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One Extreme To Another

written by Tyler Yaremchuk

Last year, the NHL had an epidemic. Players were getting slashed, breaking hands, and losing fingers. Something needed to be done differently, but I don’t think anyone expected the change to be done to this extreme.

As the preseason went into full swing last night we saw a complete shift by NHL officials from one side of the spectrum to the other, specifically in regards to slashing minors. Here’s the game by game breakdown of penalties from last night.

 

Calgary vs Edmonton – 17 minors (7 slashing)

Edmonton vs Calgary – 15 minors (6 slashing)

Carolina vs Buffalo – 10 minors (4 slashing)

Montreal vs Boston – 12 minors (7 slashing)

Islanders vs Rangers – 15 minors (8 slashing)

Washington vs New Jersey – 14 minors (6 slashing)

Toronto vs Ottawa – 11 minors (5 slashing)

Minnesota vs Winnipeg – 17 powerplays (5 slashing)

 

Those are utterly insane numbers. This wasn’t a one-day coincidence either, the previous 3 exhibition games that have taken place over the past 2 days featured a combined 15 slashing minors.

The NHL didn’t create a new rule either. This was more or less a decision by the league to just actually call a rule that already exists. I dug up the rulebook definition just for reference:

Last night we saw average 13.875 penalties with an average of 6 of those being slashing minors. Compare that to last year where there was only an average of 0.6 slashing calls per game. So has the league officially shifted too far one way? Or is this the new standard that players will have to adjust to?

If the NHL does keep up this officiating how long would it take the players to adjust? Or could we be looking at 20-30 PIM’s a night for the first half of the season?

Of course, there are plenty of positives that will come from this. The talk for a while has been that the league needs more scoring, so maybe this is how you can accomplish that. Not only would more power plays create offense, but removing a defenders ability to hack their opponents hands will allow skilled players to create more chances (ya know, since they don’t 

need to be worried about losing a finger).

Also, the risk of injury especially to star players will drop significantly once players learn they can’t hack their opponents like they’re taking down a tree.

 

My only concern with this is that the league and its officials won’t be able to stay this consistent, especially once the games matter more. We just went through a postseason that saw the officials light the rulebook on fire, so when April rolls around this year, are slashing infractions going to go mainly uncalled like they did last year?

My point of view, and I’m sure most who watch the game share this perspective, is that officials should use the same set of eyes for the entire game and no matter what time of the year that game is played. If it’s a penalty in the first period of game 36, then it should be a penalty in the 3rd period of the Conference Finals. That simple.

Let’s hope the league finally gets this one right.

September 19, 2017 0 comment
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Central Division Preview

written by Tyler Yaremchuk

You could go read a magazine or go to major websites for season previews… but then it’s the same thing that tens of thousands of people read. So here is the start of my unique division by division season previews, which get you set for upcoming NHL season.

FIRST PLACE – DALLAS STARS

Added: A. Radulov – B. Bishop – M. Hanzal – M. Methot – B. Flynn – T. Pitlick

Lost: P. Sharp (fa) – C. Eakin (e) – J. Hudler (fa)  – A. Niemi (bo) – A. Hemsky (fa)

I get the sense that Jim Nill isn’t a very patient man. After the team saw their point total slip by 40 last season, their GM went out and solved their goaltending problem, solidified their d-core and just for fun, added a few more solid offensive pieces. They added a laundry list of impressive names to a team that already featured Benn, Seguin, Klingberg, and Spezza.

This team has a plethora of high-end skill, especially down the middle, where I don’t think there’s a team in the league that can match them. Seguin-Hanzal-Spezza-Shore is a terrific group and should be able to carry this team to a fantastic regular season.

Are there worries? Yeah. I don’t love their depth on the wings or on the back end, even though they are improved. Maybe that’s something they can look to add at the deadline, although they don’t have cap space as of now.

Regardless, I’m feeling bounce-back performance from the team in Texas and their off-season moves back up that feeling.

SECOND PLACE – NASHVILLE PREDATORS

Add: S. Hartnell – N. Bonino – A. Emelin

Lost: J. Neal (e) – C. Wilson (t)

I did not like their offseason. The Scott Hartnell reunion is a nice story, but he is not the player he used to be. They also paid a lot for Nick Bonino, a player who I question can be a competent second line center.  He’s never cracked 50 points and his GF% drops 11% when he goes from mid-level competition to elite competition (via puckiq.com). I don’t think he’s a good second line center.

So then why do I have them so high? Well, they still have Pekka Rinne and one of the best group of defensemen in the league. We also just witnessed some breakthrough performances during the playoffs and I believe guys like Freddy Gauthier, Colton Scissions, and Pontus Aberg are ready for full-time NHL duty.

The injury to Ryan Ellis stings, but again, their depth is incredible and I have full confidence they can survive the few months without Ellis.

If there’s an x-factor, I’d say it’s Ryan Johansen. Fresh off a big extension that pays him like an elite #1 center, he’ll need to produce more than the 14 goals & 47 points he got in 82 games last year.

Despite seeing declines in their point totals the last 3 years, I expect the Preds to have a strong season in a tough central division.

THIRD PLACE – WINNIPEG JETS

Add: D. Kulikov – S. Mason – M. Sgarbossa

Lost: P. Postma (fa) – C. Thorburn (fa) – O. Pavelec (fa)

They couldn’t keep pucks out of their net. That was the only reason this team didn’t find any success during the regular season. They finished 7th in goals for and the difference between their goals for per game and goals against per game was just (0.11).

To put that into perspective, only one other non-playoff team in the west had a better differential, that was the LA Kings at (0.02). Simply put: the Jets had a really solid regular season last year, their goaltending was just horrendous.

They went out and improved their goaltending situation by grabbing Steve Mason, who should be a little more stable than Pavelec/Hutchison were as backups. The addition of Mason, combined with a more experienced Connor Hellebuyck should help drop that goals against per game number.

They also went and added Dmitry Kulikov, who does have holes in his game but is an upgrade on Paul Postma.

Combine that with a group of forwards that’s deep, highly skilled and only getting better, I think the Jets have a winning team and have no problem slotting them into a playoff spot.

FOURTH PLACE – MINNESOTA WILD

Add: M. Foligno – R. Murphy – T. Ennis

Lost: M Hanzal (fa) – J. Pominville (t) – M. Scandella (t) – E. Haula (e) – D. Kuemper (fa)

The Wild went all in last year, paying a king’s ransom for Martin Hanzal at the deadline. It didn’t work out, but they still have a pretty solid core intact. Their solid wing depth is still there, and while I worry about their depth down the middle, maybe someone like Joel Eriksson Ek can thrive playing on a line with someone like Zach Parise or one of their other skill guys.

Their solid wing depth is still there, and while I worry about their depth down the middle, maybe someone like Joel Eriksson Ek can thrive playing on a line with someone like Zach Parise or one of their other skill guys.

Their solid d-core and Devan Dubnyk should leave them looking good in their own end. If there is one concern I have it’s a lack of that superstar presence, someone who can be a game-changing presence on offense. Is Mikael Granlund that guy? His point total increased by 25 last year, so will we see another big step forward?

If they get some big performances, which I expect they will, I have no doubt about the Wild being a playoff team.

FIFTH PLACE – CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

Add: B. Saad – P. Sharp – C. Murphy – A. Forsberg – J. Berube – J. Rutta

Lost: A. Panarin (t) – N. Hjalmarson (t) – M. Hossa (i) – M. Kruger (t) – T. Van Riemsdyk (e) – J.Oduya (fa) – S. Darling (t) – B. Campbell ®

That’s a long list of departures from the Windy City, and the new names are honestly quite underwhelming.

Just looking at their offense, they essentially swapped out Hossa and Panarin for Saad and Sharp. I understand the cap relief element of things, and they got a great deal with Sharp, but the bottom line is they got two players who produce less than the players they now have. The combined GF/60 of Hossa and Panarin is 4.9, while that number for Sharp and Saad is 4.3.

On defense, they lost their second best dman in Nik Hjalmarsson and two good supporting players in Van Riemsdyk and O’Duya. To replace them is 27-year-old rookie Jan Rutta and Connor Murphy. Another sizeable step back.

They also lost Scott Darling, who was an outstanding backup. Berube should be fine in that role, but it’s another step back, even if it is small.

Now despite getting worse in all three areas of their roster, they still have a good chunk of their core so they should stick to the playoff picture. Their depth isn’t god either so one big injury could really put them in a hole. The flip side of that, they have some good young players. If Debrincat, Schmaltz, and Murphy can prove their solid NHL players early on, there is some potential for the Hawks to challenge for the division.

Their depth isn’t good either so one big injury could really put them in a hole. The flip side is that they have some good young players. If Debrincat, Schmaltz, and Murphy can prove their solid NHL players early on, there is some potential for the Hawks to challenge for the division

Just going off their roster right now, gotta slide them lower than others may have them.

SIXTH PLACE – ST. LOUIS BLUES

Add: B. Schenn – B. Bennett – C. Thorburn

Lost: D. Perron (e) – J. Lehtera (t) – R. Reaves (t) – N. Yakupov (fa)

In a division as close and deep as the Central, you need to always be improving. The Blues didn’t do that.

It may be a storyline for a few years, but they still don’t have an elite centerman to play with Tarasenko. Schenn is good, but he isn’t a top line center.

They’ve seen a decline in points over each of the last 4 seasons (111-109-107-99) and with a slew of their direct competition making serious strides forward, the Blues may be the odd team out. They didn’t get any help from the schedule makers either, playing 6 of their first 9 on the road. A bad start can really set a team back, and again, in a division as loaded as the Central, a bad start could ruin your season.

If there’s a bright side, they should still have strong special teams (PP = 8th & PK = 3rd). A solid 60-65 starts from Jake Allen would also help. They have some cap space heading into next offseason with Paul Stastny coming off the books, so maybe a high pick and a little reset heading into 19/19 wouldn’t be the worst thing for the franchise.

SEVENTH PLACE – COLORADO AVALANCHE

Adds: N. Yakupov – C. Wilson – J. Bernier

Lost: F. Beauchemin (fa) – M. Grigorenko (fa) – C. Pickard (e) – P. Wiercioch (fa) – R. Bourque (fa)

It’s hardly a hot take to predict the Avs to finish in the basement, but it’s difficult to expect an organization that’s as lost as them to bounce back from a historically bad 16/17 season.

I liked the 3 additions they made over the offseason, all are essentially no risk and could pay off, but they didn’t get any better. Losing Beauchemin and Pickard won’t exactly help them gain points in the standings.

Joe Sakic also, to this point, failed to deal Matt Duchene despite everyone in the hockey world knows it’s coming. I don’t think this is exactly a very inspired group of guys heading into the new season so expect the same old, same old from the Avs.

RECAP

1 – Dallas – Loaded up this offseason,  filled almost all their holes.

2 – Nashville – Not a good offseason, but are still built like a Cup contender.

3 – Winnipeg – So much potential, goaltending looks better.

4 – Minnesota – Lost some decent players, no one too crucial. Another playoff appearance.

5 – Chicago – Every aspect of their team got worse. In the playoffs, but barely.

6 – St. Louis – Don’t think they’re good enough to take out Chicago for final WC spot.

7 – Colorado – Dumpster fire. Going to pick high in next years draft. Dahlin?

September 18, 2017 0 comment
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60 Minutes of Icing

written by Tyler Yaremchuk

Oh, you want to increase scoring? Here’s an idea; 60 minutes of icing. No matter what the scenario the icing rule stays in effect. If you take a penalty, no longer does going to the sin bin come with the benefit of icing the puck freely.

It’s an idea that sounds weird at first, but it’s been thrown around a few times over the past few years. Most recently it sparked my interest when I read it quickly in the latest issue of The Hockey News, so I thought I would expand on why I think switching the rule up could be a good thing for the game.

First off, it’s just logical, if a team is being punished for an infraction why are they also given the advantage of being able to ice the puck? If a team commits and infraction, they should have to actually play shorthanded.

Also, is the NHL not the league that’s been trying to increase scoring? Well, one really simple way to do that is to increase power play scoring. Last year, the average power play percentage was 19.1%. Just for argument’s sake, let’s just say that would increase a flat 10% across all teams even though that number may be low for some teams and may be high for others. It’s impossible to tell when you’re dealing with a hypothetical.

 

If every team’s PP% were to increase by 10%, these would be their new power-play goal totals:

Again, it’s an extremely rough guess on how this would affect things, but you can see that there would likely a rather significant increase in scoring whether that would be 5%, 10% or more. You don’t want to upset traditionalists, but you want to make the game more exciting. I feel like making this one minor change, could have a real positive effect on the sport.

Simply put, there’s no simpler way to increase scoring than to just make easier for teams to score on the powerplay.

Not only would this rule change make it more difficult for teams to get the puck out of their zone, but it would create more odd-man rushes for both the team with the man advantage and the team killing the penalty.

If teams are forced to try and actually play the game while killing a penalty, they might start to get greedy and before you know it, the play could be flipping back into their own end. The flip side of that is, one would think that the team on the powerplay would be more aggressive in trying to keep the puck in their own end. One bad move could create a shorthanded breakaway or 2 on 1 for the killing team.

The other reason I’m for this change: powerplays are exciting! Fans get to watch the most skilled players on their team get 2 minutes of offensive zone time. Whether your team in on the powerplay or killing one in a crucial time, you’re always on the edge of your seat! So why not raise the pressure a little more? Who wouldn’t want to make it easier for Connor McDavid to make magic in the offensive zone? Or for the Winnipeg Jets to set up Patrik Laine at the top of the circle? It just improves the game from a fan perspective.

The flip side of the coin is it gives teams with actual skilled penalty killers an advantage. No more watching fourth line plug just lay down and get in the way of everything. We’d get to see more of the league’s best players in different scenarios.

This also plays to my previous point of generating more odd-man rushes. If players like McDavid, Crosby, Eichel, and Matthews were freed from the shackles of having to ice the puck on penalty kills, you’d have to think they could generate some shorthanded offense.

Think of the different strategies as well. Would coaches instruct their PK units to try softy lift the puck out of the zone in an attempt to avoid icings while still getting the puck out? Or, could we see the creation of the “reverse icing”, where maybe once you gain the opposing team’s zone you simply fire the puck all the way back to your own goalie to kill time. Risky, but could work

The possibilities are endless, it would make the game more exciting and it just makes sense… which is why I’m 100% confident we will never see it in the NHL.

September 16, 2017 0 comment
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3rd Best Bracket: Seguin vs Tarasenko

written by Liam Horrobin

Over at BTI HQ, we were trying to think of a way to pass the dog days of the hockey off season. As you can imagine, trying to find content to write about in August can be tough.

We decided to start a bracket. But a simple bracket of who is the best player in the NHL would end one of two ways: Connor McDavid defeating Sidney Crosby OR Sidney Crosby defeating Connor McDavid in the final. So we switched it up a little.

Most recently, Brent Burns was joined by Patrick Kane in the second round after he took down Stars forward Jamie Benn.

Who will be next, Seguin or Tarasenko?

THE CASE FOR TYLER SEGUIN

(Tyler Yaremchuk)

The common thought is that Vlad Tarasenko is more of an elite finisher and produces more offense. That statement would be false. In the past 3 seasons, Seguin has played 14 FEWER games than Tarasenko and they have the EXACT SAME amount of points over that span (222).

My argument for Seguin to win this matchup is fairly simple: versatility. If you want him to centre your top line, he’ll do it. If you need him to shift to the wing, he can do that as well. That’s something Tarasenko simply doesn’t offer.

While Tarasenko may score more goals, Seguin does a better job of complementing his linemates and making those he plays with much better.

Where Tarasenko may be the sexy pick, ask yourself: If you were starting a franchise today, who would you choose? I would go with the versatile centerman who has put up over a point per game in 3 of his last 4 seasons.

THE CASE FOR VLADIMIR TARASENKO

(Liam Horrobin)

Vladimir Tarasenko is one of the game’s best finishers and has proven so over the past three seasons; only Alex Ovechkin (136) has light the lamp more than him – Tarasenko scored 116.

Also throughout those three seasons, the Russian winger has single handedly carried the Blues’ offense scoring 222 points with the next closest, Alexander Steen, coming in with 167 points. Only one other team in the Western Conference had a bigger gap between their highest scorer and their second highest scorer: the Chicago Blackhawks with a 77 point gap.

Tarasenko has played on much less talented teams, offensively, compared to Tyler Seguin who has been able to play alongside somebody as talented as Jamie Benn.

Although Tarasenko may not be as versatile as Tyler Seguin, if he can go out there and score my team 30 plus goals a season you simply cannot complain about that.

August 26, 2017 0 comment
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3rd Best Bracket: Patrick Kane vs Jamie Benn

written by Liam Horrobin

So over at BTI HQ, we were trying to think of a way to pass the dog days of the hockey offseason. As you can imagine, trying to find content to write about in August can be tough.

So we decided to start a bracket. But a simple bracket of who is the best player in the NHL would end one of two ways: Connor McDavid defeating Sidney Crosby OR Sidney Crosby defeating Connor McDavid in the final. So we switched it up a little.

A few week’s ago we had Jeff Carter and Brent Burns go head to head. Brent Burns came away victories in that battle and now this week we’ve got two heavyweights ready to battle it out!

 

THE CASE FOR Jamie Benn

(Tyler Yaremchuk)

Patrick Kane is very very very very (you get the point) skilled. You know that I know that, everyone knows that.

Majority of hockey fans know how good Jamie Benn is, but sometimes I feel as though his effectiveness gets lost in today’s fast paced, skilled NHL.

Benn is a big body who actually skates very well for someone who’s 6’2 and well over 200 pounds. He can park himself in front of the net and wreak havoc, or he can sit on the wingers and fire home one timers with his surprisingly strong shot. He can kill penalties as much as he can make other teams pay for taking them. You want a player you can trust to protect a lead late in the game? It’s Benn. You want a player who you can throw out with a minute left and you’re down a goal? Benn can do it.

As for scoring, Kane has an edge there obviously, but the gap isn’t huge. He’s eclipsed a point per game in 2 of the last 4 seasons and was dangerously close to that mark in those other two “off” years (69 points in 77 games & 79 points in 81 games).

THE CASE FOR Patrick Kane

(Liam Horrobin)

Three time Stanley Cup champion, Patrick Kane is one of the biggest names in the NHL.

He’s consistently been on the box score since day one of his NHL career, always coming up clutch when the Blackhawks need him the most. Kane has been a huge asset in changing the Blackhawks culture into a winning one. His tremendous 72 point rookie campaign helped Chicago to their first winning season since 2002. Since Kane has been with the organization they have not had a single losing season and have only missed the playoffs once: 2007-08.

Kane is a prolific scorer and over the past three seasons, nobody has scored more points than him. A big chunk of those points came from his outstanding season where he won the Ted Lindsay, became the first American born player to win the Art Ross, and took home the Hart Trophy: beating out Jamie Benn. That same year, Kane went on a 26 game point streak which became the longest in Blackhawks history and also the second longest streak since Mats Sundin in 1993.

Kane’s elite scoring touch is better than anybody else in the league today. He’s a big time player who makes big time plays.

 

Make sure to vote on our Twitter poll (@belowtheice) for whom ever you believe won this argument!

August 22, 2017 0 comment
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3rd Best Bracket: Brent Burns vs Jeff Carter

written by Tyler Yaremchuk

So over at BTI HQ, we were trying to think of a way to pass the dog days of the hockey offseason. As you can imagine, trying to find content to write about in August can be tough.

So we decided to start a bracket. But a simple bracket of who is the best player in the NHL would end one of two ways: Connor McDavid defeating Sidney Crosby OR Sidney Crosby defeating Connor McDavid in the final. So we switched it up a little.

This is the first installment in our battle bracket to find out who our BTI readers believe is the 3rd best player in the NHL.

THE CASE FOR BRENT BURNS

(Tyler Yaremchuk)

Brent Burns is the most unique player in the NHL. Not just because of his lack of teeth, tattoos, and odd fashion sense either. This is a guy that all 30 head coaches would love to have on their team as a forward and as a d-man. They don’t make too many like Brent Burns.

On defense, he ranked top 30 in opp SA/60, which may be a bland metric, but it does show how reliable he is at stopping opponents.

Some would mention that he’s a guy who takes too many risks offensively for a defender, but I have two counter arguments for that.

First, his strong skating allows him to recover in most cases. Second, when you’re as good as Brent Burns offensively, you can take as many risks as you want in my eyes. The only defenseman in the same class as Burns is Erik Karlsson and even EK65 doesn’t generate 10 shots a game like Burns does. Seriously, 10 shots a game is wild.

He’s consistent as well, over the past 3 seasons he’s had some very strong box-cars: points (60-70-70) and Assists (43-48-47). He’s also chipped home 20 goals in 3 of the last 4 years and was on pace to do so in the lockout shortened season.

A 5 tool player who skates well, shoots often and accurately, plays physical, has an elite hockey sense and can make good passes out of his zone. Whether you’re down a goal or looking to hold onto a late lead, Burns is the guy you want on the ice, which is why I give him the edge over Carter.

 

THE CASE FOR JEFF CARTER

(Liam Horrobin)

Early on in the NHL season last year, I made a case for Jeff Carter to be in contention for the Hart Trophy. He was carrying a team that was going through a difficult season due to injuries to key players and generally just underperforming. Jeff Carter, however, performed at a high level despite the level that his team was playing at.

Carter dominated in all offensive categories for the Kings:

  • 1st in Goals (32)
  • 1st in Points (66)
  • 1st in Powerplay Goals/Points (10/22)
  • 1st in Game Winning Goals (9)
  • 1st in Overtime Goals (4)

His 32 goals were the most he’s scored since 2011 and they could not have come at a more crucial time for the Kings. Adding to that, Carter had more points than he’s had during his time with the Kings.

He did all of this during a time when the Kings needed him to step up the most. With no Tyler Toffoli for 19 games, an extremely underachieving Anze Kopitar – who had the worst none shortened season of his career –  and offence that had only one other 20+ goalscorer – Tanner Pearson.

He was able to step up and perform at an elite level consistently all season when nobody else could.

Carter single-handedly kept the Kings’ playoff hopes alive. Of course, the Kings did not end up making the playoffs but that was through no fault of Carter’s.

Carter’s performances may be overlooked by bigger names in the NHL, but at the end of the day he does exactly what the likes of Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby do: he gives his team a chance to win every night.

The difference between Burns and Carter is that Burns has a supporting cast, Carter simply does not.

August 4, 2017 0 comment
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Worth Every Nickel

written by Tyler Yaremchuk

“Taking this much money means he doesn’t want to win”

Shut up.

“He’s leaving no money for them to build a —”

Shut up.

“This is just a selfish move by —”

Shut up. Please, shut up.

 

If you have said any of the above in the past week. Stop talking.

 

Connor McDavid has played in 127 NHL games to this point in his career. He has scored 148 points and won an Art Ross, Hart Trophy, and Ted Lindsay Award. He guided a franchise out of the darkness and helped them win a playoff round in their first year back in the big dance.

He deserves $12.5 million. He deserved $13.250 million. He deserves $20 million. This franchise was gifted him via a fricken’ lottery. He owes them absolutely nothing.

As far as I’m concerned it is their responsibility to ensure they take whatever money is left and give Connor McDavid the resources he needs to bring multiple Stanley Cups to Edmonton. It is not the job of a young superstar to make life easier on management.

It’s a problem that has existed for a while now in hockey, the idea that a superstar must take less so that the supporting cast around him is better. I see the mindset behind that argument, of course, everyone loves a good team player. Someone who puts themselves second.

 

But consider it from the other perspective.

 

Is it Connors fault that he Oilers paid Milan Lucic $6m? No.

Who’s fault is it that they had to buy out Benoit Pouliot? Hardly #97’s.

So why should he have to sell himself short to cater to the mistakes of others?

 

It’s something that hockey has an extreme problem with, that other sports frankly do not.

Look at the NBA, in most cases when a support player wants to join a super team and win, he takes less money. The majority of the cap is spent on the superstars.

 

I know the cap levels and rules are different in every league, but let’s throw McDavid’s salary up against the other 3 major leagues:

If McDavid were to hold a $12.5 AAV in the MLB, he would rank just inside the top 100.

Yup, hockey’s best young star has an annual salary that is in the same breath as players like Ricky Nolasco and Matt Garza.

Ignore the bargain that Chris Sale is on because he IS a truly special talent on a great deal. But the best young player that hockey has seen in arguably 25 years got a shiny brand new deal… that’s worth the same as a few sub-par starting pitchers.

No different in the NBA where McDavid would sit in a tie for 88th… with Miles Plumlee.

Tell me, when was the last time you heard someone say “Wow, did you see what Miles Plumlee did last night? We GOTTA find a way to watch him live!”.

Or maybe next time you walk into a sports retail store, ask if they have any Miles Plumlee gear left, or maybe it’s all sold out!

McDavid brings value to a franchise that no other player can. It’s absurd that in today’s hockey world, he’s unable to chase what he financially deserves and if he was allowed to, he would be scrutinized for doing so.

 

(Also just for fun, here’s the NFL salaries… seriously, he’s 63rd. WHO THE HELL IS ANDREW WHITWORTH)

 

MY SOLUTION

James Duthie brought up a great point on TSN 1260 the other week. Give each team one exemption. Whoever the teams highest paid player is, simply comes off the cap.

It’s so simple, yet so effective. The Oilers give Connor McDavid the $25 million a year he deserves. The team doesn’t suffer. Old man hockey culture can’t say McDavid is a selfish spoiled kid.

In works for other teams as well. If you pay Player A $12 million a year, he’s exempt, but as soon as you give another player $13 million, Player A counts towards your cap again. It’s a brilliant way of keeping the parity that the NHL loves to create, while not handcuffing teams who have great players. It also allows players to earn what they are truly worth to their franchises without facing public scrutiny.

Of course, there are more layers to it, but that’s for another blog. For now, I leave you with this:

Connor McDavid deserves whatever the hell he wants, and it’s a shame hockey culture gets in the way of their stars earning what they deserve.

 

photo via The Edmonton Sun

July 6, 2017 0 comment
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Jagr’s Next Move

written by Liam Horrobin

We’re now in the second week of NHL free agency and one of the greatest players to ever play the game is still available: Jaromir Jagr. He is coming off a 46-point season, whilst playing all 82 games for the first time since 2014 when he was with the New Jersey Devils.

The Florida Panthers announced that they do not want to bring Jagr back to the organization, and according to Jagr, neither does any other organization.

Despite the apparent lack of interest, Jagr is no rookie when it comes to moving teams. Since returning to the NHL, after three years in the KHL, the 45-year-old has played for five different teams in six years.

Regardless of his age, Jagr’s numbers indicate one thing: he still knows how to score points.

Jagr has totaled 159 points in his last three seasons with both New Jersey and Florida – more points in fewer games than Patrick Marleau (151), who just signed a three-year $18M contract with Toronto.

Last Tuesday, another top free agent, Alex Radulov, just went off the board to one of Jagr’s former teams, the Dallas Stars. Radulov signed a deal worth $31.25M, $6.25M per year, over the next five years. In 2017 against even strength opponents, Radulov scored 31 points (goals, 23 assists) whilst Jagr scored 33 points (eight goals, 25 assists).

Numbers don’t lie.  Scoring wise, Jagr can still compete with the top free agents on this year’s market yet he is still unsigned. Take away the age and your team will be getting a scoring winger, which plenty of NHL teams need.

Jagr has proven year after year that age will not define him. People can complain about his speed as much as they want, but if he keeps scoring points does it really matter?

With the list of free agents getting smaller each day, the Czech is becoming the top free agent available.

Destinations

Jagr is obviously in search for another Stanley Cup ring to add to his collection, however, a team in the lower half of the standings should show interest in him as a mentor. A team like the Arizona Coyotes could be one of those teams. During his time in Florida, Jagr was a major part of the success the Panthers experienced from both Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Coyotes are in a similar stage of their rebuild much like the Panthers were. The future Hall of Famer could do the same in Arizona but this time with the likes of Dylan Strome, Maxi Domi, Clayton Keller. The list of young talent is really endless in the Copper State. As previously mentioned, Jagr is in pursuit of a Stanley Cup ring, however, he would be waiting a long time in Arizona for that ring, making an Arizona unlikely destination. On the other hand, most old people eventually move to Arizona later in life so why wait till then?

Until the last few days, the Dallas Stars would’ve been a great destination for the 45-year-old. Over the summer, GM Jim Nill has made some huge moves in order to not only get his team back in the playoffs but to go all the way. Trading for Ben Bishop and signing two of the biggest names on the free-agent market, Martin Hanzel and Alex Radulov, would attract any player at the back end of their career. The Stars did lose offense at the trade deadline in Patrick Eaves, and then Patrick Sharp, Ales Hemsky, and Jiri Hudler to free agency. Jagr seems like a great fit. However, with the Stars resigning both Radek Faska and Brett Ritchie it now leaves no room for the future Hall of Famer.

Another talked about destination for him is in Western Canada with the Edmonton Oilers or Calgary Flames. The Flames seem like the more likely stop in this situation, now that the Oilers have signed Jussi Jokinen. Edmonton will likely want to give Jesse Puljajarvi another chance in Alberta’s capital after spending the second half of the season in Bakersfield.

Now as for the Flames they’ve been busy bringing in defense, resigning Mark Stone, signing Travis Hamonic, and trading for Mike Smith. Last season, the Flames ranked in the lower half of the league in goals for, meaning it is probably time for them to invest in some offense. Jagr could slide perfectly on the top line complementing Calgary’s two stars Monahan and Gaudreau.

Over in the East, the Columbus Blue Jackets emerged last season as one of the best teams in the NHL. On draft day, they bolstered their offense with the addition of Artemi Panarin in exchange for Brandon Saad. Their only real loss this off season has been Sam Gagner who left to join the Vancouver Canucks. Jagr could easily come in and fill the void left by Gagner: he’s a much better player. They are a young team on the rise with only one player over the age of 30 on the offensive side of the puck, Brandon Dubinsky. With the current Vezina winner and one of the best defensive cores in the league, Columbus is ready to go on a deep playoff run and win the cup, just what Jagr wants.

Other teams that could be potential new homes for Jagr are the Montreal Canadiens who are looking for more offense, or the Carolina Hurricanes who want to take that next step.

Personally, I would love to see Jagr back in the black and white of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The right side of their offense may be crowded with Phil Kessel, Patric Hornqvist, and Bryan Rust but that could work in Jagr’s favour. He won’t be forced to play in every game and with him being the age he is it may actually extend his career to 50 like he believes. Also, with the talent on the Penguins roster, he would have a great shot at hitting the 60 point mark, again. The Penguins have just won back-to-back cups, I wouldn’t put it past them to win it again and obviously, Jagr wants another shot before he hangs up the skates.

I could easily make a case for every team and why Jagr would be a good fit, but ultimately we won’t know what will work best until we see him skating next season with his new team.

July 12, 2017 0 comment
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