DobberHockey's Daily Ramblings

June 20, 2013

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:12:52 +0000

Here?s a behind-the-scenes look at the NHL salary arbitration process. I was invited to take part in the ?mock? arbitration hearing, and ended up facing off against Brian Burke. It was quite the experience to say the very least.

We are going to hear it a lot more in the coming days and weeks ? but this summer is going to be particularly crazy in terms of player movement (temporary cap drop, buyouts, and so on).

Last night's game was phenomenal. More goals doesn't always = more excitement... but that was exactly the case last night. Tuukka Rask made some great saves, but he still allowed six. Crawford's glove hand was shaky all game long, but he battled too.

Kane-Toews-Bickell were really good - Bickell opened up a lot of ice for them, and Kane, in particular, was flying.

Sharp was the best Blackhawk I thought. Made several great plays defensively and had several grade-A scoring chances.

Nick Leddy barely played - injury or poor performance? Chicago's other five defensemen were all pretty solid - perhaps Coach Q wanted to shorten the bench. If so, he sure did it early.

I respect the fact that he used to play the game, and I am sure he is a nice enough guy, but Glen Healy is absolutely painstaking as a color guy. More OT = more hockey, but it also = more Healy. Catch 22, if you will.

Patrice Bergeron won 400 faceoffs last night (this is just an approximate guess).

Hard to pull a ton of fantasy-relevant stuff from this series. Perhaps another great example of why veterans shouldn't be overlooked. Handzus and Rozsival are two guys who people overlooked when Chicago acquired them (particularly Handzus), and they have both had huge impacts on this series.

Seabrook's OT winner was almost an exact replica of his goal against the Wings in Game 7. Bomb of a point shot to the stick side.

Does Mark Arcobello have a legit shot at NHL minutes for the Oilers next year?

Right now, Arcobello is (certainly) behind just Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Sam Gagner, Shawn Horcoff and Eric Belanger on the team's center depth chart, but that's a position likely to undergo plenty of change.

Horcoff and Belanger likely aren't going to be back by the start of next season, Gagner may get moved to the wing, and some new faces are sure to arrive. As such, it makes any prediction pretty tough at this point, though the best-case scenario for Arcobello is likely an open competition between him, the 2013 first-round pick, and Anton Lander for the last spot.

The Lightning goaltending situation gets a bit less murky ? Jaroslav Janus will spend at least one more year in the KHL.

Helenius, Bishop, and Lindback all have one-way deals and would have to clear waivers for next year before getting sent down to the AHL. Helenius may be the odd man out, but he has a lot of talent and I wouldn?t count him out in the goalie battle.

Will the Penguins trade Kris Letang? It sure sounds like they are heading that direction. If they do, who would be the major winners? I imagine they would bring a defenseman back in some capacity ? Paul Martin is a very good two-way guy but there isn?t anyone on that roster to replace Letang. Derrick Pouliot has that upside, but he is still pretty raw.

Letang can become an unrestricted free agent in July 2014. He is the loaded sports car on a market full with owners looking for a hot ride.

He wants a no-movement clause, and that is another reason his fate as a future former Penguin likely is sealed.

Two teams to go ? the Capitals are up today

2013-14 sleeper pick: Tom Wilson

Wilson, who was profiled in my main page post yesterday, is a future multi-category stud. He?s skilled, big, and mean. He hits to hurt, and opposing defensemen in the NHL will soon learn his name. He has the upside to have a Lucic-type impact if everything breaks right for him.

Long term sleeper pick: Stanislav Galiev

Galiev has won three consecutive league titles (two in the QMJHL, and one in the ECHL). He has a ton of talent, and his work ethic is impressive as well. Galiev?s talent and skill set is typically Russian, and I mean that as a compliment. He has a deadly wrister, great hands, and tremendous patience with the puck.

Galiev had a great rookie season in the ECHL after struggling in the AHL ? 47 points in 46 games after posting only 1 in 17 games in the AHL. He is still at least two years away from the NHL ? needs to get a lot bigger and stronger ? but the talent is there.

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Big fan of Hunter Shinkaruk?s game ? I get a Jeff Skinner vibe from him. Different players, but I could see Shinkaruk making an immediate impact in the NHL within the next two years. He?s really skilled, surprisingly gritty, and puts in serious work in the gym.

"The biggest skill he has is his passion and his will to win. His work ethic is off the charts and he's a very intelligent offensive player. He loves the puck and has a desire to make things happen when he has it," said MacLean.

MacLean also added that he would not be at all surprised if Shinkaruk was playing on the first-line in the NHL in the very near future, with the possibility of cracking the lineup as early as next season.

I expect Joacim Eriksson to emerge as Cory Schneider?s backup in 2013-14. Eddie Lack has a one-way deal, but he?s been off the ice for a long time after undergoing hip surgery last season. Eriksson is more polished and based on scouting reports, seems ready to make the transition to the NHL.

"As you know our goaltending situation at this point is in flux," assistant general manager Laurence Gilman said Monday. "But we think that Eddie Lack and Joacim Eriksson both have the talent level to compete for the backup role.

"This player was highly sought after," Gilman said. "There were a number of teams vying for his services. We identified him early. (European scout) Lars Lindgren was very much pushing us to sign him ? we tried to sign him last year, actually. I saw him play in November and he's a very good goaltender, very athletic."

Some of Shinkaruk?s finest work (tell me you don?t see flashes of Patrick Kane):

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Grand Rapids won the AHL Calder Cup Final against Syracuse ? head coach Jeff Blashill is now expected to interview for the vacant position in Dallas.

Joe Sakic coming out and saying the Avs won?t take Seth Jones may seem a bit confusing, but to me it is simply a team trying to create leverage in a trade scenario. Sakic knows that the Panthers (who pick at #2) don?t want Jones ? they want a forward. So by saying that Colorado will take ?one of? the forwards? he is simply saying to Florida ? we will take your guy, so pony up for the pick.

Jonathan Bernier is (or will quickly become) the most overvalued asset in hockey. Good young goalie, sure, but there will be many better goaltenders available this summer. Bernier doesn?t make sense for a team wanting to win now, as his NHL experience is very limited.

That isn?t to say he can?t or won?t develop into an elite goalie, but right now that is just potential and upside.

For example, there were some rumblings of Toronto having interest. Why would they, with a superior goaltender already holding down the starting position?

Tuukka Rask needs to thank his agent for getting him to sign a one-year deal last summer. Cha-ching!

At $2.875 million per season, Logan Couture is a tremendous bargain (he has one year left on that deal). And at $6 million (his 2014-15 and beyond cap hit) he is? a tremendous bargain. Great work by Doug Wilson and the Sharks to get Couture locked up to both an agreeable term and a solid cap figure.

David Ullstrom has signed to play in the KHL next year. The big winger was set to become an RFA this summer. I?m a bit surprised by this ? I guess Ullstrom wasn?t happy with his lack of ice time in 2013? The Islanders have a number of good young forwards, but Ullstrom had/has a bright future as a two-way third line winger.

Mattias Tedenby signed a new one-year deal. The contract is one-way, which gives him a leg up on the competition at training camp.

A solid depth defenseman for multi-cat leagues ? Victor Bartley of the Predators ? re-upped for three years yesterday. Bartley had a very solid rookie season. He isn?t flashy and won?t put up a ton of points, but he has established himself as an everyday defenseman for Nashville (he averaged just shy of 20 minutes per night in 24 contests).

Having future multi-cat studs on your radar is a great way to get the leg up in your keeper league. There is very likely another Backes/Ott/Downie among this group here.

14 years ago yesterday:

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June 19, 2013

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 08:26:25 +0000

Ben Smith missed practice Tuesday for the Blackhawks. Coach Q would not say why. No matter, because Marian Hossa, out with what Aaron Ward of TSN suspects is a neck injury, is expected to play tonight.

Logan Couture has signed a five-year contract extension worth $30 million ($6 million per). He can't sign it until July 5 because he's already signed for next year.

Pavel Datsyuk's deal is for three years at $22.5 million. That locks him up for another four years, since he still has one year left on his seven-year deal, and it takes him to the age of 38. I wasn't worried about him leaving the league at this point. But after this next contract, then it becomes possible. He could definitely play until he's 40 or 42 - he's just one of those players. But he may want to go back to Russia. Until then, we're safe for four seasons.

Wow! Well done sir - Slava Voynov signed a six-year contract extension with the LA Kings. For $25 million bones. Again we have to wonder why there was a lockout - were the players really worried that their salary was going to go down?

Daniel Briere has been informed that he will be bought out. So he will be a free agent, and may be worth owning for when he plays on another team. He's still a Band-Aid Boy, but instead of 50 points in 70 games he may get 55, depending on the team.

Do you remember that crazy summer? The press conferences? July 1, 2007 - Daniel Briere, Chris Drury, Scott Gomez? ah the memories. So how'd that work out?

Yes, Briere was worth the money just from this three or so playoff magic years. That's what it boils down to I guess. Just found it funny that all three big signings were unable to see the contract through.

Corban Knight was acquired from the Panthers by Calgary for a fourth-round draft pick. He was drafted in the fifth round by the Panthers and given the high amount of prospect forwards in that "one-to-three" years before NHL readiness, some room needed to be made. So now the Panthers move up a round in the draft and reset the clock - the prospect they draft is obviously in the "four-to-six" years before NHL readiness.

Knight had 133 points in his last 124 games for U. of North Dakota - but his teammates included Danny Kristo and Rocco Grimaldi, so his numbers were influenced.

Chris Bourque has signed to play in the KHL.

Ditto for Tomas Vincour - the Avs had just traded Cameron Gaunce for that guy.

Anaheim defenseman Kyle Cumiskey, who took off to the riches of Europe last year, has come to an agreement with the Ducks and will join the team in the coming season. The 27-year-old once had seven goals and 20 points in 61 games for the Avalanche. Last year for MODO he had 32 points in 46 contests. His teammates on MODO included Ladislav Nagy (22 points), Mattias Ritola (24 points) and briefly Alex Steen (23 points in 20 games).

Down Goes Brown managed to get a copy of the Rangers head coaching job questionnaire?here.

Grand Rapids Griffins - your AHL Calder Cup champs. Tatar and Nyquist were big in the 5-2 win over Syracuse. Nyquist had a rocky start when he was sent down after the Wings were eliminated - two points and minus-4 in four playoff games. But then had five points in six games with an even rating.

Ondrej Palat was the playoff scoring champ - 26 points in 18 games. Tatar and Tyler Johnson were next at 21 points each.

Tomas Tatar was the Calder Cup MVP. Half a season. I give him half a season and he's on the Red Wings for good. Mark it! And the only reason for the delay is to just give Nyquist and Andersson a little longer to transition into the NHL.

Here is the footage of the Calder win and Tatar's MVP presentation:

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June 18, 2013

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 08:46:49 +0000

Danny Paille strikes again.

I like what Thornton does with his 6:27 of ice time - two shots, four hits and a blocked shot. The guy is sitting on the bench, hungry and willing to do anything.

Nathan Horton saw just 13 minutes of ice time - I'm thinking his shoulder is hurting. A lot. #Playoffs

Speaking of Horton, here is a random stat I saw on Twitter - since Aaron Rome took out Horton, Vancouver is 2-12 in the postseason.

And speaking of playing hurt - Jonathan Toews is obviously playing hurt. And was his hand wrapped in ice at one point? Cameras just flashed on it briefly. Despite the pain, he had five shots on goal. That being said, Toews has 11 points in his last 25 games.

Ben Smith was in the lineup because Marian Hossa was a late scratch. Hossa possibly has a sprained, broken or torn body part. Allegedly. #Playoffs

Still not officially announced yet - the Rangers deal with Alain Vigneault. Several sources, mostly TSN, report that the guy is getting a five-year deal worth around $10 million. Hey - they don't cap the staff, so if I'm a rich team I go out and get the best money can buy. From scouting, on up.

Also not done - a Mark Streit deal with the Flyers. It's done in principle, for four years and $21 million. But the Flyers need to clear cap space before it can be signed.

Nice reaction to my ramblings yesterday. I thought they sucked, but some of you didn't, so I'm pleased. I guess it's because the season is over so the available content isn't the same as January through May. Looks like I have to adjust to that again?until mid-September. But hey, anything beats the 'lockout' ramblings. Remember those?

The Red Wings are reportedly close to coming to terms with Pavel Datsyuk on a multi-year contract extension.

My THN column yesterday was the offseason look for Detroit and Dallas.

Rossy put up another good ramblings yesterday over at DobberProspects. Covering the Draft, of course.

Cristopher Nilstorp has signed a one-year contract with the Stars. It's a two-way deal - but that's his own fault. If he was even 'average', he could have gone to free agency and gotten a one-way contract to be somebody's backup. The 29-year-old was 1-3-1 with a 0.897 SV%.

Marco Scandella signed a two-year contract with the Wild. Get Scandella's profile here. He was an offensive defenseman in the Q, but as a pro he's lost offensive standing to Suter, Brodin and Spurgeon. I don't believe he'll ever be more than a 30-point guy.

Per Elliotte Freidman - Jonathan Bernier has switched agents to Pat Brisson. Brisson is also the agent for Mark Streit and Claude Giroux. Hmmmm?

Oh, and also the Flyers will probably buy out Ilya Bryzgalov. Hmmmm?

The Ottawa Senators are renaming their arena the Dobber Sports Centre.

I'm sorry? Oh. Apparently I was outbid. Canadian Tire Centre, then. I knew I should have thrown in a free guide.

Oh boy I wish they let this go - Zdeno Chara threw the 6-4, 233-pound Bryan Bickell to the ice like he was Marty St. Louis. But then he got up?and that could have been interesting.

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Coach's Corner:

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June 17, 2013

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 09:58:34 +0000

I'm going to assume that the reason for the delay in officially announcing Alain Vigneault as New York's next coach is because it was Father's Day Sunday. I would guess that there would be an announcement today. I don't guess that his presence will help Brad Richards any. And Rick Nash would probably get 75 next year with any coach - no coach can get much more out of him. It's some of the other players who will benefit from a new voice in the room - guys like Del Zotto.

I do have a tiny concern over Brassard. After all, he was flying under Tortorella. Messing with that could change things (and often does).

Remember Bill Thomas? Never got going, as you know. He finally gave up on the NHL and signed to play in the KHL.

Line combos last game for Boston, if you didn't catch them:

Horton - Krejci - Lucic

Marchand - Bergeron - Jagr

Kelly - Paille - Seguin

Daugavins - Peverley - Seguin (again)

These were the most common combos, per Frozen Pool. I thought Paille was fantastic. In fact, I thought he was great in the Pittsburgh series as well - not to mention that he had three points in the New York series. I remember being very interested in him as a prospect, and he actually had 19 goals and 35 points in 2007-08. But he never built on that and instead became a defensive specialist.

Line combos last game for Chicago:

Saad - Toews - Hossa

Sharp - Handzus - Kane

Shaw - Bolland - Bickell

Bollig - Kruger - Frolik

One loss and Coach Q bumps Bickell of the Kane line? as would any of us, given that they're running out of games to get it right.

No word on whether Mark Arcobello's one-year contract is a one-way deal. Generally when that news is hard to dig up, the answer is 'no'. The 24-year-old is another in a long list of small, skilled guys that I root for to get a shot. But it's not like the Oilers have a group of young forwards with high upside?plenty of room for him I'm sure. Yep.

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I heard a sports talk radio host harping on how great Corey Crawford is. And later in the segment he scoffed at the notion of Ray Emery starting and getting them this far. We can forgive his ignorance - as a sports host he needs to know about a variety of sports and thus is not exceptional in any one. But Crawford is an average goalie behind an elite coaching system. It's cut and dried - you don't need any more proof than what is staring you in the face. The radio host gave the answer outright, even if he didn't know it - Ray Emery's numbers were almost exactly the same. Why is that? They're not the same person, right? They're not equal in terms of talent, according to Mr. Radio Host. Yet the numbers match. Because it's the coaching style!

Coaching style and talent is a huge influence on a goalie. Do you think if Mike Smith went to Toronto instead of Phoenix, he would have had the same success last year? No, he thrived in Phoenix. He and Bryzgalov weren't magically turned into elite goaltenders in Phoenix. Coaching.

Nashville is another example. I mean - every goalie they brought on board was magically awesome? Chris Mason? Dan Ellis? That's why I've been able to identify good fantasy goaltenders in advance. I see the coaching system, and I see opportunities. Here are some guys I picked off in advance:

Jimmy Howard - Actually, I identified him a little early and he ended up sitting on my bench for two years before he got rolling. But at least he got there. The Red Wings were without any other options in their system, so even though he was unspectacular, I knew.

Pekka Rinne - The Preds were riding Mason and I knew that wouldn't last forever. Mason had his moments, but again he was an average goalie in a great system. I knew Rinne would be a part of that. Not to the extent that he has been, but yes I scooped him up in advance.

Corey Crawford - As with Jimmy Howard, I didn't see a competitor. It was only later that Antti Niemi came along. I had grabbed Crawford prior to Niemi.

Opportunities that I see now:

New Jersey - You know I've been watching these prospects like a hawk, waiting for 'the retirement'. But the only one who has stood out is Scott Wedgewood.

Phoenix - If Mike Smith goes, does Mark Visentin get in? It's too early for Visentin and I didn't like how he got injured last year. Will that happen again? Smith, Labarbera and Chad Johnson are all UFA's this summer. The Coyotes will sign two goalies and I'll be watching if the starter is a Band-Aid Boy.

Buffalo - Matt Hackett. Get on him like a fat kid on a smartie. Of course, you'll get screwed if the Sabres extend Miller?

Calgary - Of course. Assuming Kipper retires, Karri Ramo and Reto Berra are the goalies

The Isles (Poulin) and the Wild (Kuemper) are other situations I'll be watching. Two weeks into free agency, I'll re-do this list with the situations much more clear. NHL teams will be playing musical goalie in July, no question.

Did you see this? Jagr's favorite player growing up? Haha

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June 16, 2013

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 17:58:25 +0000

I wrote out some thoughts on the New York Rangers hiring of Alain Vigneault yesterday.

In terms of the fantasy impact of Alain Vigneault coaching in New York, it's worth keeping in mind that while Rick Nash and Derek Stepan are very likely to receive the "Sedin treatment" from Vigneault next season in terms of their deployment, those two were already handled in a calibrated, offense oriented manner by Tortorella last season. While I'd wager that'll become even more dramatic with Vigneault as their head coach, it'll be a marginal difference as opposed to a seachange.

Also, Vigneault has tended to reward solid two-way effort guys with plum offensive minutes in the past (think Chris Higgins, Jannik Hansen, Alex Burrows), and I wonder if Vigneault might be worth a few extra points for the likes of Ryan Callahan and Carl Hagelin - especially since Vigneault will, if he stays true in New York to his M.O. in Vancouver, likely bury Brian Boyle, optimize the Stepan line, and use Callahan's group to wreck opponent's third and fourth lines.

Finally, Vigneault's teams in Vancouver were built around an active defense that looked to regularly join the rush. While I'll be curious to see if he can overlook Michael Del Zottto's occassional defensive blunders, ultimately I'd wager he probably can. Perhaps Del Zotto will get Ehrhoff type zone-starts and face secondary competition next year, in which case he could be a very interesting gamble a bit earlier in your fantasy draft next year.

Ovechkin won the Hart, while Crosby won the Lindsay - which result makes more sense to you? I'm going to go with the latter, and by a long shot. Interesting and unsurprising how the writers arbitrarily penalized Crosby for missing time, while the players had no trouble identifying the league's best player this past season... Anyway, I really think it's time to take the awards votes out of the writers hands, it's crystal clear that too many don't care enough or don't understand the game well enough to cast knowledgable votes. To their credit they nailed Subban as the clear cut Norris winner, but still, Ovechkin won the Hart, Toews won the Selke, and Brodin wasn't even nominated for the Calder. That's kind of embarrassing.

My sollution? More "voted by peer" awards like the Ted Lindsay. For example, how cool would it be if the top-50 forwards in NHL scoring all got to cast a vote for the Selke? If you want to know which player is the best defensive forward in any given season, ask the guys he's tasked with shutting down on a nightly basis. I'm pretty sure more of them would answer with "Patrice Bergeron" than with "Jonathan Toews."

Continuing on with hockey news, it was reported during the Hockey Night in Canada panel yesterday that the Calgary Flames had offered three first round picks (the 6th pick, the 22nd pick, the 28th pick) to the Colorado Avalanche for the first overall selection at the 2013 NHL draft. On the one hand, Calgary has an awful lot of holes to fill and a relatively shallow prospect pool that arguably stands to benefit more from three first round selections in a historically deep draft than just the first overall pick. On the other, if you have a chance to acquire Nathan MacKinnon or Jonathan Drouin at this years draft - yeah, you should probably get MacKinnon or Drouin.

If I'm the General Manager of a team with a shallow prospect pool and a mid-first round pick, I'm definitely keeping Feaster's Flames in mind to move back and add a first overall pick (at the expense of a higher pick). Scouts and General Managers league wide are salivating about this particular draft class, and I tend to think this is one of those drafts with available talent through the 75th overall pick. If this draft class is anything like, say, the 2003 NHL Draft class - you're probably better off with two picks in the 20s then just one in the teens.

Another interesting report from the Hockey Night in Canada panel dealt with the prospect of the Phoenix Coyotes relocating to Seattle next season if the league is unable to make a deal with the city of Glendale (or another would be owner of the club/pauper). Apparently this possibility explains why the Canucks were unable to strike a deal to place an American Hockey League affiliate in the Pacific Northwest, and instead turned their attention to Utica and the Mohawk Valley.

If the Coyotes relocate to Seattle, what happens to Shane Doan? Do we spend another summer speculating about his future?

I say we do!

And what about Dave Tippett? I think he's the best coach in the league, frankly, and his contract expires on June 30th (or a day before the most recent Glendale deadline). If the Coyotes move to the Pacific Northwest, does Tippett move with them?

Alright, let's make like an Arizonan and forget the Coyotes. How good have the first two games of this Stanley Cup Final series been? We thought going in that the Bruins and Blackhawks might put on a showcase for the sport and the league and boy have they delivered. Game one was an unforgettable thriller, maybe the best Stanley Cup Final game in the better part of a decade. Game two was extraordinary too, partly because of the seismic shifts in "momentum" between the two clubs. The Blackhawks looked, for forty-five minutes, like they were primed to blow the doors off this series at any moment. But while they beat the Bruins on shift after shift, they couldn't beat Tuuka Rask. Eventually, in overtime and the final fifteen minutes or so, the Bruins found their legs and began to carry play. Ultimately they escaped with a victory, and managed to take home ice away from the Blackhawks.

The Bruins first goal was the result of a graceful power move from Dan Paille, who left Nick Leddy in the dust as he brought the puck out front and created a gimme for Chris Kelly. The overtime winner, meanwhile, was scored by Dan Paille who launched a wobbly twenty-foot wrister that baffled Corey Crawford. So in a series featuring Patrick's Kane and Sharp, Marian Hossa, Jonathan Toews, Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton, it was the offensive efforts of Dan Paille that proved decisive in game two. And that's why hockey is the best.

Tyler Seguin has been criticized all postseason long for his lack of offense, but that pass to Paille was marvelous and generally he's been a lot better than the results suggest. One more thing about Seguin that I was talking about last night is that I'm always amazed by just how explosive he is. At one point in game two he crossed over a Blackhawks defenceman (I think it was Duncan Keith), and while the play only resulted in an outside shot it was kind of jaw dropping. There definitely aren't more than four or five players in the league with better skating technique and feet...

Jonathan Toews hasn't been criticized all postseason long and I don't get it. He should be getting carved for his lack of production and instead he's winning Selke's that rightfully belong to Patrice Bergeron.

Earlier this season the Globe and Mail's media critic Bruce Dowbiggin criticized the broadcast networks for "missing the story" on Manny Malhotra. Malhotra was, he argued, a "revolutionary player" during his Canucks tenure, a player whose deployment patterns changed the way defensive specialists were used across the league.

First of all, Dowbiggin is absolutely correct. Secondly, that was on full display yesterday night as Boston's Rich Peverley was on the ice for 55% of Boston's even-strength defensive zone faceoffs, and started eleven shifts in the defensive zone and only one in Chicago's end of the rink at five-on-five. Meanwhile Chicago's Marcus Kruger was on the ice for 47.6% of Chicago's even-strength defensive zone draws, starting ten shifts in the defensive zone and only one in the atmosphere (O-zone). Both players were on the ice for an even-strength goal against, but overall, Kruger's Manny Malhotra impression was better than Peverley's.

June 15, 2013

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 02:13:22 +0000

The Canucks have signed 23-year-old goaltender Joacim Eriksson (originally a Flyers pick). He put up ridiculous numbers in the SEL last year. At the least, he will battle for starting time in the AHL with Lack. And he could find himself backing up Schneider in Vancouver.

Alain Vigneault is likely heading to the Rangers - he is a great coach and it will be interesting to see what kind of impact he has there. In Vancouver, he did a great job creating offensive opportunities and roles for his go-to scorers (Sedins/Burrows/Kesler) while burying his defensive players and checkers with really tough minutes and defensive zone starts (Lapierre/Malhotra).

There is word that Messier could join the staff as an assistant, but that is just a rumour at this point.

Sounds like Nathan Horton is good to go for Game 2.

The #1 item on the agenda this summer for Dean Lombardi ? trade Jonathan Bernier.

According to TSN, 10 teams have inquired about Bernier already.

Lombardi had good reasons to hang onto Bernier for the last few years. The GM?s philosophy is to build from the net out. With both Quick and Bernier signed for dirt cheap, he had two good options in net for $3 million total. That set up a competition for the #1 spot that pushed both goalies to improve, and also gave him insurance in case of injury. (You don?t have to sell fans who survived Fukufuji and the Year of Five Goalies on the importance of that.)

The Flyers and Giroux are talking extension. How much, and for how long? Eight years and $8 million per?

Giroux has one year left on his deal so he can officially be extended as of July 5^th (much like Geno Malkin, whose extension kicks in officially on July 5^th).

Here is a very in-depth review of Joe Pavelski?s 2013 season ? the Sharks are going to have to pony up to keep him under contract.

On a club that finished 28th in the league in even-strength goal-scoring, Pavelski was one of just two forwards (one of fifty league-wide) to score an average of at least one goal per 60 5v5 minutes played. Impressively, Pavelski ranks 28th in the league in even-strength goal scoring rate since 2009, ahead of stars like Ilya Kovalchuk, Zach Parise and Nathan Horton.

The NHL announced some award winners on a Friday at 5pm because? it?s the NHL.

Alfredsson ? Messier Leadership Award

Shero ? GM of the year

Toews ? Selke Trophy

MacLean ? Jack Adams (top coach)

Harding ? Masterton (very deserving)

St. Louis ? Lady Byng

A minor trade to announce ? Bobby Butler from Nashville to Florida in exchange for TJ Brennan. Brennan was reasonably productive in Florida after coming over from Buffalo last year.

Butler is a borderline NHL player at best ? Brennan, too. This clears the logjam in Florida a bit for Colby Robak and Alex Petrovic.

Today?s team to analyze ? the Vancouver Canucks

2013-14 sleeper pick: Nicklas Jensen

The Canucks are going to be younger this coming season. They want to have an infusion of rookies into the lineup, and that is one reason why Alain Vigneault wasn?t brought back (in addition to both sides needing a fresh start). The team will likely look for a coach who can balance the veteran focus of the roster with a focus on teaching and having patience with younger players.

Jensen is NHL ready. He won?t be a top line forward right off the hop, but he should be a productive player this season. He?s big, strong, and a pretty good skater. For playing style ? a much less skilled Rick Nash isn?t a bad comparison. He is similar to Nash in how he can lug the puck around the ice and protect it, and he has really good hands a phenomenal wrist shot.

Long term sleeper pick: Joseph LaBate

There isn?t much depth in Vancouver?s prospect pool, but LaBate is one of the ?B? level prospects worth watching. He had a great finish to his sophomore season at Wisconsin (he?s returning for another season, so he won?t be turning pro until at least next summer). LaBate is a big and lanky winger with a great shot and solid overall offensive instincts.

Here?s a good read on him.

The aforementioned strong finish:

As for LaBate himself, his season mirrored that of his team. He was slow out of the gates, grabbing just two assists in his first 12 games before catching on fire with 21 points in his final 29 games.

Evander Kane is out for at least a month after having foot surgery recently.

Winnipeg Jets forward Evander Kane underwent surgery to remove pressure from a nerve in his left foot Thursday.

"Kind of have to let that rest for about three to four weeks," Kane told the Jets website. "Then hopefully start getting back on the ice pretty soon here, and that way I can stop feeling like I'm a house hockey player and kind of get back to being the player that I know I can be, so I'm looking forward to that."

This probably won?t affect him much next year or beyond, but it?s worth watching, as it does cut into his training significantly.

Chris Osgood is mentoring Peter Mrazek ? I know Justin Goldman will like reading this. He?s a huge Osgood fan.

Mrazek, 21, made a very favorable first impression with the Wings when he delivered a 5-1 victory in his debut back in February. Part of what Osgood has tried to teach Mrazek is puck-handling, something at which Osgood excelled.

?He?s got all the attributes, he just needs to add a few things and grow before he?ll be in Detroit,? Osgood said. ?I work with him on foot speed, on getting him to come out of the blue paint and challenge more. But he?s good. And he corrects himself. You don?t have to tell him over and over.?

Here?s a pretty lengthy (and good) interview with Caps wunder-prospect Evgeni Kuznetsov.

One answer:

When you get 50 points in one season and everyone praises and loves you, and then next year you score 55 points and everyone?s like ?Boo, what a freak! He can?t play! He?s got a big head!? How is that? I didn?t play below my level. Were you waiting for me to score 100 points? Well, I?m sorry, I?m not Datsyuk, Malkin, Ovechkin, or Kovalchuk.

The interview is obviously translated, which makes for some funny wording in certain cases (like ?freak? in the above quote).

David Rundblad, once considered the top defensive prospect in hockey (or very close to it), may be headed to the KHL next season.

Personally, I think this is more of a bargaining tool in order to secure a one-way deal in Phoenix. We will see.

Rundblad was traded from Ottawa for Kyle Turris (stroke of genius by Bryan Murray), and he hasn?t really established himself for the Coyotes at all. Big, great skater, tons of upside, but he hasn?t put it together yet.

Vancouver?s new AHL team ? the Utica Comets ? I really dig these jerseys. Utica is close to Syracuse ? should be a nice rivalry there next year.

10 Nutrition tips for June ? carb cycling, food to help with recovery, the brown or white rice debate, and more benefits of coffee.

June 14, 2013

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 07:10:28 +0000

Here's an interesting behind-the-scenes look at Malkin's contract extension and how things played out during negotiations.

Tampa Bay has signed Swiss forward Reto Suri. But?

There is an understanding between the team and player, however, that Suri, a left wing, will play next season with Zug in the Swiss elite league to further develop his game and have the best chance to play on the Swiss national team in the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

"We're comfortable with that," general manager Steve Yzerman said.

As if the Lightning didn?t have enough young forwards in the organization.

Yzerman?s scouting report:

"He's a good skater and a smart player," Yzerman said. "He's got good skills and good hands and we like him because he's a very responsible player. He's got good size. He's strong. He checks well. For us, he compliments some of the younger prospects we have coming. He's something we can really use."

Kevin Connauton signed a three year deal with Dallas ? year one is two-way, while years two and three are one-way.

Connauton is an offensive defenseman ? he?s physical and gritty, but his best attributes are skating and shooting. His defensive game needs some work, and he will always be a bit of a liability in that regard ? but with the right partner he will be an NHLer.

Just talked to Jim Nill re: Kevin Connauton's new contract. Because he requires waivers, Stars expect him to play in NHL next year.
? Mike Heika (@MikeHeika) June 13, 2013

Malkin?s contract is done, and Letang is up next. Letang has one year left on his contract, and he could hit the open market next summer. The Penguins won?t let it get that far, though.

He was overworked in the postseason, and the Penguins need to find another defenseman who can share the offensive burden with him ? losing Goligoski and Gonchar without really being replaced has put a lot of offensive pressure on Letang.

Niskanen is a decent puck mover but he?s more of a two-way guy ? the same rings true for Martin.

Letang currently makes $3.5 million. His new contract will likely be above the Karlsson number ($6.5 million ? remember, Letang has UFA eligibility while Karlsson was still an RFA-eligible player when he signed his deal ? it costs more to buy up UFA years).

So somewhere in the $7-$7.5 million range for Letang. Is he worth it? I think so, but again, this places a lot of pressure on Shero and the pro/amateur scouts to find cheap (and effective) talent to fill out the roster.

Today?s team to analyze is the Toronto Maple Leafs

2013-14 sleeper pick: Joe Colborne

Here?s a good read on Colborne from last year. I try not to make evaluations/decisions based on really small sample sizes, but Colborne?s strong play against the Bruins in Round 1 this year has be considering him as a legitimate NHL prospect once again.

He seemed to stall a bit over the past two years in the AHL, but the Leafs have to be encouraged with his performance this spring. He was overmatched at times physically (for a tall guy he needs to add some muscle), but he made great plays with the puck and played with a lot of confidence.

Assuming Bozak isn?t brought back, the Leafs could use Colborne as the third center next year (or fourth ? depending on how they structure the lines). Toronto could sign an upgrade on Bozak (Ribeiro/Weiss/Roy) or they could trade for one (Stastny). Either way, I see Colborne getting regular minutes.

Long term sleeper pick: Tyler Biggs

This pick applies more to leagues that count hits and PIM. Biggs won?t be a big-time point producer in the NHL, but he?s gritty and plays a very simple game (which is a good thing in many cases). He only recently turned 20, and he has only five games of pro hockey under his belt.

Biggs had a good 2012-13 season for Oshawa (although he was a no-show offensively in the playoffs). Look for Toronto to give him a few years with the Marlies before seeing where he fits in (second, third, or fourth line).

Coaching carousel ? some guesses ? Alain Vigneault to Dallas, Mark Messier to NYR, John Stevens to Vancouver, Dave Tippett to Phoenix, Lindy Ruff to TSN.

I liked what Mike did with his ramblings last weekend, putting most of the links at the bottom. I?ll do the same today ? let me know if you prefer this to having them throughout the ramblings.

Defensemen will be at a premium this summer (writes a reporter every summer).

And the pickings are a bit slim?

Other defensemen headed toward UFA status include Marek Zidlicky, Joe Corvo, Andrew Ference and Ron Hainsey.

From the Hockey Writers ? the top 10 over-agers in the 2013 draft.

At 19 and 20 years of age they are usually more of a mature prospect and there is potentially less risk and guesswork in terms of their progression and makeup.

Tanner Pearson is the poster boy for these players. Going into last season, after being passed over in two drafts already, he worked hard at improving his game and ended up being a 2012 first round pick of the Los Angeles Kings.

And Hockey Prospectus shares their top 250 prospects for the draft.

Mark Streit isn?t the long-term answer for the Flyers, writes Broad Street Hockey.

According to a source, the Islanders offered Streit a three-year deal worth about $5 million a season, but Streit is looking for north of $5.5 million per season. With the free-agent market for defensemen very thin, Streit could command $6 million per year and even possibly get a four-year deal.

DobberHockey prospects writer Jonathan Briggins has helped launch a music magazine ? check it out here.

The NHL?s latest commercial is fantastic:

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Horton?s injury:

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The NHL Draft is only two (and a bit) weeks away ? what better way to get ready than to pick up the 2013 DobberHockey Prospects Report? These free ramblings (along with all of the other free content on the site, and the forums) are able to remain free with your support for our various guides.

And for only $2.50 more, pick up the entire meal deal ? the 2013 Fantasy Keeper Pack. The 2013-14 Guide (our best ever, naturally) will be out on August 1^st. Work is well underway on it already.

June 13, 2013

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 06:23:22 +0000

A look at some of the better UFA options for Vancouver's second line - David Clarkson would be at the top of my list.

Great move by the Pens to lock up Evgeni Malkin (for a below market value contract). Malkin could have hit the open market next summer... and I would have expected many offers in the $11-12 million range. The cap is temporarily down to 64 million this year, but I would expect it to rise back up year by year for 2014-15 and beyond (especially with the new CBA and how the revenue sharing is structured).

The cap will be above $70 million again in no time. And this contract is a (relatively) reasonable one. Malkin will make less per year than Alex Ovechkin, so he doesn't have the "pressure" of being the player in the NHL with the highest annual cap hit.

The Penguins are going to be top heavy, but they simply had to make this move. You can't let top five players in the world leave. Period. This places pressure on the pro and amateur scouts to find cheap players that can contribute, but that is an easier solution than trying to replace Malkin.

And I thought Malkin had a good series against Boston, all things considered. He obviously wasn't productive (at all), but he was creating offense against Zdeno Chara, which is no easy task.

Game 1 - great game - sloppy at times, but both teams showed why they were there. The one thing I really noticed that the two teams have in common is fantastic puck support. Boston is bigger and stronger (Chicago played as physical as they could, and they took it too Boston for stretches of the game in that department), and Chicago is faster and more skilled.

But both teams support the puck so well in all three zones - there wasn't a lot of "off the glass and out" plays last night. Two quick passes and out of the zone.

Nathan Horton left the game, which opened up more ice time for Seguin and Peverley (and most other Bruins forwards, too). He looked to be in a lot of discomfort when he left the ice in regulation.

Brent Seabrook in particular had a great game - he looked like Lidstrom at times with how efficient he was at breaking the puck out - he must have had a half-dozen tape-to-tape two-zone outlet passes.

The Grand Rapids Griffins have a 3-0 series lead in the Calder Cup Final against Syracuse.

Forward Jan Mursak scored the game winner, and he now has 10 postseason goals. Mursak signed a contract to play in the KHL back in May? but does his strong postseason change anything?

I don?t blame him for signing in Russia ? he?s spent five years in the AHL. He has NHL talent, but needs a chance to show it.

A quick ?rant? on the Penguins/Iginla/coaching:

It's amazing what great goaltending can lead to.

(This was written before Game 1 last night ? so if Rask is lit up? you can skip past the next few paragraphs?).

Boston won in 2011 primarily because of Tim Thomas, but the main narrative after was how they "bullied" their way to the cup over the East and then Vancouver with toughness and grit. Thomas outplayed every single goalie significantly. Sure, the Bruins were tougher than their opponents, but if Thomas doesn?t play at an elite level, no one writes about that.

And the same thing is this year with the Bruins. Rask is outplaying other goalies significantly. Pittsburgh didn't play bad. Sounds weird considering that they were swept, but they created shots on goal, chances, and they did a pretty good job defending (save for a few meltdowns) too.

Great goaltending cures so many faults with a team. And for a team without many (Boston), it makes them damn near unbeatable. It also leads to really good teams questioning themselves.

Look at how Washington reacted to losing to Halak a few years ago. Pittsburgh was simply up against a white-hot goaltender. Sometimes you just have to take your ball and go home.

Shero may have added too much at the deadline, but you can?t fault him for wanting to make his team better. Did he disrupt chemistry? I?m not sure, and no one outside of that dressing room will know.

Today?s team to look at is the Tampa Bay Lightning (sweet jerseys)

2013-14 sleeper pick: Richard Panik

Panik is the total package ? he?s big, skilled, and gritty. The Lightning really like his game, and his strong AHL postseason will bode well as he enters an important offseason for his development. If he reports to camp and performs well, there is a second line spot in Tampa Bay with his name on it. He?s a great skater for someone who is 6-2 and 220 pounds ? he?s physically more than ready for NHL hockey.

I wouldn?t be surprised to see him have a 15-20-goal, 45-point season as a rookie in Tampa Bay next year.

Long term sleeper pick: Vladislav Namestnikov

Namestnikov is nearly two years younger than Panik, and he isn?t as polished or ready for NHL action. But his upside is much higher. He isn?t as big (6-0, 175 pounds), but he has elite puck skills and is a terrific playmaker. He probably doesn?t offer enough for the Lightning to give him a look on one of the bottom two lines, and Stamkos and Lecavalier will be around for a while. Expect Namestnikov to spend at least one (and probably two) more seasons in the AHL.

He will be worth the wait, though.

What does the Sergei Gonchar signing mean for the Dallas defense? My early take - I expect that this is the first of many moves that Jim Nill makes this summer.

Gonchar is a rare left-shooting defenseman who prefers to play on his "off" side (right side). I could see him pairing with Brenden Dillon, allowing Robidas and Daley to stick together. That is a decent top four, and it doesn't even include the much-improved Alex Goligoski.

The Stars also have a quartet of good prospects on the back end - Joe Morrow, Jamie Oleksiak, Kevin Connauton, and Cameron Gaunce (Morrow has the most upside, Gaunce is the most NHL ready).

Gonchar also played with Alex Goligoski (especially on the PP) back during their Pittsburgh days - not a lot of defense there - perhaps a pairing that gets a lot of offensive zone starts?

Even at 39 he still has a bomb of a shot:

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A closer look at Dallas prospect Matt Fraser.

In 2014 I would expect to see Fraser playing bottom six minutes for the Stars while trying to develop other aspects of his game. If he is able to develop other aspects of his game (skating, playmaking, defending, etc.) he could make a home for himself in Dallas.

Realistically it is still a long shot that he will develop to be more than a bottom six winger, but if he is going to we will likely see some of those steps taken in 2014.

I really like Hunter Shinkaruk ? he?s small and pretty bad defensively, but he has great speed, he?s gritty, and he has a huge amount of offensive upside. I could see him going anywhere from pick six to 12 at the upcoming draft.

Here?s more on him:

The most probable outcome for Shinkaruk looks to be a middle six NHL forward who might play on the top line so long as someone else is driving the bus. Size doesn't seem to have a negative impact, though it should be noted that most of the smaller players listed were drafted in the 80s or early 90s.

Dustin Byfuglien weighed over 300 pounds by the end of last season. According to some, that makes him untradeable. He was logging 24+ minutes a night and playing pretty good hockey at that weight? Impressive, to say the very least.

More seriously, Byfuglien can?t carry that weight around forever ? as he gets older, it is going to increase his injury susceptibility tremendously. Obviously he has problems keeping weight off ? the Jets need to hire a cook/nutritionist to follow him around 24/7. Eating healthy isn?t hard, especially for a well-paid athlete who can afford top ingredients. But eating unhealthy is very easy.

Tomas Tatar (sauce) is having a great AHL postseason ? he should have a spot in Detroit next season. Average size, but hard on the puck and skilled. Sounds like a few current Red Wings, doesn?t it?

Tatar, a 21-year-old who played 18 games with the Detroit Red Wings this season, had become a self-described target for Griffins opponents in the first two rounds of the AHL playoffs, and rightfully so. He leads the league with 12 playoff goals and leads Grand Rapids in points with 17 (five assists).

The Wings could have a few new faces in the lineup next year, in addition to Nyquist and Andersson. Filppula and Cleary are both UFAs.

Fixing Vancouver?s fourth line ? a look at some available centers.

And a look at Keith Ballard, the compliance buyout, and retaining salary in trades. This case study could be applied to a number of overpaid (but still relatively effective) NHL players.

Thomas Hickey checks in at #13 on Lighthouse Hockey?s countdown of the top 25 Islanders under 25. Score one for the waiver wire.

One opinion:

I think Hickey is a wild card at this point. A pleasant surprise after being picked up on waivers, we need to remember that we only saw him for what amounted to half an NHL season. He was solid defensively and moved the puck well, forming what was, at times, the Islanders best D pairing with Lubomir Visnovsky. If he can repeat his performance in 2013-14 he will definitely move up my rankings.

I am a huge Roman Josi fan. He debuted on my top 10 defensive keeper prospects list over two years ago. He is a great skater and is solid at both ends of the ice. And Nashville very likely sees him in the same light, which is why they locked him up through his prime for $4 million per season.

But GMs around the league are going to be very mad at David Poile for the contract. Josi can now be used as a comparable in arbitration cases ? seven years and $28 million for 100 games of NHL experience? I?m playing devil?s advocate a bit here, as I think Josi will be out-earning the contract in a year or two (he was pretty good in 2013, especially considering the fact he was asked to step in and replace Ryan Suter on the top pairing).

The Penguins are already talking to Malkin?s agent. What is it going to take? $10 million per? $11 million? Don?t forget ? Crosby signed a 12-year deal, while the longest Malkin can go is eight. That is going to drive up the AAV considerably (and don?t forget the fact that Crosby took a massive discount? he?s a max contract player very easily).

Vladimir Tarasenko was nicknamed ?Tank? in Russia. And we now know why.

Speaking of?

Latest fitness post ? learning the kettlebell swing. This is a great exercise with countless benefits ? size/strength/better posture/fat loss, and on and on.

Taking suggestions for summer posts - going to continue with a look at some multi-category sleepers (this seemed to be the most common request). Will also take a look at numerous buy low/sell high options in the Summer Stock Market series (set to debut in a few weeks).

As always, thanks for reading!

June 12, 2013

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 07:59:30 +0000

Some Stanley Cup notes - it's starting to look as though Viktor Stalberg will be out? and Bryan Bollig will be in. Tim Sassone tweeted the line combos in practice, for the Blackhawks:

Sharp - Toews - Hossa

Bickell - Handzus - Kane

Saad - Bolland - Shaw

Bollig - Kruger - Frolik

So Coach Quenneville loaded up with talent on the top line, and gave Kane as much size on his line as possible. So who does Chara cover? If I'm Coach Julien, I try to match him with the Toews line. Leave Kane to Ference and Boychuk.

I don't have Boston's practice combos, but the lines they used last game, courtesy of Frozen Pool, were:

Bergeron - Marchand - Jagr

Horton - Krejci - Lucic

Daugavins - Peverley - Seguin

Paille - Kelly - Thornton

I try to use the Facebook page for some insider stuff about what is going on with Dobber Sports. Little hints of what is to come on the various sites. Yesterday I posted our plans for Frozen Pool. A few days ago I posted a new logo for something that is upcoming. I just want to make it worth your taking the time to "like" Dobber Sports.

I missed this yesterday, but Bob McKenzie tweeted that he expects Philadelphia to use the compliance buyout on Ilya Bryzgalov. Wouldn't it be funny if they then signed Mike Smith, expecting another miracle goalie before discovering that it was Phoenix coaching all along?

Funnier still - Bryzgalov goes back to Phoenix?

NHL Conference finals viewership doubled over last year. Just a tiny article, so I'll post it in its entirety here:

The NHL conference finals' television viewership more than doubled from last year. With three large-market teams and three clubs with recent histories of luring audiences, the Blackhawks-Kings and Bruins-Penguins series averaged 2.65 million viewers on NBC and NBC Sports Network despite lasting only a combined nine games. Kings-Coyotes and Devils-Rangers averaged 1.25 million viewers last year over 11 games.

Helped by two double-overtime games, this year's series drew the most viewers for a conference finals in 17 years, when games on Fox and ESPN averaged 2.86 million viewers; the population was smaller then, but that was for 13 games.

Rossy gives his rankings of the 2013 draftees who he feels have the most fantasy value - his ramblings over at DobberProspects.

The Sharks signed undrafted prospect Petter Emanuelsson. The 21-year-old had 18 points in 54 games in the SEL last season. In the lower levels he showed some promise offensively, so I'm curious to see how he does in the AHL in the fall.

The Hockey Writers take a look at Damien Brunner and why the Red Wings need to re-sign him.

Still with THW, they also list five under-the-radar European prospects to watch for at the Draft.

People are still asking about what went wrong with the Penguins. To me the answer is obvious - too many moves at the deadline. You know that I panned the Jarome Iginla acquisition. It felt wrong to be criticizing the move, given the player that they were getting. But this was a team that was winning hockey games and had amazing chemistry. Then they add Iginla. And yes, he flourished for them offensively. But the chemistry was gone. He took a power-play spot and never fit in there. He pushed Beau Bennett into the press box. He pushed Pascal Dupuis off the top line at times (rarely, but it did happen), and Chris Kunitz off the power play at other times.

On the other hand, I have no problem with the Morrow, Jokinen and Murray acquisitions. They used Morrow as a checker, Jokinen filled in for Crosby when he was injured and was ready to do so again if needed, and Murray filled a hole on defense. Iginla didn't fill any need. He's a just a great player added to a lineup that didn't need a great player. It's not his fault that the Penguins lost. Not even close. But the move that brought him on board, to me, was the move that led to this. It changed everything.

NHL 14 - the Enforcer?

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June 10, 2013

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 07:15:55 +0000

Back from taking the family on a mini-vacation for four days...

Andrei Kostitsyn has signed to play next year in the KHL as well now.

Interesting theory on Carey Price floated by his former goalie coach Rollie Melanson (via TSN.ca) - he opines that Price's game has grown steadily worse due to bad guidance. "He hasn't stopped deteriorating since I left". More here.

So what's your opinion on Dustin Brown?

A) He's a hero for gutting it out for the last six games on one leg

B) He's an idiot for saying he could play when he shouldn?t have, practically forcing the hand of Sutter into icing a lesser team.

I'm squarely in Camp B. I say this as a disgruntled Brown owner, sure, but after tearing his PCL he had zero points in six games and was minus-3 and just five shots. Whoever replaced him - Toffoli would have in the first three games - would have done much better. It was both a selfless?and a selfish decision.

Whoever I pick to win the Stanley Cup Final - just pull out all the money you can spare and put it on the other team. Slam dunk. After my terrible call of the semi-finals, I'm fresh out of confidence.

For the record, I pick the Bruins to win, but I'll cheer for the Blackhawks. I choose the Bruins because I've developed a hate. I'm a fan of a good 20 NHL teams, but occasionally I go through windows of hate. I hated the Flames in the 80s because of the trouble they gave Gretzky's Oilers. I hated the Penguins in the early 90s because Mario was too close to my hero (Gretzky) in talent and I perceived that as a threat I guess. And now this year, the Bruins - a team that put out my team the Leafs in devastating fashion, and then put out my other team the Penguins (see - my hate is cyclic) in embarrassing fashion. So my two squads that I root for the most were both taken out back behind the shed by the same team - Boston. So enough. Fine. I'll pick them to win. Whatever they can do to piss me off, they'll do. In this case 'win'. So they'll win.

Before Bruins' fans get their hate on for me because of this, keep in mind - these strong emotions are precisely why we're riveted to these games. The tension I feel and the anger I feel when the Bruins make me look bad publicly (by making my predictions wrong) and by wiping out the teams I like?it really adds to the fun. This stuff adds to the pleasure we all feel when the outcome is desirable.

I think that a lot of people are making a pretty big deal about Zdeno Chara this year. And yes, he's still awesome. And yes, he's still Boston's best player. That being said - if three years ago he was a 100/100 and the next best Bruin was 92/100?. this year Chara is 92/100 and the next best Bruins are 91/100. He's not as dominant - not even close. Malkin handled him like he was a pesky 6-9 fly in Game 3. It was Rask who shut the door. So kudos to Seidenberg, Ference, et al for containing

Crosby - that was the key to the sweep. Not Chara. Chara is a big boy, but so is Malkin (6-3, 195) and while I saw Malkin get slowed - he didn't get stopped. So can Chara stop Kane and Toews when the 6-4, 233-pound Bickell is on their wing? No. But my point is they don't need him to - Rask is far superior to Crawford, and their (other) defensemen have been top notch.

I agree with what Drance said on Sunday regarding Dallas Eakins and the Edmonton coaching - not a good example being set here. You can't go through coaches quickly like that or the better coaches will be reluctant to sign on. That being said, I think his coaching talent and the improving experience of the talented Oilers are going to make the perfect storm. You know I've been saying it for three years now (and I'll keep saying it until it happens) - the Oilers are on the cusp of awesomeness.

In my Hockey News article yesterday I carry on with my team-by-team offseason look. This time - Colorado and Columbus.

Igor Eronko is reporting that Edmonton youngster Teemu Hartikainen has signed to play in the KHL. The Oilers lost a good one there. They have enough offensive forwards, what they need more of is a hardworking two-way guy with upside.

Roman Josi has signed an extension with Nashville for seven years. It's backloaded, with $4 million per season average. Poolies were disappointed in his 18 points last season, but I look at it as a start. He had just one point in 14 games to start the year, so to me 17 in 34 is about what I expected in terms of pace. As long he does it for the entire schedule next year, the growth curve is bang on.

Say what you want about Sergei Gonchar's value as a veteran and former elite puck-mover, he's worth $4 million this year, and $3 million next year - and I'd give him a no-move clause this season, and no-trade clause next. So yeah, the Stars got hammered on this one. He'll help this year, I don't question that for a second. But with the salary cap going down and their hands completely tied with this contract - they'll regret it next summer.

The Fantasy Prospects Report will be re-released on Thursday with Brendan Ross's Mock Draft as well as five bonus profiles added. The five player profiles I added are:

Antti Raanta, Chicago Blackhawks

Anton Belov, Edmonton Oilers

Tobias Rieder, Phoenix Coyotes

Andrej Sustr, Tampa Bay Lightning

Juhamatti Aaltonen, Unrestricted Free Agent (at press time)

Leo Komarov is back in the KHL? Leo Komarov is back in the KHL. Unexpected, I had figured the rumors were just threats and he was merely posturing. That hurts some keeper owners in leagues that count hits, that's for sure. This certainly drives up the Leafs' interest in David Clarkson?

TSN's look at the Dallas Eakins hire?

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June 10, 2013

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 09:10:40 +0000

This year?s playoffs have showed the power of momentum shifts and perhaps the shortened season has had a lot to do with that. It seems like teams have struggled with consistency and could have rounded into form easier during the post-season had they gone through a full 82-game campaign.

The Boston Bruins are a great example of this as they stumbled down the stretch and essentially gave the division title to the Montreal Canadiens. Then after looking like they were going to dispatch of the Toronto Maple Leafs rather quickly, they were almost bounced by the Leafs until that Game 7 debacle. That huge comeback has sparked the Bruins and since then they have gone 8-1, including four wins in one-goal games.

How crucial has Tuukka Rask been to the Bruins success in the playoffs? After being passed over for a Vezina nomination, Rask has posted a .943 SP and a 1.75 GAA, to go along with two shutouts. He has to be very high on fantasy boards for next season.

Nathan Horton is a ridiculous plus-21 in the post-season.

As good as the big names have been for the Bruins, it?s their depth that is making the difference. Their fourth line is arguably the best in hockey as Gregory Campbell and Daniel Paille have both averaged over 11 minutes of ice per game in the playoffs, with Shawn Thornton getting close to eight. Not only is it a big help when your fourth line can kill penalties, but having them play that many minutes leaves your stars rested for a late-game push. It remains to be seen if the loss of Campbell will hurt them in the finals.

The offense the Bruins have been getting from their blue line is also unreal. They have 15 goals from defensemen in the playoffs and to put that into perspective, the Colorado Avalanche only had five the entire season. Torey Krug has chipped in with four and Johnny Boychuk has five.

What in the world happened to Pittsburgh? After averaging over four goals a game during the playoffs they scored just two in the Bruins series. It?s hard to blame Evgeni Malkin for a lack of effort though. He leads all skaters in the post-season with 67 shots, including three separate games where he fired 10 pucks at the net.

Kris Letang didn?t have a particularly strong series being held pointless and going minus-5. Playing over 40 minutes in Game 3 and averaging over 27 a night in the playoffs may have had something to do with it. He seemed like he was wearing down a bit.

The Blackhawks have also been propelled by their comeback against the Red Wings. They have looked like a totally different team since they went down 3-1 to Detroit.

I know everyone is excited about Bryan Bickell and he certainly is going to get a big contract, but teams should be cautious. I?m not trying to rain on his parade, but it?s a lot easier to perform on a team that has forwards like Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Patrick Shape, and Marian Hossa on it. Should Bickell go somewhere and be vaulted into more responsibility, he could be headed for a tough season.

Niklas Hjalmarsson is quickly emerging into a top defenseman. Despite having a name that is difficult to spell and pronounce, he is one of Chicago?s most important players and only Duncan Keith is getting more ice-time than Hjalmarsson.

Kane finally came alive late in the Kings series scoring four goals in the final two games, including a hat-trick in the clinching victory.

Los Angeles really started to show the effects of the first two series during the Western Conference Finals. The battles they had with the Blues and Sharks were gruelling, and those series could have gone either way. The just didn?t have enough left in the tank to beat a team as strong as Chicago.

Jonathan Quick also wasn?t as spectacular as he was in the first two rounds. He gave up a few rough goals in the series that were very uncharacteristic.

In my Wild West column this week I took a look at Anaheim?s goaltending situation, which is in good shape. Jonas Hiller and Viktor Fasth were solid in 2013, but it might make sense to try and deal Hiller in the off-season if they can. Fasth could be unpredictable as he is already 30 and has only played in 25 career games, but John Gibson looks poised to take over that position sooner rather than later. Someone also commented that Frederik Andersen deserves some consideration as well. He was solid in the AHL this season.

It will be interesting to see what Calgary and Columbus do in the draft this year. Both organizations have three first-round picks, and although some of them are later in the round, the draft is pretty deep. I know Jay Feaster fears the word ?rebuild? like the plague, but no team is in need of some young talent like the Flames. The Blue Jackets can continue to stockpile players and try to build on an impressive season.

The Grand Rapids Griffins claimed a 2-0 series lead in the Calder Cup Final on Sunday night with a 6-4 win over the Syracuse Crunch. Tomas Tatar chipped in with his 12^th goal of the playoffs. Jan Mursak and Tomas Jurco found the score sheet as well.

There are differing opinions on if the Red Wings actually have a solid group of young players coming up in their system. The Griffins appearance in the Calder Cup Final this season should indicate that they do. Jeff Angus had a nice write-up in Saturday?s Ramblings on guys like Tatar, Jurco, Teemu Pulkkinen, Joakim Andersson, Petr Mrazek, etc. Detroit has always done a great job of integrating players into their line-up slowly to take over for aging veterans. If there?s anything I trust it?s the Wings scouting system, especially in Europe.

Dave Feschuk of the Toronto Star thinks the Leafs should trade Phil Kessel. His theory has some merit as Toronto needs to sign restricted free agents Nazem Kadri and Cody Franson in the off-season and look for a number-one centre. However, it will be hard to justify moving a guy that you gave up so much for and that finished in the top 10 in scoring in two straight seasons. Even if at times it does look like Kessel is allergic to driving the net.

Mike Ribeiro should be highly sought after this summer in free agency. He has his detractors because of some of his personality antics, but Ribeiro can produce points consistently. If you include this season where he was on pace for 82, he has averaged 67 points a campaign over the last nine seasons. There is no shortage of teams looking for depth at centre and Ribeiro can play in either the one or two slot on a lot of squads.

Dallas Eakins figures to become Edmonton?s new head coach as early as today. The Oilers only wanted him as an assistant originally, but that has changed since Ralph Krueger was fired. Edmonton would be a great spot for Eakins to work with a group of young players, like he did with the Toronto Marlies. He could make a big difference there and probably ultimately see his stock rise even more. Going to a place like New York or Vancouver, where the teams are expected to contend right away, would be a tough first gig in the NHL.

One guy you will want to keep a close eye on next year is Cory Conacher. He is a little undersized and did struggle some in the playoffs, but if he gets a chance to play with Jason Spezza for a significant amount of time he could be in for a decent campaign. His value is low right now and the offensive skill is there.

Zdeno Chara's crazy glove save from Friday night. I'm not sure he actually meant to do it, but it looked sweet nonetheless.

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The NHL Rookie Tournament will take place in London, Ontario this September. I went a couple of years ago when it was in Oshawa and it was well worth it. Lots of talented future stars on hand at a reasonable price. The Leafs, Blackhawks, Sens and Penguins are participating.

Anyone else think the new Stars logo is terrible? Never understood, other than a blatant attempt to force people to buy new merchandise, why they deviated from the original logo and moved to just having ?Dallas? in the middle.

Justin Bourne ponders if Jaromir Jagr is actually over-training.

Mike Babcock will coach team Canada again in Sochi.

Sean McIndoe?s latest for Grantland. Excellent stuff.

It looks as though Mark Streit won?t be back with the Islanders. That?s a big loss.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter at @amato_mike

June 9, 2013

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 17:56:19 +0000

With Patrick Kane's overtime hat-trick, which powered the the Blackhawks past the defending champs and into the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday night, the ultimate matchup of the lockout shortened 2013 NHL season is set. Though neither the Pittsburgh-Boston or Chicago-LA series ended up being closely contested, like at all, there was some really good hockey played the past week with Saturday night's contest, and Wednesday night's game 3 of BOS-PIT being two of the more entertaining games of the postseason stand outs. Thoroughly enjoyed it, and if you're not excited about a Chicago-Boston final I don't really know what to tell you - and I'm saying that as a guy who grew up a Canucks fan!

The Kings are the first true Corsi juggernaut of the Behind the Net era, and whether you think advanced stats are useful or not, I don't really think that's a coincidence. That said, I wonder if they bought too much into their rough and tumble reputation and got away from the slick transition game that powered them in the postseason a year ago. Robyn Regehr, Matt Greene, Jordan Nolan and Kyle Clifford were arguably leaned on a bit too heavily in the postseason this year (and last night), while guys like Alec Martinez were stapled to the bench. Regehr in particular seemed to slow the Kings down a good deal after his acquisition and I'm still completely mystified by the extension they gave him...

Regehr had a tough game on Saturday night. The Kings were out-possesed and outshot dramatically when he was on the ice, even though they were down for a goodly portion of the game. Chicago also outscored the Kings by three at even-strength when he was on the ice...

Los Angeles didn't score a single five-on-five goal on Saturday (one short-handed, one on the power-play and one with Jonathan Quick on the bench). That's an appropriate way for a team that crushed everybody five-on-five a year ago, but got away from some of what made them so dangerous, to have their season end. Anyway, kudos to the defending champs for scoring with ten seconds left to force overtime, at least they made the Blackhawks work for it.

Drew Doughty's hip-check on Patrick Kane was about as good a check as you'll see. That Patrick Kane took a hit like this, and also scored a hat-trick tells you all you need to know about the guy who is still Chicago's best player, and one of the most dangerous game breakers in the sport:

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Jonathan Toews hasn't scored much this postseason, but he had one hell of a game on Saturday night. Toews had a few additional defensive zone starts at even-strength without Patrick Kane in game five, and still pretty handily one his matchups against the Doughty-Regehr pairing and the Anze Kopitar line. His feed to Patrick Kane on the game winning goal was nothing short of sublime. How good is a Toews-Bergeron matchup going to be in the finals?

That Mike Richards deflection that tied the game with ten seconds to go sort of reminded me of Ryan Kesler's late goal in game five of the 2011 Western Conference Final.

Elsewhere in the hockey world, Petr Mrazek led the Grand Rapids Griffins to a one-to-nothing series lead in the Calder Cup Final with a dominant performance against the Syracuse Crunch. Mrazek, a fifth round pick in 2010, has been one of the fastest rising prospect goaltenders in the league for a while now. He demanded attention with a lights out performance in the 2012 OHL playoffs for Ottawa, and he hasn't looked back. Actually he's had one of those rare seasons this year where he spent time in the East Coast league, the American hockey league and the National Hockey league - and excelled at every level. Goaltending really was the difference in game one of the Calder Cup Final, and Mrazek rather cleanly outdueled his counterpart Cedrick Desjardins.

All of Grand Rapids' goals on Saturday were of the greasy variety, but still, Gustav Nyquist and Thomas Jurco are really fun to watch. How does Detroit so consistently find these guys? Ken Holland is some type of wizard.

How about the Edmonton Oilers, firing yet another bench boss. As someone on Twitter pointed out yesterday, this will be Oilers forward Sam Gagner's fifth headcoach in his professional career and he's only 23. Dallas Eakins seems like a smart, talented guy and could be an ideal fit for a young Edmonton team. But if I were him I'd be very hesitant to tie myself to an organization as plainly idiotic and dysfunctional as the Edmonton Oilers have been for the better part of the past decade...

Honestly, even the way this Eakins hiring/Krueger firing is going down would give me pause if I were an Oilers fan. Eakins is a great candidate, but this sort of seems like the organization and new General Manager Craig MacTavish got caught up lusting for the newest bright shiny thing.

The other side of that coin might be the paralytic deliberation Mike Gillis and the Canucks are going through in their coaching search. Did their gradualist approach cost them Dallas Eakins? Maybe, but I don't think he was at the top of their list anyway (I'm thinking John Stevens, Dave Tippett and Dan Bylsma if he gets canned would be their preferred candidates).

Finally, how do you think the Bruins and Blackhawks matchup against each other? I like Boston a bit better than I like the Blackhawks I've got to say - they have a matchup edge at centre, they still employ Zdeno Chara who is pretty good at hockey, and Tuuka Rask is a freak (and a better goaltender than Corey Crawford). For example, if Bergeron plays against Jonathan Toews - and that's a matchup I think favours Boston anyway - who draws the assignment against David Krejci? Dave Bolland? Marcus Kruger? Handzus? I'm picking Boston in 6, and it should be one hell of a series.

June 08, 2013

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 20:39:44 +0000

My salary arbitration against Brian Burke (it was a mock case for the National Arbitrator's Convention) went well. I'll have more details on it next week for those interested.

Gonchar contract thoughts up soon.

Quick thoughts on Boston - Chara great. Krejci great. Bergeron great. Marchand great. Rask really great.

Fantasy mailbag is open for the weekend. Check it out here.

Love the Sergei Gonchar acquisition for Dallas (assuming they can sign him). He is a big-minute defenseman that they desperately needed, and they acquired him for pennies on the dollar (a conditional 6^th round pick ? conditional on him signing).

Gonchar is 39, and the Stars want a two-year deal. They must believe he has lots of hockey left.

I?ll have a full fantasy breakdown post for the main page if and when Gonchar puts ink to paper.

According to Twitter reports, the Canucks have signed or are close to signing NCAA freshman defenseman Christian Folin. Folin was apparently close to signing with Ottawa.

Big, Swedish, shoots right ? seems like a good fit for the organization?s depth chart.

Folin had six goals and 21 points at UMass Amherst last year ? he?s 6-4 and 210 pounds and skates really well.

Game 1 of the Calder Cup Final is tonight. This is fantasy scouting 101 for most poolies ? a lot of these guys will be very productive NHL players. Let?s do a little fantasy preview, shall we?

Syracuse Crunch (Tampa Bay)

Ondrej Palat ? 12 GP, 5 G, 20 P

Palat is a skilled left winger who saw some time with the Lightning last year. He has a pretty good shot at earning a top nine spot this coming season. I?d say after Richard Panik, he has the best shot of any of the rookies/young guys to contribute for Tampa Bay.

Tyler Johnson ? 12 GP, 9 G, 17 P

Undersized but very skilled. Johnson?s emergence allowed the Lightning to move Cory Conacher to Ottawa in the Ben Bishop trade. He will, at the very least, be a 40-45 point depth scorer in the NHL. The upside is there for a lot more depending on ice time, linemates, and opportunity.

Mark Barberio ? 12 GP, 3 G, 10 P

A skilled offensive defenseman who is still waiting for his NHL shot. It will come soon. Barbeiro isn?t a great skater, but he sees the ice well and is a huge asset on the power play. The Lightning need to find a way to get him on their back end.

Matt Taormina ? 12 GP, 2 G, 9 P

The former Devils prospect has found a home in Syracuse. Taormina had some fantasy upside a few years ago, but was derailed a bit by a really bad ankle injury. For teams looking to add a bottom pairing defenseman with some offensive upside on the cheap? he could be a guy to look at.

Richard Panik ? 10 GP, 4 G, 8 P

Arguably the most NHL ready of the young Lightning players, Panik plays a complete game. He has the pace in his game to keep up with the Stamkos?s and Lecavalier?s of the world, which bodes well for his short term offensive upside.

JT Brown, Vladislav Namestnikov, and Brett Connolly all also bear watching. Man Tampa Bay has an impressive farm system.

Grand Rapids (Detroit)

Tomas Tatar ? 18 GP, 11 G, 16 P

Tatar isn?t the biggest or fastest guy on the ice, but he is an elite hockey thinker. He has top six upside, but the Wings will be patient with him (like they are with most of their young players).

Tomas Jurco ? 18 GP, 7 G, 13 P

Great hands, great offensive player ? still needs to get a bit stronger and more consistent, but what younger player doesn?t?

Teemu Pulkkinen ? 14 GP, 3 G, 5 P

Probably another year of AHL action away from the NHL, but Pulkkinen has top six upside.

Joakim Andersson ? 4 GP, 1 G, 4 P

Detroit?s next checking center? Andersson?s offensive upside may get squashed in a defensive role, but he should still be a relatively productive player.

Gustav Nyquist ? 4 GP, 1 G, 2 P

Skilled, smart, gritty. Nyquist is the real deal.

Riley Sheahan and Adam Almquist bear watching, too.

Peter Mrazek ? the next great Czech goaltender in hockey? Mrazek has been great all postseason for the Griffins ? the Howard contract doesn?t bode well for him, but he could find himself in the NHL in the next year or two backing him up.

10 Fitness Tips for June ? learn how to jump (and land) better, volume training, the big secret to fitness, and a lot more.

Today?s team to analyze ? the San Jose Sharks

2013-14 sleeper pick: Tomas Hertl

The Sharks are looking to move Martin Havlat this summer, and they may plug their 2012 1^st round pick (Hertl) into the lineup as his replacement. Hertl has NHL sizer and strength, and he has spent the past two years playing against men in the top Czech league, too. He had 30 points in 43 games in 2012-13 for Slavia Praha.

Here?s more on Hertl from NHL.com.

Long term sleeper pick: Matt Nieto

Nieto is the total package offensively ? he can score, skate, and make plays. He probably needs one AHL season (at least) before making the Sharks, but he isn?t too far off. His final two years at Boston University were fantastic, and he had a solid AHL debut in 2013, too (six points in 11 games).

Here is Nieto?s DobberHockey Prospects Report profile from 2011:

Brandon Gormley?s DobberProspects Profile

Not really sure what to think about Evander Kane?s Twitter rant.

He has had his issues with Winnipeg media in the past ? how does this go over there? I guess on one hand you have to admire his passion to win, but is this really the best outlet to express it? Twitter should be for harmless fun and fan engagement (from an athlete?s perspective). Kane?s comments, even if not intended, kind of throws the Jets organization under the bus a bit.

For everyone asking why I don't care to watch or talk about the NHL playoffs. I'm not playing in them, I can't win this year, CONT:
? Evander Kane (@EKane9JETS) June 7, 2013

? Evander Kane (@EKane9JETS) June 7, 2013

The Blues are in the market for a 1^st round pick. And they probably have a forward or two available for trade?

Negotiating, Russian style:

? Slava Malamud (@SlavaMalamud) June 7, 2013

June 07, 2013

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 07:41:51 +0000

Fantasy mailbag is open for the weekend - ask your questions here.

I really want to work a $ sign into Bryan Bickell?s name, but it doesn?t fit anywhere. Either way, he is going to get PAID this summer. Another goal (and an assist) last night. I?d say about 29 other NHL teams could use a player like Bickell on line two or three. How much does he end up going for?

Is he a legit second line scorer? Or is this just the latest John Druce postseason hot streak?

Nick Hjalmarsson had two helpers and 25 minutes of ice time ? he stepped up in a huge way without Duncan Keith.

Pat Kane had his best game in a while ? a goal and seven shots on net, and way more involved offensively (as the SOG indicate) than he has been in any other game this series (or in recent postseason memory).

The AHL?s Calder Cup will be streamed online for free. Booya.

Andrei Loktionov will likely center the top line in NJD next year (or at least whatever line Kovalchuk is on). And he's close to re-signing.

Craig MacTavish was on Edmonton radio yesterday ? reading between the lines, don?t be surprised to see both Hemsky and Horcoff elsewhere next season.

St. Louis forward Andy McDonald has officially retired, citing concussion issues as the reason. McDonald had a great career (too short, though), and he was instrumental in Anaheim?s Stanley Cup in 2007 ? remember him centering Kunitz and Selanne on the top scoring unit?

Will this have any ramifications on other veterans with concussion issues?

?The last few years too much of the focus became worrying about the next hit. I was always thinking about it.? Said McDonald.

Retirement began creeping into McDonald?s head during the regular season but it wasn?t until after the Blues were eliminated by the Los Angeles Kings did he become 100% sure. He spent the last several weeks with his family and is confident now is the right time to move on with his life.

?I?m fortunate to get out now. I know I could play two or three more years and I love the game of hockey, but healthwise I know I shouldn?t be playing.?

For a little guy, McDonald always played with a lot of grit and tenacity.

Dallas Eakins had a second interview with the Canucks yesterday ? the Stars and Rangers also like him. So did former player Mike Mottau, who played under Eakins with the Marlies.

Coaches have a significant impact on the fantasy performance of their players. Vigneault?s radical zone start strategy helped the Sedins win Art Ross titles, and it also helped Ryan Kesler score 40 goals. What kind of impact would Eakins have?

His AHL teams were always stingy defensively, but it is a lot different coaching at the NHL level in terms of personnel and the focus of the game (AHL is just as much about development as it is winning).

The Canucks will have their AHL affiliate play in Utica, New York next year. They purchased the Peoria organization as they wanted to have more control over the development of their prospects (which they didn?t have with the Chicago Wolves).

Vancouver doesn?t have a very good prospect pool ? here are some fantasy-relevant guys who could be in Utica next year:

Nicklas Jensen ? top six upside, big winger with a great shot

Frank Corrado ? mobile defensive defenseman with a big point shot

Henrik Tommernes ? skilled two-way defenseman who is coming over from Sweden

Eddie Lack ? coming off of hip surgery, has lots of upside and potential but needs to start turning it into substance and on-ice success

A closer look at Braden Holtby?s 2013 season.

The Bad: Despite the breakout season, the playoff series highlighted the ups and downs in Holtby?s brief career. Critics will rightfully point to his wretched performances in Games 3, 4, and 7 of the Rangers series, when he collectively allowed 13 goals.

And he couldn?t have picked a worse time to melt down than Game 7, allowing an ugly goal to Aaron Asham in the first period and initiating the 2012-13 version of the annual Washington Capitals spring-time swoon. Obviously, those performances have to cease for Holtby to be considered an elite NHL goaltender.

I?m still on the fence with Holtby in terms of elite upside, but he has shown that he can string together great games. Consistency will come, he?s still young. His teammates love playing for him, and that goes a long way.

Work has begun on the 2013-14 Fantasy Guide already. Last year I included advanced stats as a way to look at players and teams a bit differently.

I know not everybody is on board with advanced stats, and I am fine with that. A lot of times, they simply confirm what we see from watching hockey anyway. But one way or another (either using stats exclusively or completely ignoring them) is not the way to go. You need to use and have an understanding of all potential tools at your disposal when it comes to evaluating players.

An example ? wouldn?t it be useful to know WHY a player saw a regression or a progression offensively? Could it be easier opposition? More offensive zone starts? Better luck? These things matter. You can ignore them completely and have your competition gain an advantage, or you can use them (in conjunction with opinion, watching the game, and instinctual thoughts too) to help create a fuller picture of analysis.

And unfortunately so many times the advanced stat debate turns into bloggers vs. mainstream media guys. It shouldn?t be that way. People get very defensive when advanced stats are criticized, and instead of lashing back out, they need to educate on why they are useful.

Another example ? Corsi measures puck possession. Corsi, at its core, isn?t an advanced stat. It is just the difference between all shots directed on the opponent?s goal and all shots directed at a player?s own goal. What is so advanced about that?

Here was a piece I wrote last year, summarizing some thoughts on the 2011-12 season from an advanced stats perspective.

And using advanced stats (primarily) to see why Mike Green had declined (written last summer). Green had a good 2013 season. He saw the fifth toughest minutes of Washington defensemen in terms of opposition, and he started less than 50% of his shifts on the offensive zone (Washington wasn?t a great possession team for the first few months of the season, which contributed towards this).

I?d still like to see Green used more as a PP option ? he is so dynamic offensively, the team needs to do all it can to minimize his defensive minutes. Why tow gravel with a Ferrari?

An in-depth look at Vincent Lecavalier ? what are Yzerman?s options? Trade? Keep? The salary ramifications are also very interesting, and I enjoyed seeing this laid out as it is relevant to many other big money long term guys too.

Dubbed the "Luongo Rule," it is widely understood to be the league's retribution for teams using so-called "retirement" contracts with front-loaded salary structures for a lengthy term in order to generate more manageable cap hits.

Specifically, should a player with one of these targeted contracts be traded and not fulfill the entire term (i.e. retire or defect to another league), the team that originally signed the player to the deal and the club that traded for him are potentially subject to a cap penalty spread equally among the remaining years in relation to any "cap advantage" (the difference between cumulative salary paid and cap space charged) gained during the player's tenure with both teams.

A look at fixing the Canucks fourth line ? on the right wing. Do they fill it internally (Weise, Kassian), or do they look at a UFA like Chuck Kobasew?

I was on CTV in Vancouver yesterday morning to talk bodyweight fitness ? a great way to work out if you are travelling/busy/don?t like the gym/recovering from an injury (or all of the above).

Check the clip out by going to this link (click on Page 2 of the videos on the right side, and it?s there).

Also got to meet Mike Holmes before, which was pretty cool. He is a Canadian (American too?) celebrity with his shows on home renovations.

Today?s team to analyze is the St. Louis Blues ? almost done this thing!

2013-14 sleeper pick: Ty Rattie

Some guys, regardless of size, height, speed, or whatever, are simply great hockey players. Rattie is one of them. He thinks the game at an elite level. He has magic hands, and a knack for scoring big goals (he reminds me a lot of Jordan Eberle).

Without slotting guys into the right linecombinations, the Blues have Backes, Oshie, Perron, Steen, Tarasenko, Schwartz, and Sobotka under contract for next year. That is seven top-nine forwards.

The other contenders for top nine minutes ? Rattie, Chris Stewart (RFA), Berglund (RFA), Dmitrij Jaskin (big young forward). Will there be enough ice time to go around? I think Rattie finds a way into the lineup ? it may be in December or January, though.

Long term sleeper pick: Jordan Schmaltz

Schmaltz and Schwartz may one day be teammates (too bad goaltender Marek Schwarz is no longer in the organization?). Schmaltz is a skilled puck moving defenseman who needs to get bigger, stronger, and better defensively before taking the next step to pro hockey. He had 12 points in 42 games as a Freshman at North Dakota ? expect him to spend at least three years in college.

June 06, 2013

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 04:53:54 +0000

The AHL Final is set - Grand Rapids vs. Syracuse. Detroit vs. Tampa Bay. Danny DeKeyser is healthy and will be playing in this one for the Griffins.

My thoughts on regulation from last night:

Pittsbugh's best effort of the series (duh). Neal was great. Malkin was on another planet - dangling all comers, including Chara a few times.

David Krejci's sensational postseason run continues. he has 47 points (and counting) in his last 46 postseason games.

And OT:

What a game - Rask and Vokoun were sensational. The refs didn't call anything, but that tends to be the case in postseason overtime. Both teams had numerous chances to win before Marchand made a heck of a pass to Bergeron for the winner. Still waiting for a marathon 4 or 5 OT game, though!

I?m taking part in a mock NHL arbitration trial this weekend in Vancouver. It is a part of the National Academy of Arbitrators annual conference. A fitness client of mine is also a labour lawyer, and he asked for some assistance in preparing his brief and presentation.

Representing the team, in this case, is a guy you may have heard of ? Brian Burke. Although the case is pretend, it will be quite the experience to present a case against Brian Burke!

And it will also be quite interesting to see how an actual NHL arbitration case plays out. It is more of a leverage tool nowadays, but it has some teeth (look at Weber?s massive award a few years ago as an example).

The Calgary Flames are bringing goaltender Karri Ramo over from the KHL, and I think he has to be considered the odds-on favourite to be the starter for the team for this upcoming season. From Andy Strickland, it sounds like the two sides will agree officially on a multi-year contract once free agency opens (July 5^th).

Ramo?s DobberProspects profile.

The Penguins have put together a fantastic ?behind-the-scenes? series of videos from this season ? IN THE ROOM. Check them out ? I love this sort of stuff.

Duncan Keith is carving (pun intended) out a reputation as one of the dirtier players in hockey. He?s a heck of a defenseman when he?s not retaliating with bush league moves like this.

The NHL agreed, giving Keith a one game suspension for his idiotic play against Carter on Tuesday evening.

Slava Voynov is going to get paaaaaaaaaaaid this summer. He?s been fantastic for the Kings this spring, and he?s quietly developing into one of the best young two-way defensemen in the league.

Mike Ribeiro rejected a three-year $14 million offer from Washington back in March. I don?t blame him looking at the barren UFA market. Ribeiro is arguably the top offensive player available, and even with his faults, he is still a proven top six center who can play on the top line (with good wingers and a defensively responsible center or two behind him).

Where does Ribeiro go? What teams out there have both cap space and the need for a top six center?

Colin Wilson broke out in 2013 ? here?s a look at his rapid improvement from On the Forecheck.

With Martin Erat gone, a featured role on the top line is up for grabs this fall, and Wilson is as well-positioned as anyone to take charge. There has been talk of playing him at center, but personally, I see his skating as a bit of an issue.

While his recovery from shoulder surgery appears to be going well, we can't help but wonder if it will hamper him at the start of the 2013-14 season. In the long run, however, he should be a contender to lead the team in scoring.

I may be alone, but I love the new Dallas colour scheme. The logo I am a bit indifferent about ? apparently it looks much better in person (much like the Nashville ?gold? jerseys). But I love the green the Stars have chosen ? it is a unique and beautiful colour, and it is nice to see them go away from the boring black/white monotony that jerseys have become.

Here is Loui Eriksson wearing the road white jersey:

ESPN put together a spectacular 30 for 30 ?short? on the Clint Malarchuk incident. Well worth your time to watch this.

Friedman?s latest 30 Thoughts (always worth reading).

Looking through CapGeek, as I tend to do each summer/off-season. Man, the Maple Leafs are in a good cap situation, especially with the two buyouts. They don?t have many players signed beyond next season, and that flexibility combined with an improved young core should allow Dave Nonis a lot of flexibility and options when pursuing players.

Some changes for NHL 14:

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Pavel Datsyuk the? goalie? Datsyuk tweeted this picture out yesterday.

Canucks post ? finding a way to fix the fourth line (my suggestion ? sign former 24-goal man Blake Comeau).

And another Canucks post ? looking at a potential Loui Eriksson/Alex Edler trade.

I don?t see Edler getting traded, but this is a long off-season and it is a topic I wanted to explore it a bit more. It doesn?t sound like the Canucks will be making any significant changes to their core (at least not yet), but if they do, Edler is the most valuable trading chip they have.

Looking at the Pittsburgh Penguins today ? cap savings are going to be the name of the game for the Penguins next season (and beyond), especially as they have to find a way to lock up Evgeni Malkin long term. He is slated to become a UFA in the summer of 2014.

2013-14 sleeper pick: Beau Bennett

Bennett is an obvious choice here ? it isn?t likely that Morrow/Iginla/Dupuis will all be back, which opens up a top six spot. Bennett is a talented young winger, and he acquitted himself nicely as a rookie this year. He was well ahead of where many had expected him to be at this point, I think. He makes only $900k per season, which will help Pittsburgh?s cap situation tremendously (especially if they can slot him in on L1 or L2).

Longer term sleeper pick: Brian Dumoulin

Dumoulin was acquired from Carolina in the Jordan Staal trade. He is a very talented two-way defenseman with offensive upside. And he isn?t far off from the NHL, either. The Penguins have Martin/Orpik/Letang/Niskanen all signed through next season. Only Martin has more than one year left on his current deal, though.

There are a lot of good young defensemen for Dumoulin to compete with ? Bortuzzo, Despres, Maata, Scott Harrington, and Derrick Pouliot. However, Dumoulin may be the best fit for Pittsburgh within the next year or two ? his skating is NHL calibre already, and he had a productive AHL rookie campaign (six goals, 24 points).

For those of you in the British Columbia region, I will be on CTV this morning around 8:30am to talk about bodyweight fitness training.

And my latest fitness post ? the importance of simplicity and consistency in training.

Logan Couture or Derek Stepan? I?d take Couture, both in real life and fantasy, especially with Tortorella now out in New York (he played the crap out of Stepan). But both of them are great centers.

I really like both of these players. Long term they both have really strong upside. Neither one is going to challenge for scoring titles but both have futures on your fantasy squad if you can acquire them. I have fewer question marks about Couture however. He just doesn?t register to me as a risk. You pretty well know what you are getting, which is about 0.75 points per game. That?s fantastic and there?s upside for more.

I?d love to say I know I am getting that from Stepan. If he keeps getting the minutes he did this season he should wind up scoring right at that sort of pace and there?s certainly upside for more but I can also see more downside.

Mark Streit turns 36 in December and he wants $5 million per for three more years. He will get it, too. In a sheltered defensive role with a ton of PP ice time, he can be a huge difference-maker in this league.

The biggest winner in Streit leaving Long Island? Matt Donovan. He?s been a favourite of mine for a year and a bit now, and he dominated the AHL this past season. He?s a do-it-all defenseman who plays with a ton of confidence.

June 05, 2013

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 08:54:22 +0000

A group of people in the forum are doing a Mock Draft, if you would like to participate, details are here.

As usual, the Kings won at home.

Mike Richards is still out, and it's a suspected unconfirmed alleged possible concussion. Kings' fans - would you rather have him play, or Tyler Toffoli?

Toffoli added another assist and three shots, seeing 13:26 of ice time. That's the highest of the playoffs for him, and the third highest ice time of his NHL career.

In my one keeper league in which all of my buddies were unanimous in saying that I had the playoff trophy 'in the bag' - I have Malkin, Letang, Neal, Dupuis, Bennett, Brown, Kopitar and Toffoli. Oops. I think Toffoli is the only guy to get me points this round, and my big lead has shrunk to two points. And I could be out of players for the Final.

Do you think Dustin Brown is hurt? He has just four points in 16 playoff games. This is the guy who had 20 in 20 last year. I looked this up myself - the last time Brown went 16 games with just four points was in March of 2010 - and on the 17th game he got four points?and on the game prior to that run he got two points.

Slava Voynov with another two points last night gives him back-to-back two-point efforts and his third in four games.

Cha-ching!

That's the sound that Bryan Bickell's agent keeps hearing.

Bickell is a UFA in another month. With seven goals in 15 playoff games, coming off the equivalent of a 40-point season, a team will (over)pay big money for him. And with such a big contract, his coach will be obligated to give him first-line ice time, linemates and PP time. His production will improve for sure next year? but fellow poolies may overshoot his evaluation and actually overrate him. This one will be tough to gauge (player's trade value) and will probably be different from league to league, personality to personality. I'll be looking to both buy and sell - and act according to how I see the market.

Here's Bickell with another chance late - Jonathan Quick robs him and saves the game:

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Syracuse is still waiting for their opponent for the Calder Cup. OKC forced a Game 7 with a 4-3 win over Grand Rapids. The big star? Anton Lander with three points. But, and here is that name again - Mark Arcobello scored a pair of goals. It puts him a point back of Ondrej Palat for the playoff scoring crown.

Detroit's future stars were really burned last night - Nyquist, Tatar and Andersson were a combined minus-7 (Tatar was minus-3). Nyquist and Tatar had five shots apiece though. Grand Rapids carried a 3-1 lead into the third and gave up the tying goal at 17:33 and the winner 82 seconds later. Who do they think they are, the Leafs?

Jonathan Cheechoo, who now toils for OKC Barons, has 11 points in 16 AHL playoff games and he's also a plus-14.

The NHL competition committee, as you've heard I'm sure, did the obvious and have decided to grandfather in the visors. Any player who is rookie eligible next year will be required to wear a visor. Who didn't see this coming 10 years ago? Funny how so much gets debated for so long. It's inevitable, just do it. Same with the iron shoulder pads. You know they'll be required to be soft - that rule will be passed within five years - so quit wasting time. And power plays going the full two minutes the way it used to be back in the 50s. Get 'er done! I'm certain we'll see that one added within five years too.

Hybrid icing is another one that was recommended. Quit delaying the inevitable - that one we knew was coming five or six years ago.

I'm not a big "red tape" guy, as you've probably deciphered.

Other recommendations that will go to the NHL Board for a vote:

I like the idea of making the nets shallow. Keep them the same size in terms of scoring area, but not as deep. So behind the net there will be another four inches of room. That can only help the flow of the game, in my opinion.

Video Review on all four-minute high-sticking penalties. Not sure the point of that. Waste time and extend a stoppage?

Equipment - All equipment will be reviewed (so maybe that shoulder pad thing I noted above will be taken care of sooner).

Well lookee here - the Colorado Avalanche have decided that a goalie coach would be wise to have. One of the worst teams in the league when it comes to developing prospect goaltenders, and then helping out young goaltenders when they are in the NHL?this could finally change. Hiring Francois Allaire, Patrick Roy and Joe Sakic has sure put a new face on this franchise.

TSN reports that Mark Streit has turned down a contract offer from the Islanders and is set to become an unrestricted free agent. This is your captain, ladies and gentlemen. No, I don't think a player should take a bad contract just because he's a captain. But with the salary cap dropping next season, as a free agent he's not going to get better offers. So yeah, in this case, as a leader of this team it would be nice if re-signed with them.

Looks like John Tavares will be the next captain.

Eric Staal's serious knee injury will keep him off the ice until August, but he says he'll be ready for training camp. Here's hoping that this first big injury doesn?t lead to many others, the way it did for Jordan. The Staal brothers have had horrible luck over the past two years?

Andrei Loktionov has reportedly signed a one-year deal with the Devils. I would imagine that it's a one-way agreement, finally locking him in as an NHLer.

I missed this minor note earlier, but former top prospect TJ Hensick is likely heading to Sweden.

Kings are wanting a suspension on Keith for this?

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Did you see this last night? Puck over the Glass song?

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June 04, 2013

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 08:00:15 +0000

The Fantasy Prospects Report is out - you can pick it up here alone, or as part of the Keeper League Pack!

An update on Aaltonen again (below) - Miika Arponen, former DobberProspects writer, tells me that Dallas is out of the mix on Altonen and that Carolina, Florida, Tampa Bay, Calgary and another team in the West are very much interested.

So?what the hell was that?

I'm embarrassed. Humiliated. I call the Penguins in four and they look terrible. Sidney Crosby should be ashamed of himself. If he wants the Cup, he can get it. He's choosing no Cup. That's how I see it. And Kris Letang is a shadow of himself.

Tomas Vokoun got the hook after giving up three goals on eight shots, including the first, seventh and eighth shot. Then Fleury gets back in there and he gives up a goal on the first shot he faces - with eight seconds left.

There's a lot of yammering from media types about how we can't blame the goalies for the loss. And that's partially true. But giving up six goals on 29 shots is inexcusable. The number should be three if the goaltending is average, and two if the goaltending is very good. If the team is down 3-1, maybe they're not psychologically crushed. Maybe every time they try to get something going, they do so with confidence instead of going through the motions. So yeah, blaming the goalies is valid.

The goal Fleury allowed right off the bat:

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That being said - blame the stars more. As I alluded to above with Crosby and Letang. But how about this - Crosby, Malkin, Neal, Iginla and Letang were pointless and a combined minus-10 last night. They are pointless and combined minus-19 overall in the series.

The Penguins dressed Joe Vitale in place of Tyler Kennedy.

So who would you start in Game 3? Fleury? or Vokoun? Do I hear a Jeff Zatkoff vote?

Torey Krug with another assist, three hits and two blocked shots. Six points in seven playoff games now. Looking for to his fantasy numbers in 2013-14.

Brad Marchand scored 28 seconds in? and then he scored again with nine seconds left in the first period. If there were two times to score goals that would best break a team's back, I would say 0:28 and 19:51 of the first period.

Jaromir Jagr picked up two assists, ending a six-game pointless streak. His goalless streak still stands at 15 games.

Nathan Horton is on a four-game points streak. He has eight points in that span, pushing him to fourth in league scoring with 17 points. He's also leading the NHL with a plus-19 rating. Plus-19! In just 14 games!

The Chicago Blackhawks have signed free agent goaltender Antti Raanta to a contract. Raanta was the starting goalie for Assat of the SM-liiga in Finland (Joel Armia's team). In 45 games he posted an impressive 1.85 GAA and 0.943 SP, leading the league in both categories while playing the eighth most games of any goaltender in that league. He's only 24 so I think he'll be the No.3 goalie next season and if he impresses - and that looks promising given his SM-liiga numbers - then he could well be a backup in the NHL in 2014-15. He was Team Finland's goalie at the World's.

Juhamatti Aaltonen's rumored deal with Dallas is allegedly a one-way deal. If this hypothetical theoretical contract does indeed possibly exist.

By the way, why would Dallas hesitate in announcing it?

The Los Angeles Kings own the rights to Bud Holloway, but teams are apparently interested in acquiring those rights. Holloway was a big scorer in the AHL, but never got a sniff of the NHL (we've seen that a lot with LA) and so he went to Sweden. Once there, he tallied 152 points in 142 games. Worth watching how this pans out.

The Sharks have signed Tomas Hertl to a three-year ELC. He could make this team with a strong camp - there's certainly room for him.

Ron and Don after the game?

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Ron and Don, Coach's Corner:

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June 03, 2013

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 09:43:59 +0000

I noted three weeks ago that Juhamatti Aaltonen was possibly going to Dallas, per a source. And as 'Noma' in the forum dug up - his KHL team has announced that he is going to the NHL. Dallas has the room for him, but who the coach for Dallas is will make all the difference.

At the World Championships, Aaltonen was second in scoring for Finland with 11 points in 10 games, ahead of the likes of Lauri Korpikoski (five in eight), Mikael Granlund (three in four) and Niklas Hagman (one in 10). He also led his Allsvenskan team Rogle in scoring with 31 points in 42 games. Aaltonen is in a Roman Cervenka situation - he was a highly ranked prospect at one time on my Fantasy Prospects List. But the Blues never got him across the pond.

In February of 2006, I did a piece for The Hockey News - four parts - that outlined my Top 40 prospects. Aaltonen was 39th. Here is what I wrote:

Juhamatti Aaltonen, St. Louis. Another 20-year-old who lacks grit but can definitely find the net. Aaltonen was chosen late in the 2003 entry draft (ninth round), however his offense has dramatically improved in each and every season. He is currently playing in Finland and has about a point every two games. He is about three years away, and is still a project.

Mike Richards took pre-game warmups by was scratched with an upper-body injury. Tyler Toffoli filled in and picked up a nice assist on the Jeff Carter goal - and then scored late in the third. Prior to the game, Darryl Sutter said that Richards was fine and that the Dave Bolland hit was not an issue. I'm guessing that Richards was known to be a scratch all along and that skating the warmups was just an act. And I just want to be the first to say - well done. That little performance really gave the Kings an edge.

As soon as the coaches stop playing CIA with each other, maybe they'll realize that these little media games actually give no edge and that disclosing injury information makes little difference other than keeping the paying customer informed.

Toffoli, by the way, played 12:52. He's still Calder eligible for next year and you have to like his chances to at least be in the conversation a year from now. That ice time was his highest in these playoffs. I love it when players produce even though the coach is trying hard to control his ice time and ease him in.

If you didn't catch the game, Jonathan Quick got the hook after giving up the fourth goal. Bernier shut the door after that, stopping nine of nine.

Brandon Saad has been quiet in these playoffs, but he had two assists last night. Gives him four for the postseason. Still without a goal though.

Patrick Sharp is on a three game points streak. He's tied for second in postseason shots with 51 - behind Zetterberg (58).

Here's a good scrum - Corey Crawford gets involved. And you can see Bernier yelling down the ice at him:

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Everyone is raving about how strongly Valeri Nichushkin was at the Combine. There's not a lot of room for him to move up, since he was already between fourth and sixth on most lists - but he probably solidified No.4. If his name was Joe Smith, he'd be in the conversation for Top 3. Myself, since both of my keeper leagues have me picking mid-round (fifth and eight in 13-team keeper, and 10th in 14-team keeper) I'll be praying that he gets to me. He might get as low as ninth in the latter league - with players like Brendan Gallagher, JG Pageau, Jacob Trouba and Torey Krug available on top of the Big 3 and Barkov.

I have Nichushkin ranked the ninth-best to own in a keeper league among skaters who have never played an NHL game, points-only (defensemen count 2x for goals) in my Fantasy Prospects Report.{source}


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The Syracuse Crunch have eliminated Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and move onto the Final in the AHL. WBS won the first game and managed to contain Tyler Johnson and Brett Connolly for the most part. But it speaks to the depth of Syracuse when Ondrej Palat steps up (six points in the series) and lesser guys like Philippe Paradise (hat trick in final game).

Palat now leads the AHL playoffs in scoring with 20 points. Johnson's not far behind with 17 (12 games).

Grand Rapids and OKC were deadlocked at two wins apiece heading into Sunday evening contest. Gustav Nyquist and Joakim Andersson joined Grand Rapids in time for Saturday's game (and they combined on a goal). On Sunday, in the game in which Grand Rapids took a 3-2 series lead, Andersson picked up two assists. Nyquist was held pointless.

Petr Mrazek has earned back-to-back shutouts for Grand Rapids, facing 77 shots. Mrazek would be one of the best prospect goaltenders to own were it not for Detroit extending Jimmy Howard for so long. As such, I don't see much of a short-term future for Mrazek. But he's only 21, so I still like him for 2016 or 2017.

For an in-depth analysis on how Eric Fehr did this season for Washington, to help you draw an opinion of him for next year, take a look at this report filed by Japer's Rink.

With the Fantasy Prospects Report done, I've now turned my attention to the Hockey Forecaster magazine. I'm profiling all the players for six teams, including Columbus - I'm doing that team for the seventh consecutive year. Chicago and Phoenix I've had five or six times each. I think at one summer or another I've done every single franchise in the NHL except I've never done Toronto. Go figure. Come to think of it, Boston or Montreal are teams I've also never covered for Forecaster.

Rask denies Malkin?then he says no to Crosby. This is the Rask Boston needs to win this series:

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Crosby and Chara yammering at each other. How Crosby handles Chara will make an impact on this series. Chara is not what he once was?

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Interesting - Evgeni Malkin vs. Patrice Bergeron? and more Crosby/Chara yammering - I love this battle:

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June 2nd, 2013

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 11:34:00 +0000

We'll recap the two Conference Final Series openers momentarily, but we've been covering coaches like crazy over at CanucksArmy.com this week and I figured I'd point you to a more general post on the subject of "the impact of a coaching change" written yesterday by Blake Murphy. The results of Blake's number crunching are intuitive - coaches generally shake up the dressing rooms they enter: surprise, surprise - but it's a really insightful read nonetheless.

While the games were, obviously, the main event on Saturday there was also the "unsigned draft pick deadline" for 2011 NHL draft picks. I put together a list of unsigned draft picks who will either reenter the draft or become UFAs for the Sporting News.

There's some surprising names on that list, like mobile defenceman Zach Yuen who may be selected even earlier in the 2013 draft than he was a couple of years ago. The Jets traded up to land Yuen in 2011, and his game seemed to be progressing nicely. Really curious to hear what happened there...

The other unsigned pick that I'm very surprised to see re-enter the draft is Belleville Bulls centreman - and 2011 Detroit Red Wings pick - Alan Quine. Brendan Gaunce earned the defensive accolades this past season for Belleville, and for good reason since he's a two-way force at the OHL level, but Quine did the majority of the defensive heavy lifting from what I've observed. Quine consistently soaked up the majority of defensive zone starts for Belleville in the handful of games that I watched this season, and generally did pretty well to limit the damage as the Bulls third-line centreman. Quine strikes me as a player who is a pretty safe bet to develop into a fourth-line centre at the NHL level, with some penalty-killing and defensive value. I'd further posit that he's got some top-9 potential (with a lot more uncertainty in that projection). I guess the Red Wings system is deep enough, and they were close enough to the fifty contract max, that they felt they could pass up on a nice asset. Expect to see Quine taken off the board in the first 100 picks on June 30th though.

Okay enough foreplay, let's get to Saturday night's action. We'll start in the West where the Blackhawks only won by a single goal but basically ran the defending Stanley Cup Champions off the ice in game one of the 2013 Western Conference Finals. At even-strength the Blackhawks controlled well north of 60% of the shot attempts and the actual shots on goal too! The Keith-Seabrook pairing led the way for Chicago from a possession standpoint, but damn did that Toews, Hossa, Bryan Bickell line look dominant as well.

Here's an odd tidbit from Chicago's game one victory: Keith and Seabrook were matched up primarily against the Jeff Carter-Mike Richards line (I'd describe it as a soft match, since the Blackhawks had home ice). Meanwhile Coach Q used Oduya and Hjalmarsson more often against the Kopitar line, which, yeah you just don't see the Kopitar line draw a secondary pair as their primary matchup very often.

The Handzus, Kane, Patrick Sharp line enjoyed the Sedin treatment (and then some) with nine offensive zone starts, and zero starts in their own end of the rink. Despite the line's offensive oriented deployment, the Handzus line came out "even" (mostly) in their matchup against the Voynov pairing and the Stoll line primarily. While the Kings were otherwise stomped on Saturday night,

if their third line can battle Patrick Kane's group to a draw with any regularity in this series that bodes very well for L.A. If Sutter just matches Kopitar more firmly against the Toews line that could, in theory, free up Mike Richards and Jeff Carter to wreck the likes of Dave Bolland and Marcus Kruger...

Really good post game take on Los Angeles' puck possession issues from Jesse Spector. I'd call L.A.'s postseason puck possession issues "inexplicable" if not for the fact that Robyn Regehr continues to play on the top-pairing with Drew Doughty. What's that about? Over the past two seasons in Buffalo, Eastern Conference clubs have regularly given Regehr the "Jeff Schultz treatment" which mostly entails dumping the puck into his corner, beating him to it, and generating scoring chances as a result.

To continue to riff on this theme, let's check in on the data. In nearly two-hundred even strength minutes when Robyn Regehr was paired with Drew Doughty towards the tail end of the regular season, the Los Angeles Kings controlled just about 51% of shot attempts and were outscored by the opposition. Compare that with the Muzzin-Doughty pairing which, in nearly 450 even-strength minutes outscored their opponents 2.5 to 1 and controlled over 63% of shot attempts. 63 percent!

This a no brainer if there ever was one...

(Data from stats.hockeyanalysis.com)

I tend to think that Marcus Kruger has surpassed Dave Bolland as a defensive specialist, and I wonder if that might spell the end for Bolland in Chicago. Bear with me for a moment, but I think Kruger is legitimately better than Bolland is at this point in their respective careers. Kruger is also younger and cheaper to boot.

On home ice in game one, so with no need to zone match, Coach Q counted on Kruger to start in the defensive zone eight times at even-strength. The Blackhawks only had twelve draws in their own end at evens in game one, so Kruger was on the ice for the vast majority of the club's even-strength defensive zone faceoffs. Despite the difficulty of his role, Kruger was on the ice for four Los Angeles shot attempts in ten minutes of ice-time. Total. That's ridiculous, but also par for the course for Kruger this year.

There are essentially no centreman on the free agent market this summer, certainly none that have as good a resume as Bolland does and will cost less than 3.5 million against the cap next season. With Kruger's emergence and Bolland's failure to emerge as an "answer" in Chicago's top-six, I wonder if perhaps the return for Bolland's services on the trade market might outweigh his hockey value at this point.

So the Eastern Conference Final between the Bruins and Penguins could be pretty interesting, eh? Crosby jawing with Rask and Chara, Malkin fighting (and pummeling) Patrice Bergeron, and a variety of controversial hits both ways. The temperature at this series reached "maximum" by mid-way through the third period, and it's only going up from here on out, which owns if you like your hockey with a side of drama.

This Boston v. Pittsburgh series was billed as a defensive team against an offensive team and I'm not sure why everyone is still so insistent on mischaracterizing the Boston Bruins. Yeah the Bruins have stellar goaltending and two of the best two-way players in the game in Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara. Yes, they're one of the toughest teams in the league. But toughness and defence is only part of the puzzle for Boston and skill play and an ability to consistently generate offense is a key component of their game too. It has been for years. This is a team with the firepower to, say, score three goals in ten minutes in a critical game seven. And no Don Cherry, it wasn't Lucic's pummeling Dion Phaneuf that swung that seventh game. I feel like "skilled" is a dirty word in Boston or something, but the Bruins often win as a result of theirs.

Look no further than David Krejci, for no reason at all the most unheralded Bruin despite leading the team in playoff scoring by a wide margin the past three years, to understand why this B's team continues to pile up postseason victories. The remarkable hand eye coordination Krejci flashed on the game sealing goal - instead of trying to bat it out of the air, Krejci picked the perfect moment and made contact with the puck the moment it hit the ice and did so while battling through traffic in the slot - was par for the course. Also par for the course? How pretty much everyone in the media and in the Boston media in particular will focus on the Bergeron fight and Chara bending down to chat with Crosby rather than talking about how Krejci's skill tilted another close game in Boston's favour.

Hockey is weird in that the game decided by three goals on Saturday was way closer than the game decided by one. By Cory Sznajder's count, the Penguins actually out-chanced the Bruins in game one, though they relied on their power-play to do so. Tuuka Rask was phenomenal in game one but don't be fooled by results: the Pittsburgh power-play was dominant and could blow the roof off this series yet.

Fact is, the Bruins PK hasn't been that good in the postseason (except against the Rangers whose power-play is a bad joke). If the Penguins manage to generate pressure and scoring chances at five-on-four with the regularity they did on Saturday, they will break through. In a series that promises to be extraordinarily testy, that could prove decisive.

Some debate on Twitter about whether or not Bergeron's decision to fight Malkin was the right one, and I think it was a fine tactical call. Yeah Patrice Bergeron drew a hard-match against Sidney Crosby in game one (spent 57% of his EV TOI matched up agaist #87), but realistically Pittsburgh's biggest advantage in this series is that they have more forward depth (thanks to Malkin and Crosby) than Pittsburgh's blue-line cast can theoretically contain. Boston, after all, only has one Zdeno Chara while Pittsburgh has two bonafide all world centreman.

Any time the Bruins can take one of Malkin or Crosby off of the ice for five minutes - especially if they're up a goal - that's a trade they'll take, even at the expense of Bergeron. Partly as a result of missing an extended period of time, Malkin only saw a tick over four minutes of even-strength ice-time against defenders not named Chara in game one. That's a win for Pittsburgh, frankly.

One more note on a similar theme: Chara was glued on Malkin (62% of Malkin's EV TOI was spent head-to-head against Chara), while he only saw Crosby relatively occassionally (40% of Crosby's EV TOI was spent head-to-head against Chara). I wonder if that's in part a function of Crosby drawing Patrice Bergeron as a hard-match, or if Claude Julien has decided to make shutting down Malkin's line the focal point of Boston's defensive game plan...

Neither Patrice Bergeron nor David Krejci started a single even-strength shift in the offensive zone in game one, which is wild.

Finally, in an interview on the Team 1040 on Friday afternoon, Vancouver Canucks assistant General Manager Laurence Gilman was asked sort of vaguely about compliance buyouts, or the possibility of retaining salary in a trade, or the possibility of acquiring a player on a bad deal via trade for the purposes of using a compliance buyout on said player. "You asked about a number of weapons, so to speak," Gilman responded "that exist in the arsenal that is the collective bargaining agreement." What a fun description!

I'm curious to see if the new collective bargaining agreement contributes to a more eventful, interesting summer of player transactions - and trades in particular - than we've seen in the recent past. Between the new tools available to clubs in the 2013 NHL/NHLPA CBA, the weak crop of free agents, and a draft class that looks to be historically strong, I really think we might see some mega deals this summer. I guess we'll see!

June 01, 2013

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 02:10:06 +0000

The 2013 DobberHockey Prospects Report is out! If you purchased it, it will be available in your 'Downloads' section on the left side of this page (about half-way down).

And if you didn't purchase it.... what are you waiting for?

Pick it up here, or for only $2.50 more, grab it with our Keeper League Fantasy Pack.

Oh, and for a cherry on top ? Pavel Datsyuk would ?love? to sign a contract extension. I guess I?ll have to move him up on my top 50 NHL trade values list?.

Today?s ramblings are chalk-full of content to get you prepared for a fantastic day of hockey ? the Prospects Report and two Conference Final games. Oh, and it is Saturday. Doesn?t get much better than that.

The FantasyHockeyGeek tools are amazing. A few times each year I really dig deep into my keeper league to figure out my own roster, my competition, and which players to target at the upcoming draft.

With my league adding hits last year, it has changed the value of players significantly. For example, Zdeno Chara is the third most valuable player in our league, and David Backes was also in the top 10. Having spreadsheets to compute these rankings for this year, projections, and a few years into the past makes ranking and evaluating players so easy.

And all of my league members are Dobber members (some more active than others), so they have access to my thoughts on basically every player. I rarely am able to pull wool over others, and that is just fine.

This isn?t a sales pitch (I have no stake in the company - great dudes run it, though) ? this is a phenomenal resource and it will easily and quickly make you a better and more informed poolie. I use it to evaluate every single trade (not only mine but my competition?s, too).

I have a mega spreadsheet that has customized values specific to my league for 2013 and the previous three seasons. And once I start putting my projections together, I can input those, too.

And when the draft comes up, I can see which categories I am weak in, and as the draft goes on, I can generate rankings to give me the exact players to shore up my weaknesses.

Check it out here ? it is completely free to try.

Jarmo Kekalainen is happy to have three 1^st round draft picks. I know I would be, too.

The Jackets pick 14, 19, and undetermined (depends how the postseason plays out).

Kekalainen in a potential trade:

"We're going to keep our options open and we're going to be open for talks," he said. "I've expressed the willingness to move one of those picks [prior to making a selection] if we could get some help for our team.

But we're not looking for any short-term fix or a quick solution. We're looking for a top prospect in return or a player that's still young and can contribute for our team for the long term.

Sidney Crosby is a tough dude ? check out some gruesome details of his recent jaw/face injury. Ouch.

Roughly 10 of his teeth were affected, some irreparably, as the force from the puck would have pushed them through some of the supporting bone structure and severed the neurovascular pulp supply, which is a tooth?s connection to the nerves and blood supply in the mouth. Two teeth even went back so forcefully they damaged the inside of his mouth around his tongue.

Anton Forsberg (no relation to Peter) signed a contract with the Jackets, recently.

Just days after they signed Curtis McElhinney to a one-year deal, the Columbus Blue Jackets have signed another goaltender. On Tuesday, the team inked Anton Forsberg, a sixth round pick from the 2011 draft, to a three-year deal. A strong season in the Swedish Elite League helped raise the 20-year-old netminders stock, and he will likely have a chance to take the spot in the AHL that McElhinney occupied this season.

Forsberg won 24 games for Sodertalje this season, while posting a 2.08 goals-against average that was second-best in the SEL. He also was a part of the Swedish team that won gold at the 2012 World Junior Championship.

Some positive words on Patrick Roy from a former player of his.

What made Roy so special behind the Remparts' bench?

"He was confident and he always wanted to win," Etchegary said. "I never met someone who wanted to win as bad as he did. It was like, no matter who we played, a last-place team or first-place team, he wanted to score and win. And win badly. Off the ice, he's friendly and looks after the players, and on the ice he just tried to motivate us. He never tried to bring down a player; he just wanted to see us succeed and give us everything to get to that next level."

Caps defenseman Jeff Schultz has asked for a trade ? Caps fans are probably happy hearing this as he was a giant defensive liability last season. He has struggled for a little while now after putting together a few nice years with Mike Green.

Do the Oilers make a move here? One, it would give them another defenseman. Two, it would give them three Schultz?s on the back end. Now that would be a fun game to call.

Justin Williams ? the forgotten superstar. Some good stuff here on why he is such a good player.

An update on how some of the young Oilers are playing in the AHL postseason for OKC.

On Mark Arcobello:

Arcobello has improved since the first season. He started in Stockton, and came to us at the end of the year. Last year he had a great season, and this year he?s followed up with a banner season. With the way that Edmonton?s built, it may not be the right fit, but there are other teams that are looking. Both guys are playing well, I?m very happy with the way that they?re progressing and once again,that has to continue.

My all-time favourite HNIC theme:

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The Islanders would be interested in Roberto Luongo under the right circumstances, according to Bob McKenzie. Could be something there ? imagine him behind that young team?

Montreal has signed Tim Bozon to a rookie contract. Bozon is a gifted offensive forward who had 91 points in the WHL in 2012-13. He was drafted in the 3^rd round last year and will likely turn pro for the 2013-14 season. He could still go back to the WHL, but what is left to prove after that sort of production?

Here?s more on Bozon from last summer.

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Derrick Pouliot has signed an ATO (tryout contract) to join the Baby Pens during the AHL postseason (joining fellow prospects Scott Harrington and Olli Maata).

Pouliot, 19, helped the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League (WHL) win its league playoff title this season and earn a berth in the Memorial Cup tournament. Pouliot finished that tournament with two goals, five assists and seven points in five games, helping Portland advance to the championship game where it lost to the Halifax Mooseheads.

The Weyburn, Saskatchewan native appeared in 44 games during the regular season with Portland, totaling nine goals, 36 assists and 45 points. He added 20 points (4G-16A) in 21 playoff game.

Couple of fitness posts for this week:

Learning the front squat

Why rest and recovery is important (and how to use it properly)

The NHL Draft Combine was yesterday ? here?s my post on it last summer, in terms of what it tests and measures.

Phil Kessel, for example, had a poor showing at his combine. However, he is one of the best pure goal scorers in the game. Does it matter what he benches, how he interviews, or how strong his grip strength is? It is also a case of cart and horse.

Does a prospect have an elite ability to score goals because he is strong and powerful, or is it because of his hockey sense and instincts? Does a prospect who can?t even bench 150 pounds increase his goal output if he gets stronger? There are much more functional movements for hockey players that could easily be implemented ? squats, deadlifts, and cleans all test a person through more hockey-based movements than a bench press, for example.In today?s increasingly statistical and analytical sporting landscape, NHL teams still view the combine as more art than science.

Today?s team to analyze is the Phoenix Coyotes

2013-14 sleeper: Chris Brown

Brown is a power forward who spent two years at Michigan before turning pro. As a rookie in the AHL last season, he scored 30 goals (29 regular season, one postseason). Brown earned a call up to the Coyotes near the end of the season, but he didn?t play much. He?s big, has a nose for the net, and gets around the ice pretty well, too.

Long-term sleeper:

I?m going to give you a second 2013-14 sleeper instead: Michael Stone

I went to see the Coyotes and Canucks play live this past season, and I came away really impressed with Stone?s game. I admittedly didn?t? know much about him before that game ? only that he was a solid young defenseman who had been bumped up to play with OEL on occasion.

He had nine points in 40 NHL games in 2013, adding 29 points in the AHL during the lockout. He?s physical and has a booming shot, but just needs to find that next level of consistency.

May 31, 2013

Fri, 31 May 2013 06:42:12 +0000

The 2013 DobberHockey Prospects Report? one day away. Get excited.

The Oilers signed a defenseman yesterday - Anton Belov from the KHL. The 6-4 defenseman had 26 points in 46 games last year, and the Oilers beat out five or six other teams to get him (including the Penguins). I bet Belov took one look at their depth chart and said to himself... "ice time!"

Quick scouting report - great skater, huge, not very good defensively. Will be interesting to see how he adjusts. 6-4 215 pound offensive defensemen don't grow on trees. This hurts Oscar Klefbom's ability to crack the roster next year - Belov is a similar defenseman and more experienced at the pro level.

Assuming the Oilers don't add another defenseman, they currently could roll with Schultz (J and N), Smid, Petry, Belov, and Potter/Klefbom/Fistric. Still need another defenseman in there, but this is a good signing for the organization.

The latest DobberNation podcast is fantastic. Give it a listen here. Brock Otten dishes some great thoughts on OHL prospects, including Bo Horvat, Max Domi, Sean Monohan, and Darnell Nurse (who he really likes).

Otten?s draft day guesses:

Monohan to the Oilers at #7 (paired with Nail Yakupov)

Zadorov to the Flyers (a physical defenseman, perhaps pairing him with an offensive guy in a year or two)

Nurse to Calgary at #6 (a replacement for Bouwmeester)

Ryan Hartman (Boston or San Jose late in the 1^st round ? energetic, physical, but skilled player)

Max Domi to Columbus (could be a replacement for Gaborik in a few years)

Bo Horvat to Phoenix at #12 (a do-it-all replacement for Shane Doan down the road)

Danny Cleary played the entire Chicago series with a separated shoulder and broken finger (suffered in Game 5 against the Ducks).

A great read ? not fantasy relevant, but important ? Kris Letang remembers his friend Luc Bourdon, five years later.

This just in ? all teams and players dive:

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Not a huge surprise ? the reason for Tortorella?s firing was the fact that some players (including a few in the core) were tired of his style. Gee? ya don?t say?

Sportsnet?s Michael Grange rips Tortorella a new one in this interesting piece.

Today?s team to analyze ? the Philadelphia Flyers

2013-14 sleeper pick: Erik Gustafsson

For a team with issues breaking the puck out of their own zone, the Flyers will need all of the puck movers they can get this season. Gustafsson is exactly that ? he won?t score a ton of goals or make the highlight reels with a big hit, but he?s a steady and mobile two-way defenseman who doesn?t cost a lot of money against the salary cap. When the inevitable injury hits Andrej Meszaros again, there could be a top four spot with his name on it. He had three goals and eight points in 27 games with the Flyers in 2013. Very respectable production for a rookie defenseman.

Long-term sleeper pick: Jason Akeson

Akeson is older than most prospects (23), but don?t hold that against him. He led the Flyers AHL affiliate in scoring in 2012-13 with 20 goals and 53 points, and as the team looks to get younger and cheaper, he could find himself in the top nine (or even top six) this season. The offense may not come right away, but that is his game and the Flyers will put him in a position to produce.

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Some Round 3 matchups I am looking forward to?

East:

Crosby vs. Bergeron

Crosby vs. Chara

Iginla vs. Bruins fans

Jagr vs. Pittsburgh fans

Letang vs. Boston?s forecheck

West:

Kopitar vs. Toews

Doughty vs. Toews

Quick vs. Kane/Sharp/Hossa

Both teams have great third and fourth lines ? will be some good depth battles

Michael Ryder is probably done in Montreal ? he has lived up to his past two UFA contracts, and is still a very, very good second line winger. Where could he end up next season? A lot of teams could use a scorer like him.

Kirill Kabanov - #23 for the top 25 players under the age of 25 in the Islanders organization.

An exciting debut weekend undermined, Kabanov returned months later but a far cry from the form he brought into training camp. He finished with just nine points (2-7) in 32 games, and was scratched multiple times down the stretch. The layoff had to hurt, but the responsibility still falls with him.

At age 20, with only the first year of his ELC burned and with ample talent in his arsenal, I can write off this season as another unfortunate hurdle to clear. Sound Tigers coach Scott Pellerin was right to hold his feet to the fire when he returned from injury, and Kabanov would be wise to put this year behind him and recommit this summer to advancing his career.

One prospect I really like (there are many) is Tampa forward Vladdy Namestnikov. He?s having a solid AHL third round for Syracuse.

Circumstances relegated Syracuse Crunch rookie forward Vladdy Namestnikov to the fourth line at the start of the playoffs.

A different twist twist of postseason drama boosted him to the top line Wednesday, and the flashy prospect again showed why he has the talent to stay there.

Namestnikov scored his first pro playoff goal in the second period and goalie Cedrick Desjardins was sharp with 22 saves as the Crunch nudged Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 2-0 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Speaking of the AHL, the LA Kings are well-stocked with former Manchester Monarchs.

"We take a lot of pride in the success that our players are having at the NHL level," said Mark Morris, who has been Monarchs head coach since 2006. His players through the years have included 2012 Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jonathan Quick, and five current L.A. players who were in Manchester this season: Tyler Toffoli, Slava Voynov, Dwight King, Jordan Nolan, and Jake Muzzin.

The OKC Barons have a 2-1 series lead over Grand Rapids in the AHL?s Western Conference Final.

The Barons were led by the vets in their recent win, including Jonathan Cheechoo, Ben Eager, and Josh Green. Not much fantasy relevance there, but interesting to see Cheechoo still kicking around. Have to admire his passion for the game.

The Griffins will be getting some help as Joakim Andersson and Gustav Nyquist are heading back down from Detroit to play in Game 4 tonight.

CBC intro montage ? once again an amazing piece of work:

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Dirty with a capital D:

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Detroit really missed Filppula, and it begs the question ? will he be back next year? If I am a team looking to sign a center, I?d take him quite easily over Derek Roy or Stephen Weiss. Will Filppula take a discount to remain with the Wings?

Paul Kariya thinks the Patrick Roy hiring is a good move for Colorado. I miss watching Kariya play, while we are on the subject. He sure was fun to watch. Thanks a lot, Gary Suter.

A comprehensive review of Alex Goligoski?s 2013 season.

The big goal of the next coaching regime is to find out how to best maximize the potential that Goligoski possesses. When he first arrived in Dallas the pressure on his shoulders was considerably lower and you could see those heightened expectations weighing on him the first few months of this season. Let's hope this season, as it should be for many players, was a valuable learning experience for a player who is better than the sum of the 2013 season.

More positive recognition for Ducksprospect John Gibson. Young goalies are notoriously hard to predict, but Gibson has ?can?t miss? written all over him.

USA Hockey announced Wednesday that goaltender John Gibson is the recipient of the Bob Johnson Award, given annually to recognize excellence in international hockey competition during a specific season of play. Gibson will receive the award at USA Hockey?s President's Awards Dinner on June 7. Previous recipients of the Bob Johnson Award include Vezina Trophy winner Ryan Miller and Minnesota Wild stars Zach Parise and Ryan Suter.

Shutdown Line takes a closer look at Zac Dalpe?s 2013 season.

Does he have a future with the team?

Is there a place for Zac Dalpe in the Hurricanes future? Carolina's management and coaching staff are going to have to find out the answer to this soon and it won't be easy. If someone were to ask me, I would say that Dalpe has a future with this team and can settle into a third-line role next year without much of an issue. I thought this would be the plan for him this year, but that obviously didn't work out since the team seems to view him as "top-six or bust."

That may have been true for Zach Boychuk, but Dalpe is a little different since I think he can perform well outside of a top-six role and can be relied on for secondary scoring. Next year will be a critical year for Dalpe and how successful he can be in Carolina is going to depend on what the coaching staff asks of him.

What happens with Sergei Bobrovsky if he wins the NHL 14 cover vote and heads to the KHL? Kidding aside, there is little to no chance that BOBROVSKY is anywhere other than Columbus next year.

May 30, 2013

Thu, 30 May 2013 06:52:36 +0000

The 2013 DobberHockey Fantasy Prospects Report? two days away.

Game 7 OT, baby!

Another low scoring but exciting Game 7 last night. Some quick thoughts on the Hawks and Wings:

The penalty call at the end of the third - wow. Not really sure what to say there. Jimmy Howard was sensational once again. Corey Crawford let out a few leaky rebounds but he made the stops when he needed to in regulation.

Brian Bickell is going to get a nice contract this summer. Great combination of skill, speed, size, and grit. Not many UFAs on the market like him (assuming he gets there).

Niklas Kronwall put in another heroic effort ? what he has done this season helping to mitigate the loss of Nicklas Lidstrom has been tremendous. He?s played like a true number one defenseman. Getting that opportunity is one thing, but taking advantage of it and earning it is something completely different.

Kronwall was the goat on the OT winner (gave up a huge gap, and the shot tipped off his stick), but he played a tremendous series otherwise.

He won 12 faceoffs and played 20 minutes, but Toews was a no-show offensively last night. Kane was good. Sharp was good. Shaw and Bickell were great. No sign of Toews for much of the game.

Gustav Nyquist is going to take over for Datsyuk and Zetterberg. The kid is an absolute stud ? smart, crafty, not a liability defensively, and he always makes the right play with the puck on his stick.

Oh, and we told you about him four years ago:

Henrik Zetterberg has scored at least one goal in all 21 NHL postseason series? he has been a part of. Not too shabby.

Jonathan Quick is, once again, proving why he is one of the best goalies on the planet. He was sensational in Game 7 on Tuesday night for the Kings (Antti Niemi also had a great game).

From Puck Daddy:

Goaltenders suck the scoring out of hockey. It?s their job. But there?s a difference between preventing the puck from entering the net and sucking the fun out of the game. Jonathan Quick didn?t allow a goal in the final two minutes of Game 7, but I defy you to tell me that the saves he was making ? confidently, emphatically and athletically ? weren?t as thrilling as any Pavel Datsyuk stick-handling move or Sidney Crosby cross-ice pass.Niemi has solidified himself as an elite goalie after his performance in 2013 (regular season + playoffs). He?s always had the talent, but he has never been as consistently spectacular as he was this past season.

San Jose?s big guns were great, too. The Kings are simply a really, really good hockey team, and San Jose?s depth was outscored and outplayed by LA?s.

These guys may not matter much in fantasy leagues, but the Kings are winning because of versatile forwards like Brad Richardson, Trevor Lewis, and Dwight King. Being able to play these guys 12-15 minutes a night makes things easier for the top line stars.

And speaking of top line stars ? Justin Williams steps up once again in a Game 7. He is now 4-0 in Game 7?s, with at least one goal in each of them (one with LA, one with Philly, two with Carolina).

He gets out there in Game 7?s because of his defensive play, for the most part. Even as a proven scoring winger, arguably his best attribute is his responsible two-way play. Coaches trust him in big games.

Oh, and he?s locked up at $3.6 million per for another two years.

Kyle Clifford had an impactful game ? six hits in 10 minutes of ice time. I like his upside in multi-category leagues ? he is a pretty skilled guy, and of course he will get a lot of PIM and hits.

The Flyers are hoping to sign 24-year-old Michael Raffi. He projects as a gritty third line winger, and spent last season playing in Sweden?s second best league (just below the SEL).

Raffl, who scored 24 goals with 46 points in 49 games this season in Sweden, is 6-feet, 192 pounds.

?He?s a pretty good body who has to work on his footwork,? Brown said. ?But his hands and his head are right there,? adding that Raffl showed he was very competitive on the puck at the World Championships.

A very extensive and comprehensive look at Jhonas Enroth. Can he be the starter for Buffalo?

Can he be a No. 1 starter? That question is still difficult to answer because there simply isn't enough information to say definitively he'd make an above average No. 1. There is no position harder to project than goaltender ? and by a mile.

That being said, his statistics and performance in 2013 say he has a good chance at being capable ? even very good.

If the Sabres are forced to trade Ryan Miller this summer, Enroth may be very effective as part of a goalie tandem in 2013-14. It would be unwise to throw a goalie who's never played more than 58 games in a pro season into a 60-plus game NHL season. It would also be unwise to put huge statistical expectations on a netminder who will be backstopping a rebuilding club.

Sticking with the Sabres ? here is an extended offseason look at the team. I don?t see them going this young or with this many prospects on the roster, even if the are ?rebuilding.? Just doesn?t happen nowadays.

Aaron Ness is the 24^th best player under the age of 25 in the Islanders organization, according to Lighthouse Hockey. Small offensive defenseman ? does he have what it takes to make the NHL? Thomas Hickey plays a similar game, so that may be the roster spot Ness needs.

#stlblues have signed Dman Ian Cole to a two-year extension #NHL
? Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) May 28, 2013

I like Cole ? he could replace Jordan Leopold on the Blues back end for next season. Good skater, makes a good first pass, decent offensive upside.

Blues fans, for the most part, have soured on Cole. For a 1^st round pick, his development has been very up and down. But the Blues obviously recognize his talent, and a two-year one-way deal ensures he will get more opportunities to prove himself.

My look at Dallas Eakins, who is one candidate to replace Alain Vigneault in Vancouver.

Before serving as the head coach for the Marlies for the past four year, Eakins was a fringe NHLer who had a long playing career in professional hockey. He was the captain of the Manitoba Moose during the 2003-04 season - a roster which also featured a few fresh-faced players named Ryan Kesler (33 games), Kevin Bieksa (four games), and Alexandre Burrows (two games). So right off the bat, there is some familiarity between Eakins and three of Vancouver?s core players.

From Ian Mendes:

?[Bryan] Murray admits that offense is the team's top priority in the off-season. He may pursue via free agency or trade.?

Thomas Vanek, anyone? The Senators could put together quite the enticing package for him, to say the least.

Caps prospect Stanislav Galiev has won a league championship in three straight seasons (QMJHL, QMJHL, and now ECHL).

From a few days ago ? a good luck at some of the Lightning?s best young guys:

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Tortorella is out in New York. One guy who wasn?t too upset:

Everything happens for a reason...
? Marian Gaborik (@MGaborik10) May 29, 2013

My latest fitness post ? learning how to front squat properly (and why it is a safer and more effective variation of the squat).

Today?s team to profile: the Ottawa Senators

2013-14 sleeper pick: Mika Zibanejad

Zibanejad isn?t a household name outside of Ottawa or Sweden, but he is primed for a monster breakout season. He?s a terrific two-way forward, and he plays with an edge that reminds me of Henrik Zetterberg. Comparing players to country mates makes for an easy narrative, but the Zetterberg-Zibanejad comp has a lot of merit. He will force Kyle Turris down to line three (giving Ottawa three really balanced two-way units). And you can probably get him late in your one-year draft, as 20 points in 43 games doesn?t jump off the page to most poolies.

If you are in a keeper, he is a must-own.

Long term sleeper pick: Shane Prince/Matt Puempel

Two boom-or-bust prospects. Both Price and Puempel are very gifted offensive wingers, but both need to get bigger, stronger, and more consistent if they want to be NHLers. Price scored 18 goals as a rookie in the AHL in 2012-13 (solid), and Puempel had 35 goals in 53 OHL games (although only 12 helpers).

Ottawa has a very good and very deep prospect pool, and both of these guys are worth watching if you are in a keeper and need some future goal scorers.

Lots of gems from Lou Lamoriello?s interview yesterday.

As I reported last week, goaltender Jeff Frazee, a potential UFA, has received an offer to play in Sweden next season, but his agent said his intention is to re-sign with the Devils. Lamoriello said today ?we have every intention of bringing Jeff back.?

That would mean that Frazee, Kinkaid, Scott Wedgewood and Maxime Clermont would all remain in the organization. Lamoriello said he is comfortable with that. Only two of them would be able to play in Albany.

Can you say? logjam?

San Jose?s 2012 1^st round pick, Tomas Hertl, has signed a rookie contract. Wouldn?t surprise me to see him replace Marty Havlat in the top nine next season.

May 29, 2013

Wed, 29 May 2013 08:08:35 +0000

John Tortorella has been fired as Head Coach of the Rangers. It's the right move. The team wasn't listening to him. This was a great team that was put together. That being said, if the Rangers got out of the second round he would still have a job - it's funny that a decision like that can come down to two or three hockey games. I mean, yes, it was the season as a whole. But the actual switch that was flipped to finalize this change came because they didn't get out of the second round. I don't think any semi-finalist coach ever gets fired (correct me if I'm wrong)

I'll miss the Torts press conferences. With no Sean Avery and no Tortorella...hockey interviews are going to get very boring. Please, someone grow a pair and start mouthing off to the media. Please? I'll need my fix next year. Thank you.

And then there were five. The Sharks are gone, but man did they ever linger a lot longer than I expected. After their brutal midseason plunge, I was so convinced that this perennial powerhouse (can I say powerhouse when they never made it to the Final?) had finally hit the downside of the unstoppable "sports success cycle" that I bailed on my Sharks in my one keeper league that counts playoffs. I got rid of Havlat, I got rid of Clowe (before he was traded) and I got rid of Pavelski. And a year ago at the deadline I got rid of Thornton. But their play this time around - led by Thornton and Niemi - had me wondering just how big a mistake I made. But the Cup champs move on, so ? always happy to see when I made the right move.

Justin Williams - two goals and five shots. The highest shot total that he's had in any of the prior six games was two.

The 18 shots that Antti Niemi faced last night represent the lowest total of San Jose's playoffs.

Joe Thornton had 14 shots in four games against the Canucks, and 11 shots in seven games against the Kings.

Per Pierre LeBrun via Twitter: "Vlasic played with hairline fracture in right foot (suffered Game 4). They froze it every game so he can play."

Tyler Toffoli played just 5:10, but managed to dish out four hits - tied for third on the Kings.

Columbus signed their seventh-round pick from 2011 Anton Forsberg. I don't know much about him, he wasn't on my radar at all - but because goaltending prospects are the most difficult to peg (Henrik Lundqvist was a seventh rounder? and Chet Pickard was a first rounder? hmmm), you have to keep him on the radar. His numbers in the Swedish second league (Allvenskan) are awesome. His team, Sodertalje, is the team that Matt Read, Carl Hagelin, Cam Fowler and Nick Grossman played for during the lockout. The team finished second in the league, but failed to qualify for promotion to the Elitserien league in the annual round robin.

Anyway, I'm left scrambling to get this guy into the Fantasy Prospects Report. He wasn't initially pegged. Hopefully Justin Goldman has time to put something together.

As expected?about two years ago, but anyway? Calgary defenseman Anton Babchuk has signed to play in the KHL next year.

With the Memorial Cup over and London finally out of hockey games to play? and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton still going in the Calder Cup - they have called up Scott Harrington and Olli Määttä. Until now, WBS defensemen were:

Brian Dumoulin, Joey Mormina, Alex Grant, Philip Samuelsson and Reid McNeill. And then the sixth d-man has been one of Peter Merth, Cody Wild and Dylan Reese. So I would imagine that Harrington and Määttä will replace McNeill and the sixth spot. That's quite an upgrade and I can't believe that an AHL team can add bodies halfway through the semi-finals. But there you go.

By the way - Dumoulin, Harrington and Määttä are all profiled in the Fantasy Prospects Report which is released Saturday. Yep, three days. Time really flies - it seems like only a couple months ago that the season started. Oh wait a minute?

Vancouver prospect Anton Rodin has signed to play in Sweden next year.

Andrei Kostitsyn is considering a return to the NHL next year. He had 13 goals and 21 points in 44 KHL games, plus another 10 in 23 for the playoffs.

Another one from the Department of Shock - Phoenix prospect defenseman/bust Maxim Goncharov is looking at returning to the KHL next season.

Winnipeg prospect Tomas Kubalik is poised to sign a two-year deal with Slovan of the KHL.

Two cover finalists for EA's NHL14 - Sergei Bobrovsky and Martin Brodeur:

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Jonathan Quick - ROBBERY!

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May 28, 2013

Tue, 28 May 2013 08:36:50 +0000

Detroit gave it a good run. They had their foot on Chicago's throat, but didn't press down. Whatever trick Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk had up their sleeve to hold Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa to two points each in five games no longer works. Toews and Hossa finally solved it in Game 5, and then pretty much were back in business last night in Game 6 (two points each).

These days Datsyuk takes about 2.5 shots on goal per game, so last night's number (six) paints a picture of how hard he was pressing.

I know I bang this drum too much, but Michael Frolik is a 35-point player when he gets 11 minutes a game with Tom and Dick as his linemates. He's a 65-point player if he gets 16 minutes a game with Star A and Star B as his linemates. Look at these sweet hands:

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I really enjoy watching the shifts where Gustav Nyquist is out there. Nobody tying him up, as the big guns get all the attention. He makes so many nice moves every time he steps on the ice. Smart hockey player. His minutes are limited to eight or nine per game, but as Babock trusts him, that number will grow. Certainly next year. I just don't get why he's planted on the bench when they need a goal.

The AHL Calder Cup lowdown - in the Final 4 you have the OKC Barons (Edmonton farm) vs. Grand Rapids Griffins (Detroit); and you have the Syracuse Crunch (Tampa Bay) vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (Pittsburgh). Top 10 scorers, and my notes:

1. Mark Arcobello (EDM) - 17 points in 12 games - He's a small player (5-9) who was never drafted, but his production at the AHL level has steadily improved over the course of three years. This sudden surge in the postseason will help his contract discussions in the summer. He turns 25 in the summer and will try to parlay this performance into a two year deal - the second year being a one-way deal. I doubt he succeeds. He reminds me of David Desharnais in that I think he can succeed{source}



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{/source} as an NHLer and put up decent points. The problem is - Montreal didn't have 50 blue-chip prospects in need of opportunity. Edmonton does. There is no room and no chance for Arcobello. An NHL career can be forged on the side of a dime - and Arcobello is on the wrong side of it. I keep going back to PA Parenteau - one a million chance that he would ever get a fair opportunity. He did, and look what we have.

2. Ondrej Palat (TB) - 16 points in nine games - we've already seen him in the NHL and he impressed there too. Big question has always been consistency, but his nine playoffs games seem pretty consistent to me. TB will bring in two prospects next year to join Killorn from this year. But I think Tyler Johnson and Brett Connolly will get the nod. Or perhaps JT Brown. He'll be in tough.

3. Tyler Johnson (TB) - 15 points in nine games - Already noted above. I think he stands a good chance of making the club and I also believe that he made Cory Conacher expendable.

4. Toni Rajala (EDM) - 15 points in 12 games. He has been dynamite since the lockout ended and he got out of the ECHL. He's been OKC's best player. It was very hard for me to keep him out of my Top 50 list in the Prospects Report, but in the end I did because of all the competition from other youngsters. Still, if I made a Top 55 list (points only, players with zero career NHL games) he would be on it.

5. Chris Bourque (BOS) - 14 points in 12 games. He's had his chance. A couple of good ones too.

6. Tomas Tatar (DET) - 13 points in 13 games - He'll make the Red Wings in the middle of next year. They'll use the first half to continue transitioning Nyquist and Andersson into the mix. Conveyor belt of awesomeness. Read up on Tatar some more right here.

7. Carter Camper (BOS) - 13 points in 12 games - Same situation as Arcobello. Small, will be 25 in the summer, wasn't drafted, his offense has improved steadily in the AHL. Exactly the same. Boston doesn't have the 20-year-old future studs like the Oilers, but they are still very deep - just with veterans. So Camper needs a bounce or three. Read up on Camper some more right here.

8. Teemu Hartikainen (EDM) - 13 points in 12 games - Should settle in as a third liner in Edmonton, starting next year.

9. Trevor Smith (PIT) - 13 points in 12 games - Career minor-leaguer.

10. Jamie Tardiff (BOS) - 11 points in 12 games - Career minor-leaguer.

By the way, in the Fantasy Prospects Report, seven of the 10 players are profiled (I didn't do Bourque, Smith or Tardiff).

I started my annual (11th) offseason team-by-team analysis for The Hockey News. Yesterday I did Anaheim and Buffalo.

May 27, 2013

Mon, 27 May 2013 08:02:08 +0000

Some morning notes from around the league:

It's looking like Jarret Stoll is a strong possiblity to return for Game 7.

Sidney Crosby has removed his jaw protector and hopes that the next few days (before the next series starts) will be enough time to get him used to playing without it.

An interesting slant given by Ken Holland on the FAN590 this morning. When he was asked about the team's tendency to let their prospects season in the minors for so long, while other teams put them on the big club at the age of 19 or 20, Holand replied that he is the same as other general managers. The Wings haven't had a Top 10 draft pick in 20 years and they've traded eight first rounders in the last 18 years. Prospects drafted late require more seasoning and had Detroit drafted a Top 10 guy, they'd put him in at 18 or 19 just like anyone else.

Get the latest line combinations from last game for free, anytime, just by visitiing here.

Los Angees line combos last night:

#1	25.2%	CLIFFORD,KYLE - KOPITAR,ANZE - WILLIAMS,JUSTIN
#2	24.3%	BROWN,DUSTIN - KING,DWIGHT - LEWIS,TREVOR
#3	13.8%	FRASER,COLIN - NOLAN,JORDAN - RICHARDSON,BRAD
#4	12.8%	CARTER,JEFF - PENNER,DUSTIN - RICHARDS,MIKE

The Sharks pushed the series to a Game 7 thanks to some steady goaltending by Antti Niemi. Here is a guy who has slowly ironed out his inconsistent play. Not once this year has Niemi allowed more than four goals. And only twice in the postseason has he allowed more than two goals (10 games).

Top save percentage, postseason:

1. Quick 0.947

2. Vokoun 0.941 (!)

3. Crawford 0.938

4. Lundqvist 0.934

5. Niemi 0.932

If Joe Thornton is eliminated next game, but gets a point - then he will have 11 points in 11 games. That's interesting{source}
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because? last year he had nine points in nine games and the year prior he had five points in five games. Before that - 17 points in 18 games. He's doing his part.

Joe Pavelski has 11 points in 10 games, which is a nice rebound from last year's debacle (pointless in five).

Matt Irwin has one point and is minus-4 in the playoffs. I'm not high on him for next year for some reason, and the postseason isn't helping.

Adam Burish returned to action (broken hand) and played 9:41.

Four points for Dustin Brown in the playoffs just continues with his brutal season - and this is the year I had called a breakout, after watching him down the stretch last year and into the playoffs. I guess this is what, um, makes fantasy hockey?fun?

Jeff Carter 31-10, regular season and playoffs. (goals-assists)

Anze Kopitar has points in just two of the last seven games. He has six in 12 for the playoffs - the Kings won't win if he's just posting a point every two games. No way.

Nathan MacKinnon with the hat trick last night to lead Halifax to a Memorial Cup. And two assists. In the game of all games for him. That?makes me reconsider my strong Jonathan Drouin stance. Man, they don't make it easy do they? I was steadfast in Drouin being the Patrick Kane to MacKinnon's Jonathan Toews. But here are the Memorial Cup stats to compare:

MacKinnon 4GP 7-6-13

Drouin 4GP 1-8-9 (five asssts last night)

St. Louis prospect Ty Rattie had a goal and three assists for Portland in the loss. Rattie finished second in tourney scoring with 12 points. He'll have a Tyler Toffoli-like year in the AHL next season before making the jump.

Nicolas Petan, another high draftee next month, also added four points and had 10 on the tourney. He had 120 points in 71 WHL games to lead the league (tied with teammate Brendan Leipsic).

Seth Jones had one goal and had four points in five games in all.

Halifax Mooseheads record this year (season, playoffs, and Memorial Cup): 77-8-4. That's not bad.

How strange did it feel on those 12 nights after they lost hockey games?

Non-hockey related, but why are we charged a couple bucks for "touch tone" on our phone bill? I can see the charge being added in the 1980s when touch tone phones were new technology? but today, is it even possible to get a rotary phone? Companies are quick to add little necessary charges but pretty damn slow to remove them. Just think of the millions of dollars that phone companies have pocketed over the last 15 years or so that this charge has been unnecessary.

Well, since I went off of hockey already, I'll stay off hockey for another moment and talk DobberBaseball. Three months ago we added seven new writers and two new co-editors (Fred Poulin, Eamonn McCauley. Since then, the site has been running at full capacity, with content that matches DobberHockey in frequency and quality. The ramblings are up to five times per week (we will be adding a day starting next week) ? so actually, not quite matching DobberHockey's seven days - but close! The rankings over there are up on the 1st, 10th and 20th, just like over here, and I use it myself for my own keeper league. It's the best it's been running since the launch four years ago and I invite you to try it again. You can see by the increased forum posts in the baseball section that traffic there is at its best ever.

When Columbus signed Curtis McElhinney to a contract on Saturday, how many of you skimmed past the announcement without giving it a second thought? Show of hands? I can't see your hand, put it down, you look silly. The signing was a one-way deal, so that should get your attention. It says two things - one they are going to ride him as their No.2. And two - they are going to hitch their wagon to Sergei Bobrovsky for 70 games, if possible. Watch.

It will be interesting to see the market for Ryane Clowe, who becomes a UFA on July 1. Clowe missed the end of the playoffs with a concussion (suspected).

Speaking of free agents, there are some good goaltender ones coming up - the likes of which we haven't seen in years. Here are my favorites, the ones I would target, in order:

1. Mike Smith

2. Niklas Backstrom

3. Tim Thomas

4. Anton Khudobin

5. Thomas Greiss

6. Evgeni Nabokov (below Khudobin/Greiss because of likely salary demands)

I wouldn't trust anyone else to be my starter. Ray Emery is the best option as a No.2 goalie.

But there are some interesting names available to be a great No.3 goalie. I consider a good No.3 as someone who can succeed at the AHL level, and if a goalie on the NHL team gets hurt the No.3 would have potential to not only step in and cover him off, but also surprise and challenge for a promotion. Here are my favorites, in order:

1. Alex Stalock

2. Chad Johnson

3. Al Montoya

4. Jussi Rynnas

5. Danny Taylor (he signed in Sweden though, so I can only assume on an out-clause)

CBC captures Jonathan Toews' emotions with this intro from Saturday, especially around the 1:30 mark onward:

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May 26, 2013

Sun, 26 May 2013 18:19:11 +0000

Torey Krug is undersized, he's got a distinctive name - one that lends itself naturally to a variety of silly nicknames (like Motley Krug) - and he's lighting it up as an unknown rookie in the NHL playoffs. Combine those three facts with his flowing hair and impish grin and you've got a pretty good recipe for a cult playoff hero. Krug made a name for himself with four goals in five games against the New York Rangers in the now completed Eastern Conference Semifinal series, including a big game tying power-play marker on Saturday. Let's chat about Krug's crazy series a bit more, but first, here's his dynamite slap-shot goal from Saturday:

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The play of Torey Krug, but also of the nearly traded Matt Bartkowski - who is actually filling the tougher role for the B's despite his lack of Krug-like fanfare - had a massive, positive impact for the Bruins in round two. Many thought the B's would struggle against the Rangers with a whole host of defenceman out of the lineup (Seidenberg, Ference and Redden) but, yeah, that didn't show up in the least in round two. Obviously if you need to roll out a patchwork defence, it helps if you can play Zdeno Chara in over twenty-nine minutes every single game (what a beast), but still, full credit to Bartkowski and Krug for their decisive performances against the Rangers.

It'll be interesting to see if either Bartkowski or Krug manage to keep their spot in the Bruins lineup once Redden and Ference return from injury. I'd have to think both have passed Wade Redden on the depth chart (and Dougie Hamilton for that matter), but it's very probable that neither have passed Andrew Ference. Ference seems to be a bit of a ways away from returning yet (he hasn't skated, though he is working out off-ice), but he plays legitimate top-four minutes in Boston and has for years. Just based on Claude Julien's usage of the two defenceman - Bartkowski is playing way more often at even-strength, and against way more difficult competition - I think he'd probably take Krug out of the lineup upon Ference's return, while Bartkowski stays in but gets bumped down to the third pairing.

In terms of potential fantasy value for next season, I think both Bartkowski and Krug probably have some. Not that I'll be drafting either of next season or anything, but I'll keep my eye on both on the waiver wire. Consider that Andrew Ference is an unrestricted free-agent this summer, and he's also a slightly below average top-four defenceman at the NHL (a dirty little secret, really). Average, below-average or whatever, Ference is an experienced top-four guy with a lot of playoff success on his resume and a "good team guy" reputation too. So that means he'll smell like the vault should he decide to hit the open market on July 5th.

If Ference leaves Boston as a free-agent there will be significant opportunity along Boston's blue-line, and at the moment Krug and Bartkowski appear to have the inside track over Dougie Hamilton (who might be better off skating 25 minutes a night in the AHL than playing on your third pairing anyway). If one of Boychuk, Seidenberg, or McQuaid miss any time due to injury next season, it's not a stretch to imagine one of Krug of Bartkowski playing top-four minutes for a spell next year...

What's more of a stretch is imagining that Torey Krug will sustain that 25% playoff shooting clip next season...

Boston's fourth line is getting a lot of love after their performance in round two, and it's well deserved. After all they're very probably the league's best fourth forward group. On Saturday, in a game at home, Gregory Campbell played over three minutes head-to-head against the Nash/Brassard line. That's striking because for most NHL teams the fourth line plays exclusively against the opponent's fourth line, an arrangement often described as a "gentleman's agreement" between coaches. The Bruins don't have to partake in any sordid agreement though, their fourth line can hold their own and be legitimately rolled out like they're a forward group composed of professional hockey players who can do their job (what a novel concept).

Did Gregory Campbell's game winner on Saturday - where the sea sort of parted and everyone except Campbell fell down, but he stayed on the puck, made a nice deke and beat the goaltender - remind anyone else, even fleetingly, of Arjen Robben's European Championship winner?

One more note on Boston's fourth line. The components just fit together so, so well and Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli deserves a lot of credit for putting and keeping that line together. Shawn Thornton is a face puncher who won't hurt you playing eight even-strength minutes every night, Paille is a legitimately good defensive winger, and Gregory Campbell is a solid penalty-killer and face-off ace. Paille was drafted by the Bruins Sabres a decade ago in the first round, Campbell was a throw-in in the Nathan Horton trade, and Thornton was signed in free-agency shortly after winning the Stanley Cup with Randy Carlyle's Anaheim "don't call me Mighty" Ducks.

It's a model fourth line, and I'd anticipate a lot of General Managers around the league looking to create their own version of it over the next couple of years. It's just such a massive advantage, especially come playoff time, to have a fourth line you legitimately trust to soak up minutes. Here's a partial list of players who might fit the bill, to some extent, in free-agency this summer: Boyd Gordon, Blake Comeau, Chuck Kobasew, Brad Richardson, David Steckel, Peter Regin (if you move him to wing and he can stay healthy), Adam Hall. Of note: none of those guys fill the Shawn Thornton role...

Let's move to the West, where the Chicago Blackhawks showed up and trounced the Red Wings to force a sixth game. After watching that dominating performance by the Blackhawks it's clear as day that this series is far from over.

The story on Saturday was the Blackhawks power-play, which tallied twice including a Matth Shaw tip goal that came off of a brutally persistent, ninety second power-play shift, and a Jonathan Toews beauty - his first of the postseason - only one hundred and fifty seconds later.

When Chicago's power-play looks like they did on Saturday night, it's tough to fathom why they've struggled so thoroughly at five-on-four over the past two seasons. With the likes of Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa on the roster, there's just no excuse for it. Why the Blackhawks power-play doesn't look like they did on Saturday more often is a major question facing Bowman the younger this offseason, and if I were him I'd be preparing contract offers to Newell Brown and Matt Shaw in an effort to find a fix.

The big adjustment Chicago made to turn the tide in their Western Conference Semifinal series against the Red Wings? Reuniting the Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith top-pairing. Over a large sample (the past three seasons) Seabrook and Keith have been slightly better when playing together than they have been when playing apart. That said, they struggled when they played together this season, so I do sort of understand why they were separated initially.

Ultimately, putting them back together was the right call and Chicago does probably need their two most impactful defenceman to soak up minutes together. It might be worth noting that Coach Q didn't hard match them against any Detroit line on Saturday night and they spent just over four and a half minutes against both the Zetterberg and Datsyuk lines...

Only one NHL game on tap tonight as the Kings look to eliminate the Sharks, who are dynamite at the Shark Tank and won't be an easy out. Also there's Portland versus Halifax in the Memorial Cup Final (so Drouin and Mackinnon versus Seth Jones) and that could be well worth your time, especially considering what happened the last time MacKinnon faced the Winterhawks...

May 25, 2013

Sat, 25 May 2013 01:01:16 +0000

In James Neal's last two games - 28 minutes of total ice time, five goals, two assists, and 14 shots on goal.

Ottawa had a hell of a season. They should be extremely proud of themselves. A ton of adversity, and their young kids followed the lead of their proven vets for a really, really surprising and successful campaign.

That being said, Pittsburgh was too good. Crosby was, once again, simply magic on the ice on Friday night. And his Penguins teammates followed suit. Kris Letang was phenomenal. Neal was great.

And how is this for depth?

Iginla - 10 minutes

Jokinen - 12 minutes

Neal - 12 minutes

Kunitz - 14 minutes

Malkin - 15 minutes

Morrow - 10 minutes

Paul MacLean on the Pens:

"I hope they don?t bill us for the clinic," MacLean quipped. "They didn?t step off the pedal one time, and that?s what it takes."

I made the point yesterday, but I'll echo it again - Drew Doughty is, for my money, the best two-way defenseman in hockey. Chara may have the edge defensively, and Karlsson and a few others are better offensively, but Doughty combines everything better than anybody else. He's big and physical, he can shoot and pass, but his best attribute is getting the puck out of danger, either with his feet or with his stick. He is amazing under pressure and always makes the right play when exiting the puck out of the defensive zone.

If you read my ramblings on a consistent basis, you know that I am a big Ryan McDonagh fan. Here is a praiseful column from the NY Post on New York?s best defenseman (and arguably best player, too).

?He?s done it all year long,? center Derek Stepan said. ?It?s nothing different. It?s the playoffs and the [defense] is going to have to continue to log big minutes.?

McDonagh has carried over the dominant defense from helping keep Alex Ovechkin scoreless in the final six games of the opening round, but his offensive awareness has elevated a Rangers offense headed to the obituaries.

Valeri Nichushkin plans to play in North America this season. Huge news for real GMs and fantasy GMs ? how does this affect his draft stock?

However, I wonder if Nichushkin meant he will play in the NHL (if he makes it). I could see him back in Russia if he doesn?t ? sure beats making minor league money to ride a bus around North America (I imagine he would get seven figure money in Russia).

The Coyotes have extended Don Maloney's contract - will Dave Tippett be next? Apparently Tippett wants to wait and see what happens with the ownership situation... hey Dave you may be waiting a while.

Edmonton is "very amenable" to trading the 7th overall pick, says GM Craig MacTavish.

?If we do move that pick back and get an asset that we feel can come in and help the current group, we?d be more than happy to have any of those discussions, and have had many of those discussions with a lot of the managers at this point. In terms of moving up, I?ve had a couple discussions with managers about moving up.?

Texas signed winger Brendan Ranford to a tryout contract - the Stars organizaton (Texas and Dallas have different ownership, mind you) has done a fantastic job scouting the WHL - Brenden Dillon and Matt Fraser were both WHL free agents, too.

A very cool interactive draft visualization to see where players have been picked from over the past few years.

Don?t forget to check out DobberBaseball ? a great crew of writers has been brought in over the past while.

I liked this read on Joakim Andersson ? a player I didn?t know a whole lot about before this postseason. Limited offensive upside, but that isn?t what hockey is always about, is it? And yes, I know this is a fantasy hockey site, but most/all of us are hockey fans, too.

As creative and productive as the Red Wings? third line has been in the playoffs, so much of its success stems from the guy in the middle, a guy some call smart, some shy, and others, a safety belt. Andersson won 83% of his face-offs and spent nearly a third of his 11 minutes killing penalties to help lift the Wings to a 2-0 victory Thursday at Joe Louis Arena.

?He?s excellent defensively and can make plays as well, so he?s a big part of our line,? Nyquist said. ?He makes sure not too much happens on the defensive side. We balance pretty good with Andy as a centerman, he?s real smart, and I think he?s learned to play with us, too, to be a little bit more offensive minded.?

Thoughts on the new Dallas Stars logo?

The KHL is after BOBROVSKY. Will he go there? My crystal ball says? not a chance in hell.

Today?s look around the league ? the two New York teams:

NY Islanders

2013-14 sleeper: Matt Donovan

At the risk of sounding like a broken record (which I am, apparently) ? read this. Or this. Or this.

Longer term sleeper: Mike Halmo

The Islanders signed Halmo as a free agent out of the OHL last summer. He played his first season in pro hockey in the AHL in 2012-13, finishing with 14 points in 46 games. He?s small but pretty gritty (he loves to hit, and he?s quite good at it). He is also skilled and blessed with terrific hockey sense. He?s a long term sleeper if there ever was one, but he has NHL upside. Halmo was a linemate of Andrew Shaw?s in the OHL, and they are pretty similar players.

NY Rangers

2013-14 sleeper: JT Miller

If and when the Rangers buy out Brad Richards, they will need to replace him on the roster. Stepan, Boyle, and Miller is a pretty decent 1-2-3 down the middle. Miller had four points in 26 NHL games in 2013, and eight goals and 23 points in 42 AHL games. He?s a top six talent but just needs some more pro experience before he starts to produce more. Good size, great skater, and he has a fan in Tortorella.

Longer term sleeper: Calle Andersson

A skilled two-way defenseman from Sweden ? Andersson is a ?94 birthday and will probably spend another year or two in the SEL before coming to North America. He had two points in 34 SEL games as an 18-year-old ? it is hard to really evaluate SEL rookies and youngsters based on their production, as they typically don?t play a whole lot. He has projectable upside, though, and that is what counts.

Any DobberHockey readers in Frisco, Texas? If so ? check this out. A pretty cool contest/giveaway, and it is free to enter.

Enjoy the weekend!

Give DobberSports a ?Like? on Facebook

May 24, 2013

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:29:41 +0000

An absolutely dominant performance from the LA Kings last night.

Three Kings made my top 50 NHL trade value rankings - Kopitar (8), Doughty (11), and Quick (37). If Doughty isn't the best two-way defenseman in hockey, he's right there in the mix. What a defenseman he has developed into.

The pairing of Dan Boyle and Matt Irwin were ventilated by the Kings - tons of scoring chances against, no match for the big and strong forwards on the forecheck.

Antti Niemi was also spectacular, keeping San Jose in the game as best he could. I'd say the Kings had about 10 or 11 Grade A scoring chances, while the Sharks maybe had one or two.

Trevor Lewis - another former 1st round pick who has developed into a really good role player. You don't want role players when you draft these guys, but it sure beats a complete bust. I mention a few more later on today.

This is way, way, way overdue. I apologize as I thought I had covered it already. A huge DobberHockey congratuations to all of our fantasy hockey league winners. Jake S (known as Smack on the forum) won the Experts league with a stellar fantasy performance.

The winners:

Pro Leagues

Wales - Steve Woodhall ? (promoted from Entry last year)
Campbell ? François Gaucher Chicleteur)

Entry Leagues

Patrick - Simon Castonguay
Norris ? Chris Clarke (ccsitdown)
Adams ? Brandon Nihmey (Horrorfan)
Smythe ? Nick Aumont

Well, buckle up, Avs fans. Things are about to get very interesting. The team announced the hiring of Patrick Roy as coach (and VP of hockey ops). The latter tag allows Roy some input on how the roster is constructed (and also allows for a bigger paycheck I would imagine, as well).

Roy has had a lot of success in the QMJHL as a coach, and he is known for his outbursts (just as he was during his day as a player). He wouldn't have taken this job without the level of input Colorado is letting him have on team building matters.

If nothing else, they will once again be interesting and relevant. Too many years of futility in Colorado.

How does Greg Sherman feel, I wonder? Has to be a bit intimidating to go into a hockey ops meeting with Roy and Joe Sakic.

This is definitely worth expanding into a full column - but does Alex Radulov make a return to the NHL now with Roy in Colorado? Nashville has tried to trade him unsuccessfuly over the past year or so. Would Radulov be willing to forego the final three years of his deal with CSKA?

Jonathan Toews completely unraveled last night ? three consecutive penalties (one of them was an embellishment by Abdelkader) ? he needed teammate Brent Seabrook to come over to calm him down in the box.

Detroit has completely frustrated Chicago ? fantastic coaching by Babcock, and the kids on the back end ? Ericsson (who I used to rag on), Smith, and Kindl have all been fantastic. Danny DeKeyser is eying a return from a broken thumb, too.

Danny Cleary scored a goal and he is also having a fantastic series. Interesting to see some former 1^st round star prospects evolve into great role players (Cleary, Pyatt, Malhotra, Galiardi, James Sheppard, etc).

Kindl also scored a goal ? he had five shots on net ? his point shot is heavy, hard, and accurate. Not sure if he has much offensive upside, but you never know with these Wings.

Jimmy Howard deserves a ton of credit, too. 28 save shutout ? and he earned it.

Torey Krug scored his third of the postseason ? he has a bomb of a point shot.

The Best Bruin was Tyler Seguin ? the puck finally went in for him, and he only played 12 minutes, but it was a highly effective 12 minutes. He also ended up with six SOG.

Matt Bartkowski played over 21 minutes last night, and he looked really good, too. He?s comfortable jumping into the play, which is great to see from a rookie defenseman.

Derrick Brassard played almost 26 minutes and ended up with two helpers ? think he likes playing in New York?

Carl ?awful on the power play? Carl Hagelin also had a goal. He was effective all game long.

John Moore is another Columbus castoff who looks great. I guess castoff isn?t the right word as they were moved for a star winger?

Derek Stepan?s emergence as a legitimate NHL star continues. Two more points last night, and he was a factor almost every time he was on the ice.

It?s also really fun to watch Rick Nash play in games that matter (while not wearing a Canada jersey). He only had an assist, but he was dominant with his size/skill, and went toe-to-toe with Chara on more than one occasion.

Thoughts on the late game up soon.

Assuming the Rangers buy out Brad Richards this summer ($24 million spread over the next 14 years?), where would he go?

Let?s see, what teams could use a top six playmaker with a track record like his?

Off the top of my head ? Vancouver, Toronto, Dallas, Anaheim (if Koivu isn?t back), Buffalo, Chicago? I think you are getting the point. Richards could be in high demand this summer (again, if bought out), and he will probably won?t need top dollar to sign anywhere, considering he will still be getting a nice little annuity from New York for a while.

Number 2 is my favourite here:

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Could Jhonas Enroth be the Buffalo starter? He thinks he can.

He took another huge step this month. Enroth was named the top goaltender at the world championships after leading Sweden to the gold medal. He went 5-2-1 with a 1.15 goals-against average and .956 save percentage as the co-hosts knocked off Canada, Finland and Switzerland in the elimination round.

?I?ve been growing a lot,? Enroth said. ?I want to play more. My goal is to be a starter one year in the NHL, and right now Ryan is the starter here. It?s kind of hard to take the job from him here, but we?ll see what happens.?

I?m a bit surprised Flames prospect Danny Taylor didn?t get an NHL look ? he has signed to play in Sweden next year.

The 27-year-old Taylor was a star with the Abbotsford Heat this season, earning the No. 1 job over Barry Brust and celebrated Flames prospect Leland Irving. He posted a 2.05 GAA and .922 save percentage in going 18-10-2 with the AHL team in 2012-13. With the Flames, Irving saw action in just two games, recording a 3.00 GAA with a 1-1 record (his first NHL win came in a 4-2 triumph over Vancouver on March 3) and .912 save percentage. He was waived when the Flames added veteran Joey MacDonald.

The Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins completed the improbably 3-0 series comeback against the Providence Bruins on Wednesday night.

The Baby Pens and Syracuse (Tampa Bay) will now face off in the AHL?s Eastern Conference Final, starting this Saturday night. We are all well aware of Tampa Bay?s top young prospects, and the Penguins team is very veteran-laden. However, one guy to keep an eye on:

Brian Dumoulin has seven points in 10 postseason games (former NCAA star, two-way defenseman, great skater)

And in the AHL?s Western Conference Final, Grand Rapids and Oklahoma City will do battle (Detroit and Edmonton affiliates).

My latest fitness post ? applying progressive overload (layman?s terms ? making your workouts harder) to your training.

Garth Snow? GM of the year? He has made some fantastic moves for the Islanders, as this post highlights.

The trades, the patience, working out ways to get talented players in the fold and even managing whatever budget Wang is giving him. Snow has done just about everything you could want from a GM in his circumstances. This even as once-heralded names like Ryan Jankowski left the organization, and as outsiders have claimed that the Isles are spending little to no money on scouting.

Where the cookies are kept:

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Took a few questions from yesterday's comments section:

What are your expectations for Brendan Smith next year?

More in line with what I had expected from him this year. He is a high event defenseman - risk taker, skilled, dynamic. Let's go with 5-8 goals and 25-30 points along with solid BS, PIM, Hits, and SOG.

Will Ryan Strome make the Islanders next season and what impact?

I'm not sure. He's good enough, but the Isles have a bit of a logjam at center. If he does make it, I'll say 15 goals and 40 points. In a third/second line role.

After Drouin and Mackinon is Barkov as far ahead of the next forward as the other two are ahead of him? the Is he even the clear cut 3rd overall forward in the draft? And do you take NICHUSHKIN seriously now that he wants to play in NA next year?

I don't know much about Nichuskin, but I have heard only good things. The usual Russian questionmarks surround him, though (as they do every single young Russian). I really like Sean Monohan, too - reminds me a bit of Logan Couture/Jonathan Toews. Not a "wow" player but good at everything.

Barkov is a stud. I'd say he is the clear cut third forward to take in fantasy drafts.

Do playoff players like Krejci, Pavelski or M.Richards actually gain keeper value from post seasons like this?

It depends (easy answer, I know). Pavelski does this every year. Richards too. I think it is important to see how their roles change and to look at underlying numbers (shooting percentages, ice time, PP ice time) - if those numbers are the same and the production is up, I'd consider it a great trend for the future.

Without waiting for the guide...what are your 3YP for Drouin/Mackinnon/Jones/Barkov

Assuming the draft goes Jones to COL, MacKinnon to FLA, Drouin to TBL, and Barkov to NSH...

My three year upside for the following players (somewhat realistic numbers, and different from Dobber's 3YP)

Jones 8-10 goals, 35-40 points

MacKinnon 30-35 goals, 70-75 points

Drouin 25-30 goals, 80-85 points

Barkov - he isn't as polished as the other two - but Nashville is desperate for offense. Could see him hitting 20 goals and 50 points within the first two years. Nothing to write home about, but for Nashville....

Will the Canucks finally draft a player out of the WHL?

Who knows. Their WHL scouting has been horrendous. Missed a ton of early prospects, late round gems (including Brendan Gallagher, who spent four years playing in this city). They need to overhaul their WHL scouts, or at least find a way to tap into a fantastic resource that they are completely overlooking. It's embarassing.

May 23, 2013

Thu, 23 May 2013 06:56:04 +0000

My latest Canucks post - two forwards that could be targetted in a potential Alex Edler trade.

I almost made it one whole day without Canuck talk! Sorry guys.

The DobberHockey Fantasy Prospects Report is out in a week. This will get you ready for your draft, as well as the NHL Draft. It will also help you figure out who to target in your keeper league. The well-known prospects (Bjugstad, Trouba, and so on), as well as the sleeper picks to have on your radar (Trocheck, Panik, and so on). Pick it up for only $2.50 more as part of the Keeper League Fantasy Pack.

Taking some questions for tomorrow's ramblings (preferably fantasy hockey related). Fire them away below.

DobberHockey member Jake Elliot is helping organize a ball hockey tournament (PlayOn!) in Toronto on June 1st/2nd and is in need of some referees. They must be 16 years of age (Connor McDavid could be there), but you don't need any prior refereeing experience (much like the current NHL referees it appears).

Free lunch/dinner. If I was in Toronto, that would be all I would need to hear. Give Jake an e-mail if interested (jelliot at playon.ca) or check out the site for the PlayOn! tournament.

So? Sidney Crosby.

Crosby ?only? finished with two points (and six SOG), but he absolutely thrashed Ottawa?s defense. They were physical against him all game long, but he still found a way to get to open ice and create, as only he can.

The rest of the Penguins were great, too.

James Neal?s best game of the playoffs and the puck finally started to bounce his way. Two goals, an assist, and nine SOG in less than 15 minutes of ice time. Not a bad depth luxury.

Jarome Iginla also potted a pair, and he played even less than Neal ? 13:54 to be exact.

Kris Letang had four helpers in 22 minutes of ice time ? low for him, as the Penguins could spread their minutes around after getting out to such a big lead.

I don?t really think Ottawa played all that bad at even strength ? too many penalties combined with Pittsburgh suddenly remembering how good they are ultimately did the Sens in.

Craig Anderson was sensational early on ? he was the only reason Pittsburgh wasn?t up two or three within the first 10 minutes. But even he couldn?t hold the fort down as the barrage continued.

Gonchar was awful ? minus-4, two bad penalties. He needs to be Ottawa?s third or fourth best defenseman every night, and he was far from it on Wednesday night.

The second annual top 50 NHL trade value rankings is now out! Close to 10,000 words ? however, no blood, sweat, nor tears were shed. It was a lot of fun putting this together, and even when (I am not even assuming there will be total agreement) you agree with any of my rankings, hopefully me rationale and criteria allows you to see how I ended up there.

Crosby stays at one, but there is a new number two (and no, it isn?t this guy).

A few more notes:

It was really hard (see: impossible) to evaluate goaltenders and players together. For various reason, goaltenders just don?t carry the value that players do on the trade market.

I focused more on contract this year than last, particularly because of the declining salary cap.

This is trade value. Not the top 50 best hockey players. Age, contract, and other factors were taken into consideration.

Alain Vigneault is a great coach, but a fresh voice was needed in Vancouver. Vigneault won?t be out of work long if he wants to get right back into it ? I know Dallas has interest in him, and there may be other vacancies opening up soon too.

As for whom the Canucks bring in? lots of options. Some good AHL coaches ? Dallas Eakins, John Hynes, and so on. And capable NHL assistants, like Brad Shaw, are around, too.

And, of course, coaching changes can have significant impacts on the production of a team and its respective players. Vigneault?s radical zone start strategy helped the Sedins win back-to-back Art Ross trophies. But he also wasn?t always the best at doling out minutes to his secondary scorers, and this made Vancouver a tough team to target in the later rounds (their top PP unit saw almost the entire two minutes every man advantage opportunity).

If Vigneault does go to Dallas, I?d be curious to see how he deploys Jamie Benn. With a purely offensive role, Benn could explode production-wise. The Stars would need to bring in a center or two to do the defensive stuff first, though.

Ryan Johansen was benched during the AHL postseason. Not a promising sign after what was a pretty good season from him. Offseason motivation, perhaps?

?I don?t have any indication that he?d be unhappy,? Kekalainen said. ?I really don?t care if he was unhappy.

?The reason we sent him to the minors was that it would be a great experience for him. The AHL playoffs have been a great learning experience for some of the best players in the NHL today.?

Johansen did not return calls seeking comment.

Dobber compares the Tampa Bay/AHL assembly line to Detroit ? and I don?t disagree. The amount of young talent in the Tampa system is absurd ? NHL ready talent, too. Names like Ondrej Palat and Richard Panik may not ?wow? you, but they are both ready to play regular minutes in the NHL.

An entertaining read from a Vancouverite who became a Panthers season ticket holder (and how he got to go to Sunrise for a game, too).

His game hasn?t changed all that much:

{youtube}1OZarRFtjCU{/youtube}

Alex Burmistrov wants out of Winnipeg. Too bad he?s an RFA with little leverage. Although he is Russian, so the leverage factor is increased with the KHL. Do the Jets give in to his wishes? I don?t think so, personally.

I mean, he?s not a necessary piece of that team. He?s a really good young player, but the Jets have Little, Jokinen, Scheifele, and Slater up the middle for next year. And a few of their other wingers can play C at times, too.

This is an interesting blurb from the above link:

The Jets attempted to trade Burmistrov and reportedly had discussions with the Ottawa Senators, Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders at the deadline. The names Jakob Silfverberg, Drew Stafford and Kyle Okposo have all been attached to Burmistrov trade rumours.

An offseason look at the Dallas goaltenders ? my latest for DefendingBigD. The team is pretty much set in goal (assuming Nilstorp re-signs to back up Lehtonen).

Looking forward to this one (with subtitles, of course) ? a biopic of Valeri Kharlamov:

{youtube}BRWyTgdWKZY{/youtube}

Halifax destroyed London on Tuesday evening at the Memorial Cup. Detroit prospect Martin Frk was fantastic, netting a hat trick. But how hard is it to evaluate Frik considering the fact that his linemates are going to go 2 and 3 at the draft this June?

He may be missing a vowel or two, but Frk looks like another great young forward for the Wings. Nyquist, Tatar, Jurco, Pulkinnen, Jarnkrok ? perhaps the most underrated prospect pool in hockey.

Wow:

{youtube}z6wb9RFKlxM{/youtube}

Don?t rule out the Lightning making a move for a goalie this summer, even with Lindback and Bishop in the fold. Oh, and Riku Helenius is returning to the organization, too. He?s been in the AHL this season but has returned to Finland to be with his ailing mother.

Helenius definitely has NHL upside ? and at 6-3, he?s a shrimp next to Lindback and Bishop. He was originally a 1^st round pick (15^th overall in 2006), but he has only one NHL game under his belt since that time (the rest split between the WHL, SEL, Finland, and the AHL).

The Habs have signed 2012 2^nd round pick Sebastian Collberg to an ELC. He may be headed over to play in the AHL next season.

Also, they announced that Alexei Emelin will be out for six months after undergoing ACL/MCL reconstruction. I guess that will teach him never to attempt one of his huge open ice hits on Milan Lucic again. Yikes.

Friedman?s latest 30 thoughts is here.

Love this quote:

One coach on Niklas Kronwall of the Red Wings: "He is taking it on his shoulders. It's like [Mark] Messier determined to prove he can win without [Wayne] Gretzky."

And another good one:

Great line from Ottawa Senators GM Bryan Murray about Chris Kunitz, who he signed in Anaheim: "When we were playing Anaheim in the 2007 final [Murray coached Ottawa then], I was mad at something Corey Perry did and yelled at him. He said, 'That's why you drafted me.' Kunitz is the same."

My latest fitness post ? applying progressive overload (layman?s terms ? making your workouts harder) to your training.

Jake Voracek got into a car accident in the Czech Republic. He was fine after. His car... not so much. Did he get lucky or what?

May 22, 2013

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:44:27 +0000

Steve Laidlaw checking in once again to free up Dobber to continue working on the Prospects Report. So hopefully his work on the always fantastic Prospects Report makes up for you guys being stuck with me.

A couple of 2-1 hockey games tonight in the NHL. Doesn?t get much tighter than that.

Let?s start with Boston-New York. I didn?t watch the game so you?ll have to bear with me on some of these observations as they are mostly based on highlights.

All three goals came off of long shots with a ton of traffic in front of the net. With Tuukka Rask and Henrik Lundqvist in net you pretty much have to blind them to get one past them, the best of the best right there.

The game winner was a truly weird one. Follow the bouncing puck:

{youtube}http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-r2_rKnROE{/youtube}

It?s important to note however, the importance of the faceoff win by the Bruins to get that in zone possession and then once again the traffic in front of the net. Pretty simple stuff when you boil it right down. Little battles win games come playoff time and the Bruins are great at winning those little battles.

It was winger Shawn Thornton who won that faceoff. That?s right, Thornton, he of the career 45.2% faceoff success rate on just 168 career draws. Shame on Derick Brassard for losing that one. It happens, of course, but that?s still one you?ve got to win.

That?s really a faceoff your big money centerman should be taking but the descent into irrelevance for Brad Richards continues. He skated just 8:10 on Tuesday, a new low for these playoffs. He?s obviously banged up and it wouldn?t shock me if it was something pretty bad. Good on him for continuing to battle. I actually think this makes him a solid buy low for next year because a lot of people are going to have a real hard-on for Derek Stepan and even Brassard after these playoffs.

But really, Richards had a decent season. I know he struggled a lot in the middle of the season but between the compacted schedule (limited practice time/no training camp), his new teammates (Rick Nash) and just general ups and downs you can start to explain away some of his scoring issues. Ultimately, he still got 34 points in 46 games. He seems a pretty good bet for 60 points again, at the very least.

Of course, the Rangers could buy him out with their second amnesty buyout and use that cap space to re-sign Stepan and fellow RFA Ryan McDonagh. Both of those guys need big pay raises but no matter what happens, Richards is still a top six center and at just 33 years old I refuse to believe that he is completely done. He?s got too much hockey sense to not Selanne his way to a second life as a sneaky veteran producer.

As for Stepan, yeah, he?s the bomb, those hard-ons are so worth it. He?s meshed brilliantly with Rick Nash and Ryan Callahan as that line is playing heavy minutes for the Rangers. Stepan managed five shots on goal and dominated the faceoff circle. I?d imagine that Nash-Stepan pairing remains a thing well into the future because it?s worked too well for it to not be.

The one thing that concerns me is that Stepan isn?t necessarily a star. His 44 points in 48 games this season certainly give one the sense that he has that potential and I?m not saying that he doesn?t have that potential but sample size alarm bells are going off in my head. I also look at his high shooting percentage this season (16.7%) and envision regression.

Furthermore, for all his skill, he?s still a dependable defensive player and relies a lot on high effort/lunch pail play to generate his opportunities. I just wonder if that play doesn?t take a physical toll on him so he never reaches his maximum potential. And the Rangers? human shield defense certainly doesn?t help matters. You could be looking at the next Shawn Horcoff or Ryan Kesler ? just something to consider.

And as for Brassard, I still want to see what kind of minutes he gets next season before really falling hard for him.

Oh and one more shout out to Ryan Callahan, because one isn?t enough ? he was scoreless on Tuesday but fired four SOG and landed seven hits ? what a dreamboat. His goal on Sunday made me absolutely melt.

{youtube}https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yT9wX4MHCXU{/youtube}

This isn?t based on anything I saw in Tuesday?s game but rather just a general observation ? how much longer do you think Jaromir Jagr can keep playing?

Jagr is a great skater, keeps himself in fantastic shape and has one of the most dominant gluteus in the whole game. He gets the puck and then just plays keep away. It?s almost rude the way he can dominate the puck with his blend of size, strength, skill and edge-work. So long as he stays smart with his diet and exercise I bet he could play three more years like this easily. The team that signs him just has to acknowledge they can?t force him into 82 games a year if they want him there for playoffs. Look at Teemu Selanne this year.

Teemu almost has to be done after this season. Too many miles these past few years trying to pick up the slack for the maddeningly inconsistent trio of Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Bobby Ryan. They should have been sheltering Selanne, not the other way around.

Back to Jagr though. Treat him like you would a starting goalie. Give him 60 games a year to keep him in game shape and then bust him out for the playoffs. I would guarantee Jagr comes back for one more year at least so he stays in shape for the Olympics. That?s why I won?t write off Selanne playing one more year either but when it?s time it?s time. With these older guys sometimes their body just makes the decision for them

What the bleep is going on with Tyler Seguin? Seriously, I?m asking. He only played 10:41 on Tuesday. Again, I didn?t see the game but this is now the second straight game where he?s had his ice time severely cut. He?s basically a glorified fourth liner now. I know he?s been snake-bitten but to me it hasn?t been from a lack of generating chances. He actually managed four SOG on Tuesday so even with the minutes crunch he?s still firing the puck a ton.

Seguin has no goals and just one assist these playoffs but as I said he?s been generating chances. Through 10 playoff games he?s fired 39 SOG. You can do the math. He?s getting the puck on goal.

I think you are looking at a prime buy low candidate if there ever was one. Coming off a disappointing season (32 points in 48 games) followed by a disappointing playoffs, you know people are down on him but he?s going to be a centerpiece in Boston ? his contract mandates that he will be if his talent doesn?t. And the talent IS still there.

Another guy to think about buying low on or maybe you won?t even have to buy at all but rather just take out a flyer on is Carl Soderberg. I don?t know if he?ll be a success or not but he signed a three year deal and it seems like he?s going to give the NHL a real shot. What I do know is that he came over into a situation where he would almost certainly fail.

Soderberg has spent over a decade playing in Europe, learning how to play the game their way on big ice. There was always going to be an adjustment period. I don?t question that Soderberg learned a lot of valuable things playing in Sweden and certainly he knows what it takes to be a pro but no doubt he learned some habits that may not even be bad in Sweden but won?t play the same in the NHL. He needed a good training camp and then some to really learn to play over here for the Bruins. Instead he got thrown into a playoff race. It?s of no shock to me that he?s yet to play a playoff game.

So like I said, take a flyer on him now that his owner has soured on him or whatever the case may be.

On to the late game, which I did get to watch.

Martin Havlat sat out again? injured? what else is new? This guy bores me.

Brent Burns scored a goal and leveled six hits, including a massive one on Brad Richardson. No Youtube video up yet so here?s one on Ovechkin from a couple of years ago instead.

{youtube}https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCgW5lt0_4E{/youtube}

Ray Ferraro keeps harping on and on about how these ass-checks by Burns remind him so much of Rob Blake. He?s right, that?s exactly who I think of every time I see Burns throw one of these hits but maybe stop saying every time Mr. Ferraro? We all get the reference now and if we don?t then it?s probably because we were too young to remember Rob Blake and his devastating ass-checks.

I do wonder though, if the ass-check isn?t the new way we should be teaching hitting. I don?t love the aspect of it that you can go too low and take out a guy?s knees but it?s a great way to make sure you remove the head from the equation as the principle point of contact. There are still going to be whiplash effects so you won?t remove the concussion risk completely but at least it?s a way to level a big hit legally in the NHL.

I also like the aspect of it whereby you maintain a low center of gravity through the hit making it much more likely that you, the hitter, will stay on your feet. That makes the check more purposeful as it allows you to then pursue the puck now that you?ve separated the opponent from it.

Anyways, that?s just my little crackpot theory that I?d love to hear your take on. Surely, ?more ass-checks? isn?t THE ANSWER when it comes to concussions but I just like the idea of it gaining more prominence in the game.

More on Burns ? I harped on this last week but you really can?t give the Sharks coaching staff enough credit for rolling the dice and putting him up front. He?s been an absolute wrecking ball. You know that when GM Doug Wilson went out and acquired him and his big salary it was to chew 20+ minutes a night on the blue line. Instead the Sharks have gone with a committee approach on the blue line and Burns is up front wreaking havoc for like 17 minutes a night. I?m not sure that?s worth the nearly $6 million a year investment they?ve made in him but it?s working right now.

Digging deeper the Sharks are technically still getting a good return on their trade investment in Burns at the very least. Most pundits didn?t like the deal, even though Burns filled a huge need for the Sharks and they really must not like it much now that Burns isn?t even filling that need but consider who the Sharks traded for a second. In the Burns deal they dealt:

Charlie Coyle, Devon Setoguchi and the pick that became Zach Phillips

Phillips is still a ways off from NHL play, Setoguchi was obviously expendable and Burns is now seemingly the physical menace that Coyle projects to be. They essentially got an expensive advance on a position they clearly needed filled.

Of course, you could certainly argue that Ryane Clowe was supposed to be filling that void all along but he?s hurt and the Rangers are clearly missing him and I suspect the Sharks would be missing him too, had they not dealt him and replaced him internally (Burns) and externally (Torres). I am pretty sure Clowe was always hurt. It?s this suspicion that kept me from chasing him as a buy low candidate in several leagues this season. That seemed to backfire as Clowe was fairly productive down the stretch for my competitors. I take some solace in seeing his injury taking a toll now. My logic wasn?t entirely wrong.

I mentioned above that the Sharks have gone with a committee approach on defense. That includes Dan Boyle who saw just 19:53 on Tuesday. The idea being that they can get more out of him in fewer minutes than they would skating him 25+ minutes a night like you know they want to. On one hand this may reduce Boyle?s upside going forward, on the other hand, you have to like what it could mean for his longevity.

Ho hum, 27+ minutes for Drew Doughty. It?s annoying that his fantasy value has taken such a huge hit but he?s probably the best defenseman in the game so suck it up and put on your hockey fan hat and enjoy.

Slava Voynov skated just 17:36 on Tuesday. I don?t think there is cause for much alarm as this has happened on occasion. Voynov still regularly sees over 20 minutes a night for the Kings. I?ve got a Cage Match article featuring Voynov coming out today, suffice to say I?m a fan. Voynov would have had a goal (or an assist) but had it waved off by an official?s error.

Doesn?t get any more frustrating than that.

I?ll see if I can post the video later but I?m sure we can all agree there was no reason that goal shouldn?t have counted.

Mike Richards scored the lone goal for the Kings. That makes nine points in 10 games this post season. What a big game player. He?s always had the ability to flip that switch come playoff time but I think now more than ever that becomes important. I talked about how high effort guys can tend to break down, well he?s another one to be wary of. I wouldn?t be shocked if he never scores a point per game in a season ever again. He?s got to pace himself during the regular season or he?ll completely burn out. Come playoff time though, flip that switch and he becomes another animal. All these lengthy playoff runs won?t help him any either between the increased wear and tear and the shortened off-season. That?s why the Kings benefitted a great deal from this year?s shortened season.

Speaking of guys who can flip that switch ? Dustin Penner was the guy who banged home that would have been goal/assist by Voynov. Would the Kings dare to keep giving him three million bucks a year to coast through the regular season, knowing what a menace he can be come playoff time?

With the cap crunch coming next season and extensions needed for RFAs Kyle Clifford, Alec Martinez, Voynov and Jonathan Bernier, I would guess that Penner becomes a casualty.

I for one would welcome him back to Edmonton, just not right away. This team needs to get to the playoffs and to do that they need guys who can compete every night for 82 games. That?s not Penner. Once they get to that level though, I think his physical dynamic is one that every team can use come playoff time. So he is one UFA I am very much looking forward to tracking this summer.

For purely selfish reasons I am a bit disappointed with the direction the playoff series from Tuesday night are headed.

I picked the Rangers and with the Bruins up 3-0 that is basically over, barring a historic collapse, making my second whiff this post-season. My first miss was the Rangers-Capitals series. I suppose you could say these Rangers have just flummoxed me.

The reality is that I just overthought how physical the Bruins-Leafs series was and assumed the Bruins would be banged up. If they are they aren?t showing it. It?s the Rangers who are banged up and on their way out.

The Kings series is technically trending in my favour since the Sharks tied the series up at 2-2 but I find it hard to believe you could come away from these past two games thinking the Sharks were the better team. It?s definitely close between these two but the Kings seem to be controlling the play more, even if the results haven?t shown up on the score board.

The irony of course is that the one game I do think the Sharks were better in was Game Two, which they blew in tragic fashion. Imagine they won that game and then snuck out these two? No you?re right, hypotheticals are really stupid ? don?t imagine they won that game.

I feel like I should mention something about the Memorial Cup and how dominant Nathan Mackinnon looks and really how dominant the Halifax Mooseheads look but I?m no prospects expert. Like I said in the outset, Dobber and the gang are hard at work on the Prospects Report. It comes out in a week and a half. You?ll get all the prospect information that you can handle and then some if you pick it up. I can?t recommend this product highly enough.

Okay, okay. One little blurb. For fantasy purposes I am treating Mackinnon like Jonathan Toews and Jonathan Drouin like Patrick Kane. Who you picking first if you get the chance?

Adding a couple of videos that I've promised. First the Brent Burns ass-check and you''ll see in this one that it is specifically more ass than hip, which is why I make that distinction. More on that in the comments.

{youtube}http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOKH7Lf_PI4&feature=youtube_gdata{/youtube}

And here is the disallowed Kings goal. Had this one counted their third period goal would have... blah, blah. Hypothetical, hypothetical... I promised you that I would cut this out. So just watch in horror.

{youtube}http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LO18GN59fMA{/youtube}