Today, I will predict who will win the end of season individual awards, some will come as no surprise some might just stimulate heated debate.
Hart Trophy: Sidney Crosby. Could there be any other option? Not if he stays healthy, he truly is the next one. He may never break Wayne Gretzky's records, but he is the best player since Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky graced the ice for the first time.
Pearson Award: Sidney Crosby. He will be the first back to back winner since Dominik Hasek in 1998.
Conn Smythe Trophy: Sidney Crosby. The next one will lead his team all the way to the cup and will further his resume and his reputation as the "next one," which will be crucial in the Pens going all the way.
Art Ross: Sidney Crosby. Can anyone stop this kid? Only injury can stop him in his chase to eclipse past Penguins' winners Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr.
Rocket Richard Trophy: Dany Heatley. A healthy Jason Spezza and a new contract will see Heatley produce another 50+ goal season, but this time the Rocket Richard will be his.
Norris Trophy: Niklas Lidstrom. Will this guy ever relinquish his hold on this award? The guy is simply the best defenseman in the modern era.
Calder Trophy: Brett Sterling. Many of you will be saying Brett who? Well, he lead the AHL last year with 55 goals in his rookie year. He will start the season in Atlanta playing on a line with Ilya Kovalchuk and if he remains there, he should have a very good chance of winning the Calder.
Veznia Trophy: Roberto Luongo. There will be no mistake this year, he is the best goalie in the league and will take over the crown this year from incumbent Martin Brodeur.
Selke Trophy: Rob Brind'Amore. He is undoubtedly the best defensive forward in the game and will be the first guy to win three Selkes in a row since Bob Gainey back in 1981.
Jack Adams: Michel Therrien. He was wrongly overlooked last year as the winner, but this year he will prove himself more than worthy of the award, but could his icy personality work against him?
Friday, October 5, 2007
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Season Predictions!
After a week hiatus, I'm back and here to give you all my predictions for the season. I will give you my predictions on who will make the playoffs, the conference finals and win the Stanley Cup.
Well lets start with the Western Conference:
1.Detroit Red Wings - If Dominic Hasek can stay healthy they will be a force, if not they will be out early. Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsuyk proved last year that they can take this team deep into the playoffs if a little luck is on their side.
2. Anaheim Ducks - It's difficult for champions to repeat, but with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry a year older and J.S Giguere re-signing their hard hitting brand of hockey will be hard to beat.
3. Vancouver Canucks - Roberto Luongo will further his claim to being the best goalie today, by leading the Canucks to a division title. He of course will have a little help from the ever improving Sedin twins.
4. San Jose Sharks - Joe Thornton and his charges will be back and better than ever. However, they better hope that putting all their eggs in one basket doesn't backfire. Their Marleau Thornton Cheechoo line will have to perform every night if they are to be a Cup threat.
5. Colorado Avalanche - A lot will depend on Petr Budaj continuing to his stellar play. The Avs will be a safe bet to make the playoffs, with the likes of Joe Sakic and the impressive Paul Statsny and Wojtek Wolski to lead the charge.
6. Minnesota Wild - The Wild's chances will depend on Marian Gaborik staying healthy, but after a new off-season regime he is primmed to have a outrageous year. The Wild's defence first style will serve them well in the long haul of the season.
7. Calgary Flames - Mike Keenan's style may not be to everyone's liking, but he's the type of tough, disciplinarian coach that the Flames need. He will bring a system that will help Jerome Iginla's team reach the playoffs.
8. St Louis Blues - This pick may come as a shock to many, but I think they have built a core of young players like Lee Stempniak, Eric Johnson and the addition of Paul Kariya will vault them ahead of the Stars and Predators for the final playoff spot.
Now for the East Conference:
1. Ottawa Senators - There is no surprise here, a freshly signed Dan Heatley will lead last year's Stanley Cup finalists, back to the Promised land. This team is just plain sick, with Redden, Spezza, Alfredsson and of course Heatley leading the way.
2. New York Rangers - The addition of Scott Gomez and Chris Drury have propelled the Rangers into Cup contenders and although it will be a tough fight, the Atlantic should be theirs by season end.
3. Carolina Hurricanes - They had a rash of injuries and slumps, but this team is just too good not to win the Southeast division. A healthy Cory Stillman will go a long way to helping Eric Staal recapturing his 2005-2006 form.
4. Pittsburgh Penguins - Sidney Crosby the reigning NHL MVP has a strong supporting cast of Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, Petr Sykora to name a few. However, much will depend on their defence which is still shockingly weak in it's own end. One area that shouldn't be a question mark anymore is their goaltending, Fleury won 40 games last year putting him behind only Martin Brodeur and Roberto Luongo.
5. New Jersey Devils - Despite the loss of Brian Rafalski and Scott Gomez the Devils have a long history of overcoming high profile loses and this year will be no exception. They still have Martin Brodeur and he can still carry a team on his back. They also have a proven winner in Brent Sutter as their new head coach.
6.Buffalo Sabres - The Sabres will drop off a lot this year, as a result of losing Daniel Briere and Chris Drury to free agency. Their season will rest on the performance of Ryan Miller, Derek Roy and the heavily overpaid Tomas Vanek. There is enough talent left for this team to make the playoffs.
7. Tampa Bay Lightning - Goaltending is still a big question mark for this team, but as last year showed, Martin St-Louis and Vincent Lecavalier can carry this team to the playoffs. They will hope that Brad Richards can rebound from an off year and take off some of the load.
8. Philadelphia Flyers - This was a tough choice and could have gone either way, but with the lack of top line centers on Atlanta I had to give it to the Flyers. They Flyers are completely revamped with the additions of Daniel Briere, Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell to name a few. The Flyers will take time to gel as a team, but there will be no repeat of last year and with Simon Gagne and a possible return of Peter Forsberg, this will be a playoff team again.
Western Conference Finals:
Detroit RedWings vs Anahiem Ducks
Winner = Detroit RedWings
Eastern Conference Finals:
Pittsburgh Penguins vs New York Rangers
Winner = Pittsburgh Penguins
Stanley Cup final:
Pittsburgh Penguins vs Detroit RedWings
Stanley Cup Winner = Pittsburgh Penguins finally reaching their potential possible dynasty starting.
Well lets start with the Western Conference:
1.Detroit Red Wings - If Dominic Hasek can stay healthy they will be a force, if not they will be out early. Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsuyk proved last year that they can take this team deep into the playoffs if a little luck is on their side.
2. Anaheim Ducks - It's difficult for champions to repeat, but with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry a year older and J.S Giguere re-signing their hard hitting brand of hockey will be hard to beat.
3. Vancouver Canucks - Roberto Luongo will further his claim to being the best goalie today, by leading the Canucks to a division title. He of course will have a little help from the ever improving Sedin twins.
4. San Jose Sharks - Joe Thornton and his charges will be back and better than ever. However, they better hope that putting all their eggs in one basket doesn't backfire. Their Marleau Thornton Cheechoo line will have to perform every night if they are to be a Cup threat.
5. Colorado Avalanche - A lot will depend on Petr Budaj continuing to his stellar play. The Avs will be a safe bet to make the playoffs, with the likes of Joe Sakic and the impressive Paul Statsny and Wojtek Wolski to lead the charge.
6. Minnesota Wild - The Wild's chances will depend on Marian Gaborik staying healthy, but after a new off-season regime he is primmed to have a outrageous year. The Wild's defence first style will serve them well in the long haul of the season.
7. Calgary Flames - Mike Keenan's style may not be to everyone's liking, but he's the type of tough, disciplinarian coach that the Flames need. He will bring a system that will help Jerome Iginla's team reach the playoffs.
8. St Louis Blues - This pick may come as a shock to many, but I think they have built a core of young players like Lee Stempniak, Eric Johnson and the addition of Paul Kariya will vault them ahead of the Stars and Predators for the final playoff spot.
Now for the East Conference:
1. Ottawa Senators - There is no surprise here, a freshly signed Dan Heatley will lead last year's Stanley Cup finalists, back to the Promised land. This team is just plain sick, with Redden, Spezza, Alfredsson and of course Heatley leading the way.
2. New York Rangers - The addition of Scott Gomez and Chris Drury have propelled the Rangers into Cup contenders and although it will be a tough fight, the Atlantic should be theirs by season end.
3. Carolina Hurricanes - They had a rash of injuries and slumps, but this team is just too good not to win the Southeast division. A healthy Cory Stillman will go a long way to helping Eric Staal recapturing his 2005-2006 form.
4. Pittsburgh Penguins - Sidney Crosby the reigning NHL MVP has a strong supporting cast of Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, Petr Sykora to name a few. However, much will depend on their defence which is still shockingly weak in it's own end. One area that shouldn't be a question mark anymore is their goaltending, Fleury won 40 games last year putting him behind only Martin Brodeur and Roberto Luongo.
5. New Jersey Devils - Despite the loss of Brian Rafalski and Scott Gomez the Devils have a long history of overcoming high profile loses and this year will be no exception. They still have Martin Brodeur and he can still carry a team on his back. They also have a proven winner in Brent Sutter as their new head coach.
6.Buffalo Sabres - The Sabres will drop off a lot this year, as a result of losing Daniel Briere and Chris Drury to free agency. Their season will rest on the performance of Ryan Miller, Derek Roy and the heavily overpaid Tomas Vanek. There is enough talent left for this team to make the playoffs.
7. Tampa Bay Lightning - Goaltending is still a big question mark for this team, but as last year showed, Martin St-Louis and Vincent Lecavalier can carry this team to the playoffs. They will hope that Brad Richards can rebound from an off year and take off some of the load.
8. Philadelphia Flyers - This was a tough choice and could have gone either way, but with the lack of top line centers on Atlanta I had to give it to the Flyers. They Flyers are completely revamped with the additions of Daniel Briere, Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell to name a few. The Flyers will take time to gel as a team, but there will be no repeat of last year and with Simon Gagne and a possible return of Peter Forsberg, this will be a playoff team again.
Western Conference Finals:
Detroit RedWings vs Anahiem Ducks
Winner = Detroit RedWings
Eastern Conference Finals:
Pittsburgh Penguins vs New York Rangers
Winner = Pittsburgh Penguins
Stanley Cup final:
Pittsburgh Penguins vs Detroit RedWings
Stanley Cup Winner = Pittsburgh Penguins finally reaching their potential possible dynasty starting.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
New Future for the Blackhawks
William Wirtz, owner and President of the Chicago Blackhawks, has passed away after battling cancer.
Wirtz became team President of the Blackhawks in 1966 and since then had been a key figure in the NHL. He served as Chairman of the NHL's Board of Governors nearly two decades, and was influential in helping to merge the NHL and WHA. Wirtz's legacy was set when in 1976 he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Since the Wirtz family took over the Blackhawks in 1954, they have only managed to win one Stanley Cup, in 1961. Although Wirtz family haven't managed to deliver many Cup successes, William Wirtz was able to deliver the fans a new arena.
Wirtz has been criticized over the years by the fans, for blacking out home games on television and for failing to spend the necessary money, to deliver the players to build a winning team.
Wirtz was a very hands on President and often had too much say in the direction of the team on the ice, undermining his General Managers. Wirtz's vision for the team was very old fashioned and lead to a decline in the success of the team since it moved into their new arena 12 years ago.
With Wirtz's passing, maybe now the Blackhawks front office will get an overhaul and we will see a successful and modern management team put in place.
Wirtz failed to realize that to attract fans to the games you have to premote your product as much as you can and this can't be done by blacking out your team's home games. A modernizing President is exactly what this team needs, one that allows the General Manager to do his job without interference.
My condolences go to the Wirtz family, but if the right moves are made, the Blackhawks future could be bright again and that will be the best tribute anyone could pay to William Wirtz. He may have been out of touch with today's game, but his legacy will live on.
Wirtz became team President of the Blackhawks in 1966 and since then had been a key figure in the NHL. He served as Chairman of the NHL's Board of Governors nearly two decades, and was influential in helping to merge the NHL and WHA. Wirtz's legacy was set when in 1976 he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Since the Wirtz family took over the Blackhawks in 1954, they have only managed to win one Stanley Cup, in 1961. Although Wirtz family haven't managed to deliver many Cup successes, William Wirtz was able to deliver the fans a new arena.
Wirtz has been criticized over the years by the fans, for blacking out home games on television and for failing to spend the necessary money, to deliver the players to build a winning team.
Wirtz was a very hands on President and often had too much say in the direction of the team on the ice, undermining his General Managers. Wirtz's vision for the team was very old fashioned and lead to a decline in the success of the team since it moved into their new arena 12 years ago.
With Wirtz's passing, maybe now the Blackhawks front office will get an overhaul and we will see a successful and modern management team put in place.
Wirtz failed to realize that to attract fans to the games you have to premote your product as much as you can and this can't be done by blacking out your team's home games. A modernizing President is exactly what this team needs, one that allows the General Manager to do his job without interference.
My condolences go to the Wirtz family, but if the right moves are made, the Blackhawks future could be bright again and that will be the best tribute anyone could pay to William Wirtz. He may have been out of touch with today's game, but his legacy will live on.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Goalie Troubles for Kings!
The Los Angeles Kings have major issues in net again this year, culminating today with the waiving of Dan Cloutier and his $6.2 million dollar contract.
The Kings hope that some desperate team will take Cloutier's contract off their hands, but that seems unlikely. If he passes through waivers they intend to send him to their AHL affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs.
This leaves the Kings with two career backups in Jason LaBarbera and J.S Aubin, to challenge their stud prospect, Jonathan Bernier, for the starting role.
Labarbera and Aubin have yet to prove that they possess the necessary qualities to be a starter in the NHL, but they do provide a solid backup option. This leaves only one option for the starting role and that is Canada's Summit Series goalie Jonathan Bernier.
By all accounts, Bernier has had an outstanding camp Obviously, that was enough for the Kings to waiver Cloutier. However, Bernier would be jumping straight from Juniors to the NHL, which is a tough task for the best of goalies.
I'm an advocate for bringing young goalies along slowly, especially when the team in front of them isn't capable of protecting them. I believe goalies should learn the pro game in the AHL and only when they are ready bring them up to the NHL.
There will always be a few goalies that make the instant jump, but they are few and far between and there are many more goalies that have had their careers stunted by being asked to do too much too soon.
The Kings may be in the market for a starting goalie, but they are in short supply. The kings could make a move for the much maligned Andrew Raycroft or the impressive Ilya Bryzgalov. However, they will come with a steep price tag attached to them. A short term option may be to take a chance on a veteran like Curtis Joseph.
If the Kings are going to solve their goalie crisis, they will have to hope that Bernier doesn't crumble under the pressure, or they have to go out and get a legitimate starting goalie. If this fails to happen, their season will be over before it has even started.
The Kings hope that some desperate team will take Cloutier's contract off their hands, but that seems unlikely. If he passes through waivers they intend to send him to their AHL affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs.
This leaves the Kings with two career backups in Jason LaBarbera and J.S Aubin, to challenge their stud prospect, Jonathan Bernier, for the starting role.
Labarbera and Aubin have yet to prove that they possess the necessary qualities to be a starter in the NHL, but they do provide a solid backup option. This leaves only one option for the starting role and that is Canada's Summit Series goalie Jonathan Bernier.
By all accounts, Bernier has had an outstanding camp Obviously, that was enough for the Kings to waiver Cloutier. However, Bernier would be jumping straight from Juniors to the NHL, which is a tough task for the best of goalies.
I'm an advocate for bringing young goalies along slowly, especially when the team in front of them isn't capable of protecting them. I believe goalies should learn the pro game in the AHL and only when they are ready bring them up to the NHL.
There will always be a few goalies that make the instant jump, but they are few and far between and there are many more goalies that have had their careers stunted by being asked to do too much too soon.
The Kings may be in the market for a starting goalie, but they are in short supply. The kings could make a move for the much maligned Andrew Raycroft or the impressive Ilya Bryzgalov. However, they will come with a steep price tag attached to them. A short term option may be to take a chance on a veteran like Curtis Joseph.
If the Kings are going to solve their goalie crisis, they will have to hope that Bernier doesn't crumble under the pressure, or they have to go out and get a legitimate starting goalie. If this fails to happen, their season will be over before it has even started.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Crosby In For The Kill!
Pittsburgh Penguins coach Michel Therrien, has suggested that his team needs more than two penalty killing units. He also suggested that he has penciled in Sidney Crosby for the 3rd penalty killing unit.
Crosby is enthusiastic about adding more responsibilty to his resume. He wants to prove that not only is he the best player in the NHL, but also the most complete player. He wants to show that there isn't any part of the game he can't master.
I have heard it said, that Sidney Crosby isn't the best player in the game, because he isn't a complete player like Vincent Lecavalier, because he doesn't kill penalties. This is complete hogwash and not based in reality.
Just because Crosby doesn't play on the penalty kill doesn't mean he isn't capable of doing so, after all he did that job very successfully while playing for Rimouski.
The Penguins previously believed, that there was no need to add minutes to Crosby's already heavy workload. They wanted Crosby to be fresh and ready to go for every offensive opportunity, not tiring himself by playing on the Penalty kill.
Their thinking has obviously changed and I don't necessarily think that's a good thing. Crosby may be capable of killing penalties, but why waste his energy doing so?
There are other players in the lineup that are less important to the team that are more than capable of filling that role. It is an unnecessary risk to have the best player in the league, facing slapshots from the point and putting his magical limbs at risk while blocking shots.
I suggest that the Pens continue to use him as they have been and only bring him out for the last few seconds of the penalty kill, in hope of creating scoring chances off the back of the tired opposition powerplay.
Crosby may turn out to be a top rate penalty killer, however, the rewards of being a complete player are far outweighed by the possibility of injury. An injury to such an important player, not only to the Penguins, but to the whole NHL, would be a crushing blow.
For the benefit of the Penguins and all the fans around the league who want to see Crosby and his magestical skill, I say, shelve the idea of playing Crosby on the penalty kill.
Crosby is enthusiastic about adding more responsibilty to his resume. He wants to prove that not only is he the best player in the NHL, but also the most complete player. He wants to show that there isn't any part of the game he can't master.
I have heard it said, that Sidney Crosby isn't the best player in the game, because he isn't a complete player like Vincent Lecavalier, because he doesn't kill penalties. This is complete hogwash and not based in reality.
Just because Crosby doesn't play on the penalty kill doesn't mean he isn't capable of doing so, after all he did that job very successfully while playing for Rimouski.
The Penguins previously believed, that there was no need to add minutes to Crosby's already heavy workload. They wanted Crosby to be fresh and ready to go for every offensive opportunity, not tiring himself by playing on the Penalty kill.
Their thinking has obviously changed and I don't necessarily think that's a good thing. Crosby may be capable of killing penalties, but why waste his energy doing so?
There are other players in the lineup that are less important to the team that are more than capable of filling that role. It is an unnecessary risk to have the best player in the league, facing slapshots from the point and putting his magical limbs at risk while blocking shots.
I suggest that the Pens continue to use him as they have been and only bring him out for the last few seconds of the penalty kill, in hope of creating scoring chances off the back of the tired opposition powerplay.
Crosby may turn out to be a top rate penalty killer, however, the rewards of being a complete player are far outweighed by the possibility of injury. An injury to such an important player, not only to the Penguins, but to the whole NHL, would be a crushing blow.
For the benefit of the Penguins and all the fans around the league who want to see Crosby and his magestical skill, I say, shelve the idea of playing Crosby on the penalty kill.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Schedule Will Change!
According to reports on TSN, it has been decided that the NHL schedule will be changed for the 2008-2009 season, after a 4 hour meeting of the board of governors.
The form of which the schedule will take, will be voted upon when the board of governors meet in late November. But, it is safe to say that every team will meet at least once every season.
I say thank the hockey gods for this piece of news and look forward to seeing what schedule they come up with.
If you want to see my full thoughts on what the new schedule should look like, check out my previous post.
The form of which the schedule will take, will be voted upon when the board of governors meet in late November. But, it is safe to say that every team will meet at least once every season.
I say thank the hockey gods for this piece of news and look forward to seeing what schedule they come up with.
If you want to see my full thoughts on what the new schedule should look like, check out my previous post.
Monday, September 17, 2007
The Globe Has It All Wrong!
After reading this article by David Shoalts, of the Globe and Mail, Where he blogs against the NHL holding an outdoor game, I feel Shoalts is missing the point and in the words of a famous ESPN catchphrase he should "Just Shut Up!"
This game has nothing to do with trying to recreate childhood memories, of playing pickup on the ponds of Canada. This game is about marketing the NHL to a new demographic.
This game is not being televised to attract the already saturated fandom of Canada, it's about attracting new fans in the States and increasing the visibility of the league in a market where is it behind even late night poker.
Americans like flash, they like something different and this game is going to provide exactly that. This game is going to provide the kind of novelty that might attract new viewers and if the league is lucky, long term fans.
What better way to increase the visibility of the league, than have an outdoor game where the best player in the world today, Sidney Crosby, will be broadcast live to millions of American homes by NBC.
This game may be a novelty and may not be a true reflection of the caliber of play in the NHL. However, it will increase the visibility of the league and get a few more extra inches in the back pages of the newspapers and that can only help the growth of the league.
This game has nothing to do with Canada, to even think of it in terms of the Canadian fans and how they feel about it, is irrelevant. This game is about growing the league in a market that is essential for the survival of the league, America.
Canada will support the NHL come rain or shine, but if the league is to continue to grow it has to come up with new ways to attract the American fans.
The more American fans the league can attract, the bigger the television deal will be, the more merchandise will be sold, the more tickets will be purchased, and that will eventually result in more money for every team in the league, including the Canadian teams.
This is why I couldn't disagree more with Shoalts and anyone else who may share his point of view. This outdoor game, will only be a positive thing for the NHL and for all its fans, be they American, Canadian or my case, other.
This game has nothing to do with trying to recreate childhood memories, of playing pickup on the ponds of Canada. This game is about marketing the NHL to a new demographic.
This game is not being televised to attract the already saturated fandom of Canada, it's about attracting new fans in the States and increasing the visibility of the league in a market where is it behind even late night poker.
Americans like flash, they like something different and this game is going to provide exactly that. This game is going to provide the kind of novelty that might attract new viewers and if the league is lucky, long term fans.
What better way to increase the visibility of the league, than have an outdoor game where the best player in the world today, Sidney Crosby, will be broadcast live to millions of American homes by NBC.
This game may be a novelty and may not be a true reflection of the caliber of play in the NHL. However, it will increase the visibility of the league and get a few more extra inches in the back pages of the newspapers and that can only help the growth of the league.
This game has nothing to do with Canada, to even think of it in terms of the Canadian fans and how they feel about it, is irrelevant. This game is about growing the league in a market that is essential for the survival of the league, America.
Canada will support the NHL come rain or shine, but if the league is to continue to grow it has to come up with new ways to attract the American fans.
The more American fans the league can attract, the bigger the television deal will be, the more merchandise will be sold, the more tickets will be purchased, and that will eventually result in more money for every team in the league, including the Canadian teams.
This is why I couldn't disagree more with Shoalts and anyone else who may share his point of view. This outdoor game, will only be a positive thing for the NHL and for all its fans, be they American, Canadian or my case, other.
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