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Traverse City GDT: Dallas Stars Prospects Take On Columbus Blue Jackets in Championship

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Join us as we stalk a live scoreboard and Twitter to "watch" the Stars prospects go for the title in Traverse City.

With mere days left until the big club hits the ice to officially start preparations for the 2014-15 season, the Dallas Stars prospects will try to cap off a great run at the Traverse City Prospects Tournament today in the championship game.

The baby Stars will take on the baby Columbus Blue Jackets at 6 p.m. central time. Both teams went undefeated in their round-robin play, Dallas picking up a 4-3 overtime win over the Rangers, a 4-2 win over the Hurricanes and a 7-3 thumping of the Sabres. The Jackets have plenty of offense as well, averaging six goals per game.

Both teams are missing dangerous offensive weapons, with Dallas' Brett Ritchie out with a broken finger and the Jackets' Sonny Milano out with the extremely painful sounding facial fractures.

There's no audio stream, let alone video, for this as far as we here at DBD can tell, but the tournament scoreboard will have continuous updates for the game, and you can the great Mark Stepneski on Twitter for live updates from Traverse City as well.

Consider it practice for the Stars preseason games, where we all wait with baited breath while Twitter and NHL.com refresh.

For those interested, here are the eligibility rules for the tournament:

A fun little tidbit: According to how both Stepneski and I read these rules, Valeri Nichushkin likely would have been eligible this season (he was born in 1995 and obviously only has the one year of experience in the NHL, AHL or ECHL - the 18 games of KHL experience are what throw a slight question mark out there). Just puts into perspective how young that kid still is.


Wednesday's Dump and Chase: Time Is Almost Up, RFAs

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Training camp begins in a few days. Now is the time for all the upset general managers and/or agents to parade out their PR pressure campaigns and hope their RFA signs immediately. You know, because that always works. Ryan Johansen is one such player. The Preds have one of their own still unsigned. There hasn't been any public whining (yet?) but Ryan Ellis and the Predators are not close to making a deal.

Nashville Predators News

Negotiations between Predators, RFA Ellis 'not going well at all' | theScore
Ruh roh.

Clune, Neal Surprise Season Ticket Holder | Nashville Predators
The Preds forgot to give the tickets to UPS.

Battle for Admirals backup goaltender a prime storyline in camp | The Predatorial
A battle for the ages!

76 Predators games to air on TV | The Tennessean
One more than 75 but not quite 77.

It’s all over so here’s your All-Rookie Tournament Team | Section 303
Names chosen by people.

Summer Recap: Colin Wilson | Nashville Predators
He watched a lot of Gossip Girl.

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

Inside the negotiations between Ryan Johansen and Columbus | ESPN
Craig Custance examines the negotiations between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Ryan Johansen, including the impact on other teams.

Davidson: "It's Extortion" | The Columbus Dispatch
Interesting turn in the Johansen saga...

Danny DeKeyser signs 2-year deal with Red Wings | CBC
The secret is to tell the media you are anxious.

Yost: Examining today's NHL trend towards '5-on-5' players | TSN
Travis Yost's first article with TSN where he will cover analytics with a few others.

The Winnipeg Jets aren't sure how to use their most valuable tool | theScore
All arguments for and against Byfuglien playing forward and defense. With pictures!

Kyle Okposo's huge career year likely wasn't a fluke | SBNation.com
I'm a believer.

How Bad Is It When a Team Doesn't Have a Captain? | Bleacher Report
Not having a captain is the new having a captain.

Hockey phenom Connor McDavid wants to be No. 1 at NHL draft | Toronto Sun
So do I!

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The Mutual Benefits of Bridge Contracts

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The idea of a bridge contract as a mutually beneficial tool that both team and player can utilize to allow for a larger sample size and more negotiating tools before signing a long term contract for big money.

As has been well documented in FlightZone everyday, things are heated between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Ryan Johansen. To be more accurate, things are heated between Johansen's agent, Kurt Overhardt, and the Columbus Blue Jackets. The heart of the issue is the bridge contract and what defines a fair deal for a young player. To make matters more interesting, Columbus president John Davidson believes that RFAs without arbitration rights should bend to the teams demands, no questions asked.

The above quote is interesting because a RFA is a restricted (the team receives compensation if the player joins another team) free agent. The key is FREE AGENT. Unlike other RFAs (namely Torey Krug and Reilly Smith of the Boston Bruins), Ryan Johansen has rights to sign an offer-sheet. Now back to the heart of the issue; is a bridge contract the prudent choice for both player and team.

One other caveat is that John Davidson has the right to believe that a RFA with no arbitration rights should bend to the will of his team, while Ryan Johansen has the right to try to be paid as much as his agent can negotiate on any type of contract.

Bridge Contracts:

Overview:

Ideally, a bridge contract is a method of evaluation that a club can use to judge both the performance and the personality of a player before committing both money and term to that player. When used correctly, both team and player can benefit in the long run because the club will have had more time to become familiar with the player and the player will have been able to better establish themselves in the league and therefore be able to ask for more money.

A good example of a team using bridge contracts to mutual benefit is the Montreal Canadiens and just about every player that they have drafted and have remained with the team. From Tomas Plekanec to PK Subban, the Montreal Canadiens have used the concept of bridge contracts on six current players (with a good chance they will sign four more to them this offseason), the Habs have turned the bridge contract into a right of passage for young players and it seems to be the expectation that players sign a bridge contract and that they will be properly compensated for their performance after a larger sample size has been created. Nowadays, this behaviour can help max out how long a player will play for a team because of the max contract length. Instead of going with a 3 year entry level contract to an 8 year big money deal, the Habs are able to add in another 2 years of service, taking the total from 11 years to 13 years, including a players prime.

The Winnipeg Jets had the opportunity to exercise the expanded sample size when it came to the maligned Zach Bogosian last summer. Prior to this year, Bogosian had played 5 years in the NHL to varying degrees of success (I was looking at war-on-ice for some context) and he had exactly one year of positive relative corsi and that was the year he received his current contract. With 4 previous seasons of bad to middling possession stats, it would have made sense to still not be fully committal to Bogosian and to let him bet on himself and sign him to a contract spanning a single season. If he showed that he had actually taken a step forward, and that his stronger numbers was not the an aberration. Sadly for the Jets, it was just that and now they are stuck with Bogosian making over $5 million/year for 6 more years because of a simple mistake with sample size and betting on a player taking a step forward when it appears as though that player did not take that step forward.

Player Perspective:

Ryan Johansen is 21 years old. He had a break-out year which may have a lot to do with his even-strength shooting percentage. It is well within his right to try to max out his earnings from his breakout year, especially because his career could end tomorrow from an injury. For a player to accept a bridge deal they are betting on themselves to not only continue improving, but to also remain healthy.This is a major gamble. In most cases, it pays off if the player is talented enough or if the player is a high first round pick. It is a gamble though and some players would rather take a long term contract that is below market value for an extended period of time, rather than risk the bridge deal leading to a large payday. Think a player like John Tavares, whose contract is one of the best in the game.

By signing a bridge contract, the player can also gain arbitration rights; another negotiating tool which, when used correctly, can help lead to a long term contract (again, reference Subban and the Habs). This is important because, as noted by John Davidson, players coming out of their entry level contracts (ELCs) hold no leverage. Leverage can be gained by caving; signing the bridge contract and then effectively holding all the cards in the next negotiation if the player continues to develop as it is assumed they will.

Team Perspective:

As I already mentioned, a bridge deal can provide a larger sample size on a player and allow them to become that much more comfortable with handing them over large amounts of money. As Andrew Berkshire pointed out last year, the Montreal Canadiens benefited in the short and long term in signing PK Subban to a bridge deal. Over the course of Subban's two year bridge contract the Montreal Canadiens were able to keep their veteran core together and then, when they were ready, they signed him to a long term, massive money contract. The two year bridge not only allowed GM Marc Bergevin to keep his team intact and add Thomas Vanek at the trade deadline, it also gave him extra time to evaluate Subban both on and off the ice. There has to be a high level of comfort between team and player before agreeing to this type of big money contract, unless one wants to be like Paul Holmgren and trade guys as their contracts kick in.

Summary:

The bridge contract is a key tool in both team and player arsenal. It allows the team to gain two extra years of service from a player, while in the player gains years of service and arbitration rights. If the relationship between the two parties change at any point during the bridge contract, that contract becomes a highly trade-able and desire-able contract because it usually has a low cap hit, the player will be a RFA at the end of the contract, and the worst case scenario is an arbitration hearing at the end of the contract.

Bridge contracts are talked about as a dirty tactic used by teams to underpay young stars, but bridge contracts can be a mutually beneficial tool that allows the player to gain more arsenal for negotiations in the form of arbitration rights and for the team to gain more intel, both on and off the ice, on said player. Before you give a player both term and money, you want to be comfortable with that player inside and out. Teams are signing players to huge amounts of money, and they should want to ensure that the money is going to the type of player that they want to represent their team for a long time.

As for utilizing the bridge contract to its full capacity, I don't think there is any team more consistent at using them or a team that benefits more from them than the Montreal Canadiens. Over the span of three (3) GMs, the Habs have signed almost every young player to a bridge contract and have retained and rewarded the ones who deserve such treatment.

Jackets Prospects Clean Up in Traverse City

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It took overtime, but the Blue Jackets won the Traverse City Prospects Tournament for the third time in franchise history.

The prospects for the Columbus Blue Jacketsdefeated the Dallas Stars prospects team last night in Traverse City to win the NHL Prospects Tournament.  Josh Anderson re-directed an Austin Madaisky shot from the point for his third game-winning goal of the tournament.  It came late in the 3-on-3 part of overtime.

The team outscored its four opponents by a combined score of 21-11.  Anderson had four goals in the tournament while Kerby Rychel notched three goals and three assists, matching the stat line of Marko DanoOliver Bjorkstrand added four goals and two assists and T.J. Tynan tallied five assists to go along with his goal scored.  Alexander Wennberg battled a cold for much of the tournament, but finished +4 with a goal and an assist.

It would appear that all three 2013 first-round picks (Wennberg, Rychel, and Dano) along with Anderson have the best chances to compete for a roster spot in Columbus.  With the Johansen situation currently unclear, it is possible a center position might be open in camp and the preseason.  But if any of the prospects do make the team, it will be because they earned it and not simply because they were high draft picks.  There is a lot of depth in the organization so these guys will have to outperform some other players to grab a spot in the lineup.

It should also be noted that Oscar Dansk bounced back very well in goal after a shaky performance in Traverse City last year.  He finished with a 2-0 record, a .925 save percentage, and a 2.40 GAA.

Here are the numbers: Blue Jackets offering Ryan Johansen some options

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Developing...

According to John Davidson as relayed through our very own Dan P., the Blue Jackets have extended three offers to breakout center Ryan Johansen: 2 years, $6 million; 6 years, $32 million; and 8 years, $46 million.

As of yet, these numbers still aren't good enough for the player, who is said to be seeking a yearly payment to the tune of $6.5 million or more.

More to come...

[Update from Dan]

I'm back from the Media Lunch, and just so that you could have some context, here's Davidson's full answer to a question about his "extortion" comments in which he uses the phrase "Enough is enough" more than once. In addition, he quotes these offers and also notes some player comparisons that the team is using. I wanted everyone to have the full context of the offers and the "enough is enough" quote you've probably seen/heard.

Click here for audio

All Injuries Are Healed.... Sorta

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Nathan Horton may still not be 100%.

As the Blue Jackets Media Lunch kicked off, it was pretty clear that Ryan Johansen and his contract would be the big talking point. Lost in some of that shuffle is that the team did have some guys with some significant injuries at the end of the season that required surgery and/or rehab of some kind.

GM Jarmo Kekalainen pronounced the club completely healed from all of those injuries... with one slight caveat, of course.

"All the injuries that we had last year with players that needed surgery or rehab have been successful, and they're up to 100% health," Kekalainen said. "Nathan Horton with his shoulder is to 100%, and with the abdominal surgery he's to 100%. But, he's had a little bit of a lingering back issue over the summer, and he's rehabbing that and strengthening his core. He probably will not be able to take part in full action at the start of training camp."

Talk about burying the lede, there.

Horton's health was definitely my biggest concern when the free agent contract was signed last summer, and given the way his season played out last year this revelation is certainly not a good one. Time will tell just how limited Horton will be, but considering he missed camp and the first half of the season last year, missing time to start again certainly won't help.

Gratification - Traverse City Tournament Win Shows a Bright Future for the Blue Jackets

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The front office is understandably pleased by these developments.

It's obviously a small sample size, but the Traverse City eight-team prospects tournament can be a nice barometer for how a team's organizational depth stacks up against some other clubs. The Blue Jackets went into the tournament with a bevy of talent, including four first round picks from the last two drafts, and were determined to have a good showing.

And, despite losing one of those first rounders in the first game (Sonny Milano to a face injury), the Columbus kids were able to come together and win the tournament, going 4-0-0 along the way. Eric highlighted some of the individual performances this morning, and to say that the team brass was anything less than very happy about the outcome would be selling it short.

"To see a lot of our very good young players go there and play as well as they did against the other teams' best young players was very gratifying to see," said team president John Davidson. "To me, it gives you a strong sense of gratification that we've got something going on here. Not only the club's players that are here now, but the youngsters that are going to push for jobs and eventually become Columbus Blue Jackets."

"I've been to that tournament since 2002, though I skipped a couple of years while I was in Finland," said GM Jarmo Kekalainen. "This is as proud as I've ever been of a group of prospects, with the way they played as a team as well as on an individual level. They all performed to the high expectations that we had, and beyond."

"That's a great start to a new hockey season in my books."

Clearly, the near-term future of the Jackets franchise was on display, not just with the first round picks but also with guys like Josh Anderson and Oliver Bjorkstrand as well. Given some of the spots that may be up for grabs as training camp opens this week, for the gang of kids to have come together and played as well as they did is certainly a positive for the team as the new season dawns.

"It's remarkable what you can achieve in a good off-season," said Kekalainen speaking about the players themselves. "There are a lot of guys on our team that really put in the effort and the time to improve. As we improve as individuals, we're going to improve as a team."

For his part, Kekalainen thought that the line of Marko Dano, Alexander Wennberg, and Oliver Bjorkstrand was the best line in the tournament, and you'd be hard pressed to find any legitimate arguments to the contrary. But, he was quick to point out that everyone played well, down to the very youngest guys on the roster.

While obviously it would have been great to see Sonny Milano play in all four games, that the Jackets came through that adversity and still performed at such a high level is a great sign of what's to come in the next few years.

The Burden of High Expectations

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From worst in the league, to knocking on the door, to making the playoffs in just two seasons, the Jackets now have the attention of the rest of the league. They also, however, have the high expectations that come with it.

When Rick Nash was traded to New York, the Blue Jackets had few positive expectations for their future. They had a new president of hockey operations, a lame-duck general manager, and had just finished 30th in the league while having to trade away their franchise cornerstone. The players were locked out. In a franchise history rampant with low points, this was the absolute nadir.

Fast forward two years.

The Jackets are coming off of just their second ever trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and notched their first ever playoff game wins along the way. They set franchise records for wins, points, and goals scored, and put a scare into the division champion Penguins over a tough six game series. They were the youngest team in the league, to boot.

That turn-around has been nothing short of astonishing. I'll be the first to admit that, had you told me in September of 2012 that we'd be right here, right now, I'd have never believed it.

Well, the Jackets made believers out of a lot of the hockey world this past spring. But, with great attention comes great expectations.

Many prognosticators look at the Metro Division and see a wide open field of teams. The Jackets didn't suffer any major personnel losses this summer--Ryan Johansen contract situation notwithstanding--and so most looked to the Jackets for another step forward.

"I think the high expectations from the outside mean that we're getting some respect," said GM Jarmo Kekalainen. "The main thing is that we know what's expected of us, of our team. Both on an individual level, and as a team. It's not about just one season. It's not about making it into the playoffs or winning a couple of playoff games. It's every day what's expected of being a Blue Jacket. That's what we're trying to establish."

But, for a club notorious for its slow starts in each of the past two seasons--slow starts that definitely affected where they finished in both years--expectations can be a dangerous thing. In response to a question about expectations against a prediction of a second-place finish in the Metro, team president John Davidson wasn't interested in that.

"Where you're picked [to finish] is up to other people," Davidson said on Wednesday. "There's been an identity established by the Blue Jackets that we're a hard team to play against. We're still young, and that's a good thing. I thought our young people handled it very well."

"It's up to us to have a better start to the season to give us a chance to end up in a place like [second in the division]."

No kidding.

It has to start in camp this week, and head coach Todd Richards hopes that the team is ready to do so.

"What we want is to try to get up to game speed right away," Richards said. "It starts in practice: how you practice, the intensity, the physicality. As coaches, we try to stress: 'play it like games' in practice. You want the players to get better individually, and when a guy does that it makes the whole team better. It starts in practice."

"I think the one thing that will make us faster and better this year is the depth of this group," Richards continued. "What you're starting to see is the benefit from poor seasons three years ago, because these draft picks are starting to come through. I saw a lot of talent up in Traverse City."

Obviously, if Johansen is holding out and Nathan Hortonisn't 100% at the start of camp, that depth is going to get tested.

The truth is that only the Blue Jackets know what they're truly capable of. They have the horses to be a competitive playoff team capable of making a run in the East. But, if they come into camp with the mindset that they've arrived already, they could be in for another slow start which, in turn, will make for a tougher road to get there.

We will see soon enough whether this team is hungry to fulfill the expectations of what much of the hockey world thinks they can achieve.


Contract talks turn ugly between Ryan Johansen, Blue Jackets

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The Blue Jackets have laid their cards on the table and Ryan Johansen has to decide whether to call their bluff.

The contract negotiations between the Columbus Blue Jackets and restricted free agent Ryan Johansen have taken an ugly turn -- one that makes the situation look more like a high-stakes game of poker in the Old West.

We've talked already this week about how it was time for the Blue Jackets to start seeing things Johansen's way. Initially, Columbus offered a "bridge deal" of two years worth $3 million to $3.5 million per season, while Johansen was seeking a long-term deal worth $6 million to $6.5 million per year.

That gap has created problems for the Blue Jackets. Team president John Davidson told Ken Campbell of The Hockey News that Johansen's demands amounted to "extortion" and that if they "caved in to his demands" they would "all be fired."

At a team press conference on Wednesday, Davidson laid out all the offers they've made to the 22-year-old forward.

Two bad offers, and one that's not great

A two-year, $6 million deal is what Columbus wants most. It's the "bridge deal" they're gunning for and what Johansen and his agent, Kurt Overhardt, have flat out said they don't want to do.

The six-year, $32 million offer is not bad, but still not great. With a $5.3 million cap hit it's more money. The contract would also eat into two years of unrestricted free agency in a time when the salary cap will continue to to balloon upward and having a potential No. 1 center locked in at that amount is great for the team, and not so much for the player.

You can almost throw out the eight-year, $46 million offer right away. If a team is going to buy up four years of unrestricted free agency, they'll have to pay a lot more than $5.75 million a year to do it. Yes, it's the long-term deal Johansen is looking for, but the money doesn't make sense for him to commit to that at all.

"What do you mean, Joe? That's a ton of money! I'd take that offer in a heartbeat!"

Well so would I, hypothetical Internet commenter, but we're not working in that world so just forget all of that.

Johansen's camp fires back

As for Johansen, his agent is doing all the talking for him and he appeared on TSN Radio in Toronto to discuss the contract standoff and Davidson's comments.

Well, sort of.

"With all due respect, I don't think you do respond. I don't think [Davidson's comments] deserves a response," Overhardt said. "It's business. It's private. It's between Ryan Johansen and the Blue Jackets. It's unfortunate, but I was raised to have integrity in what I do by the people that raised me. It's unfortunate they've taken this course, but we're just going to ignore it and work in good faith to get a deal done."

Taking the stiff upper lip/passive-aggressive approach isn't as fun of a way to counter the bombastic statements and intense way Davidson has gone about things, but if there's any common ground here, it's that both sides want a deal done. They just have diametrically opposed viewpoints on what's best.

Making matters worse, Overhardt flew to Columbus to try and get something done only to be rebuffed by the team.

So what happens now?

The ugly road appears to be the one that lies ahead here, but what are the real options?

If Johansen signs an offer sheet from another team, the Blue Jackets have more than $14 million in cap space and would likely match it in a heartbeat.

Trade? Good luck getting fair value for a player of Johansen's talent after souring the fan base on him for asking for too much money. Besides, neither the Jackets nor Johansen are looking to part ways.

This is a high-stakes game now and someone is going to have to push all-in.

The stakes are too high for the Blue Jackets, who can't afford to let a player of Johansen's abilities get away now, or years down the road. Johansen, meanwhile, can't afford to be made out to be a problem child this early in his career. It's time to find the middle ground and fast.

FlightZone: Camp Day!!

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It's a day for bad coffee and other things that you think of when you think of hockey...that and more Ryan Johansen drama.

The seven year playoff itch probably won't be scratched yet.

And can the kids force Chevy to make a move?

Five battles that will most likely happen in Jets camp.

What to look for when the seven Canadian teams open camp today.

Erik Karlsson is a one man breakout machine.

Phil Kesseldidn't like Steve Spott's idea for zone exits and the Leafs may not have their defencemen pinch often.

Justin Braun has been extended by the San Jose Sharks for five years.

Remember the Vancouver Canucks seventh man banner? Well you should!

Can Ryan Johansen and the Columbus Blue Jacketsremain together at the end of their weird negotiations?

I mean, their president is the one saying stuff.

Can someone write a better drama than this negotiation? I challenge you all.

Damien Cox wrote an extremely reasonable take on why the Columbus Blue Jackets refuse to pay Johansen.

Should teams be paying for potential or for performance?

Saku Koivutransformed his game and extended his NHL career because of it. (French)

Ryan Kesler unfiltered is the best Ryan Kesler.

Josh Harding's broken ankle is supposedly due to an off-ice altercation with a teammate.

Jen LC wrote about how shot suppression is the name of the game in hockey.

More nasty contract negotiations; this time featuring Marc Methot!

Someday, the NHL will have ads on jerseys.

Ottawa lost the Senators to St. Louis.

I agree, the NHL should start respecting women and girls.

Quick Strikes for Thursday, September 18

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It's the morning of Lightning training camp! What we have to offer with reads isn't strictly about camp, though. Relocation scuttlebutt, contract issues, and camp story lines... That's some of your Quick Strikes for Thursday.



  • While training camp begins today, assessments and reports from the rookie camp in Tennessee continue to echo. Here's a Lightning assessment from this past weekend. [The Hockey Writers]
  • "Returning a strong, young core and buoyed by some veteran additions, players have expressed excitement as they've trickled in for informal workouts over the past couple of weeks. But they've hit the pause button on planning a parade route in downtown Tampa." [Tampa Bay Times]
  • Is this another tease of the Lightning's new third jersey, or just a promotional image? You be the judge:

  • Our friend Lyle Richardson has a list of 10 major storylines to keep an eye on in and around the league as NHL training camps commence. [Bleacher Report]
  • Ryan Johansen and the Columbus Blue Jackets have been stalled in contract talks, and things have grown sour between the two parties... Sour enough that Ryan has left the team and flown back to Vancouver as of this writing. [Sportsnet]
  • The Florida Panthers are targets of speculation regarding the team's future in South Florida. Team owner Victor Viola posted a letter to the fans regarding all the Internet scuttlebutt about the team. [Litter Box Cats]
  • Josh Harding has it tough enough as he plays with multiple sclerosis. Now it appears the Wild's goalie will be out for an extended period of time as he mends - oh, so slowly - from a foot fracture. [CBS Sports]
  • The revolution will not be televised... It will be analyzed. Here is a feature overview of the analytical embrace by the NHL this summer. [Grantland]

Glen Sather's Long History Of Bridge Deals Sets A Needed Precedent

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Sather's hard stance with RFA negotiations sets a needed precedent for the Rangers.

If you haven't been living under a rock, you know what's going on with the Columbus Blue Jackets and RFA Ryan Johansen. A sticky, ugly negotiation turned public that most recently saw the Blue Jackets open up a wealth of potential contracts to their young star. That John Davidson hit the "nuclear" option by opening up these negotiations to the public should show just how ugly this has gotten for Columbus and their young star.

As of this writing Johansen is not interested in any of them, and since he's driven this far down the "hardball negotiation" road he may as well keep trudging. Or maybe he takes the public negotiations as a shot against his character and throws it back at JD with silence. Either way, it's a bold strategy to go public with negotiations and essentially call out your own player for "extortion."

As fans of the New York Rangers, we're all very familiar with this song and dance. In fact, just last year the Rangers saw their star number one center hold out over being offered a bridge deal in Derek Stepan. That spat resulted in a short holdout -- which turned into a slow start to the season -- but was eventually settled with a two year, $3.075-million deal.

That holdout forced Stepan to miss all the pre-season games last year. The holdout the Blue Jackets have now instituted -- they told Johansen he's not permitted to train with the team until he's signed (rightfully so) -- might end now or last much longer. You simply don't know. And that, right there, is really the only leverage you have as a player coming off your ELC.

If you're important enough that your absence from the team would cause a problem, it's the only hill you have to stand on. And right now Johansen is standing on it, and he's dug himself in pretty deep.

That alone, however, isn't really enough leverage to force a team's hand. Eventually, Johansen has to know that sitting out does more damage to his value than playing, and unless he forces a trade (which Columbus wouldn't even really need to entertain anyway) he's going to be wearing a Blue Jacket or nothing this year.

Here's the deviation from what the Blue Jackets are going through right now and what the Rangers have gone through in the past: The Rangers have set a long precedent with these negotiations. RFAs coming off entry level deals get bridge contracts. It's the one and only time a team has almost all the leverage, and Sather uses it almost every time.

I say almost because Ryan McDonagh most recently bucked the trend. Way back when, Marc Staal also bucked the trend. Aside from those two, the list of players who have accepted bridge deals are long and extensive. Artem Anisimov, Michael Del Zotto, Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky are a few players no longer with the team who accepted them. Stepan, Carl Hagelin, John Moore, Henrik Lundqvist (it took arbitration but it happened), Chris Kreider and Mats Zuccarrello are all current players who at one point accepted them. J.T. Miller is just one of the many players who will have this offered to him in the future.

There are big, big names on that list. Players that have become big names and players who will (hopefully) become big names. McDonagh is a shining example. He proved himself to be a generational type of talent. He earned the right to avoid the bridge deal. He created his own leverage with consistent play.

As the Rangers go down this road with their RFAs, negotiations will inevitably get ugly. Stepan's negotiations were pretty ugly. Dubinaky's were by far the worst, and created such bad blood Sather reportedly didn't negotiate his next deal for fear that Dubinsky would demand more to shove it back in his face. But no matter how angry an RFA gets, no matter how hard he stamps his feet or how loud he cries, there's a precedent that's been set by Sather, and it is what it is.

And as much as it might suck when you're going through it, it's days like this that make you realize how happy you are it's a precedent that's been set.

Thursday Links - Life Is Random? Stunning!

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Plenty of good stuff to look at today. Check it out and pass it on!

*INSERT CLEVER SAYING HERE*

BLUES NEWS:

  • Fox Sports Midwest announced that they would be televising ALL 71 Blues games not being covered nationally. [SLGT]
  • Carl Gunnarsson is a much different defenseman than the one he was traded for. But that's what the team wants . . . a transition guy. Gunnarsson is definitely that. [In The Slot / Lou Korac]
  • The late, great Dan Kelly would have turned 78 yesterday. Here's a piece from (UGH) Dan Caesar from back in February about how DK put the Blues on the map. (S/T to @akmark78) [StL Today]

HOCKEY NEWS:

  • Performance vs. potential. It's a fun debate, unless you're Ryan Johansen or Jarmo Kekalainen/John Davidson. Ryan Lambert talks about the Johansen situation in a Trending Topics Extra. [Puck Daddy]
  • Speaking of our old pal JD (no, not THAT one) . . . he's calling the Johansen contract talks "extortion" at this point. Of course, JD also once willingly gave Jay McKee $16MM for four years that one time, so really, who do you trust? [Blue Jackets Xtra]
  • Your next Emoji preview? The Wild(s). [Puck Daddy]
  • Speaking of the lesser half of the Avenue of the Saints Rivalry, their top goaltender--Josh Harding--will be out several months. So, who's back? Yep . . . Ilya Bryzgalov is back! This'll be fascinating, I'm sure. [CBS Sports Eye on Hockey]
  • When will the NHL start putting ads on jerseys? Well, the fact that we're saying "when" is something, but they say they'll wait for someone else to do it first. [TSN]
  • In what might be the first smart thing the Sharks did this summer, they extended young defenseman Justin Braun for four years (starting with the 2015-16 season). [CBS Sports Eye on Hockey]
  • Sean McIndoe (Down Goes Brown) writes as only he can about the NHL's "analytics awakening". [Grantland]
  • Speaking of analytics . . . I mentioned a couple weeks back that teams may start wearing tracking chips to track puck possession and whatnot. The Rangers are one of those teams that will be doing this sort of tracking, along with other technological advances for their players and coaches. [SNY Rangers]

OTHER SHIT:

  • About 80 episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000 are now available for purchase or rent on Vimeo. Or, y'know, you can get 'em all for free here. Your choice. (S/T to @Jabber28) [The Dissolve]
  • BREAKING NEWS: Life is random. WHAT A SHOCK, RIGHT?! (S/T to CanesAndBluesFan) [Slate]
  • A hacker figured out how to hack into printers and get them to play Doom. Opens up a world of possibilities. (S/T again to CanesAndBluesFan) [Ars Technica]
  • Why is the Ebola outbreak so important to watch? Well, for one, we could all be fucked if it isn't controlled. But here's an in-depth analysis of things. (S/T once again to CanesAndBluesFan) [Wired]
  • PFT Commenter, technically one of our cohorts (he writes occasionally for SBN), is comedy gold. (One more S/T to CanesAndBluesFan) [Slate]

VIDEO:

And sticking with MST3K . . . I recently saw their "Space Mutiny" episode, and then I found this clip, with all the riffs on the main male character's name. And it's excellent:

I'm partial to "Big McLargeHuge", personally.

So presumably at some point this weekend, J-Mill will have links for you. You should help a brother out:

And stay tuned for Episode 52 of Beyond Checkerdome . . . yes, the new recording schedule means we post the pod a bit later at times. Enjoy!

Thursday's Dump & Chase: Time For the Real Deal...Training Camp Opens Today

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Here we go! No on-ice activities today, just physicals...which started at 6am. Why? Who knows? In fact, this is now one of my biggest questions heading into the season...why do the players have to be anywhere at 6am, like ever? Forget the no-trade clause...the first thing I'd have put in my contract is a clause defining the start of the workday at 9am. Or later if I could get away with it.

Nashville Predators News

Predators training camp: 5 storylines-The Tennessean

Oh no it's a slideshow. I guess we should be happy it's not 50 storylines. #BleacherReport

The Predcast, Season 3 - Ep. 2: Rookie Tournament Recap, Ryan Ellis, Training Camp - The Predatorial

There IS a smoker at Ford Ice, Dan. If you couldn't smell it, that's YOUR problem. 

Nashville's Best Case/Worst Case Scenarios: Fourth-Line - Predlines

Fourth lines...every team has one.

Unique Team Traits: The Predators were better than your team at faceoffs, not so much after | theScore

Well, at least they were good at something.

My "Candle in the Wind" style tribute to Josh Cooper’s departure from The Tennessean | Rinkside Report

Tearing up a little bit.

The View from 111: Petey's Party Packs the Bridgestone Arena For A Great Cause

Nice.

Around the Wide Wide World of Hockey

NHL training camp: Ten teams with big questions heading into preseason - CBSSports.com

How will the Caps adjust to offensive wizard Barry Trotz's system of up-and-down hockey? Also, will the Preds finally be able to score some goals now that Barry Trotz isn't here anymore?

Contract talks turn ugly between Ryan Johansen, Blue Jackets - SBNation.com

That's a fair statement.

For time being, NHL says no to ads on jerseys | Puck Drunk Love

Until they're positive they can get away with it.

Florida Panthers reassure fans they won't relocate, but it's not that simple - SBNation.com

If Quebec wants a team, I think this will be it.

Ryan OK with waiting on contract with Ottawa Senators | Ottawa Sun

He needs to sleep on it.

The NHL’s Analytics Awakening " Grantland

Lots of exciting developments out there.

Newcomer Kesler is Ducks' mean to an end - The Orange County Register

He's happy in Orange County, bro.

Man Not Himself Until He Has So Much Coffee He Feels Like He’s Going To Die | The Onion

It's definitely one of those days for me...

Ice Level with Andrew Berkshire

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Every Monday and Thursday at 7:30pm EST, join Andrew Berkshire and Conor McKenna as they break down the most interesting stories in hockey, while maybe talking about food a bit. Okay, we talk about food a lot.

UPDATE: Listen to the podcast!

Tonight on Ice Level, Conor McKenna, James David, and I will be starting off the show debating which young Canadiens defenseman should make the team out of training camp, and which one actually will make it? Can a couple of them force Marc Bergevin into a trade? If we have time, we'll also chat about what fitness tests can mean for the upcoming season.

After the first break, we'll be welcoming in the biggest contrarian blogger in hockey, Ryan Lambert. You may remember Ryan from such appearances as; Puck Daddy, his twitter feed, Deadspin, and calling Sidney Crosby a vampire on Pittsburgh radio. We're super excited to ask Ryan what he thinks of the Ryan Johansen contract talks with the Blue Jackets, and Teemu Selanne tearing into Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau.

After we say goodbye to Ryan, we're going to finally get Travis Hughes on the show to preview the Philadelphia Flyers, since we couldn't get the phones working last week. We'll ask Travis who the next Chris Pronger is, who's butt Claude Giroux is grabbing, and maybe even real questions of consequence.

You can join in on the conversation by using the hashtag #IceLevel on twitter.

To tune into the show, click play on the embedded player, or you can find it online at Montreal Hockey Talk, listen online at Websports Media, search Montreal Hockey Talk on the TuneIn Radio app on your phone, or if you miss it live, you can listen to the podcast through iTunes.


Training camp opens; Sather and bridge contracts; Oh there goes Pavel Buchnevich, again

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Today's New York Rangers notes.

Happy Friday, folks. Can you believe we're actually three days away from a preseason game? It's all happening, and on Thursday, we reached another benchmark on the #HockeyIsBack trail. Here are your morning notes.

Training camp officially opened on Thursday, while on-ice activities will begin on Friday. Here is what we learned from head coach Alain Vigneault, though:

  • Your big run-down, with all the story lines and newsworthy items in one place. [Blueshirt Banter] [Ranger Rants] [Newsday] [Daily News]
  • Who will be the next Rangers captain? Check back right before the regular season begins. [NY Post]
  • The job of third line center is open, and Vigneault likes the versatility he has in two youngsters. [NY Post]
Yesterday was Thursday, the day after Wednesday, and the day before Friday. Oh, and, Pavel Buchnevich continued his torrid KHL space in style. [Blueshirt Banter].

The Ryan Johansen situation is getting messy in Columbus, with no resolution in sight for the player or the Blue Jackets. But luckily, in New York, Glen Sather has sent a long precedent of bridge contracts. [Blueshirt Banter]

Quick Strikes for Friday, September 19

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Welcome to Day 2 of training camp! In this Friday edition of Quick Strikes, we have a lot of news from the Lightning and around the NHL, including some video from General Manager Steve Yzerman and Head Coach Jon Cooper.



  • An authorized biography of the Finnish Flash, Teemu Selanne, was released yesterday in Finland. In the book, the 44-year-old future Hall of Famer claimed that if anyone except Bruce Boudreau were coaching his former team, the Anaheim Ducks, he would probably still be playing. [Sportsnet]
  • There may not be any televised Tampa Bay Lightning preseason games, but there is hockey to watch soon. NHL Network has announced that it will broadcast 22 live preseason games starting this Sunday, September 21. [NHL Official Site]
  • To celebrate the start of the 2014-15 NHL season, Sean McIndoe came up with a list of resolutions we all should have, including getting rid of the "loser point." [Down Goes Brown]
  • The war of words between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Ryan Johansen has heated up in a big way. Now it's just getting ugly. [Two Pad Stack]
  • Tampa Bay Lightning General Manager Steve Yzerman speaks to the media (video below) about his offseason transactions and expectations for training camp during Media Day events at Amalie Arena:

  • Head Coach Jon Cooper also spoke to the media Thursday morning as part of Media Day:

  • Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop's wrist may not be at 100 percent yet, but he says that will let that hold him back as he goes through training camp. [Tampa Bay Times]
    Poll
    Outside of Tampa, which Florida city would you most like to see host a Lightning preseason game?

      171 votes |Results

    Fantasy Hockey 2014-15: Consolidated Rankings

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    Continuing on with our Fantasy Hockey Draft Kit, Troy Langefeld provides consolidated rankings for the upcoming NHL season.

    Today is the day that you've all been waiting for I'm sure. The consolidated rankings. The last of the rankings in the draft kit until the final update just prior to the season start. Please, just promise me that you'll continue to read the rest of the draft kit once you've finished this article. In all honesty, as important as the rankings are, there are equally important topics still to come such as draft strategy. So far I've already introduced the plan for the rest of the offseason, showed you how to set up an effective league, outlined the offseason changes, and provided the rankings for each individual position for the upcoming season. If you missed anything, you can find it all here:

    Fake Teams 2014 Fantasy Hockey Draft Kit

    Also, in case you missed it, I'm changing my schedule slightly. In summary, I'm going to do my draft recap and analysis on REAL drafts, not mock drafts. Then, as the year progresses I will continue to provide updates on how we are all doing in the leagues as well as base many of my articles on them as they will provide a good standard league from which to write on. As a bonus, we may have Yahoo! fantasy expert Scott Pianowski join the auction draft.

    If you'd like to participate in either draft or just read about the changes, all the info is here:

    Fantasy Hockey 2014-15: Fake Teams Hockey Leagues

    What are you waiting for, go sign up! The leagues are back and forth between full and not full as participants look at the draft date and time and have scheduling conflicts, so if you can't get in, keep checking in to see if a spot has since opened up.

    How I rank players is not changing (if you don't already know how, you can read about it here: Fantasy Hockey 2014-15: Centers Will Anchor your Team). But how I present the consolidated rankings will be changing. Tiers are really only applicable to positions, not to all players in the sport. As such, today you get a list. Use this list for an idea when in the draft to target certain tiers, but use the tiers I provided before for a better understanding of when to grab a guy early or sit and wait. Each draft is different and you can't pick straight off of a list. But here's your list anyway.

    The List:

    1Sidney CrosbyPitC
    2Steven StamkosTBC
    3John TavaresNYIC
    4Claude GirouxPhiC,RW
    5Corey PerryAnhRW
    6Alex OvechkinWasRW
    7Evgeni MalkinPitC,RW
    8Tuukka RaskBosG
    9Jonathan QuickLAG
    10Ryan GetzlafAnhC
    11Patrick KaneChiC,RW
    12Henrik LundqvistNYRG
    13Anze KopitarLAC
    14Phil KesselTorRW
    15Jamie BennDalLW
    16Carey PriceMonG
    17Jonathan ToewsChiC
    18Tyler SeguinDalC,RW
    19Chris KunitzPitLW
    20Patrick SharpChiC,LW
    21Taylor HallEdmC,LW
    22Erik KarlssonOttD
    23Matt DucheneColC,LW
    24Nicklas BackstromWasC
    25Cory SchneiderNJG
    26P.K. SubbanMonD
    27Nathan MacKinnonColC,RW
    28Joe PavelskiSJC,LW
    29Zach PariseMinLW
    30Semyon VarlamovColG
    31Patrick MarleauSJC,LW
    32James NealNshLW,RW
    33Corey CrawfordChiG
    34Martin St. LouisNYRRW
    35Marian GaborikLARW
    36Ryan JohansenClsC,RW
    37Ben BishopTBG
    38Marc-Andre FleuryPitG
    39Jason SpezzaDalC
    40Pavel DatsyukDetC,LW
    41Antti NiemiSJG
    42Sergei BobrovskyClsG
    43Logan CoutureSJC,LW
    44Marian HossaChiRW
    45Shea WeberNshD
    46Henrik ZetterbergDetC,LW
    47Kari LehtonenDalG
    48Duncan KeithChiD
    49Max PaciorettyMonLW
    50Alex PietrangeloStLD
    51Henrik SedinVanC
    52Joe ThorntonSJC
    53Daniel SedinVanLW
    54Pekka RinneNshG
    55Keith YandleAriD
    56Eric StaalCarC
    57David BackesStLC,RW
    58Mike SmithAriG
    59Dustin ByfuglienWpgRW,D
    60Patrice BergeronBosC
    61Gabriel LandeskogColLW
    62Brian ElliottStLG
    63Jordan EberleEdmRW
    64Wayne SimmondsPhiRW
    65Roberto LuongoFlaG
    66Ryan KeslerAnhC,RW
    67T.J. OshieStLC,RW
    68David KrejciBosC
    69Brad RichardsChiC,LW
    70Kris LetangPitD
    71Ryan MillerVanG
    72James van RiemsdykTorLW
    73Thomas VanekMinLW,RW
    74Oliver Ekman-LarssonAriD
    75Jarome IginlaColRW
    76Jeff CarterLAC,RW
    77Alexander SteenStLC,LW
    78Drew DoughtyLAD
    79Jimmy HowardDetG
    80Derek StepanNYRC
    81Brandon SaadChiLW,RW
    82Jeff SkinnerCarLW,RW
    83Gustav NyquistDetC,RW
    84Kyle OkposoNYIRW
    85Zdeno CharaBosD
    86Victor HedmanTBD
    87Bryan LittleWpgC,RW
    88Rick NashNYRLW,RW
    89Jaroslav HalakNYIG
    90Milan LucicBosLW
    91Ryan SuterMinD
    92Evander KaneWpgLW
    93Paul StastnyStLC
    94Jason PominvilleMinRW
    95Braden HoltbyWasG
    96Steve MasonPhiG
    97Jakub VoracekPhiRW
    98Radim VrbataVanRW
    99Jonathan DrouinTBLW
    100Frederik AndersenAnhG
    101John GibsonAnhG
    102Matt NiskanenWasD
    103Blake WheelerWpgRW
    104Nathan HortonClsRW
    105Alex TanguayColLW,RW
    106Bobby RyanOttLW,RW
    107Jonathan BernierTorG
    108Scott HartnellClsLW
    109Loui ErikssonBosLW,RW
    110Andrew LaddWpgLW
    111Niklas KronwallDetD
    112Jaden SchwartzStLLW
    113Ryan O'ReillyColC,LW
    114Torey KrugBosD
    115Tyler ToffoliLARW
    116Chris KreiderNYRLW
    117Kevin ShattenkirkStLD
    118Ryan McDonaghNYRD
    119Patric HornqvistPitRW
    120Tomas HertlSJLW
    121Valeri NichushkinDalRW
    122Mark GiordanoCgyD
    123Josh BaileyNYILW
    124Pascal DupuisPitLW,RW
    125Alexander SeminCarLW,RW
    126James WisniewskiClsD
    127Alex GoligoskiDalD
    128Anton KhudobinCarG
    129Christian EhrhoffPitD
    130Brandon DubinskyClsC,LW
    131Tyler JohnsonTBC
    132Ryan Nugent-HopkinsEdmC
    133Jake AllenStLG
    134Dion PhaneufTorD
    135Reilly SmithBosRW
    136Craig AndersonOttG
    137Ales HemskyDalRW
    138Brent BurnsSJRW,D
    139Johan FranzenDetLW,RW
    140David DesharnaisMonC
    141Mike RibeiroNshC
    142Kyle TurrisOttC
    143Mikko KoivuMinC
    144Mike GreenWasD
    145David PerronEdmLW,RW
    146Ondrej PalatTBLW
    147Dan BoyleNYRD
    148Tyler BozakTorC
    149Brendan GallagherMonRW
    150Brayden SchennPhiC,LW
    151Tyson BarrieColD
    152Ondrej PavelecWpgG
    153Joffrey LupulTorLW,RW
    154Matt MoulsonBufLW
    155John CarlsonWasD
    156Jaromir JagrNJRW
    157Brad MarchandBosLW
    158Jonas HillerCgyG
    159Justin FaulkCarD
    160Nazem KadriTorC
    161Brent SeabrookChiD
    162Roman JosiNshD
    163Ryan CallahanTBRW
    164Justin WilliamsLARW
    165Andrei MarkovMonD
    166Mark StreitPhiD
    167Niklas BackstromMinG
    168Colin WilsonNshC,LW
    169Dustin BrownLALW,RW
    170Jakob SilfverbergAnhLW,RW
    171Curtis GlencrossCgyLW
    172Ben ScrivensEdmG
    173Mats ZuccarelloNYRLW
    174Cam FowlerAnhD
    175Jiri HudlerCgyLW,RW
    176Beau BennettPitLW,RW
    177Alex KillornTBC,LW
    178Jason GarrisonTBD
    179Brian CampbellFlaD
    180Jhonas EnrothBufG
    181Alexander EdlerVanD
    182Shane DoanAriLW,RW
    183Jack JohnsonClsD
    184Jay BouwmeesterStLD
    185Valtteri FilppulaTBC,LW
    186Michael CammalleriNJC,LW
    187Travis ZajacNJC
    188Jake MuzzinLAD
    189Jason DemersSJD
    190Patrik EliasNJC,LW
    191Slava VoynovLAD
    192Justin SchultzEdmD
    193Adam HenriqueNJC
    194Jacob TroubaWpgD
    195Carl SoderbergBosC
    196Darcy KuemperMinG
    197Erik JohnsonColD
    198Michael FrolikWpgC,RW
    199Jussi JokinenFlaC,LW
    200Robin LehnerOttG
    201Derick BrassardNYRC
    202Jake GardinerTorD
    203Dougie HamiltonBosD
    204Michael Del ZottoPhiD
    205Nick BoninoVanC
    206Tomas PlekanecMonC
    207James ReimerTorG
    208Cody FransonTorD
    209Alec MartinezLAD
    210Mikael GranlundMinC
    211Aleksander BarkovFlaC
    212Jonathan HuberdeauFlaC,LW
    213Andrej SekeraCarD
    214Radko GudasTBD
    215Olli JokinenNshC
    216Viktor FasthEdmG
    217Evgeny KuznetsovWasC
    218Hampus LindholmAnhD
    219Alex GalchenyukMonC,LW
    220Mark ScheifeleWpgC
    221Tobias EnstromWpgD
    222Marek ZidlickyNJD
    223Paul MartinPitD
    224P.A. ParenteauMonRW
    225Cam WardCarG
    226Dennis WidemanCgyD
    227Kimmo TimonenPhiD
    228Lubomir VisnovskyNYID
    229Cody HodgsonBufC,RW
    230Mikael BacklundCgyC
    231Kevin BieksaVanD
    232Dan HamhuisVanD
    233Craig SmithNshC,RW
    234Andrew ShawChiC
    235Olli MaattaPitD
    236Brad BoyesFlaC,RW
    237Milan MichalekOttLW,RW
    238Nick LeddyChiD
    239Mika ZibanejadOttC,RW
    240Charlie CoyleMinC,RW
    241Alex StalockSJG
    242Martin JonesLAG
    243Ryan EllisNshD
    244Seth JonesNshD
    245Ryan MurrayClsD
    246Niklas SvedbergBosG
    247Antti RaantaChiG
    248Aaron EkbladFlaD
    249Zach BogosianWpgD
    250Chad JohnsonNYIG

    Despite the fact that I've already talked about much of this, let's review some of the big movers from my list to the Yahoo! provided list and some other important things to consider.

    Bring on the Riser's:

    I'm expecting big things from Cory Schneider this year. He's always had great peripheral numbers and the knock against him has always been a matter of playing time. The full time job in New Jersey is all his now that Martin Brodeur has left town. It's a risky ranking as it remains to be seen how he'll respond to the increased playing time. Will he be as effective? Will he be more prone to injuries? I don't know, but I'm willing to take a stab. If he plays healthy and doesn't lose too much effectiveness between the pipes, he's a tier one goalkeeper this year. I just can't rank him as such without some of these questions being answered first.

    Marian Gaborik and Tyler Toffoli are coming off strong postseasons with the Kings. LA has always been a defensive team that struggles to score in the regular season, but maybe that will change with the addition of Gaborik and the maturing Toffoli on the top two lines. The postseason has me convinced that they can get the job done for your fantasy team this year.

    I still cannot understand how Dustin Byfuglien is ranked so low in Yahoo!. The 27th ranked defensemen? Ranked 132 overall? He was ranked 40th over the regular season last year. That's ridiculous for a guy that has the rare forward/defensemen dual eligibility and is a major contributor in four of the six categories. Granted he'll hurt you with his negative rating, but that doesn't constitute a drop of 92 spots...

    Brad Richards and Brandon Saad are a couple of my favourite buy low's this coming winter. Both should be cemented into the top two lines on Chicago which means ice time with Jonathon Toews, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, and Marian Hossa. How can you go wrong? They'll likely be bumped to the second powerplay unit, but that's the only issue I see right now.

    Derek Stepan, Nathan Horton, Alex Tanguay, Valeri Nichushkin, Josh Bailey, Pascal Dupuis, David Desharnais, Brendan Gallagher, and Tyler Bozak are all recipients of a higher ranking due to who they play with. Don't forget that fantasy sports isn't just about the player, but also about the situation. All of these guys are playing on top lines with highly skilled players. Don't forget about them.

    It seems that some players grow older and get forgotten about. Or that they are perennially underrated and surprise everyone year in and year out. Paul Stastny and Jason Pominville fit this type. Finding consistency in the late rounds of drafts is every bit as key as finding high upside. Balance is everything.

    I'm big on the duo of Frederik Andersen and John Gibson to provide significant value this year, but not as much on either one individually as it remains a true battle for the starting job. I've specifically placed them side by side and at the turn because I think together they will provide elite numbers. If you get one, you must get both and I wouldn't attempt this unless you're drafting at the turn or close to it and are sure that you'll get them both.

    And the Faller's:

    Ben Bishop is dealing with a return from wrist surgery and has only been a full time starter for one year. He had a great year, no doubt, but can you really rank him as the fourth goalkeeper off the board after the big three? That's what Yahoo! is saying. There is no way I can. I expect a bit of regression anyway and at his draft price you can't afford any regression from last year.

    Marc-Andre FleuryRyan Miller, and Steve Mason are all being taken too highly as well in my opinion. Fleury deals with consistency issues that have been well documented over recent years. Last year was a good year, but what will we get this year? Miller has moved to Vancouver and my expectations of the Canucks aren't as high as other people. I also am of the belief that Miller's play has slipped since his Vezina year. Mason had a good year last year as well, but before last year Philly was where goalies went to die. Seriously, name a good starting goaltender with the Flyers in the last five years besides Mason last year. There are none. With their defense in shambles, I'm not expecting big things from him.

    There are always players who are better in real life than in fantasy and receive too much love at the draft table. Drew Doughty and Brandon Dubinsky are examples of this. I'm especially scared of Doughty as Yahoo ranks him the fifth defensemen to come of the board, but he is sharing time on the blue line with Jake Muzzin, Slava Voynov, and Alec Martinez. He'll be good, just not that good. Dubinsky isn't a significant contributor in any stat other than penalty minutes and so I can't rank him in my top 100 like Yahoo! has. He's steady, but not that steady.

    I'm bumping Jeff Skinner back due to his team situation and the fact that he can't secure a spot on the top line with Eric Staal. He has no one to help him on his line and I think he'll disappoint at 52nd overall. Anton Khudobin gets the same bump because of team situation and the fact that I don't believe his job is as secure as it needs to be to take him at his draft position.

    Bobby Ryan and Kyle Turris have lost their all-star playmaker Jason Spezza and so I am far more pessimistic on them this year. Ottawa also seems to be a rather inconsistent team as a whole and I don't think they're going to have a very good year.

    Rick Nash is in a state of decline since moving to the Rangers and they aren't exactly the most offensive team. He has the big name and the big contract so they'll keep plugging him out there, but don't expect to see him on any of my teams this year. Mike Green and Dan Boyle are similarly going to be having tough times this year. Their offense has been declining in recent years and their teams are starting to notice. Both are going from the top offensive contributor on their team to a secondary role. Green will be behind Niskanen and Boyle behind McDonagh. When the GM is taking note, so should you.

    And all the Other Important Things to Consider:

    Josh Harding was ranked 32nd in my goaltender list on Wednesday, but we have since learned that he will be out for a month or two with a broken foot. With the goaltending situation in flux in Minnesota, he is no longer relevant to me and has dropped off of my board altogether. While I had Darcy Kuemper the favourite to supplant Harding, I expected that to be through the season, not before it started. Kuemper remains an unsigned RFA and I think the team will be more comfortable having Niklas Backstrom to start the season instead. As such, Backstrom took a significant leap in my rankings today although it won't look like much when comparing to Yahoo!. Kuemper's value meanwhile doesn't change with the news. For now at least. Anyone can take this starting job and the team is giving their fourth goalie last year, Ilya Bryzgalov a look in training camp right now. It remains to be seen whether he'll make it out of training camp and sign on with the club for the season, but the longer Kuemper sits out, the more we have to look at Bryz. He might be in my next updated top 250 before the season starts.

    Late edit: Kuemper signed a two year contract late last night. I'm not updating my rankings to reflect this right now due to lack of time, but consider Backstrom and Kuemper about equally valued around maybe a round or so earlier than where Kuemper currently is. Still giving Backstrom the slight edge and Harding and Bryzgalov remain off the board.

    Ryan Johansen is another RFA in the middle of a contract dispute. And this one looks nasty with the Blue Jackets accusing Johansen and his agent of extortion and Johansen returning home to the Vancouver area as camp begins. The two sides are reportedly $3.5m apart in contract negotiations which is too bad as I am quite high on Johansen coming into this year. I've still ranked him at 36th overall which is a leap from Yahoo!'s 71st, but I will have to rethink that ranking if he misses much of camp. Early signs say that this could go a little while. His linemates Nathan Horton and Scott Hartnell would also take a hit in this scenario.

    If you want a Microsoft Excel version of my rankings, here's the link: Consolidated Rankings 2014.

    I'm new to the twitterverse, but I'd love to hear your feedback and questions. Follow me on Twitter @HockeyGauntletfor more of my thoughts and all of your fantasy hockey needs. And don't forget to sign up for the Fake Teams hockey leagues! #IsItOctoberYet

    Day One of Camp In The Books

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    First day of training camp under Peters is high energy, up tempo, and organized

    Jeff Skinner got knocked down hard by Ron Hainsey.  Carter Sandlak and Dennis Robertson got tangled up and almost came to blows.  Yes, training camp has finally started for the Carolina Hurricanes.

    All 51 players participated in a scrimmage on the first day of camp and that meant that the ice was pretty crowded during the warmups.  The five-on-five hockey was intense, even if some players were a bit rusty.

    "I liked the intensity but I thought they looked sloppy", said head coach Bill Peters when asked about the scrimmage.

    The scrimmage ended in a 1-1 tie.  Alexander Semin had the goal for Group B on a breakaway and Jeff Skinner will take credit for the goal for Group A, even though there was some discussion whether or not the puck hit Jared Staal before it went into the net.  Skinner said he was trying to pass the puck.

    Semin scored on Anton Khudobin and hit the post on a perfectly placed shot.  I thought I noticed the Russian shaking his right wrist a bit later during practice but perhaps it was just from habit.  His shot looked very good.

    Peters said he liked what he saw from Victor Rask and that Brock McGinn also played well in the scrimmage.  The coach said not to read too much into his current lines or defensive pairings.  He plans to experiment with many different things.

    Group A will be playing in Sunday's game against the Blue Jackets while Group B will travel to Buffalo for Tuesday's game.

    All in all, Peters was happy with today's practice sessions.

    "I thought we got some work done, I liked our day," said the coach.

    Both groups spent time working on the powerplay, specifically breaking the puck out of their zone and entering it into the offensive zone.  Peters had mentioned in a previous interview that after reviewing tape, he felt the team needed work on that.

    Rod Brind'Amour was barking out most of the orders during this segment.

    After practice I asked Ryan Murphy if they also spoke of the powerplay in the room before practice.

    "Oh yes," he said.  "We were not happy with our powerplay last season and it is important in this league to be able to take advantage of them when you have the chance.  We have committed ourselves to improving it."

    The Canes will be back at it tomorrow but the practice will not be open to the public because of the NC State football game.

    For the millionth time, there's nothing wrong with Rick Nash, he's good at hockey, leave him alone

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    The whipping boy of New York' hockey scene was again called into question last week. Let's explore (again) why he's good at his job.

    At some point last week, I said I was done defending Rick Nash. I don't remember the context, or what spurred me to say this, but I really am getting tired of arguing to those too stubborn to accept any logic that Nash is an elite goal scorer, a huge key to the Rangers' future success, and that he's not getting traded.

    And yet, they keep calling me back.

    Last week, an article was published that I will not link to because I do not want to draw attention to it. Although it didn't argue Nash is a bad player (I don't see many people doing that), the conclusions it was making were downright ludicrous. Again, I don't want to get into the specifics too much, and I'm sure one of you enterprising commenters already knows or will easily find said piece and link it below. But needless to say, we've again got some explaining to do, again.

    Since he became a New York Ranger, only four players in the league have a higher g/60 rate than Nash. That group? Just some bums named Evgeni Malkin, Jonathan Toews, Max Pacioretty, and Steven Stamkos.

    Or take the opposite approach: Look at the players who Nash outpaces in terms of his 5v5 goal production. Guys like Corey Perry, Tyler Seguin, Phil Kessel, and, oh wait, everyone in the league except those four world class players.

    Nash's lack of playoff production is another segment of this argument that pains me to address. No one, including myself, will ever make Nash's inability to score out to be a positive. But to be that singular in how you view his overall performance is ignoring many facts, and leaving out a good deal of context.

    I'll try not to re-hash everything I wrote when Nash was getting crucified during the postseason, but I'll touch on some important points. A player doesn't accidentally take 83 shots in 25 playoffs games. The only way one can do that is by having the puck on his stick. Puck possession is good, in case anyone was trying to argue anything different. The other caveat to this of course is that by only scoring three times on those 83 attempts, Nash registered a criminally low sh%, especially for a player with a career sh% of 12.4. I could get into concepts like regression, and puck luck, but just understand the math, and the reality that Nash was undoubtedly snake-bitten in those later rounds and the tides would have soon turned in his favor.

    Nash also played in all three phases of the game, until Alain Vigneault removed him from the power play in the Eastern Conference Final. Nash obviously wasn't the issue when the Rangers were skating with an extra man, as that special teams unit devolved into its Mike Sullivan days when the hockey mattered most. But Nash was out there killing penalties, and also very good below the center line in 5v5 situations. Those are elements of his postseason that are conveniently ignored.

    And then there are those so inclined to wonder why Nash doesn't play hard enough. Why doesn't Rick Nash play hard enough? Why doesn't he get in a fight every night like he did in that game against the Blue Jackets? Is it Rick Nash's fault I woke up this morning with pain in my lower back?

    The reason Nash hasn't scored more overall goals in his New York tenure is twofold: The Rangers power play has been really bad, and Nash has missed 21 games, or 16% of the Rangers schedule in that season-plus. Nash, who has been diagnosed with multiple concussions, was not brought into New York to fight, and for a player with that aforementioned history of head injuries, it would be downright dumb to invite opposing players to target his head.

    The power play is something out of Nash's control. It's an area of the Rangers game plan that should improve this season—at least on paper—with the addition of Dan Boyle. But those other players listed before with Nash—Stamkos, Pacioretty, Toews, and Malkin—with the exception of Toews, have scored a lot more on the power play. Nash isn't even in the top 100 when it comes to power play goals scored by a single player since he joined the Rangers. Anyone want to argue he's not a top 100 scorer in this league?

    If anything, this season is shaping up to be a coming out party (if you can even call it that) for Nash. Aside from what should be an improved power play, he's playing alongside to young, talented, and developing players in Derek Stepan and Chris Kreider. Stepan is in a contract year, and attempting to play his way into Ryan O'Reilly money. Kreider is entering the first year of a bridge deal, and showed major signs of growth last season. Heck, the Rangers top line could—dare I say—be better this season.

    Nash is good at hockey, and I'm hoping this is the last time I have to make this argument. Unfortunately, we all know it won't be.

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