Stillman wants to change the culture of the Panthers dressing room

From George Richards of the Miami Herald:

''Hopefully, these guys have had enough of missing the playoffs, having people talk bad about the team, the organization,'' Stillman said. 'Hopefully, they're tired of hearing `Oh, he's never played in a playoff game.' You develop that mentality of hating to lose, but you have to learn to win.''

Read the entire article here.

Stillman may attempt to change the culture, but he can't change the skill level of this team. That is why the Panthers have little chance of making the post-season in 2008/09.

Cory Stillman signs with Panthers

From TSN:

Florida signs UFA forward Cory Stillman to a 3 year deal worth $10.6-million.

Read the news here.

Why would the Panthers sign a veteran like Stillman? This team needs to completely rebuild from the ground up. They are a long way from competing for the Cup and a player like Stillman doesn't really make sense for them. Unless the goal is to get to the minimum cap level, I don't get this move.

NHL Morning Papers--Eastern Conference (Saturday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• Eric Duhatschek of the Globe & Mail has an interesting article on NHL awards and the process involved with it.
• William Houston tells readers that Pierre Lebrun and Don Cherry are on opposite sides of the Jonathan Roy argument.
• The Leafs need to be overhauled, writes David Shoalts of the Globe & Mail.
• Kevin Allen of USA Today says that Team USA may have a very talented squad at this year's World Hockey Championships.

Here are the Atlantic Division morning papers:

• They almost blew it, but the Devils ended the team's five-game losing streak last night with a 5-4 shootout victory over the Flyers. Although he is usually not a fighter, defenseman Mike Mottau still stood up for his netminder on Friday night by dropping the gloves, writes Rich Chere.
• The Islanders have sent Jeff Tambellini back to Bridgeport of the AHL for the remainder of the season, writes Erik Boland.
• While first place in the Atlantic Division is a little far-fetched, if the Rangers play good hockey, they have a very good chance at gaining home-ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs. Off the ice, the NY Daily News is reporting that Sean Avery's name was found in a prostitute's black book. (Writer's note: Rumors persist that if Avery is suspended by the NHL for this finding that Elliot Spitzer will replace him in the Rangers line up.)
• The Flyers may have lost for the twelfth straight game at New Jersey, but they did earn a valuable point in the process, writes Ray Parrillo. "We're playing with a lot of confidence right now. It's still disappointing the way the game ended. You wish with such an effort you get two points. But we'll definitely take the point," said Daniel Briere after Friday's contest.
• Even with all their offense, the key to a Penguins playoff run is Marc-Andre Fleury. Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette thinks that Marian Hossa will be ready to play on Sunday versus the Rangers.

Here are the Northeast Division morning papers:

• Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron has officially been shut down for the rest of the regular season. With the prospect of facing the Habs or Penguins in the first round, the Bruins have their sites set on the sixth seed and a first round match up with the Hurricanes.
• Jerry Sullivan does not hold back in his analysis of the Sabres in this morning's Buffalo News. The Sabres continued to blow late-game leads last night as they lost 4-3 in overtime to Les Habitants, writes John Vogl.
• "If we were good with the leads, we'd be a .700 team. We blow those leads and that's why we're playing like a .500 hockey team right now," said Senators forward Jason Spezza about his team's recent propensity for blowing leads. On the injury front, the Senators will be without Cory Stillman (leg) for today's game versus Boston.
• Friday night's come from behind 4-3 shootout victory over the Sabres moved the Habs back into first place in the Eastern Conference. Meantime, Red Fisher acknowledges the Canadiens surprisingly successful season thus far, but warns fans that the playoffs are a whole new ballgame.
• Damien Cox thinks the Leafs are going to try a one-year turnaround in the standings and that they will fail in that attempt. As for the off-season, Mats Sundin has stated that he wants to retire a Maple Leaf, but the Leafs captain is unsure of what the future will bring.

Here are the Southeast Division morning papers:

• Vincent Lecavalier made a boy's dream come true yesterday at practice, writes Erik Erlendsson.
• "I haven't probably been as good a leader as people expect. I haven't played the level I am capable of playing every single game," said Panthers star Olli Jokinen about his recent poor play.
• The Hurricanes thoroughly dominated Atlanta last night and, as a result, came closer to winning the Southeast Division crown. Chad Larose returned to the Canes' line up last night after having been sidelined for seven weeks with a leg injury.
• The Thrashers took way too many penalties last night, writes Craig Custance. Apparently Don Waddell is encouraging his players to take part in the World Hockey Championships. (Writer's note: It would be even better if he encouraged his players to actually try during games for the remainder of the season.)
• Sergei Fedorov is determined to get his new team into the top eight spots in the Eastern Conference.

The Western Conference 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: Analyzing the Ottawa/Carolina Trade

F Cory Stillman, Ottawa Senators
Stillman was fantastic in the first two months of the season scoring 31 points total but endured a steep decline in December and January where he only totaled 14 points. Although he was struggling in Carolina, a trade to Ottawa may decrease Stillman's value even more. In Carolina, Stillman was a top line player, often getting several minutes on the power-play. He developed great chemistry with his linemates and was on pace for a 70+ point year. In Ottawa, Stillman becomes second fiddle to Spezza Heatley and Alfreddsson, and although one can argue that Ottawa has more talent than Carolina, Stillman may never see icetime with any of the big three. The only hope for Stillman is if he becomes a regular on the power-play which could increase his numbers drastically. Without significant power-play time, expect a decline for the former Hurricane.

D Mike Commodore, Ottawa Senators
Commodore has never been much of an offensive producer and that probably won't change with Ottawa. Even though Commodore enjoyed his best season last year scoring 29 points, Ottawa will primarily use him as more of a defensive specialist. With Corvo departing the Sens, a power-play spot is available but expect Ottawa to give Meszaros longer time on the pp and even letting Stillman get his chance. A change of scenery is nice for Commodore, but don't expect much offensively from the defenseman.

F Patrick Eaves, Carolina Hurricanes
In his three years with Ottawa, Eaves has gotten better every year, increasing his point total along the way. Scoring 14 goals and 32 points last season, Eaves was expected to make more of a jump this season but has failed to do so, appearing in only 26 games while scoring 10 points. Currently sidelined with a neck, shoulder injury, it is unknown when Eaves will get back on the ice, but expect him to take some time getting adjusted to his new linemates. Nonetheless, Eaves is still a solid young player and can prove to be a valuable asset to Carolina in years to come.

D Joe Corvo, Carolina Hurricanes
Corvo is known more as an offensive defenseman, scoring 35+ points in his last two seasons. Struggling somewhat in the month of January, Corvo recently got hot with Ottawa scoring four points in his last three games. In Carolina, Corvo immediately becomes Carolina's highest scoring defenseman (Bret Hedican is in second with 12 points) and should see lots of time on the Hurricanes top pp unit. With no reliable defensive scorer, Corvo should give Carolina a big boost in that department and enjoy great success on his new team.


For Illegal Curve, Jonny Remis

Numbers Game: Rent-a-player

Brian Murray pulled off a trade yesterday that brought Stanley-cup winners, Cory Stillman and Mike Commodore to the Senators. Stillman is “that top 6 forward that the Sens have been missing in their previous playoff drives”, while Commodore will certainly compliment an already strong defensive group.

How many times have you heard the media refer to trade deadline acquisitions as “the missing piece” that are certain to make their new team solid contenders in the playoffs? Just last year, we saw Bill Guerin, Ryan Smyth, Gary Roberts, Keith Tkachuk, Peter Forsberg, Craig Conroy, and Mike Comrie switch teams near the trade deadline with the hopes that they would fill a void in the lineup.

How did these guys actually do in their new uniforms?
(Click on image to enlarge stats)


Bill Guerin scored less points per game when he was traded to the Sharks and in 9 playoff games, he only had 2 assists with a -3 rating. The Sharks lost in the second round to the Red Wings.

Gary Roberts scored more goals and points per game following his trade to the Penguins. He was also a strong contributor for the team in the playoffs, scoring 4 points in 5 games. However, the Pens lost in the first round to Sens.

Speaking of the Sens, they added Mike Comrie in early January. Comrie’s point production decreased in Ottawa during the season and he finished with only 6 points in the playoffs as the Sens fell one game short of winning the cup.

Ryan Smyth continued his strong play with the Islanders scoring nearly a point per game in the final stretch run of the season and in the Islanders’ short-lived playoffs. Ditto for Peter Forsberg with the Predators.

Keith Tkachuk joined the Thrashers hoping to win a cup. Those chances ended quickly after a 4 game sweep at the hands of the Rangers. Tkachuk, however, was consistent as he continued to produce .75 ppg.

Craig Conroy was brought back to the Flames with hopes that he would regain the chemistry he had with Iginla during the 2004 cup run. Conroy scored 21 points in the 28 games he played with the Flames, compared to only 16 points in 52 games with the Kings. However, he was nowhere to be found in the playoffs as the Flames lost in the first round in 6 games.

In sum, of these 7 “missing pieces”, 5 of them didn’t even make it past the first round with their new teams and only Mike Comrie, who cannot be credited with the Sens strong playoff drive, made it past the second round.

There are certainly many examples of players that are acquired at the deadline that end up playing pivotal roles. Just two years ago, Roloson and Samsonov were key figures in the Oilers unexpected cup run. However, one should certainly curb their optimism when your team has added “that missing piece.” That being said, I think the Stillman acquisition was an excellent move.

For Illegal Curve, I am Adam Gutkin.

NHL Morning Papers (Tuesday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• Eric Duhatschek of the Globe & Mail gives his take on the Cory Stillman trade.
• Here is Damien Cox's take on the Stillman trade.
• Mats Sundin continues to say that he would like to remain a Maple Leaf, writes Tim Wharnsby of the Globe & Mail.
• Jim Matheson of the National Post talks with Clint Malarchuk about the Richard Zednik incident.
• Kevin Allen of USA Today has an interview with USA Hockey executive director Dave Ogrean.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette has the details behind the arrests of two Canadiens players in Tampa.
• Things are looking positive for Panthers forward Richard Zednik after the winger was sliced in the neck with a skate. The doctors who operated on Zednik say that he his lucky to be alive.
• The Thrashers have the necessary amount of veteran players so as to not panic with the playoff race already underway, writes Craig Custance of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
• Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara missed practice yesterday for a "maintenance day" and the team is hoping he will be able to play tonight against the Hurricanes. Kevin Paul Dupont has the Bruins' take on the Richard Zednik incident.
• Bucky Gleason of the Buffalo News suggests that the Sabres deal Brian Campbell before the trade deadline. Meanwhile, the Sabres were very satisfied with the play of his Tim Connolly in his return to the line-up on Saturday.
• Luke Decock of the News Observer has the Carolina perspective of the Stillman trade.
• Now that the Rangers are close to signing Henrik Lundqvist to a contract extension, Larry Brooks of the NY Post suggests they make sure they sign Sean Avery to an extension next. The Rangers have played more games than any other team in the Eastern Conference, so that makes their five day break far less enjoyable.
• Ed Moran of the Philadelphia Daily News has the details behind Simon Gagne's latest concussion. Here are some notes about the Flyers.
• Ron Cook writes about the evolution Ryan Malone as a player, in this morning's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Even with the Cory Stillman trade yesterday, Penguins GM Ray Shero doesn't see his team making any big moves before the trade deadline.
• Rich Chere talks about the immense value of having John Madden on your hockey team, in this morning's Newark Star-Ledger.
• If Mike Comrie had his way, he'd be an Islander for a while, writes Greg Logan of Newsday.
• Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune interviews former Lightning and Sabre Dave Andreychuk about the Richard Zednik incident.
• Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star says Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry are two of the best bargains in the NHL. The Leafs held practice outside yesterday, much to the delight of their many young fans.
• "I think it's a message again to the community that this team wants to win a Stanley Cup," said Senators GM Brian Murray after his team's four player trade on Monday. Chris Stevenson of the Ottawa Sun gives you his take on the deal.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• The Ducks will be without center Doug Weight for at least a week because of a shoulder injury, writes Dan Wood of the Orange County Register.
• The Flames head on the road for a five game road trip starting in San Jose, and they are hoping the road trip brings similar fortunes to their six-game road trip earlier this season. Here are some news and notes about the Flames/Sharks.
• Tom Reed of the Columbus Dispatch has a very interesting article on European coaches in the NHL. In good news, the Jackets are expecting to have three important regulars back at practice today.
• The Stars made it seven wins in a row last night with a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over the Coyotes.
• Michael Russo of the Star Tribune gives the Wild perspective on the Zednik injury.
• The Sharks are looking to upgrade their defensive corps via trade, writes David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News.
• “We’ve fallen on some tough times of late, but we’re still a contender and we’re still competing on a nightly basis," said Blues coach Andy Murray yesterday.
• The Blackhawks are still fuming over Ryan Shannon's shootout winner from Sunday night, writes Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune. Even though Sunday was his first game back from injury, the Hawks weren't light on the ice-time with Jonathan Toews.
• Injured forwards Ryan Smyth and Paul Stastny are close to returning to the Avalanche line-up, writes Adrian Dater of the Denver Post.
• Wings coach Mike Babcock still wants to split up Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg but he needs to see better production from his wingers to ensure the move wouldn't hinder his team's ability to score.
• Joanne Ireland of the Edmonton Journal tells readers that Tom Gilbert has had his fair share of struggles recently. The Oilers are hoping Fernando Pisani can bust out of his goal-scoring slump as they try and make a run at the last playoff spot. "We have to be tough to play against. Teams don't like when you play that style of game. If we can do it against Calgary then we can do it against anybody," said Oilers captain Ethan Moreau about the way his team needs to play down the stretch.
• Apparently there are more problems with the Predators ownership situation. The Predators road to the playoffs goes through Detroit, writes John Glennon of the Tennessean.
• It is fair to say coach Wayne Gretzky wasn't happy with a late-game penalty call against the Coyotes that cost them the game, writes Jim Gintonio of the Arizona Republic The Coyotes were without Shane Doan last night in Dallas because the rugged winger was out with a groin injury.
• The Canucks have one of the harder roads to the playoffs, writes Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Province.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

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

Sens/Canes Trade Analysis

To Carolina:
Patrick Eaves
07-08 Salary: $900,000
RFA next season

Joe Corvo
07-08 Salary: $2.5 mil
08-09 Salary: $2.75 mil
09-10 Salary: $2.75 mil

Carolina finally gets the true powerplay quarterback they have been looking for in Corvo, after employing a forward on the point (sometimes even two forwards) throughout the majority of the season. The initial idea was that Frantisek Kaberle would be the powerplay quarterback, but after struggling out of the gate recovering from off-season surgery, it became apparent that Carolina truly needed a number one defenceman to run the troops with the man advantage. Corvo’s booming shot, accurate outlet pass, and quick feet will surely be a boon to the Canes offense. After a promising rookie campaign, Eaves has had injury troubles the past two seasons. Not known for his aggressive style of play, Eaves is a talented winger with offensive potential who couldn’t really find a comfortable spot in the Sens’ lineup. Projected 2nd line winger.

To Ottawa:
Cory Stillman
07-08 Salary: $1.75 mil
UFA next season

Mike Commodore
07-08 Salary: $1.3 mil
UFA next season

Conversely, the Sens are shedding a good chunk of salary for the next two years, in bidding adieu to Corvo. The Sens will miss his heavy shot from the point, and it surely does shake up their powerplay. The likely result will either be Meszaros or Schubert being paired with Redden on the #1 unit, or Alfredsson filling the void on the point from time to time (a scary thought thinking back to Pominville walking around Alfredsson to score the series clinching goal for the Sabres two years ago). Another possibility may be to put Heatley back on the point, but with his skating being weaker than Alfredsson’s, this doesn’t seem too likely. The thought is that defenceman Brian Lee will be ready for some primetime action next season on the blueline. Acquiring Stillman is a great move, and will give coach Paddock some more options if he wants to break up Alfredsson from Heatley and Spezza come playoff time. According to GM Bryan Murray, Stillman is slated to play with second line centre Mike Fisher. Not known to be too aggressive in the corners to say the least, let’s hope that Stillman’s 34 year-old body holds up. In Commodore, the Sens acquire a physical blueliner with playoff experience winning the Cup with Canes and reaching the finals with Calgary in 2004. Known for having a cult following with his crazy hair and bathrobe, Commodore will fit in nicely as a depth defenceman on the Sens.

The Result:
To quote legendary GM Sam Pollock, the team who gets the best player wins a trade. If that is true, then the Sens are the winners in this deal. Looking more closely, the departure of Corvo will create an offense hole on the Sens’ blueline, but one that can be fixed with a quick shuffle of powerplay duties. What can’t be overlooked is the $2.5 mil vacancy created on the team’s payroll over the next two seasons. Although the Sens likely won’t re-sign Stillman after next season, he will hopefully provide some leadership and Cup experience this year, coupled with a secondary scoring option. Depending on how Eaves progresses over the years, the Sens appear to have won this deal for the short term.

Fantasy Watch: Buy/Sell

BUY

F Patrick Marleau, San Jose Sharks
Marleau has been awful this year, but appears to be turning a corner in the New Year, scoring in four of his last five games. He has also been producing on San Jose's power-play unit, registering four assists in his last five games. Although this could just be a tease, a player with Marleau's talent is worth to take a gamble on. You don't lose the ability to become an 80 point player in the NHL overnight, and even though Marleau won't put up anything close the 78 points he did last year, the forward could still be in for a pleasant second half.

F Cory Stillman, Carolina Hurricanes
Stillman started the season on fire, scoring 31 points in his first 23 games but has struggled to keep up that astonishing pace and is currently enduring his worst month of the season. With only two points in his last eight games, Stillman's value has plummeted and may be in the trading block in your league. His recent scoring slump does bring a cause for concern, but with a potent Carolina lineup featuring three other 40+ point players, Stillman's slump should end in no time. If you can get Stillman for below market value, then do so now as he could heat up at any moment.

SELL

F Todd Bertuzzi, Anaheim Ducks
After enduring two unsuccessful stints with both Florida and Detroit, no one was sure how Bertuzzi would perform in his first year with the Ducks. Scoring only two points in his first seven games with Anaheim, Bertuzzi's miserable start was put to an end early after suffering yet another concussion. Unsure if Bertuzzi would ever step foot back on the ice, owners acted quickly and dropped the forward in favor of other options. Returning over a month later, Bertuzzi got off to another slow start but has since picked it up, scoring 13 points in his last 10 games. Due to his rugged style of play, Bertuzzi puts himself at an extreme risk of another serious injury that could end his season prematurely. With his value as high as it might be all season, it's advised to ship Bertuzzi off for other options.

F Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Minnesota Wild
Bouchard has been extremely streaky this year, often going several games without registering a point only to bounce back and post the odd multi point game, making owners shrug off his inconsistency.
After scoring only three points in his last seven games, Bouchard bounced back and posted his first four point night, much to the dismay of owners who probably had him on their bench after his awful week beforehand. My advice? Trade Bouchard to another team, avoid his scoreless nights and the headaches that come with debating whether or not to start him for the week.


For Illegal Curve, I'm Jonny Remis

Nightly Recap: Cory "the natural" Stillman

-BEAST of the night Cory Stillman scored a natural hat-trick and Eric Staal put up three points as the Hurricanes beat up on the Capitals 5 - 0. Cam Ward recorded 35 saves for the shutout, it was his first of the season.

-There was another 5 - 0 game on tonights schedule, the Penguins took down the Devils. Pittsburgh snapped a two game losing streak and Dany Sabourin made 20 saves for his first career shutout. New Jersey coach Brent Sutter felt that his teams commitment in the game was "unacceptable". After Sidney Crosby scored the fifth goal you could see on Sutter's face that he is not impressed.