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.

Brian Campbell on the Winter Classic

From Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune:

"It was mayhem," the Hawks' newly acquired free-agent defenseman said Tuesday about the game Jan. 1 in Buffalo. "If it's here in Chicago, the buzz would just be tremendous. It was a lot of fun for the whole city of Buffalo and western New York."

As the Hawks—and the rest of the hockey world—await official word from the league on the team playing host to the Detroit Red Wings on New Year's Day at Wrigley Field, Campbell met the media at the United Center to discuss his role with his new team and recalled playing in last season's outdoor game as a member of the Sabres.

"With the snow and the weather the way it was, the buzz in the city was all wrapped around that game," said Campbell, who signed an eight-year, $56.8 million contract with the Hawks on July 1.

Read the entire article here.

The Winter Classic is great for the NHL in every way imaginable. This year's reported game at Wrigley should be as good, if not better than last year's.

Campbell getting very high offers

From Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch:

Earlier today, an agent told me that the price tag for Brian Campbell is out of control. "I'm hearing that any offer under $60 million is getting laughed at," he said.

Read more from Portzline here.

I'm not sure if the offers are high, or the GMs offering the contracts are high. This is Brian Campbell not Bobby Orr. Did anyone watch last season's playoffs?

Campbell not enjoying all this attention

From David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News:

"This hasn't been the most enjoyable experience," the 29-year-old defenseman said in a phone interview Friday from southern Ontario. "There's been a lot of tossing and turning, and I'm looking forward to getting it done. It's an opportunity, but there's also a lot of pressure."

Read the entire story here.

If continue to read between the lines, it appears Campbell will end up on the east coast after July 1. Which team will be able to land him, is anyone's guess.

Return to San Jose still a possibility for Campbell

From David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News:

Brian Campbell’s agent says that San Jose remains very much in the running as the 29-year-old defenseman decides where his NHL future will be.

I talked with Larry Kelly a few minutes ago. While he would not get into specifics, he did acknowledge that Campbell is being tugged in two directions as the July 1 opportunity to become an unrestricted free agent nears. And that family matters are indeed a factor.

Read more from Working the Corners here.

Even though the sides are talking, it still seems like Campbell will be heading east once July 1st hits.

Bruins given right to negotiate with Brian Campbell?

From Steve Conroy of the Boston Globe:

It was also reported on TSN that the B’s were one of a few Eastern
Conference teams, including the Montreal Canadiens and Senators, who received
permission to speak to another soon-to-be unrestricted free agent prior to July
1, the San Jose Sharks’ Brian Campbell.

The defenseman could land a deal in the $6 million-$7 million annual range.
Chiarelli would neither confirm nor deny the Campbell report.

Read more about the Bruins' off-season plans here.

It looks like Campbell won't be lacking suitors come July 1. As many as 7-8 teams have been rumored to have serious interest in the defenseman. Expect the former Ottawa 67 to get at least $7 million average per season.

Could Campbell end up in Chi-town?

From Greg Wyshynski of Yahoo Sports:

Someone I spoke with at last weekend's NHL Draft in Ottawa categorized Campbell to the Blackhawks as "probable" should he not re-sign in San Jose. Chicago has targeted a puck-moving defenseman -- currently a deficiency -- as a priority this summer, and Campbell's the best on the open market.

Read his entire entry here.

Campbell is going to get huge money this off-season, and Chicago seems primed to make him a significant offer.

I have to be honest, Campbell is a talented defenseman who possesses many rare qualities of speed and skill but I was not overly impressed with his play during the playoffs.

Looks like Campbell may be done in San Jose

From Tom Reed of the Columbus Dispatch:

The San Jose Sharks reportedly have given several teams permission to speak to free agent defenseman Brian Campbell in advance of the July 1 signing period. The Dispatch has learned the Blue Jackets are not one of the teams. The Sharks would receive compensation if a deal was struck before then.

Read the entire story from Puck-rakers here.

This obviously means that contract talks have come to a standstill between the Sharks and Campbell. While they give other teams permission to talk trade, they are just hoping to recoup some of the value they gave up for Campbell at the trade deadline.

Sharks and Brian Campbell still talking

From David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News:

A blog item at OttawaSun.com earlier today said that defenseman Brian Campbell has told the Sharks he will not be returning, but General Manager Doug Wilson is strongly denying that is the case at all and says that negotiations are continuing.

“Tremendously false” is how Wilson put it when I reached him in Ottawa by cell phone a short while ago, calling the blog item speculation.

Read more from Pollak at Working the Corners here.

Bruce Garrioch has been spreading rumors like wildfire and this is just another one that probably wasn't accurate. Doug Wilson says he will be speaking to Campbell's agent in the next little while, so apparently talks are still on-going.

Does Brian Campbell not take the game seriously enough?

From the Philadelphia Inquirer: "Campbell and Biron are not close friends. Biron didn't think Campbell took the game seriously when they were teammates in Buffalo."

Here is the full article by Tim Panaccio.

My take: The article touches on the possibility that the Flyers will pursue Brian Campbell in the off-season in order to shore up their defense. However, I found it interesting that Martin Biron was not the biggest fan of Campbell from their Buffalo days. It appears that Biron may think Campbell is a bit too much of a party animal.

Brian Campell: One Fluid Beautiful Motion

Brian Campbell scores his first goal as a Shark. Putting this beauty past Carey Price. This move is really no surprise he has done this many times as a Buffalo Sabre in the defensive end to evade forecheckers. He brings his great skating ability to the offensive end and makes The Canadiens look silly.

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 (Wednesday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• William Houston of the Globe & Mail examines the possibility of the NHL returning to ESPN.
• Eric Duhatschek of the Globe & Mail says that last night's game in San Jose was the first game of the Flames' make-or-break road trip.
• Cam Cole of the National Post says that teams should avoid signing Peter Forsberg.
• Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today tells readers all about the revitalized Washington Capitals organization.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• The Thrashers face-off against the Capitals tonight, pitting the only two teams who have fired their coach this season against each other, for first place in the Southeast Division.
• After last night's 3-2 loss to Carolina, the Bruins slipped into ninth place in the Eastern Conference, meaning the team's playoffs are probably already underway. Of note, both of the Bruins goals came off the stick of fighter Shawn Thornton.
• "Overall, I don't know if we can play better," said Sabres coach Lindy Ruff after his team dominated Ottawa by a score of 5-1 and moved into eighth place in the Eastern Conference. In other Sabres news, GM Darcy Regier continues to meet with the agent for Brian Campbell to try and workout a contract agreement past the end of this season.
• Carolina winger Andrew Ladd benefitted from the Cory Stillman trade by moving up to the team's second line and he didn't disappoint last night with two goals in the Hurricanes 3-2 win at Boston.
• John Dellapina of the NY Daily News is reporting that the Rangers have agreed to a six year contract extension with Henrik Lundqvist at around $6.5 million per season.
• The Flyers lost again last night, this time to the Islanders by a score of 4-3, as coach John Stevens says the team isn't doing itself any favors.
• The Penguins have produced 12 of the past 19 Art Ross Trophy winners in the NHL and Evgeni Malkin is trying to make that 13 of the past 20. In positive news, Sidney Crosby says his ankle is improving.
• The Capitals will have their dads with them on their upcoming road trip, writes Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post.
• Here are some interviews with Panthers players about the Richard Zednik incident. In other Panthers news, winger Rostislav Olesz is expecting to return to the line-up on Friday.
• The Habs have now lost three straight games after last night's 3-2 loss in Tampa. The struggling Canadiens will attempt to salvage their road trip tonight in Sunrise, Florida when they take on the Panthers.
• The Devils are expecting activity at the trade deadline since the Senators started off the action two days ago, writes Mark Everson of the NY Post.
• The Islanders recorded their first win since January 22nd yesterday with a 4-3 win over the Flyers at the Nassau Coliseum.
• The Senators played horribly in the debut game of Cory Stillman and Mike Commodore, losing 5-1 to the Sabres. Apparently Joe Corvo's agent had asked for a trade prior to Monday's deal because his client couldn't handle the pressure in Ottawa. (Writer's note: If you are Bryan Murray and get that call, how fast are you looking to peddle Corvo? Who wants someone on your team who can't deal with the pressure of the Ottawa media? The Sens should have just traded him to Montreal. That's pressure.)
• Vinny Prospal had some interesting things to say after his two goal effort on Tuesday versus Montreal, writes Erik Erelendsson of the Tampa Tribune.
• Even with all the trade talk surrounding him, the newly 37 yr old Mats Sundin has not slowed down one bit, writes Bill Lankhof of the Toronto Sun. Much of the Leafs' recent success can be attributed to the play of backstop Vesa Toskala, writes Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• The Ducks made it five wins in a row last night, with a 2-1 hard-fought victory over the Avalanche in Denver.
• One look at the shot differential in San Jose last night and there was no doubt that Miikka Kiprusoff was the first star in his team's 4-3 comeback overtime victory over the Sharks. The Flames are hoping Kiprusoff can string a few performances like last night's together as they have four more road games left on their current trip.
• "(H)e's in a position where we need more from him. After a while, after 35 or 40 games, it's up to the player. It's up to them to do more," said Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock about the ever-slumping David Vyborny. Of interest to hockey fans, Ken Hitchcock is in favor of mandating the use of neck guards. Here are the probable lines for the Jackets' game tonight versus Chicago.
• Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News profiles Stars pest Steve Ott.
• "We just left him out there by himself," said Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom about his team's performance in front of Chris Osgood in their 4-2 loss to the Predators on Tuesday.
• The Kings blew a one-goal lead at St. Louis last night, and came away with a 4-2 loss.
• Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom was not happy after he was pulled with his team down only 2-1 in Edmonton last night. The Wild lost the game 4-2.
• The Predators got off to a tremendous start yesterday scoring three first period goals on the Red Wings and eventually winning the contest 4-2. Here are some notes about the Predators.
• The Sharks suffered a tough loss last night by blowing a 3-2 lead with under a minute remaining in the third period, then losing in overtime on a Jarome Iginla goal. The Sharks played last night's game without Patrick Marleau who missed the game with a minor groin tweak.
• The Blues received offensive contributions from some unlikely sources last night, but they will take it, as they defeated the Kings 4-2 at home. With the Blues actually becoming respectable once again, they did the respectful thing to fans--raise ticket prices! (Writer's note: This is why the NHL loses fans.)
• The Canucks received some great news yesterday, learning that rock-solid defenseman Willie Mitchell will return to the line-up on Thursday.
• The Coyotes have made coach Wayne Gretzky proud with their commitment, writes Jim Gintonio of the Arizona Republic.
• Sometimes you win when you don't deserve to, and the Oilers can thank Mathieu Garon for last night's victory.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

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

NHL Morning Papers (Monday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

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

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

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

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

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

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Fantasy Watch: Who's Hot and Who's Not

Stats over the last 7 days

HOT

D Brian Campbell, Buffalo Sabres
1 G, 6 A, +3

Campbell opened up the season assisting on Buffalo's first regulation goal. Since then, the defenseman has scored a point in each of Buffalo's games, including a four point performance in the Sabers 7-3 rout over Washington last Saturday.
Fantasy Take: Campbell has been a fantasy stud over the past two years, scoring 92 points in 161 games played. With already nine points in his first four games, Campbell is slowly emerging as an elite fantasy defenseman, joining the ranks of Nicklas Lidstrom, Sergei Gonchar and Chris Pronger.

F Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit Red Wings
3 G, 4 A, +7

Zetterberg has been on a tear since the beginning of the season, scoring 12 points in Detroit's first six games. Playing on Detroit's top line, Zetterberg has been clicking on all cylinders with linemates Tomas Holmstrom and Pavel Datsyuk.
Fantasy Take: Zetterberg had a rather disappointing season last year, appearing in only 63 games for the Red Wings, due to a rash of injuries. If the Swede can stay healthy all year, then he is well on pace to eclipse his season high point total of 85 set two years ago.

F Justin Williams, Carolina Hurricanes
1 G, 5 A, +2

After posting career highs in points, assists and goals two seasons ago, Williams' production turned the other way last season, as his point total dipped by nine points. Looking to get back on track, Williams has done just that, as his eight points lead all Hurricanes.
Fantasy Take: Although Williams had an off-year last season, the same can be said for the entire Carolina Hurricanes squad. Starting off the season 4-1-1, it looks as if the Stanley Cup hangover is gone in Carolina, which hopefully will boost Williams' point production back into the 70+ range.

F Jason Spezza, Ottawa Senators
7 A, -1

Spezza has been particularly unselfish this year, dishing out seven assists in his last four games, giving him 11 on the year. With both Dany Heatley and Daniel Alfredsson playing exceptionally well, Spezza could be in for a career year.
Fantasy Take: The only knock on Spezza is his inability to stay healthy. After scoring 87 points in only 67 games a year ago, Spezza should be a lock to pass 100 points, but with his health always a question mark anything can happen.

NOT

F Brendan Shanahan, New York Rangers
1 A

Contributing 29 goals and 62 points in 67 games last year, it appeared as though Shanahan still had a few more seasons left in him. Unfortunately, that might not be the case as free agent acquisitions Scott Gomez and Chris Drury have clearly taken the spotlight. With his only point coming last Friday, Shanahan might be in for a long season.
Fantasy Take: It might be time for Shanahan to ride the bench on your fantasy team, as it doesn't look like he'll be a consistent contributer this season. Start looking for other options.

F Jaret Stoll, Edmonton Oilers
1 A, -5

Drafted with high expectations last season, Stoll turned out to be a huge disappointment, as the forward only scored 39 points. Hoping to get back to 2005-06 form, Stoll has struggled to open up the season, assisting on one goal.
Fantasy Take: With Edmonton having a rather lackluster offense, it might be time leave the once promising forward on your bench.

D Ryan Whitney, Pittsburgh Penguins
1 G, -2

Whitney broke out last year, scoring 59 points in 81 games. Now in his third year as a pro, Whitney has struggled to put up points, as he has only one goal in four games.
Fantasy Take: Still appearing on the power-play, Whitney will be given a ton of chances to get on the scoresheet. Don't expect this slump to last long.

F Miroslav Satan, New York Islanders
0 G, 0 A, -2

Satan's point total was down from the previous year, as the forward only managed 59 points in 81 games. With only one assist in New York's first six games, Satan's total's may take another hit this year.
Fantasy Take: With a short schedule this upcoming week, owners should bench Satan until he can prove to be a reliable fantasy scorer.


For Illegal Curve, Im Jonny Remis