Coach Therrien

PK Subban

Brian Gionta

Carey Price

Coach Rolston

Christian Ehrhoff

Thomas Vanek

——————

The Winnipeg Jets, in association with the Credit Union Centre, are pleased to announce they will face the Boston Bruins in a National hockey League preseason game at the Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon, SK on September 27, 2013. This game is the rescheduled match-up from the 2012 exhibition schedule. It will be one of two pre-season games taking place in Saskatoon with the Ottawa Senators facing off against the Calgary Flames on September 16, 2013.

“The Winnipeg Jets look forward to visiting Saskatoon and playing an original six opponent in the Boston Bruins” said Kevin Cheveldayoff General Manager of the Winnipeg Jets. “We hope to have lots of support from Jets fans throughout Saskatchewan and are excited to play in Saskatoon.”

The Saskatoon Blades season ticket holders will have the first opportunity to purchase tickets followed by Mastercard Memorial Cup package holders in a pre-sale where fans can buy an NHL Game Ticket with a Blades ticket prior to the Wednesday, March 27th 10:00am general public on-sale. Ticket prices are $42.50 to $92.50 (plus service charges) and are available through all Ticketmaster outlets, on-line at Ticketmaster.ca, by calling 938-7800 or 1-800-970-7328.

The remainder of the Winnipeg Jets 2013 Preseason schedule will be announced at a later date.

Via Sports Road Trips

Coach Julien

Tuukka Rask

Brad Marchand

Shawn Thornton

Johnny Boychuk

When: Sunday, March 17, 2013

Time: 4:00 p.m. CST

Where: Scotiabank Place, Ottawa, Ontario

Records: Winnipeg Jets (15-11-2 – 3rd in East), Ottawa Senators (14-8-6 – 5th in East)

Television/Radio: TSN-JETS, SNET-E,  TVA/ TSN 1290

The Story: It’s Sunday. It’s St. Patrick’s Day and the Winnipeg Jets are in 3rd place in the Eastern Conference with 20 games left to play in the 2012’13 regular season.

Winnipeg defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-4 in the shootout Saturday night and are now atop the Southeast Division with 32 points, one point ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes, who lost 4-1 to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.

Winnipeg has won five of their last six games and have definitely got a swagger in their step. The Jets have won seven of their last 10 road games and eight of their last 11 games overall. The Jets meet an Ottawa Senators team this afternoon that defeated the Buffalo Sabres 4-3 last night in overtime and is still holding down 5th place in the East.

Expect a low scoring, tight game as the Ottawa Senators play a tight checking style of hockey that relies on quick transitions out of their own zone and stellar goaltending.

Winnipeg must continue to get production from it’s top guns and there is no reason to believe that won’t happen. The number 1 line of Andrew Ladd-Bryan Little-Blake Wheeler continues to be a force on a nightly basis and has turned into an unbelievably reliable line for Jets Head Coach Claude Noel.

There are no line up changes expected for the Winnipeg Jets today which means forward Alexander Burmistrov will be a healthy scratch for the fourth straight game.

This is the third and final meeting of the season between the Senators and Jets this year with the season series tied at one game apiece.

Ondrej Pavelec is expected to get the start in goal for the Winnipeg Jets.

Follow @IllegalCurve on Twitter leading up to today’s game.

Projected Jets line combinations (subject to change before game time):

Goalie:

Ondrej Pavelec

Forwards:

1st: Andrew Ladd- Bryan Little- Blake Wheeler

2nd:  Evander Kane-Nikolai Antropov- Kyle Wellwood

3rd:  James Wright– Olli Jokinen- Antti Miettinen

4th:  Eric Tangradi- Patrice Cormier - Chris Thorburn

Defence:

Ron Hainsey- Zach Bogosian

Dustin Byfuglien- Grant Clitsome

Derek Meech- Mark Stuart

Offensive Leaders:

Ottawa Senators: Kyle Turris (7 goals, 11 assists, 18 points), Sergei Gonchar (1 goal, 14 assists, 15 points), Daniel Alfredsson (6 goals, 9 assists, 15 points)

Winnipeg Jets: Andrew Ladd (14 goals, 14 assists, 28 points), Blake Wheeler (12 goals, 12 assists, 24 points) Evander Kane (11 goals, 9 assists, 20 points).

Injury Report:

Ottawa Senators: Mike Lundin (concussion), Milan Michalek (knee), Craig Anderson (ankle), Jason Spezza (back), Erik Karlsson (achilles), Jared Cowen (hip)

Winnipeg Jets: Tobias Enstrom (shoulder, week to week), Zach Redmond (leg), Anthony Peluso (hand), Jim Slater (upper body)

Who’s Next:  After today’s game, the Jets return home for four straight games: Tuesday, March 19th vs. Boston (7:00 p.m. CST), Thursday, March 21st vs. Washington (7:00 p.m. CST), Friday, March 22nd vs. Washington (6:00 p.m. CST) and Sunday, March 24th against Tampa Bay (7:00 p.m. CST)

Coach Carlyle

James Reimer

Coach Claude Julien

Brad Marchand

Tyler Seguin

Zdeno Chara

Daniel Paille

Jay Pandolfo

James Reimer

Coach Randy Carlyle

Phil Kessel

Tyler Bozak

Matt Frattin

Listen to the post game thoughts from the following:

Coach Paul MacLean

Daniel Alfredsson

Coach MacLean

Ryan Miller

Matt Ellis

Coach Ruff

Tuuka Rask

Josh Hennessy

Patrice Bergeron

Coach Julien

Coach Ron Wilson

Joey Crabb

Jonas Gustavsson

Drew Stafford

Tyler Myers

Ryan Miller

Lindy Ruff

James Reimer

Luke Schenn

Ron Wilson

 Carey Price

Tomas Plekanec

Randy Cunneyworth

Michael Cammalleri – Coach talk a distraction to team?  Type of coach Cunneyworth is?  Asked about first goal scored in MTS Centre.  Keys to tonight.  Importance of first goal.  What is wrong with the Habs?

P.K.Subban – Trying to do too much.  Accountability.  Making mistakes.  Mood in the room.  Coach have authority?  Sticking to game plan.  Pressure on team.  Playing in front of the MTS Centre crowd. 

Travis Moen – Keys to beating the Jets.  Team frustration.  Importance of win.  Impact of loss to Hawks.  Team leaders stepping up.  Accountability.  Team focus.  System changes.

Coach Cunneyworth – Welcome to Winnipeg.  Importance of tonight’s game.  Touches on loss to Hawks.  Taking anything from the Home Opener?   Close to having everyone on board?  Players being accountable.  Asked about coaching controversy.  Who he leans on.  Fun of being a head coach.

Tuukka Rask

Shawn Thornton

Rich Peverley

Johnny Boychuk

Tyler Seguin

Coach Claude Julien

Zack Smith

Coach Paul MacLean

Before examining the Leafs’ options for eventual improvement, let’s take a look at the team’s cap situation.

The Leafs will have the following players under contract for 2010/2011 season (numbers courtesy of nhlnumbers.com):

Forwards:

Phil Kessel—$5.4 million ($5.4 million cap hit)

Jason Blake–$3 million ($4.00 million cap hit)              

Niklas Hagman–$3 million ($3.00 million cap hit)

Mikael Grabovski–$2.975 million ($2.9 million cap hit)

Colton Orr–$1.00 million ($1.00 million cap hit)

Jay Rosehill–$0.525 million ($0.512 million cap hit)

Viktor Stalberg–$0.785 million ($0.123 million cap hit)

Defensemen:

Mike Komisarek–$4.625 million ($4.5 million cap hit)

Tomas Kaberle–$4.25 million ($4.25 million cap hit)

Francois Beauchemin–$3.6 million ($3.8 million cap hit)

Jeff Finger–$3.5 million ($3.5 million cap hit)

Luke Schenn–$0.875 million ($2.975 million cap hit)

Carl Gunnarsson–$0.630 million ($0.626 million cap hit)

Buyouts

Darcy Tucker–$1.00 million cap hit

Andrew Raycroft–$0.733 million cap hit

Total Cap Hit

So, for the 2010/11 season, the Leafs are slated to have $37.638 million dollars tied up.  This season, the salary cap is set at $56.8 million, so taking into account the struggling economy and expected dropping of the cap, let’s hypothetically set the salary cap at $55.00 million.

With that in mind, let’s see how the Leafs can turn the ship around for next season.

Keeping Own Free Agents

Before moving onto external options, there are probably a number of restricted free agents and unrestricted free agents that the Leafs will look to bring back to Toronto.

Own UFAs

We should first examine which unrestricted free agents will almost certainly be goners from Toronto either during this season via trade, or over the summer. 

Lee Stempniak: Stempniak may play a responsible game but he is highly overpaid at his current contract of $3.5 million.  With unrestricted free agency upcoming, Stempniak will be lucky to earn over $2.0 million on the open market.  I don’t see the former Blues forward re-signing in Toronto.

Matt Stajan: Matt Stajan is only 25, although it feels like he’s been around for 100 years.  For a while Stajan’s name has been bandied about in trade rumors and it appears that he will be moved prior to this season’s trade deadline—probably for draft picks.

Matt Stajan seems to be on his way out of the GTA. (Picture courtesy of Yahoo!)

Alexei Ponikarovsky:  The big Russian forward is underrated by many, and continues to quietly produce offensively in Toronto.  Last season he was the team’s second leading scorer with 61 points and only received 15:47 minutes of ice-time per game.  I could see the Leafs offering him a $3.00 million deal for the next two or three years, but he may look to play elsewhere. 

Wayne Primeau: If Primeau is brought back to Toronto, it won’t be at his current $1.4 million salary.  Rather, it would probably be at the league minimum.

Jamal Mayers: See Wayne Primeau.

Rickard Wallin: Wallin has found himself in the press box this season and seems like more of a stopgap option than anything.  I don’t expect him to return next season.

Mike Van Ryn: If Van Ryn was not injury prone he would have been a pretty solid defenseman in the NHL for a long time but the right-handed shooting rear-guard just cannot stay healthy.  The Leafs have enough bodies on defense, so this is clearly his last season in Toronto.

Garnet Exelby: Exelby provides the Leafs with toughness but the Leafs aren’t lacking in that regard, so I’d be surprised to see the mammoth defensemen return.

Vesa Toskala: At $4 million per season, Leafs management will be happy to have Toskala off the books.  I’d be surprised if he wasn’t dealt before the trade deadline this season, but if not, I don’t see him returning in the summer anyhow.

Own RFAs

Nikolai Kulemin: Kulemin is only 22 years old and did show some flashes of skill last season.  This season he has found himself in the press box and hasn’t been able to fully establish himself.  Even so, he is young and has potential, so expect him to be back at just around $1.00 million next season.

John Mitchell: John Mitchell is a speedster who has been miscast as a scorer at certain times in Toronto.  The 24 year old worked his way up from the Marlies last season and could be a nice third line center for the Leafs.  This season Mitchell is making $500,000, so a slight pay raise is in order but nothing substantial.

Ian White: White has been the Leafs’ best defenseman this season but when you look at the above defenseman salaries, how is this team going to fit him under the cap?  Well, there are a number of possibilities: 1) Trading of Tomas Kaberle; 2) Buyout/AHL demotion for Jeff Finger (more on this below); 3) Trade White this season.  This will be an interesting situation to monitor, and is also examined more below.

Jonas Gustavsson: The Monster is expected to be the Leafs’ netminder of the future; however, unless he plays amazingly over the final three quarters of the season he will probably want to sign a short-term contract in order to re-estimate his value in a year or two.

Unrestricted Free Agency

There are obviously going to be plenty of UFAs next summer, but here are some names that either have been mentioned or probably will be mentioned as possible Leafs targets (Note: The lack of defensemen on this list is due to the team having much of its salary cap  allocated to defense at this current time):

Ilya Kovalchuk: There was some talk over the weekend that Kovalchuk does not want to play in a market where the media pressure will be intense.  If that is not true, it is certainly possible Kovalchuk could hit the free agent market this summer and hold out for a max-offer from a big time team.  You would have to think the Leafs would be interested, but the Atlanta brass seems fairly confident that the organization has a good shot at re-signing the sniper.

Marc Savard: By all accounts the Bruins are close to re-signing their best playmaker.  Savard is from Southern Ontario but his future seems to be in Boston.

Ray Whitney: Whitney doesn’t seem like a Burke type player but he does provide instant offense and wouldn’t require a long term (Burke doesn’t like long term deals), big-time contract.

Olli Jokinen: Jokinen fits the size model for Burke but he has not been the effective player he was in Florida.  In fact, for the past two seasons he has been very poor offensively—and he isn’t exactly a defensive dynamo.  Leafs fans would grow tired of Jokinen quickly.

Rene Bourque: Now here is a player that would be an asset to the Leafs, but does anyone think the Flames will let him get away?  He has arguably been Calgary’s best forward this season and only seems to be flourishing under Brent Sutter.  So, expect Darryl Sutter to do what he can to get a deal done prior to July 1.

Raffi Torres:  Now this would make total sense for the Leafs.  Torres is an Ontario boy, but cannot squeeze top-six duty in Columbus.  He has size, is tough and when he has confidence he can be a good scorer.  Torres could play a bigger role in Toronto and seems to be the perfect type of fit for the Buds.

Raffi Torres could be a good fit for the Maple Leafs. (Picture courtesy of Yahoo!)

Alexander Frolov: Frolov is actually a good two-way player with a high skill level but there may not be a worse fit for a Brian Burke team than a player of his caliber who lacks intensity from time to time.

Tomas Plekanec: Plekanec has had a very good start to the season in Montreal and is probably the team’s best playmaker along with Scott Gomez.  Considering the Habs’ need for top-end talent, expect the Habs to put the full press on to re-sign the Czech center.

Chris Higgins: Higgins is a NY native but has had a difficult time getting accustomed to Broadway.  The former Hab winger/center is a big boy and goes to the net—both traits Burke likes.  If he cannot seem to find his way in New York, he could be a target.

Matthew Lombardi:  Lombardi would make some sense for Toronto, as he is only 27 and skates like the wind.  He could provide the Leafs with more skill up the middle and possibly replace the production of an outgoing player like Matt Stajan. 

Matt Cooke: Cooke played for Brian Burke in Vancouver and is just the type of high energy, gritty player that Burke likes on his team.  Unfortunately for Toronto, Cooke seems to have found a home in Pittsburgh and will probably opt to stay in Steeltown.

Patrick Marleau: If Ron Wilson is around, don’t expect Marleau to show up anywhere near Toronto, as they were not exactly best of friends in the Bay Area.

Brendan Morrison:  Another player with Burke history, Morrison is having a bounce back season in Washington, partly due to the team’s style of play and offensive talent level, but he is generally healthy and could be a nice offensive weapon on the relatively cheap.

Restricted Free Agency

Any talk about possible significant offer sheets being tendered by the Maple Leafs should be put to rest.  The Leafs do not own either of their two first picks over the next two seasons which precludes the team from tendering any kind of offer sheet to another team’s top restricted free agent. 

Trades

When trade talk is brought up around Leafland, the name that always surfaces is Tomas Kaberle.  Kaberle, while certainly not the greatest defensive defenseman, is a tremendous puck distributor and easily the Leafs’ best offensive rearguard.  For all the talk about him being on his way out of town, Brian Burke has recently said he won’t ask him to waive his no-trade clause.

Next on the trade talk list is generally Matt Stajan.  Stajan, unlike Kaberle, seems poised to be headed elsewhere this season.  If the Leafs can add draft picks for the young centerman, look for the team to jump at that opportunity.

Aside from Ian White, no other Leafs player seems to carry much value on the trade market.  White, as touched on above, has been the Leafs’ best blueliner.  Does the team really want to trade its best defenseman? Or will Burke find room for the Manitoba native?  He will certainly generate interest, but with Schenn struggling, and White adding a nice offensive element to the blue line, he may re-sign with the club instead of being dealt.

Sending Players to the AHL, buyouts and waivers

The Leafs have two prime candidates for this category.  The first candidate for being sent down to the minors is Jeff Finger.  Finger has certainly not lived up to the massive contract he signed seemingly out of nowhere two summers ago and the team could opt to send him to the Marlies.  If the Leafs were to do this, Finger would come off the salary hit but MLSE would still have to pay his salary in full.  If the Leafs did do this and were to attempt to bring him back up to the big club, then Toronto would be on the hook for half the remainder of his deal (if he was claimed by another team).  If Burke does opt to send Finger to the minors, do not expect him to bring the big defenseman back up to the big club soon thereafter.

If the Leafs want to clear cap space, Jeff Finger is a prime candidate for a demotion. (Picture courtesy of Yahoo!)

The top candidate for a buyout would be former UND Sioux forward Jason Blake.  Blake was signed by Burke’s predecessor John Ferguson Jr. and still has $3.00 million on his contract (dollar wise) for next season and the season after that.  Blake was productive offensively last season and actually hasn’t been that bad this season but he is a veteran player and tends to hold onto the puck too long and look for his shot first and foremost.   If the Leafs were to buyout Blake’s deal, the team would be on the hook for two-thirds of the contract spread out over a four year term ($900,000 per season against the cap).

The Leafs also have the option of waiving the above contracts, however, Finger would assuredly go unclaimed.  It is possible, but unlikely, that some team would claim Blake.

Own Prospects

We have already included Viktor Stalberg above, so here are the other Leafs prospects that may crack the team’s lineup either later this season but almost assuredly (at least in the first three cases) next season.

Tyler Bozak: Bozak was arguably the most-coveted college free agent available last summer and Leafs apparently hit the jackpot with that signing.  So far this season in the AHL, Bozak has dealt with the flu but is back in the lineup now and has posted nine points in sixteen regular season contests.  His talent level is high and he will almost certainly start next season in Toronto.

Christian Hanson:  Hanson isn’t said to have as much offensive talent as Bozak but his performance in the AHL this season should give the Leafs brass confidence.  Thus far, Hanson is playing at a point-per-game rate, is a plus player and leads the team in goals with eight.  Like Bozak, expect Hanson to become a regular in Toronto sooner rather than later.  In fact, he was just called up to replace the injured John Mitchell.

Jiri Tlusty:  When he isn’t posing in naked pictures, Tlusty can actually play a little bit.  With maybe more sheer talent than the players listed above, Tlusty cannot seem to put it together at the NHL level.  The competitive flow of the NHL game has not suited Tlusty well but he is still posting solid offensive totals in the AHL and will most likely get another chance to prove his worth.

Nazem Kadri: Kadri impressed all at Leafs training camp and was very good in the exhibition season too.  Having said that, the youngster hasn’t posted mind-blowing totals in London of the OHL this season (24 points in 21 games) and his offensive game seems to be suffering with the loss of the likes of John Tavares to the NHL.  If he is ready next fall, he will make the club, but don’t expect Toronto’s management to rush him. 

Draft

This is the thorn in the side of Toronto fans.  If the team finishes in the lottery this season, Brian Burke may never hear the end of his trade for Phil Kessel.  That is because the Leafs do not possess a first round pick in the 2010 Entry Draft as a result of the deal that brought  the young sniper Kessel to Toronto.

The Leafs re-acquired the team’s second round pick for 2010 but are without the aforementioned first round pick and are also without the team’s fourth round pick in 2010 as a result of the Bryan McCabe for Mike Van Ryn trade.

The Leafs are also without the team’s first round pick in 2011 and the team’s third round pick in 2011.

Conclusion

What does this all mean?  Well, aside from trades, the Leafs do not exactly have many avenues to improve their team.  In free agency, it does not appear that any superstars will hit the free agent market (and if they do hit they do not appear likely to land in Toronto). 

Additionally, being without their next two first draft picks will not allow for the Leafs to use the prospect of an offer sheet as a motivating factor in working a trade.

Combine that with the team’s lack of significant draft picks for the next two seasons and the Leafs will have to build from within and augment that talent through trade and mid-level free agent deals.

Prior to next season, the Leafs already have $37.638 million locked up as the team’s salary cap hit.  If the team re-signs its four fairly talented RFAs listed above (Kulemin, Mitchell, White and Gustavasson), that would account for approximately $5.00 million more on the cap. 

This would leave Toronto with a cap hit of $42.638 million accounting for nine forwards, seven defensemen and one goaltender.  If we estimate the salary cap to slot in at about $55 million, the Leafs would still have a fair bit of room to manoeuvre via free agency or trade.  Of course if the team wanted even more room, it could buyout/waive/send down to the AHL players like Jeff Finger or Jason Blake—as touched on above.

Looking at forwards such as Raffi Torres and Matthew Lombardi, along with bringing up prospects like Bozak and Hanson could give the Leafs nice depth throughout the lineup.  As well, the team will almost certainly look to add a veteran backup to complement Jonas Gustavsson between the pipes.

All in all, the Leafs are not as bad as people think this season and there is room to improve over the next few seasons.  Unfortunately, it seems less and less likely that the Leafs will improve via big free agent splash.  Instead, this team looks like it will be built from the inside out with some Brian Burke type younger free agents added in to create depth, competition and added offense and leadership to this club.

So while some may have already written the Leafs off as a potential playoff team, or already exiled them to an embarrassing last-place finish, the basic math of the NHL points system says neither is the case at all. In fact, improving just slightly on the pace of the past week in which five road games netted five points would see the Leafs improve on last season’s 81-point output.

Let’s put it another way.  The Leafs currently sit with a record of 1-7-4 which has earned them a total of six points in the standings.  Last season, it took 93 points to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference.  So, while Damien points that the Leafs need to play slightly better than a point-per-game hockey in the standings from here on out, that isn’t true based on last season.  The Leafs have 70 games remaining, so even if the team recorded 85 points in the remaining 70 games, the Leafs would still sit with 91 points in the standings–two back of what it took to make the Eastern Conference playoffs last season.  Leafs fans shouldn’t fool themselves, this stretch of play has almost certainly cost this team a chance at a playoff spot.  To accumulate 87 points from here on out (or 93 points total), the Leafs would have to finish 44-26.  Obviously overtime losses will play a factor there, but does anyone in their right mind think the Leafs can play .630 hockey from today until the end of the season?  I’d bet the answer is  resounding no.

Here is an excerpt:

Brian Burke is a shrewd general manager and surely would not part with two significant assets (the two first round picks) if he thought that even one selection would be in the top ten of the next two NHL entry drafts.  With five of the team’s first seven games at the Air Canada Centre and momentum from a successful pre-season (six wins in nine games), a fast start was almost expected from Leafs Nation.  Well, the opposite has happened.  In fact, the Leafs have not won a game yet this season (0-6-1) and have been outscored by a whopping 18 goals (14 goals for, 32 goals against) in the team’s first seven games.

Read the entire article here.

The Montreal Canadiens’ 4-3 overtime victory against hated rival Toronto on opening night has come at a very steep cost.

Star defenceman Andrei Markov, broadly considered the team’s best player, reportedly spent the night in a Toronto-area hospital where he was operated for a sliced tendon in his left leg.

According to RDS and several press reports in Montreal, he will sit out two to four months – the team has yet to publicly confirm the prognosis.

Read the entire report here.

Wow.  This is horrible news for Habs fans, as Markov is unquestionably the team’s number one defenseman.  His puck moving ability is his biggest strength, along with his skating and he will be missed sorely on the power play.  With this loss, Jaroslav Spacek and Josh Gorges will be relied on more heavily and will need to pick up the slack.  But any way you slice it (no pun intended) the Habs lost their best defenseman for half the season.

The question now is:  Will the Leafs be a much improved team on the ice?

Forwards

If there is one weakness on the 2009/10 Maple Leafs it is a lack of offense.  Sure the team posted the tenth most goals-per-game in the National Hockey League last season, but even team GM Brian Burke has admitted there is a lack of top-six talent on the roster.

Burke attempted to address this issue just recently by trading two first round picks and a second rounder to division-rival Boston for Phil Kessel.  Kessel is a terrific skater who possesses great hands and great vision.  Once he was added to the Leafs roster, he immediately became the team’s most reliable scorer.  Unfortunately for Leafs fans, Kessel is not slated to return before early November, so we’ll have to wait to see how the former Golden Gopher fares without Marc Savard feeding him passes.

The Leafs’ next best offensive forward may very well be Mikhail Grabovski.  The rookie forward scored 20 goals and added 28 assists in 78 games last season.  He is a good skater, has soft hands and has a real fire to his game.  In fact, that last element of his game has caused both Brian Burke and Ron Wilson to grow fond of Grabovski and the 25 year old former Hab should be able to improve on those numbers this season.

Last season, the Leafs were led offensively by Jason Blake.  The former UND Fighting Sioux forward tallied 25 goals and 63 points last season in 78 games.  Blake played just over 18:00 minutes per game in 2008/09 and was a respectable -2 in +/- rating on a team that had a lot of significant minus players.  The speedy winger has pretty good hands but is not exactly known for his passing skills and with a $4 million per season cap hit, if Burke can dish off Blake prior to the trade deadline, it would be difficult to believe that he wouldn’t jump at the opportunity.

The problem with the Maple Leafs is that the team has many of the same-type forward.  In Lee Stempniak, the Leafs have a 26 year old forward that has offensive skill but has never topped 53 points in a season.  At $3.5 million this season, it is fair to say Stempniak is overpaid; although that is not an indictment of the winger’s motor, as he makes up for his lack of size with a strong work ethic.  Rather, Stempniak simply does not have the hands necessary to score 30+ goals in a season.

Alexei Ponikarovsky had a respectable 61 point season in 2008/09.  Most impressive about Ponikarovsky’s totals was that he tallied 48 of those points at even strength.  He may not be the fastest, but he has started to use his size (6″4, 220 pounds) to his advantage when controlling the puck and is a UFA after this upcoming season.  Considering Ponikarovsky only played 15:47 minutes per game last season, with some extra ice-time, Ponikarovsky could quietly enter the 70 point range.

Niklas Hagman is admittedly one of my favorite Maple Leafs.  Hagman works hard and plays the game the right way.  He sets a good example for the team’s younger players and can contribute at even strength.  Hagman is able to play on the power play and penalty kill and would be an ideal third line winger if the team had more offensive talent up front.

Niklas Hagman brings a nice leadership element to the Maple Leafs' forward corps. (Picture courtesy of cp24.com)

In Matt Stajan, the Leafs have a player that some fans think highly of, while others are skeptical.  Regardless of your opinion on Stajan, the 25 year old pending UFA had his best offensive season in 2008/09.  Some people wrongly attribute that increase in point production to Stajan’s ice-time, even though he played more per game in 2007/08 than he did in 2008/09.  While his power play time per game was up a little bit over 30 seconds per contest, entering a contract year, should we be surprised to see Stajan at least put up similar totals this season?  I really don’t think so.

Along with Stajan, the Leafs have John Mitchell, a player known for his speed.  The 24 year old paid his dues for three seasons in the AHL and worked his way up to the NHL level.  In 2008/09, his first full NHL  season, Mitchell played just under 14:00 minutes per game, and posted a total of 29 points.  Mitchell’s speed causes trouble for opposing defensemen, especially on the forecheck and he should see a little bit more ice-time in 2009/10.  If he can move up to around the 18-20 goal mark, the Leafs will be awfully happy.

Most people did not know who Viktor Stalberg was prior to training camp.  The big (6″3) Swedish winger played in the NCAA last season and posted respectable totals of 23 points in 39 games.  So while the 23 year old clearly has offensive skills, a great skating ability and a good work ethic, as demonstrated this pre-season, he will still need some time to develop.

Along with Stalberg is the more well-known Tyler Bozak.  Last season, a signing war took place over the 23 year old Saskatchewan native who posted impressive totals in one and a half season with the University of Denver.  Bozak is solid (6″1, 180 pounds) and has terrific skills, evidenced by his 23 points in 19 games in the WCHA last season.  He has good puck awareness, good hands and is wise beyond his years.  Bozak could contend for the Calder Trophy this season.

In Rickard Wallin, the Leafs brought over the former Minnesota Wild center who is known as a responsible two-way player with limited offensive upside.  The downside of signing Wallin was minimal, as he costs only $800,000, so the Leafs could do worse.

In terms of depth forwards, the Leafs boast rugged center Wayne Primeau, pugilist Coltor Orr and and dressing room leader Jamal Mayers.

The Leafs are improved up front, but they still have a ways to go.

Defense

As solid as the Leafs were offensively last season, the team was just awful defensively.  The Buds allowed a terrible 3.49 goal against per contest which placed them last in the entire league.  As a result, Brian Burke set out to change the team’s back-end and successfully did just that.

Burke’s first significant addition to the team’s back-end was the signing of former Habs defenseman Mike Komisarek to a five-year deal for a $4.5 million cap hit per season.  While I have my reservations in terms of that pricetag for a fairly limited defenseman when it comes to offense, there is no doubt Komisarek brings the exact type of attitude and style of play that Burke covets.  Last season, Komisarek only played in 66 games and still led the Habs in hits with 191.  Moreover, he led the team in blocked shots with 207.  Additionally, the American logged over 20:00 minutes per contest and led the team in penalty killing minutes per game with 3:24.  So, the Leafs have added a classic defensive defenseman to the fold.

The next significant defensive move Burke made was to sign the underated Francois Beauchemin.  Burke is very familiar with Beauchemin having acquired him from Columbus as part of the Sergei Fedorov trade when he was GM of the Ducks.  Beauchemin brings some quality attributes to the table; namely, he is a great skater, good puck mover, can quarterback the power play and plays a physical game.  While he missed almost the entire 2008/09 regular season due to injury, Beauchemin logged just under 25:00 minutes per game in the 20 games he played, and played  significant minutes on both the power play and penalty kill.  His invitation to the Canadian Olympic orientation camp should solidfy any doubts you have about the unheralded rearguard.

Joining Komisarek and Beauchemin in the team’s top four is Tomas Kaberle.  Yes, Kaberle is still a Maple Leaf even with all the trade rumors involving his name all summer long.  Rumors aside, Kaberle brings a much-needed offensive element to the team’s back-end.  Kaberle isn’t physical and loses battles in his own zone (if he engages) but he makes one of the best outlet passes in the NHL, is one of the best passers in the game and has great vision.  He may not fit the Brian Burke prototype, but the GM was smart to not trade him for anything lower than full value.  With two years remaining on his reasonable $4.25 million contract per season, it will be interesting to see where Kaberle finishes the season.

Filling out the team’s top four is youngster Luke Schenn.  The 18 year old led the Leafs in hits last season with 206 and finished third on the team in blocked shots with 119.  Schenn is on his way to becoming the long-time captain of this team and surpassed any expectations the organization had for him in 2008/09.  Having logged 21:32 minutes of ice time last season, Schenn should be probably slot in around that total again this season–especially considering the two key additions mentioned above.

Luke Schenn will be a fixture on the Toronto blueline for sometime. (Picture courtsy of yahoo.com)

The Leafs’ final two defense spots will be comprised of the offensively gifted Ian White, overpaid Jeff Finger, injury-prone Mike Van Ryn and rough and tough Garnet Exelby.  So, it is safe to say this team is much improved on defense as compared to last season.

Goaltending

Even with Brian Burke’s vote of confidence for Vesa Toskala, it is clear to most onlookers that Toskala is merely warming the net for soon-to-be starter Jonas Gustavsson. 

Last season, Toskala posted a horrible .891 save percentage (44th in the NHL) and a 3.26 G.A.A (45th in the NHL).  The diminutive Finnish netminder has become a whipping boy for Leafs fans and doesn’t help himself with a tendency to allow clearly weak goals.  Sure his defense last season was horrible but a save percentage that low leaves less reason for optimism.

Jonas Gustavsson could be the Leafs' best netminder since Eddie Belfour. (Picture courtesy of yahoo.com)

On the other hand, the Leafs signed Jonas “The Monster” Gustavsson this off-season and expectations are sky high for the Swedish youngster.  Gustavsson posted a .932 save percentage in Sweden last season for Farjestad of the Swedish Elite League and has looked good in limited time this season.  Gustavsson is big (6″3), quick and athletic and I’d be surprised if he was not the Leafs’ starting netminder by game 50 of the 2009/10 season.

Prediction

Ceiling: The Leafs vastly improve their goals against, improve immensely on the penalty kill and score enough to win  a lot of one-goal games.  2nd in the Northeast Division; 6th in the Eastern Conference.

Floor: The Leafs struggle to score, Toskala struggles again and Gustavsson needs a while to develop and the team struggles to live up to playoff expectations placed upon them by Burke.  5th in the Northeast Division and 13th in the Eastern Conference.

With the Heatley trade now squarely behind the franchise, let’s take a look at how the Senators might fare in 2009/10.

Forwards

It seems like the Senators have forever been chasing after secondary scoring since the departure of Martin Havlat.  Well, with the acquisition of Jonathan Cheechoo, Milan Michalek and signing of Alexei Kovalev, that should no longer be as much of an issue.  That said, without production from its two top offensive players, Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson, the Senators will likely be watching the playoffs from their respective couches.

In Spezza, the Senators have arguably one of the most gifted passers in the game today.  Over the past four seasons, Spezza has posted assists at a rate of 0.76 per game.  That is an impressive number and says a lot about the forward’s tremendous vision on the ice.  Sure his skating holds him back some (although it is not as bad as some say) but he makes up for it with strong positioning and his tremendous shot.  Averaging 19 minutes 41 seconds of ice-time per game last season, the Senators can stand to see Spezza increase his minutes over the 20:00 minute mark.

Along with Spezza, the Senators boast heart and soul leader Daniel Alfredsson.  For all the games I have seen Alfredsson play, I still contest that I gained the most respect for him in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final against Anaheim.  He was simply doing as much as he could to will his team to a Game 6.  While it didn’t happen that night, Alfredsson demonstrated his desire to win that I did not think was matched by anyone else on the team.  His age (36) says that he should be slowing down, but his play on the ice says otherwise.  Alfredsson is a very good all-around player; he logs significant time on the penalty kill (2:23 minutes per game), power play (4:07 minutes per game) and at even strength (14:22 minutes per game).  Additionally, his ability to man the point on the power play with his terrific slap shot and great passing skills make him the team’s jack of all trades.

Joining the Senators this season is the much talked about Alexei Kovalev.  We all know that Kovalev is one of the best practice players out there (Gord Miller tells us this every season) but Kovalev also is what he is–a player with immense talent that does not always bring his “A” game every night.  Going by his past four on-and-off seasons, Kovalev is due for a rebound year in 2009/10.  Considering his immense skill–he has arguably the best shot in the NHL and is a tremendous stick handler–and the team’s capable power play linemates, Kovalev could see a big year on the man-advantage and see his points jump back around his 2007/08 numbers as a result.

The key to the Dany Heatley trade for Ottawa was Milan Michalek.  The team has been looking for a player like Michalek for some time now, as he is big, strong, can skate and is not afraid to mix it up.  In fact, considering the above mentioned three players, Michalek is a perfect complement to the team’s top six.  His age (24) and excitement about being in Ottawa is a refreshing change and he should excel playing with linemates like Jason Spezza and Alexei Kovalev.

Milan Michalek is the type of player the Senators have coveted for some time. (Picture courtesy of yahoo.com)

Also acquired in the Heatley deal was Jonathan Cheechoo.  The Moose Factory, Ontario product, as everyone knows, was once a 56 goal scorer.  However, he won’t be expected to produce at anything close to that clip in Ottawa.  The Senators understand Cheechoo’s limitations, he is not the greatest skater and lacks size, but will put him in a position to hopefully contribute around 25 goals.  What Cheechoo lacks in straight skill, he makes up for in work ethic and with his powerful shot and quick release.  Given ample time on the power play, Cheechoo should be able to, at least, score 20 goals next season.

With the above mentioned players mainly focused on scoring, Mike Fisher becomes all that more important in Kanata.  While the 29 year old receives some flack over his production when taking into account his$4.2 million cap hit, he still brings a lot of valuable traits to the table.  He was the Senators most physical player last season (led the team with 211 hits), wins face-offs at over a 50% clip (51.2% last season) and was second amongst the team’s forwards in blocked shots (54).  Combine that with his ability to score over 20 goals (prior to last season he had three straight 20+ goal seasons) and the Senators are banking on a rebound season from the Peterborough native.

If the Senators are to take a step in the right direction this season, the play of Nick Foligno will play a vital role.  Nick Foligno brings a strong work ethic to the table and seems to really be finding his NHL game.  The 2006 first round draft pick played in 81 games last year and totaled a rather impressive 17 goals.  Considering he only played 13:40 minutes per contest, Foligno should see his totals rise this year with more responsibility.  Additionally, his desire to play a physical game (97 hits) is a welcome sight for many fans.

The play of some of the team’s younger players is admittedly key, but Ottawa fans are hoping that they will see a rebound season from Chris Kelly.  The 28 year old Toronto native disappointed last season while making a fairly significant $2.5 million.  Counted on in the face-off department the year before, Kelly dropped down to a paltry 47.4 face-off winning percentage in 2008/09.  Moreover, his scoring totals decreased to 23 points from 38 and his checking abilities seemed to fall by the wayside, as he was a -10 in terms of +/-.  GM Bryan Murray has already let it be known the same type of play won’t cut it this season. 

After his much rumored departure, Chris Neil ended up staying with the Senators and signing a four-year deal, with a cap hit of $2.0 million per season.  The rugged winger is still counted on to defend teammates and let it be known that the Senators can be a difficult team to play against.  After all he has done for the Senators over the years, there is a reason he is a fan favorite in the Nation’s Capital.  Last season he led the Senators with 146 penalty minutes,  although he did a good job of cutting down his minor penalties from the previous year.

Joining Neil as a player who is difficult/annoying to play against, is Jarkko Ruutu.  The Finnish winger specializes in aggravating opposing players.  Ruutu is already 33 years old, so his game is not going to change at this point.  As long as he is getting into players’ faces and causing trouble, Bryan Murray has to be happy because that is what he signed him to do.

Will Ruttu continue to annoy the opposing teams forwards? (Phillip MacCallum/Getty Images)

Joining Foligno as one of the team’s important youngsters is Jesse Winchester.  Winchester, expected to be out of action for three weeks with a knee injury, brings good energy to the table.  He is physical (116 hits) and made the most of his 10:35 minutes of ice-time per game last season. 

A couple players that non-Ottawa fans may not know much about are Peter Regin and Zack Smith.  Both players have acquitted themselves well in training camp and may challenge for spots up front.  Regin is only 23 and transitioned well to the AHL last season.  Combine his 47 AHL points in 56 games with his performance this training camp and you can see why Cory Clouston is giving the responsible two-way center every chance to make the club (possibly as a winger).

In Smith, the Senators have a 21 year old forward who is not afraid of the rough stuff.  He compiled 132 penalty minutes in the AHL last season in 79 games and added in 24 goals and 24 assists for good measure.  Even if he does not make the Senators out of training camp, I’d be surprised if he did not see some time up with the club throughout the season.

Finally, the Senators have Ryan Shannon, a player that impressed many with his performance at the World Championships in 2009.  What’s more is that the diminutive player added in 20 points in only 35 games with the Senators after being acquired from the Canucks last season.  People forget that Shannon is only 26 years old, so he still has the potential to improve some over the next year or two–if given the opportunity.

Defensemen

Last season, the Senators most-relied on defenseman was Filip Kuba.  Kuba does not get much press, but he is very sound at almost every aspect of the game.  He logged 23:16 minutes per game last season, and can contribute on both the power play and penalty kill.  He is not the best skater or the most physical player, but he has good size and positions himself quite well.  There is a reason the Senators signed him to a three-year deal, at $3.7 million per season as a cap hit.  The 32 year old Czech defenseman is not a protypical top line defenseman, but he does his job quite well.

Joining the veteran Kuba on defense is the ever-dependable Chris Phillips.  The Alberta native is one of the more understated players in the game today.  He is the consummate team player who is willing to hit (114 hits last season), block shots (114 last season) and sacrifice his body to win.  He is not the fastest skater, nor does he possess much offensive upside, but he is the type of player that every team needs to win.

Chris Phillips faces Alex Ovechkin. (Photo: Allen Clark/Off Wing Photo.com)

Phillips’s long-time partner on defense has been Anton Volchenkov.  The 27 year old Russian defenseman is entering a contract season and will be a UFA after 2009/10.  Considering his age and solid play, the Senators may want to lock him up quick.  Volchenkov led the team in blocked shots last season (180) and hits (182).  Moreover, he hits as hard as anyone in the National Hockey League and makes forwards skate with their heads up at all times.  He does not bring much to the table offensively, and did struggle at times defensively last season, but the team as a whole struggled and Volchenkov has proven himself to be above that poor play.

With Phillips and Volchenkov taking care of the physical part of the game, the smaller Chris Campoli will be counted on to add offense to the team’s back-end.  Acquired as the centerpiece of the Mike Comrie deal last season, Campoli skates really well and can move the puck quickly out of his own zone.  In his limited time on the Ottawa power play last season, Campoli looked comfortable quarterbacking from the blue line and should help the team’s transition troubles from last season.  He could stand to improve in his own zone and does tend to get muscled off of pucks, but overall he should add a nice offensive element to the team’s blue line.

The Senators’ final two defense spots should be interesting.  Brian Lee carries some offensive prowess but lacks in the physical play department and makes questionable defensive decisions.  As well, his ability to quarterback the power play should be better considering his skill level. 

Can Brian Lee step up at this level?

Lee will be battling it out for ice-time with the likes of Alex Picard.  Picard, acquired from Tampa Bay in the Andrej Meszaros trade, has some offensive upside but lacks consistency and brings many of the same traits to the table as Lee does.

Along with Lee and Picard, the Senators boast tremendously talented youngster Erik Karlsson.  The Swedish rearguard is a tremendous skater and moves the puck beautifully.  He possesses all the talent to become a top NHL rearguard and may come quicker than some anticipated.

Finally, the Senators have been very impressed with the play of 28 year old Matt Carkner.  He has been a career AHL defenseman but brings a great willingness to compete in all aspects of the game and is a big body.  If the Senators are not content with the performance of some of the aforementioned defensemen, do not be surprised to see Carkner steal some ice-time.

Goaltenders:

Two of the three goalies who played for the Sens last season are gone (Auld to Dallas, Gerber to Toronto/KHL’s Atlant Moscow) with Brian Elliott, who split his time between Binghamton of the AHL and the parent club, remaining.  His role is to back-up the now healthy Pascal Leclaire who the Sens picked up from Columbus last season for Antoine Vermette. 

Leclaire is an engima wrapped in a riddle as he has the potential to be a strong number 1 goaltender for the Senators this season but this is totally contingent on his staying healthy.  All indications are that he spent the summer rehabing (after missing the final 48 games of last season with an ankle injury) and Ottawa hasn’t rushed his return.  Although it appears that this is about to change as Coach Clouston told the Ottawa Citizen about Leclaire’s playing time;

The only way he can kind of get the rust out, get himself feeling good, get himself back in game shape, is to play and play lots.

Ceiling: The Senators improve their even strength scoring, get improved play from their defense and Pascal Leclaire plays at least 55 games.  2nd in Northeast Division and 6th in the Eastern Conference.

Floor: The team’s defense continues to struggle getting the puck up to the team’s forwards, chemistry becomes an issue up front with three scoring newcomers and injury trouble hits in between the pipes.  5th in the Northeast Division and 14th in the Eastern Conference.

Lots of other NHL topics were also discussed.

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We hope you enjoy.

Sincerely,

The IC Team

Change is the common thread running through all facets of the second century of Les Glorieux. This offseason saw many changes to the defence and the scoring lines as well as change behind the bench and in ownership. After wildly exceeding expectations in the 2007-08 NHL season, hopes were high in Montreal that the storied franchise would properly commemorate its centennial celebration with on-ice success in the 2008-09 NHL season. Those hopes were dashed when Les Habitants narrowly clinched the 8th playoff seed in the Eastern Conference, after enduring a campaign filled with on-ice inconsistency and off-ice disrepute. The remedy for the ailing franchise, as prescribed by GM Bob Gainey, was a complete and substantive makeover.

Organization

On June 20, 2009, an agreement in principle was announced between George Gillette Jr., the American businessman who has owned the club since January 2001, and three members of the Molson family for the sale of the club and its arena to the latter. If approved by the NHL, the sale marks a return of the franchise to the Molson family, whose prior involvement with the club stretches back, intermittently, to 1957 and who enjoyed 11 Stanley Cups during their tenure.

In addition, the organization announced hire of a new head coach in Jacques Martin, former coach of the Ottawa Senators and former GM and coach of the Florida Panthers. Martin succeeds Guy Carbonneau and GM Gainey, who respectively coached the Habs in the prior campaign. The experienced Martin comes with a general reputation as a defensive coach and enjoyed considerable regular-season success during his tenure with the Ottawa Senators. Playoff success during his multi-year tenure will be expected in fervent Montreal, particularly given the growing distance between the club’s last Stanley Cup in 1993.

Forwards

GM Gainey declined to sign any of his several unrestricted free agents, which included such offensive talent as long-time captain Saku Koivu, enigmatic Alex Kovalev, Alex Tanguay and Robert Lang. Instead, GM Gainey unlocked the war chest and effectively rewrote the team’s depth chart.

Scott Gomez brings playoff experience to Montreal

Centre Scott Gomez will most certainly bear the greatest scrutiny from the Montreal faithful. He will certainly receive the largest paycheque. Gomez was obtained from the New York Rangers prior to the NHL Draft in a seven-player deal involving Christopher Higgins and a number of defensive prospects. Gomez has a 2009-10 cap hit of $7.35 million.

The Gomez trade was followed by a bevy of signings, two of the most notable and expensive being his potential linemates, Mike Cammalleri and Brian Gionta. The pair each signed five-year contracts with the Canadiens and are owed $6 million and $5 million for the 2009-10 season, respectively. The career of Cammalleri has shown promise, having tallied 80 and 82 points in previous campaigns. Gionta has witnessed a dip in production in recent years and, like Gomez, career-high point totals came in the 2005-06 season, when the pair were linemates. During that season, Gionta tallied 48 goals and 89 points.

Effectively, Gomez, Cammalleri and Gionta, will be called upon to replace Koivu, Kovalev and Tanguay. GM Gainey was explicit in the off-season about the need to get bigger at the forward position and the biggest knock on the acquisitions is their lack of size.

The second line, though largely intact from last season, remains a mystery. Centre Tomas Plekanec is coming off arguably his worst offensive outputs of his career, scoring only 39 points in 81 games as the team’s second line centre. Andrei Kostitsyn is expected to be his left-winger and is also coming off a poor offensive season amidst off-ice issues, having scored only 41 points in 74 games. Competition for the remaining winger spot is open, with Max Pacioretty, Sergei Kostitsyn and Matt D’Agosotini in the running.

The third line may be the team’s most reliable. Centre Maxim Lapierre has developed into an effective checker who works hard and plays a physical game. The acquisition of LW Travis Moen brings a nightly yeoman effort and a Stanley Cup ring. Sprinkle in trimmed-down heavy weight Georges Laraque or hard-hitting Guillaume Latendresse and a bruising third line may offset the Canadiens’ concerns about size.

Defence

Andrei Markov has "Bean" the Habs' most consistent defenseman

Andrei Markov will again lead the defence corps. Markov has a booming shot from the point, which aided his 12 goals and 52 assists last year. With Kovalev gone, Markov is the Canadiens remaining point leader from last season and is one of the few remaining talents from Canadiens teams gone by. The challenge with Markov will be limiting his exposure in the regular season so that he stays fresh for the playoffs, as he has suffered shoulder and knee ailments in the past.

As was the case with the forwards, GM Gainey spent on defence, bringing in Jaroslav Spacek from Buffalo and towering Hal Gill from Pittsburgh. Though getting on in years at 35, Spacek provides a good outlet pass from the defensive zone and is expected to compliment Markov on the power play. While never standing out during stints in Toronto and Boston, the 6’7’ Gill found a niche in Pittsburgh working as a shut-down tandem with Rob Scuderi.

Defenceman Josh Georges showed progress last season and was rewarded with greater ice time, particularly in the playoffs. The remaining six defencemen will be filled by a combination of Ryan O’Byrne, Paul Mara, Roman Hamrlik, and intriguing offensively-minded rookie Yannick Weber.

Goaltending

Will this be the year Carey Price matures?

Carey Price will be expected to improve upon a disappointing season in perhaps the harshest environment for a young goaltender to mature. Following a sparkling rookie season, which drew unfair comparisons to St. Patrick Roy, Price’s 2008-09 campaign culminated in soft goals, allegations of perpetual partying and a Roy-ian wave to the Montreal faithful. Make no mistake; Price is the team’s goaltender of the future. His periodic flashes of brilliance say as much and, with time, consistency will follow. However, a year of progression will likely be needed to buy that time from the Montreal fan base.

Backing up Price is another talented young netminder, Jaroslav Halak. At times when Price has faltered, Halak has stepped in and has more than held the fort. That said, his promise will not keep Halak in that backup role for long and, if Halak is moved by the club in an effort to obtain scoring depth, Curtis Sanford will backup Price.

Prediction

Ceiling – Unless there is a significant drop-off on the part of the Bruins, the Habs have no shot to win the division. Intra-division, they will also be pushed by the maturing Sabres and the presumably physical Maple Leafs. In the most favorable scenario, Montreal will win a lower playoff seed in the Eastern Conference.

Floor – It is entirely possible that the reshaped Canadiens will not gel in time to make a serious playoff push, injuries to aging defensemen will expose both a lack of depth and a young goaltender, or their lack of size up front will disable them from playing within the Conference. If those scenarios happen, look for a very disappointing start to the second Canadiens century as a finish near the bottom of the Eastern Conference could happen.

First off, it was clear last week and is now that the Sharks’ trade of Christian Ehrhoff was made to create cap space for a future deal.  Rumor had it that Heatley was San Jose’s guy and those rumors proved correct.  With Ehrhoff’s salary off the books, San Jose had more financial freedom to make a big trade for the former 50-goal scorer from Ottawa.

Today’s deal can be broken down as follows:

San Jose receives:

Dany Heatley–four years remaining on his contract at a total of a $7.5 million cap hit per season.

Ottawa receives:

Milan Michalek–five years remaining on his contract at a total of $4.3 million cap hit per season.

Jonathan Cheechoo–two years remaining on his contract at a total of $3 million cap hit per season.

Second round pick

Let’s first examine the addition of Heatley to the San Jose roster.  Heatley will almost certainly lineup alongside Joe Thornton to form one of the top offensive duos in the National Hockey League.  Thornton is arguably the best passer in the NHL and prefers to pass at almost every opportunity.  Heatley, in contrast, is a shooter first and foremost.  He has a terrific release and a bullet of a shot–so these two players should complement each other well. 

Last season Heatley posted 39 goals and that was considered a poor season for him.  Most NHLers would kill for a 39 goal total but Heatley has posted 50 goals in two consecutive seasons (2005/06 and 20006/07) and scored 41 times in 71 games in 2007/08.  Needless to say he is one of the top snipers out there.  His addition to the Sharks should give the team a needed (it is hard to say much-needed with their offensive weapons) goal-scorer that has posted point-per-game numbers in the playoffs–where this team will need him most.

Dany Heatley and Joe Thornton will be one scary combination. (Picture courtesy of sportsnet.ca)

With today’s move, the Sharks could very well have assured themselves another first place finish in the Western Conference.  That being said, Sharks fans do not really care about regular season success anymore.  The playoffs are all that matters to Bay Area fans and they must be wondering what this trade does for them in that regard?  Well, as mentioned above, Heatley has posted very respectable offensive totals in the playoffs.  But the question I have is: Will Heatley step up when the games matter most?  Stats are one thing, but anyone who saw Heatley play in the Stanley Cup Final against Anaheim remembers his poor performance in all five games.  Simply, Heatley was virtually invisible when the series was coming away from the Senators, and while a player like Daniel Alfredsson imposed his will on the competition, Heatley was nowhere to be found. 

So, consider me skeptical in terms of whether this move will payoff at crunch time, but it is almost impossible to argue that the move isn’t beneficial to San Jose’s regular season and, maybe even, first round success.

As for Ottawa, GM Bryan Murray was between a rock and a hard place.  Heatley demanded a trade, it became public and then he rejected the trade the Senators made when he was dealt to Edmonton. 

The key to this deal for Ottawa was Michalek–who is a great skater, with good size and pretty good hands.  Michalek skates like the wind and is not afraid of contact.  In fact, he is the type of player Ottawa has been looking for for some time now.  He is only 24 years old, although it feels like he been around for a while.  The last three seasons he has posted 26, 24, and 23 goals respectively and has never been a minus player during any of his four NHL seasons.  The Czech native had 36 even strength points last season (fourth best on the Sharks) and accumulated these totals without playing any significant amount of time with Joe Thornton (the same cannot be said for Marleau/Setoguchi).  There is also a physical element to his game (92 hits last season), which really makes him a solid all-around player.

Milan Michalek is the key to this trade for the Senators. (Picture courtesy of sharkspage.com)

In Cheechoo, the Senators get a player who broke out with a whopping 56 goals in 2005/06 while playing shotgun with Joe Thornton.  That season really did come out of nowhere considering Cheechoo had never even scored 50 goals in the Ontario Hockey League.  In 2006/07 Cheechoo didn’t post 50 goals but he still scored a more than respectable 37.  Unfortunately for Sharks fans, Cheechoo lost his confidence and shooting accuracy and with that he lost ice-time–in the next two seasons, Cheechoo scored 35 goals combined.

So, are the Senators getting a 50 goal scorer or a 12 goal scorer?  I’d say somewhere in between.  Cheechoo needs to gain some confidence back and will probably get a chance to ride shotgun to a player of similar skill level to Joe Thornton in Jason Spezza.  I could see Cheechoo posting a 25 goal season in Ottawa and regaining some of the confidence he lost over his final two seasons in the Bay Area.  All in all, at a $3 million cap hit, Cheechoo is no albatross in terms of finances, so the Senators might as well take a risk on him because of his upside (remember he is only 29).

Can Jonathan Cheechoo regain his old form in Ottawa? (Picture courtesy of espn.com)

Finally, the Senators also received a second round pick in this deal.  If you are looking at the value of a second round pick, I wrote a piece examining draft round value for Puck Prospectus that you can read here.  In today’s day and age of the salary cap, draft picks are important.  Now, I realize this pick will be around number 60 overall but it still carries value, either for Ottawa’s prospect group or in a future trade.

Who won this deal?

You know, it is actually possible for two teams to both be relative winners in a trade and I think that is what happened today.  I don’t think either team hit a homerun today, as I have questions about Heatley’s ability to help a team win the big game, and the Senators still had to trade away a former 50 goal scorer.

That being said, the Sharks added a valuable piece and the Senators received pretty good young value for their disgruntled star. 

I give both GMs a B+ for today’s deal.

On a positive note, the Sabres did have a +16 goal differential which actually placed the team sixth best in the entire Eastern Conference.  Generally, a positive goal differential coupled with a poor record is a sign of bad luck. 

So, are the Sabres on the verge of proving last year’s season was a fluke, or is this team going to miss the playoffs for the third consecutive season?  Let’s take a look.

Forwards:

The Sabres boast an impressive group of forwards.  Not only is the group loaded with skill, but the team’s core scoring forwards are still in the primes of their careers. 

Picture courtesy of Flickr

The Sabres are built around  the core of Derek Roy, Jason Pominville and Thomas Vanek.  In Roy, the Sabres have a multi-talented puck-handler, distributor and scorer.  He logged the most forward minutes on the team last season (21:11 minutes), won face-offs at a just over 50% and posted 70 points.  He played all 82 games and, in this writer’s opinion, is capable of posting a higher point total next season.

In Pominville, the Sabres have a good skating winger, with a terrific shot.  Unfortunately for Buffalo management, Pominville did not play well after signing his big-time contract before the 2008/09 season.  Pominville’s lack of offense last season still resulted in a 66 point season, so all was not lost.  Expect the sniper to rebound next season.

Thomas Vanek is the most talented player on the Sabres–and it isn’t even close.  He is big, strong, a great skater, puck-handler and shooter.  So, he basically has it all.  When he’s motivated and healthy, he is arguably one of the top five snipers in all of hockey.  With 40 goals in 73 games, Vanek could very easily crack 50 goals next season.

After those three, Buffalo still has a cast of a ton of talented players.  Tim Connolly is as skilled as there is when it comes to passing and finding holes, unfortunately he is extremely fragile and cannot be counted to play over 50 games in a season.

Connolly has great talent, and so does energetic winger Drew Stafford.  The former UND Sioux standout can skate, handle and see the ice very well.  He had a disappointing 2008/09 season, but he is capable of far more than his 45 point output.  The problem is getting Stafford signed.  He’s held out up until now but you have to think both sides will comes to their senses.

After those five impressive forwards, the Sabres still have two-way veteran forward Jochen Hecht, Clarke McArthur–a younger player with a good shot and some potential, Daniel Paille and veteran returnee Mike Grier.  Let’s also not forget the versatile and underrated Paul Gaustad. 

So, to say the Sabres have some depth at forward would be an understatement.  Never mind the fact that we still haven’t discussed the team’s two best offensive prospects–Nathan Gerbe and Tim Kennedy.  Some think Gerbe will find success in the NHL first, but both will eventually be stalwarts in Buffalo.

Defense:

While the team’s defense has some promise, it doesn’t possess the depth or top-two defensemen that Sabres fans would like.  That being said, the organization is hoping that youngster Tyler Myers become a rock-solid top-two defenseman for the team for a long time to come.  In fact, the Sabres’ brass is hoping Myers makes the team this season.

Picture courtesy of tsn.ca

Myers aside, the team has defensive stalwarts Craig Rivet (34 years old) and Toni Lydman (31 years old) manning the blue line.  Lydman has been one of the more underrated defensive defenseman in the NHL for sometime.  Last season, he played 21:46 per game and led the team in short-handed ice-time.  Additionally, Lydman led the Sabres defense in both blocked shots (166) and hits (165) last season.  In Rivet, the Sabres have a defenseman who provides a little bit more offensive upside–he makes a solid first pass and can play on the power play, as well as strong leadership skills.  Rivet is the classic intangible defenseman and should feel more comfortable in his second season with Buffalo.

After Lydman and Rivet, the Sabres rely on of Henrik Tallinder, a defenseman with limited offensive talent, but an ability to kill penalties.  As well, Tallinder isn’t the most physical player but he relies on his positioning and size to do the job.  Along with Tallinder, the emerging Andrej Sekera will looked upon to improve on last season’s totals.  While he has offensive skill, his -11 +/- total was the worst on the team in terms of defensemen by -7.

Toss the young and talented Chris Butler, Nathan Paetsch and Steve Mondator and the Sabres may need be as bad on defense as you would think.  Granted, the loss of Jaroslav Spacek will hurt, but if Tyler Myers can come quick, that loss may not be felt past the 2009/10 season.

Goaltending:

The Sabres have nothing to worry about in between the pipes.  Ryan Miller is the man to rely on for the foreseeable future, as he signed a long-term pact last season.  Miller posted a .918 save percentage in 2008/09, a 2.53 G.A.A., and five shutouts.  His save percentage was eighth in the NHL, so if the Sabres cut down on their shots against next season, expect Miller to post more shutouts and lower his G.A.A.

Picture courtesy of hockeydraft.ca

Backing up Miller will be veteran Patrick Lalime.  While he can’t handle the load of being number one, the 35 year old backup is known as a good backup who can fill-in when needed.  Granted, if the Sabres really liked Lalime’s game, they never would have traded for Mikael Tellqvist at the end of last season when Miller went down with injury.

Prediction:

Ceiling:  I’ll admit, I’m high on the Sabres’ talent.  This team has good coaching, as well; so factor in some improvement of the team’s core players and I would not be surprised to see Buffalo finish fifth or sixth in the Eastern Conference.

Floor: If the team takes too many games off, allows too many shots against, and doesn’t get the necessary production from its highest paid players, another season of finishing just out of the playoffs in the ninth, tenth or eleventh spot would be a likely result.

Although, I’m more convinced of the team’s ceiling capability than its floor.

Milan Lucic is only 21

Forwards:

The Boston Bruins were the highest scoring team in the Eastern Conference, averaging 3.34 goals/game. Despite their high-octane offense, Boston’s only established offensive star is Marc Savard. Boston’s offensive strength comes from their hard-working and balanced attack. Fortunately for Bruins fans, other than Phil Kessel who will probably not be re-signed for salary cap reasons, and P.J. Axelsson, Boston’s offensive corps will essentially remain intact.

Looking ahead to 2009-2010, Boston’s offense is comprised primarily of young players coming off excellent seasons. David Krejci, Boston’s 2nd round pick in 2004, averaged nearly a point per game as a sophomore and should continue to improve. He should return from hip surgery by the end of October at the latest.

Fan favorite Milan Lucic enters his third season with the Bruins with high expectations. Lucic is already drawing comparisons to Boston legend Cam Neely and could reach 50-60 points this year with 150 penalty minutes. It is hard to believe Lucic is only 21 years old.

Another young player from the 2004 draft class, Blake Wheeler, had an excellent rookie season. The 23 year-old Wheeler recorded 45 points in 81 games and was an impressive +36. Wheeler has been bulking up this off-season and will only get better if he is able to use his size to his advantage.

Patrice Bergeron was nearly a point per game player on the cusp of stardom before a concussion abruptly ended his 2007-2008 season after only 10 games. After missing the rest of the 2008-2009 season, Bergeron looked tentative at times amassing only 8 goals and 31 assists in 64 games. Will he be able to return to his pre-concussion form?

In addition to the many young Bruins forwards, vets Marc Savard and Michael Ryder will provide solid offensive contributions and Marco Sturm will be ready for the 2009-2010 season after missing most of 2008-2009 with a knee injury. Add in the leadership of Mark Recchi and the Boston forward group is talented, deep, and balanced.

Not to be forgotten is Boston’s fourth line, comprised of character players Shawn Thornton, Byron Bitz and Steve Begin. These big, aggressive players can provide energy and wear down the opposition. Boston will, however, miss the services of Stephane Yelle, lost via free agency to Carolina.

Zdeno Chara can contribute offensively and defensively

Defense:

Led by four-time all-star Zdeno Chara and emerging star Dennis Wideman, the Bruins can score from the back end and they can also play responsible defense. Chara and Wideman combined for 100 points and a +55 rating. Chara, last year’s Norris Trophy winner, is firmly entrenched as one of the league’s premier defensemen. Wideman, coming off a breakout season, will need to limit his turnovers and play a more physical style this year.

Boston’s defense should be even better this year, as the only major changes were the trading of Aaron Ward to Carolina and the signing of Derek Morris. The 31 year-old Morris has never lived up to his potential and has bounced around the league, as Boston is his 5th team. Morris is an improvement over Ward, but his $3.3 million price tag may be one of the primary obstacles preventing the Bruins from signing Phil Kessel.

Sophomore Matt Hunwick was a pleasant surprise last year with 27 points in 53 games and a +15 rating. The 2004 7th round pick will continue to improve and adds to Boston’s already impressive collection of defensemen. Finally, Andrew Ference and Mark Stuart are reliable final pieces to complete Boston’s blue line. Stuart is only 25 and still has room to grow. While Ference has proven to be a reliable third line defensemen.

Goaltending:

At least Timmy is finally getting some respect!

Tim Thomas finally got some respect last season, winning the Vezina Trophy. It would be hard to ignore the 35 year-old’s contributions, as he led the NHL in goals against average and save percentage. Thomas earned a hefty raise this year and should remain one of the premier goalies in the NHL.

Tuukka Rask is likely the future goaltender of the Bruins and will enter his first year as Boston’s full-time back up. Rask is only 22 with a ton of potential. The former first round pick shut out the Rangers in his only appearance last year and should play about 20 games this year.

Prediction:

Ceiling – Boston has the potential to win the division, conference and Stanley Cup. They have basically the same team as last year, including many young players that should only improve.

Floor – It’s tough to imagine a scenario where the Bruins do not make the playoffs. With so much talent offensively, defensively, and in net it is unlikely they would drop past 6th or 7th place in the conference.

Note: According to oddsmakers, Boston has the second best chance to win the Eastern Conference and the fifth best chance to win the Stanley Cup.

From TSN:

Dany Heatley says that he feels that his role with the Ottawa Senators has been diminished, and that’s the biggest reason why he has asked for the team to trade him.

The veteran forward spoke in Kelowna, B.C. on Friday for the first time since he made the request in June. He stated that his wish to be traded has not changed over the summer.

“When I signed in Ottawa two years ago, I felt it was to be an integral part of the team,” Heatley said. “Over the last two years and more recently over the past year, I feel my role was diminished. This past season, it diminished a lot more.

“This is a straight hockey decision. I have nothing against the fans of Ottawa, or the city of Ottawa. I would like the opportunity to go somewhere where I can play to the best of my capabilities and be the player that I can be.”

Read the entire article here.

Does anyone believe this is the only reason?  C’mon, I may have been born at night but I wasn’t born last night.  There are clearly other reasons for Heatley’s trade demand.  Have Heatley’s responsibilities really decreased that much?  I mean, he played some second power play minutes under Cory Clouston but the team was horrible before Clouston took over.  He came in and tried to wake some people up.  What’s wrong with that? 

Now, I don’t believe Heatley’s “diminished role” played a part in the Senators’ relative success under (I feel like that team was due to win some games) but I don’t blame Clouston for those tactics either.  He has to wake up his squad, and when a team with the talent of the Senators is playing that poorly, anything goes.

To me, there are reasons behind the scenes for this demand.  That’s fine too; frankly, the reasons may be none of our business but this is his front and it is a safe one.

Maybe I’m wrong in all this, but color me unimpressed and unconvinced with this excuse.

Picture courtesy of the Globe & Mail

• Chris Chelios may be playing in the Olympics for Team USA…I am kidding, but he has been suiting up for Team USA to help fill the spot for injured defenseman Paul Martin.  I love that Chelios wants to play hockey at his age and won’t give it up.  Give the guy full credit because this isn’t about the money, it is about the love of the game.
• Andrew Peters thinks his time in Buffalo is close to coming to an end.  He certainly gave his all for the Sabres, but they feel like they have enough players that can play that role if need be.
• Don’t expect Patrick Kane to end up in jail, writes Tim Sassone of the Daily Herald.  The cabbie has sure backed off those original comments, hasn’t he?
• John Glennon talks about David Legwand’s chances of playing at the Olympics for Team USA.  If Legwand is in the lineup for Team USA, I don’t seem them winning a medal.

The Edmonton Oilers are pulling out of the Dany Heatley sweepstakes.

General manager Steve Tambellini was expected make that announcement in a conference call with journalists later Friday.

Heatley, the disgruntled Ottawa Senators forward, twice refused to waive his no-trade clause to complete a trade that would have sent him to the Oilers for Andrew Cogliano, Dustin Penner and Ladislav Smid.

Read the story here.

No surprise.  Let’s be honest, the Oilers Nation didn’t even want this guy anyhow.  The way Heatley has handled this situation boggles my mind.  His disdain for Ottawa, unwillingness to go to Edmonton, and lack of ability to realize that no one wants him is going to end up with him returning to Ottawa.  I say that because there is no way he sits home and let’s that salary go to waste. 

If I’m Bryan Murray, I make Heatley play for the Senators (a pretty good top-six forward group there if that happens) and wait until he drives up his trade value.  Give Murray credit for not selling low on Heatley; although that may be mainly due to the fact that no one wants him.

• Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch previews the Maple Leafs heading into 2009/10.  That group of top-six forwards is going to be really exciting to watch on Hockey Night in Canada every Saturday…
• If silence fuels speculation, then let the speculation begin about the Predators’ interest in Vinny Prospal, explains John Glennon.  He would really be a perfect fit on one of the Preds’ top two lines.  I think this type of deal makes sense for both sides and if I were Poile, I’d press to get it done.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired Wayne Primeau from the Calgary Flames for defenceman Anton Stralman and forward Colin Stuart, the teams announced Monday.

The Leafs will also receive a second-round draft pick in 2011 while Calgary will take a seventh-round pick in 2012.

Read the story here.

I have to say that I do not totally understand this deal from Calgary’s perspective.  Now, I realize that Wayne Primeau makes $1.4 million next season (thank you NHL Numbers–boy, they are quick), and this trade takes the team’s cap hit down to $53.74, but a second round pick is a valuable commodity in today’s NHL. 

First, let’s throw the seventh round selection out the window, because it carries little value.  So, the Flames gave up a second round selection and Wayne Primeau (which is a benefit to them, as he isn’t worth close to $1.4 million) for Anton Stralman and Colin Stuart. 

Stuart is a checking forward who will see time on the fourth line of Calgary at best.  His size is an asset (6″2, 205lbs) but his hands are nothing special (never scored more than 18 goals at any level). 

Stralman adds depth to the Flames’ blue line, as his strength is moving the puck, but they already have Phaneuf, Sarich, Bouwmeester, Pardy, Regehr and Giordano under contact for next season.  So, at best, Stralman slots in as the team’s seventh defenseman.  That is not exactly the toughest spot in the lineup to fill; especially considering the ice-time that Phaneuf, Bouwmeester and Regehr will eat up.

So essentially, the Flames dumped off an expensive veteran center for two fringe NHL players and a second round pick.  Was a second round pick worthy of dumping that contract?  Not in my opinion. 

• Boris Valabik has re-signed with Atlanta for multiple years.  No word yet on the term, or dollars but the massive defenseman could become an effecive player with more seasoning.
• Phil Kessel is the only remaining RFA the Bruins need to sign.  A trade still seems most likely, however, it doesn’t appear Chiarelli has received an offer he deems sufficient.
• Alexei Kovalev wants Dany Heatley to stay in Ottawa.  Of course he does, because they are not going to get an equal return on value for Heatley.  Regardless, Kovalev is right here.  Unless the Sens receive a good offer for Heatley, they should stand their ground and keep him.
• The Devils’ full pre-season schedule can be seen here.  Exciting!
• Seth Rorabaugh tells Penguins fans why they’ll be watching each Penguins game in November.  Aside from those reasons called Crosby and Malkin, of course.

• Randy Carlyle is happy with his team’s moves this off-season, especially the addition of a couple scoring forwards, but his main focus will still be team defense come the fall.  He should be happy.  The team has one of the best top-six forward units in hockey, some nice talent on defense and a great young netminder.  Obviously the loss of Pronger will hurt, but the extra offense should help ease that pain.  Expect the Ducks to be a force in the ultra-competitive Western Conference next season.
• Fluto Shinzawa talks (in video form) about the progress of Bruins prospect Joe Colborne.  I know he’s big and I know his name is Joe, but people shouldn’t expect him to become Thornton-like.  Thornton’s skills were far ahead Colborne’s when he was in his late teens.  So, don’t expect the Bruins to rush Colborne–especially considering the team’s depth at forward.
• Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch previews the St. Louis Blues heading into 2009/10.  I think the Blues are going to be better than Columbus next season and could even be the fourth best team in the Conference.  John Davidson, Larry Pleau and Doug Armstrong are running the organization as well as any organization in the NHL.  So yeah, I’m pretty high on the Blues moving forward.
• The Habs were impressed enough with Andreas Engqvist at the team’s development camp that they have signed him to a three-year deal.  Needless to say, not many people know much about this kid.  However, he’s young and has good size and experience playing in a tough league, so there is little, if any, downside to a move of this nature.
• With the Jiri Hudler situation currently under review, John Glennon wonders if the IIHF will show any bite this time around by not allowing his move to the KHL to occur?  Not likely.  As Glennon says, what did the IIHF do last season when Alexander Radulov clearly broke the rules?  Why would we expect things to change?
• Rumor has it Jacques Lemaire is heading back to New Jersey to become the team’s head coach.  Well, that retirement lasted long!  This move really isn’t surprising.  Lemaire and Lamoriello are old friends, and both know what they are getting into.  He’s obviously more than a capable replacement for the departed Brent Sutter and the Devils will be a force to be reckon with next season, yet again. 
• The Hershey Bears have named Mark French as their new coach.  He takes over for Bob Woods, who led the team to a Calder Cup Championship last season.   

NHL

• The Thrashers have signed Nikolai Antropov to a 4 year, $16 million contract.  As well, the team also re-signed Chris Thorburn.  A lot of cash to be throwing at Antropov but really not out of line with the ridiculous spending we’ve already seen the past day and a half.  Antropov gets a lock of criticism but he can be a 25 goal scorer and 60 point player in Atlanta. 
• Mark Recchi has re-signed in Boston for 1 year, $1 million.  Good signing for both sides.  It is reasonable and gives Recchi another shot at the Cup.
• The Flames have signed Riley Armstrong and Garth Murray.  Murray is a plugger who will help to fill out the two-way roster.  Armstrong is also a depth player but he has a bit more scoring touch.
• James Gordon of the Ottawa Citizen asks why the Oilers would even want Dany Heatley?  Couldn’t have said it better myself.

Team Canada

• As Neil mentioned early today, Marc Savard has not been invited by Hockey Canada to the team’s training camp in August.   I like Marc Savard as a player but his representation of Canada has not exactly been exemplary.  Additionally, would he slot in ahead of Crosby, Getzlaf, Richards, Lecavalier or Staal on your team?  It is arguable, but I don’t think he would.
• The Hurricanes will be represented at Team Canada’s camp with Eric Staal and Cam Ward in attendance.  Both worthy invites.
• Ryan Smyth and Joe Sakic have been invited from Colorado.  The question is, will Joe Sakic be playing hockey next season?
• Rick Nash and Steve Mason have been invited from Columbus.  As I said yesterday, Nash’s value will sky-rocket after the Olympics, so Columbus better get him signed before.
• Brenden Morrow and Stephane Robidas have been invited from Dallas.  As Heika says, a big boost in confidence for Robidas.
• The injured Brent Burns has been invited from Minnesota.  If healthy, I think he has a real shot but concussions are tricky to deal with.
• Mike Green was the only Capitals player invited.  He better shore up his defense if he wants to be in Vancouver for the tournament.
• No Steve Stamkos invite from Team Canada.  Still too young and too many good centers ahead of him.  He’ll gets his chance down the road.

Stanley Cup Final

• Penguins fans are calling this “The Shift 2,” courtesy of Brooks Orpik.  The Penguins’ entire defense corps really is underrated.
• Here are the lines from the Wings’ last practice of the season.  Datsyuk still with Zetterberg.

Everyone else

• Mike Heika has Dave Tippett’s reaction to his dismissal.  I don’t think Tippett will be out of a job for long. 
• Heika also provides us with Marc Crawford’s career coaching record.  Not being saddled with Sakic and Forsberg down the middle sure makes life more difficult doesn’t it?
• The Sabres are expected to put forward a statement regarding the Coyotes situation once a decision in court has been made.  They can’t be in favor of such a move, and who can blame them?  Obviously they will want a lot of money to allow for the move to happen.