It’s time for a pre-draft edition of the VHA Rumor Mill.

 

Now just 1 day stands between VHA GM’s and the draft.  Major activity has already been the order of the day, as teams have swapped picks, players and prospects for about the last 2-3 weeks in anticipation of a very strong draft class.  The New York Rangers hold the first overall pick and there has been little or no chatter regarding who they’ll select, but you can be almost certain that pick is one pick that’s not changing hands. 

 

As of 5 minutes ago (and brace yourselves, because this could have already changed 6-7 times by the time you read this) the top 10 was as follows:

 

1 – NYR

2 – CBJ

3 – TOR

4 – TB

5 – PHL

6 – TOR

7 – CHI

8 – PHX

9 – CBJ

10 – BOS

 

Keep an eye out for our mock draft coming later tomorrow. 

 

RUMORS:

 

• Is Toronto shopping a top netminder?  Rumors out of Toronto media outlets are suggesting that the Maple Leafs are looking to unload one of their young netminders.  It’s unknown which goalie will move at this point, but all three are potential #1 goaltenders and Toronto is sure to find a suitor for at least one of the talented triplets. 

 

• Philly ready to move Sbisa?  A number of rumors out of Philadelphia have the team ready to part ways with Luca Sbisa.  The young rookie is coming off an impressive rookie season for the Flyers, but doesn’t appear he will be ready to crack the team’s opening day roster.  Philly also has a glut of high end picks this year and it would be no surprise to see them move a few at the draft to get players more likely to help the team in the immediate future.

 

• Montreal looking for a masked man?  It appears Montreal is going to need a goalie by the start of the season and after first addressing defensive needs they may be in play for one of the big UFA goalies or even looking to deal.  It’s uncertain what they may be willing to give up at this point, but they should certainly be expected to be active. 

 

• Tomas Vanek floating is floating in the breeze.  A number of reports have been fluttering about suggesting Vanek is on the block.  No one within the organization is confirming that this is the case, but if so Vanek represents one of the better goalscoring forwards in the NHL and should command a very solid return. 

 

• Tampa Bay looking to move up in the draft?  Tampa Bay has 3 first round draft choices, one of which is in the top 5, but the team doesn’t appear to be satisfied with only 1 top 5 pick.  They’ve made it widely known that they’ll consider moving their two late first rounders for the chance to move up in the draft.  Look for this to potentially materialize on draft day, as a number of teams in the middle of the draft may find this option appealing based on what’s left on the board. 

 

• St.Louis, Buffalo and others may be looking to move up in the draft.  It’s rumored these teams, along with others, have inquired about the possibility of moving up in the draft to, as high as, pick 23.  The Flyers currently hold pick 23, but they may rather move this pick for a roster spot rather than additional picks after some of their more recent trades. 

 

• Pronger on the move?  One of the league’s toughest defenseman is known to be on the market in Anaheim.  Although he’s on the market, the price to acquire him may be several young assets.  Anaheim appears to be looking for depth with this deal and they’ll need to seek out just the right teams to deal with as Pronger owns a fairly large contract.

0 Comments

Not so long ago, the VHA 8 Cup was handed to the San Jose Sharks in a hard fought, replay reel fulfilled Finals over the Eastern Champs Hurricanes.

Meanwhile, some GMs were found drinking in strip clubs all around North America, secretly agreeing to blockbuster deals and a plethora of draft picks shifting - see the transactions thread for evidence!

For the 1st time in a long while, VHA is now showing full.  2 new GMs made their way in thru the VHA doors: Reuben Loland and Shawn Reznick have joined our colorful group, we wish them a long illustreous VHA career.

So here we are, only a few weeks later with a whole truckload of RFAs signed and a handful awaiting their arbitration cases.

During all this, teams have also been in preparation for the Entry Draft set to take place Sunday June 28th, at 8pm eastern time.  4 Rounds + supplemental picks are on the menu.  A nice cozy night in perspective!

One final important note, let's all give a nice round of applause for the new GM of the Year for Season 8, Brett Johnson of the Calgary Flames!   Wear the crown Brett, wear it proudly!!!

0 Comments

In honor of the spate of NFL draft report cards out now, the following is a quick report card for each VHA team based upon their regular season with just a couple of games left.  Yes, it would make more sense to do this after the season was over, but I'm off today, motivated and besides, I may do a final version after the Cup champion is crowned.  If you think I should have waited, bite me.

Anaheim Ducks -  A perennial playoff team, the Ducks have had a weird season.  They may surpass last year's 98-point campaign despite winning fewer games and actually giving up two more goals than they've scored, thanks to 18 OTL's.  Meanwhile, Staal, Pronger and Whitney promise to give whomever they face fits in the postseason.  Pronger is doing tensor fasciae latae exercises as we speak.

Leading scorer:  Eric Staal

Biggest question:  Has anyone seen Craig and Colonel Potter from M*A*S*H in the same room at the same time?

Grade:  B

Atlanta Thrashers - The Thrashers started the season with the most supercalifragilisticexpialadocious top line in VHA history, but realized fairly quickly that button-pushing, pixelated weaknesses and random elements were conspiring against them.  Thus, they traded star power (Iginla) for depth (Gionta, Havlat), machinated through a few more roster iterations, and finally threw up their hands and said, "no mas!"  The league granted Steve Jamieson leave through the end of the year from his playing duties and the team sank to the league's Mariana Trench:  rock bottom.

Leading scorer:  Jason Spezza

Biggest question:  Has anyone seen Steve and that angst-filled red-haired kid from The Breakfast Club in the same room at the same time?

Grade:  D

Boston Bruins - Nashville GM Larry Marks should be a role model for Boston, as he has proven that nice guys can indeed finish first.  Chris is a little too nice, and thus his team will end up well out of contention yet again.  The Bruins only surpassed 30 shots in a game fourteen times all season long. 

Biggest question:  Has anyone seen Chris and Mr. Furley from Three's Company in the same room at the same time?

Grade:  D+

Buffalo Sabres - Has anyone seen the movie The Devil's Advocate?  It stars Keanu Reeves as a hotshot lawyer who gets more than he bargained for when he learns his new boss is Lucifer himself.  Just sayin'.  In any event, Buffalo has put together a magical season (black or white as of yet undetermined) and seems poised for a very deep run in the playoffs.

Leading scorer:  Alex Tanguay

Biggest question:  Has anyone seen Rob and Keanu's character from that movie in the same room at the same time? 

Grade:  A+

Calgary Flames - One more point and Calgary clinches a playoff spot.  Brett Johnson is a guy everyone roots for, he and his lunchpail squad of no-name grinders and muckers. 

Leading scorer:  Scott Hartnell

Biggest question:  Has anyone seen Brett and a boykinia jamesii in the same room at the same time?

Grade:  B

Carolina Hurricanes - Funny how a team that has amassed 119 points with three games left in the season seems to be slightly underrated come playoff time, with juggernaut Buffalo and always-difficult Darth Bedinger the remaining two-thirds of the Axis of Evil in the east.  Despite fewer points this year than last, I think Matt is more dangerous than ever, as he's fully integrated into VHA's culture and has realized this is a marathon, not a sprint.

Leading scorer:  Patrice Bergeron

Biggest question:  Has anyone seen Matt and the metal endoskeleton from the original Terminator (after the fire) in the same room at the same time?

Grade:  A

Chicago Blackhawks - New GM Max Terziano got this team too late to do much with it, but has fit in well with the league and should be very active in the offseason.  The names on the roster are scary - if you're scared by utter mediocrity.

Leading scorer:  Jason Pominville

Biggest question:  Has anyone seen Max and a big, friendly Golden Retriever (with worms) in the same room at the same time?

Grade:  C-

Colorado Avalanche - The Avs have had an excellent season, leading the west in the race for the top seed with just a handful of games left.  Kyle's 1-gig hard drive blew out after overloading with miget monkey porn (hey, that's what Parks said), requiring a new rig.  God help us all.

Leading scorer:  Marian Gaborik

Biggest question:  Has anyone seen Kyle and a 21st century computer in the same room at the same time?

Grade:  A

Columbus Blue Jackets - Another team in transition, the Jackets went from a GM utterly afraid to shoot the puck to one who is merely adverse to the general notion.  It's a step up.  Speaking of "step up", Craig has stepped into the league's culture very well, will most certainly be active in offseason activities and has some puzzle pieces to work with.

Leading scorer:  Jarome Iginla

Biggest question:  Has anyone seen Craig and that scraggly guy they called "Bugsy" from The Perfect Storm in the same room at the same time?

Grade:  C-

Dallas Stars -  This may be the most dangerous team in the west, a fact not lost on either Los Angeles or San Jose as they battle for the right not to play them in the first round.  Martin has put together a hell of a good club that is peaking at the right time. 

Leading scorer:  Sidney Crosby

Biggest question:  Has anyone seen Martin and the mimetic poly-alloy ("liquid metal") version of terminator found in Terminator 2 in the same room at the same time?

Grade:  A-

Detroit Red Wings - Unquestionably, the biggest disappointment in VHA this year.  No, they didn't utterly collapse, but given the fact that Hank won the Cup last year, missing the playoffs altogether is beyond perplexing. 

Leading scorer:  Henrik Zetterberg

Biggest question:  Has anyone seen Hank and his $10 entry fee in the same room at the same time?

Grade:  D-

Edmonton Oilers - I just hate when true Cup contenders end up as low seeds, as it turns the universe of first-round matchups upside-down.  It is entirely possible Edmonton could knock out near-juggernaut Colorado, should they meet in the postseason.

Leading scorer:  Wade Redden

Biggest question:  Has anyone seen Trevor and "Soda Popinski" from Mike Tyson's Punchout in the same room at the same time?

Grade:  B-

Florida Panthers - If not for a slow start and being overshadowed by Carolina, Washington and Tampa Bay, there would be more buzz about this club, who has put together a very nice 38-19-7 run over the last three-fourths of the year.  A definite dark horse in the playoffs.

Leading scorer:  Vaclav Prospal

Biggest question:  Has anyone seen Joe and that nervous guy in Alien 3 that gets shot about half a dozen times near the end of the movie in the same room at the same time?

Grade:  B+

Los Angeles Kings - I win, Conforto wins.  I lose in OT, Conforto loses in OT.  Dallas beats me twice in the last 20 games, Dallas beats Conforto twice in the last 20 games.  I think he's stalking me.

Leading scorer:  Olli Jokinen

Biggest question:  Has anyone seen me and Brian the dog from The Family Guy in the same room at the same time?

Grade:  A

Minnesota Wild - Rain has fallen on Rob Young, that of the indoor variety:  leaky plumbing.  Minnesota gets extra credit for an aggressive trade deadline strategy, although it will unfortunately not pan out this season.

Leading scorer:  Nicklas Backstrom

Biggest question:  Has anyone seen Rob Young and Robert Young in the same room at the same time?  This one's a trick question.

Grade:  C+

Montreal Canadians - Montreal, like Anaheim and Calgary, has ground their way into the playoffs in part on the "strength" of a ton of OTL's:  16 in this case.  Ovechkin earns his money, but at times the offense can be truly offensive.  Last year's east champion would be a frightening first-round matchup for a higher-seeded team.

Leading scorer:  Alexander Ovechkin

Biggest question:  Has anyone seen Sergio and Tony Shalhoub in the same room at the same time?

Grade:  B+

Nashville Predators - Sure, I expected this team to make some noise this year, but give me a break.  Worst to first, chumps to champs, boyz II men - call it what you want, but it's one of the feel-good stories of VHA 8. 

Leading scorer:  Mikko Koivu

Biggest question:  Has anyone seen Larry and Jack McCoy from Law and Order in the same room at the same time?

Grade:  A

New Jersey Devils - Fans in New Jersey are ready to raise the roof, as their eternally also-ran Devils' magic number to clinch a playoff spot is down to two.  It's Christmas somewhere.

Leading scorer:  Paul Stastny

Biggest question:  Has anyone seen Brian and erosion in the same room at the same time?

Grade:  B+

New York Islanders - Tom plays hard, plays well, yet some sort of disconnect ultimately occurs which generally keeps him out of the playoffs.  Maybe it's team-building with 5th rounders.

Leading scorer:  Bobby Ryan

Biggest question:  Has anyone seen Tom and Woody Boyd from Cheers in the same room at the same time?

Grade:  C+

New York Rangers - Art has the button-pushing talent and loves to team-build, but disappearing acts for long stretches have virtually killed his chances this year.  The Rags are hoping for a Finkel el foldo.

Leading scorer:  Derek Roy

Biggest question:  Has anyone seen Art and Louie DePalma from Taxi in the same room at the same time?

Grade:  C

Ottawa Senators -  Keith was intensely, insanely interested in all things VHA until the trade deadline.  After that - poof.  This shocks no one.

Leading scorer:  Valtteri Filppula

Biggest question:  Has anyone seen Keith and Spiccoli from Fast Times at Ridgemont High in the same room at the same time?

Grade:  C-

Philadelphia Flyers - Just not enough time pushing buttons to be included in the big dance this year.  Expect a bounce-back next season.

Leading scorer:  Ilya Kovalchuk

Biggest question:  Has anyone seen Bill and Glenn Sather (the Edmonton Oilers version) in the same room at the same time?

Grade:  C

Phoenix Coyotes - Owen faded in and out of consciousness - literally, in at least one instance - this season.  He knocked a few thousand guys unconscious on the ice as well.

Leading scorer:  Phil Kessel

Biggest question:  Has anyone seen Owen and Pac Man (hopped up on power pellets) in the same room at the same time?

Grade:  C-

Pittsburgh Penguins:  Val is as black-and-white as Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney.  It's also a black-and-white fact that he won the Atlantic division this year.

Leading scorer:  Patrik Elias

Biggest question:  Has anyone ever seen Val and a slightly douchbaggy version of Spock from Star Trek in the same room at the same time?

Grade:  A-

San Jose Sharks - Conforto is poised to win the Pacific and has put together another outstanding regular season.  Wuddabitch.

Leading scorer:  Pavel Datsyuk

Biggest question:  Has anyone ever seen Mike and Cornelius from The Planet of the Apes in the same room at the same time?

Grade:  A

St. Louis Blues - Another good addition to the league, though Scott collected enough losses during his brief tenure to have fans wondering if a Ponzi scheme wasn't being orchestrated.  Better days are expected next season.

Leading scorer:  Marian Hossa

Biggest question:  Has anyone ever seen Scott and Bernard Madoff in the same room at the same time?

Grade:  D+

Tampa Bay Lightning - Like the Panthers, the Lightning were overshadowed by Carolina and Washington.  Like Florida, they made the playoffs and could do some damage as an underdog.

Leading scorer:  Mike Richards

Biggest question:  Has anyone ever seen Pascal and Stewie from The Family Guy in the same place at the same time?

Grade:  A-

Toronto Maple Leafs - No playoffs, just like the real Leafs.  Tyler was a very strong addition to the league, win or lose.

Leading scorer:  Stephen Weiss

Biggest question:  Has anyone ever seen Tyler and the guy with the walrus moustache from MythBusters in the same room at the same time?

Grade:  D+

Vancouver Canucks - Must have been a damn good team to nearly make the playoffs despite having no GM for the majority of the season. 

Leading scorer:  Brian Rolston

Biggest question:  Has anyone ever seen the cpu and some anonymous programming doofus from EA in the same room at the same time?

Grade:  C+

Washington Capitals - Yet another dominant season, yet another real shot at a Cup.  Lord help us all.

Leading scorer:  Vincent Lecavalier

Biggest question:  I really don't need to ask this one.  Seriously - has anyone?

Grade:  A

0 Comments

Playoff positioning and jockeying as the final week of the regular season approaches.

BEASTS OF THE EAST:

Buffalo has clinched the Northeast division and is the odds-on favorite for the President's Trophy.  125 points with five games left makes you want to punch Rob, assuming the mere fact that he's a lawyer didn't already raise your ire.  We know it did.

Likely playoff opponent:  New Jersey, though the Rangers still have a shot, especially with the Devils' schedule down the stretch.  Philadelphia and the Islanders are quickly running out of time.

Carolina has not clinched the Southeast yet, but six points up with just five games left (and a game in hand on Washington) makes it not much more than a formality.  If and when they do clinch, that leaves Washington as the scariest-ass fourth seed in the history of internet hockey.  Seriously.

Likely playoff opponent:  Florida, though Montreal could slip one notch down the ladder if Le99-claire can't stop the puck down the stretch.

Pittsburgh needs one more win or a regulation loss by New Jersey and they'll clinch the Atlantic. 

Likely playoff opponent:  Montreal, unless they "Serg" and capture the fifth seed ahead of Tampa Bay.

Washington appears tailor-made for the 4th seed.  Again, the Caps aren't eliminated from the division title, but it's a longshot.  There is no chance Washington falls further than 4th.

Likely playoff opponent:  Tampa Bay.  The east has two series that could generate a little animus.  This is one of them.  A Montreal/Pittsburgh series would be the other one to watch closely.

Tampa Bay seems preordained for the 5th seed and a first-round matchup versus the Dark Lord.  They are two points up on Montreal (though the Habs have a game in hand) and also own first tie-breaker by having more wins.  Montreal, however, owns the second:  alphabetical.  Seriously, that's it.

Likely playoff opponent:  Didn't I just give it away by saying "the Dark Lord"?  Sheesh.  Washington, of course, unless Tampa slips down to #6, in which case Les Habs would likely play Darth and Tampa would face Pittsburgh.

Montreal appears probable for the 6th seed at this point, though their schedule looks a tad more favorable than Tampa's right now. 

Likely playoff opponent:  Rumor has it that there have been some sparks in Montreal/Pittsburgh games this year.  That's the likely matchup here, and that should make for a very interesting first-round contest.  Do you two text-bicker in French?

Florida should stay where they are right now and capture the 7th seed.  They could go up one or even two seeds, but with five games left, we're approaching a task on the order of a Christmas miracle.  It ain't Christmas.

Likely playoff opponent:  The Panthers will probably have the distinct honor of playing the juggernaut Hurricanes, who will have a chip on their shoulder after getting bounced in round one last year.  Is it Christmas?

New Jersey is an intriguing 8th seed candidate, for many reasons.  One, Finkel doesn't make the playoffs.  Two, they are slumping a bit and the Rangers are coming on strong.  Three, Finkel doesn't make the playoffs.  Rinse, repeat.  However, the smart money says New Jersey hangs on and wins it.

Likely playoff opponent:  Buffalo, of course, which then sets up an entire series of 1-0 games.  Dee-fense!  Dee-fense!

BEST OF THE WEST:

Colorado should still finish in the top spot out west, though stupid San Jose and heroic Los Angeles (I'm not paid for this, so I am not compelled to shelve my journalistic bias) are both in a furious dash to the finish line.  The Avs could end up #2 if either the stinkin' Sharks or the majestic Kings overtake them.

Likely playoff opponent:  Edmonton, though the cpu is opening eyes out west in Vancouver with its abject refusal to die.

San Jose, in my mind, has ever-so-slightly taken over as the favorite in the Pacific, and thus, the #2 seed.  Why?  For one, LA lost to Dallas in regulation while the Sharks grabbed a point in an OT loss to Calgary, so now they are technically a point up if both teams win out.  Secondly, I'm trying to jinx Mike.  Again - not being paid here. 

Likely playoff opponent:  Things are in flux a bit more in the west, but it looks as if Calgary should hang on to the 7th seed.  This matchup reminds me a bit of Buffalo/New Jersey, in that there will be defensemen picking their noses directly in front of the net pretty much at all times.

Nashville is zeroed in at #3 right now, having won their division.  Congratulations once again to Larry for a great season.

Likely playoff opponent:  Anaheim, Calgary or Edmonton all have a shot at #6, and even (in theory) Vancouver could rise from oblivion to get that seed.  Calgary and Edmonton beat each other up twice in the last three games, and Anaheim still has San Jose, Dallas and Phoenix.  It's a tossup, but we'll guess Anaheim prevails.

Los Angeles still controls its own fate, in that winning out would give them the division (so does San Jose, for that matter).  Again, at this point it's a tossup, but the Sharks hold the slight edge; if all holds the same, the Kings end up with the 4th seed.

Likely playoff opponent:  Only the worst matchup the Kings could ask for - Dallas.  The Kings ended the regular season 1-4-1 versus the Stars this season.  Man, have I had my fill of Crosby parting my defense like Moses with the Red Sea and scoring on Mason.  Stupid Sharks.

Dallas can't win the Pacific nor can they finish 4th.  There's the tiniest of infinitessimal chances that they could end up 6th, thanks to the alphabetical second tie-breaker (Anaheim before Dallas - thanks again, EA).  It ain't happening.  Dallas will capture the 5th seed.

Likely playoff opponent:  The Kings, unless the death-duel with stinkin' San Jose ends up in L.A.'s favor.  Rumor has it there have been a few sparks in previous Dallas/LA games, which would add spice to this potential battle.  1-4-1.  Stupid Stars.

Anaheim is jockeying with Calgary and Edmonton for the last three seeds (unless Vancouver ends up in the mix) but, as said before, seems likely to be the one left standing at #6 at this point.

Likely playoff opponent:  Nashville, which would be a very interesting 3/6 (defense vs. offense), not to mention a bit of potential trouble for Nashville, given that Anaheim went 3-0-1 against them this year. 

Calgary could still fall out of the playoffs altogether, but it doesn't look too likely.  Instead, they have the inside track for the 7th seed and could end up 6th if Anaheim falters. 

Likely playoff opponent:  At #7, the Flames would play the Sharks in this scenario.  Both teams are filled with a coterie of gritty 3rd liners and both like to blanket the net with a statuesque defenseman.  Again, think Buffalo/New Jersey.

Edmonton woke up just a little too late to end up much higher than 8th unless the last few games for Anaheim and Calgary completely fall their way, but like Washington at #4 in the east, this is a pretty scary team at #8.

Likely playoff opponent:  Colorado, which would make for a very interesting and competitive first-round matchup.

Notes:  Although anything can happen in any series, it appears (on paper) that the higher seeds in the east should uniformly be favored in their first-round series.  Out west, however, anything can happen.  I would favor Colorado in a Colorado/Edmonton series, but not heavily.  Anaheim would have a real shot at upsetting Nashville, and I would definitely favor Dallas in an L.A./Dallas matchup, based primarily on their season series. 

0 Comments

With 6-9 games left in the regular season, VHA playoff hopefuls are urgently jockeying for position or inclusion into the big dance.  The following is a synopsis of each hopeful team's position and chances:

EAST

Buffalo Sabres - The Sabres have the inside track for the #1 seed and the coveted President's Trophy, up a point on Carolina with two games in hand.  Parks smells like construction site debris, but his team is terrific and, on paper, the likely favorite for the Cup this year. 

Carolina Hurricanes - Banjos are strummin' with whiskey-soaked, tobacco-stained, excrement-strewn excitement in the land of bathtub gin and sister-lovin' as the 'Canes are on their way to yet another dominant season.  Washington is coming on strong, but Carolina is likely to hold on to the 2nd seed and still possesses an outside shot at #1 if Buffalo falters.

Pittsburgh Penguins - Pretty much locked and loaded at #3, Val likely awaits either Tampa, Montreal, or Florida.  Rumor has it that Penguin meat tastes like chicken.

Washington Capitals - Black cape, shiny helmet, sonorous voice and the heavy breathing of a pedorast, Darth Bedinger always strikes fear in the hearts of opponents, particularly in the playoffs.  The Caps are all but locked into the 4th seed, though they have a shot at #2 and a mathematical chance at #1 if everything falls their way.  Will won't be happy with my pedorast analogy when he looks that one up in the dictionary.

Tampa Bay Lightning - Tampa stumbled for an eleven-game stretch late in the season, but seems to have righted the ship now, having gone 3-1-1 in their last five.  No chance at a top-three seed, but finishing somewhere in the 4-6 range seems probable.  Tampa's fans are the only ones in the league that have to remove their teeth during security scans before entering the arena.

Montreal Canadians - Montreal earned points in thirteen straight games before a 2-1 loss to the aforementioned Tampa Bay Lions Club.  They are in the same boat, likely to finish somewhere between 4-6 at this point.  Their best shot at playoff success is shutting out every opponent.  Roberto Luongo's right eye twitches furtively as he watches their games on television.

Florida Panthers - In the logjam for 4-6, Florida has been nearly unbeatable in the past 20 games or so.  Their 80-year old fans stay awake much longer than Tampa's, or so they claim.

New Jersey Devils - Speaking of staying awake, Sleepy Bear has done a great job of it this year and as a result, he's got the inside track for the 8th seed, which would be New Jersey's first playoff appearance of their long, epochal, glacial-speed rebuilding period.  Instead of stuffing people in a phone booth, New Jersey crams them into their own net in record numbers.

Philadelphia Flyers - Charging hard but with time running out, Philadelphia still has a chance to overtake New Jersey and slide in to the 8th seed.  In preparation for that possibility, Buffalo is watching Kill Bill, Vol. 1 and 2 during team meetings to psyche themselves up.  By contrast, Philly is watching My Little Pony:  the Movie.

New York Rangers - After a disastrous 1-7-2 stretch, the Rangers are 5-0-1 in their last six and dreaming about getting caught between the moon and New York City once again.  They also could overtake New Jersey.

New York Islanders - A longshot for sure, but this overachieving team with 200 fifth-round prospects waiting in the wings is still potentially in the race.  Pigs needs to fly, hell has to freeze over, etc.

WEST

Colorado Avalanche - Kyle's new rig came just in the nick of time, as their once-mighty lead in the race for #1 had shrunk to just four points while they were playing games on a Commodore 64 and losing three straight.  Still the favorite for the top seed unless the "new" computer is in actuality an Atari XL.

Los Angeles Kings - Locked in their usual death-duel with San Jose for the top spot in the Pacific, the Kings are perhaps the slight favorite to nab the 2nd seed, though they have a chance at #1 or could slip to #4.  The L.A. GM makes Tampa's fan base look youthful by comparision.

Nashville Predators - Don't let the Dateline inference fool you.  These Predators aren't horny and stupid, they are the impending champions of the Central and ready to face the 6th seed, whomever that may be. 

San Jose Sharks - The Sharks will probably end up either #2 or #4, though they have pretty much the same shot at #1 as L.A. does.  San Jose won't end up with as many points as they did last year due to the strategic blunder of not calling up Dave Gove this season.

Dallas Stars - Hard-charging, but it appears too late for the Stars to overtake either L.A or San Jose for the division championship.  Thus, the odds are that they end up at #5 and face one of those two teams in the first round, a prospect that scares the hell out of both the Kings and the Sharks.  The division is replete with old men (Walter, Owen) and guys who have old man names:  Martin, Walter, Owen, Craig and Mike.

Anaheim Ducks - Speaking of old men, Anaheim's roster of aged playoff veterans will serve them well at the probable 6th seed, though they could realistically finish as high as 5th.  Duck meat tastes like penguin.  A Nashville/Anaheim first round would be intriguing.

Calgary Flames - If Calgary can hold on to the 7th seed, it sets up a series that both Brett and I have looked forward to for years, assuming I retain the 2nd seed.  Judging by my record vs. him this year, it's almost a tossup.  Calgary could finish as high as fifth, or get bounced out altogether if they aren't careful.  Still pissing your name into the snow in the hinterlands of northern Alberta, Brett?

Edmonton Oilers - At this moment, it looks like my prediction of five Pacific playoff teams was premature, as the Oilers' 8-2-2 record down the stretch has given them the inside track for the 8th seed.  They could conceivably finish as high as fifth, though 7-8 seems more likely.  Anyone ever notice that Trev's kid has the strong jawline of a young Ed Asner?  He always looked like a 60-year old baby on Mary Tyler Moore.

Vancouver Canucks - Do we really want to see a cpu team win the 8th seed?  Get to work, Edmonton/Phoenix/Minnesota/Detroit.

Phoenix Coyotes - The doggies can still do it if they stay focused, but the next five games are critical:  San Jose, Dallas, Colorado and then a home-and-home against L.A.  Owen, pop two Geritol tablets, an Extenze capsule, a Viagra pill and three Flinstones chewables into some marguerita mix, add a healthy dose of Tequilla, ice, blend well and coiff it down.  Wait thirty minutes, then get to work.  Trust me - I know of what I speak.

Minnesota Wild - Basically in the same position as Phoenix.  Rob didn't rent all those UFAs just to watch them shower together.  Parks, on the other hand ... In any event, Minnesota could go on a run and end up 8th, but it would take a series of events more convoluted than the formula for the Extenze capsules that Owen swears by.

Detroit Red Wings - Just one point behind Minnesota and two behind Phoenix, but with so little time left and not playing games regularly, Detroit is all but finished at this point.  Quit using your Cup as a toilet, hose it down and get ready to give it back, Hank.

0 Comments

News and notes from around the league ...

Flamers - no sooner does Calgary virtually tank their chances at the playoffs with a crazy 1-7-8 stretch do they then turn it around in a huge way, going 8-1-1 in their next ten games.  Let me s'plain.  No, that'll take too long - let me sum up:

Buttercup marry Humperdink in ...

The Flames were obviously not as bad as a fifteen-loss-in-sixteen-game stretch might suggest, as they lost to San Jose and Dallas in OT, and the Islanders, Phoenix, Buffalo, Colorado, Anaheim and Montreal in the SO.  There's some pretty fine teams there.  They had a decent offense (about three goals/game) during those games, but gave up five more goals than they scored.  They also outshot their opponents in eleven of the sixteen games. 

In the last ten games, offensive output is just over three goals/game, so fairly consistent with the previous period, but gave up just 2.5 goals/game.  Ironically, uberscrubstud R.J. Umberger had just two goals during the hot streak.

The Flames now sit tied for 7th in the West with a game in hand on the rudderless Canucks.  If anyone can pull an upset on the likely #1 seed Avalanche, it'd be Brett Johnson and his scrappy band of no-name overachieving third liners.

Buffalo Chips - admit it:  it's annoying to see a team sitting 50-9-6 and leading a very good Montreal Canadians team by 25 points for the top spot in the division.  Parks seems like such a general doofus, how can this be possible?

1. No long losing streaks.  Only three times this entire season have the Sabres lost back-to-back games.  They have not had a three-game losing streak all season.

2. The perfect storm of offense and defense.  Buffalo has a top-ten offense and a top-two defense.  All told, they lead the league by a wide margin in goal margin per game.

3. Balanced offense.  Ten players with double-digit goals, nine with at least thirty points.

4. Ty Freakin' Conklin:  My 79 rated goalie (even after a very good game today):  3.06, .892.  78-rated Conklin:  2.08, .924.  Conklin rules, Mason drools.

More than a feeling - The Boston Bruins are undergoing a classic Finkelesque rebuild.  Continents drift faster, the Titanic dissolves more quickly at the bottom of the ocean, Uranium-232's half-life passes by more rapidly than the B's (formerly Phoenix's) rise to eventual playoff contention.  Having said that, the Bruins have won three straight games, including a victory over Darth Bedinger's Washington Capitals, and with a relatively young team (11 roster players 27 or under) and as much as $10M of cap room clearing after this season, things are looking up.  Pangea existed only 250 million years ago, after all.

J.R. Ewing lives! - Dallas has the same problem every year:  Martin has some kind of connection or game-related problem, leading to a series of losses early.  Dallas is presumed dead, then the problem magically resolves itself and they go on a huge run.  After twelve games, Dallas was 3-5-4 and looking up in the standings.  Since then:  a mere 34-14-6 (not to mention 9-1 in their last ten), rising to within six points of the division lead with a game in hand.  With Crosby, Parise and Vanek pissing off opponents throughout the league, don't be surprised if the Stars don't surpass scruboid-laden San Jose and registered sex offender-laden Los Angeles for the division title.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Roark - Philly was sitting on top of the world to start the season.  A good roster, the universe's most prolific team-building GM, and a strong 12-3-2 record to start the season.  Life was grand.  And then, just like that, poof - work issues and real life intervened, and Philly suffered through a subsequent 6-18-3 stretch.  Roark re-engaged and went 7-3 in his next ten, but an ensuring 1-6-2 record after that effectively eliminated the Flyers from playoff contention.

The Flyers were willing to gamble and and be buyers at the deadline (though with this franchise, they seem to be buyers and sellers at the same time, all the time).  Thus, instead of having their usual eight picks in the first two rounds, they "just" have four.  I should be so lucky.

Calder watch:  top rookie skaters:  Wheeler (33 points), Berglund (32), Hansen (25), Oshie (24), D'Agostini (24).  Top rookie goalies:  Deslauriers (13 wins, 2.35, .919), Stephan (15 wins, 2.52, .916), Halak (17 wins, 2.64, .886).

0 Comments

Chicago, IL

In 13 regular season games, Cody McCormick had 0 points.  For the rest of the season, he was a healthy scratch.  That all changed when Chicago was taken over by new GM Max Terziano.  In his first six games under Terziano as GM, McCormick notched 4 tallies, and has played well beyond his 4th line potential. 

"When GM Terziano took over," McCormick told Hawks Weekly, "he told me I was going to be unscratched immediately and that there was only a few things he expected of me: to skate hard, to hit harder, and to get to the net and utilize my strong shot.  He told me I hadn't shot nearly enough this season, and that my hard shot was going to waste."

Indeed, McCormick had barely 10 shots on the season in his mere 13 games.  He feels his days of riding the pine are over now:  "It's great.  Not only am I back on the ice with the guys but our line is feeling some great chemistry, and there's just an overall good feeling in the dressing room.  Feels like a good change is coming." 

To add to the excitement for McCormick is news that an old friend and college drinking buddy DJ King has been added to the roster.

"When I heard DJ was coming in, I had trouble hiding my excitement for sure," McCormick said.  "He's a big guy and he likes to get to the net and throw his weight around, which is kind of my style out there.  Maybe he'll get his chance to come up and show us what he's got.  We'll see." 

McCormick and the rest of the 'Hawks are coming off of a tough loss to Pittsburgh 7-4 on Wednesday, and have seen questionable goaltending from Fernandez, who let in 4 goals on 11 shots in the first period against the Penguins.  The team showed resilience, however, in never shied away in their attempt to battle back into the game. 

"We have a tough group with a lot of heart," forward Chris Gratton commented.  "We don't back down.  We want to go out there and compete with the best teams night in and night out, and no matter what the score is we're going to keep coming at them.  That is the sort of team character we want to show.  That is what makes a good team." 

Well, that and scoring enough goals to win the game.  In order to do that, Chicago is going to need to keep seeing production right through its line-up.  Perhaps McCormick said it best:  "We all need to work hard.  Every one of us.  The way we are going to win in this league is to have our whole team chipping in and working hard.  That's what we want to do." 

McCormick has already shown he's capable of it.

0 Comments

The New Jersey Devils are one of the league's surprise stories of the 2008-09 season.  The past three seasons have seem them bounce somewhat erratically between 71 and 85 points, much like GM Brian Finkel's aid car as he "races" to the scene at five miles under the posted speed limit.  When looking at the Atlantic division standings, you're tempted to turn your monitor upside-down:  Philly near the bottom, New Jersey within a few points of the top. 

"He tends to build teams at the speed of an Axel-Heiberg Island glacier, but eventually, Brian Finkel gets it done," commented Los Angeles Kings GM Walter McLaughlin.  "His final season in Rokhed, and this season in VHA, are proof of that."

Accelerating to five miles over the speed limit, the Devils - finding themselves in the unusual position as buyers for the first time in franchise history - netted themselves a big fish yesterday.  New Jersey sent UFA goalie Mike Smith, centerman Michael Nylander, prospect M.A. Cliche, a third round selection in the '09 draft and a second in '10 to the L.A. Kings for Conn Smythe winner J.S. Giguere.

"Although it sounds like quite a bit, in reality it was Cliche and the two picks that we consider our real returns in this deal," said McLaughlin.  "Nylander is perhaps a nice playmaker, but was included to balance out the cap impacts, and we're going to have to consider cap implications with his deal before the trade deadline.  Smith will be a solid backup to Steve Mason for the rest of this season, but is unsigned beyond that.  His future after that with the club is yet to be determined."

The Kings are having a solid season so far, second by a point in the tight Pacific division with a 30-14-6 record, but with six games in hand.  Ordinarily they would be buyers and not sellers, but McLaughlin explained that the situation with respect to Giguere was different.  "He was becoming a little concerned in L.A.  Steve Mason's footsteps were getting louder and louder.  In the end, he wanted to go where he could remain the clear #1, as long as it was a playoff-caliber team.  We couldn't guarantee that here, so we accomodated him with this deal.  In the end, I believe it worked very well for both sides."

In Giguere, the Devils get a goaltender who, though down statistically this season in the NHL due in part to dealing with his father's death, is signed for three more seasons and has been amongst the league's elite for most of his career.  He covers the net with his large frame, plays a textbook butterfly style and has one of the quickest gloves in the league.  "We're going to miss him, and we know it's a bit of a gamble to now rest our Cup chances on the shoulders of a 20-year old goalie in Steve Mason," said McLaughlin.  "However, we're handing him the reigns - giddyup!"  Hearing that, beastiality-lover Keith Tkachuk turned around and uttered a surprised "arugh?" before turning back, disappointed.

Ironically, the Kings and Devils play either tonight or tomorrow night, likely with their new players in new sweaters.

0 Comments

News and notes from around the league ...

Because I like lame themes, this Ice Chips is dedicated to awards centered around previous Oscar-winning films:

Wings - Only the most avid of filmography (yes, that's a word - merriam-webster.com defines it as "a list of motion pictures featuring the work of a prominent film figure or relating to a particular topic") dorks knows that the very first best picture Oscar went to this 1927 silent flick starring Gary Cooper and also featuring Clara Bow, Hedda Hopper and some doofus named Gunboat Smith.  Speaking of "dork" and "doofus", our good friend Keith Meade (all in good fun, Keith, put the M-16 away) wins the award for most energetic newcomer.  Meade has taken over the Ottawa franchise and then proceeded to trade for every conceivable Red Wings prospect on the face of the planet.  Keith has done a nice job loading up the goaltending ranks in the minors, picked up Kyle "Son of a" Beach and has flipped so many other players that even Bill Roark is petitioning the league for a trade cap.  Seriously, welcome back, Keith, we've missed your obsessive/compulsive energy.  This is my rifle, this is my gun. This is for shooting, this is for fun ...

Dances with Wolves -  The award for the ballsiest trade by a team on the cusp of the playoff picture goes to the Minnesota Wild's Rob Young.  Rob engineered one hell of a loading-up by acquiring UFAs Brendan Morrison, Roman Hamrlik as well as Andy Hilbert for T.J. Hensick, Dale Mitchell, Andrew Murray, Boris Valabik, Steve Wagner, Colorado's 2nd and Detroit's 4th round picks in '09.  With Jason Arnott, Evgeni Malkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Tuomo Ruutu, Peter Mueller, David Booth, Mike Green, Joni Pitkanen, Ron Hainsey and the aforementioned new acquirees, I'm reminded of the old Friends episode where Chandler says to Joey what kind of scary-ass clowns came to your birthday?  Assuming they make it in, these "clowns" have the real potential to crash the higher seed's party this year.

All the King's Men - Homoerotic inferences aside, the award for overtime heroics goes to Los Angeles, which is a cool 12-5 in the extra sessions, breaking down as follows:  4-1 in OT, 7-4 in the SO.  Speaking of homoerotic, Keith Tkachuk engineered the Kings' latest OT triumph, sweeping down the right side and handcuffing Colorado's Antero Nittymaki with a hard wrister, who bobbled the puck and left it on the doorstep for Olli Jokinen to sweep into the net.  Something tells me that were the two clubs to meet in the playoffs, the Kings and Avs would earn time-and-a-half quite a few more times in a long series.  Either that, or I'll just fold quickly in the first round again.

No Country for Old Men - So many possibilities with this one.  I'm sure Val and Craig are cringing as they read this, expecting attacks on their geriatric-laden rosters.  Hell, I'm cringing, expecting an attack on myself.  Instead, however, the award for exceeding the four-hour erection standard without racing to the emergency room goes to Owen Greaves and his Phoenix Coyotes, who have managed to stay in the playoff puzzle missing several legitimate top sixers, possessing a bevy of mediocrity (outside of Brian Rafalski and Andrej Meszaros) on the blue line and posting a disappointing 12-11-2 record at the Jobing.com Arena (what the hell kind of name is that?) so far this year.  Re-tune the pacemaker, liberally apply the Fixodent®, pop the teeth in and keep up the good work, Owen.

The Last Emperor - The initial animations just before the opening faceoff when you play Washington remind one of Darth Vader walking off the transport ship onto the Death Star.  If Darth were carrying a hockey stick and skating around in circles to loud, raucous music booming over a loudspeaker, the analogy would be perfect.  There's a reason Will has the nickname Darth Bedinger - his teams are lethally efficient, year after year, frequently culminating in championships.  Thus, the award for being scary-ass clowns goes to the Capitals (with all due respect to Minnesota), as they are seemingly always 8-2 in their last ten (or better) and despite being behind Carolina within the division over the last couple of years, evoke more sheer terror - especially in the playoffs.  And I've got him on my calendar in a few games.  I wonder if there's a coupon for Depends in tomorrow's paper?

Schindler's List - There are a few truisms within VHA that never change.  I'm old.  Val is a rules lawyer.  Parks is a banking lawyer.  Larry Marks is a suing lawyer.  Hyslop is related to a lawyer.  Henry Hill knows what a lawyer is.  Oh, and Brian Finkel sucks at this game.  These truisms help keep things in balance, or the earth might shift its orbit around the sun to such a degree that its apogee could threaten a near-earth asteroid strike - wiping out everything as we know it.  I'll just check the standings to verify how wretched things are yet again this year ...

What the f**k???

The award for the most unlikely Jewish threat to mankind goes to Brian Finkel and his New Jersey Devils, who have shaken off the cloak of suckitude that enveloped them lo, these many years and now sit 6th in the east and rising fast.  Scary-ass clowns, indeed:  after starting a typical Finkel-esque 1-3-1, New Jersey has gone 27-13-4 since, including a ridiculous 11-1 in their last twelve games.  I'd suggest some sort of transfer payment to the Dark Lord for success on the virtual ice, but political correctness in the face of unfair stereotypes stops me.  Besides, they are the Devils, and the only Dark Lord around here is the one that's going to crush my Kings in a few games.  If I'm not careful, so will Finkel's everyone-in-the-net deployed defense.

0 Comments

Follow along to the Trade Deadline 09  Steve and Walter will dive into each deal and provide thoughts, comments and the associational analysis for the deadline deals. 

We are 26 Days away from the deadline and teams will shortly become sellers and buyers, as we will track each and every deal as it comes down the pipe.  

Click here to view the trades

0 Comments

News and notes from around the league ...

Pacifists -   For all the talk about the close race in the Northwest or the nearly unbeatable top-three in the Southeast, when your last place team has a fine 20-17-2 record, you know it's a hell of a division.   The Pacific sent three teams to the playoffs last year and has just nine points separating top from bottom so far this season - the closest spread in the league.  Within it also reside octanagerian Owen Greaves and septagagerian Walter McLaughlin.  Let's hope that it's Geritol™ Owen is coiffing when he drops the gloves and grabs you during the game - not Viagra®.

Do you know the way to San Jose? - The Sharks are streaking, and not in the Owen-on-Viagra® sort of way.  9-1 in their last ten, 11-2 in their last 13, the Sharks don't mess around:  they haven't had an OT game in 19 games, and only six all season long.  The Wild, by contrast, have had seven in their last fourteen games.

Tower of Power - The Buffalo Sabres are known for their stingy defense, which revolves in part around planting two, three, even four guys within six inches of the crease and cementing their skates to the ice until the puck clears the zone.  What they don't get enough credit for, however, is the league's best power play.  By percentage they are second at 25%, a shade below Pittsburgh, but they've drawn 44 more than the Penguins so far this season, leading to ten more PP goals overall.  You may have to subpoena Tanguay and his eleven PP goals to get him out of his own net and/or away from the first PP unit altogether to slow the boys from upstate New York down.

Wasn't that Walter and Owen in the stands ... - of a recent Tampa Bay Lightning game?  The senior citizens have been packing the St. Pete Times Forum©, de-glassing their teeth and tapping their canes and walkers in approval at the play of the resurgent Lightning.  Despite being overshadowed by the big-brother Hurricanes and Darth Bedinger, the Lightning have shaken off an 0-3-2 start to go 23-7-3 since, including 13-2-1 in their last 16.  Denny's™ has a special going in Tampa:  a free poached egg for every goal scored by the hometown heroes.  No need to de-glass the teeth to gum that meal down.

The Umberglar - Is any one player more valuable to their team than R.J. Umberger?  Brett Johnson's upstart 19-9-9 Flames are led by their top-line center's 16 goals, and he also leads the team in the following categories:  assists (16), points (32), plus/minus (+16), PPGs (6), GWGs (3), SOGs (116), shooting % (13.8), and surname initials (two).  Maybe he sold his soul to Miroslav Satan.

The Rock - After being labeled as a mediocre AHL team to start the season, the New York Islanders have done nothing but hang around in the East playoff race, posting a 12-5-4 record on the Island and perhaps even more impressively, a .500 record away from home.  They now sit tied for 8th with 41 points, thanks to a stingy defense and Derek Brassard's 15 goals.  Beyond him, Bobby Ryan, Ruslan Fedotenko and the decrepit Fedorov, Blake and Roberts (not to mention the fine three-headed goaltending monster of Huet/Hiller/Bernier), however, there are a few too many guys named Guite, Moss, and Pock to seriously challenge this year - maybe.  Aren't those last three types of tree parasites?

0 Comments

As the Thrashers spiral to the bottom of the league, and struggle to stay competitive in the VHA.   GM Steve Jamieson issued a statement following Atlanta's 3-2 loss to Toronto Tuesday night. 

" We are stuggling,  we can't find a way to get going,  and someone has to be responsible for that.  I have done my job, and made the trades and Free Agent signings.   I need the players and coaches to do their jobs.  And right now they arn't.   So with that I regret to inform you that our Head Coach Ron Cherry has been let go, together with his assistants Don Maclean, and Bobby Luongo.  "

" I will be taking their place as a interm GM/Head coach" mentiones Jamieson. 

With that change in place the Thrashers hit the road last night and travelled to Carolina for a game against the League leading team that seems to crush just about everyone.  

Before game time Jamieson appointed Antti Nemi as the new starter for the Thrashers.  Taking over for Peter Budaj who so far this season hasn't been able to get it done.  In 31 games this year Budaj was 4-23 with a GAA of 3.17.  Budaj will take a seat to the Thrashers Rookie Nemi.  

0 Comments

News and notes from around the league ...

In a change of pace, this Ice Chips is dedicated to six teams that are hot (tres), cold (dos mas) and plain yogurt mediocre (uno) right now.

Colorado es freaking caliente y debe ser destruida! - When you're 18-1-2 in your last 21, a few things are triggered:  1) everyone hates you, 2) everyone really hates you, 3) you're good, 4) you're lucky and good, and 5) you'll be under the microscope because, well, everyone hates you.

Seriously, Colorado is hot, and one of the keys to their streak is success in the shootout:  a perfect 6-0.  What makes the run even more remarkable is the Avs' now-forgotten 2-4-1 start to the season, including a relatively lopsided 5-2 loss to yours truly.  Since then, all I can seem to manage is SO losses to the hated Avs.  

Nashville ist das Ausflippen heiß und muss zerstört werden! - Remember when Nashville was everyone's bitch?  Nice-guy Larry would dump, chase, forecheck, follow the rules, team-build, do everything he's supposed to do (enough to ultimately win him "GM of the Year") - and lose most of the time.  Well, the difference between then and now is that he's still doing all those things, but the fans in Hicksville are turning out in banjo-strummin' droves as the team is now a serious contender.  Not only are they on a season-long six game winning streak, but they are 11-3 in their last 14.  I'd like to remind everyone that I had the Preds 15th in the preseason Power Rankings® and labeled as a real playoff contender.  The only thing we now know for sure is that I underestimated them.

Montréal est freaking chaud et doit être détruit ! - Settings changes, Ovechkin, an on-paper offense that causes 29 GM's to collectively drool all over their keyboards, and it just doesn't matter:  Montreal cannot score if they were in a monkey whore house with a bag of bananas.  However - despite that (34 goals in their last 18 games) - les Habs are 8-2-2 in their last 12 games.  There's only one way a team that inept offensively could win anyway:  defense.  17 goals allowed during that span.  Viva le Chara!

Η Ατλάντα το κρύο και πρέπει να σωθεί! - On the other side of the coin, good-guy league Webmaster Steve Jamieson and his Atlanta Thrashers just cannot buy a break these days.  We all know shots aren't everything, but still, Atlanta has outshot their opponent 16 times out of the last 23 games, and yet during that span, their record is a mere 5-14-4.  The pieces are there, and an objective observation would be that the defense needs work, as in the last 11 games, the team has given up 42 goals.  Is Marc Crawford coaching that team?

Columbus è freaking freddo e deve essere conservato! - In even more dire straights are the Blue Jackets, who desperately need to take a lesson from their Union Army legacy by loading up and shooting.  More shots = more goals, or at least the greater likelihood thereof (Atlanta Thrashers, notwithstanding).  They have been outshot 16 out of their last 18 games, usually by wide margins, and since a stunning SO win versus Montreal, are just 2-12-3 in their last 17 games.  You won't find a cleaner opponent, but Columbus plays like team England:  nice, polite, and carrying cups of tea to sip while they work.  This team needs a little more nasty in them.

Миннесота freaking средний и должно быть улучшено! - Almost by default, when a third or more of your games have gone to the extra session, you're on the cusp of either being really good, or sliding downhill really fast - hence, mediocre.  Minnesota earns about a point per game, scores just about as many goals as they give up, and rolls an almost-perfect plain vanilla record over their last 16:  6-5-5.  You really cannot pin a lack of offense or defense specifically on their "meh" results so far, as again, they pretty much score and give up in equal measure.  Maybe the Wild need to make a mediocre trade or two to shake them out of their mediocre averageness.

2 Comments

The Washington Capitals headed down south on Tuesday night to tangle with division rivals the Carolina Hurricanes.  With the Capitals looking to extend the team's 4 game win streak, head coach Bedinger gave the start to Carey Price.  The Hurricanes had Jason LaBarbera (or as LA King fans say LolBarbera) in net as they looked to extended their winning streak to 5 games.

Game Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xen8Yo57V6I
(watch in high quality)

Game Notes
 - This was a very tight defensive game with very little room on the ice.

The Capitals host the Boston Bruins at the Verizon Center next.

0 Comments

A Christmas version of news, notes and statistics from around the league
 
A mere four days away from the fat guy with all the toys sliding in and out of the "chimney" - we're either talking Santa Claus, or Parks' vacation to visit James in Australia.  Either way, it's time for another look around the league.

Ho, ho, ho! (ho ... ho?) - The Northwest division is literally stuffed with above-.500 teams.  All of them.  The "we're the greatest" argument proffered by Calgary GM Brett Johnson is that a mere six points separates the top bitch from the bottom in that division.  The "you suck" argument given by NYI GM Tom Phillips is (and I quote), "Just because you are all average together doesn't mean you are tough."  My perspective?  They are all ho's.

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - The septagenarians buried within (and I use that verb advisedly) Anaheim's roster have managed to boost the club into first place in the Pacific, four points ahead of San Jose, five ahead of Los Angeles and six in front of Phoenix - all who have games in hand.  Predictably, Eric Staal leads the team with 11 goals and 21 points.  After that, the dessicated remains of Joe Sakic and Ray Whitney are tied with 14 points apiece.  Anaheim epitomizes the run-and-gun West, as they are second in goals scored and third in most goals against.  You'll need to see the chiropractor after watching one of their typical back-and-forth games from the stands.

Silent Night - When you're 3-14-3 and have scored just 12 goals in your last nine games, well, there ain't many people sitting in the stands and things are looking bleak.  So you figure management will blow out older, higher-priced underachievers for futures and building blocks?  Not our Steve #2.  Instead, he trades for one of the top scorers in the land:  Jarome Iginla.  He does move two forwards with two years left on their respective deals (Brian Gionta, Martin Havlat) and gains a little cap room, but now he's going to need Jarkko Ruutu and his 39 goals in seven seasons to step up to fill the void.  "Hey, if San Jose do goals with Adam Mair, we do goals with me, hey!" bleated Ruutu, when confronted with the opportunity.  I couldn't have said it better, myself.

Miracle on Figueroa Street - The Los Angeles Kings had lost about 106 regular season games in a row against the Washington Capitals.  It didn't matter where, when or even how they lost - sometimes at home, usually (seemingly) on the road with that damned police siren goal horn sound etched permanently in their brains, occasionally in OT - the losses continued to mount.  When the Caps invaded the Staples Center to play the Kings, it appeared as inevitable as the U.S. invading Iraq.  60 minutes later after a penalty-filled affair in which L.A. used the frequent ref whistles to their advantage in terms of momentum, then withstood one make-up penalty after another in the third, the Kings staggered away with a 3-2 victory.  They celebrated by getting wasted on Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill©, then laying an overtime egg against Colorado.  Welcome to EA Socialists NHL 09:  "We're all about the same!™"

War Isn't Over - Ok, not everyone is the same:  Carolina has lost just one freakin' regular season game all season.  Doesn't this remind everyone of VHA 7, when the Hurricanes had something like 60 points after 31 games?  A 16-1-5 record is pretty impressive, with Washington a still-impressive 12-7-2 and yet eleven points behind.  Not to critique team management, but Atlanta took one look at those two juggernauts, along with Tampa and Florida ahead of them in the standings and said, "We need to compete!" - and then traded Jarome Iginla for immediate scoring depth help.  A rise in the standings and eventual playoff slot would be the perfect Christmas miracle for this season.

Oh, Christmas Tree - Laying the lumber is a big part of hockey:  smashing the opponent into the boards, clearing the crease, even the occasional shoulder-to-the-noggin of a skater who isn't looking up.  So far this year, the biggest lumber-layers are Chris Pronger and Trevor Daley of Anaheim with 165 and 138 hits, respectively.  After that:  Henrik Tallinder (Dallas), Dustin Byfuglien (New York Rangers) and Mark Staal (Tampa Bay) round out the top five.  The top forward in hits?  Eric Staal (Anaheim) with 83.  Must make for some interesting food fights at the ol' Staal residence.

0 Comments

A move that will likely send shock waves to the rest of the VHA.  Early Wednesday morning GM Jamieson of the Atlanta Thrashers has made a deal for highly talented winger Jarome Iginla. 

Atlanta sends Jarmoe Iginla to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Brian Gionta and Martin Havlat. 

The deal was finalized by league officals late this afternoon. 

The Thrashers Coach/Gm immediately released this statement.  " It is with great pleasure to welcome Brian and Martin to the Thrashers organization.   It has been a difficult time over the last 48 hours, and knowing that it is over will be a great weight lifted off the shoulders of the team.   I have spoken to Brian and Martin just moments ago, and although they seemed suprised, I sence they are excited.  They will join the team in Toronto for Saturday nights game against the Maple Leafs. 

I fielded several offers and deals, but I felt that this deal was the right fit for Atlanta.  Solving secondary scoring and adding more offensive depth to the Thrashers   Gionta and Havlat will find their place in the line up most likely parred with the Spezza line or with Penner and White.  "

0 Comments

0 Comments

0 Comments

In effort to solidify their defense, the Canadiens sent Andrej Meszaros, Mark Stuart and prospect Brandon Sutter packing to Phoenix in return for Kimmo Timonen, Scott Hannan and prospect goalie Tuukka Rask.

Habs made a 2nd day deal when Jochen Hecht was traded to St-Louis for snot headed Derek Dorsett and a 2nd round pick. 

These latest moves frees up some cap space and rumors are circulating that a top line center coming to Montreal is immenent.

"I won't deny that I've been inquiring about some player's availability, but as of right now, we have 23 guys in that locker room that need a gut check.  Somebody needs to step up and show the way to the others."

Montreal also placed Aaron Ward on waivers.  He was picked up by Anaheim and will continue his career on the west coast.

0 Comments

The league has suspended Phoenix Coyote GM Owen Greaves for 1 game for busting the mercy rule in a recent game.

Owen met with league officials and has made the following statement: "There are rules in place to keep things under control like our game and I broke the rule.  I respect the league's decision."

The upcoming PHX-MIN will be played with a sub.

0 Comments

Random stats, thoughts and trivia from around the league -

Back to the Future: Hey, long-time VHA'ers - remember when Val had (much like Will does now) a strong case of kick-your-ass-especially-in-the-final-minute-and-usually-right-after-you-scored-the-dramatic-tying-goal-and-were-breathing-a-sigh-of-relief-because-you-were-sure-you-were-heading-to-overtime-but-no-that-rat-bastard-came-right-down-and-scored-easily- in-the-final-seconds-to-break-your-heart-itis®? I can remember many matchups against him where it was obvious I should be playing computer backgammon, not hockey, because I just flat-out couldn't compete.

After a couple of years of regular season stomping and even a conference finals versus yours truly, Pittsburgh went through some relatively dark years where they were very ordinary and did not distinguish themselves. Well, an 8-4-0 start to VHA 8, including a 5-3 win over a very tough Blues team in their most recent effort, shows that robo-Val is back. Were he to be asked about it, no doubt Val would reply in his typical sanguine fashion: "yes".

Ooooooooooovertime!: Repeat after me, boys: never trust a lawyer. Rob Parks may make you feel good about yourself, taking his team to overtime with a chance to win and all that, but fuhgetaboutit. You have no chance. Buffalo is a perfect 4-0 after regulation, leading the league in that category. While you're at it, watch out for that asshole Commie bastard Viktor Kozlov when you get to OT, as he leads them in game-winning goals.

This week's winner of the Brian Finkel Award© for doing something good with so very little to work with (that's not just a small penis joke, Brian ... honest) goes to Tom Phillips' New York Islanders. When I did the initial power rankings, I was tempted to put Tom's team 55th or so after all 29 other teams, every AHL team and a few Midget AAA teams as well. Knowing there was a good thumb manipulator behind that team, I ranked them higher nonetheless and, so far, have been vindicated. The Isles are 4-4 so far, a minor miracle given the roster, and are holding their own in the Atlantic. I'm leaving that one alone, it's just too obvious.

The suck: Plus/minus isn't everything. Here's the bottom-seven in that stat, so far this season: Francis Bouillon (BOS) -8, Patrik Elias (PIT) -8, Daniel Tjarnqvist (CAR) -8, Colby Armstrong (BOS) -7, Darcy Tucker (TOR) -7, Noah Welch (PIT) -7, Tomas Kaberle (CBJ) -7. Notice some pretty good teams being represented on this list. Notice I only went seven deep, as the next 20 or so are all Columbus Blue Jackets. Sorry, Steve #2.

Calder watch: Keep an eye on San Jose's Jaroslav Halak, who in five games has posted a 2-1 record, along with 2.12/.910. As far as skaters are concerned, Toronto's Michael Frolik (2G, 4A, -2) and Anaheim's Lukas Kaspar (2G, 3A, -3) are slightly outpacing Montreal's phenom-to-be Steven Stamkos (2G, 2A, +0).

Top five time: Goals: Koivu (NSH) 8, Brassard (NYI) 7, Boyes (PHX) 7, Malone (PIT) 7, six tied with 6. Assists: Filppua (STL) 10, Regehr (BOS) 9, Phaneuf (BUF) 9, Hagman (COL) 9, Aucoin (PIT) 9. GAA (min. 5 starts): Bryzgalov (VAN) 1.74, Lehtonen (CGY) 1.75, Backstrom (CAR) 1.86, Nabokov (NSH) 1.86, Giguere (LA) 1.98.

2 Comments

With NHL '09 now here and thus VHA 8 right around the corner, it's time to put out the first power rankings of the new year.

Unlike the rankings Rob Parks does during the year, this one is 100% subjective. If I like you - you're way the hell up there. If I don't, that sucking sound you hear is your team swirling around in the metaphorical toilet. Naturally, the ones at or near the bottom are going to be enraged and vow to kick my sorry team's punk cyber-ass. Bring it on, bitches.

Thus, without further ado, here they are:

1. DETROIT RED WINGS - The VHA 7 champs start up top, though they'll have 29 teams gunning for them like never before this year. Have fun with that, Hank, and may I speak for the rest of the league when I ask you in my most heart-felt voice to kiss my ass. Kopitar, Toews, Semin, Zetterberg (isn't that a God forsaken communist city somewhere in Siberia? And let's not even get started with the name before that one), Salo, Ranger, Kronwall and goaltender Ryan Miller are some of the bigger names on this "Red state" team. Krushchev would be proud, comrade Hill.

2. CAROLINA HURRICANES - Despite last year's shocking first-round exit from the playoffs, Carolina had one hell of a good regular season and seems poised to resume its Godzilla-stomping-Tokyo course through the regular season again. Bergeron, Savard, Krejci, Clowe, Campbell and Whitney lead this fairly young and thin (on paper) team, with Niklas Backstrom gyrating between the pipes. Despite the lack of bigger names and the fact that others have more on paper, anyone vanquished during Carolina's ridiculous 36-0 start (or whatever) still wakes up screaming, so betting against Matt is le stupide. Momma didn't raise us to be le stupides.

3. ST. LOUIS BLUES – Okay, so he’s new. He makes weird trades, trying to free up cap space in 2014 or whatever. He smells funny. However, Lestat is a damn good player and after seven games on the temporary server Sergio had going, he was 7-0, finishing off by vanquishing yours truly, 7-4. Like the Hurricanes, he doesn’t have the greatest talent, but you heard it here first: this team is for real. Drury, Hejduk and Hossa make a fine top line, but after that, it’s scrub city. The defense has a few #4-ish defensemen like Seidenberg, Paetsch and Boynton but otherwise suffers from terminal mediocrity, and Tomas Vokoun plays in net. Anyone who beats me like a drum gets my respect, even though he’s now #1 on my bitch list.

4. MONTREAL CANADIENS – After six seasons, Sergio finally reached the big dance before getting danced upon by Henry Hill and his Russian Red Wings. Nevertheless, les Habs are back again as a top-five team, led by Ovechkin, Tanguay, Richards, Morrow, Chara, Meszaros, and Ballard. Pascal Leclaire has supplanted man-love target Roberto Luongo in net for the Canadens. Oh yeah, they also snapped up the #1 overall pick by dealing Luongo. With all that good stuff going on, we can only hope that Sergio’s dog runs away or something.

5. LOS ANGELES KINGS – I always feel weird subjectively ranking my own team – it’s like masturbating with a catcher’s mitt on. The Kings were fairly easily bested for the division title last year, dropping them to 4th in the playoff seedings, where they were crowned by a good #5 Ducks team. However, Brown, Jokinen, O’Sullivan, Tkachuk, Comrie, Corvo, Mitchell, Hainsey and Johnsson represent a good group of core players, and Giggy remains the man in net. A stronger lineup and longer history of being the spankor versus the spankee (yeah, baby!) puts the Kings one notch above the higher-finishing …

6. SAN JOSE SHARKS – The Sharks broke the Kings’ stranglehold on the division last year and certainly threaten to repeat this season. Mike remains the league’s oddest team-builder, though, throwing contracts like Sean Donovan’s ($3M, 3 years) around and thus “thinning out the herd” from a depth perspective. It really doesn’t matter, because San Jose is best when guys like Dave Gove, Bates Battaglia and Brad Tapper are on the ice. This team might lose to a few good AHL teams in a simulation, yet in real life, Mike may be the Pacific division favorite. Rumor has it he’s going to save cap space to go after Brian McGrattan next off-season.

7. PHILADELPHIA FLYERS – The volume of trades has slowed a bit, but that’s just because Philly has now officially owned every player currently in the league at least once already. Let’s just say that if computer-modeled faces could look furtively apprehensive, Bill’s roster would. Newly-acquired Marion Gaborik and Jack Johnson strengthen a Zherdev, Carter, Bertuzi and Bouchard-led offense, with Bouwmeester, Schneider and Coburn headlining the defense. Cam Ward is the new starter in goal. Philly’s revamped offense (not to mention its revamped defense, revamped goaltending, revamped bench and revamped farm system) make it the early Atlantic favorite.

8. WASHINGTON CAPITALS – The Dark Lord is always within striking distance of the top. It’s strange not to rate Will as the favorite in his own division, but it wouldn’t be strange to see him prevail there, anyway. Familiar faces Kariya, Lecavalier and newly-acquired Samsonov join Erat and Stastny as primary offensive threats, with Gonchar, Malik, Sarich and Campoli leading the defense. Carey Price is the franchise goalie of the present/future. All Will needs to do is trade for Olli Kolzig and Jeremy Roenick and he’ll have most of his old Rokhed team re-assembled.

9. EDMONTON OILERS – Trevor is another unusual team-builder. One year, it was Canadian players only. Some years, it’s predominately Oilers. I keep waiting for the “Alphabet” team where he has one player name starting with a different letter of the alphabet. Nevertheless, there’s one thing that cannot be denied, and that is as long as he’s active and engaged, his Oilers are a top-ten team. This year’s version has primary threats Blake, Conroy, Elias and Hunter offensively, Redden, Streit, Allen and Melichar defensively. Alex Auld and his bald head are between the pipes, unless they find something better – which they’d better.

10. BUFFALO SABRES – Rob Parks isn’t “verbose, cheap and full of crap” for no reason – his lawyering skills come in handy in trade negotiations, which he’s frequently a part of. Ultimately, it leads to a solid team with a perennial top-ten status. He’s a cross between Trevor, Bill and a scapanus oratus (emphasis on the last four letters of the first name). As such, this year’s version has Hemsky, Horcoff, Shanahan and Stoll as the big offensive weapons, Phaneuff, Erhoff, Van Ryn and Burns as the top defensemen. Like Montreal, they traded in their longtime goalie for a newer model, this one being Mathieu Garon. In the end, there’s no doubt this team will be in the hunt all the way through – unless Parks and James finally run off together and get married.

11. FLORIDA PANTHERS – Of course, putting them this high up is predicated on James actually playing his games this year. If he doesn’t, he’ll be “down under” in another ranking. Given the history of the Canadi-Aussie pushing the buttons and coupled with a revamped lineup that includes Gomez, Koivu, Pominville, Rolston, Holmstrom, Kuba, Backman, Ference, Smid and netminder Bryzgalov, this is a team that could do quite well this season, assuming Parks isn’t going “down under” on James too frequently.

12. ANAHEIM DUCKS – Nolan, Sakic, McAmmond, Recchi, Whitney, Foote, Ozolinsh, Pronger, Turco … with a team this old, Craig must have John McCain signs all over his lawn. Old man fetishes aside, the Ducks are always competing for the Pacific division title and the players mentioned (along with whippersnappers Staal and Lundin) may snort just enough Geritol to pull it out. Unfortunately for them, they reside in the uber-tough Pacific division.

13. NEW YORK RANGERS – The anti-Ducks. Whereas Anaheim is always in the mix with a good-yet-ancient team of decrepit extras from The Mummy that rarely makes trades, the Rangers cycle and cycle their players until they have a very young team of snot-nosed pups that is also always in the mix. As usual, it’s a good group, though perhaps a tad below typical standards because it is so very young, at least offensively: Horton, Getzlaf, Roy, Perry, Bernier and (ok, one exception) St. Louis lead the offense, with Gleason, Lidstrom, O’Brien and Sydor defensively, and Lundqvist returning in goal. Philadelphia may have the edge, but don’t be surprised to see this team win the Atlantic this season.

14. OTTAWA SENATORS – Rumor has it that Rob Burke won’t be playing his games this year, so it’s difficult to predict where this team will ultimately end up. Another challenge is the disability checks Steve Sullivan keeps cashing, as he’s about an hour and a half away from being removed from the db for the season. Nevertheless, there’s plenty of talent here, highlighted by Gagne, Thornton, Kostitsyn, Avery, Vermette, Komisarek, Pitkanen, White and Witt. Osgood may need to be Osgreat to give Ottawa a chance for the playoffs, depending upon who plays the games.

15. NASHVILLE PREDATORS – Every year, we keep prognosticating better days for the slowly-building Preds, with this year being no different. At #15 it’s a fringe playoff team, and with Langkow, Steen, Hemsky, Koivu, Pavelski, Hamhuis, Suter, de Vries and goaltender Nabokov, it may finally happen. Gentleman Larry makes about a trade every third day and still gets dusted by our venerable Philadelphia friend. Let’s hope Larry does enough on-ice dusting of opponents to fulfill this club’s promise.

16. DALLAS STARS – As with Florida, this team’s fortunes are tied to how frequently Martin can play games. Last season, he could only play road games, dooming his chances for the playoffs. Any team with superstars Crosby and Vanek, along with Parise, Jokinen, Madden, Weber, Talinder, Colaiacovo and Martinek, belongs in the playoff mix. Toskala must shake off ho-hum ratings to give this team a longshot chance at the Pacific division title.

17. ATLANTA THRASHERS – Much like Dallas, this good team has the misfortune of playing in a very tough division, arguably the toughest in VHA. When you’ve got superstars Heatley, Iginla and Spezza, along with supporting cast Weight, Pettinger, Zidlicky, Tyutin, Orpik and Carle (with Budaj in net) and are still looking at three teams from your own division ahead of you in the rankings, you know it’s rough sledding ahead. Steve is still very much in the playoff mix and, as always, things shake out on the ice, not here. Our resident webmaster needs to put more banner ice-girl porn on the site, eh boys?

18. MINNESOTA WILD – Minnesota “Gone” Wild has another character in Rob as GM who, despite his name-association with Marcus Welby, MD, is still alive and ices a team that will compete for the playoffs. The offense is led by Doan, Arnott, Wolski, Vrbata and Backstrom, with the defense featuring Kubina, Spacek, Michalek and Jones-ek (felt compelled to complete the pattern there). The goaltending appears to be Harding, though Mason looks to be in the mix as well. It’s going take a Herculean effort to best the Edmonton ABC’ers (or Canadian-Onlys, or whatever the latest strategy is) for the division title this season.

19. TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING – Take Forsberg out (and, at least for now, we will) and you’ve got the scrawniest bunch of injury-depleted Mighty Mouses (Mice?) on offense this side of “Disney on Ice”. Neither Cammalleri, Svatos, Brule, Eaves, Vrana, nor Richards are even tall enough to ride the rides at Disneyland, much less skate in the show. The defense is beefier with man-mountain Babchuk and the beefy Gauthier and Hutchinson, but still has pipsqueaks Boyle and Havelid as 1-2. You’d think the girlish Thibeault would be in net, but it’s just the legendary Brodeur, who could still kick most of his own team’s asses. Having said all that, Pascal has plenty of speed, skill and the venerable Brodeur to make the playoffs this season.

20. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS – His personality is so blandly black-and-white that his given name must really be Valium. Nevertheless, his Pittsburgh Penguins have slowly evolved from its former Anaheim-East composition of geezers and wheezers and now has relatively young-ish players like Laich, Malone, Marleau (again, it’s all relative), Michalek, Williams, Meyer and Woywitka in addition to geezers Kovalev, Sykora, Aucoin and Zubov. The resurrected corpse of Thedore will play in goal for Pittsburgh this season. The playoffs are certainly within reach, though it will take superior button-pushing and crates of Preparation-H to make it happen.

21. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS – Let’s be honest. Chad didn’t have the best off-season. His team lost much of its core to free agency and, despite a late spate of signings and a few good trades, still looks weaker than previous years. Having said that, it is helmed by a very good button-pusher and as trades continue to shape this team, the talent level will rise. Brunette, Morrison, Moreau and Handzus lead a fairly thin offense, with Niedermaer, Hamrlik, Markov, McCabe and Rozsival headlining the strength of the team, its defense. Kolzig (if not traded to Washington – Will, give Chad a call) will play goaltender for Chicago this season. This team embodies the phrase “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” – let’s hope the button-pushing “spirit” prevails in that battle.

22. TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS – For the most part, this is a pretty young team, so it could emulate the 1980 U.S. hockey team or … well … the 2007-08 Toronto Maple Leafs. It’s not likely to do worse than just miss the playoffs, though, with core players Ryder, Selanne, Antropov, Tucker and Ericksson on offense, Beauchemin, Poti, and Salei on defense. Fleury needs to coif a few more McFlurrys and improve his stamina in net in order to last the entire season. Dave may just be the perfect grizzled old “rub dirt in it” coach to lead this motley squad of vets and punks this season.

23. CALGARY FLAMES – Speaking of a motley squad. Brett Johnson lives to construct teams held together by chicken wire, spit and grit, with this team being no different. Kovalchuk, Knuble, Satan, Umberger and Olesz may be the bigger names on offense, but (like San Jose) it’s when guys like Bonk, Bochenski and Corrazzini are on the ice when good things happen. On defense, newly-acquired “Give me the” Finger teams up with Ohlund, Skoula, Stuart and Klesla to make a nice shield for goaltender Lehtonen. Calgary could make the playoffs or badly miss altogether, depending on Brett’s level of interest this year. Let’s hope it’s high, as we need more guts-and-glory teams.

24. BOSTON BRUINS – It may not seem so based upon this ranking, but we’re acknowledging here that Chris is rising like a Phoenix from the ashes (get it? Get it?). The roster keeps getting better and the skill level both in terms of management and on the ice continues to improve. The playoffs seem like a distant goal at this juncture, but with the move to the East and players like the Sedin twins (won’t somebody someday have the guts to break them up?), Kotalik, Ruutu, Souray, Regehr, Barker and goaltender DiPietro, they won’t be howling at the moon anymore (again – get it?).

25. COLORADO AVALANCHE – Good guy Kyle Saunders inherited a team essentially decimated by previous management last season and is slowly-but-surely turning it around. Primary offensive forces are Sharp, Sundin (if he makes it into the db), Legwand and Hagman, with Jovanovski, Kalinin, Liles, and White leading the defense and Niittymaki between the pipes. There’s an upswing in non-Octenegarian talent, but the West is rough and what’s on paper is just a bit too thin to expect too much this season. The roster is the size opposite of Tampa, with mostly man-mountains instead of scurrying hobbits on skates.

26. NEW YORK ISLANDERS – Honestly, the roster talent is thinner than my hairline and what the rankings show (not the first time I’ve done that here), but GM Tom Philips gets credit for on-ice abilities and is likely to take steps to add firepower, so we’ll bump it a few spots. The roster really needs work, though, with few guns outside of Brind’Amour, Paille, Fedotenko and Fedorov on offense. The defense is considerably better and has to be the strength of the team, led by Brewer, Blake, Phillips and Robidas. Huet is the man in net this year for the Isle. Regardless, it appears highly unlikely that the playoffs are in this team’s future this year, but there’s plenty of cap available and almost a league-record total of prospects and minor leaguers in the stable, so the future looks bright.

27. NEW JERSEY DEVILS – Good thing Brian knows CPR, as we sense a Code Blue coming. Just kidding, as there’s actually just enough here to make things interesting if further moves are made and Brian stays active and engaged the entire season. Frolov, Naslund, Nylander, Ribeiro and Zajac lead a fairly thin offense, but like much of the East, the defense is better, headlined by Keith, Martin, Clark and Pratt. Biron will try to hold off Smith and remain the Big Kahuna between the pipes. Like in real life, sleeping on the job will get you a flatline, Brian, so kick your coach, GM and players into high gear.

28. VANCOUVER CANUCKS – Luc might suffer a little bit from unknown-itis, as we just don’t have a sense for what he’ll do this season on the ice. He takes over a team that almost makes Anaheim look sprightly (notice I said almost), which is something that might work for the Ducks but shouldn’t be relied upon. We think Owen wanted to feel younger by collecting geriatrics like Lehtinen, Marchant, Parrish, Prospel, Smolinski and Reinprecht on offense, though the defense (outside of Gill) is younger and includes Jones, Morris, Tollefson and Montedor. Everyone send “run away!” thoughts toward Sergio’s mutt, as Luongo landed here in trade for Stamkos. Virtually no shot at anything except a rebuilding season.

29. COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS – Like with Vancouver, Steve #2 might be given the short-shrift in part de to newness to the league, as there is some talent offensively in Alfredsson, Gionta, Havlat and McDonald, along with Kaberle, Visnovsky, Wideman and Jackman defensively. It’s just not deep enough on either side, plus Legace is a substandard goaltender by most measures at this stage of his career. Chances here are exceedingly dim.

30. PHOENIX COYOTES – Surprise! A GM-less club smack dab at the bottom of the rankings. Hopefully that will not last long, as there are a couple of options for this team, including possibly the world’s oldest internet hockey player (no, not me, ass-wipes). In any event, the actual talent on this club is pretty good, with Demitra, Boyes, Cheechoo, Hartnell and Briere on offense, Rafalski, Timonen, Hannan and Commodore on defense. Kiprusoff and his golden glove and gold-laden contract are in net for the next four years (in theory). Depending upon if and when they get a GM, this team has the greatest opportunity to rise of just about any team in the league.

3 Comments

Hi Guys

Some Pre-season stats to wet your appetite

VHA 08/09 Pre-season


Keep checking that page for player stats. Still working out the kinks.

the new Bob

0 Comments

Due to the flood of the regular rif-raff I had to disable making comments on stories to just the registered GM's that have a account.

0 Comments

Pre Season server is up

Here's the link:
preseason files

Install aidata.viv
Install exhibition.exh

connect to server: 66.131.200.95
server pwd: check your email

0 Comments

Here's something to tie you over for the next month or so before NHL 09 is released.

- Roster is up to date with trades and UFA signings.
- There has been re-rates
- Updated aidata (with very subtle changes)
- Updated sliders (very subtle changes)

Feel free to try you line combinations and throw in a prospect or 2.

If someone knows how to make the fmisc.viv work for exhibition games online so it's an exact replica of season mode sliders, please let me know.

Here's the link:
exh, sliders and aidata

1 Comments

With free agency completed and rosters for the most part set, teams are now focusing on trades to further improve their chances for this upcoming season. I thought it might be fun to subjectively rank each team's potential top line, based upon current rosters. Key in on that word "subjective", boys - that means it's strictly opinion and since I'm ranking them, someone will be #1 and someone #30. By itself, it doesn't mean much, as guys like Dave Gove can land on top lines and produce in this game (do it, Mike!), but it's interesting nonetheless.

1. Montreal: Ovechkin - Richards - Tanguay

Whatever happened to the good old days when Montreal was just really good, not scary-assed ridiculous? You know you're on to something when Alex Tanguay is barely a top-line guy on your team. Ovechkin leads the universe in everything good. Le Sergio is le bitch favorite in le East, I'd say.

2. Detroit: Zetterberg - Kopitar - Semin

Freaky. No wonder stupid Detroit won the stinkin' Cup. They have about eighteen top-sixers on their roster, seemingly, led by these three studs. They actually look a lot like the real Wings, with a mixture of skating John McCains and snot-nosed pups.

3. New York Rangers: Horton - Spezza - St. Louis

Art's going to gyrate his roster a few more times before the season starts, so who knows if this will be it in October. For now, however, this line combines power, playmaking and sniping and is just a hair behind the top two. Suck on it, Art - the cigar, of course, from the old avatar (sickos).

4. Dallas: Vanek - Crosby - Parise

In real life, these three guys make about 20 kabillion dollars in combined salaries. Here, a mere $20 million, which means Dallas might have some depth issues ultimately, but they sure do have a hell of a top line. If he could sing at all, Crosby's nickname would be "Bing". Martin swears he'll be able to play his games this year. If so, most of us will be swearing at our computer screens when these three perform their magic.

5. Ottawa: Gagne - Thornton - Kostitsyn

Ottawa had to do something to replace former top-sixer Steve Sullivan, as he may go poof! in a puff of ice chips and disappear from the db. Thus, Gagne was brought in, and the combo of these three players put them on the map as far as top lines are concerned. One of my favorite Aliens characters is the sweaty, conniving Burke - sound familiar?

6. Florida: Rolston - Gomez - Pominville

Hard to argue with two 80+ point players and a 31 goal scorer on the same line. These aren't exactly household names, but neither is James' sister, and she scores just as frequently. Zzzzing! It's easy to be an internet tough guy, especially when the GM I'm insulting is feasting on kangaroo pita-pouch sandwiches 7,737 miles away.

7. Minnesota: Vrbata - Arnott - Doan

You know, you look at this top line and you think (with a slightly Slavic accent), "meh ... " But look closer. Doan and Arnott tallied over 70 points last year, and Vrbata had a career year himself. Considering the power, speed and savvy this line offers (in addition to production), it deserves its #7 ranking. Wasn't Robert Young Marcus Welby, MD?

8. Phoenix: D. Sedin - H. Sedin - Kotalik

Are the Sedins Siamese twins? They never, never, never are traded separately in any fantasy hockey league - ever - and continue to be linked together in VHA. It's ironic that Chris' top line is top-ten (and significantly better than mine, by the way) considering that, well, he hasn't a clue how to actually score in this game. Maybe that changes this year.

9. St. Louis: Hejduk - Drury - Hossa

I have to admit, I cannot understand Alcide one bit. He couldn't get rid of Zdeno Chara fast enough, to the degree that he even threatened to just sit him on the bench for two years if necessary. He hated him to the degree that he even traded the big club remnants of the Chara trade, flipping Paul Mara. However, he has a pretty sweet top line with these three stars. Not much else, mind you, but a top-ten top line. These guys may have to quadruple-shift this season. At least he'll have a butt-load of cap space in 2009 or 2010 or some other indeterminent year down the line.

10. Atlanta: Heatley - White - Iginla

Todd White is the blemish on this line, as he's the quadruped amidst tetrapods. Heatley and Iggy are as good as they come, however, so expect either a trade for somebody more deserving of top-line status, or a lot of center-to-wing passes. The two superstars overcome enough of White's "whiteness" to still rank Steve #1 and his Atlanta club in the top ten.

11. Anaheim: Whitney - Staal - Stillman

Cracks may be appearing in the elderly facade of this ancient Ducks team, but for now, Whitney and Stillman are still high producers and Staal is one of the better centers in the league. By the way, this is the younger of the top-two lines, as the duck flies. Quack! Craig won't trade Staal for all the tea in China, so stop inquiring, bitches.

12. San Jose: Smyth - Datsyuk - Dumont

I imagine Mike will be sorely tempted to stick Dave Gove up here and deepen his offensive depth. For now, though, these three represent a very good top line. It doesn't really matter, since San Jose does much of its scoring by guys named Gove, Mair and Larsen. I'm not sure there's a player I now hate more in the league than Adam Mair - other than, of course, Dave Gove.

13. Los Angeles: Brown - Jokinen - O'Sullivan

Dustin Brown went from whipping boy to whipping man last season, morphing into one of the top power forwards in the league. Maybe Olli should grow his mohawk again, as he dropped back a bit last season, but Patrick O'Sullivan's point-per-game emergence in the last 30 games of last season give hope to Kings fans everywhere - all 250 of them. My Jokinen is sexier than yours, Martin.

14. Columbus: Gionta - McDonald - Alfredsson

Some names just don't belong in certain sports: Willie is a lightning fast center fielder, not an NHL defenseman, for example. Andy is another name that doesn't really belong in hockey, but this one performs credibly, even if he isn't a true #1 center. Gionta isn't the 48 goal-scorer from two years ago anymore, but Alfredsson is still a studsson. Steve #2's bulb may be a bit dim, but there are players here that can light the lamp.

15. Colorado: Bouchard - Sundin - Sharp

We'd all take any of these three guys on our team, especially the ancient warrior Mats Sundin. Bouchard makes more passes than Bill Clinton at a Curves convention, and Sharp can be really ... you guessed it ... sharp most nights. Kyle must be hoping that Jovo-Cop can play goalie, too.

16. Washington: Kariya - Lecavalier - Erat

Darth could score with my mom (seriously, Will - she could use the action) if he wanted to, so having a studly top line isn't that critical for him, but this makes for a very strong top line, especially if Kariya bounces back this season. I circle the annual LA/Washington meeting on the calendar every year - it's a beating of horrific proportions. Can't I just forfeit?

17. Philadelphia: Zherdev - Carter - Lupul

Considering the fact that Philly put over $11M into four defensemen and is built from the net out, having the 17th best top line is icing on the cake. Of course, I haven't checked my emails yet, so a part of that cake has probably been sent elsewhere today. No major statistical studs here, but the average age here is about half of Anaheim's, so the whelps will continue to improve. Roark goes to the Hyslop school of scoring.

18. Tampa Bay: Nash - M. Richards - Svatos

Boom! Mike Richards was looking like a character guy/good third liner-type guy and then suddenly he explodes with 75 points last season. Rick Nash has "Rocket Richard" written all over him, and Svatos can flat-out score ... if he can stay healthy. Svatos' brittle nature and lack of an all-around game (11 assists last year) knock this line down a few pegs, but it has the potential to improve significantly. Pascal is going to need it, with Darth staking nearby and Matt shining up his President's trophy - not to mention James and Steve #1.

19. Nashville: Steen - Langkow - Gaborik

Daymond Langkow just doesn't seem like he should be anywhere near as good as he is. Maybe he's an optical illusion. Steen's growth appears to have stalled, but hey - it's Toronto (in real life). Meanwhile, Gaborik has shaken off the girl-name to become one of the top right wingers in the game. Larry graduated from the Finkel school of team-building with an A. Oddly, Brian barely passed.

20. Pittsburgh: Malone - Marleau - Sykora

Malone has become one of the better power forwards in the league, and Marleau is looking to rebound from his worst season in years. Meanwhile, Petr Sykora may have lost an "e", but he's found top-line status with 63 points after years of frustratingly aborted production. Talking to Val is like talking to HAL in "2001 - A Space Odyssey" - robotic, black-and-white with just a tinge of delusional paranoia. And that's on a good day.

21. Toronto: Selanne - Antropov - Ryder

Teemu might be 70, but he can party like it's 1999. Ryder was amazingly consistent until last year, when he was amazingly bad. Antropov means finally in Russian. Dave didn't do as well as Roark did at Hyslop's school, but he's done way better than Brian and equally as well as Larry at Brian's.

22. Buffalo: Shanahan - Horcoff - Hemsky

Like Philly, the offense is really just a plus in Buffalo. Shanahan is defying Mother Nature and the physical laws of botox by still producing at age 39, though top-line level is questionable. Horcoff and Hemsky are healthy, though both more playmakers than scorers. There's going to be a lot of passing the puck around by Rob until one of those stinkin' 80+ defensemen gets a clear shot.

23. Boston: Hartnell - Boyes - Demitra

Erich can make this work, even if Hartnell is more of a ho-hum second liner and Demitra means "Ow, my hamstring!" in Czech. Boyes is a man amongst boys now, late-blooming his way to 43 goals last season. The Northeast is just going to be insane this year.

24. New Jersey: Frolov - Ribeiro - Langenbrunner

Obviously, I've got a man-crush on Frolov (Brian, wake up and trade him to me) and Ribeiro has exploded into goodness, but between injuries, age and Langenbrunner, the Devils lose a few notches on the ladder. They've got work to do in other areas, but in a race between a glacier and Brian, I'm not sure who'd win.

25. Calgary: Kovalchuk - Umberger - Satan

I know what you're thinking: "What's the best free porn site on the internet?" Aside from that: "Why would a team with Kovalchuk rank just 25th on this list?" Well, let me 'splain it to you. For one, Kovalchuk struggled mightily on Brett's team last year, for what it's worth, even to the point of being demoted to the third line for a game or two. Secondly, Umberger is a solid second liner, but not really what you'd want up the middle on your top line. Lastly, Satan was bedeviled last year and wound up with his worst season in 11 years. Brett doesn't really care, he and Conforto fight over the scrubs, anyway.

26. Carolina: Brunette - Bergeron - Bernier

There's a palpable sense of "meh" between Brunette (age) and Bernier (stunted development), though Bergeron had two 70 point seasons in the NHL before missing virtually the entire season last year. Does it really matter? Arguably, the 'Canes are better than the President's trophy team they iced last year. What's the French word for bitches?

27. Edmonton: Elias - Conroy - Blake

Trevor is much like Matt or Conforto, in that it really doesn't matter what they put out there on the ice. This might be aptly named The Decline Line, as they've all seen better days, but they can still get it done. No matter what, Edmonton will be in the mix for the best record in the Western conference - again.

28. Vancouver: Lehtinen - Prospal - Ponikarovsky

Well, Luc has made his mark on this team, bringing in a legitimate top line LW in Jere Lehtinen. Unfortunately, it's not enough to raise the rankings above #28, and Luc has graduated from the Alcide school of strange trading strategies, so we'll see where things all end up. Sergiowen must be rolling in his grave.

29. New York Islanders: Fedotenko -Brind'Amour - Ryan

I get the feeling Tom won't put up with the wrong "Feds" playing on his top line. Brindy defies age every year and Ryan is emerging but unproven. Brindy alone gives him a legitimate top line center, but the others might not even dress for Montreal or Detroit. Trade about ten of those 4th rounders to me for Kobasew, Tom.

30. Chicago: Kilger - Morrison - Park

Chad's a great guy, a solid GM and may well be favored to win his division, but (holding nose) whew! - it's hard to pass this off as a top line in major junior hockey, much less the NHL. With respect to free agency, the Blackhawks turned into Blackchickens, as they just couldn't get it done. Then they woke up and realized they had a zillion extra dollars to spend - all dressed up and no one to blow (it on). I trust Chad will be doing something to add actual NHL'ers to his depleted roster. Better hurry.

0 Comments

The just-completed UFA season was the busiest in VHA history, as teams snapped up a bumper crop of free agents in efforts to bolster their lineups for the upcoming VHA 8 season. The following is one key signing or acquisition per team and its potential benefit for that club's chances this year:

Anaheim - Owen Nolan. Signed by the Ducks for significantly less than the real-life Nolan did with Minnesota this off-season, Anaheim may boast the oldest scoring line in VHA history ("Recchi, to Nolan, to Sakic - he scores!") this year, with apologies to some of Rob Parks' previous teams. This signing fits Craig, as he's never worried much about a pixelated simulation's age to begin with.

Atlanta - Jarome Iginla. Man, talk about a sweet top line: Iginla, Heatley and ... ehh ... Kopecky? Ok, well, maybe two-thirds of one. They may have to work some trade magic to get the caliber of player they need to center those two studs. For a complete computer geek, Steve #1 is never afraid to talk deal. Granted, that description applies to just about all of us.

Boston - Brian Rafalski. The B's lost a lot to free agency, but they sure gained a #1 defenseman when they landed him for a cool $6.5M/year on a four-year deal. The offense may need another piece or two, but these Bruins have been seriously re-tooled. Heh heh heh ... he said "tool".

Buffalo - Tom Gilbert. A year ago, 90% of us would have responded with, "Who the f**k is that?" when his name was mentioned. This year, it's just 50%. Nevertheless, this former 4th rounder inked a nice $3.75M/4 year pact with the Sabres this offseason, continuing Buffalo's long tradition of employing 80+ rated defensemen and then positioning them all either IN the net, or within one foot of the goalie to block everything in sight. Expect more of the same this year.

Calgary - Andreas Lilja. The reason I'm profiling him is because he fits Brett's team-building strategy to a tee: real-life scruboid who will doubtlessly grunt and hammer his way to a good season for the Flames, regardless of his ratings or stature. Has anyone ever seen Brett Johnson and Mike Conforto in the same room at the same time?

Carolina - Brian Campbell. The plum of the free agent defensemen, Campbell had the TT placed on him by Anaheim. Carolina's megabucks $6.85M/4 year offer, however, was too rich for Anaheim's blood - not to mention Campbell being about ten years younger than the Ducks typically like to see in a player. The Canes also nabbed Savard, but need more work on the offense before its all said and done.

Chicago - Andrei Markov. Continuing the offseason of big bucks defensemen signings, Markov had $5.9M reasons to land in Chicago. Unfortunately for Chad, he still has $13.3M reasons to buy more players with basically just Johnson and Conforto-style stiffs still available. No worry, however, as Chicago is always active on the trade front.

Colorado - Ed Jovanovski. Yet ANOTHER big-name defenseman changing teams, this time moving 5,200 feet straight up in the air to the Mile High city. The defense looks pretty damn solid, but the fans are going to be chanting "Bring back Foppa!" if Sundin doesn't get it done this year. It's good to see Chris Neil still on the team - he and Alex Ovechkin had a legendary race for most points after the All Star break a few years ago.

Columbus - Tomas Kaberle. That's seven straight defensemen I've profiled, boys. Kaberle was a TT match by our Newfie-esque Steve #2, who argued with HIMSELF in his own email before finally announcing that he was matching the Kaberle offer sheet and retaining him. This team looks to have about, oh, $53M in available cap space next year with all the UFAs it currently has. Go, BJ's!

Dallas - Jussi Jokinen. When you've already spent $9.3M/4 on arguably the world's greatest player, you can't spend much more than $2.75M/3 on a player to sit on his right wing. Vanek - Crosby - Jokinen should make for one of the better top lines in the league. It's too bad "Toskala" means "Cloutier" (which means "Beach Ball" in French) in Finnish. Just kidding, Martin.

Detroit - Johan Franzen. Inflation caught up with this 28 year old power forward, who notched 27 goals but only 38 points, and yet is making a cool $3M/year over four years. Thy Cup runneth over, Henry. 29 teams now want to piss in it, then dump it over your head.

Edmonton - Mark Streit. Yet ANOTHER large-dollar defensive signing. Curiously, for maybe 2/3rds of the UFA period, Streit was getting little action until finally the Oil stepped up gave him five million reasons to be impressed. A few years ago, Edmonton would only do business with Canadians, but now that the local dollar has exploded, chants of U-S-A! U-S-A! and S-W-I-T-Z-E-R-L-A-N-D! S-W-I-T-Z-E-R-L-A-N-D! reverberate through Rexall Place.

Florida - Scott Gomez. Gomez can now laugh at the retro-70's "Frito Bandito" commercials, as with $28M in his pocket over four years, he could practically buy Frito-Lay. Now only if Hammond were as free with his pocketbook as his cyber counterpart and would actually upgrade from dialup to broadband so that he could play a few damn games.

Los Angeles - Willie Mitchell. Not exactly as sexy a signing as Brian Campbell, but L.A. didn't exactly have the cap room, either. Having lost their first division crown in years, the Kings are adopting division-champion San Jose's no-name strategy this season. I wonder if Conforto would consider a Jokinen-for-Gove deal WITHOUT me having to add a first rounder?

Minnesota - Shane Doan. Considering some of the inflation we saw, this $4.3M/3 deal was pretty reasonable, though 90% of the league has a general bias against 31+ year old players. Val, Craig and sometimes Parks - I'm not talking about you. Keep an eye on the Wild this season.

Montreal - Alexandre Ovechkin. Yes, I know they obtained him two years ago, but $9M/year for two years is worth reporting. With Luongo now firmly esconced in Vancouver, the Habs may figure they need to borrow a bit from the (everyone get ready to cringe here) Elliot Grossbard playbook and outscore their opponents. Speaking of which, has anyone ever seen Elliot and Sergio in the ... n/m.

Nashville - Daymond Langkow. Is this finally the year Larry breaks through? Slowly but surely, this team is looking better and better, and the Preds fought the good fight much of last season before falling short. Langkow and Gaborik make for most of a really nice top line. Of course, with 100 trades left for him to go this offseason, who knows how it will all ultimately shake out.

New Jersey - Mike Ribeiro. After decisively remaining indecisive, Brian threw caution to the wind and landed him with a $5M/4 deal. This team appears to have "sleeper" written all over it. Of course, one could say that about its coach/GM as well.

New York Islanders - Chris Phillips. Back to the defensemen! Phillips is noteworthy as a TT'd player who was wooed away by a well-structured offer. The Islanders have a bit of San Jose/Calgary in them with a studs-and-scrubs lineup, but with a gigantic farm system, the future is bright. Now, if only Tom can get keep his mitts off the drunken female barflies long enough to play all of his games ...

New York Rangers - Henrik Lundqvist. Not a ton of cap room in the land of obnoxiously partisan citizens, traffic jams and dilapidated skyscrapers, so big-name free agents weren't really in the offing. However, Lundqvist solidified New York's goaltending for four years by signing a $5.5M/year pact. I miss the cigar-chomping car salesman avatar we had for Art on the old board. Bring it back!

Ottawa - Simon Gagne. Trading for Gagne gave the Senators a bona fide top line of Gagne, Thornton and Sullivan, though the latter was out all year with injuries, so his future is uncertain. The Sens have been cap-strapped ever since, however, so work needs to be done to give them a little more flexibility - not that Rob isn't above attempting a little creative structuring when need be.

Philadelphia - Todd Bertuzzi. Don't unpack your bags, Bert. Having said that, all is well in Flyer-land, as they appear able to roll out four solid lines, a strong defense and capable goaltending. If Bill sticks with this team through the summer, I'll eat my hat. Whaddaya know, just as I'm writing this, a three-team deal involving the Flyers just popped into my email box. Big shock!

Phoenix - Rick DiPietro. A trade this offseason netted them 99-ietro, and the club appears to be building around him. Good thing, as Phoenix scored about a goal every third game last year, or at least it seemed that way. The Sedins hope to help turn that around this year.

Pittsburgh - Alex Kovalev. After getting denied on a few earlier tries, Val finally opened up his wallet and slathered Kovalev with a deal he just couldn't refuse: $6.25M/3. His team may have an average age of about 48, but the pieces appear to be there and the farm is burgeoning with wanna-be's, so there's hope amidst the recessionary rust belt steel mill workers.

St. Louis - Milan Hejduk. St. Louis forgot a zero or two in most of their initial free agent offers, as the players laughed at the palpably low numbers. Toward the end of the process, however, Al figured out that more money = better chances and landed Hejduk with a $6M/4 year offer. A strange trading strategy and an early desire to clear cap space for NEXT season may make this one a long one for St. Louis fans, but we'll see.

San Jose - Dave Gove. I'm sorry, I just HAD to profile him. As I was losing something like five out of eight games against SJ last year, guys like Gove were killing me. Gove becomes a UFA, sits there unwanted for a while until - kaPOW! - San Jose re-acquires with with a three-year, $500k offer. I love it. Gove - Mair - Battaglia may end up being the most overachieving scoring line in VHA history this year, usurping the Gove - Mair - Tapper line LAST year.

Tampa - Dan Boyle. Defense rules! $5.5M/3 makes Boyle a very happy man. This appears to be a team in transition, but with Brodeur in net and some pieces in place, they may surprise, although the division is just ridiculously strong. 90-year old seniors can learn to love hockey down there - if they can just stay awake long enough.

Toronto - Michael Ryder. "Easy" had his offer sheet matched by the Leafs, so he's sticking around for $3M/4. The defense and goaltending look to be the strongest part of this team, however, though a goodly amount of cap space exists for Andrews to continue to paint with. Unlike the real Leafs, this one can make the playoffs.

Vancouver - Vaclav Prospal. Adios, Owen. After his complete disappearance, Sergiowen took over management of the team and landed a few very nice pieces, especially Prospal ($5.25M/4). Prior to that, the lineup was looking decidedly Dave Gove-ish. Now watch Gove beat me give more times a year on Conforto's second line.

Washington - Sergei Samsonov. Welcome back, Sergei! Will's always had an unnatural love for this Russian off-again, on-again sniper. Last year's resurgence netted him a $2.5M/4 year deal with the Caps. Of course, Will can score with anyone - even Dave Gove.

0 Comments

0 Comments