2011 Offseason Recap - Northeast Division

Boston Bruins - 2
Best Possible Finish - 1st in division, 1st in conference
Projected Points Leader - David Krejci, 27-54-81
Signings
July 1: LW Benoit Pouliot, one year, $1.1 million

Trades
July 5: D Joe Corvo from CAR for 4th round pick (2012)

Departures
RW Mark Recchi - retirement
D Tomas Kaberle - CAR
RW Michael Ryder - DAL

What to Expect
Hardly anything has changed from last year, so you can expect more of the same dominance. They lost Ryder, who tied for third on team goals and fourth in points in the playoffs, and Recchi who, at 43, was still an important piece of the champion ship with seven points in the final including four assists in the last two games. Their offensive contributions won't be missed if Tyler Seguin has anything to say about it. He showed small glimpses of stardom last year, including six points in his first two playoff games and should be able to play with a lot more consistency in his sophomore season. Kaberle was pretty much along for the ride, so seeing him leave won't be difficult. Joe Corvo comes in from Carolina to take Kaberle's spot and help the powerplay, one of the few weaknesses in Boston. If Tim Thomas can play anywhere near the level he did last year, the Bruins have an incredible shot at repeating.


Buffalo Sabres - 6
Best Possible Finish - 2nd in division, 4th in conference
Projected Points Leader - Thomas Vanek 39-44-82
Key Signings
July 19: LW Matt Ellis, two years, $1.05 million, $525,000 cap hit
July 7:  G Drew MacIntyre, one year, $525,000
July 7: LW Colin Stuart, one year, $525,000
July 1: C Ville Leino (PHI), six years, $27 million, $4,500,000 cap hit
July 1: LW Cody McCormick, three years, $3.6 million, $1,200,000 cap hit
June 30: D Christian Ehrhoff, 10 years, $40 million, $4,000,000 cap hit


Trades
June 29: 7th round pick (2012 or 2013) from CHI for D Steve Montador
June 29: D Christian Ehrhoff from NYI for 4th round pick (2012)
June 25: D Robyn Regehr, RW Ales Kotalik, 2nd round pick (2012) from CAL for D Chris Butler, C Paul Byron

Departures
C Tim Connolly - TOR
C Rob Niedermayer - SEL, Lugano
RW Mark Parrish - OTT
G Patrick Lalime - retirement

What to Expect
The Sabres were able to improve via outside sources for the first time in a long time thanks to new owner Terry Pegula. New defensemen Christian Ehrhoff and Robyn Regehr are going to make life a lot easier for Ryan Miller, who once again will be the backbone of the team. Last year the Sabres were 17th in the NHL in shots against (30.7 per game), but there will be a major improvement in that area. Ville Leino is an upgrade over Tim Connolly and having him asked to play a more prominent offensive role along with Derek Roy healthy for a full season will keep the Sabres in the top-third in offense. This has the potential to be a very deadly team, but they are still $3,595,357 over the salary cap according to capgeek.com, so they still need to make some moves. Regardless, Ryan Miller will likely be a Vezina Trophy nominee by season's end, so expect a rise in the standings for the Sabres.

Montreal Canadiens - 8
Best Possible Finish - 2nd in division, 5th in conference
Projected Points Leader - Tomas Plekanec, 26-45-71
Signings
Aug. 15: D Jeff Woywitka (DAL), one year, $650,000
July7: RW Brian Willsie (WAS), one year, $600,000
July 5: G Nathan Lawson (NYI), one year, $550,000
July 1: RW Erik Cole (CAR), four years, $18 million, $4,500,000 cap hit
July 1: G Peter Budaj (COL), two years, $2.3 million, $1,150,000 cap hit
June 23: D Andrei Markov, three years, $17.25 million, $5,750,000 cap hit
June 10: LW Mathieu Darche, one year, $700,000
May 31: D Hal Gill, one year, $2.25 million


Trades
July 15: D Mark Mitera from ANA for D Mathieu Carle
July 7: RW Mike Blunden from CLB for C Ryan Russell
June 29: 7th round pick (2012) from CLB for D James Wisniewski
June 25: 4th round pick (2011, D Josiah Didier), 4th round pick (2011, LW Olivier Archambault) from WIN for 4th round pick (2011, D Zachary Yuen)

Departures
D Roman Hamrlik - WAS
C Jeff Halpern - WAS
LW Benoit Pouliot - BOS
G Alex Auld - OTT
D Alex Picard - PIT
G Drew MacIntyre - BUF
C Tom Pyatt - TB

What to Expect
It appears Carey Price has arrived as a legitimate number one goalie so there are no concerns in the crease. Hamrlik was a steady defenseman, but gaining Andrei Markov and Josh Gorges back from injured reserve will offset any loss felt there. How they hold up is going to go a long way towards determining Montreal's seed in the standings. Mike Cammalleri should once again pot 35 goals and they finally have a big body up front in Erik Cole, but if Scott Gomez can't put together a much better season, their 22nd ranked offense will improve, but not drastically. P.K. Subban should be an even bigger contributor on offense this season. They will once again be a scrappy team on their way to one of the last playoff spots.


Toronto Maple Leafs - 9
Best Possible Finish - 3rd in division, 8th in conference
Projected Points Leader - Phil Kessel, 38-32-70
Signings
July 19: RW Joey Crabb, one year, $750,000
July 12: C Mike Zigomanis, one year, $650,000
July 6: C Philippe Dupuis, one year, $650,000
July 2: C Tim Connolly (BUF), two years, $9.5 million, $4,750,000 cap hit
June 29: LW Jay Rosehill, one year, $600,000


Trades
July 3: D Cody Franson, C Matthew Lombardi, 4th round pick (2013, conditional) from NSH for D Brett Lebda, LW Robert Slaney, 4th round pick (2013, conditional)
June 25: 6th round pick from ANA for 6th round pick (2011, D Josh Manson)
June 24: D John-Michael Liles from COL for 2nd round pick (2012)
June 24: 1st round pick (2011, RW Tyler Biggs) from ANA for 1st round pick (2011, RW Rickard Rakell), 2nd round pick (2011, G John Gibson)

Departures
G Jean-Sebastien Giguere - COL
C Tim Brent - CAR
D Danny Richmond - WAS
C Christian Hanson - WAS


What to Expect
There are still a lot of question n the forward lines. Clarke MacArthur, Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin make one of the best second lines in the NHL, so in fact, they have usurp Phil Kessel's line if he cannot figure the whole consistency thing out. Tim Connolly can be helpful in that department if he manages to stay healthy. The Leafs are risking $9.5 million on a players whoo has reached the 70-game mark once since 2002-03. Luke Schenn and Keith Aulie are constantly improving and Dion Phaneuf looked a little like his old self in the second half of the season; if so, the defense will be much more stable. That, combined with James Reimer who looked to have a handle on the riens of the goaltending position as the end of the season, will vastly improve their 2.99 goals-against average from last year. He just has to avoid going the way of Steve Mason. The Leafs will be a little less streaky and give their fan base a glimmer of hope throughout the entire year, instead of just the last few months, before ultimately falling just short of the playoffs.


Ottawa Senators - 15
Best Possible Finish - 4th in division, 12th in conference
Projected Points Leader - Jason Spezza, 28-38-66
Signings
July 11: D Tim Conboy (BUF), one year, $600,000
July 11: D Lee Sweatt (VAN), two years, $1.3 million, $650,000 cap hit
July 8: G Mike McKenna (NJ), one year, $550,000
July 8: RW Mark Parrish (BUF), one year, $650,000
July 5: C Zenon Konopka (NYI), one year, $700,000
July 1: RW Francis Lessard, one year, $550,000
July 1: G Alex Auld (MTL), one year, $1 million


Trades
June 25: LW Nikita Filatov from CLB for 3rd round pick (2011, C TJ Tynan)
June 24: 1st round pick (2011, LW Matt Puempel) from DET for 2nd round pick (2011, RW Tomas Jurco), 2nd round pick (2011, D Xavier Ouellet)

Departures
RW Ryan Shannon - TB
G Curtis McElhinney - PHO
C Cody Bass - CLB
C Ryan Potulny - WAS
D Derek Smith - CAL

What to Expect
Short answer: not much. There is a major shift going on in Canada's capital and they may be the Eastern Conference version of the Edmonton Oilers for the next few years. Though Daniel Alfredsson is only one season removed from a string of six out of seven seasons averaging over a point per game, it is unlikely he will approach those numbers again. That leaves Jason Spezza and Milan Michalek as the only other players who have proven they can put up points. Right winger Bobby Butler and defenseman Erik Karlsson will start to take over as the future stars of the team. While Craig Anderson is capable of playing extraordinary hockey and making a team play beyond its capabilities, it would take a Herculean effort for him to drag this club out of the basement. Sergei Gonchar had a down year to put it mildly and Chris Phillips is there mainly as a tutor for the young players. So keep an eye on Butler, Karlsson, Erik Condra, Jared Cowen, David Rundblad and Nikita Filatov, as they will be trying to cement their roles on the team for the foreseeable future. 

2011 Offseason Recap - Atlantic Division

My Offseason Recaps seemed to do good last year, so I figured why not do them again. It's the same format, listing all key moves along with my predicted conference placement for each team come season's end. And just for fun, I added what I think the highest position they can possibly reach, if everything clicks perfectly and they get a little luck as well. Players are listed with their contract term, salary and cap hits, though cap hit is omitted if it is just a one-year contract because then the salary and cap hit is the same.

I'll be releasing one of these per day, so look for the remaining five divisions on Facebook and Twitter.


Philadelphia Flyers - 3
Best Possible Finish - 1st in division, 1st in conference
Projected Points Leader - Claude Giroux, 32-56-88
Key Signings
June 23: G Ilya Bryzgalov, nine years, $51 million, $5,666,667 cap hit
July 1: RW Jaromir Jagr (KHL, Omsk Avangard), one year, $3.3 million
July 1: D Andreas Lilja (ANA), one year, $750,000
July 1: C Maxime Talbot (PIT), five years, $8.75 million, $1.8 million cap hit
Aug. 30: LW James van Riemsdyk, six years, $25.5 million, $4.25 million cap hit


Trades

July 1: 2nd round pick (2012 or 2013), 3rd round pick (2012) from FLA for RW Kris Versteeg

June 27: 3rd round pick (2013) from MIN for C Darroll Powe

June 23: RW Wayne Simmonds, C Brayden Schenn, 2nd round pick (2012) from LA for C Mike Richards, C Rob Bordson

June 23: RW Jakub Voracek, 1st round pick (2011, C Sean Couturier), 3rd round pick (2011, C Nick Cousins) from CLB for C Jeff Carter
June 7: G Ilya Bryzgalov from PHO for LW Matt Clackson, 3rd round pick (2012), future considerations

Departures

C Ville Leino - BUF
D Sean O'Donnell - CHI
G Brian Boucher - CAR
LW Dan Carcillo - CHI
D Danny Syvret - STL

What to Expect
The Flyers finished 11th in the league last season in goals-against average (2.63) and that was with a shaky duo of Brian Boucher and Sergei Bobrovsky. That number is bound to improve with the acquisition of Ilya Bryzgalov. His stable presence will go a long way towards offsetting the major shakeup at forward. They may not finish in the top three in offense again (3.12 goals per game last season), but a budding James van Riemsdyk and the return of Jaromir Jagr is going to help out a lot. Taking him on is certainly a gamble, but the Flyers should take solace in knowing whatever he does this season can't possibly be as bad as the last mark he left on the NHL. If Chris Pronger is healthy there will be few concerns. The Flyers should be more consistent this season and if all things click, they'll capture the division title for consecutive years for the first time since 1994-95 and '95-96 seasons. However they'll need a lot of luck because right on their heels are the...


Pittsburgh Penguins - 4
Best Possible Finish - 1st in division, 1st in conference
Projected Points Leader - Evgeni Malkin, 42-67-109
Key Signings
July 1: RW Tyler Kennedy, two years, $4 million, $2,000,000 cap hit
June 29: RW Arron Asham, one year, $775,000
June 28: RW Pascal Dupuis, two years, $3 million, $1,500,000 cap hit
June 8: RW Craig Adams, two years, $1.35 million, $675,000 cap hit

Trades
none


Departures
RW Eric Godard - DAL
C Maxime Talbot -PHI
C Mike Rupp - NYR
LW Brett Sterling - STL
D Corey Potter - EDM

What to Expect
I put the Penguins just below the Flyers because of the uncertainty of Sidney Crosby. I imagine GM Ray Shero will want to take every precaution necessary to ensure his franchise player is able to play 10 years from now. Sacrificing one season is better than risking a shortened career like Eric Lindros, Peter Forsberg and many others. Beyond that, the Pens showed last season they can play just fine without their top two players. Jordan Staal showed he can be a 60-70 point guy and Malkin is working hard to strengthen his knee. They kept a major chunk of their role players, but losing Talbot and Rupp may hurt a little bit. They didn't lose anyone of significance on a defense that finished sixth overall in goals-against average (2.39) last season. If Crosby manages to play a significant portion of the season though, Pittsburgh will take the division and challenge Washington for first in the conference.


New York Rangers - 5
Best Possible Finish - 2nd in division, 4th in conference
Projected Points Leader - Brad Richards, 26-58-84
Key Signings
July 2: C Brad Richards (DAL), nine years, $60 million, $6,666,667 cap hit
July 1: LW Ruslan Fedotenko, one year, $1.4 million
July 1: C Mike Rupp (PIT), three years, $4.5 million, $1,500,000 cap hit


Trades
July 2: RW Andreas Thuresson from NSH for LW Brodie Dupont
June 25: 3rd round pick (2011, C Steven Fogarty) from STL for C Evgeny Grachev
June 25: 6th round pick (2011, D Peter Ceresnak) from NSH for 6th round pick (2012)
June 1: D Tim Erixon, 5th round pick (2011, RW Shane McColgan) from CAL for C Roman Horak, 2nd round pick (2011, C Markus Granlund), 2nd round pick (2011, D Tyler Wotherspoon)

Departures
LW Alex Frolov - KHL, Omsk Avangard
D Matt Gilroy - TB
LW Vinny Prospal - CLB

What to Expect
I really like what is going on in Manhattan and I think the Rangers are an underrated team. This is assuming Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik mesh well, of course, but if they do the Rangers have a great first line to go along a fine collection of serviceable role players and Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan are ready to be counted in among the best players in the game. Their development along with that of Derek Stepan, Brian Boyle and Artem Anitimov will more thanoffset the loss of veterans Vinny Prospal and Alex Frolov. They have a young, but steady and maturing defense playing in front of what I believe is he most technically sound goalie in the NHL in Henrik Lundqvist. The Rangers were fifth in goals-against average and they are only going to get better while Lundqvist wants to finally capture the Vezina Trophy. Unlike many previous years, they have a good deal of depth and youth.


New Jersey Devils - 11
Best Possible Finish - 3rd in division, 8th in conference
Projected Points Leader - Zach Parise, 42-47-89
Key Signings
D Andy Greene, four years, $12 million, $3,000,000 cap hit
G Johan Hedberg, one year, $1.25 million
RW Cam Janssen (STL), one year, $525,000
LW Eric Boulton (WIN), two years, $1.325 million, $662,500 cap hit

Trades
July 28: RW Trent Hunter from NYI for LW Brian Rolston
July 12: 5th round pick (2012) from CAL for LW Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond
June 16: D Maxim Noreau from MIN for C David McIntyre

Departures
D Colin White - SJ
D Anssi Salmela - KHL, Omsk Avangard
RW Trent Hunter - buyout
G Mike McKenna - OTT

What to Expect
I don't think it will take long for the Devils to rebuild, but it won't happen this year. They aren't going to be terrible, but there are too many holes, especially on defense, for them to be a major factor. Now they won't be nearly as bad as they were the first half of last season, but you can't expect them to go on a run  like they did over the second half either. Their play wil likely even out and they will finish in the same spot. Having Zach Parise for a ful season will improve the worst offense in the NHL last year. Both he and Ilya Kovalchuk should threaten the 40-goal mark this season and Travis Zajac should be back near 70 points. There is just very little to like on defense however, aside from fourth overall pick Adam Larsson. Both goalies are in their late-30s so game will be played much more evenly than in the past.


New York Islanders - 14
Best Possible Finish - 4th in division, 12th in conference
Projected Points Leader - John Tavares, 35-42-77
Key Signings
June 17: Trevor Gillies, one year, $625,000
July 1: C Marty Reasoner (FLA), two years, $2.7 million, $1,350,000 cap hit


Trades
July 28: LW Brian Rolston from NJ for RW Trent Hunter
June 29: 4th round pick (2012) from BUF for D Christian Ehrhoff
June 28: D Christian Ehrhoff from VAN for 4th round pick (2012)
June 25: future considerations from TB for D Bruno Gervais

  Departures
C Zenon Konopka - OTT
D Jack Hillen - NSH
G Nathan Lawson - MTL
D Radek Martinek - CLB
C Doug Weight - retirement

What to Expect
The young players will continue to grow and give a glimpse of what the future is going to be built around, but that will be one of the few positive note for the Islanders. Another is the return of Mark They are still paper thin on defense and there is no teling just how the goaltending situation will unfold. Kyle Okposo should be healthy and Nino Niederreiter will have every opportunity to earn a permanent spot on the roster. They will combine with John Tavares and Michael Grabner in what could be the first season of an offense that will carry the team for the next decade. This is likely to be their last season in the very bottom of the conference, but with a weak lineup and major questions concerning management and a new arena the dark days will continue for the time being on Long Island. 

My Favorite Hockey Moments

Earlier this week, The Hockey News' Rory Boylen wrote an article about some of the top hockey moments in history, which got me thinking about my favorite moments. And as it turns out, his and my top moment is the same one. As much as I've been through already, Winter Classics, the Olympics, the Stanley Cup final, interning for THN, everything starts with Ray Bourque accepting the Stanley Cup from Joe Sakic in 2001. It isn't my first hockey memory, that would be a Flyers 2-1 win over the Bruins at the old Spectrum back in the shortened 1995 season, that is the game that got me hooked on the sport. I was only 12 at the time and hardly knew anything of Bourque's career, but the humble gesture from Sakic and the passion in Bourque's eyes immediately turned me into a hockey junkie.

Every other event I've seen, been to or been a part of have all been a result of that moment, making it my top moment no matter what. But that is far from being the only great moment I have ever lived through. Obviously being at a game in person is way better than watching one on TV, so I doubt anything can top the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. There were so many great moments, each game was an absolute wonder, I can't list them all, but here are a couple of personal highlights.

• Alex Ovechkin's hit on Jaromir Jagr
• Peter Forsberg's last point in North America, an assist on a goal by Patric Hornqvist against Slovakia.
• Shannon Szabados' glove hand in the women's gold medal game, one of the best goaltending performances I have ever seen.
• Team USA's complete dominance over Finland in the semifinal, scoring six goals in the first 12:46 and coasting to an easy 6-1 victory to get to the gold medal game.
• Tim Thomas' realization of a dream come true and participating in Olympic hockey at the end of that same game. 

There are plenty of other moments there, I would list every moment of action if I could, but let's move on shall we?

I was a big football fan when I was younger and I always wanted to go to a game whoile it was snowing. Those games in Foxborough and Green Bay looked magical on TV and would be an epic event to be a part of. That finally happened on Jan. 1, 2008 at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, NY, though I never thought it would be for a hockey game. Out of the four Winter Classics, the snow globe effect and Sidney Crosby shootout winner made for a remarkable day of hockey in what was surely one of the greatest sights to behold in NHL history. 

I have watched the Flyers force Game 7 against the Bruins during their epic comeback in 2010; the Chicago Blackhawks end the longest Cup drought in NHL history (I'll admit, my vision was blurry at the end of the night); Keith Primeau almost single-handedly force Game 7 against the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004 in the most determined performance I have witnessed; Simon Gagne beat Atlanta on a penalty shot with a minute to go from the bowels of the Wachovia Center moments before winning a Primeau autographed, game-used jersey only a few months before his epic playoff performance; Forsberg own the puck and go through the entire Sabres team before dishing it to Eric Desjardins (one of my worst hockey memories followed four days later when the Sabres, up 3-2 in their first round series, destroyed the Flyers 7-1 in Philly); games in Ottawa, Buffalo and Boston in three consecutive nights. 

And of course, I cannot forget about my internship. The guys at THN were incredible to work with and every moment of my four months there was incredible. From sitting the the press box for the first time to playing in the Business of Hockey Cup (even though we finished last) on my last day, it was an experience I won't forget anytime soon.

There are moments in history I look up to as well. One Boylen left out was the Miracle on Ice. Sure, Canadians will try to tell you the Summit Series is the greatest moment, but there is a major difference between the two. Sure, they both went up against a hockey and real-world superpower and were able to come out victorious, but the Canadian team was made up of the best professionals the NHL had to offer. Meanwhile Team USA was made up of a bunch of ragtag college kids who only a few months earlier couldn't stand to be on the same ice as one another. They came together, beat all odds and were part of what many call the greatest sports moment in history. "Do you believe in miracles?" Hell yes I do.

The Soviets were the victim of another loss a few years earlier, this time to the Flyers. Many people disliked Philly for their rough and tumble (to put it lightly) style of play, but everyone was a Flyers fan on that night. The Flyers won 4-1 and sent the Soviets home. The Miracle on Manchester is an epic game I have on DVD and watch all the time. The Kings were underdogs to say the least and this game is perhaps the greatest single-game comeback in NHL history. There was Mario Lemieux's comeback from cancer (how many opposing players can say they got a standing ovation in Philly?); Primeau's goal in the fifth overtime against Pittsburgh; Petr Klima's third-OT goal against Boston during only his second shift of the extra frames after the power went out; and Paul Kariya's goal after being flattened by Scott Stevens in the 2003 final. 

These are just some of my favorite moments. There are so many to choose from as each year brings us more and more great stories and moments. Of course, the top hockey moments are not always good. Here are TSN's top infamous hockey moments and their top crazy moments of all-time, part one and part two.

What are your favorite memories? Leave a comment or let me know on Twitter.

The NHL. My Way

Starting next season, there will be some moves around the NHL coming from the relocation of the Atlanta Thrashers to Winnipeg and the return of the Jets. Several other teams could possibly be moved as well, most likely Phoenix, Columbus and the Islanders, meaning there could be some massive changes coming. The most common theory is there will only be two divisions in each conference. Adam Proteau of The Hockey News even proposed the idea of getting rid of divisions all together.

The NHL is sure going to look different a year from now. Here is how the NHL should look like and operate in my opinion. First I'll start with the divisions.


Wayne Gretzky Conference
Marcel Dionne Division: Anaheim, Calgary, Dallas, Edmonton, Los Angeles, San, Jose, Vancouver
Gordie Howe Division: Chicago, Colorado, Detroit, Minnesota, Nashville, St. Louis, Saskatoon, Winnipeg
Bobby Orr Confernce
Mario Lemieux Division: Carolina, New Jersey, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Washington
Maurice Richard Division: Boston, Buffalo, Columbus, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec, Toronto

Obviously I've narrowed it down to two division per conference and renamed them after some of the all-time greats. Obviously I've relocated a few more teams, moving the Florida Panthers (we really don't need two teams in Florida) and the Phoenix Coyotes (really seems like only a matter of time, doesn't it) and moved them to Quebec and Saskatoon, bringing the total number of teams in Canada up to nine. It would be great to see the Montreal/Quebec rivalry again and Western Canada deserves another team. I was trying to figure out where to put the third relocated team and decided on Saskatoon to avoid an issue we could see next season and that is Winnipeg being the only Canadian team in their division. Saskatchewan is home to a number of junior teams and fans there deserve a shot with a professional team.

I have kept Detroit, a popular choice to move over to the Eastern/Orr Conference, where they are. Breaking up the Red Wings/Blackhawks rivalry, not to mention leaving Chicago as the only Original Six team in the conference, just couldn't happen, so I left Detroit alone and moved Columbus over to the weaker conference where they may actually have a chance to make the playoffs (but still probably not). The Mario Lemieux Division is comprised of the Atlantic Division and the three remaining teams from the Southeast Division while the Northeast Division  is also in tact in addition to Columbus and Quebec. This alignment should keep all the major rivalries together.

The schedule would be trimmed slightly to 80 games to cut down on a few three games in four nights situations for each team. Every team would be guaranteed to visit each building once with a home and home against the opposite conference and the remaining 50 games would be against their own conference. Each fan base deserves to see Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Steven Stamkos and every other star in the league. I would also get rid of the loser point and just go by wins and losses. Points would still be kept for historical comparisons, but when the only options are two points or none, you don't need to bother with points for current standings.

I have some ideas for the next CBA too. First, there will be a maximum contract length of 10 years. Something needs to be done or these long contracts are going to get out of hand pretty soon. Also, any contract with a cap hit greater than $4 million cannot be buried in the minors. This may cause teams to think twice before handing out $7 million a year to a number one center who scores 15 goals on a good year or a defenseman who can't play defense. Owners and GMs need to be protected from themselves and this would cause them to think twice about ridiculous contracts. I would also take away the cap floor. While the NHL wants teams to be on an even playing field, handing out over-priced contracts just to make the floor, much like Florida has been doing this summer, is pointless and redundant.

I would really like to fix the uniforms. Here are some things I would take away: apron striping (vertical stripes don't work on a hockey jersey and they clash with the 'C' and 'A'), curved/unfinished stripes on socks (these just look bad, nicknames used as the logo (what's next? PENS? FLYBOYS? CANES? DOGS? Stop it now!), small numbers above the logo (though something like Dallas' is OK) and, of course, the home team would go back to wearing white.

Lastly, here are some final random rule changes.

• Visors are mandatory.
• The Norris Trophy will be for best all-around defenseman and a new trophy (the Rod Langway Trophy) will be made for best defensive defenseman. 
• Fights as a direct result of a clean hit will result in a power play.
• All hits to the head are banned, accidental or not.
• Hybrid icing introduced. The whistle will be blown when the puck crosses the goal line unless the offending team is closer when they reach the faceoff circle. 
• Elbow pads must have a soft outer shell. 
• Referees will go back to having their names on their uniform instead of a number. 

Another Failure, Another Blow-Up In Philly

Philadelphia Flyers GM Paul Holmgren is going to have to learn some patience. If every plan of his doesn't work out in the first few tries, Philly fans are going to see an entirely different team hit the ice every three or four years.The first time, it was completely warranted. He took over a last-place team in early 2006-07 that was horribly mismanaged after the lockout and went to the conference final in 2008 and the Stanley Cup final in 2010. But they collapsed after a strong start and were swept from the playoffs for the first time since the 1997 Stanley Cup final. Changes were expected, but a complete overhaul was completely unexpected.

Eight players from their final game against Boston are gone now. Regardless of how you feel about the players traded, it is alarming complete rebuilds are becoming the norm for the Flyers' GM. Like I said the first one was completely necessary as the Flyers were too slow to compete in the new NHL. So out went Peter Forsberg, Kyle Calder, Randy Robitaille, Alexei Zhitnik, Peter Nedved and Freddy Meyer during the season and Joni Pitkanen, Geoff Sanderson, Todd Fedoruk, Mike York and Rob Esche in the off season.

They were replaced by Danny Briere, Scott Hartnel after winning the Presidents' Trophy, Kimmo Timonen, Brayden Coburn, Joffrey Lupul, Scottie Upshall, Jason Smith, and Martin Biron. Holmgren did such a good job turning this team into a contender and Ken Campbell praised his work in the May 16 issue of The Hockey News. Campbell said of Holmgren:

When you look at the Flyers as presently constituted, you can trace them directly back to the moves Holmgren made at the moment in time when things looked most bleak....But it was amid that scorched earth that Holmgren did his finest work.

He made some tweaks, sure. They were an offense-heavy team, so they were able to trade youngsters R. J.Umberger and Joffrey Lupul and added Chris Pronger. That addition alone nearly led to a championship, but the Flyers were still a few part away. They seemingly fixed that by acquiring Ilya Bryzgalov and a trade was certainly needed to clear cap space, but a total overhaul did not appear on the horizon. First was Carter, who I thought should be traded. I was about to write an article for The Hockey Writers about why he should be traded when he was. Then, following Carter was Richards, Kris Versteeg, Ville Leino, Darroll Powe, Dan Carcillo, Sean O'Donnell and Brian Boucher in favor of Jaromir Jagr, Brayden Schenn, Wayne Simmonds, Jakub Voracek, Max Talbot and Andreas Lilja.

Campbell praised Holmgren for his ability to turn around a franchise so quickly when it takes some teams years. But is he going to be making a habit of it? It's really disappointing when a good team fails to reach the ultimate goal, but you need to give them some time to play together and work towards that goal. Being a consistent contender is pretty much the best you can hope for in this league and if you can break through and win the Stanley Cup, all the better.

Look at San Jose. They failed to get past the second round of the playoffs the first four years after the lockout, even falling in the first round to Anaheim in 2009 after winning the Presidents' Trophy. But instead of blowing the team up and starting over as many pundits said they should, they stuck with their course and have been to the conference final in each of the past two years.That consistency is largely to due with the fact they have been kept together. The Flyers are going to have trouble developing good team chemistry if they keep changing their key players every few years.

NHL Awards and Draft

The Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup over a week ago, but the season has still been going strong. There were the NHL Awards, a few big trades and the draft. Let's start with the awards.

Here are the winners, along with who I had picked.
Award - Winner - My Pick
Norris - Nicklas Lidstrom - Shea Weber
Selke - Ryan Kesler - Ryan Kesler
Jack Adams - Dan Bylsma - Barry Trotz
Calder - Jeff Skinner - Jeff Skinner
GM - Mike Gillis - Steve Yzerman
Ted Lindsay - Daniel Sedin - Corey Perry
Masterton - Ian Laperriere - Ray Emery
Lady Byng - Martin St-Louis - Nicklas Lidstrom
Vezina - Tim Thomas - Tim Thomas
Hart - Corey Perry - Martin St-Louis
Messier Leadership - Zdeno Chara
Jennings - Roberto Luongo, Cory Schneider
Art Ross - Daniel Sedin
Rocket Richard - Corey Perry
King Clancey - Doug Weight

There are no really surprises here, other than Perry winning the Hart Trophy. While I wanted St-Louis to win, I wrote a post on that a while back, I expected it to go to Sedin. He was consistent all season while Perry got the majority of his points in the final quarter of the season and I think being there all season is more important than being there for the stretch run. Though that is not to say that wasn't important, because he was a huge reason the Ducks went on a last-season surge and were able to take hold of the fourth spot.

I was also surprised to see Laperriere win the Masterton Trophy since he didn't play at all this season. But I'm really happy he won it. If there is one person who is more dedicated to hockey more than anyone else, its Lappy. Why else would he get right back out every time he got hit with the puck or punched in the face. But he is more than a role player, he is a consumate professional and one of the best teammates in all of sports. Wayne Fish said of him in 2009 "You get a lot of P's with Ian Laperriere: Penalty-killer. Pest. Physical force. Perfect teammate." He was so loved in Philadelphia after just one season, his introduction led to one of the best moments of a thrill-a-game 2010 playoff run.


One final thought about the awards. Having random celebrities at the show is fine, but they should try to keep it more hockey related. Are there really that many people out there who like hockey and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills? It seems unlikely to me, so let's get someone who is capable of remembering the correct pronunciation of three names. Pronouncing Martin St-Louis' name Saint Lewis isn't the worst thing ever, but it shows they really weren't interested in being there. Even the host, Jay Mohr, wasn't perfect saying WHYzerman instead of EYEzerman when talking about Best GM nominee Stevie Y.

The Flyers shocked me a few days later, trading Jeff Carter and Mike Richards, two first-round picks from what is going to be one of the best draft classes ever. I thought they should get rid of Carter, but I never thought they would trade, or even be able to trade, Richards. I was upset over that, but the more I look at the return, the better the trades look. They now have top-rated prospect Brayden Schenn, Wayne Simmonds, Jakub Voracek and three picks in the draft, including the eighth overall which they used to select Sean Couturier (Full draft results can be found here). These trades have caused a major stir in the forward unit so let's take a look at what the line could look like next season.

van Riemsdyk    Giroux    Voracek
    Hartnell        Briere       Leino
  Simmonds       Schenn    Versteeg
    Carcillo         Betts     Powe/Nodl

I was expecting Adam Larsson to go first overall to the Edmonton Oilers, but they went with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins allowing Larsson to be taken by the Devils in the fourth slot. This worked out great for the Devils as they now have a solid prospect to rebuild their defense around. It was a strength of theirs before the lockout, but has since been pulled apart, mainly through free agency and retirement, and the talent level now is nowhere near what it was. Larsson is certainly as good a start as any to become a dominate defensive team again.

I'm Back!

Well, it's been a long time...49 days to be exact. I can't believe how much time has passed since I last posted. I was just starting to get really into it too, but due to the events at The Hockey News, I began writing for The Hockey Writers, so anything I would have written here I had to post there since I have been busy the past few weeks. Its a pretty good site, so check it out. You can see my work in my archive, along with a fellow intern with THN, Jeff Blay.

Around starting to work for THW, I finished my internship, played more hockey in one day than I ever have before and (very nearly) graduated. I drove over 1,100 miles in just over a week, including 800 miles in three days when I drove from Toronto to New Jersey on May 14 then to Massachusetts on May 16. Add another 1,200 going to a music festival in Maine and camping in Connecticut and I've been really busy.

I guess I'll start with the end of my internship. The final weeks were pretty fun. I finished my favorite story I have ever written of Zach Bennett, an 11-year-old from Albany who has had both his legs removed in surgery. The Charlotte Checkers, formerly the Albany River Rats, are now paying for his family to relocate to North Carolina so he can get better medical care and be close to his favorite team again. Look up the story, it is quite inspiring. It's a shame my internship is over, but the guys at THN were fantastic. I was rewarded with a few free lunches, a nice bag of gifts and a great evaluation (leading to an A for the semester). So once again, a huge thanks to Jason Kay and everyone else who works at THN; it really is a first class organization.

My last day of interning was one of the most exhausting of my life. I represented THN in the Business of Hockey Cup on May 13 at the Mastercard Center where the Maple Leafs practice which is a tournament between representatives of different hockey companies including TSN, The Hall of Fame and the CHL. The day featured eight 20-minute games as well as a skills competition. I tried my hand in the shooting accuracy, but that didn't go so well. I nailed the first shot, hitting the top-right corner, but then went zero for the next seven. Fortunately I wasn't the only person to hit one target, so it wasn't terrible. By far the most interesting part of the day though, was the first game we played. It was against the Buffalo Sabres and most of the THN guys had made it out to warm up while no one from the Sabres was out yet. The first guy skated out and after a few double takes, I noticed it was Rob Ray. Here's a little bit of what's on his resume.

Then I had my senior week back at Endicott which was pretty fun. I'm glad I got to see some people before leaving. While I had a great time in Toronto there were still some people I wish I could have seen. I finally got time to relax going to The Way Life Should Be music festival then camping the next weekend. I'm back in the swing of things, working 40 hours a week cleaning out old warehouses and doing some construction.

Enough about me, back to hockey.

Congratulations to the Bruins on winning the Stanley Cup. That was a tremendous group assembled by Peter Chiarelli who made a bold move building the team around Zdeno Chara and Tim Thomas. I don't think anyone has gone through a longer road to become a Cup champion than Thomas and it was great to watch him lift it (it was also funny how he had no idea what to do with the Conn Smythe Trophy). Mark Recchi went out on top and he will be in the Hall of Fame in three years. He never won any individual awards, was only a second team all-star once, in 1992 and he was an Olympian once (in 1998 when Canada finished fourth). The only downside to the celebration was Gary Bettman handing out the awards. They really need to take him out of the Stanley Cup presentation, to constant booing really puts a damper on the whole occasion.

I'll post again soon. Like I said you can read my stuff at The Hockey Writers, so check that out and follow me on Twitter.