“Around the NHL”: Letter from a Penguins Fan, Game Three Brawls, General Thoughts

Complaints about the way the Pittsburgh Penguins have conducted themselves this past season have become so commonplace that they blend right in with your general barrage of gripes that you can expect to see with each season. But how about one from a Penguins’ fan himself? Sure enough, these last few weeks have gotten so out of hand, culminating with yesterday afternoon’s debacle with the Philadelphia Flyers, that it prompted an Open Letter to be posted on their SB Nation blog PensBurgh. This is a very thoughtful yet straight-to-the-point message from a lifelong Penguins’ fan that really captures everything that the rest of the league has been saying for years:

1995/96: The Year the New York Rangers Should Have Won the Stanley Cup

Luc Robitaille was one of the many superstars on a promising 1995/96 Rangers team.

At the culmination of the 1993/94 NHL season, the New York Rangers snapped a 54 year Stanley Cup drought, with their thrill-ride seven game series victory over the Vancouver Canucks. This team, the assembly of which, is one that people only dream about today,and has perhaps gone unmatched in hockey over the last 17 years, with its combination of veteran leadership, superstar power, clutch goal-scoring ability and goaltending, and a much less talked about presence of skillful youth. This is the one lineup, that, if given the opportunity, any fan of this team would ask for. However, two seasons later, the Rangers arguably fielded an even better team, but one that is largely forgotten, due to it being sandwiched between the Rangers’ Stanley Cup victory and the ensuing lockout, and later, the arrival of Wayne Gretzky in New York, to re-team with Mark Messier, a duo which won four championships in Edmonton. The mid-1990′s was the most exciting time to be a Rangers’ fan since probably the 1970′s. Anyone who has read Losing the Edge: The Rise and Fall of the Stanley Cup Champion New York Rangers (Pub. 1995), by Barry Meisel, knows that GM Neil Smith was poising his team to become a dynasty, but unfortunately, it never happened, and the Rangers would have to settle for only one. The 1995/96 season had even more promise at the start than 1994 did, and although they finished lower in the standings, this had all the makings of another championship.

Tortorella, Dubinsky, & Callahan: The New York Rangers’ Three Stooges

Tortorella was so incensed after last night's effort that he didn't give one of these.

If you want to hear from John Tortorella his reason for why the New York Rangers lost in a dismal game against the Edmonton Oilers, 2-0 last night, you are going to have to take a rain-check. The head coach, who pulls the stunt of not wanting to talk to the media in a post game press conference a few times a year, coming with more regularity as the season progresses, is not helping his image any, one that is already tarnished because of the way his team has started. Though I suppose it was more mature than dropping F-bombs on Larry Brooks, a clunker like the Rangers had last night is one that comes with many questions, two of which included, “Why was Marian Gaborik playing on a line with Dubinsky and Anisimov?” and “How come Richards was centering Stepan and Callahan?”. I know Johnny Juggles has the compulsion to mix up his lines every two shifts, hindering any formulation of chemistry on his own, but is there much sense in putting the team’s best scorer with two players who can’t pass, and putting the team’s best passer with two players who couldn’t hit the ocean if they were standing on a boat?

Sometimes I can find explanations for questionable moves, but the switching of the team’s two best offensive players to lines with zero skill and hockey sense is mind-boggling. Gaborik and Richards have excelled together, so only on the Rangers are they the pair that is split apart. Tortorella is as much to blame for the sloppy play in all of these six games as anyone else. Has there been one game where the four lines he started with actually remained intact? The fact is, the Rangers have not yet had a game this season where they looked decent from start to finish, and had control of the puck for more than a few shifts in a row. The Rangers, who, thanks to overtime’s ridiculous loser’s point, can claim themselves to be a .500 team, have played two good periods in six games. Yes, you read that right; not two good games in six, two good periods. They played great in the third against Vancouver on Tuesday night, where they scored all four goals in their shutout victory over the Canucks, and they looked pretty good in the first against Calgary on Thursday, even though they left the period tied at two. The Rangers have been a dog chasing its tail in these six games, struggling to even get shots on goal.

The Rangers’ two off-season money-makers, Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky, have had an abysmal start, combining for a goal and three assists in twelve games. Callahan, newly sporting the Captain’s “C”, has been completely invisible, not throwing his body around and being physical, while Dubinsky has stood out for all the wrong reasons. Callahan is a shell of himself, for no apparent reason, and Dubinsky has played downright stupid hockey, which is worse than if he was just playing bad. Anisimov could be added to the list as well, but at least he isn’t making more than $4 million. Then comes Dubinsky’s mindless and undisciplined penalties, but at the risk of ranting even further, I will leave them alone.

As good as Lundqvist, McDonagh, Gaborik, Richards, and even Prust have looked, is as bad as everyone has been, save for Dan Girardi who is logging so many minutes on defense, he is probably going to pass out by January. There is all this talk about Staal and Sauer being out, but the Rangers would not have a different record even if they were in the lineup. Their problems have not been defense, they have been puck control and getting shots on goal. Callahan has been famous for missing the net, even when close by, but it seems to have rubbed off on everyone else, as shot after shot sailed wide past Nikolai Khabibulin last night, when the Rangers had their best chance of the game on a minute-long 5 on 3 in the second period. Then came Dubinsky with a glorious chance to tie the game, at that point, with the puck on his stick just inches away from the blue paint of the goal crease, and he elected to pass it over to Callahan instead, a play never coming to fruition, and no pucks being put on net. The Rangers looked so bad at times that when Lundqvist left his net and went to the bench in the third, I thought to myself that he must have quit and got tired of playing behind these pylons. Thank goodness it was no serious injury, and just a leg cramp, otherwise this season would have really been over.

Tortorella is going to live and die by this team because these are the players he wanted. Six games in is a little too early to call for the axe, but if they are still playing like this in December, I think Glen Sather will have to be on the lookout for a new coaching staff (is Mike Keenan still wandering around MSG?). This is a team without chemistry or control. Maybe we did overreact after the third game of the season, but then we also over-celebrated after the two wins that followed. An actual good game has been elusive for the Blueshirts here, and they better figure it out before their home opener on Thursday (still one more chance in Winnipeg tomorrow night), or else they will get the usual Broadway treatment: cheers during the introductions, and boos during the first intermission.

I am really looking forward to that new show on MSG called Beginnings, where they will profile a different player in each episode, telling us about their life. I am most curious to see who Ryan Callahan’s first hockey coaches were when he was little, you know, the guys that were supposed to teach him how to actually hit the net with his shots.

New York Rangers: Only Three Games In, Is It Time to Start Worrying?

The New York Rangers are on a road trip from hell. First they traveled more than 11,000 miles to Europe, through Scandinavian countries for exhibition matches, and now back to the United States, where they played one game on Long Island, and are now gearing up for yet another road trip, 3,000 miles to western Canada, to play four games against Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and Winnipeg, before finally returning to back New York for their home opener against Toronto. This schedule, made so because of the prolonged renovation underway at Madison Square Garden, and the NHL’s fascination with having the Blueshirts travel to Europe what seems like every season, left the team exhausted for their first two games in Sweden, which they dropped to the Kings and Ducks respectively, in overtime, last weekend. With the way they played, they were lucky to have even gotten the two points. Lundqvist kept the Rangers in both games, while Gaborik and Richards were excellent together. Unfortunately, the list ends there in regards to players who actually impressed.

The Rangers could have blamed those two losses on any number of factors, which also included not having enough time to get in team practices, and playing four exhibition games on large-size hockey rinks. John Tortorella even exclaimed, “We can’t wait to get the hell out of here,” upon completion of last Saturday’s loss to Anaheim. Before last night’s game against the Islanders, he told the press that, “The season starts tonight.” If that is the case, than both starts to the season were disasters. With an entire week off to rest up, practice regularly, and prepare, the Rangers were flat once again, plagued by the same thing that dragged them down in Stockholm: penalties. The Rangers were shorthanded eight times last night, the Islanders cashing in on two of those chances. The most glaring of these undisciplined penalties came at the most inopportune time, with less than five minutes remaining, and the Rangers trailing 3-2. Marian Gaborik took the most obvious hooking penalty, one reminiscent of a pre-lockout defenseman trying to manhandle an opponent. I yelled at the TV, watching incredulously. This is the most undisciplined team I have ever seen in my life, I thought to myself. After eight last night, eight against Anaheim, and five against Los Angeles, this is not rust we are seeing, but an epidemic of laziness and stupidity.

The announcers on MSG last night mentioned just before the game that Tortorella preached better discipline to the team, and then Brandon Dubinsky takes a tripping penalty a little more than a minute in. Dubinsky, whose play has been less than lackluster all throughout the preseason and these first three games, clearly looks lost and devoid of hockey sense, and has managed to have taken 20 minutes in penalties thus far. Never being a big fan of his I-Play-Good-When-I-Want-To style of play, I wonder what will have to be done to wake him up, as with the money he is being paid, he needs to either start scoring or Sather has to start looking for a new team for the egotistical “power forward”. He is the prototypical third line center being paid second line money, who has a head the size of a superstar—not really the recipe for success, is it now?

People have also blamed these losses on the injuries to defense, because of Sauer’s recent shoulder injury and Staal’s long-term concussion problems. Aside from normal nerves and a bit of shakiness in the first two games, the Rangers young defense really has not been the issue. Would I kill to have those two guys back? Of course, but I don’t see the Rangers having any wins even with them in the lineup, with the way the offense has looked so far, and the amount of penalties that have added up.

And so I ask, is it time to start worrying? It may be only three games, but the Rangers, aside from Gaborik (2 goals) and Richards (1 goal, 2 assists), have been offensively challenged. Its not even the fact that they are not scoring, but they look terrible at times. The penalties have a lot to do with that, because a team cannot develop flow when they spend nearly an entire period’s worth of playing time in the penalty box. Though there is no “reffing” conspiracy against the Rangers as some fans may tell you, there were a few calls last night that were atrocious, including a delay of game call to Brian Boyle when the puck was still moving, and a goaltender interference penalty on Callahan, who had no way to avoid hitting the goalie. That aside, the cat is out of the bag regarding the Rangers. Word is, they are undisciplined and will take stupid penalties, so you know the referees are going to watch them even closer now.

Discipline is not something a team can learn, or hopefully, re-learn overnight. This is something scarier than if the Rangers were shutout in these three games. Lundqvist has been brilliant, and is the only reason why these losses are not blowouts. But what happens when he gets a night off or has a clunker himself? Will the team just implode? Under normal circumstances, a team would welcome a four game road trip, to get out west and get away from everything; it could be a chance to refocus. But the Rangers have been on the road for about a month now, and due to their first three games, this trip is going to be anything but fun. The Canucks have always been tough opponents, and the Flames and young Oilers team will be very tough to beat. The other foe on the swing, the Jets, are still looking for their first win—will it come against New York?

The Rangers need to win two of these four games, what could be an early season-saver. Be it as it may, only mid-October, but if the Rangers drop all four games or only win one, the hole dug will be even deeper. To the people who are not alarmed, John Davidson used to say, “The points you get in October are the points you don’t need in April”. If the Rangers keep losing, playoff chances will diminish, and it does not matter what time of the season it is. At 0-1-2, the Rangers could easily be 0-3-0, so you can imagine what a poor trip out west could mean—the future is really not too bright. With the Penguins and Flyers bound to have good seasons, and the Devils and Islanders set to surprise, we may be looking at the worst team in the Atlantic this season, without a quick turnaround.

New York Rangers: Avery to be Waived, Weise Claimed by Vancouver

Well, we knew it was going to come down to Sean Avery and Erik Christensen. Just who would land the spot as the 13th forward for the New York Rangers? This morning, it was announced that the Rangers plan to place Avery on waivers, thus ending his second stint on Broadway, one not nearly as glamorous as his first. In a way, this is a bit of an end of an era. Avery came here in 2007 in a trade with Los Angeles, and immediately made an impact when he barreled into Martin Brodeur in a game shortly after. From that moment on, he was a fan favorite, and shown undying affection no matter what the situation was, for better or for worse. But in recent seasons, ever since he returned from Dallas, his play began to slip and he started to lose his aggressive and agitating touch. The NHL’s Bad Boy was becoming just another bottom-six checking forward, but with a pretty hefty price tag. There is no doubt that was the main reason in the end, why it was him over Christensen to be waived; the additional $1 million the Rangers pick up could very well go to bringing in a veteran defenseman to replace the injured Staal.

Though I was never really a fan of Avery’s, I would much rather see him on the team than Christensen, who, when he does not score, is completely useless. Avery, on the other hand, can check and fight, and when he is on his game, can reclaim the past glory he had as one of the most annoying players in the league. I do not expect Christensen to be here much longer either, but only time will tell if this really was the right move. Avery’s NHL career might be done with now, because I do not see many teams who would risk bringing his personality into a locker room, especially when he carries a $4 million price tag for the rest of this season. He will probably have to explore other options in Europe if he wants to play hockey, but my guess is that he will retire, and keep himself busy with politics and possibly even the fashion industry. That is not a knock on him, because that is where his mind seems to have truly been. Perhaps if he was focused more on hockey, he would still be playing.

As for Dale Weise being claimed by the Vancouver Canucks, I am very sad to see him go. I interviewed him before last season, and we have remained in contact ever since. He is a really nice guy, but clearly, there was just no room for him here. Hopefully he will see plenty of NHL action north of the border, and I wish him the best of luck!

The Mental Health of NHL Enforcers: Time to Ban Fighting in Hockey?

There is a new epidemic in the National Hockey League, one that officials and fans alike are praying is not contagious. Yesterday, it was announced that 35-year old NHL enforcer Wade Belak was found dead in his home, a victim of an apparent suicide. Just two weeks prior, Rick Rypien of the Canucks committed suicide, and in May, the Rangers saw their top fighter, Derek Boogaard, accidentally mix alcohol and painkillers, which led to his death. While it was not a suicide, his mental and physical health had fallen into severe disrepair in the months that he was out with injury. All of these deaths have one thing in common: the victim was a fighter. We all know of the toll enforcers take with constant bare-knuckle punches to the head every time they square off, but it was never really brought to light, at least until former player Bob Probert passed away at only 45 years of age, back in 2010. Slowly but surely, awareness and activism has been increased; is it time to ban fighting in hockey?

The question is not that simple, because if it was, why doesn’t every fighter suffer the same fate? I firmly believe that drug use in the NHL is fervent, and just ignored by the media, because they are too busy with football and basketball, however, these three recent deaths (not to suggest that Belak and Rypien were on any kind of illegal drugs) should really pressure league officials into being more involved with drug testing. Drugs, depression, or a mixture of both, is almost always fatal, because when a person thinks that they have no way out, no way to get better, there is always one surefire option that they see as reliable. Unfortunately, that option takes them from this earth, and leaves us all wondering if something could have been done.

Enforcers suffer the brunt of these issues, because their job is a lot less glamorous than the superstar scorer. They play maybe five to seven minutes a night, each time they are out there, wanting to chip in a goal, but more than likely not doing so. They live to fight, and without it, would not have a job in the NHL. When they win, they are revered. When they lose, they are washed up in the eyes of fans. Their careers are also much shorter, because normally, they are not very good skaters to begin with (because of their size), and with age, it gets worse. Then there are the punches to the head they have taken, and the smashed fingers that make it impossible to correctly hold a hockey stick—it’s almost as if these kinds of players age twice as fast as everyone else. No role players in the game of hockey are discarded towards the tail end of a career faster than enforcers. This applies to everyone: when you do something you love for so long, and all of a sudden, someone comes along and says that they don’t need you anymore, it hurts. While Derek Boogaard was not released, he saw himself being a fan favorite and king of the world in Minnesota, to experiencing a severe injury, and having to watch the rest of the season from home. Bright lights began to hurt him, and next thing you know, his world becomes one of darkness. There are people, I am sure, who tried to help him, but a lot of times, there is simply nothing that one can do. Depression is a fight that no one should have to battle alone, with support groups, family, friends, and medication available to them.

Being a hockey coach myself, of much younger kids, whenever my players get to a game or practice, I like to ask how they are doing. Naturally, we want to see a smile on their face because then we know they are ready to play. No coach or teacher wants a downtrodden child to work with, and that is something I look for, because a coach should care about his players. We are all taught to look for warning signs when we feel a child has been abused, or may be struggling with some kind of depression. As educators, we see it as something even more important than actually teaching or coaching, because noticing a problem in a child could save a life. If this is so important, though, why does it stop when our children move out of youth hockey and become adults and play professional hockey? Should this care and attention not continue?

The NHL needs to call an immediate round table discussion with team general managers and physicians. The league needs to invest in caring for the mental health of all players, not just enforcers. As fans, we would love to believe that these players have no stress, after all, they get paid millions to play a game that we love. But let’s get real here: constant travel, battling with injuries and slumps, dealing with unhappy fans, and the like, can wear down a player both mentally and physically. We know teams have psychiatrists, but perhaps a mandatory monthly visit from every single player on the team would be partly an answer to the solution. Players need someone they can talk to, and maybe, in getting a chance to spill their guts to a shrink would help to alleviate some of that stress.

It is said that hockey is as much mental as it is physical, but we have seen in the last few months that it may be even more than half the game. But is it time to ban fighting in hockey? The answer is no. It is something that has always been here, and something that should always remain. If we take care of the mental aspects that these players suffer from, than fighting will just go back to being that other exciting aspect of hockey that most of us know and love. We need to start caring for the mental health of our players, and if we do that, then fighting can remain. The only problem is, can the negative stigma be broken? As this next season winds on, for better or for worse, we will know the answer to that question.

Canadiens Pounce on Rangers and Hand them 3-2 Defeat

If you have any information, please call 1-800-GetScoring

The Rangers entered tonight’s game against the Montreal Canadiens coming off one of their best games of the season, which was a 1-0 win over the NHL’s best Vancouver Canucks. Unfortunately, more stagnant offense and an undisciplined penalty by Brandon Dubinsky (in retaliation for the P.K Subban slew-foot the last time these two teams met, contributed to the Rangers 3-2 loss tonight in Montreal.

• First period: The Rangers seemed to get off on the right track when Brian Boyle (15) knocked a loose puck past Carey Price a little less than seven minutes into the game. Brandon Prust had swiped at it as well, but Boyle was the last one to touch it; Girardi would also get an assist. It would be all downhill from there, as the Rangers would collapse for three minutes after failing to maintain their discipline. The Canadiens would get powerplay goals from Roman Hamrlik and Tomas Plekanec to take the lead, and then Andrei Kostitsyn would score their third goal. The Rangers failed on the two powerplay opportunities they had, as their offense was simply putrid. It has looked like this for many games, and they don’t even get shots on goal, let alone quality chances. This has to change—a peewee team would look better than they do.

• Second Period: What was a relatively tame period, aside from another two blown mad-advantages, turned very intense at the 17:47 mark. Lundqvist had been bumped into on the Canadiens powerplay minutes earlier, but then he would be completely run into by Matt Pacorietty, causing the goaltender to fall over hard into the net. With Pacioretty laying on the ice, Lundqvist got up and pounced on him, punching him numerous times until it turned into a pile-on. Brian Gionta then jumped on top of Lundqvist, and bodies were locked up everywhere. This was a play that was years in the making—Lundqvist is constantly being bumped into and remains perfectly calm while the gutless dolts this team has on defense do nothing to protect him. Pacioretty was pushed by Dubinsky, but this was something Lundqvist had to do—enough is enough. This melee came off of three amazing saves on Montreal’s powerplay. Lundqvist was not assessed a penalty for the incident, and the crowd would boo him every time he touched the puck or made a save the rest of the game.

• Third Period: For the first few minutes, there seemed to be no indication that the Rangers could come back in this game. They looked disinterested to say the least. There would be a breakthrough at the 6:57 mark when Mats Zuccarello (2) shot one in off a pass from Derek Stepan behind the net, but that’s as close as they would come to tying the game up. Lundqvist continued to be brilliant, but it was to no avail as the team in front of him could not shake their uninspired play, and the Rangers would fall 3-2.

Every game recap after a loss seems to sound the same: the Rangers aren’t shooting enough and with that comes a lack of goals. Gaborik yet again was invisible and I’m not even sure if Chris Drury is actually on the team anymore. It’s great to see the Prust-Boyle-Fedotenko line playing well, but if they are the Rangers’ best line night in and night out, the Rangers are going to start to slip in the standings. That and the atrocious powerplay is equating to some listless offensive play.

The Rangers have been very good at cycling and keeping the puck in the opponents’ zone, but that is a moot point if they aren’t getting shots through. Though the Rangers were able to put up 21 shots in the third period, it was too late. Had they kept the pressure up all game long (and stayed out of the penalty box), they would have won. The Rangers can’t seem to play more than one solid period every game, and that is a big problem.

The team will now return home for a game against the Flyers tomorrow. I would like to see Biron in net, but because it is an important game, Lundqvist may get the start on back-to-back nights. If it was up to me, Biron would have played tonight and Lundqvist tomorrow, but that ship has sailed.

Greg and Joe’s Predictions Chart: Day Two Update

Sergei Gonchar has a new home with the Ottawa Senators

Two days ago, Joe and I sat down to chart our predictions. We chose fifty of the top one hundred, and surprisingly, the top ranked Ilya Kovalchuk is still on the market. We still have some names left to sign, and this will be updated every few days throughout the summer to see who had the most correct predictions.

Chart key: Strikethrough means an incorrect prediction, bold is correct, and italics indicates the player has not signed anywhere yet.

1. Ilya Kovalchuk (NJD): Agreed on LAK

2. Sergei Gonchar (PIT): Agreed on SJS

3. Paul Martin (NJD): Agreed on OTT

4. Evgeni Nabokov (SJS): Agreed on WAS

5. Pavel Kubina (ATL): Agreed on ATL

6. Dan Hamhuis (NAS): Greg: VAN; Joe: CLB

7. Anton Volchenkov (OTT): Greg: CAR; Joe: NYI

8. Willie Mitchell (VAN): Greg: VAN; Joe: NJD

9. Zybnek Michalek (PHX): Agreed on PHX

10. Matthew Lombardi (PHX): Greg: PHX; Joe: NYR

11. Alexander Frolov (LAK): Agreed on Europe

12. Teemu Selanne (LAK): Agreed on ANA

13. Chris Mason (STL): Greg: ATL; Joe: PHI

14. Antero Niittymaki (TBL): Agreed on TBL

15. Marty Turco (DAL): Greg: PHI; Joe: SJS

16. Henrik Tallinder (BUF): Agreed on BUF

17. Ray Whitney (CAR): Greg: LAK; Joe: DET

18. Vaclav Prospal (NYR): Greg: NYR; Joe: PHX

19. Lee Stempniak (PHX): Agreed on NYI

20. Matt Cullen (OTT): Agreed on CAR

21. Olli Jokinen (NYR): Agreed on ATL

22. Toni Lydman (BUF): Agreed on BUF

23. Alex Tanguay (TBL): Greg: COL; Joe: VAN

24. Maxim Afinogenov (ATL): Greg: BUF; Joe: CLB

25. Alex Ponikarovsky (PIT): Agreed on TOR

26. Kim Johnsson (CHI): Agreed on Europe

27. Dan Ellis (SJS): Greg: SJS; Joe: MTL

28. Saku Koivu (ANA): Agreed on ANA

29. Joe Corvo (WAS): Agreed on WAS

30. Bill Guerin (PIT): Agreed on PIT

31. Brendan Morrison (WAS): Agreed on WAS

32. Joe Theodore (WAS): Agreed on Europe

33. Colby Armstrong (ATL): Agreed on TOR

34. Derek Morris (PHX): Agreed on PHX

35. Marek Svatos (COL): Agreed on Europe

36. Johan Hedburg (ATL): Greg: NJD; Joe: NYR

37. Martin Biron (NYI): Greg: NYR; Joe: CAR

38. Raffi Torres (BUF): Agreed on BUF

39. Pavol Demitra (VAN): Agreed on ATL

40. Ray Emery (PHI): Agreed on Europe

41. Chris Higgins (CGY): Greg: CGY; Joe: MIN

42. Ruslan Salei (COL): Agreed on Europe

43. Slava Kozlov (ATL): Agreed on Europe

44. Owen Nolan (MIN): Agreed on retiring

45. Mike Modano (DAL): Greg: MIN; Joe: SJS

46. John Madden (CHI): Agreed on NJD

47. Robert Lang (PHX): Greg: PHX; Joe: Europe

48. Ruslan Fedotenko (PIT): Agreed on PIT

49. Alex Auld (NYR): Greg: SJS; Joe: NJD

50. Miroslav Satan (BOS): Agreed on BOS

Totals

Predictions made: 50

Signings happened: 22

Greg’s Correct: 7 (32%)

Joe’s Correct: 3 (14%)

Nothing to write home about for either of us, but hopefully our totals will increase as the days move along!

Greg and Joe’s Second Annual NHL Free Agency Predictions

For the second straight season, Joe Aiello and I sat down to make our NHL free agent predictions. Last year we made 40 all too forgettable selections, and barely nailed any. We hope to have a little more luck this season. This year we selected 50 players from the Globe and Mail’s list of the top 100 available free agents.

Below are our picks:

1. Ilya Kovalchuk (NJD): Agreed on LAK

2. Sergei Gonchar (PIT): Agreed on SJS

3. Paul Martin (NJD): Agreed on OTT

4. Evgeni Nabokov (SJS): Agreed on WAS

5. Pavel Kubina (ATL): Agreed on ATL

6. Dan Hamhuis (NAS): Greg: VAN; Joe: CLB

7. Anton Volchenkov (OTT): Greg: CAR; Joe: NYI

8. Willie Mitchell (VAN): Greg: VAN; Joe: NJD

9. Zybnek Michalek (PHX): Agreed on PHX

10. Matthew Lombardi (PHX): Greg: PHX; Joe: NYR

11. Alexander Frolov (LAK): Agreed on Europe

12. Teemu Selanne (LAK): Agreed on ANA

13. Chris Mason (STL): Greg: ATL; Joe: PHI

14. Antero Niittymaki (TBL): Agreed on TBL

15. Marty Turco (DAL): Greg: PHI; Joe: SJS

16. Henrik Tallinder (BUF): Agreed on BUF

17. Ray Whitney (CAR): Greg: LAK; Joe: DET

18. Vaclav Prospal (NYR): Greg: NYR; Joe: PHX

19. Lee Stempniak (PHX): Agreed on NYI

20. Matt Cullen (OTT): Agreed on CAR

21. Olli Jokinen (NYR): Agreed on ATL

22. Toni Lydman (BUF): Agreed on BUF

23. Alex Tanguay (TBL): Greg: COL; Joe: VAN

24. Maxim Afinogenov (ATL): Greg: BUF; Joe: CLB

25. Alex Ponikarovsky (PIT): Agreed on TOR

26. Kim Johnsson (CHI): Agreed on Europe

27. Dan Ellis (SJS): Greg: SJS; Joe: MTL

28. Saku Koivu (ANA): Agreed on ANA

29. Joe Corvo (WAS): Agreed on WAS

30. Bill Guerin (PIT): Agreed on PIT

31. Brendan Morrison (WAS): Agreed on WAS

32. Joe Theodore (WAS): Agreed on Europe

33. Colby Armstrong (ATL): Agreed on TOR

34. Derek Morris (PHX): Agreed on PHX

35. Marek Svatos (COL): Agreed on Europe

36. Johan Hedburg (ATL): Greg: NJD; Joe: NYR

37. Martin Biron (NYI): Greg: NYR; Joe: CAR

38. Raffi Torres (BUF): Agreed on BUF

39. Pavol Demitra (VAN): Agreed on ATL

40. Ray Emery (PHI): Agreed on Europe

41. Chris Higgins (CGY): Greg: CGY; Joe: MIN

42. Ruslan Salei (COL): Agreed on Europe

43. Slava Kozlov (ATL): Agreed on Europe

44. Owen Nolan (MIN): Agreed on retiring

45. Mike Modano (DAL): Greg: MIN; Joe: SJS

46. John Madden (CHI): Agreed on NJD

47. Robert Lang (PHX): Greg: PHX; Joe: Europe

48. Ruslan Fedotenko (PIT): Agreed on PIT

49. Alex Auld (NYR): Greg: SJS; Joe: NJD

50. Miroslav Satan (BOS): Agreed on BOS

We hope everyone enjoys the free agent frenzy tomorrow afternoon! TSN will be broadcasting live coverage beginning at noon, also streaming it on their website, and it will be on the NHL Network here in the US.

Also, don’t forget to follow me on Twitter.

Around the NHL: Busy Day for Waiver Wire, Willie Huber Passes Away

We are now less than forty-eight hours away from the busiest day of the NHL off-season, free agent frenzy! Although there are not as many big names out there than there have been in year’s past, it still proves to be an exciting day, regardless of what team one cheers for.

Teams got busy this afternoon, waiving dead weight from the rosters in an attempt to free up extra space for Thursday afternoon.

The Anaheim Ducks waived Nathan Oystrick, the Lightning waived Todd Fedoruk, Florida waived Ville Koistinen, Calgary waived Ales Kotalik, the Senators said good-bye to one-time fifty goal scorer Jonathon Cheechoo, the Coyotes waived two players, Petteri Nokalainen and Jim Vandermeer, and the Rangers were the busiest, cutting ties with Aaron Voros, Donald Brashear, and Patrick Rissmiller.

One cannot help but feel bad for Rissmiller, who was signed two seasons ago to have a spot on the bottom six. The Rangers then signed Voros later that same day, and Rissmiller all but lost his job, appearing in only two games for the team since 2008. Hopefully he can find a job somewhere else and play with some regularity.

For Donald Brashear, who I actually liked, this comes as no surprise since Glen Sather announced weeks ago that he would never play another game for the Rangers. Hopefully the Rangers will handle this situation smartly, so they will not be on the hook for any of his salary.

Lastly, hopefully third time is a charm for Aaron Voros, as he was waived once again this afternoon. With the exception of a hot streak in his first month as a Ranger in 2008, he has brought absolutely nothing. No offense, no checking, and has been a relative punching bag in the majority of fights he has been in.

Something just tells me, though, that getting rid of Voros is easier said than done. He is best buddies with Henrik Lundqvist and Marian Gaborik, the two most important players on the team. Sean Avery is also thrown into the mix when these four “hang out” during the course of the season and the summer. That gives him a lot of pull with the organization, in my eyes, but hopefully that won’t stop him from finding work elsewhere.

Meanwhile, for Jonathon Cheechoo, it really is sad the fall this guy has taken since being on top of the hockey world in the 2005/06 season, when he scored 56 goals. As Adam Raider noted on the 100 Ranger Greats Facebook page, “I’m amazed at the turn Cheechoo’s career has taken. His goal totals over the years are as follows: 56, 37, 23, 12, 5. He is on pace for negative-7 goals next season.”

As a sad note, the Rangers and Red Wings lost a former long-time member of their defensive corps today, Willie Huber, who passed away due to a heart attack. Huber appeared in 655 games with the Rangers and Red Wings, as well as brief stints with the Vancouver Canucks and Philadelphia Flyers. He recorded 104 goals and 217 assists for 321 career points. He was an all-star in 1983 in the midst of a 43 point season.

Huber will be remembered mainly as a Red Wing, as he had his best offensive seasons there. But I will always remember watching him on episodes of Rangers Classics on MSG, during the Rangers thrilling playoffs runs in the 1980′s with the New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers.

He was way too young to go. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.