That Escalated Quickly...

Catch your breath...In what was one of the craziest days of activity not on trade deadline or free agency in the history of the NHL, All Star caliber players were being shipped around like their trading cards and another cashed in big time.

Tampa Bay GM Steve Yzerman stuck to his guns and got Steven Stamkos signed for a reasonable cap hit of $8.5 million per year (assuming you think that sort of money is reasonable for playing a game...but we digress). Stamkos was set to be the crown jewel of a deep free agent class with the like of Andrew Ladd, Kyle Okposo and David Backes set to hit the market. By getting him at this reasonable amount Yzerman has allowed himself some flexibility when it comes to signing other restricted free agents in Kilorn and Kucherov, big pieces of their playoff success the last two years. 

In Montreal PK Subban was traded for fellow Canadian gold medalist Shea Weber in a move that left many searching their recently blown minds. Subban is younger and has a higher cap hit. There are many suggesting that the savings were a big issue in a cap world and can't be discounted. The issue of race has also been brought up and can't totally be ignored but is likely well down the list of issues. PK is a star in this league and an asset where ever he goes. He's also outspoken and emotional. The NHL is a league that isn't big on flashy personalities that could detract from the team, Just look at guys like Alexander Ovechkin, Brent Burns and Jeremy Roenick in his day. All have at times been question for either show boating, being eccentric or running their mouths more than they should. Rumors persisted of discontent in the locker room of which this may be a telling sign, but whatever issues there may have been there is no doubt PK contributes to an already deep blue line will be embraced in Nashville, provided they win. Shea Weber has been their franchise and I am shocked at the people who think this is a one sided deal. Weber is a Norris Trophy nominee and probably should have beat PK the year he won, an all star many times over, and a gold medal winning defenceman who played huge minutes in that tournament. His complete game is probably more polished and he posses on of the league's hardest shots. Not exactly a bag of pucks.

And as they say, thing happen in threes, so the Oilers made sure. They shipped Taylor Hall to New Jersey for defenceman Adam Larsson. With the drafting of another forward on Friday the writing seemed to be on the wall that one of their star forwards was out and Hall was tapped as the man to go. He likely brought the biggest return and signing free agent Dmen isn't much of an option this summer. Edmonton has had trouble attracting free agents anyway so this ensures they get what they desperately needed. Larsson has a big upside and this is what the Oilers and GM Pete Chiarelli are banking on. Hall is a proven commodity and should fit well with pal Adam Henrique in New Jersey. They needed to pay a price and they have. Time will tell it it pays off. 

The Case for Conor

Breaking into any professional league is hard, never mind doing it with a floundering organization who all but sanctified you as the next one from the moment they won the #1 pick, yet again...

Conor McDavid's first NHL season was, unfortunately, cut short by injury but when he was healthy there was certainly no more dynamic rookie, hell, maybe even few other players, in the league. He averaged over a point a game (48pts. in 45 gms) and gave Oilers fans little doubt that this kid is going to be special.

And that's where the Calder conversation should focus. On what he accomplished at such a young age especially considering what he had around him. At 18 years old he was the best player on his team and many nights the best on the ice regardless. He possesses dynamic, game changing skill and speed, was a constant threat whenever he was on the ice, the focus of most opponents and I repeat is only 18!

The man many consider the favourite to take home the Calder trophy as the NHL's Rookie of the Year is Chicago Blackhawks forward Artemi Panari. And man would be the right word. He's 24 years old has has been playing professionally in Russia for years. While many may argue that the KHL isn't the NHL and that Panari put up very solid numbers this season (77pts in 80gms) he was doing so alongside the league's leading scorer in Patrick Kane, on one of the deepest and most successful teams in the league. The talent level around him on this perennial powerhouse was far superior not to mention he's been doing this for years at a professional level. 24 of those points were on the Power Play alongside a virtual All Star lineup. I understand it takes time to adjust to a new league and moreover a new culture here in North America, but bringing in a guy who is already well seasoned and giving him the edge over a true rookie is a load.

Sergi Makarov won the Calder with  Calgary Flames in 1989 at the age of 31 and the rules where subsequently changed so that you now had to be under 26 to qualify for the trophy. A lot has changed since then, (Nirvana (sadly) no longer tops the charts) and the mindset of the voters should as well. It was rare that young players had the impact they do today with the obvious exceptions of top level talent like Conor McDavid. The league is getting younger and faster and while none of that is Panarin's fault awarding him over McDavid would seem to ignore this.

Other talented youngsters like the Philadelphia Flyers Shayne Gostisbehere are Buffalo Sabres Jack Eichel are among the young crop of stars to carry their team at a young age and are certainly worth of consideration as well but that if you look at impact and overall performance McDavid showed he is in a class of his own. Just ask yourself this, is there anyone of these players you'd trade for him straight up?

I realize that's forward thinking and not relative to the season past but when he was healthy McDavid was named rookie of the month for all three months he was eligible. He had more points per game than any rookie as well. This wasn't a small sample size either. He played over half the season and while he numbers may not have continued at that rate over a full 82 game schedule, it's doubtful they would have dropped off to the point where he wasn't in the hunt for leading scorer among rookies. He has talent around him (ie. Taylor Hall,) and the difference was he elevated that talent more so than his fellow nominees. We all knew what Patrick Kane could do, but Jordan Eberle put up stellar numbers along side McDavid as a direct impact of playing alongside him. His vision and puck handling ability allow him to control the game at an incredibly high level and create opportunities for whoever is on his line. He played center in the extremely physical and demanding Western Conference against much larger opponents and proved he has what it takes.

It's likely that this is all a mute point as the NHL Awards are in Las Vegas tomorrow night and that votes have already been tabulated but even if he doesn't win I can't imagine there's anyone out there who believes he's not going to be the best of this bunch.

March of the Captain

Another NHL season over, another chapter added to Sidney Crosby's growing legend. The Penguins captain lead his team to a second Stanley Cup championship (4th in club history) something most thought would've come sooner after back to back finals appearances in 2007-08.

From the minute Mike Sullivan took over behind the Penguins bench part way through the season it seemed Crosby was on a mission and ultimately there was no stopping him. His complete 200 foot game was reminiscent of Steve Yzerman in the late 90's or contemporary Johnathan Towes during recent Blackhawks Stanley Cup runs. Detractors point out his lack of well, points, but he still put up decent numbers and would have had plenty more had Connor Sheary and Patric Hornqvist been able to hit the broad side of a barn. His puck possession and face off dominance were a sight to behold. He controlled the tempo of the game, setting up opportunity after opportunity for his line mates. Unlike certain Washington based one trick ponies, Crosby proved he has matured from his youthful, whining ways to become an all around leader and someone on whom the coaches and players could rely on in the most pivotal moments of the game.

Many a fan felt that it was sheer favoritism when Crosby was handed the Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP but they obviously weren't paying attention. Crosby's numbers may not have jumped off the stat sheet but his knack for clutch goals and his ability to control the play were second to none this post season. Many praise Jonathan Towes for leading the Blackhakws in a similar manner but seem reluctant to heap the same praise on Crosby because of his (well earned) past reputation as a whiner and the fact that his is so relentlessly slurped in the media. While that may be the case, the fact is he was at the top of his game and no one was more deserving.

Matt Murray was stellar in net and the ice in his veins was in better condition that San Jose's SAP rink. His efforts were an integral part of this run but Patrick Roy or Martin Brodeur he wasn't. This was not some upstart team who had no business hoisting the cup (a la Montreal 1986). Granted, he was consistently solid and clearly a much better option than wilting flower Marc-Andre Fleury, giving his team a chance to win every night. However, he never had to steal a game and was often out shone by counterparts Lundquvist, Holtby, Vasilevskiy and in particular the Sharks Martin Jones in the final, who essentially was the only reason it wasn't a sweep, Murray was a huge part of the reason they won but really was just there when called upon which ultimately was all he needed to be (think Antti Niemi with the Blackhawks circa 2009).

Phil Kessel was another Conn Smythe candidate and definitely proved his worth in the playoffs. His speed and quick shot got the job done on an incredibly productive 'third' line with beard aficionado Nick Bonino and the even speedier Carl Hagelin. If the award were give to a line, it'd likely be this one who came up with some timely goals throughout the playoffs, but no one individual really took over a series at any point and much of Kessel's damage was done on the Pens lethal power play alongside Evgeni Malkin and Crosby.

The Penguins ultimately won because of their depth and their commitment to solid defensive hockey, much of this accomplished without sacrificing in the offensive end. Their relatively unknown defense core lead by Kris Letang shut down the opposition time and time again and combined with stellar two way play from the likes of Matt Cullen and Eric Fehr they stymied everyone in their path. This buy in starts at the top with their leadership group, lead by Crosby, and trickles down throughout. The Pens frustrated the Sharks with their tight checking and shot blocking, holding the playoffs highest scoring team down most nights. The frustration was evident in Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton, Brent Burns Logan Couture and the rest of the Sharks top players as they couldn't find a way to break through. Analysts bandy about words like compete level and sacrifice, but cliche as they are they're used for a reason. Everyone wants to win, (seriously why else would they be there?) but the Pens just seemed a step quicker or more willing than the rest.

The debate over where this leaves Crosby in the ranks of Hockey's greats will rage on but there's no doubt a second cup was needed to raise his status and reclaim his position as the best in the business...at least for today.

Taking the Edge Off: New NHL Goalie Equipment

The NHL has looked to increase scoring over the past several  years and while I've seen a lot of 2-1 hockey games that were better than a 7-5 barn burner with all the structure of a Timbits practice I think the logical step of slimming down goalie equipment is the right move.

Shrinking the nets seems far to drastic a step and as most argue would taint the tradition and records of the past. Calling too many penalties to drum up opportunities slows things down too much and is incredibly annoying therefore the next best thing is to limit the size advantage of those blocking it. I do agree that protecting these guys is a primary concern but the size of the equipment has gone from protection to full on obstruction. Some bean polls like Ryan Miller pack on more armor than a bomb squad member and so the time has come to change this.

Look at the NHL in the 80's when thanks to teams like the Oilers goal scoring was at a premium. The men in the next were much smaller than today, like me standing beside Shaq. For a quick comparison take a look at what Patrick Roy wore in his rookie year of 1986 vs. what he had on in his final years in Colorado. Granted the rest of the league was in the same boat but it goes to show the vast difference in a relatively short time.

The modern goalie is vastly superior is speed and agility to most who played the position years ago and the athletic ability the have to have to keep the puck out is incredible. If you watch old footage of goals going in during the late 70's and 80's kids would be cut from Junior B teams for letting those shots in today. With this improved play the advantage of huge equipment is something that needed to be addressed.

That said players have also benefited from new technology and modern sticks and lighter equipment has made the game faster than ever as well has the shots more booming and lethal. The necessary safety precautions being taken this is a win win. As Sabres GM Tim Murray said the NHLPA and the league are on the same page. I think this is a move that will improve the game for all, though perhaps not most save percentages...

Duck Hunt

The NHL season is at the quarter pole and while there are a number of intriguing story lines, none is perhaps as bewildering as what has happened to the Anaheim Ducks. This is a team that was one win away from a Stanley Cup finals appearance last spring and now find themselves mired in the lower third of the Western Conference.

Their offence, a talented group capable of putting up big numbers, has managed a measly 45 goals in 23 games, the second lowest total in the entire league behind only Philadelphia. Their goaltending hasn't been a bright spot but hasn't been bad enough that it should be blamed for their ills, as last I looked you need to score as well.

They have all star talent in Ryan Getzlaf anf Ryan Kessler who have only one more goal than I do in the NHL this season. Corey Perry has struggled and they can't seem to muster much of anything on the power play. When things like this start happening inevitably the focus is turned, fairly or unfairly, on the coach, though in this case they have a point.

Bruce Boudreau may be well liked by many in the hockey community, personally I can't stand him as he whines and moans about every little thing that doesn't go his way and passes the buck like a bad check. He has had a number of incredibly talented teams since he stepped into NHL and can't get them to reach their potential. He is arguably the most overrated coach in the league.

He had a plethora of all stars in Washington and never got the out of the second round, and while Anaheim had a successful season last year, it had much more to do with the talent on the ice then the man calling the shots. With young stars like Fowler and Lindholm on the point and a number of proven veterans up front this team should be far ahead of where they are in the Western standings and many still believe they can make a run. One thing working in their favour is that the Pacific Division isn't particularly strong this year and they are only four point back of a thus far mediocre Vancouver team for third.

However, the next ten days may be very telling as the Duck face the defending Champion Blackhawks, Vancouver, Tampa Bay (who dismantled them 5-0 the other week), San Jose and Pittsburgh all of whom are in playoff spots at the moment. If the Ducks slip back further GM Bob Murray may have no choice but to pull the trigger on a coaching change before the season is completely lost.

Sens of Accomplishment

April Fools day has past, so this must be for real...The Ottawa Senators have completed their historic run and qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, needing all 82 games to get in. The Sens miraculous run began in February when both Craig Anderson and Robyn Lehner were out with injuries and so the Sens were forced to call up Andrew 'The Hamburglar' Hammond from their farm team. A so called 'borderline ECHL goalie' by some more well known blogs, (PuckDaddy) Hammond's numbers were hardly spectacular in the AHL this season (7-13-2) so sufficed to say not much was expected. (While I'm not making him out to be Patrick Roy, this kind of run could hardly be considered a fluke.) The fan base conceding that this was a young team and they were where many, myself included, thought they would be, fighting for a playoff spot but ultimately falling short. And that's when it happened...

Hammond came in and whatever they were putting in those burgers seemed to hit the spot. He went on a run for the ages, tying former Boston Bruin Frank Brimsek's 76 year or record for most consecutive starts without allowing more than 2 goals to start a career, (Ironically it was the Bruins who ended this run) and gave his team the confidence they hand't had with spotty goaltending earlier in the season. He made save after save after save and gave his team a chance to win every night. And that's exactly what they did...The Sens have the best record in the league over the last two months and that is in large part due to the play of Hammond. Had he not missed several games due to injury his numbers may have been even more stellar. His 20-1-2 record propelled if not dragged the Sens into playoff contention and has the rival Montreal Canadiens looking at a very dangerous team in round #1. That said it hasn't been all Burgers and no fries.

The Sens young core has stepped up and delivered when it's counted most winning many of these contests in overtime or shootout. Captain Erik Karlsson has lead the way along with the like of Kyle Turris, the line of JG Pageau, Eric Condra and Curtis Lazar and possible (though should be definite) rookie of the year candidate Mark Stone who came up clutch time and time again ending the season with a Sens rookie record nine game point streak including several game winning goals. This young energy has infused the Sens and their fans with a new sense of optimism and may well spell the end for veteran players like Chris Phillips and Chris Neil who have been out with injuries.

Now the Sens run couldn't have happened with the like of the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins faltering at the worst possible time but the amount of ground Ottawa made up is incredible. Statistics show that with the amount of parody and number of three point games in the NHL these days that making up a six point deficit after the Christmas break is a ling shot, let alone more than twice that amount. The Sens were at one point 14 points out of a playoff spot! This turn around coincided with the team playing sound defensively and getting timely saves and if they can continue to play that way they may well keep the train rolling.

Conn-spiracy Theory

The NHL, like most professional sports leagues, is driven by it's major markets and there are few if any larger than Toronto. The self proclaimed center of the universe is a hockey mad mecca that bleeds blue and white. In fact Maple Leafs fans border on the insane (the definition of insanity being to do the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result. In this case expecting their team to win the Stanley Cup.) Gotta admire their dedication. With their cup drought approaching 50 years and little to no sign of that finishing anytime soon could the NHL's new Draft Lottery rules actually help to end this torment? And could the league itself be complicit?

With the trade of Cody Franson and Mike Santorelli to Nashville it's safe to say the Leafs have bid sionora to the season. Though I give them a full credit this time around as for once they're actually positioning themselves for a top pick and acquiring assets for potential unrestricted free agents after years of foolishly clinging to the belief that they could make the playoffs and holding on to such players only to see their hopes dashed along with any shot at a top prospect. GM Dave Nonis and his group have, I guess you can say earned a shot at getting a top pick and as a result of the new format of the NHL Draft Lottery, could even get the first overall pick.

This is where the fun begins. The NHL's new Draft Lottery format allows any team that doesn't qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs to have a chance at winning the lottery and picking first overall. Now, the percentages are drastically lower the further back you are but to quote Lloyd Christmas: "You're saying there's a chance?!" The Buffalo Sabres currently sit in the NHL's basement and are set to have the best odds, (20%) at picking concensus number one overall pick Connor McDavid. McDavid is touted as a generational talent, a player who could single-handedly transform a franchise's fortunes. The long suffering fans of Buffalo could use such a saviour. GM Tim Murray has stockpiled a number of talented young players and draft picks to rebuild, but this would be the ultimate payoff for several lackluster seasons on the ice. It's a city with a loyal, knowledgeable, fan base, long hockey tradition and Hall of Fame players like Gilbert Perreault and Domink Hasek but would the league be best served by having McDavid there or say, in a much larger hockey market not that far north?

This is a league who has few universally recognizable faces or names to market across the US. While Buffalo is a certainly hockey town it's a small market so the question is would McDavid and the league be well served by having an up and coming young superstar playing here, or in some hockey backwater like Carolina or Arizona? Well, sure....maybe. The argument for how this benefits everyone is simple: if he goes to a floundering team like Arizona or Carolina he'll instantly drum up interest and put fannies in the seats, both at home and when those teams are on the road. There are no more tickets to sell in Toronto and Leafs fans will cheer for them regardless so how is this more beneficial to the league?

A. Jersey sales. While Connor McDavid is exceptionally talented he alone is unlikely to turn North Carolina or Arizona into hockey mad states where there is a jersey on the back of every fan and they dominate any and all sports conversation. The NHL is always front page stuff in the great white north and the sheer amount of product he would move in TO would be staggering and most importantly from a league standpoint extremely profitable.

B. Actual Ticket Sales: Are these arenas, which have thousands of empty seats on any given night suddenly going to be the hottest ticket in town selling out every game? No. The reality is while it would in all likely-hood increase ticket revenue and attendance in these markets, it's not going to suddenly drag non hockey fans out to the rink. Carolina is a Stanley Cup champion not that long ago. If that didn't create a true hockey market, neither will this.

C. Playoff Revenue/Ratings: If McDavid can get the Leafs back to the playoffs, even if this only resulted in the minimum two home games, it could generate more interest and revenue than a long run in other markets. When the Leafs were in the playoffs a few years back the average ticket price was $218. 20. This is almost as much if not more than the most expensive seats in other markets. Say what you like, money talks. Also, hockey fans south of the border recognize the blue and white and are much more likely to watch a hockey game involving a traditional six team than other markets. This has been illustrated by the significantly higher TV ratings when a market like, Boston, Chicago or the Rangers were in the Stanley cup finals over the past few years vs. when teams like the Devils and Kings faced off several years ago.

D. Bandage Solution: McDavid would undoubtedly help the league in a small market while he played, and that team could even attract better free agents to help him purse a championship, but the question is will the effect last? During his tenure, sure, but afterwards? And could these teams generate the revenue necessary to fill a roster will top end talent needed for such an endeavour even with him?

Yes it's a reach to suggest that the league would do whatever they could to put McDavid in blue and white come October. This is a billion dollar franchise who doesn't even need to win, but if they ever did...