Beasts & leasts in the East!

Yesterday, we took at the powerful Western Conference… now the top-heavy Eastern Conference is up! You can really make a case that the same 8 teams will make the playoffs from this past season…

Atlantic Division
New Jersey… Lou Lamoriello still have to fill up his roster and coaching vacancy, but with Brodeur in net and a solid top line, this team has no excuse to miss the playoffs.
NY Islanders… I’d be shocked if they came close to the 2nd season. Tavares is on board, but there’s nothing else to root for on the island.
NY Rangers… They are a lock to hover around the 7-10 seed range with that below average offense and Lundqvist between the pipes. They wouldn’t be a playoff team in the West.
Philadelphia… Labeled as a ‘beast’ in the East, the Flyers could go a long way if Ray Emery plays well in net.
Pittsburgh… As long as 87 & 71 stay healthy, a repeat is certainly possible for the Pens.

Northeast Division
Boston… We’ll see if the B’s can stay at the top of the East with a target on their back; expect a small drop off with this team.
Buffalo… A bubble team for the postseason the last 2 seasons, the Sabres look to be going in that direction once again.
Montreal… Jacques Martin’s club should be a playoff team, but by no means will they compete for the Cup.
Ottawa… Their fate may depend on how the Heatley fiasco unfolds. If he stays, it could be a distraction that splits apart the team.
Toronto… Teams will feed off of 2 points almost every night against the Leafs, but they won’t enjoy playing against them.

Southeast Division
Atlanta… The Antropov and Kubina acquisitions make them a sleeper.
Carolina… Eric Staal & company were the best team in the league down the stretch. That success could carryover if Cam Ward is consistent.
Florida… I don’t know what to expect from the Panthers. They’ll work hard every night, but they don’t have the talent to hang with the big boys in this conference.
Tampa Bay… The Bolts could remain in the Southeast cellar, but they’re heading in the right direction with Hedman & Ohlund in the fold.
Washington… The 2nd round series we witnessed between the Pens & Caps could be a preview for next year’s conference finals! Theodore is the key…

My Eastern Conference power ratings… what the playoff picture looks like as of July 6th.
1. Pittsburgh
2. Washington
3. Boston
4. Philadelphia
5. Carolina
6. Montreal
7. New Jersey
8. NY Rangers
---
9. Buffalo
10. Florida
11. Ottawa
12. Atlanta
13. Tampa Bay
14. Toronto
15. NY Islanders

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FSN Pittsburgh's video tribute to the Pens' Cup run...


Uwe Krupp scores in the 3rd OT to give Colorado the Cup in 1996!

The wild, wild West!!

Has anyone taken a gander at the potential that the Western Conference has for this season?? All 15 teams have a shot to make the playoffs (unlike the East), and have 5 powerhouses that are all Cup contenders…

Central Division
Chicago… The young ‘Hawks still have loads of potential and will look to build off their run to the conference finals this spring.
Columbus… Rick Nash & company can be even better than last year if Steve Mason avoids a sophomore slump.
Detroit… It’s the Red Wings; they’ll be at the top every year.
Nashville… No one can match the work ethic of the Preds as they’ll look to stay healthy enough to make the playoffs.
St. Louis… I’d be surprised if their late-season run was a fluke. The Blues have 3 really good lines and a solid back end.

Northwest Division
Calgary… Though they lost Cammalleri, the Flames should be near the top of the division with a new coach and the best defensive corps in the league.
Colorado… If the Avs can stay healthy and Craig Anderson can be the #1 goalie they’ve been looking for, this team could surprise.
Edmonton… You never know what you’ll get out of this team. A new goalie and coach could give Oilers fans something to cheer about in the spring.
Minnesota… Goodbye Gaborik, Hello Havlat. The Wild will finally be a fun team to watch and their prospects could shine under Todd Richards.
Vancouver… With Roberto Luongo in net, any team can win a division; the Canucks will look to defend their crown with the twins back in the fold.

Pacific Division
Anaheim… Possibly the scariest team in the conference if Jonas Hiller is for real; adding Koivu would solidify any doubts.
Dallas… The Stars suffered numerous costly injuries last year, and Turco had his worst year. A bounce back season should be expected even with Crawford behind the bench.
Los Angeles… LA should be the next big market to witness a hockey renaissance after years of disappointment (Boston & Chicago last year).
Phoenix… They still have a young and talented team despite the front office issues. If they can replace Gretzky behind the bench, they could compete for the 7th or 8th seed.
San Jose… The Presidents’ Trophy winners should be back to their regular season winning ways. Whether they go anywhere when it counts is a different story!

My Western Conference power ratings… what the playoff picture looks like as of July 5th.
1. Detroit
2. Calgary
3. San Jose
4. Anaheim
5. Chicago
6. Vancouver
7. Columbus
8. Los Angeles
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9. Dallas
10. St. Louis
11. Edmonton
12. Nashville
13. Minnesota
14. Phoenix
15. Colorado

Team Canada outlook

Yesterday, we took a look at Team USA’s outlook for this winter’s Olympics. Now we evaluate the Yankees of hockey… Team Canada! With so many all-stars on the camp invitee roster, this was very tough narrowing the roster down to 20.

Forwards (12)
Sidney Crosby
Vincent Lecavalier
Jarome Iginla
Rick Nash
Eric Staal
Ryan Getzlaf
Jonathan Toews
Martin St. Louis
Mike Richards
Jeff Carter
Brendan Morrow

Defensemen (6)
Scott Niedermayer
Jay Bouwmeester
Dan Boyle
Dion Phaneuf
Mike Green
Shea Weber

Goalies (2)
Roberto Luongo
Cam Ward

Omissions from camp:
Beauchemin, Brodeur, Burns, Cleary, Doan, Doughty, Fleury, Gagne, Hamhuis, Heatley, Keith, Lucic, Marleau, S. Mason, McDonald, Pronger, Regehr, Robidas, D. Roy, Sakic, Seabrook, Sharp, Smyth, J. Staal, M. Staal, Thornton

Olympics Outlook:
To the national media and all the fans north of the border, Team Canada is expected to win gold in Vancouver – anything less will be a failure. That being said, whenever you get a team full of all-stars together, chemistry can become an issue. I’d be shocked if they didn’t medal, and should at least be in the final game.

AM Video Fix!

Sorry for the lack of posts yesterday... with the holiday and the tragic news of Steve McNair's death here in Nashville, my mind wasn't really on hockey. We should have more up today...

Insert BOO here! (Thanks, Chris)


Don't watch, Blackhawks fans!

What Team USA’s roster should look like

In honor of our country’s birthday, we look at what Team USA could potentially look like in the 2010 Olympics next February in Vancouver! This is who I would name to the team if I were Brian Burke & Ron Wilson…

Forwards (12)
Patrick Kane
Paul Stastny
Zach Parise
Bobby Ryan
Chris Drury
Dustin Brown
Scott Gomez
Phil Kessel
Ryan Kesler
David Backes
Kyle Okposo
Ryan Malone

Defensemen (6)
Brian Rafalski
Mike Komisarek
Erik Johnson
Ryan Suter
Ryan Whitney
Brooks Orpik

Goalies (2)
Ryan Miller
Tim Thomas

Omissions from camp:
Booth, Byfuglien, Callahan, Gilbert, Gleason, Hainsey, J. Johnson, Langenbrunner, Martin, Modano, Oshie, Pavelski, Quick, and Scuderi

Olympics Outlook:
Canada, Russia, Sweden, Finland, and Czech Republic are all at least better than that team you see above, and there’s nothing the U.S. can do about it. They’ll be hard-pressed to get a medal… but one thing is for sure, these guys will compete very hard and won’t back down.

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Happy 4th of July!!

Do you believe in miracles!?!?


One of the best movie scenes of all-time...


Martin Havlat meets the Minnesota media...

Ryan Smyth dealt to LA

We finally have a trade to talk about, and it’s an interesting one. Colorado was able to shed salary off their books by trading Ryan Smyth to the Kings in exchange for D-men Kyle Quincey and Tom Preissing, along with a 5th round pick.

All summer long I’ve said that the Kings are ‘one star player away from the playoffs.’ Is Smyth the answer?? Maybe. ‘Captain Canada’ brings a lot of veteran leadership and classiness to a mostly young LA locker room. He was a solid player for the Avalanche the last 2 years… in 132 games, he racked up 96 points. Smyth, 33, was caught up in a rebuilding situation in Colorado, and this trade could bring new life to his play. LA will certainly be contending for a playoff spot this season. He still has 3 years, $16.5 million remaining on his deal.

Where does Smyth fit with the Kings?? Anywhere on the top 2 lines… he’ll be a good addition to their power play, as well. This isn’t the ‘sexy splash’ that Kings fans have been waiting for, but it’s a smart one!

For Colorado’s sake, this is a clear salary dump to possibly set up another trade or free agent signing (Tanguay?). All they get in return is d-men Quincey and Preissing, and a pick. Quincey, 23, is a good player on the back end with a good future. He had 38 points in 72 games with the Kings this past season. Preissing hasn’t been the same player since he left the Senators, as he was a regular scratch in LA this season. It’ll be interesting to see what GM Greg Sherman does from here… he has a glut of defensemen now, which means Liles or Salei is expendable.

In any case, the Avs practically dumped Smyth to the Kings even though Quincey is a solid return. LA wins this deal if Smyth is a big part to a playoff berth in next couple years.

FRENZY TRACKER! DAY 3

I'll be in and out w/ updates...
Updates will appear at the top

News: Avs deal Ryan Smyth to LA
RLD opinion: We have something to talk about!! Colorado has dealt veteran forward Ryan Smyth to the Kings in exchange for Kyle Quincey, Tom Preissing, and a 5th round pick. Decent trade for both sides.

News: Anaheim inks D McCarthy
RLD opinion: Ex-Thrashers d-man Steve McCarthy has reportedly signed a deal with the Ducks. McCarthy left the NHL last summer for the KHL. In 302 career games in the NHL, he has 55 points and 168 PIM. This is an under-the-radar move that could pay dividends...

News: Nash gets massive extension
RLD opinion: Columbus has signed Rick Nash to an 8-year, $62.4 million extension. Nash has been the face the franchise since he came into the league, and certainly deserves this pay raise. Congrats to Rick & the Blue Jackets.

News: Fedotenko goes back to Pittsburgh
RLD opinion: Ruslan Fedotenko has reportedly signed a 1-year deal to return to the defending champs. The money is $1.8 million a season... great news for Pens fans! This gives Malkin at least one much-needed winger heading into the season.

News: Shane Hnidy to Minnesota
RLD opinion: Michael Russo of the Star Tribune is reporting that the Wild have signed d-man Shane Hnidy... Terms TBA. This seems to shore up their blue line with Burns, Zidlicky, Schultz, Johnsson, and Zanon already in the fold.

News: Koivu & Kovalev under hot pursuit
RLD opinion: Saku Koivu apparently down to 4 teams: Devils, Rangers, Wild, and Ducks. Talks yesterday with the Wild apparently broke down, bringing these other 3 teams back into the picture. Alexei Kovalev is being pursued by 5 or 6 different teams, according to cyberpresse.ca... and the Habs are not one of them! Stay tuned...

News: Vancouver signs Samuelsson
RLD opinion: The Canucks have signed Samuelsson to a 3-year deal, worth $7.5 million! I like this move for them, as he can play on the 2nd or 3rd line. He seems like a perfect fit with Vancouver...

News: Detroit to lose Samuelsson
RLD opinion: Mikael Samuelsson seems destined to sign elsewhere, and Sportsnet is reporting that he is close to signing with a Canadian team. He'd be a nice addition to any team, and if I were to guess who that Canadian team is... Canucks or Senators.

News: Rangers sign Arnason
RLD opinion: Tyler Arnason has reportedly signed a deal with the Rangers, per Sportsnet. Terms TBA...

News: Wings re-sign Leino
RLD opinion: RFA Ville Leino has re-signed with the Red Wings... it is said to be for 2 years. Good move by Ken Holland. Leino could very well be the next Zetterberg or Cleary.

News: Jackets & Nash close to extension?
RLD opinion: According to Eric Smith, the Jackets' writer at HockeyBuzz, Rick Nash and the organization are close to an extension anywhere from 7-10 years. Columbus has to get this done before the season to eliminate any distractions.

Habs’ rapid spree was unwise

Before we really dive into what GM Bob Gainey did, let’s look at the signees in a basic format…

The Good
Nada!
The Bad
Mike Cammalleri… 5 years, $30 million
Hal Gill… 2 years, $4.5 million
Jaroslav Spacek… 3 years, $11.5 million
The Ugly
Brian Gionta… 5 years, $25 million
Trading Chris Higgins and 2 good prospects for the overpaid Alaskan and a bag of pucks.

I really did not like the decisions that Gainey and the Habs’ brass made on Tuesday & Wednesday… not at all!
- They had around $33 million of cap space before the Gomez trade. Ok, I can understand Montreal needing a #1 center with Koivu out the door. It was a stupid trade, but I understand the thought process.
- With Mike Komisarek signing elsewhere, they opted to overpay for 2 defensemen who are past their prime (Spacek & Gill). If the defensive corps stays the same, either Spacek or Roman Hamrlik will be skating on the top line next to Markov… no thank you! Between the two, they will have a $6 million cap hit this season. Re-signing Komisarek and adding a Bergeron or Seidenberg would’ve been a better option if you ask me.
- And then the double whammy went down Wednesday evening when Gainey decided to sign Cammalleri and Gionta to a combined $55 million for the next 5 years. This put the cherry on top of the stupidity. Neither is guaranteed to perform well in Montreal, and Cammalleri doesn’t seem to fit in Jacques Martin’s system. Gainey overpaid for these two, approximately $1 mil/year more per player. And with these two now in the fold, the Canadiens’ top line has $18+ million tied into 3 undersized forwards that will get pushed around by Chara & Komisarek 12 times a year.
- With approximately $10 million left to spend, the Habs must re-sign RFA’s Latendresse and Plekanec, and probably a couple more depth forwards.

I just don’t understand this array of moves. Yes, Gainey is under A LOT of pressure to win consistently in the hotbed of hockey. But with the cap going down next summer, Gainey would have been wise to save some cash to go after a couple big free agents a year from now when the likes of Rick Nash, Ilya Kovalchuk, and Marc Savard become unrestricted. They had the potential to have a good amount of cap room to make a splash on July 1, 2010. But now that’s all but out of the question as they have to sign Carey Price to an extension next summer as well.

The free-spending Rangers and Flyers from a couple years ago are good examples that you can’t build a Cup winner overnight through free agency. It is fun to go on a big spending spree like you’re playing a video game, but not much smarts went behind the moves Gainey has made the last couple days. He has handcuffed this team for the next few years.

Is Chicago going all in??

The new addition of Marian Hossa certainly has Blackhawks fans all giddy about the upcoming season. He brings boat loads of talent and skill to the table, just adding to what the ‘Hawks already have. His 12-year mega-deal sent shockwaves through the NHL on Wednesday, and prognosticators/die-hard fans (including myself) probably marked them as favorites to possibly dethrone Detroit from its Central Division perch.

Let’s take a step back and look at the whole picture, though. Going into the frenzy, it almost seemed unlikely that GM Dale Tallon would be able to keep Martin Havlat. The thought was he would let Havlat & Khabibulin walk in order to have enough money to re-sign the current (and future) RFA’s. That group includes Dave Bolland (already signed), Cam Barker and Kris Versteeg this summer, and stars Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and Duncan Keith in 2010… better known as the young guns that they can build around for years to come. But now some of that future is on the line unless Tallon can find a sucker willing to take Brian Campbell’s or Cristobal Huet’s gaudy contract. As of this posting, nhlnumbers.com says they have $11.797 million of cap space.

If they don’t find a trade partner for Campbell or Huet, then Tallon could be forced to trade Versteeg or Barker, which would be a mistake; both are 23 and have very bright futures. You assume that they’ll sign both Kane & Toews to similar deals next summer; anywhere from $6-8 million per, depending on how they progress this season. Due to bonuses, they have a combined cap hit of $6.525 mil for the upcoming season. Say they both sign $7 mil extensions a year from now… that’s $7.5 million more coming off the books… with the salary cap coming down.

My question to you is this: are the Blackhawks setting themselves up for failure?? If everything stays the same, you have the ‘Frenetic Frenchman’ (Huet) between the pipes… Patrick Kane on the cover of EA Sports’ NHL10, which won't help his production this season… and the back-to-back Stanley Cup jinx Marian Hossa locked in for 12 years – the same guy who pulled a negative Houdini act in the playoffs. And… if anything happens to Huet, they’ll probably have to rely on Corey Crawford to hold the fort – the same kid who was shaking in his boots, nervous as heck while on the bench when Khabibulin went down against Detroit.

Don’t get me wrong, the Blackhawks are still the most exciting team in the league and have a VERY bright future. For all I know they could work some magic and be able to keep almost all of these kids for years to come. But did they get better on Wednesday?? No. Did they take a big financial risk by signing Hossa?? Yes.

All I’m saying is that everything was set up for the future, almost Pittsburgh-esque… the stars were aligned for greatness for many years down the road. But now it seems like Tallon is putting most of his chips in the middle of the table trying to deliver the city of Chicago its first Stanley Cup since 1961. The pressure is suddenly on the young ‘Hawks to win if not this year, the next. And you know what... I have my doubts that it will work out.

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New NHL10 Trailer!!! Get psyched, video gamers!!


Leafs assistant GM Dave Nonis Q&A with the media...


Don Waddell on the additions of Antropov & Kubina...