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Even before 2011 Vezina trophy winning goaltender Tim Thomas made his unofficial decision to sit out the 2012-’13 season, many believed that the starting job between the Boston pipes wouldn’t belong to him even if he’d decided to play out the final season of his 4-year, $20 million dollar contract (signed in 2009). Whether it is via trade, release or simply no. 30 staying true to his word and sitting out next season, it’s fairly safe to say that Tim Thomas has worn the Black and Gold sweater for the final time. Thomas’ departure has opened the door for 24-year old Finnish ‘tender Tuukka Rask to take over in the Boston crease.

On Friday morning, the team exhibited its confidence in Rask as their number one goalie of the future when announcing that they’d come to an agreement on a new one-year contract worth a total of $3.5 million dollars.

“He’s a calm, poised goaltender. You see little bits of the fiery temper here and there, and I don’t mind that, but generally speaking he’s a goalie who is composed, who is technically very good, and athletic at the same time. And I don’t have any reasons to think that he’s not going to emerge as the number one and for years to come.” – Peter Chiarelli

Rask took over the starting job for a brief period of time at the end of the 2009-’10 season when Thomas was struggling to recover from a hip injury. In 45 games that season, he posted a 22-12-5 record with five shutouts and an impressive 1.97 goals against average. He’s spent the past two seasons backing up Thomas, making a total of 52 starts. Through 102 career NHL appearances, Rask boasts a 47-35-11 record with a 2.20 goals against average and a .926 save percentage.

After seeing the enormous inflation in the free agent market this summer, it would have been easy for Rask to demand a lengthy contract worth a considerably larger monetary amount (i.e. Ondrej Pavelec‘s new deal in Winnipeg). However, the fourth-year netminder was content with a new one-year pact, hoping to establish himself as a legitimate number one goalie.

“He wants to prove that he’s the number one goalie for the Bruins for a long time. This was the easiest way to set the stage for that and Tuukka’s been a really good goalie for us… The stage is set for him and we’ll see where it takes us.” – Peter Chiarelli

The short-term nature of this deal is absolutely a perfect fit for the Bruins’ organization. If Rask falters or is again hampered by the lower body injury that kept him out of the lineup for most of last spring, the team isn’t tied down by an extensive — and expensive — contract. And if Rask does become the superstar goaltender that many believe he will be, the Bruins will still own his rights as a restricted free agent in the summer of 2013.

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Part I –> Top Six Forwards

Part II –> Bottom Six Forwards

Part III –> Defense Group

Part IV –> Extra Skaters/Call-Ups

Each day over the next week, I will update this blog with the addition of one player (in numerical order). In this edition, I’ll take a look at the contributions from the extra skaters, deadline acquisitions and call-ups. Please note that I have NOT included Max Sauve and Trent Whitfield, as the two combined for only 17:42 of ice time this season. For this piece, I will start with defenseman Greg Zanon.

EXTRAS/SCRATCHES

#6 Greg Zanon

Age: 31

Contract Status: $1.933 MIL Cap Hit/ Unrestricted Free Agent On July 1, 2012

Regular Season Stats: 39 GP, 2 Goals, 4 Assists, 6 Points, -1 Rating (Minnesota) : 17 GP, 1 Goal, 1 Assist, 2 Points, +4 Rating (Boston)

Playoff Stats: 7 GP, 0 Goals, 1 Assist, 1 Point, EVEN Rating

– After coming over from the Minnesota Wild — in exchange for Steven Kampfer — at the trade deadline, many believed that Greg Zanon would take on a role, much like Shane Hnidy‘s in 2011, as an extra defenseman who wouldn’t see too much action for the B’s. However, when Adam McQuaid suffered an unfortunate head injury in a late-season game against Washington, Zanon found himself thrust into the spotlight as the Bruins’ fifth blueliner. The hard-nosed Burnaby, British Columbia-native played admirably throughout his 24-game run in Boston while providing the B’s with a solid defensive presence. Unfortunately for Zanon, the memory of his time in Boston that Bruins’ fans will likely remember the longest was of him standing in front of Tim Thomas when Capitals’ fourth-liner Joel Ward scored the overtime goal in game seven of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals to send the B’s to an early postseason exit.

Final Grade: C+

#12 Brian Rolston

Age: 39

Contract Status: $5.000 MIL Cap Hit/ Unrestricted Free Agent On July 1, 2012

Regular Season Stats: 49 GP, 4 Goals, 5 Assists, 9 Points, -12 Rating (New York Islanders) : 21 GP, 3 Goals, 12 Assists, 15 Points, +7 Rating (Boston)

Playoff Stats: 7 GP, 1 Goal, 2 Assists, 3 Points, -2 Rating

– In his second stint with the Black and Gold, veteran forward Brian Rolston proved to be one of the biggest surprises in Boston after coming over at the February 27 trade deadline. After posting just nine points (4G/5A) in 49 games for the Islanders, Bruins’ fans didn’t expect much from Rolston over the course of the 2011-’12 stretch run. However, Rolston proved that he still had something left in the tank, while leading hardcore Black and Gold supporters to reminisce of his time in the Hub from 2000-2004. Picking up three goals and twelve assists during 21 regular season games for Boston, Rolston proved himself much more valuable than the two low-level prospects that were sent to New York as trade compensation. In the playoffs, the 39-year-old Flint, Michigan native was arguably the Bruins’ most consistent offensive player. Unfortunately, early whispers have begun to suggest that Rolston will not be back with the Bruins in 2012-’13 and may be considering retiring from the National Hockey League.

Final Grade: A

#27 Mike Mottau

Age: 34

Contract Status: $0.800 MIL Cap Hit/ Unrestricted Free Agent On July 1, 2012

Regular Season Stats: 29 GP, 0 Goals, 2 Assists, 2 Points, -10 Rating (New York Islanders) : 6 GP, 0 Goals, 0 Assists, 0 Points, -1 Rating (Boston)

Playoff Stats: 2 GP, 0 Goals, 0 Assists, 0 Points, -2 Rating

– Defenseman Mike Mottau didn’t see much action during his brief two-month stint with the Black and Gold, but was nothing but a consummate professional off the ice. The 34-year-old Quincy, MA native is quite clearly on the proverbial “back nine” of his career, but still looks to have enough gas in the tank to remain a solid seventh defenseman. It is unknown as to whether or not Mottau would like to re-sign with his hometown squad — in what would likely be a very limited role — or seek a possible top-six position with another team.

Final Grade: B

#38 Jordan Caron

Age: 21

Contract Status: $1.100 MIL Cap Hit/ Restricted Free Agent On July 1, 2013

Regular Season Stats: 48 GP, 7 Goals, 8 Assists, 15 Points, EVEN Rating

Playoff Stats: 2 GP, 0 Goals, 0 Assists, 0 Points, -1 Rating

– For the second straight season, the B’s 2008 first round draft choice failed to firmly establish himself as a part of Boston lineup on a night-in, night-out basis. At times, you could see the potential in Caron’s game, as he is excellent in his own zone and possesses a very heavy wrist shot. It looks like he’ll get another crack at it this fall, after Benoit Pouliot was dealt to the Lightning on draft day.

Final Grade: C

CALL-UPS/ BLACK ACES

#43 Matt Bartkowski

Age: 23

Regular Season Stats: 3 GP, 0 Goals, 0 Assists, 0 Points, -2 Rating

Final Grade: C

#47 Torey Krug

Age: 21

Regular Season Stats: 2 GP, 0 Goals, 1 Assist, 1 Point, EVEN Rating

Final Grade: B+

#58 Carter Camper

Age: 23

Regular Season Stats: 3 GP, 1 Goal, 0 Assists, 1 Point, +1 Rating

Final Grade: B

#62 Josh Hennessy

Age: 27

Regular Season Stats: 3 GP, 0 Goals, 0 Assists, 0 Points, +1 Rating

Final Grade: C+

#64 Lane MacDermid

Age: 22

Regular Season Stats: 5 GP, 0 Goals, 0 Assists, 0 Points, -2 Rating

Final Grade: A-

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Recovering from a 1-0 deficit after allowing a Zdeno Chara power-play goal, the Sens would quickly adjust and build a 3-1 lead by the mid-point of the second frame.

The goals were scored by three men who are sure to be integral pieces of the hockey scene in Ottawa for many years to come; rookie Colin Greening, sensational sophomore Kyle Turris and all-star blueliner Erik Karlsson.

However, late in the second period the B’s were able to cut the deficit to one and more importantly swing the momentum back into their favor when Milan Lucic took a slick cross-ice feed from Rich Peverley and wristed one past Craig Anderson to make it a 3-2 game as we entered the final frame.

“We know we played a terrible second period, they scored on us a few times on breakdowns in the neutral zone and the defensive zone and for us to get momentum going into the third definitely helped us come back in this game.” – Dennis Seidenberg

The third and final frame would not be too kind on the Senators as Boston would jump all over them, out-shooting Ottawa 13-7 and scoring the only two goals of the period. “We started playing like ourselves in the third, we did a great job finding a way to win and at the end of the day that’s what matters” quipped Brad Marchand. After a Karlsson penalty put Boston on the power-play, it wouldn’t take long for the undersized winger to knot the score at three when he outworked a couple of Sens’ defensemen and poked a rebound into the Ottawa goal.

The fourth Boston tally was without doubt the least spectacular of them all as it was Dennis Seidenberg who would wind up and blast one past Anderson….. from the red line. The goal was far from pretty, but as they say “it’s not how, it’s how many”.

“It skipped and it turned and it twisted. Those things are going to happen, we can’t point any fingers about that. Every once in a blue moon, that’s going to happen.” – Paul MacLean

Boston would salvage this one-goal lead and hold one to secure their third victory in three tries against Ottawa this season. In what’s becoming more and more of a trend here in the Hub, the B’s are relying heavily on strong third periods to bail them out of games in which they haven’t been at their best. While being able to win games in which you don’t have your best stuff is obviously a fantastic trait that many teams would love to possess, members of the Black and Gold know that they must improve their game and come out with more sixty-minute efforts.

“It almost feels like we’re waiting for the third to come around. If we can just stay close and play our standard third period then we’ll win the game. But like I said, that type of play doesn’t last very long.” – Joe Corvo

Playing their third consecutive hotly contested tilt against the B’s, the Senators proved tonight that they should be taken seriously in the Eastern Conference.  Being able to hang with the defending Stanley Cup champions is no small feat, especially for a young Ottawa team trying to make a name for itself.

“I think we played good throughout most of the game but we just didn’t play good enough for sixty minutes.  That’s why we lost this game. I think that when we’re at the top of our game we can compete with any team in this league.” – Erik Karlsson

KEY STATS

Goals–                  OTT (3)        BOS (4)

Shots–                  OTT (33)      BOS (30)

Power-Play–      OTT (0-0)    BOS (2-4)

Penalty-Kill–      OTT (2-4)     BOS (0-0)

Ben’s Three Stars– ….. 3.) Milan Lucic ….. 2.) Erik Karlsson  ….. 1.) Brad Marchand

What’s Next?

The B’s will be back at it on Thursday as they continue their home-stand against Eric Staal and the Carolina Hurricanes. The Sens will make a return home to ScotiaBank Place where they will host the New York Islanders on Friday evening.

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Staging rookie tournaments is simply a method for teams to analyze, in game action, its top minor league, collegiate or major junior talent, many of whom are years away from seriously contending for an NHL roster spot.  If a team rests some top prospects or starts a lower-on-the-depth-chart goaltender, the chances of winning the game decrease if the opposition ices its best players.  In Saturday’s opener, the Penguins dressed top prospect Eric Tangradi and one of their best goaltending prospects, Patrick Killeen but rested prized young blueliner Simon Despres.  On Sunday night and this afternoon, Despres and amateur tryout netminder Maxime Lagace played but Tangradi and Killeen rested.

Despite the 0-fer, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton assistant coach Alain Nasreddine, who specializes in mentoring the defencemen, was positive about what he saw from some of the young Penguins’ blueliners immediately after Sunday’s loss against the Maple Leafs.

“I just actually talked to all the ‘D’.  I’m pretty proud of what they did.  It’s not an easy task.  They want to make an impression in camp, to work hard and compete and that’s what they did in the full sixty [minutes] with 5 ‘D’,” referring to the quintet of defencemen who had to soldier on after Robert Bortuzzo left the game in the first period with an injury.  “There were some penalties that we had to kill.  They battled all the way through.  They were tired but they battled and competed and that’s all we ask.  Starting the game with six [defencemen] and ending the game with five, especially going down early with Bortz [Bortuzzo], they really did a good job.”

The five blueliners Nasreddine commended were QMJHL defenceman of the year Simon Despres, 2011 first round pick Joe Morrow, 2011 second round pick Scott Harrington, Alex Grant and Philip Samuelsson.

Nasreddine gave a wry smile when recalling a severe injury suffered by Grant in the first game of the 2010 Rookie Tournament.  “Last year we got used to it as it happened with [Alex] Grant … Sure, we didn’t like it but like I said, they want to make an impression, they want to play good, they want to play well and I think they all did a pretty good job tonight.”

Nasreddine said he tries to keep set defence pairings but knows he must quickly adapt to in-game changes.

“There’s a pattern you try to establish, so we try to stick with it so that everyone gets equal time but you’re going to get penalties, you’re going to get power plays, penalty kills so it often changes but in general they all get a lot of ice time so they had a good opportunity to show what they can do and I thought they did a good job.”

“I thought Morrow had a really strong game, he showed a lot of skill.  I think you could tell it was his second game and he was a lot more comfortable out there.  Harrington was solid and Grant and Samuelsson too.”

For his part, Samuelsson, a 2009 second round choice of Pittsburgh who played the last two seasons at Boston College, was unfazed by the losses.

“I think the games are moving pretty fast.  The ice has been pretty good.  I think we’re coming together as a team.  A couple of bounces here and there and we’re right back in it.  I think we had a good game today.  We just weren’t able to capitalize on our chances and unfortunately, we had some lapses on defence that they were able to capitalize on so if we tighten up in the D zone, and bury our chances, I think we should give Chicago a run for their money on Tuesday.”

He reflected on the difference between college hockey and the competitive nature of this quick tournament, playing with and against top prospects.

“It’s huge.  It’s good to see what the pace is at now and kind of know you have to ramp it up a level to keep up and to play at your game.  It’s been a great experience for me to be a part of this.  You always want to win games – it doesn’t matter if it’s a pick-up game in the summer or rookie camp here.  You’re always going to go your hardest and that’s what I have to do to be successful as a player.”

No matter where he ends up this season, Samuelsson is working as hard as he can to make a positive statement with Pittsburgh scouts and front office.

“Definitely, I want to make a good impression on the Penguins and hopefully, one day be able to crack that roster.  I don’t know if that’s going to be this year or a few years down the road but I’ll try my hardest at this camp and see where it goes from there.”

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Pittsburgh opened the game with a quick goal 13 seconds after the opening faceoff when centre Zach Sill who sat out the first game yesterday afternoon, dumped the puck in.  Linemate Brandon DeFazio found it near the net and rammed it into the goal past Toronto netminder Garret Sparks for the abrupt 1-0 lead.

It was classic Penguins’ hockey in the opening third of the first period as the Pens effectively maintained consistent offensive zone time through hard forechecking and their puck possession system.  Momentum started to swing when rugged Jamie Devane found Josh Leivo behind the Pittsburgh defence.  Leivo unleashed a hard wrist shot but Pittsburgh goaltender Maxime Lagace was able to blocker the puck away.

About one minute later, the Leafs raced 2-on-2 into the Pens’ zone.  As defenceman Joe Morrow fell down at the left of the net, his partner Philip Samuelsson had his pocket picked by McKegg who whipped the puck in front to Josh Nicholls whose goal tied the game at 7:47.  McKegg earned a second assist midway through the period when he fired a cross-crease laser to Mitchell Heard during a 4-on-3 power play.  Heard waited patiently, then fired the puck to the far corner behind Lagace to give the Leafs a 2-1 lead.  Toronto was successful at controlling the tempo of the second half of the period and was successful at winning puck battles below the Pittsburgh goal line.

The second period was frustrating for the Pens but not for lack of effort.  They continued to establish a good forecheck and cycled the puck well, winning many battles in the corners but could not solve Sparks.  Toronto increased its lead to 3-1 when David Broll passed to Sam Carrick who cut across the crease from the left boards and flipped the puck by Lagace’s left pad.  Three minutes later, Pittsburgh had two good chances to score when Tom Kuhnhackl and Joe Morrow skated into the Leafs’ zone 2-on-1.  Kuhnhackl elected to shoot but Sparks kept the puck out.  Moments later, Paul Thompson got the puck alone in the slot but his backhand attempt was stopped.

Later Brian Gibbons was absolutely robbed on a toe save by Sparks when a tap-in attempt looked like a sure goal.  With two minutes left in the period, Morrow’s centre-point shot was deflected high by Sparks’ trapper.

The Leafs iced it in the third period when McKegg scored his third point and first goal of the night after receiving a stretch pass.  He sped by Pittsburgh defenceman Joe Morrow then deked Lagace and tucked a low backhand into the net to make it 4-1.  With about 2 1/2 minutes left, Tyler Brenner scored a gift goal when the puck skipped through Morrow’s legs at the Pens’ blue line.  Brenner scooped up the puck and slipped it under Lagace to complete the victory.

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Earlier in the contest, a Blackhawks’ prospect who ended up earning second star honours, looked like he might be the game’s hero. Left wing Brandon Saad, a native of Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh, assisted on Chicago’s first goal then with a burst of speed, powered to the net and flipped the puck in for the go-ahead goal that gave the Hawks a short-lived 2-1 lead.  This afternoon, he scored two goals, one on the power play but the Hawks fell 6-5 to Ottawa.

Hockey Independent talked to Saad when he appeared in the Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Skills Competition and Game back in the winter at Air Canada Centre in Toronto. At the time, Saad was considered one of the top draft-eligible players, ranking #8 among all North American skaters in the NHL-Central Scounting Service rankings released in January.

Saad was enjoying a hot start in his initial OHL campaign, scoring 23 goals and 20 assists for the front-running Saginaw Spirit when he appeared in the invitation-only event in Toronto. Unfortunately, Saad suffered a nagging groin injury that hampered his production and his pre-draft stock fell considerably to the point where he was no longer considered first round material anymore.

As for his general impressions of the first Rookie Tournament game for the Blackhawks, Saad said, “I thought it was pretty good. It was high-tempo out there. Everyone’s trying to make the team. It was a good first game.”

While many are already concluding that Saad, 18, will return to Saginaw for his second year of major junior action, Saad is trying not to think about his ultimate destination this weekend.

Brandon Saad (43) grew up in Pittsburgh studying Jaromir Jagr's game. Saad, 18, has already scored 3 goals in 2 Rookie Tournament games this weekend in Oshawa.

“Everyone’s trying to make the team. It’s a tryout. We just come and work hard and learn from our experiences here with older guys and things like that.”

He noted the Chicago coaching staff have not written down set lineups for the final two games of this brief tournament meaning he did not know absolutely if he would suit up against the Senators this afternoon (he did) or the Penguins on Tuesday.

“I’m not sure, really. It’s going to be day-to-day with that. I’ll know further, obviously, in the [near] future.”

“I want to keep the consistency and work hard out there,” Saad continued, identifying areas of his game he wanted to improve. “Obviously we want to get two wins here, so I’ll do what I can to help the team win.”

Recently-repatriated former Penguins’ star Jaromir Jagr was Saad’s favourite player as a youth growing up near Pittsburgh and Saad tried to model his game after the Czech winger.

“It’s going to be exciting definitely,” Saad remarked, smiling at the thought of the long-time Penguin suiting up for arch-rival Philadelphia this autumn. “Hopefully, I’ll get to play against him. It’s definitely nice to get him back in the league.”

Saad had time to return to Gibsonia in the summer and got to rest “a little bit after the season, but after that you just get back to working at it. It’s a lot of hard work to get in game shape,” and he admitted that the groin injury “lingered a little bit. I worked on strengthening it – things like that over the summer so that definitely helped and I’m feeling back at 100%.”

Whether Saad beats heavy odds to earn a roster spot in Chicago or returns to Saginaw for a second season, he knows hard work and steady improvement will be expected at all times now that he is property of an NHL organization.

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“I thought it was a very competitive game – both sides,” said Pittsburgh (and Wilkes/Barre-Scranton) head coach John Hynes.  ”That first period, I thought both teams were very fast and physical.  There wasn’t a lot of time or space on the ice.  We wound up down 2-0 after the first period but I thought it was good and as the game went on, it was kind of back and forth.  There was a lot of energy; we could have used a little bit better execution but there was definitely work ethic and passion out there.”

Penguins’ 2011 first round draft choice Joe Morrow, a defenceman who played for the WHL Portland Winterhawks last year said the opening game was “a good experience to get out there.  The guys are twice as big and twice as strong and everything’s really fast.  It was exciting to go from junior to that.  Slowly as the game went on, I was able to adapt a little better and I should continue to get better throughout the week.”

He said that Hynes told the prospects post-game “to be more consistent throughout the entire game.  There were spurts where we felt we played well and the team kind of clicked but you can’t play in spurts in a sixty minute hockey game.”

Hynes noted that Morrow and fellow 2011 draft choice Scott Harrington acquitted themselves well in their first games as Pittsburgh Penguins.  ”Early in the game there was a little bit of an adjustment period for them just as far as physical presence and the lack of time and space on the ice.  As the game went on, both of those guys started to make more plays and feel more comfortable.  For two young guys to be in their first professional game, I thought they did very good.”

The two teams opened the game with a fair balance of scoring chances with Pittsburgh earning the first power play at 6:36 when Cowick went off for boarding.  The Penguins were unable to convert and a little over a minute after the penalty expired, Cowick connected with centre Derek Grant on a 2-on-1 play.  Grant lifted a shot over the blocker of Pittsburgh netminder Patrick Killeen to give Ottawa the opening goal at 9:54.  Late in the period, Grant returned the favour when he found the puck behind the Pittsburgh net after a dump in and quickly passed to Cowick standing to the left of Kileen.  Cowick buried the pass to put the Sens up 2-0 at first intermission.  Winger Shane Prince, a 2011 draft pick of Ottawa nearly made it 3-0 with half a minute left when he whistled a sharp-angle shot at Killeen that was deflected into the netting above the glass.

The second period produced the season’s first two fights, in rapid succession.  At 2:04, a pair of defencemen squared off – Alex Grant of the Penguins who was quickly taken down by Ottawa blueliner Mark Borowiecki.  Two and a half minutes later, Pens’ winger Jessey Astles, on an amateur tryout with Pittsburgh and who incurred 129 penalty minutes in 59 games with the WHL Kelowna Rockets last season skated from blue line to blue line to drop the gloves with Ottawa’s Darren Kramer.

Pittsburgh’s Nick Petersen generated a number of scoring opportunities for Pittsburgh.  Ninety seconds into the period, he skated down the left wing and rang an open shot off the glass behind Senators’ netminder Robin Lehner.  Six minutes later, he almost connected with Scott Harrington inside the Ottawa zone but Harrington could not get a full shot off at the side of the net.  Petersen was thwarted by Lehner again on a partial breakaway when Petersen’s shot was trapped in between the Swedish goaltender’s pads.  Petersen was a 2009 fourth round selection by Pittsburgh and scored 71 points in 65 combined games at the ECHL and AHL levels.  Moments later, Lehner was sharp again stopping a one-time shot by Ben Street off a pass from behind the net by Paul Thompson.

Hynes agreed that Petersen played a solid game this afternoon.  ”I thought Nick Petersen and Ben Street played well as the game went on, particularly in the second and third periods.  Those guys had some offensive chances and showed what they can do.”

“I thought that Dominik Uher played well.  For a younger, first-year guy, he came in and had a very good work ethic and played well,” Hynes continued.  ”Brian Strait – on D for us, I thought he was very good – played solid, defended well, moved the puck very solidly.”  Hynes commented that Strait who was shaken up early in the third period, “just took a puck in the chin and got a couple of stitches; he’s good; he’s fine.”

Pittsburgh pressed in the third period but was unable to solve Lehner.  At the other end of the ice, Killeen continued to look sharp stopping Ottawa’s top 2011 draft choice Mika Zibanejad and Jakub Culek from in close early in the frame.  At 9:39, Cowick scored his second goal of the game to give Ottawa a 3-0 bulge and Andre Petersson finished off the Pens with a high backhand at 18:16 moments after Pens’ defenceman Alex Grant slid across the crease to break up an Ottawa pass.

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Such is the case with various NHL Rookie Tournaments across North America over the next week.  The fun of summer is in the past and now, it is time for young hockey prospects to get to work.  Typically bringing together 3 or 4 clubs’ top prospects, Rookie Tournaments give young players a chance to make a positive statement to scouts, coaches and general managers in the ultimate quest to land a spot on an NHL roster.

Of course not all prospects are at Rookie Tournaments looking to join the parent club right away.  Many know they are destined for another season with their major junior or AHL team.  Some players have exhausted their major junior eligibility and will be attempting to make the rare jump straight to the NHL or more likely, will use the Rookie Tournament as a primer on the level of competition they are about to face when they turn pro in the AHL.

The Pittsburgh Penguins will send a roster of 26 players (two goaltenders, ten defencemen, fourteen forwards) to General Motors Centre in Oshawa, Ontario to compete against fellow prospects from the Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs.  The schedule for Pittsburgh will be identical to last year’s Rookie Tournament: a Saturday afternoon game against Ottawa, a Sunday night contest against the Leafs and a Tuesday matinee against Chicago.

Last year, the Pens sent seven blueliners: Robert Bortuzzo, Simon Despres, Alex Grant, Joe Rogalski, Reid McNeill, Carl Sneep and Brian Strait, to the Rookie Tournament in London, Ontario and all seven will suit up again in Oshawa.  They will be joined by Philip Samuelsson and the Penguins’ first two picks in the 2011 Entry Draft, Joe Morrow and Scott Harrington.  Despres is the most heralded of Pittsburgh defence prospects after winning silver at the World Junior Championship last winter with Team Canada while individually earning top defenceman honours in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.  He was an integral part of the MasterCard Memorial Cup-winning Saint John Sea Dogs, opening the scoring in the championship final game by sniping a shorthanded goal.

Goaltender Patrick Killeen returns for another Rookie Tournament after splitting last season between the AHL and ECHL and he will be accompanied by Maxime Lagace.

Wingers Eric Tangradi, Keven Veilleux, Nick Petersen, Tom Kuhnhackl and centre Zach Sill were members of last season’s tournament squad.  Tangradi is the only Penguin with NHL experience after making his debut in the final regular season game of 2009-10 followed by 15 games last season, a campaign marred by a concussion received during the infamous Long Island Brawl in February.  Kuhnhackl played on a line with Tangradi and Dustin Jeffrey in the opening Rookie Tournament game last year –  a win over Ottawa, and was praised by coach John Hynes for his “good hockey sense and compete level”.  The German born forward then jumped from the German Elite League into his first OHL season and broke out in a big way, scoring 68 points in 63 games for the two-time defending MasterCard Memorial Cup champions, Windsor Spitfires, before adding a team-leading 23 points in 18 playoff games.

Fresh on the heels of yesterday’s official release of the Kings 2011 Rookie Camp roster and schedule, below is some additional information to get you primed and ready to go.

KINGS PROSPECTS

Andy Andreoff – 6-foot-1 center, drafted in 2011, third round – played 66 games for Oshawa (OHL) last season, scoring 33 goals and was impressive at the Kings’ July Development Camp – if he a signs pro contract, could end up in Manchester this season – his most recent MayorsManor interview was just yesterday morning, linked here

Robert Czarnik — 6-foot forward, drafted in 2008, third round – originally was at the University of Michigan, then ‘transferred’ to the Plymouth Whalers (OHL) – scored 33 goals and 44 assists last season – most recent MayorsManor interview went up yesterday also, linked here

Ray Kaunisto — 6-foot-3 left wing, signed as a free agent in 2010, following his college career at Northern Michigan – played 57 games for Manchester last season – one of the best (and most respected) chirpers among the prospects – gave an epic interview on MayorsManor earlier this week, where he provided his ‘bucket list’ – check it out here

Brandon Kozun — 5-foot-8 forward, drafted in 2009, sixth round – has proclaimed he’s ‘ready for the NHL’ – played 73 games for Manchester last season (23 goals, 25 assists) – expected to get a long look by the Kings leadership group at this year’s camp – frequent guest on MayorsManor, with his most interview posting later today (in what will be a partial follow-up to Kaunisto’s bucket list)…update: it’s been posted, link here

Jordan Nolan — 6-foot-3, drafted in 2009, seventh round - played three games with Ontario Reign at the end of his junior career, moved on to play 75 games last season for Manchester – primarily plays a tough guy role, however he has decent hands – appeared on MayorsManor last September, linked here

Michael Schumacher — 6-foot-3 forward, drafted in 2011, seventh round - played in Sweden last season and is coming over to the OHL this season (note: was drafted by Owen Sound, recently traded to Sault Ste Marie) – tall, lanky player with good vision and high compete level – showed some flashy moves at times during Dev Camp, will be interesting to get a longer look at him in scrimmages next week – all the way from Europe, here’s a link to his first MayorsManor interview

Tyler Toffoli — 6-foot-1 right wing, drafted in 2010, second round - scored 57 goals in 68 games for Ottawa last season, winning the OHL scoring title – along with Kozun, he’s expected to be the star of camp this year – was originally coached by legendary bench boss Brian Kilrea (the first man to ever score a goal for the LA Kings) – Toffoli has been a regular guest on MayorsManor, including this exclusive look at his time with Team Canada this summer

Linden Vey — 6-foot right wing, drafted in 2009, fourth round - scored 46 goals in 69 games for Medicine Hat last season and won the WHL scoring title – appeared on MayorsManor several times last season and provided a few funny comments during Dev Camp, linked here

Jordan Weal — 5-foot-10 center, drafted in 2010, third round - spent last season with Regina (WHL), scoring 43 goals, and then played seven games with Manchester – if he returns to Regina, he’ll be playing under new coach (and former LA King) Pat Conacher – his most recent MayorsManor interview is linked here…he also talked Kozun and Toffoli here

INVITED PLAYERS:

Taylor Carnevale – 6-foot center – new addition to the invitee list, as he was not at Dev Camp in July – scored 35 goals last season – finished the year with the Windsor Spitfires (under GM Warren Rychel, a former King) – previously played for three different OHL teams, including Oshawa (with Andreoff, listed above) and Barrie (with Kyle Clifford for two seasons) – and if that’s not enough, he was traded this summer to Sarnia! – if he returns to junior hockey for his over-age season, it will be with his FIFTH team

Michael Kantor — 6-foot forward – ended last season in Sault Ste Marie (OHL), after coming over in a trade from Saginaw – in 52 games last year he had 20 points (11g, 9a) – Kantor played physical and kept his feet moving during scrimmages at Dev Camp (as noted in a game recap here), which is probably what earned him a second invitation – also, his current GM (Kyle Dubas) likened him to Kings prospect Rich Clune in a MayorsManor interview here

Rob Mignardi — 6-foot right wing - played 68 games for Owen Sound (OHL) last season, scoring 30 goals – looking to turn pro this month – showed good grit and compete at the Kings’ July Development Camp – according to his twitter, he rocks Dr Dre headphones and likes to stalk Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke at airports – could be a great fit for Ontario (ECHL), if he doesn’t land a deal with Manchester

J.D. Watt – the oldest player in this group, he turned 24 in May – was originally drafted by the Calgary Flames (fourth round, 2005) – has played 19 games in the ECHL and spent the last two years in the AHL – in 37 games total last year he netted two goals and 86 penalty minutes – the year prior he racked up 267 PIM in 70 games with the Abbotsford Heat (draw your own conclusion) – random fact: one of his Heat teammates was former King Jamie Lundmark

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

Several other Kings prospects who were in LA for Development Camp in July have returned to college, thus they won’t be participating in this week’s rookie camp. That list of forwards includes Joel Lowry (fifth round, 2011 – Cornell), Michael Mersch (fourth round, 2011 – Wisconsin), Nicholas Shore (third round, 2011 – Denver) and Nic Dowd (seventh round, 2009 – St. Cloud State).

Later today, we’ll look at the defensemen and goaltenders.

[update: we breakdown the eight defensemen in camp here]

Beginning tomorrow, we’ll have live updates from Rookie Camp in El Segundo – including comments from players and the Kings coaching staff.

The Mayor
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The four leading candidates for the title – Jonathan Bernier, Kyle Clifford, Trevor Lewis and Alec Martinez – have all weighed in with their opinions on each other and made their selection for who should win.

Now, it’s time to hear from the coach.  Here’s what Terry Murray had to say on the subject…

“I really like what Bernier has done in the second half. His game has been quality and he won some huge games for us. I think Clifford, as a young guy coming in, not having any pro experience at all – out of juniors, surprising us, making the team, making a difference in games, trying to get energy into a team, maybe, on a tough night, tough game, by going out and fighting somebody – that’s a hard job. He deals with it, he handles it, he does it just on his own, he figures that part of it out. Now he’s playing an important role on this hockey club. So, you’d probably have to look at him.”

To read the comments from all four candidates posted earlier in the series, simply click the name of the player here: Bernier, Clifford, Lewis or Martinez.  Each article has them talking about the other rookies and trying to identify who was the best.

You can also see what Dustin Brown thought of each and who should win by clicking here.

After all, he’s the captain – it is his team.

The Mayor
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For Kings GM Dean Lombardi and Coach Terry Murray ‘decision day’ wasn’t Tuesday.

As of now, they remain undecided on Propositions 10 and 13.

Something should be announced soon though, as they’re going to have to vote one way or the other on Kyle Clifford (Barrie Colts / OHL) and Brayden Schenn (Brandon Wheat Kings / WHL). Neither player can be assigned to the AHL due to their age. So, at this point, it’s either back to junior hockey or keep them with the big club.

To date, Clifford has played seven games, one fewer than Schenn. Once they take the ice for a 10th game, the first year of their entry-level contracts will have been used. That’s a tough pill to swallow in the salary cap era. Unless a young player can contribute in a big way, most teams would prefer not to use up that first year so early on in a player’s career.

Earlier today Murray said he’ll go with Clifford on the fourth line tonight, with Schenn resting.  It’s probably a fair assumption to think he’ll flip-flop the two on Saturday.  Then, the Kings are off for four days – giving them ample time to make the final call.

We checked in with both players to see where their heads were at as decision day nears.  First up, Kyle Clifford…

MM:  We’re down to just a couple of games left.  Are you getting nervous about what the decision may be?

KC:  I’m kinda taking it one day at a time, not really thinking about it too much.  I’m just trying to go out and play and have fun.  For me and Schenner this is an experience…and it’s been pretty special to us.  We’d definitely like to continue it for the rest of the season.

Does the shared experience help bond you guys a little bit or is too much of a competition at this point?

We don’t really talk about it too much.  We don’t let it get to our heads.  We’re just trying to enjoy what we have right now and then hope for the best.

Are you keeping an eye on what’s going on back in Barrie at all or are you completely focused on what’s happening here in LA?

I’ve kinda looked at their stats a little bit here and there.  Things aren’t looking too great right now [MM note: they have a 3-10-1 record after the first 14 games, last place in the entire OHL].  But, I think they’ll be able to turn it around.  I still have a few friends back in Barrie.  So, obviously, they’re keeping me updated on what’s going on back there.

Now let’s see what Brayden Schenn has to say…

MM: Any thoughts with the big decision looming?

BS: I’m a little anxious to find out. But, I’ll just keep worrying about doing well and hopefully the team keeps winning. Other than that, I cant control anything.

Coach Murray says he’s spent a little bit of extra time with both you and Clifford.  Is there anything in particular that he’s been pointing out or has asked you to work on?

Positioning in the d-zone, not getting beat off the wall.  Positioning is definitely the main thing.  Coming from juniors, when you’re one of the bigger guys down low, you just take the puck and go.  Here everyone is a strong power forward, so positioning is huge.

Because you’ve played in so few NHL games every opponent is still new to you.  As you prepare for Tampa on Thursday do you do anything special to familiarize yourself with their roster and what to maybe expect from certain players?

We watch video of the PK (penalty kill), PP (power play) and some other clips.  They (the coaching staff) do a real good job of getting us ready for the game.  So, other than that, I just go out there and play.

Are you keeping an eye on what’s going on back in Brandon at all?

I’ve been keeping up through some of the buddies I have back there.  There’s been a little bit of struggling going on, they went on a nine-game losing streak.  Then they won a few and now they’re back on the losing train.  Hopefully they can turn things around there.  It’s never fun losing and obviously it’s a rebuilding year for them.

[note: Brandon started the year with a four straight victories, including two wins over fellow Kings prospect Jordan Weal and the Regina Pats...they followed that up with the aforementioned nine game losing streak...then, two wins on the road...and in their last two games they've lost...they'll be back home Friday night vs. Spokane...it's possible Schenn could even be back in the line-up if he's released from LA in a timely manner]

When we spoke a few weeks ago you were still trying to make a few personal connections with some of your teammates.  Has there been one veteran player that’s helped you the most through this process?

Smitty (Ryan Smyth) has helped me.  He sits beside me here (in the locker room) and he’s always giving me pointers.  He’s definitely helped me out on the mental side of the game as well.  He’s been a big help for me.

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

For some bonus audio coverage, CLICK HERE to listen to Murray talking about the impending decision on both young players.

We’re getting close…

The Mayor
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RELATED ARTICLES:

Interview w/ Kyle Clifford – his thoughts on the play of several Kings prospects at World Jrs camp

Interview with Jordan Weal – LA Kings 2010 third round draft pick

Camping Guide 2010 – links to many interviews from LA Kings camp

2010 Subway Super Series – five Kings prospects selected to play in November tournament

LA-PHX Rookie Game Preview w/ Kyle Clifford - updates from training camp

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So much time that the BJ’s iced it out of the zone and called a time out only to have the second line of the Avs come in and take it to them for another minute or so. All at 5-on-5.

But the fun was just beginning for the kids.

Ryan O’Reilly would finally get the monkey off his back and score two shorthanded goals as well as scoring the 3rd star of the game.

Brandon Yip scored two goals and garnered the 2nd star of the game.

And finally, TJ Galiardi would eventually collect 4 assists in the game and the 1st star.

Average age of the Avalanche’s three stars? Twenty one years old.

Twenty four is as old as it gets for guys that registered a point in the game. Twenty four!

In addition the Avs penalty kill is now ranked 5th in the West, killing 100% in the last 5 games. Galiardi and O’Reilly are regularly paired up on the PK. O’Reilly credited it to trust, when asked why it’s working so well. Just last week against the Stars, Galiardi had a shorty himself.

Final score in the game was 5 -1, Avalanche. Four of those goals were scored by rookies.

Despite the slow start the Avs dominate a team that they should dominate and break the three game skid. The start was still troubling and a better team would probably have made it much more difficult for the Avs to recover.

But their confidence is back and Galiardi put it best when he said the Avs want to win all the games between now and the Olympic break. Great stuff, just the kind of kid-crazy confidence that this team needs!

Wilson’s time in the OHL with the Sarnia Sting was very successful; he led all defensemen in scoring for two straight seasons.  His final season with the Sting saw him netting seven goals and 64 assists for 71 points in 58 games.  Wilson also wore the “C” for the Sting for two years and totaled 220 PIM.

But despite a year on the Flames farm he never got a chance to play up in Calgary. 

So how did Colorado end up with this rough and tumble diamond?  He came over when Colorado traded Jordan Leopold for Wilson, Lawrence Nycholat and a 2^nd in the 2009 draft.  Most Avs fans thought little of the two warm bodies that were thrown in to the trade.  At the time I was thrilled to get a 2^nd for Leopold after a pretty disappointing, injury-riddled stint in Colorado.

Looks like James Crider over at the Bleacher Report agrees with me in his midterm grades:

Ryan Wilson – B

Okay, former GM Francois Giguere did one thing right. Wilson was practically a throw in during the trade that sent Jordan Leopold to Calgary last year, yet has established himself as solid NHLer in no time, and has arguably been better than Leopold ever was in his three-year tenure with the Avalanche.

Wilson only played three games for the Avs farm team before being called up.  He hasn’t been back ever since.  Not even when the Avs had a log-jam of healthy bodies on the blue line.  No, the big $$ John-Michael Liles got the healthy scratch and Sacco raised a few eyebrows with that move.  But it’s hard to blame him, the kid is a player!

Wilson’s been paired primarily with Avs captain and grizzled vet, Adam Foote.  No doubt he’s been learning a great deal from Foote all season. 

We’re overdue to look at some stats: Wilson is 3rd in +/- and 7th in the league in rookie defensemen for points, but it isn’t just about points.

Wilson is 3rd in the league in hits, and although he doesn’t have a lot of take-aways, he doesn’t have a lot of give-aways either.  I mean you look at a guy like Tyler Myers that is getting some Calder talk and the guy has twice the give-aways of any other rookie in the league. 

Now compare him to a guy like Del Zotto who leads the league in hits, but has a lot more give-aways and I think you’ll see what I see: Wilson doesn’t hit guys just to hit them.  He picks his spots and lays the lumber like we haven’t seen in Denver since Rob Blake left. 

Let’s look at one of his biggest and somewhat controversial hits.

Click here to view the embedded video.

It really makes the opposition think twice about skating into the zone with the puck or with your head down, oops.  Personally I don’t want the other team thinking, “Hey look, it’s Liles, I’ll just let him bounce off of me and keep going.”  No, I want “Hey look, its Wilson…crap! I need to dump this puck!”

Steven Stamkos and Wilson played on the Sting together, here’s what he had to say in a recent interview by Chris Botta:

If you could lay a big, clean hit on anyone in the league, who would it be?

Ryan Wilson with the Avalanche. He was my captain in junior with Sarnia (OHL) and he hits hard. Would be nice to turn the tables on him.

I’ll bet, Wilson was recognized as one of the OHL’s hardest hitting defensemen by the annual coach’s poll.

So you want to get Wilson in your sites and line him up, eh?  Good luck tough guy.