Am I motivated?  No.  Have I been motivated lately?  Not really.  Motivation is a fickle creature that can have some serious implications when it rears its ugly head.  I had a hard time last night, even getting motivated to go to a friends Halloween party.  Was I motivated enough to go?  Barely.  Was I motivated enough to wear a costume?  Nope.  Was I okay with it?  Yup.  Were my buddies okay with it?  Yup.  So that is where the motivation problem becomes contagious. 

Is motivation the problem in Boston?  Is motivation the problem in every Stanley Cup Hangover?  In all seriousness, it must be hard for the winning team to move on while the Cup is still in the building.  The Bruins need to forget about last season, forget about all the public appearances they were doing at the start of this season with the Cup, and simply get motivated once again.  That is where the value of a Mark Recchi was evident.  Maybe the Bruins need a veteran leader right now, that can look at the problem objectively and try to right the sinking ship.  The main key players that the Bruins lost last season were Recchi and Ryder.  Was Ryder the positive influence on the young players on the Bruins?  I can definitively say no.  Recchi provided some much needed leadership and dedication that the Bruins seem to be lacking right now.  Peter Chiarelli needs to do something quickly, before the Bruins get themselves into a hole so deep, that trying to climb out of it provides them with a defeatist type of attitude.  What are Chiarelli's options?  The Bruins have the cap room and they have the resources to go and find that veteran leader that they are sorely lacking.  Does it mean going out and getting a player like Recchi?  Yes it does.  Does it mean going out and getting a player that may have played with Recchi and had won the Cup with him?  Maybe that is where the value in a player like Ray Whitney lies.  Consistent scoring, veteran leadership, and someone who has been in the game long enough and can be relied on to help augment the current leadership group in the Bruins dressing room.  That's right augment...because after all, it still is Chara's team

This is an occurence we have seen all season long, and this issue has been around in smatterings for the last few years.  Shanny is coming in and trying to repair the damage that his predecessor caused.  The players just aren't getting it, and it makes perfect sense.  Let me use an analogy here.  Lets pretend there is a school that has a principal close to retirement.  When there is a little dustup on the schoolyard, the principal is content with phoning the kids parents (GM and coaches) and bringing the students into his office for a meeting.  The principal then scolds the students involved, and in severe cases, tells the student that he is going to have to spend a couple of days at home.  The word starts to get around that this principal really doesn't care, he's going to be retiring anyways.  Eventually, that person retires and a new principal takes over.  This new principal is younger and new to the job.  Maybe this new principal worked under the old principal as a vice principal, and maybe the whole time he was taking notes on how he would have handled the different situations.  Once the new principal takes over, he sends a letter home to all the kids parents and advises them of his expectations.  Now, it is his time and his chance to clean up the issues that he had spent the last period of time seeing handled improperly.  So he comes out hitting hard, suspending students that were getting away with their little dustups for the last couple of years.  Now the students are looking at each other and thinking, wow, that was a suspension?  The new principal now has to change the culture of behaviour in his school, and he now has the golden opportunity to fix what he saw as being incorrect. 

Would Campbell of suspended this type of hit last season?  Maybe.  Will Shanahan suspend this type of hit?  You can rest assured he will.  It is going to take a few more consistent suspensions before this starts to right itself again, and the players start to respect each other once more.  This could be the year of the first time offender, and it is already shaping up that way.  Players that have never been in trouble with the NHL before are now finding themselves called onto the carpet, so to speak.  Something that the NHL had been lacking in the past was consistency and transparency.  With Shanahan in place, hopefully they have the correct person in charge.  Personally, I have always been a fan of Shanahan.  It takes a lot of balls to stand in front of a camera and justify his decisions to his fans and to his players.  That in itself, provides Shanahan with more respect from me.  For a long time now, I have been an advocate to the "Fire Campbell" movement.  Now that he is gone, it is now Shanny's league to enforce how he pleases.  And as it would appear, he likes to do it with consistency and transparency.  Will he do something that I will disagree with?  I can guarantee you he will.  But you have to respect what Shanahan is trying to do.  Shanny has to change the culture of behaviour that has been prevalent in the NHL for the past few seasons, and it will not be an easy job.  We are going to see many more suspensions this season, and some of them may be from players that have never had contact with the NHL discipline offices.  But it is going to happen.  And it may have to be a suspension to a player like Datsyuk or Crosby for the rest of the league to really understand how serious Shanahan is about his new job.

Hockey Fight of the Week:

Mike Brown vs Kris Newbury

Thanks for stopping by.

Hotchnuts

Western Conference Preview

1. Vancouver Canucks
2. Los Angeles Kings
3. Detroit Red Wings
4. San Jose Sharks
5. Chicago Blackhawks
6. St Louis Blues
7. Anaheim Ducks
8. Calgary Flames
9. Nashville Predators
10. Columbus Blue Jackets
11. Dallas Stars
12. Minnesota Wild
13. Phoenix Coyotes
14. Edmonton Oilers
15. Colorado Avalanche

Central Division

1. Detroit Red Wings

The majority of the forwards in Detroit are either in or approaching the prime of their career.  One thing that Detroit fans have to be happy about, is that they only lost one of their elite d-men.  With Rafalski retired, the departure of Lidstrom would have been quite the blow.  Fortunately, Lidstrom will be playing at least one more season.  With the departure of Rafalski, look for someone like Jakub Kindl or Doug Janik to see an increase in ice time and responsibility.  However, their back end still has Kronwall, Stuart, Commodore and Ericsson.  That is still not too bad.  On offense, they have a smattering of players that could legitimately be on any other teams first line.  After factoring in Zetterberg, Franzen and Datsyuk, you still have to deal with Bertuzzi, Cleary, Holmstrom, and Hudler.  Offensively, Detroit is a very talented team.  Defensively, Detroit is a very talented team.  One area that they may need some help is in the nets.  Howard put together a great season last year, racking up 37 wins, but his other numbers weren’t as impressive.  Will Joey MacDonald function well enough as a backup this year and put the types of numbers that are expected of a backup?

2. Chicago Blackhawks

Chicago bounced back remarkably after a complete overhaul of their team.  Chicago has managed to retain the core of its younger players that helped them a season earlier.  Chicago has had a steady stream of younger talent coming through their farm system, and players such as Leddy, Kruger and Smith are going to be expected to improve on last years playoffs and carry their momentum into the regular season.  Last season, Chicago had the third highest goals scored total and they are going to be close to equaling that number again this year.  Chicago is extremely deep on offense, and even after Toews, Hossa, Kane and Sharp, they have adequate secondary scoring from players such as Frolik, Bickell and Bolland.  Defensively, players such as Hjalmarsson, Keith and Seabrook are going to be the workhorses on the back end this year.  Last season, Chicago wasn’t as strong defensively as they were previously, but they are rebuilding their back end very effectively.  Adding Steve Montador and Sean O’Donnell will help them improve on their penalty kill numbers, and Leddy will see an increase in ice time as well.  Corey Crawford enters this season as the bona fide number one goalie, and Ray Emery is going to be expected to produce and win games when Crawford is given the night off.

3. St Louis Blues

The Blues are going to be one of the most improved clubs this year.  They have put together a team with young talent and some veteran leadership.  Young players such as Backes, Stewart, Oshie, Berglund and Steen are going to provide lots of scoring for the Blues this year.  The additions of Arnott and Langenbrunner will only help.  Defensively, the Blues are going to have a “youthful” core.  Younger players such as Shattenkirk and Pietrangelo are going to have to improve on last years numbers with players like Huskins and Jackman leading the way.  Defensively, the Blues allowed 234 goals against, which wasn’t that bad; but realistically, it will need to get better.  In the nets, Halak is going to be ridden pretty hard this year, and it will be up to Brian Elliot to collect some wins while Halak gets some rest.  However, if Elliot struggles again, watch for youngster Ben Bishop to get a couple looks.  St Louis is in one of the harder divisions in recent years.  While they aren’t good enough to win their division, they should win enough games to make the playoffs.

4. Nashville Predators

There is always one consistent in Nashville; Barry Trotz will get the most out of his team that he possibly can.  After 13 seasons, the Preds finally won a playoff series.  The Preds are slowly moving towards an area where they can be expected to win more than one playoff round per season.  Offensively, the Preds are going to need some work.  After scoring only 219 goals last season, they simply need more offense if a longer post season adventure is expected.  However, Nashville has always played an effective defensive game under Trotz.  That being said, bringing in players that are smart on both ends of the ice, such as Fisher, will help them a little, but not enough.  If one of your d-men finished in the top four on team scoring, chances are you are going to need more offense.  Hornqvist was expected to improve on his 51 point season, but failed to do so.  More is going to be expected offensively from Hornqvist and Colin Wilson.  Expect Wilson to show that he remains with the big club this year.  Defensively, Nashville still has Weber and Suter on their back end, and youngster Laakso is going to see some more ice this year.  Defensively, Nashville has a couple of studs on their blue line.  After Weber and Suter, there is Klein and Blum.  Lots of younger players are going to see an increase in ice time this season, but you can always trust on Trotz to get the most out of them.  In the nets, Rinne played well enough last season to earn a nomination for the Vezina.  If it wasn’t for Rinne’s play against the Canucks last season, the Preds would have been out of the playoffs much sooner.  Anders Lindback is going to emerge as a reliable back up in Nashville this year, and Predator fans should look forward to watching him play.

5. Columbus Blue Jackets

Columbus simply has to be better.  Trading for Jeff Carter was a step in the right direction, but there is still lots of work to do.  Columbus fans have to be enjoying the prospect of having a duo the likes of Carter and Nash, but Nash needed more help than just Carter.  Aside from Umberger, Vermette and Brassard, Nash didn’t have much help at all.  With the addition of Carter, Nash is going to be expected to return to career numbers once again.  Carter will help Columbus’ mediocre power play, and the offense is going to have to score more than 215 goals if they expect to make the playoffs this year.  Defensively, Klesla left a massive hole on the blue line.  Adding Wisniewski will help alleviate some of that void, but more is going to be expected from younger d-men like Methot and Clitsome.  Yup…possibly the greatest name is hockey.  In the nets, youngster Steve Mason is going to be expected to regain his Calder winning form from a couple of seasons ago.  Mason’s numbers last year were on par with his rookie season, and as a result, they simply have to improve.  His backup this year is Curtis Sanford, and if the goalies struggle in St Louis this year, it should reflect on the d-core that is playing in front of them.

Northwest Division

1. Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks spent a lot of time this off season wondering what had happened.  The Canucks walked through the regular season winning the Presidents Trophy and were the early favorites to win the Cup.  Last season, the Canucks were the top scoring team in the NHL.  As far as it pertains to their offense, it is basically the same team entering play this season.  They did not lose a top 6 forward, and the loss of Glass and Torres was countered by the acquisition of Sturm and the retention of Higgins.  Defensively, the Canucks do not have a lot of holes at all.  Mike Gillis managed to hold on to Bieksa and Salo, and hopefully for Canucks fans Hamhuis can come back just as healthy.  Watch for Keith Ballard to have a bounce back year and for Chris Tanev to start collecting more ice time and start cementing his role on the Canucks back end for a few years to come.  Offensively, this team is stacked.  Defensively, this team is solid.  One thing that the defense can do this season is score some more goals and help add to the potent offense.  In the nets, Luongo will be Luongo.  He will have his rocky sections, and he will simply be unbeatable.  When Luongo is on his game, there aren’t very many better.  Cory Schneider is a more than adequate backup, but realistically, barring an injury to Bobby Lou, he shouldn’t expect to play more than 25 games.  Vancouver is an extremely well balanced team, offensively and defensively.  They should be considered a favorite to go deep into the playoffs again this season.

2. Calgary Flames

Even after the team finished strong last season, the majority of Flames fans were calling for a massive rebuild.  If they make the playoffs this year, the rebuild will be put on hold.  If they fail to make the playoffs, watch for the fire sale on the Flames.  Last year, the Flames were handcuffed by a poor start, but they were one of the hottest teams from the Christmas break on.  When it pertains to Iginla, there are very few questions.  He will have another solid campaign, and Tanguay will have a lot to do with that.  One area that the Flames needed help last season was at the center position.  Even though Jokinen is very talented, his output varies.  Other players on the Flames that were very inconsistent were Bourque, Glencross and Hagman.  Offensively, the Flames are going to need some help.  Fortunately, they have a strong back end that should be able to put some points on the board as well.  Their d-core is anchored around Bouwmeester, Giordano and Sarich.  New addition Scott Hannan will help provide some stability, and expect Derek Smith to start seeing the ice in all aspects of the game.  With Craig Hartsburg as an associate coach, Flames fans can expect to see a different defensive product on the ice this year, but only in style.  In the nets, Kiprusoff isn’t getting any younger.  He isn’t the start stealing monster he once was, and expect Karlsson to get more starts and make the most of his opportunity.

3. Minnesota Wild

Minnesota hasn’t made the playoffs in the last three seasons, and their fans shouldn’t expect this year to be any different.  The Wild are not going to be fun to play against, and they are going to be very physical this season.  Powe was added to a lineup that already featured hitter Clutterbuck.  Scoring should come easier for the Wild this season, since they have added Heatley and Setoguchi.  The Wild were the best in one category last season, and that was the “not hitting the net” category.  The Wild were last in the league for shots on goal last season, and the additions of Heatley and Setoguchi should help them immensely in that category.  On offense, watch for draft pick Granlund to get the call this year, and he will quickly make an impact if he is given the chance.  Defensively, the departure of Burns will leave some work for the rest of the d-core, but if Zidlicky can build on last season, there will be some gains seen there.  However, Burns departure will still leave the Wild weak on their back end.  With that being said, Backstrom is going to be kept very busy this season, and his numbers may suffer as a result.  Josh Harding will get some work in the nets this year, but the goalie combo may not be strong enough to make up for the lackluster d-core playing in front of them.

4. Edmonton Oilers

Going forward, Edmonton has a very talented, fast and young team.  Edmonton has been banking and collecting high draft picks for the last few seasons, and RNH should make the team at some point this season.  The Oilers have a good mix of veteran talent and younger players, with the younger players being more dangerous.  Oilers fans need to be concerned about how much losing the younger players endure, and what it will do to their psyche.  The Oilers are going to have to improve this year, and one area that they should improve first is offense.  The Oilers scored the lowest amount of goals in the conference last season, and they are going to have to improve on that or else it will just be another season without any gains.  The Oilers numbers were damaged last season by key injuries to Hall, Hemsky and Whitney.  If they can come back and contribute a full healthy season, those numbers will right themselves.  Losing Whitney hurt the Oilers defensively, and hopefully he can bounce back and have a productive year.  However, not much should be expected from the Oilers d-core this year, with skaters such as Smid, Peckham, Gilbert, Sutton and Barker rounding out the top 6.  In the nets, Dubnyk should be expecting to get more starts than last year, especially if Khabibulin fails to bounce back from last season.  The Oilers are going to have to score lots of goals to be successful this season, as they won’t be getting much help from their back end.

5. Colorado Avalanche

Just like Edmonton, Colorado has some tremendously talented young players in their system.  However, the Avalanche only have a couple key players signed long term; Statsny and Varlamov.  The Avalanche have quite a few players up for RFA after this season, and they should do their best to make sure they retain players like Duchene, O’Reilly and Mueller.  Mueller had a rough year last season, missing the entire year with a concussion.  If Mueller can make a full return, he will only help the Avs offensive numbers, along with Statsny, McClement and Duchene.  Statsny will also need to have a bounce back year, as his point total dropped 22 last season.  Bringing in Kobasew will help the offensive output in Colorado this season, providing he can stay healthy.  Defensively, there were none worse than the Avs last season.  The Avs allowed a league worst 288 goals against last season, and that number will have to improve.  Bringing in Erik Johnson will help, but more will be needed.  Signing Jan Hejda will help, but it will not be enough.  The Avs will have the worst d-core in the Western Conference this season, if not the league.  Young defencemen prospects Barrie and Elliot will get their share of ice time this season, and they will not disappoint.  In the nets, it is a matter of whether or not Giguere can stay healthy, and how long it will take Varlamov to realize he isn’t playing behind the Caps anymore.  In acquiring Varlamov from the Caps, Colorado sent their first round draft pick over.  By the looks of things this year, that could very well be a lottery pick for the Capitals.  Both goalies will be kept very busy this season.Thanks for stopping by.  Any and all feedback is appreciated.

Pacific Division

1. Los Angeles Kings

Year by year, the Kings have been getting much better.  Los Angeles is nicely set up for a nice long playoff run this season.  Bringing in Mike Richards cost them Wayne Simmonds and Brayden Schenn, but Richards acquisition will pay dividends for them this season.  With Richards, the Kings are fairly deep at the Center along with Kopitar and Stoll.  Watch for Dustin Brown and Justin Williams to have career years.  As well, if Simon Gagne can remain healthy, the Kings are extremely talented offensive team.  On their back end, the signing of Doughty will be one of the smartest moves that Lombardi has made.  Defensively, the Kings are very deep, seeing as how the team was built from the back forward.  Jack Johnson, Rob Scuderi, Willie Mitchell and Matt Greene round out the d-core, making it one of the more solid defensive cores in the Western Conference.  In the nets, there are a couple of Jonathons for opposing skaters to deal with.  Which one will see the majority of the starts?  Bernier or Quick?  Quick is going to be the go to goalie this season, with Bernier being more than capable to pick up some starts so that Quick can get some rest.

2. San Jose Sharks

San Jose tries year after year to shake the post season monkey off of their back.  After tremendous regular seasons, they have failed to make it all the way to the finals.  However, during the off season the Sharks dealt Heatley and Setoguchi to the Wild.  However, in return, the Sharks received the very talented Burns and the very frustrating Havlat.  Acquiring Burns will only add to the depth of the d-core in San Jose, and Havlat should be able to provide some extra punch to the Sharks offense.  Heatley’s numbers have been slipping every year, and I feel that his lackluster performance in the playoffs this past spring may have helped seal his fate.  As Pavelski continues to improve, he will slowly start to usurp Thornton in ice time.  Burns will help offensively, as will the addition of Handzus.  That being said, the Sharks are going to need more secondary scoring from their 3^rd and 4^th lines this season.  Defensively, the Sharks have remained a very solid and consistent unit.  They have an adequate collection of veterans mixed with youngsters that should help them decrease the number of goals against this season.  Boasting a top two of Boyle and Burns, the Sharks have a formidable d-core.  In the nets, Thomas Griess will be getting more starts this season, and he is a more than capable backup for Niemi.  Expect Griess and Niemi to share the time in the net until one of them starts to run away with it.

3. Anaheim Ducks

Aside from Ryan, Perry and Getzlaf, do the Sharks really have much more offense?  With Selanne coming back for another year, more is going to be expected from Blake.  Blake produced only 32 points last season, and he is going to have to improve.  Aside from Blake, Koivu and Selanne, the Ducks are a not that old.  They have some young talent such as Macenauer, McMillan and Gordon.  McMillan is going to be relied upon to improve on his 21 point season, and he can expect to earn more ice time this season.  The older players on the Ducks will provide some secondary scoring, and now is the time for the younger players to make their mark.  Defensively, the Ducks are fairly solid in their own end.  Visnovsky was the the top scoring d-man in the league last year, and he will contribute nicely to the teams offense again this season.  Cam Fowler is going to have to work hard and shake off his sophomore slump, and he shouldn’t have any problems doing that this year.  One area that the Ducks are going to have to improve is in their penalty kill.  The Ducks were in the bottom half of the league last season, and they are going to have to improve in that area, especially within their division.  If Hiller can come back at 100% this season, expect him to have a career year.  When healthy, Hiller is one of the better goalies in the game.  Dan Ellis will be relied upon to take the odd start away from Hiller for rest, but Anaheim fans should expect Hiller to earn multiple starts this season.

4. Dallas Stars

The times, they are a changing in Dallas.  The club is up for sale, and once that issue is resolved, the team can move forward.  Losing Richards during the off season had many Stars fans shaking their head; why wouldn’t he have been moved when the team could have gained something from it?  Dallas still has a solid core of players, but now they are missing that one big name player that can play in both areas.  Strides were made last year in Dallas, with many players making the most of their opportunities.  Jamie Benn pumped in 56 points in 69 games, and Stars fans should expect him to surpass that number this season.  Eriksson is turning into the player that the Stars need, and Morrow will continue to contribute year after year.  The pickup of Ryder will help with secondary scoring, but Stars fans shouldn’t expect more than 20 goals from him this season.  Defensively, the Stars are fairly solid and physical on their back end.  Picking up Pardy and Souray will nicely compliment Daley, Goligoski, Fistric, Grossman and Robidas.  Defensively, the Stars are very solid.  In their nets, Lehtonen is slowly turning into the type of player that Atlanta thought they were getting when they drafted him.  Lehtonen started 68 games last season, and won 34 of them.  As a backup, Raycroft will be an acceptable option, but Stars fans shouldn’t expect better than .500 numbers from him.  The Stars back end is solid, but their Achilles heel this season may be their offense, or lack of secondary scoring.

5. Phoenix Coyotes

This year, the Coyotes said goodbye to their number one goaltender, Bryzgalov.  That hole is going to be up to Mike Smith to fill.  Can he do it?  Only time will tell.  Offensively, Doan will be at the top of team scoring again, and no one should be surprised with that.  Have the Coyotes learned from their last two rounds in the playoffs?  Honestly, the Coyotes overachieved last year and we handled by the Red Wings.  This year, I do not see the Coyotes making the post season.  The Coyotes did not make the moves necessary to ensure another trip to the post season.  One thing that may help the Coyotes this season, is the fact that they may not be done making moves.  With Doan leading the team in scoring, fans should take solace in the fact that the majority of their forwards scored at least 30 points.  Phoenix has some quality veteran leadership, but now is the time for their younger players to pick up the slack and add more to the scoring punch.  Defensively, Keith Yandle had a career year last season.  The Coyotes have a veteran rich d-core with players such as Aucoin, Morris and Klesla.  There will be room this season for younger skaters to have a chance to see the ice and make their mark.  Will Mike Smith be able to put up Vezina worthy numbers?  That is a resounding no.  Mike Smith is a goalie that is too good to be a regular backup, but also not good enough to start every game.  Smith is going to really have to turn it on this year if Phoenix is expecting to do anything.  When Smith starts to struggle, LaBarbera will be there to spell him off and take some starts.

Thanks for stopping by, and all feedback is appreciated.

Eastern Conference

Final Standings:

1. Washington Capitals
2. Pittsburgh Penguins
3. Buffalo Sabres
4. Boston Bruins
5. Philadelphia Flyers
6. New York Rangers
7. Tampa Bay Lightning
8. Carolina Hurricanes
9. Montreal Canadiens
10. New Jersey Devils
11. Toronto Maple Leafs
12. Florida Panthers
13. Winnipeg Jets
14. New York Islanders
15. Ottawa Senators 

Atlantic Division:

1.     Pittsburgh Penguins

One question that has been beat into our heads and has remained unanswered this offseason is how long will Crosby be out?  Pens fans shouldn’t really be that concerned in looking for an answer to that question.  The Pens played the last 41 games of the season without Crosby, and still managed a 4^thplace finish in the conference.  It would be smart to allow Crosby to take his time and make sure that when he returns to the game, he will be 100%.  Ray Shero made a smart move in the off season, bringing in C Steve Sullivan.  Sullivan should be good for about 45 points on the season.  As well, if Malkin can come back healthy, the Penguins are going to be one of the strongest teams in the Eastern Conference.  Backup goalie Brent Johnson will not be a liability when he has the chance to give Fleury a rest.  The Pens also stacked up a couple of key players on their back end, adding Martin and Michalek.  Pittsburgh could be frightfully good on their back end this season.  However, one question that may haunt the Penguins this year is depth.  In the event of a couple key injuries, do the Pens have enough scoring to carry them through?  That is where the late season trade for James Neal comes in.  6 points in 20 games isn’t going to cut it, especially after scoring 39 in 59 games for Dallas.  Neal is a good young player, and he will be the player to watch for the Pens this season.

2.     Philadelphia Flyers

Ever since the departure of Hextall, the Flyers haven’t had a solid number one goaltender.  The net has been a constant carousel of goalies, each trying to earn the job full time.  Names such as Cechmanek, Snow, Vanbiesbrouk, Boucher, Emery, Hackett, Froese, Soderstrom…I could go on forever.  However, this year, as well as every other year, the Flyers believe that they have found their guy.  Bryzgalov will be a consistent performer for the Flyers this season, but we will see how he can deal with the legendary Flyer fan animosity if he starts a string of bad games.  We’ll see how he deals with getting his first trailer hitch thrown at him.  Fans in Philly are a little more “passionate” than the average fan in Phoenix.  Philly had to move some important stock in order to land Bryzgalov, and that involved moving key players such as Carter and Richards.  That is going to be a lot of points that will need to be spread out amongst the rest of the team.  Players such as Giroux, Van Riemsdyk and Simmonds are going to be leaned on heavily this season.  However, the addition of Jagr will help them out, but one shouldn’t expect record setting numbers from Jagr.  Voracek will be a helpful addition as well, and even though the Flyers lost 2 of their top 4 scorers, they won’t feel the pinch.  Their back end is as solid as ever, with grey bushes Pronger and Timonen leading the show; that is, if Pronger can remain healthy.  The Flyers have one of the better D-Cores in the Eastern Conference this season, and with no major changes, more will be expected.  Were the GAA last year indicative of average goaltending or because of inconsistency on the back end?  This year will tell us.

3.     New York Rangers

The Rangers are well on their way of developing their younger players and moving forward.  The addition of Brad Richards will help the Rangers see that they are not blowing as many third period leads this season.  More responsibility is being placed on the Rangers younger players, and forwards such as Dubinsky and Callahan are going to asked to shoulder the majority of the workload this season.  Gaborik is always consistent, but that is only when he is healthy.  Gaborik missed 20 games last season, but this season he will need to be much better.  Support from Stepan and Boyle will help the Rangers take the next step, but they are still a fairly young team.  On their back end, players such as Staal, Girardi and McDonagh will be playing together for a few more years yet, and they will continue to improve as the season develops.  If only Del Zotto can shake off a forgettable sophomore year, he will emerge and help round out one of the best top 4’s in the East.  How are the Rangers going to be in the nets this year?  One word…Lundqvist.  Quite simply, one of the best in the game and he can carry this team through many games this season, just like he has in the past.  With Biron as a backup, he is capable of playing huge minutes in relief of Hank, but honestly, can anyone see him taking a stretch of games off?  Henrik played over 4000 minutes last season, and was just shy of the numbers that would qualify a Vezina nomination.  The player to watch this season on the Rangers will be newcomer Mats Zuccarello.  Zuccarello will be seeing more ice time this season, and lets see what kind of numbers he can put up in a full NHL season.  Bottom line for the Rangers is this…getting knocked out by the Caps in the playoffs could be the best thing to happen to this young team.

4.     New Jersey Devils

Entering this season, there are 2 major questions that need to be answered; can the Devils rebound from a simply horrific start to the 2010-2011 season, and is it time for the Devils to start thinking about life without Brodeur?  There were lots of factors that could be blamed for the Devils poor start.  How much of the blame can be placed on the injuries to Parise and Brodeur?  How much can be placed on the teams lack of response to head coach John MacLean?  And finally, if Kovalchuk stumbles out of the gate once again, will the same pattern be repeated?  However, in light of all of these occurrences, the Devils still turned it around and were in playoff contention in mid March.  What the Devils accomplished in the second half was pretty remarkable, and that deserves some accolades.  However, one fact remains true; the Devils have only won 1 playoff round in the last 5 seasons.  Unlike Brodeur, Kovalchuk is going to be around for much longer.  Why Jersey would allow a player such as Parise to go to arbitration is beyond me.  Parise is one of their premier players and Lamoriello needs to ensure that he is around long term.  Hopefully the arbitration process didn’t shake Parise’s faith in the organization too dramatically.  Unlike the division rival Rangers, the Devils are an aging group and time is running out on this group to win it all together.  The Devils will need to score more than 174 goals this season, which was the lowest goal scored total in the league last season.  Elias can still be counted on to be a regular contributor, but players such as Zubrus and Zajac will have to do better than their 44 and 30 point seasons respectively.  A healthy Parise will add to the goals scored total, but at the same time, they will need to improve on a 14.4% power play goals as well, which garnered them 28^thplace in the league last season.  Aside from a solid top 2 d-men in Tallinder and Volchenkov, there isn’t much depth on their back end as they need.  Sure they only allowed 209 goals last season, but this may be the opportunity that Adam Larsson needs to crack the lineup and be a full time Devil

5.     New York Islanders

Believe it or not, things are starting to shape up on the Island.  The Islanders will be better this season, and GM Snow has slowly and quietly been putting together a solid core of young players.  Sure, drafting a player of Tavares’ talent makes it much easier to build a team, but Snow has done a fairly remarkable job.  For the Isles, the tough part of the rebuild may be completed.  Now, it is time to build on last year and show steady gains year to year.  Players such as Grabner, Moulson and Tavares may be three of the most talented young players on one team.  There, I said it.  Throw in players such as Parenteau, Nielson, Bailey and Comeau, and the future is starting to look bright on the Island.  The Isles have also quietly built up their farm system, and have drafted some prospects that could make the Islanders forwards an elite group within 5 or 6 years.  If Snow can keep this current group of forwards together, they may be reminiscent of another group of young forwards that remained together in the 80’s until Bruce McNall got involved.  And no, I am not alluding that any member of the Islanders is close to being of 99 status.  It is just a reference to an extremely talented young group.  One thing that has plagued the Isles year after year is the health of DiPietro.  However, when DiPietro does get injured (and he will), it will be up to Al Montoya to carry the bulk of the workload.  Once upon a time, there were two amazing US Born Goalie Prospects named Montoya and Dipietro.  Montoya worked hard every day and even did his evil step-brothers chores, but no matter how hard he worked, he always remained in the shadows of his charismatic and fragile step-brother.  Sounds like a fairy tale, but the whole concept of an oft-injured DiPietro is a nightmare for the majority of the Isles fans.  One thing that the fans can count on though, is that Montoya will be a more than suitable replacement for DiPietro.  Throw in the possibility of Nabakov being in the mix, and an injury to DiPietro may be the best thing to happen for the Islanders goalies.  On the back end, they were hit with numerous injuries that allowed quite a few depth players to see some ice.  For such a young team, dealing with the news that they would miss Streit for last season, was quite the blow.  If Streit can return at 100%, there is still a hodgepodge of d men back there.  Players such as Hamonic, Eaton and Mottau are going to be counted on to provide some much needed stability and security.  The Islanders are moving forward ever so slightly, but they have a number of shining stars in their future.

Northeast Division:

1. Buffalo Sabres

With a new ownership that has loosened off the purse strings, the Sabres have to be considered a legitimate threat this season.  The Sabres were the hottest team going into the playoffs this past spring, winning 16 of its final 24 games to enter the playoffs with the number 7 seed.  The Sabres were always a piece or two short of completing the puzzle, and after trading for Regehr and signing Ehrhoff long term, the Sabres have one of the strongest blue lines in the Conference.  Tyler Myers is going to be counted on to improve on last years numbers, and he will have lots of opportunity to see the ice this season.  Finally, the Sabres have an ownership that is willing to go out and spend money on players.  Last season, Stafford and Ennis made strides in becoming pivotal pieces in the future of the Sabres.  In 2010-11, only three teams in the Eastern Conference scored more goals than the Sabres, and let’s remember that they did that even while missing Derek Roy for the majority of the season.  With a healthy core group of forwards, the Sabres have a balanced and legitimate attack with skaters such as Hecht, Pominville, Boyes, Vanek and others.  In nets, Ryan Miller is capable of stealing multiple games this season.  Remember, Miller is only one season removed from a Vezina winning campaign.  Jhonas Enroth will get a chance to start some games, but not very many.  With Miller starting in 65 games last year, Enroth still found time to win 9 games for Buffalo.  With Lindy Ruff at the helm again this year, this Sabres team is going to be one of the most entertaining teams to watch this season.  Count on Ruff to ensure that the Sabres do not underachieve.

2.     Boston Bruins

One can only watch in amazement when Thomas is working between the pipes.  Thomas has been oft-criticized for being an unorthodox goalie by numerous analysts, but he has done what many of them couldn’t; win a Stanley Cup and multiple Vezinas.  The Bruins managed to maintain their core group of young players, and aside from Recchi retiring and Ryder renting a U-Haul bound for Texas, the Bruins are still the same team.  With Savard regrettably on the shelf for the duration of this season, it puts a hole in the Bruins that can easily be filled.  Last season, Krejci and Bergeron filled in admirably in his absence, and Krejci will be leaned upon lots this year.  Seguin will continue to develop, and playing on this Bruins team will help him immensely.  Just remember, that head coach Claude Julien will continue to expose Seguin to different situations slowly.  There will be some questions about Horton after his concussion in the post season, but if he can come back healthy, he will be relied on to provide some additional scoring to help plug the hole left by Recchi.  Big things are going to be expected from the little sparkplug that is Brad Marchand.  Marchand was pivotal in the Bruins championship run last spring, and he will be expected to pick up where he left off.  On their back end, any d-core that is led by Chara is going to be strong and steady.  Other d-men such as McQuaid, Boychuk, Ference, Corvo and Seidenberg will round out a very strong back end.  For being the best goalie in the world right now, Thomas reminds me of someone you’d bump into in line for a beer.  Thomas posted record numbers last season, and he isn’t showing any intention of slowing down.  Rask will get the opportunity to play in plenty of games this season, and head coach Claude Julien has already stated that the Bruins are entering the season with 2 number 1 goalies.  Adam McQuaid finished a remarkable +30 last season, and with an increase in ice time possible, he will improve on last seasons numbers.

3.     Montreal Canadiens

The Habs definitely have some speed to burn up front, but it’ll take more than speed to make this a contending team.  One would have a hard time stomaching the high priced contracts handed out to the likes of Gionta, Gomez, and Cammalleri.  The Habs did not get their moneys worth from their highest paid players. The addition of Erik Cole will help with secondary scoring, but the majority of the Habs wins this season are going to come from low scoring games.  Last season, Montreal finished with 44 wins, but they only scored 216 goals.  Players such as Gomez need to score more, simply put.  Young players such as Lars Eller is ready to be the offensive contributor that Gauthier thought he was trading for when Halak was moved.  On the back end, the Habs felt the pinch when Gorges and Markov both went down with injuries.  Subban was able to step up and fill in when needed, and now that the Habs have seen what he may be capable of; the expectations will be considerably higher this year.  Montréal’s d-core should be fairly solid this year, with Weber and Yemelin chomping at the bit for more ice time.  If Montreal can make it through this season relatively injury free, they may be in the position to move some assets to help their scoring, or lack of as it will be.  In the nets, Price will be a workhorse once again.  After starting in 70 games last season, he set career numbers in GAA and SV%.  Peter Budaj will continue to be the reliable backup that he has been throughout his career, but realistically he shouldn’t be expecting to get a lot of work.

4.     Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto is developing and acquiring some talented young players.  Grabovski is coming off career highs in every important category, but will he improve again this year?  There has been a fair bit of pressure placed on youngsters Bozak and Kadri to develop and produce right away, but the emergence of MacArthur and Kulemin provided the Leafs the chance to ease off on Kadri and Bozak.  The Leafs hope that Connolly will be the center that Kessel needs, but as always, his health is an issue.  On defense, Phaneuf will be the workhorse on the blue line, with Schenn and Aulie slowly emerging as a legitimate threats.  The bottom line is that the d-core needs to be better and improve on their 251 goals allowed last season.  The acquisitions of Liles and Franson will help them on their back end, but their goals against would have been much worse if it wasn’t for the emergence of James Reimer.  Reimer is going into this season as the number one goalie for the Leafs.  After starting in 35 games last season, Reimer is going to shoulder the workload this year.  However, if he starts to slip, the Leafs will not have much of a choice but to turn to Gustavsson, who has been hampered by a heart condition the last couple of seasons.  If Gustavsson is unable to go or performs subpar, the Leafs are going to have to go to the well that is the Marlies for a call up.

5.     Ottawa Senators

As an outsider looking in, I watch in amazement and wonder how Bryan Murray has been able to keep his job.  Numerous quality coaches have been sent down the river in years past, and the next man in the breach is Paul MacLean.  MacLean will have a fairly young team to work with this year, with players such as Fisher, Kelly, Ruutu, Kovalev and Elliot gone.  After using 6 goalies (Brodeur, McElhinney, Leclaire, Elliot, Lehner, and Anderson) during the 2010-11 season, the Sens are hoping that they finally have their man in Craig Anderson.  As well, the only players that can tell people that they had a good year and keep a straight face were Karlsson and Spezza.  The Sens have a fairly young team this season, and Paul MacLean is hopefully the right man for the job.  Alfredsson needs to come back at 100% after his injury, and prove his worth to the Sens this year.  A young team will need his veteran presence in the locker room.  Young players such as Bobby Butler and Nick Foligno need to improve on last seasons numbers, and they are going to have plenty of opportunity to do just that.  Last year, the Senators allowed 250 goals against.  That is simply horrific, and the Senators only had 2 of the d-men that they used all season finish on the right side of the +/- category.  Defensemen such as Phillips (-35) and Kuba (-26) simply need to be better.  This is going to be a long season for the Sens, but if certain players continue to develop and improve on seasons past, many Senator players will reach career highs. 

Southeast Division

1.     Washington Capitals

Life is good in Washington.  They have a great team, a supportive and rabid fan base, and a couple of the most exciting players in the game today.  Regardless of regular season achievements, until the Capitals do something, they are on the same page as the Sharks; playoff pretenders.  Washington has drafted extremely well over the years, and they are going to continue to reap the benefits for quite a few years.  Players such as John Carlson (yes, I’m still upset over his amazing goal in the WJHC), Marcus Johansson and Mathieu Perrault are going to continue to develop at the NHL level.  McPhee made a couple of moves in the off season, bringing in Joel Ward and Troy Brouwer.  The Capitals will recover from a low scoring 224 goal (by their standards) season and will continue to improve defensively.  Players such as Backstrom and Semin (especially after he was criticized in the press for his unambitious play) need to increase their offensive production.  With Green missing significant time last season, Carlson emerged as a player capable of handling the minutes.  Washington further bolstered their blue line by adding Wideman and signing Hamrlik to a d-core that already had Green, Poti, Alzner, Erskine and Schultz.  With the off season moves that the Caps made in their nets, Vokoun will handle the workload nicely and should be expected to play between 50 and 60 games this year.  If Vokoun begins to struggle, Neuvirth has shown that he is more than capable of stepping in.

2.     Tampa Bay Lightning

By making it into the third round of the playoffs last season, the Lightning grew in leaps and bounds.  Key younger players such as Stamkos and Purcell had an extra long drink at the post season fountain.  Let’s remember that this was the team that came back against the Crosby-less Penguins and then sweep the Capitals last season.  Guy Boucher had his team motivated and ready for success last season and new GM Steve Yzerman put some key elements in place.  Any team that can put players of the caliber of Lecavalier, St Louis and Stamkos together has to be considered a serious threat.  Throw in some secondary scoring support from Moore, Downie, Purcell and Thompson, and the Lightning can be extremely offensive.  If Gilroy can become the type of player that Yzerman thought he was when he went after him as a free agent and if Hedman continues to develop, the Lightning can have a very strong defensive team as well.  Throw in Brewer, Kubina, Ohlund and Clark, it would appear that the Lightning are very deep in their own end.  Roloson enters the season as the number one goalie, but if he starts to show his age, look for Garon to start to take the majority of the starts away.  The Lightning have many of the pieces in place to compete in the playoffs.

3.     Carolina Hurricanes

Eric Staal is arguably one of the best centers in the league, and he is barely 27 years old.  After missing out on the post season in their last game of the season, the Hurricanes should be expected to make the cut this year.  One thing that may have hurt the Hurricanes last year was depth.  Carolina simply lacked secondary scoring that was effective enough to guarantee a post season berth.  Staal and Skinner are a very competent combination, and Skinner has developed faster than many thought he was going to.  Players such as Boychuk, Jokinen, Larose, Ponikarovsky and Sutter are going to have to pick up the slack and provide some much needed secondary scoring this season.  As well, the current group of forwards on the Hurricanes needs to be more active in their own end, and they need to be more efficient back checkers.  The d-core will be anchored by Gleason and Pitkanen, and the additions of Allen and Kaberle will help out dramatically.  Going into this season, Cam Ward will continue to eat up starts for the Canes, and Brian Boucher will be relegated to opening the gate for the majority of this season.  Boucher can expect to get about 10 starts this season, barring any injury to Ward. 

4.     Florida Panthers

Heading into this season with a new head coach in Kevin Dineen, the learning curve is going to be quick in Florida this season.  During the regular season, GM Dale Tallon was active (as usual) and was ready to make moves to improve his club.  Tallon moved the majority of the veteran talent out of town, and quickly stocked up on draft picks and young prospects.  As a result, Dineen is taking over a younger team, and essentially, a chunk of clay for him to mold.  Last season, Florida’s leading goal scorer only had 23, and the team leader for points was 49, you would think that there is a lot of room for improvement.  Players such as Santorelli and Bradley will be leaned upon to produce, and the addition of Bergenheim should help.  On the back end, it doesn’t look much better for Florida.  Kulikov, Campbell, Weaver and Jovonovski (yup…he’s still playing) on their back end, there is a lot of opportunity for Gudbranson and Ellerby to eat up some minutes.  In the nets this season, Jose Theodore may emerge as the number one tender going into this season.  His leash may be a little shorter this season, and if he starts to struggle, Kevin Dineen may give Markstrom an extra long look.  Markstrom will be the Panthers tender of the future, but they need to be careful that they don’t burn him out early in his career.

5.     Winnipeg Jets

A new home is not enough to improve the Atlanta Thrashers.  Sure, the players will get to experience a circus like atmosphere with their games, which may be a new feeling for many of them that have been in Atlanta long term.  Even though the Jets are a fairly young team, they are still a very talented team.  Offensively, the team has Ladd, Kane, Antropov, Little, and Wheeler.  Forwards such as Burmistrov, Cormier and Glass are going to be expected to contribute more offensively, while players such as Byfuglien and Enstrom will add to their offensive totals.  On the back end, Byfuglien and Enstrom will be anchoring the d-core with Bogosian and Oduya providing additional support.  However, last season the Thrashers finished 29^thin the NHL with 269 goals against.  That number is going to have to decrease dramatically before the Jets can be considered a legitimate threat for the playoffs.  The Thrashers were also 20^thin the league for goals scored, another stat that is going to have to improve before they can be taken seriously as a playoff threat.  In the nets, the combination of Pavelec and Mason will provide to be an adequate goaltending tandem, but their numbers will have to be better.

As always, these types of prognostications always come with opinions of varying degree.  Let me have it if I am right the fuck out to lunch.  

And now, your hockey fight of the week.  A great fight between Brian McGratton and Cam Janssen.  Two great competitors.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hotchnuts

And while my spelling may not always be perfect, at least it will be correct if I am putting it on my body.  Good for you Brad Marchand.  I guess that says it all about locker room tattoos.  

Right out of the gate, I would like to thank Stormin Norman for filling in for me admirably over the summer.  Norman did a fantastic job, and I am sure everyone here at the Gab appreciates, namely myself.

Now, I was planning a big return to the Gab, complete with my regular breakdowns and predictions for this upcoming season.  However, I was out of town at an outdoor education center with 2 classes for a couple of days, and toss in some visits and a lot of time spent at the hospital this weekend, and I would have been embarassed to make everyone here at the Gab read my contorted predictions of what is to come.  Next week, my entry will contain a breakdown and prediction for both the Eastern and Western Conferences.

Now this, I liked.  Nothing like Matt Cooke getting the short end of a questionable shot to the head.  Here is the way I see it.  It was a clean body check, where the head was not the principle point of contact.  Take what we want from Shanahan this preseason, but at least he has been consistent.  Rule 48 states that the head cannot be the principle point of contact.  Okay, so as long as you hit another part of the body first....

Another thing that I found interesting was the way in which Shanahan handed out his Shanabans.  For those of you that haven't seen what he is doing this year,

Sure, Abdelkader probaby sold that one a bit, but as an avid hockey fan, I can appreciate what Shanahan is doing with these suspensions.  Good luck getting Campbell to justify his decisions this clearly.  Hits to the head are getting ridiculous.  However, the number of rules that are in the NHL now are just giving little rats more places to hide.  Here's an idea...just take out rule 46.11 for a season and see how it goes.  However, I am willing to let Shanahan do his job.  He is calling it fairly, in my opinion, and is actually validating why or why not the hit deserved a suspension.  Hopefully this way, the players can understand it a little more clearly.

The new season of the Gab Hockey league is well under way.  I would like to thank Sully for all of his hard work in making sure that this year will go off without a hitch, even though he has already dealt with a big issue.  The next big issue will come in around December, and that will be when I drop all of my players and draft nothing but a  team of goalies.  With the way the divisions are laid out this year, someone other than Beezer or I will have a chance to play in the finals.  I believe the last two hockey pools have resulted in a Beezer/Hotchnuts finals, with each team going 1 win/1 loss.  This year, Beezer and I are in the same division, so that doesn't bode well for those that are looking to make it out of that division to the finals.  You are going to have to go through one of us to get there.  And after this years draft, I'm pretty sure it is going to be The Beezer with the upper hand.

I have been a hockey fan for a long, long time.  Hockey has allowed me to do things that I don't think I ever would have experienced otherwise.  I can remember coming home from school, dropping off my school books, grabbing my stick and my skates, and heading off to the outdoor rink.  That's the thing...in Thunder Bay, a city of about 110,000 people, there are approximately 50 outdoor rinks.  That is what I always enjoyed.  Getting together with some friends and playing some hockey.  Sure, you would have to shovel the ice, but that was part of the fun.  I would skate and play until they turned the lights off, and then it was time to do some homework.  Now, it is time for me to share my love of the greatest game with my 2 boys.  My oldest is going into his second year of playing, and my youngest is starting his skating lessons this year.  Next year he'll be 4 and old enough to play.  It broke my heart though, having to tell him that he can't play this year.  But, in a way, it is better this way.  Sure, he'll have a year of skating lessons before he even starts to play hockey which will help, but it also dissuades the opportunity of him having a bad experience with hockey and pushes him away.  

Well, that is all for this week.  I will be back next week with a breakdown of each division and each conference.  Thanks for stopping by.

Hotchnuts

For most people to go to cottage country, they are most likely looking at a lengthy drive, battling traffic and public campgrounds.  Sure the summer is shorter up here, but we make great use of what we get.  Just think, this is only 45 mins from my front door.  Thunder Bay has been spoiled in regards to the number of local players that make it to the NHL.  Our summers are usually filled with player sightings and taking whatever opportunity we are given to enjoy the great outdoors.  Even though the players don't maintain a solid residence here, aside from cottages, they are still residents of Thunder Bay.  At a time when most NHL players are relaxing and enjoying their downtime, our local NHL players are still extremely active in our community.  For example, there are a couple of events happening here.  NHL players have given up their time for the Easter Seals Skate for Kids.  All pledges and donations benefit Easter Seals, and participants have the opportunity to skate this year with Patrick Sharp, Jordan and Marc Staal, Trevor Letowski, Taylor and Tom Pyatt, Ryan Johnson and Alex Auld.  All you need to do is collect $50 in pledges.  Last year, the Easter Seals Skate raised $20,000 for children with disabilities.  As well, Taylor and Tom Pyatt, Ryan Johnson, Alex Auld, Patrick Sharp, Jordan and Marc Staal and Trevor Letowski will be participating in the Thunder Bay Celebrity Golf Classic with all benefits going to the Northern Cancer Fund of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Center.  It is a 4 person best ball format, with dinner and a silent auction.  You know that there is going to be an ass load of autographed NHL jerseys and sticks up for bidding.  It is very unfortunate that the majority of press that hockey players receive in the off season is negative ie Matt Barnaby.

Speaking of Barnaby, he was ordered to serve 500 hours of community service to have his charges dropped after an argument with his wife in May of this year.  If Barnaby finishes his community service hours within a year, the charges will be dropped.  However, he cannot make contact with his estranged wife and her new boyfriend during that time.  Nobody has ever said Barnaby was a smart man, but he was a man with a very short fuse.  How smart is Barnaby?  Look no further than his bout with Mitch Fritz as proof.  He is either stupid or has huge balls.

I'm going to say huge balls.  Sure, he is dumb though, but some of his antics took HUGE BALLS!!  Trying to kick in his estranged wifes garage door while his 2 kids were in the house...that is stupid as fuck and he is lucky he didn't go to jail.  Jail time would have meant he would have been deported from his Ottawa home. 

Why would anyone want to spend money on Jagr?  He still may be able to play, but he is still, in my opinion, one of the douchebaggiest players to ever play the game.  He is truly a wasted talent.  I know, I know...he has accomplished a lot.  But he could have done more.  He basically phoned in his last season in Washington, and as hockey fans, we have all seen him at his worst.  Granted, he is only 5 seasons removed from a 54 goal season, but at his age does he still have it?  He didn't exactly dominate in the KHL last season, and he basically pulled a drastic heel turn on the Penguins.  He did everything but shit on the logo in the Pittsburgh dressing room by signing with their rivals after holding talks with Pitts.  Does he really think Philly has a better chance than Pittsburgh?  Personally, I don't see it happening.  Philly has lost too much scoring this off season.  Sure, their goaltending may be better, but their younger players really need to pull up their socks this year.

I could go on and on about how much of a tool Brian Burke is.  This guy is a blowhard that hasn't met a microphone he doesn't like.  He is now claiming that he didn't win the Brad Richards sweepstakes because he wouldn't front load a contract to land him.  What a load of shit.  If Burke was serious about landing him, he would have spoke to Brad Richards personally instead of sending his bag carrier Nonis to handle negotiations.  Burke had no interest in landing Richards, and he only offered a contract to appease the leaf fans.  But that is only what I think.  Just think...he actually thought Kaberle was worth a couple of first rounders and a prospect.  I guess that is why Kaberle took a pay cut to play in Carolina.  In Toronto, he was the best d-man they had.  In Boston, he was just another cog in the wheel.  Being the best d-man on Toronto isn't really the highest compliment considering he was playing with Komisarek and Exelby. 

Dany Heatley?  Still a douche?  Check.  Have fun rotting in Minnesota.  You were traded for Havlat.  HAVLAT!  Someone that makes less money than you.  Next topic...

Well, Ryan Smyth is back where his career started; Edmonton.  Tambo in Edmonton has done a great job so far.  He has added a couple of good draft picks, and now he added some muscle into their lineup.  Tambo said bye bye to Stortini and MacIntyre and said hello to Eager and Hordichuk.  Eager is a player that will play on the edge and Hordichuk is someone that can be counted on to give their star players a little more room.  For Hordichuk, I never get tired of watching this fight; in my opinion, one of the best I have ever seen.

Thanks for stopping by.  I will talk to everyone again in a couple of weeks when I get back from Montreal.

Hotchnuts