The day is finally here, 3 pm today is the deadline for trading in the NHL. Typically there is a flurry of moves just before the deadline, which gradual becomes know in the hours following 3pm. Whether or not this happens today remains to be seen, but we've seen a few deals, signings, and claims already in the past 24 hours, so hopefully there will be more to follow. I will be posting updates about transactions of the day as I become aware of them, as well as giving my analyses of the deals.
Anaheim receives W Brad Winchester from St. Louis for 2012 3rd-round pick. Winchester is a hard-working winger who will help out Anaheim with his defensive skills much more than his offensive. He will likely be a fourth-line winger.
Calgary receives W Fredrik Modin from Atlanta for 2011 7th-round pick. Kind of hard to lose on this one. Calgary has been on a tear lately and will likely make the playoffs. With the recent surge, Jay Feaster didn't want to touch the team's chemistry. He gave up only a 7th-round pick to take a risk on Modin, who will likely fill a depth role with the Flames, as well as bring some experience for a Cup run. An aging wing, he may have lost something off his booming slapshot, which has contributed to his drop-off in goal production over the last few years. But Modin is still a decent thrid or fourth liner, who has a Cup victory under his belt (AGAINST the Flames).
Washington acquires C Jason Arnott from New Jersey for C David Steckel and 2nd-round pick. After a lot of talk, Washington has finally landed that second line center they so desperately needed. The 36-year-old Arnott is a strong two-way center, who can score goals and help on in his own zone as well. He has a ton of experience which helps a very young and inexperienced Capitals team. He has 30 goals and 66 points in 106 playoff games, which will be valuable to a team who has struggled in the postseason. Steckel is a decent depth centerman who will hope to contribute defensively for an insanely hot New Jersey team.
Montreal receives G Drew MacIntyre from Atlanta for D Brett Festerling. Festerling is still a young defenseman at age 24, but at most will bring some depth to Atlanta's D.
Vancouver receives C Max Lapierre and F MacGregor Sharp from Anaheim for F Joel Perrault and 3rd-round pick.With his third team this season, Lapierre will also fill a depth role for the powerful Canucks. He is a solid fourth-liner, who can put a few pucks in the net and is skilled as a pest as well. Perrault could see some time as a fourth line center in Anaheim.
Vancouver receives W Chris Higgins from Florida for F Evan Oberg and 3rd-round pick. Higgins has just landed with his fifth team in the past 3 seasons, but was a 20-goal scorer for the three seasons before that. In 48 games this year who has 11 goals, and most impressively, was a +5 for one of the weakest defensive teams in the league. He is a solid contributer in the right situation and should be valuable in a depth role for the league-leading Canucks.
New York Rangers receive C John Mitchell and 2012 7th-round pick from Toronto for 7th-round pick. Mitchell has seen limited playing tim this season for the lackluster Maple Leafs. Still, he scored a respectable 12 goals two years ago in his rookie season, and if he doesn't crack the lineup in New York, he should at least be a solid addition to the Hartford Wolf Pack.
Los Angeles acquires W Dustin Penner from Edmonton for D Colten Teubert, 2011 1st round pick, and conditional 2012 3rd-round pick. This is likely the biggest catch of the day. The price was huge, but the payoff could prove Cup worthy for the Kings. Part of the tightly-packed and surging Pacific Division, the Kings have been playing well, and are adding a very talented scorer to an already formidable offense. Penner has 21 goals this year, and had 32 last year, with an umipressive supporting cast in Edmonton. He now joins a lineup that boasts Anze Kopitar, Justin Williams, Dustin Brown, and Ryan Smyth, all of whom have exactly 20 goals, plus Jarret Stoll who is not far behind with 17. That means the Kings will likely end the season with six 20-goal scorers. When every player on your top two lines scored twenty goals in a season, opposing goalies need to be at the top of their game to compete. The top two lines would likely be Kopitar centering Penner and Brown, with Stoll centering Smyth and Williams. That's a scary lineup. Meanwhile, Edmonton continues to stockpile young talent. They receive Colten Teubert, a 20-year-old blueliner, who was the 13th overall pick in 2008, plus an additional 1st-round pick in this years draft to add onto their already likely second consecutive 1st overall pick.
Carolina receives D Bryan Allen from Florida for W Sergei Samsonov. With the loss of Ian White, Allen should fill in nicely as a defensive defenseman for Carolina. Once a solid, mid 20's goal-scorer, the now 32-year-old has never quite lived up to his Rookie of the Year potential and has seen his production drop off massively since leaving the Bruins. Now with his 6th team since the lockout, Samsonov will look to bounce back with a young team hungry for goals.
Chicago receives D Chris Campoli and conditional 7th-round pick from Ottawa for F Ryan Potulny and conditional 2011 2nd-round pick. Chicago was looking for a penalty killing, 3rd-pair defenseman. I'm not sure if he fits the role of a penalty killer, but Campoli is definitely a solid 3rd pair D, who can contribute decent offensive numbers as well. Potulny hasn't had much NHL action, but did score 15 goals in 64 games for Edmonton last year. He should see some playing time in Ottawa, who's lineup with the recent fire sale is looking more like the Binghamton Senators every day.
Columbus receives W Scottie Upshall and D Sami Lepisto from Phoenix for D Rostislav Klesla and F Dane Byers. Columbus is on a hot streak, but still might not make the playoffs. They wanted to add some talent, without giving up any overly important cogs. Klesla was the longest-tenured Jacket, and has had a solid season. He will bring some defensive depth the hot Coyotes. The Coyotes, who are not overly offensively talented, gave up a lot offensively. On ateam that's been scoring by committee, Upshall has 16 goals, and should bring solid third-line numbers to Columbus. Lepisto's numbers are similar to Klesla's so the trade-off is about even for Klesla's spot on the roster. I'd say the Blue Jackets are the clear winners on this deal.
Washington receives D Dennis Wideman from Florida for F Jake Hauswirth and 2011 3rd-round pick. Florida continues their fire sale by shipping off Wideman, who was acquired over the summer with picks for Nathan Horton and Greg Campbell, to Washington, who was looking for some stability on the back end. Wideman is a solid offensive defenseman who should couple nicely with scoring machine Mike Green, but Washington still needs a second line center and some defensive talent.
Buffalo receives W Brad Boyes from St. Louis for 2011 2nd-round pick. Buffalo is looking for something to push them over the edge and make them a playoff team. Brad Boyes played all 82 games in the 3 seasons for St. Louis. He scored 43 goals. Then 33. Then 14. The Sabres are hoping a change of scenery will return Boyes to his 40-goal form.
Atlanta receives W Radek Dvorak and 2011 5th-round pick from Florida for W Niclas Bergfors and W Patrick Rissmiller. Save one random offensive explosion where he scored 31 goals for the Rangers in 2000-01, Dvorak had another 20-goal season in his 15 years in the league. Still, he can contribute decent offensive numbers and he brings a veteran presence to a young Thrashers team. Bergfors, 23, has plenty of time to reach his vast offensive potential with the rebuilding Panthers, which he proved last season with a 21-goal rookie campaign between the Devils and Thrashers.
Ottawa claims G Curtis McElhinney from Tampa Bay. McElhinney has had a crazy week. He started off in Anaheim, then had to leave and head South and all the way across the country to go to Tampa Bay. NOW he's headed way north to Ottawa. With newly acquired Craig Anderson playing well so far for the Sens, that puts McElhinney as the backup, as young Robin Lehner was just sent to the AHL.
Atlanta claims W Rob Schremp from New York Islanders. Schremp is a talented young winger, who may see a surge in offense in Atlanta. Extremely gifted with the puck, Schremp showed off his dangling skills a few years back in the AHL Skills Competition. After 3 seasons and only 7 games played with Edmonton, he was picked up by the Islanders last season, where he scored 7 goals and 25 points in 44 games. This season with the Isles, Schremp had 10 goals and 22 points in 45 games, but was a -19 when he was placed on waivers. He has the offensive potential, but with the struggling defensive game of the Thrashers right now, he needs to play better in his own end.
Calgary claims D Brett Carson from Carolina. After playing 54 games last season with Carolina, Carson has only seen action 13 times in this campaign. At age 25, he still has plenty of time to emerge as a decent top-4 defenseman, but for now, he will just fill a depth role with the surging Flames.
Atlanta signs D Mark Stuart to 3-year, $5.1 mil extension. Stuie saw limited playing time with the Bruins this season after getting injured. He joins his old Bruins assistant coach Craig Ramsey in Atlanta, and should thrive under his system. Despite recent injury woes, Stuart should bring some defensive stability to a more offensively talented defensive corps in Atlanta. He is tough as nails, will fight when he has to, and is a good shut-down guy when his game is on.
Detroit signs G Jimmy Howard to 2-year, $4.5 mil extension. Coming off an outstanding rookie season where he went 37-15-10 with a .926 save percentage and a 2.26 GAA in 63 games and was a nominee for the Calder Trophy, Howard has seen his numbers drop off in his sophomore season. But despite his .908 SV% and 2.79 GAA, he is leading the NHL with 30 wins. With a team like the Red WIngs around you, a goalie can get by without stellar numbers, but Howard has the capability of playing much, much better, which makes the Red WIngs a very scary opponent.
Los Angeles signs W Justin Williams to 4-year, $14.6 mil extension. Williams is a former 30-goal scorer and was a key chip in the Carolina Hurricanes Stanley Cup team a few years back. After having his last few seasons derailed by injury, Williams is having a comeback season, with 20 goals, 49 points, and is a +14 in 62 games with the Kings this season. He has played every game this season, a feat he hasn't come clos to since 2006-07. With his newfound health, the 29-year-old Williams should continue to cintribute offensively for the Kings fro the next few years.
Ottawa signs D Chris Phillips to 3-year, $9.5 mil extension. Considered one of the hottest items on the trade market, Chris Phillips opted to stay in Ottawa to help mentor the young players during the rebuilding process rather than accept a move to a contender. Phillips is a strong shut-down defenseman with great leadership and his presence should be beneficial for those younger players coming into the organization.
Chicago signs D Brent Seabrook to 5-year, $29 mil extension. The Blackhawks have had cap problems and are careful to keep a specific core of players. While the team falls apart around them, the hope is that these players will be a stable foundation for the team to build and rebuild around, and hopefully stay in contention, for the next few years. Seabrook is a talented young defenseman who was a key member of the Cup team last year, and should continue to make a big impact on the Chicago franchise.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
So They Claim
With the Trade Deadline now two days away, several teams have been clearing cap space by placing underperforming players on waivers. So far today, three players have been picked up by contending teams. Trades continue here and there as well.
New York Rangers receive D Bryan McCabe from Florida for W Tim Kennedy and 2011 3rd round pick. The Rangers are looking to turn their play around and keep hold of their current playoff position. With a young blue line led by Marc Staal, the Rangers pick up an aging puck-moving defenseman, who should help mentor the younger players. He was Florida's captain and will bring valuable leadership to the Blueshirts. Florida continues their mission of shipping off their veterans for young talent and prospects. Tim Kennedy had 10 goals and 26 points in his rookie season for the Sabres last year, along with 3 points in 6 playoff games. The Sabres declined to pick up his arbitration reward in the offseason and he was picked up for the Rangers, who kept him in the minors. He has some potential and should get a chance to play more in the young Florida system.
Columbus claims D Criag Rivet from Buffalo. This could be a brilliant move for a resurgent Columbus squad. Still pushing for their first playoff appearance ever, the Blue Jackets have been a roll lately, partly thanks to the explosive goal-scorer, including last night's hat trick, of call-up Max Calvert. With an unimpressive and young blue line, Columbus now brings in some great leadership and experience on the back end in the form of a fallen defenseman looking to redeem himself. In a bold move, Lindy Ruff sat his captain when the Sabres weren't playing well, and Rivet has been benched ever since. Rivet will be a solid contributer to the Blue Jackets, but they should still look for additional help.
Washington claims W Marco Sturm from Los Angeles. Still recovering from a devastating injury suffered in the playoffs last year with Boston, Marco Sturm still hasn't really found his game since returning to play with the Kings. If Sturm can return to form, he is a a proven 25-goal scorer, whose speed should fit in well with the Capitals system. They still need a dependable second line center, but Sturm is a gamble that could prove valuable.
Philadelphia claims D Nick Boynton from Chicago. After seeing little playing time for the Cup champs last year, Boynton has gotten more ice time this year, but the Blackhawks haven't been playing so well this year and shedding Boynton clears a small amount of cap space and leaves a spot open for younger developping D-men. The Blackhawks are looking for a shut-down defenseman who can play on the PK and this leaves some space to do that. The Flyers have one of the most solid defensive corps in the game, but with top defender Chris Pronger and seventh man Oskars Bartulis injured, Boynton will likely see some playing time with the remaining group of Braydon Coburn, Kimmo Timonen, Andrej Meszaros, Sean O'Donnell, and Matt Carle, and when Pronger returns, will be solid injury insurance for the playoffs. Boynton's play has been down over the last few years, but reuniting with former Bruins teammate Sean O'Donnell could help him find his game.
New York Rangers receive D Bryan McCabe from Florida for W Tim Kennedy and 2011 3rd round pick. The Rangers are looking to turn their play around and keep hold of their current playoff position. With a young blue line led by Marc Staal, the Rangers pick up an aging puck-moving defenseman, who should help mentor the younger players. He was Florida's captain and will bring valuable leadership to the Blueshirts. Florida continues their mission of shipping off their veterans for young talent and prospects. Tim Kennedy had 10 goals and 26 points in his rookie season for the Sabres last year, along with 3 points in 6 playoff games. The Sabres declined to pick up his arbitration reward in the offseason and he was picked up for the Rangers, who kept him in the minors. He has some potential and should get a chance to play more in the young Florida system.
Columbus claims D Criag Rivet from Buffalo. This could be a brilliant move for a resurgent Columbus squad. Still pushing for their first playoff appearance ever, the Blue Jackets have been a roll lately, partly thanks to the explosive goal-scorer, including last night's hat trick, of call-up Max Calvert. With an unimpressive and young blue line, Columbus now brings in some great leadership and experience on the back end in the form of a fallen defenseman looking to redeem himself. In a bold move, Lindy Ruff sat his captain when the Sabres weren't playing well, and Rivet has been benched ever since. Rivet will be a solid contributer to the Blue Jackets, but they should still look for additional help.
Washington claims W Marco Sturm from Los Angeles. Still recovering from a devastating injury suffered in the playoffs last year with Boston, Marco Sturm still hasn't really found his game since returning to play with the Kings. If Sturm can return to form, he is a a proven 25-goal scorer, whose speed should fit in well with the Capitals system. They still need a dependable second line center, but Sturm is a gamble that could prove valuable.
Philadelphia claims D Nick Boynton from Chicago. After seeing little playing time for the Cup champs last year, Boynton has gotten more ice time this year, but the Blackhawks haven't been playing so well this year and shedding Boynton clears a small amount of cap space and leaves a spot open for younger developping D-men. The Blackhawks are looking for a shut-down defenseman who can play on the PK and this leaves some space to do that. The Flyers have one of the most solid defensive corps in the game, but with top defender Chris Pronger and seventh man Oskars Bartulis injured, Boynton will likely see some playing time with the remaining group of Braydon Coburn, Kimmo Timonen, Andrej Meszaros, Sean O'Donnell, and Matt Carle, and when Pronger returns, will be solid injury insurance for the playoffs. Boynton's play has been down over the last few years, but reuniting with former Bruins teammate Sean O'Donnell could help him find his game.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Update Central
I will be using this post to analyze any trades that occur between now and Monday morning, so keep checking back for the latest updates!
Florida acquires D Alex Sulzer from NSH for 2012 7th-round pick. Neither side can really lose on this deal, Florida gets a still fairly young defenseman, who despite minimal playing time so far in the NHL could contribute to the rebuilding process for the Panthers, and in case he's a flop, they only gave up a 7th-round pick for him. Behind Shea Weber and Ryan Suter, Nashville's blue line isn't particularly impressive, and they will by looking in the next couple days to add a solid D-man for the postseason, which would leave Sulzer with less playing time. At age 26, Sulzer still has some potential, but is probably past the time where playing more in the minors would develop his game, so off he goes to Florida. Nashville got little in return for him, but you never know what surprising talent may be left in the 7th-round, though the chance of finding that in such a late round is very slim. There should be little significance to the acquisition of such a late round pick, but it is always fun to see the surprise finds that were passed up round after round by many teams. Notable 7th-round picks since 2000 include Jason Demers (SJS), Anders Lindback (NSH), Carl Gunnarsson (TOR), Derek Dorsett (CBJ), Benn Ferriero (SJS), Joe Vitale (PIT), Sergei Kostitsyn (MTL), Anton Stralman (TOR), Kyle Cumiskey (COL), Patric Hornqvist (NSH), Troy Brouwer (CHI), Matt Hunwick (BOS), Chris Campoli (NYI), Nathan Paetsch (BUF), Joe Pavelski (SJS), Kyle Brodziak (EDM), Jeremy Williams (TOR), Greg Mauldin (CBJ), Fredrik Norrena (TBL), Derek Meech (DET), Derek Boogaard (MIN), Cristobal Huet (LAK), David Moss (CGY), Johnny Oduya (WSH), Marek Svatos (COL), Henrik Lundqvist (NYR), Matt Lombardi (EDM), Paul Gaustad (BUF), and Antti Miettinen (DAL). Notable draftees since 2000 in rounds LATER than 7th when those rounds existed include Aaron Voros (8-NJD), Martin Gerber (8-ANA), Milan Jurcina (8-BOS), Max Talbot (8-PIT), Petr Prucha (8-NYR),Dennis Wideman (8-BUF), Tobias Enstrom (8-ATL), Dustin Byfiglien (8-CHI), Shane O'Brien (8-ANA), Brandon Yip (8-COL), Pekka Rinne (8-NSH), P.A. Parenteau (9-FLA), Adam Burish (9-CHI), Jonathan Ericsson (9-DET), Matt Moulson (9-PIT), Tanner Glass (9-FLA), Jaroslav Halak (9-MTL), David Jones (9-COL), Brian Elliott (9-OTT), Mark Streit (9-MTL), Daniel Winnik (9-PHX), and Jannik Hansen (9-VAN). Kudos to the Nashville scouts, in recent years in round 7 or later, they've picked up BOTH of the teams current goalies, Pekka Rinne and Anders Lindback, as well as talented goal-scorer Patric Hornqvist. We'll see in a few years if they pull of another pick like those at this year's draft.
Carolina acquires W Cory Stillman from Florida for C Ryan Carter and 2011 5th-round pick. After many years overflowing with veterans galore, the Canes have a fairly young team right now. The bringing back of Croy Stillman brings a familiar veteran presence to help guide the youngsters in their playoff push. He's up there now at 37, and is nowhere near the 25-goal scorer he used to be, but he is a solid player who won a Cup with them back in 2006 and should be welcomed back fondly by the few players still with the team from then. Carter brings little to the rebuilding panthers, but has a minimal cap hit and could be used as more potential trade bait for a team who is till looking to dump a lot of high-priced pending UFAs (like Stillman).
Atlanta acquires C Ben Maxwell and 2011 4th round pick from Montreal for D Brent Sopel and W Nigel Dawes. This should provide a little more oomf for the Habs. Nigel Dawes has played only nine NHL games this season, but has shown in the past that he can contribute a decent third or fourth line calibur offense, and franklly, the Canadiens offense has not been very impressive this season. They still need a big name goal-scorer if they want to make a Cup run, but Dawes provides some depth. Sopel has been tossed around the league for the past few years, but brings a solifd defensive game wherever he goes, and now can contribute some valuable experience, having won a Cup with Chicago last season. He should provide some help for a defense that has been derailed by injury this season, but now the Canadiens have some serious defensive depth adding Sopel to a solid existing group of Roman Hamrlik, Hal Gill, hard-hitting rookie sensation P.K. Subban, midseason acquisition James Wisniewski, Jaroslav Spacek, youngsters Yannick Weber and Alexandre Picard, and recent pickup Paul Mara. With this crew (and the return of Andrei Markov and Josh Gorges next season), the Canadiens have a wealth of defense that they may be able to use as bait to reel in that big scorer they're looking for up front. 22-year old Maxwell has 0 points in 20 NHL games over the past two years, but has solid AHL numbers, and has time to find his potential in the Thrashers organization. Atlanta also gives up very little for a prospect and a pick; Dawes played minimally this season and Sopel became expendable with the acquisition of Mark Stuart from Boston. Still, the Thrashers would like to add a veteran scorer to guide their struggling young team back into the playoffs, and some defensive help as well. Blueliners Johnny Oduya, Freddy Meyer, and Ron Hainsey could all be used as trade bait, as well as Zach Bogosian, whose youth and enormous potential could bring in a massive return.
Pittsburgh acquires W Alex Kovalev from Ottawa for 2011 conditional pick. Kovalev is old, has had a down couple of years since leaving Montreal for Ottawa, and only plays when he feels like it. But a return to his former team could be just what the doctor ordered. Still with some of the best hands in the league, Kovalev is a gifted goal-scorer when he is motivated enough, which he could be now that he leaves the worst team in the East for a potential contender. With their top players out for who knows how long, Kovalev could be a key cog for a rejuvinated offense that has also just added talented young scorer James Neal into the fold. Or he could be just as lazy as he has been in the past and the Penguins will continue to rely on their defense to scrape by. Either way the rissk is big but the price was minimal, and Ray Shero's aged veterans seem to pay off more than his huge scorers around the deadline. Just look how much more Bill Guerin did for them than did Marian Hossa.
Anaheim acquires G Dan Ellis from Tampa Bay for G Curtis McElhinney. Tampa Bay picked up Dan Ellis this offseason to round out a very questionable and streaky goaltending tandem with Mike Smith. Thanks to an extremely potent offense, Ellis's shaky numbers haven't been much of a problem for the Southeast leading Lightning, and with the mid-season steal of Dwayne Roloson, the Lightning seem set for a playoff push. Roloson is questionable himself at this age, but continues to show flashes of brilliance and is a very experienced goaltender. Anaheim has been looking for a solution in net these days, as All-Star Jonas Hiller's health has kept him off the ice. Curtis McElhinney has not played well filling in, prompting Anaheim to swap him for Ellis, to round out another extremely unreliable duo in Anaheim with recent signee/call-up Ray Emery. Still, Dan Ellis could be a huge asset if he can manage to find his once impressive form, the form that helped him go 23-10-3 with a .924 save percentage and a 2.34 goals against average for the Predators as a rookie in 2007-08. But for now, the Ducks should just hope that Hiller overcomes his dizziniess and fatigue, and soon.
Florida acquires D Alex Sulzer from NSH for 2012 7th-round pick. Neither side can really lose on this deal, Florida gets a still fairly young defenseman, who despite minimal playing time so far in the NHL could contribute to the rebuilding process for the Panthers, and in case he's a flop, they only gave up a 7th-round pick for him. Behind Shea Weber and Ryan Suter, Nashville's blue line isn't particularly impressive, and they will by looking in the next couple days to add a solid D-man for the postseason, which would leave Sulzer with less playing time. At age 26, Sulzer still has some potential, but is probably past the time where playing more in the minors would develop his game, so off he goes to Florida. Nashville got little in return for him, but you never know what surprising talent may be left in the 7th-round, though the chance of finding that in such a late round is very slim. There should be little significance to the acquisition of such a late round pick, but it is always fun to see the surprise finds that were passed up round after round by many teams. Notable 7th-round picks since 2000 include Jason Demers (SJS), Anders Lindback (NSH), Carl Gunnarsson (TOR), Derek Dorsett (CBJ), Benn Ferriero (SJS), Joe Vitale (PIT), Sergei Kostitsyn (MTL), Anton Stralman (TOR), Kyle Cumiskey (COL), Patric Hornqvist (NSH), Troy Brouwer (CHI), Matt Hunwick (BOS), Chris Campoli (NYI), Nathan Paetsch (BUF), Joe Pavelski (SJS), Kyle Brodziak (EDM), Jeremy Williams (TOR), Greg Mauldin (CBJ), Fredrik Norrena (TBL), Derek Meech (DET), Derek Boogaard (MIN), Cristobal Huet (LAK), David Moss (CGY), Johnny Oduya (WSH), Marek Svatos (COL), Henrik Lundqvist (NYR), Matt Lombardi (EDM), Paul Gaustad (BUF), and Antti Miettinen (DAL). Notable draftees since 2000 in rounds LATER than 7th when those rounds existed include Aaron Voros (8-NJD), Martin Gerber (8-ANA), Milan Jurcina (8-BOS), Max Talbot (8-PIT), Petr Prucha (8-NYR),Dennis Wideman (8-BUF), Tobias Enstrom (8-ATL), Dustin Byfiglien (8-CHI), Shane O'Brien (8-ANA), Brandon Yip (8-COL), Pekka Rinne (8-NSH), P.A. Parenteau (9-FLA), Adam Burish (9-CHI), Jonathan Ericsson (9-DET), Matt Moulson (9-PIT), Tanner Glass (9-FLA), Jaroslav Halak (9-MTL), David Jones (9-COL), Brian Elliott (9-OTT), Mark Streit (9-MTL), Daniel Winnik (9-PHX), and Jannik Hansen (9-VAN). Kudos to the Nashville scouts, in recent years in round 7 or later, they've picked up BOTH of the teams current goalies, Pekka Rinne and Anders Lindback, as well as talented goal-scorer Patric Hornqvist. We'll see in a few years if they pull of another pick like those at this year's draft.
Carolina acquires W Cory Stillman from Florida for C Ryan Carter and 2011 5th-round pick. After many years overflowing with veterans galore, the Canes have a fairly young team right now. The bringing back of Croy Stillman brings a familiar veteran presence to help guide the youngsters in their playoff push. He's up there now at 37, and is nowhere near the 25-goal scorer he used to be, but he is a solid player who won a Cup with them back in 2006 and should be welcomed back fondly by the few players still with the team from then. Carter brings little to the rebuilding panthers, but has a minimal cap hit and could be used as more potential trade bait for a team who is till looking to dump a lot of high-priced pending UFAs (like Stillman).
Atlanta acquires C Ben Maxwell and 2011 4th round pick from Montreal for D Brent Sopel and W Nigel Dawes. This should provide a little more oomf for the Habs. Nigel Dawes has played only nine NHL games this season, but has shown in the past that he can contribute a decent third or fourth line calibur offense, and franklly, the Canadiens offense has not been very impressive this season. They still need a big name goal-scorer if they want to make a Cup run, but Dawes provides some depth. Sopel has been tossed around the league for the past few years, but brings a solifd defensive game wherever he goes, and now can contribute some valuable experience, having won a Cup with Chicago last season. He should provide some help for a defense that has been derailed by injury this season, but now the Canadiens have some serious defensive depth adding Sopel to a solid existing group of Roman Hamrlik, Hal Gill, hard-hitting rookie sensation P.K. Subban, midseason acquisition James Wisniewski, Jaroslav Spacek, youngsters Yannick Weber and Alexandre Picard, and recent pickup Paul Mara. With this crew (and the return of Andrei Markov and Josh Gorges next season), the Canadiens have a wealth of defense that they may be able to use as bait to reel in that big scorer they're looking for up front. 22-year old Maxwell has 0 points in 20 NHL games over the past two years, but has solid AHL numbers, and has time to find his potential in the Thrashers organization. Atlanta also gives up very little for a prospect and a pick; Dawes played minimally this season and Sopel became expendable with the acquisition of Mark Stuart from Boston. Still, the Thrashers would like to add a veteran scorer to guide their struggling young team back into the playoffs, and some defensive help as well. Blueliners Johnny Oduya, Freddy Meyer, and Ron Hainsey could all be used as trade bait, as well as Zach Bogosian, whose youth and enormous potential could bring in a massive return.
Pittsburgh acquires W Alex Kovalev from Ottawa for 2011 conditional pick. Kovalev is old, has had a down couple of years since leaving Montreal for Ottawa, and only plays when he feels like it. But a return to his former team could be just what the doctor ordered. Still with some of the best hands in the league, Kovalev is a gifted goal-scorer when he is motivated enough, which he could be now that he leaves the worst team in the East for a potential contender. With their top players out for who knows how long, Kovalev could be a key cog for a rejuvinated offense that has also just added talented young scorer James Neal into the fold. Or he could be just as lazy as he has been in the past and the Penguins will continue to rely on their defense to scrape by. Either way the rissk is big but the price was minimal, and Ray Shero's aged veterans seem to pay off more than his huge scorers around the deadline. Just look how much more Bill Guerin did for them than did Marian Hossa.
Anaheim acquires G Dan Ellis from Tampa Bay for G Curtis McElhinney. Tampa Bay picked up Dan Ellis this offseason to round out a very questionable and streaky goaltending tandem with Mike Smith. Thanks to an extremely potent offense, Ellis's shaky numbers haven't been much of a problem for the Southeast leading Lightning, and with the mid-season steal of Dwayne Roloson, the Lightning seem set for a playoff push. Roloson is questionable himself at this age, but continues to show flashes of brilliance and is a very experienced goaltender. Anaheim has been looking for a solution in net these days, as All-Star Jonas Hiller's health has kept him off the ice. Curtis McElhinney has not played well filling in, prompting Anaheim to swap him for Ellis, to round out another extremely unreliable duo in Anaheim with recent signee/call-up Ray Emery. Still, Dan Ellis could be a huge asset if he can manage to find his once impressive form, the form that helped him go 23-10-3 with a .924 save percentage and a 2.34 goals against average for the Predators as a rookie in 2007-08. But for now, the Ducks should just hope that Hiller overcomes his dizziniess and fatigue, and soon.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Five Days
A lot can happen in five days, and a lot has ALREADY happened in the last week. On Monday at 3pm we will learn the final destination for all players this season, excluding waivers of course. Things have slowed down a bit this week after the flurry of moves that happened last week, but as usual, a last-minute transaction explosion can still be expected from Sunday night to Monday afternoon, and I will be giving constant trade updates and analyses starting at 3pm on Monday. With many teams fighting for the last few spots in the East, and a serious logjam in the West (5th and 12th are still separated by only a point), the next three or four days of games could decide whether teams are buyers, sellers, or neither, and any streak could make our break an organizations playoff hopes. GMs of once solid teams, could panic and make a drastic last minute move which could be beneficial or disastrous for a franchise. And this is why late February and early July are the best times of the year.....
Trades since Kaberle:
Carolina receives D Derek Joslin from San Jose for future considerations. At 23 years of age, this former 5th-round pick still has plenty of time to prove himself, but don't expect him to have a huge immediate impact on the Carolina blue line.
San Jose receives D Ian White from Carolina for 2012 2nd-round pick. San Jose was looking for a defenseman, and having just traded a young one to the same team, they got a decent pick-up from the Canes. Ian White should bring solid offensive numbers to the San Jose defense, but as this is now his THIRD team THIS SEASON (and fourth team in the past two seasons), I have to wonder how desirable he actually is. San Jose may have given up a little too much in a 2nd round pick for him, but previous trades may have also driven up the market price. Maybe his constant movement means there is a high demand for him, or maybe it means teams can't wait to get rid of him.
Tampa Bay receives D Eric Brewer from St. Louis for 2011 3rd-round pick and the rights to Brock Beukeboom. Both Eric Brewer and his new team should benefit wildly from this deal. Before the lockout, the St. Louis Blues had the active record for longest consecutive playoff streak in sports. After the lockout, however, the Blues finished their next season at the bottom of the league, and this happened to be Brewer's first year on the team. Over 6 seasons with the hapless Blues, many of which were derailed by injury, the Blues' captain was a collective -75, and became absolutely despised by much of the Blues' fanbase. Despite his number, he is a good defensemna, who will benefit from playing with a better team. He also brings additional leadership for a Cup run to a team that still has guys like Pavel Kubina, Marty St. Louis, and Vinny Lcecavlier left over from the 04 Cup team. He is also leaving a team where he had the burden of carrying most of the defensive load to a team where he can share the load with a solid existing top five in Kubina, Mattias Ohlund, Victor Hedman, Brett Clark, and Randy Jones, with solid defenders Mike Lundin and Marc-Andre Bergeron also on the roster, making Tampa as deep as anyone on the back end. The price also seemed little to get Brewer given the current market, unless Beukeboom, son of former NHL defenseman Jeff Beukeboom ends up developing into a strong player.
St. Louis acquires W Chris Stewart, D Kevin Shattenkirk and 2011 or 2012 2nd-round pick from Colorado for C Jay McClement, D Erik Johnson, and 2011 or 2012 1st-round pick. This is definitely the big one so far. Both teams were fading fast and needed to shake up their teams and they did so in dramatic fashion. The Blues receive a potential 30-goal power forward in you Chris Stewart, who's already scored a few in his short tenure for the Blues. Former Boston University D-man Shattenkirk is a solid young prospect, emerging already in his rookie season as a good offensive defenseman and making the Rookie All-Star team. The only question mark for the Blues is where to look to fill the giant hole in minutes on D now that Johnson and Brewer are both gone. The Avalanche were openly blasted for this deal by Peter Stastny, a Hall of Famer and father of Avs young gun Paul Stastny. Certainlly the Avalanche took the greater risk, but the payout could still be monumental if it works in their favor. Johnson, the first overall pick in 2006, who was followed by an impressive four of 2. Jordan Staal (PIT-won cup in 09), 3. Jonathan Toews (CHI-captain, won cup in 10), 4. Nicklas Backstrom (WSH), and 5. Phil Kessel (BOS), has so far not satisfied the Blues organization. Pegged as a future Chris Pronger, Johnson has put up decent offensive numbers so far in the league with over 30 points in each of his two seasons, despite an ACL injury (playing golf, of all things) costing him the entire 2008-2009 season, but after a promising start to the season, Johnson, who has 20 points in 57 games this season, took a large part of the blame. The Blues needed to make a change and he was the piece that could bring in the biggest haul. The Avalanche receive an underperforming defenseman, but at age 22, Johnson still has the potential to becoming an elite NHL defenseman, and could be an important fixture in the Avs organization for many years to come. They also receive a good penalty-killer in McClement and a valuable first-round pick. The year of the pick iss dependent on whether St. Louis would get a top 10 pick, but at this rate, it looks like BOTH teams will end up with one of those this year.
Dallas receives Alex Goligoski from Pittsburgh for W James Neal and D Matt Niskanen. This is an absolute steal for Ray Shero, and I can only speculate that Joe Nieuwendyk was feeling the pressure of his teams recent collapse. Goligoski is a solid offensive defensman with many good years ahead of him and will help out the offensively challenged Dallas defense, but Neal AND Niskanen? James Neal is in his third season in the league, and has over 20-goals in each of them. He will seriously help out the Penguins who are missing both Crosby and Malkin, and is now probably their most talented goal scorer on the wing. Matt Niskanen is having a down year, but is still only 24 and only two seasons removed from a 35 point season. If he ups his game in Pittsburgh, he could be a third-pair defenseman rounding out a crew which already boasts Kris Letang, Zbynek Michalek, Paul Martin, Brooks Orpik, and many young prospects like Ben Lovejoy and Deryk Engelland. With a wealth of young defensive prospects, Shero could use some of them as trade bait to bring in some more offensive help for the stretch run.
Trades since Kaberle:
Carolina receives D Derek Joslin from San Jose for future considerations. At 23 years of age, this former 5th-round pick still has plenty of time to prove himself, but don't expect him to have a huge immediate impact on the Carolina blue line.
San Jose receives D Ian White from Carolina for 2012 2nd-round pick. San Jose was looking for a defenseman, and having just traded a young one to the same team, they got a decent pick-up from the Canes. Ian White should bring solid offensive numbers to the San Jose defense, but as this is now his THIRD team THIS SEASON (and fourth team in the past two seasons), I have to wonder how desirable he actually is. San Jose may have given up a little too much in a 2nd round pick for him, but previous trades may have also driven up the market price. Maybe his constant movement means there is a high demand for him, or maybe it means teams can't wait to get rid of him.
Tampa Bay receives D Eric Brewer from St. Louis for 2011 3rd-round pick and the rights to Brock Beukeboom. Both Eric Brewer and his new team should benefit wildly from this deal. Before the lockout, the St. Louis Blues had the active record for longest consecutive playoff streak in sports. After the lockout, however, the Blues finished their next season at the bottom of the league, and this happened to be Brewer's first year on the team. Over 6 seasons with the hapless Blues, many of which were derailed by injury, the Blues' captain was a collective -75, and became absolutely despised by much of the Blues' fanbase. Despite his number, he is a good defensemna, who will benefit from playing with a better team. He also brings additional leadership for a Cup run to a team that still has guys like Pavel Kubina, Marty St. Louis, and Vinny Lcecavlier left over from the 04 Cup team. He is also leaving a team where he had the burden of carrying most of the defensive load to a team where he can share the load with a solid existing top five in Kubina, Mattias Ohlund, Victor Hedman, Brett Clark, and Randy Jones, with solid defenders Mike Lundin and Marc-Andre Bergeron also on the roster, making Tampa as deep as anyone on the back end. The price also seemed little to get Brewer given the current market, unless Beukeboom, son of former NHL defenseman Jeff Beukeboom ends up developing into a strong player.
St. Louis acquires W Chris Stewart, D Kevin Shattenkirk and 2011 or 2012 2nd-round pick from Colorado for C Jay McClement, D Erik Johnson, and 2011 or 2012 1st-round pick. This is definitely the big one so far. Both teams were fading fast and needed to shake up their teams and they did so in dramatic fashion. The Blues receive a potential 30-goal power forward in you Chris Stewart, who's already scored a few in his short tenure for the Blues. Former Boston University D-man Shattenkirk is a solid young prospect, emerging already in his rookie season as a good offensive defenseman and making the Rookie All-Star team. The only question mark for the Blues is where to look to fill the giant hole in minutes on D now that Johnson and Brewer are both gone. The Avalanche were openly blasted for this deal by Peter Stastny, a Hall of Famer and father of Avs young gun Paul Stastny. Certainlly the Avalanche took the greater risk, but the payout could still be monumental if it works in their favor. Johnson, the first overall pick in 2006, who was followed by an impressive four of 2. Jordan Staal (PIT-won cup in 09), 3. Jonathan Toews (CHI-captain, won cup in 10), 4. Nicklas Backstrom (WSH), and 5. Phil Kessel (BOS), has so far not satisfied the Blues organization. Pegged as a future Chris Pronger, Johnson has put up decent offensive numbers so far in the league with over 30 points in each of his two seasons, despite an ACL injury (playing golf, of all things) costing him the entire 2008-2009 season, but after a promising start to the season, Johnson, who has 20 points in 57 games this season, took a large part of the blame. The Blues needed to make a change and he was the piece that could bring in the biggest haul. The Avalanche receive an underperforming defenseman, but at age 22, Johnson still has the potential to becoming an elite NHL defenseman, and could be an important fixture in the Avs organization for many years to come. They also receive a good penalty-killer in McClement and a valuable first-round pick. The year of the pick iss dependent on whether St. Louis would get a top 10 pick, but at this rate, it looks like BOTH teams will end up with one of those this year.
Dallas receives Alex Goligoski from Pittsburgh for W James Neal and D Matt Niskanen. This is an absolute steal for Ray Shero, and I can only speculate that Joe Nieuwendyk was feeling the pressure of his teams recent collapse. Goligoski is a solid offensive defensman with many good years ahead of him and will help out the offensively challenged Dallas defense, but Neal AND Niskanen? James Neal is in his third season in the league, and has over 20-goals in each of them. He will seriously help out the Penguins who are missing both Crosby and Malkin, and is now probably their most talented goal scorer on the wing. Matt Niskanen is having a down year, but is still only 24 and only two seasons removed from a 35 point season. If he ups his game in Pittsburgh, he could be a third-pair defenseman rounding out a crew which already boasts Kris Letang, Zbynek Michalek, Paul Martin, Brooks Orpik, and many young prospects like Ben Lovejoy and Deryk Engelland. With a wealth of young defensive prospects, Shero could use some of them as trade bait to bring in some more offensive help for the stretch run.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Trade Talk Continued
Further moves:
Montreal receives D Paul Mara from Anaheim for 2012 5th round pick. Once a high-scoring defenseman, Mara has fallen on hard times lately. In 33 games this season, he has just 2 points. In the past 3 season, he has played for 3 teams: the Rangers, the Canadiens, and the Ducks. After a disappointing season in Montreal last year, With a -16 in 42 games, Mara is headed back to Montreal, in an attempt to solidify the injury-plagued blue line for a playoff-run. When Mara is on, he is a great defenseman; he had two 40-point seasons in Phoenix. But don't look for him to be much of a force for the Habs.
Anaheim receives W Jarkko Ruutu from Ottawa for 2011 6th round pick. After trading away tough guy Aaron Voros earlier this week, the Ducks filled the void with goon Jarkko Ruutu. While Ruutu won't provide much offensive help for the Ducks (the 35-year old has topped 20 points only twice in his career), but he will bring a physical presence and lots of playoff experience for a possible Cup run.
Colorado receives G Brian Elliott from Ottawa for G Craig Anderson. This is a good move for both sides. Each of these teams is struggling massively and need some kind of shake-up to their everyday lineup. Brian Elliott is a young goalie who has lots of upside. The victim of a terrible season for Ottawa, he helped the Senators reach the playoffs last season with surprisingly stellar play. The same can be said for Anderson. After being tossed around the league as a backup, Anderson signed with Colorado and shocked the hockey world when he led the Avalanche back to the post-season. This season, his numbers have been more than disappointing. The Senators will need to find a way to attract Anderson to stay when his contract is up at the end of the season.
Atlanta receives W Blake Wheeler and D Mark Stuart from Boston for C Rich Peverley and D Boris Valabik. Depending on events which soon could go down, this is a good trade for both sides. Boston picks up a good forward (I say forward, not center, because Boston has a severe log-jam down the middle with David Krejci, Patrice Bergeron, Tyler Seguin, Brad Marchand, Chris Kelly, Greg Campbell, and now Peverley all able to play center) who has similar numbers to Wheeler. Valabik is not an everyday defenseman, but adds a little depth for a young blue line. Most importantly, this frees up cap space for the Bruins to pick up Tomas Kaberle, which according to a number of reports is now an inevitability. Atlanta probably gets the better pacakage for the moment though. While inconsistent, Wheeler has tons of potential and has been a 20-goal scorer in the past. Also, Mark Stuart, when healthy, is a solid defensive defenseman who will help bolster the Thrashers defensive game. Also, these two have played under Coach Craig Ramsay before, as he was the Bruins' assistant coach just a season ago.
Boston receives D Tomas Kaberle from Toronto for C Joe Colborne, 2011 1st round pick and conditional 2012 second round pick. After moving some salary to Atlanta, Boston finally got their man after several months of on and off rumors. This is a good move for both sides. Kaberle brings outstanding and consistent numbers and with him setting up Zdeno Chara on the point instead of Mark Recchi, the Bruins will have a fearsome powerplay. Kaberle also brings plenty of experience to a fairly young blue line. After losing their own 1st round pick two years ago to Boston in the Phil Kessel trade, Toronto has now picked up 1st round picks from Boston and Philadelphia, and Joel Colbone is a 6-5 young centerman with loads of potential to help the Toronto rebuilding procject.
Southeast Division:
1. Tampa Bay Lightning-34-16-6-74 pts-2nd in East
Late in the season, Tampa Bay is still playing strong hockey. With a good mix of veterans and youngsters, some of the most dynamic scorers in the game, and a sturdy blue-line. There is not much to fix for the surging Bolts. Some may question Dwayne Roloson's ability to compete at age 41, but Rolo is as good as ever, and is only a few years removed from taking the 8th-seeded Edmonton Oilers on a Cinderella Cup run. In fact, if he had not been injured in Game 1 of the Finals, the Carolina Hurricanes likely would not have won the 7-game series. If Dwayne can stay healthy, the Lightning have a dependable veteran between the pipes, who can take them deep into the post-season. If anything, adding a veteran with playoff experience is never a bad move.
2. Washington Capitals-30-19-10-70 pts-5th in East
The Caps have been lackluster of late, and they need something to not only spark the team for a strong finish, but also to ensure they don't suffer the massive collapse they experienced last year as the top sed taking an early exit. Despite having a great season by most people's standards, Alex Ovechkin is not the explosive goal-scoring machine that we expect him to be this season. Alex Semin has been great, but the Caps are in serious need of more depth. Aside from Ovi, Semin, Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Knuble, and Brooks Laich, there's nobody all that impressive on offense. The Caps would be smart to add another scorer to their second line, and perhaps some extra depth for the third line. They have a young offense and a young defense, and veterans with some playoff experience would also be beneficial. Lastly, a more proven and dependable goaltender could help solve the Caps post-season woes. For a team doing so well and with so much talent, you wouldn't think there would be much to fix, but clearly there are some important pieces missing for the Capitals.
3. Carolina Hurricanes-27-23-8-62 pts-8th in East
After sneaking into the final playoff spot, the Hurricanes may need to make some moves to ensure they not only stay there, but have a fighting chance to move past the first round come April. There is no secret that the Canes trust in Cam Ward, having won them a Cup early in his career and having been an All-Star this season, so they are set between the pipes. With seven players with at least ten goals, including superstar captain Eric Staal and rookie scoring sensation Jeff Skinner, the Canes have plenty of production, but like most teams I've cited, are a youn team who could use some veteran leadership and experience. One more strong defenseman wouldn't hurt either.
4. Atlanta Thrashers-25-24-10-60 pts-10th in East
After a strong showing early in the year, the Thrash have been just plain awful over the last stretch, 2-6-2 in their last 10. Dustin Byfuglien has scored only 3 points in his last 17 games, after scoring 41 in his first 42. His drop is representative of the whole team, who is struggling greatly at this point.. A team that has been stockpiling young talent since they joined the league, the Thrashers have made only one playoff appearance, and they suffered a first round sweep at the hands of the New York Rangers. Not exactly a hockey hotbed, the Thrashers are itching to draw fan interest from the city of Atlanta, and in order to do that, they need to start contending. They have a wealth of prospects, so the time may be now the make some big moves, sacrificing some of those prospects to bring in some big name players. They could use a shut-down defenseman, and some offensive punch up front.
5. Florida Panthers-24-25-7-55 pts-12th in East
The Panthers are doing okay and are not entirealy out of the playoff picture yet, but GM Dave Tallon should continue his rebuilding path. He did a remarkable job in Chicago, bringing in most of their Stanley Cup pieces and is capable of doing the same in Florida. He will continue to add young depth and maybe some streaky veterans. Florida will be sellers, with hardly anyone safe. Tomas Vokoun, Stephen Weiss, and Bryan McCabe could all be wearing different jerseys by 3 pm on the 28th.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Central Division:
1. Detroit Red Wings-35-16-6-76 pts-2nd in West
The Red Wings are as set as they could be. With key players returning to the lineup, they have been unstoppable, making fools of the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning. A return to full health is all that is needed for the Wings to prepare for their perennial postseason run.
2. Nashville Predators-31-19-8-70 pts-4th in West
Nashville has been playing decent hockey of late, and now sit in fourth place in the West. With the recent addition of Mike Fisher, the Predators have added some depth down the middle. However, this one move is not enough to ensure a strong post-season campaign for the Preds. They have a solid, but young and inexperienced blue line and should look into adding an experienced shut-down defender to take the load off of hot goalies Pekka Rinne and Anders Lindback. One more experienced scoring winger would also be a huge help.
3. Chicago Blackhawks-29-22-6-64 pts-11th in West
The Hawks have little cap space to make much improvement, but if they don't do something soon, not only will they lose their chance to repeat a Cup run in the postseason, but the defending champs could miss the playoffs altogether. GM Stan Bowman needs to do something drastic. Trading away a high-profile player for another decent player with a smaller cap hit I think would be a great move. Shaking up the team a bit could be enough to improve their play, and if it doesn't then the unloading of salary will give the Hawks some room to make improvements over the off-season. One such player to trade is Brian Campbell. Campbell is one of the most talented defenseman in the NHL, but he is inconsistent, often injured, and carries a cap hit over $7 million. The Hawks should look to trade him either to a contending team that can afford to take on his contract, or to a rebuilding team with lots of cap space and a need for a mentor for their young defensive corps. Outside of trading trading down, the Hawks have few options. The team definitely needs some movement, and the only other option may be swapping players for similar talent and salary, like the move they made earlier this week trading Jack Skille for Michael Frolik. The Hawks were reportedly interested in Bruins D-man Mark Stuart before he went to Atlanta, so they may make a move for a defensive defenseman.
4. Columbus Blue Jackets-28-23-6-62 pts-12th in West
The hungry Blue Jackets are the only team in the league who has never clinched a playoff berth, and they have a choice to make. Do they let this be another rebuilding year and look to next season? Or do they make some noise now and finally show the city of Columbus why hockey is something to cheer about? Poor Rck Nash is one of the best players in the league night in and night out, season after season, and has never tasted playoff action. Now may be the time to finally make a playoff push. Steve Mason is apparently tradeable, and a rebuilding team would love to have him. Perhaps he could be moved to Florida for Vokoun? A team that has been stockpiling high first round picks for the past decade, the Blue Jackets have plenty of talent in the system that could be traded for potential playoff pieces from teams like Ottawa, Edmonton, and Toronto who are looking to start over. They should try to see what they can get from Edmonton,who are shopping around talented wingers Ales Hemsky and Dustin Penner.
5. St. Louis Blues-25-21-9-59 pts-13th in West
After having high hopes to start the season, the Blues have fallen on hard times. Again. With a ton of injuries and disappointing play from their "stars," the Blues find themselves at the bottom of the Central division. WHile they have a decent team, a partial rebuilding might not be a poor choice. They have talent up front, but nobody who is all that dangerous with the puck. They need scoring, plain and simple, and perhaps they can use their blue line to attract that scoring from other teams. 2006 1st overall pick Erik Johnson is apparently expendable and could draw a massive return from teams looking for a young defenseman with tons of potential. The Blues would also love to ship off Captain Eric Brewer, who is absolutely despised by the St. Louis fan base.
Northwest Division:
1. Vancouver Canucks-37-13-9-83 pts-1st in West
The top team in the league, the Canucks continue to lay waste to the entire league despite being without FIVE defenseman. I repeat. Five defenseman. Andrew Alberts, Kevin Bieksa, Alex Edler, Dan Hamhuis, and Keith Ballard are all out of the lineup, and veteran Sami Salo just returned from injury. Many may say that the Canucks may need to add to their D in this time of need, but I say stand pat. Despite this massive hole in their lineup, the Canucks continue to dominate, and any help they bring in would be useless when these players return and eat up salary once again. With an explosive offense led by the Sedin twins and Ryan Kesler and stone wall Roberto "Bobby Lu" Luongo backed up by an outstanding young Boston College product in Cory Schneider, the Canucks will be virtually unstoppable once their blue line regains full health, which should be happening just in time for the playoffs.
2. Calgary Flames-30-22-8-68 pts-9th in West
Calgary is on the playoff bubble right now, which is impressive considering it was not too long ago that they were completely out of the playoff pictures. The Flames have been hot of late (no pun intending), which has caused the trade rumors surrounding big name players like Robyn Regehr and Jarome Iginla to cool. The Flames may be looking to add some depth without sacrificing much of their existing lineup. They should see if anyone is interested in picking up the struggling Ales Kotalik, who was recently sent down to the minors and is in need of a serious change of scenery to try and salvage his career.
3. Minnesota Wild-30-20-5-65 pts-10th in West
The Wild have 8 players with over 10 goals, but zero players with over 20, and many players with unimpressive +/- ratings. They are on the playoff bubble and if they are serious about making a run, they need to add a 20 or 30 goal scorer,another decent defenseman, and a two-way forward who can help out the defense. The return of Marek Zidlicky to the blue line should help a bit with both the offense and the defense, but the Wild should still be open to making some trades.
4. Colorado Avalanche-25-26-7-57 pts-14th in West
The Avalanche have been the worst team in hockey lately. After being close to a playoff spot, the Avalanche are now only ahead of the Edmonton Oilers in the West, the Avs haven't won a game in almost a month. This collapse is too much to come back from, especially now that Matt Duchene is out indefinitely. The Avalanche should give up on this season and look to the future. They have a good young team, and should see what kind of depth they can pick up from around the league.
5. Edmonton Oilers-18-32-8-44 pts-15th in West
The Edmonton Oilers have been in rebuilding mode for quite some time, and will continue to do so at the deadline. They are shopping around both Ales Hemsky and Dustin Penner, and are also praying that someone will show some interest in once-valuable defenseman Sheldon Souray. With a young core of talent up front comprised of Taylor Hall, Magnus Paajarvi, Jordan Eberle, and Linus Omark the Oilers should continue to pick up draft picks, and also add to their depth on defense.
Pacific Division:
1. Phoenix Coyotes-31-19-9-71 pts-3rd in West
The Coyotes are very hot right now, having won six games in a row. They like Minnesota, have plenty of 10-goal scorers, and no 20-goal scorers. Also, elder statesman Ray Whitney is leading all forwards in points. The Coyotes have a strong defense, including Keith Yandle who leads all defensemen in the NHL with 50 points, and a strong goaltender in Ilya Bryzgalov. What they need is some more scoring touch. They have been missing that big 20 or 30 goal scorer for the past few years, and that's probably what cost them a decent playoff run last year against the Red Wings.
2. Dallas Stars-31-21-6-68 pts-7th in West
After a surprising first half, the Stars aren't shining so bright anymore in Dallas. After leading the Pacific Dvision, the Stars are 2-7-1 in their last ten and have dropped into 7th place in the West. In a Conference where the playoff race is so tight (4th and 12th are separated by only 8 points), the Stars need to right the ship quickly, or else may miss the playoffs after seeming to have a spot locked up for most of the season. Scoring hasn't been an issue for most of the season, they have 4 players with at least 20 goals, plus All-Star Loui Eriksson, who has 19 and has cooled off dramatically since the All-Star break. With a potent offense and goaltending that they trust despite recent inconsistencies, the Stars should look to shore up their D. They have a fairly you and inexperienced blue line and could use a veteran or two to help for a playoff push, perhaps one defensive D-man plus another who can put up decent offensive offensive numbers. With their season in question, they may see the green light to trade star centerman Brad Richards, assuming he waives his no-trade clause. They have plenty of offensive depth to continue scoring in his absence, but may want to make sure the return includes at least one decent two-way forward.
3. San Jose Sharks-32-21-6-70 pts-5th in West
After having some regular season struggles for the first time in years, the Sharks have rebounded with a 7-2-1 record in their last 10 and now sit in 5th place in the Western Conference. The Shars have three 20-goal scorers led by rookie surprise Logan Couture, with 24. The other two, Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton are scoring at decent paces, but have terrible +/- ratings. The Sharks have good depth up front and on the back end, but could use some good defensive forwards and maybe another veteran defenseman. Antti Niemi is no superstar, but he did just win a Cup with Chicago, and the Sharks always underperform come April; it is unlikely the Sharks will try to pick up a goalie, so for now they should look for defense.
4. Anaheim Ducks-32-22-4-68 pts-6th in West
The Ducks are another hot western team, 7-3 in their last 10. The Ducks can score: Corey Perry has 29 goals, Bobby Ryan 28, and Teemu Selanne 18, and on the back end Lubomir Visnovsky has 45 points and rookie Cam Fowler has 29. Defensively they're pretty good too, Toni Lydman leads the NHL with a +27 and they just brought back old friend Francois Beauchemin. If Anaheim needs anything, it might just be some depth forwards, but they should also look for a reliable goaltender for the stretch run in case All-Star Jonas Hiller's health woes persist.
5. Los Angeles Kings-32-22-4-68 pts-8th in West
When the Kings moved into eighth last nght, the continued the tightest division race in the league; all five Pacific Division teams are in a playoff spot. And excluding Dallas, who has seven LOSSES in their last ten games, every team in this division has 7 wins in their last 10. The Kings have had a disappointing season thus far after being highly touted as potential Western Conference champions during the offseason, but are starting to turn things around. The Kings are likely to end the season with five 20-goal scorers in AnzeKopitar, Dustin Brown, Ryan Smyth, Jarret Stoll, and Justin Williams, and have some great young talent on the blue line, plus standout goaltender Jon Quick. If the Kings want to keep their Cup dreams alive, the should think about adding some experience, particularly some veteran leadership on the back-end.
Montreal receives D Paul Mara from Anaheim for 2012 5th round pick. Once a high-scoring defenseman, Mara has fallen on hard times lately. In 33 games this season, he has just 2 points. In the past 3 season, he has played for 3 teams: the Rangers, the Canadiens, and the Ducks. After a disappointing season in Montreal last year, With a -16 in 42 games, Mara is headed back to Montreal, in an attempt to solidify the injury-plagued blue line for a playoff-run. When Mara is on, he is a great defenseman; he had two 40-point seasons in Phoenix. But don't look for him to be much of a force for the Habs.
Anaheim receives W Jarkko Ruutu from Ottawa for 2011 6th round pick. After trading away tough guy Aaron Voros earlier this week, the Ducks filled the void with goon Jarkko Ruutu. While Ruutu won't provide much offensive help for the Ducks (the 35-year old has topped 20 points only twice in his career), but he will bring a physical presence and lots of playoff experience for a possible Cup run.
Colorado receives G Brian Elliott from Ottawa for G Craig Anderson. This is a good move for both sides. Each of these teams is struggling massively and need some kind of shake-up to their everyday lineup. Brian Elliott is a young goalie who has lots of upside. The victim of a terrible season for Ottawa, he helped the Senators reach the playoffs last season with surprisingly stellar play. The same can be said for Anderson. After being tossed around the league as a backup, Anderson signed with Colorado and shocked the hockey world when he led the Avalanche back to the post-season. This season, his numbers have been more than disappointing. The Senators will need to find a way to attract Anderson to stay when his contract is up at the end of the season.
Atlanta receives W Blake Wheeler and D Mark Stuart from Boston for C Rich Peverley and D Boris Valabik. Depending on events which soon could go down, this is a good trade for both sides. Boston picks up a good forward (I say forward, not center, because Boston has a severe log-jam down the middle with David Krejci, Patrice Bergeron, Tyler Seguin, Brad Marchand, Chris Kelly, Greg Campbell, and now Peverley all able to play center) who has similar numbers to Wheeler. Valabik is not an everyday defenseman, but adds a little depth for a young blue line. Most importantly, this frees up cap space for the Bruins to pick up Tomas Kaberle, which according to a number of reports is now an inevitability. Atlanta probably gets the better pacakage for the moment though. While inconsistent, Wheeler has tons of potential and has been a 20-goal scorer in the past. Also, Mark Stuart, when healthy, is a solid defensive defenseman who will help bolster the Thrashers defensive game. Also, these two have played under Coach Craig Ramsay before, as he was the Bruins' assistant coach just a season ago.
Boston receives D Tomas Kaberle from Toronto for C Joe Colborne, 2011 1st round pick and conditional 2012 second round pick. After moving some salary to Atlanta, Boston finally got their man after several months of on and off rumors. This is a good move for both sides. Kaberle brings outstanding and consistent numbers and with him setting up Zdeno Chara on the point instead of Mark Recchi, the Bruins will have a fearsome powerplay. Kaberle also brings plenty of experience to a fairly young blue line. After losing their own 1st round pick two years ago to Boston in the Phil Kessel trade, Toronto has now picked up 1st round picks from Boston and Philadelphia, and Joel Colbone is a 6-5 young centerman with loads of potential to help the Toronto rebuilding procject.
Southeast Division:
1. Tampa Bay Lightning-34-16-6-74 pts-2nd in East
Late in the season, Tampa Bay is still playing strong hockey. With a good mix of veterans and youngsters, some of the most dynamic scorers in the game, and a sturdy blue-line. There is not much to fix for the surging Bolts. Some may question Dwayne Roloson's ability to compete at age 41, but Rolo is as good as ever, and is only a few years removed from taking the 8th-seeded Edmonton Oilers on a Cinderella Cup run. In fact, if he had not been injured in Game 1 of the Finals, the Carolina Hurricanes likely would not have won the 7-game series. If Dwayne can stay healthy, the Lightning have a dependable veteran between the pipes, who can take them deep into the post-season. If anything, adding a veteran with playoff experience is never a bad move.
2. Washington Capitals-30-19-10-70 pts-5th in East
The Caps have been lackluster of late, and they need something to not only spark the team for a strong finish, but also to ensure they don't suffer the massive collapse they experienced last year as the top sed taking an early exit. Despite having a great season by most people's standards, Alex Ovechkin is not the explosive goal-scoring machine that we expect him to be this season. Alex Semin has been great, but the Caps are in serious need of more depth. Aside from Ovi, Semin, Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Knuble, and Brooks Laich, there's nobody all that impressive on offense. The Caps would be smart to add another scorer to their second line, and perhaps some extra depth for the third line. They have a young offense and a young defense, and veterans with some playoff experience would also be beneficial. Lastly, a more proven and dependable goaltender could help solve the Caps post-season woes. For a team doing so well and with so much talent, you wouldn't think there would be much to fix, but clearly there are some important pieces missing for the Capitals.
3. Carolina Hurricanes-27-23-8-62 pts-8th in East
After sneaking into the final playoff spot, the Hurricanes may need to make some moves to ensure they not only stay there, but have a fighting chance to move past the first round come April. There is no secret that the Canes trust in Cam Ward, having won them a Cup early in his career and having been an All-Star this season, so they are set between the pipes. With seven players with at least ten goals, including superstar captain Eric Staal and rookie scoring sensation Jeff Skinner, the Canes have plenty of production, but like most teams I've cited, are a youn team who could use some veteran leadership and experience. One more strong defenseman wouldn't hurt either.
4. Atlanta Thrashers-25-24-10-60 pts-10th in East
After a strong showing early in the year, the Thrash have been just plain awful over the last stretch, 2-6-2 in their last 10. Dustin Byfuglien has scored only 3 points in his last 17 games, after scoring 41 in his first 42. His drop is representative of the whole team, who is struggling greatly at this point.. A team that has been stockpiling young talent since they joined the league, the Thrashers have made only one playoff appearance, and they suffered a first round sweep at the hands of the New York Rangers. Not exactly a hockey hotbed, the Thrashers are itching to draw fan interest from the city of Atlanta, and in order to do that, they need to start contending. They have a wealth of prospects, so the time may be now the make some big moves, sacrificing some of those prospects to bring in some big name players. They could use a shut-down defenseman, and some offensive punch up front.
5. Florida Panthers-24-25-7-55 pts-12th in East
The Panthers are doing okay and are not entirealy out of the playoff picture yet, but GM Dave Tallon should continue his rebuilding path. He did a remarkable job in Chicago, bringing in most of their Stanley Cup pieces and is capable of doing the same in Florida. He will continue to add young depth and maybe some streaky veterans. Florida will be sellers, with hardly anyone safe. Tomas Vokoun, Stephen Weiss, and Bryan McCabe could all be wearing different jerseys by 3 pm on the 28th.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Central Division:
1. Detroit Red Wings-35-16-6-76 pts-2nd in West
The Red Wings are as set as they could be. With key players returning to the lineup, they have been unstoppable, making fools of the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning. A return to full health is all that is needed for the Wings to prepare for their perennial postseason run.
2. Nashville Predators-31-19-8-70 pts-4th in West
Nashville has been playing decent hockey of late, and now sit in fourth place in the West. With the recent addition of Mike Fisher, the Predators have added some depth down the middle. However, this one move is not enough to ensure a strong post-season campaign for the Preds. They have a solid, but young and inexperienced blue line and should look into adding an experienced shut-down defender to take the load off of hot goalies Pekka Rinne and Anders Lindback. One more experienced scoring winger would also be a huge help.
3. Chicago Blackhawks-29-22-6-64 pts-11th in West
The Hawks have little cap space to make much improvement, but if they don't do something soon, not only will they lose their chance to repeat a Cup run in the postseason, but the defending champs could miss the playoffs altogether. GM Stan Bowman needs to do something drastic. Trading away a high-profile player for another decent player with a smaller cap hit I think would be a great move. Shaking up the team a bit could be enough to improve their play, and if it doesn't then the unloading of salary will give the Hawks some room to make improvements over the off-season. One such player to trade is Brian Campbell. Campbell is one of the most talented defenseman in the NHL, but he is inconsistent, often injured, and carries a cap hit over $7 million. The Hawks should look to trade him either to a contending team that can afford to take on his contract, or to a rebuilding team with lots of cap space and a need for a mentor for their young defensive corps. Outside of trading trading down, the Hawks have few options. The team definitely needs some movement, and the only other option may be swapping players for similar talent and salary, like the move they made earlier this week trading Jack Skille for Michael Frolik. The Hawks were reportedly interested in Bruins D-man Mark Stuart before he went to Atlanta, so they may make a move for a defensive defenseman.
4. Columbus Blue Jackets-28-23-6-62 pts-12th in West
The hungry Blue Jackets are the only team in the league who has never clinched a playoff berth, and they have a choice to make. Do they let this be another rebuilding year and look to next season? Or do they make some noise now and finally show the city of Columbus why hockey is something to cheer about? Poor Rck Nash is one of the best players in the league night in and night out, season after season, and has never tasted playoff action. Now may be the time to finally make a playoff push. Steve Mason is apparently tradeable, and a rebuilding team would love to have him. Perhaps he could be moved to Florida for Vokoun? A team that has been stockpiling high first round picks for the past decade, the Blue Jackets have plenty of talent in the system that could be traded for potential playoff pieces from teams like Ottawa, Edmonton, and Toronto who are looking to start over. They should try to see what they can get from Edmonton,who are shopping around talented wingers Ales Hemsky and Dustin Penner.
5. St. Louis Blues-25-21-9-59 pts-13th in West
After having high hopes to start the season, the Blues have fallen on hard times. Again. With a ton of injuries and disappointing play from their "stars," the Blues find themselves at the bottom of the Central division. WHile they have a decent team, a partial rebuilding might not be a poor choice. They have talent up front, but nobody who is all that dangerous with the puck. They need scoring, plain and simple, and perhaps they can use their blue line to attract that scoring from other teams. 2006 1st overall pick Erik Johnson is apparently expendable and could draw a massive return from teams looking for a young defenseman with tons of potential. The Blues would also love to ship off Captain Eric Brewer, who is absolutely despised by the St. Louis fan base.
Northwest Division:
1. Vancouver Canucks-37-13-9-83 pts-1st in West
The top team in the league, the Canucks continue to lay waste to the entire league despite being without FIVE defenseman. I repeat. Five defenseman. Andrew Alberts, Kevin Bieksa, Alex Edler, Dan Hamhuis, and Keith Ballard are all out of the lineup, and veteran Sami Salo just returned from injury. Many may say that the Canucks may need to add to their D in this time of need, but I say stand pat. Despite this massive hole in their lineup, the Canucks continue to dominate, and any help they bring in would be useless when these players return and eat up salary once again. With an explosive offense led by the Sedin twins and Ryan Kesler and stone wall Roberto "Bobby Lu" Luongo backed up by an outstanding young Boston College product in Cory Schneider, the Canucks will be virtually unstoppable once their blue line regains full health, which should be happening just in time for the playoffs.
2. Calgary Flames-30-22-8-68 pts-9th in West
Calgary is on the playoff bubble right now, which is impressive considering it was not too long ago that they were completely out of the playoff pictures. The Flames have been hot of late (no pun intending), which has caused the trade rumors surrounding big name players like Robyn Regehr and Jarome Iginla to cool. The Flames may be looking to add some depth without sacrificing much of their existing lineup. They should see if anyone is interested in picking up the struggling Ales Kotalik, who was recently sent down to the minors and is in need of a serious change of scenery to try and salvage his career.
3. Minnesota Wild-30-20-5-65 pts-10th in West
The Wild have 8 players with over 10 goals, but zero players with over 20, and many players with unimpressive +/- ratings. They are on the playoff bubble and if they are serious about making a run, they need to add a 20 or 30 goal scorer,another decent defenseman, and a two-way forward who can help out the defense. The return of Marek Zidlicky to the blue line should help a bit with both the offense and the defense, but the Wild should still be open to making some trades.
4. Colorado Avalanche-25-26-7-57 pts-14th in West
The Avalanche have been the worst team in hockey lately. After being close to a playoff spot, the Avalanche are now only ahead of the Edmonton Oilers in the West, the Avs haven't won a game in almost a month. This collapse is too much to come back from, especially now that Matt Duchene is out indefinitely. The Avalanche should give up on this season and look to the future. They have a good young team, and should see what kind of depth they can pick up from around the league.
5. Edmonton Oilers-18-32-8-44 pts-15th in West
The Edmonton Oilers have been in rebuilding mode for quite some time, and will continue to do so at the deadline. They are shopping around both Ales Hemsky and Dustin Penner, and are also praying that someone will show some interest in once-valuable defenseman Sheldon Souray. With a young core of talent up front comprised of Taylor Hall, Magnus Paajarvi, Jordan Eberle, and Linus Omark the Oilers should continue to pick up draft picks, and also add to their depth on defense.
Pacific Division:
1. Phoenix Coyotes-31-19-9-71 pts-3rd in West
The Coyotes are very hot right now, having won six games in a row. They like Minnesota, have plenty of 10-goal scorers, and no 20-goal scorers. Also, elder statesman Ray Whitney is leading all forwards in points. The Coyotes have a strong defense, including Keith Yandle who leads all defensemen in the NHL with 50 points, and a strong goaltender in Ilya Bryzgalov. What they need is some more scoring touch. They have been missing that big 20 or 30 goal scorer for the past few years, and that's probably what cost them a decent playoff run last year against the Red Wings.
2. Dallas Stars-31-21-6-68 pts-7th in West
After a surprising first half, the Stars aren't shining so bright anymore in Dallas. After leading the Pacific Dvision, the Stars are 2-7-1 in their last ten and have dropped into 7th place in the West. In a Conference where the playoff race is so tight (4th and 12th are separated by only 8 points), the Stars need to right the ship quickly, or else may miss the playoffs after seeming to have a spot locked up for most of the season. Scoring hasn't been an issue for most of the season, they have 4 players with at least 20 goals, plus All-Star Loui Eriksson, who has 19 and has cooled off dramatically since the All-Star break. With a potent offense and goaltending that they trust despite recent inconsistencies, the Stars should look to shore up their D. They have a fairly you and inexperienced blue line and could use a veteran or two to help for a playoff push, perhaps one defensive D-man plus another who can put up decent offensive offensive numbers. With their season in question, they may see the green light to trade star centerman Brad Richards, assuming he waives his no-trade clause. They have plenty of offensive depth to continue scoring in his absence, but may want to make sure the return includes at least one decent two-way forward.
3. San Jose Sharks-32-21-6-70 pts-5th in West
After having some regular season struggles for the first time in years, the Sharks have rebounded with a 7-2-1 record in their last 10 and now sit in 5th place in the Western Conference. The Shars have three 20-goal scorers led by rookie surprise Logan Couture, with 24. The other two, Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton are scoring at decent paces, but have terrible +/- ratings. The Sharks have good depth up front and on the back end, but could use some good defensive forwards and maybe another veteran defenseman. Antti Niemi is no superstar, but he did just win a Cup with Chicago, and the Sharks always underperform come April; it is unlikely the Sharks will try to pick up a goalie, so for now they should look for defense.
4. Anaheim Ducks-32-22-4-68 pts-6th in West
The Ducks are another hot western team, 7-3 in their last 10. The Ducks can score: Corey Perry has 29 goals, Bobby Ryan 28, and Teemu Selanne 18, and on the back end Lubomir Visnovsky has 45 points and rookie Cam Fowler has 29. Defensively they're pretty good too, Toni Lydman leads the NHL with a +27 and they just brought back old friend Francois Beauchemin. If Anaheim needs anything, it might just be some depth forwards, but they should also look for a reliable goaltender for the stretch run in case All-Star Jonas Hiller's health woes persist.
5. Los Angeles Kings-32-22-4-68 pts-8th in West
When the Kings moved into eighth last nght, the continued the tightest division race in the league; all five Pacific Division teams are in a playoff spot. And excluding Dallas, who has seven LOSSES in their last ten games, every team in this division has 7 wins in their last 10. The Kings have had a disappointing season thus far after being highly touted as potential Western Conference champions during the offseason, but are starting to turn things around. The Kings are likely to end the season with five 20-goal scorers in AnzeKopitar, Dustin Brown, Ryan Smyth, Jarret Stoll, and Justin Williams, and have some great young talent on the blue line, plus standout goaltender Jon Quick. If the Kings want to keep their Cup dreams alive, the should think about adding some experience, particularly some veteran leadership on the back-end.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Checking In
(This post is not complete. I will continue to work on it, but as of now, have only posted analyses of trade needs for the Northeast and Atlantic divisions)
With the deadline now less than two weeks away, there has been a small but significant flurry of moves made during the past week. I figured I'd give my own ake on these deals, as well as throw out a few teams that have some needs to address before 3pm on the 28th.
Anaheim receives D Francois Beauchemin from Toronto for W Joffrey Lupul and D Jake Gardiner. This is a good deal for both sides. The Ducks have been playing well and are now adding a solid veteran defender to solidify their blue line. Beauchemin played the better part of four seasons with te Ducks, emerging as a proven defensive force and helping the Ducks win a Cup in 2007. Lupul has never quite lived up to his potential, but is still a decent forward who can contribute respwectable offensive numbers for the Leafs. Gardiner is a great defnsive prospect. He is having in outstanding Junior season at the Universty of Wisconsin, with 30 points in 30 games.
Chicago receives W Michael Frolik from Florida for W Jack Skille. I think Chicago got the better end of the deal here. Both former top 10 draft picks, Frolik and Skille have tremendous potential. But at just age 22, Frolik has shown more so far in his young career. Despite having a down year goal-wise in his third season this year, Frolik put up 21 goals in each of his first two seasons with a very unimpressive supporting cast.
Nashville receives C Mike Fisher from Ottawa for 2011 1st round pick and 2012 conditional pick. For the rebuilding Senators, the Fisher trade was inevitable. The price was certainly right for Nashville. Just one definite first-round pick, which will definitely be valuable for the Senators come draft day, but they probably could have gotten a little more. Fisher will provide a huge boost for the Predators, who are currently holding on to 6th place in the West, who's major offseason signing, center Matt Lombardi, has been sidelined since just the third game of the season. Fisher has some playoff experience,too, having helped Ottawa advance to the Cup in 2007, before being defeated by Beauchemin's Ducks. The fans should love him pretty quickly, too, he's married to country star Carrie Underwood.
Philadelphia receives W Kris Versteeg from Toronto for 2011 first and 3rd round pick. At age 24, Versteeg is already joining his fourth organization. Originally drafted by the Boston Bruins, he was traded to Chicago before ever suiting up for Boston, for offensive dud Brandon Bochenski. After helping the Blackhawks win a long-awaited Stanley Cup last season, he was dealt to Toronto for Viktor Stalberg by the the salary cap-challenged champs. Now Philadelphia has been the latest team attracted to his talents. This deal is a win for both sides. The already formidable Flyers offense has just added a young scorer with loads of talent and potential, with playoff experience. The Flyers now that well, having lost to his team in the final last year. On the other hand, Brian Burke has gained both a first and a third round pick, doing his best to undo the damage of the Phil Kessel trade. And as a team that needs to rebuild, draft picks are extremely valuable.
Toronto receives W Aaron Voros from Toronto for 2011 conditional pick. In their third move, the Maple Leafs made little noise. Voros will bring a tough style of play to Toronto, but his offensive numbers are nothing to write home about, and his addition should be of little consequence to the struggling Leafs.
Dustin Byfuglien signs 5-year extension with Atlanta. Despite his recent offensive struggles and the Bird's recent nosedive, the Thrashers were right to lock up Big Buff for 5 more years. Another spoil of the Blackhawks salary cap problems, Byfuglien is having an unbelievable season. He was an all-star this year after switching back to his natural position of D. He brings Stanley Cup experience, toughness, offense, defense, leadership, and versatity to a young team on the verge of breaking out in the Southeast division.
Peter Forsberg returns and retires. After much hype, Peter Forsberg once again returned to the Avalanche lineup. But after just two games, he left he hockey world baffled by announcing his retirement. Despite less than stellar numbers in those two games, his teammates were shocked, as he gave little indication that the road was ending for him. This news is unfortunate for the Avalanche, who lost their 8th straight game last night and have fallen to 14th in the West.
Boston receives C Chris Kelly from Ottawa for 2011 2nd round pick. As a Boston fan, I personally am not in love with the move. It's definitely a good move for Ottawa, who is trying to scrap the existing lineup and start over, and a 2nd rounder in addition to the 1st rounder from Nashville shows that they hope to begin the rebuilding process in June at the draft. For Boston, they needed a center to fill the void left by Marc Savard. But to me, Kelly just isn't the answer. With 12 goals on the season, Kelly WILL bring solid offensive numbers and a style of play that fits the mold of a Bruin nicely, but I was hoping for a more high-profile pick-up. What this move indicates to me is that the Bruins are looking to fill a hole that is soon to open. I believe they are insuring they keep a moderately skilled forward so that they can trade away a similar player. Perhaps to Toronto as part of a deal for Tomas Kaberle?
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division:
1.Philadelphia Flyers-36-14-5-77 pts-1st in East
With the addition of Kris Versteeg, the Flyers are virtually unstoppable. Already boasting arguably the best roster in the league before the deal, the Flyers lead the eastern conference and are poised to make another Cup run. They are set at forward, with one of the most impressive offenses and impenetrable defenses in the game, the only question mark that remains for Philly is their goaltending. Rookie Sergei Bobrovsky has had a stellar first seasn between the pipes, and Brian Boucher has been know for Cinderella playoff runs, but neither of them are proven or consistent goaltenders. The Flyers may want to add some more insurance in their crease, but they will likely be staying put at the deadline, and frankly, I don't blame them.
2. Pittsburgh Penguins-35-19-4-74 pts-4th in East
Despite my recent words that the Penguins are fine, they are getting pushed around and beaten bad of late. With Crosby and Malkin down for the count, their scoring ability is severely cut down. They are set on the defensive end, but could use a decent center and a proven goal-scoring on the wing to help boost their offensive game. Look for Ray Shero to deal some of his defensive prospects to add some scoring punch.
3. New York Rangers-30-24-4-64 pts-7th in East
As seems customary at this point, the Rangers are fading fast. They are still in a playoff spot right now, but have only 3 wins in their last 10 games, and superstar goalie Henrik Lundqvist just can't do it all. The Rangers are know for adding high-end scorers with hefty contracts, but coming to New York often destroys their careers it seems. I'd personally like to see the Rangers trade a big name, underperforming scorer and take a chance on a young guy that's got some potential. They should take the lead from that OTHER New York team. The Islanders latest breakout scorer, P.A. Parenteau was picked up from none other than the Rnagers. The Rangers could use a solid forward who can dish the puck to the big guns, and could use one more veteran defenseman.
4. New Jersey Devils-22-30-4-48 pts-13th in East
The Devils have a difficult decision to make. Do they scrap the team and rebuild? Trading veterans for young prospects and picks? Or do they trust that their recent play is enough to salvage a playoff spot out of a season that started as abysmally as they come? Lou Lamouriello isn't know for tying to add a lot of offense to his team, the major exception being the addition of Ilya Kovalchuk a year ago. With the way the Devils have been playing lately, it may actually be best for them to stand pat. They are a young team, who is finally coming together and playing some great hockey. Trading away for prospects and picks could shake up the team toomuh, hurting the good chemistry they seem to have at the moment. And the prospects that are already there seem to have great potential themselves, judging by the way they're playing now. And swapping for bigger names fo a playoff push could ALSO be detrimental to the team. It could shake up the team to much, and also would likely take those budding young prospects away from New Jersey. One thing's for sure, I'm glad I'm not Lamouriello.
5. New York Islanders-20-29-7-47 pts-14th in East
The Islanders are another young team who are playing great, they've won three in a row. I don't expect them to have a chance to make the playoffs however. They have great young players, like superstar-in-the-making John Tavares, and fellow 20-goal scorers Matt Moulson and Michael Grabner. The Islanders have plenty of young talent in the system and no longer have a need to stockpile young talent up front. The biggest holes are on defense. Their blue line could use another proven veteran, to take some of the load off of Mark Streit's shoulders and help the current D-men shut down the oppoistion. Also, a goalie might not be a bad idea. A former Islanders goalie himself, GM Garth Snow knows a great team needs great goaltending. With Rick DiPietro on and off of the disabled list every year, it is time to look elsewhere for answers. Not that he didn;t try, claiming Evgeni Nabakov when the Red Wings tried to sign him, but Nabakov refuses to play for the lackluster Isles. This should send a message to management: high-profile talent does not want to play for an awful team. Adding some extra guys to boost the Isles play late in the season could help bring in some big fish come July 1st.
Northeast Division:
1. Boston Bruins-31-18-7-69 pts-3rd in East
My hometown team is struggling of late. With Marc Savard lost for the season (at the very least), the Bruins are in need of a center. With the stellar play of Patrice Bergeron, the crafty David Krejci, and the ability of Greg Campbell, Tyler Seguin, and the surprising force that is Brad Marchand all able to play both center and wing, the Bruins are more in ned of a veteran guy who can center any line, providing experience, leadership, solid play, and maybe even a little offense. Two guys the Bruins should seriously look into to fill this void are Jason Arnott of the New Jersey Devils and John Madden of the Minnesota Wild. Both are proven veteran centers, with Stanley Cup experience and the ability to play several different roles. Madden is also a face-off wizard. However, as of last night, the Bruins seem to have already filled this void, acquiring Chirs Kelly. The B's could also use another point-producing veteran defenseman. The hot rumor is Tomas Kaberle to Boston. This rumor has come up countless times over the years, but now may finally be the time to pull the trigger.
2. Montreal Canadiens-31-20-6-68 pts-5th in East
The Habs are playing solid hockey and are one point behind the Bruins for the Northeast Division lead. They have a good mix of veterans and youngsters, a decent offense, decent defense, and a hot goaltender in Carey Price. Thanks to some blue line injuries, the Canadiens would love to add a veteran defenseman, and with a decent but not outsanding offense, they should also look to add a high-scoring winger, perhaps Dustin Penner?
3. Buffalo Sabres-26-22-6-58 pts-10th in East
The Sabres are on a roll lately, led by the outstanding play of Drew Stafford, and are 7-2-1 in their last ten. After a disappointing postseason last year, they may look to add a veteran or two with some playoff experience to help keep them on track towards a good playoff run.
4. Toronto Maple Leafs-23-27-6-52 pts-12th in East
It seems the Maple Leafs have been on the rebuilding path for an eternity, but the time for them to break out of their shell is drawing near. I do not see much hope for a late-season, playoff-berth-clinching turnaround, so Brian Burke should continue his current strategy. So far the busiest team, involved in 3 trades in the past week aquiring Aaron Voros, Joffrey Lupul, Jake Gardiner, and Philadelphia's first and 3rd round picks, look to the Leafs to continue to offer up some hefty-contracted veterans to further the current youth movement. Even if they do trade Tomas Kaberle, they have a sturdy D including Dion Phaneuf, Mike Komisarek, Carl Gunnarsson, and Luke Schenn, plus an experienced goalie in Jean-Sebastien Giguere. The defensive play of late of these players has been disappointing, but a spark in offense would sefinitely take the load off of the weary blue-line. The Leafs will continue to trade for draft picks to make up for the ones they gave to Boston, but they should also look to continue adding young scorers with loaads of potential. It certainly paid off when they dealt for Montreal's Mikhail Grabovski back in 2008.
5. Ottawa Senators-18-30-8-44 pts-15th in East
The Senators have fallen hard after their 2007 Stanley Cup defeat. After some average seasons, they have now fallen to the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Their big off-season catches from the last two years, Sergei Gonchar and Alex Kovalev have done nothing but disappoint for the Sens. Now is a good a time as any to start over, and they have already begun the process, trading away Mike Fisher and Chris Kelly for a 1st and a 2nd rounder. Look for Ottawa to continue shopping around their big name players, like Gonchar, Kovalev, and Chris Phillips. Jason Spezza seems to be safe in Ottawa at the moment, but other than that, just about anyone could go outside of Daniel Alfredsson. Filip Kuba, Chris Campoli, Chris Neil, and Jarkko Ruutu are all also expendable. Ottawa will keep looking for draft picks, as well as prospects. A more reliable solution in net might not hurt either.
Southeast Division:
1. Tampa Bay Lightning-34-17-5-73 pts-2nd in East
2. Washington Capitals-29-18-10-68 pts-6th in East
3. Carolina Hurricanes-27-22-8-62 pts-8th in East
4. Atlanta Thrashers-25-23-10-60 pts-9th in East
5. Florida Panthers-24-24-7-55 pts-11th in East
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Central Division:
1. Detroit Red Wings-34-16-6-74 pts-2nd in West
2. Nashville Predators-30-19-7-67 pts-6th in West
3. Chicago Blackhawks-28-22-6-62 pts-11th in West
4. Columbus Blue Jackets-28-23-5-61 pts-12th in West
5. St. Louis Blues-25-21-9-59 pts-13th in West
Northwest Division:
1. Vancouver Canucks-36-12-9-81 pts-1st in West
2. Calgary Flames-29-22-8-66 pts-8th in West
3. Minnesota Wild-30-20-5-65 pts-9th in West
4. Colorado Avalanche-25-26-6-56 pts-14th in West
5. Edmonton Oilers-16-32-8-40 pts-15th in West
Pacific Division:
1. Phoenix Coyotes-30-19-9-69 pts-3rd in West
2. Dallas Stars-31-19-6-68 pts-4th in West
3. Anaheim Ducks-32-21-4-66 pts-5th in West
4. San Jose Sharks-30-21-6-66 pts-7th in West
5. Los Angeles Kings-31-22-3-65 pts-10th in West
With the deadline now less than two weeks away, there has been a small but significant flurry of moves made during the past week. I figured I'd give my own ake on these deals, as well as throw out a few teams that have some needs to address before 3pm on the 28th.
Anaheim receives D Francois Beauchemin from Toronto for W Joffrey Lupul and D Jake Gardiner. This is a good deal for both sides. The Ducks have been playing well and are now adding a solid veteran defender to solidify their blue line. Beauchemin played the better part of four seasons with te Ducks, emerging as a proven defensive force and helping the Ducks win a Cup in 2007. Lupul has never quite lived up to his potential, but is still a decent forward who can contribute respwectable offensive numbers for the Leafs. Gardiner is a great defnsive prospect. He is having in outstanding Junior season at the Universty of Wisconsin, with 30 points in 30 games.
Chicago receives W Michael Frolik from Florida for W Jack Skille. I think Chicago got the better end of the deal here. Both former top 10 draft picks, Frolik and Skille have tremendous potential. But at just age 22, Frolik has shown more so far in his young career. Despite having a down year goal-wise in his third season this year, Frolik put up 21 goals in each of his first two seasons with a very unimpressive supporting cast.
Nashville receives C Mike Fisher from Ottawa for 2011 1st round pick and 2012 conditional pick. For the rebuilding Senators, the Fisher trade was inevitable. The price was certainly right for Nashville. Just one definite first-round pick, which will definitely be valuable for the Senators come draft day, but they probably could have gotten a little more. Fisher will provide a huge boost for the Predators, who are currently holding on to 6th place in the West, who's major offseason signing, center Matt Lombardi, has been sidelined since just the third game of the season. Fisher has some playoff experience,too, having helped Ottawa advance to the Cup in 2007, before being defeated by Beauchemin's Ducks. The fans should love him pretty quickly, too, he's married to country star Carrie Underwood.
Philadelphia receives W Kris Versteeg from Toronto for 2011 first and 3rd round pick. At age 24, Versteeg is already joining his fourth organization. Originally drafted by the Boston Bruins, he was traded to Chicago before ever suiting up for Boston, for offensive dud Brandon Bochenski. After helping the Blackhawks win a long-awaited Stanley Cup last season, he was dealt to Toronto for Viktor Stalberg by the the salary cap-challenged champs. Now Philadelphia has been the latest team attracted to his talents. This deal is a win for both sides. The already formidable Flyers offense has just added a young scorer with loads of talent and potential, with playoff experience. The Flyers now that well, having lost to his team in the final last year. On the other hand, Brian Burke has gained both a first and a third round pick, doing his best to undo the damage of the Phil Kessel trade. And as a team that needs to rebuild, draft picks are extremely valuable.
Toronto receives W Aaron Voros from Toronto for 2011 conditional pick. In their third move, the Maple Leafs made little noise. Voros will bring a tough style of play to Toronto, but his offensive numbers are nothing to write home about, and his addition should be of little consequence to the struggling Leafs.
Dustin Byfuglien signs 5-year extension with Atlanta. Despite his recent offensive struggles and the Bird's recent nosedive, the Thrashers were right to lock up Big Buff for 5 more years. Another spoil of the Blackhawks salary cap problems, Byfuglien is having an unbelievable season. He was an all-star this year after switching back to his natural position of D. He brings Stanley Cup experience, toughness, offense, defense, leadership, and versatity to a young team on the verge of breaking out in the Southeast division.
Peter Forsberg returns and retires. After much hype, Peter Forsberg once again returned to the Avalanche lineup. But after just two games, he left he hockey world baffled by announcing his retirement. Despite less than stellar numbers in those two games, his teammates were shocked, as he gave little indication that the road was ending for him. This news is unfortunate for the Avalanche, who lost their 8th straight game last night and have fallen to 14th in the West.
Boston receives C Chris Kelly from Ottawa for 2011 2nd round pick. As a Boston fan, I personally am not in love with the move. It's definitely a good move for Ottawa, who is trying to scrap the existing lineup and start over, and a 2nd rounder in addition to the 1st rounder from Nashville shows that they hope to begin the rebuilding process in June at the draft. For Boston, they needed a center to fill the void left by Marc Savard. But to me, Kelly just isn't the answer. With 12 goals on the season, Kelly WILL bring solid offensive numbers and a style of play that fits the mold of a Bruin nicely, but I was hoping for a more high-profile pick-up. What this move indicates to me is that the Bruins are looking to fill a hole that is soon to open. I believe they are insuring they keep a moderately skilled forward so that they can trade away a similar player. Perhaps to Toronto as part of a deal for Tomas Kaberle?
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division:
1.Philadelphia Flyers-36-14-5-77 pts-1st in East
With the addition of Kris Versteeg, the Flyers are virtually unstoppable. Already boasting arguably the best roster in the league before the deal, the Flyers lead the eastern conference and are poised to make another Cup run. They are set at forward, with one of the most impressive offenses and impenetrable defenses in the game, the only question mark that remains for Philly is their goaltending. Rookie Sergei Bobrovsky has had a stellar first seasn between the pipes, and Brian Boucher has been know for Cinderella playoff runs, but neither of them are proven or consistent goaltenders. The Flyers may want to add some more insurance in their crease, but they will likely be staying put at the deadline, and frankly, I don't blame them.
2. Pittsburgh Penguins-35-19-4-74 pts-4th in East
Despite my recent words that the Penguins are fine, they are getting pushed around and beaten bad of late. With Crosby and Malkin down for the count, their scoring ability is severely cut down. They are set on the defensive end, but could use a decent center and a proven goal-scoring on the wing to help boost their offensive game. Look for Ray Shero to deal some of his defensive prospects to add some scoring punch.
3. New York Rangers-30-24-4-64 pts-7th in East
As seems customary at this point, the Rangers are fading fast. They are still in a playoff spot right now, but have only 3 wins in their last 10 games, and superstar goalie Henrik Lundqvist just can't do it all. The Rangers are know for adding high-end scorers with hefty contracts, but coming to New York often destroys their careers it seems. I'd personally like to see the Rangers trade a big name, underperforming scorer and take a chance on a young guy that's got some potential. They should take the lead from that OTHER New York team. The Islanders latest breakout scorer, P.A. Parenteau was picked up from none other than the Rnagers. The Rangers could use a solid forward who can dish the puck to the big guns, and could use one more veteran defenseman.
4. New Jersey Devils-22-30-4-48 pts-13th in East
The Devils have a difficult decision to make. Do they scrap the team and rebuild? Trading veterans for young prospects and picks? Or do they trust that their recent play is enough to salvage a playoff spot out of a season that started as abysmally as they come? Lou Lamouriello isn't know for tying to add a lot of offense to his team, the major exception being the addition of Ilya Kovalchuk a year ago. With the way the Devils have been playing lately, it may actually be best for them to stand pat. They are a young team, who is finally coming together and playing some great hockey. Trading away for prospects and picks could shake up the team toomuh, hurting the good chemistry they seem to have at the moment. And the prospects that are already there seem to have great potential themselves, judging by the way they're playing now. And swapping for bigger names fo a playoff push could ALSO be detrimental to the team. It could shake up the team to much, and also would likely take those budding young prospects away from New Jersey. One thing's for sure, I'm glad I'm not Lamouriello.
5. New York Islanders-20-29-7-47 pts-14th in East
The Islanders are another young team who are playing great, they've won three in a row. I don't expect them to have a chance to make the playoffs however. They have great young players, like superstar-in-the-making John Tavares, and fellow 20-goal scorers Matt Moulson and Michael Grabner. The Islanders have plenty of young talent in the system and no longer have a need to stockpile young talent up front. The biggest holes are on defense. Their blue line could use another proven veteran, to take some of the load off of Mark Streit's shoulders and help the current D-men shut down the oppoistion. Also, a goalie might not be a bad idea. A former Islanders goalie himself, GM Garth Snow knows a great team needs great goaltending. With Rick DiPietro on and off of the disabled list every year, it is time to look elsewhere for answers. Not that he didn;t try, claiming Evgeni Nabakov when the Red Wings tried to sign him, but Nabakov refuses to play for the lackluster Isles. This should send a message to management: high-profile talent does not want to play for an awful team. Adding some extra guys to boost the Isles play late in the season could help bring in some big fish come July 1st.
Northeast Division:
1. Boston Bruins-31-18-7-69 pts-3rd in East
My hometown team is struggling of late. With Marc Savard lost for the season (at the very least), the Bruins are in need of a center. With the stellar play of Patrice Bergeron, the crafty David Krejci, and the ability of Greg Campbell, Tyler Seguin, and the surprising force that is Brad Marchand all able to play both center and wing, the Bruins are more in ned of a veteran guy who can center any line, providing experience, leadership, solid play, and maybe even a little offense. Two guys the Bruins should seriously look into to fill this void are Jason Arnott of the New Jersey Devils and John Madden of the Minnesota Wild. Both are proven veteran centers, with Stanley Cup experience and the ability to play several different roles. Madden is also a face-off wizard. However, as of last night, the Bruins seem to have already filled this void, acquiring Chirs Kelly. The B's could also use another point-producing veteran defenseman. The hot rumor is Tomas Kaberle to Boston. This rumor has come up countless times over the years, but now may finally be the time to pull the trigger.
2. Montreal Canadiens-31-20-6-68 pts-5th in East
The Habs are playing solid hockey and are one point behind the Bruins for the Northeast Division lead. They have a good mix of veterans and youngsters, a decent offense, decent defense, and a hot goaltender in Carey Price. Thanks to some blue line injuries, the Canadiens would love to add a veteran defenseman, and with a decent but not outsanding offense, they should also look to add a high-scoring winger, perhaps Dustin Penner?
3. Buffalo Sabres-26-22-6-58 pts-10th in East
The Sabres are on a roll lately, led by the outstanding play of Drew Stafford, and are 7-2-1 in their last ten. After a disappointing postseason last year, they may look to add a veteran or two with some playoff experience to help keep them on track towards a good playoff run.
4. Toronto Maple Leafs-23-27-6-52 pts-12th in East
It seems the Maple Leafs have been on the rebuilding path for an eternity, but the time for them to break out of their shell is drawing near. I do not see much hope for a late-season, playoff-berth-clinching turnaround, so Brian Burke should continue his current strategy. So far the busiest team, involved in 3 trades in the past week aquiring Aaron Voros, Joffrey Lupul, Jake Gardiner, and Philadelphia's first and 3rd round picks, look to the Leafs to continue to offer up some hefty-contracted veterans to further the current youth movement. Even if they do trade Tomas Kaberle, they have a sturdy D including Dion Phaneuf, Mike Komisarek, Carl Gunnarsson, and Luke Schenn, plus an experienced goalie in Jean-Sebastien Giguere. The defensive play of late of these players has been disappointing, but a spark in offense would sefinitely take the load off of the weary blue-line. The Leafs will continue to trade for draft picks to make up for the ones they gave to Boston, but they should also look to continue adding young scorers with loaads of potential. It certainly paid off when they dealt for Montreal's Mikhail Grabovski back in 2008.
5. Ottawa Senators-18-30-8-44 pts-15th in East
The Senators have fallen hard after their 2007 Stanley Cup defeat. After some average seasons, they have now fallen to the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Their big off-season catches from the last two years, Sergei Gonchar and Alex Kovalev have done nothing but disappoint for the Sens. Now is a good a time as any to start over, and they have already begun the process, trading away Mike Fisher and Chris Kelly for a 1st and a 2nd rounder. Look for Ottawa to continue shopping around their big name players, like Gonchar, Kovalev, and Chris Phillips. Jason Spezza seems to be safe in Ottawa at the moment, but other than that, just about anyone could go outside of Daniel Alfredsson. Filip Kuba, Chris Campoli, Chris Neil, and Jarkko Ruutu are all also expendable. Ottawa will keep looking for draft picks, as well as prospects. A more reliable solution in net might not hurt either.
Southeast Division:
1. Tampa Bay Lightning-34-17-5-73 pts-2nd in East
2. Washington Capitals-29-18-10-68 pts-6th in East
3. Carolina Hurricanes-27-22-8-62 pts-8th in East
4. Atlanta Thrashers-25-23-10-60 pts-9th in East
5. Florida Panthers-24-24-7-55 pts-11th in East
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Central Division:
1. Detroit Red Wings-34-16-6-74 pts-2nd in West
2. Nashville Predators-30-19-7-67 pts-6th in West
3. Chicago Blackhawks-28-22-6-62 pts-11th in West
4. Columbus Blue Jackets-28-23-5-61 pts-12th in West
5. St. Louis Blues-25-21-9-59 pts-13th in West
Northwest Division:
1. Vancouver Canucks-36-12-9-81 pts-1st in West
2. Calgary Flames-29-22-8-66 pts-8th in West
3. Minnesota Wild-30-20-5-65 pts-9th in West
4. Colorado Avalanche-25-26-6-56 pts-14th in West
5. Edmonton Oilers-16-32-8-40 pts-15th in West
Pacific Division:
1. Phoenix Coyotes-30-19-9-69 pts-3rd in West
2. Dallas Stars-31-19-6-68 pts-4th in West
3. Anaheim Ducks-32-21-4-66 pts-5th in West
4. San Jose Sharks-30-21-6-66 pts-7th in West
5. Los Angeles Kings-31-22-3-65 pts-10th in West
Monday, February 14, 2011
The Year of the Hat
The ice crews have had a busy season, having to pick up an unprecedented number of hats this year. In a season that began with Rangers rookie Derek Stepan scoring three goals in his first career game on opening night, an unbelievable number of players have been following suit this season. In fact, last night, there were two hat tricks scored in the same game, a 7-6 Islanders win over the Sabres in overtime, by arguably the two hottest players in the league right now.
1. Michael Grabner-New York Islanders. In my last post, I made it clear that both the Canucks and the Panthers missed out big time by letting this 23-year-old winger walk. And he is certainly paying off big time for the Islanders, earning the NHL's 1st Star of the Week honors. So far this season, the Austrian rookie has 24 goals, 33 points, and a +10 in 52 games for a team that is third to last in the league standings right now. But the Islanders have won 3 in a row, and Grabner is the biggest reason for this modest streak.
Grabner has some impressive streaks of his own right now. Grabner has scored at least one goal in 5 straight games, at least two goals in 3 straight games, and scored a hat trick in his last game (by the way, his final goal last night was the game-winner in overtime). In those 5 games, he has 9 goals, 11 points, and is a +7. Grabner's stellar production is now a month old. In his last 15 games since January 13, has 15 goals, 21 points, and is a +13. He has goals in 10 of those 15 games, points in 13, is a plus in 10, and a minus in only 2. Grabner is on pace to play 78 games this season, scoring 36 goals and 50 points. Not bad for a rookie that two teams wouldn't give a chance.
2. Drew Stafford-Buffalo Sabres. Although he was not one of the NHL's Stars of Last Night (not sure how Todd Bertuzzi beat him out for Third...), Drew Stafford WAS named Second Star of the week behind Grabner. Grabner had the last laugh, but Drew Stafford scored the goal that sent the game into overtime, capping off his second hat trick in 3 games. On the season, Stafford leads the league with 4 hat tricks, scoring all 4 in a span of just 60 days. He has scored goals in 3 of his last 4 games, all of which were multigoal games, scoring 8 goals in a span of only 4 games. After missing 14 out of 15 games in November and December, Stafford quickly shook off a month's worth of rust and celebrated his return to the lineup by scoring all three goals in a 3-2 overtime win over the Bruins, his first hat trick of the season, and the third of his career. When the two teams next met on New Year's day, Stafford proved deadly again, notching his second hat trick in 8 games in a 7-6 shootout victory for the Sabres. Stafford's next hat trick was against the Southeast-leading Tampa Bay Lightning last Tuesday night, and he notched number four last night against the Islanders. In the new year, Stafford has 13 goals and 18 points in 14 games. Despite missing 18 games this season, the 25-year-old Wisconsin-native has already set a career high in goals (23) in just 36 games, in this his fifth season in the league. In 35 games, he has 23 goals, 33 points, and is a +2. He leads the team in goals, one goal ahead of two-time 40-goal scorer Thomas Vanek, who unlike Stafford, has played in all 54 games for the Sabres this season. He is on pace to play 64 games, scoring 41 goals and 59 points. Had he not missed any action, his projected numbers for an 82-game season would be 52 goals and 75 points. Just plain filthy.
Speaking of Stafford, his Sabres have been playing some great hockey of late, after an extremely disappointing start to the season. The Sabres started the season with high hopes despite a frst-round exit in the post-seaon at the hands of the Boston Bruins. They had finished the season atop the Northeast Division and took home both the Vezina Trophy for Goaltender of the Year Ryan Miller and the Calder Trophy for Rookie of the Year Tyler Myers. The Sabres got off to an extremely rocky start this season, but since have righted the ship and are back on track for another post-season bid. They are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games and now sit in 10th place in the East, 2 points behind Atlanta, and 4 points out of the final playoff spot, currently occupied by Carolina. This Buffalo team has great resolve, overcoming a huge deficit in the standings, and their thrilling victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning last week (above mentioned for Stafford's third hatty of the season), which I was able to watch on Versus, was a microcosm of their whole season.
The Sabres looked plain awful at the start, dominated by the clearly superior Tampa Bay offense led by Steven Stamkos and Marty St. Louis for the better part of 2 periods. Down 3-1, Vanek managed a goal late in the second period, giving the Sabres a little life going into the locker room. Something awoke in the Sabres then, and they came out firing on all cylinders to start the third period. Suddenly the tables turned completely and the struggling Sabres scored 6 unanswered goals, before finally letting in one final Lightning goal, hanging on for the 7-4 win in Tampa.
The way the Sabres have been playing recently, I don't know that I'd expect the Sabres to pull the trigger on too many deals, with the deadline now two weeks from today. Stafford's name had been one that was floating around in some rumors, but with the way he's been lighting the lamp, I can't see why Buffalo would want to part with him. Tim Connolly could potentially be moved. He is extremely skilled, but also extremely oft-injured, and he carries a hefty contract. When he's healthy, he's lethal, but that isn't very often. The Sabres may be looking to unload him onto another team for some cheaper, more reliable talent. I would be extremely surprised if Craig Rivet isn't moved to another team by the deadline. The Buffalo captain has only played 23 games this season. And believe it or not, those 31 games he hasn't played, he has NOT been injured. He has been a healthy scratch. Lindy Ruff made the bold move of sitting his captain a while back when his team wasn;t playing well, and he has stuck with that strategy. Still a skilled veteran defenseman with leadership and experience, there are many teams that would love to add him to their blue line.
1. Michael Grabner-New York Islanders. In my last post, I made it clear that both the Canucks and the Panthers missed out big time by letting this 23-year-old winger walk. And he is certainly paying off big time for the Islanders, earning the NHL's 1st Star of the Week honors. So far this season, the Austrian rookie has 24 goals, 33 points, and a +10 in 52 games for a team that is third to last in the league standings right now. But the Islanders have won 3 in a row, and Grabner is the biggest reason for this modest streak.
Grabner has some impressive streaks of his own right now. Grabner has scored at least one goal in 5 straight games, at least two goals in 3 straight games, and scored a hat trick in his last game (by the way, his final goal last night was the game-winner in overtime). In those 5 games, he has 9 goals, 11 points, and is a +7. Grabner's stellar production is now a month old. In his last 15 games since January 13, has 15 goals, 21 points, and is a +13. He has goals in 10 of those 15 games, points in 13, is a plus in 10, and a minus in only 2. Grabner is on pace to play 78 games this season, scoring 36 goals and 50 points. Not bad for a rookie that two teams wouldn't give a chance.
2. Drew Stafford-Buffalo Sabres. Although he was not one of the NHL's Stars of Last Night (not sure how Todd Bertuzzi beat him out for Third...), Drew Stafford WAS named Second Star of the week behind Grabner. Grabner had the last laugh, but Drew Stafford scored the goal that sent the game into overtime, capping off his second hat trick in 3 games. On the season, Stafford leads the league with 4 hat tricks, scoring all 4 in a span of just 60 days. He has scored goals in 3 of his last 4 games, all of which were multigoal games, scoring 8 goals in a span of only 4 games. After missing 14 out of 15 games in November and December, Stafford quickly shook off a month's worth of rust and celebrated his return to the lineup by scoring all three goals in a 3-2 overtime win over the Bruins, his first hat trick of the season, and the third of his career. When the two teams next met on New Year's day, Stafford proved deadly again, notching his second hat trick in 8 games in a 7-6 shootout victory for the Sabres. Stafford's next hat trick was against the Southeast-leading Tampa Bay Lightning last Tuesday night, and he notched number four last night against the Islanders. In the new year, Stafford has 13 goals and 18 points in 14 games. Despite missing 18 games this season, the 25-year-old Wisconsin-native has already set a career high in goals (23) in just 36 games, in this his fifth season in the league. In 35 games, he has 23 goals, 33 points, and is a +2. He leads the team in goals, one goal ahead of two-time 40-goal scorer Thomas Vanek, who unlike Stafford, has played in all 54 games for the Sabres this season. He is on pace to play 64 games, scoring 41 goals and 59 points. Had he not missed any action, his projected numbers for an 82-game season would be 52 goals and 75 points. Just plain filthy.
Speaking of Stafford, his Sabres have been playing some great hockey of late, after an extremely disappointing start to the season. The Sabres started the season with high hopes despite a frst-round exit in the post-seaon at the hands of the Boston Bruins. They had finished the season atop the Northeast Division and took home both the Vezina Trophy for Goaltender of the Year Ryan Miller and the Calder Trophy for Rookie of the Year Tyler Myers. The Sabres got off to an extremely rocky start this season, but since have righted the ship and are back on track for another post-season bid. They are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games and now sit in 10th place in the East, 2 points behind Atlanta, and 4 points out of the final playoff spot, currently occupied by Carolina. This Buffalo team has great resolve, overcoming a huge deficit in the standings, and their thrilling victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning last week (above mentioned for Stafford's third hatty of the season), which I was able to watch on Versus, was a microcosm of their whole season.
The Sabres looked plain awful at the start, dominated by the clearly superior Tampa Bay offense led by Steven Stamkos and Marty St. Louis for the better part of 2 periods. Down 3-1, Vanek managed a goal late in the second period, giving the Sabres a little life going into the locker room. Something awoke in the Sabres then, and they came out firing on all cylinders to start the third period. Suddenly the tables turned completely and the struggling Sabres scored 6 unanswered goals, before finally letting in one final Lightning goal, hanging on for the 7-4 win in Tampa.
The way the Sabres have been playing recently, I don't know that I'd expect the Sabres to pull the trigger on too many deals, with the deadline now two weeks from today. Stafford's name had been one that was floating around in some rumors, but with the way he's been lighting the lamp, I can't see why Buffalo would want to part with him. Tim Connolly could potentially be moved. He is extremely skilled, but also extremely oft-injured, and he carries a hefty contract. When he's healthy, he's lethal, but that isn't very often. The Sabres may be looking to unload him onto another team for some cheaper, more reliable talent. I would be extremely surprised if Craig Rivet isn't moved to another team by the deadline. The Buffalo captain has only played 23 games this season. And believe it or not, those 31 games he hasn't played, he has NOT been injured. He has been a healthy scratch. Lindy Ruff made the bold move of sitting his captain a while back when his team wasn;t playing well, and he has stuck with that strategy. Still a skilled veteran defenseman with leadership and experience, there are many teams that would love to add him to their blue line.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Poor Showings in Boston and New York
I still think it's too early to retract my statements about the Penguins yesterday, but Dan Bylsma's crew did nothing but make me look bad last night. They lost 9-3. To the New York Islanders. I repeat. The New York Islanders. They gave up six unanswered goals to start the game. That's just sad. One bright spot for my post yesterday was that at least Jordan Staal scored a goal.
From New York's standpoint, two players had 2 goal nights, Matt Moulson and Michael Grabner. If there's one thing that can be said for the eternally struggling Islanders, it's that they certaintly have a bright future, assuming they can keep all of their young budding stars, and they are also great for giving guys chances that weren't getting them elsewhere. Grabner was elected one of the rookie young stars this season, after being drafted by Vancouver, then trade over the summer to Florida in the Keith Ballard trade. Florida left me scratching my head when the let the Isles pick Grabner up on waivers before the season even started, and now it looks like the Panthers squandered an extremely valuable rebuilding piece. Matt Moulson didn't get much of an opportunity with his former team, the Los Angeles Kings, but last year he scored 30 goals for the Islanders, and is on pace to do the same this year. Supposedlt he is on the trading block. I can;t see why the Islanders would want to trade him, but he would certainly be an enormous pickup for any team, with a minimal cap hit. The Bruins were briefly rumored to be a possible destination for Moulson, athought I was ecstatic about, but now that doesn't seem like much of ma possibility anymore. Other guys that have bright future now that they have been given a chance by the Islanders include former Oiler and AHL trick shot phenom Rob Schremp and former Ranger P.A. Parenteau.
One bad game doesn't mean it's time to sound the alarm, but it certaintly should tell the Penguins' brass that they have some serious thinking to do. Waiting until the February 28 deadline would be foolish I think, the sooner you pick up a player who can help your team, the sooner you can integrate him into the Penguins system.
Speaking of poor performances, I went to the Bruins game last night. The Bruins got smoked 6-1 at home by the Detroit Red Wings, which honestly, I can't say was all that big of a surprise. The Bruins just did not show up at all last night, and seeing the game up close and personal told me a lot about the styles of play of each of the teams.
First of all, as soon as the game started last night, I was admittedly disappointed to see Tuukka Rask starting in net. He's started the last four games I've gone to, and I've been eager to see a game with Thomas between the pipes. Rask's numbers are fairly solid, but he is not playing with anywhere near the level of sheer dominance he had last year in his rookie season, and unfortunately for him, the B's haven't given him much goal support all season long. But he has really looked shaky at times, and last night was just plain awful. He gave up two goals on the first two shots of the game. Pathetic. As the game had just started, Rask had just let in two goals and had yet to make a save, I was itching for Claude Julien to pull Rask and put Timmy in. But no, Julien stuck with Rask. Play improved a little bit from there, but after continued offensive and defensive struggles by the B's, including a second period goal that was the direct result of Rask mishandling a puck outside of the crease, the B's found themselves heading into the second intermission down 5-1. Finally, Thomas took over at the start of the third period, but it wasn;t much help, and the final score was 6-1 Wings.
I really got a lot of insight into each teams gameplan last night by seeing the game up close and personal. The Bruins are a decent, but not overly skillful team. They rely on grit and energy to win ther games. They rough up the team just enough to get their skilled guys some chances and over the course of the game, manage to wear down their opponent and hold on for the win. The major problem with this game plan, is that it is entirely reliant on the opponent's response to their tactics. The Red Wings are an unbelievably skilled team. No goons, not many antagonist. Just pain-in-the-ass Tomas Holmstrom and fiery Justin Abdelkader. When thing aren't working out, the Bruins get more physical, and try to agitate the other team into making mistakes. But the Wings are not a team to take the bait. And the referees refused to let the Bruins bully the Red WIngs. Shawn Thornton had plenty to say to Abdelkader, but the refs made sure to keep them separated. And in the third period when Brad MArchand dropped the gloves for the B's, the refs would;t let him anywhere near his sparring partner, and Marchand went to the box alone.
The Red Wings have a genius defensive strategy, and an offense that relies almost entriely on their transition game. When the Bruins got the puck back deep in their own end, the Wings would not chase. They would head back out of the zone and make sure thatevery open man was covered. The Bruin breaking out of the zone would have two options: try to force a pass, or carry the puck. If he forced the pass to a covered man, the puck was either intercepted, or the player receiving the puck would have no time or space to get a good pass or dump off. If he skated it, he had nowhere to go because the Wings had clogged the neutral zone with Wings and Bruins bodies. Because Bruins trying to dump the puck had little room, they could not get enough power behind their shots to get the puck past the Detroit D-men. No matter what the Bruins tried to do, the Wings stole the puck before the Bruins had uch of a chance to do anything, and these turnovers were more than anything what made the Wings so dangerous. Having guys with such skill, the Wings are the deadliest with fewer guys on either team in the offensive zone, which is what made this transition game so spectactular. While the Bruins were still trapped in the neutral zone, the Wings would steal the puck and jet up the ince on a two-on-one time and time again. Pure brilliance, gotta give credit to Mike Babcock.
On an individual note, I got a little more dirt on Adam McQuaid last night. After being a late season call-up who got some playoff time last season when Dennis Seidenberg and Mark Stuart were sidelined, Adam McQuaid is having a solid rookie season, going into last nihts game a +22. But he still looks shaky at times, and last night I noticed a huge weakness in his game. This being his first full year in the league, it is understandable for him to still be adjusting to the high level of play. One thing he is still not very good at is moving with the puck and making plays while keeping his head up the whole time. Last night I saw many intances where he stumbled or mishandled the puck, because he is still getting used to playing without looking down at it.
From New York's standpoint, two players had 2 goal nights, Matt Moulson and Michael Grabner. If there's one thing that can be said for the eternally struggling Islanders, it's that they certaintly have a bright future, assuming they can keep all of their young budding stars, and they are also great for giving guys chances that weren't getting them elsewhere. Grabner was elected one of the rookie young stars this season, after being drafted by Vancouver, then trade over the summer to Florida in the Keith Ballard trade. Florida left me scratching my head when the let the Isles pick Grabner up on waivers before the season even started, and now it looks like the Panthers squandered an extremely valuable rebuilding piece. Matt Moulson didn't get much of an opportunity with his former team, the Los Angeles Kings, but last year he scored 30 goals for the Islanders, and is on pace to do the same this year. Supposedlt he is on the trading block. I can;t see why the Islanders would want to trade him, but he would certainly be an enormous pickup for any team, with a minimal cap hit. The Bruins were briefly rumored to be a possible destination for Moulson, athought I was ecstatic about, but now that doesn't seem like much of ma possibility anymore. Other guys that have bright future now that they have been given a chance by the Islanders include former Oiler and AHL trick shot phenom Rob Schremp and former Ranger P.A. Parenteau.
One bad game doesn't mean it's time to sound the alarm, but it certaintly should tell the Penguins' brass that they have some serious thinking to do. Waiting until the February 28 deadline would be foolish I think, the sooner you pick up a player who can help your team, the sooner you can integrate him into the Penguins system.
Speaking of poor performances, I went to the Bruins game last night. The Bruins got smoked 6-1 at home by the Detroit Red Wings, which honestly, I can't say was all that big of a surprise. The Bruins just did not show up at all last night, and seeing the game up close and personal told me a lot about the styles of play of each of the teams.
First of all, as soon as the game started last night, I was admittedly disappointed to see Tuukka Rask starting in net. He's started the last four games I've gone to, and I've been eager to see a game with Thomas between the pipes. Rask's numbers are fairly solid, but he is not playing with anywhere near the level of sheer dominance he had last year in his rookie season, and unfortunately for him, the B's haven't given him much goal support all season long. But he has really looked shaky at times, and last night was just plain awful. He gave up two goals on the first two shots of the game. Pathetic. As the game had just started, Rask had just let in two goals and had yet to make a save, I was itching for Claude Julien to pull Rask and put Timmy in. But no, Julien stuck with Rask. Play improved a little bit from there, but after continued offensive and defensive struggles by the B's, including a second period goal that was the direct result of Rask mishandling a puck outside of the crease, the B's found themselves heading into the second intermission down 5-1. Finally, Thomas took over at the start of the third period, but it wasn;t much help, and the final score was 6-1 Wings.
I really got a lot of insight into each teams gameplan last night by seeing the game up close and personal. The Bruins are a decent, but not overly skillful team. They rely on grit and energy to win ther games. They rough up the team just enough to get their skilled guys some chances and over the course of the game, manage to wear down their opponent and hold on for the win. The major problem with this game plan, is that it is entirely reliant on the opponent's response to their tactics. The Red Wings are an unbelievably skilled team. No goons, not many antagonist. Just pain-in-the-ass Tomas Holmstrom and fiery Justin Abdelkader. When thing aren't working out, the Bruins get more physical, and try to agitate the other team into making mistakes. But the Wings are not a team to take the bait. And the referees refused to let the Bruins bully the Red WIngs. Shawn Thornton had plenty to say to Abdelkader, but the refs made sure to keep them separated. And in the third period when Brad MArchand dropped the gloves for the B's, the refs would;t let him anywhere near his sparring partner, and Marchand went to the box alone.
The Red Wings have a genius defensive strategy, and an offense that relies almost entriely on their transition game. When the Bruins got the puck back deep in their own end, the Wings would not chase. They would head back out of the zone and make sure thatevery open man was covered. The Bruin breaking out of the zone would have two options: try to force a pass, or carry the puck. If he forced the pass to a covered man, the puck was either intercepted, or the player receiving the puck would have no time or space to get a good pass or dump off. If he skated it, he had nowhere to go because the Wings had clogged the neutral zone with Wings and Bruins bodies. Because Bruins trying to dump the puck had little room, they could not get enough power behind their shots to get the puck past the Detroit D-men. No matter what the Bruins tried to do, the Wings stole the puck before the Bruins had uch of a chance to do anything, and these turnovers were more than anything what made the Wings so dangerous. Having guys with such skill, the Wings are the deadliest with fewer guys on either team in the offensive zone, which is what made this transition game so spectactular. While the Bruins were still trapped in the neutral zone, the Wings would steal the puck and jet up the ince on a two-on-one time and time again. Pure brilliance, gotta give credit to Mike Babcock.
On an individual note, I got a little more dirt on Adam McQuaid last night. After being a late season call-up who got some playoff time last season when Dennis Seidenberg and Mark Stuart were sidelined, Adam McQuaid is having a solid rookie season, going into last nihts game a +22. But he still looks shaky at times, and last night I noticed a huge weakness in his game. This being his first full year in the league, it is understandable for him to still be adjusting to the high level of play. One thing he is still not very good at is moving with the puck and making plays while keeping his head up the whole time. Last night I saw many intances where he stumbled or mishandled the puck, because he is still getting used to playing without looking down at it.
Friday, February 11, 2011
My First Post
After spending many obsessive hours compulsively dissecting hockey stats, rumors and the like I have decided today that what better way to spend my uneventful, unproductive work study hours monitoring the computer lab, than getting my opinions and admittedly self-proclaimed hockey expertise out to the world to agree with, argue, get pissed off about, what have you.
At this current moment, there are two things major things bugging me around the league.
1) The pity and panic for the Pittsburgh Penguins (say THAT five times fast).
Sidney Crosby has not played a game since January 5, and though he remains hopeful for a return, there is no timetable for his return. Evgeni Malkin hadn't played since January 18, and went down for the season just six minutes into his return earlier this week. The loss of two of the best centerman in the league suddenly has experts losing faith in the 'Pens, and with the Trade Deadline just over 2 weeks away, suggests that they should be scrambling to find some emergency help from the trade market. The fact is since Malkin went down on the 18th, the Penguins have won 6 of 9, including a 5-game winning streak, and in the entire stretch since the loss of Crosby, the Penguins have pulled off wins against the Boston Bruins (who twice previously had left the Pens with the mouths agape after stunning third period rallies), the perpetual powerhouse Detroit Red Wings, and the suddenly hot Buffalo Sabres, and remain only 3 points behind the conference-leading and in-state divisional rival Philadelphia Flyers, who, goaltending aside, boast arguably the best roster in the game today. With the top two centers out of the lineup, underappreciated third center Jordan Staal with finally get a chance to shine. Pittsburgh still has a lot of young talent in the pipeline, who is so far doing their part stepping in. The time for panic may happen for the Penguins, but for the moment, they seem safe. When they start losing, THEN you can worry. Still, that's not to say preventative measures can't be taken to ensure the Penguins stay solid enough to keep the race for the Atlantic Division title alive. GM Ray Shero has been notorious the last few years for adding streaky veteran wingers and solid defenders at the deadline over the past few years for the stretch run (Alex Ponikarovsky and Jordan Leopold last year, Bill Guerin and Hal Gill the year before). If there's one thing the Penguins always seem to be missing, it's a high-scoring winger. WIth the talent of Crosby and Malkin, they have managed to get by without that asset for the past few years, but the time may be now to make a big deadline splash, especially seeing that the Penguins only worrying statistic with the loss of Crosby and Malkin seems to be their goal scoring. While I still have faith in Staal, there is no denying the loss of two centers creates a hole in depth down the middle. WIth Staal becoming the top center, the Penguins may still need to add a solid center to anchor the second or third line, as grinder Max Talbot has had a disappointing season production-wise. The only other thing that the Penguins should look to add is a veteran with playoff experience to balance out the youth that is currently filling the holes created by injury. Other than that, Pittsburgh seems set on the back end, with a solid top 5 defenseman and two reliable goaltenders. All-Star Kris Letang is making a case for the Norris Trophy, Alex Goligoski is having a break out year, off-season acquisitions Paul Martin and Zbynek Michalek are solid defenders, and Brooks Orpik, the oldest and longest-tenured D-man on the team at age 30, is as reliable as ever. All-Star goalie Marc-Andre Fleury is playing some of the best hockey of his career (much to my dismay, as I've always found him overrated), and backup and former 34-game winner Brent Johnson's 9-4-2 record, .929 SV% and 1.90 GAA are more than comforting in case Fleury starts to falter.
2) The refusal to take notice of the New Jersey Devils recent play.
Right from the get-go this season, the Devils have been absolutely awful. With the Devils already playing poorly, and the monstrosity-of-a-contract-winner Ilya Kovalchuk severely underachieving, the Devils suffered a huge blow by losing Zach Parise to a long-term injury. What I found particularly heartbreaking was the fate of my favorite player, Kovy (almost as heartbreaking as him being traded to the Devils, and then re-signing with them). Up till now, Kovy had scored more goals than any other player since he entered the league, quite a feat for someone spending his entire career with the until-recently lackluster Atlanta Thrashers. But Kovy just wasn't playing inspired hockey; he was losing the puck, falling in odd places. Overall, just playing with no confidence whatsoever. From the start, he didn;t seem to fit in the Devil's system, a team which had constantly remained a top team in the league through their defensive style of play and minimal scoring. With the saga of his contract, most people would find it hard to pity the man, but I still had faith in my boy, even despite his horrifying -29.
With one of the worst rosters in the league after Kovy, Zajac, and Elias, the Devils didn't seem to have much potential for a change this season. Enter Jacques Lemaire. There is no denying he is a great coach, last night he earned his 600th career win. Some changes have started to happen since Lemaire took over. First thing one will notice is that Johan Hedberg has been playing more; finally, someone realizes that at this age, Martin Brodeur just isn't capable of being a starter. Yeah, the guy's a future Hall of Famer, and quite possibly the greatest goalie of all-time. But face it, the guy's old, and has had some tough injuries recently. With those odds against you, you just can't keep it up.
Suddenly the Devils are 11-1-2 in their last 14 games, including wins against the Philadelphia Flyers, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and two wins against the Tampa Bay Lightning, and the one loss coming against the Detroit Red Wings. They are 5-0-1 since the All-Star break. And still the league take little notice. After being written off all-season long as the worst team in the league, the Devils are poised to rocket up the standings. Already, they have jumped from 15th to 13th in the Eastern Conference. They have earned 24 points in 14 games, and with still 27 games to go in the season, are now only 13 points behind the Carolina Hurricanes for the final playoff spot.
And now I make my Kovalchuk plug. Kovalchuk was under the microscope for the duration of his and the Devils horrible play, but now he is hot once again, and is receiving little mention for it. He could still finish this season with 30 goals, not what we're used to from Kovy, but still a fantastic season from anyone's standards, and everyone is bound to have a drop in production now and then (i.e. Alex Ovechkin). A player often criticized as a puck hog and a player who gives little defensive effort, Kovy's numbers seem to have gotten to him. His assists are equal to his goals (18 each), and he recently approacher Coach Lemaire with a request: he wished to get some time on the penalty kill, hoping to work on his defensive game. He has taken on a huge role for the Devils, often being double-shifted by Lemaire. A few tweaks in his game have seemed to work wonders for Kovalchuk: he has a six-game point streak, scoring in every game since the All-Star break, and has been a + in each of those games, with 4 goals, 3 assists, 7 points, and a +7 over those 6 games. Also he has 5 goals, 5 assists, and 10 points in his last 8 games, and since the All-Star break has improved his league-worst -29 to a -22.
Things are looking up in New Jersey. Just goes to show sometimes a personnel change rather than player changes can go a long way. Look at the Calgary Flames in the West. After Darryl Sutter stepped down and Jay Feaster took over, they've improved dramatically as well. 8-1-1 in their last 10 and now holding on to the last playoff spot in the West.
At this current moment, there are two things major things bugging me around the league.
1) The pity and panic for the Pittsburgh Penguins (say THAT five times fast).
Sidney Crosby has not played a game since January 5, and though he remains hopeful for a return, there is no timetable for his return. Evgeni Malkin hadn't played since January 18, and went down for the season just six minutes into his return earlier this week. The loss of two of the best centerman in the league suddenly has experts losing faith in the 'Pens, and with the Trade Deadline just over 2 weeks away, suggests that they should be scrambling to find some emergency help from the trade market. The fact is since Malkin went down on the 18th, the Penguins have won 6 of 9, including a 5-game winning streak, and in the entire stretch since the loss of Crosby, the Penguins have pulled off wins against the Boston Bruins (who twice previously had left the Pens with the mouths agape after stunning third period rallies), the perpetual powerhouse Detroit Red Wings, and the suddenly hot Buffalo Sabres, and remain only 3 points behind the conference-leading and in-state divisional rival Philadelphia Flyers, who, goaltending aside, boast arguably the best roster in the game today. With the top two centers out of the lineup, underappreciated third center Jordan Staal with finally get a chance to shine. Pittsburgh still has a lot of young talent in the pipeline, who is so far doing their part stepping in. The time for panic may happen for the Penguins, but for the moment, they seem safe. When they start losing, THEN you can worry. Still, that's not to say preventative measures can't be taken to ensure the Penguins stay solid enough to keep the race for the Atlantic Division title alive. GM Ray Shero has been notorious the last few years for adding streaky veteran wingers and solid defenders at the deadline over the past few years for the stretch run (Alex Ponikarovsky and Jordan Leopold last year, Bill Guerin and Hal Gill the year before). If there's one thing the Penguins always seem to be missing, it's a high-scoring winger. WIth the talent of Crosby and Malkin, they have managed to get by without that asset for the past few years, but the time may be now to make a big deadline splash, especially seeing that the Penguins only worrying statistic with the loss of Crosby and Malkin seems to be their goal scoring. While I still have faith in Staal, there is no denying the loss of two centers creates a hole in depth down the middle. WIth Staal becoming the top center, the Penguins may still need to add a solid center to anchor the second or third line, as grinder Max Talbot has had a disappointing season production-wise. The only other thing that the Penguins should look to add is a veteran with playoff experience to balance out the youth that is currently filling the holes created by injury. Other than that, Pittsburgh seems set on the back end, with a solid top 5 defenseman and two reliable goaltenders. All-Star Kris Letang is making a case for the Norris Trophy, Alex Goligoski is having a break out year, off-season acquisitions Paul Martin and Zbynek Michalek are solid defenders, and Brooks Orpik, the oldest and longest-tenured D-man on the team at age 30, is as reliable as ever. All-Star goalie Marc-Andre Fleury is playing some of the best hockey of his career (much to my dismay, as I've always found him overrated), and backup and former 34-game winner Brent Johnson's 9-4-2 record, .929 SV% and 1.90 GAA are more than comforting in case Fleury starts to falter.
2) The refusal to take notice of the New Jersey Devils recent play.
Right from the get-go this season, the Devils have been absolutely awful. With the Devils already playing poorly, and the monstrosity-of-a-contract-winner Ilya Kovalchuk severely underachieving, the Devils suffered a huge blow by losing Zach Parise to a long-term injury. What I found particularly heartbreaking was the fate of my favorite player, Kovy (almost as heartbreaking as him being traded to the Devils, and then re-signing with them). Up till now, Kovy had scored more goals than any other player since he entered the league, quite a feat for someone spending his entire career with the until-recently lackluster Atlanta Thrashers. But Kovy just wasn't playing inspired hockey; he was losing the puck, falling in odd places. Overall, just playing with no confidence whatsoever. From the start, he didn;t seem to fit in the Devil's system, a team which had constantly remained a top team in the league through their defensive style of play and minimal scoring. With the saga of his contract, most people would find it hard to pity the man, but I still had faith in my boy, even despite his horrifying -29.
With one of the worst rosters in the league after Kovy, Zajac, and Elias, the Devils didn't seem to have much potential for a change this season. Enter Jacques Lemaire. There is no denying he is a great coach, last night he earned his 600th career win. Some changes have started to happen since Lemaire took over. First thing one will notice is that Johan Hedberg has been playing more; finally, someone realizes that at this age, Martin Brodeur just isn't capable of being a starter. Yeah, the guy's a future Hall of Famer, and quite possibly the greatest goalie of all-time. But face it, the guy's old, and has had some tough injuries recently. With those odds against you, you just can't keep it up.
Suddenly the Devils are 11-1-2 in their last 14 games, including wins against the Philadelphia Flyers, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and two wins against the Tampa Bay Lightning, and the one loss coming against the Detroit Red Wings. They are 5-0-1 since the All-Star break. And still the league take little notice. After being written off all-season long as the worst team in the league, the Devils are poised to rocket up the standings. Already, they have jumped from 15th to 13th in the Eastern Conference. They have earned 24 points in 14 games, and with still 27 games to go in the season, are now only 13 points behind the Carolina Hurricanes for the final playoff spot.
And now I make my Kovalchuk plug. Kovalchuk was under the microscope for the duration of his and the Devils horrible play, but now he is hot once again, and is receiving little mention for it. He could still finish this season with 30 goals, not what we're used to from Kovy, but still a fantastic season from anyone's standards, and everyone is bound to have a drop in production now and then (i.e. Alex Ovechkin). A player often criticized as a puck hog and a player who gives little defensive effort, Kovy's numbers seem to have gotten to him. His assists are equal to his goals (18 each), and he recently approacher Coach Lemaire with a request: he wished to get some time on the penalty kill, hoping to work on his defensive game. He has taken on a huge role for the Devils, often being double-shifted by Lemaire. A few tweaks in his game have seemed to work wonders for Kovalchuk: he has a six-game point streak, scoring in every game since the All-Star break, and has been a + in each of those games, with 4 goals, 3 assists, 7 points, and a +7 over those 6 games. Also he has 5 goals, 5 assists, and 10 points in his last 8 games, and since the All-Star break has improved his league-worst -29 to a -22.
Things are looking up in New Jersey. Just goes to show sometimes a personnel change rather than player changes can go a long way. Look at the Calgary Flames in the West. After Darryl Sutter stepped down and Jay Feaster took over, they've improved dramatically as well. 8-1-1 in their last 10 and now holding on to the last playoff spot in the West.
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