C’est assez incroyable ce qui est en train de se passer chez le Canadien. En moins de deux semaines, l’équipe a perdu, au profit de la liste des blessés, Jaroslav Spacek, Brian Gionta, Scott Gomez, et probablement les deux frères Kostistyn en plus ! Le plus vieux se serait blessé en troisième hier en recevant un tir d’un défenseur de Columbus. Sergei, lui, a une entorse et est incertain.

Je suis excité de voir David Desharnais commencer le match pour le CH ce soir, ça a l’air d’un très bon joueur, mais je préfère quand même compter sur une équipe de partants et de vrais joueurs établis de la LNH !

En plus, Montréal va peut-être devoir jouer à seulement 19 joueurs ce soir si la décision de Sergei s’avère négative.

Eh merde! Va falloir voir d’où vient tout ça. Malchance, ou un mauvais entraînement ? Il est à remarquer que, des nouveaux venus du Canadien, seuls Paul Mara, Travis Moen et Marc-André Bergeron seront en uniforme ce soir.

Au moins, l’équipe est en train de se batir une personnalité, est en train de devenir, en fait, une VRAIE équipe. Le Tricolore n’a pas perdu en temps réglementaire à ses quatre derniers matchs malgré l’absence de ces joueurs importants. Je ne serais pas surpris par une défaite ce soir, la question est de savoir si le Tricolore va bien ou mal perdre. C’est un vrai test pour la troupe de Jacques Martin. J’espère qu’on gagnera, ou qu’on perdra avec dignité ce soir, sans abandonner Price et lui laisser 40-50 tirs. Ça serait mauvais pour tout le monde.

Parlant de personnalité, deux joueurs retiennent mon attention : Tomas Plekanec et Mike Cammalleri. Le premier a appris à jouer sans Kovalev et en tant que centre #1 “à temps plein”, et il relève très bien le défi avec 24 points, dont 19 passes (!) en autant de matchs ; Cammalleri, lui, en est déjà à 12 buts et semble se reprendre après une passe plus tranquille. L’équipe repose actuellement sur ces deux joueurs… et sur Price, ne l’oubliant.

Un seul hic à tout ça : Plekanec n’est pas sous contrat pour 2010-2011, et si Gainey ne lui fait pas apposer sa signature au bas d’un document au cours des prochaines semaines, il pourrait lui coûter très très très très cher cet été, surtout si Tomas continue sur sa lancée et fait 85-90 points.

Grouille-toi Robert !

Bergeron scored 14 goals with the Wild last season, but he failed to impress in other categories.

If there’s one game on Wednesday’s schedule I’m watching for fantasy purposes, it’s Montreal’s visit to Pittsburgh at 7:30 pm EST. The focus of my attention is Canadiens D Marc-Andre Bergeron, who had a fantasy game for the ages in Tuesday night’s 5-3 home victory vs. the Blue Jackets.

He scored two goals — a feat which should open fantasy eyes irrespective of player position.

But since Bergeron is a blueliner, well — the feat immediately begged questions about his roster worthiness.

Moreover, Bergeron tallied eight shots on goal and a +3 in the contest.

So: Is Bergeron worth adding?

The short answer: Yes, if your biggest need is goals and your No. 4 D is a fringe guy. If Bergeron does anything, it’s score goals. His 14 with the Wild last year ranked 11th among all defensemen. He also netted 15 goals with the Oilers back in 2005-06. Further back, in 2000-01, he scored 42 goals with the Shawinigan Cataractes of the QMJHL.

But don’t expect Bergeron, 29, to help you across the board. In six seasons as a pro, he has never amassed more than 170 shots or 40 PIMs in a campaign. His PP productivity is solid (between 14-25 PPP per season) but not spectacular. Despite his 14 goals last season, he was only the No. 47-ranked D in the Yahoo! game because of his so-so totals in other categories.

Still, if you need goals, M-to-the-A-to-the-B is your man. He is owned in only 5.2 percent of ESPN leagues and 9 percent of Yahoo! formats, so take the plunge. Eight shots on goal in a game are nothing to sneeze at.

photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons

En månad före jul tog Montreal emot Columbus Blue Jackets i nattens enda NHL-match. Efter att ha legat under med 3-2 inför sista perioden så vände Montreal och vann med 5-3. Detta trots att man har viktiga spelare som Andre Markov, Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta, Jaroslav Spacek och Hal Gill på skadelistan. Anton Strålman gjorde en bra match för Columbus, med ett mål och en assist, men det räckte inte hela vägen fram den här gången.

Canadiens nyförvärv Mike Cammalleri (med förflutet i Los Angeles och Calgary) gjorde matchens första mål men Columbus kvitterade kort därefter när lagets storstjärna Rick Nash läckert spelade fram förre Ottawa-spelaren Antoine Vermette. Strålman fick den andra assisten på målet. Blue Jackets tog också ledningen i powerplay efter att Montreals Josh Gorges åkt ut för tripping efter en halvt misslyckad hederlig gammal arseltackling. Efter en del flipper hamnade trissan hos Strålman som satte den bakom Carey Price i Montreal-kassen.

Columbus var hetare än Montreal i första och andra perioden, men trots stort underläge i skott kunde Marc-Andre Bergeron kvittera för Habs efter knappt halva andra. Ungefär en minut efter kvitteringen åkte dock Montreal på en utvisning. Travis Moen trycktes upp i sargen av Rick Nash och det såg misstänkt ut som att Moen slog huvudet i plexit, utan åtgärd från domaren som stod två meter från situationen. Moen surnade till och gav tillbaks och fick en tvåa för roughing och Columbus gjorde förstås mål på det efterföljande numerära överläget.

Fler mål blev det dock inte i andra perioden och det var mycket tack vare matchens lirare, Carey Price. Totalt fick Price mota 33 skott i första och andra perioden och 8 i den sista. Hade det inte varit för att Price höll kvar Habs i matchen så hade det förmodligen slutat annorlunda. Den unga lovande målvakten blev dock högst välförtjänt utsedd till matchens lirare.

I sista perioden kom Montreal igen starkt och vände genom att göra tre mål innan matchen var slut. Max Pacioretty spelade fram backveteranen Roman Hamrlik som drog på ett rungande skott i ribban bakom Columbus målis Mathieu Garon (som startade sin NHL-karriär i Montreal) och i villervallan som uppstod kunde Glen Metropolit slå in kvitteringen. Drygt två minuter senare skapade Habs kaos i Columbus försvarszon igen och Bergeron kunde sätta sitt andra mål och ge Canadiens ledningen med 4-3. Maxime Lapierre fastställde slutresultatet till 5-3 med knappt fem minuter kvar, efter en kontring iscensatt av Sergei Kostitsyn, yngre bror till Montreals forward Andrei Kostitsyn. Det var för övrigt Sergeis första NHL-match för säsongen. Montreal kunde sen hålla undan utan några större problem inför en jublande hemmapublik i Bell Centre och man kunde sålunda bärga den fjärde segern på fem matcher.

Hoppas på repris inatt när Montreal åker till Pittsburgh för att ta sig an Sidney Crosbys och Evgeni Malkins Pengiuns, regerande Stanley Cup-mästare.

Here is my run down of the five best off-season acquisition bargains of 2009.

1) Craig Anderson, Colorado Avalanche

Over looked by most of the NHL after three quiet seasons in Florida, Anderson started to take on a bigger role last season as starter Thomas Vokoun struggled early in the season.  Anderson shined in his expanded role, playing in 31 games, while starting 27, winning 15 and pitching three shut-outs.   He racked a solid .924 save percentage with a 2.71 goals against average on a non-playoff team.  Still when Colorado signed Anderson during the off-season attempt to fix its goaltending issues, it was hardly a blimp on the radar screen for most NHL analysts.  Well it took just one game on national television for Anderson to make his presence felt.  Colorado’s home opener, Joe Sakic Night at the Pepsi Center, turned into Craig Anderson night, as Anderson racked up 38 saves in a surprising 5-2 win over the San Jose Sharks.  Anderson backed up the performance two nights later with a 3-0, 35 save shut-out victory over the Vancouver Canucks.  The Avalanche and Anderson have not looked back since, as Anderson has posted a stellar 6-1-2 record with a .934 save percentage and a 2.06 GAA.

2) Maxim Afinogenov, Atlanta Thrashers

If you thought Anderson was a steal, wait until you hear about Maxim Afinogenov.  Afinogenov wasn’t even given a contract by the Thrashers until the season almost started, instead joining the club’s training camp on a tryout basis.  Afinogenov was coming off an expensive contract with the Buffalo Sabres, where he suffered through injuries and nights of being a healthy scratch over the past two seasons.  Afinogenov dropped from 73 and 61 point seasons in 2005-2006 and 2006-2007, to 28 and 20 point seasons in 2007-2008 and 2008-2009.  However, it did not take long for the explosive Russian to make an impact with the lowly Thrashers.  Coupling countrymen Ilya Kovalchuk and Slava Kozlov with Afinogenov has given the Thrashers a gifted, speedy offense that is among the best in the NHL.  Though Afinogenov only has 5 points, and is a -5, the talented Russian has looked like old explosive self on the ice.  It looks to be only a matter of time before Afinogenov clicks with Thrashers like he did in his best years with Buffalo.

3) Vaclav Prospel, New York Rangers

Left for dead after a miserable 2008-2009 with Tampa Bay, where he collected only 45 points and was -20, Prospel is having one of the NHL’s great comeback seasons, and already has 12 points.  “Vinny” is an immensely talented play-maker who just couldn’t find the right fit in Tampa last season, and whose play mirrored the teams.  But Prospel has found a home on the Rangers top lines, and seems to have great chemistry with New York’s other great reclamation project Marian Gaborik.  Considering how tight the Rangers are always to the Salary Cap, picking up a discounted and extremely low risk Prospel was an excellent decision for New York’s GM Glen Sather.

4) Marc-Andre Bergeron, Montreal Canadians

I almost have to put a caveat on this signing because it was not during the off-season, but Montreal pulled the trigger on signing this power-play specialist after their top defenseman Andrei Markov suffered a major leg injury in the first game of the season.  Bergeron will never acquire the nickname of being a defensive specialist, but with Montreal he is certainly not needed to be.  Instead, all he has to do is match his 14 goal output from a season ago with Minnesota, and be an effective puck mover for the Canadians–a role Bergeron seems perfectly adept for as he has already chipped in two points in his first two games.  If Bergeron can continue lug over 16 minutes of ice time for Montreal as he had in his first two games, the offensive-minded defenseman will be a fantastic asset for the Habs.

5) Jay McKee, Pittsburgh Penguins

McKee, the lost and almost forgotten shot-blocking specialist career took a turn for the worst with the St. Louis Blues over the past three seasons.   McKee signed a big deal with the Blues after a great run with Buffalo, and just could not get past a rash of injuries and playing defense on one of the worst teams in the NHL.  With the exodus of Hal Gill and Rob Scuderi in the off-season, the defending champion Penguins had quite a void in the defensive specialists department, and a tight budget.  Enter McKee, who showed signs of his previous self in the Blues miracle run to the playoffs last year, where the stalwart carried a plus/minus of plus 11, good for fourth best on the team.  This season McKee has taken a huge role with the Penguins, helping the team to the best start in the league.  McKee is a plus 7, and has  racked up 21 minutes in penalties protecting his teammates.

Five Honorable Mentions:

Steve Begin, Boston Bruins

Kyle Quincey, Colorado Avalanche

John Madden, Chicago Blackhawks

Brendan Morrison, Washington Capitals

Saku Koivu, Anaheim Ducks

Marc-Andre Bergeron made his premiere for the Montreal Canadiens last night; it didn’t go perfectly. He took a hooking penalty in his first shift, and then in the second period he gets absolutely CRUSHED into the boards on a massive hit from the Atlanta Thrashers’ Colby Armstrong. Bergeron’s teammates immediately come to his defense swinging, but Bergeron just stands, very unsteadily, nearby watching the scrum trying to clear his head.

After suffering a likely concussion on a devastating check from Colby Armstrong of the Atlanta Thrashers, Montreal defensemen Marc-Andre Bergeron was questionably allowed to return to the ice in Tuesday night’s game between the Thrashers and Canadiens. Minutes after the blow that left Bergeron in a semi-conscious state, the blue-liner identified 81 year old hockey legend Gordie Howe as the culprit. “Man, I didn’t even see Gordie coming. The old man’s still got it,” proclaimed Bergeron as team doctors checked his status. “The last thing I remember is going back to get the puck behind our net and then out of the corner of my eye I see big old #9 with those famous elbows of his coming at me, and boom everything went black.” Even though Howe played his last NHL game in 1971 and is now a longtime grandfather, Montreal doctors cleared Bergeron to play and told him he looked “good to go.”

Le Canadien a finalement mis fin à sa série de défaites en enregistrant une victoire en tirs de barrage contre les Trashers d’Atlanta. Ce ne fût pas un grand match alors il ne faut pas croire que le Canadien est sorti de son bourbier. Marc-André Bergeron, que certains fefans encensaient déjà avant même qu’il ait donné un coup de patin au Centre Bell a semblé hésitant et n’a finalement pas apporté la contribution souhaitée.

Alors que tous s’entendent pour dire que son rappel était directement lié à ses capacités offensives, ça faisait tout drôle d’entre Bergeron dire en entrevue après le match qu’il s’était concentré sur sa défensive ce soir… Allez donc savoir!

Après la visite de Tavares et des Islanders jeudi soir, le vrai test aura lieu samedi alors que les Rangers de New York seront en ville.

Suite à leur défaite d’hier aux mains des Sénateurs d’Ottawa par la marque de 3-1, le Canadien de Montréal a rappellé le défenseur Marc-André Bergeront en renfort.

Sincèrement chers fans, pensez-vous vraiment que ça changera quelque chose ?

J’en doute.

Le Canadien a été nul hier contre Ottawa.  Bien sûr ils ne termineront pas l’année avec 75 défaites mais l’effort n’y est pas.  L’instinct du marqueur n’y est pas.

Marc-André Bergeront a-t-il cette instinct de marqueur?  Bien sûr que non, il est défenseur.

Le Canadien a annoncé plus tôt aujourd’hui qu’il accordait un contrat d’un an d’une valeur de 750 000 $ au défenseur Marc-André Bergeron. Ce n’est pas trop tôt ont dit certains. En effet, ils sont nombreux à avoir souhaité depuis un moment la venue de Bergeron à Montréal, en fait, depuis la saison 2006-07.

Je me souviens qu’à l’époque, quelques membres des médias auraient volontiers transigé pour Marc-André s’ils avaient été dans la peau de Gainey (imaginez tout le plaisir qu’on aurait si à la place de John Malkovich, le tunnel du 7e étage ½ du Mertin Flemmer Building menait à la tête de Bob Gainey). Surtout que les Islanders avait acquis le Québécois à la date limite des transactions et ce dernier avait répondu avec une récolte de 21 points en 23 parties alors que les Insulaires avaient coiffé le CH au fil d’arrivé pour l’une des dernières places en série.

Ce n’est pas un secret de Polichinelle (je le sais puisque j’ai moi-même appris la nouvelle à Polichinelle quand je l’ai appelé cette après-midi) que le Canadien avait un urgent besoin de défenseurs avec les récentes blessures à Markov, O’Byrne et au USS Hal Gill (en fait le USS Hal Gill n’est pas blessé mais on va faire comme si pour lui permettre de sauver la face). Selon mon avis d’amateur, je dirais que Bob a joué la carte qu’il fallait selon les circonstances. En fait, j’irais même plus loin. Si le Canadien avait eu Bergeron et son tir de la pointe pour seconder Markov l’an passé, on aurait rapidement oublié Mark Streit. Et Bergeron aurait marqué 20 buts et coûté 3 millions de plus cette année.

De plus, mon petit doigt me dit que Bergeron est à Montréal pour y rester (He’s here to stay, I’m telling ya, me dit-il; ouais je sais, mon petit doigt est anglophone, que voulez-vous). Les amateurs l’adopteront dès son premier but en avantage numérique et son coup de patin et ses sorties de zone compenseront pour les qualités disons stay at home du USS Hal Gill (stay at home parce qu’il n’a pas le temps de se porter à l’attaque que le jeu est déjà revenu dans sa zone).

Dernier point non négligeable, ça la bouclera au maire de Tremblayville l’espace de cinq petites minutes et ça fera un nouveau Québécois à interviewer pour les nombreux représentants des médias qui ont tant de misère à s’exprimer dans la seconde langue de Saku Koivu. Je crois qu’on avait collectivement atteints notre quota d’entrevues du gros végétalien, de Guy Guy Guy et de la Maison-de-Maxim-Lapierre. Que du bon, en somme.

Maxime Paiement

Critique sportif

En politique comme au hockey, la relation entre les journalistes, d’un côté, et les joueurs ou politiciens, de l’autre, est constituée d’un mélange d’animosité et de nécessité. Des deux côtés, on peut s’apprécier ou se détester, mais chacun des deux camps a besoin de l’autre pour vivre.

Réjean Tremblay l’a appris à ses dépens : il a tellement bien critiqué le Canadien que celui-ci a fini par l’exclure du petit club des privilégiés qui accompagnent les joueurs pendant leurs déplacements à l’étranger. Ce fait illustre bien la situation malsaine de monopole dont jouit le Canadien au Québec, puisqu’une telle chose aurait été impensable en politique. Le Parti libéral du Québec, le Parti québécois et l’Action démocratique du Québec, ainsi que tout autre parti politique de quelque niveau que ce soit, n’aurait jamais osé exclure un journaliste politique, eut-il été la vipère la plus fielleuse de toute sa profession. Une telle décision aurait causé un scandale, et le parti en question se serait fait accuser de despotisme. Par contre, les politiciens ne se gênent pas, en privé, pour se plaindre amèrement du traitement injuste dont ils croient faire l’objet de la part des médias, et certains se permettent même d’exprimer publiquement leur rancœur contre les « maudits journalistes ».

En 2003, après la campagne électorale provinciale, on a pu voir le premier ministre sortant Bernard Landry rager contre les « soi-disant professionnels de l’information », dans le documentaire À hauteur d’homme de Jean-Claude Labrecque, visant tout particulièrement Rhéal Séguin du Globe and Mail, Claude Brunet de la radio de Radio-Canada et Sophie Langlois de la télévision de Radio-Canada.

Les joueurs de hockey ne sont pas en reste. À sa retraite, Patrice Brisebois en a profité pour envoyer des flèches à deux chroniqueurs sportifs, Jack Todd de la Gazette et Michel Blanchard de La Presse : « je n’ai jamais compris pourquoi [Todd et Blanchard] se sont acharnés sur moi au point de me détruire et de blesser mes parents, ma femme, mes proches. C’est difficile de composer avec ce genre de traitement injuste. » En effet, à cause de la campagne efficace menée par ces deux chroniqueurs contre « Breezer », le malheureux, hué partie après partie au Centre Bell, a fini par faire ses valises pour le Colorado et n’en est revenu que deux ans plus tard.

Politiciens et joueurs n’ont pas tout à fait tort de se plaindre. Bien sûr, la majorité des journalistes font de leur mieux pour demeurer objectifs, sans pouvoir être totalement impartiaux, puisque la nature humaine fait en sorte que nous soyions influencés par notre éducation et nos idéaux. C’est pourquoi la diversité des sources d’information est si importante, et la convergence des médias, si nuisible.

Cependant, certains membres des médias peuvent se montrer véritablement mesquins, tirant plaisir à s’acharner sur un individu ou un groupe en particulier et jouissant de leur position de pontife pour faire et défaire les réputations. On pense, entre autres, à Jean-François « Jeff » Fillion, condamné en justice pour diffamation à l’endroit de Sophie Chiasson. De plus, il est beaucoup plus facile de potiner que d’analyser, beaucoup plus rapide de rédiger des chroniques d’humeur que d’effectuer de fastidieuses recherches. Pour un journaliste d’enquête comme André Noël, de La Presse, qui peut fouiller pendant des semaines pour faire éclater au grand jour des secrets inavouables (on lui doit la fameuse enquête sur le traitement des patients de la résidence Saint-Charles-Borromée), combien de journalistes assiègent les politiciens pour leur faire cracher des commentaires insignifiants? Pour un journaliste comme Mathias Brunet, toujours de La Presse, qui prend le temps de s’informer de nombreux joueurs de la Ligue nationale, des rangs juniors et même de l’étranger, combien remâchent les mêmes jugements à propos du Canadien?

D’un autre côté, les partis politiques comme l’équipe de communication du Canadien aseptisent leur message à outrance pour ne pas prêter le flanc à la critique, au point où leurs déclarations en deviennent obscures ou insipides. Les « cassettes » récitées par les joueurs du Canadien n’ont plus rien à envier à celles des ministres du gouvernement. Par conséquent, les membres des médias, sceptiques, tentent de creuser pour savoir ce qui se passent véritablement en coulisses ou, à défaut, pressent chaque mot comme un citron afin d’en tirer quelque chose de publiable. Ce petit jeu devient un cercle vicieux : plus les journalistes et les politiciens ou joueurs se méfient les uns des autres, plus ce jeu du chat et de la souris prend de l’importance.

Pourquoi tout ce beau monde désabusé continue-t-il pourtant de se fréquenter? Parce qu’ils ont besoin les uns des autres. Les journalistes ont besoin des politiciens et des joueurs pour produire des nouvelles. Les politiciens et les joueurs ont besoin des journalistes pour faire passer leur message. Encore tout récemment, le premier ministre Jean Charest s’est servi des médias pour lancer un ballon d’essai sur la hausse des tarifs d’électricité. Devant la grogne de la population, ce projet ne passera probablement jamais à l’action, malgré l’état inquiétant des finances publiques. De son côté, le gardien Carey Price a profité du camp d’entraînement pour faire savoir qu’il avait tiré les leçons de ses deux dernières saisons et qu’il revenait avec une nouvelle attitude; évidemment, le but était de regagner l’estime des partisans qu’il avait perdue l’an passé par ses déboires tant sur glace qu’à l’extérieur.

On peut aussi utiliser les journalistes pour se chercher un emploi et afficher sa disponibilité. Des personnalités intéressées par une candidature aux élections chanteront les louanges du parti politique qui a le vent en poupe. Chaque fois que l’ADQ a atteint des sommets dans les sondages, les aspirants candidats se bousculaient aux portes. Au départ de Mario Dumont, l’avocat et animateur Stéphane Gendron s’annonçait déjà futur chef de l’ADQ… mais pas avant 2012, en attendant de voir si le parti pouvait remonter la pente. Cet été, de nombreux joueurs de hockey en recherche de contrat ont claironné dans les médias dans quelle merveilleuse forme ils étaient et à quel point ils seraient utiles dans telle ou telle équipe. Encore récemment, lorsque Andrei Markov, blessé, a été envoyé en convalescence pour quatre mois, l’agent du défenseur Marc-André Bergeron s’est empressé de faire savoir aux médias qu’il avait eu des pourparlers avec le Canadien, afin de susciter l’intérêt des partisans envers son client.

En privé, injures et gémissements pleuvent lorsqu’il est question des « maudits journalistes »… mais puisqu’il faut bien vivre avec, aussi bien essayer de s’en servir. Comme dit le dicton anglais, quand la vie nous envoie des citrons, aussi bien en faire de la limonade.

According to the NHL Network, here are some the unrestricted free agent defensemen, in no particular order:

Bret Hedican ANA
Kyle McLaren SJ
Alexei Semenov SJ
Brett Warrener CGY
Chris Chelios DET
Marc Andre Bergeron MIN
Jason Cullimore FLA
Steve Eminger
Marik Malek TB
Darryl Sydor DAL
Philippe Boucher PIT
Matthew Dandenault MTL
Denis Gauthier LA
Matthew Schneider MTL

Interesting? Kindly share…

It has been one month and one day since free agency started and there are still some notable unrestricted free agent names who have yet to find a home. These are serviceable players, who if they find the right situation (i.e., linemate, coach, system), they can be a valuable asset to any hockey team and I’d be shocked if they are still not signed with a club…be it in the NHL or in Russia, Sweden, wherever…by September 1.
Here’s the best of who’s left:

PLAYER — OLD TEAM — THE LOW DOWN

Maxim Afinogenov — Buffalo — Could be headed to KHL, thought he’d fit well with Ilya Kovalchuk in Atlanta.
Marc-Andre Bergeron — Minnesota — Has one of the NHL’s hardest shots, but his defensive abilities are questionable at best.
Todd Bertuzzi — Calgary — Big Bert hasn’t gotten an offer from Calgary yet, and won’t. His size could be useful to a team like Detroit, for the right price.
Mike Comrie — Ottawa — After a midseason trade to the Sens, Comrie didn’t do much. Still, a few teams looking for a center could sign the 28-year-old to a one-year deal; he could work out in New Jersey if signed.
Manny Fernandez — Boston — Proved last season he can still tend goal in the NHL, but will he accept another backup role?
Mike Grier — San Jose — Solid, checking line, penalty killing forward is a hard worker who should be signed soon; preferably with the Devils, but could also help the Islanders or Toronto as well.
Robert Lang — Montreal — A risk coming off of a torn achilles at the age of 38, but most teams are in the market for a dependable center. Would Ottawa have enough cash to sign him to play on line two with AK-27?
Manny Malhotra — Columbus — I’m shocked he didn’t end up back in Columbus, as he seemed to really mature and develop under Ken Hitchcock there, but they also signed Sammy Pahlsson, who plays the same role. Would love for him to join the Devils though, Tampa could be an option too.
Miroslav Satan — Pittsburgh — His agent Twitted (or tweeted, whatever) that the Isles are interested, but not buying it. I say he goes to either Vancouver or the KHL. I’ve given up on the dream that Satan would join the Devils (for now).
Mats Sundin — Vancouver — Will he play, or won’t he? At 38, what does Sundin have left? If he isn’t going to give a full season, no one will want him after performing so poorly last season with the Canucks.
Petr Sykora — Pittsburgh — Has bounced around too much for a guy that can score when motivated or in the right situation. I’m thinking he lands in Minnesota or St. Louis.
Alex Tanguay — Montreal — The best of what’s left as far as I’m concerned. Will hate him less for his two-goal performance in Game 7 of the 2001 Stanley Cup Finals if he signs with New Jersey. He’s only 29 and still has some productive years left. Join the Devils Legion Alex, join us.

Hopefully in the coming weeks, some of these guys find work, preferably with the Devils!

There are some rumblings on the free agency front this morning concerning the Rangers. The most surprising news comes from The Fourth Period where Derek Morris’ agent says that he has spoken several times with the Rangers and that they are still interested in bringing Morris back to Broadway. The agent also says that length of contract isn’t as important to Morris as feeling comfortable where he plays. Morris seemed to have nothing but good things to say during his brief tenure here last season so this situation may bear watching if Morris would be willing to accept a one or two year deal for probably less than the 3.25 million he made last year.

Derek Morris

Chicago Blackhawks forward Kris Versteeg is close to re-signing with the team for a reported 3 years at around 9 million dollars. This will almost surely (along with the Marian Hossa and Cam Barker signings) force the Hawks to make a trade and move some money as they still have to sign a backup goaltender to Cristobal Huet and are right against the cap for next season. The prevailing thought is that forward Patrick Sharp could be made available. If this happens, the Rangers should put in a call to GM Dale Tallon to see what it would take to bring him to NY. Sharp is a talented and young (27) winger who excels in front of the net on the power play (something the Rangers lack in their current forward group) and makes a reasonable  (by current standards) 3.9 million per season. He could probably be had for a prospect and a pick considering the Hawks current cap situation.

For the full Morris article on The Fourth Period click here. For some theories on what the Rangers might do to fill up the remaining spots on their blueline, Dan Akeson brings up  Marc Andre Bergeron, Mathieu Schneider and some other UFA options here.

Remember if any news breaks, we’ll bring it to you right here.

UPDATE (2:10 PM)- The Rangers have come to terms with restricted free agent Brian Boyle , whom they acquired from the Kings on Draft Day. Specifics of the contract were not disclosed. In other news, Saku Koivu has signed a one year 3.25 million dollar deal with the Anaheim Ducks.

Today marks the first of July, a sign that summer is in full bloom (although you wouldn’t know it given the recent run of weather) and that NHL free agency begins.  I want to preface this post by saying that among the players whom I will mention, I am only going to include those who I feel have a chance to don the Orange and Black under the teams’ current salary cap predicament.  I’ll go through each position, listing those who the Flyers “Should Get” (2 players), “Could Get” (1 player), “Better Not Get” (1 player), and “Won’t Get” (1 player).  As you read, keep in mind the following: the Flyers have about $6 million to work with, and their top two priorities are another right wing, given the loss of Joffrey Lupul in the Chris Pronger trade and a goaltender to complement the newly-acquired Ray Emery.

Without further ado, my free agent outlook for the Flyers:

FORWARDS (‘08-’09 team in parantheses)

SHOULD GET:

Mike Knuble (Philadelphia Flyers)

• It’s no secret here: the Flyers want Mike Knuble back next season.  Here’s the odd part of this: Knuble wants to be with the Flyers next season.  So, why no deal?  Well, in case you missed my post yesterday, Knuble is fighting the salary cap for a chance to come back to Philadelphia, and things aren’t looking positive right now.  I look for the Flyers to make a frantic push for Knuble’s services late Tuesday night, before he is unleashed to the masses on Wednesday.  At this point, there’s no use in me throwing stats at you, because everyone knows the story: Knuble has produced over 25 goals the past four seasons, he knows what it takes to win at the professional level, and he is a highly influential veteran presence in the dressing room.  It would be nice for the Flyers to add this good guy back to their troops, but many would understand Knuble’s monetary inclination to go elsewhere.

Mikael Samuelsson (Detroit Red Wings)

Mikael Samuelsson would look good in Orange and Black.

• Samuelsson is severely overlooked on a very talented Red Wings team, and could fall victim to becoming a free agent if the Wings keep their central focus on re-signing All-Star Marian Hossa.  If that does in fact happen, it would behoove Paul Holmgren to jump in and make a push for the young Right Winger, who would fill in comfortably if the Flyers are unable to come to terms with Mike Knuble.  Samuelsson’s not a young gun (currently 33 going on 34), but he put up 40 points (19 G, 21 A) last year, seeing the majority of his playing time on the third and fourth lines in Mo-Town.  Samuelsson, though not a superior force, has been very consistent since the lock-out.  His up and down style of play fits the direction the Flyers are going in very well, and the Flyers brass as well as their fans should be very happy if they are fortunate enough to find a player like Samuelsson in their Free Agent Stocking in early July.

COULD GET:

Ales Kotalik (Edmonton Oilers)

• Remember this guy?  Kotalik, who just a few years ago, was a dominant force on a contending Buffalo Sabres team, has quickly fallen off the map as a force.  However, a new area of real estate could launch a new-found spark in the talented winger from the Czech Republic.  Last season, Kotalik saw a solid campaign, notching 20 goals, along with 23 assists for 43 points.  However, I think Kotalik, a winger with decent size and above average speed, could see an extreme spike in his point totals, playing alongside, say, Jeff Carter and Scott Hartnell.  The 30 year old has a lot of hockey left in him, and could come at a relatively cheap price if Paul Holmgren is interested in his services.  Last season, Kotalik made $2.5 million in Edmonton, and it’s wise to think that he would stay around the same with his new contract, although a very slight raise could be in order given the proverbial 20-goal season that calls for a salary increase.  Kotalik likely will draw interest on the open market, and it certainly wouldn’t hurt the Flyers to pay him a look.

BETTER NOT GET

Ruslan Fedotenko (Pittsburgh Penguins)

• It’s no secret amongst people who know their hockey: Fedentenko is not nearly as good as he appears to be.  He’s benefitted from being on two Stanley Cup teams (Tampa Bay in ‘04 and Pittsburgh in ‘09), and playing alongside two very good players on those teams (Vincent Lecavalier and Evgeni Malkin).  Last season, he tallied 39 points in 65 games, playing as Malkin’s line-mate the majority of the season.  For those of you who may recognize “Rusty’s” name, he did play for the Flyers back in early 21st Century, and won a dramatic overtime Game One of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals over the Ottawa Senators in 2001-2002.  It was the only game the Flyers won in the series, and they held the favorable seed in a 2 vs. 7 match-up.  Maybe it’s just a personal grudge, but no part of me wants to see Fedotenko in Orange and Black.  He’s a player who defines, “Right place at the right time,” and a player who would not fit productively into the Flyers’ mold.

WON’T GET

Mike Cammalleri (Calgary Flames)

Cammalleri changing from the Red "C" to the Orange Crush? Don't Count on it.

• Coming off a career year in which he tallied 39 goals, 43 assists, and 82 points, Cammalleri surely will  be looking for top dollar in this year’s market.  Unfortunately, given the Flyers’ salary cap situation, the chances of the 27 year old joining the team are slim to none.  Cammalleri played alongside future Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla in Calgary, and Flyers fans would ooze at the sight of seeing the talented winger team up with either Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Danny Briere, or even Claude Giroux in Philadelphia.  However, it’s hard to believe Cammalleri would take the extreme pay cut to come and play in The City of Brotherly Love.  Still, don’t doubt the mastermind that has evolved into the human being we know as Paul Holmgren.  He may find a way to make this work.  Or, maybe I’m just counting my chickens.  Either way, the bottom line is this: Cammalleri is a longshot.

DEFENSEMAN (‘08-’09 team in parantheses)

SHOULD GET

Dennis Seidenberg (Carolina Hurricanes)

• Why? Why not!  The ex-Flyer has been incredibly productive and reliable and a far cry from the liability that roamed the ice for the Flyers pre-Lockout.  Last season, Seidenberg notched 30 points, not bad at all for a defenseman, and the best, by far, of his career.  The Flyers will need one more guy to log a ton of ice time if they can, and Seidenberg fits the billing.  Add Dennis to the mix of Braydon Coburn and Chris Pronger – both guys who log over 20 minutes of ice time a game each – and the Flyers have an even stronger defensive corps than the one they already possess.  Admit it, Seidenberg would look good in Orange and Black, and the price won’t be ridiculously steep if the Flyers are interested.

Rob Scuderi (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Could Scuderi go Cross-State after winning a Cup?

• The Flyers have their shooter.  They now need the dependable defender.  Although Pronger can supply offense and defense  at elite levels, it always helps to alleviate the load on one player.  Scuderi’s defensive prowess would do just that.  “The Scud”, as he is referred to in Pittsburgh, proved himself as a reliable shutdown defender and fearless shot blocker, en route to earning a Cup with the Penguins this past year.  You won’t hear Rob Scuderi’s name a lot on television broadcasts, mostly because he’s not making many mistakes.  In the playoffs this year, he shut down Jeff Carter in the first round, rendered Alex Ovechkin’s go-to man, Niklas Backstrom, non-existent in the second round, barely left Eric Staal with a pulse in the Conference Final, and hindered Pavel Datsyuk and Hank Zetterberg just enough to allow the Penguins to emerge victorious in the Stanley Cup Final.  Scuderi’s financial stock will go up a lot from the $725,000 he made last year, but should still be in the Flyers’ range if they want him.

COULD GET

Marc-Andre Bergeron (Minnesota Wild)

• Bergeron flies relatively under the radar, even though he plays in the hockey hotbed of Minnesota.  The defenseman is slick, slender, and can move the puck well offensively, accumulating 32 points last season on 14 goals and 18 assists.  Bergeron could supply the Flyers with another shot from the point on a second power play unit, something the Flyers could definitely utilize given their plethora of scoring talent.  Not to mention, an acquisition of Bergeron, at the prime age of 29, could be in the form of a long-term contract, something that could sure up the defense in Philadelphia for years to come.  If I’m the Flyers brass, I take a look at this guy, because a team can never have too much defensive depth.

BETTER NOT GET

Francois Beauchemin (Anaheim Ducks)

• Pronger’s former teammate in Anaheim has been rumored since the trade to be joining his mentor in Philadelphia via Free Agency.  For the Flyers, this would not be good.  If a team is going to add depth defensively, they should add based on need.  Quite frankly, the Fyers added their physical presence this past Friday.  They do not need to add another.  As much as Philadelphia loves their hard-hitting defensemen, adding Beauchemin would run the Flyers at least $3 million for the first year, something that would push them incredibly close to the Cap.  The Flyers need to avoid the lure surrounding Beauchemin, and move forward with going after players on an as-needed basis.

WON’T GET

Mike Komisarek (Montreal Canadiens)

• Komisarek is a great talent and would help the Flyers immensely.  Unfortunately, the former Canadien will demand a high price in the market, and would have been a much more likely target had the Flyers not traded for Chris Pronger.  Komisarek had 2 goals, 9 assists, and 11 points in 2008-2009.  Be things as they may, Komisarek will likely find a home somewhere other than Philadelphia.  I just hope it’s not somewhere in the Atlantic Division, or better yet, not somewhere in the Eastern Conference.

Still reading?  Good.  The goaltending situation, for what it is, appears to have been resolved.  It looks like the Flyers will announce they have brought back Brian Boucher to back-up Ray Emery later today.

I’ll be keeping an eye on everything free agency for over the next week or so, and any news concerning the Flyers will be posted right on here.  Stay tuned.

A few days prior, I outlined the season in review for the Wild’s forwards.

Now, it’s time for the back end of the team.  Defense and goaltending.  By all accounts, this was a Wild team whose defense had to be bailed out by their goaltender far, far too often.  But this was also the first time that the Wild had multiple defensemen capable of putting points up on the board, so here we go with the review.

Marek Zidlicky – 3 – D | 76 GP, 12 – 30 – 42, -12: There are a couple things that are telling about Zidlicky’s first season in Minnesota.  First, the man is a powerplay machine.  Ten of his twelve goals game with the man advantage and, for the first time, gave the Wild a real, genuine threat with his shot from the point.  The second, however, is that Zidlicky is also not known for his defense.  He showed flashes of what he could do in the defensive end, but he is primarily known and kept for his abilities moving the puck and in the offensive zone.  Zidlicky’s lack of size and his propensity to turnovers aggrivated Wild fans to no end, but there’s no denying the fact that he provided the Wild with a fantastic threat from the point.  Grade: B

Marc-Andre Bergeron – 47 – D | 73 GP, 14 – 18 – 32, +5: When I look at Bergeron’s season, there’s one thing that pops to mind that really sums it all up.  He was a plus?!?  Look, Bergeron has a lot of skills that can be/are useful to an NHL team.  It’s just that his defensive prowess is certainly not chief among them.  While a force on the powerplay, Bergeron’s play in his own zone was inconsistent at best.  He was often the victim of poor decision making and mistakes with the puck that caused the coaching staff and the fans to get a bit more grey hair on their heads.  Overall, though, his offensive skill was something that we definitely needed from the blueline and he was one of the big reasons why our powerplay was as good as it was this season.  Grade: B-

Brent Burns – 8 – D | 59 GP, 8 – 19 – 27, -7: It’s very hard to categorize Burns’s season, especially due to the fact that he was bounced around so much and because of the most recent news that he played his last six weeks of the season with a concussion.  That said, Burns regressed a bit this season and the Wild management is largely the reason why.  Everyone came into the season expecting a Mike Green-esque outburst from the young defenseman, but the flip flopping between forward and defense early in the season led to what could be called a mediocre season at best for the youngster.  Grade: C

Kim Johnsson – 5 – D | 81 GP, 2 – 22 – 24, -3: Johnsson has his share of detractors in Minnesota, largely due to his contract and lack of offensive production.  But looking at the current landscape for defensemen, his contract is not so outrageous in comparison to what other defensive defensemen are making; especially considering the fact that Johnsson has the ability to skate his way out of trouble and can provide some solid puck movement.  Johnsson played in all situations for the Wild and was oftentimes matched up against teams’ top lines which makes his season all the more impressive.  Grade: B+

Martin Skoula – 41 – D | 81 GP, 4 – 12 – 16, -12: Let’s just get the shocker out of the way right now.  Martin Skoula was the Wild’s most dependable and most consistend defenseman all year.  I know, I know what you’re thinking.  “Human Sacrifice, dogs and cats living together…Mass hysteria!”  (Author’s Note: A shiny penny for anyone who can name that movie.)  Anyway, the bottom line is that Skoula had a very un-Skoula-like season on defense.  He did not make the catastrophic mistakes that he had previously been known for and he made sound decisions with the puck and actually used his size.  Grade: A-

Nick Schultz – 55 – D | 79 GP, 2 – 9 – 11, -4: Let’s get one thing out of the way here first.  Nick Schultz will never be known for his offensive output.  He’s never going to be a powerplay specialist.  But what he does do is play against teams’ top lines night in and night out and shut them down more often than not.  He’s not flashy, but he rarely makes mistakes and has become a staple on the Wild’s blueline.  One area where I think he could excel a bit more, however, is his physical play.  He’s not a small guy by any means, but he relies predominantly on his positioning to take players out of the play.  While this is extremely effective, the Wild’s blueline has been severely lacking in its physicality in recent seasons.  Schultz is one of those players that I would love to see step up that part of his game.  Grade: B

Kurtis Foster – 26 – D | 10 GP, 1 – 5 – 6, +7: Okay.  I’m going to be honest here.  I was going to give Foster a “passing” grade, simply because he was out for the vast majority of the season and came back from a pretty harrowing injury.  But that was before I actually looked at his stats.  6 points and plus-7 in 10 games is pretty darn impressive, let alone for someone returning from a serious injury.  Let’s clear one thing up right away.  Foster is never going to be a top-pairing, or even second-pairing defenseman.  Quite simply, he’s a solid d-man who can play 15-17 minutes a night and contribute offensively.  But that stat line at least gives him a little bump in his grade.  Grade: B-

John Scott – 36 – D | 20 GP, 0 – 1 – 1, -1: Scott was recently rewarded for his solid play for the team with a one-year contract and, quite honestly, he deserved it.  He came in and provided a physical presence on our blueline that we have never had and played quite admirably for us.  His skating needs to improve for next season if he’s going to have a shot of playing any sort of regular minutes and he may be looked at to be Boogaard-Lite for us next season.  Grade: C

Niklas Backstrom – 32 – G | 71 GP, 37-24-8, 2.33 GAA, .923 Sv %: Quite simply, on most nights Backstrom was the reason that we either a) won the game or b) were in the game.  He was spectacular this season and played his way into a handsome contract extension.  He also proved that he was one of the elite goalies in the league and should likely be in the running for the Vezina trophy.  There’s not much more that you can say about his season apart from this, as he was the reason we were as close to the playoffs as we were.  Grade: A

Josh Harding – 29 – G | 19 GP, 3-9-1, 2.21 GAA, .929 Sv %: You’ve got to feel for Harding.  On any other team he’d likely be starting by now, but he just happens to be stuck behind Backstrom.  Harding performed marvelously as the back up to Backstrom, though his wins and losses don’t necessarily reflect it.  He is still growing in his game, but looks as if he could easily step up and be a starting goaltender if need be.  Grade: B

So there you have it.  The season grades for the defense and goaltenders.  Check back here as I will have a season recap and my thoughts on this season in coming days!

If I were to tell you that the Wild have gotten points in 9 of their last 15 games, you’d figure that this was a pretty impressive feat, no?

Indeed, getting points in 9 of 15 games looks very nice on the resume.  But when you look at the actual wins and losses, the picture becomes much, much more grim.

The Wild, in need of a late season push to make the playoffs, have just four wins in their last 15 games.  Thank goodness for the consolation points.  In their last 15 games, the Wild are 4-6-5.  Hardly an impressive record; much less a record for a team that is trying to remain in the playoff race.

The good news?  The rest of the bottom half of the Western Conference is just about as inept at winning as the Wild are currently.  The bad news?  The Wild lost its games in hand without coming away with a single victory.

The Wild need a spark, and badly.  A lot has been made of the leadership on the team this season, and this team is showing a distinct lack of leadership with Mikko Koivu at the helm.  He’s had a fantastic season as the captain of this team, but has been near invisible since being named the captain in March.  In the month of March, he has 2 goals, 4 assists and sitting at -4.  Hardly the numbers you want from your team leader in the most important stretch of the year.

Don’t get me wrong.  I think that Mikko has more leadership in his little finger than the majority of the team does.  But it’s time for our best players to be our best players.  The Wild have started the disturbing trend of digging themselves a hole early, and our top players need to step in and put an end to this.  How bad is this trend?  The Wild have scored first in just two of our eight games this month.  They have dug themselves into large holes too often and have had to play catch up too much.  This is not a winning formula.

The bottom line is that, though they are just a point out of a playoff spot, the window in which they can control their own destiny and make some noise in the playoff race is slowly closing.  The Wild play two of their next three games at home before heading on a crucial road trip that starts out east, then heads to Canada.  If this team is to make the playoffs, they need to step their game up, stop playing catch up and win hockey games.

The Picture of Irony
Ironically, the Wild’s troubles in the month of March have not been of the offensive kind.  With the exception of a few games, the team is finding the back of the net.  The problems that the Wild are encountering are not stemming from their offense.  They are stemming directly from a lack of team defense.

It’s amazing to me that Niklas Backstrom even allows Lemaire to put him out on the ice anymore with the distinct lack of help that he is getting.  This team is completely lost in their own zone at the moment.  Opposing teams are allowed to get to Backstrom with frightening consistency and our players are doing little to nothing to stop them.  One of the biggest differences between this team and last season’s team is grit.  While Sean Hill and Keith Carney may not have been the fleetest of foot or have made the best decisions, one thing that they would not stand for were players pushing around our team in front of the crease.  With them gone, this is now met with ambivilence at best and apathy at worst.

This team needs a complete change in mindset going forward and, even if they do make the playoffs, I can’t imagine it would be more than a one and done series as I don’t believe that this team has the fortitude to last an entire playoff series.

The addition of John Scott has added a lot to this blueline and it’s starting to show as well.  Scott is a physical presence and is playing very solid, defensive hockey.  If the Wild is going to do anything in the last weeks of the season, it is going to be on the backs of players willing to get physical and play soundly in their own zone.  If we control our own zone, the offense will follow.  It’s just a matter of keeping the puck on the other end of the ice.

The Walking Wounded
With all signs pointing to this team being one of the softest in team history, it is quite nice to see some players emerging to lead by example.

It started with Owen Nolan, who was tired of watching the team perform poorly and stepped up in practice, letting Lemaire know that he was playing.  It continued to Marc-Andre Bergeron, who exploded upon finding out he was scratched when he felt that he was healthy enough to play.  Nolan once again set the bar high by flying out to Vancouver, broken foot and all, to join the team and now there is news of Andrew Brunette playing with a torn (or at least partially torn) ACL?

This, my friends, is what real hockey players are like.  They don’t pack it in at the slightest sign of discomfort as some “superstars” have done.  They don’t disappear when the going gets tough.  They don’t sit by the wayside and ignore their team.  They do whatever they have to do to help the team win.

Pleasent Surprises
How about Peter Olvecky?  Over the last few games, we have really seen him come into his own.  The youngster has a large frame and a nose for the net and is even showing that he is improving in his own end.  He has began to earn the trust of Lemaire; so much so that, with the game on the line against the San Jose Sharks, Lemaire put Olvecky out on the ice in place of James Sheppard.  From the little we’ve seen of Olvecky, I can say with a fair amount of certainty that I defintely like what I see and hope that he can find a permenant place in the Wild’s line up.