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Loui Eriksson Voted NHLs Most Underrated Player

Jan 14

Posted by Matt in News | No Comments

Loui Eriksson of the Dallas Stars

Loui Eriksson of the Dallas Stars was voted the most underrated hockey player by his NHL peers

A few days ago, we brought you Sports Illustrated’s poll about the NHL’s most overrated players. Today, we’re gonna take a look at the opposite end of the spectrum. In this SI poll, NHL players voted on who they thought was the most underrated hockey player.

Taking the crown of most underrated player is Dallas Stars winger Loui Eriksson. The Swedish star has grown into a standout player who has recorded new career highs in points every year since entering the league in 2006-07. So far this season, Eriksson has piled on 40 points through 16 goals and 24 assists. He’s on pace to approach the 80 point mark, which would be another career best.

As Eriksson’s offensive numbers begin to grow, so does his defensive prowess. Eriksson is lined up against some of the oppositions best players, and proving he can handle the workload by posting a plus 12 rating at the seasons midway point. Not only is Eriksson turning into a solid defensive forward, but he does it the right way – without taking penalties. In all of last season, Eriksson only picked up four minor penalties, he’s on pace for the same this season with only two penalties thus far. With tremendous talent and ability, along with great numbers that are only getting better by the year, it’s no wonder Loui Eriksson is the league’s most underrated player.

Coming in at 2nd on the list is Eriksson’s teammate, and Dallas Stars winger, Jamie Benn. Just like his teammate, Benn has consistently improved year after year. This season, his third in the league, Benn is a mere 14 points shy of setting a new career high. His 13 goals and 29 assists thus far have him on pace to easily best his numbers from last season, and Benn is also on his way to finishing the season as a plus player for the first time in his career.

Third on the list is Joe Pavelski, the young San Jose Sharks center. In his short six season career, Pavelski has already notched 119 goals and 155 assists for a point total of 274. This year, Pavelski looks to best his previous career high of 25 goals. He is currently tied for second on the team in goals with 16.

Having an incredible rookie season with 7 shorthanded goals, along with being a prominent defensive forward, might have helped Jordan Staal land at number four on the list. Staal was on pace for career numbers both last season, and this season, but has continued to be plagued by the injury bug. Staal is an important piece to the Pittsburgh Penguins, and should help them turn things around once he is healthy again.

Rounding out our top five is Chris Kelly of the Boston Bruins. Kelly has never stood out on the scoresheet, but is one of those depth players that is vital to a teams success. Obviously a lot of NHL players think he could be more than that too. Kelly helped the Bruins to a Stanley Cup Championship last season, and his 23 points have helped them get off to a 28-11-1 record.

Here are the remaining most underrated hockey players:

6. Pavel Datsyuk
7. Patrick Sharp
8. Claude Giroux
9. Frans Nielsen
10. Zach Parise
11. Tomas Fleischmann
12. Mikko Koivu
13. Martin St. Louis
14. Anze Kopitar
15. Ryan Suter

How accurate do you think the NHL players were? If it were your list, who would you have voted most underrated?

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Zach Parise Likely to Play Elsewhere

Dec 6

Posted by EB in Rumors | 1 Comment

Zach Parise may be a New Jersey Devil today, but come trade deadline or free agency, expect him to be on the move.

New Jersey Devil fans have it tough, real tough. If it is not bad enough that the Devils are currently sitting 12th in the standings in the East, young superstar Zach Parise is likely to play for another team come trade deadline or in the off-season.

The Minnesota native Zach Parise is coming into his production years at the age of 27. Playing 7 seasons with the Devils, it is time for some new scenery. With a Silver medal under his belt from 2010, Parise wants a Stanley Cup ring, that of which the Devils won’t do for quite some time.

The Devils of old were once a powerhouse team. Hard hitting defender Scott Stevens, a younger Martin Brodeur between the pipes and head coach Jacques Lemaire made every team cringe. How the years have passed, as the Devils of new are nothing but a pushover. Last year the team missed the playoffs by 12 points. To this day the team is once again sitting on the outside looking in. An argument could be that they are only 2 points back from 8th, but the Eastern Conference is a tricky beast.

My how a few acquisitions, trades and years makes a difference. The Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs have surprised the hockey community as both are currently sitting in playoff spots. It seems Brian Burke’s master plan to take over the hockey world is finally taking form. (insert lightning/thunder/evil laugh now) On the flip side, the Washington Capitals, Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning, all three teams who made the playoffs last season, are currently on the outside looking in. The Devils competition is only going to get tougher.

Over a quarter way in, Parise has only 16 points in 25 games. His total is from a combined 7 goals and 9 assists, a rather poor total for such a player of his caliber. On top of that, Parise has a plus minus rating of negative 10, second to worst on the team, that of which belongs to Ilya Kovalchuk with a negative 11.

Devil fans enjoy the season while it lasts, despite the slow plummet to miss the playoffs yet again. Parise is on the move come trade deadline or free agency. If you are lucky another team will be offering a trade and you can get some depth and draft picks.

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Zach Parise Shootout Goal vs. Kings

Oct 14

Posted by EB in Media, News | 1 Comment

Last night the New Jersey Devils took on the Los Angeles Kings on home ice. What ended in a 1-1 tie after regulation and overtime, the two teams went to a shootout.

New Jersey put on a show with Ilya Kovalchuk going first and making it look easy, Johan Hedberg stacking the pads very nicely on Simon Gagne, and about 1:15 in Zach Parise pulling of a nice move that looked effortless. Hedberg cleaned up with a stop on Anze Kopitar who tried the one-hander. Check it out below.

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Devils Strategically Name Parise Captain

Oct 6

Posted by EB in News, Soap Box | No Comments

Change that "A" to a "C" and what do we get? Still uncertainty on whether or not the New Jersey Devils can lock up Zach Parise at the end of his contract.

The New Jersey Devils have named Zach Parise their team Captain with Ilya Kovalchuk and Patrik Elias as Alternate Captains. Parise, who has played all 6 NHL seasons with the Devils, could be the face of the franchise for years to come. Or maybe not.

In the off-season Parise and the Devils had a shaky go at signing the young 27 year old to a multi-year deal. What looked like an inevitable arbitration hearing, the two sides finally agreed upon a 1-year, $6 million dollar contract. For Devil’s fans, this was a step in the right direction in keeping Parise long term. For all other hockey fans, it seemed likely Parise will become possible trade deadline bait in the upcoming NHL season and/or one of the top off-season free agents.  With the new Captaincy placed firmly on his chest, hockey fans are now left to wonder even more what the future holds for the star forward.

The Devils have named Parise Captain, for better or for worse, but in hopes of creating more of an emotional tie to the organization. In doing so, the team is hoping that they can avoid losing him to another team after his contract is up after this season. What surely is a ploy could very well come back and nip the Devils in the butt.

Not all players are cut out to be Captains, but that does not seem to be the case with Parise. Parise is a superstar and a genuinely good player with heart. When healthy, Parise can easily reach the 35+ goal mark, throw in about 45 assists, and you have yourself a perennial 80 point player. Like many sports, those who produce tend to be Captain.

Still though, the question of if Parise wants to play for the Devils has to come into play. Without a doubt Parise will give it his all as Captain for the Devils, but if he ends up moving to a new club, what are Devil’s fans supposed to think and feel? Are fans OK with that, or does it create a negative, hopelessness feeling inside?

The Devil’s organization are playing with fire by making Parise Captain. Maybe it will work out in their favor, they are the Devils after all. But maybe their decision will not. But hey, if the Vancouver Canucks can make a mistake naming goaltender Roberto Luongo Captain, the Devils can make one too.

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2011-12 NHL Season Preview: New Jersey Devils

Sep 1

Posted by EB in Season Previews | No Comments

Key Offseason Additions: None

Key Offseason Losses: Brian Rolston

Last Season Ranking: 11th in the East

Offense: With recent headlines of, “Devils Sign 12 Players, Mostly Minor Leaguers”, you begin to wonder what the organization is thinking to turn this sinking ship around. Oh, that’s right, the team will heavily rely on Ilya Kovalchuk and his 15 year, $100 million dollar deal.

Kovaluchuk is coming off of a down year with only 60 points in all. The plus side, a 60 point season for many players is a good

Can both Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise turn this team around this season?

season. His point production will likely get back up in the 90 point range this season, especially if teammate Zach Parise can stay healthy from a knee injury. Parise currently is in his last year before becoming an unrestricted free agent. Many predict after an off-season with tough contract negotiations, the talented young player will test the free agency market for not only more money that the Devils cannot offer, but a better chance at winning the Stanley cup.

If that is not enough drama to make General Hospital look sane, the Devil’s organization are now faced with who to give the Captaincy to. Many believe Kovalchuk is the only option, with the length of his contract with the Devils until bites the dust, but because Parise won’t be a Devil after this year. Is Kovalchuk the right player for the job? It is still not known, but I would not put my money on it.

Supporting cast will be made up of Travis Zajac, Dainius Zubrus and Patrik Elias. Zajac and Zubrus are both coming off of down years and need to step it up for the team to succeed. Elias, on the other hand, put together a 21 goals and 41 assists for a 62 point season. Elias is still capable of meeting and possibly exceeding those numbers this year, but at age 35, how much endurance does he really have? Side note, Zajac will miss a month and a half of the season to heal from a left Achilles tendon surgery.

Defense: The Devils, despite not having any really big named defensive players, were 9th overall in goals against average with 2.52. This is in part due to the strong effort of Andy Greene, Henrik Tallinder and Andy Volchenkov. But with a combined plus/minus rating of  -26, to say they need to do better is an understatement.

A big blow to the defense happens to not be a player, but the news that Jacques Lemaire will not return as Head Coach. Lemaire was previously retired, but after the Devils sunk last season under John McLean, the soon to be 66-year-old Lemaire came back to help out. In the 48 games he coached last year, he led the team to a 28-17-3 record.

Perhaps new Head Coach Peter DeBoer can mimic some of Lemaire’s winning ways, but coming off of two losing seasons as Head Coach of the Florida Panthers and eventually being fired with one year left on his contract, it looks like he might have his work cut out with this Bad News Bears bunch.

Goaltending: Need I really say anything on goaltending? Martin Brodeur is still the number one goalie and will be backed up by Johan Hedberg. If the Devil’s are smart, and want to make the playoffs, they need to give Hedberg 20 games. Brodeur is no longer a spring chicken and is 39 years old. Factor in that he missed games last season to knee problems, elbow problems the year before that, the Devils need to start looking at reserving his energy as well as possibly replacing him in one of the upcoming seasons.

Hedberg is only a year behind Brodeur at 38 years of age but will be the deciding factor for the Devils if they make the post-season or not. Never really having a bad nor good season, mainly staying at .500 each year, Hedberg needs to find the Tim Thomas fountain of save-my-career-and-make-me-the-king-of-the-world.

HWB Playoff Prediction: Playoff bound.

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Zach Parise Agrees to Terms; Top Fantasy Pick

Jul 31

Posted by EB in Fantasy, News | 5 Comments

The New Jersey Devils and winger Zach Parise have come to terms. After what seemed to be a a guaranteed arbitration hearing, both sides have agreed to a 1 year 6 million dollar contract.

The 26 year old Minnesota native was one of the hot topics of the off-season. Parise, who was a restricted free agent, had the possibility of becoming an unrestricted free agent if the bargaining between the two sides went sour. Had Parise become an unrestricted free agent, Parise could have been approached by other NHL team with contract offers. The talented young player would have definitely had his pick of the litter.

Parise is coming off of an injured 2010-2011 NHL season. He injured his knee during off-season training, opting to play through the pain. Unfortunately hockey is a rough sport, and to his disliking, Parise missed the majority of the season due to exploratory arthroscopic surgery.

The winger broke into the NHL in the 2005-2006 season with the devils and posted a respectable 32 points in 81 games played. Over the next 4 seasons, Parise totaled 303 points in 326 games. His high, only to this point in his career, was 45 goals and 49 assists totaling 94 points in 82 games played. Simply put, Parise is the real deal.

As noted earlier, the Devils and Parise have avoided arbitration and have agreed to a 1 year 6 million dollar contract. In looking at this, the length of the contract, I do not believe Parise will play with the Devils beyond the 2011-2012 season. For Parise, this means that the upcoming NHL season is a season where he needs to not only prove his worth, but play to a caliber that would warrant a big contract. For you as a fan and a fantasy player, this means Parise is going to be putting up big points, upwards of 90+ points. So who might he rival next year? Both Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Martin St. Louis and Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and yes, Alexander Ovechkin will return to the mix of scoring leaders. Oh, one more guy would be a healthy Sidney Crosby.

Parise has one more year as a Devil and he’s jumping ship. If you are sitting in the third to seventh spot in your draft, Parise would be a good option to take.

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NHL salary cap set to increase by $5 million

Jun 20

Posted by Chris in News | 1 Comment

Several general managers received good news today when they were informed that the NHL salary cap would be set at $64 million for the upcoming season, an increase of nearly $5 million from last year’s cap.

Speculation occurred for some time that the cap would raise again, although most believed the increase would be more moderately set around $62 million. Last year’s salary cap was $59.4 million.

Several teams will be thankful for the increase with free agency set to begin in two weeks on July 1. The Philadelphia Flyers were in arguably the worst shape with less than $500,000 available to round out their roster. The $5 million increase will give the Flyers more room to negotiate with goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov without having to trade away too many other assets to create cap room.

The increase also bodes well for teams like the Nashville Predators, Tampa Bay Lightning and New Jersey Devils who are trying to retain their young restricted free agents, namely Shea Weber, Steve Stamkos and Zach Parise respectively.

For free agent players this season, the increase could mean a bigger pay day. While Brad Richards remains the most highly coveted free agentof the summer, this increase means a huge bidding war could break out for his services due to the lack of quality goal scorers available in this summer’s market. A player like Brooks Laich could also benefit heavily. Laich has already been linked to several teams as a possible free agent target due to his consistent offensive numbers and his hard-working style of play. A cap increase means Laich could see a higher pay day than otherwise expected and will certainly see an increase from the $2 million he made previously. Defensemen such as James Wisniewski, Andrei Markov and Tomas Kaberle could also cash in this offseason thanks to the increase.

The salary cap has risen every season since the NHL lockout in 2004-05 where it was originally set at $39 million. The salary cap floor for the upcoming season will be $48 million.

Give us your feedback! What do you want to see your team do with the $5 million increase in the salary cap?

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New Jersey Devils file for Arbitration with Parise

Jun 18

Posted by EB in News | 1 Comment

The New Jersey Devils have filed for arbitration with restricted free agent Zach Parise.

On the surface, for Devil’s fans, this is excellent news. Filing for arbitration will look to have Parise play next season with the Devils. After sustaining an injury that took him out for the majority of the season, having his roughly 80 – 100 points a season could mean a lot to a team who missed the playoffs

It is unknown if the Devils look to ask for a reduced salary or are merely protecting their rights to Parise for a year. An arbitrator can reduce a players salary no more than 85% of his current salary, putting Parise at 4.25 million for next year. New Jersey keeps stating that their goal is to sign Parise long term, if so, having his salary reduced would be the last thing they would want to do.

Still though, with the Devils putting themselves in salary cap problems after after signing Ilya Kovalchuk for insane amounts of money, as well as having coaching problems, New Jersey may not look to be appealing to a stud like Parise. Parise, who currently is making 5 million, could easily ask for 7 million. New Jersey could meet his financial request but at a cost of not being able to sign enough depth players to make a go at the Stanley Cup. If talks are not going well between the two parties on a long-term deal, maybe it is in the best interest of the club to have his salary reduced and spend that money elsewhere.

It will be interesting to see what pans out, be it Parise signs for a long-term deal with the Devils or plays for one year and tests the free agency market. One thing that will tip off the Devils and Parise’s plans would be the arbitrator’s salary decision. If Parise plays next season at a reduced salary, expect Parise to be hitting the free agency in the 2012-2013 season.

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New Jersey Devils Playoff Chances

Mar 25

Posted by Matt in News | No Comments

Ilya Kovalchuk New Jersey Devils

Ilya Kovalchuk of the New Jersey Devils

From the start of the regular season to the second week of January, no team had an outlook as miserable as the New Jersey Devils. With star forward Zach Parise sidelined for the better part of the remainder of the season, fans began to lose all hope in their home team. But after firing former head coach John MacLean, and re-hiring defensive minded Jacques Lemaire, things slowly began to turn around in Newark.

The low point for the Devils, on January 8th, 2011, saw the team sitting last place in the NHL and holding only 27 points. The very next night, however, you could sense a change. With the red hot Tampa Bay Lightning in town, the Devils rallied for a 6-3 victory, piling up the most goals in a game since a 5-0 rout of the Capitals on November 22. Five nights later in Tampa Bay we saw a repeat performance from the Devils, winning 5-2 and picking up only their second set of back-to-back wins all season. The next week, more of the same. The Devils picked up points in eight of their final nine games in January, and were no longer an afterthought.

Come February, the New Jersey Devils were the hottest team in the NHL. GM Lou Lamoriello, who brought in the talented Ilya Kovalchuck, was finally seeing his work pay off. Kovalchuk, who had been streaky throughout the season, began to settle in to his role and picked up points in all but one game in February, scoring seven goals in the process. The Devils added eleven wins to their record, and notched points in all but one game in February. For a team that had such a slim chance at making the playoffs one month prior, the goal was actually looking like it might happen.

Through the start of March, more of the same. The team looked brand new, and unbeatable, behind the stellar play of Martin Brodeur and Johan Hedberg. After their win against the Thrashers on March 15th, the Devils had worked their way up to a 5.74% chance of making the playoffs according to Sports Club Stats.

Unfortunately, a string of three losses in the four games following has taken a huge hit in their shot at the playoffs. With only nine games left in the season, we will have to see the Devils win virtually every game left, and have a great bit of luck, to keep them in it. While we can’t say they’re definitely out of it yet, things are starting to look grim again for the Devils.

On a positive note, for anyone who is still holding on to hope, Zach Parise is set to return to game action March 30th against the Islanders. Will he be a difference maker coming down the stretch? Can he help the Devils complete the impossible turnaround?

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Zach Parise cleared to resume skating

Mar 3

Posted by Chris in News | 1 Comment

New Jersey Devils forward Zach Parise got some promising news today when his physician told him that he could begin skating again after having surgery five months ago to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.

“Zach met with the physician today and I spoke to the physician and Zach this afternoon and he’s fine,” Devils GM Lou Lamoriello said. “He can begin skating lightly, immediately. He certainly isn’t where he has to be with the strength of his leg, which should be another three weeks to get to where it should be. But he’ll skate on his time for a minimum 2-3 weeks.”

Whether Parise can return and play for the Devils again this season still remains uncertain.

“Whenever time is involved in something, things change so quickly,” Lamoriello stated. “What we know for sure is that the examination was positive and now we go from there. You have to be careful. What an injury is today can be different tomorrow. It all depends on how your body reacts.”

Parise suffered the injury on Oct. 30 against the Los Angeles Kings after falling awkwardly in the nuetral zone. Parise immediately skated to the bench favoring his right leg. At the time, Parise had three goals and three assists in 12 games for the Devils, who got off to a very rocky 3-9-1 start and were in last place in the Eastern Conference.

After breaking out in 2008-09 with a 94-point season, Parise solidified himself as an All-Star last year with 38 goals and 44 assists and a plus-24 rating. At 26-years-old, Parise also represented the United States a s member of the USA Olympic ice hockey team that took home the silver medal in an overtime loss to Team Canada. Parise tied for third in scoring during the tournament with four goals and four assists in six games with Team USA and also served as an alternate captain for the team and was voted to the tournament All-Star team as well.

After a less than stellar first half of the season, the Devils have made a significant push for a playoff spot in recent weeks with a 9-1-0 record throughout their last ten games. However, even with their current hot streak the Devils are still nine points out from the 8th seed playoff spot in the Eastern Conference currently held by the Carolina Hurricane. With roughly six weeks left in the regular season, Parise is definitely questionable at best for a return this season. But if the Devils manage to sneak into the playoffs, Parise could be a huge addition to the team if he gets healthy and can get his strength back in time.

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