NHL Hockey Blog Posts

AARWICH PRIDICTIONS REVISED July 14th 2009

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 18:51:42 EDT

*revised

May 1st, 2009

The Detroit Tigers will:

win the Central Devision
record = 92-70
loose to the Red Sox in the ALCS
* watch Inge finish w/ 40 hr's & a .289 avg
* watch Thames hit 12 homers after the ASB
* watch Granderson steal 27 bases after the ASB
* watch Verlander finish w/ 21 wins & 281 K's

June 1st, 2009

The Detroit Pistons will:

draft Earl Clark (Austin Daye if Clark's gone)
release 'Sheed, Dyess & AI
sign Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva & Brandon Bass
trade Rip/Tay in a 3-way trade for

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All-Star Preview Among Other Topics

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:45:14 EDT

1. Tonight’s the Home Run Derby. I’m heading down there later to soak up some of the atmosphere and to see if I can get close enough to Clark Street to maybe grab a ball. Albert Pujols has come close to hitting it out of the park in regulation play, so he might have a shot when he’s being grooved pitches. That being said, I’m a little worried about him heading into this competitive batting practice extravaganza.

Pujols had minor surgery on his elbow this year that will eventually need reconstructive surgery. Pujols is in the midst of his best home run hitting season in his already extraordinary career. Would it be cool to see him win the derby in his home stadium? Of course. But I’d much rather see him get to the 50 home run plateau for the first time, which could also propel the Cardinals to their first postseason berth since they want it all in 2006. Colby Rasmus and Ryan Ludwick are both starting to get into grooves. If Pujols goes down, those performances disappear faster than Mark McGwire at a press conference. That’s not to take anything away from either player, but if pitchers can be more careful with them, they’ll make fewer mistakes. Fewer mistakes will equal lower production and it will trickle down through the rest of the already struggling lineup.

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Ducks Defense Still Staggering

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:00:06 EDT

It was no shock to the city of Anaheim when all-star defenseman Chris Pronger was traded on NHL draft day. The real shock may come during the 2009-10 season when the Ducks still put out a strong defensive lineup on opening day.

Pronger saw his tenure with the Ducks end at three seasons after a Norris Trophy nomination and a Stanley Cup Championship in 2007. But Anaheim did not see their defense depletion stop there; puck-moving defenseman Francois Beauchemin agreed to a three-year, $11.4 million deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 5th. He even had a few harsh words about not being re-signed for his former GM Bob Murray and Anaheim Ducks management.

“Yeah, I am a little bit disappointed by them,” Beauchemin said on a media conference call, “Obviously, I had four great years there. When you play in a place for four years and win a Stanley Cup, it’s always tough to leave, but at the same time, when they don’t want you, it’s time to move on.”

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The Blues fill a big need look to sure up roster

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:19:48 EDT

The Blues have done well this offseason to retain key pieces of last year’s team such as Keith Tkachuk, Jay McClemment, Brad Winchester, and Mike Weaver. I personally didn’t see Weaver coming back, not because of his lack of performance, but because I didn’t think that the Blues would have room for him on their roster. That changed once the team decided to buyout the final year of Jay McKee’s contract. The Blues now have Weaver, Erik Johnson, Carlo Coliacavo, Eric Brewer, and Barret Jackman locked up for next year. They also have a qualifying offer on the table to Roman Polak who is apparently expecting some massive contract offer from the Blues, but the team isn’t biting. The club would probably be willing to pay him more than just the qualifying offer they gave him, but they’re not going to overpay for a guy who’s just a supporting player, albeit a solid one.

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Wild sign Martin Havlat to 6-Year 30 Million Contract

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:00:41 EDT

Martin Havlat saw the writing on the wall in Chicago when they signed winger Marian Hossa to a 12-year contract earlier in the day. The Wild jumped on the chance at grabbing the free-agent winger.

''We are excited to add the speed and scoring of Martin Havlat to our lineup,'' Wild GM Chuck Fletcher said late Wednesday night. ''He is a terrific two-way player.''

Havlat had some serious injury problems in his 3-season tenure with the Blackhawks, but managed to stay healthy throughout all of 2008-09. He tallied 29 goals and 48 assists with the Blackhawks in 81 regular season games, and added 15 points in 16 games in the playoffs. Havlat adds even more speed to a very quick Minnesota lineup.

The Wild lost star Marian Gaborik to the New York Rangers in free-agency earlier on Wednesday. Gaborik played in just 17 games last season for his club, due to a nagging hip injury. The team rallied around the loss of their dynamic player though, finishing ninth and just being two points out of a playoff berth. With the addition of Havlat, this team is one to be reckoned with. Stud center Mikko Koivu scored 67 points to lead the team, and crafty winger Andrew Brunette added 50 points. Placing Havlat on a power-play line with these two strong players could improve the Wild's chances of earning a playoff spot.

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Canadiens Sign Brian Gionta to 5-Year 25 Million Contract

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:26:44 EDT

The Canadiens keep making the headlines. They have brought in yet another key forward.

Brian Gionta, one of the most valued New Jersey Devils in recent time, has decided to sign with the revamped Montreal Canadiens. Gionta has spent all of his 7 NHL seasons with the Devils, playing right-wing on the top line for most of that time. Gionta is coming off of a 60-point season with the Devils, which ranked him tied for third on the team. Scoring is not his only strength though. The 5'7” 175 lb. Rochester native has also been known to kill penalties and play in any defensive situation.

While Gionta is not quite the gifted scorer that Jarome Iginla of Calgary is, he is a threat to score. Mike Cammalleri was signed earlier in the day, and these two may find chemistry together. Cammalleri just had a 39-goal season with the Flames playing on the top line with Iginla. He operates best with a fellow goal scorer. Gionta may be the answer in Montreal.

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Rangers sign Marian Gaborik to 5-Year 375 Million Contract

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:12:31 EDT

As expected, the New York Rangers have made a splash in the free-agent sweepstakes. Rangers GM Glen Sather announced late Wednesday that the club has agreed to terms with star free-agent, Marian Gaborik.

The Slovakian right-wing had a troubling season in Minnesota last year, playing in only 17 games caused by a nagging hip injury. Even though his time was limited, he was still able to scrape together 23 points. Gaborik has had surgery since then and the Rangers are hoping that he can return to his old form.

Gaborik's best year came in 2007-08 when he amassed 42 goals and 83 points in 77 games played. He was always a bright spot for the Minnesota Wild, until the State of Hockey saw the likes of Mikko Koivu and Pierre-Marc Bouchard. He will join a Rangers lineup that has been depleted since losing to Washington in the first round of the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs. Markus Naslund has announced his retirement from the NHL, while Scott Gomez has been traded to the Montreal Canadiens and Nik Antropov is on the free-agent market.

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San Jose Sharks Say Goodbye to Mike Grier and others

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:45:17 EDT

It’s July 1st and the NHL Free Agent season has begun. Our home team San Jose Sharks have begun the process of addition with a little subtraction letting several players go to make room for the player who will become the latest in a long string of players who will get the Sharks to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Below is my look at the recent departures and whether I think the Sharks are Gonne Miss ‘Em (G) or Not Gonna Miss ‘Em (NG).

Marcel Goc (C): A former first round pick, Goc was one of several German players on the Sharks, Goc got off to a good start career-wise when, after spending the entire 03/04 season in Cleveland he was called up during the Sharks 2004 playoffs where he assisted on a clinching goal in the St. Louis series and scored the series-clinching goal against the Avalanche in the conference semi-finals. But, that seems to have been the high-point for Goc who never really had anything other than a mediocre regular season after that and has been particularly absent in the last two playoffs as he put up zero points in those last two Stanley Cup campaigns. Goc is a guy who really needs a change of scenery at this point, he is a good kid though so on a personal level he’s a G, but on the ice, particularly in the playoffs he’s an NG.

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Maple Leafs Sign Mike Komisarek to 5-Year 225 Million Contract

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:13:38 EDT

Leafs GM Brian Burke was not done adding some grit to his lineup after signing New York's Colton Orr to a 4-year, $4 million contract. He continued on a few hours later, picking defenseman Mike Komisarek up from free-agency.

The former Montreal Canadien is not known for his offensive ability, but rather his toughness and defensive abilities. Komisarek, an All-Star in 2009, paved the way for the Montreal defense to start the 2008-09 campaign. He was known league-wide as a feisty defenseman who will not back down from any challenge. Komisarek finished last season with 121 penalty minutes, which led the Canadiens roster.

With an average of $4.5 million a year, Komisarek is expected to be a leader in the Leafs' lineup. Signing a player of Mik

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Canadiens Sign Mike Cammalleri to 5-Year 30 Million Contract

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:57:58 EDT

Bob Gainey jumped right back into making big deals for his squad on Wednesday. Gainey acquired Scott Gomez yesterday from the New York Rangers and now has added star Mike Cammalleri to his Canadiens lineup.

This 5'9” 185 lb. center had a breakout year in 2008-09, when he tallied 82 points in 81 games for the Calgary Flames. He found himself atop the lineup, playing center with superstar Jarome Iginla on his wing. In a three-team deal with the Canadiens and Kings, the Flames acquired Cammalleri from the Kings in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. Before that deal, Cammalleri was known as a sneaky second line center, ensuring about 50 points every season. But the now-27 year old exploded in Calgary, making the trade a win-win for Flames GM Darryl Sutter.

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