Sabtu, 30 Juni 2012

Maple Leafs Panel: 2012 Free Agent Frenzy Preview

Brian Burke Leafs

Brian Burke has plenty of free agency options this summer (John Cordes/Icon SMI)

Maple Leafs Panel is a weekly feature that is published every Monday throughout the season here at The Hockey Writers. It's a feature where THW Contributing Editor Lukas Hardonk as well as THW Toronto Maple Leafs correspondents Mark Ascione and Stephen Stoneman answer three questions that concern the Maple Leafs each week. To catch up on previous editions, click here.

This week’s edition is an off-season special previewing 2012 NHL free agency.

Question: Has the Luke Schenn for James van Riemsdyk trade changed the way the Maple Leafs should approach free agency this summer?

Lukas Hardonk: van Riemsdyk brings an element to the Leafs’ forward group that it has lacked in years. They now have a big body, top-six winger who can produce points, which is something many Leaf fans wanted their team to go after this summer. Still, it shouldn’t affect which way the team elects to go in terms of what needs to address.

We need to be realistic when thinking about the options the Leafs have in free agency this summer. Zach Parise and Alexander Semin have shown to be all-star calibre players, but there is little to no chance of them landing in Toronto for

James van Riemsdyk Flyers

Should the addition of James van Riemsdyk change the Leafs' approach to free agency? (Icon SMI)

various reasons. Perhaps this is more of a question of, did the Leafs make the van Riemsdyk trade because they realized their chances of upgrading at forward in free agency were slim to none?

Mark Ascione: It shouldn’t. The Leafs have a number of bodies on the blue line, but the defensive corps needs to improve after last year’s performance. That likely meant someone was going to be moved out and someone new brought in, whether it be Korbinian Holzer or a free agent. So losing Luke Schenn, who may have improved but was really a third pairing guy last year, changes nothing much there.

Acquiring van Riemsdyk should help the situation in the top-six forward group, being a winger with size who can score. But scoring was not really the team’s problem last season. This trade does not address upgrading at goalie, improving the defensive play of the blue line corps, or the need for depth at the centre position.

Stephen Stoneman: I would have to say yes because, at the very least, if the Leafs don't get the top-six forward that they were looking for via free agency they can rest on the fact that they have added van Riemsdyk to their lineup. Although the search could continue for a top-tier forward via trade, the likely method for the Leafs to add to their top-six is from within.

Look for any one of Matthew Lombardi, Tyler Bozak, Nazem Kadri, Tim Connolly, Clarke McCarthur and Nikolai Kulemin to emerge in one of the remaining three spots after Phil Kessel, Joffrey Lupul and van Riemsdyk.  There could also be a surprise by one of the youngsters such as Greg McKegg, Brad Ross, Joe Colborne or Tyler Biggs, who has emerged from the minors.

Question: What positional needs should the Maple Leafs address the most through free agency?

Lukas Hardonk: Everyone is crying for Leafs GM Brian Burke to go after a goaltender this summer and they certainly have good reason behind it. However, people must realize that the only big name goalie who might switch teams through free agency is Martin Brodeur and all other goalies on the market are 40-game starters at best. With James Reimer in net, a goalie isn’t something the Leafs should be desperate for.

Where the Leafs  should look instead is the blue line, where they were very inconsistent last season. There are multiple players who will likely be available come July 1 who could help the team in this regard, including Matt Carle, Ryan Suter, Bryan Allen and Bryce Salvador. It’s also easy to imagine that a steadier back-end would help improve the confidence of Reimer, allowing him a greater chance to succeed than last season.

Mark Ascione: Not to be too pessimistic, but I am not sure free agency can help the Leafs very much with their positional needs. There are few ‘high quality’ goalies or centres available in this year’s market.

James Reimer Leafs

Goaltending is of great concern to many Leaf fans (Jerome Davis/Icon SMI)

Oddly enough, where the Leafs could improve is on the blueline with a number of steady, stay-at-home guys out there. Of course, that would create a further logjam at defense, but it would allow Brian Burke more leverage in trading to acquire the other players he needs.

Stephen Stoneman: Although many people will probably want to see Toronto in on Zack Parise, the Leafs should be focused on improving their bottom-six. The Leafs’ third and fourth lines from a season ago were far inferior to a lot of other teams and it really came out in the six games that they had against one if their division rivals, the Boston Bruins.

There are quite a few top calibre bottom-six forwards such as Brandon Prust, George Parros and Travis Moen that would immediately make Toronto more of a difficult team to play against. I would be surprised if the Leafs could nab another big top-six forward, but that would have to be 1b on my list.

Question: Would the Leafs be more wise to spend money on proven free agents or save it and give those who took the Toronto Marlies to the Calder Cup Final a chance?

Lukas Hardonk: As do any other personnel hockey decisions, the two options given above each come with a great amount of risk. First off, allowing players such as Ryan Hamilton, Nazem Kadri, Ben Scrivens, Joe Colborne, Jesse Blacker and others the chance to lead the Leafs is more of a high risk, low reward situation. On the other hand, Burke has been known to struggle with the salary cap in the past, so paying for the services of proven players might cost the team more than it should.

Nazem Kadri

One has to wonder if Nazem Kadri will be able to stick in the NHL this season (Tony Ding/Icon SMI)

No matter how much a GM may struggle with the cap, though, a team and its fans must always have enough confidence in their manager to feel comfortable in them spending money. After all, isn’t that one reason why a general manager is hired, to make money-related decisions? So go ahead, why not spend the money if it’s available?

Mark Ascione: The free agent market is thin this summer and it would make no sense to sign players just to make it seem like something is being done. Colby Armstrong, Tim Connolly and Matt Lombardi have a year remaining on their contracts and Mike Komisarek has two years. These contracts eat up a lot of cap space. I think there is an opportunity for the organization here.

Reject the idea of signing middle-of-the-road free agents, allow these bad contracts to run their course and fill spots by promoting the young players who seem most ready for NHL duty. We know Jake Gardiner, Kobinian Holzer, Matt Frattin and possibly Nazem Kadri are likely to stake claims for roster spots. Without many high-impact players available, it may be more prudent to promote from the pool of prospects we’ve heard so much about and see if they are ready for prime time.

Stephen Stoneman: They can get away with a couple of bottom-six additions and perhaps an experienced defenseman via free agency. On defense, the Leafs could go out and get an experienced top-four defenseman in Matt Carle or Ryan Suter, or they could go the route of adding young Justin Schultz, who is an unproven youngster said to be the most talented defenseman not playing in the NHL.  My gut says that they will be successful with one of these three.

There is no doubt that the AHL Calder Cup Finalist Marlies will have some players who graduate to the big club.  I would say that leading the charge would have to be Korbinian Kolzer, the large rough and tough blue liner from Germany.  I would also say Randy Carlyle will take a hard look at Jerry D'Amigo, Nazem Kadri and Joe Colborne, to name a few.

Follow the panel on Twitter: Lukas Hardonk, Mark Ascione and Stephen Stoneman.

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

What Does The Future Hold For Martin Brodeur?

Martin Brodeur

Martin Brodeur (Brad Barr-US PRESSWIRE)

Just when Roberto Luongo fans thought the spotlight was on them, one of the greatest goaltenders of all time has stepped up and stolen the show.

It was announced on Friday morning that Martin Brodeur, the legendary netminder for the New Jersey Devils, has hired recognized player-agent Pat Brisson to represent him. Players who are currently represented by Brisson include Shane Doan, Claude Giroux, Evgeni Malkin, Daniel and Henrik Sedin, and Sidney Crosby.

Brodeur becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1st, and though he has played his entire career in a Devils uniform, it’s unknown whether he’ll be heading back to New Jersey for upcoming season.

“Marty will be a Devil as long as he wants to be. I don’t think there’s ever something he and I have trouble with. I don’t want to see him put on any other uniform. I don’t think he wants to,” said Lou Lamoriello, the Devils’ president and general manager.

The sure-fire Hall of Fame netminder was stellar for the only NHL team he’s ever known during the 2012 playoffs, and helped lead his team to the Stanley Cup Finals. Rarely did Brodeur appear to be showing his age – it was hard to tell sometimes whether in fact the man standing between the pipes was indeed forty years old.

A native of St. LĂ©onard, Quebec, which is just outside Montreal, Brodeur has made it known in the past that he’d love to be a New Jersey Devil for his entire career. That career’s coming to an end – the question now is whether or not it ends in the place it all began.

He’s been a fan-favourite for years, and he’s come a long way since making his NHL debut back in 1991 against the Boston Bruins. In the video clip above, and in all of his interviews, it’s still obvious Brodeur loves coming to the rink everyday.

Brodeur has negotiated every NHL contract he’s ever had on his own, meaning the hiring of Brisson raises some interesting questions. Speculation began within minutes of the hiring’s announcement regarding possible destinations for Brodeur next season. But based on the season he just had, and the Stanley Cup run he just took part in, the timing for him to leave town seems uncanny.

A lot of teams would surely love to have Brodeur, but not many are necessarily great fits. The first teams which come to mind when thinking of one that needs a goalie include the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Toronto Maple Leafs, but not all of those are ideal situations either. Yes, Toronto is a hockey-hotbed, but would the constant media attention be something Brodeur wants at this point in his career? Would he want to go to a team like Tampa, who just traded for a goaltender in Anders Lindback? The answers to those questions aren’t known, leaving many ideas still in the heads of die-hard hockey fans.

'Marty is an unflappable person,' Lamoriello said. 'He has a personality that never looks back. He loves the game, he plays it because he loves it. He works at it. He's changed his game accordingly to the way the style is.”

Martin Brodeur (Flickr/LindseyAAkiyama)

Everyone knows he loves it, and everybody knows he works at improving constantly. Add in that he’s already considered the greatest netminder ever, and it becomes even more impressive that Brodeur is able to consistently perform at such a high level.

Luongo is expected to be moved in the near future, and Brodeur has made that entire situation a lot more interesting. It’s reasonable to suggest that Brodeur could wait for Luongo to be traded before he signs anywhere, and it’s also fair to say Luongo will wait until Brodeur signs before he gives the go-ahead to Canucks general manager Mike Gillis.

While Brodeur earned $5.2 million this past season, he isn’t likely to bring in similar money next year. He’s still one of the top puckstoppers in today’s game, but his age will absolutely be a concern for all interested teams.

There’s no doubt he’s one of the best to ever strap on the pads, and he’s a great ambassador for the game. It’s just incredibly difficult to imagine Brodeur without a Devils logo or a Canadian maple leaf on the front of his sweater.

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This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Phoenix Coyotes Thoughts: Ownership Update and Shane Doan Edition

Jim Neveau, Managing Editor / Phoenix Coyotes Correspondent

It may seem as though we have been hearing about the ownership situation involving the Phoenix Coyotes forever, but the fact is that we nearly have been. For going on three years now, the team has been battling to stay in the Valley despite opposition from groups like the Goldwater Institute and a seeming inability to nail down a final deal with any prospective owners.

That failure to agree may finally have come to an end when former San Jose Sharks CEO Greg Jamison agreed to a new lease with the city of Glendale on Jobing.com Arena as part of his plan to purchase the team, but GWI certainly has not been willing to go down without a fight. They filed an injunction to stop the deal, and have organized a petition drive to force the issue onto the November ballot, which is something that both the league and the city seem opposed to, and with good reason.

Even though things have been in a state of stasis for quite some time now, the fact of the matter is that both sides just want the issue settled so that they can focus on putting a quality product on the ice in Glendale that people will be willing to come and see, but the opposition forces rising up in protest of the new deal are concerned that this is a rush job in order to get things done, and to pull a fast one on taxpayers.

Whether that is actually the case or not, Judge Robert Fink issued a ruling on the issue yesterday afternoon, saying that the deal negotiated by the city with Jamison is valid and should go forward. The deal includes an arena management fee of around $15 million a year, and while the GWI thought that was excessive, Fink disagreed, saying that:

'Although there may be no recognized academic degree in arena management, plainly a wide range of specialized knowledge, predominantly mental or intellectual, is critical to success in the field. The Court finds that the arena management contract calls for the provision of professional services and therefore falls outside the scope of the Purchasing Ordinance.'

That last sentence is the crucial one, because that was the legal argument that GWI was using. They said that since the city was entering into a contract, they should have been legally bound to have open bidding for it, but Judge Fink said that the deal did not fall under the auspices of that government practice, thereby handing a significant victory to the cause of the city of Glendale.

Goldwater still does have a bullet in their gun, however, and that is the petition they are circulating in order to force the issue onto the November ballot. The group has until July 9th to gather nearly 1900 signatures from registered Glendale voters, and if the signatures are upheld after a review process to determine the eligibility of those signing, then the measure would go on the ballot, and the sale would be put on hold in the mean time.

While this decision by Fink is certainly a victory for the Coyotes' chances of staying in Arizona (and, as Greg Wyshynski of Puck Daddy pointed out, a potential roadblock-lifter toward Jamison raising enough capital to complete the deal), the team is still not out of the woods yet in its sale process. The taxpayers of Glendale will ultimately get the final say, so as we have been forced to say on oh so many occasions over the last three years, we are now forced to play the waiting game.

Meanwhile, On the Ice'.

Outside of the ownership resolution being sought, there is perhaps no bigger story facing the Phoenix Coyotes than the future of captain Shane Doan with the team. He has been with the club since they were in Winnipeg in the mid-90's, but as free agency approaches beginning on Sunday, he still has not signed a new deal with the team, and might very well be looking to move elsewhere next season.

This speculation has hit a lot of Coyotes fans hard, and with good reason. No player has embodied the chippy and physical spirit of this team as they have thrived under head coach Dave Tippett more than Doan has, and if he were to leave, the effect it could potentially have on the team would be earth-moving, to say the least.

There have been a slew of teams who have expressed interest in Doan, including the Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, and Pittsburgh Penguins, according to reports. Other teams like the New York Rangers and Dallas Stars could also weasel their way into the mix, but no team has garnered more attention for a potential run at Doan than the Jets, in the city where he began his career in 1995.

While the Coyotes have said repeatedly that their overall goal is to convince Doan to remain in Phoenix, the fact of the matter is that his decision to at least test free agency means that there is a very real possibility that he will leave. This would be a weird transition being that he has been with the team since its birth, but it could also be viewed as somewhat of a positive for both sides.

For the Coyotes, it could be just the excuse they need to engage in a fresh start in their new direction as the Arizona Coyotes (which would take place likely next year). Starting new traditions with new faces is a thrilling prospect for a new owner coming onto the scene, and while the transition away from the Doan era would be painful, it's entirely possible that some real good could come out of it on that end.

As for Doan, a move to a more stable franchise could very well be just the thing he needs to resurrect his career. With a suspension and a career low in points last season, Doan may be looking at one or two more serious runs at the championship that has eluded him throughout his career, and joining a team like Pittsburgh, who is eying Zach Parise, or Chicago, with youngsters like Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane still entering the prime of their careers, could be just the ticket to hoist hockey's holy chalice.

Of course, all of this speculation could be for naught, and Doan may very well end up staying in the Valley, but even if he leaves, it isn't all gloom and doom, contrary to what some fans seem to be thinking at the moment.

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Expiring CBA Shero's Last Chance to Dance with Long-Term Deals

Ray Shero Penguins

Ray Shero (Charles LeClaire-USPRESSWIRE)

That Sidney Crosby received a monster contract extension, in both term and value, surprised no one.

That Penguins GM Ray Shero might continue to break a seven-year ethos of avoiding lengthy contract offers should come as no surprise, either.

“It was a deal that we talked about, and the longer term we thought was better for both the player and the team,” Shero said of the extension. “This is his third NHL contract with the Penguins, and it just felt appropriate that it would take him to a certain level in his career, to the end of his career.”

Until the recent offers made to Crosby and Jordan Staal were reported, Shero had been traditionally restrained in his contract dealings. Even his best players (some of whom also happened to be the league’s best players) received modest contract extensions, especially in lieu of their colleagues’ weighty agreements.

Few general managers in this NHL would feel comfortable offering a five-year extension to a twenty-something Art Ross winner when that player’s upside still remained so high.

Shero felt comfortable doing so. Twice, in fact.

In 2008, Crosby signed a five-year extension. In 2009, Evgeni Malkin signed an identical five-year deal. Precedent suggested they could have signed for 15.

However, such deals just weren’t Shero’s style. Marc-Andre Fleury, a first-overall pick and franchise goaltender, signed a seven-year contract extension in 2008. Marian Hossa, perhaps the most skilled scoring winger the team has signed in the post-lockout era, turned down a deal that could have gone as long as seven years.

For players of their strata, those deals were relatively short. Jordan Staal’s rejected 10-year offer was the first sign that Shero was aiming to lock up his core players, in their primes, for the rest of their forseeable careers.

Suffice to say, Crosby’s deal was one everyone expected.

But with his 12-year extension to be signed Sunday and the reported 10-year offer made to Staal, was the change in philosophy only a matter of time?

Rather, the Penguins may have just seen the writing on the wall.

A sticking point of the current talks between league officials and the NHLPA, “retirement deals” could very well meet their end with the next CBA. More than individual player circumstances, this could drive a shift in Pittsburgh’s free agent philosophies.

Shero’s offers, until this summer, had reached as far as the seven-year mark only twice. The looming start of free agency could be Pittsburgh’s last chance to sign its still-young core players to long-term deals.

There’s a growing sentiment that no team will be able to do so under the terms of a renegotiated CBA, as Yahoo’s Nicholas Cotsonika reports:

A number of other issues will come up. Here are just a couple of them: The owners want to limit contracts to six years; you can bet the players won’t like that.

The current free agent system allows players to sign until-retirement-do-we-part contracts that navigate deftly around the spirit of the league’s salary cap, highlighted by notable deals belonging to Roberto Luongo (12 years), Ilya Kovalchuk (15 years) and Rick DiPietro (15 years).

These contracts can be crippling, even with payments spread out over such long terms'hence, the wishes of owners to put a cap on such deals. And while it’s not likely to sit well with the NHLPA, it’s not the most egregious concession likely to be requested by the other side of the table

It’s almost guaranteed that total salaries'the upper dollar-value limit of the salary ceiling'will be thrown into play. A number of NHL franchises operate in the red each year. A select few are in a permanent state of bankruptcy limbo. Total payrolls, the competitive salary link that says there may be no gap greater than $20 million between the salary floor and ceiling'these are far more harmful to owners’ bottom lines than decade-long individual contracts.

Keeping total salaries at a rate commensurate to the league’s record revenues (some $3.3 billion last year) is more valuable to the NHLPA than total length of contracts, making limited-term contracts a more likely concession.

With that in mind, Pittsburgh could be looking to lure free agents to the team with extended terms while they’re still able to offer them.

The next iteration of the CBA, at least as far as the owners want to see it done, would weaken a team’s ability to offer term as an alternative to total salary. For teams like Pittsburgh, which annually spend to the cap ceiling, that could mean a great loss of leverage in dealing with potential free agent targets.

So, will Shero use this period of free agency to do what he’s never done and sign a few franchise players to lifetime contracts?

It’s certainly possible. Minnesota has made it clear that they’ll outbid other teams for Zach Parise’s next deal, unflinchingly, to the upper limits of allowable contract values. Detroit has greater need for Ryan Suter, as well as more available means to attract him, than Pittsburgh.

The Penguins have long leaned on the intangibles of stable ownership and competitiveness as alternatives to richer deals from higher-spending, less-successful franchises. Starting Sunday, Pittsburgh may stray from its well-worn path of term-stinginess, and offer contracts which would keep potential free agents in the city for a comfortably long time.

It could very well be their last chance to do so.

@SlewFooters

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Kontinental Hockey League Welcomes New Faces, Releases Schedule

The Kontinental Hockey League has released its schedule for the upcoming 2012-2013 season. The league will welcome the return of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, which took a year off after the team’s plane tragically  crashed last September. The KHL will also showcase some fresh faces from new places. Lev Prague from Czech Republic, Slovan Bratislava from Slovakia and Donbass Donetsk from Ukraine will all join the Western Conference. HC Lev from Poprad, Slovakia will not return after its freshman season in the KHL. The first Slovakian team to play in the league had limited success on the ice despite a passionate fan base.

The KHL Championship begins September 4th in Moscow with the Lokomotiv Cup. The game features the two finalists from the 2012 Gagarin Cup, Dynamo Moscow and Avangard Omsk.

2012-13 Important Dates

September 4, 2012 ' Lokomotiv Cup, Dynamo Moscow vs. Avangard Omsk.

September 7, 2012 ' No games scheduled in remembrance of Yaroslavl plane tragedy.

January 12-13, 2013 ' Fifth KHL All-Star Weekend, Chelyabinsk

January 19-20, 2013 ' KHL plays in Brooklyn, NY at The Barclays Center

February 17, 2013 ' End of regular season

February 20, 2013 ' Playoffs begin

April 19, 2013 ' Gagarin Cup, Game Seven

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Boston Bruins 2012 Development Camp Day Two: Besa 'N the Boys

Malcolm Subban attends the 2012 Boston Bruins Development Camp (Photo: Bob Mand)

A steamy afternoon in Wilmington, Mass. saw hundreds of spectators scrambling into Ristuccia Arena to watch 29 Boston Bruins prospects participate in the second day of Development Camp 2012.

However the respite of the audience was the bane of the prospects, as the second hour of their on-ice training session was conducted by none other than Besa Tsintsadze. While his might not be a 'household' name here's a glimpse of what he does for a living:

Those of you who attended 2011's Development Camp, which Mr. Tsintsadze also attended, would recall the effect that the power-skating coach had on the campers. Bambi's first steps looked more elegant.

There were some attendees whose participation the power-skating drills was eerily reminiscent of a vaudeville comedy. However, some managed to impress despite the high difficulty levels. Alex Khokhlachev's improvement from last summer has been eye-opening. The 5'10 Russian looked much quicker with a cleaner, longer stride after a cumbersome showing in 2012. His stride appears longer and cleaner (as well as add some size and strength) since the summer of '11.

Khokhlachev's visible improvement came on a day where the Bruins announced an agreement with the 18 year-old on an entry-level contract. He will still head to Russia in the fall (barring his unlikely jump to the big club in Boston) but the B's will retain his rights.

At a press-conference, GM Peter Chiarelli stated:

'We've come to terms with Khokhlachev' he won't be participating in contact' for another seven to eight weeks [because of his injury ' a lacerated kidney]' the plan is now for him to play in Russia. He'll attend our camp and then he'll go back and play for the Russian team [Spartak]' and then after one year he's under our purview… He wants to be a NHL player.'

Khokhlachev wasn't the only remarkable showing in the power-skating drills.

Other standouts included Ryan Spooner (who continued to show his advanced skillset throughout the afternoon), Jared Knight, Zach Trotman, Matt Grzelcyk and Torey Krug. To these eyes, they represented the top of the heap in these mobility-testing maneuvers.

Another of the standouts was the Bruins top-prospect, Dougie Hamilton. Hamilton's skating is arguably superior to anyone in this group (when he wants it) On one occasion he caught-up to a sprinting Krug, stopped on a dime and accelerated faster in the other direction than the nimble 5'9 blueliner.

Dougie was asked what he felt about heading into this season with so many expecting him to make the team, he replied, 'I think it's more exciting' it puts a smile on my face and makes me want to work harder and try my best.'

When asked about what he's improved over the course of the year, Hamilton responded, 'I think ' I'm a little bit bigger and stronger and more skilled as well ' anytime you can get that confidence, I think it helps.'

Dougie spoke about how much 'it sucked' to have to spend time in the press-box watching the games after he was suspended in the winter for a check to the head of an opponent. He believes he's done a solid job adding a physical element to the game.

I asked Hamilton how he was looking forward to the upcoming Canada-Russia series (which he will take part in), he replied: 'Definitely, I think any time you represent your country, putting on that jersey anytime you can do that is pretty special. I think it will be kinda cool ' I've never been to Russia, so' I think both places [Halifax, NS is the other location of the four-game tourney] will be fun, I know a lot of the guys, too now and I'm more comfortable as well.'

In the pre-Besa hour, a few individuals made waves with their play. The following are some of my notes:

  • Zach Trotman has a shot and a half. His wrister screams off the stick and might be the best of all the campers.
  • Brian Ferlin made some strong defensive moves in the one-on-one and two-on-two drills, dispossessing opponents cleanly and smartly. His solid shot (with a fine release) was on display yet again.
  • Tommy Cross knocked 2012 draftee Matt Benning off the puck so effectively, the latter lost control of his stick as well as the puck.
  • Jared Knight's hand-eye coordination appears to have progressed. He looked stronger on his skates than on Day One (Besa's drills later seemed to take a toll on the winger who's still recovering from an ankle-sprain).
  • Ryan Spooner's jukes left a trail of jock-straps hanging from the rafters.
  • Matt Grzelcyk and Torey Krug really look sublime on their skates. Outstanding acceleration and dynamic open-ice speed. Grzelcyk plays bigger than his 5'9 frame and showed a nice, active stick defensively.
  • Niklas Svedberg's lateral movement was on-display and he effectively sealed the far-post.
  • Colton Hargrove has been one of the biggest revelations at this camp. He's primarily north-south (as Besa's drills evinced) but his reasonably nimble, has a solid shot and the vision to make passes through opponents. The grit and heavy-play is still there, I'm just impressed with his versatility and effort.
  • Cody Payne's determination in traffic deserves praise (as does his potent wrister) ' but he's even more north-south than Hargrove and needs to work on his first few steps.
  • In one of the best sequences of the afternoon, Ryan Spooner found Jared Knight with a dandy of a pass, who then dished it through-traffic to Ben Sexton on the doorstep, only to be denied on a shocking save by Zane Gothberg.
  • Malcolm Subban continued to amaze on denial after denial. This kid was certainly a high-risk selection ' but the reward could be monumental.

 

Thanks for reading! Check out yesterday’s wrap, too! I’ll be back tomorrow with another day of Dev-Camp notes! Follow me on Twitter for even more!

 

 

 

 

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Jumat, 29 Juni 2012

Chris Stewart Makes Sense For Penguins

Chris Stewart Blues

(Jeanine Leech/Icon SMI)

Sidney Crosby took care of the Pittsburgh Penguins. It’s time for the Penguins to take care of Sidney Crosby.

Crosby and Penguins General Manager Ray Shero came to terms on a 12-year, $104.4 million contract extension Thursday, likely keeping the superstar in Pittsburgh for the remainder of his career. Crosby cannot officially sign the extension until Sunday at noon, but the public announcement sets the stage for an interesting free agency period for Shero and the Penguins.

After the trades of Jordan Staal and Zbynek Michalek last weekend at the draft, the Penguins are left with close to $15 million in space under the league’s temporary salary cap of $70.2 million. Crosby’s favorable extension ensures that Shero has flexibility to add significant assets and also sign them to long-term contracts.

“From a manager's standpoint, the AAV (average annual value) is always important,” Shero said Thursday evening. “[Crosby] said ‘this AAV is really what I wanted to help out the team.’ He's never been reluctant to help the team out like that, so we certainly appreciate it and ownership appreciates that. It's very beneficial and says a lot about Crosby.”

With an AAV of $8.7 million, Crosby isn’t exactly playing for free. He also received a lifetime deal that Shero has been reluctant to give to any player under his tenure. But Sidney Crosby isn’t any player. Despite the concerns over concussions, he held the hammer in contract negotiations and was free to name his terms.

All Shero could do was point out that in a salary-capped world, every dollar that Crosby takes in AAV is one less dollar available for his wingers. It’s like the Quarterback / Wide Receiver dynamic in football. Even if a player like Crosby is selfish and focused on padding individual stats, it doesn’t make sense to max out on a contract and leave little to pay for talented players around him.

Crosby’s sacrifice on AAV puts the ball in Shero’s court. The Penguins search for a ‘winger for Crosby’ seemed to end two seasons ago when Shero acquired James Neal from Dallas, but in Crosby’s absence last season Neal developed an amazing chemistry with Evgeni Malkin. The duo combined for 90 goals and it’s tough to imagine coach Dan Bylsma breaking them up, which again leaves Crosby without a significant sniper on his right wing.

Shero’s goal over the next few weeks will be to find Crosby a legitimate right winger and Jimmy Rixner at Pensburgh points out that the timing of the Crosby contract ‘announcement’ isn’t an accident:

This is a message to the free agents, most notably the two prizes on the market Zach Parise and Ryan Suter.

It says, point blank, if you come to Pittsburgh, Crosby will be here for the entirety of your stay. And so long as you have Sidney Crosby on your team, you know management will be attempting to field a competitive team with the realistic goal of making a play to chase down the Stanley Cup year after year.

Shero and the Penguins will certainly push hard for Parise and might even be a favorite to sign the star winger if New Jersey can’t retain him, but half the league will be after Parise as well. If Pittsburgh can’t reel him in or he isn’t willing to sacrifice maximum salary for a chance to play with Crosby, what is Plan B?

After Parise, the list of unrestricted free agent forwards is uninspiring. P-A Parenteau seems to the be flavor of the week in Pittsburgh and other cities desperate for answers at forward, but the Islanders winger benefited from playing alongside John Tavares. Parenteau is a nice complimentary winger at his $1.25 million cap hit from last season, but he won’t be worth the inflated offers he’s set to receive on July 1.

On Saturday at the draft, Bylsma described the characteristics that he feels make up the ideal goal-scoring winger for Crosby: 'You look for the speed, the aggressiveness, the attack on the puck, the confidence to play with a star like that.”

Those attributes aren’t easy to find and teams that possess players of that mold aren’t apt to give them up. If the Penguins can’t sign Parise, Shero needs to find a situation where a promising, young winger needs a change of scenery. Shero needs to focus his attention on Chris Stewart.

Stewart exploded onto the NHL scene when he scored 28 goals in 2009, his second season with the Colorado Avalanche. At 6-foot-2, 230 pounds, Stewart had the makings of the next great goal-scoring power forward…

…and then he was traded to St. Louis.

The blockbuster deal, also involving Erik Johnson and Kevin Shattenkirk, shocked the hockey world and left Stewart with a bitter taste in his mouth. In 26 games with St. Louis in 2011 after the trade, Stewart pumped in 15 goals and looked determined to prove his former team wrong.

But Blues coach Davis Payne was fired after just 13 games last season and in came Ken Hitchcock with a highly-structured and disciplined defensive system. Stewart lost his swagger, stopped crashing the net, and tumbled down the depth chart under Hitchcock. Demotions to the fourth line and even the occasional healthy scratch wasn’t enough to get Stewart back on track and he finished the season with just 15 goals and 15 assists in 79 games.

Local media suggested Stewart didn’t have the best conditioning habits, but I also saw a player who was over-thinking on the ice instead of simply reacting to the play.

Stewart played under Penguins assistant coach Tony Granato in Colorado (T Sanford/THW)

Colorado employs a style very reminiscent of the Penguins: run-and-gun, defensemen joining the rush, quick transition hockey. Stewart excelled in this system.

Hitchcock demands a very different type of player. That’s not to say Stewart can’t develop into a ‘Hitchcock guy’. Because of Stewart’s early-career success, most fans around the league forget he’s only 24 years old. The problem is he might not get the opportunity to ever show he can fit with the Blues under Hitchcock.

St. Louis (much like Dallas prior to the James Neal trade) is already loaded with talented wingers. On top of that, General Manager Doug Armstrong finally convinced prized prospect Vladamir Tarasenko to come over from Russia for next season. One thing is for certain: Tarasenko isn’t making the jump to spend the year riding buses in Peoria of the AHL.

Jaden Schwartz, another 20-year-old with plenty of offensive upside, will be fighting for a roster spot next season as well. Stewart will be looking to impress after recently signing a one-year, $3 million ‘prove yourself’ extension with the Blues, but there’s simply not a lot of room on the roster for him to do that.

Once Armstrong re-signs RFA’s TJ Oshie and David Perron, it makes sense for him to deal Stewart to a team like Pittsburgh that better suits his style of play and needs scoring on the wing. Stewart’s size, strength, underrated speed, and willingness to drop the gloves to protect his teammates makes him the perfect fit on Crosby’s line.

If conditioning was a concern, Stewart is taking steps this offseason to address that. He told reporters he plans to train with Matt Nichols in Toronto over the summer and confidently admitted, “I think this is probably the biggest summer of my career.”

Stewart will have something to prove and could be poised to explode like Neal did with Pittsburgh last season. If he does, Shero will still be able to keep Stewart in the fold at a reasonable price because Stewart will only be a restricted free agent next summer.

Pittsburgh won’t be the only team after Stewart — if he is in fact on their radar. Teams are more likely to take a chance on a player that’s already proven he can score in the league as opposed to a prospect with potential to do it some day. Doug Armstrong was just named General Manager of the Year for a reason and he’ll be looking to fill a roster hole in any Stewart deal.

Armstrong told Blues beat writer Jeremy Rutherford that he’s searching for a veteran defenseman to play on the left side with budding young star Alex Pietrangelo:

“We want to find a top-four defenseman,” Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said. “If we could add one player that we feel really comfortable about being in the four, then we really feel good about our group.

“When I view a top-four player, it’s someone that’s a 5-on-5 player obviously and potentially touch both ends of the special teams.”

Hitchcock admitted last season that he was studying teams that break the puck out successfully like Pittsburgh, San Jose, and Vancouver, and noticed a common thread. He said all of those teams spend as little time as possible in their own end and look to turn the puck up ice quickly and efficiently with a strong first breakout pass.

In Rutherford’s article, Hithcock confirmed he’s looking for a specific skillset in any defenseman they bring in: “Whoever we find there has to be a player that can help [Pietrangelo] move the puck. Their ability to exit the zone quickly is going to be really important.”

That’s funny. The Blues need a left-handed, top-four veteran defenseman who can skate and make a solid breakout pass? And Shero happens to be receiving calls on Paul Martin, who played well enough in New Jersey’s defensively-responsible system to secure a $25 million dollar deal on the open market?

If the Penguins can’t land Parise, going after Stewart makes sense.

___________________________________________

Email: MJColligan@TheHockeyWriters.com

Twitter: @MikeColligan

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Top 5 Worst Free Agent Signings of 2011

Ville Leino Sabres

(Micheline/SynergyMax)

The NHL free-agency is just days away, and at this moment every NHL team is likely going over how they will approach this, ever important, time of the off-season.

Will they make a run at trying to sign Zach Parise or Ryan Sutter, this year's big names? Or, how much money will they offer that role player that will fill a fourth or third line spot, are likely questions being tossed around the front offices of all 30 NHL teams.

When making these deals, most will hope they turn out like those that made The Hockey Writers' Top 5 Free Agent Signings Of 2011, a list that included the likes of Mike Smith, Michael Ryder and Brian Elliott, all players that did what they were expected of and more.

When these offers are agreed upon, and the ink on that new contract dries, general managers across the league will hope they made the right decision, their contracts will pay off and they won't be on this list come next year.

So let's take a look back, and feel a bit of sympathy, for those who at this time last year thought they were making the best decision possible.

Top 5

1. Buffalo Sabres-Ville Leino (6 years, $27,000,000)

Let's start this list off with a bang, and perhaps the biggest bust of last year's free-agency, Ville Leino. The Buffalo Sabres went into last year's free-agency like kids in a candy store because they finally had something they hadn't in quite some time, money. A sizeable amount of that new-found money went into Leino's six year contract, that has him making $27,000,000 over that time. Compare that to his two-year contract that he had with the Philadelphia Flyers that paid out $1,600,000. Ouch.

Looking at Leino, there is no way to spin that he had even a remotely positive impact with his new team. Leino was brought into the Sabres' locker room in hopes of being a number one center, a scenario that never played out. Leino played in 71 games and only recorded eight goals and 25 points for the Sabres last season, 25 very expensive points. Leino's poor play resulted in his bouncing from line-to-line and never having a real connection with any of his line-mates.

The questions now is, can Leino rebound and once again play like the Leino that notched 53 points the season before he signed with the Sabres, or will the Sabres be throwing away money for the next five years?

2. Carolina Hurricanes-Tomas Kaberle (3 years, $12,750,000)

Before we get started on Kaberle, this has to be mentioned. If a general manager, in this case Jim Rutherford, general manager of the Hurricanes, openly admits to making a mistake in signing a player, it has to be a doozy. That is exactly what Rutherford said in interview with Brady and Lang on Sportsnet 590 The Fan.

'Based on where the team was at, it wasn’t the direction that I should’ve gone in,” Rutherford commented.

Rutherford signed Kaberle to a three-year contract, a contract that would pay him $12.75 million over the duration of those three years.

Just how bad was this contract? Kaberle only played in 29 games for the Hurricanes, in which he recorded nine points, all assists, and racked up a horrid minus-12 rating before getting traded to the Montreal Canadiens.

Fortunately, Rutherford was able to find a place to dump this mistake and trade Kaberle, which brought in veteran Jaroslav Spacek from the Canadiens. Luckily for the Hurricanes, they won't have to suffer through the rest of this contract, the Canadiens will.

3. Florida Panthers-Scottie Upshall (4 years, $14,000,000)

It is easy to see the upside that Panthers' general manager, Dave Tallon, saw when he signed the 28-year old Canadian. Before last season, Upshall had eclipsed the 30 point mark three times in his career, two of those times coming in the previous two seasons. Upshall had set career highs in goals (22) and points (34) the season before, when he spent time with Phoenix Coyotes and Columbus Blue Jackets. If only a player's future play were as easy to predict as looking over their stats from the past.

Upshall missed a total of 54 games due to injury last season; he missed 30 games between Nov. 13 and Jan. 18 with a hip injury and missed 24 games from Feb.1 to Mar.20 while recovering from surgery to remove a sports hernia. These injuries resulted in Upshall's only recording two goals and five points, in 26 games played.

Upshall did return late in the season and played during the playoffs. There is still time for Upshall to turn this contract around and not have it be a complete failure, hopefully he can avoid the injury bug.

Simon Gagne Kings

(Rich Kane/Icon SMI)

4. Los Angeles Kings-Simon Gagne (2 years, $7,000,000)

His history was apparent, everyone knows Gagne is a certified band-aid and has a past littered with injuries. Despite his troubled past, that includes a 57 game absence during the '07-'08 season due to a concussion, Kings' general manager, Dean Lombardi, saw Gagne as a solution to their problem on left-wing and signed him to two-year contract.

Sure enough, Gagne went down with an upper body injury and missed the final 46 games of the regular season with concussion like symptoms. During his 34 games played, Gagne lit the lamp just seven times and recorded only 17 points.

Gagne did return for the four games before the Kings won the Stanley Cup, but recorded zero points and averaged a minimal 8:03 time on ice.

Needless to say, the Gagne project has not played out the way Lombardi had hoped. With the success the Kings had while Gagne was out of the line-up, the question of how important Gagne is in the whole scheme of things may come up in the future.

5. New York Islanders-Marty Reasoner (2 years, $2,700,000)

It is often apparent why a player is signed, and what his role will be once he walks into the locker room. That was the case with Reasoner, a veteran guy, who was brought in to bring experience to a younger line-up. He was not expected to light up the score sheet, but be a role player and a player most could look up to. Although he wasn't expected to do much, he was expected to perform better than he did.

Reasoner ended the season with one goal and six points in 61 games played. However, the haunting stat was his minus-25 rating. When looking at Reasoner's play it can be taken that he did more harm than good, harm for an Islanders team that had very little good all around.

With the salary that Reasoner is making, this is not the biggest loss. But, in order for this to not be a complete bust, he has to turn things round, or at least cause less damage in his own end of the final year of his contract.

Honorable Mentions:

Marco Sturm

(Wikimedia Commons)

Vancouver Canucks-Marco Sturm (1 year, $2,250,000)

Sturm entered the free agency the way any ageing player would. He only pursued places that he wanted to play. He ultimately ended up with the Canucks, and a contract that wasn't over the top. Then the season started.

After just six games, Sturm was shipped to Florida in a deal that brought David Booth to Vancouver. This deal wasn’t so much a bad one on the team's side but for Sturm. Sturm went into the situation wanting to play for the Canucks, and was basically slapped in the face and traded away just six games into the season. Sturm will become a free agent again on July 1st, let's hope he has better luck this year.

Edmonton Oilers-Cam Barker (1 year, $2,250,000)

Barker got paid quite a bit of money to do little to nothing last season. Barker played only 25 games for the Oilers last season and recorded a minuscule two points, both assists, but he did manage to break even in his plus/minus.

Here's the interesting thing about Barker. He missed 35 games due to an ankle injury, the rest of the games he missed due to him, well, not being too great of a defenseman. Barker was taken third overall by the Blackhawks in the '04 Entry Draft but has been on a steady decline over the last few seasons, seeing points and ice time drop dramatically.

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Rookie cards of the 2012 Hall of Fame class

Four former players were inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame earlier this week: Pavel Bure, Mats Sundin, Adam Oates and Joe Sakic. One fun collecting idea is to collect a rookie card from every player in the Hall of Fame. For those who have not bought hockey cards before, the term rookie card (abbreviated as RC) is understood to mean a player’s first appearance on a licensed NHL trading card. Some RCs run in the hundreds (like Wayne Gretzky) or even thousands (like Bobby Orr) of dollars. But cards of this year’s inductees won’t set you back that much. In fact, you can score an RC of each player in this year’s HOF class and still have change from your twenty.

Pavel Bure
Rookie Card:
1990-91 Upper Deck #526
Average Cost on eBay:
$1.50 to $2.00

“The Russian Rocket” appeared on his first NHL hockey card in the 1990-91 Upper Deck set. Bure is pictured as a member of the Soviet Union Junior Team, as this card came out a season before he made his debut with the Vancouver Canucks.  This card was released at the start of the “junk wax era” – where hockey cards were grossly overproduced – so it won’t cost you much. The “French” version of this card tends to sell for around $5, which is great if you read French. For the rest of us, the normal, English-language version of the card (around $2) will suffice.

Mats Sundin
Best Rookie Card: 1990-91 O-Pee-Chee Premier #114
Average Cost on eBay: $2.50 to $3.50

Mats Sundin was the first European taken first overall in an NHL draft when the Quebec Nordiques selected him in 1989. He played 2 more years in Sweden before joining the Nordiques for the 1990-91 season. In anticipation, several companies made cards of Sundin for their respective 1990-91 sets, and vary quite a bit in their photo selection. His Upper Deck RC shows a fresh-faced Sundin at the ’89 draft, while his Score rookie card shows him playing for Team Sweden. The first card to picture Sundin actually playing for the Nordiques was in the O-Pee-Chee Premier Hockey set that year. It is his most “valuable” (if you can call it that) rookie card, which tops out at around $5.

Adam Oates
Best Rookie Card:
1987-88 O-Pee-Chee #123
Average Cost on eBay:
$7.50

Adam Oats was the top assist man in his heyday of the early-to-mid 1990s. His deft playmaking abilities helped Brett Hull and Cam Neely score lots of goals. Sadly, scoring a ton of assists is never as cool as scoring a ton of goals. Thus, Oates’ rookie cards are not as pricey as the RCs of his contemporaries – at least not yet. That might change now that he is in the Hall. Oates had rookie cards issued in both the Topps and O-Pee-Chee hockey sets from 1987-88, but it is the latter that is more sought out by collectors, averaging for around $7.50.

Joe Sakic
Best Rookie Card:
1989-90 Topps #113
Average Cost on eBay:
$3.00

While Oates’ O-Pee-Chee rookie card is more valued than its Topps counterpart, the opposite is true for Joe Sakic. In 1989-90, the O-Pee-Chee card company – responding to the growing demand for hockey cards – went back to the press and flooded the market with that year’s set. This makes Sakic’s Topps RC slightly less common than his O-Pee-Chee card. But make no mistake – there are plenty of these to go around. Sakic’s first card, which shows him while he still wore number 88, will cost you around  $2 or $3. Then again, you can get the entire 1989-90 set of cards (Topps or O-Pee-Chee) for about $10.

Note that the prices listed above are average sale prices on eBay from the past 60 days and don’t count shipping charges or taxes, if any. There are no guarantees that you will find the cards for the exact amounts stated above, and professionally graded cards will cost more.

But these cards are not in short supply, so the prices listed above should serve as a good starting point for the aspiring collector.

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Jonathan Quick Agrees to Ten-Year Extension with LA

Though he can't sign it until Sunday according to the Collective Bargaining Agreement, Jonathan Quick has agreed to terms on a ten-year extension with the Los Angeles Kings.  The deal is expected to be front loaded and will carry a cap hit of $5.8 million per year according to Renaud Lavoie of RDS.  To sum up how the Kings’ twitter guys feel:

 

 

On the face of the deal, this was important for General Manager Dean Lombardi to take care of.  At the age of 26, Quick is clearly their franchise goalie, coming off of a Vezina nomination, Stanley Cup win, and Conn Smythe win.  But is it really as glorious as Kings fans may think it is?  Here's a look at the pros and cons:

 

Pros:

The Obvious:  Jonathan Quick is likely a King for life.  After putting together the best season of his career and setting a multitude of career and franchise records, he has earned an extension and Kings fans will be ecstatic to keep him around.

In one month, Quick has won the Cup, Conn Smythe, and agreed to a 10 year deal. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE)

The Price:  Quick's cap hit will be $5.8 million per year.  To put that into perspective, he will have the 7th highest cap hit amongst goalies in the NHL.  Ahead of him: Pekka Rinne (7), Henrik Lundqvist (6.875), Cam Ward (6.3), Ryan Miller (6.25), Niklas Backstrom (6), and Miikka Kiprusoff (5.833).  After looking through the stats and achievements of those goaltenders, it's safe to say that Quick's cap hit is reasonable in comparison.

Security at the Most Important Position:  After an anomaly in 2010, when Antti Niemi and Michael Leighton took their teams to the Stanley Cup Final, the past two years have demonstrated that goaltending is a prime position again.  Tim Thomas was the key to the Bruins Cup run a year ago as he won the Conn Smythe and now Jonathan Quick has performed the same feat this year.  If Quick maintains a respectable level of play, GM Dean Lombardi will have his most important position taken care of for a decade.

 

Cons:

Unpredictability of Goaltenders: Only two other goalies have received deals of 10+ years ' Roberto Luongo and Rick DiPietro.  Luongo is on the trading block and DiPietro has been an injury nightmare, so it is clear that neither long term deal worked out.  Also, a look around the NHL quickly demonstrates how very few goalies are great consistently.  Jose Theodore won a Hart trophy and Vezina at the age of 26 in 2002.  His numbers since then have never come close to matching that award winning year.  Will it be possible for Quick to maintain this level?

Signing While the Price is High: Though the Kings and Quick wanted to get a new deal done this offseason, it wasn't a necessity with a year left on his current contract.  So essentially, the Kings rushed to get this deal done while Quick was possibly at the peak of his popularity and play.  This was a risky move for the Kings because if Quick's play drops off next season (which is certainly a possibility with how extraordinarily well he played this year), they likely paid him more than they needed to at the detriment to their team's salary cap future.  Instead of following the old adage of buy low/sell high, the Kings just bought high.

Another Long Deal:  Quick becomes the 4th Kings player locked up beyond the 2018-2019 season (joining Doughty, Carter, and Richards).  With a new CBA in the works, and cap uncertainty for the future, Dean Lombardi might be handcuffing his roster flexibility in the future.  It may not make a difference now, but it will be something to think about during the next few years as Voynov, Brown, and Kopitar look for extensions that might clash with the others.

 

Final Thoughts:

- As CBA negotiations get under way, there has been some talk about limiting the length of deals like this one.  Therefore, the Kings and Quick may have lucked out (and planned it out) in agreeing to a long term contract that may not be allowed under the new CBA next year.  This may be one of the last 'retirement' type contracts that we see in the NHL.

- Though the future terms of the salary cap are unpredictable, one thing is certain: $5.8 million now is worth less than $5.8 million in 10 years due to inflation and other economic factors.  If the cap continues to rise through the next CBA, this deal may be a downright bargain compared to other goaltenders in a few years.

- Personally, I think it is unreasonable to assume Quick can maintain his level of play from last season and last year's playoffs into this contract.  With that being said however, I believe it will be a great contract for him and the Kings as he will remain a top 10 goalie in the NHL.

 

So what do you think hockey fans, does this deal make sense?

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Edmonton a Good Fit for Justin Schultz

Open season on Justin Schultz has begun.

He cannot officially sign with a team until July 1st, but negotiations have begun in earnest.

Holding court in Newport Sports Toronto office with his representatives, there are many teams that are sending an entourage and rolling out the red carpet to try and convince Schultz to sign with their club.

Not exactly standard procedure for a player who has yet to play a shift in the NHL, however teams are convinced Justin Schultz is no ordinary college defenceman.

Exposing a loophole in the current, expiring CBA, Schultz has been able to become a free agent without playing a single professional game.  Following the footsteps of Blake Wheeler, where, like Wheeler he played a year in the BCHL  before three years of college hockey at the University of Wisconsin.

While over half the league has interest in the 21 year old defenceman, frontrunners are believed to include the Oilers, Blackhawks, Canucks, Leafs, Red Wings, Rangers and to a lesser extent the Senators, Flames and Flyers.

Where will Justin Schultz land after July 1st? (David Stluka/Icon SMI)

There are many things that make Schultz an attractive acquisition for an NHL team.  He’s a smooth skating, offensive defenceman that can play a complete game and is as polished a prospect as there is in the game.  There is also the fact that he is 21 years old.  Drafted 43rd overall in 2008 by the Anaheim Ducks, he’s young enough to still be considered a blooming prospect, but mature enough to predict that he will be an impact NHL defenceman. Playing three years in college has enabled him to round out his game, which makes him more of a known commodity than an 18 year defenceman coming out of the draft.

The other part is that Schultz cannot command more than a 2 year, $925,000 salary, which is still entry level dollars.  It is also the reason why the interview process in Toronto this week is so vital and why teams are sending in the big guns.  Teams must sell the fact that Schultz will have ample playing time and opportunity in key areas, most likely the powerplay.

Teams such as the Leaf, Rangers and Red Wings will try and lure him with former Wisconsin teammates like Jake Gardiner (Toronto), Derek Stepan and Ryan McDonagh (New York) or Brendan Smith (Detroit).  Ironically though, the three previously mentioned defenceman could also be stumbling blocks as Schultz will be in a very similar situation as a young up and coming defenceman and could compete with them for playing time and a depth chart slot.

The majority of teams will convince Schultz that he will be able to step right into top four minutes and have a chance to succeed immediately.

The leading candidate in that case you would have to think is the Edmonton Oilers.

'He has a heck of a lot of interest, for good reason,' said Oilers general manager Steve Tambellini. 'We hope to take a good swing at him. We have our ideas how we can present a pretty good opportunity for the young man.'

He could very easily step into big minutes and be a top four defenceman right away.  He would likely join Jeff Petry, Ladislav Smid and Ryan Whitney in that scenario.  He would also step in and immediately be their powerplay quarterback. and would have the opportunity of potentially being part of something special, not to mention putting up big numbers, playing with Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Nail Yakupov.

He is also a great fit for Edmonton.  As well as the reasons above, the Oilers could really use someone like Schultz for the fact that they passed on a top tier defenceman at last week’s draft and took Nail Yakupov.  With opinions still certainly split on their decision, they decided they just couldn’t pass up a talent like Yakupov, but in the process lost out on a potential franchise defenceman.

If they could sign Schultz, it would go a long way towards remedying that, and he would likely have as much potential to turn into a star defenceman as any of the draft prospects.

President Kevin Lowe and new VP Craig MacTavish were Toronto yesterday to meet with Schultz and his camp, trying to woo him with those very arguments.

All reports suggest the Oilers have as good a shot as anyone in the league, and if the Oilers group in Toronto are successful, Edmonton and Justin Schultz has the making of a match made in heaven.

 

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Two Minutes with Cody Ceci

Cody Ceci may be one of the few '12 draft eligibles to crack the Team Canada Roster (Aaron Bell/OHL Images)

The Ottawa Senators have a ton of reasons to be optimistic heading towards the future.  2012 draft pick Cody Ceci is one of the biggest.

Ceci, a 6'2', 200-lb defenseman who played last season with the Ottawa 67s Ontario Hockey League club, has all the makings of a top NHL defenseman.  He has an offensive touch, knows how to stay in position after moving the puck, and can quarterback a power play.  The Senators wasted no time in drafting the Ottawa native (he was raised in Orleans, a community of Ottawa) fifteenth overall in this past draft.  In fact, the Senators were shocked he was available at all when the fifteenth spot rolled around.

'I saw a couple teams pass up on me,' Ceci said about his draft experience.  'I saw Ottawa on the board and it was getting closer and closer, so I was getting more and more excited.  When I finally heard my name called, it was a pretty special moment for me and my family, because they wanted me home.'

'I honestly never thought he would be available at 15,' said Ottawa general manager Bryan Murray after the draft.  Ceci was ranked sixth when the final Central Scouting rankings came out ahead of the draft.

Of course, the Senators are starting to stockpile some young talent.  Goalie Robin Lehner is projected to have a sparkling NHL career, while forwards Mark Stone and Mika Zibanejad are expected to be key blocks in the foundation the Senators are building.  Adding Ceci gives the Sens another young defenseman to build around.

'I think I'm a two-way defenseman, I like to get up in the play,' Ceci commented during the development camp held in Kanata.  'At the same time, I've been playing against top lines in major junior, I think I've been doing a good job at shutting guys down, at the same time pushing the pace of the play.'

Anyone who is around Cody Ceci for any length of time can't help but be struck by his enthusiasm.  His love of the game shines forth in every word he speaks, and his energy level will only help his efforts to make the team in September.

Ceci knows much is expected of him, especially being a native of Ottawa.

'There's a lot of pressure from all my friends and family to try to make the team, and if I do make the team, to play well every game,' he said of the added challenge of playing in front of people he's known his whole life.  'They'll be watching even closer than they would if I was playing across the globe somewhere.  They've been pretty happy with what I've accomplished.'

Barring any complications from this summer's CBA negotiations, training camps start in September.  Expectations were high before Ceci was drafted, and rightfully so.  The Senators are already ahead of the curve in terms of where the experts had them finishing.  A few bounces last April, and perhaps it would have been the Senators playing into May, not the Rangers.  No one expected Ottawa to be in the playoffs, let alone stretching the top Eastern team to seven games.

Now they add Cody Ceci into the mix.  The Senators are slowly putting all the pieces together in a slow but steady rebuilding process.  It should be a promising summer, as Senator fans wait to see what Murray does at the annual free agent frenzy.  Given his track record, no one should expect Murray to make any kneejerk transactions.  Rather, they can expect the same patient approach he took at the 2012 Entry Draft, that same approach that welcomed Ceci into the fold.

Patience.  After all, good things come to those who wait.  Cody Ceci is living proof of this.

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Kamis, 28 Juni 2012

Capitals Name Adam Oates Head Coach

The Capitals will hit the ice at Verizon Center in the 2012-13 season with a new voice behind the bench. (Tom Turk/THW)

From behind the bench during the Stanley Cup Finals as an assistant coach of the New Jersey Devils, to the Hockey hall of Fame all in the month of June, it just doesn’t get anymore exciting then that right? Well, in Adam Oates’s case, it does. Add Head Coach of the Washington Capitals to the list. After an extensive process by General Manager George McPhee to find the right coach to replace former head coach Dale Hunter, look no further then another former red shirt.

It wasn’t long after the Washington Capitals were ousted by the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference semi-finals, that Dale Hunter decided it was best to return home to Canada to spend more time with his family. The search was officially on for Capitals management to find a coach with the ideal hockey mind to take on a team led by super star Alex Ovechkin.

Today though, at 3pm at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC, the Capitals made it official, introducing Adam Oates as their new Head Coach.

“You want intelligent guys running the bench,”George McPhee said when addressing the media. “A guy like Bill Belicheck in New England, he’s a bright guy, and you try and get the smartest guy in the room. And I just think, with Adam’s understanding of the game, his ability to articulate it, he can be that guy.”

Oates attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) on a scholarship. He played three seasons for the Engineers from 1982-1985, making the all star team each year. Eventually the 5’11 center found himself signing with the Detroit Red Wings as an undrafted free agent with a management degree to show for.

Oates appeared in 1337 NHL regular season games compiling 341 goals and 1420 points with the likes of the Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues, Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, Philadelphia Flyers, Anaheim Ducks, and the Edmonton Oilers.

“Our philosophy has been to go in there and to try to find the difference makers, try to find the players with the most upside and really swing for the fences,” McPhee said. And that’s what we tried to do here. And we believe Adam Oates has the most upside and can be the real difference maker.”

The Caps new coach received a phone call from an enthusiastic Alex Ovechkin.

“It meant a lot to me,” Oates said. “He was very excited on the phone and I was very excited.”

It has been an exciting month for the newest head coach of the Washington Capitals. It’s time for Oates to bring some of that good luck to DC.

Washington Capitals Notebook

Today the Washington Capitals traded the rights to defensemen Dennis Wideman to the Calgary Flames in exchange for defensemen Jordan Henry and a 5th round pick in the 2013 NHL entry draft. Henry is due to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st.

Dennis Wideman has agreed to terms with the Calgary Flames on a five- year deal worth 26.0 million.

 Follow me on Twitter @ DarrenCoslov  

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Top 5 Best Free Agent Signings of 2011

Mike Smith Coyotes

Mike Smith was signed by the Phoenix Coyotes last summer (Ric Tapia/Icon SMI)

With the NHL free-agency period fast approaching, the talk of the NHL is set to where the big name free-agents will end up.  Ryan Suter, Zach Parise and Alexander Semin are just a few of the names that are being floated around every NHL city.

Sometimes, the best free-agent signings may not even be one of the big guns.  Certain guys can sneak under the radar and turn out to be quite the impact player for his new team.  On the flipside, the big time player could turn out to be a big time flop.

Just ask the New York Islanders about Alexei Yashin.

Still, free-agent period is one of the most important times of the year for every NHL club.  Every team is always looking to improve; free-agency could be the deal-breaker when playoff time rolls around.

Last summer, there were 157 professional players that switched NHL clubs via free-agency.  Not all were impact but not all were busts, either.

Grab your Delorean, it's time to take a look at the top five free-agent signings from 2011.

Smith helped the Coyotes receive their 1st Pacific Division Title in franchise history (Matt Kartozian-US PRESSWIRE)

1.  Phoenix Coyotes ' Mike Smith (2 years, $4 million)

One of the best stories of the season came out of Phoenix.  Former GM of the Year winner and Coyotes GM Don Maloney had quite the problem heading into the summer of 2011 since long-time Coyotes starting goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov wanted a big contract.  With the Coyotes' unstable ownership situation and financial troubles, the Coyotes had to move him to the Philadelphia Flyers before free-agency began.  There was an extremely short list of possible NHL starters and Mike Smith was at the bottom of the list, according to most NHL experts.

Coyotes Head Coach Dave Tippett had coached Smith in his time in Dallas a few years before.  He and Goaltender Coach Sean Burke agreed that Smith could be a quality starter, despite his inconsistency in parts of four seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Smith was signed on July 1 and was penciled in as the starter, since backup Jason LaBarbera was still in the mix.  The response to this was that Maloney and the Coyotes had taken a huge step back.

How did Smith and the Coyotes do this season?  The team that everyone had counted out finished first in the Pacific Division, clinching their first Division Title in franchise history.  Smith recorded a .930 save percentage (tied for 3rd in the league), 2.21 GAA (7th in the league) with 8 shutouts (tied for 3rd in the league).  His 38-18-10 record was phenomenal even after factoring in his competition.

The playoffs were even a bigger success than the regular season.  Smith was one of only three goalies to finish the playoffs with a GAA lower than 2.00.  His .944 save percentage was second to only Conn Smythe winner Jonathan Quick.  He tied Quick and Vezina Trophy winner Henrik Lundqvist with three shutouts.  This was all in an effort that took the Coyotes to their only Western Conference Final in team history.

Brian Elliott Blues

Brian Elliott appeared in 8 playoff games for the St. Louis Blues (Scott Rovak-US PRESSWIRE)

2.  St. Louis Blues ' Brian Elliott (1 year, $600,000)

What will go down as one of the biggest bargains in NHL history, the Blues signed either a replacement for the departed backup Ty Conklin or the starting goalie for the Peoria Rivermen of the AHL.  Either way, Elliott rose above the low expectations in 2011-12.

In training camp, Elliott was slated as the #3 goaltender on the Blues' depth chart.  Jaroslav Halak was expected to be the top minute-getter while youngster Ben Bishop was the top choice for the back-up role.  Elliott shined in camp and in the pre-season, stealing the back-up job from Bishop and earning a spot on the Blues' opening day roster.

But Elliott was not finished there.  After a dismal start to the season by Halak, Elliott stormed onto the scene and stole the hearts of Blues fans.  Elliott's brilliant play even jumpstarted Halak to take control of his game, as both goalies became the best 1-2 punch in the NHL.  Elliott was awarded a two-year, $3.6 million contract extension in January.  This unheralded success even gave the Blues the option to trade Bishop to the Ottawa Senators.

Elliott finished the season with the top-spot in GAA (1.56) and save percentage (.940) while also posting 9 shutouts, which was the second best total in the league.  He and Halak combined for 15 shutouts which tied a modern-day NHL record originally set by Chicago Blackhawks great Phil Esposito in 1969-70.  Elliott and Halak finished with the lowest goals-against in the league, winning the William M. Jennings Trophy.

Michael Ryder Stars

Michael Ryder was a surprise find by the Dallas Stars last summer (Jeanine Leech/Icon SMI)

3.  Dallas Stars ' Michael Ryder (2 years, $7 million)

After Ryder won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Boston Bruins in 2011, word spread that he would become a hot commodity in the free-agent market.  The Bruins agreed with Ryder that they would negotiate with him if he was unable to find a suitor willing to pay him what he wanted.  It didn't take long for Ryder to move on.

Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk announced on July 1 that the club agreed to terms with the right-winger on a two-year deal worth $3.5 million each season.  It was widely speculated that the Stars overpaid for a player that hadn't reached 30 goals since 2006-07.  The Stars needed offensive help since star Brad Richards had made it public that he would not return since he would be seeking a very expensive contract.  With a depleted offensive free-agent market, the Stars felt that they had to work with what they could afford.

The offense came from Ryder, as he finished the 2011-12 campaign with 35 goals, ranking first on the Stars' roster.  He would also add 27 assists and 62 points to help the Stars finish just 6 points out of the playoffs.  With the expectations that the Stars had heading into the season, that is a pretty good finish.

4.  Florida Panthers ' Tomas Fleischmann (4 years, $18 million)

One of many brilliant finds by Tallon, Tomas Fleischmann had a career year in 2011-12 in goals (27), assists (34) and points (61).  His goal and point totals set him atop the roster as the team-leader in both departments.

This came after Tallon was criticized for overpaying the then-27 year old.  Fleischmann, hailing from the Czech Republic, was considered being in the prime of his career and had already had stints with two separate teams (Washington and Colorado).  Fleischmann's highest goal total before 2011-12 was 23 (set in 2009-10 with the Capitals); he was also diagnosed the season before with having two blood clots in his lungs.  He played in just 45 games in 2010-11.

'We are excited to welcome Tomas Fleischmann to the Florida Panthers organization,' said Tallon last summer when signing the forward. 'Tomas is a big, hard-working winger that can play a variety of roles for our team and will add depth at the forward position.'

That depth became the go-to-guy in key situations.

Jose Theodore Panthers

Theodore's signing was one of the most debated last summer (Icon SMI)

5.  Florida Panthers ' Jose Theodore (2 years, $3 million)

With negotiations headed nowhere fast with starting goaltender Tomas Vokoun, Panthers GM Dale Tallon made the move on July 1 to lock up former Hart Trophy winner, Jose Theodore.  The veteran netminder had become a journeyman since leaving the Canadiens in 2006.  In the summer of 2010, Theodore was left unsigned after the Capitals cut him loose to free-agency.  He earned a job in Minnesota just before the regular season started, only because backup goalie Josh Harding had to undergo season-ending hip surgery.  Theodore posted a 15-11-3 record with a 2.71 GAA and an unimpressive .882 save percentage in 32 games.  Needless to say, Tallon's decision seemed rash.

But Theodore quieted the critics almost immediately as two months into the season, the Panthers were in the driver's seat, sitting pat as the Southeast Division leader on December 1.  Theodore's goaltending was not the only reason for the Panthers' early success; the Panthers had 10 new players added to their roster via free-agency or trade to start the 2011-12 season.

Theodore finished the 2011-12 campaign with a 2.46 GAA and a .917 save percentage, including 3 shutouts.  After the Panthers captured their first division title in franchise history, the Southern Florida hockey team lost in 7 games to the eventual Eastern Conference Champion New Jersey Devils.  This long series was due in large part to Theodore's 30-save, 3-0 shutout victory in Game 5.

Honorable mentions

Washington Capitals ' Joel Ward (4 years, $12 million)

After scoring 6 goals and 13 points in the 2011 playoffs for the Nashville Predators, Ward hinted that he could be a big-game player.  He signed a contract with the Washington Capitals, who seemed to be lacking players with game-breaking potential.

Ward, used mostly as a gritty third and fourth line winger, scored just 6 goals in 73 games for the Capitals in the regular season.  But that is not what gets him an honorable mention; along with Ward's checking presence, he scored one of the biggest goals in recent Capitals history.  During the Capitals playoff run, which saw them fall to the New York Rangers in 7 games during the second round, Ward scored the series-clinching goal in the Capitals' first round upset of the Boston Bruins in overtime of Game 7.  While one goal in the playoffs may not be all that exciting, Ward was able to catapult a team in the playoffs that needed something to give their fans after years of playoff disaster.

Brad Richards Rangers

Richards signed a lengthy contract with the New York Rangers last summer (Geoff Burke-US PRESSWIRE)

New York Rangers ' Brad Richards (9 years, $60 million)

Brad Richards was the most highly sought-after free-agent last summer and it took a lot for the Rangers to lock him up.  It took so much that it currently makes Richards the highest paid player in the NHL.

While Richards may not be the clear-cut best player in the NHL, he does bring a lot to the Rangers' roster.  Because of his nose for the net and ability to find open linemates, Richards opens the ice up for his teammates to become more of a threat.  With Richards on the roster, Marian Gaborik was able to put 41 pucks in the net, ranking him third in the league.  Winger Ryan Callahan was able to have a career-year in goals (29), points (54) and power-play goals (13).  Richards was also able to have a pretty good season himself, posting 25 goals, 41 assists and 66 points in 82 games played.

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Hurricanes News: Jordan Staal Named Eric's Linemate; Contract Negotiations Get Underway

Carolina Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford has been saying for months that he has one major goal to accomplish this summer: find an elite player to skate alongside Eric Staal.

As of Wednesday, it appears that player will be Eric’s brother, Jordan'at least for now.

In a meeting with the press, head coach Kirk Muller indicated that the siblings will skate on the same line to begin the year, though that will be subject to change. Jordan was acquired from the Penguins last Friday for Brandon Sutter, Brian Dumoulin and the No. 8 pick in the 2012 NHL Draft.

'I think that's the great opportunity with training camp, is to experiment,' Muller said. 'We've got lots of (preseason exhibition) games. The first initial thing, right now, we definitely want to give them an opportunity to play together in those games and see if there's chemistry.'

'Lots of times, until you put guys together ' you know, you've got to get a feel for it. I know they have a little history from before. But I think it makes sense right now to start off with them and see how they work together.'

Jordan Staal Pittsburgh Penguins

Jordan is one of the best two-way forwards in the world, so there’s no reason to believe he’ll be displaced from the center position. Eric, on the other hand, found himself last in the NHL in plus/minus rating for most of the 2011-12 campaign. While it has yet to be set in stone, count on Eric moving to the wing while Jordan remains down the middle.

The elder Staal doesn’t have much experience away from the pivot, so it’ll be interesting to see how he responds to the switch. He was a winger for Team Canada in the 2010 Winter Olympics'finishing the tournament with 6 points (1 G, 5 A) in seven games'so it’s not like he’s completely inexperienced in that role.

Eric was also tested briefly at RW last year just before Paul Maurice was fired, and he faired well in the short-lived experiment. The captain told me that he 'felt OK on the wing,” back then, so odds are he isn’t 100 percent comfortable there quite yet. He’ll get there, and he’ll probably benefit from the lessened defensive responsibilities.

Now the question becomes who should skate with the Staals on the Canes’ top line. With so much offensive firepower between the brothers, any other forward on Carolina’s roster could work'from stars like Jeff Skinner to grinders like Anthony Stewart. In the end, it will all come down to chemistry. Training camp and preseason games will provide the coaching staff with the chance to mix and match different combinations, so expect to see a lot of guys take turns in that spot.

Jordan, Hurricanes Begin Contract Talks
Jordan Staal is signed for just one more season, so the Hurricanes want to lock him up as soon as possible. According to the News & Observer, negotiations between the two sides began on Monday.

'We had our initial conversation (Monday) night,' Rutherford said. 'Basically it was, 'We made the trade, we know everybody is happy, now we need to start talking long-term.' That being agreed on, now the work begins.'

The lingering collective bargaining issues, which include uncertainty over next year’s  salary cap figures, should have little to no affect on extension talks. If I had to guess, I’d say Jordan will end up inking a deal for between 5-7 years with a $6 million to $7 million annual average value.

Andrew Hirsh is a credentialed NHL writer based in North Carolina
Follow him on Twitter: @andrewhirsh | Email: ahirsh3@gmail.com 

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.