Season Review: Minnesota Wild

Well, now that people are talking playoffs, I will be reviewing the seasons of teams as they're either eliminated from the playoffs or eliminated from playoff contention before the end of the season. Obviously, the last team reviewed will be the one that wins the Cup.

Now the fourth team to be eliminated from playoff contention: The Minnesota Wild.

Season expectations: Well before the season began, GM Doug Risebrough was fired, coach Jacques Lemaire resigned, and fragile superstar Marian Gaborik decided to take a pay increase by playing with the NY Rangers. Despite the shake up though the team did figure to have a good nucleus of forwards, not to mention two of the stronger goaltenders in the league, so to expect them to reach the playoffs was not unfathomable.

My prediction: I predicted they would have finished second in the division and fifth in the Western Conference.

The truth: The team was statistically eliminated from playoff contention as of Friday.

What went wrong?: You mean besides watching Gaborik break 80 points and maintain a positive plus/minus rating on an underachieving Rangers team?

A lot of the same things that went wrong for the teams that preceded them.

Injuries kept Pierre-Marc Bouchard out for all but one game this season. Very seldom can a team lose a top-six forward without replacing him and expect the results to be favorable. Brent Burns suffered through injuries this season as well and watched himself have a second consecutive campaign where he didn't quite live up to his first overall draft label. Both Niklas Backstrom and Josh Harding had issues that kept them out from playing and it's gotten so bad for Harding that it looks like he'll be out for the remainder of the season to address concerns with his hip. Best summarized, when Martin Havlat looks to be one of your healthiest forwards, you know injuries are a concern!

Another factor in their less-than-stellar season had to do with the coaching change. That's not to say Todd Richards is a bad coach but rather to say that the team went almost overnight from being a defense-first style of team to an open-attack style of team. Sure guys like Mikko Koivu, Antti Miettinen, Andrew Brunette, and Marek Zidlicky had great campaigns but at the end of the day, the only players with a positive plus/minus rating on the team are guys who weren't on the squad for a full season. Cam Barker leads with +7 but how much of that was due to playing for the Chicago Blackhawks prior to being traded?

Finally, the defense was solid, yet slightly underwhelming and should probably adopt a more "stay-at-home" presence for next season. Not to discredit guys like Greg Zanon and their efforts, but the blueline was just as guilty as their offensive group was in not doing enough to prevent the pucks from going in. Yes, great goaltending is key and the forwards have to score, but you can't neglect that area of ice in between. Luckily, Brent Burns will be healthy, Cam Barker will be a full-time member next season, and the defense will have another year with a new coach, so I expect them to rebound sooner than later.

So what's next?: While the golf clubs will be coming out early this season, these are another one of those teams that should only be a player or two away from returning to respectability in a conference where teams are either inconsistent or just downright bad. If Richards and new GM Chuck Fletcher can start planning for the next season immediately after this one begins, the results for next year should be worlds different.

Season Review: Toronto Maple Leafs

Well, now that people are talking playoffs, I will be reviewing the seasons of teams as they're either eliminated from the playoffs or eliminated from playoff contention before the end of the season. Obviously, the last team reviewed will be the one that wins the Cup.

Now the third team to be eliminated from playoff contention: The Toronto Maple Leafs.

Season expectations: The team was expected to be challenged because this was the first full season under the command of GM Brian Burke. There were rumors abound saying that there were going to be trades (most of them involving Tomas Kaberle). There was inconsistency with the scoring forwards, the defense was raw, and the goaltending hinged between injury and inexperience. Frankly, only a Toronto-obsessed optimist would have picked these guys to go into the playoffs.

My prediction: I figured they were going to be fourth in the division and tenth in the conference. In retrospect, I think I thought too highly of them.

The truth: They're the first team from the Eastern Conference to be eliminated from playoff contention. To be fair, if the Eastern Conference were better as a whole, these guys would have been eliminated a long time ago.

What went wrong?: You mean besides Jeff Finger being signed to a contract with a $3.5M annual cap hit for the next two seasons?

Simply stated, Murphy's Law. Should I elaborate? How about this: Everything that could have gone down during a rebuild year did, but that doesn't mean all's wrong, either.

Injuries were a significant issue for the team this season. Mikhail Grabovski missed 25 games with a broken wrist and you know he had to have played hurt through part of that. There wasn't much to work with in terms of Toronto scoring so it hurt when he was gone. Mike Komisarek scored a great deal in the off-season but ended up being hurt for most of the season, which is unfortunate because he hits everything that moves. Vesa Toskala's injuries (okay, and inconsistent play... we'll get to that later) made him expendable to the Anaheim Ducks for J.S. Giguere. Oh, and remember Mike Van Ryn? Yeah, he didn't play the entire season and would have given the blueline some points they lost when Pavel Kubina went to the Atlanta Thrashers.

However, the guys in the locker room knew it was a rebuild year and when that happens, it's difficult as hell to win. Vesa Toskala wasn't the goaltender the Leafs expected him to be and as a result, Jonas Gustavsson was thrust into battle perhaps a few times to often (though in retrospect, this should only help him become a better goaltender for next season.) Yet Alexei Ponikarovsky and Niklas Hagman performed admirably for the team, and those guys were traded to prepare for Toronto's future (okay, Hagman was moved to get Dion Phaneuf and that's ultimately good for the team... we'll get to that later.) And even if you were the new guy, it doesn't mean that you were going to be excellent during the season; with Phaneuf and Giguere having solid yet unspectacular half-seasons in a new sweater. In the end, until there's a season where e-v-e-r-y-o-n-e in the locker room can have beers together for 82 games or damn close to it, it's hard to get the right chemistry among players.

The oddest part is that this team is run and coached by the two men who brought a Silver Medal to the U.S.A. for the 2010 Olympics when many figured it would belong to either Sweden or Russia. You see what Lee Stempniak is doing for the Phoenix Coyotes now that he's out of Toronto and you're just like "The... hell?!" You see the infamous bag skate that took place and the subsequent losing streak that took place and think "Dude... What?" But yeah, these guys went to the Olympics and did well in an effort to show Toronto fans... patience.

So what's next?: The future and the truth is that isn't not too shabby.

If the team can properly fortify this current group during the off-season, then the team will have a legitimate blend of youth and experience to restore them back to respectability. Up front, the team will have to re-sign Nikolai Kulemin, who's having a breakout season, but with a core of Kessel, Grabovski, Tyler Bozak, and Luca Caputi, the team has a solid group of young and talented scoring forwards. The bottom-six sas John Mitchell, Fredrik Sjostrom and Colton Orr for next season and are good guys to have committed to those roles. I think Rickard Wallin, Wayne Primeau, and Christian Hanson should be re-signed and they can round it out accordingly with either a good signing or a prospect.

The defense and goaltending on this team is what looks the most promising. The team still has Phaneuf, Komisarek, Luke Schenn, Francois Beauchemin, and Carl Gunnarsson on their blue line for next season. Though it may seem redundant with Komisarek's presence, I'd like to see Garnet Exelby agree to less money to remain a Maple Leaf. The team could go with Finger as the seventh d-man, but I have a strong feeling his contract will be "banished" to either Europe or the American Hockey League (trust me, the Maple Leafs can afford it.) The goaltending is all set, and once goaltending coach Francois Allaire has his hands on Giguere for an entire season season, then not only will Giguere better rhythm but Gustavsson will have the mentor he needs to take the next step forward in his development.

I figure these guys will improve sooner than later and a really great off-season will have the Leafs back to the playoffs faster than most people figure. For now though, the guys on the ice need to prepare for next season while the guys behind the bench and in the office figure out the best plans and tools for the next season.

This Just In....

The Phoenix Coyotes get 100 points and clinch their first playoff spot in 8 seasons...

... that is all, and it sure beats the last time I made a special bulletin for the Coyotes!

That is all!

Season Review: Columbus Blue Jackets

Well, now that people are talking playoffs, I will be reviewing the seasons of teams as they're either eliminated from the playoffs or eliminated from playoff contention before the end of the season. Obviously, the last team reviewed will be the one that wins the Cup.

Now the second team to be eliminated from playoff contention: The Columbus Blue Jackets.

Season expectations: The team was coming off of their first playoff appearance in franchise history. The team had a strong emerging goaltender, their star forward finally having the right complements, and a coaching system they could believe in. Sure the Central Division was tough but holy hell these guys were able to be better than both the St. Louis Blues and the Nashville Predators last season and with Detroit having injuries out of the gate, these guys could challenge for one of the best spots in the division and probably at least a playoff spot... right?

My prediction: I figured the Blue Jackets would have finished third in their division and 7th in the Western Conference.

The truth: The Blue Jackets were officially eliminated from playoff contention this evening as a result of the Detroit Red Wings' victory over the Minnesota Wild. They were the second team eliminated from playoff contention in both the conference and the league.

What went wrong?: You mean besides their month of December, when they went 2-9-5?

While injuries were a problem for the Blue Jackets, all signs indicate that Ken Hitchcock lost the room with his style of coaching. This especially held true once prized prospect Nikita Filatov decided to spend the season in Russia because he and Hitchcock couldn't get along. Once it became apparent that the team wasn't going to respond to his game plans any longer, the team designated assistant coach Claude Noel to be their interim head coach. The team responded fairly well under him, at least playing at a .500 level of respectability or better, but injuries and inconsistent play from the young guys proved to be too much to overcome once the December death spiral occurred.

Another factor in the collapse of their season was the "sophomore slump" experienced by both Steve Mason and Derrick Brassard. In Mason's case, he went from winning the Calder Trophy last season for Best Rookie to having a save percentage that's sub .900 and a goals against average that's above 3. In Brassard's case, he's had a respectable season with putting up 33 points in 71 games, but he put up 25 points in 31 games for the team last season, and watched his plus/minus drop from +12 to -16. Sure, playing on a subpar team has that effect, but when it gets to double digits, the player has to assume some responsibility.

While the team's top-six did admirably (five of them got over 46 points over the season with Antoine Vermette and Nash earning 60 points or better), their defense was not entirely up to task. While Anton Stralman and Kris Russell had excellent seasons for the team, both of them shouldn't have been the two that pushed to lead the defense in scoring, largely because of their inexperience. No one else aside from Fedor Tyutin was capable to providing any defensive scoring for the team. Considering how crucial that is for success, that's definitely something that contributed to their downfall.

So what's next?: The team will get a lottery pick for one of the top three at this point. I don't think they're too far removed from heading back into the post-season for next year, though, and think they could look at the situation for Los Angeles and take inspiration from it. If they can find a way to have the same score-by-committee mindset with attention to defensive detail, then a better season from Mason could put them back into a respectable place.

Season Review: Edmonton Oilers

Well, now that people are talking playoffs, I will be reviewing the seasons of teams as they're either eliminated from the playoffs or eliminated from playoff contention before the end of the season. Obviously, the last team reviewed will be the one that wins the Cup.

Now the first team to be eliminated from playoff contention: The Edmonton Oilers.

Season expectations: After making the Stanley Cup Finals in 2006, the Oilers have failed to qualify for the post-season for every season thereafter. Former coach Craig MacTavish was fired and former G.M. Kevin Lowe, whose embarrassingly terrible skills as a G.M. had a lot to do with the current situation for the Oilers, was somehow promoted, yes... promoted, to a senior position while Steve Tambellini took over as the G.M. Pat Quinn was brought in to coach the squad after being inactive as a head coach in the NHL since... well, the last time the Oilers appeared in the playoffs. While the team didn't make a plethora of moves in the off-season, they did land goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin to go and take over as the starting goaltender for the team.

My prediction: I figured the Oilers would have finished fourth in their division and 12th in the Western Conference.

The truth: Unless a pandemic causes teams seeded 8-14 to forfeit the season, the Oilers will finish in the basement of the conference.

What went wrong?: You mean besides... well, everything?

A plethora of injuries and no proper action to correct it.

First Nikolai Khabibulin goes out with a "sore back" that eventually requires surgery (but doesn't stop his ability to get hammered, as he is currently facing charges in Scottsdale, AZ for extreme DUI.) This catapults Jeff Deslauriers from being the third goaltender last season to being the starter. He had some brilliant nights, but as the injuries became an issue, he couldn't keep the team up to task. Now, since then, both Manny Legace and Michael Leighton were very much available on waivers, but the team didn't make any moves and now have given rookie goaltender Devan Dubynk the honor or appearing in nine games without a solitary win.

Not even a week later, first-line forward Ales Hemsky goes down with a shoulder injury that required season ending surgery. With all due respect to Dustin Penner (who after seasons of scrutiny became something of a go-to guy on the team once injuries took place), Hemsky is the most talented forward on that squad and with no proper top-six forward to be traded for, left the team to lean on players who just don't have that kinda scoring potential. Patrick O'Sullivan would be an excellent option if he didn't have an absolutely nauseating -32 at the time that I write this.

On the blue line, the team was going to rely on shipping Sheldon Souray out to a contending team in the southwest in exchange for some players and prospects... until Souray broke his hand in a fight. This left the team to ship out Lubomir Visnovsky to the Anaheim Ducks for Ryan Whitney but didn't do much else to fortify the group other than to make a move for the future in acquiring Aaron Johnson at the deadline for Steve Staios. Come to think of it, the ineffectiveness of both Staios and Denis Grebeshkov is essentially what made them expendable for futures.

With the team having 8 injured players, 5 of which on IR, you'd think the team would have done something sooner. Nevertheless, in hockey-mad Canada, teams can tank for a season under the guise of "rebuilding", which is exactly what it seems like the team did this season.

So what's next?: The good news, if any, is that they're very much in the sweepstakes for Tyler Seguin and Taylor Hall come draft day. One of those players will very much likely be an impact player for the NHL team that drafts him (see: John Tavares, Victor Hedman, and Matt Duschene.) However, the team's got a lot of RFA's to strike deals with (or let walk) and considering that most of them will be asking for raises, they're not likely to have cap room without letting a few players go (though, this could change if the Oilers look to have Khabibulin's contract voided due to his legal issues in Arizona.) It'll be interesting to see if they can have the same type of turnaround the Colorado Avalanche did, but methinks it's going to take another season or two before they're back to being competitive.

Nature Or Nurture? A Look At Black Hockey Players In The NHL

In honor of Black History Month, I'd like to write an article on something that's been an interesting observation of mine for sometime and ask the question of whether or not it's nature or nurture.

Now, dedicated hockey fans know that Willie O'Ree was the first black hockey player to reach the NHL. What people may not realize is that after O'Ree's 43 game appearance with the Bruins, there wouldn't be another black hockey player for almost 15 years, when the expansion Washington Capitals thrust Mike Marson (and Bill Riley to a far, far lesser degree) into the league hoping that his success in the juniors would carry over into the NHL (it didn't, but it never does for players who are rushed into the league by the teams that draft them.) And while Grant Fuhr became the first black hockey superstar during his time with the Edmonton Oilers in the 1980's, it wouldn't be until the mid-1990's that the teams in the league began to seriously consider the advantages that black hockey players could bring to their team.

This brings us to where we're at today.

How many black goaltenders are currently playing in the NHL? One. Ray Emery, who spent last season in the Russian Kontinental Hockey League, returned after to the league after signing a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Flyers. Had Kevin Weekes not retired this season, there'd be two.

How many black defensemen are currently playing in the NHL? Not many. Bryce Salvador has established himself as a solid stay-at-home defender with the New Jersey Devils while Trevor Daley is starting to stand out on the Dallas Stars roster as a mobile defenseman who can be relied upon in key situations. However, outside of those two players there aren't any notable black NHL defenders. The best prospect on the horizon is P.K. Subban, a Montreal Canadiens prospect who's currently playing for the Hamilton Bulldogs for the American Hockey League.

So what about forwards? How many black centers are currently in the NHL? None. There are no black centers in the league. That's kinda unbelievable but it's true. At lower levels that's probably not the case but it is as far as the NHL goes.

So how many black wingers are currently in the NHL? More than a few. In fact, not only are black players starting to line up as wingers in the NHL, but most of them are doing a damn fine job for what's being asked of them. From grinders and energy players to franchise players, NHL rosters are filling themselves out with talented black athletes at wing who're helping transform their teams into winning organizations that fans want to support.

Sure you have your old-school enforcers who are nearing the end of their careers (Don Brashear of the New York Rangers is skating into the twilight of his career while George Laraque was suspended from the Canadiens for, well, not enforcing), but you also have a plethora of black wingers who are adept to being solid role players for their teams. Both Mike Grier (Buffalo Sabres) and Jamal Meyers (Calgary Flames) have established solid reputations as hard-hitting defensive wingers while Nigel Dawes (Calgary Flames) and Joel Ward (Nashville Predators) are establishing themselves as forwards who can provide complementary scoring. While they may not be household names, they still provide their teams with the ingredients necessary to remain competitive.

Unlike the days of the past where black forwards were limited to being role players, they are now starting to become dynamic game-changers who provide top-line talent to their team. Jarome Iginla (Calgary Flames) is by far the most successful black player currently in the NHL, becoming synonymous with the Flames as their franchise player. Dustin Byfuglien (Chicago Blackhawks) transformed himself from a depth defenseman into a bruising power forward with the size (and scoring ability) all teams crave for that position. Kyle Okposo (New York Islanders) is giving the fans on Long Island something to look forward to as he continues to take positive strides in his development. And in Atlanta, the Thrashers are putting Evander Kane into battle as a diligent and emerging power forward who has yet to realize his potential. These are the players who can be marketed to attract new fans to the game and hopefully give youths who are interested in hockey something to strive for.

So who's my favorite? That would be Wayne Simmonds (Los Angeles Kings). While his first season in the NHL saw him put up respectable numbers on a rebuilding team, he's blown the lid off of everyone's expectations this season. In 54 games this season, Simmonds has recorded 35 points and a team-best +19 rating to go along with 85 PIM, which goes to show how well rounded Simmonds is at all aspects of his game. He may have been tabbed to be on a depth line at the start of this season, but his level of play catapulted him into a top-six forward role once injuries occurred. Unless he starts to fail massively, he'll be a fixture in the NHL for a long time as a scoring two-way forward with fighting upside!

With all that said, why are black players so well represented at the wing position but so poorly represented elsewhere on the depth chart? Is it nature or nurture? In the argument of goaltenders, one might be inclined to say "nurture" when you consider the economic disadvantages blacks have historically had in the western hemisphere. But what can be said about the lack of black players at the defense position? Equipment is just as affordable (or as expensive) for defensemen as it is for forwards, so why the disparity? It's even more mindboggling when you consider that out of all of the black NHL forwards, none of them play center! Could there be something genetically different with black players that affects their ability to win faceoffs? Or do those players have a certain level of speed, size, vision, ability, or any combination of the above that make them more effective on wing than they would be on center?

I don't have an answer. I'd just like to hear what you think about it.

Mid-season Observations or something like that.

Man, this blog's as consistent as Peter Mueller's scoring as of late (sorry duder; will be rooting for you tomorrow at the Sharks game.) Now that the season is little more than half-completed it's time for some interesting mid-season observations:

Biggest Surprise: The Phoenix Coyotes

You can call me a homer all you want but it's absolutely the truth. Yes, both the Colorado Avalanche and the Los Angeles Kings had terrific starts, but both have started to cool and have settled back into third in their respective divisions. I guarantee you none of them had as difficult of an off-season that the Coyotes had. And yet with no solid owner, corporate support, and a shoe-string budget, these guys managed to find the components they needed (coaching included) to win or at least force the game into overtime, something that the most recent incarnations of the Coyotes lacked. Blame the system, blame the goaltending, blame the solidarity. Whatever it is, I hope they keep it up!

Biggest Disappointment: Don Waddell is still the General Manager for the Atlanta Thrashers

You can say what you want to say about the dismal performance of the Carolina Hurricanes after making a "Cinderella"-style run into the playoffs (see: St. Louis Blues) but Atlanta hockey fans have been patient for too long as they are now watching with fear that their franchise winger, Ilya Kovalchuk, may be wearing another sweater come next season. There's always been an enormous amount of potential with all the players who've played on the Thrashers but it always ends up in a mediocre result. Is it the coaching, is it the players, or is it the one constant of Atlanta's team since their inception? With their ownership situation in flux it looks like the only option for hockey fans in Atlanta is to sit through it. They're damned if they go to the games, and they're damned if they don't go because then the team will relocate due to poor performance (which will undoubtedly give someone ammunition that hockey can't succeed in the south.)

Biggest Stunner: The Detroit Red Wings

When was the last time the Red Wings were out of the top-8 playoff spots? If you said 20 years ago during the 1989-1990 season, you'd get a gold star! Yet as I write this they're currently ninth overall in the Western Conference. You can say that it was the free agents who left, but I say it was the injuries that decimated the team (even if Hossa signed, he wouldn't have been ready at the start of the season so the Wings could be just as screwed with him as they were without him.) Nevertheless, players heal, Babcock's hair's still sweet, and Jim Howard is taking the necessary steps forward in his development to start looking like a legitimate NHL goaltender. I think they'll pull the Anaheim Ducks of last season and sneak into the party come April.

Best Forward: Hendrik Sedin

When his brother Daniel got injured, a lot of detractors took issue with the fact that he never played without his brother before and would, therefore, be an unproven commodity. The result? He's already amassed 20 goals on the season while putting up an NHL best 62 points. Considering that he's still on the favorable side of the plus/minus rating on a somewhat-underachieving Vancouver Canucks team, that should speak volumes about what he's been providing to his club. He's made Alexandre Burrows into a star and now that his brother's back, the Canucks are going to have a top line that's absolutely dangerous.

Best Defenseman: Mike Green

How this guy wasn't named to the Canadian Olympic team is entirely beyond me. There aren't too many defensemen who've been able to generate a point-per-game level of production, but Green does just that and then some. He's gotten far better at playing in his own zone; making the transformation from a power-play specialist to a potential Norris Trophy contender. I don't think you'll be seeing him fighting as much, but when you're scoring as much as he does, you're hurting your team worse than the opposition by doing so.

Best Goaltender: Ryan Miller

Now, this was a hard decision for me to make because both Martin Brodeur and Ilya Bryzgalov have been goaltenders to watch. But Miller's been dominant on a Buffalo Sabres squad that many people (myself included) figured to be a spoiler squad. Yet as I write this, the Sabres are the best in their division, and Miller's high-level of goaltending is the largest reason for their success. Miller's transformed from a decent starting option on a strong team to a franchise goaltender who can carry the team when times are tough.

Best Rookie: Tyler Myers

In all the noise that's being made over John Tavares, Matt Duchene, Jim Howard, and Simeyon Varlamov, not to many people are talking about what Myers is doing for his team. As Buffalo's first round choice in last year's draft, he's put up 26 points in his inaugural season as a defenseman while displaying a strong presence in the defensive zone, something most offensive-minded d-men don't do so well when they're first in the league (see: Mike Green and Keith Yandle). Add the fact that he's a strong skater and 6'7", he's got the speed and size teams crave for a blueliner. All this from a guy who's still 19 years old. Kudos to Buffalo for making this selection when they did; it looks like they've got a top-level defender for many seasons to come.

Best Guy You've Never Heard Of (Until Now): Zenon Konopka

Now, everyone knows I love the tough guys around here. But what does it say when a guy can be as adept at fighting as he is at being a sound faceoff specialist and team leader? It says "Hey, if Rick Tocchet's my coach, I can get an NHL job by working hard every night", which is exactly what's happened in Konopka's case. He's had a few sniffs of NHL action prior to this season, but he's been largely an injury replacement until now. Now, he might not scare anyone offensively at the major league level, but he's a proven scorer in the minors and was able to transition his fighting game from the minors into a successful one in the majors. If he keeps winning the fights and the faceoffs, he'll have a home in Tampa Bay for a good minute.

Oh, he's pretty damned entertaining too, especially when he has to ham it up. Check this out...