Down two of their top-six forwards for what looks like an extended period of time, the Boston Bruins have found themselves in an interesting situation as the February 27 trade deadline approaches. As this year’s trading deadline drew closer, hockey pundits in the Hub rightfully suggested that the Bruins simply needed to add a couple of depth pieces to their Stanley Cup champion core. However, without Horton and Peverley, the B’s lineup looks like an absolute mess. Check for yourself this evening when the team takes on the Jets from Winnipeg at 8 PM.

Under these new found circumstances, I’ve thrown together a few trade ideas that one could assume Chiarelli has at least thought about since hearing of the severity of the knee injury to his prized acquisition from one year ago. Keep in mind that these are IDEAS, and if the Boston lineup was at full strength, none of these would even become a consideration.

1.) —–> To Boston: Rick Nash, Curtis Sanford

—–> To Columbus: Tuukka Rask, Dougie Hamilton, Jordan Caron, 1st Round Pick, 3rd Round Pick

– Let’s start with the obvious elephant in the room. Columbus captain Rick Nash is available to be had for the first time in his nine-year NHL career. The list of team’s who’d like to have big no. 61 in one of their sweaters? It’s 30-teams long. However, the list of team’s he’d accept a deal to? Reportedly only 5-teams long. Luckily for Boston, rumors have it that the Hub of Hockey is indeed on Nash’s brief list of acceptable locations. The 6’4″ Brampton, Ontario native is a prototypical power-forward with 40-50 goal potential, IF put in the right situation. The 27-year-old Nash would instantly become the premier forward in the Boston arsenal, and could be paired with budding star Tyler Seguin for this, and many years to come.

2.) —–> To Boston: Patrick Kane

—–> To Chicago: Tim Thomas

  — There is no questioning the on-ice talents of Patrick Kane. Despite all the questions of character and judgements of what he does when he is away from the rink, Patrick Kane remains one of the most skilled forwards in the entire National Hockey League. He is a United States Olympian. He scored the game winner in a clinching game 6 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Final. He’s scored at least 20 goals in each of his four full seasons with Chicago. Kane would provide an instant lift to a struggling Boston offense and would, like Nash, instantly become the most powerful offensive force in the B’s lineup. While it would be excruciatingly difficult to give up the defending Vezina trophy winner, a 23-year old proven all-star with a reasonable cap hit would be one heck of a return for an aging netminder. The reason this makes sense for the ‘Hawks is not only the fact that they have enough depth at forward to survive without Kane, but that their goaltending, as currently constituted is far from strong enough to take them deep into the playoffs.

3.) —–> To Boston: Martin St. Louis, Pavel Kubina, Ryan Shannon, Mathieu Garon, 2nd Round Pick

—–> To Tampa Bay: Tuukka Rask, Joe Corvo, Jordan Caron, Jared Knight

  — Now, this deal is perhaps the most far-fetched of the three, based purely on the number of moving parts involved. However, a deal like this could make a lot of sense for both squads. In St. Louis, the B’s will fill the vacancy left by Nathan Horton up on the top-line with a proven NHL playmaker, not to mention the chemistry that could be sparked with former Vermont University teammate Tim Thomas. In Kubina and Shannon, Boston would get two valuable depth players who both will become unrestricted free agents on July 1. Garon, Tampa’s current back-up goalie would come to Boston merely as throw in, being that the Bolts would likely not want to carry three ‘tenders with the addition of Rask. The young Finnish backstop would provide the Lightning with something they’ve been missing for quite a while: a young, dependable goaltender of the future. Corvo, whose two million dollar cap-hit will come of the books on July 1, was put in the deal to free up space for the incoming additions. In Caron, Tampa would get another young, gritty player who is extremely versatile with the ability to play in all three zones of the ice, as well as kill penalties. Jared Knight, a former second round selection by the B’s could immediately step in next season for the Bolts, alongside London Knights teammate Vladimir Namestnikov, Tampa’s prized prospect who was taken in the first round of last year’s Entry Draft.

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Tonight’s Line-Up (Subject To Change):

FORWARDS

Marchand–Bergeron–Seguin

Lucic–Kelly–Peverley

Pouliot–Krejci–Caron

Paille–Campbell–Thornton

DEFENSE

Chara–Boychuk

Seidenberg–Corvo

Ference–McQuaid

GOALTENDER

Thomas

Rask

Scratches– …… Bodnarchuk (Healthy) , Hennessy (Healthy) ,Horton (Concussion)

NEWS & NOTES

– Immediately following Tuesday’s contest, the Black and Gold will depart on an 11-day, six-game road trip that will feature stops in Minnesota, St. Louis and Buffalo, amongst others. This road swing, coinciding with the NHL trade deadline only thirteen days from now has lead many to believe that Peter Chiarelli will be looking to make any necessary improvements to his squad sooner rather than later. Thus providing the new players with an opportunity to gel with their new teammates during an extended period of time together. As we saw just one year ago, Chiarelli made moves to acquire Rich Peverley, Chris Kelly and Tomas Kaberle at the onset of a six-game roadie that would see Boston post an astounding 6-0-0 record and kickstart their run to a championship.

– In the wake of recently demoting youngsters Zach Hamill and Steven Kampfer, Bruins’ GM Peter Chiarelli has opted to call-up a new set of AHLers to bring along for his team’s upcoming road swing. The first of which is defenseman Andrew Bodnarchuk. While building an AHL resume of over 250 games played, the  5’11″ blueliner has only appeared in five NHL contests, all of which coming in the 2009-’10 season. The second promotion was given to Brockton, MA native and veteran AHLer Josh Hennessy. The 6’0″ forward is the leading scorer for the P-Bruins this season with 15 goals and 15 assists in 49 games played.

– Tonight will mark the second meeting of the season between these two Original Six franchises. The Blueshirts took home a victory in Boston back on January 21 when Marian Gaborik scored in overtime with only three seconds left on the clock. These two Eastern Conference powerhouses will meet twice more this season, with both games to be played at Madison Square Garden.

– Reports over the past twenty four hours have suggested that Columbus Blue Jackets’ star and Canadian Olympic forward Rick Nash has been put on the trade market, by GM Scott Howson. A perennial all-star, the Blue Jackets’ captain has proven himself as one of the NHL’s elite talents throughout his nine-year career in the league. Now, while I would not be shocked if a deal were to be made that removed the 6’4″ 220-pounder out of Ohio’s capital city, I sincerely doubt that his destination will be Boston. There is no question that Peter Chiarelli has the necessary assets to make such a deal, but his willingness to part with the plethora of young talent that it would take to get Nash into a Black and Gold sweater is still yet to be determined. For example, any sort of trade that would bring a player of Nash’s caliber to the Hub would have to look something like this:

To Boston: Rick Nash, Curtis Sanford

To Columbus: David Krejci, Tuukka Rask, Steven Kampfer, 1st Round Draft Pick

Now my question to you is this, would you feel comfortable giving up your inconsistent but highly skilled top-line center, future franchise goaltender and a first round selection for a proven all-star with 45-50 goal potential?

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5.) —–> To Chicago: Hal Gill, Travis Moen, 5th Round Pick

—–> To Montreal: Kyle Beach, Brandon Saad, 2nd Round Pick

– Seemingly going nowhere this season it may be time for the Habs and GM Pierre Gauthier to start thinking about unloading some pieces in an attempt to build for the future. Both Gill and Moen are set to become unrestricted free agents this summer and could provide a Cup-hunting Blackhawks team with some added depth and grit for a playoff run this spring. Neither Moen nor Gill give you much in the way of flash or skill, but both are very durable players who have a Stanley Cup on their resume. For Montreal, both Beach and Saad fit the mold of what the Habs need the most: big, strong power forwards who can put the puck in the net. While neither will give Montreal much in the way of immediate assistance, they both have the potential to become cogs in the Canadiens’ lineup for years to come.

4.) —–> To Boston: Tuomo Ruutu, Bryan Allen

—–> To Carolina: Jordan Caron, Matt Bartkowski, 2nd Round Pick

– For a team that has simply run roughshod on the Eastern Conference since the start of November there really aren’t many glaring holes on a roster full of Stanley Cup winners. However, like we saw last February, GM Peter Chiarelli isn’t afraid to tinker with his team in order to add the necessary depth to make another run at Lord Stanley. This trade makes perfect sense for a Boston team that still relies on an inexperienced Steven Kampfer as it’s seventh defenseman. The hard-nosed Bryan Allen isn’t known much for his offense (0G/7A in 51 games this season) but can provide a solid defensive presence in his end of the ice, as well as log some valuable time on the penalty kill. Like Allen, the 28-year-old Ruutu will be a free agent on July 1. The Finland native seems to have been cut from the same mold as Boston winger Rich Peverley in the way that he can be trusted in any situation. Ruutu has posted fifteen goals and added eleven assists in 51 games this season while being shuffled up and down the Carolina lineup.

3.) —–> To Philadelphia: Ryan Suter, 3rd Round Pick

—–> To Nashville: James Van Riemsdyk, Brayden Schenn, Andrej Meszaros, Jody Shelley, 1st Round Pick

– Now, I’d put this trade as the least likely to happen, at least not until this summer. A deal like this makes perfect sense for a Flyers team that will be without captain Chris Pronger for the remainder of the season. Ryan Suter is perhaps the most underrated defenseman in the entire NHL. Often overshadowed by Shea Weber, Suter has quietly stacked together one all-star season after another and is slated to finally cash in this summer when he becomes an unrestricted free agent. The question still remains as to if the cash-strapped Predators can re-sign Suter to a long term deal to keep him in Nashville. However, if GM David Poile comes to the realization that he will not be resigning with the Preds, he would be better served to deal him now than let him walk for nothing this July. The package I’ve presented seems like quite a hefty price for one player but keep in mind, true number one defensemen simply do not grow on trees. While I really can’t see this one happening before the deadline, if Suter is adamant about not re-upping in Nashville, I can’t see any better scenario for the Predators’ franchise both now and into the future.

2.) —–> To Toronto: Jeff Carter, 3rd Round Pick

—–> To Columbus: Luke Schenn, Nikolai Kulemin, 2nd Round Pick

– There’s no question that Jeff Carter’s brief stay in Ohio’s capital is coming to an early end. Reportedly frustrated by the entire situation, the former Flyers star has put up only seventeen points (10G/7A) in 30 games this season while playing for the league-worst Columbus Blue Jackets. While many teams would be skeptical of accepting any player with ten years left on his contract, the Leafs have been on a league-wide search for a true number one center since Brian Burke took the helm in November of 2008. It’s my belief that if Carter is surrounded by a talented team (like he was in Philadelphia) he will once again be able to return to his elite form. While many could think of this as an overpayment for Carter, I would argue that while Schenn still looks like a future all-star, he seems to be the odd man out on a Leafs’ blueline already manned by Dion Phaneuf, Mike Komisarek and John-Michael Liles — all of whom are signed to lucrative contracts. Kulemin is a young player with loads of skill and potential who seems to be struggling under the hockey-crazed pressure cooker that is Toronto. Perhaps a change of scenery would do him a world of good. In Toronto, Maple Leafs’ fans may be foaming at the mouth with the thoughts of putting an elite pivot in between all-star wingers Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul.

1.)  —–> To Minnesota: Zach Parise

—–> To New Jersey: Devin Setoguchi, Charlie Coyle, Jonas Brodin, 2nd Round Pick

– This trade simply makes too much sense. With Parise still unsigned and the Devils’ ownership situation still uncertain, it’s easy to suggest that New Jersey will be unable to retain Parise at year’s end. Recent speculation has suggested that the 5’11″ Minneapolis would like nothing better than to return to his home state to continue his career, making him a perfect fit for the Wild. However, a former 40-goal scorer with extensive leadership qualities simply does not come cheap. With this package the Devils pick up a solid return for a guy who will likely be gone for nothing on July 1. Devin Setoguchi is a solid young winger who can play top-six minutes and provide some pop playing across from Ilya Kovalchuk. In Coyle and Brodin New Jersey receives two former first round selections who look to be sure bet NHL contributors in the near future. Parise should provide the right type of boost for a Wild team trying to work themselves off of the playoff fringe.

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5.) Jackets Fail For Nail

– Without question the worst team in hockey through the first half of the season, the Blue Jackets have been an unmitigated disaster all year long. Entering the season most hockey journalists (including myself) had Columbus pegged for their second post-season appearance in franchise history. However, the aforementioned NHL pundits could not have been more wrong. With the acquisitions of Jeff Carter and James Wisniewski not panning out, look for the Blue Jackets to deal one of the two before the deadline. Purely based on Wisniewski’s massive contract, my guess would be Carter moves on for greener pastures elsewhere. The former Flyers’ standout should bring GM Scott Howson a decent haul and will help them continue to build for the future as they trudge along on the “Fail For Nail” campaign.

4.) Kessel Posts 90 Points, Finally Quiets Critics

– Perhaps the most talked about trade in recent Boston sports history, the Bruins–Leafs swap of September 2010 sent crafty winger Phil Kessel to the epicenter of hockey in exchange for three draft selections. Bruins’ GM Peter Chiarelli then used those picks to select forwards Tyler Seguin and Jared Knight as well as defenseman Dougie Hamilton. While Seguin has exploded onto the scene in the Hub, amassing 19 goals and 24 assists through 46 games this season Kessel has truly emerged as one of the league’s most prominent scorers. With 51 points (26G/25A) in 49 games, he and linemate Joffrey Lupul (20G/32A) have completely turned the Toronto franchise around, leading them to a top-eight position in the Eastern Conference. In the second half of this season, I believe that Kessel will easily reach the 40-goal marker and surpass his career high of 64 points to finally justify this trade and quiet the throngs of critics who have harassed the Minnesota native ever since he arrived on the scene in Toronto.

3.) Hitchcock, Blues Continue Magical Run

– Without doubt the biggest positive surprise of any team in the league this season has taken place underneath the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. The Blues, who struggled mightily to begin the season under former coach Davis Payne, have been given new life since the arrival of veteran bench boss Ken Hitchcock. With no players in the NHL’s top-50 scoring leaders, the Blues’ team-first philosophy has shown through this season, leading them to the fifth seed in the Western Conference — a comfortable eleven points ahead of ninth place Colorado –. Captain David Backes seems to have his team — a seemingly perfect blend of youth and experience — poised for a deep run through the post-season. In the shocker of the season, I can see the Blues becoming this year’s NHL Cinderella story, upsetting a team or two and making it to the Conference Finals this spring.

2.) Sabres, Habs Continue Rapid Fall From Grace

– Mired in the basement of the Eastern Conference, this season simply has not gone the way fans in Buffalo and Montreal had once thought it would. Currently sitting eight and ten points out of the playoff picture, the Sabres and the Habs have been absolute train-wrecks on ice the entire season. In Montreal, things went awry immediately out of the gate and have only been trending downwards since then. In a year that’s seen the departure of both an assistant coach and a head coach, an unheard of mid-game trade and continuous public outcry for a French-speaking bench boss, the city of Montreal has been an absolute circus all year long. In Buffalo, fans and players alike had Stanley Cup aspirations after new owner Terry Pegula’s ill-advised off-season spending spree. Unfortunately for the hockey-mad folks in Western new York, it just hasn’t quite worked out this season as their beloved Sabres sit tied for dead last in the Eastern Conference. What’s worse? GM Darcy Regier is handcuffed by the insanely generous contracts of Christian Ehrhoff and Ville Leino.

1.) Bruins, Rangers Will Battle For Eastern Conference Crown

– Now I could be getting ahead of myself a bit here but right now all signs are pointing towards an Original Six showdown with a spot in the Cup Finals on the line. Without a doubt the two best teams in the East through the first half of the season, New York and Boston have put together the two best records in the Conference through the first half of the season. Armed with gritty, two-way players who aren’t afraid to put the team before themselves, the B’s and Blueshirts almost mirror one another in terms of playing style. After putting together an instant classic earlier this month at TD Garden, it’d be easy for one to expect three more beautifully played contests between these two squads this season. However, I’m going to take it a step further and say that New York and Boston will once again meet in the Eastern Conference Finals this spring for yet another chapter in the Boston  vs. New York rivalry.

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However, something happened on the way to making the NHL more palatable to the masses. You might have noticed that your favorite player or players have been missing in action quite a bit this season.As of Thursday, 51 NHL players have been lost to concussions this season. On that list is the player many believe is the league’s best, Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Crosby has played in just eight NHL games since suffering a concussion on Jan. 5, 2011.

That list has become a gargantuan story this season, much to the alarm of the league and teams, who have in the past attempted to minimize what independent medical experts have been citing for years: hockey has a concussion epidemic on its hands.

< READ MORE ON CBS New York >

Other pieces on CBS by BD:

HOW PLAYERS, NOT THE ISLES COACH WILL WALK PLANK THIS SEASON

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE? TELL THAT TO NY ISLANDERS FANS! 

Arriving at the Garden with the league’s worst record (3-13-1) and sporting two bottom-three special teams units (28th on the Power-Play, 29th on the Penalty-Kill), the Columbus Blue Jackets have been an absolute disaster this season. Couple that with the Bruins unfortunate ability to at times play down to the level of their opponents, and you had all the elements of a “trap game”.

“Well, I think there’s no easy games in this league. There’s a lot of parity. They’re a good team, they’ve got good players, high skill, and we didn’t play at our best.” — Rich Peverley

After a relatively bland first period, in which both teams combined for only 11 shots, it was Columbus who would get on the board first when Derek MacKenzie deflected a Nikita Nikitin shot past Tuukka Rask with only one second remaining on a Blue Jackets’ power-play. Fortunately for Boston, they would be able to answer back in short fashion after an Adam McQuaid wrist shot found it’s way through traffic and past Curtis Sanford. The goal was good to tie things at one, the score that would hold up through a scoreless third period of action.

As we entered overtime, the Black and Gold would catch a break as Blue Jackets’ forward Antoine Vermette would be sent to the box for a slash, only 1:05 into the extra frame. However, after the B’s were unable to capitalize on a multitude of quality scoring chances –courtesy of Tyler Seguin, Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, amongst others –, Columbus would get a a chance with the extra man for the final 51.8 seconds of the Overtime after Andrew Ference was sent off for boarding.

“We got some chances but the luck wasn’t on our side on that power-play. We hit the post then missed a pretty nice chance there at the back-door. You don’t want to get frustrated because I knew they were going to get a power play that’s how it always goes. Your team gets a power play and the other team somehow gets a power play too.” – Tuukka Rask

Luckily for Boston, their 24-year-old Finnish netminder was able to hold the fort for the remainder of the Overtime and send the game to a shootout. In the shootout it was Boston’s most unsung hero, Rich Peverley, who would score in the second round of the shootout, followed by Krejci’s game winner in the final round. On the other end, Rask came up big again for the B’s, stopping two of three Columbus shooters, including Vermette in the last half of the third round. Despite being out-hit, out-shot and simply out-played by the worst team in hockey, the Bruins were able to survive a nail-biter and extend their winning streak to seven games.

“Yeah a win is always a win no matter how you get it. Today we didn’t play our best hockey everybody saw that, but the result is the only thing that matters … But again a character win to be able to squeeze it out like that.” – Tuukka Rask

Undoubtedly a huge factor in Boston’s ability to squeeze this one out was the play of Bruins’ defenseman Adam McQuaid. Skating alongside captain Zdeno Chara –replacing Johnny Boychuk who was out due to flu-like symptoms — , the 6’4″ PEI native not only scored Boston’s lone goal in regulation, but was responsible for keeping the Columbus top line of Rick Nash, Jeff Carter and RJ Umberger off the scoreboard the entire night.

“Well all three (Nash, Carter, Umberger) are big guys with a rare combination of size, skill, speed, and strength and they can challenge you in any area so you definitely need to be on your toes at all times. You have to try to limit their time and space.” – Adam McQuaid

KEY STATS

Goals–                        CBJ (1)           BOS (2)

Shots–                       CBJ (31)          BOS (27)

Power-Play–           CBJ (1-3)         BOS (0-2)

Penalty-Kill–           CBJ (2-2)        BOS (2-3)

• Three Stars– ….. 3.) Tuukka Rask  ….. 2.) David Krejci    ….. 1.) Adam McQuaid

What’s Next?

The Boston Bruins will now take to the road for the first time since a November 5 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Black and Gold will depart Boston on Friday for a three game trip with stops in Long Island, Montreal and Buffalo. The Blue Jackets will travel south for a match-up with the Predators on Saturday before returning home for a Monday night contest against the Calgary Flames.

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Tonight’s Line-Up (Subject To Change):

FORWARDS

Marchand–Bergeron–Seguin

Horton–Krejci–Lucic

Pouliot–Kelly–Peverley

Caron–Campbell–Thornton

DEFENSE

Chara–Boychuk

Seidenberg–Corvo

Kampfer–McQuaid

GOALTENDER

Rask

Thomas

Scratches– ….. Ference (Lower Body) , Paille (Nose)

NOTE – Both Daniel Paille and Andrew Ference are both day-to-day and have practiced with the team the past two days. While it looks unlikely that either will play tonight, one would assume one of the two (if not both) will be a game-time decision and be present for pre-game warmups.

– Tonight’s game can be seen on NESN (Edwards, Brickley) and heard on 98.5 The Sports Hub (Goucher, Beers), the flagship radio station of the Boston Bruins.

NEWS & NOTES

– Columbus, coming off a 4-2 home loss at the hands of the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night, is currently dead last in the National Hockey League standings. The Blue Jackets have posted a lackluster record of 3-13-1 through 17 games of action, good for a miserably low total of 7 points.

– Perhaps the biggest reason for Columbus’ failures in 2011-’12 has been the play of their special teams units. The Jackets’ Power-play is currently 28th in the NHL, converting on only 11.7% of their chances. Meanwhile, the Columbus penalty-kill ranks 29th in the NHL, while allowing a goal on more than 25% of their opponent’s  power-plays.

– Bruins sophomore winger Brad Marchand has been on an absolute tear as of late, notching four goals and five assists in his past six games. Marchand now has 13 points (6G/7A) on the season.

B's D-man Adam McQuaid's Prospect Photo With the Columbus Blue Jackets.

– Boston defenseman Adam McQuaid, drafted by Columbus with the 55th overall selection in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, will face off against the team that drafted him for only the second time in his young career. McQuaid was dealt to Boston in May of 2007 in exchange for a 5th Round pick in the 2007 draft — a pick that was later traded to Dallas and used to select Jamie Benn –.

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GOON:

In our support of the lack of hockey movies, comes this info from the movie company to us.

“We have a great throwback hockey movie coming out and we would love to get your support. Its violent and insanely funny.”

Starring Seann William Scott, Jay Baruchel, Alison Pill and Liev Schreiber
Written by Jay Baruchel, Evan Goldberg (SUPERBAD and  PINEAPPLE EXPRESS)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Synopsis
Labelled an outcast by his brainy family, a bouncer overcomes long odds to lead a team of underperforming misfits to semi-pro hockey glory, beating the crap out of everything that stands in his way.

The film opens on VOD on 2/24 and In Theatres 3/30

Based from the book “Goon: The True Story of an Unlikely Journey into Minor League Hockey”

www.goonthemovie.com

Official Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/GoonFilm

Some more on the movie comes from Slash Film

Realignment Plan According To Canada's CBC

With the recent re-instatement of the Winnipeg Jets, the NHL and it’s Board of Governors will face a tough decision at December’s annual winter meetings. As it is not economical to leave the Jets in the SouthEast division any longer than one year, due to the absurd amount of traveling they must endure simply to play their divisional games, the league must create a re-alignment plan. The decision as to how to re-align the league’s divisions in order to accommodate the Jets, as well as a few other disgruntled teams will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on the league and it’s future.

Not only must the league adjust their divisions in order to make life easier on the Jets, they must re-align a few other Western Conference franchises who have complained to the league about their schedule. Such franchises like the Detroit Red Wings, Nashville Predators and Columbus Blue Jackets have notably disputed their position in the West due to the amount of Western road trips they must make each year. For Columbus & Nashville, it is fairly obvious as to why they would request a change, because playing one third of their games in the Pacific time zone –meaning that the puck doesn’t drop until 9-10 PM local time– can be a serious detriment to two teams trying to expand their fan bases.  As far as  the Red Wings are concerned, they are relying on an under-the-table type promise made by the commissioner to the Ilitch family (Owners of the Red Wings) when the current division format was established in 1998 that they would be returned to the Eastern Conference as soon as it became possible.

The picture above shows the  re-alignment plan proposed by Commissioner Bettman that is allegedly “gaining steam amongst the NHL’s Board of Governors”, according to CBC’s Elliotte Friedman. According to this plan, the league is looking to adapt a new 4-division format, with two divisions of 8 and two divisions of 7. Despite the success of the current 6-division format, it appears that the only way to successfully accommodate most of the parties involved it to create a four-division layout.

While I do agree with most of the format displayed by Friedman, there are a few slight changes I would make to his plan. Here is my idea for an NHL re-alignment plan. Keep in mind, there is no plan that can satisfy all parties involved, what is important is being able to accommodate the majority.

Atlantic Division     NorthEast Division     Central Division      Pacific Division

PHILADELPHIA          MONTREAL                     CHICAGO                    SAN JOSE

NEW JERSEY               TORONTO                        NASHVILLE               ANAHEIM

NY RANGERS              OTTAWA                          DALLAS                       LOS ANGELES

NY ISLANDERS          DETROIT                          ST. LOUIS                  COLORADO

WASHINGTON           BUFFALO                         MINNESOTA             VANCOUVER

PITTSBURGH             BOSTON                           WINNIPEG                CALGARY

TAMPA BAY               CAROLINA                       COLUMBUS               EDMONTON

FLORIDA                                                                                                      PHOENIX

The tweaks in my plan, as opposed to the plan displayed on CBC include swapping Pittsburgh with Carolina. While it may not be geographically correct to have the ‘Canes in the “NorthEast (Or whatever they call the new division), it is imperative to have the Penguins in the “Atlantic” Division. This is to preserve the new-found rivalry between Pittsburgh and the Caps, as well as the natural rivalries the Penguins have in Philadelphia and New York.

I chose to put the Wings into the “NorthEast”, to attempt to  re-energize their Original Six rivalries with Montreal, Boston and especially Toronto. The new “NorthEast” division also preserves the great feuds between the Bruins & Canadiens, as well as the classic border battles between the Sabres & Maple Leafs.

In the West, I did not edit much, only placing Columbus into the “Central” division, and keeping the “Pacific” division the same as Friedman had it. Under this plan, each team in the “Central” division will play in the Central or Mountain time zone, while seven of the eight “Pacific” division teams (With Colorado as the exception) will  play in the Pacific time zone.

As Friedman detailed, under the 4-division format, every team will play a home-and-home set with each team that is NOT in their division, and will play the remainder of their games squaring off with divisional foes. Also, the new playoff format would allow for the first two rounds of the post-season to take place within each division (No. 1 Seed vs. No. 4 , No. 2 Seed vs. No. 3) with the winners advancing to the Conference Finals.

Of course this new format is not perfect, and likely is only a temporary solution. No matter how realistic or unrealistic the idea may sound, rumors have it that the NHL and Commissioner Bettman’s ultimate plan is to expand to become a 32-team league featuring eight divisions of four, much like the NFL.

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HOCKEY LEGENDS PAT LAFONTAINE AND STEVE WEBB TO RIDE 550 MILES FOR W20
FOUNDATION AND COMPANIONS IN COURAGE FOUNDATION

NEW YORK (September 19, 2011) –NHL alumnus Steve Webb and Hockey Hall
of Fame inductee Pat LaFontaine began a 550-mile bike ride this morning
from the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto in route to the NHL Powered by
Reebok Store in New York City in support of their respective charitable
efforts, the W20 Foundation and the Companions in Courage Foundation. Both
are expected to complete their historic ride on Wednesday, September 21 at
12:00 p.m. ET with a special celebration at the NHL Powered by Reebok Store
in midtown Manhattan.

“The NHL is proud to support these two hockey legends as they embark
on this epic charitable ride. On behalf of the NHL family we proudly salute
Pat and Steve, and wish them the best of luck” said Ken Martin, Jr., NHL
Vice President of Community Affairs.

LaFontaine’s Companions in Courage Foundation is an official
philanthropic partner of the National Hockey League (NHL) and helps to
create “Lion’s Den/NHL Legacy Classrooms” featuring Cisco System’s online
conferencing system, WebEx, which allows young patients to connect to
family, friends, schools and teachers anywhere in the world during a
hospital stay.

The Foundation has now opened 12 Lion’s Den rooms throughout North
America, including two with the NHL in Boston, Calgary and Montreal. The
NHL unveiled the first fully functional “NHL Legacy Classroom” at North
Carolina Children’s Hospital to commemorate the 2011 NHL All-Star Weekend.
Plans for an “NHL Legacy Classroom” in Pittsburgh were unveiled during the
2011 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic to commemorate the outdoor game.

Webb’s W20 Foundation provides young student ice hockey players with
partial academic scholarships to continue the pursuit of their hockey
dreams. Now the organization also highlights athletes as influential agents
of change and creates opportunities for athletes to give back in their
communities. Webb will also commit a portion of the ride’s proceeds to fund
Alzheimer and dementia research in Ontario.

The riders will be joined by a support team that includes Graham
Fraser, founder of Centurion Cycling, host of North America’s premier
series of distance bicycling events.

For more information on how you can support this please visit
www.CiC16.org
or www.w20Foundation.org.  To follow the progress of the ride, fans are
encouraged to visit www.W20Foundation.blogspot.com. ]]> http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/bdgallof/38698/feed/ 0 http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/woodwardb/38002/ http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/woodwardb/38002/#comments Wed, 31 Aug 2011 05:38:28 +0000 Benjamin Woodward http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/?p=38002  

Hello again, and welcome to Part II of my 4-Part NHL season preview.  In part I, I gave you all my Eastern Conference Predictions. In part 2, I will give you my predictions for the Western Conference.  I will approach these predictions a bit differently than I did those for the Eastern Conference. Today, I will give some strengths and weaknesses of each of the 8 playoff teams out west. I will be upfront here in saying that I do not usually follow the Western Conference as much as I do the East, over the course of the season, so many of you may have differing opinions here. Like always, feel free to chime in with your opinions below.

1) Vancouver Canucks

Strengths:

The defending conference champs return in 2011-12 as without a doubt one of the clear-cut contenders for a Stanley Cup. Arguably the deepest team, top to bottom in the entire NHL, the Canucks will once again be lead by former Hart trophy winners Daniel and Henrik Sedin. Ryan Kesler returning to full health will also be a welcome sight for Vancouver’s offense.  Perhaps the biggest strength of the Canucks, will be the retribution factor. The Canucks’ were so close to the franchise’s first Stanley Cup, they could taste it. They always say that a team must learn how to lose, before you can learn how to win;  and in 2010-11 , the Vancouver Canucks sure learned how to lose.

Weaknesses:

Truth be told, there isn’t much to put here. The loss of puck-moving defenseman Christian Ehrhoff will undoubtedly play a role in the Canucks’ success in 2011-12. However, a team that employed 9 NHL-quality defensemen in 2010-11, a replacement should not be hard to find. The only real question mark in Vancouver, is the ability of star goaltender Roberto Luongo to bounce back from a rough finish to the post-season of 2011. But even if Roberto is to falter, young Cory Schneider will be ready and willing to carry the load.

2) Los Angeles Kings

Strengths:

The popular favorite in the West, is without a doubt the LA Kings. After losing out on key free agents Ilya Kovalchuk and Brad Richards over the past two summers, GM Dean Lombardi opted to pull the trigger on a trade sending Wayne Simmonds and  uber-prospect Brayden Schenn to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for  former Flyer-captain Mike Richards. Richards should make an immediate impact on the LA roster, and provide perhaps the best 1-2 punch at center, along with all-star pivot Anze Kopitar.

Weaknesses:

While the addition of Mike Richards went a long way to solidifying the Kings 2nd line, the team’s lack of depth after the top 2 lines is perhaps the team’s biggest achilles heel. Beyond Richards, Kopitar, Williams and Stoll, the Kings lack much skill on the offensive end. In order to be successful in 2011-12, the Kings will need improved production from the likes of Kyle Clifford and Brad Richardson.

3) Chicago Blackhawks

Strengths:

The 2010 Stanley Cup Champions are perhaps the deepest team in the entire NHL. Led by stars, the likes of Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Pat Kane, Jonathan Toews, and Patrick Sharp, the Blackhawks will be back and looking for a return to the Cup Finals. Look for Chicago to once again be near the top in the Western Conference for most of 2011-12.

Weaknesses:

After making some solid depth acquisitions this offseason, the Blackhawks only true weakness entering 2011-12 is the play of young goaltender Corey Crawford. While Crawford did have an excellent rookie season, it is unclear whether or not he can continue his strong play, going forward. The sophmore slump can be a huge issue in hockey, and it will be critical to the Blackhawks success, that Crawford is able to battle through.

4) San Jose Sharks

Strengths:

Scoring. San Jose is one of few teams that can legitimately run 3 very productive offensive units. The addition of Brent Burns will also significantly help out on the back end, and go along way to replacing Rob Blake as an offensive force from the blueline, who retired last summer.

Weaknesses:

The swap of Dany Heatley for Martin Havlat will be sure to pay dividends for San Jose in the post-season , but it is unclear whether or not Havlat can produce at the same rate as Heatley can, during the regular season. However, on a team with Logan Couture, Joe Thornton, Patrick  Marleau and Ryan Clowe, I am sure goal scoring should not be an issue.

5) Detroit Red Wings

Strengths:

With Captain Nicklas Lidstrom returning for what looks to be like 1 final year in the league, 2011-12 looks like it’ll be Detroit’s last crack at the Cup for  a few years. Look to the Red Wings to rely on top end talent and a bevy of experience to lift them to the top of the Western Conference.

Weaknesses:

Perhaps the only weakness of the Red Wings, is age, and with age, comes a proneness to injuries. Star pivot Pavel Datsyuk missed most of 2010-11 with a wrist injury, but looks to be 100% entering training camp. However, if the Wings want to succeed in 2011-12, they must get key contributions from younger depth players.

6) Nashville Predators

Strengths:

The biggest strength, of a cash-strapped Nashville squad, is none other than the man standing behind the bench, Barry Trotz. Trotz, arguably the best coach in the game, always finds a way to get his Nashville team to over-achieve and get into the post-season.

Weaknesses:

Uncertainty over the futures of the big 3; Ryan Suter, Shea Weber, and Pekka Rinne, will surely cause a stir in Nashville, as the season draws on. It will be up to those 3 all-stars to put away thoughts of contracts and focus on hockey, if Nahville wants to once again be a playoff team, in 2011-12.

7)  Anaheim Ducks

Strengths:

The RPG line is unquestionably the most dynamic scoring line in hockey, and will once again be relied upon to provide most of the Ducks’ offense. The RPG line is perhaps the only line in hockey that can truly carry a team to the playoffs.

Weaknesses:

The biggest knock on the Ducks, is that they are a very top-heavy squad. Beyond the RPG line, there really aren’t many reliable offensive forwards on the Anaheim roster. Also, beyond Lubomir Visnovsky and budding superstar Cam Fowler, there isn’t a whole lot of depth on the Ducks’ blueline. Also, concerns over the health of goaltender Jonas Hiller will be huge in determining the Ducks’ success in 2011-12.

8) Columbus Blue Jackets

Strengths:

The Blue Jackets have finally found a true #1 center to play along side Rick Nash. It is my belief, that given the chance to play with a legit play-making pivot, Rick Nash can be one of the top-5 players in all of hockey. He is mean, nasty, big, strong, has a fantastic shot, and really knows how to finish. He has now been given that opportunity, thanks to GM Scott Howson’s acquisition of Jeff Carter.

Weaknesses:

The biggest issue for Columbus is their depth, or lack there of. There really aren’t many proven NHL defenders on this roster. The addition of James Wisniewski will do wonders for the Jackets’ Power-Play, however, beyond Wiz, I do not see much strength on that blueline.

9) St Louis Blues

10) Minnesota Wild

11) Calgary Flames

12) Edmonton Oilers

13) Phoenix Coyotes

14) Dallas Stars

15) Colorado Avalanche

Thanks For Reading!

Be Sure To Follow Me On Twitter at @BruinsHockey365

Just let that sink in for a second. It takes some getting used to. Scott Howson traded fan-favorite winger Jakub Voracek, first and third round draft picks, for perennial goal scoring center Jeff Carter. Then, after trading for his rights, Howson landed free agent defenseman James Wisniewski for a mammoth 6 year, $33 million contract.

The Blue Jackets have a number one center and (hopefully) a number one defenseman? Wow.

So far, the reaction from Jackets fans has been pure excitement on both deals, while it seems the rest of the hockey world and media has reacted with a bit of skepticism. Some have commented on the length of the Carter contract, and others the fact that Voracek’s first three seasons mirror Carter’s first three seasons production wise. Most everyone agrees Wisniewski just got way overpaid.

I’m not buying the “overpayment” argument for Wisniewski. The Jackets paid what it would take to land him. While he may not be a number one, the way say, Drew Doughty is, he is still far an away better than anyone on the Jackets roster. I expect his 51 points from last year to drop, and while his numbers may not  match what you’d expect from a $33 million man, his presence will no doubt help the team at 5-on-5 and on the powerplay. The big contract for Wiz, along with the Carter deal, also sends a message to the league and the fanbase, that Howson is committed to improving the team now. The $5.5 million cap hit of Wiz and the $5.2 million cap hit of Carter will in no way hinder the Jackets moves going forward, as they (a) have plenty of cap space, (b) won’t spend to the cap anyway, and (c) have plenty of contracts coming off the books (Huselius, Pahlsson, Tyutin) next year to provide even more flexibility.

Another thing that I like about the deal is the term, something others have questioned. With Wisniewski, Nash, Carter, Vermette, (and hopefully with a new deal, Umberger) locked up for years to come, the Jackets have a solid core of guys in their prime, locked up. This will allow team chemistry to build, and also make the team more attractive to free agents. Knowing these guys are locked up will also allow Howson to plan his trades accordingly as he looks to fit in the pieces around them.

The Jackets still are looking to add a defenseman, which is somewhat ironic, since the kind of guy they’d like to bring in would be just like Rusty Klesla, who they traded last year at the deadline for Scottie Upshall and Sami Lepisto, both of whom Howson let walk in free agency. Personally, after seeing some of the trades that have been pulled off around the league, I’d love for Howson to work the trade market rather than signing one of the free agents remaining. Washington and Toronto have both been mentioned as potential trade partners, and both have a glut of guys I’d take on the Jackets in heartbeat.

But honsetly, at this point, I don’t want to analzye or grade Howson’s moves. I don’t think Jackets fans do either. A number one center is here, and we just want to watch him get to work. That first power play of the season, with Carter, Nash, and Wisniewski, (no more Anton Stralman!) is going to be a beautiful moment for Jackets fans.

Participants: Fred Poulin, Cris Cohen, Lawrence Duchenski, John Scott Moore, Jeremy Scriven, Alexander Monaghan, Jamie Fraser, Andre Garabedian, WB Philp, Al Cimaglia, Adrian Fung, Gordon Fall, Kevin Vanstone, Su Ring

Round 1
LAWRENCE 1 Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are proud to select, from the Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
We believe that Ryan will be an elite player in this league for years to come. He has both the vision and the passing ability to centre our first line and we are happy to bring him into the organization.

JOHN 2 Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are proud to select, from Skelleftea HC in Sweden, Adam Larsson. The Avs most pressing issue besides a net-minder is defense. Larsson is the big man on the blue line that this team needs to be competitive. With newly acquired Erik Johnson and veteran John-Michael Liles, Larsson will complete a core of defense that should last for years. Larsson’s highly rated skating for a 6-3, 200 pound blueliner is just what the team needs. Also noted is his poise and patience with the puck, a good quality to see this early.

JAMIE 3 Panthers
The Florida Panthers select Gabriel Landeskog of the OHL’s Kitchener Ranger. Gritty. Determined. Physical. Tough. Mean. These are characteristics not common to the average Swedish hockey player. Gabriel Landeskog is truly a made in Canada Swede. He’s physical mature player who’s the most NHL ready in the draft. Landeskog is pure leadership material, he’s a difference maker every time he’s on the ice. This past season he scored 66 points (36-30) in 53 games. Here’s Landeskog take on his style “I’m a powerful guy who likes to play rough and tough,” “But I do see myself as a skilled guy but it still comes down to hard work and being gritty and being in your face. That’s what I want to do.”

JAMIE 4 Devils
The New Jersey Devils select 4th overall Jonathan Huberdeau of the Saint John Sea Dogs. Huberdeau an excellent two-way forward recently won the Memorial Cup with Saint John. He draws comparisons to Jason Spezza but with a better defensive hockey mind. Huberdeau has assets that you can’t teach such as vision, his 6’1″ frame and his ability to play under pressure. Truly a great fit for a Devils trap system. Scoring 105 points(43-62) this season in the QMJHL he has the offensive abilities to command at 1st/2nd line duties in the future.

ANDRE 5 Islanders
With the 5th selection of the 2011 entry draft, the NY Islanders are proud to select, from the Drummondville Voltigeurs, Sean Couturier. This was a very tough choice. Hamilton, Couturier, Strome, Murphy are all gifted players who can help fill a need for the Islanders and were right there for us, but the feeling was that adding a player of Couturier’s skill set, combined with his size made him a sensible choice. Not only is he a top player, but he also fills a need for size on a relatively small Islander team. He is gifted offensively, but also has displayed a commitment to the defensive side of the ice making him a solid 2-way prospect. Much of his time was spent against opposing top lines — giving him the oppor tunity to dominate at both ends of the ice. He is size speed and skill — all of the tools the Islanders need.

The “knock” on Sean was that he was coasting this season, and does not have the “commit” level that he should. We feel Sean is committed to both ends of the ice, and we are sure he will be a proud part of the Islander family for many years to come. We feel Sean is an excellent player that adds to a dynamic core of players in our development system.

JAMIE 6 Senators
With the 6th pick overall in the NHL 2011 entry draft the Ottawa Senators select Ryan Strome. Ottawa needs help for that 2nd line centre position. Ryan Strome lacks the size of Sean Couturier, but this kid put up 106 points(33-73) with the OHL’s Niagara Ice Dogs. He draws similar skill sets to Patrick Kane. Strome is a player who is at his biggest part of his game with the puck on his stick and will often make opposing defenders look absolutely ridiculous in YouTube highlight reel moments. While many of his goals belong on highlight reels, Strome has a great shot and excellent hockey sense. Make sure to follow Ryan Strome on twitter @strome18

FRED 7 Thrashers (Winnipeg Jets)
The Winnipeg team is proud to select, from the Niagara Ice Dogs of the OHL, defenseman Dougie Hamiilton. His strong and smooth st aking abilities allow him to skate out of trouble in own zone. Can quarterback the power play thanks to great vision and accurate shot. The team also needs more size on defense to complement Dustin Byfuglien. Hamilton scored 12 goals and added 46 assists for 58 pts in 57 games this season. The 6’4” 195 lb rearguard could very well become a top-2 defenseman in a near future.

FRED 8 Flyers from the Blue Jackets
The Philadelphia Flyers are proud to select from Djurgarden of the Swedesih Elite League, centre Mika Zibanejad. After trading two quality centers in Mike Richards and Jeff Carter on Thursday, the Flyers need to restock their middle lane with top-end prospects. A very intelligent two-way player with a great shot, Zibanejad has an above-average sense of hockey and anticipation. He uses his 6’2”, 190 lb frame to his advantage and his strength to battle pucks along the boards. He is not afraid to play physically and likes to initiate contact. He has excellent faceoffs skills and great skating abilities. He draws some comparisons to Ryan Kesler and Mike Fisher.

FRED 9 Bruins from the Maple Leafs
The Boston bruins are proud to select from the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL, defenseman Ryan Murphy. An exceeding talented puck-moving defenseman, the diminutive Murphy draws comparisons to Ryan Ellis and former NHLer Brian Rafalski. In 63 games last season, the offensive defenseman scored an impressive 26 goals and 53 assists for 79 points. A good fit for the Bruins as the team really needs a power play quarterback, Murphy is an outstanding skater and puck carrier a la PK Subban. He is very agile, possesses soft hands and boasts a hard and accurate slapshot. The 5’11, 175 lb will be a steady fixture on the Bruins’ blueline for years to come.

CRIS 10 Wild
The Minnesota Wild take, from the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL, Sven Bartschi. The Wild, after being a defense-first team under Jacques Lemaire their first 7 seasons and losing Marian Gaborik to Free agency in 2009, this team needs offense. Havlat with 22 goals was their leading scorer this past season and no other Wild hit the 20-goal plateau. Bartschi, and excellent skater possesses good passing and stickhandling skills and a good, quick shot. He will need to work on the defensive side of his game, though.
JOHN 11 Avalanche from the Blues
With the 11th pick the Colorado Avalanche are proud to pick Duncan Siemens of the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades. The 6’3″, 192 lbs defenseman is just too good for the Avs to pass up. Despite needs on offense, the big D-man will be an asset to the Avs in the future and possibly forming a formidible defensive core for years. Naming Scott Stevens as his favorite player, Siemens will lay a hit and even fight. But better yet he is a shutdown defenseman with mobility.

SUE 12 Hurricanes
With the 12th pick, the Carolina Hurricanes are proud to select Joseph Morrow of the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks. We like Morrow for his strong skating, great speed and talented two-way game. He has the uncanny ability to see the entire ice and create smart plays and scoring chances.
He’s also very strong on both the power play and penalty kill and uses his size to every advantage on the ice. He played a key role in helping the Winterhawks clinch the WHL’s US Dvision and Western Conference titles during the regular season and helped propel the team to the WHL Championships, which they lost to the Kootenay Ice.

SUE 13 Flames
With the 13th pick, the Calgary Flames are pleased to select Mark McNeill from the Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL. McNeill can play Center but he also has experience at Right Wing. He’s big, smart and an accurate shot, whether it comes to scoring or passing. His size also makes him strong defensively- this kid is not afraid to go after the puck. McNeill led the Raiders to their first playoff appearance since the 2006-2007 season.

ALEXANDER 14 Stars
With the 14th overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, the Dallas Stars take Rocco Grimaldi, Center, USA Under-18-USHL. After losing a great player like Brad Richards, we felt our organization took the best player available and added a great deal of skill. If not for his size, Grimaldi likely could have gone in the top 10 as he displays an excellent amount of agility, top speed and overall skill. In addition, we find Rocco to be a hard-working, determined individual who can eventually play on our top line. Picking at number 14, we are quite pleased to select a player of his stature.

CRIS 15 Rangers
With the 15th pick the New York Rangers select from the USHL Tyler Biggs. He brings a size (6′ 2″, 210) that most of the forwards in the Rangers’ system do not possess. He’s willing to hit opponents and fight when necessary. While not overly impressive from an offensive standpoint (19G, 12 A in 55 games) and not speedy, his size and strength should provide more room for offensively skilled teammates he could be paired with to be free to do their thing.

The second part of the mock draft will be posted later today. Stay tuned!

Jakub Voracek, 1st round pick, and....3rd round pick...(Opens Envelope) Name 3 things traded for Jeff Carter!

This year, once again with the assistance of my good friend Andrew R (and some Bitches Brew…..both the beer and the music), I sat down to do my NHL Mock Draft.  As per usual, trades were considered, and by a phenomenal stroke of luck we called Carter to Columbus for Voracek and the 8th pick….so we’re ready to go.

This was fun and challenging, as always, but especially this year, because it’s such a fluid draft and people are seriously all over the place.  I’ve seen guys ranked top 10 in some drafts and out of the 1st round in others.  I’m sure some of these picks will sound stupid, but I’m sure I’ll be wrong a lot….but hey, nobody thought Dylan McIlrath would go before Cam Fowler last year.

Without further ado, here we go…

1. Edmonton Oilers: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, C, Red Deer (WHL)

I think there are a few question marks about Nugent-Hopkins, specifically his size and willingness to go to the dirty areas, but despite this the Oilers think he’s too good to pass up at #1.  They hope he and Taylor Hall form a dynamic duo for years to come.

2. Colorado Avalanche: Gabriel Landeskog, W, Kitchener (OHL)

We agonized over this pick, but we thought at the end of the day the Avalanche would be seduced by the size, heart, grit, and NHL readiness of Landeskog.  He’s a Chris Stewart type – the kind of player you hold on to, and never trade, come hell or high water!  Wait….what?

3. Florida Panthers: Sean Couturier, C, Drummondville (QMJHL)

Dale Tallon is a well-known fan of big players, and he overlooks the “analysis paralysis” in the scouting community to jump on Sean Couturier.  Back-to-back 96-point seasons (despite having mono at the start of this year), experience at the WJC, winning the Mike Bossy Award, and his size (6’4) make him the right move for the Panthers.

4. New Jersey Devils: Adam Larsson, D, Skelleftea (SEL)

The Devils, by most accounts, should have lost their 1st round pick this year in the Kovalchuk chicanery.  Instead, they won the draft lottery, and Lou Lamoriello looks like the cat who ate the canary after Larsson falls to him at 4.  He had a sub-par year in the SEL by most standards, but Larsson’s talent and hockey sense will make him the best Devils blueline prospect since Scott Niedermayer.

5. New York Islanders: Ryan Strome, C, Niagara (OHL)

I can already hear the Dougie Hamilton fans sharpening their knives, but hear me out.  In addition to resembling Mr. Burns (according to Niagara fans), I believe Strome is the best long-term fit for the Islanders.  He projects as a top center with playmaking ability and creativity, and the Islanders justify this pick by citing his higher projection.  At the end of the day, when you pick 5th, you want the guy who will be the better player down the road, not the biggest positional need or the guy who will calm Josh Bailey’s nerves about being replaced.  I’ve had a hunch about Strome for a while, and I will not back off from it like I did last year with Nino Niederreiter.

Here’s a Strome highlight reel goal:

Highlight Reel Goal From Strome

6. Ottawa Senators: Jonathan Huberdeau, C, St. John’s (QMJHL)

Huberdeau slips to Ottawa despite his incredible playoff run with the Memorial Cup champions, and Bryan Murray is glad he did (especially since Brian Burke is nowhere to be seen and can’t take the pick out of spite).  Huberdeau projects as a flashy offensive player, and he’ll be a good one for Ottawa.

7. Winnipeg Not Yet Jets: Dougie Hamilton, D, Niagara (OHL)

Gary Bettman was much like the father in this famous Simpsons scene recently:

The NHL has indeed gone back to Winnipeg, and they bring this hulking (6’4) d-man with them.  Hamilton is a smart player who will be a good fit on this team.

8. Philadelphia Flyers (From Columbus): Duncan Siemens, D, Saskatoon (WHL)

I had this as a mock trade, and now it’s a real trade.  Siemens is big (6’3), mean, and a hard hitter….just the kind of kid the Flyers love.  They pick him over my other option here, Mika Zibanejad, and hope Chris Pronger’s influence helps him become a star.

9. Boston Bruins (From Toronto): Ryan Murphy, D, Kitchener (OHL)

Fresh off their Cup win, the Bruins add Ryan Murphy, whose suspect D is more than balanced out by skilled offense.  He could be a true difference-maker on the Bruins PP for years to come, and they could always hide him with a defensive d-man in even strength situations to mask his weakness.

10. Minnesota Wild: Nathan Beaulieu, D, St. John’s (QMJHL)

The Wild step up to grab mobile but raw D prospect Nathan Beaulieu, whom some scouts have ranked above Hamilton, continuing a run on defense in this part of the draft.  Beaulieu is a few years away but the Wild fans will cheer this one tomorrow night at the Xcel Energy Center.

11. Colorado Avalanche (From St. Louis): Jamieson Oleksiak, D, Northeastern University (NCAA)

The Avalanche have their forward and possible future captain in Landeskog.  Now, playing with house money, they feel like they can reach just a bit for the hulking (6’7) defender Oleksiak, and give him time to develop at his own pace that he might not have received if he were a team’s top pick.  He may leave Northeastern to play major junior next year; let’s keep an eye.

12. Carolina Hurricanes: Mika Zibanejad, President of Iran C/W, Djurgarden (SEL)

Zibanejad finds a home with the Carolina Hurricanes, who still need depth at every position and grab the best player available.  Some teams have him ranked top 5, but he slips due to being 2nd choice for a few of the teams above (Islanders, Winnipeg, Flyers, Avalanche).  The Canes are glad to have this tough, hard-nosed player, and their fans will be as well.

And I ran......I ran so far away....

13. Calgary Flames: Joel Armia, W, Assat Pori (FIN)

The Flames go for the home run by picking Armia, one of the more talented Finnish forward prospects in the last 10 years.  There are some questions about his work ethic, but the Flames love his talent too much to let him slip away.

14. Dallas Stars: Sven Bartschi, W, Portland (WHL)

The Stars jump on The Other Swiss Winterhawk, Sven Bartschi, who was a force of nature in this year’s Memorial Cup playoffs.  Some are surprised to see him slip so far, but he was again second choice for many teams, and the Stars practically pinch themselves on the way to the podium.

15. New York Rangers: Nicklas Jensen, RW, Oshawa (OHL)

The Islanders have a Dane, and now the Rangers have one too. Jensen’s hockey sense is off the charts, and the Rangers, after targeting D in the first round in previous years, think he’s the right move at 15 this year.

16. Buffalo Sabres: Oscar Klefbom, D, Farjestad (SEL)

The Sabres go for the BPA with Oscar Klefbom, a mobile, agile, and incredibly smart Swedish defenseman.  He has the potential to be the steal of the 1st round at this slot.

17. Montral Canadiens: Rocco Grimaldi, F, US NTDP

The Canadiens have trouble finding a forward taller than 5’3, and this does not get better with Grimaldi, who would be the shortest player in the NHL should he make it (yes, even smaller than Nathan Gerbe…who is a gnat).  However, he may be the most skilled player in the whole draft, and you can’t doubt his will to make it.  The Habs will look for size elsewhere….or not…

18. Chicago Blackhawks: Matt Puempel, W, Peterborough (OHL)

Puempel is a pure goal-scorer, and the Blackhawks go for the home run in continuing the rebuild of their farm system.  There are questions about his consistency, but Puempel is a great call here.

19. Edmonton Oilers: John Gibson, G, US NTDP

The Oilers have many goaltenders in the system, including Devan Dubnyk and Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers, but none project as a solid #1 goaltender.  Therefore, with Nugent-Hopkins in the fold, the Oilers jump up and take Gibson, hoping he will stabilize the crease for years to come.

20. Phoenix Coyotes: Mark McNeill, C, Prince Albert (WHL)

McNeill is strong in the corners, kills penalties well, and generally drives hard to the net.  The Coyotes have some danglers in the system, and McNeill projects as a strong, safe pick….they’re glad to have him.

21. Ottawa Senators (From Nashville): Brandon Saad, LW, Saginaw (OHL)

Ottawa is also playing with house money after nabbing Huberdeau at 6, and they can afford to take a flyer on Brandon Saad.  Saad will either be a home run power forward or a groundout, but with Huberdeau hogging all the attention as a top pick the Senators can let the Pennsylvania native find himself without a lot of pressure.

22. Anaheim Ducks: Joe Morrow, D, Portland (WHL)

Joe Morrow rocketed up the draft board due to his hockey sense, tenacity, and offensive potential.  The Ducks grab him and hope he’ll anchor the blueline for years alongside Fowler and Sbisa.

23. Pittsburgh Penguins: Tyler Biggs, RW, US NTDP

Even though the Penguins absolutely deplore violence in all its forms, they can’t resist another boom or bust type in Biggs.  He has size and a great net-front presence, and they hope he develops into his full potential.

24. Detroit Red Wings: Jonas Brodin, D, Farjestad (SEL)

This is almost too easy.  Smooth-skating, intelligent but raw d-man out of Sweden?  The Red Wings live for picks like this.  Brodin oozes talent and potential, and in Detroit he may have the best chance to harness them.

25. Toronto Maple Leafs (From Flyers): David Musil, D, Vancouver (WHL)

At a time, the hulking Musil was rated a potential top 5 pick in this draft.  His performance steadied, and he fell amid concerns his ceiling is not as high as originally thought.  He still plays a mean game and has offensive potential beyond that of his father, Frank, and he’s just truculent enough to fit Brian Burke’s bill.

26. Washington Capitals: Alexander Kochlachev, C, Windsor (OHL)

This is another almost no-brainer, as we know the Capitals LOVE their Russians.  Kochlachev oozes skill and pure offense, making him a potential home run pick this late in the draft.

27. San Jose Sharks: Mark Schiefele, C, Barrie (OHL)

The Sharks pick Schiefele as best player available, slightly ahead of J.T. Miller from the US NTDP.  Schiefele has discipline, playmaking ability, and  great net-front presence, making him a good complement to the current crop of prospects in the South Bay.

28. Tampa Bay Lightning: Connor Murphy, D, US NTDP

Murphy is a big, competitive 2-way winger who will do a little bit of everything for Steve Yzerman’s club in Tampa.  He’s best available for them.

29. Vancouver Canucks: Scott Mayfield, D, Youngstown (USHL)

He’s big, he’s smooth, he’s poised with the puck, and he’ll be a great fit in Vancouver.

30. Toronto Maple Leafs (From Boston): Zach Phillips, C/W, St. John’s (QMJHL)

Toronto closes out the pick by making it a trio from the Memorial Cup champions.  Phillips is a smart player with great puck skills and an ability to score.  Good fit for what they’re building in Toronto.

Here we go….1-10 Only….

1. Edmonton Oilers – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins C Red Deer (WHL)– RNH is the best player in the draft, and with the number 1 pick, you use that on the best player. It just so happens that Edmonton is in need of a Number one Center and RNH is just that. He is as dynamic as they come and will look great centering Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle.

2. Colorado Avalanche – Adam Larsson D Skelleftea (SEL) – Many mocks are saying Colorado takes Gabriel Landeskog with this pick, but remember 2 things, first Defenseman like Larsson don’t grow on trees, and second, Colorado also has the 12th pick as part of the Erik Johnson/Chris Stewart trade. After trading top young defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk in that deal, he’ll be replaced with the smooth skating Larsson. The Avs will target wingers with that 12th pick.

3. Florida Panthers – Sean Couturier C Drummondville (QMJHL) – This is the wild card pick here. Florida already has 2 top young defenseman in Dmitri Kulikov and Erik Gudbranson, and they also drafted wingers Nick Bjugstad and Quinton Howden in last year’s 1st round. Florida GM Dale Tallon will look for the big 2 way center in Sean Couturier here. Tallon (who drafted Jonathan Toews with Chicago) knows the importance of having a player such as Couturier and won’t let an opportunity to get a top 2 way player pass him up.

4. New Jersey Devils – Jonathan Huberdeau C Saint John’s (QMJHL) – The Devils are already stacked at LW with both Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise, and with a lack of a true number 1 center in their system (Travis Zajac is the closest they have), the Devils take the super talented Huberdeau here. One scout was quoted as saying that he’s never seen a junior player take such a big leap in just one year as Huberdeau has. The Devils will have a player they can slot right into their lineup and not look back.

5. New York Islanders – Gabriel Landeskog LW Kitchener (OHL) – Landeskog is a steal for the Islanders at 5. He is the most NHL ready player in the draft and will look great playing with John Tavares and Nino Niederreiter on the Isles first line. With 3 picks in the top 50, GM Garth Snow can take his time and add another big defenseman early in the second round or as he likes to do, trade his way back into the late first round.

6. Ottawa Senators – Ryan Strome C Niagra (OHL) – Strome is a highly skilled offensive player who will slot in nicely behind Jason Spezza (if Ottawa keeps him). Having 2 top defensive prospects in David Rundblad and Jared Cowan, Ottawa will add some firepower with Strome.

7. Atlanta Thrashers – Dougie Hamilton D Niagra (OHL) – Back to back Niagra picks here as Atlanta takes the big 2 way Hamilton with the 7th pick. Atlanta has Big Buff and Tobias Enstrom on D already but after taking Evander Kane and Alexander Burmistrov in the last 2 drafts, it’s back to building a strong D for the Thrashers.

8. Columbus Blue Jackets – Ryan Murphy D Kitchener (OHL) – With Fedor Tyutin considered their only offensive defenseman on the NHL team, and with young and very talented John Moore working his way to Ohio, the Blue Jackets take the explosive but smallish Ryan Murphy. Some scouts think if Murphy was 6’0, he would be the number one overall pick. He has outstanding skating and offensive skills, his only issues is he’s listed as 5’10 160lbs. Either way, the Jackets get themselves a heck of a player at number 8.

9. Boston Bruins – Jamieson Olesiak D Northeastern (NCAA) – Olesiak is a player who needs at least another year of college but he’s 6’7 and extremely tough. He would form a nasty tandem with Norris finalist Zdeno Chara and the Bruins can afford to wait a year or 2 for Olesiak to fine tune his skills.

10. Minnesota Wild – Mike Zibanejad C Djurgarden (SEL) – Zibanejad is a fast riser on the 2011 ISS list. He has great skill and will look great with fellow 1st round pick Mikael Granlund. The Wild have chosen more gritty players such as Colton Gillies and James Sheppard in years past, but the Zibanejad has too high a ceiling for Minnesota to pass up.

My next Mock Draft will be a full 30 team pick, but it’s too early to tell what the later teams will do (especially since the draft order hasn’t been set yet.

Thoughts??

As in, a perennial underachiever, mentally weak, non-playoff caliber roster. Let’s be honest – the league views the Jackets that way, and in some ways, they must view themselves that way. When they had everything to play for right after the deadline, when the playoffs were still in reach, they went on their biggest losing streak of the year. That’s telling.

This summer, contracts are up, jobs are on the line, and the organization knows there are no more excuses: a competitive, playoff-caliber needs to be assembled, and it needs to be assembled now. Howson has had his time to draft his picks and prospects, acquire assets and move contracts, but now he must assemble the playoff roster or he’s gone. Fans will simply not put up with another season like this and the franchise can’t afford another season like this. With so many contracts off the books, the Jackets have tons of cap flexibility and this could be the summer that sets in motion the fate of the team for years to come.

First, the Untouchables: Rick Nash (obviously), RJ Umberger. RJ is the team’s emotional leader, most competitive, and most clutch player. An already mentally fragile team cannot afford to lose him.

Second, the goners: Chris Clark, Ethan Moreau, Craig Rivet, Mathieu Garon, Anton Stralman. None will be back and they themselves clear a good number off the books, as do other UFA’s like Scottie Upshall, Sami Lepisto, and Jan Hejda (who most likely all will be gone but might be worth a look to resign depending on how things play out.)

With only two keepers, that means yes – almost the entire roster should be in play. But not Jake Voracek! Not Matt Calvert! Not Fedor Tyutin! Yes, them too. Sorry, the Jackets aren’t going to acquire any talent by dealing the likes of Jared Boll. So with the idea that everyone except the Captain and RJ are in play, and that most of, if not all of the expiring contracts are gone, here is what I think the Jackets need to do this summer:

Step 1: Obtain a goalie to challenge, if not take, the #1 goalie spot from Steve Mason.

The Candidates (trade): Cory Schneider, Canucks, Braden Holtby/Semyon Varlomov/Michael Neuvirth, Capitals, Jonathan Bernier, Kings.

The Candidates (free agency dream world): Illya Bryzgalov.

It’s simple. Mason has had two years to take the reigns of the goalie position, unchallenged, and he has failed. The days of having a veteran backup are over. All of these candidates have the potential to be #1′s, so they will either challenge Mason to re-gain his form, or they will take his job and provide the CBJ with the goaltending they need. And they will not come cheap. The Jackets first round pick will be just the throw in to get one of these goalies, and my guess is the player a team will want will is Voracek. Jake, like Mason,  is the epitome of the Jackets problems – young, promising, talented, – but inconsistent. One night he is a top line winger, the next two weeks he is pointless and can’t cut it on the 3rd line. Every team in need of a goalie is going to be targeting Schneider and Bernier, so the price will be steep. My advice to the Jackets is simple: Pay it.

If the Jackets can somehow put a huge deal together for Byrz, than obviously that would be a best case scenario but also wishful thinking.

Step 2: Re-shape the Defense.

The Candidates (free agency): James Wisniewski, Joni Pitkanen, Andy Greene, Andrei Markov (?).

The Candidates (trade): Michael Del Zotto, Rangers, Alec Martinez, Kings, Karl Alzner, Captials, Brent Burns, Wild, Zack Bogosian, Thrashers.

The Candidates (in an offer sheet dream world): Shea Weber, Drew Doughty, Keith Yandle.

Obviously, if Jackets management could finagle any kind of way to land Weber, Doughty, or Yandle, that would be great. But it’s also a pipe dream, and not going to happen. So moving on to some other ideas. The Jackets can afford Wisniewski, Pitkanen, and Greene, and in my opinion, should definitely try to sign at least one of them, in that order. They would all be upgrades. Markov to me is an interesting candidate – he hasn’t been healthy in two years, so he may be willing to take a decent pay cut and if so, the reward could be worth the risk of taking someone like that on for a short term deal.

I think the real interesting possibilities lie in the trade market. The guys I listed, I don’t think their respective teams are willing to part with. However, those are all teams in either “Have to win playoff rounds now” -mode (Rangers, Kings, Capitals) or “desperation” mode (Wild, Thrashers). Del Zotto showed flashes of puck moving/Powerplay QB brilliance in his time with the Rangers, but his poor decision making, risky passing, and defensive coverage made him a a liability and has him back in the minors. I don’t think they’d want to part with him, but Ryan McDonough and Mike Sauer have been solid for them and they’ve struggled on offense. Would any combination of a  high draft pick, current defender that could help them now (Tyutin, Russel?) and offensive propsect (Mayorov, Filatov) be enough to get them to consider it? Or if they really want him back on the team next year, would they be willing to deal their top shut down guy, Dan Girardi to clear some cap space?

The same type of thinking goes into Martinez. The Kings have their top pairing in place, but after a sure early round exit this year, the pressue will be on them next year. A guy like Tyutin is affordable and LA would probably have more use for him than Martinez, while the young puck mover has the potential to bust out in an expanded role with the Jackets. But for the offensively challenged and close-to-the-cap Wild, also in as dire a situation as the Jackets, would they listen to an offer of Voracek and a first rounder and prospect for Burns, who has struggled with turnovers this year? The Caps have Mike Green and up and coming John Carlson, with veterans like Poti and Erskine in place for next year on defense. Would they consider an offer including Filatov for Alzner thinking they could get a lot more out of him than the Jackets?

Step 3: Add consistent, character forwards:

The Candidates (free agency) Scottie Upshall, Brooks Laich, Zach Parise, Brad Richards, Jason Spezza, Simon Gagne (?)

Scottie may be looking for too big a pay day, but he’s the kind of guy the Jackets need more of. Like RJ, it seems like you always know the kind of effort, intensity, and emotion he is going to bring every game and can play a few different roles, while also contributing on the scoresheet. Honestly, I see no scenario in which the Caps let Brooks Laich walk, but with the Devils, I really feel like if Howson is bold – we have what the Devils want.

First/second round picks, young forward or defensive prospects like Voracek, Filatov, Brassard, Moore, Johansen, Calvert…if the Jackets get word they can sign a long term deal with RFA Parise then by all means any combo of these assets should be made available in a trade (obviously, an offer sheet would be great as well). But my main scenario to get Parise involves a certain Steve Mason. That’s right, Steve Mason.

Still young, gets to learn and improve for a season or two under his hero Martin Brodeur and is groomed to take over as their long term solution in net. Obviously, a Parise trade would not be popular with Devils fans, but the Devils biggest long term worry has been who takes over for Marty. If that could be solved in a Parise deal, it might actually be easy to swallow for Devils fans, especially with Kovalchuk coming on in the second half this season. What if the Jackets try to get Anton Volchenkov in the deal? This would give us the best shutdown, shot blocking defender the Jackets have ever had (would replace UFA Jan Hejda) and take a big cap eating, long term deal off the Devils books. The CBJ can throw in a Kris Russel or Grant Clitsome the other way. If we don’t deal Mason, but could swing for Volchenkov in a Parise deal Mason would have the better defensive defenseman playing in front of him than ever before, which could help his confidence.

Simon Gagne is the same situation as Andrei Markov. He’s 31, which isn’t that old – still can be seriously productive. He is a proven, character guy that wants to win. Adding a guy like him (again – for a serious price cut) I think could re-invigorate him, and also give a shot into the room from a respected veteran who wants a Cup badly, and can still contribute. Not a respected veteran who is completely washed up and can’t make it on the ice, like Moreau, Rivet, and Clark.

As far as Spezza and Richards go, they are stud centers that could wreak havoc with Nash. If we can get them, we are instantly a better team. It’s that simple.

With the playoffs still to come, and plenty of time before free agency and the draft, who knows how things will shape up, who will re-sign where and who will be made available. But one thing has to be certain for the Jackets. The idea of “young talent” is great, but the idea is often better than the results. Matt Calvert and Grant Clitsome were nice suprises this year, but who knows what their careers have in store for them. I don’t want to just give up on guys like that or Voracek and Mason, or on prospects like Filatov and Mayorov who have yet to really even show what they can do in the NHL.

I’m a fan, and I genuinely like all these guys and think they’re going to work out in the NHL. But something is wrong in that room, and it needs to be corrected, and we need to win now. We have a legit superstar in his prime in Rick Nash, and he needs to be surrounded with guys in their primes who can win with him now. Not guys who might be good in 5 years when Nash is in his 30s, and not veterans who can’t get on the scoresheet. Nash deserves the chance to win in Columbus and the organization owes it to him, and the fans, to make it happen, even if some of the moves end up working out better in the longer term for our trade partners.

Again – I don’t see ANY of these exact scenarios happening, but the point I am trying to get across is the time has come for the Jackets to target, and aggressively pursue, talented (and in some case “big name”) guys that can help them now, and must be willing to pay the price to get them.

NHL clubs made 16 trades involving 35 players today prior to the 3 p.m., ET, trade deadline. Following is a list of the transactions:

• Anaheim traded C Maxim Lapierre and C MacGregor Sharp to Vancouver for C Joel Perrault and Vancouver’s 3rd-round pick in the 2012 Entry Draft.
• Atlanta traded RW Niclas Bergfors and LW Patrick Rissmiller to Florida for RW Radek Dvorak and Carolina’s 5th-round pick in the 2011 Entry Draft (previously acquired).
• Atlanta traded G Drew MacIntyre to Montreal for D Brett Festerling.
• Atlanta traded LW Fredrik Modin to Calgary for Calgary’s 7th-round pick in the 2011 Entry Draft.
• Boston traded D Jeff Penner and RW Mikko Lehtonen to Minnesota for G Anton Khudobin.
• Carolina traded LW Sergei Samsonov to Florida for D Bryan Allen.
• Chicago traded C Ryan Potulny and a 2nd-round pick in the 2011 Entry Draft to Ottawa for D Chris Campoli and a conditional 7th-round pick in 2012.
• Colorado traded D Kevin Montgomery to Edmonton for D Shawn Belle.
• Columbus traded D Rostislav Klesla and LW Dane Byers to Phoenix for LW Scottie Upshall and D Sami Lepisto.
• Columbus traded LW Tom Sestito to Philadelphia for C Michael Chaput and RW Greg Moore.
• Edmonton traded RW Dustin Penner to Los Angeles for D Colten Teubert, Los Angeles’ 1st-round pick in the 2011 Entry Draft and a conditional 3rd-round pick in 2012.
• Florida traded D Dennis Wideman to Washington for C Jake Hauswirth and Washington’s 3rd-round pick in the 2011 Entry Draft.
• Florida traded LW Chris Higgins to Vancouver for D Evan Oberg and Vancouver’s 3rd-round pick in the 2013 Entry Draft.
• New Jersey traded C Jason Arnott to Washington for C David Steckel and Washington’s 2nd-round pick in the 2012 Entry Draft.
• St. Louis traded LW Brad Winchester to Anaheim for Anaheim’s 3rd-round pick in the 2012 Entry Draft.
• Toronto traded C John Mitchell to NY Rangers for the Rangers’ 7th-round pick in the 2012 Entry Draft.

There also were three waiver claims today:

• Atlanta claimed C Rob Schremp from NY Islanders.
• Calgary claimed D Brett Carson from Carolina.
• Ottawa claimed G Curtis McElhinney from Tampa Bay.

Trade Deadline Activity Since 1979-80

Season Date Trades Players
1979-80 March 11, 1980 3 5
1980-81 March 10, 1981 12 22
1981-82 March 9, 1982 5 11
1982-83 March 8, 1983 1 1
1983-84 March 6, 1984 2 2
1984-85 March 12, 1985 4 7
1985-86 March 11, 1986 8 14
1986-87 March 10, 1987 5 9
1987-88 March 8, 1988 8 12
1988-89 March 7, 1989 9 21
1989-90 March 6, 1990 10 16
1990-91 March 5, 1991 14 33
1991-92 March 10, 1992 11 22
1992-93 March 22, 1993 9 14
1993-94 March 21, 1994 18 35
1994-95 April 7, 1995 19 32
1995-96 March 20, 1996 13 21
1996-97 March 18, 1997 18 35
1997-98 March 24, 1998 19 38
1998-99 March 23, 1999 21 30
1999-00 March 14, 2000 12 23
2000-01 March 13, 2001 17 31
2001-02 March 19, 2002 17 35
2002-03 March 11, 2003 24 46
2003-04 March 9, 2004 20 32
2005-06 March 9, 2006 25 40
2006-07 February 27, 2007 25 44
2007-08 February 26, 2008 25 45
2008-09 March 4, 2009 22 47
2009-10 March 3, 2010 31 55
2010-11 February 28, 2011 16 35

First, the Columbus Blue Jackets have claimed veteran defenseman Craig Rivet from the Buffalo Sabres on re-entry waivers. Rivet, an impending unrestricted free agent, will bring leadership and experience to an inexperienced Jackets team. The Sabres will be responsible for half of his $3,500,000 salary prorated on the remainder of the season.

Also, the Philaldephia Flyers claimed rearguard Nick Boynton from the Chicago Blackhawks. That move was necessary due to their lack of space and the loss of their 7th defenseman, Oskars Bartulis, for the remainder of the year due to a shoulder injury. That means Adam Foote, is not in the Flyers’ plans anymore. Strange move by the Hawks as Boynton his only earning $500,000 this year (the league minimum salary).

Then, in a strange move, the Los Angeles Kings put winger Marco Sturm on waivers to clear cap space in anticipation of the next 48 hours. Sturm was claimed by the Washington Capitals, who desperately needed scoring help on their second line. The Kings had acquired Sturm from the Boston Bruins earlier this season.

The following players were put on waivers today (most notables in bold):

Jason Jaffray (ANA), Tim Stapelton (ATL), Brett Carson (CAR), Nathan Lawson (NYI), Robbie Schremp (NYI), Pascal Leclaire (OTT), Ty Conklin (STL), Curtis McElhinney (TB), DJ King (WAS).

Schremp will likely get picked up by a team looking to add depth up front. As for the other ones, I highly doubt there is a market for them. Back-up goalies are not in high demand this season… Conklin lost his back-up job to giant Ben Bishop, who earned his first NHL shutout yesterday against the Oilers. Leclaire’s season has been riddled by injuries and inconsistent play. McElhinney (acquired in exchange from Dan Ellis from the Ducks) has been dreadful so far this year and with Mike Smith (who cleared re-entry waivers) and Dwayne Roloson in front of him, the Lightning doesn’t need his services.

The Atlanta Thrashers have extended forward Chris Thorburn. The deal is three years at an average salary of $867,000 (2.6M total). The rugged winger has 7 goals and 9 assists for 16 points in 62 games for the Thrashers. He was slated to become a restricted free agent at season’s end.

With Chris Pronger slated to miss tonight’s game, the Philadelphia Flyers were forced to recall rearguard Erik Gudbranson from the AHL to take his spot. As a result, they had to send a player down, and James Van Riemsdyk was reassigned temporarily to the AHL. He will miss tonight’s game in Ottawa, and with Blair Betts nursing an injury, Nikolay Zherdev will draw back into the line-up despite having gone unclaimed on waivers earlier this week.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have reportedly been offered a first and third round pick for forward Clarke MacArthur who’s a RFA after the season. Negotiations are ongoing, but GM Brian Burke is not willing to meet MacArthur’s salary expectations following a strong season. Burke is also seeking defensive help, and he’s willing to give a 3rd rounder in exchange for an offensive d-man. The Colorado Avalanche is asking a 2nd round pick in exchange for John-Michael Liles.

As told by Jamie Fraser, the Ottawa Senators are still negotiating with impending UFA Chris Phillips in an attempt to extend the veteran defenseman. If a deal is not reached before Monday’s deadline, expect the rearguard to be traded to a contender.

UPDATE: via Bob MacKenzie, the Florida Panthers have just traded Bryan McCabe to the New York Rangers for a 3rd round pick and Tim Kennedy.

The numbers in bold indicate the team’s best season attendance-wise.
NHL attendance since the lock-out (Downloadable Excel format)

Here you can find a link to all the current NHL arenas and their capacity

Below you will find the team ranking by division:
Northeast Division:
1. Canadiens
4. Maple Leafs
6. Senators
8. Sabres
19. Bruins

Atlantic Division:
3. Flyers
10. Rangers
16. Penguins
27. Devils
30. Islanders

Southeast Division:
11. Lightning
20. Capitals
21. Hurricanes
24. Panthers
28. Thrashers

Northwest Division:
5. Flames
7. Canucks
9. Wild
17. Oilers
22. Avalanche

Central Division:
2. Red Wings
12. Blackhawks
18. Blues
25. Blue Jackets
26. Predators

Pacific Division:
13. Sharks
14. Stars
15. Kings
23. Ducks
29. Coyotes

Conclusions: All Canadian cities fare very well, five of them ranking in the top-seven teams in attendance, with the exception of the Edmonton Oilers, mainly because Rexall Place has a seating capacity of only 16,839 fans (albeit each game has been sold-out since the lock-out). Rexall Place, built in 1974, is also the third oldest arena only behind the Madison Square Garden and the Nassau Veterans Coliseum. Thus, the need to build a new facility in Edmonton.

Among the Sunbelt cities, only the Tampa Bay Lightning, the San Jose Sharks, the Dallas Stars and the Los Angeles Kings rank in the top fifteen teams in attendance since the lock-out.

Unsurprisingly, the New York Islanders, the Phoenix Coyotes, the Atlanta Thrashers, the Nashville Predators and the Florida Panthers are among the worst in attendance. Each of these teams has had moderate success on the ice since the lock-out, having problems qualifying for the playoffs.

The only exception being the New Jersey Devils, ranked 27th in the league despite being perennial playoffs team since the lock-out thanks to Martin Brodeur, among others.

Eight NHL teams are having their best season so far at the gates, such as the Nashville Predators, whose attendance numbers have improved by more than a thousand so far this year. Teams with ownership uncertainty like the Dallas Stars, have experienced the biggest drop in attendance this year, a drop of almost 3,000 fans per game.

Finally, only three teams have had an average attendance below 80% of their arena’s capacity since the lock-out. Without much surprise, these teams are the Islanders, the Coyotes and the Thrashers, three of the most unstable NHL organizations these past recent years.

You can also follow me on Twitter for more information on the NHL.

About a month ago I posted a Q&A Panel with several bloggers covering various Western Conference teams providing their take on the 15 team bloodbath that the West has become. Susan Crosby was to be a part of said panel, but her answers went above and beyond the call of duty. So instead of drastically increasing the length of the first blog, she earned her own. Below are her responses to the questions the panel answered. Edited for time appropriate responses.

For those who don’t know Susan, her unique flavor of hockey analysis can be found all over Twitter. Either on @kittypets or @ThrowThePuck. She is also the lead writer for BleedinBlue.com. Her coverage and passion goes beyond the Blues, but to the LA Kings as well. She contributes her LA POV on RinkRoyalty.com.

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Are the Red Wings back as an elite force in the conference after a slight let down in 2009-10? Why or Why not?

I know I sound like a broken record but this question never ceases to amaze me. When did the Red Wings go anywhere. They had a very injury plagued season with major parts of the year being missed by Homstrom, Filppula, Rafalski, Cleary, Helm, Kronwall, Franzen, Williams and Maltby. Yet, as always their farm system and the best run organization in hockey filled in the gaps with players like Justin Abdelkader (who is now a force and a mainstay on the team) to finish with 102 points. Only 7 points behind the Coyotes, and one point behind the Canucks, who finished in third place.

They came second in their division to the eventual Stanley Cup Champions by 10 points, but only lost two more games than the Hawks. It was almost doubling them up on OT games that caused the point spread. They still were able to come back in the playoffs and get past the Phoenix Coyotes who were riding both an emotional high and electric atmosphere (not to mention being up in the series) and then only lost to the best team in the league, the San Jose Sharks. A Sharks team, mind you that were battling their own demons AND were now coached by someone extremely familiar to the Red Wings organization: former Assistant Coach (and power play guru) Todd McLellan.

So, I ask again. Where did the Red Wings go for them to come back? And yes, they are an elite force. Even with Datsyuk and Dan Cleary now out for a bit of time, the NHL will watch them fill the void and continue ticking. Not that it won’t hurt. When I originally started this answer, it was just Datsyuk and that was one hole. Cleary has become almost as, if not just as invaluable as Datsyuk. Losing both, simultaneously is going to make things tough.

Despite these key losses, they will, with just a couple hiccups here and there keep moving it on along like they always do. It is just what the Red Wings do. When you are waving players like Kopecky, you are just too stocked. It just isn’t fair. The Red Wings already sit atop the Western Conference by three points and they have the Blues and Blackhaws by 9, in their division.

Are the Dallas Stars the biggest surprise or biggest overachiever in the conference?

Not to ride the fence, but a little of both. I think their forwards are underrated but their defense will hold them back come the playoffs. It won’t stick out as much during the regular season. The joke I made the other night, when someone in the media asked: When do we take Dallas seriously? I said I believed that Toronto and Dallas were the last two undefeated teams in the NHL; who is waffling now? Heh.

It is becoming almost comical how no one wants to take them seriously but every team (real or fantasy) wants to make some insane trade for one of their players. Right now? Brad Richards and Jamie Benn. Why? Not just their production but their character and grit (and mind you Benn is sitting at the ripe old age of 21. Richards is just in his prime at 30).

Not even half way through the season Richards has 40 points. This includes 5 goals on the power play. Benn on the other hand, is your all too rare (now a-days) power forward but still has 20 points on the year to go nicely with his 30 penalty minutes. Two of his goals have come on the power play which shows faith from the coaching staff on his two way play. He may be a bruiser but besides some mistakes from his young age, he’s not irresponsible in his physical play.

Overall, the team has 4 players on the 30 point mark (2 at 29 points- but I’m taking rights to include them in) which gives them a balanced attack.

Defense? In 38 games they have given up 1198 goals, which lands them at 27th in the league and averages out to 31 shots against per game). However, their saving grace is Kari Lehtonen, who has played in 28 of those games and is sitting 11th in the league with 15 wins, 2.6 goals against and has a .915 save%. Can Lehtonen keep this up through the playoffs? Stamina is a huge question throughout the Western Conference. Dallas is not immune.

Which team is the biggest underachiever?

Rough question. Can you underachieve in the West? It is a bloodbath and tighter then my budget.. HA! Division leaders aside, you have 6 points separating 12th place to 4th place and straight-up? Eight points separate 1-9.

However if I’m going to choose one and if I’m being honest, the LA Kings are not where they should or let’s say could be.

What you say? But they are in 4th place. Actually they could be anywhere from 4th to 10th place on any given day, and that is where their problem lies. The LA Kings, with an attitude adjustment could easily have 6 more points and still be sitting on top of the Western Conference as they were in November. However here is just one excuse you will here:

1) Alexei Ponikarovsky and Willie Mitchell were and are again out. It was devastating. <– Exhibit A of excuses given.

Really? Last time I checked Drew Doughty was the golden boy and when he had a concussion the Kings were on a tear of wins. So exactly how is this a good excuse for the slump the Kings went on. A slump that sent them from 1st place in the Western Conference, to at one point about 13th place? They had just now started to recover by tying together 4 games and some of the best performances this year, then they played Phoenix on the 30th. Ouch. The team didn’t show up to play the game. They showed up to watch it.

2) That horrible mental trap that so many sports teams fall into: Play up for the great teams and underestimate the “bad teams,” get lazy and lose.

Considering how much the Kings have been disrespected and how teams still underestimate them, this is one trap I would never expect them to fall into. But they have, and badly. The Kings are going to Overtime or straight out losing games they have no business losing. If you beat Edmonton straight out, beat the St. Louis Blues when you have a lead most of the game and actually make sure your defense shows up to games in Phoenix then you win the points that are must-wins. Take those points and combine them the games where every player looks like they finally took the reigns and played their individual best, leading to the team at its best and the league thinks, finally the Los Angeles Kings are turning the corner. But then games like Phoenix happen. Jack Johnson and Dustin Brown played like doppelgangers were sent in their place. In the last 12 games the LA Kings Captain had 19 points in 12 games. Then there is Jack Johnson who is one of the best, and most frustrating defenseman in the league. By means are they the only players on the team, not by a long shot, that runs like a deer caught in headlights at times, but it is a perfect example. Even superstar, Drew Doughty has had stretches of games with only a point, defensive break downs and just an overall lack of presence.

Your consistent players that the LA Kings better start building on? Jonathan Quick, Anze Kopitar and Ryan Smyth. It’s not nearly enough. Last I checked Alexander Frolov was traded. While all teams hit bad times, this unexplainable lack of focus that comes and goes should be gone by now. The Kings have proven their ability to compete with the best in the conference. This was apparent after the last game against Detroit. The Kings shut them out on the road. However, without consistency, then you really can’t compete with the best. The best are consistent.

The top 8 in the East at times were dramatically outscoring the top 8 in the West. Is the style of game play out west more about defense and goaltending than before?

By default, I think it has had to become so. As a fan, the West has become nearly impossible (and a day-to-day nauseating experience) to keep up with when it comes to standings. One day a team is in 12th place and the next day it could be in 4th. When a conference is that tight, good teams are going to get left out of the playoffs. Points lost in January are going to come back and haunt you in April. Because of this, there has to be more attention paid to defense and keeping other teams off the board. There isn’t one team in the West that you can let-up against. Even the cellar dwellers are good enough to play spoiler and will come at teams hard. Having said that, at one point Calgary was in 14th place and only 7 points out of 8th place.

Additionally, the Western Conference is a far more physically demanding type of game. There is a combination of speed and physicality that you don’t see in the East but with certain teams. In the West, it is every team, every game. That kind of grind will tire teams out. The easiest way to buy yourself some breathing room is to play a defensively strong game and stick to a system that produces a productively sound Western Conference style, which should be fast, physical and defensively sound. Often teams finish top 4 in the West and get blown out of the playoffs. That is all about defense (most of the time).

Impressions of the kids out in Edmonton?

There is so much hype around these kids now that they don’t have any time to develop. Everyone wants instant impact and not every team is in a place where one or two players can make a huge difference. I think people were “disappointed” Taylor Hall didn’t walk into the NHL and dramatically throw Edmonton into a playoff caliber team. The same thing happened to Steve Stamkos. However, it is just that development comes in different stages and some players will be worth that #1 draft pick but you have to bring them up right and through the system. Not all first-round players are going to be those that change the position from the second they skate onto NHL ice.

Hall has been picking up more and more and everyone is acting like they’ve been holding their breath and praying to the Hockey Gods in Edmonton. As if his “silence” through December showed he was a bust of a first-round pick. It is his rookie year. You may not see his full potential until 3 years from now. Hopefully he’ll keep going at this pace and have an impact next season when other younger players start taking their next steps. However, all of the NHL need not have a panic attack because Hall isn’t producing on an 80 goal pace this season.

Which team in the league is the toughest to play when 100% healthy?

Detroit. See above. They are the most consistent team in the league and they aren’t healthy. They aren’t as banged up as other teams, but they have lost quite a bit in quality and quantity over last year and now this year. Still they keep going and pick up the points they need to stay on top of not just the Western Conference, but again-the league. The Red Wings are one point off the Penguins for the best record in the NHL (and again, the Penguins have two games in hand).

Put your biases down. The Red Wings are the best run organization in the NHL (and arguably sports) and it shows year after year. Players age out and they have young guys come in that are just as good as the ones before. And you think… but how and where do they come up with this. On top of that they have now, turned out what is, arguably, the next great General Manager in the NHL: Steve Yzerman (and I’m not even sure that can be objectively argued). He has resurrected the Tampa Bay Lightning and Steve Stamkos in less than a season.

When you are this good at developing both coaches (see San Jose), management (see Tampa Bay) and players (see… their whole roster for the past 10 years), you stay consistent. Players come to Detroit knowing what is expected of them. They understand and value the emblem that is worn and the history behind it. Injured, healthy or otherwise, the Red Wings were and still are the team to beat in the West, if not the NHL.

The top line in the conference is?

Dallas. As stated above… their forwards are their strong suit and the first line is where it starts. When mentioning trade bait I started with Richards and Benn, however it far from ends there. Richards’ line mates: Loui Eriksson and James Neal will make any General Manager and fan base drool. Not only are they individually talented, but they click together as a unit. Everyone knows Richards provides the playmaking ability when there is open ice created for him to do so. He is also the leader of this first line and has helped the wingers that join him grow dramatically. So let’s look at Neal and Eriksson.

Neal has a cannon of a shot and has grown into a well-rounded winger that sees the play develop rather than just the one-dimensional, throw the kitchen sink at the net till you score kind of player. Having said that, he has not lost the aggressive nature he always had and is able to protect the pucks, dig them out and get it to Richards often (helping to create the open ice that Richards flourishes in). Combine this with his increased awareness and involvement with the entire play and you see why his assists have come up quite a bit since the beginning of his career (this is his third season).

A week ago Eriksson scored the 100th goal of his career. To those that watch him consistently, this was not a shock. To those that don’t, you may not even know who he is. Sticking to the basics of the game is how Eriksson does his best work. He doesn’t get creative like the names everyone knows in the NHL but he is one of the more consistent players there is. Additionally, Eriksson is “steady as she goes” and brings a constant level of both intensity and effort to the ice every night. Lastly, the natural “can’t be taught” chemistry between Eriksson and Richards is just plain sick. The fact that Marc “if I put player A with Z on Monday, can A play with D on Tuesday” Crawford has stuck with this line outside one of two games, is a tribute to their production and ability.

As mentioned above as an overall team weakness; this line has to work on its defensive game. Catch them tired or frustrated and they’ll cough it up, fail to clear the zone at key times and take unecessary calls at bad times.

Which team currently on the playoff bubble has the best chance at making it back in?

I honestly don’t think any team other than Edmonton is currently out of it. And truthfully, I see this remaining a solid 12 team race throughout the year. I don’t believe it is necessarily a matter of what team but what circumstances cause teams to make it. Health and stamina are going to be two huge factors. This is going to be a dog fight, the wild-west come to life. A team that can’t stay healthy, focused and consistent won’t be able to sustain the efforts it is going to take every night to just get into the playoffs, let alone past the first round.

However having said that, the Columbus Blue Jackets are not staying down. They can be better than both Minnesota and Nashville. However, Minnesota has the distinct advantage of beating up on Calgary and Edmonton on a semi-regular basis. Do not be surprised if Columbus ruins someone spring plans and grabs the eighth spot. The Anaheim Ducks don’t have any real good reasons (unless circumstance comes into play) for them to not make the playoffs.

But then you have to think: who’s spot would Columbus or Anaheim take?

The Colorado Avalanche, in my opinion are way ahead of schedule in their development, and have a long run of success ahead of them. Right now, they are playing a bit over their heads. Anaheim can easily make a run that shoots the Avalanche from 5th place (or the 5th through 8th place tangled tie-up) and 43 points to being out of the playoffs.

Another team that could be thrown out by Columbus and/or Anaheim? If the St Louis Blues make it , they will become the NHL darlings of these playoffs and right now they are fighting with all they have. The problem with that, as endearing and respectable as it is, is that they’ve been doing it since Thanksgiving. If exhaustion (or heaven help the Arch, more injuries) set in then there is a big question mark. Can the Blues can maintain this ability to knock down the walls and leave it all on the ice every night with a completely depleted roster? That is a huge feat to ask any team, no matter the merits of the coaching, leadership or the player’s focus. If they don’t make it to the 8th spot, it isn’t for a lack of talent or trying but a freak set of those oh so tough circumstances that will keep deserving teams out of the playoffs in the west.

Without a doubt, Dudley has a reputation as a dealer and thusly does not get too attached to his players. And his message in the paper could not be any clearer about his desire to shake up the roster mix. While there is always a chance that Dudley’s posturing has as much to do with trying to motivate underperforming players — like the recently demoted Rich Peverley, who’s recent struggles have landed him on the 4th line as a right wing — as it does with sending up an obvious “bat signal” above the league’s landscape for all GM’s to see, there remains little doubt that something must change in order for the team to have any chance for post-season play. Tonite the Thrashers welcome in their franchise predecessor Calgary Flames, who come in scorching hot having won their last 5 games. High above the ice, Dudley will be letting his fingers “do the walking” to canvass GM’s about potential deals as many players on the Thrashers’ roster ponder the thought of getting their “walking papers” in the very near future.

So who on the team should be worried about getting dealt? Using a process of elimination, one can whittle it down to a list of about 8 players who could be candidates for getting shipped out of Atlanta. First of all, you can cross off the following players who most certainly constitute Atlanta’s core for the future: Ondrej Pavelec, Tobias Enstrom, Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd, Bryan Little, Evander Kane, Alex Burmistrov, Patrice Cormier and most likely Zach Bogosian even though he has been the object of many a fan’s ire and derision this season. Secondly, don’t count on injured players like Jimmy Slater or Chris Mason to have much trade value at the current juncture, nor should you expect call-ups Tim Stapleton and Drew MacIntyre to have much more than “throw-in” potential for a trade. Thirdly, you can probably take Ron Hainsey and even Nik Antropov off the list of likely trade candidates as both have either a limited or modified “No Trade Clause” and both collect large salaries with a cap hit of more than $4 M that makes them difficult to move.

After eliminating those 15 players, you are left with a small collection of 8 or 9 players who’s future in Blueland may be coming to a close very soon. The lucky nine fellows who may get to sample life elsewhere are Nicklas Bergfors, Eric Boulton, Freddy Modin, Rich Peverley, Anthony Stewart, Chris Thorburn, Freddy Meyer, Johnny Oduya and Brent Sopel. In all likelihood, Boulton, Thorburn and Meyer probably don’t need to worry that much about a potential change of scenery. Boults, Thorbs and Meyer are either role players who are too valuable to unload or a depth reserve without much trade value on the open market. Plus, all three are UFA’s this summer so unless Atlanta loses 7 or 8 of their next 10, don’t expect them to get sold off the island.

That leaves us with the select and ultra-lucky few of Bergfors, who has been mentioned in trade rumors since he started getting the healthy scratch last fall; Oduya, who came over in the Ilya Kovalchuk deal last winter; Modin and Stewart, both of whom were acquired as free-agent pick-ups prior to this season; and Sopel and Peverley, who could attract the most interest from playoff bound teams looking to fortify a deep roster and make a serious run at the Cup. Having watched Oduya play for the last year up close and personal, I would say he is also in the category of “attractive veteran who can fill a serious need on a contending team”, but I’m not so sure Coach Ramsay and Dudley are that keen on letting him go. Ramsay’s system needs adept puck movers and Oduya may be too valuable to the team’s fortunes to part with in a trade. Plus, he’s under contract for another year at a decent price ($3.5 M per). Of course, that makes him attractive trade bait as well.

There aren’t a lot of obvious trade partners right now as the playoff races in both conferences are so tight right now that only 4 or 5 teams are ready to throw in the towel: New Jersey, Ottawa, Edmonton, Columbus and the Isles. However, the latter two are both limited by their small salary budgets and aren’t necessarily ready to give up on young players who still have plenty of upside. CBJ’s GM Scott Howson has been actively pursuing potential deals, but since he plays it close to the vest, it is tough to speculate what he’s looking for and what he’s willing to give up. Toronto’s GM Brian Burke is always open to discussion on the trade front and he would desperately like to get back into the first round of this year’s draft after trading for winger Phil Kessel from Boston.

That brings me to the most interesting scenario of them all as the Boston Bruins are reportedly looking to make a deal in order to address the loss of pivot-man Marc Savard to yet another frustrating concussion injury. With his timetable for return very uncertain, the Bruins might very well be interested in two players from the Thrashers: Peverley, who can play center and wing, and Nick Bergfors, who would be an attractive piece in a trade involving a high draft pick since Boston has their own 1st rounder in addition to the one from Toronto. This blogger would personally love to see Dudley swing a deal that would net not only the B’s first rounder (not the Toronto one), but also RW Blake Wheeler, who has fallen into disfavor much like Bergfors.

Since the B’s are looking to address obvious needs to cement their roster for the stretch run – Montreal is hot on their tail for the Northeast Division race lead – they may covet a versatile player like Peverley, who would be better served playing third line center on a deep roster laden with talent rather than struggle playing top line minutes for a team still building an identity. Peverley is excellent in the face-off circle and can add lower line scoring punch to a team that is built on puck possession. Wheeler is big and fast and seems like a good fit in Ramsay’s system, which places a premium on aggressive forechecking. His size is an attractive option for the Thrasher’s top six and his hands are certainly better than those of RW Anthony Stewart, who would look better playing in a 3rd line checking role rather than top-6. Since Boston’s roster is replete with RW, perhaps even LW Freddy Modin would be an option, but since 41 year-old Mark Recchi and lumbering RW Michael Ryder have uncertain futures with the club, the right-handed Bergfors would certainly seem like the type of sniper they could use going forward.

While there haven’t been rampant rumors emanating forth from Boston about making a deal, there seems to be a lot of potential for a deal between these two teams that would help both teams address well-defined needs. The Thrashers could certainly benefit from adding a player like Wheeler, a D-man like Mark Stuart, who has been mentioned in rumors, and a high draft pick to give them flexibility for perhaps another deal closer to the deadline. Perhaps a 4-player swap along with a pick for a prospect could be in the offing? Something like Wheeler, Stuart — Dudley has mentioned he’d like to add a top-4 defenseman — and their #1 pick in return for Bergfors, Peverley and a prospect such as blueliner Arturs Kulda, who may not fit the mobile D-man profile that Thrashers management prefers (see Paul Postma). Regardless of what happens, there aren’t many teams desperate to wheel and deal just yet so Dudley may need to wait things out another week or two.

Ottawa or New Jersey may be the most likely to unload expensive veterans, but I’m not sure the Thrashers have the depth of prospects or picks (they are without a 2nd rounder as it was traded to Chicago in the Andrew Ladd deal) to swing a deal with either team. Edmonton could be an option, but both players that have been rumored as available, Dustin Penner and Ales Hemsky, have an expensive remaining year left in their contracts that may not be as palatable for a salary-strapped franchise like Atlanta. More logical options for a swap are depth forward Ryan Jones and/or bottom-pair D-man Jim Vandermeer. That’s why a deal with a team like Boston, who isn’t desperate to trade, might make for an attractive partner especially considering Ramsay’s familiarity with their personnel as a former assistant coach in Beantown for 3 years. I realize it may be a longshot, but I also know that I’m not alone when it comes to a restless fanbase desperate to see some changes for the final two months of the season. If nothing else, we know Dudley’s cell phone volume is set on high!

The Blues will be without the services of defenseman Barret Jackman. He was listed as day to day following the loss to Detroit and did not practice Friday. Head Coach Davis Payne did said Friday that Jackman status was “Questionable”. Tyson Strachan will fill in for #5.

Barret’s charitable cause, Barret’s Buddies, is holding the third annual Barkin’ For the Blues night in conjunction with David Backes‘ group, David’s Dogs. Proceeds benefit Stray Rescue of St. Louis and the St. Charles Humane Society. Stop by and “say hi to Kelly for me”. David’s wife Kelly has her own group benefiting from a Blues partnership, Kelly’s Cats.

Defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo remains out of the lineup after taking a puck to the face in consecutive games.

Brad Boyes earned a promotion to the top line Thursday. He and Matt D’Agostini have flipped positions. Here is what the lineup should look like for the Blues.

Alex Steen – David Backes – Brad Boyes
Vladimir Sobotka – Patrik Berglund – TJ Oshie
Brad Winchester – Jay McClement – Matt D’Agostini
BJ Crombeen – Phil McRae – Ryan Reaves

McRae did see some time on left wing Thursday night as the Blues looked to generate offense in their comeback bid. Some additional shuffling may come during the game getting Phil on for shifts with greater offensive opportunity. He’s done his job as a 4th line center and a little promotion could be in order if the Blues fall behind. Give the 20 year old some credit, he’s performed pretty well at the NHL level when there were concerns about handling the elevated physical play.

With Jackman out, the pairings are a toss up. The Blues really do favor a left handed shot paired with a right handed shot. Best guess:

Eric Brewer – Erik Johnson
Ian Cole – Alex Pietrangelo
Tyson Strachan – Roman Polak

(Update: Per Jeremy Rutherford, the defensive pairs will be Brewer-Johnson, Pietrangelo-Polak and Cole-Strachan)

Per Lou Korac, Jaroslav Halak will start in net. Per Puck-Rakers, Halak will take on third year netminder Steve Mason.

Career Numbers
Mason vs Blues: 3-5-1, 2.99 GAA, .888 save percentage
Halak vs. Blue Jackets: 2-1-1, 2.88 GAA, .904 save percentage

The Blues are happy to take on Mason. Mathieu Garon, Mason’s counterpart, has much better numbers and success against the Blues. Posting a career record of 10-4-1 with a 2.59 GAA and .907 save percentage.

Columbus will be without agitating forward Ethan Moreau. He is out with a Rib injury. Defenseman Mike Commodore has been banished to the Blue Jacket’s AHL affiliate, the Syrcause Crunch, since requesting a trade.

Speaking of the Crunch, former forward Nikita Filatov was drafted two spots behind Blues defensemen Alex Pietrangelo in the 2008 draft. Taken 4th and 6th overall respectively. Many Blues fans called for the young Russian to be taken and were upset with the drafting of “another defenseman”. Think the Blues made the right call? Petro has 5 goals, 22 points, Plus-10 rating while playing over 20 minutes a game. Filatov has just 7 assists in 23 games seeing barely 12 minutes of ice time a night. Trust in Jarmo…

Anyone else hoping for another Oshie hit on Nash? Would show the rust is off and TJ is back to being TJ.

The Islanders claimed Evgeni Nabakov today. Doubtful he would have made it to the Blues and even more doubtful they would claim him. The old saying “pick your battles” comes to mind. After reading Bob McKenzie’s piece on TSN yesterday, Detroit got hosed the way the Blues have been twice. A team trying to improve and survive injuries by bringing experienced help can’t do it. At least not from Europe. Colorado get’s around this issue with Peter Forsberg because he hasn’t played. If he is healthy enough to contribute, they get a free pass.

Does this mean an increased market for Miro Satan/Bruins type additions? Does this mean the league will review the waivers process for imports? The answer is likely “yes” now that Detroit has been burned by the process.

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Ever since the Ottawa Sun made the claim prior to the June 2008 entry draft the Pittsburgh Penguins tried to shop Evgeni Malkin to the LA Kings (which caused much bemusement in the Penguins front office and made its author a figure of scorn around the blogosphere) there’s been the occasional suggestion for the Pens to move Malkin.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/Draft/2008/06/19/5923271-sun.html

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Report-Penguins-offer-Malkin-to-Kings-for-block?urn=nhl-88994

http://www.kuklaskorner.com/index.php/CandB/comments/the_garrioch_effect/

The latest comes from Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal, advancing the notion Malkin would benefit from a change of scenery:

“The Columbus Blue Jackets are desperate for a No. 1 centre and the Pittsburgh Penguins need a winger to play with Sidney Crosby. How about Rick Nash for Evgeni Malkin? It’ll probably never happen, but Malkin has done little since Dan Byslma took over as Pittsburgh’s coach on Feb. 15, 2009. They should move Malkin, who has only 54 goals, and put Jordan Staal as the No. 2 centre behind Crosby.”

Malkin’s offensive production has suffered at times over the past two seasons, but Matheson overlooked the fact the Russian star won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2009 helping the Penguins win the Stanley Cup, which was Bylsma’s first season behind the Pittsburgh bench.

Some folks, like Matheson, believe trading Malkin would finally land Crosby the star scoring winger he’s been lacking for year, a Kurri to his Gretzky if you will.

Perhaps one day they’ll find that winger. Maybe one day Malkin might be the trade bait that lands such a winger.

Or maybe not.

It certainly won’t be Nash, unless he agreed to be dealt, as he has a full “no-movement” clause, and if he’s to be believed, no interest in playing elsewhere, though that’s hard for some folks to believe given the state of the Blue Jackets.

During times like now when Crosby is sidelined for a lengthy period the Penguins are thankful for Malkin’s presence, as he steps up and fills in admirably for their injured captain, or when Crosby is checked to a standstill by a superb talent like Detroit’s Henrik Zetterberg.

Face facts, gang, without Malkin filling the void during the 2009 Stanley Cup Final, the Red Wings would’ve successfully defended the title of Cup champions.

Another reason Malkin won’t be moved is he’s carrying a contract too hefty ($8.7 million per season) for most teams to bear, especially given the uncertainty over what the next collective bargaining agreement will look like once the current one expires in 2012.

Ignore any media or blog musing about the Penguins trading Malkin. It’s not happening anytime soon.

Lyle Richardson
Spector’s Hockey
www.spectorshockey.net