2011 NHL Entry Draft- Top 5

Hi everyone,
The NHL Central Scouting Bureau released their final rankings for North American and European skaters and goalies eligible for the draft. The number one spot has changed many times during the season, and I will predict the top 5 picks of this year's draft off of team needs and player rankings. The NHL Draft lottery was held the other day, with the order 1-14 being chosen, with playoffs deciding the rest of the draft positions.

1. Edmonton Oilers- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, C: Red Deer Rebels (WHL)- This highly skilled and versatile player had a phenomenal season and is considered one of the best offensive minded players in recent draft history. The Oilers desperately need defense, however, the poise and hockey IQ of this player should not be passed by. Also, being the number one ranked player going into the draft he is sure to be chosen quickly. The Oilers have recently become intoxicated with and are attracted to young and talented CHL forwards, selecting Eberle and Hall in past first rounds.

2. Colorado Avalanche- Gabriel Landeskog, LW: Kitchener Rangers (OHL)- This strong Swedish power forward and captain of the Kitchener Rangers is extremely composed on the ice and can make big plays. He is a natural leader which could complement Duchene and Stastny nicely; and also give them a powerhouse wing to play with. Ranked 2nd overall for North American skaters he is considered to be the player in the draft who is most ready for play in the NHL. Colorado has no need for d-men currently so this is probably their best pick.

3. Florida Panthers- Jonathan Huberdeau, C: Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)- Being a solid forward is the immediate draw to Huberdeau from the Panthers, who desperately some offense. He is also ready for time in the NHL so he could be utilized fairly quickly. The Panthers drafted d-man Kulikov in the first round in 2009 and skilled d-man Gudbranson last year with their 3rd overall pick so young defensive minded players will not be on their agenda.

4. New Jersey Devils- Adam Larsson, D: Skelleftea AIK (Elitserien)- As the top ranked European skater this big defenseman should go earlier in the draft but does not meet any of the other teams needs. However, the Devils would give anything to get a talented blue liner like this, and most likely will. As an experienced professional in Sweden he played great at the World Junior Championships this year and could make an impact on the defensively struggling New Jersey group fairly quick.

5. New York Islanders- Dougie Hamilton, D: Niagara IceDogs (OHL)- A strong and large presence on the blue line he could fill a defensive spot if not this year then next in a pathetic Islanders team. With Grabner, Tavares, Moulson, Okposo, and Comeau up front this Long Island team has filled up all young offensive slots, but with an aging defense they could definitely use this prospect on their team.

So, that is my top 5. These prospects fit every teams needs and will go nicely into each organization. Surprisingly Sean Couturier who used to be the number 1 ranked North American skater is not on most peoples top 5, including mine. However, he will most likely go in the top 10.

The Non-Awarded NHL Awards: Part 2

So, I left off discussing the rookie surprise of the 2010-2011 NHL season. I will now expand on these should be awarded achievements in the NHL.

Rookie Disappointment- Now, as a semi- Bruins fan (based on the fact that my boyfriend loves the team) I hate to admit it but Tyler Seguin was completely under utilized this season, and thus turned out to be the most disappointing rookie of the year. A rookie like Burmistrov in Atlanta could make a good case for this award but then again he wasn't expected to perform like Seguin was. Taken 2nd overall in last year's draft the Bruins obtained a great and powerful center in Seguin and he could have been a number 1. I'm not saying this was totally Seguin's fault. Claude Julien, coach of the Bruins never let him realize his true potential by barely playing him. Next year he will progress, but for this year Seguin turned out to be a surprisingly small part of Boston's strategy. This trophy would depict Patrik Stefan as he had a pathetic rookie season, and a horrendous career as well.

Worst Coach- Ron Wilson of the Toronto Maple Leafs has, for three years now, been the least adaptive and most traditional coach in the league. Of course these traits generally lead to bad turnouts. Brian Burke, GM of the Maple Leafs has made a minimal yet strong effort at creating a respectable team, even though he is probably the worst GM in the league. Over the seasons Wilson has gained new, youthful talent that could potentially make a run at a playoff spot, but instead he causes them to continually finish last or almost last. This season was better, but was still a poor showing overall. This trophy could depict any Montreal Canadiens coach over the years, because they are the worst franchise in history. Also, John Tortorella of the Rangers could be used as a substitute.

Overachiever- Dustin Byfuglien is currently playing at a level that few defenseman have maintained in the history of the NHL. In fact, his goal and point total as a D-man this season eclipsed his previous totals as a winger. He adapted well to Atlanta after being traded from Chicago. Byfuglien recently received a contract extension from Atlanta, and consequently will have to produce like he did this year for them or will most likely be seen as a waste of money. This trophy would have Martin St. Louis as it's depiction due to the fact that he should in all honesty never have had a good season, yet continually performs phenomenally every year.

Underachiever- As a first overall pick by the Bruins, Joe Thornton had several great seasons after he gained poise and composure within the league. Recently, he had the worst season since his third season in Boston. After being traded to the Sharks he still helped the team a great amount. This season, however, has seen a Joe Thornton that the league is unfamiliar with. Thornton has never been known as a lazy player, or an underachiever in any aspect of the sport. His team around him is just as skilled as it has always been, but for some reason this year he never found his groove, and ultimately was by far the most underachieving player. Not necessarily in terms of work ethic, but instead in point totals and contribution to his team which should be profound. This trophy would have a statue of Sergei Samsonov, after persisting years of having a great sniper's skills as emphasized by his rookie of the year win, yet always failing to live up to his early season's potential.

Saddest Team- A straight tie between the New York Islanders and Florida Panthers will be called here. Both teams underachieve, underperform, not live up to potential, make poor trades and moves, hire lousy coaches, overvalue players and show up on the ice with a lackluster team that can barely compete every season in the modern era. Islanders fans consistently cite Mike Bossy and 4 straight Stanley Cups as proof that they were once a viable and relevant franchise. The Panthers do not have this reference, as they have never won a Cup. Still, nowadays both teams are equally pathetic and irrelevant in the scope of the NHL.

The Non-Awarded NHL Awards: Part 1

Hi everybody,

So the NHL regular season is coming to an end and most stat category winners are locked in, as of now. I will discuss the awards that the NHL does not hand out at the annual ceremony but definitely should.

Biggest Disappointment- Most fans would immediately call for Kovalchuk to grab this award, but I disagree. Nicklas Backstrom of the Washington Capitals was by far the most disappointing player this season. Kovalchuk is with practically a new team and did not have the overall team skill or players Backstrom had, plus last year Backstrom was a phenom tallying 101 points. This year, only 63 points to his name. He is a great player and I hope he finds his game because he is basically the only normal and respectable player on the Capitals. The trophy for this award would have a statue of Alexandre Daigle on the top.( in case you have no idea who he was-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandre_Daigle)

Biggest Surprise- The grinder Corey Perry of the Anaheim Ducks easily claims this award. With his probable Rocket Richard win (most goals in a season), he baffled fans everywhere. Also, his roughly 20 point increase from past years help him solidify this win.This trophy would depict Detroit star Henrik Zetterberg, as he was a seventh round pick who surprisingly is now a near elite player.

Most Underrated Player- Patrick Sharp of the Chicago Blackhawks takes home this award. His current 34 goals makes him a great contributor to the Blackhawks, and he is a big reason they are even in playoff contention. Most people, however, have never even heard of this role player due to stars Patty Kane and Toews on his team overshadowing him. Sharp has fit nicely into this role, and has played it for close to 4 years now. This trophy would be a plaque of Mike Gartner, probably the least known elite player in the history of the league (sixth all time in NHL goals-again, Wikipedia him)

Most Overrated Player- Easily Alexander Ovechkin. This season people spoke of him as they always have, except this year he didn't even come close to his generally great statistics. He barely reached 30 goals and won't come close to 100 points. Still, nonetheless, analysts will call him the greatest of all time and act as if he broke all of Gretzky's records. This trophy would depict Ovechkin due to his epic playoff failures. Regular season stats rarely indicate playoff success so maybe since he did poorly this season his team MAY make it past the first round of the playoffs. However, he is a severe team killer and has consistently proven himself to be the most overrated player in the league.

Rookie Surprise- Few people (including the Canucks and Panthers) could have predicted that on a pitiful team Michael Grabner would score plus-30 goals and show great poise and composure on the ice. After being shopped around and even put on waivers (nice one, Florida) this former 14th overall pick was claimed by the New York Islanders. Here, he played with an above average Tavares, and that's about it. His 31 goals and only 17 assists emphasize the fact that he was doing this all by himself, with little help. This trophy would be a statue of Teemu Selanne, due to his astonishing and amazing rookie season.

The Stanley Cup- Part Three: Stanley Cup Champion

Hi again,
After reading the previous two articles this section will now highlight for you my predicted Stanley Cup match up winner. I left off with the Boston Bruins facing the Detroit Red Wings in the finals. The Red Wings would have the home ice advantage in the seven game series, which is situated as a 2-2-1-1-1 setup with game 7 being in Detroit.Very few of the Bruins players have been in this scenario before, where it is a well known area by the Red Wings main threats. In this series the home team will have a definite advantage as both teams have brutal and passionate crowds that can moderately influence the mental state of the game. I predict, however, that in a seven game series the Bruins will edge the Red Wings. The main reason will be that the Red Wings will be able to last until the Stanley Cup with who they have, but as the team is prone to injuries including center Pavel Datsyuk who has lost significant time this year, fatigue may be a factor. The Bruins may not be as experienced, but their endurance and durability will outlast the Red Wings by the fourth and final series of the playoffs. Also, Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard is nothing compared to Tim Thomas of Boston, leading to less goals being scored by Detroit. The Conn Smythe Trophy winner (playoff MVP) will be Bruins winger Milan Lucic who is reliably one of their strongest playoff performers in recent history for thre B's.This Original Six matchup will be a phenomenal success for the NHL, and will live up to the expectations that fans consistently tune in to see out of the NHL playoffs.
Boston Bruins Win Stanley Cup Series 4-2.

Stanley Cup- Awarded to the National Hockey League's playoff champion

The Stanley Cup - Part 2: The Eastern Conference

Hi everybody,
The East is looking slightly different than the West as of now, mainly because of major injuries that have been sustained. As a result this conference is even more difficult to assess as every team is viable for a Stanley Cup run. Currently, the Philadelphia Flyers are poised to grab the #1 seed in the East. This would face them against the Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres, a team with superb goaltending and alright defense fairly lacks an offensive game. In a few years due to prospects like Tyler Ennis and Tyler Myers I would say they could win, but as of now the rough and tough Flyers role players will handedly win this series. Next, the Capitals will take on the Rangers in what will be probably the best series of the entire first round. The Rangers could be a real surprise with their concentrated offense-defense scenarios and league leader in shutouts goalie Henrik Lundqvist. The Capitals could very well be tagged as choke artists once again if Ovechkin does not have a much better playoffs than his regular season was. Also, center Nicklas Backstrom who was instrumental in the Presidents Trophy last year had a much less impressive season this year. Along with Semin and Green having little playoff experience I am extremely cautious and hesitant to say the better seed will win (Capitals). However, IF the Capitals goalies Varlamov, Neuvirth, and Holtby played like the young stars that they have recently, I could give this to the Capitals. This is unlikely due to the goalies youth so I will give this series to the Rangers in a hard fought seven game series. Next, the Bruins will not only crush the Candiens, they will massacre them in a series sweep. Falsely glorified Subban, Gomez and Gionta will not be able to stand up to the Bruins offensive onslaught or break through their defensive strongholds, goalie Timmy T and defensemen Chara and Kaberle. Lastly, the Tampa Bay Lightning will play the Pittsburgh Penguins. Assuming that Crosby will not return for the playoffs the Lightning could decidely win this one. Neal, Kovalev, Letang and Staal of the Penguins will put up a good fight but without the fire power of a seasoned playoff phenom such as Crosby or Malkin the Penguins will not be able to handle the Lightning. The play of Penguins goalie Fleury will be one of the only things that could possibly make this a five or six game series. Stamkos and St. Louis will most likely start the series hot and get a great jump on the away games that they will have to travel to Pittsburgh for. Tampa Bay's lackluster goaltending and the recently streaky play of Stamkos are their main faults, but they won't be bad enough to lose these contests. In the next round the Flyers will play the Rangers, and the Bruins would take on the Lightning. Bruins would again win this showdown in five or six games as Stamkos would likely falter as he has lately and would not be able to score many goals on the defensively strong Bruins. The Bruins, with visions of last years collapse to the Flyers fresh in their minds, will not want to make the same mistakes again. The Flyers will then probably show the Rangers why they do not belong in the second round of the playoffs, and turn them down in decisive fashion. In a rematch of last years Eastern Conference semifinals, the Bruins will play the Flyers in the Eastern Conference Championship. The Flyers mounted a 4-game comeback against the Bruins after being down in the series 3-0 last year. The Bruins are a much different team with far more offensive threats and, if possible, an even stronger defense and goalie corps than they had last year. Mike Richards-obsessed NHL analyst Pierre McGuire will be sad to see the Flyers captain and his team have to lose this series, but I think that is how it will be. The Bruins will appear in their first Stanley Cup since 1990, questing for their first cup win since Bobby Orr's prime in 1972.

The Prince of Wales Trophy- Awarded to the Eastern Conference Champion

The Stanley Cup: A Canadian team will NOT win, yet again...

Hi everybody,

With most teams in the NHL having only a few games left to play in their season playoff hopefuls rush to the finish line. I will try and predict a Stanley Cup champion, but I will recognize the fact that in the NHL (unlike lame leagues like the NBA-where only 3 or 4 teams ever compete for the title) it is completely up in the air as to who will win the championship. A Presidents Trophy winner (most regular season points) rarely wins the Stanley Cup, so the favorite is never actually the favorite. Only seven since 1985, in fact, and only two in the past ten seasons have gone on to win it all after dominating the regular season. The playoffs are a whole new game compared to the regular season. A player's clutch and poise truly comes into affect, as highlighted by the several playoff appearances by the Penguins until they could win their 3rd cup in 08-09. They eventually compiled enough composure as a team to push through their opponents, slowly learning with each playoff loss. This is generally the case, but their have been a few exceptions.

With this in mind this year has a few teams that will probably not make the cut in the first round. Most series outcomes depend on the team they are matched up against, so with playoffs not yet set my picks may be inconsistent by playoff time. Also, currently injured players who may return by playoffs, namely Sidney Crosby, will also change my picks a bit. Remember, based on if playoffs started today I will make my decision. First, I will look at the Western Conference. The Vancouver Canucks will win the Presidents Trophy, but due to a choke artist goalie (Luongo) who has almost no late playoff experience I feel that they would suffer early if it wasn't for their stellar offense. The Sedin brothers who will finish 1st and 2nd in the scoring race have the ability carry this team deep. However with goaltending being a major part and the Canucks losing several key recently, I say first round loss to the Chicago Blackhawks (the last two Presidents Trophy winners have also been eliminated in the first round- not saying it's impossible for the Canucks to break this streak though.) The Chicago Blackhawks will eek by in the regular season and be an 8 seed, and due to last years Stanley Cup win and great play of solid players I could see a Western Conference run occuring if not for their 8th seed status, but ultimately will fall. They will probably have to beat the Canucks in a long series unfortunately. As for the Anaheim Ducks- fairly mud regular season but could potentially get by the first round if they weren't playing the Detroit Red Wings. The Red Wings continue to impress me even though they have an average age that is older than some nursing homes. Late playoff run, probable Stanley Cup berth yet again. The San Jose Sharks as of now are on pace to face the Nashville Predators. If both teams could lose in this series both would probably find a way as the playoffs have never treated Big Joe or any of the Pee-Wees on the Predators very well. Neither of these teams will advance past the second round, depending on who wins. The Phoenix Coyotes will breeze by the Los Angeles Kings as Kopitar is out for the year, but will lose in the next round. With the reseeding style of hockey, that would leave the second round being Red Wings v. Blackhawks and Sharks vs. Coyotes. I predict Sharks vs. Red Wings in the Western Conference Finals. The Sharks are not foreign to this territory as they were here last year, but the many AARP lines of the Red Wings will somehow find a way to eventually wear them down. Western Conference Champion: Detroit Red Wings (for hopefully the last year in a very long time- EVENTUALLY player age will hurt them.)

Clarence S. Campbell Bowl- Awarded to the Western Conference Champion

Jonathan Toews = MVP!

Hey everybody,
So, the NHL season is winding down and playoffs are about to begin. With the regular season awards conversation in full swing surprisingly most of the usual candidates are not being thrown around for the Hart Memorial trophy, or the MVP of the National Hockey League. Due to Crosby's injury, Malkin's injury, Ovechkin's dismal, assist laden season new players must be nominated for this award. Of course Stamkos is the absolute favorite, with the Sedin twins in the mix, and a possible goalie being discussed such as Timmy T from Boston or Flower out of Pittsburgh (long shot). However, I believe that this season's true most valuable player to his team in this league is Jonathan Toews. This is not the points trophy, as it has been confused with in recent years. The MVP of the league, for their team does not necessarily lead every stat category. Maybe for their team, but not for the league. Being a most valuable player includes a solid two way game, intense play all around, and most importantly, actually helping their team. The Capitals were going to be in the playoffs anyways when Ovi won the award, and not just because of him (Semin, Backstrom, Knuble, Green etc.). The Blackhawks had an absolute firesale in the offseason where due to a tight salary cap they needed to trade or not resign some of their best players. These players included Byfuglien, Ladd, Versteeg, and surprise goalie Niemi. If Ovi lost that team around him he would likely have a tough time rallying his players to make another regular season run and make the playoffs. Without Toews' leadership, GWG's, shooting %, faceoff %, and his all around clutch play the Blackhawks would not be sitting in the 7th seed right now, an amazing feat for an almost brand new team out there on the ice. Yeah P Kane and Duncan Keith are phenomenal contributors but to recover from losing so many great role players that helped them win a Stanley Cup it requires far more than just a statistical powerhouse. If the Blackhawks go deep into the playoffs it will be because of the poise and composure of their captain and future Hart Memorial Trophy winner, Jonathan Toews. (I do realize that Stamkos will win the MVP, I just believe that the MVP has not become what it was supposed to be. The NHL already has the Art Ross trophy for most points in a season.)