Boston Bruinsnh

The Boston Bruins will visit the Vancouver Canucks for the first two of the best of seven games on June 1st and June 4th. The series will then turn to Boston for games three and four on June 6th and 8th.

Boston earned a spot in the finals with a hard fought series win over the dangerous Tampa Bay Lightning. Game seven was decided by a 1-0 score as goalie Tim Thomas and the stout Bruin defense were at their best.

Vancouver defeated the San Jose Sharks 4-1 to establish themselves as a heavy favorite in the finals. Vancouver will represent the West and Vancouver the East in what should be an excellent, hard-hitting finals.

The defensive pride of the Bruins is what carried the team to an unlikely road to the title series. Goaltender Tim Thomas has been consistent and has had some strong support, especially from 6’8” Zdeno Chara.

The Bruins defeated Montreal and nemeses Philadelphia before eliminating Tampa Bay. Chara has been a force in every game. At 6’8”, he is an unlikely captain for an NHL team. Chara is without question the leader of the Bruins and his defensive prowess will be tested by the tournament’s top seed, the Vancouver Canucks.

Vancouver is strong at both ends of the ice. The team ranked first in goals per game, first in goals allowed per game, first in power play scoring and third in power play defense. Those stats tell only half the Canucks story.

The Bruins numbers are not that strong. They rank 5th in goals scored, 2nd in goals against, 20th in power play scoring and 16th in penalty kills. This series features the NHL’s best two defensive teams.

The Canucks have plenty of depth and like the pace of play to be high. The Bruins are a little more cautious and have become familiar with biding their time. The team that controls the tempo and carries play will win this series.

Vancouver Canucks vs. San Jose Sharks

The Vancouver Canucks put a punishing 7-3 loss on their west rivals, the San Jose Sharks, to build a 2-0 lead in the best of seven series. Game 3 will take place Friday night in San Jose.

Goalie Roberto Luongo

Ranking first in the NHL in goals scored, goals allowed and power play efficiency, the Canucks were a heavy favorite at home and may be favored on Friday. The Canucks rank 3rd in the league in penalties killed.

Vancouver has plenty of speed and enough savvy to go all the way this year. The Canucks finished the season as the top team in the Northwest Division with a 54-19 won-lost record. Thursday’s game was fairly even until the third period when the Canucks unleashed the dogs and scored four goals to put that game to bed.

Goalie Roberto Luongo leads the Canucks with a 2.11 goals against average. Left wing Daniel Sedin led the team in goals scored with 41. Brother Henrik Sedin leads the team with 75 assists. The Canucks are solid at both ends of the ice and have enough muscle to keep good flow in the game.

The San Jose Sharks face an uphill battle to get back in the series. Game three on Friday is a must win for the Sharks. Statistically, the Canucks have a decided edge. The Sharks rank 6th in scoring, 10th in goals against and 2nd in power play scoring. The team is a woeful 25th in penalty killing. That is the number that may sink the Sharks.

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Boston Bruins

The resilient Tama Bay Lightning went 1-1 in Boston but that may be all the Lightning need. They are tough at home and tough when up against the wall. The Bruins and Lightning will face off in Tampa at 8:00PM ET tonight.

The Lightning are 7th in scoring, 21st in goals against, 6th in power play efficiency and 8th in penalty killing. Their unusual commitment to defense has proved frustrating for opponents in the playoffs. Tampa employs a 1-3-1 defense that has stifled opposition for the past month.

The Lightning has good talent with Martin St. Louis, Steve Stamkos and Vinny LeCavalier. Tampa Bay is the most penalized of the four teams still playing.

The Bruins are 5th in scoring, 2nd in goals allowed, 20th in power play efficiency and 16th in penalty killing. Goaltender Tim Thomas is the heart and soul of the Bruins. Thomas yields just 2.0 goals per game.

The best move the Bruins made was adding Tyler Sequin. The teenager had scored six points in his first two playoff games and brings a new degree of speed to a slow Boston team. Not only is Sequin speedy but he is also creating matchup problems for Tampa.

The key to this series may well be the play of late season acquisition Dwayne Roloson. Although allowing five goals in nine shots in period two of game two, Roloson has been spectacular since joining the Lightning. Tonight’s game will tell a lot about the outcome of this series.

The argument over fighting in hockey goes on, especially after this pre-season was more suited to a UFC octagon than a hockey rink.

While the NHL still views fisticuffs as a part of the game, the truth is players are often injured during fights on the ice and a young man in Ontario, Canada died last season several days after falling to the ice during a fight. That incident alone should have been enough to get rid of fighting from hockey, but sadly it hasn’t changed a thing.

The hockey higher-ups will argue that fighting is already illegal in the sport as players who engage in it are penalized for their actions. Technically that’s correct, but a five minute penalty isn’t nearly harsh enough. Severe punishment needs to be dished out and players need to be banned from games to stamp out fighting as much as possible.

It’s not that I don’t like fights. I love boxing and actually used to enjoy the bench-clearing brawls of the 1970s. But times have changed, and not for the better. When two guys went toe-to toe in the old days it was because somebody had ticked somebody else off and tempers reached a boiling point. Gloves were dropped and punches were thrown in anger.

But these days NHL fights resemble professional wrestling as the majority of them are staged or premeditated. There’s no anger involved in most of today’s hockey scraps and you’ll often see guys face off against each other for their first shifts of the game and proceed to go at it. I don’t see how these players can be agitated with each other after sitting on the bench all night.

The hockey culture itself is mainly to blame as it teaches youngsters that the sport is policed by the participants. By the time junior players reach their teenage years they’re so immune to it. The whole concept of protection and revenge on the ice is ridiculous. Other than the designated goons, nobody else fights anyway. Why not just let them slug it out at 7pm, get it out of the way with and then drop the puck at 7:30.

NHL scouts and general managers are also partly to blame. It’s hard to understand that ‘tough guys’ such as Brad May and Wade Belak were drafted in the first round while skilled players such as Tomas Kaberle, Steve Sullivan, Pavel Datsyuk, Steve Thomas, Brian Rafalski, Martin St. Louis, and Henrik Zetterberg went near the end of the draft or weren’t drafted at all.

It doesn’t seem right that young players work their butts off to make it in the NHL only to have some goon drafted before them just because they can fight. There are way too many skilled players being released, put on waivers, and sent down to the minors due to roster spots being taken by fighters. If the NHL banned fighting from the game, these youngsters would be given the chance to play. When skilled players are losing their spots to guys like Donald Brashear, fans should be alarmed. Young players are never going to develop into elite NHLers if they don’t get the opportunity to play.

There aren’t too many skilled players around these days who can take care of themselves and play the game at a high level. But if you can’t stand up for yourself, you’re probably better suited to a less-physical sport.

Unless the Toronto Maple Leafs start winning pretty soon, GM Brian Burke’s recent trade with the Boston Bruins for injured 36-goal scorer Phil Kessel is going to drastically swing in favour of the Beantowners.

Burke gave up two first round picks and a second rounder for the 21-year-old forward and then promptly signed him to a five-year $27 million contract. The problem is, he let his personal feelings interfere with his job, which is trying to improve the team at the lowest cost possible.

Burke was in the driver’s seat all along when it came to the deal as the restricted free agent Kessel flat out told the Bruins he had no interest in playing for them anymore. In fact, even if Kessel had wanted to stay with the team, it still didn’t seem likely to happen as Boston was basically already at the salary cap. This is when Burke should have pounced and tendered an offer sheet to Kessel as there’s no way the Bruins would have been able to match it unless they did some serious salary juggling to make room for Kessel’s contract, especially at over $5 million a year.

The problem is, Burke let his personal feelings enter the transaction and the Leafs paid for it by trading away an extra first round pick, which could turn out to be in the top eight if the club doesn’t turn the ship around over the next season. If Burke would have went to Kessel with an offer sheet and Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli couldn’t match it, Boston would have only received a first, second, and third round pick for losing him.

While Kessel may turn out to be a very productive player for the Leafs in the future, Burke should have at least tried to get him for lower draft picks. He basically had the Bruins at his mercy, but his dislike for offer sheets clouded his vision and it cost the club more than it should have. What most fans also forget is that Burke made a deal with Chiarelli before acquiring Kessel in which he gave up a second and third round pick to Boston in return for a second rounder, therefore losing another draft pick in the process.

Burke’s dislike for offer sheets stems back to the summer of 2007 when he was the GM of Anaheim and his Edmonton Oilers’ counterpart Kevin Lowe tendered a $21.25 million, five-year offer sheet to Ducks’ restricted free agent forward Dustin Penner. Burke couldn’t match the offer and although he received adequate compensation in the way of draft picks, he’s been crying about it ever since.

But offering contracts to restricted free agents is well within the rules. However, it’s hardly utilized these days. It is the strategy Brian Burke should have used to land the player the Leafs wanted while retaining an all-important first round draft pick. This is especially true while trading for an injured player. While Kessel may come back as strong as ever, there’s also a chance his shoulder surgery won’t allow him to shoot the puck like he used to. If Burke is getting paid to improve the Leafs in the most effective manner, he didn’t really do a good job of it with the Kessel deal.

Tomas Kaberle the last of the “Muskoka Five”

With Tomas Kaberle being the last of the “Muskoka Five” to remain with the Toronto it is time to turn the chapter and move him and put the past Leaf horrors behind us. Mats Sundin, Darcy Tucker, Bryan McCabe and now Pavel Kubina are all but a distant memory leaving us with just Grant Exelby, Colin Stuart and Mike Van Ryn to show for what, just a few seasons ago, was the heart and soul of the Maple Leaf squad.

Kaberle, as rumor has it, was all but gone at the 2008 NHL trade deadline to Philadelphia for 46 goal scorer Jeff Carter and the Flyers first round pick in the 2008 entry draft (later dealt to Washington who selected defenseman John Carlson). Then at the 2009 draft Kaberle was rumored to be almost gone again this team in a deal with the rival Bruins that would bring in the fifth overall pick in the 2006 draft and last years 36 goal scorer Phil Kessel who at the moment is at odds with Boston on a new contract. Other teams have been whispered to be talking to Leafs General Manager Brian Burke for the services of Kaberle including the likes of St. Louis, Los Angeles and Chicago.

At only thirty-one years of age Kaberle still has many productive years ahead of him and has been one of the most consistent Leaf players over the past decade. With Burke bringing adding free agents Mike Komisarek, Francois Beauchemin and trading for Exelby to go along with last years rookie sensation Luke Schenn, Ian White, Jeff Finger, Anton Stralman and Van Ryn Toronto can now deal a defenseman the caliber of Kaberle without leaving themselves with a huge hole on the backend.

Former GM John Ferguson Jr. can take most of the blame signing these players to their “no trade” and “no movement” contracts but these five players could have made things a lot easier for Burke’s retooling plan if they had of seen the writing on the wall and agreed to be moved at the deadline. The writing was on the wall when interim GM Cliff Fletcher asked each player to be dealt, now former Leaf star players have left the organization on a sour note that all Leafs fans have seen before with legends such as Darryl Sittler and Dave Keon. Mats Sundin finally chose to return to the NHL with the Vancouver Canucks but could not shake off the rust in time to provide the ‘Nucks with enough to get them to the cup final. Bryan McCabe, who had been booed mercilessly in his last season in a Leaf uniform, had an okay season with the Florida Panthers but was far from the 50+ points he registered in three straight seasons with the Buds. Darcy Tucker was just a disaster for the Colorado Avalanche scoring his lowest point total in more than a decade.

It is hard for Leaf Nation to look at what might have been. Sundin was rumored to be dealt to the Habs for Chris Higgins, and a first, second, and third round draft picks (Greg Nemisz, Danny Kristo and Steve Quailer). Carter, Higgins, 2009 first round draftee Nazem Kadri, along with Euro young studs Mikhail Grabovski, Jiri Tlusty and Nikolai Kulemin to make up a potentially explosive top six forwards up front.

Does Kaberle really want to leave Toronto the way his buddies did?? Toronto fans are starved for a Stanley Cup parade down Yonge Street and while we do appreciate Kabs’ time as a Leaf the new truculent and tougher TO squad would be better served moving forward without him; before the ghosts of Larry Murphy return and the boo birds hone in on a new target in the Czech defender.

Michael Lindow

July 8, 2009.

Toronto – It has been less that a year since Brian Burke took the reigns as the Toronto Maple Leafs President and General Manager but already the team has a new look and some much needed optimism in a city that was starved for it. Having to clean up the mess left behind by the previous GMs John Ferguson Jr. and Cliff Fletcher Burke still has some work ahead him but the wheels are already in motion.

Stating all along that he wanted this team to be more “truculent and tougher” Burkes first move when taking over was to bring in an old friend in winger Brad May from Anaheim. More for his locker room presence than anything May was very long in the tooth and ended up costing Toronto nothing in terms of any type of return; May was instrumental in helping rookie Luke Schenn in his development even moving in with the young star during the season. Not expected to return this season May was a great pickup for nothing.

At the end of the regular season Burke worked his magic and signed a couple of overage college players in Christian Hanson and Tyler Bozak. While Hanson isn’t expected to be more than a third line player Bozak has the potential to be a top six forward and will get every opportunity to ply his trade with a ton of ice time this season.

The trade deadline brought high expectations with names such as Nik Antropov, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Vesa Toskala, Dominic Moore and Jason Blake being thrown around Antropov and Moore ended up being the only roster players moved for some valuable second round draft picks. Burke showed his genius with an inventive deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning literally buying a fourth round draft pick in exchange for some garbage contracts causing a stir among fellow GMs around the league Burke showed off his Harvard law degree with this move.

Vowing to try to trade up in the entry draft to land coveted prospect John Tavares or even within the top five draft choices to get a shot at Luke’s brother Brayden Schenn Burke could not find a dance partner and wound up where they started selecting with their own pick in the number seven spot taking Nazem Kadri. The Kadri pick combined with all the trade talk that seemed to fall through Leaf fans, not exactly known for their patience, were starting to vent expecting Swedish stud Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson or defenseman Jared Cowen to be selected. Topping off the day in Leaf nation was the talk of a potential blockbuster deal that would send longtime Maple Leaf blueliner Tomas Kaberle to the rival Bruins in exchange for potential 40-goal sniper Phil Kessel and a draft pick. Miscommunication between the two clubs nixed the trade that many NHL experts expected to be a “sure thing.” Toronto fans were not pleased with many jumping off the bandwagon.

If draft day was a letdown the off season was anything but; free agent signings Mike Komisarek, Francois Beauchemin and the gem of the UFA season, netminder Jonas Gustavsson, “the best goalie outside the NHL” as has been said numerous times were all signed. Pavel Kubina was dealt to the Atlanta Thrashers for another heavy hitting defenseman Grant Exelby and potential third line agitator Colin Stuart. With the logjam of Leaf blueliners now at ten something has to give. Rumors are swirling of Kaberle being traded to either St. Louis, who are in dire need of a veteran puck moving defenseman, or to the Bruins for Kessel in a reworked draft day deal that went sour. Kessel would fill the Leafs biggest need right now, a slick top line goal scorer.

Burke may not be finished signing free agents; Anthony Stewart and Travis Moen have both been linked to Toronto and both seem to fit Burke statements of getting bigger and tougher up front.

Retooling rather than rebuilding Burke fully expects this team to make the playoffs from now on under his watchful eye. Judging by his first year on the job the Leafs bandwagon might not have enough room to seat everybody with each move he makes more and more people are buying into what Burke is selling. For the first time in a long time there is optimism in Leaf nation.

It the most significant trade from NHL draft day, and really one of the only trades of note the Philadelphia Flyers have acquired Defenseman Chris Pronger in exchange for Joffrey Lupull, Luca Sbisa the Flyers 2009 and 2010 first round picks in the NHL entry draft.

The question left to be answered is, is this the piece that the Flyers needed to win themselves a Stanley Cup? Well the 2008-09 version of the Flyers finished the regular season with a 44-27-11 record which earned them 82 points which was good enough for fifth seed in the eastern Conference. The Flyers then went on to lose in the first round to eventual Stanley Cup Champions the Pittsburgh Penguins.

It is important to note that the flyers also got the rights to 24 year old center Ryan Dingle in this deal, but let us take a look at what they are getting in Pronger.

Pronger is a 34 year old 6’6” 221 pound defenseman who has played in the NHL since 1993. He has played for the St. Louis Blues, Edmonton Oilers, and the Anaheim Ducks. He was the MVP of the NHL is 1999-2000 season and won a Stanley Cup with the Ducks in 2007.

Flyers General Manager had this to say, “I made it sort of clear myself, would I like to get a hammer, a guy who makes life miserable for the other team…  this is one of those guys.”

It is also important to note that Pronger is due to make 6.25 million dollars next season, and is in the final year of his contract. The Flyers will have some work to do to fit this contract under the NHL salary cap due to be 56.8 million dollars. It is also quite possible that Pronger’s trip to Philly will be short term only; the Flyer may have just “rented” Pronger for a run at the cup in the upcoming season.

“He’s a proven winner, the size, how he passes the puck, and he’s an ideal fit for this team,” Holmgren added.

Pronger had this to say, “I’m very excited.  It’s obviously a city that’s very passionate for the sport of hockey.  The style of the play that the Flyers have been known to play certainly fits my game.  They’ve got some great young talent and I hope to help not only develop the team into being regarded as one of the top teams in the league, but winning a Stanley Cup.”

Pronger seems to think hat he could be that missing piece he added, “I’d like to think so, but I don’t really know a whole lot about the team right now.  I’ve seen them play a few times in the playoffs, and I like what they have up front.  I think they’ve got a good core group of defensemen on the back end.”

In the end only time will show us if this is the deal that led the Flyers to a Stanley Cup Championship, but one thing remains certain they are a much better team with Pronger than without.

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.

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.

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.