First Fight of 2009-10 Season: Begin vs. Deveaux

Although its only pre-season for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins, it is never to early to ‘set the tone’ for the season with a good ol’ fashion hockey brawl. The Bruins Begin may have been mismatched against Deveaux in size, but he held his own. And as it turns out the Bruins got the last laugh anyhow with a 3-2 victory last night.

Larry’s 2010 Cup Prediction: The Boston Bruins

Things are finally going right in Boston. With current Vezina Trophy Winner Tim Thomas, and Norris Trophy winner Zdeno Chara, I’m picking Boston to take home the Stanley Cup in 2010. They also have the 2009 Jack Adams winner in Claude Julien who was given a three year extension this off season. It appears that they’re going to lose Phil Kessel lead their team in goal scoring, but I expect him to be traded before he signs an offer sheet.

I truly am starting to believe that Savard can make anyone score, which is why the potential loss of Kessel doesn’t concern me. With little cap space left ($1.8 million according to NhlNumers.com), I also don’t expect them to make many additions. What I would like to see though is the addition of a stay at home defensemen for them.

Jeff’s 2010 Cup Prediction: Philadelphia Flyers

Jeff Gesner is the owner/operator of a small sports apparel/memorabilia business
called “The Stadium”. He spent some time in the scriptwriting business for film. The transition has been satisfying for Jeff being a sports fanatic.

Obviously picking Detroit, San Jose or Pittsburgh are sensible choices for the 2010 Stanley Cup Winner, but there is another team that I feel has improved this off-season and will make a push for the Stanley Cup. That team is the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Flyers have improved an already solid roster, they acquired goaltender Ray Emery this summer, and as well they added all-star defenseman Chris Pronger. Emery’s off ice problems haven’t been kept confidential, we all know about his road rage issues and the party scene he enjoyed while being in Ottawa, but he did go to the Stanley Cup finals in the 2006-07 season, so unlike Biron and Niittymaki, he has some experience. I think Philadelphia will be a good fit for Ray as long as he is willing to stay away from the problems that eventually ended his career in Ottawa.

Chris Pronger doesn’t need to be hyped-up, he’s been a top blue liner in the NHL for over a decade, Pronger has a Norris Trophy, Hart Trophy, and a Stanley Cup on his resume, along with being a five time all-star. Pronger is going to be the key to Philadelphia’s success this year.

Returning to the Flyers roster is Simon Gagne, Jeff Carter, and team captain Mike Richards. I feel both Carter and Richards will be top 10 in scoring amongst the NHL this upcoming season, I’m also watching for Danny Briere to have a comeback year. Scott Hartnell put up career high 30 goals last season, and sophomore sensation Claude Giroux will add a scoring presence as well.

Philadelphia possesses youth, experience, scoring punch, and of course that Flyer toughness. If players such as Briere and Gagne can stay healthy, they have a legit shot at winning the cup in 2010.

Adam’s 2010 Cup Prediction: The Vancouver Canucks

Adam Steevens is a student, author and blogger who has semi-coherent thoughts about the NHL

I admit, this is a dark-horse pick, (In vegas, Vancouver is sitting at 18/1 odds) but the Canucks have the balanced formula it takes to bring the Cup back to Canada for the first time since 1993. You can’t ignore Roberto Luongo; he is arguably one of the best netminders in the league, and championships are often won or lost on goaltending alone. Luongo kept a stellar .920 save percentage over 54 games, and stayed consistent throughout the playoffs last year (.914 over 10 games). Not only is Roberto hungry to win a cup for Vancouver, but he’s competing for starting job for Team Canada in the Olympics; expect him to have an outstanding year.

The Canucks have a top-six that can compete in the stacked Western Conference, (D. Sedin, H. Sedin, Wellwood, Demitra, Kesler, Burrows, Johnson) and expect a breakout year from youngster Alexandre Burrows; he netted 51 points in his third year in the NHL last season, and proved he can score clutch goals when he knocked St.Louis out of the first round with an overtime, series-ending goal.

The Vancouver blueline looks like one of the best in the Western Conference (Ehrhoff, Edler, Schneider, Bieksa, Lukowich, Salo), and with the recent acquisition of Ehrhoff and Schneider, they continued to build up depth on defense. Couple this strong defense with the world-class goaltending in Roberto Luongo, and it’s clear that the Vancouver Canucks are a serious contender for the 2010 Stanley cup.

The LA Kings: Up and Coming

Too often we focus on the teams and players that are doing well. The media and fans don’t look at the stories of the teams that haven’t been too hot the past few years, especially when they’re in non-traditional hockey markets.

I recently looked at the lineup for the 2010 Los Angeles Kings and I see two things with this team. I see a team that is going to be a dark horse (TSN had them at 23rd in their power Rankings), and I see a team that is going to be very fun to watch and see improve.

What I see with the Kings is lack of a big name, while having solid players all around. My favorite player on this team is Dustin Brown. Young, not very big or a big scorer, but the guy is one of the most fun to watch in the league. He hits anything that moves. He plays the game the way it should be played. I love to see players crashing the net and fore checking. He can put up points, but he isn’t picking up any scoring awards. Anze Kopitar is an interesting player, picking up +60 points a year since he entered the league, but his +/- is atrocious. Frolov and Stoll will be returning this year as well, and Frolov is another interesting player to watch as well.

Their blue line is very young and promising while being lead by Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson. This offseason they also added Rob Scuderi who had a solid year in Pittsburgh. I think this is a smart move with all of the young players they have back there.

The Kings also added a few veterans up front with Ryan Smyth and Justin Williams (yeah – he played 12 games with them last year but I will ignore that). I’m a big fan of both. Williams needs to have a solid season and prove he’s capable of playing a full season again as he’s been out for a great deal of games over the past couple of years. Ryan Smyth is slightly overpaid but has not been as bad that everyone says he has become. If he has a healthy season, it’ll be a good move for them.

The big question for the Kings is in net. I am hoping that the Kings go with Jonathan Quick for multiple reasons. He, like their blue line, is very young and he could be a solid goalie when he gets older. I’m not going to lie, I’m the worst at evaluating young goalies. To me it just seems they take forever to mature. He went to the team USA Olympic camp as well, so perhaps he has picked something up and gained some confidence to have a big year.

The bottom line is the Kings are one of the youngest teams in the league, and have a ton of talent. I think that if only a few things go right, they’ll be fighting for one of the final playoff spots – this year. But in a couple of years, they should have a solid play off spot.

Senators Dany Heatley Traded to San Jose

The saga is over – Dany Heatley and fifth round pick to San Jose for Michalek, Cheechoo and a second round pick. I took a look at most of the articles by the other Puck Doctors, and the one thing I noticed is that many of us writers don’t focus on recent news as much as we should. There is not one article about the Phoenix Coyotes, or the Dany Heatley saga, which has been going on for what seems like forever.

However, I doubt this is going to be the only article celebrating the fact that Dany Heatley has gotten out of Ottawa. I am so sick of reading articles about it, different rumor reports, and so on. I am thrilled that this saga is finally over.

Let me preface what I am about to say, in noting that I think this has been blown out of proportion. Players ask for trades all the time. Chris Pronger requested a trade out of Edmonton. Heatley already requested a trade when he was in Atlanta. And these were just the ones that went public. I do not know how Heatley’s request became public before he was traded, but many forget that he requested this trade earlier in the calendar year. The disgruntled forward was traded to the Oilers before a $4 million bonus was due to him, however, Heatley vetoed that trade, making the Senators pay it to him.

This morning, Dany Heatley and a fifth round pick were traded to the Sharks for Milan Michalek, Jonathan Cheechoo, and a second round pick. Dany Heatley did accept this trade.

Let’s break the trade down a little bit for each team. Fans are going to start hearing, “Thornton to Heatley” frequently – and that scares me. That is a very deadly combination. In my opinion, the Sharks do have enough depth up front that they can lose an extra body, and have a few players shift up in the ranks. It is not farfetched to think about Thornton picking up another Art Ross Trophy this year if some instant chemistry is formed.

But what concerns me is the leadership issues in San Jose. They have never performed well in the playoffs. The Sharks have gone all the way to say, “There is no captain in San Jose.” Doug Wilson just added Dany Heatley to this mix and many of the players who had heart on that team are no longer with them.

For Ottawa, this is a step in the right direction. There has not been a whole lot of positive things to speak of with this franchise for a while, other than the departures of a few players. It seems like forever ago that the Senators let go Hartsburg as their head coach, and brought in Cory Clouston. I do not have the exact numbers that he went as head coach, but I know it included a long home winning streak, as well almost make up for the poor start.

Clouston giving Heatley the reduced role is the only official report that has been given as to why Heatley requested the trade. Getting the distraction that Heatley would have been this season out of the locker room is a major plus for the organization, but still work needs to be done.

Jonathan Cheechoo has been rumored to be on the move for a while, after the struggles he’s had the past couple of seasons. I am not a big fan of his, but I hope for the Senators he can start to put up some more points and earn his paycheck on their second line. Michalek looks to be pegged for their top line, and he has the speed to play there. He is a fast winger and I do see his production increasing with Spezza and Alfredsson on his line.

I only officially know one other offer that the Senators had in place, but considering the circumstances, this is a good move for the Senators. They received a young and quick guy in exchange for a distraction. They have lost some production sure, but hopefully the trade off is worth it.

Three Sleeper Teams for 2010 Season

Adam Steevens is a student, author and blogger who has semi-coherent thoughts about the NHL

Montreal Canadiens

Last season, the Habs were widely considered Cup-contenders until they thoroughly collapsed in the second half of their season. After dropping deep in the standings, they got bounced in the first round, and it was clear that the team needed a near-total retooling. Both Saku Koivu and Alex Kovalev found new teams through free-agency, and Bob Gainey was left trying to replace 115 points between the two star forwards. The Canadiens wasted no time bringing in fresh talent up front, and acquired Scott Gomez, Mike Cammaleri, and Brian Gionta. Adding these three forwards brings immense depth to a team that desperately needed it; and with two capable net-minders in Price and Halak, the Habs could sneak into a high seed in the East. Both Price an Halak have proven that they are capable of a starting job; I wouldn’t be surprised to see Gainey deal one of the two in exchange for some more depth at the deadline.

New York Rangers

The Rangers picked up one of the biggest names in the NHL, landing Marian Gaborik to a one-year deal. There’s no doubt that Gaborik has been injury-prone, but if he can return to his 2007 form (scoring 83 points over 77 games), he could help push the Rangers over the top in their highly competitive division. Don’t forget about the stellar goaltending the Blueshirts have in Henrik Lundqvist; he pretty much pushed the Capitals to a game seven single handedly last year. The Rangers have taken chances with other star players, (Lindros, Bure) and been burned before, but Gaborik could be the exception; he looks poised for a breakout year, not to mention the Rangers are deep in solid forwards (Dubinsky, Higgins, Drury, Kotalik) that will serve as a great supporting cast. Don’t be surprised if the Rangers can keep up with the big guns in the East; a solid season from both Gaborik and Lundqvist will easily put them in contention for the Cup.

St.Louis Blues

The Hockey News predicted that the Blues would miss the playoffs in their 2009 Yearbook; but this team is capable of much more. St. Louis could have a formidable offense if their younger forwards (Berglund, Oshie and Perron) all put up decent numbers. Combine that output with the experienced talent up front (Boyes, Kariya, Tkachuk, Mcdonald) and suddenly the top six look much more dangerous. There are some question marks surrounding the blue-line; Johnson is unproven at best, and Eric Brewer has been hit and miss throughout the previous two years. Barrett Jackman is a dependable upside for the Blues’ defense, but he’s prone to taking bad penalties. Look for Alex Peirtrangelo and Brendan Bell to make a push to sneak in the lineup; Peirtrangelo played a handful of games in 2009, but his performance wasn’t enough to earn him a starting spot. Just this week, the Blues invited Darryl Sydor to training camp, and if he makes the squad, he could help shore up this often-problematic defense. In net, Chris Mason has been a dependable keeper that has given the Blues the chance to win more times than not, and the front office even brought in more depth behind Mason when they acquired Ty Conklin from the Wings. St.Louis could quickly turn into a Western conference powerhouse if the pieces start to fall in place this season.

President Obama Welcomes The Pittsburgh Penguins

On September 9th, 2009, President Barack Obama welcomed the Pittsburgh Penguins into the White House to honor and congratulate them on winning the 2009 Stanley Cup Championship. The President was a gracious host, and made the speech below to honor them. He may not be in everyone’s good books right now on health reform issues, but he certainly won a few hockey fan votes with this gesture:

Will Marc Savard Ever get his Shot?

Jeff Gesner is the owner/operator of a small sports apparel/memorabilia business
called “The Stadium”. He spent some time in the scriptwriting business for film. The transition has been satisfying for Jeff being a sports fanatic.

It’s no secret that Marc Savard wasn’t invited to Canada’s Olympic orientation camp. The 32 year old has never been selected to play for Canada even though his numbers have been above average throughout his career, particularly over the past four seasons in which he has registered 359 points.

So the question remains, why wasn’t he invited to camp?

Steve Yzerman has an extremely difficult job in choosing a 23 man roster, especially with the games being played on Canadian soil. Yzerman has stated that just because you weren’t invited to camp, that does not mean there is no chance at making the squad. He’ll be watching the start of the season closely, so I’m sure Savard and a few other players will be working hard to impress the Executive Director of Team Canada.

“I was pretty upset about it,” said Savard, “I thought that I had a good chance to at least go to the camp.

There have been rumors over the years that Savard’s snubbing has more to do with his character rather than his on ice performance, which makes complete sense in my opinion.
However, that makes it hard to justify Dany Heatley and Corey Perry being invited to camp.

Savard has a tough road ahead if he wants to make Team Canada, especially with Getzlaf, Crosby, Richards, and Thornton all vying for a spot at the center position. I still feel Savard should have at least got the invite among the 46 who were chosen for camp, mainly in front of players such as Ryan Smyth and Andy McDonald.

October and November will be important months in Marc Savard’s hockey career, he’s certainly an underdog as of now, but if he’s able to put up similar numbers as last year, then he’ll surely be making the final decision for Yzerman difficult.

Dan Cloutier Trying Out For Detroit?

Jeff Gesner is the owner/operator of a small sports apparel/memorabilia business
called “The Stadium”. He spent some time in the scriptwriting business for film. The transition has been satisfying for Jeff being a sports fanatic.

It’s not a joke; at least I don’t think it is. Apparently Dan Cloutier will be trying out for a position on the Detroit Red Wings roster. It seems every other day I’m writing about a former player attempting a comeback. First it was Theo Fleury, then Jason Allison, now Cloutier?

I find this news to be more amusing than interesting. Cloutier wasn’t exactly noted for his outstanding play during his career, and he’s only played in 46 NHL games since the 2004-05 lockout season. Cloutier has a lifetime record of 139-142-33 with a 2.77 goals against average.

Detroit’s summer moves are confusing me, I’m always praising them on their consistency of solid acquisitions which result in a top team every season, but recently they signed Todd Bertuzzi to a 1 year deal worth $1.5 million, and now they have invited Dan Cloutier to camp? Bertuzzi already had a shot in Detroit where he played 8 games in 2006-07; it was a failed attempt, and Cloutier couldn’t even hold down a job with the Los Angeles Kings as a backup goalie. If only Markus Naslund hadn’t retired this off-season, he could have completed a Vancouver Canucks reunion in Detroit. Although the word “retirement” doesn’t seem to mean much in the world of sports anymore, so maybe Markus is thinking about it, who knows?

So what is Ken Holland doing here?

I’m all for giving second chances in sports, which I stated in my first post “Theo Deserves another Chance”, but Dan Cloutier never proved anything while playing in the NHL, other than allowing Nicklas Lidstrom slap shots from center ice to pass by him. The beach ball jokes are already flooding message boards with the news of Cloutier’s return, I don’t hate Dan Cloutier, but I do feel he cost a very solid Canucks team a chance to win the cup over a two year span. If he does make the Wings roster, he’ll certainly have to work on the mental aspect of being a NHL goalie along with the physical element; he proved in the past that staying sharp emotionally was a struggle.

It looks like hockey fans will be seeing a lot of faces from the past during the upcoming NHL season; it’s definitely going to be fun watching everything unfold.

The Cloutier comeback is somewhat ridiculous, but it could be worse, I could be writing about Roman Cechmanek’s NHL comeback.

Roman, don’t even think about it!

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