I quickly realize there is no way I can possibly keep up with all the player movement that continues to go on as hockey begins the transition to the off-season before the puck drops again in September.
Here are some brief news updates:
- When Sochi became host to the Olympics the new arenas were set to house a new professional KHL hockey team. That team, the Leopards, begin play next season. They already plucked two AHL players with NHL experience away. Cory Emmerton who played most of the season with Grand Rapids and two seasons with Detroit is headed over. Mark Olver played parts of the last five seasons with Lake Erie also factoring in 74 NHL games with Colorado will join Emmerton. This comes after Sochi picked up former NHL goalie Michael Leighton who played very well for Donbass this past year.
- For some reason I was always a Joakim Lindstrom fan when he started playing in the AHL in 2005-06. He spent three seasons in Syracuse (remember all entry level contracts are for three years) and also played over 30 games for Columbus. He spent the majority of the next season in the NHL with Phoenix getting in 44 games with 20 points. Then he left. After two seasons in Europe and to my surprise he signed with Colorado. He lasted 16 games before returning to Sweden spending that season and two more with his hometown team. Well guess what. He is coming back again. Now at 30 he signed with St. Louis. Not a bad place to sign.
- Unfortunate news from earlier this afternoon when Oshawa (OHL) announced that Eric Wellwood would become assistant coach. Good that he landed a coaching job but not what the plan was at 24. Wellwood was the player who nearly bled to death after his own skate cut four tendons and an artery in the back of his leg when he fell into the boards while playing with the Phantoms (AHL) last season. He missed the entire season this year. The injury which has been said by many to be one of the worst they have ever seen did enough damage for Wellwood to call it a career. It's not too surprising. As often as I like to call the Flyers out for bad moves they should also be mentioned for good moves. After the injury last season knowing full well recovery was going to be long and difficult the Flyers resigned Wellwood who was a free agent to a new contract for this season. Even though he never got to play again he still got paid during his time of recovery.
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Priceless/Vegas
If I name this the neutral zone I guess I should comment about the hot issues going on in the game. I didn't see the Montreal game Saturday or any highlights. I was only made aware of the Price injury when news broke that he was out for the series. Soon after I saw that Chris Kreider's name started floating around. Was it intentional or an accident? By that night I had finally seen the video.
I love these plays. If you root for New York it was a hockey play. If you are a Montreal fan it was intentional. Chris Kreider is the only person who knows. We can all guess. My initial reaction when I first heard Kreider ran into Price was that it was on purpose. Kreider, as his career continues, is starting to get that reputation of being a bit reckless. I'm usually surprised more players don't target opponents better players. What's the worst that can happen? You get suspended a game or two while the other team loses a star for the rest of the playoffs? It's why the NHL never discloses injuries yet we should act surprised when something like this happens. New York's chances of making it to the next round/Stanley Cup Finals increased immensely after this play regardless of if it was intentional or not. Even if it was, Price isn't coming back.
To the actual play. Kreider makes a good move to chip the puck past the defenseman then skates hard to get to it first. The back checking Montreal player makes slight contact with Kreider right in front of Price. Kreider falls and goes feet first into Price. There are so many variables in the play that I'm not sure anybody can make a correct assumption. Because of this I think Kreider used it to his advantage. There was contact from behind so that could have caused him to stumble. He did have a ton of speed coming head on at net. He might have tried stopping and lost an edge. I've also seen very few players fall feet first into a goalie. Most players when falling also slide to the outside of the goal.
This play happened so fast I find it hard to believe Kreider had time to think about it. I do believe he made up his mind he would crash the net and whatever happened happened. That's where I leave it. If you want to call that intentional then you can.
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Minor league hockey is a fickle beast. San Francisco folded in the middle of the ECHL season. That's bizarre. Doors close and the season is over in one simple announcement. Now Las Vegas finds themselves on the outside. They announced today that they would not be playing next season. The reason was simple. They don't have a place to play. Their lease was not renewed by the current facility, and they couldn't find another place. Las Vegas has been playing since 2003 so it's not like they are new to hockey. According to the team they will be back for 2015-2016. Unfortunate for fans but at least a positive note that they do plan on coming back. All the players become free agents. I'm am Adam Huxley fan. If he stays in the ECHL my guess is he stays on the west coast.
My real question is what do they plan on doing for the playoffs. When San Francisco folded it left 8 teams in the west. Every team made the playoffs. Now they lose another. So I assume every team makes it again except they don't even have enough teams to fill the spots. The only new team coming in next season will play in Indiana so I'm guessing they don't move to the west.
I love these plays. If you root for New York it was a hockey play. If you are a Montreal fan it was intentional. Chris Kreider is the only person who knows. We can all guess. My initial reaction when I first heard Kreider ran into Price was that it was on purpose. Kreider, as his career continues, is starting to get that reputation of being a bit reckless. I'm usually surprised more players don't target opponents better players. What's the worst that can happen? You get suspended a game or two while the other team loses a star for the rest of the playoffs? It's why the NHL never discloses injuries yet we should act surprised when something like this happens. New York's chances of making it to the next round/Stanley Cup Finals increased immensely after this play regardless of if it was intentional or not. Even if it was, Price isn't coming back.
To the actual play. Kreider makes a good move to chip the puck past the defenseman then skates hard to get to it first. The back checking Montreal player makes slight contact with Kreider right in front of Price. Kreider falls and goes feet first into Price. There are so many variables in the play that I'm not sure anybody can make a correct assumption. Because of this I think Kreider used it to his advantage. There was contact from behind so that could have caused him to stumble. He did have a ton of speed coming head on at net. He might have tried stopping and lost an edge. I've also seen very few players fall feet first into a goalie. Most players when falling also slide to the outside of the goal.
This play happened so fast I find it hard to believe Kreider had time to think about it. I do believe he made up his mind he would crash the net and whatever happened happened. That's where I leave it. If you want to call that intentional then you can.
____________________________________________________________________
Minor league hockey is a fickle beast. San Francisco folded in the middle of the ECHL season. That's bizarre. Doors close and the season is over in one simple announcement. Now Las Vegas finds themselves on the outside. They announced today that they would not be playing next season. The reason was simple. They don't have a place to play. Their lease was not renewed by the current facility, and they couldn't find another place. Las Vegas has been playing since 2003 so it's not like they are new to hockey. According to the team they will be back for 2015-2016. Unfortunate for fans but at least a positive note that they do plan on coming back. All the players become free agents. I'm am Adam Huxley fan. If he stays in the ECHL my guess is he stays on the west coast.
My real question is what do they plan on doing for the playoffs. When San Francisco folded it left 8 teams in the west. Every team made the playoffs. Now they lose another. So I assume every team makes it again except they don't even have enough teams to fill the spots. The only new team coming in next season will play in Indiana so I'm guessing they don't move to the west.
Monday, May 19, 2014
Val Wins
Already too far behind to get too deep into the QMJHL champions. Val-d'Or takes it this year behind the play of Anthony Mantha.
REGULAR SEASON
PLAYOFFS
When you look at this team all you really have to notice is Anthony Mantha. Not saying somebody else on this team couldn't emerge as an NHL player, but Mantha is already a highly rated prospect. Detroit once again makes a steal at the 20th overall pick.
He has the height at 6'5 to fit in nicely on a Detroit team built around speed and skill. If he adds a little weight he could be a great presence up front to go along with the European type forward. Of course Detroit is well known for letting players develop so he is certainly looking at a stay in the AHL. His play will determine how quickly he moves up. With the way Detroit does things he seems likely to be in the AHL for at least a full season. I also highly doubt he can keep the same scoring pace.
57 regular season games - 57 goals
24 playoff games - 24 goals
52 penalty minutes in the playoffs isn't too bad either. If he can keep up that physical presence he could be a fun player to watch in the future.
REGULAR SEASON
PLAYOFFS
When you look at this team all you really have to notice is Anthony Mantha. Not saying somebody else on this team couldn't emerge as an NHL player, but Mantha is already a highly rated prospect. Detroit once again makes a steal at the 20th overall pick.
He has the height at 6'5 to fit in nicely on a Detroit team built around speed and skill. If he adds a little weight he could be a great presence up front to go along with the European type forward. Of course Detroit is well known for letting players develop so he is certainly looking at a stay in the AHL. His play will determine how quickly he moves up. With the way Detroit does things he seems likely to be in the AHL for at least a full season. I also highly doubt he can keep the same scoring pace.
57 regular season games - 57 goals
24 playoff games - 24 goals
52 penalty minutes in the playoffs isn't too bad either. If he can keep up that physical presence he could be a fun player to watch in the future.
Friday, May 16, 2014
First of Many
Changes come quickly in the world of hockey. The playoffs are still underway and the first NHL player movements are already taking place. Teams are looking ahead to the draft and free agency. Players are looking at their options for next season and in order to secure a roster spot in Europe many players make the move quickly in order to begin training and become accustom to new surroundings.
The San Jose Sharks first round elimination put them high on the list of teams needing a change. It seems every season in recent memory finds the Sharks with one of the best regular season point totals only to be ousted in the playoffs before reaching the finals. Today began the start of some spring cleaning.
Dan Boyle played his final game with San Jose. Boyle was a key member of the Sharks defense and most notably known for his offense with three straight 50 points seasons to begin his San Jose career. Before that he played a big part of the success of Tampa Bay and their cup winning season of 2003-04. Boyle will become a free agent this summer and turn 38. I can't see him retiring without at least playing one more season as long as the right team is interested. This is where you could insert a Flyers joke. Not now with Ronald Hextall at the helm. I think he gets a deal around 4.5 for one season on a team with a serious chance of winning the cup.
Martin Havlat is the next to go. The big difference is he still has a contract worth way more than he is worth. It's hard to believe Havlat can return to his former self. Since being acquired Havlat has had little success with San Jose. Not only has he missed significant time but his scoring has practically disappeared. Buying out his 5 million dollar deal is the only way out for San Jose. There is no way a team will give him substantial money even at 33 years old. It's going to come down to what Havlat wants to do. He could probably fit in on certain teams at a deep discount like Los Angeles. Otherwise I peg him to look into finding work in Europe.
That will segue us into the next move. We now have our first NHL player moving to Europe. There will be plenty more especially from the minor leagues. Erik Gustafsson has left Philadelphia for the KHL. Think this move comes down to playing time. Gustafsson was a restricted free agent, one that I'd believe Philadelphia wanted to bring back. The problem from the player standpoint is in three seasons he was more often a healthy scratch than in the lineup. That's not a great spot to be in when you want to play. If he does well in Europe there is always the chance an NHL team signs him as a regular in the future.
_______________________________________________________________________
Hadn't planned on it but since we are talking change, the Pittsburgh Penguins are set to announce in about an hour that head coach Dan Bylsma and GM Ray Shero will be fired. When you have a guy like Crosby and Malkin on a team there are no excuses for not winning. Maybe blame can be placed on both but the team as a whole needs to improve. That's the job of a GM. The coach can only work with what he had, and Bylsma got 51 wins out of a team with a lot of injuries and a shaky goalie.
NOON UPDATES VIA TWITTER:
Bob McKenzie was the guy to report Bylsma being fired this morning. He is very reputable. He was also not correct this time. Shero was fired. Bylsma was not. Yet
Always takes a little time for North America to catch up to European news. I'm not surprised if he didn't tell the Flyers. He didn't have to but contractually it would have made sense to potentially create a bidding scenario.
The San Jose Sharks first round elimination put them high on the list of teams needing a change. It seems every season in recent memory finds the Sharks with one of the best regular season point totals only to be ousted in the playoffs before reaching the finals. Today began the start of some spring cleaning.
Dan Boyle played his final game with San Jose. Boyle was a key member of the Sharks defense and most notably known for his offense with three straight 50 points seasons to begin his San Jose career. Before that he played a big part of the success of Tampa Bay and their cup winning season of 2003-04. Boyle will become a free agent this summer and turn 38. I can't see him retiring without at least playing one more season as long as the right team is interested. This is where you could insert a Flyers joke. Not now with Ronald Hextall at the helm. I think he gets a deal around 4.5 for one season on a team with a serious chance of winning the cup.
Martin Havlat is the next to go. The big difference is he still has a contract worth way more than he is worth. It's hard to believe Havlat can return to his former self. Since being acquired Havlat has had little success with San Jose. Not only has he missed significant time but his scoring has practically disappeared. Buying out his 5 million dollar deal is the only way out for San Jose. There is no way a team will give him substantial money even at 33 years old. It's going to come down to what Havlat wants to do. He could probably fit in on certain teams at a deep discount like Los Angeles. Otherwise I peg him to look into finding work in Europe.
That will segue us into the next move. We now have our first NHL player moving to Europe. There will be plenty more especially from the minor leagues. Erik Gustafsson has left Philadelphia for the KHL. Think this move comes down to playing time. Gustafsson was a restricted free agent, one that I'd believe Philadelphia wanted to bring back. The problem from the player standpoint is in three seasons he was more often a healthy scratch than in the lineup. That's not a great spot to be in when you want to play. If he does well in Europe there is always the chance an NHL team signs him as a regular in the future.
_______________________________________________________________________
Hadn't planned on it but since we are talking change, the Pittsburgh Penguins are set to announce in about an hour that head coach Dan Bylsma and GM Ray Shero will be fired. When you have a guy like Crosby and Malkin on a team there are no excuses for not winning. Maybe blame can be placed on both but the team as a whole needs to improve. That's the job of a GM. The coach can only work with what he had, and Bylsma got 51 wins out of a team with a lot of injuries and a shaky goalie.
NOON UPDATES VIA TWITTER:
Bob McKenzie was the guy to report Bylsma being fired this morning. He is very reputable. He was also not correct this time. Shero was fired. Bylsma was not. Yet
Always takes a little time for North America to catch up to European news. I'm not surprised if he didn't tell the Flyers. He didn't have to but contractually it would have made sense to potentially create a bidding scenario.
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Edmonton Wins
No waiting around on this one. After Guelph won over the weekend I waited for video. I'm not waiting this time.
The Edmonton Oil Kings won the WHL championship last night over Portland in a game 7. This series is far more interesting than a boxscore would lead you to believe. Let me explain.
Junior league hockey isn't exactly designed to see a franchise become a dynasty. It's basically high school to junior college aged players who leave after 4-5 seasons for either professional hockey or college. Like the NHL, junior league teams hold a draft each season giving the worst teams the highest picks. Players can also be acquired through trades which is a common way for the better teams to consistently stay good. Portland and Edmonton deserve a whole new level of respect.
This finals appearance was the 4th straight for Portland. As a four year player for Portland you could have spent your entire junior league career playing every season in the finals. That's unlikely to occur again. Or this as well. This was the third straight year that Portland played Edmonton in the finals. Some things are hard to explain. Two very good teams with a lot of promising future professionals.
As I did with the OHL winners I will post the final stats for Edmonton with some notes. However there is no way I can go without mentioning at least a few things about Portland. They had the top five leading scorers in the playoffs. They had two of the better defensive prospects coming out of junior hockey who were both top ten NHL picks in Matthew Dumba (Minnesota) and Derrick Pouliot (Pittsburgh). Both are sure fire NHL solid players. Nic Petan (Winnipeg) finished second in the league in scoring. And there are many others who could have an NHL career.
Now the winners.
REGULAR SEASON
PLAYOFFS
We can start at the top. I enjoy the Samuelsson clan a lot more than I did papa Ulf. Henrik is a first round pick of Phoenix. You always have my attention when you can put up over 90 points and 90 penalty minutes. And 51 more in the playoffs. Dang. He has size at 6'3 and skill to become a very solid forward in the NHL. I'm very interested to see how his career plays out.
We move down a spot to Curtis Lazar who put up 41 goals in 58 games. Like Samuelsson he was a first round pick in the draft going to Ottawa and is currently ranked as their best prospect. Lazar should have no issues finding his way to the NHL whether it is next season or in a few years should he come back next season to the WHL.
Drop down to the third leading scorer to find Mitchell Moroz. Moroz is an interesting player and one I find within reason to put on the list. That's because this 32nd overall pick was taken by the Edmonton Oilers. Whether his offensive abilities can translate into the pro environment is yet to be seen. He had more goals this season than all his other seasons combined. But what he does have is a size and toughness the Oilers have been lacking with many of their forwards. He easily lead the team in penalty minutes and is never afraid of body contact. If he can continue to work on his offense he might look good alongside the other young stars. He is currently rated the Oilers 4th best prospect.
Last but not least we jump down to the captain. The Reinhart's just might become the next impressive hockey family. Griffin is the second of the group. His numbers won't jump out at you but his play will. He was taken 4th overall by the Islanders and is considered one of the best prospects in hockey. He also has the size at 6'4 to fit quickly into an NHL position should the Islanders decide to take that route. Otherwise he looks to kick off his career next season in the AHL.
The Edmonton Oil Kings won the WHL championship last night over Portland in a game 7. This series is far more interesting than a boxscore would lead you to believe. Let me explain.
Junior league hockey isn't exactly designed to see a franchise become a dynasty. It's basically high school to junior college aged players who leave after 4-5 seasons for either professional hockey or college. Like the NHL, junior league teams hold a draft each season giving the worst teams the highest picks. Players can also be acquired through trades which is a common way for the better teams to consistently stay good. Portland and Edmonton deserve a whole new level of respect.
This finals appearance was the 4th straight for Portland. As a four year player for Portland you could have spent your entire junior league career playing every season in the finals. That's unlikely to occur again. Or this as well. This was the third straight year that Portland played Edmonton in the finals. Some things are hard to explain. Two very good teams with a lot of promising future professionals.
As I did with the OHL winners I will post the final stats for Edmonton with some notes. However there is no way I can go without mentioning at least a few things about Portland. They had the top five leading scorers in the playoffs. They had two of the better defensive prospects coming out of junior hockey who were both top ten NHL picks in Matthew Dumba (Minnesota) and Derrick Pouliot (Pittsburgh). Both are sure fire NHL solid players. Nic Petan (Winnipeg) finished second in the league in scoring. And there are many others who could have an NHL career.
Now the winners.
REGULAR SEASON
PLAYOFFS
We can start at the top. I enjoy the Samuelsson clan a lot more than I did papa Ulf. Henrik is a first round pick of Phoenix. You always have my attention when you can put up over 90 points and 90 penalty minutes. And 51 more in the playoffs. Dang. He has size at 6'3 and skill to become a very solid forward in the NHL. I'm very interested to see how his career plays out.
We move down a spot to Curtis Lazar who put up 41 goals in 58 games. Like Samuelsson he was a first round pick in the draft going to Ottawa and is currently ranked as their best prospect. Lazar should have no issues finding his way to the NHL whether it is next season or in a few years should he come back next season to the WHL.
Drop down to the third leading scorer to find Mitchell Moroz. Moroz is an interesting player and one I find within reason to put on the list. That's because this 32nd overall pick was taken by the Edmonton Oilers. Whether his offensive abilities can translate into the pro environment is yet to be seen. He had more goals this season than all his other seasons combined. But what he does have is a size and toughness the Oilers have been lacking with many of their forwards. He easily lead the team in penalty minutes and is never afraid of body contact. If he can continue to work on his offense he might look good alongside the other young stars. He is currently rated the Oilers 4th best prospect.
Last but not least we jump down to the captain. The Reinhart's just might become the next impressive hockey family. Griffin is the second of the group. His numbers won't jump out at you but his play will. He was taken 4th overall by the Islanders and is considered one of the best prospects in hockey. He also has the size at 6'4 to fit quickly into an NHL position should the Islanders decide to take that route. Otherwise he looks to kick off his career next season in the AHL.
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