The one thing I failed to mention about Twitter is that there are imposters on there.
Example: See this item from Bob McKenzie of TSN.
While there are ligit Twitter pages out there from some very well know people (Darren Dreger or Alyssa Milano), just be careful who you're following.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Hillen/Lawson Resigned?
The NHL put out their annual list of restricted and unrestricted free agents (including those who were not qualified).
Since Jack Hillen and Nathan Lawson are not on any lists, its safe to say they have re-signed.
Since Jack Hillen and Nathan Lawson are not on any lists, its safe to say they have re-signed.
Twitter and Follow the Action
I plan on going into more detail about how awesome Twitter is. It was great following the NHL Draft on it and it’s great following NHL Free Agency on it. You get updates from multiple sources all in one place. Here are some quick and easy steps to get going.1) Go to: www.twitter.com.
2) Sign up for an account (real easy a quick). Don’t get caught up setting up your tweeting page.
3) Go to my Twitter page and click on who I’m following. Scroll through and see who interests you. When you find someone, click on their page and then click the follow button.
4) Once you’ve picked who you want to follow, go back to twitter.com (make sure you’re still signed in) and you’ll get all your updates there.
Send me an e-mail if you need help.
Gustavsson Playing Himself Out of $ ?
European hotshot goalie Jonas Gustavsson is the late-blooming, undrafted 21-year old unrestricted free agent that has more then a few NHL teams buzzing about his (free) potential.
Teams have also been waiting two months for the “Monster” to pick his NHL destination. A big reason for his delay is due to the passing of his mother last month. But Gustavsson is delaying his decision again.
Today, when free agency in the NHL opens, teams tend to panic. Gustavsson has reportedly narrowed his list to four teams: Colorado, Dallas, San Jose and Toronto.
Chances are that Gustavsson will get the max rookie cap number when he signs, but if two or even three teams give up waiting and sign one of the other free agent goalies on the market, Gustavsson might find himself with an offer for less then the max. It’s possible. Or at the very least, he might be playing himself out of a better shot at making an NHL club out of training camp if one of the four finalists sign a FA goalie.
If I were Gustavsson, I would choose where to play before 12:00 PM EST today. He can’t afford to wait.
Teams have also been waiting two months for the “Monster” to pick his NHL destination. A big reason for his delay is due to the passing of his mother last month. But Gustavsson is delaying his decision again.
Today, when free agency in the NHL opens, teams tend to panic. Gustavsson has reportedly narrowed his list to four teams: Colorado, Dallas, San Jose and Toronto.
Chances are that Gustavsson will get the max rookie cap number when he signs, but if two or even three teams give up waiting and sign one of the other free agent goalies on the market, Gustavsson might find himself with an offer for less then the max. It’s possible. Or at the very least, he might be playing himself out of a better shot at making an NHL club out of training camp if one of the four finalists sign a FA goalie.
If I were Gustavsson, I would choose where to play before 12:00 PM EST today. He can’t afford to wait.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Drew Rosenhaus & the Cats?
I’ve never liked super agent Drew Rosenhaus before today. He always annoyed me. Next Question!
But that changed today when I was alerted about this story via Puck Daddy’s Tweet.
The Panthers are in a tough spot. They’re not in a traditional hockey market and the odds are stacked against them to turn Sunrise, FL into one. That’s another problem they have. Their fairly new and beautiful arena is located a ways away from Miami and the crowds just don’t have a reason to flock to the area.
But I’ll give them props for thinking outside the box. A guy like Rosenhaus is hard to ignore and he’ll make people at least hear what he’s going to say in support of the Panthers.
Rosenhaus calls himself “A longtime Panthers fan and a person who believes in giving sports fans the value and the atmosphere they deserve.” I have some reservations about believing that.
As an agent and a hockey fan, I would like to think he would have at least one hockey player as a client. I know a large hockey contract can be a fraction of what other athletes make, but I would think he would at least have one.
The other part of his quote, if true, would contradict representing high-talent, low-class players and demanding outrageous contracts for them, which in turn drives up ticket prices in the first place.
But that’s all debatable.
I’ll give credit to the Panthers for an innovative idea and am interested in how this plays out. For the Panthers sake, I hope Rosenhaus doesn’t embarrass them. Next Question!
But that changed today when I was alerted about this story via Puck Daddy’s Tweet.
The Panthers are in a tough spot. They’re not in a traditional hockey market and the odds are stacked against them to turn Sunrise, FL into one. That’s another problem they have. Their fairly new and beautiful arena is located a ways away from Miami and the crowds just don’t have a reason to flock to the area.
But I’ll give them props for thinking outside the box. A guy like Rosenhaus is hard to ignore and he’ll make people at least hear what he’s going to say in support of the Panthers.
Rosenhaus calls himself “A longtime Panthers fan and a person who believes in giving sports fans the value and the atmosphere they deserve.” I have some reservations about believing that.
As an agent and a hockey fan, I would like to think he would have at least one hockey player as a client. I know a large hockey contract can be a fraction of what other athletes make, but I would think he would at least have one.
The other part of his quote, if true, would contradict representing high-talent, low-class players and demanding outrageous contracts for them, which in turn drives up ticket prices in the first place.
But that’s all debatable.
I’ll give credit to the Panthers for an innovative idea and am interested in how this plays out. For the Panthers sake, I hope Rosenhaus doesn’t embarrass them. Next Question!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Draft Observations – Part 2
The Goalie Odds
The Islanders drafted two goalies early on Saturday morning with Mikko Koskinen at # 31 in the second round and Anders Nilsson at # 62 in the third round. Add Stefan Ridderwall, a sixth rounder in 2006, and Kevin Poulin, drafted in the fifth round in 2008, the Islanders most likely have a starting or back-up goaltender of the future in their system.
Why am I so sure about that? Because teams are just as likely to find an NHL goaltender in the first or second round of the draft as they are in rounds three or four or five, six or seven. Most goalies do bust before they get signed by their draft team, but by playing their odds over the last four draft, the Islanders have put themselves in good position to beat the odds.
Look at the 2001 draft:
- The Islanders drafted Rick DiPietro with the first overall pick. For better or for worse, he started an NHL All-Star Game and was the No. 1 goalie on the US Olympic team.
- The Calgary Flames drafted Brent Krahn ninth overall that year. He has played in one NHL game.
- Ilya Bryzgalov was drafted by Anaheim in the second round, 44th overall. Mathieu Chouinard was taken with the very next pick by Ottawa. That’s 189 NHL games vs. 1 NHL game, respectively.
- Peter Hamerlik (Pittsburgh, third round), Jean-Francois Racine (Toronto, third round), Stefan Liv (Detroit, fourth round) and a dozen more goalies were taken before the NY Rangers took Henrik Lundqvist in the seventh round, 205th overall.
All four Islanders prospect goalies I spoke about above could turn into busts. But with a wide selection of goalies, chances are one of them will make it. And with three of them European prospects, the Islanders will hold onto their rights for a long time unless a transfer agreement gets ratified by the IIHF.
Advantage: Islanders.
The Islanders drafted two goalies early on Saturday morning with Mikko Koskinen at # 31 in the second round and Anders Nilsson at # 62 in the third round. Add Stefan Ridderwall, a sixth rounder in 2006, and Kevin Poulin, drafted in the fifth round in 2008, the Islanders most likely have a starting or back-up goaltender of the future in their system.
Why am I so sure about that? Because teams are just as likely to find an NHL goaltender in the first or second round of the draft as they are in rounds three or four or five, six or seven. Most goalies do bust before they get signed by their draft team, but by playing their odds over the last four draft, the Islanders have put themselves in good position to beat the odds.
Look at the 2001 draft:
- The Islanders drafted Rick DiPietro with the first overall pick. For better or for worse, he started an NHL All-Star Game and was the No. 1 goalie on the US Olympic team.
- The Calgary Flames drafted Brent Krahn ninth overall that year. He has played in one NHL game.
- Ilya Bryzgalov was drafted by Anaheim in the second round, 44th overall. Mathieu Chouinard was taken with the very next pick by Ottawa. That’s 189 NHL games vs. 1 NHL game, respectively.
- Peter Hamerlik (Pittsburgh, third round), Jean-Francois Racine (Toronto, third round), Stefan Liv (Detroit, fourth round) and a dozen more goalies were taken before the NY Rangers took Henrik Lundqvist in the seventh round, 205th overall.
All four Islanders prospect goalies I spoke about above could turn into busts. But with a wide selection of goalies, chances are one of them will make it. And with three of them European prospects, the Islanders will hold onto their rights for a long time unless a transfer agreement gets ratified by the IIHF.
Advantage: Islanders.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Draft Observations – Part 1
The reason why I didn’t comment on the this year’s draft before it began or during is two fold: 1) I had no idea what was going to happen and 2) If I guessed right, I didn’t want to be accused of actually knowing and spilling the pot. Bu it’s over now, so here we go.
Jordan Nolan, son of former Islanders head coach Ted Nolan, was finally drafted today by the Los Angeles Kings in the seventh round, 186th overall. This was Jordan’s third and final year of being draft eligible.
In 2007, Jordan’s first year of eligibility, father Ted told me he would be a mid-round selection. Unfortunately for the Nolan family, he went undrafted.
Last year, Ted told me he thought he would be a late round pick. He was a year off.
But this might be a good sign for the Nolan family as Jordan is 20 years old and teams do not usually draft 20-year olds if they do not intend to sign them sooner rather then later. This is somewhat reminiscent of when the Islanders drafted Chris Campoli in 2004 in the later rounds and had him playing in the AHL a few months later. Ditto for Steve Regier that year.
Actually, both Chris and Jordan both went undrafted in their first two years of eligibility, so you never know what can happen.
Congratulation to the Nolan family.
Jordan Nolan, son of former Islanders head coach Ted Nolan, was finally drafted today by the Los Angeles Kings in the seventh round, 186th overall. This was Jordan’s third and final year of being draft eligible.
In 2007, Jordan’s first year of eligibility, father Ted told me he would be a mid-round selection. Unfortunately for the Nolan family, he went undrafted.
Last year, Ted told me he thought he would be a late round pick. He was a year off.
But this might be a good sign for the Nolan family as Jordan is 20 years old and teams do not usually draft 20-year olds if they do not intend to sign them sooner rather then later. This is somewhat reminiscent of when the Islanders drafted Chris Campoli in 2004 in the later rounds and had him playing in the AHL a few months later. Ditto for Steve Regier that year.
Actually, both Chris and Jordan both went undrafted in their first two years of eligibility, so you never know what can happen.
Congratulation to the Nolan family.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Other Players from the ’03 Draft
Looking at the Islanders draft picks from the 2003 Draft and you can think to yourself what could have been. Jeremy Colliton (2nd round , 58th overall) still has potential to be an NHLer (even though he’s now in Europe) and the team struck gold with Bruno Gervais in the sixth round. But looking at where the team picked and who was picked right after, you can’t help but wonder what-if.
Aside from the Nilsson-Bernier-Parise slide in the first round, there are three more occurrences very similar later in the draft.
In the second round, the Islanders took a flyer on a Russian named Dmitri Chernykh at 48. Nashville picked Shea Weber at 49.
In the seventh round, the Islanders drafted Denis Rehak at 212. At 214 Edmonton grabbed Kyle Brodziak.
In the eighth round, the Islanders selected Cody Blanshan at 238. Atlanta took YoungStar Tobias Enstrom at 239.
Any draft could be labeled as missed opportunities for almost any team. If a team drafts two players that make a significant impact per draft, they did well. But the 2003 draft just makes you scratch your head. Probably just bad luck.
Luckily for the Islanders, it seems like they’ve righted their drafting ship in recent years, a big credit to Assistant GM Ryan Jankowski.
Aside from the Nilsson-Bernier-Parise slide in the first round, there are three more occurrences very similar later in the draft.
In the second round, the Islanders took a flyer on a Russian named Dmitri Chernykh at 48. Nashville picked Shea Weber at 49.
In the seventh round, the Islanders drafted Denis Rehak at 212. At 214 Edmonton grabbed Kyle Brodziak.
In the eighth round, the Islanders selected Cody Blanshan at 238. Atlanta took YoungStar Tobias Enstrom at 239.
Any draft could be labeled as missed opportunities for almost any team. If a team drafts two players that make a significant impact per draft, they did well. But the 2003 draft just makes you scratch your head. Probably just bad luck.
Luckily for the Islanders, it seems like they’ve righted their drafting ship in recent years, a big credit to Assistant GM Ryan Jankowski.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
TSN.ca: Feuding Owners in Tampa
TSN.ca Headline: FEUDING LIGHTNING OWNERS MEET WITH COMMISSIONER BETTMAN
For the past few seasons, it doesn't seem like the Lightning can get it together. Steven Stamkos is a wonderful kid and in the few times I met him, you get the feeling that you want to biuld a franchise around him. But last year they basically hyjaked his rookie season with over-marketing and over-hyping him. The team also let go of a lot good and long-time staffers like PR man and my colleague Jay Preble, but have not replaced them with adequate replacements.
There is no doubt the lockout hurt this franchise more than any other.
The Lightning have a really good arena, a pretty good area surrounding the arena and a fan base that will support the team. Hopefully this ownership group can right the ship after this meeting with the Commissioner and find a way to make it work.
If the team has good leadship from above, then Tampa Bay will become a strong team on the ice again.
For the past few seasons, it doesn't seem like the Lightning can get it together. Steven Stamkos is a wonderful kid and in the few times I met him, you get the feeling that you want to biuld a franchise around him. But last year they basically hyjaked his rookie season with over-marketing and over-hyping him. The team also let go of a lot good and long-time staffers like PR man and my colleague Jay Preble, but have not replaced them with adequate replacements.
There is no doubt the lockout hurt this franchise more than any other.
The Lightning have a really good arena, a pretty good area surrounding the arena and a fan base that will support the team. Hopefully this ownership group can right the ship after this meeting with the Commissioner and find a way to make it work.
If the team has good leadship from above, then Tampa Bay will become a strong team on the ice again.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
E5: Mets Targeting Ryan Smyth?
This morning, Metsblog creator Matthew Cerrone blogged that Jon Heyman of SI.com and Buster Olney of ESPN.com wrote that the injury-riddled Mets can add payroll to their roster to help improve their chances of winning this season. Example: Trade for a high-end talent that will probably cost prospects.
Cerrone then went on to comment on the trade target possibilities that could be on the Mets radar. To sum it quickly, the Mets would have to give high-end prospects for a player who could only be on their roster for just a few months and/or could create a backlog on the roster for the young, up-and-coming players when the veteran, injured players come back.
The reason I bring up this topic and the Mets on a hockey blog is to comment on the notion if giving up prospects is for a short-term solution is worth it.
I guess it all depends on what the status of the franchise in question is. Is a team currently in the middle of a rebuild or towards the end of it -- probably still a season away from the end of the tunnel -- but wants a jump start? Is the team heavily comprised of veterans and have a win-now mentality? Is this a must-win season for the team because of aging stars, stars with contracts running out or a GM and/or coach on the hot-seat?
A lot goes into the decision on whether to mortgage the future with prospects for a veteran. It doesn’t always work either. Some time it does.
The 2009 Stanley Cup Champions Pittsburgh Penguins had to give up one of their top prospects in Eric Tangradi to acquire Chris Kunitz from Anaheim. For the production on and off the ice they got from Bill Guerin, they made it up with a steal in that trade (a rare win-win for both teams).
On the other side, Calgary had to give up a defenseman with some promise in Ryan Wilson plus a valuable second round pick for Jordan Leopold who is slated for free agency this summer. That trade did not work out well for the Flames.
Trading away prospects is a risky business.
And while I was looking over what I wrote above, Cerrone blogged again quoting another Heyman report that a Mets official said they will not mortgage their future for a short-term solution. Not that I doubt Heyman, but it’s always easier for a team to say that now when the trade deadline is still more then a month away.
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P.s. I'm working on setting up a comments section.
Edit (3:22 PM) If you have any suggestions, please e-mail me at CWittBlog@gmail.com. Thanks!
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