We Are All Puckheads

Site News 22/09

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 22 Sep 2013 01:18:00 +0000

Hello fellow Puckheads! As you may have noticed, things have been a little slow around WAAP lately, and with good reason. Not only did I take a nice, long, well-deserved vacation, but it seems as though my work has gotten noticed by a few other blogs. So...for this season, check out the following links if you want to keep reading my stuff!

Sport Statricity

Last Word On Sports

Both are great, emerging sites and your support will be appreciated! And don't worry, that doesn't mean that WAAP is completely dead, but it does mean that the posts here will be much more infrequent. Also, make sure to keep following me on Twitter, because I'll be tweeting all my links out there as well as sharing them on Facebook and Google+.

On a personal note, I can't thank all you fine people enough for the support you gave me last season. You really helped fuel my love of hockey and blogging, it honestly means so much.

Let's have a great 2013-14 NHL season!!

The Jersey Problem

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 15:38:00 +0000

First of all let me get something straight, this post has nothing to do with the New Jersey Devils (though they certainly have had their share of problems lately). Instead, I wanted to take a look at some of the problems and things an NHL fan should consider when buying a new jersey.

Before I go too far, a confession: I do not now, nor have ever, owned an authentic NHL jersey. It's almost incomprehensible to me how a person who has been a rabid fan of hockey for more than two decades could be without one, yet here we are. So in conversation recently I was asked, "what kind of jersey would you like?". A harmless question at face value, however the problems of finding the right jersey quickly became deep and complex.

My first thought of course was that I should naturally get the best player on my favorite team. Sure, it's easy enough to get a Sidney Crosby jersey if you're a Pens fan, the guy is now and will be a franchise icon. But say your franchise's best player is going to be a free agent soon, and his future with the team is in doubt. Maybe even his reputation would be spoiled if he leaves the team, as is the case for thousands of New Jersey fans who now have useless Zach Parise jerseys (apparently this post is somewhat about the Devils after all). When buying a jersey, you want it to be something that will stand the test of time.

Which means that buying the jersey of your team's next great young prospect is a terrible idea. Pity the people that thought it wise to pick up an Erik Johnson or Cody Hodgson jersey after they were drafted.

There's even more criteria to consider, remember this is no easy task. Some go the route of honoring the more unsung heroes on their favorite team. Certainly there is no shame in rocking a Gregory Campbell jersey in Boston, or Alex Burrows in Vancouver. There are players that achieve an almost cult following in some markets, and those jerseys almost never go out of style.

Which is exactly the reason why vintage jerseys have become so popular. You can blame the NHL for using them as a cash grab, but you can't deny they are completely awesome. Even today you are guaranteed to see Bobby Hull's number 16 in Philly or Mario Lemieux's number 66 in Pittsburgh. As a simple rule of thumb, if your player's jersey has been retired by your team, go ahead and buy it.

But whatever you do, please never ever buy a Canucks "Flying V".

Thanks for reading everybody! Make sure to follow me on twitter @CanuckPuckHead for more updates to my blog. Also check out the other sites I blog for: www.hockeyopinions.com and www.lastwordonsports.com

Can't Miss Dates In The 2013-14 NHL Season

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 20 Jul 2013 13:56:00 +0000

The NHL finally released it's 2013-14 schedule yesterday after much anticipation around the hockey world. I thought that instead of wading through all 1230 games to find the ones you want, I'll do all the hard work for you! There's going to be tons of interesting games, and lots of old friends returning as foes who didn't get a chance during 2013 due to no intra-conference play. Here's a list of can't miss dates in next year's NHL season:

October 1st: The season starts a little earlier than usual, to facilitate a 17 day break in the schedule during February for the Sochi Olympics. Still, the opening night starts with a bang, as Toronto visits Montreal on Hockey Night In Canada, followed shortly by a game between Washington and Chicago on NBC in which the Blackhawks will raise their championship banner.

October 8th: New Jersey at Vancouver. The Devils will be making their western road swing early in the season, so Canucks fans won't have to wait long to see Cory Schneider wearing the red and black. Schneider versus Luongo is a long story in Vancouver, but seeing them finally against each other on opposing sides of the ice is going to be interesting.

November 7th: New York Rangers at Columbus. At long last the fans of Columbus will get to see their former captain Rick Nash return. It's pretty amazing to see how the team is finally on the upswing after their greatest player in franchise history left, and the welcome he receives should be very fun to watch.

November 27th: Philadelphia at Tampa Bay. Speaking of returns, Vincent Lecavalier's return to Tampa wearing in a Philly sweater should be quite the spectacle. I expect, as Vinny was bought out and didn't actively pursue leaving the team, that he'll get a very warm response from the fans he once lived an died for.

November 30th: Vancouver at New York Rangers. If there's one game next year that many secretly hope will turn into a media circus, it's this one. After swapping head coaches this summer, you can bet every reporter will be going hard after Alain Vigneault and especially John Tortorella. This will be an early season test for Torts, to see if he can stay true to his word of forming a relationship with the media instead of antagonizing them.

December 1st: Detroit at Ottawa. In a season full of homecomings, the return of Daniel Alfredsson to Ottawa might be the most captivating. It's going to be very strange seeing the man who scored more than 1100 points during 17 seasons as a Sen return to Ottawa in another team's colors. Added to that is the fact that Alfie spurned the Sens in favor of the Wings, which will likely bring a very mixed reaction from the Ottawa faithful. Those fans loved him for a long time, but got their hearts broken.

December 10th: Boston at Calgary. Flames fans never got a chance to properly say goodbye to Jarome Iginla, but they will when the Bruins visit in December. Just like Alfredsson, it's going to be strange to see Iginla playing in black and gold instead of the customary Flames red, but he'll still get love from the people in Calgary.

December 14th: Boston at Vancouver. Yes, I'm going a bit heavy on the Canucks in this article. You can't really blame me though, there's some interesting stuff happening on the West Coast. This will be the Bruin's first game in Vancouver since they raised the Cup there in 2011. The one game they played since then was an absolute classic in Boston during the 2011-12 season, so there's no reason not to expect another great one here. The Final was a while ago, but these two teams have long memories.

January 1st: Winter Classic. Yes, the NHL schedule will feature six outdoor games next season, but the Winter Classic is still...well, the classic. All eyes in the hockey world will be on Detroit as the Red Wings take on their reunited divisional rival Toronto Maple Leafs in Michigan Stadium. A record 110,000 people are expected to attend the game. Added to that will be the build-up of HBO's 24/7, which is sure to have the excitement for this one at a fever pitch.

January 18th: Hockey Day In Canada. All seven Canadian teams will be in action for a triple header of hockey that spans the nation. Aside from the games, there will be many celebrations of hockey in smaller communities from coast to coast. More than anything though, it's a great excuse to take the day off work and watch nine straight hours of hockey.

January 24: Anaheim at Los Angeles. An outdoor game at Dodger Stadium in California? Not to devalue the other games in the NHL's Stadium Series, but this one is going to be the most interesting. Never before has the NHL attempted to host an outdoor game in such a warm climate (to be fair they did so in Las Vegas back in the 90's, but the ice technology has advanced dramatically since then). People will probably be keeping an eye on the weather more than the game.

March 20th: Minnesota at New Jersey. Just another intra-conference game on the schedule, nothing to see here. Oh wait, Zach Parise will be making his first appearance back in Jersey since he left for Minnesota last summer. Though the loss of Ilya Kovalchuk will be numbed somewhat by then, you can bet that the Devils fans won't be happy to be reminded of another superstar they lost.

March 27th: Chicago at Boston. Though this will be the second meeting between the 2013 Finalists on the season, I expect this one will have much more atmosphere. It wasn't easy for the Bruins or their fans to watch that lead disappear in game six, then having to watch the visitors raise the Cup in their own building. Boston fans will be going nuts in this one.

Salary Arbitration Refresher Course

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 18 Jul 2013 10:27:00 +0000

Via: jetsnation.com

The NHL free agency period has come and gone, with just a few second tier UFA's remaining on the market. At this time, most teams turn their attention towards getting those last few RFA's signed, and a very common practice for those young players looking for a new contract is salary arbitration. It's a process that isn't as cut and dry as normal contract negotiations, as it involves a third party and can occasionally get somewhat acrimonious. For many hockey fans the different nuances of arbitration can be a little bit confusing, but luckily I'm here to clear things up a bit. Let's take a look at how the process works, and some the players that have applied this year.

Generally salary arbitration is a way for young players to protect their rights against a hard-headed owner who is giving them a low deal that they don't think they are worth. In these cases, the player would file for arbitration. However, it works in the reverse as well, as a team also has the option to take a player to arbitration if he feels the players demands are unreasonable.

Unlike UFA's who can take any deal with any team they want, RFA's are under the control of their teams. As a result, salary arbitration is a system that allows a compromise to be met when there is a stalemate in negotiations. It should be noted that a team can only take one of it's players to arbitration once in their careers, while the player can apply for arbitration as many times as he wants until he becomes a UFA (as long as a qualifying offer has been made by the team).

Who is eligible? This is the part that is a little bit technical, but there's basically three criteria.
1. A player who signed his entry level contract at age 18 or 19 (but hasn't turned 20 during the year his contract was signed) who has played at least 10 NHL games and four such seasons of games accrued is eligible for arbitration.
2. A player who signed his entry level contract at the age of 20 who has played at least 10 professional games and four such seasons of games accrued is eligible for arbitration.
3. A player who signed his entry level contract at the age of 21 or over, is eligible of arbitration at the end of that contract.

Since most entry level contracts are for three years in length, those players that were 18-20 when they signed their entry level deal generally don't get an opportunity to apply for salary arbitration until the end of their second contract (because of having to play at least 10 games in four seasons).

This year, 21 players have filed for salary arbitration. The more high profile ones are:

Detroit Red Wings - Brendan Smith
Edmonton Oilers - Sam Gagner
New York Islanders - Josh Bailey
St. Louis Blues - Chris Stewart
Winnipeg Jets - Zach Bogosian, Brian Little

How does it work?
Hearings are set by the NHL between the team, the player (usually with his representative) and a third party arbiter. Usually these take place around the end of July and the beginning of August. Both sides of the contract negotiation present their case to the arbiter who then considers the evidence and awards a contract. This is where things can get a little dicey.

A team wants to do anything it can to decrease the player's value to the arbiter, often in a way that is awkward or downright insulting with the player or his agent in the room. Conversely, the player will want to do everything he can to show why he feels he deserves the money he's asking for. Essentially arbitration is a battle ground, it leads to a solution, but there's always some emotional punches thrown during the process and more than a few relationships have been soured as a result.

In the end, the arbiter looks at the two cases presented, but he also considers comparables. Both sides will present some comparable players in terms of seasons played, age, and various stats to determine the player's value. Let's use Winnipeg Jet Zach Bogosian as an example.

Bogosian and his agent will likely want to compare him to a player such as Drew Doughty, who was drafted in the same year and makes $7 million dollars per season. Now, of course that's a bit of a stretch to compare the two stats-wise, but that's the high end of the spectrum the player will be shooting for.

On the other hand, the team will likely compare Bogosian to a player like Karl Alzner, who is of similar experience and has slightly lower stats, but recently signed a contract for only $2.8 million per year.

Results.
The arbiter will take all this information and come to a decision on a contract value and term. Generally the decisions end up being in the mid-range that both sides wanted for the dollar amount, and rarely does the term go beyond one season unless both sides wanted it. The arbiter's decision isn't necessarily final though. If the player requested arbitration and the awarded contract was more than $3.5 million, the team has a 48 hour window in which it can "walk away" from the decision. Basically, the relationship between the player and team is nullified, and the player becomes a UFA. If however the team elected arbitration, both sides must consent to the awarded contract, no matter it's value.

In the end, it's unlikely that all 21 players will actually make it to their arbitration hearings. A few have already signed and avoided the process, while I'm sure more than a few of the rest will want to do the same. Sure, it gets a solution worked out, but it's just not worth it for the team to devalue a player in front of his eyes just to save a few bucks.

What Causes A Junior Star To Bust In The NHL?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 14:45:00 +0000

When it comes right down to it, the NHL draft is always a crapshoot. Always. For every Sidney Crosby there is an Alexandre Daigle. For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan. With respect to Daigle and Stefan, both carved out a decent little hockey career that most 18 year old players would be lucky to get, however it's not the expected return on a first overall pick. While some like Crosby and Kane could reach the pinnacle of hockey, why could others like Daigle and Stefan stumble so badly? Why is it just so hard to predict how a junior age player's success will translate and evolve as he becomes a pro? Let's take a look at a few case studies and try to find some answers.

Most recently is the news, as highlighted in this excellent article from The Province's Tony Gallagher, is the story of Gilbert Brule. Brule was, as you may recall, a scoring machine for the Vancouver Giants in the WHL and was drafted 6th overall by Columbus in 2005. However Brule struggled with life at the pro level, bounced around between a few teams, and now finds himself as a 26 year old free agent just hoping to find a job next season. In Brule's case, it was a matter of a sour relationship with his father (who also served as his agent), which led to depression, medication and misappropriation of funds. It's an excellent read and I suggest you give it a look. But it points to a larger issue that affects these young stars: too much, too young. Players that are superstars before they are even adults and have no concept of how to deal with it can easily be seduced and ruined. It's happened to Brule and countless others. While some players can be groomed and prepared for stardom (such as Crosby) many other young players cannot and find their careers struggling as a result.

However, even for those who have a level head about such things, other factors can affect their development. One is the way that desperate organizations feel the need to "rush" their young players into the lineup before they are ready. The most recent and high profile case might be Alexander Burmistrov. The Russian center was instantly inserted into the Thrashers lineup after being drafted 8th overall in 2010, with very poor results. By all accounts Burmistrov is a very talented player, who was brilliant with Ak Bars Kazan in Russia, and managed more than a point per game in the OHL after coming over to play junior in Canada. However, he managed just 6 goals as an NHL rookie and followed that up with two more relatively disappointing seasons before defecting to the KHL this summer. It's fairly obvious that Burmistrov needed more seasoning at the junior or AHL level, however the Thrashers (and afterwards Jets) were desperate for offense and kept playing him, even though he wasn't ready. Now he's gone back to Russia, and they have nobody but themselves to blame.

Finally, the last thing to consider, is that some players simply can't match the toughness and rigors of a full NHL season. In junior hockey, it's very easy to get by on skill, but it takes much more than that to excel as a professional NHL player. Take for example Rob Schremp. He had a brilliant career with the London Knights in the OHL, culminating in a dominant 145 points in only 57 games during the 2005-06 season. Schremp is simply a wizard with the puck, a quick search of Youtube is enough to assure anyone of that. However, he struggled in the NHL, with only 20 goals in 114 career games, and has been playing overseas for the last three seasons. Schremp found himself unable (or perhaps unwilling) to adjust his offense-only game to the NHL style and quickly found himself out of the league as a result. The fact of the matter is, if you're not prepared to learn two-way hockey, and if you don't have the size to battle with other NHL players, you won't be able to become a true professional.

This is why interviewing draft eligible players (usually multiple times) has become so crucial for NHL teams in recent years. They need players that have a good head on their shoulders, that understand what it means to be a professional, that are willing and able to work as hard as they can, year after year, in hopes of being the best. It's also why you see a supposedly "high-end skill player" tumble down the draft every year, some teams obviously have misgivings about the character of the player despite his skill set.

So if you're a fan of an NHL team and you have a top prospect waiting in the wings that you're a little worried about, ask yourself a few questions. Does he display the maturity needed to become a professional? Has he displayed a willingness to grow his game, to adapt to new situations, and to learn how to become a more well-rounded player? Has the organization taken the proper steps to put him into situations where he can learn how to be successful and gain experience before stepping into an NHL lineup? If you answered no to any of those questions, no matter how high the draft pick or how good the pedigree, you might just have a bust on your hands.

After The Frenzy

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 13:06:00 +0000

It's now been a full ten days since the beginning of the NHL free agency period, enough time for most of the big fish to have been scooped up and things to settle down a bit. However, as we enter the dog days of summer, some mid-level players that could make an impact are still up for grabs.

Damien Brunner: The undrafted 27 year old Swiss winger with only one NHL season under his belt might actually be one of the more intriguing names left. Brunner was an offensive star for years in the Swiss NLA and brought his talents to Detroit last season. Playing with other offensive stars like Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk, Brunner fit right in with 26 points in 44 games and adding 9 more in 14 post-season contests. With numbers like that in his first NHL season, there's no doubt Brunner is skilled, but the question is whether he can produce at that same level without the likes of a Zetterberg or a Datsyuk helping him along. The latest rumour is that, with the defection of Ilya Kovalchuk, New Jersey is hot after Brunner.

Mikhail Grabovski: The 29 year old Grabovski was an unexpected buyout by the Toronto Maple Leafs this summer, and absolutely ripped his former team after learning the news. He had a somewhat mediocre season, only notching 9 goals and 16 points in 48 games after two seasons of 50+ points prior to the lockout. This shouldn't deter teams from going after the only Belarussian player in the NHL however. Grabovski is a quick center who can drive the play forward and works best with a skilled winger, as he did with Phil Kessel. For teams looking for offensive depth up the middle, Grabovski would be a good option, however the right fit has to be there. It's clear from what he went through with Toronto that he doesn't want to jump into another uncomfortable situation. There isn't much chatter currently about where Grabovski might end up, but his agent indicated recently that "several" teams were interested. However, given recent events, one shouldn't rule out the KHL as an option either.

Jaromir Jagr: A man of Jagr's stature really needs no introduction, he's one of the best European players of all time. However, Jagr isn't the dominant offensive force he used to be and has seen his role reduced in the last few years. Last year Jagr split time between Dallas and Boston, and put up 16 goals and 35 points in 45 games. Not bad for a 41 year old approaching the end of his NHL career. However, in 22 post-season contests for Boston, Jagr didn't manage to score a single goal and some have begun to wonder if he's lost his hands, or has the physical ability to last for another full NHL season. At this point in his career, Jagr looks to be a hired gun and will go almost anywhere in the NHL for one last chance at a Stanley Cup. It appears there are more than a handful of teams interested in the first ballot Hall of Fame winger, and the front runners appear to be Montreal and Carolina.

Tim Thomas: Before last season, when Thomas announced that he was going to be taking a year long sabbatical, few saw him returning to the NHL. Yet here we are in July and Thomas is looking for a job. It's a tough sell currently, as there doesn't appear to be any openings for a starting goalie on an NHL team, however Thomas was one of the best on the planet before his exile, and surely someone will be interested. If the 39 year old truly wants to work, it's likely going to be in a backup or platoon role with another goalie, and likely at a reduced salary. The Flyers were a rumored destination earlier, but then they snatched up Ray Emery, and are also about $5 million over the cap anyways. Thomas might have to wait until just before the season starts, as some goalies such as Ryan Miller in Buffalo and Jaroslav Halak in St. Louis are on the trading block. Basically, for Thomas to fit somewhere at this point, the goalie landscape needs to change.

Mason Raymond: Plain and simple, Raymond is one of the fastest skaters in the entire NHL. He's a pure north-south player that can move the puck into the offensive zone with incredible speed and is outstanding along the boards. However, he lacks toughness and has difficulty bringing the puck into the high traffic areas in front of the crease. The former 25 goal scorer just hasn't been the same since an horrific back injury during the 2011 Stanley Cup finals. All that being said, he's still only 27 years old and can bring speed and offense to the top six of any team that is in dire need of it. The latest rumor on Raymond has him joining the Flames, however that interest seems to be coming more from the player (he's from Alberta) than from the team.

Dustin Penner: The reasons why Penner hasn't been signed yet are pretty obvious: his conditioning (or lack thereof) and his inconsistent play. Since joining the Kings in 2010, Penner has seen his offensive output decline massively. Also hurting Penner is that there were some more preferable power-forward types on the market, such as David Clarkson and Nathan Horton. However, there are some intangibles that make Penner an intriguing pickup. He's a huge body that is nearly immovable in front of the net, and he has good possession numbers. He's also got two Stanley Cup rings, a fact that can't be ignored by a team looking for veteran experience. With yet another change of scenery, the 30 year old is a potential bounce-back candidate for next season. There hasn't been much talk about where Penner will land but, believe it or not, the Oilers may be interested in bringing him in for a third line role.

Other Notables: Brendan Morrow, Ilya Bryzgalov, Brad Boyes, Ron Hainsey, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Dan Cleary, Milan Hejduk, Ryan Whitney, Jose Theodore.

Kovalchuk Retires...What The What?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 21:10:00 +0000

After all the craziness and excitement we've seen this offseason comes the most shocking news so far: Ilya Kovalchuk has retired from the NHL.

Controversy has followed Kovalchuk in recent years, in regards to the massive, cap-circumventing contract he signed with the Devils back in 2010. Yet here we are, at the end of the Kovalchuk era.

Here's the full statement from the Devil's GM Lou Lamoriello:

“After many conversations with Ilya over the past year on his desire to retire from the National Hockey League, Ilya’s decision became official today. On behalf of the entire organization, I wish Ilya and his family all the best in their future endeavors.”

And the statement from Kovalchuk:

“This decision was something I have thought about for a long time going back to the lockout and spending the year in Russia. Though I decided to return this past season, Lou was aware of my desire to go back home and have my family there with me. The most difficult thing for me is to leave the New Jersey Devils, a great organization that I have a lot of respect for, and our fans that have been great to me.”

This is just complete insanity. Kovalchuk has been one of the most dynamic snipers in the game for over a decade. He's hit the 30 goal plateau nine times in his career, including two seasons of 52 goals. His career totals are 417 goals and 816 points in 816 games. But the truly shocking part is that the 30 year old Kovalchuk would abandon the final 12 years and $77 million dollars owed to him on his contract. The same contract that the NHL deemed illegal and forced the Devils to give up a first round pick next year as compensation. A first round pick, might I add, that Kovy won't even be around to see.

Not to mention how incredibly screwed the New Jersey Devils are in all this. They just lost one of the most dangerous offensive threats the team has ever had, one whom they broke the bank and even NHL regulations to keep on the team. For all that, Kovalchuck gave them four years of relatively uninspired play and then bolted for Russia as soon as he got homesick. Oh, and they'll also have to pay $250 thousand a year for the next 12 years against the salary cap. At least they won't have to pay the full value of the $77 million, which is one small consolation when compared to losing their franchise winger.

To be clear, this wasn't a buyout, this was a mutual decision by club and player to terminate the contract so he can go home. But it looks like the Devils didn't have much say in the matter anyways.

Update: Many assumed that with Kovalchuk's NHL contract out of the way that he would pursue a job in the KHL. Early rumor indicates that he will play for SKA St. Petersburg next season and could make a salary between 15-20 million per year.

NHL Free Agency Winners And Losers

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 20:28:00 +0000

As cliche as a "winners and losers" post is, there was so much action around the free agent frenzy (which, refreshingly, actually was a bit of a frenzy this year) that it's easier just to boil all the action down to which teams improved...and which failed to achieve that goal.

Winner: Edmonton Oilers. It's hard not to like what the OIlers did during free agency. For years the team has been looking to add the right mix of veterans and grit players to support their young stars. Andrew Ference will bring the veteran leadership, toughness on the back-end, and a Stanley Cup ring certainly doesn't hurt either. Boyd Goron never got much press in Phoenix, but he's the quintessential third line winger that can win faceoffs and give you excellent two way play. Jason Labarbera has been a serviceable backup goalie throughout his careers, and can even spell Devan Dubnyk if the need arises during the season.

Loser: Florida Panthers. It's perhaps a bit strange, considering GM Dale Tallon went all in on free agents a few years ago, that the Panthers stayed pat on FA day. Adding depth players like Joey Crabb and Mike Mottau doesn't hurt, but the team lost Stephen Weiss and did nothing to address it, nor any of the other holes in their lineup.

Winner: Columbus Blue Jackets. Yes, at $5.3 million for seven years, they probably overpaid for Nathan Horton. However, he's the power forward that the Jackets were in dire need of, and he adds depth and a different look to their top six. That's not what makes this a win for Columbus though. It's that, for the first time in years, a top free agent actually chose to go to Columbus and play for them. The culture under new GM Jarmo Kekalainen is changing, and this is proof that the Jackets may not be the perennial bottom feeder for much longer.

Loser: Vancouver Canucks. To be fair, it's hard to point the finger at Vancouver for doing so little when the team is so close to the salary cap. But gone are Derek Roy, Keith Ballard, Mason Raymond and Max Lapierre, with only third liner Brad Richardson and depth defenseman Yannick Weber coming in. They also picked up Mike Santorelli, in the hopes he could rekindle some of the magic he had with David Booth when they were in Florida. However with the pressing need for a scoring winger and perhaps a backup goaltender, none of these moves particularly inspire confidence in GM Mike Gillis, a man who is already on shaky ground from his goaltending fiasco.

Winner: Detroit Red Wings. Traditionally the Wings are a little quiet on FA day. The team's organizational philosophy of bringing along young talent slowly and evolving them into stars means that the team rarely needs to make a splash, they just need to add pieces as necessary. I guess that after nearly defeating the eventual Stanley Cup champions in the playoffs this year inspired GM Ken Holland to bring in some star power and give this core a real chance at a championship before it gets too old. Not that there's anything young about Daniel Alfredsson, the ex-Ottawa (that's so weird to write) captain brought in as a hired gun for one last chance at the Cup. He'll get along great with the other Swedes on the team and can slide neatly into the top six. But they didn't stop there and added Stephen Weiss from Florida, another quality top six forward, and at a decent price too.

Loser: Tampa Bay Lightning. There is no doubt that GM Steve Yzerman was a brilliant hockey player, one of the best ever...but his performance has an executive has left much to be desired. Though the Lightning have one of the best stable of prospects in the league, that's two years in a row now that Yzerman has massively overpaid for a player. Last year it was defenseman Matt Carle, this year it's Valtteri Filppula. $5 million over 5 years for a guy that has only hit the 20 goal plateau once in his career. Maybe Yzerman and his ties to the Detroit organization know something about Filppula that we don't, but from the outside the optics of this one look terrible.

Winner: Dallas Stars. I'm stretching the format just a little bit here, since many of their moves were by trade during the free agency period, but it's hard not to love what GM Jim Nill did in the last few weeks. First was the acquisition of Tyler Seguin and Rich Peverly from the Bruins. It was hard to lose an all-star like Loui Eriksson as part of the deal, but Seguin is a potential franchise center and Peverly a great bottom six, utility type guy that every team needs. Then he went out and got Shawn Horcoff from Edmonton to give the team yet another versatile center, one who is familiar with new coach Lindy Ruff and should thrive under a change of scenery. Added to all that, they brought in Dan Ellis to backup Kari Lehtonen in net. The only caveat in all this is if the team can reign in Seguin's occasional misbehavior, or it might all be for naught.

Loser: Los Angeles Kings. With very little cap space the Kings weren't expected to do much, and they didn't. They lost key defenseman Rob Scuderi, and also third line center Brad Richardson. The only player they manged to bring in was Jeff Schultz, a player that was bought out by the Capitals. The real concerning part though for the Kings is that they haven't resigned any of their key RFA's yet, including Kyle Clifford, Trevor Lewis, Alec Martinez and Jake Muzzin. I suspect that the Kings aren't done yet, but for now they're a loser.

Winner: Boston Bruins. The Bruins did really well to bring in Eriksson and Jarome Iginla (who famously spurned them at the trade deadline). I wouldn't be surprised if one or both of those players scored 30 goals next season. They also added a couple Johnsons, goaltender Chad and defensemen Aaron. But there was a lot of talent that left Boston, including Ference, Horton, Seguin, Anton Khudobin and Jarmoir Jagr. Why then is this a win? The Bruins have been to the final twice in the last three seasons, surely a shakeup wasn't needed? Well, for one thing, Seguin's attitude lately has been a bit of an embarrassment for the team. Sure he's got potential, but evidently the Bruins didn't like the kind of player he's become off the ice. Secondly, Horton, Ference and probably Jagr weren't going to be resigned anyways. But if you can bring in the perennially underrated Eriksson and a future Hall of Famer in Iginla, I'd say that a big win.

Called To The Hall

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 09:00:00 +0000

On Tuesday, the Hockey Hall of Fame membership grew by five, as Scott Neidermayer, Chris Chelios, Brendan Shanahan, Geraldine Heaney and Fred Shero joined their ranks. All five are legends in their own right and deserve the call, though surely there must be some debate about the players passed over again this year, most notably Eric Lindros, Rob Blake and coach Pat Burns.

Nevertheless, let's take a quick look at the careers of the five inductees.

Scott Niedermayer: Really, what else can be said about the 4 time Stanley Cup Champion that hasn't already been noted countless times before. Of all the inductees this year, Niedermayer was a mortal lock. I've always had a soft spot for Nieds, a BC native like myself who won a Memorial Cup with my hometown Kamloops Blazers in 1992. It was the first of many championships and accolades in his distinguished career. Among those are two Olympic gold medals, Gold at the World Championships, Gold in the World Cup and Gold at the World Junior Championships. All this man does is win. Though not the most gifted offensive defensemen during his era, he finished his career with 740 points in 1263 games over 17 seasons. Like all the players inducted this year, his numbers suffered slightly from having to miss games due to two locked out seasons. His true greatness was his vision, positioning and hockey sense, which allowed him to be one of the best all-around defensemen of all time. Niedermayer is also considered by many to be one of the best skaters the NHL has ever seen. He was a three time first team all star who won the Norris trophy in 2004 and the Conn Smythe in 2007.

Chris Chelios: Without a doubt Chelios had the longest playing career of any of this year's inductees. The Chicago native was drafted way back in 1981 by the Montreal Canadiens and wouldn't retire until the age of 48, after playing 26 seasons in the NHL. That could be attributed to his nearly inhuman training regimen. His strength and conditioning rivaled players half his age. Chelios made a splash right away, earning a place on the All-rookie team in 1984, and finishing second to some guy named Mario in the Calder trophy race. He would win the Stanley Cup with the Canadiens in 1986 as well as the Norris in 1989 and add two more Cups as a member of the Detroit Red Wings in 2002 and 2008. Mixed in between was a stint with his hometown Chicago Blackhawks, when he was one of the premier defensemen of the 90's, winning two more Norris trophies. By the time Chelios wrapped up his playing career with the Atlanta Thrashers in 2010, he had accumulated 948 points in 1651 games, good for 10th all time among NHL defenseman. Chelios will mostly be remembered for his intensity and passion, both on and off the ice.

Brendan Shanahan: Though Shanahan can't boast the same personal accolades as Niedermayer or Chelios (his only major individual award was the King Clancy in 2003), there is no doubt that Shanahan is one of the best power forwards of all time. Drafted 2nd overall by the New Jersey Devils in 1987, he had a decent start to his career, scoring 20 or more goals in three of his first four seasons. It wasn't until Shanahan joined the Brett Hull and the Blues in 1991 when his career really took off. He would score 50 goals twice in St. Louis, and earned the reputation as one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in the league. Shanahan continued that production through stints with Hartford, Detroit and New York, ultimately finishing with 656 goals (13th all-time) and 1354 points in 1524 games. His 19 consecutive 20 goal seasons is second only to the immortal Gordie Howe. His legend as one of the best power wingers of all time is evidenced by the fact that he is the only player in NHL history with more than 600 goals and 2000 penalty minutes. He's also a three time Stanley Cup Champion, being an integral part of championships for Detroit in 1997, 1998 and 2002.

Geraldine Heaney: Heaney becomes the first female defenseman, and third woman overall, to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Though many people may have missed out on Heaney's career, she was undoubtedly a pioneer for female hockey on the international stage. Heaney began her career with the Toronto Aeros in the Canadian Women's Hockey League as a 13 year old and would win 6 provincial championships during her 18 year career with the team. She also represented Team Ontario in the Esso Women's National Championships in Canada and played in every national championship tournament from 1987 to 2001, the only woman to do so. Where Heaney really shone though was on the international stage. Heaney was an integral part of the defense for a Canadian team which won gold in the first seven Women's World Championships. She was named the best defenseman during the 1992 and 1994 tournaments. She's also a two time Olympic Medalist, winning silver in the first Olympics that featured women's hockey in 1998, and gold in 2002. Overall she finished her career with 93 points in 125 international games.

Fred Shero: Shero has been nominated posthumously in the builders category. He had a very brief NHL career, from 1947 until 1950 during which time he accumulated only 20 points in 145 games. He also bounced around various other professional leagues as a player during the 40's and 50's. After retiring as a player, Shero turned to coaching and spent 13 years in the minor leagues, winning championships in the IHL, the AHL, and the CHL. Finally he was given a shot as an NHL head coach in 1971 with the Philadelphia Flyers. Shero brought with him a winning reputation and, though struggling initially, would lead the team to the pinnacle of success. In three consecutive seasons, from 1974-1976, Shero's Flyers would win 50 games each year, make the Finals three times and win two consecutive Stanley Cups. In 1974, a season in which the Flyers won their first Cup and lost only 16 games during the regular season, Shero would be awarded the Jack Adams trophy as coach of the year. He joined the New York Rangers as head coach in 1978 and would ultimately retire from coaching during the 1980-81 season. Though his career as a coach was relatively short-lived, only 9 seasons, he racked up 390 wins in 734 games to go along with his two Stanley Cups.

What The Heck Happened?!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 09 Jul 2013 12:49:00 +0000

No, seriously...can one of you please tell me what just happened?

First of all, I should preface this article by mentioning a few changes in my personal life, if you will indulge me. A few weeks ago, in the midst of the Stanley Cup Final, my girlfriend came home from work and announced that we were moving. The next two weeks were full of back-breaking labor, packing, cleaning...and worst of all I had no internet. I didn't get to see game six, with Chicago captain Jonathan Toews lifting the Cup a second time, I missed the buyout period, the draft, free agency. So today, when I'm finally able to get back online, I'm hit with a huge shockwave of news.

The NHL hasn't seen this much player movement and activity since the last lockout in 2005. But some of the moves were absolutely stunning.

First and foremost, to me, is the end of the Roberto Luongo saga in Vancouver. Or should I say the continuation? In a move that was completely likely two years ago, but completely shocking now, Canucks general manager Mike Gillis sent starter Cory Schneider to New Jersey for a first round pick. Not to get too full of myself here, but I was predicting this exact trade to happen in the summer of 2011, and I was definitely not expecting it to happen last week.

Many people have scoffed at the return of only a first round pick for the budding superstar netminder, but it should be noted that the Canucks have not picked as high as 9th in fourteen years, thanks to sustained success. It's also worth mentioning that the Canucks haven't had two picks in the first round since that same 1999 draft, when the picked Daniel and Henrik Sedin 2nd and 3rd overall. If Gillis' stated modus operandi this offseason was to get younger and solve the Luongo dilemma, he certainly seems to have done so in one fell swoop. Sure, the Canucks could, and likely should, have gotten more for Schneider. But their first round picks this year, Bo Horvat, a brilliant two way center, and Hunter Shinkaruk, a dangerous offensive weapon on the wing, have given the Canucks more depth of prospects than they've had for years.

However, the question remains: did Gillis actually solve the Luongo situation, or merely delay it? Prior to the trade, Luongo had gone on record to say he had "mentally divorced" himself from the team. How then can he suddenly adapt to the situation as it unfolded and return to the crease in Vancouver next year? It helps that Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini met personally with Luongo in Florida to tell him about the Schneider trade before it was officially announced. One can also assume that Gillis was in conversation with Luongo and that both men now know where they stand. We know where Gillis stands in all this, he wants Roberto to be his number one goalie next season. But, as of today, we have yet to hear anything official from Luongo about his feelings towards the organization, and what his plans are moving forward. Most importantly, does he intend to uphold his request for a trade?

If I'm a betting man, I would say Luongo will be wearing the orca next year. As much as this has been a trial and tribulation for him, Luongo loves Vancouver and his teammates. There's also been a change of scenery in the dressing room, as new coach John Tortorella may provide an incentive for him to stay. The only reason he wanted out was because Luongo is a workhorse who loves to play tons of minutes and be "the guy" for an organization. He wasn't able to with Schneider in the mix, but the crease is completely his to own now.

If he wants it.

Thanks for reading everybody. Seeing as how I have the internet again, I'll try to get back to regular posting. I know it's the offseason, but I want to get as much news and opinion out as often as I can. Also, I'll be reducing the morning snapshots to a weekly snapshots, to keep you all up to date on what's going on around the world of hockey. And make sure to check back later in the summer for 2013-14 season previews for all 30 NHL teams.

WAAP Top Ten: Worst Trades Of The Salary Cap Era

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 22 Jun 2013 18:00:00 +0000

It's getting to be that time of year, as the Stanley Cup Finals near to a close and fan's attentions turn towards the offseason and changes their teams will make. Trading in the salary cap era is different than it was before, though that hasn't stopped some GM's from making horrific blunders. Here's my list of the top ten worst trades since 2005.

1. (2012) Sergei Bobrovsky to Columbus - 2nd, 4th, 4th round picks to Philadelphia.
Everyone knew at the time of this trade that Philly was taking a risk. Bobrovsky was a young up and coming goalie who obviously had talent. But the Flyers were sticking with Ilya Bryzgalov between the pipes and were looking to move Bobrovsky for whatever they could get, in this case some draft picks. Now, you can't exactly call this one a straight win for Columbus, it depends on how those picks pan out in the future. However, with Bobrovsky winning the Vezina Trophy after a phenomenal campaign, and Bryzgalov on the short list of players soon to be bought out, right now this looks like the worst trade in the salary cap era.

2. (2006) Todd Bertuzzi, Alex Auld, Bryan Allen to Florida - Roberto Luongo, Lukas Krajicek, 6th round pick to Vancouver.
Oh if Mike Keenan could only go back in time and undo this trade, he might not have been forced to resign as GM of the Panthers so soon afterwards. The Canucks were looking to part with Bertuzzi after the power forward lost his way in Vancouver (for obvious reasons that don't need going into here). That they were able to get Luongo, considered by many at the time one of the top five goalies in the world, out of Florida was shocking. Luongo led the Canucks to 6 division titles, 2 Presidents trophies, a Stanley Cup Final, was named to three all star teams and got 2 Vezina nominations. Bertuzzi played a total of seven games for the Panthers before moving on. Auld likewise played only one season in Florida. Even with Allen providing quality defensive minutes for five seasons with the Panthers, this trade was still so lopsided in the end.

3. (2006) Andrew Raycroft to Toronto - Tuukka Rask to Boston.
I'm sure everyone expects to read about the Phil Kessel trade as being the worst between these two teams. Even though the price was steep, Kessel is a top goal scorer in the NHL and that trade is too often maligned. The deal of Raycroft for Rask however, especially given how the former has played this spring, is unforgivable. Raycroft was a recent Calder trophy winner, but found himself a frequent scratch behind Tim Thomas and Hannu Toivenen during the 2006 season. Toronto, sensing an opportunity to get a top starting goalie, swooped in and picked him up. The price, a young Finnish stopper named Rask, seemed inconsequential at the time. People knew Rask was going to be good, but so was (they assumed) Raycroft. Fast forward to today, and where are they? Raycroft is playing mediocre hockey in Italy's Serie A, while Rask is in the Stanley Cup Final. Yeah, I'm pretty sure I know who won this trade.

4. (2011) Jeff Carter to Columbus - Jakub Voracek, 1st round pick (Sean Couturier), 3rd round pick to Phildelphia.
Yes, Philly and Columbus appearing again on the list, though this time it was the Jackets that got fleeced. The Flyers had signed Carter to a massive 11 year, $58 million dollar contract and suddenly realized they wanted to get out of it and go in a new direction. Columbus was looking for a top flight scorer to rejuvenate the team, and was willing to pay the price for Carter. Philly got what they wanted, cap relief and two excellent young players in Voracek and the first rounder Couturier, both of whom are still solid contributors to the team. Carter however struggled and managed only 39 games in Columbus before he was shipped off to LA (where he won the Stanley Cup later that season). Though Columbus got a decent return for Carter from LA (Jack Johnson and a pick), getting him in the first place was a huge mistake.

5. (2007) Brandon Bochenski to Boston - Kris Versteeg to Chicago
This is another trade that seemed somewhat inconsequential at the time but ended up having a huge effect on one of the teams later. Both Bochenski and Versteeg were young players that had performed well in the AHL, but not been given a real chance in the NHL. Bochenski had only 50 career NHL games to his credit, while the younger Versteeg had none. However, looking back on it now it seems pretty ridiculous that this trade was made. Bochenski only managed 51 games over two seasons with Boston, scoring 11 goals, and has since been playing in the KHL. Versteeg on the other hand has scored 20 goals four times, was a key member of the 2010 Chicago Stanley Cup champs, and continues to be a top line player in Florida. The Bruins haven't made a lot of terrible trades in their history, but they must be kicking themselves for giving up on Versteeg so soon.

6. (2009) Ryan McDonagh, Dough Janik, Chris Higgins, Pavel Valetenko to New York Rangers - Scott Gomez, Tom Pyatt, Michael Busto to Montreal.
Don't get confused by all the names, this trade is really about Gomez for McDonagh. Many bad trades in the salary cap era are largely considered so because of the numbers involved. Gomez is the perfect example. A two way center who had made his living in the Devils organization, winning two Cups, he signed a massive, $7 million dollar per season contract with the Rangers. His production slipped in New York and he was sent to Montreal in this deal. While with the Canadiens, Gomez scored a total of 21 goals in three seasons after the trade before ultimately being bought out. Terrible production with a caphit that tied the Canadien's hands. McDonagh on the other hand is turning into one of the finest young defensemen in the NHL. The Rangers got rid of Gomez's contract, and also got McDonagh out of the deal? I'd say that's a win.

7. (2005) Zbynek Michalek to Phoenix - Erik Westrum and Dustin Wood to Minnesota.
This trade doesn't get much notice, nor should it considering the names of the players involved. However it's easily one of the top ten worst trades of the salary cap era. Michalek ended up becoming a solid, top four defenseman for 5 seasons in Phoenix and recently rejoined the club last year. He put up 17 or more points in each of those seasons and proved to be reliable defensively. Westrum was a star in college, but that success never translated to the NHL and he played only 10 games for the Wild and registered only one assist. Wood never even got a taste of NHL action and currently plays in the EIHL in Britain. Talk about getting something for nothing.

8. (2008) Colby Armstrong, Erik Christiensen, Angelo Esposito, 1st round pick to Atlanta - Marian Hossa, Pascal Dupuis to Pittsburgh.
Sometimes when a team makes a splash at the deadline to upgrade their team for a long playoff run, they have to pay a heavy price. This is not the case here. The Thrashers knew they weren't going to be able to keep Hossa, and were selling him off to the highest bidder. Pittsburgh won, but the assets they had to give up seem paltry in comparison to what they got. Armstrong did have one good season in Atlanta, potting 20 goals, but was moved to Toronto two years later. Christiensen produced even less, managing only 7 goals in 57 games for the Thrashers. Esposito, the former first rounder who many thought was the key to the deal, still hasn't played in the NHL five years later. And the first round pick, who became Daultan Leveille (you're asking, who?) has not sniffed the NHL either. In return, Pittsburgh got the high flying Hossa, who propelled them to the Stanley Cup Final in 2008, while Dupuis has been a consistent scorer for the Penguins, most recently getting 38 points in 48 games this year as Sidney Crosby's running mate.

9. (2005) Eric Meloche, Patrick Sharp to Chicago - Matt Ellison, 3rd round pick to Philadelphia.
I really don't mean to sound like I'm dumping on Philly in this article, but man is this a bad trade. At the time Sharp was a 25 year old who had scored only 10 goals through parts of three seasons with Philadelphia. Ellison had been a huge scorer in junior and was still adjusting to the pro game. Meloche was largely a journeyman and basically just a throw-in part of the trade. It was another one of those trades that not many people took notice of at the time. Now however, oh was it big. Sharp has become one of the most dangerous scorers in the NHL, hitting the 30 goal plateau three times, 60 points four times with Chicago while being a key figure in two Stanley Cup Final appearances. Meanwhile, Philly got all of 7 games and one assist out of Ellison. That's gotta hurt if you're Flyers GM Paul Holmgren.

10. (2007) 1st round pick (Jonathon Blum) to Nashville - Scott Hartnell, Kimmo Timonen to Phildelphia.
What the heck, the Flyers on the list again? I'll say this for Holmgren, when the man trades it's either a huge success or a disaster. No doubt this one should be filed under success. The Predators paid a steep, steep price at the draft in 2007 to get Blum, a dominant offensive defenseman for Vancouver in the WHL. Especially considering that Blum has been inconsistent at the NHL level, only playing 91 games for the Preds since he was drafted six years ago. Especially especially with what they had to give up to get him. Hartnell has evolved into an all-star for Philly, twice hitting the 30 goal plateau. And Timonen has been a star as well, scoring at least 37 points in each season (discounting this year's shortened season) since joining the Flyers, leading all Flyers defensemen in scoring during that time. David Poile is a shrewd GM, but he really messed this one up.

SCF Game 5 Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 22 Jun 2013 16:25:00 +0000

Boston Bruins @ Chicago Blackhawks (8:00pm ET)
TV: CBC, NBC, RDS
Series: 2-2
A lot of the outcome of this game will be determined by which Hawks team shows up tonight. Will it be the team that was lulled to sleep by the Bruins defense and only scored one goal in two straight losses? Or the team who, when faced with the prospect of going down three games to one, came out with a fire in game four and torched Tuukka Rask for six goals?

To be fair to Rask, the Bruins played their worst defense in front of him in a long, long time. Defenseman Dennis Seidenberg logged more than 30 minutes in game four, but had nothing to show for it except a minus two and surely some video from the coaches for him to watch. Then there's Zdeno Chara who despite getting a couple of assists was a minus three and looked out of gas by the end of the night. Even for all his great mobility and unsurpassed reach, I don't think I've ever seen him beat to the outside so many times in one game before.

Credit to the Blackhawks forwards, who knew that they had to play their speedy, attacking style if they ever wanted to break through. All of the big guns for Chicago were firing, as they got goals from Patricks Sharp and Kane, Jonathan Toews (finally) and Brent Seabrook with the OT winner. But of course, that comes with a consequence; giving up chances against. Goaltender Corey Crawford didn't exactly come out of game four smelling like a rose either, having given up five goals on 33 shots.

I realize all this is merely rehashing game four, but it's very relevant to what should happen tonight. The aberration that was game four likely isn't going to be repeated, as fun as it was. We're not going to see eleven goals. Crawford isn't going to get beaten five times to the glove side. Chara isn't going to be doing a pylon impression. These are quality, skilled, veteran teams who have been here before, and I expect a much tighter game akin to what we saw in the first three matches.

But going back to my original question, which Chicago team will we see tonight? I think they've got the momentum, I think they're going to come out flying on home ice, and I think the Bruins are going to have to weather a tough early storm if they want to go back to Boston with a chance to clinch. If they can get through the first period relatively unscathed, I expect another close, hard-fought chapter of this incredible series and perhaps some more overtime as well.

Marian Hossa skipped practice yesterday, but is expected to be in the Hawks lineup. Nathan Horton is still struggling with his shoulder injury, but will play as well. There may be a slight wrinkle, as Carl Soderberg was practicing on the Bruin's fourth line and may take the place of Kaspars Daugivins, as coach Claude Julien continues to look for chemistry there since Gregory Campbell went down with an injury. Crawford will start in net, even after his poor performance led to some calling for Ray Emery to make an appearance, and Rask will naturally start for Boston.

Prediction: 3-2 (OT) Hawks.

Morning Snapshots 21/06

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 21 Jun 2013 07:48:00 +0000

Just because there was no NHL hockey last night doesn't mean there is no news this morning. Let's get you caught up with the latest from around the league.
Yesterday was the 14 year anniversary of the infamous "skate in the crease" goal by Brett Hull to win the Stanley Cup for the Dallas Stars against the Buffalo Sabres. (In case you're wondering my official stance on the goal; good goal. Under the spirit of the rule at the time the player was allowed in the crease if he "had control of the puck". I'm of the vast minority that believes even though Hull didn't have the puck on his stick, he was in control of it. Perhaps NHL video review at the time would have determined otherwise, but I stick by my conviction. And that's the last you'll hear me mention it on this blog.)
The man behind the bench in Buffalo on that fateful night? None other than Lindy Ruff of course, and now as that anniversary passes, it seems as though Ruff may be switching sides. According to multiple media sources, the Stars a very very close to hiring Ruff to be their new head coach. Former Rangers bench boss John Tortorella is still in contention as well. We can expect some official announcement, one way or the other, in the next couple of days.
Speaking of the Sabres, the club announced a contract extension with back-up goalie Jonas Enroth, for two years and $2.5 million. Not a bad deal, as the 24 year old Enroth has grown into a decent number two in the last couple of years. The only question is whether he'll again be backing up Ryan Miller next season, or if the franchise netminder will be moved. Given the amount of frustration Miller has expressed about the club lately, I'd say the odds are 50/50 that he's back in blue and gold next year.
Some news that was kinda lost in the shuffle of the NHL action the other day is that Toronto and Montreal will co-host the 2015 and 2017 World Junior Championships. Hard to argue the decision, as it's been too long since these eminent hockey cities have hosted the prestigious event.
Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin, speaking at the WJC announcement, indicated the Habs may be a little quiet during free agency this year. Looks like Montreal wants to focus more on the draft and player development side of things while building the club for the future.
As I alluded to yesterday, official word has now come out of Philadelphia that 35 year old center Danny Briere will be bought out of his his contract and become a free agent on July 5th. Teams looking for a skilled, veteran presence up the middle will surely show interest.
And finally, the San Jose Sharks have re-signed rough third line winger Raffi Torres to a three year, $6 million dollar contract. It's a high risk, high reward move by the Sharks. Torres is known for his dangerous play that can lead to the occasional suspension, but if he plays within the rules he's the perfect grinder for the third line with tons of speed. Apparently GM Doug WIlson saw enough of the latter to convince him to keep Torres around.

That's all for this morning, thanks for reading everybody! Check back later when I'll have a preview of Game 5 in Chicago tonight, it should be a good one. As always, please comment and share if you like the content here at WAAP.

This morning's gif is brought to you by Michal Handzus with a beautiful shorty to open the scoring in game 4 the other night:

WAAP Top Ten: Potential Amnesty Buyouts

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 18:24:00 +0000

With the salary cap going down this summer, a special provision was made in the new CBA, allowing teams the opportunity to buyout two roster players without the normal cap penalty associated with it. As news leaks out of Philly that Danny Briere looks to be one of the first casualties, I thought I'd take a look at some other potential players that will be looking for a new city to play in next season.

(Note: the buyout period begins 48 hours after the Stanley Cup is presented and extends to the opening day of free agency)

1. Ilya Bryzgalov - Philadelphia Flyers: You gotta feel bad for Paul Holmgren on this one. Long has the Flyers GM searched for a franchise goalie, the likes of which hasn't been seen in Philly since Ron Hextall. The addition of Bryzgalov, who emerged as a star in the Phoenix organization and won a cup in Anaheim, was thought to be the solution. However his first season in the orange and black was mediocre, while his second was even worse. He's been an inconsistent, $5.6 million dollar distraction for the franchise. While it's not certain they'll cut and run on Bryz just yet, he's certainly a leading contender to get bought out.

2. Thomas Kaberle - Montreal Canadiens: There is no doubt that Kaberle is not the player he once was, but this season he sunk even further. His time in the league, and certainly his time in Montreal, appears to be done. At 35 years old, Kaberle wants to prove that he still has something left in the tank, especially as a power play quarterback, but it isn't going to be as a Hab. Kaberle managed to suit up only 10 times this season, and was a healthy scratch the rest of the time. He makes $4.25 million for only one more year, and with Montreal tight against the cap, this one seems like a no brainer.

3. Mike Komisarek - Toronto Maple Leafs: Once thought to be a top four defenseman with great toughness, Komisarek has descended to a below average AHLer. He managed only 4 games in the NHL this season, was sent down to the Marlies and was even a healthy scratch there. Though only 31 years old, Komisarek might get a chance with another NHL team, but the one year and $3.5 million left on his contract is surely to get dumped by the Leafs organization, especially since "buried" contracts will count against the cap going forward.

4. Vincent Lecavalier - Tampa Bay Lightning: It's been a slow fall from grace for the Bolt's captain, but Lecavalier may have finally played himself out of town. It's hard to remember now, but Lecavalier was once one of the premier players in the league, scoring 52 goals and 108 points in 2007, as well as leading Tampa to it's only Cup in 2004. Accordingly, Lecavalier was given a monster contract and has since failed to live up to it. He hasn't broken the 30 goal barrier since 2008, and finished this season with a uninspiring 10 goals. It's not that he's an awful player, but his play doesn't come anywhere close to validating his $7.7 million cap hit for 7 more years. It will be a tough separation if it happens but, I believe, the only way that Tampa can get their cap situation under control.

5. Dany Heatley - Minnesota Wild: This is another tough one, it's hard to lose a multiple 50 goal scorer for nothing. However Heatley, like Lecavalier, is a shadow of the player he used to be. His offense totals have been on a downward trend since 2010, and he finished this season with just 11 goals and 21 points in 36 games. Again, not awful production, but nowhere close to being worth the $7.5 million cap hit. However unlike Lecavalier, Heatley only has one year left on his deal. Additionally, the Wild have multiple UFAs and RFAs they need to sign this summer and in the future, so Heatley was likely to be gone anyways. At only 32 years old, it seems as though Heately could benefit from (yet another) fresh start.

6. Ville Leino - Buffalo Sabres: I will say this for Holmgren, he sure dodged a bullet on this one. Leino somehow managed to translate a 19 goal, 53 point season in Philly into a six year, $4.5 million dollar contract with Buffalo. The Sabres thought he could be a quality second line center for them. What's Leino done since joining them, you ask? 10 goals, that's it, in two seasons. Leino is barely a 4th line center anymore, yet he's getting paid to produce. I'm guessing that GM Darcy Regier is thankful he's been given a way to correct this mistake.

7. Keith Ballard - Vancouver Canucks: Since Ballard was acquired by the Canucks prior to the draft in 2010, it's been problem after problem for the defenseman. First he found his spot in the line-up taken just a few weeks later when the Canucks signed Dan Hamhuis in free agency. Then he had difficulty adjusting to coach Alain Vigneault's systems in Vancouver and was often a healthy scratch. A $4.2 million healthy scratch. With a changing of the guard in Vancouver coming this offseason, Ballard seems the most likely target for the Canucks to jettison.

8. Roberto Luongo - Vancouver Canucks: That is, unless the Luongo situation in Vancouver can't get sorted by any other means. The emergence of the younger, cheaper and (arguably) better Cory Schneider has made Luongo expendable. The Canucks would desperately like to trade him, though his $5.3 million salary for the next nine years makes that nearly impossible, and the Canucks may be forced to buy him out. Through trade, termination or buyout of Luongo's contract, the 34 year old goaltender absolutely will not be in Vancouver next year.

9. Brad Richards - New York Rangers: Are you beginning to notice a pattern? Yet another former top star who has fallen from grace. Though the hiring of Alain Vigneault as coach may have bought Richards a reprieve for one season, his time in New York seems to be rapidly ending. He's been only average for the Rangers since coming over from the Stars, but in this year's playoffs he was a disaster. Only one goal in 10 games while getting scratched twice was an embarrassing performance from the former Conn Smythe Trophy winner. The Rangers have already forked over $42 million in actual dollars to Richards in two seasons, and seem as though they don't want his $6.6 cap hit on the books for another seven years.

10. Rick Dipietro - New York Islanders: This one is so obvious, it probably doesn't even need to be on the list. When Dipietro first signed his 15 year, $67 million dollar contract way back in 2006, it seemed as though the Islanders had locked up their franchise goalie. While it's true he's committed long-term, Dipietro has been anything but the savior in net for New York. Due to consistent injury problems and inconsistent play, he's been limited to only 50 games in the last five years in the NHL. In fact, last year he was even relegated to the AHL, starting 18 games for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, and looking underwhelming while doing so. While it's known that the Islanders have wanted out of Dipietro's contract for a long time, there may be a new wrinkle to consider. Because of each team getting not one but two amnesty buyouts, there's a good possibility that the Islanders could entice a rich club who doesn't need both their buyouts to actually remove Dipietro's contract for them. It may cost them a prospect to make it happen, but the ends of abolishing his contract justify the means.

Morning Snapshots 20/06

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 10:29:00 +0000

Brent Seabrook scored the winning goal on a shot from the point that fluttered past Boston goalie Tuukka Rask in overtime last night, as Chicago took game four of the Final 6-5 and evened the series at two games apiece. The Blackhawks ended a couple rather important streaks in the process, including Boston's home winning streak, and finally breaking through on the power play for the first time in the series.
If anything, the game was a lesson in how to lose momentum and NOT keep a lead. Chicago's offense was going, firing 47 shots on Rask, but it seemed every time they scored, the Bruins would respond and get back in the game. After a couple of snoozers in the final so far, nice to see some goals, isn't it?
Gotta feel bad for Rask and Chicago goalie Corey Crawford though. After pumping both their tires up in my Top Ten Conn Smythe candidates post yesterday, they each had their worst game of the playoffs so far. Consider Rask: he allowed the same amount of goals last night as he had in the previous five games combined, and saw his goals against average jump from 1.64 to 1.83 as a result.
So now the series shifts backs to Chicago, with the Blackhawks having taken home ice advantage back from the Bruins. No doubt Hawks coach Joel Quenneville can't be happy with the goals against, but if wide open hockey is what's needed for Chicago to win, don't be surprised when they come out flying again in game five on Saturday.
Moving away from the Final, there is a juicy rumour out of Philadelphia that the Flyers have told center Danny Briere that he will be bought out and become a free agent this July 5th. Briere is a veteran of 15 NHL seasons, but with his slow decline in play and injury history combined with his high salary ($6.5 million) and Philly's cap problems, this move should come as little surprise to anyone. Expect Briere to be a hot commodity on FA day, though at a much lower price point.
A few weeks ago, the NHL Competition Committee made some recommendations to the NHL's GMs, who approved said recommendations yesterday for implementation into the 2013-14 season. This includes: mandatory visors for all players entering the league from next year forward, shallower nets to allow for more play below the goal line, and video review on four minute high-sticking penalties. They also approved trying out hybrid icing during the pre-season. If they like what they see, hybrid icing will be kept for the regular season next year as well.
Weird news out of Denver, where new Avalanche executive vice-president Joe Sakic had revealed they have no interest in selecting defenseman Seth Jones with the first overall pick in this year's NHL entry draft. Instead, the Avs plan to go for one of the top forwards available, likely either Nathan MacKinnon or Jonathan Drouin. Strange announcement from Sakic, who is new to the job, as teams in a position of draft power usually don't show their intentions so easily.
Even though he's been retired from playing for 14 years (wow, really?), when The Great One speaks, people in the hockey world listen. Wayne Gretzky stated in an interview that his "gut feeling" is that Quebec will receive an NHL franchise soon which is "going to be a strong, solid franchise just like Winnipeg is now". With the parity of the league, the market in Quebec and the salary cap, all of which weren't in place when the Nordiques left, hard to argue against Gretz on that one.
Yesterday, the Detroit Red Wings and city officials announced plans for a new $650 million dollar arena in downtown Detroit. Fans of the Red Wings must be a little conflicted by the news. Obviously a new arena is badly needed in Detroit, but saying goodbye to the 32 year old Joe Louis Arena, which has seen six Stanley Cup finals and countless memorable moments, will be hard.
And just a few signing notes from the last week to finish off the blog today. The Predators have resigned defenseman Victor Bartley to a three year, $2 million dollar deal. Young superstar, and future of the San Jose Sharks, Logan Couture has reupped with the team for five years at a $6 million dollar cap hit. Young blueliner Slava Voynov, who has emerged as an essential piece on the backend for LA, has resigned with the Kings for six years and $25 million dollars. And the sublime Red Wings winger Pavel Datsyuk, who some worried would be heading back to Russia after next year, has chosen to stay in Detroit, signing a three year, $22.5 million dollar deal.

That's all for this morning everybody, thanks for reading! Please comment, and especially share if you like the content here at WAAP. I had to take a couple days off from writing, but I'm back to the regular schedule now and will have tons of updates from now through the free agency period, so check back often! As for todays gif, could it be anything other than the game winning goal last night? Not the most beautiful goal, but Seabrook beats Rask clean, have a look:

SCF Game 4 Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:24:00 +0000

Chicago Blackhawks @ Boston Bruins (8:00pm ET)
TV: CBC, NBCSN, RDS
Series: 2-1
The Bruins have an excellent chance to put a stranglehold on the series tonight with another win at home in TD Garden. Thus far, in the battle of offense versus defense, the Bruins have looked like the better team. Chicago was absolutely anemic in game three, only managing 28 shots on net to Boston's 35 and being shutout 2-0. For the Hawks to have any hope, they absolutely need their top scorers such as Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane to finally make an impact in this series. There's been some thought that coach Joel Quenneville may put Toews and Kane together tonight in an attempt to spark the scoring. One positive sign for the Hawks up front will be the return of Marian Hossa, who missed game three with an undisclosed injury. Hossa is a dynamic scorer who leads the team in points this post-season, and hopefully can jump-start Chicago's power play as well. Boston's penalty killing has been absolutely outstanding, they haven't allowed a power play goal since the Rangers series in the second round. Faceoffs will also be critical tonight, as thus far the Bruins have dominated Chicago on the dot. For a puck possession team such as the Hawks, starting the play with the puck instead of chasing after it is critical to their success.

Boston's Tuukka Rask, who hasn't allowed a goal since the first period of game two, naturally gets the start tonight against Corey Crawford of the Hawks. Both teams report no injuries, though Bruin Nathan Horton and Hawk Hossa will both be playing injured (in addition to the likely half a dozen other guys who are playing injured...it is the Playoffs after all).

Prediction: 3-2 Bruins (OT).

WAAP Top Ten: Conn Smythe Candidates

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:30:00 +0000

1. Tuukka Rask - Boston Bruins
How could this list be topped by anyone but Rask? The Bruin's netminder has been simply phenomenal this post-season. When Tim Thomas led Boston to the Cup in 2011, many said his goaltending performance was one for the ages. With a 1.64 goals against average, and a .946 save percentage, both tops in the NHL this post-season, Rask has been even better. He also leads the league in wins (14) and shutouts (3). This may even be one of the rare situations where even if the Bruins lose the final, Rask could still take the trophy (he would be the sixth player and fifth goaltender in history to do so). He's just that good right now.

2. Patrice Bergeron - Boston Bruins
The Bruin's center may not be leading the NHL in scoring (in fact he's tied for 10th), but there is no doubt he's the major driving force up front that has led the Bruins to within two wins of his second Cup. He's scored 7 goals (tied for 3rd in the NHL), most of which have been of the important variety, including 3 on the power play and 2 game winners. What's more relevant though is Bergeron's outstanding defensive play. Chicago captain Jonathan Toews may have won the Selke, but Bergeron has been outstanding shutting him and the rest of the Blackhawks down, just as he did against the mighty offense of the Penguins. Also, his 62.7% faceoff percentage is just brilliant. Rarely does the two-way forward win the Smythe, but I feel for Bergeron this year it's warranted.

3. David Krejci - Boston Bruins
Far too many people tend to dismiss Krejci's star status in this league. The 27 year old only has one season with more than 62 points, and has hit the 20 goal plateau only twice. But when the playoffs roll around and other top stars are getting shut down, Krejci becomes a beast. When the Bruins won the Cup in 2011, Krecji led the league in post-season scoring with 23 points in 25 games. This year, Krecji has already equaled that total, in only 19 games, and sits first in goals, assists, and points. He also boasts an impressive +15 total. Overall he has an excellent 70 points in 78 career playoff games. While other guys like Toews, and Patrick Kane have struggled, Krecji continues to thrive.

4. Corey Crawford - Chicago Blackhawks
It's clear that with many of Chicago's top players getting shut down in this year's final, the saving grace and top Smythe candidate for the Hawks has been goaltender Crawford. If Rask is currently the best goaltender on the planet, Crawford has been nearly his equal. He's tied with Rask in goals against average (1.74) and just behind him in save percentage (.936). He hasn't had to stop as many shots as Rask has, but on a team as (supposedly) high flying as the Blackhawks, he's needed to be solid when Chicago gives up too many chances against. In short: if they win the Cup, Crawford will be the main reason why.

5. Nathan Horton - Boston Bruins
The main factor working in Horton's favour for the Smythe is his comeback from such adversity. Horton was knocked out of the Finals in 2011 with a serious concussion sustained on a hit from Vancouver's Aaron Rome. Since then, Horton has struggled to regain his form, missing 43 games over the last two years, and not being able to play at all in last year's post-season. However, this year Horton has returned with a vengeance. In his first playoff action since the Rome hit, Horton has been great on offense, with 18 points (2nd in the NHL), 3 game winning goals and an incredible, league-leading +22. If the Smythe voters use offense as the main criteria, the award likely goes to Krejci, but if they consider Horton's story, he's going to get his share of votes as well.

6. Zdeno Chara - Boston Bruins
Six spots into the countdown, and we have yet another Bruin. Only nine times since the Smythe was first awarded back in 1965 has the award gone to a defenseman, and Chara is the one with the best chance to add his name to that list this year. Chara leads all active defenseman in points with 12, despite not getting a single goal on the power play with his massive slapshot. He also leads all defenseman (active or not) in the post-season with a plus 13 rating. Impressive considering Chara is the main shutdown d-man on the Bruins, and has been matched up against top offensive players like Phil Kessel, Rick Nash, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Toews and Kane. In case you were wondering, those six guys scored only 5 goals combined so far against Boston this post-season. With Chara playing a monsterous 30:04 per night, there's little doubt he's been the key ingredient on the back end for the Bruins.

7. Patrick Sharp - Chicago Blackhawks
Finally, another Blackhawk! Going into this series, there likely would have been more in the upper part of the top ten, but many Chicago players have struggled while the Bruins have thrived. However one player on the Hawks who has continued his solid play is Sharp. The 31 year old winger had a big goal in game two and has looked dangerous against Boston with 17 shots through three games. It's something he's been doing all post-season, as he's second in shots on goal (73) and leads the league in goals scored (9). He also has two game winning goals. On a Chicago team that needs it's offense if they want to win, Sharp has been the brightest star up front.

8. Bryan Bickell - Chicago Blackhawks
With stars Kane (8% shooting percentage) and Toews (only 1 goal) struggling, Bickell has emerged as a legitimate offensive threat for the Blackhawks. Described by some as "Dustin Byfuglien lite", Bickell uses his good size and hard nosed-attitude to create opportunities in the offensive zone. So far it's worked well, as the 27 year old winger is second in goals (8) and fifth in game winners (2). He may not get any real Conn Smythe consideration, but he's clearly been one of the best Chicago forwards thus far. So good, in fact, that his expiring contract may see the Blackhawks unable to keep him this summer.

9. Milan Lucic - Boston Bruins
It was a tough season for the big power winger, as the 25 year old only managed 7 goals in 46 regular season games and found himself as a healthy scratch. However, he's turned things around in the playoffs with 16 points in 19 games, good for third in scoring on the Bruins. Lucic's calling card has always been his huge hits, and he leads the NHL this post-season with 85. When you combine quality scoring with toughness, that's the perfect combination for playoff success. Lucic has also been responsible on the other side of the puck, as his +14 rating is third in the NHL.

10. Duncan Keith - Chicago Blackhawks
Keith is not traditionally known as a big scorer in the playoffs (he has only 8 goals in 71 career post-season games), but he's performed well so far this year. His 11 points is second behind Chara among active defenseman in the NHL playoffs, though it's far below the total he racked up when the Hawks won the Cup in 2010. What Keith lacks on offense, he more than makes up on defense. He's been a rock, with a plus 7 rating, facing the opposition's best players on a regular basis while playing more than 27 minutes a night. It's unlikely that Keith will take home the Smythe, however there is no debate he's been Chicago's best defenseman.

Honorable Mention:
Marian Hossa - Chicago (7 goals, 15 points)
Patrick Kane - Chicago (6 goals, 15 points)
Brad Marchand - Boston (13 points, +7)
Daniel Paille - Boston (8 points, 3 GWG)

SCF Game 2 Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 20:49:00 +0000

Boston Bruins @ Chicago Blackhawks (8:00pm ET)
TV: CBC, RDS, NBCSN
Series: 1-0 Chicago
If game one was any indication of what hockey fans can expect from this series, we're in for a good one here folks. Chicago finally came away with the victory during the third overtime, on a deflection goal by Andrew Shaw, and drew first blood in the 2013 Final. In a playoff year dominated by the home team so far, the Bruins know they'll need to play with more desperation tonight if they want to avoid going back to Boston in a 2-0 hole. Chicago won their first two games in these playoffs against LA and Minnesota, and managed to defeat both teams in five games.

The pressure will especially be on the depth scorers of the Bruins. The only player outside of the team's top six that was able to get a point in game one was Tyler Seguin, while the Blackhawks got offense from their third line and defense while the top two lines were held in check. If the Bruins can't come in waves as Chicago can, this series could be over quicker than they hope. Though they will likely take some solace from the fact they had 2-0 and 3-1 leads during game one, Chicago's ability to come back and ultimately win shows that the Bruins are going to need to be tighten up on defense.

Much of that responsibility will fall to goaltender Tuukka Rask. While Rask was pretty good in game one, making 59 saves, he's now allowed 4 goals four times in these playoffs. He'll need to have a bounce back game tonight. Conversely, Chicago netminder Corey Crawford has only allowed more than three goals once all post season.

On the injury front, Chicago boasts a healthy lineup, while Boston will be without Gregory Campbell for the rest of the playoffs. Nathan Horton, who re-aggravated a shoulder injury in game one, is indeed going to be in the lineup tonight for Boston. A surprise start maybe, and Horton will have to be careful not to get targeted, but his scoring is too valuable for the Bruins to go without.

Prediction: 3-2 Chicago

It's NHL Awards Time!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 14:29:00 +0000

Even though most eyes in the NHL world are focused on the Stanley Cup Finals, we pause briefly this evening and again tomorrow to honor the best of the best for the 2013 season. Thanks to the lockout, this year's NHL Awards will similarly be a truncated affair, no red carpet, few stars and (thankfully) no musical guests. Instead we will be treated to a two-part television affair with perhaps a few cameos to hand out and receive the awards. Half of the awards will be presented on Friday, the other (and more prestigious) half on Saturday prior to game two of the Final. Coming up after the jump, a look at the schedule, the nominees, and my picks for who I think should take each award (not necessarily who will take each award).
Friday, June 14th, (5:00pm ET)
NHL Network and NHL.com

Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy (Perseverance and Dedication to Hockey)
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
Josh Harding, Minnesota Wild (My pick)
Adam McQuaid, Boston Bruins

Frank J. Selke Trophy (Top Defensive Forward)
Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins (My pick)
Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings
Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks

Lady Byng Trophy (Sportsmanship and Gentlemanly Conduct)
Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks
Matt Moulson, New York Islanders (My pick)
Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning

Jack Adams Award (Best coach)
Bruce Boudreau, Anaheim Ducks (My pick)
Paul MacLean, Ottawa Senators
Joel Quenneville, Chicago Blackhawks

Mark Messier Leadership Award
Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa Senators (My pick)
Dustin Brown, Los Angeles Kings
Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks

General Manager of the Year
Marc Bergevin, Montreal Canadiens
Bob Murray, Anaheim Ducks
Ray Shero, Pittsburgh Penguins (My pick)

Also on Friday the NHL will present the King Clancy trophy, for leadership and humanitarian contributions, as well as the NHL Foundation Player Award for the players who best applies the core values of hockey to enrich his community.

Saturday, June 15th (7:00pm ET)
NBC Sports Network, CBC

Hart Memorial Trophy (Most Valuable Player)
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
John Tavares, New York Islanders (My pick)

Calder Memorial Trophy (Best Rookie)
Brendan Gallagher, Montreal Canadiens
Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida Panthers (My pick)
Brandon Saad, Chicago Blackhawks

James Norris Memorial Trophy (Best Defenseman)*
Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins (My pick)
P.K. Subban, Montreal Canadiens
Ryan Suter, Minnesota Wild

Ted Lindsay Award (MVP as voted by the players)
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins (My pick)
Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lighting

Vezina Trophy (Best Goaltender)
Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus Blue Jackets (My pick)
Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers
Antti Niemi, San Jose Sharks

*It may have been leaked that P.K. Subban will win the Norris, as per Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet.

In addition, Martin St. Louis will be honored for winning the Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading scorer this year, as well as Corey Crawford and Ray Emery of the Chicago Blackhawks for winning the Jennings Trophy for fewest goals allowed in the NHL. Time to place your bets people!

Extended Morning Snapshots 14/06

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 11:16:00 +0000

Partially due to the fact I was unable to blog yesterday, and partially because there's so much hockey news, please sit back and enjoy an unusually lengthy edition of the morning snapshots.
There's no need to go into the score of game one of the Stanley Cup Final, we all know the outcome by now, but here's a couple interesting stats about the game you may have missed. Chicago had an incredible 132 shot attempts in game one, 59 which were saved, 23 missed the net, 40 were blocked and 4 went in.
Nathan Horton, who picked up a plus in game one, now has a +22 rating in the post-season. No player has finished the playoffs with a higher plus/minus ratio since 1985.
Speaking of Horton, the Bruins announced that he is day to day with a shoulder injury and could miss game two or more. Seems as though Horton's shoulder has been popping in and out of place for a while now, and he may need surgery. It could potentially be a big blow to the Bruins, as Horton is their second leading scorer.
And Bruins center David Krejci now has 23 points, after picking up two assists in game one. If he continues to lead the playoffs in scoring by the end of the series, it will be the second time he has done so in the last three years. Totally underrated.
Not to bury the lead too much, let's switch to the biggest news of the day, which was a new contract for Pittsburgh sniper Evgeni Malkin. It's an 8 year, $76 million dollar deal for the former Hart and Art Ross winner, with a $9.5 million cap hit per year. I'm not a fan of this deal, but it looks like the Penguins are very happy to get him locked up long term. For those wondering, even though Malkin's cap hit is higher than teammate Sidney Crosby, Crosby can still be considered the highest paid player on the team, as he will earn more real dollars over the course of the next eight years.
In a move that should surprise no one, former Nashville Predator Andrei Kostitsyn looks like he'll be staying in the KHL next year. Kostitsyn signed with HC Tractor during the lockout and didn't return to the NHL when it ended, choosing instead to stay in Russia.
People in large, hockey crazed markets, prepare to weep: the Florida Panthers have announced a special season ticket offer for next season, care to guess the price? Nope, think even lower than that. For a limited offer, 500 season tickets are going to be available for just $7 dollars per game. Yes, that's not a spelling error. The price includes free parking, a free jersey and four free concerts at the BB&T Center. Apparently the Panther are desperate.
A bizarre story out of Latvia where 20 year old Edmonton Oilers prospect Kristians Peless is missing and presumed drowned. The 2010 draft pick who spent last season with Oklaholma in the AHL jumped off a bridge in Riga and reportedly had not been in contact with teammates, as his cell phone was turned off. Police have yet to officially confirm his death.
It just adds to the sadness after 23 year old Scott Winkler was found dead earlier in the week. The Dallas Stars prospect was found dead in his family's home in Norway on Wednesday. Sad news indeed.
Sorry, didn't mean to bring the blog down so much, here's some recent signings to catch up on: Toronto has signed goaltender Drew MacIntyre to a one year, two way contract. The 29 year old was very good in limited AHL action this past season with the Marlies. The Stars have signed defenseman Kevin Connauton to a three year contract. Connauton was part of the Derek Roy trade which sent the center to Vancouver, and was also an AHL all-star this past season. Finally, the Canadiens have signed defenseman Davis Drewskie to a two year, $1.275 million dollar contract. Drewskie played 29 NHL games last year with LA and Montreal, collecting seven points and averaging just over 15 minutes of ice time.

That's all for today, thanks for reading everybody! Please share if you like the content here at WAAP. It's been a while since I've had a good gif for you all, so check this one out. It's a tough life being a Bruins fan in a sea of red. I think that guy's going to need a few more beers!

Boston's Road To The Cup

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 17:02:00 +0000

Finally, one last video to get you ready for game one of the Stanley Cup Final tonight. The Boston Bruins road to the Cup, courtesy of Youtube use HockeyWebCaster. He makes some awesome videos, and this one is no exception. Can't wait until puck drop!

Subscribe to HockeyWebCaster on Youtube here!

Chicago's Road To The Cup

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 16:58:00 +0000

Are you ready? All the talking and build-up is finished, it's time to drop the puck tonight on the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals. Here's an awesome pump-up video from Youtube user HockeyWebCaster, to remind you of the road the Blackhawks have traveled to get to this point. Enjoy!

Subscribe to HockeyWebCaster's Youtube page here.

Stanley Cup Final Preview: Special Teams

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:41:00 +0000

Instead of one huge blog post previewing the Stanley Cup Final, I thought it would be better to break things down by different aspects of the game and how Chicago and Boston match-up. Next up: Special Teams.

Chicago: With Duncan Keith, Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa, the Blackhawks have the potential to have one of the most potent power plays in the league. However, they won the President's Trophy despite their power play, which finished only 19th at a 16.4% success rate. Then, when the games got tight in the playoffs, that percentage has dropped even lower, to just 13.7%.

Luckily for them, they boast one of the best penalty kill units in the league. Led my Marcus Kruger and Michael Frolik up front with Keith on the back end, Chicago finished the regular season with a 87.2% kill rate. In the playoffs, it's been far and away the best unit, only allowing 3 power play goals against through 17 games for a 94.8% efficiency.

Boston: Given that the Bruins are a more two-way oriented team, it`s no surprise that
their power play has not been among the best in the league. They finished 26th during the regular season with a 14.8% efficiency, while that number has risen marginally in the playoffs to 15.6%. David Krecji, Patrice Bergeron and Nathan Horton have been good on the power play, but the real surprise has been rookie defenseman Torey Krug, who leads the team with 3 power play goals in the post season. Overall the team has only scored 7 power play goals through 16 post-season games.

However the penalty kill, as you would expect from one of the best defensive teams in the league, has been outstanding. During the regular season they were operating at a 87.1% kill rate, and that number has slightly dropped to 86.5% in the playoffs. With Zdeno Chara's huge body and stick controlling the front of the net, Patrice Bergeron's sublime faceoff skills and Tuukka Rask there to pick up the lose change, the Bruins penalty kill is to be feared. Just ask the superstars on the Penguin's roster, who weren't able to score a single power play goal against Boston in the Eastern Conference Final.

Edge: Chicago (barely). Though the numbers indicate that both power play units are pretty similar, the Blackhawks have more dynamic talent on their first unit than Boston does. As for the penalty kill, the recent spectacular pk for the Bruins balances out the sustained success Chicago has been having.

Stanley Cup Final Preview: Goaltenders

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 23:31:00 +0000

Chicago: It's been a long, long road for Corey Crawford to finally reach the pinnacle of our sport, the Stanley Cup Finals. Drafted ten years ago, the now 28 year old Crawford was considered by many to be the heir in goal for the Blackhawks, and he's finally reaching his potential this post-season. Last year was unkind to Crawford, he struggled both in the regular season and the playoffs, and some were wondering if Chicago's management had run out of patience in their goaltending.
Crawford came back this year with a new focus, and he's been amazing since day one of the season, winning his first Jennings Trophy for fewest goals allowed in the regular season. Now this post-season, he's playing the best hockey of his life. Crawford leads all goalies with a minuscule 1.74 goals against average and his .935 save percentage is second. Overall he's allowed only 31 goals in more than a 1000 minutes of playoff hockey, impressive numbers that have him in the Conn Smythe Trophy discussion.

Back-up Ray Emery has yet to play a minute in these playoffs, but had an outstanding regular season that mirrored Crawford's as he shared his first Jennings as well. Should Crawford for whatever reason go down, Emery has Stanley Cup Final experience (with Ottawa in 2007) and there would be no fear to put him between the pipes.

Boston: Unlike Crawford, 26 year old Finn Tuukka Rask has found more immediate success in his NHL career. Also unlike Crawford, Rask was an integral part of the Bruins team that won the Stanley Cup in 2011 and has the valuable experience of learning from one of the best, Tim Thomas. Now that Thomas has moved on from the organization, Rask has taken over as the main man between the pipes and is, believe it or not, having an even better post-season than Thomas had in 2011 when he won the Conn Smythe Trophy. Rask's 1.75 goals against average is right there behind Crawford, and he has a simply phenomenal .945 save percentage through 16 games. With respect to the amazing post-season Crawford is having, Rask may be the best goalie on the planet right now. You can give credit to the Bruin's tough defense for helping him out, but he was still able to shut down some of the best superstars in the world this post-season. This includes Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, who had a combined 34 shots against Rask in the ECF, but couldn't get one past him.

Boston's back-up, 27 year old Anton Khudobin, only has 21 games of NHL experience, and he has not played a single minute in the post-season. That being said, he hadn't received a real chance to play in the NHL until this year, and his numbers (2.32gaa/.920save%) were decent. However he's not the safety net that the Blackhawks have in the form of Emery, and the Bruins could be in some trouble if Rask goes down.

Edge: Bruins (slightly). At the goaltending position, it really is like splitting hairs between Crawford and Rask. Should either falter, then all bets are off, but Rask's dominance over the powerful offense of the Penguins in the last round gives him the slight advantage.

Stanley Cup Final Preview: Defense

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 14:40:00 +0000

Instead of one huge blog post previewing the Stanley Cup Final, I thought it would be better to break things down by different aspects of the game and how Chicago and Boston match-up. Next up: Defense

Chicago: There is no doubt who is leading the way for Chicago, defenseman Duncan Keith has had a monster playoffs. Aside from a game missed due to suspension for an "accidental" high stick on the King's Jeff Carter. Keith is tied for first among active defenseman with 11 points in 16 games and has a solid plus 6 rating. Since being reunited with Keith near the end of the Detroit series, Brent Seabrook has turned his play around after an ugly start to the post-season. Though he still has only 3 points and a minus 7 rating, the duo is looking more the like allstars they were in seasons past.

The second pairing, Johnny Oduya and Niklas Hjalmarsson has been solid.
Hjalmarsson, has quietly emerged as a quality top three defenseman. Though he hasn't scored yet in the post season, he's been great at shutting down opposing team's top lines, and can chip in on offense too, as his plus 10 and 5 assists indicate.

The 22 year old Nick Leddy, who despite having a very good regular season, has struggled in the playoffs and been dropped to the third pairing. Leddy has only two assists and a team worst minus 7 rating. Michal Rozsival has been having some difficulty himself on the third pairing, but looked excellent when subbing in for Keith while he was suspended. The seventh defenseman is tough Sheldon Brookbank, who has only had to make one appearance this post-season and recorded no points and a minus 2 in that game.

Overall it's a solid, veteran group that that has the team allowing less than two goals per game, and a solid 1.44 five on five goals ratio. Coach Joel Quenneville would likely want some more offense from the backend, particularly from Seabrook. Some consistency from the third pairing would be welcome, as the top four are all averaging more than 20 minutes per game.

Boston: Defense is the true strength of the Bruins, the aspect of the game that has led them to two Stanley Cup Final appearances in three seasons. Captain Zdeno Chara is probably the best defenseman in the league, and may be playing himself into the status of the all time greats. His staggering size is universally known, but having the mobility and intelligence to use that size effectively is what separates him from other big men in the league. His usual partner, Dennis Seidenberg, is a highly underrated defensive defenseman. Together they form perhaps the most intimidating and effective shutdown pairing in the league.

However the Bruins have the luxury of a deep defense, and the second and third pairings are pretty much interchangeable. Johnny Boychuk and Andrew Ference are both solid, tough defensemen that are capable of going against any team's line. Though you won't get any offense out of Ference, he balances out the play of Boychuk who likes to get involved in the play and leads the team with 5 goals from the blueline.

The third unit is rounded out by Torey Krug and Adam McQuaid. Krug is a 22 year old rookie with very small size for the defense position, but he's been a revelation this post-season, especially on the power play, where he has 3 pp goals. McQuid has been consitent so far, second on the team with a plus 8 rating, and has scored some timely goals, such as the series winner over Pittsburgh.

The Bruins have struggled through some injuries on defense in this post-season, forcing players such as rookie Dougie Hamilton and long-time veteran Wade Redden into the lineup. As of now, the top six is healthy, but they have depth available beyond that should they need it.

Boston leads the post-season in both goals against per game (1.88) and five on five goals ratio (a staggering 1.77).

Edge: Boston. While the top two pairings on each team are formidable, Boston's depth have played much better than Chicago's so far in the 2013 post-season, and that should give them the overall edge in the Stanley Cup Final.