Posts Tagged NHL Opinion
Tomas Kaberle Trade Situation Brewing
Posted by Derek in NHL News, NHL Opinion, NHL Rumors, NHL Trades on August 14th, 2010
The Tomas Kaberle potential trade situation appears to be coming down to the wire. This seemingly never ending story will come to an end tomorrow night at midnight one way or the other, but as it stands right now there really isn’t anything new to report.
We will be following the situation closely, and will update any situation that occurs, but for now we wait…
For all the Maple Leaf fans out there, I sure hope Brian Burke knows what he’s doing here. I would think that keeping Kaberle after all of this, and extending his contract beyond next year, isn’t really an option anymore. All the talk of “being professional” and “it’s just business” is just that, talk.
You have to think that Kaberle has already left Toronto emotionally, and to bring him back next season and expect him to be “professional”, is ridiculous.
How would you feel if you were in the same position with your career? You can say that it’s part of being a professional athelete, that it come’s with the territory when you make all that money, but that’s niave. See, once you make all that money it becomes less important, financial worries take a backseat to other concerns, concerns that the majority of the public ignore while focusing on making money themselves.
Respect, Loyalty, Legacy, etc… These are all currencies to appeal to athletes who already have money to give more to the team. How else do you get a bunch of millionaire’s to block 100 mph slapshots with their bodies? I’m not suggesting that Kaberle was the leagues best shot-blocker of course, but there is no doubt that whatever intangibles the Maple Leafs were getting from the man behind the professional died this summer.
With this in mind, I’m inclined to think Tomas Kaberle will be moved tomorrow at some point, the big question will be whether or not Brian Burke get’s the big return he’s been seeking.
Paul Martin Signs with Pittsburgh Penguins
Posted by Derek in NHL Free Agents, NHL News, NHL Opinion, NHL Trades on July 1st, 2010
Paul Martin has signed a deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The deal is reported to be 5 years, $25 Million dollars. This would be a $5 Million dollar cap hit.
Ottawa Senators sign Sergei Gonchar
Posted by Derek in NHL Free Agents, NHL News, NHL Opinion, NHL Trades on July 1st, 2010
Veteran defenceman Sergei Gonchar has signed a three-year contract with the Ottawa Senators worth $5.5 million per year.
The contract also includes a no-trade clause. Gonchar had 11 goals and 39 assists for the Pens last season. This gives the Sens a great puck-moving defencemen for the power play for the next couple years, after which they will likely be in the re-building mode.
The Headshot Issue Revisited…
Posted by Derek in NHL Injuries, NHL News, NHL Opinion on March 18th, 2010
When I posted the original “Headshot Issue..” article on Monday, November 16th, 2009 I surely didn’t anticipate just how much momentum this “hot topic” would generate.
I stand by my opinion in that article, that all the rule changes have unforeseen negative effects that inevitably require more rule changes, that there’s always a “buzz word” that carries the most weight when condemning the accused in the time after an incident and before the NHL, notably Colin Cambell, review the play.
The buzz word this year is “headshot” and now every hit is being fit into that box in one way or another. Everyone from players to coaches to GM’s are using the catch-phrase headshot when sharing their feelings regarding the latest controversial hit, weather the term applies or not seems irrelivent.
Take a look at the play in the video posted below by Mark earler today, it shows the replay of Brent Seabrook being CHARGED by James Wisniewski. I’m not sure who the Duck’s comentators are but they actually start discussing weather the hit is going to fall under the umbrella of headshots…. What?
I’m not privileged to all the criteria for what constitutes a headshot by league standards but surely this doesn’t qualify. To be completely honest, I kind of felt like Seabrook was selling it a little bit. The tell tale sign being when he goes down to the ice, eyes closed in apparent confusion etc, he puts his arm out to soften the landing… An attempt to maximize the penalty, as all players are instructed to do in these kinds of circumstances.
The point is that no single rule is going to solve all the problems with players being injured and you can’t fit every incident into the same box. The hit by James Wisniewski was clearly intent to injure, and charging, and should be treated as such but it’s a seperate issue from the headshot issue that everyone is talking about. Besides, what footage do you think they’ll be running in the commercials leading up to the next game between the Ducks and Blackhawks? Maybe call it a “rivalry”…
Hockey is a tough game, players get hit hard. Sometimes players go too far and get disciplined for their actions but when the perception is that the incident is part of the bigger problem players then become guilty of all the incidents preceding the one they actually took part in. It will be interesting to see how the NHL handles the possible suspension.
update: Wisniewski suspended 8 games.
Dominic Moore Traded To Montreal
Posted by Derek in NHL News, NHL Opinion, NHL Trades on February 11th, 2010
“The Florida Panthers have traded forward Dominic Moore to the Montreal Canadiens for a second-round pick in the 2011 draft.
The trade call to confirm the deal is currently being placed with the NHL.
Moore, 29, has eight goals and nine assists in 48 games for Florida. He is earning $1.1 million this season and becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1.” (Source:TSN)
I’d hate to say “I told you so” but Moore had a decent chance last season with Toronto but wanted more money then he was realistically worth. It was common opinion at the time that he should’ve taken the roughly $1.5 mil (I can’t remember exactly what he was being offered in Toronto, but it was fair market value..) per season he was being offered and tried to build momentum towards his next deal. Instead, he opted to force the issue and was traded to the Buffalo Sabers, and his career has been sliding downward ever since…
He was getting first line ice time in Toronto and felt he was deserving of money to reflect the production he was achieving, but let’s face it, his numbers with the Leafs reflected the fact he was getting first line ice time and power play time, luxuries I doubt he’ll enjoy with the Habs. It’s too bad but greed motivated his decision.
Hockey Night In Canada’s “Hotstove” video
Posted by Derek in NHL Free Agents, NHL News, NHL Opinion, NHL Trades, NHL Videos on February 7th, 2010
Every week during the second intermission of the CBC’s Hockey Night In Canada broadcast, they regularly have their “Hotstove” (Source:CBC.ca) segment, where trades and trade rumors are discussed. In last night’s edition they analyzed the Ilya Kovalchuk trade by Don Waddell of the Atlanta Thrashers to the New Jersey Devils.
The discussion was between host Ron MacLean, Pierre LeBrun, and Elliotte Friedman in studio with Mike Milbury via satellite from Washington.
The very fact that the CBC uses the opinion’s of Mike Milbury as an “expert” voice based on his previous role as GM of the New York Islanders is a joke in my eyes.
Here’s a quick summary of “Mad Mike Milbury” and his handy work with Ilses.. (Source: Wikipedia.com)
“He is a well-known figure in the National Hockey League for his controversial (and often quotable) style, as well as for his penchant for blockbuster trades.
During several of the years that Milbury served as Islanders GM, the team’s ownership mandated that he operate the team on an austere budget. In 1999 he was forced to trade star scorer Zigmund Palffy because team owners no longer wanted to pay his multi-million dollar contract.
However, Milbury has also been criticized for the many decisions he made in which payroll or orders for upper management were not factors. Many young players and prospects that Milbury traded away went on to have distinguished careers, often eclipsing those of the players he received in return. He has traded away defensemen Zdeno Chara, Wade Redden, Bryan Berard, Eric Brewer, Darius Kasparaitis, and Bryan McCabe; goalies Roberto Luongo and Tommy Salo, as well as forwards Olli Jokinen, Todd Bertuzzi, Tim Connolly, and Raffi Torres. Milbury has also come under fire for his draft day decisions such as choosing Rick DiPietro first overall in 2000 over Dany Heatley and Marian Gaborik; as well as his decision to include the 2001 second overall draft pick (Jason Spezza) as part of the Alexei Yashin trade.
In June 2006, Milbury stepped down as Islanders GM to accept a position as Senior Vice President of Charles Wang’s sports holdings. In an appearance on Mike and the Mad Dog, Wang did not challenge a suggestion from the hosts that he “fired” Milbury. Milbury resigned from his Senior VP job in May 2007. He said that he missed making hockey-related decisions and would be open to a hockey operations job in another organization.”
You have to realize that this is television after all, and Mike does have a loud opinion. It’s no accident that he usually goes first with his out-spoken opinions, only to be slammed down by the rest of the panel. You can see for yourself around the 2:10 mark when LeBrun says “my opinion probably doesn’t matter, I wasn’t a GM like you Mike…” and you can see Friedman snickering at the sarcasm, just like the rest of us were snickering at home at the back-handed insult.
It really doesn’t matter what point Milbury’s trying to make or how legit it might be, I always find myself opposed to his opinion, like somehow I’ll find myself guilty of trading away all that youth in the Isle by association.
That said, I think he was trying to say that Waddel waited to long, essentially limiting Kovalchuk to being a rental player to prospective trade partners. I’m not sure what difference it would’ve made if he made the deal in August vs February, being as EVERYONE KNOWS that regardless of where Ilya Kovalchuk is playing come July 1st, HE WILL test free agency to try and maximize his profits, making him a rental player no matter what Don Waddell did or didn’t do.
Personally, I found it surprising that Lou Lamoriello of the New Jersey Devils would make a deal for a rental player, it’s not really his style, but he really didn’t give up much considering the potential impact a guy like Kovalchuk could provide for the Devils. On the other hand, if you take a look at Kovalchuk’s playoff record (which is limited of course) he has played in 4 games, all loses, with 1 goal and 2 points total.
I think we’ll have to wait and see if Ilya Kovalchuk can produce for the Devils in the playoffs before we can really say who got the better of this deal or what mistakes were made, Milbury’s opinion not withstanding.
A Tribute To “Jiggy” From The Anaheim Ducks
Posted by Derek in NHL News, NHL Opinion, NHL Rumors on February 1st, 2010
“We would like to sincerely thank Jean-Sebastien Giguere for the class, dignity and professionalism he showed on and off the ice during nine memorable seasons with the Ducks.
Among those countless memories are a Conn Smythe Trophy in 2003, a Stanley Cup championship in 2007 and a number of franchise goaltending records.
Best of luck in Toronto, Jiggy.
Sincerely,
The Anaheim Ducks “ (Source: NHL.com/Ducks)
This statement is a show of class from the Anahiem Ducks to JS Giguere posted on NHL.com. In the wake of trading him to the Toronto Maple leafs on Sunday for Vesa Toskala and Jason Blake, the Ducks reached out to show to Giguere to show their appreciation and respect for the goaltender who brought the Stanley Cup to California.
There has been mixed emotions from the people I’ve talked to about this trade but I think this is a move that will help the Leafs, and more pointedly Jonas Gustavsson, in the future.
”The Monster” has shown some potential to be a NHL #1 goaltender but he needs a mentor he can respect to show him the ropes, and at 32 Giguere still has some quality years left to help achieve this end.
Brian Burke has certainly rolled the dice on this one but if “Jiggy” can return to even 85% of his former abilities it will be a deal worth doing. The plan going into this season was for Toskala to return to form after off-season surgery, and be traded at the deadline. At that point, the plan was for Gustavsson to take over as the future of the franchise. The problem is that Toskala ha struggled mightily all season and Gustavsson clearly isn’t ready for the work load.
It is true that Giguere will eat up a lot of cap space ($6.5 mil cap hit) but in getting the Ducks to take Jason Blake’s contract ($4 mil cap hit), the loss is negligable really. If you view it as a $2.5 mil loss next year and Gustavsson developes into a true #1 starter under Giguere’s guidance, it a mearly a monetary loss, and it’s common knowledge that the Leafs have plenty of that.
Is Ron Wilson Serious?
Posted by Derek in NHL News, NHL Opinion, NHL Trades on January 28th, 2010
Ok, Garnet Exelby has joined Jamal Mayers in expressing his desire to be moved out of Toronto. This really doesn’t come as a big surprise considering neither player has really had much playing time this season.
The Maple Leafs are deep in defencemen making more money then Exelby, with $21.925 million tied up in Mike Komisarek ($4.5 mil), Tomas Kaberle ($4.25 mil), Francois Beauchemin ($3.8 mil), Jeff Finger ($3.5 mil), Luke Schenn ($2.975 mil), and Mike Van Ryn ($2.9 mil) all against the salary cap. This pretty much put Exelby in the press box. The consistently good play of Ian White at $850 000 didn’t help Exelby’s chances either.
All that said, the really amazing part was how Ron Wilson was doing his thing with the media again. He more or less blames all of the problems in Leaf-land on the media, in one way or another, and chalked all the hype to “negative reporting” on our part… What? Should we not cover this situation? Do Leaf fans not want to hear about potential movement of players on a team that desperately needs change? Like it or not Ron, you coach in Toronto and people care about what’s going on with the Leafs. It’s not the media’s fault that there really isn’t anything “positive” to talk about. Instead of worrying about what the media is saying you should be worried about how long until it’s all been said, and no one is saying anything anymore.
The opposite of love isn’t hate, Mr. Wilson, it’s apathy.
Exelby was speaking candidly about his time in Toronto, and was really pretty politically correct in stating his wishes, as was Mayers…
“”It’s funny how things change and never quite work out the way you hope they might,” said Exelby on Wednesday. “I understand we have a team that’s deep in defencemen and it’s tough for me to get in the lineup and stay in the lineup. It’s been that way all year.”
A seldom-used defenceman who was acquired in an off-season deal that saw Pavel Kubina sent to the Atlanta Thrashers, Exelby added that he just wants a chance to play somewhere and doesn’t feel that will happen in Toronto.
“If there’s not much use for me here then I’ll be happy to go somewhere if it helps the team and do something that’s right for the organization,” he said.
Much like Exelby, Mayers says he is not pleased with his lack of playing time and thinks his rambunctious style could be put to better use on another team. But he vows his unhappiness will not manifest itself in a lack of effort on the ice with the blue and white.
“The reality is that I am a Leaf and I’m going to continue to work hard. That won’t change and hopefully people notice that,” said Mayers, who was acquired from the St. Louis Blues in 2008 for a third round pick.”" (Source: TSN)
As far as Exelby and Mayers are concerned, Wilson said that their numbers speak for themselves. It’s true, their numbers were weak. I was of the impression they were acquired to add toughness but I’ll entertain Wilson’s spin of the situation.
If it is fair to measure the players performance’s based on their numbers then the same rule should apply to evaluate Mr. Wilson himself. His numbers in Toronto are less then impressive to say the least. In 136 games coached in the last season and a half in Toronto, Wilsons record is 51 wins against 85 losses (including OT losses). This season their penelty kill is ranked 30th at 69.4% under Wison’s direction, a team system widely viewed as a coachable skill. The powerplay is clicking along at 16.5%, good for 25th overall.
How can that be spun to blame the media? Then again, maybe I’m just being negative.
It’s Time To Find Out About The “Monster”
Posted by Derek in NHL Free Agents, NHL News, NHL Opinion on January 26th, 2010
I’m not the first to say this but I would like to add my voice to the gathering masses that just want the Toronto Maple Leafs to let Jonas Gustavsson play for the remainder of the season.
It’s time to find out exactly what they have in “The Monster”, and decide if the flashes of greatness (or the flashes of mediocrity) are the real stick with which to measure the 25 year old NHL rookie. There have been moments when Gustavsson looked like he was on the brink of breaking out as a true #1 NHL goaltender, only to watch him allow a weak goal or over-read a play and end up committed to a shot while the opposing player passes for an easy tap in goal.
Personally, I prefer an aggressive goaltender like Gustavsson, who comes out to challenge a shooter. In my opinion this was the biggest problem for Vesa Toskala, sitting on the goal line and giving away the upper half of the net. It’s easier to make an aggressive player dial it back a bit then it is to make a passive one more aggressive, as we’ve seen with Toskala. Let’s face it, if we know what Toskala needed to do to be successful, so did Vesa but he was unable to change his game.
Gustavsson has had decent numbers on an under-achieving team but it really is time to see what he can do with a stretch of consecutive games to get comfortable. If it turns out he isn’t capable it would be far better to figure that out now, he will be a RFA after this season and will be looking for more then the $910 Thousand he signed for this year as an introductory contract.
His 2.94 GAA and .902 Save% is passable considering the supporting cast but it’s important to remember that a young goaltender can improve vastly playing on a bottom-feeder team like the Leafs, where he will see a lot of rubber every night. If you consider Roberto Luongo’s time in Florida he faced almost 2500 shot’s in 2003/04 and again in 2005/06 (consecutive season considering the lockout). This is when Luongo emerged as a premier NHL goaltender. I’m not saying that “The Monster” is the next Luongo, but it’s imperative for Brian Burke to know what he needs to do in net going into next season.
It’s time to throw Jonas in the pool and see if he’ll swim.
Staal Responds in Style
Posted by Derek in NHL News, NHL Opinion on January 22nd, 2010
It didn’t take Eric Staal long to show how well he can lead the Carolina Hurricanes.
Staal scored a season-high three goals in his first game since becoming Carolina’s captain and the Hurricanes beat the Atlanta Thrashers 5-2 on Thursday night for a rare road victory.” (Source: TSN)
As I talked about when Eric Staal was named the new captain of the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday (link to Wednesday’s article), this was a move that made sense for the Hurricanes. Staal responds to his new role with a hat trick (3 goals..just in case) in his first game as the official leader of the ‘Canes, which you know is a huge confidence boost in the dressing room right when they needed it, and cemented his status in the eyes of his teammates.
This is the best case scenario for the young captain. The motivation for naming him captain might have been nothing more then to shake things up without spending money, show the fans that they’re trying to make changes but the net gain for the Hurricanes could be much greater if Staal can continue to lead with this kind of confidence.
On a side note, Eric Staal was somewhat of a surprise pick (Canada is very deep in talent, especially at center) for the Canadian Olympic team, given his mediocre season so far. If he can elevate his game in his new role in Carolina he could be a real contributor for Canada’s efforts in Vancouver next month.
Burke says Wilson and Kaberle will stay
Posted by Derek in NHL Free Agents, NHL News, NHL Opinion, NHL Trades on January 15th, 2010
“Leafs GM Brian Burke insisted today that both defenceman Tomas Kaberle and coach Ron Wilson are safe in Toronto.
Burke, who fielded numerous email requests the past two days with his team on a four-game losing streak, addressed the media this morning prior to the Leafs-Flyers game tonight at the Air Canada Centre.” (source:Toronto Star Sports)
I really respect Brian Burke’s stance that if a player was signed to a no-trade clause, then the team should honour it. As much as fans and media are frustrated with what looks to be another loosing season, Tomas Kaberle certainly isn’t the problem.
Brian Burke Explains;
“I’m glad the question (on Kaberle) was asked because this is the last time I will say it, I will not ask Tomas Kaberle to waive his no-trade clause,” Burke said this morning.
“I think the key part of the success of any team is having players know they are treated fairly. To get a no-trade clause in this league, you have to be an elite player. The Toronto Maple Leafs gave it (no-trade clause) to Tomas and I won’t go out and say I won’t honour it because I wasn’t the GM at the time.”
“It’s for bigger reasons than a trade,” Burke continued. “The notion that players are treated fairly rises above trades.”
The fact of the matter is Tomas earned a bit of respect from the previous General Manager, John Ferguson JR (who was way to eager to give out no-trade clauses to be honest), and in a business like pro sports, where you could have to re-locate your whole life at any minute, some measure of job security is extremely valuable.
You can add to this that Kaberle is currently ranked 3rd in the league in scoring and is a steal at $4.25 mil against the cap, that ranks him 28th in salary among league leaders for a d-man. (source: nhlnumbers.com)
I realize that Toronto needs to get draft picks, and Tomas Kaberle is the most valuable trade chip that Burke has but what kind of message does it send to the players if he’s traded? The guy has more then lived up to his contract, never caused any kind of public issue within the city, and has always remained professional in the microscope of Toronto hockey media. I understood some of the previous decisions to move players out against their will, as I outline briefly below, but to force a career Leaf to accept a trade against his will is crazy. Kaberle is a classy, well respected player and should be wearing the “C” in Toronto.
Given Toronto’s record with buying out players like Darcy Tucker, Andrew Raycroft, and the forced trading of Brian McCabe, the Leafs don’t look like an honourable destination for whichever UFA’s Burke will be coveting in the off-season.
Make no mistake about it, Burke is trying to send a message intended to be heard by all the players considering Toronto for next season. What good is it to offer a no-trade clause (usually instead of top money) to a veteran player who might want some stability for his family, if that veteran player knows you’ve broke your word in the past? Where’s the loyalty to a guy who has actually earned his money?
Burke also went on to say that Ron Wilson’s job isn’t in jeopardy.
To quote Brian;
“I don’t fault our coaches at all for where we are,” Burke said of his club, which is second-last in the Eastern Conference, and third-worst record wise in the NHL.
“I’ll tell you now, there isn’t going to be a coaching change. (Wilson) is as safe as gold in Fort Knox.”
When asked if some people might think his friendship with Wilson — which dates back to their days as college teammates — has anything to do with his loyalty to the coach, Burke said those “people would be idiots if they said that.”
Weather or not their previous friendship is a factor is a topic for another blog, but I’m not sure what people really expect out of Ron Wilson, given the talent he has to work with.
This isn’t an attempt at an excuse for the Maple Leafs (or Ron Wilson) but it should be mentioned that with the Olympic-condensed schedule, where teams are playing at a playoff rate (almost every other night), that a blue-collar team that has to out-work the opposition every night to get a win with little to no offensive talent, it makes little difference who’s behind the bench.
Vancouver Canucks Alex Burrows Speaks Out About Referee
Posted by Derek in NHL Injuries, NHL News, NHL Opinion, NHL Rumors on January 12th, 2010
“Canucks forward Alexandre Burrows did not hold back about what he felt were unjust penalty calls, ripping into NHL referee Stephane Auger after Vancouver’s 3-2 loss to the Nashville Predators on Monday night.
Burrows, who was called for diving in the second period and interference in the third, also received a 10-minute misconduct with seconds left in the game, and he was not shy his post-game interview.” (Source:TSN)
What an interesting situation last night in Vancouver. The referee in the spot light is Stephane Auger (his last name is pronounced o-j). According to Burrows, Auger came to him before the Anthem to let him know he would be getting retribution against Burrows for an incident earlier in the year, a hit Burrows received in a game against the Predators in Nashville.
Quoting Burrows..
“It was personal. It started in warmup, before the anthem,” Burrows said of Auger’s penalty calling. “(Auger) came over to me and he said I made him look bad in Nashville on the (Jerred) Smithson hit and he said he was going to get me back tonight.”
Burrows was referring to an incident back in December when the Preds’ Smithson hit Burrows and was given a major penalty for charging and a game misconduct. On Monday night, Burrows said Auger was getting back at him.
“When Smithson hit me from sideways and he (Auger) said, ‘I saw the replay, you had your head up, you weren’t really hurt and you made me look bad so I’m going to get you back tonight,’ and he did, and he cost us two points.
These are some pretty serious allegations, ones that could call the integrity of the whole league itself into question. How is this any different than the NBA referee who was fixing games for betting purposes?
You can bet the NHL spin team will be working overtime to figure out a way to quiet this down, but I can’t help but sit here and think back to all the bad calls I’ve witnessed over the years and wonder…
As a fan of hockey, ignorance was bliss. You could get upset over the poor calls, swear at the TV, but in the back of your mind you always believed that the refereeing was legit. If you can’t have impartial judgement from the refs, than what do you have?
From this point forward there will always be that question nagging at you as you watch what you perceive (fairly or unfairly) to be a blown call; Was there some ulterior motive to this call? Do we need to look at video from the last 10 games this guy refereed for this team to see if there was a slight to his honour by a certain player? This is the slippery slope that could cripple the NHL if it loses credibility with the public. A very slippery slope indeed.
Now lets not be naive, we all know that at the professional level of any sport the refereeing is always in question, (by the fans and media) and a player who exaggerates the seriousness of a hit to create a powerplay for his team must know that the ref will see the replay at some point after the game.
This player should than also know that the ref in question won’t appreciate being made to look the fool, but one would also assume that the ref would understand that the idea of the player was to get the advantage for his team, not to embarrass the referee.
There seems to be an issue with Auger’s ego. What hockey fan pays that much attention to who the referee is? Maybe during the game you notice, or perhaps as the game starts you say “oh no, not So And So tonight” or whatever, but do you really think there’s a bunch of guy’s in some basement, wearing referee stripes and whistles, cheering because Stephane Auger won against Alexander Burrows?
Oh yeah, by the way, wasn’t Burrows named NHL player of the week last week?
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