Frogren expected to be at training camp

From Mark Zwolinkski of the Toronto Star:

Fletcher will likely have Frogren in training camp under the contract the two sides signed a little over a week ago that will pay Frogren $2.1 million over two years.

The deal – which reportedly came with a $700,000 signing bonus – was rejected by the NHL July 9.

Yesterday afternoon, after 5 p.m., the players' association notified the league of its plans to grieve the league's decision. The process is expected to be lengthy – the grievance likely won't be heard until some time into next season.

Frogren will be allowed to play under terms of the current deal until the standoff is settled.

Read the entire article here.

With the Frogren hearing not expected for a while, the Leafs will have a chance to see the player they signed at training camp. However, you have to wonder if the contract issue will be distraction for the first year NHLer. Especially in media crazy Toronto.

The Leafs would like to add an enforcer

From Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun:

The Leafs did not replace enforcer Wade Belak, and though some of his duties will fall to newcomer Jamal Mayers, Fletcher is looking at someone handy with his dukes to play around five to 10 minutes a game up front, plus score more than the once-in-a-blue-moon Belak.

"That's one area we'd like to reinforce," Fletcher said. "And depending if Mats (Sundin) comes back, then scoring definitely becomes an issue."

Read the entire article here.

The Leafs could use a tough guy and about four twenty goal scorers. I wonder what will be easier to find...

Leafs still expect to hire a new general manager

From Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun:

Peddie said there is a risk the next GM comes in with his own agenda and has to rid himself of Fletcher contracts he doesn't agree with. But it shouldn't be to the extent Fletcher was burdened by predecessor John Ferguson's big-ticket deals.

Read the entire article here.

If that is a concern, then why give Fletcher free reign to sign coaches and players to long-term contracts?

Nieuwendyk will talk with Leafs

From TSN:

Sources tell TSN that former Maple Leaf Joe Nieuwendyk is scheduled to meet with Toronto general manager Cliff Fletcher this week to discuss joining the team's management group.

Read the report here.

Nieuwendyk is certainly an astute hockey mind and would be a very good hire for the Leafs organization.

News You Can Use Late in the Day

1. Team Canada's roster for the World Championships is almost complete.
2. A preview of the Clark Cup semi-finals in the USHL.
3. The AHL has eclipsed its mark for the longest game ever.
4. NCAA coaches are meeting with the NHL and NHLPA this week to discuss the early departures of college players for the NHL.
5. Check out Sportsnet's online playoff magazine.
6. Hockey.com thinks something is fishy in Detroit.
7. Elliotte Friedman with another installment of the From the Pressbox blog.
8. What a difference a year makes for JR.
9. Joe Pelltier has some interesting Stanley Cup history.
10. The Tampa Tribune thinks its time for Tortorella to go.
11. Canada adds Mike Green to its World Championship roster.
12. Seven lessons the Canadiens have to learn from the Boston series.
13. Jim Kelley thinks the NHL nixed the Brian Burke to Toronto proposal.
14. Pierre Lebrun suggests that Doug Armstrong would be a good fit in Toronto.
15. Spector discusses possible changes in store for teams who lost in the 1st round.
16. Interesting interview with Victor Chi of the Sporting News.
17. Adam Proteau answers Don Cherry's criticisms.
18. Cliff Fletcher is content with the "interim" tag.
19. David Staples with a good piece on why Stanley Cup finalists often tank the following season.
20. Wojtek Wolski may miss the remainder of the Wings-Avs series.
21. H2H examines the practice of player agents becoming General Managers.
22. Bobby Smith is enjoying life as owner of the Halifax Mooseheads.
23. 5 Priorities for Mike Gillis.
24. Sidney Crosby answers the diving allegations.
25. Andy Holloway discusses NHL ratings in the USA.

NHL Morning Papers (Sunday Edition)

Here the Sunday rumor columns:

• Here is Larry Brooks' Slap Shots column from this morning's NY Post.
• Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun provides you with more rumors than you could possibly imagine in this morning's paper.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• The Rangers got off to a great start against the Sabres yesterday, and cruised to a 5-1 victory at MSG, writes Larry Brooks of the NY Post. The best player on the ice yesterday for the Rangers was youngster Brandon Dubinsky, writes John Dellapina of the NY Daily News.
• The Bruins thoroughly outplayed the Leafs in the first period last night, but only came away with a 1-1 tie after twenty minutes and it was downhill from there as they were defeated 4-3 in overtime. Here are some news and notes about the Bruins roster.
• The Thrashers were outshot but a ridiculous 49-10 margin last night, as the Islanders defeated Atlanta 4-1. Thrashers defenseman Alexei Zhitnik was scratched last night with the flu.
• The Sabres got off to a horrible start at MSG yesterday, on their way to their first game in their last eleven without recording a point. Both Jaroslav Spacek and Brian Campbell were victimized last night by the Rangers forwards.
• Even with all their injuries and and the recent Cory Stillman trade, the Canes continue to be a resilient bunch as they defeated the Panthers 5-4 on Saturday night. On the injury front, Carolina got a big boost last night with the return of Matt Cullen to the line-up.
• The Flyers lost their sixth game in a row last night, but they weren't unhappy with the way they played, writes Tim Pannaccio of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Pannaccio also tells readers that everyone who thinks Danny Briere is a bust, should take a deep breath.
• Ron Musselman of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has an interesting article about how kids from the Pennsylvania area can make the NHL. On the ice, superstar Sidney Crosby returned to full practice yesterday.
• The Capitals can thank veteran Olie Kolzig for last night's 3-2 victory over the Lightning, writes Tarik-El Bashir of the Washington Post.
• Darcy Tucker continues to increase his trade value, as the feisty winger recorded two goals and an assist in last night's 4-3 overtime win over Boston. Apparently Cliff Fletcher spent the entire second period of last night's game meeting with Stars GM Les Jackson behind closed doors.
• "It's pretty devastating," said Lightning defenseman Dan Boyle after last night's loss to the Capitals. John Tortorella says his top stars need to be better.
• The Senators turned in another poor performance last night, losing to the Devils 3-2.
• The Islanders have taken coach Ted Nolan's instructions to shoot the puck more to heart, as they outshot the Thrashers 49-10 last night in their 4-1 victory. Meanwhile, Islanders winger Trent Hunter is trying to not let his ongoing contract talks bother him.
• The Devils got off to a good start against the Senators, and that was probably the difference as they went on to a 3-2 road victory.
• Carey Price recorded his first NHL shutout last night in the Habs 1-0 hard-fought victory over the Flyers.
• The Panthers blew a late-game two period lead to the Hurricanes and let first place fall out of their grasp by losing 5-4, writes Steve Gorten of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• The Ducks are continuing their in-house search for a suitable second-line center, writes Curtis Zupke of the Orange County Register.
• Flames coach Mike Keenan says he’s never seen such a veteran group of NHL’ers be as inconsistent as the Flames have been this season.
• Blackhawks super-rookie Patrick Kane understands that he has to get bigger and stronger this off-season to be able to compete better at the NHL level.
• The Avalanche have the second worst power play in the NHL and need to improve on their efficiency if they hope to make the playoffs, writes Terry Frei of the Denver Post.
• Jimmy Howard will get first start in three years today for the Red Wings as they take on the Stars. On the trading front, apparently the Wings have been scouting Brad Stuart.
• Coach Craig MacTavish was disappointed his team lost 4-2 to the Canucks last night, but happy that they stuck together, writes Joanne Ireland of the Edmonton Journal. MacTavish would have loved to have seen the Oilers play like that two months ago, writes Robert Tychkowski of the Edmonton Sun.
• Dallas coach Dave Tippett says his team needs to maintain its focus this afternoon if it wants to beat the Red Wings.
• Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch weighs the pros and cons of the Jackets trading before the deadline. Here are the Jackets’ lines for today’s game against the Blues.
• Wild GM Doug Risebrough wants his team to simplify their power play, writes Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune. Youngblood’s colleague Michael Russo talks about the trade deadline in his Sunday Insider.
• The Predators were a lot better in their 2-1 overtime win over St. Louis last night than they were earlier in the week against the Blackhawks.
• Jeremy Roenick is not looking forward to playing at MSG because it brings back bad memories of his jaw injury, writes David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News.
• Manny Legace was the only reason that the Blues were able to record a point last night in their 2-1 overtime loss to the Predators.
• Radim Vrbata bailed out the Coyotes last night by scoring the game-winning goal after his team blew a two-goal lead.
• Henrik Sedin called yesterday’s win over the Oilers a “great team win.”

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Email any thoughts, ideas or suggestions to illegalcurve@gmail.com

NHL Morning Papers (Friday Edition)

Note: With All-Star weekend upon us, I will not be posting on Saturday or Sunday. The usual NHL Morning Papers will return bright and early Monday morning.

Here are the national morning papers:

• Brian Burke is happy in Anaheim, so you can take his name off the list of candidates for the Maple Leafs' GM position.
• With the trade deadline fast approaching, Mark Spector of the National Post says it is time to separate the buyers from the sellers.
• Mike Brehm of USA Today previews this weekend's All-Star Game.
• The breakaway challenge has quite the cast of participants and should be more than entertaining, writes Kevin Allen of USA Today.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• The Thrashers lost to the Rangers 2-1 in a shootout last night, and the team has not won a game since January 15th.
• The Bruins rebounded from their 8-2 loss to Montreal, with a strong 4-1 victory last night over the Islanders. Meanwhile, injured Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron enjoyed his time in Aruba because it allowed to him to get away from all the attention he has received due to his concussion and just relax.
• The Sabres ended their road winless streak at eight games with a 2-1 victory at Dallas. Sabres defenseman Jaroslav Spacek admits that wearing the "C" has made him do things he normally wouldn't do.
• The Hurricanes are currently leading the Southeast Division but still think they need to win 20 of their last 30 games to make the playoffs.
• The Panthers blew a two-goal lead with under two minutes remaining in the third period and eventually lost 4-3 in a shootout to the young Oilers. "We were in control of the game. . . . We have to pick ourselves up. We have a busy month, and hopefully we get some guys back after the break," said Panthers coach Jacques Martin who chose not to dwell on the tough defeat.
• The Habs showed some resilience by coming back from a 2-0 deficit at New Jersey to defeat Brent Sutter and his troops 4-3.
• "To be quite honest, I was disappointed in the whole team tonight. Our commitment to win, our commitment to our system and our commitment to playing like you're supposed to play was brutal," said an angry Brent Sutter after his team blew a 3-1 third period lead to fall 4-3 to the visiting Canadiens. Sutter was so angry after the game that the players are lucky the CBA doesn't allow for practices over the All-Star break.
• It was a touching night at MSG on Thursday as the Rangers raised Brian Leetch's number 2 to the rafters. The Rangers played last night's game versus Atlanta without Marek Malik who was benched for not shaking coach Tom Renney's hand after Tuesday's 4-0 victory over the same Thrashers. As for last night's game, the Rangers came out pretty flat but ended up pulling the game out with a 2-1 shootout victory.
• "Maybe the guys were thinking about the break before the break started," said an angry Ted Nolan after his team's 4-1 loss to the Bruins. Islanders forward Richard Park has been the team's unsung hero this season, writes Greg Logan of Newsday.
• The Senators rode the back of Daniel Alfredsson's seven point night to an 8-4 victory over the defenseless Lightning.
• The Flyers were happy to head into the break with a 4-3 victory over division-rival Pittsburgh, writes Ed Moran of the Philadelphia Inquirer. When the Penguins and Flyers meet there is nothing but bad blood, writes Rich Hofmann of Philadelphia Daily News.
• While they lost 4-3 to Philadelphia last night, the Penguins are happy to go into the break trailing first place in the Atlantic Division by only a single point. In other Penguins news, they will open the 2008/09 season in Sweden versus the Senators.
• The Lightning enter the break on a sour note after getting dominated 8-4 by the Senators on Thursday night. One positive that came from last night's game for the Lightning was the surprise return of defenseman Dan Boyle.
• Not only did the Leafs lose 2-1 at Washington last night, but they lost two of their better players in Alexander Steen and Alexei Ponikarovsky to injuries. New GM Cliff Fletcher is lucky he didn't have to watch last night's game in person, as he stayed behind in Toronto to conduct meetings.
• The Capitals continued to move towards first place in the Southeast Division with a 2-1 home victory over Toronto last night.

The Western Conference morning papers were lost to a computer problem. Thank you Microsoft Vista! I apologize for this omission. The regular format will return on Monday.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Numbers Game: Ferguson by the numbers

Hats off to Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment for finally recognizing that they made a huge mistake by bringing in John Ferguson Jr. to “run the show” for the Leafs. I use the term “run the show” very loosely of course. Ferguson was merely a puppet for the MLSE board which is compromised of prominent real estate developers, lawyers and pension fund directors who in addition to being extremely successful businessmen also possess brilliant hockey minds?

With Ferguson fired, the Leafs have handed the GM position to former Leafs’ GM Cliff Fletcher accompanied by a promise by the MLSE board to give him full control over the hockey operations. This model has certainly worked well for the Raptors and under the guidance of a hockey version of Bryan Colangelo, it will certainly serve the best interests of the Leafs. However, the question remains: Is Fletcher the right guy for the job?

Fletcher has certainly demonstrated the willingness to pull off the big trade and the foresight to recognize the potential contributions of players. He was responsible for bringing Doug Gilmour and Mats Sundin to Toronto. He will have to utilize the same foresight and willingness in the next month when he is faced with the pressure to, ironically, trade Sundin.

In response to today’s firing, I looked at the success of the Leafs under their last 4 general managers dating back to when Fletcher took over in 1991. The list includes:
Cliff Fletcher (1991-1997)
Ken Dryden (1997-1999)
Pat Quinn (1999-2003)
John Ferguson Jr. (2003-2008)

For the analysis, I recognize that team points are now scored differently than they were in the 90’s. Since 1999, teams received a point for losing a game in overtime and, of course, shootouts were brought into the game to break ties in 2005. As well, the league has expanded since the early 90’s from a 22-team league to the 30-team league that we have today.

Click on image to enlarge:

The Leafs were most successful under Pat Quinn. They enjoyed their highest winning percentage (.589) and on, average, ranked 5th in the conference and 2nd in their division, while qualifying for the playoffs every season. Quinn’s teams also consistently ranked in the top 10 in the league in goals scored and were above the league average in goals against. They narrowly missed the Stanley Cup finals losing to the Hurricanes in 2001 and were generally regarded as contenders in the East every season.

Conversely, under Ferguson, the Leafs have failed to qualify for the playoffs since the lockout and are likely going to fall short again this year. They did tally 103 points in his first season (2003), but how much of that can be attributed to Ferguson instead of Quinn, his predecessor? Since the lockout the Leafs have ranked, on average, 10th in the East and 4th in their 5-team division.

Ironically, Fletcher did have a lower winning % than Ferguson. However, the Leafs in the mid 90’s, when Gilmour was in his prime, were a much better team than now, and they would have arguably had a much higher winning percentage should the shootout have been in place. As well, the Leafs almost reached 100 points in 1992-1993 and 1993-1994 en route to conference finals appearances without receiving points for overtime losses. For 4 consecutive seasons starting in 1992, the Leafs finished at worst 5th in their conference.

Under Fletcher, the Leafs appeared to have difficulty scoring, finishing, at best, 13th in the league in goals for. However, the Leafs did rank above league average in goals against during Fletcher’s tenure with the exception of his final season. In the last 2 seasons, the Leafs have finished 21st and 25th overall in goals against and currently have the 4th worst goals against to date.

Ferguson had his chance with the Leafs. His track record certainly supports MLSE’s decision to fire him today. Whether Fletcher was the right guy remains to be seen. Granted, while he will only retain the GM title until the end of the season, what Fletcher does in the next few months will certainly go a long way in molding the Leafs potential success over the next few years. Here is to hoping that they don’t continue along the path that Ferguson has currently steered them on.

For Illegal Curve, I am Adam Gutkin.

NHL Morning Papers (Friday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• As Eric Duhatschek writes in this morning's Globe & Mail, Curtis Joseph has no problem playing for Mike Keenan.
• Kevin Allen of USA Today provides his midpoint report, which looks back on the first-half of the season and looks ahead to the second-half.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• The Thrashers lost 3-2 in a shootout last night to the Canadiens, but as a result of the one point they earned in the standings, the Thrashers now sit all alone atop the Southeast Division. In other Thrashers news, the Marian Hossa contract negotiations are still ongoing, writes Carroll Rogers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
• The Bruins were happy to at least earn a point last night in their 3-2 shootout loss to the Leafs because a number of the team's players have been hit by a bad case of the flu. "I thought we tried, I thought we battled," Bruins coach Claude Julien said after last night's game.
• Derek Roy should be in the Sabres' line up tonight after missing four games with an injured shoulder.
• "I guess we've hit bottom, if you want to say it that way," Hurricanes defenseman Glen Wesley said after his team's embarrassing 5-1 loss against the Senators last night.
• Rostislav Olesz will miss at least the Panthers' next four games with a hand injury he suffered on Wednesday when Steve Downie of the Flyers hit him after the whistle.
• Habs netminder Cristobal Huet was happy he got a chance to shutdown the Thrashers in the shootout last night, after he had single-handedly caused the Thrashers' second goal by straying away from his net. Meanwhile, Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette tells readers not to expect the Canadiens to trade for Alex Tanguay.
• The Devils play a string of home-games in a row, and the last thing coach Brent Sutter wants to happen is for his team to become complacent, writes Mark Everson of the NY Post.
• Rangers defenseman Paul Mara has seen his ice-time increase in the past couple of weeks, writes John Dellapina of the NY Daily News.
• Islanders forward Trent Hunter was given an "A" last night by coach Ted Nolan, writes Mark Herrmann of Newsday.
• The Senators dominated the Hurricanes last night by a score of 5-1, but their concern now lies with the status of Daniel Alfredsson who left last night's game with a hip flexor injury.
• Ed Barkowitz of the Philadelphia Daily News profiles the ever-travelling Jim Dowd in this morning's paper.
• Mark this down as a weird trend, Sidney Crosby has not recorded more than two points in any Pittsburgh home-game this season, writes Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. After practice yesterday the Penguins had to take part in the NHL's random drug testing.
• For all their struggles, the Lightning are lucky to be in the worst division in hockey, and therefore, not out of the playoff race.
• It is not calming down off the ice in Toronto, however on the ice, the team has now won two games in a row after last night's 3-2 shootout victory over Boston. Damien Cox of the Toronto Star doesn't believe Cliff Fletcher's management ways are the right fit for the next Leafs GM.
• It only took twelve rounds, but the Capitals finally ended the marathon shootout on a goal by Matt Bradley to defeat the Oilers 5-4.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• The Ducks made it five games last night by squeaking out a 2-1 victory over visiting Nashville, writes Dan Wood of the Orange County Register.
• Curtis Joseph took part in the Flames' optional practice yesterday. In other Flames news, Joseph's new teammate Jarome Iginla was named captain of the Western Conference All-Star team.
• Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune has the details behind Patrick Sharp's four year, $15.6 million contract extension.
• With Joe Sakic and Ryan Smyth already out of the lineup, the Avalanche's luck got worse yesterday when Paul Stastny was lost to the team for 2-3 weeks after undergoing an appendectomy.
• The Blue Jackets made it four wins in a row last night, on the back of Rick Nash who scored the game winning goal with under 30 seconds left and boy was it pretty (video link). (Writer's note: Watch the link. The goal is absolutely mind-boggling.) Ken Hitchcock says his third line needs to improve its defensive play.
• Craig Rivet woke up the Dallas Stars early in the first period last night with his hit on Brenden Morrow and the Stars responded by defeating the Sharks 4-2 in San Jose.
• The Red Wings ended their three-game losing skid with a 3-2 shootout victory at home over the Canucks. Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said he would love to coach the Canadian Olympic team in Vancouver in 2010 but you won't see him lobbying for the position.
• The Predators have played very well lately, unfortunately they can't seem to beat the Ducks during this most recent stretch as they were defeated by Anaheim 2-1 last night.
• "We didn't deserve to get a tie in that game. They outplayed us. They outworked us," said Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky after his team allow Rick Nash to score the game-winning goal with 22 seconds remaining in the third period. Meanwhile, Coyotes forward Mike Zigomanis is often a healthy scratch but has been coping with the disappointment by keeping a positive attitude, writes Jim Gintonio of the Arizona Republic.
• Instead of beating the Stars and capturing first place in the Pacific Division, the Sharks lost 4-2 to Dallas and fell to third in the division behind Anaheim.
• The Blues caught a big break yesterday with news that Manny Legace is okay and will be ready to play on Saturday night.
• The Canucks lost 3-2 to the Wings last night in a shootout, and the team can give most of the credit for the point earned in the standings to Roberto Luongo who made 47 saves in the loss.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

News You Can Use Late in the Day

1. Damien Cox suggest players like Scott Niedermayer and Ty Conklin should appear on the balloting for the Hart Trophy. I think he has spent too much time in Toronto. The only trophies these guys should get are Best Mid-Season Un-retirement and Best Option Available in Pittsburgh (Which Isn't Saying Much) awards.
2. Danielle Goyette has retired from hockey at the age of 41.
3. Willie O'Ree recalls his NHL debut.
4. Bob McKenzie reports that Marian Hossa will test the UFA waters this year, and expects to be traded.
5. Martine Gaillard (Meow) says that the one good thing about the implosion of the Leafs is that players and management are giving candid interviews.
6. News and Notes from the CHL.
7. The USHL has posted their draft lists for 1992's and 1993's. They have also entered into a sponsorship agreement with JLG Architects.
8. The NHL Hot or Not list from John Kreiser.
9. Inside College Hockey gives us their Hobey Baker tracker. Is it me or does the kid from St. Cloud look like a guy from ABBA?
10. Al Strachan offers advice to Leafs management.
11. Fox Sports profiles the top snubs for the NHL All-Star Game.
12. Jeff Marek with an interesting take on the price of young defensemen.
13. Bobby Orr has been selected to the World Sports Hall of Fame.
14. David Staples examines the "older" free-agent signees from last summer and how they are progressing.
15. Allan Muir of SI answers questions in his weekly mailbag.
16. The Stars have recalled BJ Crombeen and the Canucks have recalled Mason Raymond.
17. Interesting story on Dennis Polonich and his year of pro hockey in Europe.
18. The NHL and the IIHF are meeting in New York to discuss transfer agreements, though Russia is still not expected to sign the agreement. In Soviet Russia, agreement signs you.
19. A Q and A with Gerald Coleman and Trevor Daley.
20. Ryan Dixon details the miracle that was Sergei Samsonov's 3-point game and uses his gleaming wit to tell us NHL'ers should wear masks. If you are over 18 and still wearing a mask in the NHL, you should relinquish your nuts and start watching Sex in the City.
21. Another humourous entry by Jamie McLennan in his blog on playing hockey in Japan.
22. The Hockey News tells us about 10 players they had never heard of before. Thats some mighty fine reporting there, Lou.
23. Ending the worst kept secret since Brad dumped Jen, the Leafs have received permission to talk to Cliff Fletcher.
24. The Score highlights the young players making an impact in the game today. In mentioning Oilers rearguard Ladislav Smid, we can only assume that the Score is a sucker for guys who are consistently -3.
25. To cap off an especially boring news day, a look at the ECAC.