By Alexander Monaghan
President

Ryan Miller looked great in his first game back from injury. The Buffalo Sabres starting goalie was cruising towards a victory, perhaps a shutout as his team was winning 2-0 in the second period. Then, resident agitator of the Nashville Predators, left wing Jordin Tootoo, decided to test his boundaries against Miller.

Let’s take a look at the incident.

Tootoo clearly lost the puck and jumped in the direction of a sprawled Miller. Unlike the Milan Lucic incident, every member of the Sabres on the ice — including Paul Gaustad — decided to jump Tootoo and further protect their goalie from injury. In other words, all heck broke loose on the ice.

Ryan Porth of Smashville 24/7 reported, via Twitter, that Tootoo never meant to hurt Miller. Joshua Cooper of The Tennessean added, via Twitter, that the winger would face disciplinary action. Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff was quotably unhappy about the incident. On a related note, Why did Miller not go to the quiet room?

Seeing as running the goalie has become a hot topic this season, one can only expect Tootoo gets the book thrown at him. However, the number of games remains to be seen. As usual, we leave our readers with a vote; Where does your virtual Shanahammer fall?

By Alexander Monaghan
President 

Over the weekend, NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan had some work to do. At least five separate incidents were reviewed (pretty much everything is reviewed in the ‘Shanaban’ era) but at the end of the day, only two players wound up suspended from the League. Dan Carcillo, a repeat offender, took a two-game ban for a dangerous push-from-behind on Carolina Hurricanes d-man Joni Pitkanen. Andy Sutton, another repeat offender, traveled to New York today in order to find out his punishment from a high clothesline delivered to Colorado Avalanche rookie Gabriel Landeskog.

One of the bigger non-calls was Francois Beauchemin’s open-ice hit on Mike Fisher, which came from the blind side. Fisher never saw it coming and while the hit was not targeting the head — the explanation handed down upon us — it came out of nowhere. Take a look for yourself:

Fisher, an outspoken veteran forward and team leader, was quite expressive over this non-call, via Twitter:

@ian_mendes players are really confused. I’m out because of a similar play and no dice as well. I don’t get it!

A very important center in the Nashville Predators system, Fisher already made his impact known with two goals and four points in three games. Last season he was a vital cog for coach Barry Trotz and company, helping them defeat the offense-heavy Anaheim Ducks in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Unfortunately, his impact now will be counterproductive for the Preds as his absence hurts the team’s depth as well as their chances of getting back into the playoffs.

As this article is written, the Preds play without him in the lineup. In fact, his return to the lineup is somewhat indefinite. His presence on Twitter may indicate he’s healthy enough to perform daily activities but he almost certainly won’t travel with the team to Phoenix and is highly doubtful for their three games in California.

So, in summary, we leave you with the facts and the vote.

By Michael Wifall from Tucson, USA (Kyle Turris getting stick-lifted by Taylor Pyatt) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)

Courtesy of Elliotte Friedman’s ’30 Thoughts’ column, we now can confirm that Kyle Turris has no interest in playing for the Phoenix Coyotesand may forgo playing this season just to not play in the desert. The New Westminster, BC native baffled the hockey world with his contract demands during the preseason, making it well known that if his organization wants him back, he wants to be paid like a first liner. Some people look for information about a list of online colleges when they want to take sports management classes.

With 19 goals and 46 points through his first 131 games, asking for in excess of $4 million is certainly outrageous. However, Friedman explains that he would sign a decent contract with another club, effectively eliminating any form of offer sheet. GM Don Maloney has a very strategic way of dealing with RFAs, which usually includes signing a reasonable two-year deal north of $2 million. in keeping the second contract low effectively keeps the third contract lower and more reasonable — a must for a cash-strapped, under-budget organization like the Coyotes.

If Turris won’t play for the Coyotes, they can call his bluff and allow him to sit out the entire season which would certainly hinder his development and his unfortunately for the ‘Yotes, his trade value. Turris, in turn, could then lend his talents to some overseas team (against team orders) or just continue to play chicken with the team in hopes of eventually playing in a more hockey-friendly market.

Perhaps he prefers a more-populated arena. Maybe he clashes with coach Dave Tippett. Quite possibly he just doesn’t like his current developmental track. At this point, we really don’t know his thoughts while the mainstream media in Arizona haven’t necessarily aided in finding out; we can only assume with his disdain for Phoenix, he isn’t local to the team or available to the team’s media.

While we remain unsure of his motives, we can take a gander at the teams who might need his services.

The Calgary Flames top the list as they could certainly use a blue-chip center like Turris, but as Friedman notes, they probably don’t have the necessary players to complete a deal. Mikael Backlund would almost certainly be required while both sides likely fail to make such a lateral move. To get a player with the potential of Turris — former 3rd overall pick, right-handed center with size — most teams will need to give up a center prospect of their own. Who has the depth to withstand such a move?

One team that jumps out is the New Jersey Devils, who are short in NHL-caliber centers but long on prospects. Adam Henrique could be a starting point in the Turris sweepstakes coupled with controversial prospect Jon Merrill or even a lesser d-man like Eric Gelinas, Matt Taormina or current-NHLer Mark Fayne. Nevertheless, the Coyotes likely turn that down — especially if they would turn down Backlund — countering with a package that probably includes current third-line center Jacob Josefson plus a first rounder. In other words, the Devils, despite their plethora of prospects, would not be a fit for Turris unless they overpay; in a rebuilding year, they probably pass.

Another option could be the Nashville Predators, who have a history of making early moves in the regular season. Considering they already roster a young core, they could have prospects to spare. Austin Watson along with Charles-Olivier Roussel, Roman Josi or Mattias Ekblom could get the job done. However, due to the uncertainty of Ryan Suter and Shea Weber, the Preds likely continue to stockpile their youngsters as a contingency plan. Similar to the Calgary proposal, we’re not sure the Yotes would accept such a deal in any event.

Although we only listed a few organizations who could have interest in Turris, the majority either don’t have enough to offer or probably would pass on trading for an enigma like Turris.

The Coyotes feature solid depth in both goalie and defense prospects, which limits them to wanting high-end forwards in the same mold as Turris. Furthermore, Tippett rarely uses blue-chip offensive prospects, letting Brett MacLean and Viktor Tikhonov go through waivers this past preseason in favor of Kyle Chipchura, Petteri Nokelainen and Patrick O’Sullivan. The team’s brightest offensive chip, Mikkel Boedker, currently centers the team’s fourth line. In other words, if you have a flaw on the defensive side of the puck, you will not play with any regularity in Phoenix.

Which comes back to Turris. Last season, he averaged a whopping 11:16 of ice time despite scoring 11 goals and 25 points over 65 games. While the team didn’t necessarily struggle to score in 2010-2011, they did hold a goal differential of only six. Playing Turris more could have helped that in a positive way provided he didn’t struggle in his own end. Nevertheless, his ice time ranked 22nd on the team with Petr Prucha even seeing more ice time than him — a less-than-ideal spot for a budding forward.

In a very quiet trade market, this pivot stands out as one of the few things to discuss. One thing is almost certain: his holdout will be infamous and may even become it’s own hockey-related verb. Ie. Hope the Leafs sign X before his Turrist his way out of the NHL. As of this writing, that very well could happen.

LATimes.com: LA Kings and defenseman Drew Doughty agree to an eight year, $56 million contract.

 
It appears Doughty and his agent Don Meehan won the showdown with General Manager Dean Lombardi. The blockbuster deal eclipses the $6.8 AAV limit Lombardi had previously refused to budge on by $200,000 per season. Is he worth it? The CEO of AEG, the Kings parent company, Tim Leiweke sure thinks so. He said Thursday, “Let’s go win some Cups.”
 
True, the last major personnel piece has added to in theory push the Kings to an elite level for the upcoming season and beyond. But many more questions remain regarding the team as a whole to fulfill the Stanley Cup finals predictions of some pundits.
 
- A significant roster shakeup and the addition of Mike Richards alters team chemistry and the locker room. How will they respond?
- For as well as Doughty plays he is still being paid largely on potential. Can he return to Norris finalist quality or will 2011-12 be as up and down as 2010-11?
- They are a virtual lock for the top eight in the West. Can they win a playoff round? They haven’t since 2001.
 
Parallels can certainly be drawn between this Kings club and the 2008-09 Chicago Blackhawks. They two were a sexy pick before the regular season began. Prove what you can do first and then the lofty prognostications are a little easier to believe.
 

Puck Daddy: Alex Radulov is none too happy in the KHL right now.

 
As Dmitry Chesnokov points out in his post, the percentage is low that the one time Nashville Predators froward returns to Smashville to finish out the final season of his ELC, but Barry Trotz could sure use him.
 
Heading in to the campaign the Preds leading scorer is lifer Martin Erat who chipped in with just 17 goals and 50 points last season. There is no knowing if Sergei Kostitsyn’s 23 goal and 50 points in 77 games played performance is for real and will carry over  or if he was a flash in the pan. Besides those two their only other “known” scoring threat is Patric Hornqvist. Who is more known for collecting garbage around the net and stirring the pot than his skill level.
 
Radulov would bring an injection of world class skill to be the creator for Erat and Hornqvist and reduce pressure on Kostitsyn. Sure, a full season of Mike Fischer and a year wiser Colin Wilson may make a big difference, but this club is expected to make the playoffs. Wishing and hoping that top six forwards can net more than 50 points is playing with standings regressive fire in the wild west.
 
 

BlueNoteZone: TJ Oshie, Patrik Berglund and Chris Stewart look the part of a top line against the Avalanche.

 
Every team needs a go to line that can jump on the ice in any situation and change the course of a game. The most famous, or infamous to some, example is the trio of Bobby Ryan, Ryan Getzlef and Corey Perry out in Anaheim. The Blues may have found their version last night.
 
While both Blues’ scoring lines were on point in their 3-1 victory over Colorado, the Berglund line was the best on the ice. Consistently dominating the play below the red line and along the boards. The proof was on the score sheet for those who couldn’t see it. They combined for two goals and an assist with seven shots on goal.
 
Berglund has been a beast in camp and the preseason looking to prove he’s worth a big time contract with the two year “prove me” deal expires. Oshie and Stewart are in contract years.
 
Size? Berglund 6’4, 218 lbs and Stewart 6’2, 228 lbs. Check.
Skill? Oshie dangles once and scores from his knees and Stewart streaks end to end and scores. Check.
Chemistry? Developing quickly.
 
The potential for a great line is there. Will the next step be taken (isn’t that always the question in St. Louis in the Checketts era)? Watch out if they do.
 

Edmonton Journal: Will the top selection in the 2011 entry draft crack the Oilers lineup?.

 
Though the article comes from the start of training camp, it poses one of the biggest questions in the Western Conference this preseason. Should Ryan Nugent-Hopkins play out the season in Edmonton?
 
Recent history favors his continued presence in the OIlers lineup. Recent highly touted top picks like teammate Taylor Hall, John Tavares, Steven Stamkos and Patrik Kane have all come in to the NHL and found measured levels of immediate success and continued improvement. Though all considered “smaller” players at the time of their arrival by today’s standards they have not struggled amongst the trees. They’ve all had adjustment periods, but have come out ahead by fighting through it directly rather than by differing to another season after going back and cake walking the juniors scene.
 
The one detraction could be the excessive amount of youth in Edmonton. But teams have learned from the Phoenix Coyotes’ mistakes of overloading a roster with youth. The summer acquisitions of Ryan Smyth and  Eric Belanger as well as (hopefully) full seasons with captain Shawn Horcoff and scoring ace Ales Hemsky healthy should alleviate that concerns.
 
RNH will find success and good advice wherever he plays, but in the NHL he will find success and mentors that are more beneficial to his career.
 

Detroit News: Red Wings owner Illitch says Bettman has promised a move to the Eastern Conference.

 
All is fair in love and war. Hockey is a bit of both so there should be no surprise that the Detroit Red Wings will be pushing every button on Gary Bettman they can find to get a cushy travel schedule. But the issue of realignment isn’t theirs alone to resolve. There are 29 other clubs who have an equal stake in the process. The league as a whole must come first.
 
Taking away the Western Conference’s biggest attraction will negatively impact the revenue of every other western team. For teams like St. Louis, Colorado, Phoenix, Dallas and Nashville , all clubs with attendance or money problems, the Wings coming to town is a sure fire sellout. That’s money they need to not profit, but just to break even.
 
An acceptable compromise would be to alter the schedule composition and reduce the number of games the Wings play in the Pacific timezone, but with a three division system that won’t be easily achieved. Don’t be surprised if the league pushes for the Sidney Crosby philosophy to be applied in realignment scenarios. What is best for the league’s top player/team/franchise is what’s best for the league overall.

By Jeff Quirin
NHL Hot Stove Associate Editor

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The hockey blogging community is the strongest its ever been and grows daily. From aspiring journalists to devoted fans who all want to share their unique perspectives on their favorite teams and push their material out across the net. Yet, they remain the greatest asset to the NHL with the weakest capitalization. So when opportunity presents itself to engage some of the best around and maybe add one more drop in the “acceptance of bloggers” bucket, I jump on it.

More often than not this will take the form of a Q&A. It’s concise and simple. As Associate Editor I hope to bring more of this style of content throughout the season to expose the readers of NHL Hot Stove to a wide array ideas and hockey points of view they may not have otherwise.

In this season’s first such venture five bloggers covering the five Central Division clubs have answered ten questions relating to the near future of the division.

Bringing the cannon to the party, is Columbus Blue Jackets fan and blogger Martin Poston of the Martini Hockey blog. You can follow him on Twitter: @MartiniHockey.

One of Smashville’s finest scribes, Mark Willoughby of Hockey Independent and The View From 111, has the Nashville Predators covered. You can follow him on Twitter: @TheViewfrom111.

Two of NHL Hot Stove’s own cover the top dogs in the Central. Ryan Hackett with the Chicago Blackhawks and Christina Roberts with the Detroit Red Wings. You can follow Ryan on Twitter: @Hawknut and Christina on Twitter: @Franzenmuth.

Normally I would dish out the thoughts from a St. Louis Blues pov, but for this post Brian Heanchen of Hank’s Sports Blog will take over. You can follow him on Twitter: @Brian_Haenchen

To the questions.

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Question 1. Who is the front runner to win the Central Division? The Detroit Red Wings or Chicago Blackhawks?

Martin Poston:Red Wings, easily. I’m not among those ready to anoint Chicago as a threat to the throne just yet. Corey Crawford had a breakout season for sure. Whether or not he can continue that success will determine whether the Blackhawks even make the Playoffs this year. And that’s not a given by any means.

Mark Willoughby: The front runner to win the Central is the Detroit Red Wings. The team still has the components to win the division: a solid netminder; sound defense; and forwards that know how to score. That being said, the Wings are going to net their backup goalie to give them some quality starts to spell Jimmy Howard. And as with every team in the division, they will have to stay healthy. A critical injury is all that separates any of the teams from contending and being an also-ran.

Christina Roberts: I’ve got to put in a little bias and say the Red Wings. While we may have lost some key players like Brian Rafalski, Kris Draper, and Chris Osgood, we picked up some pretty good guys like Ian White, Mike Commodore, and Ty Conklin (who was good before when he was on our team). We haven’t lost our core players, and Nick Lidstrom is still playing as good as ever. Chicago was a little shaky last year, especially with Toews having a rough first half, and losing so many guys in the off-season hurt them a lot. I definitely wouldn’t count Chicago out of it, though.

Ryan Hackett: Way to make me sound biased right off the bat here, Jeff. I say it has to be the Blackhawks. They’re as deep as ever, and they added some much-needed toughness. The goaltending situation is solid with Crawford getting a nice extension, and they’ve had a nice long offseason to get healthy and hungry.

Brian Haenchen: Detroit Red Wings. Personally, I’m not sold on the Blackhawks. Corey Crawford showed a lot of potential in his rookie season and I expect him to continue performing at a high level this season. However, the pieces around him are not going to be enough for the Hawks to dethrone the Red Wings.

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Question 2. Between Nashville, St. Louis and Columbus, who has the best chance at unseating the top two and why?

MP: If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s to never count out Nashville. True, they lost some quality guys (and withstood an arbitration nightmare with Shea Weber) and didn’t add much in Free Agency in terms of marquee talent. However, Barry Trotz has proven to be a coach who can do a lot with less. They might even threaten Detroit in April.

MW: Nashville has the best chance of unseating the Wings as the top team in the Division. The Predators have the best goalie in the Division and one of the best in the NHL. The defense will be replacing a few components on the third and fourth pairing, but although young, these players will be immensely talented. The big question for the Predators is the forward group- more specifically, can they score goals? I think they will be able to do so, at least enough to win. Last season, the Predators went 4-2 against the Wings and were 3-3 against the Blackhawks.

CR: Nashville has always scared me. While St. Louis and Columbus have added components to their rosters, they both still have problems with injuries and until they overcome that, they won’t be scaring the Red Wings anytime soon (minus those handful of games us Wings fans like to block out that were, what, 8-0 and 10-3? Something ridiculous like that). Regardless, I think Nashville is still a force to be reckoned with. And Shea Weber scares me.

RH: Definitely Nashville. Their style of play really gums up the works of the fast, high-scoring offenses of Detroit and Chicago and their first playoff series win has to have them thirsty to get back there.

BH: The Saint Louis Blues have the best chance of those teams to finish among the top 2 in the Central…as long as they can stay healthy. Player to watch: Patrik Berglund. Berglund bounced back from a disappointing sophomore season, scoring a career high in goals. Do not forget about Jaroslav Halak, who will benefit from having that one full season as starting net minder under his belt.

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Question 3. Who made the best and worst off season moves?

MP: Columbus’ top-to-bottom audit of the organization led to a lot of offseason changes, and GM Scott Howson pounced in June with an unprecedented boldness, acquiring Jeff Carter and James Wisniewski via trade, then making the sale with Wiz in the final hours before free agency. It’s hard to call anyone’s offseason the “worst,” but Nashville’s offseason was rough, that was for sure. The team has tended to be frugal in the past, and going to arbitration with Weber burned them badly. However, accepting the huge arbitration award and keeping Shea Weber was about the best move they could make under the circumstances. Chicago didn’t add much more to help themselves, other than an aging forward in Andrew Brunette and a reason for opponents to watch their back when Dan Carcillo is on the ice. Some call it grit. I call it a suspension waiting to happen.

MW: The team that made the best off-season moves in the Division would have to be Columbus Blue Jackets. The addition of Jeff Carter up front and James Wisniewski on the blue line will certainly bolster their roster. Carter will add scoring punch to go along with Rick Nash, which has been desperately needed by the Jackets. The measure of this acquisition will be Carter’s mental approach to playing in Columbus and his presence in the locker room. If both are good, then this move by Scott Howson will be remembered as a turning point for the franchise. If Carter turns out to be a negative in both areas, the trade will also be remembered as a turning point, but not in a good way.

CR: I would have to say Columbus made the best moves. They jumped on opportunities to sign two awesome players: James Wisniewski and Jeff Carter. The worst moves…honestly, you could say the Red Wings. They didn’t make any super spectacular moves like everyone thought they would, what with Rafalski’s salary opening up. That’s not to say their moves were bad, just not as good as everyone else’s.

RH: The best: Columbus. Adding James Wisniewski at the blue line was a bit risky, especially at that salary, but could potentially pay big dividends, but the acquisition of Jeff Carter could finally relieve some of the pressure on Rick Nash. Worst: Nashville. The moves in the Central were altogether good, I just thought the Preds did the least amount of good, and possibly fractured their long-term relationship with defenseman Shea Weber.

BH: By adding Jeff Carter, a player not known for his play-making abilities, and sticking him on a line with Rick Nash, a prolific forward who can do it all, Columbus turned themselves into a serious playoff contender.

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Question 4. By season’s end, which potential one-two punch stands to push Pavel Datsyuk/Henrik Zetterberg for the best in the division: Jeff Carter/Rick Nash, David Backes/Chris Stewart, Patric Hornqvist/Martin Erat or Jonathan Toews/Patrick Kane?

MP: Ah, the “one-two punch.” So invaluable to a team. Tough choice here. It’s hard not to go with Toews and Kane. However, Nash and Carter are going to turn some heads this year as the forward lines mesh in Columbus.

MW: Until someone in the division can step up and surpass their production, the best one-two punch in the Division is Toews and Kane. I think they will be again this season.

CR: Toews/Kane is always a good one-two punch that has the potential to give the Euro Twins a run for their money, assuming they both stay healthy. I can see Carter/Nash being absolutely insane, though. Nash is dangerous and giving him someone on his line that will easily complement him.

RH: Again, I’m going to sound like an absolute homer here, but I say it’s Toews & Kane. They have the championship experience and the depth behind them to have career years once again, and barring injury, could be the top duo in not just the division, but the entire NHL.

BH: As much as it pains me to say it, Toews and Kane will push Datsyuk and Zetterberg for the best one-two punch in the division. Those two players are something special.

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Question 5. By season’s end the top starting netminder in the Central will be: Jimmy Howard, Pekka Rinne, Jaroslav Halak, Corey Crawford or Steve Mason?

MP: Howard.

MW: The top starting netminder at the end of the season will once again be Pekka Rinne.

CR: I’d have to go with either Jimmy Howard or Pekka Rinne. Rinne always tends to annoy me when the Wings play against him because he seems to stand on his head and make phenomenal saves. He’s had a few solid years, too, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he were top. But don’t forget that Howard was up for the Calder two years ago with fairly solid numbers. His stats may have taken a slight beating last year in comparison, but he still wound up with the same amount of wins. It’ll be a tough battle for both goaltenders.

RH: I think it’s a two-horse race here between Pekka Rinne and Corey Crawford, with my early vote going to Rinne. If he even approaches the season he had last year, he’s going to take the Predators far.

BH: Jaroslav Halak. That full season as a starting goalie will do wonders for his confidence.

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Question 6. If any of the five head coaches are fired, who will be first and why?

MP: I’m not sure anyone is really on the hot-seat during the season, unless someone has an absolutely  disastrous October/November. If Chicago winds up the odd team out in the Central (which I think will put four teams in this year), then maybe Quenneville.

MW: No Central Division coach will be fired this season.

CR: Either Columbus’s head coach or St. Louis’s. Mike Babcock, Joel Quenneville, and Barry Trotz’s jobs are all pretty much safe. Neither coach has been around for a super long time, and both are vying for playoff spots. If either team falters too much, I can see a head coach cut from the roster…

RH: Well we can throw out Mike Babcock and Joel Quenneville right away, as they’ve cemented their jobs for a few years. No one does more with less than Barry Trotz, so I doubt he’s on the hot seat. That leaves Davis Payne in St. Louis and Scott Arniel in Columbus, and Arniel has only had the job a year, so he’s got a little bit longer of a leash.

BH: I do not think any of the five coaches will be fired.

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Question 7. The Predators will make the playoffs again, if…

MP: …they get off to a hot start at the beginning of the season. After that, they have to keep playing their brand of hockey. Consistency will be the key, especially playing in the Central.

MW: The Predators will make the playoffs if A) they stay healthy and B) their young forwards step up and produce scoring. I’m looking at you, Colin Wilson, Blake Geoffrion, and Nick Spalding.

CR: The Predators will make the playoffs again if they stay healthy and focused.

RH: If Hornqvist can stay healthy and have near a career year and Rinne is a Vezina contender once again. Not necessarily a finalist, but at least in the conversation.

BH: The Predators will make the playoffs again, if Pekka Rinne can match his performance from last season (33 wins in 64 starts, 2.12 GAA).

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Question 8. The Blues will make the playoffs, if…

MP: …Halak gets better in net and steals more games. Also, if aging veterans Jason Arnott and Jamie Langenbrunner make the most of their one-year deals and provide leadership and scoring on the ice.

MW: The Blues make the playoffs if they can keep from going into some kind of mental funk that has seemed to plague them over the past few seasons. What’s up with not being able to win in your own barn?

CR: The Blues will make the playoffs if their roster stays healthy. Last year, I had them pegged as sixth in the conference come playoff time. But look at how many of their players went down with injuries and how well they fared once everyone came back.

RH: They either improve their penalty kill or stay out of the box and T.J. Oshie stops acting like Randy Moss and plays up to his enormous potential.

BH: The Blues will make the playoffs again, if they can stay healthy.

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Question 9. The Blue Jackets will make the playoffs, if…

MP: …Steve Mason rediscovers his rookie form, and if Jeff Carter and James Wisniewski deliver in the roles for which the Blue Jackets are paying them so handsomely. The Jackets have the personnel to roll out two threatening scoring lines, and possibly a third.

MW: The Blue Jackets will make the playoffs if Steve Mason returns to form from 2 years ago and if these guys get selective amnesia and forget their rather forgettable history up to this point.

CR: The Blue Jackets will make the playoffs if their expensive purchases over this past off-season pay off. And if Steve Mason has a season similar to his Calder-winning season.

RH: Nash and Carter can both eclipse the 60 -point mark and Mason returns to solid form.

BH: The Blue Jackets will make the playoffs, if the tandem of Jeff Carter and Rick Nash can live up to their lofty expectations.

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Question 10. What will be the final standings in the division?

MP: I’m not kidding, it’s a tough call on this. The Central will put four teams in the Playoffs (all five, if one of the Cali teams in the Pacific falters). The Central Division will reside in the top nine, and if it comes to this, the Blues edge out Chicago: 1. Detroit, 2. Nashville, 3. Columbus, 4. St. Louis, 5. Chicago.

MW: 1. Detroit, 2. Nashville, 3. Chicago, 4. St. Louis, 5. Columbus.

CR: Final standings in the division (this is tough): 1) Red Wings 2) Blackhawks 3) Columbus 4) Nashville 5) St. Louis. I think this will be one of the closest races in recent years.

RH: Chicago, Nashville, Detroit, Columbus, St. Louis (Sorry Jeff…)

BH: 1. Detroit, 2. Nashville, 3. Saint Louis, 4. Columbus, 5. Chicago. I think Detroit will run away with it, but Nashville, Saint Louis, Columbus, and Chicago will all finish within 10-15 points of one another.

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Much has been said. Conclusions to draw?

- The Red Wings and Blackhawks are still the king of the mountain.

- Predators are a scrappy bunch who cannot be left for dead and will push on the top two. Maintaining what they have is the key, besides more goals.

- Won’t believe the Blues can do it till they actually do it.

- Kane and Toews are the top duo not named Datsyuk/Zetterberg.

- Doesn’t seem likely that a coach is fired.

- Goaltending is a significant concern for all five teams.

- Much love for the Carter trade and for Pekka Rinne.

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Not sure when the next Q&A will be, but some ideas are in the works. Have a topic you’d like to see discussed? Contact me via Twitter, @JTQ_1.

Thanks for reading.

By Jeff Quirin
NHL Hot Stove Associate Editor

Every season several players rise from the depths of obscurity in all its various forms. In this premier series of the X List I take a look at the top 10 players to come out of obscurity and forge their way into (back into in some cases) the NHL limelight. Here are numbers 9 and 10 plus the honorable mentions.

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Honorable Mentions:

Jakub Voracek (Forward – Philadelphia Flyers) and Derek Stepan (Forward – New York Rangers)

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Image via Paul Nicholson (Flickr)

10. Martin Erat – Forward – Nashville Predators

Few players since the advent of free agency have become lifers. Especially offensively gifted wingers. Martin Erat is one such soul. The Nashville Predators 7th Round selection in the 1999 draft has spent his entire career in Smashville. Appearing in 616 games and averaging 51 points a season since 2002-03. Significant numbers for a franchise that has struggled with scoring more often than not.

Many of the primary offensive threats have been let go to allow a new crop of talented forward room to grow. Steve Sullivan was allowed to test the open market. JP Dumot was bought out. Paul Kariya and Jason Arnott are long gone. Through attrition and culminating in a short off season, Erat has become the de facto veteran scoring leader (no offense meant to Mike Fischer or David Legwand).

For all the good that comes from Nashville and is given to the greater hockey community, to many it’s still considered a backwater stretch of the league not to be paid much attention to. Their brand of hockey is rarely flashy or warrants much fantasy attention (sans Shea Weber and Pekka Rinne). But they’re now a club in transition and Erat, at least in terms of forwards, is the man the spotlight will be on. With up and comers like Patric Hornqvist and Sergei Kostitsyn along with a year wiser Colin Wilson and established blueline threats like Ryan Suter and Weber, there is plenty of support for the Czech native to feed off of.

The question is, can he? Detractors will point to an inability to stay healthy as the reason to answer “no”, but according to Josh Cooper at the Tennessean Erat is healthy and ready to go. Though he missed 18 games were missed last season, Erat posted his second strongest points/game pace of his career, .781. A projected pace of 64 points over 82 games. A total that would have tied him with peers Phil Kessel and Dany Heatley and put him just two points behind the likes of Rick Nash.

Assuming good health and a return to a 90% attendance rate, Erat is poised to rise up the league stat sheets and bring a positive spin to the  phrase “Predator’s offense”.

 (Suggested further reading: Could 2012 be a Breakout Year for Erat | The Predatorial.com)

Image via BridgetDS (Flickr)

9. David Jones – Forward – Colorado Avalanche

The 2003 NHL Entry Draft is widely accepted as one of the deepest classes in recent memory. Many first and second round picks have become elite forces, superstars and Stanley Cup champions. Several late round picks have also developed in to solid NHL producers with upside to spare. Speaking namely of  Joe Pavelski, Dustin Byfuglien, Tobias Enstrom, Shane O’Brien, Matt Moulson and Jaroslav Halak.

Soon to be included in to that list is the 288th selection, 5th to last, from 2003. David Jones.

As if the long road from draft day to the NHL isn’t arduous enough on its own, injuries have complicated matters for the Dartmouth scoring standout (teammate of fellow late 2003 draft picks Lee Stempniak and Tanner Glass). After battling through the first half of his first full tour in the NHL a shoulder injury sustained against San Jose in January 2009 ended his season. Jones would come back strong to start off the 2009-10 campaign. Registering 10 goals in his first 23 games before missing the majority of the season once again thanks to a knee injury suffered against against Minnesota.

Jones was down but not out. His third effort proved the trick as he appeared in 77 games and amassed 27 goals and 45 points in 2010-11.

Though his goal scoring prowess displayed has been above average, any notoriety has been buried under a bevy of highly touted forwards. Not just top three selection Matt Duchense, but also wily vet Milan Hejduk, top center Paul Stastny, the enigmatic Wojtek Wolski, top ten pick Peter Mueller, and fellow power right winger Chris Stewart.  Even with the trades moving out Wolski and Stewart, add in another lottery pick in like power Swede Gabriel Landeskog and Jones could be easily forgotten. But he shouldn’t be.

Players with 30 goal scoring capability aren’t available at the closest Total Hockey store. In the post lockout era game it takes size, speed, skill and the unteachable “nose for the net”. Over the course of Jones’ last 100 games, he has shown that he has the gift. Netting 37 goals for a pace of .37 goals/game or 30 per 82 games played. With Stewart out of his way,  the other reliable faces playing at left wing and center, Hejduk’s aging and questions around Mueller’s health , Jones has a path to take his place as the top right winger on the Avs depth chart.

Reaping the rewards of skating on a line with Duchense and/or Stastny will have Jones potting goals at a pace with some of the best goal scoring wingers in the West.

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Thanks for reading. As always you are welcome to follow me on Twitter: @JTQ_1.

By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove Creative Editor

As each of the 24 scheduled NHL salary arbitration hearings slowly fell off the docket with settlements prior to any gruelling proceedings, one big date loomed large in how another star’s contract negoatiations will likely play out.

That day was today, August 2nd.

Photo Credit: Sarah Fuqua

The Nashville Predators and restricted free agent defenseman Shea Weber – along with his agent from Titan Sports Management, Inc., Jarrett Bousquet - somehow could not reach an agreement, and instead ended up going through the process of a hearing this morning in Toronto.

There is no doubt that it would have been in the Preds’ best interest to have settled this matter prior to the hearing – the first arbitration to actually go through the hearing stage – as they had no leverage with the independent arbitrator.

Weber earned $4.5 million in each of the last three seasons and is about to turn 26 years of age (August 14th).  He’s an excellent skater with a booming shot who can hit and will even fight, whatever it takes to win.

He is the Predators captain.  He is their best and most-recognizable player, possibly in Nashville’s NHL existence.  He is the very face of their franchise.

During the 2010-11 campaign Weber scored 16 goals for a second-consecutive season, while recording a career-high 32 assists.  He was a first-time Norris Trophy finalist, appeared in every regular season game, and played the third-most minutes in the entire league.

In his first season as team captain, the Predators won their first playoff series since their inception in 1998.

Nashville currently has the league’s lowest payroll at just over $41.2 million, which leaves them with more than $23 million in cap space.  But GM David Poile also faces the prospect of having to re-sign two key pieces to the success of his squad moving forward.  Both goaltender Pekka Rinne and defenseman Ryan Suter are set to become unrestricted free agents following the upcoming season.

Prior to the hearing today – in which both sides were able to present their respective cases for 90 minutes each - Weber was to opt for either a one or two year deal.

The arbitrator has up to 48 hours in which to render their decision, one in which the Predators will have to accept.  They relinquished their “walk-away” rights because they were the ones that opted for arbitration.  By doing so, they kept other clubs at bay from being able to submit any offer sheets to Weber.

There is little doubt that Weber will end up with a contract in the $7.5-$8 million range when the award is announced.

While Nashville and the Weber camp can still attempt to hammer out a long-term pact after the award, the arbitration process is a bitter one that often leads to the demise in the player-team relationship.

Dirk Hoag of On the Forecheck posted the following this morning:

“Teams and players that go through this process tend not to stick together long-term. In Preds history, Denny Lambert was traded just days after his hearing, and Ville Koistinen was gone a year after his. Daniel Winnik was traded by Phoenix within a year of his award in 2009, as was Milan Jurcina in Washington and Blake Wheeler (2010) in Boston. By my count, 11 players have gone through arbitration in 2008, 2009, and 2010, and 10 of those players had moved to a new team within a year.

The uncomfortable, but natural question coming out of all this is whether the Shea Weber era in Nashville might end before it even got rolling.

Given the point that’s been reached, is this the guy the Preds really want wearing the “C”? Does he even want it? And what does this mean for the prospect of locking up Ryan Suter and Pekka Rinne as well?”

I’m not trying to be alarmist, but arbitration most often signals the beginning of the end of a player-team relationship, and it’s stunning to see the Predators and their captain get to this point.

Those are some very real concerns, as it could not have been a good situation for Weber to hear Nashville’s representatives go on for an hour and a half as to why their captain isn’t worth the money he is requesting.

As this scene plays out, it’s obvious that there are some very curious parties on the West coast that are keeping close tabs on the eventual outcome.

While the Weber award won’t be the ultimate comparator in Doughty’s negotiations – this will be Weber’s third deal as compared to Doughty’s second – you can bet that those looking out for the London, Ontario-native will use it as some sort of measuring stick.

Photo Credit: Christian Petersen / Getty Images

The contract negotiations between the Los Angeles Kings and another RFA star defenseman, Drew Doughty, has languished for some time.  Many believe Doughty’s camp is awaiting the Weber – Predators standoff to reach its finality to see where their demands can be taken.

Doughty’s agents from Newport Sports Management Inc., Don Meehan and Mark Guy, are looking for a huge upgrade on their client’s recently completed $3.475 million entry-level deal.

According to Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times in a story on July 12th, GM Dean Lombardi and the Kings reportedly offered Doughty a 9-year deal worth in excess of $6.5 million per season.

At just 21 years old, Doughty has shown the potential to be a franchise defenseman.  After his rookie season of 2008-09, the young rear guard broke out in his sophomore year with a 16-goal, 59-point campaign in 2009-10.

Doughty also helped lead Team Canada to a Gold Medal victory in the Olympic Games in Vancouver in February of 2010 (a squad that just so happened to also boast the talents of Weber on the blue line).  Just when it looked as though he was on his way to becoming a superstar, Doughty experienced a bit of a hiccup early on last year.

He showed up to training camp out of shape, reportedly finishing last overall in conditioning scores for all Kings players.  After an understandable slow start, he came on as the year progressed to end the season with 11 goals and 40 points.

There is no reason to doubt that Doughty will return to top form come October when the regular season commences.  The smooth-skating, hard-shooting right hander is still the NHL’s top young defenseman.  The sky is the limit, and Meehan and Guy want to make sure that he’s not under-compensated as he progresses.

One of the sticking points in negotiations may very well be when Doughty is able to become an UFA.  He is eligible in four years, so that may be more the length of a deal that his representation is willing to explore.

According to CapGeek.com, the top 25 highest salaried defensemen (led by Christian Ehrhoff’s $10 million, and soon to be joined by Weber’s award) will each make $5 million heading into the 2011-12 season, so their concerns are within reason.

But from Lombardi’s point of view, the youngest among the top 25 is Mike Green of the Washington Capitals.  Green turns 26 in October and has been in the league since the latter part of the 2005-06 campaign.  Los Angeles may want Doughty to either lock into the long-term deal reportedly offered last month, or take a lesser amount annually if he insists on signing a shorter-term pact.

At the epicenter of the moment right now – seemingly holding up both player’s contracts – is Weber’s arbitration decision.

The very fate of both defensemen – as well as their respective clubs – could very well hinge on the arbitrator’s upcoming award.  It stands to reason that once Weber’s award is announced, the talks between Doughty and the Kings will begin again in earnest.

If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @David_Strehle

By Jeff Quirin
NHL Hot Stove Associate Editor

Endless possibilities. It’s not just the Fringe tag line anymore.

The phrase can also be used to describe the broad based speculation on how the NHL plans to realign the divisions following True North’s purchase of the Atlanta Thrashers and subsequent move to Winnipeg. Though now half a continent away, the Winnipeg franchise will continue to compete in the Eastern Conference’s Southeast Division for the 2011-12 season before a vortex opens, consumes the current structure and The Board of Governors authorizes an Amber protocol for the 2012-13 season and beyond.

(Hopefully that vortex is not the end of the CBA and another lockout. Our world loses the war then.)

Rewriting the North American hockey map logically and efficiently is much harder than it looks. There are countless variables to take in to account. Thirty different travel expenses, venue schedules, alterations to team promotions based on opponents and the list goes on. Many of which remain unknown in detail to average fan wanting to guess who their team will be battling with more times than not. For that reason discussion is probably best left at this point to those reporting what comes out of the league and league sources. Unfortunately, that doesn’t leave much information to build an informed opinion from.

To date, the league its self has remained fairly tight lipped. Very few significant pieces of information have leaked out. A Sporting News report from Craig Custance comes to mind as one such rare nugget. In which, an NHL executive warned of a major shift on the horizon at the NHL Entry Draft last month.

“There will be. I can guarantee you. It will be more dramatic.”

“It will be realignment of the whole league. It will be a different format. I think it’ll please a lot of people.”

“The fact remains that there are three teams that should be in the East that are in the West.”

“The only way you can make everybody happy is by restructuring the whole thing. That’s what they’re working on.”

Okay, maybe some of the Walter Bishop inspired proposals aren’t so far fetched after all if the league is ready to dramatically change the landscape. At least there is no reality bending leap required to correctly guesss who the three clubs referenced are. The Detroit Red Wings, Nashville Predators and Columbus Blue Jackets.

As Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold let slip Monday in a radio interview with KFAN in Minneapolis, two of the three stand to be disappointed.

“Our division would include the Winnipeg Jets, us, the [St. Louis] Blues, the Nashville Predators, the Dallas Stars, Chicago Blackhawks, and maybe the Columbus Blue Jackets… maybe not depending on if they go east or west. I am all in favor of that. I think that is a grand slam, home run, hat trick for our team.”

“We’re all Central Division now. All of our teams, except for Columbus, all of our teams will be Central Division. We’ll play less teams in Canada. We will play every team home and away at least one time.”

Resurrecting the ghost of the Norris Division is great idea in theory. Especially from the perspective of old hockey markets like Minneapolis / St. Paul, Chicago and St. Louis. Three of the five franchises from 1981-1993 with fan bases remembering the period vividly. Missing noticeably would be Detroit and Toronto. Winnipeg, slated to be in the faux Norris, was part of the club back in 81-82.

In practice overcoming travel concerns will be an issue. Currently the states of each team all touch. Tennessee > Missouri > Illinois (via Lake Superior) > Michigan > Ohio. Following that path the round trip is around 1,000 miles. With the new conference the difference between destinations is much more staggering. Excluding Columbus the distance is just under 3,000 miles. Adding Columbus, almost 3,100 miles round trip. For the three, maybe four existing Central teams, travel expenses are a serious concern adding additional games further west and north. That said, Dallas and Minnesota are coming from the opposite perspective. Their travel expenses are likely to go down with fewer trips to Canada and California.

As far as how the other 23 (or 24) teams fit in, Joe Yerdon of Pro Hockey Talk has a reasonable offering.

Potential Pacific Division
Anaheim
Calgary
Colorado
Edmonton
Los Angeles
Phoenix
San Jose
Vancouver

Possible Atlantic Division
Boston
Florida
New Jersey
NY Islanders
NY Rangers
Philadelphia
Tampa Bay
Washington

Possible Mid-Atlantic Division
Buffalo
Carolina
Detroit
Montreal
Ottawa
Pittsburgh
Toronto

If such a plan were put in to place, a general agreement can be safely assumed to be found. While clearly mold shattering, there is nothing stretching economic realities like a Canadian Division. But it does present an opportunity to raise some questions. If the league is going to make a change, why not gerrymander a little? There are some obvious match-ups they would like to see more often. Why not make them happen?

Can the league pass up a change to get Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and Steven Stamkos all in the same division? Three of the most explosive and dynamic players in the game, all in the mid to early twenties, poised to become bonafide legends of their era. If the NHL could have put The Great One and Super Mario head to head several times a season, they would have. An instant, credible ratings magnet.

Should the league separate the southeastern teams? Thinking specifically of the Carolina Hurricanes being the only southern team in the proposed Mid-Atlantic? There has been much speculation of trying to build up hockey in the southern US by pitting teams from states with traditional rivalries in other sports against each other in an “SEC of Hockey” Division. Why pass it up? Perhaps with Atlanta out of the picture the appeal is less. But fans in Carolina, Nashville, Florida and Virginia may disagree.

Should half of the Original Six be in one division? The league loves ratings and the fans love to watch those six teams. Why reduce the changes of one of those teams making a big playoff run by putting half of them in a bloodbath group with Terry Pegula’s deep pockets and burning desire fueling the Buffalo machine and the best player in hockey’s team. If there is an opportunity to spread the wealth of and optimize those six team’s ability to bring in more revenue, why not do it.

Could less be more regarding the number of teams per Division? The league should (and will) look at the benefits of maintaining a three division set up compared to seven or eight by two. A”regional pod” alignment would reduce travel concerns and promote rivalry, but also inhibit the desired national grow of the game. Is an expansion to 32 teams be in order to field four division of four teams per conference? Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Seattle for example. The question is not an endorsement of either perspective, but a acknowledgment that the scenario needs to be discussed.

Let’s put it to you NHL Hot Stove readers. What do you think? Does the NHL need to provide more information regarding realignment? Did Leipold let the cat out of the bag? Is the potential Norentral Division a good fit? Does the league need to commit to an outside the box mindset?

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Thanks for reading. As always you are welcome to follow me on Twitter: @618_STLBlues.

The Nashville Predators announced today that they have signed Cal O’Reilly, Nick Spaling, Matt Halischuk, and Chris Mueller;  four of the RFA’s that were set to be a part of the hearing set for tomorrow, July 8th.

Spaling’s deal comes in at 2 years $2.1 million.  Spaling, as well as Halischuk who signed a 2 year $1.425 million deal were both vital to the Predators success in the playoffs.  Mueller signed a 1 year 2-way deal worth $550,000 and will return to Milwaukee where he led the Admirals in scoring.  O’Reilly’s deal of 1 year $1.05 million could be considered his last chance to prove himself worthy as an NHL center after several rocky seasons bouncing between Nashville and Milwaukee.

With Linus Klasen moving to Europe to play next season, and Andreas Thuresson being traded to the New York Rangers, the lone RFA left to sign is winger and leading scorer for the Preds last season, Sergei Kostitsyn.  Kostitsyn filed for arbitration earlier this week, and has a hearing scheduled to start tomorrow July 8th, and will conclude on Wednesday July 13th.  Kostitsyn not only led the team in scoring, but was tied for team lead in points as well, all while making only $550,000.  He stands to make quite the payday if arbitration goes his way and makes him an UFA.  This would allow him to accept offers from other teams, and use it as a bargaining chip with the Predators.

So, for now Predators fans are breathing a sigh of relief with the new signings and renewed depth on offense.  But they anxiously await the outcome of the Kostitsyn arbitration, as well as waiting for the Predators to announce they have finished a deal with team captain Shea Weber.

After an eventful first weekend to the Free Agency period, many Nashville Predators fans are left scratching their heads and with many mixed emotions.

Early last week the Predators announced they would not be re-signing veteran winger Steve Sullivan to a new contract.  Only three days later, the Preds dropped another surprise when they announced they were going to buy out long time Predator J.P. Dumont.  But, due to nagging injury problems for both players, the move was a necessary one.  Dumont and Sullivan were both very loved and respected members of the Nashville community and are going to be greatly missed by the fans here.

When you couple these surprise departures with the allegations that arose last week of improperly submitted offer sheets to RFA’s, the future of the Preds has many fans worried.  Involved in this snag are RFA’s Sergei Kostitsyn, Matt Halischuk, Nick Spaling, and Cal O’Reilly.  Also involved are AHLers Linus Klasen who will be headed to Europe next season, Andreas Thuresson, and Chris Mueller.  Thuresson was traded on Saturday to the New York Rangers in exchange for AHLer Brodie Dupont.  For more on the RFA snag, read this story posted by Section303.

As July 1st rolled around, Predators fans wondered what was going to happen next to an already in question team.  It didn’t take long for the first domino in the Predators Free Agency pool to fall.  Center Marcel Goc left Nashville and signed a 3 year $5.19 million deal with the Florida Panthers.  Goc missed a portion of the season due to several shoulder injuries, but will be sorely missed at the center spot.  Not long after this news, Sullivan announced via Twitter that he was now a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Sullivan signed a one-year deal worth $1.5 million.

That same afternoon, winger Joel Ward, who had really made a name for himself during this years playoffs notching 13 points in 12 games, inked a deal with the Washington Capitals for four-years worth $12 million.  Also departing from the Predators was depth goalie Mark Dekanich.  Dex as he is better known as, signed a one-year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets after posting an AHL best .931 save percentage.  Dekanich will be battling with Steve Mason for the starting job in Columbus.

On Sunday, the Predators front office decided to drop another bomb on its fans.  They announced that they had traded center Matthew Lombardi and defenseman Cody Franson to the Toronto Maple Leafs in return for defenseman Brett Lebda and minor leaguer Robert Slaney.  Lombardi only skated in two games for the Predators last season after suffering a season ending concussion, making it the third of his career.  Losing Franson means losing experience on the blue line, but more importantly losing a very good power play specialist.  It remains to see how this trade will work out for the Preds due to the fact that Slaney has never seen any NHL ice time, and Lebda who is a third line d-man at best.

Later Sunday afternoon, Nashville announced it had signed forward and goal scorer Niclas Bergfors to a one-year contract worth $575,000.  It appears as though the Predators are beginning to add some scoring in the event that the RFA hearing set for July 8th does not go Nashville’s way.

After a quiet 4th of July, the Predators announced Tuesday afternoon that they had signed two forwards in Zach Stortini from the Edmonton Oilers, and free agent Kyle Wilson.  Stortini spent most of last season in the AHL after spending 2007-2010 with the Oilers.  This is most likely a depth move by the Preds, and will see Stortini end up in Milwaukee unless, once again, the Preds are bitten by the RFA snag.  Wilson however, is the most likely of the two to see NHL ice time this coming season.  After bouncing from the Wild to the Capitals, he finally landed with the Blue Jackets where he notched 11 points in just 32 games.

While Nashville has started shoring up its depth, fans are still waiting for the announcement that team captain Shea Weber has signed his new deal.  Along with this, fans are waiting for GM David Poile to announce a big offensive signing due to all of the salary dumping and space clearing he has been doing so far.  Until that announcement is made, many fans are anxiously shifting in their seats wondering what’s next for their beloved Preds.

Tyler Davis
NHLHS Nashville Predators Correspondent
Twitter: @Trebek14
Email: davis.tylerb@gmail.com