Bleacher Report - Articles by Keith Harrison

NorthWest News Cap: Nothin' But The North

Keith Harrison — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:17:17 -0400

Every couple of weeks I will chronicle what goes on in the NW division. A round up of each team and what to look forward to in the coming weeks, and what we have learned about each team this season.

After only one or two games, this week will be very light, but we did learn some things about what to expect this year...

*The teams will be listed in alphabetical order to prevent any favouritism.

1. Calgary Flames, T-1st in Northwest 2-0-0, 4pts, 2-0-0 in last 10

The Calgary Flames have played 60 minutes of great hockey and 60 minutes of Mikka Kiprusoff saving the day, and fortunately or unfortunately, these minutes were spread all over the two games. Thanks to a gaffe by Khabibulin, the Flames come out of week one with two wins.

Some offseason questions concerned the Flames scoring depth, thanks to Jay Bouwmeester's contributions and Mikka Kiprusoff, those questions have been answered so far. Iginla, Jokinen, and Langkow have all played okay, but nothing great, while David Moss, Curtis Glencross, Rene Bourque, Brandon Prust and Mark Giordano have all put up points so far. Jay Bouwmeester has played 59 minutes in the first two games, has two pts and is a +3. He won't be able to keep this pace, obviously, but he has been a huge help reducing Phaneuf's minutes and giving Sutter a viable option. Kipper has been outstanding so far, and if that continues the Flames will have a great season.

With wins against division rivals coming so far, the Flames are doing well.

2. Colorado Avalanche, T-1st in Northwest 2-0-0, 4pts, 2-0-0 in last 10

Colorado had very minimal expectations going into the season, and are already exceeding those expectations. The Avs are expected to come back down to Earth, and more than likely sooner, rather than later, but for now the wins over highly favoured teams San Jose and Vancouver are great. The divisional win over Vancouver is a great thing for the Avs, but also the Flames, Oilers and Wild.

The pickup of Craig Anderson has been a brilliant move so far, holding the fort against San Jose's potent attack and shutting out the Canucks less powerful, but still dangerous, offense. If he can play anywhere near this level for a sustained period of time, the Avs could be a dangerous team. Now, the brilliance of Wojtek Wolski and Paul Statsny will probably not continue at this pace, but if the young guns continue to impress, this will be a fun season in Denver.

3. Edmonton Oilers, T-3rd in Northwest, 0-1-0, 0pts, 0-1-0 in last 10

The Oilers are still an enigma after just one game, and no real questions have been answered. The big free agent acquisition in Khabibulin gave away at least a point to the rival Flames, and none of the young players have shown whether they will be a better team this year than last. It is still too early to say what will happen in Edmonton this season.

Khabibulin and Comrie's seasons will have a large effect on what happens with the Oil, and a playoff spot is definitely up for grabs. One game is not a trend, so Oiler fans should just relax and let the first dozen games unfold.

4. Minnesota Wild, T-3rd in Northwest, 0-1-0, 0pts, 0-1-0 in last 10

Similar to the Oilers situation, the Wild haven't played enough hockey to even begin to answer any questions. The Wild lost to the Jackets, 2-1, and that somehow managed to give 10 players a -1. Minny is a bit of a question mark this season, and honestly could finish anywhere from 5th or 6th to 13th to 14th. It will take a few more games before anything becomes remotely clear.

For the first time, the Wild have a new coach from last season, and how the team reacts to him and the new systems will be very interesting.

5. Vancouver Canucks, 5th in Northwest, 0-2-0, 0pts, 0-2-0 in last 10

The Canucks are expected to battle the Flames for the Northwest Division crown, and Luongo is expected to start for Canada at the Olympics. If the first two games are anything to go by, neither of those things have a hope of coming true. Luongo gave up some soft goals and the Canucks couldn't recover in time in a 5-3 loss to Calgary, and getting shut out in Colorado was a similar game. The Canucks aren't playing terrible—they played great in the second half of the game against the Flames—but they haven't figured out how to play anything close to a full game, and can't recover from a terrible start. They also need some work on the PK, and the defence is not a strength.

The offseason additions of Shirokov and Samuelsson have been good, though it seems odd that Cody Hodgson wasn't good enough to crack this roster, as a little more offense wouldn't seem misplaced. The lack of talent on the blueline was demonstrated; if the Canucks' offence wasn't cycling the puck in the corner, the blueline couldn't seem to handle the puck with any regularity.

Luongo's struggles have to end for this team to have a shot. A .857% save percentage and 3.53 GAA will not be good enough for Vancouver to succeed. That both losses were to divisional opponents is also a blow. If Calgary had won one of the two games to start the season against Vancouver last year, Calgary would've won the division. The Canucks have to turn this around, especially before the epic road trips that the team will have to go on thanks to the Vancouver Olympic Games.

Hockey Is Back: What We Can Expect Out of the Gate

Keith Harrison — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:22:15 -0400

The chase for the Stanley Cup begins today, and I am so excited that I set a timer for the games tonight three days ago. That is sick, but I came to terms with it long ago.

This season will have many bumps and WTF moments and controversies like every other, and every major hockey analyst has predicted that nothing will change from last season.

(Looking at you, TSN. You've switched Columbus for LA. That's it. Really?)

Regardless, the first month or two of the season teach us nothing. Players are still working out chemistry, everyone is (relatively) healthy but not in midseason shape, and the rookies are figuring out just how big and fast everyone is in the NHL. Until Christmas, who knows what is going to happen?

One of the teams expected to contend for the Cup will be just awful, and a few teams that no one expects anything of will be at the top of the standings.

For some reason, I'm thinking Detroit will be slow out of the gate, and I would love to see Phoenix put on a show just to prove that even when they are winning no one shows up.

A couple teams that were expected to improve will not. At all. Vancouver re-signed their big guns, and everybody expects them to be better, but they added no one. Same team, same results.

The New York Islanders landed John Tavares—and nothing will change for the next few years. Don't expect the Isles to do any better this year over last.

A few teams will be much better than last year. However, I don't think there will be any Miami Dolphins-type bottom-to-top heroics going on this year. Toronto will be much better, but Phil Kessel is a kid that scored 36 goals with an unreal playmaking center, and he will have Matt Stajan instead of Marc Savard feeding him the puck this season.

Similarly, Tampa Bay now has a good young defence to build on, with some older guys to mentor the young ones. Mattias Ohlund will be a big help, Victor Hedman will be a stud on the back end some day, and this unit will be much improved.

They won't be battling for the division and giving Pittsburgh and Philly fits though. They will be better. They are not great.

Similarly, one or two big scoring players will have a very slow start. Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, Jarome Iginla, Joe Thornton, Dany Heatley, Ryan Getzlaf—one or two of these guys will suck for the first month, and one or two of these guys might be on pace for a 300-point season after the first few weeks. These numbers will always figure themselves out.

There will also be a few guys that put up major points that are way out of the normal. Sure, one of the candidates may have a breakthrough season. Most numbers will return to Earth. I can't even come up with a candidate for this; it could be any one of the 700 NHL players out there. It is most likely going to happen though.

So hockey is here, the chase for Lord Stanley's Cup has begun, and I cannot wait for 5 pm tonight, when the puck drops on a new season.

Good luck to your favourite team, and GO FLAMES GO!

The Dion Phaneuf Hit On Okposo: The Fallout

Keith Harrison — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 02:28:50 -0400

Dion Phaneuf, in a recent preseason game against the New York Islanders, laid a body check on Islanders forward Kyle Okposo as Okposo was crossing the ice heading into the Calgary Flames end. Okposo had his head down, and Phaneuf came in from the opposite boards with the intention of hitting Okposo. There was no doubt about this.

Phaneuf, in his four seasons in Calgary, has garnered a reputation as a feared player for his open ice hits. He is paid vast amounts of money to score goals, lay big hits and move the puck up the ice.

The hit was determined legal by the referees and the league. Phaneuf did receive a two-minute roughing minor, but this stemmed from the melee afterwards and not the hit itself.

The problems here, and there are many, come from many different people and for many different reasons. Problem one is the "elbow." This was a huge, thunderous body check, and Okposo suffered a minor concussion from the hit.

Phaneuf’s shoulder hit Okposo in the chest, but instead of having Phaneuf’s arm tucked against his chest, it was "chickenwinged" out in the open. The question becomes, What did that elbow do? The referees on the ice ruled there was no elbow, and the league did not disagree.

Phaneuf was not penalized, and there have been no fines or suspensions. The elbow was there, but it was Phaneuf’s shoulder that did the damage, not his errant appendage.

Problem two is that it is the preseason. The argument is that a massive bodycheck like this makes sense from a player trying to make his way onto the team, fighting for his job, but is it necessary from a player guaranteed to be in the top four defencemen on his team already? The answer is a loaded one.

This hit was delivered by a player that was literally trained in junior by the same coach now coaching him in Calgary to deliver these hits. He has been educated for ten years on what to do with a player coming through the neutral zone with his head down.

This is the preseason, but it is no excuse to cut through the middle with your head down, especially when playing against a team such as Calgary, with two players in Regehr and Phaneuf that are infamous for delivering these kinds of hits.

That doesn’t mean that it is Okposo’s fault, because he wasn’t aware of who was on the ice, but he gets part of the blame. Players have talked about knowing when Scott Steven’s was on the ice, that a dump-and-chase was a safer play with him patrolling the blueline. When facing Calgary, that is not a bad idea.

Problem three comes from problem two, that Okposo was funnelled down the ice with a player in front of him and a forward on the backcheck behind him. He was attempting to turn and had his head down when Phaneuf crashed into him. The advocates of this problem say that Okposo had no way to defend himself, and that Phaneuf should have known that. T

his line of reasoning is false. Okposo had the choice to carry the puck into the zone, or dump and chase. He decided to attempt to carry it into the zone. In doing so, he had to cut across the ice. Okposo looked down as he was attempting to drag the puck, and Phaneuf capitalized on his opportunity. He should have dumped and chased.

Problem four is about the Code. The Code is the hockey code of honour held by the players. There is a belief that if a player targets their team’s skilled players, that player should be targeted in turn. Phaneuf creamed their player, and they wanted revenge. By the Code of course.

A nobody player trying to make a name for himself jumped the boards and attempted to attack Phaneuf. Morency was intercepted by Mark Giordano on his way to attack the Flames d-man. For this, Morency was given a game misconduct, and was suspended indefinitely by the league. The league has come down with their final ruling, and he is suspended for the rest of the preseason and the first five games of the regular season.

Phaneuf was challenged to fight repeatedly for the rest of the night, and turned those requests down. People believe that this is against the Code, and that if he is going to hit someone, he should be prepared to fight over it.

The problem here is the Code has nothing to do with this sort of situation. The Code calls for a player to fight over a dirty hit. This was a clean hit; a clean, legal hit to a player’s chest when he had his head down. Phaneuf has no call to fight after this hit.

Now if Phaneuf throws an elbow and has his knee out going into this, having to fight is more than fair. This was not a dirty hit, and so there was no call to fight over it.

As well, the players asking to fight were not Streit or whoever else passes for a skilled player on Long Island these days. These were pluggers and pugilists that play 8 minutes a game clogging the neutral zone. They are trying to make a name for themselves by fighting Phaneuf.

Getting Phaneuf of the ice for five minutes is a fair tradeoff when the counterpart is Johnny Can’tSkate. The Flames D-man would be stupid to risk breaking a fist in preseason to settle a debt that frankly doesn’t exist in the first place.

The hit was clean. It was mean, brutal, and hard, but it was clean. There was no breaking of the Code, no need for everyone to freak out and hopefully a speedy recovery for Okposo.

NHL Western Conference Predictions

Keith Harrison — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 05:30:10 -0400

The Western Conference is a muddled place this season, as the Central Division gets stronger and stronger, the Northwest was weak last season and saw some improvement and the Pacific Division is still a two-horse race. There are 11 teams that wouldn't be a surprise to see in the playoffs, and eight teams that could concievably win a round or two! The East is full of mediocre teams that will be easy pickings for wins, the West, however, has very few easy games. This is how the West will be won, this season

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The NHL's Eight Best Offseasons

Keith Harrison — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 03:30:12 -0400

This offseason came with many teams spending tons of money, and other teams going quietly about their business, making the best of their cap space. The draft, free agency, trades, and so on are all fair game, and money spent doesn't necessarily mean great offseason. As well, these are not predictions for the season. Just because a team had a good offseason doesn't mean they will have a great year; a team may have had a great draft and done a good job in free agency, and yet finish near the bottom of the standings this season. As long as the team has made good moves that will benefit their teams in the long run, they can have a great offseason.

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Sick of Optimism: Why the NHL Offseason Is Both Wonderful and Terrible

Keith Harrison — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:18:17 -0400

The NHL offseason is a place where every team is in contention. Every move is brilliant, every player is that last piece of the puzzle.

When the Calgary Flames signed 25 year old defenseman Jay Bouwmeester to a five year 33 million dollar deal, I was ecstatic. Bouwmeester was one of the most sought after free agents on the market and will be playing in his prime with the Flames, compared to guys like Marian Hossa, who will be 42 when his deal expires.

With this pickup, the Flames, in my opinion, are the team to beat in the Northwest division and will definitely compete for the Stanley Cup.

At the same time, Vancouver Canuck fans have been so unbelievably happy to have the Sedin twins under contract, and for a shorter term than 12 years. They are convinced that this means Luongo will sign an extension, and that Vancouver will win the division again, and are destined to hoist their first Stanley Cup.

In Edmonton, the blow of losing Roloson was mollified by the signing of Khabibulin, and with the continued improvement of their young guys, will have a playoff spot come April.

Here is the thing. Every team, come September, believes they will be better. They can’t be worse. Impossible. Look at the money they spent, the trades they made, the players they drafted, and the prospects that are going to make the team.

I’m sick of it. So with that in mind, I will be demonstrating why the six Canadian teams will do worse this season than they did last year. I know I will be proven wrong with many of them, but for everyone one I’m right, the optimists are wrong.

Let’s start with the team that spent the most money—the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs had the most free-agents of all 30 teams, and had some needs to fill. Specifically, a big bodied center with some skill, and a big, mean shutdown defender. A goal scoring, crash and bang winger would have been nice as well.

Montreal went out and signed some great players, spent some huge money, and failed to fill a single one of those needs. They replaced small, skilled forwards with small, skilled forwards, albeit younger versions making more money.

Cammalleri, Gomez, and Gionta are all very talented players that have proven themselves in the NHL. They will all post decent numbers and be good players, but Montreal didn’t win with those kinds of players last year, and they won’t again.

Now, they aren’t going to suck, by any means, but at the same time they aren’t going to improve either. And nothing prevents a team from moving forward better than mediocrity. With so much salary tied up in those three players, that big center they need will be very difficult to find.

Next, the loss of Mike Komisarik will be a much bigger blow than most Habs’ fans believe. The signings of Hal Gill and Jaroslav Spacek will not replace him, and Hal Gill will quickly become hated, the way he was in Toronto. He fit in great with Pittsburgh, because they reduced his minutes and used him where he would fit best.

The Canadiens will limp into the playoffs again, and again, and again, never advancing, never sucking enough to get a top five pick that would truly land them a quality star.

Toronto has made some very good moves. Very good. They will establish a great base for the team to improve. In four or five years, Toronto will be competitive. Definitely not next year, or the year after.

They will be better on the back end, but without the goals and with all that youth, it is going to be a tough year. They will lose 3-2 and 2-1 this year, instead of 5-4 and 4-3. Thankfully, it is part of a plan, and Burke isn’t pulling the wool over anyone’s eyes on that one.

Ottawa got sucker punched by Dany Heatley, and knew that without him wanting to be there, and without any GM offering to overpay for him, the return wasn’t going to be stellar. Alex Kovalev comes in, undermotivated and overpaid, as usual, and the team still gets worse. They didn’t do well last season, and with their best player not interested and potentially on his way out of town, they aren’t going to do well this year.

Edmonton had to give a 36 year old goaltender a four year contract when their 39 year old goalie left town. Since the lockout, the Bulin wall has had one good season, in a contract year. His motivation will be questioned the whole time he is an Oiler.

The new coaches and the young players give this team hope, but with Heatley’s rejection and the inability to attract free agents, this team probably won’t see any improvement this season.

Vancouver’s resigning of the Sedins saved their season, according to fans. They seem to have skated over the fact that their best defender has bolted to Tampa (sorry about the pun, couldn’t help it).

Salo is a very good player for a band-aid, but with no player on the roster or the farm ready to step into Ohlund’s role, the Canucks aren’t going anywhere. No one new to step in, and the only major signings were resignings. The hope is very misplaced on the coast.

Calgary signed the best UFA available in many people’s eyes. A blueline of Bouwmeester, Regehr, and Phaneuf is the envy of the league. However, last season was the first season in nearly 10 years that Jarome Iginla didn’t lead the Flames in goals, and the player that did, Mike Cammalleri, is gone. Bertuzzi and Aucoin aren’t around anymore either, meaning the Flames have to come up with 64 goals, 28 of them on the powerplay.

Now, a full season of Jokinen and Bouwmeester will provide some goals, but that offense has to come from somewhere. Counting on young players to step up is Calgary’s only option, as they have no cap room to speak of, and counting on young players to fill a role is never a safe bet.

I fully expect Calgary and Montreal to be the only Canadian teams to make the playoffs, though I wouldn’t be shocked if Vancouver limped in.

Only two of six Canadian teams. Unless you ask the fans of each one of those teams. Then all six, and all 24 American franchises, will be hoisting hockey’s Holy Grail come June.

Team Canada: Keith's Edition

Keith Harrison — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:49:23 -0400

This is just my take on the 2010 Canadian Olympic roster. Feel free to use the comment board to show me your 2010 lineups.

Goaltenders

Roberto Luongo: He is the best goalie in the game today. He will play the majority of the round-robin games and all the elimination rounds.

Martin Brodeur: He is the best goalie to ever play the game. He will play a game or two and be a steadying influence on Luongo, and he brings experience to the table.

Cam Ward: In a short tournament like the Olympics, a goalie that can elevate their game quickly is important. As his Conn Smythe Trophy can attest, he can raise his game when it matters most.

Goaltending should be a strength for Canada. No other team can match their depth, and their talent is All-World

Defence

Scott Neidermayer: He is an believable skater and a very smart player with and without the puck. Neidermayer will the leader of the defence for Canada.

Chris Pronger: He's big, mean, talented, and smart. Love him or hate him, Pronger is a brilliant defenceman. He and Neidermayer should be the top pair.

Jay Bouwmeester: An all-around two-way defenceman with great vision, patience, and technique, Bouwmeester will be valuable to Team Canada. He isn't going to smash his way around, but by using his body and his reach, he is a great addition to this team.

Robyn Regehr: It is hard to quantify, but he could be the best shutdown defender in the game. Regehr will quietly and efficiently do a brilliant job and occasionally throw a bone-crunching hit to keep oppositions honest.

Dion Phaneuf: Three teammates making the team is tough, let alone three defencemen, but Phaneuf's grit and offence are both top notch. Plus, with the players ahead of him, he won't be called upon to play against the top lines, freeing him up to make more rushes without sacrificing defence.

Duncan Keith: Brent Seabrook, Brent Burns, and Shea Weber are all capable and deserving, but Keith's game of good decision-making and responsible play would seem to pair up with Phaneuf's game very well. Both are big-bodied young men that will serve Team Canada well for years.

Mike Green: As the seventh defenceman, Green would be used sparingly, most specifically on the power play. The first 30-goal defenceman in years, Green's offensive talent will be welcome.

The defence will be a threat to join the rush on every pairing, and this group is responsible in its own end. While Lidstrom and Chara are both arguably the best in the world, this group should be deeper than any other, one through seven.

Center

Canada has a great problem: Far too many great centers. Those that can play the wing will probably end up there. As well, on the NHL-sized ice, size matters. Bigger players may get the call over smaller counterparts.

Joe Thornton: A big-bodied, smooth-skating center that puts up huge amounts of points without every having capable and consistent wingers, Thornton is a controversial selection to some, but he is too good of a player to leave off the team.

Vincent Lecavalier: Lecavalier is the best goal-scoring center in the NHL, and he is another big body to crash around. Plus, he is a threat every time he is on the ice.

Ryan Getzlaf: He's a young, talented center that can play: Good size, great hands, and a fast skater. Canada will be riding this center for years.

Mike Richards: The shutdown center that everyone needs, Richards can score goals just as well as he can prevent them. This Flyer will be a captain for Canada in the near future.

Center is the strongest position for Canada. As a result, some of the best centers will play wing, and some great centers, such as Marc Savard, have been left off the invite list all together. Anyone of Canada's centers can be compared to the best center on any other country's team.

Left Wing

Rick Nash: Strong, fast, and with a nose for the net, Rick Nash is a premier power forward in the league. One of the top left wingers in the game, Nash is exactly what Canada needs on the NHL-sized ice.

Sidney Crosby: Crosby's talent and vision allow him to make the switch to wing without a significant drop off in production. His offensive prowess and commitment to defence will be a huge boon to Canada, and having two natural centers on a line will allow the center on his line to cheat on faceoffs, knowing if he gets thrown out, Crosby can step in.

Dany Heatley: Heatley is capable of playing both wings and may end up on the right side in order to balance everything out. Because he plays left wing during the regular season, that is where he will be placed on the list. Despite the Edmonton/Ottawa situation, he is one of the most productive scorers today and will be needed in Vancouver.

Shane Doan: Also able to play both wings, Doan's physicality and effective approach to defence see him on a checking line that will still be dangerous offensively. He is a fast and strong forward capable of digging in the corners and making smart decisions.

Left wing will have only one natural left winger along with a center and two hybrid wingers. Despite this, Canada will still be deep and capable of creating offense one through four. None can match the genius that is Oveckin on the wing, but Team Canada's left wingers will more than hold their own on the world stage.

Right Wing

Jarome Iginla: One of the best players in the league over the past 10 years, Iginla is ultimate power forward and one of the best two-way players in the league. "Most Complete Player" is something that gets mentioned with Iginla on a regular basis, and he will be a huge part of the 2010 team.

Martin St. Louis: Despite the small ice, St. Louis is just too fast, too talented, and too hardworking to consider leaving off the team. His familiarity with Lecavalier and his nose for the net are all positives that Team Canada will want on their roster.

Jeff Carter: A natural center, his goal scoring talents and his size (6'3", 200) will hopefully allow Carter to make the transition to the wing easily, and his +23 rating demonstrates his commitment to playing in both ends of the ice.

Milan Lucic: Despite the talent that is still available in camp, Lucic brings something to the table that not many teams bring to the Olympics; he is a shift disturber that can put the puck in the net, and he is a plus player. On international ice surfaces, he would be a liability, but, on NHL ice he is a talent of a different sort and someone this team could use.

13^th Forward

Joe Sakic: Sakic might not get plenty of playing time, but his contribution won't be on the ice; it will be in the dressing room. Sakic is one of the most respected players of all time, and if he returns this season, he will be on the team.

Letters

Jarome Iginla, Sidney Crosby, and Scott Niedermayer will be the letters. Niedermayer or Iginla will be captain. Sakic may not be a letter because he may not be on the ice. His role on the team will still be a leadership role, as it doesn't take a letter to make a leader.

Roster

Crosby-Thorton-Iginla

Nash-Lecavalier-St Louis

Heatley-Getzlaf-Carter

Doan-Richards-Lucic

Sakic

Neidermayer-Pronger

Bouwmeester-Regehr

Phaneuf-Keith

Green

Luongo

Brodeur

Ward

This is my offseason team. As the season gets underway, things may change. What does your team look like; what roles do your players fit?

Calgary Flames Offseason Game Plan: Bouwmeester and Beyond

Keith Harrison — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 03:24:15 -0400

The Calgary Flames offseason started with a bang. The Flames made good, solid decisions at the draft, and made a splash acquiring the rights to Florida defenseman Jay Bouwmeester.

On Tuesday, they announced they had signed the 25-year-old Edmonton native to a five-year, $33 million deal. The annual cap hit is $6.6 million a year.

With free agency opening today, the Calgary Flames have two months until training camp, and questions abound about what the Flames face this summer.

The Flames, with the Bouwmeester signing, have an estimated $4 to $5 million in cap space. This will be eaten quickly, and the Flames have needs to fill.

Starting with free agents, the Flames have a few players they need to get under contract, and a few that will walk.

Dustin Boyd is a restricted free agent, and Darryl Sutter's history suggests a good value deal between $4.5 and $6 million over three years, a $1.5 to $2 million a year cap-hit, definitely acceptable.

The first UFA is Adam Pardy. A Group Five UFA, Pardy played great last year and deserves a raise. With Bouwmeester, Regehr, Phaneuf, and Sarich all signed long-term, Pardy may play some top four minutes, or might relish the chance to with this defence. It’s hard to predict.

Mike Cammalleri won’t be back. The diminutive goal scorer was great for Calgary last season, and will be hard to replace. But he is due a raise, and Calgary just doesn't have the cap space. He will be chased and definitely overpaid.

Todd Bertuzzi is another story. He played well for the Flames, despite some injuries, and was worth $2 million. The question is how much does he want? Bertuzzi has said a one-year deal is all he expects.

If he can play for $1.5 million or less, he should be back. If he wants more, or gets a better offer, he might not. As a veteran, he might be more reliable than the young players that will have to fill his spot if he does not return.

Andre Roy and Adrian Aucoin have played their last games for the Flaming C, and Rhett Warrener will retire due to injury.

From there, we go to what the team needs. The Bouwmeester signing changes the makeup of the Flames and the depth chart has different holes to fill.

Centre is a position of strength and abundance for the team, with Jokinen, Langkow, Conroy, Boyd and Primeau all in the NHL, and Mikael Backlund waiting in the wings. Trading Primeau could free up some room, and if Backlund makes the team, there will have to be moves.

The wings are an area of concern.

Right wing is anchored by Jarome Iginla. After him, it’s a crap shoot. Rene Borque will be on the top two lines, somewhere. Curtis Glencross is around and David Moss is ready for more minutes. Eric Nystrom is young and cheap, and Kyle Greentree's 39-goal season in the A, might mean he is NHL ready.

The first line has no left winger, where a resigned Bertuzzi could step into, with Jokinen and Iginla. The second line is Langkow, Borque and maybe Backlund or Moss. The third line would consist of Boyd, Conroy, and Glencross, and Nystrom, Greentree, and Primeau being the fourth line.

Prust will fit somewhere, especially if Primeau gets moved. Expect Sutter to shuffle the lines with abandon.

After Iginla, no one on the wings is a threat, but with no cap room, that won’t change.

Defense is the club's strength. With a top four of Regehr, Phaneuf, Bouwmeester, and Sarich, the Flames are the deepest team on the back end in the league. With Pardy's potential return, Mark Giordano and several prospects ready to make the jump, the team could be devastating defensively.

Keith Aulie, Matt Pelech and John Negrin all saw time with the team last year, and could step up.

In goal, Kiprusoff should be playing 65 games this season, with Curtis McElhinney promised 15 or so starts. With a rejuvenated defence in front of Kipper, he should return to his 2003-04 and 2005-06 form.

A team strong down the middle and strong on D, with a superstar named Iggy and a mix of youth and experience, what could there be questions about?

Well, the coaching staff has a combined two years experience at the NHL level.

Two years. Combined.

Brent Sutter has never won a playoff round, and none of his assistants have coached a game in the NHL.

Sutter already has the room's respect, and McGill, Lowry, and McLennan were all hard working NHLers that didn't take what they had for granted. That lunch pail mentality is what the Flames have lost in recent years, and something that needs to be brought back.

The questions going into the offseason are offence, coaching, and the salary cap.

With Cammalleri gone, the Flames need those goals to come from somewhere.

Jokinen can score, but if the Flames find themselves in a jam and need cap space, he could be on the move. Fortunately, Backlund appears ready to step in, for much cheaper than Jokinen’s $5.25 million.

Finally, just how much youth will play this year? Potentially, Backlund, Greentree, Aulie, Pelech, Negrin, Chucko, Sutter, and more could all appear with the team this year, as young talent is cheap talent, and the Flames need cheap talent.

Heading into the season, the Flames are contenders for the Cup. Other than that, who knows?

Why Lebron, Wade, and Bosh Should Meet Up in New York

Keith Harrison — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 03:42:48 -0400

I'm not a Knicks fan, so this isn't some sad New Yorker's wet dream. This is just my opinion, and something worth thinking about. LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh should all sign with New York in 2010.

I know, its ridiculous. Hear me out.

Basketball is the only sport where one or two players can completely change the game. Wayne Gretzky couldn't win without a killer supporting cast. Messier, Kurri, Fuhr, Lowe, they were all so important, not to mention the 15 other skaters out there.

Tom Brady doesn't win Super Bowls without his o-line, his receivers, his running backs, not to mention the entire defence. But in basketball, it's a different story.

Sure, teammates are important, but there is a reason Kobe and Shaq won three titles, why Jordan, Pippen and Rodman worked so well together, why the Celtics went from pretty close to worst-to-first.

Two added players (sure, all-star players, one of which that won defensive player of the year) took the Celtics to the championship, something that couldn't happen in any other sport.

A few great players, that are all on the same page and can compliment each other, can win titles.

That doesn't always happen, and players can fight, feud and battle with their teammates all the way to the lottery.

If these players all come together with the understanding that the goal is to win it all, and it doesn't matter who has the best stats at the end of the day, then that's when something great can happen.

That is what Wade, Bosh and James can do.

Consider what happens when a run-and-gun offense under D'antoni gets given to Dwayne Wade to run, with LeBron and Bosh running buck wild all over the court. It will be like a game of NBA Street out there.

James going nuts, getting open shots and fast breaks, because you can't double team him without Bosh getting open, and if somehow a team manages to keep LeBron and Bosh covered, Dwyane freaking Wade has the ball and room to move.

Sure, Bosh and Wade would have to except less than the max, and accept having the ball less, but Bosh has never thrived as the man in Toronto and DWade's best season was with a dominant Big to work with.

These guys all won a gold medal together at the Olympics, they have proven they can play together and they are all hungry to win. They are not like Shawn Marion, a guy that wants to be The Man, regardless of the win-loss record. These are athletes that want to excel as a team.

And New York is the place to do it.

If any market needs not one, not two but three stars to call its own, it is New York. They would be heroes, they would be the Second Coming. They would be loved or hated and either way they would provoke reaction.

Every Knicks game would be a ratings win for the NBA, the Finals would be unreal, especially if the Lakers were the other team, and every man, woman and child in New York would have Knicks jerseys, not to mention every rap video produced in the next decade.

Now, the money is still gonna be there when those contracts run out. The endorsement money alone would keep their kids' kids' kids in designer shoes and after a handful of rings, they can all go there separate ways for new contracts worth a kagillion dollars.

Just think about three young, skilled and passionate stars all willing to work together, accept any role and less money to become champions together.

That is something amazing in today's world of "get as much as you can as fast as you can and never look back," especially in a sport's world, and especially basketball, where a max contract seems the only goal.

The idea of the Knicks having the cap space to sign the three, not to mention the three agreeing to this, seems rather insane. But if the Knicks can clear some more cap space this year, add some young talent in the draft this year and next, and watch this team dominate the league for the next decade or so.

I'm a Canadian, and so almost by default I'm a Raptors fan. As a Blue Jays fan, I'm sick of Boston and New York kicking the crap out of the Jays every year, and having it happen in basketball would suck as well. Not to mention losing Bosh, and to a division rival no less, but having a Knicks team like that together?

Worth it.

Calgary Flames and the NHL Draft

Keith Harrison — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 03:39:50 -0400

When Darryl Sutter was hired in the summer of 2003, the Flames had one of the weakest farm systems in the NHL. There was a lack of top-end talent, for sure, but even grinders, role players, bottom six forwards and fifth, sixth, and seventh defensemen were missing.

First round draft busts, trading away of picks, and little to no success in the later rounds were all to blame.

That first year, at the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, a gift by the name of Dion Phaneuf dropped into Sutter's lap at the number nine spot in a draft that is quickly becoming legendary for both the number of stars and the quality of stars. Tim Ramholt also came from that draft, and is becoming a serviceable NHL defensmen—defense takes time.

In 2002, the Flames landed Eric Nystrom, a energy forward that spent the year with the big club for the first time, Matthew Lombardi (since traded), Curtis McElhinney, the current backup to Mikka Kiprusoff, and David Van Der Gulik, who is just now challenging for a roster spot.

Before that, in 2001, it was Chuck Kobasew (since traded), Andrei Taratukhin (currently playing in Russia), and David Moss, fresh off a 20-goal season and a new contract.

With the exception of Jarret Stoll, who didn't sign and re-entered the draft, the previous seasons were full of busts. The mere mention of players such as Brent Krahn, Oleg Saprykin, Rico Fata and Daniel Tkaczuk bring tears to the eyes of Flames faithful. No player drafted by the flames before 2001 is currently on the roster.

So when Sutter came in, it was a pretty bare farm system. None of the players drafted before Sutter can be considered star players, franchise players, even first line, top pairing or starting goaltender players. And for the first few Sutter years, with the exception of Phaneuf, that didn't change.

Kris Chucko, Brandon Prust, Dustin Boyd, Aki Seitsonen, and Adam Pardy are all 2004 guys, and while they may not be household names, they represent a new direction for the Flames. They all had the potential to be NHLers. Not stars or highlight reel guys, but they all had a shot.

Chucko, the first rounder of 2004 for the Flames, is still in the AHL. He was called a project then, and he still is. He is expected to either get some games with the big club as the first or second call-up, or get traded this season, as there is some potential for him to be a late bloomer.

Prust is a tough guy and is a regular in Phoenix, and Boyd and Party both played some great hockey for Calgary this season. Pardy may become the best player for the Flames of this group—he was recently named by The Hockey News as one of the 'Top 50 Free Agents' this season. A restricted free agent, meaning he will most likely be back.

With eight picks in the 2005 draft, and no second-round pick, the Flames stuck to the same formula. Pelech has had injury trouble but made his NHL debut this past season and could get duty as the seventh defenceman this year, Gord Baldwin has been playing well for the Quad City Flames, and JD Watt and Brett Sutter both can play. None will be stars, but three or four NHLers is possible.

2006 became about filling needs. '04 and '05 were all about just getting the player with the best shot of making the big dance, and now the Flames were starting to pick guys based on more than just making it.

The Flames picked Leland Irving, the current starter for the farm team and the 'heir apparent' to Kiprusoff. Goalies take years to develop, and Sutter has been content to leave him to get starters minutes in the A. Hopefully he can be the next starting goalie in Calgary.

John Armstrong and Juuso Puustinen could both be top nine forwards for the Flames, and Puustinen maybe even play a top six role with the team after scoring 33 points in 53 games in Finland.

The 2007 draft, with the Flames only holding five picks, could actually be the strongest draft class the Flames have ever had. Mikael Backlund came over from Sweden this season after having a great World Juniors and was a top player with Kelowna in the WHL, playing in the Memorial Cup.

He is the top prospect in the organisation, and is expected to be a top-six player next season with the big club. Following him are two defensemen that could be great in John Negrin and Keith Aulie. The two will try for a position with the top club, and if not will be two of the first call-ups. The fourth pick of the Flames was Mickey Renauld, the captain of the Windsor Spitfires that tragically died at the age of 19.

2008 saw the Flames grab a center that, combined with Backlund, have the potential to be a top one-two punch for the Flames. Greg Nemisz had a great run to the Memorial Cup Championship with the Spitfires and will try for a spot with the big club this season, but a year or two in the AHL could work wonders for this talented player.

Mitch Wahl from Spokane was taken in the second round. A little undersized at 5'11 and 170 lbs, he is a talented forward that could have a bright future.

There.

There is Darryl Sutter's entire history at the draft with the Calgary Flames. The picture is quite a bit brighter now than it was when he took over.

What happens at this years draft is going to be interesting, because of what the team has in the system now.

Sutter's plan of just getting hold of as many NHL players through the draft was a modest success. There are young role players splattered throughout the Wranglers, Heat and Flames, and they are cheaper than signing a veteran. A few, such as Boyd and Pardy, have some potential to be better than third line, third pairing guys, and as such, Sutter achieved his goals.

Sutter then went forward with his second plan, to start drafting stars and by need at positions. First came the goalie, with Irving. Secondly, the defense with Pelech, Negrin, and Aulie, not to mention Phaneuf already being there. Third, the centres, with Backlund, Nemisz and Wahl.

Five of the past six teams to win the Stanley Cup have had good goaltending, great defence and two great centres, the formula it appears Sutter is working on. Tampa Bay had Richards and Lecavalier, Carolina had Staal and Brindamour, Detroit has Zetterburg and Datsyuk and Pittsburgh has Crosby and Malkin.

So now that the potential pieces are in place, what do the Flames do?

1) They can stay the course—draft players by position. Get some wingers, some pluggers, and work from there.

2)They can draft on need—the Flames will need players for those centres to get the pucks to. Goal scoring wingers would be great.

3)They can draft on talent—forget the position, take the most talented player on the board.

4) They can draft on insurance—sure the potential is there, but more centres and more defensemen would sure make the plan more foolproof

5)They can go back to square one—draft players that will play in the NHL. Homegrown pluggers keep the costs down.

The Flames need to pick the fifth option.

This seems counter-intuitive. Why go backwards when the system is stocked and talent is starting to flow again?

Because success comes at a cost—draft positioning. The better a team does, the worse they pick. By picking players that will make the show, and not much else, it gives the team options.

If a player becomes good or great, that is wonderful. If not, not much cost. But these players are what allow a team to make trades, either trading these young players or trading established, more expensive players for talent, and filling the holes with the young guns.

This gives the team the flexibility in a cap world to keep the core together, and be like Detroit or Pittsburgh—more than one-year wonders.

Drafting based on just talent is what killed the Flames for years. Talent doesn't mean they will be a surefire NHL player. When one talent busts, not a problem.

However, when two or three or four first rounders start to all fail, and a few picks are traded, can quickly cause a franchise to head downhill fast. By making sure that the players at least won't be busts, the team can keep chugging away, and be closer to the Cup than the Draft Lottery.

The Flames don't have many picks this year, and don't have a first rounder next season. A bust would kill two years of drafting. Using a baseball analogy, swinging for the fences might be a bad idea when only a single scores a run.

The Future of the Vancouver Canucks

Keith Harrison — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 02:49:11 -0400

This article is not being written by a fan of the Vancouver Canucks. This, in my opinion, makes this a far more objective article.

I don’t think that Ryan Kesler is the next Joe Sakic, that Willie Mitchell is Scott Stevens and that Kevin Bieksa should be anywhere near the Canadian Olympic team.

I also believe that they have a great group of upcoming young players already on the roster, in the A and in the CHL. And I believe that this season will determine the future of the Canucks for the next eight-to-ten years.

The Canucks are at a crossroads for the following reasons: The Sedin brothers, Daniel and Henrik, are unrestricted free agents. Between the two of them, they lead the team in points, goals, and assists.

They are a package deal, and therefore must be signed together. The rumours have them looking for somewhere between seven and eight point five million each, meaning any team interesting in signing them would need 16 million in cap space.

Reason two is Mattias Ohlund, who is also a UFA. Ohlund is the top defender on Vancouver, a shutdown d-man that wore the A and served as the on-ice captain as Luongo was not permitted to perform the on ice duties.

His position on the ice and in the locker room was a huge part of the Canucks over-achievement this season. He is going to need between three and four million, which is quite a bit for a shutdown defender, but worth the money.

Reason three, Mats Sundin. The ex-Leaf captain is signed for the season at a decent chunk of change, and if he is committed to the season, he could be a great source of leadership for the younglings populating the Canucks dressing room.

He could also be a distraction, a player frustrated by his increasing age and his fate with the team, especially if they struggle.

Reason four, Roberto Luongo. Bobby Lou is under contract for one more reason, but if the Canucks are not in the race for the division title and a good seed in the playoffs, Luongo will walk. So what the Canucks do this season will have massive ripple effects on their goaltending, and their future with or without their Captain.

Regarding the Sedins, they are the cornerstone of the Canucks’ attack. That is 160 points sitting there, and the question becomes, how many teams are willing to pay whatever the twins’ ask for the chance to have that 160 points on their team, and it has been proven repeatedly that GM’s in every sport will do whatever it takes.

Mike Gillis has to decide whether or not he can trade, sign, and/or find that 160 points within his organization for less than 16 million a year. The assumption is that he can’t. So signing the Sedins is a priority.

The next question that arises is how long will this contract be. Five years has the Sedins leaving just as they start to decline, something that will benefit the Canucks. Ten years probably sounds about perfect to the Sedins, so expect around an eight year deal that will keep the Sedins in Vancouver for the majority of their remaining years in the NHL.

If the Canucks can get the Sedins under contract for 16 million a year for eight years, expect Ohlund to walk free. 22 million for two good but not elite forwards and a shutdown defender is more than even the Canucks ample cap room can maintain, especially with the cap expected to drop in the next few years.

If the Canucks can’t get the Sedins under contract, Ohlund will be much easier to retain, and is probably the more reliable signing, despite some injury history.

If the Sedins are retained, a replacement for Ohlund will be necessary, and defensive d-men take years to cultivate. He will be difficult to replace, and trade might be the only available root.

Rumours have been swirling suggesting Marion Gaborik if the Sedins aren’t around anymore. If its true and Gaborik does want to play with his friend Demitra, the Canucks will be getting a more dynamic scorer, but one that averages 66 games a season.

If he could stay healthy and match some of the point per game marks he has put up in the past, he will be a great help to the Canucks attack. However Gaborik is a player with RISK stamped all over him.

If the Sedins get away, Luongo may seriously consider walking. Which leads to the next move.

A question that Gillis has to ask is what can they get for Luongo. Whether or not this situation ever comes about, it has to be asked. If a huge haul of prospects, picks and/or players can be reaped, it may be worth it for the Canucks to send him out, and with the prospects that currently have the Manitoba Moose playing so well, begin building for a very bright future.

Players like Kesler, Burrows, Cody Hodgson, and more are all solid young NHLers and as such the team has the ability to spend some time working around those players.

The Vancouver Canucks have a very significant draft ahead, and depending on what goes down there, a very interesting summer. The 2009-2010 Canucks could be a very familiar or a radically different team.

Alberta's Coaches: What Edmonton Has and What Calgary Needs

Keith Harrison — Fri, 29 May 2009 03:32:07 -0400

The changing of the guard in Alberta this spring is a pivotal moment for the entire Western Conference, for two reasons.

One, the Oil have the talent to battle for playoffs, and now have the coaching to do a little damage.

And two, Calgary has the talent to be an elite team, and if they can live up to their potential under a new coach, they could wreck havoc on the top of the Western Conference standings.

At the same time, both could stay in the relative obscurity they find themselves right now.

Edmonton's move to bring in not one but two NHL head coaches is an interesting move. Fortunately, these guys have histories of being team players, and offset each other well.

Pat Quinn is an accomplished head coach, but he has always been known as a coach that needs assistants. With strong, experienced and intelligent assistant and associate coaches around him, he can excel.

When it's just Pat running a practice, there is a lot of him pointing and shouting, five guys skating around and everyone else standing and watching. He doesn't play a great game of X's and O's and he isn't known for his technical skills. What he is known for is being a fiery and passionate coach that has a love and knowledge of the game and a guy that demands respect from his players and returns that respect.

Quinn plays an open, offensive-minded game. He has shown much interest in working with youth and he is the guy that a team wants behind the bench to get the troops fired up.

Tom Renney, while not the exact opposite necessarily, is a great compliment to this. Renney is a very tactical coach, an experienced and defensively driven leader that prepares his team to play and to win. His lack of ego was a crucial part in getting this deal done, and his poise will be a help next to Quinn's fire.

The young Oilers team that underachieved this year may well become very very good very very quickly, simply due to the fact that young teams project upwards. If a few good players, such as Ales Hemsky and Dustin Penner, have break out years to go along with some young players getting past their sophomore slumps, this team can and will improve on its own.

The new coaches might get this beyond 'just improving', and move the Oil to the next level. These moves were great additions by Steve Tambellini.

The Calgary Flames have a different problem. They are a very talented, mature, and prepared team, with great leadership in the room and—for the first time in a long time—good depth coming through the system. The problem is that the best candidate for the job doesn't really want the job.

Darryl Sutter does not want to be the next head coach of the Calgary Flames.

However, Darryl Sutter will be the next head coach of the Calgary Flames.

Understanding that the team respects him more than anyone they could bring in, although they may respect Brent Sutter just as much, and that they actually fear Darryl more than anyone out there, could be enough to get this team in line, in order and marching past the first round.

Sutter himself said that there are three coaches ahead of him on his list. One of them is Brent Sutter. The other two could be anybody, but realistically, they are going to be guys like Jim Playfair—guys that could and should be NHL coaches but are behind someone that is the understood coach. A hard ass, for sure, and someone that will not hesitate to do what is necessary to motivate this team.

Darryl Sutter fits the bill, Playfair fit the bill—but the team felt that the assistant was still the assistant, even though he had a bigger office than before—Keenan was supposed to fit the bill—but had calmed down too much to handle it—and chances are the team will not respond to a young guy built the same way. This pares the list down to two candidates that will not lose the room, and they both hail from Viking, Alberta.

If Brent can get out of his contract with New Jersey, he will be the new head coach. If not, it will be Darryl. Since it isn't looking like Brent will get out of the deal, Darryl will be the head coach for one year, and then hire Brent for the 2010-2011 season.

With any luck, Calgary will respond well to both coaches, and live up to the potential that they seem to show occasionally, but can never sustain.

Where Will John Tavares Land?

Keith Harrison — Thu, 28 May 2009 05:56:09 -0400

John Tavares is the most talented player in this draft.

Victor Hedman might be a player that can offer more to a team, and Matt Duchene might well become the better all-around player that scouts and analysts say he can be. In terms of pure talent, John Tavares leaves them in the dust.

He is a pure goal scorer, a player that goes out there on every shift to do one thing: score goals. The result is a person that will help your team on and off the ice, increase the franchise's popularity and marketability and give hope to a team that probably doesn't have much right now (New York Islanders, this means you).

However, any time you have a player that is all about offense, there will be questions raised about how this player will fit in. If this player is the best player for the team. These are warranted questions. Recent history shows that offense can be instantly added to a team, and it is defense that wins championships.

The Chicago Blackhawks have been bottom feeders for years. And at every draft for many years, they have drafted defencemen. It took years for those players to come up through the system, develop the muscle mass to fill out their young frames, and to learn the defensive game at the NHL level.

When they finally had a core of solid young defencemen, they added a couple of spark plugs in Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.

Now, nothing against either of them, they are dynamic young forwards that are huge parts of their team. But if Chicago hadn't developed that young defense first, Kane and Toews would not have been able to drag that team to the third round on their own.

Now, with that example in mind, let's look at the teams at the top of the draft order.

New York Islanders

The Islanders have gaping holes all over the lineup. If DiPetrio can stay healthy, they have a quality goalie, but after that, it is a nightmare. The one thing they do have is a European defensemen that can quarterback the powerplay and is better in his own zone than people think.

Mark Streit is a solid defensemen, and potentially, a perfect mentor for Victor Hedman. Hedman has the ability to be a No. 1 d-man, and Streit can help him learn how to play defense and when to jump in on offense, and fit in in the NHL.

A solid back end also makes sure that if DiPetrio does go down, the team doesn't self destruct from whatever combination of back-up and call-up/waiver pick ends up splitting time between the pipes. All a goal scorer will mean is that the Islanders will lose 6-4, instead of 4-2.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Tampa Bay also needs a defensemen. With all the firepower on that roster, and the future of Stamkos looking very bright, offense is not the problem. That is why they should trade down. That pick is worth one of Hedman, Tavares or Duchene, and that is something that is worth a lot of dough in the NHL today.

They should arrange a couple of trades if Tavares falls to them that they can pull the trigger on, and if Hedman falls to them, screw the trades and pounce on him. If Hedman is gone, trade the pick to the highest bidder that can provide young defense.

Make sure to get a first rounder out of the deal, as this is a strong draft, but don't take one of the top offensive guys when that doesn't fill a need and talent isn't lacking on the roster.

Colorado Avalanche

Colorado is in a great spot—they get one of the top three guys, and they should stay put. Take whoever falls to them, and leave the draft a winner. This team isn't close to winning, and has needs at forward and defense.

Someone to line up with Statsy (Tavares), or make a one-two punch with is great (Duchene), or a future No.1 d man (Hedman) are all positives. If Colorado gets blown away by a great offer from Atlanta, LA, or Phoenix, they could go for it, as Kane, Paajarvi-Svensson or Schenn are solid players, but staying the course is a definite A grade on the draft.

Atlanta, Los Angeles, Phoenix

Atlanta, LA and Phoenix are all in the same boat - talent is needed in the organization, and taking the best talent is a solid way to go. Position isn't as big an issue, though deciding on a defenseman projected two or three picks lower isn't a wrong move.

If Atl picks Kane, LA chooses Paajarvi-Svensson and Phoenix picks Cowen (needing the defenseman more than they need another scorer) Toronto's pick becomes interesting.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto has several options - Burke wants Tavares bad. And he has several ways to try and get him. He doesn't want to trade Schenn, fine. Using his cap space and taking on bad contracts from Tampa, giving up picks, making multiple moves, if anyone is not afraid to move at the draft, its Brian Burke.

What he could have up his sleeve, who knows, but expect a lot of talk coming from that draft table.

However, if it just isn't going to happen, getting Brayden Schenn at seven is a good move for the organization. The Schenn brothers are both very talented, and having family around is sure to make the off ice transitions of these young men much easier. Plus, Burke has recently won a Stanley Cup with a D, forward brother tandem.

Add to that the rumours Burke may be getting the Sedins, and there is some major brotherly love in Toronto this coming season. If Schenn isn`t around, Cowen would make for a one-two punch on the Leafs` blueline that would impress, and there are several good forwards available as well.

Dallas, Ottawa, Edmonton

This Dallas Stars pick is a gift for them. They are a much better team then how it unfolded this year, and this dip in the standings just gives them a chance to reload with some young talent before getting back into the swing of things.

Look for Dallas to pick up a D-man this year, as they would love a young, solid rear guard to patrol their end for the next decade.

Ottawa has some serious work to do, but one thing is for sure—as soon as the defense left Ottawa, so did the wins. Grab the best defensive defenseman available and watch that team improve.

The Oilers also need a defenseman to go along with their young forward group, and with this pick the run on defensemen should slow down. Look for names such as Cowen, if he hasn't been grabbed yet, Ekman-Larsson, Kulikov or Ryan Ellis to be taken by the Stars, Sens and Oil during this stretch.

One or two of these teams may trade down, if they can get good value for these picks.

By the time it gets down to Nashville, Minnesota, Florida, and Buffalo, the entire landscape could have shifted with some standard draft moves, some surprises and trades. It is safe to say that for one of these teams to move up to get Tavares would require one heck of a sweet deal.

Chances are, Tampa or New York will end up with Tavares. They will be getting an unreal talent, and no one can fault a team for having too much talent. But like the Lindros trade to Philly, a King`s ransom can be had for a player like that, and both of these teams need more than one player to turn them around.

A sniper isn`t going to do it. If New York is smart, take Hedman. If Tampa is bright, put up a for sale sign and get to work getting the most from this opportunity. Between the bounty recovered from trading Lecavalier, Tavares or both, they could build a brand new, fantastic team that can grow up together and fetch them another Cup.

However, chances are, one, two going into the draft will be selected one, two by the teams drafting one, two. There is too much pride on the line to risk being the guy that traded John Tavares.