2012 - Page 52 of 114 - Last Word On Sports

Top Shelf Prospects: New Jersey Devils

Posted on August 12, 2012November 5, 2021 by Ben Kerr

Welcome to today’s edition of “Top Shelf Prospects” – a team-by-team look at the top prospects in the NHL.

Today, as I continue my alphabetical journey through the NHL, I bring you a look at the New Jersey Devils. As always you can find a complete listing of my previous articles here. Since we had an extensive NHL Draft preview, I will not be reviewing the players who were drafted in the 2012 draft, as there have been no games since then, and my reports on them will not have changed. What I will be doing is linking you to those articles, as well as taking a look at prospects that were acquired before this year’s draft; their progress, and their chances of making the 2012-13 roster of their respective NHL team. I will also bring you one sleeper pick – a player who was either drafted in the 4th-round or later, or was an undrafted free agent signing who I pick as my darkhorse to make the NHL. For those wondering, the cut-off for determining what is or isn’t a prospect is typically about 45-50 NHL games played, or being 25-years old. These are not static rules, as I may make some exceptions depending on the circumstances.

Draft Prospect Reviews:
Stefan Matteau, Damon Severson, Ben Johnson

Top Prospect: Jon Merrill, Defence
Born Feb 3 1992 — Brighton, MI
Height 6.03 — Weight 209 — Shoots Left
Selected by the New Jersey Devils in round 2 #38 overall at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft

Jon Merrill has received plenty of bad press since 2010. Prior to being drafted, Merrill was suspended from the US NTDP for *violating team rules. While the cause of his suspension remains a mystery, many rumors have surfaced, most of which are pretty ugly.

What we know for certain is that Merrill was a mid-first round talent before the incident, who fell to the second round as a direct result. In 2010-11, Merrill seemed to be back on track. He was a superb freshman defenceman at the University of Michigan and was a top performer for the Bronze Medal winning U.S. Squad at the 2011 World Juniors. Unfortunately for him, controversy struck again, as Michigan followed the US NTDP’s lead and suspended Merrill for the first half of the 2011-12 season with only the familiar “violating team rules” explanation given.

Merrill was still selected to play for the US squad at the 2012 World Juniors, but his performance in that tournament can only be described as “BRUTAL”. Merrill looked completely lost at both ends of the ice and made huge mistakes leading to back-breaking goals, and did his part in seeing the greatly underachieving US Squad in the relegation round. For me, he was easily the most disappointing player in the tournament.

Merrill rejoined the Wolverines hockey club. After he settled in he began to play better and had a good second half to the season. Keeping his nose clean going forward will be important to the future of Merrill’s career.

Merrill’s biggest asset is his hockey sense. He plays a calm, composed game and makes smart decisions with the puck on his stick. He has the top-end speed and skating ability to rush the puck end-to-end, and creates offence for teammates with good vision and passing skills. Those playmaking skills also translate to Merrill’s game at the point and on the powerplay where he quarterbacks the play with skill and efficiency. His point shot is accurate, and he does a great job of opening up shooting lanes to get it off, however he could use a little more velocity on his shot.

Merrill’s defensive game is built on good positional play and a quick stick. He uses his hockey sense to read the play in the defensive zone and does a good job of stealing pucks with a good pokecheck. He uses good angles to keep opponents to the outside, however he can sometimes be a little imprecise with his pivots and be beaten on such plays by especially speedy forwards. He also could stand to be a little more physical and not always rely on stickchecking. Overall though, his defensive game can be refined. He just needs some time and good coaching.

There is little question about Jon Merrill’s talent. He certainly has the skills necessary to be an effective two-way defenceman at the NHL level. There are some serious questions though about his ability to put those skills together and be a consistent performer. There are also very serious questions about his maturity given his two serious suspensions for violating team rules. Merrill has announced he will be returning to Michigan for his Junior season. The Devils can only hope that he has turned the corner and that another year will give him the maturity needed to put the mistakes of youth behind him and become a productive NHLer in the future.

*The US NTDP incident allegedly involved a suspension from Pioneer High School for sexual harrassment. No one will say what the 2011 incident was. All we know is that Michigan suspended him for 12 games originally, and then refused to re-instate him when the 12 games was up, saying he again violated team rules while serving the 12 game suspension.

Prospect #2 Alex Urbom, Defence
Born Dec 20 1990 — Stockholm, Sweden
Height 6.05 — Weight 215 — Shoots Left
Selected by the New Jersey Devils in round 3 #73 overall at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft

Since coming over from Sweden, Urbom has been a relable defender for Albany in the AHL. In fact Urbom represented the club at the 2012 AHL All-Star Classic. Just 21 years old, Urbom is progressing quickly through the Devils system, and has even played 13 games as an injury replacement over the last 2 years, scoring 1 goal for the big club in each of those year.

Urbom has excellent size, and is a rugged and physical defender. He loves to hit, and his excellent positioning and great quickness and acceleration allow him to close gaps and throw big checks. He battles hard on the boards, and keeps the front of the clear. With his size and strength Urbom wins most of his physical battles as the AHL level. He has very good agility, pivots, and speed for a player his size and these skills help him to be a very reliable defender.

Urbom’s future in the NHL is purely as a defensive defenceman. His offensive ability is average at best. He has a decent point shot with good velocity, but just doesn’t open up shooting lanes in order to get it off more effectively. His puck skills and passing ability are average at best, and it is unlikely he will ever be a good powerplay player.

Urbom will push for a spot on the Devils defence in training camp. He is very close to being NHL ready and it will probably be a bit of a numbers game for him to make the NHL’s Eastern Conference Champions lineup. With most of the Devils veteran defencemen, and other young defenders Mark Fayne, and Adam Larsson all competing for spots on the Devils blueline, Urbom may have to start the season in Albany again and wait for his opportunity to make the big club. His upside is difficult to determine, but it is unlikely that he will be a top pairing defender. Instead expect Urbom to provide solid depth to an NHL club, as his size, physicality and defensive game have value.

Sleeper Prospect, Reid Boucher, LW
Born Sep 8 1993 — Lansing, MI
Height 5.11 — Weight 195 — Shoots Left
Selected by the New Jersey Devils in round 4, #99 overall at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft

Reid Boucher has always been a goal scorer. After scoring 32 goals for the US NTDP in the 2010-11 season he had a real coming out party at the 2011 IIHF U-18 World Championships. With 8 goals in just 6 games, Boucher showed his natural sniping ability on the World Stage. With a further 28 goals this season as an OHL rookie, Boucher continued to turn heads.

Boucher is a natural sniper. He has an outstanding wrist shot and very quick release. He also has a great one-timer. Boucher has soft hands and good stickhandling ability which also allows him to score goals in tight. If Boucher plays with a linemate who can get him the puck, you can expect he’ll find a way to make it find the back of the net.

Boucher’s skating is very hit and miss. He has good agility and a great first step. This helps him to pounce on loose pucks in the offensive zone in order to keep the play alive for a teammate, or to let go one of his fantastic array of shots. Boucher is a very elusive skater who can get away from defenders just long enough to be open for a scoring chance. However Boucher needs work on his overall speed and acceleration. They are both below average and he has trouble creating off the rush as a result. He might be able to get by a defender, but he doesn’t have the speed or acceleration necessary to pull away from him.

Boucher will probably spend another season in the OHL and will return to the Sarnia Sting this fall. In addition to his skating he will need work on the defensive aspects of his game. However Boucher’s ability to score goals is something that just cannot be taught, and if he can touch up the other aspects of his game, he could be a steal of a pick by the Devils.

The graduations of Adam Larsson, Jacob Josefsson, and Calder Trophy finalist Adam Henrique has left the Devils prospect pipeline lacking in depth. Meanwhile, the questions surrounding Merrill have raised concerns about the team’s only remaining high end prospect. As a result the Devils group just doesn’t match up when compared to other NHL clubs. With one of the Devils next 2 first round picks set to be forfeited, GM Lou Lamoriello will have his work cut out for him replenishing the Devils system. One area where the Devils have some nice dept though is in goal where the competition between Scott Wedgewood, Jeff Frazee, and Keith Kincaid should be fierce in the coming years. The three young goalies will all vie to be the heir apparent to Martin Brodeur.

Please feel free to leave your comments below and follow me on twitter @LastWordBKerr.

Update: Dolphins Release Chad Johnson following Arrest

Posted on August 11, 2012November 5, 2021 by Michael Kovacs, ADMIN

Update: The Miami Dolphins have released Chad Johnson following his arrest.

Chad Johnson, Dolphins receiver, has been arrested and charged with a misdemeanor for domestic violence. Reports indicate that Johnson headbutted his wife when she confronted him over a receipt she found for a box of condoms in his car.

Johnson married his wife, Evelyn Lozada just a few months ago in a July 4th ceremony.

Lozada was reportedly treated on scene and taken to hospital with a laceration to her forehead.

There is some dispute as to exactly what happened. Lozada reportedly told police that Johnson headbutted her. Johnson reportedly told police that they both leaned forward in the car at the same time and their heads collided.

The Dolphins are featured in this years edition of HBO’s critically acclaimed series “Hard Knocks”. Johnson and Lozada were heavily featured in the series’ first episode which aired last week.

Johnson had a difficult season for the New England Patriots last year. He hoped to resurrect his career this season in Miami. He recently changed his last name back to Johnson from Ochocinco.

We must caution that Johnson is innocent until proven guilty and that these are only initial reports.

NFL Fantasy, The Impact of Ryan Mathew's Injury

Posted on August 11, 2012November 5, 2021 by Bobby Scott

At this point most fantasy goers are following training camps, watching some preseason and putting their final touches on their draft boards.

The most important thing to do in preparing for your draft is watching for injury updates. I must admit that I had a back-to-back season where I took a flier on a player that wasn’t on my draft sheet who ended up being injured – I had no clue. I have learned to check injury reports daily, looking for players that get hurt so I can scoop up their handcuffs. After playing fantasy football for multiple seasons you start noticing trends both in terms of players and specific injuries that are particularly impacting. Take a hamstring injury for example – it sounds harmless, it happens a lot, but if you have ever had one you know it takes forever to go away. For proof, look at Miles Austin this year, who is still recovering from a hamstring injury from early in the 2011 season that impacted him all year long.

Keeping track of injuries and players that are often injured will help you rank your players so that on draft day you can pass on them and focus on the players with the real value. Let other teams in your league draft theses players so you don’t have to worry about them getting hurt and can avoid the trouble of finding a replacement.

The biggest injury so far this preseason is to Ryan Mathews. There was a lot of hype surrounding this kid coming out of college and he didn’t do too bad rushing for 678 yards in his first season and just over 1,000 yards in his sophomore year. This season he was slated to be the Chargers’ workhorse back with the departure of Mike Tolbert, but after breaking his collar bone, all that might change.

Mathews should be ready for either week one or two, but don’t look for him to get a full work load. Remember that Mathews played in only 12 games as a rookie and 14 games last season due to injuries. He is quickly proving that he may not be cut out for a full-time workload; even in 2011 Mathews received only 51% of his team’s carries. Look for the Chargers to spread the ball around with Ronnie Brown and Jackie Battle. Pass on Mathews this year as it’s most likely going to go back to a committee running game – if he can even stay healthy for a full season.

The one player I would keep on eye on that could have a big impact on the ground if Mathews’ injury woes continue is Curtis Brinkley. An undrafted free agent out of Syracuse in 2009 he has had limited playing time in his two years with the Chargers. However with Darren Sproles’ departure after 2010, and Tolbert’s in this past off-season, Brinkley is tied with Mathews as the longest tenured Chargers running back. Because of the off-season additions he might not be a lock to make the 53-man roster, but in my eyes he has much more upside than Brown and Battle. Keep a close eye in the next couple weeks on the Chargers backfield, if Brinkley can have a couple big plays look for him to not only crack the 53-man roster, but also get a chance for some decent numbers early in the season.

Good Luck with your drafts and check back in for more updates.

The Honey Badger No Longer A Tiger

Posted on August 11, 2012November 5, 2021 by Lindsay Higgins

LSU, ranked #1 in several pre-season polls, has removed one of their most electrifying playmakers from the team. Tyrann Mathieu, known as the Honey Badger for his penchant for “taking what he wants”- namely passes intended for opposing receivers- has been kicked off the team for violation of team rules. The New Orleans Times-Picayune is reporting that the violation was another failed drug test, although the school would not confirm that. (Mathieu and two teammates were suspended for a game last fall after testing positive for synthetic marijuana). “We’ll miss the guy,” said coach Les Miles Friday night. “But just like (with) an injury, the football team’s got to go on.”

So how does this affect the team heading into the season? Sophomore Tharold Simon will be one starting CB, and a more than adequate one. A host of true and redshirt freshmen will be competing for the other spot. The Tigers have plenty of upperclassmen at the safety position, including talented junior Eric Reid, so I actually don’t expect Mathieu’s absence to be a huge issue in the backfield. Look for sophomore Odell Beckham as a possible replacement in the return game.

When LSU will miss Mathieu is when they’re in a close game and need a big play. The Honey Badger is one of the rare athletes who thrives on pressure. When the team needed a momentum-changer, he was frequently the one to provide it, whether that meant ripping off a long punt return or snagging an errant pass from an opposing QB. Mathieu led the team in forced fumbles with six and fumble recoveries with four, and tied for the team lead in tackles with 76, as well as having two interceptions; he was also a Heisman Finalist and won the Bednarik Award as the nation’s top defensive player. Any SEC offensive coordinator will tell you that accounting for him was a huge part of their game plan. The word “swagger” may be massively overused in sports, but the Honey Badger had swagger and the talent to back it up.

Feel free to leave comments below, and follow me on twitter @LastWordLindsay

Top Shelf Prospects: Nashville Predators

Posted on August 11, 2012November 5, 2021 by Ben Kerr

Welcome to today’s edition of “Top Shelf Prospects” – a team-by-team look at the top prospects in the NHL. Today, as I continue my alphabetical journey through the NHL I bring you a look at the Nashville Predators. As always you can find a complete listing of my previous articles here. Since we had an extensive NHL Draft preview, I will not be reviewing the players who were drafted in the 2012 draft, as there have been no games since then, and my reports on them will not have changed. What I will be doing is linking you to those articles, as well as taking a look at prospects that were acquired before this year’s draft; their progress, and their chances of making the 2012-13 roster of the NHL team in question. I will also bring you one sleeper pick – a player who was either drafted in the 4th-round or later, or was an undrafted free agent signing who I pick as my darkhorse to make the NHL. For those wondering, the cut-off for what is or isn’t a prospect is typically about 45-50 NHL games played or being 25 years old. These are not hard or fast rules though, and I may make some exceptions depending on the circumstances.

Roman Josi (majority of season in Nashville, 62 regular season and playoff games; played all 10 playoff games), Jonathan Blum (68 career games including playoffs), Gabriel Bourque (53 games including all playoff games this season) will not be considered prospects for the purposes of this report.

2012 Draft Profiles:
Pontus Aberg, Colton Sissons

Top Prospect: Ryan Ellis, Defence,
Born Jan 3 1991 — Hamilton, ONT
Height 5.10 — Weight 179 — Shoots Right
Selected by the Nashville Predators in round 1 #11 overall at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft

Ryan Ellis won everything there was to win in the world of junior hockey. He was a two time OHL Champion, a two time Memorial Cup Champion, and a World Junior Champion. Individually he became the all time leading point scorer among Canadian World Junior Defencemen, and won the 2011 CHL Player of the Year, and Defenceman of the Year Awards. After graduating to the pro game this season, Ellis split time between the Milwaukee Admirals in the AHL, and various stints in the NHL with the Predators. He even played three playoff games for the Predators this season.

Ellis is mainly known for his offensive abilities. He is extremely intelligent and a slick powerplay quarterback. He has a very hard, very accurate shot from the point. He is also extremely poised with the puck and makes smart decisions. Ellis has the vision and elite passing ability to exploit the smallest of passing lanes. He’s also known for his ability to handle the puck, and his speed in leading the rush. Ellis is known as a threat to go coast to coast at any time. In doing so he can use his accurate wrist and snap shots to score goals, or if an opening is seen, make a pass and create for a teammate.

Ellis’ defensive game has greatly improved since being drafted. Improvements in his pivots, and lateral mobility have helped him to make him difficult to beat off the rush. He has also improved his defensive positioning and coverage. Ellis has also added a lot of strength to his frame and is better on the boards than you would expect given his size. That said, the size is still an issue, and better than you’d expect does not mean he has completely overcome his stature. Ellis is still overpowered and can have trouble containing bigger, stronger opponents. His puck skills do help out a lot defensively, as he’s often able to either skate the puck out of danger, or to start the transition game with a quick pass.

Ellis will be expected to help fill a big role in Nashville this season. He’s ready to move up to the NHL full time and is an early favorite to get much of Suter’s powerplay time. He should also get decent minutes at even strength and will be asked to add offence from the Predators back end.

Top Prospect #2: Austin Watson, Right Wing/Centre
Born Jan 13 1992 — Ann Arbor, MI
Height 6.03 — Weight 187 — Shoots R
Selected by the Nashville Predators in round 1 #18 overall at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft

Austin Watson also had a very distinguished junior career. He was a member of the 2009 OHL Champion and Memorial Cup Champion Windsor Spitfires with Ryan Ellis. After a brief detour to Peterborough, Watson was traded to the London Knights during this past season. He provided exactly what the Knights were looking for, giving what was already a strong defensive team an added boost of offence and a power forward’s game up front. Watson would help the Knights win the OHL Championship, and was even given the award as OHL Playoff MVP and was named to the Memorial Cup Tournament All-Star Team.

Watson is a big forward who is extremely versatile. Capable of playing both Centre and Wing, Watson has many of the skills of a prototypical power forward. He loves to use his size, balance, good speed, and powerful stride to take defenders wide and drive the puck hard to the net, where he uses his soft hands to get the puck by the goaltender. Watson also has an excellent wrist shot, and quick release which he can use to score from further out. Watson is also a decent playmaker with the vision to create opportunities for teammates. He does this most often out of the cycle game, where his strength and puck protection ability buys time for his linemates to get open. While Watson is good on the boards, and in front of the net, and battles hard on the ice, we would like to see him bring more physicality to his game. Watson has the ability to be a devastating forechecker, but he just doesn’t show it often enough.

London was a bit of a coming out party for the two way aspect of Watson’s game. At times (especially in Windsor) he was criticized for an inconsistent effort level, and a lack of attention to defensive details. In Peterborough his defensive game improved, but on what was a middle of the road club at best, Watson’s improved play didn’t get much attention. In London, Watson took the opportunity of playing for the Knights to quickly dismiss any of the remaining critiques. He was a tireless worker, and London’s best defensive forward throughout the second half and the OHL playoffs. He was also a key cog in London’s penalty killing units. Watson showed that he can be a relentless backchecker, and put a ton of pressure on whoever had the puck. He showed outstanding anticipation in cutting down passing lanes and creating turnovers and transition offence for the Knights. He also showed a willingness to make physical sacrifices as he blocked a lot of shots for the Knights.

Expect Austin Watson to start the season playing for the Milwaukee Admirals in the AHL. However once he adds some bulk to his frame and is ready for the pro game, he should be an impact forward for the Predators. With the Preds always looking for some extra goals, and with late season additions Alex Radulov and Andrei Kostitsyn not returning to Nashville, Watson could be a darkhorse to steal a spot with a great camp.s

Sleeper Prospect Mattias Ekholm, Defence
Born May 24 1990 — Borlange, Sweden
Height 6.04 — Weight 194 – Shoots Left
Selected by the Nashville Predators in round 4 #102 overall, in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft

Mattias Ekholm made the Predators out of training camp last year, however he only played two of the Predators first 6 games before earning the wrath of Head Coach Barry Trotz. Ekholm was quickly cut, and was sent back to Sweden where he finished the year. Ekholm was clearly a lot more impressive in the Swedish League, than he was to Trotz as he won the Borje Salming Award for defenceman of the year. It is expected that Ekholm will try his luck in North America again this season.

Ekholm is a very good puck mover. He skates well and and protects the puck, which gives him the ability to skate the puck out of danger when facing a heavy forecheck. His strong passing skills are seen in his good first pass that starts the transition game, and in his composure with the puck in the offensive zone. Ekholm’s slapshot is decent but not great and hes more of a setup guy than a triggerman at the point.

Defensively Ekholm uses his size and physical attributes very well. He is good along the boards and plays a physical brand of hockey in the defensive zone. Trotz however criticized Ekholm for his decision making last season as he went for the big hit too often, and made some questionable plays in his own zone with the puck on his stick. He will need to curb those issues. The adjustment to North American ice size, and learning the proper angles and positioning needed on the smaller ice surface may curb many of these issues.

As stated Ekholm definitely needs time to adjust to North American sized ice. As such it is likely that he will start the season in Milwaukee. He has the skill though, and could be up with the Predators before the end of the season if he progresses quickly enough.

The Predators have had a great farm system and quality depth for a long time now. This has led to GM David Poile assembling a quality young team on the ice, one that beat the Detroit Red Wings last year for the 2nd playoff round victory in franchise history. While the current team has largely been built through quality scouting, drafting and devl0pment, the Predators have hit a bit of a lull. They have graduated many of their best prospects, while trading away a number of high draft picks over the last two years. While there are still studs like Ryan Ellis waiting to make the jump to the big leagues, the overall prospect depth has taken a hit. It will now be up to Poile to keep some picks and continue to draft well so that the Predators can add the missing pieces to their good young core going forward.

Please feel free to leave your comments below and follow me on Twitter @LastWordBKerr

Five Good and Five Bad things about the Lockout (Comedic Relief)

Posted on August 10, 2012November 5, 2021 by Maksim Vasilyev

So as you may be well aware this little tweet that shook the hockey world:

Since Gary Bettman decided to say the worst thing he could have possibly said, I thought it might be fitting to share my friend’s reaction:

“Wow, no nhl season means no Rufnex Fantasy, means no draft party, means no GM meetings, means nobody gets paid for last year’s winnings, means me and rob go broke, means we can’t pay for Rufnex ice hockey league, means rest of team can’t afford to play, means no Rufnex season, means no hockey at all, means we watch Curling, means we start hanging out in bad neighborhoods, means we join gangs and do crimes, means Rich arrests us all, means we take it in pound me in the ass prison for the rest of our lives :(“

Well that escalated quickly.

While I don’t share his murk outlook, especially the “pound-in-the-behind” prison bit, it sure is scary to hear those kind of words coming from Gary Bettman, who is up to his throat in the negotiations. Could he not have just said “No comment” ?

So here is my “Best/Worst” list concerning an NHL lockout:

The BAD

1) Locker Room trash talk – Many of us play in Ice Hockey Beer leagues. We all know the chit-chat that goes on in the locker room. Some of it has to do with the wife, girlfriend, work, and other dumb things that happen in your life. Most of it though, is all about NHL. Who scored what goal, did you see that hit, who is a better player, excuses on why your team has had a poor start or plethora of reasons why your team is kicking ass. The usual banter between the fellas concerns who has the best team. In my area, it comes down to Devils or Rangers – with both of them laughing at the Islander fans…haha, Islanders. It is all in good fun, but is something you always look forward to. With the lockout we will continue to hear of how this is the year Islanders will make the playoffs and we will not get to enjoy the bitter rivalries – I would imagine people in Southern Ontario would hear the same about the Buds.

2) Hockey fantasy – As my friend mentioned above… This will mean there is no hockey fantasy for me and my friends, and we just bought a god damn trophy! My girlfriend will be thrilled that every conversation I have with my friends will not include hockey, but I, on the other hand, will be sad. There is nothing better than staring at the free agent list every single day for hours at work, trying to figure out who can be the “X” factor pick-up. The tough decisions of when to start your goalies and when to sit them on the bench or hoping that your team will not run up the score on your fantasy goalie (keep it 1-0, boys). And what about keeping up with all of the NHL games just so you can watch your fantasy players play? The stress of benching the player that gets the hat-trick, more like a nightmare, but fun experience nonetheless, would be sadly missed.

3) New Year’s Day – Winter Classic!!! The Detroit Red Wings vs Toronto Maple Leafs. What a classic game this is going to be. It is a game that will be held at the biggest venue in sports and will, just as in the past, provide an extra buzz to the game. The anticipation and the preparation for the big day with friends getting some beers, wings, and pizza. Of course, making sure to DVR the game just in case someone is running late. This truly has become a hockey holiday, a special occasion, a Superbowl sort of feel to it instead of another regular season game. When you have two iconic teams like the Red Wings and Maple Leafs, you can’t help but feel goosebumps before the game starts.

4) Not going to the games – the best way to enjoy hockey is to go to a game. No other sport is as exciting to watch live as hockey. Some of the speed and skill gets lost during a TV broadcast and some people cry about having trouble following the puck, while at the game, you can’t help but get sucked in. The beer is flowing, the crowd is howling, and the players are hitting the boards with the noise that wakes you right up. You really do feel the speed and the impact of hits, pucks hitting the boards, and the yelling of the players. It is so involving of a sport, because as a fan you hardly can take your eyes off the action in fear you might miss something. The speed keeps you focused and even if you might talk to your friend about other things than what is happening on the ice, your eyes are focused on the game. Remember that thrill of a building, full of fans, erupting after a goal being scored – that feeling is magical and is very addicting. This is what I missed the most about the last lockout. The thrill of going to games and seeing the players live. This theater is epic in my eyes and the gladiators that play out in front of us, for us, have my deepest respect.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRz_ahSfG3U&w=560&h=315]

5) NO HOCKEY!!! – Simply this.

The GOOD

1) Price of hockey jerseys goes down – this is good, right? I will probably buy a few more jerseys during the lockout. The prices will surely drop to a reasonable amount. Right now a Rick Nash New York Rangers jersey costs about $160. The price would drop to about half of this, as merchants try desperately to move the product. This would be a good time to increase your jersey collection.

2) I will be more productive at work – since there will be no fantasy hockey. I work in IT and since most of my time revolves around the water cooler and my computer desk, I spend most of my time researching hockey players. This has had a negative impact on my productivity, but I don’t care, since fantasy is more important than everything, right? If there is no lockout, I will be forced to spend time working, and who wants that? This will surely increase my productivity by no less than 150%. My boss will notice the increase and ask me why am I being a more productive employee, causing me to create an action plan that will include a positive attitude, a more efficient work flow, and banning all none work related websites. The productivity of our department will improve and I will be promoted. I can see myself becoming a CEO in about 4-5 years, as long as there is no hockey to distract me. I will retire by the age of 45 by selling my shares of the company and spending the rest of my life somewhere in Hawaii. Maybe I’ll be able to buy some struggling hockey team for a few dollars – who knows!

3) My girlfriend will be happier – I will no longer have hangout blackout nights due to hockey games being on. This is especially an issue during the playoffs. The schedule is usually emailed – as per two weeks notice – ahead of time or as soon as the playoffs schedule gets updates letting her know of the days that it is okay to make plans and days I will have a date with my couch. It is nice to have her come over and watch the games, but she can get bored while I try to explain to her the two-line pass and why the face-off just happened for the 50th time. If the lockout happened she would probably be much, much happier and as the saying goes, “A happy wife, is a happy life”.

4) I will save money – lots of it. I doubt anyone really counts the money they spend on the games, beers, and food while going out to see a game, but in NYC that will run you a cool $200 almost every time. Not to mention having the fantasy pool cash buy-in, buying the food and beers for the fellas who come over to watch the game, and going out to bars to catch a particularly big one. This all adds up. The fact is that the prices are going up. Not having a hockey season means I will save about $100-200 dollars a month. Some people will save more. Football fans have a game once a week, while us hockey fans have three and sometimes four games in one week to deal with and the season is 82 games long (big, big money). This will help me pay off the credit/student loans, while improving my credit score and helping me to save up to buy a $2 million dollar mansion in upstate New York or half of a room in a Manhattan apartment. Nice.

5) NOTHING IS GOOD ABOUT IT!!!

Let’s be honest, nothing is good about the lockout. I will gladly work the rest of my life to be able to watch hockey this season and no matter how expensive the games get, I will always want to go see my team play a few times a year. My girlfriend will have to deal with me and my hockey time as will I with her “Housewives” marathons. I have tried to pretend that there could be something good about it, but there simply isn’t. This would be an awful scenario that provokes only tears of anger from me and I am sure you feel the same way. Look Gary, and I can call you Gary by now (better that than the Russian obscenities I had in the unedited version), we simply cannot have this.

No matter who is responsible, or who is being the greedy bastard here, if the lockout happens no one wins. Gary Bettman is the commissioner and it is his responsibility to get this deal done. He can not use the excuse of “I re-confirmed something that the union has been told multiple times over the last nine to 12 months. Namely, that the time is getting short and the owners are unprepared to operate under this collective bargaining agreement for another season so we need to get to making a deal and doing it soon. And we believe there’s ample time for the parties to get together and make a deal and that’s what we’re going to be working towards.” This is not okay. Git’er done Gary, Git’er done.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBfZI4N0yiA&w=420&h=315]

…and that is The Last Word.

Follow me on Twitter – @maximus91 and check out my column “NHL Happy Hour”

Top Shelf Prospects: Montreal Canadiens

Posted on August 10, 2012November 5, 2021 by Ben Kerr

Welcome to today’s edition of “Top Shelf Prospects” – a team-by-team look at the top prospects in the NHL. Today, as I continue my alphabetical journey through the NHL I bring you a look at the Montreal Canadiens. As always you can find a complete listing of my previous articles here. Since we had an extensive NHL Draft preview, I will not be reviewing the players who were drafted in the 2012 draft, as there have been no games since then, and my reports on them will not have changed. What I will be doing is linking you to those articles, as well as taking a look at prospects that were acquired before this year’s draft; their progress, and their chances of making the 2012-13 roster of the NHL team in question. I will also bring you one sleeper pick – a player who was either drafted in the 4th-round or later, or was an undrafted free agent signing who I pick as my darkhorse to make the NHL. For those wondering, the cut-off for what is or isn’t a prospect is typically about 45-50 NHL games played or being 25 years old. These are not hard or fast rules though, and I may make some exceptions depending on the circumstances.

2012 Draft Profiles:
Alex Galchenyuk, Sebastian Collberg, Dalton Thrower, Tim Bozon, Brady Vail, Charles Hudon

Top Prospect: Nathan Beaulieu, Defence
Born Dec 5 1992 — Strathroy, ONT
Height 6.03 — Weight 191 — Shoots L
Selected by the Montreal Canadiens in round 1, #17 overall at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft

Nathan Beaulieu is the son of Sarnia Sting head coach and general manager Jacques Beaulieu. He has just finished his 4th season with the Saint John Sea Dogs in the QMJHL. Beaulieu was drafted by Saint John when his father was the head coach there, however he has proven to be an astute pick, and not just the coach’s kid. In fact when Gerard Gallant (now a Habs assistant coach) took over behind the Sea Dogs bench, we really saw Beaulieu’s game take off. Over the last three years, Beaulieu has been a huge part of the team’s defence and helped them win the 2011 Memorial Cup, and go back to back with the 2011 and 2012 QMJHL championship. With 52 points in 53 games this season, Beaulieu has been a dominant offensive force in from the Saint John blue line. Beaulieu won a bronze medal as a part of Team Canada at the World Junior Championships.

Beaulieu’s game is built around his outstanding skating abilities. He has a smooth and graceful stride. Beaulieu has very good top end speed and reaches that level quickly with excellent acceleration. He is agile and uses his edges superbly. His pivots are crisp and this makes him extremely mobile. This really helps all aspects of his game. He is willing and able to rush the puck end to end any time he gets the opportunity. His mobility allows him to create in the offensive end, and at the junior level he takes chances knowing that even if he makes a mistake, he can almost always recover from it.

As stated, Beaulieu is certainly not afraid to rush the puck, and does so often. He has excellent stickhandling and good playmaking abilities and uses these skills to create offence for teammates when doing so. He also has a good wrist shot and a quick release which helps him to put the puck in the back of the net. On the powerplay he is a creative quarterback with very good vision and passing skills. He also has a hard slap shot, and an excellent one-timer.

Beaulieu’s defensive game has come a long way over the last two years. Once a liability in the defensive end, he has become a top defenceman for the Sea Dogs. Beaulieu uses his great mobility and skating ability to almost always keep his body between his opponent and the net and making him difficult to beat off the rush. His ability to quickly close space helps him in throwing his body around, and making devastating hits if a forward miscalculates in an attempt to get by Beaulieu. Beaulieu also battles well on the boards, and in front of the net. He generally has good positioning and reads the play well. He clearly has all the defensive tools necessary to succeed.

However here is the issue with Beaulieu. He has all the tools, and most of the time he uses them in the defensive game. In 95% of his shifts he’ll play textbook defence. He really needs to get rid of the brain cramps though. Approximately once per game, Beaulieu will make a mind numbing defensive error. The most common of these occur when he tries to get started on an offensive rush, he has a tendency to make a bad giveaway in his own end of the ice. Another common error will be over committing to the puck carrier and leaving the man he should cover. Beaulieu will need to work to cut down these errors to a more manageable level if he’s ever going to reach his potential to be a big minute defenceman in the NHL.

Beaulieu should start next season with the Hamilton Bulldogs in the AHL. It will be up to new Dogs coach Sylvain Lefebvre to help get Beaulieu to be more consistent in using his skills defensively. Its certainly something that can be taught to a young defenceman, and the lack of consistency is common with young defenders. In fact, current Habs defenceman PK Subban had similar issues when he left the OHL, so now it will be up to Beaulieu to follow a similar learning curve in the AHL.

Top Prospect #2: Jarred Tinordi
Born Feb 20 1992 — Millersville, MD
Height 6.07 — Weight 212 — Shoots Left
Selected by the Montreal Canadiens in round 1, #22 overall at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft

Jarred Tinordi is the son of former NHL defenceman Mark Tinordi. Another young prospect who proves the old adage that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, this young defender has inherited many of his father’s best traits. One area where he’s already surpassed his father is in height. At 6’7″ Tinordi is an absolute giant, and a beast in the defensive end of the ice. A natural leader Tinordi was the captain of the US NTDP and the United States team that won the Gold Medal at the Under-18s in 2010. This past season he was the captain of the London Knights. Forming an outstanding shut down pair with Scott Harrington (a penguins prospect), Tinordi helped to lead the Knights to the OHL Championship. Tinordi and the Knights suffered a heartbreaking loss in overtime of the Memorial Cup to the Shawinigan Cataractes. He also played for team USA at the 2012 World Juniors. Unfortunately the US team had a disappointing tournament and ended up in the relegation round of the tournament. However this was no fault of Tinordi, who was the best defenceman on the U.S. team in the tournament.

Jarred Tinordi is a very good skater for someone his size. But the caveat “for someone his size” is certainly necessary. He has decent top end speed and good mobility but he’s also not a speedster. His long stride does get him around the ice quick enough, and despite the size comparisons, you won’t see the skating style comparisons between Tinordi and former Habs defenceman Hal Gill.

Tinordi’s game is a pure defensive one. He is a big, rugged, and at times nasty defensive defenceman. His positioning is outstanding and he uses his big body and long stick to cut down passing lanes and block shots. He clears the front of the net and battles hard a long to the boards. Tinordi is a very physical player who is always looking for the big hit. He’s also developed a reputation for never backing down from a fight, even if he did reduce the number of fighting majors he took at the request of his London coaches.

Tinordi’s offensive game is virtually non-existent. He has good velocity on his slapshot, but he doesn’t take the chances necessary to get a lot of opportunities. He also lacks the offensive zone instincts, and the ability to walk the line and open up shooting lanes to make it truly effective. He has a good first pass out of his own zone, but in the offensive zone he is lost. He really doesn’t have the composure or take the time necessary to be effective as an offensive defenceman, often trying to move the puck as quickly as possible instead of patiently waiting for his opportunities.

Big defencemen generally take time to develop, and adjusting to the increased speed at every jump up in level will take time for a player like Tinordi. As such I expect that he will need some AHL time before he’s ready to play on the big club. Expect to see him in Hamilton playing important defensive minutes for the Bulldogs for at least 1 full AHL season.

Top Prospect #3 Louis Leblanc Right Wing/Centre
Born Jan 26 1991 — Pointe-Claire, PQ
Height 6.00 — Weight 178 — Shoots Right
Selected by the Montreal Canadiens in round 1 #18 overall at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft

Louis Leblanc was drafted by the Habs in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft which was held at the Bell Centre. Being a home town boy, drafted right in front of the hometown crowd, in one of the craziest hockey markets in the NHL has certainly added a lot of pressure to Leblanc. Thrust in this difficult situation, Leblanc has carried himself with class and dignity, all while showing on the ice that the Habs got themselves a very good prospect with this pick. Leblanc has played for 4 different teams over the last three seasons with stops in the USHL, NCAA, AHL, and even getting in 42 games with the Montreal Canadiens this past season.

Leblanc’s offensive game is all about his excellent hockey sense. He reads the play exceptionally well, and almost always makes the smart play in the offensive zone. He is able to elude defenders and find the open areas of the ice to get off his good wrist shot and quick release. He is willing to fight hard on the boards and get to the dirty areas of the ice in order to create offense. However Leblanc really needs to get stronger especially in his upper body to make this aspect of his game even more effective. He does have decent vision and good passing ability, however Leblanc’s tools seem to make him more of a goal scorer than a classic playmaker.

Leblanc’s skating stride is extremely unorthodox and limits his speed. His top end speed and acceleration are average at best. He does however have good agility and can be elusive in his offensive game. His balance is good and he has a good, low centre of gravity, however this is another area where upper body strength would make it more difficult to knock him off the puck.

Defensively, Leblanc is very strong for a player his age. He has an excellent positional game, and is willing to block shots. He has good anticipation and creates turnovers. As in the offensive zone, Leblanc is willing to fight tenaciously on the boards, but needs to add bulk to be effective in this aspect of his game.

Drafted as a centre, Leblanc’s game is much more suited to the wing. In fact he played the vast majority of his shifts in both the AHL and NHL last season at right wing. Leblanc lacks the faceoff prowess, and the footspeed to be a top notch centre. Meanwhile his grittiness on the boards and ability to score goals suggest he would be a very effective right wing. I believe that this is where his NHL future lies.

Where Louis Leblanc plays next season will be largely determined by his offseason and training camp. In 2011 Leblanc spent the offseason recovering from shoulder surgery and he was not able to work at gaining upper body strength during the summer, and was not ready to play for the Canadiens in Camp or Preseason, only getting on the ice with the Bulldogs after the regular season had begun. This off-season he is healthy, and it is extremely important he adds the bulk and upper body strength to be a more effective player. If he can do that and have a good camp, he could earn a fulltime job on the big club in preseason. If he doesn’t, he’ll be starting the season in Hamilton. There is probably one forward spot open for the Habs right now, and Leblanc is the favorite to take that spot, but he is by no means a lock, and will be strongly challenged by our next prospect, among others.

#4 Prospect and Sleeper Pick: Brendan Gallagher, Right Wing
Born May 6 1992 — Delta, BC
Height 5.08 — Weight 170 — Shoots Right
Selected by the Montreal Canadiens in round 5 #147 overall at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft

Undersized, Brendan Gallagher fell to the 5th round in the 2010 draft despite scoring 41 goals for the Vancouver Giants that year. He’s followed up that season with 2 more 40+ goal campaigns since being drafted and become the all-time leading goal and point scorer in Giants history. Gallagher would play at the 2012 World Junior Championships for Team Canada, and put up 6 points in 6 games. He was one of the key sparkplugs leading the furious 3rd period comeback for Canada in what eventually became a semi final loss for Team Canada.

Gallagher overcomes his small size with his excellent skating ability. He has very good top end speed and acceleration, however his biggest asset is his elusiveness. His excellent agility and edgework give him the ability to get through any opening a defender might leave him. When he gets the opportunity he has an NHL level wrist shot and release. He’s also a talented playmaker. One of the most important players in the WHL these past two seasons, it seemed the Giants’ offence has always flown through Gallagher.

Gallagher also has an absolute non stop motor. He plays the game with a grit and tenacity that is not normally seen in a player who is 5’8″ tall. Gallagher goes to the dirty areas of the ice to create offence. He goes to the net and he goes to the net hard, regularly playing on or over the edge of a goalie interference penalty. He drives opponents nuts by being constantly in the face of their goaltender. He digs hard in the corners and often comes out with the puck. Gallagher is even willing to drop the gloves with bigger and stronger opponents. He just doesn’t back down from any challenge.

Gallagher had an excellent training camp last season, and was one of the Habs last cuts. There was much talk of the team potentially keeping him for a further look in 9 regular season games, but they ultimately decided to send him back to Vancouver. This season Gallagher will again try to crack the Habs lineup, and if he plays as well as he did last year, he might have a shot at it. However it is more likely that Gallagher will be another prospect sent to Hamilton to boost the Bulldogs.

#5 Prospect and Sleeper Pick 2: Morgan Ellis, Defence
Born Apr 30 1992 — Ellerslie, PEI
Height 6.02 — Weight 196 — Shoots Right
Selected by the Montreal Canadiens in round 4, #117 overall at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft

Given the season that Morgan Ellis had this year, I’ve taken the unusual step of profiling a second sleeper. He was too good and progressed too much to ignore. Ellis had been buried as the best player on a weak Cape Breton club in the QMJHL. At mid-season he was traded to Shawinigan as they loaded up to make their Memorial Cup run. Now in the spotlight Ellis would team with Phoenix prospect Brandon Gormley to reshape the Shawinigan defence, and to help lead the team to a Memorial Cup Championship.

Ellis is an excellent defender. He has very good mobility at the back end, and is extremely fundamentally sound. His positioning is excellent and he has the ability to clear the crease and battle in the corners. A fearless player, Ellis blocks a ton of shots on the blue line, and is not afraid to take a hit to make a play. He makes a strong first pass, and gets the transition game started.

When Ellis was originally drafted it was thought that his upside was as a purely defensive defencemen. However he has also developed his offence over the last two years. Ellis has a hard point shot which he is able to keep low and on net. He also is calm and poised with the puck, acting as a powerplay quarterback, and using his skill as a playmaker from the blueline.

Ellis is also likely headed to Hamilton this year, where he will need to adjust to the increased speed of the pro game. He will need some AHL time, but if he continues to improve in the way he has the last two years, he’ll be in the NHL sooner rather than later.

Last season the Canadiens hit a bit of a lull in their system. With young players like Max Pacioretty, PK Subban, Carey Price, Ryan White, David Desharnais, Lars Eller, Alexei Emelin, and others all playing for the big club, and the rest of Montreal’s best prospects still in the CHL or NCAA, the depth in the system was really hurt. The number of NHL level prospects in the AHL was way down, and the Canadiens could not rely on the Bulldogs to provide them with quality depth when injuries hit. I remember one Bulldogs game in particular that I attended late in the season, Leblanc, Palushaj, Engqvist, St. Denis and Geoffrion were all up with the big club, and scouring up and down the Dogs lineup, prospects with NHL potential were few and far between. There are still the longshots like Dumont, Nattinen, and Schultz, but really the level was far below what I have seen most AHL teams ice. This has started to change this year, as the Habs have a number of young players joining the Bulldogs. In addition to those already named, expect to see Michael Bournival, Steve Qualier, Patrick Holland, and Greg Pateryn all make their AHL debuts this season. Add to that an excellent job at the 2012 draft and the Habs have really replenished their prospect pipeline. The team is especially deep in both Defence and at Right Wing. Some holes still remain though. Goaltending is a major cause for concern as their quite simply is not a quality prospect in the system right now. Left wing is also a position of relative weakness, however the drafting of Timothy Bozon, and Charles Hudon should help to alleviate some of that concern. The team’s biggest weakness though, the lack of a high end centre prospect, was addressed when they landed Alex Galchenyuk with this year’s third overall pick. The young Sarnia Sting Centre is expected to become a key part of the Canadiens’ core going forward, and the only question is when.

Please feel free to leave your comments below and follow me on twitter @lastwordBKerr.

The Olympics Highlight All That is Wrong in Soccer

Posted on August 9, 2012November 5, 2021 by Albert Hardy

The Canadian women’s semi-final loss against the USA in Olympic Soccer is demonstrative of why Soccer, as a sport, is unwatchable. The referees have too much discretion, there is no impartial appeal (such as video replay) and penalties incurred for infractions are not conducive to fair play. The Yellow/Red Card system is too capricious and would be better replaced with a penalty system – as it is with Hockey.

How can a call that hasn’t been made in elite Soccer since 2002 be the defining factor in an Olympic semi-final match that determines who moves on to a gold medal game? The rule clearly states 6 seconds is the length of time a goalkeeper may hold onto the ball, but there is no “hold clock” comparable to a “Shot clock” in basketball and the rule is capriciously applied by refs. Hope Solo, the US goalkeeper, held the ball for 15 seconds a short time later in the same game and, undoubtedly, earlier in the game. In fact, it’s almost a certainty that goaltenders in multiple games throughout the Olympics both before and after, have held the ball for longer than 6 seconds. So why was this called at that moment against Canada?

The typical response I’ve seen is that it is up to the ref’s discretion. Well, if the rule is 6 seconds, the rule is 6 seconds. There should be no discretion involved. In reality, the reason the call was made was due, in large measure, to an American player counting off seconds in the ear of the ref while the Canadian goaltender was holding the ball. So, due to this manipulative tactic from the US player, the ref succumbed to pressure and made the call. It was a weak fortitude of a ref on a discretionary call. This actually underscores the real problem with soccer. The ref’s have too much discretion, player’s appeals are, as a result, rewarded and have too much impact on the game. There are no video replays or coach challenges to off-set the power of the drama/acting of one particular player. To illustrate my point, please watch the following: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtIR-HYgKyY&feature=related and also: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCGc_ngufDM

Before anybody goes sideways and says diving happens in every sport, I agree. It does, but in no other sport does it go so unchecked with counter measures (such as video replay and coach challenges of calls) and in no other sport is it so rewarded at such critical times in the game. As a fan of competitive sport, I can’t stand watching it for that very reason. The dives are incensing!

To add dramatic insult to injury, when the Canadian team complains of the injustice after the game, FIFA launches an investigation into the Canadian team for their insolence. Sadly, the Canadian team responded by saying that they hoped FIFA would understand the passion of the Canadian players after the loss and forgive them. Forgive them?!? They should THANK them for pointing out the farce that is soccer officiating. What an atrocity.

What could FIFA do to make Soccer even remotely watchable? FIFA should institute a video replay and coach challenge to calls. They should also replace the yellow card/red card system with penalties that can punish a team for an appropriate amount of time by removing a player from the field for a brief period. This approach would increase the opportunity for scoring chances (which may make the game more watchable) as punishment and still allow for game misconduct penalties for grave infractions. These changes would simultaneously improve the game’s “watchability” and obviate the egregious injustices that come in the form of that call against Canada by the Norwegian ref who had a US “competitor” chirping in her ear.

Let the Soccer (a.k.a. Football) fanatics commence their spewing of vitriolic and dramatic rage (a la Ronaldo). Engage!

Top Shelf Prospects: Minnesota Wild

Posted on August 9, 2012November 5, 2021 by Ben Kerr

Welcome to today’s edition of “Top Shelf Prospects” – a team-by-team look at the top prospects in the NHL. Today, as I continue my alphabetical journey through the NHL I bring you a look at the Minnesota Wild. As always you can find a complete listing of my previous articles here. Since we had an extensive NHL Draft preview, I will not be reviewing the players who were drafted in the 2012 draft, as there have been no games since then, and my reports on them will not have changed. What I will be doing is linking you to those articles, as well as taking a look at prospects that were acquired before this year’s draft; their progress, and their chances of making the 2012-13 roster of the NHL team in question. I will also bring you one sleeper pick – a player who was either drafted in the 4th-round or later, or was an undrafted free agent signing who I pick as my darkhorse to make the NHL. For those wondering, the cut-off for what is or isn’t a prospect is typically about 45-50 NHL games played or being 25 years old. These are not hard or fast rules though, and I may make some exceptions depending on the circumstances.

2012 Draft Profiles:
Mathew Dumba

Top Prospect, Mikael Granlund, Centre
Born Feb 26 1992 — Oulu, Finland
Height 5.08 — Weight 169 — Shoots L
Selected by the Minnesota Wild in round 1, #9 overall at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft

Mikael Granlund is not just the top prospect of the Minnesota Wild, he is among the best prospects in the world, PERIOD. This kid is a super stud. He has dominated the Finnish Elite League as a teenager playing against men. He has also attended the Mens IIHF World Championships as an 18 and 19-year old and put up 14 points in 19 games. In the 2011 semifinal against Russia he scored an incredible lacrosse-style goal that has earned him postage stamp treatment in his home land.

Offensively his hockey sense is off the charts. He reads the play exceptionally well and finds openings in the defence. He has sublime hands and stick-handling ability, which he uses to beat defenders both off the rush, and in the zone. He also protects the puck well, and can use those quick hands to score goals in-tight. Granlund’s biggest strength is as a playmaker. He has outstanding vision and the ability to thread the puck through tight areas. Despite his small size, Granlund has great balance and a low centre of gravity which makes him very tough to knock off the puck. He works well on the cycle and makes a ton of plays below the goal line and behind the net.

There are still some areas for improvement in his offensive game. He is not a sniper, and his wrist shot and release and are average at best.

He is also not very fast. His top-end speed and acceleration have improved since he was drafted, but they’re just not at an elite level. They are merely slightly above average. That said, he has great edgework, agility, and balance. This, combined with his stickhandling, makes him extremely elusive in the offensive zone and off the rush. He is able to get around opponents and find and capitalize on openings.

Granlund plays a complete game and is solid in both ends of the ice. Defensively he shows a good effort level on the backcheck and a great understanding of defensive positioning. He uses his great hockey sense to read the play well, cut down passing lanes, and strong anticipation to create turnovers.

Granlund is clearly NHL ready, and a near lock to make the Wild roster this season. He will see plenty of ice time, and if he lands in the right situation with the right linemates will be a Calder trophy contender. Once all 30 teams are profiled, I will release a list of the top 30 prospects I profiled and rank each team’s system. I don’t want to spoil the final rankings, but Granlund will certainly be in the top 5.

Top Prospect #2, Charlie Coyle, Right Wing/Centre
Born Mar 2 1992 — East Weymouth, MA
Height 6.02 — Weight 207 — Shoots R
Selected by the San Jose Sharks in round 1 #28 overall at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft
Traded to the Minnesota Wild in June 2011

Charlie Coyle is the cousin of former Blackhawks’ great, Tony Amonte. After being drafted by the San Jose Sharks he went the NCAA route where he was a star freshman at Boston University. This past season, his sophomore year, was a tough year for BU as they were rocked with losses and scandals. Coyle was not known to be directly involved in any of the scandals, however he did decide to leave school and abandon ship mid-way through the season. He left school for major junior hockey and joined the Saint John Sea Dogs. Coyle finished the season strong, but he really turned it on in the QMJHL playoffs where he averaged two points per game as the Sea Dogs won the QMJHL title. On a team full of stars, Charlie Coyle was their best playoff performer, and MVP.

Coyle has a unique combination of size and skill. He is capable of playing a power forward’s game or a finesse game depending on his linemates and the opponent. Skating wise, he has a powerful stride which gives him very good change of pace and acceleration abilities as well as good top-end speed. He is agile, with good balance, and is able to use his edges extremely well. He has soft hands and good stickhandling ability, he protects the puck well and makes plays at top speed. Coyle combines these skills to score a lot of points off the rush. He loves to take a defender wide and drive hard to the net with the puck on his stick.

In the offensive zone, Coyle is a talented playmaker with good vision and excellent passing skills. He finds open teammates and makes tape-to-tape passes. He is particularly adept on his backhand, making great passes, and unleashing a very effective shot. In terms of wrist and snap shots, he has very good accuracy, but could improve on both his power and the speed of his release, both of which are average.

Coyle, like Granlund, is a solid two-way player. He is a tenacious backchecker who works hard at this aspect of the game. He battles hard on the boards and while not a huge hitter, is physically involved in all areas of the ice. He has good positioning and excellent hockey IQ. This ability to read the play and anticipate moves leads to turnovers and counter attacks.

Coyle has the potential to make the big club out of training camp, but it is certainly not a lock. He will need to really wow the coaches and have a great training camp and preseason. If not he will start the year in the AHL. Either way, he is close to NHL ready so I wouldn’t anticipate a long AHL stay, even if he does end up being sent down. He could be back with the big club by mid-season or for the 2013-14 year.

Top Prospect #3 Jonas Brodin, Defence
Born Jul 12 1993 — Karlstad, Sweden
Height 6.00 — Weight 172 — Shoots Left
Selected by the Minnesota Wild in round 1 #10 overall at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft

Jonas Brodin showed the skills that got him drafted 10th overall at the 2012 World Junior Championships. While teammate Oscar Klefbom played well and was named to the tournament all-star squad, in my eyes it was Brodin who was the number one defenceman on Team Sweden and in the entire tournament. His outstanding two-way play, providing offence from the back-end, quarterbacking the Swedish powerplay, and playing against the opponents’ number-1 line, helped lead the Swedes to their first gold medal in 31 years at the event.

Brodin is an outstanding skater. He has a beautiful, textbook perfect stride. This leads to very good speed and acceleration. His agility, edgework, and pivots are quick and crisp, allowing for him to have excellent mobility in all situations. With this skating ability and his good positioning, he is very difficult to beat one-on-one. He is also willing to play physically when necessary, battling hard with opposing forwards in the corners, and keeping the front of the net clear. He makes an excellent first pass, leading to a quick transition game for his squad.

Brodin’s excellent skating and his mobility also gives him the ability to create offense either by joining the rush, or through opening-up passing and shooting lanes in the offensive zone. He is extremely patient and composed with the puck on his stick, and uses excellent vision, hockey sense, and passing skills to create plays for teammates. His shot has decent velocity, but it’s not a cannon like some of the other defencemen profiled.

Brodin requires some AHL time before he will be ready for the NHL, to both adjust to North American ice and to refine the skills that looked so good against Junior-aged competition into ones that will work at the NHL level. He has huge potential and is a great young prospect.

Sleeper Prospect, Cody Almond, Centre
Born Jul 24 1989 — Calgary, ALTA
Height 6.02 — Weight 217 — Shoots L
Selected by the Minnesota Wild in round 5 #140 overall 2007 NHL Entry Draft

Lets be clear here; Cody Almond is not the 4th best prospect in the Minnesota system. He’s not even close to that. He is merely the best prospect that fits the sleeper criteria established. That’s not really a knock on Almond though, he’s a decent prospect and will probably play in the NHL this season, but in bottom-line duty. It’s more of an acknowledgement of the excellent depth in the Minnesota system than anything else.

Almond is a big and rugged forward. He plays an extremely physical game and his good speed makes him an effective forechecker. He has a good defensive game, and this along with his physicality are the reasons he will be in the NHL sooner rather than later. However his ceiling may be that of a bottom-line player. While he scores at the AHL level, I don’t see him having the tools necessary to be a scoring threat at the NHL level anytime soon. He does have the great skating and physical play, but lacks a quick release on his wrist shot. His stickhandling and playmaking abilities are average at best, and while he has the willingness to go to the front of the net, he doesn’t have the soft hands to bury tip-ins and rebounds. He does have the capability to be an effective NHLer mind you, he just won’t be making too many fantasy rosters any time soon.

Minnesota’s prospect system is outstanding right now. Granlund is one of the top prospects in all of hockey. Coyle and Brodin would both be the top prospect for many teams in the league. Matt Hackett is one of the best goalie prospects in the world, but could not crack this grouping. Mathew Dumba was an outstanding draft pick, and could be the perfect partner for Brodin. And they follow this all up with outstanding depth including Zack Phillips, Tyler Cuma, Johan Larsson, Brett Bulmer, Cody Almond, and Jason Zucker. Chuck Fletcher has done a really great job in building this system since taking over, and Minnesota is the envy of most of the league when it comes to prospect quality and depth.

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Sports. Honestly. Since 2011

Year: 2012