Ken Holland – The increase in scoring coming out of this seasons lockout.  The similarities of the retirements of Yzerman and Lidstrom and how they effected the team.  How the recently retired Tomas Holmstrom was such an effective player.  Taking the time to fully develop a player.  The evolution of Mike Babcock as a coach.  Lengthening overtime.  Playing games outside of their own time zone.

Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images

The following analysis was taken from the show.

Columbus receives: Jack Johnson, a conditional first round pick

Los Angeles Receives: Jeff Carter

Tale of the tape:

Jack Johnson: age 25, under contract until 2017-18 at a cap hit of $4.35 million per season.

Jeff Carter: age 27, under contract until 2021-22 at a cap hit of $5.27 million per season.

This is a trade that must be looked at through two different perspectives. The first is looking at the trade as a single trade. The second view is to look at it on a whole, meaning, Columbus effectively traded Jakub Voracek and the 8^th overall pick (Sean Couturier).

Off the ice, the reasons for trading Carter were about his contract, and his character, says Illegal Curve Hockey Show analyst Richard Pollock:

“I don’t think Columbus did as badly as I thought they would have, because there was no market for Jeff Carter. It was restricted by the fact he has ten years left on his deal, which restricted him to a couple of teams, and other teams were concerned about his character.”

“The market for him was very small, the fact they were able to get the first round pick, and Jack Johnson, who’s game I have concerns about, but does have potential, was fine work by GM Scott Howson on an evaluation of just this trade. If they can nail the draft pick, they can make it look like an all around good deal.”

“Jeff Carter is a good skater, a good stickhandler, he’s got a terrific shot, he can distribute the puck, but he’s not great at it. He’s good defensively, he can play in all situations, he’s an all around really good player.”

Host of the Illegal Curve Hockey Show Drew Mindell added, “he’s a regular 30 goal scorer, which doesn’t ocme easily.”

Pollock continued on Jack Johnson saying, “he’s as good of a skater as Zach Bogosian, good slapshot, good offensive talent, can join the rush. His hockey sense and defensive awareness leave much to be desired.”

In terms of contracts, Johnson’s is more favourable to Carter’s, as it is for less years and money, he is also younger, and defenseman tend to peak at a later age.

Pollock was not in favour of the deal overall, and would not pick a winner. It was a move of desperation for both teams.

Columbus receives: 2^nd round pick in 2012, conditional 5^th in 2013 and Curtis McElhinney

Phoenix receives: Antoine Vermette (age 29, under contract until 2014-15 at a cap hit of $3.75 million per season)

Off the ice: It is interesting to note that this is a salary dump by Columbus, who is assuredly losing money this season, to the NHL owned Phoenix Coyotes.

Antoine Vermette is a limited player offensively, he skates well, and can handle the puck, but is not a point producer (27 points in 62 games this season). Vermette is a player who is better defensively than offensively.

Columbus is shedding a bad contract, at $3.75 million with three years remaining is a lot for a guy who is not a point producer. The value that they are receiving in this deal is in the 2^nd round pick, as well as the removal of his contract on the salary cap. The Blue Jackets can fill the hole left by Vermette with players such as RJ Umberger, Derick Brassard and the return they get for Rick Nash (assuming he is traded before next season).

Curtis McElhinney is a throw in, a back up goalie who’s been injured all year. He is not the answer for Columbus’ goaltending situation.

From a Phoenix perspective, they are getting a player who fits well into their system. Phoenix loads up on veterans who buy into their boring trap style system. Vermette’s speed can create pressure on the opposition and he can play in all situations. He is a “tweener” a 2^nd or 3^rd line player, and on the Coyotes squad he will play a bigger role. He fits the veteran defensively responsible type player that coach Dave Tippett wants.

This is a good move for both teams.

New Jersey Receives: Marek Zidlicky (age 35, cap hit of $4 million until 2012-13)

Minnesota Receives: Kurtis Foster, Nick Palmieri, Stephane Veilleux, a 2^nd round pick In 2012, a conditional 3^rd round pick in 2013 (if New Jersey makes the conference finals this season or next).

New Jersey is filling a need by getting an offensively talented defenseman who can skate and move the puck. From watching New Jersey this season, it is easy to tell they are missing an offensive defenseman. Players such as Anton Volchenkov, Henrik Tallinder and Bryce Salvador are defensive types who can block shots and hit. They did not have a guy with the ability to lead the power play and move the puck out of the defensive zone well enough.

Zidlicky should have no problem fitting into the dressing room with fellow countrymen Petr Sykora and Patrik Elias. He’s signed for next season at $4 million, which is a lot, but offensive defenseman like Zidlicky don’t grow on trees.

Minnesota was in a situation where they were not playing Zidlicky, and he fell out of favor with Coach Mike Yeo.  They receive ex-Wild Kurtis Foster who’s contract comes off the books next season, he is a big body who can chip in with his point shot.

Stephane Veilleux , also an ex-Wild is 13^th forward and his contract expires after the season.

Nick Palmieri has the potential to be a 3^rd or 4^th line player for Minnesota.

Comparing the deal to the Hal Gill deal, the Predators gave up a 2^nd round pick and Blake Geoffrion for Hal Gill. Because the Foster and Veilleux contracts expire at the end of the season, the Devils gave up Nick Palmieri and a 2^nd round pick. If they do reach the conference finals, they will be happy to relinquish the 3^rd round pick.

This is an even trade for both teams.

Colorado receives: Steve Downie

Tampa Bay receives: 1^st round pick from Detroit.

Detroit receives: Kyle Quincey

While this was two separate trades by Tampa Bay GM Steve Yzerman, it should be looked at as one move.

The trades Yzerman has made leading up to the deadline show that the former Detroit Red Wing is ascending up the ranks as one of the top GMs in the NHL.  He is aware that his team is not a Stanley Cup Contender this season and is selling off assets in order to build for the future. As of February 26, 2012, Tampa Bay now has six picks in the first two rounds of the 2012 draft.  The net result of this trade is that Tampa Bay receives Detroit’s first round pick in exchange for Steve Downie.

Detroit adds depth to their defense in Kyle Quincey. Quincey who was drafted by Detroit in 2003 is a player who skate well, can move the puck, but isn’t the most physical. He is brought in to play the 3^rd defense pairing with Jonathan Ericsson, which should take some pressure off of rookie Jakub Kindl. He  fits into Detroit’s system,  and will be an RFA after this season so they will be able to retain him.

Colorado receives Steve Downie who gives their team some much added toughness. He’s a player who can get in your face, go to the net, hit, and move around in the lineup. While he doesn’t have great hands, he can provide 10-15 goals and 30-35 points. Ideally, he’s a 3^rd line right winger. Downey will be an RFA after this season.

A reasonable deal for all sides.

Philadelphia receives: Pavel Kubina

Tampa Bay receives: Jon Kalinski, 2^nd round pick in 2012 or 2013, 4^th round pick in 2013.

This is a depth acquisition by Philadelphia, which may not have been completely necessary, but he is a big body who fits in well with the Flyers team.

Steve Yzerman is stockpiling picks and building for the future.

The bottom line: An even deal.

Florida receives: Jerrod Smithson (age 33, under contract until 2012-13 for $800,000)

Nashville receives: 6^th round draft pick in 2012

Jerrod Smithson is a 4^th line centre who is better than incumbent John Madden. He is a depth acquisition, whose skill lies in winning draws, playing a defensively responsible and killing penalties. Smithson won’t be counted on to provide offense.

Nashville is a well run club and if hey are giving away players for 6^th round picks, this means they have no use for Smithson. His $800,000 salary will come off the books for next season, making this a quasi-salary dump. The Predators are looking to make a run for the cup this season, the trade also opens up a roster spot for additional moves.

This isn’t a significant move, that shouldn’t be overrated.

Tune in to TSN 1290 all day on trade deadline Monday for round the clock coverage. Drew Mindell and Richard Pollock of the Illegal Curve Hockey Show will be on from 12pm-4pm breaking down all the trades, as well as previewing the Winnipeg Jets contest against the Edmonton Oilers.

Jaroslav Halak

David Perron

Coach Hitchcock

Central Division

• If this is just Marian Hossa’s adjustment period, it will be scary to see what he can do at full steam, writes Chris Kuc.  “I think we can learn off some of the things he does with and going into puck areas. A lot of good things happen when he’s on the ice,” said coach Joel Quenneville about Hossa’s presence.
• Derick Brassard lacks a bit of confidence so far this season, explains Tom Reed.  One of Derek MacKenzie or Mike Blunden could find themselves going through waivers this week.  Here are the Blue Jackets’ projected lines for tonight’s game.
• Valtteri Filppula had his cast removed on Tuesday and is slated to return later this month.  With many injuries on the team, Justin Abdelkader has been given more responsibility and coach Mike Babcock has been happy with his play.
• Martin Erat recorded a hat trick last night, which prompted Barry Trotz to talk about the value of getting shots on net, as the Predators defeated the visiting Canucks.  Meanwhile, the Predators are hoping Jerred Smithson’s penalty on Alexandre Burrows is rescinded.
• Many Blues have had scoring trouble this season, so coach Andy Murray had his team practice hitting the goalie and going to the net on Tuesday.

Northeast Division

• Playing without Robyn Regehr has been the Flames’ downfall in the past, so Flames fans have to be hoping that his injury isn’t serious.  Colby Armstrong will have many family members in the Saddledome tonight when the Thrashers visit the Flames.
• Joe Sacco was happy enough with his club on Tuesday that he gave them the day off, explains Terry Frei.
• Jim Matheson answers reader’s questions in the Edmonton Journal.  Lubomir Visnovky and Ladislav Smid have developed some nice chemistry on the Oilers’ back-end.  Jeff Deslauriers has played well enough that he’s made people stop asking when Nikolai Khabibulin is returning to the lineup.
• Mikko Koivu was many people’s pick for Wild captain prior to the season and he is sure proving his worth in that position, explains Michael Russo.
• “Right now we have guys who can play a lot better, who have to play a lot better,” said an angry Alain Vigneault after yesterday’s loss to Nashville.  Mikael Samuelsson was so unhappy after the game that he refused to talk to the media.  When is Cody Hodgson going to return from a back injury?

Pacific Division

• Just when you had the Ducks written off, the team stormed back from a three-goal deficit and pulled out an important overtime victory at home against Dallas, writes Eric Stephens.  With Teemu Selanne injured, both Bobby Ryan and Joffrey Lupul will be counted on to carry the load.
• “That can’t happen, it just can’t happen,” said Stars captain Brenden Morrow after the team blew a 3-0 road lead to Anaheim.  Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News likes what he’s seen from youngster Ivan Vishnevskiy.
• Wayne Simmonds has taken advantage of the opportunities that coach Terry Murray has provided for him this season in Los Angeles.
• There are a number of reasons why the Coyotes are surprising the NHL, but strong penalty killing is definitely one of them.
• After some early season struggles, Ryane Clowe has found his game in the Bay Area.

If you are looking for a holiday gift and want to support IllegalCurve, take a look at our touques that can be purchased for only $9.99 plus shipping.  Also, if you want to add IllegalCurve on Twitter, click here.

The team just missed out on the playoffs thanks to great play from Pekka Rinne and strong seasons from the likes of Ryan Suter and Shea Weber.

Over the off-season not much changed personnel-wise in Nashville, so should we have expected the Predators’ poor offensive totals to take effect again this season?

The simple answer is: Probably.

After six games this season, the Predators sit 30th in the NHL in goals-per-game with 1.17.  As for the power play, the Predators sit last in power play percentage with an awful 5% success rate.  Admittedly it is still early in the season, but it has to be troubling to Predators fans and Predators bloggers like On the Forecheck and Preds On The Glass that the same trends appear to be continuing.

I know this team passed on the opportunity to acquire Phil Kessel, and I think that was probably a good decision.  However, at some point doesn’t this team have to mortgage at least some of its future to take a stab at doing something other than trying to sneak into eighth spot?

Is that the Predators’ biggest problem? Or is the team’s biggest problem the lack of productivity from the highly paid David Legwand ($5.0 million this season) or Martin Erat ($5.25 million this season) who have combined for one point in twelve games?

David Legwand better pick it up in Nashville. (Picture courtesy of tsn.ca)

I’d lean more towards the latter because in today’s cap age (or the necessary budget restrictions put on the Predators), if your big money players aren’t producing at their expected rates, you’ll never have a chance to make a long playoff run.

The future looks bright for Nashville with Colin Wilson and Jonathan Blum en route to the big leagues, unfortunately fans in the City of Nashville may start getting sick of the future and may want some answers right now.

New York Rangers at New Jersey Devils

These teams don’t like each other and never have.  Tonight’s game marks the second of the season for the Devils, after the team was dominated by Philadelphia on Saturday night in Jacques Lemaire’s return to Jersey.  Needless to say, Martin Brodeur wasn’t at his best in the team’s first game (he allowed five goals) and said in the morning papers that he was looking to change a thing or two about his positioning after the opening night loss.

The Rangers started the season by getting defeated in Pittsburgh but then returned the next night and beat Ottawa in the team’s home opener.  In positive news, Marian Gaborik looks healthy and motivated, so the Rangers are going to try and ride the Gaborik train as long as they can. 

Columbus Blue Jackets at Vancouver Canucks

Well, some are already calling this game a “must-win” for the Canucks.  First off, that is absurd, as it is the third game of the season.  Regardless, the Canucks started poorly in Calgary on Thursday and only really started playing in the second half of the game.  Unfortunately for Alain Vigneault and company, his team didn’t fare much better in Colorado on Saturday afternoon and the team is faced with an 0-2 record.  While there shouldn’t be panic in B.C., Vigneault hasn’t wasted any time calling out his non-Sedin lines.  Something tells me the Canucks will be mighty motivated tonight.

As for Columbus, this is a team that defeated the Wild 2-1 on Saturday and is a confident bunch.  Unfortunately for Ken Hitchcock and company, the Jackets play three straight home openers starting with tonight in Vancouver.  That said, Hitchcock will have his much improved team ready to roll.  Expect a higher scoring affair than in the team’s first game of the season.

Led by a management team that includes John Davidson, Larry Pleau and Doug Armstrong, the Blues are in great hands.  The combination of experience and knowledge among the aforementioned three managers is tremendous and the Blues’ plan moving forward is indicative of just that.

After surprisingly making the playoffs last season, the Blues may be the surprise team in the National Hockey League in 2009/10.  Without further ado, let’s explain why that will be the case.

Forwards:

This team has a nice blend of youth and experience up front.  Led by the unassuming Brad Boyes, St. Louis possesses a ton of offensive talent.  In Boyes, the Blues have a big body who has a wicked shot—making his presence on the team’s power play vital (16 power play goals last season).  Boyes’ 72 points led the team in scoring last season and his 19:00+ minutes per-game led all forwards in ice-time per-game.

Along with Boyes, the Blues are led by speedster Andy McDonald.  McDonald, who was just recently invited to the Canadian Olympic orientation camp, posted an impressive 44 points in 46 games last season.  Injuries have been an issue for McDonald in the past (especially concussions) but prior to last season’s injury, McDonald had played 82 games in three consecutive seasons.  The former Ducks’ speed is his biggest asset, as well as his tremendous passing skills.

Before examining the team’s tremendous amount of youthful talent, let’s not forget about two veteran players the Blues will rely on this season.  Paul Kariya isn’t the dominating player he once was with the Anaheim Ducks but the former 50-goal scorer still has good wheels, a nasty shot and great passing skills.  Kariya played only 11 games last season and was actually off to a blazing start with 15 points, until he went down to injury.  While some may think of Kariya as injury-prone, similar to his teammates McDonald, Kariya played 82 games in three consecutive seasons prior to 2008/09.

The veteran Kariya is also joined by 37 year-old Keith Tkachuk.  Tkachuk is not the former 50 goal-scorer he used to be, but he still is able to contribute 25 goals a season which is no small task.  The Blues count as much on his veteran influence on the bench and in the locker room as they do on his on-ice production.  With the Blues working more young players into the line-up, expect Tkachuk’s totals to decrease to around 18-20 goals next season.

Now, let’s examine the team’s young core of offensive players.  First off, it is difficult to select a starting point.  Should we take a look at Patrik Berglund? What about T.J. Oshie?  Maybe David Backes?  Or how about David Perron?  Yes, the Blues organization is that stacked with young talent.

We will start by talking about Patrik Berglund, who was a candidate for rookie of the year last season.  The big Swedish center started off the season on a tear, slumped a bit during the three quarters point of the year and then started to find his game again in late March.  The 21 year-old Swede is big, strong and possesses tremendous hockey sense.  With his size and awareness he will eventually be able to control a game and his 41 points in 79 games, with only 14:43 minutes of ice-time per-game is a testament to that.  Of the Blues’ talented youngsters, he may be the best.

In a contrast of styles to Berglund, the Blues also have T.J. Oshie.  The former UND Fighting Sioux is spunky, aggressive and does not shy away from contact.  He reminds some of Theoren Fleury due to his size and style of play.  While some doubted his ability to make it in the NHL, Oshie tallied 39 points in only 57 games last season and finished a more than impressive +16 on the Blues (Best +/- on the team).

T.J. Oshie reminds some of Theoren Fleury. (Picture courtesy of Yahoo!)

Was there a more impressive player in the Blues’ short playoff run than David Backes?  He was all over the ice, played aggressive, yet controlled and contributed on the scoresheet (3 points in 4 games).  On top of that, he was counted on to play over 20:00 minutes per-night for Andy Murray.  Backes is big (6”3, 216 pounds) and plays that way (204 hits last season—which led the Blues by over 70 hits).  To compliment his aggressiveness, he also has soft hands (31 goals last season) and now everyone knows why Vancouver signed him to an offer sheet prior to last season.

With so much young talent up front, sometimes you forget the Blues have David Perron.  I know, it is hard to forget about a player that was third on the team in scoring last season, but that is just how much young talent the Blues have.  Perron has loads of offensive skill, he is a great stick-handler, passer and has a nose for the net.  There is a reason he saw 3:12 minutes per-game on the power play in 2008/09.  Perron is not big (6”0, 194 pounds) but does not back away from physical play either.  He is able to play this way because he trusts his skills and skating ability.  The Quebec native’s maturation (he almost doubled his point total from his rookie year) should only continue to see him tally more points.

Well, that is a close look at the team’s top eight offensive forwards.  Obviously offense is sexy, but the Blues also have some important grinders on the roster—namely Jay McClement.  McClement is the team’s top penalty killing forward (he averaged 3:50 minutes of penalty killing time per-game last season) and is team’s best checking forward.  He is not overly aggressive but he did lead the team in blocked shots by forwards last season (57 blocked shots) and is positionally sound.  Considering the depth of offensive talent up front, any offense he adds in (12 goals last season) is a bonus.

Filling out the team’s depth lines will be the likes of Alexander Steen (a smart player who is a good passer and has developed a solid two-way game), B.J. Crombeen (an aggressive player who plays the game kind of like a chicken with his head cut off) and Brad Winchester ( a big body who can play a responsible defensive game).

Defensemen:

The Blues incurred a fair amount of injuries on the blue line last season, so expect a far consistent group this season.  First off, Erik Johnson stopped golfing this summer so he could avoid missing another season to injury.  Jokes aside, the Blues missed Johnson’s game badly in 2008/09.  He is big, fast, a good passer, a good shooter and a great hitter.  Let’s just say there is a reason he was the top overall draft pick three years back.  Once Johnson gets back into the line-up this season, he will be the Blues’ best defenseman.

To say the Blues missed Erik Johnson last season, would be a massive understatement. (Picture courtesy of sportsnet.ca)

Joining the soon to be superstar Johnson, is the reliable Barrett Jackman.  Jackman is the classic Western Canadian defenseman, as he is unassuming off the ice and nasty on it.  The British Columbia native is tough (86 penalty minutes last season), aggressive (his 124 hits led all Blues defensemen in 2007/08) and willing to sacrifice his body (his 145 blocked shots were second on the team).  Jackman is the stay-at-home defenseman that every team covets, which is why the Blues have him locked up for the next three seasons.

After Johnson and Jackman the Blues count on Eric Brewer to play big minutes.  Brewer’s availability to being the season is now in doubt due to off-season knee surgery, but the injury does not appear to be overly serious.  The former Olympian never turned into the offensive defenseman many had hoped, but his skating ability for a man his size is truly impressive.  Moreover, his defensive awareness is very strong which is why he is always in good position.  He isn’t an overly aggressive player but his smarts make him a go-to guy for coach Andy Murray, as Brewer played 25:07 minutes per game in the 28 games he dressed for last season.

 Joining the top three defensemen on the Blues roster is the unheralded Roman Polak.  Polak is big (6”1, 232 pounds), and is only 23 years-old.  Last season Polak finally made his mark in St. Louis playing 69 games and logging the second most total minutes of any Blues defenseman.  In fact, Polak played 21:32 minutes per game and saw significant time on the power play and on the penalty kill.  The Slovakian has a wide-body and uses it to his advantage (his 110 hits was second highest in terms of the team’s defensemen); furthermore, he blocked the third highest amount of shots (109) on the team.

Before talking about the team’s depth defenseman we certainly cannot overlook arguably the team’s top prospect—Alex Pietrangelo.  The 19 year-old is a great skater who needs to fill out in order to compete at the NHL level.  There are few questions about his offensive ability, so once he matures and understands how to play in the pros, the Blues expect him to become a top-two defenseman along with Erik Johnson.

Fighting for the final two spots on the Blues’ back-end will be Carlo Colaiacovo (a good skater and puck-mover who lacks defensive awareness), Mike Weaver (a veteran puck-mover who skates fairly well), Brendan Bell (a tremendously skilled offensive defenseman who can play the power play but is poor in his own end) and Darryl Sydor (a veteran who has seen his better days but is a good leader).

Goaltending:

Last season, the Blues came into the year with Manny Legace as the team’s starting netminder.  Legace struggled mightily as the Blues’ starter and was demoted about halfway through the campaign.  When Legace was demoted, the Blues’ starting netminding job became Chris Mason’s and, boy, did he excel when given the chance.  In 2008/09, Mason posted an impressive .916 save percentage and a 2.41 G.A.A.  Along with those impressive totals, Mason posted six shutouts.  Heading into this season, Mason is the undisputed number one netminder for St. Louis.

Chris Mason took over between the pipes for St. Louis last season. (Picture courtesy of ST. Louis Post-Dispatch)

Backing up Mason, will be veteran NHL backup Ty Conklin.  Prior to the 2007/08 season, Conklin was seen as someone who was a fringe NHL backup.  However, a season in Pittsburgh and a season Detroit (Talk about bad timing!!! Did he ask Marian Hossa for career advice?) restored his standing across the league and the confidence he has in himself.  His solid .909 save percentage last season is more than serviceable for a backup netminder—so, expect Conklin to play more than your average backup.

Prediction:

I will admit it; I think the Blues are this year’s surprise team.  I love the mix of talent, youth, veteran leadership, coaching and managing. 

Ceiling: The team’s young players continue to improve; Chris Mason plays net like he did last season and Kariya, McDonald and Tkachuk stay relatively healthy.  2^nd in the Central Division (Yes I really do think they can finish higher than one of Detroit/Chicago) and 4^th in the Western Conference.

Floor: Chris Mason falter some, the team’s youngsters struggle to reach the next level and Columbus/Detroit/Chicago play too well.  4^th in the Central Division and 8^th in the Western Conference.

This season, like many in the Predators’ short history, sees the Predators going up against the odds.  Without as much money to spend as most teams, Poile generally builds from the inside and counts on his prospects to take the team to the next level.  In fact, the one uncharacteristic time Poile decided to load up (he added Forsberg, etc.) it backfired on him.  So, we should expect Poile to stick to his guns for the next couple seasons when he says he wants to see the team’s young talent (Colin Wilson, Chet Pickard, Jonathan Blum and Ryan Ellis) develop into the team’s new core.

Forwards:

The team’s current core is built around Jason Arnott and J.P. Dumont.  Both of these veterans bring more to the table than I believe many people realize.  Arnott is a leader who can win face-offs, go up against the other team’s top players and make room for himself with his size.  Along with Arnott, Dumont has found a home in Nashville (he’s signed for three more seasons at $4.0 million per).  The skilled winger isn’t overly physical, but is a great passer and has very strong puck awareness; however, he will need improve his scoring (only 16 goals last season) to pre-2008/09 levels, as the Predators cannot afford one of their top players underperforming if they want to make the playoffs.

Jason Arnott had 33 goals for the Predators last season. (Picture courtesy of cbc.ca)

After the duo of Arnott and Dumont, the Predators will rely on the injury-prone Steve Sullivan to help carry the offensive load.  When healthy, there is no denying Steve Sullivan’s skills.  Simply, he is a wizard with the puck—easily the best puck handler on the team—and is a threat to breakaway or make a setup pass at all times.  Unfortunately for Nashville fans, Sullivan has a bad back and it is hit or miss whether he will even play half the season, never mind the entire season.

With the team’s top three scorers established, let’s examine the team’s other forwards.  We can start by taking a look at David Legwand.  The big and fast former Plymouth Whalers center never became the player many thought he’d become.  While the skill set is there, his lack of hockey sense has inhibited his ability to become an impact player in the game today.  As it stands, Legwand is a serviceable second line center—but at his price ($5.o million this season), the Predators are paying for more than they are receiving.

Lining up as one of the team’s top wingers is the talented Martin Erat.  Erat mainly flies beneath the radar but has good talent and speed.  He is a bigger player but doesn’t play that big, which sometimes hurts him (I’d like to see him be more aggressive).  That said, he brings a nice scoring touch to the wings and can play with any number of the team’s centers.  Erat’s 17 goal total from 2008/09 was a drop from his 23 goals the season before, so expect him to return to the 20 goal mark in 2009/10.

After Arnott, Dumont, Sullivan, Legwand and Erat the Predators have a scoring gap up front.  Will Michael Santorelli be the answer to the top six questions?  How about Patric Hornqvist?  I’m not sure David Poile & Company know the answer to those questions—so neither do I right now.  Although, it should be noted that the Predators have been floated around as being interested in Phil Kessel and Nikolai Zherdev, at times this summer.

While we don’t know who will fill the Predators’ last spot in the top six, what we do know is that Joel Ward had a breakthrough season for Nashville in 2008/09 and may have turned into the team’s best two-way forward.  Ward can check, score, kill penalties and play on the power play.  He was a terrific find and just the kind (cheap—$1.5 million) that Nashville needs to compete with the big boys.  Word has it Barry Trotz wants him anchoring the third line. 

Along with Ward, the Predators have the rugged Jordin Tootoo in the mix.  Tootoo is a player that can sometimes aggravate fans, but it is fair to say that you’d rather play with the powerhouse than against him.

With the departures of Scott Nichol, Jed Ortmeyer and Radek Bonk, the Predators will miss some ruggedness, penalty killing and a good face-off presence.  To fill the voids left on the depth lines, the Predators are hoping players like Ryan Jones, the recently signed Marcel Goc, Wade Belak, Jerred Smithson and Ben Guite can fill-in admirably. 

Defense:

The Predators may have some holes up front, but they make up for those holes on the back-end.  Nashville boasts arguably the best young trio of defenseman in the NHL.  In Shea Weber, Ryan Suter and Dan Hamhuis, the Predators have a terrific balance of speed, skill and power.

Last season was a huge rebound season for Shea Weber.  Most were expecting a season like he had last year to come a season earlier—in 2007/08—but Weber incurred an early season injury in 07/08 and could never really regain his form.  Fast forward to last season and Weber was dominant.  He posted an impressive 53 points in 81 games, including 9 power play goals (he has arguably a top three NHL slap shot from the point) and finished +1 on a team with many negative players.  Additionally, Weber played over 4:00 minutes per game on the power play and led all Nashville defenseman in that category.

Don't mess with Shea Weber. (Picture courtesy of tsn.ca)

Along with Weber, the Predators have the well-known nephew of former NHLer Gary Suter manning the point.  Ryan Suter played a lot of minutes in all game situations last year.  Coach Trotz counted on him at even strength, on the penalty kill and on the power play.  This is a testament to Suter’s versatility and ability to play a responsible two-way game.

Joining the young duo on the back-end is “veteran” Dan Hamhuis.  The pending unrestricted free agent was second on the team in blocked shots last season (113) and fourth on the team in hits (133).  He focuses mainly on defense and plays a mean stay-at-home style game.  His 22:50 minutes per game ranked third behind Weber and Suter on the Predators.

After the team’s big-name top three, the Predators are going to have to fill the void left by the underrated and underappreciated Greg Zanon.  Zanon played big minutes and was a shot-blocking machine.  Luckily for Nashville, with Weber, Suter and Hamhuis eating up 20+ minutes per game, there aren’t that many minutes to go around.

Nevertheless, the time needs to be filled and, as John Glennon said on the IllegalCurve.com Radio Show, the Predators are hoping Kevin Klein can step up and fill-in for Zanon’s lost minutes.

The bottom two slots on defense may be filled by some of team’s young defense prospects; however, some Nashville fans expect a veteran to be brought in before the season begins—whether it be via trade or waivers.  If that does not happen, the youngsters Alexander Sulzer, Teemu Laakso and Cody Franson may be the favourites for the open spots.  Also, be sure to watch Jonathan Blum. While it is unlikely he’ll jump straight to the NHL out of junior, he will have a chance to prove his worth at training camp and has the skill-set to step up.

Goaltending:

You never know who is going to be starting in net for the Predators year-to-year, but I’ll take my best shot predicting that Pekka Rinne finally ends that unpredictability.  Last season, Rinne seemingly came out of nowhere to be a Calder Trophy Candidate.  His .917 save percentage and seven shutouts made placed him in the upper-echelon of the league in both statistics.  Rinne’s size is a huge asset (no pun intended), as he makes it very difficult for shooters to find any space to aim at.  Further, he is 26 years old, in the prime of his career, and has a chance to play himself on the Finnish OIympic team.

Pekka Rinne became a top NHL netminder last season. (Picture courtesy of canoe.com)

Behind Rinne, is Dan Ellis who was expected to become the team’s number one goaltender last season.  Unfortunately, Ellis struggled in his first real chance at primetime (well, with expectations fully on his back) and Rinne passed right by him.  Having said that, Ellis is still a good netminder, and while he had a poor season, he still posted a .900 save percentage; remember only two years ago he posted an extremely impressive .924 save percentage.

The Predators are well-off in net, especially considering they have Chet Pickard in the system.

Prediction:

Ceiling: The Predators have a fairly injury free season, don’t go through the massive scoring slump they did in 2008/09 and win a lot of one-goal games.  3^rd in Central and 8^th in Conference.

Floor: The Predators cannot find the back of the net on a consistent basis, don’t get above average goaltending and feel the difficult intra division schedule.  5^th in Central and 12^th in Western Conference.

**Salary numbers courtesy of nhlnumbers.com**

The Detroit Red Wings last season were one game away from repeating as Stanley Cup Champions.  The wounds from that loss are still fresh and should serve as motivation for this season.  They would have been the first team to repeat since the Red Wings of 96/97 and 97/98.  GM Ken Holland has been very busy all summer ensuring that the Wings will be back on top of the Central division this season.

And quite the busy summer it has been for the GM.  The Wings lost a ton of scoring; Marian Hossa left for Chicago (40 goals), Jiri Hudler left for the KHL (23 goals), Mikael Samuelsson went to Vancouver (19 goals) and Tomas Kopecky, who joins Hossa in Chicago (6 goals). 

However GM Ken Holland did what he could to stem the tide as he added a couple of former Wings Todd Bertuzzi & Jason Williams, Patrick Eaves, Doug Janik and two Leafs prospects in Jeremy Williams, Kris Newbury.

Now the Wings lost a lot of scoring (88 goals from the above listed players) and while the new additions are not even in the same stratosphere in terms of scoring, you don’t make the playoffs every year since 1989/90 and win 13 Central division titles (technically 12, as 1 was a Norris) by not learning to use the resources you have at your disposal.

So the Wings have some big questions to answer this upcoming season, namely;  1) How will the loss of all that scoring power be offset?  2) Can they regain a top tier penalty kill? and finally 3) Can the improvements by their Central Division competition, knock them from the top?

Forwards:

While the loss of Hossa, Hudler and Samuelsson has diminished the scoring depth of the Wings, Detroit doesn’t exactly have a bare cupboard at forward. 

Now I could speculate on line combos but courtesy of an interview today by Chris McCosky of the Detroit News this is what the Coach had to say regarding his potential line combos:

“A key battle would be for the third center position. He has Helm penciled in as the fourth-line center. Zetterberg, Datsyuk and Valtteri Fippula are the team’s three top centers.  Babcock is hoping that enough wingers emerge so that he doesn’t have to use Datsyuk and Zetterberg on the same line.”

So it would appear that he will be splitting Zetterberg and Datsyuk (haven’t we heard that before?) to spread out the offence and give the Wings more depth.  Both are top NHL centers/winger and can dominate a game when they choose.  It is actually interesting to see both these players at work, as Datsyuk is a little bit more flashy with his tremendous stick-handling ability and puck possession skills; but Zetterberg is probably equally difficult to knock off the puck and is maybe the best two-way player in the NHL today. 

Johan Franzen’s production continues to rise over the past three seasons and this trend should continue for the man known as “The Mule.”  He just has a nose for the net, which is obviously helped by his ridiculously good shot–he scores from angles most players only dream of.  Furthermore, Franzen is willing to go to the dirty areas to score, so as long as he stays healthy, he should continue to score at the levels he has in the past.

While they might be split up during Even Strength play, will Pavel and Henrik continue to scare the opposition during the power play? (Photo courtesy of mlive.com)

The heavy lifting is going to have to come from the shoulders of some pretty big men.  Daniel Cleary is going to have to improve on his 14 goals from last season, a healthy Todd Bertuzzi will need to generate more than 15 and even Valtteri Filppula is going to need to step it up in the absence of Hossa’s goal scoring.

Of the three, Filppula possess the most god-given talent and he has the ability to take his game to the next level.  Cleary just needs to continue going to the net and will have the motivation of a possible Team Canada spot pushing his first-half play.  As for Bertuzzi, he was not impressive in Calgary last season, he struggled immensely defensively and was really only serviceable on the power play, but the Wings are hoping his veteran presence puts pressure on the youngsters to step up their games to earn ice-time, and vice versa.

Jason Williams is a useful player that can skate and play the point on the power play, as well as add some nice offense from the wing.  He is not a great two way player but he seems to post respectable point totals wherever he ends up.

Another off-season acquisition Patrick Eaves brings a cheap, physical presence to the wing–as he is a very strong player along the boards.  He actually has decent hands too, and he could very well be the most productive of the team’s off-season pick-ups.

With Jiri Hudler gone to the KHL, expect Ville Leino to eat many of Hudler’s lost minutes.  Hudler was a tremendously efficient offensive player but his defensive deficiencies cut into Mike Babcock’s trust, so if Leino proves responsible at both of ends of the ice, his offensive game will see more ice-time.  He is capable of scoring over 20 goals this season if he stays healthy.

Of course we would be remiss if we left out old reliable Tomas Holmstrom.  Of course you can find him taking a beating in front of the opposing team’s net and there is no reason to believe this season will be any different from the rest.  Holmstrom has become a leader on this Wings squad and will continue to serve the team well.

On the depth lines, the Wings boast the speedy and active Darren Helm, veteran face-off specialist Kris Draper and veteran penalty killer Kirk Maltby.  Helm is on his way up, while the other two are closing in on the final seasons of their respective careers, but all three will be important in any prolonged Detroit run in the post-season.

Finally, it appears that Michigan fans won’t have to worry about hearing the MSU fight song played too often at ‘the Joe’ as playoff sensation Justin Abdelkader is expected to play in the minors to continue his seasoning.  But when he does finally arrive, here is some of what the Wings get to look forward to:

One of the things I thought the Wings were missing last season was some grit.  It has been said that you can never have too many skill players but perhaps Detroit was missing some of that bang and crash, and with the additions they have made, it will hopefully open it up for the skill players like Zetterberg and Datsyuk.

Defence:

In that same Detroit News article, Coach Babcock made an important declaration which takes us to the 2nd part of the question as to whether the Wings can continue to dominate the West and that was;

“Maybe if we don’t let so many goals in this year, we won’t have to score as many. We have to find a level there.”

The Wings probably have one of the top D cores in the NHL and they will need to be if the Wings are expecting to succeed this season.  Ken Holland said as much during an interview with George Malik of the Snapshots blog when discussing the scoring the Wings had lost back on August 20th,

“We’re not going to be able to replace them all, but hopefully we can replace about 50-60 of them, and we’re going to have to be better defensively.”

Will Wings captain Lidstrom be raising his arms in victory this season? (Photo courtest of cbc.ca)

The starting five of Nicklas Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski, Niklas Kronwall, Brad Stuart and Jonathan Ericsson are set.  That is a terrific looking group. 

What else can you say about Lidstrom?  He has been the best defenseman in the NHL for so long, that we have become used to his tremendous play–even as he closes in on 40 years old.  Lidstrom is arguably the best positionally sound defenseman of his era and moves the puck as well as anyone who plays rearguard.

In Rafalski, the Wings have another supreme puck-mover; however, his defensive skills aren’t at a top pairing level (he was beaten numerous times during the playoffs last season).  In fact, the team’s second best defenseman is most likely the young, hard-hitting Niklas Kronwall.  The big Swede can skate like the wind (especially for big player) and hits harder than maybe anyone since Scott Stevens.  Moreover, he has terrific puck skills.

Kronwall will be joined on the team’s 1B pairing with smooth skating Brad Stuart.  Stuart has found a home in Detroit after moving around the NHL (San Jose, Boston, Calgary) and has become a more aggressive player over the years.  He also make a good first pass, but doesn’t possess the power play quarterbacking ability–however, that isn’t necessary in Detroit anyhow.

The youngster Ericsson was actually drafted as a forward.  He is big, uses his long stick to his advantage and plays a mean game.  His youth was evident at times during the playoffs, he took some penalties he probably won’t take in two-to-three years, but his talent is unquestionable.

The final member of the Wings top six would normally be Andreas Lilja who will likely start the season on the long term injured reserve as he is still suffering from post concussion symptoms from this punch to the head delivered by Shea Weber. 

So who will be Detroit’s 6th and 7th defenceman while Lilja recovers?  It would appear that the Wings favour Lebda for the final pairing and Winnipeg’s Derek Meech as number seven.  If Lilja returns he would be the sixth defenceman for the Wings and since GM Ken Holland has declared that the Wings won’t carry 8 defencemen, it would appear that Derek Meech (unless he wow’s Babcock during training camp and beginning of season) will be extraneous and likely traded.

Hopefully for the Wings, Ericsson is ready to step up in his first full season with Detroit.  Expectations are high and playing with Lidstrom and Rafalski should help with his development.

The most important area for the Wings defence to improve collectively as a unit is on the penalty kill.  Since the lockout the PK has seen a steady to rapid decline in effectiveness.  From a lofty 3rd spot in 2005/06 (85.5%), which was followed up in 2006/07 with the Wings falling to 6th overall (84.6%), to 8th in 2007/08 (84%) and finally all the way down to 25th last season, killing off a measly 78.3%. 

If there is one area in which they will have to improve it is during the penalty kill if they hope to offset the loss of scoring.

Will Osgood be left to fend for himself this season? (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Goal:

The goaltending situation in the ‘D’ always seems to make fans nervous.  Chris Osgood is the Rodney Dangerfield of hockey; he just can’t get ‘no respect’.  Despite this, he will be the #1 goalie for the Wings next season. 

With the departure of Ty Conklin to the Blues, the goalie of the ‘future’ (for the past 5 years), Detroit’s 64th pick in the 2003 draft, Jimmy Howard is ready to assume the mantle.  Well, the mantle of Osgood’s back-up as he gets some more NHL seasoning.  However he probably shouldn’t get too comfortable in that back-up role as Dan Cloutier is attempting to resurrect his career.  After taking a year off from hockey he put in a call to Wings GM Ken Holland to request a training camp invite.  Opinion is divided as to whether Holland really wants Cloutier as a back-up or if he is at camp to push Howard. 

The key to success (at least in the future) is what is coming up from the Grand Rapids Griffins.  Last season Daniel Larsson went 22 W with 12 L with a 2.76 GAA and a SV % of 0.907 backing up Howard and is expected to be the starter for Grand Rapids.    His backup will likely be 22 year old Jordan Pearce (University of Notre Dame free agent signing) and if this ‘hockey business’ doesn’t work out he has offers to go to medical school, which he has put on hold until he sees how his hockey career develops.  In the Wings stable of goalies, 19 year old Thomas McCollum (2008 draft, 1st Round, 30th overall) is seen as a ‘sure thing’ (of course so was Howard 5 years ago) and will be battling Pearce for the back-up role in Grand Rapids.  Pretty much one of these three will be the goalie of the future in Detroit.

However Wings fans can rest assured that, despite the fact that Chris Osgood has played 131 games (regular & playoff) over the past 2 seasons, his GAA went up a full goal last season (from 2.09 to 3.09) and his save % has gone from .914 t0 .887,  he should have enough in the tank, with one of the most solid defensive groups in front of him, to lead Detroit to another central title and a long playoff run.  And just in case that isn’t enough, recall this save he made in Game 1 of the Finals versus Malkin with the score tied a 1.

Class of Competition:

Which leads us to the final question for the Wings this season; Can the improvements by their Central Division competition, knock them from the top?

Chicago Blackhawks – These guys will be the one team that can catch Detroit but the biggest question mark for me is can Huet replace Nikolai Khabibulin?  For a game or two he did a good job in the playoffs (none bigger than this save on Franzen during Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals).  Lost Havlat, added Hossa.  Should be interesting.

St. Louis Blues – Only big free agent addition was Ty Conklin (if that can be called big).  Now last season’s big run to the playoff’s was all the more impressive in that it was accomplished without Erik Johnson, who was out for the season following a pre-training camp knee injury, Eric Brewer who required surgery to his back which ended his season in December and even Paul Kariya, who had surgery on his hips.  I think the Blues might be the team that surprises everyone next season.

Columbus Blue Jackets – From IC’s Ari here are his thoughts on the Jackets ceiling; Columbus has the potential to finish second or third in the Central division and be the team that no one wants to face in the first round of the playoffs. Anywhere from 4th to 6th is possible as long as Mason plays as well as last year. Columbus has basically the same team as last year, including many young players that should only improve.  And most recently we have Coach Hitchcock calling for the Wings blood.

Nashville Predators – Just has a solid team.  Nothing flashy.  But as Andreas Lilja learnt last season, they have the grit to punch you in the mouth as well as enough grind to score some solid, but not flashy goals.  Very good coach.  Question mark as to which goalie will be #1.

My Predictions:

Ceiling- While the Wings have lost a big chunk of scoring, and the Hawks have improved (at least at forward), they still have enough character to win the Central division (although I expect it to be closer than last season’s 8 points), finishing either 1st or 2nd in the Western Conference.  I could see them making it to the Western Conference finals, where age and fatigue might finally catch up to them.  They are still a threat to win the Cup.

With this core healthy, the Wings should go far. (Photo courtesy of mlive.com)

Floor- Could age and fatigue finally catch up to the Wings?  Well I don’t anticipate it doing so (this season) but if it does, we could see them slip to 2nd in the Central (behind the Hawks) and perhaps a loss in the 2nd round of the playoffs.  We know the Wings have lost some punch and the biggest question to be answered is, has the rest of the Central caught up to them? 

Wing Blogger Thoughts:

In addition to the above analysis I thought it would be a good idea to get a quick thought from Wings bloggers.  These guys follow Detroit through the ups and downs of each season, so who better to get a quick hit from them then?

Casey from Winging it in Mowtown said:
“The Red Wings will be fine if they are able to return the defense to its old form. They need this to happen instead of hoping it will happen after the departure of 88 goals from last year’s roster. This year’s team will likely be more physical which I think will eventually open up the ice for the playmakers to get their work in. The biggest question for me is Jimmy Howard’s ability to be a fulltime back-up to Chris Osgood. Other than that, the Wings will be back in the playoffs. I’m not calling a division title yet, or anytime soon, with the number of pick-ups the Blackhawks made but I
would truly be shocked if this squad didn’t make the playoffs.”

Kris from Snipe Snipe Dangle Danlge said:
“I expect them to be perfectly fine.  If they can stay healthy, there’s no reason they can’t go deep into the playoffs again.  They’ve got more than enough skill and motivation to get the job done.  The whole team is going to recommit itself to defense, and that will be the key to their success this year.  Most people outside of Detroit have been having fun this summer predicting the downfall of the Wings, but they’ve failed to account for two things:

1)Those same predictions have been being made for the last ten years or so, and not a single one of them has come true.  It’s the same “too old” “too slow” “washed up” nonsense that I’ve been scoffing at since before I knew what the word “geriatric” meant. 

2) Despite the fact that a lot of offense left the team thanks to free agency and the KHL, the guys who are being promoted from Grand Rapids are more than able to pick up the slack.  There’s a lot of excitement around Hockeytown about the prospect of seeing full seasons from Darren Helm, Jonathan Ericsson, and Ville Leino.  These guys aren’t your average rookies.  They’ve all been through a lengthy playoff run (in Helm’s case, two), and didn’t look at all out of place on hockey’s biggest stage.  I would think that if the hockey world had learned one thing over the last decade, it would be to never doubt Ken Holland and the Red Wings’ development system.”

Tyler from The Triple Deke said:
“As the summer has worn on, and the Wings have done what they could with their limited cap space, I’ve grown increasingly optimistic about 2010.  My level of concern for how this team will hold up over the course of a 4th straight deep playoff run has subsided a somewhat.  Of course I worry about Zetterberg, Kronwall and Franzen being a bit injury prone, and I worry about Osgood, Lidstrom and Rafalski’s age — but I just don’t think that’s going to be a deciding factor.  It was sickening after Fleury made that last save in Game 7, and I think that losing on home ice like that is going to drive them for the next 9 months.  I wouldn’t be surprised if they have a better season than last year despite losing Hossa, Hudler and Samuelsson.  (Note: I usually I feel obligated to throw Kopecky in that group, but after watching him have little impact as a Wing and then laughing when the Hawks gave him $2.4 million, it feels a little frivolous.)  People who don’t watch the Wings regularly already know about the big guns, but guys like Valtteri Filppula, Ville Leino, Darren Helm and Jonathan Ericsson are going to play a bigger role this year.  Filppula has a world of talent coming off of an excellent playoff run, and he could take a leap forward in 2010.  His career high in points is only 40 (last year), but he has some 20 goal / 40-50 assist seasons in him — it’s just a matter of when he puts it all together. 

Also, I just don’t think the other teams in the West got that much better, so on paper at least, the Bertuzzi and Williams downgrades don’t seem so bad.  The Flames bolstered their blue line and lost some scoring; the Hawks have a few months of Hossa and still have Huet in net; the Sharks couldn’t do a whole lot; the Ducks added Koivu and Lupul but lost one of the top 3 or 4 defenseman in Pronger; and so goes the story of salary cap.  I’m 100% biased, but I still say the Wings have the deepest crop of forwards and defenseman, plus maybe the best coach.  So for the umpteenth year in a row, it’s another Red Wings season where expectations are all-or-nothing.”

Matt from On the Wings said:
“I expect the Wings to be great this year. They’ll have plenty of motivation and should be playing with a chip on their shoulders. The Game 7 loss won’t be forgotten and while they certainly have no need to prove anything to anyone, they will want to show that they can get right back there. They took some hits in the off-season personnel-wise so they may not be the best in the league in the regular season, but you can bet they’ll be tops when it comes time for the playoffs. Despite the majority opinion in the hockey world this summer, I wouldn’t bet against them this year. ”

Chris from Motown Wings said:
“For the Wings this season, it’s all goign to come down to consistency on defense. Despite losing a solid chunk of scoring to free agency, the Wings have patched the holes enough to make up some points, but nothing can substitute for solid defensive play. I look for Brad Staurt, Niklas Kronwall and Jonathan Ericsson to step their games up and learn to play a stingier, more hungry defensive style, and for Nicklas Lidstrom to set the tone for the blue-liners with his consistent play and savvy leadership skills. 

Forwards:

The Columbus Blue Jackets ranked 10th in scoring team in the Western Conference, averaging 2.76 goals/game. Though they ranked in the bottom half of the conference in offense, 2008-2009 was a significant improvement, as the Jackets scored the fewest goals in the NHL only one year earlier.

Columbus’ offensive strength comes from two sources: hard work and Rick Nash (note: Nash also works hard but is the only player other than Huselius that can consistently create scoring opportunities). Fortunately for Jackets fans, Nash is signed through the 2017-2018 season. Columbus’ offensive corps will essentially remain intact, and is improved (defensively) by the addition of Sammy Pahlsson.

Who Could Forget This Goal by Rick Nash vs. the Coyotes?

Led by 25 year-old Rick Nash, Columbus’ offense has potential to improve significantly for the second straight year. Nash led the Jackets offense with 40 goals last season, many of them of highlight-reel quality. He regarded as one of the NHL’s emerging stars and could easily win the Rocket Richard Trophy.

Kristian Huselius is not exactly your typical Ken Hitchcock player. He has a propensity to float, and at $4.75 million/season may not have been GM Scott Howson’s finest move. In spite of these issues, Huselius gives the Jackets a scorer and playmaker, something they lack.

The rookie combination of Jakub Voracek and Derick Brassard provided the Jackets with a spark during the early part of the season. Unfortunately, Brassard missed most of the season with a shoulder injury and Voracek’s production tailed off near the end of the season.

Brassard, Columbus’ 1st round pick, 6th overall in 2006, is a great playmaker and scorer. Brassard could become a point a game player in the near future. Voracek, Columbus’ 1st round pick, 7th overall in 2007, can create offense. He will lead the Jackets in assists in a few years.

Nikita Filatov, Columbus’ 1st round pick, 6th overall in 2008, was used sparingly last season. He has incredible offensive potential and should take on a more active role with the club this year.

The Jackets also boast depth at centre. In addition to Brassard, they have R.J. Umberger, Antoine Vermette, and Sammy Pahlsson.

Umberger is a valuable penalty-killer and two way forward, and Sammy Pahlsson is a defensive specialist. Pahlsson should help fans forget about the loss of Mike Peca. Antoine Vermette was acquired at the trade deadline last year for goaltender Pascal Leclaire. Vermette performed very well with the Jackets, totaling 13 points in 17 games.

Freddy Modin and Raffi Torres can also make valuable offensive contributions if they can stay healthy.

Columbus also has a number of role players. Jared Boll is an excellent enforcer/tough-guy. Jason Chimera provides solid two-way play, and Andrew Murray and Derek Dorsett are hard-working players that fit well into Ken Hitchcock’s system.

Defense:

Kris Russell is the key to the Jackets' Offensive Blue Line Success

While Columbus is a defense-first team, their defense is relatively unheralded. Led by Mike Commodore and Fedor Tyutin, the Jackets defensive focuses on strong defensive play. Tyutin and Commodore are both above-average defensemen. Tyutin set career highs in points last year and at 26, could see better years ahead.

The key to the defensive improving offensively is Kris Russell. The 22 year-old Russell spent most of last season with the Jackets but also saw time in the minors. Columbus had the worst power-play in the league last year, and a maturing Russell could be just what the Jackets need.

Rotislav (Rusty) Klesla missed most of last season with injuries but will be at 100% for this season. Fellow Czech Jan Hejda was a remarkable +23 last season and may be the best defensive defenseman on the Jackets’ squad.

Goaltending:

Is Steve Mason the Next Great Canadian Goaltender?

The primary reason Columbus made the playoffs last year was the play of rookie Steve Mason. Mason won the Calder and was a finalist for the Vezina. After taking over for Pascal Leclaire, Mason led the NHL in shutouts and was second in goals against average.

Mason is making a paltry $850.000 and will likely be one of the best bargains in the league. GM Scott Howson should strongly consider signing Mason to a lengthy contract extension. The Jackets have an improving offense and a solid defense, but the success of the team will be determined by how well Steve Mason plays.

The Jackets made a wise move by signing veteran Mathieu Garon to be their back-up. With Fredrik Norrena signing in Europe, the Jackets have secured a reliable, experienced back-up. The 31 year-old joins his fifth team. He will not play very often playing behind Steve Mason.

Prediction:

Ceiling – Columbus has the potential to finish second or third in the Central division and be the team that no one wants to face in the first round of the playoffs. Anywhere from 4th to 6th is possible as long as Mason plays as well as last year. Columbus has basically the same team as last year, including many young players that should only improve.

Floor – If Mason gets injured or does not play well the Jackets could finish at the bottom of a very tough Central division. Though they will not finish in last, 10th or 11th is not out of the question.

The Chicago Blackhawks came up harder and faster than any other National Hockey League team last season.  After missing the playoffs the previous six years, the Hawks racked up 104 points (good for 6th place overall) en route to a respectable Western Conference finals appearance against the powerhouse Detroit Red Wings.  Individual breakout performances (Kris Versteeg, Cam Barker, Dustin Bfyuglien) and team synergy were plentiful last year (especially in the first round of the playoffs against the Calgary Flames) as a team loaded with promise met and surpassed most expectations set upon them by the hockey world. Not bad at all for a team that fired former head coach Denis Savard four games into the season.

But, you say that this is supposed to be a season preview and not a recap of last year. Well, we must learn from history in order to understand the future right?

The youtful Hawks are in a wonderful position entering this season (Patrik Kane’s off-ice troubles aside) and are absolutely loaded at every position (goaltending included).  By acquiring big-game fish Marian Hossa (41 goals last year) and John Madden (Two-time Stanley Cup winner), the Hawks have crystallized a developing team that has skill at every position.

Let’s break down this year’s version of the Hawks, which should be even better than last year’s squad.

Forwards

The Hawks had no trouble scoring goals last year (260),  boasting eight forwards with 15 or more markers.  Chicago has four dynamic forward lines, all with the ability to put the puck in the net.  Thus, the Hawks primary strength this season will be its distributive scoring led by Captain Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa (who will miss the first two months of the season recovering from shoulder surgery). Consider that new addition John Madden will most likely center the team’s third line between Andrew Ladd and Dustin Bfyuglien.  Even if those three  players were to post similar numbers to last year–and that is unlikely as the 36-year-old Madden had an uncharacteristically low seven goals last year– that is still 37 potential goals from the third line. Bad boy Ben Eager even chipped in 11 goals on the fourth line last season and he is expected to be matched up with former Red Wings prospect Tomas Kopecky and feisty pest Adam Burish.

In fact, Chicago is so deep that prospects such as Jack Skille and Kyle Beach may not even see consistent ice time until sometime next season because of the rapid development of players like Dave Bolland and Kris Versteeg who thrived playing together last season.

Grade of Forwards: A

Defensemen

Chicago’s rearguard crew is the envy of every coach and GM in the NHL these days.  After years of exceptional drafting and scouting, and a certain free-agent signing (Brian Campbell, seven years, $52 million) the Hawks have the best collection of defensemen in the NHL with arguably the exception of the Red Wings.  Led by future Olympians Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, who were a combined plus-56 last season, the Hawks are quick on the draw out of their own end and possess a mean streak that was especially felt by the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks during last year’s playoffs.

Even though Campbell put up 52 points last year, he was criticized for his poor defensive zone play.  On a team that is clearly striving to become a more complete team like the afformentioned Red Wings and San Jose Sharks, it will be interesting to see if Campbell will be asked to reform his game or if he will be allowed to continue ripping around the ice like a jet ski knowing that the dividends include more goals on the scoresheet.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of last year was the all-around development of Winnipeg’s Cam Barker. Barker clearly showed that he was more serious about his game last year and has turned into a dandy.  Barker is physical and posseses underrated power-play quarterbacking abilities. Barker has found a match playing alongside high-flying Brian Campbell and takes some of the offensive load off his counterpart, giving Coach Joel Quenneville yet another weapon on the blueline.

22-year-old Niklas Hjalmarsson will pair up with veteran Brent Sopel on the team’s third defensive pairing and will be counted on for smart defensive play and some  extra offensive contributions. Both Hjalmarsson and Sopel have a sandpaper element to their game which compliments the bad boy persona of the team’s forward group.

It appears that Aaron Johnson and Richard Petiot will battle it out in training camp for the team’s final defensive spot.  Johnson played 38 games for the Hawks last season while Petiot was acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Grade of Defensemen: A

Goalie

Predictably, superstar goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin bolted (get the pun?) for the Edmonton Oilers shortly after the playoffs ended, which instantly made Cristobal Huet the undisuputed Number-1 goaltender in the Windy City.  Huet is a relative enigma in the NHL but he has always put up very good numbers.  Because Khabibulin inhabited the crease for most of last season, Huet was relegated to the back up role, which was not part of the original plan when he signed a multi-year big pay day contract.  Huet managed to post 20 wins and a solid .909 Save percentage in only 41 games last season and will surely benefit this season from knowing that he will be the go-to netminder heading into training camp. Huet is the type of goaltender who thrives when he sees a lot of rubber.  Remember, Montreal was not exactly a defensive juggernaut when Huet was there and he posted some pretty special numbers.

Huet’s back-up this year will likely be Montreal native Corey Crawford, who has been developing his game in the American Hockey League. Crawford has spent four seasons on the farm and will fight off Finnish stopper Antti Niemi for the job.

Grade of Goaltenders: B+

Overall

The Hawks are front-page news in Chi-Town and have created a colossal buzz by signing known superstar Marian Hossa. Chicago unfortunately had a difficult off-season with the firing of Dale Tallon and the bizarre incident involving Patrick Kane and a taxi cab driver but the team is in a position to compete for a Stanley Cup.

The Hawks have kept most of their team in tact from last season and have added one of Detroit’s best players from last year so the pressure has increased substantially.

A Western Conference finals appearance may not cut it this year.

Final Prediction (ceiling): 2^nd in Central Division, 4th in the Western  Conference, and 41 sellouts at the United Center.

(floor): 3rd in Central division, 6th in the Western Conference

• Landon Ferraro has impressed so far at Wings prospect camp.  It’s in the bloodlines, plus you always have to trust anyone that the Wings’ brass believes worthy of a high draft pick.
• Here is a look at Nikolai Khabibulin’s new Oilers helmet.  Nice looking mask.
• The Canucks don’t want this travel issue to affect the team’s already ridiculous travel schedule.  I see this situation getting worked out.
• Capitals prospect Joe Finley has apparently been injured on the first day of Capitals camp.  No word on the severity of the injury for the massive defenseman turned forward.

Tonight’s guests are John Glennon of the Tennessean and Rutgers University Law Profesor Mark Edelman.

Glennon will be on to discuss the Predators’ off-season, the chances of a number of Predators participating in the Olympics, and what to expect next year in Music City.  To send a question along for Glennon, drop a question/comment in our mailbag and we’ll do our best to get to it.

Edelman will be along to breakdown the American Needle v. NFL case that we spoke about on last week’s show (the 60 minute mark).  He is the expert on this particular case and will be discussing the ramifications of this potential ruling on the NHL and hockey fans around the world.  To send a question along for Edelman, submit it to our mailbag.

To listen to tonight’s show, click here.

To read more about the IllegalCurve.com Radio Show or listen to past shows, click here.

If you want to call into tonight’s show the number is (204) 780-Kick.  Additionally, you can email us in studio at drew@illegalcurve.com.

We hope you tune in.

Sincerely,

The IC Team

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 story’s over. He’s going to play in Russia,” Holland said. “We’re waiting on the terms (of the salary arbitration case) he has to (honor) if and when he returns to the NHL.”

Read the story here.

This story broke earlier on Sportsnet, with the opposite being reported.  However, this now clarifies the issue.  Hudler is gone to the KHL and the Wings have a big hole to fill now that his offense will be missing from the lineup.  I think most would agree that he was seen as a very good replacement for much of Marian Hossa’s offense. 

• 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.

Clearly Tallon’s mistake concerning qualifying offers to a set of players on his team (which included Cam Barker and Kris Versteeg) was the straw that broke the camel’s back.  One of the reasons I was not surprised by the news was because rumblings have been going on for a while (I believe Al Strachan started rumblings of possible discord in the Hawks front office on the Hot Stove late in the year) that Tallon may have been on thin ice. 

Now, I have to readily admit that I’ve been puzzled by many of Tallon’s moves.  While he made some great additions to the team’s young core, his attempt to augment the team’s young talent with a number of veteran players was not very successful.  The contracts given to Brian Campbell and Cristobal Huet have come back to bite the Hawks, never mind the funds needed to sign Cam Barker, Kris Versteeg, et. al, after the team’s qualifying disaster; and I didn’t even mention Dustin Byfuglien.

But while Tallon can be criticized for some moves, he did turn this team around.  He drafted Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, (even though they were high draft picks, he still selected them), traded litte to acquire the highly underrated Patrick Sharp, and re-signed Martin Havlat to a contract extension when things in Chicago weren’t exactly rosey.

My biggest question at the end of the day is: Why on earth did the Blackhawks organization make this move now?

People will respond to that by referring to the Barker and Versteeg contracts, however, that is not the issue in my opinion.  Instead, the issue really centers around Tallon being on such thin ice that his mistake resulted in his firing.  Clearly people within the Blackhawks management structure did not think Tallon was doing a great job because this mistake, while significant, does not seem to be the only reason he was fired.

So, if that is the case, then why not fire Dale Tallon prior to free agency?  To me, it seems odd that the organization would let the GM sign a player, Marian Hossa, to a twelve-year deal when they are hardly confident in his managing ability.  Additionally, the re-signings of Versteeg, Barker, et al, eat up a lot of cap room.  For a team that is going to have serious cap troubles next season, it makes little sense why you’d let the person who made the mistake, rectify it at his own volition.

All in all, I understand the Hawks firing Dale Tallon.  Each franchise has a vision, and clearly Tallon’s was not the same as what the Blackhawks had in mind.  However, if the team was this unhappy with Tallon, you have to wonder what took the Blackhawks so long to make this move?

• 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.   

According to both the NHL and the NHLPA, the investigation into how and why the Chicago Blackhawks bungled a number of their qualifying offers is ongoing.

Neither side will comment, however since this story broke Friday evening on TSN.ca, interest into how the league and players association will respond is significant.

If the NHL grants leniency and attempts to sweep this issue away, it’s expected the NHLPA will swiftly file a grievance and the matter will go to a hearing.

Sources with hands on knowledge of how qualifying offers have to be filed say as innocent as this mistake may have been, there is no excuse for it, and the league should follow through with the ultimate penalty and declare all players who didn’t received proper notification, unrestricted free agents.

Read the entire article here.

Needless to say, this would be the ultimate mistake if the Blackhawks lose the rights to these players (the list includes Cam Barker and Kris Versteeg).  If the NHL follows the letter of the law, they may have no choice but to announce that these players are outright free agents.  However, for the time being the NHL is attempting to sort this issue out behind closed doors.  Even so, the article correctly states that the NHLPA will be following the situation closely and if the PA feels there is a chance that these players really should be free agents according to the rules–it will file a grievance.

Regardless of the result, you can bet teams will now pay even closer attention than ever to responsibilities like this. 

Detroit Red Wings (2) versus Pittsburgh Penguins (4)

• Red Wings defenseman Brad Stuart says it is “kind of surreal” to have your season success determined by just one game.  Wings GM Ken Holland says that in this situation, you cannot let your mind wander off.  Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma really doesn’t remember Mike Babcock’s Game 7 speech from 2003.  Drew Sharp says that the Wings have all the pressure tonight.  Speaking of pressure, it does not bother Chris Osgood.  Wings defensemen Brian Rafalski is a favorite in his home state.  Not only is Rafalski the favorite son in Michigan, but he is also very experienced in Game 7s.  The distance in this game tonight is between never and forever, writes Mitch Albom.
• Evgeni Malkin has been dreaming of holding the Cup with Sidney Crosby.  With Game 7 only hours away, the talk does not matter anymore; all both teams have to do is play.  Once the puck is dropped, adrenaline should carry the players through the entire game.  All the numbers in favor of Detroit winning tonight do not mean anything to Pittsburgh.  The Stanley Cup has a special place in Dan Bylsma’s mind.  Mario Lemieux has full confidence in his Pittsburgh players.

Teams that are not in the playoffs

• It appears that long-time Avalanche checker Ian Laperriere has one foot out the door.
• People in Minnesota believe that Todd Richards is still the favorite to be hired as the new coach of the Wild.
• John Gonzalez of the Philadelphia Inquirer wonders if Ray Emery brought his baggage with him back from Russia?
• Ray Ratto of the San Francisco Chronicle examines the Sharks’ outlook for next season.
• Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal says Dany Heatley is exactly what the Oilers need.  In other Oilers news, the team has let go Pete Peeters as goaltending coach.
• The province of Quebec is willing to give a loan to any Quebec based groups interested in buying the Canadiens.

The Marc Crawford hiring

• “His biggest asset is the way he holds all his players accountable,” said Stars center Brendan Morrison, who played for Marc Crawford in Vancouver.
• Joe Nieuwendyk went about hiring Crawford the old school way, writes Mike Heika.
• Here is a recap of former Stars coach Dave Tippett’s tenure in Dallas.
• Most people in the game, do not believe Dave Tippett will be out of work for long.

The Coyotes situation

• “If the Buffalo Sabres’ silence means that they are working against Hamilton’s bid, then Hamilton and the surrounding area residents should join in boycotting the Buffalo Sabres along with the Toronto Maple Leafs,” said a Hamilton city councillor.
• Jim Balsillie is convinced that a June 22nd auction is good for his efforts to bring the team to Hamilton.
• Can the city of Hamilton afford an NHL team?
• Stephen Brunt of the Globe & Mail questions the NHL’s due diligence process.

AHL Calder Cup Final

• Gary Lawless of the Winnipeg Free Press sets the stage for tonight’s Game 6 of the Calder Cup.  With so many veterans on the roster, the Moose are not panicking.  Paul Friesen of the Winnipeg Sun explains that the Moose organization didn’t set up the team’s homecoming at the airport two days ago, rather, it was the Winnipeg Airport staff.  (Writer’s note: Nice gesture by the airport staff to get behind the local team.)

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.

Detroit Red Wings (2) versus Pittsburgh Penguins (4)

• Writing for USA Today, Jacques Demers likes the Wings in Game 7.  (Writer’s note: Kelly Hrudey also picked the Wings last night on the IllegalCurve.com Radio Show.)  (Second writer’s note: You figure if Demers is submitting a piece to USA Today, they could at least spell his name right!)  If Detroit wins on Friday, Helene St. James thinks Chris Osgood is a shoe-in for the Conn Smythe.  Meantime, Michael Rosenberg disagrees with Wings coach Mike Babcock and says Marian Hossa is indeed pressing.  Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press thinks Friday night will be a showcase of the next great hockey rivalry.  Good thing for Wings fans that home-ice has been a huge advantage in past Game 7s.  That said, in Game 7s, it is just 60 minutes of play, so predictions carry very little weight.  If people are wondering, Chris Chelios has no intention of retiring at season’s end.
• Tomorrow night is Dan Bylsma’s shot at Game 7 redemption.  Look for Petr Sykora to miss tomorrow night’s game.  Penguins fans ask Dave Molinari if the Penguins can win in Detroit?  Many of the players have already played Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final in their imagination as little kids.  Sidney Crosby has gone two games without a point, but has never gone three post-season games in a row without getting on the scoreboard.  Winning in Detroit may be hard, but the Penguins are optimistic.

Teams that are not in the playoffs

• This year’s rating for Game 6 of the Final were down from last season, however, last season’s game did not go up against the NBA Finals.
• Ducks goaltending coach Francois Allaire has left the organization to join the Leafs in the same position. 
• Meanwhile, Paul Hunter provides the Toronto perspective of the Francois Allaire hire.
• Brian Burke was not done with the hire of Allaire, as he made some other staff changes yesterday.  Here is more on those changes from Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun.
• The Molson Brothers have bid on the Canadiens.  “We think our offer has all the ingredients to be well received by the potential seller and the National Hockey League,” said the Molson family. 
• One thing is for certain, buying the Habs will not come cheap.
• Apparently Cory Clouston is not Dany Heatley’s only issue with the Senators organization.

Stars fire Tippett

• Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News points out that Tippett’s expected replacement, Marc Crawford, has not had any more recent playoff success than Tippett.
• The truth is, the Stars have not finished higher than third in their division over the past three seasons.

Flyers sign Emery

• Apparently the Flyers brass holds Ray Emery in very high esteem.
• “I don’t view it as a big gamble“, said Flyers GM Paul Holmgren about Emery.

The Coyotes situation

• Former Coyotes executive Jeff Shumway has accused the Glendale City Manager of trying to destroy a document, which would be illegal under Arizona law.
• If the Coyotes were to stay in Arizona and possibly be viable, they’d need concessions from the City of Glendale.
• The NHL may be looking to add an indemnity fee to the requirement for a relocation fee.
• Mary Ormsby of the Toronto Star takes a closer look at Judge Redfield T. Baum.
• Damien Cox wonders if maybe the Leafs should cut a deal with Balsillie now, so the organization doesn’t risk getting low indemnity payments handed down by the Court.
• David Shoalts tells us that a team in Hamilton would be worth at least $300 million, and some think a whole lot more.
• Word out of Phoenix is that if Balsillie’s bid fails, the Coyotes will be put up for auction.
• Jeff Blair of the Globe & Mail tells Balsillie to just cut the cheque and prove to everyone that you are for real.
• Toronto aside, the Buffalo Sabres are worried about the possibility of a Hamilton franchise.

AHL Calder Cup Final

• Scott Arniel does not want his Moose players to feel content about bringing this series back to Winnipeg, he wants their focus strictly on forcing a Game 7.  Paul Friesen wonders why Moose fans were so giddy yesterday, when the team hasn’t won anything yet?  Mark Fistric luckily only lost clear vision in his eye for about ten seconds, after taking a Karl Alzner shot to the face.

Detroit Red Wings (2) versus Pittsburgh Penguins (4)

• Drew Sharp says that Chris Osgood was really the only Wing that came to play last night in Pittsburgh.  Ted Kulfan disagrees and has some high praise for Henrik Zetterberg.  Detroit played like a team that could lose yesterday, opines Mitch Albom.  Bob Wojnowski agrees with Albom but says that the Penguins deserve credit for their performance last night.  Helene St. James reminds readers that the Wings have only lost one game at home all playoffs.  Game 7 will be the ultimate hockey game, explains Dave Dye.
• Marc-Andre Fleury made the biggest save of the series last night on Daniel Cleary.  Jordan Staal is one of the main reasons there even is a Game 7, writes Shelly Anderson.  Joe Starkey compares Game 6 to an NFL contest.  Petr Sykora checked back into the lineup yesterday for Pittsburgh.  Here are some notes about the Penguins.

Teams that are not in the playoffs

• Gordie Howe was a tough character on the ice, but he is admittedly having a tough time since his wife passed away, writes Larry Lage.
• Some of the Thrashers players took batting practice yesterday with the Braves.  In other Thrashers news, the team has agreed to terms with forward Andrew Kozek.
• The Columbus Blue Jackets are close to naming a new goalie coach, a coach who has a personal relationship with Steve Mason.
• In Dallas, Mike Heika tells us that this particular Stanley Cup Final is exactly what the NHL needs.
• A deal has been reached between Ray Emery and the Flyers, reports Ed Moran.  “We think Emery’s a better goalie than Marty,” said an anonymous Flyers executive.

Brent Sutter’s resignation

• Brent Sutter endorses Paul MacLean as the next coach of the Devils.
• Steve Politi of the Newark Star-Ledger believes it is time for MacLean to lead the Devils too.
• Devils captain Jamie Langenbrunner was disappointed to see Brent Sutter step-down.
• Sutter says his family is very happy about the decision he made to head back home.
• Devils owner Jeff Vanderbeek was disappointed to see Sutter go.
• Sutter says he made his decision on Monday, after his first good sleep in a long time.
• With the decision made, Darry Sutter is now expected to contact Lou Lamoriello regarding Brent Sutter’s availability.
• The Flames job does really seem tailor-made for the former Devils bench boss.
• “There’s no guarantee he would get more out of the team than Keenan did. It’s still up to the players,” said an NHL insider to Alan Maki of the Globe and Mail.

Dany Heatley’s trade request

• Dany Heatley has apparently asked to be traded because he doesn’t have a good relationship with Senators coach Cory Clouston.
• Ken Warren goes over possible destinations and returns for Heatley.  Bruce Garrioch does the same.
• Wayne Scanlan of the Ottawa Citizen has a very interesting piece on Heatley in this morning’s paper.

The Coyotes situation

• Paul Waldie says Gary Bettman gained the upper-hand with yesterday’s news.
• Some may think it is a victory for Bettman, but Bruce Arthur of the National Post thinks that the extra $100 million fee is definitely worth it.
• The issue of relocation fees stole the spotlight at yesterday’s hearing, writes Carrie Watters of the Arizona Republic.
• Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star runs down the possibile rulings that Judge Baum could hand down.
• Here is a video of Scott Morrison with the latest on the story.
• No wonder Judge Baum is stalling, explains Randy Turner of the Winnipeg Free Press.

AHL Calder Cup Final

• Hershey played a strong game, but Cory Schneider shut the door, so the Moose and Bears are headed back to Winnipeg to play Game 6 on Friday.
• The Moose have one person to thank for forcing a Game 6 and that is Cory Schneider, after the young netminder stole the show in Hershey last night.
• Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun says that without Schneider, the Moose had no business being in yesterday’s contest.

**Tonight is the IllegalCurve.com Radio Show with guests James Mirtle (Globe & Mail and From The Rink) and Kelly Hrudey (former NHL netminder and current Hockey Night in Canada analyst for CBC).  The show starts at 7pm Central Time and runs until 9pm Central Time.  To read more about IllegalCurve Radio, click here.**

Detroit Red Wings (2) versus Pittsburgh Penguins (4)

• There are a few special Red Wings that have been apart of the team’s Cup victories since 1997.  Michael Rosenberg of the Detroit Free Press warns fans not to take the Wings’ success for granted.  Last year he played in zero playoff games, but this year if the Wings hoist the Cup, Jonathan Ericsson will feel more of a direct contribution to the team’s success.  In injury news, Pavel Datsyuk didn’t seem to be showing any ill-effects on Monday after playing his first game in a couple of weeks.  Former Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman says he really admires this particular Red Wings team.
• Rob Rossi of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review says Game 6 will be a defining moment for Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby and Marc-Andre Fleury.  If the Penguins want to extend this series, they need a great performance from everyone on the roster, writes Dave Molinari.  Ducks coach Randy Carlyle has some advice for the Penguins if they ask for it.  Could Petr Sykora see his first finals action in Game 6?
• U.S. television ratings on Versus are up 42% over last year. 

Teams that are not in the playoffs

• The Thrashers have re-signed center Marty Reasoner to a two-year deal.
• In other signing news, the Ducks have signed winger Mike Brown to a two-year extension.
• As linked yesterday, there will be no changes to the Hurricanes coaching staff for next season.
• In Columbus, Stefan Legein is going to get a clean slate from coach Ken Hitchcock and GM Scott Howson in 2009/10.
• Brent Sutter says he talks to Lou Lamoriello on a daily basis, but has yet to make up his mind as to whether he will return to coaching next season.  However, Rich Chere is reporting that Sutter is expected to announce today that he will not return to Jersey next season.
• Former owner of the Islanders Roy Boe has sadly passed away.
• Apparently Ray Emery and the Flyers are still negotiating a contract and a deal has not yet been finalized.
• Jacques Lemaire has turned down an offer from the Lightning to be a team consultant.
• The Leafs are not going to bring back Curtis Joseph next season.
• Tim Wharnsby thinks Mike Babcock should be head coach of Canada’s 2010 team at the Olympics.

The Coyotes situation

• Could the ruling today force both sides to come to some sort of agreement?
• Here are the arguments both sides will be presenting in court today.
• Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star recaps what has happened so far in this case.
• Did you know the Leafs have made money over the Copps Coliseum before?
• Could this case take almost two years to come to a final resolution?
• The city and Jerry Moyes obviously disagree over the viability of the Coyotes franchise.

AHL Calder Cup Final

• Washington coach Bruce Boudreau thinks that playing in the AHL playoffs is a great learning experience for the organization’s young players.
• There is a lot riding on Game 5 for the Manitoba Moose franchise, writes Randy Turner.  Sensing a tired group, Scott Arniel gave his players the day off on Monday.  The Moose hope to use their experience to their advantage tonight.

Stanley Cup Final

• Compared to their other championship teams, this Wings squad has faced the most significant injuries.  Good point by Wilkinson.  This is obviously a testament to the Wings’ depth.  Consider that they can insert Ville Leino or Justin Abdelkader into the lineup and get solid production, as well as see players like Valtteri Filppula take on more responsibility and their depth truly is impressive.
• Bruce Garrioch wonders if Marc-Andre Fleury can find his game when he needs to most?  I believe he can, but I may be in the minority.
• Seth Rorabaugh links up the CBC’s opening for Game 5.  CBC’s ratings may be down, but their ability to dominate the headlines with eye-catching openings is probably the best it’s ever been.

Everyone else

• It is expected the Carolina Hurricanes coaching staff will be the same next season.  Good work by Rutherford to bring back the same group.  They clearly did a tremendous job with the club they had, and with a full season under this coaching staff, the Canes are surely aiming to finish higher than the sixth seed next season.
• The Blackhawks have signed four prospects.  Nothing overly significant, or surprising about these moves.
• Michael Russo thinks Derek Boogaard could find himself on the move this summer.  He is one of the most physically intimidating players in the NHL and a player that would fit well on a number of teams Russo mentioned. 

Detroit Red Wings (2) versus Pittsburgh Penguins (4)

• Mike Babcock made few, if any, adjustments for Game 5, writes Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe.  Dan Bylsma tells readers what Babcock does that makes him so successful.  If the Wings do win the Cup, Marian Hossa’s move to the Motor City will be justified.  Pavel Datysuk’s return to the Wings lineup has made this an even fight, writes Mitch Albom.  Wings GM Ken Holland was never worried about Chris Osgood.  Drew Sharp tells us that there is no such thing as momentum in this series.  The Red Wings’ discipline is something to behold.  Is Larry Murphy hoping for Detroit or Pittsburgh?
• The Penguins are motivated by the fact that they don’t want to see Detroit skate around the Mellon Arena again with Lord Stanley’s Cup.  Bill Guerin, knowing this may be his last chance at a Cup, doesn’t want the season to end on Tuesday.  If people think the Penguins have lost confidence in Marc-Andre Fleury, they are wrong.  Joe Starkey wonders if Marc-Andre Fleury can be the reason the Penguins comeback in this series?  Dan Bylsma doesn’t want this series to mirror the series he lost to New Jersey as a player in 2003.

Teams that are not in the playoffs

• So far in these playoffs, television rating are up in the United States and down in Canada, writes Chris Zelkovich.
• In some great news, Brent Burns is back working out for the Wild and has been symptom-free for a month after suffering a bad concussion late in the season.
• Ed Moran of the Philadelphia Daily News says goaltending is always the story in Philadelphia.
• Jack Todd of the Montreal Gazette figures Jacques Martin will lead the Habs no farther than the second round of the playoffs, then eventually be fired for not taking them to the next level.

The Coyotes situation

• Don’t be surprised if Jim Balsillie wins this case, writes Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star.
• Here are some of the arguments from both sides.
• Gary Loewen of the Toronto Sun wonders if Bettman will be at Game 6 tomorrow or the court room?
• Both sides are going back and forth at each other with the case soon to be decided, writes Paul Waldie of the Globe & Mail.
• Apparently Balsillie’s camp is relying largely on the argument that this case is very similar to the one that saw the Seattle Pilots baseball team move to Milwaukee.
• Stephen Brunt tells readers to not take the alternate bids for the Coyotes, that would see the team stay in Phoenix, at face value.
• Anyone interested in purchasing the team, should realize just how much money its lost.
• Some think Judge Redfield Baum doesn’t want to decide this case, and would obviously much prefer these two sides come to an agreement on their own.

AHL Calder Cup Final

• A too many men on the ice penalty proved costly for the Manitoba Moose on Sunday, writes Tim Campbell.  Down 3-1 in the series, the next game is win or you’re out, says Mike Keane.

Stanley Cup Final

• Pavel Datsyuk will play tonight but Matthew Barnaby thinks he’s having trouble turning.  Starting him on the wing is a good move from Babcock.  Protect your star until he proves he can handle more responsibility.
• Daniel Cleary is questionable for tonight’s game.  His attributes aren’t easily replaceable, especially his net presence, so his loss could really hurt.
• Has Niklas Kronwall been better than Nicklas Lidstrom in the Final?  Kronwall has been this good for a while now, so it’s nice to see he’s finally getting some credit.
• Mike Lange’s goal calls from Game 4.  Scratch my back with a hacksaw…
• Elliotte Friedman examines something I asked yesterday: Should the Wings start shadowing Malkin?  Well-written piece.
• Kevin Allen says the Wings need to do these five things to win today.  I think Hossa is the key from that list.

Everyone else

• Karl Alzner is expected to play in Game 3 of the Calder Cup Final tonight.  That’s certainly going to be  a nice boost to Hershey’s chances, as Alzner is a very good defensemen, with excellent puck-moving skills.
• From this morning’s Bergen Record, Tom Gulitti says Brent Sutter has had enough time to decide his future. I feel like he isn’t going to return to Jersey.  (Thanks to reader 95Crash for the heads-up)

Other stories

• Jonathan Willis chimes in on the reported discord from the Oilers’ locker room this season.  It will be interesting to see how many roster changes we see from Steve Tambellini this off-season.  He has already put his stamp on the team with his coaching hires, so you’d have to expect a few roster changes as well.

Detroit Red Wings (2) versus Pittsburgh Penguins (4)

• Some of the Wings players believe the team has not yet played its best in the Final.  Others may be worried, but Mike Babcock is confident in his team and feels good about Game 5.  Drew Sharp wonders who much the Wings have left in their tank?  If fans think Nicklas Lidstrom’s leadership qualities have changed as captain, they are wrong.  Pavel Datsyuk’s return is going to really help the slumping Marian Hossa.  The fact that Detroit controls the matchups tonight will be vitally important.
• This Pittsburgh writer believes Marc-Andre Fleury’s performance is the key to Game 5.  Detroit will continue to have trouble, if they can’t score on the power play.  Here’s a number of Penguins tidbits from Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  The Penguins made sure to get some rest on Friday, with few regulars opting to take the ice.  Meantime, Evgeni Malkin’s parents are the most popular parents in Pittsburgh.  Bob Errey saw some significance in Jordan Staal’s big short-handed goal in Game 4.

Teams that have not made the playoffs

• With Chuck Fletcher in the GM seat, the Minnesota Wild are looking to deal.  As well as sifting over other rosters, Fletcher also plans on hiring a coach before the Draft.
• Devils fans are apparently eager for Martin Brodeur day.
• Is there finally some good news coming from the Islanders’ efforts for a new arena?
• As you probably already know, the Rangers are raising season ticket prices for next season.
• Dave Perkins of the Toronto Star mocks this new Toronto group trying to secure an NHL expansion franchise.  This whole attempt is foolish, writes Sean Fitz-Gerald of the National Post.
• Staying in Toronto, the Leafs have let go AHL Marlies coach Greg Gilbert.
• Corey Masisak profiles Capitals prospect defenseman John Carlson.

The Coyotes situation

• Jim Balsillie told ESPN Radio that he doesn’t think another team in Southern Ontario would hurt Buffalo.
• In a court document, the other three professional sports leagues penned their concern over a bad precedent being set.
• Tuesday is decision day in this case.
• Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star calls Judge Redfield Baum the most powerful man in sports.
• According to Paul Waldie of the Globe & Mail, the Argos owners are interested in purchasing the Coyotes.

AHL Calder Cup

• It is amazing how so many hockey people can be connected in some way, writes Tim Campbell.  On the ice, Scott Arniel says his team’s goal is to win at least one game on the road to ensure a return to Manitoba for Game 6.  Many people think the Moose/Bears series is pretty much even.  Meanwhile, Chris Bourque may be Ray Bourque’s son, but he is good enough to have made it without that name on the back of his jersey.

Now, I realize that part of this dominance is due to the fact that, for the most part, he hasn’t been faced Zetterberg and Lidstrom/Rafalski, but should the Wings start looking for that matchup?  Or are the Wings okay with their current ability to limit Sidney Crosby and fear that making that switch would just allow Crosby to go off as Malkin has?

Certainly tough questions to be asking, and ones that Detroit better find an answer to.  It sure helps that two of the next possible three games are at home.  But what if the Penguins start loading up Malkin with Crosby again?  You’d have to expect that to happen and we know that no team has an answer for that. 

Let’s just say that Detroit desperately needs Pavel Datsyuk for Game 5 because sometimes the best defense, is a good offense.

Now here are some evening links:

• An “explanation” for why the Rangers raised tickets prices.
• NBC and CTV won’t fight over Pierre McGuire at Olympic time.
• Allan Muir doesn’t like what’s going on in Colorado.
• A chat with Don Cherry, from Puck Daddy.
• Chuck Fletcher is looking to deal in Minnesota.

Detroit Red Wings (2) versus Pittsburgh Penguins (4)

• “We weren’t good at all defensively,” said Chris Osgood after his team’s 4-2 loss in Game 4.  For all the talk about the Wings’ penalty killing being poor, the team’s power play has been awful in this series.  The challenge of stopping Crosby and Malkin together proved to be too much.  The Wings organization is saying that Pavel Datsyuk is close to returning to the lineup.  Without Datsyuk in the lineup, the Wings are having a hard time keeping up with the Penguins’ fire power.  Steve Schrader of the Detroit Free Press wasn’t very impressed with the officiating.  Are the Wings wearing down?
• Sidney Crosby delivered last night, writes Eric Duhatschek.  Crosby elevated his game but so did Evgeni Malkin.  So Crosby and Malkin elevated their games, but what about Jordan Staal’s momentum changing goal?  “That definitely changed the game,” said Maxime Talbot.  The Penguins have full confidence in netminder Marc-Andre Fleury and he proved why last night.  Pittsburgh is winning because the players are playing their game.

Teams that are not in the playoffs

• The NHL and NBC are said to be close to agreeing on a two-year contract extension.
• An NHL executive says the Islanders are going to select Victor Hedman with the number one overall pick.
• The Thrashers have re-signed Anssi Salmela, the defenseman they received in return for Niclas Havelid.
• David Krejci’s hip surgery was deemed a success.
• Mario Tremblay will not be back as an assistant coach for the Wild next season but did say he’d love to have the same job with the Canadiens if possible.
• Islanders center Doug Weight was impressed with John Tavares during their time together on the Island.
• Here are the details on the other group that wants to bring another hockey team to Southern Ontario.
• Jim Matheson gives Oilers fans the latest on Craig MacTavish’s next job, possible assistant coaches for Pat Quinn and Tom Renney and what Edmonton might do in net.
• In Vancouver, GM Place is going to undergo some renovations.
• Over in Montreal, here’s the latest on George Gillett’s finances.
• According to Bruce Garrioch, the Tampa Bay Lightning only plan on spending to the salary cap floor next season.

The Avalanche’s new coach

• Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post thinks Joe Sacco has been hired to absorb some losses until Patrick Roy is ready to come aboard.
• Sacco has learned coaching techniques from Ron Wilson and Jack Parker, but he wants to be himself too.
• Sacco’s players in Lake Erie of the AHL think he will do a good job in Colorado.
• Here is an article profiling new Colorado GM Greg Sherman.
• One of Sherman’s first responsibilities is to figure out what’s next for Joe Sakic.
• Don’t expect a power struggle in the front office, writes Terry Frei.

The Coyotes situation

• Jim Balsillie answers three questions for the Arizona Republic.
• NHLPA boss Paul Kelly thinks the NHL’s time in Phoenix should come to an end.
• Some experts think that no matter which way Judge Redfield Baum rules, that either side will appeal.  (Writer’s note: Balsillie has said he won’t appeal if he loses, but who knows.)

AHL Calder Cup Final

• Randy Turner of the Winnipeg Free Press gets the sense that the fans really, really care about the outcome of the Moose games, when maybe they once did not.  Blow outs–not the Moose’s forte, but close games are.  Hershey coach Bob Woods promises that his team’s fans will be loud too.  Meanwhile, Bears defenseman Bryan Helmer cannot believe how long it’s been since he won the Calder Cup.

Detroit Red Wings (2) versus Pittsburgh Penguins (4)

• Since Pavel Datsyuk has been out of the lineup, Henrik Zetterberg has been counted on even more.  In fact, Mike Babcock says that Zetterberg has been overused.  By the sounds of it, Datsyuk will be back in the lineup tonight.  Although nothing is for certain as of yet. (Writer’s note: Bob Duff said on the IllegalCurve.com Radio Show last night that he expects Datsyuk to be in the lineup and that he looked great at practice on Wednesday.)  The Wings are hoping that Game 4 continues to be Marian Hossa’s lucky game tonight.  Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press says one of the reasons the Wings have struggled on the penalty kill is the injury to Andreas Lilja.  Here is a Q & A with Ken Holland.
• It may be a 2-1 series score like last season, but the Penguins feel different this year, writes Dave Molinari.  If the Penguins continue to say that things are different this season, then Joe Starkey says they have to go out and prove it.  Pittsburgh’s maturation from last season to this season has been very evident in the Final.  Evgeni Malkin is showing his comfort level with the media now, with his constant jokes and more relaxed demeanor.  Meanwhile, Penguins fans asking for more emotion from Dan Bylsma shouldn’t hold their breath.  Liyun Chin tells us the value that a hockey team provides to the businesses surrounding the team.  These days, Mario Lemieux is as engaging as ever.  Apparently Bill Guerin’s brother John doubles as Superman in his spare time, as he helped a lady get her stolen tickets back.

Teams that are not in the playoffs

• Television ratings in the U.S. have been up on NBC.
• Even though he is undergoing hip surgery today, the Bruins feel very comfortable having David Krejci signed to a contract extension.  Stephen Harris of the Boston Herald says many see Krejci as a potential 100 point scorer.
• After undergoing two surgeries, Sabres netminder Patrick Lalime says he feels good now.
• More details on the prospective sale of the Florida Panthers.
• Todd Richards, Craig MacTavish and Peter Laviolette have been mentioned as being coaching candidates for the Minnesota Wild.
• If Lou Lamoriello has a contingency plan in place in case Brent Sutter heads back to Alberta, he sure isn’t telling anyone.
• The Flyers feel Ray Emery is worth taking a chance on, writes Ed Moran.  Are the Flyers set to target Jay Bouwmeester next?
• In Tampa Bay, Brian Lawton is getting to know each of the projected top three picks for this month’s Entry Draft in Montreal.
• Did the Leafs get a steal in the 4th round of last year’s Entry Draft?  Brian Burke has stated he wants to move up to draft John Tavares, but if he can’t, he is interested in Brayden Schenn.
• Randy Turner of the Winnipeg Free Press thinks it could be a very messy summer for the NHL.

The Avalanche coaching and management moves

• Terry Frei tells us that the Avalanche never really considered going outside the organization to fill the GM seat.
• Woody Paige suggests the Avalanche hire current Manitoba Moose coach Scott Arniel to become the next Colorado head coach.
• In the midst of his exit, Tony Granato handled himself with class, the way he always does.
• Pierre Lacroix’s health issues are luckily under control, but the Avalanche President remains in the hospital.

The Coyotes situation

• The other big three professional sports leagues know the precedent that could be set in the Coyotes’ case.
• Suddenly Jim Balsillie is conducting polls now too.
• Jim Balsillie and Gary Bettman are disputing the value of his bid to purchase the Coyotes.

AHL Calder Cup Final

• The Winnipeg Free Press lists the biggest goals in Moose franchise history.  Moose defenseman Zack FitzGerald may have saved the series for his team when he blocked a puck going right for an open cage in Game 2.  Hershey and Manitoba are just so evenly matched it is difficult to pick out significant differences.

Stanley Cup Final

• Curtis Zupke of the OC Register with five thoughts on the Final so far.  I think Fleury gets more flack than is warranted.
• Ever heard of the Dave Dye jinx?  The Wings better hope Dye starts writing about something else for the rest of this series…
• Some great pictures from in and around Game 3, courtesy of Seth Rorabaugh.  Lots of good stuff there.

Everyone else

• Here are some details on the Panthers sale.  Is Tony Tavares everywhere these days? How many teams is he rumored to be running?
• Has Serge Savard pulled away from his original interest of purchasing the Habs?  More importantly, are the Habs even for sale?!?!?!?!

Detroit Red Wings (2) versus Pittsburgh Penguins (4)

• Detroit played extremely well at five-on-five last night.  However, the team needs to solve its penalty killing problems, writes David Shoalts.  Mitch Albom believes last night’s game turned when Pittsburgh scored its second goal.  Bob Wojnowski thinks the Wings let a great chance slip away.  Marian Hossa wasn’t cheered on Tuesday, but it wasn’t as harsh a reception as anticipated.  You may see Darren McCarty on television being interviewed but his name won’t be on the Cup if the Wings win this time around, explains Bob Duff.
• The Penguins were due for some bounces to go their way, and they did last night, writes Joe Starkey.  Penalty killing has been a problem for Detroit, and the power play has been a strength for Pittsburgh, explains Dave Molinari.  After three assists last night, it is fair to say that Evgeni Malkin is making up for his poor performance in last year’s Final.  With Game 4 up next, now the series gets serious and it is going to be up to the superstars to decide who wins, explains Mike Prisuta.  Marian Hossa wasn’t exactly welcomed back to the Mellon Arena last night.

Teams that are not in the playoffs

• Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe has the details of David Krejci’s contract extension.  (Writer’s note: I feel like Chiarelli did very well in these negotiations.  By maybe even that second year, Krejci could prove to be a very big bargain.)
• The Stars have signed two goalies in their system to one-year, two-way deals.
• With a new owner coming to town, Greg Cote of the Miami Herald says nothing can be worse than the Alan Cohen era.  Here are more details on the proposed sale.
• Head shots? What head shots?  Read Brian Burke’s take on this situation.
• Pending unrestricted free agent John Madden says there has been no contact between him and the Devils.
• Looking for hints of which way Islanders GM Garth Snow is leaning for the number one pick?  Well, he’s not giving any.  Meanwhile, here is the latest on the Islanders’ Lighthouse project.  (Writer’s note: If you have any questions on either Islanders topic, send it into our mailbag because we are scheduled to have Greg Logan of Newsday on the IllegalCurve.com Radio Show tonight.)
• The renovations scheduled for Madison Square Garden have been pushed back to 2012.
• Former Rangers broadcaster and current Blues executive John Davidson has been selected to receive the Foster Hewwitt Memorial Award from the Hockey Hall of Fame.  (Writer’s note: He’s done a terrific job in St. Louis but he is definitely missed in the broadcast booth.)  “It’s a tad overwhelming,” said Davidson.
• Comcast Cable has come to an agreement with the NHL Network.
• The Lightning have begun the search for a new assistant coach.
• Speaking of the Lightning, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun says Vincent Lecavalier is readily available via trade.
• In Toronto, the Leafs are expecting a visit from highly-coveted free agent netminder Jonas Gustavsson within the next two weeks.
• One of the proposed owners of the Habs, wishes Bob Gainey had waited some time before selecting his new coach.

The Coyotes situation

• Here are a club official’s reasons as to why NHL hockey does not work in Phoenix.
• June 9 is the important date coming up.
• If the Coyotes do move to Hamilton, Balsillie’s group assumes they’d be playing in the Western Conference.
• Apparently Jim Balsillie has 22 letters of reference.
• John Davidson says Balsillie should follow the rules.
• Is Balsillie’s offer not actually $212 million?
• How are the Coyotes going to rebuild the team’s name if they stay in the desert?

AHL Calder Cup Final

• A late goal from Jason Jaffray allowed the Manitoba Moose to split the first two games of the Calder Cup Final with three games in Hershey on the horizon.  “That’s the biggest goal I’ve ever scored,” said Jaffray after last night’s contest, in which he scored a hat trick.  Cory Schneider was very sharp last night, writes Randy Turner.  Alain Vigneault was at the MTS Centre last night to watch the Moose play and talked about his time in Manitoba.

**Remember that tonight is the IllegalCurve.com Radio Show from 7pm to 9pm Central Time.  Our guests are: Bob Duff (Windsor Star), Greg Logan (Newsday) and George Richards (Miami Herald).**

Detroit Red Wings (2) versus Pittsburgh Penguins (4)

• Even though they are up 2-0 in the series, the Wings are confident they can still play better.  Marian Hossa knows what kind of reception he will be receiving tonight.  Dave Dye discusses the fact that Chris Osgood is probably the odds-on favorite to win the Conn Smythe after a sub-par regular season.  Kris Draper is ready to suit up if he’s called upon, but if he isn’t, the Wings may dearly miss his face-off presence on the road.  If Draper doesn’t get into the lineup this Final, what could be next for the long-time Wing?  Don’t expect Pavel Datsyuk to play tonight in Pittsburgh.  With Datsyuk absent, Henrik Zetterberg has been tremendous and one has to think he may be the next captain of the Wings when Nicklas Lidstrom retires.  Finally, Drew Sharp has an interesting column calling out the fans and media for the criticism of LeBron and Crosby.  (Writer’s note: I agree with Sharp.  These two players receive too much unneccesary criticsm.)
• The odds may not look great, but the Penguins remain confident in their chances.  Remember that Pittsburgh has both out-chanced and outshot the Wings through two games.  Some contributions from non-superstars would be welcomed as well.  The players in the Pens dressing room know they have be strong on the draws against a puck-possession team like Detroit.  The Penguins are not letting the lack of penalty calls bother them.  He doesn’t garner too much attention, but Rob Scuderi has turned into a rock on the Penguins’ back-end.  In some nice news, Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is going to be recognized by the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Montreal coaching hire

• Sean Gordon of the Globe & Mail tells us that Bob Gainey was looking for a defense-first coach who values discipline and Jacques Martin brought exactly those qualifications.
• This is the first time Montreal has hired a coach with past head coaching experience since 1992, writes Pat Hickey.
• Dave Stubbs chimes in on Martin’s boring coaching style.
• Questioning Martin’s playoff record, Red Fisher of the Gazette wonders why Bob Gainey was in such a rush to name Martin his new head coach?
• Now that Martin has been hired, many other decisions must be made.

Teams that are not in the playoffs

• The US television rating were up for Game 2 over Game 1.
• In Canada, CBC’s ratings have held steady.
• J.J. Taylor likes the move to bring in Joe Nieuwendyk as some semi-fresh blood.  It is no guarantee that Dave Tippett coaches the Stars next season, explains Chuck Carlton.  Nieuwendyk plans to build this Stars team through the draft.
• George Richards discussess possible replacements for Jacques Martin in Florida.  Meanwhile, David Hyde is skeptical of the Panthers’ ability to hire a capable replacement.
• Devils prospect Petr Vrana has signed on to play in the Czech league.
• Sticking in New Jersey, Brent Sutter knows that he needs to decide whether he is returning to coach the Devils in the near future.
• The Rangers have unbelievably raised ticket prices in this economic climate.  (James Mirtle had a good piece on this yesterday)
• Injured Blues defenseman Eric Brewer expects to be ready for training camp next fall.
• Sabres prospect Marek Zagrapan has signed a two-year deal with a KHL team.
• The Oilers have signed draft pick Milan Kytnar.

The Coyotes situation

• Here is a very interseting article on the thoughts of Gabe Macaluso, someone who has attempted to bring an NHL team to Hamilton before.
• As David linked last night, Jim Balsillie has filed a relocation application.
• The city of Glendale appears ready to help a purchaser willing to keep the team in Arizona.
• Let’s just say Wayne Gretzky could lose a lot of money depending on what happens with this sale.
• Finally, an article by Jim Balsillie himself.

Calder Cup Final

• With a 2-3-2 format for the Final, the Moose can ill-afford to be down 2-0 in this series heading back to Hershey.  Just because they lost Game 1, doesn’t mean the team is suddenly losing confidence.  Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun thinks special teams is the key for tonight’s game.  In injury news, Alex Bolduc hopes to suit up for Manitoba tonight.

**Tomorrow night is the IllegalCurve.com Radio Show from 7pm CST through to 9pm CST.  Tomorrow’s guests include Greg Logan of Newsday who will breakdown the Islanders’ draft possibilities and George Richards of the Miami Herald who will breakdown the Panthers’ GM situation and discuss Jacques Martin’s exit from South Beach.**

I’m sure fans of the Winnipeg Jets certainly wish Khabby would have played.

• Deadline deals from the past two seasons have helped the two Cup finalists, writes Dan Wood.  Good points by Wood.  These deals weren’t “major” but added the necessary ingredients to already established teams.
• The Wings may be up 2-0, but the stats have not been tilted in Detroit’s favor as much as last season’s Cup finals.  The Penguins deserved to be down 2-0 last season, this year they really don’t deserve to be down 2-0.

Everyone else

• Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch takes a look at the Thrashers organization.  Let’s just say the only way to go is up…
• Mike Heika says Dave Tippett’s job should be secure in Dallas…for now.  I think Dave Tippett has done a good job in Dallas, so I like Nieuwendyk’s willingness to give him a chance. 
• Georege Richards recaps Jacques Martin’s time in Florida.  Martin probably feels more comfortable about his Ottawa resume.
• Here is the Montreal Gazette’s article on the hiring.  Expect far more to come once the press conference is complete.

Detroit Red Wings (2) versus Pittsburgh Penguins (4)

• If they get a little luck, Mitch Albom wouldn’t be surprised at all to see Pittsburgh tied up this series back home.  Albom also wonders where Sidney Crosby has been?  Detroit fans know where Evgeni Malkin has been, as he went after Henrik Zetterberg at the end of last night’s game but did not get suspended.  Speaking of Zetterberg, he has been driving Sidney Crosby crazy.  Jonathan Ericsson isn’t playing like someone who had surgery just a few days ago.  There is a reason Darren Helm is the new fan favorite in Motown.  Steve Schrader of the Detroit Free Press tells readers about Don Cherry’s entrance to Game 2.  (Writer’s note: Some thought it was cheesy, but personally I found it pretty funny.)
• As much as things are different from last year, the fact that the Penguins are down 2-0 in the series makes things very much the same.  Marc-Andre Fleury says he has to be better next game.  He sure does because Chris Osgood has been the star of the series, opines Joe Starkey.  Meanwhile, the Penguins got lucky that Evgeni Malkin wasn’t suspended.  Apparently some think Mike Babcock was out to play headgames with Sidney Crosby.  (Writer’s note: That’s taken out of context in my opinion.  If you watched Babcock’s press conference when he said that, it was matter-of-factly and he didn’t really seem to have much of a problem with it.)  Still with Crosby, former power forward Kevin Stevens loves the way he plays.  Are the Penguins better than they were last season?

Teams that are not in the playoffs

• New Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk says he learned a lot from the likes of Cliff Fletcher, Bob Gainey and Lou Lamorieollo during his playing days.  Tim Cowlishaw thinks Tom Hicks is hoping for a Nolan Ryan-like effect from Joe Nieuwendyk on the Stars organization.  Brian Burke thinks Nieuwendyk will do a good job.
• While the team may be a bit of a mess now, there are certainly some nice pieces in the Avalanche organization, writes Adrian Dater.
• Chris Zelkovich comments on how odd it was to not hear Bob Cole’s voice calling Game 1 of the final.
• The United States television ratings on NBC were down from last year and Jason Brough of the Vancouver Province is wondering why the ratings story was the only story not working on nhl.com

The Coyotes situation

• Bruce Dowbiggen of the Globe & Mail thinks everything is personal when it comes to Gary Bettman.

Calder Cup Final

• The atmosphere in the MTS Centre for Game 1 was absolutely electric.  Moose coach Scott Arniel wants to limit the team turnovers.  Finally, here is an interview Wiebe conducted with Moose forward Mark Cullen.  On the other side, Hershey sniper Alex Giroux is happy with his trade back to the Bears.  (Writer’s note: Is Ken Wiebe superhuman? That’s four articles for one morning.)  A lack of experience cost the Moose in Game 1, explains Gary Lawless.

**Remember that the IllegalCurve.com Radio Show has changed time slots and can now be heard live from 7pm Central time through 9pm Central time.  This week’s guests include Greg Logan of Newsday who will be on the show to breakdown what the Islanders are looking to do with the number one selection in this summer’s Entry Draft.**

Not overly surprising considering the quick 24 hr turnaround here.  If these two players were not able to go last night, there probably wasn’t much chance they were going to be ready to go today.  A few people are saying expect Datsyuk back for Game 3, but I guess we will just have to wait and see.

• Luck played a factor in yesterday’s result, writes Mitch Albom.  With Game 2 tonight, Albom believes the Penguins saw many signs that gave them confidence heading into Sunday night.  Last night had to be frustrating for Pittsburgh, explains Bob Wojnowski.  Dave Dye says Marc-Andre Fleury wasn’t as sharp as Chris Osgood.  Jonathan Ericsson probably wouldn’t have played had this been a regular season game.
• The Penguins probably deserved to win on Saturday but a few bad bounces led to a Game 1 loss, writes Dave Molinari.  Pittsburgh needs to be a lot better in the face-off circle.  Penguins coach Dan Bylsma made sure to reinforce to his team that they should not be in awe of the high-powered Red Wings.  In a rare appearance, Mario Lemieux spoke to the media yesterday.  (Writer’s note: Mario looks like he can still play.)  The Penguins’ fans sure travel well.

Teams that are not in the playoffs

• Terry Frei says that Avalanche coach Tony Granato would be fighting a losing battle if he coached the team next season.
• Damien Cox likes the fact that the game can take some of the spotlight away from the NHL’s off-ice problems.
• Gary Bettman wants to see stronger drug testing in the NHL, writes Corey Masisak of the Washington Times.

Sunday special articles

• Fluto Shinzawa subs in for Kevin Paul Dupont in this week’s edition of Hockey Notes from the Boston Globe.
• Bucky Gleason warns the Blackhawks of possible salary cap problems down the road. 
• Larry Brooks says Gary Bettman needs to drop his personal issues with Jim Balsillie and negotiate with him to take the Coyotes to Hamilton.

Coyotes situation

• Gary Bettman addressed the Coyotes situation at his league news conference yesterday.
• The city of Glendale has seen some hope in the results of the court hearings so far.
• Chris Chelios is in favor of another team in Ontario.

Calder Cup Final

• Last night, Alex Giroux demonstrated why he was the MVP of the AHL this season, writes Ken Wiebe.  Paul Friesen says last night’s game had all the action one could have hoped for.  “Our pain was self inflicted. We had a number of guys that didn’t bring their A-game,” said Moose coach Scott Arniel.