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Fantasy Friday

Dec 30

Posted by Chris in Fantasy | 1 Comment

The Hot List:

Evander Kane (forward): Kane has had a huge week with three goals, one assist and 11 shots on goal. Kane appears to have found his groove and is poised to easily surpass his career point totals and could top out at the 60-point mark. Take a second look at the Winnipeg forward if you need extra scoring help.

Jason Arnott (forward): Two goals and two assists over the past seven days with points in seven of his last 10 games. He now has 20 points in 34 games and will easily surpass his points total from last season. The Blues are trending upward and so is Arnott.

Tyler Kennedy (forward): Kennedy seems to be on a hot streak in the second half of December with seven points in his last five games. He scored a career-high 45 points last season and will likely settle around the 50-point mark long term this year.

Mikko Koivu (forward): Although sidelined for a few games in mid-December, Koivu has 19 points in his last 15 games played – including a streak of points in nine straight contests. He’s owned in 76 percent of Yahoo fantasy hockey leagues. If he’s available in yours, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be on your roster.

The Cold List:

Sergei Gonchar (defenseman): Gonchar has cooled off considerably with only three points in the last 30 days, and none on the power play.

Vinny Prospal (forward): Only one point in his last five games. However, Prospal has 13 shots on goal during that same span, so it’s not for lack of effort.

Between the Pipes:

The Chicago Blackhawks are set on riding the hot hand this season, and the current flavor of the week is Corey Crawford. Winner of two-of-his-past-three, Crawford has allows just four goals on 97 shots in those three games. However, backup netminder Ray Emery had been the winner of five straight before suffering a 3-2 loss against Pittsburgh last week that relinquished his starting duties. Eventually the Blackhawks will need to choose a starter to prepare for a long playoff run. Until then, expect the back and forth to continue.

Crosby Update:

The Penguins finally released an update concerning superstar center Sidney Crosby – and the outlook isn’t good. After exploding for 12 points in eight games after initially returning from a concussion, the team confirmed that Crosby is again sidelined indefinitely with concussion-like symptoms. However, high ranking Penguins officials have privately stated that they do not believe his symptoms are as bad this time around and are confident that he will play again this season. Until then, toss Crosby on the IR and wait patiently for his return.

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St. Louis Blues hire Ken Hitchcock

Nov 7

Posted by Chris in News | No Comments

The St. Louis Blues juggled pieces of their lineup in the offseason in an attempt to get the right pieces in place and get back into the playoff picture. However, after a slow start this season where the Blues have amassed a meager six wins in 13 games and are second-to-last in the Western Conference, the team decided that their shakeup needed to continue and expand.

The team announced today that head coach Davis Payne was fired from the organization and Ken Hitchcock would immediately be brought in to replace him. The 40-year-old Payne was brought in as head coach in January 2010 and only coached the team for one full season in 2010-11.

“It’s shocking and it’s disappointing, but in the end, you’re responsible for all the areas of your hockey team,” Payne said in a telephone interview with the Associated Press and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “There were pieces that weren’t firing on all cylinders and it’s under my umbrella of responsibility.”

The Blues had high expectations this season after adding veterans Jason Arnott, Jamie Langenbrunner and Scott Nichol to the lineup. While Arnott has delivered so far with eight points in 13 games, other Blues members are off to slow starts. Goalie Jaroslav Halak has just one win in seven starts for the Blues and forward Chris Stewart, who posted 23 points in 26 games after a mid-season trade last year, has just three in 13 games so far this season.

“I’ve had great success in working with top guys and getting them to play,” Hitchcock said in his press conference this afternoon. “I think there’s potential with a lot of guys to be top players here.”

Hitchcock last coached in the NHL for the Columbus Blue Jackets. He was let go by the organization in February 2010. This will be Hitchcock’s fourth NHL team after previously coaching the Blue Jackets, Flyers and Dallas Stars, who he coached to a Stanley Cup victory in 1998-99.

“I want us to be proud of the way we play the game,” Hitchcock said. “I think at the end of the day, I want people in St. Louis to say, ‘Man, that team plays the right way.’”

Hitchcock practiced with the team this afternoon. His first game behind the bench will be tomorrow when the Blues host the Blackhawks.

HWB is participating in “Movember” to raise funds for Pancreatic Cancer Research. Make a difference, make a donation.

 

 

 

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2011-12 NHL Season Preview: St. Louis Blues

Sep 28

Posted by Matt in Season Previews | 1 Comment

Chris Stewart of the St. Louis Blues

Chris Stewart will lead the offensive attack for the St. Louis Blues in 2011-12

Key Offseason Additions: Jason Arnott, Jamie Langenbrunner, Jonathan Cheechoo, Brian Elliott

Key Offseason Losses: Ty Conklin

Last Season Ranking: 11th in the West

Offense: The additions made in the off-season have really pushed the Blues into contention in the West. However, one of the biggest acquisitions, Chris Stewert, was actually made at the trade deadline last season. Stewart added 15 goals to the Blues offense in only 26 games, and picked up 8 assists to go along with it. Stewart will be counted on to continue his stellar play this season, and lead the Blues offense. He’ll be surrounded by good talent too, playing with the likes of David Backes, Andy McDonald, T.J. Oshie, Patrik Berglund and Alex Steen to name a few.

Oshie, entering his fourth season in the NHL, missed much of last season due to injury. He also missed a practice due to an unexcused absence, was suspended by the team, and people began to question his character. Oshie has bounced back, however, and completed his best off-season training program to date. His fitness test results left him leading the team, tied with Andy McDonald, and he’s clearly ready to prove that he has what it takes to be an NHL star. A career year for Oshie this season wouldn’t be a surprise at all.

The newly acquired Jamie Langenbrunner and Jason Arnott are teammates once again after both being shipped out of New Jersey last season. Their production in New Jersey last season hardly reflects what they’re capable of, and each should have a bounce back year this season with St. Louis. In fact, after being traded to the Capitals, Jason Arnott piled on 7 points in 11 games after only scoring 24 points in the previous 62 games for the Devils. Langenbrunner and Arnott both have some hockey left in them, and will be great assets for the Blues.

Younger players such as Vladimir Sobotka and Matt D’Agostini are going to be counted on for continued  production as well. D’Agostini picked up 21 goals and 25 assists last season, ranking fifth on the team in points. They’ll be joined by B.J. Crombeen and Scott Nichol, two depth players, continuing to battle for more playing time.

Defense: Kevin Shattenkirk will be with the Blues from the get-go this season, and he looks to build on a strong rookie campaign where he played with both the Colorado Avalance and St. Louis Blues, and picked up 9 goals and 34 assists in 72 games. Shattenkirk can move the puck well, and will be a strong addition to the power-play. He’s still a young guy, but has tremendous upside. Alex Pietrangelo, another young defenseman, had a similar season to the aforementioned Shattenkirk. However, Pietrangelo was a first round (4th overall) draft pick by the Blues, and will see additional playing time in his sophomore campaign.

The young defenseman on the Blues roster will be mentored by Veteran Barret Jackman, the 2002-03 rookie of the year. Jackman has struggled the past few season offensively, but as a veteran of the game, he has a lot of knowledge to share. His veteran leadership will also be important to other young defenseman on the Blues squad such as Roman Polak, Carlo Colaiacovo, and Kent Huskins.

Goaltending: With a team that has improved over the summer, Jaroslav Halak will be in a position to improve his numbers this season. His seven shutouts were a career high, but behind a better squad, Halak’s .910 save percentage and 2.48 goals against average from last season should be a thing of the past. Expect Halak to continue standing in net for approximately 55-60 games, with Brian Elliott taking on back-up duty. Elliott has struggled the past couple of seasons in Ottawa and Colorado, but will be a suitable number two netminder for the Blues.

HWB Playoff Prediction: Not Playoff bound. While the team is much improved with their off-season adjustments, they’re still just outside of a playoff birth. Competing in a very tough Central Divison and Western Conference does not make things easy for the young squad.

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David Perron to Miss Training Camp

Aug 18

Posted by Matt in News | 1 Comment

David Perron

David Perron will not be ready for the start of the 2011-12 NHL Season

While a lot of focus this off-season has been put on whether or not Sidney Crosby will return from his concussion, we forget that there is another talented youngster who has been sidelined since last November due to concussion symptoms. David Perron was on the receiving end of a blindside hit from Joe Thornton on November 4th, which caused the concussion. Perron continued the game, even contributing a goal in the Blues 2-0 victory, but missed the following 72 games of the season.

On August 3rd, St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong announced that Perron would not only miss training camp, but the start of the 2011-12 regular season as well, due to his ongoing concussion symptoms. He has made improvements, however, which is a great sign with something as serious as a concussion. The talented young winger “took a big jump a few months ago,” Armstrong said of his progress.

David Perron was expected to take on a large role with the Blues last season, after netting 20 goals and adding 20 assists in the 2009-10 season. In the 10 games Perron did play last season, he posted seven points on five goals and two assists. Expectations for him will be just as high once he returns to action. However, the Blues took some action this off-season by adding Jason Arnott, Jamie Langenbrunner, and Jonathan Cheechoo to the line-up.

While Blues fans continue to patiently wait for Perron to make his return, Bruins and Penguins fans do the same with Marc Savard and Sidney Crosby, respectively. Savard is still experiencing concussion symptoms from separate hits by Matt Cooke and Matt Hunwick. Crosby, on the other hand, has returned to the ice to skate and train by himself, but has not been cleared for contact drills.

The seriousness of these long term concussion injuries really brings to focus, once again, the extent of punishment for blindside hits to the head. Should the hitter sit just as long as the injured player, or is a shorter suspension more appropriate? Companies such as Reebok can enhance the levels of head protection like they did with their new Reebok 11k helmet, but when someone takes advantage of you with an unnecessary hit to the head, there’s only so much even the best helmets in the game can do.

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Brooks Laich signs extension; Who else is available in NHL 2011 free agency?

Jun 28

Posted by Chris in News | 1 Comment

A free agent class of forwards that was already considered highly weak just took another blow as Washington Capitals forward Brooks Laich decided to forgo free agency and opted instead to sign a six-year, $27 million deal with the Washington Capitals.

“I’m thrilled to make the commitment to remain a Capital,” said Laich in a statement. “It is a wonderful organization with terrific fans and I’m very happy to continue to call Washington home for many years to come.”

Laich was largely viewed as the second hottest commodity of free agency behind forward Brad Richards thanks to his point-producing consistency, size and ability to play effectively at both ends of the ice. Not to mention Laich would be a much more cost effective addition to a team’s roster than Richards, who could command upwards of $7-$8 million per season. Teams such as the New York Rangers, Vancouver Canucks and Detroit Red Wings were all rumored to have interest in Laich.   

Besides Richards, most of the available forwards in the free agent pool are either advanced in age or come bundled with injury concerns. At 31-years-old, Simon Gagne may be the next best forward available, but two injury-plagued seasons cause concern for a long-term commitment to a player capable of producing at almost a point-per-game pace when healthy. Gagne contributed 12 points in 15 playoff games for the Tampa Bay Lightning this season.

Colorado forward Tomas Fleischmann could be a good steal for a team looking to boost their offense as long as past injuries have been remedied. After getting traded to the Avalanche last year from Washington, Fleishmann posted 21 points in 22 games, including eight goals, before getting sidelined with a pulmonary embolism. But health remains a concern after suffering from blood clots two years in a row.

Buffalo Sabres center Tim Connolly has a great offensive upside but has only played in 70 or more games in five of his 10 NHL seasons. At 30-years-old, a team might be willing to take a chance on Connolly for the right price, however.

Alexei Kovalev, Michael Nylander, Teemu Selanne, Steve Sullivan and Cory Stillman are also available free agents this season, but all of them are over the age of 35.

Jason Arnott could be an interesting player to watch when free agency begins. Although 36-years-old, Arnott was stymied in New Jersey where the entire team struggled offensively and only produced 24 points in 62 games. However, Arnott is one year removed from a 57 point season and contributed seven points in 11 games for the Washington Capitals after getting traded at the trade deadline last year. Arnott also tallied six points in nine playoff games. For a team looking to add a potential 50-point player, Arnott could be a reasonable choice.

And the good news remains that if your team has plenty of cash to blow they will likely take a run at Tampa Bay center Steven Stamkos, who appears more and more unlikely to sign with the Lightning with each passing day. Stamkos himself claimed that the two sides were close to reaching a deal last week, however reports surfaced today that the two sides are in fact very far apart in negotiations. An offer sheet, or several, is 100 percent certain to come through on Friday if Stamkos is not signed by the Lightning. Expect a trade to come in the next few days if Tampa Bay general manager Steve Yzerman feels like he won’t be able to re-sign the young superstar so Yzerman can at least get something in return.

Philadelphia and Toronto are rumored to have interest in Stamkos, but the New York Islanders and Florida Panthers have money to blow on a huge offer sheet.

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Boudreau Tackles Head Shot

Apr 18

Posted by EB in News | No Comments

Washington Capitals foul mouthed Head Coach Bruce Boudreau has cleaned up his words to address head shots.

Sunday night, the Washington Capitals and the New York Rangers faced off in an intense battle in game three. In the first period, the puck deflected off of Mike Green’s stick to Jason Arnott who put a tape-to-tape pass on Alexander Ovechkins stick to tie the game at one a piece. The Rangers scored late and outlasted the Capitals, winning 3-2.

Today, Head Coach Boudreau rewinds back the time. He brings to light a hit from New York Ranger’s defenseman Marc Staal on Mike Green, which occurred during the Capitals goal referenced above. Boudreau has asked that the NHL look into the hit.

Here is a video of the hit for you to cast judgment on. It is unknown if the NHL disciplinarians will look into the event, but if you were in their shoes, what would your call be; head shot or no head shot?

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The Biggest Trade Deadline Deals

Mar 7

Posted by Matt in News | No Comments

To the casual NHL fan, the 2011 trade deadline was quite uneventful. The biggest move you might have heard about would be Dustin Penner to Los Angeles. But that’s not all that happened. Here’s a breakdown of some of the highlights from the 2011 NHL trade deadline.

To Capitals: Jason Arnott
To Devils: David Steckel, 2nd Round Draft Pick (2012)

The Capitals acquire a veteran to the game, and a player with the leadership qualities they will desperately need to make a run in the playoffs. Arnott has been in those situations before, won a Stanley Cup and he’s definitely going to be hungry to get back there. He’ll be a great asset to a team looking to make an impact in the playoffs.

The Devils make out pretty nicely from this trade as well. They get a younger player in Steckel, as well as a future draft pick to help their rebuilding process. While it remains unlikely that the Devils will be able to squeeze into the playoffs, they have been one of the hottest teams in the NHL as of late. Throughout February, the Devils picked up 11 wins, and points in 12 of 13 games.

To Sabres: Brad Boyes
To Blues: 2nd Round Draft Pick

Boyes, a right winger, will surely make an impact for a Sabres team who wished to add another potent scorer. While Boyes was stuck in a scoring drought last season, he has seemed to find his scoring touch again this year. Through 66 games, the winger already has as many goals as he scored in all 82 games last season, and has more assists and points. Good news for Sabres fans, Boyes has fit in and found chemistry right away, picking up four points in four games thus far with his new squad.

The Blues have all but given up on the playoffs this season. Injuries to T.J. Oshie for much of the season, as well as David Perron, who has not played since early November, have been a crushing blow. They’ll regroup in the off season, and the players will come back healthy and ready to make a push for a playoff run next season. The additional draft pick will help add an additional prospect for the future, which certainly never hurts, or can be used as trade bait itself later on.

To Thrashers: Radek Dvorak, 5th Round Draft Pick
To Panthers: Niclas Bergfors, Patrick Rissmiller

I’m going to call this one a win for the Florida Panthers. Picking up the talented young Niclas Bergfors will be a great move. In his rookie season, Bergfors snatched up 44 points playing 81 games for the Devils and Thrashers. This season, he started hot, but has lost consistency as of late. The good news, for Panthers fans, is Bergfors just turned 24 today. He still has time to develop, and if his work ethic is good, he’ll see plenty of ice time alongside Florida’s best players.

The Thrashers, on the other hand, have fallen pretty hard after a great start and there’s no shot at the playoffs now. They have pretty much thrown in the towel already, and Dvorak can’t do much to help.

We’ve seen bigger moves at past deadlines, but the impacts of this seasons deadline will be felt throughout the league. What team do you think made the biggest move at the deadline?

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Will the Zach Parise Injury Help the Devils?

Nov 6

Posted by Matt in Soap Box | 5 Comments

Will Ilya Kovalchuk pick up the scoring in the absence of Zach Parise?

Will Ilya Kovalchuk pick up the scoring in the absence of Zach Parise?

For anyone who didn’t know, Zach Parise got injured. He was forced to have surgery to repair torn meniscus in his right knee. This injury will keep him out of competition for the next three months. As one of the top scorers on a struggling New Jersey Devils squad, how is this going to affect the team?

Well, in the worst case scenario, the Devils continue tumbling over the next three months and basically sit rock bottom in the standings when Parise returns. After playing 15 games already and only gathering nine points, this seems likely. They’re currently second to last in the Eastern Conference as it is. The Devils and their fans will pretty much call it a season, and begin thinking about next year.

But what if this is exactly what the team needs? What if this is exactly what a guy like Ilya Kovalchuk needs to really break loose and start scoring in bunches. Maybe guys like Jason Arnott and Jamie Langenbrunner need this added responsibility to turn up their scoring too.

Kovalchuk was always ‘the guy’ in Atlanta. Coming to an already productive team, it hasn’t been necessary for him to do all of the scoring, and perhaps thats thrown him off. Just the same, his addition to the Devils roster has taken scoring pressure off of the aforementioned Arnott and Langenbrunner. But now as point per game player Zach Parise is out for the next three months, the pressure has returned more than ever.

With solid goaltending in Martin Brodeur, and some potent scorers, perhaps this injury is just what the Devils need to get going. Kovalchuk will regain his scoring touch and dominate on the top power play unit, secondary scorers like Travis Zajac will carry their share of the workload, and overall the people who should be scoring, will be scoring. By the time Parise returns, we could be looking at a hot Devils team that is once again near the top of the Atlantic Devision.

What do you think will happen? Is the Devils season salvageable? Or should they just begin thinking about year two of the Ilya Kovalchuk mega contract?

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Hockey World Blog Season Previews 2010: New Jersey Devils

Sep 1

Posted by EB in Season Previews | 6 Comments

Key Offseason Losses: Ilya Kovalchuk (?), Jacque Lemaire, Rob Niedermayer, First round draft pick 2010

Key Offseason Additions: Jason Arnott, Johan Hedberg, Ilya Kovalchuk (?), Henrik Tallinder, Anton Volchenkov

Last Season Ranking: 2nd in the East

Offense: The New Jersey Devils have always been a defensive minded team but with the retirement of head coach Jacque Lemaire, the team is trying to spark some play in the opponents zone. With forwards such as Zach Parise and Travis Zajac it should be relatively easy to do. Include the possibility of a free agent signing of superstar Ilya Kovalchuk and  gritty forward Jason Arnott and the team has two solid lines of offensive threat.

The problem though lies in the third and fourth lines. With the new NHL being as fast paced as it is, all four lines need to produce. With the loss of gritty forward Rob Niedermayer, unfortunately veteran Brian Rolston is really incapable of carrying the load. Expect a top heavy team of only two NHL lines.

Goaltender Martin Brodeur is still the face of the franchise, yet with the lack of depth this season, don't expect the team to go far in the playoffs.

Goaltender Martin Brodeur is still the face of the franchise, yet with the lack of depth this season, don't expect the team to go far in the playoffs.

Defense: head coach Jacque Lemaire has retired and the defense that the Devils have been known for will go out the window. Well, perhaps not, as the team has picked up some quality defenders in Anton Volchenkov and Henrik Tallinder.

Much like the woes of the offense being only two lines, New Jersey will only have 1 defensive pairing worth while. Sure Andy Greene had a breakout year last season with 31 assists and 37 total points, but don’t expect that to happen again this year.

Goaltending: Is there really much to say besides the fact that goaltender Martin Brodeur is still unbelievably good at his age of 38? No, that just about sums it up really. The man is a beast, starting 76 games last season. Yet as some critics may say, all those games played during the regular season uses up just about everything come playoff time.

The Devils though may have come to their senses with the signing of Johan Hedberg. Hedberg comes in with a 2.93 goals against average and a .900 save percentage from a much lesser defensive minded team the Atlanta Thrashers.

Season Outlook: The New Jersey Devils are always a good team, as they need to be in one of the closest and toughest divisions within the East. The team though lacks the depth needed to really have a Stanley Cup run, especially if superstar Ilya Kovalchuk does not sign with the team. This late towards the start of the season, the Devils have put all their eggs in one basket and that is never a good thing. The major off season acquisitions are completed leaving a diluted free agency pool to fill the shoes of Kovalchuk, as if that is even possible.

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Nashville Predators

Sep 28

Posted by Matt in Season Previews | No Comments

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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