Just What the World Needs, Another Blog
Queen Among Kings blogger Connie Kim asked me to be her co-blogger on the new SBNation Kings blog, and of course I said yes. The blog is called “Jewels From the Crown” and is to be found, shockingly, at www.jewelsfromthecrown.com. I’m going to keep this blog up and running, and will continue to post here once I get the lay of the land.
Sunday’s Standings in Points Blown
In our new Western Sub-Conference, we have ten teams fighting for 5 playoff spots. SJS and CHI have been expelled for being too good, EDM and CBJ for being too bad and COL is out for the moment because they’re the first seed in the NW. In other words, we’re only going to deal with the 4th through 8th seeds, but we’re calling them 1-5. Ten teams, five make it, five don’t.
Two points “awarded” for every loss, one point for every OTL/SOL. Lowest point total is best. Second number (+/-) is number of points (in my system) ahead or behind Los Angeles.
- Nashville 35 / +4
- Phoenix 37 / +2
- Vancouver 38 / +1
- Los Angeles 39 –
- Calgary 40 / -1
- Detroit 40 / -1
- Minnesota 45 / -6
- Dallas 45 / -6
- St. Louis 45 / -6
- Anaheim 47 / -8
Tie breaker is games-played, except that the winner of the tie breaker is the team who has played more games. If this seems counter-intuitive, consider this: A team with a 10-2 record is better than a team with a 2-2 record, who is, in turn better than a team that’s 0-2.
SchoolYourPool.com | Jonathan Bernier, for real this time
Finally, the NHL is almost ready to call upon Jonathan Bernier. For real this time and he’s ready.
The Kings drafted the 6-0, 185 lb goaltender 11th overall in 2006 and expected that he would be the man between the pipes for the Kings for many years to come. While fellow highly regarded prospects Carey Price and Steve Mason have made an impact in the NHL things haven’t gone quite as smoothly for Bernier.
2008-09 proved to be a learning experience for the goaltender who saw things come so easily for him as a junior goaltender with the QMJHL’s Lewiston MAINEiacs. Posting respectable numbers (2.40 GAA, .914 SV%) with the AHL’s Manchester Monarchs, Bernier was solid but unspectacular and also somewhat inconsistent.
But the goalie with the hybrid stand-up/butterfly style has certainly turned a corner in 2009-10. Bernier has been electric with the Monarchs this season, posting a 17-10-4 record, 2.05 GAA, and .938 SV%. He’s been a brick wall, stealing games and posting shutouts (he has 4 this year so far).
It is clear that Bernier is as close to NHL-ready as an AHL goalie can be. Unfortunately for him, while he was grooming himself in the minors for the past year and a half, Jonathan Quick has emerged as a legitimate tender in L.A., and Erik Ersberg is dependable in a role as backup. Quick is under contract for another 3 seasons, while Ersberg has 1 more year left on his deal.
Eventually the Kings will have to make room for Bernier. While Quick has been solid, he’s no Martin Brodeur, Ryan Miller, or Roberto Luongo. Bernier has that type of upside and so he brings the real possibility that he could improve the Kings team if given the chance.
If Jonathan Bernier keeps this up the Kings will have no choice but to make room for him on their NHL roster.
Down Goes Brown: Signs that Tomas Kaberle may be considering waiving his no-trade clause
Witness the genius that is Down Goes Brown (I cut down the list; follow the link for the whole thing):
With the March 4 trade deadline approaching, here are ten signs that Kaberle might be ready to finally waive his NTC:
* Brian Burke asked him for a list of ten teams; he gave Burke a list of 40 teams.
* Concerned younger teammates report that he’s constantly talking about participating in some kind of bizarre post-season elimination tournament where the winner gets a giant trophy.
* New postgame ritual: go home, get drunk, fire up NHL 10, trade self to contending team, turn off console, cry.
Hockey News: AHL – First-half wrap
TOP GOALTENDER
Manchester’s Jonathan Bernier is living up to his first-rounder pedigree. The Monarchs workhorse goalie has delivered loads of minutes in net and been nearly impenetrable. Bernier, a 21-year-old taken 11th overall in the 2006 NHL draft, has four shutouts in his first 31 games after producing five shutouts all last season.
via The Hockey News: Around The AHL: Around The AHL: First-half wrap.
With Ron Hextall’s Guidance, Jonathan Bernier Turning in All-Star Season for Monarchs – AHL – NESN.com
Even with the solid goaltending, the Monarchs still need to score, and Voynov has proven a capable threat from the blue line, sitting at fourth in the team with 21 points. The number is impressive on its own, but when you consider that he’s a 19-year-old kid from Russia who is still learning the English language, it takes on an added dimension.
“For a kid, to be able to play at that level and really be an effective player at that level, that’s a feat,” Hextall said. “It really is. Essentially, he’s a boy and he’s playing against men.”
Morris has also been impressed with Voynov.
“Slava’s a real complete defenseman,” Morris said. “Being a young player, you can see a great deal of upside. He breaks the puck out smartly and makes intelligent plays with the puck on his stick. Defensively, he’s such a good skater that he’s tough to beat. … I see a bright future for him.”
Kovalchuk Trade Offers–What Could a Trade Bring to Atlanta? – Bird Watchers Anonymous
Here’s a good one from a Thrashers blog, with my comments:
LA gets Kovalchuk
So far so good. I like it.
ATL gets Braydon [sic] Schenn –
Now hold on!
Thomas Hickey –
First of all, the guy’s name is spelled B-R-A- — what? HICKEY? Instead of Schenn? AND SCHENN? Is that all you want?
Wayne Simmonds –
I have to assume this is a practical joke at this point. Let’s read on and enjoy:
– and a conditional 1st.
Wait, we give Atlanta a conditional first? What’s the condition? If we ever finish in the bottom ten, we send them that pick?
This doesn’t really affect the Kings’ roster while adding a huge scorer in Kovy.
First of all: HAHAHAHA. Second: Simmonds is the Kings best RW the remainder of the season, certainly in the top-six forwards, and at worst a fixture on the stopper line. He’s a huge presence. He’s a fan favorite. He’s still a kid. And he is getting better every day. Schenn will not join the Kings (or Manchester) until his junior season is over, but I wouldn’t rule out him making an impact on the big club. He came close to making the team out of camp. Who else did you get? Oh, Hickey. Well, he’s hurt right now. So that part of it won’t impact the Kings roster this season. I’ll give you that.
LA has so many young prospects I would think that while losing two of their best
Three.
it still wouldn’t hurt their long term plan whether Kovy resigns or not.
WHETHER HE RE-SIGNS OR NOT?? Wait, we give up all that and he hasn’t agreed to re-sign?
A reasonable offer for a Kovalchuk rental would be something like: nothing. Not even the fee for the gaming license, which I would appreciate if you would put up personally.
original trade “offer” via Kovalchuk Trade Offers–What Could a Trade Bring to Atlanta? – Bird Watchers Anonymous.
Tie Breakers UPDATE
This updates the Kings’ tie-breakers status through tonight’s games. I’m adding MIN, STL and ANA to the log-jam, since the Kings’ three game skid brought them back into the picture.
The Kings are likely to be in a down-to-the-wire dogfight for 4th thru 8th place, with eleven teams competing for six spots. One of CGY, COL or VAN will win the NW and get the 1-3 seed, and the other two will fight for 4-8. Two teams will lose out. The teams locked in combat are COL, NSH, VAN, LAK, CGY, PHX, DET, DAL, MIN, STL and ANA. The question is, how are the Kings doing so far against these teams?
- COL 0-0-0 (4 games remaining)
- NSH 0-1-0 (3 games remaining)
- VAN 0-2-1 (1 game remaining)
- CGY 1-3-0 (0 games remaining)
- PHX 3-2-0 (1 game remaining) note: PHX has 1 point from OTL
- DET 0-2-0 (2 games remaining)
- DAL 3-0-0 (3 games remaining) note: DAL has 2 pts fom OTLs
- ANA 2-0-0 (4 games remaining)
- STL 1-1-1 (1 game remaining)
- MIN 2-1-0 (1 game remaining)
So:
- VAN and CGY have already won their season series with the Kings. As a result, we really, really want one of them to win the division, since one of them or COL has to take that spot anyway.
- If PHX wins the remaining (Kings) game in regulation, they win the season series.
- If DAL wins all three of the remaining games (at least two in regulation), they win the season series.
- Season series with COL, NSH, and STL are very much up in the air.
- Kings have to beat DET twice in regulation by a total of more than four goals to prevail in goal differential.
- MIN has to beat the Kings by five goals in the remaining game in order to prevail in goal differential.
- The Kings are 2-0 and five goals up on ANA, so all they have to do is win one of the remaining three and not get outscored in the other three games by more than five goals total. Doable, obviously, but with four games left in the series, a lot can change quickly.
Constance/Sporting News: Chris Osgood’s biggest save is his successor in net – Craig Custance – NHL – Sporting News
He was coming off one of his worst starts of the season. Detroit Red Wings
goalie Jimmy Howard allowed three goals in 20 shots against the New York Islanders on Tuesday before coach Mike Babcock pulled him.
After making the switch to Chris OsgoodHoward is in that rhythm. At some point, they’re going to need Osgood there too.“You have to play, obviously,” Osgood said. “You have to get games to play and get in that rhythm.”
“I made it very clear when I pulled him,” Babcock said.But Howard, a 25-year-old rookie, still felt bad. In part, it was because he couldn’t make enough stops to help his road-weary team finish its trip strong. But also because it meant Osgood had to come off the bench cold, jumping into action for the first time since Dec. 20.“Yeah, I feel so bad,” Howard said. “You never want to get pulled.”“We laughed about it after,” Osgood said. “I told Jimmy, ‘Never let that happen again. I’m not 27 anymore.’ “But Howard bounced back. He passed another test in what’s becoming one of the NHL’sAfter the Carolina win, Howard was unlacing his skates while trying to explain the importance of the bounce-back game. How was an inexperienced NHL goalie able to shake off a rough start so easily?He stopped messing with the skates and pointed to the veteran to his right who was peeling off mostly dry hockey gear.There was the answer: Chris Osgood. The reason Howard is succeeding is because of Osgood.“I’m just trying to stay in the moment and he’s taught me how to do that. He’s one of the best in the league at that,” Howard told Sporting News. “He knows how to let things roll off his back and just continue to push forward.”And now, Osgood continues to push. Even if it hasn’t been easy.According to Babcock, Howard will start again Saturday in Dallas. Following the Carolina game, he wasn’t ruling out another Howard start on Sunday.Osgood, meanwhile, has made one start in the past month.“The way the league works, the guy who is playing good gets to play,” Babcock explained.But at some point, doesn’t Osgood need to get some regular action? Don’t you have to get one of the game’s best playoff goalies ready for the playoffs?“We’re not in the playoffs,” Babcock shot back. “We have to win games.”When Howard’s string of starts got rolling, it definitely pulled at Osgood. On one hand, he was proud. Osgood has liked the young goalie since the Red Wings drafted him in the second round in 2003.He used to check in on him in Grand Rapids, offering tips and advice on what it took to be an NHL goalie. They frequently chat on the phone, so much, in fact, that Osgood recently joked he had to tell Howard to stop calling him because he was cutting into family time.When Howard’s season debut was a flop in Europe, Osgood was one of his loudest defenders in a sea of critics. And let’s not forget, there were plenty.“I didn’t like (Howard),” admits one NHL scout. “I didn’t like him in the minors, but he’s played better in the NHL than he did in the minors.”But Osgood was insistent. Howard is going to be good. Really good.“I was constantly telling people that,” Osgood said.He was right. And now, the success comes at Osgood’s expense.That’s the other hand and it pulled at Osgood. This isn’t how he envisioned his career winding down. At 37 years old, he has achievements he still wants to accomplish. He’s coming off a season in which he was one playoff win away from a Conn Smythe Trophy — he was that good in the 2009 playoffs.That wasn’t that long ago. The extended trip to the bench wasn’t supposed to happen this quickly.“You have to figure it out, sometimes it’s tough,” Osgood said. “I’ve definitely wrestled with it a lot … I’ve come to the conclusion that you can’t push it one way or the other. You have to let things happen. That’s how you finish the right way.”It’s a balancing act. But if Osgood is going to lean one way, it’s going to be toward the side of helping a young teammate.“I don’t think if you’re a bad guy, things ever turn out the right way,” Osgood said.This is still a playoff team in Detroit, but the days of shuffling lines and roles just to see how players respond are gone. Every win is huge. Every point is huge.Babcock is riding the hot goalie, but at some point he’ll have to make a decision. Can you let the playoff-tested veteran grow stale on the bench? Because that’s exactly what’s happening.
via Chris Osgood’s biggest save is his successor in net – Craig Custance – NHL – Sporting News.
And this is why I think Osgood would be an excellent back-up to Quick. Of course, for that to happen, the Wings would have to be sellers. And I doubt they’ll let that happen.
HockeyBuzz.com – Matthew Barry – Kings Hand Ducks Goose Egg 4-0
I now get why Lombardi loves Alexander Frolov – On the rare occasion when Frolov is in the locker room and he realizes he’s not going to talk about anything controversial, his personality opens up and he has a great sense of humor.
In researching a piece on Sean O’Donnell I asked Frolov what Sean meant to the team. “Who?” he said catching me off guard. “Hasn’t that guy played in 2,000 games?” He gave me some nice quotes and I thanked him. As he was walking away he turned to me and said, “Who were we talking about again?”
via HockeyBuzz.com – Matthew Barry – Kings Hand Ducks Goose Egg 4-0.
I love him, too.
rodpedersen.com: Teubert = dad, Eberle = mom
Here’s a quote Pats star Jordan Eberle won’t like. It came from Pats assistant coach Shaun Sutter when I asked him this week why it took so long to put the “C” on Colten Teubert:
“The first response is you just don’t know what players are going to be here. We didn’t know who was going to be here and it’s Curtis’s decision to name the captain. Colten has shown has shown the leadership abilities but so too has Jordan.
In fact we probably have three players who could wear the ‘C’ on any team. On a young team, Garrett Mitchell would the captain. We have a strong group of leaders and any one could’ve done that.
Once the trade deadline passed, we could make a decision and Teuby’s gonna be the guy. In our dressing room, we look at it as Teuby’s the Dad in the dressing room and Ebs is the Mom. What I mean by that is Teuby’s the intense guy who keeps everybody in line and gets them going. Ebs is the calming guy that keeps everyone relaxed but everyone respects what he has to say.
Also some players don’t necessarily want the ‘C’. It is a lot of responsibility. It’s an everyday thing and you can’t have an off-day. You have to be at your best all the time. Like I said we have a lot of guys who could wear the ‘C’ on any team.”
via rodpedersen.com: Friday Rodservations.
I wonder who the mom is on the Kings.
No, Dustin, you’re the captain of the Kings
The Olympics haven’t started yet. Bobby Ryan is not your teammate and I don’t really care if he’s your friend.
BROWN: There were probably two questionable hits, with Carter on me — and whatever, that happens in a game — but probably moreso the hit at the end of the game. It’s a 4-0 game and it’s one of those things that is kind of surprising coming from Ryan. I actually know him a little bit. He’s more laid-back, but you get into the heat of the moment and sometimes stuff happens out there.
via LA Kings Insider.
Rule 42: Boarding – NHL.com – Rules
42.1 Boarding – A boarding penalty shall be imposed on any player or goalkeeper who checks an opponent in such a manner that causes the opponent to be thrown violently in the boards. The severity of the penalty, based upon the degree of violence of the impact with the boards, shall be at the discretion of the Referee.
There is an enormous amount of judgment involved in the application of this rule by the Referees. The onus is on the player (or goalkeeper) applying the check to ensure his opponent is not in a vulnerable position and if so, he must avoid the contact.
From Larry Brooks/NY Post: Isles could trade for Thrashers star forward
The other team in town is big-game hunting. Islanders’ GM Garth Snow has checked in with the Thrashers about the availability of marquee all-star left wing Ilya Kovalchuk, leaving the message with Atlanta GM Don Waddell that the team intends to be in the mix if the impending unrestricted free agent is placed on the trade market, The Post has learned from a well-placed source.
Kovalchuk, who is believed seeking a 12-year contract in the neighborhood of $120 million, has stated his preference to finish his career in Atlanta, but the cash-poor Thrashers’ ownership may be unable or unwilling to commit to a deal that, in essence, comes close to equaling the value of the franchise.
If Waddell concludes he will be unable to sign Kovalchuk, the Thrashers would presumably look to move the 26-year-old goal-scoring machine in what likely would be a rental deal, though the Islanders most certainly do have the cap space to accommodate such a long-term contract.
Kovalchuk, who has 26 goals and 24 assists in 39 games this season, has recorded 323 goals and 284 points in 584 career games, all of which have been played with the Thrashers. He is among the league’s most high-profile athletes.
The Islanders, who sent a No. 1 and two prospects to Edmonton to pull off a rental deal for Ryan Smyth at the 2007 trade deadline for a No. 1 and two prospects, have a plethora of young assets throughout the organization-with some currently on the Island-that could put them into prime position to acquire Kovalchuk.
The NHL trade deadline is March 3, but deals are expected before the Feb. 12-28 Olympic roster freeze goes into effect.
It is believed that while the club would quarantine NHL emerging talents John Tavares, Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey, Snow would be willing to part with this year’s first-rounder in addition to presenting a “One from Column A/One from Column B menu” that could feature Oshawa defenseman Calvin de Haan; Brandon defensemen Travis Hamonic; Saskatoon defenseman Jyri Niemi; Russian winger Kirill Petrov, currently playing for Almetivsk; and 22-year-old winger Jesse Joensuu, currently playing for AHL Bridgeport.
Snow declined comment when reached by phone this morning by The Post.
Acquiring Kovalchuk would give the Islanders a huge boost on the ice in their effort to make the playoffs, it would give them a marquee box office attraction and a presence in New York sports they currently do not have.
It is unknown whether Kovalchuk, who is expected to receive a huge offer from the KHL should he reach July 1 unrestricted free agency, would be willing to sign a long-term deal with the Islanders if one were offered.
There is, however, no question that Kovalchuk’s presence on the Islanders would increase their value as club owner Charles Wang seeks either a new venue or a buyer for his team.
Interestingly, the Islanders were in position to select Kovalchuk with the first-overall pick of the 2001 draft by finishing with the NHL’s worst record in 2000-01. At that time, Kovalchuk expressed enthusiasm at the prospect at playing on Long Island.
But the Thrashers, who’d finished third from the bottom, won the lottery and thus moved up to first overall. GM Mike Milbury then traded the second overall pick plus Zdeno Chara to the Senators for Alexei Yashin.
via Isles could trade for Thrashers star forward.
I put the most interesting (and most humorous) part of this in bold. To me, this is like Lombardi saying, you can’t have Schenn, Clifford, Bernier or Loktionov, but feel free to pick one of Teubert or Hickey and one of Purcell, Lewis or Zatkoff. Who knew the price was going to be so low?
Hmm: someone mentioned a hypothetical trade of Kovalchuk for Versteeg and Barker; so I ran the cap numbers, filling out the roster with minimum wage players and signing IK to a $7MM cap hit
Does this look good?
Are Waddells hands tied in Kovalchuk standoff? – NHL News – FOX Sports on MSN
Spector:
A source familiar with the talks suggested Thrashers’ ownership might be tying Waddell’s hands by an unwillingness to pay what it takes to commit to the franchise’s success.
The Thrashers are owned by Atlanta Spirit, a group of nine businessmen which also own the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks as well as Phillips Arena, where both teams play.
In recent years the group has been mired in legal infighting which critics claim has become a distraction hurting both franchises.
Atlanta Spirit recently faced criticism for not investing in the upkeep of the arena, and for the most part has been unable — or unwilling — to keep pace with the NHL’s increasing salary cap since 2005-06.
That’s created a belief amongst pundits and fans the group isn’t interested in doing what it takes to turn the Thrashers into a winning franchise, leading to poor attendance and fueling uncertainty over the club’s future in Atlanta.
Waddell recently hinted the snag in Kovalchuk’s negotiations wasn’t his status as a franchise player but rather the necessity to ensure they can re-sign him and have enough cap room to continue growing the franchise.
That would be an issue if the Thrashers were pressed for cap space, but they currently have just over $25 million committed to 11 players for 2010-11. They must spend over $15 million just to be above the mandated cap minimum, which for this season is currently $40.8 million and could remain the same or increase slightly for next season.
If they were to re-sign Kovalchuk to, say, $10 million per season that would still leave over $20 million (assuming the salary cap remains over $56 million) to re-sign other key players and fill out the remainder of their roster. That’s of course assuming ownership is willing to invest more in the club’s payroll than it has in the recent past.
This situation isn’t unique to the Thrashers.
The Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals and Chicago Blackhawks were once-struggling franchises which in recent years committed to retaining their best players resulting in varying degrees of success, earning praise for maintaining competitive rosters under the constraints of the salary cap.
It’s been suggested the Thrashers might be better off without Kovalchuk as the club hasn’t won anything with him in the lineup and perhaps would be better off instead focusing on their rising talent and other veterans.
Yet that suggestion was rarely heard last summer when the Vancouver Canucks re-signed Roberto Luongo and the Sedin twins to an expensive, long-term contract despite the fact that team hadn’t won anything with them in the lineup. The Canucks front office was praised for the most part for their commitment to their future by retaining their best players.
Given Kovalchuk’s strong performance as a Thrasher it’s baseless to suggest the team would be better off without him or for that matter to lay blame for the club’s poor record during that time at his feet, considering the criticism the front office has received in recent years for poor player management decisions.
Kovalchuk’s negotiations are not just an evaluation of his market value as a free agent but also an evaluation of Atlanta Spirit’s commitment to the Thrashers’ future.
An investment in their best player would be a considerable part of that future.
via Are Waddells hands tied in Kovalchuk standoff? – NHL News – FOX Sports on MSN.
But That’s Not What He Said
From Kukla’s Corner, with headline boiling-down Hammond:
Kings Plan to Keep Frolov This Season
Rich Hammond lf [sic] LAKings Insider has a Q & A with GM Dean Lombardi,
Question: If, over the next few weeks, it seems unlikely that anything will happen there (Frolov contract), does that influence what you do with him?
LOMBARDI: “No. This is the other thing too, another sign that you’re getting better. Certainly, in the first three years, it was very clear. It was all about getting draft picks. That’s the crappy part about building. You’re essentially making your team worse, immediately, and all you’re doing is getting picks. I don’t see us doing anything like that with a player of his caliber, to say, `OK, we’re going to lose him, so let’s get a second-round pick, or a first-rounder.’ I don’t see us taking good players out of our lineup at this stage.
But wait. This does not translate to “Kings plan to keep Frolov this season.” I’m tempted to say you have to know how to speak Lombardi, but really this one isn’t even really that hard to parse. He lays it out pretty plainly. From the part of the interview not quoted by KK, with my emphasis in bold:
“Two years ago, maybe even last year, you might say, yeah, like with Brad Stuart. Again, it’s those subtle signs that you’re moving along. That’s [moving a roster player for picks] not even a consideration. So in terms of a trade, you can’t ever say that somebody is untouchable. If you’re asking me, if we can’t get a deal done, if we would trade him for a first-round or a second-rounder, no. That doesn’t mean we wouldn’t make a hockey deal, but I don’t see us making our team worse, which is essentially would I did at every deadline up to this point. The reality was, when you’re trading all those guys, you’re making your team worse but you’re making your reserve list stronger. Now, with a guy like Fro, I don’t see that. A hockey deal? Maybe.”
Shorter Lombardi: I won’t trade Frolov for picks, but I might trade him, or anyone, for players that help us short term and long term. That’s what he means by “a hockey deal.” It’s a deal that is neither a buyer’s deal (trading away prospects and picks for help now) or a seller’s deal (trading away pricey vets for picks, prospects or cap relief). I can’t think of any blockbuster hockey deals in the last few years, but Lombardi has made two mid-sized ones: Visnovsky for Greene and Stoll, and O’Sullivan for Williams for Cole 3way. An example of a Frolov hockey deal would be:
Frolov, Brown and Teubert for Kovalchuk and Bogosian.
Not that I’m advocating this, or that DL would offer it, or that Waddell would bite. Insert smiley face.
WHAT ARE THE THREE THINGS?
They are three of these four things:
1) A top-line sniper.
2) A 3rd line crusty playoff-savvy veteran who pisses people off and can say some wise things in the locker room. (e.g. whoever the new Mike Ricci is, or Esa Tikkanen.)
3) A playoff tested veteran back-up goalie. (e.g. Chris Osgood; you laugh, but you also would be very happy to have him as your back-up if Quick were to get hurt in the playoffs; I actually think a trade for him is not unlikely, especially if Detroit becomes a seller [!]; but I also frequently project my own thoughts onto Lombardi, so ignore if you wish.)
4) A legitimate second line center.
From Frozen Royalty: Lombardi Makes Cryptic Prophesy
“I’m always looking for the next piece,” Lombardi said in a recent interview. “We’re right on schedule. I met with the owner back in July. We talked about if he was happy with our record. This is the way I saw it, this is my projection on what we’re going to need to be a contender, if everything came together the way I thought. To get to the next level, these are the three things we need to have.”
“So for those things, I’m always on the [lookout],” Lombardi added, even though he would not reveal what those three things were.
via Dean Lombardi: The Time To Make A Big Splash May Be Now « Frozen Royalty.
Ok, I’ll bite. WHAT ARE THE THREE THINGS? (I think I have a pretty good idea.)
Red Light District: Top 5 potential suitors for Kovalchuk
The way it looks right now, Ilya Kovalchuk will become the prize acquisition at this year’s trade deadline. With negotiations between Ilya Kovalchuk’s agent Jay Grossman and Thrashers general manager Don Waddell not going in the right direction, few people around the league are optimistic an extension will get done. If they can’t reach a deal in the very near future, look for Waddell to start exploring trade options for ‘Kovy’; a deal would likely go down before the Olympic break. Here are five teams that would go after the 27-year-old Russian rental…
1. Los Angeles Kings
Southern California could be the most likely destination for Kovalchuk based on the package the Thrashers could receive in return. The Kings have a wide array of prospects from which Atlanta could choose from [sic]; defensemen Colten Teubert and Thomas Hickey would instantly be rumored [Quisp says: RUMOR-MATIC USAGE ALERT!] to go the other way. Pending UFA Alex Frolov could also be [IBID] included in a deal.
Terry Murray’s club would certainly improve by getting Kovalchuk. A potential top line (and power play unit) with ‘Kovy’, Kopitar, and Smyth would be scary. A trade like this would also send a message to the city of Los Angeles that the team is committed to winning right now. If they were to do this, I wouldn’t want to play them in the postseason.
via Red Light District: Top 5 potential suitors for Kovalchuk.
From Voice of Valeri: Drew Drewiske is hurt. OH NO!
The Kings have placed D Drew Drewiske (UBI) on the IR.
via Voice of Valeri.
Also, “the likes of” Bernier or Johnson are the “expected return price” for Kovalchuk. I know, shocker.
Spector Says Brown Won’t Be Traded For All the Obvious Reasons
Dustin Brown to Atlanta as part of a deal for Kovalchuk? Ain’t happenin’. Brown’s their captain, part of the corps of young talent around which management has rebuilt the Kings, he’s among their leading scorers and one of their best physical players, plus they’ve got him signed to an affordable $3.175 million per season for the next four years. The Kings won’t move him.
via Spector’s Hockey – The Soapbox.
Spector is possibly the most sane and reliable hockey writer out there. I respect him and look forward to everything he has to say on every hockey topic. He is a compass that points me out of the woods of many a crackpot idea. However, I have to say that every point he makes in favor of Lombardi keeping Brown is just as persuasive as an argument for moving him. As I have said a few times lately, he has a very high trade value, especially now with being named an alt-c on Team USA, and his affordable contract (especially-especially in my mind) is cat-nip to GMs.
I’m not advocating trading Brown. I would prefer that he start playing like the 30-goal-scoring 1st/2nd line RW he is supposed to be, as opposed to the excellent but over-paid 3rd line “energy” guy working on his second season of underperformance. Also, I happen to think he’s not a good captain.
And he’s not a Lombardi pick. I know some people think I’m making too much of this last point. And I might well end up disagreeing with myself. But I just don’t think Lombardi is all that married to keeping Dustin Brown around for the next five years if he’s not going to play like the top-six forward he is paid to be.
Also, if I look at the list of prospects getting ready to make the jump next fall (and yes I understand you can’t promote them all at once and they all won’t pan out, etc.), you’ve got Schenn, Clifford, Moller, Clune and Loktionov, and if I were to bet, I would say three of those guys will make the opening night roster. Add that to Kopitar, Smyth, Stoll, Brown, Handzus, Williams, Simmonds, Richardson, Parse, Frolov…that’s 14 names with no enforcer mentioned (maybe we finally lose Ivanans?).
Smyth/Kopitar/Williams
Frolov/Stoll/Brown
Parse/Handzus/Simmonds
Clifford/Schenn/Moller
Richardson? Loktionov? Segal? Clune?
My reasoning is, I think the third line (Handzus) is possibly the best third line in the league (of course, I’m a homer). Let’s just say it’s very solid and reliable and can score. A fourth line of Clifford/Schenn/Segal-Clune comes pretty close to the Lombardi/Murray ass-kicking ideal, and would still score some goals. Therefore, goodbye Raitis. The first two lines — with most of the expensive players, you’ve got six guys with Moller and Loktionov waiting in the wings.
Stoll, with his superior shot and his face-off ability, is arguably more valuable than Brown. And of course Lombardi specifically sought him out, using one of Taylor’s picks (whom Lombardi had just signed to a big deal) to get him. So the idea that he would use another one of Taylor’s picks whom he just signed to a big deal to snag another crucial piece of the puzzle is by no means unthinkable.
I’m not saying it will happen. I’m saying it’s possible and it fits with the pattern more than people seem to think. Lombardi also dealt Norstrom and low-balled Blake out of town. So much for the sacredness of the captain’s “C.”
(p.s. I love the Norstrom trade, having gotten us Moller, Wudrick and a piece of Teubert. And Blake, I would just as soon he never came back after 2001.)
Plus, really, consider this line-up:
Kovalchuk/Kopitar/Williams
Smyth/Stoll/Loktionov-Moller
Parse/Handzus/Simmonds
Clifford/Schenn/Segal-Clune
Loktionov, Moller, Segal and Clune can all come and go from Manchester with impunity. If Lombardi moves Frolov and Brown for Kovalchuk, that’s a win-win. Atlanta will get enough fire-power to satisfy their fans. The Kings will fill a major need and will replace Brown’s hitting with Clifford and Schenn. And I think you can make a pretty solid argument that Clifford and Schenn were drafted to do exactly what Brown does, only more so. And they’re Lombardi’s picks.
Call me crazy. But I don’t see it as internet “crack-pottery” at all.
I’m kind of surprised that Craig Conroy seems like an idiot and also in kindergarten
It surprised Calgary Flames veteran Craig Conroy not only that a referee would tell a player he was out to get him but that the player would then talk about it in the media.
“For Burrows to maybe say something to him or to go to the media and say it, I don’t know,” Conroy said in Calgary. “It’s like a tattletale.
“No-one likes a tattletale. That’s kind of what it looked like to me. Maybe he’s got a valid point and if he does, then someone’s in big trouble. It’s word against word. If no-one else heard it, it’s one guy’s word against another guy’s word. It’s a tough call. Maybe he felt like those two penalties weren’t penalties. Unless someone else heard him, I don’t think you can do anything.”
Burrows and Auger : Tom Benjamin’s NHL Blog :: CanucksCorner.com
Tom Benjamin is right and right about Bob McKenzie being right:
I think Bob McKenzie is mostly right with his comment on the Alexandre Burrows vs. Stephane Auger incident:
If the allegations are true – and Burrows has far too much detail and at the very least a compelling case of circumstantial evidence (the video of the pre-game conversation, the diving penalty, the interference penalty and the misconduct penalty) – then the league has no choice but to discipline Auger. In the wake of the Tim Donaghy scandal, the NBA referee who was part of a game-fixing scandal, the NHL has no choice but to ultra-sensitive to allegations that one of its officials may have, wittingly or unwittingly, affected the outcome of a game to send a message to a player who showed up that referee in a previous game.
I think they have to fire Auger unless he can credibly deny the accusation (and in which case Burrows should face a suspension.) This is a dismissal offense. The credibility of league officiating (such as it is) falls apart with this sort of incident. It is one thing to excuse mistakes – even incompetence – but to suggest that an official deliberately delivered up anything less than an honest effort to be impartial is simply unacceptable.
But Burrows needs to understand that if he’s going to do something – embellish a hit and/or fake injury to draw a major penalty – that ultimately embarrasses the ref, there’s going to be payback at some point. That’s hockey. And while the Canucks can be outraged, and rightfully so at how last night’s game went down, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for someone from management or another veteran player on the team to take Burrows aside and explain that refs are only human and if you rub their nose in it, you’re going to get it back.
I hate the diving and I don’t blame Auger for being pissed about the Nashville incident. Burrows should pay a price for his actions. The natural – and just – consequence should be that Burrows (and every other player who frequently dives) loses the benefit of the doubt when it appears as if he was tripped or hooked or held. If the referee can’t be sure Burrows was fouled, he can assume a dive and let the call go. That’s reasonable. (And Burrows would probably stop diving once it became obvious it was a counterproductive tactic, one that was costing him more calls than it gained.)
But Auger can’t do what he did. He can’t punish Burrows with phantom calls. He can’t call him for unsportsmanlike conduct when Burrows falls down and he can’t call interference for a jostle on a faceoff when Burrows had position. Auger can get even by looking at fouls committed against Burrows with a jaundiced eye, but he can’t get even by inventing penalties. The former is a sensible response to diving, the latter creates an integrity issue that should cost him his job.
via Burrows and Auger : Tom Benjamin’s NHL Blog :: CanucksCorner.com.
Kings are 4-8-0 (.333) in their last 12; any Western playoff teams do that last year?
Yes. One team did it last year. The Blues. They went 1-7-1 (.167) in October/November.
Vancouver came close: 2-5-5 (.375) in January.
Chicago almost did: 3-7-3 (.346), before the Bulin wall took over from Huet for good.
Detroit almost did, but only if you look at a shorter run: 2-5-1 (.188) to end the season. But if you look at 12 games in a row, Detroit’s losing streak wasn’t long enough to compete with the Kings’.
And to this trade proposal I say NO: John Buccigross has 29 proposals for Atlanta (and my one answer)
Los Angeles Kings
Proposed trade: Kovalchuk for Jonathan Bernier, Alexander Frolov, Oscar Moller and a No. 1 pick.
This is the other team we are hearing to be among the favorites to land Kovalchuk, and most of us could figure that out. Why? Because the Kings need a proven goal scorer and a talent upgrade to compete with the Western Conference elite. The Kings covet a star to put on billboards, plus they have some cap space, some good young prospects and have a player in Frolov who clearly needs a change of scenery. Frolov is also playing for a contract, and the Thrashers could benefit from that drive. Plus, if he plays well and doesn’t ask for too much money, the Thrashers could re-sign him.
Frolov is a tough sign because he has had an up-and-down career. Three years at $15 million? Five years for $25 million? I’m sure he will go for as many guaranteed dollars as he can get, but I would be hesitant to give him more than a three- or four-year deal. Bernier is a 21-year-old goalie who is having a really good season in the AHL. Moller is a slick, Swedish center, but has yet to show he can be consistent at the NHL level; but I can see him evolving into a real solid player. One of Atlanta’s problems over the years has been a lack of strong center.
via John Buccigross: Ilya Kovalchuk trade talk? We have 29 proposals for Atlanta – ESPN.
Three six things:
(1) No.
(2) Lombardi has yet to trade any of his picks and I would rather he not start now.
(3) If he does trade one of his own drafted players, I hope he doesn’t start with my two favorite ones.
(4) Atlanta is going to need to get more back than what will look to them like one enigmatic Russians and some prospects.
(5) I guess Buccigross hasn’t seen any Kings games this year, because I don’t think Frolov is going to be getting anything approaching $5MM a year.
(5a) I love Frolov and had him pegged for 35-40 goals this season. And if he were somehow to do that (unlikely at this point), he would certainly get that kind of money.
(6) My proposal of Brown and Johnson seasoned with picks is more likely to get Waddell’s attention. I believe the result of such a trade would be that I would be glad with got IK but I would miss JJ and be glad I shipped off Brown when I did.
Teubert expected to be named Pats’ captain
The first time Colten Teubert pulled on a Regina Pats’ jersey, he was branded as a future captain — a prototypical leader born to wear the C.
He’s about to claim that birthright.
After running without a captain since the start of the regular season, the Pats are expected to pin the C on Teubert’s No. 20 jersey in time for Wednesday’s game against the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings. An official announcement could come as early as today.
“I would be honoured,” said Teubert, who hadn’t been informed of his imminent promotion. “You look at the players who have worn the C for this organization. Rick Rypien, Barret Jackman, Garth Murray, those are three names off the top of my head just from recent history. To have the opportunity to be part of that group would be unbelievable. Since Day 1 (in Regina), I’ve always felt like I was a leader in the dressing room and if it comes down to (becoming captain) I’ll be pretty excited.”
Despite his leadership qualities, there was a time last season when it looked like Teubert might not ascend to the captaincy. However, the colourful blueliner has matured over the past year, an evolution that opened the door to his impending inauguration.
“When I went down to California last year in the East Coast League it really helped my game, just to realize what it takes to be a pro,” Teubert explained. “Everybody makes mistakes. I’ve made mistakes and I’ve just grown up. I’ve matured as a person. I’ve gotten better as an athlete too. I’ve raised my game just with commitment to my training, commitment to the team game and being a positive guy. Sometimes your competitive nature gets the best of you and you say things you regret. But it has been my road to what I am and my makeup as a player and a person.”
After former captain Victor Bartley graduated last season, Regina declared an open competition for the C while rotating A’s between Teubert, Jordan Eberle, Brett Leffler, Garrett Mitchell and Matt Delahey (who was traded Sunday). Teubert and Eberle have worn an ‘A’ in Regina for each of the past two seasons and did the same with Canada at this year’s world junior championship. The Pats decided not to name a new captain until after Sunday’s trade deadline due to the uncertainty of which players from the leadership group would remain.
As the face of the franchise, Eberle would have been a natural choice, but there’s a school of thought that he doesn’t need any more pressure or attention heaped on his shoulders. Eberle confirmed Monday that he would happily step into the background to make room for Teubert. In fact, he formally endorsed his close friend for the captaincy in a recent discussion with the Pats’ brass.
“Teubs is the kind of guy who will be the first one to back you up,” noted Eberle. “He has done it for me tons of times. Huntsy said it a good way, ‘He’s the man.’ He’s just a good leader and a good guy. For me, I like to think of myself as someone who leads on the ice, leads by example. When the team needs a goal, I always want to be the guy to step up and do it. I think the biggest thing I can do for this team is play hard and put the puck in the net.”
Teubert and Eberle were quick to point out that Leffler and Mitchell would both be excellent choices to wear the C as well. Mitchell is regarded as the captain of the future, but Teubert’s time is now.
“I feel like I’m a pretty competitive guy and I’ll do whatever it takes for my teammates,” he added, comparing the captaincy to being at home with his siblings. “I’m like a big brother. When your little brother is in trouble, you’ll do whatever it takes to get him out of it or support them. As a team, we’re a family. Me, Ebs, Leffs and the other older guys on the team are the big brothers and we have to take care of our teammates. I like to be that guy who takes responsibility.”
From Helene Elliott: Kings and Ilya Kovalchuk?
The Kings need a pure scorer who could make a difference in the one-goal games they’ve recently lost and solidify their playoff ambitions.
Atlanta left wing Ilya Kovalchuk, a two-time 50-goal scorer who can become a free agent July 1, has a $6.4-million salary cap hit that would be prorated according to the number of games left in the season. The Kings have the cap space to handle that and the assets to send to Atlanta in a trade.
But there are some hitches. The Kings don’t want him as a rent-a-player and they’re likely to go ahead only if they get permission to talk to him and get assurances he would sign with them long term. Even then it could be dicey, because Kovalchuk is said to want at least $10 million a year for 10 years. In his favor is that he’s 26 and more likely to be productive late in that deal than most players who have gotten lifetime contracts.
If Kovalchuk would commit to the Kings long term and if the Kings wouldn’t have to strip their farm system, acquiring him would be a great move. He’s a game-breaker, and trading for him would send a message to the rest of the team that management is willing to spend to reach the next level.
That is, if management really intends to do that.
via Ducks awaken their playoff hopes – latimes.com.
One slightly catty comment is a very low number and I’m more than a little concerned that Venn diagram of my demeanor and HE’s is overlapping to an alarming degree.
Brown makes no sense
“We need a better result and it’s all about results now,” Brown said. “That was a hell of a lot better than the St. Louis game and we have to build on that.
Except for the results, which were identical.
“That’s a good team and they had a couple of chances and they capitalized and we had some good chances and missed.
I know. I was watching. But see “results” above.
That’s the difference when you play a good team late in the season and that’s something we need to build on.”
What’s something? We need to build on not getting results? Which is what it’s all about? How do you build on that? You build on something that’s good, you know, like a foundation. That’s why you build on it. You can’t build on something that should have happened and did happen to a better team but didn’t happen to you.
Brown quotes via The closer things get, the shakier Kings look – latimes.com. My asinine comments via my brain.
Hey! That’s Brilliant! Kovi can be our superstar AND our enforcer!!
From the Toronto Star:
There’s no reason at all to feel sympathy for Ilya Kovalchuk.
He’s a rich, talented hockey player who is going to get richer soon, and he might just show next month in Vancouver on the big Olympic stage that he’s even more talented than most believe.
Last time we saw the 26-year-old surrounded by this much skill, it was at the 2008 world championships in Quebec City, where he blasted home the winning goal in overtime of the gold-medal game.
But when it comes to Kovalchuk’s ongoing negotiations with the Atlanta Thrashers over a new contract, it’s reasonable to say that from a purely business point of view, as long as he’s dealing with the Thrashers he could be looking at a lose-lose, maybe even lose-lose-lose, situation.
Imagine this scenario: Kovalchuk signs a 10-year contract with Atlanta for $10 million a year. Then, starting next year, outside economic forces push the league’s escrow up from 13 per cent per paycheque to say, 20 per cent.
So now he’s getting $8 million a year.
Then, in 2012, a new collective bargaining agreement between the owners and players includes another 24 per cent salary rollback and new limits on term for individual player contracts.
Finally, the Thrashers sell to new ownership, who sensibly give up on Atlanta, moving the team to Kansas City.
So Kovalchuk might end up playing for a sharply devalued, shortened contract in a city in which he doesn’t want to live for owners he doesn’t trust or like.
Now, it’s unlikely all these dynamics would come into play, but they might.
And if you’re Kovalchuk, already facing the same uncertain labour conditions as other NHL players who are part of a shattered union, why in the world would you add to your potential misery by signing with a consistent loser with ownership and attendance problems?
Still, with the brilliant sniper – 189 goals in the last four seasons – set to test unrestricted free agency July 1, his agent insists Kovalchuk “absolutely” wants to stay in Atlanta if a deal can get done.
“If they came to him and said we’ll make a deal on your terms, then we’ll make a deal,” said agent Jay Grossman.
Atlanta GM Don Waddell, of course, hasn’t been authorized to do that, and from a negotiation strategy point of view, it probably wouldn’t make a lot of sense. That said, nobody seems to really know what the Atlanta Spirit ownership group headed by Bruce Levensen wants to do, either in terms of Kovalchuk and his contract demands or the overall payroll situation with the Thrashers.
Atlanta hasn’t said as a team, as Nashville basically has, that it won’t pay any player more than $5 million per season because it can’t. The Thrashers also aren’t one of those teams pounding at the salary cap ceiling. They’re in-between, a team run by an ownership group that isn’t sure whether it wants to keep the team, sell the team, sign Kovalchuk, trade Kovalchuk or call a timeout and ask for a lifeline.
Logic, then, suggests Kovalchuk will be on the move by the March 4 trade deadline. Waddell told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Monday that a trade “still looms as an option, but it’s not my first choice.”
Just as he was with Marian Hossa two years ago, however, Waddell is pretty much screwed as far as being able to make a superior trade involving Kovalchuk. He’ll just do the best he can.
That may, of course, still mean Kovalchuk will be unrestricted in July, at which point locals may well ask whether Brian Burke will have interest.
Burke doesn’t exactly have a track record in which he has embraced the Russian hockey culture. That said, beggars can’t be choosers, and Kovalchuk at least likes to drop the gloves now and then.
Maybe he can sign Kovalchuk and claim he’s the team’s new enforcer.
via Cox: Is Kovalchuk Burke’s type? – thestar.com.
That solves so many of our problems. Kovalchuk can play 1st AND 4th line LW.
Kings with Purcell: 21-13-3 / Kings without Purcell: 4-4-0
I’m not even trying to make a point. I just think it’s funny. Or horrible. Something.
Note to players making more than $3 million per year: just because you’re playing the system and it’s all about the team and you’re paying attention to the little things DOESN’T MEAN YOU CAN’T TAKE OVER A GAME AND STEAL A FEW
The nice thing about buying-in to the system is that, in theory, if you take the leap of faith, the system works. And, lo and behold, the system does work. For the most part, the Kings are the best team they’ve been since the beginning of the decade, and for the most part the players have committed to Terry Murray’s system. It helps to know that, when the game isn’t going well, you can redouble your commitment to the system, and that’s all you have to think about: your job. Same goes for when you’re up 6-0 and there’s a temptation to sit back. No. You still play the system.
The other advantage of playing with this kind of team discipline is that it helps reduce the anxiety that comes from being a young, inexperienced team with young, inexperienced leaders. The system gives the young players something to hang their hat on.
But I realized tonight that my frustration watching Kopitar and Brown — I’m going to resist characterizing their play and just focus on results — is not so much that they frequently seem to be drifting or uncertain, or that they miss the net when I want them to NOT…it’s really just the small matter that for some reason they aren’t putting the team on their shoulders and winning some of these games all by themselves.
And that’s irrational, isn’t it? Why should I expect that of these two players, and not of Frolov or Stoll or Handzus? (Let’s pretend that Handzus hasn’t been on a tear the last month or so, and that all three of these players aren’t lately putting up better numbers than Brown and Kopitar.) It doesn’t make sense for me to expect the players to buy-in to the team system and ALSO that they should take it upon themselves to be difference makers. Because that’s contradictory, right? That’s basically saying, play the system but don’t. Right?
No. Wrong.
Because the way Kopitar is supposed to be winning games all by himself is not by ignoring the system or going rogue, it’s by buying-in even more, which means doing all the things he was doing at the beginning of the year, moving his feet, hitting, accelerating, driving to the net, crashing to the net, shooting at the net not past it, so that screens and crashing and traffic actually mean something and have an effect.
(p.s. shooting wide is not buying-in; because what happens when you shoot wide is you are trying to pick the corner and use your skill to make the perfect shot; instead of trusting that putting it on net with traffic is going to lead to the kinds of goals the team is built to score. That’s why Smyth is standing there, or Handzus, getting his ass kicked. When you miss the net because you’re special and you can make the perfect highlight reel shot, you’re hanging everyone else out to dry. You miss the net, and they’re just standing there. The other team breaks out. One-goal loss.)
I get the feeling from listening to Kopitar talk that he thinks he’s doing his job if he’s doing the little things, buying-in, back-checking, covering all the x’s and o’s. That’s, as they say, necessary but not sufficient. The platitude that if they keep doing the little things then the bounces will start going their way is wearing thin. Said platitude has the infuriating virtue of being true. As far as it goes. And it’s extra frustrating, at least for me, because I feel slightly mean expecting poor Kopitar and Brown who have given their all to the system to take on the even greater burden of making wins happen out of thin air.
Nevertheless, I expect it. And, frankly, the expectation is built into their salaries. What is the expectation exactly? It begins with the fact that Kopitar and Brown have superior abilities. They are more skilled than many of their peers. They are faster, stronger, smarter — pick your attribute, they have more of it. That’s why they were picked when they were picked. That’s why they get, as they say, the big bucks. When Parse, Richardson, Moller, Simmonds or Segal are as effective as our leaders, it is in fact a failing of the leaders. (I don’t mean in a single game; when it happens every once in a while, it’s called secondary scoring; when it happens for a few months or even a few seasons, it’s called a leadership vacuum.) Because Kopitar and Brown pushing themselves to excel within the system must yield more goals than Parse, Richardson et al doing it. Because they’re better. And they’re paid accordingly.
My guess is that being a 22 year old multi-millionaire superstar hockey player in a foreign country is mildly terrifying on a daily basis. Even more so now that there is an actual expectation that the team is going to win and you are going to lead them. And let’s not forget the pressure created by the fact that you (Brown, now) publicly called out your boss on the need for a genuine top-six left wing, because (boo hoo) it’s hard for you to play over there. Passing the buck, never a good idea. Bosses remember that. Who among them has had the thought that, hey, they went out and got just what we asked for, and we’re having the same trouble as last year. We know that Lombardi did not appreciate the Dustin Brown wish list. He said as much last summer. He made a comment to the effect that those two players should be taking it upon themselves to get the job done.
So far, they have not. And while I’m not really of the belief that this so-far disastrous homestand is the season in a nutshell, I have already said that the mini-season of the 20 games leading up to the break will likely decide whether the Kings are in the playoffs or not, and so will determine where at least one or two of the current Kings play for the next several years.
Back to my point about the pressure they’re under: I think there is a huge temptation to hide inside the system, to let the system (that is to say, the coach) take over the entire burden of leadership. It would be kind of nice if they could get a leadership pass just by buying into the system and letting the system magically win the games for them. That would be easier than the actual job, which is to lead.
And, again, I don’t mean to say they should be “taking the law into their own hands.” That’s not leadership. Leadership would be, for example: playing within the system with all knobs set, a la Spinal Tap, to 11. Because Brown’s 11, Kopitar’s 11, that’s louder, bigger, just plain better, than everyone else’s 11.
I don’t want to see players make themselves smaller within the system. I want them to make themselves bigger. Because they are bigger. They need to play bigger.
Because, frankly — and I mean this in the best possible sense — these guys have not won and don’t actually know how to win. (win=playoffs; win means winning like teams like Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Detroit, New Jersey, manage to do year after year, not just being “better than last year”) When they have won then they will know. But as it is now we’re basically like Ripley in Aliens in the middle of landing on the alien-infested planet and she asks the squad commander how many missions he’s run and the guy says “forty [pause] all simulated.”
Why Barry Trotz is Really Frank Zappa
The Canucks and arena staff are still searching for the fan who brought a laser pointer to the game Saturday against the Calgary Flames. A green beam of light was occasionally flashed into the helmet of Flames goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff, and it had Calgary head coach Brent Sutter fuming after his team’s 3-2 shootout victory.
“If they do it [again], fans will have to wait because I’ll pull my team off [the ice],” Predators head coach Barry Trotz said when asked if he was concerned about a repeat or copycat incident. “Everybody thinks they’ll get their 15 minutes of fame. It’s brutal.”
via Trotz prepared to pull Preds off the ice over laser pointer – The Globe and Mail.
There was a Zappa/Mothers show about a quarter century ago in which someone in the crowd threw a cherry bomb on stage. Zappa stopped the show and said he would not play until the perpetrator was ejected. The fans turned on the perp, the guy was tossed and the show continued.
I’m looking forward to the Trotz version.
Pierre LeBrun Blog – ESPN
Kovalchuk update
I wrote last weekend that the Thrashers would have to enter into a new phase if there was no contract resolution with Ilya Kovalchuk, and that’s exactly what has transpired. While the team remains focused on trying sign the star captain to an extension, it has also started to quietly talk to teams for the first time all season. It only makes sense; the Thrashers have to protect themselves since Kovalchuk is set to become an unrestricted free agent July 1.
Kovalchuk Musings with tons of self-serving disclaimers
The first of which is, I don’t really know if I think Kovalchuk fits in the Terry Murray system, and beyond that, I don’t know how much I care. But it’s possible he might not fit and I might care a lot. Don’t know. Second disclaimer: you might think that Kovalchuk at a $6MM cap hit is dreaming. You might be right. Here’s my math:
10 years, $60MM. Salary in millions from 2010-2019: 11, 11, 10, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. He can be the highest paid player in the league for three years. Kings can have a livable Hossa/Nash-like cap-hit, and he can retire in seven years and go to the KHL (if it still exists).
Third disclaimer: the deal is Brown and Johnson, plus a prospect and some picks for Kovalchuk. You could expand the trade to include a fourth liner to help us this season, but what I’m looking at here is cap numbers for 2010-2011, and so I’m ignoring the extra ATL player aspect of the potential pie-in-sky deal. Why Brown and Johnson? Well, my reasoning is essentially that Brown is in the middle of his second sub-par season in a row and yet, with the Olympics coming up (and his newly announced alternate-captaincy), his stock has probably never been higher. Johnson, also Olympic-bound, has been a mixed bag. Both have nice affordable cap-responsible contracts. Both would be good PR for ATL. Hey, wait, maybe I’m offering too much!
Doesn’t matter. We’re really looking at cap numbers. And for the cap numbers to work, the Kings have to send some salary back. Will Waddell take Handzus and Frolov instead? I doubt it like I doubted Lombardi could get Smyth for Quincey and Preissing. Adjust your figures accordingly.
Disclaimer #4: I re-signed Frolov at a cap-hit of $3.9MM. You might think he’s seeking $5MM or something. Unless he’s about to go on a goal-scoring binge, he ain’t going to get it.
[UPDATE: some more thoughts on the cap situation for next year vis-a-vis which players you re-sign and which you don't: in this model I traded Brown and re-signed Frolov. If you trade Frolov and keep Brown, the cap figures are roughly the same. I also re-signed Jones. I think this is a reasonable move (since he's been hugely successful for the Kings thus far -- the Kings record with him in the line-up is excellent). But if you don't sign Jones, you're going to have to bring in someone in that salary range. All the d can't be minimum wage rookies.
The other thing I did was assume Schenn will make the team and will have a bonus structure in the neighborhood of Hickey and Doughty. I think this is a necessary assumption.
You might also decide that trading Johnson is a mistake; I think this every other time I re-read this post. But if you try keeping him (and, say, throwing prospects at ATL instead), it pushes us over the cap ceiling. So you have to get rid of someone else who makes Johnson money or better. And that's a list of people no-one wants to lose. So, the bottom line is, you have to get rid of at least a Brown/Frolov salary and hope that you can sign IK to a Hossa-ish cap figure of $6MM.
If he is to get anything approaching $10MM as a cap hit -- and I don't think DL will go for that -- that's another $4MM player you have to lose. Personally, I think it becomes dicey at that price, but the package would undoubtedly be two of Frolov, Brown, Handzus, Stoll or Williams, otherwise the numbers simply don't work. And yes, this factors in all of the players whose contracts expire. If you look at the chart (right), you'll see there's no Purcell, Ivanans, Harrold, O'Donnell or Cloutier.]
The point is, as the chart (generated by capgeek of course) shows, it’s doable under the cap.
And here are the opening night lines:
Kovalchuk/Kopitar/Williams
Smyth/Stoll/Simmonds
Frolov/Handzus/Parse*
Clifford*/Schenn*/Moller*
(swap with Richardson, Loktionov as F13, F14)
Scuderi/Doughty
Jones/Greene
Drewiske/Voynov (or Hickey, I don’t care)
Muzzin (sub your favorite big mean person, e.g. Teubert)
Quick/Bernier
And Dean Lombardi has not yet traded one of his own picks…
…the players he drafted, I mean; not the actual picks…those he trades all the time, usually for other picks.
Oscar Moller hit a few people the other night, as usual, and most of them were Brewer
knocked him on his ass at least once.
From the National Post: Bruins, Kings among teams that could make a run at Kovalchuk
Let the bidding war begin.
With contract talks between Ilya Kovalchuk and the Atlanta Thrashers reportedly going nowhere, the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent is suddenly at the top of everyone’s wish list. The Los Angeles Kings reportedly sent general manager Dean Lombardi to Atlanta to scout the team and inquire about a potential trade.
Is this true? Someone who actually can find out should find out.
But he is likely not the only GM interested in the Thrashers captain, who has 25 goals this season and has reached the 40-goal mark in each of the last five seasons.
The last time the Thrashers were in this position was two years ago, when the team dealt the similarly-skilled Marian Hossa along with Pascal Dupuis at the trade deadline for Pittsburgh’s Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen, prospect Angelo Esposito and a first-round draft pick (Daultan Leveille).
While the market may have changed since then, Atlanta is likely looking for a king’s ransom in exchange for its captain. The question is whether anybody is willing to package a similar offer.
Here are some of the potential suitors:
Boston Bruins
Why they might be interested: Why they might be interested: Reuniting Marc Savard with his former Thrashers linemate would add much-needed firepower to a team that is having trouble finding the net. Last season, Boston’s offence ranked second in the league (3.29 goals per game). But after trading 36-goal scorer Phil Kessel and losing Savard to two separate injuries, the Bruins are ranked 27th (2.48 goals per game).
What they can offer: Having acquired Toronto’s first-round pick in the 2010 and 2011 drafts, Boston, which has nine total picks in the first two rounds of the next two drafts, can put together a very enticing package of picks.
(more…)
Via LGK: Everyone, now is the time to pray real hard for Brayden Schenn – Los Angeles Kings Hockey Fan Forum
I’ve never believed in God, and and I’ve always thought religion in general is a farce, but I’ve also always said that if there was one thing that would every make me turn to Jesus, it’s hockey. I’ve finally been led to the point where I seriously believe it’s time to pray, and I hope you all will join with me.
Dear Lord, we’ve never spoken before, and I’m not sure I’ve done anything to deserve what I’m about to ask for, but please consider ALL the long time suffering of all Kings fans when I say:
Lord, I humbly beg that you grant Brayden Schenn all the gifts, longevity and career that you bestowed upon Steve Yzerman, because Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown couldn’t lead this team out of a paper bag with a compass, flashlight, and fire hose.
For ever and ever, Amen.
via Everyone, now is the time to pray real hard for Brayden Schenn – Los Angeles Kings Hockey Fan Forum.
BREAKING: Commenters on other team’s blogs are just as kooky as ours
Commenter GaVaHokie January 11th, 2010 9:55 am:
God, I hope the rumors are true that Dean Lombardi is in town along with Jay Grossman… I hope that means they are discussing a sign and trade with the Kings!! That should get us a HUGE return… I’ll speculate that it will get us Dustin Brown, Frolov and Brayden Schenn… maybe more.
via Thrashers cancel off day to hold practice | Atlanta Thrashers.
Or maybe…less. Lombardi isn’t going to trade Brayden Schenn. Or Bernier, as one of the other Atlanta commenters opined. Lombardi has yet to trade one of his own draft picks, and he’s not about to start (so say I).
I don’t want to imply that Eklund’s sources are in fact commenters on other people’s blogs, or that the commenter in question is me
From the burning bush:
On Dustin Brown and Jack Johnson…
Sources are telling me that if Kovalchuk were to end up in LA, Dustin Brown and Jack Johnson could be part of a deal. Even if they aren’t in that deal I would put the chances that either/or is still a King on March 4th at only 30%. I am not saying I agree with moving either, but rather going on sources.
via HockeyBuzz.com – Eklund – Team USA PC 2:30ET Live, Podcast at 2 +Kovalchuk, Halak, Sykora, Brown….
Me, last night to Matthew Barry:
I would do Brown, Johnson, Zatkoff and a pick for Kovalchuk and, say, Colby Armstrong. But that’s just me.
Also, I think it would be a good idea to bring in another middle-aged boring rock of a stay-at-home defenseman, and then also bring up Voynov to replace the power play brilliance of Jack Johnson.
Kovalchuk/Kopitar/Smyth
Frolov/Stoll/Simmonds
Parse/Richardson/Moller
Segal/Handzus/Armstrong (or some other capable fourth-liner, I don’t care)Scuderi/Doughty
SOD/Jones
Voynov/HarroldQuick
Bernier
From NHL on Fox: Trade market should heat up sooner
From the most-reliable Spector, emphases mine:
The annual trade deadline is less than two months away but this season, business in the market could pick up earlier than usual due to the league’s mid-February shutdown for the 2010 Winter Olympics.
A trade freeze will be implemented from Feb. 13-28, leaving only three days following the end of the freeze for general managers to swing deals prior to the 3 p.m. ET deadline on March 3.
That’s not much time for playoff-bound teams to bolster their rosters or for non-playoff clubs to jettison salaries, meaning the next five weeks could see far more trade activity than we’ve been used to seeing over the same time in recent years.
Boston Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli recently told the Boston Globe that trade talk amongst his peers was picking up, which only lends credence to the theory of increased player movement prior to the Olympic break.
For now, only the Carolina Hurricanes and Edmonton Oilers would be considered certain sellers as their chances of climbing back into the postseason race are pretty much non-existent.Ignore Wild internet speculation of the Hurricanes shopping franchise players Eric Staal and Cam Ward as the players they’ll likely move are impending unrestricted free agent forwards Ray Whitney and Matt Cullen.
Meanwhile, the Oilers could receive considerable interest in veterans Ethan Moreau and Steve Staios as well as young forward Andrew Cogliano.
Defenseman Sheldon Souray said last week that he’d be willing to waive his no-trade clause if a deal made sense for both he and the team, but he’s got two more years at a cap hit of $5.4 million per season left on his contract, making him all but impossible to move this season.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are presently second-to-last in the Eastern Conference and could begin shopping players soon. Trade rumors out of Leafs Nation center on pending free agents Matt Stajan, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Lee Stempniak and Vesa Toskala.With only six points separating the seventh overall New York Rangers from the 13th overall Tampa Bay Lightning, there might not be many sellers emerging from the Eastern Conference over the next month.
It’s a different story in the Western Conference where the gap between seventh and 12th overall is considerably wider, which could push more of that conference’s lower-placed teams into the trade market.
The Anaheim Ducks, St. Louis Blues and Columbus Blue Jackets fall into that category, as could the Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars if they don’t soon make significant improvement in the standings.
It’s believed the Ducks could try to move veterans like Scott Niedermayer, Saku Koivu, Teemu Selanne and Todd Marchant. Sophomore winger Bobby Ryan was mentioned in trade rumors earlier in the season but with 20 goals in 45 games, he’s probably not going anywhere.
Goalie J.S. Giguere has also been a frequent fixture in the rumor mill but with a no-movement clause and another season with a cap hit of $6 million remaining on his contract, he probably won’t be moved this season.
The Blues have made little improvement despite a recent coaching change and could try to move veteran forwards Paul Kariya and Keith Tkachuk.
As for the Blue Jackets, they’ve already attempted a roster shakeup by shipping winger Jason Chimera to Washington for forward Chris Clark and defenseman Milan Jurcina but thus far. there’s been little improvement. They could consider a coaching change before making another trade.
Atlanta Thrashers superstar forward Ilya Kovalchuk is eligible for UFA status in July and while talks between his camp and Thrashers management are ongoing, there’s little indication they’ll get him under contract by the trade deadline, leading to the inevitable speculation he’ll be shopped by March 3.
It’s possible the Thrashers could face no choice but to go that route, but it’s by no means a sure thing. If they’re still in the thick of the playoff race by the deadline they could opt to retain him as their postseason hopes are better with him than without.
A similar scenario unfolded last season with the Florida Panthers, who surprised many by retaining rather than trading pending free agent star defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, so unless the Thrashers fall completely out of playoff contention in the next several weeks take the Kovalchuk trade rumors with a grain of salt.
via Trade market should heat up sooner – NHL News – FOX Sports on MSN.
The Hockey News/Adam Proteau’s Blog: THN.com Blog: Kovalchuk mismanagement should spell end of Waddell
Former Lightning GM and THN.com contributor Jay Feaster underscored that point last month when he wrote the Thrashers can’t afford to play a game of contractual chicken with the Russian star – at least, not up to and beyond the March 3 trade deadline – and the time to deal him is now.
As Feaster and I both noted, the opportune window to deal Kovalchuk has long since closed – and that’s why I believe the best Atlanta GM Don Waddell can hope for now is a deal that gets him 35-50 cents on the dollar. It won’t be Alexei-Zhitnik-for-Braydon-Coburn bad, but it’ll be close.
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