the last few seasons and produced as well as any other Oiler when given a chance on a 4 game call up. Schremp has the offensive ability to fill in for Gagner and produce for the Oilers, giving Sam time to regain his confidence in.....the AHL. Gagner needs to play against players who aren't as good as him, to remind himself just how good he actually is. He needs to remind himself, that he can make those key passes and that he can also score some goals as well. He also really needs to work on his defensive game, which isn't talked about, but Gagner was a -21 last year, and his linemates Cogliano and Nillson were +1 and +8 respectively.
Sam needs a chance to escape from the spotlight and remember that he is a good hockey player. Currently, the Oilers have players who can produce and fill in for Gagner, so it's in the best interest of the Oilers and Gagner to give him some time to relax in the NHL.

There's nothing to stop the Oilers from doing this. Gagner doesn't have to clear waivers, and neither does Schremp, so moving them up and down wouldn' t be an issue. Gagner also has a bigger cap hit at 1.6 million where as Schremp is only 780 thousand, so the Oilers could actually save some money against the cap by doing this, and maybe use that extra money to bring in a player for a playoff push later in the year. So there is really nothing stopping the Oilers, besides maybe Craig MacTavish having to actually play Robbie Schremp.

That's all for now......the Future Evaluation of the Western Conference will be coming soon.

Aidan.

Part 2: The Future of the Eastern Conference

2008-12-09T22:22:00.005-06:00

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.

Part 1: The Future of the Eastern Conference

2008-12-09T00:08:00.003-06:00

This week and next week I'll be looking at the Eastern and Western Conferences and evaluating the future of each team. This focuses specifically on players that the current teams have and looking at the contracts those players have signed. Each team has 8 forwards, 4 defenseman, and 1 goalie as part of their ranking with the belief that the other players on the team should not as a whole make much of an impact on the salary cap. Teams are evaluated based on numerous criteria including length's of contract, affordability of contract, whether players are playing out of position (ex. 2nd liners playing on the first line), amount of money wasted on bought out players, length of time players are controlled by RFA status. Essentially the more players that a team has locked up who are afforable or exceptional, the better there ranking. This is not necessarily a reflection of the performance of a team but on the potential for these teams to be healthy long term and have future success.

Part 1: Eastern Conference (The Top Half)

1. Pittsburgh: The fact that Crosby and Malkin are locked up for 4 and 5 more years and both at affordable contracts for what they can produce is a definite factor. Their defence is strong, and if Gonchar and Whitney weren't injured might be one of the best in the league both now and for the next few years. They also aren't overpaying for anyone on the defensive end and have lots of youth as well. They don't have a lot of forwards signed, but have some flexibility and enough young potential. Marc-Andre Fleury is also an affordable goalie at only 5 million a season and locked up for the next 6 years, and I'd take him over a good number of goalies paid more than him. The question with Pittsburgh will be, can they afford Jordan Staal, and can they sign suitable wingers to play with Crosby and Malkin.

2. Philadelphia: Philly has a lot of players locked up long term and though I do not agree with or like all of their signings, the quality of talent is extremely high. I don't agree with signing Mike Richards for 12 years and the injury risk is high, but currently he's worth more than the 5.75 million he's being paid so his negatives balance his positives. Players like Gagne and Jeff Carter are both playing well above the value of their contracts so they are both definite positives. It's debatable whether Briere, Timonen, Lupul, or Hartnell are worth what they getting paid, but Philly will have them all for at least 3 years, and so Philly's core is quite strong. Philly's big question is in goal where they currently don't have a goalie signed for next season.

3. Buffalo: The best thing about Buffalo are their forwards. They have top end forwards signed long term and they are all fairly young. They have 5 forwards signed longterm, 3 of which are first liners, 1 is a second liner, and 1 is a third liner. They also have 3 young talented RFA forwards who could complete their forwards for at least the next three years. Buffalo's defence is acceptable, but the key is they aren't overpaying for anyone. Craig Rivet is making the most and he's only at 3.5 million for the next two years. The real positive is that Ryan Miller is signed long term and that Buffalo will be able to rely on him to keep them in the playoff run for at least the next five years. Buffalo's biggest negative is simply the age of their defenseman, they have developed a lot of young forwards but also need to develop young defenseman to balance their team and their cap situation.

4. Washington: Having the only current 60 goal player in the league signed to a 13 year deal never hurts, and that's the biggest factor that puts Washington in 4th. Otherwise Washington's defensive core is fairly strong with Green, Poti, and presumably Karl Alzner fairly soon. That would be a pretty strong top 3 and would only cost 10 million against the cap. Washington doesn't have a forward besides Ovechkin locked up beyond 2 seasons and both Semin and Backstrom are only locked up for next year. Yet, both Semin and Backstrom are RFA' so as long as the Caps can sign them to affordable deals, the offense should be fairly strong for years to come as well. In goal, Jose Theodore is signed through next year but it still remains to be seen as to whether he is a stopgap or is the Caps long term solution.

5. Tampa Bay: Though they are struggling so far this year, they have a number of affordable contracts and two key players signed noticeably under market value (St. Louis, Lecavalier). Malone's contract is probably too long and overpriced, but as a whole they have a nice mix of young up-and-comers and affordable veterans. The perceived value of this team may decrease if players like Vrbata and Stamkos don't start to score as they were expected to. The real question will be can their defense core improve because Paul Ranger and Andrei Meszaros are pretty long on T-Bay's blueline.

6. Florida: One of the best things about the Panthers is that they have a large group of their young players locked up to long term deals. Horton, Weiss, and Olesz are all locked up for at least the next 4 seasons, and young forward prospects like Frolik and David Booth are both controlled for the next few seasons through their RFA status. On defence, Florida has 3 solid d-men locked up for at least two more seasons, but Jay Bouwmeester, the best of the bunch is an UFA after this season, so that could be a significant negative for them. The other significant concern is the lack of top end talent on Florida; they have a significant number of players locked up but they aren't necessarily top line material or top pair d-men besides Horton, and McCabe, and those both may be debatable. Yet, for the lack of top end players, they don't have many overwhelming or overpriced contracts, so it basically balances out.

7. New York Rangers: The Rangers have a good number of players signed long term and for those who aren't many will still be RFA's when there contract runs out. Next year is still a big question as Zherdev, Prucha, Korpikoski, Dubinsky, Dawes, Callahan, and Fritsche are all RFA's after this season. Consequently, the Rangers only have 5 forwards signed beyond this season, so the biggest question will be can New York afford to keep all those RFA's. I'm going to suggest they won't be able to because the Rangers already have 41 million counting against the cap without any of the RFA's signed. The defense has a top four that is fairly strong and all signed beyond through next season, and Girardi and Staal are both RFA's after next season so the Rangers still hold their rights for a while. In goal, the Rangers are amongst the best in the league with Henrik Lundqvist, and those he's making almost 7 million per season, he's locked up for the next 5 years and has been worth his salary so far. So, the biggest concern for the Rangers is whether they can afford to keep the players they have signed, and signing all of their RFA's,

8. Carolina: The Canes have to be one of few teams in professional sports to win a championship and then simply crumble. The most important thing for the Canes is that they have their franchise player signed long term, with Eric Staal being committed for 7 more years. Presuming that Staal is going to produce somewhere between the 80 to 100 points he has shown and not the 40 or 50 he is on pace for this, he’ll be a valuable player for years to come. Otherwise, Carolina looks not bad on paper with players like Williams, Pitkanen, and Brind’Amour signed for two more years. There are two factors that make Carolina a big question mark; first they seem to have a lot of injuries and often to their key players, and secondly, they have a good looking squad for next year but only Stall is signed for more than two more years. Finally, we have to wonder what is simply wrong with Carolina, they look like they should be good, but maybe they will always be a team that looks better on paper, and doesn’t simply have enough consistency to be a good team and make the playoffs every year.

It's about Time!

2008-12-04T13:32:00.003-06:00

You had to wonder just how long it was going to take the NHL to grow sick and tired of Sean Avery's mouth. For a long time it looked like the NHL was going to secede to the 'any publicity is good publicity' mentality, and let the Dallas Stars motor-mouth hold forth on whatever he wanted whenever he wanted. Thankfully the League did what the Dallas Stars should have done a long time ago, and reigned Avery in.

I'm all for colorful personalities and trash talk, especially if it's witty, but seriously, making remarks about another man's girlfriend to the media is bush-league. This isn't a soap opera, it's a professional hockey league. If Avery wants to tell the media Phaneuf is over-rated, over-payed, etc. then he can knock himself out. But there are certain things that should be off-limits, family being one (ya I know, it was Phaneuf's girlfriend, not his wife, but close enough).

Stefan Legein

2008-12-03T01:33:00.002-06:00

It's nice to hear that Stefan Legein has decided to resume his playing career. For those of you who don't know much about Stefan, he is a 19 year old kid and 2nd round draft pick of Columbus in 2007, who "lost his desire to play hockey." He was, I'm sure, one of many kids who struggled with the pressure to constantly perform and becoming grown up while barely finishing high school.

His decision to "retire" at 19 was largely a reflection on the NHL system as a whole rather than Stefan Legein himself. An NHL player is drafted and can start his career at 18, the youngest of any of the Big 4 leagues. Though baseball players can be drafted in high school, the majority of them are drafted while in college, and after they are drafted the norm is for a top prospect to at least spend a year or two in the minor leagues moving through rookie ball, A ball, AA and finally AAA before they make it to the majors. This is not a required progression, but a player rarely makes it to the majors and makes a significant contribution until at least 2 years after they have been drafted. In the NBA, players are required to spend at least 1 year in college, and there is a significant push to require players to spend 2 years in college. The NBA has changed this rule in recent years after a majority of players who were drafted out of high school simply couldn't make it into a rotation or gain significant playing time for their first few years. Without a legitimate development league, the NBA decided that their young phenom's would be better served with at least a year's worth of college to gain playing time and maturity. Finally, the NFL requires their players to spend at least 2 years in college before being draft eligible, and there are a significant number of players who choose to spend 3 or 4 years before being drafted.

In comparison young prospects in the NHL haven't necessarily even graduated from high school before they have the weight of the world put on their shoulders and have expectations that they'll become the saviour of whatever franchise they are drafted by. I'm not sure I am legitimately suggesting that the NHL should or can change the age at which players can be drafted because there is a strong system for developing young players through the major junior ranks, the American college system and the AHL. What I am suggesting, however, is that it's not surprising that one player would find that pressure to be too much at the age of 19 and would lose their interest or passion to play. If you do not have a passion to play hockey, there is no way that you can legitimately play in the NHL and especially for a player like Legein, there is no way that he can properly develop if he is not motivated to do so.

Stefan Legein looks like a really bright kid who gets that he needs to be motivated and to have fun to become a good NHL player. I really hope that he has found that motivation and that he can enjoy hockey even when he is expected to grow up far sooner than most people his age. There are significant expectations on him and they seem to be well founded, he seems to have a signifcant skill set, and also seems to relish the role of agitator, and so it is possible that he could become a Sean Avery type player (without the comments about ex-girlfriends and all his other stupidty), a player who can get under the other teams skin, but can also score 20 goals or 50 points every year as well. Let's hope this time off has been good for the kid and that hockey is fun again for him, not just full of pressure and expecations.

More news and details of Stefan Legein's decision can be found below in TSN's story.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=258235&lid=sublink09&lpos=headlines_nhl

Clark Deserving of Honor

2008-11-27T12:52:00.003-06:00

If the Toronto Maple Leafs were trying to outdo the Montreal Canadiens on Patrick Roy night, they succeeded. While fans of Les Habitant were getting teary-eyed welcoming back their prodigal son, Buds fans were giving the standing-O to a man whose night in the spotlight was long overdue. Unfortunately, the number of hockey fans who are blinded to Wendel Clark's greatness by their own hatred of the Leafs rivals the number of stars in the universe. Take it from a guy who dislikes almost everything about the Leafs, Clark was a once in a lifetime gem.
True, the man never played a game in the Stanley Cup Finals, much less won a cup. Clark never had a 50 goal season, and never one a major award, but Clark possessed all the hockey intangibles that can't be quantified in the NHL guide and record book.
First, he was tough to play against. That's not tough in the Mario Lemieux way, but in a Mark Messier kind of way. Guys like Lemieux and Gretzky would make you look foolish on route to pumping your net full of pucks. Clark, on the other hand, would slam you into the boards, beat the stuffing out of your tough guy, then score the game winner. When teams lost to Clark's Leafs, they were, beaten on the scoreboard and on the ice. Second he couldn't be intimidated, ever. Not just in the physical sense, but mentally as well. Clark was at his best in the play-offs, when the competition was at its peak, scoring big goals at big times. And Third, Clark conducted himself with class and professionalism, which is something the prodigal son in Montreal still hasn't mastered.
Clark never had the skill or the leadership qualities of a Mark Messier, but he did more with less than any other player in NHL history. He's not a Hall-of-Famer, not by any stretch, but his number deserves to be hanging from the rafters of the ACC, and it doesn't look out of place.

Darryl Sydor vs. Philippe Boucher

2008-11-17T20:28:00.007-06:00

On Sunday news came out of a trade as Pittsburgh and Dallas swapped defenseman.

Dallas gets Darryl Sydor in this deal where as Pittsburgh gets Philippe Boucher.

This trade would not have been made a couple of years ago, since just two seasons ago Boucher was a 19 goal man and Sydor has been a 5th or 6th d-man for the last few seasons but injuries to Boucher have made this deal possible. Darryl Sydor has barely been playing for Pittsburgh, and with the injuries to Boucher, this deal is taking two defenseman who haven't been contributing much to their respective teams and seeing if a new face in the locker room can inject some life into each team respectively.

Pittsburgh really appears to be the winner of this deal even if Boucher becomes injured again. For a defense that hasn't been using Sydor, it's not as if they will miss him. Though there is some suggestion that Sydor's veteran leadership and presence in the locker room will be missed, Pittsburgh is a team with enough drive, determination, and experience from last years playoff run, that the need for veteran leadership appears to be less than their need for a a powerful shot from the right handed point. Pittsburgh's power play has been alright this year, but with the offensive talent that they possess, it appears that Ray Shero is expecting more from them. Pittsburgh did lose some significant players during the off-season (Hossa and Malone) and from injuries (Whitney and Gonchar) and so it makes sense that the power play would take a hit but Shero seems to expect more of them than their currently 11th ranked power play is showing. As such, Boucher seems to fill a significant hole in Pittsburgh's game. A top power play unit of Crosby, Satan, Sykora, with Malkin and Boucher on the point seems to really make sense, and though Alex Goligoski has done a good job, he's not an all star yet, nor a real power play quarterback like Gonchar or Boucher.

As for Darryl Sydor, perhaps he will be able to right some of the problems in the Dallas Stars locker room but I would not be surprised if we see more moves from Les Jackson and Brett Hull, the co-GM's of the Dallas Stars. Sydor seems only to be a 5th or 6th defenseman at this point in his career and so his impact will probably come in the locker room or as a mentor to a young Stars defensive corps. Dallas was expected to contend for the division lead with Anaheim and San Jose, but currenly has only 15 points in 17 games, where as San Jose is leading the division with 31 points in 19 games. Dallas is already 16 points behind with only two games at hand. You can't usually win your division in the first quarter of the year but Dallas may have already lost it. Consequently I foresee more changes to come in Dallas, and they will be more signicant than picking up Darryl Sydor. There have been rumors of Dave Tippett losing his job as head coach and that could easily happen, or we could see other significant deals taking place.

Either way, this seems like a desperate move by a Stars' team needing to kickstart their players and I for one don't expect it to be successful. By trading away one of there better defenseman and getting less in return, it seems as if they are moving further from elite in the Western Conference rather than further. We shall just have to wait and see.

Aidan.

Welcome

2008-11-17T19:48:00.002-06:00

Welcome to Hockey Talk Central.

Here is a place where a few of us will post our insights and analysis on the stories that come from the world of Hockey. Mostly this will be devoted to the NHL but I'm sure aspects of junior hockey and the International scene will also emerge. You will see a few different authors on here regularly and hopefully we'll have some guest authors as well, sharing their thoughts and insights as well.

Though none of us are journalists, some of us aspire to be so, and others are just opinionated and need an opportunity to share. Enjoy, and feel free to offer your thoughts and feedback.

Aidan.