Here we go again. Right off the top, Bates Battaglia (who I have an excellent photograph of) signed a two-year deal with Toronto ($1.3 million) and Lukas Krajicek signed a two-year deal with Vancouver worth $2.2 million. In retrospect, Vancouver pulled Florida’s pants down in the Roberto Luongo trade, but the proof is in the pudding. Krajicek was the other guy Vancouver got in that trade, and if the trade went down today, the Canucks would be giddy to get Krajicek alone for Bertuzzi.
The Los Angeles Kings dove into free agency headlong. It’s no secret they wanted Chris Drury, and I’m actually very surprised he didn’t sign in L.A. Now, back at the draft, I said I wouldn’t question anything Kings’ GM Dean Lombardi does, so with that in mind I’ll just mention the Kings’ signings and not comment on their various values. Defenseman Tom Preissing (four years, $11 million, when the hell did Preissing become a marquee free agent?), Michal Handzus (four years, $16 million), Kyle Calder (two years, $5.4 million) and Ladislav Nagy, who I thought was primed for a big season in 2007, got a one-year deal, I don’t have dollars yet. Again, I won’t question Dean Lombardi. Dean obviously knows something the rest of us don’t.
Washington, probably fearing they were below the minimum salary, backed up a dump truck full of money at Michael Nylander’s house. I’m not sure Nylander’s worth $19.5 million over four years (OK, screw it, I’ll say it-- he’s not), but the Caps needed to sign someone with a profile. I said it last season with Dickie Zednik, I said it earlier in the week with Viktor Kozlov, for Nylander’s sake, here’s hoping the third time’s the charm. Maybe Nylander is the guy the Caps are looking for, to play with Alex Ovechkin. Although, more likely, he’ll be asked to help Nicklas Backstrom find his way in the NHL.
Montreal signed two veterans yesterday to help out the youth movement they seem to be avoiding. Defenseman Roman Hamrlik caught Habs’ GM Bob Gainey having a senior moment and scored a four-year, $22 million deal. I’m reading good things about Hamrlik, but he’s never impressed me, and I’m thinking he’s no more worth $5.5 million a season than Sheldon Souray is. The Habs also signed Brian Smolinski for one year, $2 million. It’s an easy deal for both teams. Smolinski is a bit of an insurance policy it seems, in case highly-touted prospect Kyle Chipchura can’t make the jump next season. If that’s the case, they should have just brought Radek Bonk back.
But, seeing how Nashville signed Bonk, that’s going to be a problem. The Predators locked up Bonk and defenseman Greg de Vries to two-year deals. No terms available, but anything under $2 million a year for each of them sounds about right. Bonk was one of Montreal’s most consistent performers last season and should not have been run out of town. De Vries is past his best-before date, but he’s still serviceable.
Chicago made an astute signing, which is very odd. They inked Robert Lang to a two-year deal, again, no money terms available at this time. Why are teams still pulling the whole “it’s club policy not to discuss contract terms” routine? There’s a salary cap now, and we fans need to know the terms of contracts. Anyway. Lang is still a crafty centre, and he’s added a good defensive element to his game. He could enjoy great success playing alongside Martin Havlat.
Atlanta really went against the disclosure grain. Ken Klee, multi-year contract. Thanks guys. Like de Vries, anything under $2 million per works, otherwise he’s just giggling and rolling in money he won’t earn.
Anaheim took an expensive flier on Todd Bertuzzi. It’s a two-year deal worth $8 million. If Bertuzzi can regain his pre-Steve Moore incident form, it’s a steal. That Bertuzzi was a $10 million player. The current Bertuzzi has looked disinterested at best, and could be a liability.
And Calgary, apparently not content with their current crop of grey-beards, signed Owen Nolan for reasons no one will ever truly understand (kinda like signing their new coach).
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Monday, July 02, 2007
No more, no more
Alright, we’re back with more free agent signings.
Shortly after I decided to enjoy Sunday’s Canada Day festivities, the Colorado Avalanche decided to offer Captain Canada a fat contract. Ryan Smyth joins the Avalanche for five years at $31.25 million. Smyth is a nice addition to Colorado’s lineup, and becomes a natural successor to Joe Sakic’s captaincy whenever Sakic retires. It’s tough to say exactly where Smyth fits into the lineup every night, but probably on a second line with Andrew Brunette.
The Smyth signing came on the heels of landing rugged defenseman Scott Hannan for four years and $18 million. Hannan is a nose-to-the-grindstone type. He plays hard every shift, and he makes it very hard for opposing forwards every shift. He’s been a key cog for the San Jose Sharks, and the Avalanche are absolutely going to love him. They haven’t had a mean defenseman like Hannan since Adam Foote bolted for Columbus. Hannan will probably play on a top unit with John-Michael Liles.
Two things I find interesting about the St. Louis Blues signing Paul Kariya. Actually, I could probably do a whole week’s worth of writing just on this signing, but I digress. You’d really think a guy the Blues just signed for $18 million over three years would be on their website’s roster page, no? Furthermore, I love the fact the press release offers no info about Kariya since before the lockout. It mentions the three years in Colorado and Nashville, but no mention of the numbers (35, 85, 76 points), which clearly illustrate the Kariya the Blues just signed isn‘t the Kariya Nashville got in 2006. We’ll see though. Where does Kariya fit in? Your guess is as good as mine. David Backes and Lee Stempniak are practically the only guys young enough to be able to skate with Kariya, which may leave Keith Tkachunk and Doug Weight on the second line.
Next, Pittsburgh decided to bring in some more veteran help. I think I like the additions of Darryl Sydor (two years, $5 million) and Petr Sykora (two years, financials not disclosed). Sydor still gets the job done, and he’s been through the wars (Western Conference circa 1996-2002). He was great in 1999 when the Stars won the Stanley Cup, and he was at his absolute best in 2004 when he won the Cup with Tampa Bay. In Pittsburgh, he’ll slide into the second pairing alongside Mark Eaton very nicely. Sykora’s where things get interesting. He’s produced at a fairly consistent level over the last few years, around 50 points a season. But no matter the money, the Pens brought him in to ply with either Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, and 50 points will not be acceptable. The Pens also signed super-backup Dany Sabourin for two years, just over $1 million total. In case you weren’t awake, Sabourin came into one of Vancouver’s playoff games this year at the start of overtime because Roberto Luongo was having an equipment malfunction. Sabourin was excellent, holding the fort and leaving fans breathless, until Luongo returned. It reminded me of the time a flu-ridden Marc-Andre Fleury replaced a useless David LeNeveu, and backstopped Canada to a big win at the World Juniors.
Paul Kariya who? The Nashville Predators aren’t taking the loss of Kariya laying down. Around lunch time on Monday they inked Jed Ortmeyer to a two year deal worth $1.5 million. Ortmeyer cracked the Rangers lineup 41 times last year, scoring twice, and adding nine helpers for 11 points. Pro-rate that over a full season, and the name Kariya is already a distant memory in the Music City.
OK, one more thing about Paul Kariya signing in St. Louis. Don’t you think Blues fans are going to love mocking Kansas City fans in two years, having signed away KC’s best and most recognizable player?
Shortly after I decided to enjoy Sunday’s Canada Day festivities, the Colorado Avalanche decided to offer Captain Canada a fat contract. Ryan Smyth joins the Avalanche for five years at $31.25 million. Smyth is a nice addition to Colorado’s lineup, and becomes a natural successor to Joe Sakic’s captaincy whenever Sakic retires. It’s tough to say exactly where Smyth fits into the lineup every night, but probably on a second line with Andrew Brunette.
The Smyth signing came on the heels of landing rugged defenseman Scott Hannan for four years and $18 million. Hannan is a nose-to-the-grindstone type. He plays hard every shift, and he makes it very hard for opposing forwards every shift. He’s been a key cog for the San Jose Sharks, and the Avalanche are absolutely going to love him. They haven’t had a mean defenseman like Hannan since Adam Foote bolted for Columbus. Hannan will probably play on a top unit with John-Michael Liles.
Two things I find interesting about the St. Louis Blues signing Paul Kariya. Actually, I could probably do a whole week’s worth of writing just on this signing, but I digress. You’d really think a guy the Blues just signed for $18 million over three years would be on their website’s roster page, no? Furthermore, I love the fact the press release offers no info about Kariya since before the lockout. It mentions the three years in Colorado and Nashville, but no mention of the numbers (35, 85, 76 points), which clearly illustrate the Kariya the Blues just signed isn‘t the Kariya Nashville got in 2006. We’ll see though. Where does Kariya fit in? Your guess is as good as mine. David Backes and Lee Stempniak are practically the only guys young enough to be able to skate with Kariya, which may leave Keith Tkachunk and Doug Weight on the second line.
Next, Pittsburgh decided to bring in some more veteran help. I think I like the additions of Darryl Sydor (two years, $5 million) and Petr Sykora (two years, financials not disclosed). Sydor still gets the job done, and he’s been through the wars (Western Conference circa 1996-2002). He was great in 1999 when the Stars won the Stanley Cup, and he was at his absolute best in 2004 when he won the Cup with Tampa Bay. In Pittsburgh, he’ll slide into the second pairing alongside Mark Eaton very nicely. Sykora’s where things get interesting. He’s produced at a fairly consistent level over the last few years, around 50 points a season. But no matter the money, the Pens brought him in to ply with either Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, and 50 points will not be acceptable. The Pens also signed super-backup Dany Sabourin for two years, just over $1 million total. In case you weren’t awake, Sabourin came into one of Vancouver’s playoff games this year at the start of overtime because Roberto Luongo was having an equipment malfunction. Sabourin was excellent, holding the fort and leaving fans breathless, until Luongo returned. It reminded me of the time a flu-ridden Marc-Andre Fleury replaced a useless David LeNeveu, and backstopped Canada to a big win at the World Juniors.
Paul Kariya who? The Nashville Predators aren’t taking the loss of Kariya laying down. Around lunch time on Monday they inked Jed Ortmeyer to a two year deal worth $1.5 million. Ortmeyer cracked the Rangers lineup 41 times last year, scoring twice, and adding nine helpers for 11 points. Pro-rate that over a full season, and the name Kariya is already a distant memory in the Music City.
OK, one more thing about Paul Kariya signing in St. Louis. Don’t you think Blues fans are going to love mocking Kansas City fans in two years, having signed away KC’s best and most recognizable player?
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Perhaps frenzy was a bit strong, but...
Well, free agent day. I’ll focus on this as long as I can, but I have to be honest, we’re nearly two hours into it and the biggest signings so far are two guys re-signing with their own teams.
The San Jose Sharks and Joe Thornton have come to terms on a three-year contract extension at an average cap hit of $7.2 million. And it’s being reported the Calgary Flames and Jarome Iginla have agreed to terms on a similar deal, though it’s not been finalized yet.
St. Louis also kept one of their own in the fold, resigning former Calder Trophy-winning defenseman Barret Jackman to a one-year, $2.2 million contract.
11:48 (MDT): Todd White to Atlanta (and the floodgates opened?), four years, $9.5 million, very good deal for both sides. White is not a big point-getter, but he has shown the ability to produce at the right times (aka: in the clutch), and he plays very well in his own end. He should fit in well in the defensive system Bob Hartley is still trying to implement in Atlanta. He will be a solid third-line forward, and solid leader.
12:14: Where would we be without re-signings? Pittsburgh has re-signed Ryan Whitney, and thankfully, TSN.ca isn’t offering any details.
(update: six years, $24 million)
12:23: Tom Poti is the next to go, signing a four-year deal with Washington for an annual cap hit of $3.5 million. That’s way more money than I’d spend on Poti, but it’s a move the Caps had to make. Poti is somewhere between traffic cone and invisible in his own end of the rink, but he makes a good first pass, and that’s something the Caps have been lacking. Ideally, they’d like to get a winger or centre to move the puck to Alex Ovechkin, but the importance of a good first pass out of the defensive zone can’t be overstated.
12:28 The Florida Panthers continued their quest for relevancy with two very nice mid-level free agent signings. First, I like Brett McLean, I think he’s a very good player, and a very useful part, but there is absolutely no way he’s worth more money than Richard Zednik. Not the nights ol’ Dickie decides to play, anyway. We all thought Washington was going to be a good fit for Zednik last year, but that didn’t work out so well. Nonetheless, when Zednik wants to be, he’s a dynamic offensive threat. He should provide scoring help for Olli Jokinen. Zednik is a steal at two years, $3.25 million; McLean could be a steal at three years, $5.1 million. He’s posted 31, 40 and 35 points the last three seasons, and will be given every chance to improve those numbers in Florida.
12:51: The Ducks make a big splash, locking up defenseman Mathieu Schneider for two years, $11.25 million. Schneider has resurrected his career in Detroit, and was always a fan-favourite while playing in Los Angeles. Up the road in Anaheim, he should star on the Ducks blue line. Schneider’s signing will likely set the bar for the deals Sheldon Souray, Scott Hannan and Brian Rafalski accept before the end of summer. The biggest thing to keep in mind with this signing is that it probably means the Ducks are expecting Scott Niedermayer to retire.
1:18: I’ll use this lull to comment on the Tiger-Cats pitiful performance Saturday night. Despite a new coach, new GM, and what appears to be a 90 per cent roster overhaul, the Cats apparently still think you can win football games by not scoring touchdowns. It’s not gonna happen guys. Without a doubt, my favourite moment of the game came with the Cats backed up to their own two yard line. First, they take an unbelievable procedure penalty which backs them up to the one. Now, they run a passing play, with a seven-step drop. So Jason Maas is deep in his own end zone now, and he fires a pass out to the flat where he find Brock Ralph for a completion. Trouble is, Ralph’s still a yard deep in his own end zone when he makes the catch. I love a good safety, even if it’s against my own team, so I started to cheer for it, when Ralph drops the ball, and the Stampeders recover for a touchdown. No wonder I’m going grey. I have faith this year’s team will fare better than last year’s 4-14 squad did, if only because it’s nearly impossible for so-called professionals to perform worse than the 2006 Tiger-Cats. But just for the fun of it, let’s see how long this touchdown-less run can go. We’re at four quarters.
1:43: After a one-year European hiatus, Dick Tarnstrom is coming back to Edmonton. The Oilers missed him more than anyone though they’d realize last season, and just bringing him back constitutes a serious upgrade to their defense corps. The Oilers also signed Denis Grebeshkov, but let’s see if he ever even makes it to Edmonton. Both guys got one year deals, no word on the money yet.
1:49: The Flyers continued their overhaul signing Daniel Briere to an eight-year $52 million deal. The deal works out at an average cap hit of $6.5 million a year and immediately improves the Flyers’ offense. The length of the deal also gives the Flyers’ young guns room to grow. This team is still two or three years away from making big waves in the East, but this deal is long enough that Briere will still be around when the Flyers are ready to contend. The deal includes a no-movement clause, which means no trades, no buyouts, nothing. These guys are together for the next eight years.
2:01: Calgary loves investing big money in crummy defensemen that are well past their prime. Cory Sarich was a big part of Tampa Bay’s Stanley Cup win in 2004, but he hasn’t done much since then. It’s a five-year deal worth $18 million, and I sure hope the Flames know something about Sarich and Adrian Aucoin that the rest of us don’t.
2:04: Brian Rafalski lands in Detroit with a huge five-year, $30 million deal. Rafalski replaces the departed Schneider, but joins Nik Lidstrom, and creates a one-two blue line punch in the motor city that only the Ducks can rival. Dark days are on the horizon in New Jersey.
2:43: Yanic Perreault is off to Chicago for some unknown reason. One year, $1.5 million, and it really just leaves me scratching my head.
3:16: Boston Bruins add gritty winger Shawn Thornton, I’ve always liked this guy. No terms available yet.
3: 45: Radek Dvorak to Florida on a two-year deal, and that sound you hear is a collective yawn.
4:05: Carolina signs Jeff Hamilton to a two year deal for $1.6 million. This was a whole lot more interesting and a whole lot more fun when I didn’t have to pretend to care about the players involved.
4:07: Tampa Bay may have the steal of the day, signing Michel Ouellet to a two year, $2.5 million deal. Ouellet has shown a lot of offensive skill in his time in the league, but he couldn’t find a way to make it work in Pittsburgh. Ouellet may be the winger the Lightning have needed to play with Vincent Lecavalier since the day Lecavalier came into the league.
4:36: Atlanta continues to stockpile also-rans, as they prepare for a difficult season ahead. They’ll send $1.5 million Eric Perron’s way over the next two years. Perron is a small guy with offensive ability. But he has to play bigger than his size.
5:33: The Toronto Maple Leafs make a big splash. They make a big splash every year, but since they signed Curtis Joseph, they’re the only ones that have been getting wet. This one may change things. The Leafs have inked Jason Blake to a four-year, $20 million deal. The small, fiery winger plays well beyond his size, plays in the corners, and will make a good line mate for Mats Sundin. And hey, if I absolutely had to give $5 million a year to Pavel Kubina, or to Blake, I’d pick Blake.
5:36: It’s too bad the New Jersey Devils aren’t going to be very good for a while, because the New York Rangers just signed away Scott Gomez. If that’s not the kind of thing that sparks a sagging rivalry, I don’t know what is. The deal is seven years, $51.5 million, and gives the Rangers a great setup man to play with Jaromir Jagr (or after Jagr retires, Petr Prucha). Assuming Gomez can handle Broadway.
5:50: This guy can handle Broadway, TSN.ca is reporting the Rangers have also signed Chris Drury for $35 million over five years. Mega-bucks for Drury, and suddenly the Rangers are spending like crazy again. There’s no denying all the things Drury brings to the rinks. He can score, he can pass, he can skate, he kills penalties, wins faceoffs, if hockey had a version of baseball’s five-tool player, Drury would be exhibit A. Plus he brings a mountain of those beloved intangibles. This deal probably leaves Brendan Shanahan twisting in the wind, but it also leaves the rest of the Eastern Conference shaking in their skates.
5:56: I just navigated away from the trade trackers, and see the Edmonton Oilers have traded their captain Jason Smith. And less than three months after they traded their inspirational leader, and pseudo-captain Ryan Smyth. Smith goes to Philadelphia with Joffrey Lupul (thanks for showing up in Edmonton, Joff) in exchange for Joni Pitkanen and Geoff Sanderson. Philadelphia pulled a major fast one on the Oilers in this deal. Pitkanen has been sliding downhill for the last two seasons, and it’s tough to say if he’ll ever get back on track. Sanderson’s been around so long, he played for the Hartford Whalers. The Flyers on the other hand, get a guy in Lupul with tremendous upside, but who was playing in the wrong situation. An Edmonton native, the key piece of the Chris Pronger trade, and grandson of a team owner, Lupul couldn’t handle the pressure in Edmonton. In Philly, he’s just another one of the young guys. And Jason Smith. Look up “warrior” in the hockey dictionary, and Smith’s picture is stamped beside it. At a shade under $2 million a year, Smith is an absolute steal.
6:05: Viktor Kozlov to Washington for two years, $5 million. Stop me if you heard this last year with Dickie Zednik, but this guy could be a great fit with Alex Ovechkin.
6:14: TSN has a ticker atop their homepage announcing Scott Niedermayer’s retirement. I won’t get into it all here, but some time during the week, I’ll have a proper SWS sendoff for Niedermayer.
6:18: Screw this. I’m going to celebrate Canada Day. Hope you all enjoyed it, and we’ll be back next year for more of this. But also later in the week to have a look at the great Scott Niedermayer’s career, Major League all stars, and only the Lord knows what else.
The San Jose Sharks and Joe Thornton have come to terms on a three-year contract extension at an average cap hit of $7.2 million. And it’s being reported the Calgary Flames and Jarome Iginla have agreed to terms on a similar deal, though it’s not been finalized yet.
St. Louis also kept one of their own in the fold, resigning former Calder Trophy-winning defenseman Barret Jackman to a one-year, $2.2 million contract.
11:48 (MDT): Todd White to Atlanta (and the floodgates opened?), four years, $9.5 million, very good deal for both sides. White is not a big point-getter, but he has shown the ability to produce at the right times (aka: in the clutch), and he plays very well in his own end. He should fit in well in the defensive system Bob Hartley is still trying to implement in Atlanta. He will be a solid third-line forward, and solid leader.
12:14: Where would we be without re-signings? Pittsburgh has re-signed Ryan Whitney, and thankfully, TSN.ca isn’t offering any details.
(update: six years, $24 million)
12:23: Tom Poti is the next to go, signing a four-year deal with Washington for an annual cap hit of $3.5 million. That’s way more money than I’d spend on Poti, but it’s a move the Caps had to make. Poti is somewhere between traffic cone and invisible in his own end of the rink, but he makes a good first pass, and that’s something the Caps have been lacking. Ideally, they’d like to get a winger or centre to move the puck to Alex Ovechkin, but the importance of a good first pass out of the defensive zone can’t be overstated.
12:28 The Florida Panthers continued their quest for relevancy with two very nice mid-level free agent signings. First, I like Brett McLean, I think he’s a very good player, and a very useful part, but there is absolutely no way he’s worth more money than Richard Zednik. Not the nights ol’ Dickie decides to play, anyway. We all thought Washington was going to be a good fit for Zednik last year, but that didn’t work out so well. Nonetheless, when Zednik wants to be, he’s a dynamic offensive threat. He should provide scoring help for Olli Jokinen. Zednik is a steal at two years, $3.25 million; McLean could be a steal at three years, $5.1 million. He’s posted 31, 40 and 35 points the last three seasons, and will be given every chance to improve those numbers in Florida.
12:51: The Ducks make a big splash, locking up defenseman Mathieu Schneider for two years, $11.25 million. Schneider has resurrected his career in Detroit, and was always a fan-favourite while playing in Los Angeles. Up the road in Anaheim, he should star on the Ducks blue line. Schneider’s signing will likely set the bar for the deals Sheldon Souray, Scott Hannan and Brian Rafalski accept before the end of summer. The biggest thing to keep in mind with this signing is that it probably means the Ducks are expecting Scott Niedermayer to retire.
1:18: I’ll use this lull to comment on the Tiger-Cats pitiful performance Saturday night. Despite a new coach, new GM, and what appears to be a 90 per cent roster overhaul, the Cats apparently still think you can win football games by not scoring touchdowns. It’s not gonna happen guys. Without a doubt, my favourite moment of the game came with the Cats backed up to their own two yard line. First, they take an unbelievable procedure penalty which backs them up to the one. Now, they run a passing play, with a seven-step drop. So Jason Maas is deep in his own end zone now, and he fires a pass out to the flat where he find Brock Ralph for a completion. Trouble is, Ralph’s still a yard deep in his own end zone when he makes the catch. I love a good safety, even if it’s against my own team, so I started to cheer for it, when Ralph drops the ball, and the Stampeders recover for a touchdown. No wonder I’m going grey. I have faith this year’s team will fare better than last year’s 4-14 squad did, if only because it’s nearly impossible for so-called professionals to perform worse than the 2006 Tiger-Cats. But just for the fun of it, let’s see how long this touchdown-less run can go. We’re at four quarters.
1:43: After a one-year European hiatus, Dick Tarnstrom is coming back to Edmonton. The Oilers missed him more than anyone though they’d realize last season, and just bringing him back constitutes a serious upgrade to their defense corps. The Oilers also signed Denis Grebeshkov, but let’s see if he ever even makes it to Edmonton. Both guys got one year deals, no word on the money yet.
1:49: The Flyers continued their overhaul signing Daniel Briere to an eight-year $52 million deal. The deal works out at an average cap hit of $6.5 million a year and immediately improves the Flyers’ offense. The length of the deal also gives the Flyers’ young guns room to grow. This team is still two or three years away from making big waves in the East, but this deal is long enough that Briere will still be around when the Flyers are ready to contend. The deal includes a no-movement clause, which means no trades, no buyouts, nothing. These guys are together for the next eight years.
2:01: Calgary loves investing big money in crummy defensemen that are well past their prime. Cory Sarich was a big part of Tampa Bay’s Stanley Cup win in 2004, but he hasn’t done much since then. It’s a five-year deal worth $18 million, and I sure hope the Flames know something about Sarich and Adrian Aucoin that the rest of us don’t.
2:04: Brian Rafalski lands in Detroit with a huge five-year, $30 million deal. Rafalski replaces the departed Schneider, but joins Nik Lidstrom, and creates a one-two blue line punch in the motor city that only the Ducks can rival. Dark days are on the horizon in New Jersey.
2:43: Yanic Perreault is off to Chicago for some unknown reason. One year, $1.5 million, and it really just leaves me scratching my head.
3:16: Boston Bruins add gritty winger Shawn Thornton, I’ve always liked this guy. No terms available yet.
3: 45: Radek Dvorak to Florida on a two-year deal, and that sound you hear is a collective yawn.
4:05: Carolina signs Jeff Hamilton to a two year deal for $1.6 million. This was a whole lot more interesting and a whole lot more fun when I didn’t have to pretend to care about the players involved.
4:07: Tampa Bay may have the steal of the day, signing Michel Ouellet to a two year, $2.5 million deal. Ouellet has shown a lot of offensive skill in his time in the league, but he couldn’t find a way to make it work in Pittsburgh. Ouellet may be the winger the Lightning have needed to play with Vincent Lecavalier since the day Lecavalier came into the league.
4:36: Atlanta continues to stockpile also-rans, as they prepare for a difficult season ahead. They’ll send $1.5 million Eric Perron’s way over the next two years. Perron is a small guy with offensive ability. But he has to play bigger than his size.
5:33: The Toronto Maple Leafs make a big splash. They make a big splash every year, but since they signed Curtis Joseph, they’re the only ones that have been getting wet. This one may change things. The Leafs have inked Jason Blake to a four-year, $20 million deal. The small, fiery winger plays well beyond his size, plays in the corners, and will make a good line mate for Mats Sundin. And hey, if I absolutely had to give $5 million a year to Pavel Kubina, or to Blake, I’d pick Blake.
5:36: It’s too bad the New Jersey Devils aren’t going to be very good for a while, because the New York Rangers just signed away Scott Gomez. If that’s not the kind of thing that sparks a sagging rivalry, I don’t know what is. The deal is seven years, $51.5 million, and gives the Rangers a great setup man to play with Jaromir Jagr (or after Jagr retires, Petr Prucha). Assuming Gomez can handle Broadway.
5:50: This guy can handle Broadway, TSN.ca is reporting the Rangers have also signed Chris Drury for $35 million over five years. Mega-bucks for Drury, and suddenly the Rangers are spending like crazy again. There’s no denying all the things Drury brings to the rinks. He can score, he can pass, he can skate, he kills penalties, wins faceoffs, if hockey had a version of baseball’s five-tool player, Drury would be exhibit A. Plus he brings a mountain of those beloved intangibles. This deal probably leaves Brendan Shanahan twisting in the wind, but it also leaves the rest of the Eastern Conference shaking in their skates.
5:56: I just navigated away from the trade trackers, and see the Edmonton Oilers have traded their captain Jason Smith. And less than three months after they traded their inspirational leader, and pseudo-captain Ryan Smyth. Smith goes to Philadelphia with Joffrey Lupul (thanks for showing up in Edmonton, Joff) in exchange for Joni Pitkanen and Geoff Sanderson. Philadelphia pulled a major fast one on the Oilers in this deal. Pitkanen has been sliding downhill for the last two seasons, and it’s tough to say if he’ll ever get back on track. Sanderson’s been around so long, he played for the Hartford Whalers. The Flyers on the other hand, get a guy in Lupul with tremendous upside, but who was playing in the wrong situation. An Edmonton native, the key piece of the Chris Pronger trade, and grandson of a team owner, Lupul couldn’t handle the pressure in Edmonton. In Philly, he’s just another one of the young guys. And Jason Smith. Look up “warrior” in the hockey dictionary, and Smith’s picture is stamped beside it. At a shade under $2 million a year, Smith is an absolute steal.
6:05: Viktor Kozlov to Washington for two years, $5 million. Stop me if you heard this last year with Dickie Zednik, but this guy could be a great fit with Alex Ovechkin.
6:14: TSN has a ticker atop their homepage announcing Scott Niedermayer’s retirement. I won’t get into it all here, but some time during the week, I’ll have a proper SWS sendoff for Niedermayer.
6:18: Screw this. I’m going to celebrate Canada Day. Hope you all enjoyed it, and we’ll be back next year for more of this. But also later in the week to have a look at the great Scott Niedermayer’s career, Major League all stars, and only the Lord knows what else.
Friday, June 29, 2007
We'll always have The Bourne Supremacy
The hits just kept on coming Thursday.
In the case of Craig Biggio, the hits literally kept on coming when the life-long Houston Astro collected career-hit number 3,000. During the 90s, and the early 2000s, Craig Biggio was the reason kids started playing second base (like Ryne Sandberg in the late 80s), and he was one of the best leaf-off men of his era. And on top of all that, he’s been the face of the Astros for as long as almost anyone can remember. This will probably be his last season in the bigs, and a big round of applause for getting to 3,000 hits. Enjoy Cooperstown Craig.
But the good news ends there. The NFL announced they are folding NFL Europe (technically NFL Europa now). The news comes just days after Hamburg claimed the World Bowl title. Admittedly, my most thrilling NFL Europe experience was spotting a bus emblazoned with Rhein Fire logos in The Bourne Supremacy. And really, a so-called developmental league that produced only two NFL stars (Kurt Warner and Adam Vinatieri) in 16 years isn’t getting the job done, and probably should be shut down. Still, it was always nice to have NFL Europe kickin’ around.
So a fond farewell to you, NFL Europe.
In the case of Craig Biggio, the hits literally kept on coming when the life-long Houston Astro collected career-hit number 3,000. During the 90s, and the early 2000s, Craig Biggio was the reason kids started playing second base (like Ryne Sandberg in the late 80s), and he was one of the best leaf-off men of his era. And on top of all that, he’s been the face of the Astros for as long as almost anyone can remember. This will probably be his last season in the bigs, and a big round of applause for getting to 3,000 hits. Enjoy Cooperstown Craig.
But the good news ends there. The NFL announced they are folding NFL Europe (technically NFL Europa now). The news comes just days after Hamburg claimed the World Bowl title. Admittedly, my most thrilling NFL Europe experience was spotting a bus emblazoned with Rhein Fire logos in The Bourne Supremacy. And really, a so-called developmental league that produced only two NFL stars (Kurt Warner and Adam Vinatieri) in 16 years isn’t getting the job done, and probably should be shut down. Still, it was always nice to have NFL Europe kickin’ around.
So a fond farewell to you, NFL Europe.
Celebration Day
Four hockey players had their tickets to the Hall of Fame stamped Thursday, and one baseball player theoretically stamped his ticket to Cooperstown as well. On top of that, the Greg Oden and Kevin Durant era can finally get under way in the NBA, and my favourite league and yours, the CFL kicked off another season (with a 129-yard missed field goal return (129!) and a tied game).
First off, congratulations to Frank Thomas for hitting his 500th round-tripper. While Thomas has hardly been The Big Hurt the last few years, he still has a very well-rounded resume. His peak years, and his overall power numbers were already enough to get Hall of Fame consideration, and home run number 500 should seal his ticket (but really, should designated hitters even get to go to the same HoF as real players?).
And let’s add a few heaps of praise for the Hockey Hall of Fame’s 2007 class. Mark Messier and Ron Francis were locks for enshrinement. They sit second and fourth, respectively, on the all-time points scoring list, and have eight Stanley Cups between them.
Messier is regarded as one of the NHL’s all-time great leaders, and will always be remembered on Broadway for guaranteeing his New York Rangers would win game six of their 1994 Conference Final series against the New Jersey Devils, and scoring three goals in the game just for good measure. Five wins later, Messier hoisted the Stanley Cup, delivering the Rangers’ first championship in 54 years. Messier was the rare player that not only embraced the New York City sports culture, but thrived in it. Messier is the only player in history to captain two different teams to Stanley Cup championships, and his role in the 1987 and 1991 Canada Cup tournaments can’t be understated.
Unlike Messier, Ron Francis’ resume is not augmented by tales of guarantees and rumours involving Madonna. Instead, Francis’ legacy is on the ice. His 1,798 points leave him fourth on the all-time list. His 1,249 assists leave him second, behind only Wayne Gretzky. Francis was traded to Pittsburgh in 1991, and is regarded as the key piece to the Penguins’ Stanley Cup-winning puzzle. En route to the Penguins’ second of back-to-back championships in 1992, Francis collected 27 points in 21 playoffs games.
Joining two of the league’s greatest offensive threats are two of the league’s greatest defensive stalwarts: Scott Stevens and Al MacInnis. You won’t find either of these guys atop many points lists, but they both take up residence on the all-time games played list. Stevens is fifth (first among defensemen), and MacInnis 20th (seventh among defensemen).
After starting his career alongside Rod Langway in Washington, and a one-year stint in St. Louis, Stevens led the New Jersey Devils to three Stanley Cups in 1995, 2000 and 2003. Though Stevens never won the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman, he was regarded as one of the best throughout his career. Like Messier, Stevens had a reputation as a great leader, but his fierce body checking was Stevens’ hallmark. His hit on Eric Lindros in the 2000 Conference Final is one of the most memorable hits ever.
Al MacInnis will be remembered for hits of a different kind. MacInnis had one of the game’s biggest and hardest slapshots ever. Were the nickname not already taken by Bernie Geoffrion, Boom Boom would certainly have been appropriate for MacInnis. Seven times, MacInnis won the NHL’s hardest shot competition during All-Star weekend. He also won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 1989, guiding the Calgary Flames to their only championship in team history. During that playoff run, MacInnis set a record for defensemen by registering at least one point in 17 consecutive games. A decade later, with the St. Louis Blues, MacInnis won his first and only Norris Trophy.
In all, these four players total 12 Stanley Cups, three Conn Smythe Trophies, two Hart Trophies, one Norris Trophy, 6538 games played, 1779 goals, 5867 points, and have had their numbers retired by five different teams. These four guys were so good, together, they make up one of the best Hall of Fame classes ever.
Sports With Steve returns Monday with a look at the opening of the NHL free agency period, and at some point next week, we’ll take a look at the guys that didn’t get the Hall of Fame call.
First off, congratulations to Frank Thomas for hitting his 500th round-tripper. While Thomas has hardly been The Big Hurt the last few years, he still has a very well-rounded resume. His peak years, and his overall power numbers were already enough to get Hall of Fame consideration, and home run number 500 should seal his ticket (but really, should designated hitters even get to go to the same HoF as real players?).
And let’s add a few heaps of praise for the Hockey Hall of Fame’s 2007 class. Mark Messier and Ron Francis were locks for enshrinement. They sit second and fourth, respectively, on the all-time points scoring list, and have eight Stanley Cups between them.
Messier is regarded as one of the NHL’s all-time great leaders, and will always be remembered on Broadway for guaranteeing his New York Rangers would win game six of their 1994 Conference Final series against the New Jersey Devils, and scoring three goals in the game just for good measure. Five wins later, Messier hoisted the Stanley Cup, delivering the Rangers’ first championship in 54 years. Messier was the rare player that not only embraced the New York City sports culture, but thrived in it. Messier is the only player in history to captain two different teams to Stanley Cup championships, and his role in the 1987 and 1991 Canada Cup tournaments can’t be understated.
Unlike Messier, Ron Francis’ resume is not augmented by tales of guarantees and rumours involving Madonna. Instead, Francis’ legacy is on the ice. His 1,798 points leave him fourth on the all-time list. His 1,249 assists leave him second, behind only Wayne Gretzky. Francis was traded to Pittsburgh in 1991, and is regarded as the key piece to the Penguins’ Stanley Cup-winning puzzle. En route to the Penguins’ second of back-to-back championships in 1992, Francis collected 27 points in 21 playoffs games.
Joining two of the league’s greatest offensive threats are two of the league’s greatest defensive stalwarts: Scott Stevens and Al MacInnis. You won’t find either of these guys atop many points lists, but they both take up residence on the all-time games played list. Stevens is fifth (first among defensemen), and MacInnis 20th (seventh among defensemen).
After starting his career alongside Rod Langway in Washington, and a one-year stint in St. Louis, Stevens led the New Jersey Devils to three Stanley Cups in 1995, 2000 and 2003. Though Stevens never won the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman, he was regarded as one of the best throughout his career. Like Messier, Stevens had a reputation as a great leader, but his fierce body checking was Stevens’ hallmark. His hit on Eric Lindros in the 2000 Conference Final is one of the most memorable hits ever.
Al MacInnis will be remembered for hits of a different kind. MacInnis had one of the game’s biggest and hardest slapshots ever. Were the nickname not already taken by Bernie Geoffrion, Boom Boom would certainly have been appropriate for MacInnis. Seven times, MacInnis won the NHL’s hardest shot competition during All-Star weekend. He also won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 1989, guiding the Calgary Flames to their only championship in team history. During that playoff run, MacInnis set a record for defensemen by registering at least one point in 17 consecutive games. A decade later, with the St. Louis Blues, MacInnis won his first and only Norris Trophy.
In all, these four players total 12 Stanley Cups, three Conn Smythe Trophies, two Hart Trophies, one Norris Trophy, 6538 games played, 1779 goals, 5867 points, and have had their numbers retired by five different teams. These four guys were so good, together, they make up one of the best Hall of Fame classes ever.
Sports With Steve returns Monday with a look at the opening of the NHL free agency period, and at some point next week, we’ll take a look at the guys that didn’t get the Hall of Fame call.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Chris Benoit, we hardly knew you
As a child of the Hulk Hogan era, I grew up watching wrestling. It’s hard to find someone my age that doesn’t have memories (fond for some, crushing for others) of the Ultimate Warrior defeating Hulk Hogan at Wreslemania VII. Memories of the early Hogan and Macho Man battles, Hogan and Andre the Giant, Jimmy Snuka, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Jake the Snake, the list goes on an on.
Gradually, those characters gave way to the likes of Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Kevin Nash (then Diesel), Scott Hall (then Razor Ramon) on the way to Triple-H, The Rock, and simultaneously in WCW, Chris Jericho, the Steiners, Sting, Ric Flair, and the likes of Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit.
Between Mankind’s WWF debut and the debut of The Outsiders in WCW, I didn’t watch much wrestling. After seeing Hogan lose at Wrestlemania, seeing the Undertaker lose the night after Wrestlemania XII was too much for this guy, and I went away from it for a while. Then The Outsiders came along, and I started to gain an interest in WCW. The first WCW pay-per-view I ever watched featured a Retirement Match between Chris Benoit and Kevin Sullivan. Of course the outcome was pre-determined, but the match was electric. The makings of a new favourite were born in me.
As the NWO storyline progressed, and as I started to watch WCW almost exclusively, Chris Benoit emerged as one of the most exciting and talented wrestlers around. The great nicknames: Canadian Crippler, Rabid Wolverine; the great finishing moves: Crippler Crossface, Swandive head butt; add it all up, and you’ve got a great wrestler.
In today’s era of wrestling, when microphone skills are often more important than ring skills, Benoit was a throw-back. He performed with an intensity and charisma that kept old-time fans watching, and cheering for him. Perhaps the greatest testament to Benoit’s abilities is the fact he often played the role of the bad guy. In doing so, he often had a menacing demeanor, but through the façade, wrestling fans saw nothing but greatness.
Regarded as one of the greatest technical wrestlers of the era, Benoit was involved in so many classic matches in the last 15 or so years, the news of his death Monday sent shockwaves through the wrestling world that won’t recede any time soon.
So here’s to Chris Benoit. You were one of the best, and we’ll all miss you.
Gradually, those characters gave way to the likes of Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Kevin Nash (then Diesel), Scott Hall (then Razor Ramon) on the way to Triple-H, The Rock, and simultaneously in WCW, Chris Jericho, the Steiners, Sting, Ric Flair, and the likes of Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit.
Between Mankind’s WWF debut and the debut of The Outsiders in WCW, I didn’t watch much wrestling. After seeing Hogan lose at Wrestlemania, seeing the Undertaker lose the night after Wrestlemania XII was too much for this guy, and I went away from it for a while. Then The Outsiders came along, and I started to gain an interest in WCW. The first WCW pay-per-view I ever watched featured a Retirement Match between Chris Benoit and Kevin Sullivan. Of course the outcome was pre-determined, but the match was electric. The makings of a new favourite were born in me.
As the NWO storyline progressed, and as I started to watch WCW almost exclusively, Chris Benoit emerged as one of the most exciting and talented wrestlers around. The great nicknames: Canadian Crippler, Rabid Wolverine; the great finishing moves: Crippler Crossface, Swandive head butt; add it all up, and you’ve got a great wrestler.
In today’s era of wrestling, when microphone skills are often more important than ring skills, Benoit was a throw-back. He performed with an intensity and charisma that kept old-time fans watching, and cheering for him. Perhaps the greatest testament to Benoit’s abilities is the fact he often played the role of the bad guy. In doing so, he often had a menacing demeanor, but through the façade, wrestling fans saw nothing but greatness.
Regarded as one of the greatest technical wrestlers of the era, Benoit was involved in so many classic matches in the last 15 or so years, the news of his death Monday sent shockwaves through the wrestling world that won’t recede any time soon.
So here’s to Chris Benoit. You were one of the best, and we’ll all miss you.
Monday, June 25, 2007
NHL draft review/running diary
Thank goodness for draft day. Hope springs eternal, around 300 young men realize lifelong dreams, and the wheeling and dealing makes the trading deadline look like small potatoes.
So, a look at the first round, which is, admittedly, a little bit all over the place. It’s part recap, part running diary, all good.
Leading up to the first round, three trades were consummated. Calgary sent Andrei Zyuzin to Chicago for Adrian Aucoin. In theory, it could be a great deal for the Flames. Aucoin comes with a hefty price tag ($4 million a year), and has shown real ability in the past. It’s on him now, to show he can still play at a high level.
Amid speculation they were interested in re-acquiring Curtis Joseph, the Toronto Maple Leafs sent a trio of draft picks to San Jose for Vesa Toskala and Mark Bell. Toskala was part of an excellent goaltending rotation in San Jose, and should be able to shine in Toronto. Bell, like Aucoin, has shown some great ability in the past, and will have to find his scoring touch again.
Lastly, the Nashville Predators continued their purge (leading this corner to wonder if they’ll meet the salary minimum next season) by sending Tomas Vokoun to Florida for three draft picks. Vokoun is an impact goalie the Panthers will love.
And now, the draft. More than anything, the thing that had me excited about this year’s draft, was the idea many teams were expected to unveil their new Reebok threads. I missed watching the first two picks, so I didn’t see if Chicago or Philadelphia did, but enough about that.
The picks. Chicago drafted Patrick Kane with the first overall pick. Kane should spend next season in London with his junior team, but is a great pick for the Blackhawks. Chicago is something of a Heartland market, and Americans love to cheer for Americans. Kane, an American, could be the Hawks first American star since the days of Jeremy Roenick and Tony Amonte. In a draft without a consensus number one, Kane was a great pick.
Philadelphia, expected by many to take Kyle Turris next, took James Van Riemsdyk with the second pick. Van Riemsdyk is a big forward out of the US Under-18 program, and he’ll be given every opportunity to make the Flyers roster in the fall. A very good pick for the Flyers.
Phoenix took Turris with the third pick. Turris is regarded as the top goal-scorer in the draft, although he’s still at least a year away from the NHL. He is an elite scorer, and will play in the NCAA next season.
Los Angeles was the first team to go off the board, taking defenseman Thomas Hickey with the fourth pick. Hickey was looked at as a second-round pick coming into the draft, but I refuse to second-guess Dean Lombardi.
Washington was the first team to unveil new uniforms, revamping their original logo and going back to a red, white and blue colour scheme. The new jersey isn’t great, but their pick figures to be. Karl Alzner was expected to be the first defenseman picked, and he figures to become the main building block on Washington’s blue line.
With the sixth pick, the Edmonton Oilers selected Sam Gagner. The London Knights grad was among the Canadian Hockey League’s top scorers this past season, and is the son of a former NHL player.
At this point, I should mention, that while this draft is being viewed as shallow in terms of start power, nearly every player projected to go in the first round is expected to become a solid NHL player.
Draft hosts, and generally a mess on the ice, the Columbus Blue Jackets selected Jakub Voracek with the seventh pick. Voracek had a very strong rookie season in the Quebec Major Junior League last year, and was downright dominant during the Q League playoffs. He is regarded as one of the best players in this draft, and one of the most NHL-ready. If not next season, then the year after, Voracek will become the running mate Rick Nash thought he had in Nik Zherdev. Columbus also unveiled their new white unis. They’re nothing to write home about, but the new primary logo (formerly their alternate uni logo) is excellent.
At eight, the beautifully-dressed Boston Bruins showed off their new jerseys (essentially carbon copies of their 60s-era garb). With these new jerseys, they may be the best-dressed team in the world. Cam Neeley announced their pick, it was Zach Hamill, a Western League forward. Hamill is an offensive player (he led the WHL in scoring last season) playing for an incredibly defensive team. Hamill has the ability to be an elite scorer for the Bruins down the road.
In a complicated bit of maneuvering, the Sharks tabbed Logan Couture with the ninth pick. As is the case with most young players, there is some question about his skating ability, but Couture brings a full skill set, as well as great leadership qualities.
Wonderful new goalie in hand, the Florida Panthers claimed to have fans, then drafted defenseman Keaton Ellerby with the 10th pick. The Kamloops Blazers’ defenseman is a big kid. He’s 6’4” and will grow into that frame, and uses all of his size in the corners and other areas of the ice. Also, the Panthers made their logo bigger. It’s HUGE now.
TSN is making a big deal of this now, so I guess I will too. At the NFL draft in May, we watched Brady Quinn tumble through the first round. At the NHL draft, we saw Russian forward Alexei Cherepanov tumble as well. Teams are scared of Cherepanov for two reasons: there is no transfer agreement in place between the NHL and Russian Ice Hockey Federation, and he is seen as having some attitude issues. That said, he scored more points as a rookie in Russia than either Evgeni Malkin or Alex Ovechkin did, and he was nothing short of dazzling at the 2007 World Junior tournament.
With the 11th pick, Carolina (can you believe they won the Cup two years ago) drafted Brandon Sutter from the Western League. Sutter, of course, comes from one of the NHL’s most storied families, and projects as a second-line, penalty killing, C-wearing forward.
With the 12th pick, the Montreal Canadiens went a little off the board selecting Ryan McDonagh. Already sporting a full-size frame, the slick-moving, puck-moving defenseman is known in Minnesota’s hockey circles as Mr. Hockey. He will play NCAA hockey next season, and joins a Canadiens’ stable of young American defensive prospects (Mike Komisarek, Ryan O’Byrne, David Fischer) the Habs are very high on.
The St. Louis Blues selected Lars Eller with the 13th pick. Eller is the highest-selected Danish-born player ever. Eller comes from Danish hockey royalty with tremendous offensive upside. Al McInnis was on hand with the Blues to make the pick.
At 14, the Colorado Avalanche went for another American puck-moving defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. He captained the U.S. Under-18 team in April, and after some time in the NCAA could develop into a bigger Brian Rafalski.
With their second pick of the first round, the Edmonton Oilers drafted WHL defenseman Alex Plante at 15. Plante is a big, physical defenseman (and my personal favourite player in this draft) is going to be a dream come true for the Oilers.
Finally, we’re halfway through the first round. Another player sliding down the board is Angelo Esposito. In the earliest rankings of this draft, Esposito and Cherepanov were top-three talents, and both are falling fast.
Minnesota moved up to 16, and I agree with the TSN guys. There’s a good chance they’ll take Esposito here. Well, not the last time I’ll be wrong. Colton Gillies, a big, physical, fast, second-line type of forward is the pick for the offensively-challenged Wild. Gillies is a safe pick, but Minnesota is too close to being very good to waste time with safe picks.
With the 17th pick, the New York Rangers ended Alexei Cherepanov’s free fall. Again, Cherepanov is absolutely the most skilled player in this draft, and the Rangers have a real potential offensive dynamo on their hands. Adam Graves (an all time SWS favourite) represented the Rangers at the podium.
St. Louis moved up to 18, and with their second selection of the first round went off the board to pick Ian Cole. The U.S. Under-18 product is another puck-moving defenseman heading to the NCAA this fall. Cole, for all his skill, is better in his own end than most young offensive defensemen are.
Despite spending the trading deadline trying to get rid of their first-round pick, and trading their pick earlier in the draft, the Anaheim Ducks finally made a pick at 19, and went with Logan MacMillan from the QMJHL. MacMillan was a late bloomer this past season, but plays very well in both ends of the rink, and the TSN guys just compared him to Sami Pahlsson.
With the 20th pick, everyone’s new favourite team, Pittsburgh, just completed a coup the likes of which we’ve rarely seen. They are going to add Angelo Esposito, who should have been a top-five pick, to the group of centres that already includes Sidney Crosby, Malkin and Jordan Staal. Until the Penguins win anything, it’s too early to compare them to the Oilers of the 80s, but those are four serious centre men. I can’t help but wonder, moving forward, when the Penguins are in Montreal, who’s playing the home game? Last Super Bowl weekend, Pittsburgh was in Montreal, and no less than 25 per cent of the people in attendance were wearing Crosby jerseys.
Edmonton moved up to 21, and there was quite a delay. It’s like they were moving up to slip ahead of Montreal and grab Esposito, then Esposito went to Pittsburgh at 20. With this pick, the Oilers snapped up Riley Nash, a second-tier junior player that’s heading to the NCAA in the fall. Nash is a highly-skilled player, won his league’s rookie of the year award, and figures to be a big part of the Oilers’ future.
With the 22nd pick, Montreal selected another American, this time a forward. Max Pacioretty is headed to the NCAA this fall, and projects as a power forward with good defensive instincts. Habs message boards will probably tear this kid apart for the next few days, but he is a project, and only time will tell.
Nashville is up at 23, amid news the ownership picture is only getting murkier, and selected WHL defenseman John Blum. The offensive-minded defenseman has great hockey sense, and was critically important to the Vancouver Giants’ Memorial Cup championship last month.
With the 24th pick, the Calgary Flames selected Mikael Backlund, a Swedish centre. It’s rare for the Flames to select a European player, but Backlund was tabbed by many as a top-15 pick, and led last year’s World Under-18 tournament with 7 goals. You can’t fault a team for taking the best player available.
Peter Griffin-- err, Ted Nonis and the Vancouver Canucks picked Patrick White at 25. White is another U.S. Under-18/USHL product, and none of the top scouting services agreed on White’s place in the draft. He is off to the NCAA in the fall, and the Canucks seem to think he can become a strong power forward. This kid’s very articulate, and Peter Griffin was just talking about his strong hockey sense. He could be a good one.
David Perron experienced something of a free fall, not to the degree Cherepanov and Esposito did, but a free fall nonetheless. Perron was in many team’s top-15, and the St. Louis Blues’ third pick of the first round may yet prove the best. Perron, like Voracek, was a standout performer in the QMJHL last season, and has great offensive potential.
Steve Yzerman is on hand to make the 27th pick of the draft for the Red Wings, and he’s calling on Brendan Smith from the Ontario Provincial Junior League. Smith becomes the third player in the first round committed to the University of Wisconsin in the fall, and the TSN guys can’t stop talking about his skating ability. It should come as no surprise that the Red Wings may have yet another steal on their hands.
The Sharks acquired the 28th pick, and grabbed Nick Petrecki, another American defenseman. He’s a hard-hitter, and was pegged as a top-15 pick as well. And again, there’s no chance I’ll question Dean Lombardi.
With the 29th pick, the Ottawa Senators have as good a track record as anyone at the draft. James O’Brien was the youngest player in the NCAA this year, and played very well as a forward with Minnesota. The TSN guys say he could be a forward or a defenseman in the future. You can’t put a price on lining up a replacement for Christoph Schubert.
Finally, we’re at the end of the first round, and I’m pretty sure I’ll never watch the draft again.
It’s Phoenix, and frankly, I’m certain they’ll blow it, but here we go. Nick Ross? Who the hell is Nick Ross? He’s not even at the draft! They just showed clips of him hitting guys, and well, it’s better than I first thought, but Phoenix still probably blew it.
That concludes day one of the NHL draft, and I am spent. Next year, I’m getting drunk while I do this.
So, a look at the first round, which is, admittedly, a little bit all over the place. It’s part recap, part running diary, all good.
Leading up to the first round, three trades were consummated. Calgary sent Andrei Zyuzin to Chicago for Adrian Aucoin. In theory, it could be a great deal for the Flames. Aucoin comes with a hefty price tag ($4 million a year), and has shown real ability in the past. It’s on him now, to show he can still play at a high level.
Amid speculation they were interested in re-acquiring Curtis Joseph, the Toronto Maple Leafs sent a trio of draft picks to San Jose for Vesa Toskala and Mark Bell. Toskala was part of an excellent goaltending rotation in San Jose, and should be able to shine in Toronto. Bell, like Aucoin, has shown some great ability in the past, and will have to find his scoring touch again.
Lastly, the Nashville Predators continued their purge (leading this corner to wonder if they’ll meet the salary minimum next season) by sending Tomas Vokoun to Florida for three draft picks. Vokoun is an impact goalie the Panthers will love.
And now, the draft. More than anything, the thing that had me excited about this year’s draft, was the idea many teams were expected to unveil their new Reebok threads. I missed watching the first two picks, so I didn’t see if Chicago or Philadelphia did, but enough about that.
The picks. Chicago drafted Patrick Kane with the first overall pick. Kane should spend next season in London with his junior team, but is a great pick for the Blackhawks. Chicago is something of a Heartland market, and Americans love to cheer for Americans. Kane, an American, could be the Hawks first American star since the days of Jeremy Roenick and Tony Amonte. In a draft without a consensus number one, Kane was a great pick.
Philadelphia, expected by many to take Kyle Turris next, took James Van Riemsdyk with the second pick. Van Riemsdyk is a big forward out of the US Under-18 program, and he’ll be given every opportunity to make the Flyers roster in the fall. A very good pick for the Flyers.
Phoenix took Turris with the third pick. Turris is regarded as the top goal-scorer in the draft, although he’s still at least a year away from the NHL. He is an elite scorer, and will play in the NCAA next season.
Los Angeles was the first team to go off the board, taking defenseman Thomas Hickey with the fourth pick. Hickey was looked at as a second-round pick coming into the draft, but I refuse to second-guess Dean Lombardi.
Washington was the first team to unveil new uniforms, revamping their original logo and going back to a red, white and blue colour scheme. The new jersey isn’t great, but their pick figures to be. Karl Alzner was expected to be the first defenseman picked, and he figures to become the main building block on Washington’s blue line.
With the sixth pick, the Edmonton Oilers selected Sam Gagner. The London Knights grad was among the Canadian Hockey League’s top scorers this past season, and is the son of a former NHL player.
At this point, I should mention, that while this draft is being viewed as shallow in terms of start power, nearly every player projected to go in the first round is expected to become a solid NHL player.
Draft hosts, and generally a mess on the ice, the Columbus Blue Jackets selected Jakub Voracek with the seventh pick. Voracek had a very strong rookie season in the Quebec Major Junior League last year, and was downright dominant during the Q League playoffs. He is regarded as one of the best players in this draft, and one of the most NHL-ready. If not next season, then the year after, Voracek will become the running mate Rick Nash thought he had in Nik Zherdev. Columbus also unveiled their new white unis. They’re nothing to write home about, but the new primary logo (formerly their alternate uni logo) is excellent.
At eight, the beautifully-dressed Boston Bruins showed off their new jerseys (essentially carbon copies of their 60s-era garb). With these new jerseys, they may be the best-dressed team in the world. Cam Neeley announced their pick, it was Zach Hamill, a Western League forward. Hamill is an offensive player (he led the WHL in scoring last season) playing for an incredibly defensive team. Hamill has the ability to be an elite scorer for the Bruins down the road.
In a complicated bit of maneuvering, the Sharks tabbed Logan Couture with the ninth pick. As is the case with most young players, there is some question about his skating ability, but Couture brings a full skill set, as well as great leadership qualities.
Wonderful new goalie in hand, the Florida Panthers claimed to have fans, then drafted defenseman Keaton Ellerby with the 10th pick. The Kamloops Blazers’ defenseman is a big kid. He’s 6’4” and will grow into that frame, and uses all of his size in the corners and other areas of the ice. Also, the Panthers made their logo bigger. It’s HUGE now.
TSN is making a big deal of this now, so I guess I will too. At the NFL draft in May, we watched Brady Quinn tumble through the first round. At the NHL draft, we saw Russian forward Alexei Cherepanov tumble as well. Teams are scared of Cherepanov for two reasons: there is no transfer agreement in place between the NHL and Russian Ice Hockey Federation, and he is seen as having some attitude issues. That said, he scored more points as a rookie in Russia than either Evgeni Malkin or Alex Ovechkin did, and he was nothing short of dazzling at the 2007 World Junior tournament.
With the 11th pick, Carolina (can you believe they won the Cup two years ago) drafted Brandon Sutter from the Western League. Sutter, of course, comes from one of the NHL’s most storied families, and projects as a second-line, penalty killing, C-wearing forward.
With the 12th pick, the Montreal Canadiens went a little off the board selecting Ryan McDonagh. Already sporting a full-size frame, the slick-moving, puck-moving defenseman is known in Minnesota’s hockey circles as Mr. Hockey. He will play NCAA hockey next season, and joins a Canadiens’ stable of young American defensive prospects (Mike Komisarek, Ryan O’Byrne, David Fischer) the Habs are very high on.
The St. Louis Blues selected Lars Eller with the 13th pick. Eller is the highest-selected Danish-born player ever. Eller comes from Danish hockey royalty with tremendous offensive upside. Al McInnis was on hand with the Blues to make the pick.
At 14, the Colorado Avalanche went for another American puck-moving defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. He captained the U.S. Under-18 team in April, and after some time in the NCAA could develop into a bigger Brian Rafalski.
With their second pick of the first round, the Edmonton Oilers drafted WHL defenseman Alex Plante at 15. Plante is a big, physical defenseman (and my personal favourite player in this draft) is going to be a dream come true for the Oilers.
Finally, we’re halfway through the first round. Another player sliding down the board is Angelo Esposito. In the earliest rankings of this draft, Esposito and Cherepanov were top-three talents, and both are falling fast.
Minnesota moved up to 16, and I agree with the TSN guys. There’s a good chance they’ll take Esposito here. Well, not the last time I’ll be wrong. Colton Gillies, a big, physical, fast, second-line type of forward is the pick for the offensively-challenged Wild. Gillies is a safe pick, but Minnesota is too close to being very good to waste time with safe picks.
With the 17th pick, the New York Rangers ended Alexei Cherepanov’s free fall. Again, Cherepanov is absolutely the most skilled player in this draft, and the Rangers have a real potential offensive dynamo on their hands. Adam Graves (an all time SWS favourite) represented the Rangers at the podium.
St. Louis moved up to 18, and with their second selection of the first round went off the board to pick Ian Cole. The U.S. Under-18 product is another puck-moving defenseman heading to the NCAA this fall. Cole, for all his skill, is better in his own end than most young offensive defensemen are.
Despite spending the trading deadline trying to get rid of their first-round pick, and trading their pick earlier in the draft, the Anaheim Ducks finally made a pick at 19, and went with Logan MacMillan from the QMJHL. MacMillan was a late bloomer this past season, but plays very well in both ends of the rink, and the TSN guys just compared him to Sami Pahlsson.
With the 20th pick, everyone’s new favourite team, Pittsburgh, just completed a coup the likes of which we’ve rarely seen. They are going to add Angelo Esposito, who should have been a top-five pick, to the group of centres that already includes Sidney Crosby, Malkin and Jordan Staal. Until the Penguins win anything, it’s too early to compare them to the Oilers of the 80s, but those are four serious centre men. I can’t help but wonder, moving forward, when the Penguins are in Montreal, who’s playing the home game? Last Super Bowl weekend, Pittsburgh was in Montreal, and no less than 25 per cent of the people in attendance were wearing Crosby jerseys.
Edmonton moved up to 21, and there was quite a delay. It’s like they were moving up to slip ahead of Montreal and grab Esposito, then Esposito went to Pittsburgh at 20. With this pick, the Oilers snapped up Riley Nash, a second-tier junior player that’s heading to the NCAA in the fall. Nash is a highly-skilled player, won his league’s rookie of the year award, and figures to be a big part of the Oilers’ future.
With the 22nd pick, Montreal selected another American, this time a forward. Max Pacioretty is headed to the NCAA this fall, and projects as a power forward with good defensive instincts. Habs message boards will probably tear this kid apart for the next few days, but he is a project, and only time will tell.
Nashville is up at 23, amid news the ownership picture is only getting murkier, and selected WHL defenseman John Blum. The offensive-minded defenseman has great hockey sense, and was critically important to the Vancouver Giants’ Memorial Cup championship last month.
With the 24th pick, the Calgary Flames selected Mikael Backlund, a Swedish centre. It’s rare for the Flames to select a European player, but Backlund was tabbed by many as a top-15 pick, and led last year’s World Under-18 tournament with 7 goals. You can’t fault a team for taking the best player available.
Peter Griffin-- err, Ted Nonis and the Vancouver Canucks picked Patrick White at 25. White is another U.S. Under-18/USHL product, and none of the top scouting services agreed on White’s place in the draft. He is off to the NCAA in the fall, and the Canucks seem to think he can become a strong power forward. This kid’s very articulate, and Peter Griffin was just talking about his strong hockey sense. He could be a good one.
David Perron experienced something of a free fall, not to the degree Cherepanov and Esposito did, but a free fall nonetheless. Perron was in many team’s top-15, and the St. Louis Blues’ third pick of the first round may yet prove the best. Perron, like Voracek, was a standout performer in the QMJHL last season, and has great offensive potential.
Steve Yzerman is on hand to make the 27th pick of the draft for the Red Wings, and he’s calling on Brendan Smith from the Ontario Provincial Junior League. Smith becomes the third player in the first round committed to the University of Wisconsin in the fall, and the TSN guys can’t stop talking about his skating ability. It should come as no surprise that the Red Wings may have yet another steal on their hands.
The Sharks acquired the 28th pick, and grabbed Nick Petrecki, another American defenseman. He’s a hard-hitter, and was pegged as a top-15 pick as well. And again, there’s no chance I’ll question Dean Lombardi.
With the 29th pick, the Ottawa Senators have as good a track record as anyone at the draft. James O’Brien was the youngest player in the NCAA this year, and played very well as a forward with Minnesota. The TSN guys say he could be a forward or a defenseman in the future. You can’t put a price on lining up a replacement for Christoph Schubert.
Finally, we’re at the end of the first round, and I’m pretty sure I’ll never watch the draft again.
It’s Phoenix, and frankly, I’m certain they’ll blow it, but here we go. Nick Ross? Who the hell is Nick Ross? He’s not even at the draft! They just showed clips of him hitting guys, and well, it’s better than I first thought, but Phoenix still probably blew it.
That concludes day one of the NHL draft, and I am spent. Next year, I’m getting drunk while I do this.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Guns guns guns... and motorcycles
Another day, another story about the National Football League and their imag-- err, motorcycle problems.
Former Washington Redskins and New York Giants linebacker LaVar Arrington was hospitalized Monday after suffering a broken arm and three broken bones in his leg (for those scoring at home, the human leg is made up of three bones) in… your guessed it: a motorcycle accident. Now, Arrington, a three-time Pro Bowler, is not under contract for the upcoming season, and will of course remain that way in light of these injuries. He does join another team, of sorts. He joins Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger and Cleveland’s Kellen Winslow Jr. as high profile players seriously injured in motorcycle accidents. Each of these guys represents a salary cap figure or more than $3.5 million a year, and with NFL salaries trending upward, it’s time for teams to start telling their players they can’t own motorcycles. Of course, the league, ideally, has no right to tell grown men how to spend their free time, and their off-seasons, but the teams need to be allowed to protect their investments and ensure the safety of their players. Other sports forbid their players from skiing or riding snowmobiles and other recreational vehicles because of safety concerns, and the NFL should follow suit.
Then again, when suspended NFL players are being questioned in connection with a shooting for the second time in six months, maybe motorcycles aren’t such a big deal.
Former Washington Redskins and New York Giants linebacker LaVar Arrington was hospitalized Monday after suffering a broken arm and three broken bones in his leg (for those scoring at home, the human leg is made up of three bones) in… your guessed it: a motorcycle accident. Now, Arrington, a three-time Pro Bowler, is not under contract for the upcoming season, and will of course remain that way in light of these injuries. He does join another team, of sorts. He joins Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger and Cleveland’s Kellen Winslow Jr. as high profile players seriously injured in motorcycle accidents. Each of these guys represents a salary cap figure or more than $3.5 million a year, and with NFL salaries trending upward, it’s time for teams to start telling their players they can’t own motorcycles. Of course, the league, ideally, has no right to tell grown men how to spend their free time, and their off-seasons, but the teams need to be allowed to protect their investments and ensure the safety of their players. Other sports forbid their players from skiing or riding snowmobiles and other recreational vehicles because of safety concerns, and the NFL should follow suit.
Then again, when suspended NFL players are being questioned in connection with a shooting for the second time in six months, maybe motorcycles aren’t such a big deal.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Don't hold your breath
Right up there with death and taxes, one other thing human beings can pretty much guarantee in life is this: inevitably, somewhere, somehow, we all mistake a bad idea as a good one. The singular sense, of course, is if we’re lucky.
An example: Pizza Pizza just bought out Pizza 73, a local-ish chain here in Calgary, which undoubtedly means we’ll soon be forced to much on their cardboa-- er, inferior “pizza.”
While Pizza Pizza is bad news for me, the sports world often brings good news in this department, and Wednesday-Thursday brought something of a jackpot.
In Jacksonville, both of the Jaguars’ quarterbacks have confirmed to media the team’s interest in soon-to-be-former Miami Dolphins quarterback Daunte Culpepper. That’s right. The Jags, with two young and effective quarterbacks David Gerrard and Byron Leftwich, both of whom figure to have brighter and longer futures in the NFL than Culpepper, are interested in the same Daunte Culpepper that’s had two separate knee surgeries end each of his last two seasons, limiting him to just 11 games. Culpepper’s career record is a less-than-tingly 38-42 as a starter, including a 1-3 record in four starts with Miami last season against opponents with a combine 1-11 record to that point. Somewhere in Jacksonville, someone within the organization must still be playing Madden 2002 (which Culpepper graced the cover of), and working with 2001 stats. While Culpepper brings a name, and has had some success in the NFL, most of that success involved throwing footballs to Randy Moss and Chris Carter. Since the end of his time with Moss, Culpepper’s touchdown-to-interception ratio is minus-seven, versus the plus-55 he had with Moss and Carter as primary targets. His completions for 20 yards or more are down by nearly one a game, and completions over 40 yards went from 0.73 a game to 0.27 a game. In plain numbers, Culpepper completed 55 such passes from 1999-2004, and three in the 11 games he’s played since. All in all, instead of getting some real receivers or some offensive line help for the two good quarterbacks they have, they’re going to bring in another ineffective quarterback, for more money, and hope the rest pans out.
Elsewhere, the Calgary Flames introduced their new head coach Thursday, and it’s Mike Keenan. You know Mike Keenan. He coached the Mark Messier-led New York Rangers to a Stanley Cup win in 1994, and never really accomplished anything else before or after. He rode Ron Hextall to the final in 1987 (Hextall became just the fourth playoff MVP to play for the losing team that year), and Ed Belfour to the Final in 1992. Since guiding the powerhouse Flyers, Blackhawks and Rangers to a combined 395-252-76 record from 1984-1994, Keenan has coached St. Louis, Vancouver, Boston and Florida to a combined 174-195-64-20 record from 1994-2004. In 1996, despite a lineup that included Wayne Gretzky, Brett Hull, Al MacInnis, rookie defenseman Chris Pronger, and Grant Fuhr playing arguably the best season of his career (which includes a couple Stanley Cups), Keenan’s Blues lost in the second round of the playoffs and it was the last time a Keenan-coached team ever made the playoffs. In 1997 he still had MacInnis and Hull, in 1998 he had Messier, Pavel Bure and Alex Mogilny, in 2001 Jason Allison and Sergei Samsonov posted career highs in points to lead Keenan’s Bruins nowhere. That team also included Joe Thornton and Brian Rolston, who posted career highs in points that year, and Bill Guerin who finished the season one point shy of a career high (all three of those players have since set new career highs). In 2002, with Bure in the fold in Florida, and Roberto Luongo in the early stages of his path to superstardom, the Panthers were terrible, and with many Keenan-era holdovers, remain terrible still. Now, coming off an under-achieving season, Flames general manager Darryl Sutter did something very much out of character: he’s over-reacted. Keenan is not the man to lead the Flames to the Stanley Cup, and Keenan may not even lead this team to the playoffs in 2008.
A double-whammy for the Flames. Their new farm team in Quad-Cities unveiled their logo Thursday. This logo is even worse than their Omaha-based farm team’s Ak-Sar-Ben (that’s Nebraska backwards for those scoring at home) Knights nickname was.
But let’s go out on a positive note, congratulating all of the NHL’s trophy winners. The NHL awards were handed out Thursday night, with my favourite player and yours, Sidney Crosby claiming his first Hart Memorial Trophy as league MVP; Rod Brind’Amour took home his second Frank J. Selke Trophy in as many years; Nik Lidstrom became just the fourth defenseman in league history to claim his fifth Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman; Martin Brodeur robbed Roberto Luongo of the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goalie. Evgeni Malkin (top rookie), Pavel Datsyuk (sportsmanship), Alain Vigneault (top coach) and Saku Koivu (leadership and humanitarian efforts) took home the other major awards, while Boston’s Phil Kessel was awarded the Bill Masterton Trophy for perseverance and dedication to hockey. The 19-year old missed 12 games in his rookie season while being treated for testicular cancer.
An example: Pizza Pizza just bought out Pizza 73, a local-ish chain here in Calgary, which undoubtedly means we’ll soon be forced to much on their cardboa-- er, inferior “pizza.”
While Pizza Pizza is bad news for me, the sports world often brings good news in this department, and Wednesday-Thursday brought something of a jackpot.
In Jacksonville, both of the Jaguars’ quarterbacks have confirmed to media the team’s interest in soon-to-be-former Miami Dolphins quarterback Daunte Culpepper. That’s right. The Jags, with two young and effective quarterbacks David Gerrard and Byron Leftwich, both of whom figure to have brighter and longer futures in the NFL than Culpepper, are interested in the same Daunte Culpepper that’s had two separate knee surgeries end each of his last two seasons, limiting him to just 11 games. Culpepper’s career record is a less-than-tingly 38-42 as a starter, including a 1-3 record in four starts with Miami last season against opponents with a combine 1-11 record to that point. Somewhere in Jacksonville, someone within the organization must still be playing Madden 2002 (which Culpepper graced the cover of), and working with 2001 stats. While Culpepper brings a name, and has had some success in the NFL, most of that success involved throwing footballs to Randy Moss and Chris Carter. Since the end of his time with Moss, Culpepper’s touchdown-to-interception ratio is minus-seven, versus the plus-55 he had with Moss and Carter as primary targets. His completions for 20 yards or more are down by nearly one a game, and completions over 40 yards went from 0.73 a game to 0.27 a game. In plain numbers, Culpepper completed 55 such passes from 1999-2004, and three in the 11 games he’s played since. All in all, instead of getting some real receivers or some offensive line help for the two good quarterbacks they have, they’re going to bring in another ineffective quarterback, for more money, and hope the rest pans out.
Elsewhere, the Calgary Flames introduced their new head coach Thursday, and it’s Mike Keenan. You know Mike Keenan. He coached the Mark Messier-led New York Rangers to a Stanley Cup win in 1994, and never really accomplished anything else before or after. He rode Ron Hextall to the final in 1987 (Hextall became just the fourth playoff MVP to play for the losing team that year), and Ed Belfour to the Final in 1992. Since guiding the powerhouse Flyers, Blackhawks and Rangers to a combined 395-252-76 record from 1984-1994, Keenan has coached St. Louis, Vancouver, Boston and Florida to a combined 174-195-64-20 record from 1994-2004. In 1996, despite a lineup that included Wayne Gretzky, Brett Hull, Al MacInnis, rookie defenseman Chris Pronger, and Grant Fuhr playing arguably the best season of his career (which includes a couple Stanley Cups), Keenan’s Blues lost in the second round of the playoffs and it was the last time a Keenan-coached team ever made the playoffs. In 1997 he still had MacInnis and Hull, in 1998 he had Messier, Pavel Bure and Alex Mogilny, in 2001 Jason Allison and Sergei Samsonov posted career highs in points to lead Keenan’s Bruins nowhere. That team also included Joe Thornton and Brian Rolston, who posted career highs in points that year, and Bill Guerin who finished the season one point shy of a career high (all three of those players have since set new career highs). In 2002, with Bure in the fold in Florida, and Roberto Luongo in the early stages of his path to superstardom, the Panthers were terrible, and with many Keenan-era holdovers, remain terrible still. Now, coming off an under-achieving season, Flames general manager Darryl Sutter did something very much out of character: he’s over-reacted. Keenan is not the man to lead the Flames to the Stanley Cup, and Keenan may not even lead this team to the playoffs in 2008.
A double-whammy for the Flames. Their new farm team in Quad-Cities unveiled their logo Thursday. This logo is even worse than their Omaha-based farm team’s Ak-Sar-Ben (that’s Nebraska backwards for those scoring at home) Knights nickname was.
But let’s go out on a positive note, congratulating all of the NHL’s trophy winners. The NHL awards were handed out Thursday night, with my favourite player and yours, Sidney Crosby claiming his first Hart Memorial Trophy as league MVP; Rod Brind’Amour took home his second Frank J. Selke Trophy in as many years; Nik Lidstrom became just the fourth defenseman in league history to claim his fifth Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman; Martin Brodeur robbed Roberto Luongo of the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goalie. Evgeni Malkin (top rookie), Pavel Datsyuk (sportsmanship), Alain Vigneault (top coach) and Saku Koivu (leadership and humanitarian efforts) took home the other major awards, while Boston’s Phil Kessel was awarded the Bill Masterton Trophy for perseverance and dedication to hockey. The 19-year old missed 12 games in his rookie season while being treated for testicular cancer.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
No-no, no, and no!
First up, heaps of praise for Justin Verlander and the Detroit Tigers. After a too-long stretch between Randy Johnson and Anibal Sanchez throwing no-hitters, we’ve already had two this year. Maybe all it really means is that ESPN Classic gets to expand its programming, but I still love the no-no.
But alas, the Toronto Blue Jays just had to come along and ruin all the warm and fuzzy. AJ Burnett left Tuesday’s game with discomfort in his throwing shoulder, and what the team has called a shoulder strain. Now, two things. One: for whatever the team’s word is worth anymore. And two: you think? Shoulder strain? Really? I mean, the guy’s only thrown 372 pitches in his last three starts before Tuesday. Suddenly 124 pitches per game is a lot? Of course it is, and now he’s on the shelf because every time he pitches, John Gibbons get a case of the Grady Littles. I hate to go stats-crazy on you guys, but the numbers illustrate that very few guys throw as many quality innings as Burnett does, or have the same workload. Have a look. Just 14 pitchers have pitched more innings this year than Burnett has, and of those 14, only four have thrown more pitches than Burnett. In total, seven pitchers have thrown more pitches than Burnett has, and of those seven, only Dan Haren allows fewer hits per nine innings (as in, all the other pitchers are facing more batters). In fact, of the 113 pitchers with 10 starts or more, only nine pitchers allow fewer hits per nine innings. Despite his 5-6 record, he’s been one of the biggest reasons the Jays are anywhere near .500, and not completely out of wild card contention. If he misses extended time, the Jays’ second-place finish in 2006 will quickly be replaced by a last-place finish in 2007.
Lastly, Jim Balsillie is back at it, trying to buy the Nashville Predators this time. Word is, he has a deal in place with Hamilton, and is ready to start selling ticket packages. Jim, NHL, if you dick Hamilton around again this time, myself and others in Steeltown will never forgive you. So get it right, or get out now.
But alas, the Toronto Blue Jays just had to come along and ruin all the warm and fuzzy. AJ Burnett left Tuesday’s game with discomfort in his throwing shoulder, and what the team has called a shoulder strain. Now, two things. One: for whatever the team’s word is worth anymore. And two: you think? Shoulder strain? Really? I mean, the guy’s only thrown 372 pitches in his last three starts before Tuesday. Suddenly 124 pitches per game is a lot? Of course it is, and now he’s on the shelf because every time he pitches, John Gibbons get a case of the Grady Littles. I hate to go stats-crazy on you guys, but the numbers illustrate that very few guys throw as many quality innings as Burnett does, or have the same workload. Have a look. Just 14 pitchers have pitched more innings this year than Burnett has, and of those 14, only four have thrown more pitches than Burnett. In total, seven pitchers have thrown more pitches than Burnett has, and of those seven, only Dan Haren allows fewer hits per nine innings (as in, all the other pitchers are facing more batters). In fact, of the 113 pitchers with 10 starts or more, only nine pitchers allow fewer hits per nine innings. Despite his 5-6 record, he’s been one of the biggest reasons the Jays are anywhere near .500, and not completely out of wild card contention. If he misses extended time, the Jays’ second-place finish in 2006 will quickly be replaced by a last-place finish in 2007.
Lastly, Jim Balsillie is back at it, trying to buy the Nashville Predators this time. Word is, he has a deal in place with Hamilton, and is ready to start selling ticket packages. Jim, NHL, if you dick Hamilton around again this time, myself and others in Steeltown will never forgive you. So get it right, or get out now.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Memo to Blue Jays pitchers
Any and all Toronto Blue Jays pitchers that allow bobblehead Bonds to hit a home run with be executed by firing squad at dawn.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Champions, current and soon-to-be
In October, in this very space, the following words appeared:
“A mere four months removed from a berth in the Western Conference Final, and now [the Ducks are] not even good enough to make the playoffs? No, says this corner.”
They sure showed me.
Congratulations to the Anaheim Ducks, who captured their first Stanley Cup in franchise history Wednesday night. The mean, nasty, and very mighty Ducks absolutely dismantled the Eastern Conference champion Ottawa Senators, in a display of five-game dominance rarely seen.
Less than six minutes into the game, I stopped watching, knowing the Senators weren’t going to rally for the win. I checked back in time to watch Scott Niedermayer lift not only the Stanley Cup – his fourth – but also the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
Niedermayer is a more than worthy recipient, and when push comes to shove, throughout the playoffs he was
Again, congratulations to the Ducks, and I’m sorry I ever underestimated you.
In other championship news, my beloved Hamilton Bulldogs pushed the Hershey Bears to the brink of elimination Wednesday night with a 6-2 win at Copps Coliseum in
An odd correlation between the Ducks and Dogs: both teams played for their respective Cups in 2003, and both teams lost game seven. Now both teams are once again playing for their Cups, with the Ducks winning theirs in five, and the Dogs have a chance to win in five as well. As was the case last Friday when the Calder Cup Final got started, another long-distance shout-out to my team.
And while the hockey world is wrapping their championships up, the NBA Finals get under way Thursday night in
James is making his first appearance in the Finals (as are the Cavs, for that matter), and following his performance in game five of the Eastern Conference final, it seems nothing short of spectacular will suffice. James has done it before, and he’s done it in the playoffs now. He’s entering a whole new world of pressure that separates the legends from the truly great. If only so I get to watch, I hope James plays the whole Finals in the same zone he played in during overtime in game five in
I’m no basketball expert, and I have about as much right to make a serious prediction as Lindsay Lohan does. That said, if we’re really watching LeBron James’ transition to legend, the Cavaliers will win this series. If James plays two legendary games, and two regular James games, the Cavs win. Otherwise, it’s the Spurs.
LeBron James gives anyone a reason to watch basketball, and his ascension will be fun to watch. I’m truly rooting for it.
Monday, June 04, 2007
Managers' antics getting tiresome
At one point Saturday afternoon, ESPN.com’s highlights included back-to-back blowups by baseball managers.
Naturally, the Chicago Cubs’ Lou Piniella was involved in one of the incidents. The other was a minor-league manager that went on a dirt-kicking, base-throwing tirade—including crawling from second base to the pitcher’s mound, using it for cover, then throwing the rosin bag like a grenade.
It seems these outbursts are becoming more and more common. Seemingly, we see a new one every year. And it begs the question: why?
Admittedly, this issue isn’t the same kind of problem steroids is, but these guys are taking it a little too far.
I’m taking a righteous stand, here. When managers go off like this, they make a mockery of themselves, and of the game. It’s tacky, and there’s no place for it.
To that end, Major League Baseball may have taken a step in the right direction Sunday by suspending Piniella indefinitely for his latest fiasco.
Nobody is bigger than the game, and these guys deserve suspensions for trying to be.
On the suspension front, Chris Pronger of the Anaheim Ducks will not play in game four of the Stanley Cup Final after receiving a one-game suspension for elbowing
And now a positive note to sign off with.
Friday, June 01, 2007
Long distance dedication
Good news! They’re cleaning my street today, and it’s not very loud. Not compared to military exercises, anyway.
But even more importantly, today is the day! American Hockey League playoffs, Calder Cup Final, game one.
My hometown Hamilton Bulldogs are in the Final for the third time in team history, and for the second time since I’ve been a full-time Bulldogs fan. True story: back in 2003 when the Dogs took on
The Dogs are in
In 1997, the Bears were the primary affiliate of the Colorado Avalance, and the Dogs were the Edmonton Oilers’ farm team. Several of the ’97 Bears had a proverbial cup of coffee in the NHL, though Eric Messier (406 NHL games), Marc Denis (361) and, incredibly, Wade Belak (395) are perhaps the most well-known players from that team. Likewise, several of the ’97 Bulldogs’ names ring bells in NHL cities, but perhaps none more so than Greg de Vries (730 NHL games), Georges Laraque (563), Sean Brown (436) and, incredibly, Boyd Devereaux (542). Bryan Muir played with the Bulldogs in 1997, and is now with the Washington Capitals, who are now the parent club of the Hershey Bears. The Bulldogs parent club is now the Montreal Canadiens. True story: in 2002-03 the Bulldogs were a split affiliate for the Oilers and Canadiens. When the Oilers and Canadiens played the outdoor Heritage Classic game in November 2003, 13 former Bulldogs played in the game, five others were on hand in the press box, and one dressed as Jose Theodore’s backup; a fact most of my friends are still waiting for me to shut up about.
So, short story long, all the best to my team from 3,700 kilometers away.
Up next, Mark Cuban.
Word is out that the Dallas Mavericks owner wants to start a professional football league in the
Historically speaking, let’s see how the NFL’s rivals have fared. The fourth version of the American Football League merged with the NFL, after three other attempts failed. The AFL was followed by the World Football League (1974-1975), the United States Football League (1983-1985) and the XFL (2001) are all distant memories. Just for fun, we’ll include the Canadian Football League’s American expansion, though it wasn’t an attempt to rival the NFL.
Do Americans love football? Of course. The NFL is the league every other sports league wants to be. Is there room for other football? Of course. Arena football is a rapidly-growing brand, and is expanding beyond niche status.
But a rival for the NFL? Let’s put it this way, when I first saw the headline, my reaction was similar to the first time I heard of a new Rocky movie.
Finally, LeBron James was unbelievable Thursday night. On top of scoring 29 of the Cavaliers’ final 30 points, James’ game-winning lay-up was a nearly impossible shot. It was one of the most dominant performances by anyone not named Kobe Bryant in recent memory. The Cavs winning the East seems academic now, so it will be fun to see if James can will this team to some victories over
Lastly, a touch of trivia: the 19 former Hamilton Bulldogs involved in the Heritage Classic were: Chad Kilger, Francis Bouillon, Mike Ribiero, Michael Ryder and Mathieu Garon for Montreal, with Ron Hainsey and Marcel Hossa in the press box; and Shawn Horcoff, Raffi Torres, Georges Laraque, Jason Chimera, Scott Ferguson, Fernando Pisani, Marc-Andre Bergeron, Ty Conklin and Jarret Stoll (who scored) for the Oilers, with Alex Semenov, Tony Salmalainen and Peter Sarno in the press box.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
This, that, and the other
It’s been a while, and I have to say I’ve missed writing. So, now that I’m settled into the new confines (with an incredibly strong air freshener, and a new roomie that keeps his peanut butter in the fridge), my dear readers, you can expect updates at least weekly. The goal will be two or three a week though. I really want to travel back in time and rip the Gay Accountant for admitting that he lied to Jays fans about injuries, and I’d like to get to a few other things I missed, but the moment’s gone, and Wednesday was busy, so let’s get right to it.
First off, Kobe Bryant. Wednesday, during a live radio interview,
The fact he backtracked a couple hours later doesn’t change the fact he said it—live, on air. Reading the transcript, Bryant was undoubtedly led to this answer. In fact, the question the on-air personality poses to Bryant isn’t even admissible in a court of law.
But in the court of the sports fan, legal mumbo-jumbo isn’t worth a nickel. And in the ultra-rare company Kobe Bryant keeps as one of the most polarizing athletes in
Time was a man could be thrown out of his sport for demanding a trade, but now it’s a weekly occurrence, and in some cases it may even be justified.
Allen Iverson was given a free pass from fans for demanding a trade, fans practically encourage Kevin Garnett to demand a trade, and I think it’s well within Bryant’s rights to ask out of
He is one of the three or four best players in the league, he has only a few prime seasons left, and given the help of a real basketball player or two, could easily lead a team to a title or two within the next couple years. The Lakers are not that team though. He’s tried to do it on his own, he’s tried to be a team player (in the end, his coach told him to stop passing), and neither way worked. The Lakers aren’t going to be a contender any time soon, so he wants out.
It’s unlikely the Lakers will trade him, but if they do, we’ll at least find out whether or not Bryant’s teammates were the problem the last couple years.
Next up, game two of the Stanley Cup Final. Memo to
The bright side for
Two other hockey notes from Wednesday. The Pittsburgh Penguins are expected to name Sidney Crosby team captain some time Thursday. For his sake, I sure hope the Penguins don’t struggle out of the gate in October. For their sake, every hockey writer in
And Jim Balsillie, who seems unwilling to go away, has re-upped a deal with The City of Hamilton (sorry, for some reason I thought it was necessary to use the corporate name) to secure exclusive rights to Copps Coliseum, leading to more speculation regarding his future plans for the Nashville Predators, whom he’s agreed to buy pending league approval. For the love of the people in my hometown, please stop jerking them around. Anyway, that’s the last NHL to
Check back Friday for thoughts on Mark Cuban, the Calder Cup Final and anything else that may get my attention.
Monday, May 28, 2007
It's here, it's here, it's here...
Finally! The Final. It’s been a long journey, and while I’d initially lamented the long layoff before the beginning of the Stanley Cup Final, it was a blessing in disguise—for me at least.
So here we have it. The Ottawa Senators, the Anaheim Ducks, hockey’s Holy Grail on the line.
We’ll keep it short and sweet, since these teams’ virtues and setbacks have been discussed in detail since early October. And in even greater detail since mid-April.
On defense, a lot was made of the collection of Norris Trophies in the Western Final. Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer obviously continue to bring that pedigree, while none of the Senators defensemen can make the same claim. But again, while
In goal, it’s hard to ignore the pedigree Jean-Sebastien Giguere is building. He’s been to three of the last four Western Finals, winning twice. He has one Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in his pocket, and may be in line for another this year. If numbers and past accomplishments count for anything,
So
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Conference finals, anyone?
We’re right down to it now, the conference finals. It hardly seems like we’re coming up on the end of another NHL season, but it’s coming as quick as ever. And this is no time to look back. Instead, we look ahead to the conference finals, with a new format.
The Eastern Conference final gets started Thursday night in Buffalo, where the league’s two highest-scoring teams are set for an epic battle. Forget about the past, and forget about the brawl earlier this season. The two teams have said all the right things leading up to this series, and they will leave it all on the ice.
Forwards advantage Buffalo
We all know Jason Spezza, Dany Heatley and Daniel Alfredsson, and we all know they’re going to produce. They’re a coach’s dream on the top line, especially now that they’ve improved their defensive play. So why does Buffalo get the nod? Versatility. It’s rare to see line juggling work the way the Sabres make it work, but somehow they do it. From one shift to the next Dan Briere could be double shifting, Chris Drury could be, Max Afinogenov could be double shifting, benched, or scratched. And the Sabres rarely miss a beat. They typically roll all four lines, which leads to greater production from guys like Jochen Hecht or Adam Mair.
Defense advantage Ottawa
The Sabres have a really good defensive corps, but Chris Phillips is playing out-of-his-mind this post-season. He’s probably been the best defenseman in the entire playoffs, and his sidekick Anton Volchenkov seems to have stopped more shots than the goalie this spring. Meanwhile, Wade Redden is starting to play the way we all expect Wade Redden to play. And there’s one more reason to dislike Buffalo’s defense that I’ll get to later.
Goaltending advantage Ottawa
Ray Emery has been very good this spring. He beat the Art Ross winner in the first round, and a three-time Stanley Cup champion and Olympic gold medalist in the second round. Simply put, he’s played much better than anyone thought he could, and he’s been better than his counterpart Ryan Miller has.
Special teams advantage Ottawa
Though it seems strange to say, the Sabres have been unable to get their power play working the way it should be. They’re operating at just 15.3 per cent through the first two rounds, and should be in Ottawa’s 22.7 neighbourhood. Similarly, Buffalo’s penalty killing percentage is the worst of the eight teams that made the second round.
Coaching advantage Buffalo
Lindy Ruff is the NHL’s longest-tenured coach, and it’s for good reason. He’s now taken the Sabres to the Eastern Final three times, and the Stanley Cup once. Ruff isn’t big on matching a particular checking line against his opponents’ top lines, instead relying on the team system, and matching a defensive pair against the opposition’s top line. From time to time he will shorten his bench and utilize three five-man groups, and Ruff always seems to make the right adjustments. Senators coach Bryan Murray is a very good coach, but Ruff is just a little better.
Player that could ruin everything for his team
Every team has one of these guys. For Buffalo, it’s Jaroslav Spacek. He was lauded for his performance with the Oilers last spring, but the guy’s barely more useful than a traffic cone in his own end. As good as his offensive instincts can be, he makes some incredibly bone-headed plays in his own zone. For Ottawa, it’s less distressing. Oleg Saprykin could wear goat horns in Ottawa, despite playing a scant 6:28 a game.
It all adds up to
Buffalo in seven. As evenly-matched as these two teams are, Buffalo’s fans will be the X-factor in game seven.
Out west, Detroit and Anaheim meet up in a rematch of the playoff series that put the Ducks on the map back in 2003. The Ducks are coming off a grueling series with Vancouver, while the Red Wings skated circles around the Sharks en route to their first trip to the conference final since they won the Stanley Cup in 2002. But let’s look ahead, shall we?
Forwards advantage Detroit
The list doesn’t just read like a who’s who, it is a who’s who list of top-flight talent. Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Mikael Samuelsson, Robert Lang, Todd Bertuzzi, the Red Wings have so many forwards that can beat an opponent in so many ways, it’s impossible for the Ducks youngsters to match up. Ryan Getzlaf, Dustin Penner, Corey Perry, Chris Kunitz, and Andy McDonald just aren’t as impressive a list. Teemu Selanne has disappeared. Travis Moen and Samuel Pahlsson have been the Ducks most consistent forwards this spring, and Pahlsson leads all Ducks forwards with seven points.
Defense advantage Anaheim
Chris Pronger is up to his old playoff tricks. He leads the Ducks with 11 points this postseason, and he’s not leaving as big a mess as usual in his own end. Scott Neidermayer has been a rock, and Francois Beauchemin continues to improve. Those three guys match up well against any team’s defense, and it’s rare to even notice Joe DiPenta, Kent Huskins or Sean O’Donnell even taking a shift. The Wings are banged up along the blue line, and will rely heavily on Chris Chelios and Nicklas Lidstrom to lead the way. Danny Markov stepped up in games five and six against San Jose, and the Wings would love for him to do it again against Anaheim. Losing Mathieu Schneider is potentially devastating to the Wings.
Goaltending advantage Anaheim
The Ducks get the nod because they have a backup goalie in Ilya Bryzgalov that could be a starter for nearly any other team. J-S Giguere has been stellar between the pipes for the Ducks in the first two rounds, but hasn’t faced the kind of rubber the Wings will hope to send his way. Giguere is playing as well as he did when he carried the Cinderella Ducks to game seven of the final in 2003. At the other end of the ice, six Vezinas, two Harts, Olympic gold, Dominik Hasek. He’s not the Dominator that won six Vezinas in eight years, but he can still steal games.
Special teams advantage Anaheim
The numbers suggest these teams are on fairly even ground with the man advantage, but the Ducks penalty killing has been lights-out. They have killed 53 or 56 shorthanded situations in the playoffs, and the Wings have had trouble getting their power play going. The Red Wings penalty killing has been good, and shut the Sharks high-octane power play down, allowing just two power play goals.
Coaching advantage Anaheim
The Ducks struck gold when they plucked Randy Carlyle from the minor league coaching ranks. Carlyle is an excellent coach who gets the most out of his players. He doesn’t make many adjustments, instead preferring to stay the course. He gets full marks for the way he’s made his goalies co-exist in the 1-A, 1-B situation. Wings coach Mike Babcock is no slouch, and is familiar with some of the Ducks’ players from his time in Anaheim.
Player that could ruin everything for his team
For the Wings, it’s Kyle Calder. The Red Wings rolled the dice on Calder at the trade deadline, and were hoping for more than one point in 11 playoff games. His ineffective play is what hurts the Wings most. For the Ducks, it’s Pronger. The Wings will get after him physically, and he’s never had much success against smallish forwards. He can be outworked, and there is nothing more lethal come May than being outworked.
It all adds up to
Red Wings in seven. There’s been talk of empty seats at Joe Louis in the first two rounds, but expect Hockeytown to be rocking as this series moves along, and the Wings get closer to the Stanley Cup final. The Ducks have yet to face an elite offensive team in the playoffs, and their inability to score will catch up to them.
The Eastern Conference final gets started Thursday night in Buffalo, where the league’s two highest-scoring teams are set for an epic battle. Forget about the past, and forget about the brawl earlier this season. The two teams have said all the right things leading up to this series, and they will leave it all on the ice.
Forwards advantage Buffalo
We all know Jason Spezza, Dany Heatley and Daniel Alfredsson, and we all know they’re going to produce. They’re a coach’s dream on the top line, especially now that they’ve improved their defensive play. So why does Buffalo get the nod? Versatility. It’s rare to see line juggling work the way the Sabres make it work, but somehow they do it. From one shift to the next Dan Briere could be double shifting, Chris Drury could be, Max Afinogenov could be double shifting, benched, or scratched. And the Sabres rarely miss a beat. They typically roll all four lines, which leads to greater production from guys like Jochen Hecht or Adam Mair.
Defense advantage Ottawa
The Sabres have a really good defensive corps, but Chris Phillips is playing out-of-his-mind this post-season. He’s probably been the best defenseman in the entire playoffs, and his sidekick Anton Volchenkov seems to have stopped more shots than the goalie this spring. Meanwhile, Wade Redden is starting to play the way we all expect Wade Redden to play. And there’s one more reason to dislike Buffalo’s defense that I’ll get to later.
Goaltending advantage Ottawa
Ray Emery has been very good this spring. He beat the Art Ross winner in the first round, and a three-time Stanley Cup champion and Olympic gold medalist in the second round. Simply put, he’s played much better than anyone thought he could, and he’s been better than his counterpart Ryan Miller has.
Special teams advantage Ottawa
Though it seems strange to say, the Sabres have been unable to get their power play working the way it should be. They’re operating at just 15.3 per cent through the first two rounds, and should be in Ottawa’s 22.7 neighbourhood. Similarly, Buffalo’s penalty killing percentage is the worst of the eight teams that made the second round.
Coaching advantage Buffalo
Lindy Ruff is the NHL’s longest-tenured coach, and it’s for good reason. He’s now taken the Sabres to the Eastern Final three times, and the Stanley Cup once. Ruff isn’t big on matching a particular checking line against his opponents’ top lines, instead relying on the team system, and matching a defensive pair against the opposition’s top line. From time to time he will shorten his bench and utilize three five-man groups, and Ruff always seems to make the right adjustments. Senators coach Bryan Murray is a very good coach, but Ruff is just a little better.
Player that could ruin everything for his team
Every team has one of these guys. For Buffalo, it’s Jaroslav Spacek. He was lauded for his performance with the Oilers last spring, but the guy’s barely more useful than a traffic cone in his own end. As good as his offensive instincts can be, he makes some incredibly bone-headed plays in his own zone. For Ottawa, it’s less distressing. Oleg Saprykin could wear goat horns in Ottawa, despite playing a scant 6:28 a game.
It all adds up to
Buffalo in seven. As evenly-matched as these two teams are, Buffalo’s fans will be the X-factor in game seven.
Out west, Detroit and Anaheim meet up in a rematch of the playoff series that put the Ducks on the map back in 2003. The Ducks are coming off a grueling series with Vancouver, while the Red Wings skated circles around the Sharks en route to their first trip to the conference final since they won the Stanley Cup in 2002. But let’s look ahead, shall we?
Forwards advantage Detroit
The list doesn’t just read like a who’s who, it is a who’s who list of top-flight talent. Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Mikael Samuelsson, Robert Lang, Todd Bertuzzi, the Red Wings have so many forwards that can beat an opponent in so many ways, it’s impossible for the Ducks youngsters to match up. Ryan Getzlaf, Dustin Penner, Corey Perry, Chris Kunitz, and Andy McDonald just aren’t as impressive a list. Teemu Selanne has disappeared. Travis Moen and Samuel Pahlsson have been the Ducks most consistent forwards this spring, and Pahlsson leads all Ducks forwards with seven points.
Defense advantage Anaheim
Chris Pronger is up to his old playoff tricks. He leads the Ducks with 11 points this postseason, and he’s not leaving as big a mess as usual in his own end. Scott Neidermayer has been a rock, and Francois Beauchemin continues to improve. Those three guys match up well against any team’s defense, and it’s rare to even notice Joe DiPenta, Kent Huskins or Sean O’Donnell even taking a shift. The Wings are banged up along the blue line, and will rely heavily on Chris Chelios and Nicklas Lidstrom to lead the way. Danny Markov stepped up in games five and six against San Jose, and the Wings would love for him to do it again against Anaheim. Losing Mathieu Schneider is potentially devastating to the Wings.
Goaltending advantage Anaheim
The Ducks get the nod because they have a backup goalie in Ilya Bryzgalov that could be a starter for nearly any other team. J-S Giguere has been stellar between the pipes for the Ducks in the first two rounds, but hasn’t faced the kind of rubber the Wings will hope to send his way. Giguere is playing as well as he did when he carried the Cinderella Ducks to game seven of the final in 2003. At the other end of the ice, six Vezinas, two Harts, Olympic gold, Dominik Hasek. He’s not the Dominator that won six Vezinas in eight years, but he can still steal games.
Special teams advantage Anaheim
The numbers suggest these teams are on fairly even ground with the man advantage, but the Ducks penalty killing has been lights-out. They have killed 53 or 56 shorthanded situations in the playoffs, and the Wings have had trouble getting their power play going. The Red Wings penalty killing has been good, and shut the Sharks high-octane power play down, allowing just two power play goals.
Coaching advantage Anaheim
The Ducks struck gold when they plucked Randy Carlyle from the minor league coaching ranks. Carlyle is an excellent coach who gets the most out of his players. He doesn’t make many adjustments, instead preferring to stay the course. He gets full marks for the way he’s made his goalies co-exist in the 1-A, 1-B situation. Wings coach Mike Babcock is no slouch, and is familiar with some of the Ducks’ players from his time in Anaheim.
Player that could ruin everything for his team
For the Wings, it’s Kyle Calder. The Red Wings rolled the dice on Calder at the trade deadline, and were hoping for more than one point in 11 playoff games. His ineffective play is what hurts the Wings most. For the Ducks, it’s Pronger. The Wings will get after him physically, and he’s never had much success against smallish forwards. He can be outworked, and there is nothing more lethal come May than being outworked.
It all adds up to
Red Wings in seven. There’s been talk of empty seats at Joe Louis in the first two rounds, but expect Hockeytown to be rocking as this series moves along, and the Wings get closer to the Stanley Cup final. The Ducks have yet to face an elite offensive team in the playoffs, and their inability to score will catch up to them.
Monday, May 07, 2007
Hockey's tournament of champions may soon be a reality
There is big news regarding international hockey flying under the radar this week, and I'd like to shed some light on it.
But before that, I’d like to quickly comment about the format of the IIHF World Championship. It’s stupid. Fans practically need a degree in advanced astrophysics to make sense of the standings chart. Although, I am glad they’ve made a move to eliminate tie games, they need to find a way to keep it simple and fan-friendly. The only people that check the standings every day are eight-year-olds that can't get enough hockey.
Now, the good news involving the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).
We don’t hear a lot about the IIHF in North America, since most leagues here follow the National Hockey League’s lead, but the IIHF is the central governing body of all the European leagues and international tournaments like the World Championships, men’s and women’s Olympic ice hockey, the women’s Worlds, World Under-20, Under-18, and the myriad divisions within them.
With the IIHF’s centennial approaching, they have taken strides to offer a new and ultimately exciting tournament.
The idea is similar to soccer’s Champions League tournament, and may even use the same name. It’s a tournament which would pit the champions of the European leagues against one another to determine a European champion. And I love it.
First and foremost, it’s good for fans. For a hockey fan, there is nothing worse than the wait between the end of your team’s season, and the start of the next one. It’s even worse when your team doesn’t make the playoffs. By August, I get downright squirrelly waiting for hockey season to start again. So it gives fans more opportunity to cheer for their team, and that’s never a bad thing.
Secondly, it’s good for the leagues. European leagues make a lot of money from their transfer agreement with the NHL, and this tournament gives NHL scouts one more opportunity to see potential draft choices playing at a high level. Just as an undrafted player can improve his lot at the NHL draft with a strong showing at the Under-20 tournament (see Fleury, Marc-Andre), a player could do the same with an impressive champions league showing. A European veteran could use the tournament to turn some NHL heads and become the next Marek Zidlicky or Mark Streit. The European leagues get more exposure, their players get more exposure, and it can lead to more money for everyone.
Lastly, it’s long overdue. The three major junior leagues in Canada operate under one governing body (Canadian Hockey League), have individual league champions, then a tournament (Memorial Cup) to determine a national champion. In the United States, NCAA governs the six collegiate hockey leagues, and each league has a champion, leading to the Frozen Four tournament. Likewise, European leagues are governed by one body (IIHF), have individual champions, supply draft-eligible talent to the NHL, and should have a champion among champions.
The final wrinkle in the IIHF’s plan might be my favourite part. They are proposing an annual exhibition between the European champion, and the Stanley Cup champion. Apparently the NHL (probably mostly the players union) is reluctant to commit the Cup winner to said exhibition, but to do so would create a great spectacle every year, and a great way to kick off the NHL season. It would even give fans the impression the league is giving back to them, unlike the World Cup, which is over-hyped, over-priced, and ultimately passé.
So, NHL, NHL Players Association, and IIHF, I beg you all. Make this happen. It can’t disappoint.
But before that, I’d like to quickly comment about the format of the IIHF World Championship. It’s stupid. Fans practically need a degree in advanced astrophysics to make sense of the standings chart. Although, I am glad they’ve made a move to eliminate tie games, they need to find a way to keep it simple and fan-friendly. The only people that check the standings every day are eight-year-olds that can't get enough hockey.
Now, the good news involving the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).
We don’t hear a lot about the IIHF in North America, since most leagues here follow the National Hockey League’s lead, but the IIHF is the central governing body of all the European leagues and international tournaments like the World Championships, men’s and women’s Olympic ice hockey, the women’s Worlds, World Under-20, Under-18, and the myriad divisions within them.
With the IIHF’s centennial approaching, they have taken strides to offer a new and ultimately exciting tournament.
The idea is similar to soccer’s Champions League tournament, and may even use the same name. It’s a tournament which would pit the champions of the European leagues against one another to determine a European champion. And I love it.
First and foremost, it’s good for fans. For a hockey fan, there is nothing worse than the wait between the end of your team’s season, and the start of the next one. It’s even worse when your team doesn’t make the playoffs. By August, I get downright squirrelly waiting for hockey season to start again. So it gives fans more opportunity to cheer for their team, and that’s never a bad thing.
Secondly, it’s good for the leagues. European leagues make a lot of money from their transfer agreement with the NHL, and this tournament gives NHL scouts one more opportunity to see potential draft choices playing at a high level. Just as an undrafted player can improve his lot at the NHL draft with a strong showing at the Under-20 tournament (see Fleury, Marc-Andre), a player could do the same with an impressive champions league showing. A European veteran could use the tournament to turn some NHL heads and become the next Marek Zidlicky or Mark Streit. The European leagues get more exposure, their players get more exposure, and it can lead to more money for everyone.
Lastly, it’s long overdue. The three major junior leagues in Canada operate under one governing body (Canadian Hockey League), have individual league champions, then a tournament (Memorial Cup) to determine a national champion. In the United States, NCAA governs the six collegiate hockey leagues, and each league has a champion, leading to the Frozen Four tournament. Likewise, European leagues are governed by one body (IIHF), have individual champions, supply draft-eligible talent to the NHL, and should have a champion among champions.
The final wrinkle in the IIHF’s plan might be my favourite part. They are proposing an annual exhibition between the European champion, and the Stanley Cup champion. Apparently the NHL (probably mostly the players union) is reluctant to commit the Cup winner to said exhibition, but to do so would create a great spectacle every year, and a great way to kick off the NHL season. It would even give fans the impression the league is giving back to them, unlike the World Cup, which is over-hyped, over-priced, and ultimately passé.
So, NHL, NHL Players Association, and IIHF, I beg you all. Make this happen. It can’t disappoint.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Round two, part two
Way back in 1994, the San Jose Sharks were making their first-ever playoff appearance, and they shocked the favoured Red Wings, winning the seven-game series. The Wings won the only other playoff meeting between these two teams, and 12 years later, we finally get the rubber match.
The Red Wings have talked a lot about their improved grit. They now roll guys like Kyle Calder and Todd Bertuzzi out to wear down the opposing defensemen. That’s in addition to grinders like Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby, and crease-crashers Johan Franzen and Tomas Holmstrom (day-to-day with an eye injury). Mix in high-end talent from Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk, an all-world defense corps, and one of the best goaltenders the league’s ever seen, and the Wings start to look very formidable.
But the Sharks are not to be outdone. They have last season’s points and goals leaders in Joe Thornton and Jonathan Cheechoo. Young sniper Milan Michalek enjoyed a coming out of sorts in the first round (four goals in five games), and captain Patrick Marleau leads the way with 43 points in his last 45 playoff games. The Sharks don’t have a Nicklas Lidstrom on defense, but they run a tight ship, and the forwards love to help out.
Speaking of Lidstrom, he will likely draw the
Both the Wings’ Dominik Hasek and the Sharks’ Evgeni Nabokov are known for their temperament, but the Sharks have a failsafe in goal with Vesa Toskala should Nabokov falter.
And if you thought
The Devils do have a hole in their defense. Brian Rafalski picked up seven points in the first round, but the Devils have relied heavily on rookies Andy Greene and John Oduya.
One area of note:
Almost entirely because Emery left practice with an injury earlier in the week: Devils in seven.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Stanley Cup playoffs, round two
Quick housekeeping note before I get started here: is it just me, or do the labels “conference quarter finals” and “conference semi-finals” et al completely and utterly lack any pop? Frankly, I prefer to call them by the round number. It’s simple, and in my mind, whenever I saw “Round one,” all I can here is the Mortal Kombat voice. Maybe it’s just me though.
I went a pitiful 4-for-8 in the first round, and it’s time to rectify that. So, round two (conference semi-finals).
I’m just going to say it. The Canucks are overmatched here. They could barely score goals against
While I’m not a big Chris Pronger fan, even I can’t ignore the performances he’s offered this post-season and last. He’s been one of the best, and single-handedly made up for all of Jaroslav Spacek’s attempts to derail the Oilers last year. When Pronger’s not on the ice, Scott Niedermayer is. Niedermayer is the only defensemen not named Lidstrom to win the Norris Trophy in the last five years, and the Ducks captain is essentially as good as it gets on defense. They defend a goal tended to by either Ilya Bryzgalov or J-S Giguere, both of whom do so very well. Up front, the Ducks have Teemu Selanne, still playing like he’s 10 years younger than he is, and his sidekick Andy McDonald. Young guns Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry are always a threat, and the eight other forwards will grind poor Kevin Bieksa and Willie Mitchell nearly through the boards.
So where does that leave the Canucks? Well, it doesn’t look good. The best thing they have going for them is Roberto Luongo, whose international tournament experience seems to have prepared him well for the NHL playoffs. That said, the Canucks were overly reliant on Luongo in the first round, and will have to try hard not to fall back into that habit against the Ducks. Daniel and Henrik Sedin have found great chemistry with Taylor Pyatt, but Markus Naslund has to find the back of the net if
The Canucks were pushed around by
The Rangers are a trendy pick in the second round. They dismantled
But make no mistake. The Sabres are the best team in the NHL, and have been all year. In their five-game series with the Islanders, 10 Sabres had three points or more, just four players have minus ratings, and Ryan Miller is still one of the best goalies in the NHL right now. Lindy Ruff is a proven head coach, and one of the best in the game, while even Sports Illustrated had to give captain Chris Drury his due for just knowing how to win. With great leadership, four lines that can score, a very reliable defense corps, and an All-Star goalie, the Sabres are simply tough to beat.
That said, the Rangers match up pretty well with
But as good as the Rangers have been lately, and as thoroughly as they dismantled the Thrashers, they’re the same streaky team we saw all season. Any time they win four in a row, a three-losses-in-five-games stretch could be right around the bend.
Tomorrow the previews and picks for Detroit-San Jose and Ottawa-New Jersey.
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