Archive for September, 2009

Islanders add Schremp to rookie lineup

Ever heard of Rob Schremp? The 23-year-old center who tore up the OHL a few years back by posting 145 points in 57 games? The Edmonton prospect was picked up off of waivers yesterday by the New York Islanders. If you aren’t familiar with Schremp, take a look at this video to watch Schremp dazzle in a shootout.

Here’s the problem with Schremp. He blew away the competition in the OHL and averaged 2.5 points per game, but he faltered in the AHL and only managed seven goals and 35 assists last season in 69 games. Plus, Schremp’s ability to backcheck has also been called into question. With more talented players coming up through the ranks in Edmonton, Schremp was never able to crack the lineup for more than a few games a season and never showcased enough talent to stick with the club when he was recalled.

On the positive, coming into New York will allow Schremp the chance to play with other young stars such as John Tavares and Kyle Okposo. The Islanders are a team building from square one, which should ultimately benefit someone like Schremp. It gives him the opportunity to learn on the job along with the other youngsters. The Islanders are willing to give Schremp a chance, let’s see if he takes it and runs with it.

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Detroit Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings have arguable been the most successful franchise in the NHL since the lockout and the formation of the “new” salary-cap era. This past summer, however, the once invincible-looking Red Wings seemingly took a huge step back as they lost several players to free agency – including Marian Hossa, who opted to sign with Central division rival the Chicago Blackhawks. Before proclaiming that the age of the Winged Wheel has ended in the Central Division, however, you need to remind yourself of three things about the Wings: They still sport some of the best defensive depth in the NHL, they have an incredible knack for overcoming adversity and they won the Cup in 2007-08 with a roster that looks pretty similar to their current one.80538014GS010_NASHVILLE_PRE

Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg will again be called upon to lead the Red Wings up front this season. After a sluggish regular season, Zetterberg upped the ante in the playoffs and finished with 24 points in 23 games, including 11 goals. Zetterberg should have no problem bumping right back up to 80-90 points this season. Datsyuk, calm and shifty as ever, should be able to leave some nagging injuries from the playoffs behind him and perhaps become the first Red Wing to score 100 points in a single season since Sergei Federov. These are two of the best forwards, and often most overlooked forwards, in the NHL right now.

Budding stars like Valtteri Filppula and Johan Franzen will be called upon to fill help lead the secondary offense and fill the voids left be departed free agents. Franzen, who had 34 goals last season, needs to put in a consistent effort night in and night out. Under those circumstances, Franzen could easily top the 40-goal mark and could be a fantasy hockey sleeper, especially if he gets significant time on the top line with Datsyuk. Filppula, the Finnish center who often shows flashes of brilliance, also needs to show more consistency throughout the entire season.

While the free-agent additions of former Red Wings Todd Bertuzzi and Jason Williams baffled some, others believe they will certainly help establish more offensive depth for the Red Wings. Jason Williams has had a stellar pre-season thus far and looks right at home with his old Red Wings teammates and could be a dangerous threat playing the point on the second power play unit. Todd Bertuzzi came into training camp looking fit and feeling healthy. If he can find his hands near the net, expect big contributions out of him playing the wing alongside Zetterberg. Bertuzzi’s big question mark is health, however. The big man needs to find a way to stay out of the press box and stay on the bench with his teammates.

The Red Wings defense is scary good, but needs to tighten up some if they are to go deep into the playoffs. Defensive lapses hurt this team last year, but an abundance of scoring power propelled the Wings to more wins than they might have had otherwise. Both forwards and defenseman alike need to tighten up their game if they are to stay on top of the Central division. But with veterans like Nicklas Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski leading the pack, and players like Niklas Kronwall and Jonathan Ericsson making names for themselves quickly, this defense still looks to be at the top of their game and should be able to contain even the fiercest offenses in the Western Conference.

Goaltending remains somewhat of a question mark for this organization. Chris Osgood had a subpar regular season only to turn up his play to Conn Smyth caliber in the post season last year. Which goalie will show up when the puck drops later this week? Jimmy Howard, the new backup goaltender replacing Ty Conklin, has looked soft in several of his NHL contests in previous seasons. Howard will get plenty of opportunities to show his stuff, however, as he is slated to play around 30 games behind Ozzie. It’s do or die for Howard, who the Red Wings have billed as the goalie of the future for several seasons. The future is now for the Wings.

The future certainly is now when you consider that Darren Helm, Ville Leino and Jonathan Ericsson are all considered rookies this year despite the fact that Helm and Ericsson played through most of the playoffs with the Wings last spring. Their play catapulted them to a new level and now the Wings want to see what these young guys are made of as regulars to the roster. If they play half as good as they did in the playoffs, expect big things.

The Detroit Red Wings may have lost some talent, but they are a team that knows how to win. Even without Hossa, this team is stocked full of potential all-stars. And come next April, the Detroit Red Wings will again be in the postseason as a serious contender for the Stanley Cup.

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Chicago Blackhawks

Jonathan Toews looks to lead the Blackhawks to the Stnaley Cup.

Captain Jonathan Toews looks to lead the Chicago Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup this season.

A young speedy team who finished 2nd in the tough Central Division, and 4th in the Western Conference, looks to improve upon their Cup ending loss to the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference Finals.

During the offseason the Blackhawks received some negative press about ousting general manager Dale Tallon to be replaced by Stan Bowman. Stan, the son of retired NHL coach Scotty Bowman, replaced Tallon due to a filed grievance from the NHL Players Association pertaining to the team missing deadlines for sending qualifying offers to restricted free agents. The team has since moved forward with the off season acquisitions of some pretty big names.

The Blackhawks were unable to resign unrestricted free agent Martin Havlat who eventually signed with the Minnesota Wild. Havlat scored 29 goals with 48 assists to total 77 points. He also posted 15 points in 16 games played in the playoffs last season, which happened to lead the team.

The void is to be replaced by NHL All Star player Marian Hossa who played for the Detroit Red Wings in the previous year. Hossa, who played for the Pittsburg Penguins before the Wings, has made the NHL finals 2 years in a row, yet both times have come up empty handed. Hossa underwent shoulder surgery in the off season and is expected to make his debut you in a Hawk’s jersey in late November. A question of full rehabilitation, game ready physical capability and team chemistry will be answered when he returns to the ice.

Center John Madden joins the mix of the Blackhawks this year. Madden has played for the New Jersey Devils for all his NHL career, posting 297 points in 712 regular season games and 41 points in 112 playoff games.

The Blackhawks have parted ways with goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin in hopes that Cristobal Huet will be able to carry the workload. The two goaltenders split time last year during the regular season, only one game difference. However, come playoff time, Khabibulin played all but 3 games. With the success of last year, one would think the possibility of doing the same two goalie system again, or if having to choose between the one, would have chosen to stay with Khabibulin, but that is not the case.

All hope is not lost though as the 34 year old Cristobal Huet has a respectable record and stats. Last season he had a 20-15-4-3 record in 41 games, with a .909 save percentage and a 2.53 goals against average. This number is down in comparison to the ’07-’08 season where he had a combined 32-14-6-4 record between Montreal Canadiens and the Washington Capitals.

The team is led by young stars Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. Together the duo is nearly impossible to stop, all things considering they are only 21 and 20 years of age. Together the two were able to net 59 goals and 80 assists between their 162 games played.

Defensively the team is led by offensive defenseman Brian Campbell. Campbell was 5th in points last year with 52, the majority of them being 45 assists. Shortly behind in points are defensemen Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook who both have better +/- ratings then Campbell. Keith tallied in at + 33 while Seabrook with +23.

The Chicago Blackhawks lack no skill in scoring points, and have a solid defensive core that also are able to contribute offensively. The goaltender position will be a test this year, but should not be a factor as the team is projected to be first within the Central Division as last year’s leader the Detroit Red Wings have suffered a major rebuild of new and young players.

Last year’s playoff’s were a learning experience for the young team. This year with one more year under their belt, and the addition of some veteran playoff performers, the Chicago Blackhawks have their eyes set on the Cup.

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Hockey Overseas Live 2:15pm Today

The Chicago Blackhawks will be playing the HC Davos in Zurich today live on NHL.com. The game is one of few that will be played overseas. The complete schedule can be seen here.

Other NHL teams that are participating in the NHL outreach are the Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues and the Detroit Red Wings.

Nashville Predators

Can Pekka Rinne lead the Predators back to the playoffs?

Can Pekka Rinne lead the Predators back to the playoffs?

Last season, the biggest story for the Nashville Predators was rookie goaltender Pekka Rinne. Despite starting the season in a limited role, Rinne outplayed starter Dan Ellis and earned himself the starting position in late December. Throughout his rookie season, Rinne posted stellar numbers. He finished the year with a 29-15-4 record, .917 save percentage and a 2.38 goals against average. He also posted 7 shutouts in his 49 starts. This season, Rinne will start between the pipes, and should help the Predators get off to a strong start.

Along with the young goalie, Nashville returns their same top line of Martin Erat, JP Dumont, and Jason Arnott. Last season, the trio combined for 66 goals, 106 assists and a total of 172 points. In order for Nashville to improve this season, these guys are going to have to increase their productivity.

After struggling recently with a back injury, the Predators are also hoping for a healthy season for winger Steve Sullivan. His age might soon become a factor in decreased production, but last season Sullivan proved that if healthy, he can still be counted on for some big points. In 41 games last season, he recorded 11 goals and 21 assists for 32 points. Not too shabby after missing the entire 2007-08 season, and the first half of last season as well. Sullivan is fresh off a brand new two year contract as well, and can definitely play around a point per game average if he stays healthy.

Defensively, the Predators are in need of a couple stronger players for added depth. The first defensive pair will be relatively strong with Shea Weber and Ryan Suter leading the way. Weber should prove to be quite effective on the power play again this season. Last year he chipped in 10 goals and 9 assists on the power play. Beyond that, the Predators will feature Dan Hamhuis on the second defensive unit, and two rookies, Cody Franson and Alexander Sulzer, on the third unit.

Success this season for the Predators will be largely based on the play of rookie goaltender Pekka Rinne. If he plays as well as last year, Nashville might be able to overcome their defensive and scoring deficiencies to squeeze into a playoff spot during the end of the season.

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Columbus Blue Jackets

Both Rick Nash (L) and Steve Mason will need to continue the career seasons each had in 2009 to keep Columbus a playoff contender.

Both Rick Nash (L) and Steve Mason need to continue career seasons each had in 2009 to keep Columbus a playoff contender.

Making progress is what the Blue Jackets did last season, and will be looking forward to do this season. It took them their 10th season in the NHL to make the playoffs. Their playoff run was short-lived as they took on the Detroit Red Wings and got swept in four games.

Columbus also made progress as it re-signed captain and superstar Rick Nash to an eight-year, 62.4 Million contract extension that will keep him in Ohio until 2017-18. It’s considered a major accomplishment as Nash had his pick in where he wanted to go.

Expectations are high from not only the fan base in central Ohio, but within the organization as well. They can only make more progress this season by not only making the playoffs, but winning a couple games and even winning a series.

The Blue Jackets do have the pieces to contend in the difficult Western Conference. The Blue Jackets also enter the season with their top-six forwards set in place. In addition to Nash, they have Kristian Huselius and Derick Brassard on the top line. It’s going to be interesting to see a healthy Brassard as he missed the last 50 games due to injury. The second line will feature R.J. Umberger, Antoine Vermette, and Jakub Voracek. A rookie last season, Voracek had a quiet but respectable season as he recorded 38 points. Look for top prospect Nikita Filatov and new addition Sami Pahlsson to make significant contributions to the third and fourth lines.

On defense, there may not be any big names you have heard before other than Mike Commodore, but management stayed the course during the trade deadline and the off-season. The unit is mostly a stay-at-home unit who isn’t overly aggressive on offense. They are missing a player who is multi-dimensional and with $7 Million of cap space left going into the season, they have the ability to make a move if they are in contention for the playoffs around the deadline. Having someone who can quarterback a power play is crucial for them as they were last in the NHL on the power play at 12.7 percent.

Columbus did find a gem in goal with Steve Mason. A player who didn’t play a full season because of injury, Mason was the reason the team made the playoffs. Winning the Calder Trophy as top rookie, Mason led the league in shutouts with 10 in only 61 games. It will be interesting to see how this season will be for him. Can he continue the hot streak or suffer the sophomore slump? To aid Mason, the team signed veteran Mathieu Garon as backup.

The outlook for Columbus is pretty good. The re-signing of Nash did create a buzz around the city and did sell a few more season tickets, but they need to continue to make progress to have Columbus become a free-agent destination. In the division, they will be more competitive. It won’t be the match ups against Detroit and Chicago that will determine its fate, but it will be how they play against Nashville and St. Louis as both teams got better in the off season while Columbus stayed the course. Will it pay off with a playoff appearance? Only time will tell.

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St. Louis Blues

TJ Oshie will have a big season and help lead the Blues back to the playoffs.

TJ Oshie will have a big season and help lead the Blues back to the playoffs.

The St. Louis Blues made a strong run late last season to capture the sixth seed in the playoffs, all while playing in arguably the best division and having one of the younger rosters in the NHL. The Blues were also missing one of their key veteran leaders, Paul Kariya. Thanks to the youngsters stepping up, and goalie Chris Mason standing on his head, they exceeded all expectations. This season, the Blues look to build on their success and prove last year was no fluke.

Returning to the lineup this season will be Keith Tkachuk, back for his 18th NHL season and 9th with the Blues. He signed a one year deal in the off-season worth $2.15 million. He certainly wont be as productive as he was earlier in his career, but Tkachuk should still be capable of a 25 goal and 50 point campaign. He’ll be an excellent source of leadership for a young Blues squad as well.

The Blues will also be relying on TJ Oshie to provide some scoring depth for the team. At 22 years old, Oshie proved last season he could be an effective NHL player while tallying 14 goals, 25 assists and a plus 16 rating in 57 games played. The summer should have provided ample time to add some strength, which will help Oshie improve production.

Elsewhere on offense, you’ll find Brad Boyes, David Backes and David Perron all proving useful. Andy McDonald will find his way to the top of the point leaders as well, providing he can stay healthy.

Defensively, we’re excited to see the return of highly touted defenseman Erik Johnson. He spent all of last season recovering from a knee injury and surgery, but was excellent in 2007-08 as a rookie. As a 20 year old, in his only NHL season thus far, Johnson contributed 5 goals and 28 assists on a struggling St. Louis Blues team. He might be a little rusty to start the season, but the Blues definitely have high expectations for Johnson.

Back between the pipes, Chris Mason looks to build off of a strong ending to the 2008-09 season. He finished the season with a record of 27-21-7 with a .916 save percentage and 2.41 goals against average, along with 6 shutouts. His stellar play down the stretch was a huge part of the Blues return to the playoffs. If they have any hope of making it back this season, Mason will have to step up his game once again.

Backing up Mason will be a new face to the locker room, Ty Conklin. Conklin was signed as a two-year deal as a free agent after helping lead the Detroit Red Wings to a very successful season. As Chris Osgood struggled in Detroit, Ty really stepped up with a 25-11-2 record, .909 save percentage and 2.51 goals against average. He delivered 6 shutouts for the Red Wings as well. Conklin was an excellent signing for the Blues and you can bet he’s going to fight for a starting spot. He had no problem splitting time with Osgood and certainly outplayed him for much of the regular season.

Playing in one of the best divisions in the NHL isn’t going to have much of an effect on the Blues this season. They should find a way to pound their way back to another low seeded playoff spot.

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Fleury Released by Calgary Flames

Theoren Fleury Theoren Fleury has been released by the Calgary Flames.

The 41-year-old Fleury released this statement, “I am very thankful to Darryl and the Flames organization for following through on the commitment to provide me with this opportunity. I said in the beginning that no matter what the outcome, this would be a success story. I intend to take the next few days to review this experience and make decisions with my family regarding next steps in my life.”

Theo, who has not played since April 4, 2003 with the Chicago Blackhawks, attempted to make a comeback. Fleury battled alcoholism throughout his career, even being fined and eventually suspended indefinitely, has been sober for 4 years now.

NHL Commisioner Gary Bettman after seeing and reinstating Fleury, “I know Theo pretty well, we had spent some time together when things in his life were a little less settled. Seeing him last night, he looked terrific, he sounded terrific, he seems to be in a good place, he’s been sober for a number of years.

“We wish him well. I hope he can fulfil his dream and come back.”

That dream, unfortunately, has come to an end. The 5′6″ dynamic skater will come to yet another crossroad in his life.

As a fan, and as a person knowing the difficulties of substance abuse, I wish nothing but the best for Theo Fleury. To me, you did make the comeback, not an inch short of it, but a mile pass it.

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Edmonton Oilers

Last season, the Edmonton Oilers missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season. And because of that, General Manager Steve Tambellini had to clean house behind the bench. Craig MacTavish was gone and in is Pat Quinn. A future Hall-of-Famer, Quinn is a veteran coach known for getting the most out of his players. In addition, former New York Rangers coach Tom Renney was brought in as the associate head coach.

Quinn’s style of play is designed to open the ice and let the skill players do what they do best: score. This is in contrast to the MacTavish dump-and-chase style. For football fans, this is similar to a new coach employing the spread offense when the team is used to playing a pro-style offense.

The benefit that Quinn has is that he has young talent to work with, and talent that is waiting to blossom into offensive threats. The Oilers starved for goals so bad last season that leading goal scorers Ales Hemsky and Sheldon Souray each had 23 goals. The problem there is that Souray is a defenseman, and blueliners shouldn’t be leading the team in goals. In addition, two of the top four point-getters were defenseman with Tom Gilbert recording 45 points.

Ales Hemsky should benefit from new coaching, but still needs that sniper who can finish in front of the net.

Ales Hemsky should benefit from new coaching, but still needs that sniper who can finish in front of the net.

Hemsky and linemates Mike Comrie and Shawn Horcoff should benefit the most under the new system. A team that struggled in size and grit in the old regime, Dustin Penner is a second-line power-forward that can not only bury loose pucks into the net, but also bury opposing players with his 6′4″ frame. The only negative about the top line is that none is known to be a sniper from close range. If Comrie can return to his 30-goal seasons of 2002 and 2006, the Comrie-Hemsky combination can be lethal. Once you get past the first line, the depth is weaker than most teams in the division. But they have to make the best of what they have, and that bunch includes Penner, Andrew Cogliano, Sam Gagner, Fernando Pisani, and Ethan Moreau.

If there was anyone who benefited from the dump-and-chase system, it was the defensemen. They have a solid top-six who isn’t only good puck movers and carriers, but can shoot and find the net. They accumulated most of the offense last season, and they should improve despite potentially sacrificing goals to the forwards. Look for Lubomir Visnovsky to explode offensively in the new system, and 2006 draft pick Theo Peckham to be the first player called up from Springfield if any injuries occur to the top six.

The department that had the biggest makeover was in goal. Out are veterans Dwayne Roloson and Mathieu Garon, and in is veteran Nikolai Khabibulin and rookie Jeff Deslauriers. The new duo is an upgrade over the old, but “The Bulin Wall” needs to cut down on the inconsistency if he will be the everyday starter. Deslauriers did appear in 10 games last season, recording a 4-3 record. He is more likely to swim vs. sink as he will see more playing time.

Overall, the Oilers are maybe two seasons away from becoming a playoff team. In the brutal Western Conference, every other team in the conference got better while the Oilers didn’t improve much besides the goaltender position. This team will fight for the playoffs with the likes of Calgary, Columbus, Minnesota, Nashville and Dallas, but the Oilers will be on the outside looking in.

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Gretzky Steps Down

Wayne Gretzky has parted ways with the Phoenix Coyotes, stepping down as head coach and director of hockey operations.

Wayne Gretzky has parted ways with the Phoenix Coyotes, stepping down as head coach and director of hockey operations.

With the continuing uncertainty of the Phoenix Coyote’s franchise in Arizona, head coach Wayne Gretzky has stepped down.

The decision was made by Gretzky himself, quoted as saying on his site Gretzky.com, “This was a difficult decision that I’ve thought long and hard about. We all hoped there would be a resolution earlier this month to the Coyotes ownership situation, but the decision is taking longer than expected.”

Gretzky went into more detail on his decision to step down, “Since both remaining bidders have made it clear that I don’t fit into their future plans, I approached General Manger Don Maloney and suggested he begin looking for someone to replace me as coach. Don has worked hard and explored many options. I think he has made an excellent choice, and so now it’s time for me to step aside.”

Wayne Gretzky thanked the organization, stating he, “…often said it was the greatest honour and privilege I could imagine to be able to play in the National Hockey League.  I feel the same way about being an NHL coach.  I’ve loved the four years I spent coaching the Coyotes.  Not a day went by when I took it for granted, and I will miss the competition of the NHL dearly.  It was an honour to hold the position, and I will always consider myself especially fortunate to have had this opportunity.”

Perhaps though the most diplomatically, and potentially foreshadowing words he wrote were , “I want to thank every staff member of the Phoenix Coyotes, past and present.  It was a real pleasure to work with each and every one of you. I’ve always said that Phoenix is a great sports city and deserves nothing but the best.  I still believe that. As a young boy, I learned to play hockey in Southern Ontario, and I know what great fans they have there.  It’s my hope they too will have an NHL franchise in the not too distant future.”

Stepping down perhaps is the best thing for the organization, as criticism mounted about his excessive pay and lacking results. Gretzky, the “Great One” on skates, had a 143-161-24 record during his 4 years as head coach of the Coyotes, never once making the playoffs.

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