Bleacher Report - Articles by Vince Richards

Have Steroids Permanently Tainted Major League Baseball?

Vince Richards — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:57:34 -0400

Steroids have been a cause for concern in the baseball world for the past decade.

Thinking about all the great names that have been mentioned in the Mitchell Report such as Barry Bonds, Jose Canseco, Sammy Sosa, Mark Mcgwire, Jason Giambi, Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, and many more, it puts a significant dent in the sport itself. With the increasing popularity of steroids being distributed among baseball players in the Major and Minor Leagues, no one knows what to expect.

There is no doubt about it that the use of steroids in Major League Baseball have tainted the sport. Just think about all the questions that will remain unanswered specifically because of steroids.

Questions that come to my mind are: Would Barry Bonds still be the all-time homerun leader if he didn’t take steroids? Would the Giants have even gone to the World Series in 2002 if Barry Bonds didn’t take steroids? Would Alex Rodriguez have 583 career homeruns without the help of steroids? Who else could have 500+ career homeruns by taking steroids? All of these questions can go into a deep analysis, but the truth behind the matter is that they will never be answered.

With that being said, another argument can be brought up. Should steroid users be allowed in the Hall of Fame?

To me, the answer is a simple no. If someone is caught cheating, there is no way their names should be next to the greatest of all-time. Barry Bonds will not have his named erased off the top of the homerun leader list, but he can still be rejected from the Hall of Fame.

The world of baseball views steroids as cheating, therefore a player who cheats by using illegal substances wouldn’t fit properly in the Hall of Fame next to players like Lou Gehrig, Hank Aaron, Ted Williams, etc., who had tremendous careers without any help from drugs. Maybe the question should be, "Do steroid users DESERVE to be in the Hall of Fame."

Different fans might have different opinions on the issue, but in reality, steroids have changed the game of baseball and steroid users don't belong in the Hall of Fame. Of course, Dodger fans have no problem letting Barry Bonds know he is a cheater, but why does Manny Ramirez, who also got caught cheating, get a standing ovation in his first game back from a 50-game suspension?

It's all the questions that surround the whole steroid scandal in sports that truly change the game in the eyes of the fans, past players, managers, general managers, club owners, etc.

If no one took steroids, the game would be so much different than it is today and there would be numerous different outcomes in games and history.

Why the Latest Heatley Rumor Won't Happen

Vince Richards — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:20:04 -0400

The past three months have been the most exciting part of the NHL: the offseason. Many players have found a new home, some have stayed put in their respective cities, and trade rumors are always brewing.

The most talked-about player in the trade rumors has been Dany Heatley. Heatley still has 5 years left on his contract with the Ottawa Senators and a $7.5 million cap hit. Heatley also has a no-trade clause, which he has already used to his advantage when he rejected a trade that would have sent him to the Edmonton Oilers.

The most recent rumor had Heatley heading to the San Jose Sharks, Patrick Marleau going to the Los Angeles Kings, and Alexander Frolov and Jarett Stoll on their way to Ottawa.

All three general managers for the aforementioned clubs have denied the rumor, but admit they are talking about a trade.

This trade is unlikely to occur, and there are some good reasons as to why it wont.

Marleau is an unrestricted free agent after this season, and will make $6.3 million in San Jose. Frolov, also a UFA after this upcoming season, and Jarett Stoll combine for $7 million—give or take a couple hundred thousand. With that being said, salary wouldn't be a problem at all if this trade were to happen.

With Heatley going to the Sharks, Marleau going to the Kings, and Frolov and Stoll going to the Senators, the Sharks are getting off a little to easy and the Kings are giving up too much.

Los Angeles Kings general manager Dean Lombardi has spent the past several seasons attempting to rebuild the Kings into a playoff-caliber team. The Kings have made some questionable trades in the past few years, that have sent Michael Cammalleri, Pavel Demitra, Rob Blake, Lubomir Visnovsky, and Patrick O'Sullivan out of Los Angeles.

The Kings made a step forward by acquiring Ryan Smyth, but if the Kings are trying to rebuild, trading Alexander Frolov would be a costly mistake. Frolov is in a contract year and has something to prove if he wants more money in his future. This means Frolov will most likely have a great year. Of course Patrick Marleau is a solid player with excellent leadership qualities, but he is slowing down a bit and definitely won't match Frolov's numbers in the next five years.

As for the Sharks, Patrick Marleau is entering his 12th consecutive season in San Jose, so trading him seems highly unlikely. On the other hand, if the trade went through, it would be a complete steal.

Marleau, who turns 30 in a few days, is still somewhat young but doesn't have as much left in his tank as Dany Heatley. Marleau can provide the Sharks, on average, 30-35 goals and 70-75 points for the next three, maybe four years. Heatley, on the other hand, has already scored 40-plus goals four times in his career. At 28 years old, Heatley will be able to provide any team he plays for with 40-50 goals and 90-100 points for the next several years.

If this trade went through, the Sharks would basically be trading Marleau for Heatley straight up, which would never happen.

NHL Western Conference: Who Has the Best Defense?

Vince Richards — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:30:02 -0400

With plenty of moves happening in the off season so far and several more still to come, where does your teams defensive unit rank among the Western Conference? With the current rosters, as of July 27th, I will take all 15 teams in the Western Conference and rank them from 15, being the worst, all the way to 1, being the best. This article is primarily focusing on the teams defensive units, and how they compare on paper. Although stats are important, it's not the main focus in this article. With that, lets begin...

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The Future Of The NHL: A Complete Package

Vince Richards — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 19:18:41 -0400

Take a second and imagine the pure beauty of this: A defenseman with the speed and agility of Brian Campbell, the slick hands of Andrei Markov, the powerful shot of Sheldon Souray, the patience of Nicklas Lindstrom, the offensive mind of Mike Green, the hitting ability of Dion Phaneuf and Brent Seabrook, and the grit of Brooks Orpik.

Put them all together and you have Barrett Kaib.

With that being said, there is one prospect in particular that has caught the eye of many. Born in 1993, defenseman Barrett Kaib is an elite player always at the top of his game.

Barrett Kaib, 16, hails from Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania. Growing up right outside Pittsburgh, a city rich with hockey history, Kaib knew he wanted to be like the stars of his favorite team, the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Starting at a tender age, Barrett put his hockey skills to the test and competed for several years at the elite level in Pittsburgh. Playing for the Pittsburgh Hornets under coach Jeff Potter for three years really developed this young man into quite the hockey player.

Potter had this to say about Barrett: "I have never seen a kid develop so quickly. Barrett shows up to every practice and game with the right attitude and never let's me, nor his team mates down. I have always known Barrett had something special in him, and to me, it's his drive to succeed. He is my best defenseman by a landslide and having the opportunity to coach such a skilled player is a privilege. Barrett will make it far someday, whether it be the NHL, or Europe, he will be a professional."

Over three years with the Pittsburgh Hornets, Kaib totaled 72 points (14 goals and 58 assists) and also managed to rack up 248 penalty minutes, which is an average of about 82 per season.

Don't let the numbers fool you because Kaib is actually better in his own zone than the opposing teams.

An unidentified scout said, "The ability this kid has in all three zones is just simply phenomenal. I have been a scout for quite some time and to this day, I have seen no other defenseman in the same element as this kid. He is always one step ahead of the rest of the guys out there. Rarely will you see him out of position. The best part of his game is his hitting. He will be sure to let you know if your head is down."

Kaib recently finished his sophomore year of high school at Culver Military Academy in Indiana. Culver is a widely established school that has had it's fair share of hockey talent including: Gary Suter, Ryan Suter, Blake Geoffrion and John Michael Liles.

Head coach Al Clark told us that, "Barrett is the kind of player every coach wants. His mentality goes unmatched and he is very competitive."

Teammate Kit Sitterley was asked the difference between Kaib on and off the ice and responded by saying, "BK is a great kid in both situations, you know? I have gotten to know him pretty well over the year and I feel were pretty close. Off the ice, BK loves to joke around and have a good time. Once BK steps into the locker room, he's like a totally different person, you know? He comes in, says hi, sits in his stall, puts a game face on, and boom, he's ready to go."

In just one season at Culver, Kaib had 26 points (three goals and 23 assists) in just 38 games. Kaib was also the leader in penalty minutes with 88.

When asked to describe Barrett's talent, his teammates said, "He is unbelievable. When Kaiber is out there on the blue line, I feel comfortable enough to try something new because if I mess up, I know he will be there."

Another teammate said, "Barrett is a great kid. He shows no emotion or fear on the ice. I love the way he sticks up for me and the guys and is never afraid to drop 'em if he has to."

The offers keep piling in for this kid as he has already talked to numerous D-I schools, OHL, WHL, QMJHL, USHL and NAHL teams throughout North America.

Next season, at a solid five-foot-11 and 185 pounds, Barrett will face off against some of the best in the world as he will represent Team USA for the NTDP U-17 team. He will take part in a few international tournaments that will get his name out even more than it is now as well as compete in the USHL.

Look for this 16-year-old phenom to be among one of the top picks in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

The Top 10 Steals in the Past 10 NHL Drafts

Vince Richards — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 18:44:58 -0400

Over the past 10 years, there have been a solid number of steals in the draft. Since 1999, there has been a significant quantity of players drafted to NHL trying to make a name for themselves. As many late round picks don't get the opportunity to break right into the NHL, I have created a list of the top ten players since 1999 to do so.

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Havlat's Comments Throw McDonough under the Bus

Vince Richards — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:07:04 -0400

Going into the offseason, former Blackhawks GM Dale Tallon made it clear to hockey fans that re-signing Martin Havlat was the organization's top priority. Hours into free agency, the Hawks signed Marian Hossa to a 12-year, $63 million deal, leaving Chicago fans with the question, "Does this mean Martin Havlat is out of the picture?"

Reports said the Chicago Blackhawks sat down with Martin Havlat and his agent for a brief amount of time and could not come up with a deal. Ultimately, Havlat wanted to stay in Chicago for a long period of time, at least longer than Chicago offered.

Tallon and the Blackhawks offered Havlat a short-term deal over one or two years, but he was looking for six or seven.

Given Havlat's injury history, signing him to a long-term deal was not in Chicago's plan.

With Havlat upset that the two parties could not make an agreement, the meeting ended.

Not long after, Chicago introduced Marian Hossa as their newest member, leaving Havlat no choice but to find a new home.

Although it appears that Martin Havlat wanted to stay in Chicago, some things just don't work out, and Havlat let the hockey world know how he felt.

Havlat talked with TSN about Tallon, John McDonough, and the rest of the Blackhawks organization after Tallon was reassigned. Havlat was quoted saying, "My negotiation with Chicago was not between Dale and my agent; instead, it was between Dale and McDonough. Why? Because McDonough couldn't stand that Dale was so successful and getting the credit for building the Hawks from a last-place team to making the conference final in three short years. Remember, we were also the youngest team in the NHL last year."

Sounds to me like Havlat was more upset at the dismissal of Tallon than he was at the Blackhawks organization for not bringing him back. Havlat says Tallon "was like a second father" to him in Chicago and to see him get removed from GM after such success was unexpected and unappreciated.

After claiming Havlat as his top priority, Tallon sat down with Havlat in order to discuss their futures. Havlat also told TSN, "McDonough knew long ago he was going to fire Dale. He wanted someone he could claim as his own. He wanted to stand up at that convention and claim credit for signing this guy or that guy."

In other words, Havlat thinks McDonugh fired Tallon as GM because he was bringing in so much talent and bringing back such a rich tradition to Chicago. With that, McDonough replaced Tallon with Stan Bowman, a person McDonough could claim he brought into the GM position and, therefore, get more credit for Chicago's success.

The fact that Havlat and Tallon went to dinner shortly before these comments make us wonder how much of what Havlat said came from Tallon. Maybe it was Tallon who told Havlat that he and McDonough do not get along, and McDonough is upset with Tallon for getting all the credit.

After comments directed towards McDonough, he brought Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz into the mix by saying, "I was part of a very special team, but that team does not exist anymore. I am really disappointed that Rocky would let something like this happen."

Havlat also posted on his Twitter account, "The rest of what happened in Chicago to come soon."

With all this being said, McDonough and Tallon need to forget about Havlat's complaints and focus on continuing to bring successful hockey back to Chicago. They will settle their differences, but McDonough, due to his recent actions, is still a target.

The Hawks' president better hope Stan Bowman can fill Tallon's shoes or else all of Chicago will label McDonough as someone who is selfish and trying to take all the credit.

Ranking the Offensive Units of the Western Conference

Vince Richards — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 01:19:54 -0400

With plenty of moves happening in the off season so far and several more still to come, where does your teams offensive unit rank among the Western Conference? Some teams have lost some talent, some have lost a lot of talent. As for gaining talented players, some teams have been invisible and some teams have showed no fear making a spalsh into the free agency pool. With the current rosters, as of July 14th, I will take all 15 teams in the Western Conference and rank them 1-15, 15 being the worst. This article is primarily focusing on the teams offensive units and how they look and compare on paper. Although stats are important, it is not the main focus in this article. With that, lets begin...

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Rumor Mill: Free Agents and Trades

Vince Richards — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 19:57:52 -0400

There are several big names in the NHL that could find a new home sooner than we think. There are trades that have been mentioned and still free agents without a home. Here is a summary of the rumors that are floating around.

The Dany Heatley drama is heating up again with him said to be in another deal with the Edmonton Oilers. The original trade would have sent Dany Heatley to Edmonton in exchange for Andrew Cogliano, Dustin Penner, and Ladislav Smid. The deal is said to be back in consideration after Heatley said he never "officially" rejected it at first. With Edmonton's patience running out, Ottawa better come up with something fast.

Heatley for Phaneuf has been mentioned before, but the likelihood of this going through is slim considering Heatley's lack of defense.

Other possible destinations for the Senators forward are said to be Minnesota and Columbus.

Edmonton is not only looking into Dany Heatley, but also trying to move an offensive defenseman out for a some younger defensive talent. Sources have brought up the possibility of shipping Sheldon Souray to Los Angeles for much younger defenseman Jack Johnson.

With all the recent free agent signings the Montreal Canadiens have done, it looks as if their interest in Vincent Lecavalier has gone way down. Montreal couldn't afford him right now anyways.

As of right now, possible destinations for Daniel Briere are Los Angeles and Montreal. Once again, with all the signing Montreal has done in the past couple weeks, Los Angeles is the favorite in this one.

Should the Flyers not move Daniel Briere, they might look to shop Simon Gagne.

Minnesota Wild back up goalie Josh Harding is said to be looking for a new home. A few teams interested are Philadelphia, Detroit, and San Jose.

If Josh Harding ends up in San Jose, Evgeni Nabokov could be on the move, but I highly doubt the Sharks would make that move.

Boston is still talking to Phil Kessel about re-joining the team next season, but if he wants more than the Bruins can give him, Minnesota is a possible destination.

Detroit is said to have interest in signing Mats Sundin, but GM Kenny Holland is looking for someone much cheaper to fill Hudler's spot. Unless Sundin accepts a contract earning him around $1.5 million to $2 million per year, count this one as a dud.

The Los Angeles Kings had a rumor floating around that they offered the Ottawa Senators Alex Frolov, Jack Johnson, and Jarret Stoll, plus a draft pick for Dany Heatley.

Marc Savard could be out of Boston before we know it, but first he would have to waive his no-trade clause.

If Josh Harding wants to be a starting goalie, Toronto could be his place. A deal that has been brought up is Harding and Zidlicky for Kaberle.

Ryan Clowe of the San Jose Sharks might have his rights traded away

Atlanta signed Nik Antropov so Ilya Kovalchuk would have someone to play with, but Kovalchuk has other things on his mind, like a one way ticket out of Atlanta. Kovalchuk wants to be a part of a winning team.

The loss of Mattias Ohlund has the Vancouver Canucks looking for another defenseman.

The Sharks are looking to move a defenseman for a forward. Christian Ehrhoff could have been sent to Columbus for Jason Chimera, but Doug Wilson rejected.

The Phoenix Coyotes who have basically been invisible this off season are said to be interested in Alex Tanguay. Other teams talking to Tanguay are Ottawa, Dallas, Florida, New York Islanders, and Edmonton.

Sergei Zubov is still available and is said to be talking with Columbus.

Mathieu Schneider is another defenseman on the market and is in communcation with Los Angeles and Montreal.

Tuomo Ruutu wants to stay in Carolina and is close to a new deal. Carolina is also looking for a defenseman.

The Chicago Blackhawks are yet another team to be in the hunt for a tough, physical defenseman. They might be willing to give away Patrick Sharp to dump some salary.

A Look at The Chicago Blackhawks Salary Dilemmas

Vince Richards — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:59:16 -0400

For the past week, the Chicago Blackhawks have been mentioned many times due to Dale Tallon's misunderstandings with his restricted free agents. After settling the issue with the NHL and NHLPA, Chicago managed to snag all eight RFA's.

With Kris Versteeg, Cam Barker, Troy Brouwer, Ben Eager, Cam Barker, Colin Fraser, and Aaron Johnson all signing new contracts with Chicago, some making more than expected, it seems that the future of hockey in Chicago is in for some struggles.

By re-signing all of these players and adding Marian Hossa, John Madden, and Tomas Kopecky, where does the Blackhawks' salary sit?

The answer is not good for Chicago because as of right now, the Hawks are about $4 million over the cap.

Likely, this means player like Aaron Johnson, Jordan Hendry, Colin Fraser, Troy Brouwer, and Jack Skille will all begin their 2009-2010 season over in Rockford together. By sending these guys down, the Hawks will barely be under the salary cap, but able to compete.

The real trouble is next summer, as many people are bringing up.

In the summer of 2010, the Blackhawks will have to make a push to re-sign Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and Duncan Keith as they will be restricted free agents.

According to General Manager Dale Tallon, "These three are our top priorities next off season".

I would sure hope so, Dale. Jack Skille, Andrew Ladd, Jordan Hendry, and Niklas Hjalmarsson will also be restricted free agents next summer.

The Blackhawks might also want to think about getting some of their unrestricted free agents back before they hit the open market. Chicago's unrestricted free agents will be John Madden, Adam Burish, Ben Eager, Colin Fraser, and Aaron Johnson.

Another problem is that both Duncan Keith and Andrew Ladd are arbitration eligible. This means if Dale Tallon doesn't offer the amount of money these guys think they should be making, both will no longer be in the Hawks' future.

After reading many people talk about this problem, I have looked into it and Chicago really is not in as much trouble as one might think.

Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and Duncan Keith will all be asking for more money than they are currently making, of course.

Everyone thinks Kane and Toews will not be together next year on the Blackhawks, but I see this differently. Both of them will demand at least $5.5 - $6 million a piece. That is not true.

Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews will most likely be looking for a long-term deal with Chicago that has them making around $4.5 - $5.5 million per season. This might seem awfully low, but think about it for a second.

In 2008-2009, the NHL saw just 46 players making above $6 million. The players that fit into this catergory have proved themselves worthy of that kind of money. Just to name off some players from this list: Heatley, Crosby, Ovechkin, Hossa, Havlat, Spezza, Vanek, Chara, Lidstrom, Gaborik, Kovalchuk, Thornton, Lecalvier, Iginla, Phaneuf, Nash, Marleau, Pronger, etc. You catch my drift.

Kane and Toews are two elite players and getting better, but neither one has even hit the 75 point plateau in a season yet. Yes, they have both only played two seasons, but they are not at a point per game average yet like most of the players on the list above.

My guess is that unless they get 85 points or more this upcoming season, neither will be making above $6 million anywhere.

I think when the time comes for Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane to negotiate with Chicago, they will think to themselves, "How much am I really worth?"

Say they both have a season in which they play 75 games and get in the 65-70 point range, they will be offered between $4 -$5.5 million from Chicago.

Shall another club offer more than this, Kane and Toews will have to think about the future. They might want to sign a two or three year deal with Chicago, then when they are in their prime, they will be getting offers around the $6.5 - $7.5 million mark. Until then, they have not proved themselves enough.

They can either sign for less money and have the talented roster they will have this season, or they can make an additional $500,000 - $1 million elsewhere, but take a chance with a rebuilding or poor franchise.

In my eyes, I see these two 21-year-olds wanting to win. Every player would rather win a Stanley Cup than make an extra $1 million. There is no doubt about this, Kane and Toews will be hard to get, but when they think about the future they can have in Chicago, it might help the Hawks cause.

The other important RFA, Duncan Keith, will most likely also ask for quite a raise. Tallon seems pretty confident he can strike a deal with Keith before the season ends and will probably be worth around $5 million.

If Chicago is already over the cap by $4 million, how can they ever expect to retain these three guys, plus others?

Here is my solution.

The Blackhawks have 12 players on their current NHL roster that have no contract next summer. Without these twelve players, the Blackhawks have a payroll of $43,009,208. If the salary cap drops, as it is supposed to, it will most likely be $52-53 million. This leaves Chicago with about $10,000,000 in cap room.

With a few trades and an on-going rumor of waiving Brent Sopel, the Hawks can have around $15,000,000 in cap room.

If the cap should not fall, but in fact raise as it has the past few years, it will be around $58 million. If that does happen, Chicago will be pretty safe as they will have around $17 million to spare. We might see Versteeg or Sharp in a new home next year because they are the top two candidates to be moved if such a thing occurs.

Sharp makes $3.9 per year and Versteeg makes $3.06 per year. The Hawks might consider giving one of these guys up for not much in return in order to free up some cap space.

If Kane, Toews, and Keith all accept to play for less money in Chicago, they will accumulate around $11 - $13 million together. Hopefully this plan falls through, because if it should, the Hawks will have their top three RFA's back, but are at risk of losing some players.

I know this might seem like quite a stretch, but it could happen. I have no doubt Chicago is in trouble, but the situation may turn out in a pleasant way.

This dilemma truly comes down to next year's salary cap and what Bettman decides to do.

Best of the Rest: Who Can Fill the Los Angeles Kings' Holes?

Vince Richards — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:16:08 -0400

Eight days have past in the free agency signing period, and with most of the big name free agents already in new locations, there is still a lot of talent out there. The Los Angeles Kings have not been in the playoffs since 2002, but they are looking to change that.

Who is still available that the Kings could surely use in their lineup?

As of today, the most popular free agents include: Miroslav Satan, Robert Lang, Jason Williams, Maxim Afinogenov, Ales Kotalik, Todd Bertuzzi, Mike Grier, Alex Tanguay, Mike Comrie, Mats Sundin, Mathieu Schneider, Derek Morris, Paul Mara, Marc-Andre Bergeron, Manny Fernandez, Martin Biron, Martin Gerber, and Antero Niittymaki.

Los Angeles has a decent team, but let's be honest, they are not good enough to make a run at the playoffs just yet.

The Kings' offense is starting to take shape with a load of young talent such as Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar, Alexander Frolov, Wayne Simmonds, Oscar Moller, and Teddy Purcell. The good news for Los Angeles is that all these players are able to produce, and not one of them is over the age of 24, with the exception of Alexander Frolov who is 27.

Brown, Kopitar, and Frolov are the three key players to the Kings front line combining for 83 goals and 178 points last year.

The only downside is that Brown was a -15, Kopitar was a -17, and Frolov a -7. Simmonds, Moller, and Purcell were all rookies last season and put up respectable numbers.

The acquisition of Ryan Smyth, a nine-time 20-goal scorer really helps the Kings up front as well. They also have Jarret Stoll, who had 41 points (18-23-41).

Hopefully, Martin Hanzus can produce another 40-point season as well. And if injury-riddled Justin Williams also comes back to be the player he used to be in Carolina, that would help Los Angeles out. Williams had 201 points (81-120-201) in 265 games with Carolina over 4 1/2 seasons.

But when we look at the Kings, who were $12.5 million under the cap last season and are still under by a significant amount, I think they can afford to reel in one more solid forward for $3-$5 million next season.

If I were Dean Lombardi, I would hunt for a middle line forward who can produce as well as help develop their young guys. Mike Grier and Robert Lang are perfect for this role.

Grier helped San Jose win the President's Trophy last year with a 10-13-23 line in 62 games last year. The Sharks are looking for more youth, so the 34-year-old forward would bring some needed size to the Kings' lineup, as well as scoring and speed.

Lang had 39 points (18-21-39) in 50 games for Montreal last season and has good leadership qualities. Altough he is coming off an injury, Lang showed he still has something left in his tank, and the Kings might want to consider him.

Of course, if the Kings would like to add some more talent up front, why not bring in Afinogenov, Kotalik, or Alex Tanguay?

Afinogenov might be the best fit because of his speed, although he shows signs of slowing down. He needs a fresh start, and Los Angeles may be a benefit.

Better yet, why not get Ales Kotalik? The Kings had 11 overtime losses last season, with seven of those coming in shootouts. Kotalik had the second-best shootout percentage last year at 61.5 percent, scoring eight goals on 13 chances.

Had the Kings had Kotalik last year, he might have added four or five more wins to the total. The Kings' best shootout man last year was Jack Johnson, who scored three times on six chances.

The Kings' defense, right now, is a little shaky.

They recently got Rob Scuderi, who just won the Stanley Cup in Pittsburgh. Enjoy it while you can, Rob, because you might not win another one is a long time. But Scuderi is an excellent shot blocker with 164 last year. If he blocks 164 more shots this season, that could mean 5-10 more wins for Los Angeles.

Los Angeles also has tough guy Jack Johnson, Drew Doughty, Matt Greene, Davis Drewiske, Sean O' Donnell, and Peter Harrold.

Doughty had the most points out of all these players with 27 and ended with a -17 rating. Greene had 14, O' Donnell and Harrold had 12, Johnson had 11, and Drewiske had three.

O' Donnell, who turns 38 this year, led the Kings with a +2 rating. Yes, that is a sad statistic to see.

The Kings might want to look into some offensive defensemen like Mathieu Schneider, who has already had a stint in Los Angeles, or Marc-Andre Bergeron.

Schneider is rounding the retirement corner at age 40, but he still had a 9-23-32 line last year. Schneider is a good power play defensemen and doesn't make too many mistakes in his own zone.

Bergeron, however, lacks in the defense department. His game shows more love in the offensive zone. In 2008-09 Bergeron led Minnesota's defense with 14 goals and also added 18 assist for 32 points.

Picking up one of these two players to a short-term deal could help develop the Kings.

Perhaps, Derek Morris would fit into this picture as well.

From a defensive standpoint, Los Angeles could use players like Paul Mara, Martin Skoula, or Kay McKee. The good thing about these guys is the fact that they can all play a good amount of minutes per game and would come at a cheap price. Maybe Los Angeles could afford two of the three.

Skoula and Mara can also be healthy, with both playing in 81 games last season for their respective clubs.

McKee, on the other hand, is coming off a 69-game season. But when healthy, he is a tough man to play against in his zone.

We finally get to goaltending, which is the Los Angeles Kings weakest department by far.

Last year, the Kings split time between Jason Labarbera, Jonathan Quick, and Erik Ersberg.

Goaltending has been such a mess in Los Angeles that the Kings have tried 22 different goalies over the past 10 seasons.

Yes, I said 22 different goalies who have gotten a shot for Los Angeles.

Quick was the only one with a winning record of 21-18-2. He also had the lowest goals against average at 2.48 and the highest save percentage at .914. As of now, Quick is the starting goalie for the Kings.

If I were Dean Lombardi, I would sign a more reliable goalie right now while he can. Letting Quick ride the bench and play 15-25 games could benefit his development, since it seems that is what Lombardi wants to do with his goalies.

Ersberg would be a solid AHL goalie for Manchester, so why not let him start down there instead of backing up someone who should be a back up?

The last goalie to have a decent season with Los Angeles was in 2001-02 when Felix Potvin went 31-27-8-4 with a 2.31 goals against average and a .907 save percentage. Still, that's not a great year.

The best fit for the Kings would be either Martin Biron, Manny Fernandez, Antero Niittymaki, or even Brent Johnson.

Between Biron and Niittymaki, one of them must go with the signing of Ray Emery in Philadelphia. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they both left to try and find a starting role else where.

Biron went 29-15-5 with a 2.76 goals against average last year for Philadelphia and is still a reliable starting goalie. Niittymaki went 15-8-6 for that same Philly team and had an identical 2.76 goals against average.

Niittymaki will most likely be the one to not hear from the Flyers, meaning he is open for discussion.

Manny Fernandez is probably the best bet for Los Angeles, as he has lost a starting job three times now in his career: First to Marty Turco in Dallas, then to Niklas Backstrom in Minnesota, and last year Tim Thomas secured his spot as the starting goalie in Boston for years to come.

Fernandez was a quality backup for the Bruins, holding a 16-8-3 record and a 2.59 goals against average. Fernandez has a career record of 143-123-24-11 record and is in search of a new home.

Well, Manny, Los Angeles fans are waiting for you to come save us.

Lastly is Brent Johnson, who like the others, has been the odd man out. His time in Washington is done, as Simeon Varlamov and Jose Theodore will be battling for the starting job.

Johnson was injured last year and finished his season with a 12-6-2 record. The 32-year-old might want to look for a fresh start and sign a long-term deal with a team like Los Angeles, because even a goalie of his quality would be best for the Kings.

With all the possibilities and talent still out on the market, let's hope the Kings dive into it and make a few more splashes, especially in the goalie department, before the start of the 2009-2010 season.

I have confidence that Los Angeles will improve slightly from last year, but with the addition of a few of these players, who knows? Maybe this underdog team will be in the hunt for the playoffs.

Plenty of solid goalies are still out there, and Los Angeles should seriously consider one.

Chicago Blackhawks-Detroit Redwings: Who Has a Brighter Future?

Vince Richards — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:21:46 -0400

When it comes to rivalries in hockey, the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings have one of the biggest. This past season we saw the Red Wings do what they do best, while the Blackhawks gave them a run, finishing in second place in the Central Division.

As the 2009-2010 season is approaching us and both teams have made some changes, there is always a question of who will be better?

Both Chicago and Detroit have a positive future ahead, but who has an edge in the long run?

Offense

The offensive core of both teams are excellent and they will both be explosive next season. The Blackhawks are certainly a younger team, but the experience of Detroit is a lot to handle as we saw in the Conference Finals last season.

Chicago now has an offensive lineup that will make other teams play a lot differently when playing against them. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are two of the best young guns in the game, combining for 59 goals and 139 points last season.

Of course, the Red Wings can counter with the feared duo of Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg who brought a little more offense to the table totaling 63 goals and 170 points together in the 08-09 season.

Although Detroit has an edge over Chicago when we compare Datsyuk and Zetterberg to Kane and Toews, the two Blackhawk forwards together are 17 years younger than the two Red Wing forwards and have not hit their primes yet. Regardless, all four players still have a lot left in their tanks.

Detroit has not done much this offseason except lose players. Most notably, Marian Hossa is now a Blackhawk. Hossa will make an immediate impact in Chicago's young lineup as he will most likely play with Kane, Toews, or Sharp. With Hossa gone, Detroit will look to Jiri Hudler and Johan Franzen to step up.

Franzen is a big guy at 6'2", 210 pounds, and was a force on the ice scoring 34 goals last season. Hudler is coming off his best season yet scoring over 20 goals for the first time while adding 34 assists for 57 points.

On the other hand, Chicago has Patrick Sharp and Kris Versteeg.

Sharp is almost the same type of player as Franzen, except a little less physical. Sharp is coming of an injury-ruined season where he only played 61 games, but still scored 26 goals and had 44 points.

Kris Versteeg is also a player who makes defensemen stay more aware when they are on the ice with him because his speed and agility could cost the opposing teams. Just like Kane and Toews, Sharp and Versteeg together are younger than Hudler and Franzen, but by just 4 years.

Underdogs

Alongside all the big name players both teams have, Detroit and Chicago also both have incredible players that are not recognized as they should be.

Andrew Ladd, Dave Bolland, Dustin Byfuglien, and Troy Brouwer are all coming off their best NHL seasons and were not mentioned much during Chicago's success despite playing a huge role.

Ladd and Bolland are both capable of being top six forwards and are both great two-way forwards. Bolland (+19) and Ladd (+26) have a great defensive sense for the game and combine for a +45 rating last year.

Brouwer and Byfuglien are solid forwards who contributed to Chicago's success last year as well. Both players are grinders that put points up on the board. The tenacity of Brouwer in the playoff last year was exciting to watch. All four of these players are under the age of 25.

Detroit has great young players as well, such as Daniel Cleary, Valterri Filppula, and Darren Helm. Cleary isn't mentioned much but is at the peak of his career right now averaging 41 points over the last three seasons. Filppula is another Red Wing coming off his best NHL season with 40 points and can be an offensive threat as he showed us in the playoffs racking up 16 points in 23 games.

The third player, Darren Helm, is a quality player that every team should love to have in their lineup. He might not spark as much offense as his teammates, but his physical play in all three zones energizes the crowd and his team. Helm is 22 years old and played in 39 games last year including playoffs and had 6 points. Helm also picked up 155 hits, of those, 118 came in 23 playoff games.

Other players to consider on Chicago are Adam Burish, who plays the same style as Helm, Ben Eager, the tough guy on the Hawks, and Tomas Kopecky who will give Chicago a spark.

As for Detroit, there is Tomas Holmstrom, one of the strongest and best guys in front of the net in the NHL, Ville Leino who almost averaged a point a game last season with nine points in 13 games, Kirk Maltby and Kris Draper who both appear to be slowing down.

Defense

Detroit's defense is arguably the best in the NHL with Lidstrom, Raflaski, and Kronwall. All three provide terrific offense along with defense combining for 169 points last season from the blue line.

Youngsters such as Brett Lebda, Jonathan Ericsson, and Justin Abdelkader are the future of Detroit's defensive core. As for Brad Stuart, his play in the cup finals deserves his name to be left off this list, for now.

Chicago also has one of the best defensive cores in the NHL with Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith, and Brian Campbell. Seabrook provides excellent play in his own zone and is recognized as one of the top 10 best defensive defensemen in the NHL. Another big part of Seabrooks game is hitting. He led Chicago with 224 hits last season. His 224 hits finished 11th best in the league.

Duncan Keith led the Hawks for the second season in a row with the best +/-, +33, but the 25-year-old also put up 44 points and is great in the defensive zone. Keith is one of the best well-rounded defensemen in the NHL. Campbell's game lacks in the defense department as we saw at times last year, but his speed compared to other defensemen and scoring ability could go unmatched.

Cam Barkerwho re-signed with the Hawks a couple days ago is another good two-way defensemen who put up 40 points last year.

Goaltending is an issue for both teams this upcoming season because Huet and Osgood are not reliable all the time. When I say this, I speak mostly of Cristobal Huet who has been very inconsistent in his career. He had a 14-20-11 record with Los Angeles in two years.

The next four years with Montreal and Washington, Huet has a record of 69-31-13 and finished his season in Chicago last year with a 20-15-4 record. Huet has certainly gone up and down, but the Hawks, unlike Detroit, have numerous talent in the goaltending department in the minors and below.

Conclusion

So when it all comes down to it, what team looks like they will have a better next several years?

Considering Chicago has just as much (maybe a little less) talent than Detroit, but is far younger with an average age of 25.8 (the NHL's youngest), I would side with Chicago.

Detroit was the third oldest team last year with an average age of 29.5. Chicago's squad of young players will continue to grow together and get better every year depending on how GM Dale Tallon shapes the team.

Detroit will be good for another five years and maybe more. But in the long run, when they lose players like Holmstrom, Lidstrom, Raflaski, Draper, and Maltby to retirement, Detroit will be lacking.

Who will step up as leaders and provide the scoring like all these guys can do? When it comes time for all of them to retire, players like Kane, Toews, Versteeg, Byfuglien, Seabrook, Barker, Keith, Bolland, Ladd, etc. will all be hitting their prime time numbers.

The future looks better for Chicago. Sorry Detroit fans!

What Does One Defenseman Need to Do To Win The Norris Trophy?

Vince Richards — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 04:38:48 -0400

These days in the NHL, it's tough to win an award with all the talent distributed among the league. The 2008-2009 Norris candidates were Mike Green of the Washington Capitals, Nicklas Lidstrom of the Detroit Red Wings, and Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins.

Many would have thought 100 percent that the Norris would have gone to Mike Green, but instead, it went to Zdeno Chara. Don't get me wrong, Chara is a top notch defenseman, but Mike Green went above and beyond that of Chara in almost all categories.

Looking at each player's most recent season, I would think Chara was the least likely to win the Norris, but he proved me and most of the hockey world wrong.

The most impressive stat among defensemen this season was Mike Green's 31 goals, the most by a defenseman since Ray Bourque during the 1994-1995 season. Not to mention, all 31 goals came in just 68 games.

Green also set a record this season by scoring the most goals in consecutive games. Other than his record-breaking goal scoring, Green also added 42 assists, which was good enough for 72 points. Green finished first in points among all defensemen and 30th in the NHL in points.

Nicklas Lidstrom came off another great season with 16 goals and 43 assists, finishing tied for third with teammate Brian Rafalski and Scott Niedermeyer with 59 points. Since Lidstrom wasn't favored to win, nor did he win, we will leave him out of this.

Now, Zdeno Chara had a solid season as well with a 19-31-50 line in 80 games. His 50 points was tied for 12th among defensemen and 105th among the NHL.

Mike Green managed to score 12 more goals, rack up 11 more assists, and get 23 more points in 12 less games! Maybe we can say Chara is more consistent, but consistency doesn't win Norris trophies.

Getting more in depth, Mike Green also ended the year with a better +/- than Zdeno Chara, but barely. Green was a plus-24, and Chara was a plus-23.

Chara had 95 penalty minutes compared to Green's 68, but staying out of the penalty box is what helps a team. Shots are always important and Green had 27 more, ending up with a total of 243. Chara had a total of 216.

Green also had a better shooting percentage of 12.8 percent, and Chara had an 8.8 shooting percentage.

Obviously, both players prove to be important to their respective clubs and they both showed it by averaging 26 minutes of ice time and 27 shifts per game. The only category Chara truly dominated was hits, where he picked up 169 compared to Green's 86. Also, Chara helped guide the Boston Bruins to a first place finish, whereas Green's Washington Capitals finished in second, but both teams lost in the second round of the playoffs.

My ultimate question, is how can you look at the year Green had and where he ranks among defensemen in the major catergories and not just hand over the Norris?

Mike Green's Ranking Among Defensemen

Goals—First (31)

Assist—Seventh (42)

Points—First (73)

Power Play Goals—First (18)

+/-—Fourth (+24)

Shots—Fourth (243)

Shooting Percentage—First (12.8 percent)

Tale of the Tape: Chicago Blackhawks Offense Shows Little Weakness

Vince Richards — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 08:06:01 -0400

It may be early into the off season, but by the looks of the Chicago Blackhawks, they are sure contenders for the 2009-2010 Cup Finals. When we look at the depth of this young Chicago teams offensive core, they show many strengths. Here is a look at the possible lines for the upcoming season:

Line One

Sharp - Bolland - Kane

This line has played well together in the past and I have no doubts they can repeat the success they had last season. Patrick Kane has incredible hands and vision on the ice which is great for setting up the Blackhawks most dangerous goal scorer, Patrick Sharp.

If healthy, Sharp can push his limit and score 40 goals and possibly make a push for 50. Dave Bolland came out fresh at the start of last season and never slowed down. Playing in all but one game, Bolland racked up 47 points and a +19 rating.

Bolland serves as a solid two way player that has shown he is up for a challenge and can play with the best of the best. This line speaks for itself for the most part.

Line Two

Ladd - Toews - Hossa

When opposing teams come into a game against Chicago and see a line like this on paper, they know they can be in for it. Together, these three guys combined for 89 goals in the 08-09 campaign and all have certain strengths. Marian Hossa is among the top goal scorers every year and is a threat whenever he is on the ice.

Hossa led the Red Wings last season with 40 goals in 74 games and has proved to the hockey world he is one of the best in the game. Many Chicago fans might worry with the loss of Martin Havlat, but as his replacement, Hossa is much more durable than Havlat.

Since the 2000-2001 season, Hossa has played 160 more games, scored 126 more goals, and racked up 110 more assists than Havlat. Those numbers alone should have Hawks fans breathing a sigh of relief.

The other part of this line can be just as dangerous. Last season Jonathan Toews proved to be one of the best two-way players in the game having a 34-35-69 line and competing in all 82 games. Toews inconsistency, as shown in the playoffs, is his biggest problem.

Andrew Ladd was acquired by Chicago to bring intensity to the ice but has brought a lot more. Ladd has proved he can crack a spot in the top six of this young lineup by being able to set his linemates up.

Ladd is coming off his best season by far by netting 15 goals and adding 34 helpers. His 49 points in the '08-'09 campaign is just 13 points less than his three previous seasons combined.

Line Three

Versteeg - Madden - Byfuglien

This match-up can have great success next season with the veteran help of newly acquired center, John Madden. Madden, who signed a one-year deal with Chicago, is a great player to have in this situation. In the middle of two young guns who love to put the puck in the net, Madden can possibly get a career high in points next season.

He has shown us over the past eight season that he can stay healthy by only missing 20 games. Staying healthy will be a key to the success of the Blackhawks next season. Madden is also a very consistent player who generates around 30-50 points season after season.

On his sides are two players who can score when their team needs it most. Byfuglien is a clutch performer who scored 15 goals in 77 games with Chicago last season. Dustin Byfuglien loves to shoot whenever he can. He was third on Chicago last season in shots with 202.

Other teams shouldn't give Byfuglien an opportunity to take a slap shot because it might hurt the goalie if it doesn't go in.

On the other side, Sophomore Kris Versteeg will try to repeat his rookie season where he had a 22-31-53 line in 78 games. Versteeg's best strength is his speed. He is able to blow by defensemen and open up the ice for himself and his team mates.

He might be small, but he isn't afraid when it comes to hitting either and he sure showed it in the playoffs against Vancouver and Detroit.

Line Four

Eager - Kopecky - Burish

This is one of those lines that opposing players really don't want to work up. All three of these guys are physical players, but also have the ability to put points up on the board. All three players averaged about ten minutes of ice time per game but made every minute count. Eager played the least among the three, but managed to score 11 goals.

Kopecky was with Detroit where he racked up six goals and 13 assists. Adam Burish had nine points, but scoring is not his role, nor is it Kopeckey's or Eager's. The three players on this line all have a lot in common, but the most important is that they work 110 percent every shift. Burish is wincing for air after every shift and shows a lot of dedication.

The most important thing about this line together is their defensive knowledge. I promise you now, in the season, we will see all three of these guys sliding and diving around in front of pucks to help Cristobal Huet.

The tenacity of this line is tremendous and they are exciting to watch. Perhaps most of this excitement comes form the hitting and fighting they provide. Together, this line combined for 20 fights and racked up 251 hits last year. They hit, they score, the fight, they can play defense, so what more can you ask out of a fourth line?

By the looks of things in Chicago, fans have another season to look forward to. With the best attendance rate in the NHL last season, the Blackhawks show power in their offensive core.

Soon to come: A look at Chicago's defense and goaltending.

Let the Truth Be Told: Alexander Ovechkin or Sidney Crosby?

Vince Richards — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 14:48:08 -0500

All hockey fans must know in their mind who they would rather have on their team between Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby. This topic has been brought up before, but I want to know what all of you fans out there honestly think.

When asking this question, there is so much to consider. Of course, every aspect of the game counts, but who is really the best player OVERALL? Let's quickly discuss each aspect of the game and who is better in which one because it will truly show who is a better hockey player to have on your team.

The most important part about hockey as a forward is scoring goals and setting up pretty plays. I have no doubt that Ovechkin is a far superior goal scorer than Crosby.

The stats don't lie when they say Ovechkin has 194 goals in 299 career games compared to Crosby's 119 goals in 263 games. A little side note to add to the goal comparison is the fact that Ovechkin has taken 1,586 shots in his career compared to Sid's 853.

On the other hand, Crosby is not known for scoring, but for his ability to set up plays and get those assists. Crosby has 243 assists in 263 career games and Ovechkin has 176 assists in 299 games.

The linemates and who these players play with matters as well. Crosby doesn't always play with Malkin, but for the most part, he does. Especially on the power play, Crosby has Malkin, Sykora, Satan, Staal, and add Hossa from last year. All those players can put the puck in the net when they need to.

Ovechkin has Alexander Semin and Niklas Backstrom to give the puck to. Semin can score, but Backstrom isn't noted for putting the puck in the net that often. If Backstrom won the Calder last year, he best have mentioned Alexander Ovechkin in his "Thank You" list.

Honestly, you can put Brent Sopel on a line with Ovechkin and he'll rack up 50+ assists in a season and that is really saying something because Sopel is awful.

This is what makes Ovechkin such a force. He makes his linemates better by playing with them. Don't get me wrong, Crosby does too, but I don't see him getting lower skilled players any goals.

We need to get more in depth though when thinking about this one. Ovechkin and Crosby are both fast players, but I see Ovechkin having the edge. He can skate end to end with the puck on his stick the whole time and blow by any defenseman. Crosby has god like hands as well, but he relies more on his linemates to finish a play unlike Ovechkin.

In the corners, Crosby probably has an edge. I say this because you won't find Ovechkin in the corners too often because he is able to plant himself in front of the net without being moved. Alexander Ovechkin has three inches and 20 pounds over Crosby, which I would think makes Ovechkin a more solid player.

When it comes to the physical part of the game, Ovechkin blows Crosby out of the water. I have never seen Alexander Ovechkin get "laid out," but in Crosby's defense, he hasn't been on the receiving end of too many big hits.

On the other hand, Ovechkin delivers some huge hits and can teach people to keep their heads up. I can't recall every seeing Sidney Crosby lay someone out quite like Ovechkin has. But when it comes to fighting, my hats off the the career 2-0 Sidney Crosby.

Crosby has proved twice he isn't afraid to drop the gloves and shocked the hockey world by showing up Andrew Ference and Brett McLean in a fight. As much as Ovechkin hits and how distracting he can be to his opponents, he hasn't showed us he is ready to fight.

The last important part of the game is a players image and durability. When we think of these two players, we don't think of actors, we think of hockey players. Over the past few seasons, Crosby has shown us he might be able to get part in a movie because boy does he like to act.

He gets hit, tripped, slashed, hooked, etc I must say, Sidney Crosby could possibly win an Oscar.

When Ovechkin gets hit, he gets right back up and looks for someone to hit back. I recall Ovechkin getting rocked once this season, but he got revenge no longer than 10 seconds later by breaking a guys nose against Montreal.

Last is durability. Having two talented players like Crosby and Ovechkin can worry you sometime because you don't want them to get hurt.

In Ovechkin's first three seasons, he played in 245 of 246 games. This season Ovechkin was out for a two games, yet continues to dominate the NHL with his 36 goals. Sidney Crosby can stay healthy for the most part, but usually we can't tell if he is actually hurt due to his acting skills.

So far, out of a possible 328 games, Crosby has appeared in 263. He missed a significant part of last season, 29 games, but he also continues to get points.

If we look at the rosters, the Penguins have more raw talent and individual skill than the Capitals, but why do the Caps hold the No. 2 spot with 32 wins and 68 points, while the Penguins are far behind in the 10 spot fighting a .500 season with 24 wins and 53 points?

I think Ovechkin is a big reason as to why the Capitals stand in second place in the Eastern Conference behind the NHL's best Boston Bruins.

After analyzing Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Corsby's game play, please let me know what you think. I want more than just Penguin fans to respond to this and be honest.

It's clear as to who I chose as the NHL's best player, but in case you didn't pick up on it, I choose Alexander Ovechkin to be a better player OVERALL than Sidney Crosby for countless reasons.

QB's For MVP

Vince Richards — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 11:29:11 -0500

The 2008-2009 NFL season has been an interesting one with many players stepping up for their respected clubs. Going through all the great stories and games of this years season, three quarterbacks stick out more than the rest.

The QB's are Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, and Matt Ryan. With great years from all three of these guys, it's hard to choose just one. So what makes these men so special?

Drew Brees - Quarterback (New Orleans Saints)

How can you deny Drew Brees of being in the MVP race with his stats. With 4,683 passing yards, Brees is less than 200 yards away from second on the single season passing yard list, but will need 401 yards to beat Dan Marino's all time record.

Not only does Brees lead the NFL in passing yards, but also completions, attempts, attempts per game, yards per game, and is second behind Philip Rivers in touchdown. Not to mention Brees has only been sacked 11 times this season.

With such good stats, it's hard to believe the Saints will not be in the playoffs this year. Can a non-playoff contender still win the MVP?

Peyton Manning - Quarterback (Indianapolis Colts)

There really isn't much to argue about when Peyton Manning is brought into the MVP race. Manning came into the season with a knee in bad shape, but still led the Colts to the playoffs.

He missed all five of the teams pre-season games due to surgery on his knee, yet Peyton Manning is looking better than ever. The offensive and defensive struggles of the Colts showed at the beginning of the season as the Colts started out 3-4 through the first 7 games.

From then on, Manning took control of the Colts inconsistent offense and won eight straight games beating tough opponents like New England, Pittsburgh, and San Diego. In these 8 games, Manning was nearly perfect against Jacksonville and New England. Also, Manning combined for 16 touchdowns, three interceptions, and four sacks in these last eight games.

Compared to the first seven games where Manning threw 10 touchdowns, 9 interceptions, and was sacked 9 times, Manning showed he was MVP status. It was very likely the Colts were out of the playoffs after week seven, but Peyton Manning once again showed he was a genuine quarterback and led the Colts back to the playoffs.

Matt Ryan - Quarterback (Atlanta Falcons)

Of course when it comes to good stories of the year, Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons top the list. When Michael Vick got arrested for dog fighting, it remained a mystery for a long time who would take over the role as quarterback of the Falcons.

I'll tell you now, the Falcons couldn't have done better than bringing in rookie, Matt Ryan. Going from the $100 million, MVP and all-star caliber Michael Vick to Matt Ryan might not have seemed like a bright idea, but it sure has been as the young quarterback has led Atlanta to the playoffs with a current record of 10-5.

Ryan doesn't quite have MVP stats with 3,280 passing yards and 15 touchdowns, but the fact that a rookie quarterback in Atlanta can go into the locker room, get the respect from his team mates, and lead them to the playoffs is impressive enough.

Others possible MVP candidates: Philip Rivers, Adrian Peterson, DeAngelo Williams, Clinton Portis, and Roddy White.

Chicago Blackhawks: What Does the Future Hold?

Vince Richards — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:23:41 -0400

The Chicago Blackhawks have really set themselves apart from many teams in the past couple years by constantly nabbing top draft picks and signing quality free agents. It's about time Chicago starts winning again behind coach Denis Savard.

This summer the Blackhawks struck first by signing two of the top free agents on the market, Brian Campbell and Cristobal Huet.

It's safe to say that the Blackhawks are set for years to come having talent between the pipes, strong defense, and a powerful offense.

It will be interesting to see who Savard will start in game one of the upcoming NHL season in net. Will it be Huet or Khabibulin?

Khabibulin turned things around for himself and the club last season when he did well late in the season trying to give the Hawks the extra push they would need to make the playoffs, but they still fell a few points shy.

Cristobal Huet, on the other hand, led Montreal to first place with a 21-12-6. Then a deadline deal sent him to Washington where he did even better collecting 11 wins in 13 games and earned a 1.63 GAA and a .936 save percentage. Huet and the Caps won their division, earning the third seed in the Eastern Conference. Unfortunately, Washington fell early to Philadelphia.

Not only does Chicago have two potential number one goalies, but they have Corey Crawford and Josh Unice in the system.

Crawford led Rockford into the postseason with a 29-19-5 record.

The more amazing story is on young goalie Josh Unice, who is an 89 birth year, and led the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL with a 30-6-1 record and a 2.45 GAA. Unice also took Kitchener to the playoffs where he had a record of 11-3-1 and had nearly the same GAA in the playoffs as he did in the regular season, 2.41.

The Blackhawks have young talent in net, which is a plus because it's hard to find a solid goaltender that can compete at the NHL level. Among goaltending, Chicago also has very strong D that can generate offense, as well as keep the puck out of their defensive zone.

All-star defensemen Brian Campbell and Duncan Keith, as well as Brent Seabrook, can generate scoring chances very easily for Chicago, whereas these three along with Cam Barker and James Wisniewski can apply pressure in the defensive zone making it hard for opposing teams to score.

Down in Rockford, the Hawks have Danny Richmond and Ryan Stokes who are two physical defensemen.

Also in the system, Simon Danis-Pepin is awaiting his chances to compete in the AHL before he makes the NHL roster. Pepin, a 6'7 defenseman is an upcoming senior at the University of Maine where he recorded 12 points in 34 games. Pepin was recently at the Hawks rookie camp where he suffered a neck injury, but should be able to go for the Black Bears in the '08-'09 season.

Getting down to the offense, the Blackhawks show no weakness on their current roster, nor their young, upcoming players.

Chicago finished the past season ninth in the NHL in goals for, third in the Western Conference behind division rivals Detroit and the Dallas Stars.

Young players such as rookie of the year, Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp, and Dustin Byfuglien will continue to generate many scoring chances for the Blackhawks with the veterans like Robert Lang, Andrew Ladd, and hopefully a healthy Martin Havlat chipping in to help.

Kane and Toews are no doubt, a great one-two punch in the NHL, but with Martin Havlat healthy again, he too can provide around 70-80 points per season. Patrick Sharp is coming off an All-Star season, almost notching 40 goals, but coming up four shy.

The Blackhawks have some young talent in their current lineup, but when others start to leave, as Jason Williams did, players who could be getting the call are Jack Skille, Martin St. Pierre, Petri Kontiola, Jake Dowell, and Troy Brouwer.

Skille and Dowell saw some time in the NHL together this season, but couldn't stay put. They faired well in Rockford together, just as they did as teammates at Wisconsin, winning a National Championship together.

St. Pierre had a 21-67-88 line in Rockford and also picked up 80 PIM'S.

Following close behind was Petri Kontiola who had 18 goals, 50 assists, and also racked up a good amount of penalty minutes, 32.

Troy Brouwer was yet another young player to help lead Rockford. He is more of a gritty type of player collecting 154 penalty minutes, but managed to score 35 goals along with 19 assists.

Not only are the young players found in Chicago's AHL franchise, but in Canadian hockey leagues and the NCAA.

Akim Aliu got 28 goals and 33 assists for the London Knights of the OHL this past season, but also put up 133 penalty minutes.

The load of college players includes Nathan Davis, Dan Bertram, Bill Sweatt, and Scott McCulloch.

Nathan Davis missed almost half the past season at Miami of Ohio with an injury, but still had aa 8-9-17 line in just 21 games for the second place Hawks.

Dan Bertram won the National Championship with Boston College where he recorded 10 goals and 27 assists.

Sweatt and McCulloch were teammates together this past season at Colorado College, who had a good year as well. Sweatt had 27 points and McCulloch racked up 21 points.

It seems as if the Blackhawks have no current weakness' which is a positive becausee the fans of Chicago have been waiting for almost a decade for their Blackhawks to win a playoff series.

MLB All-Bizzare Team

Vince Richards — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 23:17:02 -0400

The 2008 season has brought many surprises thus far, which is why this MLB All-Star team looks a little on the funky side. Going through each position, these players are those who have not been known for their power or skill, but this season have made a huge impact.

Catcher: Geovany Soto (Chicago Cubs)

This rookie has come into the MLB in a big way. Just a couple months into the 2008 season, Soto has 11 home runs, 42 RBIs and a respectable .281 average.

Soto has solved the Cubs' recent problem of finding a catcher who is suitable for them. With the possible rookie of the year, the Cubs are currently atop the league with a 41-24 record, including 27-8 at home, the best start the Cubs have had at home in 101 years.

First Base: Conor Jackson (Arizona Diamondbacks)

Yet another youngster who has helped carry his team to success this year is Conor Jackson. Slowly but surely Jacksonhas been on the rise in his four-year career.

This season he has contributed to the Diamondbacks success by hitting seven home runs, driving in 38, and has a current average of .305.

What makes Jacksonso successful? He is one of the hardest batters to face in the NL because he plate approach is excellent. Jackson has a sharp eye, which helps him get on base rather than strikeout. He will continue to help Arizona in the future.

Second Base: Dan Uggla (Florida Marlins)

Lets all be honest here, when we think of the Florida Marlins, we think of a young squad who just can’t seem to find their stroke. This year, Dan Uggla has made his way to the top of the list of second basemen. Uggla has been around doing average most years, around 80-90 RBI per season.

In 2008, Uggla has belted 18 home runs, 44 RBI’s and has an average of just below .300. Striking out in almost 1/3 of his at bats, Uggla still finds the bleachers and drive in runs. The Marlins key to success this year has been their infield with Uggla and Hanley Ramirez.

Shortstop: Ryan Theriot (Chicago Cubs)

Another Cub to add to this All-Star roster would have to be Ryan Theriot. He's not so much built for power—only having one home run and 16 RBI—but for average and quickness.

Theriot remains the best hitting shortstop with a .321 average and also third in stolen bases with 12. Although his stats as of now prove him as a respected shortstop, in his recent years he has fooled us before hitting above .300 this late into the season, but then dropping below the .270 mark. Theriot, nonetheless, can be credited for helping lead the Cubs as well.

Third Base: Mark Reynolds (Arizona Diamondbacks)

It just seems to be switching in and out with the Cubs and Diamondbacks, but these teams have some young guys who are for real.

Mark Reynolds didn’t prove much of anything to baseball fans in Arizona last year, but boy has he showed baseball fans around the country what he can do this year.

Reynolds has 14 home runs, 40 RBI and an average of .259. Don’t let that average fool you, because when Mark Reynolds steps up to bat, he delivers. Time and time again this season he has helped the Diamondbacks and is a key player in the organization.

Left Field: Carlos Quentin: (Chicago White Sox)

Another Chicago player on the list, but from the opposite side of town is Carlos Quentin.

The White Sox won the Series in 2005, but missed the playoffs for the past two years due to an unhealthy and unreliable roster. This season, the Sox have stepped it up, and Carlos Quentin is a main factor for the success.

The 26 year-old was first in Arizona, but couldn’t do much, but now they must feel straight up stupid for letting him go. Quentin has 16 home runs, 54 RBI, and a .281 average in the 2008 campaign. For the past two years he has been struggling to find playing time, but a new team means a fresh start and “fresh” is a good word to describe Quinten as of yet.

Center Field: Josh Hamilton (Texas Ranger)

We all knew this guy would make it here and possibly to the real AL All-Star lineup. Hamilton has been nothing but a surprise and an All-Star this season.

Last year, Hamilton couldn’t find his game, but this year it’s a whole new story. Ranger fans should be quite happy that they have this young gun on their team because so far he has 17 home runs, 70 RBI, and a .309 average.

70 RBI a month shy of the all star break is straight up ridiculous. Hamilton leads the whole MLB in runs batted in, and by a good margin too. When we talk about Josh Hamilton, we are talking about the kid who is on pace for 172 RBI’s. Did I just say 172? Yes, I did, and that is correct.

If Hamilton continues his success this season, look for him to become the youngest in MLB history to hit more than 160 RBI in a single season.

Right Field: Ryan Ludwick (St. Louis Cardinals)

Ryan Ludwick is the third outfielder named to this roster and his spot is well deserved.

Just like Carlos Quentin, Ludwick has never really found a team where he plays a lot. Finding a new home in St. Louis proved to be the right move for him, because he is hitting .318 with 15 home runs and 50 RBI. Ludwick isn’t exactly the youngest player at 29, but he truly is reliable.

Starting Pitcher: Edinson Volquez

For the past three years in Texas, Volquez was a combined 3-11 in 80 innings. This relates to some of the others on the All-Bizarre team not finding playing time, but then finding a new home and proving themselves elsewhere.

Volquez left Texas to go to Cincinnati where he is currently having a Cy Young season. It will be sure that Volquez makes his way to the NL All-Star team.

In 2008, Volquez is on the top in two of the three major categories for starting pitchers. He is tied for third with nine wins, first in strikeouts with 96, and ERA at 1.56.

That ERA is dominant, as is Volquez. Not only is he dominant, but very consistent. In his past three starts, he’s picked up two wins, 20 strikeouts, and only five earned runs in 19 innings.

Not only can Volquez pitch around the big hitters to get them out, when batters do get a hold of his pitches, most of them are pop outs.

Detroit Tigers: Dontrelle Who?

Vince Richards — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 22:07:24 -0400

We all know Dontrelle Willis as the 26 year-old ace who can get the job done. Let me tell you, he has definitely not lived up to that status this season.

In 2003, Willis helped the Marlins win the World Series as a rising star. In 2005, he accumulated a 22-10 record with a 2.63 ERA and 170 strikeouts, finishing among the top-three for the Cy Young Award.

Since then, Willis’ game has been in a continuous downward spiral.

On Tuesday, Tiger’s management had enough of Dontrelle Willis, who signed a three-year, $29 million extension this past winter, sending him all the way down to single A, Lakeland.

This is clearly the lowest Willis can get without being released, but can you blame Detroit?

Hoping to jump right back into the World Series this season, Detroit acquired Miguel Cabrera and Willis. That’s not what the 2008 season had in store for the Tigers, who started out the season miserably, but eventually came back, then once again hit a slump.

As for Willis, his game was left in Florida, as he holds an 0-1 record in five games with five strikeouts and a disgusting 10.32 ERA.

The choice to send Willis down to single A came late Tuesday, shortly after he picked up his first loss of the season against the surging Indians, lasting 1 1/3 inning, giving up three hits and five walks for eight earned runs.

The send-down hopefully gives Willis the mindset to get back on his game, because reaching his potential could mean good things for the Tigers, who currently hold a 27-37 record, good enough for fourth place in the AL Central, just ahead of Kansas City.

Celtics-Lakers: Los Angeles Struggles in Game One

Vince Richards — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:43:22 -0400

In the first game of the NBA Finals, the Boston Celtics proved to the basketball world that the Los Angeles Lakers could be beaten.

In their 98-88 win over the Lakers, Boston tried focusing more on the defensive side to shut down Kobe Bryant, which they did. At the same time, the Celtics put enough points on the board to get the “W.”

The Lakers' Game One loss wasn’t a result of the Celtics playing their best. We have all seen Boston on a roll—and that was not the case on Thursday. The Lakers played well in the first half, holding a comfortable 51-46 lead going into halftime.

It was the second half of the game where the Lakers imploded. As a team, the Lakers only scored 37 points in the third and fourth quarter combined, whereas the Celtics recorded 52. L.A shot a lousy .214 from the three-point range, and only scored nine points from beyond the arc.

When Kobe is held to only 24 points, you know the Lakers were in trouble. Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and James Posey were all thrown at Kobe to defend him—giving him trouble, because all three play different styles of defense. This is exactly what the Boston Celtics were looking for coming into this game.

Mixing up the defense against Kobe proved to throw off his game, which in the long run could mean the end for the Los Angeles Lakers unless other players, such as Derek Fisher and Pau Gasol, step up—which they didn’t last night.

As an acquisition who was supposed to help lead the Lakers, Gasol did not prove himself last night. In the pivotal second half, Gasol only recorded three points and no rebounds. As a seven-foot center, you are expected to grab boards. Gasol didn’t—which is why the Lakers had 13 fewer rebounds than the Celtics.

Fisher and Gasol combined for 30 points in Game One. If we were to take the “Big Three” from both squads and match them up points for points in Game One, the Celtics (Garnett, Pierce, Allen) outscored the Lakers (Bryant, Odom, Gasol) 65-53. Garnett led Boston with 24 points, but following close behind Pierce had 22 and Ray Allen got 19.

Garnett, Pierce, and Allen continue to be an ongoing problem for the every team they play. Down low, Garnett can dominate anyone he plays against, as he proved last night against Pau Gasol. When Garnett is continuously putting the ball in the basket, the Lakers have no other option than to double-team him—but this leaves Pierce and Allen wide open for long-range shots.

These three will have to be contained in the upcoming games if L.A wants a shot at another championship ring.

Game Two is Sunday night at 9:00 pm EDT, and is a MUST WIN for the Los Angeles Lakers. There is no way Los Angeles can come back home down 2-0 to the Boston Celtics. If the Lakers do not win Game Two, say goodbye—because the series is pretty much over.

Calder Controversy: Jonathan Toews Or Carey Price?

Vince Richards — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:24:59 -0400

The race for the Calder trophy has been quite tight this year with a rookie class of high talent. Possible candidates could be: Patrick Kane, Nicklas Backstrom, Carey Price, Jonathan Toews, and Peter Mueller.

Unfortunately, Peter Mueller and the Phoenix Coyotes missed the playoffs, but had a good run during the season. Mueller played in every game except one and finished with 54 points, 22 of those being goals. What made Mueller fall out of the Calder race? It was most likely his +/- being -13 and the fact his team didn't make the playoffs.

The three finalists for the Calder trophy were named and the lucky three are Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews of Chicago, and Nicklas Backstrom of Washington.

It was no doubt Kane and Backstrom would be two of the three finalists finishing the season so close in points, goals, and assists. Although Kane didn't lead his team to the playoffs like Backstrom, he finished an outstanding rookie season with 72 points.

The argument over this years final three is whether the third candidate should have been Jonathan Toews or Montreal goalie, Carey Price.

Jonathan Toews had some problems early in the season missing the first few games with a thumb injury, then missing more games due to a leg injury. Despite being unlucky, Toews still had a strong season with 54 points in just 64 games. Toews was actually supposed to produce more than Kane this year, but played 18 fewer games.

So why not Carey Price? I couldn't tell you because this 21 year old goalie has done a great job this season for Montreal. Price didn't see much playing time early in the season due to the Canadiens starting Huet instead. Once Huet was traded to Washington at the deadline, Price stood his ground in net and finished with a record of 24-12-0. He also had a 2.56 GAA and a .920 save percentage. Carey Price was arguably, the best rookie goalie to play in the NHL in a while. Not only did he prove himself in the regular season, but he took Montreal into the playoffs and defeated Boston in 7 games.

Many Montreal fans still stick with their slogan of "The Price is Right", as they should because he has done well so far in his young career. There will be many NHL fans upset with this decision of the final three, but we cant complain about Jonathan Toews as we know he will be an offensive force in his NHL career.

NHL Western Conference Playoff Predictions

Vince Richards — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 15:14:21 -0400

With the 2007-2008 NHL playoffs beginning tonight, four western conference teams will be facing off. Three of the four quarterfinal series feature some division rivalries. Here are predictions with some thoughts and information about why which teams will advance and why the other four will be leaving early.

#1 Detroit Red Wings vs #8 Nashville Predators

Since about a week into the NHL season, the Detroit Red Wings were the best team in the league. Showing no signs of slowing down, they continued to win the Presidents Trophy and capture a record of 54-21-7 along with 115 points, 24 more points than their quarterfinal opponents, the Nashville Predators. Detroit can easily take this one if they continue their excellent work along with their veteran leadership. Lindstrom, Datsyuk, and Zetterberg must show up to play as well as Hasek and Osgood.

Nashville didn't have a great start to the season, holding a last place spot in the division and some points, but they have really turned around by winning important games against Detroit, Chicago, and Columbus. The squad thus far has been led by J.P. Dumont and Jason Arnott who must continue to play the way they have all season if Nashville wants anyway of winning. Young goaltender Mark Ellis, who finished the season with a record of 23-10-3, a save percentage of .924 and a GAA of 2.34 with the Predators, can potentially steal the series from Detroit if he is on his game.

The teams met 8 times in the regular season in which they both finished 3-3-2 against one another.

Prediction - Detroit in 6

#2 San Jose Sharks vs #7 Calgary Flames

Without a doubt, the San Jose Sharks are on fire as of now. In their last 22 games with a record of 18-2-2. The two losses have been the last two games of the year against the Dallas Stars and the Los Angeles Kings. Despite those two games, the Sharks went on an 11 game win streak in which they beat division rivals Anaheim and Dallas, western confernce playoff teams such as Nashville, Detroit and Minnesota, and even added three wins against top eastern confernce teams like Montreal, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia. Leading point scorer Joe Thornton led the way with 96 points. Its almost as if the Sharks as individuals have gone down, but risen as a team. Goalie Evgeni Nabokov had a tremendous year winning a league most 46 wins and almost played all 82 games. Nabokov also kept his GAA low at 2.10. If San Jose continues to play like they have in the past two months, they can cruise into the cup finals. Just imagine how much better they would be if Marleau had more than 48 points and wasnt a -19, or in Cheechoo didnt have a lousy 37 points, 32 less points than last season and 56 less than in 05-06.

As for Calgary, they have been in the fight all season long competing for the division lead of arguably the best, the Northwest division, which has 4 out of 5 teams in the playoffs and Edmonton just missing by 3 points. The Flames have been led by none other than Jarome Iginla this year, but also been helped by Huselius, Langkow, and Phaneuf all collecting 60+ points. Mikka Kiprusoff had yet another good year, but will have to pick it up if he wants his crew to advance.

Throughout the season, Calgary and San Jose played 6 times in which Calgary won the series 4-2.

Prediction - San Jose in 6

#3 Minnesota Wild vs #6 Colorado Avalanche

Minnesota has probably been the biggest suprise this season finishing in third place and atop the tough Northwest division. The Wild have a VERY VERY fast team behind Marian Gaborik, Pavel Demitra, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, and Brian Roloston. Minnesota can be a real threat in this years playoffs, especially with Niklas Backstrom between the pipes who finished the season 33-13-8 for the Wild. Along with the big four up on offense, the Wild have some silent but dangerous players in Brent Burns, Mikko Koivu, and Eric Belanger. Minnesota can dominate any game against anyone they play if they get a lead. If the Wild take a series lead on Colorado tonight, don't be surprised if they take it all.

The Avalanche are a higly skilled, young and old team. The veterans carry the team like Sakic, Andrew Brunette, and recently acquired Adam Foote and Peter Forsberg. The addition of Forsberg was a great deal for Colorado as he is back on his game scoring 14 points in just 9 games, 1 G 13 A. If the Avalanche stayed healthy this seaosn, they would have been higher up in the standings. Young stars also lead the team like Statsny, Wolski, and Svatos. If colorado wants to take this one from Minnesota, they will need to at least win one game in Minnesota in the first two games. Colorados powerplay will have to step up and actually accomplish something in this series as Minnesota holds a well structured penalty kill.

In 8 games played between the two, Minnesota took the series going 4-3-1.

Prediction - Minnesota in 7

#4 Anaheim Ducks vs #5 Dallas Stars

This has truly been a good year for both these teams. Anaheim is fighting to get back to the finals as they slumped for a good part of the beginning of the season and Dallas has been in it all year as well. Anaheim is an all around power house with young players who are quite dangerous in all situations such as Getzlaf, Perry, and Kunitz. Unfortunatley, Corey Perry is out for the playoffs due to an injury, meaning people like Selanne,the Niedermeyers, Weight, and Pronger, who is coming off an 8 game suspension will have to continue to play well. The Ducks have arguably some of the best defense in the NHL with Pronger, Niedermeyer, and Schneider. The Ducks also have J.S Giguere who had 35 wins this season for the Ducks. Anaheim is entering the playoffs with a 20-5-1 record in their last 26 games, 8 without Pronger and 11 without Perry. The Ducks physical play always seems to get in the other teams head and especially with Steve Ott and the Dallas Stars.

Dallas is a fearful team again this year as they have the same players producing greatly in Morrow, Lehtinen,and Modano and great new suprises like Ribeiro, Richards, and Hagman. Mike Ribeiro has risen into a true star finishing the season leading Dallas in points with 83 points. Injuries have seemed to be a problem for the Stars, especially defensman Sergei Zubov who missed nearly half the season. This year will not be a problem in net with Turco. We all saw his outstanding performance last year against Vancouver, but he will need offensive support to win games. The Stars special teams could also help them slip past Anaheim in this series.

Another division rivalry matchup, Dallas led the season series 5-2-1. Don't let this suprise you, the Ducks will be ready to play.

Prediction - Anaheim in 7

Future Looks Positive for the Los Angeles Kings

Vince Richards — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 10:53:45 -0400

The 2007-2008 season has given the Los Angeles Kings nothing to be happy about. With just 10 games left in the season, Los Angeles holds onto a 28-38-6 record. Although the Kings are headed to the off season earlier than 16 other teams, they can look foward to the future.

This season, the younsters on the Kings roster have proven they can lead the team in the next decade. The top five leading scorers for the Kings consist of Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, Alexander Frolov, Patrick O'Sullivan, and Michael Cammalleri. On the positive side, these guys are all 25 years old or younger, meaning the Los Angeles Kings are in store for some good seasons to come.

Not only did the young veterans contribute this season, but so have the rookies and top prospects. Signing as a free agent after last season, Teddy Purcell has proved to be a quality player scoring a 17-47-64 line in 53 games for the Manchester Monarchs of the AHL. A bigger suprise thus far has been 6'7 250 lb foward Brian Boyle. Boyle, also coming out of the Kings farm club, scored 4 goals and added an assist in just 8 games this season. As for the AHL, Boyle recorded 23 goals and 26 assists for 49 points in 57 games.

Other notable fowards to look out for in the Kings system are Trevor Lewis, who scored 21 points in 60 games for Manchester, Oscar Moller who has a 39-40-79 line in 61 games for Chilliwack of the WHL, Wayne Simmonds who has 69 points in 58 games in the WHL and represented Team Canada in the World Juniors, and Matt Moulson who almost got a point a game in the AHL scoring 40 points in 43 games as well as getting 9 points in 22 games for the Kings.

As for Defensemen, the Kings went out of their way in the 2007 draft snatching Thomas Hickey, and 89, 4th overall. Hickey, a rather small 5'10 180 lb defenseman, put up some big number this season for the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL scoring 11 goals and adding 33 assists. Hickey currently stands 11th among defensman in points, behind Ty Wishart and other. Wishart leads all WHL defensemen with 64 points in 70 games and is the number two prospect in the San Jose Sharks organization. Along with Hickey, the Kings have Peter Harrold, a 25 year old who has done well in the AHL with 43 points in 49 points and has done time with the Kings as well this season.

It has been said for the past 3 or 4 years now that the primary problem to the Kings failure is their goaltending.

Well Kings fans, be happy because Jonathan Bernier and Jonathan Quick are two special young goalies. Although the two combined for a 2-5 record this season, the 19 and 22 year old duo shine for their other clubs.

Jonathan Bernier kciked the season off in London playing against Anaheim, but was moved down shortly afterwards. Bernier moved back to his QMJHL club, the Lewiston Maineiacs and did well with an 18-12-2 record, .907 save %, and a 2.77 GAA. Bernier, only 19 years old, has a long road ahead of him as we all look foward to him playing with the Kings soon.

As for Quick, selected in the 3rd round of the 2005 draft, backed up Dan Cloutier in Manchester. Quick only played 9 games, but held a 4-5 record with a .911 save % and a 2.56 GAA.

Say as you please of Los Angeles this year because they dont have much to back them up, but watch out for them to make a big impact in the NHL within the next 2-3 years and look for them to be a contender for a while once they get their flow together.

Chicago Blackhawks Rumored To Host Next NHL Outdoor Game

Vince Richards — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 08:44:26 -0500

It seems to be a trend in the past decade to play a hockey game outdoors.

We all remember in 2003 when the Edmonton Oilers hosted the Montreal Canadiens and this year’s Winter Classic between the Buffalo Sabres and the Pittsburgh Penguins which ended in a shootout.

Not only has the NHL been hosting games outside, but NCAA hockey has also taken part as well.

The game which kicked off outdoor games was the "Cold War" game played at Michigan State's Spartan Stadium against rival Michigan. The game ended in a 3-3 tie and has the record for most fans at a hockey game with 74,544, just beating this years Winter Classic by 3,000 fans.

In 2006, the Wisconsin Badgers faced off against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Lambeau Field.

There have been rumors of many more outdoor games to take place.

Whether it’s in the 2008-2009 or 2009-2010 NHL season, the Chicago Blackhawks are rumored to be hosting an outdoor game at Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears.

Who would be better to watch play at an outdoor game than the Chicago Blackhawks? With so much history behind them, they deserve the game. It would only be right to let an original six team host the game. But why not play against another, especially if the two are rivals?

The Chicago Blackhawks facing off against the Detroit Red Wings in Chicago would be a memorable experience.

The NHL isn't the only outdoor game rumored to be in the works, but an NCAA game as well.

Chicago would want to make it more of a weekend festivity than a one-time thing. With a college hockey game taking place as well, possible teams to consider are the Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans, Wisconsin Badgers, Notre Dame, or Minnesota.

Red Wings-Ducks: Detroit Falls on Controversial Call

Vince Richards — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 03:31:39 -0500

Coming into Sunday night's game, the NHL-leading Detroit Red Wings looked to get their 42nd win of the season against the Anaheim Ducks.

With the Red Wing's 2-3 loss, they drop their third straight game, as the Ducks continued to find their way to the top, winning their fourth straight.

The controversy came within the last minute of the third period when the Red Wings tied the game at 3-3, but the goal was called back.

Detroit forward, Tomas Holmstrom, planted himself in front of Duck's goalkeeper Jean-Sebastien Guigere to create a screen. Brian Rafalski took the shot from the point.

Holmstrom barely brushed up against Guigere as he came out of the crease to make a save, but Nicklas Lidstrom's last-second slap shot put the puck went in and we all thought it was a tie game. The goal was called back however, saying that Holmstrom made contact with Guigere.

The ref disallowed the goal without reviewing it because he knew it was goaltender interference. There was no penalty on the play, but the face off was brought outside Anaheim's defensive zone to center ice with just 40 seconds left to play.

Another questionable thought about the call was the fact the Schneider scored his second period goal by left wing Chris Kunitz, by plowing over Red Wing goalie Chris Osgood.

Kunitz was in front of the net when the puck was shot from the point. After Osgood appeared to have the puck frozen, Kunitz poked away at Osgood in his crease, knocking him over and getting the puck back, which enabled him to set up Schneider for his goal.

Either way you want to look at it, the goal should have been reviewed.

Former Red Wing Mathieu Schneider haunted Detroit recording a goal and an assist for the Ducks. Also helping lead Anaheim was Kent Huskins and Rookie Ryan Carter with a goal apiece.

As for Detroit, Pavel Datsyuk notched his 19th goal of the season and Johan Franzen also tallied a goal.

Red Wing goalie Chris Osgood faced only 19 shots, giving up three goals. Anahiem's Guigere saw 29 and saved a total of 27.

Rumor Mill: Kings Looking to Shop Nagy, Modry for Emery

Vince Richards — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 12:58:31 -0500

With the trade deadline approaching and the Los Angeles Kings still sitting in last place, it's time to make some changes.

Los Angeles has been in a hole since the first week of the regular season. With players they acquired last summer not doing what was expected, they will look to be traded.

But who are the Kings willing to give up?

It's been brought up that All-Star defenseman Rob Blake is willing to waive his no-trade clause in order for Los Angeles to make a swap. The most likely destination for Blake at this point is Ottawa—a team that remains the best in the East and would like to add strength to their defensive core before playoffs arrive.

Others likely to fall victim of a trade in Los Angeles are Ladislav Nagy and Jaroslav Modry.

Nagy, signed as a free agent this summer, recently stepped up his game, which was needed long before now. Nagy has a 26 points on the year, 10 of which were scored in five straight games.

Defenseman Jaroslav Modry, who is 36 and now serving his 10th season in a Kings uniform, might also be traded. Modry isn't looked at as a scoring or offensive defenseman—he only five points in 49 games on the year. Modry could be a solid addition to the Senators lineup as well, serving as a good purpose on the penalty kill.

The ultimate question brought up by this is who would the Kings receive in return for these players? It's quite obvious what the Kings need—goaltending.

If a trade was to fall through with Ottawa, would they really be willing to give up Emery or Gerber and have faith that Jeff Glass, who has a 12-10-3 record with Binghamton, can backup the goaltending core?

If the trade to Ottawa doesn't fall through, Toronto could be another destination for any of the three players. This suits Toronto well because they have Andrew Raycroft to give away, but still have Toskala who starts for the Leafs anyway.

Look for the Kings to be in a tight spot in the next few weeks, trying to work out a deal that lands them a solid goaltender. If the Kings get what they need, they could be a dangerous team the rest of the year, as well as next season.

NHL Western Conference: Midseason Rankings

Vince Richards — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 14:30:17 -0500

1. Detroit Red Wings

Since the start of this season, the Wings have shown that they are a dominant team. They provide much offense in Zetterberg, Datsyuk, and Holmstrom. Detroit even has production from the quiet players like Cleary and Flippula. The defense can't get much stronger. Detroit also has the best one-two punch in goaltending in the league with Hasek and Osgood. Look for the Wings to make it far.

Player to Watch: Pavel Datsyuk

2. San Jose Sharks

The Sharks have had some struggles over the course of the year; especially with Marleau and Cheechoo not producing. San Jose still comes out every game and plays it knowing they need the W. They’ve shown how powerful of a squad they can really be on the road going 16-4-3 thus far in away games.

Player to Watch: Joe Thornton

3. Anaheim Ducks

Anaheim might have gotten off to the slowest start of these top contenders, but they have once again found their way to the top. With youngsters like Getzlaf, Kunitz, and Perry and veterans such as Pronger, Niedermayer, Weight, Bertuzzi, and Schneider, the Ducks will be a fearsome team come playoff time.

Player to Watch: Ryan Getzlaf

4. Minnesota Wild

The Wild, unlike the Ducks, got out to the best start in hockey going 7-0-1 until losing to the Calgary Flames 20 days into the season. Minnesota has been a team that falls to the bottom of their division then come back up to the top. The Wild, arguably in the best division in hockey, needs to keep up with the pace of their division rivals Vancouver and Colorado if they want to remain in the hunt. The Wild are one of the teams to beat at home attaining a 15-7 record in the Xcel Energy Center.

Player to Watch: Marian Gaborik

5. Columbus Blue Jackets

After several years of missing the playoffs since they joined the league, the Blue Jackets are headed in the right direction this year. Columbus is becoming a hockey city and recognizing their Jackets as a playoff team. Without many big named players, the Blue Jackets still find a way to get the job done, especially at home. Columbus has hung around the playoff picture all year, and trust me, they aren’t done yet. Expect to see the Blue Jackets fighting for 5-7 spot in the playoffs.

Player to Watch: Rick Nash

6. St. Louis Blues

The Blues have completely turned their team around from last year with solid additions. Brad Boyes, Paul Kariya, and their teammates are getting the jobs done and it shows in the standings. Other than the Red Wings, the Blues are a team to beat in the Central division. St. Louis have proved themselves this year that they are capable of a respectful season and are hopefully they’ll end up in the playoffs.

Player to Watch: Brad Boyes

7. Vancouver Canucks

Once again the Canucks are inching their way into the playoffs this year. Like I’ve said before, the Northwest division is one of the toughest one to compete in and Vancouver have found themselves in all over the standings so far this season. If the Canucks want to continue their success they must have to learn to be more consistent. In their last 10 games, the Canucks put up a 5-5-0 record, not good if enough if they want to make the playoffs.

Player to Watch: Daniel Sedin

8. Nashville Predators - Nashville is another team that got off to a slow start. But they have picked it up lately going 6-2-2 in their last 10 games. Despite having an average of 14,000 fans per game, the Preds still shine at home. Nashville fans, get up and support your team, they are in the hunt.

Player to Watch: J.P. Dumont

9. Dallas Stars

The Stars have fallen in their division in the past few weeks as a result of losing seven of their last nine. Dallas is a team that can easily, with a boost from their offense, be a threat to the top contending teams. If Dallas can once again find their strengths and eliminate their weakness they will be among the top come playoff time.

Player to Watch: Brendan Morrow

10. Phoenix Coyotes

The Coyotes are easily the biggest surprise of the year so far. They showed nothing at all last year and have fought their way back in the playoff hunt this season. In their last 10 games, they post a 7-3-0 record. If they keep up this solid work they can find themselves fighting for the 7th or 8th spot in April. Phoenix have found a goaltender in Ilya Bryzgalov but they need to keep up the offensive streak. The Coyotes also found major potential in youngsters such as Peter Mueller and Matrin Hanzal.

Player to Watch: Shane Doan

11. Colorado Avalanche - The Avalanche have been in a major slump lately which is why they are ranked among the bottom in the Western Coference. We all know what the Avalanche can do, but without Joe Sakic and Ryan Smyth can they succeed? The answer is yes. Colorado has two goalies that can get the job done and an offense with scoring from Paul Stastny, Marek Svatos, and Wojtek Wolski. Don’t let the young ones get to you, because the Av's have plenty of other that can lead them to yet another successful season.

Player to Watch: Paul Stastny

12. Calgary Flames

The Flames are also among the teams with a lot of potential, but can’t finish. Calgary has so much offensive power, strong defense, and goaltending that we might still find them sitting atop the Northwest division at the end of the season. All they need to do is keep fighting and find their way back in it.

Player to Watch: Jarome Iginla

13. Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton is a team that will most likely be watching the playoffs this year. Although they almost have a .500 record, they won’t be able to last. Playing as many games as they do against Northwest division rivals, they won’t be able to handle it. All five teams in that division are looking toward the playoffs, but in reality, only three, at most four will make it. Unfortunately, the Oilers will not be among them.

Player to Watch: Shawn Horcoff

14. Los Angeles Kings

Los Angeles has been the only team in the Western Conference to continually to lose. The Kings currently have a three game winning streak, but remain dead last in the NHL in the standings. Short of winning 20 games this season, the Kings will for sure be sitting out of the chase for the Stanley Cup. They have so much young talent, but they continue to let fans down by having a 11-15-1 record at home. Los Angeles will hopefully get a good draft pick and be a contender in next year’s run. Most Los Angeles fans have already given up hope, but this is also why they aren’t so hot—they have no support. The Kings weakness for the past three years has been goaltending. If the Kings can find a goalie, look for them to be a solid team next year.

Player to Watch: Anze Kopitar

15. Chicago Blackhawks

The Hawks are almost .500 as well, but continue to struggle in the season. The further they go, the worse they get. Just coming of an eight-game losing streak, do the Hawks have what it takes to get back in the playoff hunt? With and unhealthy lineup, who knows? With a healthy team and everyone playing like they are expected to, the Blackhawks could be sitting in St. Louis or Columbus spot, which is where they were earlier this season. If they can get healthy once again, watch out for these young guns.

Player to Watch: Patrick Kane

Detroit Red Wings Dominate All-Star Lineup

Vince Richards — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 11:48:22 -0500

With the NHL All-Star Game coming up in a few weeks, the starting line-ups have been picked.

Three of the five starters on the Western Conference roster are from Detroit—Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, and Nicklas Lindstrom.

Despite missing five games due to injuries, Henrik Zetterberg is still among the top ten in scoring with a 26-28-54 line.

Zetterberg's Detroit linemate, Pavel Datsyuk, will join him as a starter for the Western Conference on January 27 in Atlanta. Quarterbacking the play from the blueline will be Nicklas Lindstrom.

Lindstrom is first in the NHL in scoring among defensemen, tallying four goals and 36 assists for 40 points. This will be Lindstrom's 10th all-star game, and his eighth as a starter. As for Zetterberg, it will be his first appearance in an All-Star Game, after being replaced last year by St. Louis Blues center Andy McDonald.

Pavel Datsyuk will be making his second appearance, and first as a starter.

Its not only the players for the Detroit Red Wings making the all-star game, but the coach as well—Mike Babcock will be behind the bench for the Westen Conference All-Star team. Babcock has led the Red Wings to a record first-half, going 33-8-3 in the first 44 games of the 2007-2008 NHL season.

Los Angeles Kings Are Suffering

Vince Richards — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 08:15:17 -0500

The Los Angeles Kings have tallied yet another loss in the standings.

The Kings (15-27-2) have the worst record in the league, despite having some of the best young talent out there. What is it with L.A. this year?

One word sums it up, goaltending.

For the past several years, the Los Angeles Kings haven't found a solid goalie who is able to keep them in the playoff hunt year after year. In the current season, Los Angeles has already tried out four tenders, all of whom have a season GAA of over 2.9. Meanwhile, none of the four have double digits in the win column.

Dan Cloutier, who is yet to start a game with the Kings this season, was signed as a free agent a couple years ago. The Kings are paying Cloutier 3.1 million dollars a year on a contract extension signed in 2006. Cloutier finished the '06-'07 season with L.A; 6-14-2 with a GAA just below 4.00 and a save percentage of .860.

As the Kings progress into this already miserable season, what will they look for down the road? With an excellent prospect in Bernier, who is only 19, will the Kings look to Toronto's Andrew Raycroft, who has appered many times in the trade rumors?

By this season's trade deadline, the Kings might have to look to trade some veteran players away—such as Rob Blake, who has a no-trade clause. It was reported that Blake didn't mind waiving his no-trade clause if he needs to. Los Angeles might have to give away some prospects as well if they want a solid goaltender in return.

Last night the Kings were shut out for the third time this season by the Nashville Predators 7-0. Los Angeles only played in front of 15,000 fans at the Staples Center Tuesday night—and it was a good thing the seats were so empty.

Jason Labarbera started the game by giving up three goals on seven shots, all three of which came in a 1:15 span. Labarbera was replaced by Aubin, who gave up four more goals on 22 shots.

The Kings haven't quite found what it takes to win this season, but they need to get it started again before they finish dead last in the NHL. Los Angeles doesn't have an easy schedule ahead of them either, playing Dallas, Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, Detroit, and Anaheim in their next seven games, four of which are at home.

Blackhawks Look to Rebound

Vince Richards — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 03:39:06 -0500

It's halfway through the season and the Chicago Blackhawks find themselves sitting out of the playoff hunt yet again.

Chicago had an excellent run going in the second half of December winning four straight against opponents such as Ottawa and Nashville, then racked up another point in an OT loss to Los Angeles.

In the new year, Chicago is a brutal 0-4, getting swept in their Western road trip to Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Anaheim. An injury-prone roster does not help the Hawks cause at all. With two of their top five scorers out (Toews and Williams) and defensman such as Sopel and Wisniewski, the Blackhawks must find the path to victory if they want to keep up their playoff hopes.

Martin Havlat, who has missed a total of 28 games this season, returned to the lineup in Sunday night's 3-1 defeat to the Detroit Red Wings, a team the Blackhawks are 4-1 against.

Tuesday night the Hawks travel to Montreal to take on the 20-13-8 Canadiens. Montreal has fought their way into the playoffs, sitting in the fifth spot as of Jan. 7. Can the Hawks step up their game and get their first win of 2008? With Havlat back in the lineup and Jason Williams expected to return soon, the Blackhawks look like they could be on the path to victory yet again.