Evgeni Nabokov

Coach Jack Capuano

Sidney Crosby

Coach Dan Bylsma

Jets: Andrew Ladd, Olli Jokinen, Jim Slater, Antti Miettinen, Bryan Little, Mark Stuart, Alexander Burmistrov.

NHL:  Eric Fehr, James Reimer (Leafs)

Prospects:  Ivan Telegin, Jason Gregoire, Kevin Clark.

Here is the audio from the Jets captain and the Leafs netminder.  Not surprisingly most of the talk centered around CBA negotiations.  Reimer did briefly talk about newly announced Leafs goalie coach, Rick St Croix.  Listen here.

Andrew Ladd

James Reimer

This wasn’t the first time the Flyers had offered a player an offer sheet, as back in 2006, the Flyers tried to pry Ryan Kesler from the Vancouver Canucks with a one year $1.9 million offer sheet (which seems pretty minor today).

Back on April 1, 2009, when the Illegal Curve Hockey Show was only three months old, Philadelphia Flyers executive Bobby Clarke came on the show to discuss a number of topics, among them offer sheets and the usage thereof.

Here is a transcript of that interview (click here to listen):

IC: “A couple years ago you got a lot of flack for tendering Ryan Kesler to an offer sheet, he’s obviously turned into a terrific player. What did you see in him that made you make that offer, did you think of the criticism?

Bobby Clarke: “We ended up getting in a jam near the end of August, all of a sudden Keith Primeau had to retire due to head injuries, Forsberg was hurt and couldn’t play, and our next two centremen were Carter and Richards. We were trying to break them in as third and fourth centremen behind Primeau and Forsberg, and would have been real good down the middle. You lose your top two guys, so we were trying to get another centremen and we had seen a lot of Kesler. Paul Holmgren who was my assistant at the time; he had had him at the world championships and, hearing out of Vancouver was that they didn’t want to pay him, we said the rules are the rules, we’ll follow them, we’ll take a shot at him. We were willing to give up the compensation for him. We liked him, we thought he could do for us what Primeau had done.”

IC: “At the time Dave Nonis was pretty angry and some media outlets and other hockey people were critical of you. It was within the rules, but what was your reaction to that, in terms of them going at you for something that seems like it was good foresight when making that decision.”

Bobby Clarke: “If you’re going to manage in the NHL you’re going to get criticism, it rolls off your back after a while. I didn’t make the rules, if they were mad at somebody who made the rules, then get mad at them, don’t get mad at me for using the rules. If you’re a general manger, it’s your responsibility to your own club to use those rules. If they put the rules in and you don’t use them, what’s the point of putting them in.”

IC: “That’s right, I mean Kevin Lowe got criticized by Brian Burke for the same kind of thing, even though he was playing in the rules. Burke thought Penner was overpriced, and then he didn’t match. It seems even stemming from the offer sheets way back to Mattias Ohlund that GM’s get criticized within the fraternity for playing within the rules. It seems kind of two sided to me.”

Bobby Clarke: “It’s what causes the league problems, if they put rules in, and nobody uses them, what do you think the players association thinks? That they’ve collectively bargained a dumb rule? If the rules are there they expect the people in charge to use them. If you don’t use them, the players association will change things to favor the players (and they rightfully should).”

The Illegal Curve Hockey Show airs at a special time this summer, Saturdays from 9am to 11am on TSN Radio 1290.

On Saturday’s show FS Arizona colour analyst Tyson Nash phoned in to discuss the Phoenix Coyotes playoff push, and their second round series against the Nashville Predators..

On possible discipline on Rusty Klesla for his hit on Matt Halischuk:

“No I don’t think so, I think there’s definitely been a lot worse out there. Rusty’s not a dirty guy by any means, he’s a physical player, he finishes every check. He’s not a dirty player, there was no intent on that play, there has been very little talk of Rusy Klesla’s hit.”

(Editors note: It was announced later that afternoon that Klesla would be suspended for one game for the hit.)

On the play of defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson:

“He has flown under the radar for a long time. All year there hasn’t been a lot of attention on Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The kid’s 20 years old, we’ve seen game in and game out, he’s unbelievable; he’s one of the great stories in the National Hockey League. He was in the American Hockey League last year, he was a healthy scratch, in and out of the lineup. Now, with the last 25 games of the regular season and in the playoffs he’s been probably the most consistent and offensive defenseman, that says a lot when you have guys like Klesla and Keith Yandle.”

On the emergence of Mikkel Boedker:

“He’s finally figuring it out, he can use his skill and his speed which is his best asset by far. I think he was intimidated for the longest time. He’s a big guy, he’s not tall, but he is so thick and probably has the biggest legs I’ve ever seen. He’s real tough to move off the puck. He’s now using those strengths to his advantage.”

On the effect goalie coach Sean Burke has had on Mike Smith:

“Sean Burke has really instilled a different mindset for Mike who’s a real aggressive type goalie, he’s big, very athletic, probably the best athlete on the team. Sean Burke has changed his approach, and his style, and now he’s not going after puck. He’s being very patient, which is very hard to do when you’re an aggressive athletic goalie, you think you have to flop around and be more like Pekka Rinne. But in fact, he’s the opposite, he stays way back in his net, he lets pucks come to him and relies on his talent and his instincts and sucks up all of those rebounds. That’s probably his biggest strength other than his ability to play the puck, is his rebound control, if there ever are any.”

On the handling of the Raffi Torres suspension:

“I think it was a little bit excessive if you want to know the truth. 25 games, I get it, it’s more about Raffi Torres than it Is about the hit itself. If I go out there, or if you go out there and you make the same hit tonight, you’re not going to get 25 games for it. It’s all about Raffi Torres and his past history. 25 games I thought was pretty excessive, but the NHL is about sending a powerful message and I think the players heard it.

The entire interview is available here at Illegal Curve, or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

The Illegal Curve Hockey Show airs Saturdays from noon to 3pm on TSN Radio 1290

Guillaume Latendresse – Scoring a goal.  Playing in 1st game back since concussion.

Cal Clutterbuck – Thoughts on the game.  Playing through injuries.  Talking about the Bogosian hit.  Wild turnovers.  MTS atmosphere.

Coach Mike Yeo – Talking about hit.  Game summary.  Soft plays with puck.  Maintaining focus.  Thoughts on Latendresse play.  MTS Centre atmosphere.  Setting tone for good rivalry.  Preparing for Chicago.

Coach Boucher

Martin St. Louis

Eric Brewer

Steve Stamkos

Dwayne Roloson

IC:  What did you think of the game last night?

Stuart:  Obviously I didn’t like it very much.  We had three games in a row where the effort and mistakes were very similar, so it was very disappointing.  We really wanted to go .500 on that road trip.  Chicago was a better game but we beat ourselves and last night we didn’t even give ourselves a chance.

Rick Ralph:  When the coach calls for an optional, what goes through the players minds?

Stuart:  It is up to the player but I think with the way things have gone, we had a pretty good group out there just to get a bit of a skate but it is early.  It is only 3 games and we have a big week coming up so it is up to the individual.  If they are here, fine.  If they aren’t here, fine.  As long as they are ready to play this week cause we have to make up some ground.

Ed Tait:  In a lot of ways it doesn’t matter who you guys are playing, it is on yourselves what needs to be fixed.

Stuart:  Give the teams credit that we played, but we made the same mistakes. In Chicago, we got a two-goal lead and then let them back into it and couldn’t come back in the end. (In Phoenix) they beat us to pucks, but a lot of it was us in our game. We need to concentrate on our game first and all that other stuff will take care of itself.

Ed Tait:  When you say mistakes are you referring to giveaways?

Stuart:  When you’re losing, I think it’s important to play a simple game, and that’s dumping pucks in and playing physical and winning races to pucks. As you press more and try to make plays, you’re going to turn it over in the neutral zone, and that’s going to hurt you even more.  I think we need to concentrate on the simple game right now until we get out of this hole.

We had a chance to catch up with #22 Chris Thorburn to get his thoughts on the state of the Jets 3 games into this young season.

IC:  DId you take any positives from last night’s game?

Thorburn:  As far as as positives go, we did a few things.  But when you lose, you have to look at all the negatives and there were a bunch.  Some stuff that we need to clean up fast.  We just have to stay positive.  We have a great Pittsburgh team coming in here and there would be nothing better than to get our first win against an elite team.

IC:  When the coach says it is an ‘optional skate’, what does that mean to you?

Thorburn:  Throughout my career I’ve taken optionals as a time to do what you need to do to be ready for the next game.  I’ve always been the kind of guy who likes to skate so I just make sure my stuff is right so I am ready to go.

IC:  Coach Noel in his press conference earlier today seemed to be pleased with your line’s play so far.  How do you feel you guys have played as a group?

Thorburn:  I think we’ve done well.  Developed chemistry pretty fast with Glasser and Slates.  We are all on the same page as far as our game goes.  Play a pretty simple game, pucks up, pucks out, crash and bang and Jimmy got 2 goals in Chicago obviously and that is huge in terms of creating offense for our team.  That’s what we want to be.  We don’t want to be clock killers.  We want to be out there to make a difference in a positive way and if that means scoring goals and creating momentum, that’s what we are willing to do.

IC:  You had what appeared to be an empty net goal, how did you feel about that?

Thorburn:  I will never get a goal like that in my life, I don’t think, from the slot into an empty net.  I hit the middle of the net and then when I saw the ref blow it off I was kinda disappointed.  It was unfortunate.  We just have to keep pressing forward.

IC:  What did you think of the crowd?  Estimated that the pro Winnipeg crowd was about 2500+.  What was the feeling on the bench?

Thorburn:  It was awesome.  These fans have been unbelievable at the rink and in the streets.  They are behind us 100% and we definitely appreciate that.  We just have to show them that they have a great team to cheer for.  Actually guys on the ice from the Coyotes came up to me and said ‘ thanks for bringing the fans’.  We have Jets fans everywhere and we just have to give them something to be proud of.

Listen to the audio here

Listen to the audio here

Goalie Edward Pasquale:

After the jump we will have Jets 3rd round pick Adam Lowry and St. John’s IceCaps coach Keith McCambridge.

3rd Round pick Adam Lowry:

St. John’s IceCaps head coach Keith McCambridge:

You can see them after the jump

Doug Gilmour on his favourite memory of Winnipeg (hint: it involves the Viscount Gort Hotel)

Ron Hextall on the trade to acquire Mike Richards and his favourite memory of Winnipeg

Hockey Canada Head Scout Kevin Prendergast on the Canadian talent picked in the first round.

Paul Kelly Executive Director of College Hockey Inc. speaks about the U.S. College players picked in this years draft.

Newly acquired Brent Burns of the San Jose Sharks talks about his reaction to the move, and his thoughts on the best dresser in the NHL. Watch the video here.

Vancouver Canucks VP of Hockey Operations, Assistant GM & Winnipegger Laurence Gilman gives his thoughts on the return of the Winnipeg Jets

Skip Prince Commissioner of the USHL gives insight on the growth of the USHL and first rounders Jamie Oleksiak, JT Miller, Connor Murphy & Tyler Biggs

Los Angeles Kings Scout Tony Gasparini gives his thoughts on how the Kings did at the draft.

Stay tuned to IllegalCurve.com for more sound bites and draft recap.

Illegal Curve touched base with Stephen Brunt on Saturday morning, he has not backed down from his position.

Interview with Stephen Brunt – May 19, 2011

We were also able to contact Darren Dreger from TSN who says that according to his sources, the deal is not done.

DarrenDreger-May19

We were then able to reminisce about old times with the former play-by-play announcer of the Winnipeg Jets, Curt Keilback

Interview with Curt Keilback May 19, 2011

What a night it was as we went off to party at Portage & Main after the show, surely a night that we will never forget.

Here is the interview:

Some of his notable accomplishments are;

He played over ten seasons with the Winnipeg Jets from 1980/81 until the 1990/91 season when he was traded to the Minnesota North Stars.  He came to the Jets undrafted from the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux where he played 3 years in the WCHA, ending his collegiate career with the 1980 Frozen Four tournament.  He helped the Sioux win the National Championship (breaking a 17 year drought), as they won the Tournament with a 5-2 victory over Northern Michigan University.

While playing for the Jets he was known for his exceptional speed.  He was a gifted two-way hockey player, who was often used in a penalty killing role by Winnipeg.  For those IC readers who may not be old enough to recall the 80′s, if I had to compare him to a current NHL player, you could draw a parallel to St. Andrews Manitoba’s Darren Helm, a center for the Red Wings, who has speed aplenty and is often used by the Wings to kill penalties.

Doug currently resides in Colorado where he is the head coach of the Rocky Mountain Roughriders U-15 AAA squad.  He was nice enough to take some time to answer some questions for fans of NHL hockey in Winnipeg.

IC:  You came to Winnipeg as an undrafted free agent straight from college after winning a National Championship with UND and joined the Winnipeg Jets who only won 9 games that year.  How difficult was that first year of pro hockey for you?

Doug:  It was thought of as a horrific year by many…and believe me it was not fun.  But Fergie and Mike Doran thought they had to begin to gut the organization from a player standpoint and totally rebuild it. I knew it would be tough the way they threw some of us rookies to the wolves in a baptism by fire means, but we also lost a ton of games that year by only a goal…and were quite close to having a pretty decent record if the one goal games had just a little bit more maturity in the lineup.

IC:  What was your most memorable on-ice moment in a Winnipeg Jets jersey?

Doug: I’m not sure…there were numerous times…probably every game when we stepped onto the ice in the playoffs.

IC:  Since you were so fast, you were an effective two-way player, who was the toughest player you ever played against?

Doug:  Believe me there were plenty…I thought Mike Foligno was very tough to play against, Jay Wells and Claude Lemieux also, never liked playing shifts against those two.  Willi Plett was another one…these guys were warriors.   These were a few of the numerous physically tough.  But the skillfully tough…well…Gretzky, Messier, Lemieux head that class, their toughness was truly remarkable when one could see on the ice what was thrown at them all the time….they have my complete respect.

IC:  Having spent a decade in Winnipeg, you must have a number of great off-ice memories.  What was the impression you had of Winnipeg fans?  Does any one experience stand out for you?

Doug:  I think it was the overall respect the fans gave us.  And some terrific support from some close friends at the time…the Heffords and Stephen’s families of Charleswood and the Quark family of south Winnipeg made me feel welcome beyond words. But also the experience of having my mothers family around Winnipeg. She grew up in Poplar Point and some of her sisters, brothers and my cousins all lived around Winnipeg.  Even though the pace of hockey was terrific, it always gave me a positive feeling knowing family was close and the people of Manitoba were so very real.

IC:  You left Winnipeg during the 1990 season in a trade with Minnesota and finished your playing career overseas at around the same time the Jets were playing their final season in Winnipeg.  How did the team leaving Winnipeg impact you, if at all?

Doug:  I understood the economics of why they were sold….and it was inevitable for that to happen given the circumstances at the time….but it was too bad and I understood the pain for all Manitoba…and to think it was the end of some pretty passionate times for the city of Winnipeg…was hard to fathom it was ending.

IC:  Do you keep abreast of the situation in Winnipeg and the near daily rumors of a team’s return to the city?  What are your thoughts about NHL hockey returning to Winnipeg?

Doug:  I hear about the rumblings and have spoken to a few people who have some pull.  I obviously think it would be great for the city…my hope would be for them to be able to have the chance to compete economically in the league, to be able to establish the public, corporate and political support it seems they would need to construct and maintain a contender…and to regain the NHL label the city had!  If it were to happen…Bravo for both the city and the NHL.

We at IC would like to thank Doug Smail for taking the time to answer our questions and for being the 1st in our series of Winnipeg Jets Alumni Interviews.

When I covered the idea of what it takes to be a cheerleader in the NHL and whether or not it has a place in hockey, many readers commented on the site or emailed me with a range of opinions on this subject.  Not surprisingly some were positive and others felt it was a needless distraction.

Luckily, we here at Illegalcurve are happy to have Lauren from the Carolina Hurricanes Storm Squad sit down and answer some questions for us and give us her inside look into what it takes to be a member of the cheerleading fraternity in the NHL.  And lest you think this knockout is just good looks, be aware that she can crush you with her brain (she is currently doing a joint law/mba degree).

1.   Did you grow up as a hockey fan? What attracted you to hockey?

My entire family is from the Philadelphia area, so when I was younger my parents hung a Flyers pennant in my room. I have to say that I didn’t truly fall in love with hockey until I attended my first Canes game. After that, I was hooked.

2.   What first got you interested in working as an ice girl for the Hurricanes?  What was the process like to become a member of the Storm Squad?

I was always impressed with the way the girls promoted the team and interacted with fans at games I would go to. It was something I wanted to be a part of and I enjoy spreading my love for the Canes.

The Storm Squad tryouts happen over the course of a couple of days. The first day is an interview session, much like you would see in an office setting. The girls invited to return for the second day are tested on in-game situations, camera interviews and fan interaction. It’s extremely competitive. The Storm Squad has been the benchmark for fan promotion teams in the NHL and it’s a high standard to meet. 

3.   How do you balance your time between being in law school (concurrent with doing an MBA) and your duties for the Hurricanes?

Actually, the Storm Squad keeps me pretty sane! I love what I do and it’s a great release. The hardest part was finals because they fell right in the middle of the playoffs. I would often bring my books to the locker room and squeeze in study time before our pregame meeting. Being able to watch a lot of great hockey helps, too.

4.   The NFL and NBA have cheerleaders, but the idea is still relatively new to hockey. How have you been received by the fans? 

We enjoy a unique environment in the RBC Center. There’s a great support base of diehard Caniacs who really “get it” – they know that we are reaching out to the community in a positive way. The Storm Squad really set the pace for similar squads as one of the first teams, so it’s not so new here. But I do hope that the idea spreads. The fan culture in Carolina has contributed in a number of ways to the NHL, with things like tailgating and the raucous atmosphere, and we have tried to set a great example.

5.   What are your responsibilities as an NHL Ice Girl? Obviously you work at the games, but are there other community responsibilities?

Community outreach is one of the most important things we do. I get a great deal of satisfaction out of making someone’s day when we get to meet fans outside of the game environment, especially newcomers to hockey. I’m on a mission to convert the entire state into Caniacs. I figure that if we can get Bill Cowher to crank the hurricane siren, we can pretty much get anybody.

6.   How much time and preparation do you take to prepare for a game? 

It can be time-intensive. We have to cheer in front of thousands of fans, so there’s probably more hair and makeup preparation than I care to admit! We like to get out and mingle with the fans for an hour or more before each game.

7.   Have you ever dated an NHL player?  Are there any rules against that?

There is an extremely strict no-fraternization policy in place for both the girls and the players. As far as I know, most if not all of the other fan promotion teams around the league have similar policies. We know that some people have misperceptions about what kind of interaction ice girls may or may not have with teams, and we make it a point to dispel that notion.

8.   Do people recognize you guys outside of the arena? Have you ever been approached for an autograph?

Surprisingly, this happens quite a bit. There’s usually that momentary pause where the person has to put two and two together, but with as much Hurricanes apparel as I have, it usually doesn’t take them too long.

9.   What’s the best way to pick up a cheerleader?

That’s easy. Can you name the last 20 Vezina Trophy winners from memory?

10.   When you’re done as a member of the Storm Squad and you finish school can you see yourself working in hockey in some capacity?

I love being a part of something special with the Hurricanes. I have always wanted to pursue a sports-related career down the road, so if the opportunity presents itself, you can bet I will probably take it.

11.  What are your predictions for the Hurricanes 2009/2010 season?  What do you think they can do differently this year to get back to the Stanley Cup?

We are coming off a very successful season, both on and off the ice.  It’s a great time to be a Hurricanes fan.  I think we built a great foundation this year to set up a run at the Cup in the coming season.

12.  Who is your favorite Hurricane player of all time?

It’s hard to just pick one.  There have been a lot of memorable players involved with the team in a short amount of time.  I think the obvious pick for me would be Ron Francis, who really set the bar here in Raleigh and continues to contribute to the team.  You can’t ask for more than that.  In terms of unforgettable players, there are probably more Mike Commodore fans here than in Columbus.  It was so easy to root for him, because he left such a mark on Caniac culture.

I just wanted to thank Lauren for taking time to answers our questions and wish her a great summer.  We look forward to hearing more from Lauren and her Storm Squad as the 2009/10 Hurricanes season begins.

Alex was nice enough to take some time out of her very busy schedule (she is finishing school early so she can prepare for the USHL camp of the Steel) to answer some questions for Illegal Curve.

David:  How did you get into hockey?
Alex:  When we moved from California to Wisconsin, my older brother made an agreement with my parents that if we moved, then he would get to play hockey. So then I said if he gets to play hockey then I want to play too.

David:  How would you describe your style?
Alex:  I am very athletic and have quick movements. I put a lot of emphasis and focus on skating and I find ways to make myself bigger through my stance. Also, I make sure I have good positioning and think of every situation as a game situation. 

David:  Have you encountered any negative reactions/stereotypes?
Alex:  I’ve been very lucky with the teams that I have been on. My teammates and coaches have always been more than positive and have always treated me just like any other member of the team. Of course I’ve read some of the blogs that call me a publicity stunt and stuff, but that doesn’t phase me. 

David:  What sort of trash talk are you subjected to?
Alex:  Honestly, its hockey, of course there’s trash talk. But again, it doesn’t get to me, in one ear and out the other.

David:  You were the first ever female to be drafted in the USHL, what does that mean to you?
Alex:  I’m honored to be recognized like that. I think it’s a testament to how far women’s hockey has come. There are many other talented girls out there that hopefully will be able to showcase their talent someday too.

David:  Are you excited for Steel camp? What are your expectations?
Alex:  I am very excited for the camp. This will be a great opportunity for me and I look forward to competing vs. the top guys in the country at the camp.

David:  You’ve apparently committed to the University of Wisconsin, what drew you to that school?
Alex:  Wisconsin has so much to offer their students and athletes and it had everything I was looking for, not only in athletics, but academically as well. The athletic facilities are unbelievable and the coaching staff is great. I got a chance to play with Coach Johnson while on the U18 Worlds team and he made it such a great experience. I am very excited to play for Wisconsin.

David: You won a gold medal at the World Under-18 Championship. The US Women are a powerhouse on the Olympic stage, how important is it to you to possibly play on that stage?
Alex:  The experience I had over in Germany at the World U18 Championships was amazing and by going to the camps I have played with some of the previous Olympians and the national team members. It makes me want to work that much harder to someday represent my country at the Olympics. 

David:  I’ve read that you want to play in an NHL game like Manon Rheaume, is that true and if so, what do you need to do to get yourself to that point?
Alex:  It would be amazing to play in an NHL game like Manon, but I also realize that the NHL goalies have an unbelievable amount of talent. As fun as it is for anyone to dream to play in the NHL, right now I am focused on the present and what I need to do to continue to improve. 

David:  What are your hockey goals? If you could envision the next 5-10 years what would they look like?
Alex:  My ultimate goal since I started playing hockey is to one day play in the Olympics. So, I am going to continue working as hard as I can to someday reach that goal.

I’d just like to again thank Alex for taking time out to answer our questions and I have no doubt that we will be seeing her competing with the Badgers for a Frozen Four in the near future and in a US Olympic jersey helping her country compete for hockey supremacy.

Here is the interview:

Illegal Curve: It has certainly been an eventful season in Oil country, so we have more than a few topics to choose from when asking you questions.  First off, we realize it is early and more than half the season remains, but for now, what do you think has been the Oilers’ biggest downfall this season?

Staples: Coach Craig  MacTavish. He’s been an excellent coach, and he still can be one, but he  tried to do too much with this team to start the year. 

First off, he  moved around veteran players out of their regular positions, Fernando Pisani  to center, Erik Cole and Dustin Penner changing wings, and Penner changing  from a top line/powerplay guy to a third line checker. The moves upset the  Oil’s flow for the first 20 games.

In the end, MacTavish blasted  Penner for playing poorly, but it’s no coincidence that Penner finally got  on a hot streak when MacTavish finally relented and put him back on the  first line with Shawn Horcoff and Ales Hemsky, as well as on the powerplay,  where Penner does  a tremendous job screening the goalie.

MacTavish has many supporters in Edmonton, but even his biggest fans have had moments of tremendous doubt. There’s also the issue of his handling of Mathieu Garon, who appeared to win the starting job based on his solid play of last season, but was put on a very short leash. As soon as he had a weak game, he was pulled, replaced by MacFavourite Dwayne Roloson, who has had some great games, but also some poor ones. This has created a goaltender controversy where none likely needed to exist.

The latest thorn has  been MacT’s use of journeyman defenceman Jason Strudwick instead of  promising Ladislav Smid, who is finally looking like he’s turned a corner.  Smid also provides the nasty edge that many Oil defencemen lack. But he’s  only recently gotten into the lineup.

MacTavish has been his own  worst enemy.

Illegal Curve: In light of  those concerns, do you believe MacTavish’s job with the Oilers is in any  kind of danger during the season? Or will he simply be allowed to finish the  season with a review of his work at that point in time?

Staples: The new owner, Daryl Katz, grew up in Edmonton in the 1980s with these guys, Gretzky, Messier, Lowe, MacT. He is their personal friend and admires them. So this isn’t a case of a new owner coming in, as Katz just did, and yearning to get rid of the old and bring in his own guys to run the team.

In fact, it’s the opposite. I suspect that if the old owners were still around and running things, they’d be much less likely to be patient with MacTavish and with Kevin Lowe.

Nevertheless, MacT isn’t off the hook. He set out the standard himself for this season. Before the first puck was dropped, he said that he had a team capable of winning the division championship. Right now he is
being judged against that standard.

If he doesn’t take this team to near the top of the division this year, he will have failed by his own standards, and I expect he’ll resign at the end of the season, maybe get bumped up into the front office.

If he doesn’t make the playoffs — or if it becomes clear this team is not going anywhere and will definitely fail to make the playoffs – he could be fired, but I expect that would happen later, not sooner, only after it’s clear the season is a lost one.

Let me make it clear, I’ve been a MacTavish booster. He’s an admirable man. But in past seasons  there might have been a few odd and perplexing coaching decisions on his part each year. The coach generally got the right players on the ice at the right time in order for his team to compete.

This year it’s a constant sore point that the wrong players are on the ice at the wrong time, hence all the MacTavish-bashing here in Edmonton from the coach’s own faction of fans.

It’s been extremely frustrating, as so much of it appears to be self-inflicted.

Illegal Curve: On the ice, youngster Sam Gagner has really struggled to get his game going.  To what do you attribute his struggles?

Staples: He’s got plenty of skill and a great head for the game. But that head only works when it’s mixed with confidence and experience. So his point-per-game seasons will come, just not as fast as some Oilers fans, including me, had hoped. We based out optimism on the last 30 games of last season, when he was outstanding. His strength is his vision, the way he sees the entire ice, and his decision making, but this year he’s been tentative, uncertain.

The good news is that MacTavish has stuck with this kid, given him all kinds of chances. The coach is a believer, and the vast majority of Oilers fans remain in the kid’s corner, despite his struggles.

Illegal Curve: I think rightfully so too.  Before discussing the team’s defense, I wanted to get your take on Rob Schremp, someone obviously of interest to us at Illegal Curve.  Do you see him eventually carving out a role with this team or he is soon going to be used as trade bait?

Staples: Rob Schremp is the object of controversy in Edmonton. A group of optimistic fans have always backed him, but to such an extent it’s brought down a chorus of derision of from more realistic fans, who mockingly refer to Schremp as the Hockey Jesus, among other less complimentary terms.

I would like to see Schremp get more of a chance this year. In his brief four game stint, he showed a tremendous capacity to pass the puck. He sees the ice at a major league/power play ace level.

But the Oil are already small up front — with Cogliano, Nilsson, Gagner. These are all younger, smallish players who are as young as or younger than Schremp, and they have all moved ahead of him. So he is in tough in Edmonton so long as MacTavish doesn’t want a third or fourth line scoring specialist.

Illegal Curve: Onto the team’s defense.  Why do you think coach MacTavish decided to move away from playing Ladislav Smid earlier in the season, and even at points, playing him at forward?

Staples: MacTavish had a “win now” philosophy, so it would seem he trusted the veteran, Jason Strudwick, more than  he trusted Smid. But Strudwick, as solid a citizen as he might be, struggled on the ice. He and his partner Staios made numerous goal-causing mistakes. The Oilers were badly outshot whenever the two of them were on the ice together. It was a source of some frustration to observers of the team that MacT took so long to recognize that Smid was the better choice.

Perhaps MacT was sending a message to the young players that school was over, it was not time for the real world, so he was going with the adults, the vets. But the team is much better of with Smid in the lineup. He has become a physical force, as Corey Perry of the Ducks will attest. On the game Dec. 19, Smid turned around the game with a legal but nasty hit on Perry. The Ducks went after Smid, and he took off his helmet/facemask to meet the challenge of anyone who wanted a piece of him. At that moment, Rexall Place had a new hockey hero, I’d say, Ladislav Smid, the European kid who is ready to fight. If Don Cherry would have seen that, he might well have fainted he would’ve been so ecstatic.

Illegal Curve: Making our way through the lineup, you previously mentioned coach MacTavish’s managing of the team’s netminders.  With Garon having a fairly short leash, Roloson getting a fair amount of play and Deslauriers moving from the bench to the press box and vice versa, what would be your solution between the pipes for the Oilers?

Staples: Both Garon, 30, and Roloson, 39, are free agents after this season. Clearly, Roloson isn’t the answer going forward. He’s been mediocre for a few years now. But is Garon the answer? He played strong last season, but has struggled this season. The only way to find out if he’s the one is to start him in five-to-ten games, see how he does. I suspect he’ll come through for the Oilers, but the Oil seem to have no inclination to go with him. Roloson is the MacFavourite here, not Garon.

Illegal Curve: Moving upstairs; with Steve Tambellini now in the fold, from your perspective, how much of an effect does Kevin Lowe still possess in the team’s decision-making process?  Is it the same as before?  Or does Tambellini have a fair amount of autonomy?

Staples: Bottom line: Kevin Lowe has never been more powerful within the Oilers organization. Under the old EIG model, Pat LaForge was the president, and the only president in the organization. Now both he and Lowe are presidents, LaForge of business, Lowe of hockey ops. Lowe has complete control over all hockey matters, not that he didn’t before, but now he runs his own show on his own, talking directly to the owner.

That’s why Tambellini was hired, because Lowe wanted some help, so he got some help.

Tambellini is part of the decision-making process, but Lowe is the decider. He’s the one who wanted to pursue Hossa. He’s the one who pulled the trigger on the Visnovsky deal. He’s the one who let Curtis Glencross go (a huge sore point with the vast majority of Oilers fans).

Lowe has got the power. We’ll see how he does with it. I’ve liked the majority of his moves, even the unpopular ones, such as cutting loose Ryan Smyth. But I worry about Lowe’s proclivity to sign up older guys long-term, such as Souray, Visnovsky, Horcoff. As excellent as these guys are, I wonder where the team is in three years with this bunch, as the skills of a hockey player can fast disappear.

But perhaps I worry too much.

Illegal Curve: Final question Dave.  The Oilers, playoffs or not?

Staples: They will figure it out. Too much talent on this team to be denied. So, yes, they will squeak in.

Here is the interview:

Illegal Curve: Hi James.  Thanks for granting us an interview.  First off, I wanted to ask you about your recent move to join the SB Nation with your new blog called From the Rink.  Would you mind telling our readers about SB Nation and what role you play on the site in regards to its hockey content?

Mirtle: Essentially the concept is to create a great big network of some of the top hockey blogs and put some marketing muscle behind it.  There are businessmen involved in the project, marketing people to deal with advertisers, etc.  Some people will say SBN is “corporatizing” the blogosphere, but the way I see it is that there’s a win-win involved.  It’s good for the company in that there’s money to be made off of quality blog content, but it’s also good for bloggers in that there’ll be more traffic, partnerships with huge websites, a community to work with on generating content and some really neat tools that they wouldn’t have access to otherwise.

And every single blog on SBN receives a paycheck each quarter as part of a revenue-sharing agreement with the company.

My role is to (a) blog on my site, (b) help build the community by inviting others to join and (c) give a little guidance to the bloggers with regards to their sites. 

People told me for ages that I should try and start something larger than my little standalone Blogger site, and that’s really not something I would have been able to do on my own given the time/cost commitment.  SBN has been a big help in that they tackle the technical and business side of things and let me concentrate on the blogs.

There’s a ways to go before the network is where I think it can be, and the sites as they are right now are really in their infancy.  This is the beginning, and newcomers like J.P. from Japers’ Rink and Earl Sleek from BoC have already made a big impact.

Illegal Curve: I agree.  So far the progress I’ve seen at SBN has been terrific.  Another aspect of the site that stood out to me, was the site’s ability to add a blog like Five For Howling which will give readers a blogger’s perspective on the Coyotes throughout the season.  I say that because the Coyotes hardly get any web coverage, nevermind newspaper coverage (as they don’t have a beat writer with the team on the road).  The addition of blogs that focus on teams with less of a cult following than say the Oilers and Capitals, etc., is just such a great idea to me.  I wanted to get your thoughts on that.

Mirtle: Yeah, you know, with some teams, it was really easy to just talk to an established blogger and, boom, you’ve got a good presence there. But there are plenty of NHL teams that have hardly any presence in the blogosphere, and I consider that a big part of the challenge.

Sure, you can have a successful blog in a place like Washington, where the team’s cultivating that, but how about Phoenix?  Or Florida?  There are some big gaps there in coverage that bloggers can hopefully help fill.

What it’s not going to do it makeup for the lack of a true beat writer following the team. For the most part, bloggers are hobbyists and just don’t have time to get on the phone and track down people for interviews. But it’s a start.

Illegal Curve: It certainly is a start.  Before we move on to a couple current hockey issues, I wanted to ask you why you ventured into the world of hockey blogging in the first place.  Taking into consideration the fact that you did so before almost everyone who currently blogs, was it a matter of foresight, just a general interest in hockey on your part, or a combination of the two?

Mirtle: I actually started blogging when I was still finishing grad school at Ryerson. We had a guest speaker come in to give a lecture — David Akin, who was then a technology reporter at The Globe and Mail — and he talked at length about how effective his blog was at helping him do his job in new and exciting ways.

I always knew the subject I was going to write on and specialize in, and it finally dawned on me that a blog would be the perfect way to (a) write about whatever I wanted and (b) put my name out there a little bit. Sportswriting is very, very competitive, and I knew it would likely take a while before I’d actually be writing about the NHL full-time. The blog allowed me to do that right away.

Career wise, it is probably the best thing I ever did.

Illegal Curve: I’d say that is certainly more foresight than anything else.  Now I’d like to transition to a number of current NHL issues.  First, I wanted to get your take on the whole Sean Avery saga;  however, not so much on whether the punishment fit the crime, but instead, I wanted to ask your opinion on how Dallas has handled the entire controversy?

Mirtle: It’s been pretty interesting. If the Stars were a really successful team this year, as many predicted, and Avery was a part of that success, I have a hard time imagining the team throws him under the bus like this. But things in Dallas are a mess through the first third of the season, and everyone’s looking for a scapegoat. It certainly doesn’t help that the captain, Brenden Morrow, is out of the lineup for the rest of the year and hasn’t been that vocal.

Of course, this really makes it plain to see how disliked Avery actually is in his own dressing room.

Illegal Curve: The fact that his teammates haven’t stepped up for him was the biggest indictment of his character for me.  Usually, at least a couple players will step up to the plate to defend a teammate no matter how much they object to what that player has done, but not in this case. 
 
With the Stars struggling mightily all season and the Wings and Sharks proving to be the two best teams in the Western Conference, who do you believe it the 3rd best team in the Western Conference?  Further, do you believe that team, or any other Western team for that matter, can knock off Detroit or San Jose in a best-of-seven series?

Mirtle: I’ve said this in the past, but I don’t you can ever bet against the Wild. Even without Gaborik, who is soon to be out the door, Minnesota has been solid this season (aside from lately) and if they can ship out their top scorer for anything of value, it’ll only make them better. The Wild are always dangerous in the postseason because of how solid they are defensively and on special teams.

San Jose and Detroit are the class of the West, however. At this point, I wouldn’t pick anyone else in the conference to beat them, no.

Illegal Curve: Minnesota is always dangerous with Lemaire behind the bench.  Kevin Allen had a good piece about two weeks ago on how valuable he felt Lemaire was to the Wild’s cause.  Ironically enough, since that piece, I think the Wild has won one game but his point was well-taken and on point.
 
Over in the Eastern Conference, it really seems like anyone’s year.  The Bruins have been unbelievable, the Penguins have been very solid without two of their best defensemen, the Flyers have a ton of offense and the Habs have “struggled” yet still have a very good record.  Factor in Washington’s attack, the Rangers’ netminding and the Devils’ resurgence and the playoffs look like they will be riveting.  If you had to rank the top five Eastern Conference teams to represent the East in the Stanley Cup Finals, who would they be?

Mirtle: 1. Pittsburgh.  They’re going to start to get healthy soon, with Whitney coming back I believe this week and Gonchar with a least a dozen games left in the season.

2. Montreal. As you said, they’ve put together a great record for a struggling team. If they had anything going on the power play to this point, they’d be up with Boston.

3. Washington.  It’s hard to say what’s going to happen in goal, but offensively, they’re dynamite.

4. New Jersey.  They’ve been playing well without Brodeur (8-2 in last 10) and would be a very tough matchup for one of the division winners once he comes back.

5. Boston.  Their record is far too good to write off at this point, and their youngsters are just all coming of age at the right time. Kudos to Claude Julien.

Illegal Curve: Off the ice, the league seems to be preparing/already dealing with an economic downturn. How much does think the world’s current financial situation will affect the way executives run their squads in the next year and a half?  Maybe more specifically, do you still see teams handing out big money long-term deals this summer, with the possibility of a shrinking cap in the summer of 2010/11?

Mirtle: Really tough to say.  It looks like the cap is either going to stay put or decrease slightly in the near future, so you’ll see GMs act accordingly. Some teams do have plenty of cap space available this summer, and they’ll be active, but there’s no question some free agents are going to get squeezed. My guess is that, rather than those at the top taking a haircut, it’ll be those lower on the scale.

Look at how many UFAs didn’t find a home this past summer.

Illegal Curve: Staying on point in terms of ecomony, how many teams do you think are in financial distress right now?  Further, how many of those teams do you think are in danger of moving/folding?

Mirtle: I’d say there are as many as six or seven teams in trouble, with potentially a few more to come.  But I don’t think you’ll see a franchise move or fold within the next few years.  This is going to stay a 30-team league for a long time going forward because the CBA is based around total league revenues, and bowing out of a market — even a poor one — means that total revenue figure dips lower and the remaining players have a smaller piece of the pie. 

Relocation is more likely, but even then, the NHL’s going to make a major push to try and avoid it.  I think one or two teams will move.

Illegal Curve: Before we go, I wanted to ask you what lies ahead for SBN?

Mirtle: It’s funny because people are pretty excited about what’s happened there so far, but this is the very, very beginning. When I came onboard in mid-October, there were only seven hockey blogs, one of which was inactive, and now we’re up to 17 with a few more in development. Once we have all 30 teams represented, there are going to be a lot of ways we can go with the site such as partnering with larger websites and getting sponsorships.  We’re also in touch with the NHL about working together down the line, and SBN is planning to have representation at the all-star game in Montreal and other events going forward.

One of the major complaints critics have had of the blogosphere is that there’s no accountability, but SBN sites will have that.  The company has a respected businessman in Jim Bankoff as CEO, a president and managers for each of its sports, and that sort of organization is going to pay off.  I honestly don’t see any reason we can’t have bloggers in press boxes all over the NHL down the line (if that’s the direction we decide to go in).

I’m really thankful so many great bloggers have already signed on because without them, this doesn’t get off the ground.  So far it’s been a lot of fun.

For Rob’s eighth entry, he discusses his recent training camp experience and what his expectations are for the 2008/09 season.

Illegal Curve: How would describe your training camp in Edmonton?

Rob: Training camp was pretty exciting with all the buzz about the new faces and the new owner.

Illegal Curve: When the coaching staff sent you back to Springfield did they tell you to work on anything specifically?

Rob: When they sent me down they just said to work hard and be positive.

Illegal Curve: Did the Oilers tell you you’d be the one of the first call ups should someone get injured at forward?

Rob: They didnt really come out and say that, but I would like to think I would be.

Illegal Curve: What has Coach Jeff Truitt told you about his expectations for you and the team?

Rob: Jeff told me he expects me to be his best player every game and in practice as well. He expects hard work and I dont think he’s going to have a problem getting the guys here excited.  Our expectations as a team are to be in first place and we have the team to do it.

Illegal Curve: With the strong play of Slava Truknho, Bryan Lerg and Ryan Potulny, how do you think Springfield offense will be this year?

Rob: We have so many good players this year that I think we are going to have a lot of threats offensively including a d-man like Chorney.

Illegal Curve: Do you think you will lead the AHL in scoring?

Rob: My goal is to lead the league but first I need to make sure I’m doing all the small things to get back to Edmonton; they already know I can get points.

To read Rob’s past seven entries click on the interview tab at the top of the page.

Here is the interview:

Richard:  You have been covering the Lightning for a while, do you think this upcoming season is the most anticipated season in Lightning history?

Damian: I guess from a standpoint of curiosity you could say that. From a fan standpoint, I’m not sure since season ticket sales are behind last year. But you can’t argue that new owners Oren Koules and Len Barrie have re-created the team. They have spent $194-million on one-way contracts. There could be up to 14 new players on the roster. Despite that, there still are tons of questions. Can Mike Smith handle the No. 1 job? Can a defense that averages 23.7 years old handle the pressure? Can Vinny Lecavalier come back after shoulder surgery? So there is plenty to watch, and it certainly will be better than last year.

Richard: Do you think Steven Stamkos is a shoe-in to crack the Bolts’ opening day roster?

Damian: Steven Stamkos absolutely will play for the Lightning and is slated to start as the second-line center, probably between Ryan Malone and Radim Vrbata. The original plan was for Stamkos to play third line and Jeff Halpern second. That, the team figured, would give Stamkos time to get his feet wet, and he could be bumped up here and there with an eye toward giving him the second-line job eventually. But when Halpern blew out his right knee in the world championships, the plans changed. If anyone can do it, it is Stamkos. He’s no Sidney Crosby (his coach in Sarnia, Dave MacQueen, said perhaps 25 goals and 60 points  could be expected). But he has great hands, an “NHL shot,” according to Lecavalier, and is so grounded it is scary for an 18-year-old. People should keep some perspective, though. Remember, Lecavalier had only 13 goals and 28 points in his first season.

Richard: Building on that, is there any truth to the reports that the Lighning is interested in Mats Sundin?  And if so, do you think that is even a realistic possibilty?

Damian: The Lightning is interested in Sundin, though I don’t believe they have a serious shot at getting him. He doesn’t really work under Tampa Bay’s salary cap which is at $55.86-million. Sundin will cost at least $7-million for a full season. Even if he is a half-year player, that’s still $4-million or so. The Lightning already has a glut at center. Having said that, Barrie has said if Sundin wanted to play in Tampa (and his good buddy Gary Roberts already is there), the Lightning would find room. But that would take a lot of salary cap maneuvers and personnel decisions. And we don’t even know if Sundin is interested in Tampa Bay. So, is it possible? Yeah, I guess so. Is it probable? I’d say no.

Richard: Moving onto the team’s defense.  Do you believe the Lightning’s defense is too young to take the team deep into the playoffs?

Damian: It is young, no doubt about it. But I don’t look at it as a defense that has to take Tampa Bay anywhere. The Lightning has built up its forward position and upgraded at goaltender to give its defense a chance to mature and develop. It’s going to be rough at times this season. But look at it this way. All Tampa Bay has to do this season is make the playoffs, and it is a huge step forward. The defense will gain experience and a year or two from now, that group has the potential to be great. So I wouldn’t focus too much on this season for anything but a chance to get into the postseason. The bigger picture is more important.

Richard: What are you expecting from Mike Smith this season?

Damian: I think we will see the real Mike Smith this season, whether that is for good or bad. I don’t believe it is fair to judge him on last season. It was a crazy time. He gets traded to a team that is going nowhere with some players, particularly on defense, who were playing scared because of pressure put on them by then-coach John Tortorella. Add that the offense went south in the last 15 games or so and it was a bad scene. I think Smith, as well as defensemen such as Paul Ranger, Mike Lundin and Shane O’Brien, will be better with a master motivator, Barry Melrose, as coach. Smith is very athletic. The thing he has to work on is controlling his appetite for playing the puck. There is a time and place, and he did not have that figured out completely last season as there were times he negated icings and times he put himself out of position. I also think he will be pushed by Olaf Kolzig, who has said he is fine with a backup role but wants to push at the same time for ice time. It will be interesting to see if Smith is up the the challenges.

Richard: Finally, on a lighter note, are you going to miss the candid post-game interviews with John Tortorella?

Damian: Torts could be tough on reporters but I’ll tell you the one thing he forced you to do: really watch the game. You couldn’t walk into a postgame press conference and ask a question that showed you did not know what had just happened. You had to be specific or he would shut you down. That made me watch things more closely and think about what I had seen. Probably made me a little better as an observer of the sport. Torts also could be wonderfully engaging when he wanted to be. That Tortorella I will miss. 

For Illegal Curve, I’m Richard Pollock.

Here is the interview:

Richard: How busy has this summer been for you with the whole Radulov situation as compared to last summer with the Predators’ ownership issues?

John: The Radulov situation has made for yet another lively off-season in Nashville. I’d say it’s been every bit as busy as last summer. From my standpoint, it’s been a little bit easier to cover this off-season just because the main characters involved — Radulov, the NHL and the KHL — have stayed consistent, whereas last summer potential new owners seemed to surface every few weeks.

Richard: Having been around the team for a few seasons, and seeing Alexander Radulov on a day-to-day basis, did you ever consider the possibility of Radulov leaving the NHL to go by home? Maybe more specifically, was there any sign that he was unhappy in Nashville, or do you think this was strictly
a decision based on dollars?

John: I didn’t really consider Radulov a threat to go back to Russia, simply because ever since he was a junior-age player, he’d set his sights on getting out of Russia and playing in the NHL. I think the primary factor for Radulov’s return was certainly money, but there were probably other factors as well. He had a very energetic (some might say hyperactive) personality that sometimes wore on his teammates, who were inclined to remind him that as a young player, he should be a little quieter and a little more humble.

Richard: Some people don’t realize that the Predators were as close to defeating the Red Wings as any other team that Detroit faced in the playoffs; with that said, do you think the Predators should have been more aggressive in free agency (and through trades) to try and take the next step forward?

John: I think the Predators could certainly have benefited by going after a proven goal-scorer — even before Radulov’s departure — but I didn’t expect them to be very aggressive in free agency. The Predators had planned to put most of their money into re-signing their own potential free agents, and by the time they were done, they didn’t have a lot of cash remaining.

Richard: Do you think there is any chance Steve Sullivan plays a game for the Predators this season?

John: I’d love to see Steve Sullivan come back this season, but at this point, I would consider it doubtful. He hasn’t played since February of 2007 and there are no indications he’s on the verge of a full recovery.

Richard: Finally, on a lighter note, who are you are more sick of writing about? Alexander Radulov or William “Boots” Del Biaggio?

John: I’ll say I’m more sick of the Boots Del Biaggio scenario. At least the Radulov situation relates directly to on-ice hockey, while the Del Biaggio/ownership business is all about lawsuits and bankruptcy courts.

For Illegal Curve, I’m Richard Pollock.

Here is the interview:

Richard: Thanks for doing this Steve.  Having covered so many different types of news stories over the years, how do you enjoy covering the Rangers?  Is it what you expected?

Steve: In a dotcom world, there’s more writing than ever before; the requirements of most pro sportswriting jobs have expanded. It’s busy year-round. Having covered crime, courts, music and business as well as Super Bowls and World Series, the Rangers and the NHL are a satisfying change: the coaches and players are approachable, the writers and broadcasters who cover the team are quite enjoyable, the travel ranges from interesting to bearable to dogged. As a New Yorker, I grew up following the Yankees, Giants, Rangers and Knicks, so I have some perspective—and realism. NHL fans are rabid and I like the sport (fast-moving, no rain delays!), so in general, it’s a pretty cool gig.

Richard: If there was one move the Rangers completed this summer that you never would have okay’d, which move would that be?

Steve: Unless the front-office execs know more than I do about Patrick Rismiller and Dmitri Kalinin, I would’ve gone in another direction. Of course, the roster is always a moving target and they have one-year deals, so this isn’t a long-term issue.

Richard: Is there any chance that Brendan Shanahan starts the season as a Blueshirt?
 
Steve: If Sundin decides to retire or play elsewhere, I think Shanny is in the picture, if he’ll accept far less money, fewer minutes and a role on special teams. He’s a worrisome skater, but can still shoot. He’s valuable in shootouts for sure.

Richard: While he doesn’t generate as much press as he should, do you think Marc Staal will become a top-pair defenseman this season?
 
Steve: Staal can be a top-pair d if he stays healthy. Not sure he’ll ever be a major offensive force, but that’s OK. He matured a lot last season, he’s rugged and more confident.

Richard: With two 2nd round losses in a row, do you believe this season is make-or-break for Tom Renney?
 
Steve: Without the issues surrounding Jagr and Avery, there will be a different chemistry in the room and on the ice. How Renney—a smart, prepared guy— guides and shapes the group is the question. If they stay healthy and don’t get past the second round, there certainly will be calls for him to move to another job in the organization.

Richard: Finally, who is your current favorite to win the Atlanta Division (The Flyers, Penguins, Rangers or Devils) and why?
 
Steve: There will be other moves before October, but right now, I’d say the Penguins are the team to beat, even without Hossa and Malone. Crosby, Malkin, Staal, Fleury, Gonchar, Orpik are a very good core. The Flyers have a formidable offense, but no real trusty goaltender. The Rangers need to find more scoring, either from Naslund and Zherdev or the younger guys. The Rangers should be in the hunt though. 

For Illegal Curve, I’m Richard Pollock.

Here is the interview:

Richard: Hi Dan, with the growing popularity of hockey blogging (especially beat-writer blogging), I wanted to ask how you divide your time between writing articles for the Register and writing for Ducks Blog?

Dan: I’m not even sure how to answer this question, simply because things have changed so much recently that we are placing more and more emphasis on our Ducks blog. I’m really not sure at this point how my time will be divided. A lot of time, what goes on the blog also appears in the Register. Other times, that’s not the case. If I had to guess, I suppose a 50-50 split might be reasonable.

Richard: Do you think the growth of the Ducks’ popularity in Southern California has gone unnoticed by the media and the fans across the league?

Dan: Largely, yes. So many people, especially in Canada, seem to make a sport out of bad-mouthing hockey in warm-weather markets. There is no question that the percentage of Southern California’s population interested in hockey is very small, much smaller than in any Canadian city, obviously. But there are so many people here that even a small percentage of the population is quite a few people. The people in Southern California who are into hockey are just as into it as anywhere else. There are so many more entertainment options here than most other places that hockey will never be front and center in Southern California like it is in Canada. But there is plenty of interest to sustain both NHL franchises in Southern California.  And when you take into account the growth of youth hockey in Southern California and the young players who are going on to be drafted by NHL teams, play junior and college hockey and on U.S. national teams, hockey is plenty alive and well in Southern California.

Richard: Now onto hockey.  If you had to make a prediction, would you say this upcoming season will be Brian Burke’s final season as Ducks GM?

Dan: Honestly, I think this could go either way. I really believe it’s pretty much 50-50. If you held a gun to my head and forced me to go one way or the other, I’d say he will continue to be Ducks general manager beyond this season.

Richard: With Teemu Selanne still seeming undecided on a return to hockey, what do you think the Finnish Flash will end up doing?  And if Selanne were to not return, how do you think the Ducks would fill that fairly significant hole in their top-six forwards?

Dan: I think Selanne will be in the Ducks’ opening-night lineup. I don’t know that for a fact, but I have a very strong feeling that will be the case. He’s not going to play anywhere else. Selanne and his family love living in Orange County, and he’s not going to uproot his family. Had he wanted to play elsewhere, he would have signed with another team long ago. So it simply comes down to whether he wants to play another season, and I think he does. He’s talked often about how much fun he has had since returning to Anaheim, and I don’t think he’s ready to retire. Should he not return, the Ducks would probably try options such as Joakim Lindstrom, Eric Boguniecki and perhaps Todd Marchant as top-six possibilities. If none of them panned out, the Ducks might have to make a move at some point during the season.

Richard: Maybe tied to the question above, do you think Mathieu Schneider’s services are currently generating a lot of interest around the league?

Dan: From what I understand, there are multiple teams interested in acquiring Schneider, but most, if not all, of them are teams that are also interested in Mats Sundin. Probably none of them could afford both Schneider and Sundin, so those teams are waiting to see where the Sundin domino falls before possibly making a move for Schneider.

Richard: Finally, who is your favorite to win the Pacific Division this upcoming season? The Sharks, Ducks or Stars?

Dan: Tough question. I think any of them could win it. I guess I would pick the Sharks as the favorite, as far as the regular season goes. I would have to see them succeed in the playoffs before I believe in the Sharks. I
would say the Ducks and Stars are more likely to go deep into the playoffs than the Sharks. I also am very curious to see how the Coyotes build on their success from last season. They could provide some pretty strong competition for what we consider to be the top three teams in the division.

For Illegal Curve, I’m Richard Pollock.

For Rob’s seventh entry, he has agreed to answer some questions about his summer training program and his mindset heading into Oilers training camp next month.

Richard: How has your experience been training in Southern California?

Rob: It was a great experience having a chance to train and also hang out with guys like Ethan Moreau, Jarret Stoll and Jason Smith.

Richard: What has Chad Moreau had you focusing on?

Rob: He has me working mainly on core and leg strength.

Richard: You recently played in a tournament with some ex-London Knights. How did your team do?

Rob: We are right in the middle of it right now and we are actually doing pretty well. As of now, our record 2-1 but the best part of the tournament is just getting to see old buddies and playing for each other again.

Richard: How are you approaching the upcoming Oilers camp?

Rob: I am approaching camp with the mindset that the minors suck.

Richard: Do you feel you have accomplished the goals the Oilers coaches set out for you?

Rob: I’m not sure but i feel that i have accomplished the goals that i have set out for myself over last year’s season.

Among other things, Craig discusses his thoughts on blogging, his favorites to take home the Cup in 2009 and the viability of hockey in the deep South.

Here is the interview:

Richard: Before I delve into on-ice issues, I wanted to ask your opinion on the proliferation of hockey blogging on the internet?  Do you see it as only a positive thing, or are there some possible negative aspects to it as well?

Craig: I think it’s fairly obvious that I’m a fan of the blogs. They’re a part of my daily rotation, especially since I took the job at Sporting News and my focus isn’t so intense on one team. But even when I was covering the Thrashers, I read every fan blog, from The Falconer to the guy who sat at every practice and blogged about who was changing stick manufacturers. By no means do I think the mainstream media has the market cornered on analysis or information delivery. I now greatly prefer beat writers blogs to their newspaper stories, and I suspect people felt the same way about my stuff at the AJC. Writers can bend the rules a little and offer bits of insight that maybe you can’t get away with in a newspaper story. Negatives? It’d be nice if the animosity between bloggers and journalists could disappear. It seems like some bloggers take perverse pleasure in taking shots at the mainstream media and it comes off as petty. But that goes both ways for media types who do the same with bloggers.  I don’t even have a problem with a guy like Eklund, who people seem to have serious issues with. It’s entertainment, that’s the bottom line. We don’t need to take everything so seriously. Yeah, it’s a pain in the rear when you’re a beat writer and crazy rumors get thrown around and you have to chase them all down. But at the same time, you also develop a radar for what stuff is legit and what’s just thrown against the wall. The only gray area for me is locker room access. Some bloggers don’t have any desire to report from the dressing room, others think it’s the natural progression. I’m not sure where I stand on that one. I’ve never had any issues sharing space with the bloggers when they do get access to events I’m covering, but my attitude would probably change really quickly if I started noticing unprofessional behavior or people getting in the way of me doing my job.

Richard: You recently made the move from Thrashers beat writer at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution to The Sporting News.  How has the adjustment been in terms of travel, content and day-to-day responsibilities?

Craig: I’m only two months into the new job so it’s hard to get a feel for how the day-to-day responsibilities will be during the season. The biggest challenge for me has been coming up with lots of daily content for our digital daily newspaper “Sporting News Today” in the middle of the hockey dead period. There’s been a lot of “Nothing new to report on Sundin and Sakic” going on, but that’s just the nature of the beast this time of year. Travel will pick up once the season starts, but I recently spent three enjoyable days in Dallas shadowing Sean Avery for an in-depth feature that will run in the revamped Sporting News magazine. I’m not giving anything away, but he’s one of the most interesting and complex players I’ve ever dealt with. If I don’t get in the way, it’ll be a great story. It’s a balancing act of providing hockey coverage for the magazine, the digital daily and blogging for the website. But we’re doing exciting things, and from what I can tell, Sporting News is one of the few news outlets looking to increase its hockey coverage not decrease it, so it’s exciting for me to be a part of it. Once I get moved to Detroit and the season settles in, I’ll have a better feel for how things will go on a daily basis.

Richard: Onto the ice.  Now that most rosters are set after an extremely busy off-season, if you had to list three teams that you think have the best shot at the Stanley Cup, aside from the Red Wings, which three would you select and why?

Craig: Sometimes I fall into the trap of spending time with a coach,  general manager and players then walk away convinced that they are the best team of all time. Like last year, I filled in for a few weeks covering the Atlanta Falcons and walked away convinced Laurent Robinson was going to be the next Jerry Rice. I loved the guy. I haven’t heard from him since. That said, I left Dallas convinced that the Stars can challenge the Red Wings. I’m on board with the Sean Avery signing, and not just because he told me to be. I like the dynamic of the two GMs and don’t see a lot of weaknesses on that team. I also think people are sleeping on Montreal with or without Mats Sundin. You forget that the Canadiens were a great young team last season and will only benefit from the experience in the playoffs last season. Last year, for Sports Illustrated, we had to do these polls where we asked NHL players who they would pick first to build a franchise around and guys were telling me they’d start with Carey Price. Even before Sidney Crosby. I would have liked to see them keep Cristobal Huet at the deadline so Price wasn’t thrown into the fire so quickly, but I’ll defer to Bob Gainey’s judgment on that one. It was weird, because I was in Montreal on the day of the trade deadline and when Huet was dealt to Washington I was absolutely convinced Marian Hossa was going to Montreal along with Johan Hedberg. It made too much sense. Anyways, I’m rambling. I like Montreal better than I like Pittsburgh in the East, and that’s no slight on Pittsburgh. I’ll probably love the Pens after flying to Pittsburgh and spending three days with Miroslav Satan. Okay, my third team. I’m not falling for San Jose again. I’m better than that. I think if Anaheim can get something useful in return for Mathieu Schneider, and get Teemu Selanne in the mix, the Ducks will bounce back this season. So that’s my long way of saying Stars, Ducks and Habs. But I’d be shocked if the Wings don’t win it all.

Richard: With you having first-hand knowledge of the Thrashers organization, and with their expected struggles this season, is Don Waddell’s job secure?

Craig: No, absolutely not. How can it be? Don is really adept at running a tight ship. The Thrashers are a team losing money, but he manages to minimize those losses by running a lean operation in Atlanta and I think that endears him to the owners.  Is it ideal? No, I think the Detroit model, where you have a group of hockey minds sharing ideas works well. Detroit is also in a much better financial place with stable ownership.  The same can’t be said in Atlanta and that hurts the team more than any of Waddell’s management. But the Thrashers front office could use some new blood. If they lose again this year, and there’s nothing dramatic they did in the offseason that makes me predict a crazy turnaround, then I think it’d be a tough sell to fans, to potential free agents, to Ilya Kovalchuk, to bring Don back as the general manager. He’s certainly been given every opportunity to succeed. There was talk after the season of moving Waddell to a president role and bringing in another general manager and  that was seriously discussed. In fact, I still wouldn’t be surprised if something like that ultimately happens. But is his current job secure? It can’t be.

Richard: You recently interviewed NHLPA Director Paul Kelly and while he didn’t outwardly come out and say it, it sounded as if he was looking for some of the Southern teams to start to overcome a number of the challenges they currently face.  Having covered hockey in a Southern market, are you concerned at all about the viability of the NHL in the deep south?

Craig: It’s certainly harder for teams to have success in the south because you just don’t have a huge fan base of die-hards coming to games win or lose. And the regional television ratings are brutal in some markets when the teams aren’t winning. But time after time, these markets have shown that if teams are run the right way, market their teams aggressively, and most importantly, win, they can be a success. Look at Tampa’s attendance. They draw really well, and that team was horrible last year. I think they averaged 18-plus last year. I love hanging out in Carolina where they tailgate before games like it’s a college football Saturday. When the Thrashers hosted playoff games, Philips Arena was one of the most electric places I’ve ever been in. Getting swept by the Rangers that year set Atlanta hockey back five years. At least. If they could have won a series or two, and that team was pretty talented in retrospect, we’re not having this conversation about Atlanta. The one I wonder the most about is the Florida Panthers but again, when that team was winning, the fans were crazy. Just ask Scott Mellanby.

Richard: Finally, do you think the NHL is concerned about the possibility of the KHL becoming more significant than maybe the league first anticipated?

Craig: It’s hard for me to comment on how the NHL originally viewed the KHL, but I think it’s certainly become a significant force in the world of hockey. Anybody who says the loss of a guy like Alexander Radulov is insignificant is crazy. And it’s just another vehicle for driving up salaries. Now the agents for  24-year-old players can say they’re getting an offer sheet from another team and they have a crazy offer from Russia. If nothing else, it’s a bargaining tool. The thing I’m curious about is if non-Russian players will stay there for any length of time. I had one GM tell me that he had a North American player leave for Russia and he couldn’t get back soon enough after just one season. It’s a huge cultural adjustment, just ask any Russian player who has made the opposite transition. But here’s the bottom line right now concerning the KHL and attracting the top players: I had somebody point this out to me, but when Ilya Kovalchuk scored the game-winning goal in overtime against Canada in the World Championships, every Russian player on the ice was in the NHL. As long as the top Russians are still playing in the NHL, I think we’ll all be okay.

For Illegal Curve, I’m Richard Pollock.

Here is the interview:

Richard: Firstly, I wanted to ask you your take on the increased amount of blogging that newspaper writers have undertaken.  I know your Lord Stanley’s Blog is updated continually throughout the day;  so, how would you say you distribute your time between maintaining your blog and writing articles for the News & Observer?

Luke: I’m not sure there’s any way to split it up. The two really go hand-in-hand, because so much of what goes on the blog ends up in the paper, in some format, later. The priority in a breaking-news situation is to get the info up on the blog, but I spent a lot of time over the past week, for example, on a story for the paper that’s more expository and may not even be mentioned on the blog. I also do a lot of work for the paper that isn’t hockey-related, particularly in the summer (in the past month, columns on everything from golf to, uh, disc golf).

That’s the long answer. The short answer is that it’s rare I’m doing something that’s going to benefit one and not the other. I do the reporting, and it’s going to end up somewhere — sometimes one, sometimes the other, sometimes both.

Richard: Considering the recent poll that stated 18% of North Carolina natives don’t even know the Hurricanes exist, as well as, ticket giveaways like the one our writer Drew Mindell came across at a recent Durham Bulls game,  I was wondering how well you think the Hurricanes are doing in the North Carolina marketplace? 

Luke: First of all, I thought the poll was kind of silly. I threw it up on the blog as a sort of comic relief and it ended up getting mentioned in a very grave way on a couple other blogs — of course, often without any attribution or acknowledgment that they would have had no idea the survey existed without our blog, present company excluded — but I never took it very seriously. Obviously, there’s still a portion of the hockey media out there looking to jump on any sort of negative evidence about the viability of this market.

That being said, I think the Triangle has made great strides as a hockey market since I moved here in 2000. The two long playoff runs had more to do with that than anything, perhaps 2002 even more so than 2006 in terms of introducing fans to the sport. When I arrived, the team’s future and finances were both extremely tenuous. Certainly the whole situation is far more stable now. The onus is on the team to fully develop and maximize its revenue streams. The fan base isn’t quite where it needs to be yet, but it’s growing and can get there.

If you look in Charlotte or Greensboro, I don’t think the Hurricanes have much of a footprint. But in the core markets — Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Chapel Hill and the surrounding counties — I think they’re pretty strong. Our hockey blog ranks among the top three at the paper in terms of traffic, and some months ranks ahead of both the political and ACC blogs.

That’s nothing short of shocking, and it makes me wonder to what degree we’re all underestimating the team’s grass-roots support because it doesn’t necessarily translate into attendance.

Richard: Now, to on-ice matters.  With pretty much the same team returning from last season (aside from the Erik Cole-for-Joni Pitkanen swap), do you think the Hurricanes are going to be as good as they were in the first half of last season, as bad as they were in the second half, or somewhere in between in 2008/09?

Luke: Hard to say. It reminds me a little of 2006, when the real question was whether the defense was good enough. Turns out, it was. (There were other questions, but the defense was the big one to me.) The Canes have really gambled that the changes they have made dating back to the Corvo deal (Corvo, Pitkanen, Melichar, Babchuk) are going to make them a better team. Time will tell.

But there’s one area where I don’t think there’s any argument: The Canes needed to get younger on defense. The Wesley-Hedican-Kaberle-Wallin core had clearly slipped behind the pace, with nothing really in the pipeline. Now, they have Pitkanen and maybe Babchuk, depending on his performance this season, to go with Jamie McBain and the other mid-tier prospects (Casey Borer, Brett Carson, Noah Babin, Kyle Lawson) who may or may not pan out.

Richard: Are you at all surprised that the organization decided to bring back Peter Laviolette?

Luke: No, if for no other reason than there’s still three years left on his contract. I’m a little surprised they let the issue linger as long as it did, but there were definitely plenty of reasons for the Hurricanes to evaluate his performance and plenty of reasons for that evaluation to come out on the positive side. Clearly, he’s going to be under some pressure this fall, but that’s nothing new. Really, that’s been the case since January.

Richard: Do you think the team will be able to deal off one of their excess defenseman (namely Frank Kaberle) prior to the opening of the regular season?

Luke: Someone’s going to need a defenseman. It may take the opening of training camps for it to happen, but there’s going to be a deal out there at some point, and the Canes are in a financial position where they have to do something. The real question, to me, is whether they have a better chance of winning with a $49 million payroll and eight NHL defensemen or $45-47 million and seven NHL defensemen. You could make the argument that they’re being penny wise and pound foolish, but that’s easy to say when it’s not your money.

Richard: Finally, what do you enjoy most about covering the team for the News & Observer?

Luke: I’ve enjoyed so much — the sport, the travel, the people I have worked with at the N&O, the opportunity to write and be creative, the challenge of reaching new hockey fans without alienating those who already know the game, the challenge of growing and steering the N&O’s coverage to the level it’s at today.

The two playoff runs certainly seemed like once-in-a-career experiences and as a writer you can’t ask for better material. I’ve really worked hard to bring the N&O’s coverage up to the standards of other pro markets and now we meet or exceed those standards, which is a point of pride. It has been a fun ride, and I’ll miss it when I’m not doing it anymore.

For Illegal Curve, I’m Richard Pollock.

Here is the interview:

Richard: Hi Fluto, first of all, I’d like to thank you for doing this. Now, before I ask you about the Bruins’ off-season, I wanted to get your take on the increased amount of blogging that newspaper writers are undertaking. Have you been surprised by the popularity of Bruins Blog?

Fluto: There’s certainly more work to be done because of blogging, but that’s how readers want their information now. So it’s only natural that we respond and provide that information via the blog, which means promptly, accurately, and repeatedly. The newspaper business isn’t what you’d call stable, so we have to adapt and serve our readers in the manners in which they prefer. Would be nice for someone in the media business to figure out how to make money doing so… Regarding the Bruins Blog, I’m not sure how popular it is. All the numbers and hits and such are handled elsewhere, so I base its popularity (or otherwise) anecdotally. Was surprised and satisfied to see that the comments section exploded earlier this summer when Michael Ryder signed, then when the Bruins waived Glen Murray. So hopefully people are reading and getting something out of the blog.

Richard: Playing in such a competitive market with three extremely successful franchises (Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics), how would say the Bruins fare in terms of fan/media attention?

Fluto: Bruins media attention: Crickets! When we get into the depths of the regular season, there are usually five outlets at practice every day: Globe, Herald, New England Hockey Journal, Patriot Ledger, Bruins.com. For games, we might get a TV camera or two. But it’s a spartan crowd covering the team on a daily basis, and that’s not surprising given the confluence of events here — the success of the three other teams (Sox, Patriots, Celtics) and the economic media downturn. We’re getting less space in the print product at the Globe, and that goes across the board for other outlets as well. In terms of fan interest, this is and will always be a Sox town. The Bruins will never compete in that area. But the unique thing about fans here is that a good number of them are involved in the game. They played when they were kids, their kids play now, they’re at the rinks for 5 a.m. practice, etc. So there’s certainly a diehard quality about Bruins fans that makes it a small but puck-starved audience. The Bruins would be best served to cater to this audience, as they’re the ones paying the big bucks for tickets, watching every game on NESN, buying the jerseys and popcorn.

Richard: Now onto hockey; do you think that Michael Ryder will be a suitable replacement for Glen Murray on the team’s number one line?

Fluto: Ryder: Lots of red flags. Bad contract year. Can’t get into the Montreal lineup. One-dimensional player, say scouts who watched him last year. And big money ($12 million over three years) for a guy coming off a dud of a year and doesn’t play a well-rounded game. That said, the X-factor in the signing is Claude Julien. This will be the fourth time they’ve been together (Hull, Hamilton, Montreal), and Ryder has been successful playing for Julien before. Julien was, hands down, the biggest reason why the Bruins turned things around and made the playoffs last year. So who’s to say he can’t have a similar touch with Ryder?

Richard: Do you think that many non-Bruins fans overlooked just how much the team’s lesser-known younger players (a.k.a. not Milan Lucic or Phil Kessel) contributed last season?

Fluto: When you refer to young guys, Vladimir Sobotka and Petteri Nokelainen fall into this category, and they certainly did a good job stepping into the holes created by injury. They would have most likely spent the year in Providence had things been somewhat normal with the big club. It’s a reflection of some good drafting (getting Sobotka) and good trading (getting Nokelainen), but also speaks well of how Scott Gordon groomed these guys in Providence and allowed them to slot into their NHL roles. That’s why Gordon is getting a hard look on the Island. But you also have to look at some of the older guys and how they contributed last year too. Nobody wanted Glen Metropolit, and he was their second-line center for part of the year. Nobody expected Dennis Wideman to have the TOI and points that he did. You can’t overlook the job done by Shane Hnidy.

Richard: With the Bruins making very few changes this off-season, do you see that maybe giving the team a leg up on some of the other Eastern Conference teams that have made significant changes over the summer?
Fluto: You always hear guys saying that chemistry and cohesion play big roles in a team’s success. So yes, stability is a good thing. The coaches know what they have and the players understand the coaches’ expectations. You look at a team like Detroit and how its core has played together for a while now. Big help, no question.

Richard: Finally, do you expect to see Patrice Bergeron in the team’s opening night line up come October?

Fluto: Bergeron will most certainly be in the starting lineup. He was dominant (as expected, perhaps) during the team’s development camp in July, when he and Manny Fernandez were the only two veterans to participate. There’s always a risk that a bad hit can expose him to further injury, but he’s the type of player and type of character with a fierce inner drive and the determination to be a leader for this team. Give him some time in the early part of the season to get adjusted, but I’d be surprised if he doesn’t have the best year he’s had yet.

For Illegal Curve, I’m Richard Pollock.

Here is the interview:

Richard: Hi Michael, before I ask a couple of Wild related questions, I wanted to ask how you’ve found the switch from covering hockey in Florida to covering the game in a hotbed like Minnesota?

Michael: I love it. I have nothing but great things to say about my time in South Florida. The Sun-Sentinel treated me like gold, I miss my colleagues there and I thoroughly enjoyed covering the Panthers for 10 years. I started working there at age 16 and I just turned 21 when I started covering the Panthers in 1995. I literally learned on the job. Panthers fans are as passionate as any other market, but unfortunately, because the team hasn’t won since 1996, fans started to pay their attention and dollars elsewhere. I was also seeing signs of the team becoming irrelevant in the marketplace. The paper was giving them less space, and the electronic media was ignoring them, so I was concerned what it would be like after the lockout.

I had such a blast covering the Marlins especially, as well as the Heat, Dolphins and great events like Doral (PGA) and the Nasdaq (Tennis), I started to really ponder what I wanted to do with the rest of my career near the end of the lockout. I love baseball, but two terrific baseball writers filled those jobs at the Sun-Sentinel. And still, the one thing I did know is my passion was still hockey and to give it up, I had a feeling I’d regret it.

I knew for some time that the Minneapolis Star Tribune Wild position was open. The day the lockout ended that July, I sent my resume and clips to the sports editor here, was offered the job the day Hurricane Katrina was crossing over Florida and moved here a week before training camp. I had been offered other hockey beat-writing jobs at other papers during my time in Florida, but I always said to myself, if I’m ever going to move to another paper to cover hockey, it’s got to be in a hockey-mad market. That certainly describes Minnesota. Whether you’re a hard-core Wild/NHL fan or casual one, you know what’s going on with the team. College and prep hockey is as popular, and some even say more so, than the Wild.

Minnesota hockey fans are intelligent, passionate, and I love writing to an audience like that. When you’re a sportswriter, you want to know people are reading you, you want to know that perhaps you’re adding to their enjoyment and at the very least giving them as much information as humanly possible about the goings-on of their favorite team. In Florida, I felt that less and less and just felt I needed a change in scenery. And I certainly got that here in Minnesota. It’s a little colder and snowier than Boca Raton, and I’m no longer living five miles from the ocean.

Richard: I guess the one positive of the cold winters, is the fact that you probably don’t mind being inside while you are writing your columns and blogging; which brings us to my next question.  With blogging so prominent these days (your Russo’s Rants blog is terrific), I am wondering how much time you weigh toward your blog as compared to your newspaper articles?

Michael: I have two opposite thoughts on newspaper blogs/web sites. It’s definitely a whole different world. Back in the old days, you held stuff off the Internet till midnight because you didn’t want to tip off your competition if you had a scoop. Today, the goal is to get everything out to your readership as fast as you can because we live in a world where people are finding several news sources besides newspapers. It’s a 24-7 world, and tomorrow’s sports section in a lot of cases is old news.

So I am all about the blog. My first thought always is, ‘I’ve got to get this on the blog.’ There were several occasions last season where we’d be in a press gathering around Jacques Lemaire, he’d say something newsworthy and I’d get it up on the blog from my Blackberry before he was even done speaking. I also love the blog because there’s no space constraints, I can offer instant commentary, opinion and analysis and I can be a lot more casual, offer a lot more of my personality than I can in a typical newspaper article. Deep down, I’m a hockey geek. I love the sport, wish I could play the sport, respect the athletes, and I think that passion’s conveyed often on the blog. I’m just trying to adjust to the new world.

But I will say this: the newspaper industry’s in financial turmoil. I have no doubt we’re reaching more people than we ever reached because of the Net, but we’re dying because of it. We give away all our content for free. Because of that, good sports writers are having to make real-life decisions and leaving the industry or going to the Web, and that will undoubtedly affect sports fans * especially if you’re a hockey fan. If a diehard fan wants in-depth local news on their favorite team, the newspaper beat writer is usually the one supplying that. Again, especially in hockey. In most U.S. markets, unlike the other three sports, print journalism is about the sole medium that drives the local coverage. The local electronic media either ignores the sport or learns what’s going on simply because the newspaper beat writer’s reported it. I don’t mean that to be arrogant. It’s just the truth. So in some ways, our very own blogs and webs sites are killing us because newspapers haven’t figured out a way to create enough revenue online. We’re way behind the curve, and better figure this out quick.

Richard: Now, onto the Wild.  The team’s off-season has been relatively quiet, so how would you grade the team’s summer as compared to the rest of the Western Conference?

Michael: I don’t know if I agree with the term, ‘quiet.’ I’ve worked longer and harder this off-season than any in recent years. Even two summers ago when the Wild was active in free agency, the team did all its business by July 7 and I got out of Dodge. This has been a ridiculously busy off-season. Between Lemaire’s insinuated retirement (that ended in his return), the Wild embedded in the Olli Jokinen trade talks, the daily Brian Rolston stories at a time, trading for two defensemen * Marek Zidlicky and Marc-Andre Bergeron, the team’s attempt at Hossa, Huselius, Naslund and Morrison, the signing of Nolan, Miettinen, Brunette and Weller, the Veilleux soap opera (firing his agent, being put on waivers, clearing waivers and settling before arbitration), the Bouchard five-year deal and now Gaborik’s extension talks, it’s been almost daily.

I agree the Wild swung and missed on a lot of things, but that’s what I predicted for a month leading up to free agency. This market was under-supplied and over-demanded, and there are 29 other teams you’re negotiating against. I’m not trying to make excuses for them, but that is a fact. So yes, if you look at the Northwest, I feel Calgary and especially Edmonton made significant on-paper strides this summer, as well as a number of other teams in the West.

That leads to a lot of uncertainty in Minnesota. The area I’d be terrified about if I was a Wild fan is the fact the team couldn’t accomplish getting a center. The team severely lacks depth there, and if Mikko Koivu gets injured, look out. But I do feel that IF the Wild gets to the playoffs, it’s in a lot better position to battle than in the past two one-and-out postseasons.

Richard: Which of the five main players the Wild acquired this off-season (Nolan, Bergeron, Zidlicky, Brunette, Miettinen) do you think will have the biggest impact on the team in 2008/09 and why?

Michael: I really like the Zidlicky trade. I know they gave up a lot in Ryan Jones and a puck, but I’ve always respected Zidlicky’s game. And with Rolston gone, the Zidlicky-Bergeron pickups now are extra-significant because the two of them should make impacts on the power-play point. I’m very interested to see if Miettinen can turn into the player the Wild thinks it’s acquiring. He certainly had a lot of chances to put up points in Dallas and didn’t. If the Wild gets to the playoffs, Brunette and Nolan will be a significant upgrade to what they’ve had in the last two playoffs.

Richard: Finally, with one year remaining on his contract at $7.5 million, do you think Marian Gaborik will eventually sign a contract extension with the Wild? If not, why?

Michael: I really don’t now. His agent hasn’t returned a phone call yet and he’s not commenting right now. If he doesn’t sign, it’ll be solely because he wants out. The Wild plans to make him an offer that would give him the most lucrative average contract in the NHL behind Ovechkin, Crosby and Malkin. It’ll be above Lecavalier, Heatley. Spezza, Thornton and the one guy in the West I think is the most valuable, Iginla.
But Gaborik’s a year away from unrestricted status and already makes an average of $6.33 million and will make $7.5 this year. So you have to pay him, and in this case, probably overpay him.

But Gaborik’s intimated in the past year that he wonders sometimes about what it would be like to play elsewhere, and you do have to wonder if he’s willing to commit four to seven of the next years of his life to the Wild.

He never actually said after the season that he wanted to sign a long-term extension here. What he kept saying is he didn’t want to enter this season on the last year of his deal because he saw all the distractions that created in Atlanta and around the league with Marian Hossa. But that, to me, has a different connotation. It’s not saying, ‘I want to return.’ It could be saying, ‘If you can’t sign me to an extension, maybe it’ll be best if you trade me.’

I can’t say for sure, but we’ll know very soon. If the Wild can’t sign him, it’s definitely a risk NOT to trade him.

Not just because it will be a constant distraction, but because he’s got a history of groin problems. If the Wild resumed negotiations after Jan. 1 and still couldn’t sign him, what happens if he gets injured before the trade deadline? It’d be impossible to deal him.

Of course, this is a bunch of hypotheticals, and just maybe the Wild has no problem inking him. We’ll see soon.

For Illegal Curve, I’m Richard Pollock.

For Rob’s sixth entry, Rob has agreed to answer some questions recapping his season with Springfield and previewing his off-season plans.

Here is the interview:

Illegal Curve: Springfield narrowly missed the playoffs this year. What do you feel the team could have done better?

Rob: That is tough to say; I think we played really hard all the way through the end of the season. I have to say that there was not a single game that we did not compete in.

Illegal Curve: Your all around game has made significant strides this year. What do you credit for that success?

Rob: I would have to attribute that to another year of being around experienced veterans and good coaching. The last two seasons I have played with both of those and I think my game has made strides.

Illegal Curve: Are you 100% healthy heading into the off-season?

Rob: Yes I am.

Illegal Curve: What are your summer training plans?

Rob: I really want to focus on working on my explosiveness. As well, I would like to work on my overall strength.

Illegal Curve: Obama or Hillary?

Rob: Hillary.

For Illegal Curve, I’m Richard Pollock.

Here are Rob’s past five entries:

Schremp’s fifth entry.
Schremp’s fourth entry.
Schremp’s third entry.
Schremp’s second entry.
Schremp’s first entry.

For Rob’s fifth entry, Rob has agreed to answer some questions about his team heading into the final few games of the AHL season.

Here is the interview:

Illegal Curve: With the big club (Edmonton Oilers) playing a run-and-gun style and succeeding, how much of that has filtered down to Springfield?

Rob: I don’t think it really has. We play more of a chip-and-chase style down here.

Illegal Curve: Give us your impressions of Slava Truknho, who has been playing on your line recently.

Rob: Slava is awesome. He has great vision and is really strong on the puck; so all you really have to do is get open, and he finds you.

Illegal Curve: Going into this off-season, how are you going to prepare yourself for Oilers training camp?

Rob: This summer will be a lot better than last summer. That’s because I will have the whole summer to train; whereas last summer I did not get to train until late July because of my knee injury.

Illegal Curve: The Falcons are in tight to make the playoffs. Do you foresee a late season push that will see you secure a spot?

Rob: We have a good young team, so I think this last push will be good for us for preparing for the post-season. Basically every game from now on will be like a playoff game because we need to win these games.

Illegal Curve: As an offensive player, who has impressed you the most out of Springfield’s defensemen?

Rob: T.J. Kemp has been our best offensive defenseman this season.

Thanks, Rob.

For Illegal Curve, I’m Richard Pollock.

Here are Rob’s past entries to Illegal Curve:

Schremp’s fourth entry.
Schremp’s third entry.
Schremp’s second entry.
Schremp’s first entry.

For Rob’s fourth entry, he agreed to answer a Q & A about his time at the AHL All-Star Game.

Here is the interview:

Illegal Curve: Hey Rob, how would you describe your experience in Binghamton last weekend for the AHL All-Star Game?

Rob: It was a lot of fun and just a really big honor to be there.

Illegal Curve: Do you feel like some of the guys in the AHL All-Star Game have been overlooked by NHL teams?

Rob: I think a lot of the guys who were at the game are in the same boat as me. Most of the AHL teams are just trying to develop these guys and want to make sure they are ready to take the next step into the NHL.

Illegal Curve: What were your thoughts on the NHL’s “attempt” to have a shootout contest?

Rob: I thought it was pretty cool, but at the same time it is a lot different than a basketball slam dunk contest; just because ball players are doing all that creative stuff everyday on the court. In hockey, you wont see too many guys in practice trying to use a lacrosse style move or throwing the puck up and doing a 360.

Illegal Curve: How often would you say you practice the shootout move that you pulled at the AHL skills competition over the weekend?

Rob: I like to play around after practice, but never during.

Illegal Curve: Do you think the NHL should invite creative puck-handlers such as yourself to participate in their breakaway contest next season?

Rob: No I don’t. If I’m not actually in the NHL and haven’t been invited to the All-Star Game because of my on-ice play, then definitely not.

Illegal Curve: Finally, what are your personal expectations for the remainder of the AHL season?

Rob: I would like to stay at the top of the scoring leaders and maybe even try to move up a bit. In saying that, I’d like my improved play to help us climb the standings and try to improve on our playoff positioning.

For Illegal Curve, I’m Richard Pollock.

Schremp’s third entry.
Schremp’s second entry.
Schremp’s first entry.

Here is the interview:

Illegal Curve: Hey Rob. The first thing we wanted to ask you is how have you enjoyed the move to Left Wing?

Rob: I have adjusted to playing the wing pretty well. It was hard at first because you always want to creep down in your own zone and help your teammates out but the key is to keep your own coverage because if you don’t everything gets all messed up.

Illegal Curve: You are currently in the Top 10 in AHL scoring; as a result, have you set winning the AHL scoring championship as one of your end of season goals?

Rob: It is something that I would like to achieve and it is a goal that is well within my reach. I just need to stay consistent every night if I am going to stay up there with players like Marty St. Pierre and Teddy Purcell.

Illegal Curve: It is said that every young player needs to work on their defensive game and we at Illegal Curve were wondering what adjustments have you made to your defensive game over the course of the season?

Rob: Nothing too big really. I just try to keep my focus on communicating and making sure I take care of my responsibilities before I try to help out in other areas.

Illegal Curve: With a call up only a phone call away, do you consistently keep an eye on the Oilers during the course of the season?

Rob: My roomate Danny Syvret and I watch a lot of games on the Center Ice package; which is pretty good seeing as how they rarely show NHL games on regular cable in the U.S. I do keep an eye on the Oilers just to see who is hurt or if there is a possibility of a call up. Also, I like to watch my buddies like Gilby (Tom Gilbert) and Nilsson (Robert Nilsson).

Illegal Curve: With the aforementioned possibility of a call up, do you have any kind of timeline for when you expect to be called up to the NHL?

Rob: No because you can never really know when, or if, you are going to get called up. If I were to set a timeline for myself, I think it would be more of a distraction than anything. I’d probably be thinking about it all the time; instead, I just focus on taking care of what I need to do here in Springfield.

Illegal Curve: Finally, for something a little fun. If you could pick two linemates from your hockey career, past or present, who would they be and why?

Rob: That is a tough question. I’d have to say Robert Nilsson just because of the chemistry we had together last season in Wilkes-Barre. I would have to pick two other ones and they would be Drew Larman and Dan Fritsche who were both my linemates in London (OHL) the season we won the Memorial Cup.

For Illegal Curve, I’m Richard Pollock.
(www.illegalcurve@gmail.com)

Rob’s Second Entry.
Rob’s First Entry.

For the second entry, we are going to do a Q & A with Rob about his season in Springfield so far.

Here are five quick questions with Rob Schremp:

Richard: How do you enjoy playing for Kelly Buchberger as a head coach?

Rob: This year has been great with Bucky he has given my some freedom to be creative and make offensive plays but still makes sure that I am good in my own end.

Richard: What part of your game would you say needs the most work right now?

Rob: I’d say probably my speed needs to improve, as far as my first three strides are concerned.

Richard: How have you enjoying running the powerplay in Springfield?

Rob: The power play has been something that I have been known for ever since I played for Dale Hunter in London. So running the powerplay in Springfield is something that is expected of me and is a big part of my game.

Richard: Would you say it has helped the team to have all of the Oilers’ prospects playing on one team in the AHL this season, as opposed to having players play on multiple teams last season?

Rob: I think it benefits our team just because it gives us a chance to develop some chemistry with one other and maybe form some future line combinations.

Richard: Lastly, who has been the best player you have come up against in the AHL this season and why?

Rob: I would say that has to be Gabe Gauthier from Manchester. He always makes plays with the puck and he is always a good option for his linemates.

.

Here is my transcript with Scott Morrison:

Richard: Thanks for agreeing to the interview Scott. The first question I wanted to ask was how did you come up with the idea for this book?

Scott: Well, the book came about when we were brainstorming in the office one day, trying to come up with different concepts and different things we could do, and Ron MacLean had mentioned being on a radio show and some people had been talking about numbers. So we thought, hey, it might be a neat thing to do our own version. So the original thought was maybe to do ten or twenty numbers and pick the more hotly contested ones and then ultimately we said, well, if we are going to do it, might as well do them all and we’d assemble a list of every player to wear each number and then present it to our panel to figure out who each one was. I knew at that point, already, some different stories about numbers and I thought it might be interesting to tell the stories behind the stories for each number. So it really kind of came about through innocently kicking around the idea.

Richard: Regarding the book, I wanted to ask you whose number was the most difficult to decide/most interesting to debate?

Scott: I mean, there were a lot, when you get to the goalies who wore # 1 and #30, there were some battles there. Also, #16 was interesting and #19 was extremely interesting. I think that #7, #9 and #19 strike me as probably being the more interesting ones, and the most closely contested, other than the goalies.

Richard: All of those numbers make for great debate. I also wanted to ask you a couple of questions regarding the current goings on of the NHL. First off, do you think there is any chance that both John Ferguson Jr. and Paul Maurice are back in their current jobs for the Leafs come next season?

Scott: Oh, I think there is definitely a possibility one, or both, could be back for next season. If they make the playoffs, and have a little bit of success and are a much more competitive team, and a much more consistent team when they get into the playoffs, then I think there is a very good chance that Ferguson would get an extension. Do they have to win a round for that to happen? I think that depends just on the climate and how the team is performing; if they just sneak in, and then they get beaten, that might not bode well for them. But I think if they build some momentum over the year and they start to become a better team, and they get in to the playoffs, and earn their way in (and don’t get blown out in the 1st round) I could see them both back.

Richard: Over in the Western Conference, have you been surprised at how tame Mike Keenan has been behind the Flames’ bench so far this season?

Scott: Yah, he’s been very patient and he hasn’t done anything too severe; I think that speaks to the new situation, he’s got a lot of veteran players there and he is obviously trying to change the way the team is playing, so he is being patient. How much longer that lasts we don’t know; we may see Iron Mike pop off any day now—especially with the way things have been going lately.

Richard: You are right about them changing their system and that taking time. At least from a fan’s perspective, their change in style (to a more aggressive/offensive style of play) has to be a nice change for fans who were growing tired of watching defensive battles.

Scott: Mike isn’t really a defensive coach by any stretch, in terms of that being the only way they play. I mean, he is very much a believer of having a good offense and being very aggressive to get the puck in the other end and then make things happen. So, a lot of his teams are tough, they are hard to play against, and not just defensive teams by any stretch.

Richard: Still on the Flames, do you worry at all about the increased number of minutes that Keenan has given to his horses like Dion Phaneuf, Jarome Iginla, and Daymond Langkow?

Scott: Not necessarily. Those guys are in great shape and Keenan will find time over the course of the year to make sure they get the proper amount of rest. A lot of that is in practice time more than games, to make sure that they get time for their bodies to recover and heal, and Mike’s very good at that. He has always been a guy who has ridden his top players very hard, and given them a lot of time and responsibility; he knows how to make sure they don’t burn out.

Richard: Moving from an offensive coach, to a more defensive coach, what are your thoughts on the job that Ken Hitchcock has done so far in Columbus?

Scott: He is a terrific coach. He has been exceptional everywhere he’s been and I think it is a little unfair that he just gets the label of being a total defensive coach; at the end of the day, you have to deal with what you’ve got and make it work, and he’s obviously got that team playing a lot better at its own end of the rink and its penalty killing has been outstanding, especially to start the season. They have really tightened up, and it is one of those cases where sometimes a good goalie makes a great coach and I think in this case it is a great coach has helped to make a good goalie. Pascal Leclaire has been very steady, but the play in front of him has been excellent and that’s what Ken’s strengths are. He can put a system in play and if the players buy into it, then it generally works. Also, they are scoring their fair share of goals too; I think they have averaged around three goals per game, which isn’t too bad. At the end of the day, they just needed results there and build some confidence and they’ve been able to do it. It was a tough season for him last year, but a lot of the success was borne from the work Hitchcock did last year.

Richard: I also wanted to ask you your thoughts on the struggling Canucks. Although they may have lost some leverage with their defensive injuries, do you foresee that organization making a move for some added offense prior to Christmas?

Scott: They’ve got problems with the three guys out on the blueline for what looks like an extended period ,so that makes everything a little more difficult; it also changes what your expectations are. The biggest challenge for them is that after their top four players of Sedin, Sedin, Morrison, Naslund, there is just such a severe drop-off after those guys; even their top guys have put up good, but not great, numbers. To be successful, that team has to work so hard every night, and that is tough to do. When you go through one long season and you were rewarded for it, and then you start up another year, it is hard to convince yourself that you’ve got dig down every night and do that all over again. Then you add injuries to it, and it’s pretty difficult. They’ve got to, kind of, weather the storm. Remember, they weren’t very good until Christmas last season and we all know what happened after that.

Richard: That is a perfect segway as I wanted to ask you about a team that was terrific up until Christmas last year and then hit the skids and that is Montreal. Once again, they have had a terrific start to the season; do you foresee them sustaining this success for an entire season unlike last year?

Scott: Well, it looks pretty much like it did last year. It’s was a little misleading their record last year because their special teams were really carrying the day. While you’ve got have ‘em (special teams) to be successful, you have to be good five-on-five because inevitably the powerplay is going to dry up and that is what happened last year, that and some injuries. But their goaltending has been terrific, and the special teams have been there, so it has given them a chance to kind of build elsewhere; but they’ve got to get a guy like Ryder going, although Kovalev has been better this season and that’s helped. They don’t really have that sort of first-line star guy so enjoy it while it lasts because it may not last too much longer.

Richard: Well we can be sure the Habs’ fans are enjoying their success for now. Staying inside that division, to what do you attribute Buffalo’s ongoing offensive struggles?

Scott: I’m not really sure, they seem to be kind of finding their way; I mean they lost two great players in Drury and Briere and, while it is nice to say you’ve got the kids to step up, and they’ve got a lot of talent to fill-in, but they look to be in an adjustment period. I still think they will be fine, it’s just I think the players are being put into different roles and it takes time to adjust to those roles because those were two pretty significant bodies that they lost.

Richard: Before I ask my last question, I wanted to ask you about something you touched on in your blog last week, and that is the Rick Tocchet situation. Overall, do you think the league set a strong precedent for the possibility that another person breaks the rules in the future?

Scott: I think so. I mean, he is going to miss two years and I think that is a pretty severe punishment. Especially for what he did, he didn’t do anything close to, and I’m not saying what he did was right—it was wrong, but he didn’t do anything close to what was advertised in the beginning; so you could argue he was given more than his share of punishment.

Richard: Finally, you have worked prestigious jobs at the Toronto Sun, and Rogers Sportsnet, but I’m wondering what it is like working on Hockey Night in Canada?

Scott: Well it is fun. I mean, it’s a job, but it’s a job you have fun at. The group of people are tremendous from Ron (MacLean) and Don (Cherry), they are all good team players and it is great. You know, it’s still the big show in the big land and it is kind of nice to be a part of something, with all the history and obviously the tradition of it, it is special to be a part of it.

For Illegal Curve, I’m Richard Pollock.

The start of this season has had its ups and downs so far for myself. There are so many mental things that go on at the beginning of the season as far as training camp, and being cut, and trying to get called up. So far, this year has been way better than last year mainly because I was called up to the NHL six games into the season. Additionally, I have really enjoyed the way Bucky (Springfield head coach Kelly Buchberger) has been coaching me as a player. I’ve had a much better start to this season than last and a lot of that progress is a credit to Bucky. He has given me the opportunity to play my game, and allowed for me to make the odd mistake knowing that i will make up for it in the offensive zone.

The toughest part playing in the AHL is just trying to stay focused strictly on playing hockey and not worrying about who is getting called up to the NHL, or when (or even if) you are going to get the call. Being called up to the NHL so early into the season was awesome, but at the same time, it sucked being sent back down two games later. The excitement level is so high when you get called up, and then to get the news a week later that your flight leaves at 11 back to Springfield, that is tough to take, and is something that no player can get used to.

Gregg Drinnan- Overall, I would say it’s a little above average. That being said, there is no above average forward in the league, its mostly talented defensemen. Jordan Eberle is very talented, but he is a year away. I really like Oscar Moller as well, though he has already been drafted. Tyler Ennis is good but small. Grayson Bowman from Spokane is also pretty good. Kyle Beach is an interesting project…actually I take back what I said earlier, Kyle Beach is an above average forward. Zach Hamill said when he was the NHL Scouting Combines the first question most teams asked him was about Kyle Beach. He has offensive skills and the ability to get under a teams skin, plus he puts up penalty minutes. The question is where do you take a guy like that?

KK- Luke Schenn is projected to go fairly high in the 2008 draft. How has his play been thus far and do you anticipate any rise or fall in his ranking?

GD- Assuming Schenn makes the World Junior team, and all accounts say he should, I think his ranking will depend on his play in the tournament. I feel it will only go up based on his performance. He is a big, mobile guy who plays physical and is a good team guy, well liked by the other players, from what I have heard. He does need to work on his first pass.

KK- In your opinion, what current NHL’er is the most accurate comparison for Schenn’s?

GD- Chris Pronger. Not saying he is there yet, but he certainly possesses all the tools and has that kind of upside.

KK- Another Rocket, Tyler Myers, is also expected to be a high draft pick. Can you give us a description of his game and speculate as to where he might end up being taken in the draft?

GD- Myers is basically a clone of Schenn, only a little taller and not quite as heavy. He doesn’t move quite as well as Schenn, but he has a good work ethic and good potential. I could see him going in the mid-first round as well. He needs to work on his lateral movement, but if Schenn goes top 6, Myers will likely be around 15.

KK- Are there any other Kelowna Rockets that you feel could be a solid pick in the draft?

GD- Brandon MacMillan, a left winger, comes to mind. He plays the point on the powerplay along with a 16 year old defenseman. Kelowna might be the only team in the WHL with a 16 and 17 year old manning the points on the 1^st powerplay unit. MacMillan needs to work on his consistency, but he has all the tools to be a good one. He has lots of scouts watching him, so there is likely something there. Tyson Barrie, Len Barrie’s son, is only 16 but is a special player. He is the 16 year old on the powerplay. He is a huge talent, only about 5’8 right now but growing and will likely top out around 5’11, 185 pounds. He is very mobile, very aware with the puck and just a great talent. He will be a big player in the 09 draft.

KK- Oilers’ draft pick Milan Kytnar is skating with the Rockets this year. How do you feel he has adjusted to the WHL?

GD-He is having trouble adjusting, but I think its due to the language barrier. I hear he doesn’t speak much English and is having trouble adjusting off the ice as well. He should turn it around though.

KK- You noted in a recent blog posting that you feel it’s a mistake to leave the Vancouver Giants out of the CHL top ten. Do you believe they will rise up the standings as the season wears on?

GD- Yes. If there are 5 teams better than Vancouver in the whole CHL I would be very surprised. Tyson Sexsmith has established himself as a high caliber goalie and the team itself is very strong, they just come at you in waves, shift after shift. Michael Repik is just a dynamite player too and has an NHL caliber wrist shot right now. He is a good playmaker and blocks shots, the best player on the team.

KK- Of all the drafted WHL’ers, do you feel anyone will exceed their draft position in terms of the NHL career they have?

GD-Mark Santorelli, no question. A real steal. Real smart guy and will be a player in the NHL.

Kyle Kosior-Mr. Vanstone, you have been covering the WHL for over a decade. How would you say this year’s draft crop stacks up against others you have seen?

Rob Vanstone- This year’s draft crop is good — an improvement over last year — but not great. It may be some time before the Ryan Getzlaf draft year is equaled. It is tougher to evaluate skilled players in the WHL because the games are so much more defensive, so that may hurt the elite offensive players. In the OHL and QMJHL, the skilled players have a greater opportunity to exhibit their skills, which may enhance their draft standing.

KK-Colton Teubert is currently projected as the 9th overall pick in the upcoming NHL draft. How has his play been thus far and do you anticipate any rise or fall in his ranking?

RV-To be honest, I haven’t seen Teubert enough this season to give you a credible appraisal of his play. Most Pats games this season have conflicted with high school football, which devours most of my evenings this time of year. I have not heard any concerns about his play and would be shocked if he didn’t ascend much higher than ninth. Is he not the prototype?

KK-Can you assess Teubert’s strengths and weaknesses?

RV-Teubert doesn’t have any glaring weaknesses on or off the ice. He doesn’t post huge offensive totals, but his numbers will improve as he matures. Defensively, he has everything you want, including a long reach. He also has a mean streak, when necessary, and will stand up for his teammates. His maturity immediately impressed the Pats’ brass when they interviewed him before the bantam draft. If you can find a glaring flaw with Teubert, you can probably pick apart Jessica Alba, too.

KK-In your opinion, what current NHL’er is the most accurate comparison for Teubert’s game?

RV-Brent Parker compared Teubert to Chris Pronger for a story I did in The Hockey News last year. Few players are going to ascend to Pronger’s status, but there are similarities.

KK-Another Regina Pat, Jordan Eberle, is setting a torrid pace in the goal scoring department. Can you give us a description of his game and speculate as to where he might end up being taken in the draft?

RV-I could see Eberle creeping into the first round because of his sublime offensive skills. He isn’t always flashy, but he is incredibly smart and poised with the puck. The subtleties in his game are something to behold.

KK-Do you feel that Eberle’s performance thus far has erased his poor showing at the U-18 tournament?

RV-As far as the under-18 tournament, I think that will be overridden by his performance during the season. What have you done for me lately?

KK-Are there any other Regina Pats that you feel could be a solid pick in the draft?

RV-None that come to mind, Kyle. But, again, I haven’t seen enough of the Pats this season to give you an accurate assessment. I might be able to give you a better answer after Saturday!

KK-Could you comment on the other WHL notables, namely Kyle Beach, Luke Schenn and Tyler Ennis?

RV-Kyle Beach is a wild card. You can hit a home run or strike out with him. If he can channel his emotions, he is THE best prospect emanating from the WHL this year. Luke Schenn is a classic, WHL-style defenceman who can play in the NHL for 15 years. As for Tyler Ennis, I love him. He’s the most-watchable player in the league right now.

KK-Give us your dark horse draft candidate.

RV-I’m not sure if Zach Boychuk qualifies as a darkhorse, but some people are going to be dismissive because of his size. Boychuk could very well be effective at a higher level where games are called more tightly. This league is not conducive to the exhibition of his skills, which goes back to the problem I cited at the outset.

Illegal Curve would like to extend its thanks to Rob Vanstone for this interview. We will be following up early next week to see if any other Regina Pats catch Mr. Vanstone’s attention.

For Illegal Curve, I’m Kyle Kosior