20 Games In: Around the NHL

Who's Streaking?

Philadelphia Flyers (15-6-2)
Philadelphia has started off the season at a blazing pace, they have been one of the most dominant teams to start off the season, and don't think this is a fluke. The Flyers are 2nd in the league in goal scoring with 3.5 per game and 6th in the league on defense with just 2.5 goals against per game.

A major factor to why they have been so dominant is the emergence of Claude Giroux and Sergei Bobrovsky. Giroux has scored at a rate of 1 point per game with 23 in 23 games, looking to easily eclipse his career high of 47 points. Bobrovsky has been outstanding in his rookie year, playing 17 games with an impressive 12 wins, and sitting in the top 10 for both save percentage and goals against average.

Detroit Red Wings (13-4-2)
Those of us who watch hockey on a year to year basis, know that Detroit tends to always wind up in the playoffs. Regardless of their start, which this year has been great, they tend to be there at the end. Luckily for us, they aren't looking to take the suspenseful route this year. Don't be surprised if they hold down the top spot in the West for quite some time.

Detroit has once again been an offensive powerhouse, totaling 3.53 Goals per game(2nd in the league), much due to Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg and Nicklas Lidstrom all scoring over a point per game pace. However, in typical Detroit fashion, secondary scoring is coming from everywhere you look.

Washington Capitals (15-6-2)
It's not very often that you can say a player is having a "down year" when they are third in the league in points, but there may be no other way to describe Alex Ovechkin's season to date. This becomes much less of a problem when you also have the NHL's 5th and 11th leading scorers(Semin, Backstrom). Washington's "big three" are producing better than they ever have.

Away from the usual suspects, Washington is seeing some great play from rookie standout John Carlson, who sits second to Mike Green on the Capitals for ice time. Carlson is a great two way defenseman who is complemented nicely by Green, who has made some strides in his defensive zone play. Goaltending has been a slight issue for the Caps, as rookie Braden Holtby has struggled when backing up Michael Neuvirth(also a rookie). With Semyon Varlamov back in action and Neuvirth now out, Washington is due for some stability at the position, which they should get once Neuvirth returns shortly.



Who's Slumping?


New York Islanders (4-12-5)
It's hard to peg down one reason why the Islanders have been this bad, but the explanation is, it has been way more than one thing. Their last win came on October 21st against Tampa Bay, and frustration is reaching a high in New York. Thought to be due for a breakout year, Josh Bailey has been sent down to Bridgeport. After a solid start Bailey has really struggled to get his offensive game going. The Islanders are 2nd to last in Goals Per Game as well as Goals Against Per Game, and have had issues all over the ice. Another notable stat to look at, is that the Islanders have not won a single game this season when trailing after the 1st period. Although I wouldn't expect them to go winless for this long of a period again this season, don't look for the Islanders anywhere but the golf course come spring time.

New Jersey Devils (7-13-2)
Not straying too far from the same region, the Devils have surprisingly been one of the leagues worst teams this year. Off of the heels of Kovalchuk's 100 Million Dollar contract, expectations were high, if New Jersey's always solid defense could finally get elite level scoring, what reason was there to expect a poor record? Unfortunately things haven't worked too well on either side of ice for New Jersey, they sit 20th in Goals Against, and dead last in Goals For. It has become a season full of question marks for the Devils, Will Kovalchuk turn it around? How long will Parise really be out? and most importantly, Can either of those players help turn around this horrid start?

Edmonton Oilers (5-11-4)
Finally, the least surprising addition to this category, yet again, the Oilers are struggling. Although it seems that this team's young stars are starting to gel, it is blatantly clear that they are a ways off from a complete rebuild. Look for another year in the basement for this team, and another high draft pick. As you may expect from a young team, the Oilers are dead last in Goals Against at an abysmal 3.95, which can largely be attributed to their awful 67.9% penalty kill. While you could chalk this up as part of the rebuild, it may be of concern that the rebuild, as of now, doesn't contain any true standout defenseman. Adam Larsson may already be in the Edmonton Oilers future plans.

Prospect Profile: Jeff Skinner

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Jeff Skinner
Height: 5'10
Weight: 193lbs
Current Team: Carolina Hurricanes
Draft: 2010 - 7th Overall

After being drafted 7th overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes, fans were ecstatic about Jeff Skinner, and in retrospect, rightfully so. It seemed that Carolina had finally found it's elite goal scoring presence to go with franchise center Eric Staal. However, not many truly expected him to stick with the Hurricanes, much less put up points at the level he has. In his very young career Skinner has played some great hockey, leading all rookies in points and proving himself worthy of such a high selection.

Jeff Skinner started his major junior career in 2008 with the Kitchener Rangers, being selected 20th in the OHL Bantam Draft. Skinner made an immediate impact at this level, leading the Rangers in goals scored in his rookie season, reaching a total of 51 points in 63 games. However it was his following season in which he truly "broke out", scoring 50 goals(21 on the powerplay) and totaling 90 points in 64 games, leading a much improved Kitchener team to the OHL playoffs. In the playoffs Skinner stepped up his game to yet another level, scoring 20 goals in 20 games and adding 13 assists. Kitchener would take eventual Memorial Cup Champion Windsor to seven games and come up just short. Skinner was subsequently invited to play for Team Orr in the 2010 CHL Top Prospects Game in which he was named player of the game with a goal and an assist.

Leading up to the 2010 NHL Entry Draft in Los Angeles, Jeff Skinner was an interesting prospect. His nose for the net was undeniable, everyone was well aware that he could score goals in bunches. It also seemed as if Skinner played his best hockey when it truly mattered, but his rating by central scouting was not very indicative of this. However questions were raised about his skating, although he was a former high level figure skater it was unknown whether his skating ability would be sufficient at the NHL level. Not concerned by the doubts, the Carolina Hurricanes chose Jeff Skinner 7th overall, despite players such as Cam Fowler and Brandon Gormley(Ranked 5th and 6th respectively) still on the board. Although there was a perceived need for a legit goal scoring threat to compliment Eric Staal, some people still thought that Carolina should focus on it's defense after being one of the 5 worst teams in the NHL in goals against per game. However, the late season emergence of Skinner was enough to sell Jim Rutherford on his abilities.

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Skinner was seen by many as a "Boom/Bust" type of prospect, either his game would translate well, and he may be a goal scoring star in this league, or his type of play would not translate at all, and another struggling team may have wasted an early pick. With a rep as a small forward early in his career, Skinner showed up to camp weighing 193lbs skating as fluid as ever, and hopes for him to stay in Carolina were way up. In late September he was signed to his entry-level contract, three years for a grand total of $2.7 Million. It was in training camp and preseason that fans got to see him at the NHL level, and he was impressively strong on the ice, and very hard to push off the puck, a great asset for a player that many thought to be an unimpressive skater.

It didn't take long for Skinner to start producing, in just his second NHL game on October 8th, he notched his first assist, and scored the game winning shootout goal against the Minnesota Wild, making him the 3rd youngest player to score in the shootout. Shortly after his debut, the Hurricanes announced that Skinner would be staying the season in Carolina, much to the delight of fans. This marked the start of a 14 game tear, in which he totaled 15 points, pulling away from all other rookies. Skinner has already seen some top line duty with Eric Staal, however he has spent the majority of his season playing second line minutes. Since his 14 game break out, he has just one point in 5 games, cooling off, but still playing strong hockey. As stated in my Early Season Calder Watch if Skinner can produce close to his early pace, he is a lock for a Calder Nomination. It is of course, not realistic to expect a point per game, but if he continues on his season pace toward 65 points, he should not only be a lock for a nomination, but close to a sure thing to win it.

With a lot of hockey left to play in 2010-2011, it is uncertain if Jeff Skinner will hold his pace, but Carolina fans have a huge upside to be excited about. Even at the highest level, Skinner has a nac for creating plays and finding the net despite being the youngest player currently playing in the NHL. His ceiling is extremely high, he projects as a 35-50 goal scorer who can keep plays alive and distribute the puck fairly well. Only time will tell, but it appears that the Carolina Hurricanes have a very special player on their hands.

Early Season Calder Watch 2010-2011

So here we are, about a quarter of the way through this young NHL season. We have seen our share of surprises already this season, many of them coming from the strong rookie class of 2010-2011. Here's a look at the early favorites for the Calder Trophy.

1. Jeff Skinner F, Carolina Hurricanes

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Many expected Jeff Skinner to be playing in Kitchener this season, so when it was announced that he would be sticking with Carolina, more than a few heads were turned. Skinner's performance this season has surprised everyone, putting up 15 points in 19 games to date, and even getting some top line minutes with Eric Staal, showing off just how skilled he is. If Jeff Skinner does happen to hold his early season pace, he's a shoe-in for a Calder nomination.

2. Logan Couture F, San Jose Sharks

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Unlike Skinner, Logan Couture was expected to do big things this season. Playing 25 regular season games last year(1 short of losing his Calder eligibility), Couture scored 5 goals, assisting on 4 more, and also scored 4 goals in 15 post season games. Although those aren't spectacular stats, Couture brings more than just an offensive presence, he is very defensively sound at all areas of the ice. High hopes have translated into strong performances for Couture, tallying 12 points in his first 18 games. Due to Couture's reliable all around play, he has even stepped up to the top line in the absence of Joe Thornton, and with Thornton in the lineup, he has taken a permanent role in the top 6, supplanting Devin Setoguchi.

3. Sergei Bobrovsky G, Philadelphia Flyers

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To put it bluntly, Sergei Bobrovsky didn't have a name before this season. Outside of Philadelphia, very few people had even heard of the Russian goaltender. Bobrovsky made himself known in a hurry, starting the season with 2 wins and 2 losses, followed by a span of 10 games in which he did not have a regulation loss, going 9-0-1. Bobrovsky has posted a .925 save percentage and a 2.29 goals against average, good for 9th and 10th in the entire league(although those stats are slightly skewed by a wild game vs. Tampa Bay on Thursday). Although it is very hard for a goaltender to win the Calder, it seems with 11 wins in just 16 games, Bobrovsky is aiming to do just that.

4. Jordan Eberle F, Edmonton Oilers

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Jordan Eberle was a Canadian hockey hero before he ever put on an Oilers Jersey, but with high end prospects Taylor Hall and Magnus Paajarvi in town, Eberle was not expected to be the main attraction in Edmonton. Eberle has outperformed both Hall and Paajarvi in his first 18 games, and has done so in spectacular fashion. In his young NHL career Eberle already has a number of highlight reel goals, but flair aside his 12 points in 18 games is good for 3rd on his team and has even earned him some top line minutes.

5. Tyler Ennis F, Buffalo Sabres

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Much in the same way as Jordan Eberle, Tyler Ennis has been proving skeptics wrong ever since juniors. Comments about his size have time and time again been proven wrong. Ennis first came into the NHL late last season, notching 9 points in 10 regular season games. Ennis went on to be the Sabres top forward in a short playoff stint against Boston. This year, Ennis has 11 points in his first 21 games, and his ability to keep plays alive with his stick skills have made him yet another rookie spending some minutes on the top line.

Honorable Mention: Michael Neuvirth, PK Subban, John Carlson

2 Suspensions in the NHL

A couple of suspensions were made official in the NHL today.

The first offender was Mattias Ritola of the Tampa Bay Lightning, who was suspended 2 games for this hit on Matt Moulson. A hit from behind, yes, but he also left his feet quite a bit. Well deserved suspension, a repeat offender would be looking at 5 for this kind of hit. Moulson did return to the game after sitting out for a little while.



The second suspension came from Olli Jokinen, this one much more blatant. Jokinen has been suspended 3 games for this cross check to the head of Wojtek Wolski. Scrums are one thing, a lot is said and done that you may not see when a group of players get together. However, this is completely unacceptable.

Calgary Flames-Carolina Hurricanes Trade

Calgary Flames Trade: D Ian White, F Brett Sutter

Carolina Hurricanes Trade: D Anton Babchuk, F Tom Kostopoulos



This trade seems rather insignificant in general. Defense and Forward for Defense and Forward, likely just change for the sake of change. Although Carolina still does have a rather high number of forwards on the roster, another move may be imminent.

Prospect Profile: Cody Hodgson

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Cody Hodgson
Height: 6'0
Weight: 185lbs
Current Team: Manitoba Moose
NHL Rights: Vancouver Canucks
Draft: 2008 - 10th Overall

After being drafted 10th overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, the hockey world was screaming "steal." A two way center that can find the net, Cody Hodgson is as complete of a forward prospect as you see drafted these days. However after 3 consecutive years of not making the big club in Vancouver, many of those same fans are screaming "bust."

Hodgson first broke on to the scene in his first season with the Brampton Batallion of the OHL where he was the leading rookie scorer for the team with 46 points in 63 games, adding four more in as many games in an abrupt playoff run against Barrie. The following season was the key to Hodgson's top 10 draft status. Back with Brampton for his sophomore season, he tallied 85 points in 68 games, however the Batallion were once again eliminated by Barrie, with Hodgson scoring 5 goals in 5 games.

The following summer Hodgson was drafted 10th overall by the Vancouver Canucks, later than many had speculated. His most touted attribute had been his hockey sense, however Mike Gillis, GM of the Canucks also stated that Hodgson's leadership and character were an important factor in picking him with their first round selection. Hodgson was subsequently signed to a 3 year entry level contract, worth the rookie max of $2.625 Million. This signing along with Hodgson's production in the OHL led most fans to believe that he would make the team straight out of camp, however one day after the signing Hodgson was sent back to Brampton. This raised many eyebrows in Vancouver, many fans and experts started questioning whether Hodgson was the star center they envisioned drafting, however most still believed in his talents, given his undeniable sense for the game.

Upon returning to Brampton, Hodgson was named the team captain, and was expected to dominate in his third year in the juniors. Hodgson did just that, racking up 92 points in 53 games, adding 31 more in 21 playoff games en route to the OHL Finals where they came up short against the Windsor Spitfires. Hodgson racked up the awards for this outstanding season. He won the Red Tilson Trophy for being the OHL's most outstanding player, the William Hanley Trophy for being the OHL's most sportsmanlike player, CHL Player of the Year while making the OHL's First All Star Team. This performance put any doubt of Hodgson's ability on hold, in fact Vancouver fans were pleased to find out that Hodgson would be joining the Manitoba Moose for their playoff run. Hodgson was expectantly productive in his 11 games with Manitoba, scoring twice and also assisting on 4 goals.

Adding to his impressive resume for the year, Hodgson was selected to play for Team Canada for the 2009 World Junior Championships in Ottawa. Dominating yet again, Hodgson led the tournament with 16 points en route to Canada's 15th Gold Medal at the event. Hodgson was named to the all star team for the tournament as well.

The doubts once again resurfaced the following summer, when Hodgson was injured while working out in preparation for the 2009-2010 training camp, taking two months away from his summer training with diagnosis of a bulging disc in his back. In September Hodgson was cleared to play by Canucks medical staff, however he looked out of place in the pre-season, and many believed that he had not fully recovered from his back injury. As a consequence of his poor performances, Hodgson was once again sent to Brampton. Not convinced that he himself was 100%, Hodgson sought another opinion at a clinic in Ohio, in response, Canucks coach Alain Vigneault indirectly suggested that Hodgson was using the injury as an excuse for a poor training camp. The Cleveland Clinic discovered an injury that was not diagnosed, a muscle strain which was aggravated during rehabilitation for a bulging disc.

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Hodgson missed out on the first 50 games of the OHL season, returning February 4, 2010. Soon after, there was some media controversy, when it was suggested that Hodgson did not want to work with Vancouver trainer Dave Gagner. However the truth was that Hodgson said he would be working with Canucks staff in Toronto, not that he was avoiding Canucks staff. Mike Gillis was noticeably upset about the writer's version of what happened, stating that there was a "serious gap" from the reports, to the truth. Luck still wasn't on Hodgson's side, he injured his foot eight days after his return, and 9 games later it was revealed that he had a hairline fracture in a few bones in his foot. Hodgson finished the season up with a total of 20 points in 13 games, as well as 10 in 11 playoff games. He was once again supposed to join the Manitoba Moose for another playoff run, but after his statement that he was never fully recovered from his toe injury, as well as a failed assessment by Canucks team doctors, it was determined that he would sit out.

The following off season, with Canucks approval, Hodgson trained with Gary Roberts who had trained with Steven Stamkos prior to his 51 goal season. Roberts himself returned from a major neck injury to play many more seasons, so the tension of Hodgson's injury was slightly relieved with this information. Once again battling for a roster spot with minor injury issues, Hodgson was eventually sent down to Manitoba. Hodgson up to now(11/15/2010) leads Manitoba in points and goals, and has looked very promising thus far.

So what is to make of the story of Cody Hodgson? Through the ups and downs it is important to look through to the facts. Cody Hodgson as a prospect has an elite skill set, as well as an outstanding sense for the game. His run of bad luck seems to have been his biggest set back, Hodgson isn't an injury prone player, and he has performed at the top of every level he has played at to date.

His upside is still a probable top six center, potentially a gamebreaking center. Players like Hodgson who are sound in most(if not all) aspects of the game, and have great instincts, don't usually bust. He has all the makings of a Jonathan Toews/Ryan Kesler type of center, and if he continues to progress in the AHL, there is no reason to think Hodgson won't become an impact player at the NHL level.

Jeff Carter Re-Signs with Philadelphia. 11 Years, 58 Million.

Jeff Carter has officially re-signed with Philadelphia.

11 Years, 58 Million for a 5.27M/Year Cap Hit.

As far as the cap hit goes, obvious bargain. Jeff Carter is the type of player that would demand(and certainly get) 6 Million per year in UFA, however as an RFA, and maybe somewhat of a hometown discount, he is now signed with the Flyers until his late 30's. Another great signing to go with the Giroux extension earlier this week.

Stay tuned for the official terms of the deal, I would call it unlikely that actual price of this contract is 5.27 per year. Likely a peak in salary in the middle of the contract.

David Backes Signs New 5 Year Deal (4.5M/Yr)

As per the St. Louis Blues Twitter.

"Blues forward David Backes has signed a 5-year contract extension with the Blues."

As per CapGeek


5 years, 4.5 Million/Year


Rumor has it that a no trade clause is included in the deal. Will confirm when I can.




As for the signing, it should have definitely been expected. While 4.5 may seem a little high for an inconsistent offensive performer, this deal has to be looked at in a few ways.


1. Backes is a two way forward, who brings a lot to the table in both ends. He's an intimidating big hitter, sound positionally and also contributes offensively despite only having 6 points in 14 outings this year. More importantly, he is a great leader who is likely to be wearing the "C" in the next couple years.


2. This is a UFA contract, the price naturally goes up.


3. The even more inconsistent Brad Boyes is playing on the Blues at a cap hit of 4 Million per year. Giving Backes more money than Boyes was important to the Blues going forward, as a sign of priority. This opens up the possibility of a deadline deal this year, or next(in Boyes' contract year).

Drop The Puck

And so begins this blog, let me introduce you to not only me and my background, but also what I intend to do by posting in this blog.

First off, me. I am a student at the University of Manitoba. To put it bluntly, as I will many times throughout this blog, I love hockey. From childhood to now in my 20's I have followed this sport, and this is an opportunity to combine my love of writing with that passion, and engage with you guys in whatever debates or conversations may arise.

The focus of this blog will not be on the NHL alone, but as a bigger picture, yes it is the subject. I will many times delve into the world of hockey prospects, changes in the game, popular debates ranging from rule changes to suspensions, and performances. Eventually I might add in some Fantasy and Picks, but I'll follow the success of this blog first to gauge interest before going too far.

I am a semi-experienced writer, so I will try to keep the views in this blog as objective as possible, while not being one of many "report-only" blogs that are already out there. My writing style is fairly to the point, and my grammar and mechanics will be correct. I want to spark a fire in you guys, get you thinking, engaging and interacting as much as possible

To end this abrupt introduction, please, if you enjoy my writing let me know. If there are topics you would like to see me discuss, again, let me know. The fact is that this doesn't exist without any interest, tell your friends, tell whoever you like. I'll emphasize again, this isn't for me alone, you as the audience have the opportunity to engage with me in these topics and guide my future topics.

Hope to hear from you,

Shaun

P.S. The page indeed will be getting a major aesthetic overhaul.