“Joe’s Angle”

Greg and Joe’s Fourth Annual NHL Free Agent Predictions

Posted by Greg Caggiano on June 29, 2012
Posted in: "Joe's Angle", "On the Rink with Gootz", Hockey. Tagged: , , . 1 comment

Where will Zach land?

It’s Christmas in July once again! While we have to admit that this summer’s free agency pool is not exactly laden with the biggest of names, it still includes a player set to become the most sought after and highest paid free agent of all-time, Zach Parise. This summer also holds the fate of his teammate and winningest goaltender in history, Martin Brodeur. Will he retire or stick around for another season? For the sake of the New Jersey Devils, he better come back for one more since their backup is also an aging free agent and there is no can’t-miss prospect in their system.

Anyway, Joe Aiello and I sat down for the fourth straight year to render our predictions, and you can take a look at our track record below which is still, I might add, better than Eklund over at Hockeybuzz. Mayhaps we should start our own rumor mill mega site and charge a bundle—given the stupidity of people and their quest to always be in the know, we could make out pretty well. This year, Joe and I welcomed a good friend of ours to join us for this monumental task, Chris “Gootz” Hoeler, who you all know from his “On the Rink with Gootz” column here on FNYTSF and his work with the FHL’s Danbury Whalers as their assistant director of player personnel.

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Greg and Joe’s Fourth Annual NHL Standings Predictions

Posted by Greg Caggiano on October 3, 2011
Posted in: "Joe's Angle", Hockey. 1 comment

My lone stat prediction of the pre-season: Steven Stamkos will accomplish something a player has not done in 19 years, score 70 goals in a season.

What would be the start of an NHL season without predictions from Joe Aiello and me? It’s hard to believe that this is four years in a row now, after we first started out with our radio show on Youcastr, before moving on to Metro-Hockey, and then later, Metro-Sports. Both of our time has been limited, and we had tried for several days to get this done via Skype. So last night, we finally had the chance to sit down and do these. It was rather difficult because not many teams got severely better or worse. Yes, there were improvements by many, and other teams lost talent, but there was nothing drastic here. Because of that, you will notice that there are not many predictions “out on a limb” as in year’s past, but it is what it is. Though we have always been skeptical of the Rangers, we will trust new captain Ryan Callahan’s prediction that the Blueshirts will be a top-4 finish in the Eastern Conference. I also want to mention that we are both sick of the constant Capitals-Sharks Stanley Cup predictions. How many years has that been customary to start a season? It’s getting old. While they will both make the playoffs, I think they will slip a little bit lower than what they are used to.

Eastern Conference

Greg’s Picks

1. Tampa Bay Lightning*

2. Philadelphia Flyers*

3. Boston Bruins*

4. New York Rangers

5. Washington Capitals

6. Pittsburgh Penguins

7. Montreal Canadiens

8. Carolina Hurricanes

—

9. New Jersey Devils

10. Florida Panthers

11. Buffalo Sabres

12. Toronto Maple Leafs

13. Winnipeg Jets

14. New York Islanders

15. Ottawa Senators

Joe’s Picks

1. Tampa Bay Lightning*

2. Boston Bruins*

3. New York Rangers*

4. Washington Capitals

5. Philadelphia Flyers

6. Buffalo Sabres

7. Pittsburgh Penguins

8. New Jersey Devils

—

9. Montreal Canadiens

10. Carolina Hurricanes

11. New York Islanders

12. Florida Panthers

13. Toronto Maple Leafs

14. Winnipeg Jets

15. Ottawa Senators

Western Conference

Greg’s Picks

1. Los Angeles Kings

2. Chicago Blackhawks

3. Vancouver Canucks

4. San Jose Sharks

5. Detroit Red Wings

6. Nashville Predators

7. Columbus Blue Jackets

8. San Jose Sharks

—

9. Calgary Flames

10. Phoenix Coyotes

11. Dallas Stars

12. Minnesota Wild

13. Edmonton Oilers

14. St. Louis Blues

15. Colorado Avalanche

Joe’s Picks

1. Vancouver Canucks

2. Chicago Blackhawks

3. Los Angeles Kings

4. Anaheim Ducks

5. San Jose Sharks

6. Detroit Red Wings

7. Columbus Blue Jackets

8. Nashville Predators

—

9. Phoenix Coyotes

10. Minnesota Wild

11. St. Louis Blues

12. Calgary Flames

13. Edmonton Oilers

14. Dallas Stars

15. Colorado Avalanche

Updated: Greg and Joe’s Third Annual NHL Free Agent Predictions (2011)

Posted by Greg Caggiano on June 29, 2011
Posted in: "Joe's Angle", Hockey. Tagged: , , . 1 comment

EDIT: This list will be updated as signings happen! Keep checking back! (Last update 7/2 @ 4:10 PM EST)

For the third year in a row, Joe Aiello and I have sat down to make our NHL free agent signing predictions. Each time, our predictions are normally pretty forgettable, but there is always room for improvement! This year really does not have the nice, exciting crop that we are used to dealing with, but we will still do our guessing game nonetheless.

Previous Picking Stats

Greg (2009): 10/40 (25%)

Joe (2009): 8/40 (20%)

Greg (2010): 12/50 (24%)

Joe (2010): 8/50 (16%)

Grand total: 38/180 (21%)…Still better than Eklund!

Our 2011 Free Agent Picks Are:

Centers

  • Brad Richards (DAL): Agreed on NYR
  • Tim Connolly (BUF): Greg: BUF; Joe: DAL

3. Jason Arnott (WSH): Agreed on NJD

  • Michal Handzus (LAK): Agreed on LAK
  • Tomas Fleischmann (COL): Greg: FLA; Joe: COL

6. Todd White (NYR): Agreed on retiring

7. Vinny Prospal (NYR): Greg: TBL, Joe: FLA

  • Chris Higgins (VAN): Agreed on VAN

9. John Madden (MIN): Greg: NJD, Joe: MIN

Left Wingers

  • Simon Gagne (TBL): Greg: PHI; Joe: LAK
  • Eric Cole (CAR): Agreed on CAR

12. Sergei Samsonov (FLA): Greg: FLA; Joe: Europe

  • Andrew Brunette (MIN): Greg: NYR; Joe: BUF

14. Nikolai Zherdev (PHI): Agreed on NYI

  • Jussi Jokinen (CAR): Greg: CAR; Joe: NYI
  • Ville Leino (PHI): Greg: PHI; Joe: TOR

Right Wingers

17. Alexei Kovalev (PIT): Agreed on Europe

18. Teemu Selanne (ANH): Greg: WPG; Joe: ANH

  • Michael Ryder (BOS): Agreed on NSH
  • Steve Sullivan (NSH): Agreed on NSH
  • Radim Vrbata (PHX): Agreed on PHX

22. Jamie Langenbrunner (DAL): Greg: NYR; Joe: TOR

23. Mike Knuble (WSH): Greg: WSH; Joe: BOS

  • Scottie Upshall (CLB): Greg: CLB; Joe: STL

Defensemen

  • Ed Jovanovski PHX): Agreed on PHX

26. Bryan McCabe (NYR): Greg: FLA; Joe: SJS

  • Roman Hamrlik (MTL): Agreed on MTL

28. Scott Hannan (WSH): Agreed WSH

29. Tomas Kaberle (BOS): Greg: BOS; Joe: NJD

  • Christian Ehrhoff (VAN): Greg: FLA; Joe: NYI
  • James Wisniewski (MTL): Greg: CGY; Joe: CLB

32. Anton Babchuk (CGY): Greg: WPG; Joe: FLA

Goalies

  • J.S Giguere (TOR): Greg: TOR; Joe: WPG
  • Tomas Vokoun (FLA): Greg: FLA; Joe: COL

35. Pascal Leclaire (OTT): Agreed on Europe

  • Brian Boucher (PHI): Greg: FLA; Joe: PHX
  • Mike Smith (TBL): Agreed on CLB
  • Johan Hedberg (NJD): Greg: Europe; Joe: NJD

39. Marty Turco (CHI): Greg: COL; Joe: Retires

40. Ty Conklin (STL): Greg: COL; Joe: STL

Joe’s Angle: The New York Rangers’ Off-Season Plan

Posted by Greg Caggiano on May 28, 2011
Posted in: "Joe's Angle", Hockey, New York Rangers. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment

Will the Rangers be courting Jamie Langenbrunner for help this summer?

Heading into this off-season, the New York Rangers find themselves in quite good shape when compared to the last few summers. The Rangers must establish a true first line in order to justify their investment in Marian Gaborik, whose disappointing 2010/11 campaign could have been attributed to injuries and lack of chemistry with players around him. He will, and must, look to regain his form found in the previous seasons.

Brad Richards is the only marquee free agent on the market when it comes to offensive players. Richards, 31, is the number one center the Rangers need if they would like to take their development one step further. The mentality of the Rangers’ youth movement is nice, but they need top line talent to win. Unfortunately, this top line talent does not exist anywhere in the organization outside of Marian Gaborik. Pairing Richards with Gaborik and Wojtek Wolski would give the Rangers a top line. Wolski is a question mark on that line, but given he gels with talented players we could see him have a breakout year.

The Rangers have two players in Chris Drury and Sean Avery who are both primed for buyouts. The Rangers cannot endure one additional season while carrying Drury’s 7+ million cap hit. They need to spend their money elsewhere in order to improve the club. Drury’s 3.7 million buyout hit will give them additional flexibility. When it comes to doghouse player Sean Avery, it does not make sense for the team to keep him around, unless he can reclaim past success, which is doubtful. Avery’s role with the Rangers has seemed to disappear and he has turned into more of a liability than anything else on the ice. Cutting his salary cap hit almost in half will give the Rangers an additional $1 million in spending money. In order to bypass buyout ramifications, the Rangers could also send Avery salary to Hartford, removing it entirely from the cap as well.

When it comes to other players on the free agent market, there is only one forward I would not steer clear of. Jamie Langenbrunner is a forward, who if used in a 3rd line role, could prove valuable to the club. The Rangers should take a long look at Langenbrunner. Despite his age, a team needs a few veterans sprinkled in if they want to find any type of success. Jan Hejda, a veteran defenseman from Columbus, can also help the Rangers if paired with youngster Micheal Del Zotto. The Rangers have had interest in bringing Hejda in for several years via trade with the Blue Jackets, but were never able to make a sensible deal. Now that Hejda is a UFA, a one or two year deal may make sense.

Stay: Anisimov, Boyle, Callahan, Christensen, Dubinsky, Fedotenko, Gaborik, Prust, Stepan, Wolski, Eminger,Girardi, McDonagh, Sauer, Staal, Biron, Lundqvist

Go: Avery, Drury, Prospal, Gilroy, McCabe

Your 2011-2012 New York Rangers

Salaries calculated through CapGeek and are noted in parenthesis next to the player’s name.

1st line: Marian Gaborik ($7.500m)- Brad Richards ($6.750m)- Wojtek Wolski ($3.800m)
2nd line: Ryan Callahan ($3.975m)- Derek Stepan ($0.875m)- Brandon Dubinsky ($3.975m)
3rd line: Jamie Langenbrunner ($2.300m)- Artem Anisimov ($1.350m)- Mats Zuccarello ($1.750m)
4th line: Brandon Prust ($0.800m)- Brian Boyle ($1.225m)-  Ruslan Fedotenko ($1.250m)
Scratches: Erik Christensen ($0.925m) and Chris Drury ($3.716m)

1st pairing: Marc Staal ($3.975m)- Daniel Girardi ($3.325m)
2nd pairing: Ryan McDonagh ($1.300m)- Mike Sauer ($1.505m)
3rd pairing: Jan Hejda ($2.500m)- Michael Del Zotto ($1.087m)
Scratch: Steve Eminger ($0.650m)

Starting: Henrik Lundqvist ($6.875m)
Backup: Martin Biron ($0.875m)

Salary Cap: $62,500,000
Cap Payroll: $62,284,167
Bonuses: $1,487,500
Cap Space (23-man roster): $215,833

[Note from Greg Caggiano] Even though Joe and I disagree about Brad Richards, I must say this looks like a decent line-up, or at least more so than last season’s. The three free agent moves he has made here are realistic and certainly not out of the question, though fans may be wary in bringing in another ex-Devil in Langenbrunner. But out of all three moves, I like that one the best. The players that he let go I agree with, though I would have added Christensen to the list.

Joe’s “History Will Be Made” Videos: Ryan McDonagh and Bryan McCabe

Posted by Greg Caggiano on April 10, 2011
Posted in: "Joe's Angle", Hockey, New York Rangers. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a Comment

Ever since the NHL started broadcasting “History Will Be Made” commercials last season, they became an instant hit. There have been many copies, and parodies done by fans since, showing how popular they have become. The music and excitement present in these is enough to pump up anyone who loves hockey, by showing some of the most famous goals and saves throughout history. Our very own Joe Aliello has created two himself, dealing with current New York Rangers Ryan McDonagh, who scored his first NHL goal yesterday, and deadline acquisition Bryan McCabe, and they are amazing.

When he first sent me the McDonagh one, I thought to myself, “Wow! He’s a rookie and he already has his own commercial.” Then Joe told me that he created them himself, and I was floored because of how real they look. He did a terrific job with these, and I just wanted to share them with all of you.

With the first round of the playoffs beginning this week, please share this with all Rangers fans you know, because they will get you primed and ready for some exciting playoff hockey. Once again, great job, Joe! Enjoy, everyone!

Joe’s Angle: Stepan, Fedotenko, and McDonagh Will Crack Rangers Lineup

Posted by Greg Caggiano on September 27, 2010
Posted in: "Joe's Angle", Hockey, New York Rangers. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment

Using CapGeek, I was able to put together the lineup for the 2010/11 New York Rangers, after the return of the injured Chris Drury to the team. This lineup is of course without any trades, and Greg and I both feel that Glen Sather may be up to something and may swing a deal, either for a veteran defenseman or a first line center. The waiving of Wade Redden freed up almost $4 million, and now the Rangers have a lot of room to maneuver.

Line 1: Marian Gaborik ($7.500m) / Derek Stepan ($0.820m) / Alexander Frolov ($3.000m)

Line 2: Ruslan Fedotenko ($0.600m) / Artem Anisimov ($0.821m) / Vaclav Prospal ($2.100m)

Line 3: Brandon Dubinsky ($1.850m) / Chris Drury ($7.050m) / Ryan Callahan ($2.300m)

Line 4: Sean Avery ($1.937m) / Erik Christensen ($0.925m) / Brandon Prust ($0.800m)

Scratches: Tim Kennedy ($0.550m) / Derek Boogaard ($1.625m)

Defense 1: Marc Staal ($3.975m) / Daniel Girardi ($3.325m)

Defense 2: Michael Del Zotto ($1.087m) / Michal Rozsival ($5.000m)

Defense 3: Matt Gilroy ($1.750m) / Ryan McDonagh ($1.300m)

Scratch: Steve Eminger ($1.125m)

Goalie 1: Henrik Lundqvist ($6.875m)

Goalie 2: Martin Biron ($0.875m)

CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)

SALARY CAP: $59,400,000; CAP PAYROLL: $57,192,500; BONUSES: $1,737,500

CAP SPACE (23-man roster): $3,945,000

Derek Stepan has played very well thus far, and will definitely make the team due to Chris Drury’s absence. The only real question will be whether or not he sticks around upon Drury’s return, but due to Todd White’s salary, and Brian Boyle’s lack of offensive ability, Stepan should get the job.

Ruslan Fedotenko has also had a very good training camp, after coming here on an invite. His salary will be very low, and he is a no risk-high reward player. He will make at or under a million dollars, and is a shoe-in for 15-20 goals. He could add to the Rangers offensive depth much like Vinny Prospal did last season.

Finally, McDonagh and Valentenko will be battling it out for that last defensive spot, and even though Valentenko has been better than Eminger, the Rangers will not have a rookie sit on the bench as a seventh defenseman, so Eminger will get that role after the cutting of Alexei Semenov.

Greg and Joe’s 2010/11 NHL Eastern Conference Predictions

Posted by Greg Caggiano on September 22, 2010
Posted in: "Joe's Angle", Hockey. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 2 comments

Every year, Joe and I sit down to make our predictions for the final NHL standings. Here is our selection for the Eastern Conference in the 2010/11 season:

Greg Caggiano

1. Washington Capitals*

2. New Jersey Devils*

3. Boston Bruins*

4. Pittsburgh Penguins

5. Tampa Bay Lightning

6. Montreal Canadiens

7. Buffalo Sabres

8. New York Rangers

———————————–

9. Toronto Maple Leafs

10. Philadelphia Flyers

11. New York Islanders

12. Carolina Hurricanes

13. Atlanta Thrashers

14. Ottawa Senators

15. Florida Panthers

Joe Aiello

1. Washington Capitals*

2. New York Rangers*

3. Montreal Canadiens*

4. Pittsburgh Penguins

5. Philadelphia Flyers

6. Tampa Bay Lightning

7. Boston Bruins

8. New Jersey Devils

———————————–

9. Buffalo Sabres

10. Toronto Maple Leafs

11. Atlanta Thrashers

12. New York Islanders

13. Ottawa Senators

14. Carolina Hurricanes

15. Florida Panthers

Joe’s Angle: A Projected Rangers Lineup With Ilya Kovalchuk

Posted by Greg Caggiano on August 9, 2010
Posted in: "Joe's Angle", Hockey, New York Rangers. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 2 comments

The summer keeps on getting more and more intriguing. With Ilya Kovalchuk once again a free agent, it is time to get creative. If the Rangers want to, they can afford to sign the superstar winger and still keep all their assets. Below is a projected, cap-friendly lineup for the Rangers, with Kovalchuk inserted:

Line 1: Frolov ($3.000)-Prospal ($2.100)-Gaborik ($7.500)

Line 2: Aasen ($1.750)-Anisimov ($0.821)-Kovalchuk ($6.000)

Line 3: Callahan ($2.300)-Drury ($7.050)-Dubinsky ($1.850)

Line 4: Prust ($.8000)-Christensen ($0.925)-Avery ($1.937)

Scratches: Boogaard ($1.625)

Defense 1: Girardi ($3.325)-Rozsival ($5.000)

Defense 2: Eminger ($1.125)-Del Zotto ($1.087)

Defense 3: Staal ($4.500)-McDonaugh ($1.300)

Goaltenders: Lundqvist ($6.875), Biron ($0.875)

Cap Room: $240,833 (Figures courtesy of Cap Geek)

As you can see, everyone is being utilized to their full potential in this new lineup. The obvious subtractions are Todd White, Matt Gilroy, and Wade Redden, allowing for a $6 million cap hit of Kovalchuk, and a $4.5 for Marc Staal.

Callahan, Drury, and Dubinsky, who are all third-line caliber players, find themselves in the right roles, while Avery is placed on the fourth line with Christensen as his center and a combination of Prust and Boogaard on the wing. This line can be very physical and can also chip in a few goals.

Frolov will be placed in a supportive role, anchoring Gaborik’s line, while Anisimov is given a chance to shine with a spot centering Kovalchuk. Prospal also continues his role from last year as Gaborik’s center, while the rookie Aasen gets a chance to have a serious outburst playing on the second line.

The defense will be porous, but the Rangers offense may be able to make up for that.