Bleacher Report - Articles by Shane House

What Should We Expect from the Toronto Maple Leafs Next Season?

Shane House — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 00:34:34 -0400

This passing season, the Toronto Maple Leafs were, in my opinion, one of the most interesting teams in the NHL.

Sadly though, it wasn't for all the right reasons.

Some nights, the team would come out and give it there all and be a team that was very hard to beat. No matter what the situation was, they would never give up.

But that was what the issue was as well, the situations.

Although they never gave up in games, which is a very admirable quality to instill into a hockey team, they made a lot of mistakes.

Mistakes that made for a lot of games to be both blowouts and games that were blown in the third period.

Surely two qualities that gave Brian Burke both headaches and a lot of sleepless nights.

The question was, what caused those breakdowns with the team?

The answer is simple.

There was a lack of toughness, and the defense would falter because of it.

Sure sometimes there would be a lack of offense and sometimes it would be the goaltending.

But once again, that can be attributed to the fact that the players had a lack of toughness and were pushed around when the game was on the line.

This fact was shown every time the opposing offense was in the Maple Leafs' defensive zone.

So, what did Brian Burke do to rectify the situation?

He paid for toughness.

He bought it in free agency with the additions of Colton Orr and Mike Komisarek, and he traded for it with the acquisitions of Garnet Exelby and Colin Stuart.

Collectively last season, these players had a total of 452 penalty minutes, with Colton Orr being third in the league with 193.

Although all of these players are not the most offensively gifted, they do bring some much needed grit and toughness to a team that displayed neither last season.

So, what can we come to expect from the Toronto Maple Leafs next season?

The first thing we can expect is our goaltending to get much better.

Vesa Toskala will be coming in to training camp with a healthy groin for the first time in two years. But instead of him being the clear cut No. 1, he will be pushed by Jonas "The Monster" Gustavsson, who was signed out of Sweden this summer.

With that type of goalie competition, combined with a bigger and badder defense, it will mean that there will be less pucks being put into our net.

The second thing we can expect to see is a major spike in the number of fighting majors the Toronto Maple Leafs will be getting.

As I said before, the Leafs bought their toughness this summer with the signing of Colton Orr and Mike Komisarek. Both are not scared to get into the face of their opponents and stir up some trouble.

Finally, the third thing you can expect, and this is not a good part, is for there to be more growing pains.

The Maple Leafs are still a young and maturing team that is low on talent. They still don't have a No. 1 center or a top end scorer that can consistently put the puck in the net.

Plus, their defense is going to be learning off of each other again because of the additions of Komisarek and Exelby and the loss of Kubina.

So, what should we expect overall?

We will be seeing a much tougher team that will be better and tighter defensively, and will always be in the face of the other opponent. Sadly though, the offense will waiver on some nights and will still be very inconsistent once again.

But look for those blowouts and blown leads to happen a lot less throughout next season.

I think that is something that Leafs fans will be very happy to hear going forward.

I have a new blog, and if you want to check it out you can go to http://shanegordonhouse.blogspot.com/ and see all my articles starting from March 7, 2009.

Low-Key Aquisitions That Could Make an Impact Next Season in the NHL

Shane House — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:17:14 -0400

A lot of trades and acquisitions happen during the off-season and a lot of big name free agents get signed to big, lucrative deals. But sometimes, there are those signings that no one really notices that make or break a teams chances to make the playoffs.

They are signings that when you look back on a year or two from now will be considered absolute steals and the GM's will be considered geniuses.

Here are some low key free agent signings that could pay dividends of each of there teams respectively.

Greg Zanon—Signed by the Minnesota Wild

Last Years Stats: GP 82, G 4, A 7, Pts 11, PIM 38, Plus/Minus 8

What the stat sheet doesn't show is the amount of blocked shots Zanon will get for you. He is a very good penalty killer and is always willing to get in front of the puck. Plus he had an under-rated shot that was not utilized in Nashville with all the fire power they had.

But with there being an extra defensive spot on the second power play being available, here is his opportunity to show how valuable of a player he can be.

Vernon Fiddler—Signed by the Phoenix Coyotes

Last Years Stats: GP 78, G 11, A 6, Pts 17, PIM 24, Plus/Minus -13

Even though he had a rough season last season, Vernon Fiddler is a very good defensive forward that can help any penalty kill while also being a great face off man. That face off ability helped him get 32 points in 2007-08 and he showed a little bit of unexpected offensive flair.

On a team that has a very mediocre power play, look for Gretzky to utilize his face off ability by giving him some power play time to see if it will give it a boost.

Clay Wilson—Signed by the Florida Panthers

Last Years Stats: (AHL) GP 71, G 14, A 33, Pts 47, PIM 35, Plus/Minus 13

Unknown to me as to why nobody has played him, Clay Wilson is a good two-way defenseman that knows how to not only quarterback a power play, but also help on the penalty kill as well.

He has very few blemishes in his game and could be a great partner to go with the big shot of Bryan McCabe, seeing as Jay Bouwmeester left a spot on defense.

Matt Moulson—Signed by the New York Islanders

Last Years Stats: (AHL) GP 57, G 28, A 28, Pts 56, PIM 29, Plus/Minus 5

In the AHL, Matt Moulson is a point-a-game player that has a great shot and is stellar on the power play. He has the potential to be a solid second or third liner in the NHL and all he needs is an opportunity.

Los Angeles couldn't give it to him because of all the young talent that is already there. So he will have his opportunity to show what he's got for the Islanders because with the exception of Tavares, Okposo and Bailey, the forward positions are wide open for this team.

Jeremy Williams—Signed by the Detroit Red Wings

Last Years Stats: GP 11, G 5, A 2, Pts 7, PIM 2, Plus/Minus 2

Being a Leafs fan, I watched Williams play a lot over the years sparingly and every time I saw him play he impressed me. The one thing I never understood is how he didn't impress the Leafs brass enough to give him a full time shot.

He scored in his first three games in the NHL in three separate seasons, the only player to do so. He has a really quick shot and is able to catch goalies off guard. If a spot can open up on a very deep Detroit team, look for Williams to make the most of his opportunity and make an impact on a good team.

Kurtis Foster—Signed by the Tampa Bay Lightning

Last Years Stats: GP 10, G 1, A 5, Pts 6, PIM 6, Plus/Minus 7

One of the better stories from last season, Foster came back to the NHL after breaking his leg going for an iced puck. He was told he may never be able to play hockey again but came back and played admirably late in the season for the Minnesota Wild.

He has a booming shot from the point and can help out any power play in need of a boost, which fits Tampa's power play to a T.

Jay McKee—Signed by the Pittsburgh Penguins

Last Years Stats: GP 69, G 1, A 7, Pts 8, PIM 44, Plus/Minus 11

Once considered to be one of the top defensive defensemen in the league, a series of injuries and a big contract to live up to sidetracked his career in St. Louis. Now he was lucky to be signed by the Stanley Cup Champions in the Pittsburgh Penguins to try to turn it around.

With both Rob Scuderi and Hal Gill leaving in free agency, Jay McKee will be given every opportunity to play as many minutes as he wants on the penalty kill and in even strength.

Anthony Stewart—Signed by the Atlanta Thrashers

Last Years Stats: GP 59, G 2, A 5, Pts 7, PIM 34, Plus/Minus -6

Anthony Stewart will never live up to the potential that the Panthers saw in him when they drafted him in the first round of the 2003 draft. But that doesn't mean that Stewart can't become a good player.

He has the tools to become a solid bottom six guy that can use his size to disrupt the smaller players. As of right now, the Thrashers got rid of a lot of size and grit with the trading of Exelby and Stuart, so here is Stewart's chance to find his niche and finally stick with a NHL club.

I have a new blog and if you want to check it out you can go to http://shanegordonhouse.blogspot.com/ and see all my articles starting from March 7, 2009.

Leafs Sign Enforcer Colton Orr

Shane House — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:24:34 -0400

Brian Burke made his first move of the day by signing Colton Orr to a four-year deal worth $4 million dollars, which will see the the rugged forward making $1 million per season.

Burke said that one of the main issues that he was going to address on July 1 was the Maple Leafs lack of toughness.

Well, he definitely addressed this with the signing of Colton Orr.

Orr ranked third in the NHL last season with 193 PIM, while also contributing one goal and four assists for the New York Rangers.

The 27-year-old tough guy from Winnipeg will be joining his third team in his short six-year career, coincidentally all original six teams.

Toronto Maple Leafs' Draft Analysis: An in Depth Look

Shane House — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:24:54 -0400

Going into this year’s draft, there were a lot of expectations for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Brian Burke held a season ending press conference saying that he would attempt to move up in the draft and attempt to go after John Tavares, which essentially got every Leafs fan excited for the future and excited for the draft.

Of course once again, Leafs fans were let down.

Burke did not move up in the draft and didn’t pull off a miracle in getting John Tavares. But still there was hope in drafting Luke Schenn’s brother Braydon, who was projected to go fifth overall. Fans hoped for the big deal that would see the Leafs move up and get Braydon Schenn.

Once again Leafs fans were disappointed and the Los Angeles Kings did not part with their pick.

So what were we to do next?

With the seventh overall selection, there was a lot of speculation that the Leafs might still trade down to get Zack Kassian, while also getting more draft picks.

But instead of something exciting happening, the Leafs uneventfully drafted Nazem Kadri of the London Knights. A good player and a solid prospect but not what Leafs fans exactly imagined.

Kadri is a small forward with a lot of skill and a nose for the net. Not your typical Brian Burke player. Plus to boot he was a Montreal Canadiens fan, which to be honest, didn’t sit well with me.

So after Friday and Saturday passed, I looked at who we got and was puzzled.

I didn’t know how to take it. No big names and nothing flashy. So I thought I would give it a couple days and wait to see how I felt about the draft.

What I came up with is that the Leafs had an amazing draft, taking all players that would fit the mould of a Brian Burke team. Kind of like the draft, none of them are flashy or the types of players that jump off the page, but if all pan out, will each contribute in a big way with the team.

Here is my scouting report for each player drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft:

First Round, Seventh Overall—Nazem Kadri—London Knights—Center

56GP—25G—53A—78PTS—31PIM

Nazem Kadri is a tall, lanky prospect who has the potential to be a number one center down the road, something that the Maple Leafs have not had for some time. His stick handling is considered to be one of the best from the draft and is also considered a clutch playoff performer, scoring 21 points (9G and 12A) in 14 playoff games. Finally, before his jaw injury, people worried about his toughness. But after coming back from a broken jaw, after only missing 17 games, there is no question that he can play through the pain, which obviously caught Brian Burke’s eye.

Player Comparison: Marc Savard

Second Round, 50th Overall—Kenny Ryan—USNDP—Right Wing

53GP—21G—20A—41PTS—44PIM

Kenny Ryan is a strong skater that plays a very solid two-way game. He is very hard to knock off the puck because of his big size and is a very hard worker in the corners. One thing to note is that he is also very gritty, with Darren McCarty being his favourite player growing up. The difference between the two is that he is also very fast on his feet, being one of the fastest to come from the United States National Development Program.

Player Comparison: Todd Bertuzzi

Second Round, 58th Overall—Jesse Blacker—Windsor—Defenseman

67GP—4G—17A—21PTS—54PIM

Although at first it does not look like it, Jesse Blacker is a great two-way defender with a great defensive presence and an ability to always be in position. He is good in the corners, almost always being able to come out with the puck. He also has an underrated ability to move the puck, something that was not able to be shown with limited ice time last season. Finally, unlike most two-way defenseman, he is a really sound and fast skater, being able to skate back on the rare occasion that he is caught out of position.

Player Comparison: Dennis Wideman

Third Round, 68th Overall—Jamie Devane—Plymouth—Left Wing

64GP—5G—12A—17PTS—92PIM

Even though Devane was unranked by most NHL scouts, this pick makes all the more sense when you look into it. Jamie Devane was one of the biggest fighters in the OHL last season, getting 14 fighting majors last season. What that also tells us is that in playing 64 games, he only got 22 actual penalties, which means that he is not dirty by any means. One thing you can count on with this kid is that he will come into every game playing as hard as he can, while doing everything possible to win. The two big knocks on this kid is that he is not a good skater and has no scoring touch, but in all honesty, I really don’t think Burke drafted him for his gracefulness and scoring ability.

Player Comparison: Chris Neil

Fifth Round, 128th Overall—Eric Knodel—Philadelphia Jr. Flyers—Defenseman

51GP—13G—32A—45PTS—30PIM

The first thing that stands out about this kid is his size, standing at 6'6" while weighing an astonishing 216 lbs. That size is very rarely seen from a high school kid. Another thing that stands out about the kid is his ability to shutdown opposing players, saying that he takes a pride in always having a good plus/minus. Finally, and the most important reason why I think Burke drafted him, is his heart. Knodel is the type of guy that always has a team first mentality and is always willing to do whatever needs to be done in order to win, which means that Burke can mold his 6'6" frame into whatever playing style he wants; something that is very hard to find in a hockey player.

Player Comparison: Pavel Kubina

Sixth Round, 158th Overall—Jerry D’Amigo—USNDP—Right Wing

44GP—19G—24A—43PTS—53PIM

Jerry D’Amigo was ranked 67th by central scouting for this year’s draft. So why did he fall so far? The reason is because of his decision making. Although he does possess great offensive abilities and great puck-handling skills, he sometimes has the habit of losing focus which in turn hinders his decision making on the ice. Not to mention, his defensive game could use some work. But still, you cannot deny his scoring potential and his tenacity with the puck, being another player drafted that has a lot of heart and leadership abilities.

Player Comparison: Brian Gionta

Seventh Round, 188th Overall—Barron Smith—Peterborough—Defenseman

34GP—0G—2A—2PTS—57PIM

Son of former NHLer Steve Smith, he is considered more of a project at this point. But standing at 6'4", there is potential here. He has a great physical aspect to his game, being able to dish out crunching hits. Besides that, there is a lot of work to be done here. His positioning is average at best and his skating leaves a lot to be desired. But I imagine with more playing time in the OHL next season, a lot of those issues will be addressed.

Player Comparison: Greg Zanon

Also, I have a new blog and if you want to check it out you can go to http://shanegordonhouse.blogspot.com/ and see all my articles starting from March 7, 2009.

2009 NHL Mock Draft 2.0

Shane House — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 15:50:27 -0400

A lot has been going on in the NHL over the past month. Jim Balsaille had his third attempt at purchasing an NHL franchise and moving it to Hamilton thwarted by Gary Bettman.

Sidney Crosby and company finally fulfilled their destiny by winning the Stanley Cup, and as always, Alexander Ovechkin won multiple awards at the NHL awards ceremony, only this time in the great city of Las Vegas.

But now with all of these events finally out of the way, the next event on the agenda is of course the draft.

There is still a lot of speculation out there regarding the draft. A lot of players are still quickly rising and dropping in prospect ranking, and there still might be trades going on in between now and when the draft starts on June 27th.

But once again, without further ado, here is my personal Mock Draft, the second edition.

1. The New York Islanders will select John Tavares of the London Knights

This is actually a much harder decision for this team than most people would think. John Tavares is a world class talent, but so is Victor Hedman. This pick will all boil down to one thing.

Does Garth Snow want to rebuild the team, or rebuild the fan base? Both players can be building blocks for the future, but let’s be honest, only one will bring in the fans.

2. The Tampa Bay Lightning will select Victor Hedman from MoDo (Sweden)

Once again this is a much more complicated pick then one would anticipate. Yes this team needs defense and yes Victor Hedman would help them with that problem. But the issue here is whether or not they trade out of the spot to dump salary.

This team has too much salary for next season and General Manager Brian Lawson need to address that before the start of next season. So as for right now, the obvious choice is Hedman. But don't be surprised if that changes in between now and the draft.

3. The Colorado Avalanche will select Matt Duchene of the Brampton Battalion

This to me is a no brainer for the Avalanche. Joe Sakic is coming to the end of the line and they need somebody to replace him. Matt Duchene is a fast, hard working player who is a playmaker and leads by example.

Best part is that he has arguably the best wrist shot out of any prospect in this year’s draft. Sound a little familiar?

4. The Atlanta Thrashers will select Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson from Timra (Sweden)

This was a hard decision because the Thrashers are a team that needs a lot of things. But the most important thing this team needs is a solid first line. They already have two thirds of it with Bryan Little being the center and Ilya Kovalchuk manning the right. So drafting Paajarvi-Svensson makes perfect sense.

It would finally complete a first line that has been incomplete for some time.

5. The Los Angeles Kings will select Evander Kane of the Vancouver Giants

This team is scary enough as it is with the amount of blue chip prospects it has in its system. With this pick, they are adding another one. Evander Kane is a fast power forward that with a year or two of strength training will become a premier power f

Five Things to Expect from this Year's Stanley Cup Finals

Shane House — Sun, 31 May 2009 11:10:25 -0400

The special time of year that is circled by millions of hockey fans around the world has come. That's right, it is the Stanley Cup Finals.

But to make the occasion even that much more special, we are going to be seeing a rematch of last years Stanley Cup contenders in the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Detroit Red Wings.

Few could have written it any better. The touted league MVP in Sidney Crosby comes back with his trusty sidekick, Evgeni Malkin, a year wiser to face the veteran team in the Detroit Red Wings.

But with the Pittsburgh Penguins that much more experienced and the Detroit Red Wings that much older, what can we expect from this years playoffs?

Sidney Crosby will finally show his true colours.

Throughout this guy's NHL career, he has been amazing and breath taking while on the ice, but has shown little personality in the process. Sure you will see an occasional fist pump after scoring a goal once in a while, but besides that, little is seen from the superstar in the way of personality, almost being robotic while on the ice.

But after losing last year in a close Game six of the Stanley Cup Finals, he will be looking to avenge it with a win this year.

Sometimes wanting something that badly will make a man act differently. Let's see if we can get that personality that everybody has been sorely looking for.

This series will be fast and fierce.

Both sides are very well conditioned and are hard skaters. One side is a fast, finesse team, while the other is a fast, forechecking team. Both strategies will work well for each team, just at different times in the series.

Look for this series to be an end-to-end battle that will not let up and be high in scoring chances.

Both Chris Osgood and Marc-Andre Fleury will be great.

Osgood is trying to prove critics wrong by showing that he has a lot left in the tank and is still a great goaltender. Fleury is trying to prove that he is an elite goaltender who deserves recognition.

Even though there will be a lot of goals in this series, that doesn't mean that the goaltending will be bad. Both sides are, simply, great scoring teams.

But there will also be some amazing saves.

Look for both goaltenders to steal a game in this series.

This series will not make it to a seventh game.

One of two scenarios will happen with this series.

The first is that Detroit will be just too beat up and the Pittsburgh Penguins will wear them down both physically and mentally. The second is that Detroit's experience will once again be too much for Pittsburgh to handle, and they will take the series because of how well they handle the pressure.

Either way, I doubt that anybody will be disappointed with this series.

The Conn Smythe will go to either Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin

Crosby and Malkin lead the playoff points race by seven points over the next leading scorer.

Who is that leading scorer?

Alexander Ovechkin who's team was beat out by Pittsburgh in the second round of the playoffs.

Unless a player on either team absolutely carries their team through the Stanley Cup Finals, only Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin should be considered for the Conn Smythe.

The only thing now to determine is which one will win it.

My Interview Questions For Bryant McFadden

Shane House — Tue, 19 May 2009 00:02:24 -0400

One thing that I have learned in my time with Bleacher Report is that it is always the most popular of topics and the most popular of players that are the most read.

But another thing I learned, which came from an interview that Bleacher Report had with Jeff Pearlman, is that the best and most interesting information you can get about something does not come from the star players, but the lesser known role players that most people do not know about.

For my interview questions, instead of aiming them toward star players like Kurt Warner, Anquan Boldin, or Larry Fitzgerald; I am aiming them toward a recently signed cornerback, Bryant McFadden, who came over from the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason.

While conducting this interview, I would try to make it as casual as possible so I could get the most interesting answers out of the interviewee, while still keeping the questions informative so I would still get the information I wanted from the person.

Here are my questions for an interview with Bryant McFadden:

What was it like to be drafted by such a storied franchise like Pittsburgh in the second round of the 2005 draft?
Was there any pressure to perform coming into your first training camp?
What was the first thing you bought when you signed your contract with the Steelers?
What advice would you give this year's first and second round draft picks on how to deal with the pressure of that title?
What was your main reason for signing with the Arizona Cardinals and did Ken Whisenhunt have anything to do with it?
You played under Ken Whisenhunt for two season. Even though you play defense and he was an Offensive Coordinator what is your fondest memory of him when both of you were in Pittsburgh?
Did you speak to him at any time when both Pittsburgh and Arizona made it to the Super Bowl?
You won two Super Bowls with Pittsburgh in the four years you played there, one in 2005 and one last season. After either of those wins, did you ever end up going to Disneyland?
Seeing how the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cardinals in the final two minutes of the game to win the Super Bowl, do you think that your new teammates will be hard on you at the beginning of training camp?
Do you feel like you will have a legitimate chance at a starting role this season?
Who do you feel is your biggest competition on this team in order to get a starting role?
Even though you have only been here for a short time, do you think that this team has a shot at improving upon its record from last season?
In your opinion, does this team have another shot at making the Super Bowl?
Final question, which is probably the most important of all. Which city has better weather, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania or Tempe, Arizona?

Those are the questions. Barring what I am asked to look for and how long I would be able to interview him, the questions would be subject to change. But these would be the questions I would ask if I had the chance to interview Bryant McFadden.

Can the Arizona Cardinals Win it All, or are They Going to Stumble?

Shane House — Mon, 18 May 2009 00:24:10 -0400

What a season the Cardinals had last year. I doubt that anybody could have guessed that Cinderella Story at the beginning of the season.

A team that had not made the Super Bowl in 60 years coming within inches of winning it all. That is quite a feat considering that this team hadn't made the playoffs in 11 years and only once in the last quarter century.

But now that they have made it to the Super Bowl, what can they do for an encore. What can they do to top it all. Well, there is only one thing they can do, actually win it all.

But can they really do it?

Do they really have a team that is talented enough to go all the way?

They definitely have a better team then last year. With the Addition of Beanie Wells with there first round draft pick, it gives the Cardinals a much more balanced and dangerous offensive attack.

Plus with an emerging offensive line that can only get better with the addition of Donovan Raiola, this team definitely has one of the top three most dangerous offenses in the NFL.

The issue with this team last season was defense.

Even though they did sometimes steal games late with there defense, they gave up way too many points to teams that should have been easily shut down (examples being San Francisco and Seattle.)

But luckily, Ken Whisenhunt addressed this during the draft, taking four defensive players out of the first six picks of the draft.

The first being Cody Brown, an under-sized defensive end taken in the second round that will most likely be moved into the outside linebacker position to learn from the ever aging Chike Okeafor.

The third round pick, Rashad Johnson, is a player that might suprise a lot of people. He is a safety out of Alabama that, if put into the right situation, will bring this defense to the next level by seasons end.

But with all these additions and solid draft picks, how could this team be threatened?

With an improved NFC West, that's what.

Last seasons emergence of the Arizona Cardinals didn't come with a little help. The Seattle Seahawks were decimated by injuries and both the San Francisco 49ers and St. Louis Rams were just awful.

But this season is different.

The Seattle Seahawks are completely healthy now to start the season and with the addition of T.J. Houshmandzadeh, this team is dangerous once again.

The San Francisco 49ers on the other hand recieved a gift in this seasons draft with the likes of Michael Crabtree.

This, with the likes of a very good coach in Mike Singletary, make for a dark horse in the NFC West this up coming season.

These teams will definitely be a threat to the former NFC Champions and will look to regain there dominance in the NFC West.

So what is the final verdict for the Arizona Cardinals?

They are still the same team that made the Super Bowl last season and in my opinion only got better this offseason, the problem is that even though the Cardinals got better, the rest of the NFC West got better also which means that this season will be much tougher for the Cardinals to get back to the Super Bowl.

My prediction is that they will make the playoffs, they just wont get back to the Super Bowl. They still lack a complete team that is strong at every position, something that is required to be a consistent contender in the NFL.

If Anquan Boldin Left, Could Steve Breaston Pick Up the Slack?

Shane House — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:10:41 -0400

All the talk in the NFL this week is stating that Anquan Boldin is going to be traded. Whether it be before the draft or after doesn't make a difference. What matters is, one of the best possession receivers in the league is going to be leaving and will need to be replaced.

During last year's horrendous injury, Boldin was only out for two games and a bye week, which absolutely astonished me. But, I digress. People said the Cardinals were screwed until Boldin came back.

Then came the likes of Steve Breaston.

In the two games that Arizona played after Boldin left, they beat two then-undefeated teams in the Buffalo Bills and Dallas Cowboys. They were amazing in both of them, and both got people talking.

The stats people seem to miss in those games are Steve Breaston's.

In those two games, he got a combined 15 receptions for 179 yards and one touchdown while averaging 11.9 yards a carry.

That is by no means something to shake a stick at.

Those are impressive numbers.

Plus, not to forget, playing as a third receiver, Breaston got a total of 1,006 yards in 77 receptions.

He played very well throughout the whole season and showed he has the talents to start in this league.

So, to be honest, I actually believe that if or when Boldin gets traded, the Arizona Cardinals won't suffer as badly as most people think. They have good players to pick up the slack for them.

I have a new blog, and if you want to check it out you can go to Shane House and see all my articles starting from Mar. 7, 2009.

2009 NHL Mock Draft 1.0

Shane House — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 00:34:21 -0400

When most teams loose these days, usually one of the reasons behind it is so they will get a good draft pick in the next years draft. This year is no exception with the New York Islanders bombing the season just so they can have a chance at drafting one of the most talked about prospects in recent memory, John Tavares.

But not to be outdone is the almost equally as talented defenseman Victor Hedman, who has been compared to the likes of fellow countryman Borje Salming and Niklas Lidstrom. The only difference being about five inches in height.

Still, even without those two prospects, this is going to be a very deep and talented draft. Sadly though, I can only do until the 14th pick because the NHL playoffs haven't been completed yet.

It is also not known yet what trades might be made in between now and the time of the draft.

But without further ado, here is my projected 2009 NHL Mock Draft.

1. The New York Islanders will select John Tavares of the London Knights

This is a no brainer pick. John Tavares is easily the best forward in this draft and has been compared to the likes of Wayne Gretzky. With absolutely no offensive talents on this team outside the likes of Kyle Okposo, Tavares will have some growing pains. But with the continued struggles of this team, it is about time to give this franchise a face and bring some excitement back to Long Island.

2. The Tampa Bay Lightning will select Victor Hedman from Modo (Sweden)

Even if the Lightning won the first overall pick in this years draft, I still think they would make this pick. The Tampa Bay Lightning easily had one of the worst defenses in the NHL last season and it showed. So the addition of Hedman will give an automatic boost to a struggling Lightning team and give them further optimism for next season.

3. The Colorado Avalanche will select Matt Duchene of the Brampton Battalion

With the ever aging Joe Sakic expected to retire this season and there only legitimate scoring center being Paul Stastny, this team needs depth down the middle. Duchene could make the team out of the draft and immediately give them a second line. Plus he has the best acceleration I have seen in some time and his playmaking ability is stellar. At worst will make the team for the 2010-2011 season.

4. The Atlanta Thrashers will select Evander Kane of the Vancouver Giants

One of Don Cherry's favourite players, Evander Kane is a great scorer while bringing a physical presence with his small frame. He would definitely give Ilya Kovalchuk reason to stay in Atlanta while fitting in perfectly on a team lacking real talented scorers. Plus when he finally does fill out a little bit, will be an amazing player in the NHL.

5. The Los Angeles Kings will select Magnus Svensson-Paajarvi of Timra (Sweden)

This team already has a stable of prospects that is almost scary to look at and with another player that has been compared to Peter Forsberg being thrown into the mix, I can only imagine how good they soon will be. Plus with he fact that the Kings have chosen defenders in the past two drafts, this pick makes the most sense.

6. The Phoenix Coyotes will select Jared Cowan of the Spokane Chiefs

The Phoenix Coyotes are another team that has a scary amount of prospects and with Derek Morris being traded at the Trade Deadline, Wayne Gretzky will be looking for another defenseman to fill that hole. Even though he is a year or two away from making the NHL, Jared Cowan has the potential to be a premier shutdown defenseman in the NHL.

7. The Toronto Maple Leafs will select Braydon Schenn of the Brandon Wheat Kings

Brina Burke will move up in the draft easily but if he were to stick with this pick, I would imagine that he would go with Braydon Schenn. He is the type of player that leads by example. He works hard every shift and is always there to stick up for his teammates. Plus with his brother being Luke Schenn, how could Burke turn down such a good opportunity at another pair of brothers.

8. The Dallas Stars will select Nazem Kadri of the London Knights

If not for the trade that was made for John Tavares, Nazem Kadri would be on the top line of this team. He is a highly skilled, hard working player that is a brilliant skater. Plus with Mike Madano not getting any younger, it would be smart for the Dallas Stars to draft their player of the future. Look for Kadri to make the line-up not this season, but the season after that in 2010.

9. The Ottawa Senators will select Ryan Ellis of the Windsor Spitfires

The Ottawa Senators biggest problem was not having an offensive defenseman to man the power play and give that great first pass to the big three. Ryan Ellis is easily the best offensive defenseman prospect in this draft and has an amazing first pass. All he needs is a little more work with his defensive game and he will be a top offensive defenseman in the NHL.

10. The Edmonton Oilers will select Zack Kassian of the Peterborough Petes

One of the biggest issues with the Oilers this season was there lack of grit and toughness. Kassian will not only bring both of those to the table, but will also bring an offensive game as well. He is a great power forward who is always moving his feet and isn't scared to drop the gloves. Something that the Oilers sorely need.

11. The Nashville Predators will select Jordan Schroeder from the University of Minnesota

He will drop in this draft because of his size, but Nashville will be smart enough to pick him up. He is a great skill forward who has great hands and playmaking ability. Not to mention he is fast as well. He will of course spend another year or two at the University of Minnesota but will be NHL ready as soon as he comes out.

12. The Minnesota Wild will select Simon Despres of the Saint John Sea Dogs

Simon is a big, smart defenseman who can hit and is defensively sound. He can also score, but his repertoire is defense. Think of the more offensive version of Derek Morris. He is just solid all round. Plus with a team that only preaches defense and nothing more, he will fit in perfectly. The only knock on this guy is his skating. So he will probably take a couple years to develop.

13. The Buffalo Sabres will select John Moore of the Chicago Steel (USHL)

With Teppo Nummenin likely to retire and the defense getting a little grey, it will be a smart decision for Darcy Regier to draft John Moore. He basically has the same report as Simon Despres, only a little more offensive and a little less defensive. So don't expect him with the Sabres for a couple years.

14. The Florida Panthers will select Dmitri Kulikov of the Drummondville Voltigeurs

Absolutely phenomenal offensive defenseman getting over a point-a-game during the regular season and getting an astounding 17 points in only nine playoff games, Kulikov is an offensive force. That being said, his defensive side leaves something to be desired and same goes for his skating ability. But his potential cannot be ignored. Plus with the Panthers expected to loose Bouwmeester, Cullimore and Eminger on defense, it would be smart for them to take a flier on the Russian defender.

Once the playoffs are completed, I will be posting an updated, full version of my first round mock draft.

I have a new blog and if you want to check it out you can go to http://shanegordonhouse.blogspot.com/ and see all my articles starting from March 7, 2009.

Five Things To Expect from the Toronto Maple Leafs Come Offseason

Shane House — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 19:43:06 -0400

Brian Burke has not only stated that the Toronto Maple Leafs will be going through a series of rapid changes this season, he has also stated that the Maple Leafs will make the playoffs next season.

Both are statements that make an impact on Toronto fans everywhere, but only one seems far fetched. I would love to believe that the Maple Leafs will make the playoffs next season, but I have yet to see all the players that will be in that potential playoff caliber line-up.

Regardless of what I believe, this is what Brian Burke believes. He believes in the Toronto Maple Leafs and in this team. I not only find his straight forward remarks entertaining, but I also find them refreshing and honest. You can't help but respect his honesty and direct approach towards the media and fans.

With so much going on with an organization that has usually remained dormant and quiet at this point of the season, people can't help but speculate what will happen this offseason.

Being a die-hard fan of the Maple Leafs, I can't help myself either. This is a team going through a lot of change and I want my two cents.

Despite how many have a chance of being right, these are my predictions on what Brian Burke will do this offseason.

1. Jonas Gustavsson will be a Maple Leaf

As I was aware from both the Brian Burke's press conference and a Mark Smith article on Bleacher Report, the Maple Leafs are avidly seeking the services of Jonas Gustavsson. The only other threat for signing the player is Dallas, but Gustavsson's agent has stated that his client not only wants to play in the NHL, but have a chance to start.

Brian Burke has gone to Sweden and had a meeting with Gustavsson and told him he would have every opportunity to take the starting position from Vesa Toskala.

With money being no option (both Dallas and Toronto offered a $900,000 entry level contract), playing time and team staff are the only two things that Gustavsson has to decide on.

Judging how he has stated that he wants to play, look for Gustavsson to be in a Maple Leafs uniform very soon.

2. Brian Burke will try to move up in the draft to get John Tavares

Ever since the Leafs season began, I have dreamed of the thought of having Tavares in a Leafs uniform. he is the type of elite player that the Leafs sorely missed this season and is a player that Burke is not scared to go for.

"We'll immediately attempt to move up," Burke said during a morning news conference. "We're going to talk to everyone between us and the first pick and see what the landscape is. We're going to see what it costs and we're going to try and move up."

In the press conference, Brian Burke also spoke very highly of Tavares. He talked about how he shows the will to win at whatever cost and how he is very strong down the middle.

I personally have never seen Burke talk so highly of a prospect, not even about Chris Pronger or the Sedin twins when he traded for them.

Make no questions, Brian Burke will do everything in his power to make this happen. It all matters on how much he has to give up for him.

3. Either Tomas Kaberle or Pavel Kubina will be traded this offseason

Even though this seasons play may not have dictated it, Toronto's strength is still defense.

On top of the always solid play that comes from Kubina and Kaberle, the Leafs also have the emergence of Luke Schenn, a continually growing talent in Ian White, and quality play from Jeff Finger, Jonas Frogren and Mike Van Ryn. Not to mention the players that are waiting in the minors in Jaime Sifers and Phil Oreskovic.

So with all of this depth at defense, and the Maple Leafs ready to move up in the draft, look for either Kaberle or Kubina to be traded this offseason. Both have clauses in there contracts that give the Leafs till July 1st to trade either player, and they both have given Brian Burke a list of teams that they would like to be traded too.

Whether it be for another first round pick, for another player/prospect or to help them move up in the draft, one of these players should be gone by July 1.

4. Michael Cammalleri will be a Maple Leaf

Close to the end of the season, while having contract negotiations with the Calgary Flames. Cammalleri was interviewed and asked about his contract negotiations and whether or not he was interested in going to the Maple Leafs.

I don't have the exact quote, but he stated that if the Leafs were willing to match the offer that Calgary put on the table, then he would sign with the Leafs. If not, then he would come back with the Flames.

So with that statement, a door opened for Brian Burke to sign an impact player that he can build around.

Although Cammalleri is small, he is still a very skilled player that isn't scared to get dirty. He can score goals in bunches and can fit well on a line with almost anybody.

The only problem here is once again money. Michael Cammalleri is looking for around $5.5-to-6 million a season for a long-term deal. General Manager Darryl Sutter is looking to give him around $4.5-to-5 million per season.

I could see Calgary giving him around 5.5 million seeing has Cammalleri scored 39 goals while giving Iginla a legitimate partner to work with.

The issue here is Brian Burke. He is obviously targeting players to sign but is also looking to keep the team salary down. Depending on how much Cammalleri is offered by Calgary this offseason will determine whether he is in a Flames or a Maple Leaf uniform next season.

5. Expect Brian Burke to sign two impact players come July 1st

Brian Burke is not a patient man nor a subtle man. He is not scared to be vocal when he is frustrated or going after what he wants. In his end-of-season press conference, he stated that he will be aggressive this offseason and a lot of changes will be made.

After hearing this, my mind went crazy trying to comprehend what the Maple Leafs line-up is going to look like. But seeing as it is still only the playoffs and the offseason hasn't even started yet, my mind drew a blank.

One thing I did realize is that the Maple Leafs will have a lot of salary cap room at there disposal come July 1, so money is not much of a factor.

With a combination of a General Manager looking to make changes and a lot of salary cap room, we will not only see a different team, but we will also see multiple impact players in a Leafs uniform come July 1.

I am not saying who because I honestly have no clue what is going through Brian Burke's mind. All I can say is this off-season will be a very entertaining one for the Blue and White so expect the unexpected come July 1 and you wont be surprised with what comes out of it.

I have a new blog and if you want to check it out you can go to http://shanegordonhouse.blogspot.com/ and see all my articles starting from March 7, 2009.

Wayne Gretzky's Retirement: Ten Years Since the End of an Era

Shane House — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:55:24 -0400

In this day and age, legends are hard to come by. Whether it be in sports, politics or life, they are hard to find. So when one comes around, a lot of people take notice.

Nowhere is this truer than in the sports world.

All it takes is that one play, one catch, one goal or one hit and you are forever known in history as that person. That guy that made that amazing play in that historic game.

For some people this holds true; like David Tyree, Joe Carter or Paul Henderson. They hold a place in history as being good players achieving great things when it counted the most.

For these men, it is a great part of their lives that will forever put them in the echelon of greatness. But although these moments do make them famous and forever known in sports history, it does not make them legendary players.

Legendary players are people who have done things in their respective sport that no one else has achieved. They are the heroes and the ambassadors of the game that they play and love. They are leaders and role models for thousands of people.

No player embodies these qualities better than Wayne Gretzky.

He was a player like no other. He was humble, passionate and always put his teammates above himself.

He played for the love of the game, no matter what his role was. He was classy beyond belief, and always had a place in hockey fans hearts.

That is why, on April 16th, 1999, hockey fans across the world were surprised to hear that the Great One was playing his last game in two days against the Penguins.

"Today I have decided that I have officially retired. Sunday will be my last game, and to me, this is a party, this is a celebration. I loved it and thank you."

He never mentioned anything about his accomplishments or what he has achieved; all he mentioned was how he loved the game and his time in the NHL.

I remember that day. It was on the front page of every newspaper I looked at. My eyes were wide in disbelief. I was never that huge of a fan of the Rangers or Wayne Gretzky, but even at the young age of 11, I knew how much he meant to the game of hockey.

So the next day, I went out with my mom and spent all of my money on a Wayne Gretzky poster. At the time, it was a big purchase for me and it meant a lot, and if not for my mother redecorating my room after I moved out, I would still have that poster.

But regardless, I did it out of respect of the Great One. He was after all, our ambassador, our leader, and the hero that all hockey fans admired.

So when Sunday rolled around, I was ready.

I remember that day vividly, I woke up around ten to the smell of bacon and eggs cooking. So when I ate, I asked my dad when the game was and he told me it was at two. So I got dressed and went outside and started to shoot pucks into the make shift net my dad made.

Oddly enough, instead of pretending to be Dougy Gilmour like I always had, I was pretending to be Wayne Gretzky. Scoring that game winning goal to win the Stanley Cup or scoring a goal to win a game, I was pretending to be the Great One.

So when the time came to watch the game, I was glued to the television screen. Every time Gretzky was on the ice you knew because the crowd cheered and chanted his name. I paid attention to every move he made on the ice, skating so smoothly around the net.

The best part of the game was when he set up a Brian Leetch goal.

It was a power play and he skated into the zone with the puck. He passed it to Schneider right away who then made a slap pass to Leetch in front of the net. Leetch slid it into the net for the goal.

You could tell Wayne was happy. As he glided behind the net to find Leetch to celebrate, he had the biggest smile on his face. The whole crowd was cheering his name once again.

There were two things I remembered about that game, one was the fact that everybody on that Rangers team gave it their all to get that man a goal. They tried desperately to give him every chance to get that last goal in his last game.

I even remember them interviewing the Penguins goalie at the end of the game. It was Tom Barrasso and he said that he felt bad for every time he stopped one of Wayne’s shots because he wanted him to have that moment. But he also knew that out of respect, he had to play hard just like Wayne did, because Wayne never liked things to be given to him.

That’s the respect that Wayne Gretzky got on the ice. He never demanded people for their respect nor did he ask for it. He earned it by playing hard day in and day out and by being the best person he could possibly be, on and off the ice.

When the game ended, Wayne was given a standing ovation and cheers from the crowd. They all chanted his name as he skated gracefully around the ice. They showed people in the stands, crying as they chanted his name.

Even the Great One couldn't hold back his tears, nor could I.

As I sat there looking at the television screen, I wept. I realized that the game was not only losing a great player on the ice that day, but they were losing a legend.

Wayne Gretzky accomplished a lot of things. He holds 61 records in the NHL which include scoring the most goals, assists and points in NHL history. He was the quickest to ever score 50 goals, doing it in a mere 39 games. He holds the record as the only player to ever score 100 goals in a season (including playoffs.) He has won four Stanley Cups, countless awards and scoring titles.

But what makes this man a legend is who he is. He is humble, classy, and most importantly, he is genuine. He never lied about who he was and never gave attitude to anybody. He gave people the same amount of respect that he wanted in return.

This month is the ten year anniversary of his retirement. It has been ten years since the Great One has skated for a team.

His last game happened on April 18, 1999, the perfect ending for the career of the greatest player of all time.

In a video I watched about his last game, Harry Neale has two quotes that I am going to use to help close out this article. One is his own, and the other is a quote from a poem written by Walt Wittman that he uses to describe the end of Gretzky’s career.

“His candle burns at both ends, it may not last a night, but ah my foes and oh my friends, it gives a lovely light.”

This second is a quote from Harry Neale describing Wayne Gretzky’s career:

“When you start comparing Wayne, you talk about Babe Ruth, you talk about Michael Jordan, you talk about Jimmy Brown, you are talking about the best in their sports.”

He did not quit the game because of an injury or because he was too old, he quit at the top of his game on his own terms.

So when April 18 rolls around and you are getting ready to watch the playoffs, take a moment to remember that exactly ten years ago, an Era had ended and the greatest player in the history of hockey took off his skates for the last time as an NHL player.

Who Should Brian Burke Go After This Offseason?

Shane House — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 02:03:16 -0400

With the Maple Leafs being out of contention for the playoffs for quite some time, most people are looking towards he draft. But Brian Burke has spoken adamantly about building the team both through the draft and through free agency.

With all the talk focused on who the Leafs would take in the first round, I thought it would be appropriate to talk about what players Brian Burke should go for in free agency.

Mike Komisarek - D

6 foot 4, 237 pounds, Age 27

The type of defensemen that Brian Burke goes for is tough, gritty and good in the defensive zone. Mike Komisarek fits all those qualities and is big to boot.

Even though Montreal wants the All-Star back for next year, he might be expendable with ten other unrestricted free agents needing to be signed this off-season in Montreal.

With rumours swirling that Kubina or Kaberle will be gone by the 2009 draft, Mike Komisarek might be on the top of Burke's radar.

Travis Moen - LW

6 foot 2, 215 pounds, Age 26

The Maple Leafs currently have Brad May on the team to bring grit, experience and toughness to a line-up that has none. The problem with this is that Brad May is a 37 year old tough guy.

That is where Travis Moen comes in. He is built in the exact mold of Brad May, just 11 years younger. He may not be the best defensive player, but he brings toughness and experience that cannot be matched by most other young free agents out there.

If Brad May retires, look for Brian Burke to try everything he has to sign the experienced Moen.

Dominic Moore - C

6 foot 0, 188 pounds, Age 28

Brian Burke tried to get him signed before the trade deadline and Dominic Moore just wanted too much money.

The Buffalo Sabres traded for him to make a playoff push but it seems like they will come up just short.

With Moore expecting someone to pay over $2 million for his services, he might have to wait to find a buyer. The Maple Leafs will make an offer, it all just matters on whether he is willing to bite his pride and take a pay cut to play for his favourite team growing up.

Mike Cammalleri - LW

With the Calgary Flames, Michael Cammalleri has had the best season of his career, scoring at a point-a-game pace while playing along side perennial All-Stars in Jarome Iginla and Olli Jokinen.

So why would he want to leave Calgary?

To play for his favourite team growing up of course.

He has stated that he would like to play for the Maple Leafs and all that is stopping him is how much Brian Burke is willing to pay him. If Brian Burke matches whatever Darryl Sutter offers, then Cammalleri could be in a Maple Leafs uniform real soon.

Martin Gerber - G

5 foot 11, 199 pounds, Age 34

Literally a month ago, Martin Gerber was playing for the Binghamton Senators of the AHL. Now, he is the starter of the Maple Leafs.

Since joining the Leafs, Gerber has shown the ability to play consistently, something that he could not find in Ottawa.

With Vesa Toskala showing that he needs competition to play at his best, signing Martin Gerber as a back-up could be a good decision. Just matters how much money Gerber is expecting and what exactly Burke is looking for in a back-up.

Tyler Bozak - D

6 foot 0, 165 pounds, Age 23

How this guy went so long without being drafted baffles me. In his last season in the BCHL, Tyler Bozak collected 45 goals and 83 assists for 123 points, and that's as a defensemen.

In college, his career stats over two seasons is 60 games played, 26 goals, 31 assists, and 57 points. The astonishing thing about him is that he ahsn't even reached his Junior year yet. If the Maple Leafs can get there hands on this guy, they will have a power play specialist for years to come.

Jay Bouwmeester - D

6 foot 4, 212 pounds, Age 25

He has a rare combination of size, speed, toughness and scoring ability. Jay Bouwmeester is the real deal and every team in the NHL will want him this off-season.

The only question mark with this guy is how he will perform in the post-season. With Florida, he has never made it to the playoffs. But Brian Burke is still very excited at the thought of signing this guy and he is a player that you can build a franchise around.

The Maple Leafs will throw a lot of money Bouwmeester's way. It is all a matter of which team Bouwmeester feels fits him best.

Matt Gilroy - D

6 foot 2, 195 pounds, Age 24

Matt Gilroy is the most touted college prospect this season. He has speed, size, and is a great two-way defensemen. If you can't imagine how he would play, think of a bigger, more skilled Jordan Leopold.

Brian Burke has attended several of Gilroy's games and is looking to sign him when the Frozen Four is over. But apparently 24 other teams are looking at his services. If the Maple Leafs can land this player, then they will have a great prospect that is ready for the NHL.

Yann Danis - G

6 foot 0, 181 pounds, Age 27

Before this season, Yann Danis was looking like a career AHLer who had his time in the sun with the Canadiens a couple years back.

But after Rick DiPietro went down for the season and Joey McDonald stumbled or a bit, Danis got his second shot, and boy did he take advantage of it.

On a team that is by far the worst team in the NHL, Danis has racked up 9 wins, 13 losses, 2.66 GAA and a .916 SPCT. If not for the unexpected run of Scott Clemmensen, Yann Danis would have been the comeback goalie of the year.

Mattering what Brian Burke is looking for, Yann Danis would be a perfect fit for the back-up goalie position.

Samuel Pahlsson - C

6 foot 0, 204 pounds, Age 31

Now in the prime of his career, Sami Pahlsson is the type of player you don't notice, which in his case is a good thing.

He is never out of position, he is great on the penalty kill and is one of the best in the NHL in the face-off circle. Not to mention Brian Burke was the one who traded for him.

He would fit perfectly on the fourth line and brings playoff experience and a Stanley Cup ring to the team.

All these players are not only players that Brian Burke loves to have on his teams, but also would fit well in Ron Wilson's system and fill roles that are missing on the team.

Information for this article came from NHL.com and an article on Bleacher Report called Porter's Weekly Leafland Talk: Top Free Agent's On the Market Come July 1.

I have a new blog and if you want to check it out you can go to http://shanegordonhouse.blogspot.com/ and see all my articles starting from March 7, 2009.

Five Maple Leafs Players That Have Overstayed Their Welcome

Shane House — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 20:03:20 -0400

The Toronto Maple Leafs are a team that is not known for their drafting. It is a simple fact for any Maple Leafs fan to realize. But another thing that the Leafs have a habit of doing is keeping players for too long.

Whether they be prospects, veterans, or free agent signings, the Leafs have a habit of keeping players in hope that they turn it around to make the GM not look like a screw up.

But most of the time, they never turn it around, and instead of contributing on a consistent basis, they just remain there.

Anyways, here are some players that are a part of the Maple Leafs that they should just finally give up on and let go.

Ben Ondrus

I never really had a lot of hope for Ondrus. With the minor-league Marlies, he is a gritty, two-way leader that is able to put the puck in the net.

In the NHL, he is slow, unskilled, and forces himself to fight almost every game just to contribute in the NHL in some way.

I believe that he will always and forever be a career AHLer who will never have any sticking power. He will rather stick with the Marlies for the rest of his career or move to Europe. Either way, the Leafs need to make room for another player to have his chance.

Career NHL Statistics: 51GP, 0G, 2A, 2PTS, -19, 77PIM

Staffan Kronwall

I remember when the Maple Leafs were so high on Kronwall that they considered him to be a potential top-four defenseman. Even I believed that he had a lot of potential to be a solid player in the NHL.

Well, with a couple of unlucky injuries and some lackluster showings with the big club, Kronwall played himself right out of the NHL.

He has played with the Marlies for far too long and is playing at the Maple Leafs deepest position. I honestly do not believe the Leafs will keep him after this season, and I do not see him wanting to stay either.

Career NHL Statistics: 55GP, 0G, 1A, 1PTS, -6, 21PIM

Bates Battaglia

I personally love Bates and even have a drunk cap with my buddies called the Bates Battaglia helmet of awesomeness, but this respected veteran has become a career AHLer and I honestly can't stand it.

He was a great player pre-lockout. But the new NHL has made his lack of speed really stick out. I hate to say it but it is time for him to make his way out of this organization and let a younger player get his shot.

Hopefully, I am wrong and a team picks him up looking for some veteran leadership.

Career NHL Statistics: 580GP, 80G, 118A, 198PTS, -34, 385PIM

Kris Newbury

Not a lot of people know this, but Newbury was acquired in the deal that saw Owen Nolan come to the Maple Leafs. Yeah I know, tragic to think about.

But at first, I was actually impressed. In his first stint in the NHL, he showed all the tangibles to be a solid, gritty forward. He had speed; he had the ability to put the puck in the net; and he had a nasty streak that coaches love.

But after that season, he seemed to loose all of that and, instead, turn into a Darcy Tucker-type that is out of position, barely contributes, and, most importantly, can't score. He is 27 now and shows no signs of improving.

Once again, it is time to let this career AHLer go and make room for a younger player to develop.

Career NHL Statistics: 44GP, 3G, 3A, 6PTS, -3, 60PIM

Boyd Devereaux

Was drafted sixth overall by the Edmonton Oilers in 1996 and has never really panned out as the power forward as most hoped.

Instead, he developed into a fourth liner who is good on the penalty kill.

Nothing wrong with a player like that. He plays hard every game and brings grit to the bottom line.

The problem here is the fact that the Leafs have those types of players all over their line-up. The only difference is that most of those players are better.

So when the Leafs go into next season still rebuilding, who would they rather have in their line-up?

A skilled player they signed as a free agent, a young stud that will have a chance to develop and get better, or Boyd Devereaux? I think you can guess which choice Leafs' management will make.

Hopefully Devereaux will find an NHL team looking for a defensive player, but most likely, he will be put back into the minors, just not with the Toronto Marlies.

Career NHL Statistics: 619GP, 61G, 109A, 170PTS, -1, 203PIM

So there you have it. As good as these players might be and as much potential as they might have had, they have been with this organization too long.

Something tells me that Brian Burke will most likely let these players go, maybe keeping one behind to have some veteran presence on the Marlies.

I have a new blog and if you want to check it out you can go to http://shanegordonhouse.blogspot.com/ and see all my articles starting from March 7, 2009.

What Is the State of the NHL in the United States?

Shane House — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 11:54:49 -0400

The state of the NHL in the United States is a funny thing and is very hard to understand. In some places it is successful, and in other places it is struggling to stay afloat.

What I am trying to figure out is the opinions of the fans. I want to see what fans think are the issues that are causing the NHL to be so unsuccessful in some places.

So that is why I created a survey. I want as many people as possible to answer, and I will post the questions and answers on Bleacher Report next week.

Click

http://cs.createsurvey.com/c/07/3107/survey/4188-9NEuw7.htm

to do the survey.

Thank you to whoever does the survey and even if you don't want to do it, give me your opinion on the situation of the NHL right below this article as a response.

Thanks,

Shane House

Is Martin Gerber Playing Himself into a Job Next Year?

Shane House — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 08:24:11 -0400

With the exception of last night's 8-6 win, Martin Gerber's play in net has been solid. In every game that he has played, he has given the Leafs a chance to win.

He has also shown that he still has the ability to make the big save when needed to.

Before this, when he played for the Ottawa Senators, he showed no confidence. Even while playing with the AHL team, the Binghamton Senators, he only had three out of five possible wins and a 3.15 GAA.

Those type of numbers really could harm your chances at sustaining an NHL career.

But, luckily for Gerber, Brian Burke was in the market for a goaltender to replace Vesa Toskala, because neither Curtis Joseph nor Justin Pogge seized the opportunity to start.

So it was a match made in heaven.

At worse, Gerber could have just finished out the season on an average note and walked off into the sunset to never be heard from again.

Instead, the 34-year-old Swiss might as well have saved his career so far—showing that he can still play at a high level. If he can keep this up, he might be playing himself into a longer stay with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

With the expected retiring of Joseph at the end of this season, and the obvious fact that Pogge is just not ready for the NHL yet, it looks like there will be an opening beside Toskala next season.

The only problem I could see happening with this is Gerber not accepting that he would be a backup for this team. But, hopefully, he is willing to accept that. Because, by the looks of it, Toskala needs a little competition in net, and Gerber is just the type of goaltender who could give it to him.

I have a new blog, and if you want to check it out, you can go here and see all my articles starting from March 7, 2009.

Arizona Cardinals' Early Review: Position Analysis and Draft Predictions

Shane House — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 01:47:17 -0400

Quarterback

Until a couple of weeks ago, the quarterback situation seemed murky at best. Kurt Warner was testing Free Agency to see what offers were around and it looked as though there might be a chance that Matt Leinart would be our starter next season.

But that thought was squashed last week when Arizona re-signed Kurt Warner to a two year contract. That, along with the re-signing of third string quarterback Brian St. Pierre, it looks like the quarterback position is set for next season.

Running Back

With J.J. Arrington going to Denver in free agency and the likelihood that Edgerrin James will be released sometime this off-season, there is going to be a big void left at running back until the draft.

Tim Hightower is a good running back but would be most effective as a short yardage running back.

I am guessing that the Cardinals are going to take a running back with their first or second round pick, depending on who they like in the draft and where he is projected to go. If they feel that they need some veteran presence in the backfield, they might keep Edgerrin James or look for a cheaper alternative.

It all matters whether James is willing to accept a lesser role with the team again next season.

Fullback

The Cardinals have two fullbacks already on their roster in Justin Green and Tim Castille. Justin Green is the more experienced of the two and has started before with the Baltimore Ravens.

Tim Castille played last season as a back up to Terrelle Smith, but never really played more than a couple snaps a game. Both are good blockers but don’t really offer anything more than that.

Ken Whisenhunt may be looking to upgrade with a late round draft pick or late veteran signing to help open up the backfield more.

Wide Receiver

Everything is pretty much set here. Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin are the two top receivers, followed by Steve Breaston as the third wide receiver and finishing off with Jerame Urban and Early Doucet fighting for the final fourth spot.

The only thing that might slow things down here is Anquan Boldin. He has said repeatedly that he wants more money and if he doesn’t get that then he wants to be traded. But he also stated this before the Cardinals made it to the Super Bowl.

Maybe after coming within a touchdown of winning it all he will start to soften up and look at the big picture. Only time will tell.

Tight End

What might be the only position keeping this team’s offense from becoming the best in the NFL, the tight end position is a position that has really never been a strong point. Although in the playoffs, Ben Patrick and Stephen Spach both had big roles in the Cardinals good play.

Stephen Spach got the big catch at the end of the game to seal the win against the Atlanta Falcons and Ben Patrick got a big touchdown catch during the Super Bowl to get the Cardinals back into the game.

But both are not capable of starting for the Cardinals because both are blocking tight ends.

The Cardinals have bigger issues to address at other positions, but don’t be surprised if the Cardinals spend a draft pick on the tight end position.

Offensive Tackle

Two years ago, this position was completely bare and you would not be able to name one player on this line.

Now, the players may not be the best in the NFL, but the position does have some experience under its belt. Levi Brown was a first-round pick three years ago, and even though he hasn’t lived up to the expectations he was given, he is still a good enough tackle to start in the NFL.

The other starting tackle, Mike Gandy, was hot and cold all season. Whenever he faced an All-Star quality defensive tackle, he looked over matched and out of place. He is a decent starter but the Cardinals eventually need to upgrade to protect Warner’s blind side.

Depth wise, the Cardinals should try and get another potential body to add depth. Kelly Butler has had starting experience in the NFL but is about as good as Gandy. Look for the Cardinals to maybe spend a late draft pick to help fill that void.

Offensive Guard

Surprisingly this position is not bad. Deuce Lutui is a solid player who can only get better and Reggie Wells is a pretty good guard as well. Both are not amazing at playing guard but they both get the job done. Elton Brown is a solid guard who has starting experience and can fill in either starting guard position.

After that, there is an inexperienced Brandon Keith who has no experience and will have trouble sticking with the team if the Cardinals decide to draft or sign another guard. Overall the team is pretty good here.

Center

This is also a position that is not amazing, but good. Lyle Sendelin is a good center who can keep most defensive tackles from getting to the quarterback. Arizona could improve at this position, but they have a lot of other needs that need to be addressed before this position.

As for the backup position, the job is currently filled by Ben Claxton, but I don’t think it will be for long. He has no experience and I have a feeling that Arizona will sign a veteran or draft a center in the later round of the draft to take his place.

Defensive End

The position that probably lost the most, the Cardinals had to let go two starters in Bertrand Berry and Antonio Smith to free agency. Bertrand Berry was getting old and the position needed to get younger while Antonio Smith was demanding too much money.

The only real starter that is still left for the defensive end position is Travis LaBoy, who is a solid pass rusher but is not the strongest on stopping the run. The Cardinals still have a backup in Kenny Iwebema, but besides that the cupboard is really bare.

I have a feeling that the Cardinals will draft a defensive end with one of their higher draft picks and also maybe even sign a veteran player as well.

Defensive Tackle

Like most of the Cardinals defense, there are no really flashy players at his position. Bryan Robinson came to the Cardinals from the Cincinnati Bengals as a defensive end and was converted to a defensive tackle with good success.

Darnell Dockett has been with the team for the past five seasons and even though he is a little under-sized for a defensive tackle, he makes up for it with a lot of heart and plays really well. They also have a monster in the making with Calais Campbell, who stands at a massive 6'8" 286 pounds.

He has the potential to be a monster defensive lineman in the NFL and will be a solid replacement for the aging Bryan Robinson in the future. Lost to free agency was Gabe Watson, so expect a late draft pick or a signing to the defensive tackle position.

Outside Linebacker

Outside linebacker was in serious doubt for a while but by putting the franchise tag on Karlos Dansby, they secured the best linebacker the Cardinals have had in the past ten years. He is a potential Pro Bowl player that is the best defensive player on this team other than Adrian Wilson.

Chike Okeafor will man the other side of the linebacker group and is a good but not great player. The only issue with this team is depth. The Cardinals let go Clark Haggans this offseason and only have a late season signing in Victor Hobson whose health is questionable at best.

This position needs some youth so look for the Cardinals to spend a mid-level draft pick on a linebacker.

Middle Linebacker

This position has been getting progressively stronger every season thanks to the development of Gerald Hayes. He started off the first three years of his career as an injury case.

Ever since though he has been getting better and better every season and last year showed as he helped anchor and lead the defense.

Hayes' backup Monty Biesel, who had that memorable touchdown against the Cowboys on a blocked punt, has been let go so now last year’s draft pick Ali Highsmith takes the reigns as the backup idle linebacker.

The Cardinals might have enough faith in Ali Highsmith to back-up Gerald Hayes but if not, will look to add to the position by adding a free agent.

Cornerback

Has always been the Achilles heel of the Cardinals, the cornerback position finally got a stud this season in Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. He showed in the playoffs that he can handle the starting position and excel at it.

He has tremendous speed to make up for any mistakes he might make. After that, the second starting position gets murky. The Cardinals did sign two cornerbacks this offseason.

Bryant McFadden was signed from the Pittsburgh Steelers and brings not only loads of experience, but two Super Bowl rings as well. He should be right there with Roderick Hood competing for the other starting position.

Both are very capable players that can get the job done, just not make too many plays either. The second person brought in is Keith Lewis from the 49ers. He will bring some more experience to the secondary while creating some depth as well.

With these two signings, the cornerback position looks like it is pretty full and I doubt that unless somebody amazing becomes available, that nobody will be picked up at this position.

Free Safety

Last season, Ken Whisenhunt decided to experiment and move Antrel Rolle from cornerback to the free safety position because of his awareness and big hitting ability.

Ken Whisenhunt made the right choice because Rolle went from a good player to a great player in only one season. He and Adrian Wilson proved to become a huge threat in the backfield because they both had the ability to make the big play and stop big plays from happening.

Behind Antrel Rolle, Matt Ware is an experienced defensive back who is kind of like the utility guy and can play any position well. This position seems to be pretty solid for years to come so don’t expect any moves to be made at this position either.

Strong Safety

Probably the most solid player on the Cardinals defense, Adrian Wilson is the heart and soul of this defense. He has been a playmaker throughout his entire career and I don’t see a stop coming to that anytime soon.

Aaron Francisco is a very solid backup who has starting experience under his belt.

He can fill in for either safety position and play well enough where you don’t notice him on the field. I really don’t see Arizona making any moves at this position either. They have a Pro Bowl safety and a capable backup with experience.

Do not expect any changes being made here any time soon.

Kicker/Punter

Neil Rackers is a Pro Bowl calibre kicker who is able to make kicks from anywhere. He rarely misses and barring injury this position will stay the same. Last season, Dirk Johnson was the punter for the Cardinals and did an ok job until he got injured within the last four weeks.

The Cardinals then signed Aussie punter Ben Graham who came in and punted so well for the Cardinals that they decided to keep Graham over Johnson, who got signed by the Washing redskins shortly after.

If both can play as well as they were in the playoffs, look for the Cardinals special teams to have no problems this coming season.

Draft Predictions (by position)

First Round – Running Back

Easily the first position that needs to be filled, expect the Cardinals to take a running back that will complement Tim Hightower well.

Second Round – Defensive End

This is a position that needs to be addressed, both depth wise and youth wise. The Cardinals should take a defensive end who is a great pass rusher.

Third Round – Tight End

Both tight ends that the Cardinals have right now can already block really well so look for the Cardinals to pick a solid offensive tight end.

Fourth Round – Outside Linebacker

The team needs to find a player here who can not only provide depth, but who might also have starting potential as well.

Fifth Round – Offensive Guard

Simple decision. The team has good starters but they have no backups. They need to get a guard who can fill in if there is an injury.

Sixth Round – Defensive Tackle

Once again, this position lost one of their depth players in Gabe Watson and needs somebody to fill that spot. Should probably be looking for someone who can take up space and stop the run.

Seventh Round – Offensive Tackle

Was originally thinking they would take a fullback here but they can sign a veteran easily from free agency. There line needs more depth and you can never go wrong with an offensive lineman.

This team can only get better because they still got all of their key players that helped them get to the Super Bowl. The only thing I can see stopping this team from making the playoffs is the fact that both the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks both made big moves and look like contenders again.

If the Cardinals can win against their division rivals then I can see another playoff appearance in the future.

Standings Prediction: 10-6

Overall Grade: B

I have a new blog and if you want to check it out you can go to http://shanegordonhouse.blogspot.com/ and see all my articles starting from Mar. 7, 2009.

Toronto Maple Leafs Prospect Profile: Phil Oreskovic

Shane House — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 02:48:56 -0400

Phil Oreskovic—/1/26/1987—6'3''—217 lbs.

The huge Phil Oreskovic made his NHL debut last night in a 2-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators, and I have to say he played a good game. Even though he was a minus -1 and only played 8:21, he showed what it takes to play in the NHL. He showed toughness, tenacity, and used his size well as a defensive defenseman.

But what do we really know about the big defenseman?

The North York, Ontario native started out playing for the Brampton Battalion in 2003, and played three-and-a-half years with the team before being traded to the Owen Sound Attack for a late playoff run.

After that early exit from the OHL playoffs, Oreskovic joined the Toronto Marlies to help them finish out the season, and until last night has spent the past one-and-a-half seasons with the team, posting very good numbers for a defensive defenseman, and being a plus player for both seasons.

In 2006, Oreskovic was voted by the coaches of the OHL as both the hardest hitting player in the OHL and the best defensive defenseman in the NHL.

He has devastating body-checks, good ability in the corners, and is never afraid to get his hands dirty. He is also good at clearing the front of the net, especially in penalty killing situations.

So why doesn't he have a full time job already in the NHL?

The thing that is holding him back is his offensive ability. His skating ability is adequate at best and he struggles offensively in almost every aspect. He sometimes even struggles handling the puck in very high pressure situations, which is not allowed in the NHL.

Hockey's Future Rating: 6.0

Shane House's Rating: 6.5

Analysis: If he can solve his offensive problems and handle the puck better, Phil Oreskovic will be a solid defenseman in the NHL who can handle playing in one of the bottom defensive pairings while playing on the top penalty kill. But that is if he can overcome his offensive woes.

Player Comparison: Cory Sarich

I have a new blog and if you want to check it out you can go to http://shanegordonhouse.blogspot.com/ and see all my articles starting from March 7, 2009.

The Top Five Best, Worst and Teams Better Off After This Year's Trade Deadline

Shane House — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 17:50:08 -0500

This season, trading among teams has been stagnant. Very few moves are made at all throughout the season and it is starting to seem like teams are willing to wait till the Trade Deadline because they feel like they can get a better deal.

Well, I know we can all agree that this year’s Trade Deadline had a lot of us cheering, jeering and scratching our heads. But most importantly, after sifting through all the rubble, it’s time to assess how well teams really did in this year’s Trade Deadline.

This part assesses the best trades that benefit both teams equally.

Top Five Best Trades

1. CAL Olli Jokinen, Third Round Pick for PHO Matthew Lombardi, Brandon Prust, and a First Round Pick

The Calgary Flames gave up a lot to get Jokinen but they got a lot in return. He is the type of center that fits in perfectly with Mike Keenan's system and finally gives Calgary a No. 1 center. Not to mention they got a third round pick back.

On the other hand, the Phoenix Coyotes not only dumped salary, but got a great player in Matthew Lombardi. He is fast, a great two-way threat, and is the type of player that Wayne Gretzky loves. Brandon Prust is a good grinder that will help toughen up the team and a first round pick is always nice, no matter where it is overall.

2. OTT Pascal Leclaire, Second Round Pick for CMB Antoine Vermette

This is a great trade for both sides. Ottawa finally gets a legitimate No. 1 goaltender that has the ability to steal a game. I would have considered this an even trade without the second round pick, but Bryan Murray worked magic to get a pick in this trade.

Not to sell Columbus short, Antoine Vermette is a player that has the skill to become a 30 goal scorer on the NHL. All it seemed like was that he needed a change of scenery in order to get his game back. At worst the Blue Jackets got a great second to third line player.

3. CAL Jordan Leopold for COL Lawrence Nycholat, Prospect Ryan Wilson, and a Second Round Pick (from MTL)

Calgary made a move to shore up there defense by getting Jordan Leopold. He is a solid offensive defenseman who knows the system, being on the Calgary team that went all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2004. He will be a great addition and will need no time to adjust to Calgary’s system.

The Colorado Avalanche didn’t do too shabby either. They got rid of salary and got a second round draft pick, a player in Lawrence Nycholat and a potential top four prospect in Ryan Wilson, who has great offensive ability and can run any power play.

4. PIT Bill Guerin for NYI Conditional Draft Pick

Pittsburgh fills a need here by getting a gritty forward that brings a load of leadership and experience to a team that really needs it. Not to mention he will help an offense that could really use some secondary scoring, he should fit in very nicely on the second or third line.

The New York Islanders are in the middle of a rebuilding process and are looking to get as many draft picks as possible. The fact that this is a conditional pick will have GM Garth Snow waiting in anticipation because if the Penguins make it past the first round, the Islanders will get a third round pick instead of a fifth round pick. A great trade for both teams.

5. BOS Mark Recchi, Second Round Pick for TB Matt Lashoff, Martin Karsums

The Boston Bruins not only get a second round pick, but a great veteran in Mark Recchi who looks revived as of late. Even at 41, he can still light the lamp and make great plays.

The Tampa Bay Lightning gave up a second round pick, but got two great players who should both be good contributors in the NHL. Matt Lashoff, a former first round pick, has the potential to become a great two-way player who can play both ends.

Martin Karsums on the other hand, is a big, fast winger who has a great shot and the potential to become a top six forward. All he needs is a little bit more consistency in order to make his mark in the NHL

The next trades I am going to talk about are the trades that are only good for one team or have no relevance whatsoever.

Top Five Worst Trades

1. PHI Daniel Carcillo for PHO Scottie Upshall, and a Second Round Pick

Daniel Carcillo is a good player, don’t get me wrong. But he is by no means worth a second round pick and a player with the skill of Scottie Upshall. I could see a straight up trade, but Phoenix definitely got the better deal of the both.

Upshall still has the potential to become a top six player while Carcillo will only become a bottom six grinder. Philly definitely lost on this trade.

2. NYR Derek Morris for PHO Petr Prucha, Dmitri Kalinin, and Nigel Dawes

Once again, I like Derek Morris. He is a very good defenseman who is effective in whatever role you give him. But by no means is he worth three players, two of which still have potential to be good.

Nigel Dawes and Petr Prucha both have wheels and Dmitri Kalinin is still a good defenseman. Phoenix once again ran away with this trade and New York will look back and regret this decision.

3. NYR Nik Antropov for TOR Second Round pick and a Conditional Pick

Once again, this is just a case where a team paid too much for a good player. Nik Antropov is a good player that you can stick in front of the net and get you those garbage goals. But by no means is he a player that is worth a second round pick along with another conditional pick.

Plus, he doesn’t fit in anywhere on a Rangers team run by John Tortorella. I just don’t see it.

4. PIT Andy Wozniewski for STL Danny Richmond

The reason that this trade made the list is basically because it has no relevance towards anything. It was basically a swap of two AHL calibre defenseman that won’t stick with either team after this season.

5. TOR Olaf Kolzig, Jamie Heward, Andy Rogers, fourth round draft pick for TB Richard Petiot

Was just a trade for Tampa Bay to dump some salary. Olaf Kolzig, Jamie Heward and Andy Rogers all have contracts that finish at the end of this season. This, along with the fact that they all have season ending injuries means that the Toronto Maple Leafs got a $400,000 dollar fourth round draft pick (how much is left in all three players contracts.)

Finally, I am going to talk about the teams that are in the best shape after the trade deadline. These are the teams that made the best trades and got the best deals to help their team.

Five Teams That Are Better Overall

1. Calgary

This team got the biggest name available on Trade Deadline, and for a price. But Olli Jokinen will fit in perfectly on the first line and might finally take this team from a good team to an elite team.

Also Jordan Leopold was a great pick up for a second round pick and knows how to play in Calgary. Will do great things on the power play and will surprise some people.

2. Phoenix

This Trade deadline went brilliantly for the Phoenix Coyotes. They traded away Olli Jokinen who didn’t fit well with Phoenix’s system and got not only a first round pick, but a great player in Matthew Lombardi and a gritty forward in Brandon Prust.

They also traded away Daniel Carcillo for a great player in Scottie Upshall, and a second round pick. Later on down the road that trade will look like robbery for Phoenix. Even though they did trade away a great player in Jokinen, they got great players back and solidified the future of the team, player wise.

3. Boston

The players they got back may not have been the biggest names available, but they will be great contributors to an already great team. Mark Recchi brings a lot of playoff experience to a team that is still young, while still contributing offensively.

Not only that, but they also got a second round pick from Tampa Bay, while giving up some decent prospects. Not to leave him out of the spotlight, Steve Montador has turned into a good defenseman and should add some grit to an already great defense.

4. Edmonton

Even though they didn’t address their defensive needs, they made two good trades. Patrick O’Sullivan is a great forward that will fit in perfectly with this team. He is young, and has great potential to become a top line forward.

Even though they did give up experience in Erik Cole, it was still a solid trade. Ales Kotalik is a player that is very under-rated. He has a great shot and can boost any team’s power play, something that Edmonton really needs to happen in order to catch fire before the playoffs.

5. Toronto

Though most trades they made were simple, they helped clear up space to give some young players a chance to show what they got in there system. Not to mention restock a bare cupboard of draft picks and help this team better build through the draft. As I said before they were simple but effective.

What Is The Catalyst For Vesa Toskala's Good Play?

Shane House — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 21:04:29 -0500

Throughout the season, for the most part, Vesa Toskala has been playing very poorly.

His playing style has shown lack of both passion and consistency, and his stats for a starting goaltender are one of the worst in the NHL.

Some of this might be contributed by the lack of solid defensive play coming from his team, but even Evgeni Nabakov and Tim Thomas are forced to come up with the big save now and then.

So, what is it?

Whatever it was; the bad defensive play, the lack of passion or the lack of competition, he has found his game.

In the past four games, Vesa Toskala is 3-0-1 with a 1.75 GAA and a .949 SPCT.

From what I have seen, he has had a lot more confidence, being more positionally sound in the net, he is willing to give that extra effort to make the save, and has looked like he has the passion to play the game of hockey again.

It has been great to finally see Vesa Toskala playing like he did all of last season.

Now, the real question is why has he been playing so good lately?

It hasn’t been the play of the Leafs defense, who has allowed 110 shots in the last three games.

There hasn’t been any new competition really for the starting position. Justin Pogge and Curtis Joseph have been average all season.

Maybe his injuries have healed because his groin has been a huge factor in his play all season.

I will admit that injuries can play with confidence.

Not being able to play like you used to does bring your game down.

Plus, the fact that you are not dealing with any discomfort when you go down in the butterfly is a huge factor with both quickness and positioning, but something tells me there is more.

Not too long ago, Brian Burke stated that Vesa Toskala needs to start playing like starting goaltender, he is being paid to play like one and has had every opportunity to have a starting job in the NHL.

If he doesn’t start playing well soon, then I will bring in a goaltender to contend for the job.

My guess is that Vesa Toskala finally realized the position he is in. He realized that you only get so many chances in the NHL before changes are made and people move on.

In having this epiphany, he started to work harder knowing that he playing for a job.

Brian Burke will not sit tight and let things work themselves out. If he feels that things are not working, he isn’t scared to make a move to improve the team.

In saying that, Vesa Toskala knows that in order for him to stick as a starting goaltender in the NHL, he has to play like one. People remember the past for only, so long before they start to remember the present.

Whether or not he does stick with the team, his recent play does warrant him a second chance. He has shown the ability to play very well in very close games as of late.

Let’s just hope he can keep this up, for both his, and the Toronto Maple Leafs sake.

The 10 Worst Maple Leafs Teams over the Past 30 Years

Shane House — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 22:52:00 -0500

Over the past 30 years, the Toronto Maple Leafs have had a lot of ups and downs. Two close Stanley Cup Finals berths, three 100-point seasons, and tons of amazing players.

But lately, the team's play has brought about much talk of rebuilding and how the Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the worst teams in the league this season. Although that may be true, there have been much worse teams over the past 30 years.

To make people feel better about the situation the Leafs are in, here are the top 10 worst Maple Leaf teams over the past 30 years.

10. 1991-1992 — 67 Points

Top Scorer: Glenn Anderson, 59 Points

Starting Goalie: Grant Fuhr

This was the season that goalie Felix Potvin played his first games in the NHL. It was also the season that the Leafs traded for fan favorite Doug Gilmour, this team had the building blocks in place for a successful team. The problem is not all the pieces were quite ready to be put in place. But as most Leafs' fans know, it got a lot better from here.

Notable Players: Glenn Anderson, Dave Ellett, Wendel Clark, Doug Gilmour, Jamie Macoun, Grant Fuhr

9. 1997-1998 — 69 Points

Top Scorer: Mats Sundin, 74

Starting Goalie: Felix Potvin

Mats Sundin outscored the next leading scorer by 27 points by season's end. It was the first full season where Mats Sundin was captain, to many fans' dismay. The team was missing Doug Gilmour, who was traded to New Jersey the season before. This team was the last team I can remember where they had a platoon of young talent which they eventually traded away for veterans.

Notable Players: Mats Sundin, Mike Johnson, Sergei Berezin, Wendel Clark, Tie Domi, Felix Potvin, Glenn Healy

8. 1983-1984 — 61 Points

Top Scorer: Rick Vaive, 93

Starting Goalie: Allan Bester/Mike Palmateer

This was one of the best teams from the Harold Ballard era, which isn't saying much, but the Toronto Maple Leafs were young at every position. It was also the year that Mike Palmateer passed the starting goaltender torch to the under-appreciated Allan Bester, who played his rookie year that year. Finally, Rick Vaive had his third consecutive 50-goal season that year, which was a feat that he would never reach again.

Notable Players: Rick Vaive, Bill Derlago, Borje Salming, Gary Leeman, Russ Courtnall, Bob McGill, Allan Bester, Mike Palmateer

7. 1988-1989 — 62 Points

Top Scorer: Ed Olczyk, 90

Starting Goalie: Allan Bester/Ken Wregget

This season was the last season that Leaf legend Borje Salming donned a Leafs jersey. He went to the Detriot Red Wings for one more season, then completed his career in Sweden. Ed Olczyck had his most successful season this year, reaching the 90-point mark for the only time in his career. Harold Ballard's reign as Leafs owner was almost at an end and this is where the turning point was made for starting to build a successful franchise.

Notable Players: Vincent Damphousse, Ed Olczyk, Allan Bester, Al Iafrate, Borje Salming, Wendel Clark, Russ Courtnall

6. 1996-1997 — 68 Points

Top Scorer: Mats Sundin, 94

Starting Goalie: Felix Potvin

One of the most tragic seasons in recent history, the Toronto Maple Leafs had a fire sale for players, trading the likes of Kirk Muller, Larry Murphy, Dave Ellett, and most tragically, Doug Gilmour. The Leafs were starting a youth movement, trading for prospects and draft picks. The thing to remember is that it took only two years for the team to come back as one of the top teams in the league, going all the way to the conference finals.

Notable Players: Mats Sundin, Doug Gilmour, Wendel Clark, Larry Murphy, Sergei Berezin, Kirk Muller, Dave Ellett, Felix Potvin

5. 1983-1984 — 57 Points

Top Scorer: Miroslav Frycer, 75

Starting Goalie: Don Edwards/Ken Wregget

This team was a very young team that had a lot of rookie and breakthrough performances. Steve Thomas and Wendel Clark played their rookie seasons with the Maple Leafs while Russ Courtnall and Al Iafrate had breakthrough years. This season was also a breakthrough year for Miroslav Frycer, who was the first European to ever lead the Leafs in points for a season. Sadly, these breakthrough performances didn't make the Leafs successful, as they finished in the basement of the NHL.

Notable Players: Russ Courtnall, Rick Vaive, Steve Thomas, Wendel Clark, Al Iafrate, Gary Leeman, Borje Salming, Bob McGill

4. 1981-1982 — 56 points

Top Scorer: Rick Vaive, 89

Starting Goalie: Michel Larocque/Vincent Tremblay

This was a very historical year for the Maple Leafs for a couple of reasons. Daryl Sittler played his final games as a Maple Leaf before being traded to the Philadelphia Flyers, Rick Vaive became the first Toronto Maple Leaf to ever score 50 goals in a season, and Bill Derlago had his most successful season as a player, netting 34 goals while getting 84 points. But with all these events happening, Daryl Sittler's issues with management effected both team play and morale as Toronto had one of there worst seasons in history.

Notable Players: Daryl Sittler, Rick Vaive, Bill Derlago, Borje Salming, Rene Robert, Wilf Paiement

3. 1990-1991 — 57 Points

Top Scorer: Vincent Damphousse, 73

Starting Goalie: Peter Ing

Probably one of the lowest-scoring teams in history, the Leafs second highest scorer was Mike Krushelnyski with 39 points, which is a 34-point differential from their leading scorer, Vincent Damphousse. In all, 48 different players were used throughout the season and none really stuck. It was a very forgettable year for the Leafs nation.

Notable Players: Vincent Damphousse, Dave Ellett, Rob Ramage, Wendel Clark, Gary Leeman, Al Iafrate

2. 1987-1988 — 52 Points

Top Scorer: Ed Olczyk, 75

Starting Goalie: Ken Wregget/Allan Bester

By some miracle of God, the Leafs made it to the playoffs because the only other team that was worse then the Leafs was in the same division as them. Almost every player for the Leafs had a down year or was injured. The only real high point was that Al Iafrate had a career year with 22 goals and 52 points. It was a very forgettable year once again.

Notable Players: Ed Olczyk, Al Iafrate, Allan Bester, Borje Salming, Gary Leeman, Wendel Clark, Vincent Damphousse, Russ Courtnall

1. 1984-1985 — 48 Points

Top Scorer: Rick Vaive, 68

Starting Goalies: Tim Bernhardt/Allan Bester

If you think the Leafs team we have now is bad, listen to this. This team has the worst point total by any Leafs team ever to play 80 games. They were 14 points out of a playoff spot and only had one player with a plus rating (Walt Poddunby) who was only plus-1. That includes every player to play a game for the Maple Leafs that season. The only bright spot you can find from this season is that because they were so bad, they got the first overall pick, and guess who that pick was. Wendel Clark.

So, if you are ever watching a Leafs game and they are down 2-0 in the first, just remember that this is a building process. It takes time to stock prospects and it has to get bad before it gets good. I am sure that these teams are the perfect example of that.

Top Ten Toronto Maple Leafs That Could Be Gone Come Trade Deadline

Shane House — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:57:05 -0500

With trade talks heating up and the Trade Deadline looming in the not-to-distant future, teams are shopping around looking for the best deal.

Seeing what assets teams are willing to give up or seeing what future assets teams are willing to give up.

Brian Burke and the Toronto Maple Leafs will be most active.

They are in the midst of a rebuilding season where the goal is a high draft pick.

Most likely John Tavares but the Islanders are probably going to win that race.

Regardless, the Leafs have a lot of assets that they are willing to get rid of in order to gain as many prospects/draft picks they can.

Here are the top ten players that are available come trade deadline:

10. Lee Stempniak

When the Leafs traded for Stempniak near the beginning of the season, I thought that we got a legitimate second-third line player who could score 20-goals a season.

Sadly, it hasn't panned out that way.

Ever since arriving to Toronto, he hasn't been playing with the confidence he showed in St. Louis and has dropped right off the map.

I don't see there being a lot of demand for him, but he still has the potential to bounce back and can provide depth for a playoff team that doesn't have a lot.

Will most likely stay but don't be surprised if he fetches a mid-round draft pick when the Trade Deadline rolls around.

9. Anton Stralman

When this guy came over to Toronto from Sweden, some people were comparing his talent to Niklas Lidstrom even, but the Leafs made a mistake that might have screwed this kid right up, they rushed him into the NHL.

He wasn't ready.

He wasn't used to the speed and size of the NHL yet.

He showed glimpses of excellence in some games, but they were usually over-shadowed by major mistakes and bad misfortune.

Besides, can you really see him fitting into a Brian Burke type of team?

I don't think so.

I think that he will be traded, if not this season then eventually because the Leafs might have jumped the gun on bringing him up from the AHL and ruined his confidence.

Look for him to be sent to a team that has a rebuilding defense for another prospect.

8. Jason Blake

Most people have counted Jason Blake out at the Trade Deadline, because he apparently has too big of a contract and is not worth the money.

What people seem to be forgetting is that ever since late November, Blake has been on fire scoring at a point-a-game pace …

… He may not be cheap, but the Leafs might trade him now for another player that has a big contract or just offer to pay some of the contract every year till it runs out.

Either way the Leafs could be able to get out of his contract if he keeps playing well, but in all honesty why get rid of the guy, he is producing and playing very well.

7. Dominic Moore

A fan favorite and for all the right reasons: Dominic Moore has been the biggest surprise of the season.

He went from a borderline fourth line player to a solid two-way player who can play on second-third line—not bad for a waiver wire pick-up.

His value cannot get any higher at this point and with a $900 thousand contract is probably the best deal a team can get.

It is all just a matter if whether Brian Burke likes him or not.

If he does, then he will stay.

If not then he will receive a lot of demand on Trade Deadline.

Look for a team to pick him up for a second-third round pick.

6. Justin Pogge

I guarantee I will get a lot of arguments about this one, but hear me out.

Every time that the Leafs have called up Pogge, it has been against a team that, at the time, had problems scoring and instead of waiting till the Leafs moved Toskala at the Trade Deadline and giving him consistent playing time at the end of the season, they bring him up for one game and send him back.

Now, me being a Leafs fan, the thought of even considering trading Pogge is brutal to think about.

Brian Burke said he had a plan, but he never illustrated it to the media.

Maybe he is bringing him up to show teams what the kid has or maybe he has a plan that has to do with developing the goaltender.

Either way, this idea is an interesting prospect.

We can trade him now and get something guaranteed back or we can wait it out and see if he can develop.

It is all up to Brian Burke, but if for some reason he does trade Pogge, look for Toronto to get a big prospect back or an experienced player that is in his prime.

5. Alexei Ponikarovsky

Ponikarovsky's contract is over at the end of the season and with a big overhaul being predicted for the team, it is almost a guarantee that he will be traded—it’s just a matter of where.

The issue here is Poni's lack of consistency.

When he is hot, he is a good player. When he is cold he is almost absent from the ice.

Right now, Ponikarovsky is cold, which means that he will not sell at a high price, which Burke will not like.

Regardless of how he is playing when the Trade Deadline comes, he will be dealt.

Look for him to fetch a third round pick; maybe a second round pick if he can get “hot.”

4. Pavel Kubina

Controversy surrounded Pavel Kubina during the off-season.

Everybody thought that he would be traded, because the clause in his contract that if the Leafs didn't make the playoffs that there would be a small window of opportunity where he can be traded.

I am guessing when this window was open; Kubina was on pins and needles.

Luckily for him, he wasn't traded and is having a good season.

The problem is the team is still not doing well and Kubina is once again swirling in trade rumours.

Brian Burke asked both Kaberle and Kubina for a list of teams that they would be willing to lift there no-trade clauses for.

At the end of the season, the no-trade clauses will be once again lifted and then Kubina will have no control of where he will go, so I am guessing that he will give his list eventually.

Look for Kubina to fetch a first round pick and a lower pick, along with a conditional pick for next years draft.

3. Vesa Toskala

At the beginning of the season, Toskala was considered to be the Maple Leafs best player, but after consistently playing poorly all season, he is looking more and more like he will be gone by the end of the season.

Burke has already called Toskala out in the media and said he was fed up with his play.

The only thing yet to be determined is whether he will be leaving at Trade Deadline, or at the end of the season.

Vesa Toskala is still a good goaltender and looks like he just needs a change of scenery.

The problem is, because of his contract and the lack of good play, his value is not very high. Burke will still receive offers for Vesa Toskala, the issue is that they might not be to his liking—the offers being too low or just unacceptable.

Brian Burke is a smart man though and I am sure that he can find a way around the situation.

Look for Vesa Toskala to fetch a second-third round pick, along with a conditional pick in this years or next years draft, depending on Toskalas personal performance for the team.

2. Nik Antropov

He’s the most talented forward on the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The problem is he is also one of the most inconsistent.

Nik Antropov is a huge body that is almost impossible to move from the front of the net.

When he is on, he has amazing puck-handling ability and is hard to stop. When he is off, he makes mistakes and the only thing you notice is his lack of speed.

This is the second person that Brian Burke has called out, saying that Antropov's play "does not warrant a new contract," meaning that if Antropov wants to stay, then he should step up his play.

Ever since the comment was made, Antropov's play has gotten better, just not amazing.

I am guessing that Brian Burke said that to get him to play better so he would get more in return for the big forward.

Antropov is relatively cheap for a top six forward and is impossible to move from the opposing teams net.

Look for Antropov to get a first-second round pick, along with a prospect and maybe a conditional pick as well. Matters how well he is playing when he is traded.

1. Tomas Kaberle

Kaberle is easily one of the top 15 defenseman in the NHL.

He has always been able to produce no matter who he has played with and his stats this season are suffering, because of the mediocrity of the team.

He can run any power play and has one of the best first passes in the NHL, but the issue here is that the Maple Leafs are making there team younger and Kaberle is there top asset.

Kaberle has already handed Burke the list of the ten teams he is willing to be traded to which means that he will he traded eventually.

The only issue is the fact that Kaberle's hand is broken and there hasn't been a return date set, meaning that his value might drop slightly when the Trade Deadline rolls around.

Still, Kaberle will receive the most interest for a defenseman behind Jay Bouwmeester and will give Toronto the most assets coming back our way.

He is a top defenseman who, for his skills, has one of the best-valued contracts in the NHL, only making 4.25 million for two more seasons.

Because of this, look for Kaberle to give Toronto a first round pick, a top prospect, and another high pick or a very good player.

Note to Ron Wilson: Start Playing Curtis Joseph

Shane House — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 21:08:19 -0500

When I heard at the beginning of the season that the Toronto Maple Leafs signed Curtis Joseph, I knew we weren't getting the Cujo that we used to have. I understood that. But we were still getting a solid goaltender who had a bit left in the tank.

All I was expecting from him was 10-15 starts and maybe eight wins if I was lucky.

But what I didn't expect was Vesa Toskala playing as poorly as he has.

Vesa Toskala is our starting goaltender until he is traded, or he serves the remainder of his contract, but why must he get every start?

He hasn't really warranted it, to be honest. His play has been lacking in almost every way. He doesn't stay in the butterfly and his mechanics are completely off.

Perhaps worst of all, he isn't playing with any passion. It is completely missing from his game. He doesn't seem to make that extra effort to make the save, like he did last year.

So if you're hockey coach and you see that play coming from your goaltender, wouldn't that make a case to start the backup for a couple of games?

I know the Leafs are playing Vesa to show off to other teams that he can play, but why play him every game?. The least you can do is play Curtis Joseph now and again. He goes months in between starts and receives most of his playing time when Toskala plays crummy (which has been happening more and more as of late.)

This will be the final season for Curtis Joseph, regardless of what happens. So why not let ad old dog have his day. He has earned it, and unlike Vesa Toskala, I see a lot more passion still left in Cujo's game.

So, Ron Wilson, listen up.

Give Curtis Joseph some playing time! He may not play amazingly (although right now he is keeping you in the game against Tampa Bay,) but he plays with passion and he plays with his heart on his sleeve.

Maybe if you give him a start or two, it will show Vesa Toskala how he has got to play, and maybe it will give Bryan Burke something to work with come trade deadline.

Top 12 Players That Will Be Available Come Trade Deadline

Shane House — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 18:26:08 -0500

Last season, the trade deadline was highlighted with the trade of Marian Hossa to Pittsburgh for Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen, prospect Angelo Esposito and a first-round draft pick. The trade was made by the Penguins in hopes of making a serious push for the Stanley Cup and it was almost successful, barely losing out to the much-more-experienced Detroit Red Wings.

This year, Pittsburgh seems to be paying the price for that trade because there lineup is now lacking a lot of toughness and grit. But that's the price you pay at the trade deadline. Teams are willing to give up all their young assets in order to make that big run for Lord Stanley.

So what will be given up this year and for who?

Here are the top 12 players that will be available at the trade deadline:

12. Niclas Havelid—Atlanta Thrashers

The underrated defenseman's contract is up at the end of the season, so the Thrashers will be looking to unload his reasonable contract on a team that is looking for depth in the back end. Look for maybe Boston or Calgary to make a move on the steady blue-liner.

11. Vesa Toskala—Toronto Maple Leafs

When the season began, Toskala was arguably the best asset the Leafs had and was what the team was going to build around. Now the netminder has become one of the worst starting goalies in the NHL.

Even still, a new change of scenery might not hurt and some teams might be looking to the netminder to help in goal with a playoff run or fill a void in net. I could see Detroit, Ottawa, Calgary, or the Islanders interested.

10. Steve Sullivan—Nashville Predators

This is an intriguing prospect because two months ago people weren't sure whether or not he would be back. He is a very fast player with a quick release. It all depends on whether or not his back can hold for the season. If it doesn't show any wear or tear come trade deadline, he will be a very-wanted commodity.

He could fit in anywhere on either the first or second line and do well. I would expect Anaheim, Pittsburgh, or any team that needs backup scoring to want his services.

9. Mathieu Schneider—Atlanta Thrashers

Schneider is almost 40 and is not as fast as he used to be, but he still can still run a power play and pass the puck with the best of them. Although he may not be cheap, he will get any struggling power play going. Expect Pittsburgh, Columbus, the Rangers, and even Montreal if they can't get a hold of Tomas Kaberle.

8. Keith Tkachuk—St. Louis Blues

He has been a rental player before, and will be a rental player again this trade deadline. He may not be the best playoff performer, but he is still solid and can play on any second line in the NHL.

Look for a playoff team to rent his services, more specifically a team that needs to give their second line a little more pop and a little more grit. Look for Pittsburgh, Chicago, and maybe even look to Phoenix to trade for his services.

7. Manny Fernandez—Boston Bruins

An interesting situation has risen in Boston. The tandem of Tim Thomas and Fernandez has been solid and the two combine for the best save percentage of any team in hockey. But Tuukka Rask is waiting in the wings and is ready for experience. Yet, their forwards keep getting injured and could use some depth.

If there were a trade to come for this player, I could see Calgary, Detroit, or even Washington looking into his services.

6. Nikolai Antropov—Toronto Maple Leafs

Although he isn't the biggest name on this list by any means, he could be the biggest center available come trade deadline. He is great in front of the net and is a good stick handler also.

If Brian Burke doesn't see what he likes, I can see him trading Antropov at the deadline. Teams that would be interested in his services would be Chicago, Columbus, Calgary, and Florida.

5. Tomas Kaberle—Toronto Maple Leafs

If it wasn't for Jay Bouwmeester being on the market, Tomas Kaberle would easily be the best defenseman on the market. He can run any power play that is having trouble and is easily one of the best passers in the game today.

If he decides to waive his no trade clause, then I could see him going to Montreal, the Rangers, Washington, maybe even Florida??

4. Marian Gaborik—Minnesota Wild

Poor Minnesota. Tried to sign him, he refused. Tried to play him and he got injured. When he came back, they tried to trade him and then he got injured again. Now he is expected to come back sometime after the trade deadline. Minnesota is always in the run to make the playoffs so it all matters where they are when the deadline comes.

I imagine if they are willing to trade him that a couple teams are willing to take a risk on him. I could see him alongside Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in Pittsburgh, or he could also be heading off to Vancouver to play along side Mats Sundin as well.

3. Jason Spezza—Ottawa Senators

Ever since that amazing start to last season, this team has been on an unstoppable spiral. Ever since this spiral, Jason Spezza has been a one-dimensional player. He seems to have forgotten about defense. But he is still able to put up 100 points if he has the right line mates.

He is still young and even though he has both a big and long contract, lots of teams would be willing to trade for him. Columbus, Anaheim, maybe even Montreal if they can't get Lecavalier.

2. Jay Bouwmeester—Florida Panthers

Easily the most desirable player available at the trade deadline, Bouwmeester has it all. He has size, speed, and scoring ability. Plus he can get nasty if he has to. All that is missing is some playoff experience.

With him being as young as he is, any team would be interested in trading for him. Toronto, Edmonton, New York Rangers, and Ottawa are all in the front-runners trying to trade for him.

1. Vincent Lecavalier—Tampa Bay Lightning

This is easily the best player available right now. Every team drools to have a player of his skill. He is easily one of the top 10 players in the game today at any position. The problem with a player of this caliber is that you need to give up a lot in order to get him and few teams have the assets to get him.

That's why only one team comes to mind. Montreal. They have the players, prospects, and draft picks available to bring this guy to Montreal. Not to mention a fan base that cries his name every time he is in town. He even got a 10-minute ovation during the All-Star game.

Shane House is one of the leading writers of the Toronto Maple Leaf B/R community and is a writer for T.O Sports Magazine. Check the out at www.tosports.ca

The Arizona Cardinals Biggest Key to Winning the Super Bowl

Shane House — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 01:50:27 -0500

While watching the Carolina game, I saw an Arizona offense pick apart one of the top ten defenses in the NFL and then do the same the week after against Philadelphia. In both games, the commentator talked about how Kurt Warner used a quick release to distribute the ball when the blitz was used.

Both teams had great defenses and even better pass rushes, but the thing that seems to be overshadowed when talking about this is the extraordinary play of the offensive line. This line has not only played well, but has stepped up their play with every level of competition that they have gone up.

They held off an average Atlanta defense, then completely stopped a Carolina defense, then for three out of the four quarters practically shutout the Philadelphia defense as well.

Every game has risen the bar higher and every game they reach that level of excellence.

Russ Grimm has done an amazing job to prepare this offensive line and will coincidentally face the ultimate test in protecting against the "Steel Curtain" defense of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

On an offensive line that has mostly no name players, one name does stand out. Levi Brown has been the anchor of this line throughout the season and playoffs and ever since he was drafted fifth overall in 2007. He has shown signs of improvement almost every game. He is the leader of this offensive line and is the star of the group. Levi Brown has a bright future and will become an all-star lineman further on in his career.

With Russ Grimm's coaching and Levi Brown's help, the most under-appreciated part of Arizona's offense might be the most important. Their pass protection is the key to whether this offense succeeds or fails and whether Kurt Warner can distribute the ball well enough to win this game.

If this line can hold and the offense can score early, that will be the key to the Super Bowl success of the Arizona Cardinals.

What Really Got The Arizona Cardinals To The Super Bowl: Solid Coaching

Shane House — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 15:16:36 -0500

When the playoffs began and the match-ups were made, the Arizona Cardinals were already written out. People said that Atlanta would beat the Cards and then Carolina would beat the Falcons on route to the NFC Championship game. That's how most saw it atleast.

But somehow the Cardinals beat the odds and beat a team with a young quarterback to win the Wild Card game. Who'd a thunk it.

Next round was the Carolina Panthers. A team that all season never lost at home and the Cardinals were 0-4 in east coast games. Basically the Cardinals were going to get killed in Carolina because they had no chance. But somehow they did it and not only beat the Panthers, they destroyed them winning 33-13.

Finally it was the NFC Championship Game. The Cardinals were at home to face the Eagles to decide who goes to the Super Bowl. Last meeting, the Cardinals were absolutely annihilated by the Eagles 52-20 on Thanksgiving which meant that the same would happen this time. Once again everybody was wrong and the Cardinals handed the Eagles a loss on route to Tampa Bay and the Super Bowl.

Everybody is calling this the cinderella story. Saying that this team shouldn't be here. Saying that this team is the worst team to ever be in the Super Bowl.

First off, to even be in the Super Bowl means that you must have played a hell of a playoffs. You can win all those games in the regular season but you know what, it doesn't matter if you can't perform in the playoffs, and I think this team has proven now that in the clutch, this team is better then almost every other team in the league.

They have shown grit, they have shown the ability to score when it matters, and they have shown the ability to play defense. All the abilities needed to win games in the NFL.

But where did all of this come from. I mean for such a mediocre team, how did they get this far?

Was it the arm of Kurt Warner. I mean, he has won in the playoffs multiple times and been a Super Bowl MVP.

Maybe it was Larry Fitzgerald. He has played amazingly these playoffs and deserves all the credit in the world.

But as much as they were key catalysts in victories over Carolina, Atlanta and Philadelphia, none of them planned all week what plays to call, who plays where and they go.

The Arizona Cardinals coaching is what got them to the Super Bowl.

They were the ones who figured out how to hold the second and third leading rushers (DeAngelo Williams and Michael Turner) in the league to a combined 101 yards and one touchdown.

They were the ones who figured out how to handle great defenses in both Carolina and Philadelphia by using quick passing routes.

It was Ken Whisenhunt and his team of coordinators that won those games. They picked the plays, they taught how to execute them.

They are the ones that got the Cardinals to the Super Bowl. There amazing play calling and preparation for all the playoff games is what got them to where they are today.

So when you think about who got the Cardinals to the Super Bowl this year, just remember that these were the guys that turned this team around and got them to where they are at today.

Why Should We Keep Jason Blake?

Shane House — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:25:23 -0500

Ever since Jason Blake was signed last year, he has gotten a bad rap.

People seemed to think that he would get 30-40 goals when he came here, but to be honest, that whole thought was set up to fail.

He is a solid player. He can put the pick in the net but not 40 like he did the year before he was signed. He is just a grinder that can put the puck into the net and that's what people need to realize.

When people finally do realize this, that's when they will be happy with his play.

I know it will be hard I mean it took a couple months into the season for me to realize it too but now that I do, I can see that Blake is a good player.

Last year he still played well. Even though he was in the doghouse of then coach Paul Maurice all season, he still managed 52 points. And that came without a real linemates that he had no real chemistry with.

So, after all that went on last season, he came into this season as (for lack of a better word) a bust. He was damaged goods. He is too old and can't score anymore. That's the label that the media put on him.

But it might have been a better thing for him because now people aren't expecting as much from the 35 year old. Which means less weight to carry on his shoulders.

The thing about it was that he did not realize that till two months into the season.

But now that he has, he has been one of Toronto's best players. Ron Wilson was quoted as saying "I don't think I'm stepping out on a gang plank here or anything, but he's been our best player the past two months."

If you can get the coach that benched you at the beginning of the season to say that about you, then you are doing something right.

In the past 23 games, he has gotten 19 points and ten goals. But the one stat that I would like to mention is this.

When Blake played for the Islanders, on average Jason Blake would get around 50 PIM a season. This was when he scored 25 goals consistently remember.

Last year, Blake only got 24 PIM the entire season. He also got only 15 goals the whole season remember.

In the past three months, Blake has gotten 24 PIM in only 33 games. In those 33 games, he has 12 goals and 25 points.

The point I am trying to make is that the Blake we have seen this season is how Blake has always played. This is what he does. He plays fast hockey where he handles the puck and is willing to get rough when needed.

That's a good hockey player by the sounds of it. To be honest, I will take a gritty, two-way 25 goal-scorer any day then a finesse, one-way 30 goal-scorer because two way players prevent goals as well.

So why not embrace what we have in Jason Blake instead of criticizing him for what he isn't. I am happy with what he has done. And with a four million dollar contract in this economy, he isn't going anywhere for a long, long time.

Blue and White Midseason Awards

Shane House — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 03:05:28 -0500

Coming into this season, there were not a lot of expectations for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Now that I think about it, the only real expectation was that the Toronto Maple Leafs were going to shoot for the first pick overall in this years draft and grab John Tavares. But, with that now a far dream, all we can now hope for is that the team does badly enough where we fall into the top five and stay there. Which we are currently at right now. But until then, we have to handout awards to these players because they have worked hard and deserve them. Who will win the coveted Dougy Gilmour award? Or who will receive the Aki Berg Award? Guess you will have to see and find out.

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My Super Bowl Speech

Shane House — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 02:47:15 -0500

I have realized something as of late, both in football and in my life, and that is every aspect of life is about taking steps. Now, whether they be forward or back, it is always leading you into a direction, a new path that has not yet been traveled.

It’s scary sometimes to think that two or three years from now, everything will be different. Despite what people say or do, almost everything changes at some point and time and when this happens, you have to be ready for it.

The people who are less prepared end up losing the most and ultimately end up clawing to get their way back to where they were but they never do. They always end up taking a new path and whether it be forward or back it is something new and unexpected that they have to deal with.

Sometimes the new path takes you somewhere ahead. Somewhere that is both happy and unexpected but more importantly it is something you embrace, because ultimately as I said before, nothing lasts forever.

You eventually always take that step back. The difference between you quickly taking another step forward or continue traveling back all has to do with the individual. Whether or not they are prepared for the situation or up for a challenge, no path is traveled twice in one lifetime.

Now when an individual chooses a path, they have two options. One path leads forward another step, while the other leads back another step. But there is a trick, because a step back is always given to the individual, while the step forward is always something you have to fight for.

What makes a successful athlete is whether or not they are willing to fight. Whether or not they are willing to do whatever it takes to take that step forward and not let themselves take that step back.

That is the trick to a happy life and that is the trick to a successful career.

Because the individual who loses that fight and isn’t willing to take that step always goes backwards, and the only thing that can stop it is learning what made you take that step and never doing it again.

That is life, that is love, that is football.

The most successful football players are the ones who are willing to fight, learn, and embrace every step they take because no matter who you are, you always take a step back.

It’s the ones who fight, the ones who get back up, dust themselves off, and get back out there and keep moving forward.

Now I got one question for you guys: What steps are you going to take?

Ottawa Sentaors: Changes That Need to be Made in Order to be Successful

Shane House — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:34:08 -0500

First off, I am going to be honest. I am a Toronto Maple Leafs fan. Before you rip into me about it, I am going to be fair in what I write here and make a fair prediction as to what the Senators need to do to be a good team.

We can all agree that as of right now, there is absolutely no chemistry on this team. There is no secondary scoring coming from anyone, and although the defense has been stellar, the offense coming from the back end has been lacking.

There is nobody besides maybe Filip Kuba (who is injured) who can move the puck out of the back end really well.

Overall, besides that top line, this team is flat, boring, and lacking grit.

So here is what I think needs to be done.

General Manager

Bryan Murray has a very intelligent hockey mind. He may have a very annoying voice, but he knows his hockey. This team has been bad for over a year now and the only changes that have been made is this carousel of coaches he has been pushing through.

Sadly, there is no excuse for the lack of player personnel changes and he needs to go. Things need to change here, and the first step is to change is the General Manager.

Coaching

Craig Hartsburg is a good coach. He deserves better than this and I hope he gets it. As for the team needing another coaching change, if Bryan Murray gets axed, then I think Hartsburg will too. Just happens when a new General Manager comes in, but I really hope it doesn't.

I think Hartsburg is a great coach and he deserves a chance to rebuild this team, but ultimately when a new General Manager comes in, he will be gone and a new coach will be brought in.

Offense

As I said before, the team has no offense outside of the big three. And with there being little to no improvement from it all season, I think it’s time to clean house.

Jason Spezza: One of the big three have to be moved on this team to spread out offense, and I think Spezza will be the one to get the axe. He is a great offensive player who could help any team needing a first line center.

However, ever since the team started this downward spiral, Spezza has reverted more and more to his playing habits from earlier in his career. He isn’t willing to get his nose dirty, he isn’t playing smart defensively, and his overall playing is very flat.

I think he needs a change of scenery, and Ottawa could fetch a couple draft picks and/or prospects for him.

Antoine Vermette: Coming into this season, Vermette had lofty expectations, with some people expecting him to eclipse 60 points. Now with the midway point of the season approaching, he is looking more and more like he will reach half of that, if he is lucky.

He is in need of a scenery change as well, and may not fetch a huge amount because of his almost $3 million a year salary. But he could fetch a decent prospect or a second or third round pick.

Dean McAmmond: I love McAmmond. No matter what team he is on or what role he plays on the team, he always gives 110 percent. But for a rebuilding team, he is old at the age of 35, and could be used on a team looking to make a Stanley Cup run.

I say trade him at the deadline when you can get the most for him, and send him to a cup contending team for a draft pick. He could fetch up to a third round pick if he can pick up his play a bit.

Defense/Goaltending

Although this team does have decent defense, they still needs a puck moving defenseman. They are lacking roughness from this part of the end as well, showing no grit most of the time. These are the players I think they need to get rid of to get this defense on the right track:

Filip Kuba: Now why would you trade your top defenseman who is the only one that can move the puck well? The fact that he is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, of course. Kuba is a solid defenseman and could fetch a lot at the trade deadline. He is almost never out of position at his end of the ice, and can move the puck.

Unless the Senators plan on resigning him sometime this season, they should get what they can for him by trading him to a team that needs a top four defenseman. He could fetch a high draft pick and/or a prospect if there is the right team looking.

Jason Smith: Jason Smith is a solid stay-at-home defenseman, he knows how to hit and brings a load of experience to any team. The problem with Smith is that he is slow and can’t contribute offensively, which is a problem for the Senators.

He has a year left on his contract after this season, which could hurt his value. The Senators do not need a player of his age if they are rebuilding, and I suggest trying to trade him this trade deadline and if not, buying him out at the end of the season.

If they can trade him, I think they could get a mid level draft pick for him, or a defenseman in return.

Martin Gerber: Even though I still blame him not doing so well on the fact that he finally painted his helmet, he is still a serviceable goaltender. The problem with Gerber is his contract.

Luckily for Ottawa, Gerber has only this year left on his contract, so even if they can’t get rid of him by the trade deadline, they won’t have to deal with him after this season.

If they could get interest for him, I think Ottawa should aim for a conditional draft pick. Meaning that the other team in the deal will base how much they give Ottawa by how much Gerber contributes. This is the only way Gerber will be out of Ottawa this season.

Who They Should Go For

The Senators need a top four offensive defenseman and secondary scoring. It also wouldn’t hurt to shed some salary as well.

Curtis Sanford: With Jason LaBarbera traded to Vancouver and Roberto Luongo coming back soon, Curtis Sanford will be sent down to the minors. Why not pick him up on the waiver wire and send down Gerber to the minors to save some money.

Jay Bouwmeester: Jay Bouwmeester wants out of Florida, whether it be via free agency or trade. So why not trade Jason Spezza and Jason Smith for Jay Bouwmeester and get that top defenseman you are looking for.

He brings size, grit, and puck moving ability to the table and is still very young. You could build a team around this guy, and that is what Ottawa should do. Get this guy by whatever means necessary, and they will instantly have better defense.

Nathan Horton: Also wants out of Florida and brings the entire package to any team. Grit, size, speed, and skill, he would be the perfect player to upstart that secondary scoring that the Senators have been missing.

I could see Horton going for Spezza straight up or maybe even for just Vermette and two high draft picks. He can give a team what it needs to succeed.

I think if some of these changes happened to the Ottawa Senators, then they would be on the right track to set this team in the right direction. The right thing to do would be to do a fire sale and rebuild this team from scratch. This obviously needs to happen, including major overhaul in order for this team to be successful again.