What Is Next??
Well, well, well, it is getting a lot closer to the Stanley Cup final, which is exciting just because there will be some teams that haven't been involved for a while. The NHL couldn't have asked for anymore than this. Not a single big market team is involved, the big boys were bounced early and the this years playoffs sort of reminded me of the that other league you may have heard of, you know, the NFL: where parity is king and everyone has a chance to win. Is the NHL on the verge of becoming a league in which all fans can believe in October that there will be a chance for meaningful hockey in April? Well, time will tell, but it certainly is looking that way.
Notice the common ground between this year's final four. They were all made up of players, that for the most part, were groomed from within the organization or acquired early in their careers. They also have many smallish, skilled forwards who can skate the like wind. Players like Joffrey Lupul in Anaheim, and Eric Staal in Carolina were given big roles on their teams, especially in the playoffs and it has paid huge dividends. Daniel Briere has made a name for himself this post season in leading Buffalo to the conference final, as have players like Ales Hemsky in Edmonton.
Another interesting fact entering this post season was that these teams were able to afford to pick up the final few pieces necessary to take the next step. Edmonton, typically selling it's players at the deadline, went out and acquired Dwayne Roloson and Sergie Samsonov, a move they could never have made in the past. This is exactly the type of thing that this new CBA was supposed to do....allow the entire league to compete on the same level. Hopefully this is the first year of an exciting trend in the NHL.
Notes:
This time of year also brings with it the excitement of the NHL Entry draft and free agency. The Pittsburgh Penguins are picking 2nd overall and no one is quite sure what to expect from new General Manager Ray Shero. I personally would stand pat and wait to see what the St. Louis Blues are going to do at number 1. There is a strong belief that the Penguins covet big blue-liner Eric Johnson, and there were rumors circulating that the Penguins were trying to swap picks with St. Louis to get him. That move would surprise me at this point. If the Penguins had not changed GMs I would think it still feasible, but Mr. Shero has stated that he does not look at this draft as one with a clear cut number one pick. He sees it as one that has 5 talented kids sitting at the top and depending on a specific teams need, one may rise to the top. This could be a smoke screen to throw people off, but I don't think that he was in town long enough to assess the needs of the team to be setting himself up. Look for the Pens to do what is necessary to grab Johnson, but don't be surprised if that stay put and draft Kessel or Staal.
Will the Penguins grab a scoring winger for Sidney Crosby? I am not certain that a big name will be brought in to compliment the kid, but we can dream! They do not need to break the bank for a player, some one like Anson Carter, Mike Knuble or Fredrik Modin could fit the bill nicely. A skilled player who can finish and isn't afraid to get his nose dirty in front of the net could be just the ticket for Sid and linemate Colby Armstrong.
Notice the common ground between this year's final four. They were all made up of players, that for the most part, were groomed from within the organization or acquired early in their careers. They also have many smallish, skilled forwards who can skate the like wind. Players like Joffrey Lupul in Anaheim, and Eric Staal in Carolina were given big roles on their teams, especially in the playoffs and it has paid huge dividends. Daniel Briere has made a name for himself this post season in leading Buffalo to the conference final, as have players like Ales Hemsky in Edmonton.
Another interesting fact entering this post season was that these teams were able to afford to pick up the final few pieces necessary to take the next step. Edmonton, typically selling it's players at the deadline, went out and acquired Dwayne Roloson and Sergie Samsonov, a move they could never have made in the past. This is exactly the type of thing that this new CBA was supposed to do....allow the entire league to compete on the same level. Hopefully this is the first year of an exciting trend in the NHL.
Notes:
This time of year also brings with it the excitement of the NHL Entry draft and free agency. The Pittsburgh Penguins are picking 2nd overall and no one is quite sure what to expect from new General Manager Ray Shero. I personally would stand pat and wait to see what the St. Louis Blues are going to do at number 1. There is a strong belief that the Penguins covet big blue-liner Eric Johnson, and there were rumors circulating that the Penguins were trying to swap picks with St. Louis to get him. That move would surprise me at this point. If the Penguins had not changed GMs I would think it still feasible, but Mr. Shero has stated that he does not look at this draft as one with a clear cut number one pick. He sees it as one that has 5 talented kids sitting at the top and depending on a specific teams need, one may rise to the top. This could be a smoke screen to throw people off, but I don't think that he was in town long enough to assess the needs of the team to be setting himself up. Look for the Pens to do what is necessary to grab Johnson, but don't be surprised if that stay put and draft Kessel or Staal.
Will the Penguins grab a scoring winger for Sidney Crosby? I am not certain that a big name will be brought in to compliment the kid, but we can dream! They do not need to break the bank for a player, some one like Anson Carter, Mike Knuble or Fredrik Modin could fit the bill nicely. A skilled player who can finish and isn't afraid to get his nose dirty in front of the net could be just the ticket for Sid and linemate Colby Armstrong.
posted by Bmetzer66 at 8:04 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home