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Ottawa Senators Playoff Caliber?

Dec 23

Posted by EB in News, Soap Box | No Comments

The unlikely Ottawa Senators are making a push for the playoffs after winning three straight games. Playing tonight against the struggling Carolina Hurricanes, the Senators have a chance to go into the holiday break with winning four in a row and in a playoff spot.

The Senators had an overhaul in the off-season by hiring new Head Coach Paul Maclean. Maclean came from a much talented Detroit Red Wings to a rather depth deprived, lacking intensity Ottawa Senators. His intentions were to bring a Detroit style of play with an increased grit and toughness. So far, the change seems to be helping.

Jumping out of the gate this season the Senators won one game our of their first six. Bouncing back, the team won six in a row to close out October. November turned into be a little of a struggle, only winning five games of the twelve which the losing ways carried into December. The team seems to be righting the ship though with a possibility of winning their fourth game in a row, and close out three remaining games in December with wins.

Like every team in the NHL, the team’s success is directly tied to the play of the veterans. Captain Daniel Alfredsson is currently on a roll with 7 points in his last three games. Assistant Captain Jason Spezza still continues to be the backbone of the team with 37 points in 35 games and leading all forwards on the Senators with an average of 19:47 minutes of ice time a game. Young, but now considered a veteran, defender Erik Karlsson has an impressive 33 points in 35 games and a plus minus of zero with his team leading 25 minutes and 22 seconds average per game. That ice time happens to be 11th most in the league.

The Senators are on a roll and hope to continue that into the holiday and into the new year. Whether or not they are capable of doing so is another thing. The team continues to have injury problems from star players like Alfredsson and Milan Michalek, as well as a shaky 3.32 goals against average netminder in Craig Anderson. Will the Senators make playoffs? Not quite sure. Is it possible? Considering the Eastern Conference is all out of sorts with the Washington Capitals and the Tampa Bay Lightning both out of a playoff spot currently, you never quite know what can happen.

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Allstate All-Canadians in the NHLPA Experience

Dec 14

Posted by Matt in News | No Comments

During the start of August, 2011, the NHLPA selected 42 of the best bantam level (1996) hockey players in Canada to participate in the Allstate All-Canadian Mentorship Camp. The young players were mentored by NHL stars such as Jason Spezza, Luke Schenn, and Jeff Skinner. Beyond that, former star Gary Roberts taught them all about important aspects of the game that not everyone thinks about such as nutrition and off ice conditioning or training. The four day mentoring camp culminated in a nationally televised game on TSN2.

If you missed the game back then, much like we did, check out this great behind the scenes look at the entire experience. You’ll see interviews with some of the future NHL stars, as well as highlights from the Mentorship Cup.

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2011-12 NHL Season Preview: Ottawa Senators

Sep 13

Posted by EB in Season Previews | No Comments

Offseason Losses: Ryan Shannon

Offseason Additions: Zenon Konopka, Nikita Filatov, Alex Auld

Last Season Ranking: 13th in the East

Erik Karlsson becomes a RFA after this season. Can Ottawa wrap him up long term if they miss the playoffs again?

 

Offense: The Ottawa Senators are one of those unique teams who missed the payoffs by quite a bit and have decided to make minimal changes to their roster. Wishful thinking perhaps?

The offense still rests on the shoulders of superstars Daniel Alfreddson and Jason Spezza. Alfredsson is coming off of a back injury that took him out for a quarter of last season. Still, he was capable of marking 31 points in 54 games; 14 goals and 17 assists. A healthy Alfredsson will booster the club with his typical 70 point range production. Spezza will be a player most appreciative of a healthy Alfredsson, that is if he is capable of staying healthy himself. Spezza suffered a right shoulder injury taking him out of 20 games last season. The injury did not seem to hinder him, once returning to the lineup, Spezza had a respectable 21 goals and 36 assists in 62 games played.

Still, with healthy superstars, the team lacks any depth to be competitive. Milan Michalek should wing the top line with both Alfredsson and Spezza, but after that, who are these guys?

Bobby Butler looks to complete a full season and has potential to be a good player. Mika Zibanejad might be a fun name to attempt to say, but he is a rookie drafted in the first round, 6th overall in the 2011 draft. Playing only 26 games in the Swedish league, his NHL caliber of play is still unproven. Oh yeah, he is only 18. Sticking with the young guys, the team has signed trouble maker Nikita Filatov from the Columbus Blue Jackets. I won’t lie, I thought Filatov was supposed to be the real deal, hence me drafting him later last year for my fantasy team. He turned out to be a young Sergei Fedorov without the talent.

Defense: Ottawa has a mediocre defensive squad to match the mediocre offense. Veteran Sergei Gonchar looks to prove his worth after only contributing 27 points. Comparing to the year previous, Gonchar helped the Pittsburgh Penguins with 11 goals and 39 assists for 50 points. To his defense, 20 of his 27 points with Ottawa last year did come on the power play, something he should meet and hopefully beat this year. Note to team, learn to dive like the Vancouver Canucks to gain more man advantage time.

The future of the organization rests with young and talented Erik Karlsson. Karlsson is only in his third year, with his first totaling 26 points, and his second, 45 points. Don’t expect him to jump to 60 points, but it is likely he will slightly increase his last year’s point total. Karlsson becomes a restricted free agent after this year, which the Seantors will of course do everything to keep him in Ottawa. Still, with Nick Lidstrom of the Detroit Red Wings possibly retiring after this year, expect the Wings to put in an offer if Ottawa cannot wrap him up.

Goaltending: Craig Anderson and Alex Auld are expected to split time until one proves to be the number one goalie. Both have potential of taking that spot, so expect a goalie war throughout the whole season. This, for Senators’ fans, is a positive.

HWB Playoff Prediction: Not playoff bound.

New Head Coach Paul MacLean, coming from the Detroit Red Wings, will have his work cut out with a depth deprived, young, unproven squad. For Senators fans, don’t expect too much this year.

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Steve Stamkos signs 5 year deal with Lightning

Jul 20

Posted by Chris in News | No Comments

Former Rocket Richard Trophy winner Steven Stamkos signed a five year, $37.5 million contract extension with the Tampa Bay Lightning yesterday that will count as a $7.5 million cap hit each season toward the salary cap.

“Steven is extremely important to this franchise and is part of the foundation of our hockey team,” general manager Steve Yzerman said in a statement.  “We are very pleased to have him signed and look forward to seeing him in a Lightning uniform for years to come.”

Terms of the contract fluctuate yearly and are heavily stocked with bonuses. Stamkos will receive $4 million this upcoming season with a $4 million signing bonus. In 2012-13, Stamkos will receive $5 million with a $3 million bonus, $8 million in 2013-14 and 2014-15, and $5.5 million in the final year of the contract. All said and done, Stamkos could earn $8 million per season for the next four seasons, ranking him right there with some of the NHL’s elite talent, such as Dany Heatley, Joe Thornton and Jason Spezza – all of whom will make $8 million this upcoming season.

Stamkos exploded in his sophomore season in 2009-2010 when he scored 51 goals, tying Sidney Crosby as co-league leaders at the end of the season. Those 51 goals alone where five points more than Stamkos scored throughout his entire rookie season.  Stamkos followed up that performance with 45 goal and 91 points this past year, solidifying him as one of the games most prolific and dangerous goal scorers.

After signing Stamkos, the Lightning have 21 players under contract with $7.3 million available in cap space. Forward Teddy Purcell, a restricted free agent, will have his arbitration hearing today unless an agreement is reached before then. Purcell could command between $2 and $3 million a season after having a breakout season last year. After Purcell, the Lightning will likely focus their attention on another forward to round out their roster.  

This signing is a great move by Yzerman, who is set to begin his second full season as the team’s general manager. The number is cap friendly to give the Lightning some wiggle room but still gives Stamkos his due credit as one of the league’s elite goal scorers. The five-year term of the contract gives Yzerman a lot of time to build a winner, although only a handful of pieces may be needed after the team advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals this season after missing the playoffs the season before. As much as Vinny Lecavelier is the team’s franchise player, Stamkos is an essential part to the team’s success and Yzerman recognized the need to sign him. This contract is a win-win for both sides.

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Hockey World Blog Season Previews 2010: Ottawa Senators

Sep 13

Posted by Matt in Season Previews | No Comments

Key Offseason Losses: Anton Volchenkov, Matt Cullen

Key Offseason Additions: Sergei Gonchar

Last Season Ranking: 5th in East

Offense:

The Ottawa Senators return essentially the same guys up front which lead them to a postseason birth, as well as another early playoff exit, last year. The biggest loss up front for the Sens is Matt Cullen, a trade deadline pick up last season. He didn’t add a whole lot coming down the stretch, but was effective in the playoffs as he picked up 8 points in 6 games against the Penguins.

Jason Spezza and Daniel AlfredssonReturning scorers for the Senators include Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza, Milan Michalek, Alex Kovalev, and Mike Fisher. Alfredsson had another outstanding season last year, posting point per game numbers, while missing 12 regular season games. Jason Spezza saw time on the IR as well. If he can stay healthy the entire season, he could head back up near the 80-90 point range, and continue his domination as the Sens top center. Milan Michalek made an impact last season, his first in Ottawa, as a 20 goal scorer. However, he too spent a great deal of time injured. Playing alongside Alfredsson or Spezza, he shouldn’t have a big problem contributing offensively. Kovalev struggled to find his true scoring touch last season, but it remains to be seen if he’s on the decline, or can still make plays. As one of the most skilled puck handlers in the game, he should rebound and find his touch again this season, at least enough to score his 600th career assist (22 away) and 1000th career point (10 away).

Both Mike Fisher and Peter Regin had impressive seasons last year, and both will look to build on that success heavily. Regin, entering only his 2nd full season in the NHL, proved last season that he deserves a spot on one of the top two scoring lines. If any of the aforementioned players fall in to a drought, Regin could make his way up the depth chart quite quickly. He should see more time on the power play this season as well.

Providing some great scoring depth, as well as grit and toughness, are Chris Neil and Jarkko Ruutu. Neither player is going to light up the score sheet with points every game, but they definitely will in penalty minutes. Both players know how to agitate, and get under their opponents skin very well. They’ll be sure to drop the gloves for any reason, whether its protecting their own star players, or just to give the team an energy boost. Definitely great assets to an offensively skilled team.

Defense:

While the Senators lost star defenseman Anton Volchenkov to free agency, they picked up Sergei Gonchar to replace him. Gonchar is one of the games elite defenseman and will fit in great playing alongside Spezza and Alfredsson. His contribution on the top power play unit will be felt as well. Last season, he picked up 30 power play points with the Penguins, and should improve upon those numbers if he stays healthy this season. Complimenting Gonchar will be a core group of solid defenseman. Chris Phillips is a big body, a great shut down player and will be very responsible defensively. Filip Kiba is another big body to man the blue line, and will be effective on the power play as well. He has good vision and moves the puck well on the break out. Erik Karlsson should improve upon last years marks, and maybe make his way up the depth chart. He’s a young defenseman (20 years old) from Sweden, but had a great rookie season with the Sens as he posted 26 points in 60 games. At only 5’11”, he needs to pack on the muscle to be more effective defensively, but his contributions will surely be felt as a fast puck moving defenseman on the power play.

Goaltending:

Splitting time between the pipes this season will be Brian Elliot and Pascal Leclaire. Elliot ran the show for the majority of last season, but Leclaire saw his fair share of time as well, starting 31 games. It still doesn’t look like Ottawa has a true number one in yet, so the goalie battle may ensue again in 2010-11. We’ll see if this brings out the best in both goalies, or if the rotational system gets real old, real fast.

Season Outlook:

The Senators are a hungry team, and bring back a number of highly skilled players on offense. Players like Spezza, Michalek and Kovalev need to produce like they’re supposed to, and stay healthy, for the rest of the offense to kick in to high gear. The top power play unit could be one of the best in the league with Gonchar joining Spezza and Alfredsson. They will  be very dangerous. The question mark remains in goal, as it was for last season. If we see either Elliot or Leclaire develop in to a true number one goalie, things are looking good for the Senators. They should remain in about the same position as last year, as long as the team stays healthy. They simply can’t afford to lose a player like Spezza for any extended amount of time if they want to make a run. Come playoff time, the Senators could be kicking on all cylinders, and are definitely capable of surprising a few people.

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Fantasy Hockey Draft Preparation 2010 – Centers

Aug 26

Posted by Chris in Fantasy | No Comments

With NHL training camps set to begin about four weeks from now, it’s time for fantasy hockey managers to start reengaging their brains and begin planning for their upcoming Fantasy Hockey Draft. Most drafts will take place in the latter-half of September, but it’s never too early to start looking for that gem of a late-round pick, the underrated talent who is set for a breakout season or the veteran presence who is due for a rebound year.

Today’s position: Center

The bad news is that not everyone can have Sidney Crosby on their team, but the good news is that Center is probably the deepest position in Fantasy Hockey, which means that there are plenty of other very talented Centers available to pick that will help your team thrive. While there is such a deep pool of talent at Center, here are a few names to consider when you’re making your draft preparations.

If You Have a Top 3 Pick – Take Crosby. While he may have dropped 20 or so assists from his previous season, he added those points back in goals. Crosby also tallied 78 penalty minutes and a plus-15, which makes him a very versatile player.

If You Can’t Take Crosby – Consider Joe Thornton. Twenty or more goals and 60 or more assists in each of his past five seasons. Thornton has also playearticle_29887_2d in all 82 games in three of his past four seasons. Just call him Mr. Consistent and take him without hesitation is he’s available.

The Secret Is Out On – Nicklas Backstrom (pictured). Thirty-three goals and 68 assists are impressive, but a plus-37 makes him a huge threat. Look to take Backstrom early, probably in the first round, because he won’t fall very far after his breakout campaign last season.

Still Under the Radar Is – Mikko Koivu. Koivu has steadily been increasing his production year after year and has become the new face of the Minnesota Wild. With 22 goals and 49 assists last season, Koivu still flies under the radar behind some bigger, meaner talent.

Look for a Rebound Season From – Jason Spezza. Okay, so 57 points in 60 games isn’t much of a drop off as much as it is bad luck with injuries, but Spezza is capable of 90+ points in a full injury-free season. With a puck-moving defenseman like Sergei Gonchar now on the point for Ottawa’s power play, expect Spezza to shine again.

Look for a Breakout Season From – Bryan Little. After a successful 50+ point campaign two years ago, Little suffered a bit from the dreaded sophomore slump. Expect Little to be a big part of Atlanta’s young offensive core this season as the team looks to stay competitive in a post-Ilya Kovalchuk era.

Keep An Eye On – Tyler Bozak. Bozak spent a lot of his time centering Phil Kessel on the top line last season and tallied eight goals and 19 assists in 37 games. Definitely put Bozak on your watch list and keep an eye out for good things to happen if he gets to play alongside Kessel for a full season.

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Cullen to the Senators

Feb 12

Posted by EB in News | No Comments

Matt Cullen, a Stanley Cup winner, is moving to Ottawa in a recent trade.

Matt Cullen, a Stanley Cup winner, is moving to Ottawa in a recent trade.

One of the hottest team’s in the NHL as of late, the Ottawa Senators, have added center Matt Cullen form the Carolina Hurricanes. The trade also included defenseman Alexandre Picard and a second round draft pick to the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Senators are hot, red hot, taking down the Washington Capitals last night and posting a 9-1-0 record in their last 10 games. What started as a shaky season with the loss of Dany Heatley to the San Jose Sharks in the off season, injuries to star forwards Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson, has turned into a winning machine who currently sits top of the Northeast division.

The addition of Cullen will make the Senators even more of a Cup contender. Cullen is a veteran at the age of 33 and has already won the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes. Cullen currently has 40 points in 60 games played, 28 of those being assists. What will be most beneficial to the Senators will be Cullen’s ability to produce on the powerplay.

My Habs fan buddy will be unhappy, but I think I may have my playoff team to root for in the East this year. With this addition, expect the Ottawa freight train to keep on rolling over the competition. Also, expect Cullen’s stock to rise in fantasy leagues. If he is a free agent currently, you may want to think about picking him up.

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Ottawa Senators

Sep 11

Posted by Matt in Season Previews | No Comments

Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza, and Daniel Alfredsson will continue to lead the Ottawa Senators

Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza, and Daniel Alfredsson will continue to lead the Ottawa Senators

Armed with the ever dangerous trio of Daniel Alfredsson, Dany Heatley, and Jason Spezza, it’s hard to think that this team would not be a Stanley Cup contender year after year. It would even be wise to suggest that they might make a great run in the playoffs this upcoming season, except there’s one problem, the ongoing Dany Heatley saga. With the public request for a trade earlier this summer, he may have destroyed any remaining chemistry he had with teammates, both on the ice and off.

This isn’t to say that the Senators will be a complete disappointment this year, however. They are still quite capable of improving on last seasons 83 point effort. With or without Heatley, the Ottawa Senators have strengthened their team by adding some firepower and a new goaltender.

First, the Senators re-signed gritty forward Chris Neil. His point totals continue to decrease each season, but he is far more valuable as an enforcer than a goal scorer or play maker. Neil, along with Jarkko Ruutu, make quite a potent combination of toughness on the Senators roster.

Perhaps the biggest off season transaction for the Sens was their signing of Alex Kovalev. If he can regain his scoring touch from the 2007-08 campaign, Alex will be worth every penny of the $10 million 2 year contract he signed.

While the Senators have struggled in the goaltending department recently, they are hoping to have all their problems solved this season. Since 2007, there has been a lack of a real starter as Martin Gerber, Ray Emery, Alex Auld and Brian Elliot have all split time between the pipes. Things are looking clearer now, however, as Pascal LeClaire was acquired via a trade deadline deal back in March. With a healthy LeClaire starting and a hopeful Brian Elliot as back-up, a return to the postseason might be in the works for Ottawa.

Defensively, the Sens will remain capable of shutting down the opposition. They return key veteran defenseman Filip Kuba and Chris Phillips to man the blue line. The rest of the defense is young, but strong, with Chris Campoli leading the way.

It’s going to come down to the wire in the Northeast Division this season, but the Senators are definitely in the thick of things. In the end, it looks like it could come down to Dany Heatley and how much big of a role he will play in the offense this season.

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