The Current NHL CBA Situation is Totally Fucked

"We're not making money, and that's one reason we need to fix our system. We need to fix how much we're spending right now. [The Wild's] revenues are fine. We're down a little bit in attendance, but we're up in sponsorships, we're up in TV revenue. And so the revenue that we're generating is not the issue as much as our expenses. And [the Wild's] biggest expense by far is player salaries."

That's Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold speaking to the local Star Tribune this past spring. 

$196 million dollars

That's how much money Leipold committed to Zach Parise and Ryan Suter just a few months later when they signed their respective 13-year, $98-million-dollar deals.

Why would Leipold, after imploring that expenses were "the issue," choose to add two behemoth contracts and a fat chunk of red to his expenses just months before a possible labor dispute?

Here are some quotes from just after he signed the two stars.

"We’re going to get a Winter Classic. We’re an exciting team. We’ve got a lot of really interesting personalities on our team now. Obviously, we’re a great market. We’ve always known that. We’re a great team, we’ve got good players. We’re everything."

"This is a game changer. We're overnight changing who we are. We're changing our identity.

...

I remember talking to (COO) Matt Majka. I said, 'Matt can you do it? How much more can you sell?' This is a business decision. He said, 'I can't even answer that. I have no comparable situation to use. This is like starting over. I can only tell you it's going to be huge.' 

That was it. That was the decision. And we said OK.

...

We are going to be able to skip ahead four or five steps of development and recruiting costs to get to a place that could take us three years to get to, and we can do it now."

The signings signal a desire to win and to make money, with equal emphasis on both parts. It's a gamble of the gargantuan variety for Leipold that stands to pay enormous dividends, but is also a drastic risk.

This upcoming season, the Wild were hoping to start the process of transforming from a stable, community-driven team to an elite entertainment force in the Western Conference. Exciting, fast, and winners.

However, they're not there yet. They've missed the playoffs four straight seasons and as a middling team have been unable to acquire premiere talent through the draft. They've been stuck in a rut.

Faced with a lockout and with his recent signings looming on his mind, one has to wonder what approach Leipold is taking in regards to the CBA negotiations.

Struggling teams such as Columbus, Anaheim, and the New York Islanders stand to benefit from holding out as long as possible for increased revenue sharing. They don't necessarily want to take money from other teams, they just don't want to be in the red year after year.

Successful teams like Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver would probably rather keep as much of their money as possible. They're not trying to hoard, it's just business.

Where does the money for the increased revenue sharing come from then, if the successful teams want to keep the money they've made but help their fellow owners? The share that belongs to the players. If the owners up their share, they can use the extra cash to help each other out without feeling like they're dipping into their own money.

So where does Minnesota stand on this issue as a team that, if there's a 2012-13 season, probably won't see a dime from revenue-sharing and probably will turn a profit? The same place as Los Angeles, carrying momentum off their Cup win, and Florida, thanks to their first playoff berth in over a decade. All three teams really want this season to happen.

That would seem to categorize them with the successful clubs who stand to miss out on a lot of money if the season doesn't happen, but it's not quite like that. The Wild, Kings, Panthers were all unprofitable last season. They stand to move into the league's top half in revenue, but that's nowhere near as certain as it is for the Leafs, Habs, and Canucks. Missing a season isn't a huge long-term financial concern for those markets. Conservative, realistic bookkeeping would dictate that without their respective recent surges, the Minnesota, Los Angeles, and Florida would continue to operate in the red.

Is a missed season enough to offset those surges? It might be. In that case, those teams might actually regress further into unprofitability in 2013-14. A lockout would take a lot of wind out of their sails.

For Leipold's wallet and hockey in Florida as a whole, it could prove debilitating. The Kings' situation is less urgent, though they stand to miss out on a great opportunity to grow, especially if the new-look Lakers take back what little thunder the Kings were able to steal.

Further complicating the issue, the argument that a season needs to happen has to be least compelling to teams barely in the black if the players don't sweeten the revenue pot. It's possible clubs like Calgary, Boston, and Philadelphia that each made less than $4 million last season would actually end up in the red as a result of the revenue sharing process.

Taking every team's individual financial situation into account and combining them into one all-encompassing, unanimously-approved proposal has to be excruciating.

The owners are negotiating with and against each other in order to come up with a proposal that will allow them to negotiate with and against the players. The owners and players also need to work together to keep both groups happy. For the sake of the sport, this isn't a battle either side can afford to drastically lose.

It's a frustratingly shitty situation, and that's just revenue sharing.

The two sides are also, internally and against each other, debating the salary cap floor, front-loaded contracts, guaranteed money, and a number of other issues.

And they're supposed to get everything together in the next two weeks?

That's totally fucked.

Prospect Report: Jacob Trouba (D)

Current team: USA National Development Team (USHL)
2012 Stats: 22 GP, 4-14-18 33 PIM
Central Scouting Rank: 9
Likely Destinations: Toronto Maple Leafs (5th Overall), Anaheim Ducks (6th Overall), Washington Capitals (11th Overall)

Coming up next is our report on Central Scouting's highest rated American prospect (Alexander Galchenyuk doesn't count, so don't even be a smartass and tell me how he is technically American).

Trouba is a Rochester, Michigan native and is your prototypical American defenseman, above average skill to go with massive truculence and size. Trouba is never afraid of a conflict, and at over six foot, it's easy to see why. Trouba will only continue to get larger and more aggressive, and when it comes to top defenseman prospects, these are the only parts of their game you can count on. Trouba has been repeatedly praised for the fact that his size is not wasted. He combines it with good, but sometimes inconsistent decision making ability to create separation and remove opposing players from the puck.

Trouba has been assessed by International Scouting Services as the potentially best stay-at-home defender in the class, if not the best defenseman, stating "For his size, Trouba skates extremely well and his transitional skating is near flawless." These are two skills that cannot be undersold as an NHL defenseman. They are paramount.

For those who disfavor the taste of international tournaments, you may have not been aware of Team USA's play in this years U-18 tournament. Their defensemen stole the show, and Trouba was the headline player.

With no glaring weakness it's hard to project where he goes in the draft. As pointed out in the Yakupov profile, defensemen can be unpredictable, so even with his ability, Trouba could be taken earlier than deserved or slide to anywhere in the top 15 or so. For my money, the Anaheim Ducks might be drooling to see him drop to their spot at 6th Overall. If not, look for Washington, or Ottawa to snag him up before too long. But there's always the "Big, bad American" factor that Brian Burke just about faints when he has a chance to draft.

While the above video compares him to Dion Phaneuf, I find that insulting for an extremely talented player, and think of him as a guy who compares better to Chris Pronger. It is a stretch to think that he will reach Pronger's level in the NHL, but on the right team, he could be just as impactful.

Unfortunately, he chose to go to Michigan, so I will hate him forever. Such a shame.

Western Conference Finals Wrapup

For a 5 game series, this got nasty. Los Angeles continued their winning ways on the road by picking up games 1 and 2 in the desert, putting 8 goals behind Phoenix's staunch goaltender, Mike Smith. For the first time ever, most likely, the name "Cloutier" was trending on Twitter, following Jonathan Quick's half-ice folly when he allowed a goal from center ice in game 1. Any hockey historian, or frankly any long-time fan can tell you that in that moment, we saw a thousand scenarios that all resulted in the Kings season crumbling. Dustin Brown came out quickly and played some of his best hockey in this series, posting 2 points in game 1, including the game winning goal.

Game 2 was a 4-0 no-doubter which saw Jeff Carter potting his first career hat trick. (Even when I make jokes, my predictions are pretty solid. Go me.) Clear frustration began to break through for the Coyotes, taking 56 penalty minutes in the game. Mike Smith took a penalty after a vicious slash to the back of Dustin Brown's knee. The slash has raised some controversy as Brown was accused of embellishing, and even took the consequent penalty for it, but either way, the message was clear. Brown was getting under their skin. Earlier in the game, Phoenix Captain Shane Doan was sent off for a game misconduct for a hit from behind.

Game 3 found the Kings behind on the scoreboard for the first time in the month of May, as Phoenix took a 1-0 lead. It didn't last long as Anze Kopitar tied it on a breakaway goal less than 2 minutes later. Dwight King continued his scoring ways by potting the Game Winner early in the 3rd.

The Coyotes stayed alive in a comparatively uneventful game 4, captain Shane Doan potting both for the dogs.

Game 5 however, may have been one of the most entertaining hockey games of the playoff year. Heavy hitting abound, plenty of scoring, and OT. While many players on the Coyotes were unsatisfied with the officiating, they found themselves flat outplayed in an indescribably physical and hard fought game. Penner knocked the game winner past Mike Smith on a controversial play in which the Coyotes believed that Dustin Brown had gone knee-on-knee with Coyotes defenseman Michal Rozsival shortly after a whistle in the opposite zone.

Flavor of the series:

Caribou Lou.

Man that was fun, but what the heck happened?

Prospect Report: Nail Yakupov (RW)

Current team: Sarnia Sting (OHL)
2012 Stats: 42 GP, 31-38-69 30 PIM
Central Scouting Rank: 1
Likely Destination: Edmonton Oilers (1st Overall)

What is left unsaid about Nail Yakupov? The consensus best player in the 2012 draft class, Yakupov has put himself head and shoulders above the rest of this year's crop. He is often compared to 2010's first overall pick Taylor Hall, with scouts often noting that he has a stronger game along the boards and superior ability to physically dominate his opponents. He is also referred to as the most talented first overall pick since Sidney Crosby. His skills are often compared to those of a young Datsyuk, with his elusive skating ability and surprising physical upside, given his skill game and physical stature. Yakupov broke the Sarnia scoring record previously held by Steven Stamkos. Hall of fame coach Scotty Bowman compared him to one of the original great Russian players in the NHL, Pavel Bure.

Chris Edwards of Central Scouting also describes Yakupov's abilities in the other, more nuanced parts of the game.

"His first step and ability to control bouncing pucks, knock them down and make a play are the best of any of the guys in the draft."

Yakupov is a dominant player and an absolute game changer. There is an oft discussed "Russian Factor" when it comes to judging draft value of Russian born players, regarding the possibility that they may jump ship to the Russian Kontinental Hockey League, however it must be noted that after a short stint in Russian Yakupov chose to play in the Ontario Hockey league at a young age. Only one thing could keep Yakupov out of Edmonton, that being organizational need. Edmonton has already formed a solid prospect pool of forwards, and has a strong need for blueliners. However history has shown that elite defensemen are often found in later rounds/picks of the draft, and it is not at all unreasonable to believe that if Edmonton's scouts have taken long looks at potential 2nd round defensemen, they may have found what they need in those later spots.

Western Conference Finals Game 3 Preview

Tonight marks the ever important third game in the best of seven series between the Los Angeles Kings and the Phoenix Coyotes. Often considered a swing game in a series, tonight proves no different. The Kings have the opportunity to take a stranglehold on the series by going up 3-0 while the Coyotes could easily turn the momentum of the series if they can grab a win before getting center Martin Hanzal back from suspension for game 4.

The Kings have adopted a few different images during this playoff run as they are exceeding even the loftiest of pre-season predictions for them. They are seen as underdogs, unstoppable, technically sound and road warriors (not that they have been bad at home either, of course). Phoenix on the other hand suddenly looks frail and like they lucked their way into the Conference Finals which I would not say is the case. Perhaps going on the road will give Phoenix a chance to better focus and to start playing with a chip on their shoulder. The Coyotes will certainly need a complete team effort, key under any Dave Tippet coached team, to tip the series scales in their favor.

With Hanzal out, Phoenix will need their depth centers to provide extra support down the middle and they will look to Daymond Langkow, Gilbert Brule, and Kyle Chipchura, who are all only a -1 through the first two games, to do just that. The Coyotes have enough talent on the wings to score but they need their defensive side of the game to step up including goalie Mike Smith. If the Sean Burke reinforced netminder was ever thinking of stealing a game then tonight would be an excellent place to start. Finally, the LA defense has been rock solid all playoffs (Doughty and Mitchell arguably a cut above the rest of any defensemen playing these playoffs) and this series is no different. If the Desert Dogs hope to keep playing they will need Keith Yandle to remind the hockey world why his name was in the Norris Trophy discussion in 2011.

For what little it’s worth, Phoenix is 1-1-1 at Staples Center this regular season.

2012 Eastern Conference Final Preview

Let's just say it. Both of these teams had pretty easy paths to this round. New Jersey had Florida and Bryzgalov while New York had Ottawa and Washington. While both teams had to fight through a seven game series at some point, it remains true that both of these teams were helped by not facing the physically bruising Bruins. That said, it's hard to fathom that either of these teams are too worn down going into this, with the possible exception of the Rangers, who had to battle through two game sevens. While Lundqvist and Brodeur certainly have the accolades that come with elite goaltenders, neither of them have been living up to their talent level in this years playoffs, although both have made some fantastic saves. It's tough to deny that the Rangers are the better team in this series. The biggest question is whether or not the Rangers 14-game road to the conference finals will cost them against the significantly better rested Devils. Look for the young guns to make the difference. Kreider and Stepan for New York, Henrique and Larsson for the Devils. We are also looking at a matchup of shot-blocking teams (aka snoozefest.) So yeah, just wake me when this one's over.

Brian - Rangers in 5
Chair Force Logan - Rangers in 6
David - Devils in 6
Rusty - Devils in 6

Fun facts: Never before has a team taken the 14-game road to the conference finals and won the Stanley Cup.

However, Boston faced three Game 7's last season and won the Cup.

Henrik Lundqvist has never won anything meaningful.

2012 Western Conference Final Preview

It has been something of a trend over the past handful of years that the conference finals can be the toughest test for an "overperforming" goaltender. (Halak in '10, Khabibulin in '09, Niemi in '11, among others.) In essence, it seems that a goaltender can carry a team into the conference finals, but can have trouble moving them further than that. This is what makes this years Western Conference Final so intriguing. Here we find two teams who would likely not be where they are if not for spectacular goaltending performances. So you can almost guess if the goaltending threats are going to be neutralized equally. I would look for the first of the two goaltenders to show a crack in their armor. We find ourselves with an above average offense in LA going against a very good Phoenix defense standing before a goaltender who has done more than his fair share of game-changing. While Nashville's stagnant offense, as well as off the ice issues managed to produce very few goals, I would expect the likes of Kopitar, Brown and Williams to put up just enough offense to allow the defense of Johnson and Doughty, and Quick's phenomenal goaltending to be enough to withstand the Coyotes. Also, Jeff Carter will most likely have a massive impact on this series. (Yeah, I was kidding about that.)

Brian - LA in 6
David - Phoenix in 7
Josh - LA in 6
Fitz- LA in 6
Chair Force Ramza - LA in 4
Rusty - LA in 6


Fun Facts: While the AHL Western Conference finals is between the 1 and 2 seeds, both teams combining for 3 losses, the NHL Western Conference finals features the 3rd and 8th seeded teams, combining for 4 losses through the early rounds.

The team that has eliminated the Vancouver Canucks from the past 2 playoffs has won the Stanley Cup.

2011-2012 NHL PLAYOFFS: Round TWO

Yes, it's May 7th.  Yes, one of the four series is already over and two are close to it.  Yes, this post is a bit late.  Too bad.  If I was getting paid for this, then maybe it would have been on time.  Don't worry, I'll write out these predictions as if I really do have a Delorean and it's still April 27th.

#8 Los Angeles Kings vs #2 St. Louis Blues
Two teams that had commanding first round series victories meet up, with LA looking to take down the new top seed, and Hitchcock looking to show us again why he's a hall of fame coach.  As long as St Louis can stay healthy, especially their D line, (cough Pietrangelo cough), they should give Quick a truer test than Vancouver did.
Rusty - St Louis in 5
Brian - St Louis in 6

#4 Nashville Predators vs #3 Phoenix Coyotes
Fresh off of the example Shanahan made of Raffi Torres, the Coyotes look to put that behind them and continue their cup run that may keep hockey in Arizona for a little while longer.  Nashville, one of the top favorites out of the west, made easy work of Detroit and now sets their sights on crushing Shane Doan's playoff dreams.
Rusty - Nashville in 6
Brian - Nashville in 6

#7 Washington Capitals vs #1 New York Rangers
Shot blocking, shot blocking, shot blocking.  Whichever team can stay healthier will be taking this series.  Both teams look to their all-stars to pick it up after quiet first rounds.  Holtby continues to wow DC, but is he the real deal, or just a rookie who is getting lucky?  Niemi was able to stay strong, hopefully Holtby took some notes.
Rusty - New York in 7
Brian - New York in 5

#6 New Jersey Devils vs #5 Philadelphia Flyers
A classic matchup of a team that dominated their first round opponent early on and had a week off versus a team that battled it out through game 7 and multiple overtimes.  The Flyers will definitely have some rust to shake off, but the Devils have to be nearly exhausted, especially without getting any extra rest since Game 7 in Florida.  It'll be interesting to see how the Flyers match up against a team that has a defense and goalie that actually know how to play 60 minutes of hockey.
Rusty - New Jersey in 7
Brian - New Jersey in 6

Some fun facts of the playoffs so far:
One of every seed (1-8) made it through to the second round.
[Through Game 4], the Flyers have not won a single game that they've scored first in.
Shane Doan has won his first playoff series, good for him.
Marty Brodeur is the only goaltender to play a playoff game as a teenager and a 40 year old.

Series Wrapup: Los Angeles Kings 4-1 Vancouver Canucks

I'm gonna do my best here to remain as objective and impartial as possible in describing this series, but being that I'm a Kings fan and my team just beat the Vancouver fucking Canucks in five games, that's gonna prove a little difficult. 


Aside from a few brave predictors, most everyone had the Canucks taking this series in at most six games. For the Kings, the matchup was ominous: the Western Conference Stanley Cup finalists coming off their second straight President's-Trophy-winning season. But there was a glimmer of hope that came in the form of Roberto Luongo.


When I found out that my Kings, by virtue of losing the last two games of the regular season to the Sharks, were going to face off against the Canucks instead of the Blues, I was a happy motherfucker. That's not to say that the Canucks aren't a great hockey team, but they are and were an incomplete one. Missing one Sedin and with perpetual choker Luongo in net, the Canucks looked human. And they were. 


Not only did the Kings steal the home ice advantage, they won all three games they played in Vancouver. Were it not for the momentum boost brought on by Daniel Sedin's return in Game 4 in Los Angeles, the Kings would have almost surely swept the series. The Canucks made the right call in switching to Cory Schneider for Game 3 and onwards, but it was too late. The Kings had all the momentum going back to Los Angeles and there was really no point where winning the series was ever in doubt thanks to the outstanding performance of Jonathan Quick. Cue goaltending controversy, Luongo trade request, and Canuck fan excuses ("That was totally a penalty by Lewis on Hamhuis!").


Noticeably absent from the series were Jeff Carter (big surprise) [5GP - 0G - 2A] and Ryan Kesler [5GP - 0G - 3A]. The latter's absence was crucial for Vancouver, who were lacking Daniel's offense already. The former's absence was not debilitating but he'll need to show up for the rest of the playoffs for the Kings to make any noise.


Looking at the flip side of the coin, a talented Sharks team lost in five games to the Blues. Do I think the Kings would have suffered the same fate? Most definitely. This Blues playoff group has not had a lot of time to form playoff cohesion, but it's a deep and well-rounded group that plays Ken Hitchcock hockey. There are no easy wins against the Blues. That said, the Kings now enter the semifinal with plenty of momentum from their first-round upset. They're also not as bad of a team as their seeding indicates. It's going to be one hell of a (low-scoring and probably boring) series. Doesn't matter. That the Kings made it this far (and created all kinds of issues for Vancouver going forward) is a successful season in itself. Anything else is gravy.

Flavor of the Series:

Brouwerij 't IJ Columbus. Why?

You don't expect that kind of quality from a little Dutch brewery.

Series Wrapup: Phoenix Coyotes 4-2 Chicago Blackhawks

You have to hand it to the Phoenix Coyotes after winning their first division title in team history they follow it up with their first playoff series victory in team history as well. Many Hawk fans will be shaking their heads, wondering what their team did wrong considering how good the team looked at times. What happened then? They were out coached and out disciplined. Phoenix came into this series knowing what they wanted to do, play a tight game with tough checking, allow as few chances (and weak ones to the outside when they did) and to capitalize on their opportunities when they came. They, largely, dictated the flow of the game and slowed it down, killing the transition game of the Hawks.

Mike Smith’s performance cannot be understated, he was fantastic all series whereas Corey Crawford struggled mightily with consistency and gave up very soft goals in the overtimes of both games 3 and 4. The top 6 talent that Chicago possesses was largely silent and their woes on the power play with so many of the games being air tight killed them; they finish with a playoff worst 5.3% power play. 

Looking ahead the Phoenix Coyotes will have the Nashville Predators, my pick to come out of the West. They’re beaten up and without forward Raffi Torres (as you probably know, Torres was suspended 25 games for an illegal charge to the head of Marian Hossa that sent him to the hospital) and I have a hard time seeing them doing any real damage against a Predators team that plays a similar style but possesses a much better team and talent. For the Hawks they have a long off-season with my questions that need to be answered. What to do with the gaping hole at 2C? How to fix the special teams? How can the D be fixed? And, most importantly in my opinion, will Joel Quenneville be given a chance to turn this around? 

So congrats to the Coyotes on their first win and best of luck next year to the Hawks.

Flavor of the Series:

Founders Dirty Bastard. Why?

Raffi Torres.

How To Survive: New Jersey Devils

Although the West is all ready for the Conference Semifinals, the East still has a lot to figure out.  There's several teams on the verge of elimination, looking for someone to step up and lead their team into the next round.

The New Jersey Devils have the most work to do, needing to win two games straight, something they haven't done yet in the post season since 2007.  The series was predicted to be either a quick sweep or a long, grueling fight, which it's turning out to be.  The Devils have taken too many periods off, and now they find themselves looking for an answer to all of those plastic rats.

Here's what they need to do to survive:

• Play a full game.  Playing 20 minutes a game isn't going to get you to the next round, even if you're up by three goals.  Florida is playing the underdog card better than anyone since, well, the Devils.  
• David Clarkson and Ilya Kovalchuk need to leave their concrete shoes at home for the next two games.
• Keep up the pressure on Florida's young defense.  
• Get in Clemmenson's head Tuesday night.  Theodore looks like he's out for at least the night, so if they can repeat last Thursday's matchup against Clemmenson, who was a huge thorn in the Devils side all regular season, they can grab the momentum swing into Game 7.
• Stop being so fancy and play some hockey.  They seem determined with forcing cute passes and dangles and are turning the puck over too much.  Do what you came here to do, play hockey and win.
• Don't complain about plastic rats falling from the sky or bad calls (incidental contact with the goaltender).  You shouldn't be looking at the refs to win the game for you; stay out of the box and keep the pressure on.

And if all else fails, win the round to have a better chance at keeping Parise long term.  The further you go, the more confidence he'll have in the core.

Series Wrapup: Nashville Predators 4-1 Detroit Red Wings

Well we're here, first round matchups are drawing to a close, many have already wrapped up. Nashville vs. Detroit was the first one to end on Friday, and end in decisive fashion. It's tough to win when you can't score, and Pekka Rinne did to the Red Wings exactly what he has done to everyone all season long. Prevent scoring. In a year in which he would get my vote for the Vezina trophy if not for the unreal performance by Jonathan Quick, Rinne has been an absolute stud. Although Nashville pretty soundly outplayed Detroit for a majority of the series, Detroit's major problem of the past few years of not shooting enough has been addressed by Babcock and the coaching staff as Rinne was kept uncomfortable with Detroit's bombardment that was launched his way.

Now it's time for Ken Holland and the management to address their concerns. 40 shots in a game is nice, but when they're from 45 feet out by a mediocre at best shooter on a goaltender like Pekka Rinne, it will probably be absorbed and contribute very little to the actual offensive output by the team.

Counter that with a team that's capable of putting 3 or 4 goals up game in and game out with Pekka Rinne and Shea Weber protecting their quick starts and you're looking at a team that has a shot to go all the way. This was a no doubter from the beginning, and we got what we expected.

Flavor of the series:

A can of  Pabst Blue Ribbon. It was alright, you kinda knew what you were gonna get, and it was gone before we even noticed.

Draft-Eligible Swedes Pt. 2 - Hampus Lindholm

Ängelholm is notable as the home of Kenny and Jörgen Jonsson, Christian von Koenigsegg (and his namesake luxury automobile company), and Rögle BK. Much of the 23,240 residents revolve their lives around their hometown club, packing the 5,150 seat arena and overfilling the ståplats (standing) section with drunk, chanting bodies that far outcry their Malmö rivals who regularly outdraw them by the thousands. A mishmash of mostly Swedish journeymen, a few former draft picks that never cracked the NHL, and homegrown talent, Rögle outperformed all clubs in the Allsvenskan, many of which had higher payrolls and more established stars, en route to their recent promotion to the Elitserien.

One of the young players key to their success this season is Hampus Lindholm, who skated in just 20 regular season games but posted five points in 10 Kvalserien (relegation/promotion) contests, good for fifth amongst the 54 defensemen who suited up during the mini-tournament. Having watched him play a handful of times since coming to Sweden in January, it's been interesting to see Lindholm evolve. I wrote this report on January 31st, 2012 after seeing the young blueliner for the first time. This game was actually his worst and he's improved on a consistent basis since.

I'm not ready to call him a sure thing but he plays the now protoypically Swedish Erik-Karlsson-style defensive game that gives opposing teams fits in the new NHL and he's not totally useless in his own end, a rarity in a league that's mostly a loosely-checked danglefest. He's definitely an outside shot to sneak into the first round if a team likes his upside and undoubtedly improved his draft stock during the postseason.

#5 HAMPUS LINDHOLM

DEFENSEMAN (Right), Rögle BK, Hockeyallsvenskan

SEASON TO DATE: 12GP - 0G - 1A - 1P - -3 - 24 SOG - 8 PIM

STATS ON THE NIGHT: 0G - 0A - 0P - +/- EVEN - 3 SOG - 0 PIM

Rögle BK @ Malmö Redhawks (Malmö Arena, Malmö, Sweden)

31/1/2012 (19:00)

FINAL SCORE: MAL 3-2 (SO) RÖG

BY PERIOD: 1-1, 1-0, 0-1, 0-0, 1-0 (SO)

USA vs. Canada U18 Thoughts

1. Team USA showing a lot of great speed getting to the early 1-0 lead.

2. Apparently the US has been watching a lot of the Penguins/Flyers first round playoff series, terrible goal to have Canada tie on.

3. I love battles for the puck as much as the next hockey fan, but seeing no touch icing in this game has me hoping some form of that is introduced at the NHL level sooner than later. Kurtis Foster likely still agrees.

4. Jones (USA) with an excellent stretch pass setting up a scoring opportunity, denied by Canada.

5. Getting very reminiscent of the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center observing the awfully sparse crowd here.

6. After controlling the play in the final minute of period 1 Canada coughs the puck up leading to a USA one on one opportunity that they do nothing with.

7. Apologize for the vague descriptions for players, don't know many of them yet and the announcers are speaking some magical language I do not understand.

8. Fittingly, Smells Like Teen Spirit is playing during the intermission...

9. USA goalie swimming in net as shot goes way wide.

10. I know they're our neighbors to the North but this game could not have less passion. USA with a good set up from behind the goal line but it's shot wide. Seems to be the theme of the game.

11. Tournament renamed to "Alex Semin Invitational U18s"

Five Questions for Game 3 of Hawks-Yotes

1.  With the series coming back to Chicago, how will the Hawks respond on home ice?  It’s no secret the Hawks didn’t play their best hockey in Phoenix but they were able, in dramatic overtime fashion, to steal a game from the Yotes.  Now they come home for a two game stretch where hopefully they’re able to pick up two games and a commanding lead of the series.  It’s not a reach to say the Hawks could win these next two games, they’ve played much better at home (27-8-6) this year than on the road (18-18-5).  Phoenix is a good road team though; they’ve won almost as many games at home as on the road.  If the Hawks want to win this series they’re going to have to translate their regular season success on home ice to the playoffs.

2.  What will the lineup and lines look like tonight?  After heading into the first game with, in my opinion, disastrous lines (Kane at left wing, Kruger at 2C) Quenneville seemed to adjust to more natural lines.  On the back end will we see young Dylan Olsen get a game since Sean O’Donnell has been unremarkable?  Speaking of youngsters, I would love to see Jimmy Hayes get some playing time although I am not sure who Quenneville will scratch.  My choice would be Andrew Brunette who has been just as slow and bad as he was in the regular season but Quenneville seems to love the guy.  A final last note is Andrew Shaw who is waiting (still) to hear about his possible suspension.  Shanahan made it clear by not deciding yesterday that the suspension will depend on the health of Mike Smith, who skated in warm-ups today.  However, Phoenix said he wouldn’t be speaking to the media due to “extreme circumstances,” Dave Tippet said Smith will be a game time decision.  Seems a little fishy to me.

3.  Has Brent Seabrook finally taken the reigns as the team’s #1 D man?  He has had an absolutely fantastic series after having what was, arguably, the best season of any Hawk defensemen this year.  Duncan Keith, while still playing solid hockey and being a critical part of the team, has not returned to Norris form (makes you wonder if he ever will).  Seabrook has been a force on the blueline for the Hawks playing solid, consistent defense while still chipping in on the score sheet, not to mention his massive contributions in the dying seconds of regulation in the last two games. 

4.  Will the power play ever get any better?  This has been a sore spot all season due to its inability to put pucks in the net (26^th in the league this year).  What confuses a lot of people is how can a team with all this talent be unable to have a dynamic power play.  My argument is the system.  A nugget from Sharp’s post-game interview, when he was jokingly asked if they practice 6 on 5, was his reply of no and that they’re just reacting out there, playing the game.  Maybe that’s what their power play needs, a system change that allows the players to be more creative and go for anything other than the back door pass to Sharp.

5.  Will Brandon Saad be called up and play in this series?  After being selected 43^rd overall in the draft last year Saad came into camp and exploded there, even earning himself a few NHL games at the start of the year.  He returned to Saginaw though and had a stellar year putting up the highest point per game average in the entire OHL.  He put up 8 goals and 9 assists in 12 games before Saginaw was eliminated by the London Knights.  I’ve watched as much of Saad’s game as I could, he is going to be a dynamite NHLer he has a solid shot and a big body which he uses well along the boards but his best asset is his IQ and positioning.  He simply knows where to be all the time.  I am excited about him but not sure it’s the right move to bring him up for this series, if the Hawks advance and he gets some time in with the team, then maybe play him in the second series.  Keep in mind if he is called up a year on his ELC is burned.  

Should be a fun game tonight, if I had to guess I'd say 3-1 Hawks.

Playoff Observations 4/16/12

1. Don Cherry absolutely hit the nail on the head tonight. Best Coach's Corner in a good long time.

2. How come the St. Louis Blues have this magical gift for scoring pretty goals in the 2012 playoffs when no one else can?

3. The Shark tank exploding in cheers when their team climbs within 2 with 3 minutes left made me make this face: =/

4. I'd like to point out how miffed I am about the fact that the best goaltending matchup in the CQF round of these playoffs is Braden Holtby (22 year old rookie) vs. Tim Thomas (Defending Vezina/Conn Smythe/Stanley Cup Winner)

5. Matchup two is Henrik Lundqvist (Vezina frontrunner) vs. Craig Anderson (Who?)

6. And the other good matchup has been Jon Quick (Horrendously underrated goaltender the past few years) vs. Roberto Luongo (Horrendously overrated goaltender the past few years) or Cory Schneider (Horrendously underrated goaltender the past few years)

7. The New York Rangers from '06 to '10 have graduated 3 of their 5 NCAA draft picks to the NHL with the Kreider contract, compared to 1 of their 18 Major Junior picks.

8. Tim Thomas was the only Bruin to have his bags searched by government officials upon arrival in DC. Truly not sure how I feel about it. Part of me just finds it hilarious, the other part of me wonders if that's going a bit too far to mess with the opposing goalie.

9. That said, the layer of Obama pictures behind Thomas' net in this game was absolutely hilarious, regardless of loyalty, that's just quality chirping.

10. After Tortorella flipped out about Peter DeBoer playing games about his game time roster, he had John Scott out for the warmup chirping Zenon Konopka, and then had him out in the press box watching the game.

An Open Letter to the Vancouver Canucks

Enough is enough.

At what point will you take responsibility for the damage you have done to our proud sport? How is it that one team can be so insufferable in every way, that someone who prides himself on his grasp of the English language and his ability to coherently express his thoughts through his writing was rendered speechless by two and a half playoff hockey games?

There is absolutely nothing about your organization that you have a right to be proud of. Your fanbase is quick to call the Kings a team who has accomplished nothing while a grand total of zero Stanley Cup banners hang from your rafters, replaced instead by Roberto Luongo’s jock, which has yet to be retrieved from the ceiling following his hilarious performance in game 7 of last year’s Cup finals.

In a sport which is touted by its proud fans as the toughest sport to play, a sport characterized by such pride that any injury which lacks blood, broken bones, concussions or a torn anything wouldn’t even faze even the most pedestrian of participants, your team has become synonymous with countless acting performances worthy of Academy Awards for best supporting actor (only Alexandre Burrows and the Sedins could be considered lead actors, and it would be the only time Henrik Sedin has been able to be a leader in any category.)

And it isn’t even simply the diving, embellishing and absolutely disgraceful faking of injuries that has turned every other Canadian against you.

It’s the combination of the fact that any contact of an opponent’s stick to your shins becomes a trip, yet your elbows fly faster than Tony Jaa, and your fanbase finds no fault in your ridiculous interpretation of how hockey should work.

It’s that you believe that Burrows (finally) being called for a diving call is a conspiracy against your team.

It’s that when Brad Marchand goes low on your guy, he ought to be booted from the league, but when Sami Salo commits an identical offense less than two minutes previous, it was a clean hit.

It’s that Jim Hughson pumps up tires more than my local mechanic.

It’s that your city looked like New Orleans circa 2006 after your team lost a hockey game.

It’s that 40 years of futility somehow granted you some sense of entitlement that makes fans of the other 29 NHL teams just laugh at you.

It’s the fact that your incredulous fans shout “Luuuu!” after a shot goes ten feet wide.

It’s because of everything that @LOLVancouver has retweeted.

It’s because after you lost game one because of multiple delay of game, over the glass penalties, your team thinks that a deflection over the glass ought to grant you a powerplay.

It’s that even Mike Milbury cannot vilify the same Dustin Brown that your entire city wants suspended.

I feel that your list of offenses is long, even if the one presented to you here now is nowhere near exhaustive.

You are a joke. You are the worst.

Enough is enough.

Playoff Observations 4/14/12

1. Those who say goons and tough guys have no place in hockey might want to watch highlights from OTT/NYR game 2

2. I really hope that the Washington Capitals have a party in Braden Holtby’s honor after every game.

3. I would love to see a Spike Lee/Zenon Konopka rivalry kind of like his rivalry with Reggie Miller.

4. It looks like Brian Boyle took fighting lessons from Sean Avery.

5. If the NHL wants to get rid of diving, it needs to start punishing players who dive by fining them.

6. Brandon Dubinsky couldn’t handle fighting the Sens but the Gatorade barrel is a whole different story.

7. If WSH/BOS ends within 5 or 6 games, it very well may be the lowest scoring playoff series in recent memory.

8. Shades of 2010 versus Colorado, San Jose in a pickle as Vlasic mimics Dan Boyle by just scoring on his own net.

9. The greatest hockey related Twitter feed may have been discovered this morning.

10. For a man who had plenty to say about the legitimacy of the NHL, John Tortorella’s team spent quite a bit of game 2 disgracing our great sport

11. Rangers displaying in period 2 of game 2 that shot blocking does in fact lead to goals. Karlsson on the board.

12. NBC/CNBC/NBCSN seem to have some sort of conspiracy to force us to listen to the most insufferable announcers all night during the playoffs. (I mean, really, that's not a headshot to you? Bugger off.)

13. Mike Smith had his head hit on a play that I don’t think was dirty by Shaw but could have been avoided.

14. The league is in a weird spot when fans honestly cannot tell if a player is legitimately hurt or selling an injury. Better enforcement of embellishment and stricter regulations for injury evaluation need to be implemented.

15. Brent Seabrook.

16. Yes, that’s nice Coyotes fans, it’s nice to see Jobing.com Arena sold out for a playoff series. Again. But where were you all during the regular season?

2011-2012 NHL PLAYOFFS: Round 1

Yep, this post is a few days late, get over it. The long awaited playoffs are here, and here's a quick prediction of each series by me, and all of the writers guesses at the results:

Eastern Conference
1. New York Rangers vs. 8. Ottawa Senators - Should be a good matchup, considering the Sens manhandled the Rangers in the regular season, but the Rangers are hoping golden free agent Richards will finally shine alongside surprising all-star Dan Girardi.
Rusty - Ott in 6

Brian - Ott in 6

David - Ott in 7
Fitz - Rangers in 7
Josh - Rangers in 5
Celebrity Josh - Rangers in 5

2. Boston Bruins vs. 7. Washington Capitals - Reigning Stanley Cup champs looking to defend the title versus a finally healthy Washington squad. Ovechkin finally started looking like the Ovechkin everyone knows near the end of the season, and Boston is missing a few big pieces, namely Nathan Horton.
Rusty - Boston in 5
Brian - Boston in 6
David - Boston in 6
Fitz - Boston in 6
Josh - Boston in 6
Celebrity Josh - Boston in 6

3. Florida Panthers vs. 6. New Jersey Devils - Two teams glad to be back in the playoffs, whether its been 1 or 12 years since their last appearance. Pete DeBoer is facing his old team, even though their high flyers aren't familiar to him. See: Versteeg, Fleishmann, Campbell. Kovalchuk looks as hungry as ever, and the Devils are rolling into the playoffs with a 6 game win streak.
Rusty - NJ in 4
Brian - Florida in 7
David - Florida in 7
Fitz - Florida in 7
Josh - NJ in 7
Celebrity Josh - NJ in 4

4. Pittsburgh Penguins vs 5. Philadelphia Flyers - The matchup everyone has been waiting for, which is being advertised on TSN.ca as a potential bloodbath. I keep saying that Philly is probably the only team in the NHL that can beat the Pens this year, so you don't want to miss this series.
Rusty - Pittsburgh in 7
Brian - Pittsburgh in 6
David - Pittsburgh in 7
Fitz - Pittsburgh in 6
Josh - Pittsburgh in 6
Celebrity Josh - Pittsburgh in 6

Western Conference
1. Vancouver Canucks vs. 8. Los Angeles Kings - Without Daniel Sedin, and having to face Jonathon Quick and Drew Doughty is going to be trouble. Sometimes I wonder if the collective will of every hockey fan outside British Columbia will have any effect on the series. Watch for some depth guys for LA to chip in more than the Canucks, and that will be the key.
Rusty - LA in 6
Brian - LA in 7
David - Vancouver in 7
Fitz - LA in 6
Josh - LA in 7
Celebrity Josh - Vancouver in 4

2. St Louis Blues vs. 7. San Jose Sharks - Is there much more to say than Brian Elliott and Jaroslav Halak will be responsible for the same crease? St. Louis has been this good for years, but it took until 2011-12 for all of their key elements to stay healthy together. This team is scary. After allowing 168 goals in 82 games this year, hard to imagine what's going to change in this series.
Rusty - STL in 6
Brian - STL in 5
David - STL in 5
Fitz - STL in 6
Josh - STL in 6
Celebrity Josh - STL in 6

3. Phoenix Coyotes vs 6. Chicago Blackhawks - Toews is back, but Mike Smith never left. Under-appreciated Phoenix goaltender should be able to survive the onslaught, but Phoenix still needs to score more. That lack of remarkable scoring will extend the series, but unless Toews can come in after missing so much time and be in prime playoff form, it's hard to call this one for the boys in bright red. (Edit @ 10:19pm 4/12/12: Well, don't I look like an idiot.)
Rusty - Phoenix in 7
Brian - Phoenix in 6
David - Phoenix in 7
Fitz - Chicago in 7
Josh - Chicago in 6
Celebrity Josh - Chicago in 6

4. Nashville Predators vs. 5. Detroit Red Wings - The flailing Red Wings will be forced to go into Smashville for 4 of the 7 games in this series. Vezina contender Pekka Rinne has scarcely let a game get away from him over the last several years. While Detroit's firepower could threaten, the addition of prodigal son Alexander Radulov should give Nashville just enough firepower to keep the Red Wings down, even when healthy.

Rusty - Nashville in 6
Brian - Nashville in 6
David - Nashville in 7
Fitz - Nashville in 6
Josh - Nashville in 7
Celebrity Josh - Nashville in 7

Draft-Eligible Swedes Pt. 1 - Pontus Åberg

I've been posted in Sweden for about three months now while going to school, and as a result have had a chance to see some of the better prospects for the 2012 NHL Draft play in person. It's difficult to find consistent online video or comprehensive highlights of any of the players over here, so it's nice to get a chance to watch them for a whole game.

This past weekend I had a chance to catch winger Pontus Åberg of Djurgårdens IF face off against Rögle in the last game of the 2012 Kvalserien, which pits the tier-two Allsvenskan's three regular-season leaders and playoff champion against the two teams that finished at the bottom of the top-tier Elitserien. It's round-robin format with two games vs. each opponent. Six teams enter, two teams leave.

One of the better collections of young talent in Sweden, Rögle defied the odds to become the first Allsvenskan team to not only survive the league's playoffs but also secure promotion. Guess who they'll be replacing next year? With everything settled before the puck drop, the game lacked intensity, but the celebrating crowd provided an unbelievable atmosphere.

This is part one of a three-part series.

#46 PONTUS ÅBERG
Left Wing, Djurgårdens IF, Elitserien

SEASON STATS: 47GP – 8G – 7A – 15P – 6 PIM
KVALSERIEN STATS: 7GP – 1G – 0A – 0 PIM
STATS ON THE NIGHT: 0G - 0A - 0P - +/- EVEN - 5 SOG - 0 PIM

Djurgårdens IF @ Rögle BK (Lindab Arena, Ängelholm, Sweden)
6/4/2012 (16:00)
FINAL SCORE: DIF 2-1 RÖG
BY PERIOD: 0-1, 0-0, 1-1

The Final Week of The Season (Part II)

The last week, for some of us it begins the forming of a true brotherhood where fans, players, and cities alike come together under the banner of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It's also a time for all of us to reflect on some of the highlights from the 2011-2012 Regular Season, like the Ducks's re-enactment of the '10-'11 Devils, Stamkos still pushing for 60, Florida a point away from making it back into the playoffs after a 12 year drought, and the Maple Leafs, with another joke of a season. While the West still has a lot of seeding to sort out, the East is just about ready to get the playoffs started, even with 4 more days of the regular season to go.

Eastern Conference
Even though teams are a lot more settled than the west, there's a lot needed to be done in the rest of the week to get teams ready and fired up for the first round.

- New York Rangers = Locked in the first seed in the East, they have their eyes on the President's Trophy. With games against Pit and Washington, those 4 points may not be as easy as Vancouver's. Saturday's game vs Washington could possibly decide the Ranger's first round opponent if the all of the right cards fall for Buffalo.

- Boston Bruins = Locked in second, the Bruins have a game against their probably first round opponent Senators and Buffalo, which again has the slim chance to be a do or die game for Buffalo. Thursday's game will set the stage for next week, though, and with Boychuk still up in the air and a question mark for Thomas's backup in the playoffs, Boston needs to make sure they can bring their A+ game next week.

- Florida Panthers = They can't seem to put the lock on the 3rd seed just yet, but Thursday will be the true test, against the team fighting for that seed, the Caps. A finale vs the Hurricanes rounds out their regular season, and then the biggest surprise of this year's playoffs will most likely take on the Devils and Pete DeBoer.

- Pittsburgh Penguins = Concussions are not the Penguins' biggest worry anymore! They've taken a back seat to the Philadelphia Flyers, who seem to be in the Penguins' heads these days. Division matchups against the Rangers and Flyers will be sure to keep the Pens on their toes through the playoffs, where we may see one of the best 1st round series this year.

- Philadelphia Flyers = Can drive the nail in nail in the coffin for Buffalo, then start a possible 8 game series versus Pittsburgh on Saturday. A continuously hurt defense will cause them problems, but if Bryz can stay on top of his game, it'll be one hell of a series. There's always that slim chance that Philly and New Jersey switch seeds, but who doesn't want to see whats going to happen between Rinaldo and Asham?

- New Jersey Devils = It hasn't been a 12 year drought, but the Devils sure are glad to be back in the playoffs. Detroit and Ottawa means it won't be as big of a week for the Devils as some other teams, but they want to keep hot to take on the DeBoer's old team. Injuries to Josefson and Tallinder may stretch them a bit, and who remembers DeBoer vocalizing his want for a victory the first matchup of the year vs the Panthers, followed by the Devils blowing a 3-0 lead in the 3rd period? No one, probably, because who watches either team?

- Ottawa Senators = Not as big of a surprise as Florida, but definitely a big one. Spezza is on top of his game, and Karlsson has really become the superstar he was drafted to be. They have an "exhibition" match vs the Bruins on Thursday, followed by the Devils.

- Washington Captials = Here's where it gets fun... the Caps have a good lead over the Sabres for 8th, but can't seem to find much consistency. They have two big matchups vs the Panthers and their possible first round opponent Rangers, and really need to figure things out in net. They're finally healthy, so let's see if they can turn it on.

Outsider: The Buffalo Sabres had an amazing comeback against the Leafs on Tuesday night, and hope their luck continues this week. They have the Flyers and Bruins, two playoff bound teams, so there's a chance those teams may rest some starters (see: Tim Thomas). Washington has the tiebreaker, so in their 2 remaining games they need to edge Washington out with at least 1 more point.