uncleleo16

[uncleleo16]

The Toronto Maple Leafs Midseason Review

With the Trade Deadline less than a month away (February 26th), the Maple Leafs hold a record of 30-18-5 and 17 points ahead of the Florida Panthers and Detroit Red Wings for 3rd in the Atlantic Division Playoff Spot. The AHL Affiliate Toronto Marlies have a record of 32-11-1 for first in the league. With the Maple Leafs performing strong questions arise about Trades to improve a defensive unit that has struggled at times. The Leafs have a handful of players on expiring deals including James Van Riemsdyk, Leo Komarov, Tyler Bozak and Connor Carrick. The Job Security of these four players among a few others like Matt Martin and Nikita Soshnikov are in question with the trade deadline arriving. However, I want to focus on the season up to date and give a few suggestions on line-up changes. 

5 Players who’s Stock is on the Rise 

5. Zach Hyman. 25 years Old, Left Wing. Hyman was criticized a lot last season for his lack of offensive numbers and holding Auston Matthews back while playing on his line. In 82 games he had 10 goals and 18 assists. The 25 year old is in the first year of his new 4 year 2.5 million per season contract and already has 10 Goals and 18 assists in 53 games. He works hard on the forecheck and creates space for Matthews and Nylander to work as he continues to impress Leaf Fans. 

4. Justin Holl. 26 years Old, Defenseman. The 2010 2nd Round Blackhawks draft pick has spent the last three seasons in the minors, including a 2014-2015 campaign almost entirely in the ECHL. This season he has impressed in the AHL 4 Goals, 20 Points in 39 games and made the AHL All-Star Game. Recently called up to the NHL at the end of January he has 2 Goals in 2 Games for the Maple Leafs and is the first Maple Leafs Defenseman to ever score in each of their first two NHL games. 

3. Morgan Rielly, 23 years old, Defenseman. Rielly is playing his best NHL season of his career as he has been a major aspect of the Maple Leafs success at both ends of the ice. He is responsible in Power Play and Penalty Kill situations and averages over 22 minutes a game of ice time. He has 5 goals and 31 points in 47 games and he is developing into a true number 1 defenseman. 

2. Garrett Sparks, 24 years old, Goaltender. Sparks is the best Goaltender in the AHL this season and has now put together three strong minor hockey years. This season he has a record of 17-6-2 with a 1.60 GAA and a .944 SV%. The Unfortunate situation for Sparks is that NHL back-up McElhinney has been very strong with a 5-4 record and a .932 SV%. Regardless, Sparks has impressed this season and deserves recognition for his strong play. 

1. Travis Dermott, 21 years old, Defenseman. The 2015 2nd Round Pick has been waiting for his opportunity to showcase his skill and in his second season with the Maple Leafs organization has really impressed. In 28 Games with the Marlies he has 2 goals and 18 points with 34 penalty minutes. Due to numerous injuries, Dermott was called up to the NHL and has impressed in 10 games with 1 goal and 4 points. He is a confident skater, isn’t afraid to play the body and has amazing hockey sense. 

5 Players Who’s Stock is on the Decline 

5. Tyler Bozak, 31 years old, Center. Tyler Bozak has been with the Maple Leafs for 9 straight seasons and has never played with another franchise. This season has been disappointing for the Veteran as he only has 8 goals and 27 points in 52 games. Last Season in 78 games, Bozak had 18 goals and 55 points. Bozak’s true regression however is defensively where he continues to struggle at times. Bozak’s Contract expires this summer and so far this season he isn’t living up to his 4.2 million dollar deal. 

4. Leo Komarov, 31 years old, Center. Komarov isn’t expected to be a 20 goal scorer or a dynamic playmaker but last season the Finnish forward had 14 goals and 32 points in 82 games. So far this season he only has 4 goals and 13 points in 53 games and has been demoted to the 4th line at this point in the season. A fan favourite and Babcock favourite, Komarov has a chance to re-sign but his role has clearly changed from Top 9 forward with Nazem Kadri on the Shutdown line to a a role as a  Penalty Kill specialist, fourth line checker and leader. Komarov is an excellent 4th Line player and I Hope the Leafs keep him on next season in that role. 

3. Adam Brooks, 21 years old, Center. Brooks is in his first season with the Marlies after spending last season with the Regina Pats and racking up 43 goals and 130 points in 66 games. This season has been rough for the offensive player with only 3 goals and 6 points in 32 games. His role with the Marlies has limited his ice time but Brooks hasn’t been as impressive as many would expect. 

2. Josh Leivo, 24 years old, Left Wing. The Leafs opted to protect forward Josh Leivo at last years Expansion Draft and lost Brendan Leipsic to the Vegas Golden Knights. However Leivo has been a mystery for much of the season with only 12 games played and 1 goal with 3 points (primarily on the 4th line). This Stock Decline isn’t Leivo’s fault as much as it is Maple Leaf Management. Combining AHL and NHL games, Leivo has played 30 games over the past 2 years and he deserves playing time. I recommend the Maple Leafs either play him in the AHL or attempt to send him to the AHL through waivers because Leivo is not helping himself sitting in the press box every night. 

1. Roman Polak, 31 years old, Defenseman. The injury sustained by Polak at the end of last season was brutal and clearly affected his mobility on the ice since returning. He has 2 goals and 6 points in 32 games this season and has been solid on the Penalty Kill but 5-on-5 has not been kind to Polak. Playing on a team that wants to play fast hockey isn’t the same style with his game and he hasn’t performed to the same level as last season. Nobody can diss Polak’s performance in the 2016-17 campaign as he was a force in the defensive end and still had a jump to his game. The Knee injury doesn’t help his case and I really hope the best for Polak and that the Maple Leafs treat him right in some tough upcoming decisions. 

My Ideal Line-Up 

This Ideal Line-Up is assuming all players are healthy and i’m not trading away any players, just adjusting the Line-Up and sending the right people to the AHL.

LW                                      C                                    RW

Zach Hyman               Auston Matthews            William Nylander

Patrick Marleau          Nazem Kadri                    Mitch Marner

JVR                             Tyler Bozak                      Connor Brown

Josh Leivo                  Leo Komarov                  Kasperi Kapanen

Extra Forwards: Matt Martin, Dominic Moore  

D                                         D                                      GK

Morgan Rielly             Ron Hainsey                  Frederik Andersen

Jake Gardiner            Nikita Zaitsev                 Curtis McElhinney

Andreas Borgman     Travis Dermott   

Extra Defenseman: Roman Polak (IR), Connor Carrick

This Line-Up requires Defenseman Justin Holl and Forward Nikita Soshnikov to return to the AHL but I have no problem seeing those two players improve their game on a strong AHL team. The reason I want Leivo, Komarov and Kapanen is to give Komarov a opportunity at 4th line Center and give Leivo an opportunity with two players that play a similar style. This isn’t a diss against Dominic Moore because I think he has been great on the 4th line but I don’t see him staying with the team next season and I want to see Leivo play. Matt Martin is important to keep on reserves in case of a difficult physical match-up against Boston, or other rivals, plus the postseason might require Matt Martin in the line-up. The Top 4 on Defence is set with Rielly, Hainsey, Gardiner and Zaitsev. The Bottom Pairing was difficult between the 5 Candidates but I think Travis Dermott has earned the spot and Andreas Borgman is a big body rookie Defenseman that continues to improve. Connor Carrick is the 7th man and can easily slide in anywhere in case of injury. Roman Polak is an Injury Reserved Defenseman who will probably stay on IR for a while. Justin Holl goes down to the AHL but I hope to see him next season in the NHL.               

[uncleleo16]

The Difference between the 2009 and 2017 Maple Leafs

The start to this season has been a dream situation for the Maple Leafs with a 6-1 record over 7 contests and currently near the top of the NHL Standings. Lead by Auston Matthews with 6 Goals and 10 points and a very balanced offensive attack that has scored a league high 34 goals through 7 games (Average of 4.9 Goals a game). The team unfortunately hasn’t been stellar defensively with 22 goals allowed during that time (3.1 Goals Per game). Still, this Maple Leafs start has been a dream come true for many fans who have suffered for years as a Maple Leaf fan and although other fans are probably tired of hearing that, it’s true. The Maple Leafs have only made the playoffs twice in the last 12 seasons and went on a stretch of 7 seasons without playoff hockey. From the Playoffs the Maple Leafs haven’t won a playoff round since 2004. The 2009-10 season was a particular dark time in Leafs hockey; they had just come off a season where Mats Sundin was playing with the Canucks, McCabe went to Florida and Brian Burke just stepped into the front office (which was an improvement of Cliff Fletcher but so is a 9 year old with limited hockey knowledge). Enter the Ron Wilson Maple Leafs, a team that will be attempting to right the sunken ship and reach the postseason. During the off-season Brian Burke signed Mike Komisarek to a 5 year deal (lead to a buy-out) , Francois Beauchemin to a 3 year deal and traded for Garnet Exelby. He also traded away prospect defenseman Anton Stralman (who is now a consistent defenseman on Tampa Bay) for forward Wayne Primeau and a 2nd round pick. He acquired All Star Phil Kessel for 2 First Round picks (Tyler Seguin and Dougie Hamilton) and a 2nd Round Pick (Jared Knight) to eliminate our prospect pool for the next couple seasons. Lets Take a look at the 2009 opening night roster in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Canadiens (Phil Kessel was sidelined with a shoulder injury for the first month of the season).

LW                                              C                                      RW

Alexei Ponikarovsky            Mikhail Grabovski             Niklas Hagman

Jason Blake                        John Mitchell                     Matt Stajan

Lee Stempniak                    Rickard Wallin                   Viktor Stalberg

Jay Rosehill                         Wayne Primeau                Colton Orr

D                                                  D                                      GK

Francois Beauchemin        Tomas Kaberle                   Vesa Toskala

Ian White                            Mike Komisarek

Luke Schenn                      Garnet Exelby        

 If you have no idea who have theses players are, then you are fortunate and if you remember this lineup, then you understand the pain. The Leafs out shot the Canadiens 46-27 but lost 4-3 in overtime on a Josh Gorges goal. The Redeeming quality was 2 goals by Matt Stajan, Ponikarovsky with a goal and Colton Orr, Jay Rosehill and Mike Komisarek each receiving fighting majors. The Following match-up was a 6-4 loss against Washington. Toskala was pulled after allowing 3 goals in the first period and new comer Jones Gustavsson allowed 3 goals on 19 shots in the second. Down 6-1 the Leafs scored 3 in the third to make the outcome seem better than the humiliation it really was. The Grabovski line does well contributing 3 goals. The following game is a closely fought battle with the Senators but the Senators score two in less than a minute and win 2-1 in regulation. Jonas Gustavsson with 26 saves and Matt Stajan scored. Pittsburgh is next and Crosby scores twice on the power-play. The game is over after two periods with the Penguins up 4-1. Final score of 5-2. Vesa Toskala struggles allowing all 5 goals and Rickard Wallin has 2 assists. Fun Fact, this was the only season Wallin ever played in the NHL. He quickly realized the Leafs were awful and returned to Sweden the following season. Next game is a 7-2 loss against the Rangers. Sean Avery scores 2 goals and even Wade Redden snipes one past Vesa Toskala who is still in net for this game. 0-4-1 is the record. The following night is a 4-1 loss against Colorado with Joey McDonald allowing 4 goals on 28 shots. McDonald had spent the previous year as back-up of the New York Islanders and only played 6 games with the Leafs during this season. Darcy Tucker scored against Toronto and added an assist and at this point I remember rooting for players like Tucker (former Leafs) during these stretch of games. Tyler Bozak also made his NHL debut in this game and assisted on the only Maple Leafs goal. A couple of nights later the Maple Leafs lost 4-1 against the Rangers and Joey McDonald is bad again. The Leafs re-affirm to fans that our defense is awful and our offense can’t score. The only Redeeming quality was the fans of Toronto for the continued support for this team on a Saturday night in 2009. The Maple Leafs next game is a 3-1 loss against the Canucks in another painful game. The Leafs finally picked up a win a few nights later against the Ducks, 6-3 thanks to a Niklas Hagman hat trick and moderately decent defensive effort. The Bottom line, the Maple Leafs opened the 2009-10 season 0-7-1. They have just opened the 2017-18 season 6-1-0. The Difference 8 years makes is phenomenal. The only remaining players in the NHL from that opening night roster is Matt Stajan (Calgary), Lee Stempniak (Carolina), Francois Beauchemin (Ducks) and Luke Schenn (Arizona). The modern day Maple Leafs currently outscore their opponents 34-22. The 2009 Maple Leafs during their opening 8 games were outscored 35-15. In 2009 Leafs fans were on the bad end of the spectrum but finally there is hope. Management is smart with draft picks and prospects and understands a true rebuild. The coach demands the players to work hard and there are consequences if effort is not shown (Marner demoted to 4th line). During the 2009 season Jason Blake, Phil Kessel and Ponikarovsky rarely back checked or showed any interest in defense but their minutes never changed. It is nostalgic to look back at the old Leafs and appreciate how far we have come and I even have favorites from those years. My favorite 3 players on the 2009 team were Mikhail Grabovski, Colton Orr and Tomas Kaberle. So, Regardless of the times, I’m always a Maple Leafs fan and looking back at 2009 and that start should make fans appreciate the new look 2017 Maple Leafs even more.

[uncleleo16]

Week 1 Power Rankings

With one week of the NHL finished, let’s take a look at some early season rankings. Note, this is not based on the talent or potential of teams but rather, where they currently stand. Other Rankings like to give teams like the Sharks who are 0-2 the benefit of the doubt but being 0-2 lands you in the bottom of the rankings, even though they are a playoff staple.

31. San Jose Sharks (0-2-0), -5 Goal Differential 

The San Jose Sharks open the season with a 5-3 loss against the Flyers, followed by a 4-1 loss against the Kings. Kevin Labanc had 2 goals in their opening game and leads the team in scoring while Goaltender Martin Jones is 0-2 with a 5.16 GAA and a .864 SV%. The also have conceded 3 powerplay goals and have the 6th worst penalty kill early on this season. They are the only team without a point yet in the standings. 

Upcoming Week: 3 home games against the Sabres (12th), Islanders (14th) and the Canadiens (17th)

30. Arizona Coyotes (0-2-1), -5 Goal Differential 

The Coyotes lost twice to the Expansion team; the Vegas Golden Knights and lost a heartbreaker against the Ducks blowing a 4-1 lead and losing 5-4 in regulation. Tobias Reider leads the team with 2 goals and 3 points in 3 games while both Louis Domingue (3.75 GAA) and Antti Raanta (4.28 GAA) have struggled in net. They are the worst faceoff team in the NHL, winning only 38% of the draws and they allow 37 shots against a game (5th worst in the NHL). 

Upcoming Week: Home against the Red Wings (12th) and Bruins (14th) before a road game against the Stars (17th). 

29. Minnesota Wild (0-1-1), -2 Goal Differential 

This ranking is a bit harsh on the Wild but they lost two games where they should have won and they’re a dark horse Cup pick for me. They lost 4-2 against the Red Wings conceding two early power-play goals. The 5-4 shootout loss against the Hurricanes was a game where they were winning 3-1 early in the game but couldn’t hold onto the lead. They have a 70% Penalty Killing unit and have given up 37 shots a game. Expect a better week from the Wild, but I had to be harsh on this early performance. 

Upcoming Week: Road Game against Chicago (12th) and Home against Blue Jackets (14th). 

28. Buffalo Sabres (0-2-1), -7 Goal Differential 

The Sabres lost two games by a score of 6-3 and lost the other game in a shootout against Montreal. The Sabres defense has struggled but their penalty kill is still 100% after giving up 11 power plays through 3 games. That statistic is one of the few bright spots on this troubled Sabres team. Evander Kane has also been doing well with 4 Goals and 6 Points. 

Upcoming Week: West Coast Road Trip for Buffalo with games against San Jose (12th), Kings (14th), Ducks (15th) and Golden Knights (17th). 

27. Montreal Canadiens (1-3-0), -9 Goal Differential

The Canadiens opened the year with a 3-2 shootout win against Buffalo but finished the week with three bad performances. A 6-1 loss against the Capitals, including a 1st period hat trick by Ovechkin, a 2-0 loss against the Rangers who were playing the night after losing against Toronto and a 3-1 loss against the Blackhawks who were also playing the day after a game in Toronto. The Canadiens are 0-14 on the power-play, they Waived defenseman Mark Streit after 4 games and Carey Price has a save percentage of .899%. This was a bad start to the season for Montreal. 

Upcoming Week: Begin with a home match-up againt Toronto (14th) followed by the start of a west coast trip with a game against the Sharks (17th) followed by a match-up with the Kings (18th). 

26. New York Rangers (1-3-0), -5 Goal Differential 

Beginning the season getting outscored 12-7 in 2 games is a bad feeling but the Rangers rebounded at weeks end with a 2-0 win against Montreal before losing to the Blues 3-1. Their power-play has looked good going 5-16 but the penalty kill is at 68.8% and has given up 5 goals. Mika Zibanejad looks good with 5 goals in 4 games and Henrik Lundqvist rebounded in Montreal with a win after getting shelled by the Leafs in the first period. 

Upcoming Week: On the Road against the Blue Jackets (13th) followed by two home games against the Devils (14th) and the Penguins (17th)

25. Winnipeg Jets (1-2-0), -5 Goal Differential 

The Jets had major defensive problems in their first two games; losing to the Maple Leafs 7-2 and the Flames 6-3. They beat the Oilers 5-2 at weeks end but the beginning of the week doesn’t reassure Jets fans on a defensive and goal tending issue for the team. Connor Hellebuyck picked up the victory against the Oilers after Steve Mason conceded 13 goals in two games. Mark Scheifele leads the team offensively with 3 goals and 5 points in 3 games. 

Upcoming Week: Road Game against the Canucks (12th), followed by two home games against the Hurricanes (14th) and the Blue Jackets (17th). 

24. Boston Bruins (1-2-0), -6 Goal Differential 

The Bruins opened the season with a nice 4-3 win against the Cup Finalists but followed it up with two consecutive losses against the Avalanche, giving up 10 goals in those games and only scoring 3 times. Their special teams haven’t looked great and they’ve only generated 28 shots a game (3rd worst in the league). Tuukka Rask has also struggled in this early part of the season with a .870 SV%. Brad Marchand leads the team with 2 goals and 3 points in 3 games. 

Upcoming Week: Two Road games in the Southern United States against the Coyotes (14th) and the Golden Knights (15th).

23. New York Islanders (1-2-1), -3 Goal Differential 

The Islanders have had a disappointing week. Opening with a 5-0 loss against the Blue Jackets, followed by a dominating win against the Sabres 6-3. They finished the week with consecutive losses against the Blues and the Ducks. The Islanders also are tied for the leagues worst powerplay going 0-15 in 4 games. Jaroslav Halak has looked good in net though with a .914 SV% and a 2.45 GAA. 

Upcoming Week: Two games in California against the Sharks (14th) and the Kings (15th). 

22. Nashville Predators (1-2-0), -4 Goal Differential 

The Predators had a rough start to the season with a 4-3 loss against Boston, followed by a 4-0 loss against their new rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins. They finished the week with a great comeback win against Philadelphia winning 6-5 in regulation after being down 5-3 in the third period. New comer Scott Hartnell has 3 goals already and P.K. Subban has 4 assists in 3 games.

Upcoming Week: Home against the Stars (12th), followed by a road game against Chicago (14th) before returning home to face Colorado (17th).

21. Edmonton Oilers (1-2-0), -1 Goal Differential 

The Oilers looked good in their opener with a 3-0 win against Calgary but stumbled in a 3-2 loss against the Canucks and then lost 5-2 against the Winnipeg Jets. The average 40 shots a game against their opponents but have sometimes struggled defensively giving up 32 shots a game. McDavid leads the team with 3 goals after a hat trick in game 1 and Cam Talbot has struggled with a .896 SV% and a 3.42 GAA in 3 games. 

Upcoming Week: Two home games against the Senators (14th) and the Hurricanes (17th)

20. Dallas Stars (1-2-0), -1 Goal Differential 

The Stars are unlucky with a 1-2-0 record after playing 3 strong games of hockey. They dominated the Golden Knights in their opener but lost 2-1 thanks to Marc-Andre Fleury’s performance. They doubled the Blues in shots but lost 4-2 and they finally picked up a win against the Red Wings at weeks end. They have out-shot their opponents on an average of 40 to 25 through 3 games. John Klingberg leads the team with 2 goals and 4 points through 3 games. Ben Bishop has also looked very good in this early season.

Upcoming Week: On the Road against Nashville (12th) before two home games against the Avalanche (14th) and the Coyotes (17th). 

19. Florida Panthers (1-1-0), -1 Goal Differential 

The Panthers Split two games against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Their special teams looked bad through two games going 1-8 on the power-play and giving up 2 goals but overall the Panthers outplayed the Lightning. They lead the NHL with 42 shots per game and KHL signing Evgeni Dadonov leads the team with 1 goal and 3 points in 2 games. 

Upcoming Week: At home against St. Louis (12th) before two road games against the Penguins (14th) and the Flyers (17th). 

18. Ottawa Senators (1-0-2), +0 Goal Differential 

The Senators defensive tactics have been doing well early in the season (Other than the third period against Ovechkin) with 7 goals against and a league best Penalty Kill of 100% but the Senators offense looks rough without Erik Karlsson. 0-16 on the Power-play and only 7 goals in this short season. Craig Anderson has looked good in three games with a 2.15 GAA and a .919 SV%. 

Upcoming Week: Two road games against the Flames (13th) and the Oilers (14th) before a home match-up against Vancouver (17th)

17. Vancouver Canucks (1-0-1), +1 Goal Differential 

The Canucks won 3-2 against the Oilers and lost 3-2 in a shootout against the Senators to open the season. They’ve been out shot badly in both games and haven’t had much success offensively. Bo Horvat has 2 goals in 2 games and their Goaltender Jacob Markstrom has looked fantastic with a .948 SV% and a 1.94 GAA. 

Upcoming Week: They play two home games against the Winnipeg Jets (12th) and the Calgary Flames (14th) before a road game against Ottawa (17th)

16. Tampa Bay Lightning (2-1-0), +2 Goal Differential 

They split their games with Florida and beat the Capitals in Overtime to finish the week with a winning record. Brayden Point has looked unstoppable with 3 goals and 7 points in 3 games, while Nikita Kucherov has 3 goals and 5 points. Andrei Vasilevskiy struggled a lot this week with a .900 SV% and a 3.66 GAA. The Lightning need Vasilevskiy to be on his game for them to win the division. 

Upcoming Week: 2 Home games against Pittsburgh (12th) and St. Louis (14th) followed by 2 road games against Detroit (16th) and New Jersey (17th).

15. Pittsburgh Penguins (2-1-1), -5 Goal Differential 

The 10-1 game against the Blackhawks was brutal and hard to watch for Penguins fans but this team finished the week really strong with a 4-0 win against Nashville followed by a 3-2 win against the Capitals. The Blackhawks game is hard to overlook however but nevertheless Sidney Crosby is having a good start with 1 goal and 6 points and Olli Maatta has 2 goals and 4 points.

Upcoming Week: Road game against the Lightning (12th) followed by a game against Florida (14th) and the Rangers (17th).

14. Philadelphia Flyers (2-2-0), +0 Goal Differential 

The Flyers played 4 road game to start the season and their only defeats were because of Jonathan Quick in a 2-0 loss and a third period collapse against the Predators in a 6-5 game. Their offense looks lethal to start the season with Wayne Simmonds picking up 4 goals in 4 games and Jakub Voracek already having 6 assists. Goaltending continues to be a concern for the Flyers but Elliott and Neuvirth have looked okay in 4 games so far. 

Upcoming Week: Two home games against the Capitals (14th) and the Panthers (17th).

13. Detroit Red Wings (2-1-0), +0 Goal Differential

The Red Wings opened the season with two close game against the Wild and Senators with a 4-2 win and a 2-1 win before losing their first game against the Stars 4-2. The Red Wings penalty kill looks good at 92.9% allowing only 1 goal, while Jimmy Howard looks amazing in net. He is 2-0 with a .961 SV% and a 1.44 GAA. Mike Green leads the team in points with 6 assists, while Anthony Mantha has 2 goals and 4 points. 

Upcoming Week: Two Road games against the Coyotes (12th) and Golden Knights (13th) followed by match-ups with the Lightning (16th) and the Maple Leafs (18th). 

12. Anaheim Ducks (2-1-1), -1 Goal Differential 

The Ducks have looked okay in season’s start with a 5-4 win against the Coyotes and a 3-2 win against the Islanders. losses against the Flyers and Flames hurt but the Ducks are missing Ryan Kesler, Ryan Miller, Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatanen with injuries to start the season. Andrew Cogliano has 2 goals and 5 points in 4 games and John Gibson has a respectable .920 SV%. 

Upcoming Week: Road Game against Colorado (13th) followed by a home game against Buffalo (15th). 

11. Washington Capitals (2-1-1), +3 Goal Differential 

Wow! Alexander Ovechkin has 8 goals in 4 games, including two hat tricks and the Capitals look really good. The First two games were offensive explosions against the Senators and Canadiens but finishing the week with two consecutive losses against the Lightning and the Penguins leaves a mark. The Capitals have given up 37 shots a game and Braden Holtby has needed to stand on his head with a .925 SV% through 4 games. The losses of Nate Schmidt, Karl Alzner, Kevin Shattenkirk and others are beginning to hurt Washington. 

Upcoming Week: Road game against New Jersey (13th), followed by games against the Flyers (13th) and Maple Leafs (17th). 

10. Carolina Hurricanes (1-0-1), -1 Goal Differential 

The Hurricanes have looked good in two games with a shootout win against the Wild and an overtime 2-1 loss against the Blue Jackets. The Hurricanes have taken 40 shots a game and their young stars are causing havoc in the offensive and defensive zone. Scott Darling is playing okay with a .889 SV% and a 2.80 GAA through two games. 

Upcoming Week: Two road games against the Jets (14th) and the Oilers (17th)

9. Columbus Blue Jackets (2-1-0), +2 Goal Differential

Opening the season with a statement 5-0 win over the Islanders, the Jackets then walked into the wall of the Blackhawks before beating the Hurricanes 2-1 in overtime. Sonny Milano leads the team with 4 goals and Sergei Bobrovsky looks amazing with a 2-0 record and a 0.48 GAA with a .985 SV%. The Blue Jackets loss against the Blackhawks was on a back-to-back and back-up goaltender Joonas Korpisalo made the start in net. 

Upcoming Week: They have three games against the Rangers (13th), Wild (14th) and the Jets (17th).

8. Colorado Avalanche (3-1-0), +6 Goals Differential 

The Avalanche have been a pleasant surprise at the start of the season with wins over the Rangers and two over the Bruins. A loss against the Devils in between the Rangers and Bruins match-up hurts but the Avalanche have clicked on all cylinders early. Nail Yakupov leads the team in points with 3 goals and 5 points while Sven Andrighetto also has 3 goals. Semyon Varlamov has looked good with a 3-0 record and a .945 SV%. 

Upcoming Week: Games against the Ducks (13th), Stars (14th) and Predators (17th)

7. Los Angeles Kings (2-0-1), +4 Goals Differential 

They opened the season with a 2-0 shutout of the Flyers and followed it up with a 4-1 win against the Sharks. Two very impressive defensive performances before losing in overtime against the Calgary Flames 4-3 to finish the week. Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar both have 3 goals and 5 points and Jonathan Quick has been great with a .948 SV% and a 1.66 GAA. 

Upcoming Week: Three home games against the Sabres (14th), Islanders (15th) and the Canadiens (18th).

6. Toronto Maple Leafs (3-1-0), +6 Goals Differential

The Maple Leafs looked like the best offensive team in years with 22 goals through 4 games, but their defensive collapses and mistakes have allowed 16 goals already this season. The Leafs are welcoming back 80′s hockey, with little defense, plenty of penalties and a lot of offense. The Leafs have the best power-play in the league at 33.3% and rank second in shots per game with 41. Auston Matthews leads the team with 3 goals and 6 points through 4 games while Frederik Andersen has struggled with a .871 SV%. 

Upcoming Week: Two Road games against the Canadiens (14th) and the Capitals (17th) before a home game against the Red Wings (18th). 

5. Calgary Flames (3-1-0), +3 Goals Differential 

The Flames have quietly put together a good start to the season with three consecutive wins, including a 2-0 shutout win in Anaheim. The Flames Special Teams rank Top 10 in both Penalty Kill and Power-Play. Jaromir Jagr looked good in his Flames start last night and Johnny Gaudreau has 7 points. Mike Smith has looked great in net with a .950 SV% and a 2.00 GAA through 4 games. 

Upcoming Week: Two Games against the Senators (13th) and the Canucks (14th). 

4. Chicago Blackhawks (3-0-1), +14 Goals Differential 

The Blackhawks have looked nearly unstoppable through 4 games, beating the Penguins 10-1, Blue Jackets 5-1 and the Canadiens 3-1. Their only poor performance was a 4-3 overtime loss against the Maple Leafs. Brandon Saad has 5 goals and 7 points in 4 games and Patrick Kane has looked dangerous with 4 assists and 6 points. Corey Crawford is 3-0 with a .971 SV% and a 1.00 GAA. Nobody wants to play the Blackhawks right now. 

Upcoming Week: They play the Wild (12th), Predators (14th) and the Blues (18th). 

3. Vegas Golden Knights (3-0-0), +5 Goals Differential 

This is one of the biggest surprises to start the NHL season. The Expansion Knights are 3-0 and beat the Coyotes twice with a 2-1 overtime victory and a 5-2 win. They also beat the Stars 2-1 in their season opener. They are 3rd in the NHL in Face-off percentage with 57% and their penalty kill has done really well. James Neal is carrying the team with 5 goals and Marc-Andre Fleury is holding down the net with a .963 SV% and a 1.32 GAA. 

Upcoming Week: Games against the Red Wings (13th), Bruins (15th) and Sabres (17th)

2. New Jersey Devils (3-0-0), +10 Goals Differential 

The Devils have looked good to start the season winning their first three games by scores of 4-1, 6-2 and most recent 6-3 against the Maple Leafs. They have the fourth best power-play at 30.8% and their young talent looks really good. Rooke Jesper Bratt has 3 goals and 6 points and Defenseman Will Butcher has 5 assists. Cory Schneider looks great with a .948 SV% and a 2.00 GAA. 1st Overall pick Nico Hischier has 1 assist in 3 games. 

Upcoming Week: Games against the Capitals (13th), Rangers (14th) and Lightning (17th). 

1. St. Louis Blues (4-0-0), +5 Goals Differential 

The Blues have been perfect to start the season winning all 4 games against tough competition. Beating the Penguins, Stars, Rangers and Islanders despite missing Patrik Berglund, Alex Steen, Jay Bouwmeester and Robby Fabbri to injury. Jaden Schwartz has 2 goals and 7 points while Alex Pietrangelo has 6 points and is playing 27 minutes a game. Both Jake Allen and Carter Hutton have done well in net for the Blues and Vladimir Tarasenko leads the team in goals with 3. 

Upcoming Week: Two Road Games against the Panthers (12th) and Lightning (14th) before a home game against the Blackhawks (18th). 

[uncleleo16]

The Forgotten Enforcers in Toronto

The Maple Leafs are opening the 2017-18 season tonight against the Winnipeg Jets and many fans are optimistic about this team. Prospects Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitch Marner have fans forgetting about the last decade of painful hockey. While it’s nice to enjoy the present Maple Leafs and their success, some respect and appreciation is due for the Enforcers of the past 15 years. The Maple Leafs were awful for most of these seasons but these 10 players would step up every night and drop the gloves, sacrifice the body and do whatever it takes to win meaningless fights and games. The spirit these Warriors had is true Maple Leaf hockey. While this list is forgetting many names, this is simply a tribute to every leafs player that worked every night during those awful years. As fans, we owe them a lot of our respect for believing in a team, even when the fans didn’t. 

10. Chris McAllister: 1998-2000

The Defenseman was an underrated enforcer and wasn’t afraid to drop the gloves occasionally. In 56 Games with the Maple Leafs through two seasons he had 5 assists, 107 penalty minutes and 7 fights. The 6′7″ 250 pound defenseman played 301 total NHL games in his career with 634 penalty minutes. 

9. Mark Fraser: 2012-2013

The 6′3″ Defenseman was a solid presence on the Maple Leafs for the short 64 games stint in Toronto. He had 9 assists, 118 penalty minutes and 15 fights during his time. Some great fights during his time in Toronto inlcude the Dalton Prout fight, the B.J. Crombeen fight and the Adam McQuaid fight. Fraser was a great fighter because of his reach and the ability to use a jab in fighting as well as body shots. 

8. Nathan Perrott: 2003-2005

Nathan played only played 43 games with the Leafs but had 118 penalty minutes and 16 fights. The Right Winger was a career minor league player and only played a total of 89 NHL games. He was an aggresive fighter than went for knockout punches and his fight against Andrew Peters is a great example of how this warrior fought. Perrott actually tried out professional boxing after hockey and has a 1-2 record, with his only win coming by way of knockout. 

7. Jay Rosehill: 2009-2012

The Defenseman Rosehill was a fierce competitor for the Maple Leafs and was often brought on to add some energy. In 72 games with Toronto he had 2 goals, 5 points, 198 penalty minutes and 18 fights. Jay Rosehill went after guys and understood his role on the team. Fights against Brayden McNabb, Shawn Thornton and Brandon Prust showed his strengths but Rosehill probably lost more fights than he won. He is still however widely respected by the fighting community and Leafs fans. 

6. Mike Brown: 2010-2013

Brown was only 5′11″ and 205 pounds but wasn’t afraid to challenge the fighting giants in the NHL. He played 112 games in Toronto over three season with 5 goals, 13 points, 213 penalty minutes and 25 fights. His fights against against Zac Rinaldo, Aaron Asham and Tom Kostopoulos showcased his one punch power. He also rocked a sweet mustache during his time in Toronto and wasn’t a liability when he wasn’t fighting. 

5. Kris King: 1997-2000

The Left Wing entered Toronto at the tail end of his career but the Enforcer still produced plenty of exciting moments. In 188 games, King had 7 goals, 14 points, 359 penalty minutes and 37 fights. Kris King took down the legend Bob Probert after wrestling him to the ground and finished Barry Potomski fairly quick. King didn’t have the punching power of other fighters but he knew how to wrestle them to the ground quickly and then unloaded punches.

4. Frazer McLaren: 2012-2014

McLaren was a true heavyweight for the Maple Leafs at 6′5″ 250 pounds. In 62 games with the club he had 5 points, 179 penalty minutes and 21 fights. He had battles with Scott Thornton, Matt Carkner, Jordan Nolan and John Scott. He also knockout David Dziurzynski with a clean right hand in a very scary situation. McLaren was a scary fighter during his prime. 

3. Colton Orr: 2009-2015

Orr was a fan favorite for many seasons in Toronto and was willing to drop the gloves with virtually anyone. In 232 games with Toronto he had 8 goals, 637 penalty minutes and 56 fights. He fought Shawn Thornton in 3 battles during his time in Toronto, he beat Chris Thorburn in consecutive fights, connected against John Scott, killed Aaron Asham and scared away Milan Lucic mid fight. Orr is a Leaf legend and really deserves a medal for standing up for his teammates the way he did during some bad times in Toronto. 

2. Wade Belak: 2000-2008

Wade Belak was one of the greatest fighters in Maple Leafs history and one of the best characters in hockey. He struggled with depression for many years however and in 2011 he committed suicide at his home in Nashville. Belak’s story helps shed some light to the problem of depression in today’s society and how harmful it can be. Wade had a strong personality and it was an unsuspected tragedy which is a friendly reminder to everyone about the truth behind depression. People can hide depression, so it is important to stop looking for signs and start speaking into people’s life with a joy that may be absent from their life. Rest Easy Wade Belak, Leafs nation will never forget you. 

1. Tie Domi: 1994-2006

Domi played 777 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs and had 84 goals, 196 points, 2265 penalty minutes and 195 fights. He had some battles against some of the leagues best fighters. Rob Ray, Bob Probert, Bryan Marchment, Donald Brashear, Darren Langdon and more. Here is one of the classics against Rob Ray. I miss the old days with the Tie Domi fights and real Enforcers. 

[uncleleo16]

Ten Oddly Specific Predictions for the 2017-18 Season

The 2017-18 NHL Season is set to begin on Wednesday October 4th, where 8 teams will square off to begin the 101st season as the NHL. This will also be the first season of the Vegas Golden Knights; who are the first expansion team since the 2005 NHL lockout and first expansion team since the Blue Jackets and Wild joined the league in 2000. The league is also seeing a growth in high profile European skaters join the NHL this season with Evgenii Dadonov (Panthers), Vadim Shipachyov (Golden Knights), Andreas Borgman (Maple Leafs) and others. The League will also witness the 45 year old Jaromir Jagr make his debut for a Canadian Hockey Team as he signed with the Calgary Flames to a 1 year deal. Predictions of this season seem to follow a similar trend however. The general public has the Penguins going for a three-peat, Oilers making a deep run, Clayton Keller winning the Calder Trophy and the Tampa Bay Lightning dominating their division. The Hockey experts are all taking the same picks with a broad brush but I intend to offer 10 specific predictions about various things throughout the league. 

10. Jaromir Jagr scores 20 goals and leads Flames to another playoff appearance. 

 The Calgary Flames sneaked into the postseason last year as a wildcard and struggled heavily in the first round against the Anaheim Ducks. They were outscored 14-9 and eliminated in 4 straight games. Goaltending was a major concern and the team unloaded both Brian Elliott (Signed with Philadelphia) and Chad Johnson (Traded to Arizona, then signed with Buffalo as FA). This off season they traded for 35 year old goaltender Mike Smith from Arizona and Eddie Lack from the Carolina Hurricanes. The Flames also added Defenseman Travis Hamonic to provide better stability on the backend and of course veteran forward Jaromir Jagr to increase a fairly sub-par winger presence. The Flames additions and growth of their young talent should lead them to consecutive postseason appearances. Jagr played 82 games last season and scored 16 goals with the Panthers. Reaching 20 goals is very reasonable and with his tremendous conditioning, he should be able to stay healthy most of the season. 

9. Scott Darling struggles with a Save Percentage of .910 at the end of the season but the Hurricanes sneak into the playoffs.

I’m a big fan of Scott Darling and believe the Hurricanes are on the verge of really exploding in this league but the hype surrounding him may too soon. He has spent the past three seasons as a Back-up goalie in Chicago and has accumulated a Goals Against Average of 2.38 and a .923 SV%. However the Blackhawks are a position team that is strong defensively and he is only tasked with 30 games a season. Jumping from 30 games to 55 or 60 is huge and Darling may be shell shocked for a few months during the season. Carolina’s starter and now back-up Cam Ward played 61 games last season with a 2.69 GAA and a .905 SV%. I believe Darling is better than Cam Ward but playing for a young club is challenging (Just ask any Leafs or Oilers Goaltender over the past 5 seasons). Regardless, Carolina will make the playoffs as a wildcard behind an underrated defensive group and some great young offensive stars like Sebastian Aho, Elias Lindholm and Teuvo Teravainen. 

8. Vadim Shipachyov leads the Golden Knights in scoring with a 60 point season. 

The Las Vegas Golden Knights will most likely miss the post season but Shipachyov might be one of the few bright spots on the expansion team. The 30 year old Russian Center has never played hockey in North America but has absolutely killed it in the KHL over the past few seasons. Last season with SKA St. Petersburg he had 26 Goals and 76 Points in 50 Games and 19 points in 17 playoff games. He is a prolific passer with great vision and skating ability. Last season Alexander Radulov joined the Canadiens from the KHL where he had 65 points in 53 games for CSKA Moscow. In the NHL he was Montreal's best two way forward with 18 goals and 54 points in 76 games. The Knights are hoping for similar results from Shipachyov. 

7. Nail Yakupov has a career year with the Colorado Avalanche scoring 20 goals and 50 points. 

I’m reaching a lot on this prediction, Nail Yakupov hasn’t shown much promise over the past few seasons but if the Avalanche give the forward a chance he might excel. The former 1st overall pick needs a career year to save his NHL career and Colorado was the best choice to sign. The Avalanche aren’t loaded with talent and can afford to give a 2nd line spot for a player trying to get his game back. Last season with St. Louis, he had 9 points in 40 games on the 4th line but during his rookie season in Edmonton he had 17 goals and 31 points in 48 games. His rookie season was only 5 seasons ago and Yakupov is only 23 years old. 

6. Contract Dispute with Andreas Athanasiou ends in disaster for the Red Wings and Athanasiou signs in the KHL. 

The Detroit Red Wings are a Cap mess and are now faced with a difficult task of re-signing Andreas Athanasiou (who doesn’t currently have a contract). The Wings still have Zetterberg locked in for 4 seasons at 6 million, Frans Nielsen locked for 5 years at 5 million, Johan Franzen for 4 years at 4 million, Jimmy Howard for 2 years at 5 million and countless other bad deals. Andreas Athanasiou finished second on the team with 18 goals in 64 games and is looking for roughly 2 million dollars a season on his new deal. The 23 year old is one of the fastest players in the NHL and has tremendous hands and can play the penalty kill. The Wings need to offer him a contract and then give him more minutes on the ice but unfortunately it sounds like a mess between the two parties. KHL makes the most sense for this season and then Athanasiou can explore his options next year in the NHL. 

5. Brock Boeser wins the Calder Trophy 

Brock Boeser is a 20 year old rookie for the Vancouver Canucks and is coming off his sophomore year at the University of North Dakota. Clayton Keller for Arizona is a heavy favorite over Boeser but the opportunity in Vancouver could be greater for Boeser. The Sedins are aging and the team needs a line to step up offensively. That line could possibly be the Boeser, Horvat, Baertschi/Eriksson second line. Both Horvat and Boeser are early in their career and Boeser is naturally scorer. In 9 games with the Canucks last season he had 4 goals and 5 points. 

4. The Capitals finish in a Wildcard Spot this season 

The Washington Capitals have been at the top of their division for a couple of seasons and won the presidents trophy last season. They lost in a close 7 games series against the eventually Cup winners in the second round. This off season was awful for Washington however, meanwhile the rest of the division got better. The Capitals lost Forwards Marcus Johansson (24 Goals, 58 Points), Justin Williams (24 Goals, 48 Points) and gained Alex Chiasson (12 Goals, 24 Points) and Devante Smith Pelly (4 Goals, 9 Points). They also lost Defenseman Nate Schmidt (Vegas Golden Knights), Kevin Shattenkirk (New York Rangers) and Karl Alzner (Montreal) without addressing any substitutes for them. They also gave 30 year old T.J. Oshie a 8 year deal at 6 million dollars after his first 30 goal season and didn’t draft until round 4 of the NHL entry draft. This season could be unusual for Capitals fans. 

3. The Leafs trade away James Van Riemsdyk before seasons end. 

The Toronto Maple Leafs have an excess of forwards and struggled during Training Camp with some of the decisions regarding cuts. Last year regular Nikita Soshnikov and playoff Overtime hero Kasperi Kapanen were both sent down to the Marlies because of the lack of room in the NHL squad. Van Riemsdyk is 28 years old and is entering Free Agency following this season. The offense focused Winger had 29 goals and 62 points last season for the Maple Leafs but was heavily criticized for his defensive efforts. The Leafs might not sign him or Tyler Bozak this off season and it makes sense for General Manager Lou Lamoriello to get some return from the American forwards. Expect Lamoriello going after a defenseman or prospect in a potential trade regarding Van Riemsdyk or Bozak. 

2.  Nikita Kucherov breaks 100 points and wins the Art Ross Trophy 

Last season Connor McDavid won the Art Ross Trophy with 30 Goals and 100 Points in 82 games but then only had 5 Goals and 9 points in 13 Playoff Games. Nikita Kucherov had 40 Goals and 85 points in 74 Games last season for the Lightning and tried to carry the team on his back to the postseason without Steven Stamkos in the line-up. The Return of Stamkos and Tyler Johnson will help Kucherov create space offensively. 

1. The Minnesota Wild win the Stanley Cup 

This is a bold prediction for a team that has struggled in the postseason the past 5 seasons but the Wild are a solid team with great potential to go far. Head coach Bruce Boudreau is in his second year with the club, Captain Mikko Koivu is finishing up the prime of his career at age 34, Matt Dumba and Jonas Brodin are developed into true studs defensively and Devan Dubnyk is a top 5 goalie in the NHL. The team has offensive abilities with Nino Niederreiter, Eric Staal, Charlie Coyle and Mikael Granlund but the best attribute with the Wild is their defense. They are lead by physical two-way forwards and solid defenseman. The Ottawa Senators nearly made the Cup Final with a team that was aimed defensively. This is the year the Wild transition their regular season success to the postseason. 

[uncleleo16]

The Leafs Training Camp Outlook

The Toronto Maple Leafs begin Training Camp for the upcoming 2017-18 season this weekend and return to action on Monday at 7:30 pm when they play their first pre-season game against the Ottawa Senators. The Leafs starting Training Camp begins with 41 Forwards, 26 Defenseman and 6 Goaltenders as they attempt to place together a 23 man roster. While most of the NHL team is set in stone, their are still some spots that will be heavily battled in the pre-season. The most noticeable is the 4th line and the 3rd pairing defenseman. I arranged the Leafs players into 3 sections to make it easier for Fans during the pre-season. Section 1: 100% NHL. This section is definently going to be on the 23 man roster. Section 2: 95% AHL/Minor. This section is a list of players who are almost certainly not ready for the NHL. It’s not 100% because you never know what will happen during Training Camp. Section 3: 50/50 Club. This is the club that is likely fighting the hardest for the NHL. They likely have NHL experience and could probably make other teams rosters but the Leafs have a solid group in this section that will be fighting for the final three spots. 

Section 1: 100% NHL 

1. Center - Tyler Bozak: The assistant captain of the Maple Leafs and coming off a 55 point season where he really developed into a solid two-way forward. The 31 year old forward is entering his 9th year in the NHL and the final year of his contract at 4,200,000 per season. 

2. Right Wing - Connor Brown: The 23 year old forward is entering his sophomore season and he is already considered a critical part of the Leafs team. A 20 goal and 36 point regular season was overshadowed by Matthews, Nylander and Marner but Brown is a hardworking third line forward with good upside. 

3. Left Wing - Zach Hyman: The 25 year old forward was a rookie powerhouse last year with a tremendous work ethic and great forechecking. He signed a 4 year contract over the offseason with the Leafs and is expected to be an important part of the Leafs team. 

4. Center - Nazem Kadri: The former 1st round pick has finally found a position where he can succeed in Toronto. Playing as a defensive checking forward along side of Leo Komarov last season, Kadri had his best statistical season with 32 goals and 61 points. Expect a decrease in points this season but the 26 year old is defiantly coming into his own player. 

5. Right Wing - Leo Komarov: The fan favorite is considered on of the best defensive forwards in the NHL. Constantly finishing top 20 in hits and plays a crucial role on the penalty kill. Komarov also added 14 goals and 32 points in 82 games last season. 

6. Left Wing - Patrick Marleau: The Free Agent addition, Marleau is a 38 year old forward with tremendous leadership abilities he brings to the young team. The three year deal at 6,250,000 average per season makes him overpaid but Marleau did have 27 goals and 46 points last season in all 82 games and he has played in 177 career playoff games. 

7. Right Wing - Mitch Marner: The 20 year old surprised many by going straight from the OHL to the NHL last season and then scoring 19 goals and 61 points in his rookie season. Marner is a dynamic offensive force with tremendous hands and great skating. 

8. Center - Auston Matthews: The 40 goal Rookie season and Calder Trophy speaks for itself but Matthews is a tremendous talent that looks to get better during his sophomore season. He will be the first line center this upcoming season and the sky is the limit for the young forward.

9. Right Wing - William Nylander: His first full season was great when all was said and done as Nylander had 22 goals and 61 points. He was criticized for his effort defensively and spent some time on the 4th line but expect Nylander to be up in the top two lines this year. 

10. Left Wing - James Van Riemsdyk: This is the most interesting player on the Maple Leafs roster. Trade talks involving Van Riemsdyk have been around for the past three seasons but the 6′3″ tall forward is still very productive with 29 goals and 62 points last season. The problem is where the leafs will slot the 28 year old forward with all this exciting new talent. He likely ends up playing alongside Bozak and Marner next season. 

11. Defenseman - Jake Gardiner: Leafs fans either love or hate the offensive defenseman but Gardiner was one of the best Defenders last season with 9 goals and 43 points in 82 games. Leafs management will suffer through a bad play every few games from Gardiner in exchange for his 43 points and otherwise great plays in his own end. 

12. Defenseman - Ron Hainsey: The Veteran Defensive Defenseman is coming off a Stanley Cup victory with the Pittsburgh Penguins where he contributed 2 goals and 8 points in 25 playoff games. Hainsey is considered the replacement to Matt Hunwick and will likely fit in the top 4 pairing to start the season. 

13. Defenseman - Morgan Rielly: The 23 year old defenseman is supposed to be the Leafs number 1 guy but Morgan Rielly had a just okay season with 27 points in 76 games. He needs to work on his defensive game and although Leafs Management demands a lot from the 2012 5th overall pick, Rielly is locked up for the next 5 seasons at 5,000,000 per season. Leafs have to believe he will develop into that number 1 option. 

14. Defenseman - Nikita Zaitsev: The Sophomore Defenseman locked up a long term deal with the Maple Leafs this offseason at 4,500,000 per season and looks to improve even more this season. He played in all 82 games last season with 4 goals and 36 points and although he struggled in the playoffs, Zaitsev is clearly in Toronto for the long haul.

15. Goaltender - Frederik Andersen: Yes, James Reimer was solid for the 2013 season but Andersen showcased one of the best Goaltending performances by a Leafs goalie in a long time. Playing 66 regular season games with a .918 SV% and leading the Leafs to the playoffs. Andersen had a strong postseason with a .915 SV% in 6 games against the Washington Capitals. Andersen is 27 years old and signed for the next 4 seasons. 

Section 2: 95% AHL/Minor: 

This section would be too large if I listed every single player that will likely play in the AHL or return to Juniors or Europe. But there are 10 players from this group that you should keep an eye on during the pre-season as the are potential game changers and future NHLers. 

10 Players to Watch: 

10. Center - Chris Mueller: The 31 year old forward was signed this offseason by the Maple Leafs and is a fantastic AHL scorer. He had 67 Points in 68 games last season with the Coyotes AHL affiliate, Tucson Roadrunners. He has only played 53 total NHL games and has 3 goals and 10 points but he is a top AHL scorer with 170 goals and 410 points in 578 games. 

9. Right Wing - J.J. Piccinich: The 21 year old was drafted in 2014 by the Maple Leafs in the 4th round and is coming off a solid season with the London Knights of the OHL. In 66 games he had 26 goals and 72 points. He is expected to make his professional hockey debut with the Marlies this season. 

8. Defenseman - Keaton Middleton: The 19 year old and captain of the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL is a tall 6′5″ defenseman that was drafted in the 4th round of the 2016 draft. In 64 games last year he had 4 goals and 18 points. He could either return to the OHL or possibly join the Marlies if he impresses in the pre-season. 

7. Defenseman - Eemeli Rasanen: The 2017 second round draft pick, Rasanen is a 6′7″ defenseman that plays for the Kingston Frontenacs of the OHL. In 66 games last year he had 6 goals and 39 points with 41 penalty minutes. He will likely return to the OHL to develop his game further but his 6′7″ frame and raw talent is exciting. 

6. Goaltender - Kasimir Kaskisuo: The Undrafted goaltender moved from the ECHL to the AHL during last season and was very good during his short time with the Marlies. In 7 games he had a GAA of 1.84 and a Save Percentage of .934. He is 23 years old and will likely play the full season with the Marlies in the AHL. 

5. Left Wing - Andreas Johnsson: The development of this prospect has been amazing to see. The 2013 7th round pick, Johnsson had 44 points in 52 games with Frolunda SC of the Swedish Hockey League in 2015-16. He made his North America debut last season with the Marlies where he impressed. The Swedish Forward had 20 goals and 47 points in 75 games and 6 goals in 11 playoff games. He is a scoring machine and at only 22 years old, he could really develop into an NHL caliber player. 

4. Right Wing - Jeremy Bracco: The small 5′9″ forward is likely heading into his first season with the Marlies. Last season in the OHL he had 25 goals and 83 points in 57 games split between the Rangers and Spitfires. He was also a key member of the USA World Juniors team with 3 goals and 5 points in 7 games. Bracco is a fast, dynamic player with tremendous upside and only 20 years old. 

3. Left Wing - Carl Grundstrom: The 2016 2nd round pick is receiving a lot of attention from Leafs fans and media after a very promising 2016-17 campaign. He had 20 points in 45 games with Frolunda SC of the SHL and joined the Marlies for the postseason where he had 3 goals and 4 points in 6 games. He was terrific in the World Juniors for Sweden with 3 goals and 7 points in 7 games. The 19 year old will either end up with Frolunda SC this season or with the Marlies.  

2. Center - Adam Brooks: This is one of the most underrated prospects on the Leafs. Brooks is 21 years old and coming off a fantastic season with the Regina Pats of the WHL. In 66 games he had 43 goals and 130 points with 18 points in 17 playoff games. Brooks will likely play with the Marlies this season but could make the jump to the NHL if he continues to improve. 

1. Defenseman - Timothy Liljegren: The 2017 1st Round Pick is in this group because I don’t believe he will make the NHL roster this upcoming season but he is still fantastic. The 18 year old struggled last season with injury and dropped down the draft board. He will likely play for Rogle BK of the Swedish Hockey League and with Team Sweden in the World Juniors this season but look for him during pre-season. 

Section 3: 50/50 Club

In my estimation there are 21 players with a realistic shot of grabbing the final 8 roster spots. In my estimation the 50/50 club will include 10 forwards battling for roughly 4 spots, 9 defenseman battling for 3 spots and 2 goaltenders battling for the Back-up goalie position. Without further ado, these are the 21 players battling for a NHL roster spot this pre-season. 

1. Left Wing - Miro Aaltonen: The 24 year old is one of the biggest mysteries heading into camp because he hasn’t played in North America. Last season with Vityaz Podolsk of the KHL he had 19 goals and 44 points in 55 games and in prior seasons was a big point producer in Liiga with 44 goals and 101 points in 175 games. Aaltonen will likely play with the Marlies this season but he could possibly make the Maple Leafs. 

2. Center - Eric Fehr: The 32 year old Center is one of the hardest working Centers in the NHL and after being acquired last season by the Maple Leafs at the Deadline, he injured himself after only 1 game. A penalty kill and checking forward, Fehr makes a strong argument for his inclussion in the roster. He has played 10 straight seasons in the NHL in the Washington and Pittsburgh system. He knows how to play in the playoffs and he was really good in the one game he did play with Toronto. 

3. Center - Frederick Gauthier: Freddy Gauthier is a good two-way forward but he hasn’t established a position in the NHL yet. The 22 year old has been with the Leafs organization since 2013 and has split the last two seasons between the Marlies and Leafs. In 21 NHL games last year he had 2 goal and 3 points with 23 penalty minutes. He will be fighting with Fehr and Dominic Moore for the final Center spot on the roster. 

4. Right Wing - Kasperi Kapanen: This guy deserves a spot on the Leafs roster. The 21 year old dominated the AHL last year with 43 points in 43 games and he was called up to play every NHL postseason game, with 2 goals in 6 games on the 4th line. Kapanen scored the overtime winner in Game 2 of the series and although he only had 1 goal in 8 regular season games, Kapanen is terrific defensively and has developed into a nice penalty killer. 

5. Right Wing - Josh Leivo: This guy cannot catch a break, In 13 NHL games last year he had 2 goals and 10 points but was largely a healthy scratch despite producing almost every time he was on the ice. The 24 year old is too good for the AHL and needs an chance with the Leafs or some other NHL team. Leivo will fight till the end to make this team. 

6. Left Wing - Matt Martin: One of Mike Babcock's favourite players, Matt Martin is the team enforcer and physical presence on the 4th line. He played all 82 games with the Leafs last season with 5 goals, 9 points and 123 penalty minutes. It was his worst offensive season of his NHL career but Martin was a proven leader and strong forward on a skill based team.

7. Center - Dominic Moore: The 37 year old is making his return to Toronto after spending the past 8 seasons with different organizations. Last season he had 11 goals and 25 points in 82 games with the Boston Bruins and was a great face-off guy. During the 2008-09 season when he was in Toronto he had 12 goals and 41 points in 63 games. The Veteran will challenge for the 4th line Center roll on the Maple Leafs this season. 

8. Left Wing - Kerby Rychel: The 22 year old is a power forward with strong upside and a decent offensive game. The 2013 1st round pick spent last season with the Marlies where he had 19 goals and 52 points in 73 games with 118 penalty minutes. Rychel has struggled to make his NHL impact in Toronto yet but he is considered a top prospect still and this pre-season should be big for him. 

9. Right Wing - Ben Smith: The 29 year old played 36 games with the Maple Leafs last season adding 2 goals and 4 points with 4 penalty minutes. Smith isn’t the most physical forward and struggles offensively but his speed and face-off strengths do make him a valuable asset. Out of this forward group though, he will likely be sent down to the Marlies. 

10. Left Wing - Nikita Soshnikov: The 23 year old Russian forward is one of the most electrifying players on the roster. Comfortable playing fourth line minutes, Soshnikov had 5 goals and 9 points in 56 games last season. He has a lot of raw skill and can be compared to Leo Komarov’s style of play. It will be really hard not to include Soshnikov in the 4th line next season. 

11. Defenseman - Andreas Borgman: The 22 year old Swedish defenseman is a dark horse to make the team this season because of how successful he was last season in Sweden. He had 15 Points in 45 games with a +23 rating for HV71 and had 2 goals and 10 points in 14 playoff games. He won rookie of the year for the SHL and the team won the Championship. Other players to win Rookie of the year in Sweden include: Michael Nylander (1991-92), Henrik Zetterberg (2000-01), Tobias Enstrom (2002-03), Loui Eriksson (2003-04), Nicklas Backstrom (2005-06), Patric Hornqvist (2006-07), Victor Hedman (2008-09) and Mattias Ekholm (2010-11). 

12. Defenseman - Connor Carrick: The 23 year old Defenseman will likely return to the Maple Leafs after a season with 2 goals, 8 points and 51 penalty minutes in 67 games. The arrival of other defenseman and the competition for the seven slots make it a challenging Training Camp for Carrick. He was fairly solid all season for the Maple Leafs as a bottom pair defenseman last season though. 

13. Defenseman - Travis Dermott: The 20 year old Defenseman seems ready to prove that he can play in the NHL after a great AHL campaign last season. In 59 games he had 24 points and 60 penalty minutes with 5 points in 11 playoff games. Dermott was the Leafs 2015 2nd round pick and makes really smart decisions with the puck. 

14. Defenseman - Justin Holl: The window for Justin Holl slowly begins to close after every season as the 25 year old finished his third consecutive season in the AHL. The Blackhawks 2nd round pick in 2010, Holl has yet to make his NHL debut and is coming off a season with the Marlies where he had 8 goals and 19 points in 72 games and 7 points in 11 playoff games. A good puck moving defenseman, Holl should get a good look during pre-season this year. 

15. Defenseman - Martin Marincin: I’m not a big fan of Martin Marincin but the 25 year old had a solid playoffs and stepped up once Roman Polak went down with an injury. Last season he played 25 games with the Maple Leafs and had 7 points with 16 penalty minutes. He played 6 playoff games and was a +2 in the post season. Marincin is a former 2nd round pick of the Edmonton Oilers. 

16. Defenseman - Andrew Nielsen: The 2015 3rd round pick is coming off a solid season with the Marlies. He had 14 goals and 39 points in 74 games with the club and he added 82 penalty minutes. He is a very physical defenseman that has developed a nice offensive game. His skating could improve but Nielsen is an amazing raw talent and a great shot. 

17. Defenseman - Roman Polak (PTO): The only Professional Try-Out of the pre-season goes to former Maple Leaf and Warrior, Roman Polak. The 31 year old plays with heart and is willing to sacrifice the body. Polak played 75 games last year with the Leafs, adding 4 goals, 11 points and 65 penalty minutes. He unfortunately had a really bad leg injury in the playoffs and has made his way back to recovery for the pre-season. Polak’s speed this pre-season will be the biggest thing to watch, he struggles at times to keep up with the play but he is solid in his own end. 

18. Defenseman - Calle Rosen: The 23 year old is another undrafted European player signed by the Maple Leafs. He played last season with the Vaxjo Lakers of the SHL and had 6 goals and 19 points in 41 games. He is a solid two-way player with excellent skating skills. Rosen will likely play for the Marlies this season. 

19. Defenseman - Rinat Valiyev: The 22 year old Leafs prospect has spent the past two seasons in the AHL and is coming off another solid season. He had 13 points and 79 penalty minutes in 47 games. Valiyev is 6′2″ and isn’t afraid of physical play. He will have difficulty making the roster this season but he is making process every season. 

20. Goaltender - Curtis McElhinney: Acquired off waivers from the Blue Jackets mid way through the 2016-17 campaign and was a terrific back-up to Andersen. He played in 14 games with a 2.85 GAA and a .914 SV%. The 34 year old is a NHL journey man with 6 teams under his belt and he has provided solid relief goaltending for many years. The Save against Pittsburgh at the end of the season also makes McElhinney a fan favourite. 

21. Goaltender - Garret Sparks: The 24 year old goaltender is coming off his best AHL season of his career despite some off ice issues. In 31 games he had a 2.16 GAA and a .922 SV%. Sparks has the talent to challenge McElhinney for the back-up position this season but will the experience of McElhinney be too much to overcome. 

Early 2017-18 Maple Leafs Starting Line-up Prediction: 

LW                                         C                                     RW

Patrick Marleau              Auston Matthews     William Nylander

James Van Riemsdyk     Tyler Bozak               Mitch Marner

Leo Komarov                   Nazem Kadri            Connor Brown

Zach Hyman                    Dominic Moore         Matt Martin

D                                            D                                       GK

Morgan Rielly                 Nikita Zaitsev            Frederik Andersen

Ron Hainsey                   Jake Gardiner           Curtis McElhinney

Connor Carrick              Travis Dermott

Health Scratches: Nikita Soshnikov (RW), Eric Fehr (C), Martin Marincin (D)

The Leafs Play the Senators on Monday at 7:30 on Leafs TV to open their pre-season schedule. They play 8 pre-season games and close on September 30th against Detroit.  

[uncleleo16]

Mikhail Grabovski Tribute

Mikhail Grabovski was recently acquired by the Las Vegas Golden Knights in the expansion draft. The Islanders traded a first and a second round draft pick to the Golden Knights in exchange for the Final year of Grabovski’s five million dollar cap hit to be absorbed by Vegas. Grabovski missed all of the 2016-17 season with a lingering concussion and other injuries. In the prior two seasons with the Islanders he only managed to play 109 games of a possible 164. Grabovski will likely not play for the Golden Knights or even the NHL again but their is still hope that the Belarus forward makes a return. He has 125 goals and 296 points in 534 games but will be most remembered for his tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2008 until 2013. In his first season in Toronto and his first full NHL season, Grabovski had 20 Goals and 48 points in 78 games. The Maple Leafs Finished 12th in the Eastern Conference. The Following season he scores 10 goals and 35 points in a season where he only played 59 games due to injury. The Leafs Finished 15th in the Eastern Conference. Grabovski’s third season he was the best two-way forward on an improved leafs team and finished with 29 goals and 58 points in 81 games. The leafs miss the postseason finishing 10th in the Conference. Grabovski continues to be one of the only capable two-way forwards on the Maple Leafs as he adds 23 goals and 51 points in 74 games. The Leafs finish 13th in the Conference. The following season begins with a lockout, Grabovski goes to the KHL and has 12 goals and 24 points in 29 games with CSKA Moscow on their top line. He returns to the Maple Leafs after the lockout is resolved and under new head coach Randy Carlyle. Randy Carlyle doesn’t like Grabovski and his fearless style of play and demotes him to 3rd and 4th line minutes. Grabovski gets 9 goals and 16 points in 48 games and the Leafs sneak into the playoffs. Grabovski is listed on the third line throughout the playoffs and has 2 points in 7 games as the Leafs get eliminated. General Manager Dave Nonis sees the bad relationship between Grabovski and Carlyle and elects to Buyout Grabovski’s contract and placed the forward on waivers. The Leafs are terrible the following season finishing 12th in the East and Grabovski signs a 1 year deal with the Capitals where he has 13 goals and 35 points in 58 games. The Following season the Leafs finish 15th in the East and Toronto fires head coach Randy Carlyle and General Manager Dave Nonis is replaced as well with current General Manager Lou Lamoriello. Grabovski three years with the Islanders is characterized by injuries and the 33 year old forward now faces a new chapter in Las Vegas. Grabovski was one of Toronto’s best players on some truly awful teams and the moment the Maple Leafs make the playoffs, the Leafs disrespect the forward by buying him out and siding with Randy Carlyle. Grabovski was interviewed following the buyout and you can tell that he really wanted to stay in Toronto and loved the franchise. Plus I completely agree with his anger against Randy Carlyle. 

Regardless of the way the prior Leafs organization treated Grabovski, true Maple Leafs fans will remember his contribution to the franchise. He played with heart and passion every night, was willing to work defensively and contribute offensively. He was fearless when he was matched up against taller and stronger competition and that is part of the reason for his injury history but also a reason why fans should love Grabovski. If he never plays another NHL game, I want fans to remember him for his years with the Maple Leafs and his talent level that was extremely underrated by casual fans. Here are my top 3 Mikhail Grabovski plays. 

3. October 22nd 2011- Overtime Winner against Montreal on the road

2. January 6th 2011- Shootout Goal against St. Louis 

1. February 15th 2011- Game Winning Goal against Boston after Getting injured earlier in game by Zdeno Chara

[uncleleo16]

A History of Recent NHL Expansion

The Las Vegas Golden Knights will be the 31st NHL team and are the 10th team since 1991 to be added to the NHL. The Previous nine teams were the San Jose Sharks (1991), Ottawa Senators (1992), Tampa Bay Lightning (1992), Florida Panthers (1993), Anaheim Ducks (1993), Nashville Predators (1998), Atlanta Thrashers (1999), Minnesota Wild (2000) and the Columbus Blue Jackets (2000). This list does not include the Winnipeg Jets, Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche, Arizona Coyotes and the Carolina Hurricanes who all formed from relocation of already existing teams. The first season seems to be always tough on the expansion teams but some of these expansion teams have enjoyed great success in the NHL since their arrival. I’ll be looking at their first year in the league and how far they have come since then. 

San Jose Sharks (1991-present)

First Season (1991-92): 17-58-5, the Sharks were the worst team in the league with only 39 points and 58 losses. They only managed 219 goals while allowing 359 goals. Their Coach George Kingston coached for two seasons and he has a NHL coaching record of 28-129-7. The Sharks first captain, Doug Wilson was a veteran presence who had spent the previous 14 teams with the Chicago Blackhawks.The Sharks were hoping first overall pick Pat Falloon would add some offensive spark to the team, the rookie had 25 goals and 59 points in 79 games to lead the team in scoring by a significant margin. The Sharks biggest defeats included a 9-0 loss against the Devils on October 26th and a 11-1 loss against Detroit on February 15. The Sharks also started the season going 1-15-0 and ended up using 5 different goalies throughout the season. Overall, the debut in San Jose was fairly bad. 

Since 1992: The Sharks since 1992 have had 19 playoff appearances, 6 divisional champions, 4 50 win seasons and one Stanley Cup Finals appearance. Patrick Marleau is the teams all time leader in points and goals with 508 goals and 1082 points in 1493 games. In 2005-06 season the Sharks witnessed Joe Thornton winning the Art Ross and the Hart Memorial trophy while Jonathan Cheechoo won the Maurice Richard Award for league leader in Goals. In 2001 goaltender Evgeni Nabokov won the Calder Memorial trophy for his terrific rookie season. The Sharks are a team that has become a staple in the NHL playoffs but they have also gained a reputation for falling short in critical situations. The fan base in San Jose is passionate and they never really struggle selling seats in the Bay area. 

All Time Team:

LW                                  C                             RW

Owen Nolan (95-03) Joe Thornton (05-pre.)  Patrick Marleau (97-17)

D                                     D                             GK

Scott Hannan(98-15) M-E. Vlasic (06-17)     Evgeni Nabokov (99-10)

Was It a Success?: The Sharks struggled at first but are a great example of expansion working. They have developed a loyal fanbase and have been successful on the ice with their consistent play and off ice management ability. 

Ottawa Senators (1992-present)

First Season (1992-93): 10-70-4, It can be argued that this was the worst debut season for any expansion team. 24 points in 84 games with only 202 goals scored. They posted a road record of 1-41-0, winning their only road game against the Islanders on April 10th. Their coach Rick Bowness had coached the Bruins to the playoffs during the previous season. He remained coached in Ottawa for three miserable seasons before being fired and taking a short term job in New York as the Islanders coach before being fired. The Senators were lead by long time Winnipeg Jet Laurie Boschman as their captain during his final NHL season. The Senators ran a goaltending duo of Peter Sidorkiewicz and Daniel Berthiaume that combined for a 4.35 GAA and a .864 SV%. The leading scorer was defenseman Norm Maciver with 17 goals and 63 points in 80 games. 

Since 1993: The Senators following three seasons were bad with three consecutive last place in conference finishes. Then in 1997 lead by Alexei Yashin, Daniel Alfredsson and Steve Duchesne the Sens sneaked into the playoffs. Then for 10 straight seasons, the Ottawa Senators were in the playoffs, including a Finals appearance in 2007. The Senators have 1 presidents trophy, 4 divisonal championships and were recently in their third conference Finals before losing to the Penguins in 7 games. The Senators have build a fanbase in Canada but still struggle in attendance when compared to the other Canadian fan bases. 

All Time Team:

LW                                  C                                     RW

Alexei Yashin(93-01) Jason Spezza (02-14) Daniel Alfredsson (95-13)

D                                    D                                      GK

Chris Phillips (97-15)  Erik Karlsson (09-17) Patrick Lalime (99-04)

Was it a Success?: Yes, the Senators have become brought hockey one of the greatest rivals since 2000 with the Battle of Ontario and they have had major success on the ice since the early 2000s despite not winning a Stanley Cup. While the fan base can be criticized for lack of attendance at times, the Senators have very passionate fans that also root for their team. 

Tampa Bay Lightning (1992-present)

First Season (1992-93): 23-54-7, The Lightning were not good their first season but they were respectable. Head coach Terry Crisp had previously won the Stanley Cup with the Calgary Flames a few years prior in 1989 as head coach. The Lightning even opened their season with a 7-3 home victory against the Chicago Blackhawks and although they had a rough second half of the season, the Lightning performed better than fellow expansion team, Ottawa. Forward and one of three alternate captains, Brain Bradley lead the team with 42 goals and 86 points in 80 games. The team rotated between three goaltenders throughout the season but never found reliable goaltending. The Lightning also had one of the best names in hockey history on their team with defenseman Bob Beers, who had 12 goals and 36 points in 64 games. 

Since 1993: The Lightning struggled for the following nine seasons with only one playoff appearance in 1996. Then they appeared in the 2003 playoffs and in 2004 lead by Martin St. Louis, Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards, Dan Boyle and Nikolai Khabibulin, the Lightning defeated the Calgary Flames in 7 games to win their first Stanley Cup. Following the 2005 lockout, the Lightning Stanley Cup team slowly started to separate before they returned to the Cup Finals in 2015 lead by Steven Stamkos, Tyler Johnson, Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman and Ben Bishop. The Lightning unfortunately fell short in 6 games against Chicago but the Lightning have been a strong team for the past four seasons and look to contend for another Stanley Cup. 

All Time Team:

LW                                   C                                         RW

Steven Stamkos (08-17) Vincent Lecavalier (98-13) Martin St. Louis (00-14)

D                                      D                                          GK

Dan Boyle (01-08) Victor Hedman (09-17)  Nikolai Khabibulin (00-04)

Was it a Success?: The Lightning are a success based on their Stanley Cup victory and their ability to develop a hockey market in the southern United States. the Lightning have a good fan base that follows this success franchise. 

Florida Panthers (1993-present)

First Season (1993-94): 33-34-17, The Panthers missed the playoffs by one point in their debut season and surprised the NHL by how competitive this team was. Their coach Roger Nielson had 11 NHL seasons as a head coach under his belt and captain Brian Skrudland was a Stanley Cup winner in Montreal. The team was lead offensively by Scott Mellanby who had 30 goals and 60 points in 80 games and John Vanbiesbrouck was stellar in net going 21-25-11 with a .924 SV% and a 2.53 GAA. Vanbiesbrouck is the similar to Marc-Andre Fleury on the Golden Knights because Vanbiesbrouck was a very good goalie on a team with two good goalies. Vanbiesbrouck was exposed at the draft and the Rangers protected Mike Richter instead. 

Since 1994: Two years following their great start into the NHL, the Florida Panthers made their first playoff appearance in amazing fashion. The 1996 playoffs saw the Panthers eliminate the Boston Bruins in round one, the tough Philadelphia Flyers in round two and the unstoppable Penguins offense in Round three to set up a Stanley Cup Finals appearance. The Colorado Avalanche faced the upstar Panthers in a match-up for the decades but the finals itself wasn’t close. A 4-0 series win for the Avalanche including a 8-1 thrashing in game 2 ended the Panthers cinderella story season. The Panthers then went 1-8 in playoff games over the next four seasons before going on a 10 year streak of not making the postseason. Florida has made the playoffs twice in the past six seasons but has yet to win a playoff round since the 1996 playoffs. 

All Time Team:

LW                                  C                                       RW

Scott Mellanby (93-01) Olli Jokinen (00-08) Pavel Bure (98-02)

D                                    D                                        GK

Robert Svehla (94-02) Jay Bouwmeester (02-09) John Vanbiesbrouck (93-98)

Was it a Success?: The Panthers are not a success. The team has been an afterthought for most of their 24 year existence. Only 5 playoff appearances in 23 seasons and attendance struggling year after year. The 1996 playoffs are a great memory but most sports fans in Miami area haven’t given the Panthers enough dedication. With Relocation rumours every season, it seems as if the Miami area for hockey wasn’t a strong idea. 

Anaheim Ducks (1993-present): 

First Season (1993-94): 33-46-5, The Ducks were competitive in their first season in the NHL, finishing 9th in the conference and 4th in the Pacific division. First year coach Ron Wilson had previously been the assistant coach for the Vancouver Canucks after he finished his playing career in 1988 with the Minnesota North Stars. The team was lead offensively by Terry Yake and Bob Corkum who each had a 50 point season. Goaltenders Guy Hebert, Ron Tugnutt and Mikhail Shtalenkov all had a GAA above .907% and combined for 3 shutouts throughout the season. The Ducks also used their 4th overall draft pick to select future all star Paul Kariya. 

Since 1994: The Ducks made their first playoff appearance in 1997 lead by the dynamic duo of Teemu Selanne and Paul Kariya with Guy Hebert providing stability in net. The Ducks lost in the second round in a 4 game sweep against Detroit. The Ducks struggled then until the 2003 season where Jean-Sebastian Giguere put on the greatest individual goaltending performance of all time in the postseason on the way to the Stanley Cup final. The Ducks lost in 7 games despite Giguere winning the Conn Smythe trophy with a 15-6 record, 1.62 GAA and a .945 SV%. Following the 2005 lockout, the Ducks made the Conference Finals in 2006 losing to the Oilers in 5 games. In the 2007 postseason the Ducks made the Stanley Cup Finals lead by Ryan Getzlaf, Scott Niedermayer, Scott Pronger, Teemu Selanne and J.S. Giguere. The Ducks beat the Senators in 5 games to claim their first Stanley Cup. Since 2007 they have made the playoffs 8 times in 10 seasons with 2 conference Finals defeats and 5 divisional championships. 

All Time Team: 

LW                                    C                                           RW

Paul Kariya (94-03)     Ryan Getzlaf (05-pre.)  Teemu Selanne (95-14)

D                                       D                                           GK

Scott Niedermayer (05-10) Chris Pronger (06-09) J.S. Giguere (00-10)

Was it a Success?: The Whole Disney element was interesting and the Ducks did gain a lot of attention in Southern California for a lot time but recent years success a disinterest in their fanbase. The Ducks are one of the top teams in the league for the past 10 years but they are in the bottom 10 teams in terms of attendance and selling out games. 

Nashville Predators (1998-present):

First Season (1998-99): 28-47-7, Nashville wasn’t particularly strong on the ice but the franchise made strong moves acquiring young prospects Tomas Vokoun and Scott Walker in the expansion draft, drafting David Legwand second overall in the draft, making Barry Trotz the head coach and David Poile the General Manager. Poile is still the General Manager of the Predators and Barry Trotz was head coach until 2014. The team was lead by veteran forwards Cliff Ronning and Greg Johnson who each had 50 points. The team captain was forward Tom Fitzgerald, who would remain captain for the following three seasons. Russian forward Sergei Krivokrasov leads the team with 25 goals despite finishing his NHL career with only 86 goals in 450 games. His only full season in Nashville was the career highlight for the Russian journeyman. 

Since 1999: The Predators didn’t qualify for the playoffs until 2004 where they finished 8th in the Western Conference and were eliminated by Detroit in the first round. Since the 2005 lockout they have made the playoffs nine times in twelve seasons. They have never won their divison or finished a season above 3rd in the Conference. However, the Predators consistently make the playoffs and this past season they were finally rewarded with their first Conference Finals appearance and their First Stanley Cup Finals appearance. They were also an 8th seed and never had home ice advantage throughout their postseason. Lead by forwards Filip Forsberg, Ryan Johansen, Defenseman Ryan Ellis, P.K. Subban, Roman Josi and Goaltender Pekka Rinne. The balanced Predators team was terrific defensively and capitalized offensively on their way to the Cup Finals. 

All Time Team:

LW                                     C                                            RW

Steve Sullivan (03-11) David Legwand (98-14) Filip Forsberg (12-17)

D                                        D                                            GK

Shea Weber (05-16) Kimmo Timonen (98-07) Pekka Rinne (05-17)

Was it a Success?: Anybody who watched this years playoffs and saw the atmosphere in Nashville understands that this was a successful expansion team. The Predators constantly sell out their games and the team itself has also been very successful throughout the years. 

Atlanta Thrashers (1999-2011):

First Season (1999-00): 14-57-7-4, The Thrashers were awful in 2000 with only 14 wins and very few bright spots on this team. Ray Ferraro was their starting center with 44 points in 81 games and Andrew Brunette lead the team with 23 goals and 50 points in 81 games. The team rotated between 5 goaltenders, none of the goaltenders lasted more than 2 seasons in the NHL following this season. Head coach Curt Fraser wasn’t very effective and lost his job 3 seasons later, while first overall pick Patrik Stefan only had 5 goals and 25 points in 72 games and never scored more than 14 goals or 40 points in a season. the next two players drafted after Stefan? Henrik and Daniel Sedin. 

Since 2000: The next 10 seasons in Georgia were fairly disappointing except for one strong season in 2007, where the Thrashers made their only postseason appearance. Lead by the big 3 of Marian Hossa, Vyacheslav Kozlov and Ilya Kovalchuk, the Thrashers won the Southeast division and faced off against the Rangers in the first round. The Rangers swept the Thrashers in 4 games and as a result, the Thrashers never won a playoff game in their 11 season existence. Following the 2010-11 season, the team relocated to Winnipeg. The fans in Winnipeg have been pleading for a team ever since the Jets were sent to Arizona, while nobody in Atlanta seemed to care once the Thrashers were relocated. 

All Time Team: 

LW                                    C                                           RW

Ilya Kovalchuk (01-10) Marc Savard (02-06) Marian Hossa (05-08)

D                                       D                                           GK

Garnet Exelby (02-09) Frantisek Kaberle (99-04) Kari Lehtonen (03-09)

Was it a Success?: No, this team was so unpopular in Georgia and their attendance and success was so bad that they relocated after only 11 seasons. I do miss the mid-2000 thrashers because of Ilya Kovalachuk, Marc Savard and Marian Hossa and how lethal their offense was during a short span. Unfortunately, Atlanta is not a hockey city. 

Minnesota Wild (2000-present): 

First Season (2000-01): 25-39-13-5, The Wild won one game in their first 10 and struggled to get on track throughout their debut season. Head coach Jacques Lemaire had won a Stanley Cup as coach of the Devils back in 1995 and would remain the Wild captain for the following 7 seasons. The Wild struggled offensively with their top scorer, Scott Pellerin only recording 11 goals and 39 points in 58 games. First round draft pick Marian Gaborik had 18 goals and 36 points in his 71 game rookie season. Goaltender Manny Fernandez was solid with a 19-17-4 record with a 2.24 GAA and a .920 SV%. 

Since 2001: The Wild have made the playoffs eight times in the following fifteen seasons but have only reached the Conference Finals once. In the 2003 playoffs lead by Marian Gaborik and Manny Fernandez the Wild reached the Conference Finals as heavy underdogs in their first postseason appearance. They were swept by the Anaheim Ducks in the Conference Finals but gained tremendous experience in the process. The Wild most recently during the 2016-17 season finished with 106 points and 49 wins during a tremendous regular season. They lost to the Blues in 5 games but the future in Minnesota looks very bright. 

All Time Team: 

LW                                      C                                         RW

Brian Rolston (05-08) Mikko Koivu (05-17) Marian Gaborik (00-09)

D                                         D                                         GK

Ryan Suter (12-17) Brent Burns (03-11) Devan Dubnyk (14-17)

Was it a Success?: Yes, Minnesota should have never lost the North Stars and the State needs a hockey team. The Wild are one of the most popular teams in the league by their own fanbase. The team has also been very successful throughout the years. 

Columbus Blue Jackets (2000-present): 

First Season (2000-01): 28-39-9-6, The Blue Jackets were okay in their debut season and managed to tie with the Blackhawks for 12th in the Western Conference. Lead offensively by Geoff Sanderson with 30 goals and 56 points in 68 games and Espen Knutsen with 11 goals and 53 points in 66 games. Ron Tugnutt went 22-25-5 in net with a 2.44 GAA and a .917 SV%. Team Captain and former Stanley Cup Champion Lyle Odelein had 17 points and 118 penalty minutes in 81 games for the club.

Since 2001: The Blue Jackets haven’t been very successful since 2001 with only 3 postseason appearances in the following 15 seasons. Their record in the postseason is 3-12 with their most recent defeat coming this postseason against the Pittsburgh Penguins in 5 games. The Jackets highest finish was last season when they finished third in the Conference with 50 wins and 108 points. The Franchise hopes to improve on a stellar season and possibly win a series in the 2018 playoffs. 

All Time Team: 

LW                                     C                                         RW

Rick Nash (02-12) Cam Atkinson (11-17) David Vyborny (00-08)

D                                        D                                         GK

Rostislav Klesla (00-11) Fedor Tyutin (08-16) Sergei Bobrovsky (12-17)

Was it a Success?: maybe, the Blue Jackets have been fairly awful for most of their existence and thanks to the success of Ohio State Football, Cleveland Cavaliers and the Cleveland Indians, the Blue Jackets haven’t been given much attention. The recent success in 2016-17 has raised awareness of the franchise in Ohio however and hopefully the Jackets can continue to develop a fanbase. 

Conclusion: 

The Vegas Golden Knights will not make the playoffs in year one. They might however come very close to the postseason, such as the Florida Panthers did in their opening season. The success of Vegas hockey depends on how well the community accepts the new team. It will not be as big of a success as the Minnesota Wild or the Nashville Predators but the Golden Knights have potential to develop a fanbase similar to the Blue Jackets. The Worst case scenario is obviously the Atlanta Thrashers. This is the scenario that many hockey fans are hoping for because of Gary Bettman’s lack of interest to invest in true hockey markets such as Seattle, Quebec, Hamilton and others. 

[uncleleo16]

Free Agency: A Veterans Nightmare?

This offseason has been fairly exciting with the addition of the Vegas Golden Knights and some big name free agents switching teams. However, it has also been a nightmare for some of the most well known Veteran players who are waiting for a contract. The most well known Veteran Free Agents include Jaromir Jagr, Jarome Iginla, Shane Doan, Andrei Markov and others. Most teams seem disinterested in these players but many of them are still useful and are eager to continue playing in the NHL. The question is where will they end up?

Mike Fisher

Age: 37

Position: Center

2016-17 Games Played: 72

2016-17 Goals: 18

2016-17 Points: 42

2016-17 Minutes Per Game: 16:37

Previous Team: Nashville Predators

Contract: 4,400,000 Cap Hit

Analysis: Mike Fisher is a useful Center with a good that was solid on face-offs and helped lead the Predators to a Stanley Cup Final in 2016-17. His 42 points were the most in a season since 2013-14 and he doesn’t demand a high amount of ice time or role.

Best Fit: Nashville Predators, this is obvious. His wife, Carrie Underwood is a country superstar, he is happy in Nashville and was the Predators captain last season. He will likely take a pay cut and the Predators will have money after signing Ryan Johansen and Viktor Arvidsson.

Prediction: Signs a two-year deal with the Predators.

Chance he Retires: 5%, He was so close to his first Stanley Cup and he had a great season.

Francois Beauchemin

Age: 37

Position: Defenseman

2016-17 Games Played: 81

2016-17 Goals: 5

2016-17 Points: 18

2016-17 Minutes Per Game: 21:30

Previous Team: Colorado Avalanche

Contract: 4,500,000 Cap Hit

Analysis: Beauchemin has been a good, durable defenseman since the 2005 NHL Lockout and although he isn’t really recognized as a star defenseman, he is a good puck moving veteran presence on any team. The Colorado Avalanche were awful last season and that might have hurt Beauchemin’s stock but teams should still be interested in defenseman for the right price. He was however bought out by the Avalanche this offseason as he was expected to receiver 4.5 million next season with the club.

Best Fit: Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes have plenty of Cap Space and zero defenseman over the age of 26. A mentor like Beauchemin would go a long way for a team trying to make a statement next season.

Prediction: Signs a 1 year deal with either Carolina, New Jersey or Ottawa.

Chance he Retires: 20%. Beauchemin being bought out by the Avalanche hurts and most teams wouldn’t need his services but a 1 year deal seems reasonable for a team looking for depth on the back end.

Mike Ribeiro

Age: 37

Position: Center

2016-17 Games Played: 46

2016-17 Goals: 4

2016-17 Points: 25

2016-17 Minutes Per Game: 15:58

Previous Team: Nashville Predators

Contract: 3,500,000 Cap Hit

Analysis: Ribeiro was an set-up specialist in Nashville with 111 Assists in 209 games. He is an undervalued and sometimes heavily criticized forward that was sent down to the AHL mid way through this season where he had 26 points in 28 games. Ribeiro obviously still has game but with his goal scoring dropping and his defense liability, teams aren’t looking at him.  

Best Fit: Florida Panthers. The Panthers are in a weird stage and nobody is sure whether they are rebuilding or trying to contend. Attending a veteran like Ribeiro as an option at Center adds to their depth and makes them more dangerous in the East.

Prediction: Ribeiro doesn’t get offered a contract and he retires after the season starts.

Chance he Retires: 75%, Ribeiro was always a pleasure to watch but it seems like their is no interest in the forward.

Chris Neil

Age: 38

Position: Right Wing

2016-17 Games Played: 53

2016-17 Goals: 1

2016-17 Points: 4

2016-17 Minutes Per Game: 07:34

Previous Team: Ottawa Senators

Contract: 1,500,000 Cap Hit

Analysis: Neil is one of the last true NHL Enforcers and after spending his entire career with the Senators, the two sides parted ways this offseason. Neil is a fighter and a 4th line energy guy that brings it every night. Could be valuable to a team in need of a true 4th line.

Best Fit: Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes ranked dead last in Fighting majors with only 6 in 2016-17. Although their roster is fairly full already at the forward position. Neil could be a healthy scratch most nights and come in when the team needs energy or during injuries.

Prediction: Neil doesn’t get a Contract, signs a front office job with the Senators.

Chance He Retires: 90%, NHL Teams don’t value guys like Chris Neil anymore unfortunately.

Brian Gionta

Age: 38

Position: Right Wing

2016-17 Games Played: 82

2016-17 Goals: 15

2016-17 Points: 35

2016-17 Minutes Per Game: 16:36

Previous Team: Buffalo Sabres

Contract: 4,250,000 Cap Hit

Analysis: Brian Gionta was the Captain for the Sabres over the past 3 seasons and was a good leader for the rebuilding franchise. With the return of former captain Jason Pominville, the Sabres seemed to have moved on from Gionta and his services. He has scored at least 33 points in 4 consecutive seasons and is a Stanley Cup Champion.

Best Fit: Winnipeg Jets. The Jets have added defenseman Dmitry Kulikov and Goaltender Steve Mason this offseason and seem determined to make the postseason. Adding Brian Gionta would add some much needed Veteran experience in the forward core.

Prediction: Gionta signs a one year deal with a team.

Chance He Retires: 30%, Gionta’s Stats are strong and his past three seasons haven’t given an indication of him slowing down.

Andrei Markov

Age: 38

Position: Defenseman

2016-17 Games Played: 62

2016-17 Goals: 6

2016-17 Points: 36

2016-17 Minutes Per Game: 21:50

Previous Team: Montreal Canadiens

Contract: 5,750,000 Cap Hit

Analysis: Markov is one of the best players on this list of Veterans and is still better than a lot of NHL Defenseman. He has consistently been one of Montreal’s and Russia's best defenseman for the best 10 years and it seems absurd that he is still available. The Canadiens are hopefully looking to sign him after missing out on star forward Alexander Radulov.

Best Fit: Montreal Canadiens. Markov has spent his entire NHL career with the Canadiens and it wouldn’t seem right to have him finish his career elsewhere. Montreal still has 9 million dollars in cap space to sign the Russian defenseman.

Prediction: Signs with the Montreal Canadiens to a 2 year deal or signs in the KHL, so he can compete in the 2018 Olympics.

Chance He Retires: 1%, There is a good chance that he heads to Russia but Markov will not retire.

Mark Streit

Age: 39

Position: Defenseman

2016-17 Games Played: 68

2016-17 Goals: 6

2016-17 Points: 27

2016-17 Minutes Per Game: 19:23

Previous Team: Pittsburgh Penguins

Contract: 5,250,000 Cap Hit

Analysis: Mark Streit is arguably the best Swiss Defenseman of all time and at age 39 still has some game left but league interest is dwindling. Streit was acquired by the Penguins at the deadline from the Flyers and had 1 goal and 6 points in 19 games with the club. He also played 3 playoff games but was largely a healthy scratch throughout the postseason. His offensive numbers have dropped significantly over the past few seasons and the Veteran may just retire now that he won his first Stanley Cup with the Penguins this season.

Best Fit: Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers have been Streit’s home for the past 4 seasons and at 39, the veteran defenseman is likely content in Pennsylvania. The Flyers also only have room to slot into their top 6 defensive pairings unless Travis Sanheim or Robert Hagg find a permanent NHL spot.

Prediction: Streit retires a happy man and moves back to Switzerland after winning his first Stanley Cup in his 12 year NHL career.

Chance he Retires: 80%, Mark Streit could still play if he wanted but it would make sense for the Veteran to retire after winning the Stanley Cup.

Jarome Iginla

Age: 40

Position: Right Wing

2016-17 Game Played: 80

2016-17 Goals: 14

2016-17 Points: 27

2016-17 Minutes per game: 14:44

Previous Team: Los Angeles Kings

Contract: 5,333,333 Cap Hit

Analysis: This past season was awful for Jarome Iginla. He had previously scored at least 20 goals in every full season since 1998 when he was 22 and scored 13 goals and 32 points. This season he had 14 goals and 27 points. 27 points is the lowest point total of his career and the first time he has recorded under 40 points since 1998. Iginla was slightly better after being traded at the deadline to Los Angeles, where he scored 6 goals and 9 points in 19 games. This season unfortunately gives major red flags to all GM’s of a future star that is well past his prime.

Best Fit: Calgary Flames. Iginla is a Canadian and Calgary hockey legend. He spent 16 seasons in Calgary and the best memories of his career are in Calgary. The Flames could give him a veteran minimum to add leadership to the young club on a one year deal.

Prediction: Iginla unfortunately doesn’t get offered a contract and has to retire.

Chance he retires: 75%, Iginla is still valuable with his leadership abilities but his days as a top 6 forward are over.

Matt Cullen

Age: 40

Position: Center

2016-17 Games Played: 72

2016-17 Goals: 13

2016-17 Points: 31

2016-17 Minutes per game: 13:55

Previous Team: Pittsburgh Penguins

Contract: 1,000,000 Cap Hit

Analysis: Matt Cullen is one of the best shutdown Centers in the NHL and he has been a key piece to Pittsburgh’s last two Stanley Cups. He has played 49 playoff games in the past two seasons with 6 goals and 15 points. Cullen is playing like a 30 year old and could easily sign another contract to benefit any teams bottom six immediately.

Best Fit: Pittsburgh Penguins. I can’t see Matt Cullen signing anywhere else in the NHL. He either retires with Back-to-back Stanley Cups or returns to play with Pittsburgh in an attempt to get a third. The Penguins still have a spot for him in their bottom six available if he decides to stay.

Prediction: Cullen signs a 1 year contract at a veteran minimum with the Penguins.

Chance he retires: 40%, Cullen was the hardest to predict because of how likely both scenarios are.

Shane Doan

Age: 40

Position: Right wing

2016-17 Games Played: 74

2016-17 Goals: 6

2016-17 Points: 27

2016-17 Minutes per game: 15:02

Previous Team: Arizona Coyotes

Contract: 3,876,134 Cap Hit

Analysis: Shane Doan and the Coyotes have finally split ways after 21 seasons with the franchise that drafted him when they were still the Winnipeg Jets. Doan’s offensive numbers were fairly disappointing in 2016-17 but the long time Coyotes captain believes he can still play another year.

Best Fit: Vegas Golden Knights. Shane Doan has the best experience of a new club starting in the Southern United States and he would be able to be a strong leader and a fan draw in the Vegas area. The Golden Knights also have nothing to lose because everyone’s expectations of the franchise in its first year is fairly low.

Prediction: Doan retires and signs with the Arizona Coyotes to work in the Management part of the club.

Chance he retires: 65%, The Golden Knights idea makes a lot of sense, he could also return to his rookie club, the Winnipeg Jets. So Doan could be playing next season but he likely retires.

Jaromir Jagr

Age: 45

Position: Right Wing

2016-17 Games Played: 82

2016-17 Goals: 16

2016-17 Points: 46

2016-17 Minutes per game: 16:59

Previous Team: Florida Panthers

Contract: 4,000,000 Cap Hit

Analysis: Jagr is the best player on the list and he is 45 years old. He played all 82 games last season and was 4th on the Panthers in scoring with 46 points. Regardless on how well Jagr plays next season, he is a hockey legend and will attract fans every game. He also is a great leader and is smart about the way he handles himself off the ice in his conditioning and diet. It’s absurd that he is still available.

Best Fit: Calgary Flames. The Flames top six needs some addition help next season to push them onto the second round. They also need a good veteran forward to help Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, Sean Monahan and Curtis Lazar. Matt Stajan is their current veteran. Jagr is 12 years older than him and unlike Stajan, Jagr actually has a lot of playoff experience.

Prediction: Jagr signs a one year deal with a club. Any club would be good for him. I just hope he doesn’t head to Ottawa, Boston, Pittsburgh or Chicago next season.

Chance he Retires: 0.001% Jagr will probably play until his kids get drafted into the NHL, so it’s pretty much a 0% chance he retires.

[uncleleo16]

The Toronto Maple Leafs Captain Saga

The Maple Leafs have been without a Captain since Dion Phaneuf was traded at the end of the 2015-16 season. Heading into the 2017-18 season it looks as though Toronto has some good potential options for a team that is trying to compete in the playoffs after a tremendous 2016-17 campaign. New comers Ron Hainsey and Patrick Marleau make good choices for captains, while veteran Leafs such as Nazem Kadri, Tyler Bozak and Leo Komarov can also make their case. Then there are the youngsters like Morgan Rielly, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Zach Hyman and Nikita Zaitsev that the Leafs could give the Captaincy to because they will be around for a while. It’s a difficult choice but let’s take a look back at the last 9 Maple Leafs Captains from 1967-present. 1967 is of course the last time the Leafs won a Stanley Cup and they have only been without a Captain for six total seasons in 50 years. I will rank the nine captains based on a combined score from their individual performance, team performance and Character. Without further ado, here are the former Captains of the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

9. Dion Phaneuf - Defenseman - 6 seasons (2010-2016)

Individual Performance: In 397 games as Captain of Toronto, Phaneuf had 43 goals and 186 points with a -28 plus minus and 564 penalty minutes. These Statistics aren’t terrible but he was a 60 point defenseman before coming to Toronto and his defensive play in his own zone was criticized a lot by fans. Score: 5/10

Team Performance: The Phaneuf Era of Toronto wasn’t a particularly bright one to be a Maple Leafs fan as they made the playoffs once, during a lockout shortened season. The overall record during this time was 195-210-53 and although fans are happy with the modern Leafs, this Era just feels like a wasted 6 seasons. Score: 2/10

Character: The Leafs thought they were getting a tough hard hitting defenseman that can score 15 goals a season but instead they got a timid defenseman that was so afraid to make a mistake in his own end that he took out one of the best aspects of his game. It became obvious that Phaneuf wasn’t ready for the role thrusted on him, so this isn’t really his fault. Score: 4/10

Overall Score: 3.66/10 At least Phaneuf is having a good career now in Ottawa and the pressure of being a Captain is no longer with him so he can focus on his game. 

8. Rob Ramage - Defenseman - 2 seasons (1989-1991)

Individual Performance: Rob Ramage was a true tough defenseman with 18 goals, 84 points and 375 penalty minutes in 180 games. He wasn’t known for his scoring output but he could definitely create an impact on the ice defensively. Score: 6/10

Team Performance: The Leafs were okay in Ramage first season as Captain, even going to the playoffs only to lose in the first round but they were awful in the second season. The total record during this small Era was 61-84-15. Score: 3/10

Character: He was a veteran at 31 years old when he became Captain that stuck up for his teammates and added much need leadership to the team. Score: 6/10

Overall Score: 5/10 Nothing can be taken away from Rob Ramage because he helped set the stage for the Wendel Clark Era by showing Clark how to be a leader. 

7. Dave Keon - Forward - 6 seasons (1969-1975)

Individual Performance: In 448 games as captain of Toronto he had 166 goals and 371 points with only 27 penalty minutes. He had three seasons where he scored 30 or more goals during this time. Score: 7/10

Team Performance: Awful during his first season as Captain and then barely sneaking into the playoffs in 4 of the next 5 seasons. The Leafs weren’t particularly dangerous during this time period. Score: 5/10

Character: The 27 penalty minutes in 448 games really is a testament to how disciplined this man was during his time as Captain and how important he was as a leader. Score: 7/10

Overall Scorer: 6.33/10 Dave Keon was the hardest person to grade on this list but regardless of his ranking, he is a Maple Leaf legend. 

6. Rick Vaive - Forward - 5 seasons (1981-1986)

Individual Performance: In 364 games as Captain of the Maple Leafs, Vaive had 225 goals, 393 points and 573 penalty minutes. He also had 3 consecutive 50 goal seasons. Score: 10/10

Team Performance: The Leafs were horrendous during this time period never posting a season with a winning record. They had a record of 119-229-52 during Vaive’s tenure as captain. Score: 1/10

Character: A 50 goal scorer that plays the body and is a known leader on the team. This is pretty much Ovechkin if Ovechkin was on a really bad team. Score: 8/10

Overall Score: 6.33/10 Vaive was a great Captain and a terrific hockey player but the Maple Leafs really weren’t a good team during the early during the 1980′s. 

5. Doug Gilmour - Forward - 3 seasons (1994-1997)

Individual Performance: After two straight 110 point seasons Gilmour was named captain of the Maple Leafs for the 1994-95 season. He had 10 goals and 33 points in 44 games during the lockout shortened year. As captain Gilmour had 57 goals and 165 points with 149 penalty minutes in 186 games. For most forwards, those are good numbers, for Gilmour, not so much. Score: 6/10

Team Performance: They made the playoffs twice losing in the first round during the 95 and 96 playoffs and in Gilmour’s last year as captain the Leafs didn’t make the playoffs with a 30-44-8 record. Score: 6/10

Character: Gilmour was a power forward that played with his heart on his sleeve and although his numbers were down during his time as Captain, he was still a leader and a great character guy. Score: 8/10

Overall Score: 6.66/10 I was slightly generous on the rankings but Gilmour is a legend and one of the best players to ever wear a Leafs uniform. 

4. Darryl Sittler - Forward - 6 seasons (1975-1981)

Individual Performance: 243 goals, 587 points in 455 games. This included four 40 goal seasons and a 10 point game during his 6 seasons as the Leafs Captain. Score: 10/10

Team Performance: The Leafs made it to the playoffs every single season during the Sittler Era although only making it to the Conference Finals one season. Score: 8/10

Character: He is a great guy, a proven leader but he was more well known for his offensive abilities. Score: 7/10

Overall Score: 8.33/10 Sittler is one of the greatest Maple Leafs forwards of all time and helped propel the franchise to grow in popularity. 

3. Mats Sundin - Forward - 10 seasons (1997-2008)

Individual Performance: Sundin had 323 goals and 763 points in 776 games as the Maple Leafs Captain. He also had 24 goals and 57 points in 64 playoff games as Captain of the team. He is the all time leader in points and goals for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Score: 10/10

Team Performance: The Late 90′s, Early 2000s Maple Leafs were very strong with Sundin leading them to two Conference Finals and 6 playoff appearances during the 7 year stretch before the 2004-05 lockout. The post lockout Sundin Era Leafs never made the Playoffs but were annoyingly competitive, always within reach of playoff position but not strong enough to reach the postseason. Score: 7/10

Character: The Swedish captain is one of the most loved Maple Leafs figure of all time and he was a class act on and off the ice in the NHL. He was the heart and soul of the Maple Leafs for a decade. Score: 8/10

Overall Score: 8.33/10 Mats Sundin is one of the reasons that I became a Maple Leafs fan and despite a disappointing end to his time in Toronto, it was a true honour watching him play. 

2. George Armstrong - Forward - 12 seasons (1957-1969)

Individual Performance: In 755 games as Captain of the Maple Leafs, the “Chief” George Armstrong had 198 goals and 477 points. He was a consistent 15-20 goal scorer during his time as Captain. Score: 6/10

Team Performance: The Leafs won 4 Stanley Cups with Armstrong as their Captain and were always a powerhouse threat to compete in the playoffs. Score: 10/10

Character: He was nicknamed the “Chief” because of his proud native heritage. George Armstrong was known for being the hardest working, most durable and consistent captain that the Maple Leafs ever had. He is a true Maple Leaf Great and arguably one of the best examples of a true leader. Score: 10/10

Overall Score: 8.66/10 Any list where the Chief is not a top three captain of the Maple Leafs is completely invalid, he was a true professional. 

1. Wendel Clark - Forward - 3 seasons (1991-1994)

Individual Performance: In 173 games as the Maple Leafs Captain, Wendel Clark had 82 goals and 155 points with 431 penalty minutes. He also had 19 goals and 36 points in 39 playoff games with 75 penalty minutes. Score: 9/10

Team Performance: He was Captain for three seasons. In those three seasons, the Maple Leafs went to back to back Conference Finals. Losing in 7 games to the Los Angeles Kings involving a controversial game 6 and losing in 5 games to the Vancouver Canucks. By far the closest, the Maple Leafs have come to winning the Stanley Cup since 1967. Score: 9/10

Character: Words Can’t Really describe Wendel Clark, he had the talent to be point per game in the playoffs but would also lead the team in fighting majors. He was all heart and stood up for his teammates without any concern for himself. Score: 10/10

Overall Score: 9.33/10 Watch this 4 minute tribute video to Wendel Clark to understand how special he was as a captain. 

[uncleleo16]

2017 Toronto Maple Leafs Draft Recap

The Maple Leafs weren’t as active this year as the 2016 draft but they still made some strong selections and also some questionable picks this year. Prior to the draft the Maple Leafs also made some signings that I will quickly look over before taking a look at all of the draft picks.

Contract Extensions:

The Maple Leafs extended defenseman Nikita Zaistev’s contract and signed him to a 7 year deal valued at 4.5 million dollars per season. This move looks up the 25 year old defenseman but and is a clear indication of Babcock’s intent for Zaitsev to stay within the organization. The Maple Leafs also extended forward Ben Smith’s contract and signed him to a 1 year deal valued at 650,000. Smith wasn’t particularly strong last season in 36 games with only 4 points before becoming a healthy scratch every night. This signing likely was to help expose someone to Vegas that was under contract. The Golden Knights did however take forward Brendan Leipsic who is currently a restricted free agent. Leipsic was very good in the AHL last season with the Marlies and had 18 goals, 51 points in 49 games. I’m hoping the Leafs find a way to sign Leipsic but the argument can be made that the Leafs don’t need the 23 year old power forward. 

Player Signings: 

1. Forward - Miro Aaltonen - 24 years old - KHL 

This signing happaned in March, so while many Leafs fans are already aware of Aaltonen, some have yet to hear about the KHL forward. The Finnish forward was drafted in 2013 during the 6th round by the Ducks but remained in Europe and playing in Finland. This past season he signed with Vityaz Podolsk in the KHL and in 59 games with the club he had 19 goals and 44 points. While he went scoreless during the World Championship with Finland, Mike Babcock suspects he could challenge for a roster spot next season. He can also play Center. 

2. Forward - Jeremy Bracco - 20 years old - OHL

The Leafs 2015 2nd round pick is now signed to an entry level deal with the club and after a strong OHL split between Kitchener and Windsor, it was no question that the Leafs sign him. In 57 OHL games he had 25 goals and 83 points. Bracco also was a big part of the USA world junior team with 3 goals and 5 points in 7 games. He will probably play with the Marlies next season. 

3. Forward - Carl Grundstrom - 19 years old - SHL

The Leafs 2016 2nd round pick played for Frolunda HC of the SHL and was fantastic with 14 goals and 20 points in 45 games. He was also on the Sweden world junior team and had 7 points in 7 games. The Leafs signed him in April and during the Marlies postseason and Grundstrom played 6 AHL playoff games where he had 3 goals and 4 points. The expectation is that the aggressive forward stays in SHL this upcoming season but we could see him in the AHL 

4. Defenseman - Calle Rosen - 23 years old - SHL

The solid two way defenseman was undrafted and has spent the past two seasons with Vaxjo Lakers HC of the SHL. In 41 games last season he had 6 goals and 19 points with a +19 rating and 10 penalty minutes. Rosen doesn’t have any experience in North American hockey and will likely spent the year in the AHL. He is a left-handed defenseman that is 6′0″ and weighs 176 pounds. 

5. Defenseman - Andreas Borgman - 22 years old - SHL

This is the Leafs most intriguing pick up because Borgman is an undrafted, unknown player that is coming off of a great season in the SHL. He played for HV71 and in 45 games had 5 goals, 15 points and was a +23 with 26 penalty minutes. In the postseason Borgman had 2 goals and 10 points in 14 games with a +2 and 6 penalty minutes. He also won Rookie of the Year for the SHL, which is a very competitive league. Borgman will likely play in the AHL but don’t be surprised if he challenges for an NHL spot. He is also a left-handed defenseman that is 6′0″ and weighs 205 pounds. 

NHL Draft: 

Round 1: 17th overall - defenseman - Timothy Liljegren 

People are already saying that this is the steal of the draft but realistically Liljegren is coming off a poor season that saw him miss time because of mono and his numbers didn’t improve. Last season in 19 games with Rogle BK of the SHL he had 1 goal and 5 points. This season in 19 games with Rogle BK of the SHL he had 1 goal and 5 points. The Leafs hope that he reaches his potential but this is still a very strong pick considering he is a right-handed defenseman. 

Pick Grade: A- 

Round 2: 59th overall - defenseman - Eemeli Rasanen 

A right handed defenseman that spent his first season in North America with the Kinston Frontenacs of the OHL. He is 6′7″ and weighs 209 pounds for a huge frame. Rasanen had 6 goals and 39 points in 66 games last season and 5 points in 11 playoff games. This is a good pick that addresses an area that the Leafs need to fix for the future (Solid right-handed defenseman)

Pick Grade: A

Round 4: 110th overall - Goaltender - Ian Scott

Ian Scott is a potential based pick and not a performance based pick. Ian Scott played 50 games with the Prince Albert Raiders last season in the WHL and the 18 year old goaltender had a 3.69 GAA and a .895 SV%. He also had a 4.02 GAA and a .861 SV% in 4 games with Team Canada at the U18 world championships. The positives are that he played 50 games in the WHL at 18 years old as a goalie; he was ranked between 74th and 109th in most pre-draft rankings and he has a 6′3″ frame. 

Pick Grade: B-

Round 4: 124th overall - Forward - Vladislav Kara

This is a pick that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense initially. Vladislav Kara was virtually unknown until the Leafs announced his selection and it’s still a mystery as to why he was selected in the 4th round. Kara had an okay season in the MHL with 11 goals and 20 points in 31 games and 4 goals with 5 points in 7 playoff games. The Leafs are hoping he gets to play in the KHL soon to develop but this pick is hard to grade given the little amount of information on Kara. 

Pick Grade: C 

Round 5: 141st overall - Defenseman - Fedor Gordeev

The OHL Russian defenseman was a solid pick in the 5th round for the Maple Leafs. In 62 games with the Flint Firebirds he had 3 goals, 13 points and 43 penalty minutes. Gordeev is 6′6″ and weighs 209 pounds and played high school hockey in the Toronto area. This pick is based on his size potential and only time will tell but drafting a 6′6″ defenseman in the 5th round is a good pick. 

Pick Grade: B

Round 6: 172nd overall - Forward - Ryan McGregor

The young Canadian forward was assistant captain for the Sarnia Sting last season and had 14 goals and 27 points in 65 games. McGregor weighs only 159 pounds at 6′0″ and doesn’t possess impress numbers in the OHL with two seasons in Sarnia but has time to grow. He clearly has leadership qualities as an assistant captain and could develop into a better player

Pick Grade: C-

Round 7: 203rd overall - Defenseman - Ryan O’Connell

The Canadian defenseman plays for Saint Andrews College and has committed to Boston University in 2018. In 47 games with St. Andrews he had 6 goals and 33 points. He is 6′1″ and weighs 170 pounds. This pick wasn’t the best way to end the draft in my opinion but Ryan O’Connell could develop into a solid defenseman. 

Pick Grade: C-

[uncleleo16]

2016-17 NHL Season Team Review

The 2016-17 season wrapped up with the Pittsburgh Penguins winning their 5th Stanley Cup in team history and becoming the first team since 1998 to win back-to-back Championships. Each team had a different story during the regular season and for some during the playoffs and while the Penguins are pleased with their performance many teams need improvement heading into next season. The Vegas Golden Knights expansion draft will shake up things in the NHL and the offseason will be busier than ever with some key decisions. I will look at each teams individual season performance and grade them based on expectations. I will also give a brief outlook on Free Agents for each team and what players are exposed to the Expansion Draft.

Colorado Avalanche

Season Story: This was the first year for head coach Jared Bednar and are coming off a season where they finished 9th in the West. They did lose Mikkel Boedker in the offseason but added defenseman Patrick Wiercioch, Fedor Tyutin and forwards Joe Colborne and Rene Bourque. They signed Tyson Barrie and Nathan MacKinnon to big contracts and drafted Tyson Jost 10th overall. Things were looking okay for Colorado and they entered December with a respectable 9-11-1 record. They then finish the NHL season going 13-45-3, Semyon Varlamov is terrible before a season injury in January, their only 20 goal scorer is a rookie, their role players are awful and this team is arguably one of the worst teams in the past 10 seasons.

Record: 22-56-4, -112 Goal Differential, 30th in NHL, 14th in West

Best Month: October, 4-3-0

Worst Month: January, 1-9-1

Top Scorer (Points): Nathan MacKinnon, 16 Goals and 53 Points in 82 Games

Top Scorer (Goals): Mikko Rantanen (rookie), 20 Goals and 38 Points in 75 Games

Disappointing Performance: Carl Soderberg. The forward was coming off a season in Colorado where he had 12 Goals and 51 Points in 82 games. In 80 Games this season he had 6 goals and 14 Points. Remember, he makes 4.75 million dollars each year for the next three seasons!

Goaltender: Calvin Pickard, 15-31-2, 2.98 GAA and a .904 SV%. Once Varlamov went down with injury, Pickard was in charge of this runaway train. He is signed for one more year at 1 million dollars. Varlamov went 6-17 this season before injury with a 3.38 GAA and a .898 SV%. He is signed for the next two seasons at just under 6 million per year.

Upcoming important UFA’s: F- Rene Bourque (12 Goals, 18 Points in 65 Games), F- John Mitchell (3 Goals, 7 Points in 65 Games), D- Cody Goloubef (5 Points in 33 Games), D- Fedur Tyutin (-25, 13 Points in 69 Games), GK- Jeremy Smith (1-6-1, 3.54 GAA and a .888 SV%).

Upcoming important RFA’s: F- Sven Andrighetto (5 Goals, 16 Points in 19 Games), F- Matt Nieto (4 Goals, 11 Points in 43 Games), F- Mikhail Grigorenko (10 Goals, 23 Points in 75 Games), D- Patrick Wiercioch (4 Goals, 12 Points in 57 Games), D- Nikita Zadorov (73 Penalty minutes, 10 Points in 56 Games).

Player Lost in Expansion Draft: GK- Calvin Pickard

Team Season Grade: F  This team regressed it’s progress by posting such a terrible season and now head into the offseason with a lot of questions surrounding core players.

Vancouver Canucks

Season Story: The Canucks went into the season refusing to try a full out rebuilt by signing big free agent Loui Eriksson to a six year deal and trading to acquire defenseman Erik Gudbranson while only letting go of Radim Vrbata, Dan Hamhuis and Yannick Weber. The Canucks were having a decent season and headed into February 23-21-6 and within playoff reach. They than proceeded to have a terrible February and finally conceded at the deadline by trading away Alex Burrows and Jannik Hansen for prospects Jonathan Dahlen and Nikolay Goldobin. They finished 13th in the West and 29th in the NHL but look to head towards a proper rebuild given their final few months of the season where they went 7-22-3.

Record: 30-43-9, 29th in NHL, 13th in West

Best Month: January, 6-3-3

Worst Month: April, 0-5-0

Top Scorer (Points and Goals): Bo Horvat, 20 Goals, 52 Points in 81 Games

Disappointing Performance: Loui Eriksson, 11 Goals and 24 Points in 65 Games for their big offseason acquisition. Eriksson is signed for 5 more years at 6 million dollars per season.

Goaltender: Ryan Miller, 18-29-6, 2.80 GAA and a .914 SV%. Very respectable numbers from the veteran goalie.

Upcoming important UFA’s: F- Jack Skille (5 Goals, 9 Points in 55 Games) and GK- Ryan Miller (36 years old).

Upcoming important RFA’s: F- Brendan Gaunce (5 Points in 57 Games), F- Bo Horvat (star player, 22 years old), F- Reid Boucher (5 Goals, 7 Points in 27 Games), F- Michael Chaput (4 Goals, 9 Points in 68 Games)

Player Lost in Expansion Draft: D- Luca Sbisa (13 points, 40 penalty minutes in 82 games)

Team Season Grade: D+ They weren’t that good but near the end of the season they realized they need a rebuilt. Slowly making the steps towards a better team

Arizona Coyotes

Season Story: The Coyotes were coming off a decent season where they finished 10th in the Conference. They went out and acquired some prospects, drafted two first round picks, added F- Radim Vrbata, D- Luke Schenn, F- Jamie McGinn and looked poised to possibly challenge for a playoff spot. They had a really rough October and December and headed into 2017 with a 11-21-5 record. The Coyotes then made trades involving Defenseman Michael Stone and Forward Martin Hanzel which brought in two picks in 2017 (including one first), one pick in 2018 and two conditional picks. They finished the season average but continue to stock pile young talent.

Record: 30-42-10, 27th in NHL, 12th in West

Best Month: November, 6-4-3

Worst Month: December, 3-11-2

Top Scorer (Points and Goals): Radim Vrbata, 20 Goals, 55 Points in 81 Games.

Disappointing Performance: Anthony Duclair, 5 Goals, 15 Points in 58 Games. The second year player was coming off a 20 goal, 44 point season but had a rought 2017 and even spent 16 games in the AHL. He is still only 21 and has plenty of room to grow.

Goaltender: Mike Smith, 19-26-9, 2.92 GAA and a .914 SV%. Not bad numbers for a team that was struggling at times

Upcoming important UFA’s: F- Radim Vrbata (top scorer, 36 years old), F- Shane Doan (6 Goals, 27 Points in 74 Games, 40 years old), D- Zbynek Michalek (spent most of year in AHL) and GK- Chad Johnson (recently acquired in a trade will by a UFA).

Upcoming important RFA’s: F- Jordan Martinook (11 Goals, 25 Points in 77 Games), F- Alexander Burmistrov (5 Goals, 14 Points in 26 Games), F- Peter Holland (5 Goals, 11 Points in 40 Games), Anthony Duclair (21 years old) and F- Josh Jooris (3 Goals, 10 Points in 42 Games).

Player Lost in Expansion Draft: F- Teemu Pulkkinen (25 years old, spent most of season in AHL where he had 18 goals and 36 points in 47 games).

Team Season Grade: C+ They stayed the course, they made some good trades at the deadline and they are accepting the rebuild process.

Dallas Stars

Season Story: The Stars were coming off a 50 win season in which they lost in Game 7 of the second round to the Blues. The Stars lost Defenseman Alex Goligoski, Jason Demers, Kris Russell and Forwards Valeri Nichushkin, Colton Sceviour and Vernon Fiddler. They added Defenseman Dan Hamhuis and forwards Lauri Korpikoski and Jiri Hudler. This all while not addressing their goaltending problem. They proceeded to have a below average season and both goalies struggled year round. At the end of the season they traded for the rights to goaltender Ben Bishop and then signed him to a six year deal. But this year was a throw away.

Record: 34-37-11, 24th in the NHL, 11th in West

Best Month: December, 7-6-1

Worst Month: February, 4-8-0

Top Scorer (Points): Tyler Seguin, 72 Points and 26 Goals in 82 Games

Top Scorer (Goals): Jamie Benn, 26 Goals, 69 Points in 77 Games.

Disappointing Performance: Antti Niemi, 12-12-4, 3.30 GAA and a .892 SV. He is making 4.5 Million and has one year left on his deal. He was actually decent in 2015-16 but hasn’t been amazing since 2012.

Goaltender: Kari Lehtonen, 22-25-7, 2.85 GAA and a .902 SV%. This was likely Lehtonen’s last season as a starting goalie in the NHL. But he could be a good back-up.

Upcoming important UFA’s: F- Ales Hemsky (4 Goals, 7 Points in 15 Games), F- Patrick Sharp (8 Goals, 18 Points in 48 Games) and F- Jiri Hudler (3 Goals, 11 Points in 32 Games)

Upcoming important RFA’s: F- Radek Faksa (12 Goals, 33 Points in 80 Gams), F- Brett Ritchie (16 Goals, 24 Points in 78 Games), D- Patrick Nemeth (14 Penalty minutes, 3 Points in 40 Games), D- Jamie Oleksiak (37 Penalty minutes, 7 Points in 41 Games) and D- Esa Lindell (6 Goals, 18 Points in 73 Games).

Player Lost in Expansion Draft: F- Cody Eakin (12 points, 49 penalty minutes in 60 games)

Team Season Grade: D- They wasted a year of the Benn and Seguin era by not acquiring better defensive help and goaltending.

Los Angeles Kings

Season Story: The kings have a reputation of sliding into the playoffs and then going on deep runs and after last seasons first round exit they looked to improve heading into this season. They lost forwards Kris Versteeg and Milan Lucic and defenseman Luke Schenn and Jamie McBain. They didn’t add any big pieces and relied on their core to help them reach the playoffs. After 17 games Jonathan Quick goes down with an injury and although back-up Peter Budaj plays fantastic, the goal scoring is lacking and the Kings miss the playoffs by 8 points.

Record: 39-35-8, 22nd in NHL, 10th in West

Best Month: November, 8-5-1

Worst Month: February, 5-6-2

Top Scorer (Points and Goals): Jeff Carter, 32 Goals and 66 Points in 82 Games.

Disappointing Performance: Jake Muzzin, the defenseman is making 4 million dollars and has been a key member of the Kings team but his 2016-17 season was sub-par. Dropping back from two 40 point seasons to a 28 point season in 82 games and a -21 plus minus.

Goaltender: Jonathan Quick, 8-5-2, 2.26 GAA and a .917 SV%. It should be mentioned that the Kings disrespected back-up Peter Budaj trading him away despite a 27-20-3 record with a 2.12 GAA and a .917 SV%.

Upcoming important UFA’s: F- Jarome Iginla (6 Goals, 9 Points in 19 Games), F- Teddy Purcell (0 Points in 12 Games, mostly AHL player).

Upcoming important RFA’s: F- Andy Andreoff (2 Points, 72 Penalty minutes in 36 Games), F- Nick Shore (6 Goals, 17 Points in 70 Games), F- Tyler Toffoli (16 Goals, 34 Points in 63 Games) and D- Kevin Gravel (1 Goal, 7 Points in 49 Games).

Player Lost in Expansion Draft: D- Brayden McNabb (4 points, 54 penalty minutes in 49 games).

Team Season Grade: C Injuries can be partially to blame for their performance, but it was still disappointing that they didn’t make the playoffs.

Winnipeg Jets

Season Story: The Jets were looking to improve on their 2015-16 season where they finished 11th in the West and the 2nd overall pick Patrik Laine looked to help. They entered the year with a very similar team and played decent for most of the year with terrific offensive power. Mark Scheifele was breaking out for a career year, Laine was a rookie sensation, Blake Wheeler continues to perform and Nikolaj Ehlers had a great sophomore year. The achilles heel was goaltending at times. The Jets however finished the year going 12-5-1 and missing the playoffs by only 7 points.

Record: 40-35-7, 20th in NHL, 9th in West

Best Month: April, 4-0-0

Worst Month: February, 4-5-2

Top Scorer (Points): Mark Scheifele, 32 Goals, 82 Points in 79 Games

Top Scorer (Goals): Patrik Laine, 36 Goals, 64 Points in 73 Games

Disappointing Performance: Michael Hutchinson, 9-12-3, 2.94 GAA and a .905 SV%. He needed to be more reliable at times as a back-up goalie.

Goaltender: Connor Hellebuyck, 26-19-4, 2.80 GAA and a .907 SV%

Upcoming important UFA’s: D- Paul Postma (14 Points, 15 Penalty minutes in 65 Games) and GK- Ondrej Pavelec (4-4, 3.55 GAA and a .888 SV%)

Upcoming important RFA’s: F- Brandon Tanev (2 Goals, 4 Points in 51 Games), F- Marko Dano (4 Goals, 11 Points in 38 Games), F- Andrew Copp (9 Goals, 17 Points in 64 Games), D- Ben Chiarot (12 Points, 33 Penalty minutes in 59 Games) and GK- Connor Hellebuyck (24 Years Old)

Player Lost in Expansion Draft: F- Chris Thorburn (3 goals, 95 penalty minutes in 64 games) Winnipeg traded their first round pick and a third round pick in 2019 for the Vegas Golden Knights 24th overall pick

Team Season Grade: B Continual improvement throughout the year and the young offensive talent is scary with Ehlers, Scheifele and Laine.

Calgary Flames

Season Story: The Flames were trying to return to the postseason after a disappointing 2015-16 season. The Flames hired new coach Glen Gulutzan who previously coached in Dallas for two seasons. The Flames then signed Goaltender Brian Elliott and Chad Johnson. They also brought in veteran Troy Brouwer to help lead the team to the playoffs. The season started off pretty rough and the Flames were in danger of missing the playoffs but a strong final 2 months going 20-9-1 helped them finish 7th in the West with a first round match-up against Anaheim. The Flames lost all 4 games of the playoffs and despite a decent regular season, Brian Elliott was not good in the playoffs.

Record: 45-33-4 (Playoffs as 1st WildCard, Swept by Anaheim).

Best Month: February, 9-2-1

Worst Month: January, 5-7-1

Top Scorer (Points): Johnny Gaudreau, 61 Points, 18 Goals in 72 Games

Top Scorer (Goals): Sean Monahan, 27 Goals, 58 Points in 82 Games.

Top Scorer (Playoffs): Sean Monahan, 4 Goals, 5 Points in 4 Games

Disappointing Performance: Brian Elliott, 26-18-3, 2.55 GAA and a .910 SV%, 0-4 in the Playoffs with a 3.89 GAA and a .880 SV%

Goaltender: Chad Johnson (back-up), 18-15-1, 2.59 GAA and a .910 SV%

Upcoming important UFA’s: F- Kris Versteeg (15 Goals, 37 Points in 69 Games), D- Michael Stone (2 Goals, 6 Points, 20 Penalty minutes in 19 Games), D- Dennis Wideman (18 Points, 32 Penalty minutes in 57 Games), GK- Brian Elliott

Upcoming important RFA’s: F- Alex Chiasson (12 Goals, 24 Points in 81 Games), F- Curtis Lazar (1 Goal, 3 Points in 4 Games), F- Sam Bennett (13 Goals, 26 Points in 81 Games), F- Michael Ferland (15 Goals, 25 Points in 76 Games).

Player Lost in Expansion Draft: D- Deryk Engelland (16 points, 85 penalty minutes in 81 games). Pending UFA

Team Season Grade: B They made moves to improve their team and made the playoffs. Unfortunately their playoff performance hurts their grade slightly.

Chicago Blackhawks

Season Story: The Blackhawks entered the season expected to do well again with their core still intact. They did lose however Andrew Ladd, Andrew Shaw, Teuvo Teravainen and Dale Weise in the offseason. The additions of Brian Campbell and fourth line forward Jordin Tootoo apparently helped as the Blackhawks finished 1st in the Western Conference with a 50 win season. This lead to a first round match-up against the 8th seeded Predators. Nashville outscored Chicago 13-3 in 4 games and shocked the hockey world with a sweep of the Blackhawks.

Record: 50-23-9 (Playoffs as 1st Seed, Lost against Nashville)

Best Month: February, 9-1-0

Worst Month: April, 0-2-2

Top Scorer (Goals and Points): Patrick Kane, 34 Goals, 89 Points in 82 Games

Top Scorer (Playoffs): Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews each with 1 Goal and 1 Assist.

Disappointing Performance: Andrew Desjardins, 1 assist, 22 penalty minutes in 46 Games. He obviously isn’t on the team for scoring but 1 point in 46 Games as a forward is pretty bad.

Goaltender: Corey Crawford, 32-18-4, 2.55 GAA and a .918 SV%. 0-4 in playoffs with a 2.83 GAA and a .902 SV%

Upcoming important UFA’s: D- Brian Campbell (5 Goals, 17 Points in 80 Games), D- Johnny Oduya (2 Points in 15 Games) and F- Andrew Desjardins

Upcoming important RFA’s: F- Dennis Rasmussen (4 Goals, 8 Points in 68 Games), F- Tomas Jurco (1 Goal in 13 Games) and D- Ville Pokka (Spent year in AHL).

Player Lost in Expansion Draft: D- Trevor Van Riemsdyk (16 points, 29 penalty minutes in 58 games).

Team Season Grade: A- Virtually unstoppable in the regular season but a very disappointing playoff effort.

Minnesota Wild

Season Story: The Wild entered the season as darkhorse contenders as they signed new head coach Bruce Boudreau, added forwards Eric Staal and Chris Stewart and maintained their strong defensive core. They were fantastic during the regular season, a rough march stretch of going 4-10-2 gave away their president trophy chances and set up a Divisional playoff match-up with St. Louis and former coach Mike Yeo. The Wild lost a defensive match-up in 5 games which included two overtime defeats.

Record: 49-25-8 (Lost in first round to St. Louis)

Best Month: December, 12-1-1

Worst Month: March, 4-10-2

Top Scorer (Goals): Eric Staal, 28 Goals, 65 Points in 82 Games

Top Scorer (Points): Mikael Granlund, 69 Points, 26 Goals in 81 Games.

Top Scorer (Playoffs): Zach Parise, 2 Goals, 3 Points in 5 Games

Disappointing Performance: Marco Scandella, 4 Goals, 13 Points in 71 Games. He really wasn’t that bad but the Wild didn’t have many disappointing performances.

Goaltender: Devan Dubnyk, 40-19-5, 2.25 GAA and a .923 SV%. In the Playoffs was still terrific going 1-4 with a 1.86 GAA and a .925 SV%

Upcoming important UFA’s: F- Martin Hanzal (4 Goals, 13 Points in 20 Games), F- Ryan White (3 Points in 19 Games), D- Nate Prosser (2 Goals, 7 Points in 39 Games) and GK- Darcy Kuemper (8-5-3, 3.13 GAA and a .902 SV%)

Upcoming important RFA’s: F- Jordan Schroeder (6 Goals, 13 Points in 37 Games), F- Mikael Granlund (25 Years old), F- Nino Niederreiter (25 Goals, 57 Points in 82 Games), D- Christian Folin (8 Points, +10 in 51 Games) and D- Mike Reilly (1 Goal in 17 Games).

Player Lost in Expansion Draft: F- Erik Haula (15 goals, 26 points in 72 games). Pending RFA

Team Season Grade: A Despite the month of March and an early exit, this was a very good year for the Wild. Expect them to be contenders next season.

San Jose Sharks

Season Story: After losing in the Cup Finals the Sharks were looking to make it back to the Finals this season. They added forward Mikkel Boedker and Defenseman David Schlemko after losing Goaltender James Reimer and Defenseman Roman Polak to free agency. The Sharks started the year good and had a clear goal of making a deep run this year. They entered the playoffs as 6th in the Conference but faced the young Oilers in a true Veteran vs. rookie battle. The Sharks lost in 6 Games and might have just seen their Cup window leave them.

Record: 46-29-7 (Lost in first round to Edmonton)

Best Month: December, 9-4-0

Worst Month: March 6-10-0

Top Scorer (Goals and Points): Brent Burns, 29 Goals, 76 Points in 82 Games

Top Scorer (Playoffs): Joel Ward, Joe Pavelski and Patrick Marleau each with 4 Points in 6 Games.

Disappointing Performance: Mikkel Boedker, the big offseason splash for the Sharks had 10 Goals and 26 Points in 82 Games. He is signed for three more years at 4 million dollars.

Goaltender: Martin Jones, 35-23-6, 2.40 GAA and a .912 SV%. 2-4 in the playoffs with a 1.75 GAA and a .935 SV%.

Upcoming important UFA’s: F- Joe Thornton (7 Goals, 50 Points in 79 Games), F- Patrick Marleau (27 Goals, 46 Points in 82 Games) and F- Michael Haley (12 Points, 128 Penalty minutes in 58 Games)

Upcoming important RFA’s: F- Chris Tierney (11 Goals, 23 Points in 80 Games) and a bunch of AHL players.

Player Lost in Expansion Draft: D- David Schlemko (18 points, 14 penalty minutes in 62 games)

Team Season Grade: B- This was probably the last opportunity for San Jose during the Thornton and Marleau Era and they didn’t reach that next level of play.

St. Louis Blues:

Season Story: The Blues entered the season with big expectations after losing in the West Finals the previous season. They had a character change losing forwards David Backes, Troy Brouwer, Steve Ott and Goaltender Brian Elliott. They added forwards Nail Yakupov, David Perron, Landon Ferraro and Goaltender Carter Hutton. The Blues had a rough start to the season and after a disappointing first half they fired head coach Ken Hitchcock and hired Mike Yeo as their new coach. The Blues then went 22-8-2 under their new head coach and headed into the playoffs as a dark horse. They also traded away star defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk at the deadline for a first round pick and two minor league forwards. They beat the Wild in a 5 game defensive series, which set up a match-up against the Nashville Predators. They lost in a 6 game close series.

Record: 46-29-7, 3rd in Central, Lost to Nashville in Second Round.

Best Month: March, 11-2-2

Worst Month: January, 5-8-0

Top Scorer (Goals and Points): Vladimir Tarasenko, 39 Goals, 75 Points in 82 Games.

Top Scorer (Playoffs): Jaden Schwartz, 4 Goals, 9 Points in 11 Games.

Disappointing Performance: Nail Yakupov, the former 1st overall pick has seen his production drop ever since his rookie year. The Blues took a small risk acquiring him and he had 3 Goals and 9 Points in 40 Games with the club. He is still only 23 years old and can improve.

Goaltender: Jake Allen, 33-20-5, 2.42 GAA and a .915 SV%. He was 6-5 in the playoffs with a 1.96 GAA and a .935 SV%.

Upcoming important UFA’s: F- Scottie Upshall (10 Goals, 18 Points in 73 Games)

Upcoming important RFA’s: F- Nail Yakupov (23 Years Old), F- Magnus Paajarvi (8 Goals, 13 Points in 32 Games) and D- Colton Parayko (4 Goals, 35 Points in 81 Games).

Player Lost in the Expansion Draft: F- David Perron (46 points, 54 penalty minutes in 82 games).

Team Season Grade: A- The Blues seem to have a good future under new head coach Mike Yeo, Goalie Jake Allen and superstar Vladimir Tarasenko.

Edmonton Oilers

Season Story: The Oilers were coming off another bad season but they had a new superstar exposed in Connor McDavid. During the offseason, they made some noise trading away forward Taylor Hall for Defenseman Adam Larsson. They also added forward Milan Lucic and Defenseman Kris Russell while parting ways with forwards Nail Yakupov, Lauri Korpikoski and defenseman Adam Clendening. The Oilers opened with a strong October before sliding in November and having a strong rest of the season. Sophomore Players Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl and Goaltender Cam Talbot lead the way all season to a playoff birth. They upset the Sharks in 6 games during the first round and lost a close 7 game series against Anaheim in the second round. This was major improvement for a franchise that hadn’t made the postseason since 2006.

Record: 47-26-9, 2nd in Pacific, Lost in Second Round of Playoffs.

Best Month: October, 7-2-0

Worst Month: November, 5-8-2

Top Scorer (Goals and Points): Connor McDavid, 30 Goals, 100 Points in 82 Games.

Top Scorer (Playoffs): Leon Draisaitl, 6 Goals, 16 Points in 12 Games.

Disappointing Performance: Benoit Pouliot, 8 Goals, 14 Points in 67 Games. This after recording two 30 point seasons in a row where he only played 60 games or less.

Goaltender: Cam Talbot, 42-22-8, 2.39 GAA and a .919 SV%.

Upcoming important UFA’s: F- David Desharnais (2 Goals, 4 Points in 18 Games), F- Matt Hendricks (4 Goals, 7 Points in 42 Games), F- Tyler Pitlick (8 Goals, 11 Points in 31 Games), D- Kris Russell (13 Points, 23 Penalty minutes in 68 Games) and D- Eric Gryba (6 Points, 65 Penalty minutes in 40 Games).

Upcoming important RFA’s: F- Leon Draisaitl (29 Goals, 77 Points in 82 Games) and F- Zach Kassian (24 Points, 101 Penalty minutes in 79 Games)

Player Lost in Expansion Draft: D- Griffin Reinhart (Spent year in AHL, who was called up for one playoff game). Pending RFA

Team Season Grade: A+, First Playoff appearance in 11 seasons, almost made it to the Conference Finals. McDavid has 100 Points, Draisaitl is amazing, Talbot stands tall all season and the Oilers players have yet to reach their potential.

Anaheim Ducks

Season Story: After a first round exit in 2016, the Ducks were looking to add to their game and become a contender. They signed forwards Antoine Vermette and Jared Boll for more grit to the organization. The ducks cruised through the regular season to finish 1st in the Pacific. They swept the Flames in the opening round, beat the young star Oilers in a 7 game battle that involved a lot of old style hockey and fans began to look down on the Ducks. They embraced the villains role in the Conference Finals against the Predators but couldn’t get the job done and lost in a 6 game series. It should be noted that Randy Carlyle was hired as their new head coach prior to this season and he changed the atmosphere in Anaheim.

Record: 46-23-13, 1st in Pacific. Lost in Conference Finals.

Best Month: March, 10-2-2

Worst Month: February, 4-6-1

Top Scorer (Goals): Rickard Rakell, 33 Goals, 51 Points in 71 Games.

Top Scorer (Points): Ryan Getzlaf, 73 Points, 15 Goals in 74 Games.

Top Scorer (Playoffs): Ryan Getzlaf, 8 Goals, 19 Points in 17 Games.

Disappointing Performance: Sami Vatanen, the defenseman who is largely known for his offense only managed 3 goals and 24 Points in 71 Games. This is a poor performance considering he is coming off of back to back near 40 point seasons.

Goaltender: John Gibson, 25-16-9, 2.22 GAA and a .924 SV%. In the playoffs he had a 2.59 GAA and a .918 SV%.

Upcoming important UFA’s: F- Patrick Eaves (11 Goals, 14 Points in 20 Games), F- Nate Thompson (2 Points, 14 Penalty minutes in 30 Games), D- Korbinian Holzer (7 Points, 23 Penalty minutes in 32 Games), GK- Jhonas Enroth (28 years old) and GK- Jonathan Bernier (21-7-4, 2.50 GAA and a .915 SV%)

Upcoming important RFA’s: F- Emerson Etem (Spent most of year in the AHL).

Player Lost in Expansion Draft: D- Clayton Stoner (3 points, 28 penalty minutes in 14 games) and F- Shea Theodore (9 points, 28 penalty minutes in 34 games).

Team Season Grade: A-, A lot of fans disliked this team but they were effective and almost made the Cup Finals. Easily one of the best Center depth in the NHL with Getzlaf, Kesler and Vermette.

Nashville Predators

Season Story: The Predators entered the offseason with a strong team but not one to contend for a Stanley Cup. They traded away star defenseman Shea Weber for Defenseman P.K. Subban in one of the biggest blockbuster trades in recent history. They also added forward Harry Zolnierczyk and defenseman Yannick Weber and Matt Irwin. During the season they acquired forwards Cody McLeod, Vernon Fiddler and P.A. Paranteau. The Predators snuck into the playoffs as an 8th seed and weren’t expected to do much but they proved the league wrong. The beat the Blackhawks, Blues and Ducks on root to the Stanley Cup Final and a match-up against Pittsburgh. The Penguins won the first 2 games but the Predators rebounded winning both home games by a combined score of 9-2. The Penguins then dismantled the Predators 6-0 in Game 5 and then in Game 6 a 2-0 shutout victory to eliminate Nashville and win the Stanley Cup.

Record: 41-29-12, 4th in Central, Lost in Stanley Cup Final

Best Month: November, 9-3-2

Worst Month: December, 5-6-2

Top Scorer (Goals and Points): Viktor Arvidsson, 31 Goals, 61 Points in 80 Games.

Top Scorer (Playoffs): Filip Forsberg, 9 Goals, 16 Points in 22 Games.

Disappointing Performance: Mike Ribeiro, the 37 year old Veteran was demoted to the AHL after his poor performance in 46 Games with only 4 Goals and 25 Points. He was point per game in the AHL but he struggled in the NHL. Regardless, Ribeiro is a fantastic hockey player and person and should have been called up during the Predators playoff run.

Goaltender: Pekka Rinne, 31-18-8, 2.44 GAA and a .917 SV%. He was 14-8 in the playoffs with a 1.96 GAA and a .930 SV%. He was the main reason they went so far in the playoffs despite a poor finals performance. He is almost 35 years old and his Stanley Cup window as a starting goalie is closing.

Upcoming important UFA’s: F- Mike Fisher (18 Goals, 42 Points in 72 Games), F- Vernon Fiddler (1 Goal, 37 Penalty minutes in 20 Games), F- P.A. Paranteau (1 Point in 8 Games), F- Harry Zolnierczyk (2 Goals, 4 Points in 20 Games), F- Mike Ribeiro (4 Goals, 25 Points in 46 Games) and D- Brad Hunt (1 Point in 3 Games).

Upcoming important RFA’s: F- Viktor Arvidsson (24 Years Old), F- Ryan Johansen (14 Goals, 61 Points in 82 Games), F- Austin Watson (17 Points, 99 penalty minutes in 77 Games), F- Frederick Gaudreau (1 Point in 9 Games), F- Pontus Aberg (2 Points in 15 Games) and GK- Marek Mazanec (0-2, 4.72 GAA and a .839 SV%)

Player Lost in Expansion Draft: F- James Neal (23 goals, 41 points in 70 games). 29 years old

Team Season Grade: A+ The Ribeiro situation makes me mad but the Predators made the Stanley Cup Final. That only is a great season and for a team not expected to make it to the Finals this season, it was fantastic to see.

New Jersey Devils

Season Story: The Devils were trying to improve from a disappointing 2015-16 season. They added forward Taylor Hall and defenseman Ben Lovejoy and Kyle Quincey while losing David Schlemko and Jordin Tootoo. The Devils were having a decent season but when March was coming around, they relized they probably won’t make the playoffs. They traded away forwards Vernon Fiddler, Sergei Kalinin, P.A. Paranteau and other pieces for draft picks and AHL players. The Devils then ended the season going 3-15-2. They were actually rewarded with this tank attempt and recieved the 2017 first overall pick in this years draft. So not a complete waste of a season for New Jersey.

Record: 28-40-14, 16th in East, 28th in NHL

Best Month: January, 7-5-2

Worst Month: March, 2-11-2

Top Scorer (Points): Taylor Hall, 53 Points, 20 Goals in 72 Games.

Top Scorer (Goals): Kyle Palmieri, 26 Goals and 53 Points in 80 Games.

Disappointing Performance: Michael Cammalleri, usually a good bet to get 40 points despite only playing 60 games or so but this year he didn’t perform. He had 10 goals and 31 points in 61 games and for some reason I drafted him in fantasy hockey.

Goaltender: Cory Schneider, 19-18-10, 2.67 GAA and a .913 SV%

Upcoming important UFA’s: GK- Keith Kinkaid (6-7-2, 2.81 GAA and a .913 SV%)

Upcoming important RFA’s: F- Beau Bennett (8 Goals, 19 Points in 65 Games), F- Jacob Josefson (10 Points in 38 Games), F- Stefan Noesen (8 Points in 32 Games), D- Damon Severson (31 Points, 58 Penalty minutes in 80 Games) and others.

Player Lost in Expansion Draft: D- Jon Merrill (6 points, 24 penalty minutes in 51 games, 25 years old )

Team Season Grade: C, The Devils understanding the need for a rebuild is a good start but they still have a lot of questions to answer about their future.

Buffalo Sabres

Season Story: The Sabres entered the season looking for gradual improvement from last year with this young club. They acquired defenseman Dmitry Kulikov, Taylor Fedun, Justin Falk and Goaltender Anders Nilsson. They also made a free agent splash by signing Kyle Okposo. They lost Goaltender Chad Johnson and defenseman Mark Pysyk. The Sabres started the season without Jack Eichel and they never truly found that extra step. They finished the season 15th in their conference and will draft 8th at the 2017 Entry Draft.

Record: 33-37-12, 26th in NHL, 15th in East

Best Month: January, 7-5-1

Worst Month: April, 1-4-0

Top Scorer (Goals): Evander Kane, 28 Goals, 43 Points in 70 Games.

Top Scorer (Points): Jack Eichel, 24 Goals, 57 Points in 61 Games.

Disappointing Performance: Tyler Ennis, 5 Goals and 13 Points in 51 Games. He was a consistent 20 Goal scorer for the beginning of his career and after missing most of last year with a concussion, he hasn’t fully got his game back. Not really his fault, but hopefully Ennis can improve next season.

Goaltender: Robin Lehner, 23-26-8, 2.68 GAA and a .920 SV%

Upcoming important UFA’s: F- Brian Gionta (15 Goals, 35 Points in 82 Games), D- Cody Franson (19 Points, 34 Penalty minutes in 68 Games), D- Dmitry Kulikov (5 Points, 26 Penalty minutes, -26 in 47 Games),  D- Taylor Fedun (7 Points, 16 Penalty minutes in 27 Games) and GK- Anders Nilsson (10-10-4, 2.67 GAA and a .923 SV%)

Upcoming important RFA’s: F- Marcus Foligno (23 Points, 73 Penalty minutes in 80 Games), F- Zemgus Girgensons (16 Points, 18 Penalty minutes in 75 Games), D- Nathan Beaulieu (Spent last season in Montreal) and GK- Robin Lehner (23-26-8, 2.68 GAA and a .920 SV%)

Player Lost in Expansion Draft: F- William Carrier (8 points, 21 penalty minutes in 41 games) and 2017 6th round pick

Team Season Grade: B-, They had a decent season and injuries played a factor in their result but the Sabres still have a lot of work to do.

Detroit Red Wings

Season Story: The Red Wings entered the season hoping to make another consecutive trip to the playoffs. They lost star veteran Pavel Datsyuk to the KHL and added forwards Frans Nielsen, Thomas Vanek and Steve Ott to help propel this team to the postseason. The Wings never really got going once the season started though and struggled their way to a 14th in the East finish. Starting goalie Petr Mrazek had a awful season, Danny DeKeyser struggled, Riley Sheahan really struggled and Thomas Vanek was fantastic but got injured and was then traded away at the deadline once Ken Holland realized the season was over. This season was a wake up call for Detroit that it is time to rebuild and develop young talent once again.  

Record: 33-36-13, 14th in East, 25th in NHL

Best Month: October, 6-4-0

Worst Month: January, 4-5-5

Top Scorer (Points): Henrik Zetterberg, 17 Goals, 68 Points in 82 Games.

Top Scorer (Goals): Tomas Tatar, 25 Goals, 46 Points in 82 Games.

Disappointing Performance: Riley Sheahan, 2 Goals, 13 Points in 80 Games. The 25 year old had back to back seasons of 13 goals. He didn’t score a single goal until the final game of the season when he got 2. He went 79 straight games without scoring, and he was playing top 3 line minutes.

Goaltender: Petr Mrazek, 18-21-9, 3.04 GAA and a .901 SV%

Upcoming important UFA’s: F- Joe Vitale (0 Games Played) and F- Drew Miller (5 Goals, 7 Points in 55 Games)

Upcoming important RFA’s: F- Andreas Athanasiou (18 Goals, 29 Points in 64 Games), F- Tomas Tatar (25 Goals, 46 Points in 82 Games) and D- Xavier Ouellet (12 Points, 51 Penalty minutes in 66 Games).

Player Lost in Expansion Draft: F- Tomas Nosek (Spent season in AHL where he had 15 goals, 41 points in 51 games)

Team Season Grade: C- A combination of bad luck, injuries and reality hit this season to eliminate the Red Wings from the playoffs but this offseason is going to be big for Ken Holland to truly prove himself as a high calibre GM.

Florida Panthers

Season Story: The Panthers entered the season with high hopes after finishing the 2015-16 season 1st in the Atlantic. They acquired Goaltender James Reimer, defenseman Jason Demers and Mark Pysyk. They also added forwards Jonathan Marchessault and Colton Sceviour. The Panthers did however lose defenseman Dmitry Kulikov, Brian Campbell, Goaltender Al Montoya and forwards Jiri Hudler and Teddy Purcell. The Panthers started the season struggling before firing head coach Gerard Gallant at the end of November and hiring Tom Rowe. The Panthers remained average and were without Jonathan Huberdeau for for 51 games this season, Aaron Ekblad missed 14 games this year and Aleksander Barkov missed 21 games this year. With these injuries to three of their stars, it was very difficult for the Panthers to advance to the postseason. They added Thomas Vanek late in the season for an extra boost but ended up finishing 13th in the East.

Record: 35-36-11, 23rd in NHL, 13th in East

Best Month: February, 7-4-0

Worst Month: March, 4-10-1

Top Scorer (Points): Vincent Trocheck, 23 Goals, 54 Points in 82 Games.

Top Scorer (Goals): Jonathan Marchessault, 30 Goals, 51 Points in 75 Games.

Disappointing Performance: Jussi Jokinen, 28 Points, 11 Goals in 69 Games. Last season Jokinen had 18 Goals and 60 Points in 82 Games. The 34 year old is still under contract for one more season.

Goaltending: James Reimer, 18-16-5, 2.53 GAA and a .920 SV% while Roberto Luongo was 17-15-6 with a 2.68 GAA and a .915 SV%.

Upcoming important UFA’s: F- Thomas Vanek (10 Points in 20 Games with the Panthers), F- Jaromir Jagr (16 Goals, 46 Points in 82 Games) and D- Jakub Kindl (4 Points, 28 Penalty minutes in 39 games).

Upcoming important RFA’s: F- Michael Sgarbossa (7 Points, 9 penalty minutes in 29 games), D- Alex Petrovic (14 Points, 79 Penalty minutes in 49 games) and D- Mark Pysyk (17 Points, 10 penalty minutes in 82 Games)

Player Lost in Expansion Draft: F- Jonathan Marchessault (30 Goal Scorer is under contract for 750,000 next season) and the Panthers acquired a 4th round pick in 2018 for F- Reilly Smith (Smith is 26 years old, had 37 Points last season in 80 Games, 50 Points in 2015-16 season but is signed for five more years at 5 Million Dollars per season, so the Panthers just wanted to get rid of his contract).

Team Season Grade: C Barkov and Huberdeau were largely hurt all season but the Panthers need some rebranding this offseason in order to return to the playoffs.

Carolina Hurricanes

Season Story: The Hurricanes made a playoff push last season finishing 10th in the East and were hoping to reach the playoffs in 2017. They added forwards Viktor Stalberg and Lee Stempniak while they lost forward Riley Nash to the Boston Bruins. The Hurricanes had a roller coaster season that started off slow, went downhill in January and February before they went up to a 10-2-5 record in March and then cooled down in April going 1-4-1. Their goaltending struggled immensely during the season but their young talent had a really good season. They also traded away veteran defenseman Ron Hainsey at the trade deadline and witnessed the 36 year old win his first Stanley Cup during his first postseason appearance (Hainsey played for the Blue Jackets, Thrashers, Jets and Hurricanes prior to this postseason).

Record: 36-31-15, 12th in East, 21st in NHL

Best Month: March, 10-2-5

Worst Month: February, 3-5-2

Top Scorer (Points and Goals): Jeff Skinner, 37 Goals, 63 Points in 79 games.

Disappointing Performance: Philipp Di Giuseppe, The 23 year old forward wasn’t very good in his sophomore campaign with 1 goal and 7 Points in 36 Games before spending the season in the AHL where he had 28 points in 40 games. Last season in his rookie year, Di Giuseppe had 7 goals and 17 points in 41 games. The second round pick hopes to improve next season.

Goaltending: Cam Ward, 26-22-12, 2.69 GAA and a .905 SV%. Yes he is still their starting goaltender.

Upcoming important UFA’s: F- Derek Ryan (11 Goals, 29 Points in 67 Games), F- Jay McClement (8 Points, 18 Penalty minutes in 65 games) and D- Matt Tennyson (6 Points, 6 penalty minutes in 45 games).

Upcoming important RFA’s: F- Brock McGinn (7 Goals, 16 Points in 57 games) and F- Philipp Di Giuseppe

Player Lost in Expansion Draft: F- Connor Brickley (Spent all of 2016-17 in AHL is an UFA during this offseason). The hurricanes also gave the Golden Knights a 2017 5th round pick to possibly protect other exposed players.

Team Season Grade: B Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen, Noah Hanifin and Elias Lindholm all had good seasons and are all under the age of 23. This is still a rebuilding year in Carolina but they are making good progress.

Philadelphia Flyers

Season Story: The Flyers were entering the second season of the Dave Hakstol coaching term and were coming off a playoff appearance in 2015-16. Philadelphia added forwards Dale Weise and Boyd Gordon. They lost forwards Sam Gagner and Ryan White and defenseman Evgeny Medvedev. The Flyers had a strong start to the season but faded in January and February going 9-12-3 over those two months. They went 10-7-3 over their last 2 months but couldn’t reach the playoffs finishing 7 points behind the 8 seed. The Flyers somehow managed to get the 2nd overall selection in the draft which will be huge in getting either Nolan Patrick or Nico Hischier as Franchise players.

Record: 39-33-10, 11th in East, 19th in NHL.

Best Month: December, 9-4-1

Worst Month: February, 4-6-1

Top Scorer (Points): Jakub Voracek, 20 Goals, 61 Points in 82 Games.

Top Scorer (Goals): Wayne Simmonds, 31 Goals, 54 Points in 82 games.

Disappointing Performance: Michael Neuvirth, 11-11-1, 2.82 GAA and a .891 SV%. He had such a strong season in 2015-16 but this season really puts his future as an NHL goalie in question.

Goaltending: Steve Mason, 26-21-8, 2.66 GAA and a .908 SV%. This was not his strongest season but Steve Mason has seemed to find his rhythm since arriving in Philadelphia in 2013.

Upcoming important UFA’s: F- Jordan Weal (8 Goals, 12 Points in 23 games), F- Chris VandeVelde (6 Goals, 15 Points in 81 games), D- Michael Del Zotto (6 Goals, 18 Points in 51 games), D- Nick Schultz (4 Points, 10 Penalty minutes in 28 games) and GK- Steve Mason (29 years old)

Upcoming important RFA’s: F- Roman Lyubimov (4 Goals, 6 Points in 47 games).

Player Lost in Expansion Draft: F- Pierre-Edouard Bellemare (4 Goals, 8 Points, 20 penalty minutes in 82 games). Bellemare is a coaches dream, he skates hard, hits hard and is a great depth winger.

Team Season Grade: C- Philadelphia fans saw their rivals Pittsburgh lift a another Stanley Cup while the Flyers couldn’t even make the playoffs. Giroux struggled, goaltending struggled but the positive aspect is that the Flyers have a good prospect pool that just gets a lot better with the 2nd overall pick this season.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Season Story: The Lightning were looking ahead to another deep playoff run after losing in Game 7 of the Conference Finals to Pittsburgh in 2015-16 and in 2014-15 they lost in the Cup Finals. They went through the motions in the first half of the season going a comfortable 19-15-4. The Lightning were awful in January going 3-8-2, and although they finished the season 20-7-4 and only missed the playoffs by 1 point in an incredible effort, the Lightning fell short. They also traded away forwards Brian Boyle, Valterri Filpulla and goaltender Ben Bishop around the trade deadline when things looked bad. Steven Stamkos only played 17 games this season and Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman had to carry this team on their back to have a chance at the playoffs. The Lightning will be disappointed in this performance but they should be back and strong next season.

Record: 42-30-10, 18th in NHL, 10th in East

Best Month: March, 10-4-1

Worst Month: January, 3-8-2

Top Scorer (Goals and Points): Nikita Kucherov, 40 Goals, 85 Points in 74 games

Disappointing Performance: Jason Garrison, 1 Goal, 9 Points, -8 in 70 games. He wasn’t awful but the team really needed more offence from a former 30 point defenseman.

Goaltending: Andrei Vasilevskiy, 23-17-7, 2.61 GAA and a .917 SV%. The 22 year old Russian goaltender had his first full year as an NHL starter this season.

Upcoming important UFA’s: F- Greg McKegg (1 point, 11 penalty minutes in 15 games) and D- Luke Witkowski (4 points, 39 penalty minutes in 34 games).

Upcoming important RFA’s: F- Tyler Johnson (19 goals, 45 Points in 66 games),  F- Ondrej Palat (17 goals, 52 Points in 75 games) and D- Andrej Sustr (14 points, 43 penalty minutes in 80 games)

Player Lost in Expansion Draft: D- Jason Garrison (32 years old) The Golden Knights also acquired F- Nikita Gusev, 2017 2nd round pick and a 2018 4th round pick in Tampa Bay protecting certain players.

Team Season Grade: D This was a bad year for the Lightning who went from back to back conference Finals to not even making the playoffs.

New York Islanders

Season Story: The Islanders entereed the season hoping to continue their regular season success of making the playoffs for the third straight year. They added forwards Andrew Ladd, Jason Chimera and P.A. Paranteau. They also added defenseman Dennis Seidenberg. They did however lose key forwards Kyle Okposo, Frans Nielsen and Matt Martin in free agency. The Islanders struggled early in the season going 8-10-4 in the first two months before picking things up in December, January and February. They had a rough March going only 7-7-2 and although they ended the season going 5-0-0 in April, they missed the playoffs by 1 point. They also traded away their first round draft pick for this upcoming draft.

Record: 41-29-12, 9th in East, 17th in NHL

Best Month: April, 5-0-0

Worst Month: November, 4-5-4

Top Scorer (Goals): Anders Lee, 34 Goals, 52 points in 81 games

Top Scorer (Points): John Tavares, 28 Goals, 66 Points in 77 games

Disappointing Performance: Andrew Ladd, 23 Goals, 31 Points in 78 games. Yes Ladd had 23 goals, but he only had 31 points which was his lowest point total since 2008. Ladd was also the big free agency signing that the Islanders are paying 5.5 million dollars per season over the next 6 years.

Goaltending: Thomas Greiss, 25-16-5, 2.67 GAA and a .914 SV%. The german goaltender is now 31 years old and has 3 years left on his reasonable contract at 3.33 million per season.

Upcoming important UFA’s: F- Stephen Gionta (1 goal, 6 points in 26 games)

Upcoming important RFA’s: D- Calvin De Haan (25 points, 36 penalty minutes in 82 games)

Player Lost in Expansion Draft: GK- J.R. Berube (3-2-2, 3.42 GAA and a .889 SV%). They also acquired F- Mikhail Grabovski and a 1st round pick in this years draft as well as a second round pick in 2019. These trades were meant to protect Calvin De Haan and other exposed players.

Team Season Grade: C- Really not the season the Islanders were hoping for as they only have one more season with John Tavares under contract before he becomes an Unrestricted free agent.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Season Story: This was the Blue Jackets second full season under head coach John Tortorella and expectations weren’t particularly high but the Jackets wanted to make some noise. They lost defenseman Fedor Tyutin and Justin Falk in the offseason while forwards Rene Bourque and Jared Boll also signed with new clubs. The big addition the Blue Jackets made was signing former first round pick Sam Gagner. The Blue Jackets then surprised everyone. They ran out the gates fast and entered 2017 with a 26-5-4 record including going 14-0-0 in the month of December. While they would cool down over the rest of the season, they were still tremendous and entered the playoffs 3rd in the East which because of the awful playoff format matched them up against Pittsburgh. They lost the series in 5 games but Columbus proved to the league that they are no laughing stock anymore.

Record: 50-24-8, 3rd Seed in Metro, Lost to Pittsburgh in 5 games

Best Month: December, 14-0-0

Worst Month: April, 1-4-0

Top Scorer (Goals and Points): Cam Atkinson, 35 Goals, 62 points in 82 games.

Top Scorer (Playoffs): Cam Atkinson, Boone Jenner and William Karlsson each had 2 goals and 1 assist in 5 games.

Disappointing Performance: Boone Jenner, 18 goals, 33 points in 82 games. Jenner stepped up in the playoffs but his regular season numbers dropped significantly after a 30 goal season in 2015-16.

Goaltending: Sergei Bobrovsky, 41-17-5, 2.06 GAA and a .931 SV%. Bobrovsky was amazing this season and won the Vezina Trophy for best goaltender.

Upcoming important UFA’s: F- Sam Gagner (18 goals and 50 points in 81 games), F- Lauri Korpikoski (0 Points in 9 games) and D- Kyle Quincey (3 points, 12 penalty minutes in 20 games)

Upcoming important RFA’s: F- Alexander Wennberg (13 goals, 59 points in 80 games) and F- Josh Anderson (17 goals, 29 points and 89 penalty minutes in 78 games)

Player Lost in Expansion Draft: F- William Karlsson (24 years old, 25 points in 81 games). The Jackets also traded F- David Clarkson and his contract to Vegas Golden Knights with a 2017 1st round pick and a 2019 second round pick.

Team Season Grade: A This team was a pleasant surprise and it was important for the Blue Jackets franchise to finally see some success after years of misery.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Season Story: The Leafs were coming off a bad year in which they finished dead last in the NHL with only 29 wins. The rebuilding plan was still in process entering 2016-17 with the Leafs acquiring veterans Matt Martin and Roman Polak to help the young team. The Leafs parted ways with forwards P.A. Parenteau, Michael Grabner and Ben Smith entering the season to open up room for their young talent. The Maple Leafs had 7 rookies on their roster for this season and not much was expected of the young team. The Leafs started with a rough October going 2-4-3 but then picked it up in November and December going 14-8-4 over the two months. After a strong January and an average February the Leafs decided to take a chance by trading for veteran forward Brian Boyle at the deadline to add some leadership in a surprising playoff push. They finished the season going 12-6-2 and sneaking into the playoffs by 1 point. They faced the top seeded Capitals in an uphill battle, but made a series of it although they eventually lost in 6 games despite the series containing 5 overtime games. This season was an amazing experience as a Leafs fan to witness the rookies put on a show.

Record: 40-27-15, 2nd wildcard in East, Lost in 6 games against Washington

Best Month: March, 9-3-2

Worst Month: October, 2-4-3

Top Scorer (Goals and Points): Auston Matthews, 40 Goals and 69 points in 82 games.

Top Scorer (Playoffs): Auston Matthews, 4 Goals and 5 Points in 6 games

Disappointing Performance: Ben Smith, 2 goals, 4 points in 36 games. Smith was given another opportunity in Toronto on the 4th line but struggled in face-offs, production and overall impact. The Leafs then traded for Brian Boyle to replace him.

Goaltender: Frederik Andersen, 33-16-14, 2.67 GAA and a .918 SV%. Andersen was 2-4 in the playoffs with a 2.68 GAA and a .915 SV%

Upcoming important UFA’s: F- Brian Boyle (3 points, 18 penalty minutes in 21 games), D- Matt Hunwick (19 points, 18 penalty minutes in 72 games), D- Roman Polak (11 points, 65 penalty minutes in 75 games), GK- Curtis McElhinney (6-7-0, 2.85 GAA and a .914 SV%) and Colin Greening, Milan Michalek, Brooks Laich, Steve Oleksy and Andrew Campbell.

Upcoming important RFA’s: F- Connor Brown (20 goals, 36 points in 82 games), F- Zach Hyman (10 goals, 28 points in 82 games) and both AHL Goalies (Bibeau and Sparks) plus Seth Griffith, Justin Holl and Sergei Kalinin.

Player Lost in Expansion Draft: F- Brandon Leipsic (a solid AHL forward prospect that will get his opportunity in the NHL)

Team Season Grade: A This was basically the perfect season for the Maple Leafs, the rapid development of their young players with playoff experience already will go a long way.

Boston Bruins

Season Story:  The Bruins were coming off of back to back seasons where they finished 9th in the East and were hoping to finally get over the hump and back in the playoffs. Although they lost forward Loui Eriksson in free agency, they added forward David Backes for additional scoring help. The Bruins season saw them hang around a playoff spot for most of the season and after a strong February going 7-3-0 and an average March they closed out April going 3-1-1 to reach the postseason with the same amount of points as the Maple Leafs. They faced Ottawa in the first round and although they won game 1, they lost 3 games in overtime over the course of the series and were eliminated in 6 games.

Record: 44-31-7, 3rd in Atlantic, Lost in 6 games against Ottawa

Best Month: February, 7-3-0

Worst Month: January, 6-6-2

Top Scorer (Goals and Points): Brad Marchand, 39 goals, 85 points in 80 games.

Top Scorer (Playoffs): Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak with 2 goals and 4 points in 6 games.

Disappointing Performance: Jimmy Hayes, 2 goals and 5 points in 58 games. Hayes had back to back season where he scored more than 10 goals and 25 points but couldn’t come close to either marker this season.

Goaltender: Tuukka Rask, 37-20-5, 2.23 GAA and a .915 SV%. In the playoffs Rask was 2-4 with a 2.24 GAA and a .920 SV%

Upcoming important UFA’s: F- Dominic Moore (11 goals, 25 points in 82 games), F- Drew Stafford (4 goals, 8 points in 18 games) and D- John Michael Liles (5 points in 36 games)

Upcoming important RFA’s: F- David Pastrnak (34 goals, 70 points in 75 games), F- Tim Schaller (7 goals, 14 points in 59 games), F- Ryan Spooner (11 goals, 39 points in 78 games), F- Noel Acciari (5 points, 16 penalty minutes in 29 games) and D- Joe Morrow (1 point, 8 penalty minutes in 17 games)

Player Lost in Expansion Draft: Defenseman Colin Miller, 6 goals, 13 points in 61 games with 55 penalty minutes. The 24 year old is coming off his second season in the NHL.

Team Season Grade: B Boston expects so much of their teams so this season maybe wasn’t special compared to the Celtics or Patriots but the Bruins still made the playoffs for the first time in a couple seasons.

Montreal Canadiens

Season Story: The Canadiens are coming off a Carey Price absent 2015-16 season and were hoping to make the playoffs again. They made a lot of noise in the offseason, trading Lars Eller and P.K. Subban away, while acquiring Shea Weber  and Andrew Shaw. They also signed Russian forward Alexander Radulov from the KHL in a risky move. They also added Al Montoya to their goaltending team to back up superstar Carey Price. The Canadiens were fantastic, they started the season going 8-0-1 and although they cooled down later in the season, even having a bad month in February where they went 5-7-1, the playoffs were locked in their under performing division. They matched up with the Rangers in the first round and despite a tremendous effort from Alexander Radulov and Carey Price they lost in 6 games.

Record: 47-26-9, 1st in Atlantic, Lost in 6 games to New York

Best Month: October, 8-0-1

Worst Month: February, 5-7-1

Top Scorer (Goals and Points): Max Pacioretty, 35 goals, 67 points in 81 games

Top Scorer  (Playoffs): Alexander Radulov, 2 goals, 7 points in 6 games

Disappointing Performance: Tomas Plekanec, the Canadiens veteran forward had a underachieving season with only 10 goals and 28 points in 78 games after having 54 points a year ago. The fans really started calling out Plekanec which is really awful considering he has given Montreal 12 years of service.

Goaltender: Carey Price, 37-20-5, 2.23 GAA and a .923 SV%. In the playoffs Price was 2-4 with a 1.86 GAA and a .933 SV%

Upcoming important UFA’s: F- Alexander Radulov (18 goals, 54 points in 76 games), F- Dwight King (1 point in 17 games), F- Brian Flynn (6 goals, 10 points in 51 games), D- Andrei Markov (36 points, 16 penalty minutes in 62 games) and D- Nikita Nesterov (5 points, 4 penalty minutes in 13 games)

Upcoming important RFA’s: F- Alex Galchenyuk (17 goals, 44 points in 61 games) and other AHL players

Player Lost in Expansion Draft: Defenseman Alexei Emelin. The big hitting defenseman had 71 penalty minutes and 10 points in 76 games.

Team Season Grade: A- Yes they lost in the first round of the playoffs but this season was a successful one for Montreal and Radulov really paid off big time for the club.

New York Rangers

Season Story: The Rangers entered the season with high hopes of another playoff appearance and General Manager Jeff Gorton did his best to make sure the Rangers would succeed. They added forwards Mika Zibanejad, Michael Grabner, Jimmy Vesey and Brandon Pirri with defenseman Nick Holden and Adam Clendening. The Rangers began the season very strong finishing the year of 2016 with a 26-12-1 record. They slowed down in the second half of the season but still finished 4th in the Metro and with the 1st wildcard spot. They faced Montreal in a defensive and goaltending battle which the Rangers narrowly won in 6 games. They then faced the Ottawa Senators and were shocked when the new look Sens beat them out in 6 games.

Record: 48-28-6, 4th in Metro, Lost in Second Round against Ottawa

Best Month: February, 9-3-1

Worst Month: January, 5-6-0

Top Scorer (Points): Mats Zuccarello, 15 Goals, 59 points in 80 games

Top Scorer (Goals): Chris Kreider, 28 Goals, 53 Points in 75 games

Top Scorer (Playoffs): Mika Zibanejad, 2 Goals, 9 points in 12 games

Disappointing Performance: Kevin Klein, 3 goals and 14 points in 60 games. The 32 year old defenseman really struggled this year after two strong seasons in New York with 9 goals and 26 points in under 70 games in both seasons.

Goaltender: Henrik Lundqvist, 31-20-4, 2.74 GAA and a .910 SV%, Lundqvist was 6-6 in the playoffs with a 2.25 GAA and a .927 SV%

Upcoming important UFA’s: F- Tanner Glass (2 points, 17 penalty minutes in 11 games) and D- Brendan Smith (4 points, 29 penalty minutes in 18 games)

Upcoming important RFA’s: F- Mika Zibanejad (14 Goals, 37 points in 56 games), F- Brandon Pirri (18 points, 25 penalty minutes in 60 games), F- Jesper Fast (6 goals, 21 points in 68 games) and D- Adam Clendening (11 points, 17 penalty minutes in 31 games).

Player Lost in Expansion Draft: F- Oscar Lindberg (the 25 year old forward had 8 goals and 20 points in 65 games last season)

Team Season Grade: B+, The Rangers had a good season but probably could have hoped for a better result against the Ottawa Senators.

Washington Capitals

Season Story: The Capitals are regular season juggernauts looking for their second consecutive President’s Trophy. They were consistently good all season, never really had a bad stretch and entered the playoffs with a favourable match-up against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs however gave them a series and the Capitals had to battle for a 6 game series victory. They then faced their rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins. The series was competitive and went to a Game 7. Marc-Andre Fleury made a 29 save shutout and the Penguins won in Washington 2-0. The Capitals once again couldn’t reach the Stanley Cup Finals despite an amazing regular season.

Record: 55-19-8, 1st in NHL, lost in second round to Pittsburgh

Best Month: January, 12-2-1

Worst Month: March, 9-5-1

Top Scorer (Points): Nicklas Backstrom, 23 goals, 86 points in 82 games

Top Scorer (Goals): T.J. Oshie, 33 goals, 56 points in 68 games

Top Scorer (Playoffs): Nicklas Backstrom, 6 goals, 13 points in 13 games.

Disappointing Performance: Alexander Ovechkin, yes he was still second on the team in scoring with 69 points in 82 games but Ovechkin really under performed this season. He scored 33 goals which ended his three year streak of scoring at least 50 goals in a season. This was also his lowest point total since 2012 and he didn’t register a single point in the Pittsburgh series.

Goaltender: Braden Holtby, 42-13-6, 2.07 GAA and a .925 SV% and Holtby was 7-6 in the playoffs with a 2.46 GAA and a .909 SV%

Upcoming important UFA’s: F- Justin Williams (24 goals, 48 points in 80 games), F- Daniel Winnik (12 goals, 25 points in 72 games), D- Kevin Shattenkirk (14 points in 19 games) and D- Karl Alzner (13 points, 28 penalty minutes in 82 games).

Upcoming important RFA’s: F- Evgeny Kuznetsov (19 goals, 59 points in 82 games), F- Andre Burakovsky (12 goals, 35 points in 64 games), F- Brett Connolly (15 goals, 23 points in 66 games), D- Dmitry Orlov (33 points, 51 penalty minutes in 82 games) and GK- Philipp Grubauer (13-6-2, 2.05 GAA and a .927 SV%)

Player Lost in Expansion Draft: Defenseman Nate Schmidt (17 points, +22 in 60 games last season). He is only 25 years old

Team Season Grade: C The Capitals grade will not be higher than a C until they can prove themselves in the postseason, they have all the talent in the world but can never get over the hump.

Ottawa Senators

Season Story: The Senators were looking to return to the postseason with former Lightning coach Guy Boucher as the new man in charge. They acquired forwards Derick Brassard and Chris Kelly with Goaltender Mike Condon coming over from Pittsburgh. They lost defenseman Patrick Wiercioch in free agency. The Senators had a good regular season and even made some deals at the deadline to improve their team. They acquired forwards Tommy Wingels, Alex Burrows and Viktor Stalberg. The Senators opened up their playoffs with a challenging six game win against Boston. They then eliminated the Rangers in six games setting up a Conference Finals match-up against Pittsburgh. Heavy underdogs the Senators gave the Penguins a tough series forcing game 7 and forcing overtime in game 7. Chris Kunitz scores in double overtime to eliminate the Senators. This was Ottawa’s best postseason run since 2007 when they went all the way to the Cup Finals.

Record: 44-28-10, 2nd in Atlantic. Lost in Conference Finals

Best Month: November, 9-5-1

Worst Month: February, 7-6-0

Top Scorer (Points): Erik Karlsson, 17 Goals, 71 Points in 77 games.

Top Scorer (Goals): Kyle Turris, 27 Goals, 55 Points in 78 games.

Top Scorer (Playoffs): Erik Karlsson, 2 Goals, 18 Points in 19 games.

Disappointing Performance: Bobby Ryan, this is a weird pick because although he had 6 goals and 15 points in 19 playoff games his regular season wasn’t very good. Ryan had 13 goals and 25 points in 62 games. He makes 7.25 million dollars per season for the next 5 years. He was even exposed to the Vegas Golden Knights who elected not to pick him. So while the playoffs were nice his contract doesn’t equal his production.

Goaltender: Craig Anderson, 25-11-4, 2.28 GAA and a .926 SV%, in the playoffs he went 11-8 with a 2.34 GAA and a .922 SV%

Upcoming important UFA’s: F- Chris Kelly (12 points, 23 penalty minutes in 82 games), F- Viktor Stalberg (4 points, 8 penalty minutes in 18 games), F-Tommy Wingels (4 points, 12 penalty minutes in 36 games), F- Tom Pyatt (23 points, 14 penalty minutes in 82 games), F- Chris Neil (4 points, 63 penalty minutes in 53 games), D- Jyrki Jokipakka (0 points in 3 games), GK- Mike Condon (19-14-6, 2.50 GAA and a .914 SV%) and GK- Matt O’Connor (Spent season in AHL)

Upcoming important RFA’s: F- Jean-Gabriel Pageau (12 goals, 33 points in 82 games) and F- Ryan Dzingel (14 goals, 32 points in 82 games)

Player Lost in Expansion Draft: defenseman Marc Methot (12 points, 24 penalty minutes in 68 games). The 32 year old defenseman was an absolute beast in the playoffs.

Team Season Grade: A- Yes this team was criticized for their style of play but you can’t argue with the results. The Senators look to be a dangerous team under new coach Guy Boucher.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Season Story: They are trying to repeat as Cup Champions. They breezed through the season finishing 2nd in a tough Metro division that set up a match-up against the Blue Jackets. The Penguins walked through them in 5 games, the next two series against Washington and Ottawa were tough and both went to 7 games but the Penguins prevailed again. This set up a match-up against the Nashville Predators. The Penguins took a quick 2-0 series lead before Nashville tied it up 2-2. The Penguins won big in game 5 on home ice and then finished the job in game 6, winning 2-0. They become the first team of the post 2004 lockout to win back-to-back Stanley Cups. Sidney Crosby also wins back-to-back Conn Smythe Trophies for best player of the playoffs. This is the true hockey dynasty of this generation

Record: 50-21-11

Best Month: December, 12-1-2

Worst Month: January, 6-5-0

Top Scorer (Points and Goals): Sidney Crosby, 44 Goals, 89 Points in 75 games.

Top Scorer (Playoffs): Evgeni Malkin, 10 Goals, 28 points in 25 games.

Disappointing Performance: Carl Hagelin, the Swedish forward had 6 goals and 22 points in 61 games and only 2 goals in 15 playoff games. Last season in Pittsburgh Hagelin had 10 goals and 27 points in 37 games and 6 goals and 16 points in 24 playoff games.

Goaltender: Matt Murray, 32-10-4, 2.41 GAA and a .923 SV%. In the playoffs he was 7-3-0 with a 1.70 GAA and a .937 SV%

Upcoming important UFA’s: F- Matt Cullen (13 goals, 31 points in 72 games. 40 years old), F- Chris Kunitz (9 goals, 29 points in 71 games. 37 years old). F- Nick Bonino (18 goals, 37 points in 80 games), D- Trevor Daley (19 points, 37 penalty minutes in 55 games), D- Ron Hainsey (3 points, 4 penalty minutes in 18 games) and D- Mark Streit (6 points and 6 penalty minutes in 19 games).

Upcoming important RFA’s: F- Connor Sheary (23 goals, 53 points in 61 games), F- Josh Archibald (3 goals, 4 penalty minutes in 10 games), D- Justin Schultz (12 goals, 51 points in 78 games) and D- Brian Dumoulin (15 points, 14 penalty minutes in 70 games).

Player Lost in Expansion Draft: GK- Marc-Andre Fleury (18-10-7, 3.02 GAA and a .909 SV%) Fleury was the obvious choice for the Knights as they get a good starting goalie.

Team Season Grade: A+ They won the Stanley Cup.

[uncleleo16]

World Hockey Championship

Most hockey fans have been glued to the television over the past month watching the NHL playoffs and rightfully so, however in Europe the World Hockey Championship came to a close this past week with Sweden winning. It was a very good tournament with some upsets, close games, great goals and a lot of learning new international players. Let’s look at each of the 16 teams and evaluate their top players and how the country’s hockey is developing.

Italy:  

Record: 0-6-1 (Relegated)

Overview of Tournament: Never won a game, started the tournament with an overtime loss to Slovakia and it was all downhill from there. Scored a tournament low 6 goals in the minimum 7 games and was obliterated 10-1 against Russia and 8-1 against Sweden. This tournament was valuable experience for a nation with little hockey success. 

The Club League for players: AlpsHL: 10, EBEL: 8, NLA: 3, Liiga: 1, DEL: 1, NLB: 1, DEL2: 1

Top Scorer: Giovanni Morini - 22 years old - Center - NLA - HC Lugano. In 7 games Morini had 2 goals and 8 penalty minutes with a -6 rating. In 36 games with HC Lugano (Switzerland) this season he had 3 goals and 12 penalty minutes. 

Former NHL Player: Thomas Larkin - 26 Years Old - Defenseman. Technically he never played an NHL game but he was drafted in 2009 during the 5th round and played 2 seasons in the AHL. He currently plays for Adler Mannheim in the DEL (Germany). 

Player you should know: Andreas Bernard - 26 Years Old - Goaltender. Bernard helped keep Italy in a lot of games that should have been blowouts. In 5 games he had a 2.59 GAA and a .920 Save Percentage. He plays for Assat in Liiga (Finland) and in 44 games this season he had a 2.08 GAA and a .924 SV%. 

Performance Grade: C Low Expectations, bad performance. But they get points for having close games against Slovakia, Denmark and Latvia.

Slovenia: 

Record: 0-6-1 (Relegated)

Overview of Tournament: Started the tournament with a close game against the Swiss that went to a shootout, then proceeded to lose by 3 or more goals to Canada, Norway, Finland, Czech Republic, Belarus and France. 

The Club League for players: EBEL: 7, France: 6, KHL: 4, Belarus: 2, DEL2: 2, Czech2: 1, Denmark: 1, Allsvenskan: 1, Czech: 1

Top Scorer: Robert Sabolic - 28 Years Old - Left Wing - KHL - Admiral Vladivostok. In 7 games played, Sabolic had 2 goals and 6 points with 4 penalty minutes. He played 58 games this season with Admiral Vladivostok of the KHL and had 19 goals and 44 points. 

Former NHL Player: Jan Mursak - 29 years old - Forward. He was drafted in the sixth round of the 2006 draft by Detroit and played 46 NHL Games. He was the captain of this Slovenian team and had 3 goals and 4 points in 7 games. He currently plays for Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the KHL and had 20 points in 33 games last season.

Player you should know: Ziga Jeglic - 29 years old - Forward. He plays for Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the KHL and in 58 games had 11 goals and 27 points. One of only 4 players on this team in the KHL and had 2 goals in 5 games with Slovenia during this tournament. Has a good size at 6′1″ and has good playmaking skills. 

Performance Grade: D+ This team has some reasonably talented players but only really put up a fight in game 1, a disappointing performance for a team with low expectations. 

Slovakia: 

Record: 1-4-2 (Did Not Make Playoffs)

Overview for Tournament: close call against Italy, close loss against Latvia followed by two shootout losses against Denmark and Germany. Ended the tournament with 3 lopsided wins for powerhouses Sweden, United States and Russia. 

The Club League for players: Czech: 14, KHL: 5, Slovakia: 3, SHL: 2, Liiga: 1

Top Scorer: Michel Miklik - 34 years old - Left Wing - Liiga - JYP. In 7 games played he had 3 goals and 5 points with 4 penalty minutes. After bouncing around from Slovakian league to the Czech league he settled in JYP near the end of the season where he had 7 goals and 10 points in 11 games and 6 goals and 9 points in 15 playoff Games. 

Former NHL Player: Mario Bliznak - 30 year old - Forward. He played 6 games in the NHL for the Vancouver Canucks and 214 Games with their AHL affiliate. The forward plays in the Czech league and in 7 games in the tournament he had 1 goal and 1 assist. 

Player you should know: Libor Hudacek - 26 Years Old - Right Wing. The Slovakian forward is a speedy winger who has experience in the KHL. He currently plays for Orebro HK of the SHL (Sweden) and last season had 14 goals and 38 points in 49 games. In the tournament he had 2 goals, 1 assist and 6 penalty minutes. 

Performance Grade: D- The downward trend of Slovakian hockey is staggering. The team that finished 4th in the 2010 olympics and had five top 5 finishes in world championships between 2000-2010 (including 3 medal years) finishes 9th or worse in this tournament for the fourth straight year. 

Belarus: 

Record: 2-4-1 (Not in Playoffs)

Overview of Tournament: Almost opened the tournament with an upset win against Finland, than lost in their next 3 games to start the tournament 0-4. Rebounded with a close shootout loss to France and two regulation wins against Slovenia and Norway. 

The Club League for players: KHL: 16, Belarus: 6, DEL: 1, AHL: 1

Top Scorer: Alexander Pavlovich - 28 years old - Right Wing - KHL - Dinamo Minsk. The forward had 4 goals and 6 points in 7 games with 4 penalty minutes. This past season he had 10 goals and 20 points in 58 games and is the alternative captain for Dinamo Minsk in the KHL. 

Former NHL Player: Andrei Kostitsyn - 32 Years old - Forward. Andrei and his brother Sergei are both former NHL players who were on this Belarus team. Neither brother scored a goal in the tournament. Andrei plays for HK Sochi of the KHL and scored 16 goals and 34 points in 51 games this past season while Sergei plays for Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod and he had 5 goals and 26 points in 45 games this past season. 

Player you should know: Yegor Sharangovich - 18 years old - Forward. I was very impressed with Sharangovich’s play during this tournament and in 38 games of the Belarus league this season he had 15 goals and 28 points. He had 2 assists in 5 games at the World Juniors and 2 goals and 1 assist in 7 games with this team. He could easily be a NHL player in the future.

Performance Grade: C They performed as expected, but they definitely showed potential for growth. 

Denmark:

Record: 3-4-0 (Not in Playoffs)

Overview of Tournament: Opened the game with consecutive defeats than beat Slovakia and Germany in the overtime frame. Finished the tournament winning a meaningless game against Italy.

The Club League for Players: Denmark: 8, SHL: 5, KHL: 3, Allsvenskan: 3, AHL: 2, NHL: 1, Liiga: 1, DEL: 1, EBEL: 1

Top Scorer: Nikolaj Ehlers - 21 Years Old - Left Wing - NHL - Winnipeg Jets. The Jets young star had 4 Assists and 4 Points with 18 penalty minutes in 7 games. The former first round pick has settled nicely in the NHL and last season had 25 goals and 64 Points in 82 Games. 

Former NHL Player: Peter Regin - 31 Years Old - Center. He played 5 seasons in the NHL and 243 total games between Ottawa, New York and Chicago and last season was the Captain of Jokerit in the KHL where he scored 18 goals and 48 points in 57 games. In this tournament he had 2 goals, 1 assist and 4 penalty minutes in 7 games. 

Player You Should know: Oliver Lauridsen - 28 Years Old - Defenseman. The 6′6″ defenseman is a solid stay-at-home player with an aggressive and physical style of play. He plays for Jokerit in the KHL and in 48 games was a +7 rating with 9 points and 33 penalty minutes. He had 2 assists in the world championships. He was also drafted in 2009 by the Flyers in the 7th round and played 4 seasons with the AHL affiliate and 16 total NHL games. 

Performance Grade: C Standard finish from Denmark also did well defensively in most of their games. 

Norway: 

Record: 2-3-2 (not in playoffs)

Overview of Tournament: Opened beating the co-host French and followed that up quickly with a 3-0 defeat against Switzerland. Cruised by Slovenia and than lost a close 1-0 contest in overtime to the Czechs. Finished off the tournament losing in overtime to Finland, in regulation to Canada and losing by one goal to Belarus. 

The Club League for Players: SHL: 9, Norway: 7, Allsvenskan: 4, Liiga: 2, NHL: 1, NLA: 1, Czech: 1

Top Scorer: Patrick Thoresen - 33 Years Old - Left Wing - NLA - ZSC Lions. The future norwegian hockey legend had 3 goals and 7 points in 7 games. In 50 Games with ZSC Lions he had 18 goals and 45 Points with 36 penalty minutes and a staggering +30 rating. 

Former NHL Player: Jonas Holos - 29 years old - Defenseman. Drafted in the sixth round of the 2008 draft by Colorado. The 29 year old played 1 season in North America where he had 6 assists, 10 penalty minutes, -3 rating in 39 Games with the Avalanche. He currently plays for Fariestad BK of the SHL and was captain of this Norwegian hockey team where he added 1 goal and 1 assist in 7 games. 

Player you should know: Lars Haugen - 30 years old - Goaltender. He had a solid tournament and has looked good with Fariestad BK of the SHL. In 35 Games this season he had a 2.14 GAA and a .925 Save percentage. In 5 games with Norway he had a 2.19 GAA and a .908 SV%. 

Performance Grade: C- The Norwegians only scored 13 goals and Thoresen was partly responsible for over 50% of the goals. Things need to change offensively if they hope to achieve success. 

Latvia: 

Record: 3-3-1 (Did not make playoffs)

Overview of Tournament: Beat Denmark 3-0 in their opener, continued their winning streak with wins over Slovakia and Italy. Lost their first game 2-0 against Sweden than lost a crazy game against the United States before falling against the Russians. Faced Germany in a winner goes to the Quarterfinals match-up and although the game was close and evenly fought the Germans prevailed in the shootout to eliminate Latvia. 

The Club League for Players: KHL: 12, NLA: 3, AHL: 2, Czech: 2, NCAA: 2, MHL: 2, NHL: 1, AlpsHL: 1

Top Scorer: Andris Dzerins - 29 years old - Center - Czech - HK Hradec Kralove. In 6 games played he had 4 goals and 5 points with 2 penalty minutes. During this season in 35 games in the Czech league he had 14 goals and 22 points with 30 penalty minutes. 

Former NHL Player: Kaspars Daugavins - 29 years old - Left Wing. The former Ottawa Senator and Boston Bruin has had a few good seasons in the KHL. In 47 games last season with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod he had 10 goals and 32 points. In 91 NHL games he had 6 goals and 15 points. He was the Captain of this Latvian team and had 2 goals and 3 points in 7 games.

Player you should know: Elvis Merzlikins - 23 Years Old - Goaltender. The 3rd round pick by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2014 is turning into a very good goaltender. In 41 Games with HC Lugano of the NLA he had a 2.89 GAA and a .916 SV%. This tournament he was amazing in 6 games with a 1.98 GAA and a .937 SV%. 

Performance Grade: B One of the fan favourite underdog teams of the tournament played above expectations and was never counted out in any of their games. Latvia is a growing hockey nation. 

France: 

Record: 4-3-0 (not in playoffs)

Overview of Tournament: The co-hosts lost their opener against Denmark but responded with a big 5-1 win against Finland. They then beat the Swiss in a shootout and lost a really close 3-2 decision against Canada in which they largely outplayed Canada. They won in a shootout against Belarus, lost a tough match against the Czechs 5-2 and ended the tournament with a 4-1 win against Slovenia. They didn’t move onto the next round because of three regulation defeats while Finland had 4 wins and 1 overtime loss. 

The Club League for Players: France: 10, EBEL: 3, NHL: 2, KHL: 2, NLA: 2, Denmark: 2, NLB: 2, Liiga: 1, AHL: 1

Top Scorer: Stephane Da Costa - 27 years old - Center - KHL - CSKA Moskva. In 6 games Da Costa had 6 goals and 10 points with 2 penalty minutes and was one of the biggest stars in the tournament. In 24 Games in the KHL he had 9 goals and 20 points with 10 penalty minutes and 8 points in 10 playoff games. He is a former NHL player who played within the Ottawa Senators organization for 3 seasons.

Former NHL Player: Cristobal Huet - 41 Years old - Goaltender. The Goalie is a french legend and played 7 seasons in the NHL with Montreal, Los Angeles and Chicago and won a Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks in 2010 as the back-up. He currently plays in the NLA with Lausanne HC.

Player you should know: Anthony Rech - 24 years old - Left Wing. The young forward dominated the french league this past season with 15 goals and 43 points in 30 games and 20 points in 14 playoff games. He had a strong world championship with 5 points in 7 games and was signed to a professional try-out with DEL team, Schwenninger Wild Wings. 

Performance Grade: A- They beat Finland, they won two close match-ups against Switzerland and Belarus, gave Canada all they could handle and finished the tournament with a win against Slovenia. For a country not known for hockey, they played fantastic and if they had won their opener against Denmark, their grade would have been an A+.  

Germany: 

Record: 4-3-1 (Lost in Quarterfinals)

Overview of Tournament: The Germans opened the tournament with a big 2-1 regulation win against the USA. They then proceeded lose the next two games 7-2 and 6-3 against Sweden and Russia. They beat the Slovakians in a shootout than lost to Denmark in overtime and beat Italy in regulation to set up the Latvian showdown. They won that game 4-3 in a shootout and then lost their quarterfinal match-up against Canada 2-1 in a close game. 

Players Club Leagues: DEL: 17, NHL: 5, NLA: 1, SHL: 1, NCAA: 1

Top Scorer: Dennis Seidenberg - 35 Years Old - Defenseman - NHL - New York Islanders. In 8 games the defenseman had 1 goal and 8 points with 4 penalty minutes. This past season he had 5 goals and 22 points in 73 games. He is an undervalued defenseman with a good all around game and capable of heading the power-play unit. 

Former NHL Player: Christian Ehrhoff - 34 Years Old - Defenseman. The 12 year NHL veteran defenseman returned to Germany in 2016 and signed with Kolner Haie. The offensive defenseman was seen as a healthy scratch often in his final two seasons in the NHL and decided it was better off to play in his home country. In 36 Games last year he had 8 goals and 23 points with 20 penalty minutes. He was captain of this world cup team and had 1 goal and 5 points in 6 games. 

Player you should know: Dominik Kahun - 21 years old - Left Wing. The top scoring forward on a good German team, Kahun is only 21 and is coming off a season in which he had 11 goals and 30 points in 40 games for EHC Munchen and 11 points in 14 playoff games. He had 2 goals and 7 points in this tournament and he could be a good signing for an NHL team trying to improve their prospect pool. 

Performance Grade: B+ The Germans had a very good tournament and didn’t disappoint their home crowd. 

Czech Republic: 

Record: 5-3-0 (Quarterfinal Defeat)

Overview of Tournament: Lost to Canada in a competitive opener, beat Belarus 6-1, won an overtime game against Finland and then a 1-0 overtime win against Norway. Beat Slovenia and France and finished the group play with a regulation loss against Switzerland. They faced Russia in the first round and lost 3-0. 

Players Club Leagues: KHL: 9, Czech: 7, NHL: 6, NLA: 2, EBEL: 1

Top Scorer: David Pastranak - 20 Years Old - Right Wing - NHL - Boston Bruins. In 8 games played the future NHL star had 1 goal and 7 Points. He played 75 games this past season with Boston and scored 34 goals and 70 points. 

Former NHL Player: Michal Repik - 28 years old - Right Wing. Repik was a 2nd round pick for the Florida Panthers and played a total of 72 games in the NHL. He currently plays in the Czech league for HC Sparta Praha. In the 8 tournament games he had 3 goals and 5 points. 

Player you should know: Pavel Francouz - 26 Years Old - Goaltender. This goalie has been terrific in the KHL this past season for Traktor Chelyabinsk with a 1.43 GAA and a .953 SV% in 30 Games. He played 4 games in the tournament and had a 1.49 GAA and a .910 SV%. Francouz could be a NHL goaltender in the future if he continues to have strong seasons in Europe.  

Performance Grade: B The Czech’s have received some criticism in previous tournaments but they did well in this one, competing every game close and almost defeating the Russians in the Quarterfinals. 

Switzerland: 

Record: 5-1-2 (Quarterfinal Defeat)

Overview of Tournament: Opened the tournament with a close call against Slovenia that they won, beat Norway 3-0 before losing in a shootout to France. Beat Belarus 3-0 and then shocked Canada with an overtime win thanks to Fabrice Herzog’s winner. Lost an overtime game to Finland and finished the tournament beating the Czech Republic in regulation. They faced a strong Sweden team in the Quarterfinals and lost 3-1. 

Players Club Leagues: NLA: 23, AHL: 2, NHL: 1

Top Scorer: Vincent Praplan - 22 Years Old - Right Wing - NLA - EHC Kloten. In 8 games he had 4 goals and 7 points. The young forward is a future Switzerland star who had 15 goals and 42 points in 50 games for EHC Kloten this past season. 

Former NHL Player: Damien Brunner - 31 Years Old - Left Wing. He played 2 seasons in the NHL with Detroit and New Jersey before heading to the NLA. He contributed 25 goals and 58 points in 121 NHL Games. He currently plays for HC Lugano of the NLA where he had 8 goals and 26 points in 33 Games. This tournament he had 2 goals and 3 points in 7 games. 

Player you Should Know: Leonardo Genoni - 29 years old - Goaltender. Very few players have been more consistent over the past three seasons than Genoni. In 50 games with SC Bern he had a 2.11 GAA and a .936 SV% and then in 16 playoff games he had a 1.56 GAA and a .949 SV%. The Swiss goalie played 6 games in this tournament and had a 1.66 GAA with a .933 SV% and he started over former NHL goaltender Jonas Hiller for the majority of the tournament. NHL teams in need of a goalie should take a look at Genoni this summer as a possible signing option.

Performance Grade: A- The Swiss always seem to show up at international tournaments despite having only 1 NHL player and not a lot of star power. 

United States: 

Record: 6-2-0 (Lost in Quarterfinals)

Overview of Tournament: Lost their opening game 2-1 against Germany and this tournament seemed like a bad year for the States but they rebounded strong. Winning the next 6 games in regulation including wins over Russia and Sweden and headed into the playoff round as a contender. They then faced Finland and lost 2-0 in a game where Harri Sateri made 26 saves in a shutout but they States hurt themselves with 6 minor penalties compared to Finland only taking 2. 

Players Club Leagues: NHL: 19, NCAA: 6

Top Scorer: Johnny Gaudreau - 23 Years Old - Right Wing - NHL - Calgary Flames. The young forward had 6 goals and 11 points in 8 games and is coming off another good season in Calgary where he had 18 goals and 61 Points in 72 Games.

Former NHL Player: None- Eligible. All players either currently play in the NHL or are in the NCAA and haven’t played in the NHL. 

Player you should know: Anders Bjork - 20 Years Old - Right Wing. Yes he is American despite his name suggesting that he is from Denmark. The 2014 5th round pick is currently playing for Notre Dame in the NCAA and in 39 games the forward had 21 goals and 52 points. He is a Boston Bruin prospect who could be a 5th round steal if he continues to develop. He did however go scoreless in 5 games with the United States during this tournament. 

Performance Grade: B Disappointing end to the tournament but their stellar play in the Group Round gives this team a B Grade. They will continue to be a contender for many years to come. 

Finland: 

Record: 5-4-1 (Lost in Semi-Finals and in Bronze Medal Game)

Overview of Tournament: Had a fairly rough group stage barely making it to the playoff round and their ownly semi-impressive win was an overtime win against Switzerland. They entered the playoffs as big underdogs against USA but shocked the States with a 2-0 victory. They then faced their rivals Sweden in the Semi-Finals but lost 4-1 being outshot 41-23 in the process. They also lost their Bronze Medal game to Russia 5-3. 

Players Club Leagues: KHL: 11, Liiga: 5, NHL: 4, AHL: 3, SHL: 2

Top Scorer: Sebastian Aho - 19 Years Old - Right Wing - NHL - Carolina Hurricanes. The young superstar had 2 goals and 11 points in 10 Games for Finland. He is coming off a rookie season in Carolina where he had 24 Goals and 49 Points in 82 Games. His season was overshadowed by fellow Finland rookie Patrik Laine who did not play in this tournament. 

Former NHL Player: Lasse Kukkonen - 35 Years Old - Defenseman. The 5th round pick in 2003 played 4 seasons in North America with 159 NHL games between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Philadelphia Flyers. He was the captain of this Finnish team and currently plays for Karpat of Liiga. 

Player you should know: Veli-Matti Savinainen - 31 Years Old - Left Wing. The forward had his best season this past year with 30 Goals and 56 Points in 55 Games with Tappara of Liiga. Savinainen also had an impressive tournament with 3 goals and 7 points in 10 Games. 

Performance Grade: C+ They did well against the United States but the rest of the tournament was very disappointing for Finland. 

Russia: 

Record: 8-2-0 (Lost Semi-Final Game to Canada, Won Bronze Medal)

Overview of Tournament: Went through Round Robin fairly unstoppable except a 5-3 loss against the United States. In the quarterfinals they got past the Czech Republic with a 3-0 win and step up a match-up against Canada in the Semi-Finals. They had a 2-0 lead against Canada heading into the third before Canada scores three unanswered and adds an empty netter to defeat the Russians. They ended up beating Finland in the Bronze Medal Game. 

Players Club Leagues: KHL: 18, NHL: 7

Top Scorer: Artemi Panarin - 25 Years Old - Left Wing - NHL - Chicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks star was tremendous in this tournament with 4 goals and 17 points in 9 games. These numbers are coming off a season where he scored 31 goals and 74 points in 82 games. 

Former NHL Player: Valeri Nichushkin - 22 Years Old - Right Wing. The young skilled forward with great work ethic left the Dallas Stars after the 2016 season for the KHL despite another strong season in the NHL. In 6 games during the tournament he had 3 goals and last season for CSKA Moskva he had 11 goals and 24 points in 36 games. 

Player you Should Know: Nikita Gusev - 24 Years Old - Left Wing. The 2012 7th round pick is turning into a fantastic hockey player in the KHL. In 57 Games with SKA St. Petersburg he had 24 goals and 71 points with 23 points in 18 playoff games. Gusev will likely stay in the KHL next season but this tournament and his KHL numbers have raised NHL Gm’s interest in the young forward.

Performance Grade: A- The Russians are always a powerhouse and were major contenders for winning the whole tournament but a third period collapse cost them an otherwise fantastic performance overall. 

Canada: 

Record: 8-0-2 (Lost in the Gold Medal Game)

Overview of Tournament: The Canadians started the tournament with three dominating wins over the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Belarus. They then had a scare against the French but survived with a 3-2 regulation win. The Swiss shocked them in overtime with a win and the Canadians finished off their round robin with two dominating performances against Norway and Finland to make up for the Switzerland game. The Canadians got past two tough matches in the playoffs against Germany and Russia before matching up with Sweden in the Finals. The Canadians lost in a close shootout defeat. 

Players Club Leagues: NHL: 23, AHL: 1, KHL: 1

Top Scorer: Nathan MacKinnon -  21 Years Old - Forward - NHL - Colorado Avalanche. The future of the Colorado Avalanche was sensational in this tournament with 6 goals and 15 points in 10 games. Despite a very poor team effort in Colorado this season, MacKinnon had 16 goals and 53 points in 82 games.

Former NHL Player:  None Eligible. All Players are either in the NHL or AHL and the KHL player has never played in the NHL.

Player you Should Know: Chris Lee - 36 Years Old - Defenseman. The KHL star offensive defenseman has never played in the NHL or any big platforms for Team Canada. He went to a NCAA division 3 school, played three years in the ECHL and four years in the AHL before heading to Europe where he has spent the past 7 seasons. In 60 games with Metallburg Magnitogorsk of the KHL he had 14 goals and 65 Points with 21 points in 18 playoff games. In this tournament he played solid with 2 assists in 7 games. 

Performance Grade: A anything short of a Gold Medal is a poor performance in the eyes of Canada but the Canadians lost a closely fought Gold Medal game in a shootout and were pretty solid throughout the whole tournament. 

Sweden: 

Record: 8-1-1 (Won Gold Medal)

Overview of Tournament: The Swedish didn’t seem that dangerous heading into the playoff stage with 2 defeats against Russia and the United States but they turned in on in the playoffs. The Cruised past Switzerland and Finland heading into a match up with Team Canada. Sweden played Canada neck and neck in the closest game of the tournament and Henrik Lundqvist shut the door in the shootout and Team Sweden raises the trophy for its first title since 2013. 

Players Club Leagues: NHL: 18, SHL: 4, KHL: 2, NLA: 1

Top Scorer: William Nylander - 21 Years Old - Right Wing - NHL - Toronto Maple Leafs. The young star had 7 goals and 14 points in 10 games and this is coming off a tremendous rookie season for Toronto. He had 22 goals and 61 points in 81 games with the Maple Leafs.

Former NHL Player: Linus Omark - 30 Years Old - Left Wing. The former Edmonton Oilers forward had 2 goals in 5 games during the tournament He plays for Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the KHL and is coming off a strong season where he had 14 goals and 56 points in 55 games.

Player you should Know: Joel Lundqvist - 35 Years Old - Center. The Captain of Team Sweden and Frolunda HC of the SHL, the veteran forward is highly respected amongst his Swedish teammates. He is also Henrik Lundqvist’s twin brother and although not as successful in hockey, he has done well. Last season he had 9 goals and 26 points in 51 games. During this tournament he had 1 goal and 2 points in 10 games. 

Performance Grade: A+ They won Gold Medal, their top scorer is 21 years old and the Lundqvist brothers lifted the trophy together.

[uncleleo16]

What’s Next For the Washington Capitals?

The Capitals were eliminated from the playoffs for the sixth time in the last 10 years in the second round and have a difficult offseason ahead. In the 12 years of the Alexander Ovechkin Era they have made the playoffs nine times and have accumulated 4 50 Wins Seasons and 3 Presidents Trophies. The question still remains though, Why can’t they make a run in the postseason? I won’t be addressing that specific question but I will show their current situation in better light to understand that their contender window is becoming more difficult to maintain. 

Unrestricted Free Agents: 

 T.J. Oshie, Forward. In 68 Games Played this season Oshie had 33 Goals and 56 Points and added 4 Goals and 12 Points in the 13 Playoff Games. He has become a solid member of the Ovechkin line and is approaching the end of a 5 year deal valued at $4.175 Million a Season. At 30 Years Old, Oshie could easily ask for north of 5 Million Dollars a season. 

Justin Williams, Forward. In his 2 years in Washington he had back to back 20 Goal and 50 Point Seasons. He also had a total of 6 Goals and 16 Points in 24 Playoff Games. End of 2 year 3.50 Million Dollar per season Deal and he is 35 Years old. Might sign for a short term contract at roughly 3 million dollars with a contender. 

Daniel Winnik, Forward. This season in Washington he had 12 Goals and 25 Points in 72 Games. In 25 Playoff Games with the team he has 0 Goals and 0 Points. End of 2 Year 2.25 Million Dollar Contract. At 32 Years Old he probably will get a contract closer to 1.6 Million per season based on his value. 

Karl Alzner, Defenseman. Drafted by the Capitals in 2007, Alzner has never played for another club. The Defensive Defenseman had 13 points in 82 games this season and played in 7 playoff games. He is 28 years old and at the end of a 4 year contract valued at 2.8 million per season. Alzner could test the free agent market and get paid well this season or he could re-sign with the Capitals with less than what the market has to offer. 

Kevin Shattenkirk, Defenseman. Acquired at the Deadline, Shattenkirk had 2 Goals and 14 Points in 19 Games and 1 Overtime Winning Goal and 6 Points in 13 Playoff Games. His 4 Year Contract at 4.25 Million per season is expiring and the 28 year old offensive defenseman will likely leave Washington for a big money deal this offseason. 

Tom Gilbert, Defenseman. Played his only season in Washington in the AHL where he had 13 Points in 25 Games. The 34 Year Old player is at the End of a 1 year Deal at 1.4 million dollars. Will likely not re-sign. 

AHL Players that are UFA’s: Phoenix Copley, 25, Goaltender. Garrett Mitchell, 25, Forward. Christian Thomas, 24, Forward. Paul Carey, 28, Forward. Chris Bourque, 31, Forward. Stanislav Galiev, 25, Forward. 

Restricted Free Agents: 

Evgeny Kuznetsov, Forward. The russian forward scored 19 Goals and 59 Points in 82 Games and contributed 5 Goals and 10 Points in 13 Playoff Games this season. Kuznetsov is 24 years old and at the end of a 2 year deal at 3 million per season. He is arguably one of the most talented players on the Capitals and is an important signing this offseason.

Andre Burakovsky, Forward. In his third season in the NHL Burakovsky had 12 Goals and 35 Points in 64 Games and 3 Goals, 6 points in 12 Playoff Games. The 22 year old is at the end of his entry level contract at 894,167 per year and will receive a significant pay raise this offseason. It might be tough to sign him though given their limited cap space.

Brett Connolly, Forward. He had 15 Goals and 23 Points in 66 Games and 0 Points in 7 playoff Games. He is only 25 years old and a former first round pick. He is at the end of a 1 year deal valued at 850,000. Washington might be able to get him cheap again but he could sign elsewhere for more ice time and better money. 

Dmitry Orlov, Defenseman. In 82 Games this year he scored 6 Goals and 27 assists and in the playoffs had 3 points in 13 Games. The 25 year old has been a solid defenseman for Washington and is at the end of a 1 year 2.57 million dollar deal. He will get a big raise in his contract this offseason and it is an important signing for Washington to make.

Nate Schmidt, Defenseman. The young defenseman had 3 Goals and 17 Points in 60 Games and added 4 Points in 11 Playoff Games. The 25 year old was undrafted but has developed into a very good defenseman and is at the end of a 2-year deal at 812,500 per season. There is no way he makes anything close to that amount next season.

Philipp Grubauer, Goaltender. The German goalie has been a solid back-up to Holtby for the past two seasons and this season played 24 Games with a Goals Against Average of 2.04 and a Save Percentage of .926. He is only 25 years old and at the end of a 2-year deal at 750,000 per season and will likely earn more money this offseason. Washington doesn’t need to overpay for Grubauer but it would be nice to have a reliable back-up. 

AHL Players that are RFA’s: Chandler Stephenson, 23, Forward. Christian Djoos, 22, Defenseman. Travis Boyd, 23, Forward. Nathan Walker, 23, Forward. Liam O’Brien, 22, Forward. Cody Corbett, 23, Defenseman. Darren Dietz, 23, Defenseman. 

Top 5 Prospects: 

Ilya Samsonov, Goaltender. 20 Years Old

Lucas Johansen, Defenseman. 19 Years Old

Jonas Siegenthalar, Defenseman. 20 Years Old

Connor Hobbs, Defenseman, 20 Years Old

Jakub Vrana, Forward, 21 Years Old

Note: The Capitals only have 4 Draft Picks this season as they traded away the 1st, 2nd and 3rd round pick. 

Conclusion:

So the Capital are still a strong team and will just need to re-adjust their roster for next season. They also will lose a player to the Vegas expansion draft which will effect their decision making. A lot of people seem to think someone like Tom Wilson, Brett Connolly, Taylor Chorney or Philipp Grubauer will be picked. Regardless I believe the Capitals have 5 must sign players this offseason, Kuznetsov, Burakovsky, Orlov, Schmidt and Alzner. T.J. Oshie is nearly a must-sign but it depends on what he is demanding and at 30 years old he isn’t getting any younger. Justin Williams had a good run in Washington but I think both sides should part ways and Williams should join another title contending team. Daniel Winnik could be re-signed at the right amount as a role player but they shouldn’t overpay for his services. Kevin Shattenkirk is a great offensive defenseman but some of his defensive liabilities caught up with him in the playoffs and he will likely ask for way too much money in the offseason. Tom Gilbert is done and there is no need to sign him. Brett Connolly could be signed at the right amount. Philipp Grubauer would be a nice signing but a lot of people have the Golden Knights drafting him anyway. Regardless of the front management decisions, buckle up Capitals fans, it’s going to be a crazy summer. 

[uncleleo16]

With 4 Teams Left, which Team Should You Bandwagon?

Assuming you’re a hockey fan who has seen his team either eliminated from the playoffs or not even make the playoffs, you still want to root for someone. With 4 remaining teams and 4 different scripts it is hard to choose which team to support. I am not advertising becoming a bandwagon fan but I am giving you a short glimpse at each team. 

Option 1: Pittsburgh Penguins 

Best Season in last 10 Years: 2 Stanley Cups (2009, 2016)

Head Storyline: First Cup Repeat since Detroit in 1997 and 1998. 

Playoff Performer: Jake Guentzel, 9 Goals, 14 Points as a Rookie

Veteran Without a Cup: Ron Hainsey, 36 Year Old Defenseman who has been on some bad teams, Blue Jackets (05-08), Thrashers/Jets (08-13), Hurricanes (13-16). 

Record in Playoffs: 8-4, 1 Game 7 (2-0 Win against Washington)

Achilles Heel: Defence, Fleury has had to really bail his team out during the first 12 Games as the Penguins allow a average of 35.3 Shots against per game which is higher than the other 4 teams remaining. Being without Kris Letang has hurt them so far but they have survived and will they continue to defend the offensive storm against a very balanced Ottawa team. 

Why Cheer For Them: Ron Hainsey winning a Cup would be nice, Jake Guentzel playoffs have been unreal, you enjoy dynasties in sports. You probably are cheering for the Cavaliers in the NBA Playoffs and have cheered for the Patriots for the past 7 years. You also enjoy seeing the rest of the league suffer (including your own team) as this organization develops into an unstoppable dynasty. 

Why Not Cheer For Them: They are the favourites, the NHL’s last remaining “golden team” in the playoffs. They have Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel and now Jake Guentzel which makes their offense almost unstoppable. They have two starter worthy goaltenders and have little weaknesses. 

Verdict: If you want to cheer for a team with the best road to a Cup from this point forward, look no further. You may get mocked by fellow fans for cheering for this team so approach with caution. 

Option 2: Ottawa Senators 

Best Season in Last 10 Years: Lost Stanley Cup Final (2007)

Head Storyline: Bringing the Cup back to Canada for first time since 1993. 

Playoff Performer: Erik Karlsson, 2 Goals, 13 Points, 2 Game Winning Goals 

Veteran Without a Cup: Chris Neil, 37 Year Old Forward. Has been a healthy scratch a lot this season, but life long Ottawa Senator and a true enforcer. Over 2500 Penalty minutes in his career and plays with true heart and grit. 

Record in Playoffs: 8-4 (Both Series Going to Six Games)

Achilles Heel: Offense from Top Forwards. This Playoff run has been lead largely on Offense by Karlsson, Dion Phaneuf and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. Yes big name players Bobby Ryan, Mike Hoffman, Mark Stone and Kyle Turris have done well but in order to beat the Penguins they need to step up big. 

Why Cheer For Them: They are the last Canadian team remaining, have never won a Stanley Cup since re-entering the league in 1993. Craig Anderson’s dedication to hockey through his wife’s cancer treatments is truly unbelievable. Clarke MacArthur has made a long road back to fully recovered and playing hockey. Besides Chris Neil and Anderson, Alex Burrows is also a player over 35 without winning a Stanley Cup. 

Why Not Cheer For Them: You are a Leafs fan who can’t stand to see your rival win a Cup or a Fan who is unsure about the Senators odds against the Penguins. 

Verdict: This is a really good pick, they check all the boxes of a strong team to follow. Heartwarming Story, Underdog, Old Veterans looking for first Cup, Organization looking for first Cup, A true hockey market. Approach with caution though as they play the Penguins in the next round and if your a Leafs fan this team is probably not an option for you. 

Option 3: Anaheim Ducks

Best Season in Last 10 Years: Won Stanley Cup (2007)

Head Storyline: Randy Carlyle return to Anaheim a success?

Playoff Performer: Ryan Getzlaf, 8 Goals, 15 Points, 54.6% Faceoffs

Veteran Without a Cup: Kevin Bieksa, 35 Years Old Defenseman. He was a solid stay at home defenseman for many years and made the Cup Final in 2011 with Vancouver before losing to Boston in Game 7. 

Record in Playoffs: 8-3 (Won Game 7 against Edmonton in Round 2)

Achilles Heel: Goaltending and Special Teams. John Gibson has struggled at times during this playoff run and through 11 Games has a GAA or 2.80 and a Save Percentage of .908. If the Ducks are going to beat a rock solid Nashville defensive core, they need their goalie to play well. The Ducks Penalty Kill is operating at 69% and their powerplay is only at 13.9% which puts both categories last among the remaining 4 teams. The Ducks did however have the 4th best Penalty Kill during the regular season and their powerplay was operating at 18.7%. 

Why Cheer For Them: They are a team lead by veterans and the same coach that lead them to a Stanley Cup in 2007. It would be nice to see Ryan Kesler and Kevin Bieksa win their first Cup after a heartbreaking 2011 Finals. 

Why Not Cheer For Them: They already won a Cup in the last 10 years and you’re tired of California Teams making a major impact in the NHL. You’re still bitter about Game 5 against Edmonton and Anaheim isn’t really known for hockey and their fanbase is arguably the least passionate of the four teams left. 

Verdict: It’s an okay choice and they have a decent shot to make the finals. If you’re Canadian it would be a bit weird because you were probably against them in their last two series against Calgary and Edmonton. This is still a better pick than Pittsburgh. 

Option 4: Nashville Predators

Best Season in Last 10 Years: Losing in Second Round in 2011,2012 and 2016. 

Head Storyline: From Underdogs to Cup Favourites in under a month. 

Playoff Performer: Pekka Rinne, 1.37 GAA and a .951 SV% with two shutouts so far. 

Veteran Without a Cup: Mike Fisher, 36 Year Old Forward. The Long-Time Ottawa Senator and great two-way player has a chance to win his first Cup. 

Record in Playoffs: 8-2 (Swept the Blackhawks in Round 1 as a 8th Seed)

Achilles Heel: Experience. This team has looked virtually unstoppable through two rounds but they are lacking a bit of experience if they were too make it to the Cup Finals. (I really couldn’t think of anything as an achilles heel based on their performance).

Why Cheer For Them: You love country music, P. K. Subban, their fanbase and their true 8th seed underdog story. Nashville is the most interesting team in the playoffs with a stacked defensive core, a lot of role players on forward and a true warrior goalie in Pekka Rinne. Plus they have the best name in the playoffs with forward Harry Zolnierczyk. 

Why Not Cheer For Them: You’re one of those fans who hate P. K. Subban for some reason or you don’t want to see one of Gary Bettman’s expansion experiments work. 

Verdict: This is a true underdog pick as the Predators are an 8th Seed and like the 2012 Los Angeles Kings are true title contenders. Would love to see Subban, Rinne and Mike Fisher lift the Cup. 

[uncleleo16]

NHL Eastern Conference Semi-Finals Preview

(1) Washington Capitals vs. (2) Pittsburgh Penguins

Star Headline: Sidney Crosby vs. Alexander Ovechkin. The two captains are always the center of attention when these two teams play. They are both arguably the two most well known and talented hockey players in the world. Ovechkin’s Goal scoring numbers dropped significantly this year as he only tallied 33 Goals compared to 50 in the 2015-16 season. He recorded 36 assists which are his most in a single season since 2011. Ovechkin also had the lowest amount of ice-time in his career with only 18:22 a game. So far in the post-season he has 3 goals (2 Power-Play) goals in 6 Games. Sidney Crosby had his 4th straight 80+ Point scoring season and scored 44 Goals which marks only the second time in his career that he scored more than 40 Goals. In the 5 Game victory over Columbus Crosby had 2 Goals and 7 Points while playing 20:20 minutes a game. This rivalry has been one-sided so far in its history. Crosby is 2-0 against Ovechkin in the Playoffs, has 2 Stanley Cups and 2 Olympic Golds. Ovechkin hasn’t made the Stanley Cup Finals, never won an Olympic Gold and has earned a reputation of falling short in the playoffs. This series is obviously bigger than these two players but they are the leaders of their club but last year it was players like Nick Bonino, Phil Kessel and Matt Murray that helped lead the Penguins to a 4-2 series win on root to a Stanley Cup. The match-up between Ovechkin and Crosby is interesting because of their differences as hockey players. Crosby is reserved, makes smart plays, finds his teammates and understands the game at a different level. Ovechkin is hard-hitting, almost always scores from the same spot (Top of the Circle on a one-timer) and is a very energy driven player. Ovechkin will definitely be at a high compete level during this series and Crosby will continue to play at the level that he has played all season. Should be a great match-up.  Key Match-Up: Pittsburgh’s Defense vs. Washington Offense The reason this is more important than Washington’s Defense against the lethal offense of Pittsburgh is that Washington has a solid defense that Washington reduced the 5th best scoring team (3.05 Goals a Game) to 2.67 Goals a Game. While Pittsburgh allowed the most shots against per Game at 38.8 against Columbus. The Capitals offense scores at a rate of 3.18 Goals a game and their defense limits teams to only 2.16 Goals a Game. If the Washington defense holds up like they did against Toronto than the Penguins defense needs to prevent Washington from scoring more than 3 Goals a Game. This needs to be a strong series from Olli Maatta, Justin Schultz, Trevor Daley and Ian Cole for the Penguins to win.  Former Maple Leafs Playing in Series:  Pittsburgh Forward: Phil Kessel (Maple Leaf 2009-15) Pittsburgh Defense: Frank Corrado (Maple Leaf 2015-17) Washington Forward: Daniel Winnik (Maple Leaf 2014-16) Veteran Looking for First Stanley Cup:  Mark Streit is the obvious choice and although the 39 year old defenseman has been a healthy scratch in every playoff game this year, he deserves a cup. Streit was drafted 262nd overall in 2004 by the Montreal Canadiens at 26 years old. He than become one of the most prolific offensive defenseman in the NHL with 434 Points in 784 NHL Games. He competed in 4 Olympics from 2002-2014 with Switzerland and even made Team Europe in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. He was traded at the deadline to Pittsburgh and had 1 Goal and 6 Points in 19 Games with the Penguins. Hopefully the Swiss player will get an opportunity to play in this series and make an impact and if not, hopefully the Penguins can win a Stanley Cup for the veteran defenseman in what could be his final NHL season.  Prediction: 4-3 Washington. This series will be fantastic and you could make the argument that the winner of this series has a clear path to the Stanley Cup. I think the depth Washington has at forward and their Strong Special Teams will lead the Caps to a 7 Game victory.

(2) Ottawa Senators vs. (W1) New York Rangers   

Star Headline: This Terrible Playoff Format. No disrespect to the Senators, but the Rangers deserve home ice advantage. The Rangers finished with 4 more points in the standings than Ottawa which was good for 5th in the conference while the Senators were 6th in the Conference. The Rangers in result have to sacrifice home ice but if the format was the old way, the Senators would have to play the Capitals and the Rangers would play the Penguins in the second round. So both the Senators and the Rangers are probably grateful they face a weaker team. Both these teams are strong defensively and are content winning games 3-1. Offensively the Senators have the Edge but the Rangers have the Edge on Defense and in Net with Henrik Lundqvist holding down the fort. This series won’t receive that much attention because neither team has been given a chance to beat either Washington or Pittsburgh in the Conference Finals.  Key Match-Up: Mika Zibanejad vs. Derick Brassard These two players were traded for each other over the summer and the two centers have the opportunity now to show which team made the right choice. Zibanejad had 37 Points in 56 Regular Season Games and so far has 4 Points in 6 Playoff Games. Derick Brassard had 39 Points in 81 Regular Season Games but has been on fire in the playoffs with 8 Points in 6 Games. This match-up will be fun to watch because both players are trying to prove their former team wrong for trading them.  Former Maple Leafs Playing in Series: Ottawa Defense: Dion Phaneuf (Maple Leaf 2009-16) Ottawa Forward: Casey Bailey (Maple Leaf 2014-16) Ottawa Forward: Clarke MacArthur (Maple Leaf 2010-13) New York Forward: Michael Grabner (Maple Leaf during 2015-16 Year) Veteran Looking for First Stanley Cup:  Henrik Lundqvist is the obvious choice because of his criteria. He is 35 years old nearing the end of his prime as a starting goalie. Is a Hart Trophy, Vezina Trophy winner, won Olympic Gold in 2006 and Lost in the Stanley Cup Finals in 5 Game to Los Angeles in 2014. Lundqvist is nearing the end of his productive years and this could be one of his final opportunities to win a Stanley Cup as a Starter with a good team.  Prediction: 4-3 New York Rangers. This will be a closely fought series between two defensive teams but the Rangers have the slight advantage. Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist has looked very good for the Rangers and could lead the to a series win. 

[uncleleo16]

NHL Western Conference Semi-Finals Preview

The first round of the playoffs concluded Sunday Night when the Washington Capitals eliminated the Toronto Maple Leafs in Overtime of Game 6. The first round featured three notable upsets (St. Louis, New York and Nashville) and saw the Cup Finalists of last year (San Jose) eliminated by a young Oilers Team. 8 Team Remain, who will lift the trophy in June? Let’s breakdown each second round match up to get a better understanding of the Remaining teams. 

Western Conference

(3) St. Louis Blues vs. (W2) Nashville Predators

Star Headline: The Underdog Stories.  The Blues were a team that was unsure of the playoffs at the end of February. They were 31-26-5 and had a struggling goalie in Jake Allen. They traded away 28 year old star defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk to Washington for a couple prospects and a 1st Round Pick and it seemed as if there front office was eyeing a busy off-season after a failed year. Then the Blues went on a 15-3-2 run to end the year and Jake Allen finally found his form once again. They brought back Vladimir Sobotka from the KHL for the playoff run and he already has 1 goal, 3 Points in the 5 Playoff Games including setting up the Game 5 overtime winner. Jake Allen is 4-1 with a 1.47 GAA and a .956 SV% and really stole some games from a near president trophy team in Minnesota. They also fired coach Ken Hitchcock and hired former Minnesota Wild coach Mike Yeo. The Blues record under Mike Yeo including the playoffs is 26-9-2. Combine this with the fact that they still have Vladimir Tarasenko, Jaden Schwartz, Alex Pietrangelo, Paul Stastny, Colton Parayko and Ryan Reaves means no team wants to play St. Louis this post-season.  The Predators were a fairly average team throughout the season and had a good stretch in January and February going 16-8-3 during that time frame. Pekka Rinne was okay in goal during the season and the 34 year old was definitely better than the 2015-16 season. Pekka Rinne was lights out against Chicago in the first round with a 0.70 GAA, .976 SV% and 2 shutouts in Chicago. The Predators possess a scary good defensive core with P.K. Subban, Ryan Ellis, Roman Josi, Mattias Ekholm, Matt Erwin and Yannick Weber. They have a very good offense too with Filip Forsberg, James Neal, Ryan Johansen, Viktor Arvidsson and Mike Fisher. The question isn’t about the skill of the Predators, it’s about whether they can finally get past the second round. This is their 4th time in the second round and they have never moved to the Conference Finals and have a record of 6-12 record in the Conference Semi-Finals. They look confident this year though and do play the role of true underdogs in this series.  Key Match-Up: Jake Allen vs. Pekka Rinne This series probably won’t be a goal tending dual as much as people think. The reason this is the most important match-up though is because both goalies played amazing in the first round and it’s a question of who can maintain there high level of play and who will drop back down to earth, or maybe both goalies will have an average series. Whoever can steal a game will likely see his team move onto the second round.  Former Maple Leafs Playing in this series:  Nashville Forward: P.A. Paranteau (Maple Leaf during 2015-16 Season). Nashville Forward: Trevor Smith (Maple Leaf 2013-15) St. Louis Forward: Alexander Steen (Maple Leaf 2005-08) St. Louis Defense: Carl Gunnarsson (Maple Leaf 2009-14) Nashville Defense: Petter Granberg (Maple Leaf 2013-2015) Veteran Looking for first Stanley Cup:  Both teams have veterans looking for their first Cup and while P.A. Paranteau or Pekka Rinne could be a good choice the best Veteran to root for is 36 year old Mike Fisher. The Beloved player and former Ottawa Senator is a good two-way center who is heading into his final years in the NHL. He is also married to country superstar Carrie Underwood and is overall a very nice guy, both on and off the ice. Hopefully he can get a Stanley Cup before he retires.  Prediction: 4-2 St. Louis. The Blues get it done offensively and Jake Allen shuts the door for most of the series. Could easily predict Nashville but the Blues are just another type of animal with Mike Yeo as their new head coach.

(1) Anaheim Ducks vs. (2) Edmonton Oilers

Star Headline: Old Time Hockey?  The Ducks are a veteran team that understands playoff hockey, they proved that in a sweep of the Calgary Flames. The Oilers are a young energy driven team that loves the physical aspect of the game. They will try to test the Ducks in a way the Flames didn’t during their series, they will be really physical with Anaheim. In retaliation the Ducks aren’t afraid to hit and even occasionally fight. Nick Ritchie lead the team with 247 hits in the regular season, Josh Manson had 227, Kevin Bieksa had 173 and Ryan Kesler had 146 hits. The stars of the Ducks Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry have also proven that they have a physical game. The Oilers will be lead by Adam Larson (253 Hits), Milan Lucic (202 Hits), Zack Kassian (201 Hits) and Patrick Maroon (189 Hits). The Ducks are a structured team that has the experience to beat the Oilers but with the constant speed, good goal tending and Lucic/Kassian throwing huge hits, this series could get out of control. This series is similar to Old Time Hockey as well because neither Goalie has really proven themselves as elite. John Gibson was 4-0 with a 2.60 GAA and a .926 SV% while Cam Talbot was better in 6 games with a 2.03 GAA and a .927 SV%. Both Goalies are very good but it’s not a Jake Allen vs. Pekka Rinne showdown and offense and hitting could be the focal point of this series.  Key Match-Up: Ryan Getzlaf/Ryan Kesler vs. Connor McDavid Whoever matches up against McDavid will have a difficult task trying to prevent the young star from scoring. McDavid has looked good in his first playoffs with 2 Goals and 4 Points in 6 Games including a shorthanded goal. The Ducks centers however are much better than McDavid at Face-offs. Both Getzlaf and Kesler were above 50% for the season while McDavid was only at 43%. Kesler especially was a top 10 in the league and teammate Antoine Vermette was second in the league with a 62.3% face-off winning percentage. The Ducks Centers will also likely play physical on McDavid but if the Oilers star can get control of the puck, he will create big opportunities. This match-up will also be the one that the media will be talking about for the next two weeks, so I’m just preparing you for the inevitable.  Former Maple Leafs Playing in this series:  Anaheim Defense: Korbinian Holzer (Maple Leaf 2010-15) Anaheim Goalie: Jonathan Bernier (Maple Leaf 2013-16) Edmonton Goalie: Jonas Gustavsson (Maple Leaf 2009-12) Veteran Looking for First Stanley Cup: The Oilers don’t really have any Veterans that are old enough to be considered for this, but the Ducks have 3 players 32 years old or older that haven’t won the Cup. Kevin Bieksa is the Veteran longing for the Stanley Cup, he is 35 years old and was within the Vancouver Canucks organization from 2003 until 2015. The Canucks went to one finals and lost in Game 7 to the Boston Bruins. Bieksa is a hard working defenseman playing on a really good Anaheim team that has a chance to go all the way this year. Another reason to root for Bieksa is that in 2011 then teammate and one of his closest friends (who actually lived with Bieksa for many years) committed suicide. Rick Rypien’s life was short lived but Bieksa is now a constant advocate for helping fight depression and i’m sure he would love to win a Cup in memory of Rick. Prediction: 4-2 Anaheim. This Ducks team has looked fantastic recently, going unbeaten in the first round and finishing the year going on a 14-2-3 stretch. The Oilers will compete with the Ducks but I think experience in this series and the depth Anaheim has will help them beat Edmonton.