Bleacher Report - Articles by Jay Lexton

Rangers Want Compensation For Alexei Cherapanov

Jay Lexton — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 09:33:15 -0500

Another chapter is beginning to unfold in the tragic story of forward Alexei Cherapanov.

The Rangers are reportedly seeking the 17th selection in the 2009 Entry Draft in compensation for 2006 first-round pick Cherapanov.

The 19-year-old Russian collapsed and passed away during an October 13 game while playing in the Continental Hockey League.

The debate begins on whether or not this is an ethical move by the Rangers. However, according to the rules of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, GM Glen Sather and the New York Rangers are fully within their rights to exercise this request.

Article 8.3 (b) in the NHLCBA states: Any team unable to come to terms with a first-round selection, be awarded a compensatory pick.

"We are not attempting to capitalize on a tragedy," said Rangers assistant GM Cam Hope. "If an unsigned player sustained a massive injury on or off the ice, the drafting team would get a compensatory pick."

He continued to say, "We understand this a sensitive issue, but with all due respect to Alexei's family and his memory, he is technically eligible to be drafted again next year."

The subject will be discussed at the next GM meetings in March. For the decision to go in favor of the Rangers, it is likely that part of the CBA would be amended.

NHL: Who Will Go First In Next Years Draft?

Jay Lexton — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:42:29 -0500

This time two years ago, the response to this question would be, "Victor who?"

Times have changed, and these days young John Tavares isn't the only one scouts and GMs are drooling over. So it begs the question. Who will go number one in Montreal come next June?

Both players are from different worlds—literally.

On one hand, you have John Tavares, the Canadian power forward with endless potential and scoring ability. Scouts have been raving about this guy for years.

Even as a 15-year-old "kid" (I use the word loosely seeing, as he stood 6'0" and 180 pounds at 15), Tavares handled the attention and pressure thrust on him by the hockey world, and has passed all expectations in remarkable fashion.

Already showing his leadership abilities just adds to the plethora of talents the young man from Oakville possesses.

On the other hand, there is Victor Hedman. When you first see this guy, you think he's going to be a slow, lumbering, skater. Instead, Hedman has an explosive first stride and enough speed to skate with anyone in the NHL.

His offensive abilities make this young man look like the complete package, and definitely a franchise defenseman.

Moving quickly up the pre-draft rankings of many scouts and GMs across the league, Victor is making some serious "Hed-way."

Barring major setbacks, both these guys will go one-two in the '09 Draft, and should go on to be leaders on their respective clubs.

But who to take in the first slot? Ah, decisions, decisions.

Let's take a look at the candidates:

John Tavares

Tavares is a 6'1, 198 pound native of Oakville, Ontario. He is the youngest player ever to play in the OHL since Bobby Orr. He was chosen by the Oshawa Generals at age 14 on an exceptional-player clause—a rule created solely for him—which allowed him to be drafted seven months before his 15th birthday.

He scored 91 goals and 158 points with the AAA Marlboro's Minor Midgets a year prior to joining the OHL, and has been on scouts' radar ever since.

In his rookie year with Oshawa, Tavares put up 45 goals and 77 points in 65 regular-season games—not bad, for a 15-year-old kid. His sophomore year was historic. Scoring 72 goals to go along with 134 points, Tavares broke Wayne Gretzky's record for most goals by a 16-year-old in the OHL.

He followed that up with a 118-point effort in 2007-08. The key stat here is his 78 assists—a 12-assist increase in that category, showing the evolution of his game from goal scorer to a more complete, play-making style.

However, make no mistake, John Tavares is still a lethal scorer.

I got a chance to see him play about a month ago against the Niagara Ice Dogs. From the moment he stepped on the ice, you could tell he didn't belong being in the OHL anymore.

"His body is built to play hockey," says a former coach of his. "Even as a younger kid, the older boys could never knock John off the puck. He uses his body very well."

This is what I noticed most about Tavares in the game. His lower-body strength allowed him to protect the puck deep in the zone and win battles in the corner.

Being one of the biggest guys in the OHL means Tavares can play this style of play now. But how will his game translate to the NHL when guys are bigger, faster, and stronger?

His skating ability is being pegged as his one flaw. But it's hard to look at a guy's skating ability and knock him on that, when that's not his game to begin with. His game is creating down low and on the perimeter, and looking for guys streaking to the net.

It's arguable that given his physical style of play, he will face a rough transition to the NHL. However, it's also arguable that 360 points in 210 games translate to any league.

Across the pond, we take a peek at a guy who a lot of scouts have ranked number one, a guy who is already drawing comparisons to Niklas Lidstrom.

Big shoes to fill, indeed.

Victor Erik Olaf Hedman

Hedman hails from Ornksoldsvik, Sweden. The 6'6", 220-pound defenceman shares his birth place with some other NHL stars—Markus Naslund, Peter Forsberg, and Henrik and Daniel Sedin, to name a few.

Not bad for a community of about 50,000.

This guy is a behemoth. Standing nearly 6'9" on the ice, he can stare over the heads of most opponents. He also owns a quick set of feet and is a great puck mover—rare commodities for a guy in his frame.

Another positive to his game is his inherent ability to play with a nasty streak. Playing with some dirtiness never hurt anybody—after all, this is hockey. Look for his physical play to be a big positive in his game.

The scariest part, perhaps, is that Hedman is considered an offensive defenceman.

The young Swede scored 28 points in 35 games for MODO's under-20 team two years ago, before being promoted to the senior team the following year. This season, Hedman has two goals to go along with eight points in his first 19 games.

Admittedly, I have seen less of the hulking Swedish blueliner than Tavares. However, from the games I've seen him play, I get the feeling this kid will make the jump straight in to the NHL.

The comparisons for Hedman are a lot to live up, however. The aforementioned Lidstrom comparison, to name just one, will be a big cross to bear for the youngster.

And he, unlike Tavares, is coming in to an entirely different world, one in which he can't yet speak the native tongue.

Although not directly related to hockey, these barriers present problems of their own. How will Victor deal with life away from home, with the pressure of possibly, being number one?

Another key thought is that, traditionally, defence is a harder position to step in and play. Not all 18-year-old defencemen jump into the league like Luke Schenn.

Questions, questions.

At the end of it all, whichever two teams are lucky enough to land these guys are in for a prize. The elite junior status both have reached is not by fluke. The reality is, here are two studs about to walk in to the NHL and join this new generation of hockey player.

So, back to the question. Who will go number one?

That is a question that can be debated now, and possibly long after the draft next June. What it will most likely come down to is a matter of what the team drafting number-one overall needs to add to their team at that point in time.

One final thought: Think back to the last time a draft so closely resembled this one. Think back to '93.

A speedy forward with apparently endless scoring ability, is chosen first overall by the Ottawa Senators. His name is Alexandre Daigle. Second in the draft that year was a young defenceman by the name of Chris Pronger.

Does that change your minds maybe? Just a little food for thought.

Come June, two teams will be rewarded for being worst in the league.

Until that day comes, all we have is speculation on who will be drafted first overall in the 2009 NHL entry draft.

Who would you take?

Knicks Fans: "We Want Steph!"

Jay Lexton — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 07:39:50 -0500

Just what is going on in the Big Apple?

The New York Knicks have decided to bench, arguably, their best player, Stephon Marbury.

It’s only four games into the season, and I know this article may be a little premature, but c’mon!

Now, the Knicks have had their fair share of off-court media attention in the past, but it looks like management has sunk to a new low.

Benching your best player because he’s not a “team guy,” may be acceptable in most other team sports, but not in basketball.

In basketball it’s a common belief that you’re only as good as your best player, with some exceptions (the Detroit Pistons.) So, why not play the guy? You make both the team, and Stephon suffer by tying him to the pine.

We’re not talking cutting down on minutes either, he hasn’t played a single one of those all year.

And you can say all you want about his attitude, if the idea is to play the best players, Marbury starts (and plays) over Chris Duhon.

I don’t want to hear all the talk about Mike D’Antoni wanting to go with a younger line up—he just doesn’t like Steph or what he represents.

Everyone has their own opinion about players, but the numbers don’t lie. www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/marbust01.html

The argument that Marbury is too selfish, to me, holds no water.

Is he arrogant? Maybe. Does he love his money? Absolutely.

Selfish though? I just can’t look past those assists statistics and ask for much more, especially considering his numbers have dropped off in recent years. He averaged nearly eight points per game over his career, to me, that’s not selfish.

Give me a guard who averages eight assists and twenty points a night, and I’ll be satisfied.

Despite numbers, however, Mike D’Antoni will continue to bench Starbury, regardless of the thunderous chants, “We want Steph!” that rain at the Garden.

What should Marbury do now?

He should do what he’s been doing. Don’t bark your displeasure to the media and earn a perennial spot on, “The Best Damn Sports Show Period! Countdown best sound bites”. He needs to keep quiet, continue his private off-court training, and stay in shape, because one place or another, Marbury will play basketball this year.

What should the Knicks do?

Play the guy! There’s not much else they can do. His monster contract makes it almost impossible to deal him, and any value he has is diminishing every day. I’m sorry, but to have a $21.9 million guy who is healthy, and hasn’t seen a second of court time, is insane! Who knows, maybe he plays well and the Knicks get a decent offer at the deadline for him. They’re not getting any offers if he stays on the bench.

What happens now?

In all likelihood, Stephon approaches the Knicks with a buyout offer and they negotiate a price. It’s a win-win. Stephon gets paid and has his choice of contender to join, while Mike D’Antoni and the Knicks can move on to what seem to be, better days.

It will be interesting to see how this situation plays out. The job of both Mike D’Antoni and Donnie Walsh is to make sure this sideshow doesn’t distract a young Knicks team.

Either way a decision must be made, and it must be made fast.

I wonder how many different opinions are out there on this topic. If you asked for mine, I’d tell you.

“We want Steph!”

Brains Behind Leafs Rebuild

Jay Lexton — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:04:38 -0500

The Leafs are earning the reputation of being one of the toughest teams to play against in the league.

What's changed?

Well, simply, coaching.

Paul Maurice was an alright coach the past couple years. Scotty Bowmen? No. But he has lead a team to the Cup finals, credit him for that.

However, it seems as if he was never able to motivate his guys enough, and play strong defence.

A big problem, I think, was Maurice's philosophy of playing man-to-man defence.

In the new NHL, with the calibre of players, it can be impossible to contain certain guys one-on-one.

The lack of establishing a capable defensive system (some type of zone defence), meant long nights and high GAA for whatever poor soul stood between the pipes on that night.

The team finished 25th in the league in '06/'07 and 27th in the league last year, in total goals against.

You won't win games if you can't keep the puck out of your net.

Coaching.

Wilson and his coaching staff have preached defence from day one. If you watch them play, positionally, they almost always seem to be in the right defensive spot. In addition, they're a much better team at collapsing on net this year, as opposed to last.

In fact, it almost seemed like the Leafs didn't collapse on their own net whatsoever in recent years.

I can think back on countless times when Toskala, and even Raycroft for that matter, were sprawled out, helpless, while an opposing player walks in and flips the puck top cheese or bangs a loose one in, from up close.

That hasn't been the case as much this year. Credit the coaching staff for being able to take control of a young group, who looked poised to end their playoff drought this season.

You can't mention the rebuild of this team without mentioning Cliff. (I could do a comparison between Cliff and J.F.J, but I swore to never mutter those initials again!)

The Silver Fox seems to have pulled another 180 with this franchise, for the second time in its history.

With the aid of his scouts, he was able to bring young, impressionable talent into the fray. Guys like Grabovski, Finger and Schenn will be future leaders of this club (also credit Wilson for bringing in Finger, if you think he isn’t a major reason he’s here, you’re nuts!).

And what about the job Fletch has done to add some depth to this roster. The ability for Wilson to go to different guys means healthy competition for roster spots and, in turn, constant effort from his players.

Heck, Ian White is playing shifts on forward! That goes to show you the depth on the blue line and the battle for the defensive spots alone.

The best part about having the extra depth is the ability to flip a Colaicavo or White to add other pieces to this team.

Being a fight-till-the-death, hard working team, is now status quo in Leaf Land. If you want to take shifts off or neglect your defensive role, you'll find yourself in the press box during games. Everyone is given an equal chance to show what they've got and in the end, the credit for that goes to Wilson and Flecther.

The road to Stanley is still a long one they must travel, but for the first time in a while there is a glimmer of hope. The changes in Leaf Land today, will pay dividends in the future.

World Cup Final '06: Re-lived

Jay Lexton — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 08:12:52 -0500

Memories in life represent who we are, and where we’ve come from. Some of my deepest memories are as clear to me now as the day they occurred. It is amazing for me to talk about one of the most memorable moments of my life.

Sport, something that can mean different things to all of us, to me, sports is life. I love the anticipation, the excitement, the pressure, the mystery, the heroes, and the villains. But most of all, I love the memories.

Being 20-years-old from Toronto (and a hometown supporter) I had never experienced a championship for the team I rooted for (Other than Canadian Olympic hockey gold in '02 of course). In ‘93 I was five, and although I do remember waking up in front of the TV after Joe Carter did his thing, the memory is too vague to truly appreciate.

Fast forward.

June 9, 2006. One of the best memories of my life.

It was a warm summer afternoon in southern Ontario, that part I knew. What I didn’t know, was that my “fan” life was about to change forever.

It was five minutes after the start of the World Cup final and I was in a car on my way to a buddy’s house, man was I pissed. Missing the beginning of an important game is like missing the playoffs three consecutive years in a row (Leafs, cough, cough). It sucks, and is something no true sports fan should ever have to endure.

Practically ripping off my seat belt, I grabbed my bottle of rum and ran for the front door. Throwing my shoes to the corner I ran downstairs where the others were gathered. The look on my Italian friend’s face said it all.

But, how? The game was five minutes old, how could Italy be losing? I sat down to see the replay of Zinidine Zidane’s casual penalty goal, that was awarded after Florent Malouda’s blatant dive.

My heart sank.

The other non-Italian supporters in the room couldn’t have been happier. Of course, none of them were French, but that didn’t matter. Italy’s soccer team is what the Yankees are to baseball, either you love them or hate them.

So in total, there were two Italian supporters in a room of ten. Although we are all friends, on that afternoon we were deeply divided. Watching the game in enemy territory made the fear of losing even worse. The constant barrage of jeers we faced only made me more hungry to watch Italy win it all. Settling in to my chair, I realized the only way to deal with these pack of wolves was to ignore them and talk the high road.

I cracked open my bottle of Bacardi and poured a drink for the Azzurri supporters. Settling in to my chair the nerves began to set in.

Those same nerves began to subside as Italy went fiercely onto the attack. Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso began to set the tone for the Italians. The pressure had soon resulted in a corner kick at the 18 minute mark of the first half.

Pirlo, possibly the team’s best player all tournament (and dead ball specialist) walked over to take the corner kick. Placing the ball on his mark and taking a glance at the field he had to work with, the Italian took aim.

At first, the ball reached its apex and from my view it appeared as if the cross was too strong. Passing over nearly everyone, the ball found the head of central defender Marco Matterazzi—and then the back of the net.

Italy 1 France 1.

Leaping to our feet my friend and I celebrated and embraced each other in this moment of ecstasy. Flailing around like two children, we screamed and yelled in support of our team.

Taking the high road? Well, we may have wondered off that path a bit.

Trash talking our way through the next several minutes made everything seem okay again. We were back on level footing. The game had finally begun.

With this newly found momentum, the Italians really began putting pressure on the French. Moments after Matterazzi’s goal, Pirlo again had a chance to etch his name in to World Cup history.

Almost an exact replica of his initial corner, Pirlo sent the ball gracefully through the German air. Striker Luca Toni fought his way through a maze of French defenders and jumped.

Meeting head to ball, the Italian sent a dangerous shot towards the net. Almost in slow motion the ball struck the bar and went out of play. In unison, every France supporter worldwide breathed a sigh of relief.

Half-time.

Outside to breathe a little fresh air. The day had grown into night and the warm summer air turned to a calming cool breeze. After micro-analyzing every play, it was back to the grind.

France came out hungry to start the second. Thierry Henry burst into life after a slow first 45. With two lethal scoring chances missed, the Italians were back on their heels, and I was back on the edge of my seat.

As the bottle of rum began to disappear, the intensity of the taunting increased. Some may ask, why? It’s just a game right?

Wrong.

This is NOT just a game. It's a matter of national pride, each team with their own hopes of world domination. To the victor, glory and bragging rights over the next four years. The loser joins the other 31 teams in the world of mediocrity. But that wasn’t about to happen, I could feel it.

As the second half played on the game began to open up. Italy went away from their normal defensive style game and showed some offensive flare.

Luca Toni had sneaked away from his defender and headed a ball into the net on a feathered pass from, who else? Andrea Pirlo. With mere minutes left in the game Italian gold was a certainty.

But wait. Not so fast.

The whistle had blown and the sideline ref had his flag raised to the air, offside.

The pain was too much to bare.

“Italy is going to lose,” I thought to myself. “That was our chance and that f*#&ing referee blew the call!”

Coming back down to earth we were, again, subject to a chorus of France cheers. Now things really began to get heated. With the bottle of rum polished off the verbal onslaught was peaking like never before. The house cat that once sat amongst us had scurried to safety, sensing the hostility in the air.

After settling down, it was once again game-on. With extra time dauntingly close it was becoming clear we were headed there.

Extra time began and France had started to dominate play.

Malouda was kept out by a last-ditch Fabio Cannavaro tackle, before Franck Ribery poked a shot agonisingly wide and Buffon tipped Zidane's header over the bar.

It was Zidane's last meaningful contribution for the French. With ten minutes left of extra-time, his professional career ended in shameful circumstances as his notorious head butt on Marco Matterazzi earned him a red card.

A smile across my face.

30 minutes of extra time in the books, penalty kicks were upon us.

Now for all true sports fans out there you know, losing in sudden death, whatever the game, hurts. I’d rather lose in regulation where a countdown to your demise is, at least, less of a shock. As a Leafs fan, I have endured the feeling many times.

It stings, it aches, it hurts.

As the coaches chose their shootout line-ups, my “brother in arms” and I nervously paced around the room. The others present looked stress free as can be. They aren’t French, they didn’t care if France won, as long as Italy lost.

The tension in the room was at its climax. Wrapped in an Italian flag we stood, grabbing on to each other in hopes that somehow, it would actually make a difference.

The next ten minutes or so are a bit of a blur. I remember clearly, however, Italy’s fifth and final shooter,—Fabio Grosso.

With the shootout score 4-3 for the Italians, Grosso had the chance to end it all and give Italy a fourth World Cup.

From the moment he came on camera to the moment he scored felt like it happened in slow motion.

Standing nervously in a basement, halfway around the world, I watched.

What was going through his mind in those moments? World stage, chance to be the hero, national pride on the line.

He spotted the ball on his mark and took a few steps back. Waiting for the referee to blow the whistle felt like an eternity, but finally it came...

One look to the ref, one to the keeper, head down and go. Stepping in to his shot with fierceness and accuracy, Grosso beat Barthez and the party began.

Yelling and screaming happens on so many different levels. When you’re mad at your dog you yell at it to go away, when you’re in a fight with someone you sometimes scream.

When your sports team does something great, you scream like nothing else. At that singular moment in time you are in a different place. The daily struggles of life, sickness, pain, all cease to exist.

That moment is beautiful.

Still wrapped in the Italian flag, my friend and I took to the streets in celebration. Running to the train station, each holding one end of the flag, we continued to yell and wave at every passing car and pedestrian.

The night was capped accordingly by a trip to Little Italy, downtown TO. 500,000 plus Italian supporters crammed in the streets as far as the eye can see. A party like no other, bedlam in Toronto.

Thinking back to the final moments of the game still gives me goose bumps. The pride and happiness felt at that moment is indescribable. While on memory lane I recall only a handful of moments that remain so vivid and unforgettable. At the end of it all, what’s life without these memories that make us who we are, that take us back to that point in time?

We all have them, whether in sports or otherwise. I can only hope to again experience a moment like this, and take from it a memory that will continue to give me goose bumps in to my final years. Until then I will remain a fanatic of sports and continue to re-live the memories.

After all, the memories are what I truly love about sports.

Curtis Joseph Showing Signs of Age

Jay Lexton — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 04:44:10 -0500

Ah, Curtis Joseph. A name that once stood beside Toronto greats Vince Carter, Joe Carter (no relation), and, of course, Mats Sundin.

However, that time has come and gone. Things have changed, and so has the play of our once-worshipped net minder.

Any true Leafs fan can recall the days when Cujo would come to the rink and perform his nightly magic show in front of a sellout crowd at the ACC. Although nostalgic memories make great bed time stories, the fact remains, Joseph is past his respectable playing days.

Granted, the Leafs merely needed someone to play 15-20 games to give Vesa Toskala a breather, but is Joseph good enough to fill that role?

In four games this season, Joseph has posted a 3.91 GAA with a save percentage of .862. The worst part about those stats is that in those games he was never really hung out to dry; he's been letting in softies.

In Sunday afternoon's game against Carolina, for instance, the Leafs dominated most of the first before a few questionable goals evened things up. Joseph was consistently slow to return to his feet after going into the butterfly, which resulted in a few goals tucked away in the top shelf.

You can make the argument that Joseph stood on his head for both the Flames and Canada (Spengler Cup) last season and that he earned his right to play another year, but those numbers just haven't translated so far.

Even in the preseason, Joseph played poorly and once had to be pulled in favor of young Justin Pogge, who went on to stop 13 of 14 in that game.

Now before you get upset and leave a comment blasting me for this article, realize that I love Cujo. He was a hero of mine and what he did for the Leafs in the playoffs—beating the Sens practically on his own, carrying his team to two Conference finals—will never be forgotten. However, as much as my love runs deep for Joseph, it runs deeper for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Leafs are not a team that will score in bunches (despite Saturday's comeback against the Rangers). This is a squad that will sometimes rely on their goalie making a game-saving stop to keep them alive.

For example, in the Leafs 5-2 win against the Rangers, Toskala made a couple of big saves to keep the Rangers from going up 3-0. If one of those shots finds the net, I don't see the Leafs rallying back to earn two points; two points that could be crucial for a team poised to compete for a playoff spot.

So, what does the future have in store for the Keswick, Ontario native? Barring injury to Toskala, Cujo will see between 10-20 more starts and that, I believe, is the last we will ever see from Curtis Joseph in the NHL.

The Leafs hold the benefit of having a capable starter in Toskala with a possible All-Star calibre prospect waiting in the wings. Toskala will play one more season ('09-'10) at most before he's dealt, and then the Justin Pogge era begins.

As the Leafs continue to add pieces to the puzzle, it is a sad fact that Cujo will be expendable at the end of the year. Who knows, maybe the aging tender will be offered a front office position like that of former Leafs Joe Nieuwendyk and Doug Gilmour.

One thing is for sure, come next October there will be a different body sitting at the end of the bench on a foldable chair.

Enjoy the final games of Cujo, Leafs fans. He is loved, and will be missed.

The Finger Is Pointed At Lord Stanley

Jay Lexton — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 07:46:45 -0400

$14 million over four years.

That's what it cost the Leafs to ink the 28-year-old defenseman coming into his third NHL campaign. Monster expectations for a relatively unknown to meet, especially in the media madhouse of Toronto.

Here it is, straight up.

Jeff Finger will never score more than 40 points in a year. That is nothing new to the Maple Leafs' Head Office. His job is to strengthen the defense, and what an addition he will be.

The Leafs have been criticized in the past for irrational spending on aging stars, poor drafting, and bad trades that saw young talent leave town (Brad Boyes, need I say more?). However, it looks as if Toronto has finally solved some management problems and appear to be on the right track.

Finger brings a defensive presence to the Leafs that is long overdue in the town. He's not going to wow you with his speed or score 100 points, but he will most often be in proper position to make a play and do the little things right. By little things, I mean making the chip off the glass to clear the zone, bumping forwards off the puck, and, of course, blocking shots.

Having Jeff on the blue line means a big cut down on goals against for a team that finished 27th in that category last year.

If Finger can stay healthy he should lead the Leafs in plus/minus and be among the team leaders in average time on ice, hits, and blocked shots. With coach Wilson's admiration of solid defensemen, Finger will easily log close to 20 minutes a night and play in most key situations.

With Finger in place, Toronto now has a shutdown defense on the back end that will play a lot of minutes against opposing teams top lines. This was a major asset they were without for the '07-'08 season.

Gone are the faces of Andy Wozniewski, Hal "Who's your pal" Gill, and Ian White (Soon enough). On to the stage walks a new crop of young defensemen, ready to change the mantra of this team and play D first.

Finger will act as both a player and as a coach to young Luke Schenn. Wilson used the two in the final moments of last Saturday's game; the first regular season game for Finger in months.

So, is Finger worth $3.5 million a year? That question remains to be answered. However, posting a plus-22 rating in 97 career games is a good stat to build on. Look for Finger to increase his +/- rating and play a key role on a club that will contend for the playoffs this year and Lord Stanley down the road.