PuckUpdate :: The Hockey Blog » Shameless Self-Promotion

Thanks, SportsNation

Steven Ovadia — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 21:06:44 +0000

Thanks, SportsNation, for making PuckUpdate a site you like.

Shoot Out the Lights!

Plugs

Steven Ovadia — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:17:20 +0000

Just two things I wanted to plug today:

The latest episode of the RinkSideRants podcast is available for your listening pleasure. Tim and I talked struggling teams: Leafs, Bruins, and Isles.
I’ve got something up on BleacherReport about the rise of the scoring defenseman — specifically in Phoenix.

Shanahan Can’t Be Cut; He Quits!

Steven Ovadia — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 09:56:54 +0000

In a surprise move, the Devils cut Brandon Shanahan, a decision which was apparently mutual; Shanahan wanted to be a top-nine forward and the Devils didn’t have an opening.

Shanahan hasn’t announced his retirement, but it’s going to be tough to find a place for him. If you recall, he landed in New Jersey last year after much deliberation and including a lot of geographic limitations. The Flyers were rumored to be in the mix for Shanahan last year, but this season, they’re so capped out, it wasn’t even a given they would find the money to sign Blair Betts.

Shanahan started the pre-season strong, even spending some time playing on the Devils’ top line. Plus, with Patrik Elias down and no help on the way, I thought Shanahan would start the season playing on the top two lines. Shanahan’s cutting could be the prelude to a trade, but it could also just be a very clear indication the Devils didn’t think Shanahan had what it takes to regularly score in the NHL.

It’s a sad ending to a great NHL career, though.

Also, if you missed me on last night’s Rinkside Rants podcast, which I co-host, you can catch it here.

Heatley Not Going Anywhere

Steven Ovadia — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:44:46 +0000

Ouch. Teams are now opting out of the Dany Heatley “sweepstakes.” The Kings are the latest team to close the door on the Heatley option, which is pretty telling.

It’s like the Senators are getting rejected for dates they didn’t even ask people out on.

The Kings could use a proven goal-scorer but they’re such a young team, a guy like Heatley could really bring the whole team down quite easily.

Of course, as bad as that would have been for the Kings, things are going to be even worse for the Senators, who are looking more and more stuck with Heatley as training camp approaches.

Teams are being patient about grabbing Heatley because of the serious questions about his attitude coupled with the fact that everyone knows the Senators are desperate to unload him. GM Bryan Murray is looking to get some value back for Heatley but the longer he’s stuck with the disgruntled forward, the lower those trade expectations will fall.

If I’m Murray, I’m announcing that Heatley is off of the table and the Senators have decided to make the best of a bad situation. That forces Heatley to either suck it up and play in Ottawa or to sit out. If Heatley sits out, I’m assuming his salary will come off of the cap, allowing them to replace him. If Heatley focuses and steps up, the Senators are more likely to find a team willing to take him.

The first rule of selling damaged goods is to make them look new. Murray hasn’t fixed Heatley yet. He hasn’t even come close. I’m not saying he needs to fix Heatley’s attitude; he just needs to make it look like it’s been fixed.

Also, thanks to Greg and Sean for including me in Puck Daddy’s Five Reasons I Love Hockey feature.

Happy Holidays!

Steven Ovadia — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 10:43:15 +0000

Happy holidays!

Here are the RotoRob fantasy hockey awards, which I worked on.

Also, there’s a a big picture of Evgeni Malkin making out with his girlfriend, so be prepared.

PuckUpdate on ESPN

Steven Ovadia — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 21:50:32 +0000

This was pretty cool. I’m in an NHL preview roundup on ESPN.com. FULL DISCLOSURE: There are other people there, too; it’s not just me. Related posts:ESPN: ‘Wait. The NHL Has Teams Besides the Wings, Avs, Blues, Penguins, and Rangers? Are You Sure?’ ESPN: ‘Wait. The NHL Has Teams Besides the Wings, Avs, Blues, Penguins, and Rangers? Are You [...] Related posts:

Bueller? Bueller? Chelios? Chelios?

Steven Ovadia — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 10:54:19 +0000

Is there a bigger rock star than Chris Chelios?
He brought the Stanley Cup to Chicago, taking it to both Wrigley Field and U.S. Cellular Field. Afterwards, he was taking it to a Pearl Jam show. It sounds like the only thing missing from this trip to the Windy City was a dog attacking Mr. Rooney.
Chelios, who didn’t play in the Stanley Cup finals, supposedly with an injury, but allegedly at the “suggestion” of coach Mike Babcock, also says he’d like to eventually return to Chicago, either as a player, or otherwise involved in the Blackhawks organization in some capacity. That has to make you wonder how much longer Chelios will be a Wing. Although, the guy ate some serious minutes for Babcock last season, he’s certainly lost a few steps. Luckily for the Wings, Chelios at 50% of his old/younger self is still an NHL-quality defenseman. The question is if they need that kind of depth from a guy who started playing when the league had six teams. I’m not sure they do.
Also, thanks to Greg “Puck Daddy” Wyshynski for letting me part of his “5 Ways I’d Change the NHL” series. My entry was up Friday.
Also, September 14, I’ll be running in the Susan G. Komen New York City Race for the Cure. It’s a 5K to raise money for breast cancer. If you’d like to support me, here’s a link to do so. It’s a good cause. And if anyone reading will be there, drop me a line.

The Big Picture

Steven Ovadia — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 14:00:15 +0000

I love how GMs very rarely see the big picture. They’ll take a small edge today and give up something bigger for the future. I’m actually not even talking about the NHL. Look at what happened when the Nets tried to trade Jason Kidd to the Mavs and Maverick Jerry Stackhouse told everyone after the trade, the Nets would buy out his contract, after which he would then re-sign with the Mavs. How does working around the cap this way make things easier down the line? How does a GM think it’s helpful to have every other GM making these kind of backroom deals with players? And it’s not like NHL GMs don’t pull this kind of stuff. Watch the trade deadline and then watch how many players return to the team that traded them once the season is over.
Obviously, now that the details of the Mavs/Nets trade have seen the light of day, it seems like they’re going with a more conventional deal, but it just spotlights how shortsighted most GMs seem to be.
Meanwhile, the NHL is really in a nostalgia frame of mind. First, rumors Sergei Fedorov might return to Detroit. Now, just like the old days, rumors the Hurricanes are also interested in Fedorov. You might recall it was just about 10 years ago that Mike Karmanos, Hurricanes owner and sworn enemy of Detroit owner Mike Ilitch, signed Fedorov to an offer sheet that paid him $12 million for reaching the Stanley Cup finals, something Detroit was expected to do. Detroit bit the bullet and matched the offer, but it did make reaching the finals bittersweet for the Wings. It might have been cheaper to go out in an earlier round.
I’m guessing there’s less money on the table this time, though.
Also, as the Red Wings continue to struggle (they’ve dropped six in a row), they’ve got to be keeping an eye on ex-Red Wing Darren McCarty, who had a hat trick in his AHL debut. I suspect McCarty will soon be a Red Wing, for the emotional boost as much as anything. I don’t think anyone in banking on an NHL hat trick from him.
Also, a very sweet story out of Buffalo: The Zedniks were touched the way what seems like the entire city reached out to them during Richard’s injury and recuperation. Richard is back in Florida now.
Finally, my fantasy column is up. A lot of people are injured.

Save the Goalies, Save the World

Steven Ovadia — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 12:15:44 +0000

I’m surprised Martin Brodeur’s leaving the NHL’s competition committee wasn’t made a bigger deal. When you have one of the game’s best (ever) criticizing the league and its treatment of goalies, that’s a pretty powerful statement.
Dallas (for now) goalie Marty Turco is expected to take over for Brodeur on the committee. If I’m Turco, and I really want to protect goalies, I’m giving up the farm to protect the crease. I’d tell the committee I’m prepared to dramatically shrink down goalie equipment, like to early 90s levels, in exchange for considerably more protection in front of the crease. That would mean goaltender interference calls on anyone who causes it. If someone from my team takes down an opposing forward in front of me, knocking him into me? Guess what? Goaltender interference gets called against my forward. Three goaltender interference calls against a forward in a season would result in some kind of suspension, and that would escalate.
The thing is, Brodeur is right. No one cares about protecting goalies. I would argue the worst offenders are forwards and defenseman from the goalie’s own team. But if the league took strong steps to actually protect goalies, they wouldn’t need so much equipment. Not so much equipment means more goals. Safer goalies, more scoring, worse stats. It’s not all win-win for goaltenders, but it’s not bad, if I do say so myself.
Also, kudos to NBC for a fantastic job on Rangers-Bruins Sunday. Eddie Olczk and Pierre McGuire were better than I’ve ever heard them on NBC, calling out players (especially Ranger Chris Drury), breaking down plays, and just being an interesting, honest listen. I’m still not clear on former Islander GM Mike Milbury’s role on the telecast, but McGuire took a great shot at him for trading current Bruin Zdeno Chara and that was pretty funny. It was the first national telecast I enjoyed in quite a while.
Finally, my fantasy column is up. This week, I coin the phrase “Great Gonchar’s Ghost!”

2007 in Fantasy Hockey

Steven Ovadia — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 00:53:07 +0000

Mike Chen and I have our year-end fantasy hockey awards up at RotoRob.
It’s got some fun stuff, like the Anti-Bobby Orr Award.
Next year we might rent tuxes for the ceremony. We’ll have to see how that goes.