FROZEN ASSETS

Does parity in the standings lead to parity in Stanley Cup odds?

In this week’s Tuesday Editorial, we questioned the value of seeding in the playoffs and concluded that the difference between the top seeds and bottom seeds is negligible. If the difference between the top and bottom seeds are negligible, the odds on each team to win the Stanley Cup should be relatively similar, especially two-thirds of the way into the season.


An examination of the best odds on each team to win the Stanley Cup reveals significant differences in odds between similarly situated teams. Why? Do the Rangers have enough time to turn around their season? Are the Ducks the third most likely team to win the Stanley Cup? Will the bottom fall out for the Habs and Bruins? Odds makers think so. Do you?

Here are the standings and best odds as of January 31, 2008. I have ordered the teams by conference and points-per game played. Note I will only include a price in a betting exchange if there is more than $10 available on the posted odds.

Eastern Conference


Team……........PPG…….…Best Odds......…Site....PPG Rank...Best Odds Rank

Ottawa…....…..1.33…………+600………Carib……..(2)….........(2)

Philadelphia......1.24…………+2200…….Betfair........(3)….........(8)

Montreal…...…1.24………….+3300….....Ladbrokes..(3)…........(12)

New Jersey...….1.18…………+2050….…Olympic.... (7)........….(5)

Pittsburgh……...1.18………...+2050….…Olympic.....(7)….........(5)

Boston…………1.14…..…….+5500…..…Canbet......(11)…....…(16)

New York (I)….1.06………....+6600….....Ladbrokes.(19)…........(17)

Buffalo………...1.04…..…….+7000….….Betfair......(20)....……(20)

New York (R)…1.04……...….+3000….....Stan James(20).......... (11)

Carolina……….1.02…………+3343.....….Pinnacle....(22)...........(13)

Washington…...1.00…………+10000….…Stan James(23)...........(23)

Atlanta………...0.98…..…….+6600……...Stan James(24)...........(17)

Florida………....0.94………..+16000….....Betfair......(27)...........(29)

Toronto…….0.92………….…+12500…....Stan James(28)...........(25)

Tampa Bay…0.88……………+12500….....Pinnacle..(29)...........(25)


Western Conference

Team….…....PPG……………..Best Odds……Site….PPG Rank…Best Odds Rank

Detroit……..1.54……………..+354…….....WSEX…..(1)………..(1)

San Jose….1.24………………+1415………Olympic....(3)…….…(4)

Minnesota...1.20………………+2550….…..Olympic....(6)…….....(9)

Calgary...…1.18………………+2550….…..Olympic....(7)…….….(9)

Dallas…….1.17……………….+3345……...Pinnacle..(10)………(13)

Colorado…1.14………………..+4000……...Carib.......(11)…...….(15)

Vancouver..1.12………………+2050…..…..Olympic...(13)……....(5)

Anaheim….1.11……………….+885….……Olympic...(14)…….....(3)

Phoenix…..1.10……………….+12500……..Ladbrokes(15)...........(25)

Nashville….1.08……………....+6600…..…..5dimes....(16)…....…(17)

Columbus...1.08……………….+9000….……Betfair....(16)…........(22)

St. Louis…..1.08………………+7900…….....Betfair.. (16)............(21)

Chicago……0.98………………+11000…...…Betfair...(24)............(24)

Edmonton…0.96………………+12500………Pinnacle(26)...........(25)

Los Angeles..0.83……………..+6000.………Pinnacle(30)............(30)


Based on points per game and odds, Anaheim and Vancouver are overrated in the Western Conference, while the New York Rangers and the Hurricanes are overrated in the Eastern Conference. The best value in the Western Conference is on Phoenix, followed by Columbus and St. Louis. In the Eastern Conference Montreal is the best bet, followed by Philadelphia and Boston.

I hope you can use this information to generate a few cheap thrills, but remember my favorite expression: “You win some, you lose most.”

For illegal curve, I’m Ari Baum-Cohen

About the writer: Ari Baum-Cohen's first sports betting victory came at age 8 when he won his father's office pool. He screamed like a 14 year-old girl at a Lil' Bow Wow concert when Tampa Bay (had at +3500 to win Cup) and Calgary (had at +15000 to win Cup) made the Stanley Cup finals.

January 17, 2008: Reviewing the Division Predictions
January 10, 2008: 10 Futures Bets You Should Have Made Over the First Quarter of the Season
January 3, 2008: Glossary of Terms Used on Frozen Assets
December 27, 2007: Ho Ho Horrible Homestands and Road Warriors
December 14, 2007: Western Conference: Starting Odds, Current Odds, Highest Odds
December 7, 2007: Eastern Conference: Starting Odds, Current Odds, Highest Odds
November 29, 2007: How to Find the Sportsbook For You, The NHL's best division - The Central(?)
November 22, 2007: 10 Futures Bets You Should Have Made Over the First Quarter of the Season
November 15, 2007: Explaining the Exchange(2), Random Thoughts on the Futures
November 9, 2007: Exaplaining the Exchange(1), This Weeks Best Bets
November 1, 2007: Profiling the Eastern Conference Teams
October 25, 2007: Profiling the Western Conference Teams
October 18, 2007: To Win the Conference or the Cup? Frozen Assets' European Vacation
October, 11, 2007: Top 5 Hockey Futures Books, Stanley Cup Odds
October 4, 2007: Bad Lines, Soft Lines, and Conference Odds
September 27, 2007: Avoiding Fraudulent Sportsbooks and Preview of Division Betting
September 20, 2007: Introduction to Frozen Assets and Futures Highlights From Last Year

Rob Schremp Shootout Goal

Throughout the year Rob Schremp has contributed to Illegal Curve by giving readers an inside look at life in the AHL. Rob's fourth contribution to the site will be posted in the next day or two, but for now, just sit back and enjoy this goal that Rob scored at AHL All-Star Game over the weekend.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Thanks to HockeyTubeV1 for posting it on YouTube.

NHL Morning Papers (Thursday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• The Globe & Mail provides readers with a NHL salary database for all 30 teams.
• Eric Duhatschek of the Globe & Mail evaluates the jekyl and hyde San Jose Sharks in this morning's paper.
• Wayne Scanlan of the National Post thinks Ray Emery really should have been a rock star.
• The hard-working Shawn Horcoff stills feels like his Oilers have a chance to make the playoffs, writes Mike Brehm of USA Today.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• In the midst of their 4-1 victory over the Penguins last night, the Thrashers lost Ilya Kovalchuk to a knee injury and the extent of the damage is currently unknown. (Update: Kovalchuk will miss two games over the weekend but the injury is not considered serious.) "The next eight to 10 games will help us decide if we look at moving him for assets or look at keeping him because winning the division is within our grasp and something that is very important to us," said Thrashers coach and GM Don Waddell in regards to the Marian Hossa contract situation.
• Fluto Shinwaza of the Boston Globe details the struggles that Bruins winger Peter Schaefer hasn't been able to overcome. In injury news, the Bruins will be without Glen Murray and P.J. Axelsson for tonight's game. (Update: Axelsson is now a game-time decision) With all the injuries to the team's regulars, Boston's roster is loaded with young players who are demonstrating their ability to play older than their age.
• Ryan Miller had seven family member in the stands last night in Florida and didn't disappoint them by leading the Sabres to a 1-0 shutout victory over the Panthers.
• Brett Hedican wants his colleagues on defense to keep the game simple and make sure they move the puck quickly out of their own end, writes Rachel Carter of the News Observer.
• The Rangers head into Philadelphia tonight and if they don't plan on going hard to the net, they will be the only team on the ice that isn't, writes Larry Brooks of the NY Post. John Dellapina of the NY Daily News evaluates the trading possibilites that Glen Sather may have are we near the trade deadline.
• The Flyers don't want to put the cart before the horse, but they believe they have a shot at catching the conference-leading Senators for first place. Ray Parrillo of the Philadelphia Inquirer profiles the much-improving Braydon Coburn in this morning's paper.
• The Penguins suffered their first blowout loss since Sidney Crosby went down to injury last night as they lost 4-1 at Atlanta. "It was weird. You're used to having the whole play in front of you. Your vision, your sight lines are so different," said Penguins forward/defenseman Brooks Orpik about his move to the wing.
• The Capitals have revenge on their minds for tonight's game versus Montreal, after they feel like the Habs were trying to run up the score against them in Tuesday's contest between the two squads.
• "It was a tough game. We did a lot of things right, but couldn't put the puck in the net," coach Jacques Martin said after his team's 1-0 home loss to the Sabres. The Panthers were without captain Olli Jokinen for the final two periods of last night's game, but poolies need not worry, it was only the stomach flu.
• Habs defenseman Josh Gorges has been a very pleasant surprise on the team's blue line since Patrice Brisebois went down to injury, writes Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette.
• Many of the Islanders players are questionable for tonight's game versus L.A. with a case of the flu, writes Eric Boland of Newsday.
• Scott Morrison of Sun Media believes Martin Gerber is the reason that the Senators can't trade Ray Emery. According to coach John Paddock, Daniel Alfredsson is "iffy" for tonight's contest with a hip injury.
• Damien Cox of the Toronto Star advises the Leafs to get Mats Sundin's name on a contract extension, and focus on trading the team's other assets. Mike Zeisberger of the Toronto Sun wonders who in their right mind wouldn't want to add Mats Sundin before the trade deadline? In non-Sundin news, Paul Hunter of the Toronto Star thinks Jim Rutherford would be a perfect fit for the Leafs' GM position.
• "He's right. It's our responsibility to outplay the other team's best players and we haven't done that. There is no one else to blame but ourselves," said Devils forward Zach Parise after being criticized by his coach Brent Sutter.
• The Lightning know what they are going up against tonight when they face-off against their old nemisis Roberto Luongo.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• After heading into the first intermission scoreless, the Ducks had a complete lapse at the beginning of the second period and found themselves down 3-0 in under four minutes on their way to a 5-1 road loss at Minnesota.
• The well-rested Flames handed San Jose just their fifth road loss of the season on Wednesday with a 5-4 victory. The Flames were led by former Sharks winger Owen Nolan who tallied his first hat-trick in nine seasons.
• With Jody Shelley gone to San Jose, Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch wonders who is going to fill the veteran's leadership void. Here are tonight's probable lines for the Blue Jackets.
• Stars netminder Marty Turco feels like he's at his best if his sole focus is on stopping the puck, writes Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News.
• The Red Wings were outplayed at Joe Louis Arena last night, but good teams know how to pull out victories when they don't play their best and that is what Detroit did with a 3-2 victory over the Coyotes. Even though the Wings won, they did lose defenseman Niklas Kronwall to a shoulder injury that will sideline him for at least a week.
• Even though he entered the game with tremendous numbers at the Xcel Center, the Wild were not intimidated by J.S. Giguere, and in fact, chased the former Conn Smythe award winner from the game in their 5-1 victory over Anaheim. "We all got soft living in California," said Ducks forward Ryan Getzlaf about his intolerance for the Minnesota cold.
• Blues coach Andy Murray thinks his team's power play is on the right track.
• The Blackhawks were all geared up for a good post-All-Star Game showing but they were less than impressive in Colorado last night, losing 6-3 to the Avs, writes Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune. (Writer's Note: The team thinks it should have Jonathan Toews back in the lineup for February 13th versus Columbus)
• Even with all their offensive stars out of the line up, the Avalanche were able to score six goals against the Blackhawks on Wednesday, writes Adrian Dater of the Denver Post.
• Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal says the Oilers are no longer hard to play against. To make matters worse, Sheldon Souray has, once again, injured his shoulder and will be out of the line up for some time.
• "It was a tough loss for us because we played so well, " said Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky after his team blew a one goal third period lead to lose 3-2 at Detroit. Gretzky wants to make sure his team doesn't go on a losing skid, and therefore, fall out of the playoff race they have worked so hard to be involved in.
• The score indicated it was a closer game than it actually was as the Sharks lost 5-4 at Calgary on Wednesday night, writes David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News.
• The Predators could get a big boost tonight with the return of David Legwand to the lineup, writes John Glennon of the Tennessean.
• "Yes, without a doubt, [Tuesday] night was one of my most frustrating moments since I've been here," said Canucks coach Alain Vigneault about Tuesday night's loss to Dallas. As if they don't have enough injuries, it appears that Sami Salo may miss Thursday's game versus the Lightning with a sore groin.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

NHL Morning Papers (Wednesday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• Eric Duhatschek of the Globe & Mail doesn't necessarily believe that the Senators' Stanley Cup chances depend entirely on goaltending.
• Cliff Fletcher says it is "very premature" to talk of any Mats Sundin trade, writes Dave Shoalts of the Globe & Mail.
• You are wrong if you think that NHL players are averse to playing in the cold.
• Winnipeg is bidding for the World Junior Hockey Championships for either 2010 or 2012.
• Kevin Allen of USA Today breaks down the NHL scoring race; evaluating which players have a realistic chance at winning the title.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• With six of their next seven games at home, the Atlanta Thrashers realize that this upcoming stretch of schedule may determine their playoff fate.
• The Bruins came out on top 3-1 over the Predators, in a feisty affair at the TD Banknorth Garden. Meanwhile, injured Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron saw a neurologist yesterday.
• With all the stars on the ice in Tampa Bay last night, it was the Sabres' unheralded line of MacArthur-Pominville-Hecht that stole the show. Yesterday's game was Nolan Pratt's first game back at Tampa since playing for the Lightning for five seasons.
• The Hurricanes exacted revenge in more ways than one last night, with a 3-1 victory over the New York Rangers.
• "We have to play with some urgency and desperation and get different people to raise their game up," said Panthers coach Jacques Martin, as his team starts its drive for a playoff spot. In other Panthers news, Olli Jokinen was questioned as part of the Jere Karalahti drug ring case in Finland.
• The Canadiens were impressive in all aspects of the game, especially special teams, in their 4-0 victory at home over Washington last night. Herb Zurkowsky of the Montreal Gazette profiles new Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau.
• The Devils squandered a 2-1 lead on home-ice and lost 4-2 to division-rival Pittsburgh last night at the Prudential Center. Brent Sutter called out his best players yesterday, telling reporters that his top players need to start playing like they are top players.
• The Rangers demonstrated a lack of patience last night in their 3-1 road loss at Carolina, writes Larry Brooks of the NY Post. John Dellapina of the NY Daily News says that the reffing in last night's contest sure didn't help the Rangers.
• Mark Herrmann of Newsday tells readers that the only way the Islanders usually beat the Senators is if they play flawless hockey, and the Islanders play was quite flawed last night in their 5-2 loss to Ottawa.
• Brian Murray has been honest with Ray Emery, telling the netminder there is no market for his services at this point in time. Even though they defeated the Islanders 5-2, the Senators are more concerned with Daniel Alfredsson's hip injury, writes Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun.
• Getting a 3-2 overtime win over the Kings, was a nice way for the Flyers to start off their post All-Star break run to the playoffs. The Flyers are on a roll right now, and when you are on a roll, you seem to get all the bounces, writes Ray Parrillo of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
• The Penguins defeated the Devils 4-2 last night and clearly are not using injuries as an excuse right now. Brooks Orpik the winger? Apparently so.
• With a 4-2 loss at home to the Sabres on Wednesday, the Lightning may have to realistically consider becoming sellers prior to the trade deadline.
• Forget the fact that they lost 3-2 to the Blues, the talk around the Leafs surrounds the high number of scouts watching their games from now until the trade deadline.
• "When you start thinking you are better than you are, and forget what got you there, then usually the result is what happened tonight," said coach Bruce Boudreau after his Capitals were defeated 4-0 at Montreal.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• With all the hype around the return of Teemu Selanne, the Ducks still have to focus on their upcoming eight game road trip, which is the longest in team history.
• Jarome Iginla is looking forward to ending his seven-game goalless drought tonight when the Sharks come to town. Meanwhile, with a fairly healthy roster on his hands, coach Mike Keenan has some decisions to make.
• The Hawks are downplaying a comment by Denis Savard in regard to the crest on the team`s jersey. In other Blackhawks news, Tuomo Ruutu may be the only person in the hockey world who didn`t hear about Denis Savard`s rant last Thursday.
• Jose Theodore will be in net tonight for the Avs when they face-off versus the Blackhawks.
• Bob Hunter of the Columbus Dispatch says that not only will teammates miss the recently traded Jody Shelley but so will the fans. Even though the Jackets were defeated 4-2 by Phoenix last night, the entire team`s focus was on the leadership void created by the Shelley trade.
• The Stars caught a break last night by visiting Vancouver and not having to face Roberto Luongo, and took advantage of that opportunity by recording a 4-3 road victory at GM Place.
• The Red Wings will be without defenseman Brett Lebda for tonight's game because he is nursing a sore wrist.
• The Oilers were outshot 39-13 on home-ice last night, and were handily defeated 3-0 by the powerful Sharks. "I like our team overall, and we're not trading any of our good players," said Oilers GM Kevin Lowe on Wednesday about the upcoming trade deadline.
• "I really thought we played a solid game, a road game, and coming into a building where they had won six in a row," said Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky after his team's impressive 4-2 road victory at Columbus. Meanwhile, the Coyotes were excited to get Daniel Carcillo the NHL penalty minutes leader back into their lineup last night.
• With the Sharks dominating performance over Edmonton last night, David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News shifts his focus to the beyond cold temperatures in Northern Alberta.
• Tim Thomas proved to the Predators why he was on the All-Star team last night in Boston's 3-1 victory.
• The Blues, led by Keith Tkachuk, looked rejuvenated last night in their 3-2 victory over the Maple Leafs at the ACC.
• Vancouver made a late push, but was defeated 4-3 by the Stars at GM Place last night. The Canucks can't seem to start off a game with a lead, and it is coming back to haunt them, writes Gordon McIntyre of the Vancouver Province.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Tuesday Editorial: Does Seeding Even Matter?

With the NHL Playoffs less than three months away, the time has come to start seriously evaluating the playoff race. Prior to the NHL lockout, it was fairly easy to predict the majority of the teams that would qualify for the playoffs in the spring. Now, however, with parity becoming the new catch-word in the NHL, it has become almost impossible to predict who are the haves and have not’s going into the stretch drive of the season.

One needs to just take one look at the Western Conference standings to understand this phenomenon. Aside from the Detroit Red Wings, who are sitting atop the Western Conference at 78 points, seeds two through twelve in the conference are separated by a meagre ten points. Think about that for a second; only ten points separate a strong “playoff favourite” from a team that will be hitting the links in mid-April. With seeds two through eight (eight teams make the NHL playoffs in each conference) only separated by five points right now, if the playoffs were to start today, would any match-up constitute an upset? The only team that, in reality, could be upset is the Detroit Red Wings. While the Red Wings have had their fair share of playoff success over the years, they have also had their fair share of disappointments; an upset of this year’s version of the Red Wings wouldn’t be all that shocking.

If you thought the Western Conference was close, the Eastern Conference is separated from seeds one through eight by a total of twelve points. In fact, if the Southeast Division teams continue their embarrassing seasons to date, it appears one team in the Eastern Conference will be left out of the playoff with more points than the three seed (each division winner is guaranteed a spot in the top three of the conference). Aside from the Ottawa Senators, who are actually coming back to the pack, the conference is extremely close. In fact, only five points separate seeds two through eights. Again, this may sound repetitive but, is seed two really any better than seed eight? Not likely. Further, if seeds nine (New York Rangers) and ten (Washington Capitals) miss the eighth seed of the playoffs by a point or two, and the fifth seed by five or six points, are they that much worse than a “favourite” in their conference. I think not; in fact, the playoff team may have gotten an extra bounce or two over the course of the season and that becomes the difference between a successful and disappointing season for the organization and its fan base. It really is such a fine-line.

With all playoff teams so close together in the standings, does seeding really matter? If the third seed has two more points during an 82 game schedule than the sixth seed, does that make the third seed a better team? It most likely does not. Never mind the inception of the shootout, which taints point totals that “teams accumulate” because it really is an individual competition, that is, of course, gone come playoff time. Many readers may be thinking, “But c’mon these teams get home-ice advantage.” While that point is true, how important is a one game home-ice advantage in a seven-game series, in which the teams facing each other are basically equal? It is somewhat important, but that’s only if the series is extended to seven games, and that didn’t happen all that much in the 2007 playoffs. All in all, when two teams face-off in this fall’s playoffs and you hear the word “favourite” being used, take a second to really consider if that “favourite” is really any better than their opponent.

For Illegal Curve, I’m Richard Pollock.

Numbers Game: Goal Differential

We have just passed the half-way point in the NHL season. With the all-star game over, GM's will be spending the next few weeks assessing their team's chance of succeeding in the playoffs and deciding whether they are buyers or sellers at the fast approaching deadline.

One indicator of success is a team's goal differential. In the Western Conference, the Ducks and the Avs are the only playoff teams that have scored fewer goals than they have allowed. But their -.02 differential will almost certainly become positive. Selanne, a 40 goal scorer last year, announced yesterday that he will be returning this season and his $600,000 salary will allow Burke to make some last minute additions at the deadline. The Avs have been hampered by injuries, but as soon as Stasny and Sakic return they will receive some much welcomed and needed offensive contributions.

The only non-playoff teams in the Western conference with a positive goal differential, the Blue Jackets and the Predators, sit within a point of the 8th place Avalanche.

In the East, it is much the same story. The Bruins and the Islanders are the only playoff teams that allow more goals than they score, while the Sabres are the only non-playoff team with a positive goal differential. The fact that the Lightning have the third worst goal differential in the league despite having two of the league's top 10 scorers in Lecavelier and St. Louis speaks to the problems they have been having in net this year.




For Illegal Curve, I am Adam Gutkin.

NHL Morning Papers (Tuesday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• William Houston of the Globe & Mail wonders if it is time to stop playing the NHL All-Star Game in its current form.
• Mark Spector of the National Post says the hardest part of rebuilding a hockey team are the first few steps.
• Even with yesterday's signing of Teemu Selanne, Kevin Allen of USA Today tells readers that Brian Burke is still looking to make another big move to improve his forward corps.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tries to figure out whether the Atlanta Thrashers are any worse than the Atlanta Hawks.
• With every team so close in the Eastern Conference playoff race, the Bruins cannot afford to get off to a slow start post All-Star break. Apparently neither P.J. Axelsson nor Glen Murray are close to returning to action for the Bruins.
• Maxim Afinogenov is close to returning to the Sabres lineup, writes Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News.
• The Hurricanes have given the second most goals in the entire NHL and if they want to make the playoffs, they will have to shore up their defensive game, writes Rachel Carter of the News Observer.
• Jozef Stumpel will return to the Panthers lineup for Wednesday's game against Buffalo. With a number of injuries on the roster, the Panthers made a few call-ups yesterday from Rochester of the AHL.
• Chris Higgins of the Canadiens says the team's ultimate goal this season is to win the Stanley Cup.
• Depending on their place in the Eastern Conference standings, the Devils may opt to give Martin Brodeur more time off over the remainder of the season with so many back-to-back games on the schedule.
• Larry Brooks of the NY Post tells readers that the Rangers' asking price for defenseman Marek Malik is quite high. Meanwhile, Rangers coach Tom Renney is hoping that his team can play the same way they did to close out last season.
• "I think teams always play well against the elite because there's some fear if you don't, you're going to get blown out," said Islanders captain Bill Guerin about his team's game tonight versus the powerful Senators.
• To say John Paddock is sick and tired of Ray Emery's antics would be an understatement. Emery was back practicing on Tuesday morning, but there has been no word on his future with the club, writes Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen.
• Flyers forward Joffrey Lupul is hoping to return to the team's lineup in two weeks.
• Colby Armstrong will miss the Penguins' next two road games with the flu. Here are some news and notes about the Penguins.
• Dan Boyle has returned to the Lightning's lineup and wants to be a leading hand in turning his team's fortunes around.
• The Leafs could learn a thing or two about the Blues' rebuilding plans writes Damien Cox of the Toronto Star. In other Leafs news, Cliff Fletcher had a discussion yesterday with Mats Sundin but "nothing tangible" was discussed.
• The Capitals are only one point out of first place in the Southeast Division and have their sights on winning the division.

The Western Conference morning papers are soon to follow...

• As Jeff Miller of the Orange Country Register tells us, Teemu Selanne's return to the Ducks has brought much joy to Anaheim fans, players and management.
• Mike Keenan is not going to change the approach he has with the Flames for the entire season just because the playoff push is about to get underway, writes Scott Cruickshank of the Calgary Herald.
• After his tirade last Thursday, Blackhawks coach Denis Savard was happy to see his team rebound with a good, up-tempo practice on Monday.
• Adrian Dater of the Denver Post provides a number of hypothetical situations in which the Avalanche would not make the playoffs
• Rick Nash gets to reunite with the two defensemen he made look foolish two weeks ago, when the Coyotes visit Columbus tonight. Tonight's game is a match up between two possible Jack Adams candidates as Wayne Gretzky and Ken Hitchcock face-off against one another. Here are the Blue Jackets' lines for tonight's game.
• The Stars are poised to make a run over the remaining portion of the season because the tough part of their schedule is behind them, writes Richard Durrett of the Dallas Morning News.
• Darren McCarty is trying to work his way back to the NHL and his next stop is Grand Rapids of the AHL.
• Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal, tells Oilers fans that the team probably needs to win 22 of its remaining 30 games to crack the NHL playoffs.
• The struggling Kings are set to embark on an eight-game road trip, which may see some of their players traded along the way.
• The Wild had a spirited practice yesterday and, more importantly, are getting closer to full health just prior to the stretch run.
• "Our missing piece is a top-six forward,'' Predators GM David Poile said on Monday.
• The last thing the Coyotes want for the stretch-run is a rental player, writes Jim Gintonio of the Arizona Republic.
• With cold temperatures in Northern Alberta, the Sharks only have hockey to worry about as they start the second-half of their season.
• Blues coach Andy Murray wants his defensemen to move the puck more efficiently, writes Jeremy Rutherford of St. Louis Disptach.
• Curtis Sanford of the Canucks will be starting tonight with Roberto Luongo in Florida with his pregnant wife.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

The HD Corner - 2008 All-Star Game

CBC’s coverage of this year’s All-Star game included Jim Hughson doing the play-by-play, with Craig Simpson and Greg Millen crammed into the booth. As usual, Hughson called a flawless game, Simpson provided some insight, and Millen was more annoying than a Carrot Top stand-up routine. There was an increase of in-booth banter due to the friendly nature of the game as expected; however, the folks at Versus seemed to have taken this to a new level. As much criticism as Versus receives for its lack of viewers, they deserve credit for usually providing entertaining broadcasts for their target – something that CBC has been criticized for in the past. Specifically, at one point of the All-Star game telecast, Gary Bettman was invited into the booth and was joking with Blues goalie Manny Legace about large goalie equipment while he was in the process of playing. CBC can learn a thing or two, and ease up on the boring Mike Babcock interview next time around.

Unfortunately my HD-PVR let me down and I was unable to watch the Skills Competition live (according to Illegal Curve’s Cold Hard Rant section, I didn’t miss much). Needless to say I was still able to watch most of it on CBC.ca’s streaming video section, which I highly recommend to anyone wanting to see the incredible Obstacle Course Relay that closely resembled the 1980’s board game Mouse Trap (click here for a trip down memory lane).

Now on to some other random All-Star game thoughts…

Was there anything more awkward then the Elliote Friedman and Samantha Micelli - I mean Alyssa Milano - interview. Wow Alyssa, you have a new NHL clothing line? Will it be available at Stitches, Winners, or Giant Tiger? These are things that I need to know. Speaking of Who’s the Boss, did anyone know that little Jonathan has come out of the closet? The only thing less predictable was Tony Danza’s career going into a downward spiral after playing a male housekeeper for eight years (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

So you’re telling me that Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas is an all-star? What, was Jim Carey not available? It’s important to note that Thomas’ goalie coach on the Bruins is non other than Bob Essensa. Yes, a goalie with the nickname “Flipper” has trained and produced an all-star calibre goalie. Further, the same man who once traded Teemu Selanne for Chad Kilger and Oleg Tverdovsky is the head coach of the Eastern Conference All-Stars. Next I’ll find out that Doug Smail is Alex Ovechkin’s power skating coach.

All-Star game MVP? Forget Eric Staal, what about The Hives? Past All-Star Game bands have included the Barenaked Ladies, The Trews, and probably The Harlots, so The Hives were quite the pleasant surprise. The only disappointing fact was that they didn’t play during the 2nd intermission. Instead, we were treated to the funky beats of “Ne-Yo” (whoever that is). Wow they sure now how to party south of the Dixie line!

Although this year’s All-Star Game wasn’t the most entertaining, it did conclude in dramatic fashion and featured an interesting subplot with Sharks goalie Evgeni Nabokov and fan favourite Ilya Kovalchuk of the Thrashers. Click here to see a clip of a few Nabokov-Kovalchuk highlights.

Breaking News: Teemu Selanne returns to Ducks

TSN is reporting that the Ducks have agreed to a 1 year, $1.5 million contract with Teemu Selanne.

Instant Analysis: The Ducks have few, if any, holes on their roster now that Selanne has agreed to return. While he may miss his former centerman Andy McDonald, the sniper is a terrific addition for a team that can use some extra scoring. It is official--the Ducks are stacked.

Fantasy Watch: Scouring the Waiver Wire

D Braydon Coburn, Philadelphia Flyers
Coburn didn't make much noise throughout the first half of the season, but managed to head into the all-star break riding a four game point streak. The former Atlanta Thrasher currently has 22 points on the year, making him Philly's second leading scorer on defense. Receiving time on the power-play, Coburn has made the most of his opportunity notching three pp assists in January. Entering the second half of the season, Coburn will be looking to extended his point streak and play a larger role in Philadelphia's offense.
Fantasy Take: Coburn has been very inconsistent all year but has heated up over the the last four games and may be worth a flier for those in need of a lower-end option at defense.

F Chuck Kobasew, Boston Bruins
In his first full year with Boston Kobasew is off to his best start as a pro, scoring 17 goals and 26 points in 49 games. The forward has benefited from playing with all-star centerman Marc Savard and is giving the Bruins a capable goal scorer they so desperately need. Leading the team with 17 goals, Kobasew has also been productive on the powerplay, scoring five pp goals to go along with four assists. Look for Kobasew to break his previous career high in points and goals in the next few weeks.
Fantasy Take: Kobasew has been a shaky play but is currently heating up, scoring five points in his last four games. Before making a claim for the forward, watch how he performs post all-star break to see if he can continue to be a regular on the score sheet.

F Martin Gelinas, Nashville Predators
Gelinas has come alive this January, scoring half of his points in this month alone. Appearing in 44 games for the Preds, Gelinas has totaled eight goals and 18 points on the year. Enjoying his best game of the season earlier this week, Gelinas scored two goals and added one assist while playing over 16 minutes. Although Gelinas had a rough season up until January, the forward has shown that he can still score in this league and may even be a decent fantasy option in deeper leagues.
Fantasy Take: Gelinas enjoyed a great month, scoring three goals and six assists. Keep an eye on him post all-star break to see if he continues with this pace, or returns to scoreless ways.

D Ryan Suter, Nasville Predators
Suter has been Nashville's second most productive defenseman, scoring five goals and 21 points. He is currently riding a four game point streak, scoring four points during that span while averaging around 15 minutes of ice time. Although he has failed to pick up power-play points (Suter has only two pp assists this month), the defenseman is still young and continuing to progress as a player. Increasing his point total in each of the first two seasons, Suter is a lock to surpass his 24 points he put up last year and could finish with around 35+ points if he continues to play well.
Fantasy Take: Although Suter may not help your fantasy team this year, he is a good defenseman to look at in keeper leagues. In only his third year in the league, Suter continues to improve as a player and will only get better as the years go on.


For Illegal Curve, I'm Jonny Remis

NHL Morning Papers (Monday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• As Dave Shoalts of the Globe & Mail tells us, it didn't take long for the new boss of the NHLPA to have a disagreement with Gary Bettman.
• Shoalts provides readers with a recap of yesterday's All-Star Game.
• Mark Spector of the National Post has an interesting article on the modesty and humbleness of NHL players.
• Mike Brehm of USA Today gives the players' perspective of all these long-term contracts being signed in the NHL.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• Bill Tiller of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution gives an Atlanta perspective of All-Star weekend.
• After getting booed all weekend long, Marc Savard was happy to score the winning goal for the Eastern All-Stars and finally hear some cheers in Atlanta, writes Fluto Shinwaza of the Boston Globe. After being scored on twice early in the third period, Tim Thomas made sure to remember that the All-Star Game is supposed to be fun.
• Brian Campbell increased his price tag once again last night, writes Bucky Gleason of the Buffalo News.
• Eric Staal is being used to advertise for the NHL and, as a result, he has come to the realization that he is one of the young marketable stars of the NHL.
• Making his second All-Star appearance, Panthers goalie Tomas Vokoun wasn't as nervous as he was in his first appearance in the All-Star Game a few years ago and just made sure to enjoy himself over the weekend.
• With the 2009 All-Star Game slated for Montreal, Dave Stubbs of the Montreal Gazette provides readers with the history of the game in Montreal.
• Rich Chere of the Newark Star-Ledger wonders what the Devils are going to do for a netminder once Martin Brodeur hangs up his blades.
• Sidney Crosby was clearly missed by both the fans and fellow players in Atlanta this weekend.
• Chris Zelkovich of the Toronto Star bashes the NHL Skills Competition. (Writer's note: This article raises many of the same points that Illegal Curve's Andrew M. brought up in his Cold Hard Rants yesterday.)
• Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun speculates that the NHL might cancel the All-Star Game altogether after 2009.
• Alexander Ovechkin always enjoys himself playing hockey, writes Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun has an interesting piece on the evolution of Mike Keenan as a NHL coach. Meanwhile, George Johnson of the Calgary Herald provides readers with Jarome Iginla and Dion Phaneuf's perspectives of the All-Star Game.
• Terry Frei of the Denver Post suggests the Avalanche should attempt to make a trade for Thrashers superstar Marian Hossa.
• Michael Arace of the Columbus Dispatch believes Rick Nash has missed out on the All-Star Game MVP two years in a row because he is playing for the Blue Jackets.
• Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News examines the dynamic between co-GMs Les Jackson and Brett Hull and their possible plan of attack before the upcoming trade deadline.
• After watching yesterday’s NHL All-Star Game, Helene Elliot of the L.A. Times (should demand a pay-raise) thinks the league is in good hands with all its young talent.
• Sharks coach Ron Wilson sees Jacques Lemaire as the perfect tutor for Marian Gaborik even if the speedy Slovak sometimes craves more freedom.
• Ron Wilson was happy to be able to get to know other players around the NHL that he hadn’t had an opportunity to meet throughout the years.
• The Blues still see themselves contending for a playoff spot but the organization is not going to mortgage its future for a short-term fix, writes Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.