Blackhawks re-sign Corey Crawford

From Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune:

The Blackhawks re-signed goaltender Corey Crawford to a one-year contract Monday.Crawford, 23, appeared in five games with the Hawks last season and had a 1-2 record with a 2.14 goals-against average and .929 save percentage. The victory was a 3-0 shutout of the then-defending Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks on March 5.

Read the entire entry from Icing here.

If the Hawks thought Crawford was capable of playing big NHL minutes in the near future, they definitely wouldn't have signed Cristobal Huet to a massive contract.

The best/worst off-seasons so far

From Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch:

The events of the past four weeks will best be gauged a few seasons down the road. For now, The Dispatch offers this analysis of the proceedings:

Best offseasons

1. Chicago -- With all that "Youth Gone Wild" up front, the Blackhawks landed offensive-minded defenseman Brian Campbell and No. 1 goaltender Cristobal Huet to balance the attack. They could be the next Pittsburgh Penguins.

2. Detroit -- The Red Wings are so good, talent comes knocking on their door. Witness Marian Hossa taking a one-year deal to leave Sidney Crosby's wing and move to Motown. The Wings lost nobody except forward Dallas Drake (retired yesterday) and still have salary-cap room for the future to stay intact...

Read the entire article here.

No real surprises on Portzline's best/worst list. I'm not so sure I'd put Chicago at number one; in fact, I wouldn't. The Campbell signing was a nice move, but the Huet signing still doesn't make a lot of sense to me, especially at those dollars.

Bruce Boudreau on Jose Theodore

From Katie Carrera of the Washington Post:

He's looking forward to having Jose Theodore, who's expected in Arlington sometime this week, join the team. "He had a great year in Colorado. If you look what he did, they had so many injuries to top-notch players and still made the playoffs and to still play as well as he did. I wish Cris the best of luck in the world... but he's on a different team now, so we're not worried about him."

Read more on the Capitals here.

I'm not so sure Boudreau will love Theodore when he stops 60 shots one night and then can't stop a beachball the next night. The Capitals are a fairly young squad, so the netminder's inconsistency could be an issue next season.

Rumor: Huet to sign with Blackhawks

From Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post:

Update:I just heard from a source that Huet asked the Caps for three years, $15 million and the Caps offered it to him. But Huet then said he wanted test the market today and see what might be out there. Now it's looking like he'll sign a four year deal with Chicago for $5.6 million.

Read more from El-Bashir here.

With Khabibulin on the books next year at $6.75 million, I don't fully understand why the Hawks would invest that much money in goaltending. Although Huet is an upgrade over Khabibulin, it isn't significant enough that it merits this much money invested in the goaltending position. Also, if the Hawks buy Khabby out, that is a lot of dead money on their cap.

Update: The deal is official. Read the story from TSN here.

Capitals and Huet seem to be on same page

From Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post:

Stephen Bartlett, the agent for goalie Cristobal Huet, said he's "impressed" with the way the Caps have handled discussions on an extension for his client. But he was also quick to add that there's plenty of hard work left to be done -- work that could begin this weekend at the NHL Entry Draft in Ottawa, where he expects to meet with General Manager George McPhee.

I'm also hearing that Huet has a real estate agent looking for a home in the area. Bartlett could not confirm that, and he also declined to discuss the specifics of his talks with the team. But he did indicate that Huet is seeking a three-year deal, which I think would be the ideal term for the Caps. So the hang up, if there is one, looks like it's going to be money.

Read the entire entry from Capitals Insider here.

Both sides appear willing to come to an agreement. The Capitals clearly need a starting netminder and Huet played very well for them after being acquired from the Habs at the trade deadline last season. Huet also seems happy with the team and prospects of winning in Washington. When you hear both sides sound so positive about negotiations, they generally come to an agreement fairly quickly.

NHL Morning Papers: Playoff Teams (Tuesday Edition)

Here are the morning papers for the Western Conference playoff matchups:

Detroit versus Nashville:

• The Wings have a number of injuries heading into their first round series with the Predators. According to USA Today, the Red Wings are heading into the playoffs with two of the top six clutch performers in the NHL.
• For the Predators, goaltending will be the key to any upset, writes John Glennon. It looks like David Legwand is not as far away from returning as once believed.

San Jose versus Calgary:

• The Sharks players are past the point of caring whether they are playing against some of their ex-teammates on the Flames. Hockey analysts across the continent like the Sharks to make a long run.
• George Johnson of the Calgary Herald has a feeling the Flames would have much preferred a series against the Wild instead of the Sharks. The Flames will need Robyn Regehr and Cory Sarich to shutdown big Joe Thornton. If Calgary wants to pull off the upset, the Flames will need Miikka Kiprusoff to be their best player, writes Randy Sportak.

Minnesota versus Colorado:

• The Wild's road to the second round got a lot tougher last night with word that Nick Schultz will miss the first round after undergoing an appendectomy. With Schultz's injury, shutting down Colorado's big forward lines will be that much harder. Here is some video of the Wild preparing for Game 1.
• Adam Foote and Ruslan Salei have made a huge difference for the Avalanche on the defensive end. Coach Joel Quenville would like more scoring from his third line.

Anaheim versus Dallas:

• Ducks coach Randy Carlyle is never satisfied, writes Eric Stephens of the L.A. Times. Doug Weight may see himself on the outside looking in of the Ducks lineup.
• The Stars are hoping Steve Ott agitates as many Ducks as he can, writes Mike Heika.

Here are the morning papers for the Eastern Conference playoff matchups:

Montreal versus Boston:

• Saku Koivu will be out until next week at the earliest, writes Pat Hickey. Hickey also provides an examination of the Habs and Bruins in all aspects of the game. Here is a Montreal Gazette playoff pool tips article.
• Patrice Bergeron may return to the Bruins lineup for Game 2. Bergeron isn't the only Bruins star forward who plans on returning to the lineup, as Marc Savard wants to be back for Game 1.

Pittsburgh versus Ottawa:

• Marian Hossa is not thinking about past playoff failures and is looking to make a long playoff run with the Penguins, writes Shelly Anderson. Bryan Murray believes the Penguins tanked to face his Senators.
• The Senators are certainly not feared by the Penguins, writes Bruce Garrioch. "We've gotten a bad (reputation) here the last little while and everybody ousting us in the first round and not giving us much of a chance," said Senators star Jason Spezza. Meanwhile, the Senators are going to need Cristoph Schubert to be a physical force in this first round series.

Washington versus Philadelphia:

• If the Capitals are going to make a playoff run, they will need to see the same goaltending from Cristobal Huet as they did at season's end.
• Flyers forward Daniel Briere says he will be in the lineup for Game 1 on Friday. With the Flyers opposing Alexander Ovechkin, this series will be the feature national series in the United States.

New Jersey versus New York Rangers:

• Martin Brodeur is ready for the usual harassment he will get from Rangers fans. Dainius Zubrus will be matched up all series against Jaromir Jagr.
• Larry Brooks speaks to the importance of a productive Sean Avery in the playoffs. Jaromir Jagr is ready to get the playoffs underway.

The non-playoff team morning papers are soon to follow...

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

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

Fantasy Watch: Goalie Starts

March 10th-16th

Anaheim Ducks (3) – Giguere has won five of his last six starts, expect him in net for all three games this week.

Atlanta Thrashers (4) – Both Hedberg and Lehotnen have not played well, look for a split between the two.

Boston Bruins (4) – Thomas has played horrible over his past two games, but with Auld as his backup, the Bruins would be smart to stick with their all-star.

Buffalo Sabres (4) – Miller has been up and down over his past few starts and with four games on the schedule, Thibault should be making his first start of the month.

Carolina Hurricanes (3) – Expect Ward to start all three games.

Calgary Flames (4) – Kiprusoff doesn't need any rest and should appear in all four games this week.

Chicago Blackhawks (4) – Khabibulin is still day-to-day which is good news for Chicago's rookie goaltender, Corey Crawford, who should be making at least one start this week.

Columbus Blue Jackets (2) – Leclaire should be well rested to start both games this week.

Colorado Avalanche (3) – Theodore has won his last five starts and should be in net for all three games this week.

Dallas Stars (2) – Expect Turco to get both starts this week.

Detroit Red Wings (4) – Expect a split between Osgood and Hasek.

Edmonton Oilers (4) – Garon has clearly outplayed Roloson, but with a busy schedule expect Rolo to see action in one game.

Florida Panthers (3) – The Panthers are going to ride Anderson until he loses.

Los Angeles Kings (3) – With Aubin gone and LaBarbera injured the goaltending duties fall on Cloutier and rookie Erik Ersberg

Minnesota Wild (2) – Expect Backstrom to start both games this week.

Montreal Canadiens (3) – Price should be in net for all three games this week.

Nashville Predators (3) – Ellis has been better than Mason this year, but was pulled from his last start in only six minutes. Expect Ellis to receive two starts, while Mason gets one.

New Jersey Devils (3) – Brodeur should be in net for all three road games this week.

New York Islanders (3) – DiPietro should finally see some time this week, but Dubielewicz will still appear in one game.

New York Rangers (3) – Look for Lundqvist to start all three games this week.

Ottawa Senators (3) – Gerber's most recent losses can hardly be blamed on him as the Sens have failed to put up any offense in their last few games. Expect Gerber to still receive at least two starts this week.

Philadelphia Flyers (4) – With four games on the schedule, Nittymaki should make an appearance.

Phoenix Coyotes (3) – Expect Bryzgalov to start all three games this week.

Pittsburgh Penguins (3) – If Fleury continues to struggle, expect a split between him and Conklin.

San Jose Sharks (3) – Look for Nabokov to get all three starts this week.

St. Louis Blues (4) – Expect the Blues to throw in Toivonen for a game to give Legace a much needed rest.

Tampa Bay Lightining (3) – Smith will continue to split with Ramo.

Toronto Maple Leafs (3) – Toskala has played well lately and should receive all three starts this week.

Vancouver Canucks (4) – Sanford may make a rare appearance due to four games this week.

Washington Capitals (3) – Expect Huet to get two starts to Kozlig's one.


For Illegal Curve, I'm Jonny Remis

Fantasy Watch: After the Deadline

↑ F Brad Richards, Dallas Stars
Although Richards has scored a respectable 51 points in 62 games with Tampa, the forward was still considered to be underachieving. Never able to recreate the success he had two years ago, Richards found himself on the trade block and was shipped to Dallas on deadline day. With room for another scorer on the team, Richards should fit in quite well with Dallas and will become a dominant power-play man for the club. Richards has all the talent in the world but struggled to find offensive success in Tampa Bay. With less superstars on the team, Richards will be counted on to provide another scoring presence, which in turn should increase his point total.

↑ D Brian Campbell, San Jose Sharks
Having another solid year in Buffalo, Campbell now finds himself in San Jose on a team that desperately needs a defensive scorer. Not only can Campbell provide points from the point, he also gives San Jose veteran leadership and solid blue liner. Scoring 43 points in 63 games with Buffalo, Campbell will most likely be inserted on San Jose's top power-play unit as well as being San Jose's top defenseman. With plenty of goal scorers on the team, expect Campbell's production to increase as he attempts to lead San Jose to a Stanley Cup.

↑ G Mike Smith, Tampa Bay Lightning
Smith has received only a handful of starts over the past two years but has already shown that he can be a successful goaltender in this league. In his first career start in the NHL, Smith posted a shutout and went on to win five out of his next six starts. Finishing that year with a record of 12-5 with a 2.23 goals against average and three shutouts, Smith gave the Stars a chance to win without Turco in net. This year, Smith has posted 12 wins and nine losses to go along with a 2.46 goals against average. Although Dallas is a much better defensive team than Tampa Bay, Smith will be used as Tampa's starting netminder which raises his value instantly. Expect some hardships for the second year goaltender but nonetheless Smith will gain a valuable learning experience and could become an elite goaltender in a few years. For any fantasy team needing help in goal take a look at Smith who will be given his first chance as a #1 goalie.

↓ G Cristobal Huet, Washington Capitals
Willing to go into the playoffs with Carey Price as their starter, the Habs felt that Huet was expendable and shipped him to Washington on Tuesday. Going from a Stanley Cup contender to a team fighting for a playoff berth won't be an easy transition to make, but Huet seems to be up for the task. In Washington he will battle with Olaf Kolzig for starts, which will almost assuredly affect the star netminder's stats. Owners of Huet have to be upset with this deal due to the fact that Kolzig will command more starts than his previous backup, Carey Price. Expect Huet's goals against average and save percentage to dip a little, as well as his win totals. Washington is clearly not as talented as Montreal and Huet has his work cut out for him trying to lead the Caps into the playoffs.

↑ F Tuomo Ruutu, Carolina Hurricanes
Bursting onto the scene with 44 points in his rookie season, Ruutu was considered to be a savior for Chicago. With fellow young teammates such as Tyler Arnason and Kyle Calder, the three of them were to lead Chicago out of mediocrity. Unfortunately, that never played out as Arnason and Calder were shipped out, and Ruutu could never stay healthy for an entire season. Disappointing fantasy owners year in and year out, Ruutu has been given a second chance in Carolina. Scoring a point in his first game as a Hurricane, Ruutu has been blessed with incredible talent but has never achieved more than 44 points in a season. With several talented players on Carolina, Ruutu should be able to increase his scoring and may even become relevant in the fantasy world once again.

↔ F Vaclav Prospal, Philadelphia Flyers
Prospal was enjoying a bounce back year in Tampa, needing only 60 games to surpass the 55 points he put up last season. It being his contract year, Prospal is extremely motivated into duping some GM into giving him another multi-year deal in the off-season. Some might remember Prospal's first stint with Tampa Bay where he broke out to score 79 points in 80 games. Quickly signed in the off-season by Anaheim, Prospal never fit into their system and was labeled a bust after only posting 54 points in all 82 games played. Now in another contract year, Prospal has been playing great which is no surprise. He is clearly motivated by the thought of another lucrative deal and will continue his success in Philadelphia. Yes it's true that Prospal had a dream situation in Tampa Bay, but don't expect his production to tail off too drastically.

↑ F Marian Hossa, Pittsburgh Penguins
Making the biggest splash of the day, the Pittsburgh Penguins picked up Marian Hossa in exchange for Colby Armstrong, Angelo Esposito, Erik Christensen and a first round pick in next years draft (Pittsburgh also received forward Pascal Dupius). Clearly looking to win this year, the Penguins sacrificed a lot for Hossa as they believe he is the missing piece to their quest for the cup. Although the acquisition of Hossa has some calling Pittsburgh the favorites to win the cup, they are still less superior to those more balanced teams such as Anaheim, Detroit and New Jersey. Hossa will give Pittsburgh added scoring, and although its absurd to think he will set a higher scoring pace with the Penguins, expect Hossa to do just that. Playing with Malkin and Crosby boosts Hossa's value incredibly, as the forward should reach 85 points this year.


For Illegal Curve, I'm Jonny Remis

NHL Morning Papers (Tuesday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• All teams that are looking to trade some of their star players got a big boost yesterday with the announcement by Peter Forsberg that he won't return to the NHL this season, writes Dave Shoalts.
• Mark Spector of the National Post points out that no-trade clauses are hindering GMs abilities to complete trades. Spector also has some information about players that are available and teams that are looking to trade in Naples.
• Kevin Allen of USA Today says that Mats Sundin is the biggest fish available now that Forsberg isn't coming back.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• Apparently the price for Mats Sundin is extraordinarily high, writes Bruce Garrioch. Damien Cox has the GMs' perspective on what might happen in the next week prior to the trade deadline. Meanwhile, Paul Hunter of the Toronto Star has a feature on Leafs netminder Vesa Toskala.
• Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune opines that goaltending is the new glamour position in the NHL.
• Senators fans are taking their anger out on head coach John Paddock for the team's free-fall in the standings, writes Don Brennan. Ray Emery will start in net for the Sens tonight, marking the first time John Paddock has strayed away from his win and you're in policy.
• The Islanders pulled off a great comeback yesterday as they defeated the Sharks 3-2 on Long Island. Coach Ted Nolan missed the first period of Monday afternoon's game to comfort his son on the shocking death of his OHL teammate Mickey Renaud. (Writer's note: Good for Nolan for having his priorities straight.)
• After Monday's 5-1 victory over the Hurricanes, the Devils joined Ottawa and Montreal atop the Eastern Conference standings. Last night marked the first time the Brookbank brothers were able to play against each other in the NHL.
• The Habs are one of only two teams to have not lost at least four straight games this season, writes Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette. Even with the recent play of Carey Price, Hickey doesn't think the Habs should consider dealing Cristobal Huet.
• The Panthers will be without center Stephen Weiss for the next two weeks, writes Steve Gorten.
• Craig Custance of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution thinks the Thrashers should pursue Tomas Kaberle.
• The Hurricanes were dominated yesterday by the Devils, writes Luke Decock. The Canes have recalled Joe Jensen from the AHL to replace the injured Rod Brind'Amour.
• The Rangers may have a lot of firepower on their roster, but Tom Renney is not straying away his defensive roots. Brandon Dubinsky has Jaromir Jagr's back, writes John Dellapina.
• After reading Sam Donnellon's column in the Philadelphia Daily News, you'll realize that the pressure is on Flyers coach John Stevens. On the trading front, Flyers GM Paul Holmgren is willing to make a deal that makes sense for his team.
• The Capitals were impressed with the play of rookie Sami Lepisto in his NHL debut the other night, writes Tarik El-Bashir.
• The Penguins have been getting offensive contributions from unlikely sources, writes Dave Molinari. However, for all the other contributions the team has been getting, the Pens would be nowhere without Evgeni Malkin.
• Lindy Ruff was happy with the Thomas Vanek's comment that he guarantees the Sabres will make the playoffs.
• Coach Claude Julien understands that there is a balancing act between making the playoffs and developing his young players, write Steve Conroy. On the injury front, Bruins defenseman Andrew Alberts is starting to make progress in his concussion rehabilitation.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• Ducks forward Ryan Carter has been a revelation for the team, and he can thank Ducks assistant GM David McNab for the opportunity, writes Mark Whicker.
• The Blue Jackets are really excited to embark on their three-game Eastern Canada road trip, writes Aaron Portzline. Here are the Jackets' probable lines for tonight's contest.
• The Red Wings ended their losing streak last night, but lost Nicklas Lidstrom in the process, writes Helene St. James. Apparently Wings defenseman Kyle Quincy has quite eventful sleeps.
• Phoenix continued to give the Kings trouble last night as they defeated L.A. 4-0.
• With Peter Forsberg sitting out, the Wild can shift their focus to acquiring other centermen, writes Michael Russo.
• Taking a page from the New York Rangers, the Predators have begun to salute their fans after games. Here are some notes about the Predators/Oilers going into tonight's contest.
• The Sharks blew yet another third period lead yesterday on Long Island, writes David Pollak. The Sharks have placed Patrick Marleau on injured reserve.
• Blues GM John Davidson thinks all this talk about restricting "rental" players from returning to their old team is ridiculous.
• The Flames had the game of hockey put into perspective yesterday with the passing of their recent draft pick Mickey Renaud.
• It's true, Jonathan Toews is that good, writes Chris Kuc.
• The Wings/Avs rivalry got some spice added to it yesterday as Tony Granato and Mike Babcock got into a verbal war on the bench.
• The Oilers need better production out of Ales Hemsky and Dustin Penner according to coach Craig MacTavish. In injury news, the Oilers should get Joni Pitkanen back in their line-up tonight.
• Last night's 4-0 victory at L.A. marked Wayne Gretzky's 100th coaching victory of his career.
• Roberto Luongo has been asked to take the flaps off his pads and he is not happy about it.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock

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

NHL Morning Papers (Sunday Edition)

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• With their 2-1 overtime win over the Lightning last night, the Thrashers are back to .500 and now tied for first place with Carolina in the Southeast Division standings. Meanwhile, Don Waddell wants people to understand he is still attempting to sign Marian Hossa and not trade him.
• The Bruins blew not one, not two, but three leads last night in their 6-3 home loss to the Panthers. Here is Kevin Paul Dupont's usual Sunday gem of a column.
• Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said his team was playing stupid not scared on Friday night and he made sure his team was aware of that yesterday at practice. In good news, the Sabres are getting Tim Connolly back in the line-up tonight; however, he is replacing Drew Stafford who sustained an ankle sprain on Friday.
• Whether they deserve to be or not, the Hurricanes remain in first place after their 6-1 road loss at New Jersey. Meanwhile, Luke Decock of the News Observer suggests the NHL give out an end of season award to the best defensive defenseman in the NHL.
• After shutting out the Flyers yesterday for the second time in ten days, Larry Brooks of the NY Post wonders if Steve Valiquette will start for the Rangers today when they take on the Capitals. Brooks also wonders if it is time to say goodbye to the Jaromir Jagr era in New York after this season. John Dellapina of the NY Daily News lists five things he thinks must happen for the Rangers to resemble the conference favorite they were supposed to be prior to the season.
• Phil Sheridan of the Philadelphia Inquirer thinks the Flyers should pass on re-signing Peter Forsberg.
• Evgeni Malkin put on a show for the fans of Pittsburgh and his parents yesterday with a three point game in leading the Pens to a 4-2 win over the Kings. The Penguins are geared up to end their 0-4 streak against the Flyers when the two teams face-off this afternoon.
• The Capitals will be looking to improve their struggling powerplay today as they take on the Rangers, writes Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post.
• With a 6-3 victory over the Bruins last night, the Panthers have now scored eighteen goals in their past three games. The streaking Panthers are expecting a couple of their injured regulars to return to the line-up in the not-so distant future.
• Yesterday was a nightmare for Cristobal Huet and the Habs, writes Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette. Hickey then speculates on possible Senators rumors prior to the trade deadline.
• The Devils handily defeated the Hurricanes 6-1 yesterday but the entire spotlight was on Johnny Oduya who scored a highlight goal from end-to-end last night.
• The Islanders continued their free-fall last night with a 4-3 overtime loss at Minnesota, writes Greg Logan of Newsday.
• The Senators proved the Habs have a ways to go to reach first place in the Northwest Division, writes Wayne Scanlan of the Ottawa Citizen. Don Brennan tells fans not to question Wade Redden's heart when it comes to the Ottawa Senators. Here are Bruce Garrioch's usual Sunday rumors.
• The Bolts were disappointed to not get the two points last night, but they did gain five of six points on their three-game road trip and are looking at the positives, writes Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune.
• The Leafs surprisingly defeated the powerful Red Wings 3-2 last night, confusing all hockey fans around North America. For all that has gone wrong with the Buds this season, Damien Cox sees a big positive in between the pipes for the team.

I'm running late and don't have time to post the Western Conference morning papers. The usual format will return bright and early tomorrow morning. Have a great Sunday.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

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

Morning Musings

Here are the morning papers:

• Veteran Chris Chelios, playing in his 1550th career game, scored a rare goal leading the Wings to 4-2 victory over the Oilers. As Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press points out, it sure didn't take long for the Red Wings to reunite Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg on the same even strength line.
• Dwayne Roloson was the reason the Oilers were in the game writes Joanne Ireland in this morning's Edmonton Journal. While Robert Tychkowski of the Edmonton Sun, believes much of the Oilers' nervousness early in last night's contest can be attributed to youth.
• After the Senators defeated the Devils 4-2 on home ice Monday afternoon, there are no fears of a Stanley Cup finals hangover writes Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. Monday was just another big day for the team's top line of Spezza-Alfredsson-Heatley. Meanwhile, Chris Stevenson of the Sun wonders if a goaltending controversy has arisen in the nation's capital.
• The Devils have only played 40 minutes of hockey in each of their first three games writes Rich Chere of the Newark Star-Ledger. With only one assist each through three regular season games, both Patrik Elias and Dainius Zubrus know they have to play better.
• The Islanders were beaten by a coupe of ex-teammates yesterday afternoon in their 2-1 loss to the Capitals. After impressing in his first two games as an Islander, forward Mike Comrie's third period giveaway led to the Capitals' game winning goal.
• After Monday's victory, the Capitals remain undefeated on this young season. One of the keys to the Capitals' hot start, Nickals Backstrom, has a Q & A in this morning's USA Today.
• Apparently the Flyers' team building exercises include playing with Lego; Tim Panaccio of the Philadelphia Inquirer has the story. Daniel Briere may look young but he plays like a man writes Mark Kram in this morning's Inquirer.
• According to Jim Gintonio of the Arizona Republic, goaltender David Aebischer will make his season debut on Wednesday when the Coyotes take on Columbus.
• As Shelly Anderson of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette explains, Rob Scuderi is trying to open up his game a bit this season. In other Pens' news, Sidney Crosby skipped the team's Monday workout to rest his bruised foot but the superstar expects to be in the lineup versus the Canadiens on Wednesday night.
• The Tampa Tribune provides readers with a Q & A this morning with the Lightning's Brad Lukowich.
• Blues' goaltender Manny Legace has already lessened his games played expectations for 2007/08. On the injury front, the Blues are going to be without Eric Brewer for the next 2-3 weeks with a shoulder injury.
• Mark Zwolinksi and Joanna Smith of the Toronto Star detail the announcement by Jason Blake that he has a rare form of cancer. At times like these hockey doesn't matter writes Damien Cox of the Star. Mike Zeisberger of the Toronto Sun explains what type of cancer Blake has and the treatment process that goes along with it. In an odd way, Jason Blake is lucky that he was diagnosed with this type of cancer this year and not five years ago writes Dave Shoalts of the Globe & Mail. (Writer's note: Needless to say, the writers of Illegal Curve wish Jason Blake a speedy recovery)
• As Ben Kuzma writes in this morning's Vancouver Province, Kevin Bieksa knows he still has a lot to improve on. Don't worry about Roberto Luogno's knee Canucks fans, Luongo took part in the Canucks' 80 minute practice on Monday and is fully ready to go for the team's next game.
• It may take a little while for Thrashers' newcomer Todd White to get comfortable writes Carrol Rogers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
• As Dan Wood of the Orange County Register points out, the Ducks really need to get their offense going if they expect to succeed in the Western Conference this season.
• So far this season, Bruins' coach Claude Julien has followed through on his promise to cut Zdeno Chara's minutes down.
• Cory Stillman and Bret Hedican both made it through practice on Monday and are expected to be in the Hurricanes' lineup tonight versus the Maple Leafs.
• As Scott Cruickshank of the Calgary Herald points out, the Flames have to start dictating the pace of the game to their opponent, not the other way around. Jarome Iginla thinks teammate Daymond Langkow is capable of scoring 40 goals.
• Jonathan Toews will make his NHL debut tomorrow night lining up between Patrick Kane and Tuomo Ruutu.
• According to coach Ken Hitchock there is a difference between being a talent and being a player, and Ron Hainsey is starting to become a player. Coach Hitchcock was busy on Monday trying out new lines in practice, however, he warns that the new line combinations should only be written in pencil.
• Panthers' center Olli Jokinen thinks he can play a lot better than he has the first two games. Meanwhile, Roberto Luongo has some advice for Panthers' fans, give Tomas Vokoun some time to adjust to his new surroundings and don't pass judgment too early on.
• Youngster Matt Niskanen has impressed the Stars' brass enough that the organization has decided to keep him up with the big club and send down Nolan Baumgartner to the minors.
• Seeing the dentist is becoming an all too common occurrence for Kings' youngster Patrick O'Sullivan.
• Barry Trotz likes the balance of his team's top three lines writes Jessica Hopp of the Tennessean.
• Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette opines that Cristobal Huet has left the door open for Carey Price.
• According to Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune, Wild rookie James Sheppard could get into his first NHL game on Wednesday night.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Morning Musings: My late take on the McAmmond hit

I know this issue has been discussed ad nausem for the last couple of days, but here are my quick two cents. Many around the game believe the pressure is on the NHL and Colin Campbell to make an example of Steve Downie and crackdown on head shots. I, however, somewhat disagree with this sentiment. The pressure in this instance, lies with the NHLPA. If the NHL gives a twenty game suspension to Steve Downie will things really change? Will players suddenly stop running at opposing players with reckless abandon? This writer doesn't believe so. Therefore, the pressure should be on the NHLPA to organize meetings and information sessions between all NHL players to discuss, not only, the repercussions of giving and receiving a head-shot but the lack of mutual respect in the game today. For me, that is the main issue. NHL players no longer have as much respect for one another as they once did. How can the NHL as a governing body encourage an increase in on-ice respect? In short, it can't. This is where the NHLPA comes in. It is for situations like this one that the PA was created. The leadership (however weak it is right now) has to gather the players together and preach the virtues of respectfully competing with your opponents without crossing the line. Without this message being delivered, the hits will keep on coming and, one day, a player may never get up from a brutal on-ice collision.

On to the morning papers:

• The NHLPA is beginning to consider names for a new union leader writes Dave Shoalts of the Globe & Mail.
• Stephen Brunt of the Globe & Mail examines the mixed messages that seem to be inherent in hockey in the wake of the Downie hit.
• Kevin Allen of the USA Today has a neat piece about what to watch for entering the 2007/08 NHL season.
• It appears that Marc Staal is going to make the Rangers writes John Dellapina of the New York Daily News.
• It looks like Islanders' forward Chris Simon will be held out of tonight's exhibition rematch with the Rangers writes Greg Logan of Newsday.
• According to coach John Paddock, Wade Redden and Mike Fisher looked alright on Thursday to be able to resume playing.
• Dean McAmmond is going to choose to believe Steve Downie's apology was sincere; Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun has the story.
• If a deal isn't reached on a new contract for Dany Heatley by the Sens' first regular season game, the two-time 50 goal scorer wants negotiations suspended until season's end.
• With a rash of injuries at Flyers' camp, Jim Dowd may indeed find himself on the opening day roster writes Tim Pannacio of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
• The Coyotes were defeated by the Stars 3-2 in a shootout on Thursday.
• Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette explains that the Penguins' coaching staff wants to see Adam Hall lineup at center prior to deciding whether he will make the club or not.
• Apparently Joe Pavelski hasn't been reading Illegal Curve's rants about how meaningless the NHL preseason is, and is excited to see his name atop the exhibition scoring leaders.
• Jay McKee will be starting the season on the sidelines for the second consecutive season in St. Louis writes Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
• As Lightning coach John Tortorella explains, team toughness is not all about fighting.
• Leafs' coach Paul Maurice will not make a decision on who his starting goalie will be until after Saturday's exhibition game writes Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star. Doug Wilson, GM of the Sharks, believes Leaf fans need to relax about the play of Vesa Toskala; "He will be very good. You just watch," Wilson told the Toronto Sun.
• Good friends Matt Cooke and Brendan Morrison have a knack for knowing where each other are going to be on the ice writes Gordon McIntyre of the Vancouver Province.
• NHL ironman Brendan Morrison has been banged up a bit at training camp and his consecutive games played streak may be in doubt; Elliot Pap of the Vancouver Sun has the story.
• Markus Naslund lined up with the Sedin brothers on Thursday but there are no guarantees that he will lineup in that slot to start the season.
• Craig Custance of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution provides an inside look at the excitement of the four youngsters who cracked the opening day Thrashers' lineup.
• After injuring his shoulder early in the preseason, Bruins' defenseman Zdeno Chara is expected to be back in the lineup for the team's first regular season game next week. Meanwhile, expectations are high for Bruins' off-season acquisition Peter Schaefer, who will see himself lining up beside Marc Savard on the team's top scoring line.
• Even without playing a preseason game, Lindy Ruff seems confident that Tim Connolly will be ready for the Sabres' first regular season game a week today.
• Didn't take that long did it? Flames' coach Mike Keenan finally loses it on his team for its lack of work ethic. (Writer's note: A big deal is always made of Keenan getting angry, however, after watching the Flames float through much of last season, including the playoffs, I think this is exactly what this group of players needs.)
• Jason Karmonos, son of Canes' owner Peter Karmonos, announced his resignation for the organization on Thursday citing personal reasons.
• Luke Decock provides notes from around Canes' camp in this morning's News Observer.
• The Blackhawks players were given the day off on Thursday but Chicago GM Dale Tallon remained hard at work claiming Karel Pilar off waivers from the Atlanta Thrashers.
• As Terry Frei of the Denver Post tells us, Jose Theodore made his first appearance of the season at Avs' practice on Thursday.
• The Blue Jackets will be cutting down their roster by Sunday or Monday writes Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch. Meanwhile, Steve Mason, the Jackets' best player during its preseason contest versus Carolina on Thursday night will almost surely be sent back to London of the OHL in the next few days.
• Marty Turco rescues the struggling Stars and it's not even the regular season yet!
• Goaltender Jimmy Howard has been a pleasant surprise for Mike Babcock at Red Wings' camp writes George Sipple in this morning's Detroit Free Press.
• Joanne Ireland informs us that the Oilers spent all of Thursday practicing their powerplay in this morning's Edmonton Journal. The off-season additions of Sheldon Souray and Joni Pitkanen should increase the team's poweplay efficiency.
• Anthony Stewart, Kamil Kreps and Rob Globke are the three players still in camp fighting for the last remaining forward spot in Florida.
• Jonathan Bernier has impressed many at Kings' camp which is why the team was able to release Dan Cloutier.
• Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette explains that Cristobal Huet is undoubtedly the number one netminder for the Habs heading into the season. It looks like Huet is already in top form as he led the Canadiens to a 3-2 victory over the Bruins on Thursday night.
• Jacques Lemaire is going to give all of his youngsters who are fighting for a roster spot a chance to strut their stuff tonight versus St. Louis.
• The Predators are always chasing the Red Wings in the standings and, as John Glennon writes in this morning's Tennessean, this season appears no different.
• There is unfortunate news out of Devils' camp that Colin White has sustained damage to his right eye and specialists are still trying to determine the extent of it. Suffice to say that White is out of the lineup indefinitely.
• In other news at Devils' camp, coach Brent Sutter is no rush to hand out the captaincy.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Morning Musings: What to expect from the Canadiens

After an off-season consisting of more misses than hits, the Montreal Canadiens enter the 2007/08 season as a team searching for an identity. Just missing out on the Daniel Briere sweepstakes, losing Sheldon Souray to free agency and seeing veterans Mike Johnson and Radek Bonk out the door, Les Habitants are entering this season with lower expectations than years past. Guy Carbonneau has the unenviable task of turning this team around after its second-half spiral out of the playoff picture last season. With expectations having been lessened, maybe Carbonneau can motivate his team enough to surprise some of the upper-echelon teams in the powerful Eastern Conference and just scrape into the playoffs.

Here are five questions people have about the 2007/08 version of the Montreal Canadiens:

Will the Habs have enough offense to get them into the playoffs?

Last season, the Canadiens scored 245 goals on the season which was less than every Eastern Conference playoff team aside from the Rangers (who were far more adept at keeping goals out of their own net than Montreal). This season the team is hoping a bounce-back year from Alexei Kovalev and the maturation of youngsters such as Tomas Plekanec, Guillaume Latendresse and Christopher Higgins will lead to an increase in offensive output. Increased ice time for the team’s youngsters should result in more secondary scoring for the Habs than they received last season from Johnson, Bonk and Sergei Samsonov. Expect the Habs to improve on their 245 goal total from a season ago.

Will the team’s powerplay be significantly affected by the loss of Sheldon Souray to free agency?

The loss of Souray cannot be understated. The team’s impressive first half in 06/07 was due, in large part, to the team’s efficiency on the powerplay. Souray’s big and accurate shot allowed the team’s forwards more room to work off the half-boards, because penalty killers had to cheat on his slapshot in order to avoid getting burned by the big defenseman for a goal or big rebound. Without his imposing shot, the Habs will rely on Andrei Markov to carry the powerplay burden. While Markov does not possess the booming shot of Souray, he’s an adept passer, with good hockey sense. Markov could easily quarterback many powerplays around the NHL. Additionally, Kirk Muller has proven to be one of the better powerplay coaches in the NHL and will make any adjustments that need to be made in order for the Habs to remain efficient on the man-advantage.

Was the Roman Hamrlik signing worth it?

Some fans have questioned why the Habs would give Roman Hamrlik $4 million per year and let Souray walk for just a little bit more than that. Nonetheless, Hamrlik is one of the more underrated all-around defenseman in the game today. The former first overall draft pick moves the puck well out of his own zone, can quarterback the second powerplay unit and is positionally sound. Some people don’t realize the effect Hamrlik had on Dion Phaneuf’s progression as a dominant defenseman in Calgary the past two seasons. Although his offensive numbers won’t be those of Souray’s, his defensive game is far superior to the big Albertan’s. The Hamrlik signing will prove to be a solid one for the Habs GM Bob Gainey.

Who will be the Habs starting netminder at season’s end?

One position where the Canadiens have a lot of depth is between the pipes. With the likes of Huet, Jaroslav Halak, and top prospect Carey Price the Habs are set in goal for years to come. The Habs will start the season with Cristobal Huet in goal, however, if the team is faltering late in the season, expect the French netminder to be dealt at, or before, the trade deadline. GM Bob Gainey may be better off dealing Huet during the season and promoting the impressive Price to finish the season, in order to get the youngster some NHL experience before 2008/09. It says here that Price will be the top netminder in La Belle Province at season’s end.

Can the Canadiens make the playoffs?

Perhaps, but it is not likely. A lot of Eastern Conference teams improved significantly over the summer and the Habs were not one of them. Factor in the team’s 10th place finish in the conference last season, and it is difficult to find a team that is considerably worse than the Habs. Still, due to their good coaching, and youthful exuberance, the team should be difficult to play against throughout the season. That being said, it will not be enough to return the team to the playoffs and another summer on the golf course is probably in order for the winningest organization in hockey history.

On to the morning papers:

• In sad news this morning, long-time Blackhawks owner Bill Wirtz has passed away.
• Damien Cox previews the Buffalo Sabres in this morning's Toronto Star.
• As Eric Duhatschek explains, the Flames' roster is almost entirely in place to start the season.
• Greg Boeck of USA Today profiles David Aebischer and his new opportunity in Phoenix.
• Dan Wood of the Orange County Register is already over in London and can't wait for the Ducks/Kings to kick off the regular season on Saturday.
• Craig Custance of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tell us about his experience standing between the benches during a Thrashers' exhibition game.
• The Bruins demoted prized prospect Tuukka Rask on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Bruins made more news on Tuesday by announcing that former Bruin star Cam Neely has become the team's vice president.
• Neely is a perfect fit as vice president opines Stephen Harris of the Boston Herald.
• Good news from Buffalo, as doctors expect Teppo Numminen will be released from the hospital in the next couple days.
• These new RBK jerseys are more trouble than they are worth writes Randy Sportak in this morning's Calgary Sun.
• Many people are suprised that Warren Peters is still in Flames' camp with a chance to crack the opening day starting roster.
• Kristian Huselius had two goals and the shootout winner in the Flames' 3-2 victory over the Sharks on Tuesday night. Prior to the game, coach Mike Keenan reminded the Flames that they were the only team in the NHL without an exhibition win.
• Brett Hedican feels his hip injury has progressed to the point that it shouldn't bother him on the ice anymore.
• After playing just under seven minutes, Hawks' forward Martin Havlat left Tuesday night's exhibition game with a strained groin. (Writer's note: We all know Havlat is going get 55 points while playing only 42 games this season; lets just get it over with.)
• Joel Quenville is happy with the depth the Avalanche have on the powerplay this season writes Mike Chambers of the Denver Post.
• As Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch writes, Jason Chimera's mind has finally caught up to his legs. Meanwhile, the Nikolai Zherdev center experiment is now over in Columbus.
• After an intense Monday morning team workout, the Stars were admittedly tired versus the Avalanche last night. Dallas was defeated by the Avs 5-4.
• Red Wings' defenseman Brian Rafalski didn't waste any time endearing himself to his new teammates on Tuesday night versus the Rangers.
• Oilers' backup netminder Mathieu Garon was tremendous in the team's 2-1 victory over the Coyotes last night.
• Craig MacTavish says you won't be able to crack the Oilers' defense unless you possess the ability to move the puck writes Joanne Ireland in this morning's Edmonton Journal.
• Panthers' newcomer, and Illegal Curve favorite, Cory Murphy has been dubbed the "The Specialist" by Florida captain Olli Jokinen.
• Anze Kopitar tallied a hat trick in leading the Kings to a 7-6 victory over EC Red Bull Salzburg on Tuesday night in Austria.
• Michael Russo of the Star Tribune has an interesting piece on former University of Minnesota defenseman Erik Johnson.
• Wild coach Jacques Lemaire has been extremely pleased with the play of Dominic Moore so far this pre-season.
• Patrice Brisebois is back healthy and was excited to get return to the ice on Tuesday.
• The Predators think they may have another Kimmo Timonen writes John Glennon of the Tennessean.
• The Devils are finding out what it's like to play for Brent Sutter writes Rich Chere in this morning's Newark Star-Ledger. Meanwhile, youngster Andy Greene has impressed the rookie coach so far this pre-season.
• Scott Gomez was the only Ranger to score in their 6-1 loss to the Red Wings on Tuesday.
• Sean Avery won't be be sitting out the Rangers' rematch with the Islanders on Friday night writes Steve Zipay of Newsday.
• After Steve Downie's gutless hit on Dean McAmmond, the Sens have revenge on their minds writes Bruce Garrioch in this morning's Ottawa Sun.
• Apparently Dany Heatley is asking for $8.5 million per season and it may take Eugene partaking in the negotiations to get a deal done.
• Flyers' coach John Stevens is unhappy with his teams work ethic only eight days before the team's first game.
• Ed Moran of the Phildelphia Inquirer examines the Flyers' defensive logjam and all the options the team has heading into the season.
• Ryan Whitney has reached his comfort level in Pittsburgh writes Shelly Anderson of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• Hannu Toivonen was named the Blues' backup goaltender on Tuesday, just beating out Jason Bacashihua.
• Doug Janik is attempting to become a regular on the Lightning defense writes Cristina Ledra of the Tampa Tribune.
• Carlo Colaiacovo will sit out the Leafs' remaining three pre-season games in order to rest his sore knee. Nonetheless, coach Paul Maurice predicts the defenseman will be ready to begin the season against the Senators next week.
• Mike Zeisberger provides us with the details of Boyd Devereaux's medical scare in this morning's Toronto Sun.
• The Vancouver Canucks demoted 11 players to Manitoba of the AHL on Tuesday. Included among the group is highly touted prospect Corey Schneider.
• If the NHL makes their nets bigger, they will lose one of the best goaltenders in the league to retirement.
• Ryan Shannon impressed the Canucks' brass during training camp and has secured a spot on the opening day roster.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.