It looks like Doug Wilson finally uncapped his pen, so for now I'm just going to list signings/releases of players as the news arrives, editting this post as it goes.
Rob Blake - resigned with San Jose for $3.5 million, a lot less than his $5 million last year.
Ryane Clowe - resigned with San Jose for 4 years for $3.5 million a season.
Kent Huskins - resigned with San Jose for 2 years for $3.4 million.
Travis Moen - signed with Montreal for 3 years.
Brian Boucher - signed with Philadelphia for 2 years.
Scott Nichol - signed with San Jose for one year, 750,000 dollars.
Jed Ortmeyer - signed with San Jose for one year.
Ryan Vesce - resigned with San Jose for one year.
Dwight Helminen - signed with San Jose for one year.
Joe Callahan - signed with San Jose for one year.
Danny Groulx - signed with San Jose for one year.
Jeremy Roenick - retired.
Mike Grier - signed with Buffalo Sabres for one year.
Torrey Mitchell - resigned with San Jose for 3 years, 4.1 million dollars.
Brad Staubitz - resigned with San Jose for one year, $500,000.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Sharks Decline Contracts to Three Players
The restricted free agency signings have been completed for San Jose. The Sharks resigned their second line forward Ryane Clowe, goalie prospect Thomas Greiss, the young Torrey Mitchell, and the 7th defenseman Brad Staubitz.
The Sharks did not make qualifying offers to Marcel Goc, Tomas Plihal, and Lukas Kaspar.
So what does this mean in the long run?
The Sharks failed to sign three forwards. Kaspaer was a first round pick of San Jose's in 2004, and scored his first NHL goal last season. Goc was San Jose's top faceoff man in 2008-2009, while Plihal was a fourth-line roleplayer. Assuming Lemieux retires, that means we have a lot of holes in the third and fourth line.
With two centers gone, this almost automatically means Patrick Marleau is not going to be traded, and if anything, will get a contract extention. Jonathan Cheechoo is probably safe for now too. With Brad Staubitz resigned, one has to wonder why so many defensemen have been drafted in the past 3 years for the Sharks. Theoretically, Brian Boucher could be let go during the unrestricted free agency period, and the Sharks probably don't want to pay more than 1 million for him as a back-up. Given how Boucher played last season, a team could use him as a rotational starting goaltender, and he would be worth much more than 1 million a year. With that, they almost had to re-sign Greiss. The most interesting thing would be: does this mean Roenick is leaning towards his third comeback attempt at a Stanley Cup?
The Sharks are always listed as "interested" teams when it comes to big name free agents or players demanding to be traded, but they never appear as the frontrunners. We'll see what the Sharks do starting July 1st with their big name UFAs, mainly Rob Blake and Mike Grier. Blake has already stated interest in returning to the Sharks, but if one or both aren't resigned, there could be a big move in the making.
The Sharks did not make qualifying offers to Marcel Goc, Tomas Plihal, and Lukas Kaspar.
So what does this mean in the long run?
The Sharks failed to sign three forwards. Kaspaer was a first round pick of San Jose's in 2004, and scored his first NHL goal last season. Goc was San Jose's top faceoff man in 2008-2009, while Plihal was a fourth-line roleplayer. Assuming Lemieux retires, that means we have a lot of holes in the third and fourth line.
With two centers gone, this almost automatically means Patrick Marleau is not going to be traded, and if anything, will get a contract extention. Jonathan Cheechoo is probably safe for now too. With Brad Staubitz resigned, one has to wonder why so many defensemen have been drafted in the past 3 years for the Sharks. Theoretically, Brian Boucher could be let go during the unrestricted free agency period, and the Sharks probably don't want to pay more than 1 million for him as a back-up. Given how Boucher played last season, a team could use him as a rotational starting goaltender, and he would be worth much more than 1 million a year. With that, they almost had to re-sign Greiss. The most interesting thing would be: does this mean Roenick is leaning towards his third comeback attempt at a Stanley Cup?
The Sharks are always listed as "interested" teams when it comes to big name free agents or players demanding to be traded, but they never appear as the frontrunners. We'll see what the Sharks do starting July 1st with their big name UFAs, mainly Rob Blake and Mike Grier. Blake has already stated interest in returning to the Sharks, but if one or both aren't resigned, there could be a big move in the making.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
San Jose Sharks NHL Draft 2009
With the end of the 2009 Entry Level Draft for the NHL (finished off by the San Jose Sharks with the 207th overall pick), the Sharks have made a couple of interesting picks given that they didn't have a single first round pick due to the Dan Boyle trade.
With their two second round picks, the Sharks loaded up on defensive defensemen, but both with different styles. First, at pick 43, San Jose selected William Wrenn. He was the captain of the Under 18 US team, which won the gold medal in 2009. He's similar to a young(er) Marc-Edouard Vlasic, as he doesn't really put up the points but early scouting reports indicate he's most comfortable in the defensive zone, as he has good puck movement out of the zone and good decision making, something that plagued the Sharks down the stretch in 2009. Assuming Wrenn joins the team within a couple of years and gets to feel Coach McLellon's system, his offensive points should also boost up like Vlasic's.
At pick 57, the Sharks chose who I think is their best draft choice and most NHL ready in Taylor Doherty. He's a massive 6'7" and 218 pounds (if you want an idea about how massive that is, Douglas Murray is 6'3" and 240). He'll probably need to put on a few extra pounds of muscle if he wants to establish himself as a top intimidating defenseman at the NHL level and compete with the Chris Prongers and Zdeno Charas, but a good off-season workout should establish that easily. Just like Wrenn, he's more well known for his play within his own zone, moving the puck out, and making smart decisions.
Oddly enough, both players selected the Anaheim Ducks as their favorite teams, so it will remain to be seen how they get along with the San Jose prospects and starters.
With the fifth round, 147th overall pick, the Sharks selected Philip Varone. He's a slightly slower Torrey Mitchell, in the sense that he doesn't have the same skating speed that made Mitchell one of the top short-handed scoring threats a couple of years ago, but he is great at being a penalty killer, a two-way forward, and has lots of grit. He averaged a little under a point per game in the regular season, but improved in the playoffs as he had 19 points in 14 games. However, he did fall in the rankings coming into the draft, as he was previously ranked at 90th overall before falling to 172nd. So either the Sharks took a gamble, or they had a huge steal with this pick. More likely than not, however, Varone will not play next season and they will develop him in the minor leagues to get a better grasp of what they selected.
To round out the day, the Sharks traded a 2010 6th rounder to select a center Marek Viednesky at the 189th pick, and with the final pick of the draft, they chose another defenseman in Dominik Bielke.
Historically, the Sharks have always leaned towards defensemen during drafts, which has been paying dividends in the previous seasons with the rise of Vlasic and Murray. They also chose a few defensemen last year, so there is a few questions as to why they spent both their second round picks on defensemen. Even if Rob Blake isn't going to resign, they have plenty of young guys in the minor leagues. Still, Wrenn and Doherty are as solid as any pick in terms of defensemen, and I'm really excited to see Doherty on the ice to wreak havok on power forwards (especially since Anaheim traded Pronger for Lupol).
With their two second round picks, the Sharks loaded up on defensive defensemen, but both with different styles. First, at pick 43, San Jose selected William Wrenn. He was the captain of the Under 18 US team, which won the gold medal in 2009. He's similar to a young(er) Marc-Edouard Vlasic, as he doesn't really put up the points but early scouting reports indicate he's most comfortable in the defensive zone, as he has good puck movement out of the zone and good decision making, something that plagued the Sharks down the stretch in 2009. Assuming Wrenn joins the team within a couple of years and gets to feel Coach McLellon's system, his offensive points should also boost up like Vlasic's.
At pick 57, the Sharks chose who I think is their best draft choice and most NHL ready in Taylor Doherty. He's a massive 6'7" and 218 pounds (if you want an idea about how massive that is, Douglas Murray is 6'3" and 240). He'll probably need to put on a few extra pounds of muscle if he wants to establish himself as a top intimidating defenseman at the NHL level and compete with the Chris Prongers and Zdeno Charas, but a good off-season workout should establish that easily. Just like Wrenn, he's more well known for his play within his own zone, moving the puck out, and making smart decisions.
Oddly enough, both players selected the Anaheim Ducks as their favorite teams, so it will remain to be seen how they get along with the San Jose prospects and starters.
With the fifth round, 147th overall pick, the Sharks selected Philip Varone. He's a slightly slower Torrey Mitchell, in the sense that he doesn't have the same skating speed that made Mitchell one of the top short-handed scoring threats a couple of years ago, but he is great at being a penalty killer, a two-way forward, and has lots of grit. He averaged a little under a point per game in the regular season, but improved in the playoffs as he had 19 points in 14 games. However, he did fall in the rankings coming into the draft, as he was previously ranked at 90th overall before falling to 172nd. So either the Sharks took a gamble, or they had a huge steal with this pick. More likely than not, however, Varone will not play next season and they will develop him in the minor leagues to get a better grasp of what they selected.
To round out the day, the Sharks traded a 2010 6th rounder to select a center Marek Viednesky at the 189th pick, and with the final pick of the draft, they chose another defenseman in Dominik Bielke.
Historically, the Sharks have always leaned towards defensemen during drafts, which has been paying dividends in the previous seasons with the rise of Vlasic and Murray. They also chose a few defensemen last year, so there is a few questions as to why they spent both their second round picks on defensemen. Even if Rob Blake isn't going to resign, they have plenty of young guys in the minor leagues. Still, Wrenn and Doherty are as solid as any pick in terms of defensemen, and I'm really excited to see Doherty on the ice to wreak havok on power forwards (especially since Anaheim traded Pronger for Lupol).
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen
aka: Michael Bay Hates Black People
I have mixed feelings about this movie...
First, the positives: everything good about the first movie has been improved. The special effects and battle scenes were amazing. Sometimes they were over the top, but I didn't mind. Megan Fox running in slow-mo with nothing but a tank top... epic. And some of the jokes were pretty funny. The story was OK, but it could have been delivered better. And in every "robots fuck up human technology" scene, there's always some poor random dude that falls from a very high location into his probable death, which is always a nice touch to that kind of scene.
Now, the negatives: 30 of the first 45 minutes of the movie could have easily been cut out, making this 2 and a half hour movie a lot shorter. Sam Whi... however you spell his last name moves to college. Great. Let's spend 20 minutes on that. Great for the character development of his roommate, who turns out to play an absolutely insignificant role in the overall story. And they try so hard to make it funny with his mother. Loooooots of very unnecessary sexual references which was more awkward than comedic. And the twins are just... not... good characters. No matter how hard Michael Bay tries to make them funny/retarded. I didn't mind the transitions between army/robot battles and the Sam's normal life like they did in the first movie, but the whole romance between him and Megan Fox was so cheesy. I felt like I was watching some lame teen movie. "Omg, it's my first internet date with Sam! I'm so excited!" Seriously... some scenes I could tell Megan Fox smokes a lot of weed. And everytime a transformer transformed, the camera had to do two laps around the body during the transformation sequence, or it was slow-moed from some crazy angle like directly above or below. The first couple of times, it was like "yeaaah, look at Optimus go!" or "Man, Ironhide kicks ass!". Then, it was "not again... time to relax my eyes for 30 seconds".
*spoiler*
The one thing I really didn't like about the story was how they keep referencing Starscream as some sort of sly backstabber who is betraying Megatron. Yes, it was a major thing in the original cartoon, and yes Megatron has always been suspicious of it. But they don't really show Starscream actually doing anything in the movie that would warrant any type of betrayal outside of his lack of participation in major battles except for one in the forest. So pretty much, the impression the audience has is that Megatron is just some paranoid guy who likes to beat the shit out of Starscream for no apparant reason. "Dammit Starscream, you betrayed me!" "But sir, I built this giant army for your return!" "Screw you, I'm gonna beat you up anyways!"
*end*
For the little details: no I didn't stay after the credits... they had some tidbit scenes before the credits started scrolling (like, after they introduced all the main actors/actress), but I did not stick around for the entire thing to finish.
Despite all that, I'd have to say I'd give this movie at least a B. It was fun to watch, if you can handle the insane amount of cheesiness in Michael Bay comedy/romance. Was it worth watching the midnight showing? Probably not. Luckily there's a theatre near my apartment which is never crowded, so I didn't have to wait in a ridiculously long line. If you really liked the first movie... you'll either be disappointed or in love with the second one because it was pretty much an amped up version of the first. In short, the action sequences were so great that it more often than not took your mind off (temporarily) the fact that the last pointless scene you watched 5 minutes ago was so horrible. If you absolutely hated the first one or Michael Bay, both of which would be very understandable, avoid this movie at all costs.
I have mixed feelings about this movie...
First, the positives: everything good about the first movie has been improved. The special effects and battle scenes were amazing. Sometimes they were over the top, but I didn't mind. Megan Fox running in slow-mo with nothing but a tank top... epic. And some of the jokes were pretty funny. The story was OK, but it could have been delivered better. And in every "robots fuck up human technology" scene, there's always some poor random dude that falls from a very high location into his probable death, which is always a nice touch to that kind of scene.
Now, the negatives: 30 of the first 45 minutes of the movie could have easily been cut out, making this 2 and a half hour movie a lot shorter. Sam Whi... however you spell his last name moves to college. Great. Let's spend 20 minutes on that. Great for the character development of his roommate, who turns out to play an absolutely insignificant role in the overall story. And they try so hard to make it funny with his mother. Loooooots of very unnecessary sexual references which was more awkward than comedic. And the twins are just... not... good characters. No matter how hard Michael Bay tries to make them funny/retarded. I didn't mind the transitions between army/robot battles and the Sam's normal life like they did in the first movie, but the whole romance between him and Megan Fox was so cheesy. I felt like I was watching some lame teen movie. "Omg, it's my first internet date with Sam! I'm so excited!" Seriously... some scenes I could tell Megan Fox smokes a lot of weed. And everytime a transformer transformed, the camera had to do two laps around the body during the transformation sequence, or it was slow-moed from some crazy angle like directly above or below. The first couple of times, it was like "yeaaah, look at Optimus go!" or "Man, Ironhide kicks ass!". Then, it was "not again... time to relax my eyes for 30 seconds".
*spoiler*
The one thing I really didn't like about the story was how they keep referencing Starscream as some sort of sly backstabber who is betraying Megatron. Yes, it was a major thing in the original cartoon, and yes Megatron has always been suspicious of it. But they don't really show Starscream actually doing anything in the movie that would warrant any type of betrayal outside of his lack of participation in major battles except for one in the forest. So pretty much, the impression the audience has is that Megatron is just some paranoid guy who likes to beat the shit out of Starscream for no apparant reason. "Dammit Starscream, you betrayed me!" "But sir, I built this giant army for your return!" "Screw you, I'm gonna beat you up anyways!"
*end*
For the little details: no I didn't stay after the credits... they had some tidbit scenes before the credits started scrolling (like, after they introduced all the main actors/actress), but I did not stick around for the entire thing to finish.
Despite all that, I'd have to say I'd give this movie at least a B. It was fun to watch, if you can handle the insane amount of cheesiness in Michael Bay comedy/romance. Was it worth watching the midnight showing? Probably not. Luckily there's a theatre near my apartment which is never crowded, so I didn't have to wait in a ridiculously long line. If you really liked the first movie... you'll either be disappointed or in love with the second one because it was pretty much an amped up version of the first. In short, the action sequences were so great that it more often than not took your mind off (temporarily) the fact that the last pointless scene you watched 5 minutes ago was so horrible. If you absolutely hated the first one or Michael Bay, both of which would be very understandable, avoid this movie at all costs.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Katamari Forever
After waiting weeks for this game to finally go on sale, I found that GameStop has finally begun their pre-order phase for what may be the final installment of the Katamari Damacy series: Katamari Forever.
Exclusively for the Playstation 3 (for now), Katamari Forever looks to continue off the story of the last Katamari for the Playstation 2. From GameStop's description:
The Prince and his cousins have generated millions of fans and want to roll more katamaris. But the King of Cosmos bumped his head and lost his memory. When the Prince built a robot King of Cosmos to replace him, the robot went crazy and destroyed all the stars (sound familiar?). So it is your job to roll up enough katamaris to replace all the stars as well as your father's memory.
Obviously, as expected from a Katamari sequel/spin-off, the gameplay is pretty much the same. In fact, about 50% of the levels are just remakes of older levels from other Katamari games. Still, they now have different artistic view modes that you can roll in, from black and white, to some kind of stencil sketch, and it is all in full 1080p high definition.
The game is also adding a few more goodies to the gameplay. There will be useage of the six-axis controls on the Playstation 3 controller, and under "certain conditions", the katamari will have a magnet effect to suck in nearby objects, which will no doubt make rolling easier (or harder if you're doing those specific item missions). There is also going to be use of the Playstation Network: they have announced an online ranking system.
For any Katamari fan, and especially for first-timers, this will be a great game to have. The only downside is the lack of online capabilities announced outside of a ranking system. I was hoping for online versus mode, co-op mode, or maybe a Little Big Planet level creation system. There is a lot of potential in this game, but it will be unfortunate if the creators don't tap into all of it, especially since it won't be making full use of the Playstation 3's capabilities. Still, it's all about the gameplay, and rolling a katamari in itself has unlimited replay value. This game is set to be released on October 1st.
Exclusively for the Playstation 3 (for now), Katamari Forever looks to continue off the story of the last Katamari for the Playstation 2. From GameStop's description:
The Prince and his cousins have generated millions of fans and want to roll more katamaris. But the King of Cosmos bumped his head and lost his memory. When the Prince built a robot King of Cosmos to replace him, the robot went crazy and destroyed all the stars (sound familiar?). So it is your job to roll up enough katamaris to replace all the stars as well as your father's memory.
Obviously, as expected from a Katamari sequel/spin-off, the gameplay is pretty much the same. In fact, about 50% of the levels are just remakes of older levels from other Katamari games. Still, they now have different artistic view modes that you can roll in, from black and white, to some kind of stencil sketch, and it is all in full 1080p high definition.
The game is also adding a few more goodies to the gameplay. There will be useage of the six-axis controls on the Playstation 3 controller, and under "certain conditions", the katamari will have a magnet effect to suck in nearby objects, which will no doubt make rolling easier (or harder if you're doing those specific item missions). There is also going to be use of the Playstation Network: they have announced an online ranking system.
For any Katamari fan, and especially for first-timers, this will be a great game to have. The only downside is the lack of online capabilities announced outside of a ranking system. I was hoping for online versus mode, co-op mode, or maybe a Little Big Planet level creation system. There is a lot of potential in this game, but it will be unfortunate if the creators don't tap into all of it, especially since it won't be making full use of the Playstation 3's capabilities. Still, it's all about the gameplay, and rolling a katamari in itself has unlimited replay value. This game is set to be released on October 1st.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Stanley Cup Finals Game 7
Detroit Red Wings vs Pittsburgh Penguins: Pittsburgh wins 2-1 (Pittsburgh wins series 4-3)
Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were not needed in the two game comeback by the Penguins, as Maxim Talbot proved to be the hero in game 7, scoring the only two goals for the Penguins in their 2-1 victory, both in the second period to give Pittsburgh the then 2-0 lead. The rookie Jonathan Ericsson, who played a strong playoffs, came through with a goal with 7 minutes left in the third to give Detroit a gasp of life as they tried to tie it late in the third, outshooting Pittsburgh 7-1 in the period. But Marc-Andre Fleury stood strong (he denied Detroit captain Lidstrom a wide open goal with 1 second left with a sprawling save, similar to what happened to Hossa and the Penguins last year), and the defense had strong rebound control as the Penguins secured their first Stanley Cup since the Mario Lemieux era.
Evgeni Malkin won the Conn Smythe trophy, as he was the leading point scorer for the Penguins in the playoffs. Sidney Crosby became the youngest captain to hoist the Cup, winning it in just his fourth year in the league at age 21. But the victory was probably the sweetest for Bill Guerin, who was part of a rebuilding phase in New York for the last place Islanders before being traded at the deadline to Pittsburgh. It was his first championship since 1995, just 3 years after Pittsburgh's last Stanley Cup. Marian Hossa came out on the short end of the stick; he turned down a pay raise in Pittsburgh during the offseason and decided to take a pay cut to come to Detroit, as he publicly announced he felt that he had a better chance to win the Cup with the Red Wings. The decision probably turned out to be beneficial for Pittsburgh, as they had the cap space to sign Kunitz and Guerin at the deadline, who both played stellar in the postseason. It was also probably the last chance for Chris Chelios to win a cup, as the 47 year old defenseman, who only played 6 playoff games this postseason, will most likely retire from the sport this offseason.
Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were not needed in the two game comeback by the Penguins, as Maxim Talbot proved to be the hero in game 7, scoring the only two goals for the Penguins in their 2-1 victory, both in the second period to give Pittsburgh the then 2-0 lead. The rookie Jonathan Ericsson, who played a strong playoffs, came through with a goal with 7 minutes left in the third to give Detroit a gasp of life as they tried to tie it late in the third, outshooting Pittsburgh 7-1 in the period. But Marc-Andre Fleury stood strong (he denied Detroit captain Lidstrom a wide open goal with 1 second left with a sprawling save, similar to what happened to Hossa and the Penguins last year), and the defense had strong rebound control as the Penguins secured their first Stanley Cup since the Mario Lemieux era.
Evgeni Malkin won the Conn Smythe trophy, as he was the leading point scorer for the Penguins in the playoffs. Sidney Crosby became the youngest captain to hoist the Cup, winning it in just his fourth year in the league at age 21. But the victory was probably the sweetest for Bill Guerin, who was part of a rebuilding phase in New York for the last place Islanders before being traded at the deadline to Pittsburgh. It was his first championship since 1995, just 3 years after Pittsburgh's last Stanley Cup. Marian Hossa came out on the short end of the stick; he turned down a pay raise in Pittsburgh during the offseason and decided to take a pay cut to come to Detroit, as he publicly announced he felt that he had a better chance to win the Cup with the Red Wings. The decision probably turned out to be beneficial for Pittsburgh, as they had the cap space to sign Kunitz and Guerin at the deadline, who both played stellar in the postseason. It was also probably the last chance for Chris Chelios to win a cup, as the 47 year old defenseman, who only played 6 playoff games this postseason, will most likely retire from the sport this offseason.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Stanley Cup Finals Game 6
Detroit Red Wings vs Pittsburgh Penguins: Pittsburgh wins 2-1 (Series tied 3-3)
The Pittsburgh Penguins talked about change. That they were a different team. At least they changed one thing: Detroit didn't celebrate the cup on the Penguins's home ice, right in front of their faces and their fans. Jordan Staal caught Detroit sleeping early in the second, and Tyler Kennedy added a much needed insurance goal in the third period as Fleury held off an onslaught of 14 shots and a power play in the third period by Detroit to help the Penguins tie the series at 3-3 with a 2-1 victory over the Red Wings. Once again, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were held without a point and combined for 3 shots, but secondary scoring came through huge for the Pittsburgh in a game that was almost stolen by stellar goaltending on Chris Osgood's part. The Penguins thoroughly dominated the first period and outshot the Red Wings with the second, but their combined 24 shots in 2 periods accounted for only one goal. Still, a win is a win, and now it all comes down to who can win one game in Detroit.
Before everyone starts jumping back on the Pittsburgh bandwagon, there are a few things to consider. First and foremost, the home team has won every single game. Secondly, Detroit's game plan of shutting down Pittsburgh's scorers almost worked: they held them off the score sheet but just couldn't get the win. Third and most importantly, Pittsburgh has been in this situation before: right after game 4. They tied the series, they outworked Detroit on home ice, and they went back to Detroit for game 5 with what seemed to be all the momentum and a game plan that underminded the puck-possession of the Red Wings. Then they got blown out 5-0. With all that said: Fleury gets better with time. If Detroit scores early and often, Pittsburgh's goaltender has no chance. But if the Penguins hold off Detroit until late in the second and the third period like they did in game 6, Fleury will bail them out for the win and the Stanley Cup.
The Pittsburgh Penguins talked about change. That they were a different team. At least they changed one thing: Detroit didn't celebrate the cup on the Penguins's home ice, right in front of their faces and their fans. Jordan Staal caught Detroit sleeping early in the second, and Tyler Kennedy added a much needed insurance goal in the third period as Fleury held off an onslaught of 14 shots and a power play in the third period by Detroit to help the Penguins tie the series at 3-3 with a 2-1 victory over the Red Wings. Once again, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were held without a point and combined for 3 shots, but secondary scoring came through huge for the Pittsburgh in a game that was almost stolen by stellar goaltending on Chris Osgood's part. The Penguins thoroughly dominated the first period and outshot the Red Wings with the second, but their combined 24 shots in 2 periods accounted for only one goal. Still, a win is a win, and now it all comes down to who can win one game in Detroit.
Before everyone starts jumping back on the Pittsburgh bandwagon, there are a few things to consider. First and foremost, the home team has won every single game. Secondly, Detroit's game plan of shutting down Pittsburgh's scorers almost worked: they held them off the score sheet but just couldn't get the win. Third and most importantly, Pittsburgh has been in this situation before: right after game 4. They tied the series, they outworked Detroit on home ice, and they went back to Detroit for game 5 with what seemed to be all the momentum and a game plan that underminded the puck-possession of the Red Wings. Then they got blown out 5-0. With all that said: Fleury gets better with time. If Detroit scores early and often, Pittsburgh's goaltender has no chance. But if the Penguins hold off Detroit until late in the second and the third period like they did in game 6, Fleury will bail them out for the win and the Stanley Cup.
Very Early Speculations on Potential Off-Season Moves for the Sharks
I was reading Puck Daddy on Yahoo! Sports blogs like I usually do daily, and I ran upon an article stating that Dany Heatley, one of the top snipers on the Ottawa Senator's coveted scoring line, wanted to be dealt. Further reports have stated that he is considering a move to the Western Conference. Obviously, the first thing that came to mind was "how can we get this 75+ point winger onto the Sharks?" Of course, my train of thought expanded to more free agents this summer, and here are the results.
Free agents for the Sharks this summer:
Looking at the free agent list, we have Mike Grier at 1.775 million, Jeremy Roenick at 1.1 million, Travis Moen at 912.5k, Marcel Goc at 775k, Torrey Mitchell at 725k, Tomas Plihal at 500k, Claude Lemieux at 500k, Rob Blake at 5 million, Alexei Semenov at 650k, Brian Boucher at 650k, and Kent Huskins at 625k (these were the salaries of the 2008-2009 season).
First and foremost, Dany Heatley. He is still under contract with the Senators for a whopping 7.5 million. Before we get into all the mathematics, let's see what Heatley will bring to the Sharks. First, he's another pure scorer for Joe Thornton to distribute to. He was also in the Stanley Cup finals 3 years ago when Ottawa fell to the Anaheim Ducks. That said, many critics are thinking he's losing his touch, as his point totals have dropped from an average of 2.95 to 2.20 in the past year (per 60 minutes played), and he had his lowest point outing last year since his rookie year. Still, 2.2 points is quite a hefty amount, and a quick comparison to a Sharks player would be along the lines of Devin Setoguchi or Joe Pavelski. Think the Sharks can use another Seto in their roster? I sure do. If the Sharks do get Heatley, we're looking at a potential 3 scoring line roster, something that GM Doug Wilson and Coach Todd McLellon expected to happen during the playoff series against Anaheim this past postseason. Obviously, Heatley would be moved to the first line right next to Thornton. Personally, I would move Patrick Marleau rather than Devin Setoguchi off the line, because Marleau can create plays on his own and is more versatile than the young Setoguchi. Keeping the second line in tact, we would have a third line of Marleau, Jonathan Cheechoo, and one more. That would be a deadly line, and may even rekindle Cheechoo's scoring touch.
Now to the mathematics. In order for the previous paragraph's scenario to work out, Marleau, Setoguchi, the second line, and Cheechoo would not be dealt.
I would really hate to trade Blake, but that would be the quickest way to take out a huge chunk of the 7.5 million we need for Heatley. Roenick retiring would save us another 1.1, so we have 1.4 million to go. Travis Moen and Kent Huskins would be the next expendables, and you could probably make the case for Marcel Goc. Keep in mind as well, these are just the free agents in the summer. We wouldn't necessarily have to trade any of these guys, just not re-sign them. Theoretically, they can also take a pay cut to stay in San Jose. If we look at Sharks who are signed through 2010, Jody Shelley's name pops up, as well as the rest of our starting 6 defensemen. One of our fan favorites would have to go (or we could shorten our roster by 10 skaters), but it could be worth it for Heatley.
Immediately after the postseason began, I wanted Marion Gaborik on the Sharks. He would provide everything Heatley would provide, but we have injury concerns to worry about. But don't forget the same thing happened with Dan Boyle, and he stayed relatively healthy for the Sharks. And in the extremely short 2008-2009 season Gaborik had, he had 23 points in 17 games.
In terms of the mathematics, Gaborik would also cost the Sharks 7.5 million, so the thinking process would be along the same lines as Heatley. Gaborik has a lot more upside, but a lot more downside as well. Heatley would be the safer of the two picks; Gaborik has more potential to produce more points.
Nikolai Antropov is the cheapest for his skill set on the list of free agents this summer, as he is coming off a 59 point regular season and 3 points in the 7 game series against Washington in the playoffs. A signing of Antropov would be 2.15 million based on his 2008-2009 contract. Those point totals may not seem entirely impressive by themselves, but remember that he was playing most of last year as a Toronto Maple Leaf, before being traded to a Ranger team that struggled the entire year offensively (one of the main reasons why they went for Antropov).
What to do with a guy like Antropov would be the biggest question for San Jose. He is a center/right wing hybrid, so he could theoretically be a good replacement for Patrick Marleau on the first line if Marleau moves to center or wing the third. His skill set is also too valuable for the third line, although you could also make that argument for Marleau as well. And I really don't think San Jose will break up it's second line. Can Antropov fit on a third line and bring out the offense in that line as well as other guys can? For 2 million, I think it'd be an experiment worth testing. The only problem would be whether or not Antropov would be willing to move out West.
The most ideal signing for the Sharks would be Michael Cammalleri. He's only 26 years old, and role-played for the Calgary Flames, jumping around all the lines as a centerman and winger. His salary last year was 3.6 million, not too bad for a young talent that produced 82 points last year. 34 of those points also came on the power play. As a left wing, he would be perfect in replacing Marleau on the first line if Patty is moved to the third. 3.6 million is relatively cheap for a guy who has had two 80 point seasons (including one in Los Angeles!), so I'd expect if the Sharks sign him, he'd also come with a more expensive contract. That said, a contract like Rob Blake for Cammalleri would be much more worth it than, for say, Gaborik and Heatley, because of the age factor. The only downside is, like Antropov, he was only a 3 points producer for Calgary in their 6 game series against Chicago.
Other big names would be Marian Hossa, and the Sedin Twins. Assuming Detroit wins the Stanley Cup this year, what are the odds that Hossa would want to leave the team he took a paycut for? Then again, can the Red Wings even afford Hossa past next year? And can anyone in the NHL imagine splitting up the Sedin twins? Each one costs 3.575 million, combining for a total of over 7 million. San Jose could use either, but Henrik (the center/playmaker) would be too expensive for a third line role, so Daniel (the winger/scorer) would be the best fit (and 3.6 million is pretty cheap as well). The only question is will he have the same syngery with Thornton as he had with Henrik? Do you believe in twins having ESP?
Regardless of what we do, free agents that are expendable would probably be Moen, Goc, Lemieux, Huskins, and Roenick. Despite Grier's inability to score, he's a very good role-player on the penalty kill. Roenick will probably retire, Boucher is extremely cheap for a back-up goaltender with his skill level, and I wouldn't mind if Rob Blake stayed one more year for a shot at the cup with San Jose. Moen did his job fairly well, but I could care less whether he stays or not. And Huskins didn't do anything for us. Finally, the one free agent I want to see re-signed is Torrey Mitchell. We had an entire season without him last year, so imagine how much better we'll be if he stays healthy all or most of next year.
Free agents for the Sharks this summer:
Looking at the free agent list, we have Mike Grier at 1.775 million, Jeremy Roenick at 1.1 million, Travis Moen at 912.5k, Marcel Goc at 775k, Torrey Mitchell at 725k, Tomas Plihal at 500k, Claude Lemieux at 500k, Rob Blake at 5 million, Alexei Semenov at 650k, Brian Boucher at 650k, and Kent Huskins at 625k (these were the salaries of the 2008-2009 season).
First and foremost, Dany Heatley. He is still under contract with the Senators for a whopping 7.5 million. Before we get into all the mathematics, let's see what Heatley will bring to the Sharks. First, he's another pure scorer for Joe Thornton to distribute to. He was also in the Stanley Cup finals 3 years ago when Ottawa fell to the Anaheim Ducks. That said, many critics are thinking he's losing his touch, as his point totals have dropped from an average of 2.95 to 2.20 in the past year (per 60 minutes played), and he had his lowest point outing last year since his rookie year. Still, 2.2 points is quite a hefty amount, and a quick comparison to a Sharks player would be along the lines of Devin Setoguchi or Joe Pavelski. Think the Sharks can use another Seto in their roster? I sure do. If the Sharks do get Heatley, we're looking at a potential 3 scoring line roster, something that GM Doug Wilson and Coach Todd McLellon expected to happen during the playoff series against Anaheim this past postseason. Obviously, Heatley would be moved to the first line right next to Thornton. Personally, I would move Patrick Marleau rather than Devin Setoguchi off the line, because Marleau can create plays on his own and is more versatile than the young Setoguchi. Keeping the second line in tact, we would have a third line of Marleau, Jonathan Cheechoo, and one more. That would be a deadly line, and may even rekindle Cheechoo's scoring touch.
Now to the mathematics. In order for the previous paragraph's scenario to work out, Marleau, Setoguchi, the second line, and Cheechoo would not be dealt.
I would really hate to trade Blake, but that would be the quickest way to take out a huge chunk of the 7.5 million we need for Heatley. Roenick retiring would save us another 1.1, so we have 1.4 million to go. Travis Moen and Kent Huskins would be the next expendables, and you could probably make the case for Marcel Goc. Keep in mind as well, these are just the free agents in the summer. We wouldn't necessarily have to trade any of these guys, just not re-sign them. Theoretically, they can also take a pay cut to stay in San Jose. If we look at Sharks who are signed through 2010, Jody Shelley's name pops up, as well as the rest of our starting 6 defensemen. One of our fan favorites would have to go (or we could shorten our roster by 10 skaters), but it could be worth it for Heatley.
Immediately after the postseason began, I wanted Marion Gaborik on the Sharks. He would provide everything Heatley would provide, but we have injury concerns to worry about. But don't forget the same thing happened with Dan Boyle, and he stayed relatively healthy for the Sharks. And in the extremely short 2008-2009 season Gaborik had, he had 23 points in 17 games.
In terms of the mathematics, Gaborik would also cost the Sharks 7.5 million, so the thinking process would be along the same lines as Heatley. Gaborik has a lot more upside, but a lot more downside as well. Heatley would be the safer of the two picks; Gaborik has more potential to produce more points.
Nikolai Antropov is the cheapest for his skill set on the list of free agents this summer, as he is coming off a 59 point regular season and 3 points in the 7 game series against Washington in the playoffs. A signing of Antropov would be 2.15 million based on his 2008-2009 contract. Those point totals may not seem entirely impressive by themselves, but remember that he was playing most of last year as a Toronto Maple Leaf, before being traded to a Ranger team that struggled the entire year offensively (one of the main reasons why they went for Antropov).
What to do with a guy like Antropov would be the biggest question for San Jose. He is a center/right wing hybrid, so he could theoretically be a good replacement for Patrick Marleau on the first line if Marleau moves to center or wing the third. His skill set is also too valuable for the third line, although you could also make that argument for Marleau as well. And I really don't think San Jose will break up it's second line. Can Antropov fit on a third line and bring out the offense in that line as well as other guys can? For 2 million, I think it'd be an experiment worth testing. The only problem would be whether or not Antropov would be willing to move out West.
The most ideal signing for the Sharks would be Michael Cammalleri. He's only 26 years old, and role-played for the Calgary Flames, jumping around all the lines as a centerman and winger. His salary last year was 3.6 million, not too bad for a young talent that produced 82 points last year. 34 of those points also came on the power play. As a left wing, he would be perfect in replacing Marleau on the first line if Patty is moved to the third. 3.6 million is relatively cheap for a guy who has had two 80 point seasons (including one in Los Angeles!), so I'd expect if the Sharks sign him, he'd also come with a more expensive contract. That said, a contract like Rob Blake for Cammalleri would be much more worth it than, for say, Gaborik and Heatley, because of the age factor. The only downside is, like Antropov, he was only a 3 points producer for Calgary in their 6 game series against Chicago.
Other big names would be Marian Hossa, and the Sedin Twins. Assuming Detroit wins the Stanley Cup this year, what are the odds that Hossa would want to leave the team he took a paycut for? Then again, can the Red Wings even afford Hossa past next year? And can anyone in the NHL imagine splitting up the Sedin twins? Each one costs 3.575 million, combining for a total of over 7 million. San Jose could use either, but Henrik (the center/playmaker) would be too expensive for a third line role, so Daniel (the winger/scorer) would be the best fit (and 3.6 million is pretty cheap as well). The only question is will he have the same syngery with Thornton as he had with Henrik? Do you believe in twins having ESP?
Regardless of what we do, free agents that are expendable would probably be Moen, Goc, Lemieux, Huskins, and Roenick. Despite Grier's inability to score, he's a very good role-player on the penalty kill. Roenick will probably retire, Boucher is extremely cheap for a back-up goaltender with his skill level, and I wouldn't mind if Rob Blake stayed one more year for a shot at the cup with San Jose. Moen did his job fairly well, but I could care less whether he stays or not. And Huskins didn't do anything for us. Finally, the one free agent I want to see re-signed is Torrey Mitchell. We had an entire season without him last year, so imagine how much better we'll be if he stays healthy all or most of next year.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Stanley Cup Finals Game 5
Detroit Red Wings vs Pittsburgh Penguins: Detroit wins 5-0 (Detroit leads series 3-2)
Chris Osgood recorded his franchise record 15th playoff shutout in a 22 save performance, but obviously that will be overshadowed by the return of Pavel Datsyuk, which led to what can only be described as a complete and utter destruction sequence of the Pittsburgh Penguins engineered by the hands of the Red Wings. Henrik Zetterberg tied up Chris Kunitz late in the first period, which led Kunitz to crash into Osgood and resulted in a goalie interference penalty. Although the Red Wings did not convert the power play on the stat sheet, it sparked what would be a showcase of offensive zone domination by Detroit, as they drew 3 more penalties and converted on all 3, leading to a 5-0 blowout only midway through the second period. And even though you got the sense Detroit would have been happy playing defense the rest of the way, Pittsburgh lost their cool and gave up 5 more chances for the Red Wings to score on the power play. Datsyuk ended the night with 2 assists and 17:38 of ice time (which probably would've been a lot more had it not been for the blowout), and looked strong and healthy as he was stick-handling and checking like he was prior to an injury that had him absent for the past 7 playoff games. And although Hossa still is absent from the goal column on the score sheet, he and Henrik Zetterberg were huge beneficiaries from Datsyuk's return, combining for a goal and 2 assists between them and lots of scoring opportunities.
A glimpse at game 5 showed the return of the dominant Detroit Red Wings that stormed their way to a Stanley Cup victory last year over a Penguins team that was immature and inexperienced. Talk about Pittsburgh being a team that is more prepared and has more Stanley Cup experience on their roster led to beliefs that they would be able to handle the Red Wings in a rematch. But the return of Pavel Datsyuk on home ice proved otherwise. Detroit shut down the Penguins offense in the way they knew best: offensive zone puck possession and drawing penalties. Pittsburgh imploded in the second period, taking 6 straight penalties (including a carry over from late in the first), which led to 3 power play goals by Detroit. Of the Red Wings's 29 shots on goal in the game, 14 of them came on 9 power play opportunities. But don't let the 3 of 9 power play conversion rate fool you: when Detroit went up 5-0 midway through the second period, they were 3 for 4 with the man advantage. And you'd expect a professional team like the Red Wings to let the foot off the gas (at least a little) with a 5-0 lead. The only time Pittsburgh even had a hint of making the game competitive was in the first 5 minutes of the opening period. So far, the home team has been dominant in this series, so the Penguins are probably relieved to have game 6 go back to Pittsburgh. But coming off a loss like this? You have to have a feeling Detroit is a lot more relaxed going into the state of Pennsylvania than the home team is. Good news for Pittsburgh: they have 3 days to get their heads straight and prepare for game 5. Bad news for Pittsburgh: Detroit has 3 days to rest up and tend to their wounds.
Chris Osgood recorded his franchise record 15th playoff shutout in a 22 save performance, but obviously that will be overshadowed by the return of Pavel Datsyuk, which led to what can only be described as a complete and utter destruction sequence of the Pittsburgh Penguins engineered by the hands of the Red Wings. Henrik Zetterberg tied up Chris Kunitz late in the first period, which led Kunitz to crash into Osgood and resulted in a goalie interference penalty. Although the Red Wings did not convert the power play on the stat sheet, it sparked what would be a showcase of offensive zone domination by Detroit, as they drew 3 more penalties and converted on all 3, leading to a 5-0 blowout only midway through the second period. And even though you got the sense Detroit would have been happy playing defense the rest of the way, Pittsburgh lost their cool and gave up 5 more chances for the Red Wings to score on the power play. Datsyuk ended the night with 2 assists and 17:38 of ice time (which probably would've been a lot more had it not been for the blowout), and looked strong and healthy as he was stick-handling and checking like he was prior to an injury that had him absent for the past 7 playoff games. And although Hossa still is absent from the goal column on the score sheet, he and Henrik Zetterberg were huge beneficiaries from Datsyuk's return, combining for a goal and 2 assists between them and lots of scoring opportunities.
A glimpse at game 5 showed the return of the dominant Detroit Red Wings that stormed their way to a Stanley Cup victory last year over a Penguins team that was immature and inexperienced. Talk about Pittsburgh being a team that is more prepared and has more Stanley Cup experience on their roster led to beliefs that they would be able to handle the Red Wings in a rematch. But the return of Pavel Datsyuk on home ice proved otherwise. Detroit shut down the Penguins offense in the way they knew best: offensive zone puck possession and drawing penalties. Pittsburgh imploded in the second period, taking 6 straight penalties (including a carry over from late in the first), which led to 3 power play goals by Detroit. Of the Red Wings's 29 shots on goal in the game, 14 of them came on 9 power play opportunities. But don't let the 3 of 9 power play conversion rate fool you: when Detroit went up 5-0 midway through the second period, they were 3 for 4 with the man advantage. And you'd expect a professional team like the Red Wings to let the foot off the gas (at least a little) with a 5-0 lead. The only time Pittsburgh even had a hint of making the game competitive was in the first 5 minutes of the opening period. So far, the home team has been dominant in this series, so the Penguins are probably relieved to have game 6 go back to Pittsburgh. But coming off a loss like this? You have to have a feeling Detroit is a lot more relaxed going into the state of Pennsylvania than the home team is. Good news for Pittsburgh: they have 3 days to get their heads straight and prepare for game 5. Bad news for Pittsburgh: Detroit has 3 days to rest up and tend to their wounds.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Stanley Cup Finals Game 4
Detroit Red Wings vs Pittsburgh Penguins: Pittsburgh wins 4-2 (Series tied 2-2)
Marc-Andre Fleury once again stole a game from Detroit, and Pittsburgh is now tied in the series 2-2. Of course, he'll be overshadowed by Crosby's 2 points and Evgeni Malkin once again dominating the offensive zone, but Fleury is the only reason why Pittsburgh isn't at home right now watching the Red Wings celebrate their second championship with several bottles of wine. At the other end, Chris Osgood was less than good for the Red Wings, allowing a barrage of 3 goals in a 6 minute span in the second period, which sealed the fate of Detroit for game 4. Pavel Datsyuk, rumored to start game 4, was once again absent, but you have to think that with the series tied and gaem 5 heading back to Detroit, the MVP finalist will dress.
Detroit's power play, who was 30% on the road during the playoffs, went 0-4 in game 4. That's not to say that they didn't have any offensive opportunities, as they outshot Pittsburgh 39 to 31. So far, the home team has won each game by 2. Detroit won both games in Detroit 3-1, and the Penguins won both their games at home 4-2. Unfortunately, this is one of the disadvantages of the 2-2-1-1-1 format for the home team, because despite this pattern, Pittsburgh has all the momentum now, winning the past 2 games.
Marc-Andre Fleury once again stole a game from Detroit, and Pittsburgh is now tied in the series 2-2. Of course, he'll be overshadowed by Crosby's 2 points and Evgeni Malkin once again dominating the offensive zone, but Fleury is the only reason why Pittsburgh isn't at home right now watching the Red Wings celebrate their second championship with several bottles of wine. At the other end, Chris Osgood was less than good for the Red Wings, allowing a barrage of 3 goals in a 6 minute span in the second period, which sealed the fate of Detroit for game 4. Pavel Datsyuk, rumored to start game 4, was once again absent, but you have to think that with the series tied and gaem 5 heading back to Detroit, the MVP finalist will dress.
Detroit's power play, who was 30% on the road during the playoffs, went 0-4 in game 4. That's not to say that they didn't have any offensive opportunities, as they outshot Pittsburgh 39 to 31. So far, the home team has won each game by 2. Detroit won both games in Detroit 3-1, and the Penguins won both their games at home 4-2. Unfortunately, this is one of the disadvantages of the 2-2-1-1-1 format for the home team, because despite this pattern, Pittsburgh has all the momentum now, winning the past 2 games.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Stanley Cup Finals Game 3
Detroit Red Wings vs Pittsburgh Penguins: Pittsburgh wins 4-2 (Detroit leads series 2-1)
Oh how a rescinded suspension can alter a series. Evgeni Malkin was able to play game 3 after he cheap-shotted Henrik Zetterberg at the end of game 2, and he came in huge for the Penguins, notching 3 assists on the first 3 Penguin goals in a 4-2 Pittsburgh victory. After a dominating two first periods by the Red Wings and a dominating performance by Marc-Andre Fleury, the Pittsburgh offense came through for their goaltender, outshooting the Red Wings 10-3 in the third period and getting the game winning goal on the power play a little over the 10 minute mark in the period. Detroit is still in the driver's seat, because a couple of missed calls that would've gone their way could've have won the game for them, so Pittsburgh still has a lot of work to do, especially in front of their goaltender.
One missed call was late in the first period, when Pittsburgh had six skaters on the ice for about 30 seconds in Detroit's defensive zone. They pretty much had a power play, but all four zebras on skates did not even notice the infraction, even when the sixth skater was called back to the bench and skated away, right in front of a linesman. This came minutes after Detroit scored on their first power play, and a penalty call on the Penguins right there could've made it a 3-1 game at the end of the first instead of a 2-2 tie. And you know everyone in Detroit is calling for NHL VP Colin Campbell to be fired for rescinding the automatic suspension of Evgeni Malkin.
Oh how a rescinded suspension can alter a series. Evgeni Malkin was able to play game 3 after he cheap-shotted Henrik Zetterberg at the end of game 2, and he came in huge for the Penguins, notching 3 assists on the first 3 Penguin goals in a 4-2 Pittsburgh victory. After a dominating two first periods by the Red Wings and a dominating performance by Marc-Andre Fleury, the Pittsburgh offense came through for their goaltender, outshooting the Red Wings 10-3 in the third period and getting the game winning goal on the power play a little over the 10 minute mark in the period. Detroit is still in the driver's seat, because a couple of missed calls that would've gone their way could've have won the game for them, so Pittsburgh still has a lot of work to do, especially in front of their goaltender.
One missed call was late in the first period, when Pittsburgh had six skaters on the ice for about 30 seconds in Detroit's defensive zone. They pretty much had a power play, but all four zebras on skates did not even notice the infraction, even when the sixth skater was called back to the bench and skated away, right in front of a linesman. This came minutes after Detroit scored on their first power play, and a penalty call on the Penguins right there could've made it a 3-1 game at the end of the first instead of a 2-2 tie. And you know everyone in Detroit is calling for NHL VP Colin Campbell to be fired for rescinding the automatic suspension of Evgeni Malkin.
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