“I knew that if I played a tough game – and not many guys did – that would only help in their decision of whether or not to keep me,” says Jeff Odgers, who played 12 seasons with the San Jose Sharks, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, and Atlanta Thrashers. “So I erred on the side of scrapping more.”

By Brian D’Ambrosio

Jeff Odgers played every NHL game as if it were his final.

He never took a game for granted –scared that his career could fade away at any moment.  Odgers scrapped and gritted his way onto the roster and he made sure he never provided his coaches with a sufficient reason to demote him.

“I knew that if I played a tough game – and not too many guys did – that it would only help in their decision of whether or not to keep me,” says Odgers, who played 12 seasons with the San Jose Sharks, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, and Atlanta Thrashers. “So I erred on the side of scrapping more.”

The six-foot, two-hundred pounder broke into the league in 1991-92, with the San Jose Sharks. In his first National Hockey League fight, he instigated an altercation with New York Islanders enforcer Mick Vukota. “I knew that I was in the lineup to play a certain way,” says Odgers. “I wanted to play and produce and be productive, but I also understood that I had to bring another element to my game. I fought Vukota to get the first one out of the way.”

Odgers’ third career fight pitted him against Quebec Nordiques legendary enforcer John Kordic. “I loved and appreciated every second of my career, and encountered a lot of players who I was well aware of when growing up. I fought Kordic again later in the season and broke my hand. I remember one of the trainers telling me after the fight, “Welcome to the world of NHL heavyweights.”

Jeff Odgers vs. Rudy Poeschek.

Over the course of the 1993-94 campaign, Odgers battled with iconic heavyweight Bob Probert three times. The duo went toe-to-toe at the Joe Louis Arena, December 11, 1993, with Odgers asserting himself well enough to earn a draw against the larger, taller Detroit Red Wing.

A few weeks later, they tangled fourteen seconds into a contest in San Jose, Probert catching Odgers with a pair of short rights. Later, Odgers instigated a return battle with Probert. He landed a pair of punches on Probert’s cheek, while being outmuscled and tugged around. Odgers covered as his adversary – jersey flung loose, hair flying wild – attempted to tee off.

“I learned then just how good of a fighter Probert was,” says Odgers. “If you made a single mistake against him, you would be in trouble. Everyone wanted to prove themselves against Probert for his entire career. I did more ducking than swinging against Probert. I respect all the times he showed up in his career – all the sore hands and shoulders he endured – all of the courage and respect he played with.”

Some of Odgers’ fonder memories include being named as captain of the San Jose Sharks in 1994-95, once tallying seven combined points in back-to-back games as a Shark; as well as being a part of one of the biggest upsets in Stanley Cup playoff history in 1993-94 –  the year the underdog Sharks eliminated the top ranked Red Wings in seven games.

Another fond memory for Odgers: early in his career, he glanced across at the superstars on the ice for the Los Angeles Kings: the line of Jari Kurri-Dave Taylor-Wayne Gretzky.

“All of the guys I idolized as a kid were on the ice,” says Odgers, who skated in 821 career NHL games. “All of the guys I watched on Hockey Night in Canada. You know what’s terrific? As an adult, I met all of the guys I idolized and realized that they were better people than they were hockey players. For example, Ray Bourque and I played together on the Avalanche, and Doug Wilson, too. They are quality people.”

As far as the occupational drawbacks, the angst and apprehension of battling guys such as Probert, Marty McSorley and Stu Grimson night after night wore him down mentally and physically. “That anxiety and that nervousness never went away,” says Odgers, who left his mark with 2,364 career penalty minutes. “Since I made a choice to play and be as willing and able as I was, I knew that if I made a mistake out there, I could get hurt. There were nights when I didn’t sleep or I was really irritable, because I knew it was coming the next game. Even on those afternoons when you are trying to rest or nap before a game, you’d think about it.”

Nonetheless, his dignity as a hockey player remained inextricably tied to the details of being a self-sacrificing teammate – blocking shots, taking hits, and, if necessary, absorbing punches – someone who exited the locker room each and every night without regret.

These days, Odgers is the head coach of the Yorkton Harvest of the South Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League. A Spy Hill, Saskatchewan native, Odgers has turned his love of farming into a fledgling certified organic beef and grain operation, called All About Me Organics. As a youngster, he recalls working side-by-side on the family farm with his father and grandfather, and now he enjoys a similar bond with his two sons, now fifth-generation farmers.  He concedes that farm and ranch living is a bit more grueling than the routine of being a professional hockey player.

“Like anything else, you get as much out of it as you are willing to put into it,” says Odgers. “I take pride in the work, and I think it’s something really special. It’s a big part of who and what we are as a family.”

Author Brian D’Ambrosio lives in Missoula, Montana. His next book, about the life and fights of Bob Probert, is due out in 2014. To syndicate this column or pitch story ideas, contact D’Ambrosio at dambrosiobrian@hotmail.com.

In the first part of this epic, we promised three pieces of evidence to explain how Garth Snow does things with the sole intention of job preservation. We pointed out how he is relatively awful at drafting in part one. Part two will speak to other shortcomings, starting here:

Two- Garth Snow uses salary cap magic to keep his job.

Look at the Nino incident. Here was a top six winger on a team with no openings in the top six for wings. Come on now, we all know why Nino was here: $900,000 salary, $2.795 million cap hit. Snow is so insidious that he even put Nino on the 4th line. Why is that evil? Because Nino had a bonus clause regarding making the all star team. Playing 9 minutes a night with Jay Pandawful and Marty noReasoner as linemates ASSURES you not making the all star team, thus saving the team money. Not even Tavares could get Nino to the all star game last year, but why take that chance? Tavares might have helped Nino pot in some goals. But those other guys? Wayne Gretzky couldn’t help them find their offense.

“Well then, why is Snow not calling our first round picks onto the team this season?”

Look at the CBA. At the end of the lockout, those astronomical rookie bonuses ($1.03 million for Mike Halmo?) no longer counted towards the salary cap. There was no advantage to having a guy get paid what he earns and being able to report differently, so why bother? Why pay Ryan Strome $925,000 or Brock Nelson $900,000 when I can pay Keith Aucoin $650,000? Why pay Griffin Reinhart $925,000 when I can pay Joe Finley $525,000?

“Are you saying that Garth Snow is looking at throwing away a season just to save $650,000?”

Yes, yes we are. And more. Why is DiPietro not in Bridgeport and one of Kevin Poulin or Anders Nilsson the backup goalie? Wouldn’t the team have a better chance of winning with one of those two replacing Ol’ Rheumatoid Knees? The salary cap. DP’s $4.5 m would count in Bridgeport OR the NHL, but the $891,666 of Poulin or the $900,000 of Nilsson would be an added hit to the cap. By the way, think the reason Nilsson made a debut last season getting paid a prorated $900,000 when they could have gotten a goalie elsewhere for cheaper for 4 games (see, Ghrame, John)? $850,000 phantom cap hit bonus.

What will make this scenario worse is if Strome starts next year in the AHL, and is called up after 15 or so games. It’ll prove he had nothing to learn there, and that the only reason he wasn’t on the 2013 team was to save money and avoid all of those lucrative bonuses that he may have hit. It will be even WORSE if Strome is on the 2013 Islanders as a late season call up for the same reasons WITHOUT the AHL time.

“Well, what if Strome isn’t on the team this year or next year?”

Since he didn’t go to college or play in Europe, it doesn’t speak well for Ryan Strome’s talent if he debuts from the entry level draft 3 years after his classmates. In school that’s called being “left back,” and you all know how kids who were left back were looked upon.

Garth knows cheapness makes Wang happy. Milbury asking for all of those free agents and NHL trades cost Wang “millions” per year. Fired! Somehow Snow cut the payroll in half… yet Wang still loses the same money. Thus, Snow is safe!

Ultimate proof? Tim Thomas. Watch what’s going to come out of that mess.

Three- coaches. The best money can buy! Oh, wait, no.

Jack Capuano is the worst coach in the NHL.

“Well, look at the roster he has to work with!”

Sure, lets.

How many recent first round draft picks play or have played for Capuano? JT91, Okposo, Bailey, Grabner, Wishart, Nino…anyone else? OK, name ONE PLAYER that Capuano coached and maximized their talent. Bailey has REGRESSED under Capuano. Wishart REGRESSED under Capuano. Nino not only regressed, he is on record saying that the coach IGNORED him. Ignored a top 5 lottery pick! Okposo finally had a 20 goal season, but we can thank Tavares for providing support and Bailey for having 20% of his season production in two games passing to one of his second half all star teammates.

The only player to blossom under Capuano is Tavares, and that’s because Tavares pays no attention to what Capuano says:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Capuano’s awfulness is on display with every Islander blown third period lead. The man has no concept of in game adjustment. Here’s the Capuano “method” of hockey:

- Hot start to the season as other coaches who actually implement systems are working out their kinks. Since Capuano has no system to teach, players are game ready on day one. We’re not saying systems are the be all end all for a coach. They just happen to work for coaches like Peter Laviolette, John Tortorella, Mike Babcock, Dan Bylsma, Joel Quenneville, Claude Julien, Darryl Sutter, Scotty Bowman, and Al Arbour.

- Season starts to unravel quickly as other coaches realize that “PAL” style coaching is cute for 12 year olds, then watch game film, identify weaknesses, and score on Isles first. Frequently on the first shot. Almost with certainly the first goal of the game.

- Season unravels faster as opposing coaches see that Capuano doesn’t make changes in game, then make their own adjustments for the third period. Islanders watch helplessly as lead is blown/score gets out of hand/Dipietro gets injured.

- By the halfway point of the season, Isles fade from playoff contention. Players, knowing accountability is a discouraging word, start to do whatever they want. Second half all stars emerge in Okopso, Neilsen, Bailey.

- Team ends up lousy enough for lottery pick, but Edmonton is guaranteed the first overall pick until DNA science finally finds a way to clone Gretzky and Messier, so they get to choose the second or third best 18 year old forward or defenseman available. And we know that the Islanders historically have a stellar record in grooming those types of players to be NHL stars!

- Lather, rinse, repeat.

His coaching is awful. Remember how Mike Babcock was blasting him in that Red wings game last season because he coaches like a kid playing NHL ’13?

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

His use of the timeout is the equivalent of a parent sending a kid to their room AFTER he started the house fire. There are way too many bench minors, but that’s just for the salary cap floor hit. There are also too many “too many men on the ice” penalties.

And worst of all, he uses DiPietro. What coach would look down the bench at that and think “that’s gonna steal us some wins!” We all know how the front office is ordered to run DP out into the lineup, and they pass the order down. Even if Capuano wants to sit DP, his assistant coach is also his boss in Doug Weight- the assistant to the General Manager. Only the Islanders would make a subordinate coach the boss of the coach.

“But the Islanders have a winning record against western conference teams!”

You want to know why? They don’t see Capuano but once or twice a year. They can’t invest a week looking at game film. But do you know who can? Conference and division opponents who see the Islanders often. And what’s Capuano’s record in the Atlantic? In the East? Here’s a hint- 4 out of 5 teams in the Atlantic had over 100 points last season. Where did they get them? Right- beating on the team with 78 points. One win in the last 9 trips to MSG. Brodeur has more career wins against the Isles than any other team, with at least ten shutouts before we got tired of counting them. Friggin Marty Biron with a 21-4-2 career record vs the Islanders…and he played for them, or it’d be even worse.  How often do they win in Philly? Seems like they haven’t beaten the Capitals since Bossy was on this team. The crybaby Penguins? If Fran Fraschilla was our announcer, he’d be calling games with his pants down, waiting for his moment to pounce.

Also, either buy some new clothes or eat something. Capuano even looks the part of a little boy in a big boys world. I’m waiting for Dudley Moore and Kirk Cameron to show up in his suits.

But there is a purpose to this. Coaching this bad keep the heat off of Snow. Fire Nolan, fire Gordon, fire Capuano…what do all of those things have in common? And why isn’t that thing fired? Yup- no accountability. As long as it’s on the cheap, it’s on!

Can you believe that Garth Snow said with a straight face that Capuano’s X’s and O’s were second to none? Either he was talking about penmanship, or he’s trolling the media.

Long story short, Sow doesn’t trade, doesn’t sign free agents, doesn’t draft well, and can’t pick a decent coach. What he does well is allow Wang to make money by keeping payroll below CBA created cap floors, and for that, he keeps his job. I’m sure it gets to him, as he was a competitor, and there may be some anger eating happening there. But in short, as long as Snow is GM, “he’s not wasting your money,” “he has no limitations on budget to make the right move for this team,” and “we build through the draft.” In other words, expect more of the same.

What players from the ’08 draft made the NHL? When?

Josh Bailey – rd 1 – debuted in 2008.

Aaron Ness- rd 2- debuted in 2011 at age of 21 for 9 games.

Travis Hamonic – rd 2 – debuted in 2010 at 20.

Matt Donnovan – rd 4 – debuted at 21 for 3 games.

David Ullstrom – rd 4 – debuted at 22.

Kevin Poulin – rd 5 – debuted at 20 for 10 games.

Matt Martin – rd 5 – debuted at 20 for 5 games, full timer at 21.

Jared Spurgeon – rd 6- debuted at 21 for the Minnesota Wild.

Justin DiBenedetto – rd 6- debuted at 22 for 8 games. Out of NHL.

What players made the NHL from 09 draft?

John Tavares – rd 1- debuted at 19. Thank you.

Calvin de Haan – rd 1 – debuted at 20 for 1 game. Injuries. We know.

Mikko Koskinen – rd 2 – debuted at 22 for 4 games. Euro players debut later in general.

Anders Nilsson – rd 3 – debuted at 21 for 4 games.

Casey Cizikas – rd 4- debuted at 21 for 15 games.

Anton Klementyev – rd 5 – debuted around his 20th birthday for a game, then vanished.

Andres Lee – rd 6 – 23 years old and in college. This isn’t an NHL debut, but damn, 23 in college?

What players made team from ’10 draft?

Nino Niederreiter – rd 1 – debuted at 18, and thanks to great professional coaching, was awful by 20.

What players made NHL from ’11 draft?

None.

What players made the NHL from the ’12 draft?

None.

What to make of all of this? Here is our “expert” analysis:

First round lottery picks are expected to step into the lineup. That’s not uncommon for a lot of teams. Usually it’s a route usually taken by bad teams, but also winnings teams like Boston who brought in Tyler Seguin, or Anaheim with Cam Fowler, or Carolina with Jeff Skinner, or New Jersey with Adam Larsson, or Philadelphia with Sean Couturier, or Boston again with Dougie Hamilton. The Isles are a bad team. Why did this practice stop with Nino Niederreiter? Why didn’t Ryan Strome walk into the lineup like four of the prior six first round Islanders picks, and all four lottery picks? EVERYONE in the top ten picks from 2008 and 2009 have played or are playing in the NHL. The tenth overall in 2010 hasn’t debuted yet, which likely isn’t good for Dylan McIlrath. The Islanders biggest glaring need is a second line center. Since the Islanders do not make trades for NHL talent, and the arena is to blame for a lack of any free agent acquisitions, it only makes sense that Ryan Strome stops destroying the OHL and shows up here to play. Of the top 10 players drafted in 2011, only one isn’t playing in the NHL. Ryan Strome. Center. Why? Spoiler alert- the answer comes later. If you’re building through the draft, Strome should be here.

Let’s take it one step further. After second line center, what’s the Islanders second largest glaring need? Stay at home top pairing defenseman. Who was #4 overall in the 2012 NHL draft? Griffin Reinhart. Top pairing defenseman.

“BUT IT’S TOO EARLY! YOU’RE RUSHING HIM! YOU’LL RUIN HIM!”

Yeah, yeah. 2012 draft picks: #1 Nail Yakupov. Playing in Edmonton. #2 Ryan Murray. Penciled into starting top pairing in Columbus before being injured in juniors. #3 Alex Galchenyuk. Playing in Montreal. #4 Griffin Reinhart. +19 in the WHL. Islanders defense? Finley, Martinek, Hickey- all obviously better options. WHAT? Afterthought- #12 Mikhail Grigorenko fell into Buffalo’s lap and is on their roster, and even allowed them to trade Derek Roy to Dallas. Imagine a draft pick on Long Island allowing you to trade away an established player? Imagine the Islanders had established players? If you’re building through the draft, a 6’4″ dman is paired with a veteran to learn some ropes.

He’s a really nice guy.

On a team where your top line had two wings under contract in Matt Moulson and P.A. Parenteau, coming off of a summer where Snow gave two 5 year contracts to guys expected to be second line wingers in Kyle Okposo and Michael Grabner, why was a lottery pick – a spot in which you try to draft game changing talent- on this team, anyway? The sensible thing would have been to wait a season, let the Parenteau situation (1 year deal) play out, and THEN put Nino on a line where he may struggle but still have successes to keep morale high. If you’re building through the draft, you need to put guys in positions to succeed with the right line mates, not the leftovers. Why didn’t that happen? We’ll tell you later.

If you’re going to make the case that Frans Neilsen is your second line center, then why are you passing on using Brock Nelson as your third line center? He fits the Islanders criteria of entry age and time served in the AHL. It’s not like the team went out and signed or traded for an NHL caliber player to fill that role. If you’re building through the draft, why take a career AHL’er training camp cast off from Toronto (yuck) to fill that job in Keith Aucoin. Why isn’t Snow promoting one of his own?

If you are building through the draft, why is Aaron Ness sitting behind Thomas Hickey? If we all recall, Ness fell a round in the draft because scouts had worries about his size. Hickey was a reach at #4 overall, because of his size. The L.A. Kings were trying to make something out of nothing, whereas the Islanders were trying to get something for nothing in their draft strategies. Why was LA’s nothing better than our something? Their NHL play at this point- Hickey: 8 games, no points, -5. Ness: 9 games, no points, even.

The same logic applies to Joe Finley, a former first round draft pick, versus Matt Donovan, a guy that some were surprised about his still being available in the 4th round. NHL records: Joe Finley: 10 games, 1 assist, -5. Matt Donovan: 3 games, -3. If you’re building through the draft, how can these waiver guys be considered upgrades? In what sense? Those who watched Donovan play at the end of last season saw a guy who moved quickly, was very involved, and needed seasoning at the NHL level, as his AHL all star status this season tells us he has nothing more to learn at that level. Anyone watching Finley play this season thought one thing: road cone.

Finley on opening night.

What do you think is going on in Garth Snow’s mind? Is he learning from the Nino Niederreiter affair regarding first round players? Is he supplementing talent through all means available?

No. Snow has no intentions of building through the draft, or any other foundation.

Snow’s actions fall into one category- self preservation. Want proof? Here’s three pieces of evidence.

One- Garth Snow can’t draft to save his life, and he knows it.

“WHAT? Look at the 2008 draft? 90 players from that draft made the NHL! 9 were Snow picks! That’s 10% of the whole draft class for Snow!”

Yup. 10 percent. How many play or played for the Islanders? 8. Other teams? 1. So that means of all of the NHL players drafted by Snow, only 1 player was coveted by another team. And he was a 6th round pick, normally a pick without expectations. Who covets Josh Bailey, that years first rounder and all around nice guy? Nobody. Snow couldn’t give Bailey away- we know this, because Snow couldn’t give Blake Comeau away after a 20+ goal season, and Bailey hasn’t even sniffed that number. 8 players. How many are making impacts in the NHL? One. Matt Martin. When you look back at that draft TODAY, Matt Martin was our best pickup. Not Ullstrom’s 6 goals in 41 games, not wasting a lottery pick on Bailey, but 5th round pick Matt Martin. That’s a good GM?

“What about 2009? JT! 6 NHL players?”

Well, we could draft a consensus #1 overall, too. Heck, we even made that pick happen using hockey magic (a story for another day). What about that year’s OTHER first round pick? To compare, how did Neil Smith do with the 2006 draft? Kyle Okposo, Andrew MacDonald, Jesse Joensuu, Shane Sims, Rhett Rakhsani- 5 NHL players. What two players from the same draft- 2008 or 2009- are better than Okposo and MacDonald? Fact is, bad teams have lots of holes, and so lots of drafted guys walk into lineups. How many kids go to the Rangers straight from the draft? Hardly any- although JT Miller was drafted 10 picks after Ryan Strome and managed to debut before him. Jeez, Snow even brought Joensuu back. Talk about a lack of faith in your own draft picks- no one could unseat the stellar work of Jesse Joensuu?

Since the Islanders have a Snow-led history of promoting 20 year olds, where is ANYBODY from the 2010, 2011, or 2012 draft classes? Of the 45 NHL players from those three draft years, NOT ONE is an Islander. Nino was, but not now. Guess the draft ace got shutout!

Why wait?

As noted, Snow likes players being around 20 to make their debuts. If they aren’t taking regular shifts at 20, eyebrows should be raised. Ullstrom and other Euros are exceptions to an extent because the Euro league players usually need a year of adjustment to the North American game. Similarly, players like Donovan and Ness both went to college, which usually slows NHL development. However, in the case of Donovan and Ness, this season is their third AHL stint- as Snow plucks similar players from the waiver wire. This is an indicator. Snow drafts poorly, and uses the waiver wire to help hide the poor choices he made.

The best pick Snow ever made, hands down, was John Tavares, who was in the NHL at 19. Thus far, the second best pick has been Travis Hamonic- NHL at 20. Snow has had 7 first round picks in 5 years, 7 second round picks in 5 years, and 8 third round picks, and from that he’s managed to find these gems: a consensus all star, a solid second pairing Dman, and nothing else. If I were him, I wouldn’t promote what I drafted, either.

If he could draft, why the overreliance on the waiver wire? And those waiver guys aren’t Snow’s picks- they’re guys Capuano, Thompson, and Pellerin recommended to Garth. Yikes. Nice bird dogging, Snow.

We’d like to think that after his first few drafts, his philosophy evolved regarding developmental appropriateness. And it has. Sadly, for the worse. From exposed too soon to overprotected- the man is unable to judge individual talent, so he hides behind a waiver wire and the unfulfilled promise of a rebuild.

More in part two. And we know you can’t wait!

Today’s piece will fall in with another piece of unquestioned wisdom that we of course question- defensemen need more time to develop. Not that we gave it a lot of thought to a point, but I think our first real analysis of this issue involved one of our favorite Islanders: Travis Hamonic.

Click here to view the embedded video.

At the age of 20, Hamonic had a whopping 19 games of AHL play before joining and sticking with the New York Islanders. 20 certainly isn’t straight from the draft, but his experience pre draft was 83 WHL games and 32 MJHL games. His post draft experience was 98 WHL games and 19 AHL games. 115 games pre draft, 117 games post draft, more time in juniors than in the AHL. In Hamonic’s first two Islander seasons, he’s played in 135 games, more than his pre or post draft numbers. Even though his offensive production is low this present lockout shortened season, his first two years averaged 25 points and his play put him on the plus side of +/-.

After last season, while we realized how important Hahahamonic was to this team, we also got to see players like Matt Donovan and Aaron Ness and even rarely playing former #12 overall Calvin De haan looking like they were more ready to be on ice than more “experienced” players like Milan Jurcina, Mike Mottau, Mark Eaton, as well as players from other teams like Matt Carkner, Joe Finley, and Radek Martinek, and that’s when we started to question conventional wisdom and develop our “groundbreaking” sports thesis.

After looking at Hamonic, lets look around the NHL at other players and their pre NHL experiences:

Drew Doughty – NHL at 19 years old – 0 AHL games 326 NHL games and counting. Also, more points than the center who went 9th overall that year.

Zack Bogosian – NHL at 18 years old. 5 AHL games.

Alex Pietrangelo-  NHL at 18 years old. 1 AHL game.

Luke Schenn – NHL at 19. 0 AHL games.

Tyler Myers – NHL at 19 years old. 0 AHL games. Won rookie of the year.

Erik Karlsson – NHL at 19. 52 games in the Swedish Elite League. 0 AHL games.

Lucas Sbisa – NHL at 19. 1 AHL game.

Michael Del Zotto – NHL at 19. 11 AHL games.

John Carlson – NHL at 19. 48 AHL games while recovering from an injury suffered the year before.

This is just from the first round of the 2008 NHL draft. That year, 12 defensemen were drafted in the first round. 9 of them were in the NHL as teens, another one at 20.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Well, those are first rounders, you may say. And? Being first round picks validates the talent thesis and eats away at conventional wisdom. But fair enough. In 2008, what players not drafted in the first round were playing NHL hockey in their teens?  No one. Jared Spurgeon missed it by a year and 23 AHL games. Jason Demers by a year and 78 AHL games. Roman Josi at 21 with no AHL games. There are a few other players who entered the league at 20 with a season or less of AHL time, but that’s 9 guys out of the first round of a draft playing in the NHL as teenagers.

So was 2008 an exception? Lets look at 2009:

Victor Hedman. NHL at 18. 0 games in AHL.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson – NHL at 19. 15 AHL games.

Jared Cowen- NHL at 18. 3 AHL games during the lockout.

Ryan Ellis – NHL at 20. 0 AHL games.

Dmitri Kulikov – NHL at 19. 0 AHL games.

Nick Leddy – NHL at 19. 0 AHL games.

This is the first round of the 2009 entry draft. Of the 12 defensemen drafted in that first round, 6 were NHL regulars as teens, and 2 more were regulars at 20. 3 have had cups of coffee by 20, and one, based on recent history of first round picked defensemen and their developmental arc, can be considered a bust. His name may ring a bell. He was traded for twice in order to be taken 12th overall, but is tied for least NHL games actually played in that round, and “wins” least NHL games played by a defenseman.  Although not a deep draft for defensemen, the Islanders 5th round pick that year made his NHL debut at age 19 as well – Anton Klementyev- and currently has as many career NHL games as their first round defenseman selection, Calvin De haan.

2010? 7 first round defensemen. 2 were playing in their teens without any AHL games. Islander fans, be glad that the Rangers thought Dylan McIlrath was going to be a better scoring defenseman than Cam Fowler. Islander fans, hang your head to the thought that Nino Niederreiter would be a better scoring wing than Jeff Skinner (31 NHL goals at age 18 as he won rookie of the year).

2011? This must have been a weak draft class. Thus far, the entire 7 rounds have produced 15 players who have seen ice time in the NHL, and only 2 out of the first round. That said, 3 of the 15 are defenseman playing in the NHL as teens, although 11 defensemen were first round draft picks.

2012 was considered a defenseman’s draft, but again, that can be seen as an inappropriate assessment, as 11 defensemen were selected in 2011 and 12 were selected in both 2008 and 2009. Guess these guys have short memories? Anyway, of the 5 players playing in the NHL from this entire draft, none are defensemen. That’s unusual, but maybe the lockout had an effect on scouting, or the lack of camps didn’t leave a guy a good shot. We do know that Ryan Murray was being penciled in to start the season as a top pairing guy in Columbus before a shoulder injury sidelined him, and the names Dumba, Trouba, Reinhart, Ceci, and Maatta are all whispered in the media to be on NHL rosters next year at 19. Maybe even a Ville Pokka or an Adam Pelech gets a camp invite for team Cap Floor with a Trap Door.

Hey Charles, sell advertising on my ass!

Here’s an odd little stat. From the 2007 draft first round, only ONE of the 11 defensemen drafted in the first round that year missed out on playing in the NHL – Nick Ross, drafted by Phoenix. The one with the latest NHL debut? #4 overall, Thomas Hickey

So to wrap up, since 2008, 18 first round picks were NHL regulars as teenagers. That’s 3 teams entire defensive corps. When you roll that age up to 20, those numbers get even larger. To extrapolate that, if you made up 3 teams D from teens, 3 teams from 20 year olds, 3 from 21 year olds, etc they’d be no one older than 29 playing defense in the NHL. We know that there are 30somethings on D, so that just makes it more competitive for the younger ones needing to be excellent just to get a starting job. Time is a factor in creating NHL caliber defensemen, but the WAY heavier weight in the equation that creates an NHL defenseman its ability. When ability needs to be refined, that’s when time becomes a factor of developing that ability, as evidenced by many first round defensive picks getting regular shifts at age 20, as well as a small cross section (because we got tired coming to the same conclusion again and again) of other players of interest that weren’t first rounders:

Shea Weber – NHL at 20. 46 AHL games. Second round pick. Milbury took Robert Nilsson two picks before Zach Parise, but just as bad is Dmitri Chernykh one pick before Shea Weber.

Ryan Suter – NHL at 20. 63 AHL games. Nashville got Suter and Weber in the same draft. Remember when Milbury tried the same thing with Kristian Kudroc and Branislav Mezei?

We’re not blaming Snow for those Milbury picks, obviously. We do, however, notice a correlation between ownerships and lack of accountability for drafted players. Could it be because the team was never important to the owner? Could it have been a purchase for a team in order to get the land that they play on? OOOHHH did we just foreshadow a future piece? Stay tuned, and feel free to comment.

We could go on and on, but research shows us that if a defenseman drafted in the first round isn’t getting a regular shift by the age of 20, he’s not getting a regular shift ever. Players taken in later rounds (2 or 3) get a little bit of a pass because of the lowered expectation and talent level, but even then, 20-21 is when they should be getting looks, which makes the debut of Thomas Hickey both suspect but  typical Islanders waiver wire wishes. This also begs the question, why are neither Matt Donovan or Aaron Ness on this team? Statistically, we already know we won’t ever see Calvin “No Shoulders, Mats Lindgren 2” DeHann contributing, or play in the NHL.  We, like many Islanders fans, are hoping Griffen Reinhart is here next year.  If he is not, well, reread the article. Come to think of it, why are a number of players not on this team, because we know it’s not because of development.  As, it was stated earlier, we sense another piece.  As always, in the future, expect more of the same.

Stay tuned for future hockey myths debunked…The two goal lead is the worst lead in hockey, there is not place in the NHL for small players, Garth Snow would be a fine GM with resources, Charles Wang is not using the Islanders to make money in other endeavors, Josh Bailey is more than a nice guy and Sean Avery does not own the Blue Oyster Bar.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Dearborn, Michigan native Chris Tamer grew up watching Bob Probert play hockey. Tamer even had a picture of the rugged Detroit Red Wings battler on his wall when he was attending college at the University of Michigan. It was the only photo on his wall, he says.

Probert will always evoke memories as one of the toughest, most besieged players in National Hockey League annals. Those who played with and against him during the sixteen seasons he skated for the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks also recollect that at the peak of his career he was able to land the puck in the net.

“I admired not only how he showed up against the toughest but how he fought for his team,” says Chris Tamer, 42. “He made the teams he played on better.  I truly believed he made the players on his team better.”

As a tough, young scrapper at the start of his third season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Tamer knew that a clash with Probert on October 12, 1995 was inevitable. It would be Probert’s first regular season fight as a Chicago Blackhawk.

“I watched videos of Probert and Kocur,” says Tamer. “I must have seen the majority of his fights. When I stepped on the ice during warm-ups, I immediately sought him out. For me it was a great experience just to skate on the same ice with him.”

Chicago had a 4-0 lead at home when a small fracas broke out midway through the third period. Earlier in the game, Probert had offered the challenge, but Tamer rebuffed.

“We played two periods, and then the game was out of hand in the third.  The game started getting tougher and the fourth line guys got more ice time.  During the shift, something broke out and I figured I was going to see if he would fight.  I knew much more about him than he did about me.  I was also younger and maybe a bit more willing.”

Tamer caught Probert with a solid left hand that dropped the aging warrior and bloodied his upper lip.

The loss to Tamer perhaps was the beginning of the end of Probert’s reign as heavyweight champion, and certainly contributed to the inevitable trouncing of his once awesome mystique.

“He was past his prime,” says Tamer. “He was getting tested by many younger players looking to make a name for themselves.  In my mind he was the best fighter ever to play the game.  It was a privilege to fight him.”

In 644 NHL regular season games, Tamer played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers and Atlanta Thrashers over a period of twelve years. A smart stay-at-home defenseman never reluctant to play physically, he collected 1,183 penalty minutes, including a career-high 181 in 1997-98. That same season with the Pens, Tamer amassed a career-high 15 fighting majors, including bouts with Stu Grimson, Sandy McCarthy and a pair with Louie Debrusk.

With the advent and proliferation of You Tube, fights such as the one he had with Probert and the pair of scraps against Craig Berube in early 1999 are a permanent part Tamer’s legacy and reputation.

“I do think it is a bit embarrassing when people bring it up,” says Tamer, owner and head trainer at CrossFit Brighton in Michigan and married father of three. “I still hear people come up to me saying their kids ‘You Tubed’ me.  I have to tell my youngest daughter to stop searching for You Tube clips of me.”

Even though the threat of injury from a hockey fight is exceptionally low, fighting has taken a solid hidden cost on the psyches of some of the game’s toughest guys. Since the NHL’s dreadful summer of 2011, in which three players – Wade Belak, Derek Boogaard, and Rick Rypien, all prolific fighters – died at their own hand, the discussion quickly shifted to whether or not injuries they incurred while fighting were somehow to blame.

“I wish I knew more about the effects of fighting but I don’t,” says Tamer. “There are many former NHL fighters that move on to successful careers.  It is a shame that some suffer side effects.  That is a big topic with the NFL now.  I do think the leagues should continue to investigate the connection and causes.”

Tamer says that fighting definitely has its place in hockey. He says that it serves a valuable purpose to the game when used appropriately and that he rarely saw the act of dropping the mitts as anything but an occupational obligation.

“Most tough guys in the NHL don’t dislike their combatants,” says Tamer. “There is a huge respect as they know what each other goes through on a nightly basis.”

Early in his career, Tamer discovered that many of the game’s roughest players possessed contrary off-ice demeanors. And that the line between personal and professional was one that could be drawn.

“One of my first years playing,” says Tamer, “I fought Brad May (February 9, 1995). We had a good fight that night.  I saw him later a restaurant and he bought me a beer.  I was caught off guard, but goes to show you that these are some of the nicest players around.”

After covering all aspects of the Snow rebuild – the on ice acquisitions, the redevelopment of a minor league system, the new arena’s impact on free agency- there is one area that is in DIRE need to a rebuild, more than even the outdoor concession stands at the Coliseum. The front office rebuild.

Snow has shown us three skills as a GM: convincing players to sign team friendly contracts, picking at leftovers from the waiver wire, and picking at leftovers in the players fridge. Seriously, the guy is aging like he’s the President of the United States. Snow needs to realize his limitations, and since he has limitless funds as he often reminds us and also per all of Wang’s public appearances, here’s the true rebuild being overlooked: hire some front office talent! Get a guy who can look at other players in the league and not be afraid to move roster players, prospects, or draft picks to acquire them. Get a guy who can organize a workforce so we don’t have to hear stories about how Zdeno Chara sat one afternoon stuffing envelopes for ticketholders- maybe that story is a reason free agents don’t target Long Island? And get a training staff in to help minimize the annual physical damage that the players absorb. Hire a nutritionist- not for the players, that one’s just for Garth. Pick up a head coach and staff who have more experience than coaching the Uniondale PAL hockey team. Give Capuano a job he’s better qualified for- making appearances as the celebrity look alike from Man vs Food. Too many weight jokes? Not on the power play, where a talented, respected former player is showing what talent can share with current players. Hire people from winning organizations to help bring that feel to yours. You’ve got a 6 year run without accountability- time to put the big boy shorts on and start winning.

And has anyone else noticed that often players, coaches or management leave the Islanders and become successful? Peter Laviolette has a cup and 2 finals appearances. Don Maloney finally learned how to be a GM in Phoenix. Ray Shero in Pittsburgh says hi. Ryan Jankowski is making out with P.K. Subban. Why is it that when people leave here they find success? It’s almost like our front office is the training wheels needed to learn the job, then you go somewhere else that adds expectations for results, and these guys are good to go. They learn how to screw up here, then become clutch like a Sean Bergenheim playoff run.

Because in the long run, it doesn’t matter if you’re drafting first or last (Detroit), winning is a mentality. JT91 has it. Doug Weight has it. Ryan Strome has it. This organization needs to bring in a front office that is respected and experienced, and has a winning history. If you have no restrictions on players, then show me. Then act the same way to other executives. Develop a winning culture. The Penguins analyze every game and shift to see how to make teams effective. Our video coach is Youtube. This mindset of being second rate must end. You need winners at the top, starting with ownership dedicated to more than making a land deal, and you need that attitude to expand beyond that circle. Sadly, right now the only thing we have that is circular and expanding is Garth Snow.

When it comes to the Islanders, there are two storied histories. One is the epic run including 19 consecutive playoff series wins, something not done by the likes of Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, Terry Bradshaw, or whatever teams you associate with winners. Speaking of associating with winners, one team that is universally not associated with winning are the Islanders. Four straight cups aside, this team has not won a playoff series in a generation. The ownership has either been interested in the land instead of the team, or been scammers, or both. The team’s history resembles that of Metallica- they were good, got better, peaked, and have been consistently awful…pretty much since the Islanders last won a playoff series.

Part One: Make a trade. Or actually, don’t.

The problem with this current  Brooklyn bound incarnation falls solely on management. For purpose of argument, ownership gets a pass today. Today we focus on the vision set forth by the general manager, Garth Snow. And when we say vision, we’re using the term loosely. Snow’s first job after retirement was the general manager of a major league sports organization. Maybe he interned there once, we don’t know. What we do know is that in his first season, Snow used to assets acquired by Mike Milbury and Neil Smith, made his only big time hockey trade, and made the playoffs. And learned NOTHING from it.

In Snow’s first season as general manager, he was named Sports Illustrated NHL Executive of the Year. And why not? He made a bold move, turning bad draft picks into Captain Canada, Ryan Smyth. He brought in defensive scoring via Marc-Andre Bergeron’s oversized slap shot. He brought in Richard Zednik, who at the time still had an unscathed external carotid artery. Long story short, he made hockey moves that pushed his team into the playoffs. Then something happened. Yes, the Islanders got beat up in the first round of the playoffs. A GM has to look at the playoff team and say “Can I make this better, or do I blow it up?” The answer for a successful organization would be “make it better.” The Red Wings do that. The Devils do that. The Flyers do that.

Yet Snow took it in a different direction. He CHOSE to be a loser. He chose to ignore what brought him success and instead dismantled what was a marginal playoff team into a perennial pile of pittances. He chose the path of least resistance- lose without accountability, spend as little as possible, and wonder why Nassau County doesn’t want to build you a fancy new arena to attract talent. Lets take a look at Snow’s track record regarding NHL talent.

Snow’s first team (albeit inherited) found success via trade. Makes sense. Snow knew who was lighting him up a few months ago, and brought those aforementioned guys in. But look at the trades since: Wisniewski for a third round pick. Visnovsky for a second round pick. Montoya for a sixth round pick. Guerin for a third round pick. Bergeron for a third round pick. The rights to talk to Christian Ehrhoff for a third round pick. We’re sensing a trend. Does Snow not trust his scouts? Or does he not trust his instincts in pulling an NHL trade trigger?

Lets look at trades requiring actual bodies: Alexei Zhitnik for Freddy Meyer. Mike York for Randy Robitallie. Dwayne Roloson for Ty Wishart. Denis Grebeshkov for Marc-Andre Bergeron. These trades are underwhelming in talent, and upon some inspection, reek of salary dumps. Hooray for cap flexibility and all that, especially now that you can trade cap hits, but how about actually using that flexibility? And if you want real cap flexibility, where’s the buyout on Mr. TenPercentofCapUsingaWalkerbyAge39?

Sure, Snow has traded draft pick positions for other draft pick positions, but what does that really mean? That you could take Brenden Kitchon with a 5th round pick because you moved up three slots? Great, except you pissed away an almost first round position pick (31st overall) with Mikko Koskinen in 2009. A player that may actually be a roster ready player today. Swapping draft position is good and all if you make a pick that works. If not, does it matter that when you went off of the board trading down to take Josh Bailey you could have kept trading down and had one of Colin Wilson, Michael Del Zotto, Cody Hodgson, Tyler Myers, Erik Karlsson, Luca Sbisa, Jordan Eberle or Tyler Ennis?

So, regarding actual NHL personnel, what should Snow do? How should he proceed? The answer to this riveting question will be in part four of this monologue. We bet you can’t wait! Well, suck it up, you’re going to wait.

Hello everyone and welcome again to the Hockey Independent Roundtable. In today’s piece, five HI writers will provide you all with their early picks for the playoffs ad the Stanley Cup. This piece will double as Part III of my five-part 2013 NHL season preview.

Part I –> Northeast Division Preview

Part II –> Eastern Conference Preview

Part III –> Hockey Independent Roundtable: Preseason Stanley Cup Predictions

Part IV –> Boston Bruins 2013 Roster Predictions: The Forwards

Part V –> Boston Bruins 2013 Roster Predictions: Defense/Goaltenders

Without further ado, here are the Stanley Cup picks for each member of the roundtable.

Seth Levin (New Jersey Devils) -

Round 1

1 Pittsburgh over 8 Tampa Bay, 2 Boston over 7 Buffalo, 3 Carolina over 6 Philadelphia, 5 New Jersey over 4 New York Rangers

8 Edmonton over 1 Vancouver, 2 Chicago over 7 Dallas, 3 Los Angeles over 6 St. Louis, 5 Colorado over 4 Detroit

Round 2

1 Pittsburgh over 5 New Jersey, 3 Carolina over 2 Boston

2 Chicago over 8 Edmonton, 3 Los Angeles over 5 Colorado

Round 3

1 Pittsburgh over 3 Carolina

2 Chicago over 3 Los Angeles

Stanley Cup

2 Chicago over 1 Pittsburgh

- Not going too out on a limb with my Stanley Cup final pick, with stars filling both rosters. It will be a rematch of the 1992 Finals, but this time I see the talent of Chicago prevailing in 6 games over Pittsburgh.  There’s obviously a lot of assumptions being made here, specifically between the pipes for both teams, and that health won’t be a major issue for either team, but my call is for things to fall in line for the Blackhawks to be crowned 2013 Stanley Cup champs.

Cris Cohen (New York Rangers) -

Round 1

1 New York Rangers over 8 New Jersey, 2 Washington over 7 Ottawa, 6 Carolina over 3 Boston, 4 Pittsburgh over 5 Philadelphia

1 St. Louis over 8 Detroit, 2 Vancouver over 7 Minnesota, 6 Phoenix over 3 Los Angeles, 5 Nashville over 4 Chicago

Round 2

1 New York Rangers over 6 Carolina, 4 Pittsburgh over 2 Washington

1 St. Louis over 6 Phoenix, 2 Vancouver over 5 Nashville

Round 3

1 New York Rangers over 4 Pittsburgh

1 St. Louis over 2 Vancouver

Stanley Cup

1 New York Rangers over 1 St. Louis Blues

- The Blues and Rangers approach hockey in very similarstyles. Ken Hitchcock and John Tortorella have put stock in goaltending and defense(finishing 1 and 3 respectively in goals against in 2011-12).Both teams haveworked to address the lack of offense that was a shortcoming last season. I don’tanticipate either team steamrolling their way to the final the way the Los Angeles Kings did last season, but better balance on both sides of the puckwill serve these teams well in the race to 16 wins.

The goaltending tandem of Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliotfor the Blues and the reigning Vezina winner Henrik Lundqvist for the Rangers, combinedwith shot-blocking defense from both teams all but ensures this will be atight, low-scoring affair. Being almost evenly matched in their own zones, itwill come down to which offense will be able to manage to get that extra goal thatputs them over the top. Blues’ top prospect Vladimir Tarasenko, for whom expectationsare high, will be a nice complement to the likes of David Backes and DavidPerron. In his time with Columbus, Rick Nash managed seven 30+ goal seasonswith a mediocre supporting cast and is now surrounded with better players inNew York like Marian Gaborik and Brad Richards. Neither Tarasenko (zero games)nor Nash (four games, all losses) has a proven playoff track record of “gettingit done.” I do, however, have to give the edge to the team with the former RocketRichard Trophy winner on its side.

Bill Philp (Tampa Bay Lightning) -

Round 1

1 Pittsburgh over 8 Philadelphia, 2 New York Rangers over 7 Carolina, 3 Boston over 6 Florida, 5 Tampa Bay over 4 Washington

1 Vancouver over 8 Nashville, 7 San Jose over 2 Los Angeles, 3 Chicago over 6 Detroit, 4 St. Louis over 5 Minnesota

Round 2

1 Pittsburgh over 5 Tampa Bay, 2 New York Rangers over 3 Boston

1 Vancouver over 7 San Jose, 3 Chicago over 4 St. Louis

Round 3

1 Pittsburgh over 2 New York Rangers

1 Vancouver over 3 Chicago

Stanley Cup

1 Pittsburgh over 1 Vancouver

- Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and the deepest roster in hockey were too much for the Canucks. Marc-Andre Fleury was dominating between the posts for the Penguins who win the series in five games.

Benjamin Woodward (Boston Bruins) -

Round 1

1 New York Rangers over 8 Toronto, 2 Boston over 7 Philadelphia, 6 Tampa Bay over 3 Carolina, 4 Pittsburgh over 5 Washington

1 St. Louis over 8 Minnesota, 7 Nashville over 2 Vancouver, 3 Los Angeles over 6 San Jose, 5 Dallas over 4 Chicago

Round 2

1 New York Rangers over 6 Tampa Bay, 2 Boston over 4 Pittsburgh

1 St. Louis over 7 Nashville, 3 Los Angeles over 5 Dallas

Round 3

2 Boston over 1 New York Rangers

1 St. Louis over 3 Los Angeles

Stanley Cup

2 Boston over 1 St. Louis

- At the risk of sounding like a complete homer, I’ve picked the Boston Bruins to take home the Stanley Cup in 2013 for the second time in the last three years. With the season shortened to 48 games, young goaltender Tuukka Rask will be placed in almost the same situation as he was three years ago when taking over for an injured Tim Thomas for half the year. During that short period of time, the Finnish netminder led the NHL in goals against and save percentage. Strong goaltending and one of the deepest, most well-rounded lineups in the league will lead Boston back to the promised-land in 2013.

Flickr User: bridgetds

In many ways, July 1 and the opening of unrestricted free agency is much like Christmas for hockey fans. Puck heads wake up early and rush to their living rooms early in the morning. But instead of checking underneath a Christmas tree, they’ll make a beeline straight towards the nearest computer. As the clock strikes noon and free agency becomes officially underway, fans remain glued to the internet in anticipation of the latest big news to break. In some cities, fans will receive the proverbial “coal” in their stocking when their hometown squad remains quiet and does little to improve the team. Luckier fans will receive the shiny new sports car they’d been hoping for when their team makes an impactful signing with the potential to alter the course of the franchise. As I type this up at 2 a.m. on July 1, 2012, hockey fans everywhere are overwhelmed with anxious excitement as this year’s free agent frenzy is now upon us.

In anticipation of tomorrow’s festivities, I’ve prepared ten (bold) predictions for the 2012 free agency period.

1) Zach Parise (New Jersey Devils) – LW – Minnesota Wild / 11-Years, $102 Million ($9.181 AAV)

– As I’ve said since January (and again in June), I firmly believe that the top free agent in the class of 2012 will be returning to his home state next season. While it is likely that Parise will want to play for an established winner, the contract offered by the Wild may blow the others so far out of the water, he’ll have no choice but to sign on the dotted line. (Note: I’ve revised the contract offer I had proposed in the Hockey Independent Offseason Predictions piece, published on June 23).

2) Ryan Suter (Nashville Predators) – D - Philadelphia Flyers / 6-Years, $43 Million ($7.167 AAV)

– Nashville’s 1B (1A is Shea Weber) blueliner is as good as it gets for defensemen in this year’s class of free agents. With captain Chris Pronger‘s health still severely in doubt, look for the Flyers to make a major play for Suter. Check out my in-depth analysis of a possible Suter-to-Philadelphia scenario here.

3) Alex Semin (Washington Capitals) – LW – Carolina Hurricanes / 4-Years, $25 Million ($6.250 AAV)

– In Carolina, Semin will have the chance to play top-six minutes in a system better suited to his skill set. Meanwhile, the ‘Canes are in search of a legitimate scoring winger to slot next to captain Eric Staal. It’s a match made it heaven.

4) Shane Doan (Phoenix Coyotes) – RW – Chicago Blackhawks / 3-Years, $12 Million ($4.000 AAV)

– The Coyotes finally broke through the second round of the playoffs last year, yet I don’t believe it will be enough to keep captain Shane Doan in town for next season. In Chicago, Doan will have the chance to contend for the Cup in each year of his contract.

5) Ray Whitney (Phoenix Coyotes) – LW – Boston Bruins / 1-Year, $3.75 Million ($3.750 AAV)

– The Bruins are a team that’s long been linked to aging veteran Ray Whitney. Expect the B’s to make a serious push for the former Stanley Cup winner, as general manager Peter Chiarelli has been quoted on his desire to add a “Mark Recchi” type player on multiple occasions.

6) Matt Carle (Philadelphia Flyers) – D – Detroit Red Wings / 5-Years, $28 Million ($5.600 AAV)

– After the Red Wings strike out on Ryan Suter, I believe their attention will quickly turn to the next best available defenseman, former Philadelphia Flyer Matt Carle. After seeing Dennis Wideman‘s mega deal with the Calgary Flames, Carle must have been foaming at the mouth with anticipation. Expect him to get slightly more than Wideman’s 5-year, $26.50 million dollar pact.

7) Jason Garrison (Florida Panthers) – D – Anaheim Ducks / 6-Years, $32 Million ($5.333 AAV)

– After a breakout season in 2011-’12, one would assume that Jason Garrison is ready to cash in on the first big-money contract of his career. The market for d-men is ridiculous inflated and will likely result in a 30-plus million dollar deal being faxed over to Garrison’s agent at some point this month. The Ducks are in a real bad spot on the blueline after losing both Lubomir Visnovsky and prospect Justin Schultz over the past week.

8) P.A. Parenteau (New York Islanders) – RW – Colorado Avalanche / 5-Years, $24 Million ($4.80 MIL)

– I’d expect Parenteau to be looking for a place where he’ll be able to consistently play top-six minutes. If I had to venture a guess, I’d say the Colorado Avalanche will be the most interested. Adding Parenteau to a top-six group that already includes Paul Stastny, Matt Duchene and Calder trophy winner Gabriel Landeskog would make the Avs a legitimate threat in the Northwest division.

9) Martin Brodeur (New Jersey Devils) – G – Florida Panthers / 1-Year, $3.25 Million ($3.250 AAV)

– The Panthers are in desperate need of a legitimate starting goaltender to help hold down the fort until superstar prospect Jacob Markstrom is ready to make the jump to full-time NHL goalie. Brodeur is a perfect short-term fix for a playoff-caliber Florida squad.

10) Kyle Wellwood (Winnipeg Jets) – C – Dallas Stars / 4-Years, $14 Million ($3.500 AAV)

– Wellwood is an undersized pivot who seems to have finally established himself as a top-six forward at the NHL level. In Dallas, he’d help replace a lot of the offense lost when the Stars sent Mike Ribiero to the Capitals on draft night.

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Today’s discussion will feature everyone’s opinion on one player that he or she believes will be on the move this summer and the ideal fit for that player’s new home.

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Seth Levin (@levinakl) –

Ray Whitney (LW, Phoenix Coyotes) To Pittsburgh — 1 Year, $4.00 Million ($4.00 AAV)

– Due to ownership issues and the resulting financial situation of his current team, I think it is all but a foregone conclusion that Ray Whitney will hit the free agency market come Sunday and will likely leave the Phoenix Coyotes. I think the three most likely destinations for Whitney would be the Carolina Hurricanes, Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins. I think Whitney still maintains his home in the Carolina area, after playing for five seasons there between 2005 and 2010.

At age 40, I think its fair to say Whitney won’t be expecting a long-term contract and will likely seek the maximum opportunity to win, quality of life for him and his family and fun. He seemed to really enjoy Phoenix, where he posted 24 goals and 53 assists and completing a two-year $6 million contract. While my guess is he’d prefer to stay in Phoenix, with too much uncertainly surrounding the team and the unlikelihood of them keeping the free agents together (including Captain Shane Doan), I see Whitney ending up with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and bringing his 365 career goals and 638 assists in 1229 games to play alongside Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and company. While the Penguins would prefer signing Zach Parise, I think Whitney will be a great fall back option and won’t tie up long-term dollars either.

From a personal standpoint, I remember seeing Whitney win the IHL All-Star Game MVP award back in 1991 at the Omni in Atlanta, when I was there with my Dad. I believe he had 3 goals and 3 assists in that game if I recall correctly, back when he was still just a prospect. He’s certainly come a long way from then, and will play for his 8th different franchise and could possibly put up 25-30 goals alongside Crosby. With a career high of 33 goals, I don’t foresee Whitney getting to number 400, but on the Penguins, I wouldn’t rule it out either. Whitney should be able to make a great impact where ever he ends up signing.

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Benjamin Woodward (@BWoodward_HI) – Trade!

To Boston: F Jarome Iginla

To Calgary: F Jordan Caron, F Ryan Spooner, 2013 First Round Draft Choice

– Upon placing the contract of injured center Marc Savard onto long-term injured reserve, the Boston Bruins will have enough room under the cap to make a major splash this summer. The question then becomes; will Peter Chiarelli have the motivation to make such a move?

The answer to that question is likely two-fold. Chiarelli has gone on record about his desire to add a top-nine forward, one that can fill the “Mark Recchi” role that was noticeably empty last season. However, it’s doubtful he’d be willing to sacrifice a member of his team’s core group to perform such a deal. This all leads me to believe that Calgary Flames’ captain Jarome Iginla is the perfect solution.

Iginla is the best of both worlds for Boston as he provides both intangibles and consistent offense. The Edmonton, Alberta native will turn 35 on Sunday and could supply the type of veteran savvy and leadership that Chiarelli seems to be searching for. Iginla has put together a remarkable run of 13-consecutive seasons with 28 or more goals and would allow the Bruins to slot a legitimate scoring winger next to developing superstar Tyler Seguin. The longtime-Calgary Flame would instantly become one of Boston’s go-to goal scorers and provide some insurance in case Nathan Horton hasn’t quite recovered from his second concussion in as many seasons.

Throughout their five-year rise to the top of the NHL, the Boston Bruins have seemingly subscribed to the New Jersey Devils’ salary structure. Under this formula, no player is paid more than team captain Zdeno Chara — or in the Devils’ case, Scott Stevens –. This of course worked out brilliantly for New Jersey, as the team would win three Stanley Cups during Stevens’ 13-year tenure with the franchise. A deal for Iginla would upset this balance as the current Calgary captain’s contract pays him $7.000 million annually, just a hair above Chara’s $6.9 million. However, with Iginla’s five-year contract set to expire after this season, Chiarelli and co. could sell the team on his “average” compensation after agreeing to an extension at a lesser cost.

For Calgary, moving on from Iginla would perhaps finally indicate the team’s readiness for a much-needed rebuild. In Caron and Spooner, the Flames pick up two young players capable of making immediate — and significant — contributions at the NHL level. Jordan Caron is a budding power forward and useful penalty-killer who could eventually evolve into a valuable two-way top-nine forward. Caron has 71 games of NHL experience with 10 goals and 12 assists to his credit.

Ryan Spooner – taken with the 32nd overall selection in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft — is an undersized forward with blazing speed and a tremendous offensive skill set. Spooner has been a consistent 60-point scorer in the OHL and has picked up seven points (3G/4A) in eight AHL contests. His tremendous intelligence and hockey-IQ has often drawn high praise from Bruins’ bench boss Claude Julien. The 20-year-old Ontario-native is set to go pro next season, but barring an unforeseen roster shake-up, seems to be stuck behind quite a few players on the Boston depth chart and may wind up in the American Hockey League. In Calgary, Spooner would have the chance to make an immediate impact in the NHL and perhaps even move back to his natural center position.

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Alex Muscat (@AlexMuscat73) – Trade!

To Toronto: G Roberto Luongo

To Vancouver: F Nazem Kadri, D Mike Komisarek

– The Maple Leafs desperately needs a starting goaltender and general manager Brian Burke wants to win now. Add those two situations together and this is where Roberto Luongo comes in. No matter what people say, even in Vancouver, Luongo is still a legit starting goalie in the NHL and he can provide that in Toronto.  He’s had seven straight 30-plus win seasons, including a 47 win campaign for the Canucks in 2006-07. In 55 games with the Canucks in 2011-12, Bobby Lu posted these numbers: 31-14-8 record with a 2.41 goals against average and a .919 save percentage with five shutouts. I’ll take that.

A fresh start would help all parties out, especially Nazem Kadri, who is only 21 and still has the potential to become a skilled forward in the NHL.

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Cris Cohen (@cc_927) –

Brandon Prust (LW, New York Rangers) to Anaheim — 3 Years $7.30 million ($2.43 AAV)

– Little did Rangers fans know when Glen Sather moved Ales Kotalik and Chris Higgins to Calgary it would be Brandon Prust and not Olli Jokinen that would be the coup in the deal.

It didn’t take long for Prust to become a fan favorite with his hard-nosed style and his willingness to fight players well above his weight class. He became an important part of the penalty kill, scoring 5 of his 13 goals in 2010-11 shorthanded. Prust was the fans’ choice for the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award, playing in all 82 games even with an injured thumb and a shoulder that needed offseason surgery.

In 2011-12 Prust wasn’t able to replicate his 13G, 16A offensive output of the previous year but still remained an integral part of what gave the  Rangers their “Black and Blueshirt” reputation. Despite tearing a tendon in his left ring finger in January that required offseason surgery, he played in all 82 games and tied the Bruins’ Shawn Thornton for the League lead in fighting majors with 20.

Prust was a downright bargain at a $800,000 cap hit and understandably is looking for a raise.  Reportedly both the Rangers and Prust, represented by a new agent, remain far apart on how much that raise should be. Prust is one of my favorite players and much as it pains me to say it, hockey is a business and  I don’t think that gap closes as the Rangers focus their dollars on upgrading the offense and bolstering the defense.

There will be teams out there interested in what he brings to the table. Prust would be an ideal fit on the Anaheim Ducks, who may be parting ways with George Parros. He’ll eat up more minutes, is capable of providing more offense than Parros and can help a penalty kill that was 16th in the League last season. By no means is Prust anywhere close to Parros physically, but he would definitely bring just as much toughness in defending his teammates.

***************

S/T To Flickr Users bridgetds (Whitney), dinur (Iginla), carsonballer14 (Luongo) and dbostrom (Prust) for the pictures.

Part I –> 1-5 (Edmonton, Columbus, Montreal, New York Islanders, Toronto)

Part II –> 6-10 (Anaheim, Minnesota, Carolina, Winnipeg, Tampa Bay)

Part III –> 11-15 (Washington, Buffalo, Dallas, Calgary, Ottawa)

Part IV –> 16-20 (Washington, San Jose, Chicago, Tampa Bay, Philadelphia)

Part V –> 21-25 (Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Florida, Boston, St. Louis)

Part VI –> 26-30 (Vancouver, Phoenix, New York Rangers, New Jersey, Los Angeles)

In today’s piece, I will simply run through the final recap of this year’s mock draft and provide you all with a few statistics on the selections. Here are the final results from the 2012 Hockey Independent NHL Mock Draft:

1) Nail Yakupov (RW) — Edmonton Oilers (Levin)

2) Alex Galchenyuk (C) — Columbus Blue Jackets (Cohen)

3) Mikhail Grigorenko (C) — Montreal Canadiens (Philp)

4) Ryan Murray (D) — New York Islanders (Woodward)

5) Filip Forsberg (RW) — Toronto Maple Leafs (Muscat)

6) Griffin Reinhart (D) — Anaheim Ducks (Woodward)

7) Mathew Dumba (D) — Minnesota Wild (Cohen)

8) Cody Ceci (D) — Carolina Hurricanes (Muscat)

9) Morgan Rielly (D) — Winnipeg Jets (Levin)

10) Jacob Trouba (D) — Tampa Bay Lightning (Philp)

11) Teuvo Teravainen (RW) — Washington Capitals (Woodward)

12) Radek Faksa (C) — Buffalo Sabres (Cohen)

13) Brendan Gaunce (C) — Dallas Stars (Muscat)

14) Olli Maatta (D) — Calgary Flames (Philp)

15) Ludvig Bystrom (D) — Ottawa Senators (Levin)

16) Brady Skjei (D) — Washington Capitals (Woodward)

17) Zemgus Girgensons (C) — San Jose Sharks (Levin)

18) Oscar Dansk (G) — Chicago Blackhawks (Muscat)

19) Malcolm Subban (G) — Tampa Bay Lightning (Philp)

20) Matthew Finn (D) — Philadelphia Flyers (Cohen)

21) Tom Wilson (RW) — Buffalo Sabres (Muscat)

22) Slater Koekkoek (D) — Pittsburgh Penguins (Levin)

23) Scott Laughton (C) — Florida Panthers (Cohen)

24) Sebastian Collberg (RW) — Boston Bruins (Woodward)

25) Derrick Pouliot (D) — St. Louis Blues (Philp)

26) Colton Sissons (C) — Vancouver Canucks (Philp)

27) Tomas Hertl (C) — Phoenix Coyotes (Muscat)

28) Stefan Matteau (C) — New York Rangers (Cohen)

29) Daniil Zharkov (LW) — New Jersey Devils (Levin)

30) Pontus Aberg (LW) — Los Angeles Kings (Woodward)

Now that we’ve finished reviewing the results of this year’s draft, let’s take a look at some of the demographics.

By Position:

Defense — 11

Center — 9

Right Wing — 5

Left Wing — 3

Goaltender — 2

By League:

Ontario Hockey League — 12

Western Hockey League — 6

Elitserien League (Sweden) — 5

Quebec Major Junior Hockey League — 1

United States Hockey League/ Development Program — 4

SM-Liiga (Finland) — 1

CEL (Czech Republic) — 1

We’d like to thank you all for following along with our 2012 Mock draft this spring. Be sure to stay tuned to HockeyIndependent.com this summer for all your hockey reading needs as our staff provides breaking news stories on trades, free agency and all offseason musings around the NHL.

Part I –> 1-5 (Edmonton, Columbus, Montreal, New York Islanders, Toronto)

Part II –> 6-10 (Anaheim, Minnesota, Carolina, Winnipeg, Tampa Bay)

Part III –> 11-15 (Washington, Buffalo, Dallas, Calgary, Ottawa)

Part IV –> 16-20 (Washington, San Jose, Chicago, Tampa Bay, Philadelphia)

Part V –> 21-25 (Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Florida, Boston, St. Louis)

Part VI –> 26-30 (Vancouver, Phoenix, New York Rangers, New Jersey, Los Angeles)

Without further ado, here is Part VI of our 2012 NHL Mock Draft……

 26) Vancouver Canucks — Colton Sissons (C) — Kelowna Rockets (WHL)

GM: Bill Philp

Synopsis: In his WHL rookie season, the 6’1”, 190 lbs. center scored 41 points in 63 games and was a team best +15. He is a well-rounded player who leads by example and comes to play every night. Sissons has a big body and possesses great on ice awareness and IQ.

NHL Comparable: Ryan Kesler (Vancouver Canucks)

27) Phoenix Coyotes — Tomas Hertl (C) — Slavia (Czech Republic)

GM: Alex Muscat

Synopsis: Representing the Czech Republic for the first time in the World Junior Championships, Hertl was tied for the team lead in scoring with three goals and two assists in six games. As an 18-year old playing against the league’s best for Slavia, Hertl fared very well. Having a nose for the net to go along with his playmaking abilities, he uses his size to protect the puck and he isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty along the boards either. A concern regarding Hertl is his skating and regardless which team selects him, it is something that they have to work with him on. He has the potential to become a top-six forward in the NHL. 

NHL Comparable: Patrik Elias (New Jersey Devils)

 28) New York Rangers — Stefan Matteau (C) — U.S. NTDP

GM: Cris Cohen

Synopsis: The Rangers have several players in their fold with NHL bloodlines (Ryan Bourque, Christian Thomas) and Rangers ties (Derek Stepan, Tim Erixon) and while this 18-year-old possesses one of the biggest names in Rangers lore, it’s not why they select him. Matteau possesses size (currently 6’1″, 210 pounds) that is missing from many Rangers prospects and will use it in both offensive and defensive situations. While he’s not going to light the lamp on a regular basis (10 goals in 61 games this season), he’s willing to go to the net and take the punishment to pick up garbage goals. His meanness is both an asset and a liability as he is prone to going overboard and taking bad penalties. He will need to learn how to walk the fine line between playing on the edge effectively and being undisciplined. Rather than attend college at North Dakota, Matteau has opted play in the QMJHL next year to further his development.

NHL Comparable: Patrice Bergeron (Boston Bruins)

 29) New Jersey Devils – Daniil Zharkov (LW) — Belleville Bulls (OHL)

GM: Seth Levin

Synopsis: The New Jersey Devils are an interesting case in terms of a Mock Draft this season. It is the expectation of most they will forfeit their 2012 selection to complete the penalty in the “KovalGate” contract saga from the summer of 2010. They have to make a selection the day after the Stanley Cup Final ends as to whether or not they choose to forfeit the pick this season, and it is down to either this season or next. If by chance they stay in the first round of the 2012 draft, I think Daniil Zharkov would be a good fit for the Devils.  At 6’3” 200 lbs, Zharkov has the size scouts like, and has a lot of skill to match, tantalizing scouts at times with his offensive abilities, both stick-handling and shooting. However, he does have the label of not always being “into the game,” not utilizing his size enough and too often staying to the outside and waiting for the game to come to him, rather than helping to make something happen. He sometimes doesn’t realize how best to utilize his skill set during games.  In the end, while Zharkov seems to be a bit of a project, there is a big potential payout if the time is taken to develop him and everything comes together. There definitely is a high risk, high reward feel to any team that picks Zharkov, but it is no doubt the potential high reward of why a team would pull the trigger.  He has shown improvement each year in the North American leagues, but needs to develop better hockey sense to team with a good work ethic, which will be the key in determining whether Zharkov becomes a boom or bust.  To give you an idea based on fellow Russians of the recent past, Zharkov could become anywhere from the next game breaker (Alexei Kovalev?), or the next big disappointment (Viktor Kozlov?). I think if the Devils draft Zharkov, they would give him the time he would need to develop and he could be a fine addition to the Devils’ forward prospects, especially to offset some of their current prospects up front that might be undersized such as Mattias Tedenby or even Jacob Josefson.

NHL Comparable: Alex Semin (Washington Capitals)

 30) Los Angeles Kings — Pontus Aberg (LW) — Djugarden (Sweden)

GM: Benjamin Woodward

Synopsis: What can I say here, folks? The rich continue to get richer. Fresh off the first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history, the Los Angeles Kings get the chance to add yet another high-end talent to their already absurdly deep pool of prospects. General Manager Dean Lombardi (Ludlow, MA) will be delighted to find speedy winger Pontus Aberg fall into his lap at the end of the first round. Aberg may, in fact, be the most well-rounded player in this year’s draft class. His otherworldly speed and nose for the net allow him the potential to become a thirty-plus goal scorer at the NHL level. Along with his excellent offensive upside, the six-foot Swede also possesses a grinding element to his game, that would allow him to fit in nicely on the third line for a team as deep as the Kings.

NHL Comparable: Thomas Vanek (Buffalo Sabres)

As a hockey fan, especially when you’re passionate about it, you like to think the only reason there are people who don’t like the game is because they haven’t experienced it yet. Personally, I’ve lost count of the number of people I’ve taken to their first NHL game – everyone always has a great time, and they pretty much always come back.

It was good while it lasted.

This is part of what really breaks my heart about the entire situation with the Phoenix Coyotes.

Sure, a lot of what the players did this postseason was pretty obnoxious, but the fact is they managed to hang in there for three rounds (even ousting my beloved Blackhawks) before eventually falling to the Los Angeles Kings.

The fact that the Western Conference Final was between the Phoenix Coyotes and Los Angeles Kings – think about that. Two places where hockey isn’t an indigenous sport, two places where Wayne Gretzky left an indelible mark, for better or worse.

But here we are, with the Kings on the cusp of history – either their first Stanley Cup championship, or the authors of the most colossal failure in the history of the game. But they’re there, with a beautiful arena that they share with two NBA franchises, and they are currently the toast of the town.

The Coyotes? They are the principal tenants in Jobing.com Arena, which sits in a shopping mall in Glendale Arizona, which is 45 minutes from anywhere. Now, don’t get me wrong – the arena is a first-class facility, and the surrounding area has a great atmosphere. But the fact that the Coyotes are a team that has an identity that isn’t where they reside – that can work when you’re in the NFL and you’re the Giants or Jets and you’re a 10 minute drive from the place that gives you identity (not to mention generations of fans willing to make the trek for 8 home games a year), not in the NHL where most of your history happened in Manitoba.

So here we are. Three years ago the Coyotes became the property of the NHL after Jerry Moyes declared bankrputcy. Moyes tried selling the team to Jim Balsillie, but the league didn’t want the team in Hamilton. The league was actually correct about Hamilton, but that’s for another day.

Since then, Jerry Reinsdorf and Matthew Hulsizer have kicked the tires on ownership. The problem has always been the lease, which made it virtually impossible for the Coyotes to turn a profit.

So in comes Greg Jamison. He’s got solid credentials as former CEO of the San Jose Sharks. He made hockey vital in San Jose. The guy can make chicken salad out of chicken droppings. Only one teensy problem: he has no money. Despite that, the City of Glendale made a deal on a 20 year lease. A lease that meant the Coyotes could make deep runs into the playoffs every year, and the arena could run a slate of 30 sellout concerts every year, and Glendale would still hemorrhage money. Oh, and they just announced they are cutting services, laying of employees, and dipping into city resources to pay for the team.

Enter the Goldwater Institute. The Goldwater folks have announced they will work to block the vote on the lease agreement by the Glendale City Council. Whatever your political leaning might be, their point is valid. Why should a city that’s going broke forfeit millions of dollars?

It’s almost as if the NHL and the City of Glendale have been stuck in a lousy marriage, and have been staying together for the kids, the Coyotes’ fans. Truth is, everything happening here – the broke buyer, the city agreeing to a lease that they had to have known the Goldwater Institute would block faster than Mike Smith on a Blues’ shot – seems to be nothing but stalling.

At some point in the next week, Gary Bettman will walk out to an ocean of boos to hand the Stanley Cup to either Zach Parise or Dustin Brown. Shortly thereafter, the plug will have to be pulled on the Phoenix Coyotes. It simply appears that Bettman has tried to hold off the inevitable until the Cup could be skated.

So as much as I would have loved to see the game succeed in the desert, the breaks just never went the right way. Let’s face it – they were a great underdog story this year, the Charlestown Chiefs come to life. A team teetering financially wins their division, plays to packed houses in the playoffs, gets to the Conference Final before the clock struck twelve.

But now the loved ones are gathered. It’s time to pull the plug.

Here is the leader-board through the first three rounds of this year’s playoffs:

1) Woodward –> 10-for-14

2) Levin –> 10-for-14

3) Philp –> 7-for-14

4) Muscat –> 7-for-14

5) Cohen –> 6-for-14

Stanley Cup Finals

(8) Los Angeles Kings vs. (6) New Jersey Devils

Cohen– Kings win in 6 . X-Factor –> Devils’ Fourth Line

Philp– Devils win in 6. X-Factor –> New Jersey’s Aggressive Forecheck

Muscat– Kings win in 7. X-Factor –> Kings’ Power-Play

Levin– Devils win in 7 . X-Factor –> Ilya Kovalchuk

Woodward– Kings win in 6. X-Factor –> Can Mark Fayne and Andy Greene shut down the Anze Kopitar line?

Conn Smythe Award

Cohen– Dustin Brown (Los Angeles Kings)

Philp– Ilya Kovalchuk (New Jersey Devils)

Muscat– Jonathan Quick (Los Angeles Kings)

Levin– Ilya Kovalchuk (New Jersey Devils)

Woodward– Dustin Brown (Los Angeles Kings)

Here is the leader-board through the first two rounds of this year’s playoffs:

1) Woodward –> 9-for-12

2) Philp –> 6-for-12

3) Levin –> 2-for-4

4) Muscat –> 6-for-12

5) Cohen –> 5-for-12

Eastern Conference

(6) New Jersey Devils vs. (1) New York Rangers

Cohen– Rangers win in 7 . X-Factor –> Devils’ Record-Breaking Penalty Kill vs. Rangers’ Lifeless Power-Play

Philp– Devils win in 7. X-Factor –> Martin Brodeur

Muscat– Rangers win in 7. X-Factor –> Rangers’ Third Line

Levin– Devils win in 7 . X-Factor –> Adam Henrique

Woodward– Rangers win in 7. X-Factor –> New York’s Power-Play

Western Conference

(8) Los Angeles Kings vs. (3) Phoenix Coyotes

Cohen–  Kings win in 7. X-Factor –> Mike Smith vs. Jonathan Quick: Who Cracks First?

Philp– Coyotes win in 6. X-Factor –> Mike Smith

Muscat– Kings win in 5. X-Factor –> Jonathan Quick

Levin– Kings win in 6. X-Factor –> Drew Doughty

Woodward– Kings win in 6. X-Factor –>Mike Richards/Jeff Carter Line

Stanley Cup Finals

Cohen (Edit #2)– Rangers Over Kings

Philp (Edit #2)– Devils Over Coyotes

Muscat (Edit #2)– Rangers Over Kings

Levin–                    Devils Over Kings

Woodward (Edit #1)– Kings Over Rangers

Conn Smythe Award

Cohen– Henrik Lundqvist (New York Rangers)

Philp– Zach Parise (New Jersey Devils)

Muscat– Henrik Lundqvist (New York Rangers)

Levin– Ilya Kovalchuk (New Jersey Devils)

Woodward– Jonathan Quick (Los Angeles Kings)

Here is the press release from the Predators,

Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that forwards Alexander Radulov and Andrei Kostitsyn will not play Game Three of the team’s Western Conference Semifinals series vs. the Phoenix Coyotes as result of violating team rules.

“The Nashville Predators have a few simple rules centered around doing the right things,” Poile said. “We have always operated with a team-first mentality and philosophy. Violating team rules is not fair to our team and their teammates.”The Predators trail the Coyotes in their semi final series 2-0. Tthe third game of this series is in Nashville at Bridgestone Arena.

While this certainly removes two offensive threats from the Predators line up, I commend GM David Poile and the team for the consistent application of the team rules and not bowing to playoff pressure.

The nature of the violation is unknown at this time. Both Kostitsyn and Radulov are on the ice at the morning practice for the Predators.

Eastern Conference

(7) Washington Capitals vs. (1) New York Rangers

Cohen– Rangers win in 7 . X-Factor –> Marc Staal

Philp– Capitals win in 7. X-Factor –> Capitals’ Penalty-Kill

Muscat– Rangers win in 7. X-Factor –> Rangers’ Third Line

Levin– Rangers win in 7 . X-Factor –> Michael Del Zotto

Woodward– Rangers win in 6. X-Factor –> Dan Girardi

(6) New Jersey Devils vs. (5) Philadelphia Flyers

Cohen– Flyers win in 6. X-Factor –> Ilya Bryzgalov

Philp– Flyers win in 5. X-Factor –> Philadelphia’s Prolific Power-Play

Muscat– Flyers win in 6. X-Factor –> Ilya Bryzgalov

Levin– Devils win in 7. X-Factor –> Patrik Elias

Woodward– Flyers win in 5. X-Factor –> Martin Brodeur’s Ability To Overcome Father Time

Western Conference

(8) Los Angeles Kings vs. (2) St. Louis Blues

Cohen–  Blues win in 7. X-Factor –> David Perron

Philp– Blues win in 6. X-Factor –> The Blues’ Defense

Muscat– Blues win in 7. X-Factor –> T.J. Oshie

Levin– Blues win in 6. X-Factor –> Jamie Langenbrunner

Woodward– Kings win in 7. X-Factor –>Mike Richards

(4) Nashville Predators vs. (3) Phoenix Coyotes

Cohen– Predators win in 6. X-Factor –> Mike Fisher

Philp– Coyotes win in 6. X-Factor –> Mike Smith

Muscat– Predators win in 5. X-Factor –> Alexander Radulov

Levin– Predators win in 5. X-Factor –>Patric Hornqvist

Woodward– Predators win in 6. X-Factor –> Phoenix’s Secondary Scoring

Stanley Cup Finals

Cohen (Edit)– Rangers Over Predators

Muscat (Edit)– Blues Over Rangers

Philp (Edit)– Capitals Over Coyotes

Woodward (Original)– Rangers Over Predators

Eastern Conference

(8) Ottawa Senators vs. (1) New York Rangers

Cohen– Rangers win in 7 . X-Factor –> Brandon Dubinsky

Muscat– Rangers win in 6. X-Factor –> Ryan Callahan

Philp– Rangers win in 5 . X-Factor –> Henrik Lundqvist/Rangers’ Physicality

Woodward– Rangers win in 7. X-Factor –> Chris Phillips/Filip Kuba

(7) Washington Capitals vs. (2) Boston Bruins

Cohen– Bruins win in 6. X-Factor –> Nicklas Backstrom

Muscat– Bruins win in 4. X-Factor –> Brad Marchand

Philp– Capitals win in 7. X-Factor –> Alexander Ovechkin

Woodward– Bruins win in 6. X-Factor –> Boston’s Power-Play

(6) New Jersey Devils vs. (3) Florida Panthers

Cohen– Devils win in 6. X-Factor –> David Clarkson

Muscat– Devils win in 5. X-Factor –> David Clarkson

Philp– Devils win in 6. X-Factor –> A Healthy Martin Brodeur

Woodward– Devils win in 6. X-Factor –> Florida’s Secondary Scoring

(5) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (4) Pittsburgh Penguins

Cohen–  Penguins win in 7. X-Factor –> Ilya Bryzgalov

Muscat– Penguins win in 6. X-Factor –> Marc-Andre Fleury

Philp– Penguins win in 5. X-Factor –> Pittsburgh’s Depth/Matt Cooke

Woodward– Flyers win in 7. X-Factor –> Ilya Bryzgalov

Western Conference

(8) Los Angeles Kings vs. (1) Vancouver Canucks

Cohen–  Canucks win in 6. X-Factor –> Jonathan Quick

Muscat– Kings win in 7. X-Factor –> Jonathan Quick

Philp– Kings win in 7. X-Factor –> Jonathan Quick

Woodward– Kings win in 7. X-Factor –> Jonathan Quick

(7) San Jose Sharks vs. (2) St. Louis Blues

Cohen– Blues win in 6. X-Factor –> Andy McDonald

Muscat– Blues win in 5. X-Factor –> Alex Pietrangelo

Philp– Sharks win in 6. X-Factor –> Joe Thornton Exorcising Playoff Demons

Woodward– Blues win in 5. X-Factor –> Antti Niemi

(6) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (3) Phoenix Coyotes

Cohen– Blackhawks win in 6. X-Factor –> Keith Yandle

Muscat– Coyotes win in 6. X-Factor –> Mike Smith

Philp– Coyotes win in 6. X-Factor –> Mike Smith/Phoenix Defense

Woodward– Coyotes win in 7. X-Factor –> Corey Crawford

(5) Detroit Red Wings vs. (4) Nashville Predators

Cohen– Predators win in 6. X-Factor –> Alexander Radulov

Muscat– Red Wings win in 7. X-Factor –> Pavel Datsyuk

Philp– Red Wings win in 6. X-Factor –> Detroit’s Special Teams

Woodward– Predators win in 7. X-Factor –> Detroit’s Second Line

Stanley Cup Finals

Cohen– Penguins Over Predators

Muscat– Red Wings Over Penguins

Philp– Red Wings Over Penguins

Woodward– Rangers Over Predators

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! 

I’ll use the top seven defensemen of each team as a reference and will take the financial numbers from CapGeek.com. Players that are injured are included in the calculation.

1. Philadelphia Flyers – $24,33 millions 25 games 15 wins 7 losses 3 OTL 33 points (5th EC)
Kimmo Timonen – $6,333,333
Chris Pronger – $4,921,429
Andrej Meszaros – $4,000,000
Matt Carle – $3,437,500
Braydon Coburn – $3,200,000
Matt Walker – $1,700,000
Andreas Lilja – $737,500

2. Los Angeles Kings – $22.56 millions 26 games 13 wins 9 losses 4 OTL 30 points (7th WC)
Drew Doughty – $7,000,000
Jack Johnson – $4,357,143
Willie Mitchell – $3,500,000
Rob Scuderi – $3,400,000
Matt Greene – $2,950,000
Alec Martinez – $737,500
Davis Drewiske – $616,667

3. Winnipeg Jets – $22.30 millions 26 games 11 wins 11 losses 4 OTL 26 points (11th EC)
Dustin Byfuglien – $5,200,000
Ron Hainsey – $4,500,000
Tobias Enstrom – $3,750,000
Johnny Oduya – $3,500,000
Zach Bogosian – $2,500,000
Mark Stuart – $1,700,000
Randy Jones – $1,150,000

4. Toronto Maple Leafs – $22.04 millions 26 games 14 wins 10 losses 2 OTL 30 points (6th EC)
Dion Phaneuf – $6,500,000
Mike Komisarek – $4,500,000
John-Michael Liles – $4,200,000
Luke Scheen – $3,600,000
Carl Gunnarsson – $1,325,000
Jake Gardiner – $1,116,667
Cody Franson – $800,000

5. Phoenix Coyotes – $21.48 millions 25 games 13 wins 9 losses 3 OTL 29 points (9th WC)
Keith Yandle – $5,250,000
Michal Rozsival – $5,000,000
Rotislav Klesla – $2,975,000
Derek Morris – $2,750,000
Adrian Aucoin – $2,000,000
Kurt Sauer – $1,750,000
Oliver Ekman-Larsson – $1,750,000

6. Detroit Red Wings – $20.96 millions 25 games 16 wins 8 losses 1 OTL 33 points (4th WC)
Nicklas Lidstrom – $6,200,000
Brad Stuart – $3,750,000
Jonathan Ericsson – $3,250,000
Niklas Kronwall – $3,000,000
Ian White – $2,875,000
Mike Commodore – $1,000,000
Jakub Kindl – $883,333

7. Vancouver Canucks – $20.53 millions 26 games 15 wins 10 losses 1 OTL 31 points (5th WC)
Kevin Bieksa – $4,600,000
Dan Hamhuis – $4,500,000
Keith Ballard – $4,200,000
Alexander Edler – $3,250,000
Sami Salo – $2,000,000
Andrew Alberts – $1,225,000
Aaron Rome – $750,000

8. Chicago Blackhawks – $20.31 millions 27 games 16 wins 8 losses 3 OTL 35 points (2nd WC)
Brent Seabrook – $5,800,000
Duncan Keith – $5,538,462
Niklas Hjalmarsson – $3,500,000
Steve Montador – $2,750,000
Nick Leddy – $1,116,666
Sean O’Donnell – $850,000
Sami Lepisto – $750,000

9. Calgary Flames – $19.75 millions 26 games 11 wins 13 losses 2 OTL 24 points (13th WC)
Jay Bouwmeester – $6,680,000
Mark Giordano – $4,020,000
Cory Sarich – $3,600,000
Anton Babchuk – $2,500,000
Chris Butler – $1,250,000
Scott Hannan – $1,000,000
Derek Smith – $700,000

10. Washington Capitals – $19.07 millions 25 games 13 wins 11 losses 1 OTL 27 points (8th EC)
Mike Green – $5,250,000
Dennis Wideman – $3,935,500
Roman Hamrlik – $3,500,000
Jeff Schultz – $2,750,000
John Erskine – $1,500,000
Karl Alzner – $1,285,000
John Carlson – $845,833

10. San Jose Sharks – $19.07 millions 23 games 14 wins 8 losses 1 OTL 29 points (8th WC)
Dan Boyle – $6,666,667
Brent Burns – $3,550,000
Marc-Edouard Vlasic – $3,100,000
Douglas Murray – $2,500,000
Jason Demers – $1,250,000
Jim Vandermeer – $1,000,000
Colin White – $1,000,000

In comparison, the league-leading Minnesota Wild with 37 points, are spending only $12.36 millions on their defensive brigade.

As you can see, there is no guaranteed success if you spend a lot of money on your defensive brigade, as only the Chicago Blackhawks are leading their division amongst the teams that spend the most money on their blue line.

2010-11 rankings
1. Philadelphia Flyers – $24,89M
2. Toronto Maple Leafs – $24.28M
3. Vancouver Canucks – $23.35M
4. Detroit Red Wings – $21.83M
5. Calgary Flames – $21.59M
6. Chicago Blackhawks – $21.29M
7. Atlanta Thrashers (Winnipeg Jets) – $21.06M
8. Montreal Canadiens – $20.25M
9. Pittsburgh Penguins – $19.11M
10. Boston Bruins – $18.58M

———-
Fred is a freelance sports write and translator, as well as a featured Montreal Canadiens blogger on http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/ and a baseball columnist on http://www.dobberbaseball.com/. Fred also joined HabsAddict.com in time for the 2011-12 season.

Follow Fred on Facebook and Twitter

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

If you took the summer off from following the coolest team in the desert, you missed a lot.  Bryzgalov high tailed it to Broad & Pattison, leaving former Lightning goalie Mike Smith as the featured net minder.  JovoCop surfed on back to South Beach, and Bellanger, Ebbert, and Stepniak have moved on as well.  In addition to Smith between the pipes, the Yotes have brought in a plethora new blood to help the team take shape.  You may need a score card to keep track of all the new center icemen on the roster this season.  Daymond Langkow is the most noticeable addition, as he makes what he and fans hope will be a triumphant return to Arizona.  Other additions at the center positions include Petteri Nokelainen, Boyd Gordon, Kyle Chipcura, and Alexandre Bolduc.  A couple of wingers were also added to the mix in Raffi Torres and Patrick O’Sullivan.

While some of the faces and names have changed, the song, for the most part, remains the same.  Defense is still the order of the day in the desert.  While Lanks has been known to find the back of the net on occasion, most of the off-season moves were made with an eye toward making the defensive play even stronger than it has been in the recent past under returning Coach Dave Tippett.

Goalies:

This team starts between the pipes, so that’s where we’ll begin our tour of the ice.  Newcomer Mike Smith has some big skates to fill in Bryzgalov.  Goalie coach Sean Burke will take Smith under his wing this season.  While Smith’s career high games came in 2009, when he logged 42 games in net for the Lightning, he will be the man on opening night.  Look for Smith to improve in the defensive-minded system in Phoenix.  This is a best case scenario for Smith, and he has all of his ducks lined up for him as the starter.  Jason LaBarbera returns as the #2 man.  LaBabs appeared in just 17 games the last two seasons.  Look for this number to go up a little this year, and he should benefit from the added PT.

Defensemen:

Like Bryzgalov, Ed Jovanovski also headed East.  Like the goalkeeping situation, the Yotes did not sign a high-priced free agent to replace the departing vet, instead choosing to replace him from within.  While they’ll miss Jovo’s physical presence on the blue line, this year’s defensive corps will remain largely the same as last year’s.  Keith Yandle will again be the anchor of the defense.  Look for him to kick his game up a notch this year, perhaps delving into the 70 point range.  Derrek Morris and Adrian Aucoin may be getting a bit long in the tooth, but they’re still as steady as they come defensively.  Larsson, Rizsival, and Kessler look to round out the defensive troops.  If there is an area for need, it’s another offensive threat on the blue line to compliment Yandle.  But the Coyotes have proven their detractors wrong before with their extreme defensive style.  They’ll look to do the same on defense this year.

Captain Shane Doan will attempt to lead the Coyotes deeper into the playoffs during the 2011-12 season.

Forwards:   

It’s only fitting that we take a look at the offense last, as that’s what the Yotes seem to do as well.  While there is some offensive potential in the front line this year, most all of these players share one important attribute: playing rock-solid defense.  In fact, it’s highly possible that no Coyotes forward will top 60 points scoring this season.  The Coyotes may be the only team in hockey that can say that proudly.  If any other team had no 60 point scorers, their season would surely be more doomed than Barry Melrose on stroll through Newark.  But for the Yotes, that’s business as usual.  The Cap’n, Shane Doan, will lead the way again this year.  Look for him to be somewhere right in the neighborhood of 60 points on the season.  Doan has the dubious honor of helping to form one of the oldest lines you’ll find anywhere this side of well, Arizona.  His likely line mates will be elder statesmen Ray Whitney and Langkow.  Phoenix fans will be hoping Whitney has one last hurrah in him; and that Langkow can fully recover from his neck injury and regain some old magic.  Kyle Turris is still sitting out there unsigned, with no obvious resolution in sight.  Thus, the 2^nd line will likely consist of Vrbata, Hanzal, and youngster Boedker to start the year.  There are others that will contribute, including Brett McLean, Kyle Chipkura, and Raffi Torres.  None of them, however, seem likely to light the lamp with great regularity.  Paul Bissonette returns to his familiar enforcer role.

Bold Prediction:

The Coyotes will compile a record of 47-28-7, for 101 points and 2^nd place in the Pacific division.  The Yotes will win at least one playoff series, with a chance for more if everything comes together.  With all the changes, the goalkeeping is likely to be the key for success this season.  Phoenix management managed to avoid the traps of overpaying for free agents this off-season, and it will surely pay off in the long run.  As for this year, if Smith or LaBabs can get hot come crunch time, the Yotes have the system and the experience to make a deep playoff run.   The Zamboni’s fired up and ready to roll.  Buckle up and hold on tight.  It’s gonna be a wild ride!

Follow me on Twitter @Rabid_Jack for the latest on the Coyotes, the NHL, fantasy sports, and sports humor!

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