Bleacher Report - Articles by Lukas

Lukas' 2009 NHL Playoffs Predictions: Eastern Conference and the Finals

Lukas — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 09:17:16 -0400

As you all should know by now, the NHL playoffs are not far off. In fact, the regular season ends on Sunday, April 12, 2009.

A couple days back, I looked at the Western Conference playoff picture, and today, it's time to look at the East.

The Eastern Conference is the place to be when you’re in search of offense. The East has 3,408 goals in total, while the West trails with just 3,190 goals.

The Eastern Conference is also the home of Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, and Evgeni Malkin.

That said, it finally looks like the East is the place to be, but does that mean that they can end the West’s two-year winning streak? Only time will tell.

Here is how the East stacks up.

Team/Wins/Points

1. BOS – 50 – 110

2. WSH – 47 – 102

3. NJD – 48 – 100

4. PHI – 42 – 94

5. CAR – 43 – 93

6. PIT – 42 – 92

7. MTL – 40 – 90

8. NYR – 40 – 89

9. FLD – 38 – 87

10. BUF – 38 – 85

11. TOR – 32 – 77

12. OTT – 33- 76

13. ATL – 34 – 74

14. TBL – 24 – 66

15. NYI – 25 – 59

Not that long ago, the Montreal Canadiens were on the verge of missing the playoffs. However, they seem to have found new life under head coach Bob Gainey. Look for the Habs to make the playoffs.

Even though Florida—and the Rangers—have a game-in-hand on Montreal, they are still three points back. To get into the eighth spot, the Panthers need to start winning, and the Rangers have to start losing.

Buffalo’s chances at the playoffs are slim to none.

I'd be extremely surprised if Pittsburgh misses the playoffs, as they are on a three-game winning streak with no end in sight.

With teams 11th and down officially out of the playoffs, this race only goes from seventh to 10th.

So, finally, here are my predictions on who will make the playoffs:

7. MTL

8. NYR

9. FLD

10. BUF

As you can see, there is absolutely no change in the playoff race.

Now, here are my other playoff predictions.

The bracket:

Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Stanley Cup Finals

1. Boston

Vs.

8. New York

2. Washington 1. Boston

Vs. Vs.

7. Montreal 6. Pittsburgh 6. Pittsburgh

Vs. 6. Pittsburgh

3. New Jersey 2. Washington 5. Carolina

Vs. Vs.

6. Pittsburgh 5. Carolina

4. Philadelphia

Vs.

5. Carolina

I do understand that these predictions are going to confuse some people, make some mad, and maybe even have some screaming at me like I’m an idiot (with YOU ARE AN IDIOT included in the comment).

But, so we can try to avoid some of that, let me explain.

Boston and Washington are just flat-out good teams. Pittsburgh and Carolina have found something with their new coaches, and they will all advance to round two.

Now this is the part that has the potential to create some controversy.

Yes, Boston is on a roll. However, they are one of the most inexperienced teams in the league. The players that have lots of experience are not the most talented in the league.

In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Penguins will be too much for Carolina to handle, and they will advance to the Stanley Cup Finals against San Jose.

Stanley Cup Finals 2009 Stanley Cup Champions

San Jose

Vs. San Jose Sharks

Pittsburgh

Once the finals roll around, San Jose will have the depth and skill to finish off the Penguins and become the 2008-09 Stanley Cup Champions

*All stats as of 6:08 p.m., Saturday, April 4

Lukas' 2009 NHL Playoff Predictions: Western Conference

Lukas — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:52:00 -0400

With the NHL playoffs just around the corner, I figured that it would be a good idea to take a look at who will make the playoffs.

Today, however, I am only going to look at the Western Conference playoff picture.

The Western Conference may have a slight edge over the east when it comes to the playoffs.

The west includes the two best teams in the league (statistically), in San Jose, and Detroit. It is also the home of players like Pavel Datsuyk, Joe Thornton, Henrik Zetterberg, Roberto Luongo, Miikka Kiprusoff, Jarome Iginla, Rick Nash, and others.

Also, since the lockout, the Western Conference has raised the most Stanley Cup banners, two, where the east has only once.

This is how Western Conference standings currently look:

Team/Wins/Points

1. SJ – 50 – 111

2. DET – 49 – 107

3. VAN – 42 – 93

4. CGY - 43 – 92

5. CHI – 40 – 91

6. CBJ – 40 - 88

7. ANA – 39 – 84

8. NSH – 38 – 84

9. STL - 37 – 83

10. MIN – 36 – 81

11. EDM – 36 – 81

12. DAL - 34 – 78

13. LA - 31 – 73

14. PHX – 32 – 71

15. COL – 31 – 64

With Nashville and Anaheim in a tie for the eighth and final playoff spot, and Columbus in sixth five points into the playoffs, don’t be surprised if Columbus makes the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

Also don’t be surprised the Blues make the playoffs, as they are currently on a five game winning streak.

Since Columbus is likely to make the playoffs, and Dallas has just 78 points, the playoff race realistically really only goes from seventh place to eleventh place. With that being said, here is how seventh through eleventh should look as of April 12^th, 2009:

Team

7. NSH

8. STL

9. ANA

10. MIN

11. EDM

Look for Nashville to make the playoffs, while the St. Louis Blues will be part of a photo finish to eighth spot with Anaheim, while continuing their great push for the playoffs. Minnesota and Edmonton, meanwhile, will remain in their current positions.

So, without further Adieu, here is how the playoffs will go down in the Western Conference:

Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Stanley Cup Finals

1. San Jose

Vs. .

8. St. Louis

2. Detroit 1. San Jose

Vs. Vs.

7. Nashville 6. Columbus 1. San Jose

Vs. 1. San Jose

3. Vancouver 2. Detroit 5. Calgary

Vs. Vs.

6. Columbus 5. Calgary

4. Chicago

Vs.

5. Calgary

Only one change in the Western Conference standings that did not involve a change in the playoffs, and that was Calgary and Chicago swapping spots in the standings. However, they still faced each other in the playoffs.

Look for San Jose to be Western Conference champs. I will announce who I think they will play in the Stanley Cup Finals in the Eastern Conference edition.

*All stats as of 5:58, Tuesday April 1^st, 2009.

Montreal Canadiens: Going Down Hill From Here

Lukas — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:15:30 -0400

Before I begin this article, I would like to say one thing.

I know that most of you are aware that I am a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs. This article is me speaking not as a Leafs fan, but as a hockey fan. Therefore, I am not trying to bash the Montreal Canadiens, and this is certainly not one of those rants that some fans of one’s team would go on about a rival club.

With that being said, I am assuming that you all know about the recent struggles of the Montreal Canadiens.

Since Feb. 1, the Canadiens have went just 10-15 since Thursday March, 26th, and since Bob Gainey took over behind the bench for Guy Carbonneau, they have went just 3-5.

Goaltending is the one position that the fans of any team can pick at the most. The Canadiens have two young goalies; Price, who is 21, and Halak, who is 23. Chances are, in a market like Montreal, where the fans are tough and the building is sold out, and loud, every game, this goalie tandem isn’t going to work.

That is not the only position that the Habs are struggling with.

This is what the 24 time Stanley Cup winning team looks like at centre:

Plekanec

Koivu

Lapierre

Metropolit

Perhaps the Habs’ best centre was Robert Lang, who got injured before the trade deadline. Therefore, Bob Gainey, the general manager and head coach, had plenty of time to make a trade, bringing in a new centre.

Instead, they claimed Glen Metropolit of waivers.

Clearly, the Habs are going down hill.

However, the 100-year-old Habs do have a somewhat bright future.

With prospects like Kyle Chipchura, Olivier Latendresse, Ryan McDonagh, P.K. Subban, Nichlas Torp, and Pavel Valentenko, and some of them with NHL experience, the Habs have no shortage of good, young players.

However, the same thing happened to the Maple Leafs.

Before the lockout, the Maple Leafs were playing well and it was able to get through to the second round of the playoffs. They had good prospects and a good goalie. Prospects like Nikolai Kulemin, and Mikeal Tellqvist both looked promising, along with a couple others.

It turned out that Tellqvist was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes for Tyson Nash (who is no longer with the club), and Nikolai Kulemin isn’t playing up to expectations.

The Maple Leafs also had a good goalie, in Ed Belfour, but he never re-signed with the hockey club.

My point is this. The Montreal Canadiens are struggling up front, and behind the bench, it’s not exactly “set” when it comes to its goalies, and it is definitely not the best team when it comes to centre men. Also, just because its prospects look good on paper, and they play well now, doesn’t always mean that they are going to be good in the NHL.

In conclusion, the 100-year-old Montreal Canadiens are not officially out of a playoff spot, nor are the screwed for the future. However, as of now, it looks as though the Habs are going nowhere.

You Vote: Best NHL Player (Winner)

Lukas — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:05:51 -0400

The You Vote series officially came to an end today.

The "Best NHL Player According to Bleacher Report" award goes to Alexander Ovechkin, with four votes.

Thank you to everyone who voted, and to everyone who edited the You Vote articles.

You Vote: Best NHL Player

Lukas — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 07:37:02 -0400

About three months ago, I wrapped up a series called “You Vote.”

In the series, any Bleacher Report writer could vote on who he/she thought was the best at his position. All three positions were included; one player from each team.

Now, the You Vote series is ready to return for one time only. This time, however, you will vote on who you think is the best overall player in the NHL.

To do this, I am going to take the winner(s) from each position, and have you, the Bleacher Report writers, vote on who you think is the NHL’s best player.

TO VOTE: ***VOTING IS NOW CLOSED***

Forward

1. Alexander Ovechkin

Defense

2. Kevin Bieksa

3. Andrei Markov

4. Dion Phaneuf

Goalie

5. Roberto Luongo

Good luck to everyone, and thanks for voting!

Creating Controversy: Top 10 Most Likely Maple Leafs to Get Dealt

Lukas — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 14:43:31 -0500

Yes, it’s that time of year again. The time of year when the rumor mill begins to turn, and NHL GMs are working the phones constantly while trying to put together the best deal possible. The time of year when the best players begin to play even better, and when new names are rumored to be on the move (like Alex Kovalev). However, perhaps the team with the most rumors surrounding it could be the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Maple Leafs general manager, Brian Burke, has had to listen to all of the rumors that have been floating around the Leafs organization, and he too has received trade offers and talked to his own players, and other teams, about trade possibilities. So today I have gathered a list of ten Maple Leafs that have the best chance at getting dealt, at this years March 4th trading deadline.

Begin Slideshow

Toronto Maple Leafs Defense: Who Is In and Who Is Out After Deadline

Lukas — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 08:53:08 -0500

With the NHL’s trade deadline less than a month away now, the Toronto Maple Leafs have begun to look at their options.

With all of the injuries that the Maple Leafs have had to overcome and slumps that players are in, those options are limited, and the same story exists when it comes to the defense.

The Maple Leafs’ defense consists of a lot of skilled players. Some of these players are considered to be the Maple Leafs future, so if they don’t get their playing time, than we could literally be watching the Maple Leafs’ future go right out the window.

This means that the Maple Leafs will focus heavily on their ‘D’ once the deadline is here.

So today, I am going to sort out who is in and who is out on the Maple Leafs defense after the deadline.

If the Maple Leafs are going to be successful in the future, than they might have to make some trades that they don’t want to. This means that some of the younger defensemen that are on the Leafs’ roster right now, may not be here come March 4.

Ian White is one of those guys. He has played at both the forward and defense positions, and has had a good season. This is exactly the type of player that some teams might be looking for. Watch for Brian Burke to wait until the last hour on trade deadline day to deal Ian White.

Not all of the Maple Leafs’ defensemen have had a good season. Jonas Frogren is one that has been stable defensively, and chips in offensively once and a while. He is not very young; however he could bring a veteran presence to the locker room of any NHL hockey club. Look for Frogren to be dealt for draft picks and/or a prospect.

I cannot seem to figure out if the Maple Leafs will keep or trade Jeff Finger.

The Maple Leafs could trade him because of his big contract that may become a nuisance once the re-build is complete and there may be a lot of teams interested in his services. However, I would not be surprised the least bit if they decide to keep him, with the way he has been playing this year.

The Maple Leafs got exactly what they were looking for out of Jeff Finger, but do not surprised if they deal him.

Mike Van Ryn could be considered as one of the Maple Leafs’ best offensive threats when it comes to their defense. He is a player that a team like Ottawa could be looking for. A good puck-moving defenseman that still has many more years in him. Look for Van Ryn to be dealt come deadline day.

Last year it was rumored that Pavel Kubina would be traded, and yes, the rumor mill has begun to churn out his name once again, along with Tomas Kaberle.

Kubina is a massive offensive threat, and Kaberle is one of the best puck-moving defenseman in the league. Kubina has arguably the best shot on the Maple Leafs’ roster, and both are capable of scoring 15 goals a year. Both of these players will be dealt on deadline day, possibly in a package together.

As you may have noticed, Jamie Sifers, Luke Schenn, and Anton Stralman were not listed. This is because these players are part of the Maple Leafs’ future, and are not going to be traded.

Come March 4 the Leafs’ defense will have a whole new look. It may not look as talented, and it may be full of prospects that are looking to make their mark in the NHL, and show that they are capable of playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs. So prepare yourself, for the long and bumpy ride that is the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Ultimate ReBuild: Are the Toronto Maple Leafs on the Right Track?

Lukas — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 16:43:58 -0500

It has been many years since we Leafs fans have seen the Stanley Cup parade in Toronto (42, to be exact). In fact, some havn't even seen the parade, myself included.

We have seen many general managers and coaches get fired. We have seen players’ careers made and then ruined. We have seen too many rough seasons.

However, with all the moves the Buds made in the offseason, and with arguably the NHL’s best general manager just beginning his tenure at the Leafs’ helm, could we see the demise of all those rough seasons?

The Maple Leafs have finally showed that they are committed to rebuilding this franchise. No longer will the Maple Leafs’ management just fix the holes that are left on the roster.

This team is being torn apart completely and being put back together using a combination of draft picks, the free agent market, the trade market, and, most importantly, time. The Maple Leafs have a new general manager, a new coach, and what seems to be a good young core to build around.

In the summer, the Maple Leafs kicked off their rebuild by drafting defenseman Luke Schenn fifth overall. It wasn’t long after the draft until July 1 came, the day that NHL teams can begin signing free agents.

Then Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher wasted no time dipping into the free agent pool, signing three new players: Crowd favorite Curtis Joseph, who was signed to back up the starting goalie, Vesa Toskala; Jeff Finger, who was signed to a controversial four-year, $3.4 million contract; and Niklas Hagman, who signed a four-year, $3 million contract.

Those veterans will fit in with the young talent. Talent that includes Mikhail Grabovski and Luke Schenn, which is exatly the type of talent the Maple Leafs have been looking for. However, all of the pieces aren't there just yet.

The Toronto Marlies (their AHL affiliate) has players that could also be part of the Maple Leafs' quest to win a Stanley Cup. With players like Grabovski, Schenn, Kulemin, and Sifers in the NHL, and Pogge, Stralman, Tlusty, and Oreskovic in the American Hockey League, the Leafs seem to have a good core to build around.

Where the Leafs need to be careful is how the young talent is trained. Most of the veterans were part of the old plan, which means they will influence the new guys with the wrong methods.

Following is a list of players that seem to be part of the rebuild and players that are not. The latter category is listed as “On the Bubble,” meaning that the player could get moved between now and the trade deadline.

Part of the ReBuild On the Bubble

Mikhail Grabovski Nik Antropov

Niklas Hagman Jason Blake

Nikolai Kulemin Jamal Mayers

Brad May Ryan Hollweg

Dominic Moore John Mitchell

Jeff Finger Alexei Ponikarovsky

Luke Schenn Matt Stajan

Jamie Sifers Lee Stempniak

Anton Stalman Jeff Finger

Jonas Frogren

Tomas Kaberle

Pavel Kubina

Mike Van Ryn

Ian White

Vesa Toskala

Curtis Joseph (retirement)

After the Maple Leafs finish their drafting and free agent signing, the rebuilding “freeze” will be turned on. During this time, they will not make any moves. All they can do is evaluate what they have until the freeze tag is removed.

The trade deadline is just over a month away and the rumor mill has begun to churn. This year, the deadline could decide the future of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Creating Controversy: Reducing NHL Roster Sizes

Lukas — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 16:41:18 -0500

Lately, teams have been looking for players that will protect their more skilled ones.

Teams such as Montreal (Georges Laraque), Toronto (Ryan Hollweg), and Ottawa (Jarkko Ruutu) all went out to get a tough guy, to protect their more skilled players. However, lately it has appeared as though the game of hockey has almost become a little to fierce.

With all the discussion about hitting from behind, hits to the head, fighting, and more in the NHL, no one has done anything yet. And obviously we cannot just sit here and watch hit, after hit, after hit, going to the head, or coming from behind.

If only there was a way to decrease the chance of someone getting hurt in a fight, getting hit in the head, or worse, getting hit from behind.

While I was watching the Leafs' game on January 16th, an idea that seemed pretty controversial was brought to my attention: reducing the size of an NHL roster.

Of course, if you were to reduce the size of an NHL roster, the fourth line would no longer exist.

The fourth line is where most of the so called "goons" or "tough guys" play. You know, the guys that go out onto the ice and stir things up a little, by getting in a fight or laying out a big hit.

So with the desertion of the fourth line, we might no longer see those tough guys. This means that the chance of someone getting badly hurt could go down. However, the NHL would still be taking a risk.

If most of your players are skilled players - and you only have three lines - than the level of competition should increase, because the players will try even harder to crack a team's roster.

If the level of competition goes up, then the level of anger and tension will also go up. This means that those skilled players could become tough guys, because they will become used to fighting.

Hence, reducing the amount of players that an NHL team is allowed to have on their roster, has the to potential to make the game even more violent. In contrast, it also has the potential to make the game more safe.

Yes, fighting is a part of the game. Yes, hitting is a part of the game, and yes, if you take certain parts of hitting out of the game, then hockey might become a bit more boring to watch.

However, we all know that Gary Bettman needs to do something before anyone else dies.

How to Keep Fighting in Hockey

Lukas — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 07:49:45 -0500

There have always been many arguments as to whether fighting in the NHL should be banned. However, with 21-year-old Whitby Dunlops defenseman Don Sanderson dying as a result of an on-ice fight, the argument has become heated.

Thinking about fighting in hockey, I figured that with the death of Sanderson, this is the perfect time for the NHL—maybe even Parliament and the U.S. government—to look into fighting in hockey.

Here are three options for whoever decides to look at fighting in hockey:

Don't bother with it.
Ban fighting all together, so you get kicked out of the game, or even maybe the league, whenever you fight (depending on the severity of the fight).
Add time onto a fighting major.

You cannot ban fighting all together, because fighting is just part of the game.

Imagine this: Donald Brashear and Georges Laraque get into a shoving match. Brashear says, "Hey! Wanna go?" Laraque says OK, and they circle center ice—ready to dance.

They drop their gloves and sticks and take off their helmets. They "chuck some knuckles" (something Darren Dutchyshen said) for about three minutes.

Wouldn't you miss that?

You cannot leave fighting the way it is, either.

If they do, then we may see yet another player get severely injured, or possibly die—just like Don Sanderson.

The most plausible option is to add another two to five minutes onto a fighting major. This will allow us to watch hockey fights without having to watch players lying on the ice—after having their head smash the ice while falling.

I would like to see penalty time added onto a fighting major. Perhaps no one else will die from fighting.

Creating Controversy: Should the NHL Allow Fans to Vote for the All-Stars?

Lukas — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 06:00:47 -0500

With four players from one team being voted to the Eastern Conference's starting lineup, and not a single one of them being Alexander Ovechkin, the questions have been raised as to whether the NHL should continue fan balloting for the annual All-Star festivities.

A lot of people are not happy seeing four different Montreal Canadians' being sent to the All-Star game; even more people are not happy seeing Alex Ovechkin not being named to the Eastern Conference team.

However, you cannot really allow the NHL to decide who goes to the All-Star game.

First of all, if you go by the top 12 players in the points department for each conference, and the top six D-men, then there will not be the excitement of learning who was named to the All-Star Game.

So what else could you do? You can't go around on the streets asking people who they want in the All-Star Game because of two reasons:

You may get a biased opinion.
You would only have approximately 10, 000 votes (if that).

So you are left with one more option:

You could assemble the NHL Board of Governors together and have them vote. But again, there are two reasons why that won't work.

There would be way to much protesting.
That's just flat out silly.

So really, all you can do, is allow the NHL fans to continue voting. This seems like the most sensible thing to do.

---

Thanks to Matt Eichel for this week's topic, "Should The NHL Allow Fans To Vote For The All-Stars?"

Jason Blake: Is He Underrated?

Lukas — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 02:34:01 -0500

Since coming to Toronto, Jason Blake has had a hard time, and by saying he has had a hard time I don't just mean scoring goals.

He has had to deal with Leukemia, which was fortunately caught early enough that he can just take a pill every morning. He has also had to deal with the tough Toronto fans, who have been anti-Blake since he began not meeting the high expectations that came with his contract.

However, after all of that, he managed to keep himself together and not crack under the pressure of playing in Toronto. Overcoming such adversity led to him winning the Bill Masterton Trophy, which is awarded to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.

So if Jason Blake has been able to win this award - arguably one of the hardest to win when one plays in Toronto - and he is beginning to come into his own this season, than aren't we, as Toronto Maple Leafs' fans, under estimating him?

Well, we must be.

If he was able to do all of the above, than aren't we under estimating him? There is much more to productive player than goals and points.

Now that the coach, Ron Wilson, has found players for him to work with (Jeremy Williams, and Dominic Moore), Blake has found his groove.

He has been managing to score goals lately, and he seems to be showing his incredible speed that he has always had, but was never really visible before in Toronto.

Additionally, Blake has put up a great number of assists this season. The reason: he has become more of a team player. Last season he never really seemed to pass the puck (and I do realize that he is considered a sniper). In his last five games, Blake has put up three assists. In 29 games this season, Blake has recorded 13 assists.

So, with Jason Blake winning the Bill Masterton Trophy, begining to score goals again, becoming a leader to a rebuilding franchise, and becoming a more team focused player, we, as fans, must be under estimating, and under rating him.

Vesa Toskala's Bad Season: Too Much Effort?

Lukas — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 23:44:57 -0500

Over the course of the season, a lot of people have said that Vesa Toskala has been overworked by Ron Wilson, forcing him into a GAA of just 3.06, and a terrible save percentage of .890.

However, you may have noticed that Wilson has a history of overworking his goalies.

Every year that Ron Wilson coached Vesa Toskala and Evgeni Nabokov in San Jose, they pretty much split time—which is understandable, considering that they are both great goalies.

But as soon as Toskala was traded to the Maple Leafs in the summer of 2007, Nabokov began to receive a lot more work.

Last season in San Jose, Ron Wilson played Nabokov in all but five games. So far this season, their backup Brian Boucher, has already started seven games, and Nabokov is playing just as well as he was last season.

My point: Ron Wilson will overwork his starting goaltender if he is really good, and it won’t affect the goalie(s).

So if being overworked is not affecting the Maple Leafs' starting goalie, then what is?

Is it the fact that the Leafs are allowing too many shots each game? Is it the fact that the Leafs have turned the puck over too much? Or is it that he is trying too hard, so he can impress Brian Burke enough to keep him in town?

Well, I don't think that it’s because the Maple Leafs are allowing too many shots. And it’s not because the Maple Leafs turn the puck over too much. A starting goalie should still be able to stop those pucks.

So the only explanation that I can think of would be that Toskala is trying too hard to impress Burke.

Last season, and during his tenure in San Jose, I believe that Toskala felt like his job was safe because he played so well. But now that he has had a bad start to the season (under Cliff Fletcher), and that he has a new GM (Brian Burke), he must feel like he is back in his first NHL season, trying to stay with the team.

And we all know that sometimes if you try too hard, you end up making too many mistakes.

So then how do we explain Toskala's good games?

Well, maybe because he is normally trying so hard, he has some "off games," so to speak. Meaning that if he was playing normally, during an off game, he would let in too many goals on a small amount of shots.

But now that he tries too hard, an off game would be a normal game. So really, for Toskala, an off game is a good game, and a good game is an off game. Make sense?

In these "off games," Toskala has been able to show off some of his strengths. Strengths that include his abilities to allow just two or less goals every night, play the puck, and forget about a bad goal and shutout the opposing team for the rest of the night.

A good example of that would be last year's game against the Islanders. Rob Davison scored a goal from his own goal line, and Toskala would not allow another one the rest of the game.

So really, if Toskala can manage to figure out that he just needs to play normally, then the Maple Leafs will get some better play out of him.

I think that it won't be too long until Toskala discovers that and his numbers get much better.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Who's Hot, Who's Not

Lukas — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 07:16:17 -0500

It has been a very fun week in Leafland. From Mike Van Ryn's return to the lineup, to Anton Stralman being sent down to the Marlies in a surprising move by Burke, there has been no shortage of news from the Leafs. Last week, the Maple Leafs played just two games. On Monday, they defeated the New York Islanders 4-2, and it was Friday night, when they traveled to Buffalo, only to defeat the Sabres 2-1, thanks to Ian White. But with the lack of goals for, and lack of goals against, the Maple Leafs have lots of players that are hot and cold. Today we are going to look at some of both.

Begin Slideshow

Maple Leafs Defense: Who Is In and Who Is Out

Lukas — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 11:32:39 -0500

With three injured defensemen expected back soon, the Maple Leafs have a jam on the back end, yet again.

Mike Van Ryn, who was injured on the 8th of November, should be back within a week, while Jonas Frogren, injured on the 22nd of November against Chicago, still has some time to serve on the IR, but should be back within three weeks. Luke Schenn remains injured after being hit by Alexander Ovechkin, but just like Van Ryn, he should be back within the week.

Once all three are back, the Maple Leafs are most likely to send down Jamie Sifers, and switch Ian White to forward, but they still have seven defensemen on their NHL roster, with six spots to fill.

The men on the bubble are most likely going to be Jonas Frogren and Anton Stralman. Jonas Frogren has not played every game possible anyways because of Van Ryn.

However, since Carlo Colaiacovo was traded to St. Luis, Stralman will most likey take the fall. The reason is because Carlo and Jonas were splitting time on the back end and Stralman has been filling the shoes of Carlo Colaiacovo. But since Stralman has played so well, he most likely will stay with the big club and split time with Jonas Frogren, who is a good, durable, and strong D-man.

But that doesn't mean that Mike Van Ryn has a safe spot.

What if Frogren and Stralman both start going on hot streaks? If they were to, then it would probably be Van Ryn (who has three goals and five assists) getting scratched.

Just look at their defense: Kaberle, Kubina, and Finger, are all safe. So once Luke Schenn (who is also safe) is healthy, which is only about a week away, and everyone else is healthy, this problem will take effect. Until then, the Maple Leafs are fine with their defense.

So, what I am trying to say here is that the Maple Leafs may be making some moves, mainly to their defense, as soon as the new year rolls around.

Creating Controversy: Sean Avery As a Maple Leaf

Lukas — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 23:45:18 -0500

Sean Avery is at it again.

And boy, is he ever at it this time.

Sean commented about how it has become a re-occurring thing in the NHL for other players date to his old girlfriends, except he did not say "old girlfriends."

But this time he did not get a warning from Bettman or Campbell.

This time he got suspended for six games.

But you have to admit, if Avery could just keep things on the ice—and by that I mean no crude, degrading, and just uncalled-for comments—then he would be a good hockey player. We all know that he is a 15- to 18-goal scorer, so really, he is a good player.

But could he survive in hockey market like Toronto? Would he be able to walk the streets without a security guard, and not get beat up?

No, probably not—especially if he is making comments like this.

So my question to you this week: Should the Maple Leafs trade for Sean Avery?

Thanks to BT. This weeks edition of Creating Controversy was about Sean Avery, because it was Brian Thiel who gave me the idea.

Dominic Moore: A Salute To You, Maple Leafs Player

Lukas — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 06:15:31 -0500

The year, 2000, the round, three, the pick, 95th.

That was when Dominic Moore was drafted 95th overall in 2000 by the New York Rangers. Now, three teams later, two waiver wires later, and eight years later Dominic Moore is a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the team that he cheered for ever since that August day in 1980, when he was born.

It all started in the Metropolitan Toronto Junior Hockey League with the Thornhill Islanders, in '96-97. There he scored four goals and six assists in 29 games, over one season.

It was then on to the Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League, where he played for Aurora. Over two season in Aurora ('97-98 - '98-99), he appeared in 102 games, scoring 44 goals, 68 assists, and 112 points. It was in his second season where he played the best though, scoring 85 points, in 51 games.

After that, he went on to play for Harvard (Crimsons) in the Eastern College Athletic Conference. There he played four seasons, with his best being in his last year ('02-03), when he scored a total of 51 points (24 goals, 27 assists).

Then it was on to the NHL. After being drafted in 2000, it wasn't until the '03-04 season when he made his debut, with the New York Rangers. In his debut season, he played just five games, scoring three assists.

He did go to the minors (Hartford Wolf Pack) that year though. In the minors he scored 14 goals, and 25 assists. During the lockout, Moore played for the Wolf Pack. Appearing in 78 games, he scored 19 goals, and 31 assists.

He then got a permanent spot on the Rangers' roster.

During the '05-'06 season, he played in all 82 games. It was nine goals and nine assists for Moore, in his rookie campaign.

He was then traded to Pittsburgh, where he scored six goals, and another nine assists in 59 games.

After his only season in Pittsburgh, he was claimed off waivers from Minnesota, where he played 10 games in '06-07, scoring two goals. In his second year with Minnesota (again, not a full one), he scored one goal and two assists in 30 games. After those 30 games, Toronto claimed him off waivers.

Moore has played best in Toronto so far, scoring nine goals, and 27 assists, in just 66 games with the Leafs.

Ever since coming to Toronto, I have been a huge Dominic Moore fan, and supporter. I will be looking for Moore to continue a not so bad career, in Toronto.

I would just like to thank mapleleafs.com for the stats, and teams that Moore has played for in his career.

Toronto Maple Leafs Players Who Have Made the Season Exciting

Lukas — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 10:06:02 -0500

You have to admit that all and all, thanks to certain players (who will be named in a moment), the Maple Leafs' season has been pretty entertaining. These players have amazed us with their speed, ability to score, and just flat-out hard work. Others have amazed us in a different way. By this I mean hitting and fighting.

So here they are, the players that have made me want to watch Maple Leafs' hockey, this season:

Mikhail Grabovski

Speed, agility, toughness, and the ability to score. These are all attributes that Mikhail Grabovski posses. He is just one member of the trio that consists of Hagman, Grabovski, and Kulemin, and he is arguably the one that sets up the most of their plays, thanks to his speed.

Nikolai Kulemin

This guy has lived up to my expectations, for the most part. He has tons of speed, and he can hit. He also has the ability to make a really good pass. Kulemin is probably the least likely to score out of the trio, but he still does chip in with a goal here and there. Kulemin has six goals, on the season.

Niklas Hagman

You knew it was coming. The trio of Hagman, Grabovski, and Kulemin was obviously going to be listed. Hagman has eight goals this year thanks to his hard work, and of course, being line mates with Grabovski, and Kulemin, who are wonderful passers.

Matt Stajan

Last year, Stajan probably would not have been on the list. But this year he leads the Leafs in points (23) and assists (16). He has always had speed, and he has always been able to score. But never before has he blossomed like he has this season. Keep the good work up, Matt Stajan.

Ian White

Like Matt Stajan, Ian White would not have been on the list last year. He probably would't have this year either if he was still a defenseman. Just look at his story. He was always a mediocre "D" man, but he never really got the job done, so to speak. But now, under Ron Wilson, and as a forward, he is getting the job done, and then some.

Last season as a defenseman, he scored 5 goals. This season, he has four goals already.

Luke Schenn

Need I explain?

Honorable mentions

Nik Antropov

Jeremy Williams

Ryan Hollweg

Lee Stempniak

Now, as you may have noticed, Antropov was not one of the players who REALLY excites me. The reason, is because he has no speed. He can't skate. That is the only reason that I don't not like him as a player.

As for Jeremy Williams, he has excited me his whole career. As long as he stays in the NHL, he will continue to.

Ryan Hollweg just hits, and fights. Lee Stempniak just impresses me with his skating and shooting abilities.

Who excites you?

Is the Maple Leafs Goaltending a Problem?

Lukas — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 09:14:05 -0500

Over the course of the season, the Maple Leafs have had shaky goaltending. Toskala has been suffering with a goals against average of just 3.19. Joseph hasn't been great either. His GAA is an extremely high 3.95, and he is winless this season.

Brian Burke may end up keeping these two as his tandem anyways, just to help them get lower in the standings, and get Tavares or Headman. However, some also say that the Leafs should go for the playoffs, and see what they can do.

So that leaves the question, is the Maple Leafs goalie tandem of Toskala and Joseph a problem?

Well, it depends.

It depends on what Brian Burke's plan is. And right now, we still don't officially know what that is. He said that he wants to evaluate everyone before he makes any trades (in the new year).

If the Maple Leafs want to tank the season and go for a high pick, and get someone like Tavares or Headman, then no, it's not a problem.

If they want to get a mediocre pick (which could turn out to be big), like somewhere around seventh so they can draft Braydon Schenn (Luke's younger brother), then no, it's not a problem. That is if they can still play hard night in and night out, in front of Toskala.

If they are aiming for the playoffs, then yes, it's a problem. Brian Burke is going to need to make a trade that sends out at least Toskala for another goalie. Or he can take the massive risk of trading Toskala and getting a pick, while trying out Pogge in the NHL.

With the way that it looks right now, it's not a problem at all. With the direction I think the Leafs should go in, it's not a problem if they can play well, night in and night out.

Creating Controvery: Tavares, or Playoffs?

Lukas — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 11:36:04 -0500

I would first like to start off by thanking Andrew Echevarria for the idea to write about this article.

Now as you all know, the Maple Leafs are long shots to make the playoffs. They just lost Schenn and Hagman, while Frogren is already out for a while. Not only that, but Toskala has been shaky at times this season, while they don't have a dependable back-up in Curtis Joseph.

Even if the Maple were to get into the playoffs, they would most likely be swept in the first round.

But they do have a good shot at Tavares, and if they don't get him, Headman is ranked No. 2. The team could be built around these players, along with Luke Schenn, Mikhail Grabovski, and Niklas Hagman. Just imagine the roster in the future. Teams would be PAYING the Leafs just to play there.

So really, Brian Burke has to make the not so tough decision of dumping Antropov, Toskala, Ponikarovsky, White, Kaberle, and Kubina for picks, or take a shot at a not so successful playoff run.

If the Leafs go with the Draft, than their roster should look something like this:

Hagman
Grabovski
Moore
Schenn
Tavares/ Headman

And that's just who your building around, so the rest of the roster will include even more really good players. This is why I do not understand it when GMs and coaches say that they don't want to tank an entire season. What are your thoughts?

You Vote: Best NHL Goalie Winner

Lukas — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 04:07:59 -0500

We now have the top players at every position figured out. It was a good journey along the way, as there was lots of votes, and even a few ties.

The "Best NHL Goalie" series gathered the most amount of votes, with 51 votes in total through two rounds of voting.

Only one goalie in the second round didn't get a single vote—Tim Thomas.

The winner received the most amount of votes for a player ever, in a single round, and in a series. That goalie got nine votes in the second round, and 15 in total.

The winner of the "Best NHL Goalie According to Bleacher Report" award is: Roberto Luongo.

The winners of all three series are:

"Best NHL Forward According to Bleacher Report": Alexander Ovechkin

"Best NHL Defenseman According to Bleacher Report": Andrei Markov, Dion Phaneuf, Kevin Bieksa

"Best NHL Goalie According to Bleacher Report": Roberto Luongo

There are some people that I would like to thank for their help, and even advice, through the good, and believe it or not, rough times, throughout the series:

Maya Filipovic for the edits, advice, and votes.

Andrew Echevarria for all the votes.

Jay Middleton for the edits.

And thanks to everyone else who helped make the series better, or even just voted.

Brian Burke's First Moves as Toronto Maple Leafs GM

Lukas — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 03:34:00 -0500

It's 99.9 percent done. All Brian Burke needs to do is sign on the dotted line, and he is the new president and GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

So with the deal all but done, there has been lots of speculation as to what Burke will do first as Leafs GM. Well, there are clearly going to be some early trades.

Look for is Jason Blake to be traded, which will still be hard because of his contract.

Alexei Ponikarovsky would most likely to be good trade bait. He would fit in to the plans of teams like Phoenix, with his size and ability to hit.

Fans think Burke will trade or waive a lot of the Leafs' youth to add some veterans and/or North Americans. I think they are wrong. I am looking for Burke to bring in some good prospects, possibly even Bobby Ryan from Anaheim.

Burke may also go into free agency a lot, as he is a GM that likes to sign and trade, rather than focus mainly on the draft, which only comes once a year.

There is no question that he will have his eye on Sundin—and Marian Hossa, who is a free agent at the end of this season.

Look for Burke to sign some free agents and make lots of trades, while building with the draft. If he can do this, he will be able to say that they are rebuilding, while making sure there are some veterans in the room as well.

There is still one problem that arises, however. Brian Burke has never been able to manage the cap well. He leaves Bob Murray with a mess in Anaheim when it comes to the cap.

If he can somehow manage to trade or waive Blake and Ponikarovsky, or even Toskala, then the Leafs would have dumped a lot—and boy, do I mean a lot—of cap space.

So here is a summary of what Burke should be doing as soon as he moves into his new office in Toronto:

Trade Blake, Ponikarovsky, and maybe even Vesa Toskala to clear some cap room.
Trade for some good prospects, such as Bobby Ryan.
Get an answer from Mats Sundin.
Bring in some good veterans, such as Gary Roberts and Shane Doan.
Get new scouts.
Begin scouting the likes of Tavares, Hedman, and (Braydon) Schenn.

The Burke hiring will only spice things up in Leafland.

Creating Controversy: Brian Burke and the Toronto Maple Leafs

Lukas — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 08:05:29 -0500

Yes, I do understand that you may be sick of hearing about Brian Burke coming to Toronto. Or, you just may be really mad that MLSE should have him signed by this weekend, because you think that he will ruin the youth of the Buds, and the Maple Leafs' chances at winning a cup, assuming that there is one.

Whether you like it or not, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE), is expected to have him signed by Saturday, says TSN.ca.

Apparently, Richard Peddie did not come into play with the negotiation until either Monday night or Tuesday morning. Before Peddie, CEO and President of MLSE, came into the negotiation process, there was no major negotiating, mainly due to family reasons of Burke's.

Once Peddie came into the process, Burke received a piece of paper that consisted of "terms" that his contract would have:

Six years
$3 million a year (US)
Signing bonuses, which includes bonuses for performance in the playoffs
Freedome like Brian Colangelo (Toronto Raptors) has in his contract

Not only does it look like the Leafs will have Burke locked up long term, but it looks like he will be paid a lot as well. Also, they are expected to sign Dave Nonis as Burke's assistant. Nonis, who was Burke's partner in Vancouver, is currently considering an offer from the Ducks to join their front office.

I have mainly heard only negativity about this topic. But now, I would like to hear your take. Be sure to vote on the poll (to your left), and leave a comment.

Was Alex Steen Treated Right by the Maple Leafs?

Lukas — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:15:19 -0500

With the Maple Leafs trading Steen and Colaiacovo to the Blues today, a lot of people have been asking, and answering this question: Was Alex Steen treated well and given a fair chance while in Toronto?

My answer is yes.

Huh, lets see. Did the Maple Leafs ever play Steen on the top line? Yes, plenty of times. Was he ever used as a healthy scratch? Maybe so, but he has played the majority of the games in his NHL career. And finally, were the Maple Leafs patient with Steen? No doubt!

So I don't understand why people keep saying that the Maple Leafs never gave Steen a fair chance.

Personally, I enjoyed having Steen as a Maple Leaf. He was always a decent player, who yes, did have the potential to be a healthy scratch often.

But he managed to continue to score goals at the correct time, and stay in the lineup. Do you know why? Because he never gave up on the fore check, and he always dished out good hits, while staying in shape and keeping up his speed.

So really, no one can say that Steen never got a fair chance, because he did.

And do you know another thing? Steen still managed to score 50 goals and 76 assists in his NHL career, which as of Saturday night, is a span of 253 games.

So basically, the point that I am trying to make here is that Steen has had his share of chances, and points.

You Vote: Best NHL Goalie (Round Two)

Lukas — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 02:55:44 -0500

It was a record setting round for the "You Vote" series. Roberto Luongo set the record for all-time most votes for, with an outstanding six votes. It was the best turnout ever for the series, with a total of twenty-three votes.

Here is the way the first round of voting played out:

1. Roberto Luongo - 6 votes

T-2. Carey Price - 4 votes

T-2. Martin Brodeur - 4 votes

T-4. Henrik Lundqvist - 2 votes

T-4. Evgeni Nabakov - 2 votes

T-4. Tim Thomas - 2 votes

T-7. Niklas Backstrom - 1 vote

T-7. Rick DiPietro - 1 vote

There was a problem, however. As you can see, there were 8 players that received at least one vote. There is supposed to be a minimum of five.

Now, because after this round, it goes straight to the winner, I will need to cut down the number of players voted for so it is as close to five as I can get.

So, with that being said, here are the players that you can vote for:

1. Robert Luongo

2. Carey Price

3. Martin Brodeur

4. Henrik Lundqvist

5. Evgeni Nabokov

6. Tim Thomas

TO VOTE: ***VOTING IS NOW CLOSED***

As you may have noticed, in an effort to get more votes, I have changed the amount of votes for each person to three, and I have also doubled the amount of time to vote.

Bleacher Report: Writers That Are Almost Guaranteed a Sports Job

Lukas — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 12:00:51 -0500

Today I was reading a lot of articles on Bleacher Report, while trying to think of a good topic to write about. I realized how good these articles can be and I said to myself, "these people need to be recognized," so I decided I would point out some of the writers in Bleacher Report that have helped the website become more popular and well known. By this, I mean writers that are almost guaranteed a job in something like sports management, sports marketing, or sports analysis.

Now, I do realize that some people are probably saying that it is rude because everyone deserves to be recognized as a good writer. That is why I would like to take the time to say good job and congrats to everybody who writes or edits for Bleacher Report.

Alan Bass

Alan has definitely helped Bleacher Report in many different ways. When I log on to Bleacher Report one of the first things I look at is the NHL section front page. When I do this, I am always looking for Alan because I know that his work is always well researched and well written. It always leaves me wanting to read more.

In Alan's biography, he says that he would like to get into hockey management. In my opinion, with the way he writes, this could very well happen. On a final note, congratulations Alan, for soon reaching 300 articles.

Maya Filipovic

All I have to say about Maya is that she is a great editor and writer. Unfortunately, Maya has only written one article. I thought the article was interesting and very well written. I would like to encourage Maya to write more articles, because I'm sure she could get many reads, comments, and awards.

Derek Harmsworth

Derek is one of the best with keeping people up-to-date with the latest news from around the NHL. He is also very good at writing articles about other teams, not just the Toronto Maple Leafs. I noticed that on his biography, he mentions some of his accomplishments. These things include interviews with Maple Leafs' play-by-play man, Joe Bowen, and NHL on TSN Panel member, Derren Dreger. I would not be surprised if Derek managed to get a job with companies like TSN, CBC, and ESPN, analyzing the NHL and its teams.

Andrew Echevarria

He is not the oldest writer on BR by any means. In fact, he is about my age. However, that won't stop him from being one of the best that Bleacher Report has to offer. He has been supportive of my articles for some time now by voting for my "You Vote" series, and always making comments on some other articles. I have not been able to read a lot of his articles, but from what I have read, I'm very impressed.

One of the reasons I'm impressed is because he is currently in Chile where there are not many hockey fans. Also, the time change in Chile is extremely different, so he's not able to watch hockey nearly as much as someone from say, Ontario. Good job Andrew. Keep up the good work.

One last note

Once again, good job to everyone who writes and edits for BR. These are just some of the really good writers on Bleacher Report. I would also like to include some honorable mentions:

Ken Armer

Zander Fruend

Michael Wagner

Miah D.

Cater . (Congrats for 100)

Greg Caggiano

Tyler Hill

Toronto Maple Leafs Update: Game Time, Brian Burke, Nikolai Kulemin

Lukas — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 10:19:38 -0500

Game Time

It was a bad week for the Toronto Maple Leafs, as they only had two games to play, but managed to lose both of them.

It all started on Saturday night when they rounded out their west coast swing with a 4-2 loss to the feisty Vancouver Canucks. Their terrible fortunes continued into Tuesday night, when the Leafs suffered another blow, and lost 3-2 to the Boston Bruins. Tonight they will host the Chicago Blackhawks, at the Air Canada Centre. The game can be caught on CBC, and game time is set for 7:00pm.

This week: 0-2-0

This season: 7-8-4

Eastern Conference Ranking: 10th

Nikolai Kulemin

This season Nik Kulemin came to the NHL with big expectations. The Leafs thought that he would provide goals, speed, and energy. Since coming to the Leafs, he has accomplished just two of those things. Speed, and energy.

I have heard some people say that he should be traded, or sent to the Marlies, in favour of Jiri Tlusty. Personally, I think that Kulemin has not lived up to my expectations, but he has impressed me. He could very well be the fastest player on the Leafs, and maybe even single handedly jacked up the price on the Leafs' Skills Competition by five dollars.

What are your thoughts, on Kulemin?

Brian Burke

Ready! Set! Go!

And we're off to the races.

Brian Burke is all, but locked up by the Maple Leafs, right? Well, he might not be. Even though the Leafs and Burke are negotiating at the moment, and are supposed to have a deal done by Monday, there are still a couple of problems. Brian Burke wants power, money, and years.

If the Maple Leafs pay Brian Burke as much as Brian Colangelo, would they still be getting enough? My answer? This is a totally different situation than Burke has ever been in.

Brian Burke is the type of GM who does not build a team, like Toronto is doing. He is the type of GM, that continues a team's legacy. So before I can answer that question, I need to witness what he can do, when it comes to building a team.

I would like to hear your thoughts.

You Vote: Best NHL Goalie

Lukas — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:23:42 -0500

Yes, I did say that I would not be doing another "You Vote" series—but thanks to Maya Filipovic's words of advice, I decided to go ahead with it.

So here it is.

For old voters, you know the way it works. And for new voters, this is how:

TO VOTE: ***VOTING IS NOW CLOSED***

1. Anaheim - J-S Giguere

2. Atlanta - Kari Lehtonen

3. Boston - Tim Thomas

4. Buffalo - Ryan Miller

5. Calgary - Miikka Kiprusoff

6. Carolina - Cam Ward

7. Chicago - A) Cristobal Huet B) Nikolai Khabibulin

8. Colorado - A) Peter Budaj B) Andrew Raycroft

9. Columbus - Pascal Leclaire

10. Dallas - Marty Turco

11. Detroit - Chris Osgood

12. Edmonton - A) Mathieu Garon B) Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers C) Dwayne Roloson

13. Florida - Tomas Vokoun

14. LA - Jason Labarbera

15. Minnesota - Niklas Backstrom

16. Montreal - Carey Price

17. Nashville - Dan Ellis

18. New Jersey - Martin Brodeur

19. NY Islanders - Rick DiPietro

20. NY Rangers - Henrik Lundqvist

21. Ottawa - A) Martin Gerber B) Alex Auld

22. Philadelphia - Martin Biron

23. Phoenix - Ilya Bryzgalov

24. Pittsburgh - M-A Fluery

25. San Jose - Evgeni Nabakov

26. St. Louis - Manny Legace

27. Tampa Bay - A) Mike Smith B) Olaf Kolzig

28. Toronto - Vesa Toskala

29. Vancouver - Roberto Luongo

30. Washington - Jose Theodore

Thanks for voting, and good luck!

You Vote: Best NHL Defenseman Winner

Lukas — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 03:22:48 -0500

It's a three-way tie!

There were only three votes in Round Two and they all went to different players. Today I would like to keep this nice and short, so I will cut right to the winners.

The winners of the "Best NHL Defenseman According to Bleacher Report" award are:

Andrei Markov

Kevin Bieksa

Dion Phaneuf

Thanks to everyone who voted. Unfortunately, because of the declining amount of votes, there will not be a "You Vote" series for the best goalie. Or at least, for a little while.

You Vote: Best NHL Defenseman (Round Two)

Lukas — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 07:21:20 -0500

Unlike the "Best NHL Forward" edition, too many players were voted for in "Best NHL Defenseman". Here, we had seven. There is a tie for first, and then a tie for third.

However, because this article is already two days late, I will just carry on like normal.

T-1st. Montreal—Andrei Markov—2 votes

T-1st. Ottawa—Chris Phillips—2 votes

T-3rd. Calgary—Dion Phaneuf—1 vote

T-3rd. Detroit—Niklas Lindstrom—1 vote

T-3rd. Toronto—Luke Schenn—1 vote

T-3rd. Toronto—Tomas Kaberle—1 vote

T-3rd. Vancouver—Kevin Bieksa—1 vote

That was how the voting played out.

To Vote: ***VOTING IS NOW CLOSED***

1. Markov

2. Phillips

3. Phaneuf

4. Lindstrom

5. A) Schenn B) Kaberle

6.Bieksa

Thanks for the vote!