Bleacher Report - Articles by Joey

Captain Canada' Ryan Smith Crowned a LA King

Joey — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:55:05 -0400

Tonight Ryan Smyth and his five-year $31.25 million contract travels from Denver to LA in return for Kyle Quincey, Tom Preissing, and a fifth-round pick for next year.

It's a hard pill to swallow since Smyth tied for the lead in points with Milan Hejduk and was a heart and soul player.

Kyle Quincey, 23, is a solid defensemen who put up 38 points and a minus five rating for the Kings in 72 games last year. Unfortunately, during the Francois Giguere era, Quincey was available off of waivers from Detroit but LA grabbed him. He costs just $525k/year but is an RFA after this year.

Tom Preissing, 30, is an average defensemen who put up seven points and a minus seven rating in 22 games this season. He costs $2.75 million per year and his contract is up in two seasons.

Obviously, this is an attempt to free up cap space for the Avalanche. The Avalanche are shedding Left Wings which seems to indicate that a signing of Alex Tanguay or another UFA LW is upcoming.

Either way, the Avalanche are spending roughly three million per year less today than they were last year and have lost a couple of years in age.

Hopefully, the Avalanche can continue flipping players. My hope is Scott Hannan or Brett Clark is next to leave.

Scott Hannan set the lowest +/- on the team last year with -19. He has two years left on a $4.5 million per year.

Chicago has been rumored to be looking for a big, shut down defensemen to complement smooth skating defensemen Duncan Keith, Brian Campbell, and Brent Seabrook.

Hopefully Hannan's their man. Patrick Sharp anyone?

Canada's Olympic Roster Shows Some Surprises: The Top Five

Joey — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 02:35:42 -0400

No one denies that Canada has easily the greatest star power of any country in the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics. No one denies that Stevie Y is ultimately one of the most gifted hockey players ever to grace the ice and he brings with him some of the most gifted staff in the world in All-Star coaches Babcock, Hitchcock, Ruff, and defensive mastermind Jacques Lemaire. But what anyone can question is what caused Team Canada to opt against some of the stronger playmakers, snipers, and shutdown guys in lieu of other less known, perhaps less productive players. It seems that the team is attempting to copy Sweden's rise to success with a good mix of stars and less-known players for a team atmosphere as opposed to a All-Star game. In addition, it can be noted that even players not invited to this camp can be considered for the tournament and some will be scouted in the fall. Who knows, it might pan out. Certainly, they seem like they should be the favorites every year when you're not even hard pressed to come up with a roster like this: Goaltenders: Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Roberto Luongo, Vancouver Steve Mason, Columbus Cam Ward, Carolina Defensemen Francois Beauchemin, UFA Jay Bouwmeester, Calgary Dan Boyle, San Jose Brent Burns, Minnesota Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Mike Green, Washington Dan Hamhuis, Nashville Duncan Keith, Chicago Scott Niedermayer, Anaheim Dion Phaneuf, Calgary Chris Pronger, Philadelphia Robyn Regehr, Calgary Stephane Robidas, Dallas Brent Seabrook, Chicago Marc Staal, NY Rangers Shea Weber, Nashville Forwards Jeff Carter, Philadelphia Dan Cleary, Detroit Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Shane Doan, Phoenix Simon Gagne, Philadelphia Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Dany Heatley, Ottawa Jarome Iginla, Calgary Vincent Lecavalier, Tampa Bay Milan Lucic, Boston Patrick Marleau, San Jose Andy McDonald, St. Louis Brenden Morrow, Dallas Rick Nash, Columbus Corey Perry, Anaheim Mike Richards, Philadelphia Derek Roy, Buffalo Joe Sakic, Colorado Patrick Sharp, Chicago Ryan Smyth, Colorado Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Eric Staal, Carolina Jordan Staal, Pittsburgh Joe Thornton, San Jose Jonathan Toews, Chicago Whatever happens, here's a look at some guys who made the team and some that were left behind.

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Goodbye Lappy: News and Notes From NW's Free Agent Day One

Joey — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:27:24 -0400

Well, unfortunately we all knew that it was going to happen. That doesn't make it any easier.

We'll miss you crooked-nosed, forehead kissing fiend.

You couldn't fight, but you sure tried. And your French-Canadian accent was adorable, but it was time to say goodbye.

We had to move down—in price and age—but we sure will miss your misguided lefts and your courageous bouts with guys twice your size, but Philly doesn't know what they got.

You and Pronger sure are gonna give Sid the Kid something about which to whine.

In Other News...

The Avalanche have attempted to fill their obvious goaltending problem by signing Craig Anderson to a two year, $3.8 million deal, while in return giving Anderson his first try at a true starting goalie job after backing up Tomas Vokoun for several years.

Anderson, 28, put up great numbers last year; he was third in the league in save percentage with a 92.4 percent and 15 wins in 27 games, a better win percentage than his boss, three shutouts, and a 2.17 GAA.

This is a huge step from last year, where it was a lucky night for either Avalanche goaltender if they stopped 90 percent of shots and where the Avalanche starter, Peter Budaj, put up one fewer shutout in 29 more games.

While it's not a sure thing that "Andy" can step in and solve the crisis at net, it should be reassuring that the last goalie out of Florida with a notably high save percentage turned out to be one of the best goalies and captains in the league, Roberto Luongo. Whether or not Anderson has the same raw talent as Luongo, he has been noted to have great leadership skills and above-average talent.

The Avalanche definitely made a great step in this signing.

Not only have the Avs signed Anderson today, they have signed David Koci from the Tampa Bay Lightning to a one year, $575k deal.

The 29 year old, 6'6", 238 lb LW has two points in 64 games and an additional 297 penalty minutes. It's obvious that he's not out on the ice to score. This guy can fight, as evidenced by this brawl with Derek Boogaard of the Minnesota Wild: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oO67fAiNBYU.

Not only does he fight, which is something Lappy did very often, he wins. Certainly this is a good replacement for that part of Laperriere's game, but Koci is more a replacement for Scott Parker. He is not going to play every game, but he will play against big energy players like Joe Thornton or Chris Pronger.

The Avalanche are still looking for someone to step into Laperriere's fourth line full time scoring roll, but I have to give it to Sherman—he's made a few under-the-radar moves without tying the Avalanche up in the salary cap department. Giguere's biggest mistake was his overpriced free agent defensemen and over-the-hill grit scorer Darcy Tucker for multiple years.

Sherman is relying a lot more on the system for future players, a true businessman who trusts in the minors and the rebuilding process. It's going to be a tough couple of years for the Avalanche, but the pieces are beginning to fall into place.

Northwest News and Notes...

So far several big moves have been made about the division that will greatly impact the Avs schedule next year:

Calgary has upgraded its blueline with Bouwmeester over Leopold. This might seem scary with Phaneuf and Regehr also in tow, but with their loss of Cammalleri to Montreal they may have taken a step back.

Their defense was already good, but there seems to be no real threats up front with the exceptions of Iginla, Jokinen, and Langkow on a good night.

Edmonton has lost Roloson but added Khabibulin. The 'Bulin wall may be getting old, but that hasn't stopped him from posting a good record against the Avs over the last couple of seasons. This is the only difference so far for the youngster movement team.

Minnesota has made only one move in signing Greg Zanon from the Nashville Predators for three years. He was +8 with 11 points on a sub-par team last year; great stats for an underrated $1.17 mill/yr defensemen. Still, Minnesota lacks significant scoring threat and have lost (in my mind) one of the greatest coaches in the game.

Vancouver continues their dominance over the NW division with the resigning of the Sedin twins. Even so, they lost stalwart Mattias Ohlund to the Tampa Bay Lightning and underrated third liner Lukas Krajicek. This puts them in slightly worse position, but there is plenty of time in free agency left.

The Avalanche Win Big With a Great Player and Fan

Joey — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:38:04 -0400

The only thing that Avs fans love nearly as much as the team for which they root is other Avs fans.

Tonight they got lucky; they got both.

"With the third overall selection in the 2009 entry draft, the Colorado Avalanche are proud to pick from the Brampton Battalion, Matt Duchene."

While the number "3" is an affront to many Avalanche fans' ears, the name Matt Duchene should prove much sweeter. A true character player, classified by many as the type of person who can "light up a room," Matt Duchene is clearly a unique athlete. A unique athlete who grew up idolizing Patrick Roy and Joe Sakic; the latter to whom he is often compared.

He is a bright, ingenuous, hard-working kid who put all of his intelligence and work-ethic into pushing himself to a high-level of play. He is incredibly competitive and a great leader who has come from more obscure backgrounds than either Hedman or Tavares, but will end up in the same NHL star-ranks as either.

But his character isn't all that we should be excited about. This is a truly great player.

He may not be as flashy of a stick-handler as Tavares or as imposing a defensive force as Hedman, but he certainly has an overall game with which neither compare. This is not to say that neither Hedman nor Tavares are great players; Tavares will probably challenge Ovechkin for the Richard and Hedman may even challenge for the Norris.

As great as both are, Duchene is a player who truly rules both ends of the ice. He has electrifying speed—classified as the quickest feet in the draft, good puck-handling skills—he only put up one less point in the same 14 games in the playoffs as Tavares (20 to Tavares' 21), and an edge to his game that I would compare to David Jones' with a lot more finish.

To borrow a quote from Jeff Badger on the article "Will the First Overall Pick Please Stand Up," "Tavares will score a pile of goals in the NHL. Duchene will win Cups and Conn Smyths."

But what Avalanche fans should be excited to hear is they have back that magic wrist shot that they missed all last season. This is a kid who watched the shot that could only be stopped by the bar for his childhood and sought to replicate it. He did a great job, too, practicing in his yard for hours with a black net over his head to thwart the flies.

His shot has been compared to Joe Sakic's. His edge and passing have been compared to Brian Trottier's. His leadership and skating have been compared to Steve Yzerman's. This is the kind of player that will unite a passing center in Paul Stastny with him, a scoring center, for a 1-2 punch on our depleted power play and offense as in the days of Peter Forsberg and Joe Sakic.

Even better, Duchene will be sitting, learning in a locker room with Joe Sakic to hone his skills and Ryan Smyth to hone his edge. Hedman has no one. Tavares has no one.

There's no question that Tavares and Hedman are All-Star talents with amazing upside, but only Duchene possesses the combination of skills around which a team can effectively rebuild and contend.

The Patriot Way and The Broncos Draft

Joey — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 01:52:58 -0400

At this point in the offseason, it's no secret that there are a lot of unknowns about the Broncos heading in to the 2009 season. Denver added two first-round players in this year's draft, but their 2009-2010 team has seen radical changes at quarterback, the defensive secondary, running back, and defensive end.

While this is dually an exciting and trying time for all Broncos fans, one thing can be surmised: There is a method to the madness, even when it seems that new coach Josh McDaniels has no rhyme nor reason.

With the first Broncos' first round pick, Josh McDaniels opted for explosive running back Knowshon Moreno. Moreno is an all-around backfield player who can block, pass, and run effectively reminding Broncos fans of the best of Mike Anderson and Terrell Davis.

Though Moreno was a solid pick with plenty upside, McDaniels and the Broncos did not address their obvious need for better pass rushers and defensive ends. It could have been a "best player available" pick, or McDaneils may have thought the player the coveted would still be there at 18, their second first-round pick.

McDaniels must have though that Moreno would provide the secondary scoring punch needed with the absence of Cutler. This selection has been a cause of great criticism for the fledgling coach.

With their second first-round pick, a much less, but still controversial selection, was made with Robert Ayers out of University of Tennessee. While he showed explosiveness in pass rushing and has the right size for run stopping, it was only in his last year of college that he was truly effective.

Many critics would rather have had BJ Raji, Tyson Jackson, Brian Orakpo, or a USC linebacker at this position, though at 18, Raji, Jackson and Orapko had already been taken. Ayers could end up being a Jarvis Moss or an Elvis Dumervil depending on his development.

Another questionable pick in the Broncos' draft includes Alphonso Smith, a 5' 9'' Corner who looks a lot like Champ Bailey but has a lot of question marks to be taken with next year's first round pick in lieu of promising but character-flaw-abounded Ray Maualuga or Ron Brace.

The Broncos traded their 2010 first-round pick to Seattle in exchange for the 37th pick, which was used to take Smith.

With their third pick in the second round, Denver drafted blocking tight end Richard Quinn, even though they had both Tony Scheffler and Daniel Graham on the roster. Denver also added a promising young quarterback in Tom Brandstater (in the mould of Tom Brady or Matt Cassel), OG Seth Olsen, and two young safeties with potential in Darcel McBath and David Bruton in the later rounds.

All of these selections were very much criticized, and for good reason. None are a sure thing, but all have tremendous upside and all were chosen according to a doctrine to which many have subscribed in the last decade: The Patriot Way.

The Patriot Way, in fact, dictates a particular draft scenario; draft both the players with the highest upside and the players that will benefit most from hands-on, effective coaching.

Obviously, the coaching that comes most frequently to mind is that of the designated staff: The Josh McDaniels', the Mike Nolans, and the Mike McCoys—but just as important, if not more important than the play-callers is the veteran teammates that can teach the true meaning of being a professional.

In this case, the Broncos drafted according to need because they needed everywhere. But they also drafted according to what the free agents dictated.

The Patriots have done an exceptional job of restocking the talent behind strong veterans. Where there's a Jerod Meyo there's also a Teddy Bruschi. Where there's a Tom Brady there's a Drew Bledsoe, and so on. It's no question that there was a lot of luck in the picks, but there was also a reason to the madness.

The Broncos are following this trend. In the offseason they brought in seven running backs, most notably veterans Correll Buckhalter and LaMont Jordan. Buckhalter has come from years of large injury-plagued YPA seasons behind consummate professional Brian Westbrook of the Eagles, while Jordan has been a journeyman that knows the Patriots system.

Both can teach Moreno how to be an athlete on and off the field and can bring out the best in the young running back without the Broncos pushing him into a mentor-less Darren McFadden scenario.

Ayers was clearly a need-based pick and it is my personal belief that there were no strong character DE veterans on the market.

McBath and Bruton will clearly benefit from future Hall-of-Famer Brian Dawkins, one of the greatest leaders that the NFL has ever known. Hopefully one of these promising safeties will fill his shoes effectively and become a franchise anchor for years to come.

Quinn will benefit from the mentoring of former-patriot, leader Daniel Graham so that he can become the other side of the two-pronged tight end attack. He also has surprising hands and may end up being a better player than Graham.

Brandstater is an obviously intelligent quarterback with a strong arm and good instincts. Orton, while not the most physically talented quarterback in the league, is celebrated for his intelligence and leadership and can teach this pick who has more talent how to harness it effectively, manage a game, and lead a team in the future.

Wide Receiver Kenny McKinley will benefit from the great Rod Smith, while not on the field, who worked as hard as anyone ever has to become the greatest undrafted WR ever.

Center Blake Schlueter will replace Wiegmann in years to come as Wiegmann is getting older but is still a Pro-Bowler.

All in all, the Broncos were planning for the future as much as any other team in the draft. They chose players with tremendous upside based on what they could support. The one guaranteed thing is none of these prospects will be "spoiled" by the rough NFL—if any of them do not turn out, it will be because of their own shortcomings, not those of the team around them.