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2011-12 NHL Season Preview: Florida Panthers

Sep 11

Posted by EB in Season Previews | No Comments

Key Offseason Additions: Scottie Upshall, Tomas Kopecky, Tomas Fleishmann, Kris Versteeg, Sean Bergenheim, Brian Campbell, Ed Jovanovski, Jose Theodore

Key Offseason Losses: Dennis Wideman, Marty Reasoner, Michael Frolik, Tomas Vokoun

Last Season Ranking: 15th in East

Stephen Weiss and David Booth are the only 2 from last year's top 6 forwards. Might need an ice breaker.

Stephen Weiss and David Booth are the only 2 from last year's top 6 forwards. Might need an ice breaker.

Offense: The Florida Panthers have made a complete overhaul of their team replacing four of their top six forwards. Sometimes too much change is a bad thing, but with the team missing the playoffs year after year, change is just what the doctor ordered.

Scottie Upshall has had a respectable 30 point per season career, but for many, believe he is capable of doing a lot more. The difficulty for Upshall is staying healthy which has seen him play all but one full season over his career. A fast, strong skater, it will be nice to see if he pairs up with Stephen Weiss and David Booth. If so, his fantasy stock could rise as a sleeper pick.

Florida’s additions were nothing of any great superstars, but of all talented players that can chip in. Going with the thought that the sum is greater than the parts, the team has added depth with Tomas Kopecky, Tomas Flesichmann and Kris Versteeg. Together, the three combined for 48 goals, 71 assists to total 119 points. This should greatly improve the Panthers top two lines if the new players can gel with one another.

Defense: Like the offense, the Panthers have tweaked their top two defensive pairings.

Puck moving defenseman Brian Campbell is capable of putting up 50 points if he can stay healthy. The forecast may not look so good as he has had shortened seasons for the past two years.

Veteran Ed Jovanoski has been added and will balance the team out with some grit and hard work. He is a player you at to play against but would love to have on your team. A downside he is getting older, but the positive, he plays younger than what he is.

The Panthers still have some talented players that will pair with either of the two previous mentioned. Dmitry Kulikov is coming into his third season as a professional and looks to better his last year’s stats of 6 goals and 20 assists. Similarly, Keaton Ellerby is also coming into his third season as a professional and had 2 goals and 10 assists last year. Both young players will help ease the burden of old age on the added veteran defenseman.

Goaltending: The Panthers have always had a good goalie, but never a team in front of him. Tomas Vokoun has headed to the Washington Capitals as the Panthers have picked up Jose Theodore to take the number one spot. Theodore had some great seasons in Washington, notching 62 wins in 104 games played over two seasons. Although he is the same age as Vokoun, Theodore looks to be more acrobatic and should add greater value to the team.

HWB Playoff Prediction: Not playoff bound. Oh how we miss you Florida, please return sometime soon to the playoffs with your rubber rats.

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2011-12 NHL Season Preview: Toronto Maple Leafs

Sep 8

Posted by EB in Season Previews | 3 Comments

Key Offseason Additions: Tim Connolly, Matthew Lombardi, John Michael-Liles, Cody Franson

Key Offseason Losses: Kris Versteeg, Jean-Sebastian Giguere

Last Season Ranking: 10th in East

Offense: The Toronto Maples Leafs have made two impressive off-season additions that should greatly foster their offensive talent.

First, Tim Connolly. Connolly is a top line center who battled injuries last year with the Buffalo Sabres. With a healthy season, Connolly could set up winger Phil Kessel, easily combining for over 120 points. The key though, if Connolly can stay healthy.

The second addition, which many will underrate, is that of Matthew Lombardi. Lombardi has had a really up and down career, with his 2009-2010 season with the Phoenix Coyotes a career high of 19 goals, 34 assists to total 53 points. But, like Connolly, the key is for him to stay healthy. Lombardi missed nearly all of last season with a concussion. Concussion symptoms are no joke, Sidney Crosby has brought light to that.

The remainder of the supporting cast is surprisingly good. Joffrey Lupul looks to bounce back from back problems, Mikhail Grabovski and Clarke MacArthur both look to better last year’s career high performances, and young talents Tyler Bozak and Nazem Kadri look to balance out the third line with talented depth.

Defense: General Manager Brian Burke did a good job to better the defense with veteran John-Michael Lieles and young talent Cody Franson. Last year’s seasons combined totaled 14 goals and 61 assists. The stats do not lie, both players can move the puck.

Toronto's fate rests on the hands of goaltender James Reimer. Will he follow the sophomore curse?

The additions will put a much needed pressure on big name player Dion Phaneuf. Phaneuf had trouble in Calgary before coming to Toronto, often perceived as an arrogant player. It is still a debate if he is all that he hyped up to be, but with only 8 goals and 22 assists last year, expect him to step up his game this upcoming season.

Luke Schenn is coming into his 4th season with the Maple Leafs and will most likely improve upon his 5 goals and 17 assists last year. Schenn is a young, big 6′-2″ defender who has some hands and some speed. Possibly paired with Phaneuf, his stock is rising in playoff pools. Sure he won’t be your top defender, but looking for some depth, he will most likely put up 25 assists this year.

Goaltending: If it is one thing that the Maple Leafs are lacking it is goaltending. Losing veteran Jean-Sebastian Giguere is going to hurt, even if he only did put up a 11-11-4 record and a 2.87 goals against average. His veteran presence will be missed, especially if James Reimer has to carry the load.

Reimer last year had a remarkable rookie season with a 20-10-5 season and a 2.60 goals against average. The problem now is that he is in his sophomore year, and if anyone knows anything, the second year for goaltenders tend to take nose dives.

Playing backup will be big 6’3″ Jonas Gustavsson. Gustavsson has the talent to be a great goaltender, but last seasons 13 loses trumping his 6 wins, he needs to step it up. Throwing out a wild prediction, factoring in Reimer’s sophomore status, Gustavsson will become the number 1 goalie.

HWB Playoff Prediction: Not playoff bound. It is the Leafs after all.

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2011-12 NHL Season Preview: Philadelphia Flyers

Sep 4

Posted by EB in Season Previews | No Comments

Key Offseason Additions: Ilya Bryzgalov, Wayne Simmonds, Jakub Voracek, , Brayden Schenn, Jaromir Jagr, Maxime Talbot

Key Offseason Losses: Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Kris Versteeg, Ville Leino, Dan Carcillo

Last Season Ranking: 2nd in the East

Mike Richards and Jeff Carter won't be partying anymore as both players have been traded to different teams.

Offense: It is hard predicting all that the Philadelphia Flyers can achieve this year offensively with the massive amount of trades that happened during the off-season. Captain Mike Richards, Jeff Carter and Kris Versteeg all parted ways in the Flyers remodel. Together, the three combined for 80 goals, 98 assists to total a whopping 178 points. Simply put, that is a lot of points lost.

Flyer’s fans will be happy to know that the incoming class will most likely pick up the slack and put forth a mighty good effort in out-doing their predecessors. Wayne Simmonds and Jakub Voracek are both solid two way players that will bring a lot of heart to the game. Veteran Jaromir Jagr is a wild card but is coming off of a slightly higher than point per game season in the KHL as well as a head turning display in the World Championships for the Czech Republic. Throw in gritty, get-under-your-skin-and-draw-a-penalty Maxime Talbot and the Flyers are starting to look like a good mix resembling that of the Stanley Cup Champions Boston Bruins.

The Flyers still have one more asset from the off-season trades and that being young Brayden Schenn. Schenn only played 8 NHL games last season for the Los angeles Kings but still managed to produce 2 assist and 11 shots. His Junior career was spent with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL where as a rookie, he not only lead the team in scoring, he lead the league amongst all rookie scorers with 28 goals and 43 assists to total 71 points in 66 games played. It is still yet to be determined if he will be playing this season, but the future for the organization has a definite plus side with him in it.

The Flyers still have a very solid core, made up of Claude Giroux, Danny Briere, Scott “Carrot Top” Hartnell and recently extended contract James van Riemsdyk. It is important that the four of these players not only assist the new players in learning how to play Broad Street Bully hockey, but also be able to adapt to new line-mates.

Defense: Philly’s defense did not change nearly as much as the offense, as a matter of fact, only 1 new defensive player has been added to the roster. Big 6’3″ Andreas Lilja, who played last season with the Anaheim Ducks and most known for his years with the Detroit Red Wings, will be looking at limited ice time unless he can earn more.

Ilya Bryzgalov looks to be the solid goaltender the Philadelphia flyers have been missing

The team will once again be coddled by veteran and Stanley Cup winner Chris Pronger. Pronger is coming off of an injury plagued season. Pronger underwent two recent surgeries, a plate and pins inserted in his right hand and disk fragments removed from his lower back. It is expected that Pronger will not be ready in time for training camp, but stated his hand which is limiting the majority of his weight training, is between 80 and 85 percent healed.

Overall, the Flyer’s defense looks as good as last year, which saw them as 11th best in goals against average with 2.63. That stat will most likely improve…

Goaltending: Perhaps the biggest move of the off-season was the addition of net-minder Ilya Brzygalov. Bryz played for the Phoenix Coyotes, and in leaving, most likely burned some bridges. But that really doesn’t matter now as becoming the number one goalie over Sergei Bobrovski, Ilya has said all the right things to Philly fans. “This is a team with rich history,” Bryzgalov said. “The highest goal is to win the Cup. That’s what this game is all about. That’s all that matters.”

Could Bryzgalov take the Flyers to the promised land? Not sure, but being known as a somewhat difficult teammate, it will be interesting to see if the Flyers later down the road want to dump him as they did Richards and Carter, only to be denied by his 9 year, $51 million dollar deal taking him to 40 years of age.

HWB Playoff Prediction: Playoff bound.

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More trades could be on the way for Flyers

Feb 15

Posted by Chris in Rumors, Soap Box | No Comments

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke is no stranger to big trades at the trade deadline, and he certainly found a willing partner in the Philadelphia Flyers yesterday as the Flyers acquired forward Kris Versteeg in exchange for a first-round and third-round draft pick in this year’s NHL entry draft. But with just under two weeks still left to play before the trade deadline hits, the Flyers may have only just begun revealing their master plan.

The decision to bring in Versteeg does several things for the Flyers. First, it provides the Flyers with a ton of offensive depth – something they certainly weren’t lacking beforehand. The Flyers are one of the most potent teams in the NHL, averaging 3.29 goals per game, and Versteeg’s prowess make them even more dangerous offensively. Versteeg already has two consecutive 20-goal campaigns under his belt and with 14 goals tallied so far this season he could certainly be on his way to a third.

In addition, Versteeg also has solid playoff experience and a Stanley Cup ring as well. In fact, Versteeg was a part of the Chicago Blackhawks team that defeated the Flyers in the Stanley Cup Finals last season. While he’s only 24-years-old, Versteeg’s experience will be hugely beneficial to the Flyers as they look to get back to the Finals and win the Stanley Cup this season.

Perhaps most importantly, however, Versteeg gives the Flyers options. By adding a proven scorer to the roster, the Flyers have made other players expandable. Two names that have already popped up in the rumor mill are James van Riemsdyk and Nikolay Zherdev. Both players have underperformed this season and failed to live up to their expectations. In fact, their combined point total is less than ten points more than Versteeg’s personal point total.

Rumors have also swirled that the Flyers would like to make an upgrade in goal. Or could the team opt to bolster their blue line at the expense of a proven netminder? Either way, the team now has expandable assets available to sell off in order to bring in more key components should they choose to. Could van Riemsdyk and Zherdev become part of a package that brings in those key components? With 13 days left until the trade deadline, all the Flyers may have done is simply set the stage for more to come.

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Hockey World Blog Season Previews 2010: Toronto Maple Leafs

Sep 8

Posted by EB in Season Previews | No Comments

Key Offseason Losses: None

Key Offseason Additions: Colby Armstrong, Jerry D’Amigo, Jonas Gustavsson, Brett Lebda, Marcel Mueller, Kris Versteeg

Last Season Ranking: 15th, East

Marcel Mueller could be a sleeper pick for fantasy owners this year with his impressive resume from the German Hockey League.

Marcel Mueller could be a sleeper pick for fantasy owners this year with his impressive resume from the German Hockey League.

Offense: The Toronto Maple Leafs are a talented team on paper, young, fast and very talented. However, come game time, the team struggles to put the pucks in the net, resulting in the 5th least goals for amongst the league.

Toronto has one goal 30 goal scorer on the team, Phil Kessle. Thereafter though lies the problem, second closest in goals was Nikolai Kulemin with 16. Ouch!

Brian Burke has recognized this and has added some more young talent to the mix. Most notable are Jerry D’amigo from the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and Marcel Mueller from the German Hockey League (DEL). D’amigo has a good resume, having a point per game production in the ECAC as well as winning a gold medal for the Men’s Junior United States team. Mueller has perhaps an even better resume with 24 goals and 32 assists in 53 games last season with Koln, all while serving 122 penalty minutes. Imagine if he stayed out of the box.

Lastly, Burke has added veteran depth in Stanley Cup winner Kris Versteeg from the Chicago Blackhawks and Colby Armstrong from the Atlanta Thrashers. Versteeg had a balanced 20 goals and 24 assists in 44 games. Armstrong had a down year with 29 points last season in comparison to 40 points the year before but should be able to at least get 25 goals if set up with play-making linesman. Both should add the much needed depth and experience to help the young team compete this year.

Defense: The Maple Leaf’s defensive is in need of some work despite having some well known and talented players. Dion Phaneuf, Thomas Kaberle, Francois Beauchemin and Luke Schenn are the top two lines with Mike Komisarek anchoring the third pairing.

Despite being known and talented players, not much needs to be said except that the Leafs allowed 263 goals last season, second worse only being beaten out by the Edmonton Oilers. Practice makes perfect and practice these guys need.

Goaltending: Jean-Sebastian Giguere and Jonas Gustavsson will split time in net this year. Gustavsson was battling an irregular heartbeat last season, but all is behind him and his focus will now be on winning games for the team. Giguere starts the season without the headaches of the Anaheim Ducks and should settle in this season with his new team. The two should have a friendly competition for game time, a competition that should play to the benefit of the team with both players trying to make a claim for the dominant goalie.

Season Outlook: It really is hard to say what one should expect from the Toronto Maple Leafs this upcoming season. On paper, the team looks to have 2 solid forward lines that finally have some goal scorers besides Phile Kessle. Defensively, the team has talent, but they just need some more practice together. As for goaltending, what is not to like with the J.G. duo fighting for the number one spot. Still though, with the added pressure of the media, always playing in front of a sell out crowd despite not having the performance to earn that honor, it will all come down to how well the team buys into the system and how well they click.  I would not expect a playoff spot this season, but I do believe the team will make it worth your while to watch them this year with all the young talent.

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Playoff Ramblings

May 17

Posted by Matt in Soap Box | No Comments

Here are some thoughts on the playoffs over the past couple weeks:

My post praising Miroslav Satan’s performance during the playoffs must have been the ultimate jinx. He carried a six game point streak when I wrote about how excellent he had been. In the four games that followed, and an epic collapse by the Bruins, Satan posted zero points, was a minus one, and only had nine shots on goal. Good news for the Bruins though, they’re still going to land either Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin in the draft this summer.

Daniel Briere has been huge for the Flyers in the playoffs

Daniel Briere has been huge for the Flyers in the playoffs

The Philadelphia Flyers are the first ever seven seed to end up with home ice advantage in a playoff series. How did they pull this off? Well, I think its fair to say that they aren’t necessarily as bad as their seed and 88 point season may indicate. Remember this team has several young, but experienced, scorers. Mike Richards has been great, and Danny Briere has played his best playoff hockey picking up 17 points so far, with seven multi-point games. On top of that, the Flyers are picking up a lot of secondary scoring, especially in Claude Giroux who has six goals and seven assists in 13 playoff games. Ville Leino, a late season acquisition, has even made his presence felt with nine points in as many games. You certainly can’t forget about the defensive prowess this team has, lead by perennial all star Chris Pronger. He’s more than capable of shutting down the oppositions top scorers.

So perhaps the Philadelphia Flyers are finally molding into the team that many thought they were going to be. Maybe the leadership issues and problems in the locker room are a thing of the past. They have all the confidence and momentum in the world right now, and will be a tough team to handle.

The Chicago Blackhawks are outstanding. Young captain, Jonathan Toews has been very impressive so far with 21 post-season points. Goaltending has not been the huge issue everyone thought it would be. Antti Niemi has been solid, and has out-dueled two very good goaltenders in Pekka Rinne and Roberto Luongo.

Things seem to be clicking on all cylinders for the Blackhawks, minus the presence of two players. Marian Hossa had a very good first round against Nashville, posting six points in the series. But since them, he’s been very quiet, much like last year, with only three points in the seven games played since finishing off the Predators. Along with Hossa, Kris Versteeg has been less productive than I expected so far. His six points and minus two rating seem low for a young player with the talent level he has. Remember, Versteeg posted terrific numbers as a rookie last season, but is perhaps seeing a decrease in ice time with the top line being so effective.

The San Jose Sharks are still very much competitive in the west. It seemed like everyone wrote them off after being crushed by the Red Wings in game four of that series. Did everyone just forget that they still had a 3-1 series lead? Even if they were still the Sharks who choke in the playoffs, they could have surely taken one game and prevented the Wings from going on. But instead, they bounced back like a true contender and eliminated Detroit in five.

Montreal is having one of the most impressive playoff campaigns in recent years that I can remember. First, they squandered the top seeded Washington Capitals in seven games. This is a team that featured several of the world’s top players: Ovechkin, Backstrom, Semin, and Green. Then, they followed that performance with a seven game dismantling of the defending Stanley Cup champions. Surely a team that can take out two of the top NHL clubs is capable of making it to the finals, right?

Finally, here’s to hoping for an original six match-up in the finals.

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