by: Jefferson Mills
Quick recap of last season:
Record: (53-19-10) finished in 1st place in the eastern conference with 116 points
-They led the eastern conference in goals for with 274.
-They led the entire NHL in goals against giving up only 196.
-Marc Savard led the bruins for the third straight year in total points (88) and assists (63)
- Seven bruins ( wheeler, kobasew, krejci, savard, ryder, kessel, and recchi) has twenty goals or more.
- phil kessel led the team in goals with 36.
- Captain zedeno chara made the all star game and finished with 19 goals and 31 assists. He also
Won the Norris trophy which is given to the league’s best defenseman.
-Head coach claude julien won the jack adams trophy which is given to the league’s best head
coach in just his third year.
-Tim Thomas had a career best year winning the most games he’s ever won (36) and played in
His second consecutive all star game. He also finished as the league leader in goals against( 2.10)
save percentage (.933) Thomas’s success did not go unseen as he won the vezina trophy which is
given to the league’s best goaltender.
Off season moves
-the most crucial move made by the b’s was undoubtedly the trade of phil kessel to the Toronto
maple leafs. They got the leafs first round pick as well as two second round picks in next years
draft.
-the bruins had limited cap space to work with but managed to resign veteran winger Mark
Recchi, as well as Youngsters Byron bitz matt hunwick and Johnny boychuk. All three were
integral parts of the bruins organization last year and should make the 09 roster. Boychuk is the
least known of the three. He led the p- bruins in scoring with twenty five goals which as a
defenseman is unheard of unless your mike green. The longest tenured bruin in pj axelsson
went back home to play
Monday, September 28, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Philadelphia Flyers 2009-2010 Season Preview
By Jeff Herman
The Philadelphia Flyers’ slogan for their 2007-2008 season was “Back with a Vengeance” and they lived up to it by going from their brief stay in the league basement to conference finalists. In 2008-2009, their slogan was “Hungry for More” but left their fans starving for consistent play, a fully healthy squad, and a sense of direction. This season, their slogan is simply “Relentless”, but I have a better idea.
“No excuses.”
Plain and simple. No more blaming injuries, no more blaming officiating injustices, no more late night parties in the Old City section of Philly. General Manger Paul Holmgren, and his thousands and thousands of bosses, want results and they want them now. Luckily for them, this team might just do it.
The Flyers backed their way into the 5th seed playoff spot last year, finishing the season 4-5-1 in their last 10, and dropping their season finale at home to the New York Rangers, costing them home ice advantage against the Pittsburgh Penguins. While they took the eventual Stanley Cup Champions to a rough six games, it was a series where the Flyers were outworked and outhustled, as they lacked direction, discipline, and desire.
For the off-season, Holmgren knew changes were necessary in goaltending, and immediate help was not going to come from the current roster or in the system. Martin Biron and Antero Niittymaki, both with GAAs of 2.76, and near identical save percentages (Biron at .915, Niitty at .912), were in an identity crisis. Biron would have a couple bad outings, and when Niitty was given the opportunity to start (as he has been given countless times for the past three seasons), he was not able to fulfill the duties as a number one goaltender. So the plan was to find an undisputed starter, and an undisputed backup.
Enter Ray Emery, and re-enter Brian Boucher. Emery quickly fell from grace after his Stanley Cup Finals run with the Senators in 2007, and was waived after 2008 for because of locker room problems. But after spending a year in the KHL in Russia, Emery realized where he made his mistakes, and knows that this is his last chance to prove that 2007 was no fluke. What made him an up and coming goaltender after the lockout was his mix of size, athletic ability, and competitive nature. His career year with Ottawa he posted a 2.47 GAA and a .918 save percentage, with a few years of personal growth behind him since then, he could stand to have a comeback season this year. As he is only a 1.5 million dollar cap hit, it’s a risk worth taking considering the less than spectacular market of free agent starting goalies this past off-season. As for Brian Boucher, he is the backup and everyone, including him, knows it. That alone is what separates him from Niittymaki. Boucher was once the Flyers’ goaltending wunderkind in 2000, but like Emery, he also fell from grace (not attitude, just poor play). But his past two years with the Sharks proved he is a backup capable of getting on a hot streak whenever he is in net.
As for the Flyers defense, Holmgren transformed it from the days of old and slow-footed pylons like Mike Rathje and Chris Therien, to the young and mobile likes of Braydon Coburn and Matt Carle. Each defenseman has their attributes: Coburn has his size and mobility, Timonen is a one of the premier two-way defenders in the league, Carle fills the roll as a power play quarterback, Ryan Parent provides safe last-man-back defense, and Randy Jones, when healthy and on his game, a solid bottom pairing defenseman. But they were just missing that key ingredient to tie it all together. Andrew Alberts was not durable enough for the big time minutes as a physical defenseman, so he skipped town to Carolina. There were serious rumblings of Jay Bouwmeester becoming a Flyer, but Paul Holmgren hung up the phone on Panthers GM Jacques Martin after Martin’s asking price for Bouwmeester started with Claude Giroux. So Holmgren resorted to plan B in Chris Pronger.
Many accused Holmgren of giving up too much youth for Pronger (scoring winger Joffrey Lupul, defensive prospect Luca Sbisa, two first round picks, and a conditional third rounder). But if was any defenseman that was born to wear the Orange and Black, it’s Chris Pronger. At 6’6” 223 lbs, his mix of size, mobility, tenacity, veteran leadership, and a thunderous point shot gives the Flyers the shot the arm their defense needed. With Pronger’s arrival, and an extra dose of grit from depth defenseman Ole-Kristian Tollefsen, the Flyers possess one of the most well-rounded and feared defensive corps in the league.
As for the forwards, the Flyers possessed one of the deepest scoring threats in the league, as six forwards tallied 25 or more goals. But what they had in talent and scoring depth, they lacked in discipline, veteran leadership, and in-game work ethic. Joffrey Lupul was known to score in clusters, and then fall off the radar for a few games. Mike Knuble was a fan favorite for his consistent play and off-ice professionalism and honesty, but his un-doing was a mixture of cap restraints and lazy offensive zone penalties putting the Flyers in short handed situations. But this year’s offensive will more than likely make up for lost input by Knuble and Lupul, and then add plenty of intangibles.
Three small improvements come in depth forwards with Blair Betts, Ian Laperriere, and Mika Pyorala. Betts was invited to camp on a tryout, and could be a blessing in disguise for the Flyers: at 6’3” 210 lbs, Betts is a big, defensive center who is good on faceoffs, a glaring weakness for the Flyers down the middle. Laperriere was signed to provide a more vocal veteran leadership in the locker room and on the ice that Knuble could not provide. Pyorala who came over from Finland, was coveted by a few teams, and is a prototypical Finnish forward: strong two-way play, decent hitter, and a hard worker. Betts performed well in camp, and will most likely be signed to a contract since the Flyers dealt ECHL prospect Patrick Hersley to Nashville today.
As we head to the returning sandpaper forwards, a couple questions remain on who makes the cut. Scott Hartnell and Arron Asham are pretty much locked in, Darroll Powe, the small yet speedy fore checker, stands a good chance, so now it comes down to Carcillo and Cote. Carcillo is a question because he’s been known for taking bad penalties, but after Tuesday’s pre-season game vs. Detroit where he showcased his scoring abilities, he may have saved his job. This brings us to Riley Cote. Cote, while one of the more durable fighters, has a diminished role on this tougher Flyers team. His abilities as a player on the team are limited, the heavyweight fighters he faces routinely beat him, and his roster spot is better taken up by our next category of forwards.
Claude Giroux and James van Riemsdyk are the secret weapons to this Flyers team. Giroux, 21, was called up for the second half of the season last year, and is a genuine puck wizard. His vision and awareness on the ice is unbelievable, his accuracy for passes and placement for scoring opportunities is a sight to see on an instant replay. There is no doubt in my mind that a healthy Claude Giroux will score at least 60 points this season. This kid is a world-class talent in the making. JVR was considered to start the year with the Adirondack Phantoms, but he is having a very strong pre-season with three goals and an assist in four games. He is using his size to defend the puck and with improved mobility he will drive the net for the tip-ins and rebounds. There were doubts about his drive and his maturity coming into camp, but he is proving himself worthy and may cement himself a spot on the Flyers roster.
But what ties this all together is Head Coach John Stevens. When Stevens took over coaching duties early on in 2006, he needed to do what Ken Hitchcock failed to do, and that was develop the young players into key factors towards the Flyers success. He has done that with the likes of Carter, Richards, Giroux, and Coburn, along with the departed Umberger, Lupul, and Upshall. But now it isn’t about developing these key players. Now it is about developing a strict system of play that focuses on hard work, discipline, a consistent effort, and the good old fashioned Flyers hatred for losing. Stevens is not a vocal coach, but if his control over this team is exemplified by this team’s consistent lapses of judgment, he will not be behind the bench of the Flyers for very long. The first couple of games into the pre-season better not be a sign of things to come from Stevens, otherwise he will be out the door by Halloween.
The time is now for the Flyers. But if there are consistent bad penalties, shaky goaltending, injuries galore, or a failure to give a full effort each game or live up to expectations, some big names will be gone in the offseason because of cap issues. Paul Holmgren has put together a team deep with youthful energy and veteran leadership, and raw talent with raw grit. If they are running on all gears, this team can and will win the Cup.
But if they aren’t, there are no excuses.
The Philadelphia Flyers’ slogan for their 2007-2008 season was “Back with a Vengeance” and they lived up to it by going from their brief stay in the league basement to conference finalists. In 2008-2009, their slogan was “Hungry for More” but left their fans starving for consistent play, a fully healthy squad, and a sense of direction. This season, their slogan is simply “Relentless”, but I have a better idea.
“No excuses.”
Plain and simple. No more blaming injuries, no more blaming officiating injustices, no more late night parties in the Old City section of Philly. General Manger Paul Holmgren, and his thousands and thousands of bosses, want results and they want them now. Luckily for them, this team might just do it.
The Flyers backed their way into the 5th seed playoff spot last year, finishing the season 4-5-1 in their last 10, and dropping their season finale at home to the New York Rangers, costing them home ice advantage against the Pittsburgh Penguins. While they took the eventual Stanley Cup Champions to a rough six games, it was a series where the Flyers were outworked and outhustled, as they lacked direction, discipline, and desire.
For the off-season, Holmgren knew changes were necessary in goaltending, and immediate help was not going to come from the current roster or in the system. Martin Biron and Antero Niittymaki, both with GAAs of 2.76, and near identical save percentages (Biron at .915, Niitty at .912), were in an identity crisis. Biron would have a couple bad outings, and when Niitty was given the opportunity to start (as he has been given countless times for the past three seasons), he was not able to fulfill the duties as a number one goaltender. So the plan was to find an undisputed starter, and an undisputed backup.
Enter Ray Emery, and re-enter Brian Boucher. Emery quickly fell from grace after his Stanley Cup Finals run with the Senators in 2007, and was waived after 2008 for because of locker room problems. But after spending a year in the KHL in Russia, Emery realized where he made his mistakes, and knows that this is his last chance to prove that 2007 was no fluke. What made him an up and coming goaltender after the lockout was his mix of size, athletic ability, and competitive nature. His career year with Ottawa he posted a 2.47 GAA and a .918 save percentage, with a few years of personal growth behind him since then, he could stand to have a comeback season this year. As he is only a 1.5 million dollar cap hit, it’s a risk worth taking considering the less than spectacular market of free agent starting goalies this past off-season. As for Brian Boucher, he is the backup and everyone, including him, knows it. That alone is what separates him from Niittymaki. Boucher was once the Flyers’ goaltending wunderkind in 2000, but like Emery, he also fell from grace (not attitude, just poor play). But his past two years with the Sharks proved he is a backup capable of getting on a hot streak whenever he is in net.
As for the Flyers defense, Holmgren transformed it from the days of old and slow-footed pylons like Mike Rathje and Chris Therien, to the young and mobile likes of Braydon Coburn and Matt Carle. Each defenseman has their attributes: Coburn has his size and mobility, Timonen is a one of the premier two-way defenders in the league, Carle fills the roll as a power play quarterback, Ryan Parent provides safe last-man-back defense, and Randy Jones, when healthy and on his game, a solid bottom pairing defenseman. But they were just missing that key ingredient to tie it all together. Andrew Alberts was not durable enough for the big time minutes as a physical defenseman, so he skipped town to Carolina. There were serious rumblings of Jay Bouwmeester becoming a Flyer, but Paul Holmgren hung up the phone on Panthers GM Jacques Martin after Martin’s asking price for Bouwmeester started with Claude Giroux. So Holmgren resorted to plan B in Chris Pronger.
Many accused Holmgren of giving up too much youth for Pronger (scoring winger Joffrey Lupul, defensive prospect Luca Sbisa, two first round picks, and a conditional third rounder). But if was any defenseman that was born to wear the Orange and Black, it’s Chris Pronger. At 6’6” 223 lbs, his mix of size, mobility, tenacity, veteran leadership, and a thunderous point shot gives the Flyers the shot the arm their defense needed. With Pronger’s arrival, and an extra dose of grit from depth defenseman Ole-Kristian Tollefsen, the Flyers possess one of the most well-rounded and feared defensive corps in the league.
As for the forwards, the Flyers possessed one of the deepest scoring threats in the league, as six forwards tallied 25 or more goals. But what they had in talent and scoring depth, they lacked in discipline, veteran leadership, and in-game work ethic. Joffrey Lupul was known to score in clusters, and then fall off the radar for a few games. Mike Knuble was a fan favorite for his consistent play and off-ice professionalism and honesty, but his un-doing was a mixture of cap restraints and lazy offensive zone penalties putting the Flyers in short handed situations. But this year’s offensive will more than likely make up for lost input by Knuble and Lupul, and then add plenty of intangibles.
Three small improvements come in depth forwards with Blair Betts, Ian Laperriere, and Mika Pyorala. Betts was invited to camp on a tryout, and could be a blessing in disguise for the Flyers: at 6’3” 210 lbs, Betts is a big, defensive center who is good on faceoffs, a glaring weakness for the Flyers down the middle. Laperriere was signed to provide a more vocal veteran leadership in the locker room and on the ice that Knuble could not provide. Pyorala who came over from Finland, was coveted by a few teams, and is a prototypical Finnish forward: strong two-way play, decent hitter, and a hard worker. Betts performed well in camp, and will most likely be signed to a contract since the Flyers dealt ECHL prospect Patrick Hersley to Nashville today.
As we head to the returning sandpaper forwards, a couple questions remain on who makes the cut. Scott Hartnell and Arron Asham are pretty much locked in, Darroll Powe, the small yet speedy fore checker, stands a good chance, so now it comes down to Carcillo and Cote. Carcillo is a question because he’s been known for taking bad penalties, but after Tuesday’s pre-season game vs. Detroit where he showcased his scoring abilities, he may have saved his job. This brings us to Riley Cote. Cote, while one of the more durable fighters, has a diminished role on this tougher Flyers team. His abilities as a player on the team are limited, the heavyweight fighters he faces routinely beat him, and his roster spot is better taken up by our next category of forwards.
Claude Giroux and James van Riemsdyk are the secret weapons to this Flyers team. Giroux, 21, was called up for the second half of the season last year, and is a genuine puck wizard. His vision and awareness on the ice is unbelievable, his accuracy for passes and placement for scoring opportunities is a sight to see on an instant replay. There is no doubt in my mind that a healthy Claude Giroux will score at least 60 points this season. This kid is a world-class talent in the making. JVR was considered to start the year with the Adirondack Phantoms, but he is having a very strong pre-season with three goals and an assist in four games. He is using his size to defend the puck and with improved mobility he will drive the net for the tip-ins and rebounds. There were doubts about his drive and his maturity coming into camp, but he is proving himself worthy and may cement himself a spot on the Flyers roster.
But what ties this all together is Head Coach John Stevens. When Stevens took over coaching duties early on in 2006, he needed to do what Ken Hitchcock failed to do, and that was develop the young players into key factors towards the Flyers success. He has done that with the likes of Carter, Richards, Giroux, and Coburn, along with the departed Umberger, Lupul, and Upshall. But now it isn’t about developing these key players. Now it is about developing a strict system of play that focuses on hard work, discipline, a consistent effort, and the good old fashioned Flyers hatred for losing. Stevens is not a vocal coach, but if his control over this team is exemplified by this team’s consistent lapses of judgment, he will not be behind the bench of the Flyers for very long. The first couple of games into the pre-season better not be a sign of things to come from Stevens, otherwise he will be out the door by Halloween.
The time is now for the Flyers. But if there are consistent bad penalties, shaky goaltending, injuries galore, or a failure to give a full effort each game or live up to expectations, some big names will be gone in the offseason because of cap issues. Paul Holmgren has put together a team deep with youthful energy and veteran leadership, and raw talent with raw grit. If they are running on all gears, this team can and will win the Cup.
But if they aren’t, there are no excuses.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
San Jose Sharks 2009-2010 Season Preview
This is Sharks Territory
By Gabe Diamond
It’s just about that time of the year now, when the temperature starts getting a little colder in most hockey cities. The northerners get out of the cold and onto the ice, watching the world’s best in action. But lest we forget, the north does not own every hockeytown in the nation. There are a few teams out west that would have something to say about that.
San Jose, California, is a temperate city with a large surrounding population and a hunger for the Stanley Cup. Although Joe Thornton is able to walk the streets without constant recognition, don’t be fooled. In San Jose and the nearby areas, there are plenty of front lawns donning signs that unequivocally declare, “This is Sharks’ territory.”
But what does that mean exactly? In recent years it has signified a team that is one of the best, if not the best, in the regular season. But come playoff time, everything changes. The Sharks turn into a frightened team, devoid of leadership, that appears unable to take it to the next level. It’s almost as if the lockout came at the exact wrong time for San Jose; the year before, the Sharks were in the conference finals. Since then, they have been unable to make it past the second round. The postseason for the San Jose Sharks went as follows from the 2005-06 season to the 2008-09 campaign: lost to Edmonton in the second round (six games), lost to Detroit in the second round (six games), lost to Dallas in the second round (six games), and just to finally break the cycle, lost to Anaheim in the first round (but still six games).
Somehow, some way, the team must find a way to snap out of this funk. General Manager Doug Wilson was furious with the team after last year’s loss to Anaheim, a year when they took home the President’s Trophy for best overall record in the regular season. He promised big changes in the offseason and made it clear that no player was safe. And so the fans eagerly anticipated the imminent moves. They waited. And waited. And finally… Scott Nichol! Wait, what? That was the big move? Not that I don’t have respect for the former Nashville Predator, but most were hoping for something more than a 5’9” forward whose career high in goals is ten.
Then things did start happening, though. It took until late August, but all of a sudden defensemen Christian Ehrhoff and Brad Lukowich were gone to Vancouver in exchange for center Patrick White and D Daniel Rahimi. That trade was obviously not overly advantageous for San Jose, but it did clear up plenty of cap space. Ehrhoff and Lukowich were solid players for the Sharks, but their inability to help on offense became abundantly clear in the postseason. Ehrhoff in particular showed many of the passing errors that had brought him doubters in the past.
And then it happened. Wilson made the big move to trump all others, acquiring the Prima Donna right wing with one “n” too few in his name. German born Dany Heatley gives the Sharks the consistent top-line scoring threat that the team has lacked. Previously, various players had benefited from the on point passing of Thornton, but with Heatley they hope to have a guy who can enjoy 40+ goal scoring seasons repeatedly. The concern, of course, is that Heatley gets disgruntled with the situation in San Jose as he did with that of Atlanta and most recently Ottawa. But for now, that top line of Thornton, Heatley, and Devin Setoguchi (who enjoyed a breakout sophomore season last year with 31 goals) looks quite formidable for any opponent.
No benefit is without its cost, of course. The Sharks had to give up wingers Jonathan Cheechoo and Milan Michalek to snag Heatley. Cheechoo, who reached his peak in ’05-’06 when he won the Rocket Richard Trophy with 56 goals, had seen a diminished role on the team after injuries and other opportunistic forwards took him down. After his glorious ’05 campaign, he fell to 37, 23, and finally 12 goals in subsequent seasons. The bigger loss in this case was Michalek. At just 24 years old, Michalek had shown remarkable consistency, scoring 26, 24, and 23 goals in the past three seasons. Can Heatley completely offset the combined contributions of those two? That remains to be seen.
What also remains to be seen is if the Sharks can succeed beyond the regular season largely relying on the same top players. Thornton still anchors the first line; Patrick Marleau lost his spot on line one but will still see plenty of time on line two; and Evgeni Nabokov will still get showered with chants of “Nabby, Nabby” when he makes a great save.
Despite this nucleus that remains unbroken, the Sharks do appear to be a very different team. Marleau has lost his Captain’s tag (rightly so), and there have been significant changes to the roster. The Sharks will give some of their minor leaguers a shot this year, including wingers Jamie McGinn and Brad Staubitz, who showed potential in short spells with the Sharks last season. McGinn had 19 goals and 11 assists for the Worcester Sharks last year, and although Staubitz was goalless last year with Worcester, he adds another enforcer type to a Sharks lineup that looked vulnerable at points in the playoffs.
Wilson and the sharks also made it clear who was in favor with the team. San Jose resigned Ryan Clowe and Torrey Mitchell to four and three year contracts, respectfully. The versatile Clowe will most likely retain his spot on the second line, and it’s possible that Mitchell could be moved up to line two as well. The only certainties for the Sharks appear to be the first line, and reigning all-star Marleau getting the center spot on the second line. Otherwise, get in line boys. There’s something to compete for.
Expectations will be high this year. They should be. San Jose will once again be a force to be reckoned with in the regular season. But with Joe Thornton at the helm, and Patrick Marleau (who many thought would be gone this offseason) skating on that proverbial thin ice, can this team finally break through and get to the cup finals? No Sharks team has ever done that before, and if this one can’t, it might be a while until one does.
By Gabe Diamond
It’s just about that time of the year now, when the temperature starts getting a little colder in most hockey cities. The northerners get out of the cold and onto the ice, watching the world’s best in action. But lest we forget, the north does not own every hockeytown in the nation. There are a few teams out west that would have something to say about that.
San Jose, California, is a temperate city with a large surrounding population and a hunger for the Stanley Cup. Although Joe Thornton is able to walk the streets without constant recognition, don’t be fooled. In San Jose and the nearby areas, there are plenty of front lawns donning signs that unequivocally declare, “This is Sharks’ territory.”
But what does that mean exactly? In recent years it has signified a team that is one of the best, if not the best, in the regular season. But come playoff time, everything changes. The Sharks turn into a frightened team, devoid of leadership, that appears unable to take it to the next level. It’s almost as if the lockout came at the exact wrong time for San Jose; the year before, the Sharks were in the conference finals. Since then, they have been unable to make it past the second round. The postseason for the San Jose Sharks went as follows from the 2005-06 season to the 2008-09 campaign: lost to Edmonton in the second round (six games), lost to Detroit in the second round (six games), lost to Dallas in the second round (six games), and just to finally break the cycle, lost to Anaheim in the first round (but still six games).
Somehow, some way, the team must find a way to snap out of this funk. General Manager Doug Wilson was furious with the team after last year’s loss to Anaheim, a year when they took home the President’s Trophy for best overall record in the regular season. He promised big changes in the offseason and made it clear that no player was safe. And so the fans eagerly anticipated the imminent moves. They waited. And waited. And finally… Scott Nichol! Wait, what? That was the big move? Not that I don’t have respect for the former Nashville Predator, but most were hoping for something more than a 5’9” forward whose career high in goals is ten.
Then things did start happening, though. It took until late August, but all of a sudden defensemen Christian Ehrhoff and Brad Lukowich were gone to Vancouver in exchange for center Patrick White and D Daniel Rahimi. That trade was obviously not overly advantageous for San Jose, but it did clear up plenty of cap space. Ehrhoff and Lukowich were solid players for the Sharks, but their inability to help on offense became abundantly clear in the postseason. Ehrhoff in particular showed many of the passing errors that had brought him doubters in the past.
And then it happened. Wilson made the big move to trump all others, acquiring the Prima Donna right wing with one “n” too few in his name. German born Dany Heatley gives the Sharks the consistent top-line scoring threat that the team has lacked. Previously, various players had benefited from the on point passing of Thornton, but with Heatley they hope to have a guy who can enjoy 40+ goal scoring seasons repeatedly. The concern, of course, is that Heatley gets disgruntled with the situation in San Jose as he did with that of Atlanta and most recently Ottawa. But for now, that top line of Thornton, Heatley, and Devin Setoguchi (who enjoyed a breakout sophomore season last year with 31 goals) looks quite formidable for any opponent.
No benefit is without its cost, of course. The Sharks had to give up wingers Jonathan Cheechoo and Milan Michalek to snag Heatley. Cheechoo, who reached his peak in ’05-’06 when he won the Rocket Richard Trophy with 56 goals, had seen a diminished role on the team after injuries and other opportunistic forwards took him down. After his glorious ’05 campaign, he fell to 37, 23, and finally 12 goals in subsequent seasons. The bigger loss in this case was Michalek. At just 24 years old, Michalek had shown remarkable consistency, scoring 26, 24, and 23 goals in the past three seasons. Can Heatley completely offset the combined contributions of those two? That remains to be seen.
What also remains to be seen is if the Sharks can succeed beyond the regular season largely relying on the same top players. Thornton still anchors the first line; Patrick Marleau lost his spot on line one but will still see plenty of time on line two; and Evgeni Nabokov will still get showered with chants of “Nabby, Nabby” when he makes a great save.
Despite this nucleus that remains unbroken, the Sharks do appear to be a very different team. Marleau has lost his Captain’s tag (rightly so), and there have been significant changes to the roster. The Sharks will give some of their minor leaguers a shot this year, including wingers Jamie McGinn and Brad Staubitz, who showed potential in short spells with the Sharks last season. McGinn had 19 goals and 11 assists for the Worcester Sharks last year, and although Staubitz was goalless last year with Worcester, he adds another enforcer type to a Sharks lineup that looked vulnerable at points in the playoffs.
Wilson and the sharks also made it clear who was in favor with the team. San Jose resigned Ryan Clowe and Torrey Mitchell to four and three year contracts, respectfully. The versatile Clowe will most likely retain his spot on the second line, and it’s possible that Mitchell could be moved up to line two as well. The only certainties for the Sharks appear to be the first line, and reigning all-star Marleau getting the center spot on the second line. Otherwise, get in line boys. There’s something to compete for.
Expectations will be high this year. They should be. San Jose will once again be a force to be reckoned with in the regular season. But with Joe Thornton at the helm, and Patrick Marleau (who many thought would be gone this offseason) skating on that proverbial thin ice, can this team finally break through and get to the cup finals? No Sharks team has ever done that before, and if this one can’t, it might be a while until one does.
Columbus Blue Jackets 2009-2010 Season Preview
By: Raymond Rotella
The Columbus Blue Jackets spent their off-season in a new position for the franchise, improving a team that made the play-offs and a franchise record ninety-two points. Fortunately for the Blue Jackets they were a young team last year and return many starters including rookie of the year goalie Steve Mason. However, the Jackets have to improve upon a poor post-season showing against Western Conference champions Detroit Red Wings. A series that saw the Red Wings outscore Columbus eighteen to seven. The only game that Columbus was even in was game four where they lost in Columbus six to five. However, that game saw Columbus play a lot looser than they did in the other three games, this is something that head coach Ken Hitchcock can build on. With that being said teams don’t get better by living in the past they have to look forward and the Columbus Blue Jackets should be looking at an exciting 2009-2010 season.
ADDITIONS
Perhaps the biggest acquisition for the young franchise is Samuel Pahlsson. Pahlsson brings a veteran presence that has been missed since the trade of Sergi Federov. Pahlsson is a defensive minded center (defense a huge need for this team) brings thirteen years of experience, a career that includes a Stanley Cup championship while with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007. Last season with the Chicago Blackhawks saw Pahlsson register seven goals eleven assists in sixty-five games.
Mathieu Garon comes over from Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins to back up goal tender Steve Mason. Garon brings experience to the table. Like Pahlsson, Garon is a thirteen year vet drafted in the second round in 1996. Last season for the Stanley Cup champs Garon played in nineteen games where he went eight and nine with a 3.11 goals against and a .894 save percentage.
Mathieu Roy heads to Columbus after spending the first six years with the Edmonton Oilers. Roy, a defenseman, spent the last two season on the Oilers AHL team Springfield Falcons. There he played 59 games and had seventeen points BUT had a -20 +/-.
And rounding out the 2009 Columbus additions is another former Blackhawks Pascal Pelletier. Last year Pelletier played for AHL Rockford Icehogs. There he posted twenty nine goals and twenty six assists with thirteen of those goals coming off the power play.
Departures
Ole-Kristian Tollefsen will be the most missed player for the Blue Jackets who part ways with the defenseman mostly because he cannot stay healthy. The 25-year-old defenseman missed most of last year with a chronic knee injury. Tollefsen recorded only one point in his nineteen games with the Jackets.
Aaron Rome leaves the confines of Nationwide Arena and heads to the Vancouver Canucks. The defenseman who spent most of last season with the Syracuse Crunch did play in eight games for the Jackets where he tallied one assist. In twenty six regular season games Rome has one goal and two assists.
The only other departure is backup goaltender Wade Dubielewicz who came over to Columbus half way through last season from the New York Islanders. Dubielewicz heads to Minnesota. In Columbus Dubielewicz posted a one and two mark in his three games with the club.
Pros
Youth- The Columbus Blue Jackets have a young team. They are eager to prove themselves.
Continuity- The Jackets are returning ALL of their key players Rick Nash, Steve Mason, Derick Brassard, Jakub Voracek etc. These players were all key contributors to the first play-off apperence in franchise history.
Cons
Defense- The Blue Jackets defense was exposed last year in the playoffs against Detroit, they needed to improve and they got a defenseman and a defenseive minded center, but will this be enough? I’m not sure. Steve Mason had a GREAT rookie year, in order to avoid the sophomore slump he will need the defense to step up in front of him.
Division- I will go on record and state that the Central Division is the toughest division in hockey. It has the defending Western Conference champion and runner up, it produced the more play off teams then any other division four (Detroit, Chicago, St Louis, and Columbus) and the Nashville Predators just missed out. All the teams (minus Detroit but they haven’t been bad in over twenty years) are young, strong teams building on last years success.
Predictions
This is tough, as an Ohioan we are brought up to expect the worst and hope for the best, especially when it comes to our pro sports teams. But the Blue Jackets give us something to get excited for, and they don’t have the lineage of disappointment that the Cleveland teams do or the Bengals do. So despite the tough division, I think that Columbus will make the playoffs again this year. I just think that Slick Rick and company are hungry to prove they are no fluke and to improve on their poor play-off showing. Mason will have a slight fall off this year but the offense will compensate. I predict a sixth seed for the Jackets.
The Columbus Blue Jackets spent their off-season in a new position for the franchise, improving a team that made the play-offs and a franchise record ninety-two points. Fortunately for the Blue Jackets they were a young team last year and return many starters including rookie of the year goalie Steve Mason. However, the Jackets have to improve upon a poor post-season showing against Western Conference champions Detroit Red Wings. A series that saw the Red Wings outscore Columbus eighteen to seven. The only game that Columbus was even in was game four where they lost in Columbus six to five. However, that game saw Columbus play a lot looser than they did in the other three games, this is something that head coach Ken Hitchcock can build on. With that being said teams don’t get better by living in the past they have to look forward and the Columbus Blue Jackets should be looking at an exciting 2009-2010 season.
ADDITIONS
Perhaps the biggest acquisition for the young franchise is Samuel Pahlsson. Pahlsson brings a veteran presence that has been missed since the trade of Sergi Federov. Pahlsson is a defensive minded center (defense a huge need for this team) brings thirteen years of experience, a career that includes a Stanley Cup championship while with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007. Last season with the Chicago Blackhawks saw Pahlsson register seven goals eleven assists in sixty-five games.
Mathieu Garon comes over from Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins to back up goal tender Steve Mason. Garon brings experience to the table. Like Pahlsson, Garon is a thirteen year vet drafted in the second round in 1996. Last season for the Stanley Cup champs Garon played in nineteen games where he went eight and nine with a 3.11 goals against and a .894 save percentage.
Mathieu Roy heads to Columbus after spending the first six years with the Edmonton Oilers. Roy, a defenseman, spent the last two season on the Oilers AHL team Springfield Falcons. There he played 59 games and had seventeen points BUT had a -20 +/-.
And rounding out the 2009 Columbus additions is another former Blackhawks Pascal Pelletier. Last year Pelletier played for AHL Rockford Icehogs. There he posted twenty nine goals and twenty six assists with thirteen of those goals coming off the power play.
Departures
Ole-Kristian Tollefsen will be the most missed player for the Blue Jackets who part ways with the defenseman mostly because he cannot stay healthy. The 25-year-old defenseman missed most of last year with a chronic knee injury. Tollefsen recorded only one point in his nineteen games with the Jackets.
Aaron Rome leaves the confines of Nationwide Arena and heads to the Vancouver Canucks. The defenseman who spent most of last season with the Syracuse Crunch did play in eight games for the Jackets where he tallied one assist. In twenty six regular season games Rome has one goal and two assists.
The only other departure is backup goaltender Wade Dubielewicz who came over to Columbus half way through last season from the New York Islanders. Dubielewicz heads to Minnesota. In Columbus Dubielewicz posted a one and two mark in his three games with the club.
Pros
Youth- The Columbus Blue Jackets have a young team. They are eager to prove themselves.
Continuity- The Jackets are returning ALL of their key players Rick Nash, Steve Mason, Derick Brassard, Jakub Voracek etc. These players were all key contributors to the first play-off apperence in franchise history.
Cons
Defense- The Blue Jackets defense was exposed last year in the playoffs against Detroit, they needed to improve and they got a defenseman and a defenseive minded center, but will this be enough? I’m not sure. Steve Mason had a GREAT rookie year, in order to avoid the sophomore slump he will need the defense to step up in front of him.
Division- I will go on record and state that the Central Division is the toughest division in hockey. It has the defending Western Conference champion and runner up, it produced the more play off teams then any other division four (Detroit, Chicago, St Louis, and Columbus) and the Nashville Predators just missed out. All the teams (minus Detroit but they haven’t been bad in over twenty years) are young, strong teams building on last years success.
Predictions
This is tough, as an Ohioan we are brought up to expect the worst and hope for the best, especially when it comes to our pro sports teams. But the Blue Jackets give us something to get excited for, and they don’t have the lineage of disappointment that the Cleveland teams do or the Bengals do. So despite the tough division, I think that Columbus will make the playoffs again this year. I just think that Slick Rick and company are hungry to prove they are no fluke and to improve on their poor play-off showing. Mason will have a slight fall off this year but the offense will compensate. I predict a sixth seed for the Jackets.
Columbus Blue Jackets 2009-2010 Season Preview
By: Meaghan Joyce
When you heard Columbus Blue Jackets all that really came to mind was Rick Nash or the only team in the league that's never been in the playoffs. But this past season changed both of those factors to those outside of the Blue Jackets circle of fans.
Last season a lot of moves were made to try and help ensure that the club could make it to the playoffs for the first time ever in franchise history. Kristian Huselius and Mike Commodore were both brought in via the free agent market; while R.J. Umberger, Fedor Tyutin and Raffi Torres were all acquired through various trades. A good chunk of our regulars were coming back including Pascal Leclaire who finally seemed healthy enough to carry this team a full season. The first month was shaky with only pulling out four wins, lossing Center Derick Brassard for the season with a shoulder injury suffered in the first game of the season in Dallas from a fight with James Neal and the second month started with Leclaire playing sub par and eventually being put on IR with an ankle injury.
Steve Mason, welcome to the big show. Mason came in to win five games that month, exceeded everyone's expectations about what he could do, had an outstanding GAA AND shut out the best team on home ice in the Washington Capitals 1-0 on November 29th. His second month was just as stellar and brought home for the second month in a row Rookie of The Month to Columbus. In seasons past at this point we'd be done. Maybe win a few here and there but nothing major enough for people to keep interest. But we had Mason and we kept winning. The injury and cold bug hit us again after the All-Star Break, as it always tends to do, but the babies from Syracuse stepped up big time for us, especially LaCosta while Mason was on IR for a short while with mono. A few short weeks later brought the trade deadline and swaped French-Canadian players, our Pascal Leclaire for Ottawa's Antoine Vermette.
Could this be for real? Were we actually winning without all our big guns in the lineup? Could we possibly make a playoff run for the first time ever? Should we rest our hopes for a playoff berth on a rookie goaltender? The answer to all these questions? A big fat, YES!
We ended up finishing the regular season fourth in the Central Division and seventh in the Western Conference with 92 points; adding 12 points from the previous season, which at that point, had been our highest point total as a team. Playoff seeding matched us up against the number two team, Detroit Red Wings; a team we had played semi-well during the regular season, but as we all know regular season Wings and playoff Wings, were two completely different beasts. Though everyone prayed for an upset or at least five games, we were swept out in four games; though who could have expected much more from a team where only a handful of guys had ever played a playoff game in their careers before? But the biggest reward out of all of this was that finally people were starting to notice Columbus and taking them seriously; even if most of it was because of our rookie goaltender, but who cares? We'll take it!
Come draft time we were finally not in the Top 10 to pick, which yes it's nice to have a high pick like that, but seeing as we finally made a playoff appearance we'll take the 21st pick willingly. One of our most needed assets was defense going into this draft. Yes we have a lot of defense but we have just that many more forwards, plus it never hurts to have too many defensemen in your system. We hit the jackpot in snatching up John Moore who played with the Chicago Steel in the USHL. Moore had commited to play on the college level but after signing a three-year entry level contract with the Jackets, is expected to play with the OHL's Kitchener Rangers this season.
Not too much happend for us free agent wise this off season. We let a few players go (Manny Malhotra to Carolina, Jason Williams to Detroit and Ole-Kristian Tollefsen to Philadelphia) but acquired free agents Mathieu Garon from Pittsburgh and Samuel Pahlsson from Chicago.
Expectations? Not too sure what the league is expecting from us, but us, the fans and the team itself, are expecting a lot coming out of last season. Hopefully Mason doesn't get thrown into that sophomore slump category and comes out just as strong, if not stronger, than he did last season. That Brassard has a full healthy, productive season and that Jakub Voracek has a solid sophomore season and Nikita Filatov busts out of the gates, guns blazing and has a stellar rookie season performance. As long as our injury/cold bug doesn't visit that often this team can do well, as long as we work on our power play (no matter how well you play, being 30th in the league on the power play doesn't help advance you, aside from down in the standings).
Predictions? In my honest opinion I believe we can finish fairly well this season. I don't believe that last seasons run and our record of 92 points was a fluke by any stretch of the imagination. In a perfect world I would love for us to finish first in the Central and in the top four in the West, but we all know that won't happen...not yet anyway. But for this season I think we're more than capable of finishing third in the Central and maybe fifth or sixth in the West. As for how far we'll go when/if we make the playoffs, it's hard to say because of all the moves teams in the Western Conference have made, but I believe we'll at least be able to get past round one of play and depending on who we play, possibly even round two.
Needless to say, it's going to be an exciting season, no matter the outcome, for Jackets fans. Sit back and enjoy the ride, it's gonna be a fun one!
CARRY THE FLAG!
When you heard Columbus Blue Jackets all that really came to mind was Rick Nash or the only team in the league that's never been in the playoffs. But this past season changed both of those factors to those outside of the Blue Jackets circle of fans.
Last season a lot of moves were made to try and help ensure that the club could make it to the playoffs for the first time ever in franchise history. Kristian Huselius and Mike Commodore were both brought in via the free agent market; while R.J. Umberger, Fedor Tyutin and Raffi Torres were all acquired through various trades. A good chunk of our regulars were coming back including Pascal Leclaire who finally seemed healthy enough to carry this team a full season. The first month was shaky with only pulling out four wins, lossing Center Derick Brassard for the season with a shoulder injury suffered in the first game of the season in Dallas from a fight with James Neal and the second month started with Leclaire playing sub par and eventually being put on IR with an ankle injury.
Steve Mason, welcome to the big show. Mason came in to win five games that month, exceeded everyone's expectations about what he could do, had an outstanding GAA AND shut out the best team on home ice in the Washington Capitals 1-0 on November 29th. His second month was just as stellar and brought home for the second month in a row Rookie of The Month to Columbus. In seasons past at this point we'd be done. Maybe win a few here and there but nothing major enough for people to keep interest. But we had Mason and we kept winning. The injury and cold bug hit us again after the All-Star Break, as it always tends to do, but the babies from Syracuse stepped up big time for us, especially LaCosta while Mason was on IR for a short while with mono. A few short weeks later brought the trade deadline and swaped French-Canadian players, our Pascal Leclaire for Ottawa's Antoine Vermette.
Could this be for real? Were we actually winning without all our big guns in the lineup? Could we possibly make a playoff run for the first time ever? Should we rest our hopes for a playoff berth on a rookie goaltender? The answer to all these questions? A big fat, YES!
We ended up finishing the regular season fourth in the Central Division and seventh in the Western Conference with 92 points; adding 12 points from the previous season, which at that point, had been our highest point total as a team. Playoff seeding matched us up against the number two team, Detroit Red Wings; a team we had played semi-well during the regular season, but as we all know regular season Wings and playoff Wings, were two completely different beasts. Though everyone prayed for an upset or at least five games, we were swept out in four games; though who could have expected much more from a team where only a handful of guys had ever played a playoff game in their careers before? But the biggest reward out of all of this was that finally people were starting to notice Columbus and taking them seriously; even if most of it was because of our rookie goaltender, but who cares? We'll take it!
Come draft time we were finally not in the Top 10 to pick, which yes it's nice to have a high pick like that, but seeing as we finally made a playoff appearance we'll take the 21st pick willingly. One of our most needed assets was defense going into this draft. Yes we have a lot of defense but we have just that many more forwards, plus it never hurts to have too many defensemen in your system. We hit the jackpot in snatching up John Moore who played with the Chicago Steel in the USHL. Moore had commited to play on the college level but after signing a three-year entry level contract with the Jackets, is expected to play with the OHL's Kitchener Rangers this season.
Not too much happend for us free agent wise this off season. We let a few players go (Manny Malhotra to Carolina, Jason Williams to Detroit and Ole-Kristian Tollefsen to Philadelphia) but acquired free agents Mathieu Garon from Pittsburgh and Samuel Pahlsson from Chicago.
Expectations? Not too sure what the league is expecting from us, but us, the fans and the team itself, are expecting a lot coming out of last season. Hopefully Mason doesn't get thrown into that sophomore slump category and comes out just as strong, if not stronger, than he did last season. That Brassard has a full healthy, productive season and that Jakub Voracek has a solid sophomore season and Nikita Filatov busts out of the gates, guns blazing and has a stellar rookie season performance. As long as our injury/cold bug doesn't visit that often this team can do well, as long as we work on our power play (no matter how well you play, being 30th in the league on the power play doesn't help advance you, aside from down in the standings).
Predictions? In my honest opinion I believe we can finish fairly well this season. I don't believe that last seasons run and our record of 92 points was a fluke by any stretch of the imagination. In a perfect world I would love for us to finish first in the Central and in the top four in the West, but we all know that won't happen...not yet anyway. But for this season I think we're more than capable of finishing third in the Central and maybe fifth or sixth in the West. As for how far we'll go when/if we make the playoffs, it's hard to say because of all the moves teams in the Western Conference have made, but I believe we'll at least be able to get past round one of play and depending on who we play, possibly even round two.
Needless to say, it's going to be an exciting season, no matter the outcome, for Jackets fans. Sit back and enjoy the ride, it's gonna be a fun one!
CARRY THE FLAG!
New York Islanders 2009-2010 Season Preview
By Tom Verde
New York Islanders 2009-2010 Season Preview by Tom Verde
2008-2009 Recap: 26-47-9, 61 Points (Last Place in the Eastern Conference)
As expected, the 2008-2009 New York Islanders were hardly a competitive team. Devoting the season to getting young prospects playing time and bringing in Scott Gordon’s aggressive forechecking system, the Islanders officially began rebuilding. Adding to their difficulties was the injury bug, as the Islanders had an astonishing 500-plus man games lost. Perhaps none of those losses was bigger than that of franchise goaltender Rick DiPietro, who saw action in just five games last year due to knee and hip injuries. Further adding to this frustrating season was the lack of progress being made to the Lighthouse LI Project, putting the Islanders future on Long Island in question.
This Off-season
Certainly there is a perk to coming in last place, and that is having the best chance of winning the number one draft pick in the lottery. Fortunately, the Islanders won the lottery, allowing them to take consensus number one prospect John Tavares from Oshawa of the OHL. Tavares put up huge numbers in juniors, and did it while being the focus of the Canadian media since age fourteen. It would seem Tavares is the real deal after he broke Wayne Gretzky’s OHL scoring record. His presence has already sold tickets, and hopefully it will help move the Lighthouse LI Project along. The Islanders also traded some of their stockpiled draft picks, moving up from number 26 to number 12, in order to select puck-moving defenseman Calvin de Haan. Although de Haan was considered a late first round prospect, the Islanders really liked his skill, and he has drawn some comparisons to Tomas Kaberle for his hard accurate shot and great hockey sense. Calvin de Haan will be headed back to Oshawa for another developmental year in the OHL.
Besides this off-season being remembered as the year of John Tavares, it will also be remembered as the year of the goaltender. The Islanders chose not to re-sign either of last year’s goaltenders, Joey MacDonald or Yann Danis. Instead, the team shored up the goalkeeper position by signing free agents Dwayne Roloson (2 yrs/$5 mil) and Martin Biron (1yr/$1.4 mil), and also drafted Mikko Koskinen (Finnish League) and Anders Nilsson (Swedish junior League) in the second and third rounds, respectively. Essentially, the Islanders are telling their fans that Rick DiPietro’s future is in doubt. It seems likely he will already miss time to begin this season, as most reports suggest “DiPi” will be out until at least November.
As expected, the Islanders were not major players in the free agent market. This further shows their commitment to rebuilding, as budding young players such as Kyle Okposo, Josh Bailey, Frans Nielsen, and of course John Tavares will continue to receive major playing time. However that does not mean that Garth Snow sat by idly, as I received information that the Islanders were at least in talks for Brian Gionta, Alex Tanguay, and a few other free agents. The team also had little to replace, as the only major departures were that of Mike Sillinger (retirement), Andy Hilbert (FA) and Dean McAmmond (FA).
2009-2010 Season Outlook
The Islanders still have a lot of work to do. John Tavares alone is not going to get them into the playoffs. However the Islanders are committed to rebuilding, and that is a great thing. Expect Tavares, Okposo, and Bailey to receive major ice time again this season, including lots of time on the power play. Also on offense, Doug Weight is back and will be here to mentor Tavares during his rookie campaign. Richard Park, one of the NHL’s most underrated players, will be back and good for about 30 points, in addition to being a mainstay on the penalty kill. The Islanders are also hoping for big things from Jeff Tambellini, Sean Bergenheim, and Frans Nielsen. Both Bergenheim and Nielsen looked impressive during stretches last year but both missed time due to injury. Tambellini is still trying to drop his tag of being “a great AHL-er,” and will look to match some of the scoring touch he has shown while in Bridgeport. Trent Hunter will be back, and he is one of the most consistent players on the team. Rookie Jesse Joensuu will also get playing time this year, and the Islanders hope he will continue to develop into a presence both in front of the net and down low.
Everyone’s favorite Swiss athlete, Mark Streit (no not Roger Federer), will be back to lead the Islanders and anchor the defense. Streit led the team in games played (74), points (56), and plus/minus, finishing the season with a highly respectable plus-6. He definitely quieted doubters during his first season as a full time defenseman. As for the rest of the defense, health is a major issue. Brendan Witt can be a dominating physical force on the blue line, but he has missed considerable time the last two seasons. Similarly, Andy Sutton has a big frame and knows how to use it, but he has only played more than 70 games once in his career. Radek Marinek has proved a solid defenseman when he’s healthy, recording a career high six goals last season when not out of the line up with shoulder and foot injuries. Jack Hillen and Bruno Gervais are young and improving, and have both proved capable of moving the puck. Freddy Meyer also looked good last year when healthy and in the lineup, recording nine points in just 27 games.
Final Prediction
To put it plainly, the Islanders won’t be very good this year. This is a good thing, however, as the team is still several building blocks away from becoming the new Pittsburgh Penguins or Chicago Blackhawks. This is also good for the development of the prospects already on the team and in the system, because it means more ice time. The team is committed to Coach Scott Gordon and his high-pressure game, and they will only get better as the players become more comfortable in his system. Also, with two established veteran goaltenders (three if Rick comes to play), the Islanders will be better than last year’s team. Unfortunately though, they won’t be better than anyone in the division.
In more important news, the Islanders need a new building. For some reason, Town of Hempstead’s Kate Murray does not agree. Setback after setback has been placed in front of Islanders owner Charles Wang. The final hearing for the Lighthouse project is September 22 at Hofstra University, interestingly enough the same night as the Islanders pre-season game in Kansas City. If the go ahead does not come by the team’s regular season opener at home on October 3, Charles Wang will pursue all other options (yes that means moving the team to Toronto/Hamilton/Kansas City/Vegas?). For our sake, let’s hope a deal is reached by the third.
Bottom Line: Fifth place, Atlantic Division
New York Islanders 2009-2010 Season Preview by Tom Verde
2008-2009 Recap: 26-47-9, 61 Points (Last Place in the Eastern Conference)
As expected, the 2008-2009 New York Islanders were hardly a competitive team. Devoting the season to getting young prospects playing time and bringing in Scott Gordon’s aggressive forechecking system, the Islanders officially began rebuilding. Adding to their difficulties was the injury bug, as the Islanders had an astonishing 500-plus man games lost. Perhaps none of those losses was bigger than that of franchise goaltender Rick DiPietro, who saw action in just five games last year due to knee and hip injuries. Further adding to this frustrating season was the lack of progress being made to the Lighthouse LI Project, putting the Islanders future on Long Island in question.
This Off-season
Certainly there is a perk to coming in last place, and that is having the best chance of winning the number one draft pick in the lottery. Fortunately, the Islanders won the lottery, allowing them to take consensus number one prospect John Tavares from Oshawa of the OHL. Tavares put up huge numbers in juniors, and did it while being the focus of the Canadian media since age fourteen. It would seem Tavares is the real deal after he broke Wayne Gretzky’s OHL scoring record. His presence has already sold tickets, and hopefully it will help move the Lighthouse LI Project along. The Islanders also traded some of their stockpiled draft picks, moving up from number 26 to number 12, in order to select puck-moving defenseman Calvin de Haan. Although de Haan was considered a late first round prospect, the Islanders really liked his skill, and he has drawn some comparisons to Tomas Kaberle for his hard accurate shot and great hockey sense. Calvin de Haan will be headed back to Oshawa for another developmental year in the OHL.
Besides this off-season being remembered as the year of John Tavares, it will also be remembered as the year of the goaltender. The Islanders chose not to re-sign either of last year’s goaltenders, Joey MacDonald or Yann Danis. Instead, the team shored up the goalkeeper position by signing free agents Dwayne Roloson (2 yrs/$5 mil) and Martin Biron (1yr/$1.4 mil), and also drafted Mikko Koskinen (Finnish League) and Anders Nilsson (Swedish junior League) in the second and third rounds, respectively. Essentially, the Islanders are telling their fans that Rick DiPietro’s future is in doubt. It seems likely he will already miss time to begin this season, as most reports suggest “DiPi” will be out until at least November.
As expected, the Islanders were not major players in the free agent market. This further shows their commitment to rebuilding, as budding young players such as Kyle Okposo, Josh Bailey, Frans Nielsen, and of course John Tavares will continue to receive major playing time. However that does not mean that Garth Snow sat by idly, as I received information that the Islanders were at least in talks for Brian Gionta, Alex Tanguay, and a few other free agents. The team also had little to replace, as the only major departures were that of Mike Sillinger (retirement), Andy Hilbert (FA) and Dean McAmmond (FA).
2009-2010 Season Outlook
The Islanders still have a lot of work to do. John Tavares alone is not going to get them into the playoffs. However the Islanders are committed to rebuilding, and that is a great thing. Expect Tavares, Okposo, and Bailey to receive major ice time again this season, including lots of time on the power play. Also on offense, Doug Weight is back and will be here to mentor Tavares during his rookie campaign. Richard Park, one of the NHL’s most underrated players, will be back and good for about 30 points, in addition to being a mainstay on the penalty kill. The Islanders are also hoping for big things from Jeff Tambellini, Sean Bergenheim, and Frans Nielsen. Both Bergenheim and Nielsen looked impressive during stretches last year but both missed time due to injury. Tambellini is still trying to drop his tag of being “a great AHL-er,” and will look to match some of the scoring touch he has shown while in Bridgeport. Trent Hunter will be back, and he is one of the most consistent players on the team. Rookie Jesse Joensuu will also get playing time this year, and the Islanders hope he will continue to develop into a presence both in front of the net and down low.
Everyone’s favorite Swiss athlete, Mark Streit (no not Roger Federer), will be back to lead the Islanders and anchor the defense. Streit led the team in games played (74), points (56), and plus/minus, finishing the season with a highly respectable plus-6. He definitely quieted doubters during his first season as a full time defenseman. As for the rest of the defense, health is a major issue. Brendan Witt can be a dominating physical force on the blue line, but he has missed considerable time the last two seasons. Similarly, Andy Sutton has a big frame and knows how to use it, but he has only played more than 70 games once in his career. Radek Marinek has proved a solid defenseman when he’s healthy, recording a career high six goals last season when not out of the line up with shoulder and foot injuries. Jack Hillen and Bruno Gervais are young and improving, and have both proved capable of moving the puck. Freddy Meyer also looked good last year when healthy and in the lineup, recording nine points in just 27 games.
Final Prediction
To put it plainly, the Islanders won’t be very good this year. This is a good thing, however, as the team is still several building blocks away from becoming the new Pittsburgh Penguins or Chicago Blackhawks. This is also good for the development of the prospects already on the team and in the system, because it means more ice time. The team is committed to Coach Scott Gordon and his high-pressure game, and they will only get better as the players become more comfortable in his system. Also, with two established veteran goaltenders (three if Rick comes to play), the Islanders will be better than last year’s team. Unfortunately though, they won’t be better than anyone in the division.
In more important news, the Islanders need a new building. For some reason, Town of Hempstead’s Kate Murray does not agree. Setback after setback has been placed in front of Islanders owner Charles Wang. The final hearing for the Lighthouse project is September 22 at Hofstra University, interestingly enough the same night as the Islanders pre-season game in Kansas City. If the go ahead does not come by the team’s regular season opener at home on October 3, Charles Wang will pursue all other options (yes that means moving the team to Toronto/Hamilton/Kansas City/Vegas?). For our sake, let’s hope a deal is reached by the third.
Bottom Line: Fifth place, Atlantic Division
Friday, September 18, 2009
NEW JERSEY DEVILS 2009-2010 PREVIEW
It’s hard to repeat the type of season the Devils produced last year. The 2008-2009 New Jersey Devils was possibly one of the best teams in franchise history. Milestones, like Brian Roloston’s 1000th point, Patrick Elias becoming the Devils all-time leading scorer, on the same night that Martin Brodeur would become the all-time winningest goaltender in NHL history (and on St. Patrick’s Day). Notable moments occurred, like Brodeur going down for most of the season, only to see Scott Clemenson step up and Kevin Weekes hold the fort, the emergence of the ZZPOP line (Jamie Langenbrunner, Travis Zajac, Zach Parise), the return of Brendan Shanahan, and a new Jersey team that could score a lot of goals. The 08-09 season also showcased rising stars for the team, like Johnny Oduya and Paul Martin on the blue line, Travis Zajac emerging as a top 2 center, and obviously the amazingness of Zach Parise.
All that…and only another Atlantic Division title…GM Lou Lamarillo could Ebay these off at this point: he only cares about one thing: the Stanley Cup.
Now entering the 5th season after the lock-out, and with his team only going as far as the 2nd round since their last cup in 2003, Lamarillo has decided that its time to change it up.
One of the first changes in the off-season was the exit of coach Brent Sutter, who still had one year left on his contract. He missed his ranch, family, and
However, that did not come out until after Brent jumped shifts. Brent left the Devils, and only shortly after, joined his brother Darryl's team, the Flames, as the new head coach. (WHAT A TWIST!)
So what did Lamarillo do about a new head coach?
Last year, the Devils used a time machine and brought back former forwards Brian Roloston and Bobby Holik. Unfortunately, the big man retired after the season and the big shooter was never fully comfortable after a high ankle sprain early on.
Now Uncle Lou decided to turn the machine on one more time, and hired the man who the team won its first cup with at the helm, Jacques Lemaire!
Since his departure in 1998, the Devils have had NINE coaching changes (some coaches more than once). Now are not due to bad coaching, but unfortunate situations (Burns health problems, Robinson didn't wanna be head coach anymore, Lou is the GM and can't do both)
Obviously the first thing people think when they see Lemaire as coach: ITS A TRAP! The boring defensive styles of the old days, where a 1-0 win made you turn to Madlock faster than a Chara slapshot.
That's not the case this year.
As Lemaire has said, he will keep what made the Devils successful last year, Sutter's system. Obviously there's tweaks and niches to fix, but the new coach even has said the team will be more offensive than last year.
One of the biggest stories this year is that Uncle Lou is now giiving the youth their shot to make the team. While it is sad to see the vets of John Madden, Brian Gionta, and even Mike Rupp leave, the same was said in 2000 when Bob Carpenter, Doug Gilmour and Randy McKay left. The tourch must be passed to the next generation of the team.
Players like Patrice Cormier, Matt Corrente, Nicklas Bergfors, Jeff Frazee, Vladimir Zharkov, Nick Palmieri and others will get their chance at the big times.
I expect Bergfors to make the team and join Elias's line, and Rod Pelly will replace John Madden. Summer additions of Cory Murphy and Ilkka Pikkarainen will have a good chance at making the roster, but I hope to see Cormier cracks the roster, as well as Corrente. Frazee and Dannis should trade back up spots to give Brodeur rest.
The biggest questions facing the Devils:
1) Can this year's team make the proper adjustments to make the playoffs?
2) Will the youth players that make the roster have a meaningful impact?
3) How many games will Martin Brodeur play?
4) Can Zach Parise and Travis Zajac repeat last years performance of offensive success?
5) Who will fill the hole at center left by John Madden?
6) Will the Devils blueline step it up this season?
I do not expect the Devils to be a cup contender this season, as it is a re-tooling year to prepare for the future. That said, the Devils are still the Devils.
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