By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove Creative Editor

With the festivities of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft quickly approaching - and the monumental commencement of restructuring the very makeup of their team yesterday - the Philadelphia Flyers may find themselves as major players in the draft proceedings tonight in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Having picked up the eighth overall pick and a third rounder from the Columbus Blue Jackets as part of the return in the Jeff Carter trade, Philadelphia’s positioning is much more favorable than it was earlier yesterday.  These are the choices the Flyers’ currently own:

1st Round – #8
3rd Round – #68
4th Round – #116
4th Round – #118 (From Tampa Bay)
6th Round – #176
7th Round – #206

It remains to be seen if GM Paul Holmgren will be looking to move up any further in draft order.  There have been murmurs off-and-on that he has had discussions with Florida Panthers’ GM Dale Tallon about Kris Versteeg.  The talk stems, of course, from the fact that Tallon originally drafted Versteeg while GM of the Chicago Blackhawks, and Versteeg’s role in bringing the Stanley Cup to Chicago in 2010.

The Cats hold the third overall pick tonight, so it’s possible that there could be something to the rumor.

It’s no secret that the Flyers really like Kitchener Rangers’ left winger Gabriel Landeskog, but they will have to move up to the first three choices in order to have any shot at him.  The six-foot, 200-pound native of Stockholm, Sweden grew up idolizing fellow-countryman Peter Forsberg.   He has patterned his game after that of Forsberg’s – a combination of high skill level along with a healthy dose of physicality.

Having originally drafted Forsberg - only to deal him in a package for Eric Lindros – and watching him win two Stanley Cups with the Colorado Avalanche, Philadelphia may want a second shot at what many consider a Forsberg-type player in Landeskog.

If they do move up in the draft order, a forward isn’t necessarily what Holmgren might eventually be seeking as the team’s forward ranks got a whole lot younger yesterday.  Holmgren dealt a pair of 26-year-olds in Carter and captain Mike Richards, while bringing in Brayden Schenn (19), Jakub Voracek (21), and Wayne Simmonds (22).

With the club’s top two defensemen - Chris Pronger and Kimmo Timonen – hitting their late-30′s, the GM may instead be attempting to pick up a rear guard for the future.  This point is even more pressing given the fact that Pronger was limited to just 50 games with an assortment of injuries last season.

The top blue line prospect is Swedish-native Adam Larsson (6′ 2′, 200 pounds), but there are others that may still be available if Holmgren is unable to move any higher than #8.  These include Duncan Siemens (6′ 3″, 192 pounds), Ryan Murphy (5′ 10″, 160 pounds), Dougie Hamilton (6′ 4″, 193 pounds), and Nathan Beaulieu (6′ 3″, 191 pounds).

Depending on what his plan of attack is, Holmgren may opt for a defenseman via the draft, and go for an UFA forward.  After yesterday’s trades, the team now has $7,576,905 remaining in cap space (via CapGeek.com) – an unfamiliar luxury for the Flyers.

31-year-old center Brad Richards is the top forward that will be available when free agency opens up on July 1st.  With the Dallas Stars’ ownership situation up in the air, Richards is being allowed to test the free agent waters.

While the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Tampa Bay Lightning are said to be the top contender’s for Richards’ services, Holmgren may try to get into the mix.

Richards scored 28 goals and recorded 77 points last season, and could be one of the quickest remedies for the ailing Philadelphia power play.  Throw in the Stanley Cup championship he won in 2004 with Tampa and the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP that same year, and Richards could be exactly what Holmgren is looking to add.

But that is something for next week.

As for the present time, it’s hard to imagine that Holmgren isn’t going to follow up yesterday’s Orange-and-Black revamp with something else today.

And don’t forget – the Flyers usually like to make some sort of splash at the annual draft day gatherings.

Nearly two decades ago, it was dealing Forsberg, draft picks, multiple other players, and a massive amount of cash for Lindros - although the deal’s completion was officially held up until an arbitrator handed down a ruling on whether Philadelphia or the Rangers had completed the transaction first.

Three years ago, it was trading R.J. Umberger to Columbus in order to shed salary and gain a top pick, in which they selected defenseman Luca Sbisa.

They promptly dealt Sbisa and picks at the 2009 draft for Pronger.

Stay tuned…

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 David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove NHL / Philadelphia Flyers Correspondent

It’s a time-honored question, and one asked for more than two decades and running – which goaltender will be between the pipes when it matters most for the Philadelphia Flyers?

Most teams have their aces, and it’s a given who will be guarding the net in their club’s biggest game of the season.  Especially the NHL’s elite squads.

But it isn’t always that easy of an inquiry when posed in the City of Brotherly Love.  Since Ron Hextall’s departure in 1991, Philadelphia’s “carousel of goaltenders” has been one of the longest-running and most-popular sideshows for NHL fans to view.

As a matter of fact, Peter Laviolette doesn’t just have two netminders to choose from for game six against the Buffalo Sabres on Easter Sunday, but rather a trio.

And the decision the coach makes could be his most important of the year, as the Flyers battle to stay alive in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series they trail, 3-2.

Sergei Bobrovsky, Brian Boucher, and Michael Leighton have all seen action in the series, and two have been yanked after shaky starts.

Bobrovsky, the 22-year-old Russian that posted a fantastic 28-13-6 record in his rookie season this year, looked to be the starter for Philadelphia – until his three goals allowed early in game two caused Laviolette to place the man they call “Bob” on the shelf for the last three contests, choosing to instead start Boucher and dress Leighton as his backup.

But seriously, how intact can the youngster’s confidence be at this point?

Boucher, who entered game two and played three solid games in helping the Flyers regain their footing in evening the series, suffered a similar fate last night as Bobrovsky had in game two.  ”I’ll bounce back,” Boucher said when asked how the game five start would affect him.  ”I’m a pretty resilient person.  I’m upset right now, I’m not going to lie to you.  It was a big game.  I wanted to have a good start and didn’t have that.  I’m disappointed with the way the game started.”

Leighton, who prior to last night hadn’t seen action in an NHL contest since December 30th, played well but suffered the overtime loss when he kicked out a big rebound to Buffalo’s Tyler Ennis on the game-winning goal.

Last night, Leighton suffered his first NHL loss in 317 days.  It was also a game six overtime decision, even scored into the exact same net, and one that decided the 2010 Stanley Cup champion.  Most Flyers’ fans won’t have much trouble remembering Patrick Kane’s sharp angle offering that somehow found its way through Leighton, giving the Chicago Blackhawks the right to party with Lord Stanley all summer long.

But ask a fan of the Orange-and-Black if they can stomach that recollection, and it’s quite a different story.

Leighton was asked if he hoped the start game six on Sunday.  “Definitely,” he said.  ”I want to play.”

He then added this about his teammate.  ”He (Boucher) has done a great job to get us in this situation and tonight was one of those nights where for two of those goals that guy could take a hundred shots in there and he might score one,” Leighton said.  ”So, it’s a tough bounce.  We have confidence in him that he’s going to bounce back and play a good one in Buffalo.”

Sounds like Leighton thinks it will be “Boosh” between the pipes.

As Laviolette ponders his decision, the three await the call.

“I think we all prepare in our own way,” said Boucher when asked if the three goalies challenge each other to be better.  ”I think we just try and do our job.  That’s basically where our jobs are.  I mean, there’s nothing much more to it than that.  We prepare the way we have to prepare.  Whoever is in there, you know, does the job.  That’s the only thing you can say.  There are a lot of teams that have one guy that they lean on.  It seems like we’ve had to do three so far this year.”

So who starts game six?

Laviolette – notorious for being tight-lipped when the question arises – stuck with his usual “keep them guessing” mentality when the media hinted about the subject during his post-game press conference.

“I’m going to sleep on that one and probably give you nothing,” the coach deadpanned.

Let’s hope his goaltending doesn’t yield the same result on Sunday.

Moving Forward

If Philadelphia loses game six, a disturbing pattern will have been followed.  The Flyers have lost in the first round of the playoffs the season immediately following the team’s last three trips to the Stanley Cup Finals (1986, 1988, and 1998).  If this year becomes the fourth, the bigger question may just be how the franchise approaches their goaltending position heading into the 2011-12 campaign.

GM Paul Holmgren had seen enough of his defense after a poor showing in a 2009 playoff loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, and began rebuilding that summer.  His offseason shopping list included an anchor on the blue line, and he filled that order by acquiring Chris Pronger just before the 2009 NHL Draft.  Holmgren then took another step this past summer when he acquired both Andrej Meszaros and Sean O’Donnell to further stabilize the blue line.

It would seem that with Boucher possibly leaving as his contract expires after this season – and with Tomas Vokoun and Ilya Bryzgalov available as unrestricted free agents this summer – Holmgren may choose to go in an entirely different direction.  He had talks about acquiring Bryzgalov, then a backup to Jean-Sebastien Giguere when Brian Burke was GM of the Anaheim Ducks (click here to read an absolutely riveting diary kept by Burke and posted by USA Today following the 2007 NHL trade deadline, which discusses talks between Holmgren and Burke when the Flyers were looking to move Peter Forsberg.  Many thanks to NHL Hot Stove owner and CEO Alex Monaghan for passing this piece along to me back in early-February).  The 30-year-old Bryzgalov was later moved to the Phoenix Coyotes and developed into one of the best backstops in the NHL.

And how important would having an all-Russian tandem of Bryzgalov-Bobrovsky be for the young “Bob’s” development?  Seems to be a move that would make a lot of sense.

But that is fodder for another time.  The matter presently at hand is game six, and then hopefully game seven on Tuesday.

Just a thought, and just in case…

______________________________________________

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

This has been a challenging 7 days for the Nashville Predators.

They started by shutting out division rival Detroit on Saturday night 3-0 in front of a sold out crowd in Nashville in what was a very high energy, fast paced game.  Then came Monday night.

Monday saw the Edmonton Oilers come to town for a visit.  Sitting at last place in the NHL, the Oilers came in knowing they were going to be taken lightly.  And they made Nashville pay for that.  Edmonton walked out of Nashville with a 4-0 win with rookie goaltender Devan Dubnyk recording his first career NHL shutout.

On Wednesday, the Predators travelled to Detroit to take on the Red Wings for the second time in five days.  Nashville knew it would be a tough test because Detroit had Pavel Datsyuk and Tomas Holmstrom back in the lineup, and the Wings were looking for revenge from Saturday night.  Fortunately for the Predators, the outcome was the same as Saturday, as they walked out of Joe Louis Arena with a 4-1 win.  The three goal win was the first time in franchise history that they had won in Detroit by more than one goal.

Thursday proved to be exciting for Nashville even though there was no game being played.  The Predators announced what could be the first of a few moves as the trade deadline quickly approaches.  They have signed 11 year NHL veteran Mike Fisher from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Nashville’s 2011 first-round Entry Draft pick, and a conditional pick in the 2012 Entry Draft.

The Predators currently sit in fifth place, however they have no room or margin for error.  The only thing separating Nashville from ninth place, is four points.  So, if they want to continue to remain in playoff contention, they must find a way to win games and finally begin to put some distance between them the teams chasing them.

Nashville will welcome the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday in what is expected to be the return of Peter Forsberg, a former Predator himself.

Tyler Davis

NHLHS Nashville Predators Correspondent

Twitter: @Trebek14

Email: davis.tylerb@gmail.com

by David Strehle
NHLHS NHL / Philadelphia Flyers Correspondent

Whenever discussions arise as to some of the all-time greats of the game, Peter Forsberg’s name conjures up iconic reminders of greatness.  The Olympic Gold Medals for his native Sweden, and “the move” in the shootout on the Czech Republic’s Dominik Hasek.  Winning the Calder Trophy as the league’s rookie-of-the-year during the lockout-shortened 1994-95 season.  The 100-point and near-100 point seasons in the NHL’s darkest days of the “dead puck” era of the 1990′s.  Winning the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s top scorer and being awarded the Hart Trophy as the league’s MVP for 2002-03 campaign.

And of course, the two Stanley Cups.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

The best years of the now 37-year-old Forsberg’s NHL career occurred while playing for the Quebec Nordiques / Colorado Avalanche franchise. 

Along with Joe Sakic, Patrick Roy, Adam Foote, and Milan Hejduk, Forsberg helped the Avs comprise one of the best core groups of players throughout the mid-1990′s and into the early-2000′s.

So it would only seem appropriate that the rumors of his return to the league are centering around Denver.

After participating in practices with the Avalanche, the hopes are that Forsberg could be in their lineup following this weekend’s All-Star break. 

Colorado’s brass should be wary that along with all of the positives that he could possibly bring to the table, there are also some very strong negatives that may come along with Forsberg’s baggage.

There has always seemed to be some unfinished business with Forsberg and the NHL.  Due to his style of play he was often injured, playing in just one complete season during the 14 seasons that encompassed his career in North America. 

The amount of injuries – and their severity – were just as much part of the overall story during his time in the league.  One such event arose during the 2001 playoffs, when he required surgery to have his spleen removed.  He would miss the entire 2001-02 campaign as he recovered from the procedure.

Forsberg brought the perfect blend of a world-class skill set, elite on-ice vision, and brute force.  He was strong on his skates and able to surgically dismantle the opposition with his offensive talents.  “Foppa” scored 216 goals and recorded 742 points in his 580 game stay with the Nords / Avalanche, some mind-blowing numbers in the days of defensive domination.

After a lockout that cost the league the entire 2004-05 campaign, Forsberg signed a free agent deal with the Philadelphia Flyers - the NHL team that had originally drafted him sixth overall in the 1991 entry draft. 

The problems with the abnormalities to the arch of Forberg’s right foot during his time in Philadelphia led to an almost circus-like atmosphere surrounding the team. 

Each and every day during his time in the City of Brotherly Love, there were constant questions that centered around if Forsberg would be physically able to play in the club’s next game. 

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

The distractions of “Will he or won’t he be in the lineup?” in his first season in Philadelphia overshadowed an excellent season, in which the Flyers posted 101 points.  Forsberg played in 60 games and registered 75 points.  Philly subsequently was knocked out of the playoffs in the first round in six games by the Buffalo Sabres.

As the problems with his foot worsened, so did the media spectacle encompassing the team.  The newly-named captain of the Flyers was able to compete in just 40 games during the disasterous 2006-07 season – the worst in their 40-year history - and Forsberg was dealt to the Nashville Predators prior to the trade deadline.

His time in Music City was brief, however, as he played 17 games down the stretch run, and a five-game first round playoff loss to the San Jose Sharks with the Preds.

Forsberg made a return to the Avs during the 2007-08 season, but was only able to play in nine regular season games due to a nagging groin injury.  He was still able to finish with a goal and 14 points.  He did play in seven of the Avs’ 10 playoff games, picking up a goal and five points.

After the 2008 playoffs, Forsberg has spent time with MODO of the Swedish Elite League over the past two seasons.  And every now and then, usually around trade deadline time, a rumor will surface that a return to the NHL is imminent.

As of the time of publication of this story, Colorado sits just inside the top eight qualifying spots in the Western Conference, just one point ahead of the ninth-place San Jose Sharks as they approach the 50-game mark.

While the Northwest Division title may be out of reach with the incredible season being put together by the Vancouver Canucks – they are currently 13 points ahead with 33 games remaining – the Avalanche certainly have strong hopes for qualifying for the postseason.

With the issues surrounding Forsberg’s foot not being completely resolved, it has been the subject of conjecture during his time in Sweden over the past couple of years.  In addition to the surgeries, there have been new skate prototypes and inserts – but nothing has totally rectified his difficulties. 

Some people have compared Forsberg’s situation to that of NFL quarterback Brett Favre.  The narcissistic self-centeredness of Favre’s own creation has sparked endless media hype each season as to whether or not he will retire, or return for another season. 

It has gotten to the point that you can mark it on the calendar every year as something that is certain to occur, much like Punxatawny Phil every Groundhog Day.  Will Phil see his shadow?  Is Favre hanging ‘em up or playing next year?

Perhaps the only true comparison between Favre and Forsberg is their love for the respective sports in which they play.  Forsberg’s career was cut short by injuries, and it’s obvious that he feels he has much more that he would like to accomplish while he is still young enough to do so. 

The only real question for the Avalanche to contemplate is if the positives of bringing Forsberg back will outweigh the potential negatives.

Make no mistake, Forsberg’s presence would do wonders for a team with such a collection of young forwards, especially as they battle for playoff positioning. 

With such youngsters at forward as Chris Stewart, Matt Duchene, Paul Stastny, T.J. Galiardi, and Brandon Yip, Forsberg’s experience could come in handy.  Especially considering the only true playoff-tested veteran up front who has endured the rigors and won is Hejduk.  Defenseman, captain, and Stanley Cup champion Foote is also still on the roster, but the club could obviously use another veteran presence.

Maybe the biggest impact for Forsberg could be that which is made upon Stewart, who recently returned after missing a month and a half with a broken hand suffered in a late-November fight.  While Stewart’s talent-level doesn’t reach the heights of Forsberg’s, his game is similar.  He is more of a natural goal-scorer and Forsberg a setup man, but Stewart’s rough-and-tumble style of play is reminiscent of Foppa’s.

If he can help Stewart to take his game to the next level and become a dominant power forward, Forsberg’s addition will have been well worth any media commotion associated with his health.

Injuries to the forward ranks are also making it more likely that the addition of Forsberg would be a good thing.  Peter Mueller has missed the entire regular season thus far with a concussion;  Ryan O’ Reilly is out with a shoulder injury;  and Tomas Fleischmann will miss the remainder of the regular season with blood clots in his lungs.

It remains to be seen if Forsberg will suit up for the Avalanche, but by all counts it is going to happen.  And soon. 

For Colorado’s sake, as well as Forsberg’s, here’s hoping that he can remain healthy.

dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @PhilaDAVEia

When the Vancouver Canucks lost Aaron Rome and Andrew Alberts to injury it was automatic that they would recall Ryan Parent. After all he has an NHL pedigree and was a former 1st round draft pick.

Not so fast though, instead they chose to call up Chris Tanev who had no previous experience and was relatively unheard of until training camp, he went undrafted mostly because he was not very big.

So this begs the question, What has happened to Parent? He once had a promising career and at one time was even dealt for Peter Forsberg. Not bad for a young kid that had never set foot in the NHL yet. He was drafted 18th overall by Nashville back in 2005 and at the time many people felt that he may have been the steal of the draft. Never an offensive juggernaut his positional play and skating ability during his junior career in Guelph made him the no brainer pick for the Predators that year

So impressive was he that the Philadelphia Flyers insisted that he be te key part of the Forsberg deal two years later. Parent was given many opportunities in Philadelphia, even playing some games during lat years Stanley Cup playoffs but for whatever reason he seemed to degress instead or progress.

The coaching staff were constantly on him for his lapses in judgement and his poor play away from the puck, something which should be a strength for a defenceman. Parent also never played overly physical and for  a big man that does not win you many admirers.

After four fairly unproductive seasons in Philadelphia he was dealt back to Nashville this summer ironically for Dan Hamhuis who would later be a teamate. But again his time was shortlived there, being dealt to Vancouver in the Shane O’Brien deal before the season began. Parent may be the only player to be with the same team twice and never play for them either time!

In Vancouver he has been nothing more than a spare part, getting into a few games and though not doing anything wrong, he also did not wow anyone. Though considered a propsect still at the age of 23 even parent himself realizes that he wont get many more chances.

After his second demotion to Manitoba this year, passing through waivers both times and going unclaimed, Parent said he intends to fix the issues that the coaches have become concerned about. He intends to regain his confidence and show once again why Nashville did select him 18th overall.

Having teamates such as Tanev recalled before him should be a good wake up call. If not Parent may have to hope that some GM feels they could use him next season as his contract is up and he could be a man in nowhere land. Parent is too good for that, he is only 23, and still has a long way to go but his confidence has been shattered. He could be a contributor for the Canucks instead of the Moose but the journey back to the NHL is now all on his shoulders.

Lets hope its a load he can handle. If not Ryan Parent will be one of those guys you say “I cant believe they drafted him in the 1st round”

Reading the daily rumor mill as to whether or not the Los Angeles Kings are still in the running to sign unrestricted free agent Ilya Kovalchuk has become tedious, at best.

Let’s see, today is the 12th…it’s an even day, so the Kings are in talks with Kovalchuk and his agent, Jay Grossman.  But come tomorrow, there will be “no new talks scheduled”.

It’s hard to believe that these rumors have only been going on for less than two weeks.  Every day there is a new one, and today is no different.

TSN.ca is reporting that the Kings are denying reports that they will announce today the signing of the biggest free agent on the market this year.

Kings’ GM Dean Lombardi says that Kovalchuk is flying to Los Angeles to meet in person as talks continue.

The two sides are said to still be far apart on terms of a contract, with L.A. reportedly offering deals for 12 years for $63 million and 13 years for $84.5 million.

Kovalchuk’s camp is looking for a 10-year, $100 million guaranteed deal.  With upcoming collective bargaining agreement negotations and the possibility of another owner-induced lockout looming after the 2011-12 season, the guaranteed money has to be a sticking point for the Kings.

The 27-year-old sniper has scored 40 or more goals in each of the last six NHL seasons, netting a career-high of 52 in 2005-06.  He lit the lamp 41 times last season playing for the Atlanta Thrashers and New Jersey Devils.

While he remains one of the most predominant, dynamic players in the world, Lombardi and company may want to proceed with caution as they head into further negotiations with Kovalchuk.

The situation in the City of Angels bears a striking resemblence to that of the Philadelphia Flyers in the early 1990′s.

The Flyers had gone through a patch of three consecutive non-playoff seasons, but were starting to re-build with a solid base of players.  But GM Russ Farwell added youngsters such as Rod Brind’Amour, Mark Recchi, Mike Ricci, and a newly drafted phenom named Peter Forsberg, a winning team was beginning to take shape.

But Philadelphia ripped the franchise apart to acquire another young superstar-in-the-making in Eric Lindros, sending Forsberg, Ricci, offensive defenseman Steve Duchesne, starting goaltender Ron Hextall, a bevy of other young players, draft picks, and cash to the Quebec Nordiques for the rights to Lindros.

This set the team back a few years, and they failed to make the playoffs over the course of the next two seasons.  In the meantime, the trade provided the cornerstone for the Quebec / Colorado Avalanche franchise’s Stanley Cup-winning teams.

Up until last year, the Kings had not made the NHL’s postseason dance for the past six NHL seasons.

In this scenario, they are well ahead of the early-90′s Flyers’ progression. as a team  Under Lombardi, the team has gotten younger, deeper, and better.

Boasting such young star players as Drew Doughty, Anze Kopitar, Jack Johnson, Wayne Simmonds, Jonathan Quick, and Jonathan Bernier, there is a threat that this group also could be torn asunder.

If Lombardi were to sign Kovalchuk for the contract demands that the player’s camp is asking for, Los Angeles faces the risk of having to part with some of the good, young core that has been developed.

While the Kings have in excess of $17 million of cap space available for the upcoming campaign, the problem would arise after the 2010-11 season.  That’s when the contracts of Doughty, Johnson, Simmonds, and Bernier are set to expire, and the youngsters will be due hefty raises as they become restricted free agents.

Also set to become unrestricted free agents after next year are veterans Michal Handzus, Justin Williams, and Erik Ersberg.

Further complicating matters are the whispers that the owners are going to demand that the existing upper salary cap limit of $59.4 million be lowered.  This would almost certainly lead to a lockout by the owners as the NHLPA would fight a reduction vigorously.  And the Kings would still be on the hook to pay Kovalchuk with a guaranteed deal.

But Lombardi would have his work cut out for him in getting his core players signed if the cap were to remain the same, let alone any possible decrease.

If Lombardi wants to take a gamble and truly believes that signing Kovalchuk is the key piece to pushing his team over the top, he may want to take that chance.

But it is a risky choice.  As it appears now, Lombardi has his team on the right track and headed very quickly in the right direction.  Being able to keep the core intact, they should have a window of opportunity to be contenders over the next several seasons going forward.

But Lombardi’s modus operandi historically has been to build his teams through youth and patience.  And it’s obvious that he is on the right track.  If he were to go after Kovalchuk and risk losing some of his young core, it would be a totally different train of thought.

Is Lombardi a betting man?

We shall see.

David Strehle
NHLHS Flyers Correspondent / NHL Writer
dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @PhilaDAVEia

In what has been discussed time and time again, the National Hockey Leagues second season, also known as the Stanley Cup Playoffs, is all about goaltending.

Jonathan Quick of the Los Angeles Kings, Brian Boucher of the Philadelphia Flyers, Roberto Luongo of the Vancouver Canucks, Tuukka Rask of the Boston Bruins, Ilya Bryzgalov of the Phoenix Coyotes, Ryan Miller of the Buffalo Sabres, Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators, Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils, Evgeni Nabokov of the San Jose Sharks, Marc-Andre Fleury of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Antti Niemi of the Chicago Blackhawks, Brian Elliot of the Ottawa Senators, Jimmy Howard of the Detroit Red Wings, Jaroslav Halak of the Montreal Canadiens, Craig Anderson of the Colorado Avalanche as well as both Jose Theodore and Seymon Varlamov of the Washington Capitals have not only stepped up to make some amazing saves but have been able to keep each and every series even or close enough to it.

On top of their in-game play, there have been some sensational saves throughout the opening round of these playoffs.  Boucher, Luongo, Quick and others have been outstanding, Anderson has set new records but Pekka Rinne’s stop on Chicago’s Patrick Sharp is one that stands out the most. Although the Hawks beat the Predators yesterday, that series remains up in the air with no clear cut favorite at this point.

Yes, as I mentioned, Craig Anderson made 50 saves in regulation yesterday, which has become the new record for saves in regulation time for a playoff game.  He is the backbone to the Avalanche advancing and so far, so good.

Sidney Crosby and Braydon Coburn have both played “hero” in saving their netminders and team by stopping goals as well.  Crosby slid across the crease with the puck standing on the goal line to keep the Senators off the score board. Another stand out moment during these playoffs.

We also were able to witness two hat tricks in one game when Montreal’s Andrei Kostitsyn and Washington’s Nicklas Backstrom did so in game 2 of their Eastern Conference playoff series.

Henrik Zetterberg of the Detroit Red Wings also has a three goal game to his credit in this first round. Evgeni Malkin has a goal per game for his Penguins.  Mike Richards has been a man possessed for the Philadelphia Flyers. And the list goes on.

In these playoffs, outside of goaltending, it all rests on the players that take their game to the next level. In that game 2 between the Canadiens and Capitals, Nicklas Backstrom was on player who truly took his game up a notch.  Showing people Peter Forsberg like skills, Backstrom had a four point affair helping the Capitals gain a much needed victory in what was likely the most important period and game of their season.

It has been a wild and crazy start to the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs, to say the least.

Joe Depto, a writer here at the hot stove as well as one part of the brand known as The Hockey Guys, called yesterday “Separation Sunday”.

The Colorado Avalanche, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Phoenix Coyotes all took control of their series; at least by the series records.

With that, if yesterday was any indication to what is in store for us tonight you better have your jersey on tight and your seat prepared in front of your television sets.  It’s only going to keep getting better.

What is YOUR favorite moment from these playoffs so far?

Anthony Curatolo
NHLHS Senior Writer
acuratolo@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @HockeyGuy_AC

A Look at The Nashville Predators at the Trade Deadline

The Nashville Predators are flying high in the highly competitive Western Conference and appear to be headed to a return to the postseason after missing the playoffs for the first time in five years last season by a mere three points.

The Predators do not have any players considered to be “stars” in the big picture of things in the National Hockey League. The Pred’s success is based on a gritty brand of hockey where many different players can be the star of the game on any given night.

Team leaders include Captain Jason Arnott, Steve Sullivan, Martin Erat, J. P. Dumont, Patric Hornqvist and young defensemen Shea Weber and Ryan Suter. None are likely to appear on the cover on NHL 11 and most get overlooked in round table discussions of top players on the NHL Network.

The Predators have surprised folks this season with their resiliency and the break out years by Hornqvist (19 goals) and Shark’s castoff, Marcel Goc (9 points so far is his career high).

The basis for the success of Coach Barry Trotz has been his “Band of Brothers” mentality where the whole is far greater than any of the individual pieces of the team.

Recently, Trotz explained that what he considered the “core” of the team was not the top five or six players or the leadership group, as most coaches would say, but the 26 or so players that have played and contributed to the team’s success so far this season.

It takes a special player to play within that type of system. Alexander Radulov never quite understood that he wasn’t a bit more special than anyone else, so he spent the majority of his time in Nashville in or close by Barry Trotz’s dog house.

One of the worst trade deadline deals in franchise history was the Pred’s pick-up of Peter Forsberg as the team was desperately trying to go deep in the playoffs in order not to be sold late in the 2006-07 season.

In spite of his talent, Forsberg was not a “Trotz-type” player and never provided any cohesiveness to the team. After amassing the third highest point total in the regular season, they disappeared immediately in the first round of the playoffs.

The Predators best deadline acquisition was the little known Czech player Jan Hlavac, who came to the Preds in 2008 and stepped into a second/third line role position and contributed 13 points in 18 games down the stretch. He realized why he was here and was willing to do what Trotz wanted.

Last season, to the chagrin of many in Pred Nation, who wanted to sign a couple of big names to give the Predators a needed push into the playoffs, the Predators let deadline day come and go with out a single deal, or really many good rumors.

This season as the trade deadline approaches in early March, the Predators have a number of players that will be unrestricted free agents or restricted free agents at the end of the year. With Nashville’s well known budget constraints, many of their current players will move on for more money elsewhere at the end of this season.

Will the Predators try to recoup something prior to the deadline or use their assets for the remainder of the season and stand pat as they did last season? The key pieces that will command raises on the open market include defenseman Dan Hamhuis, agitator Jordin Tootoo and both of the Pred’s netminder’s Pekka Rinne and Dan Ellis.

Taking a look at each of these players and the chances that hey will be moved at the deadline is an interesting proposition.

Hamhuis is unlikely to return to Nashville next season as the Predators have several young defensemen that need a place to play. Cody Franson has been a true surprise and Kevin Klein has transitioned to the second defensive pairing and will be the leader there next season. Considering Klein recently signed an extension, I will project that Hamhuis is the most likely roster player to go at the deadline.

Tootoo is very hard to figure as far as his value is concerned. He has missed 28 games in two stints on the injured list this season and may not play much before the trade deadline. It is doubtful that he will be traded. Re-signing him is a real enigma as he is probably worth more to the team’s marketing department than he is as an on ice commodity.

Prior to his recent injury, I had suggested to my blogger buddies that I wanted to see a trade where Tootoo would go to frequent trading partner, Philadelphia, in exchange for Dan Carcillo and a second or third round draft pick. That would eliminate the need for enforcer Wade Belak and give Pred fans another agitator to learn to love. In reality, it won’t happen.

One of the Predator goalies will not return next year and my bet is that Ellis will be elsewhere. The Preds do not have anyone ready to move in the second spot but there is a glut of back-up goalies that could be had for less than a million dollars giving the Preds room to resign Rinne to a nice contract in the 2.75 to 3 million dollar range.

I do not think that either goalie will be moved at the deadline as the Preds are dependent of the current rotation and have an incredible amount of games after the Olympics where both netminders will see plenty of playing time.

Finally, given the above analysis, what will the Nashville Predators do at the deadline?

I have two answers… little or nothing.

On the nothing side of the table, the Predators may stick with their “core” of twenty six players and hope that Trotz will have more rabbits in his hat to convince the team that hey can continue to play with the leagues best and make it to the second round of the playoffs for the first time with what they have.

One added piece to the puzzle that may develop over the next few weeks would be the return of future star Colin Wilson who appears healthy for the first time this season and is just now rounding into shape in Milwaukee. If he could play as anticipated and work into a top three line center spot, he could be as helpful as a trade pick-up.

In the little category, the Preds could add a veteran or a role player to add depth to the young squad that has played well beyond their years. It is difficult to speculate on specific players that may be available but you would have to think it would be a player from the Eastern Conference from a team that feels they are out of contention.

Carolina scouts have been constant visitors to the Pred’s press box over the last few weeks and Ray Whitney is probably available since he will be a UFA at season’s end. The Islanders have also had scouts around but Doug Weight is the only player that looks like a rent-a-player and I can’t imagine that the Preds would be interested.

I would be surprised if a Pred’s deal would involve more than draft pics for a rental player. If a deal were made for someone they would like beyond this season then I could see a Hamhuis or a prospect going the other way.

Therefore, as a realist, knowing the Predators economic situation and the David Poile/Trotz dynamic, look for the Preds to do little or nothing at the deadline.

I can hear the groaning from those who want a big name player or a glitzy name thrown around on the rumor sites, but I think the Predators have a plan that they intend to follow and unlike the last few years, it will be more fruitful and take them at least to the second round, if not further.

Barry Trotz has surprised the experts so far this season and will continue to do so as we head to the post season.

Buddy Oakes
Preds on the Glass
Twitter: @PredsontheGlass

What should Alex Tanguay fetch on the trade market?

This subject came to mind after reading a recent article by Scott Cruikshank of The Calgary Herald.  The writer makes the case for Tanguay citing how badly the Flames need a playmaker to go along with snipers Jarome Iginla and Olli Jokinen.  Cruikshank also mentions how the Flames cornered the market for tough, grinding types both in Calgary and Abbotsford, a luxury other teams would dream about, but I digress.

Just three short years ago, Tanguay flanked Iginla alternating between the center and left wing positions but eventually would be traded in favor of current Montreal Canadien Michael Cammalleri.  The Canadiens sent the Flames a first round pick (25th overall) in which they selected Windsor Spitfire Greg Nemisz. At that point in his career Tanguay seemed prime to put up close to a PPG pace, only a year removed from doing so with 81 points in as many games.

Now, at 31-years-old Tanguay offers a veteran presence and most likely a contributor but not that breakthrough offensive player he once was.  Following an injury riddled 50 games in Montreal, the Ste-Justine native signed for a meager 2.5 million with the Tampa Bay Lightning, over half of his previous salary (5.25).

The Lightning hoped for that reasonable salary he would form instant chemistry with fellow Quebecers Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier.  However, an inconsistent effort from Lecavalier as well as the newfound chemistry between St. Louis and Steven Stamkos make Tanguay both superfluous and expendable.  Unless the Lightning have identity issues and somehow think they can sneak their way into the playoffs with a shoddy defensive core and two B rate goaltenders, he should and will be moved.

What will he fetch then?

Definitely not a first round pick as he did two years ago.  The majority of the League chose not to sign him during the offseason with the asset requirement at an absolute minimum.  Definitely not a 2nd round pick  and a young defenseman as he fetched over three years ago during his trade to Calgary.  Those opinions of Tanguay left the league with his former linemate Peter Forsberg.

A quick glance at last year’s deadline would say at best a 2nd round pick.

Last year both Dominic Moore and Ales Kotalik fetched a second, with both producing at a similar pace and a similar age.  Tanguay should finish between 40 and 50 points, both of those players finished with 43 and 45 respectively.  Nik Antropov, a year younger than Tanguay, finished a completely healthy and productive season with 59 points and only warranted a 4th round pick more.

A few teams may need his services.  The Flames for one make sense, especially coming off the heels of their 9-1 loss to the Sharks.  The Islanders could be a fit as they likely need another top six winger and center to stay in the picture.  The Ducks, Coyotes and even Red Wings make sense in order to fill in injuries and boost scoring woes.  Imagine if the Wings signed Tanguay instead of promoting Ville Leino.

Yes Tanguay plays a one-dimensional game which often can be considered selfish, soft or my personal favorite the “wet noodle.”  He also boasts a resume of legitimate scoring potential with playoff experience and a much needed veteran presence.

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