Pipes Output http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/pipe.info?_id=4nKmOZQa3hGtSy_lrLQIDg Fri, 18 Sep 2015 12:59:49 +0000 http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/ http://oilers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=779392&cmpid=rss-release The Edmonton Oilers are set to kick off their 2015 Training Camp on Thursday, September 17 with medical and fitness testing taking place at Rexall Place. On-ice sessions will commence Friday, September 18 at the Leduc Recreation Centre (4330 Bl... news@edmontonoilers.com http://oilers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=779392 Thu, 17 Sep 2015 15:00:00 +0000 http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=779405 EDMONTON -- Connor McDavid put on a show Wednesday for the 14,434 fans who turned out to see his first game at Rexall Place. McDavid assisted on three goals to lead the Edmonton Oilers rookies to a 6-3 victory against the two-time Canadian nati... http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=779405 Thu, 17 Sep 2015 05:00:00 +0000 http://oilers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=779390&cmpid=rss-News Tonight was the first test of Rexall Place's walk-through metal detectors. Guests generally experienced longer than anticipated line-ups and wait times to enter Rexall Place for the game between the Oilers Rookies and the University of Alberta Gol... http://oilers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=779390 Thu, 17 Sep 2015 03:04:00 +0000 http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nhl/SIG=1499oilsm/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/puck-daddy-power-rankings--hired-goons-for-connor-mcdavid--bruins-discord-220306913.html [Author's note: Power rankings are usually three things: Bad, wrong, and boring. You typically know just as well as the authors which teams won what games against who and what it all means, so our moving the Red Wings up four spots or whatever really doesn't tell you anything you didn't know. Who's hot, who's not, who cares? For this reason, we're doing a power ranking of things that are usually not teams. You'll see what I mean.] 9. Demonstrably bad players on PTOs So the NHL has this rule, right? In preseason games you have to dress a certain number of guys with a certain amount of NHL experience, or something bad happens (maybe you have to trade for R.J. Umberger?) and you get in trouble. Whenever you see a player who is not good — Sheldon Brookbank! Jonas Gustavsson! Other Guys I Can't Think Of Right Now But You Can Probably Think of Some By Yourself! Oh Wait Never Mind I Just Remembered Patrick Kaleta! — signed to a PTO, please remember that it's just a team's way of making sure they can keep the veterans they don't need to play in exhibitions from maybe getting hurt by some bad player on a PTO with the other team who wants to make an impression by running an actual NHLer into the boards from behind at a million miles per hour. None of these guys have any chance of making the NHL team, so don't worry. (Note: This doesn't apply to actual good players on PTOs, whom teams seem to mainly just be jerking around a little bit to get the price down. Those guys are good and fine.) 8. Hired goons So Connor McDavid got belted by Jake Virtanen in a rookie game over the weekend and maybe it's just a thing of this being mid-September but people have lost their minds about it. Virtanen is now something of a folk hero to Canucks fans, and will 100 percent make the team out of camp now specifically because he hit the league's new golden boy, nice and clean. Wow, he must be good if he hit the guy! This is the same logic the Canucks are going to use when they sign the pane of glass on which McDavid broke his hand in a fight last season. And the guy he fought. I don't remember who that was but they're gonna sign him too. Meanwhile, in Edmonton, the hit led to hysterical calls from the local media for the team to basically trade for everyone who broke double-digits in fights last season. And maybe Kaleta too, so people think if they look at McDavid the wrong way, you're gonna be scraping brain matter off the end boards the very next time he's on the ice. You gotta protect the assets, and all that. Here's the thing: The Edmonton media has this bizarre obsession with how the team played when Wayne Gretzky was still in town — that being like 30 years ago, haha (get over it) — and all they remember is how Gretzky had guys on the ice with him specifically to sort out anyone who would dare do to him what Virtanen did to McDavid, “clean hit or not.” Has hockey changed in that time? Immeasurably. Does that matter to every Oiler fanboy in the local media who only remember the glory days and not the 25-plus years of being absolute garbage since then? At some point it becomes incumbent on McDavid not to get knocked on his ass, is basically my point. The kid has vision for days, but he didn't see that hit coming? Come on, it's not like Virtanen is a tried-and-true, physically mature NHLer. Dude turned 19 a month ago. People are gonna try to hit him like that all season. A thing that's funny is Oilers fans spent all last summer swearing that Johnny Gaudreau was going to get his lunch handed to him the first time he crossed the blue line against some 6-foot-5, 30-year-old defenseman with a mean streak. Gaudreau, of course, is a good enough skater and vision-haver that this was not in any way a problem for him. I don't remember him getting legally manhandled too often, do you? And McDavid is a better skater and ice-seer than Gaudreau, by a pretty wide margin. So I don't know. Maybe keep your head up and avoid the situations where you can get hit like that? Then the Oilers don't have to play Luke Gazdic every night and they might actually be good at some point in the near future. urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,9295a246-ab6d-317c-bd98-634a531900a1-l:1 Wed, 16 Sep 2015 22:03:05 +0000 nhl http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nhl/SIG=12vendlgo/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/news/adidas-brand-over-nhl-supplier-reebok-2017-074633710--nfl.html German sportswear firm Adidas has struck a seven-year partnership with the National Hockey League (NHL) starting in 2017, taking over from its own Reebok subsidiary, as it seeks to challenge rival Nike in top North American sports. Adidas also said it planned to sign more high profile NHL players after it agreed a sponsorship with Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers, the top pick in the 2015 NHL Draft. urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,4f74d3db-e071-3729-8786-d68470c5064c-l:1 Wed, 16 Sep 2015 07:46:33 +0000 nhl http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=779215 Forward Connor McDavid is expected to be in the lineup when the Edmonton Oilers rookies play the University of Alberta in an exhibition on Wednesday. The game will be played at Rexall Place (9 p.m. ET), home of the Oilers. The previous 24 games... http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=779215 Wed, 16 Sep 2015 02:48:00 +0000 http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nhl/SIG=13pio8oda/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/ryan-nugent-hopkins-tired-of-getting-oilers-coaches-fired-222320141.html TORONTO – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins didn’t think that, five years into his NHL career, he’d have more head coaches than playoff games to his credit, and yet here we are. “This will be my fifth coach in five years,” he said, during the NHL Players Tour last week in Toronto. “It’s unfortunate. You get attached to coaches with their systems. Personally, you become friends. It’s tough to see guys go.” His rookie coach was Tom Renney, in 2011-12. Then came Ralph Krueger for 48 games, post lockout. Then Dallas Eakins, for part of two seasons before Todd Nelson took over last year with an assist from Craig MacTavish.  Nugent-Hopkins sees Krueger, who will coach Team Europe in the World Cup of Hockey next fall, as the one that got away. “We all really liked Ralph,” he said. “Super intelligent guy. Really knew how to handle the players well, and we only had a short season with him. It was tough to lose him.” Losing coaches takes it toll on the Oilers, and not just because it’s like hitting the reset button five times in five years. Nugent-Hopkins said the players start taking it personally; that their own lack of success is the reason why this cycle has perpetuated and why good people keep losing their jobs. “It kind of goes hand-in-hand: The worst we play as a team, the more likely the coach will be on his way out. Unfortunately that’s the way it’s been for the last four years for me,” he said. [ Yahoo Sports Fantasy Hockey: Sign up and join a league today! ] Now comes Todd McLellan, who coached 540 games for the San Jose Sharks before a mutual parting of ways after last season, his first outside the playoffs as an NHL head coach. “I know a few guys in San Jose, and they don’t have enough good things to say about Todd. I just heard he’s a great guy off the ice. Really good person,” he said. “Todd’s an experienced guy, coming into a younger group than he’s used to.” Edmonton’s preseason roster has 28 players that are 25 and younger. That includes Nugent-Hopkins, with 258 games to his credit, as well as returning core players in Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and Nail Yakupov. It also includes this guy Connor McDavid that you may have heard mentioned here or there. Nugent-Hopkins was half-watching the NHL Draft lottery when the Oilers won it. He only realized it happened when his phone went nuclear with congratulatory, and bewildered, text messages. Is he looking forward to having McDavid play on his wing? “Yes!” he said, clapping his hands with a laugh, fully knowing that McDavid is destined for top line center duty. “I think that’s where we’ll place him. I know he spent a little time on the wing in junior, but I know he’s more comfortable at center.” Which means that Nugent-Hopkins, who played a career-high 20:38 per game last season, will likely see a different role.“Last year my minutes were pretty high. I think they’ll come down a little now, which should help me out too. And if I can take the pressure off him a little bit, I’ll do that for sure,” he said. Nugent-Hopkins is 22, but within the context of the Oilers he’s a veteran leader. The team captain is currently veteran defenseman Andrew Ference, but there’s speculation that the ‘C’ could be passed to Hall or Nugent-Hopkins this season. But the center says that it doesn’t matter who wears the letter; leadership is on all of them. “In our locker room, we’ve done a really good job of meshing everyone together: the veteran guys and the younger guys,” he said. “Whoever steps into that role, it’s not just going to be about one guy. Everyone has to step up and lead.” Lead, and succeed, in a way they haven’t in the previous four years of Nugent-Hopkins’s career. “We’ve had good coaches over the years. We haven’t played well enough to keep them,” he said. MORE FROM YAHOO HOCKEY urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,55a76496-049e-3dd6-a1cb-c66fca8609a2-l:1 Tue, 15 Sep 2015 22:23:19 +0000 nhl http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=778924 NHL.com's Q&A feature called "Five Questions With …" runs every Tuesday. We talk to key figures in the game and ask them questions to gain insight into their lives, careers and the latest news. The latest edition features Edmonton Oilers center... http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=778924 Tue, 15 Sep 2015 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/edmonton-oilers/oilers+management+decide+rest+mcdavid/11361047/story.html Connor McDavid spent more time signing autographs than playing games at the Young Stars Classic, which meant only a sampler for fans who had bought tickets to the event. The Edmonton Oilers’ management decided there was little to gain from McDavid playing all three games at the rookie tournament — dressing him last Friday night against the Vancouver Canucks’ rookies, then sitting him out against the Calgary Flames Saturday and Monday against the Winnipeg Jets. tag:www.edmontonjournal.com:content=11361047 Mon, 14 Sep 2015 04:16:38 +0000 http://www.edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/edmonton-oilers/kyle+platzer+evolved+into+important/11360051/story.html Kyle Platzer has become one of the better Oilers' prospects after struggling in wake of his 2013 draft tag:www.edmontonjournal.com:content=11360051 Sun, 13 Sep 2015 13:24:20 +0000 http://www.edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/edmonton-oilers/edmonton+oiler+leon+draisaitl/11359596/story.html Leon Draisaitl is playing his customary centre spot at the Young Stars tournament in Penticton, but he may have to make the Oilers on left wing at main camp. tag:www.edmontonjournal.com:content=11359596 Sat, 12 Sep 2015 21:58:24 +0000 http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=778858 PENTICTON, British Columbia -- Leon Draisaitl is a year older, a year wiser, and a year further along in his development, but his goal remains the same. The 19-year-old forward wants to become a full-time member of the Edmonton Oilers. "It's... http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=778858 Sat, 12 Sep 2015 21:53:00 +0000 http://www.edmontonjournal.com/oilers+podcast+rookies+edition/11353614/story.html It’s time for the Edmonton Journal’s sports department to launch a new season of its Oilers podcast. Tune in to hear hockey reporters Joanne Ireland and Jim Matheson discuss the rookie camp roster with sports editor Sarah O’Donnell. tag:www.edmontonjournal.com:content=11353614 Sat, 12 Sep 2015 18:19:34 +0000 http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nhl/SIG=139e4hjd6/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/news/oilers-phenom-mcdavid-goal-assist-professional-debut-073354567--nhl.html Connor McDavid, the No. 1 pick in this year's NHL draft, had a goal and an assist for the Edmonton Oilers in his professional debut Friday night, an 8-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks in the Young Stars tournament opener for both teams. The 18-year-old McDavid set up a great chance moments after the opening faceoff and picked up his first point with an assist on Darnell Nurse's power-play goal in the second period. McDavid scored his first on a deflected shot in the third. urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,ff3cdb47-2539-3d3f-b04e-5c65889b4684-l:1 Sat, 12 Sep 2015 07:33:54 +0000 nhl http://www.edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/edmonton-oilers/photos+young+stars+tournament/11357816/story.html The Young Stars rookie tournament started Friday in Penticton, B.C.’s South Okanagan Events Centre. Friday’s game pitting the Oilers rookies against the Canucks marks the start of Connor McDavid’s journey towards his first NHL regular season game. tag:www.edmontonjournal.com:content=11357816 Sat, 12 Sep 2015 03:55:58 +0000 http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nhl/SIG=13u82vdar/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.comhttps://sports.yahoo.com/news/mcdavid-eichel-lead-list-promising-nhl-youngsters-201838660--nhl.html McDavid-mania might be in full swing in Edmonton. As consolations prizes go, the Sabres landed a player with the potential to make an immediate impact in Jack Eichel, who was drafted second overall behind Connor McDavid. Eichel needed only one season at Boston University to establish himself as a budding star. urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,0a629641-7f31-37c2-ad7c-ba3f207e3496-l:1 Fri, 11 Sep 2015 20:18:38 +0000 nhl http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nhl/SIG=1360b5ol1/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/news/oilers-hope-mcdavid-restore-franchises-glory-days-194045271--nhl.html Minutes before Connor McDavid hit the ice for practice, members of the newly formed Edmonton Oilers' brain trust were already in their seats some 20 rows up in Section 116 at Rexall Place. It was early July and just the second day of the Oilers' rookie orientation camp. McDavid - as he had done throughout his junior career in Erie, Pennsylvania - was once again drawing a crowd that included new general manager Peter Chiarelli, new coach Todd McLellan and new team President Bob Nicholson. urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,976c4c28-d652-35e0-96bb-cc9d2d4f3f3d-l:1 Fri, 11 Sep 2015 19:40:45 +0000 nhl http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nhl/SIG=140pfnv3r/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/has-any-team-improved-more-than-buffalo-sabres---trending-topics-132731558.html When you go down the list of who spent what on whom in free agency, and what trades were made this summer, you can pretty easily start to pick out the winners and losers. Flexibility-strapped teams had to jettison players, and clubs with a wealth of cap space were, for the second or perhaps third summer in a row, able to bleed them of talent (look at Dallas, and so on).  The wild spending of previous off-seasons, mostly to retain current players rather than woo new ones, led a number of competitive clubs into tough situations. As a result, the talent wealth was spread around a little more evenly. But when picking winners and losers, the two clubs that seem to have taken the biggest steps forward were the two of the three worst in the league in terms of wins and losses: Edmonton and Buffalo. Of course, those teams making a ton of hay on the trade market and in free agency is going to give them the chance to take a big step forward, but that comes with the caveat that they were so far behind the pack last year (Edmonton obviously less so) that even a best-in-the-league leap might not be enough to get the job done and actually make a club competitive. However, when it comes to making the right choices in terms of which players to bring in, it's tough to argue that any general manager has done better in the last few months than Tim Murray. Let's just get the obvious out of the way first: Edmonton added the single most important player that any team has added at least since Sidney Crosby, and perhaps since Mario Lemieux. And that goes a long way toward your “improving” metric right there. The Oilers, however, also brought in Andrej Sekera, Mark Letestu, Cam Talbot, Griffin Reinhart and a few other players who might be able to move the needle. They weirdly also dumped a helpful player or two, but the total gain was overwhelmingly positive. [ Yahoo Sports Fantasy Hockey: Sign up and join a league today! ] It should be noted here that the Oilers weren't nearly as bad last season as the record indicates, and were supremely unlucky especially in terms of goaltending. So that they added McDavid and Sekera and Talbot in particular, then also brought in a very good coach and — for the first time in a while — deeply competent GM, all indicates that this is a team that could be borderline playoff-competitive, especially in their truly awful division. A lot of that depends upon just how good McDavid is, as you might imagine, but the fact that we're even having that conversation says plenty about the steps forward taken under Peter Chiarelli, in the Light of the 97. But even those huge steps forward pale in comparison with what Buffalo has done this summer. Here are the more notable NHL players they are bringing in for 2015-16 in who didn't play for them last season — including Evander Kane, who was traded Feb. 11, but didn't play a game last season — versus those they lost or jettisoned (and I might be missing one or two here, but you get the picture): urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,112f508d-9630-3150-9240-21703318aa64-l:1 Fri, 11 Sep 2015 14:32:59 +0000 nhl http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nhl/SIG=13o71p862/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/sidney-crosby-on-expectations-surrounding-connor-mcdavid-193913524.html TORONTO – If anyone knows what Connor McDavid has been through and is about to experience during his first NHL season it’s Sidney Crosby. When talking about the amount of hype thrown McDavid’s way you have to go back to 2005 when the Pittsburgh Penguins captain was handed the label as “The Next One.” A decade ago, social media wasn’t where its at today, so you can argue that in a way the Edmonton Oilers’ no. 1 pick from last June is under a bigger microscope than the one Crosby was under as the league came out of a lockout. The expectations will be high for McDavid to be the centerpiece of an Oilers turnaround. Crosby helped get the Penguins to end a four-year playoff drought in his second NHL season, and in his fourth year they won the Stanley Cup. Progress at this point for Edmonton would be not having one of the highest percentages in the draft lottery next April. [ Yahoo Sports Fantasy Hockey: Sign up and join a league today! ] So with the hype will come expectations for McDavid, something Crosby believes the young phenom will be able to handle. “[H]ow many 18 year olds have his ability?,” Crosby said during NHL Players Media Day in Toronto. “I’m sure they’re high, as they should be, but for him you just have to enjoy the process and make sure he doesn’t get too caught up in that. “He’s pretty levelheaded. I think he’s got things figured out pretty early on. I understand that the expectations are high but he looks like a guy who’s going to be able to live with them as well.” Pittsburgh became a hockey market power after Crosby’s arrival. After nearly a decade with no playoffs, the hunger has been growing there in Edmonton with each and every lottery pick. McDavid is expected to be the savior of a franchise stuck in mud. He’ll be protected in every way imaginable so the focus remains on his play. McDavid has already done more media obligations than some players do their entire careers. Being pulled in numerous directions, from media to sponsors to team/league marketing, can be a lot for any player to deal with. And as Crosby has experience, a strong support staff will help the young Oilers forward reach those high expectations. “[H]e has some really good people around him in the organization and players that have played in the league long enough, but they’re not guys who are that much older that they cannot relate to the things he’ll go through,” Crosby said. “There’s really a good balance of everything there for him.”   - - - - - - - Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Sean_Leahy MORE FROM YAHOO HOCKEY : urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,64e55d9e-e568-3a32-962a-15dc4e3a2620-l:1 Thu, 10 Sep 2015 19:39:12 +0000 nhl http://www.edmontonjournal.com/sports/three+lessons+from+gretzky+might+work+best+connor+mcdavid+line/11353387/story.html Who will be on Connor McDavid’s line this year? It’s a question that has gripped Edmonton hockey circles for months now. tag:www.edmontonjournal.com:content=11353387 Thu, 10 Sep 2015 19:32:36 +0000 http://oilers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=778623&cmpid=rss-release (Edmonton, AB) The Edmonton Oilers announced today the Club’s 2015 Training Camp will take place at the Leduc Recreation Centre in Leduc, AB from Friday, September 18 through Sunday, September 20. Interest of Oilers fans attending the Training... news@edmontonoilers.com http://oilers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=778623 Thu, 10 Sep 2015 17:12:00 +0000 http://www.edmontonjournal.com/business/selfie+sticks+pocket+knives+edmonton+oilers+fans+rexall/11350758/story.html Oilers fans are being urged to leave the selfie sticks and pocket knives at home because they will have to pass through airport-style metal detectors at Rexall Place starting this month. Some of the entrances will be equipped with the walk-through metal detectors on Sept. 16 for the Oilers Rookies game and in full operation when the season starts Oct. 15. tag:www.edmontonjournal.com:content=11350758 Thu, 10 Sep 2015 15:22:04 +0000 http://www.edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/edmonton-oilers/oilers+prospect+anton+slepyshev/11351688/story.html Edmonton Oilers head coach Todd McLellan dropped in at the Royal Glenora Club on Wednesday, trying to put faces to names like he was a regular hockey fan as he watched his players in an informal practice. tag:www.edmontonjournal.com:content=11351688 Thu, 10 Sep 2015 04:21:34 +0000 http://www.edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/edmonton-oilers/edmonton+oilers+peter+chiarelli+help/11351653/story.html Edmonton Oilers' GM Peter Chiarelli will help with selection of the Young Stars roster for the 2016 World Cup tournament tag:www.edmontonjournal.com:content=11351653 Thu, 10 Sep 2015 03:39:37 +0000 http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2015/09/09/new-reality-of-the-edmonton-oilers-the-core-is-dead-long-live-the-core/ The arrival of Connor McDavid to the Edmonton Oilers changes things for the old core group of Justin Schultz, Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle. tag:www.edmontonjournal.com:content=11350230 Wed, 09 Sep 2015 18:03:05 +0000 http://oilers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=778451&cmpid=rss-release TORONTO (Sept. 9, 2015) – The National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) and the National Hockey League (NHL®) announced today the appointment of Edmonton Oilers President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Peter Chiarelli and Chica... http://oilers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=778451 Wed, 09 Sep 2015 17:55:00 +0000 http://oilers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=778445&cmpid=rss-release Enhanced Security Features at Rexall Place Walk-through metal detectors in operation for NHL events EDMONTON, AB – Rexall Place is now equipped with walk-through metal detectors which will be in full operation for the start of the 2015-16 N... news@edmontonoilers.com http://oilers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=778445 Wed, 09 Sep 2015 16:30:00 +0000 http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nhl/SIG=14838j6qk/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/puck-daddy-power-rankings--phil-kessel-s-weight--david-savard-s-contract-150213305.html [Author's note: Power rankings are usually three things: Bad, wrong, and boring. You typically know just as well as the authors which teams won what games against who and what it all means, so our moving the Red Wings up four spots or whatever really doesn't tell you anything you didn't know. Who's hot, who's not, who cares? For this reason, we're doing a power ranking of things that are usually not teams. You'll see what I mean.] 7. That David Savard extension Here's what I don't get here: Savard at $4.25 million isn't that big of a deal in and of itself. That's not a ton of money, he played first-pairing minutes last year, and so on. But you have to understand what $4.25 million should buy you in the marketplace. Kevin Shattenkirk makes that much. So do Marc-Edouard Vlasic and John Klingberg. Adam Larsson, Jake Muzzin, Jonas Brodin, Slava Voynov, Jake Gardiner all make less than that. Anton Stralman, TJ Brodie, and Ryan McDonagh all make slightly more than that. Lumping Savard in with that group is, well, optimistic. He's 23 and this contract buys a few years of unrestricted free agency, but if he can't push the puck in the right direction and doesn't put up a ton of points, he's really not a guy who deserves what we can all agree is market value for extremely good young D-men. Over the last three seasons, Savard has 5-on-5 numbers that are negative in comparison with the team in the following categories: corsi, shots on goal, scoring chances, and high-quality scoring chances. He is also only plus-0.17 in goals. So....? But this actually highlights what should be a major, major, major point of concern for Columbus overall. Here's a list of guys making $4 million or more: Brandon Saad ($6 million through 2021) Brandon Dubinsky ($5.85 million through 2021) Sergei Bobrovsky ($5.625 million through 2019) Nick Foligno ($5.5 million through 2021) David Clarkson ($5.25 million through 2020) Scott Hartnell ($4.75 million through 2019) Fedor Tyutin ($4.5 million through 2018) Jack Johnson ($4.36 million through 2018) David Savard ($4.25 million through 2021) Ryan Johansen ($4 million through 2017) That's not a great group, and it's a lot of money ($50.85 million!!!!) to have committed to a not-great group of 10 guys. Especially considering Johansen's due a raise — and a hefty one at that — in two summers. What's he asking for if Clarkson's pulling $5.25 million and Foligno's getting more than that? When Jarmo Kekalainen was hired, there was a lot of praise going his way, including from me. Now we're being given reason to doubt that he's actually all that good at this. You can't commit that kind of money to a core from which you'd probably say only Johansen, Saad, and Bobrovsky are getting money commensurate with their talent level. That many guys being overpaid is a major problem. 6. Please like my sport If you are a hockey writer, I implore you to not write things like this : The NHL is not accustomed to headlines involving arrests and court dates. That’s normally for other sports leagues. Good lord. Have you seen everything that happened this summer? The NHL probably had as many arrests as any other sports league with all the “thugs” who are not “good guys.” So maybe..................... NHL players.......... can also do bad stuff??? 5. Third jerseys Can we just stop with these stupid things already? Or maybe let fans vote on which one of three or four options the team will wear. Because when was the last time a team introduced a third jersey and you were like, “That's great!” They're all bad. This doesn't apply to the third jerseys that are just updates of “classic” jerseys like, say, the Rangers' or Leafs' thirds. Classic is good! But Ryan Getzlaf skating around looking like a pumpkin? That's not good. [ Yahoo Sports Fantasy Hockey: Sign up and join a league today! ] 4. The idea that Phil Kessel lost 13 pounds and will now be really good as a result Know what else might make him good is if he plays with Sidney Crosby for 82 damn games. But hey, if he doesn't do well this season, I can't wait to blame it on him losing 13 pounds because whatever it is that made him really good was in the hot dog he ate every day. Please Phil Kessel be good next season. 3. Brad Treliving, the Flames hater If you said at any point in the last 12 months or so that the Flames' success was unsustainable, you were accused of things like hating the Flames or having an axe to grind or having an ex-girlfriend from Calgary who dumped you. So may Brad Treliving, clearly a jilted Oilers fan with a grudge, be favored by both the Old Gods and the new for saying this : “ Our season last year was like winning the Masters while sinking eighteen 40-foot putts. “We can’t just say the recipe for this season is, ‘We’re going to win a bunch of games by coming from behind in the third period. We’re going to pull the goaltender eight times and score a tying goal in seven of them.' There are a number of things there you can’t rely on duplicating. We’re not saying we have to retrace out footprints from last season. We have to get better. “Any type of predictability (analysis) will tell you that you can’t continue to trail and expect to have successful outcomes. We’ve looked at it seven ways to Sunday. We can’t continue to dig holes, and consider a victory when we work … fill the hole back in. That just doesn’t win.” Wow that guy really hates the Flames and wants them to fail! (Thank u Brad here is a big hug from me to u.) 2. Humility Steven Stamkos seems like a nice guy and everything, but this may be pushing things to their logical extremes: Stamkos on McDavid: I think he's better than me right now. — Craig Custance (@CraigCustance) September 8, 2015 “Wow,” said a lot of people. “That's crazy he would say that!” But here's the thing: McDavid might indeed be better than Steven Stamkos. Please keep in mind that Sidney Crosby — whose quality coming out of major junior was undisputed —  scored more than 100 points in his first season, and that McDavid is believed by many to be a higher-quality prospect than Crosby. Now, that's not to say McDavid is likely to crack 100 points, as the NHL scoring situation in 2005-06 was a lot more liberal than it is in 2015. That's also not to say that McDavid is likely to score more goals Stamkos, who has 276 goals in his career and — despite an apparent slowdown in production — has 97 in his last 167 appearances. These are still insane numbers. It's harder to rack up goals than assists in this league, obviously, and I'd wager that there aren't too many 18-year-olds in NHL history who could reliably be counted upon to keep up with the top three or four goalscorers in the league. But it would not be surprising at all to see McDavid, given his supporting cast and the role he'll likely play in Edmonton right away, put up more points than Stamkos next season. Stamkos had a strong 72 last year, and that sounds like a decent jumping-off point for McDavid. Hell, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him finish top-10 in scoring. That's what you'd expect from a guy whose offensive ability has been compared to Crosby at a minimum, and Mario Lemieux at a maximum. 1. The best shape of my life. As an NHL player a week before training camp, I'm in it. This matters and I'm glad you're all tweeting about it. (Not ranked this week: Being guilty in the court of public opinion. “Wow the idea of Patrick Kane settling with his alleged victim rather than going to trial sure does show he was innocent,” thought an idiot.  If Patrick Kane were accused of literally any other crime, and settled with his alleged victim rather than go to a criminal trial, the Court Of Public Opinion would take that as a tacit admission of his guilt. Why not here? Because lots of people think rape is always the accuser's fault, or that they made it up to get money out of him. People used that same argument a lot with Bill Cosby not that long ago, didn't they? Oh hmm. Weird. Right. But if the unimpeachable and good Captain Jonathan Toews says you gotta stand by the accused in these situations, then that's it as far as the hockey world is concerned. Boy was everyone in a hurry to explain, “What he meant was, dot dot dot!!!!” He won three Stanley Cups so he must be right. This is a thing that is letting people air out some Good Opinions. Wow.) Ryan Lambert is a Puck Daddy columnist. His email is here and his Twitter is here . (All statistics via War On Ice unless otherwise noted. urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,0dfc3b05-e662-335b-a449-65b7fef96367-l:1 Wed, 09 Sep 2015 15:02:11 +0000 nhl http://www.edmontonjournal.com/luke+gazdic+roommate+connor+mcdavid/11348141/story.html Luke Gazdic talks about his new roommate and Edmonton Oilers rookie Connor McDavid. tag:www.edmontonjournal.com:content=11348141 Wed, 09 Sep 2015 02:53:24 +0000 http://www.edmontonjournal.com/oilers+announce+young+stars+roster+featuring+connor+mcdavid/11347676/story.html Connor McDavid highlights Edmonton Oilers Young Stars tournament roster for tournament in Penticton tag:www.edmontonjournal.com:content=11347676 Tue, 08 Sep 2015 23:23:05 +0000 http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2015/09/08/better-than-stamkos-connor-mcdavid-finally-takes-flight-for-edmonton-oilers-as-penticton-roster-announced/ The Age of McDavid officially kicks off this weekend, when hockey’s latest wunderkind will lead a squad of Edmonton Oilers hopefuls in the annual Young Stars tournament in Penticton against similar squads of hopefuls from Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, and Winnipeg Jets. tag:www.edmontonjournal.com:content=11347726 Tue, 08 Sep 2015 18:18:48 +0000 http://oilers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=778358&cmpid=rss-release The Edmonton Oilers announced today their roster for the 2015 Rookie Camp, which includes the 2015 Young Stars Classic Tournament being held in Penticton, BC, from September 11-14. The Oilers Rookie Camp will open on Thursday, September 10 wit... news@edmontonoilers.com http://oilers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=778358 Tue, 08 Sep 2015 16:00:00 +0000 http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nhl/SIG=13oblvng7/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/edmonton-oilers--leadership-conundrum-with-ference--hall-174059227.html The power dynamics within the Edmonton Oilers could be downright fascinating. When’s the last time we’ve seen a team with a core leadership group that hasn’t led them anywhere, a veteran captain who may end up being a healthy scratch and a rookie who might earn the captaincy within three years if the hype’s correct?  [ Yahoo Sports Fantasy Hockey: Sign up and join a league today! ] So we’re all up to speed: Defenseman Andrew Ference was named Oilers captain in 2013 after Shawn Horcoff shuffled off to the Dallas Stars. He was 34 years old, bringing a ring and three Stanley Cup Final appearances to a dressing room that couldn’t locate the playoffs if given a GPS and Sherpa. Taylor Hall was 21 when Ference was given the captaincy, even though there was strong support to give him the honor despite his inexperience. But it was Dallas Eakins’ call, and the call was a veteran backliner instead of a star winger. Said Hall to the Edmonton Sun: “I thought about it, I heard some rumours and that kind of thing. It’s Dallas’s choice,” Hall said. “Andrew came in here and displayed a lot of things that we need in this room. He’s a good guy and I think I might have been a little too young for the role. I’m very comfortable of where I am now in my career, how I play and how I am in the room. I’m fine without the ‘C’ on my shoulder."   … “For now, I’m completely fine with not having that. A guy like Andrew that’s married, it’s good for the team, it’s good for the community, it’s good for the spouses and that kind of thing. I’m completely fine with the role that I have.” Since then, the Oilers have shuffled through two (or three) coaches to bring in former San Jose Sharks coach Todd McLellan, and Ference had a discussion with him immediately to talk about the captaincy and its future. As he told the Edmonton Journal: “The way I look at it is, who would be the same person with or without it?" Ference, 36, said. "It shouldn't change who you are as a person. Some guys who have the captaincy can elevate their role and how they feel, but how they act and who they are? That shouldn't change. Doing the day-in, day-out leadership stuff should be the same with or without it. That's the sign somebody's ready for the captaincy." McLellan has said that Ference is the Oilers’ captain “right now” and reiterated that anyone ascending to the captaincy is going to have to show him they’re worthy: "I haven't experienced a lot of the individuals, the way they carry themselves, the way they react in certain situations. Are they verbal leaders? Are they physical leaders? Are they both? How do they react in successful situations? How do they react to failure? How do they interact with their teammates? I can't answer any of those questions as a coach right now." So who should take the Oilers captaincy? Logic would dictate it’s Hall. He and Jordan Eberle were alternate captains during that crap-burger of a season for Edmonton. (I know … “which one?”) I’ve long been a fan of the torch-passing from veteran grunts acting as stop-gaps to young stars as a way to signal a new phase for a franchise: Ovechkin getting the captaincy from Chris Clark, Toews getting the ‘C’ from Martin Lapointe and so on. It’s clear the Oilers are inching toward contention, assuming them don’t make a Herculean leap with Connor McDavid at center. And that’s the other intriguing part of this: McDavid is pegging to be a star of greater magnitude than Hall, Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins or any of the team’s other young guns. Stardom doesn’t always equate to leadership, but McDavid was a captain with the Erie Otters and the makeup of this kid seems to point to him being a natural leader. Honestly, this is why I give the ‘C’ to Hall this season. Establish him as the captain. Let him take the leadership role and run with it. Because if maturity is an issue for Hall – and, frankly it is, or else Ference wouldn’t be the captain – giving him that responsibility forces him to mature. So does rooming him with McDavid – it’s going to be on Hall to show him the NHL ropes and to do something that’ll no doubt be difficult for him, which is protect him from the toxic direness that’s been the Oilers B.C. (Before Connor). So I’d move to the ‘C’ to Hall. But I’m not the coach. Todd McLellan is the coach, and the last time he was faced with a question about the captaincy , he basically gave everyone an ‘A’ and called it a day. So it’s possible Ference, Hall, Eberle, McDavid and the rest of the Oilers get to be captains this season. Well, except for you, Nail. If you can’t take care of Connor you can’t get a ‘C’. MORE FROM YAHOO HOCKEY urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,62790f8d-7338-37d9-affc-f4d2ce5b494f-l:1 Mon, 07 Sep 2015 17:40:57 +0000 nhl http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nhl/SIG=13ubsdn37/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/mcdavid-vs--eichel-vs--can-anyone-else-actually-win-the-calder-140600814.html Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel are ready to get this thing going. “I think it’s starting to get real,” said Eichel to Yahoo Sports’ Sunaya Sapurji, via Buzzing The Net. “Obviously I have to earn my spot on the Sabres – earn everything I get in the next month and a half. I’m just going to go in with an open mind and try to be positive throughout the whole process.”  As for McDavid, he says his expectations for the season aren’t “a numbers game” for the Edmonton Oilers. “It’s just doing the best that you can ,” said McDavid to Buzzing The Net. “Playing the best that you can do and contributing to the team and trying to help the team win games. I think a winning Oilers season would be a great success.” urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,3ff065ce-55af-31c5-8c31-1408e504f7ae-l:1 Thu, 03 Sep 2015 14:05:59 +0000 nhl http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nhl/SIG=13fjfnq57/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/ahl-announces-outdoor-hockey-game-in-sacramento-164054648.html The NHL won’t play in an outdoor game in California this year. But you can still get your AHL hockey fix on the West Coast. The league announced it will play an outdoor game at Raley Field (a baseball stadium) in West Sacramento, Calif. The contest will include the Bakersfield Condors and the Stockton Heat. The Condors are the Edmonton Oilers’ newly affiliated AHL team. The Heat are with the Flames. The game will take place on Dec. 18. In case you were wondering, the average high in Sacramento in December is 54 degrees. The average low is 38 degrees. Perfect weather for hockey, eh? [ Yahoo Sports Fantasy Hockey: Sign up and join a league today! ] The event will just be one part of the “Biggest Show on Snow” which is a six-week “holiday extravaganza” at Raley Field. This will be the eighth outdoor game in AHL history according to the release. The last one was at Comerica Park in Detroit on Dec. 30, 2013 as part of the Winter Classic.  Also, there will apparently be something called a “Monster Ice Slide” which sounds amazing. This reminds me of the brown snow slide at the Columbus All-Star Game, which we here at Puck Daddy may or may not have tested. - - - - - - - Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper MORE FROM YAHOO SPORTS urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,64b6635b-7f1b-3980-8485-e5afba37f345-l:1 Wed, 02 Sep 2015 17:36:53 +0000 nhl http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nhl/SIG=133ehf9i3/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.comhttps://sports.yahoo.com/news/2015-16-preview-part-6-170300969--nhl.html Dadoun takes a look at Calgary, Los Angeles, San Jose, Edmonton, and Arizona. urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,6da5a005-992a-3d77-8a58-4044bf3c7414-l:1 Wed, 02 Sep 2015 17:03:00 +0000 nhl http://oilers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=778054&cmpid=rss-release (EDMONTON) – Oilers Entertainment Group (OEG) announced the hiring of Kevin Galvin as Senior Vice President, Enterprise Security and Risk Management and Darcy Strang as Vice President, Security Operations Bureau today. Galvin joins OEG from the... news@edmontonoilers.com http://oilers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=778054 Wed, 02 Sep 2015 16:00:00 +0000 http://www.edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/edmonton-oilers/photos+fans+another+glimpse+edmonton/11333098/story.html Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid shows his stuff during the NHLPA Rookie Showcase in Toronto on Tuesday, September 1, 2015. tag:www.edmontonjournal.com:content=11333098 Tue, 01 Sep 2015 23:07:18 +0000 http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nhl/SIG=14eb9g02p/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/blogs/juniorhockey-buzzing-the-net/the-nhl-dream-finally--starting-to-get-real--for-mcdavid--eichel-212958789.html   The reality is finally beginning to set in for the NHL’s youngest and brightest stars. During their childhood years, many of them collected hockey cards. They’d pick them up at convenience stores or trade them among friends and all of them had a favourite. On Tuesday, a new crop of potential NHL rookies were on hand at the Mattamy Athletic Centre at Maple Leaf Gardens to pose for their own Upper Deck hockey cards. “Of course I collected trading cards, I think every kid did,” said Connor McDavid, the No. 1 overall draft pick of the Edmonton Oilers in June. “It’s really special to be on one now.” Earlier, Jack Eichel, who was selected one spot after McDavid by the Buffalo Sabres, signed an exclusive multi-year trading card deal with Leaf. No terms of the deal -- which includes cards, autographs and memorabilia – were released, but Leaf CEO Brian Gray called it “easily the most lucrative autograph trading deal for any rookie in the history of the sport.” “You dream of this happening and then everything starts to fall into place,” said Eichel of his new endorsement. “You realize it’s more of a reality… people pay you for your autograph and it’s pretty neat.” Both McDavid and Eichel have been hyped up for so long that it’s hard to imagine they’re only a few weeks away from finally making their long anticipated NHL debuts. “It’s not a numbers game for me, it’s just doing the best that you can,” said McDavid of his expectations this season. “Playing the best that you can do and contributing to the team and trying to help the team win games. I think a winning Oilers season would be a great success.” Eichel feels the same, though with the days counting down until training camp, the reality that the NHL is only a month away seems to be finally setting in. “I think it’s starting to get real,” said Eichel. “Obviously I have to earn my spot on the Sabres – earn everything I get in the next month and a half. I’m just going to go in with an open mind and try to be positive throughout the whole process. “It’s an exciting time for me, to finally get this all going.” Eichel said he spent the summer working out with fellow Boston native and Carolina’s fifth overall pick, defenceman Noah Hanifin. In total, Eichel says he added some more bulk to his 6-foot-2 frame in the summer with a strict workout routine. “I gained eight to 10 pounds,” said Eichel. “Just working out, doing some boxing, skating. I work out with Noah Hanifin every day and we have a pretty competitive group in the gym. “I was a lot more conscious this summer of what I ate, how many calories I got every day – just trying to do the right things.” It’s the first summer the pair have been training together and Hanifin, says he appreciates having another 18-year-old in the gym with him who is going through the same process. “It’s kind of nice having someone your own age there,” said Hanifin. “For the past few years I’ve been training with guys who are lot older than me so it’s nice to have someone who is at my stage of their career.” It’s also nice to have the camaraderie to be able to push one another further in their training sessions. So working out can, at times, become a contest to see who can go to extra lengths in the gym. “I think we’re both very competitive guys,” said Hanifin. “We’re both pretty driven, so we definitely push each other.” When the NHL season starts on Oct. 7 so will the evaluations on both McDavid and Eichel. The two have been linked since long before the draft and have been pitted – unfairly – against each other. They didn’t even meet each other until the NHL draft combine in early June before their names were called from the draft floor.   “I think you just understand the comparisons,” said McDavid. “Jack and I don’t really let it bother us too much, we both kind of know it’s there – a lot of people know it’s there, but you can’t really let it bother you. I think in sports that happens a lot and at the draft this year it was hyped up pretty good so it’s going to be there for a while.” “Obviously it’s never going to end,” added Eichel. “He’s a good guy and getting to know him has been good because it feels like we’ve been linked together for a while.” urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,6d35eaf6-06ec-3323-add7-dfc36b46730a-l:1 Tue, 01 Sep 2015 21:29:58 +0000 nhl http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nhl/SIG=1387pk2ok/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/news/mcdavid-feels-strong-1st-oilers-training-camp-looms-211531112--nhl.html As Connor McDavid was going through his draft year, agent and Hall of Famer Bobby Orr knew his client had to get stronger to play at the NHL level. After a summer of training, McDavid feels as if he has done that, and now he's ready to showcase his skills at the Edmonton Oilers' training camp later this month. ''I feel as good as ever and as strong as ever,'' McDavid said Tuesday at the NHL Players' Association rookie showcase. urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,191e7125-fc21-3999-b4fb-3e0d26ac0e6f-l:1 Tue, 01 Sep 2015 21:15:31 +0000 nhl http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nhl/SIG=13q1nq611/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/puck-daddy-s-summer-series--all-30-nhl-teams-from-a-to-zed-223232077.html Another summer series has come and gone, and training camp will soon be upon us. Thank you to the 33 talented female writers who produced an amazing series. They volunteered their time and creativity for an epic task (just ask those who covered the Original 6). Plus, finding a word that starts with the letter X is not easy. Treat yo' self by taking a read through all 30 NHL teams from A to Zed: Anaheim Ducks by Liz Brownstein Arizona Coyotes by Catherine Silverman Boston Bruins by Sarah Connors Buffalo Sabres by Stephanie Delio Calgary Flames by T. Ari Yanover Carolina Hurricanes by Jamie Kellner Chicago Blackhawks by Eliza Eaton-Stern Colorado Avalanche by Cheryl Bradley Columbus Blue Jackets by Alison Lukan Dallas Stars by Taylor Baird & Erin Bolen Detroit Red Wings by Maria Camacho Edmonton Oilers by Sammi Silber Florida Panthers by Heather Cooperman Los Angeles Kings by Chanelle Berlin & Diane Phan Minnesota Wild by Donna Carpenter & Emilie Wiener Montreal Canadiens by Robyn Flynn Nashville Predators by Caroline Davis New Jersey Devils by Melissa Geschwind New York Islanders by Dee Karl New York Rangers by Beth Boyle Machlan Ottawa Senators by Michaela Schreiter Philadelphia Flyers by Mary Clarke Pittsburgh Penguins by Ashley Chase San Jose Sharks by Stace of Base St. Louis Blues by Laura Astorian Tampa Bay Lightning by Achariya Rezak Toronto Maple Leafs by PhyllisKessel13 Vancouver Canucks by Jocelyn Aspa Washington Capitals by Becca Henschel Winnipeg Jets by Cara MORE FROM YAHOO SPORTS urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,2089ea07-ac77-3645-be61-9c2df73abf69-l:1 Mon, 31 Aug 2015 14:35:19 +0000 nhl http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nhl/SIG=13ui92tf5/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/pacific-division--still-the-worst-in-the-nhl---trending-topics-145519401.html Every year, there's one division where you look at its potential playoff teams and say, “Yeesh, they're gonna get demolished.”   For much of recent memory, that division has been the Southeast, perhaps the single worst division in modern North American sports history. But with the Southeast eradicated by realignment two seasons ago, things have been a little wonkier. There are obviously a lot of different ways to measure the quality of a team or a division, including but not limited to overall record, record against other divisions, on-ice performance, and so on. But the quality of a division usually tells you a decent amount about how well teams are going to do once playoffs roll around; by that point we typically have a pretty good idea of what teams are capable of doing, and it's not often that a team comes out of a weaker division and makes it all the way to, say, the Stanley Cup Final (though the divisional playoff format typically helps them do so these days). [ Yahoo Sports Fantasy Hockey: Sign up and join a league today! ] Last year, for example, it's pretty safe to say that the Pacific Division was the worst in hockey. It pushed three teams into the playoffs (Anaheim, Calgary, and Vancouver), but no one would have given any team but Anaheim a realistic shot of advancing very far at all. In addition, those three teams benefited from playing in the same division as the three worst teams in the Western Conference, so to say that they were even as good as their records is obviously a bit much. Factor in Calgary's defiance of mathematical probability for basically the entire season, and you have a recipe for a division that didn't deserve much respect beyond the Ducks (who were, by the way, an excellent team). But that leads one to wonder whether the Pacific is going to be the worst division in hockey once again, or if its futility has been overtaken. The one thing we can say definitively is that there's basically no way Conference III is anything but the best in the league; it's a bit more wide-open than in years past for a number of reasons, but you drop any one of Chicago, St. Louis, or Dallas in any other division and they're 100 percent guaranteed to finish in that division's Top 2. You might even throw Nashville into that mix if you're feeling particularly adventurous. (All of this, by the way, acknowledges that there are still some free agents to be added to multiple teams' rosters around the league. However, I'm not sure that at this point any one of them is going to dramatically swing the quality of any one team, let alone an entire division. Who's the best one left? Cody Franson? He's pretty good, but not a franchise-changing player.) I would also caution that there's basically no way the Metro ends up being as bad as it was last year, and it was pretty damn bad. I don't put a lot of stock into the Rangers' hopes for even coming close to the Presidents' Trophy once again — not a great lineup, but a pretty good one — but Henrik Lundqvist is basically always going to drive success simply because he's out-of-control elite, either the first- or second-best goalie in the league for several years running at this point (Tuukka Rask and Tim Thomas have given him a run for that crown). More teams in that division have improved as well, with all of Washington, Pittsburgh, and Columbus bolstering their rosters. The Islanders might improve even over a 101-point season, Philadelphia probably stays static or takes a small step forward. Carolina was a victim of bad luck but still isn't all that good, and obviously New Jersey is going to be garbage. But there are plenty of 100-point teams in that division. Could be as many as four, which is what the Central did last year, and will probably do again this season. Which means that, without even really diving into the numbers, we've already whittled the “Worst Division In Hockey” competition down to two combatants, each apparently more eager to be awful than the other. In both the Oceanic divisions, there is a clear top dog that will likely tower above the others: Tampa in the Atlantic, and Anaheim in the Pacific. After that, there's a lot of guessing to be done as to where everyone else lands. Let's start with the Atlantic. Who beyond Tampa would you say is a lock to succeed next season? Montreal needed an all-time great performance from Carey Price to win the division last year, and even if he remains world-class — say .925 down from .933 — that's a huge number of additional goals against. Assuming he faces roughly the same number of shots he always does (approximately 1,900 in a full season), that's an extra 15 or so goals against, which probably costs Montreal about four or five points in the standings. And a .925 season would have still been fourth in the league last season, so there's plenty of room for even that number to decline. As for the rest of the division, well, Boston has clearly taken a decent-sized step back (but that probably only lands them where they actually finished last season), the Leafs are going into full-on tank mode, Buffalo is still going to be awful, and Florida probably won't improve all that much barring a renaissance season from Jaromir Jagr which, frankly, I wouldn't put it past him. Detroit and Ottawa, meanwhile, are relative unknowns because while the Wings did improve the roster, they also lost a guy who is clearly one of the best coaches alive, and there's no way to guess how that impacts things. Meanwhile, Ottawa was decent last year, but needed a ridiculous run from an AHLer to even get into the playoffs, and have also added nobody in this offseason. Meanwhile, over in the Pacific, there's mighty Anaheim above all else. And after that, several question marks. Los Angeles should be better, no question about it, just because all the bounces went against them last year and a bizarre confluence of circumstances conspired to keep them out of the playoffs. Let's put it this way: The Kings, a 95-point team last season that failed to make the playoffs, are the clear second-best team in the division. San Jose? Might be better, might be about the same, still don't look like they have a ton of playoff quality, especially if they're relying upon a goalie who has 34 career appearances to his name, facing only 807 shots at the NHL level (and also was garbage last year). Calgary? Clearly improved, but from being possibly the luckiest team in recent memory, and so it's difficult to say that those improvements even nudge them into the “legitimate playoff team” conversation. I have a lot of time for “Dougie Hamilton is an elite defenseman” arguments, but even still, look at that forward group and try to say with a straight face that you think it's anywhere near playoff caliber. Vancouver? A not-great team last year that clearly took a step back. Edmonton? The Oilers' future is brighter than just about any team in the league at this point, and they should improve tremendously even if they just start getting some bounces to go their way, but they were a 62-point team last year, and that's a long, hard road to hoe. Arizona? The worst team in the league by far. Any given NHL season is usually going to be fairly difficult to predict, but if you even want to break it down by how many teams are likely to be great, good, mediocre and poor, it looks as though the Pacific will once again be the worst in hockey. The Atlantic just has too many teams kind of milling around in the middle to say that there's going to be a major concern that any of them spiral into the bottom-five of the league again, while the Pacific clearly has one team there and the potential for more. The Atlantic won't have any teams that bad, and could very easily luck into another half-decent showing for the season. All things are possible. Calgary made the playoffs last season, for example. But even with the padding most teams are going to get from playing Arizona five times (let's call that at least seven free points in the standings), it's difficult to see any other result than the same one as last year: Three Pacific teams in the playoffs, and two of them aren't even that good. Ryan Lambert is a Puck Daddy columnist. His email is here and his Twitter is here . All stats via War on Ice unless otherwise stated. MORE FROM YAHOO HOCKEY urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,36db812d-10d2-35e4-b2f3-cdd3002c501c-l:1 Fri, 28 Aug 2015 14:55:18 +0000 nhl http://www.edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/edmonton-oilers/former+oiler+brodziak+jumps+chance+play/11322576/story.html When the free-agent doors swung open in July, the team all over Minnesota Wild centre Kyle Brodziak was the opponent he had just played six angry playoff games against — the St. Louis Blues. As the one-time Edmonton Oilers forward said, probably my “most hated team” after playing the Blues 30 times during the last six years with the Wild. tag:www.edmontonjournal.com:content=11322576 Fri, 28 Aug 2015 00:55:18 +0000 http://oilers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=777672&cmpid=rss-News EDMONTON (August 27, 2015) – Oilers Entertainment Group (OEG) announced today a partnership with Aramark to provide food and beverage services for Rogers Place, the new home of the Edmonton Oilers scheduled to open in September 2016. Under ter... http://oilers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=777672 Thu, 27 Aug 2015 15:10:00 +0000 http://www.edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/edmonton-oilers/oilers+free+agent+acquistion+calling/11319516/story.html Mark Letestu has a place to live — a five-bedroom house on the south side — but now he has to find his place on the Edmonton Oilers’ roster and put down some roots. It may be difficult to pigeon-hole Letestu, though. He’s a Swiss Army Knife as a player. tag:www.edmontonjournal.com:content=11319516 Thu, 27 Aug 2015 13:28:31 +0000 http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nhl/SIG=13vrom2r1/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/puck-daddy-power-rankings--kessel-and-crosby--canes-on-the-move-202101139.html [Author's note: Power rankings are usually three things: Bad, wrong, and boring. You typically know just as well as the authors which teams won what games against who and what it all means, so our moving the Red Wings up four spots or whatever really doesn't tell you anything you didn't know. Who's hot, who's not, who cares? For this reason, we're doing a power ranking of things that are usually not teams. You'll see what I mean.] 7. Defenses in the Eastern Conference So Phil Kessel is going to play with Sidney Crosby, huh? There wasn't really a good answer between Kessel-and-Crosby or Kessel-and-Malkin as far as opponents went, but if you're looking to keep Pittsburgh goals off the board, that was probably about as bad as the news could have gotten. Earlier this summer I ran the numbers on how badly a Crosby-and-Kessel combo would torch defenses, and the answer I came up with when you took plenty of data over the course of their careers into account, I came up with an estimate of about 4.65 goals for per 60 minutes, and 2.99 just against. I think those numbers make sense within the context of what we know about both players (it's a nearly 60.9 percent share of goals at 5-on-5), and the breakdown would lead to Kessel and Crosby being on the ice together for about 90 to 95 goals at full strength. What number of those are going to be Kessel's? I don't think it really matters, but anything fewer than 30 would be pretty shocking. And that's at 5-on-5 only. If you get them out there on the power play along with, say, Malkin and Letang, you can basically forget about it. Put me down for Kessel breaking 50. The good news for Pittsburgh's opponents next season, though, is that its defense is pretty not-great. It's not bad, and Letang is obviously very high-end, but this is probably going to be a team that's winning a lot of games 4-2 and 5-3. Should be entertaining, if nothing else. 6. The Hurricanes So a thing everyone seems to have forgotten for a while now is the fact that Hurricanes owner Peter Karmanos is still trying to sell at least some of his majority stake in the team. Has been for nearly a year , in fact. Which helps to explain why the Hurricanes haven't added any free agents (though they did make a few trades), and why the team is just spinning its wheels on re-signing Eric Staal and Cam Ward. If it wants to. Which it shouldn't. All Ron Francis did, really, was pull off the Alex Semin buyout (no small investment!) back in June, and since then it's all quiet. Don Waddell confirmed to the Raleigh News and Observer that there had been talks with potential buyers, but nothing has happened here; part of that might be because Karmanos wants to sell his stake but also retain control of the team, which doesn't seem like how things should work. The Hurricanes have, however, finally increased season ticket sales for this coming season after six of declines, so that's something to highlight to potential buyers. But the column also floats the idea that the league might only expand to Las Vegas so that the Canes can be purchased and moved to Quebec. Shoot, I sure can't wait for that weekly discussion. Boy, it seems like just yesterday we ever so briefly weren't worried about the ownership situation for a team in a non-traditional market, doesn't it? Well, that was a nice little run we had there. And it makes a lot of sense, then, that the league is so furiously pushing all this... [ Yahoo Sports Fantasy Hockey: Sign up and join a league today! ] 5. Expansion We're now into the third and final phase of the expansion process for Quebec and Las Vegas, and I kind of can't believe it's actually happening, even now. That whole Quebec thing apparently might not work out (see item No. 6), and that would be very strange, but it might at least give the Seattle groups the impetus and ability to put together something on their own. But here's what I can't stop thinking about: How bad the rosters for those teams will be for those teams. We haven't had an expansion in this league for more than a decade, and I think we have collectively grown way better at player evaluation and development during that time. Going from 28 to 30 teams expanded the league by some 46 player jobs (rosters carry a max of 23 guys), and that was a 46 more than had been in the league just a few years earlier. Weird as it is to think about, when Connor McDavid was born, there were only 26 teams in the NHL. That meant that from 1997-98 to 2000-01, the league added 92 jobs to the previous pool of 598. That's a big jump. And by the end of that expansion era, you were starting to see some real garbage get onto actual NHL rosters. Look at what the inaugural Columbus Blue Jackets roster looked like . Geoff Sanderson led the team in scoring, which tells you everything you need to know (but shout out to Ron Tugnutt for his .917 save percentage that season!). In two years, a prospective Quebec and/or Vegas team won't be that much better. Imagine what a McDavid or Crosby is going to do to those teams if they end up in the same division. It'll be a bloodbath. 4. The Oilers' captaincy Apparently there's a big hullabaloo afoot in Edmonton over whether Andrew Ference should continue to be the Oilers' captain. Fair enough, I guess. The team's defense isn't all that good to begin with, and the fact that he's going to spend a lot of the season as a No. 6 or a healthy scratch tells you a lot about where his game is at these days. No fault in it, of course, given his age and the miles on him. But it's a reality that you probably don't want your captain getting healthy-scratched 30 times in a season. So Ference might be stripped of the “C” at some point in the near future, even if he doesn't think it'll happen any time soon. Conventional wisdom says you give it to Taylor Hall, obviously. But let's be real here: Anyone who gets it any time in the next year or three is just keeping it warm for that kid wearing No. 97. 3. The Mark Giordano extension Oh yeah, $6.75 million is a bargain for Mark Giordano. In theory. Right now? Absolutely. A lot of people spent most of yesterday saying he's only 31, and that's true enough. But he turns 32 on Oct. 6, so for all intents and purposes, this season upcoming is his age-32 year. That means when the new deal kicks in, he'll be 33. And he'll play basically the entire last season of his deal — if he makes it that far — as a 38-year-old. That's the cost of doing business, obviously, because if you want to keep the AAV down you have to extend out the years, but given looming extensions for Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan (whose entry-level contracts are likewise up this year) as well as Sam Bennett (RFA in July 2017), it's tough to see how conservative the team might have to be for those guys, especially if the cap stays flat. That doesn't even get into the idea that defensemen don't generally get better as 33-year-olds, let alone 35-year-olds, which is what Giordano will be in Year 3 of a six-year deal. Let's also take into account the fact that, leaving aside the lockout-shortened season a few years back, Giordano hasn't played more than 78 percent of his team's games since 2010-11. In the last three full seasons, he's missed a combined 60 games, which is enough that people should be worried about it. “Well if he'd stayed healthy, he might have two Norrises,” is a decent argument here, because he should by all rights have won two Norrises given the work he actually put in, and I might have even voted for him in 2014 regardless. But if you're using hypotheticals on something he's proven is a big problem for him — that is, staying healthy for the full 82 — then that's not a great argument. I've argued for a while that if his ask came in at any more than four years, Calgary should have traded Giordano — who I understand is their captain — rather than land themselves in cap hell over a guy who can't stay healthy and will be 33 when this six-year deal starts. Especially because they just went out and got a franchise-level right-side defenseman this summer to effectively act as a failsafe in case the Giordano talks ended in a stalemate. It's not a bad thing to have Giordano, Dougie Hamilton, and TJ Brodie tied up for a combined $17.15 million until 2020 (that defense is going to be a meat grinder), after paying them just $14.42 million for this coming season (unfair). But this feels very much like a contract that could start to be pretty ugly around Year 3. 2. Uncomfortable contract situations Speaking of contracts for high-end defensemen, Greg touched on something last week that's worth examining: How Dustin Byfuglien will fare this year. There's the forward-versus-defenseman angle (he's more valuable to the Jets on the blue line) and the fact that he's probably going to see his goal total come down doesn't help his bargaining position. But given that he's 30, it's likely this is his last big contract year, so he has plenty of reason to rage against any attempts to limit his value strategically. There's also the fact that the team needs to re-sign Andrew Ladd before he becomes a top free agent target next summer. However, given how many good young players sit in the Jets' system, do they really need either of them? And what happens if they decide they don't? Can you imagine the buying frenzy for either one at the deadline? Players of this caliber don't just grow on trees and if developing them was so easy, even for a team as farm-rich as the Jets, why aren't there more players as good as Byfuglien? It's all about weighing future versus present, I guess, and Winnipeg's present isn't, like, great or anything. 1. Defiance I love the idea of Alex Ovechkin being the only NHLer participating in the Olympics in 2018. Just him scoring 20 goals in eight games against a bunch of college players, and playing 25 minutes a night without breaking a sweat. Hilarious. (Not ranked this week: The London Knights' Team Kane. Let's go with Team Schremp instead.) Ryan Lambert is a Puck Daddy columnist. His email is here and his Twitter is here . (All statistics via War On Ice unless otherwise noted. [ Yahoo Sports Fantasy Hockey: Sign up and join a league today! ] MORE FROM YAHOO SPORTS urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,b1bd9880-2ca2-3aa1-9a93-46af90663479-l:1 Wed, 26 Aug 2015 20:26:00 +0000 nhl http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nhl/SIG=13ngeclk2/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/fantasy-hockey--ranking-best-nhl-defensemen-for-2015-16-153925888.html Dobber Hockey  launched in 2005 and Dobber and his staff have hitched their wagons to Puck Daddy to preach fantasy hockey to the Yahoo! masses since 2009. As it is in real hockey, fantasy roto hockey starts from the net out. After the truly elite forwards are gone, I make sure my defense corps are solid. And I'll never leave the draft without being 100 percent comfortable with my goaltending (three good ones at least). Why? Because it's damned near impossible to get goalies and defensemen off the waiver wire. Especially later in the season. Forwards are a dime a dozen, once you get past the elite. [ Yahoo Sports Fantasy Hockey: Sign up and join a league today! ] You can stream forwards who are on a hot streak in and out of your lineup via the wire all season long. But with D and G that's tough to do. Studs These guys are money in the bank. In fact, your fifth and sixth defensemen combined may not do what each of these studs will do statistically. Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators - Probably the only blueliner capable of getting 80 points right now. Considered giving him his own category here, but what's the level above "stud"? PK Subban, Montreal Canadiens - He's missed seven games in four years, has at least 10 goals in each of the last three, is a consistent PIM guy and was plus-21 last year. The total package. Dustin Byfuglien, Winnipeg Jets - Byfuglien's point total slipped last year but his points-per-game average (0.65) was right around where it always is and his PIM total soared back upwards to career highs (124). Your best bet for 50 points, 100 PIM among defensemen. Stars When the run on defensemen truly begins in your draft, you have to make sure you get one or two of these guys. Kevin Shattenkirk, St. Louis Blues - Abdominal surgery ruined what was a breakout campaign for Shatty. At the time he was in a battle for top scorer among defensemen. If he stays healthy this time, it wouldn't be shocking to see him up there with Mr. Karlsson. Mark Giordano, Calgary Flames - The guy Shattenkirk was battling with for top D scorer. And Giordano's impressive run was also cut short by an injury. That's two consecutive seasons and three of the last four in which Gio has missed at least 18 games. Keith Yandle, New York Rangers - He may have been a minus-26 last year, but minus-32 was with Arizona (so plus-6 with New York, Mr. Math Wizard). He had 21 points in his last 31 regular season and playoff games, putting his slow start upon arriving in New York behind him. Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning - Still only 24, Hedman is on the cusp. The problem is, he'd give Giordano a run for his money when it comes to injuries. He's missed 55 games over the last four seasons - or about 14 each year. Roman Josi, Nashville Predators - Josi outplayed and out-produced his more touted teammate Shea Weber in every way, except for fantasy. He doesn't put up the PIM and shot totals that his partner does. Shea Weber, Nashville Predators - Speak of the devil. The emergence of Josi has seemed to make Weber a much more aggressive player. He's shooting more and going to the Sin Bin a lot more too. Duncan Keith, Chicago Blackhawks - His fantasy value may be a little inflated, what with all the Cups and such. Keith is a 60-plus point player every few years. More often than not he's good for 45. John Carlson, Washington Capitals - Star on the rise finally had his big breakout campaign, posting 55 points and a plus-11 rating. At No. 67, he's the Yahoo's 13th highest ranked defenseman. And deservedly so. Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings - Possibly the best all-around D in the league. In real hockey. In fantasy, much like Keith, he's very good…but not great. Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis Blues - Pietrangelo is Doughty's age and was drafted two picks after him (in 2008). And it's looking as though his "real" value far exceeds his "fantasy" value. Just like Doughty. Brent Burns, San Jose Sharks - Last year's second leading scorer (tied) among defensemen, Burns set a career high. He did what he could never do as a forward - he tallied 60 points. Boom-or-Bust Whether it's due to frequent injuries, or season-over-season inconsistencies, with these guys you could probably get later in the draft…but the risk is most definitely there. Could make or break your season, in some cases. Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins - I love Letang. I think he's a great player. But as a fantasy owner, I can't take anymore. I'm like the poor dog that keeps getting kicked but keeps coming back, scared and timid. Can you just give us 70 games. Please? Mike Green, Detroit Red Wings - When a defenseman scores 30 goals and 70 points (twice!), he can ride that wave in fantasy hockey for years to come. That's why we're still so hopeful. That's why we'll still draft him high even though he hasn't had a 50-point season since 2010. Ryan McDonagh, New York Rangers - McDonagh shocked us by having a 43-point season in 2013-14. He had us convinced that he wasn't just a stay-at-home guy, but can be counted on for big points too. Then he managed just 33 points last year. So now we just don't know anymore… Youngsters on the Rise These guys are well on their way to becoming perennial top defensemen in fantasy hockey, all they need to do is prove to us they can do it year after year. Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Arizona Coyotes - Is probably ranked a tad high at 14 among defenseman, but certainly not due to talent. Because of the team around him, it's quite probable that OEL will post a third consecutive 43- or 44-point season. Tyson Barrie, Colorado Avalanche - The 24-year-old led the Avs in scoring at times throughout the season and finished six points back of Gabriel Landeskog. His potential is through the roof if you think about it. If he can get 53 points when the top scorer on his team gets 59…how many can he get if Nathan MacKinnon and Matt Duchene show up to play? Justin Faulk, Carolina Hurricanes - Faulk is a fantastic young (23) defenseman. But just as it was with Ryan McDonagh in 2013-14, I question the offensive upside. I'd be cautious about a repeat of his 49-point year. Aaron Ekblad, Florida Panthers - Of course the defending Calder Trophy winner belongs here. But his point totals from last season don't justify his rather high Yahoo ranking (90th). One man's opinion, but I don't think his point totals will increase too much over last year. That's not to say that he won't be a stud in due time though. Sami Vatanen, Anaheim Ducks - There's no shortage of young, rising talent on Anaheim's back end, from Hampus Lindholm to Cam Fowler to Shea Theodore. But Vatanen has the highest offensive upside and that's reflected in the Yahoo rankings. He's the highest ranked of the four. Dougie Hamilton, Calgary Flames - The move to Calgary is a step up for Hamilton in terms of potential offense. I'm sure he'd rather pass the puck to Johnny Gaudreau and Jiri Hudler as opposed to Patrice Bergeron and Loui Eriksson. Torey Krug, Boston Bruins - With Hamilton gone and Zdeno Chara trending downward, the PP QB baton will be passed to Krug. John Klingberg, Dallas Stars - I can't decide if I'd pick Klingberg or Trouba as the "player in this section destined to move up to the Studs section". Klingberg is awesome, and I'm certain he'll build on last year's 40 points rather than hitting a sophomore slump. Just may be the best value in the entire Yahoo rankings at 184. Nick Leddy, New York Islanders - Leddy joined the Islanders at the perfect time, as this up-and-coming team finally broke through last season. His 37 points tied a career high and there's still plenty of room to grow. Jacob Trouba, Winnipeg Jets - I'm a huge fan of Trouba and I think he'll be a star. But he's probably going to go the route of John Carlson (six years before breakout) as opposed to Drew Doughty (two years before breakout).  Don't Overrate Here are some defensemen you shouldn't put as much stock in as other GMs in your league will. Niklas Kronwall, Detroit Red Wings - The power play used to be his domain. But with Green on the scene, Kronwall could be off the first unit. TJ Brodie, Calgary Flames - The acquisition of Hamilton pretty much eliminates Brodie from the man advantage. He had nine power-play points last season. Brent Seabrook, Chicago Blackhawks - You gotta love how he hardly misses games. You gotta love how he once had 48 points. You gotta love the Cup rings on his fingers. But the reality is, too often he's closer to a 30-point player than a 40-point player. Olli Maatta, Pittsburgh Penguins - Maatta showed promise offensively when he was a rookie. But last year's injury struggles have allowed Derrick Pouliot to get a foothold. And now Letang is back, too. Dan Boyle, New York Rangers - He's 19 points shy of 600 in his career…and I question whether or not he'll make it. So that's where I’m at with this guy. Sleepers Since the "Sleeper Picks" article was dominated by forwards (only two defensemen listed - Matt Dumba and Justin Schultz), I've come up with a few more names for you to draft and get a nice, unexpected return. Andrej Sekera, Edmonton Oilers - Sekera showed glimpses of offensive prowess in Buffalo, particularly during the last two dozen games of the 2010-11 season. And when he first arrived in Carolina he tallied 44 points that year. But he only puts up the points when the team leans on him to do so, otherwise he's a stay-at-homer. The Oilers are a team that could use him in more of a puck-moving role. Or at the very least, as a safety net for Schultz. I think 35-40 points is very much doable. Matt Niskanen, Washington Capitals - When Green was out of the lineup with an upper-body injury, Niskanen posted five points in seven games (three PP points). And in the game that Green left, Niskanen also had a PP point. So six points in 7.5 games with four of them on the power play. I just really like his outlook here. Anton Stralman, Tampa Bay Lightning - Hedman has become an offensive force and he's still getting better. Stralman is his defense partner, so the supplemental points will pile up as they did last year when he set a career high with 39. Derrick Pouliot, Pittsburgh Penguins - Not rookie-eligible because he played 34 games last season, Pouliot is said to have so much offensive talent that he rivals or even exceeds teammate Kris Letang. He's still only 21 though, so he'll need time to put it all together. Michael Del Zotto, Philadelphia Flyers - MDZ put his dating hockey struggles behind him and secured his spot in the lineup with that nice contract. He had 23 points in his last 35 games. [ Yahoo Sports Fantasy Hockey: Sign up and join a league today! ] MORE FROM YAHOO SPORTS urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,7473cf59-50d0-3b37-b944-80beacd6a91f-l:1 Wed, 26 Aug 2015 17:00:25 +0000 nhl http://www.edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/edmonton-oilers/hockey+notes+former+oilers+coach+ramsay/11316627/story.html Former Edmonton Oilers assistant coach Craig Ramsay has been hired by the Montreal Canadiens as a coach consultant. The hire comes a few days after Toronto Maple Leafs brought in Jacques Lemaire for the same job. Former Oilers defenceman Taylor Fedun, who played in the San Jose Sharks organization last year, will be fighting for a seventh or eighth spot on the Vancouver Canucks’ blue-line this season. “They have six guys on one-way contracts (Alex Edler, Dan Hamhuis, Chris Tanev, Luca Sbisa, Yannick Weber and Matt Bartkowski),” said Fedun, who played four games for the Oilers and got into seven with the Sharks last season. He has a two-way contract with the Canucks. tag:www.edmontonjournal.com:content=11316627 Wed, 26 Aug 2015 00:42:07 +0000 http://www.edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/edmonton-oilers/oilers+will+ensure+mcdavid+good+living/11314184/story.html Have the Edmonton Oilers asked captain Andrew Ference if Connor McDavid, the NHL’s No. 1 draft pick this year, could live in his basement while the teenager makes the transition to becoming a professional hockey player? “We talked about it and I think Peter (Chiarelli, the Oilers general manager) is going down the path to make sure Connor is in a really good situation,” Ference said. tag:www.edmontonjournal.com:content=11314184 Tue, 25 Aug 2015 12:51:05 +0000 http://www.edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/edmonton-oilers/oilers+rookies+game+with+golden+bears/11314190/story.html The Edmonton Oilers rookies and University of Alberta Golden Bears have played their annual showdown at Clare Drake Arena over the last two decades. But with Connor McDavid preparing to make his NHL debut and Rexall Place entering its final season as the Oilers’ home arena, the fall challenge has been shifted to a bigger venue. tag:www.edmontonjournal.com:content=11314190 Tue, 25 Aug 2015 01:01:18 +0000 http://www.edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/edmonton-oilers/oilers+captaincy+status+andrew+ference/11314149/story.html Andrew Ference, who has been the Edmonton Oilers’ captain the last two seasons, says there are no plans to hand over the role to one of the NHL team’s younger core players. He said it’s status quo as far as he can tell. tag:www.edmontonjournal.com:content=11314149 Tue, 25 Aug 2015 00:31:52 +0000 http://oilers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=777516&cmpid=rss-release Edmonton Oilers President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Peter Chiarelli announced today the annual matchup between the Oilers rookies and the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) champions, the University of Alberta Golden Bears, is set... news@edmontonoilers.com http://oilers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=777516 Mon, 24 Aug 2015 20:49:00 +0000 http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nhl/SIG=13k7hicug/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/fantasy-hockey--ranking-the-nhl-forwards-for-2015-16-151847380.html Dobber Hockey  launched in 2005 and Dobber and his staff have hitched their wagons to Puck Daddy to preach fantasy hockey to the Yahoo! masses since 2009. By Demetri Fragopoulos Are you going to be that guy ? ‎You know, the one who talks hockey all the time whether it is in the lunch room, standing in line for coffee, or while working out in the gym. Regurgitating what you heard on the sport talk radio station while driving into work or to school earlier that day. Acting like there is nothing you do not know about the game and its players. ‎What comes out of your mouth sounds reasonable. Yet when it came time make your fantasy draft picks last year you looked worse than Patrick Roy did against Brendan Shanahan (see #3 in that link). When the owner in front of you had his named called for his first pick, your brain froze up much like Tommy  Salo’s did against Belarus (see #4) at the Salt Lake Olympics. Even with the fourth pick in the first round you hummed and hawed for more than five minutes to only flub your selection similar to Patrick Stefan’s empty netter (see #1) against the Edmonton Oilers. [ Yahoo Sports Fantasy Hockey: Sign up and join a league today! ] Like Stefan, your gaffe immediately came back to haunt you because your opponents wasted no time to capitalize on your horrible first round draft pick of Rick Nash. The continuous begging for assistance from the other fantasy owners as your draft proceeded became irritating to everyone especially those that you were sitting closest to. Did you honestly think they would give you advice to help you, the guy who knows everything? ‎ If you did any preparation at all, it was to print out the roster of your favorite team which happens to be the Rangers. The reality is that the other owners tolerate your behavior and you are invited to the draft every year because you are an easy out. Smarten up and don't be that guy this year. Make a list based on the scoring system of your fantasy league. It does not matter if you are in a keeper or drafting in a single year league. No list equals no chance at victory. Top 10 in Points Do you know that Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby are the only players to have been in the top 10 scoring leaders in more than five of the previous 10 seasons? They’ll be there again but not where you would expect them. Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins It has been four years since he was last seen in the top 10 NHL scorers but with the addition of Phil Kessel over the summer he will return to the list and be the top guy. He will still get his share of points with Crosby and on the power play. John Tavares, New York Islanders I would not say that he broke out but he did assert himself as a contender for future scoring titles. With the roster naturally improving there is more in him to give. His age and numbers are much like Seguin’s, including power play goals and game winners. Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals He hits, he shoots, he scores and he does all three a lot. Out of the last ten seasons he has made the top ten point producers eight times. No one comes close to his three year goal totals and only Crosby surpassed his point totals for the same period. The only thing missing is a Stanley Cup. Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars If it were not for the Toronto-Pittsburgh deal and the two surgeries on Jamie Benn’s hips this summer I would have ranked Seguin first. His shot totals are in the elite-sphere. Goal scoring and playmaking are about even over the last three years so he is not stuck to one method to get his points, note that 29 were generated from the power play last year. Best part is that he will be turning 24 in January. Taylor Hall, Edmonton Oilers You might have forgotten that he has been near the top twice before. It would be easy to forget because the Oilers have been terrible. That all changes this year! No lower body injury to slow him down. He will crack the 30 goal mark for the first time and get more than six points with the man advantage. Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning His recovery from that horrible leg injury seemed to be behind him even though his point production was admittedly lower than expectations. Then the playoffs came with that evil dry spell in the Finals. Doubts emerged but do not let them frighten you away. He is second to only Ovechkin in total goals over the last three years. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins Ranked second is not bad. The deal for Kessel will help the Penguins by unburdening Crosby. He is a competitor and he will not give up easily. However, individual accomplishments are not his primary focus. Winning the Cup for the second time in his career is. Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers A return to the top 10 is in the cards for Giroux (ranked eighth) this year. Led the league with 37 power play points last year and had combined another 58 points in the two years before that. Even though he earns more assists than goals shooting the puck is not an issue. Phil Kessel, Pittsburgh Penguins Oh how he is going to love playing for the Penguins this year. Look for goals and more goals to come from him. He might even turn out to be a hotdog but I am sure that Crosby and Malkin will keep his new found enthusiasm in check. Just out of Yahoo's top 10 overall at number 11, but the 10th ranked forward. Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars Can you call the reigning scoring champion a sidekick? The Seguin-Benn duo will prove once again that they are a formidable force. I look at their power play point totals and anticipate that an increase will be forthcoming. With Benn you also get some ancillary shorthanded goals/points as well as blocked shots and hits. urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,500177f8-04a1-354d-84d3-cf029bffd858-l:1 Mon, 24 Aug 2015 15:18:46 +0000 nhl http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nhl/SIG=13r121s19/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/fantasy-hockey--what-sleepers-should-you-draft-to-your-team-155619214.html Dobber Hockey  launched in 2005 and Dobber and his staff have hitched their wagons to Puck Daddy to preach fantasy hockey to the Yahoo! masses since 2009. If you win your fantasy league it will be because of the late picks that you make. You hear it every year even though every fantasy hockey player worth their salt are already well aware of it. You know it, and you see it proven time and again. How did the owner of Nick Foligno do in your league last season? See, that Foligno guy (or girl) now gets to brag about how skillful his (or her) pick was and how he or she knew all along that he was a 70-point guy trapped inside a 50-point plugger’s body. That's a side benefit of landing a quality sleeper: bragging rights. You can say you knew Foligno would be a stud all along and completely forget the fact that at the time of the pick you were considering 'Marcus' Foligno instead. The ultimate sleeper for this season is rookie Connor McDavid. So much so, that he could be overrated at the draft table. First overall? Second? Don’t kid yourself, there will be some leagues out there that will see him taken that early. And every league will see him gone by the 20th pick, whether you personally have him ranked third, 10th or 50th. Does McDavid qualify for “sleeper” status given that everybody and their mother knows about him and that he’ll be drafted in the Top 20 of every league? I’ll leave that debate for another day. But given the risk that he could post as few as 40 points or as many as 90-plus – a case could certainly be made. Here are some fellas to consider taking a flier on earlier than others in your league. In some cases, they'll still be there in the 24th round when you start on that seventh beer try to fill that final bench spot. [ Yahoo Sports Fantasy Hockey: Sign up and join a league today! ] Jakob Silfverberg, Anaheim Ducks - Despite not having played in the Final, Silfverberg finished tied for seventh in playoff scoring. He also has a pretty hefty contract in his back pocket that will see to it that he'll continue to get quality ice time even in the midst of a slump. Brett Connolly, Boston Bruins  - The Bruins moved out four regular forwards (Gregory Campbell, Reilly Smith, Milan Lucic and Carl Soderberg) and brought in three (Matt Beleskey, Jimmy Hayes and Zac Rinaldo). And does Rinaldo even count when he's looking at nine minutes a game? Lots of room for Connolly now, he could surprise. Matt Moulson, Buffalo Sabres - If you subscribe to the theory that Jack Eichel can waltz into the NHL and post 70 points even on a weak team, then by extension you should subscribe to the theory that Moulson can score 30 goals playing with such a player. Eddie Lack, Carolina Hurricanes  - I think Carolina bounces back this season. Not 'playoff' bounce back, but more like 'won't suck that much' bounce back. Especially defensively. Besides the fancy stats indicating that the Hurricanes were the victims of bad bounces, their defense also gets an upgrade with Noah Hanifin and James Wisniewski. And possibly Haydn Fleury. So the goalie numbers will be better, and since Cam Ward is …well, Cam Ward - that leaves Eddie Lack as a pretty solid option as a fantasy team's No.3 goalie. Ward's contract is up next summer so the team has little riding on his success or failure, unlike in years past when they were pretty much forced to start him because of his paycheck.  Teuvo Teravainen and Artemy Panarin, Chicago Blackhawks  - With Brandon Saad gone, there is a very plum spot open for one of these two. In fact, it's almost certain that one of these two youngsters will be surprising us this year. My money is on Teravainen, as undrafted Europeans crossing the pond rarely make an impact right away. But both are worthy draft picks in the second half. Cam Atkinson, Columbus Blue Jackets - I just left Atkinson's name in here from last year's article. And the year before. And although he has yet to fulfill that sleeper promise, each season he shows signs that it's coming. Now that he's entering his fourth full NHL season, he seems closer than ever. Talented players who habitually fire north of 200 shots on net each season stand a reasonable chance of breaking out. Eventually. Valeri Nichushkin, Dallas Stars - Nichushkin missed most of last season thanks to hip surgery, but is fully healthy now. Just 20 years old, he has the upside to rank right up there with Tyler Seguin and defending NHL scoring champ Jamie Benn. I wouldn't bat an eye if he topped 60 points this season, and if started getting to the rounds in the draft where I would consider him - I'd just jump on him rather than risk waiting longer. Justin Schultz, Edmonton Oilers - If my Twitter feed is any indication, Schultz has an army of haters just waiting for him to post another minus-20. But the Oilers have upgraded their goaltending (Cam Talbot, Anders Nilsson) and defense corps (Andrej Sekera, Darnell Nurse). They've also added some Mcguy who may tally a Mcpoint or two, which is bound to lead to a ton of secondary assists for a defenseman like Schultz. Matt Dumba, Minnesota Wild  - Don't underestimate this youngster. If you're thinking 40 points this year, you may be undershooting. Now 21, Dumba is getting better with every game and was starting to really drive the offense late last season and playoffs. Craig Smith, Nashville Predators - Smith busted out in the playoffs with five points in six games, but his ice time also soared as Coach Laviolette leaned on him to push the offense. He's shown in World Championship stints that he can be a prolific scorer. Still only 25. Anders Lee, New York Islanders - As with many Islanders wingers, Lee could really pop if he can land a steady gig on the John Tavares line. He had 41 points last year, but 39 of them came in the last 64 games (50-point pace). But even on the Ryan Strome line, Lee will still get his points.  Chris Kreider, New York Rangers - It seems like Kreider has been in the league for a long time and really hasn't made any leeway in terms of development. This has caused more than a few fantasy owners to grow impatient with him and thus underrate him. But the fact is, the 24-year-old has only been in the league for two full NHL seasons with 17 and 21 goals. Either this year or next, he's primed to bust out. And in multi-category formats he's already a stud. Wherever you have him ranked, move him up 20 or 30 slots - it will be worth it. Sam Gagner, Philadelphia Flyers  - The Flyers need this guy to work out. They can't have two Lecavaliers on the same team, so Gagner has to succeed. That's not gonna happen unless he's on the Claude Giroux line. So look for him to get the first six or seven games on that line. And either it works out and your sleeper pick pays off, or it doesn't and he gets shuffled down the depth chart.  Alex Stalock, San Jose Sharks - Most of the people I talk to seem to be fixated on Martin Jones being the starter for San Jose. I'm not sure why that is, given that Stalock has been every bit as good (or, as was the case last season - every bit as bad). The perfect No.4 goalie to take a flier on with your last pick, because he could very well come out of this as San Jose's go-to guy.  Nazem Kadri, Toronto Maple Leafs  - The thought of drafting a Leaf this season is so laughable that the mere mention of one here probably caught you off guard. But Kadri is a safe pick for 45 points, with a likelihood of something in the low 50s. However, he has the upside for the high 60s and now that he's going to be Toronto's main player for offense along with James van Riemsdyk, he could really flourish.  Evgeny Kuznetsov, Washington Capitals  - The young Russian's talent is immense. So much so that even under the short leash of coach Barry Trotz he still managed to post 37 points last season. A very safe bet for 45 points, but the sleeper-factor here is very tempting. He's the type of talent who could Vladimir Tarasenko his way into winning you a trophy. Nikolaj Ehlers, Winnipeg Jets - While everyone in your league drools over rookies McDavid or Eichel, you can probably swoop in on Ehlers in a later round. He may start slow thanks to Winnipeg's depth, but he's good enough to quickly move up the roster and have a strong second half. Dobber launched DobberHockey back in 2005 and his 10th annual Fantasy Guide can be found here . That's right - 10th annual. He's been around the block. Follow Dobber on Twitter @DobberHockey. [ Yahoo Sports Fantasy Hockey: Sign up and join a league today! ] MORE FROM YAHOO SPORTS urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,e81efa14-cebb-3a2d-9b08-baa76fcfb8a4-l:1 Sun, 23 Aug 2015 17:40:17 +0000 nhl http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nhl/SIG=13u6vs65q/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/fantasy-hockey--ranking-nhl-rookies--beyond-mcdavid-and-eichel-144923683.html Dobber Hockey launched in 2005 and Dobber and his staff have hitched their wagons to Puck Daddy to preach fantasy hockey to the Yahoo! masses since 2009. BY BRENDAN ROSS Drafting your favorite NHL superstar and riding his production straight to your fantasy hockey championship is the pipe dream for all poolies but the realist in all of us understands there’s much more to hoisting the league trophy than just one player’s success. Hitting on the big names is easy in the opening rounds but the real challenge is filling out your roster with valuable depth players. Every poolie loves finding that young gem - it makes them look like a pure hockey genius so why not fill out depth spots with a few valuable rookies? [ Yahoo Sports Fantasy Hockey: Sign up and join a league today! ] The key is to ensure that your rookie selections are informed ones, and that becomes the biggest challenge. Even the best youngsters can be fickle fantasy producers early in their careers, so let’s break down which ones could be worthy of a roster spot. The Favorites Introductions can be thrown aside here because these are the freshmen that your grandmothers chat about during afternoon tea time… Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers – Wunderkind junior star Connor McDavid will step right into the Oilers’ young roster and challenge to lead the team in scoring and it wouldn’t be wise to bet against him. McDavid’s shown good chemistry with high-flying winger Taylor Hall in BioSteel camp so expect him to draw top-line minutes right out of the gates and be the first rookie to post 70-plus points since Patrick Kane did it in 2007-2008. Sorry, he’s not Sidney Crosby, because he’s destined to be better. Jack Eichel, Buffalo Sabres – Sabres GM Tim Murray was bummed for a brief second after losing out on Connor McDavid but he then shook it off and realized that Jack Eichel is the NHL’s best consolation prize since Evgeny Malkin came second to Alexander Ovechkin at the 2004. With a chip on his shoulder to out-perform Connor McDavid, soon-to-be American hero Eichel stands to be the prime contributor on a rather pedestrian offensive Buffalo squad. Max Domi, Arizona Coyotes – There’s some Jekyll and Hyde in Domi’s game but when he’s on (flashback to the 2015 World Junior Championships), Max is as exciting as they come and that’ll be important in the offensively dry Arizona desert. Don’t expect Domi to come out guns-a-blazin’ but he’ll bring fans to the edge of their seats. Darnell Nurse, Edmonton Oilers – Edmonton opted to send Darnell Nurse back for another year of seasoning in junior giving him the opportunity to etch his legacy in World Junior history with a star-studded performance. Producing points at the junior level was no problem for the smooth skating 6-foot-4 Nurse but many are still wondering if the production will follow as easily in the pro ranks. Either way, Nurse is the star blue line pillar that the Oilers are planning on building around. Sam Bennett, Calgary Flames – A shoulder injury (with no direct link to his inability to perform a pullup at the NHL combine) sidelined the pesky skilled Sam Bennett, nixing his chance to challenge for the Calder in 2014-15. He got a taste of NHL action late in the season and even scored seconds into his debut. Bennett’s unrelenting two-way game will be endeared by Calgary’s bench boss Bob Hartley and that’ll give him plenty of opportunity to post Johnny Hockey-like numbers in 2015-16. Kevin Fiala, Nashville Predators – The Predators welcomed Filip Forsberg’s breakout season as he climbed to the top of Nashville’s scoring charts and he has help coming with the uber-skilled, and feisty, Kevin Fiala. Jumping into North American hockey with two feet, Fiala showed that his competitive drive and knack for finding offensive chances equates to fantasy value. Anthony Duclair, Arizona Coyotes – Dynamic speedster Duclair rattled off points quickly right off the hop in his first professional campaign before slowing down and eventually returned to his junior squad. He was a key member of Canada’s gold medal winning World Junior and now has the chance to create magic with WJC teammate Max Domi after he was traded to Arizona in the Keith Yandle deal. The 2015 Draftees Future fantasy lineups will eventually be littered with ’15 draftees as Mitch Marner, Dylan Strome, Zach Werenski, Timo Meier and Matt Barzal are names outside of McEichel that are destined to be fixtures on their new clubs down the road. Here are a few players to watch with the potential to step into the NHL for a taste of action as soon as 2015-16… Dylan Strome, Arizona Coyotes – With improvements in his skating still needed, all signs point to the desert dogs returning Strome to the OHL to defend his scoring title but don’t be surprised with a brief NHL stint to start the year. Most importantly, Strome stands to be a go-to offensive option at the upcoming World Junior Championships before he enters the NHL full-time in the Fall of 2016. Noah Hanifin, Carolina Hurricanes – Boston College standout Noah Hanifin plays a composed two-way game and with his low-maintenance mobile style, it’s expected that he impresses enough to stick around for the year. Expect 20ish points and feel free to fist-pump if he passes 30 points on the Canes blue line. Pavel Zacha, New Jersey Devils – Physically, Pavel Zacha is arguably the most NHL-ready offensive forward from his draft class (outside of McDavid and Eichel). The problem lies in his offensive numbers, or lack thereof, with many folks needing to see these numbers climb before he steps into NHL action. On his side of the argument, Zacha is an excellent physical forward with loads of skill to offer and after excelling at shutting down Connor McDavid in post-season action, there’s two-way versatility as well. If he’s not in Jersey this season, expect a smashing debut in 2016. Lawson Crouse, Florida Panthers – Crouse demonstrated himself as one of Canada’s premier shutdown forwards as a WJC underager and managed to produced 29 games without much help in Kingston. Offensively, the best is yet to come from Crouse and his hockey sense, two-way acumen and physical advantage could see him force his way onto the Panthers roster this Fall but it’ll be tough with a crowded left side. Ivan Provorov, Philadelphia Flyers – Less than a year after Kimmo Timonen departed Philadelphia after years of valuable service, Flyers restocked their blue line with a similar intelligent two-way defender in Ivan Provorov. This extremely intelligent Russian isn’t large and lacks the flashiness of a Karlsson but his efficiency is reminiscent of a 10-year vet. Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche – Every season there’s a non-Top 5 pick who steps directly into the NHL and makes an impact. Cue Finn Mikko Rantanen to fill that potential role. He’s got professional experience under his belt and with the aging Tanguay and Iginla, plus the inconsistent Grigorenko, on Colorado’s right side, Rantanen just needs to stick around long enough for an injury or frustration to strike for his opportunity. The Goaltenders Tough to pinpoint their arrival considering most NHL teams have their bona fide starters locked into place, the following are a few young netminders waiting for their opportunity to prove themselves... John Gibson, Anaheim Ducks – Flashing back to Summer 2014 and we were hearing John Gibson’s name being tossed around as a Calder Trophy favorite. Here we are again one year later and he remains in the conversation after suffering injuries and being supplanted by Frederik Andersen as Anaheim’s starter. The book on Gibson remains status quo – he’s an elite NHL prospect and should be coveted in every format. Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets – Despite an outstanding AHL debut season and World Championship showing, Hellebuyck waits patiently as the third option in Winnipeg’s goaltending platoon of Pavelec and Hutchinson. He’s pegged as the Jets’ future between the pipes and simply needs the chance to showcase his stuff. Don’t be surprised to see Hellebuyck start stealing starts very soon. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning – It’s been a few up and down seasons for prized goaltending prospect Vasilevskiy but this young puck stopper already has played four, yes FOUR, seasons of professional hockey. After a long run by the Lightning Vasilevskiy has earned valuable big game minutes so the jitters should be long gone. The future crease will be home to Vasilevskiy and he’s only an injury to Bishop away from taking the starter job and running with it. Matt Murray, Pittsburgh Penguins – After capturing both Rookie and Goaltender of the Year honors in the AHL last season, Matt Murray has tightened the long leash on Marc-Andre Fleury because the organization now has a viable challenger for the starter’s position. He’ll concede the crease to MAF for now but he’s certainly fast tracking himself to the NHL quicker then everyone expected. urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,1f95a15d-417b-3ee2-9c29-6dfc208f7dbb-l:1 Sat, 22 Aug 2015 14:49:22 +0000 nhl http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nhl/SIG=142al0o8f/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/fantasy-hockey--which-goalies-should-you-draft-or-completely-avoid-145207502.html Dobber Hockey launched in 2005 and Dobber and his staff have hitched their wagons to Puck Daddy to preach fantasy hockey to the Yahoo! masses since 2009. As in real hockey, goaltending is the most important position in fantasy hockey. In many formats, goalies make up close 10 percent of your roster but account for 40 percent to 50 percent of your categories. If you get stuck with a below average group your chances of success are slim. I’ve been using a tiered system for years and most of the time goaltending has been an asset to my team. Sure, there are some years where injuries kill me and that just can't be helped (thanks Craig Anderson). But if you employ a tier system and come away with three reasonably strong goaltenders, you can protect yourself against that. The main thing to remember when setting up your 'Tiers' is that it's not just about skill and production. Often, it’s about opportunity and team strength. Jonathan Bernier is a talented goalie, but splitting starts with James Reimer on a team that will struggle for even 30 wins makes him next to fantasy useless. [ Yahoo Sports Fantasy Hockey: Sign up and join a league today! ] Never start drafting goaltenders until there is a chance that you will miss out on all of your Tier 1 goalies. Then make sure you get one. After that, go back to forwards and defensemen until there is a chance that the Tier 2 goalies will be scooped up. Whatever happens - make sure you have at least one from Tier 1 and one from your Tier 2 (or a second from Tier 1 if one of them falls too far). Or if you really want to protect yourself as I should have last year, get one Tier 1 goalie and two from the second tier. Tier 1 The cream of the crop. Posting 35-40 wins should be in the cards for this group as well as some great GAA and SV% totals. Unless something happens like a major injury, or they get traded to Arizona. Pekka Rinne, Nashville Predators  - Between his health (hip surgery) and a new coach, fantasy owners were wary of Rinne last summer. He played 64 games last season, tied for second most in his career, so those fears were definitely laid to rest. A safe bet for 35 wins and a good bet for 40. Jaroslav Halak, New York Islanders - After so many years of sharing the net in Montreal and St. Louis, Halak has emerged as the undisputed No.1 starter - and for a team that is now quickly moving up among the elite. If he can stay healthy, he'll start close to 70 games. But he can't, so bank on 60 (which could still mean 40 wins). Carey Price, Montreal   Canadiens - The cream of the crop. The one goalie who is so good that you may want to break the 'tier' strategy above and just go ahead and draft him in the first round before anyone else can. Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins - Despite the Cup ring, Fleury is still trying to find his way in the postseason. That's not the case in the regular season where he has 34 or more wins in seven seasons, and added 10 shutouts in 2014-15. Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals - The magic of Barry Trotz continues on this new team as he's created another 40-win elite fantasy goaltender. Bank on Holtby to repeat, barring injury - it's Trotz's M.O. Ben Bishop, Tampa Bay   Lightning  - As a starting goaltender Bishop has averaged 62.5 starts and 38.5 wins per season over two years. That kind of success ensures that he'll continue to be 'the guy' no matter how great the wunderkind (Andrei Vasilevskiy) is. Frederik Andersen, Anaheim Ducks - The Ducks removed any lingering doubt about Andersen's status by acquiring Anton Khudobin. It essentially puts the star prospect John Gibson in the AHL for a full season so Andersen can do his thing. Tier 2 Many goalies from my Tier 2 could jump to Tier 1 if they can stay healthy. By the same token, it wouldn't take much for them to slide down to Tier 3 either. Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins - A former Tier 1 - hell a former elite - goalie, Rask takes a bit of a tumble. A little of this is due to his subpar season. But the bigger part is due to Boston's non-playoff season and subsequent offseason moves. Corey Crawford, Chicago Blackhawks - Crawford should be a shoe-in as a Tier 1 guy because Chicago is awesome and he's the No.1 goalie. But backup Scott Darling was good enough to not only chase Antti Raanta out of town, but also steal a couple of playoff starts from Crawford. The concern here is how much Darling will cannibalize Crawford's starts. Semyon Varlamov, Colorado Avalanche - His 28 wins on a mediocre Colorado team should push him to the third tier. However, Varly is just a year removed from a 41-win campaign so we know what he's capable of. Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus Blue Jackets  - The Blue Jackets are primed to take the next step. So if Bobrovsky can just stay healthy for a full season, he'd take a run at 40 wins. A big if. Roberto Luongo, Florida Panthers - What a great comeback year for Luongo. Though he had just 28 wins, his stats were stellar. If you subscribe to the theory that Florida is slowly getting better, then Luongo crossing the 32-win barrier for the first time in five years should be a snap. Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings - Coach Darryl Sutter has shown us time and again that he'll play Quick 70-plus games if he's healthy, no matter how good the backup is. That makes Quick gold. But the Kings are barely a 40-win team, which pushes Quick to the second tier. Devan Dubnyk, Minnesota Wild  - I really like Dubnyk and have completely bought into him being the 'real deal'. On my personal list, I'd probably push him up to the first tier. But since he's only been this prodigy for about 10 months…I'll play it safe with my public advice and call him a Tier 2 guy. Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers - The King has spent time on the IR in each of the last two seasons, which pushes him from being a safe guy you can count on 100%...to a guy you can probably count on and hope for the best. Craig Anderson, Ottawa Senators - Anderson had a nice bounce-back season last year. Too bad he was only healthy for half of it. The injuries are such a concern that many of you would (rightfully) consider pushing him down to the third tier. Depends on your risk tolerance. But don't kid yourself into thinking that Andrew Hammond is a threat here. Injuries are a threat. Hammond is just a nice story. Tier 3 Here are a group of quality goaltenders who take a fantasy hit because they are either injury prone or they will be sharing starts. Great to have as your No. 3 goalie because they will have certain weeks throughout the year in which they are white hot. Karri Ramo and Jonas Hiller, Calgary Flames - This year will be interesting because both of these goalies are making a lot of money and both goalies could become unrestricted free agents next summer. Either one could seize the starting job. My money is on Ramo eventually taking it, but by the time it happens the two of them will have completely cannibalized each other's starts. Eddie Lack, Carolina Hurricanes - I have Lack here and I'm not including Cam Ward because I think Lack is the better goaltender (by far). You can disagree, and slot Ward here as well, that's your call. But Ward's contract is up after this year so there is little incentive to keep starting him if he's not winning. Antti Niemi and Kari Lehtonen, Dallas Stars - Another split-start situation in which I doubt either goaltender gets 50 starts. Maybe that works out for the team - and it might, because Dallas looks so much better for the season ahead what with Patrick Sharp and Valeri Nichushkin added. But it doesn't help fantasy teams. Jimmy Howard, Detroit Red Wings - Howard could be a Top 12 goalie in terms of wins and stats, were it not for Petr Mrazek. The youngster stole the starting job from Howard late last season and into the playoffs. Howard's contract should still ensure that he gets 50-plus starts, but that won't be enough to put him among the top fantasy owns. Cam Talbot, Edmonton Oilers - The Oilers are going to be a much better team in 2015-16 and Talbot is probably going to be the runaway starter. How many more wins will they get? Will Anders Nilsson or Ben Scrivens outplay Talbot? Those two questions keep Talbot in the third tier. Cory Schneider, New Jersey Devils - Schneider had 69 starts last year and managed just 26 wins. In the season ahead, I can see him getting 72 starts or more…but he'll be lucky to get 26 wins. The Devils are just that bad. Steve Mason, Philadelphia Flyers - I'm actually a believer in Mason and of all the Tier 3 goalies, he'd be the one I'd prefer to end up with. But he keeps getting hurt, and usually at the worst possible time (during a hot streak). Jake Allen and Brian Elliott, St. Louis Blues - As noted with the Dallas and Calgary situations above, this 1A/1B stuff is for the birds. In weekly leagues, all these types of goalies are good for are occasional starts when they're hot or when their partner is sidelined with an injury. Martin Jones and Alex Stalock, San Jose Sharks - Unlike the other 1A/1B situations above, this one I think will result in a winner by December. And that winner will walk away with it, shouldering much of the load from that point forward. Who? If I knew, I'd put him in the second tier (and the loser would drop to Tier 4). Jonathan Bernier, Toronto Maple Leafs  - Bernier's numbers will improve this season, but his win total may not. That being said, like everyone else in Tier 3, he'll have his useful weeks where you can activate him. Ryan Miller, Vancouver Canucks - The Canucks saw to it that Miller would be undisputed as the top goalie this year, electing instead to move the superior netminder Eddie Lack to Carolina. I don't know if you like what the Canucks did this summer, but I sure don't and I'll be surprised if Miller matches the 29 wins he got last season. Ondrej Pavelec, Winnipeg Jets - Kudos to Pavelec for a career season last year. The timing couldn't have been better for him as he has a pair of good goalies looking over his shoulder. Just 22 wins in each of the last two seasons. Tier 4 Here are a handful of goaltenders with the ability to enjoy an extended stay as the team's No.1 goalie thanks to an injury to the guy ahead of him. Or from just plain outplaying him. If you have room for a fourth goalie, or you have little faith in your first three - then one of these guys will be around late in your draft and are worth sitting on. Robyn Lehner, Buffalo Sabres - The No.1 goalie in Buffalo is a No.1 goalie. But it's Buffalo. Still, a great option to stick on your bench in a deep round. Cam Ward, Carolina Hurricanes  - As much as I like Lack, the fact of the matter is that Carolina's loyalties are with Ward so he'll get first dibs. I think he'll slip, but if he doesn't he'll obviously have a very productive year. That's worth a depth pick for sure. Scott Darling, Chicago Blackhawks  - Darling put a scare in Crawford owners late last season. Who says he can't do it again? Petr Mrazek, Detroit Red Wings  - Of all the Tier 4 goalies, Mrazek is the one I'd target. Not only because Jimmy Howard is a Band-Aid Boy, but because Mrazek has already shown us that he's better. Ben Scrivens and Anders Nilsson, Edmonton Oilers - Nilsson is coming off a lights-out performance in the KHL and Scrivens is coming off a…light performance in Edmonton (but two years ago he was awesome). Either one could theoretically steal the job from Talbot. If I could get one as a fourth goalie with my last pick, I'd do it and then drop him in November when it's clear that my gambit didn't pay off. Andrew Hammond, Ottawa Senators - Because Anderson is so injury prone, Hammond has a lot of value as Ottawa's backup. And who knows, maybe he has another 15-game unbeaten in regulation streak in him.   Dobber launched DobberHockey back in 2005 and his 10th annual Fantasy Guide can be found here . That's right - 10th annual. He's been around the block. Follow Dobber on Twitter @DobberHockey. And to get up-to-the-minute - free - starting goalie information, look no further than  Goalie Post . urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,lego:19780928:top,article,d41efecd-ac6d-3a59-85d3-36780e313b50-l:1 Fri, 21 Aug 2015 14:52:06 +0000 nhl http://www.edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/edmonton-oilers/initially+scared+yakupov+positive/11305476/story.html Nail Yakupov might be three years older than Connor McDavid, but don’t count on the 21-year-old Russian forward to moonlight as a tutor for the Edmonton Oilers’ No. 1 overall draft pick. “I don’t think I’ll be a teacher. I’m too young for that,” said Yakupov, who might find himself on McDavid’s right wing on the Oilers’ second line. “We’ve got lots of old guys to tell him things.” tag:www.edmontonjournal.com:content=11305476 Fri, 21 Aug 2015 00:25:14 +0000 http://oilers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=777215&cmpid=rss-release (EDMONTON) Oilers Entertainment Group (OEG) announced the hiring of Edmonton-born and internationally-experienced venue management executive Susan Darrington as the new Vice President, General Manager of Rogers Place. Darrington joins Oilers En... news@edmontonoilers.com http://oilers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=777215 Wed, 19 Aug 2015 16:00:00 +0000 http://oilers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=776350&cmpid=rss-release TORONTO (August 6, 2015) Connor, Connor and more Connor. This season Oilers fans will know where to go to catch their budding superstar and favourite team as the NHL on Sportsnet delivers all 82 Oilers regular season games in 2015-16. The Oilers’ ... news@edmontonoilers.com http://oilers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=776350 Thu, 06 Aug 2015 17:00:00 +0000 http://oilers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=776153&cmpid=rss-van diest EDMONTON -- With all the changes the Edmonton Oilers made this offseason, there is plenty of uncertainty going into this season. Reaction to the management shakeup following Edmonton's NHL Draft Lottery win was positive. Many believe the Oiler... http://oilers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=776153 Sat, 01 Aug 2015 16:07:00 +0000 http://oilers.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=442567 General Manager Steve Tambellini announced today, the Edmonton Oilers have agreed to terms with forward Chris Minard and defenceman Matt Nickerson. Oilers Editorial Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:16:00 +0000 http://oilers.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=442533 The Edmonton Oilers will open the 2009-10 season with an eight-game pre-season schedule, which will include four home games at Rexall Place and four away games. Islanders, Canucks, Flames and Panthers will visit Edmonton. Oilers Editorial Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:16:00 +0000 http://oilers.nhl.tv/team/console.jsp?catid=4&id=44852 On the final day of Oilers Development Camp, we had an opportunity to speak with Oilers Skating & Skills Coach Steve Serdachny, Strength & Conditioning Coach Simon Bennett and Associate Coach Tom Renney. Follow the link for video. Oilers Editorial Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:16:00 +0000 http://oilers.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=436702 There certainly was a sentiment from a large percentage of Oilers fans that that the team should step up to bring Ales Kotalik back. However a few things conspired against him remaining with the Oilers, including Kotalik himself. Oilers Editorial Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:16:00 +0000 http://oilers.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=434550 July 26th to August 15th in St. Albert, AB, the Edmonton Oilers will once again be offering the Oilers Hockey School presented by EnCana to young hockey players aged five to 16. Oilers Editorial Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:16:00 +0000