Picking a goaltender in fantasy hockey can be a tricky task. A great deal of how a goalie produces is based on the team in front of him, and of course his abilities. It seems that every year another goalie slips into the Tier 1 level of goalies. It is just hard to determine what goaltender will perform on a consistent basis. Another question that is very important is, when should a person select their first goalie? Some guys start as early as the second round, but I believe the third round is us
Why is cheap shot behavior in hockey acceptable? Why can players deliberately try and hurt players, and not be looked down on by fans or players? Maybe they are, but why then are there no repercussions? Why does the NHLPA put up with members of their union going out and deliberately taking out other members of their union? Makes no sense to me!
Today in an IIHF World Championship game between Canada and Finland, team Canada captain Corey Perry went out of his way to deliberately (yes you ca
Last years regular season struggles and failure to make the playoffs left many in Calgary shaking their heads. The challenges the Flames faced last season may just have been minimal to the challenges that they faced during the off-season. Goaltending was a critical issue, and getting key RFA players signed was also a very high priority. With the trade for Brian Elliott done, and the goaltending question answered it was time to tackle the RFA troubles. First the Flames locked up young star ce
10 Mid-Season Statistical Shockers
- Alex Ovechkin is 3rd in NHL +/-. A far cry from his past seasons horrible numbers. Ovechkin is an impressive +21. The league leader is Los Angeles Kings Tyler Toffoli at +23, and second is held by rookie Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings at +22.
- Chicago Blackhawks secret rookie Artemi Panarin leads the rookie point chase with 1
The Instigator |Episode 30
Welcome to Playoff Hockey: Johnny Gaudreau
Welcome to playoff hockey Johnny Gaudreau…. Gaudreau has been a complete no show for the Calgary Flames this playoff season….why is this? What do we expect from him? With the Flames on the brink of elimination. Flames fans expect a hell of a lot more than they are getting. Brad Burud of Inside Edge Hockey News expresses his frustration in the play of Gaudreau. Although the Flames disappointment is not so
1- Did he purposely do it? I guess we will never know, but popular opinion, including mine says he did it on purpose. Now I don’t think that he thought I am going to hurt this guy, but I do think he was seeking revenge.
2- How will this affect the Blackhawks in the final weeks leading up to the Stanley Cup Playoffs? This may just help the Blackhawks. Keith logs a ton of minutes and this will give him some much-needed rest. Missing the first playoff game will hurt, but the Blackh
Ten Teams Out of the Playoffs As Christmas draws upon us many teams are asking Santa for a ticket to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Unfortunately the play of some teams this year has earned them a ticket right out of the playoffs. Here are the 10 NHL teams that I believe will not make the playoffs this year. 1- Columbus Blue Jackets – 29 pts Eastern Conference – The Blue Jackets season has been a complete nightmare. A terrible start, lead to a coaching changes that brought in John Tortorella.
War in Columbus, Johansen vs. Tortorella Contract problems, coach confrontation, and healthy scratches. Columbus Blue Jackets forward Ryan Johansen has experienced all of the above this season. The season has been a complete circus on and off the ice for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Now the war is on between newly hired head coach John Tortorella, and young superstar Ryan Johansen. Johansen’s play has been heavily criticized this year. His biggest critic has been his coach. Johansen has
Byfuglien/Jets Future in Limbo
Dustin Byfuglien made some pretty interesting comments when it came to whether or not he preferred to stay in Winnipeg, over other destinations. Frank Seravalli of TSN asked Byfuglien about Winnipeg he said “I just want to put on a jersey, to be honest with you”. “I don’t mind Winnipeg at all. It’s close to home for me – it’s probably the closest I’ll
Crowded Crease in Calgary The Calgary Flames entered the preseason in very odd circumstances as far as goalies go. They currently have three goalies signed to one-way contracts. What looks to be a problem is truly what teams dream of. Quality goalies pushing each other every step of the way. Veteran goalie Jonas Hiller is currently entering the final year of his contract. The $4.5 million dollar per year, two year contract was a steal for the Flames, but many complained of inconsistency
These young NHL stars will play key rolls in their teams 2015-2016 success as well as their teams future success. Honorable Mention: Dylan Larkin- 19 year old Michigan born and breed Center may or may not find himself apart of a legacy in Detroit as early as this season. 10) Jack Eichel- There is no guarantee the Boston College alum will start or stay in the Buffalo line-up all season but he is the center piece in a rebuild that includes Evander Kane and Ryan O’Reilly. 9) Jeff Skinner-It m
NHL Trade Talk: May 11, 2014 Does Toronto Management want Phaneuf Gone? - With the hiring of Brendan Shanahan as President in Toronto, many expect changes this summer. It has been widely speculated that center Nazem Kadri , defensemen Carl Gunnarsson, Cody Franson, and Jake Gardiner could be trade bait this summer. Well add captain Dion Phaneuf to the list. Just one year after signing a seven year, $49 million dollar contract. The Leafs are currently shopping him. This report came from Ni
The Toronto Maple Leafs are on a six game losing streak, and team captain Dion Phaneuf has totally lost his composure. The play of Phaneuf has been in question for years in Toronto, and the questions are becoming more and more prevalent. Not only is the respect of a captain in Toronto coming into question. The respect of Dion Phaneuf throughout the league has now been brought to the limelight. Just two nights ago, Phaneuf dropped the gloves with Carolina Hurricanes captain Eric Staal. This was i
Carolina Hurricanes first line center Eric Staal is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, and it is hard to believe that the star will make it to free agency. All signs are showing that a contract will not be signed in Carolina. If a resigning were to happen I would think that it would have happened by now. The Hurricanes are off to a 19-18-7 (45 Points) record. Although they are just two points out of a wildcard position the prospect of the H
Leafs Bernier or Reimer- Who will be Traded?
The Toronto Maple Leafs are shopping goaltender Jonathan Bernier, according to The Globe and Mail’s James Mirtle. Bernier has defiantly had his struggles this season, but many thought his goaltending counterpart just maybe the one on his way out of Toronto. 27-year-old James Reimer is a pending UFA and there has been talk of him on the way out of town. His play h
ANDREW LADD IS A JET…………………BUT FOR HOW LONG?????
It is that time of year yet again it is one of the best times of the year for hockey fans all over the world, but it is a very busy time for NHL executives and general managers.
Winnipeg Jets General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff is no different, Cheveldayoff has had some very laid back trade deadline days during his tenure in Winnipeg but this
Because of the salary cap hockey world, and the abundance of quality goalies, a few quality veteran goalies have been left unemployed. Martin Bordeur, Tomas Vokoun, and Ilya Bryzgalov are all at home watching hockey and waiting for a team to call them. Martin Brodeur The Hall of Fame is waiting for him to retire, but when will it happen. He is by far the biggest name goalie that is a free agent, but I believe he is probably the least likely to find a team to finish the year with. The options are
Is Islanders Halak Available?
The solid playoff performance of Thomas Greiss has started the talk that goaltender Jaroslav Halak may be available this summer. The 31-year-old Halak was a little upset at the end of the year with the goaltending setup in Brooklyn. This talk fueled the rumor fire and speculation even more. To bring speculation up another notch, Arthur Staple of Newsday reported that Islanders General Manager Garth Snow is very high on Greiss, and suggested that he
The Instigator |Episode 24
Get it together Florida or Move!
It is professional hockey. The best players in the world. That means that arenas should be sold out. Well not in Florida. Most nights the empty seats far outweigh the ones with fans in them. Brad Burud expresses his frustration why year after year the Florida Panthers continue to struggle with attendance.
PODCAST
2015-’16 Early Playoff Predictions: Who’s In and Who’s Out. WESTERN CONFERENCE: Top of the Mountain ANAHEIM DUCKS- Trading for speedster Carl Hagelin and signing veteran Chris Stewart bolsters a strong forward attack. The major move comes in acquiring blue line specialist Kevin Bieksa who gives depth and muscle to an inexperienced defensive group. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS- Stan Bowman has done this before, reconstructed a team after a Cup victory, and he has once again allowed the ‘Hawks to get y
All thirty NHL coaches have kept their job this year so far. How long will it be before one will be fired? It may be days or weeks, but I do know that some are definitely on the hot seat. Last season, the Buffalo Sabers relieved long–time bench boss, Lindy Ruff a month into the season. The Philadelphia Flyers did not even wait that long when they ousted coach Peter Laviolette just three games into the season. We are now midway through the first week of December, and all coaches are still in plac
The fantasy hockey season is now in its sixth week, and there have definitely been some players on the rise, and some surprise failures. Drafting good at the beginning is always critical, and it is always nice when your fourth or fifth round pick explodes off the start. Here is a list of the top surprise player per position. GOALIE – Ondrej Pavelec – Winnipeg Jets He was pegged as an underachiever last year. Many of the problems in Winnipeg were blamed on him, and trade rumors floated around
1 – Edmonton Oilers coach Dallas Eakins will be the first coach fired. 2 – Television ratings will be at an all time high. 3 – The Los Angeles Kings will struggle out of the gate – the Kings played a lot of hockey last season/playoffs, without much of an off season. 4 – Jake Allen will emerge as the goaltending answer in St. Louis. 5 – Tyler Seguin will lead the league in points. He has the potential, and he will be playing with one of the best in Jamie Benn. 6 – Alex Ovechkin will have a bounce
Every top notch NHL team has a solid first line center. They are very, very hard to come by. So what is one worth? That is the question that Columbus must figure out. Restricted free agent Ryan Johansen and the Columbus Blue Jackets are at a stalemate that might not get solved before the puck drops on a new season. Johansen has completed three NHL seasons of play. The strong, young NHL forward has posted 96 points in 189 games played over three seasons. Last year was his breakout year where he p
