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Last Word On Sports

Sports News Since 2011. Honestly.

Last Word On Sports Logo

Sports. Honestly. Since 2011

Month: February 2012

A Comprehensive Look at the NHL: Lottery Ball (Part 5/5)

Posted on by Grant Alexander

Welcome back to the final installment of “A Comprehensive Look at the NHL”, a five-part serial looking closely at teams in the NHL based on their likelihood of playing hockey well into April.

Lottery Ball

These are the teams that are either re-building, or have given up on the season. And they are also the teams getting those lucky lottery balls on draft day. They have the tough job of trying to remain competitive, when we all know that they really just want to finish last and get their hands on this years Nugent-Hopkins. Here’s to hoping they have honour in losing, and we don’t witness any sandbagging the way the Penguins did all those years ago to get Lemieux. Yes, it was a long time ago. And no, I will not forget. Also look for these teams to be sellers down the stretch.

New York Islanders

This team is a ticking time bomb. It might be next year, it might be two years from now, but this team is set to go off. You can only stockpile so much young talent before they start to click. And another top pick this year couldn’t hurt. The bad part though, well, they haven’t made the playoffs in 5 seasons, and haven’t had a successful playoff run in even longer. They’re no Toronto Maple Leafs, but it has been a while, and it is starting to wear on the fans. Good things are coming though, and my guess is it will be worth the wait. Vegas odds of winning the Stanley Cup are 151 to 1.

Buffalo

Where to start… well, the Sabres might be the biggest disappointment of the 2011-12 season. They were projected to possibly win the division over the Bruins, and at worst easily qualify for the playoffs. Now they are sitting in 14th place in the East, and they don’t have a dollar to their name. They built what everyone thought in the off-season was a really talented team, but in the process spent right up to the cap with no room to wiggle. The good news is they haven’t mortgaged their future and do still have a solid line-up of young talent. There not mathematically out of the playoffs, but with Miller’s breakdown, and the team not gelling, I don’t see them making up the ground. And it could be a blessing in disguise if it’s a sellers market come trade deadline. They could liquidate some of their older assets, free up some cap space, and probably grab a decent draft pick or two in the meantime. Then they have all summer to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it. Vegas odds of winning the Stanley Cup are 76 to 1.

Carolina

I think Carolina was hoping to be competitive enough to fight for a playoff spot this year, and I had them as a bubble team at best. So I think this is really a win for the Canes. They are last in the East and probably looking at a top 3 pick in this years draft. They do have a few young stars already, and Staal is also young enough to still be an impact player after a few “rebuild years”. They have won a cup in the last decade so there is no real urgency, and the fans will be willing to wait while they try to build another contender. Vegas odds of winning the Stanley Cup are 201 to 1.

Anaheim

If Buffalo isn’t the biggest disappointment this year, than Anaheim certainly is. The Ducks were expected to be a contender this year, as their young core hits their prime. Their top line of Getzlaf-Perry-Ryan, were all taken in the top 20 of most fantasy leagues. Everybody expected big things from the trio. Also, Hiller came back from injury, Selanne was staying for another season, and Fowler was another year older. The only player that has lived up to expectation so far, surprisingly enough, is Selanne. And the bad news is they might not have the 41-year old next season as rumour has it he is ready to retire. The good news is they do have a solid young talent pool to dip into to help the team. Including Hobey Baker front-runner Justin Schultz. The Ducks will return to greatness, so consider this a hurdle. But for now they should take their pick, instead of doing what they usually do, which is make a crazy late season run. Then again 11 points is doable, and they aren’t desperate for the pick… Vegas odds of winning the Stanley Cup are 151 to 1.

Edmonton

They gave it the old college try, and were doing well for a while, but nobody expected much for the first full season of the new trio in Edmonton. And I think the season was a success despite currently sitting 29th out of 30. Injuries aside, all three young stars have proved so far that they can and will be forces to reckon with in the NHL. Look out for this team next year, especially if they manage to bolster their defense in the off-season. Oh, and a lottery ball pick is nothing short of a victory for a team not heading for the playoffs. Vegas odds of winning the Stanley Cup are 226 to 1.

Columbus

Poor Columbus. In 11 seasons prior to this one, they have not won a Stanley Cup, a Presidents Trophy, a Conference Championship, or a Division Title. And they now sit dead last in the league. But even worse than that they made a big move in the off-season to try and spark some life into the team that ended up being a huge backfire. They traded Voracek and their first round pick, for Jeff Carter. Carter has only played 30 games, and has little to show for his efforts. Meanwhile, Voracek is contributing well in Philly, and that first round pick ended up netting Sean Couturier. If you don’t know who that is now, you will very soon. This kid could be the next Claude Giroux for the Flyers. But back to Columbus and their current situation. They will be getting a lottery ball this year and most likely the first overall pick. And my advice would be to trade Nash for one or two more top picks. As well as anybody else that will net a top pick over the next three years. They have been in the building stage since they got Nash first overall and now he’s 27, so what’s a few more years? Anyway this is the salary cap NHL, and the best way to win a Stanley Cup is to get as many first round picks as you can before you start to climb up the standings. Look at the examples, Anaheim, Pittsburgh, and Chicago. That’s 3 out of 6. And my guess is Edmonton will be on that list sooner than later. Vegas odds of winning the Stanley Cup are 501-1.

There you have it, folks. Agree? Disagree?  Please chime in below.  Remember to follow me on twitter – @LastWordGrant

…and that is the last word.

Special Guest Interview: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Seth Rorabaugh on Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins

Posted on by Ben Kerr

I recently had the opportuntity to interview Seth Rorabaugh from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.  Seth is a writer at the Gazette who follows the Penguins closely.  I want to thank Seth for being extremely gracious and accomodating with his time, and if you like the interview we highly recommend you check out his blog at http://blogs.sites.post-gazette.com/index.php/sports/empty-netters and you follow him on twitter at @emptynetters.

Here is the interview.

B.Kerr: There has been a lot of confusion about the exact nature of Sidney Crosby’s latest injury, maybe you can clarify some things for us.  Is this purely a soft tissue issue in his neck?  Or did he suffer both a neck injury and a concussion?

Seth Rorabaugh: Based on what the team reported Tuesday, he has suffered at least one of each. Regarding the neck, there is no way of knowing when it happened. It could have happened when he was a 10-year-old kid, or Jan. 1, 2011 or Jan. 1, 2012. No one seems to know for sure. 

Regardless of the reason, he is still suffering from some sort of concussion-like symptoms. That said, he seems to be doing better as he’s engaging in on ice work with other injured players. 

BK: Sidney Crosby’s contract is up after next season.  How do you think what has gone on over the last year will effect his negotiations on a new deal.

S.R: The biggest issue is the pending new CBA. It’s going to impact every potential free agent. You could have a completely different financial landscape potentially. Additionally, with regards the Penguins, they have to worry about pending free agencies of other players such as James Neal this summer, Jordan Staal in 2013 as well as Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang in 2014. Even if you disregard all those factors, the Penguins and Crosby are committed to keeping their marriage for the long term. Maybe there will be some specific provisions within any new contract with regards to his health, but this doesn’t lessen the Penguins’ desire to keep Crosby in a Penguins jersey for the long term.

BK: There has been some talk in the Canadian media (http://ottawa.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20120202/nhl-concussions-insurance-120202/20120202/?hub=OttawaHome) about the NHL’s insurance underwriters wanting exclusions for concussions and other head injuries.  Is this an issue with the Penguins, and with Crosby specifically?  How would the inability to insure a contract for Crosby effect the negotiation of a new deal?

SR: No. Again, the team and the player are dedicated to keeping this marriage for the long term. Like I said earlier, perhaps there might be some specific wording regarding this type of injury, but both parties are legitimately interested in remaining partners.

BK: I think most analysts agree that Evgeni Malkin is currently the best hockey player in the world.   If Crosby were to be forced to retire, or left Pittsburgh for any reason, would there be a drop off in sponsorship, ticket sales, and revenues surrounding the team?  Or can he fill the role Sidney Crosby plays in the Pens marketting plans?

SR: As splendid of a talent Malkin is, he’s just not Sidney Crosby from a marketing standpoint. Crosby has been hype in one way or another for nearly 10 years. Until recently, Malkin has been a fairly introverted person. Crosby has been on The Tonight Show. He’s the one in Gatorade and Tim Hortons commercials. I don’t think the team would be in trouble by any means in terms of ticket sales, but you would probably see a few less Penguins games on national television in the United States.

BK: We are less than a month from the NHL trading deadline, what is the Penguins biggest need heading into the deadline?

SR: Until last night’s effort by Brent Johnson, I would say back up goaltender. Johnson has not had a very good season and Marc-Andre  Fleury has had to pick up a lot of work. The Penguins want to limit him to approximately 60 games in the regular season and currently (as of Feb. 2), he’s on pace for 69 games. If they don’t have faith in Johnson, they need to get another back up to share the load, particularly on back-to-back nights.

Away from net, they probably could stand to add a veteran defensive defenseman. Last year’s shutdown pairing of Zbynek Michalek and Paul Martin has not been sharp this season. Additionally, all of their top seven defenseman in the organization have all been out of the lineup for various reasons this season. Adding a No. 3-4-5 defenseman with a physical edge would help out.

Again I’d like to thank Seth Rorabaugh for helping us out with this today, and I highly recommend that you all check him out on his blog and on twitter.

…. And thats the Last Word

A Comprehensive Look at the NHL: Purgatory (Part 4/5)

Posted on by Grant Alexander

Welcome to purgatory, and the fourth part in “A Comprehensive Look at the NHL”!

Purgatory

This is where teams end up when they just miss the playoffs, but finished with too many points to get a decent pick. The Toronto Maple Leafs come to mind when thinking of this category. Here are the teams currently “stuck in purgatory”:

Winnipeg

Just playing hockey this year is considered a win in Winnipeg. But they actually have been winning, and especially at home. Not enough to find themselves in a playoff spot, but maybe a little more than people expected. The only problem now is that if they don’t step their game up and grab one of the spots, they will be losing out on a top draft pick that they so desperately need. Personally I don’t see them sneaking in this year, especially with Kane out of the lineup. Vegas odds of winning the Stanley Cup are 67 to 1.

Tampa Bay Tampa is hard to figure out. They go from losing a tight 7-game Conference final to the current Stanley Cup champs, to being 10 points out of a playoff spot this year. They have the best scorer in the league, with a pretty good supporting cast on offense. Their D is solid, despite a few injuries. And on their back-end, oh, well maybe they aren’t so hard to figure out. Tampa has given up the most goals in the NHL, and that’s even with the 1-3-1 formation. So lets take a look at the keepers. I think last year was Rolly’s swan song, as I don’t think there is anything left in the tank. Time to send the 42-year-old out to pasture. Career backup, and 34-year-old Garon isn’t the answer either. Tampa needs a complete overhaul in the goaltending department before they can contend again. My advice would be to take a draft pick, and fix it in the offseason. But the way they are playing lately they could sneak up into a spot, especially if they could nab one of the few disgruntled tenders around the league before trade deadline. Vegas odds of winning the Stanley Cup are 56 to 1.

Montreal

Montreal is another proud team that doesn’t want to hear the words “rebuild”. And why would they after making the playoffs 4 years in a row, and also taking the Bruins to a 7th game last season. But in all honesty the talent isn’t there. Cinderella runs, and riding good goaltending into a playoff spot, won’t yield a cup anytime soon. They do however have a few bright spots on the team in which to lay a foundation, Carey Price being one of them. And now is the perfect time to start accumulating prospects and bring this storied franchise back to greatness. Vegas odds of winning the Stanley Cup are 67 to 1.

Dallas

Jamie Benn has stepped up nicely this year, but it still doesn’t fill the void of Brad Richards. And that’s really the difference between the Stars being a bubble team, and a playoff team. They are only a few points back of a spot, and have the talent to close the gap, but I don’t think they will make any noise without bolstering their lineup down the stretch. If they don’t, their almost better off getting a decent pick because they do have a good nucleus to build on. Vegas odds of winning the Stanley Cup are 51 to 1.

Calgary

Calgary is no stranger to purgatory. They have finished in 10th place in the west two years in a row, and are right on pace to make it a third. That would make 3 years of no playoffs, and no top draft picks. Something has to give. I keep hearing Iginla’s name in the trade rumour mill, and quite frankly it’s not a bad idea. I know he’s their franchise player, and a great guy on and off the ice, but they need to admit that they failed with him, and start again. First, move Iginla. Second, buyout or move some of those other big contracts. Third, get more involved in the draft. Well, either that or keep over-paying on trade deadline day and finish 10th again. Vegas odds of winning the Stanley Cup are 51 to 1.

Phoenix

After years of struggling, the Coyotes finally found some success the last few seasons by qualifying for the playoffs. This year, it looks like their back to their usual losing ways. I don’t want to say that it’s all goaltending (losing Bryzgalov), but it is definitely a major factor. The other big thing in Phoenix seems to be poor scouting, and lack of player development. All those years near the basement should have had them looking like the Blackhawks, or the new Oilers, but instead there headed back down there with nothing to show for it. Of the last five draft years they have given up on and traded two of their top three picks. That’s just unacceptable in a market that can barely sustain a team when they are winning. Vegas odds of winning the Stanley Cup are 56 to 1.

Okay, ladies and gentlemen, there is the list of those teams who are just not good enough to make the playoffs, and are also not horrible enough to get a top pick in the draft – in other words, hockey purgatory. Check back tomorrow for the final installment, as we look at the teams who are utterly hopeless.

…and that is the last word.

 

Follow me on Twitter – @LastWordGrant

 

Burke Sours On Grapes: The Brian Burke – Don Cherry Feud Heating Up!

Posted on by Carl Mostacci

Toronto Maple Leafs General Manager filed a formal complaint to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation regarding their employee, Don Cherry.  Cherry, who co-hosts the very popular 1st intermission segment Coach’s Corner on Hockey Night In Canada, upset Burke with his comments criticizing the Leafs.   Burke claimed the comments were vicious and needed to stop.

What’s wrong Burke?  Are you like Tom Cruise in A Few Good Men and “Can’t Handle the Truth?”  Now I’m a diehard Leafs fan, but I’m also a realistically loyal Leafs fan.  The Leafs have not made the playoffs since 2004  (And I know one year has to be subtracted due to the 2005 NHL lockout that forced the cancellation of the season).  The team has slightly improved since Burke’s arrival to Toronto a little over three years ago.  But even though the Leafs have completely overhauled their roster during that time, they currently sit eighth in the Eastern Conference at 25-19-6 with 56 points and are still fighting for their playoff lives (They would have a .500 record if it weren’t for the stupid overtime/shootout loss column – but that is a debate for another day).  Plus they keep blowing games, like Tuesday night’s 3-goal lead against the Pittsburgh Penguins with 12 minutes remaining in the third.  The Penguins won in a shootout 5-4.  And Burke thinks I’m supposed to be happy with this so-called “improvement”?  I will tell you, I’m not.  Excellent teams like the Detroit Red Wings don’t worry about making the playoffs.  They just do it!  Mediocre teams like the Leafs are continually fighting for their playoff lives and hope they can survive to make it in.

Burke obviously has a short-term memory and doesn’t know his Leafs history like I do.  But back in 1993, 94 and 1999-2003 when the Leafs not only made the playoffs, but were Stanley Cup contenders, Don Cherry, whose nickname is Grapes (maybe “Gripes” is more fitting?),  publicly supported the team on national television.  Just ask Ottawa Senators fans who criticized Cherry during the 2004 playoffs for showing favouritism to the Leafs on Hockey Night In Canada Broadcasts, which are supposed to be impartial.  The Leafs are the loyal Cherry’s second favourite NHL team, behind the team that drafted him, allowed him to play one game, and gave him the opportunity to coach in the NHL, the Boston Bruins.    This is a guy that praised the excellent playoff performances and efforts of former Leafs, Doug Gilmour, Wendel Clark, Gary Roberts and even Swedish-born Mats Sundin.  Cherry has been known to favour Canadian NHL players, but occasionally makes exceptions for excellent players born outside of Canada.

Want to get Cherry to praise the Leafs Burke?  Here is what you have to do;  Shut your trap and win (the trap on your face, not the ice).  Have the Leafs do their talking on the ice, and quit doing all the talking for the players.  Then you will get Cherry, along with myself and many other Leaf fans, praising your team instead of rightfully criticizing them.

What do you think?

…and that is the last word.

A Comprehensive Look at the NHL: On the Bubble (Part 3/5)

Posted on by Grant Alexander

Welcome back! Yesterday we took a look at which teams are certainly playoff bound, but are missing something from being considered a real Stanley Cup contender.  Let’s continue by taking a look at teams on the bubble, that have a good shot at making the playoffs, but will need a strong “homestretch”.

On the Bubble

These teams are all battling for playoff spots. Only a few points separate these teams, and they will most likely be fighting down to the last game. You will definitely see some, most, or all of these teams making moves down the stretch to augment their lineups. To make the playoffs you can’t pull any punches. And missing the playoffs means your stuck in purgatory, and nobody wants to be there….

Florida

To me the Panthers look like a homemade version of something that everybody else bought at the store. A bunch of spare parts acquired in the offseason and stuck together to resemble a team. I guess they were the right parts though as everything seemed to fit perfectly and they now find themselves in a position to possibly make the playoffs. In my honest opinion though I think they should have waited it out and continued to build through the draft. They did receive some serious talent that way already in Ellerby, Kulikov, Gudbranson, Bjugstad, Howden, and Huberdeau. And imagine if they had a few more top picks. But guys like Versteeg and Campbell do put buts in the seats as they say. And in a market like Florida that’s half of the battle. Vegas odds of winning the Stanley Cup are 36 to 1.

New Jersey

The Devils are a hard team to figure out. They went from 4 straight 100-point seasons (one was 99), to missing the playoffs last year with 80 points. Now they are on pace to finish somewhere between 90-95. And it’s the same problem with their line-up. They have two over-the-hill goaltenders, Brodeur at 39, and Hedberg at 38, and should be rebuilding with the impending retirement of the future Hall of Famer, but they can’t. They have invested too much into their two superstars (Kovalchuk, and Parise). They are in their prime now and can’t wait for a rebuild. Despite their predicament, they have managed to acquire a few budding superstars in Larsson, and Henrique, but who is going to fill Brodeur’s legendary skates? I think this team has no choice but to be aggressive in the open market, and it will be exciting to see what they do over the next few seasons. Vegas odds of winning the Stanley Cup are 34-1.

Toronto

For the Maple Leafs (over the past 7 seasons) it seems as though they felt they were too proud to rebuild, and now it is too late even if they wanted to. I’m not sure where the pride comes from, having not made a Stanley Cup final in 45 years, but they made their choice and things are starting to come around. They are reasonably deep on defense, and have a plethora of young talented goaltenders. Up front they do have two stars that have really brought their game to the next level this year (Kessel, Lupul), but they are still a little weak depth wise, and they have no superstar prospects waiting in the wings. The Leafs are going to have to continue to be buyers if they want this team to do more than squeak into the playoffs. Vegas odds of winning the Stanley Cup are 34-1.

Los Angeles

I really thought this could be L.A’s year. They looked like a really strong team the last few seasons led by guys like Kopitar, Brown, Doughty, and Johnson, as well as their strong, young, goalie tandem of Quick and Bernier. And as these players matured, the team added what I thought might be the missing pieces in Gagne, Penner, and Richards. It turns out that’s not the case. Or maybe they are just taking longer to gel. Well let’s hope so, because they have mortgaged a good portion of their future for this current roster. Vegas odds of winning the Stanley Cup are 26 to 1.

Minnesota

Can you believe that a few short months ago this was the NHL’s best team? Well it’s true. And now they find themselves clutching to that 8th and final playoff spot. It does have something to do with the injury to captain Koivu, but also I believe they were simply playing over their heads. I like the additions of Heatley and Setoguchi, but I still think this is a mediocre team at best, and the worst part is they have very few prospects waiting to crack the roster. I think they need to rebuild properly if the fans will allow it. Vegas odds of winning the Stanley Cup are 51 to 1.

Colorado

The Avalanche have had mixed results over the past 4 seasons, barely making the playoffs twice, and finishing well back twice. And neither result is where the franchise wants to be, and they look to be heading down one of those two roads again this season. But don’t despair Avs fans, the future is very bright. This is a young, talented team, and I think the management has done the right thing by building through the draft, and trading well. They might have overpaid for Varlamov with a first and second, but other than that it’s a good-looking team. And for this season, I think when Duchene comes back they will have a really good shot at that last playoff spot. And if they do make it, this season would be considered a success. However, if they don’t, those picks for Varlamov could haunt them. Vegas odds of winning the Stanley Cup are 51 to 1.

There you have the list of teams “On the Bubble”.  Come back tomorrow where we review the teams who are hockey purgatory.

…and that is the last word.

 

Follow me on Twitter – @LastWordGrant