Team Canada reaction

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

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

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?

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

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...

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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?

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.