Posted by Craig on November 13, 2008
A lot of things are going on in the NHL these days. This is the time of year when rumors swirl, and the on ice product gets evaluated. Whether its players, coaches or managers, jobs will start to be questioned. Some teams just don’t look right at this point and changes will have to be made if goals and expectations are to be met.
Brian Burke - The worst kept secret in hockey, might officially come to an end soon. Brian Burke has left his post as general manager of the Anaheim Ducks, for personal reasons, which will clear his path to Toronto. Burke led the Ducks to a cup in a couple years back and has long been rumored for the vacant Maple Leaf job. The reason Burke wanted out of Anaheim is simple he has family on the east coast and the travel has just become to much for him and his family. Brian didn’t just quit on the Ducks, he informed them he wouldn’t sign an extension past this season and they decided to go in another direction. The rebuilding Maple Leafs have been linked to Burke ever since they fired John Ferguson Jr as there GM last season. It will take a week or two for all the papers to be signed and for Burke to be able to negotiate with another team. That team will be Toronto and I don’t see any way he doesn’t become the next GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs. This is going to be fun, the outspoken Burke and the media in Toronto should be entertaining to say the least. Whether you think Burke is the right man for the Maple Leaf job or not, you have to hope that if he takes the job, they will give him the power to build the team as he chooses. Toronto needs some stability and direction and Burke will give them that. Hire him Toronto, give him what he wants and the time to get this franchise heading in the right direction.
Senators forward Jarkko Ruutu has been suspended for two games for an elbow the other night against the Canadiens.
Brendan Shanahan - Well, a future Hall of Famer looks to be returning to the NHL soon. His destination is yet to be determined and the rumors are swirling. Brendan would like to stay close to New York where his family is, but it won’t be with the Rangers. That would make it seem like he will either sign in New Jersey or Philadelphia. I don’t know if these are the best places for Shanny to play, Philadelphia is already very deep up front and New Jersey plays a defense first system. Brendan has done a lot of things in this league and I think he still has the ability to put the puck in the net. He can help a power play and give some veteran leadership in a locker room. I would like to see Shanahan go to a younger team and help them get to the next level, Chicago would be perfect. If Brendan wants to win a cup this year, how about adding some depth to the forward lines in Pittsburgh or provide some leadership in Buffalo. Where ever he goes I am glad he is going to come back, he is one of my favorite players and the league is better with him. For my money I think he will sign somewhere close to New York, but if he keeps his options open, most teams in the league would love to have a guy like Shanny on there team.
Columbus Blue Jackets activated Pascal Leclaire off the injured reserve and is expected between the pipes soon. Pascal got off to a bad start this year, but he is one of the best young goalies in the league, who has shown the ability to get shutouts and lead the Jackets to wins.
Alexander Semin still leads the league in three major categories, goals (13), points (27) and plus / minus ( +17). Everyone already new Semin has the ability to be a top notch player in this league, he is now just starting to perform on a nightly basis. He keeps this pace up he will be the MVP at seasons end.
Tampa Bay Lightning - There are some major problems with this team, and not the ones everyone expected they would have pre season. I for one never thought this team would have no trouble scoring goals with guys like Lecavalier, St Louis, Malone, Prospal and Stamkos. This team has managed just 31 goals in 15 games so far, just over two a game, by far the worst production in the league. There is way to much talent here to be this bad, the big question is why? Well, I don’t really know, but they have done a lot of line juggling and made a lot of changes before the year. Basically this is an entirely new dressing room and it is possible the team just hasn’t gelled. I for one thought the Lightning would play a lot of high scoring games this season, and defense would be there problem ultimately. Fixing this problem will not be easy, the last thing you want to do is disrupt that room again and move more players in and out. The coach is also new this season, and the owners and the general manager. The best thing I could suggest here is be patient, and wait and see if this group of guys can work it out, but I doubt they will be.
The NHL is in full swing, and there are great games every night. It is that time of year when gossip gets around and people search for things to talk about. If you like to keep up with the rumors that’s fine, just take it with a “grain of salt” and wait and see what happens. Gossip and rumors are all for entertainment purposes, enjoy the product on the ice.
Posted by Craig on November 12, 2008
Being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame is a great honor for any one involved in the game. Next year we are going to see an excellent class of players enter the Hall. There are at least 4 first ballot players who deserve there enshrinement in the Hall. What this means is some of those players who have been waiting for there turn at the podium will have to wait once again. Some great players who are eligible, but will have to wait a couple more years are Doug Gilmour, Adam Oates, Pavel Bure and Eric Lindros. All these players had great careers, but it is a numbers game. I would expect all 4 of these guys to make it in sometime, but I think there will be another 4 inducted in the class of 2009. Being a first ballot Hall of Famer is a tribute to an excellent career and might see four of them next November.
Steve Yzerman - No doubt here Yzerman will lead the class of 2009 into Hall. Steve played his entire career with the Detroit Red Wings and led them to three Stanley Cups. Yzerman won many major trophies as an NHL player including the Lester B. Pearson Award, Conn Smythe Trophy, Selke Trophy and Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. Steve sits sixth all time in league scoring and has a better point per game average then great like Gordie Howe, Ron Francis and Mark Messier. If you put all the accolades aside, one thing every one will remember about Yzerman was his heart. He loved the game and played through a lot of major injuries, and was one of the best leaders in all of sports. Steve’s best individual season was in 1988 - 1989 when he recorded 155 points with 65 goals, and was voted by the players as the leagues MVP. He also represented Canada on the international scene, highlighted by Olympic Gold in 2002, playing on a line along side Mario Lemieux. No doubt Yzerman will be inducted next year and deservingly so, he is a true Hall of Famer.
Brett Hull - Son of Hall of Famer, Bobby Hull, Brett will be inducted when he is eligible next year. Hull was a pure goal scorer, with a lethal and fast one timer. Hull made his living on the power play and quite possibly was the best sniper of his generation. Brett sits third on the all time goals list with 741 goals, playing for five franchises, Calgary, St Louis, Detroit, Dallas and Phoenix. The biggest goal he ever scored was a controversial one, that won the Stars the Cup in 1999. Later in his career he won another cup in 2002 with the Red Wings, along side two other players that will be on this list Luc Robitaille and Steve Yzerman. Hull holds a dual citizenship, but played internationally for the USA, highlighted by a World Cup title in 1996 and an Olympic Silver in 2002. Hull’s best season was in 1990 - 1991 when he scored an amazing 86 goals, he scored 50 plus goals 5 times in his career. Brett Hull will not be over looked next and will go into the Hall, on his first year on eligibility.
Brian Leech - Leech is quite possibly the best American born player of all time, and becomes eligible for the Hall of Fame next year. He was a tremendous offensive defenseman, who could make something out of nothing on the ice. He won the Norris Trophy as the leagues top defenseman twice and the Conn Smyth as playoff MVP in 1994. He also was the rookie of the year in 1989 and is only one of a handful of defenseman to score 100 points in a season. Leech will always be remembered as a New York Ranger, he played 17 seasons with the blue shirts, before finishing his career with Toronto and Boston. His best season was 1991 -1992 when he recorded more then 20 goals and 102 points on the season. He owns multiple Ranger records including most goals by a defenseman, most career assists and most points by a defenseman. Leech was an 11 time all star and retired with 1028 points which will easily get him into the Hall on his first try. Brain Leech might be the best player to ever play for the New York Rangers.
Luc Robitaille - “Lucky Luc”, is one of the most under rated players in NHL history. Luc is widely remember for his 14 seasons he played for the Los Angeles Kings, but he also played in Detroit, Pittsburgh and New York. He is the highest scoring left winger in the history of the National Hockey League. Robitaille won the Calder Trophy as the leagues top rookie in 1987 when he scored more then 40 goals in rookie campaign. Luc went on to score 40 plus goals 8 times in his career, highlighted by 63 goals in the 1992 - 1993 season. Four times Luc had more then 100 points in a season and retired with more then 1300 for his career. He was an 8 time all star and won a Stanley along side many great Hall of Fame players in Detroit in 2002. Luc Robitaille was a great NHL player, and although he probably didn’t get the recognition of Yzerman, Hull and Leech he deserves to go in the Hall along side them.
Being enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame is a tremendous honor that can cap off a terrific career. All four of these players have earned the right to be along greats like Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe and Maurice Richard in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Yzerman, Hull and Robitaille all celebrated a Stanley Cup together in 2002, and now it is time for them to celebrate together again.
Posted by Craig on November 10, 2008
10 - Chris Pronger - Chris Pronger has been one of the best fantasy performers over the past few years and it looks to be much the same so far. Chris has 14 points and a plus 4 early on this season, leading the Anaheim Ducks. The reason Pronger is in the top ten is because of his 7 power play points, a game winning goal and 49 shots as a defenseman. As a d - man those numbers are excellent and if he keeps it up he will remain in the top 10 all year long. Keep Pronger on your team, he won’t disappoint.
9 - Marc Savard - In my opinion the most under rated player in the NHL, Savard is off to a typical start. With 6 goals and 10 assists early on this year, Savard has more then a point a game. When you draft Savard you expect him to tally a lot of assists, but at this current pace he will have more then 30 goals this season. Marc plays on a solid team with solid wingers and I would expect his numbers to remain around this level all year long. The biggest reason Savard is so high on my list is because of his penalty minutes, don’t look for those numbers to remain high.
8 - Ryan Clowe - The first major surprise on this list, Clowe is off to a career best start. Early on this year Ryan has 9 goals and 14 points, to go along with 21 penalty minutes. Out of all the players on this list, Clowe would be the one I am most skeptical about, and might think of trading while his value is high. Ryan is on pace to smash all his career marks, maybe by the half way point on the season. Clowe also has 8 power play points and a game winning goal this season.
7 - Jerome Iginla - Jerome is one of the best fantasy players you can have, he is off to a bit of a slow start, but is still number 7 on my list. With 9 goals and 19 points, Iginla is on pace to get the numbers he always gets. Currently the biggest problem having Jerome is that he is a minus 4 and he seems to be very streaky early on. You can over look the plus / minus for his 11 power play points and 50 plus shots so far. In my opinion Iginla has no where to go, but up on this list.
6 - Marian Hossa - Hossa has enjoyed his time with the Red Wings and Pavel Datsyuk so far this season. With 8 goals including 2 game winners, Hossa has been a top fantasy performer thus far. Marian has 17 points and over 50 shots, but his best stat is his plus 9 ranking, which is among the league leaders. Hossa is off to a fine start, but as he starts to get more familiar with is teammates is Detroit his numbers will improve.
5 - Ryan Getzlaf - Anaheim has been on fire as of late and Getzlaf’s numbers have been excellent. Ryan has 19 points in just 16 games and is playing on the top line in Anaheim. Getzlaf will provide you with goals and points, but he will also give you penalty minutes with 25 so far this year. Look for Getzlaf to improve his numbers on the power play and continue to put up good numbers all year long. Getzlaf is a great player and his value is high right now, if you need to he could anchor a trade for your fantasy team.
4 - Thomas Vanek - Finally showing his super star ability, Vanek is off to the best start of his career. With 12 goals in just 14 games, Thomas is on pace to put up insane numbers this year. He has stuffed the fantasy stats so far this year with 60 plus shots, 2 game winning goals and short handed points. Vanek and Buffalo are off to great starts, but it is hard to believe he can keep this goal pace up. He is a point a game player in this league, but his value will probably never be higher then it is right now.
3 - Corey Perry - Hopefully you didn’t panic when Perry got off to a slow start, because he is now one of the best in the league. Perry has 18 points, 29 penalty minutes and 60 plus shots so far this season. This is the fastest turn around I have ever seen in fantasy hockey, through 6 games this year Perry had 1 point and was a minus 5 and in just 11 games increased his numbers to where they are now. Perry’s biggest value is his ability to get good numbers across the board goals, points, power play and penalty minutes.
2 - Evgeni Malkin - He is a true super star in this league and hasn’t disappointed early on this season. He leads the league in assists with 18, points with 22 and power points with 11. He is also a plus 4 with a shorthanded point thus far. Malkin has been getting some ice time with Crosby and the 2 of them have been very productive. Look for Malkin to compete for the points title all year, he will start to score more goals eventually.
1 - Alexander Semin - Semin is off to the best start of his career and has filled up the fantasy stats thus far this season. 11 goals, 10 assists, an amazing plus 11, 2 shorthanded points and 2 game winning goals. Semin has always been highly talented and when he is motivated he will put up big numbers. Alexander’s value may never be higher then it I right now and if he was on my fantasy team I might consider trading him for a player you know will keep it up all year long. There is no denying he has been the best fantasy player so far in this NHL season.
Posted by Craig on November 6, 2008
Brodeur Injured - Oh No, the thing that Devils fans never wanted to hear has happened, Martin Brodeur is injured. Brodeur injured his elbow and had surgery to repair the damage, and will miss 3 - 4 months. Brodeur was inching very close to a lot of National Hockey League records, that will now have to be put on hold. Brodeur might be the most valuable player to his team every year, and New Jersey has relied of him for the past 15 or so seasons. The entire Devils team is built around Marty, not just to stop the pucks, but to be a leader and play the puck as another defenseman. Taking over for Brodeur will be veteran back up Kevin Weekes and solid goalie Scott Clemmensson. Both guys are suitable NHL back ups, but haven’t seen a lot of action in the past couple of years. This might be the worst injury that could happen to any team in the league and will seriously hurt the Devils chances of making the playoffs. New Jersey went from Eastern Conference favorites to having to fight for wins in one play and one injury. Hopefully Brodeur will make it back at the top of his game in 4 months and will still become the best goalie to ever live. If Weekes struggles, look for the Devils to make a move and acquire a veteran goalie to take over until Marty returns, probably Roloson or Fernandez.
Three Stars of the Month - The National Hockey League has released its three stars of the month and they may not be the guys you would have picked prior to the season. The first star is Washington Capitols star forward Alexander Semin, who is off to the best start of his career. Semin has 8 goals and 17 points for Washington and led the team when Ovechkin was in Russia. Semin has become a true star in the league and has all the talent to keep these numbers up all season long. The second star is Henrik Lundqvist, the Rangers all world goalie. Henrik is now the favorite for the Vezina with Brodeur being hurt and hasn’t disappointed the New York fans. Early on this year Lundqvist has posted 8 wins and a save percentage of .926. The third star might be a surprise to you and its Nashville d man Shea Weber. Shea is off to a great start averaging a point a game and is a plus 3 for the Predators. All three of these players had great starts and will look to continue there success through November and the rest of the season.
Rookie Duo - If you are Columbus Blue Jacket fan, you should be incredibly excited about the future of your franchise on the ice. Derick Brassard leads all rookies in scoring recording 12 points in just 12 games, while Jakub Voracek is second with 10 points. Brassard is 21 years of age and Voracek is just 19 and have surprised some with there early season production. Hopefully these two forwards along with Nikita Filatov, can represent a great future for the fans of Columbus. The Columbus franchise has never made the playoffs, but if they keep finding great young players like these guys that streak will end sooner rather then later. Its unknown whether or not these guys can keep up there numbers, but with plenty of ice time I think they will become great NHL players. With a great young base of players hopefully Columbus finds a way to win some games, before they lose all there fans. The Blue Jacket fans deserve a winner, no matter how good a market might be if you never make the playoffs it will be hard to sell tickets. With players like Brassard, Voracek, Filatov and Nash it shouldn’t be to long until Columbus finds themselves in the playoffs.
Hockey Hall of Fame - Its that time of year when it is time to induct new members into the hockey hall of fame. This year the class includes Glen Anderson, Igor Larionov and Ray Scampinello. “Scammpy” might be the most popular referee in the history of sports, and served as NHL linesman for a lot of years. Anderson will be remembered as a member of the great Oiler teams of the 80’s playing along side Gretzky and Messier. Anderson was at his best in the playoffs and always seemed to score the big goals at the big moments. Larionov might be the best Russian born player of all time. He was solid at both ends of the rink and could skate and stick handle as good as anyone in the league. Larionov will fondly be remembered as part of the Russian 5 in Detroit with Fedorov, Konstantinov, Fetisov and Kozlov. Being enshrined in the hockey hall fame is great honor and all these men should be extremely proud of all there accomplishments. Being inducted is the final chapter the Stanley Cups are behind you, there will be no more game winning goals, but you will forever be remember as a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Surprise Teams - When you look at early season successes two teams will jump out at you the Buffalo Sabres and the Minnesota Wild. Neither was projected by most to be as good as they seem to be, both teams are leading there respective divisions. The Wild play a strict defensive system and for years have frustrated opponents and that trend continues. The Sabres have a set of highly talented and fast forwards that can change a game in a hurry. These teams haven’t won the same way, The Sabres with exciting fast hockey and Minnesota with boring defense. This shows that you can win hockey with a lot of different styles. Its to early to tell, but the Sabres in particular look like they will stick around the top of the Eastern Conference all year long
Posted by Craig on November 3, 2008
Fantasy hockey has become a lucrative business, and many hockey fans participate in leagues every year. Managing your own fantasy team can increase your knowledge of the game and the players in the NHL. Fantasy sports force people to look outside there favorite teams and examine the strengths of the entire league. If you have never played or are a fantasy sports pro, I suggest giving hockey a try it can be a lot of fun.
Rick Dipietro - The Islanders put a lot of faith in Dipietro signing him to a massive contract, the problem is he keeps getting hurt. Dipietro had knee surgery and he is expected to miss 4 - 6 weeks. Rick only made three starts this year and failed to pick up a win, which no doubt has irritated fantasy owners out there. My suggestion is to get rid of Dipietro depending on how many IR spots you have on your roster. The Islanders are not very good, and even if Dipietro has a successful comeback he might not be worth a roster spot for the next 6 weeks. Hopefully Rick comes back, is healthy and can lead the Islanders to some wins. My advice is to drop him and try and pick him up in 5 weeks or so, or just draft him again next year.
Corey Perry - Perry like many of his Duck teammates got off to a slow start, but has been on fire recently. After recording 3 points in his first 8 games, Perry and the Ducks caught fire and in the next 5 Corey increased his totals in 15 points. Hopefully you had patience with Perry and kept him on your roster. Historically Perry is a great fantasy player with goals, power play points and penalty minutes. My suggestion is to keep Perry unless you get blown away by a deal, you could trade him his value might never be higher then it is right now. If you are going to trade Perry make sure you trade high and get a top 15 player in return. Perry and the Ducks are off and running and his numbers should remain good for the rest of the year.
Brendan Shanahan and Mats Sundin - Rumors are swirling that these veterans are about to return to the NHL. Shanahan is not the player he once was, but depending on where he goes can be productive. If you need shots and power play points, this might be the time to pick up Shanny and take a flyer that he might return. As for Sundin its hard to predict what is going to happen here, but Mats is still a point a game player. Sundin still deserves a roster spot in any fantasy league and depending on where he goes might be a real free agent steal. If you are struggling and need some offensive help take a chance with one of these veterans, what do you have to lose.
Martin Brodeur - Brodeur left the game early Saturday with an apparent elbow injury. He has already been ruled out of Monday night’s game and the full details have not been given. Don’t panic, you need to wait and see what the extent of the injury is. Martin is one of the most durable players in the NHL and hopefully the injury isn’t to serious. Keep your eye on the news, if Brodeur is out for an extended period of time, you will need to pick up a short period replacement.
Alexander Ovechkin is expected to return from Russia for this weeks games. You can hear the sigh of relief from all the fantasy owners out there, and hopefully OV will come back at the top of his game.
Sell High - Every year there are players who get off to great starts and fantasy owners have an opportunity to sell them while there stock is high. By sell I mean trade and get a higher valued player or more talented. The key to this is figuring out which players will keep the numbers going and which ones will fall of the leader boards. Mikko Koivu, has a career high 54 points and is on pace for more then 100 this year. Koivu has been playing great, but it might be a good time to sell while the value is high. Devin Setoguchi , is a second year player with the Sharks averaging a point a game, Filip Kuba has a career high 37 points and is on pace to smash that by getting more then a point a game. As for goalies Tim Thomas and Nikolai Khabibulin are off to great starts and might be able to get some good value. The key to making these kind of deals is trying to figure out whether these numbers will continue. If you can trade these guys for more proven performers do it, while you can.
Buy Low - On the flip side there is always players who get off to slow starts and fantasy owners will give up on them. The biggest case of this so far is Marty Turco, goalie in Dallas. With a save percentage of .837, Marty is definitely off to a horrible start. His numbers will improve as he has a career save percentage of .911 and is one of the most consistent goalies in the league. Forwards you should look at are Derek Roy from Buffalo, Martin St Louis from Tampa, Jonathon Toews from Chicago and RJ Umberger in Columbus. These guys are all of to slow starts and there numbers have no where to go but up.
Fantasy hockey is good for the game, it allows fans to educate themselves and become fans of the entire league not just one team. No matter what your strategy is or what kind of league your in, if you can ride players hot streaks and get great players at low value you will do well in your pool. Have fun, do your homework and enjoy the NHL.
Posted by Craig on October 31, 2008
In the spirit of Halloween lets take a look t some things that are tricks and treats in the National Hockey League. By this I mean, its early in the year and some teams and players might be tricking there fans to thinking they better then they are. The treats are the best the league has to offer, treats make the NHL what it is. Hockey fans tend to get ahead of themselves early in years, and I would tell all fans to wait until the 25 - 30 game mark to truly make assumptions about the season.
The Tricks
Toronto Maple Leafs - Sorry Leaf fans, but your team just isn’t very talented. Yes, your teams plays hard and you have a great goaltender, but its not likely this team has a chance at a playoff spot. Look at it this way, if you play at the pace you are playing at right now you will end up fighting it out for the 8th and final playoff spot. Currently the Maple Leafs are in a three way tie for 8th in the East and they have scored 7 less goals then they have allowed. For the Maple Leafs franchise the worst thing that could happen is if they once again finish in 9th or 10th in the East and once again don’t get a lottery pick next year.
Mats Sundin - Here we go again, is he coming back for real this time? All summer long rumors of where Mats would end up were everywhere and now it looks like we are back to where we started. Mats is a great hockey player and most teams would love to have him. The way this ends up will be up to Mats, he can sign for big money with a team with cap space or take a smaller contract to join a Cup contender. I assume if Mats is coming back it is to be a winner and he will sign with the Rangers or Canadiens. Both those teams are up against the cap and I would like Mats to sign with a younger up and coming team that he could lead, Vancouver, Phoenix, Chicago and what about Mats in Pittsburgh. The rumors will continue to swirl until Mats makes a decision about his future, don’t get tricked, take these rumors with a grain of salt.
Tim Thomas - The Bruins goaltender continues to surprise everyone by playing excellent Vezina like net. Thomas is a fine goalie, but he is not this good, and his numbers will come back down to earth. Currently he has a goals against average under 2 and a save percentage of .939, those numbers are Vezina like and Thomas is good, but not that good.
Old Guys, Big Numbers - I love this, there are some old grizzled veterans off to great starts this year and look to be the players of old. Most of these guys cannot keep this pace up, but if they do it will be a great story all year. 34 year old Paul Kariya has 12 points in 9 games for St Louis, he is on pace for 100 points a mark he hasn’t reached since 1999. Markus Naslund (35), Mike Modano (38), Joe Sakic (39) and Keith Tkachuk (36) are all at or near a point a game so far. All these guys are proving they can still play this game, and I for one hope they keep it up, but it is unlikely.
The Treats
Martin Brodeur - Brodeur is a legend, and by the end of this year this might end up being the season of Brodeur. He is getting close to breaking two all time goalie records, wins and shutouts. Its not if its when he breaks those records he will get serious consideration as the best net minder in National Hockey League history. This generation has been treated to a lot of great NHL players, and Martin is definitely one of those guys that will never be forgotten. The 35 year old net minder is off to a great start posting 5 wins, 2 shutouts and a save percentage of .914. Brodeur cannot play forever and we should enjoy his skill, while we can.
Fast Starts - Pre season predications are usually a crap shoot, but his year some of those highly predicted teams are off to great starts. The New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings and San Jose Sharks are all living up to the hype. These are the top four teams in the league and have been fun to watch on a night to night basis. I look for these teams to keep it up all year they have the talent, coaching and structure to compete for the Stanley Cup. Without injuries these might end up being the top 4 teams at years end.
Dynamic Duos - All hockey love watching skill play with skill, and this year we have found some new duos to excite us. At the top of this list Pittsburgh has put there stars Malkin and Crosby together and it has been great to watch ever since. The two have combined for 29 points in 11 games and are leading there team to wins. The Red Wings new duo of Hossa and Datsyuk have been great to watch combining for 26 points and Heatley and Spezza are still good in Ottawa with 11 goals.
Thomas Vanek - The highly paid and very talented winger in Buffalo has come in to his own early this year. The Sabres have to be extremely happy that Vanek has scored 9 goals in 10 games and has recorded 12 points. Vanek and the rest of the Buffalo team is exciting to watch, they are fast and highly talented. He may not score at this pace all year, but I think he will keep his points up and lead the Sabres all year.
The year has been full of treats thus far, fights are up goals are up and there is a lot of good young talent in the league. Happy Halloween and enjoy the action this weekend
Posted by Craig on October 30, 2008
We are about ten games into the season and it time to look at what is making news around the league. Things are starting to even out a little bit, and we are starting to see the storylines develop. So far this year we are seeing a lot of big name goalies struggling, is it because of the equipment change? Teams that were struggling are starting to get into form and others are coming back down to earth. There are still a lot of things to shake out throughout the year, but things are starting to heat up.
Alfredsson re-signs - The Ottawa Senators have re-signed there captain and best all around player Daniel Alfredsson. Daniel inked a four year extension that should keep him in Canada’s nation capitol for the rest of his career. This wasn’t a big surprise, Alfredsson has been the captain of this team for a long time and it looks like he will be a career Senator. Ottawa is off to a slow start and a lot of rumors are swirling around the organization, but with some better defense and goaltending this team should be good. Its always nice to see a player and an organization come to an agreement that works for both sides, Sens fans should be happy that they will have Daniel for a few more years.
Marian Hossa - Hossa caught a lot of criticism after signing a one year deal in Detroit in the off season. Well after a slow start he is starting to look like the true all star he is. Playing along side Pavel Datsyuk, Hossa is on fire and near the league lead in points. He has 9 points he his last 5 games and if he keeps it up the gamble he took in the off season will pay off. The Red Wings are a great team and with Hossa playing this well they will be tough to beat every night.
Trade Deadline - Well the NHL made a mistake, but an agreement was reached quickly. The league has decided to push the trade deadline back one day to March the 4th. The reason for the move was because there are to many games scheduled on the original date. With a lot of games scheduled it would make it tough for teams to make trades and still be able to ice a full team on the same day. The NHL and the NHLPA came to a fast agreement and pushed the date back one day.
Steven Stamkos - The 1st overall selection in this past years NHL entry draft has finally recorded his first career point. There has been a lot of talk recently about Stamkos and the ice time he has been receiving in Tampa Bay. The Lightning are talented in the forward lines, and they are still searching for the best mix of lines. Stamkos will have a great career and he is off to a slow start, but I wouldn’t panic just yet. Tampa Bay has a lot of new players on there roster and once they find the right mix and chemistry Stamkos will start to produce on a regular basis. I hope the coaching staff in Tampa starts giving him the proper ice time, he need to be playing more then just 10 minutes per game. Play him in some power play situation and let him play with the stars like Lecavalier and St Louis and you will see the numbers jump.
Phoenix Coyotes claim Ken Klee off re-entry waivers from the Anaheim Ducks. Claiming someone off re-entry waivers means that Phoenix will pick up half his salary and Anaheim will be on the hook for the other half. Klee is a veteran and still has the skills to play a decent NHL defense for the Coyotes.
Alexander Ovechkin - Last years MVP has made a trip back to his homeland, Russia, to visit with an ailing family member. Ovechkin had played more 200 hundred consecutive games and has proved that he is a consistent NHL player. This isn’t a huge deal for the Capitols, it’s a part of life, family comes first. It’s a bigger deal for fantasy owners out there who will miss “Alex the Great” for a few games this early in the year. Ovechkin should be back in Washington’s lineup early next week.
Rick Dipietro - Seems to be a big secret on long island, but there is one thing for sure is that it will be hard for them to win without Rick. Its listed as a lower body injury? Who knows what that means. Dipietro is coming off knee surgery in the off season and hopefully the injury hasn’t re-occurred. Rick is a great goaltender, but he seems to get hurt an awful lot and the Islanders will struggle to win without him. I for one am sick of this upper body, lower body injury stuff, lets just be honest and let us know what is really going on. Hopefully Dipietro will be back soon and helping the Islanders win some hockey games.
Luke Schenn will be staying with the Leafs, as he has played in his 10th game of the season. Playing 10 games means his entry level contract kicks in and its more then likely he will be in Toronto for the rest of the season. The 18 year old defenseman has looked solid defensively for Toronto and they feel the best way for him to develop is to stay with the big club.
The product has been good so far this years, fights and goals are up which make everyone happy. Alexander Semin is leading the league in goals and points, while Ryan Miller leads the goalies with a 1.60 goals against average. Nikolai Zherdev surprisingly leads the league in plus / minus and Evgeni Malkin leads with 12 assists. The season is off and running and hopefully there will be plenty of more great storylines throughout the year.
Posted by Craig on October 29, 2008
This is a current list of the top 10 teams in the National Hockey League. I made this list based on performance, talent, past success and predictions about the future, Throughout the year this list will change it will be up dated as we start to see who the true favorites are.
10 - Buffalo Sabres - I didn’t see this happening before the season started, but the Sabres are off to a great start. They have a very deep set of forwards with guys like Roy, Vanek, Kotalik, and Pominville off to good starts. Right now Thomas Vanek looks like a true all star and has become the leader up front for this team. Great goaltending by Ryan Miller has gotten this team off to a 6 - 1 - 2 and leading there division. Buffalo is a great team to watch they have a great mix of speed and aggressiveness and seem to beat there opponents in many different ways.
9 - Minnesota Wild - Well I really don’t understand this one and I would have to say I am not sold yet. There isn’t a whole lot of talent on this team especially with Gaborik being hurt, but you cannot over look the fact that they are winning hockey games. They win by playing a great defensive system, they are allowing a league low 2 goals a game. To this point they still haven’t lost a game in regulation and are the leaders in the Northwest division.
8 - Anaheim Ducks - The Ducks got off to a horrible start, but seem to be getting it together. The reason for there bad start was that the team just wasn’t gelling, there seemed to be no unity on the ice. Top forwards Perry, Getzlaf and Selanne seem to be breaking out of there funk and will start to lead this team to more consistent victories. This team has great goaltending and a solid defense, if they get some goals they will win more then there share of games in the Western Conference. Keep your eye on this team, I think they will start playing as they should.
7 - Calgary Flames - Another team that didn’t get off to a great start, but seem to be putting it all together. Before the season I thought Calgary was truly a cup contender and I am not ready to take them off this list yet. Iginla, Bertuzzi and Cammalleri are starting to get some chemistry and will lead this team throughout the season. For this team to stay on this list Miikka Kiprusoff is going to have to play like the all star he should be. To me the Flames look like a building team that will only get better as the year goes on.
6 - New Jersey Devils - The Devils are still good, because they still have Martin Brodeur. Brodeur is still the best goalie in the world and as long as New Jersey has him they will be a top 10 team. The goaltending is great, but they still need to find away to score more goals, they are only scoring 2.5 goals a game. If they manage to get some more goals and get healthy this team will be near the top of the Eastern Conference all season long. The Devils have some injury problems in the forward lines, but still need to take the pressure off the goaltending and defense by manufacturing some goals.
5 - Pittsburgh Penguins - You can’t over look the talent on this team, they are off to a bit of a slow start, but they will only get better as the year goes on. Recently they have been playing all world forwards Malkin and Crosby together and they have been scoring at a high pace. The injuries to there puck moving defense has really made it hard for this team in the early going. Fleury is also playing some great goal for the Penguins and gives them a shot to win every night. To win consistently the Pens will need secondary scoring from Staal, Satan and Fedotenko. In my opinion this team has no where to go, but up on this list.
4 - Montreal Canadiens - Still Stanley Cup favorites, and off to a great start. Not a lot of weaknesses on this squad, they are fast, balanced and get great goaltending every night. If they keep it up, they will be at the top of this list all season long.
3 - San Jose Sharks - The Sharks are proving they are still a great regular season team and will be near the top of the Western Conference all year. Highlighted by great goaltending and a solid group of forwards, there is no doubt the Sharks are one of the most talented teams in the league. If they continue to get secondary scoring they will have no problem being in the top three all year long.
2 - New York Rangers - They have slowed a bit from there great start, but still are right at the top of the NHL. Secondary scoring has really led this team with Dubinsky, Zherdev and Voros all off to great starts. They have gotten the great goaltending and defense that they expected, and if that continues I see them near the top of this list all season long. The Rangers are a great team in a great market and it is good for the league to have them playing this well.
1 - Detroit Red Wings - Defending Stanley Cup champions, and still the most talented team in the league. After a loss on opening night, they have played some great hockey and will only get better. A team full of stars like Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Hossa and Lidstrom, this franchise continues to be the best in the league. They are perfect on the road, and if they play any where near this good all year they will fight for the Presidents trophy. Detroit will be at the top of this list until another team proves they can play as consistently great as they do.
Posted by Craig on October 24, 2008
On Saturday October 25th, there will 15 games in 15 cities in 1 night. Everyone is involved and there will be some great match ups. The 15 games will match rivalries, struggling teams and teams off to fast starts. For all you fantasy hockey players out there, this night will go along way to showing who has the best teams in your league. I love it when the National Hockey League has this many games in one night, there is something for every fan to watch. This will be a night to watch, the hockey will exciting and entertaining. I am going to tee up a few games you should watch this night.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Ottawa Senators
The first battle of an Ontario of this season, and both teams will be looking to have a good showing. The Maple Leafs have started off better then some expected and they would like nothing more then to beat the Sens on Hockey Night in Canada. Ottawa on the other hand is off to a tough start, and already seem to have a goalie controversy. Martin Gerber is off to a bad start and the Senators coaching staff is searching for ways to win. They have split up there big three, Heatley, Alfredsson and Spezza, trying to find the mix that will work. The Maple Leafs lineup has been different every night and you never know who will be in there. The Leafs don’t have near the talent of the Sens, but they work hard and play a good defensive system. These teams are kind of opposites Ottawa has no problems scoring while that is the Leafs biggest problem. Toskala is Toronto’s advantage in net, while Gerber just can’t figure it out in Ottawa. There might some new players and the teams might not be as good as they once were, but that doesn’t change the fact these franchises don’t like each other. If Ottawa gets decent goaltending and defense they should win, but you can’t count on that.
New Jersey Devils vs Philadelphia Flyers
Philly still hasn’t won a game this year and if they want to get that win on Saturday they will have to beat future Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur. Brodeur is off to an amazing start and has proved that he is still the best goalie in the National Hockey League. Philadelphia is deep up front, but struggle playing defense and haven’t gotten very good goaltending thus far. The Flyers have to win eventually, they are to good to be playing this bad. They will be hard pressed to beat the Devils trap. These two franchises are in the same division and that usually makes for a high energy game. Every time the Devils play you have to expect a low scoring game, they will trap from the drop of the puck to the last buzzer. It’s the only afternoon game and probably won’t be the most exciting game you have ever seen. If the Flyers want to win there defense is going to have to play way better then they have and they will have to take advantage of any opportunity the Devils give them. The Flyers can score, but the question is can they score on the Devils.
Detroit Red Wings vs Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks are young and this game will be a measuring stick for them. In the past couple of years Chicago has played Detroit well and have had more success against them then any other franchise. Detroit is off to a fine start, but haven’t been as dominate to start the year as some predicted. Detroit is still the better team then Chicago, but the Hawks have some good young talent. The Blackhawks will be up for this game and look to continue there dominance of the Wings. Since Quenneville took over as the coach in Chicago, the team has played well and look like they might just be a playoff team this year. Both teams can score at will sometimes and to win this game the goalies will have to play well. If you like to watch stars this will be the game for you, Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Hossa and Lidstrom vs. Kane, Toews, Havlat and Campbell. This should be a high energy, fast game that might be the most entertaining of the evening.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs New York Rangers
Two of the best teams in the East will do battle on Saturday night. Since Pittsburgh have started playing there super stars Malkin and Crosby together they have been on fire. New York has slowed a little bit, but still boast two very good scoring lines. The story early on has been the Rangers second line of Zherdev, Voros and Dubinsky who have played great hockey and produced for the blue shirts. Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist is off to a great start and the Penguins have a good goalie of there own in Marc Andre Fleury. This will be a premiere match up and I don’t think it will disappoint. Any time you get a chance to see great players and great teams go head to head it makes for great entertainment. There might even be some fights in this game, and I look for a tough physical affair. You can’t go wrong if this is the game you choose to watch, big stars, big game and on a big stage.
Other big games on this night will be Canucks vs Oilers, San Jose vs Tampa Bay and Anaheim vs Montreal. This should be a whole night of great National Hockey League action, and will make all hockey fans extremely happy. Whether you like offense, defense or physical play you will be able to find a game for you on Saturday October 25th. Enjoy the action and for all you fantasy players I hope you have a big night.
Posted by Craig on October 23, 2008
The season is under way and some great story lines have developed. From teams over achieving, stars playing ordinary and a lot of teams with goalie problems. One thing I have noticed is that the next generation has truly taken over the league. We all know about Ovechkin and Crosby, but it seems like a lot of there peers are catching up and leading the league. There is a lot of players in the league who are under the age of 20, its up to you to figure out if that is a good thing or not. Wow some big market teams are off to bad starts and might be growing impatient. The National Hockey League seems strong, the play seems good and there seems to be a lot of fans enjoying the game.
Philadelphia Flyers - A lot of hockey people picked the Flyers to be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, and guess what they have zero wins.. There seems to be a lot of problems here, but the most prevalent is the goals they are allowing. Don’t blame it all on the goalies, the defense looks lost out there. This team might need to trade one of there forwards to get a good defenseman. I don’t know if there is a trade to be made, but I would be looking if I was the GM in Philadelphia. Its obvious that something has to change, the defense is soft and Biron isn’t good enough to over come these time of defensive problems. The Flyers don’t tend to be a patient franchise and if this continues they will make deals that they think will improve there club. I am not ready to give up on this team, its only six games and they are to talented.
The Anaheim Ducks have only scored 16 goals in 7 games, they will not win a lot of games in the West averaging just over two goals a game.
Back to Canada - I have heard a lot of talk this week about putting another team in Canada. I hope this is a relocation idea, not expansion, this league doesn’t need more teams. We need to face facts some southern teams are struggling and they could end all that by putting a team north of the border. A lot of the talk surrounds putting a team in southern Ontario and maybe even a second team in Toronto. Not a bad idea, I’m not sure whether another team right in Toronto will work, but there are a lot of fans and money in southern Ontario. Other possibilities have putting team back in Winnipeg or Quebec City or what about Halifax. First off I think if a team is going to move the likely candidate is Nashville, sorry Preds fans, but you have ownership problems and you just don’t have enough of a fanbase. Hockey people realize that it is easy money to put a team in Ontario and it will be harder and harder to keep the franchises away.
Jason Blake is going to be a healthy scratch from the Maple Leafs lineup when they take on Boston. This has to hurt for a guy who had 40 goals just 2 seasons ago. He has never produced in Toronto and it looks like he has fallen out of favor with the coaching staff.
Evgeni Malkin leads the league in points with 11 and Thomas Vanek leads with 7 goals. Big surprise Malkin leads the league in assists and Vanek looks like he might be that star Buffalo hoped he would be.
Goalie Problems - I am not surprised that some teams have some serious goaltending problems early in the year. I am not surprised about Martin Gerber in Ottawa, Jose Theodore in Washington or Peter Budaj in Colorado. If these teams want to compete this year, they will need to figure this out. Budaj and Gerber especially, how about making a trade, we all know Khabibulin is available. “The Bulin Wall” is off to a great start, and it might be time one of these teams make a move for him. Yes, he makes way to much money, but you have to do what you have to do if you want to win. All around goalies haven’t been very good guys like Turco, Osgood, Luongo and Bryzgalov are all not playing as we expect them to. It is early and there is no reason to panic for most team, but if I was an Ottawa or Colorado fan I might be a touch concerned about the future.
Martin Brodeur had his 98th career shutout. Brodeur is a future hall of famer and is getting close to the all time shutout and wins records. When it is all said and done Brodeur might be considered the best goalie of all time.
Sarah Palin will drop the puck at an NHL game again, this time in St. Louis. I am sure her and her supporters hope to get a better response then they did in Philly.
The Ottawa Senators continue to struggle at home and have started re arranging there lines. Spezza will try to play on the second line, while Fischer will play with Alfredsson and Heatley. This team is struggling and I think need to make a major shake up move, in my opinion trading Spezza might be something they should look into.
Don’t worry its not panic time yet for most teams, the season is still very young. Goaltending is a big issue all over the league, but that was predicted in the pre season. You cannot truly evaluate how a season is going until your team has played about 20 games, at that point you might see some teams scramble to make there clubs better. The NHL product has been great so far and I look forward to more great story lines as the year continues.
