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Archive for February, 2010

Is Red Wings Coach Mike Babcock on the Hot Seat?

Feb 7

Posted by Matt in Soap Box | 5 Comments

Can Mike Babcock turn things around in Detroit before it's too late?

Can Mike Babcock turn things around in Detroit before it's too late?

Blown leads. Sloppy play. Lazy effort. All could be used to describe the Detroit Red Wings play thus far in 2010. While the Wings have had several injuries to battle through, this play comes at a time when the team has been nearly the healthiest it has been all year. Players like Filppula, Cleary, Zetterberg, Williams and Ericsson have all returned to the line-up and resumed playing lots of minutes in each game. But somehow, the Red Wings are struggling more now than they have all season. It’s become hard to watch. But who is to blame?

The high-energy puck possession game the Red Wings used to win the Stanley Cup in 2008 and reach the Stanley Cup Finals again in 2009 has all but disappeared. No one on the team blamed injuries, but fans were quick to use it as an excuse. However, it has become clear that the squad clearly lacks motivation at this point. This team has struggled gaining motivation not since losing the game 7 last spring, but since the Stanley Cup Finals began against Pittsburgh. While skill alone was enough to bring them within one game of back-to-back Championships, lack of energy, desperation and motivation is what broke the Wings.

Mike Babcock is arguably the best coach in the NHL. He has been to the Stanley Cup finals three times in only six seasons as an NHL head coach. In a week, he will lead the Canadian Olympic squad to Vancouver in an attempt to win a gold medal. But while he has been successful in the past, he has not been able to light a fire under the Wings since last season. The Wings need that fire in order to compete the rest of the season and make the playoffs.

After blowing a three goal lead to Los Angeles yesterday, Babcock was quite calm when interviewed after the game. “We made some mistakes, gave them two freebies, but other than that I didn’t mind our game,’’ Babcock said. “We had two power plays in the third period. The game’s on the line, we’d like to get one and win the game.’’ How can a coach be so calm after a game like that? Where is the energy? The passion and desperation to win? With only 24 games left, the Wings currently sit 9th in the west, with Dallas, Minnesota, Anaheim and St. Louis right on their tail. Now is a better time than ever for Babcock to light into his players and get them to play like they’re capable of, with or without injuries.

Is Mike Babcock on the hot seat in Detroit? If things don’t turn around soon, I would certainly think so. Perhaps a coaching change is just what the Wings need to change their tempo. The Penguins replaced Michel Therrien last season as the team slumped to a 27-25-5 start. The replacement, Dan Bylsma, recorded an 18-3-4 record after taking over, and eventually lead the Penguins to a Stanley Cup.

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Update on Tollefsen to Detroit

Feb 6

Posted by Chris in News | 1 Comment

Just a quick update on the Tollefsen/Leino trade from earlier today and the cap numbers involved. It appears that the Red Wings have placed Tollefsen on waivers in preparation to send him to their minor league affiliate in Grand Rapids. He has until noon on Monday to clear waivers.

By trading Leino and immediately waiving Tollefsen, the Wings are able to trim Leino’s full $800,000 salary from the cap. However, the Wings still need to cut roughly $1.2 million and at least one more body before Franzen and Lilja return. If the team waives May, which it still sounds like they plan to, another $500,000 comes off the cap leaving roughly $700,000 that the Wings still need to clear to activate both Franzen and Lilja. It is still likely that either Brett Lebda or Derek Meech will be dealt within the next few days.

Wings trade Leino

Feb 6

Posted by Chris in News | 3 Comments

leinoThe Detroit Red Wings traded forward Ville Leino to the Philadelphia Flyers today for defenseman Ole-Kristian Tollefsen and a fifth-round pick in the 2011 NHL draft.

Leino has been the subject of trade speculation for some time now, especially with forward Johan Franzen on the verge of returning to action. The Finnish forward has been a disappointment this season, scoring only four goals and adding three assists in 42 games with Detroit. Leino has often been a healthy scratch and has been called out several times for his poor effort. However, after losing the Ilya Kovalchuk sweepstakes, the Flyers may look to Leino to add some offensive depth for a long playoff run. With the injuries in Detroit this season, more pressure was placed on Leino to perform well. In Philly, the 26-year-old may thrive in a situation with less pressure to perform, especially if he gets time alongside guys like Richards or Carter.

Tollefsen, an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season, should add some toughness to the Red Wings lineup and perhaps even help rejuvenate a defensive unit that plays with lackluster effort at times. With Tollefsen not afraid to drop the gloves, this could signal the end of Brad May’s playing time with the Wings. It’s been rumored that the Wings will waive May and send him to the minors where he may finish out the season before retiring.

The Red Wings were expected to drop salary in order to accommodate the return of Franzen this coming Tuesday. If Andreas Lilja returns after the Olympic break, which he is expected to, the Wings will need to clear additional salary cap space to fit them both in. However, the difference in salary between Leino and Tollefsen is only $200,000. This leads me to believe that the Wings aren’t done moving bodies yet. By waiving May, the Wings will gain an additional $500,000 under the cap. Ken Holland has stated several times that he doesn’t want to carry any more than seven defenseman on the roster. By adding Tollefsen, the Wings now have eight (nine when Lilja returns). With all things considered, defensemen Brett Lebda and Derek Meech could both be on their way out of Detroit within the next few days. Moving those two salaries would free up approximately $1.1 million in cap space. Add in the $500,000 from waiving May and the $200,000 cleared in the Leino deal and the Wings are under by almost $1.8 million, which should be enough to fit Lilja and Franzen back under the cap.

* All numbers are salaries according to cap space, not actual salary per season

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Brendan Burke Passes On

Feb 6

Posted by EB in News | 1 Comment

Sad news in the hockey world today. Brendan Burke, youngest son of Toronto Maple Leafs Brian Burke has passed on.

Brendan and his friend Mark Reedy were involved in a car accident. Poor weather conditions caused their Jeep to lose control and slide into oncoming traffic hitting another car head on and killing the two young men.

It is times like these that we are reminded to cherish all those that are in our lives.

From HWB,  our thoughts are with the family and friends of both the Burke and Reedy family.

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Alexander Ovechkin Goal vs. the New York Rangers

Feb 5

Posted by Matt in Media | No Comments

Just when you think Ilya Kovalchuk being dealt to the Devils was going to be news of the night, Alex Ovechkin comes through with another highlight reel goal. Is this how easy all of Backstrom’s assists are?

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Ilya Kovalchuk Traded to the New Jersey Devils

Feb 4

Posted by Matt in News | No Comments

It’s official. Ilya Kovalchuk has been traded to the New Jersey Devils along with defenseman Anssi Salmela. In return, the Atlanta Thrashers will receive defenseman Johnny Oduya, right wing Niclas Bergfors, prospect Patrice Cormier and a first-round draft pick. More to come…

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Camp Randall Hockey Classic Drops Saturday

Feb 4

Posted by Eddie in News | 1 Comment

A football stadium that is used to kickoffs, touchdowns, and field goals will play host to goals, checks, and saves as Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin will play host to the Culver’s Camp Randall Hockey Classic on Saturday.

Both the Wisconsin Badgers men’s and women’s hockey teams will take the ice in front of thousands of fans in an outdoor setting. The women’s team will host Bemidji State as part of it’s weekend series at 2:00 p.m. while the men’s team will take on the Michigan Wolverines at 5:00 p.m.Camp Randall in Madison, Wisconsin will host two outdoor hockey games Saturday afternoon.

This season, the Badgers are currently in a tie with Colorado College for fourth place in the WCHA. Overall, Wisconsin has a 15-7-4 record. Michigan had a slow start to the season, but has caught fire in the 2010 part of their schedule. The Wolverines are 6-2-1 since December 30 and currently has a 15-12-1 overall record.

In the national polls, Wisconsin is currently third in the USCHO.com poll while Michigan is ranked 19th.  This will be the second outdoor game for the Wolverines in the 2010 calendar year, as it was announced last week that they will host rival Michigan State in the Big Chill at the Big House with a 3:00 p.m. schedule start on December 11.

Eddie will be at the game this weekend and will bring the Hockey World Blog readers insight and a recap of the festivities next week.

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Hitchcock Fired

Feb 3

Posted by EB in News | No Comments

Ken Hitchcock has been fired today by the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Ken Hitchcock has been fired today by the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Today the Columbus Blue Jackets have relieved Head Coach Ken Hitchcock and appointed Assistant Coach Claude Noel as interim head coach.

The move comes as no surprise as the Blue Jackets have been struggling and currently sit in 14th place within the Western Conference. The team who made their playoff debut last year is now no where near contention to make the playoffs again. In the last 10 games the team went 4-6-0, and like their overall season, they fall under .500 for wins.

Unfortunately, the team really has no players that they could move before the trade deadline, but perhaps that goes to show the lack of stars on the team. It would be nice if they could get Ilya Kovalchuk who is expected to be moved within a few days, but that seems as possible as the club to turn this season around and make the playoffs.

Perhaps now young star Nikita Filatov will be happy as he may receive more ice time. Nonetheless, the Blue Jackets should recognize this season is over. Work hard on improving for next year and try work the draft in their favor for next season.

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Stamkos “Lightning” Up Tampa Bay

Feb 3

Posted by Eddie in Prospects | 1 Comment

Tampa Bay center Steven Stamkos leads the team in goals, second in points, and third in assists.

Tampa Bay center Steven Stamkos leads the team in goals, second in points, and third in assists.

As the first-overall pick of the 2008 NHL Draft, Tampa Bay center Steven Stamkos had lofty expectations from Lightning fans. And so far, he has lived up to them, and still  has nowhere to go but up.

In his rookie season, he scored 23 goals and 23 assists in 79 games and was a contender for the Calder Trophy, which went to Columbus goalie Steve Mason. This season, he has surpassed those numbers in fewer games. His statistical line has improved in all areas and the regular season isn’t even over. In 55 games, he has 29 goals, 28 assists, and 26 power play points. He has also improved by spending less time in the penalty box, and a better plus-minus rating despite it currently being -2. His 12 power play goals are tops in the league.

This season when the team visited the Red Wings, the 19-year-old Stamkos had to have a dinner escort as the team stayed at the MGM Casino and Hotel, where patrons must be 21 to enter the gaming floor. Seems that is the only thing holding back a young player who will turn 20 Super Bowl Sunday.

He joins Sydney Crosby and Ilya Kovalchuk as the only active players to score 100 points before their 20th birthday.

Stamkos is achieving his numbers because he is playing within himself. Usually, young star players are put on the top line and the team will have to rely on them for offense. But because he is playing on the second-line with Steve Downie and Ryan Malone, he can command as much attention and focus from opponents as the top line of Alex Tanguay, Martin St. Louis, and Vincent Lecavalier.

Stamkos had a humbling experience when he was benched midway through last season. “There are times where you feel like your shot doesn’t feel good, your hands don’t feel good, your skating ability … when things aren’t going well, you’re not playing a lot and you are not producing, it’s tough,” Stamkos said in a Tampa Tribune interview. “But you have to try to hide that when you come to the rink and not wear that on your heart, and looking back now it was hard, I was lacking confidence a bit.”

Stamkos lacking confidence or trying to find his shot isn’t much of a problem anymore. He and the Lightning are currently tied for 8th in the Eastern Conference with 27 games left. After the Olympic Break, the Lightning, as well as the Flyers, Canadiens, Panthers, Rangers, Islanders, Thrashers, and Bruins will be in a sprint for points as they all sit within five points of each other. Of the group of eight teams, only three will make the playoffs. This could mean Stamkos has the opportunity to catch fire late in the season to help his team reach the playoffs for the first time since 2006-07.

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Lidstrom could make for tasty trade bait

Feb 2

Posted by Chris in Soap Box | 2 Comments

The Detroit Red Wings should trade captain Nicklas Lidstrom. There. I said it. Now, before you go and call me a blasphemer and start setting up the logs beneath the stake, you need to hear me out.

Lidstrom currently makes a little less than $7.5 million a year and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) at the end of this season. From interviews that I’ve read and from what I’ve been able to gather, Lidstrom and GM Ken Holland have yet to discuss a contract extension let alone Lidstrom even committing to playing hockey next season. Lidstrom has stated that he will make that decision at the end of the season after evaluating how he feels going forward with his career. Let’s not forget that Lidstrom is pushing 40 (his 40thD053503017.JPG will come on April 28) and may only have a small handful of good seasons left in him…

Let’s also not forget that the Red Wings have been, well, extremely mediocre for the entire season. They are barely clinging to a playoff spot in a very tightly contested Western Conference race that features a lot of very good teams. The streak of consecutive playoff appearances very well might end this season. That’s a reality that many Wings fans need to understand. Even the almighty Red Wings are not invincible to a salary cap. And like most teams in a salary cap era, when the trade deadline hits sometimes you need to unload assets in order to stockpile for your future.

Lidstrom is a highly coveted player and could easily improve both the defense and offense of any team. With him being a UFA, why not send out the feelers and see who bites? So here is part one of the plan in all it’s glory. Trade Lidstrom. In return, get back a high-end prospect or a few draft picks. Lidstrom, who has had a Hall-of-Fame career, deserves the chance to go to a contender and work toward a 5th Stanley Cup. Not to mention that any team would likely welcome him with open arms because of his defensive skill, his offensive prowess and his leadership ability. In exchange, the Wings get a talented prospect or maybe a few draft picks that we can use to develop the future of the organization. Or, in the best-case scenario, we get a roster player that can make an immediate impact for this team and help us regain our footing next season. I’d be happy getting a Dan Cleary-esque player and some draft picks in return for Lidstrom. Grinders help win Cups.

Part two of the plan? Because Lidstrom will be a UFA at season’s end, we can resign him in the offseason. Its a win-win for both parties. Captain Nick gets a chance at Cup number 5 and the Wings get some depth added to the organization. Plus, we see Lidstrom in a Red Wings uniform again next season.

Okay, we all know this scenario will likely not happen. If I had to put a percentage on it, I’d say there is about a 99 percent chance this will not materialize. First off, Lidstrom would have to waive his no-trade clause. Second, the Red Wings are too classy of an organization to consider such a scenario. Lidstrom himself would likely have to suggest the idea to management. Lastly, the Detroit Red Wings are the only team that Lidstrom has ever played for and, much like Steve Yzerman, both Lidstrom and the Red Wings would probably like to keep it that way.

Besides, initial reports indicate that the Red Wings might have as much as $10-15 million worth of wiggle room under the salary cap at season’s end. Granted, the team has nine UFA’s and four restricted free agents that they may need to resign, but some of those players will likely sign for less than they currently make. If Lidstrom returns, he will likely take a big pay cut. I can’t see him resigning anything more than a one or two-year deal worth $4 million a season. But I’d likely peg the figure closer to $3-3.5 million a season.

More than likely the Red Wings will not make a move at the trade deadline. They might need to make a minor move or two beforehand in order to clear some cap space before Johan Franzen returns from long-term injured reserve, but the moves will be rather inconsequential and done simply to create cap space. As for Lidstrom, the captain was drafted by the Red Wings and will likely retire as a Red Wing.