Dave Lozo's Bag Skate: Does NHL Need to Address Dirty Hits More?

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Patrik Elias was standing in front of his podium, off the stage, during NHL All-Star media day Friday at Nationwide Arena. There were only three or four reporters conversing with the longtime New Jersey Devil, each with his own agenda, in a relaxed setting away from all the television cameras.

It's not an absolute truth in hockey, but usually the older the player, the more honest, unfiltered answers you get. At 38 years old and with two Stanley Cups and 1,003 points, Elias can speak his mind on just about anything. He'll give you stock answers when needed but not always.

The NHL hasn't had the same rash of injurious and malicious hits this season as it's had in the past, which speaks to a lot of things but mainly to the fact there aren't as many vicious lunatics using their eight minutes of ice time seeking prey. That changed a bit in the days leading to the All-Star break when Chicago's Dan Carcillo and Philadelphia's Zac Rinaldo were suspended six and eight games, respectively, for their awful hits on Winnipeg's Mathieu Perreault and Pittsburgh's Kris Letang.

It was the ninth suspension in nine seasons for Carcillo and third in four seasons for Rinaldo, who told NJ.com afterward that his hit changed the game, helped the Flyers win and perhaps saved their season. There wasn't a whole lot of remorse there.

Elias was the elder statesman at All-Star weekend, and he had a lot to say about those dirty hits that usually take out skilled players like himself.

"It always seems it's the same guys," Elias said.

Incidents like the ones with Carcillo and Rinaldo always put the NHLPA in a tough spot, because it has to look out for the interests of all players. However, if it's always the same guys, can something else be done besides suspensions and fines? Can something be done to get players of this nature out of the game for good?

"You're taking the livelihood from the boys, and obviously the guys want to stick together," Elias said. "At the same time, you want to protect the best product, right? We know health is the most important thing for any person and for us athletes a little more because it's our livelihood, it's our work."

What about the notion that those hits can change the momentum of a game or a playoff series, despite their horrendous nature? Is Rinaldo right? If it helps win a game, is it worth it? Does winning mean that much to players?

"I don't think so. I don't want a guy like that on my team," Elias said. "I know that's part of our game. But I don't think you need that type of player in hockey. When is enough, right? What do you have to do? Is it a career-ending injury? What does it take? Blow out a knee? Three to six months with a shoulder?

"The hitting and the cross checking, if you look 15 years back, there was way more. I'm shocked I wasn't hurt every other game. But the game got so much quicker; the impacts are so much harder. The guys are more in shape. Those hits, they can be career-ending.

"We have Mark Fraser our last few games. We had some slow starts to the game, so he goes out there and fights. He doesn't go and run someone. And that changed our momentum a little bit. I'm OK with that but not with a hit that can take a player out."

The Flyers in September gave Rinaldo a one-year contract extension through 2015-16.

Quote of the Week: Jon Cooper vs. Darryl Sutter

Lightning coach Jon Cooper and Kings coach Darryl Sutter are the two most quotable coaches in the NHL. Each week, we will let you decide who had the best quote.

Mike Richards cleared waivers Tuesday, allowing the Kings to stash him in the AHL and save around $900,000 in salary-cap space. Sutter was asked about that Tuesday morning and had some biting words for those criticizing Richards, via LA Kings Insider.

"

This is hockey, and some of you guys don’t get it, period. Lots of players go on waivers and lots of players clear waivers, and lots of players still have great years in front of them. It’s just that there are people in the media who continue to want to beat people up because they can’t do it themselves. It’s frustrating. I think Mike’s still got lots of hockey left.

"

That's true, but it's most likely to be hockey in Manchester, New Hampshire, in the near future. Richards had five goals and 10 assists in 47 games this season and will turn 30 next month. He has five years and a $5.75 million cap hit remaining on his contract, per Spotrac.

Meanwhile in Tampa, Jonathan Drouin hasn't exactly had the best season. Many expected he'd win the Calder Trophy, but all he has to show for this season are two goals, a handful of healthy scratches and a fastest skater title at the NHL All-Star skills competition.

Cooper says he's not worried at all about the third pick in the 2013 draft. From TBO.com:

"

This isn’t a one-year investment. It’s long term with (Jonathan). It’s a different game than what he came from in junior. But he’s gotten better and better and better. It’s clear when you watch the games now. There’s more command of the puck. He doesn’t rush plays anymore. He knows he has a little more time.

"

How Cooper uses Drouin in the second half, with the Lightning having a team that can reach the Stanley Cup final, will be interesting. 

KHL Thing of the Week

There is some quality hockey that is played overseas that we rarely hear about in North America. This section will highlight that or something else from our friends playing hockey in the KHL.

The KHL held its All-Star Game over the weekend and during their skills competition, oh my God, what was that?

That's Nikita Gusev. Those are also thundersticks. And I'm guessing some sort of Russian dance song. I'm old, so it could be Katy Perry.

Either way, the KHL seems like fun.

Who Is Connor McDavid-ing This Week?

The tank battle for Connor McDavid will be quite the scene this season as teams stumble over each other to finish last in the standings, thus guaranteeing either McDavid or future American hero Jack Eichel.

30. Buffalo Sabres (14-30-3, 31 pts): Instead of snark and passive-aggressiveness (and really, I'm out of Sabres jokes), I will allow this tweet to speak to how bad the Sabres have been this season.

29. Edmonton Oilers (12-26-9, 33 pts): The Oilers won two straight heading into the break because they can't do anything right, which includes doing everything right when they should be doing everything wrong. With a potential loser-takes-nothing showdown with the Sabres on Thursday, the Oilers must remember how to lose in a hurry.

28. Arizona Coyotes (16-25-5, 37 pts): The Coyotes have an identical record and regulation/OT win total as Carolina, but the Hurricanes won their one matchup this season. With six straight losses and the trade of goaltender Devan Dubnyk, the Coyotes have let their presence be known in the McDavid sweepstakes.

Their tanking will be put to the test with three winnable games against Philadelphia, Ottawa and Toronto this week.

Goal of the Week

As if there were any other options. 

Questions and Answers

Got a question? Tweet me @davelozo or email me at [e-mail], but please don't call before 9 a.m. I will answer any of your questions about hockey or whatever if it's a good question.

The All-Star Game ended Sunday night. I was supposed to fly home from Columbus the following morning. Three rebookings and three cancellations later because of snowpocageddongasm in New York, I am stuck here until Wednesday evening. Much like Rick Nash, I did everything I could to get out of Columbus, but it's taking longer than I'd like.

On the bright side, I get to watch Capitals-Blue Jackets tonight, so that's something.

If I were going to be stranded in one city, it'd be Chicago. Runner-up is Tampa, Florida, only because five days of Ohio winter weather has me longing for warmth and sunshine like never before. 

If you're thinking the answer is Las Vegas—that after three-plus days there, you'd want two more at the back end—then you've never been to Vegas.

Zero. I'd either be trapped in my apartment because of the storm, or I'd have to get my sled dogs and mush my way to Long Island for Rangers-Islanders tonight. Instead, a nice woman is going to make my bed and bring me fresh towels for the fifth day in a row, and I will walk six blocks to Nationwide Arena to watch hockey.

Unless you were inviting me to a blizzard party in New York, Columbus is better.

I am as 1990s a guy as you're ever going to meet, but I can't muster a pellet of caring about whether Blink-182 ever puts out another album or if someone in the band was sabotaging the group's work. And I like them. They've got some catchy songs that are funny, too. But man, woof, who cares?

Kyle Okposo, on the other hand, is a semi-big deal.

The Islanders are 13 points clear of ninth-place Florida, so a lot would have to go wrong in the second half for them to miss the playoffs. The loss of Okposo isn't a global extinction event like, say, losing Jaroslav Halak would be, but in the ultracompetitive Metropolitan, it's a significant loss.

Six points separate the first-place Islanders and fourth-place Capitals. Having that gap closed would be the real issue, as home-ice advantage against a wild-card team instead of being that wild-card team matters greatly, and that's where Okposo's loss could be a problem. The Islanders aren't exactly loaded with playoff experience, so a cushy first-round matchup is more important for them than the Penguins or Rangers.

Okposo has played well all season at five-on-five and was heating up of late with six goals in his past five games. 

Yes, but at the same time, it was unfair for the wealthy friends to simply assume the poorer friends could afford those types of tickets without talking to them first. That episode could have been really good, as that's a real situation for friends in their 20s after college, but for whatever reason, they chose to handle it in a sit-com-ish fashion. Go figure.

And Hootie was quality. I'd care way more about Hootie bandmate tension today than anything with Blink.  

In history? No. Today? Still, no.

First of all, the flaw in this question is Dottie did not intentionally drop the ball. She stuck it to her sister at every turn so there was no way Kit was getting a free pass at the biggest moment of the season.

But if she had dropped the ball on purpose, she'd be a bad sister and bad teammate. Well, she was already a bad teammate for bailing once President Bill Pullman returned from war. By never going easy on Kit, Dottie made her sister a better player and person.

Dottie Hinson: great sister, bad teammate.

My first instinct is to say pizza, because I'm a human garbage can. But after some thought, I'm going to say bagels. They have more flexibility than pizza. I'm not sure if I'm allowed butter/jelly/cream cheese or if I have to dry-eat it, but either way, bagels. 

An inflatable pool. I'd fill it with rum, sit cross-legged in front of it, fashion a lifting device that would allow my arms to reach under the pool, lift the pool, fold the pool and allow the rum to pour directly into my mouth and face.

I'm sorry that answer took seven days. It was too important to not think about for a week.

All statistics via NHL.com and Stats.HockeyAnalysis.com.

Dave Lozo covers the NHL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter: @DaveLozo.