I haven't been able to post in some time, due to a combination of schoolwork, travel and the wedding celebrations of a very good friend. I am currently in one of the NHL cities that has not won a cup since 1967,* before returning home to another next week. I'm not sure how much time I will have to post while I'm away, but keep checking back throughout the dog days of summer. For those of you wondering what is coming up on the blog, here is a preview of coming attractions:
- Continuing to revisit my frequently-terrible predictions for the 08-09 NHL season
- A couple creative ideas for the NHL to increase local fan interest
- A look at some of the biggest hockey upsets of all time
- And, of course, the long-awaited Mid-Year Reader Comment Awards
Hope you are enjoying the summer, and thanks for reading!
* The complete list is: Atlanta, Buffalo, Chicago, Columbus, Los Angeles, Miama (Florida), Minneapolis-St.Paul (Minnesota), Nashville, Ottawa, Phoenix, San Jose, St. Louis, Toronto, Vancouver, Washington
Monday, July 20, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Revisiting my pre-season predictions - Part II
Way back in the fall I made my predictions for the 2008-09 regular season. Predictions were made for the Eastern and Western Conferences, as well as for major award winners. Now that the season is over and the hardware handed out, it is time to look back in embarrassment at my preseason predictions. This is Part I in the series.
I will rank all my predictions them on a four-letter scale:
A - Nailed the pick exactly right
B - In the ballpark but not right on
C - A pretty misguided pick, but you can kind of understand why I made it
F - Epic fail
Western Conference
1st Place
Predicted: Detroit Red Wings
Actual: San Jose Sharks
Grade: B+
Okay, so San Jose took first by 5 points, but the Red Wings still finished the season with 112 points and challenged the Sharks for the President's Trophy for much of the season.
2nd Place
Predicted: Dallas Stars
Actual: Detroit Red Wings
Grade: F-
Yes I know that F- technically doesn't exist, but I deserve it anyway. I also picked Dallas to win the Stanley Cup. Let's just not talk about it, 'kay?
3rd Place
Predicted: Calgary Flames
Actual: Vancouver Canucks
Grade: B-
Ye of little faith! Yes, I actually put aside my obvious partisanism and called the Flames to win the Northwest Division. To be fair, Calgary did appear to have the division wrapped up before falling apart down the stretch, often dressing fewer than 18 skaters due to injuries and salary cap issues. No wrong prediction pleased me more than this one!
4th Place
Predicted: San Jose Sharks
Actual: Chicago Blackhawks
Grade: C
The Sharks dominated in the regular season, but unfortunately for them the President's Trophy just ain't the same as the Stanley Cup.
5th Place
Predicted: Anaheim Ducks
Actual: Calgary Flames
Grade: C
The Ducks slipped to 8th. The Flames stumbled their way to 5th. To be fair, Anaheim was better than their record indicated.
6th place
Predicted: Chicago Blackhawks
Actual: St. Louis Blues
Grade: B-
Chicago defied my expectations by maturing faster than I had thought they would, and finished with an impressive 104 points in the regular season. Let's not talk about the playoffs. Ever.
7th Place
Predicted: Vancouver Canucks
Actual: Columbus Blue Jackets
Grade: A-
Yes, I know the 'Nucks made it to 3rd. So why I am being so self-congratulatory about this pick? Well, mainly because - as I noted in my original post - "the conventional wisdom of 99.9% of hockey experts" was that they would miss the playoffs entirely. Adam Proteau of The Hockey News had them at 14th. So the fact that I called them to make the playoffs at all is, I think, worthy of a decent grade.
8th Place
Predicted: Phoenix Coyotes
Actual: Anaheim Ducks
Grade: F
I thought the Coyotes would turn a corner this year, and for half the season it looked like they might. But then the wheels fell off, and they finished the season in 13th and twelve points behind the 8th place Ducks. Oops.
9th Place
Predicted: Columbus Blue Jackets
Actual: Minnesota Wild
Grade: D
Didn't think that CBJ had it in them to make the playoffs. But they defied my predictions by making their first ever postseason.
10th Place
Predicted: Edmonton Oilers
Actual: Nashville Predators
Grade: A
The Oilers actually finished in 11th place, but I am proud of this pick for a similar reason to my Canucks prediction - because it defied the prognostications of many hockey experts. The pre-season hype about the Oilers was that they had a great youthful core led by players such as Sam Gagner (who managed just 41 points in his second season) and that they were poised to take a big step in 08-09. These predictions, however, ignored the fact that the Oilers were pretty abysmal in 07-08 until they made a late push for the playoffs. Those kind of streaks rarely carry over into the following regular season.
11th Place
Predicted: Colorado Avalanche
Actual: Edmonton Oilers
Grade: D
Wow, I thought the Avs would be bad, but not last-in-the-conference bad. Which is exactly how bad they were, finishing a full 10 points below the 14th place LA Kings.
12th Place
Predicted: Minnesota Wild
Actual: Dallas Stars
Grade: B+
Yeah I was off by a few spots, but I was reasonably accurate in my prediction: "I feel like the Wild are in for a fall. Call it a hunch."
13th Place
Predicted: Nashville Predators
Actual: Phoenix Coyotes
Grade: C-
Never count out the Predators. While I correctly called them to miss the playoffs after four straight seasons of making it, I did not expect them to be as competitive as they were. The Preds hung in there, and finished just three points back of the 8th place Ducks.
14th Place
Predicted: St. Louis Blues
Actual: Los Angeles Kings
Grade: F
Didn't see this one coming. After finishing with just 79 points in 2007-08, good for 14th in the conference, the Blues rocketed back to legitimacy by finishing 6th in the West with 92 points. Fortunately they met their match in Round 1 of the playoffs.
15th Place
Predicted: Los Angeles Kings
Actual: Colorado Avalanche
Grade: A-
The Kings finished in 14th. Close enough.
Final Grades:
A: 1
A-: 2
B+: 2
B-: 2
C: 2
C-: 1
D: 2
F: 2
F-: 1
I will rank all my predictions them on a four-letter scale:
A - Nailed the pick exactly right
B - In the ballpark but not right on
C - A pretty misguided pick, but you can kind of understand why I made it
F - Epic fail
Western Conference
1st Place
Predicted: Detroit Red Wings
Actual: San Jose Sharks
Grade: B+
Okay, so San Jose took first by 5 points, but the Red Wings still finished the season with 112 points and challenged the Sharks for the President's Trophy for much of the season.
2nd Place
Predicted: Dallas Stars
Actual: Detroit Red Wings
Grade: F-
Yes I know that F- technically doesn't exist, but I deserve it anyway. I also picked Dallas to win the Stanley Cup. Let's just not talk about it, 'kay?
3rd Place
Predicted: Calgary Flames
Actual: Vancouver Canucks
Grade: B-
Ye of little faith! Yes, I actually put aside my obvious partisanism and called the Flames to win the Northwest Division. To be fair, Calgary did appear to have the division wrapped up before falling apart down the stretch, often dressing fewer than 18 skaters due to injuries and salary cap issues. No wrong prediction pleased me more than this one!
4th Place
Predicted: San Jose Sharks
Actual: Chicago Blackhawks
Grade: C
The Sharks dominated in the regular season, but unfortunately for them the President's Trophy just ain't the same as the Stanley Cup.
5th Place
Predicted: Anaheim Ducks
Actual: Calgary Flames
Grade: C
The Ducks slipped to 8th. The Flames stumbled their way to 5th. To be fair, Anaheim was better than their record indicated.
6th place
Predicted: Chicago Blackhawks
Actual: St. Louis Blues
Grade: B-
Chicago defied my expectations by maturing faster than I had thought they would, and finished with an impressive 104 points in the regular season. Let's not talk about the playoffs. Ever.
7th Place
Predicted: Vancouver Canucks
Actual: Columbus Blue Jackets
Grade: A-
Yes, I know the 'Nucks made it to 3rd. So why I am being so self-congratulatory about this pick? Well, mainly because - as I noted in my original post - "the conventional wisdom of 99.9% of hockey experts" was that they would miss the playoffs entirely. Adam Proteau of The Hockey News had them at 14th. So the fact that I called them to make the playoffs at all is, I think, worthy of a decent grade.
8th Place
Predicted: Phoenix Coyotes
Actual: Anaheim Ducks
Grade: F
I thought the Coyotes would turn a corner this year, and for half the season it looked like they might. But then the wheels fell off, and they finished the season in 13th and twelve points behind the 8th place Ducks. Oops.
9th Place
Predicted: Columbus Blue Jackets
Actual: Minnesota Wild
Grade: D
Didn't think that CBJ had it in them to make the playoffs. But they defied my predictions by making their first ever postseason.
10th Place
Predicted: Edmonton Oilers
Actual: Nashville Predators
Grade: A
The Oilers actually finished in 11th place, but I am proud of this pick for a similar reason to my Canucks prediction - because it defied the prognostications of many hockey experts. The pre-season hype about the Oilers was that they had a great youthful core led by players such as Sam Gagner (who managed just 41 points in his second season) and that they were poised to take a big step in 08-09. These predictions, however, ignored the fact that the Oilers were pretty abysmal in 07-08 until they made a late push for the playoffs. Those kind of streaks rarely carry over into the following regular season.
11th Place
Predicted: Colorado Avalanche
Actual: Edmonton Oilers
Grade: D
Wow, I thought the Avs would be bad, but not last-in-the-conference bad. Which is exactly how bad they were, finishing a full 10 points below the 14th place LA Kings.
12th Place
Predicted: Minnesota Wild
Actual: Dallas Stars
Grade: B+
Yeah I was off by a few spots, but I was reasonably accurate in my prediction: "I feel like the Wild are in for a fall. Call it a hunch."
13th Place
Predicted: Nashville Predators
Actual: Phoenix Coyotes
Grade: C-
Never count out the Predators. While I correctly called them to miss the playoffs after four straight seasons of making it, I did not expect them to be as competitive as they were. The Preds hung in there, and finished just three points back of the 8th place Ducks.
14th Place
Predicted: St. Louis Blues
Actual: Los Angeles Kings
Grade: F
Didn't see this one coming. After finishing with just 79 points in 2007-08, good for 14th in the conference, the Blues rocketed back to legitimacy by finishing 6th in the West with 92 points. Fortunately they met their match in Round 1 of the playoffs.
15th Place
Predicted: Los Angeles Kings
Actual: Colorado Avalanche
Grade: A-
The Kings finished in 14th. Close enough.
Final Grades:
A: 1
A-: 2
B+: 2
B-: 2
C: 2
C-: 1
D: 2
F: 2
F-: 1
Monday, July 6, 2009
Oh no, not Andrew Raycroft!
One-time Toronto Maple Leaf, and some-time butt of my jokes, Andrew Raycroft has reportedly signed with the Canucks.
Seriously?
I don't really get this move, unless there is an imminent trade involving Cory Schneider. Assuming Luongo signs a long-term extension, conventional wisdom is that Schneider backs up Luongo this year to increase his already-quite-high trade value. So why bring in a mediocre goalie to back up Bobby-Lou? Furthermore, with cap space limited, why pay a significant chunk for a back-up?
Unlike Kyle Wellwood, this is one ex-Leaf reclamation project I am not a fan of.
Seriously?
I don't really get this move, unless there is an imminent trade involving Cory Schneider. Assuming Luongo signs a long-term extension, conventional wisdom is that Schneider backs up Luongo this year to increase his already-quite-high trade value. So why bring in a mediocre goalie to back up Bobby-Lou? Furthermore, with cap space limited, why pay a significant chunk for a back-up?
Unlike Kyle Wellwood, this is one ex-Leaf reclamation project I am not a fan of.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Some thoughts on free agency so far
Well the "Free Agent Frenzy" (as TSN markets it) has been on for over 24 hours, and there have been some notable happenings.
For Canucks fans the big news is that Daniel and Henrik Sedin are returning to the fold, at $6.1 million per year for five years. That is considerably lower than what they could have demanded on the open market, and represents a solid commitment to the twins, along with Roberto Luongo (expected to sign a long-term extension soon), as the team's core moving forward. I have already expressed my desire to keep the Sedins in Vancouver, and consequently I am very happy that this deal got done.
The other significant news is the departure of long-serving stalwart Mattias Ohlund to the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he will serve as a mentor to the young Victor Hedman. Ohlund was a rock on the Canucks blueline for 11 seasons, and departs as the franchise's leading scorer amongst defensemen. It was clear for most of the season that the Canucks were not going to retain Ohlund's services, and while it is sad to see him go there is, happily, no ill will on either side. Expect Ohlund to get a rousing ovation from the GM Place faithful next time Tampa comes through town.
In other minor news the club bids farewell to Jason LaBarbera, who filled in solidly during Luongo's injury last season but who deserves a chance to try to win a starting job. Hopefully he gets that chance with the Phoenix Coyotes. The Canucks also signed three depth defensemen in Nolan Baumgartner (who played for their AHL team last year), Lawrence Nycholat (who was lost on the waiver last season) and Matt Pope. None of these six are likely to be in the starting lineup come the Fall, but do provide some useful insurance in case of injury.
Other notable names on the move have included Marian Hossa (Chicago Blackhawks), Marion Gaborik (New York Rangers), Jay Bouwmeester (Calgary Flames), Mike Cammalleri (Montreal Canadiens), Nikolai Khabibulin (Edmonton Oilers), Martin Havlat (Minnesota Wild) and Mike Komisarek (Toronto Maple Leafs).
I'm a little scared by the number of Western Conference teams that look to be much better next year, seeing that as of right now the Canucks have not gotten any better (though, thankfully, not gotten much worse thanks to keeping the Sedins). It remains to be seen if Mike Gillis can acquire defensive depth to replace Ohlund and scoring to complement the Sedins (a Mats Sundin return is not out of the question), or if the latter of these needs can be met internally by Cody Hodgson, Michael Grabner or, unlikely this coming season, Jordan Schroeder.
Meanwhile, in our division Calgary has added Bouwmeester to a defence corps that also includes Dion Phaneuf and Robyn Regehr, although they did lose valuable scoring in Cammalleri. They may again be hamstrung by cap issues and lack of depth, as they have a lot of money invested in a small core of players. Edmonton arguably gets an upgrade in goal, adding Khabibulin to replace the outgoing Dwayne Roloson. Minnesota essentially swaps one incredibly-skilled-but-incredibly-fragile forward for another, losing Gaborik and adding Havlat. Colorado has upgraded somewhat by drafting Matt Duchesne and acquiring Craig Anderson to address their woeful goaltending.
But other teams in the West are looking like they will be much stronger next year. The Detroit Red Wings are consistently a strong team, and that is unlikely to change. The San Jose Sharks are looking to bounce back from a disappointing postseason, and should once again be a dominant team. The Anaheim Ducks will remain a dangerous opponent. The St. Louis Blues, Columbus Blue Jackets and L.A. Kings all have good, young cores and look to move up the standings this year. And Chicago just got that much more deadly with the addition of Hossa.
So, while the regular season is still three months away, it appears as if the West will be a tough conference once again. Here's hoping the Canucks find a few more pieces before then.
For Canucks fans the big news is that Daniel and Henrik Sedin are returning to the fold, at $6.1 million per year for five years. That is considerably lower than what they could have demanded on the open market, and represents a solid commitment to the twins, along with Roberto Luongo (expected to sign a long-term extension soon), as the team's core moving forward. I have already expressed my desire to keep the Sedins in Vancouver, and consequently I am very happy that this deal got done.
The other significant news is the departure of long-serving stalwart Mattias Ohlund to the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he will serve as a mentor to the young Victor Hedman. Ohlund was a rock on the Canucks blueline for 11 seasons, and departs as the franchise's leading scorer amongst defensemen. It was clear for most of the season that the Canucks were not going to retain Ohlund's services, and while it is sad to see him go there is, happily, no ill will on either side. Expect Ohlund to get a rousing ovation from the GM Place faithful next time Tampa comes through town.
In other minor news the club bids farewell to Jason LaBarbera, who filled in solidly during Luongo's injury last season but who deserves a chance to try to win a starting job. Hopefully he gets that chance with the Phoenix Coyotes. The Canucks also signed three depth defensemen in Nolan Baumgartner (who played for their AHL team last year), Lawrence Nycholat (who was lost on the waiver last season) and Matt Pope. None of these six are likely to be in the starting lineup come the Fall, but do provide some useful insurance in case of injury.
Other notable names on the move have included Marian Hossa (Chicago Blackhawks), Marion Gaborik (New York Rangers), Jay Bouwmeester (Calgary Flames), Mike Cammalleri (Montreal Canadiens), Nikolai Khabibulin (Edmonton Oilers), Martin Havlat (Minnesota Wild) and Mike Komisarek (Toronto Maple Leafs).
I'm a little scared by the number of Western Conference teams that look to be much better next year, seeing that as of right now the Canucks have not gotten any better (though, thankfully, not gotten much worse thanks to keeping the Sedins). It remains to be seen if Mike Gillis can acquire defensive depth to replace Ohlund and scoring to complement the Sedins (a Mats Sundin return is not out of the question), or if the latter of these needs can be met internally by Cody Hodgson, Michael Grabner or, unlikely this coming season, Jordan Schroeder.
Meanwhile, in our division Calgary has added Bouwmeester to a defence corps that also includes Dion Phaneuf and Robyn Regehr, although they did lose valuable scoring in Cammalleri. They may again be hamstrung by cap issues and lack of depth, as they have a lot of money invested in a small core of players. Edmonton arguably gets an upgrade in goal, adding Khabibulin to replace the outgoing Dwayne Roloson. Minnesota essentially swaps one incredibly-skilled-but-incredibly-fragile forward for another, losing Gaborik and adding Havlat. Colorado has upgraded somewhat by drafting Matt Duchesne and acquiring Craig Anderson to address their woeful goaltending.
But other teams in the West are looking like they will be much stronger next year. The Detroit Red Wings are consistently a strong team, and that is unlikely to change. The San Jose Sharks are looking to bounce back from a disappointing postseason, and should once again be a dominant team. The Anaheim Ducks will remain a dangerous opponent. The St. Louis Blues, Columbus Blue Jackets and L.A. Kings all have good, young cores and look to move up the standings this year. And Chicago just got that much more deadly with the addition of Hossa.
So, while the regular season is still three months away, it appears as if the West will be a tough conference once again. Here's hoping the Canucks find a few more pieces before then.
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