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Slow Trade Deadline

Steven Ovadia — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:08:27 +0000

Yesterday’s trade deadline was one of the quietest I can remember in years.

There just weren’t any really big moves. Teams like Pittsburgh and Phoenix made a couple of moves to get better, but none of them were exciting blockbuster trades that make you gasp.

My theory is that the Olympics suppressed any huge trades. GMs just didn’t have a strong sense of where their teams were and how other players were doing.

The Olympics only ended on Sunday. It’s tough to make a big, cap-implicating call with information that could be two weeks old.

One of yesterday’s bigger moves was Edmonton’s Lubomir Visnovsky for Anaheim’s Ryan Whitney. I don’t think it’s a coincidence both were last seen playing in the Olympics (although you could also make the argument both were in the Olympics because they play at a certain level and so, in general, are more desirable to GMs).

Both GMs had recent looks at how each player was performing. It took some risk out of the trade.

The weirdest move of the day was Washington’s re-acquisition of Milan Jurcina. Not only had the Caps traded him earlier in the season, but he’s scheduled to be out for four to six weeks with a sports hernia.

Did Jurcina owe someone in Washington money? Is he just a fun guy to have around?

If the NHL does decide to move forward with the 2014 Olympics, I hope they remember today and decide to make the trade deadline either a week later or two weeks earlier. But the league needs to give GMs time to gather information to pull the trigger on bigger, more exciting deals.

Big Goalie Night

Steven Ovadia — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 10:54:04 +0000

Last night was kind of interesting. There were 10 games played, with four shutouts.

Goalies Steve Mason (CBJ), Ryan Miller (BUF), Ty Conklin (backup; STL), and Nik Backstrom (MIN) each kept the red light off behind them.

So is this a sign defense is back in the NHL? Is the NHL reverting to its pre-lockout lockdown defensive mode?

Flipping around, it seems more like a sign the NHL season is just too long. Teams are out of gas and seem to be having trouble bringing the proper energy levels to each game.

Although, to be fair, Miller’s night against the Caps included some pretty amazing saves. But Minnesota-Colorado was pretty devoid of energy as was the Blues win over a tired-looking Detroit. Columbus played a strong defensive game against Florida, but the Panthers have looked tired since American Thanksgiving.

I don’t have data on the last time the NHL had this many shutouts in a night, but it seems to be a pretty rare thing. You can look at it as some strong goalies having solid games, but the reality is probably more that some strong and some struggling teams had a night where they didn’t have very much steam.

The NHL is cramming in games to make room for the Olympics and we’re starting to see the effect in the on-ice product. It’s good for goalies but probably dull for fans. Does anyone want to watch a bunch of exhausted men skate around?

Speaking of on-ice product, why is Ottawa both mad and surprised Alex Kovalev’s been slumping this season? How did they not realize this is what Kovalev does?

Caps Miss Ovechkin

Steven Ovadia — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:57:43 +0000

The Devils seem to agree with the conventional wisdom that the Caps aren’t the same team without Alex Ovechkin.

New Jersey beat the Capitals 3-2 at home, where the Devils have been pretty awful.

The Devils had a lot of comments relating to how the Capitals seem bummed about playing without their star.

About the only downside to Ovechkin’s durability (he missed just four games in the previous four seasons) is that the team never had to learn to play without him. The crazy thing is, even though he’s week-to-week, he apparently was still in the mix to play last night. So Ovechkin might not even miss more than handful of games.

And the Caps will never have to learn to play without Ovechkin.

The Devils, meanwhile, don’t know what it’s like to play with durability or a consistent line-up. Rob Niedermayer left the Caps game in the third with some kind of upper-body injury. If I’m not mistaken, the New Jersey Devils now consist of goalie Martin Brodeur and a bunch of fans wearing red. Everyone else is hurt.

Speaking of injuries, Colby Armstrong of the Thrashers is a fan of gluing cuts, as opposed to sewing them shut with a needle. Both options sound horrible to me. I don’t think I’d last very long in the NHL.

Penguins Bourque the Capitals

Steven Ovadia — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 09:58:43 +0000

There were some interesting moves yesterday.

The Caps waived Chris Bourque for salary purposes, hoping he would sneak through into the AHL. He didn’t and wound up claimed by the Penguins.

Bourque is bummed, yet psyched.

Bourque has a lot of upside. He’s looked great in the AHL, and while he’s small, that smallness has translated to great speed. I think the Caps underestimated the interest in Bourque.

The Penguins are pretty much set on lines one through three, so you have to assume he’ll spend some initial time on the fourth line, with the Penguins thinking he might eventually move up. The Penguins are using Pascal Dupuis with Evgeni Malkin while Max Talbot heals from shoulder surgery. Dupuis is crazy fast, so it seems Penguins coach Dan Bylsma is trying to get some more speed throughout his lineup. If that proves effective, Bourque is a useful piece to have.

Plus, if nothing else, the Penguins managed to remove a talented player from a major Eastern Conference rival.

Honoring the Fog; Trading Hindsight

Steven Ovadia — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 11:18:16 +0000

This weekend, Tim Panaccio had a great piece on the great Freddy Shero, who for whatever reason, isn’t in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Coach Shero was innovative, yet complicated. He was very old school, even for the 1970s, yet he was always ready to embrace a new idea.

Panaccio says Shero might not be in the Hall because no one really got to know him personally.

Yesterday’s piece explains why they called Shero “The Fog.” It has nothing to do with his absent-mindedness. It had to do with his ability to see a puck through the fog during a particularly foggy minor league game.

I think I’ve recommended this before, but if you ever get a chance to pick-up SHERO, THE MAN BEHIND THE SYSTEM, by Shero, I highly recommend it. It’s complex hockey ideas explained in very plain language. And it’s a great insight into a fascinating man.

Also, Larry Brooks had an interesting piece yesterday, reporting that Chicago GM Dale Tallon essentially lost his job when he tried to trade goalie Nikolai Khabibulin for Michael Nylander.

In hindsight, that looks like an awful deal, when you consider that Khabibulin helped play Chicago into the playoffs. But back in November or December, Khabibulin was an expensive spare. And while Nylander never really fit into Washington’s north-south attack, his creativity could have really worked well with quite a few of the young Blackhawk forwards.

Plus, don’t forget the Blackhawks didn’t re-sign Khabibulin, and so lost him for nothing. At least Tallon tried to get some return on the investment.

Track Records

Steven Ovadia — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:09:55 +0000

Adrian Dater has an interesting question: do we really know what the big deal is about Swedish goalie Jonas Gustavsson?

I think the big deal is that he’s an unproven free agent, so you have the excitement of a rookie coupled with the track record of a veteran. A young veteran.

I’m pretty curious how he’ll pan out in the NHL, though. Especially since he seems interested in some pretty atrocious teams.

Meanwhile, down in DC, Tarik El-Bashir talks about Bob Woods, the Caps new assistant coach. Woods doesn’t have an NHL track record, which seems to be working for the Capitals in terms of coaching. Still, I’m a bit surprised they didn’t go for a more NHL-seasoned assistant to round out whatever holes are in coach Bruce Boudreau’s still developing NHL coaching repertoire.

Also, the Caps won’t be a part of next season’s Winter Classic, making them perhaps the only NHL team that won’t be playing outdoors on New Year’s Day.

Also, I love how everyone keeps asking Lou Lamoriello what he thinks about Brent Sutter’s impending gig coaching the Flames. I think Lamoriello isn’t saying much because it’s been so long since a coach left him under his own steam. Usually, Lamoriello’s firing them right before the playoffs. He seems positively flummoxed by the situation. He’s got to fire someone soon, in order to get his equilibrium back.

Penguins Never Backed Up

Steven Ovadia — Wed, 27 May 2009 10:05:30 +0000

The Penguins are going to the Stanley Cup finals thanks to last night’s impressive win over the Penguins. Puck Daddy had a nice look at how the Penguins did it. I’d like to add one other reason to the pile, though.

Penguins coach Dan Bylsma had the Penguins play an aggressive defense, with players pinching ever so slightly and the Penguins always making the first move in their own zone. Contrast that with Paul Maurice’s more traditional defense, which had his players constantly backing up, letting the Penguins make the first move, waiting to capitalize on a mistake. The only flaw in that plan was that the Penguins didn’t make enough mistakes. All the defense did was give the Penguins enough space to make plays.

I’m curious how Bylsma’s defense will work against Detroit, a fast and tricky team. If your defense is too aggressive against them, you’re going to give up an odd-man rush.

Oh. And could hockey have its own steroid scandal? A pair of alleged steroid dealers in Florida are saying they dealt to members of the Washington Capitals. This will be something interesting to keep an eye on. But given the dealers also say they dealt to the Washington Nationals, I can’t imagine the alleged steroids were very good or helpful.

Speaking of the Caps, Sergei Fedorov to the KHL is not a done deal. Yet.

Do Svidaniya, Fedorov?

Steven Ovadia — Tue, 26 May 2009 09:58:46 +0000

I’m shocked Washington’s Sergei Fedorov would leave the NHL for the KHL.

Sure, his best days are behind him, but he was a pretty important part of the Capitals playoff run, serving as a calming influence on the ice. I really thought Washington would try and keep him and Fedorov would try and stay. After all, he hasn’t been a factor on an NHL team since he played with Detroit. His exile(s) in Anaheim and Columbus saw him all but lose his NHL relevancy. He was reborn in Washington. But apparently, it seems like he’s ready to move on.

Tim Panaccio has a nice tribute to Chris Osgood that reveals something fascinating about the Flyers:

Many years after the Summit Series, the first competition between the Russian and Canadian national hockey teams, Russian goalie Vladislav Tretiak told Bob Clarke that the secret to the Soviets’ success in the 1970s was that the team built around him, and not just him in goal.

We think Tretiak’s rationale was a major reason why the Flyers never placed the same emphasis on having a stud No. 1 in net as other clubs have.

Can you imagine how different the Flyers’ fortunes would have been if Tretiak explicitly said what he probably considered too obvious to say aloud to Bobby Clarke: ‘But of course, you need a decent goalie in goal. You can’t just ignore the position for years. The goalie is still an important position.’

Finally, Larry Brooks’ Sunday NHL column was a bit strange, with Brooks suggesting the Devils release coach Brent Sutter from his contract so he can coach for his brother Darryl in Calgary. Sure, Sutter doesn’t seem happy on the east coast, but isn’t hockey a business? Can you really afford to turn a great coach loose? Can you imagine the fallout if the Devils just let Sutter go and then somehow manage to meet Calgary in the finals? I get that Brent Sutter is a person. But before I let him go, I’d see if there’s anything that can be done to make him happy in New Jersey. Happy and inclined to stay past this season. Because coaches like Sutter aren’t exactly easy to find.

Blackhawks Will or Won’t Win the Series

Steven Ovadia — Thu, 21 May 2009 10:01:53 +0000

Over in Chicago, Dan McNeil is already writing the 2008-09 Blackhawks’ eulogy. I guess he doesn’t want to be seen as jumping on the bandwagon if they lose to Detroit.

Len Ziehm is a bit more optimistic, writing some ways the ‘Hawks might mount a comeback.

Also, speaking of Chicago, former Blackhawk goalie Glenn Hall isn’t a big fan of the current NHL game. He doesn’t like all the charging and boarding. But it does give credence to the idea that one of the reasons the modern game seems to have so many cheap shots is that the players are so well-protected. Because, I think when Hall played, the players didn’t even wear shirts, let alone pads.

Over in Chicago, Chris Kunitz has yet to score in the playoffs. But playing with Sidney Crosby, I think that’s totally acceptable, as he’s doing a lot of the legwork to create space for Crosby, with Bill Guerin the second scoring option. But Kunitz doesn’t have a post-season goal since 2007, which is a pretty long time.

I totally missed this, but apparently Mark Recchi played game 7 for the Bruins (against Carolina) after having kidney stones removed the night before. I guess after that surgery, losing a game 7 seemed like a veritable vacation.

Finally, Caps fans have to be excited about next season. Who doesn’t want to hear their GM say, “Ideally, you want to avoid free agents because they’re always more expensive and longer-term than you want. You’re better off looking for the bargains. I would prefer making a trade or something like that rather than signing a free agent.”

It’s great that George McPhee is salary-conscious and it’s great that he wants to find a good deal, but is it really that bad to sign a free-agent? Shouldn’t he be a little more open to the idea? It’s not like buying a baby on the black market. It’s a pretty socially acceptable part of the GM process.

Caps and Penguins: ‘Six Incredible Games Were Enough’

Steven Ovadia — Thu, 14 May 2009 10:01:08 +0000

Last night I went out with some friends to watch game seven, all of us thinking this could possibly be the greatest game seven we had ever seen.

Obviously, we were mistaken. Shocked and mistaken.

You can talk about the offensive explosion that was the Penguins 6-2 win. But I was shocked by the Penguins defense. They kept the Capitals to the boards the whole game. And the harder Washington pressed, the quicker the Penguins moved the puck out of their zone. It was gritty and disciplined hockey. And it kept Washington from even raising the thought of a comeback.

The Caps are now in an awkward situation with goalie Simeon Varmalov. The rookie goalie’s last memory of this season will be of being pulled in a key game seven. That can’t be good for his confidence.

Also, not a big surprise, given that he never looked 100%, but Mike Green (and some other Caps) were playing hurt.

I was pleasantly surprised to see three other people at the bar to watch the game. Although two of them were Caps fans, so sometimes their crying got a little loud.