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Marc Savard will miss 2011-12 season

Sep 1

Posted by Chris in News | 1 Comment

After playing in just 25 games last season, Boston Bruins center Marc Savard will miss the entire 2011-12 season due to lingering symptoms from several concussions sustained over the last two seasons.

“Marc Savard won’t play this year,” Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli told the Boston Globe. “Nothing has changed in our monitoring. He’ll be examined and he’ll be declared unfit to play.”

Savard emerged as one of the premier passers in the NHL during his time with the Bruins. In five years with Boston, Savard tallied 60 or more assists three times and had a career high in 2006-07 with 74 assists. In his last two seasons, Savard played in only 66 games because of injuries.

Savard suffered his first concussion in 2010 on a questionable open-ice hit delivered by Matt Cooke of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Cooke was not penalized or suspended for the hit. Savard remained sidelined for the remainder of the season but was cleared to return in the postseason.

However, symptoms recurred during the summer and Savard was again sidelined until healthy. He returned late last season only to sustain another concussion in February. With two concussions within a 10 month span, Savard was sidelined indefinitely. The Bruins went on to win the Stanley Cup, however, Savard was not able to travel to Vancouver to see the game or partake in the celebration.

The Bruins announced that they were petitioning the NHL to have Savard’s name engraved on the Stanley Cup despite not meeting the minimum requirements.  

Uncertainty now clouds the future of Savard, who still has five years remaining on his contract with Boston.

“Based on what I see, what I hear, what I read, and what I’m told, it’s very unlikely Marc will play again,” Chiarelli said. “Now, knowing the uncertainty of this injury, there’s always a chance [he could play]. But based on what I’m told, it’s very unlikely he’ll play. As an employer, I support him and hope he gets back to living a healthy life.”

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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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Fantasy Hockey owners should take advantage of Marc Savard’s promotion

Dec 23

Posted by Chris in Fantasy | No Comments

In nine games this season with the Boston Bruins after returning from the long-term injury reserve with post-concussion symptoms, Marc Savard has only managed to tally three points. Add in his minus-4 rating and it isn’t tough to see why Savard is owned in only 28 percent of Yahoo’s Fantasy Hockey leagues.

What you may not know about Savard, however, is that he is more than capable of producing at a point-per-game clip when he is healthy. And he is getting healthy. After being away from the game for several months, Savard returned to the Bruin’s lineup on Dec. 2 where he centered the third line. Savard has been there since as he works to get back up to speed and regain his timing. And now is the time to take advantage of his free agency status in 72 percent of the Yahoo leagues because things are set to turn around for Savard quite soon.

The Bruins currently sit 8th overall in the Eastern Conference and are just four points out of a playoff spot. The team is 5-3-2 over their last 10 games and have struggled to score goals at times, which has prompted coach Claude Julien to promote Savard to the top line where he will center Nathan Horton and Milan Lucic – the two leading goal scorers for the Boston Bruins. This promotion should significantly impact Savard’s point production and Fantasy value if he remains with this unit.

Savard is one of the best playmaking centers in the league when he is healthy. In four of his past five NHL seasons, Savard has recorded 60 or more assists and reached the 80-point plateau in three of those five seasons. Last season, despite only playing in 41 games, Savard still managed a decent 33 points, including 23 assists. But what’s really impressive is that half of his points came on the power play that season where he had six goals and 11 assists with a man advantage. Needless to say, with Savard still available in almost three-quarters of all Yahoo Fantasy Leagues, it would be a worthy investment for you to pick him up if you have room available at center and need a boost in assists and power play points.

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Bruins prepare for Marc Savard’s return

Nov 29

Posted by Chris in News | 2 Comments

It appears as if Marc Savard’s return to the Boston Bruins’ lineup is imminent and could happen as early as later this week when the Bruins take on the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday or the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday. At this point, however, Savard’s return seems to hinder more on the Bruins’ ability to free up cap space than Savard’s health.

With the Bruins right up against the salary cap, the team needs to move several millions of dollars in order to fit Savard and his $4 million cap hit under the salary cap. The Bruins made the first step to free up cap space today by sending defenseman Matt Hunwick to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for prospect Colby Cohen. By moving Hunwick, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, the Bruins free up $1.45 million in much-needed salary cap space. Cohen will immediately be sent to Boston’s AHL affiliate.

More moves could be on the horizon for Boston as they still need to move roughly $3 million in salary before Savard can return to the lineup from long-term injured reserve. One likely candidate on the move is winger Michael Ryder. Rumors have swirled for some time that Boston GM Peter Chiarelli wants to move Ryder before the end of the season when he is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. Ryder’s $4 million cap hit would give Boston just enough room to reactive Savard. Blake Wheeler and Daniel Paille are also reportedly being shopped by Chiarelli with Phoenix and Toronto possibly interested in making deals. Chiarelly has also indicated that he has no problem stashing away talent in the minor leagues if the team is desperate for cap space.

Savard, who has been out of the lineup all season after developing post-concussion symptoms stemming from a blind-side hit by Pittsburgh Penguins forward Matt Cooke last March, has been skating for weeks and was just last week cleared to participate in full-contact drills in practice with no ill-effects. According to both Savard and the Bruins, the timetable for Savard’s return is “December” with no real date set. However, Savard appears to be progressing quickly and could return as soon as the Bruins make the necessary moves.

Boston winger Marco Sturm is also progressing steadily and working toward a comeback sometime in the next few weeks leading to more speculation that the Bruins are looking to clear salary to accommodate Sturm’s return in the future as well as Savard’s imminent return.

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Who’s Injured?

Oct 8

Posted by Matt in Fantasy, News | 2 Comments

Unfortunately, for a number of players, it seems like the injuries are piling on heavy right as the season gets underway. Here’s a look at some of the bigger names who will be missing time to start the season:

Brian Campbell – A sprained knee will keep Campbell out well into November. He was injured in the pre-season against the Penguins.

Marc Savard – Savard is experiencing post-concussion syndrome and there’s no telling when he will return. He’s been doing some light lifting and bike riding, but no high intensity work as of yet.

Jordan Staal -Suffering from an infection on his foot after having surgery late last season to repair a torn tendon. He’s had multiple procedures done to try to get things going, but was recently placed on long term injured reserve, meaning he will miss at least 10 games.

Kyle Okposo -Had successful shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum. He suffered the injury during a practice where fans could attend, and will be out 2-3 months. Expect him back sometime in December.

Vinny Prospal – Prospal is out with a sore right knee. His injury was originally thought to be short term, but no progress has been made. He has yet to start skating again, and will likely be out until the end of October.

Matt Stajan – A separated shoulder, which occurred September 21st, will keep Stajan from playing. Expect a return towards the end of October.

Joffrey Lupul – After missing much of last season with a herniated disc in his back, Lupul will have to sit out a bit longer. He had surgery in December, and hoped to be ready for this season. During his off-season training, Lupul was found to have a blood infection in his back. He’s been placed on injured reserve, and there is no timetable for his return.

Andrei Markov -Markov is recovering from surgery after tearing his ACL late last season. His successful surgery was in the middle of May, and recovery is expected to take 6 months. This places Markov with an expected return sometime in November, depending on recovery.

Michael Leighton – A bulging disc in his back will keep Leighton out for about a month.

Chris Pronger -Pronger is still recovering from off-season surgery on his right knee. He has began skating, but has said he needs to gain more strength before he can return to the lineup.

Mark Streit – A torn left labrum and rotator cuff will keep Mark Streit sidelined for quite a while. His injury occurred during an intersquad scrimmage. After taking a hit from Matt Moulson, Streit fell hard into the boards. Unfortunately for the Islanders, he could be on the shelf for up to 6 months.

Alexandre Burrows -The Canucks winger was placed on injured reserve after having surgery to repair a torn labrum. He’s expected to be out approximately two months.

Peter Meuller – The Avs will be without Mueller indefinitely as he recovers from a concussion suffered during the preseason. There’s a bit of controversy behind this as Mueller was supposed to be wearing the new Cascade M11 helmet, but was not due to fitting issues. The Denver Post blog “All Things Avs” explains it in full detail.

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2010-11 Rules Enforcement: What To Expect

Oct 3

Posted by Eddie in Behind the Bench, Media | No Comments

Preseason games have already begun and the regular season is only a few days away. There are some areas in the rules that will begin to get enforced with strict emphasis. The biggest change you will see is with head checks. In the video below you will see many players who suffered head injuries such as concussions and penalties were not usually called. It could potentially cost the career of Paul Kariya, and its effects has lingered onto this season as players such as Marc Savard and David Booth will not be ready to begin the season.

This season, lateral and blind side hits to the head like those seen in the video will now be called more severely than simply a minor penalty. They will be called either a Major accompanied by a Game Misconduct, or a Match Penalty. This is a good move by the NHL because shots to the head were becoming all to common, and it also helps clean up the game. Hits like the ones to Savard and Booth were completely unnecessary. If a defender wants to play the body at the same time as a player is releasing the puck, he needs to learn to make shoulder-to-shoulder contact or hip-to-body contact. Expect the first couple players to be penalized under this to receive hefty fines from the league.

Next you will see legal checks. As you can see with those legal checks, the player applying the hit is doing so legally. In the the first clip (at 2:20) where Phil Kessel is leveled by a Tampa defender, the defenders shoulder makes contact with the Maple Leaf logo on Kessel’s chest. It was a textbook north-south check to take Kessel off the puck. It didn’t help Kessel that his head was down either.

In addition, points of emphasis the officials will be looking in more detail to make the proper penalty calls are:

Clipping- Where a player will purposely drop their shoulder or hip to take out a player’s knees or legs. The difference between an illegal hit such as clipping and a legal check such as a hip check is that a hip check the defender is making contact with the attacking players midsection or hip area. The two differences can be seen at the 3:48 and 4:00 mark of the video.

Contact on Icing- It’s about time the NHL has taken a look at unnecessary hits on icing plays. Having the “touch icing” rule in place is dangerous for the attacking player as it is, and the league is trying to make it more black-and-white and less of a grey area for both the players and officials. In addition (such as the clip seen at 4:38), it will prevent after-whistle scrums like seen there.

Altercations off of Playing Surface- Now, misconduct and potentially a game misconduct and even fines will occur to players who are off the ice and make contact with a player who is either on the opposing bench or on the ice.

Warm-Up Altercations-  Any teams whose players become involved in an altercation other than during the periods of the game (examples include before the game, between periods, or after the final horn is sounded) can face a $25,000 fine or other disciplines from the league.

Unsportsmanlike Conduct- Any identifiable player who makes an obscene, profane, or abusive language or gestures at anyone (including fans) will be subject to an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and other disciplines from the league.

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Hockey World Blog Season Previews 2010: Boston Bruins

Sep 9

Posted by Chris in Season Previews | No Comments

Key Offseason Losses: Dennis Wideman, Miroslav Satan

Key Offseason Additions: Tyler Seguin, Nathan Horton

Last Season Ranking: 6th in East

Offense:

The Boston Bruins were one of the worst offensive teams in the NHL last season. In fact, the team finished dead last in goals scored per game with an average of 2.39. This was mostly due to key injuries throughout the season, but it was also a partial testament to the lack of depth on the team and showed how much losing Phil Kessel actually hurt the squad in terms of goals. The team didn’t make many moves in the offseason, but they did manage to make moves that matter and should help improve the team’s offense.

NHL2.jpgThe first addition came via trade when the Bruins sent defenseman Dennis Wideman to the Florida Panthers in exchange for right wing Nathan Horton and depth forward Gregory Campbell. Horton is a hard-working player with a lot of offensive potential. If he gets time alongside a healthy Marc Savard this season, Horton could crack the 30-goal plateau for the second time in his young career.

The second addition was center Tyler Seguin, who the Bruins nabbed with their second overall draft pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. With 106 points in 63 games in the OHL last season, Seguin was a natural choice. Rumors have swirled that Seguin could see time on the wing of the second line this season in order to help acclimate him to the NHL game. He would also be more valuable to the team if he got second-line minutes instead of centering the third or even the forth line where he would play more of a grinding role.

Health will be a big factor coming into this season. Center Marc Savard was limited to only 41 games last season because of a knee injury and a concussion. When Savard is healthy, however, he is capable of producing anywhere between 80 to 90 points. Tough guy Milan Lucic will also need to stay healthy this year. The Bruins believe that Lucic is capable of tallying at least 20 goals a season, but last year he was limited to only 50 games and 20 points, including nine goals. Second-line center Patrice Bergeron is also capable of producing at a point-per-game pace, but, again, he will need to stay healthy and play a vast majority of the season if he is to be a valuable asset to the team. Players like David Krejci, Mark Recchi, Blake Wheeler and Michael Ryder should all benefit from having a healthy squad as well.

Defense:

After being one of the best defensive teams in the NHL two years ago, the Bruins’ defense seemingly took a step back last season. Perhaps injuries on the front end plagued the defense as well, but only four of Boston’s defenseman was plus-1 or better last season with Zdeno Chara leading the way at plus-19. Look for Chara to again lead the way on the blue line for the Bruins in terms of both points and plus/minus.

With the departure of Dennis Wideman, the Bruins will need some younger talent to step up and help solidify the Bruins’ defensive core. Matt Hunwick is capable of playing much better than his minus-16 last season while guys like Dennis Seidenberg can certainly help chip in some points as well.

Goaltending:

The enigma about this team is that while they were last in goals scored for per game, the team was second-best overall in goals scored against per game with an average of 2.33. This was largely due to goaltending as the 23-year-old Tuukka Rask virtually took over in net and didn’t look back until he was leading the league in almost all of the goalie stat categories. Rask finished the season with an impressive league-leading 1.97 goals against average as well as a .931 save percentage. Rask was a proverbial brick wall in net and was a big reason why the Bruins finished as well as they did despite losing so many key players to injuries. Whether or not Rask is the go-to guy again this season remains to be seen. Tim Thomas is an outstanding goaltender in his own right and could work his way back to the number one position if Rask falters in his sophomore season. As it stands now, however, the Bruins have a solid tandem in Rask and Thomas.

Season Outlook:

The additions of Horton and Seguin will certainly help add depth to the Bruins roster, but remember that the team is currently over the cap, which means that one or more of the players mentioned may move before the start of the season. Current rumors place Savard, Ryder and Thomas all on the trading block and waiting to see who the right deal comes along for. Regardless, health will again be a big issue for the Bruins and the team’s defense needs to step it up a notch. Goaltending bailed them out last year, but it isn’t a guarantee that the same will happen again. For a team that has a lot of potential, there are still a lot of lingering questions going into the season and a lot of possibilities for how it could all play out.

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Matt Cooke and the Boston Bruins

Mar 18

Posted by EB in News | No Comments

Colin Campbell looks stumped, just as Boston and NHL fans are about the non disciplinary action against Matt Cooke and his head shot to Bruins Marc Savard.

Colin Campbell looks stumped, just as Boston and NHL fans are about the non-disciplinary action against Matt Cooke and his head shot to Bruin's Marc Savard.

Tonight, Matt Cooke and the Pittsburgh Penguins face the Boston Bruins at TD Garden Arena.

The last time the two teams met, Cooke blindsided center Marc Savard which resulted in a serious injury. However, no suspension nor any disciplinary action has been taken against Cooke.

Many fans, especially those of Boston, and players themselves, are unhappy with the NHL’s handling of the incident. Previously in the season, Philadelphia Flyer’s captain Mike Richards blind-sided and injured Florida Panther’s David Booth. The hit also left an injury, and set precedent to the current Cooke hit, that being no suspension.

How could this be?

The league has met and spoken since then, and next year hope to implement a new rule change that would ban blind-side hits in the NHL. Still though, it seems this season has no real discipline for the reckless and dangerous incidents.

Tonight, the NHL’s sole disciplinarian, VP of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell, will be in attendance at the game to monitor any possible retaliation. Expect the building to erupt with loud boo’s and negative chants of, “Campbell sucks”, or something of the like. When asked by a local news source if Campbell is expected to speak with the team before hand, Bruin’s forward Mark Recchi responded, “No, we don’t want him in our room.”

Some believe the game tonight will be nothing more than a normal game with  Campbell’s presence being a deterrence to any rough stuff. Others, like myself, feel there will be a good ‘ol fashion hockey game, you know, the one sport that self disciplines with bench depleting brawls.

No matter what anyone believes, Matt Cooke is expected to drop the gloves. The questions that will be answered in due time is with whom, and who will end up on top.

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Leafs eagerly await Kessel’s debut

Nov 1

Posted by Chris in News | 3 Comments

phil-kessel-brian-burke-2009-9-19-19-11-12The Toronto Maple Leafs currently sit dead last in the league with six points and one regulation win and only 30 goals for over the duration of 12 games, which is better than only a handful of teams. But the Leafs will get some much needed help early this week when forward Phil Kessel returns from long term injured reserve after off-season shoulder surgery. Kessel ended last season with 36 goals and 24 assists in 70 games with the Boston Bruins. Boston traded the star right wing to Toronto in the off season where he quickly signed a five-year, $27 million contract.

Reports indicate that Kessel will be in the lineup as early as Tuesday when the Leafs host the Tampa Bay Lightening. He has been skating for a solid three weeks with the team and has even been participating in contact drills in practice. This could be great news for Leafs fans who are highly anticipating the debut of Kessel in hopes that he will help lead an otherwise lackluster offense. As of now, defenseman Tomas Kaberle leads the team with 17 points. The next best point total comes from Mikhail Grabovski, who has 10.

Such high expectations may be sorely misplaced, however, at least at first. Kessel has been out of action all summer, which means that he will need a few games to say the least to come up to speed and get his timing back. Also, a significant debate is brewing in Toronto as to who will be the best fit to center the Kessel line. As a true goal scorer, Kessel plays better when he has a good passing center to feed him the puck. In Boston, center Marc Savard was the main set-up man for Kessel’s goals. Matt Stajan and Mikhail Grabovski seem to be the front-runners at this point to pair up with Kessel, and chances are good that each player will get a legitimate shot to see who sticks and where the best chemistry comes from. No matter who ends up on a line with Kessel, chemistry may take some time to build.

Two weeks might be a fair assessment for things to start clicking for Kessel and his new linemates, whoever they may be. Regardless, the Leafs brought in Kessel to score goals and help out their swindeling offense, so expect Kessel to get minutes into the twenties almost immediately. The boy needs to be on the ice if he’s going to score goals. Maybe Kessel will bring some of his plus-23 defensive play into the lineup as well, which the Leafs may need more than goals.

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Boston Bruins

Sep 9

Posted by Chris in News, Season Previews | 1 Comment

The Boston Bruins were the best team in the Eastern Conference at the end of the regular season last year, but things didn’t pan out in the post-season like they had hoped with a second-round exit at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes in a Game 7 overtime finisher. Plagued by injuries during their post-season run, the Bruins have recuperated and look poised to do some serious damage in the East again this season.

Not much has changed for this team in the offseason, except perhaps a stronger hunger for the Cup, so expect much of the same from the Bruins heading into this season. Strong play at both ends of the ice really propels this team to success. Offensively, the Bruins like to spread the wealth. 51625520Center Marc Savard led the offensive rush with 25 goals and 63 assists for a team-leading total of 88 points last season. However, Savard was one of eight different Bruins players who tallied 15 or more goals during the regular season, six of whom topped the 20-goal plateau. That type of depth makes the Bruins dangerous on offense night in and night out.

Defensively, Dennis Wideman led the blue line with 50 points and a plus/minus rating of plus-32. Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Zdeno Chara was right there with 50 points and a plus-23 rating. What really sets this team apart, though, is the strong defensive work done by the entire team. Last season, 11 different players were plus-15 or better, eight of which were plus-20 or better. Of those eight, five were forwards. In fact, two of the top three plus/minus players on the Bruins last season were forwards, which is a big reason why the Bruins were the team to beat in the East last season. With all but one of those players coming back for the 2009-10 campaign, expect more of the same from the Bruins this season.

Goalie Tim Thomas (above) was another big reason for the regular-season success of the Bruins. Thomas put together an all-star season last year with a goals against average of 2.10 and a save percentage of .933, which were not only the best numbers of his own NHL career, but league-leading numbers among starting goaltenders. Thomas also posted 5 shutouts on his way to 36 wins in 54 games, and Thomas doesn’t look to be slowing down despite being 34-years-old. His numbers have gotten better each season with the Bruins, and 2009-10 should be another strong campaign.

While the major components of last season’s Bruins squad will be returning this season, two key players will be noticeably missing. Forward Phil Kessel, who amassed a team-leading 36 goals, has not been offered a contract by the cap-crunched Bruins. Despite the offensive depth, those goals will need to be made up somewhere if the Bruins are to continue their success. Free agent goaltender Manny Fernandez, who backed up Thomas last season for 16 wins and one shutout, will also be noticeable absent from the lineup. While still strong without these players, the Bruins will certainly need to generate the 36 goals lost by Kessel and put their faith in young backup goaltender Tuuku Rask to offset playing time with Thomas.

Veteran Mark Recchi, who was acquired from Tampa Bay at the trade deadline, should be able to help fill the void left by Kessel. Recchi produced 10 goals and 16 points in 18 regular season games with the Bruins, and six points in 11 playoff games. Expect 40 to 50 points from Recchi this season with the Bruins. Also keep an eye on the young and gritty Milan Lucic, who will be coming into his third NHL season. Lucic accumulated 42 points last season along with 136 penalty minutes. However, Lucic also boasted a plus-17 rating. A big body who likes to hit, Lucic is a great grinder who can also contribute offensively. Expect him to continue to improve this season and play a slightly bigger role to help fill the void left by Kessel.

The Bruins are a team that thrives on strong offense paired with outstanding defensive play – a formula that wins championships. Key injuries contributed to an early exit in the playoffs last season, but with much of the same squad returning this year, the Bruins are again the team to beat in the Eastern Conference.

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