Holy Puck

Head Shots

2010-03-11T01:47:09.63

Certainly a hot topic lately, particularly given that the NHL will not be suspending Matt Cooke for his hit on Marc Savard (a decision I support). Cooke’s hit was within the rules of the game; had Savard skated away the hit would be on highlight reels for years to come.

I wish I had more time to write about this, but things are quite busy right now.

Anyhow, I’m going to simply state a fact, and pose a question.

When Eric Lindros was popped cutting across the blueline with his head down, it was his fault.

Why is nobody mentioning that Marc Savard had his head down, admiring his pass, when he should have been watching for oncoming players?

Grading the Leafs

2010-03-05T01:16:43.917

There isn’t much to look at when it comes to the on-ice product put forth by the Toronto Maple Leafs. To that end, we’ll definitely spend some time reviewing their player transactions. Here’s a review of the last couple days.

ALEXEI PONIKAROVSKY to PITTSBURGH – LUCA CAPUTI and MARTIN SKOULA to TORONTO

Ponikarovsky was bound to be traded, so the question is then related to the return. I have to believe there was a small market for Poni, given his contract situation (UFA come July 1) and play. Pittsburgh was clearly in play, beyond that there probably wasn’t much. He doesn’t provide enough offense for teams like Boston, or enough of the “intangibles” for teams like Washington or San Jose. Given that, I like this trade. Skoula is clearly a salary dump (as we find out later). Luca Caputi is a local kid that’s crazy about playing for the Leafs, which is good. From what I’ve heard, read, and seen (thank you Internet), Caputi plays typical Burke hockey. Not the best skater, but he drives the net and can put the puck behind the goalie. He’ll need to bulk up to play that game consistently at the NHL level, however.

I’ll give this one a B.

MARTIN SKOULA to NEW JERSEY – 5TH ROUND PICK to TORONTO

If the talking-heads are to be believed, the market for Skoula was limited to 1 team. That makes it difficult to drive the price up. There’s no room for Skoula on the Leafs blueline, and the cupboard is bare when it comes to prospect. That said, any draft picks you can acquire are a good thing. Outside the top 20-30 picks the draft is essentially a crapshoot, so the more opportunities you get, the better.

This is almost insignificant, but Burke gets a solid B- for the return in a tough situation.

LEE STEMPNIAK to PHOENIX – MATT JONES, 4TH ROUND PICK, and 7TH ROUND PICK to TORONTO

There was a point, a few seasons back, where Stempniak was a highly regarded player capable of putting the puck in the net. Now, he’s a spare part on the league’s worst team. With that track record, I’m impressed that the Leafs were able to get anything for Stempniak. Draft picks are good, and while I don’t know anything about Matt Jones, it seems that Brian Burke is committed to acquiring US collegiate players.

This one earns an A for getting something…anything, for Lee Stempniak.

JOEY MACDONALD to ANAHEIM – 7TH ROUND PICK to TORONTO

I’m not sure I get this, other than the Ducks wanting to secure another goaltender in the minor leagues as a very shaky insurance policy for Jonas Hiller. The Leafs get a 7th round pick back, while Joey Mac will still play for the Marlies.

This one gets a B as it’s impressive to get anything in return for MacDonald.

6TH ROUND PICK to PITTSBURGH – CHRIS PELUSO to TORONTO

Brian Burke revealed last night that the Leafs had this deal planned as part of the Ponikarovsky deal. Essentially, the Penguins had to ditch Skoula’s salary. In exchange for taking it on, the Leafs promised to flip the Penguins a draft pick 1 round later than they could receive for Skoula. They added a 5th for Skoula, so a 6th goes to Pittsburgh.

Given those conditions, it seems certain that Peluso was considered extremely expendable by the Penguins. He’s another defenseman from the NCAA, something Burke seems to be collecting. When it’s all said and done, this means the Leafs give up Alexei Ponikarovsky and a 6th round draft pick in exchange for Luca Caputi, Chris Peluso, and a 5th round pick.

No grade here as it falls into the main Poni trade.

All-in-all, a pretty solid day for Burke and Leafs. I would’ve liked to see them dump Exelby, and if they had found any kind of home for Jeff Finger I’d have jumped for joy. I’m also wondering if Burke explored any avenues with their growing collection of veteran depth forwards, like Wayne Primeau, Freddy Sjostrom, and Jamie Lundmark.

Trade Deadline Idiocy – Steve Simmons Edition

2010-03-03T17:17:21.977

Today is truly a good day for those of who believe the majority of the MSM (main-stream media) are idiotic. The only guys worth watching are those who don’t take themselves seriously; the rest are hilarious.

For example, Steve Simmons just spent a couple minutes evaluating the Ken Sutton trade. Of course, there was no Ken Sutton trade. There was an Andy Sutton trade.

The guys around the office that talk hockey rarely screw up names, and it’s a secondary activity for us. These guys get paid reasonable money (I assume) to appear on national television and talk about hockey. And they can’t get name right.

I imagine I could have about 1000 more examples if I flipped to Sportsnet. If only TSN could trade Steve Simmons to Sportsnet for Doug Maclean.

Enter the Vikingstad

2010-03-03T03:36:53.107

I ordered mine…can’t wait.

http://www.puckinghilarious.com/store.php?Design=vikingstad

I wonder if the Leafs could somehow land this guy? It would certainly be a boon for jersey sales, not that I’m not eager for my Luca Caputi jersey.

A Downside?

2010-03-03T00:27:11.147

If there’s any downside to the Olympics, it’s that it makes the Leafs virtually impossible to watch.

Seriously.

I’ve maintained that I’m not an avid supporter of women’s hockey because when I’m watching hockey I don’t care whether it’s men or women playing the game, I care about the quality. And if men played hockey at the same level as the women, it wouldn’t be very entertaining.

Now that I’ve had prolonged exposure to Olympic hockey, it’s making the Leafs look worse than we all know they are; at least, I hope that’s the Olympic effect.

It’s going to be a long drive to the playoffs.

Olympic Hockey and Fighting

2010-03-02T22:16:27.6

I’m not a sufficiently talented writer to express my thoughts on the conclusion of the Olympic hockey tournament in anything resembling lucidity, so I’m not going to bother trying. Suffice to that I was immensely happy and that it was an incredibly exciting end to a great tournament.

Anyhow…

One of the biggest follow-up stories making the rounds the last couple of days is that the Olympic hockey was so much better because of the lack of fighting. Proponents of eliminating fighting point to this as evidence of what the NHL could be.

There’s just one problem with that.

The pace of play at the Olympics was amazing not because there was no fighting, but rather because each of the top 7 teams was insanely talented. There were probably about 50 different players of “all-star” calibre in the tournament, some in the twilight of their career, some just getting things going. All had something to prove, and something to play for.

To reason that the elimination of fighting will bring the quality of play in the NHL up to the same level is ludicrous unless you’re also going to find a way to A) contract the NHL to about 15 teams, without the subsequent talent drain back to Europe, and B) make each NHL game rival the importance of a short Olympic tournament.

It isn’t going to happen, and eliminating fighting isn’t really going to do anything other than eliminate the odd interruption to the flow of the game.

The Russian Game

2010-02-24T04:07:38.613

While watching the German game tonight, I couldn’t help but realize one very important aspect of the tournament thus far.

You can essentially throw out the results of every Canadian and Russian game that’s been played thus far.

Here’s why.

With the exception of short stints of USA/Canada and Russia/Czech Republic, nobody has taken an attacking approach to either of the super-powers. The game plan going into all 7 games they’ve combined to play has unanimously been “let’s not get stomped.”

The Norwegians and Swiss played a tough trap against Canada, any prolonged offensive pressure resulted from a breakdown of that defensive system. In American game, the US was content to send a single man deep on most occasions, sometimes two. They were trying to force turnovers on the Canadian breakout, but really weren’t interested in getting into a shootout with Team Canada.

The Russians faced a similar situation against Latvia and, although I didn’t witness it, the Slovakians. Content to pounce on turnovers, nobody has attempted to take the play to them. The Czech’s were suckered into brief exchanges of end-to-end rushes, but they quickly reverted to their defensive system.

When Canada and Russia face each other on Wednesday, neither team is going to sit back and wait. Both will be looking to take the play to the other, and I firmly believe the outcome will be decided based on who is more successful in doing so.

Which team will be able to get the puck deep, get their men on it first, win the battles in the corners, and from this, generate scoring chances? If that’s the type of game it’ll be, Canada’s forwards and defenseman are both better suited to that style. If, however, the game turns into two elite teams exchanging odd-man rushes, you have to favour the skill of the Russians forwards.

Another key factor will be the absence of Sergei Zinoviev. I’ve maintained that he’s a very good forward, and would be a factor in the Olympics, but an injury has removed him from the Russian roster. Opting to carry 8 defenseman and 12 forwards, that leaves the Russians a man short. Unfortunately for Canada, this is probably not good news. Pavel Datsyuk and Evgeni Malkin, the 2 centers expected to pick up Zinoviev’s minutes, are both accustomed to playing 20+ minutes at the NHL level. The added ice-time may serve to their benefit, letting them get more into the flow of the game.

Thoughts from the Germany Game

2010-02-24T03:22:22.12

It looks like Mike Babcock kind of followed up some of my advice, although he still has this strange delusion that Corey Perry is worthy of a regular shift.

The Canadians played the same game they have thus far in this tournament. Sloppy, scattered, and disorganized. They rarely established any prolonged organized pressure; Greiss was instead peppered with randomly sprayed shots from anywhere. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Chris Pronger seemed to log a lot of minutes once the game was in hand, which I believe is an indication that Chris Pronger will not see a lot of minutes in the Russia game. He was out there to let the other guys rest their legs, make no mistake.
Niedermayer had a strong bounce-back game, but I still have serious concerns about his ability to compete against the skilled Russian forwards. Let’s hope he doesn’t get caught out against the newly formed Ovechkin-Malkin-Semin line very often.
Roberto Luongo was solid, and can’t be faulted for either of the German goals. On the first goal, Duncan Keith (I think) made it all but impossible for Luongo to get to the other side of the net. It looked as though Luongo started to complain about goaltender interference, then realized it was own player. The 2nd goal is just one of those things happen with a blowout score and a team that’s abandoned any commitment to defense.
Eric Staal and Jarome Iginla looked good with Sidney Crosby, but we were playing the Germans. The first period of tomorrow’s game will be the real test for this line. Nash continued to one of our best forwards, but even that couldn’t get the Getzlaf/Perry combination going. At this point, I’d flip-flop Perry and Toews to try to get Getzlaf into the mix. Getzlaf’s size and offensive-zone-presence could be keys to the game against the Russians.
If Pierre Maguire says the words “chemistry” or “experiment”, or any combination thereof, at any point in the rest of my life, I might throw a beer through my TV.

How to Fix It

2010-02-22T22:37:15.553

What a disaster.

The problems with the men’s Olympic hockey team thus far are well documented, but nobody’s really talking about what I believe to be one of the biggest factors. For 3 years now, we’ve been anticipating a Canada vs. Russia final, a Crosby vs. Ovechkin showdown for gold. Both teams have lacked enthusiasm in their game thus far, and I think that part of it relates to looking forward and forgetting that they have to win to get there.

That said, here’s some adjustments I’d make.

Martin Brodeur is done, for this tournament at least. I’m rolling Roberto Luongo from here on out, with Marc-Andre Fleury as the backup. Brodeur is clearly shaken. More importantly, however, I believe the team has lost faith in him as their backstop. Putting him back in there would be admitting defeat.
Chris Pronger becomes a penalty-killing specialist. At even-strength and on the power-play, Pronger doesn’t have the legs to play at this level; on the penalty-kill this is less of an issue. Along those lines, Pronger’s usefulness is wasted if he’s not playing nasty. He can’t get burned by forward after forward and not do something about it. If he can’t put the fear of [insert deity here] into the opposition, he doesn’t belong on the ice.
Along the same lines, Dan Boyle becomes a power-play specialist. Your average NHL forward can’t expose Boyle’s weaknesses, but they aren’t playing many average NHL forwards throughout the rest of the tournament. The pace in this tournament is too fast for Dan Boyle, and it showed last night against the Americans.
The last defensive change involves Scott Niedermayer. He’s served his country well, and won a lot of championships…but he’s done. He’s had a horrible season with the Ducks, shouldn’t have been on this team, and has been horrible in this tournament. Given the exceptional pace of play thus far, it’s atrocious that Jay Bouwmeester is not on this team. His skating would be a huge asset over whatever experience and/or leadership that Niedermayer is providing.
For those keeping track, that means we’re going down to 4 d-men. Weber, Keith, and Doughty have been amongst our best players thus far. Throw in Seabrook and you have 4 guys under 27 years old. They all play 25+ minutes for their NHL team and can easily handle the additional minutes at this level.
Up front, we need to start using the forward group as though this is a typical hockey team. Thus far, Babcock’s been rolling the lines as though they’re a team of superstars, which they are. But you can’t win a tournament playing like that. If a certain line is going strong, double-shift them. If a line is doing poorly, sit them.
To continue with that, re-unite Jarome Iginla with Sidney Crosby and Rick Nash. They’ve shown some chemistry, which is more than we can for anyone else whose filled that slot. Put those guys together, start double-shifting them, and give them an opportunity to take over the game.
Corey Perry is relegated to 13th forward, with Jonathan Toews sliding into his spot with Eric Staal and Ryan Getzlaf.
Same idea with the 2nd and 3rd lines, roll them regularly. Mike Richards, Brendan Morrow, Patrice Bergeron and Corey Perry are essentially relegated to specialty roles, like defensive-zone face-offs and penalty-kills.
Finally, when you pull the goalie and look down your bench to decide on an extra attacker, that extra attacker cannot be Corey Perry. With Crosby, Nash, Iginla, Thornton, Heatley, Staal, Getzlaf, and Marleau, you simply do not choose Perry to be your extra-attacker.

Questionable Truthiness

2010-02-18T11:44:45.137

Yahoo’s hockey blogs are typically spot on, but after this comment from the Slovakia vs. Czech Republic live blog…I’m starting to lose faith.

Czechs got a power play at 1:54, and Halak was fantastic: Stopping three booming Tomas Kaberle(notes) shots, including one on which the puck trickled through his legs.

Kaberle? 3 booming shots? LIARS!

Checking in on the Olympic Divisions

2010-02-17T23:03:26.047

4 games into the men’s Olympic hockey tournament, focus is beginning to shift from pre-Olympic hype into the requirements for the elimination round. If the IIHF is good at anything, it’s creating ridiculously complicated tournament formats with plenty of room for debate and controversy. These Olympics are no exception.

Before getting into possible scenarios, here’s a breakdown of the format.

The 12 teams are divided into 3 pools of 4 teams each. The teams within each pool will play a round-robin. Afterwards, the winning team from each division will earn a bye into the quarterfinals. Joining them will be the best of the 2nd place teams, presumably determined first by points (3 for a win, 2 for an OT win, 1 for an OT loss…the system the NHL should have) and then by goal differential.

That’s where it gets interesting.

Here’s the current IIHF world rankings of the men’s hockey programs.

As an aside, do you think most Canadian hockey fans are aware that Canada is the #2 ranked hockey country in the world?

Anyhow, Canada (#2) finds itself in pool A with the USA (#5), Switzerland (#7), and Norway (#11). The average rank of these teams is 6.25, and their average IIHF rating is 2,591.25. Pool B sees Russia (#1), Czech Republic (#6), Latvia (#9), and Slovakia (#10) for an average rank of 6.5 and an average IIHF rating of 2,578.75. In Pool C, we have Sweden (#3), Finland (#4), Belarus (#8), and Germany (#13). Their average rank is 7 and their average rating is 2,555.0.

What do all these numbers mean? Quite simply, they confirm the suspicion that Canada drew the toughest preliminary division. There’s only 1 reason this is relevant to Canadian fans.

If, somehow, the USA manages to defeat Team Canada, we’re then in a dog-fight for the much desired bye to the quarter finals. If that spot comes down to goal differential, then we’ve had tougher opponents to play against and thus were less likely to run up the score. With the exception of Norway (who Canada beat 8-0 to open their tournament), there isn’t much potential for blowout games. Obviously the US will be tough. Switzerland has a top not netminder in Jonas Hiller (Anaheim Ducks), and plays a tough defensive game that yields a lot of shots but few scoring chances. They’ve also played Canada very tough in recent tournaments, including a victory against the red-and-white in 2006; I believe this stems from all the ex-pats playing for Switzerland.

Let’s hope that Canada pulls it out against the Americans. The headache can then be theirs, while we sit back and wait for our quarterfinal opponent to emerge.

Luke Richardson, the Return

2010-02-09T23:35:40.573

While analyzing last night’s Leafs/Sharks game, our friend Bill Watters was quite complimentary of the play of Luke Richardson. To be honest, Richardson didn’t do much. It may be because he left the Maple Leafs after the 2006 season.

I’ll forgive a slip of the tongue (he clearly meant Schenn), but Watters mentioned Richardson at least 3 times. Something about the arrogance displayed by Bill Watters makes me not want to forgive this.

On another Bill Watters note, I’m pretty sure that Leafs goaltender coach Francois Allaire has, at some point in his life, seriously wronged Bad Bill. Watters has some serious hate-on for Allaire, while just about everyone else in the media seems to think he’s the deity of goaltending coaches.

More of Bill Watters Genius

2010-02-09T00:55:54.983

On one of the hockey shows that I listen to, Bill Watters was talking about the Olympics. As Bill does, he offered his uninformed opinion.

He claims that the Russian Olympic hockey team has no goaltending. Let’s examine some numbers.

The Russian goalies rank 5th, 8th, and 15th amongst NHL goaltenders in save percentage (Nabokov at .927, Varlamov at .924, and Bryzgalov at .919). Roberto Luongo leads the way for Team Canada with a .920 mark, followed by Brodeur at .917 and Marc-Andre Fleury at .906. Edge? Russia.

Evgeni Nabokov has long been a top NHL netminder. Semyon Varlamov is one of the top young goalies in the game, even if he has been injured for a prolonged stretch. As for Ilya Bryzgalov…well, what he’s done in Phoenix is nothing short of remarkable.

Of course, they have no goaltending.

Keep telling yourself that, Bill.

Kadri, A Debut

2010-02-09T00:10:00.977

Nazem Kadri’s NHL career started just now. He lost the opening faceoff to Joe Thornton.

It’s interesting that Kadri gets the call now, particularly with Burke on personal leave. Surely someone from the Marlies could’ve filled in for the flu victims?

Impulse Trading?

2010-02-08T12:10:04.843

Both Darryl Sutter and Don Waddell have taken a lot of heat recently for trading players that were once cornerstones of their franchise. It stems less from the act of trading the player and more from how it came about.

Most people believe that Sutter would’ve had a far superior return for the services of Dion Phaneuf had he made it known around the league that he was available. As for Waddell, it’s pretty much unanimous that he erred by not offering teams an opportunity to negotiate a pre-trade extension with Ilya Kovalchuk, something that would’ve have upped his value tremendously.

In my opinion, we saw something similar on Saturday with the Red Wings moving Ville Leino. Clearly this trade is less impactful by a few degrees of magnitude, but it’s hard to believe that the best return possible for Leino was a 7th defenseman and a 5th-round draft pick. It was only a few short months ago that Leino was considered a key offensive cog in the Red Wings machine, and I think this may be a trade that Ken Holland will someday regret.

So, what’s driving these odd decisions?

In the case of Sutter and Phaneuf, I can understand the desire to get a deal done quickly and quietly. For a team trying to make a serious playoff run, they don’t want to deal with weeks of trade speculation involving a key contributor. With Leino, it seems that the Red Wings were in dire straits to clear some cap room. I don’t understand this, as the long-term-injury exemptions they earned from the Franzen injury (not to mention time missed by Zetterberg and Kronwall) should have erased their cap concerns. That said, if they are in cap trouble then moving Leino quickly without taking on salary in return becomes an urgent need with Franzen set to return.

But Don Waddell? No such luck. It was absolute folly for Waddell to not let 29 different teams take a crack at Kovalchuk. When the entire hockey world knows that you’re about to trade one of its marquee players, you owe it to your organization to maximize the return. As I mentioned on the weekend, the Thrashers came out horrible in this deal. I can’t think of a single legitimate reason for not allowing contract negotiations pre-trade. The fact that the Thrashers did virtually the same thing with Marian Hossa screams of incompetence from the management team. If the Thrashers are to survive, they’ll need a regime change in Atlanta.

Trading Kovalchuk

2010-02-06T16:07:29.593

The New Jersey Devils were so upset with the Leafs performance on Tuesday night that they had to go out and acquire Ilya Kovalchuk. Having devastated Leafs Nation with 3 goals in the final 5 minutes last night, the Devils are now set to become a top contender in the Eastern conference.

And they didn’t give up a whole lot to get it.

Let’s break down the trade and look at what the Devils gave up, and what they got in return.

Starting with the return, most people are starting and stopping with Ilya Kovalchuk. Kovalchuk is a top-10 NHL player, one of the best snipers on the planet, and is an instant injection of offense into the Devils suddenly potent lineup. I’m not interested in wasting much time on Kovalchuk.

The 2nd piece of the puzzle is Anssi Salmela. Salmela has reasonable potential as an offensively-minded defenseman, which is what makes him a significant component in this trade. The Devils defensive corps is pretty thin on offense, as evidenced by the fact that 5 forwards were on the power-play last night with the game on the line. Earlier in the game, however, Salmela was taking his turn at the point with the man advantage. I think as the season goes on, and Salmela gets more comfortable with the Devils system, he will emerge as a key factor in the trade.

As for what the Devils gave up…it almost seems like an insignificant amount.

Niklas Bergfors is the key piece heading to Atlanta. Bergfors was (is?) a solid prospect, but he’s developed slowly and no longer seems to be heading for a long career as an impact player. I think at this point Bergfors tops out as a solid 3rd line player that can provide brief and sporadic injections of offense.

Johnny Oduya will help the Thrashers blueline, but his play has slipped this season. Having moved down the Devils depth chart, Oduya was picking up 5th defenseman ice time. Looking at the Thrashers, he’s unlikely to break into the top 4.

The concept of a 1st round pick is severely overrated, particularly when that 1st round pick falls outside the top 10. In this case, the 1st round pick is far more likely to fall in the 23 to 30 range. If I’m the Thrashers, I’m not overly thrilled about this, but there’s no harm in collecting lottery tickets as part of the rebuilding process.

Finally, we come to Patrice Cormier. As much as the Devils management team was willing to stand behind Cormier during his recent ordeals in the QMJHL, you’d have to foolish to think that the organization isn’t absolutely giddy to be rid of him. Cormier is unlikely to develop into an impact player, and will need at least a couple seasons of development in the AHL before making the leap.

So, at the end of the day, the Devils acquired 30+ games of Ilya Kovalchuk and a defenseman that could be a key cog in their unit over the next few seasons. To do this, they gave up a 3rd-line forward with 2nd-line upside, a 5th defenseman, a late 1st-round draft pick, and a troubled prospect that they wanted to get rid of.

When you break it down like that, this seems like a steal of a deal for the Devils.

The Trades – A Review

2010-02-03T01:02:30.77

Having had a couple of days to ponder the moves the Leafs made on Sunday, it’s time to give my thoughts on what was accomplished.

First, it’s incredibly important that Leaf fans understand what’s going on here. Bob McCown (FAN590 personality) put it best when he said used the analogy of building a house. Brian Burke is laying the foundation, but it’s far too early to tell what the house is going to look like, or even if it’s going to be able to stand on it’s own.

The trade with Calgary can be broken down to 3 separate trades.

First, we traded Jamal Mayers for Fredrik Sjostrom. This trade is so insignificant, it likely wouldn’t have been mentioned were it not part of a bigger deal. Neither player will be a major contributor to their team moving forward, and neither player has a whole lot of trade value. If anything, the Leafs did good here to move the malcontent (Mayers) for someone who might be able to help their atrocious penalty killing.

Next, we have Matt Stajan for Keith Aulie. Despite the delusions of grandeur shared by Leafs Nation, Matt Stajan is not, and will not become, a legitimate 1st-line center on a good hockey team. Stajan is a mediocre number 1 center on a bad team, a serviceable 2nd-line center on a mediocre team, and a good 3rd-line center on a contending team. His trade value probably maxes out at a 2nd-round draft pick, so Burke did well to acquire Aulie. Aulie was originally a 4th round pick of the Flames (in 2007), and Hockey’s Future has him listed as the 3rd best prospect in the Flames system. A hulking defenseman, there’s a very good chance that Aulie cracks the Leafs lineup as a 3rd-pairing defender at some point in the next 2 seasons. To sum up, acquiring a prospect of Aulie’s stature in exchange for a soon-to-be-UFA Matt Stajan is a pretty good roll of the dice.

Of course, the center piece of the deal is then Niklas Hagman and Ian White in exchange for Dion Phaneuf. Hagman and White have been amongst the Leafs best players this season, which isn’t saying much, but there it is. As for Phaneuf, he’s been a tremendous disappointment. 2 years ago, Phaneuf was a Norris trophy candidate, future perennial all-star, defensive mainstay for Team Canada, and the untouchable cornerstone of the Flames future. Today, he’s a Maple Leaf. I think that says something about how far he’s fallen. Obviously, if Phaneuf regains any of his former promise, the Leafs are the clear winners of this multi-player deal. If he doesn’t, then Toronto has saddled itself with an enormous contract that will be unmovable.

Personally, it’s hard to hate this deal. The Leafs acquired a guy that could potentially be the face of the franchise for the next 10 years, in exchange for what amounts to spare parts.

The 2nd deal of the day was one of the most brilliant deals in the history of the salary cap. Brian Burke found a team willing to take the most overpaid NHL player (Jason Blake) and the worst NHL goalie (Vesa Toskala) and he didn’t have to sweeten the pot with a prospect and/or draft picks. He even managed to get a very good, albeit expensive, goalie in return.

A lot of people are worried about Giguere’s contract, and with a 6-million dollar cap hit they have ample cause. It’s important to remember that his contract expires after next season. The Leafs won’t be contenders next season, so having that money come off the books going into the 2011-2012 season is huge. That will give the team a lot of added flexibility going forward, something they didn’t have with Jason Blake, whose contract lasted 1 year beyond that.

The only reason for concern with Giguere is the Leafs new backup goalie, Jonas Gustavsson. An RFA at the end of the season, the Leafs need to know what they have in him. Is he a potential starting goalie? Is he a career backup? If someone signs him to a 3-million dollar offer sheet, do you match? Let him walk? I think rolling with Giguere as the starter indicates 1 of 2 things. Either the Maple Leafs have already made up their mind on Gustavsson, or they’re going to try convincing him to take another season and put Giguere in the mentor role. If it’s the former, the decision has to be to let him walk; he’s shown nothing thus far to indicate that he’s an NHL goalie. If it’s the latter, the Leafs may have to contend with other clubs wanting to gamble with the Swedish goaltender.

All in all, the Leafs are starting to build upon the foundation that started with Luke Schenn. With Schenn, Phaneuf, Mike Komisarek, Carl Gunnarson, and Francois Beauchemin, the Leafs defensive corps is set. They have their dynamic, goal-scoring forward in Phil Kessel. They Leafs now need to find a true first-line playmaking center, a starting goaltender, and at least 2 more legitimate top-6 forwards. Then, and only then, can we start talking about the rebuild having worked. After that, we aim for the playoffs.

Hockey Idiots – Bill Watters

2010-02-03T00:19:37.693

Sportsnet Host: What do you think about Ilya Kovalchuk?

Bill Watters: [long-winded speech culminating with…] I wouldn’t touch him.

Sportsnet Host: What about Ray Whitney?

Bill Watters: I’d touch him.

I don’t doubt it Bill, not for a minute.

Wow

2010-02-01T01:22:23.313

That is all.

The Oilers Quagmire

2010-01-28T01:22:51.507

The boys on TSN were talking about some potential trade opportunities coming up for the Oilers. Given their current funk (hey, they’re worse than the Leafs!), the Oilers are clearly not going anywhere. With no superstar-in-waiting, the immediate future doesn’t seem too bright either.

So they discuss the obvious choices, including Fernando Pisani, Ethan Moreau, Sheldon Souray, and Steve Staios, all of whom are prime candidates for a trade. They’re too old to stick around for a serious rebuild, have reasonable contracts, and should be somewhat attractive to teams stocking up for the playoffs.

Then things get crazy, as they start talking about trading Andrew Cogliano in exchange for some draft picks. Now, I don’t get to watch a lot of Oilers games, so I can’t speak first-hand to Cogliano’s play. Having said that, he’s only 22 and he’s playing on a putrid team. Is it really time to give up on him? If I’m the Oilers, I’m prepared to resign Cogliano this summer. He hasn’t lit the world on the fire, so he won’t demand a huge contract. If he turns things around, great. If not, well at least you didn’t trade away a potential game-breaker.

Despite not having a franchise saviour coming through the system, the Oilers do have some pretty talented youngsters on the way. Both Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson (henceforth known as MPS) and Jordan Eberle have excelled on the international stage and should provide some much needed talent on the wing.

And let’s not forget that the Oil currently reside in last place in the NHL. That guarantees them a top draft pick; unlike the Maple Leafs, the Oilers actually have their picks.

The future isn’t that bleak in Edmonton, but it will take some work. As I told one long-time Oilers fan recently, it could be worse. They could be the Leafs.

New Fantasy Hockey Plan

2010-01-26T23:41:22.283

Here’s the deal with my office pool. I currently sit in the top 2 in the following categories: Goals, PIM, SHP, GAA, SV%. I’m in the bottom 4 in: A , +/-, PPP, SHO. I’m middle of the pack in goalie wins.

The way I figure it, I could start benching my goalies now (Nabokov, Price, and IR’d Varlamov) and only stand to lose a few points from the wins and shutout categories. Worst case scenario, I’d drop a few points from the GAA/SV% as well, although since I’ve been rolling primarily with Nabokov only for the last 2 months, those numbers are unlikely to give much.

(This pool is near Yahoo standard, for the record.)

All told, I would probably sacrifice about 9 points (from 3 to 1 (2) in SO, 6.5 to 1 (5.5) in WINS, and a max of 1.5 between GAA/SV%) by not playing any goalies the rest of the year.

If I trade those goalies, particularly Nabokov, I could probably get a pretty nice return. If I can use that return, along with some nifty waiver-wire manoeuvring, I could probably pick up more than 9 points across ASSISTS, PLUS/MINUS, and POWER-PLAY POINTS.

So that’s the plan. I’m going to trade my goalies and see what kind of return I can get. I’m currently working on a deal that would put Crosby AND Joe Thornton in my line-up, although I’ll likely have to sacrifice a forward (Rick Nash) to make it happen.

The Fallacy of the Fine

2010-01-23T17:29:41.713

When Alex Burrows was fined $2,500 for his comments about the poor officiating (suffice to say the story is far larger than that, but I don’t want to get into it), some people seemed to think it excessive. In particular, the talking heads on CBC decided that he should’ve been fined far less, to the tune of $1,000 total.

Let’s put that in perspective.

According to NHL Numbers, Burrows is scheduled to make $2,000,000 this season. Let’s forget about things like escrow and taxes, and just estimate that he takes home half of that. So we’ll work with a nice, round figure of $1,000,000.

Doing the math, and operating with the $1,000,000 assumption, a $2,500 fine represents 0.25% of Burrows take-home money. That’s one-quarter of one-percent.

Let’s assume the average Canadian has a take-home pay around $40,000. A 0.25% fine on that salary is $100. That’s it? I’ve spent more than that on bad nights out.

If the NHL wants to actually have it’s fines make an impact, they truly need to up the ante.

Kick Him Out

2010-01-19T14:14:50.493

Patrice Cormier.

If you haven’t seen his latest, take a quick trip to a hockey site. I won’t post the video or even a link.

3 times within a month he’s viciously attacked an unsuspecting player in a vulnerable position. He is possibly the biggest disgrace to hit the ice in a long time.

I’m ashamed to have had him captain Team Canada at the WJHC.

After his cheap shot against Sweden in the tournament warm-up games, I suggested to some friends that Cormier should be kicked out of the tournament. Most agreed, and yet it was never even mentioned in the media. They seemed to brush it aside, perhaps brainwashed in their frenzy of support for our national team.

Regardless, Cormier’s gone too far this time. The image of the opposing player convulsing on the ice is the most sickening thing I’ve ever seen on a hockey broadcast.

If Michael Liambis earned a lifetime ban from the OHL (CHL?) for his hit, which was almost unanimously declared a “clean”, if over-enthusiastic, hit, Cormier should earn the same.

Not that Cormier is likely to find himself in any future international competition, but I would extend the ban there as well.

Get rid of this guy.

Inglorious Backes

2010-01-15T22:15:17.533

I loved this post over on the Yahoo blog…

- http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/David-Backes-is-dismantling-Team-Canada-with-his?urn=nhl,213456

While it’s kind of in good spirits, I’d like to point out that Backes isn’t exactly tackling the Team Canada “heavy weights”. It's too bad he won’t get to try his schtick on Pronger. He will get a crack at Jarome Iginla however, and something tells me that it won’t be as fun as fighting Corey Perry, Jonathan Toews, or Rick Nash.

I wish the Olympics started tomorrow.

Unwatchable

2010-01-13T00:27:38.36

That’s about the only word for the Maple Leafs right now.

I’ve never seen penalty killing so atrocious. At any level. They look worse than the ankle-biters who simply swarm the puck. Those 4-year-olds have more strategy than the Maple Leafs.

How does an NHL team put together a penalty kill that is so bad? I’d not have thought it possible for a team to be this bad at penalty killing unless they were actively working at sabotaging their efforts. Given that the Leafs have bid adieu to their draft picks, we can safely assume they aren’t tanking the season on purpose.

Which means that they’re simply terrible. I’m not convinced that the Leafs could be competitive in the AHL. I’m almost positive that there are ECHL teams that could carry the play against the Leafs right now.

I’m about ready to auction my allegiance to another franchise. I need the money, and surely not cheering for the Leafs would be better for my health.

Ugh.

The Laser of Death

2010-01-12T01:17:34.703

In the wake of some genius Canucks fan (is there any other kind?) aiming a laser pointer at Miikka Kiprusoff during the Flames/Canucks tilt on the weekend, it seems that everyone is making a large stink about the risks associated with laser pointers.

I remember reading somewhere that the risks associated with laser pointers were largely overblown by our protectionist society (1 in 8 zillion people get this disease, so we must all beware!). I was lead to Wikipedia, through Google, and the following…

“Thus, it appears that a brief 0.25-second exposure to a <5 mW laser such as found in red laser pointers does not pose a threat to eye health.”

I fully realize that Wikipedia is hardly an authoritarian site on any subject matter, let alone one as contentious as health related issues, but I believe it’s commonly accepted fact in the scientific (medical) community that the risk from these laser pointers is extremely minimal.

To recap…the Canucks was an idiot and should have been arrested/charged/beaten to a pulp, but he was hardly putting Kiprusoff’s career in jeopardy.

The Leafs “Penalty Kill”

2010-01-09T01:47:12.01

Just how bad is it?

The Oilers have the league’s 2nd worst penalty kill, an abysmal 76.1%. That’s pretty bad.

The Maple Leafs need to successfully kill their next 48 penalties to catch up to the Oilers.

UPDATE: Given that the Sabres scored again on the power-play, the Leafs now must kill their next 51 penalties. If there is a God, I’m convinced that he hates Leafs fans.

Nazem Kadri

2010-01-05T02:21:48.99

Like most Maple Leafs fans, I’ve been watching this year’s WJHC with a special eye on Nazem Kadri, the 1st round pick of the Leafs last spring. Despite Kadri playing for the London Knights, whose home arena is a 10-minute walk from my apartment, this is really my first exposure to him.

So far, I like what I’ve seen…I think.

There’s no doubt that Kadri wants the puck. He’s pretty shifty with it too. The problem is that in this tournament, he isn’t the star. He isn’t the trigger man on his line, that’s Taylor Hall. So, not great for the WJHC…but tremendous for the Maple Leafs. Players who want the puck are great in the NHL, particularly when they possess a skill level like that of Kadri. If, when, he arrives in the NHL, the Leafs would be thrilled if Kadri can carry the puck like he has been, dishing off to a driving Phil Kessel.

Without the puck, he seems mostly responsible. He back-checks, but it sometimes seems as though he’s doing it out of requirement more than desire. That’s good, but not great. It would be nice to see a little more interest and energy on the back-check. He’ll never be a shut-down center, at any level, but if he can hold his own against opposition centers while providing solid offense, we’ve got a winner.

Physically, Kadri needs to mature. A lot of people are surprised that he’s been such a strong physical presence at the WJHC, but that excitement should be tempered by the fact that that’s not his game. From what I hear, he doesn’t do a lot of that in the OHL against bigger, stronger, meaner players. Regardless, his timing has been good despite taking a couple of penalties. As the TSN crew has pointed out, it’s unlikely that any of Kadri’s hits would result in OHL/NHL penalties.

Finally, let’s now blow Pierre Maguire’s one-timer hatred out of proportion. The one-timer is a specialized skill, and is one that Kadri won’t have as many cracks at when not playing against Latvia/Switzerland. It’s also convenient how Maguire neglected to mention Kadri’s beautiful one-timer goal earlier in the tournament.

It’s way too early to make a prediction on Nazem Kadri as an NHL player, but he seems to have all the tools to be an elite offensive player. He will need to get bigger and tougher, but only to the point where he can endure an entire NHL season. After that Brian Burke will make sure there’s enough truculence on the bench to protect his prized asset.

Canadian Content

2010-01-03T06:41:19.13

Why do certain members of the media feel obliged to mention (at least twice during HNIC) that only 2 of the 23 players named to Canada’s Olympic roster (Roberto Luongo and Jarome Iginla) play for Canadian based NHL teams?

Is that somehow relevant?

Guess what. None of the members of Team Finland play in the Finnish league. Heresy.

This argument reminds me of people who complain about American based teams being comprised largely of Canadians and Europeans, or of those who complain about Canadian teams not winning the Stanley Cup.

Misplaced patriotism? Perhaps.

Pointless? Definitely.

Jamal Mayers?

2010-01-03T02:44:38.69

With 2:00 left in tonight’s game against the Calgary Flames, Jamal Mayers was the Maple Leafs trigger-man in the offensive slot.

That is all.

Fantasy Resolution

2010-01-02T23:29:27.21

One of the first pointers I always give to fantasy hockey newcomers goes like this…

- Don’t get attached to your draft picks. There’s a waiver wire for a reason.

Well, this season I’ve fallen victim to this very disease. 1-week into the season, an over-eager young manager dropped David Backes, the C/RW from the St. Louis Blues that exploded onto the fantasy scene last season. Me, the veteran manager anxious to prey upon my less experienced competition, picked him up almost immediately. And I’ve clung.

In roughly 2-months as a member of Holy Puck, Backes contributed 5 goals, 4 assists, and a –5 rating. He’s a goal scorer who was outscored by Zach Bogosian (2nd year defenseman) and scored as many as James van Riemsdyk. It’s worth noting that both Bogosian and van Riemsdyk spent less than half as long on my rosters as Backes.

Needless to say, I was waiting for a breakout. It hasn’t happened, and I suspect it may not (although the coaching change in St. Louis may help). I held on for far too long, and Backes contributed to a destruction of my +/- statistics.

In the vein of trying something new with the new year, I dropped Backes yesterday. I’m still searching for a long-term replacement, but until that person emerges, I’m better off with random players.

I need to heed my own advice and avoid falling into a similar trap.

Now, if only I can figure out what to do with Brad Boyes.

Olympic Team Review

2010-01-02T23:10:37.92

With Wednesday’s reveal of the Canadian Olympic hockey team behind us, I want to look back at where the management team differed from the team I chose earlier in the week.

Goaltender was the easiest position, and almost everyone successfully predicted the 3 goalies named by Steve Yzerman and friends.

On defense, Yzerman left out Jay Bouwmeester in favour of Scott Niedermayer. I have to say that this isn’t surprising; I didn’t really believe that Niedermayer wouldn’t be a part of Team Canada, only that he shouldn’t. His play has taken a nosedive this season, and his age is really starting to show. Niedermayer brings plenty of “experience” and “leadership” to the table, but I don’t put a lot of value on those attributes, particularly considering the rest of the team. Every single member of the team has some form of international experience representing Canada, with a lot of Olympic and Stanley Cup appearances mixed in. We’ll see how the decision works out. Truthfully, I expect Niedermayer will more than hold his own.

Up front, you can remove Vincent Lecavalier and Brad Richards from my team. Replace them with Brenden Morrow and Mike Richards. One at a time…

Coming into the season, Lecavalier was all but guaranteed a spot on Team Canada. He successfully managed to play his way off the team. The logic here is not quite clear to me; Lecavalier’s season hasn’t been nearly as atrocious as the media would have you believe. He is a mere point behind Steve Stamkos, whom many were trumpeting for inclusion despite his lack of Olympic-level experience. He has a better +/- rating than Stamkos, and is better in the faceoff circle. To me, this is a clear example of media hype overrating 1 player while simultaneously devaluing the contributions of another.

The biggest reason I championed Lecavalier for inclusion on Team Canada was what I call the “single-game factor”. In a tournament like the Olympics, the outcome will inevitably come down to a single-game. In that game, you want to have as many “game-dominators” as possible. These are players who have demonstrated an ability to win games on their own. Canada has some of these (Crosby, Nash, etc…), but left one at home by omitting Lecavalier. Neither Brendan Morrow nor Mike Richards can take over a game the way Lecavalier can and has, and that’s something I’d like to have on Team Canada.

The omission of Brad Richards is perhaps the most shocking. Richards is a dynamic offensive player with solid 2-way skills. He can (and has) played the wing, and has done so internationally. He can play on any line, and in any situation. Richards is having the best year of his career, and I can’t help but think that this may prove to be a costly mistake for Steve Yzerman.

Brenden Morrow gets the nod as a gritty 2-way winger that will always come in handy. Morrow brings some scoring to the table, but that will not be his role in the Olympics. Look for Morrow to line-up with Mike Richards and [insert winger here] to play the role of energy/checking line.

If Brad Richards is the largest omission, then Mike Richards is the biggest mistake. He must have made one hell of an impression at the orientation camp, because his season has thus far been atrocious. He’s the captain of the NHL’s most disappointing team. His offensive numbers pale in comparison to Brad Richards, despite getting off to a strong start. He’s an average faceoff man who, to my knowledge, has never played the wing. And if the rumours are to be believed, he and Chris Pronger do not exactly see eye-to-eye.

With that out of the way, now we wait. The puck drops in about a month-and-a-half on what will surely be the most heavily scrutinized 12-days of hockey in the sport’s history.

Eric Staal Must Read Holy Puck

2009-12-29T00:34:51.417

Just hours after being named to my Olympic roster, Staal has 3 points in the first 15 minutes of tonight’s game against the Capitals.

On the road.

For the Hurricanes.

This man is good at hockey.

My 2010 Team Canada

2009-12-28T22:33:59.207

Initially I planned on doing a thorough review of the options for Team Canada. That’s boring. I’m going to present you my picks for the team, and then I’ll take on the much more interesting task of picking apart the actual selections later this week.

Let’s start with the goaltenders as there doesn’t seem to be much doubt here. Going into the season, goalies like Steve Mason and Cam Ward were in contention for the 3rd spot. They’ve since regressed, and the means that Marc-Andre Fleury will be the 3rd goalie on Team Canada. Martin Brodeur and Roberto Luongo will be the top 2 netminders. I’d say there’s a good chance that Luongo starts the first game (a cakewalk) before Marty takes over for the rest of the tournament.

There’s a lot more mystery on defense. Most experts seem to be trying to balance left-hand shots with right-hand shots; I won’t. I’m going to pick the 6 defensemen that I think give Team Canada the best shot at winning.

We’ll start with 3 absolute rocks that should form the backbone of the defense. If I’m the coach, I want one of these guys on the ice at all times. These 3 are Chris Pronger, Shea Weber, and Duncan Keith. All 3 are great at both ends of the ice, can be used against the opposition’s top line, and are good at avoiding mistakes. Pronger’s skating was a liability in Italy in 2006, but shouldn’t be an issue back on North American ice. Now, they need partners.

Chris Pronger

Duncan Keith

Shea Weber

The most obvious pairing is Keith with Brent Seabrook. The 2 have been phenomenal in Chicago and that chemistry can’t be overlooked.

Chris Pronger

Duncan Keith – Brent Seabrook

Shea Weber

Pronger’s great defensively, but mobility is not his strong suit. I’d like to see him paired with a strong skater that can move the puck out of the zone in a hurry. There’s a couple of options, but I’m going to go with Dan Boyle. Boyle can carry the puck out of the zone or make the first pass, and Pronger can help cover up his (minor) defensive deficiencies.

Chris Pronger – Dan Boyle

Duncan Keith – Brent Seabrook

Shea Weber

Shea Weber will be paired with the best skating defenseman in the NHL. Jay Bouwmeester is having a strong season in Calgary and he needs to be a part of this team. His speed and skating will be invaluable against the Russian/American/Swedish attacks, and pairing him with Weber provides 3 pairings that can weather the storm and launch the counter-attack.

Chris Pronger – Dan Boyle

Duncan Keith – Brent Seabrook

Shea Weber – Jay Bouwmeester

When it comes to the 7th defensemen, I’m not sure what you want in a tournament like this. You could bring Scott Niedermayer, although he’s having a horrific season. You could look at Robyn Regehr or Dion Phaneuf, although neither has been terrific. For my money, I want a 7th guy that can come in and fill any of the spots we put in above. Niedermayer, Regehr, and Phaneuf fail that criteria because they’re more geared towards offense (Niedermayer, Phaneuf) or defense (Regehr) than a well-rounded game. Enter Drew Doughty. Doughty has been awesome for the Kings, and can fit into any of the 3 pairings I’ve put above.

We face a similar situation with the forwards in that there are a number of guaranteed locks for the team. Let’s slot them into a roster (not line combinations, just positional placeholders). Format is C – W – W.

Sidney Crosby – Ryan Getzlaf – Jarome Iginla

Joe Thornton – Rick Nash – Dany Heatley

I’m moving Getzlaf to the wing because he’s played there before (if memory serves, in the WJHC) and his game his probably better suited to the wing. There’s not much point in debating these picks as Yzerman would have to defect if any were left off the team.

Before moving on, here’s a word on my philosophy. I believe in playing to win. I don’t believe in playing to not-lose. In 2006, Team Canada was put together to not-lose. The focus was on defense and preventing the other teams from beating us. I think that’s wrong. We have the potential to have the most potent offense (top-to-bottom) in the tournament. Let’s use it. Let’s let the other teams worry about how to stop us. The Russian team didn’t name defensive specialists, and neither will I.

Having said that, the next picks for my forward group are Brad Richards and Patrick Marleau. Richards has big-game experience, is one of the top scorers in the NHL, can be responsible defensively, can win big face-offs, and perhaps most importantly, can play anywhere from 1st line center to 13th man. Marleau makes the team for many of the same reasons, in addition to his success and chemistry with Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley. The 3 of them could possibly be the best 3rd line in hockey history.

Sidney Crosby – Ryan Getzlaf – Jarome Iginla

Joe Thornton – Patrick Marleau – Dany Heatley

C – Brad Richards – Rick Nash

Now I’m going to add 2 center-men that most people are overlooking. Despite having an “off-year”, Vincent Lecavalier has picked up his play in the past month. He’s averaging nearly a point-per-game, and has experience at the Olympic, World Cup, and Stanley Cup level. In addition, Lecavalier had his best success alongside Brad Richards, whom I’ve already put on the team.

Perhaps the most surprising omission from the “expert” predictions has been Eric Staal. Staal has been hurt, but in case they haven’t noticed, he’s back. He’s also playing well, putting up 15 points over his last 15 games despite playing on the worst team in the NHL. There’s a Staal on my Team Canada, and it’s Eric.

With the roster almost complete, I’m going to start moving players around into line combinations.

Sidney Crosby – Jarome Iginla – Rick Nash

Joe Thornton – Dany Heatley – Patrick Marleau

Vincent Lecavalier – Brad Richards – Ryan Getzlaf

Eric Staal – W – W

We need 2 more wingers. In these spots, you want solid players that can contribute offensively and defensively. You also want young players who can deal with limited ice-time, and strong penalty killers. For those reasons, I’m bringing in Jonathan Toews and Patrice Bergeron. Both are having very good seasons, can play any forward position, are great faceoff men, contribute offensively, and are excellent penalty killers. Those are good qualities on a team like this, as opposed to defensive specialists like Kirk Maltby and Kris Draper in 2006, or Rob Zamuner in 1998.

As a 13th forward, I want something a little different than I did on defense. There are enough forwards on the team already that you can juggle the lines around to accommodate an injury; you don’t have that same luxury with your defensive pairings. You want someone with some big-game experience that can come into the game and not be a liability. There’s nothing worse than having a borderline player on the bench whom you’re afraid could be exposed if he has to get on the ice. Options here include Brendan Morrow, Shane Doan, Mike Richards, Ryan Smyth, and Corey Perry.

I’m going with Corey Perry. In addition to being a solid all-around player, Perry has terrific chemistry with Ryan Getzlaf. That could be an important factor if an injury forces some line juggling. Perry has plenty of big-game experience too, having won a Memorial Cup and playing a key role on Team Canada at the WJHC.

Sidney Crosby – Jarome Iginla – Rick Nash

Joe Thornton – Dany Heatley – Patrick Marleau

Vincent Lecavalier – Brad Richards – Ryan Getzlaf

Eric Staal – Patrice Bergeron – Jonathan Toews

So there’s my Team Canada.

Is Crosby the captain? No.

Crosby can have his turn in 2014, this is Iginla’s team. I’d put the C on Iginla, and make Brad Richards, Chris Pronger, and Patrick Marleau the alternate captains. All of them are (or should be) captains of their respective NHL teams.

Now we wait for Wednesday to see how many mistakes Mr. Yzerman and his staff make (I kid…).

Glen Healy, Idiot II

2009-12-28T19:46:50.33

I almost forgot.

When the HNIC talking heads were picking their Olympic rosters, Glen Healy tossed out a gem.

David Clarkson would be on this team were it not for the injuries he’s been battling.

Really? David Clarkson?

Clarkson has 15 points in 23 games, and does bring a physical edge to the game that most people can appreciate. But an Olympian? Surely Healy has taken one too many pucks to the temple.

A quick peak at the NHL’s statistics website reveals that Clarkson is currently 7th amongst New Jersey forwards in average time-on-ice, a figure that shouldn’t change much with additional games.

Healy didn’t provide a lot of reasoning for his Clarkson choice (surprise), but I’m sure it would be something to do with team toughness. We’ll need a lot of that, particularly against the Russians, Swedes, Finns, and Czechs.

Is it time for a “Fire Glen Healy” movement?

World Junior Blowouts

2009-12-28T19:37:53.783

A lot of hockey writers have been writing about the problem with the World Junior Hockey Championship and the blowout scores (see Yahoo’s Bruce Peter and James Mirtle). They’re 100% right in that it’s absolutely ridiculous.

In my opinion, there’s a pretty easy solution that would help to alleviate (although not entirely eliminate) some of the shoddy play we’ve seen at the tournament.

Because of the format the IIHF uses, the bottom teams in the A division (the tournament we in Canada are familiar with) play a relegation round to determine who is sent to the B division next year. Similarly, the top 2 teams in the B division will be moved up to the A division as replacement fodder. Simple enough.

The problem is that the team that wins the B division is extremely unlikely to return intact to assume their spot in the A division. In fact, it’s entirely likely that the B division champion was comprised of 19-year old players seeing their final WJHC action. The next year, the team that qualified as been dismantled and replaced by a team of WJHC rookies.

The WJHC would be far better served by holding the B division tournament in the months leading up to the A tournament. The winners would then be the same team that was good enough to win the B division.

This isn’t to suggest that those teams will be able to compete with the Canadians, Russian, or Swedes, but they would likely offer stiffer competition.

Glen Healy, Idiot

2009-12-27T02:05:33.393

On Saturday night’s “Hotstove”, the topic of Olympic team selection came up. After offering their own picks for Team Canada, Glen Healy couldn’t resist the temptation to offer up some criticism of the recently announced Russian roster.

To paraphrase…

“How can they pick all these guys that aren’t even good enough to play in the NHL?”

Does Healy not know about the KHL? You know, the Russian league that pays Russian players on par with the NHL. The Russian league that has been the home to some pretty good hockey players over the last few seasons.

When Alexander Radulov skipped out of Nashville to head back to the mother-land, it was a big problem. Does Healy forget that? Radulov was on the verge of NHL superstardom when he bolted for the KHL; now he’s part of their Olympic team.

The same could be said of Alexei Morozov, who displayed flashes of brilliance for the Penguins before leaving North America. He’s also part of the team.

Healy’s ignorance shouldn’t be rewarded with more television face-time. Rather, we should put him on a boat with Bill Watters and send them somewhere far, far away.

A Quick Retrospective

2009-12-11T13:54:23.453

Your name is John Ferguson Jr. You have 2 highly valued assets, young goaltending prospects; the type of prospects that most teams covet. I speak of Justin Pogge and Tuukka Rask, of course.

Another young goaltender, a former standout in the NHL, has been down on his luck and can be had via trade. This can only be Andrew Raycroft.

You choose one of your goaltending prospects (Rask, apparently under the belief that Pogge will become the better player), and make the trade for Raycroft.

Fast-forward a few seasons.

Andrew Raycroft, following 2 abysmal seasons in Toronto, has moved on to become the backup goaltender in Vancouver. He has thus far failed to recapture the glory of his rookie season in Boston; at this point, it seems unlikely that he ever will.

Justin Pogge, once the saviour of the organization, is now a lost soul in the Anaheim Ducks organization. Worse still, he was sent there in exchange for nothing. A betting man would be foolish to put money on Pogge ever blossoming into the stud goalie he seemed poised to become while tending the nets for Team Canada at the WJHC (where he was named to the all-star team, top goalie, and tournament MVP).

Tuukka Rask, meanwhile, sports a 9-2-2 record for the Boston Bruins. More impressively, his .932 SVP and 1.97 GAA have him all but unseating Tim Thomas for the #1 role in Boston. He’s only 22, and will likely backstop the Bruins for the foreseeable future.

I’d have to say that this is about the worst possible scenario for the Maple Leafs. Not only did they manage to turn 2 highly valued prospects into nothing, they also provided a hated division rival with their goalie of the future.

I wish we could get the answers to a couple of questions.

First, did JFJ and his scouting team believe Pogge was the superior prospect? Most people believed that Pogge’s outstanding play was as much a factor of his supporting cast as it was his abilities, while Rask seemed like a natural star.

Second, did Boston insist on receiving Rask in return for Raycroft? Would they have been equally content with Pogge? If they did, what did the Bruins staff see in Rask that the Leafs didn’t? Or was it something they saw in Pogge?

I’m typically quick to downplay the role of “scouting ability” when it comes to the draft, but this trade really has me second guessing that opinion. If the Bruins scouts were able to tell that Rask would develop into the superior goalie, the same kind of logic could easily be applied at the draft.

All I’m really certain of is that it’s going to suck having a constant reminder of the John Ferguson Jr. era over the next 10 years, especially during those 8 games a year against the Bruins.

Playoffs? Don’t Talk to Me About Playoffs!

2009-12-10T12:17:28.49

Is anyone else sick and tired of the TV talking-heads and their playoff talk? For that matter, the Internet is full of it too.

People, it’s December. There are 50 games left to be played.

The fact that a given team is 3 points out of 8th with 5 teams to pass does not mean that they can’t make the playoffs. It means that the season is still in it’s relative infancy.

I remember when nobody talked about the playoffs until the trade deadline was approaching. That’s when it’s relevant. But in December? There are too many games to be played to start talking about how far out of the playoffs a team is.

Even (especially?) if that team is the Leafs.

Mike Fisher, Olympian?

2009-12-10T01:18:43.547

So I’m watching the Leafs and the Islanders on TSN tonight, when the 1st intermission quick comes on. Normally these are pretty entertaining; on rare occasions there’s some valuable insight.

Tonight? Idiocy ruled supreme.

First question. Would you build a team around John Tavares or Tyler Myers? Is this meant to be a trick question? Myers is a great rookie, and could develop into one hell of a player, but Tavares has been a coveted prospect since he started high school. He was the #1 overall draft pick back in June, and has done absolutely nothing to detract from the hype. Playing on an otherwise abysmal Islanders team, Tavares has perhaps exceeded the (sky-high) expectations of some. The best part of this question is that 2 of the panellists chose Myers! Craig MacTavish’s ability to put together a quality team is best demonstrated by the success of the Edmonton Oilers over the past decade, one rather fluky playoff run notwithstanding.

If that weren’t bad enough, they had to start talking about Olympic bubble players.

The one that grabbed my attention was Mike Fisher (I believe it was Ray Ferraro who suggested Fisher). Fisher…on Team Canada…at the Olympics? If Mike Fisher is anywhere near Team Canada come February, I’m going to go buy a Red Army jersey.

The Case for Suspending Keith Ballard

2009-12-03T00:14:11.697

Keith Ballard’s accidental 2-handed slash to Tomas Vokoun’s head will go unpunished by the NHL. Most people seem to think that’s the right decision, believing that the guilt Ballard has to live with is penalty enough.

I call bullshit.

Hockey players are supposed to be role models, and are repeatedly reprimanded for failing to fit the mould (I refer you to Sean Avery). Hockey players are supposed to demonstrate virtue, honour, class, and respect for their fellow competitors.

Keith Ballard did none of this.

It’s become far too common to see NHL players take out their post-goal-frustrations by destroying their stick over the crossbar or goalpost. This action demonstrates none of the traits commonly desired by professional athletes. In fact, swinging your stick in frustration or anger is the embodiment of unsportsmanlike conduct.

Tom Benjamin believes that Ballard should’ve received a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, and I have to agree. Whether or not he should be suspended would then be a real issue, but his actions should certainly not go without punishment.

Alexander the Suspended

2009-12-02T03:56:02.457

Word came down this afternoon that Alexander Ovechkin will face a 2-game suspension for his knee-on-knee “hit” on Tim Gleason. You have to think the Capitals are thankful for the suspension, since it will ensure that Ovechkin doesn’t attempt to rush back from the injury he suffered while delivering the hit.

I’m not a big believer in punishing most knee-on-knee collisions; at least not for the same reasons as most people.

Players know that knee-on-knee hits are bad. Nobody, Ovechkin included, intends to deliver a knee-on-knee hit. I’ve always viewed those kind of hits as a reflex thing rather than an intent-to-injure thing. If you’re skating towards an opponent, intent on hitting him, and he steps to the side, it’s in your nature to throw some part of your body (knee, arm, etc…) at him. I know it happened to me when I was playing hockey. The main difference is the speed at which the NHL games take place. What passes for incidental (but annoying) contact in youth hockey turns into a devastating injury at NHL speeds.

The fact that Ovechkin is a repeat offender (Sergei Gonchar, playoffs, last season) certainly comes into play. Personally, I explain it as an extension of his style of play. He skates hard, almost all the time. He intends to hit people, and those people don’t want to be hit, so they jump out of the way. Result? He throws some part of his body at them.

Of bigger consequence here is what it means to Ovechkin’s health going forward. It’s long been believed that Ovechkin’s reckless nature would lead to a shortened career, and knee injuries have certainly ruined many superstars in the past. At this point, the best I can hope for, as a fan of the game, is that someone takes him aside and explains that he needs to tone down the physical aspect of his game. Not abandon it entirely, just tone it down.

Otherwise we could be without Alexander Ovechkin for a lot more than 2 games.

Russians Giving Up Already

2009-11-30T23:36:55.623

Vladislav Tretiak, former standout goalie for Russia, has decided to make the Olympic selection process a whole lot more interesting. Yesterday, speaking in Montreal after watching the Capitals and Habs, announced that the Russian team would consist of a mixture of NHL and KHL players. That’s not the shocking part. Tretiak also said that he figures it’ll be about 50/50 (or 12 from each); that’s the shocking part.

You have to figure that the goaltending corps will be made up of NHL players; there are far too many quality Russians tending NHL nets for it to be otherwise. Evgeni Nabokov will lead the charge in goal, with either Semyon Varlamov or Ilya Bryzgalov backing him up and the other sitting in the press box.

Assuming that’s right, it means that the skaters would be split between NHL and KHL players in the neighbourhood of 9/12. I’m far from an expert on the KHL, so I’m not sure about the quality of players there. But there are a few things I’d like to point out from TSN’s KHL Player Rankings.

1. Fringe NHL players like Mattias Weinhandl, Patrick Thoresen, Marcel Hossa, and Kevin Dallman are all in the top 15.

2. Alexei Yashin is the 3rd highest ranked player.

3. 2 North American goalies (Jeff Glass and Robert Esche) who I’m certain would rather be playing in the NHL, are in the top 7.

There are certainly some elite talents amongst the league’s scoring leaders, Yashin included. Alexander Radulov sits 3rd with 32 points in 27 games. Alexei Morozov has 31 points in 26 games. Beyond that, there’s certainly not a lot of names that I recognize (not ones that are eligible at least, as Jaromir Jagr and Jiri Hudler are both doing well, but neither are Russian).

The crux of the matter here is whether or not the Russians would be doing themselves a disservice by attempting to fill their rosters from both leagues. Anytime you set out to name what amounts to an all-start with a caveat other than “I’m going to take the best players available”, you’re setting yourself up for some potential trouble.

As for this Russian team, beyond Radulov, Morozov, and Sergei Zubov, the potential Olympians are certainly light on NHL experience. It wouldn’t be a big deal in the 2014 Olympics, to be played on international-sized ice in Moscow, but would put those players at a severe disadvantage on the smaller ice surface in Vancouver.

RotoWire Missed 1st Quarter of Season

2009-11-30T12:27:21.983

From the news feed they provide to Yahoo…

Recommendation: Coach Ron Wilson said Toskala would "have to practice hard for a few days before I'm convinced he'll be ready to even backup." Sounds like he's a week away from useful duty.

(Rotowire.com)

A week away from useful duty? Are the Leafs about to become such an unstoppable force of hockey excellence that their backup goalie (sporting a sparkly .865 SVP and 3.91 GAA) is about to become useful for fantasy purposes?

Was there a trade that I’m unaware of?

Team Canada – The Goalies – Part I

2009-11-30T03:25:15.803

Over the next month, I’m going to be writing a lot about the upcoming selection of Team Canada. I’ll start today by going over the goalie candidates, along with a brief blurb about their relative merits. At some point, I’ll follow up with my selections.

Martin Brodeur (NJ) – Old faithful is having another stellar year in New Jersey. He is currently tied (with Chris Mason) for the best save percentage amongst potential Team Canada goaltenders (.925). His experience (both in the NHL and internationally) will play a major factor in his consideration. Brodeur will almost certainly be on the team, the only question is whether or not he’s handed the starting role.

Jean-Sebastien Giguere (ANA) – Widely considered one of the streakiest goalies around, Giguere came into the season without a starting role in the NHL. Whether or not he’s managed to secure the spot that Jonas Hiller had stolen from him remains to be seen, but Giguere has proven himself to be nearly unbeatable when hot. The downside to Giguere is that he’s not always hot, and it gets ugly in a hurry when he’s not. Giguere is another long shot for the team.

Marty Turco (DAL) – A former member of Team Canada, Turco is enjoying a strong comeback season in Dallas. Turco’s clipping along with a .916 SVP and has earned 2 shutouts. His experience and championship pedigree would certainly be welcome on Team Canada, but I think we’ve seen the last of Turco in international best-on-best competition.

Roberto Luongo (VAN) – Luongo’s overcome a history of slow starts to post some very respectable numbers through the first 2 months of the season (2.48 GAA, .912 SVP, 1 SO). With the Olympics taking place in Vancouver, on Luongo’s home ice, he’s a virtual lock to make the team. All indications are that the starter’s role will be filled by either Luongo or the aforementioned Brodeur.

Carey Price (MON) – Not so long ago, Carey Price was regarded as the future of Canadian hockey, insofar as goaltenders are concerned. Price has all the tools from a talent perspective, and possesses a demeanour that is perfectly suited for the pressure cooker of international hockey. Price’s major flaw thus far in his NHL career has been an inability to shutout the distractions that come with playing under a microscope, a problem that would be intensified in the Olympic spotlight. I suspect Price will earn some strong consideration for the #3 spot as someone who could fill the top billing at future competitions.

Marc-Andre Fleury (PIT) – Fleury’s name was tossed into the Olympic hat following back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances, including last year’s win over the Red Wings. Throughout both playoff runs, Fleury was largely heroic, stealing games for the Penguins when they shouldn’t have won, and providing strong goaltending the whole time. Fleury is a long shot to see the ice in Vancouver, but has a strong shot at filling the #3 hole.

Cam Ward (CAR) – Another goalie-of-the-future, Cam Ward has had a horrible start to the season. He’s currently sidelined, leaving the Hurricanes without their top goalie and perhaps robbing himself of an opportunity to play for Team Canada. If Ward is to have a shot, he needs to come back quick and strong, else it’ll be too late.

Steve Mason (CLB) – Mason lit up the world last season, serving notice that he too should be in the running for Team Canada. Unfortunately for Mason, and the Columbus Blue Jackets, he’s failed to follow that up this season. Mason has been awful at times, and it’s been worse than awful on more than a few occasions. He’s now on the verge of losing his job to career backup Mathieu Garon; a move that would effectively eliminate him from contention for a spot on Team Canada. Like Ward, Mason needs to bring some strong play to the ice over the next 2-3 weeks to have any kind of opportunity come December 31st.

Scheduling Quirk

2009-11-29T22:23:28.62

I don’t know what the NHL is smoking, but having a Saturday without the Leafs is like committing television suicide. I know, the Leafs aren’t the be-all and end-all of the NHL. I’m also aware that there is a large audience of Canadiens fans, and even a spattering of Senators fans, with whom the NHL can fill their Saturday evening viewership.

But the Leafs. The Leafs are in a league of their own.

I was at a company Christmas party last night. A good number of people there have no clue about hockey, but are aware that I (and some others) are rabid fans. It seemed like a good conversation starter when people asked if the Leafs were winning. When I told them that the Leafs weren’t playing, I was met with a confused look. This happened at least a half-dozen times. The mere concept of a Saturday without the Leafs has become foreign even to people without an avid interest in the game.

By now, most people are aware that the NHL’s schedule was put together without any semblance of logic or reason. But to have the Leafs off on a Saturday? For shame Mr. Bettman, for shame.

Puck Daddy’s 5 BEST and 5 Worst Decisions

2009-11-27T23:16:35.6

Puck Daddy, an entertaining hockey blog over at Yahoo, published a list of the 5 best and 5 worst decisions in the NHL over the past decade. Read it first.

I understand that it’s meant as a good fun, and it is. I just have to take issue with the #1 best decision. By no measure of “good” was the decision to cancel an entire season a “good” one.

I won’t disagree that what’s come out of the lockout has been good for the game. Most people agree that the on-ice product is better than it was. Most people see the logic behind the salary cap, even if they hate seeing their teams dismantled because of it.

What I will take issue with, however, is attributing those things to the lockout. The rule changes, the CBA, etc…, could all have been implemented without losing an entire season, or any time at all.

We lost an entire year of Alexander Ovechkin. Of Rick Nash. Of Evgeni Malkin. So many stars that we lost a year of. The lockout was most definitely not a “good” thing, regardless of what’s come out of it.

The Olympic Effect

2009-11-27T22:48:09.467

I happened to be in Toronto this past Saturday to catch the visiting Capitals face the suddenly-might Maple Leafs. It was my first opportunity to take in Alexander Ovechkin in person, and the game did not disappoint. It was a great game, and kept us pretty entertained.

My focus, however, was not on Alexander Ovechkin. I had been hearing that Mike Green, despite some pretty good offensive numbers, was not playing at the same calibre as last season. I made a point of watching Green, and while I’ve never seen him live either, I have to agree with his critics.

The Mike Green I watched last season was near fearless in his offensive escapades. He regularly joined the rush, and had no problem straying too far into the opponent’s zone, probably to his coach’s frustration. Green frequently found himself in the deep slot, corner, or even behind the net. And he was rewarded for his efforts. Green finished last season with 73 points in just 68 games, including a massive 31 goals. He was also +24, a stat that probably reflects his explosive teammates more than his defensive prowess.

Nonetheless, Green was in the thick of the discussion for a spot on Team Canada. The only problem I remember reading/hearing about was his defensive play. Would Team Canada GM Steve Yzerman roll the dice on an offensively-gifted but risk-taking defenseman on a team that would feature a bevy of skilled forwards?

One has to wonder if that line of thinking reached Mike Green. Perhaps unbeknownst to him, I’m pretty sure it’s impacted the way he plays. He’s far more likely to make the stretch pass (not a bad thing) than rush forward with the puck; more likely to dump it off at the blue-line than charge toward the net (maybe a bad thing).

I don’t think there’s any denying that Mike Green is not the same player to start the 2009-10 season that he was during the 2008-09 season. Whether or not any other fringe-Olympians have changed their game to impress the scouts is something I haven’t yet noticed, but I’m going to keep an eye open over the next few weeks to see if any stand out. I’d like to see the Black Hawks, not only because they’re playing really well right now, but also because they have as many as 5 players in Olympic consideration. In fact, that added motivation could well be partially responsible for their play of late…what better way to impress Mr. Yzerman than to lead your team on a long winning streak?

Finnished Olympian

2009-11-27T03:18:46.543

Earlier this week came word that Miikka Kiprusoff does not intend to attend the Olympics unless he’s named the starter for Team Finland. If this kind of drama sounds familiar, it’s because it is. Back in 2006, while preparing for the Torino Olympics, Kiprusoff withdrew his name from consideration for the team due to a lingering hip injury. A hip injury that forced to miss no games for the Calgary Flames.

What this means is that Kiprusoff will most certainly not be at the Olympics. It would be foolish for Team Finland GM Jari Kurri to name Kiprusoff the starter given his stance; his teammates would probably be uneasy about playing in front of him.

So what we have here is a case of Olympic suicide. Given Kiprusoff’s age and the NHL’s anti-Olympic agenda, it’s likely that this was the last kick at the can with respect to the Olympics. Do we admire his dedication to the Flames and their quest for a Stanley Cup, or do we scorn his standoffish behaviour where his native country is concerned?

Personally, I think both.

It’s admirable that Kiprusoff wants to use the time to gear up for a playoff run. It’s deplorable that he does so at the expense of his country.

If I were Jari Kurri, I’d be half-tempted to name Kiprusoff the starter and then pull the ol’ switcher-a-roo once I got to Vancouver.

The Injury Bug

2009-11-03T23:14:03.917

TSN has a story today about the injuries to star players, and how it will impact the Olympic teams, particularly the Russians.

They interview Pierre McGuire, apparently an authority on hockey injuries, and he posits some reasonable explanations. Chief amongst them are an increasing defensive responsibility for the elite players, particularly in the shot-blocking department, and the increased speed of the game.

I’d like to offer 2 more theories.

First, the flu. We all know about the NHL players who have missed time with the flu, or H1N1. We know that certain teams (like the Oilers) have been decimated by the flu. But what we don’t know about is the toll the flu is taking on those not missing time. How many NHL players shouldn’t be playing, but are? Certainly some. And you can bet that those players are not properly preparing for games, and are probably not making the best decisions on the ice. Both of those can increase the likelihood of an injury.

The far bigger factor, as I see it, is the schedule. Obviously the schedule is going to be a little jerked around in an Olympic season. But you’d expect to see more games spread around evenly, not the joke that we have seen. The Atlanta Thrashers played 10 games in October, including opening the season with just 6 games in the first 20 days of the season. The Flyers opened the season by playing 5 games in 8 days. Then they played just ONE GAME in the next 11 days. They now enter a grueling schedule that sees them play almost every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday for 2 months.

On the flip side of things are teams like the New York Rangers. The Rangers played 14 games in October, never having more than 2 full days between games. That continues into November as they don’t earn their first 3+ day break until November 8th. There’s also the terrible travel schedule they’ve faced. From October 22nd to November 7th, the Rangers play (or played) every 2nd night. On the 30th of October, they were in Minnesota, then back home for a game against the Bruins on Saturday, before heading to Vancouver for tonight’s matchup with the Canucks.

If there’s any prevailing factor behind the rash of recent injuries, I’d suggest the NHL start by taking a good, long look at the schedule-makers.