Kidd's Corner (9)
2013 Stanley Cup Playoff First Round
May 01, 2013
Written by
NHLKiDD
Kidd’s Corner
2013 Stanley Cup Playoff First Round
April 30, 2013
Happy playoffs everyone! To think just a few months ago we were trying to decipher what Hockey Related Revenue was, and now here we are wondering who may raise Lord Stanley’s cup. There are some very happy fan bases looking forward to the playoffs for the first time in a while, and others trying to remember what it’s like to not be watching post-season hockey. The first round has some interesting matchups and here are my thoughts on each series.
2013 Stanley Cup Playoff First Round
April 30, 2013
Happy playoffs everyone! To think just a few months ago we were trying to decipher what Hockey Related Revenue was, and now here we are wondering who may raise Lord Stanley’s cup. There are some very happy fan bases looking forward to the playoffs for the first time in a while, and others trying to remember what it’s like to not be watching post-season hockey. The first round has some interesting matchups and here are my thoughts on each series.
Swedish Mafia Takes a Hit
Feb 19, 2013
Written by
NHLKiDD
If I were to tell you during the lockout that a quarter of the way into the season that the NHL’s most dominant player, and consensus Hart Memorial (MVP) favorite, was going to have a season ending injury, who would have crossed your mind? 99.9% of you would have said Sidney Crosby. However, Sid the Kid is healthy,playing well, and second in the league in points. As we all know, the unfortunate injury came to the reigning Norris trophy winner for the leagues best defenceman, 22 year old Ottawa Senator, Erik Karlsson.
Karlsson’s injury occurred at the end of the second period, oddly, against Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins. On a seemingly meaningless forecheck, a Penguin sloppily lost his footing, and then came down with all of his weight on the back heel of Karlsson. Who was this Penguin? He’s no stranger to controversial plays ending player’s seasons or even careers. The culprit was one the leagues most hated pests, Matt Cooke. The next morning Karlsson underwent successful surgery to repair a 70% cut of his Achilles tendon. Below is a video of the injury.
Erik Karlsson Injury
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This blow will hurt the NHL as Karlsson has been emerging not only as one of the leagues greatest talents, but also one of its greatest personalities. He has been a great advocate for the NHL as the league forges forward in this latest “post lockout era”. As for the Ottawa Senators, their playoff hopes are essentially over. Already dealing with the loss of their leading scorer Jason Spezza and young shutdown defenceman Jared Cowan, not to mention Milan Michalek’s constant injuries. They are essentially missing their top line.
Although in all of this, there could be a silver lining for the future of the league. Unfortunately sometimes it takes a significant injury to a star player in order to raise awareness about player safety. Concussions have been a problem for years in professional sports. Within the NHL, even the career ending concussions of once dominant star Eric Lindros weren’t enough to bring the issue to the forefront. But when Sidney Crosby, the face of the NHL, went down with a concussion and missed a significant amount of time, enough was enough. Rules, equipment, and protocols for diagnosing injuries have all changed. This wasn’t the first time an injury brought to light the need for a change in equipment or rules. Bryan Berard, first round pick, 1997 rookie of the year, and freshman All-Star took an unintentional high stick to his right eye from Marian Hossa. This changed the way many players and leagues thought about wearing visors or even full cages, as well as penalties for unintentional high sticks.
Richard Zednik of the Florida Panthers caught a stray skate from a teammate to the neck causing serious injury and almost cost him his life. Shortly after the injury, the Ontario Hockey League (major junior) made neck guards mandatory. Finally, Kevin Bieksa of the Vancouver Canucks has had is calf cut twice by skates, which led to him and some other players to wear Kevlar protective socks. He had a small chuckle when he showed up to practice the day after the Karlsson incident to find a pair of the socks were in every player’s stall. Perhaps after the NHL reviews this incident, they will make these socks mandatory for player’s safety. Although many players don’t like the Kevlar due to lack of comfort, and some players have been going barefoot in their skates since childhood, this small change could save them from a career ending injury.
Bauer Kevlar Socks
The cut Erik Karlsson received will keep him sidelined for up to 4 months plus physiotherapy. He in fact may never be the same. He may lose his speed and agility that sets him above other defencemen, or he could have a full recovery. Many analysts around the league have had mixed thoughts about the incident. Some saying it was just a terrible accident, and others saying Matt Cooke did it intentionally and shouldn’t be allowed to play in the league. After all, he has had some major suspensions in the past. Check to the head of Artem Anisimov, check to the head of Scott Walker, check from behind on Fedor Tyutin, elbow to the head of Ryan McDonough, not to mention he personally ended the career of Bruins forward Marc Savard. Some will argue Cooke didn’t “end” Savard’s career because of Savard’s attempted comeback; however, Savard was never the same as a player and more concussions came with ease after the dirty blind shot to the head he received at the hands of Cooke. Cooke eventually was given an ultimatum by the league to change his game or he was going to be kicked out of it - and for 2 years he has been without incident.
Matt Cooke hit on Marc Savard
My thoughts on the incident are this: Yes, it looks like it could have been an accident. An extremely sloppy forecheck, Cooke’s skate came up suspiciously high and “accidently” came down on Karlsson’s ankle with his full weight. But he didn’t try very hard to make sure he didn’t cut him. In fact, Cooke put his full weight on Karlsson’s heal. A player kicking another player in the NHL will result in a match penalty and is an automatic date with Brendan Shanahan of the NHL Player Safety Committee. Should this not be considered a kick even if it was unintentional? Compare this incident to unintentional high sticks. You can get 4 minute double minor if a high stick is draws blood. Even goalie interference penalties are given to a player if a team’s own defenceman pushes someone into the crease and he doesn’t “make a big enough effort to get out of the way”. So by this logic should a known offender like Cooke not be held accountable for ending the season of the leagues best defenceman and possibly best player? Many would argue that Matt Cooke is a changed man. He has openly said he feels horrible for Erik and the Senators organization. Although, he said the same thing about Marc Savard. The bottom line is, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Matt Cooke was the player involved. And what do I think about Matt Cooke’s incredible turn around the last 2 years? How he has changed his game, and hasn’t terribly injured someone in a long time? I say only one thing.
“The devils greatest trick was convincing the world that he didn’t exist” - Charles Baudelaire
@NotInHallOfFame
Karlsson’s injury occurred at the end of the second period, oddly, against Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins. On a seemingly meaningless forecheck, a Penguin sloppily lost his footing, and then came down with all of his weight on the back heel of Karlsson. Who was this Penguin? He’s no stranger to controversial plays ending player’s seasons or even careers. The culprit was one the leagues most hated pests, Matt Cooke. The next morning Karlsson underwent successful surgery to repair a 70% cut of his Achilles tendon. Below is a video of the injury.
Erik Karlsson Injury
{youtube}EyfTzunzrUk{/youtube}
This blow will hurt the NHL as Karlsson has been emerging not only as one of the leagues greatest talents, but also one of its greatest personalities. He has been a great advocate for the NHL as the league forges forward in this latest “post lockout era”. As for the Ottawa Senators, their playoff hopes are essentially over. Already dealing with the loss of their leading scorer Jason Spezza and young shutdown defenceman Jared Cowan, not to mention Milan Michalek’s constant injuries. They are essentially missing their top line.
Although in all of this, there could be a silver lining for the future of the league. Unfortunately sometimes it takes a significant injury to a star player in order to raise awareness about player safety. Concussions have been a problem for years in professional sports. Within the NHL, even the career ending concussions of once dominant star Eric Lindros weren’t enough to bring the issue to the forefront. But when Sidney Crosby, the face of the NHL, went down with a concussion and missed a significant amount of time, enough was enough. Rules, equipment, and protocols for diagnosing injuries have all changed. This wasn’t the first time an injury brought to light the need for a change in equipment or rules. Bryan Berard, first round pick, 1997 rookie of the year, and freshman All-Star took an unintentional high stick to his right eye from Marian Hossa. This changed the way many players and leagues thought about wearing visors or even full cages, as well as penalties for unintentional high sticks.
Richard Zednik of the Florida Panthers caught a stray skate from a teammate to the neck causing serious injury and almost cost him his life. Shortly after the injury, the Ontario Hockey League (major junior) made neck guards mandatory. Finally, Kevin Bieksa of the Vancouver Canucks has had is calf cut twice by skates, which led to him and some other players to wear Kevlar protective socks. He had a small chuckle when he showed up to practice the day after the Karlsson incident to find a pair of the socks were in every player’s stall. Perhaps after the NHL reviews this incident, they will make these socks mandatory for player’s safety. Although many players don’t like the Kevlar due to lack of comfort, and some players have been going barefoot in their skates since childhood, this small change could save them from a career ending injury.
Bauer Kevlar Socks
The cut Erik Karlsson received will keep him sidelined for up to 4 months plus physiotherapy. He in fact may never be the same. He may lose his speed and agility that sets him above other defencemen, or he could have a full recovery. Many analysts around the league have had mixed thoughts about the incident. Some saying it was just a terrible accident, and others saying Matt Cooke did it intentionally and shouldn’t be allowed to play in the league. After all, he has had some major suspensions in the past. Check to the head of Artem Anisimov, check to the head of Scott Walker, check from behind on Fedor Tyutin, elbow to the head of Ryan McDonough, not to mention he personally ended the career of Bruins forward Marc Savard. Some will argue Cooke didn’t “end” Savard’s career because of Savard’s attempted comeback; however, Savard was never the same as a player and more concussions came with ease after the dirty blind shot to the head he received at the hands of Cooke. Cooke eventually was given an ultimatum by the league to change his game or he was going to be kicked out of it - and for 2 years he has been without incident.
Matt Cooke hit on Marc Savard
My thoughts on the incident are this: Yes, it looks like it could have been an accident. An extremely sloppy forecheck, Cooke’s skate came up suspiciously high and “accidently” came down on Karlsson’s ankle with his full weight. But he didn’t try very hard to make sure he didn’t cut him. In fact, Cooke put his full weight on Karlsson’s heal. A player kicking another player in the NHL will result in a match penalty and is an automatic date with Brendan Shanahan of the NHL Player Safety Committee. Should this not be considered a kick even if it was unintentional? Compare this incident to unintentional high sticks. You can get 4 minute double minor if a high stick is draws blood. Even goalie interference penalties are given to a player if a team’s own defenceman pushes someone into the crease and he doesn’t “make a big enough effort to get out of the way”. So by this logic should a known offender like Cooke not be held accountable for ending the season of the leagues best defenceman and possibly best player? Many would argue that Matt Cooke is a changed man. He has openly said he feels horrible for Erik and the Senators organization. Although, he said the same thing about Marc Savard. The bottom line is, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Matt Cooke was the player involved. And what do I think about Matt Cooke’s incredible turn around the last 2 years? How he has changed his game, and hasn’t terribly injured someone in a long time? I say only one thing.
“The devils greatest trick was convincing the world that he didn’t exist” - Charles Baudelaire
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@NHLKidd
@NotInHallOfFame
Bettman Fires First On New CBA
Jul 16, 2012
Written by
NHLKiDD
The first missile has been fired in what is certain to be a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) war between Gary Bettman, Commissioner of the NHL, and Donald Fehr, Executive Director of the NHLPA. Just 7 years after the black eye left by the lockout of 2004-2005 season has healed, negotiations are once again underway on a new deal, and things could get messy once again. For the first few days of meetings, players and executives spoke about a number of issues and the world was waiting for the first physical offer to be launched. The power of social media that has changed the way we receive our sports news, whether it be on draft day, free agency, trade deadline or even in the playoffs, once again showed its speed of disseminating information. On Friday, Renaud Lavoie of RDS (@RenLavoieRDS) tweeted that the NHL had sent out their initial offer. The offer was shocking and immediately sent negative waves through the sports world. I will break down just what each item in the proposal means, and what my thoughts are on what we will see.
Here is what the league proposed for changes
It was not a shock in the least that the NHL wants to lower the players’ portion of profit sharing from 57% to 46%. Revenue sharing has been a red button in both the NBA and NFL recent CBA discussions, both of which were able to fight off a lockout. Even though the NBA had to go to a shortened season they were still able to get the CBA off the ground. 50% seems to be the going rate and that is probably what the NHL is shooting for. However you need to come on strong when negotiating and you don’t want to concede everything up front.
One interesting note to think about is something that Larry Brooks of the New York Post (@NYP_Brooksie) blogged about. His source states that not only will their be a drop of players percentage proposed, but also how the profits are grouped into a shared profit or an owner profit. The new layout may mean that players take closer to a 22% drop in revenues. With the NHL posting a record $3.2 Bil in revenue in 2012, you would have to think that greedy players ballooning salaries are making teams less solvent. That must mean small market teams are getting bullied and can’t afford high-end free agents, right? Well the owners lost that argument when the Minnesota Wild reeled in Zach Parise and Ryan Suter to matching 13-year $98 Mil contracts. Oddly it was only April that Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold was complaining that his team was not making a profit and players’ high salaries are to blame. So it would seem that it’s not the players, but the owners themselves to blame for overpayment and inflated salaries, and in turn they expect to have the players pay for it out of their revenue sharing.
Meanwhile Commissioner Gary Bettman’s salary has doubled from $3.7 mil to $7.5 mil since the lockout. That salary would make him the 18th highest paid player in the league by cap hit, coming in just $300K less than the ridiculous contracts just signed by Ryan Suter and Zach Parise.
The second change is that they want players to play in the league for 10 seasons before they can reach unrestricted free agent status. This would be at the very least 3 seasons longer than the current rules. Also there is no age limit, whereas currently if you are turning 27, regardless of the amount of the seasons you have played, you are eligible to be a UFA as soon as your contract expires. I understand that this is to try and save from huge contracts like those that were just signed by Suter and Parise. It’s not just this rule on its own that scares me, it’s this rule along with the other three rules that have been imposed. Together they create a very scary cocktail that implies that teams own players rather than have them under contract. Keep the 10 years in mind as we move forward.
New contracts signed have a maximum length of 5 years. It is also believed that the player must receive the same amount of salary in each of the years of the contract. On top of that there are no signing bonuses allowed. These rules on new contracts I am fine with to an extent. They are the result of teams doing whatever they can to circumvent the cap hit of players. Just about every big contract signed in the last 4 years has been front-loaded and it needs to stop. It got so bad that the New Jersey Devils were penalized a first round draft pick for their contract with Ilya Kovalchuck. This will create a slightly different NHL as we are going to see veterans move around more towards the end of their career, much like what we are seeing of Jaromir Jagr.
The elimination of salary arbitration is where I really start to worry. Currently when a player is a Restricted Free Agent (RFA), and they feel the offer from their team isn’t where it should be, an arbitrator will decide on what he should be paid. Shea Weber would be the highest profile arbitration case of the last few years. Without this arbitration we could see some battles between players and teams, however we may just see more offer sheets from opposing teams to acquire these RFA’s. Offer sheets can be a nasty affair like that of Dustin Penner from the Oilers a few years ago. However if they become common practice, it will be up to the team of the RFA to offer a just contract, and the offer sheets could in turn replace arbitration as the way salaries are policed. The problem is you rarely see offer sheets for anything past top 6 forwards or top 4 d-men, but again that as well would probably change.
Entry level contracts extending from 3 to 5 years is a bit absurd. Players would make at most $900K for the first 5 full seasons of their career. To put that into perspective, Sidney Crosby would have had four 100 point seasons (the other still scoring about 1.2 points per game), won an Art Ross trophy, Hart Memorial trophy, Lester B. Pearson trophy, Maurice “Rocket Richard trophy, Mark Messier Leadership trophy, a Stanley Cup, youngest captain in the NHL, youngest captain to win a Stanley Cup, and still make less than Mike Knuble. Not only is that a little bit absurd to think about, but with the growing strength of the KHL and the money they are throwing around, we don’t want to give young stars more motivation to play over seas. This rule would immediately deter the already rapidly diminishing Russian population from planning on joining the NHL. I would be surprised if down the road we would see top level North American talent giving a good hard look as well.
Lets put this all together, a player is drafted by a team. He is a great talent and signs a 5 year deal. He sits in that locker room full of 30 year olds driving Maserati’s and aren’t half the player he is. Finally after 5 years he has had a decent career but being on a small market defensive minded team he hasn’t put up the numbers he could on a better team. Also they are sitting on too many pre-2013 contracts that have them close to cap. He still has 5 more years before he can be a UFA, and with no arbitration, his team could low ball him with a 5 year contract. As an RFA he isn’t allowed to talk to other teams, and it is up to them to solicit an offer sheet to acquire him, or for someone to trade for his rights. The teams essentially own these players and have too much power over them. If he holds out he is deemed to be a bad apple or poison in the room, and all of a sudden he isn’t wanted around the league.
On the flip side, if superstars like Sidney Crosby dominate the league for 5 years, they are going to need to be paid, and paid big. No more of this $7.5mil cap hit followed by his new $8.3mil cap hit. After 5 years of $900k, Crosby would have wanted about $10-14mil, especially since it’s only for 5 years, and the state of concussions in the NHL. So in the end, we could be looking at a new, yet tell tale problem. Superstars getting paid big bucks, and everyone else being left behind.
Of course I don’t think that all of these rule changes are going to happen. The NHL will have to slide on a few of them. It is just a starting point, and this thing is far from over. Damien Cox of the Toronto Star (@DamoSpin), who I hate with a passion, tweeted “Folks, as I’ve said for some time now, pay absolutely no attention to the NHL-NHLPA stuff until November 1st.” Although he is a self-promoting dick who reports only on the negativity that surrounds hockey and would rather see a lockout than a season so he could write about it, he does have a point. Both sides will go back and forth until a reasonable agreement can be reached. Sometimes it’s just too hard to ignore news, now that we get it faster than ever before. Then again the NHL did stick to their guns in 04-05. If the NHL doesn’t budge, we could see a very long lockout. And now that the NHL has competition overseas with the KHL, a lockout could be detrimental to its prolonged success of being the worlds top hockey league.
Questions, comments, concerns on my views, UFA’s, RFA’s, Offer Sheets, Contracts, Arbitration, KHL, ANYTHING? Feel free to join NotInHallOfFame.com and post on the message board or find us on Twitter
@NHLKiDD
@NotInHallOfFame
Here is what the league proposed for changes
| New 2013 Proposal |
2005-2012 CBA Agreement |
| Players portion of revenues is 46% |
Players portion of revenues is 57% |
| Players must play 10 seasons before earning Unrestricted Free Agency Status (UFA) |
Players must play 7 seasons or reach the age of 27 to before earning Unrestricted Free Agency Status (UFA) |
| New contracts signed by players are limited to 5 years in length |
No limit on contract length, although amendments to deter salary cap circumvention and over 35 rule |
| The elimination of Salary Arbitration |
If a Restricted Free Agent (RFA) is not happy with money offered to them, they may file for 3rd party arbitrator to determine contract value |
| Entry level contracts for players coming into the NHL will be for a length of 5 years with a cap |
Entry level contracts for players coming into the NHL will be for a length of 3 years with a cap |
It was not a shock in the least that the NHL wants to lower the players’ portion of profit sharing from 57% to 46%. Revenue sharing has been a red button in both the NBA and NFL recent CBA discussions, both of which were able to fight off a lockout. Even though the NBA had to go to a shortened season they were still able to get the CBA off the ground. 50% seems to be the going rate and that is probably what the NHL is shooting for. However you need to come on strong when negotiating and you don’t want to concede everything up front.
One interesting note to think about is something that Larry Brooks of the New York Post (@NYP_Brooksie) blogged about. His source states that not only will their be a drop of players percentage proposed, but also how the profits are grouped into a shared profit or an owner profit. The new layout may mean that players take closer to a 22% drop in revenues. With the NHL posting a record $3.2 Bil in revenue in 2012, you would have to think that greedy players ballooning salaries are making teams less solvent. That must mean small market teams are getting bullied and can’t afford high-end free agents, right? Well the owners lost that argument when the Minnesota Wild reeled in Zach Parise and Ryan Suter to matching 13-year $98 Mil contracts. Oddly it was only April that Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold was complaining that his team was not making a profit and players’ high salaries are to blame. So it would seem that it’s not the players, but the owners themselves to blame for overpayment and inflated salaries, and in turn they expect to have the players pay for it out of their revenue sharing.
Meanwhile Commissioner Gary Bettman’s salary has doubled from $3.7 mil to $7.5 mil since the lockout. That salary would make him the 18th highest paid player in the league by cap hit, coming in just $300K less than the ridiculous contracts just signed by Ryan Suter and Zach Parise.The second change is that they want players to play in the league for 10 seasons before they can reach unrestricted free agent status. This would be at the very least 3 seasons longer than the current rules. Also there is no age limit, whereas currently if you are turning 27, regardless of the amount of the seasons you have played, you are eligible to be a UFA as soon as your contract expires. I understand that this is to try and save from huge contracts like those that were just signed by Suter and Parise. It’s not just this rule on its own that scares me, it’s this rule along with the other three rules that have been imposed. Together they create a very scary cocktail that implies that teams own players rather than have them under contract. Keep the 10 years in mind as we move forward.
New contracts signed have a maximum length of 5 years. It is also believed that the player must receive the same amount of salary in each of the years of the contract. On top of that there are no signing bonuses allowed. These rules on new contracts I am fine with to an extent. They are the result of teams doing whatever they can to circumvent the cap hit of players. Just about every big contract signed in the last 4 years has been front-loaded and it needs to stop. It got so bad that the New Jersey Devils were penalized a first round draft pick for their contract with Ilya Kovalchuck. This will create a slightly different NHL as we are going to see veterans move around more towards the end of their career, much like what we are seeing of Jaromir Jagr.
The elimination of salary arbitration is where I really start to worry. Currently when a player is a Restricted Free Agent (RFA), and they feel the offer from their team isn’t where it should be, an arbitrator will decide on what he should be paid. Shea Weber would be the highest profile arbitration case of the last few years. Without this arbitration we could see some battles between players and teams, however we may just see more offer sheets from opposing teams to acquire these RFA’s. Offer sheets can be a nasty affair like that of Dustin Penner from the Oilers a few years ago. However if they become common practice, it will be up to the team of the RFA to offer a just contract, and the offer sheets could in turn replace arbitration as the way salaries are policed. The problem is you rarely see offer sheets for anything past top 6 forwards or top 4 d-men, but again that as well would probably change.
Entry level contracts extending from 3 to 5 years is a bit absurd. Players would make at most $900K for the first 5 full seasons of their career. To put that into perspective, Sidney Crosby would have had four 100 point seasons (the other still scoring about 1.2 points per game), won an Art Ross trophy, Hart Memorial trophy, Lester B. Pearson trophy, Maurice “Rocket Richard trophy, Mark Messier Leadership trophy, a Stanley Cup, youngest captain in the NHL, youngest captain to win a Stanley Cup, and still make less than Mike Knuble. Not only is that a little bit absurd to think about, but with the growing strength of the KHL and the money they are throwing around, we don’t want to give young stars more motivation to play over seas. This rule would immediately deter the already rapidly diminishing Russian population from planning on joining the NHL. I would be surprised if down the road we would see top level North American talent giving a good hard look as well.
Lets put this all together, a player is drafted by a team. He is a great talent and signs a 5 year deal. He sits in that locker room full of 30 year olds driving Maserati’s and aren’t half the player he is. Finally after 5 years he has had a decent career but being on a small market defensive minded team he hasn’t put up the numbers he could on a better team. Also they are sitting on too many pre-2013 contracts that have them close to cap. He still has 5 more years before he can be a UFA, and with no arbitration, his team could low ball him with a 5 year contract. As an RFA he isn’t allowed to talk to other teams, and it is up to them to solicit an offer sheet to acquire him, or for someone to trade for his rights. The teams essentially own these players and have too much power over them. If he holds out he is deemed to be a bad apple or poison in the room, and all of a sudden he isn’t wanted around the league.
On the flip side, if superstars like Sidney Crosby dominate the league for 5 years, they are going to need to be paid, and paid big. No more of this $7.5mil cap hit followed by his new $8.3mil cap hit. After 5 years of $900k, Crosby would have wanted about $10-14mil, especially since it’s only for 5 years, and the state of concussions in the NHL. So in the end, we could be looking at a new, yet tell tale problem. Superstars getting paid big bucks, and everyone else being left behind.
Of course I don’t think that all of these rule changes are going to happen. The NHL will have to slide on a few of them. It is just a starting point, and this thing is far from over. Damien Cox of the Toronto Star (@DamoSpin), who I hate with a passion, tweeted “Folks, as I’ve said for some time now, pay absolutely no attention to the NHL-NHLPA stuff until November 1st.” Although he is a self-promoting dick who reports only on the negativity that surrounds hockey and would rather see a lockout than a season so he could write about it, he does have a point. Both sides will go back and forth until a reasonable agreement can be reached. Sometimes it’s just too hard to ignore news, now that we get it faster than ever before. Then again the NHL did stick to their guns in 04-05. If the NHL doesn’t budge, we could see a very long lockout. And now that the NHL has competition overseas with the KHL, a lockout could be detrimental to its prolonged success of being the worlds top hockey league.
Questions, comments, concerns on my views, UFA’s, RFA’s, Offer Sheets, Contracts, Arbitration, KHL, ANYTHING? Feel free to join NotInHallOfFame.com and post on the message board or find us on Twitter
@NHLKiDD
@NotInHallOfFame
The City of Brotherly Love
Jun 26, 2012
Written by
NHLKiDD
Leading into this past weekends NHL Entry Draft there had been more chatter and rumors surrounding the league than ever before. Whispers of Rick Nash, Bobby Ryan, Ryan Suter, and Shea Weber could be heard in every corner of the hockey world. Two other players that had been linked to one another since last seasons trade deadline, however were moved before any of the above. On Saturday, Brian Burke and Paul Holmgren made a rare star player for star player swap when the Maple Leafs exchanged their young blue liner, Luke Schenn, - once said to be the future Leafs captain - for the Flyers former second overall draft pick, James van Riemsdyk.
Both teams went into the draft with their respective teams looking for something. The Leafs were seeking a top line center (among other things) and the Flyers a top 4 defenseman. Oddly enough, with the 5th overall pick, the Maple Leafs selected puck-moving defenseman in Morgan Rielly. In Turn, with the 20th overall pick, the Flyers selected gritty two-way center Scott Laughton. Obviously after the first round, both teams still needed to address their gaping needs.
Enter the trade. Schenn for JVR.
James van Riemsdyk, although not a Center, is still an incredible addition to the Leafs’ lineup. Although JVR was one of the reasons the Flyers felt comfortable dealing franchise centerpieces Mike Richards and Jeff Carter just one year prior, the 23 year old, 6’3” 190 lbs winger has been a bit of a disappointment in Philly. High hopes of a big breakout season last year were hampered by a list of injuries including hip, foot, and head. When on top of his game, van Riemsdyk can control the ice, creating space with his size, setting up plays with his great vision, and finishing big goals from in close or from a distance.
In a Monday interview with Cybulski and Company on TSN 1050 Toronto, JVR said that there is a chance he will be tried out at center, and perhaps play in between Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul on the Leafs top unit. He would add a great combination of speed, size, and strength to the line and would help get Kessel some more space. If he can make the jump to the middle of the ice, this could prove to be one of, if not the, best line in hockey. Lupul and Kessel had fantastic seasons with virtually no center in Tyler Bozak.
Luke Schenn comes to Philadelphia in what he calls almost a dream come true as he is united with his younger brother Brayden (acquired by the Flyers in the MikeRichards trade a year ago). Although Luke Schenn won’t fill the hole left behind by future hall of famer Chris Pronger, he does bring some of the same qualities to the Flyers as the former Captain. The 22 year old only finished -6 on a team that let in a ton of goals. But what the Flyers love most is the fact that he is 6’2”, 230 lbs. and is a much needed right-handed shot. And that other stat, he led all defensemen in hits and was 7th overall among players with 270. His cap hit comes in less than that of JVR and will be a perfect fit for the young Flyers locker room.
Many people are trying to figure out who the winners and losers are in the deal. There are many ways to judge a trade. Players output, fit on a roster, cap hit, contract length, age, return on investment. In my eyes these two players are almost mirror images of one another in many ways. No matter what way you bend or shake this trade, it looks like both teams win. They both get a young talented player, drafted high, who has already proven they can play in a big market. Neither is afraid of the spotlight, as they both have been considered the future and centerpiece of their former franchise. Also both of these players fell short of the incredibly high expectations for such young players and have been referred to as disappointments, and maybe even busts. But I would disagree.
My final analysis is that both players were in need of a change. It was no secret that JVR was on the way out. The fans were getting tired of waiting for him, but more importantly so was GM Paul Holmgren. He wasn’t fitting into the plans of the Flyers anymore because when he was out with injury Brayden Schenn and Sean Couturier took the reigns and won over the staff and the fans. Now as a Flyers fan, I hate to see JVR go. He is going to be an elite forward, maybe as early as next year. His offensive prowess and size is a perfect fit in Toronto and the crowd will love him. He could be the forward that brings them to the next level.
Luke on the other hand fell victim to being thrown into the league far too young. The expectations in the Toronto media were far too high for any 18 year old and they were impossible to live up to. They turned on him and scrutiny in the media lead him over think plays, creating even more mistakes. Rifts in the dressing room didn’t help matters - rumor has it that team captain, Dion Phaneuf, and Schenn don’t see eye to eye, and are not on speaking terms. That being said I have always been a fan of both Schenn brothers. Luke’s size and aggression will be fantastic in Philly and will get the crowd on their feet every night. Playing with his younger brother will only help elevate his game. Leafs’ former coach Ron Wilson (American) once said he was pulling for Canada in the WJHC, because if younger brother Brayden lost, Luke would be depressed for weeks. No better place to unite the Schenns than in the City of Brotherly Love - Philadelphia.
Both teams went into the draft with their respective teams looking for something. The Leafs were seeking a top line center (among other things) and the Flyers a top 4 defenseman. Oddly enough, with the 5th overall pick, the Maple Leafs selected puck-moving defenseman in Morgan Rielly. In Turn, with the 20th overall pick, the Flyers selected gritty two-way center Scott Laughton. Obviously after the first round, both teams still needed to address their gaping needs.Enter the trade. Schenn for JVR.
James van Riemsdyk, although not a Center, is still an incredible addition to the Leafs’ lineup. Although JVR was one of the reasons the Flyers felt comfortable dealing franchise centerpieces Mike Richards and Jeff Carter just one year prior, the 23 year old, 6’3” 190 lbs winger has been a bit of a disappointment in Philly. High hopes of a big breakout season last year were hampered by a list of injuries including hip, foot, and head. When on top of his game, van Riemsdyk can control the ice, creating space with his size, setting up plays with his great vision, and finishing big goals from in close or from a distance.
In a Monday interview with Cybulski and Company on TSN 1050 Toronto, JVR said that there is a chance he will be tried out at center, and perhaps play in between Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul on the Leafs top unit. He would add a great combination of speed, size, and strength to the line and would help get Kessel some more space. If he can make the jump to the middle of the ice, this could prove to be one of, if not the, best line in hockey. Lupul and Kessel had fantastic seasons with virtually no center in Tyler Bozak.
Luke Schenn comes to Philadelphia in what he calls almost a dream come true as he is united with his younger brother Brayden (acquired by the Flyers in the MikeRichards trade a year ago). Although Luke Schenn won’t fill the hole left behind by future hall of famer Chris Pronger, he does bring some of the same qualities to the Flyers as the former Captain. The 22 year old only finished -6 on a team that let in a ton of goals. But what the Flyers love most is the fact that he is 6’2”, 230 lbs. and is a much needed right-handed shot. And that other stat, he led all defensemen in hits and was 7th overall among players with 270. His cap hit comes in less than that of JVR and will be a perfect fit for the young Flyers locker room.
Many people are trying to figure out who the winners and losers are in the deal. There are many ways to judge a trade. Players output, fit on a roster, cap hit, contract length, age, return on investment. In my eyes these two players are almost mirror images of one another in many ways. No matter what way you bend or shake this trade, it looks like both teams win. They both get a young talented player, drafted high, who has already proven they can play in a big market. Neither is afraid of the spotlight, as they both have been considered the future and centerpiece of their former franchise. Also both of these players fell short of the incredibly high expectations for such young players and have been referred to as disappointments, and maybe even busts. But I would disagree.
My final analysis is that both players were in need of a change. It was no secret that JVR was on the way out. The fans were getting tired of waiting for him, but more importantly so was GM Paul Holmgren. He wasn’t fitting into the plans of the Flyers anymore because when he was out with injury Brayden Schenn and Sean Couturier took the reigns and won over the staff and the fans. Now as a Flyers fan, I hate to see JVR go. He is going to be an elite forward, maybe as early as next year. His offensive prowess and size is a perfect fit in Toronto and the crowd will love him. He could be the forward that brings them to the next level.Luke on the other hand fell victim to being thrown into the league far too young. The expectations in the Toronto media were far too high for any 18 year old and they were impossible to live up to. They turned on him and scrutiny in the media lead him over think plays, creating even more mistakes. Rifts in the dressing room didn’t help matters - rumor has it that team captain, Dion Phaneuf, and Schenn don’t see eye to eye, and are not on speaking terms. That being said I have always been a fan of both Schenn brothers. Luke’s size and aggression will be fantastic in Philly and will get the crowd on their feet every night. Playing with his younger brother will only help elevate his game. Leafs’ former coach Ron Wilson (American) once said he was pulling for Canada in the WJHC, because if younger brother Brayden lost, Luke would be depressed for weeks. No better place to unite the Schenns than in the City of Brotherly Love - Philadelphia.
Sidney Misbehaves, Giroux Gives Him A Time Out
Apr 27, 2012
Written by
NHLKiDD
It took 6 games but the Philadelphia Flyers knocked off everyone’s favorites to win the Stanley Cup: Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Although Crosby missed the majority of the season, the hype that the NHL placed on their golden boy – and meal ticket – spread not only hockey writers and fans, but also the betting world. Las Vegas had the Penguins as the odds on favorite to win the cup when the playoff gates opened, but Claude Giroux and the Flyers had other plans.
Stanley Cup Preview – Western Conference
Apr 15, 2012
Written by
NHLKiDD
Vancouver Canucks (1st) vs 
Los Angeles Kings (8th)The Vancouver Canucks suffered one of the worst collapses in Stanley Cup Final history when the Boston Bruins made a mockery of them down the stretch in 2011. This year is ‘cup or bust’ as the Canucks won the President’s Trophy for the leagues top team for the second year in a row. The key to the Canucks’ playoff run will be for their stars to not disappear when it matters. Daniel Sedin will not be in the lineup for game 1 due to a concussion, but their roster is deep with offensive weapons. No one knows when Sedin will be back but Canucks fans are looking for another long run. The deadline deal adding Zach Kassian to the roster for some grit could prove to be what the Canucks were missing from last year when they were bullied off of pucks in the final. Goaltender Roberto Luongo will also be on a tight leash as Cory Schneider has emerged as a great 2nd option for the Canucks.
The Los Angeles Kings were one of the worst teams in the league offensively, even after reuniting Jeff Carter with Mike Richards, former line mates and best friends from their days in Philadelphia. Jonathon Quick may have been good enough to win the Vezina this year and will need to be outstanding if the Kings want to give Vancouver a run for their money. If the Kings’ stars can wake-up and score some goals, Vancouver could be in trouble. Kopitar, Brown, Carter and Richards need to score goals to beat the Canucks powerhouse, but if the regular season is any indicator, it probably won’t happen.
Prediction: Vancouver wins in 6
St Louis Blues (2nd) vs 
San Jose Sharks (7th)The St Louis Blues had an incredible turn around this season after Ken Hitchcock took over behind the bench. Although this shouldn’t come as a surprise., this team is the definition of complete All 4 lines are offensively talented and have bought into the Hitchcock team defense style of play. They also have the best goalie duo in the league with Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliot. The only thing this team is missing is top end star power and game breakers. Although all 4 lines are strong, none of them have an absolute superstar. But this shouldn’t be a problem in this series.
The San Jose Sharks find themselves as underdogs in the first round for the first time in many years. Aging stars and lack of high end young players in their system has the team declining in the standings and an early bounce from the playoffs may have the city crying for a rebuild. Logan Couture is a rising star in the league but Joe Thornton is known for disappearing in the playoffs. Dismal goaltending has plagued the team all year and, in my eyes, they just don’t stack up against the four full lines of the Blues. Getting Martin Havlat back late in the season was a huge plus, and he will be key if the Sharks are to make an upset.
Prediction: Blues win in 5 games
Phoenix Coyotes (3rd) vs 
Chicago Blackhawks (6th)The Phoenix Coyotes won their division based on tight play, surprisingly good goaltending from Mike Smith and team defense. They don’t play a flashy type of hockey, but they seem to get the job done in the regular season. However, they have had trouble converting season success to playoff success. When other teams are bringing it to the next level, the Coyotes seem to be left in the dust. Without any star power other than Keith Yandle on the back end, there doesn’t seem to be another gear for the Coyotes to elevate their game and win a playoff series.
The Chicago Blackhawks are 2 years removed from their Stanley Cup victory and were favorites in the off-season to win the cup this year. A dismal season resulting from less than stellar goaltending and injuries has them finishing in 6th place. However don’t count these Blackhawks out. Getting captain Jonathon Toews back in the lineup for the playoffs is a huge bonus. This highly talented team has the experience and depth to give any team a run over a 7 game series. Marian Hossa and Patrick Kane elevate their games in the playoffs and the star power may prove to be too much for the Coyotes to handle.
My Prediciton: Chicago wins in 6
Nashville Predators (4th) vs 
Detroit Red Wings (5th)Like in the east, I am most looking forward to the 4 and 5 matchup in the west. The Predators told the world, and pending UFA defensemen Ryan Suter and Shea Weber, that they are serious. They’ve bolstered their lineup with a seasoned D-man (Hal Gill) and a talented tough guy (Paul Gaustad), and brought back their best offensive weapon (Alex Radulov) from the KHL. With Pekka Rinne in net, one of the leagues best goalies, this star-studded lineup is great from top to bottom. The Kostytsin brothers can elevate their game if interested and this Nashville team can run up the score, even though they are a defense first team under the coaching of Barry Trotz.
The problem is the Detroit Red Wings are the Detroit Red Wings. Top end talent in Datsyuk and Zetterberg, a world class future first ballot Hall Of Famer Nick Lidstrom, and every line is filled with home grown talent that is the product of one of the best farm systems in sports. The Red Wings are always in the mix and they don’t take any nights off. Jimmy Howard has grown into a great starting goalie and this team, like the Predators, doesn’t have many, if any, weaknesses. This series is going to be a long battle and is sure to be one of the better series of the Playoffs, if not just the opening round.
My Prediction: Red Wings in 7
NHL Playoff Preview- Eastern Conference
Apr 15, 2012
Written by
NHLKiDD
New York Rangers (1st) vs. 
Ottawa Senators (8th)The New York Rangers just finished off their best season in years finishing on top of the Eastern Conference. Leading the way through the season was their ace starting goaltender Hendrik Lundqvist - possibly the best goalie in the world right now. He finished the season with an astonishing .930 Save Percentage and a miniscule 1.96 Goals Against Average. The Rangers have top end talent and a great mix of toughness and grit throughout their lineup.
On the other side of the table we have the Cinderella season of the Ottawa Senators. Most people, including myself, had the Senators looking closer to first overall draft pick than being in the playoffs. Led by a breakout season by sophomore sensation Erik Karlsson (19G, 59A, 78P), this young lineup fought every minute of every game and was among the top teams in 3rd period goals and comeback victories. Jason Spezza having a career year didn’t hurt, and neither did consistent goaltending from Craig Anderson.
The Sens played the Rangers tough all year. This youthful team was 3-1 against New York under the guidance of Coach Paul MacLean, a native of Antigonish, NS. However, on paper it would seem that the Sens just don’t match up to the Rangers in any category. While the Sens have some explosive offensive power in their top 2 lines, their depth is a big concern and could ultimately be their undoing this year. Nonetheless, I wouldn’t be surprised if they do make an incredible upset. I think this series is going to be closer than the 1st vs 8th numbers suggest.
Prediction: Rangers win in 6
Boston Bruins (2nd) vs 
Washington Capitals (7th)The defending Stanley Cup Champions have the task of dealing with one of the NHL’s biggest stars Alex Ovechkin. Although Ovechkin had a dismal season by his standards, he can still dazzle a crowd at any moment. The Capitals also will be getting one of their best offensive weapons back in Nicklas Backstrom. Backstrom, the Capitals top Center, has missed 3 months of action but should not be taken lightly. Moreover, the Caps come into these Playoffs with no pressure to win. Perhaps not being in the spotlight will allow them to play their game and deal with the depth of the defending cup Champions.
Boston is possibly one of the deepest teams in the league. However they are missing a key component to their top line in Nathan Horton, who is suffering the side affects of his 2nd concussion in under 9 months. The bruising winger was a key component to the Bruins Stanley Cup run last year until he was caught with a late hit that resulted in his first NHL concussion. The Bruins aren’t without weapons however, with Tyler Seguin and Brad Marchand having career highs in almost every category, and lets not forget about the unique mixture of size, toughness, and skill in Milan Lucic. Goaltending will be completely lopsided as well. Two-time Vezina winning, and last years Conn Smyth winner, Tim Thomas will be between the pipes for the Bruins, while the Caps have the young and unproven goalie Braden Holtby. Aside from the goalies, Idon’t think Washington has it in them to deal with the size and 4 great lines that Boston will throw at them over a 7 game series. This alone will contain Ovechkin, Backstrom and Semin to a certain degree.
Prediction: Boston Bruins in 5 games
Florida Panthers (3rd) vs 
New Jersey Devils (6th)The Florida Panthers were the top team in the worst division in hockey. The fact that they won the division guaranteed them a top 3 finish. A rule that will probably be looked at in the new CBA talks in the off season. They were able to string together a half decent team through free agency, bringing in players like Thomas Fleischman and Chris Versteeg. Both players flourished with top 6 minutes, but disappeared at times. Jose Theodore performed well enough between the pipes but has proven time and time again that he isn’t a top starting goalie in the NHL. Their depth is a problem, but they can move the puck up the ice well with offensively minded defensemen, like Brian Campbell.
Across the faceoff dot is an offensively gifted team that plays great team defense and has maybe arguably the best goalie of all time in Martin Brodeur. This star studded lineup is highlighteds by one of the games best pure goal scorers, Ilya Kovalchuk, who signed the richest contract in NHL history. But it doesn’t stop there, other talent like Zach Parise, Patrik Elias, Travis Zajac and rookie Adam Henrique mean that Florida is going to have its hands full on every shift.
Prediction: New Jersey in 5 games
Penguins (4th) vs 
Flyers (5th)This series is by far the most hyped of the opening round. Division rivals and original expansion cousins clash once again in the post season, and these teams absolutely hate one another. The Pittsburgh Penguins battled through many injuries again all season, and still ended up with the NHL’s most potent offense. What is amazing is that they did it while missing a key component for most of their season. Has anyone heard of Sidney Crosby? In Crosby’s absence Evgeni Malkin rose to the occasion, just like he did last time Crosby was out, and won another Art Ross trophy. However this year he was able to score 50 goals for the first time in his career. This veteran team still has a large amount of players from their Stanley Cup winning team, and is looking to bring that experience to the series.
Many thought the Flyers wouldn’t be here after trading cornerstones Jeff Carter and Mike Richards in the offseason after a disappointing sweep at the hands of the Bruins in round 2 of the 2011 playoffs. However, the youthful squad – who led the NHL in games played by rookies – has had some great success. Led by Claude Giroux’s career year and the emergence of goofy power forward Scott Hartnell, this Flyers team looks to stop their cross state rivals in their tracks, - like they did all season. The Flyers have a tough task as most professional writers and even Las Vegas has the Penguins to win the cup. This series will come down to depth of lines and goaltending. The Flyers possibly have better more depth with guys like Max Talbot, Sean Couturier and Matt Read, but no one knows which Ilya Bryzgalov will show up. Will he be the NHL’s first star of March, or will he be the “no confidence, lost in the woods” Bryz from the first half of the season. One thing is for sure, this series has the makings of one for the record books.
Prediction: Flyers in 7
Photo Finish in the Calder Race
Mar 25, 2012
Written by
NHLKiDD
For the first time in a few years, the NHL doesn’t have a clear cut rookie of the year, and no one is going to know for sure who takes the prize until their name is called this summer in Las Vegas, which is a bit odd for this award. The majority of the Calders handed out – from the first recipient Carl Voss in 1933 to last years winner Jeff Skinner – have gone to a player that was a clear cut winner.
Kidd's Corner First Edition
Feb 23, 2012
Written by
NHLKiDD
Welcome to the first edition of The Kidds Corner: A hockey blog for hockey fans. Tune in for rumors, updates, predictions and news. It is a bit late in the season but no time to start like the trade deadline, which is this upcoming Monday, February 27th at 3PM Eastern. This event has almost turned into a national holiday in Canada, even though last years deadline was extremely disappointing.