Going into the draft, many people across Los Angeles didn’t expect the Los Angeles Kings to make many headlines. Kings General Manager Dean Lombardi mentioned on several occasions that the draft was not a high priority to him, citing it didn’t seem to be a “deep draft.” Little did people know that the Kings would make probably the biggest news of the summer so far, and it would regard trades rather than drafts.

The Kings made three trades this week. One trade was typical of an NHL draft day while the other two were a surprise to everyone. Let’s take a look at each trade and see how these deals impact the Kings, shall we?

Brayden Schenn, Wayne Simmonds, and a 2012 second-round draft pick for Flyers’ Mike Richards

Photo Courtesy of Bridget Samuels

Unless you’ve been living under a rock since Thursday, you probably already heard the news. The Kings traded the favored prospect Brayden Schenn, fan-favorite Wayne Simmonds, and a 2012 second-round draft pick to the Philadelphia Flyers for Captain Mike Richards and forward Rob Bordson. This trade came as a shock to most people, especially in Philadelphia where they saw Jeff Carter traded away merely hours before. Even Richards was surprised to hear of his move to L.A.

“Yeah, I was very shocked when I got a call in the early afternoon from my agent. He just kind of gave me the rundown on what he knew. As the afternoon progressed, I started hearing a little bit more and more, and then I ended up actually reading it on the Internet before I was able to get the confirmation from my agent about it.”

The trade for Richards drew a mix of emotions from Kings fans across the city. Many were sad to see Simmonds leave while others were shocked to hear that their top prospect was traded. While it is always sad to see a fan favorite go, this is a huge trade for the Kings. The Kings now have a true second-line center.

The center position has been a slight issue for the Kings this post-season, wondering who will center what line. Will Michal Handzus return next season? Will Trevor Lewis center the fourth-line again or will he move up to third and let a prospect like Andrei Loktionov earn a spot? Acquiring Richards helped answer some of these questions. In all likelihood, the Kings will start the season with Anze Kopitar, Richards, and Jarret Stoll as the top three centers. Now that sounds pretty, right?

Richards may not be a 50 goal scorer, but he is very talented to say the least. The Kings desperately need a boost to the offense and Richards can provide that. He can be considered a sure bet for 25 goals when you take in the fact that his best year ever was under the coaching of Terry Murray. Known as a player who gives his all and hits like a freight train, there is no question that he will fit in nicely with the Kings. As captain of the Flyers, Richards is a playoff performer and the exact type of player the Kings need right now. The Kings are expected to push beyond the first round of the playoffs next season. Additions to the team like this will help surpass those expectations.

Photo Courtesy of Bridget Samuels

“What about Schenn & Simmonds?!” people yelled. While the loss of these two players stings, the trade makes good hockey sense. It cannot be denied that Simmonds was a favorite amongst the Kings and many saw him as a member of Lombardi’s “core” to build the team around. Unfortunately, it was most likely Simmonds’ performance last season that got him traded. Compared to the 2009-2010 season, the right-winger took a step backwards last season. With Kyle Clifford already proving he can play the same gritty style he is known for, Simmonds became replaceable. It is never good to become replaceable on a team when the prospect pool is as deep as it is for the Kings.

In regards to Schenn, the young prospect had not yet been promised a spot on the Kings roster, therefore we don’t even know if he would have played next season. Yes, there is always the chance that Schenn could go on to be an explosive talent for the Flyers. To those that are worried of this happening, remember the following fact. Since the day he was drafted, Schenn has been touted as possibly becoming “the next Mike Richards.” Yes, the same Mike Richards that is now a King.

Richards will also be a King for a long time as well. The Kings will inherit his nine year contract with a cap hit of $5.75 million. Considering the talent, this is a great deal. After adding this contract to the pile, the cap money spent for the Kings now sits at $53.6 million. Bordson’s contract will have no impact as the Kings fully intend to cut him loose. Sitting well under the new cap limit of $64.3 million, the Kings still have plenty of space to sign Drew Doughty and the other Kings contracts that are due. The numbers only improve if or when Ryan Smyth and his $6.25 million contract move to Edmonton. About that Smyth trade…

“Smythgate” ends with Ryan Smyth to the Edmonton Oilers for Colin Fraser and a 2012 seventh-round draft pick.

As discussed in a previous NHLHS article, Smyth has decided he would like to be traded to the Edmonton Oilers for the final year of his contract. While the Kings were reluctant to let “Captain Canada” go, Lombardi went to work on setting up a trade. What seemed to be a done deal however, had fallen apart and was deemed dead early Saturday afternoon.

On Friday night it appeared that Smyth would get his wish in exchange for a fourth round draft pick and a winger by the name of Gilbert Brule. It appears Brule was added to the trade by Edmonton in an attempt to offset some of the cost they would inherit in Smyth’s $6.25 million contract. This addition of Brule seemed to be the wrench that has been thrown into the gears of getting this trade approved.

Photo Courtesy of Bridget Samuels

The Kings had no intention of keeping Brule. This trade was being pushed by the Kings in order to free up the $6.25 million in cap space and to help Smyth return to Edmonton. Why was Brule such an issue for the Kings? The injury-prone Brule is listed as injured with a concussion and therefore unable to be traded or waived. Both sides seem to be arguing the fact of Brule’s status, but as of Saturday afternoon, Lombardi stood by his statement given to Rich Hammond, about the trade not being finished:

“It makes no sense for me to lose this player and lose the flexibility. I need to replace him. That’s where it broke down. When it was clear that I couldn’t do what I needed to do with that player I’m taking back, then it’s not what the deal was based on, in any stretch of the imagination, and it certainly doesn’t make any sense for me.”

The question was then what becomes of Smyth? Lombardi said he would keep looking for a possible trade but the doors seemed to slowly be closing on a few leads. On Friday, there was the possibility that Smyth could wind up with the Calgary Flames. This is no longer an option however since the Flames made moves of their own and resigned Alex Tanguay. As if there weren’t enough twists and turns in this trade, the final deal would come from Edmonton.

Both teams finally came to agreement on terms and Smyth will now be traded to the Oilers for Colin Fraser and a 2012 seventh-round draft pick. No, seriously. He has! As of right now, it has not been confirmed if the Kings plan on keeping Fraser. With one year left on his contract, Fraser only has a cap hit of $825,000. Match this with the fact that he only totaled three goals & two assists last season and you can bet the Kings will either waive or buy-out his contract.

With a heavy-heart, the Kings bid farewell to the beloved Captain Canada. If the next season does prove to be Smyth’s last, may he retire on a high-note with the team he started with.

Kings trade 2012 third-round & 2011 sixth-round draft picks to Nashville Predators for 2011 third-round pick.

Finally, a trade that would seem expected from draft day. In a move to get a 2nd third-round pick in this year’s draft, the Kings traded their 2012 third-round & this year’s sixth-round picks to Nashville. Lombardi made the move to get another prospect and with it he snagged the 82nd pick in Nick Shore, an 18-year-old from the University of Denver.

The Kings still need to fill a few gaps in the roster, but within the span of about three days they took large steps towards filling those gaps in the crown with gems. With trades like these, one can only wonder what free agency has in store for the kingdom.

Chris Van Deusen
NHLHS Los Angeles Kings Correspondent
Twitter – TheCrazyWhls

Though every NHL wants to make it to the playoffs for every post season, it is probably for the better that the Edmonton Oilers are not are part of the stressful push to earn a spot in the top 8 in their conference. It is not just to get another high draft pick, but because they are down so many men.

The club will be down eight skaters for Thursday’s match up against the Phoenix Coyotes where they look to snap a four-game losing streak. Per the Oilers Official Twitter, Gilbert Brule and Shawn Horcoff are going to be out for that tilt. Brule will be out with a concussion and Horcoff suffered a left foot injury after taking a Magnus Paajarvi shot. He told the media that being out seven-10 games is “best case scenario” but it could be longer. Alex Hemsky will not be in the line up as he is officially done for the season due to surgery he is getting on his shoulder. He will then need to rehab his shoulder for four to six months.

The five other players were already down as the injury bug has only gotten worse in the past month. One of the top defenseman Ryan Whitney has been out since December 30th due to his ankle and is done because of the required surgery. Since February 22nd, four of the Oilers have had their seasons ended.

Taylor Chorney, a call up from the AHL affiliate the Oklahoma City Barons, had only played in nine games with the big club before going down in his tenth game on February 22nd against the Minnesota Wild. A knee injury will sideline him for the remainder of the season. Hemsky was next up to see his season come to an end with his shoulder injury.

Number one overall draft pick Taylor Hall took part in his first career fight that he ultimately lost because of the injury he sustained from it. In the bout against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Hall became the second player on the season to have both a Gordie Howe hat trick and a a regular hat trick (Milan Lucic of the Boston Bruins is the other). Following his dropping the gloves with Derek Dorsett, Hall left the game with what was later reported to be a high ankle sprain.

Sam Gagner got a tendon in his hand sliced when teammate Ryan Jones was getting onto the ice and Gagner was reaching for his watter bottle during the team’s most recent game against the Washington Capitals on March 9th.  He had surgery the following day and is added to the list of players done for the season.

But things are looking up for Theo Peckham. Peckham was KO-ed by Nathan Horton in a fight and left the game when his team took on the Boston Bruins on February 27th and has been out since. He skated at practice on Tuesday for the first time since his concussion as a result of the fight.

A team that has had a lot of call ups in the line up can expect more for the remainder of the season. Up Tuesday is Teemu Hartikainen and Coach Tom Renney made note that 3 more forwards will join the team for the game Thursday.

Kathryn Uggerholt
NHL Hot Stove Edmonton Oilers correspondent
Twitter: @xokathryn_

I was anticipating last nights visit from the Colorado Avalanche. Tom Renney had just publicly called out the Oilers for their poor performance and I, along with most Oiler fans, wondered how the team was going to respond.

The Oilers seemed to respond well, and jumped on a flat footed Avalanche team by scoring two quick, lucky goals. The first goal at 1:40 of the first period from Gilbert Brule seemed to bounce off of Peter Budaj and go in as Brule attempted to centre the puck. The second goal came a little over two minutes later from Andrew Cogliano. Cogliano took advantage of a battle behind the net between Brule and Ryan Wilson to sweep up the puck and put it past Budaj.

A little under 2 minutes later the Avs got a goal from the smooth skating rookie Kevin Shattenkirk. So, within the first six minutes of the game the score was 2-1 for the Oilers. It was after this point I started to question whether or not the Oilers had heard Coach Renney’s message. Colorado went on to outshoot the Oiler 11-4 in the first. Matt Duchene scored the equalizing goal in early second and the Avs went on to outshoot the Oilers again 17-7.

During the first and second periods, two players seemed to have received Renney’s message and stepped up their game, Theo Peckham and Martin Gerber. Peckham did not register a point, but he crushed people into the boards and made smart, simple plays with the puck. He also ended up a plus-two for the night. Peckham was rewarded with a third star for his efforts.

After two periods, the Oilers were reeling and were fortunate to be tied 2-2, mostly on the performance of Gerber. Gerber made his first start in the NHL since April 11, 2009, and played extremely well. He stopped 35 of 37 shots for the game. Gerber’s great game may not have anything to do with Renney’s comments, and more to do with the adrenalin of playing in the NHL again. Nevertheless, Gerber has to be commended for keeping the Oilers in the game long enough to win.

In the third, the Oilers seemed to collectively pick their game up. Some noticeable players on the Oilers side were Dustin Penner and Magnus Paajarvi. Penner finished with an assist on Brule’s goal and a plus-two, but he seemed to play as if he were interested in the outcome of the game. When Penner is focused and motivated he is often the Oilers best player and tonight that was the case. Paarjarvi ended up a minus-one for the night, but what excited me was that skating he showcased. With or without the puck this player can dance on the ice, and I think fans saw a little bit of that last night. Paajarvi almost scored the winning goal a couple times himself late in the third. If Paarjarvi continues to play as well as he did last night, the points will come.

The winning goal was scored at 19.31 of the third by Taylor Hall on a pass from fellow rookie Jordan Eberle. It was another lucky goal as Eberle was freed up when the Colorado defenseman lost his stick and bent to retrieve it. Credit to Eberle and Hall, Eberle took advantage of the play and fired a pass to Hall and he made good on it. Sometimes a sustained effort will bring around some lucky breaks, tonight the Oilers took advantage. Hopefully the team learns this lesson.

Three Star Selection
1st Taylor Hall 1g,1a
2nd MattDuchene 1g, 1a
3rd Theo Peckham plus-two and punishing

Coming Up:

The Oilers face the San Jose Sharks in the late CBC game on Saturday night. The Last time the met, the Sharks destroyed the Oilers 6-1. Hopefully, the Oilers can carry over the third period effort against the Avalanche and put a good performance in for all the fans visiting Edmonton for the Grey Cup. Expect to see numerous green jerseys in the stands that night.

If the preseason was any indication as to what the Canadiens were going to get out of Carey Price, it seemed as if the trading of Jaroslav Halak was a gamble that Pierre Gauthier, Bob Gainey and company would need a hotline to dial in to in order to make up for the problem.

After an extremely dismal start to the pre-season, Price seems to have smoothed into his role of starter in Montreal. In his first three games with the Habs, he seems to be getting more and more comfortable in front of the net, playing his best game of the (4 game) season on October 13th, a loss to Tampa Bay that no one can peg on Price. Although his play isn’t yet the play of star goaltender’s play, he seems to be demonstrating a lot more desire to play, play hard, and win than he did last season. His demeanor on the ice, off the ice, and during post-game interviews all seem to indicate that Price has learned a lot from being pushed back to second goalie for the Habs last season. Yet, because Montrealers have such a short memory when it comes to remembering good things about goalies, but have an excellent long-term memory when remembering things that a goalie has done wrong, Price still has a ways to go before conquering the heart of Habs fans completely.

How about we go back and take a look at the events that have punctuated Carey Price‘s short NHL career, and try to see what the future may hold for the aspiring goaltender.

June 2005: Le Canadien de Montréal draft, then, 18 year old Carey Price in the first round, 5th overall. A shock to some but for Bob Gainey, this was the kid he wanted hoping one day to shine in the glory of netminders past. Scouting reports had this on him

Price, a hybrid-style goaltender, relies primarily on lightning quick reflexes to guard the upper portion of the net and a 6’2 frame that tends to cover much of the lower half of the goal. While he is superb at delivering rebounds to the corners, he is prone to occasionally throwing them back into the slot. Price will need to improve his mental composition as well, as he is as guilty as any goaltender in the league in regards to lapses in concentration.

Price’s great size covers a lot of the net, giving little for shooters to look for. While he is sometimes out of position, a good goaltender coach could teach him a lot here. Very good at reading plays, Price moves laterally well both on his feet and in the butterfly, though at time overcommits on plays. His glove hand is tremendous, and his puckhandling is a strong point.

- Jay Thompson, WHL 2005 Prospects, featured article on www.hockeysfuture.com, http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/7211/whl2005_prospects/. Visited October 26, 2010 (thanks so much to my fellow writer Mike Stelcner for the source).

2006-2007: Price remains in Tri-City and posts a 30-13-1 record, winning the title of CHL goaltender of the year. Following his team’s early playoff exit, the Habs sign him, and he quickly joins the Canadien’s AHL affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs just in time for their playoff run. Price went on to show fans why he was drafted 5th overall, leading his team to a Calder cup championship, putting up sparkling numbers in the process. But the highlight of his 2006-2007 season was his gold medal during the junior world championship, where he was named tournament MVP and “Top Goaltender.”

2007-2008: Price brought up to backstop Cristobal Huet, but when Huet is traded on the trade deadline, Habs’ then-GM Bob Gainey sent a clear message to all Montrealers: Carey Price was the new #1. Price went on to play in 41 games, recording a 24-12-3 record and 3 shutouts. But it’s during the playoffs that Price won over the heart of Montrealers. Playing against the 8th seeded Boston Bruins, Price records a 1-0 shutout against his division rivals, becoming the franchise’s first goalie since Roy to register a shut-out in the playoffs. Le Canadien went on to win the first series 4-3, before losing in the second round to the Flyers.

Both the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 seasons started with heavy expectations on the young goaltender. Yet both seasons were highly disappointing for Price, and many started to heavily question Gainey’s decision to pick Price as a 1st rounder when he could have acquired players like Anze Kopitar (drafter 11th overall by the Kings), Gilbert Brule or Marc Staal.

The worst for Price was to come during the 2009-2010 season, during which he was eventually relinquished to the backseat following Jaroslav Halak’s very impressive play. Price played in only one full game during the playoffs, a loss. Halak was the new hero, and Montrealers had all but given up on getting “the Price is right” again.

Yet, here we are again, at the beginning of a new NHL season, and Price is once again the go-t0 man in front of the net. It seems that all goaltending-related events come as a great surprise to the Montreal faithful. From the Huet trade to the Habs letting Halak go, Montrealers have been through a very wide range of emotions lately, trying to figure out which goalie is actually here to stay.* But the message is clear now: Price is #1, and it’s going to be up to him to “Carey” the Habs for the years to come. So how is this shaping up for the Canadiens this season?

The answer is honestly still in the making. Price is still a young player (23 years old), and he has been through more ups and downs than most goalies in the league can boast. In just four short seasons in the league, he has already been named savior of the team (during the 2007 playoffs, his nickname was “jesus Price”), and he has already been jeered multiple times by the fans, one particular event resulting in a Patrick Roy-style reaction. If there is anything that can be said about the young man, it’s that his determination and mental strength are admirable.

Yet it isn’t determination and mental strength alone that will make a team win games. What about his play, you ask? Well here is what I think about his play and attitude up to now.

• Price is much more mature and accountable about his, and the team’s, play. His post-game interviews have become much more honest, open and critical. The old Price who just didn’t seem to care at all about what was going on seems to be gone, and he is replaced by a wiser, more critical goaltender who knows when to criticize and when to praise. He seems to have actually understood the responsibility he holds as the #1 goalie, and this is very important for any team who wants a chance at the cup.
• Although Price always seems to begin a season as the starter, I believe that it is only now that he has realized that his position can be taken away from him. The fact that Halak became the starter last season was probably a shock to Carey, who had, up to then, enjoyed a solid hold on the #1 spot. Now that he’s felt what it’s like to be pushed out of the spotlight, I think Carey is just that much more determined to stay in it. He has rediscovered that drive to win, one could say.
• On his performances up to date: Price is getting more and more solid every game. He certainly has had his share of fluky goals and shaky periods, but a .916 S% and 2.27 GAA don’t lie: Carey is putting up solid numbers. Although he has only played 7 games, his game seems to be getting more comfortable. I believe his worst game of the season was against the Devils on October 21st, a 3-0 shutout for Martin Brodeur where Price let in 2 very fluky, probably-should-have-been-saves goals. Yet he redeemed himself quickly with a shutout performance the the ensuing game versus the Senators.
• Yet the road is still long for Price. He is often caught out of position, and there are still goals that he is letting in that just shouldn’t. Fluky goals do happen occasionally, but Price has been letting too many in. He needs to work on keeping his eyes on the puck, and better communicating with his D-men.
• He also needs to watch out for his rebound control and puck handling. Excessive puck handling has sometimes bitten Price in the butt, so he has to make sure that he is well aware of his surroundings before trying to emulate Martin Brodeur.
• Finally, although Price seems to have developed significantly over the last year, he is still a young goalie, which means that he is still prone to making “rookie” mistakes. He may be an established goaltender in the league now, but, as Price learned last season, he still has to work to keep the job. There are extremely few chances that Alex Auld ever take over the #1 spot in Montreal as Halak did, so there isn’t an immense pressure from that side, but I do believe that being sidelined last year was one of the best things that could have happened to Price.

The future for the young goaltender is still undefined, but for now, it isn’t looking to bad. It’s like they say: when the going gets tough, it’s the tough who get going. Now that the pressure is on, and the going is tough, will Carey Price get going? Only time will tell!

Christopher Nardi
NHLHS Montreal Canadiens Correspondent
cnardi@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @dragonlancehuma

The Edmonton Oilers have signed Gilbert Brule to a two year deal. This is a significant signing as Brule is a versatile player whom brings a physical presence, solid fore-checking and the ability to score on occasion. Offense was a big part of Brule’s game while playing junior for the Vancouver Giants in the Western Hockey League with his most notable year being in 2004/05 amassing 39 goals and 87 points plus 167 PIMS in 70 games.

The Columbus Blue Jackets liked what they saw in Brule and drafted him #6 Overall in the 2005 entry draft. He also played seven games with Columbus scoring two goals and adding two assists in that very year. Gilbert played his first full season the following year with Columbus playing more of a 3rd and 4th line specialty role with the club but eventually fell out of favor of the Jackets in 2007/08 in being sent down to Syracuse after he had played 61 games with Columbus.

Brule became expendable in the eyes of the Jackets which prompted the Edmonton Oilers to make a deal in 2008 swapping Raffi Torres for Brule in which at the time most felt it was a salary dump on Edmonton’s part.  Gilbert spent most of his time in Springfield in the AHL and was called up for 11 games in 2008/09 where he had 3 points in 11 games.

The 2009/10 season was his most productive season by a landslide, he played 65 games and had 17 goals and 37 points and was quickly becoming a fan favorite amongst Oiler nation as they started to fall in love with the intensity that Gilbert brought to every single game he played. Not only were the Oiler’s and fans noticing what Brule was doing on the ice last year but so were other teams as his name was a hot topic near the trade deadline but G.M. Steve Tambellini decided to keep the rugged forward.

One would expect Brule to get more ice time this upcoming season and I fully expect him to surpass his yearly totals in points from last season. Many may feel this is a minor deal for Edmonton but all in all the signing of a solid role player with his capabilities may just open up a few more eyes this coming  season.

Trent Kondo
NHLHS Edmonton Oilers Correspondent
tkondo@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @TK0N

Many NHL prognosticators predicted a post season berth for the Oilers with their off-season moves and coaching staff adjustments, bringing in players like Nikolai Khabibulin to solidify the goaltending. The team also brought in a past proven winner plus offensive spark plug and home town boy Mike Comrie. The additions of legendary coach Pat Quinn and Tom Renney as his assistant also looked like a pure genius move by G.M. Steve Tambellini.

Right winger Ales Hemsky led a cast of what seemed to be a decent forward depth squad with player’s such as Dustin Penner, Sam Gagner, Shawn Horcoff and Patrick O’Sullivan and what looked to be a solid back end with Sheldon Souray, Lubomir Visnovsky, Tom Gilbert, and Denis Grebeshkov.

Edmonton started off well going 6-3-1 in their first 10 games with all signs being indicative towards a successful season upcoming for the Oilers but unfortunately this was not the case as the wheels started to fall. The team finished the month of October posting a record of 7-6-1 and over the next three months had a nauseating 9-25-2 record including the month of January where Edmonton did not even record a single victory.

The downfall can easily be blamed on injuries to Hemsky, Khabibulin and Souray along with underachieving of big money man Shawn Horcoff and supposed sniper Patrick O’Sullivan therefore leaving the reigns to Dustin Penner, youngster Sam Gagner and speedster Andrew Cogliano. Not a great scenario by any means especially now having your franchise player, number #1 goaltender and best defenseman on the shelf for an indefinite amount of time. All of the aforementioned issues and unfortunate occurrences for Edmonton spelled a 30th place finish overall and obviously dead last in the Western Conference with a mere 27 wins on the season.

In all honesty, if the Oilers were completely healthy with their full roster it’s hard to fathom if Edmonton would have been a serious contender or even participate in the post-season this year as the forward depth is just not there and the lack of solid stay at home defensemen was most definitely a key to being one of the most scored upon teams in the league. The top 4 d-men for the Oilers are pretty much considered offensive defensemen and more of a liability defensively which really is not a good nucleus to have in today’s game.

The Oilers, realizing there was no hope for post season play, then began the movement for next season stating there will be a complete rebuild of this club from the bottom to the top. They were not kidding around either in saying that as it all began quickly by moving Visnovksy to Anaheim for Ryan Whitney and a 6th rounder, Grebeskov to Nashville for a 2nd round pick, and Steve Staios to the Calgary Flames of all teams for Aaron Johnson plus a third round pick.

Add in the trade demand by Sheldon Souray after the season was over plus the firing of long time trainer Ken Lowe, Kevin Lowe’s brother and equipment tech’s Lyle Kulchisky and Barrie Stafford which a combined 84 years of service altogether for the Oiler franchise. As one can see family members and long time service means nothing if the team is not winning.

Edmonton cleared up a bit of cap space and will have even more if they can dump Souray’s contract on to another team and furthermore will have to decide on a few upcoming unrestricted free agents in the likes of Fernando Pisani, Aaron Johnson, Mike Comrie and Jason Strudwick in which I expect none will be brought back and will go elsewhere trying to find more money or a team not in rebuilding mode. They will also have 8 restricted free agents with the most notable being Sam Gagner, Andrew Cogliano, Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers and Gilbert Brule who will be available to entertain offers from other clubs which can be matched by the Oilers or simply let them go on their way to another club.

In ending it was a season of purgatory so to speak for the Edmonton Oilers and their fans but need to be positive as the future looks bright with the likes of Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson, Jordan Eberle, Taylor Chorney and yes either Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin in the upcoming NHL entry draft.

Trent Kondo
NHLHS Edmonton Oilers Contributor
tkondo@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @TKON

Back-up goalie, Curtis McElhinney got the nod and his first start for Anaheim. McElhinney faced 36 shots, blocking 34 of those and put up a promising performance in net that should give Ducks’ fans faith in the future of goaltending for their team. Newly signed Nick Bonino played his first NHL game in a Ducks’ uniform and didn’t take long to settle in. Although he did not score a point, he did make it onto the stat sheet with his first 2 penalty minutes and a shot on goal.

George Parros played an excellent game, notching the first goal for the Ducks at 8:18 of the first period.  Parros delivered the physical play he is known for with some big hits and a brawl against the Oilers’ Zack Stortini, as well as showing off his skating and passing ability.

George Parros vs. Zack Stortini – 03/26/2010

The Ducks held a 1 – 0 lead up to 5:52 of the second when Gilbert Brule put a shot into the net on McElhinney’s glove side. The 1 -1 stalemate lasted until the middle of the third when Corey Perry came to life for the Ducks scoring two power play goals, with Teemu Selanne adding assist on both. Ducks’s defencemen Brendan Mikkleson and Sheldon Brookbrank tried to keep things interesting by taking penalties at 18:08 and 19:31 of the third giving Edmonton, with their goalkeeper, Deslauriers pulled, a six-on-three. Marc Pouliout took advantage with 19.4 seconds remaining in the game, but there just wasn’t enough time left for the Oilers to overcome the deficit.

My Ducks’ Three Stars:

3 – Teemu Selanne – assisted on the game winner as well as Corey Perry’s other power play goal

2 – Curtis McElhinney – with 34 saves, the Ducks couldn’t have done it without him

1 – Corey Perry – 2 power play goals in the third, one of which was the game winner, need I say more?

Honorable Mentions:

George Parros – played one his best games in quite some time

Troy Bodie and Kyle Chipchura – for almost scoring short-handed goals

Notes:

Ryan Getzlaf sat out of the game nursing a sore ankle.

Todd Marchant and Jason Blake were healthy scratches.

This was Corey Perry’s first 2-goal game since November 3^rd, 2009.

Teemu Selanne has 3 assists in the last 2 games. Selanne needs only 2 more goals to pass Jari Kurri on the all-time goal scoring list.

The Ducks next game is Monday, March 29^th, 2010 against the Dallas Stars in Anaheim. Teemu Selanne will be honored in a ceremony before the game.

As of this writing the Columbus Blue Jackets sit 14th in the Western Conference and 26th in the entire League.  With only four wins and eight points in their last ten games, the ship seems to be sinking.  GM Scott Howson likely will move his expiring contracts before season’s end leaving a player like Raffi Torres of great interest.

Through 52 games with the Blue Jackets Torres posted 26 points. Through a full NHL season those totals project for 40 points, right around his career high of 41 in 2005-2006.  The 28-year-old also projects to score 20 goals for the third time in his career and could in theory flirt with 30 goals.

In his limited playoff experience he holds a similar pace with 11 points in 22 games with the Oilers and two points in four games with Columbus.  Although limited, his ability to endure a Stanley Cup run should play a larger role in determining his value.

During the 2008 offseason the Oilers traded Torres to the Blue Jackets for then forward prospect Gilbert Brule.   The Jackets acquired a trusted veteran while the Oilers received a nice building block for their future, essentially a win-win situation for both teams.  If the Blue Jackets receive another young asset then it could possibly swing the trade in their favor.

An interesting destination would be Pittsburgh, where GM Ray Shero always seems to buy at this period.  Torres as well as Alexei Ponikarovsky likely top the list of affordable and useful wingers for his elite centers.  Of course, Ilya Kovalchuk probably will be moved or announced off the market before lesser wingers get moved.  Teams who miss out in the Kovalchuk sweepstakes may take home Torres as a consolation prize.

The price most likely will be a prospect or draft pick, depending on what Howson wants back.  This player does not represent a first-round draft pick’s value despite his 5th overall selection.

Torres makes the remainder of a 2.250 cap hit, which on March 3rd will be less than 500K.  Only six teams at this point cannot afford this grinding winger so overall interest should be high.

Alexander Monaghan
NHLHS Editor
amonaghan@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @NHLHotStove

• The Blackhawks defeated the Sharks in overtime on the second goal of the night from Troy Brouwer.  ”We had exactly the right start that we wanted,” Brouwer said. “We had a little hiccup in the middle of the game, but we were able to fend them off and pull it out in overtime.”
• Blue Jacket fans reminded the team that the game lasts 60 minutes as Columbus fell to Los Angeles 4-0.  ”This is painful,” left winger R.J. Umberger said. “We heard the boos, and rightfully so.”
• After climbing their way back into the playoff picture, the Red Wings fail to keep a solid foothold on their position with only one win since mid-January.  ”Lately we’ve been finding ways to lose instead of finding ways to win,” captain Nicklas Lidstrom said.
• The Predators and coach Barry Trotz claim no fear when facing the Red Wings tonight.  ”We’re not afraid of the Detroit Red Wings and we haven’t been in a number of years,” Trotz said. “But we respect them because they have been so dominant as a team and organization for so long.”
• Alexander Steen scored his twelfth goal of the year to push the Blues past Edmonton 2-1.  ”We didn’t want the game to go any longer than it needed to, but you’re not going to knock a team out, especially when we didn’t feel that we were at our best,” Blues coach Davis Payne said.

Northwest

• Another shootout loss brings the Flames losing streak to nine games. “We know shootouts can go either way but these are two road games where we were playing two good home teams so we’re going to stick with it and keep going,” said captain Jarome Iginla.
• The Avs bored themselves to a 1-0 loss against the Wild.  ”They always seem to play a boring trap game,” Chris Stewart said. “They just want to keep it close and hope you make a mistake and capitalize. We let that happen tonight.”
• Even though Gilbert Brule and Mike Comrie returned to the lineup the Oilers lost. “Maybe the addition of guys will make the team play little bit on the defensive of the game and that will help us get a better result,” Oilers coach Pat Quinn said.  Too bad for Quinn the offense couldn’t muster enough to win.
• Wild backup Josh Harding persevered to give his team a 1-0 victory and the first road win of the new year. “If I was him, I know that I’d want the other guy to battle pretty hard, too. But the team made it easier on me than maybe it looked out there,” said Harding.
• Canucks Depth blueliners Nolan Baumgartner, Aaron Rome and Brad Lukowich need to dig deep for this upcoming road trip.

Pacific

• Despite his scars Teemu Selanne still puts a smile on his face as he practices with the Ducks.
• Mike Modano played with over 300 linemates in his illustrious 20+ season career.  This year is no different as he shifts from playing the top line to the fourth on a nightly basis. “He definitely has the experience where he can adapt his game,” said captain and on-and-off linemate Brenden Morrow.
• The Kings won four in a row now with their recent drudging of the Blue Jackets. Although out shot in the first ten minutes of the game, defenseman Matt Greene fired one in and changed the game.    ”The whole game changed,” Columbus Coach Ken Hitchcock said. “The energy changed and we didn’t grab it back.”
• Robert Lang scored the game winner in shootout, putting one past fatigued netminder Miikka Kiprusoff.  ”You’re either gonna beat him, or you don’t,” Lang said. “Everybody has their moves. He likes to poke-check and likes to be aggressive in the net, I saw him getting ready, and I froze him a little.”
• Even though the final score appeared close, coach Todd McLellan believes their poor start contributed more to their loss.  ”The start was unacceptable,” McLellan said.  ”We’re all going to talk about how hard we fought and that we worked our way back into the game, but that start was unacceptable.”

Central

• The Hawks look to play well against the Sharks tonight.  ”Looking back at our trip so far we’ve had some really good games and some games we’ve been really bad,” defenseman Duncan Keith said. “Our goal now is to have another really good game in San Jose.
• Two players will miss tonight’s Blue Jackets game with the flu. Derek Dorsett also remains out for the time being.
• Brad Stuart sustained a sprained left shoulder last night, just two days after the return of defenseman Niklas Kronwall.  ”It doesn’t feel great, but I could have finished the game, it was just at that point, why risk making it worse,” Stuart said.
• The Predators know what they need to do to return to their early season form after losing four straight.  ”We have to get back to our entire group buying into it. There are certain parts of our game that our strong, but right now the intensity and commitment haven’t been there,” said goaltender Dan Ellis.
• Only a powerplay tally by Christian Ehrhoff separated the Blues from another victory.  ”We were in position (to win) and they found a way to get the extra (goal) on the power play,” Blues coach Davis Payne said.

Northwest

• The losing streak hits eight with their recent loss to the Stars 4-3 but there were positives to this loss.  ”We played as a team, as a group of five out there, offensively and defensively. We were moving the puck, skating the way we had been earlier when we had success for two periods . . . but we were tentative in the third, we shelled it up there,” said Jarome Iginla.
• Ryan O’Reilly does not need to score to be trusted in Colorado.  ”With Ryan, you don’t necessarily see the results on the score sheet,” Avs coach Joe Sacco said.
• Both Mike Comrie and Gilbert Brule should return to the Oilers lineup.  ”This is a way to pass on that extra message. It’s been a pretty good comfort zone on a team that has lost so many games. They’ve never had to worry about not playing,” said coach Pat Quinn.
• Antti Miettinen and Pavel Datsyuk played a shooting match last night, trading goals in the first period
• Even though the Blues shut down the Sedin twins, Mason Raymond scored two goals.  ”It’s not by accident,” said Canucks coach Alain Vigneault. “If there’s one player on our team right now who’s going the extra mile as far as trying to improve himself as a player, it’s Mason. He’s spending a lot of time with our skills coach before practice, working on his skills. He’s even coming in on his days off. There’s a reason why he’s having the success, he’s putting in the extra time.“  

Pacific

• The Capitals dominated the Ducks in the third period leading to a 5-1 victory but the third period started 1-1.  ”It’s a 1-1 game,” said Corey Perry. “We had them right where we wanted them going into the third. We gave up one quick one and then all of a sudden bang-bang-bang.”
• Mike Ribeiro may return to the Stars lineup soon.
• Helene Elliot of The LA Times runs down tonight’s Kings-Blue Jackets matchup.
• The Coyotes scoring two goals in the final 90 seconds to tie Detroit could be the turning point of their season. “I think we were a bit more fragile as a team last year,” said Daniel Winnik. “All the young guys we had, not just used to making those kinds of comebacks like that, especially against a team like Detroit.”
• Huge matchup tonight between the Sharks and Blackhawks, with winner claiming first place in the league.  ”It’s a lot bigger than that,” Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. “We have a chance to tie for first, and that’s a huge game.”