NHL Morning Papers: Special Post-Draft Edition

Here are the morning papers from the Pacific Division:

• Friday was a boring night for the Stars and those who write about the team, writes Mike Heika.
• After last night's draft, the Kings have quite the quartet of talented young defensemen for the future. To be able to take Colin Tuebert with the 13th pick in the first-round, the Kings had to trade Michael Cammalleri.
• It was a very quiet Day 1 of the draft for the Sharks last night, writes David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News.
• Brian Burke made a terrific trade, netting two first round picks for his 12th overall selection. Here is more information about Jake Gardiner, the Ducks first first-round pick.
• The Coyotes are ecstatic about acquiring Olli Jokinen, writes Jim Gintontio.

NHL Morning Papers: Special Post-Draft Edition

Here are the morning papers from the Northwest Division:

• Jordan Eberle grew up watching the Oilers, now he gets to be one, writes Joanne Ireland of the Edmonton Journal. Apparently Eberle was exactly the type of player the Oilers were looking for.
• As Jason Botchford tells us, the Canucks almost dealt their first round pick to the Kings as part of a package for Michael Cammalleri.
• The Wild was happy it selected Tyler Cuma, however, the team was disappointed it just fell short in the Olli Jokinen sweepstakes.
• The Flames were very active last night as they traded Alex Tanguay and acquired Michael Cammalleri. Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun says the Flames are better off today than they were yesterday.

Cammalleri on the block?

From Rich Hammond of the L.A. Daily News:

Cammalleri's name is being thrown around a lot, and I don't think anyone is surprised by that. From talking to people involved, I would say that if a trade
happens with him, it will happen at or before the draft. It's significantly less likely to happen after the draft. The Pitkanen rumors have been around. They have legs, as they say. The only problem with that is, they'll had ``legs'' for a while and there hasn't been a trade. General rule...the longer something is out there, the less likely it is to get done. And several other teams are poking around, looking at Pitkanen. But if you're going to entertain yourself thinking up Cammalleri trade possibilities, think under-30 defenseman and draft pick.

Read more rumors about the Kings here.

Mike Cammalleri wasn't happy with his arbitration ruling last summer and it appears he wants out when he becomes a free agent next summer. That is probably the biggest reason why the Kings are listening to offers for him. Personally, I'm a big fan of Cammalleri's game and think he'd be a perfect fit on a number of teams' top-six forward corps. Edmonton? Vancouver?

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

Morning Musings

For this morning's Morning Musings I have divided the papers into two categories: Western Conference and Eastern Conference. If any readers have any feedback as to whether they prefer this format to the old format (which didn't divide up the papers at all), please don't hesitate to let us know.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• Detroit's Tomas Holmstrom had two goals last night as the Red Wings thoroughly dominated the inferior Canucks, outshooting them 39 to 15 and taking the contest 3-2.
• Canucks' head coach Alain Vigneault said his players looked like they were playing in quicksand last night versus the Wings.
• Ducks' forward Todd Bertuzzi, who sustained a concussion versus the Wild earlier on this season, has been symptom-free for a couple of days now and is hoping to return to the lineup in the not-so distant future. In other Ducks' news, centers Ryan Getzlaf and Rob Niedermayer are both day-to-day with minor injuries.
• Alex Tanguay scored his first two goals of the season leading the Flames to an impressive 5-3 comeback victory over the stingy wild. The Wild led the game 3-0 at one point, but the momentum shifted after Dion Phaneuf levelled Matt Foy and then promptly defeated Stephane Veilleux in a fight; Scott Cruickshank of the Calgary Herald has the story.
• Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star Tribune called the Wild's loss last night, the "most remarkable collapse in franchise history."
• Denis Savard is not content with the Hawks' fairly impressive start and wants more from his team writes Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune. Meanwhile, Don Cherry favorite Yanic Perreault was a healthy scratch for the team's last contest versus Columbus on Tuesday night.
• Adrian Dater of the Denver Post answers questions from the Avalanche mailbag in this morning's paper.
• Tom Reed of the Columbus Dispatch has a must-read article about the friendship of Michael Peca and Jason Blake. (Writer's note: If you are going to read one article today, make it this one.) Jackets' defenseman Duvie Westcott feared he might have suffered another concussion on Tuesday night, but felt fine on Wednesday; nonetheless, the Blue Jackets are taking proper precaution and Westcott is not expected to be in the lineup for tonight's contest. Here are the Jackets' probable lines for tonight's game versus the Blues.
• Mattias Norstrom is comfortable being a member of the Dallas Stars now and his leadership and tough style of play have been terrific additions for both the Stars' blueline and locker room.
• The Oilers have told Sam Gagner to move out of his hotel and looked for a more permanent residence writes Joanne Ireland of the Edmonton Journal. Things are backwards in Oiler land, with the youngsters carrying the scoring burden for the struggling veterans; Dan Barnes of the Journal has the details.
• As Lisa Dillman of the L.A. Times tells us, Kings' forward Michael Cammalleri has been absolutely tremendous this season scoring in every single game except for one.
• Coyotes' netminder David Aebischer has cleared waivers and will join the team's AHL affiliate.
• David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News provides readers with the details of the team-building exercises the Sharks have undertaken in beautiful Banff, Alberta.
• Keith Tkachuk has been the key to the Tkachuk-Kariya-Boyes line for the Blues writes Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
• Predators' general manager David Poile knows everyone on his team's roster can play better and says that he is not considering any significant roster changes after the team's poor start to the season.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• The last few days have been quite the whirlwind for Thrashers' rookie goaltender Ondrej Pavelec.
• The last thing Tim Thomas is going to do is take anything for granted writes Nancy Marrapese-Burrell in this morning's Boston Globe. Don't expect Bruins' coach Claude Julien to move into panic mode after the team's tough loss to the Habs on Monday. (Writer's note: This article also includes information on Reebok's plans to change their new jerseys due to player complaints.)
• Not only were the Sabres thoroughly outclassed in their 6-2 loss to the Hurricanes on Wednesday night, but they also lost defenseman Dmitri Kalinin and forward Paul Gaustad to injuries.
• Rod Brind'Amour says the Hurricanes are playing like they did in 2005/06. Eric Staal is a great skater with a terrific shot but you just can't teach having long arms.
• Olli Jokinen scored two goals leading the Panthers to a 4-3 victory over the Flyers and, in the process, became the team's all-time leading scorer. It wasn't all good news for the Panthers as winger Rostislav Olesz will be out of the lineup for the next several weeks with a broken hand.
• Coming into the 2007/08 season, Michael Ryder and his linemates wanted to make a point of improving on their dismal +/- ratings; Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette has the story.
• The Devils sure won't be going easy on their former teammate Scott Gomez tonight as the Devils square off against the Rangers. Devils' coach Brent Sutter says that Gomez is now a player on the team's biggest rival and expects there to be no display of friendsip out on the ice tonight.
• As John Dellapina of the New York Daily News explains, Gomez is actually more excited than he is nervous for tonight's contest.
• Islanders' coach Ted Nolan is looking at the positive aspects of having six days off between games.
• The value that Chris Kelly brings to a team is not easily quantifiable writes Alan Panzeri of the Ottawa Citizen. Dean McAmmond's concussion symptoms have subsided but his injured shoulder is hindering his ability to return to the lineup.
• The Lightning were defeated by the Capitals 5-3 on Wednesday night and have still yet to win a game on the road.
• Glen Hanlon looked like a smart man last night because his promotion of Chris Clark to the Caps' first line was one of the main reasons that Washington snapped its losing streak.
• Even though Sidney Crosby has only scored twice this season, he is helping the Pens in many other areas writes Shelly Anderson of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• The Flyers lost last night's game to Florida and also lost Simon Gagne to a possible concussion.
• Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun thinks it is time to fire John Ferguson Jr. Possible firings aside, rookie Jiri Tlusty will make his Leafs debut tonight.

Note: Today I will include articles from the major national papers in Canada and the United States, however, this may not be a daily occurrence and will depend on the volume of articles I have to sift through the morning I post.

Here are the national papers:

• Dave Shoalts of the Globe & Mail has a good piece this morning on the pressures that Penguins' netminder Marc-Andre Fleury faces today and has faced for his entire career.
• Kevin Allen of USA Today details the expectations and intentions that new union boss Paul Kelly has for the NHLPA.
• Former Leafs' assistant general manager Bill Watters thinks it is time to blow up the Maple Leafs' roster and that the team should start by trading Mats Sundin. (Writer's note: Why is one radio broadcaster's opinion almost instantly written in the paper as if it is news????)

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Morning Musings

Here are the morning papers:

• The Ducks had 37 shots on Minnesota's Josh Harding but couldn't get a puck over the goal line as they were defeated by the Wild 2-0 on Sunday night.
• According to Minnesota center Brian Rolston, the Wild demonstrated some team toughness last night in their victory over the defending Stanley Cup champions. Brad May answered the bell for his cheap shot on Kim Johnsson last season and squared off with Wild enforcer Derek Boogard early in the contest.
• The Red Wings are looking to discuss a contract extension with their long-time checking center Kris Draper. The Holmstrom-Zetterberg-Datsyuk line dominated the Kings on Sunday night for a 4-1 Red Wings victory.
• Kings' forward Michael Cammalleri was very angry after his team's loss to Detroit last night.
• The Bruins surprised many fans by accomplishing their goal of getting six points out of a possible ten points on their five game road-trip to open the season. Bruins' defenseman Aaron Ward says that most people probably thought the Bruins would only get two points on their road trip so "coming up with six is real good."
• The Sabres' powerplay has been terrific as of late, accounting for five goals in the team's past two games writes John Vogl of the Buffalo News.
• Known for being an offensive defenseman, John-Michael Liles is turning his attention to the defensive side of the game in order to become a complete all-around defender. Meanwhile in Denver, Terry Frei explains that the Avalanche are some of the Rockies' biggest fans.
• The Blue Jackets are struggling to find someone to center their number one line writes Aaron Portzline in this morning's Columbus Dispatch.
• The Stars have to work on protecting third period leads writes Bill Nichols of the Dallas Morning News.
• As Joanne Ireland of the Edmonton Journal tells us, an MRI revealed a fractured bone in Ethan Moreau's foot which means it will still be a while before the Oilers' captain gets back into the lineup.
• Stephen Weiss is starting to mature as a player and the Panthers are looking to him to elevate his game as the season moves on. The biggest step for a backup goaltender is accepting your role on the team and new Panthers' goaltender Craig Anderson has done that.
• The Canadiens need to do a better job of finding the shooting lanes writes Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette.
• Prior to the season, the Predators had Sunday the 14th of October as a scheduled off-day but after their last three performances coach Barry Trotz changed his mind and instead the team was put through a grueling 90 minute practice. The Preds also struggled out of the gate last season, so they are hoping to replicate last season's turnaround writes John Glennon of the Tennessean.
• Coach Brent Sutter has been impressed with the play of Patrik Elias over the team's past two games.
• Larry Brooks of the NY Post believes the Rangers need improved play from just about everyone on their roster, especially their forwards. Meanwhile, Rangers' winger Brendan Shanahan knows that he always seems to end up around the same shooting percentage year after year, so the veteran is not concerned that he has yet to score a goal on any of his 32 shots on net.
• Over on Long Island, the Islanders need to increase their offensive output, especially at even strength, if they expect to contend for a playoff spot come April.
• Ray Emery has declared himself ready to play after a two game conditioning stint in Binghamton. With a few days off, the Senators are going to get in a little "team bonding" writes Bruce Garrioch in this morning's Ottawa Sun.
• If one tries to compare this season's version of the Flyers to last season's, coach John Stevens has one something to say to that, "This is not last year's team."
• While they aren't yet winning over 50% over their faceoffs, the Penguins have improved in that department over last season; Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has the story. Perhaps Pens' netminder Marc-Andre Fleury will build on his relief performance at the Air Canada Centre on Saturday night.
• Blues' management has done a great job of mixing talented young players with established veterans and the fans have bought into the team with back-to-back home sellout crowds.
• The Leafs have never played well in Buffalo and with the Sabres coming off of back-to-back wins, the Leafs will have their hands full tonight. The Leafs have to make a point of staying out of the box if they hope to have a chance versus Buffalo tonight.
• The Canucks are looking to exact revenge on the Sharks after San Jose defeated them handily early on this season. After he found himself a healthy scratch on Saturday night, rumors have been flying around Canucks' winger Matt Cooke.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.