Out of Town Notebook: The Fourth Line, Turmoil in Columbus, Struggles in Ottawa and Other Thoughts

[Every weekend, Canucks Hockey Blog goes out of town as Tom Wakefield posts his thoughts on what’s happening around the NHL.]

If you live in a wooden house, and you have someone obsessed with fire over to visit, you don’t give them matches.   

If you’re a party planner hosting a VIP party you aren’t inviting the guy who streaks naked when he drinks.

If you own a bank, and a known bank robber applies to work as a teller, you don’t give him the job.

These are all (terrible) metaphors for why the NHL, in the next round of collective bargaining talks, should tell the NHLPA that fourth-line players are no longer welcome in the league.  

Reducing NHL roster size would eliminate many of the penalties, suspensions and violent acts that create public relations nightmares for the league.  

During the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons, 67 NHL suspensions were handed down. The majority of players suspended were forwards. 

Taking a closer look at those suspended forwards shows it’s a particular kind of player getting suspended most of the time.  

That’s right. Almost half (46%) of all suspensions were given to forwards who ranked 10th or lower (aka fourth-line minutes) in ice-time on their team.  

This same trend appears when you look at penalty minute leaders or players with the most 5-minute majors.

Reducing the number of starting forwards a team can dress from 12 to 11 (or even 10) would mean more ice-time for the game’s best, most creative players.

It would also mean no ice-time for the league’s worst players, who cause most of the drama anyways.

If the NHL really wanted to get serious about violence in the game, getting rid of fourth-liners is where they should start.

** It should be noted 10 of the 22 games handed out in suspension to third line players is the result of Matt Cooke’s elbow to Ryan McDonough’s head. Otherwise the average length of suspension is roughly equal to that of a top-six forward.

Thoughts on the Fly

• While Mark Scheifele got all the pre-season press, it’s 20-year old Alexander Burmistrov who looks like the real deal. He’s been the team’s best forward so far, and looks looks Igor Larionov-esque.
• Staying with the Jets, their top line right now consists of Burmistrov, Nik Antropov and Kyle Wellwood. That’s like a sitcom that casts David Spade as the lead and expects a ratings bonanza. Blake Wheeler and especially Evander Kane have to get going. (Sidenote – god that’s an ironically titled, dreadfully awful, Rules of Engagement link).
• You read a story like this and it’s awfully hard to root against Jaromir Jagr.
• For those keeping score, that’s two closed-door meetings in Canada already: one in Ottawa and one in Calgary.
• I’m sure Columbus fans are feeling good about Mike Modano’s recent tweet: “Rick Nash please ask for a trade.”
• Speaking of the Blue Jackets, Scott Arniel’s term as coach in Columbus can be measured in games right now. Fox Sports Ohio caught Arniel getting into it with a fan after the Dallas game, which ironically is the same thing that Gerard Gallant did before he was fired as Blue Jackets coach. Shouldn’t general manager Scott Howson also be on the chopping block? This franchise hasn’t improved since he took over the GM position from Doug Maclean, and they’re tight to the salary cap (only $850,000 under).
• Final Blue Jackets note: Yes they’ve been losing without James Wisniewski, but it also looks like they miss Jan Hejda.
• Speaking of defense, the hope had been that Minnesota’s unheralded blueline would be good enough to sneak the team into a playoff spot. So far so bad. Only Clayton Stoner’s stood out – leading the team with a +3 to date.
• Edmonton Oilers fans are learning what Wild and Blackhawk fans already knew – Cam Barker looks like a lost cause.
• Some thoughts over at thegoalieguild.com on Jaroslav Halak’s early season struggles.
• Braydon Schenn may have been a -3 in his first game for the Flyers, but he played pretty well. Sean Couturier, who had been anchoring the 3rd line, was bumped to the 4th line and scored a goal. It will be interesting to see if the Flyers keep both players around. It certainly looks like the team is comfortable using the youngsters in defensive roles, giving them time to grow into more offensive responsibility.
• Speaking of the Flyers, Scott Hartnell isn’t feeling the love these days. One imagines Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke has already left messages on Paul Holmgren’s phone.
• This week’s excellent roundup over at Grantland by Katie Baker.
• One of the reasons the San Jose Sharks are off to a 1-3 start? Marty Havlat hasn’t played a game yet. Without him, the Sharks attack isn’t the most fleet of foot or dynamic. The defense hasn’t exactly been consistent either.
• Wayne Scanlan writes 10 reasons why an Ottawa Senators rebuild can’t happen soon enough.
• The more you think about it; doesn’t some sort of trade involving a Predators defenseman for an offensive forward from the Oilers make sense?
• In their continuing effort to kick Atlanta hockey fans in the balls, the NHL started the year blacking out games by geographic neighbours Nashville and Carolina on the local Centre Ice package. The blackout was lifted this week.
• Teams that have a lot of cap space and could probably use the reportedly available Rene Bourque: Phoenix, Nashville, Dallas, Ottawa, Carolina, Winnipeg, Anaheim, Minnesota. Thing is, Bourque isn’t exactly a world-beater. He’s a slightly better version of Michael Ryder.
• Still not convinced Ryan Kesler wasn’t rushed back into the Canuck lineup too soon.