By Alexander Monaghan
President 

Photo Credit: Tabercil

Last night, the Colorado Avalanche officially signed their 2011 first round picks Gabriel Landeskog and Duncan Siemens. We saw this coming when Adrian Dater of The Denver Post explained “it’ll get done soon my little birdies are telling me.” The Avs seemed required to sign Landeskog in order to hit the cap floor next season — his unconfirmed cap hit is $3.8 million according to Cap Geek.

There is no question that signing these youngsters will go a long way. The Avs now hold many, many valuable chips with top prospects Joey Hishon, Tyson Barrie and Stefan Elliott all ready to make the jump into the professional ranks either this year or next. In addition, they currently roster 14 NHL forwards, not counting Landeskog or NHL-ready players like Mark Olver, Greg Mauldin and Ryan Stoa.

On the back-end, the same trend continues as at least seven NHL players have already been signed with RFA Kyle Cumiskey still not inked to a pact. Blue-liners like Jonas Holos and Cameron Gaunce, who played regularly last season, will need to earn their playing time with a big club and could very well be passed on the depth chart by Siemens, Elliott or Barrie for that matter.

About a month ago, I projected Landeskog to not only make the team next year but actually make an impact on one of the top two lines.  If you pencil him into a top-6 wing position — which is again necessary to hit the cap floor — you can also assume David Jones, Milan Hedjuk and a healthy Peter Mueller all fit into the remaining slots. That leaves only six legitimate forward slots if all players remain healthy with Ryan O’Reilly, Daniel Winnik and Jay McClement all-but-guaranteed playing time on a checking line. In fact, those three were previously mentioned in last season’s top 10 penalty killing forwards; expect them to play.

So we have three spots available for some pretty decent talent, including Chuck Kobasew, Cody McLeod, Brandon Yip, TJ Galiardi, Kevin Porter and Swedish import Joakim Lindstrom. Where are the Avs putting these players?

According to James Mirtle of The Globe and Mail, the Avs lost 5.35 players per-game last season. If you were to subtract five players from their current configuration of the 29 players likely to have a chance then the team still rounds out a standard 23-man roster with a few reserves on the Lake Erie Monsters. When you take into account that the Avalanche were pretty good before losing players like Tomas Fleischmann, Galiardi, Chris Stewart for a significant chunk of the season, then they might not be back into the lottery equation. At least GM Greg Sherman prays he did not lose a potential lottery pick in acquiring Semyon Varlamov.

By shaking up a team that nosedived following a momentum-building 1.5 seasons, Sherman gambled with chemistry and consistency. However, should their man-games lost decrease to the median 2.5-3 players-per game then the Avs might just hold enough depth to get them back into the playoffs. Varlamov, in my opinion, should be the most worrisome injury-prone player, but he showed at times he can play at an elevated level. Regardless, this team should be fun to watch with a good mix of young up-and-comers surrounding the core of Stastny, Duchene and Erik Johnson.

With just three full seasons of NHL experience, Martin Hanzal landed a two year contract worth $3.6 million with the Phoenix Coyotes yesterday. Phoenix drafted the Czech in the first round (17th overall) in the 2005 NHL Entry draft.

As a powerful center, Hanzal thrived under Jack Adam’s winner head coach Dave Tippett. He proved to his new coach he could handle the defensive and offensive sides of the game while staying strong in the faceoffs category.

Hanzal, a young twenty-three year old, holds a possible fantastic future in his hands, and might very well remain in the Coyotes’ organization for many years to come. The hulking forward stands six feet, six inches tall and towers over many of his opponents before knocking them off the puck on both ends of the ice.

The Coyotes reportedly made Hanzal a priority over Lee Stempniak, but actually signed Stempniak to a two-year contract last week. Yet, in the end the Coyotes ended up with both of their men, at great prices. (Stempniak signed for $3.8 million.)

Luckily Hanzal has yet to suffer from a serious injury in his short career. His longest stretch of an injury came in his rookie year (February of 2008) when he sat in the press box for eight game with a shoulder injury. Since then Hanzal missed a few games here and there, but nothing too drastic.

Hanzal signed for a little less than Peter Mueller, former Coyotes’ forward, who signed for with the Colorado Avalanche the other day (Mueller’s contract sees him receiving four million over two years.) Yet, Hanzal has a future with an organization that proved last season it could succeed. Now the Coyotes just need a buyer.

Katlyn Gambill

Phoenix Coyotes Correspondent

kgambill@nhlhotstove.com

@freezethepuck

San Jose Sharks by Alexander Monaghan

The San Jose Sharks held an almost unbeatable record at home during the regular season, losing only eight games in regulation.  A home ice advantage certainly should weight in their favor despite consistent speculation of yet another early playoff exit.

To win this series, the “Burger Line” of Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley need to play a consistently strong offensive game.  Those three forwards accounted for 40 percent of the Shark’s offense during the regular season.  Thornton notched two assists in three games;  Marleau five points in four games and Heatley four points in as many games.

Both teams won two games against each other but starting goaltender Evgeni Nabokov went 1-2 while backup Thomas Greiss played decently against the young Avalanche team.  Most intriguing would be his 3.62 GAA against the Avs which will simply not win this series if his 2.82 GAA of last season’s first round exit shows any indicator.

To win every impact player must play on all cylinders.

Over the past offseason this powerhouse team reworked both their coaching staff and their forward corps.  Instead of relying on Devin Setoguchi to consistently carry an offensive load, they turned to the two-time 50 goal scorer Heatley.  New coach Todd McLellan should feel confident despite their past playoff blunders.

Colorado Avalanche by Anthony Curatolo

A young team with tons of potential in moving forward has created a season worthy playoffs contention for the Avalanche.

Even with them backing into the post-season, they are there. With one of the youngest rosters in the league, that is the one downfall for this team.  The lack of playoff experience could wind up biting the Avalanche where the sun don’t shine against a power house like the San Jose Sharks.

Team leader in points, Paul Stastny, is the first name that comes to mind when you think about this Avalanche team.  Outside of rising stars like Ryan O’Reilly, Brandon Yip, T.J. Galiardi, Chris Stewart, Peter Mueller and Calder trophy candidate Matt Duchene, there are veteran members of this team that have the ability to push the team when they need a boost.

Milan Hejduk has been to the big dance before. He is a key element in this series for the Avalanche. As well as Adam Foote with two cup rings and for leadership purposes so does Stephane Yelle.

Craig Anderson has a tough ask ahead. Posting a record of 38-25-7 as a first year full time number one goaltender speaks in volumes.  His 2.64 goals against average and .917 save percentage are respectable numbers but if the Avs plan on giving the Sharks a run for their money, it all will rest on his shoulders.

Will the Avs give the Sharks a reason to overhaul this off-season?

In the beginning of the 2008-2009 season nobody in Arizona would think about trading away their top young player: Peter Mueller.  The former eighth overall selection potted 54 points in his rookie season, only two years after his draft year.

Fast forwarding a year and a half later and the kid seems to be lost.  A understandable sophomore slump continued into what now appears to be a brutal third season.  Mueller seems to be the only player adversely affected by the necessary coaching change, unable to adapt to coach Dave Tippett and his defensive system.

Through 45 games the 21-year-old managed 13 points, with only three of those touching the back of the net.  Ranger GM Glen Sather expressed interest in Mueller earlier in the year, offering a scavenger deal centered around Bobby Sanguinetti or Christopher Higgins.  While Sather might wish to fleece his former assistant and acquire the troubled young player, GM Don Maloney seems poised to receive fair value.

The Boston Bruins moved a similar player in Brad Boyes three trade deadlines ago.  At the time Boyes came off a career year only to fail to produce.  They team moved him for a similarly struggling yet established young player in Dennis Wideman.  The Coyotes most likely would require a young NHL player with similar success and experience to lessen the blow of losing a once bluechip prospect.

If he can regain his scoring touch Mueller may become a top talent in this league one day, as expected.  For one he needs to restore his confidence and playing on the third line will not do this.  When your linemates are Lauri Korpikoski and Robert Lang respectively, most players would not score 30 goals or more.

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

After a hectic and worrisome summer, the Phoenix Coyotes came into the 2009-2010 season completely revamped.  With a new coach, Dave Tippett, and a new owner, the Coyotes have remodeled their roster, acquiring fourteen of its 25 players in the year 2009.

The new roster has proven to be a successful change, as the Coyotes with 45 games played sit fourth in the Western Conference with 26 wins, and 56 points. They are on pace to shatter the Phoenix Coyotes franchise record, of 95 points (achieved in the 2001-2002 season)*, with a total of 106 points. If the Coyotes want to establish the Coyotes fan support in Arizona, they will need to make the playoffs—and ideally, win the first round. Through half the season, the Coyotes have proven they are a new, rejuvenated team (average age of team is 27.8 years) that can win.

Though attendance has not been outstanding this season at Jobing.com Arena, the Coyotes have posted a great home record (16-6-1), and fared decently on the road (10-8-3). Hopefully the days of 5,000 fans in attendance are gone, as they will need the support to continue winning.

Though the Coyotes dropped their home opener to the Columbus Blue Jackets (2-0), bringing back the White-Out showed how great the momentum and energy can feel when the Coyotes play in front of a nearly sell-out crowd.

The recently larger crowds however are not the only reason behind their success.

Tippett, an ex-Dallas Stars head coach, brought a new look to the way the Coyotes play hockey. Wayne Gretzky, though an amazing player, was not the man to help the Coyotes make the playoffs. In Gretzky’s four years coaching since the lockout, the Coyotes finished 12^th, 15^th, 12^th, and 13^th in the Western Conference.

Their highest point totals reached 83 points in 2007-2008, but Gretzky was never able to bump the Coyotes into the playoffs. Tippett brings a defensive game to the Coyotes, backed by strong goaltending. He has proven thus far that his defense-first, offense-second strategy has been successful. The goaltending of Ilya Bryzgalov and Jason LaBarbera help Tippett’s defensive team philosophy, while the offense has not slowed down.

The Coyotes claimed Bryzgalov, a goaltender who previously won a Cup with the Anaheim Ducks, off waivers in 2007. He instantly succeeded with the Coyotes, playing in 55 games (and winning 26) in his first season.

This year is proving to be an even better season for Russian. He has 23 wins in 38 games with five of those coming by  shutouts, typing him for first in the league for with Martin Brodeur and Ryan Miller. His goals against average, 2.08, has him in third out of forty-seven goaltenders. Goaltending has been one of the biggest issues for the Coyotes over the years, but Bryzgalov looks to change that.

Recently Shane Doan played in his 1000^th NHL game, all with the Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotes franchise. The youth of the team has rejuvenated the thirty-three year old, and his leadership ability has soared. His experience speaks for itself, his point totals haven’t been outstanding in the past, but he has become the reliable, clutch player the Coyotes were hoping he would develop into when they drafted him in 1995.

The veteran sits currently tied with Scottie Upshall with 3 game winning goals. After posting a career high in goals last season (31 goals), it looks like Doan will finish with less goals than that, but fortunately, the Coyotes are no longer relying solely on him for production.

In March of 2009, the team traded Daniel Carcillo to Philadelphia for Upshall and a 2011 draft pick. Carcillo was a fan-favorite in Phoenix for his grit, energy, and dedication he gave to the franchise. The trade seemed ridiculous to both fan bases in Philadelphia and Phoenix; neither have played in a full NHL season as of now, but Upshall had never scored more than 14 goals in a year (in 61 games), whereas Carcillo, an enforcer, had scored 13 goals in 57 games in 2007-2008.

Nevertheless, the trade has proven to be a smart move for the Coyotes. Having played in 41 games this season, Upshall has already tied his career-high in goals, and is six points behind his career-high of 30. He is having a career year and seems to be finally playing to his ability under Tippett**. At only26-years-old, Upshall should have many great seasons left in him, however the left wing will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season.

Another addition in the past year, Matthew Lombardi, has been producing and adding another punch to the offense. He is on pace to finish six goals short of his career high, but his total point total (26 at the half-way point) is on track to become a new career high. Lombardi is an unrestricted free agent next season however, and the Coyotes must look to resign him.

Injuries:

Fortunately for the Coyotes, they have not been hurt by too many injuries this season. Some big name players have been injured this season, but not for long periods of time (Petr Prucha and Ed Jovanovski each missed 4 games). Avoiding injury has been helpful in the Coyotes’ quest for a playoff berth, and remaining healthy will be essential to continue with their current pace.

Olympics:

The Coyotes will have three players — Sami Lepisto, Zbynek Michalek and Bryzgalov — participate in the Olympics in February. Though these men are lucky to compete for their country, the Coyotes left off their respective country’s rosters will have a chance to recuperate, heal any nagging injuries, and relax in the middle of the season.

The first few games after the break will be critical in how each team finishes at the end of the season, but the smaller number of representatives may help the Coyotes in the end. Only three teams have less members participating in the Winter Olympics, and this may prove to be the advantage the Coyotes need.

Free Agents:

Ten players will be free agents after this season, and the Coyotes will look to resign as many as possible. Unrestricted free agents include: Lombardi, Robert Lang, Adrian Aucoin, Michalek, and restricted free agents include: Peter Mueller, Upshall, Martin Hanzal, Daniel Winnik, Paul Bissonnette, and Lepisto.

Michalek appears to be a player that will need to be signed first. He is one of the two alternate captains, one of the top two defenseman (Jovanovski the other).  In 378 games with the Coyotes he produced 26 goals and 81 assists for a total of 107 points. His experience, defensive-ability, leadership, and production cannot be replaced for less money, but his resigning may cost the Coyotes other players. On offense the biggest resigning will be Upshall, who has proven himself to be a successful Coyote. Mueller and Hanzal, both drafted by the Coyotes, have been successful in the past, but seem to be still adjusting to a new system, though the Coyotes should try to resign these two young players if possible.

Playoffs and Future:

If the Coyotes do make the playoffs, their experience may hinder them from going all the way. Between the 45 players (on the Coyotes’ roster with more than five games played this season) only 462 playoff games have been played, however fifteen have some playoff experience.

The Chicago Blackhawks proved last year playoff experience isn’t always necessary as they had 309 combined playoff games, and only ten players had previous playoff experience before making it the Western Conference Finals. The Coyotes must follow in the Hawks’ footsteps.

Ice Edge, a Canadian group that has signed a letter of intent to buy the Coyotes from the NHL, stated they are willing to keep the Coyotes in Glendale, Arizona for the long haul, but success is the only factor that will put fans in seats. Without a playoff win this year, the Coyotes may be looking at another tough attendance season next year.

Katlyn Gambill
NHLHS Writer
kgambill@nhlhotstove.com

*Winnipeg Jets finished with 96 points in the 1984-1985 season.
**On January 7, 2010, Scottie Upshall was placed on Injured Reserve.

Look closely at the picture to the right, it may be the last time you see Peter Mueller in a Coyotes jersey.

The 21-year-old native of Bloomington, Minnesota continues to baffle both his coaching staff and fans alike with his minimal effort and limited offensive production.  With only one goal and six points all season, Mueller sits on the hot seat almost begging GM Don Maloney to trade him elsewhere.

If you are keeping score at home, those totals project to an impressive three goals and 18 points.

Since the inception of Dave Tippett into the coaching staff, the entire Coyotes organization seems to thrive.  Tippett implemented his system quickly as he took over in preseason with little time to spare. The system teaches his youngsters solid two-way play and evidently turned Ilya Bryzgalov into a Vezina Trophy candidate.

Meanwhile Mueller’s totals have only plummeted from a successful rookie campaign under Wayne Gretzky.  Greatly slowing down over the second portion of last season many people had high hopes the talented youngster would turn it around.  The right wing played 28 games before watching from the press box since December 14th.

So what will Maloney do with Mueller?

The rumors I’ve heard circulating are to the New York Rangers. On December 11, we wrote a piece on Mueller noting Maloney shot down a deal involving Bobby Sanguinetti.  Considering the Coyotes selected Mueller 8th overall, they feel entitled to more value than a defensive prospect.  Considering his name was once synonymous with Phil Kessel, Jonathan Toews and Jordan Staal I can see why they feel this way.

The newest rumors involved Sanguinetti and a draft choice (remember the Rangers are without their third-round pick) or perhaps Christopher Higgins, a young player also struggling to find his scoring touch.  Regardless, Mueller contains an immense amount of talent and desperately needs a change of scenary.  He could be John Tortorella’s newest project, molded in the image of Vincent Lecavalier himself.

Due to our holiday trade break all we can do is speculate but Mueller could be very close to donning a Rangers sweater.  A move to New York would certainly boost the kid’s fantasy value.  Pretty much a move anywhere would at this point.

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed our latest trade rumors feature. You can help NHLHS stay alive by visiting our sponsors to the left.

Follow me on Twitter for up-to-the-minute updates

-Alexander Monaghan
NHLHS Founder
thehotstove@gmail.com

Busy day in the rumor market, lets take out our magnifying glasses and take a closer look to the Hot Stove:

Larry Brooks of The New York Post discusses the shortcomings on the current Rangers roster.   The controversial reporter notes that the pieces that may have value are the same that the team wants to keep.

Most importantly he discusses a trade proposal supposedly between GM Glen Sather and former assistant and current Coyotes GM Don Maloney.  Sather would send AHL defenseman and promising defensive prospect Bobby Sanguinetti for struggling forward Peter Mueller.

Although the former 8th overall pick managed a measly six points in his first 26 games it will take more to land him.  Still young at 21 years of age, Mueller averaged 48 points through his first two seasons.  Regardless of his slump he remains a vital part of a young Coyotes core and probably would not be moved until the trade deadline if at all.

In other news, Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch says GM Scott Howson expressed interest in Senators defenseman Brian Lee.  As we reported recently, the Blue Jackets are in need of a defenseman following the injury of Rostislav Klesla.  Following the Howson’s profile, he tends to trade for younger players on the verge of breaking out.  Lee, a former first round pick, fits this profile.

Portzline believes Nikita Filatov could fetch Lee and more from the Senators.  We predicted they would dangle the young Russian in order to grab a young defenseman who would fit in their core.  Is Lee that guy?  Tell me what you think in the comments…

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed our latest trade rumors feature. You can help NHLHS stay alive by visiting our sponsors to the left.

Follow me on Twitter for up-to-the-minute updates

-Alexander Monaghan
NHLHS Founder
thehotstove@gmail.com