So after a long summer of slacking, I'm back to doing this again. So the season starts up with many new faces on different teams. The Dany Heatley Saga has ended with the disgruntled sniper going to the sharks in hopes of being 'a key part' of the team. His debut was less than stellar in providing his team with a -3 effort, visibly coasting back to his defensive zone on one of the goals against. He did however redeem himself by setting up some goals on the next game but the prolific scorer has yet to put one in the net despite Big Joe Thornton as his centre. The season started just as poorly for Ottawa, beginning with a 5-2 loss to the Rangers. Both Michalek and Cheechoo have yet to show what they can do while Ottawa's back end shows just as much uncertainty. New Rookie Erik Karlsson impressed with his slick play and quick stick in the preseason as well as Pascal Leclaire showing Sens fans what he's capable of in exhibition games. Both played reasonably but each didn't perform up to par with Karlsson making a rookie gaffe at his blueline and Leclaire letting in a few goals up high.
Toronto GM Brian Burke beefed up his blue line in the off season adding Mike Komisarek and Francois Beauchemin among other big bruising defencemen. The team still lacks offensive bunch and the addition of Phil Kessel may bring that extra offence once he's back from Injury. The beginning of the season has showed that goaltending could be an issue as Toskala has struggled in his first two games. The Monster may be able to steal the job if Toskala continues to slide. Toronto's big defence might have issues should they continue to parade to the penalty box just as Mike Komisarek did in both the season opener and the second game against the Capitals.
Montreal has started with back to back overtime wins but being heavily outshot might very well be a problem. The loss of Andrei Markov for at least 4 months will hurt in the long run and the lack of a #1 puck moving defenceman might prove to be their downfall if Carey Price can't keep his confidence up. The Habs small offensive corps proved they can win against a big blue line like Toronto but the long run may prove to be a big grind and even more so in the post season.
Vancouver is looking to get their first victory after two straight losses despite Roberto Luongo's need for a strong showing to secure the #1 job in the Winter Games. The Canucks, despite their off-season additions of Christian Erhoff and Mikael Samuelsson, need Luongo to get off to a quick start despite his tendency to take a while to warm up. They have the potential to get very deep this year given their current group but as it always does, it relies heavily on the back end starting with luongo.
Calgary's acquisition of Jay Bouwmeester has bolstered an already formidable blue line. If Kiprusoff can keep up his play and Calgary can avoid cap issues from injuries, they have the potential to be a tough team. The issue now lies with the loss of Cammaleri, Can Iginla keep carry the offence. If not, who can they rely on to pick up the slack?
Edmonton's a young team and with the addition of Khabibulin and Coaches Pat Quinn and Tom Renney, the Oiler's group of players can make a good push. Reacquired centre Mike Comrie shined in the preseason leading the charge in points. Dustin Penner is looking to have a bounce back year from being sub par the last couple of seasons and the new coaching staff might be what he needs to find his touch. the young group of Gagner and Cogliano will have to step up despite a slow season last year but the addition of a veteran goalie should give this team a fighting chance and maybe a visit to the post season.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
NHL Playoffs '09 Round 3
So we're onto the conference finals. Though I now have only two teams to pick, the difficulty is much harder with the best of the best now going head to head.
Chicago Vs. Detroit
To start off lets go with the Western Conference. We have an original six matchup that needs very little hype to show its importance. It comes down to youth vs experience and once has to ask themselves what they think will prevail. Personally I might lean towards that youth. Chicago is a fast, offensively skilled team. Not unlike the Red Wings, they have deep offensive talent. Their back end is young and very mobile able to chip in on the offence and shut down the other team's players. The Red Wings will have to face a proven goaltender now in Nikolai Khabibulin, soemthing they didn't have to do in the last two rounds. That's not to say the previous two goalies were bad, it's just to say that experience does count for something. There is much to be said about experience, you can draw on it, know that you've been there and done it. But the Wings are coming off a victory in the previous year, the question is how hungry are they? Now I doubt you can really argue they don't care but you would have to think that a team that hasn't won it recently might be a bit hungrier for that Cup than the other. Detroit is also facing a more offensively skilled team in Chicago. Anaheim had it's share of offensive talent but a lot must be said about this Hawks team who managed to come be down in nearly every game they've played this post season and still come out on top.
Prediction: Chicago
Pittsburgh Vs. Carolina
Hard to bet against Crosby and Malkin. Here's a team who's got offensive talent and a solid back end. Marc-Andre Fleury is turning out to be a solid goaltender and the Penguins are once again vying for the cup. They're offensively deeper than the Hurricanes with more scoring talent on the forward lines and a very skilled defensive core. Carolina is going to have to be solid defensively and Cam Ward equally solid. These are two teams who have made it to the Cup Final in recent years. karma is on the Hurricane's side with the last time they've been this far they won the cup. With both teams holding goalies who've been stellar in overtime this post season, It'll be a battle to the end. If Cam Ward continues to stand on his head, I expect a long series.
Prediction: Pittsburgh
Chicago Vs. Detroit
To start off lets go with the Western Conference. We have an original six matchup that needs very little hype to show its importance. It comes down to youth vs experience and once has to ask themselves what they think will prevail. Personally I might lean towards that youth. Chicago is a fast, offensively skilled team. Not unlike the Red Wings, they have deep offensive talent. Their back end is young and very mobile able to chip in on the offence and shut down the other team's players. The Red Wings will have to face a proven goaltender now in Nikolai Khabibulin, soemthing they didn't have to do in the last two rounds. That's not to say the previous two goalies were bad, it's just to say that experience does count for something. There is much to be said about experience, you can draw on it, know that you've been there and done it. But the Wings are coming off a victory in the previous year, the question is how hungry are they? Now I doubt you can really argue they don't care but you would have to think that a team that hasn't won it recently might be a bit hungrier for that Cup than the other. Detroit is also facing a more offensively skilled team in Chicago. Anaheim had it's share of offensive talent but a lot must be said about this Hawks team who managed to come be down in nearly every game they've played this post season and still come out on top.
Prediction: Chicago
Pittsburgh Vs. Carolina
Hard to bet against Crosby and Malkin. Here's a team who's got offensive talent and a solid back end. Marc-Andre Fleury is turning out to be a solid goaltender and the Penguins are once again vying for the cup. They're offensively deeper than the Hurricanes with more scoring talent on the forward lines and a very skilled defensive core. Carolina is going to have to be solid defensively and Cam Ward equally solid. These are two teams who have made it to the Cup Final in recent years. karma is on the Hurricane's side with the last time they've been this far they won the cup. With both teams holding goalies who've been stellar in overtime this post season, It'll be a battle to the end. If Cam Ward continues to stand on his head, I expect a long series.
Prediction: Pittsburgh
Round 2 Debrief
So another round done and a better result. I went 3-1 with the shocker coming in Boston. Now who would have guessed that the Hurricanes would topple the Bruins. It was certainly surprising to see how a deep team like Boston could fail to go the distance but you look at the spectacular play of Cam Ward and you can surely understand how it happened. Carolina has done it before and they still have some players who were from their previous Stanley Cup Victory. Whether or not Cam Ward can carry the 'Canes further is a good question. That being said, there have been a good number of players stepping up to lead the Hurricanes in Jussi Jokinen and Sergei Samsonov. Samsonov, an eternal enigma as a player, has shown he can be an offensive power. Will he continue that pace, who knows but it got his team through to the conference finals.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
NHL Playoffs '09 Round 2
Ok. so here we go back at it again. I went 4-4 in the last round. Let's hope I can go 4 for 4 this time round...
Boston Vs Carolina
I don't think you can really bet against the Bruins. They should they are a dominant team handling the Canadiens pretty easily. That being said, Carolina is had a fairly strong series against the Devils. The Canes have Cam Ward to thank who's now heating up at the right time. Depth may be a bit of an issue with the 'Canes not a lot of heavy scorers up front.
Prediction: Boston
Washington Vs. Pittsburgh
Despite going 1-3-0 Against the Caps, Pittsburgh has a fairly good record against Washington. Crosby seems to save his best for matchups against Ovechkin and it might land on Rookie Simeon Varlamov to hold the fort. Both teams show heavy scoring depth with offensive guns on the back end to run a powerplay. The difference I see will definitely go to the Goaltending. With Fleury more experienced than his Caps Counterpart.
Prediction: Pittsburgh
Detroit Vs. Anaheim
Another team you can't bet against is Detroit. With a team who's better on paper than they were last year when they won the cup, you can't say they aren't able to do it again. You look at the Ducks and they have two lines who are offensive threats. Behind that it's pretty barren. The Wings have a lot of depth and a mass of experience to go with it. Osgoode is proving he can perform in the Playoffs despite the naysayers.
Prediction: Detroit
Chicago Vs. Vancouver
Luongo Vs The Blackhawks may be the better way to put it. Chicago has more offensive power than the Blues and with that comes the challenge. Chicago's goalie in Khabibulin is a pretty strong goalie who held off a lot of Calgary shots in the first round. Vancouvers offensive guns need to shine to get past this Young Blackhawks team.
Prediction: Chicago
Boston Vs Carolina
I don't think you can really bet against the Bruins. They should they are a dominant team handling the Canadiens pretty easily. That being said, Carolina is had a fairly strong series against the Devils. The Canes have Cam Ward to thank who's now heating up at the right time. Depth may be a bit of an issue with the 'Canes not a lot of heavy scorers up front.
Prediction: Boston
Washington Vs. Pittsburgh
Despite going 1-3-0 Against the Caps, Pittsburgh has a fairly good record against Washington. Crosby seems to save his best for matchups against Ovechkin and it might land on Rookie Simeon Varlamov to hold the fort. Both teams show heavy scoring depth with offensive guns on the back end to run a powerplay. The difference I see will definitely go to the Goaltending. With Fleury more experienced than his Caps Counterpart.
Prediction: Pittsburgh
Detroit Vs. Anaheim
Another team you can't bet against is Detroit. With a team who's better on paper than they were last year when they won the cup, you can't say they aren't able to do it again. You look at the Ducks and they have two lines who are offensive threats. Behind that it's pretty barren. The Wings have a lot of depth and a mass of experience to go with it. Osgoode is proving he can perform in the Playoffs despite the naysayers.
Prediction: Detroit
Chicago Vs. Vancouver
Luongo Vs The Blackhawks may be the better way to put it. Chicago has more offensive power than the Blues and with that comes the challenge. Chicago's goalie in Khabibulin is a pretty strong goalie who held off a lot of Calgary shots in the first round. Vancouvers offensive guns need to shine to get past this Young Blackhawks team.
Prediction: Chicago
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Round 1 Debrief
So I guess for the sake of simplicity I won't really go over the teams I correctly predicted. But I did make 4 errors.
To begin with let's start with Washington/New York. New York was up 2-0 in the series and then 3-1. It all looked like it was New York's series to win but it all went downhill very quickly. To begin, Goaltending was key. Simeon Varlamov is proving that he can stand tall in his trial by fire and the relatively unknown goalie proved to backstop Washington solidly while the Caps did what they do best in scoring. Henrik Lundqvist turned out to be human afterall and Washington managed to score fairly consistently on him to get themselves into that game seven. In a series I thought goaltending would be the big deciding vote, it surely was. There was no Jose Theodore to give the Rangers an offensive chance. Simeon Varlamov managed to shut that down.
New Jersey/Carolina
This was a tough one and an exciting one for sure. Cam Ward was phenomanal and Martin Brodeur may be showing signs of slowing down. The offensive guns for Carolina outshone those of the Devils and in a series where once again goaltending was to prevail, Ward simply did it better
San Jose/ Anaheim
This was a big one. Not many thought Anaheim would pull it off and yet here we are with another Shark choke. It was definitely a shock for sure to see them lose once again and yet not so much. I personally thought this might be the year the sharks go dep but as a Senators fan I know the feeling of having a strong solid team and experience an early upset. The sharks simply disappeared. Their big guns showed up too little too late and in the end they failed togive their team a fighting chance.
Pittsburgh/Philadelphia
This one should have ben a lot closer I think. Philly simply took too many penalties in the first two games and that cost them the series. Goaltending, as usual, also played a role with Biron not looking like he was up to task.
In the end it was clear the better teams won with 7/8 Favourites winning. Shame San Jose didn't get the Memo on that....
To begin with let's start with Washington/New York. New York was up 2-0 in the series and then 3-1. It all looked like it was New York's series to win but it all went downhill very quickly. To begin, Goaltending was key. Simeon Varlamov is proving that he can stand tall in his trial by fire and the relatively unknown goalie proved to backstop Washington solidly while the Caps did what they do best in scoring. Henrik Lundqvist turned out to be human afterall and Washington managed to score fairly consistently on him to get themselves into that game seven. In a series I thought goaltending would be the big deciding vote, it surely was. There was no Jose Theodore to give the Rangers an offensive chance. Simeon Varlamov managed to shut that down.
New Jersey/Carolina
This was a tough one and an exciting one for sure. Cam Ward was phenomanal and Martin Brodeur may be showing signs of slowing down. The offensive guns for Carolina outshone those of the Devils and in a series where once again goaltending was to prevail, Ward simply did it better
San Jose/ Anaheim
This was a big one. Not many thought Anaheim would pull it off and yet here we are with another Shark choke. It was definitely a shock for sure to see them lose once again and yet not so much. I personally thought this might be the year the sharks go dep but as a Senators fan I know the feeling of having a strong solid team and experience an early upset. The sharks simply disappeared. Their big guns showed up too little too late and in the end they failed togive their team a fighting chance.
Pittsburgh/Philadelphia
This one should have ben a lot closer I think. Philly simply took too many penalties in the first two games and that cost them the series. Goaltending, as usual, also played a role with Biron not looking like he was up to task.
In the end it was clear the better teams won with 7/8 Favourites winning. Shame San Jose didn't get the Memo on that....
Monday, April 13, 2009
Playoffs Round 1 Picks:
Boston Vs Montreal:
Though Montreal did manage to beat Boston in their last season meeting of the year, I don't think that Montreal is going to pull this one out. Boston is a lot bigger who can punish Montreal physically throughout string of games. The Habs need to have their best players shine and Kovalev needs to step up. Markov is out but I wouldn't be surprised if he comes back for the first game. The problem there is I've no doubt Boston will take every opportunity to pound on Montreal's star defenceman. Boston's goaltending looks a lot better going in than Montreals. Carey Price has shown to have a pretty weak confidence level and if Boston gets to him early, this series will be done. Tim Thomas and his unorthodox style reminds me of Dominic Hasek and we all know how great he was.
Prediction: Boston
Washington Vs New York
Washington's goaltending is suspect. Jose Theodore has never really gotten the magic he showed in Montreal back. Goaltending is such a big issue in the playoffs and New York has a definite edge. That being said, the Capitals won 3 out of 4 matchups against the Rangers. The only issue with that is the Rangers did not have Sean Avery during those games. Ovechkin has been shown to be less effective when he's looking for the hit more than scoring and Avery is the perfect player to get the russian superstar off his game. New York will need to find some scoring touch as they have no one in the roster that peaked 30 goals. That being said, Jose Theodore, if he doesn't close the door, will be able to hand the Rangers a series.
Prediction: New York
New Jersey Vs Carolina
Carolina is hot. They've gone into the post season with Cam Ward really in stride and, after a slow start, this is exactly the right time to be peaking. They have a strong corps of players who can score and the return of Erik Cole has been great for their team. The 'Canes have won a cup and know the grind of the playoffs. If Cam Ward really gets hot for the post season, he might just lead the 'Canes back to the finals. New Jersey has struggled as of late and the team itself might not go very far. The saviour might be between the pipes in Martin Brodeur. He alons can steal games and he's not one to go through long slumps. You can almost be sure he'll be able to get his game back for the playoffs. Zach Parise has had an amazing season and I look to him to continue to lead New Jersey deep.
Prediction: New Jersey
Pittsburgh Vs Philladelphia
Pittsburgh is looking to get back to the Finals after losing to the Wings. This team started slow but Malkin and Crosby have both had good seasons and hope to lead their team far. The addition of Guerin and Kunitz adds some good scoring help to the Pens who have needed wingers to play with Crosby. Jordan Staal has had a great year of his own and he provdes great depth to that team. Philladelphia has been strong and they can prove to be a formidable foe to the Penguins who face off in a repeat matchup of the Conference Final. Philladelphia can surely out hit Pittsburgh and in doing so can throw off Crosby and Malkin.
Prediction: Philladelphia
San Jose Vs Anaheim
Goaltending. That's really all that needs to be said. Hiller has been great for the Ducks but he's unproven in the playoffs and he'll be against Nabokov who, along with his whole team, has soemthing to prove. I can't see the Ducks going to Giguerre after he's struggled al year but if they do, he could return to form if he can shake off his issues. The Sharks have more depth upfront though. After Perry and Getzlaf, the Ducks are left with Ryan and Selanne. Now that does give two lines but I can certainly see the President's Trophy winning Sharks taking this series
Prediction: Sharks
Detroit Vs Columbus
Once again goaltending becomes an issue. The rising star in Steve Mason against Chris Osgoode. Osgoode has had a terrible statistical season and yet wins games. Mason backstopped Columbus into the post season. Detroit has a lot more depth in scoring and have the same roster they had last season with the one addition of Marian Hossa. On paper they are a better team than the one that won last season but I still have my reservations. Osgood had a better season last year. I'm not convinced he'll be able to pull it off once again. Columbus has a lack in depth however and a very green group of players. Nash leads the team in scoring but has only 3 other players behind him that are close to the 20 goal mark. Against a team in Detroit that can easily clamp down defensively, this might be a big problem.
Prediction: Detroit
Vancouver Vs St Louis
I have to go with Vancouver on this one mainly on the fact that St Louis might just be happy with making it in. Both teams boast hot goalies going into the post season. Both Mason and Luongo have shutouts going into the post season. Vancouver is going to push hard with so many players UFAs come July 1st. Players will be auditioning for jobs as they strive for the cup. St. Louis is a young team on the upswing. This probably won't be their year to go very far but next season might push them a lot further.
Prediction: Vancouver
Chicago Vs Calgary
Well Calgary finally has a full roster and that bodes well for them. The problem they have is Cammalleri isn't scoring much anymore. The arival of Jokinen puts what looks to be 3 scorers on the same line. That isn't a winning combination. Kiprusoff will faceoff against Khabibhulin I would think which means The Hawks have a hot goalie coming off a shutout. The young tandem of Kane and Toews has been phenominal. Samuel Pahlsson has been a shutdown guy for the Ducks in their runs and will provide good leadership to a team filled with young players.
Prediction: Chicago
Though Montreal did manage to beat Boston in their last season meeting of the year, I don't think that Montreal is going to pull this one out. Boston is a lot bigger who can punish Montreal physically throughout string of games. The Habs need to have their best players shine and Kovalev needs to step up. Markov is out but I wouldn't be surprised if he comes back for the first game. The problem there is I've no doubt Boston will take every opportunity to pound on Montreal's star defenceman. Boston's goaltending looks a lot better going in than Montreals. Carey Price has shown to have a pretty weak confidence level and if Boston gets to him early, this series will be done. Tim Thomas and his unorthodox style reminds me of Dominic Hasek and we all know how great he was.
Prediction: Boston
Washington Vs New York
Washington's goaltending is suspect. Jose Theodore has never really gotten the magic he showed in Montreal back. Goaltending is such a big issue in the playoffs and New York has a definite edge. That being said, the Capitals won 3 out of 4 matchups against the Rangers. The only issue with that is the Rangers did not have Sean Avery during those games. Ovechkin has been shown to be less effective when he's looking for the hit more than scoring and Avery is the perfect player to get the russian superstar off his game. New York will need to find some scoring touch as they have no one in the roster that peaked 30 goals. That being said, Jose Theodore, if he doesn't close the door, will be able to hand the Rangers a series.
Prediction: New York
New Jersey Vs Carolina
Carolina is hot. They've gone into the post season with Cam Ward really in stride and, after a slow start, this is exactly the right time to be peaking. They have a strong corps of players who can score and the return of Erik Cole has been great for their team. The 'Canes have won a cup and know the grind of the playoffs. If Cam Ward really gets hot for the post season, he might just lead the 'Canes back to the finals. New Jersey has struggled as of late and the team itself might not go very far. The saviour might be between the pipes in Martin Brodeur. He alons can steal games and he's not one to go through long slumps. You can almost be sure he'll be able to get his game back for the playoffs. Zach Parise has had an amazing season and I look to him to continue to lead New Jersey deep.
Prediction: New Jersey
Pittsburgh Vs Philladelphia
Pittsburgh is looking to get back to the Finals after losing to the Wings. This team started slow but Malkin and Crosby have both had good seasons and hope to lead their team far. The addition of Guerin and Kunitz adds some good scoring help to the Pens who have needed wingers to play with Crosby. Jordan Staal has had a great year of his own and he provdes great depth to that team. Philladelphia has been strong and they can prove to be a formidable foe to the Penguins who face off in a repeat matchup of the Conference Final. Philladelphia can surely out hit Pittsburgh and in doing so can throw off Crosby and Malkin.
Prediction: Philladelphia
San Jose Vs Anaheim
Goaltending. That's really all that needs to be said. Hiller has been great for the Ducks but he's unproven in the playoffs and he'll be against Nabokov who, along with his whole team, has soemthing to prove. I can't see the Ducks going to Giguerre after he's struggled al year but if they do, he could return to form if he can shake off his issues. The Sharks have more depth upfront though. After Perry and Getzlaf, the Ducks are left with Ryan and Selanne. Now that does give two lines but I can certainly see the President's Trophy winning Sharks taking this series
Prediction: Sharks
Detroit Vs Columbus
Once again goaltending becomes an issue. The rising star in Steve Mason against Chris Osgoode. Osgoode has had a terrible statistical season and yet wins games. Mason backstopped Columbus into the post season. Detroit has a lot more depth in scoring and have the same roster they had last season with the one addition of Marian Hossa. On paper they are a better team than the one that won last season but I still have my reservations. Osgood had a better season last year. I'm not convinced he'll be able to pull it off once again. Columbus has a lack in depth however and a very green group of players. Nash leads the team in scoring but has only 3 other players behind him that are close to the 20 goal mark. Against a team in Detroit that can easily clamp down defensively, this might be a big problem.
Prediction: Detroit
Vancouver Vs St Louis
I have to go with Vancouver on this one mainly on the fact that St Louis might just be happy with making it in. Both teams boast hot goalies going into the post season. Both Mason and Luongo have shutouts going into the post season. Vancouver is going to push hard with so many players UFAs come July 1st. Players will be auditioning for jobs as they strive for the cup. St. Louis is a young team on the upswing. This probably won't be their year to go very far but next season might push them a lot further.
Prediction: Vancouver
Chicago Vs Calgary
Well Calgary finally has a full roster and that bodes well for them. The problem they have is Cammalleri isn't scoring much anymore. The arival of Jokinen puts what looks to be 3 scorers on the same line. That isn't a winning combination. Kiprusoff will faceoff against Khabibhulin I would think which means The Hawks have a hot goalie coming off a shutout. The young tandem of Kane and Toews has been phenominal. Samuel Pahlsson has been a shutdown guy for the Ducks in their runs and will provide good leadership to a team filled with young players.
Prediction: Chicago
Friday, April 10, 2009
PLAYOFFS!
So the Eastern Playoff crop has been set and now all that's left is the little wiggle room to determine the final standings. The main things is, only 3 of the 5 Canadian teams remaining are left to vie for the Cup. Vancouver, Montreal and Calgary are Canada's group of teams trying to win it and unfortunately the last two may not last long enough. Calgary has been playing with a short roster due to injuries and going into the playoffs under those circumstances might result in a tired team. Many have thought that Kiprusoff may be burning out from the heavy workload he's gotten this season and a tired goalie going into the post season might result in an early exit. The lack of production from Cammalleri is also goaless is seven games. Some of Calgary's players are simply not going into the post season hot. Now optimists might say that this is good. They go in and they break out of their slump in round one and ride their momentum all the way. Others will say that this is a recipe for a quick exit.
Montreal has also been hitting a rough patch and on a slide. They've essentially backed into their playoff berth out of what many will say is a lot of luck. In the last few games, it seems like every loss they take was matched with a loss by the Panthers. Going to overtime against Boston and losing wasn't a winners way of gettting into post season. The miraculous return of Mathieu Schneider was one thing but missing Markov might be a detriment. Losing your leading scorer is a big problem for any team and Montreal is no different. With Boston or Washington being their two potential opponents, Montreal is in tough. Boston has a very strong team. They have two very offensive defenceman in Wideman and Chara. They're big up front with some very skilled players who will have no problem putting the puck into the net and roughing up the Habs. Washington may have their goaltending to worry about bu Jose Theodore looked like hewas salvaging his career at the end of last season. if he can find that magic once again he might just backstop Washington pretty deep. With Offensive heavy hitters in Ovechkin, Semin, Backstrom and Green, the Capitals have the potential of simply outscoring their opponents if they need to. And ovechkin's mean streak and hitting game is the exact type of game style any team wants from their players.
Vancouver's goaltending has shown it's shaping into form. Luongo is heating up as he goes into the post season and his injury might have been the rest he needs. The one thing that hangs is Mats Sundin. Will he return the form as the centre Vancouver was hoping for or will he continue on his mediocre pace? The team is hoping the big forward can show the physical strength and offensive prowess to help lead them deep into the playoffs. If Vancouver maintains their division lead, they'll likely play the Blue Jackets who will enter the post season for the first time. If Mason can continue his strong play, it'll be a great goaltending duel between the two teams.
Montreal has also been hitting a rough patch and on a slide. They've essentially backed into their playoff berth out of what many will say is a lot of luck. In the last few games, it seems like every loss they take was matched with a loss by the Panthers. Going to overtime against Boston and losing wasn't a winners way of gettting into post season. The miraculous return of Mathieu Schneider was one thing but missing Markov might be a detriment. Losing your leading scorer is a big problem for any team and Montreal is no different. With Boston or Washington being their two potential opponents, Montreal is in tough. Boston has a very strong team. They have two very offensive defenceman in Wideman and Chara. They're big up front with some very skilled players who will have no problem putting the puck into the net and roughing up the Habs. Washington may have their goaltending to worry about bu Jose Theodore looked like hewas salvaging his career at the end of last season. if he can find that magic once again he might just backstop Washington pretty deep. With Offensive heavy hitters in Ovechkin, Semin, Backstrom and Green, the Capitals have the potential of simply outscoring their opponents if they need to. And ovechkin's mean streak and hitting game is the exact type of game style any team wants from their players.
Vancouver's goaltending has shown it's shaping into form. Luongo is heating up as he goes into the post season and his injury might have been the rest he needs. The one thing that hangs is Mats Sundin. Will he return the form as the centre Vancouver was hoping for or will he continue on his mediocre pace? The team is hoping the big forward can show the physical strength and offensive prowess to help lead them deep into the playoffs. If Vancouver maintains their division lead, they'll likely play the Blue Jackets who will enter the post season for the first time. If Mason can continue his strong play, it'll be a great goaltending duel between the two teams.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Draft Picks
I've recently had, and likely will still be in, a great debate about the value of a draft pick. Now, the debate began upon discussion about the trade the Ottawa Senators made with the New York Islanders. The trade sent San Jose's 1st Round draft pick that they recieved in the Meszaros trade that brought Kuba and Picard to Ottawa. The debate sprung from that very draft pick. So what is the value of that draft pick? As the trade goes, the exchange was the draft pick for Chris Campoli. Now many people will dwell on the round that the pick was in. Agreed, a first round draft pick is still top 30 but the idea behind this is that Sanjose's pick will likely be in last 5 picks in that round where the likelyhood of the pick projected extremely well is low. Now that being said, there have been some great picks in the lower end of the first round:
1998: Cheechoo 29th overall
1999: Havlat 26th Overall
2000: Kronwall 29th overall
2001: Derek Roy 32nd overall
2003: Mike Richards 24th overall, Perry 28th overall, Erikson 33rd overall.
2004: Mike Green 29th overall
Now the reality is that this is a list of 8 players over 6 years who have become premier players. Now the issue that's argued is what is Campoli's worth? He had a great rookie year coming into the NHL with a weak Islanders team. He then didn't record the same amount of points he managed in his rookie year but given the team he was on, it wasn't all that unexpected. Now Chris Campoli has shown he has a lot of potential. In coming into Ottawa he has 4 Points in 6 Games and has nearly played at a point a game pace. He's shown some good mobility on the back end and a willingness to play a physical game. Is he better than the player Ottawa would have drafted with that pick? Maybe, maybe not. But the thing to remember is that Ottawa wants to be competitive and playoff bound next season and hopefully seasons afterwards. They can't exactly wait 3-4 years to see if a player will develop. They now get a player who can play in that 2, 3 or 4 slot on defence now and the future. Does that solve Ottawa's problems? Probably not but it goes a long way to fix their issues. Whether they were to develop a defeceman of the same calibre through the draft or trade for him, the fact remains they still adressed an issue.
1998: Cheechoo 29th overall
1999: Havlat 26th Overall
2000: Kronwall 29th overall
2001: Derek Roy 32nd overall
2003: Mike Richards 24th overall, Perry 28th overall, Erikson 33rd overall.
2004: Mike Green 29th overall
Now the reality is that this is a list of 8 players over 6 years who have become premier players. Now the issue that's argued is what is Campoli's worth? He had a great rookie year coming into the NHL with a weak Islanders team. He then didn't record the same amount of points he managed in his rookie year but given the team he was on, it wasn't all that unexpected. Now Chris Campoli has shown he has a lot of potential. In coming into Ottawa he has 4 Points in 6 Games and has nearly played at a point a game pace. He's shown some good mobility on the back end and a willingness to play a physical game. Is he better than the player Ottawa would have drafted with that pick? Maybe, maybe not. But the thing to remember is that Ottawa wants to be competitive and playoff bound next season and hopefully seasons afterwards. They can't exactly wait 3-4 years to see if a player will develop. They now get a player who can play in that 2, 3 or 4 slot on defence now and the future. Does that solve Ottawa's problems? Probably not but it goes a long way to fix their issues. Whether they were to develop a defeceman of the same calibre through the draft or trade for him, the fact remains they still adressed an issue.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Trades
The trade deadline has come and gone and we're now left to wonder how the deals made will impact on their respective teams. With a trade count lower than it has been the past couple of years, it seems with fear the cap might go down in coming seasons, GM's are less inclined to move players around. You can also chalk it up to the fact that teams are now showing the parity the Cap was supposed to bring. With standings out West being as close as they are, it's understandable that some deals just weren't worth the risk.
The 'winner' of the deadline in my eyes are the Calgary Flames. Acquiring Olli Jokinen and reacquiring D-man Jordan Leopold gives them more depth and a lot more scoring power. Jokinen, on line with Cammalleri and Iginla will certainly be a line to reckon with. Once the Flames get the likes of Langkow, Bourque and Giordano back, you can be sure that they'll have no lack of secondary scoring to push them into the playoffs. I beleive now the Flames can be mentioned in the category as the Sharks and the Wings.
On the homefront, Ottawa made a potentialy lucrative deal. Granted, they lost a skilled and useful forward in Antoine Vermette but the acquisition of Pascal Leclaire should go far in finally solidifying Ottawa's goaltending needs. The drawback may be the fact that the often injured goalie may not be game ready when the important times arise. Despite this, this gives Ottawa a good chance to let Elliot develop slowly given his recent struggles. Gaining a second round drasft pick might also help to replenish Ottawa's dwindling farm.
Surprisingly the Montreal Canadiens made no moves at all. Seemingly happy with the acquisition of Mathieu Schneider, Bob Gainey made no changes to his roster. This seems surprising despite his team's recent strugles. We'll have to see if this decision will hurt the team or not. Given the recent play of Carey Price and the team's struggles after losing a clear scoring centre in Lang, the team might fall out of the playoffs.
The lack of big blockbuster deal and a lot of minor trades, it's really hard to comment on them all. Needless to say, with minor players going back and forth, it's truly hard to tell how well they will pan out. a team like Toronto will have to look at the draft and the next couple of years to truly know how their trades worked out.
The 'winner' of the deadline in my eyes are the Calgary Flames. Acquiring Olli Jokinen and reacquiring D-man Jordan Leopold gives them more depth and a lot more scoring power. Jokinen, on line with Cammalleri and Iginla will certainly be a line to reckon with. Once the Flames get the likes of Langkow, Bourque and Giordano back, you can be sure that they'll have no lack of secondary scoring to push them into the playoffs. I beleive now the Flames can be mentioned in the category as the Sharks and the Wings.
On the homefront, Ottawa made a potentialy lucrative deal. Granted, they lost a skilled and useful forward in Antoine Vermette but the acquisition of Pascal Leclaire should go far in finally solidifying Ottawa's goaltending needs. The drawback may be the fact that the often injured goalie may not be game ready when the important times arise. Despite this, this gives Ottawa a good chance to let Elliot develop slowly given his recent struggles. Gaining a second round drasft pick might also help to replenish Ottawa's dwindling farm.
Surprisingly the Montreal Canadiens made no moves at all. Seemingly happy with the acquisition of Mathieu Schneider, Bob Gainey made no changes to his roster. This seems surprising despite his team's recent strugles. We'll have to see if this decision will hurt the team or not. Given the recent play of Carey Price and the team's struggles after losing a clear scoring centre in Lang, the team might fall out of the playoffs.
The lack of big blockbuster deal and a lot of minor trades, it's really hard to comment on them all. Needless to say, with minor players going back and forth, it's truly hard to tell how well they will pan out. a team like Toronto will have to look at the draft and the next couple of years to truly know how their trades worked out.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Habs to deal Kovalev?
It's surprising to hear but it's almost the only scenario that can be seen happening in Montreal. Though there haven't been any recent trade talks involving Kovalev's name, Gm Bob Gainey's decision to tell Kovalev to stay home during the Canadiens' current road trip is hardly a vote of confidence to the enigmatic Russian. Arguably one of the most skilled players, if not the most skilled, in the league, Kovalev has been known as a lazy player. Often called a dog, Kovalev has shown flashes of greatness and flashes of selfishness. Such duality no more apparent then when Montreal played Boston in the playoffs when he simply quit on a play after being tapped by a stick, attempting to draw a penalty. Montreal ended up losing that game giving Boston a 3-1 lead in the series. Kovalev then lead the way for the Habs to make a comeback. But what now for Montreal's most skilled player? Told to stay home, his recent play has been abysmal. It's hard to think he'll be welcomed back into the dressing room when the GM pretty much says the teams better without it's best player. An upcoming UFA, Kovalev will likely be looking for a new team come July 1st whether the Habs deal him or keep him at the deadline. Montreal is currently in a tailspin and dealing Kovalev, if they can find a buyer, might gain good prospect or a draft pick or two. Considering Mathieu Schneider yielded a couple of picks, Kovalev just might get Montreal a decent package coming back from a team secured in the playoffs looking to sure up their offense.
Monday, February 2, 2009
And Another Bites The Dust
At what point does management look at a team and wonder how much responsibility his coach has for his team’s struggles. Coach Craig Hartsburg of the Ottawa Senators was fired Sunday following the Senators 7-4 loss to the Washington Capitals and is to be repalced by Cory Clouston of the Senators' AHL affiliate. With timing similar to that of John Paddock’s firing last year, the question now comes down to: What now? The Senators have gone through two coaches in two seasons, both only lasting a few games after the All-Star Break. At some point the blame has to shift from the man behind the bench to the man overseeing the whole team as a whole. But the question then becomes: what is Bryan Murray to do? The problem the Senators now face is that they appear to be coach killers. Craig Hartsburg was brought in to bring accountability and discipline, something the team lacked last year. But even his ways have shown that there’s more to this teams problems than even he can solve. The team desperately needs a puck moving defenseman and a list of underachieving players has hampered this team’s ability to perform even close to par. So now the fact that the team is lacking pieces falls to Brian Murray.
Now many fans have been placing the blame of losing Zdeno Chara on Murray but let’s clear the air on that. Brian Murray had nothing to do with the Hossa, DeVries trade for Dany Heatley and he had nothing to do with the signing of Redden over Chara. I’ve also heard a lot of fans criticizing Murray’s signing of Heatley, Spezza and Alfredsson to such high dollar values for such a long period. I’m inclined to disagree with this due to the fact that prior to last season, many fans would applaud such signings. Heatley was signed to 7.5 Million dollars and is under contract for the next 4 seasons. The same goes for Spezza at 7 million and Alfredsson for 4.4 Million. Each of these players are the driving force for Ottawa’s offence and certainly merit the salary. Heatley was coming off two back-to-back 50 goal seasons and Spezza and Alfredsson have both had 85+ Point seasons. It’s hard to argue the signings of the teams big guns but the signing of Mike Fisher to what is effectively a 4.2Million dollar contract is simply too much for a 20 Goal Scorer is simply too much. Arguably, Fisher brings a lot of grit and physical presence to a team in the playoffs but his low scoring production is not with 4.2Million Dollars. Antoine Vermette is also making around 2.7Million to bring the same production as Fisher. His physical play may not be as determined or as effective as Fisher’s but, once again, his production hardly merits such a high salary. Between Vermette and Chris Kelly, there’s nearly 5 Million dollars in Cap space for about 35 Goals and excellent penalty killing. The issue is that Dean McAmmond is making 0.885Million Dollars a year and is just as reliable defensively.
After two coaching changes in as many years, the next one out might be Bryan Murray. Though some of his signings have been good, others have committed the team to contracts that are simply too great for players who do not produce enough and have handcuffed the team financially. This team is looking for answers and unfortunately, may not have the means to do so financially. I would look to lose some of the bigger contracts at the deadline. A Mike Fisher just might attract a playoff bound team looking for some extra grit and a physical force to bring into the post season. A few draft picks or maybe a prospect or two may not be enough to turn this team around, but it just might be the start to get the ball rolling and a shake-up to the team.
Now many fans have been placing the blame of losing Zdeno Chara on Murray but let’s clear the air on that. Brian Murray had nothing to do with the Hossa, DeVries trade for Dany Heatley and he had nothing to do with the signing of Redden over Chara. I’ve also heard a lot of fans criticizing Murray’s signing of Heatley, Spezza and Alfredsson to such high dollar values for such a long period. I’m inclined to disagree with this due to the fact that prior to last season, many fans would applaud such signings. Heatley was signed to 7.5 Million dollars and is under contract for the next 4 seasons. The same goes for Spezza at 7 million and Alfredsson for 4.4 Million. Each of these players are the driving force for Ottawa’s offence and certainly merit the salary. Heatley was coming off two back-to-back 50 goal seasons and Spezza and Alfredsson have both had 85+ Point seasons. It’s hard to argue the signings of the teams big guns but the signing of Mike Fisher to what is effectively a 4.2Million dollar contract is simply too much for a 20 Goal Scorer is simply too much. Arguably, Fisher brings a lot of grit and physical presence to a team in the playoffs but his low scoring production is not with 4.2Million Dollars. Antoine Vermette is also making around 2.7Million to bring the same production as Fisher. His physical play may not be as determined or as effective as Fisher’s but, once again, his production hardly merits such a high salary. Between Vermette and Chris Kelly, there’s nearly 5 Million dollars in Cap space for about 35 Goals and excellent penalty killing. The issue is that Dean McAmmond is making 0.885Million Dollars a year and is just as reliable defensively.
After two coaching changes in as many years, the next one out might be Bryan Murray. Though some of his signings have been good, others have committed the team to contracts that are simply too great for players who do not produce enough and have handcuffed the team financially. This team is looking for answers and unfortunately, may not have the means to do so financially. I would look to lose some of the bigger contracts at the deadline. A Mike Fisher just might attract a playoff bound team looking for some extra grit and a physical force to bring into the post season. A few draft picks or maybe a prospect or two may not be enough to turn this team around, but it just might be the start to get the ball rolling and a shake-up to the team.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
All-Star Breakaway Farce?
So the All-Star game's skills competition has come to a close and it left me with a bitter/sweet feeling. Overall I'd say that the event itself was pretty successful. I will admit to skipping out on the Youngstars game, but the skills competitions is what really gets me watching. The fastest skater competition returned to its normal lap around rink which was a good decision on the league's part. last years straightaway didn't really give me much of a feel for who the fastest skater was. The whipping around the corners is what really shows who's the faster skater. The hardest shot and most accurate shots are always staples in the competition and as usual provided their normal levels of entertainment. The big shock waws Shea Weber, who's slowly making more of a name for himself around the league, in the fact that he was second in the Hardest Shot competition. Zdeno Chara is hard to bet against seeing how, on leverage alone, he holds a huge advantage over the other players. Evgeni Malkin, known for not only his scoring ability but his sudden surge in playmaking, showed why he's a dangerous player with the puck on his stick by going 4 for 4 in the accuracy challenge. A surprise for this Senators fan was seeing Dany Heatley show off his accuracy. hearing him go 3 for 8 in Ottawa's Sens Skills showcase definitely left room for doubting the sniper. Going 4 for 4 as well, it makes you wonder why he doesn't wrist the puck more instead of his trademark huge wind up but that's a discussion for another day. If it seems like I'm avoiding the whole breakaway challenge it's because I am. The whole event seemed....Hokey. Aside from making the players look bad in the way that they almost failed every attempt, news of the random goalie being brought in to basically make a fool of himself was definitely not a smart move on the league. It's tough being the goalie in the competition. Stop the puck and you're almost boo'ed because you did your job; let it in and you look like a fool because you probably let in the most gimmicky goal in your life. I understand that goalies would prefer not to look like the jerks in such a competition but to bring in a junior goalie and tell him not to stop the puck seems a little stupid in my honest opinion. Sadly, in attempting to not save the puck, the players hit him so many times you'd think he was doing it on purpose. You almost feel bad for the players. Here they are trying to make this dazzling move and the goalie stands there like his a cardboard cut-out. If the goalie doesn't move, it kind of makes it hard to really make a move worth watching because the guy in front of you ins't moving in a manner that fits a goalie. No offense to Patrick Kane and Steven Stamkos but the whole slide on your belly and pass the puck from your glove to stick shaft and in isn't all that impressive to me. The highlights for me were Martin St. Louis' fake lacross move and Ryan Getzlaf's around the net lacross flick. Kudos to Ovechkin for the whole hat and glasses gimmick. At least there's someone who knew he was going to make a fool of himself in the competition and ran with it. But of all the competitions, the Elimination Shootout was the best for me. This is exactly what the Breakaway Challenge should have been. It was game related and showed off some of the skills the league's All-Stars and gave some real entertainment (Marc Savard's freebie by Tim Thomas aside). Seeing some of the stars dangle is the type of skill I want to see. A suggestion to the league for next year: Either remove the Breakaway Challenge or take a real hard look at what you're doing for it. If the Breakaway Challenge is to remain, the rules should be the player has to make a deke, no straight shot. You get three attempts in rounds and there's a goalie who's actually going to move in the net. Oh wait, that sounds awfully alot like the Elimination Breakaway minus the dekeing rule...Moral of the story, in its second year, it was a bust...Again.
Friday, January 23, 2009
All-Star Suspensions!?!?!?!!
You've got to feel sorry for Nicklas Lindstrom, and Pavel Datsyuk. Here are two players, deemed stars in their league and the one chance they have to have a break, they are told they are to play in the All-Star Game. Granted, the idea of being selected is a huge honour (at least to a certain degree) and it's an event that should be taken part in with pride. The downside, however, is the fact that players lose that weekend break to be with family. As much as it's great to be a kid going to the game, I'm sure some families would prefer a little time away from the rink. Lindstrom, a 10 time All-Star (9 straight, this weekend would have been his 10th), decided to drop out of the festivities. This, like Datsyuk, will force him to miss the first game back from the break. Why? Because the League deemed it necessary to force players to take part in the game and events, to ensure that the fans get their money's worth. The rule now states that if you do not miss the game before and the game after due to injury, you have no reason to pull out of the All-Star Events. The exception to this rule, at least this year, is Sydney Crosby. Crosby is out with a knee injury and has an MRI to support his decision not to play but he also agreed to show up to the off ice responsibilities. But what of the other players who might have minor injuries? If you tweak your ankle, you might be inclined to play a regular season game and play through the discomfort for the good of the team. But play in a game that's really just for show? Why risk more damage? And what about spending time with family? That should always be considered important. I'm not going to get into how much of a joke the selection process is or how the games have sort of lost their flair but I will say this: It's not worth further injury. And really, Does Nicklas Lindstrom need a 10th appearance to confirm his All-Star Status? I'm sure he can look to his list of Norris Trophies if there's real doubt.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Enough's Enough
What is up with all these mid season returns to the NHL. The ridiculous saga with Mats Sundin seems to be a following trend of players returning midseason to the NHL. Starting with Scott Neidermeyer last year, the NHL has seemed to spawn this ungoing trend of players returning well into the season giving their repsective teams a fresh player going into the playoffs. Now it's not like I'm saying a player should ever return from retirement but to a certain extent it becomes more of a farce. Mats Sundin's return was anticipated all year. Every couple of days there was a report on what he was doing, what teams were interested in him. Teams around the league were constantly trying to get him to sign with them. What of the players on that team? I know it's been discussed before but really how would they feel? Personally, I know that if I went through the training camp, fought for my job, and was suddenly given less ice time or scratched because an outsider decided to show up I'd be pretty upset. And how does Vancouver ownership feel about his return? They're now 1-4-1 with mats Sundin in the line-up. Agreed that it does coincide with Roberto Luongo's injury but in two of those losses, he's been in the box for the game winning goal. To me that's not much of a positive addition. Honestly, I think the NHL should stop players from returning half way into the season. If after 20 Games you haven't made a decision, then you're not going to play this season.
So now Claude Lemieux returns to the NHL at 43 years old. After a five and a half year absence he returns to the NHl with the San Jose Sharks. The question is will this be an effective call up from the minors or will he be a bust. He'll have to play a few games before judgement is passed but at 43 years old, can his body take the physical play the western conference is attributed with? And can he still play that agitating role given that he'll be the target of a lot of frustration as a pest. Time will tell and right now San Jose would certainly like a good 4th line they can throw out to get under other teams skin.
So now Claude Lemieux returns to the NHL at 43 years old. After a five and a half year absence he returns to the NHl with the San Jose Sharks. The question is will this be an effective call up from the minors or will he be a bust. He'll have to play a few games before judgement is passed but at 43 years old, can his body take the physical play the western conference is attributed with? And can he still play that agitating role given that he'll be the target of a lot of frustration as a pest. Time will tell and right now San Jose would certainly like a good 4th line they can throw out to get under other teams skin.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Hmmm.....
So Martin Gerber has been assigned to Binghamton, Ottawa's AHL affiliate, on a two week conditioning stint. Some might say it's a conditioning stint to get him conditioned for his new life in the Minors. The surprise, however, is the sudden outburst by the Senators. Winning two games in a row now, they've managed to suddenly find their offensive touch once again. The question remains though: Are the Senators turning their fortunes around or is it just the blind dog getting a bone? The answer is likely the latter. Some might say that the Senators are finally getting the goaltending they needed to play with confidence. I beg to differ. Looking back at the beginning of the year, Alex Auld was playing so well many were thinking of giving him the MVP based on his play. Ottawa was still sinking in the standings and Auld was certainly not to blame. Despite playing 11 games straight, his record was hardly a winning one but his stats were certainly impressive given his teams play. So what does this mean for Brian Elliot? The jury’s still out on the young rookie. Drafted second last in his draft year, he was hardly touted as the next great goalie for any team. But that same year, Canadiens goaltender Jaroslav Halak was also drafted in the 9th round back in 2003 and he’s providing some decent backup goaltending for Les Habs. As it always has been, drafting goalies reveals itself to be a crapshoot. Personally, as a Sens fan, I'd rather see the Senators fall in the standings and get a decent pick in the draft. As much as it pains me to watch my favourite team lose, I can also look at the team and say they don't have what it takes to go that far. If the Senators win tomorrow night against Montreal, many followers will suddenly start believing in the team. There will, of course, be nay-sayers and I can't help but stick to the skeptics. The team still as the same missing pieces that they've had since the beginning of the year. The team is still lacking that puck moving defenceman and unless Brendan Bell or Alexandre Picard suddenly turn into one over night, their developpment will certainly take a little more time and Erik Karlsson is still another season away at the very least. All in all, the Senators still need help beyond the goaltending that Brian Elliot is giving. As the Leafs have shown in the past few years, consistent 10th or 11th place finishes is not only disappointing but a vicious circle that gets teams stuck in mediocrity for multiple seasons.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
NHL Halfway Mark
So the NHL has finally hit the halfway point and all the teams have now had a good look as to what their team has and what it needs. The trade deadline is the next mark to hit and teams have definitely made decisions on what's needed. Just like the free agency period, mobile offensive defencemen have always been a need. Tampa Bay is the biggest example of the lack of a decent defenceman. Dan Boyle aside, defence has always been the major issue for the Lightning.
Looking back, Tampa Bay management might have wanted to reconsider their drafting of Steven Stamkos first overall in the draft. 5 other defencemen were drafted in the top 10, Drew Doughty and Luke Schenn (Before his injury) are both playing considerable roles on their respective teams. The need for an offensive defenceman has been shown to be a heavily needed. The template for this team formula is Detroit. Rafalski, Lindstrom are both strong offensive Defencemen. Even Wade Redden was given a 6million dollar contract over 6 years. Although he's been on the decline in recent years, the need for such a defenceman in New York was obvious. Tamps Bay is now one of the last teams in the league and is a good shot to be either first or second in the draft. Given first, I can hardly see them make the same mistake and pick Tavares over Hedman. It can be argued that Hedman didn't look strong in the World Juniors but many say he was injured. Healthy or not, Hedman's stock has dropped from his performance. Some should take solace in the fact he showed a feistier side by sticking up for his goalie. Regardless of Hedman's current stock value, he is a "puckmoving" defenceman and will be highly coveted by anyone who picks him. Should Tampa pick up Tavares they'll likely end up in the same spot they are this year.
On the topic of the Lightning, the rumour of Lacavalier being moved is a big one. Stamkos is a centre who, despite being so highly touted, hasn't shown the offensive skill he was expected to have. The same result may very well fall on Tavares. Tavares has been labelled as Crosby without the skating ability. In today's NHL, the need for speed is paramount. No matter how skilled you are, if every player can catch up on you, you're not going to go far. If Lacavalier is traded, Tampa will indeed need a number one centre and Tavares or Stamkos will certainly be needed.
The main issue though, is the dysfunction shown in Tampa. The fiasco with Dan Boyle was not only cold hearted, but flat out disloyal. To consistently tell someone they're the centre of the team's defence and turn around and force them to waive their no-trade clause is a huge slap in the face. History is almost bound to repeat with Lecavalier. He now has a long term contract that was to make him a Lightning player for the rest of his career. He's the captain of that team and now rumours swirl about him being traded. As the saying goes, where there's smoke there's fire and right now, there's a whole lot of smoke. Based on the aforementioned Boyle situation, Tampa's denial of a trade offer is hardly anything to take seriously.
Speaking of trade rumours, reports say that the offer Montreal is making is Higgins, Plekanec, Gorges and a 1st round draft pick. Montreal would certainly love to bring in the skilled centre, bringing him home to Montreal. The issue is what they're going to do after the season. Lacavalier is making 8million a year for the next decade and Montreal has currently 11 players up for free agency in the off season. However, unlike most teams, they have Markov locked up for the next 3 years. This ensures that they continueto have their puck-moving defenceman. Following this recurring theme, Tampa lacks such a defenceman and the question remains, what does this trade do to ensure that they get the needed player? The answer is nothing. Josh Gorges is not an offensive player and Montreal's record will certainly keep them from having a high draft pick. As a result, aside from a couple of offensive players, there's nothing else to improve the Lightning. Rumour or not, Montreal will need a better offer unless Tampa Pulls pulls the trigger on the deal just to make a splash.
Following in Tampa's broken template is the Ottawa Senators. Ottawa's struggles have been lingering since last season. Despite their blazing start, the team has lacked consistency and the ability to play the full 60 minutes of a game. The only solace Sens fans have is the rising stock of Erik Karlsson, the first round pick from last year. Karlsson looked good on te smaller ice but he'll likely need a year in the AHL just to get used to the North American style. The Senators will still need a puck moving defenceman next season. Currently, their struggles have left them near the bottom and now they are close to getting a good pick in the draft. The draft would best work for them should they pick Hedman. Just like Tampa, the need for such a player is paramount for Ottawa. The loss of Joe Corvo was the last mobile defenceman Ottawa had following Redden's decline in stature. The acquisition of Brendanbell has not resulted in the dessired way and Ottawa's defence is being forced to play out of character. The team needs a shakeup and players like Mike Fisher and Antoine Vermette will need to step up or be dealt.
Fisher is an interesting case. He's dubbed more of a third line centre and potentially the best third line centre in the league. That said, a 5million dollar contract for a third line player is definitely not a workable contract. Despite being a fan favourite, his 20-game goaless droughts are unacceptable on a team that heavily lacks secondary scoring. It is understandable that Ottawa needed to keep core players but the heavily inflated contracts given to third line players is a binding problem that sadly won't be resolved until either the contracts end or a player is dealt. Word is that the oilers have been interested in Mike Fisher. Ottawa's window has closed and the need to rebuild is evident. Fisher's value could be potentially high and Bryan Murray could get back a draft pick or maybe a prospect. The Oilers are looking for grit and with luck Sam Gagner, who's experiencing his sophomore jinx, may be part of a deal to Ottawa.
Another player being called out is Jason Spezza. The issue with this is that his value is low. To trade away the team's number 1 centre with little hope of such a player in return is hardly something Fans in Ottawa, let alone ownership would allow to occur. Ottawa needs to make a trade to change the room, if not to dump salary.
Looking back, Tampa Bay management might have wanted to reconsider their drafting of Steven Stamkos first overall in the draft. 5 other defencemen were drafted in the top 10, Drew Doughty and Luke Schenn (Before his injury) are both playing considerable roles on their respective teams. The need for an offensive defenceman has been shown to be a heavily needed. The template for this team formula is Detroit. Rafalski, Lindstrom are both strong offensive Defencemen. Even Wade Redden was given a 6million dollar contract over 6 years. Although he's been on the decline in recent years, the need for such a defenceman in New York was obvious. Tamps Bay is now one of the last teams in the league and is a good shot to be either first or second in the draft. Given first, I can hardly see them make the same mistake and pick Tavares over Hedman. It can be argued that Hedman didn't look strong in the World Juniors but many say he was injured. Healthy or not, Hedman's stock has dropped from his performance. Some should take solace in the fact he showed a feistier side by sticking up for his goalie. Regardless of Hedman's current stock value, he is a "puckmoving" defenceman and will be highly coveted by anyone who picks him. Should Tampa pick up Tavares they'll likely end up in the same spot they are this year.
On the topic of the Lightning, the rumour of Lacavalier being moved is a big one. Stamkos is a centre who, despite being so highly touted, hasn't shown the offensive skill he was expected to have. The same result may very well fall on Tavares. Tavares has been labelled as Crosby without the skating ability. In today's NHL, the need for speed is paramount. No matter how skilled you are, if every player can catch up on you, you're not going to go far. If Lacavalier is traded, Tampa will indeed need a number one centre and Tavares or Stamkos will certainly be needed.
The main issue though, is the dysfunction shown in Tampa. The fiasco with Dan Boyle was not only cold hearted, but flat out disloyal. To consistently tell someone they're the centre of the team's defence and turn around and force them to waive their no-trade clause is a huge slap in the face. History is almost bound to repeat with Lecavalier. He now has a long term contract that was to make him a Lightning player for the rest of his career. He's the captain of that team and now rumours swirl about him being traded. As the saying goes, where there's smoke there's fire and right now, there's a whole lot of smoke. Based on the aforementioned Boyle situation, Tampa's denial of a trade offer is hardly anything to take seriously.
Speaking of trade rumours, reports say that the offer Montreal is making is Higgins, Plekanec, Gorges and a 1st round draft pick. Montreal would certainly love to bring in the skilled centre, bringing him home to Montreal. The issue is what they're going to do after the season. Lacavalier is making 8million a year for the next decade and Montreal has currently 11 players up for free agency in the off season. However, unlike most teams, they have Markov locked up for the next 3 years. This ensures that they continueto have their puck-moving defenceman. Following this recurring theme, Tampa lacks such a defenceman and the question remains, what does this trade do to ensure that they get the needed player? The answer is nothing. Josh Gorges is not an offensive player and Montreal's record will certainly keep them from having a high draft pick. As a result, aside from a couple of offensive players, there's nothing else to improve the Lightning. Rumour or not, Montreal will need a better offer unless Tampa Pulls pulls the trigger on the deal just to make a splash.
Following in Tampa's broken template is the Ottawa Senators. Ottawa's struggles have been lingering since last season. Despite their blazing start, the team has lacked consistency and the ability to play the full 60 minutes of a game. The only solace Sens fans have is the rising stock of Erik Karlsson, the first round pick from last year. Karlsson looked good on te smaller ice but he'll likely need a year in the AHL just to get used to the North American style. The Senators will still need a puck moving defenceman next season. Currently, their struggles have left them near the bottom and now they are close to getting a good pick in the draft. The draft would best work for them should they pick Hedman. Just like Tampa, the need for such a player is paramount for Ottawa. The loss of Joe Corvo was the last mobile defenceman Ottawa had following Redden's decline in stature. The acquisition of Brendanbell has not resulted in the dessired way and Ottawa's defence is being forced to play out of character. The team needs a shakeup and players like Mike Fisher and Antoine Vermette will need to step up or be dealt.
Fisher is an interesting case. He's dubbed more of a third line centre and potentially the best third line centre in the league. That said, a 5million dollar contract for a third line player is definitely not a workable contract. Despite being a fan favourite, his 20-game goaless droughts are unacceptable on a team that heavily lacks secondary scoring. It is understandable that Ottawa needed to keep core players but the heavily inflated contracts given to third line players is a binding problem that sadly won't be resolved until either the contracts end or a player is dealt. Word is that the oilers have been interested in Mike Fisher. Ottawa's window has closed and the need to rebuild is evident. Fisher's value could be potentially high and Bryan Murray could get back a draft pick or maybe a prospect. The Oilers are looking for grit and with luck Sam Gagner, who's experiencing his sophomore jinx, may be part of a deal to Ottawa.
Another player being called out is Jason Spezza. The issue with this is that his value is low. To trade away the team's number 1 centre with little hope of such a player in return is hardly something Fans in Ottawa, let alone ownership would allow to occur. Ottawa needs to make a trade to change the room, if not to dump salary.
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