Lightning is still Vinny's team

From Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune:

"This is Vinny's team; we know that. We are here to help him," Recchi said. "That will be something we'll talk to Vincent about, but we know he's the leader of this team. ... He's been a champion and he knows what it takes to win. I think it just strayed a little bit the past couple of years. But I think once you get that feeling back again, it's easy to grab again. When you are not winning it's easy to go the other way."

Read the entire article here.

Players like Gary Roberts and Mark Recchi were brought in as much for their ability to play on the team's 3rd/4th line as for their leadership. The truth is, the Bolts don't lack leadership with Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis having both led the team to a Stanley Cup championship.

Recchi heads to Tampa

From TSN:

The Tampa Bay Lightning continued to pile on veteran support on Monday, signing forward Mark Recchi to a one-year, $1.25 million contract that's worth $1.5 million with incentives.

Read the entire report here.

Yup, the Lightning certainly need more veteran forwards!!! Why on earth does the team continue to throw money at forwards??? Has anyone seen that defense?

NHL Morning Papers (Friday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• Roy MacGregor of the Globe & Mail would love to see the Habs play the Senators in the playoffs.
• Dave Shoalts of the Globe & Mail reviews Richard Peddie's interview with Gary Bettman on XM Satellite Radio yesterday.
• Bruce Arthur of the National Post has an entertaining article about the Leafs' conquest for the playoffs.
• Kevin Allen of USA Today takes a closer look at the teams chasing playoff spots in both conferences.
• Allen also has a very interesting article about the possibility of huge salaries being throw around in the free agent market this off-season.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• The Leafs are hoping Mats Sundin can suit up for tomorrow night's game versus Buffalo, writes Mark Zwolinski. Here is the Leafs' schedule for the remainder of the season.
• Newly acquired Mike Smith was terrific last night for the Lightning, as he led the team to a 3-1 victory over the Bruins. Smith is also looking sharper these days with his new pads and helmet.
• The Senators looked a lot like last season's team in their 3-0 road victory at Montreal last night. Jason Spezza has the Habs' number, writes Allen Panzeri.
• Greg Logan of Newsday says it is time for the Islanders to call up Kyle Okposo from Bridgeport of the AHL.
• Jamie Langenbrunner scored the only goal in the shootout last night to cap the Devils' comeback victory over the Wild, writes Rich Chere. A couple of Devils made their homecoming last night.
• "We won't get out of the east until we find a way to beat these guys," said Habs forward Christopher Higgins after his team's 3-0 loss to Ottawa last night.
• The Panthers have some high praise for their backup goalie Craig Anderson in this morning's South Florida Sun Sentinel. The Panthers have less than 1,000 tickets available for their upcoming home game versus the Rangers.
• Since he decided to start skipping morning skates, Capitals netminder Olaf Kolzig has been playing a lot better, writes Tarik El-Bashir.
• With the Flyers set to face-off against the Penguins on Sunday, Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has a feature on Flyers forward R.J. Umberger who grew up close to Pittsburgh.
• Tim Panaccio of the Philadelphia Inquirer examines the playoff possibilities and what the Flyers need to do to make it in. The Flyers will get a lot of help this weekend, when it is expected that Mike Richards will return to the lineup.
• With the way the team has been playing the past month, the Rangers feel very confident moving forward, writes Mike Puma. John Dellapina tells readers that Jaromir Jagr has yet to decide on his future.
• Luke Decock of the News Observer is sure to cause some controversy with his claim that Canadian teams get a break when it comes to suspensions. Here is the injury report for the Canes tonight.
• The Sabres' young players are not accustomed to losing, writes John Vogl.
• The Bruins continued their free-fall last night, with a 3-1 loss to the Lightning. The Bruins had some of their long-time injured players on the ice yesterday, but that doesn't mean they are close to returning to the lineup.
• Ilya Kovalchuk told his team before yesterday's game that he wants them to play for pride, and then he went out and led by example. Last night's match up versus Calgary was Mark Recchi's 1400th career game.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Province is wondering where the Sedin brothers have disappeared to. Botchford's colleague Tony Gallagher thinks the reason for their struggles may be the fact that they are being physically punished by opponents.
• The Coyotes penalty killing and goaltending was terrific last night in their 2-0 home victory over the Canucks, writes Jim Gintonio.
• Any chance the Oilers had at making the playoffs probably fell by the wayside last night, writes Jim Matheson. The Oilers' youngsters made a number of important mistakes last night, writes Derek Van Diest.
• The Avalanche have played very well in March over the past two seasons, writes Adrian Dater. The Avs got a strong performance last night from Peter Budaj, in their 5-1 home victory over Edmonton.
• The Blackhawks still don't believe they are out of the playoffs, writes Chris Kuc.
• The Calgary Herald has a short review of the Flames' 6-4 loss at Atlanta last night. (Writer's note: The Herald didn't send a beat writer to last night's game.)
• This season has proved to be a coming out party for Pascal Leclaire, writes Aaron Portzline. The Columbus Dispatch has five questions with Rick Nash. Here are the Jackets' probable lines for tonight's contest.
• The Stars collapsed down the stretch last night to lose 5-3 to the Red Wings, writes Mike Heika. The Stars will certainly be helped by the return of Sergei Zubov once he is healthy enough to return to the lineup.
• The Red Wings came back from down 3-1 last night, to record a victory over Dallas and, in turn, be the first team to qualify for the playoffs.
• The Kings upset the Predators last night by a score of 4-1.
• The Wild couldn't hold a couple of leads last night, and then lost, of course, in the shootout, writes Michael Russo.
• If the Predators don't make the playoffs, they will probably look back to last night's game, writes John Glennon. On the injury front, David Legwand still hasn't skated on his injured foot.
• Even though they have won ten straight games, the Sharks still don't have much room to relax atop the Pacific Division, writes Mark Emmons.
• Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch discusses the improved play of Blues rookie Erik Johnson.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

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

Fantasy Watch: Buy/Sell

BUY

F Michael Cammalleri, Los Angeles Kings
Before being listed as day-to-day with a rib injury, Cammalleri was struggling to put up points at the same blistering pace he set earlier in the season. In his last five games, the forward only scored one point, causing fantasy owners to bench him even before he was sidelined with a rib injury. Although Cammalleri has not returned to the ice, TSN reports that the forward has indeed started skating and could return very shortly. Due to his offensive struggles before his injury, Cammalleri may be had at quite below his value price.

F Brad Richards, Tampa Bay Lightning
With only two points in his last seven games, Richards stock has taken a big hit. He is currently fourth on Tampa Bay in scoring, and hasn't recorded a goal since December 13th. It might surprise many to see Richards in the buy column this week, but with his value extremely low, he might be worth taking a chance on. Tampa Bay has a wealth of talent and with Richards' ability to create chances on the power-play, he may be in for a big second half.

SELL

F Antti Miettinen, Dallas Stars
Miettinen has surprised everyone over the past month, scoring 16 points over his last 15 games. Only exceeding the 30 point plateau once in his career, Miettinen is currently on pace to set new career highs in goals, assists and points. Although Miettinen has given owners a fantasy boost, the third year forward should not be counted on to continue scoring at this pace. With Miettinen's value extremely high, it's advised to ship him out in favor of a more reliable fantasy option.

F Daniel Cleary, Detroit Red Wings
As stated in Monday's “Scouring the Waiver Wire” column, Cleary tends to go on extended hot streaks only to cool down a week or two later, eventually falling off the fantasy radar. Evidence of this can be traced back to last December where Cleary put up fantastic numbers throughout the month, scoring 11 goals and 17 points in 15 games. After being claimed immediately in most leagues, the forward fell back down to Earth, only scoring three points in January, disappointing several fantasy owners (yours truly included). Thus, it's advised to trade Cleary while his value is still high before he falls off the fantasy radar.

F Mark Recchi, Atlanta Thrashers
Since being waived by the Pittsburgh Penguins, Recchi's stock has skyrocketed while playing for Atlanta. Scoring 14 points in 14 games with the Thrashers, Recchi has given Atlanta another legitimate scoring threat. Although it may seem absurd to sell Recchi, one has to keep his age in mind. At 39, Recchi no longer has the legs he used too and will undoubtedly require more rest as the season goes on. With many owners seeing a rejuvenation in Recchi, it's advised to trade the veteran for younger fantasy studs while his stock is still high.


For Illegal Curve, I'm Jonny Remis

Recchi claimed by Thrashers

***** BREAKING NEWS

According to several sources, including The Sports Network, The Atlanta Thrashers have claimed right winger Mark Recchi off waivers. Several teams were apparently interested, including Carolina and Philadelphia, but the multiple-Stanley Cup winner was snapped up by Hotlanta. Recchi was put on re-entry waivers Friday and sent down to Wilkes-Barre Scranton of the Amerian Hockey League after stuggling with the Pens this season, putting up eight points in 19 games ( 2 goals, 6 assists).

For Illegal Curve, I'm Ezra Ginsburg

News You Can Use Late in the Day

1. A Q and A with Martin Brodeur.
2. Patrice Brisebois says the Nichol suspension was warranted.
3. A profile on Jordan Eberle of the Regina Pats.
4. The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled Steve Downie. They must be a little short on suspensions this week.
5. A recent spate of healthy scratches due to disciplinary problems have led some to speculate that the Pats have a dressing room problem.
6. Trevor Linden no longer fits into the Canucks' plans.
7. Eric Duhatschek notes that the size of goaltender's equipment is of issue.
8. The Central Division is back from the brink of mediocrity.
9. In case you missed it, check out this excellent piece on how Canadian teams draft.
10. A round up of all things CHL at Taking Note.
11. The Weekly Release from the USHL.
12. The Penguins have placed Mark Recchi on waivers.
13. Observations from Stan Fischler.
14. Al Strachan feels the NHL has gone back to its pre-lockout product.
15. Mike Ilitch and Charles Dolan top the list of wealthiest NHL owners.
16. The Junior Report from NHL.com.
17. Erik Cole has changed his style of play since his neck injury.
18. The Thrashers' Tobias Enstrom has been named the NHL's Rookie of the Month.
19. Details of the story of Chris Mason's rise to the starter's position in Nashville.
20. The Power Rankings from Sports Illustrated.
21. SI looks at the junior aged talent in the USA.
22. Claude Julien's strategy of coaching to the Bruins' strengths have brought early success.
23. Sam Gagner, Shootout Specialist.
24. The door remains open for Sam Gagner and David Perron to play for Team Canada.
25. Hockey News looks at the Hot Prospects.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Kyle Kosior

NHL Morning Papers (Friday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• Tony Gallagher of the National Post opines that the hockey being played in the NHL's Northwest Division is boring.
• Kevin Allen of USA Today believes that the Penguins have a variety of problems not just goaltending problems.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• If Don Waddell hires a coach this season, it will be from inside the organization writes Craig Custance of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
• The struggling Bruins' offense got the medicine it needed (aka the Leafs defense) and tallied five goals on the way to a 5-2 victory. Bruins' GM Peter Chiarelli told a Toronto radio station that injured center Patrice Bergeron could very well be gone for the entire season. Chiarelli also noted in the interview how close Tuukka Rask is to playing a substantial role for the Bruins this season.
• The song remains the same for the Sabres as they were defeated 3-2 by the Senators on Thursday night. Sabres' GM Darcy Regier is sick of watching boring hockey, not as a general manager with sour grapes, but as a fan. (Writer's note: His take is interesting, and I have to say I agree with most, if not all, of what he says.)
• The Hurricanes are frustrated over the amount of blowout losses they have suffered this season writes Lorenzo Perez of the News Observer. Canes' winger Erik Cole will be out 7-10 days to allow the swelling in his neck to subside.
• This time the Panthers didn't blow a late third period lead as they successfully closed out the struggling Capitals 2-1 on Thursday night. Don't expect Jacques Martin to make any rash trades writes George Richards of the Miami Herald.
• The Habs are hoping usual fourth-liner Tom Kostopoulos will add some life to the team's top line. (Writer's note: I guess cousin Jesse was unavailable for first line duty...)
• The Devils are hoping Paul Martin won't have to miss another game, after he left the Devils/Rangers game with back problems earlier this week.
• The Rangers were dishing out all the cliche answers about why they are suddenly winning games after last night's 4-3 shootout victory over the Flyers. Last night's victory moved the Rangers into a tie for first place with the Flyers.
• "I don't think that was our best effort," said Islanders' goalie Rick DiPietro after his team's 3-2 loss to the Penguins.
• The spotlight was on Daniel Alfredsson last night in Ottawa as the Senators' captain was playing in hi 800th career game and topped out that milestone game with two goals of his own. (Writer's note: I have a suggestion, more stories about Daniel Alfredsson and less stories about Sean Avery. Heatley and Spezza may get all the press clipping in Ottawa, but Alfredsson is team's best player.)
• Sam Donnellon of the Philadelphia Daily News has been very impressed with the play of Mike Richards this season.
• Michel Therrien scratched Darryl Sydor, Colby Armstrong and Mark Recchi for last night's game, which the Penguins won 3-2 over the Islanders.
• The Lightning defensemen have done a great job of collectively picking up the slack for their injured defensive leader Dan Boyle writes Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune.
• "We weren't ready. We weren't prepared to do the job tonight and that's why we lost," said Leafs' defenceman Tomas Kaberle after last night's 5-2 loss to the Bruins. One of the many problems for the Leafs, is their inability to get the puck quickly out of their own zone.
• The Capitals inability to get goals from anyone other than Alexander Ovechkin is killing the team's chances of turning around their prolonged slump.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• All indications are that Blues' rookie David Perron will remain with the NHL club after he plays his ninth game tonight.
• The Sharks completely demolished the Coyotes last night, defeating them 6-0 on the road. Both defenseman Craig Rivet and forward Marcel Goc missed last night's game due to injury. (Writer's note: The Sharks have played six games in nine days, three of those games were against the lowly Coyotes, yet Evgeni Nabokov played each and every game. When does Ron Wilson plan to give him some rest?)
• "The last three games have been unacceptable," Coyotes' captain Shane Doan said after last night's embarrassing performance.
• The Predators played the role of comeback kids last night with a come-from-behind 5-4 overtime victory over division-rival Chicago. The Predators are proving to have two strong scoring lines writes John Glennon of the Tennessean.
• The Oilers continue to struggle putting goals on the board as they were defeated last night 4-2 by the Wild. John MacKinnon of the Edmonton Journal thinks there is a goaltending controversy on the verge of taking place in the Albertan capital. Terry Jones of the Edmonton Sun has an interesting piece on the Oilers' youngsters playing down in Springfield of the AHL.
• Niklas Backstrom was pulled from the Wild net last night, yet he wasn't injured and his team actually had the lead. If Backstrom is in Lemaire's doghouse, then he won't have any trouble finding Keith Carney who has been a healthy scratch eight times this season.
• The Ducks' top line was better than the Kings' top line and that's why the Ducks edged Los Angeles 6-3 at the Staples Center on Thursday night. "Hopefully we're turning a corner and understanding how difficult it is to win in the NHL," said Ducks' coach Randy Carlyle after last night's contest. (Writer's note: Randy, what does that even mean? Your team won the Stanley Cup last season.)
• Flames' netminder Miikka Kiprusoff is hoping to build off of his own performance in Tuesday's win over the Wild.
• The Avalanche will have Andrew Brunette in their lineup even after he took a scary spill in practice two days ago, and also Jose Theodore will be the starting netminder for the Avs tonight when they take on the Stars.
• Fans of offense in hockey may cringe when they read Dave Tippett's comments in this Dallas Morning News article.
• Dominik Hasek seems to be having trouble with the lack of shots against that his team gives up but he knows he has to play better for the Wings.
• Tom Reed of the Columbus Dispatch has an interesting article on the openness of practices in the NHL. Here are the Blue Jackets' probable lines for tonight's game.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Morning Musings: How far can Crosby carry Penguins?

After a 47 point improvement in the standings, the Pittsburgh Penguins will no longer be surprising any teams in the National Hockey League. With the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal the Pens can now be considered a legitimate Stanley Cup threat heading into the 2007/08 season. With that said, the young, up-and coming squad is not without its fair share of question marks.

Here are five questions hockey fans have about the Penguins heading into 07/08:

Will the Penguins’ off-season acquisitions make a difference?

While youth and enthusiasm could have been considered as strengths last season, the lack of veteran presence and experience really seemed to hurt the Penguins in round one versus the Senators. With that in mind, general manager Ray Shero went out this off-season and added veterans Petr Sykora and Darryl Sydor to the mix. The Pens now have Sykora, Sydor, Recchi and Roberts in their dressing room which will provide the team with plenty of veteran leadership; never mind the fact that all four of these key veterans have won the Stanley Cup during the course of their respective careers. Expect the veteran additions to pay dividends come playoff time.

Is the defense good enough?

Having puck-moving defensemen in today’s fast-moving game is the key to a strong breakout and transition game. Luckily for the Pens, they possess two of the best puck-moving defenseman in the game with Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney. Unfortunately, their defensive unit drops off significantly after Gonchar and Whitney leaving the team with question marks on the back end. If Brooks Orpik can continue to be a physical force and Sydor can provide more puck-moving ability, the team should be able to score enough goals to make up for the team’s lack of defensive talent.

Is Marc-Andre Fleury the answer in net?

The former number one selection overall in the NHL draft has been under immense pressure to live up to expectations since arriving in the league. Thus far, the goaltender has been so-so, with much room for improvement. Fleury is a very athletic goalie, but he often over-commits on the shooter . Additionally, the young netminder has had his fair share of confidence issues over the past couple of years. Nonetheless, Fleury is amongst the most talented netminders in the league and should comfortably lead the Pens to a 40+ win season.

Is Michelle Therien on the hot seat?

The answer to this question is most likely yes. The former Habs’ bench boss is blessed with one of the most talented rosters in the entire NHL and it will be up to him to coral the Pens’ young talent and channel it towards a long playoff run. Therien is a coach who lives on the edge and is known to have a violent temper, the key to this season may be for him to maintain an even keel and let his talent play out. The talent is there to sustain a long playoff run, and with talent comes expectations. Therien will be under immense pressure this season in the Steeltown.

Can the Penguins win the Cup?

Absolutely they can. This is a team that has the best player in the world in Sidney Crosby and one of the best young centers to come along in a while in Evgeni Malkin. Both of these players possess the ability to carry a team on their own without much difficulty. Factor in such veteran scorers as Roberts, Recchi and Sykora, never mind 19 year old phenom Jordan Staal, and you have arguably the best offense in the NHL today. While the defense and goaltending are lacking in certain respects, every team in today’s salary cap era has question marks. Expect the Pens to contend for the Cup this year. In fact, it says here that Crosby and company face off in the Stanley Cup Finals versus the Sharks.

On to the morning papers:

• The aformentioned Petr Sykora is ecstatic about the possibility of lining up on a line with Sid the Kid and, in fact, had that chance Monday night versus the Habs.
• Eric Duhatschek has an intersting piece on Wayne Gretzky and the value of coaching experience in this morning's Globe and Mail.
• When Peter Forsberg is ready to make a decision on his playing career, Daniel Alfredsson plans on selling the appeal of the Senators and the ability for Forsberg to come in and just be himself.
• There is competition, but no animosity, between the two young goaltenders looking to back up Evgeni Nabokov this season in San Jose; Mark Emmons of the San Jose Mercury News has the story.
• Youngster Patrick Berglund, the Blues' 2006 1st round pick, is being given every opportuntiy to crack the big club by coach Andy Murray.
• You can't blame Lightning prospect Mike Lundin for being a little star-struck at training camp, considering that just last year he was suiting up at the University of Maine and now he is skating on the same ice as Vinny Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis.
• As Tarik El-Bashir tells us, Viktor Kozlov will be lining up at center this season and most likely will be lining up with Alexander Ovechkin on his wing. (Writer's note: There is nothing like overvaluing off-season acquisitions. Under no circumstances should Viktor Kozlov be playing center on one of the top two scoring lines over Nicklas Backstrom. Moving Backstrom to the wing makes little sense considering his defensive game is far superior to that of Kozlov.)
• Canucks' coach Alain Vigneault doesn't believe Sami Salo's injury was a matter of fragility but rather was a result of his lackadaisical effort in the corner.
• Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Province has the recap of last night's pre-season contest versus the Ducks. As Bothford notes, the Canucks are giving Ryan Shannon every opportunity to be a top-six forward.
• Pavel Kubina believes his off-season training will help to increase his foot speed in 2007/08 writes Paul Hunter of the Toronto Star.
• The line of Antropov/Sundin/Blake had a successful debut at the Leafs' Blue/White game on Monday.
• Alexander Steen is looking to bounce back from a subpar 2006/07 writes Tim Wharnsby of the Globe and Mail.
• Ryan Miller has become a veteran of outdoor games writes Kevin Allen of the USA Today.
• The people of North Bay, Ontario were overjoyed to be hosting an NHL exhibition game writes Craig Custance of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
• Former Cane Ron Francis has been brought into camp to help Carolina improve its powerplay in 2007/08.
• As Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune tells us, Jonathan Toews is excited to finally suit up in an actual NHL exhibition game.
• Jordan Leopold is trying to forget his injury filled 2006/07 and is looking forward to being able to contribute to the Avalance this season; Adrian Dater of the Denver Post has the story.
• David Vyborny was lucky to escape serious injury after his knee hit awkwardly into the boards over the weekend. The Jackets only expect him to miss two or three days of camp.
• Stars begin the first half of their pre-season writes Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News.
• Red Wings' youngster Derek Meech is fighting tooth and nail to crack the team's defense writes Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.
• According to Fluto Shinwaza of the Boston Globe there is a heated battle at Bruins' camp for the fourth-line center position.
• Randy Sportak of the Calgary Sun has an interesting piece on Mike Keenan and the importance he places on his relationship with his team's captain and alternate captains.
• Rhett Warrener is nervous to suit up in his home province tonight as his team takes on Florida in an exhibition game.
• Joanne Ireland of the Edmonton Journal profiles who will replace the departed Jason Smith as captain of the Oilers.
• Kyle Brodziak has been awfully impressive at Oilers' training camp thus far. The St. Paul native had 2 goals and 1 assist in last night's exhibition contest.
• The additions of Brett McLean and Radek Dvorak excite coach Jacques Martin who values their character and upbeat atmosphere.
• Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune explains what Eric Belanger can bring to the table this season for the Wild. (Writer's note: Isn't Eric Belanger just the perfect Wild player???)
• The Kings are going to use their early season travelling to get to know each other better writes Lonnie White of the L.A. Times.
• If Alexei Kovalev plays in 2007/08 like he did in last night's exhibition game agaisnt the Pens, the Habs' forward to be the talk of town.
• Expectations are high for Martin Erat heading into the season writes Jessica Hopp of the Tennessean.
• After a brush with the law in juniors last seaseon, Matthew Corrente is lucky that the Devils are giving him a second chance; Rich Chere of the Star Ledger has the story.
• It looks like Devils' enforcer Cam Janssen suffered a dislocated shoulder fighting in the team's exhibition game last night.
• Henrik Lundqvist is excited about the Rangers' new additions this off-season. (Writer's note: Shocking isn't it? I thought he would against adding Gomez and Drury...)
• John Dellapina of the New York Daily News details the positives from Rangers' camp thus far.
• With depth at center this season, RJ Umberger will be used as a type of utility forward writes Ed Moran in this morning's Philadelphia Inquirer.
• The decision to re-sign in Ottawa wasn't difficult for Mike Fisher considering his love for the city and organization.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock