Joe Thornton sold Curtis Brown on playing in Switzerland

From David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News:

I had a chance the other day to talk with Curtis Brown and he sounded as if he’s ready for the next phase of his hockey career to continue in Switzerland.

That may be because Brown talked with Joe Thornton — who played there during the 2004-05 lockout — before signing a two-year contract with the Kloten Flyers.

“That was key,” Brown said. “I talked to Joe and he said it was unbelievable.”

Read the entire entry from Working the Corners here.

Brown should get more ice-time overseas and seems genuinely excited about experiencing a new culture.

NHL Morning Papers: Special Post-Draft Edition

Here are the morning papers from the Northeast Division:

• Mats Sundin's days as a Maple Leaf are over, writes Damien Cox. Meanwhile, the Leafs were hoping to start a new chapter last night with the selection of Luke Schenn.
• Friday was a busy day for Bob Gainey, as he acquired Alex Tanguay from the Flames and word came out that he is negotiating a deal with Mats Sundin; Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette has all the details.
• Erik Karlsson was ecstatic to become a Senator last night, writes Bruce Garrioch. In other Sens news, see you later Ray Emery.
• The Bruins selected Joe Colborne last night, whose game has been compared to former Bruin Joe Thornton. If the Bruins want to make a big splash on the free agent market, they will need some cap space, writes Fluto Shinwaza.
• The Sabres are hoping Tyler Myers can live up to the Zdeno Chara comparisons.

NHL Morning Papers: Playoff Teams (Tuesday Edition)

Here are the morning papers for the Western Conference playoff match ups:

Detroit versus Nashville:

• One of the biggest benefits of beating the Predators in six games is that the Wings get a couple days to recharge their batteries, writes Helene St. James. Here are some quotes by Mike Babcock from his interview with the Fan 590 in Toronto. The Detroit Free Press takes a look at the two possible opponents for the Red Wings.
• Jason Arnott was extremely disappointed that the couldn't be out there to help his teammates for Games 6 and 7, writes John Glennon. Heading into the off-season, the Predators have some depth in net and on the blueline, so except a couple transactions. Not that there was ever any doubt, the Predators have re-signed their entire coaching staff to extensions.

San Jose versus Calgary:

• It's win or go home for the Sharks tonight, writes David Pollak. The Sharks are surprisingly loose heading into Game 7 tonight. In roster news, veteran forward Jeremy Roenick can't wait to get back in the line up for tonight's tilt.
• The Flames roster has much experience with Game 7s so expect them to draw on that for tonight's game. What can we expect from big-game Jarome Iginla tonight? Mike Keenan absolutely loved the way Kristian Huselius played in Game 6.

Minnesota versus Colorado:

• Jacques Lemaire provides the press with his review of the season. Here is GM Doug Risebrough's to-do list over the off-season, writes Michael Russo.
• The Pepsi Center was rockin' like the old days in the first round, writes Mike Chambers. If the Avalanche play the Stars in he second round, the series won't begin until Saturday.

Anaheim versus Dallas:

• The Ducks have some competition for Brian Burke's services, writes Eric Stephens of the L.A. Times.
• The Stars are very happy with their current Co-GM arrangement between Les Jackson and Brett Hull.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

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

NHL Morning Papers: Playoff Teams (Saturday Edition)

Here are the morning papers for the Western Conference playoff match ups:

Detroit versus Nashville:

• The Wings didn't lack for shots on net last night, writes Mitch Albom. Detroit rebounded from a heart-breaking late third period goal to score within the first two minutes of overtime. The Red Wings got a huge break last night when Jason Arnott was pulled out of the Game 5 line up with a mystery illness.
• After last night's tough defeat, the Predators have their backs up against the wall for a must-win Game 6 on Sunday. They sure did not lose because of their goaltending as Dan Ellis turned aside an astounding 52 shots last night. Barry Trotz is hoping to have both David Legwand and Jason Arnott back for Game 6.

San Jose versus Calgary:

• Ryane Clowe has been that good for the Sharks in their playoff series versus the Flames, writes Ann Killion. There has been no word on the status of Kyle McLaren for tomorrow's Game 6.
• Jarome Iginla has been absolutely tremendous but he needs some help if the Flames want to play a Game 7, writes Eric Francis. Here are some of the stats for the Flames' "secondary" scorers, courtesy of Randy Sportak.

Minnesota versus Colorado:

• Marian Gaborik knows the pressure is on him to extend this series, writes Michael Russo. Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune says the Wild's fighters have helped the team win fights but not games. The Wild doesn't play well with the lead, so maybe they are in the perfect situation.
• The Avalanche have to treat tonight's game like their own Game 7, writes Dave Krieger. The Avs need to continue their strong play on the power play.

Anaheim versus Dallas:

• The defending Cup champs are sure not going out without a fight. J.S. Giguere put any goaltending controversy to bed as he was the best Duck on the ice last night. Here is a minute-by-minute recap of last night's game.
• The stats sure didn't mean much after watching last night's game, writes Tim Cowlishaw. The Stars are hoping some home-cooking at the American Airlines Center will be the last they see of the Ducks this season.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

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

NHL Morning Papers: Playoff Teams (Wednesday Edition)

Here are the morning papers for the Western Conference playoff match ups:

Detroit versus Nashville:

• Mike Babcock has demonstrated terrific composure when under pressure, writes Michael Rosenberg. The return of Michigan native David Legwand has caused headaches for the Red Wings, writes Helene St. James. Nashville coach Barry Trotz likes tough hockey and that is why he saw no problems with Niklas Kronwall's hit on Radek Bonk in Game 3.
• John Glennon of the Tennessean is wondering how the Predators will react in Game 4 after their comeback victory on Monday night. The return of David Legwand has really given the Predators the scoring depth they lacked to end the season.

San Jose versus Calgary:

• You could see the relief on Joe Thornton's face after he scored arguably the biggest goal of his NHL career last night. Thornton saved the series for the Sharks last night, writes Mark Purdy. To reference Evgeni Nabokov's post-game comments on Sunday, the boys became men on Tuesday night.
• Calgary only mustered a measly ten shots on net last night, writes George Johnson. The intensity of last night's game was apparent from the outset, writes Scott Cruickshank. The remaining best-of-three series will be decided by which team's stars want it most, opines Eric Francis.

Minnesota versus Colorado:

• Don't count Michael Russo of the Star Tribune among those surprised by the Wild's letdown game last night. Jacques Lemaire did not hold back from blaming his defensemen for their poor play on Tuesday. Apparently controversial Denver Post columnist Mark Kiszla was forecasting the future for the Wild, writes Patrick Reusse.
• The Avalanche took control of yesterday's game early on, writes Adrian Dater. Woody Paige was not impressed with the Wild's pity violence to end Game 4. If the Avalanche want to win this series, they need more from Paul Stastny, opines Terry Frei.

Anaheim versus Dallas:

• With all the pressure squarely on their shoulders, the Ducks came out with a dominating first period in Dallas and went on to a 4-2 victory. You can't put a price on experience, writes Mark Whicker.
• The Stars came out with a very unimpressive performance in the first two periods last night, writes J.J. Taylor. Marty Turco put the onus on himself for not making some big saves early on. The Stars may have been able to pull off an impressive comeback had they been able to score on a four-minute power play in the third period.

The morning papers for teams that did not make the playoffs are soon to follow...

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

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

Afternoon Roster News

Here are some notes and tidbits that may be of interest to fans and poolies:

• Peter Schaeffer (shin) is close to returning to the Boston line-up.
• Aaron Ward (throat) is going to be re-evaluated today and his availability for Saturday night's game is currently undetermined.
• Nikolai Zherdev (knee) didn't skate at Columbus practice but is expecting to play on Friday night.
• Sergei Fedorov (concussion) skated at practice today, but didn't take part in any contact drills.
• Patrick Marleau (groin) is a game-time decision for tonight's game against Edmonton.
• Joe Thornton (flu) will suit up tonight.
• Paul Stastny (groin) hasn't skated in the past couple days and his return date is unknown. (Writer's note: It looks like Stastny got injured while rehabbing from his appendectomy.)
• Brett Clark (shoulder) is out for the season.
• Brian Rafalski (groin) will miss Friday night's game.
• Kevin Bieksa (lacerated calf) skated with his teammates on Thursday but his return date is yet to be determined.
• It looks like Tim Gleason (flu) and Joe Corvo (flu) will miss tonight's game for Carolina.
• Brett Hedican (lower-body injury) is also out for Carolina.
• Niklas Backstom will start for the Wild tonight.
• Sean Hill (healthy scratch) will not be in the line-up tonight for Minnesota.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

NHL Morning Papers (Monday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• Alan Maki of the Globe & Mail expects the NHL to be reactive rather than proactive after the announcement of a possible Super League being created in Europe.
• As Sean Fitz-Gerald of the National Post explains, the Ducks' trade of Andy McDonald was all about keeping their defense together.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• Although this article was published yesterday, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has an interesting examination of the success of two-goalie tandems in the NHL this season.
• Even though they are sitting in second place in the Eastern Conference, Bruins coach Claude Julien says there are a number of areas in which his team can improve. Meanwhile, Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald tells readers that Milan Lucic's confidence and comfort level have increased significantly since the season began.
• After seven games in eleven nights, the Sabres were given Sunday off by coach Lindy Ruff.
• According to Luke Decock of the News-Observer, the Hurricanes are hoping to have Cory Stillman return from his knee injury on December 26th when they face the New York Rangers.
• The Panthers pulled out a 3-1 road victory at Chicago on Sunday and can thank goaltender Tomas Vokoun for the win writes Steve Gorten of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. The Panthers got Brett McLean back in their lineup last night, however, that good news was offset by the loss of Ville Peltonen for a month to a broken hand.
• Jack Todd of the Montreal Gazette warns Habs fans to not get too high or too low in what will continue to be a roller-coaster season.
• The Devils were happy to record a victory over the Flyers on Sunday before heading to Western Canada on their upcoming road trip. As Mark Everson of the NY Post explains, the Devils never take intra-division games lightly.
• Larry Brooks of the NY Post thought he was watching the Rangers of the late 90's last night when the Rangers welcomed Wayne Gretzky back to town and handed his Coyotes a 5-1 victory. "For me, I had three great years here. It was nice to come back tonight. It was an enjoyable night," said Gretzky after the game.
• Antoine Vermette will be given an opportunity to shoulder more of offensive role on the Senators after being moved onto a line with Daniel Alfredsson. "It's a substantial loss," said Senators coach John Paddock about the loss of center Mike Fisher to injury.
• The Flyers continued to slump yesterday as they were defeated 4-2 by the Devils in Newark.
• Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette profiles the pleasant surprise that is Tyler Kennedy of the Penguins. Here are some notes about the Penguins.
• According to Carter Gaddis of the Tampa Tribune, a new offer to purchase the team is expected by the end of the week.
• It is going to be difficult to replace the all-around production that the Leafs have lost with Bryan McCabe's hand injury writes Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star. "I've never had a serious injury like this before," said McCabe yesterday.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• While the Ducks lost to the Sharks 2-1 in a shootout last night, the team was happy to see Scott Niedermayer on the ice in game action. The Ducks finally started the season ten weeks after everyone else writes Jeff Miller of the Orange Country Register.
• After last night's 5-3 victory over the Blues it is fair to say that Jarome Iginla and Kristian Huselius are on absolute tears right now. With Huselius and Daymond Langkow are playing alongside Iginla, that means Alex Tanguay has found a new role with the club. Overshadowed by the Flames' road success was the fact that last night's victory was Mike Keenan's 600th NHL victory.
• The Blackhawks were expecting a big December but last night's 3-1 loss to Florida was the team's sixth loss in their last seven games.
• Adrian Dater of the Denver Post has an interesting article about relative unknown defenseman Kyle Cumiskey of the Avalanche.
• Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch has the details behind Rick Nash's recent slump.
• In Dallas, Steve Ott is healthy and finally living up to his reputation as an all-around pest writes Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News.
• The Detroit Red Wings are very aware of what Alexander Ovechkin will be bringing to the table tonight.
• Derek Van Diest of the Edmonton Sun profiles the tremendous season of Shawn Horcoff in this morning's paper. In other Oilers news, much of the team's recent success can be attributed to their newfound confidence.
• It looks like Jason Labarbera will return to the Los Angeles net tonight when the Kigns face-off against the Avalanche.
• Jacques Lemaire gives Niklas Backstrom a subtle shot in this morning's Minneapolis Star Tribune.
• Speaking of the Wild, Craig Leopold will not comment on a report that he is expected to buy into the Wild after the sale of the Predators is completed.
• The Coyotes dominated the Rangers on the back of AHL call-up Joel Perrault's three point game.
• Joe Thornton was feeling lucky last night in Anaheim which was why he was asked to shoot in his team's shootout victory last night over the Ducks.
• Mike Keenan and the Flames spoiled Andy McDonald's debut as a member of the Blues last night with a 5-3 victory.
• The Canucks have finally returned home after one of the toughest travel road trips in recent memory writes Gordon McIntyre of the Vancouver Province.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Morning Musings

Here are the morning papers:

• Sharks' coach Ron Wilson was able to get Jonathan Cheechoo's attention by demoting him from the first line for the first period of Monday's game versus the Canucks. The sniper responded to his one period demotion with his first points of the season in the third period, leading the Sharks to a 4-2 victory over Vancouver.
• The Canucks left Roberto Luongo out to dry in the third period of last night's game and, for once, he was unable to bail his teammates out. Brad Zeimer of the Vancouver Sun believes that the Sharks have rightfully earned the tag of Stanley Cup contender. In reality, the Canucks had no answer for all-star Joe Thornton writes Iain MacIntyre in this morning's Vancouver Sun.
• The Ducks responded well to coach Randy Carlyle's challenge by downing the Red Wings 6-3 last night.
• It was evident after the Red Wings 6-3 loss to the Ducks on Monday night that Wings' coach Mike Babcock was unhappy with the officiating; however, Babcock was disciplined enough to not say anything that will get him fined. In other Wings' news, it is probably fair to say Chris Chelios and Gary Bettman won't be going out for lunch anytime soon.
• Bryan McCabe accidentally shot the puck in his own net with four seconds remaining in overtime to give the Sabres a 5-4 win over the Leafs. Damien Cox of the Toronto Star wonders if McCabe has entered Larry Murphy territory with Leaf fans.
• The Sabres didn't sell out last night's home game which ended a streak of 45 straight regular season games sold out at the HSBC Arena.
• According to Craig Custance of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Thrashers are expecting to have Marian Hossa back in the lineup for tonight's game versus Philadelphia.
• The Bruins play their home opener on Thursday night and the team is trying its best to steal some of the sporting spotlight with the Red Sox in the ALCS, the Patriots undefeated and Kevin Garnett debuting as a Celtic. In other Bruins' news, youngster Milan Lucic is making management's decision whether to keep him up in the NHL or send him back to juniors very difficult.
• Steve Macfarlane of the Calgary Sun tells readers that Iron Mike has mellowed with age. Meanwhile, Jean Lefebvre of the Calgary Herald points out that the Flames have had one player score twice in each of their five games played this season.
• The Hurricanes are on such a roll that 15 players showed up to workout on Monday rather than take an optional day off.
• As Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune explains, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane are not only the future for the Blackhawks, they are the present too.
• Oilers' coach Craig MacTavish thinks Jarret Stoll is lacking confidence. After losing their past four games, the Oilers are taking some time to golf and get to know each other in the desert before their next game at Phoenix on Thursday.
• The Stars believe that if they get their act together they can take control of the slow-starting Pacific Division.
• The Blue Jackets can't seem to find a sidekick for Rick Nash and are, once again, trying a new top line combination.
• Forget his incredible achievements on the ice, Joe Sakic's charitable work in the Denver area has been truly admirable; Adrian Dater of the Denver Post has the story.
• Carey Price took a shot off the collarbone in practice on Monday but the young netminder will be able to dress for tonight's game versus Florida. With Guillaume Latendresse in the coach's doghouse, Bryan Smolinksi will start tonight's game on the Habs' number two line.
• Michael Russo has a great piece on Jacques Lemaire favorite--Martin Skoula in this morning's Star Tribune.
• The Kings sent Jonathan Bernier back to juniors and Brady Murray back to the AHL to protect them from an environment that isn't conducive to young players writes Lonnie White and Lisa Dillman of the L.A. Times.
• After Saturday's comeback victory over Tampa, the Panthers had a team meeting stressing that they should play with more confidence. Meanwhile, as Steve Gorten of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes, coach Jacques Martin expects a better year from Ruslan Salei and Mike Van Ryn.
• If you are into ranking your lines 1-4, then the Rangers have the most expensive third line center in the entire league writes John Dellapina in this morning's New York Daily News. As Brendan Shanahan points out, if he went through five games without a goal in the middle of the season, no one would realize; however, because he hasn't scored in his team's first five games to start the season, his struggles have been magnified.
• According to Rich Chere of the Newark Star-Ledger, there is nothing new to report on the Richard Matvichuk front.
• In order to minimize their turnovers, the Predators have been working on their puck support the past two days at practice. On top of better puck support, showing some urgency and getting off to a good start is also imperative for the Predators.
• If the Islanders expect to return to the playoffs, they need to improve their offensive output writes Greg Logan of Newsday.
• With Ray Emery back to full health, a goalie controversy appears to be an inevitable issue in Ottawa. Coach John Paddock says he hasn't made up his mind yet as to who will start Thursday's game against the Canadiens.
• As Tim Pannacio of the Philadelphia Inquirer explains, the Flyers waived Jesse Boulerice in order to create room on their roster for another forward. Here are some quick notes about the Flyers put together by Pannacio.
• Coyotes' coach Wayne Gretzky is not coaching in the NHL for moral victories, he's coaching to win.
• The Penguins have an odd schedule which sees them play only three divisional opponents before November 3rd. Meanwhile in Penguins' camp, the team could have Brooks Orpik back in the lineup on Wednesday against New Jersey.
• As Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Dispatch writes, Brad Boyes has been a great addition to the Blues' lineup since his acquisition late last season for Dennis Wideman.
• Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune provides readers with an inside look at Tim Taylor's difficult rehabilitation.
• Eric Duhatschek of the Globe & Mail details how much of an advantage a good start to the regular season can really be.
• Kevin Allen of USA Today has an interesting piece about the relatively unknown Niklas Backstrom.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Fantasy Watch: Who to draft at #2?

With Sidney Crosby being the unanimous number one pick, the next question that arises is 'who's going to go number two?' Unfortunately, having the number two pick is no easy task; luckily there are several players worthy of that particular selection. So instead of killing yourself over not getting the first overall pick, recognize that the scoring race was determined by only six points last year, and that the latter rounds of your draft are often most important.

F Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals

Although Ovechkin's totals were down from a year ago, the former rookie of the year finished with very respectable numbers, scoring 46 goals and 46 assists. Losing linemate Dainius Zubrus at the trade deadline clearly affected Ovechkin's play, as his point per game average slipped considerably over the last few months of the season. With no true center on the team, the Capitals went out and signed free agent Michael Nylander, who helped Jaromir Jagr eclipse 120 points two seasons ago in New York.
With Nylander firmly entrenched in the middle, look for Ovechkin's point totals to see a significant increase.
Bottom Line: Aside from the past two years, Nylander has had trouble staying healthy, completing an 82 game season only twice in his career. If Nylander can stay healthy all year, then the sky is the limit for Ovechkin, but if he goes down, expect Alex the Gr8 to finish the season below expectations of a #2 pick.

F Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks

Finishing his first full year in San Jose with 114 points, Thornton returns to the Sharks with a new contract and most of his linemates back (sans Mark Bell). Projected to play with Cheechoo again, there should be no reason why Thornton won't reach last year’s totals. Although Cheechoo struggled to begin the season, he managed to get it together and finished the year with 37 goals, improving Thornton's totals along the way.
Bottom Line: With San Jose's main nucleolus back for another year, Thornton should have no trouble recreating last year's success, making him one of, if not the safest pick at #2.

F Vincent Lecavalier, Tampa Bay Lightning

Lecavalier broke out last year recording career highs in goals, assists and points. It was quite an outburst for Vinny as his previous career high in points was only 75. With the big three, Lecavalier, St. Louis and Richards, intact for at least one more year, the former first overall selection should have no trouble surpassing 100 points in 2007/08.
Bottom Line: With only one 100+ point season under his belt and the thought of having to pass up on Thornton, Lecavalier falls between the 3rd and 4th pick this year.

F Dany Heatley, Ottawa Senators

Appearing in all 82 games for the second straight season, Heatley finished with a career high of 105 points. Having made no major transactions, Ottawa enters the season with the same core, which should result in Heatley playing on a line, once again, with Alfredsson and Spezza. Assuming everything remains intact; Heatley should exceed 100 points for the third straight year.
Bottom Line: After having almost identical seasons for the past two years, it’s pretty clear what you're going to get with Heatley. With his third year in Ottawa about to begin, only expect a slight increase in scoring, if at all.

For Illegal Curve, I’m Jonny Remis.