Tom Wakefield

Shinny: CHB Fantasy Hockey Update

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Oct 272011
 

It’s that time again. Time to check in and see how each of your favourite CHB staff are doing in the office* hockey pool. 

Follow the link to the pool site, or read on below for each writer’s thoughts.

 * Note office in this case refers to Ed’s tree fort.

 1. 2 Sedins, 0 Cups (Tom) – 105.5 points

The season is only 10-games long right? Just this week I was thinking to myself “self, you’ve been too cranky about the pool prize. The winner of this pool should get $10,000 and a parade.” Then, lo-and-behold, I’m in first place. What a coincidence!

Since inevitably I’ll carry this lead the rest of the year, here’s a sneak preview of my victory speech:

  • Thanks to Teressa Bellissimo for inventing the chicken wing (allegedly). Also, for having a very fun name to say out loud.
  • Thanks to Kevin Bieksa for demonstrating once again how foolish it is to give big money to players who play their best season in the final year of their contract. It’s comforting to know you’re back to being the player I always thought you were.  
  • Thanks to Boardwalk Empire for giving Gretchen Mol a regular paycheck.
  • Thanks to the Occupy Vancouver crowd for assuring the municipal election is not simply a Gregor Robertson coronation.
  • Thanks to Canuck fans for driving the sensitive Roberto Luongo insane, giving my CHB colleagues enough content for 1349 extra columns and videos. Let me remind you all – he’s a Canuck for the next decade. You’re stuck with him. A mature approach would be to make the best of it. But no, keep blaming him for everything. It’s sure to end well.
  • Thanks to Jeff Carter for killing Matt’s pool team, the Blue Jackets, and Rick Nash’s willingness to stay in Columbus.
  • Thanks to Drive and Tron: Legacy for kick-ass soundtracks this year.
  • Thanks to Dan Russell for giving me something other than Team 1040 or 1410 to listen to on the drives home from hockey. Thanks to car manufacturers for giving me the option to turn the radio off when Blake Price is on.
  • Thanks to Grantland.com for giving me something to read at work.
  • Thanks to Chris for calling Parminder Nagra an A-list actor below. Pure hilarity.

 2. Mr. Haiku (Clay) – 97.5 points

It’s clear that’s it has already become a two-horse race in the CHB Hockey Pool, with “2 Sedins 0 Cups” and Mr. Haiku set to battle it out all season.  Where we might have thoroughbreds, the other poolsters might as well be riding a merry-go-round.

I’m still near the top of all of the offensive stat categories, but near the bottom in PIM and in absolute last in face-off wins.  I guess I could have picked some guys who actually take face-offs.

Offensively I’m being led by Daniel Sedin, Kopitar and Skinner with solid contributions from Hossa, Lecavalier and Franzen.  My goaltending has the good (Miller), the okay (Thomas) and the ugly (Roloson).  Technically, Thomas hasn’t been bad…but he’s been splitting games with Rask.  We’ll see how that goaltending situation plays out down the road.

Hmmm….sound familiar?

3. Church’s Chiggins (Ed) – 71 points

It’s been a bit of a see-saw time for my team lately.  I was right at the top of the pack to begin the week before dropping to the bottom on one awful day before climbing back up to a distant 3rd.

Evgeni Malkin’s injury has proven to be problematic.  I assumed that all the talk about him being healthy was trustworthy but apparently 100% doesn’t mean what I think it does in Russia.  Him being out isn’t a huge deal on its own but the fact that he’s my first round pick is.  Your first pick should be the cornerstone of your team, a player you never take out of the lineup and there are at least 8 stars in the NHL like that today.  Geno on the bench just tells me I could’ve picked better.

Luckily, Henrik Lundqvist picked a good time to wake up with solid stats in wins and losses, including a 4-0 shutout of the Canucks a week ago.  John Tavares as well, posting two monstrous 4-point games before going a little bit quiet in the last three.  Logan Couture, Matt Duchene (who was bumped down to 4th line duty this week), and JVR continue to disappoint with only 4 points each so far this season.

John Carlson was also not performing to his potential but just to show the luck I had last week, his replacement Chris Pronger got jabbed in the eye before his first game on my roster.

4. Kesler is my Homeboy (Caylie) – 69 points

A life-size cut out of Ryan Kesler’s ESPN photo was delivered to Caylie’s home last weekend. She hasn’t been heard from since.

5. The Hamhuis Ballards (JJ) – 66.5 points

When Charlie Sheen finally went off the deep end, Two and a Half Men creator Chuck Lorre got Charlie’s character killed in this season’s opener and replaced him with Ashton Kutcher.

Based on this season’s ratings, this looks like a lateral move at best. While 28 million people watched Kelso’s first episode on the Emmy Award-winning show, only about 14 million people were tuning in by last week – which is about the same average viewership when Sheen was still cast in the lead role.

The only move I’ve made in the CHBWFHP to date is to drop Drew Stafford and replace him with Jason Pominville. Pominville’s off to a good start, but all told, both play the same position for the same team, and through an entire season, may put up similar numbers.  So why the lateral move? Playing on Buffalo’s top line, I’d like to think Pominville will keep his hot hand longer than Kutcher has. Or maybe I’ve just gone off the deep end.

6. Burrows Buddy (Liz) – 61.5 points

Liz couldn’t get her piece in this week. I hear she’s been spending all her time at Caylie’s house.

7. Goose is my Wingman (Chris) – 58 points

Just took a look at the hockey pool and noticed that I’m not last – that honour goes to Matt right now.  In the grand scheme of things, that’s okay with me as it means that if this were actually the Top Gun academy, I’d still be able to show I’ve got the “stuff” near the end of the season when we deal with those unidentified bogies.  Really wish Goose would still be my REO then – he’s only my wingman for obvious reasons.

More on Goose though.  While Top Gun has to be one of the greatest movies (if not the greatest movie) of all time, Anthony Edwards also starred in Revenge of the Nerds – another pretty stellar movie series in its own right.  And then there’s this little show called ER – yep Dr. Mark Greene was played by Gilbert Lowe, who was played by LTJG Nick “Goose” Bradshaw, who is actually Anthony Edwards.  In fact, ER is what I would consider the TV version of Top Gun.

Think about it.  Top Gun was a movie with a ton of A-list actors.  ER was a TV show with a ton of A-list actors.  We had George Clooney, William H. Macy, Shane West, Scott Grimes, John Stamos, Mekhi Phifer, Eriq La Salle, Ming-Na, Maurey Tierney, Parminder Nagrao – the list goes on and on and on.  A solid cast. Just like my picks in the CHB hockey pool.

8. Hossa’s Samosas (Matt) – 47 points

Well, things are getting hairy.

I’ve been hit by an injury bug early, with Jeff Carter going down and David Backes and Ryan Whitney on again, off again with ailments. Their absence isn’t the reason why I’m losing, though. Alex Ovechkin is just starting to heat up, but Zach Parise and Alex Goligoski have been unmitigated disasters.

More alarmingly, my goaltenders have become the bane of my existence. Carey Price and the Habs have been slow out of the gates and now there’s a worry that Ilya Bryzgalov may soon ride the pine. And even for a third goalie, I expected more out of Steve Mason.

The only solution is to ride it out and hope that things turn around soon. With a limited amount of moves, it’s too early to go to the waiver wire and even then it’s no sure thing that’ll help. I might need to look at making an early season deal for a way out.

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

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Oct 212011
 

[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. 

Position# of suspensionsAverage ice-time per player suspendedAverage length of suspension
Defense1620:34 minutes per game2.5 games
Forward519:55 minutes per game2.85 games

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

Ice-time rank amongst team forwards# of suspensions# of gamesAverage length of suspension
1st-3rd (First line)8182.25 games
4th-6th (Second line)6122 games
7th-9th( Third line)*6223.67** games
10th-or lower (Fourth line or marginal player)311133.64 games

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.

Position# of players among the top-30 PIM leaders (2009-10, 2010-11)# of players among the top-30 leaders in 5-minute major penalties (2009-10, 2010-11)
Defensemen54
Forwards5556

Ice-time rank amongst team forwards# of players among top-30 PIM leaders# of players among top-30 5-minute major penalty leaders
1st-3rd (First line)00
4th-6th (Second line)61
7th-9th (Third line)61
10th or lower (Fourth line)4353
 

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.

Out of Town Notebook: Random Thoughts from the NHL’s First Week

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Oct 142011
 

A collection of hockey thoughts and observations as one settles into a new NHL hockey season:

  • It should be clear to anyone who has watched the Senators play that Paul Maclean hasn’t had any more luck than Cory Clouston at motivating Sergei Gonchar. No one gives up on puck battles quicker than he does.
  • One week doesn’t make an NHL season, but as of today the Senators look an awful lot like the worst team in the NHL.
  • Speaking of NHL defensemen, Sheldon Souray’s big shot has already helped the Dallas Stars. However, Souray also looks a step slower than he did back in his Oiler and Hab days. At some point in the season the Stars will have to manage his minutes at even strength.
  • Staying in Dallas, it’s clear early on that Kari Lehtonen is auditioning for the Ilya Bryzgalov role as “goaltender who single-handedly keeps his team in the playoff hunt.” The Stars are not very good, but Lehtonen has been sensational out of the gate.
  • One more Dallas thought – let’s settle down about their attendance issues. It’s only October (American NHL teams normally struggle at the gate at the start of the season), the Texas Rangers are legitimate World Series contenders (and they’ve played both nights when Stars had woeful home crowds) and they’re finally getting an owner soon.  Texas is blossoming as a hockey state, but the Stars have been on life support as a franchise for the last couple of years. A new owner, with a clear business plan for the community, should rectify the issue.
  • One early season trend: more and more teams on the powerplay are attacking the blueline with speed, only to drop the puck to a trailing player before entering the zone. Since the penalty killers have collapsed on the puck carrier, the trailer usually gains easy entry into the offensive zone.
  • Speaking of early season impressions, despite his -2 rating Nikita Nikitin has had a solid start in St. Louis and may be ready for top-pairing minutes. On the downside, Jaroslav Halak has had a tough time controlling his rebounds and hasn’t looked great in net.
  • Question: Did Aaron Asham take it upon himself to apologize for his post-fight antics or did the Penguins leadership group (Dan Blysma, Sidney Crosby, Chris Kunitz) encourage him to be regretful post-game? Personally I think it was the latter, in hopes of minimizing any potential suspension.
  • Interesting to see how some teams are dolling out the ice time to start the year. Through Friday, Brian Campbell is getting close to 30-minutes a game in Florida. Surprisingly, Jason Garrison is getting the second-most ice time among Panthers defensemen.
  • Other ice time observations:
  • Most ice-time among Panthers forwards: Kris Versteeg. Probably wishing he’d signed elsewhere: Scottie Upshall, who is only seeing 10-minutes a game in Florida.
  • In Colorado, Daniel Winnick is the surprising ice-time leader among forwards. Actually the Avalanche are taking an offense-by-committee approach to the start of the season. No forward is averaging more than 18-minutes a game, and nine forwards (including Chuck Kobasew !?!!?) are getting at least a minute of powerplay time per game.
  • In St. Louis,  Jason Arnott is seeing only 13-minutes a game in St. Louis, and is seeing less powerplay time than Matt D’Agostini.
  • Speaking of not seeing any powerplay time, Shawn Horcoff looks like the odd-man out in Edmonton. He’s averaged 46 seconds of powerplay time thus far. Adding insult to injury – it took all of two games for the Sportsnet panel (Jeff Marek, John Shannon and Marty McSorley (?!?!)) to speculate that the Oilers may trade Horcoff at some point this year.
  • Don’t look now, but Edmonton’s Ales Hemsky left Thursday’s game against Minnesota early with an an injury to the same shoulder he had surgery on.
  • One last Oiler note: Linus Omark, he of the nifty shootout attempts, is reportedly in Tom Renney’s doghouse.
  • Yes Don Cherry’s days as a relevant commentator are probably over. His recent comments about fighting even have some people calling for his job.  But the CBC owns NHL hockey rights until 2014, and Coach’s Corner remains a ratings goldmine. Whatever the current fallout, expect Cherry to stick it out until the end of the current CBC deal. After that? Says here he retires from regular TV duty.
  • The parade route is already being planned in Toronto where the Maple Leafs are 2-0. Most impressive thing about their start? Phil Kessel, who seems quicker, stronger and more determined than ever before. Heck, he’s even joined Twitter, although it looks like we shouldn’t hold our breath waiting for him to post something interesting.
  • A nice recap of the first week by Katie Baker over at Grantland.
  • Sadly, some players still don’t seem to realize the danger of concussions.
  • The top-10 immoveable contracts in the NHL, according to The Hockey News.
  • The New York Islanders 3rd jersey has been leaked.

    • Shinny: How Does This Friggin’ Pool Work?

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    Oct 142011
     

    Welcome readers to our round-up of the CHB Writers celebrity death pool Fantasy Hockey Pool.

    For those of you who missed it last week, eight of your favourite CHB contributors (okay, seven of your favourites plus Chris) are doing battle in a pool showdown of epic proportions, to earn the title of… well, we’re still undecided on what the winner gets.

    Below you’ll find the pool standings as well as a few thoughts from each of our competitors. 

    1. Mr. Haiku (Clayton) 100.5 points

    Mr. Haiku has already distinguished himself at the head of the class. I have the outright lead or share of the lead in 7 of the 16 statistical categories.

    My strategy of going for high point-getters has paid off thus far although it wasn’t intentional: I wasn’t aware of the stat categories prior to drafting my team. This is obvious when taking a look at a few of the other categories: I’m dead last in PIM and faceoff wins.

    Kris Letang is my (very) early MVP while I’m still wondering why I took Martin Havlat. 

    As for what we should be playing for, given that our pool is free, I’m not sure if there’s a budget to even get a small trophy or plaque. Perhaps the loser should have to re-tweet the winner’s tweets and blogs for an entire month?

    2. 2 Sedins 0 Cups (Tom) 91 points

    Let this be a lesson to you all – never enter a pool with someone who has God on his side (Clayton aka Mr. Haiku). It’s too early to start claiming victory, but I will say this – Chris’ autodraft experiment smells a lot like Ryan Reynold’s movie career: failure.

    As for what we should be playing for, I could honestly care less about what the winner gets – I’m much more interested in the loser’s punishment. If reality television has taught me anything it’s that the food challenges are always the toughest. What about the loser having to eat an order of every food item available at Rogers Arena in one sitting?

    Since we’re talking about winners or losers, allow me to digress for a second. Has anyone gone from the proverbial “mountain top” of show business to forgotten person quicker than Oprah Winfrey? Four months ago she left as the queen of daytime television. Now she’s running OWN (Oprahy Winfrey Network) and nobody’s watching.

    Her big ratings solution (bringing Rosie O’Donnell back to television this week) garnered fewer viewers in its debut than the recently cancelled H8R – which was only the most insuferable television show of all time (I hate you Mario Lopez, with your fake tan, smile, happy family, comfortable career and abs my wife probably freeze frames on the TV when I’m not looking).

    The 500 channel universe has reduced Oprah to something she hasn’t been in over 25 years – just another person who works in television.

    3. Church’s Chiggins (Ed) 81 points

    I’ve been a little disappointed with my team’s performance so far, which has kept me in the middle of the pack. No one on my team has had a particularly good first week. Lundqvist has yet to win a game and John Tavares hasn’t had a point yet (until last night). As of Tuesday, no one on my team had more than 2 points. Disappointing.

    Couple that with the DTD status of Evgeni Malkin, who apparently isn’t as healthy as we were led to believe in the off-season after he got his bionic knees, and you have an underperforming roster. The only nice surprise is the 14 PIMs from Patrick Sharp in one night.

    However, it’s only a few games into the season. Star players will get their points and things have a way of evening out as the season progresses. October is always wacky. Those of you expecting Jason Chimera and Matt Cooke to be contending for the Rocket Richard Trophy are going to be disappointed.

    4. Hossa’s Samosas (Matt) 67 points

    (Matt was so unimpressed with his middle-of-the-road showing that he failed to provide his thoughts for this piece. Clearly a bad sport. Also – I hear he steals from soup kitchens and refuses to talk to his mother.)

    5. The Hamhuis Ballards (J.J.) 65.5 points

    I’m oddly attracted to CW’s new show, Hart of Dixie. My wife thinks I’m just attracted to Rachel Bilson. There may be some truth to that.

    I suppose I’ve unconsciously followed her career for a while now. While I didn’t watch much of The O.C, I loved Bilson in “The Last Kiss” and secretly hoped she would be the “your mother” in How I Met Your Mother.

    Similarly, looking back at my CHBWFHP picks there are a few players I’ve seemed to follow and unconsciously draft year after year after year: Thomas Vanek, Brandon Dubinsky and Drew Stafford.

    Vanek is off to a hot start with 5 points in 2 games. Somehow, Dubinsky is just behind Zenon Konopka and Chris Neil in penalty minutes. Meanwhile, Stafford scored an insurance PP goal against the Kings as the Sabres are off to a 2-0 start.

    Hart of Dixie has received mixed reviews and its ratings have been on par with Gossip Girl. But after only 3 episodes, it’s probably too early to read into those as well

    (Editor’s note: Heart of Dixie was given a full season episode order on Wednesday.)

    6. Burrows Buddy (Lizz) 61.5 points

    Anything higher than last is what I’ll consider a victory. Henrik and the Staal brothers are my champions right now, proving my sibling love is properly placed.

    As for prizes, I think first at least deserves a round of drinks, and possibly a Volpatti shirt. I feel like he’d be pretty good at hockey pools. Second place should get some of the 2011 playoff gear they’ve trying to get rid of at the outlet store.

    7. Goose is my Wingman (Chris) 58 points

    So can someone explain to me how exactly this pool works? And was allowing Byfuglien to be auto-drafted really a bad thing? Personally, I still think there is a vast conspiracy at CHB to prevent me from really doing well in this pool. In fact, it’s eerily similar to the experience that Maverick’s Dad had (you know when he flew with the VF-51 “The Oriskany”) when the State Department didn’t want to admit the battle happened on the wrong side of the lines. Yeah, something like that….

    Anywho, apparently we should be thinking of what we all could get for winning and/or losing this pool. Well… if my two cents are worth anything, I’m thinking that the winner should be forced to buy the loser a steak at Gotham’s. Definitely good karma to be had by doing that. And seeing as I auto-drafted Byfuglien, it will help me maintain my svelte Byfuglien-esque figure.

    8. Kesler is my Homeboy (Caylie) 51.5 points

    When I go and look at the hockey pool standings I feel as though I’m playing a slot machine in a casino. You know, the one where you have no idea how to win but at random times you do end up winning, and when you think you’ve won you’re actually in last place. With so many categories I don’t actually know how we get points, all I know is that Team Kesler is my Homeboy has a lot of negative points each night and is keeping Chris company at the bottom of the pack.

    This is going to be a long season of confusion. It must be nice for those on top, but I’m convinced they have no idea why they are winning.

    Welcome Back, Winnipeg Jets

     Blog  1 Response »
    Oct 092011
     

    In the summer of 1985, in honour of my brother’s Manitoba wedding, my parents took me on a road trip.

    Living in Ontario, we drove West through the United States towards the wedding, and then East through Canada on the way home.

    I don’t remember a thing about the trip home through Canada. I do remember parts of the trip through the U.S. – in particular a visit to Wakefield, Michigan, and the purchase of a Rambo helicopter toy I played with endlessly.

    But what I remember most is my dad breaking us into the Winnipeg Arena.

    It was the middle of the day, and we clearly weren’t supposed to be there. Being somewhere you weren’t supposed to be never bothered my dad. His gift for talking got us into Atlanta Fulton-County Stadium, Cincinatti’s Riverfront Stadium and a drug-lord owned casino in Cartagena, Colombia (but that’s a story for another day).

    I was only seven years old though and clearly worried about getting in trouble. Nonetheless, dad pressed on, trying arena doors until one opened, and walking with me around the concourse until we found a shuttered pro shop.

    I stood aside as dad found a someone to talk to. Eventually he did, and the pro shop was opened.  Dad talked to the man privately, and then he motioned for me to come toward him.

    “They don’t have any Dale Hawerchuk’s,” he said. “Who else do you like on the Jets? Randy Carlyle?”

    I quickly replied: “Thomas Steen.” Make no mistake, as a boy I was acutely aware of any NHL player who shared my first name.

    My dad’s face could not hide his confusion – he clearly did not recognize the name. He repeated it out loud, in the form of a question, for the man to hear: “Thomas Steen?”

    Our new friend disappeared from view. After what seemed like an eternity, he came back, handing to me a left-handed hockey stick seemingly twice as long as I was tall.

    The stick had a cracked blade but otherwise looked good as new. On the shaft, stamped, was the name THOMAS STEEN.

    Today, in the storage closet of a suburban home in the hamlet of Orono, Ontario (population 1200), you can still find a very old red and white Titan hockey stick. It’s the only game-used stick I’ve ever owned.

    Tonight, as puck drops on the Jets official return to the NHL, I’ll be thinking about that trip. About my dad. About Thomas Steen.

    Welcome back, Winnipeg Jets. You’ve been missed.

    Shinny: CHB Writers Fantasy Hockey Pool Throwdown

     Blog  3 Responses »
    Oct 062011
     
    Phil Kessel, NHL All-Star Draft

    Photo credit: ESPN

    Here in the halls of Canucks Hockey Blog, mixed in with an unbridled love for the home town team, is a certain amount of friendly rivalry.

    What better way to exploit this rivalry than with a fantasy hockey pool. And what better way to create filler content entertain our readers for our website than by writing about it online. CHB Grand Poobah* J.J. agreed, and he created a pool for us over at Yahoo.

    The 2011-12 CHB Hockey Pool is rotisserie-based and features 16 scoring categories: goals, assists, points, plus/minus, penalty minutes, powerplay goals, powerplay points, shorthanded goals, shorthanded points, game-winning goals, shots on goal, faceoffs won, wins, goals against average, saves and shutouts.

    The pool winner will receive… well, we’re still figuring that out. However, there is a push for the loser of the pool to be kicked off the site permanently. Reader suggestions for prizes are also welcome.

    We’ll update you regularly on the latest pool standings, and give your favourite CHB’ers a place to vent about their pool teams.

    To kick things off, we held our draft this week. Read on to see the makeup of our teams and our initial pool thoughts. Teams are listed in the reverse order they selected.

    *I am contractually required to call J.J. by this name any time I reference him in a column.

    8. The Hamhuis Ballards (J.J.)

    Team: Roberto Luongo (Van – G);Nicklas Backstrom (Was – C); Jonathan Toews (Chi – C); Henrik Zetterberg (Det – C,LW); Thomas Vanek (Buf – LW); Ryane Clowe (SJ – LW,RW); Corey Crawford (Chi – G); Lubomir Visnovsky (Anh – D); Christian Ehrhoff (Buf – D); Joe Pavelski (SJ – C,RW); Ryan Callahan (NYR – RW); Alexander Edler (Van – D); Brandon Dubinsky (NYR – C,LW); Brent Seabrook (Chi – D); Drew Stafford (Buf – RW); Jaroslav Halak (StL – G)

    J.J.’s Thoughts: Things I learned while participating in the inaugural CHB writers’ hockey pool:

    1. “How I Met Your Mother” has rebounded nicely after a pretty meh season 5; and
    2. There are only two reasons to watch “2 Broke Girls” and they both belong to Kat Dennings.

    I scheduled the draft during Monday night primetime, and yes, my attention shifted constantly between the TV, my PC and all 107 pages of Dobber Hockey’s Fantasy Guide. And yes, I know I sound like I’m making excuses for drafting Roberto Luongo with my first pick and three players from my hated Blackhawks and two Sharks later on.

    Truth be told though, I’m pretty okay with my picks. I’m counting on Corey Crawford to prove that last season wasn’t a fluke, on Ryan Callahan and Alex Edler to have a breakout seasons, on Jaroslav Halak to bounce back, and on Henrik Zetterberg to remain healthy. If they do that, I should be contending in every statistical category in this league.

    Plus, I see Lizz’s team has Henrik Sedin, Alex Burrows, Brendan Morrow and a bunch of kids; Clay’s team has Ilya Kovalchuk, Martin Havlat, Marian Hossa and Vincent Lecavalier, all of whom would have been great picks 3 years ago; and I’m still not sure if Tom using his first pick to draft Sid the Kid, who he can place on IR right away, is genius or madness or both.

    7. 2 Sedins 0 Cups (Tom)

    Team: Sidney Crosby (Pit – C); Pavel Datsyuk (Det – C,LW); Ryan Getzlaf (Anh – C); Claude Giroux (Phi – C,RW); Marc-Andre Fleury (Pit – G); Jonathan Quick (LA – G); Loui Eriksson (Dal – LW,RW); Dustin Brown (LA – LW,RW); Derek Roy (Buf – C); Dany Heatley (Min – RW); James Neal (Pit – LW) Jaromir Jagr (Phi – RW); Dion Phaneuf (Tor – D); Mark Streit (NYI – D); Tyler Myers (Buf – D); Mark Giordano (Cgy – D)

    Tom’s Thoughts: First of all, I thought rotisserie was a type of chicken. I had to get J.J. to explain to me what that meant for pool scoring. Speaking of scoring, 16 categories are a bit much. I mean, if we’re going to be this exhaustive, why don’t we just go all in and include categories like number of phone numbers acquired at the Roxy, or number of puck bunny Twitter followers (Patrick Kane goes first overall in that category)?

    As for my actual draft, well, I didn’t want Sidney Crosby, considering he’s one hit away from becoming just another forgotten Tim Horton’s pitchman, but I couldn’t pass him up in the first round. Otherwise…well actually I can’t tell you if my team’s any good, because I don’t have an algorithm to analyze how I did across 16 freaking categories.

    Unlike my colleagues I waited on goalies and defence, since in an 8-team pool both positions are incredibly deep. I also looked for positional flexibility early, to give me options with my lineup.

    Best/Worst Draft: I like a lot of Clayton’s roster (Mr. Haiku), particularly the scoring depth. Ed’s (Church’s Chiggins) team is also pretty strong. I think J.J. (The Hamhuis Ballards) got caught up looking at all the stats that weren’t scoring related. His team doesn’t look all that dynamic. Or handsome, for that matter.

    Best/Worst Pick: James van Riemsdyk in the 15th round (Ed), Ilya Kovalchuk in the 6th (Clayton) and Mike Ribiero in the 14th (Chris) were steals. Alex Burrows in the 5th (Lizz) was way early and Ryan Whitney in the 14th (Matt) was high for a d-man with injury issues. But for me the kicker was Matt drafting Steve Mason to be his third goalie. First of all why do you (or anyone else in this pool) need three goalies? Secondly, Matt have you seen Steve Mason play the last few years? Good god.

    6. Church’s Chiggins (Ed)

    Team: Evgeni Malkin (Pit – C,RW); Henrik Lundqvist (NYR – G); Mike Green (Was – D); Patrick Kane (Chi – RW); Patrick Marleau (SJ – C,LW);  John Tavares (NYI – C); Patrick Sharp (Chi – C,LW); Alexander Semin (Was – LW,RW); Brent Burns (SJ – D); Matt Duchene (Col – C); Logan Couture (SJ – C); Jonas Hiller (Anh – G); Niklas Kronwall (Det – D); John Carlson (Was – D); James van Riemsdyk (Phi – LW); Martin Brodeur (NJ – G)

    Ed’s Thoughts: I like the team I drafted even though I think I could’ve made a couple of better choices.   My philosophy has always been to try to draft the best player available when my pick is up which meant I filled up on forwards after picking Mike Green. I missed Shea Weber and a couple others but when WJHC American hero John Carlson is my 4th defenseman, that’s not bad.  Green and Carlson should be manning the point on the Washington PP with Ovie, Backstrom and Semin up front so I’m looking forward to that.

    Looking at my roster, success depends on young players like Matt Duchene, John Tavares and Logan Couture continuing to develop into NHL stars.  I think Duchene and Tavares will top 80 points a piece as the primary offensive weapon on their respective teams.  I also hope JVR remembers how he played in the playoffs and earns that big payday he got from the Flyers.

    My only real concern with this roster is health as I have several players that aren’t known for their durability in recent years. I’m also happy with the fact that I got four players with dual position eligibility. It looks like some of the others in the league also recognized how valuable this flexibility is with a limited number of games to be played.

    Best/Worst Draft: I don’t know if anyone lost the draft.  Chris (Goose is my Wingman) didn’t draft a 4th defenseman so maybe him. Overall, everyone looks like they have solid teams.  Even teams with supposed weaknesses at certain positions make up for it elsewhere.

    Best/Worst Pick: I didn’t particularly think Henrik (Lizz) was a very good first overall pick in this league since goals are weighted heavier and we get points for shots.  In any league where shots are counted, I’m almost sure Ovechkin or Daniel would be a better pick.

    5. Kesler is my Homeboy (Caylie)

    Team: Corey Perry (Anh – RW); Martin St. Louis (TB – RW); Antti Niemi (SJ – G); Joe Thornton (SJ – C); Rick Nash (Cls – LW,RW); Nicklas Lidstrom (Det – D); Miikka Kiprusoff (Cgy – G); Keith Yandle (Pho – D); Teemu Selanne (Anh – RW); Danny Briere (Phi – C,RW); Jamie Benn (Dal – LW); Tobias Enstrom (Wpg – D); Michael Cammalleri (Mon – LW); Tomas Kaberle (Car – D); Tomas Plekanec (Mon – C); Mikhail Grabovski (Tor – C)

    Caylie’s Thoughts: After taking 8 minutes to realize I wasn’t signed in and therefore couldn’t access the draft, I finally logged in and found myself pleasantly surprised. My first two auto-draft picks were Hart Trophy winner Corey Perry and mini-mouse Martin St. Louis. Looking at the final results it’s obvious to me that I have the best team, while the others… well I guess they have some decent picks. Why do I have the best team you ask? Well, I have the perfect mixture of snipers and all-around players… and let’s be honest I have to go in with a positive attitude and not think about defeat.

    With the season just around the corner I am beyond excited about what the Canucks have to offer this year as well as the trash-talking and complaining, about the group pool, that will come from some of CHB’s finest. Game on everyone!

    Best/Worst Pick: Considering my username is Kesler is my Homeboy, I was devastated to see Goose is my Wingman (Chris) snatch him up before I had the chance. Another shocker came when Mr. Haiku (Clay) became the first person to pick a Boston Bruins player, Tim Thomas to be exact (I hear all the Luongo fans gasping). With the memories and wounds of June 15th still fresh in everyone’s mind, it was a tough pick to accept.

    4. Goose is my Wingman (Chris)

    Team: Steven Stamkos (TB – C);  Bobby Ryan (Anh – LW); Jarome Iginla (Cgy – RW); Tomas Vokoun (Was – G); Brad Richards (NYR – C); Shea Weber (Nsh – D); Ryan Kesler (Van – C); Dustin Byfuglien (Wpg – RW,D); Zdeno Chara (Bos – D); Jimmy Howard (Det – G); Phil Kessel (Tor – RW); Paul Stastny (Col – C); Erik Karlsson (Ott – D); Mike Ribeiro (Dal – C); Scott Hartnell (Phi – LW); Kari Lehtonen (Dal – G)

    Chris’s Thoughts: Having fulfilled Operation Autopilot in the CHB draft, I’m pretty stoked about my results – who wouldn’t be after successfully drafting Byfuglien?  Really, the only pick I’m skeptical about is Kessel as I forgot that he plays in Toronto.. and.. well.. he plays in Toronto.  I’ve got Kesler, Stamkos, Weber, Chara.. heck.. while other teams went for the O, I decided the blueline was the route to success.  And because I’m a believer that in the CHB pool that if “you’re not first, you’re worst” I drafted the player that as closely resembles Ricky Bobby – Bobby Ryan.  How can I lose? EXactly.

    3. Mr. Haiku (Clay)

    Team: Daniel Sedin (Van – LW); Ryan Miller (Buf – G); Anze Kopitar (LA – C); Tim Thomas (Bos – G); Kris Letang (Pit – D); Ilya Kovalchuk (NJ – LW,RW); Jeff Skinner (Car – C,RW); Dan Boyle (SJ – D); Vincent Lecavalier (TB – C); Martin Havlat (SJ – RW); Alex Pietrangelo (StL – D); Marian Hossa (Chi – RW); Johan Franzen (Det – LW,RW); Tyler Ennis (Buf – C,LW); Ryan Suter (Nsh – D); Dwayne Roloson (TB – G)

    Clay’s Thoughts: Just like my Ultimate Canucks Haiku video helped us win the Ultimate Canucks Family back in 2007, I fully expect Mr. Haiku to win the coveted title of CHB Hockey Pool Champ. The strength of my team is on the back-end, with proven netminders Thomas, Miller and Roloson.  I am fiercely loyal to Thomas and Miller – they, along with Luongo and Bryzgalov helped me win another keeper pool last season.  I expect a bounce-back year for Miller.  As for Roloson, as long as Tampa Bay scores more than he lets in, I’ll get plenty of wins from him (but likely few shutouts).

    My defence is relatively young and are all guys that can move the puck. My forwards are generally older (except for Skinner, Kopitar and Ennis) and might be the weakest part of my team.

    The Homer Effect was in full play in this pool. Not surprisingly, five of the eight team names have a Canucks player or reference in it. Lizz was picking with her heart over her head as she has 3 Canucks and one ex-Canuck. Four poolsters don’t have a Canuck:  Ed, Matt, Tom and Caylie.

    Best/Worst Draft: I think Matt’s team is really strong – I really like his goalies and his forwards. I think Chris’ team isn’t that strong, perhaps because he was on auto-draft.

    Best/Worst Pick: I found the last round quite fascinating - five goalies of the eight picks. I like these sleeper picks:  Dubinsky by J.J. in the 13th, Streit by Tom in the 14th, and van Riemsdyk by Ed in the 15th.

    2. Hossa’s Samosas (Matt)

    Team: Alex Ovechkin (Was – LW); Ilya Bryzgalov (Phi – G); Carey Price (Mon – G); Zach Parise (NJ – LW); Jeff Carter (Cls – C,RW); Mike Richards (LA – C); David Backes (StL – RW); Marian Gaborik (NYR – RW); Duncan Keith (Chi – D); Milan Lucic (Bos – LW); Chris Stewart (StL – RW); Alex Goligoski (Dal – D); Patrice Bergeron (Bos – C); Ryan Whitney (Edm – D); Jack Johnson (LA – D); Steve Mason (Cls – G)

    Matt’s Thoughts: Normally I’m the kind of person that will pick skill over will, but in a rotisserie league I had to draft with other stats categories in mind (PIMs, faceoff wins). Therefore I went all out and had to pick up some players I wouldn’t normally take (at least early) in a fantasy draft like Milan Lucic (PIMs) and Patrice Bergeron (FOW). Defensively, I was hoping to draft another two-way blueliner but alas I’ll have to make due with Alex Goligoski as my number two.

    Best/Worst Draft:  Without tooting my own horn too much, I think my team is well-balanced in all of the stats categories. But outside of my own team, I’m really digging Ed’s team (Church’s Chiggins). Evgeni Malkin will have an MVP-like season, and his team is very good offensively (he didn’t address the PIMs category like I did, however). Chris (Goose is my Wingman) picked a lot of players from teams expected to struggle, which could hurt him in the special teams and plus-minus stats categories.

    Best/Worst Pick: I took the gigantic gamble of taking Marian Gaborik in the 8th round (63rd overall) when no one else wanted that risk. If Gaborik can get to the 40-goal plateau alongside Brad Richards, I’ll look like a genius. Regrettably, I wish I passed on taking goalies in the 2nd and 3rd rounds (Bryzgalov and Price), as there were still very good goalies available midway through the draft, including Jaroslav Halak (taken 121st).

    1. Burrows Buddy (Lizz)

    Team: Henrik Sedin (Van – C); Eric Staal (Car – C); Pekka Rinne (Nsh – G); Drew Doughty (LA – D); Alexandre Burrows (Van – LW); Taylor Hall (Edm – LW); Michael Grabner (NYI – RW); Cam Fowler (Anh – D); P.K. Subban (Mon – D); Kevin Bieksa (Van – D); Cam Ward (Car – G); Jordan Staal (Pit – C,LW); Andrew Ladd (Wpg – LW); Erik Cole (Mon – LW,RW); Brenden Morrow (Dal – LW); Brandon Sutter (Car – C)

    Lizz’s Thoughts: Clearly my team will win, since I picked it, and I only pick winners. I have some brother power happening, and with some rookie luck that’s all I need. I like my team, I got the goalie I wanted with Rinne, and I’m glad I picked up a Sedin and the Staal brothers. I probably picked Burrows way too early, but I don’t even care.

    Best/Worst Draft: I did like the looks of Chris’s team, but then he picked up Byfuglien, and there’s just no recovering from that. He’ll sink faster than a fatty drunk boater. So I’m going to have to split it between Matt and Ed for second place.

    Out-of-Town Notebook: 2011/2012 Season Predictions and Prognostications

     Blog, Out of Town Notebook  No Responses »
    Oct 062011
     

    After more than a month of review, analysis, and rankings, it’s time to predict what will actually happen in the upcoming NHL season.

    If you take all things into consideration, one thing becomes abundantly clear – parity. No team is very strong at each position (coach, goalie, defence, forward), and most teams are only a shade better or worse than another.

    It looks like all the same teams that made the playoffs last year have a good chance of making it again this year. As we’ve discussed though, it’s rare that there’s so little change in the standings from year-to-year. Injuries therefore will be the biggest factor in determining who plays on in April and who doesn’t.

    This time last year I predicted Boston as the Stanley Cup champion. Read on to find out this year’s predicted winner:

     Western Conference

    1. Vancouver 110-115 points
    2. Anaheim 105-110
    3. Nashville 100-105
    4. Chicago 100-105
    5. San Jose 90-95
    6. Detroit 90-95
    7. St. Louis 90-95
    8. Los Angeles 90-95
    9. Calgary 80-85
    10. Edmonton 75-80
    11. Colorado 70-75
    12. Dallas 70-75
    13. Phoenix 70-75
    14. Minnesota 65-70
    15. Columbus 55-60

    Notes on the above:

    • Surprisingly, I have the Predators rated the best team in the Conference (based on very strong goaltending, defence and coaching scores). Nashville plays in a brutally tough division though. Vancouver plays in the weakest division in the league, and that should lead them to another 1st place showing.
    • I have Chicago, LA and Vancouver rated roughly the same. I don’t have a non-playoff team rated anywhere near the top-8 teams in the West.
    • Could be significantly better than they’re ranked: San Jose (if Niemi plays a full season like his half-season last year); Colorado (if the kids are healthy and Varlamov is a legit goalie); St. Louis (if Halak is healthy and the youth take the next step).
    • Could be significantly worse than they’re ranked: Anaheim (if any of their core gets hurt they have very little depth); Detroit (if Jimmy Howard is only adequate and age catches up to the team); Phoenix (if their goaltending is as weak as expected).
    • Could miss the playoffs: Their division is so tough, a slow start or injury troubles could kill St. Louis, Detroit, Chicago or Nashville’s playoff chances.
    • Could make the playoffs with some luck: Calgary (if Mikka Kiprusof has some magic left, Iginla stays healthy and they incredibly find some secondary scoring).

     Eastern Conference

    1. Washington 110-115
    2. Boston 105-110
    3. Pittsburgh 105-110
    4. Philadelphia 100-105
    5. Buffalo 100-105
    6. Montreal 90-95
    7. NY Rangers 90-95
    8. Tampa Bay 85-90
    9. New Jersey 80-85
    10. Toronto 80-85
    11. Carolina 75-80
    12. NY Islanders 70-75
    13. Winnipeg 70-75
    14. Ottawa 60-65
    15. Florida 55-60

    Notes on the above:

    • Pittsburgh is the highest rated team in the Conference, but its close between them, Boston and Washington. Given the weakness of Washington’s division, the Capitals are likely to take first place.
    • I think the travel schedule of teams in the Southeast Division will have a negative impact on how those teams compete in the standings.  
    • Could be significantly better than they’re ranked: New York Rangers (depends how the kids progress and if Brad Richards performs); New Jersey (depends on Martin Brodeur, Adam Larsson and Mattias Tedenby); New York Islanders (if they get any goaltending they could be in the playoff mix).
    • Could be significantly worse than they’re ranked: Toronto (Corporately, Brian Burke has to get his team into the playoffs this year. The team is awfully young and inexperienced though); Montreal (if Carey Price goes down look out); Tampa Bay (similar to Montreal, they cannot afford a Dwayne Roloson injury).
    • Could miss the playoffs if things don’t gel right: Philadelphia (Chris Pronger’s injury prone, no one really knows what Jaromir Jagr will do and the kids are still kids).
    • Could make the playoffs with some luck: Carolina (great goaltending, okay defence and Eric Staal is an elite player).

    Other fearless predictions for the upcoming season:

    • Conference Finals: Washington over Pittsburgh in the East; Chicago over Nashville in the West
    • Stanley Cup Final: Chicago over Washington
    • Chicago plays Vancouver in the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.
    • Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin combine to play 120 games this year. Only one of them is available come playoff time.
    • With the Toronto Maple Leafs not making the playoffs, Brian Burke removes himself from the GM position and takes his place as President of the hockey club.
    • Phil Kessel is rumoured to be traded all year.
    • Jaromir Jagr is the most entertaining thing about the new season of HBO 24/7.
    • Lou Lamoriello retires at the end of the season. So does Martin Brodeur, Niklas Lidstrom, Teemu Selanne and Jaime Langenbrunner.
    • The Predators do not trade or re-sign Shea Weber, leaving him a UFARFA for 2012-13.
    • The NHL and NHLPA do not come to terms on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.
    • The Philadelphia Phillies win the World Series over the New York Yankees. Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera promptly retire.
    • Teemu Selanne, Jaromir Jagr and Jarome Iginla fail to score 30 goals.
    • James Neal, Taylor Hall, John Tavares and Tyler Seguin each score 30 goals.
    • A year after her divorce, a Christina Aguilera sex tape is leaked online.
    • The War Horse marks the beginning of the end of Steven Speilberg’s career as a director. It’s awful.
    • Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith do divorce after all.
    • Slash does not appear on stage with Guns N’ Roses at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
    • The Toronto Blue Jays bid on Prince Fielder.
    • There is another recession.
    • Game of Thrones sets new viewing records for HBO.
    • Only Two Broke Girls, The New Girl and Prime Suspect earn a second TV season on a major US television network.
    • The Office without Steve Carrell is terrible.
    • Gabriel Landeskog is the highest scoring rookie. Nino Niederrater wins the Calder Trophy.
    • Alex Ovechkin wins the Art Ross and is the only player to crack 100 points.
    • Jonathan Toews wins the Hart.
    • Shea Weber wins the Norris.
    • Roberto Luongo wins the Vezina.
    • Tuukka Rask replaces Tim Thomas as Bruin starter at some point this season.
    • Shane Doan is traded from Phoenix at his request.
    • Jose Theodore is traded by Florida at the trade deadline.
    • It’s all but confirmed the Phoenix Coyotes will play in Quebec City starting in 2014.
    • The Blue Jackets’ Scott Arniel is the first coach fired. Ron Wilson is next, and whoever replaces Ron Wilson spurs the Leafs to a late-season playoff charge.
    • Coldplay’s new album is considered a disappointment.
    • Brendan Shanahan is forced (allegedly) to resign as NHL disciplinarian.
    • Teemu Selanne is hurt and can’t play in Winnipeg in December.
    • To the financial benefit of the NHL there is no NBA season.

    Season Preview: Ranking the Western Conference Goalies

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    Oct 052011
     

    Yesterday it was the Eastern Conference goalies. Today, the Western Conference as we wrap up our positional previews.

    A+ Grade

    Nashville
    Last Year (B-)

    A stellar playoff performance proved Pekka Rinne is more than just a product of an elite defensive team. He’s the Conference’s best goaltender right now. If injured, Anders Lindback is a more-than-capable replacement.

    A- Grade

    Anaheim
    Last Year (B)

    Vertigo derailed what was shaping up to be a Vezina-worthy season for Jonas Hiller. Symptom-free, he’s an elite goaltender. Dan Ellis is an okay backup in the short-term, but any injury to Hiller and the Ducks are in trouble.

    B+ Grade

    Vancouver
    Last Year (B+)

    Despite two very inconsistent post-seasons, Roberto Luongo has been a great regular season goaltender. In fact, it could be argued Luongo has something to prove this year, which may mean trouble for opposing shooters. Cory Schneider is a strong backup and can fill in admirably for long stretches. He may be required to do so if Luongo falters again.

    Calgary
    Last Year (B)

    Miika Kiprusoff is starting on the downside of his career, but he’s still capable of Vezina-worthy numbers. The team has high hopes for Henrik Karlsson, who might just be the most talented backup Kiprusoff’s ever had behind him on the depth chart. Then again, we are talking about a list that includes Curtis McElhinney, Vesa Toskala, an-end-of-his-career Curtis Joseph, Jamie McLennan, Phillppe Sauve, Brian Boucher, Roman Turek, Dany Sabourin, Goofy, Greg Goldberg, Lisa Simpson, Lanny McDonald’s moustache, Snidley Whiplash’s moustache and Paul Brandt.   

    B Grade

    St. Louis
    Last Year (B+)

    It was a mixed debut for Jaroslav Halak in St. Louis, as injuries and inconsistency dogged his first season with the Blues. There were enough good moments though to confirm he is no Habs one-season wonder (aka Steve Penney). Ben Bishop and Brian Elliott competed for the backup role in camp, with Elliott winning the role. Both are significant downgrades from Halak.

    Los Angeles
    Last Year (C+)

    There is an embarrassment of riches at this position in Los Angeles, with Jonathan Quick playing extremely well last year, and Jonathan Bernier remaining one of the elite goalie prospects in the league. The Kings will move up this list as these two continue to develop.

    B- Grade

    Chicago Last Year (B-)

    Marty Turco was a Christina Hendricks-sized bust last year, but the emergence of Corey Crawford effectively saved the Blackhawks season. Crawford was very good against the Canucks in the first round last year, and goes into this season as the defacto starter. The backup role is up for grabs, with former badboy Ray Emery competing with prospect Alexander Salak. Emery looked good with the Ducks down the stretch, while Salak toiled in Europe after a good North American showing in 2009-10. Neither were all that special during training camp. (Ed. note: The Blackhawks signed Ray Emery a couple of days ago, and sent Alexander Salak to Rockford in the AHL. – J.J.)

    Dallas
    Last Year (C-)

    Kari Lehtonen brushed aside his injury past and was the Stars’ MVP, almost carrying the team into the playoffs. He’ll be asked to do even more on a weaker Dallas team this year. Andrew Raycroft is serviceable as the backup.

    C+ Grade

    Colorado
    Last Year (C+)

    Semyon Varlamov was a walking band-aid for the Capitals last year, and has yet to play 30 NHL games in a season. There’s no question he’s talented, but durability is a legitimate concern. The Capitals have been a good team as well, so it will be interesting to see what his numbers look like playing for a young Avalanche team. Jean-Sebastien Giguere is a swell guy who’s clearly reaching the end of his career performance-wise. His last two years in Toronto were pedestrian.

    San Jose
    Last Year (C)

    After a horrible start to the season, Antti Niemi was sensational from January until the end of the season. He is unorthodox, and his playoff numbers were disappointing, but when hot he’s one of the better goalies in the league.  Antero Nittymaki is out for 12 weeks meaning Thomas Griess gets a chance to be the backup. Griess has #1 goalie potential.

    C Grade

    Detroit
    Last Year (B)

    Brilliant in his rookie season, Jimmy Howard was hit by the sophomore slump for much of last year. He picked up his game in the post-season though, and seems destined to be a Chris Osgood-level NHL starter. Ty Conklin is the journeyman backup.

    Edmonton
    Last Year (D+)

    Devan Dubnyk was Ken Wregget-esque at times last year, giving an overmatched Oilers team a chance to win. His best days are ahead – the question remains how good of a goaltender he can be. Having completed his jail time, Nikolai Khabibulin enters the year looking to redeem his reputation.

    Minnesota
    Last Year (C)

    Nicklas Backstrom had a bounce-back year between the pipes for a very pedestrian Wild team. He’s a second-tier NHL starter. Josh Harding missed all of last season due to injury, got hurt in training camp and at 27 sees his career at a crossroads. 

    C- Grade

    Phoenix
    Last Year (A)

    Coyotes fans are about to learn how just how hard it is to win in the NHL without elite goaltending. Mike Smith and Jason LaBarbera are solid backup goalies at best.

    Columbus
    Last Year (C+)

    Chin up Blue Jackets fans – whereas the Steve Mason era has been a nightmare, the Mark Derkanich era, whenever it starts, has some promise. In the meantime, Curtis Sanford (not this Sanford, the other one) is also in the mix.

    Season Preview: Ranking the Eastern Conference Goalies

     Blog  1 Response »
    Oct 042011
     

    Any discussion of the New Jersey Devils chances this year is riddled with questions:

    • Is Peter DeBoer a good coach?
    •  Is the team going bankrupt or not?
    • Do Adam Lambert and Adam Larsson look anything alike?
    • Is this Zach Parise’s last year with the team?
    • When will Travis Zajac be back?

    Yet the biggest question of them all is “what can Devils fans expect from Martin Brodeur.”

    Brodeur, arguably the best goalie of his generation, enters the season as a 39-year old. Like the rest of his team, Brodeur’s pre- (2.84 GAA, .895 SVPT) and post- (1.84, .919) all-star game numbers demonstrate Jacques Lemaire’s positive impact behind the bench. However, Brodeur’s .903 save percentage for the entire season was his worst since 1994-95.

    To know what Martin Brodeur may bring to the New Jersey Devils’ crease this year, let’s take a look at how some other 39-year old goalies have faired since the lockout:

    SeasonNameTeamGames PlayedWinsGoals Against AverageSave Percentage
    2005-06Sean BurkeTampa Bay35142.80.895
    2006-07Curtis JosephPhoenix55183.190.893
    2008-09Dwayne RolosonEdmonton63282.770.915

    Burke and Joseph played on non-playoff teams and their numbers are an adequate reflection of their poor supporting cast and genuine decline due to age. The anomaly is Roloson, who was terrific for an otherwise weak Oiler team that also ended outside the playoff mix.  

    Brodeur turns 40 in May, and Devils fans hope the team is still playing then. To broaden the sample size a bit, let’s take a quick look at how goalies at 40 have done since the lockout.

    SeasonNameTeamGames PlayedWinsGoals Against AverageSave Percentage
    2005-06Ed BelfourToronto49223.290.892
    2006-07Sean BurkeLA2363.110.901
    2007-08Curtis JosephCalgary932.550.906
    2009-10Dwayne RolosonNYI502330.907

    Once again, none of these goalies played on a playoff team.

    If we average all these numbers out, what do they look like?

    Well, they look like Steve Mason:

    NameGames PlayedWinsGoals Against AverageSave Percentage
    39-40 year old goalie avg.41163.010.902
    Steve Mason 2011-1254243.030.901

    Martin Brodeur may have a lot of records and some gas left in the tank, but given the evidence it seems more decline is in store for the Devils goalie.   

    Let’s take a look now at the Eastern Conference goalie rankings for 2011-12:

    A+ Grade

    Philadelphia
    Last Year (D+)

    Talk about rectifying a long-standing weakness. Ilya Bryzgalov is an elite goalie playing behind the best team of his career. If he gets hurt, Sergei Bobrovsky is a young, talented backup who showed last year he can play extremely well in stretches. Together, they look like the best goalie tandem in the league, although each of Boston, Buffalo and the Rangers could challenge that standing.

    A Grade

    Boston
    Last Year (B+)

    How about one more Wiserclap for the season Tim Thomas had – arguably the best season by a goalie in the history of the NHL. A bit of a fall-back-to-earth for Thomas should be expected, but the Bruins have a very capable Tuukka Rask to pick up the slack.

    Buffalo
    Last Year (A+)

    Ryan Miller had a bit of a down season but is a top-5 goalie in the NHL, if not the best. Jhonas Enroth looks like the best backup goalie the Sabres have had in some time.

    New York Rangers
    Last Year (A+)

    A slight downgrade given Martin Biron’s age and collarbone injury last season, but otherwise this is another elite goaltending tandem in a Conference neck-deep in strong goalie depth. Is this the year Henrik Lundqvist finally earns a Vezina Trophy?

    A- Grade

    Washington
    Last Year (C)

    Just like the Flyers, the Capitals addressed their goaltending issues for the first time since Olaf Kolzig left town. Tomas Vokun has long been described as a great goalie playing for lousy teams. Now we’ll see how he does when wins are expected. Michal Neuvirth and Braden Holtby are youngsters with strong potential.

    Carolina
    Last Year (B+)

    If the NHL plays in the next Olympics, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Cam Ward between the pipes for Canada – he’s that good. Off-season acquisition Brian Boucher is a huge upgrade as the backup.

    B+ Grade

    Montreal
    Last Year (C-)

    Okay, so Carey Price is a legitimate NHL goalie capable of elite play. However, Montreal’s a Price injury away from absolute disaster (aka Peter Budaj) in the crease.

    Pittsburgh
    Last Year (B-)

    A Vezina-esque season from Marc-Andre Fleury last season should have silenced most of the critics. Brent Johnson is a solid backup who can get red hot.

    B Grade

    Tampa Bay
    Last Year (C+)

    Dwayne Roloson will turn 42 in October. He was very good for the Lightning after being traded from the Islanders, but he seemed to tire by the Conference Final against Boston. A Roloson injury shoots the Lightning toward the bottom of this list, as Mathieu Garon is only adequate as the backup.

    B- Grade

    New Jersey
    Last Year (A-)

    This is probably Martin Brodeur’s final season. Good thing the Devils have planned ahead and stocked the farm system with potential replacements right? Actually, they haven’t. Instead, they’re going to trot out 38-year old Johan Hedberg in the event Brodeur gets hurt, and then hope some free agent chooses New Jersey in the off-season. Good luck with that, Lou Lamoriello.

    Ottawa
    Last Year (C-)

    There’s a lot riding on Craig Anderson this year, as the Senators firmly believe he is the type of goalie you can rebuild around. Injuries remain a concern though. Alex Auld is an okay backup who barely played last year in Montreal.

    C+ Grade

    New York Islanders
    Last Year (C)

    Not satisfied with having Rick DiPietro, Al Montoya, Evgeni Nabokov, Kevin Poulin and MIkko Koskinen on the goalie depth chart, former goalie-turned-GM Garth Snow reportedly invited Darren Puppa, Dan Cloutier, Dominik Hasek, Johnny Bower, Ken Dryden, Steve Penney, Glenn Healy, Ron Tugnutt and Jean-Claude VanDamme to camp in an effort to start the season with an all-goalie starting lineup. Happily for Islander fans they all declined. Unhappily, the lot that remains is a rather average one, with Montoya showing the most promise last year.

    Winnipeg
    Last Year (C+)

    Ondreji Pavelec has a 3.33 GAA and .883 save % after the all-star break. He’s young and talented, but the Jets need him to find consistency. Chris Mason is an experienced backup who was one of the worst goalies in the league statistically last season.

    C Grade

    Toronto
    Last Year (B-)

    Last year I was too optimistic about the tandem of Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Jonas Gustavsson. That’s why you find the Maple Leafs down here now, as James Reimer, despite a glacier glove hand, was terrific down the stretch. A half-season does not prove anything and it’s up to Reimer to show he’s a quality NHL starter.

    Florida
    Last Year (B+)

    Lets be honest – Jose Theodore is just keeping the crease warm for super-prospect Jacob Markstrom. Until the rookie takes the reins though, the Panthers are going to lose a lot of games. Theodore is a shadow of his former self, and backup Scott Clemmensen may actually be the better goalie at this stage of their respective careers.

    Season Preview: Ranking the Eastern Conference Forwards

     Blog  1 Response »
    Sep 272011
     

    Yesterday I talked about the Western Conference (and Two and a Half Men..which I will never talk about again willingly). 

    Let’s take a look at the Eastern Conference rankings today.

    A quick note on all of these rankings. Each likely starting player and coach was given a letter grade (in a player’s case based on their likely contribution, previous performance and ability). Each letter grade had a numerical value, and a team’s ranking is a result of a team’s total score in that particular area (coaching, defence, forwards, and goaltenders).

     A+ Grade

    Pittsburgh
    Last Year (A)

    If Sidney Crosby’s healthy, this is the best group of forwards the Penguins have had in a long time, maybe even better than their Cup winning roster. It can skate, play both ways and compete physically. James Neal has 30-goal potential, while Steve Sullivan, if healthy, will be a powerplay asset. If Malkin lines up in the middle, this is the deepest team at centre in the Conference. There’s some young talent on the farm as well, meaning we likely haven’t seen the last of long playoff runs for the Penguins. Still, if Crosby misses any time they slide down this ranking.

    A Grade

    Washington
    Last Year (A+)

    Skill and grit found on every line. With a year of defensive focus under their belt, a more balanced approach is expected this year. If executed, that means a return to offensive form for Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Semin. Jeff Halpern in particular gives the Capitals a strong defensive centre who can take key faceoffs. That being said, neither Brooks Laich nor Marcus Johansson look like a strong second line centre.

    B+ Grade

    New York Rangers
    Last Year (B)

    Marian Gaborik’s health permitting, this might just be the deepest forward group in the Eastern Conference. It’s young, fast, and has room to grow offensively, especially if Derek Stepan continues to develop. The wild card here is Wojtek Wolski, who might get to line up with Richards. He’s got all the tools to be an NHL scorer – it’s his toolbox that drove the Coyotes and Avalanche to deal him.

    B Grade

    New Jersey
    Last Year (B+)

    Not everything was lost last year in the Garden State. Ilya Kovalchuk’s second-half demonstrated he remains an elite NHL sniper, and the team was able to ease talented youngsters Jacob Josefson and Mattias Tedenby into the lineup. Each will play a more important role this year, with Josefson potentially lining up with Kovy. Travis Zajac’s Achilles injury is off-set by the return of Zach Parise, one of the better players in the league. This might be a sneaky-good offensive group, although the bottom-six depth could use work.

    B- Grade

    Boston
    Last Year (A-)

    Very similar to the Rangers in terms of quality depth, the Stanley Cup winners feature three forward lines of strong two-way play. What’s missing? The elite end of the offensive spectrum, especially with Marc Savard likely to retire due to concussion. Tyler Seguin had a tough first year. Given more opportunity he could blossom a la Steven Stamkos. If he does, the Bruins shoot up this list, fast.  

    Buffalo
    Last Year (B)

    Maybe the smallest group of forwards in the Eastern Conference (like the Smurfs, Tyler Ennis and Nathan Gerbe are also three apples tall), the Sabres are otherwise skilled, young and talented. Behind Derek Roy at centre though there’s very little to choose from, especially if Brad Boyes continues his regression. That’s why they’re trying Ville Leino in the middle, and it will be interesting to see if he can produce at the level his contract demands. Zach Kassian will help in the size department, but he’s still a year or two away from making an impact.

    New York Islanders
    Last Year (C+)

    With less fanfare than the Edmonton Oilers, the Islanders are also amassing a strong cast of young forwards. Michael Grabner and Frans Nielsen broke out last year, with the former becoming perhaps the most exciting skater the franchise has had since Ziggy Palffy. Marty Reasoner and Brian Rolston should fill important leadership and defensive roles, although Rolston looked like he belonged on The Walking Dead most of last season. As this team develops so to will John Tavares’ star across the league.

    C+ Grade

    Tampa Bay
    Last Year (B)

    Similar to Chicago, in that the team’s core group (Steven Stamkos, Martin St. Louis, Vincent Lecavalier) is good enough to sit atop this list, but depth drags their rating down. Teddy Purcell looks like he’s ready to join that core group, although there are still worries about his physical play. Ryan Malone and Steve Downie provide good toughness, but neither is a consistent impact forward offensively. Not many options on the left wing, and this may be the worst fourth line in the Conference.    

    Montreal
    Last Year (C)

    Erik Cole adds even more speed, but more importantly size, to a group of forwards in desperate need of more physical players. The question with this group will always be about the offense and where it will come from. More scoring consistency from Michael Cammalleri or Andrei Kostitsyn would improve Montreal’s place on this list. I’m not sure who had a worse season last year – Scott Gomez or Mel Gibson.

    Carolina
    Last Year (C)

    There may not be a more important forward to his team than the role Eric Staal plays for Carolina. He is the team’s best offensive and defensive player by a country mile. This year’s Jeff Skinner could be Zac Dalpe, as the Hurricanes need an offensive second-line player, and Brandon Sutter might be a better fit centring a checking line. Jussi Jokinen and Tuomo Ruutu add some scoring, but would be complimentary players on a better team. The right wing is a desert of scoring ability.

    C Grade

    Philadelphia
    Last Year (A-)

    This is the lowest Flyers forwards will be ranked as a group for years to come. The main reason they find themselves down here is youth, and the lack of consistency that comes with that. James van Riemsdyk looked like John LeClair 2.0 in the playoffs, but he’s yet to show that performance across an 80-game schedule. The same could be said for Wayne Simmonds, Jakub Voracek and Brayden Schenn, who in all fairness hasn’t even played 10 games in the NHL. Each of these players could become B-level forwards or higher, but they haven’t shown this so far in their careers. Beyond the youth there is a nice level of tenacity throughout all four lines, and Claude Giroux could be a top-10 scorer this year. As for Jaromir Jagr? I want him to succeed, but the new NHL is a skating league, and that isn’t Jagr’s strength. He’s four years removed from the NHL grind, and his last year in North America was a 71 point season. At this stage of his career, the best Flyer fans should hope for is Ville Leino production (53 points). But there is a chance Jagr could also be Jiri Dopita 2.0.

    Toronto
    Last Year (D+)

    This is a fast, gritty group that lacks scoring, although they have a legitimate sniper in Phil Kessel and a good second line centre in Mikhail Grabovski. Actually, Tim Connolly and Matthew Lombardi give the team good centre-ice depth, but each of them is a walking health risk and can’t really be counted on. It would surprise if Clarke MacArthur and Joffrey Lupul play as well as they did last year for the Leafs. It would not surprise to see Nikolai Kulemin continue to assert himself as Toronto’s most complete player.

    C- Grade

    Florida
    Last Year (D+)

    This is a collection of forwards that wouldn’t be out of place on a first year expansion team. There’s some experience and grit here, and Tomas Fleischmann is a top-six scoring talent. But it would be a shock to see more than a couple of these players on the team when it next makes the playoffs.

    Winnipeg
    Last Year (C)

    A physical group that’s light on skill, which is why there’s talk of the team keeping centre Mark Scheifele to start the season. The former Thrashers kept 18-year old Alex Burmistrov on the roster last season, but the results were mixed. Evander Kane may eventually replace Jarome Iginla as Canada’s best power forward.

    D+ Grade

    Ottawa
    Last Year (B)

    It’s hard times in the nation’s capital, as the Senators will enter the season with their weakest group of forwards since the mid-90s. Like those early days of the franchise, this year’s group will be fairly young, with the front office praying to JoBu at least one of Nikita Filatov, Bobby Butler or Mika Zibanejad can become a regular offensive contributor. Daniel Aldredsson has probably already played his last playoff game as a Senator.

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