Photo via Bridget Samuels

While it may not have been the defensive player that all Kings fans were hoping would be signed by now, everyone can relax a bit now knowing that the team has one less restricted free agent to re-sign. The Kings have now added to the depth of their defensive corp for another two years. Martinez agreed to a two-year, $737,500 per season contract.

Born in Rochester Hills, Michigan, the rookie defenseman had five goals, 16 points, and 18 penalty minutes in 60 games last season. Martinez joined the Kings on November 23 to replace at that time, the injured Willie Mitchell. His solid defensive play and ability to score earned him a spot on the team for the rest of the season even when Mitchell returned.

Alec Martinez had filed for salary arbitration along with forward Brad Richardson just the other day. It seems now only Richardson has an arbitration date which is set for July 21. Besides Richardson, the Kings now only have Drew Doughty and Trevor Lewis to re-sign and as of this time, Lewis has not filed for arbitration. Talks with Doughty still continue.

The Kings are expected to sign all of these players, so fans should not be worried. Extending Martinez’s contract is a good step towards preseason and another name can now be checked off the list of players to worry about.
Chris Van Deusen
NHLHS Los Angeles Kings Correspondent
Twitter – TheCrazyWhls

Heartbreaking. Devastating. A morale killer. Any of these could be used to describe the Game 3 loss for fans of the Los Angeles Kings. For the Kings themselves, there can only be one description: Breakdown. What was a 4-0 lead and possible back-to-back shutouts turned into a 6-5 overtime loss.

What happened out there Kings?

As far as Los Angeles was concerned, Game 3 of this Kings vs Sharks series could not have started better. Staples Center was a sellout once again with 18,200 fans “back in black” as the Kings hit the ice to the tune of AC/DC. Mike Purdy most likely still wasn’t happy even though the referee’s had trouble hearing whistles in the first period. The opening moments of the game saw the Kings scoring twice in 13 seconds with goals from Willie Mitchell and Kyle Clifford. Dustin Penner would jump on a Shark turnover and set up Michal Handzus to make it a 3-0 Kings’ lead. Antti Niemi and the Sharks looked shaky while the Kings looked focused and playing great “Kings Hockey.” The Kings were making crisp tape-to-tape passes, controlling the neutral zone, and playing the solid defense they have become known for. However, that was only the first period.

Brad Richardson made it a 4-0 Kings’ lead early in the second, resulting in Niemi getting the yank. Yet it was like someone suddenly flipped a switch for both teams. As my Sharks correspondent above pointed out, the Sharks would rally to tie the game 5-5 and proceed to win in overtime. Kings fans were in shock. Wait, what just happened? Bad calls from the ref’s? No. Did Jonathan Quick and Jonathan Bernier get run-over by a zamboni during the first intermission? No. The Kings had a mental breakdown.

The Kings broke away from the style of play that leads them to victory. After the Sharks scored their first goal, the Kings’ short tape-to-tape passes turned into longshot cross-ice passes the only connected to a Shark. The solid defense that covers each man turned into an agonizing game of “chase the puck.” The Kings lack of a quick-moving back-check led to the Sharks leading the series 2-1. Veteran Defenseman Rob Scuderi credits the loss to relaxing too much after a lead. I couldn’t agree more.

As far as the Kings are concerned, Game 3 needs to be forgotten. The Kings showed in San Jose and in the first period of Game 3 that they can hang in there and by no means should be underestimated. With that in mind, the Kings need to quickly get over these mental breakdown and consistently play their style of hockey.

On to Game 4 and victory.

Chris Van Deusen
NHLHS Los Angeles Kings Correspondent
Twitter: @TheCrazyWhls

By Stephanie Lee
NHLHS San Jose Sharks Correspondent

In what turned out to be a nail-biting, sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat, not-knowing-what’s-going-to-happen-next kind of game, the San Jose Sharks put on the most epic come back performance they could have.

When you look up the term “come back” on the Merriam-Webster website you won’t exactly find the Sharks, but you will find “to return to life or vitality” — Wednesday night is the purest example of a return to life.

The Kings dominated the game for much of the game, in fact, the entire first period. Willie Mitchell and Kyle Clifford scored early in the first period just thirteen seconds apart, the second quickest in Kings playoff history, to give LA an 2-0 lead forcing Sharks coach Todd McLellan to take his time out. Michal Handzus put the Kings up 3-0 with his goal near the end of the first.

After dropping Game 2 on Sunday night by the score of 4-0, things weren’t looking all that swell for the Sharks. Sharks correspondent Brodie Brazil tweeted that “Faces coming off the ice were reflective of the 3-0 score. Nobody cursing, or even talking really.” And who could honestly blame the Sharks. They played a poorly executed first period and allowed the Kings to capitalize on their mistakes.

Well, something sure sparked the Sharks during that intermission and they came back swinging. Brad Richardson gave the Kings a 4-0 lead just 44 seconds into the second period, deflating the hopes of many Sharks fans. I guess the players heard the cries and pleads of goals needing to be scored, and Patrick Marleau answered that call with his first of the playoffs. Followed by goals from Logan Couture and the lone power play goal from Ryane Clowe. However, our joy of getting to within one goal was short-lived when Ryan Smyth scored fifteen seconds later to put the Kings back up by two goals.

Clowe would score his second of the game, and second of the playoffs with two minutes left in the second period, elating fans to the brink of near tears. And in true Joe Pavelski fashion, he would tie the game up with 31 seconds left in the middle frame.

That gave the Sharks 5 goals in one period, coming back from a 4-0 deficit. Those five goals are a record for most goals in one period in a Sharks play off game.

To give the feel of the overtime win, I will leave you with this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvWMNMgLYVg

The Los Angeles Kings are determined to prove that they can make the playoffs without their top two forwards. Captain Dustin Brown helped solidify that determination by scoring an empty net goal in the closing seconds of Saturday’s game against the Dallas Stars.

Many were uncertain how the Kings would fare after a disappointing 3-1 loss to Vancouver on Thursday, not recording a single shot in the third period. Coach Terry Murray made drastic line changes, moving around every line except for the defensive pairing of Matt Greene & Alec Martinez. The changes seem to be working.

The Kings started the game strong, keeping the pressure on Dallas and recording 12 shots. Both teams would prove to have solid goaltending though as they would end with a scoreless first period. It would be Wayne Simmonds who would put the Kings on the scoreboard first with a deflection in the early moments of the second period.

Willie Mitchell fired another one of his strong shots from along the boards where it was deflected behind Stars goaltender Kari Lehtonen by Simmonds. Stars defenseman Mark Fistric was the one who actually put the puck in the net though. While he attempted to clear the puck from the crease, Fistric wound up knocking it into the net.

Sadly, the Kings fell victim once again to the problem that has plagued them all season. The Kings once again gave up the lead right after scoring. The very next shot-on-goal after Simmonds scored was a goal by Dallas’ Brad Richards. Breaking out on a 4-on-2 attack, Jamie Benn and Alex Goligoski set up Richards’ slap shot from the right circle. Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick saw the shot coming and initially stopped it, but the puck trickled through his legs and across the line. Add that goal to the list that Quick wants back.

The third period found Greene giving the Kings the go-ahead goal, notching his second of the season. Simmonds found himself battling in the corner of the Dallas zone before giving a clean cross-ice pass to Greene, who fired from outside the faceoff circle. Greene’s shot beat Lehtonen’s stick side but was initially wide. Unfortunately for Dallas, the puck deflected off the skate of Goligoski who had just cleared Kyle Clifford from in-front of the goal.

Brown would add the empty-netter in the closing seconds of the game after evading two Dallas defenders.

An odd note to the game, this was the first time in Kings history where neither team was given a power-play opportunity.

This 3-1 victory puts the Kings only two points away from clinching a playoff spot in the still tight, Western Conference. The game may also have been a death-blow to the Stars chances of making the playoffs. Dallas only has five games left in the season and currently needs five points to catch eighth-place Chicago.

The Los Angeles Kings will now hit the road to visit the San Jose Sharks on Monday.
Chris Van Deusen
NHLHS Los Angeles Kings Correspondent
Twitter – @TheCrazyWhls

Gaining another two points and avoiding a trap game were the main concerns of the Los Angeles Kings as they faced the Colorado Avalanche. Now the Kings are concerned with how they will cope without Anze Kopitar. Missing a minimum of six weeks, Kopitar is now sidelined with a broken ankle. Kings training staff reported that Kopitar will undergo an MRI on Monday to find out the full extent of the damage done.

After being lightly checked by Ryan O’Byrne, Kopitar fell backwards and appeared to badly twist his leg. Kopitar lay on the ice for several moments before being helped off the ice by Michal Handzus and Dustin Penner. Initial reports from the locker room were that he suffered a lower-body injury. The news would end up being far worse.

While many panic and start to feel like the Kings are destined for an early exit during the playoffs, that isn’t the case. The Kings are no strangers to the injury “bug” and went through several stretches without key players like Drew Doughty, Willie Mitchell, and Alexei Ponikarovsky. They are currently also missing Justin Williams who suffered a dislocated shoulder during Monday’s game against Calgary. While Kopitar is seen as a critical part of the team, he is not the only part of the team’s success. Credit can be given to Dean Lombardi in the sense that he has built the team around a core of players rather than just one superstar. If there was ever a time, now is the time for the Kings to show the NHL what they can do. Now is the time for the team to step up and succeed in Kopitar’s absence.

“He’s our best player. We’ve got to find a way, either way. Injuries happen during the year,” said Captain Dustin Brown. “You don’t want to have your best player go down, but if that’s the case, we need to shoulder the responsibility collectively and find a way. No other team is going to feel sorry for us.”

While Milan Hejduk put Colorado on the board shortly after Kopitar’s injury, the Kings came out in the third period focused on gaining those two points and answering whether or not they could do so without Kopitar.

Ryan Smyth answered first by re-establishing the Kings’ two-goal lead by scoring with a wraparound 1:36 into the third period. This gave Smyth his second goal in 25 games and follows a noticeable improvement in his play.

Another King to step up is Trevor Lewis. Oddly enough it was Smyth who set up Lewis to extend their lead to 4-1. Lewis scored on a two-on-one attack with Smyth following a bad Colorado turnover. Both Smyth and Lewis snapped their scoreless streak and were two of the three stars of the game. Jonathan Quick was the third star, giving another great performance and making 20 saves.

Ryan Smyth said it best. “Not one guy can replace a guy like Kopitar,” Smyth said. “Everybody has to collectively come together and regroup. Everybody has got to fill a good role and it’s all about opportunity.”

The Kings will get their next opportunity on Tuesday when they travel to Edmonton. The Kings may have been dealt a severe blow, but they are far from out.
Chris Van Deusen
NHL Hot Stove Los Angeles Kings Correspondent
Twitter: @TheCrazyWhls

Defensemen Willie Mitchell has agreed to a 2 year deal worth 3.5 million per season with the Los Angeles Kings.  Mitchell is a 9 year veteran who played with Vancouver last season.  He  missed  34 games and all of the post season with a serious concussion.

After many medical tests, the Kings got a clean bill of health for Mitchell.

They have added a physical blue liner who will be a perfect partner for Jack Johnson and will help with the loss of Matt Greene.  Mitchell was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the 8th round in 1996.  He played only 18 games with the Devils and was traded to the Minnesota Wild at the 2001 trade deadline.  With the Wild Mitchell flourished and established himself as a solid stay-at-home defenseman.  He was dealt to the Dallas Stars at the ‘06 trade deadline and then signed with the Vancouver Canucks that off-season.  In his career the 33 year old Mitchell has played 586 games, and has 121 points and over 600 Pim’s.  Mitchell brings to the Kings a solid veteran who will add a physical presence and be a vocal leader in a young locker room.  He is one of the top shut-down blue liners in the league.  On the website vancouver24hrs.ca Mitchell was quoted as saying about coming to Los Angeles, “Nothing easy about making that decision, that’s for sure.  I felt like they’re really interested in what I can bring to their team and they’re really excited about having me down there. I felt it’s just the right situation for me.”

Mitchell was asked about joining the King’s young blue line. “They have really good young defensemen there, I like their mix,” he said. “They have a lot of good things going on down there as an organization, to be honest, I really felt they were really genuinely excited to have me down there.”

Here is the Kings blue line now:

Doughty/Scuderi
Johnson/Mitchell
Fransson/Greene (upon return)
Reserves

Davis Drewiske
Peter Harrold
Thomas Hickey
Viatcheslav Voynov
Colten Teubert

People forget about Fransson, but he might be one of the most important signings the Kings made this off season.  Acquired at the trade deadline 2 years ago from Dallas, Fransson just missed making the Olympic team for Sweden,  He has been a solid player in the Swedish Elite League putting up 27 points and was a +14.  So now the Kings have the best blue line in the division and maybe, one of the best in the league.

Mike Murangi
NHL Hot Stove
Los Angeles Kings Reporter

Last year that player seemed to be Alex Tanguay a player coming off injury but who has showed the league that he could play in his role.  This season, that free agent happens to be former Minnesota Wild and Vancouver Canucks defenseman Willie Mitchell.

So why has this bruising defenseman not been scooped up with the rest of the stay-at-home defenders?

His skill level, experience and grit added to any blue line could rival that of Anton Volchenkov or Zbynek Michalek when healthy; which seems to be the key phrase.

Last season, while with the Canucks the 33-year-old missed a total of 34 games and the entire post-season after sustaining a concussion at the hands of league superstar Evgeni Malkin.  The Russian forward clearly threw him into the boards from behind and could have ended this veteran’s career.  In fact, before teams received a clean bill of healthy from Mitchell’s camp there was speculation he would in fact retire.

So now Mitchell has made it very clear to teams he would like to play, giving us four leading candidates: San Jose Sharks, Washington Capitals, Los Angeles Kings and his hometown team the Vancouver Canucks.

San Jose makes sense as the Sharks actively tried to acquire a stay-at-home defender in Niklas Hjalmarsson earlier this offseason.  With Rob Blake departing from the team they could use a bit of help on the back end; something tells me that giving Jay Leach more playing time will not help their cause.

Los Angeles recently lost a similarly bruising defenseman in Matt Greene and expect to miss him for an extended amount of time.  A short-term contract at a reasonable rate would add depth to their blue line while adding depth for an extended playoff run.  If the Kings plan on using rookie Jonathan Bernier or the young Jonathan Quick, they need to keep their defenseman in the crease and extremely protective– a position Mitchell thrives in.

The Washington Capitals recently had a very good meeting with Mitchell according to Katie Carrera of The Washington Post.  While he fits a need as Shaone Morrisonn recently signed on with the Buffalo Sabres, the decision remains up to Mitchell whether he would prefer a tour of the East Coast.  To date he has always played a Western style of hockey and despite being drafted by the New Jersey Devils he only played 18 games for the big club.

Which leaves our final contestant, the Vancouver Canucks.  Someone should tell the team they already hold nine NHL defenders on their roster but they seem poised to do little else but acquire defenders and defensive forwards during the offseason.  A few days ago Yankee Canuck of Nucks Misconduct asked whether you would prefer Kevin Bieksa or a returning Mitchell.  The results rendered a whopping 76 percent perferring the team to trade away Bieksa and sign on a player who is less replaceable.

Since the team already holds so many defenseman, the Canucks would need to make a move to sign Mitchell which is perhaps why he is still so far away from signing a contract.  The status of their captain Roberto Luongo also appears to be up in the are as well, which leads to added complications should the team need to re-sign him or strip him of his captaincy.

One thing is for sure, whoever gets his services will receive one nasty son-of-a-bitch.

As 2010-11 NHL season approaches, it’s time to examine the Canucks on-ice leadership.
Their current captain, Roberto Luongo, has held that responsibility for the last two seasons. He was named captain after the team let Markus Naslund go after leading the Canucks for eight seasons. Naslund left as the Canucks all-time goal (346) and point (756) leader and also left some big skates to fill.

When Luongo was handed the captaincy of the Canucks, he became the first goalie since Bill Durnan (1947–48) and only the sixth in league history to be selected as captain of his team. Interestingly, during Durnan’s first season as captain he left the crease to argue calls so many times that opposing teams complained it was giving the Canadiens extra timeouts. The following season, the NHL adopted a new rule prohibiting goaltenders from being captains.

The move by GM Mike Gillis and the Canucks at the time was quite surprising to fans and players alike. Why would you name someone captain that couldn’t wear the “C” on his jersey and discuss calls with officials during the game? Obviously this was a gesture to their star player to show how important he was to the team.

While most agreed that Luongo was very important to the success of the team, there were several other strong candidates. Interestingly enough, the three players that would be named alternate captains, Mattias Ohlund, Willie Mitchell, and Ryan Kesler were at the top of the list for most Canucks fans.

Let’s take a look at the other candidates at that time:

Mattias Ohlund –The senior member of the team, with Naslund’s departure, was the leader of the defensive corps. He was also a fan favorite who was known for his thunderous body checks. In his role as assistant captain, he would be charged with handling ceremonial face-offs.

Willie Mitchell – The stay-at-home defenseman had become a solid addition to the Canucks defense and his toughness and leadership on the ice was appreciated by fans and teammates alike.  He was also a BC boy born in nearby Port McNeill.

Ryan Kesler – Was the defensive specialist that had the responsibility of checking the opposing team’s top forward lines. He had just come off his best offensive season as a Canuck with 21 goals and 37 points. His speed and ability to get under the skin of his opponents endeared him to the Vancouver faithful.

But enough about what could’ve been, let’s look at what could be.

With the start of training camp just around the corner, it’s time for the Canucks to reconsider who should be wearing the “C”. It’s time to close the books on the Luongo experiment. Goalies are under the most pressure of any player on the ice, why would anyone want to add to that?

So here are some candidates to take over the reigns as the Canucks captain:

Ryan Kesler – He has continued to elevate his game every year and last season made the transition from top checking center to scoring center, anchoring the Canucks 2^nd line. Possibly a good choice two years ago, he’s a definite leader on the ice and in the locker room and even showcased his skills during the 2010 Olympics nearly leading Team USA to a gold medal victory over Team Canada and teammate Robert Luongo. He was also one of three considered captain material a couple of seasons ago.

Henrik Sedin – Last years MVP and leading scorer proved himself as he kept the team in the playoff race early in the season. What’s more impressive is he did all of that in the first year of a contract extension, a time when many players coast through the season. Sedin has continued to improve every year since coming to Vancouver. Along with his impressive regular season, he also had a strong playoff showing with a career high 14 points.  He has seniority and longevity on his side along with the respect of his teammates. He wasn’t on the radar two years ago, but changes in player personnel and his incredible 2009-10 season really brought him to the forefront.

Other outside possibilities include:

• Mikael Samuelsson – Set career bests in scoring during the regular season and play-offs in his first year with the Canucks, he surely learned something about leadership playing with Nicklas Lidstrom in Detroit.
• Dan Hamhuis – New to the team, but has played behind some strong leaders during his time in Nashville. He’s also a BC native and passed up several other more lucrative contract offers to sign with the Canucks. He wanted to play in Vancouver.
• Willie Mitchell – Huge question marks remain about his health and of course he’d have to re-sign with the Canucks, but he was considered many to the be the front runner before the team anointed Luongo as captain two seasons ago.

Now it’s your turn. Who do you think should be the Canucks captain and why?

I-5 Canucks – Will & Valerie Wittstruck
NHLHS Vancouver Canucks Correspondents
I-5Canucks@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @Hipcheck44 and @WCE71944

As we have arrive upon Day 14 of the NHL Free Agent period, we step aside from one name that remains to be the culprit to the lack of activity from around the league.

Instead, we will break down the list of the remaining free agents that we feel can provide a team with an adequate player to help fill out their roster heading into next season.

Goaltenders:

Marty Turco: Age: 34 GP: 53 Record: 22-20-11 GAA: 2.72 SV%: .913
The problem with Turco seems to be money. This could very well turn into a case along the lines of Martin Biron from last seasons UFA period. The Philadelphia Flyers were said to have offered $6 million over 3 years but Turco turned that down.  Are you scratching your head the same way I am right now?

Jose Theodore: Age: 33 GP: 47 Record: 30-7-7 GAA: 2.81 SV%: .911
Many feel that Theodore was a product of the Washington Capitals powerful offense last year.  With a 2.81 goals against average, that is hard to argue however, his .911 save percentage leaves one to think otherwise.  It is a worthy debate but Theodore would make a fine #1a goaltender for a team who have confidence in their current starting netminder but wouldn’t mind adding some security. Nashville, Philadelphia and San Jose could all be teams who could possibly reach out to Theo’s camp and inquire about what they are looking for in a contract.

Defensemen:

Lukas Krajicek: Age: 27 GP: 50 Points: 3 (1g, 2a)
At 27, Krajicek can still be a solid addition to a team who are desperately in need for a d-man. Struggled much of the season last year and lack of playing time, Krajicek was brought in by the Philadelphia Flyers and showed that he still can play at the NHL level.  If no offers come for Krajicek, this could be a KHL or Euro league signing before the summer is out.

Aaron Ward: Age: 37 GP: 77 Points: 13 (1g, 12a)
After splitting the season with the Hurricanes and Ducks, Ward was left to roam the free agent realm this off-season and, like many of the names you will read through here, has had his name come up – well, not much at all.  At 37 it could be that time that we see Ward call it a career.

Dennis Grebeshkov: Age: 26 GP: 51 Points: 21 (7g, 14a)
Unable to find his game with the Predators after being acquired from Edmonton, Grebeshkov was told to find work elsewhere this off-season. If he feels he is worth $3 million a season, his playing time in the NHL will have likely come to an end but if Grebeshkov is considering to take a pay cut, there are likely a few teams willing to take a chance on the offensive defenseman.

Willie Mitchell: Age: 31 GP: 48 Points: 12 (4g, 8a)
Do not let points be a matter of how to judge Mitchell.  He is a physical, shutdown d-man who has been hampered by injuries.  When healthy, a very serviceable blueliner who can hit like a truck.  Once medically cleared, which should come this week, expect Mitchell to find a home before the summer comes to an end.

Andy Sutton: Age: 35 GP: 72 Points: 13 (5g, 8a)
Like Mitchell, offense is not Suttons strong point but at 35 he is still one of the more recognizable d-men in the league. Do not let age fool you here as Sutton would be a perfect third pairing player to a potential playoff team. I’d expect Sutton to sign, like Mitchell, and find a home prior to the end of the summer.

Paul Mara: Age: 30 GP: 42 Points: 8 (8a)
Unfortunately for Mara, and the Canadiens, injuries took control of his season. Unsure of what the future holds for Mara, it will be interesting to see how the rest of the summer plays out after the “one we do not speak of” is signed and the dominoes fall.

Forwards:

Paul Kariya: Age: 35 GP: 75 Points: 43 (18g, 25a)
A decent season with the Blues, but it is obvious that at 35 Kariya’s game is starting to drop off. Still a valuable asset for a teams top six forward units means that Kariya is another name stranded in UFA limbo while other teams attempt to figure out cap issues and whatever other situations they are currently involved in. Yes, you can expect Kariya to sign and if Teemu Selanne makes it official that he will return to the Ducks next season I would expect Anaheim to make a push for his services.

Bill Guerin: Age: 39 GP: 78 Points: 45 (21g, 24a)
After scoring 21 goals last year it is obvious that Guerin can still perform even at 39 years old. It seems, like many, his asking price may be a bit too high for the liking of the Pittsburgh Penguins or any other team that has contacted the Guerin camp. What remains to be decided is if he will return to Pittsburgh, take a chance with the New York Rangers, or will another team offer up a decent salary on a one year deal to hope Guerin can provide a playoff push.

Alexei Ponikarovsky: Age: 30 GP: 77 Points: 50 (21g, 29a)
‘Poni had a difficult time adapting to life in Pittsburgh, and after a dismal playoff performance skated his way right out of the city. Although unlikely, if I had it my way I would re-unite Ponikarovsky with Antropov in Atlanta.  However, Rick Dudley likely views things on a much different level compared to the way I see it.

Lee Stempniak: Age: 27 GP: 80 Points: 48 (28g, 20a)
Stempniak finished the year with a bang, scoring 18 points in 18 games with the Coyotes. However, in seven playoff games was unable to find his offensive touch.  The fear with Stempniak amongst GMs is the question of which player they will obtain. Stempniak has score 25 goals or more twice in his short career in the NHL.  His first year as a pro and this year that just ended. The years in between have been ones he would likely want to forget. The New York Islanders have been rumored to be interested in his services.

Alexander Frolov: Age: 28 GP: 81 Points: 51 (19g, 52a)
Former two time 30 goal scorers who come off a not so productive season should not require a salary above $3 million. However, reports surfaced stating that Frolov is looking for a contract in the ranger of $4m – $5m. With that price tag, it’s more likely to be KHL or bust. Lower your demands Alex and a team will come calling.

John Madden: Age: 37 GP: 79 Points: 32 (10g, 13a)
Reports have surfaced liking Madden to the Pittsburgh Penguins.  Fresh off another Stanley Cup victory, he can still play the third line center role almost to perfection.  With Jordan Staal likely slated to move up to second line center in Pittsburgh, it is likely just a matter of time before the Penguins ink Madden at this point.

Darcy Tucker: Age: 35 GP: 71 Points: 24 (10g, 14a)
Tucker played a good veteran role with the Avs last year, and although his point and penalty minute production have dropped through the years, he can still provide a solid energy or grinding role to a team looking to add to their roster.  Unlikely he’ll bring anything more leaves us to wonder which team would take a chance on signing him.  Likely a one year deal for a team looking to fill some roster holes on their pro squad.

Mike Modano: Age: 40 GP: 59 Points: 30 (14g, 16a)
Detroit or Minnesota Mikey? What’s it going to be?  At 40 years old, Modano can still skate within the league and could be a solid power play addition to any team. Though his options are limited, unless he personally decides to retire, expect an announcement on his signing in the near future.

Pavol Demitra: Age: 35 GP: 28 Points: 16 (3g, 13a)
Demitra was hampered by injuries all last season but not enough to hurt the offensive output of the Vancouver Canucks. With the success the Canucks had without Demitra in the line up, they felt offering him a contract would be better for another team to do. Linked to the New York Rangers, if he’s healthy, would be a solid addition along side Marian Gaborik and Vinny Prospal.

Maxim Afinogenov: Age: 30 GP: 82 Points: 61 (24g, 37a)
Finally erasing the downfall of his career that began in his last two seasons with the Sabres, Afinogenov notched 61 points with Atlanta this season that just ended. A solid addition to any team looking for an offensive boost.  Is there fear of Afinogenov bolting the NHL? At this point only he knows the answer to that. Many of the Atlanta faithful hoped he would return for at least one more year after the seasons he had, but at this point that remains highly unlikely.

Honorable Mentions:

Steve Begin, Miroslav Satan, Marek Svatos, Raffi Torres, Aaron Asham, Ruslan Fedotenko, Eric Belanger

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

Vancouver Canucks by I-5 Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks will look to redeem themselves as they get a rematch with the Chicago Blackhawks, the team that sent them home early in last years playoffs. But much has changed since last season. For one, the Canucks have a lot more offensive firepower than they did last season.  Led by Mikael Samuelsson’s 7 goals in the first round (he had 5 in each of the previous playoff runs with Detroit) and Hart Trophy candidate Henrik Sedin the Canucks haven’t had many nights where they were held off the scoreboard. Add that to the fact they have now won 13 games when behind after 2 periods and no lead is safe against the boys in blue this season.

The penalty kill is still a concern for the Canucks after being brutal in the first round series against the Los Angeles Kings. On the bright side, it greatly improved as the series wore on and was one of the keys to beating the Kings in the series.  While the Kings scored at will on the power play, the Canucks were clearly the better team at 5-on-5. They will need more of that against Chicago in this round. The Canucks defensive coverage was also suspect on more than one occasion. Without Willie Mitchell (concussion) the Canucks will have to rely on Andrew Alberts to step up to handle the forwards of the Blackhawks. In last year’s playoffs the Hawks physical play frustrated the Canucks at times, but the two main agitators for Chicago have been riding the pine so far as they try to ice a more skilled team. The Canucks are one of the best teams in the league when they are hitting and if they can play with that intensity and stay out of the penalty box, it’ll go a long way towards winning the series.

Another key for the Canucks is the second line of Ryan Kesler, Mayson Raymond, and Alex Burrows. If they can find their scoring touch again, that’ll give the Canucks 3 lines that can score and will make it tougher for the Blackhawks to matchup defensively. The Canucks will also need to continue to get contributions from the 3rd line, as they did against Los Angeles, to be successful. That line, led by Kyle Wellwood and Steve Bernier had some great shifts for the Canucks in the last series and really helped key the comeback in the series.

And last but not least is Roberto Luongo. Roberto may be the one player on the Canucks roster most anticipating a rematch. The Blackhawks were very physical with him and managed to get into his head on their way to a victory in last year’s series. While it’s widely acknowledged that he hasn’t stolen a game for the Canucks this season, he was more like himself in games 5 and 6 of the L.A. series – robbing Ryan Smyth on a sure goal in the late stages. If ever there was a time for Bobby Lu to wake up out of his funk, this is it.

It should be another fan-tastic series!

Chicago Blackhawks by Ryan Hackett

The Chicago Blackhawks definitely have the advantage at the blue line. While Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith have combined for an even plus/minus this year against the Canucks, if they play the way they are capable, Vancouver’s top lines could have a difficult time finding the score sheet.  Playoff hockey brings an increased emphasis on special teams, and the Canucks converted at a 15% clip against the Hawks this season. Chicago’s penalty kill is rolling right now holding Nashville to 1 goal in 27 chances, but this will be a much more physical series, and the team who stays away from dumb retaliation penalties will have a decided advantage.  The Hawks should also look to feast on Vancouver’s penalty kill which has been schizophrenic of late.

Troy Brouwer leads the Blackhawks with two goals against Vancouver this season, and facing the weaker 2^nd and 3^rd defensive pairings of Vancouver could have him licking his chops.  Dustin Byfuglien got inside Roberto Luongo’s head last year and took him completely off his game.   After spending the first round manning the point for the Hawks, Byfuglien has been moved back to the wing and Luongo’s already been cautioned against embellishing goaltender interference to elicit penalty calls.  The Patrick Show (starring Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp) netted five goals on Luongo last post-season, and those three stirring up that insecurity again it could make things miserable for the Canucks’ netminder.

Even though Roberto Luongo can get rattled, the Canucks’ potent offense features six 25 goal scorers and can pick up the slack at times down the stretch.  The Blackhawks cannot take any shifts off if they have a late lead.  Antti Niemi has looked sharp in recording a pair of no-no’s en route to winning his first playoff series, but has yet to feel the heat of the playoffs.  He shook off the flukey goal in game one and he’ll have to continue to demonstrate that kind of maturity to take the Blackhawks deep.