The 2007-2008 NHL season is underway (20 minutes in thus far), and while we the less fortunate in the U.S. will be unable to view the first of the two matches between the Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in London, England there is an alternative.
Currently I'm enjoying the NHL Game Radio broadcast which you can find here if you are desperate for some hockey... which if you are if you happen to be reading this. The Los Angeles Kings hold a 1 goal lead over the Ducks after the first on a score by Mike Cammalleri (set up by Visnovsky, and my fantasy golden boy Frolov).
Quick Shave:
The New York Rangers and New York Islanders met up last night in a much calmer version than their previous encounter less than a week ago. Rangers forward Brendan Shanahan scored two goals in the 5-2 win over the Isles. Rookie Nigel Dawes helped setup both of Shanny's scores and added another assist. The youngster is trying to crack the Rangers lineup this season, and it looks like Coach Renney is giving him every opportunity to do so.
I just added a new t-shirt to the Playoff Beard store last night, and while it does have a baseball theme, I think it something that everyone will enjoy!
The Ottawa Senators appear to be determined to lock up superstar forward Dany Heatley to a long term contract extension prior to the start of the regular season (which begins on Sunday.... in England), the reason being, is the Heatley has stated that he prefers to not negotiate contracts during the season.
The Senators owner Eugene Melnyk, and GM Bryan Murray spent 5 hours in talks with Heatley's representatives before calling it a day. Both parties seem to be far apart on a deal. Heatley is rumored to be seeking a long term deal (similiar to Briere, Drury and Gomez) at $8.5 million per year, while the Senators are countering with a $7 million a year deal similiar to the contracts given to Joe Thornton and Jarome Iginla.
If the Senators don't sign Heatley prior to the start of the season, it is doubtful they will be able to prior to him becoming a free agent next July. Heatley has recorded back to back 50 goals seasons for the last two years, and if he completes the hat trick this year, his stock will surely rise beyond the $8.5 million a year he is currently looking for. He will be the free agent prize next summer.
Ottawa Senators forward Dean McAmmond seems to be a magnet for cheap shots. McAmmond was on the receiving end of a flying body check to the head from Philadelphia Flyers Steve Downie. If you remember, McAmmond was elbowed in the face by Anaheim Ducks defenceman Chris Pronger (his second suspension during the playoffs last year) and sustained a series ending concussion.
While McAmmond did suffer a concussion, he didn't sustain any fractures. He will recieve further treatmen and evaluations today. Here is a replay of the hit:
You know it's gonna be a great season, when the New York Islanders and New York Rangers are already hating on one another. Last night's pre-season matchup in Uniondale, so the cross-town rivals battle more with their fists than with the puck. Over 100 minutes in penalties were awarded to the participants including a pair of game misconducts to the goalies.
Yep, former Playoff Beard of the Month winner and Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro dropped the gloves with young Rangers netminder Al Montoya and gave the crowd some old time hockey. This is gonna be a some series this season. Here's the fight for your viewing pleasure (thanks to Stache for digging this up):
The Los Angeles Kings placed their goaltender Dan Cloutier on waivers yesterday.
Cloutier's first season with the Kings last year was dreadful, missing more than half of the season with a hip injury and the games he did play were forgettable. Cloutier ended the year with a 6-14-2 record, and .860 save percentage. Cloutier played himself out of contention for the starting goaltending job with the Kings, this pre-season, and Los Angeles appears to be favoring newcomer Jonathan Bernier.
The Los Angeles Kings risk losing Cloutier if they decide to bring him back up from their AHL affiliate, as he would have to clear re-entry waivers.... however, I think that is unlikely. Both that he would be called up (barring multiple goaltending injuries, and that he would be claimed because of his high salary, and poor play). This could be a career ender.
Tough luck to you fantasy owners who drafted Cloutier.... not just because you lost one of your goaltenders, but if this guy was actually on your roster, I'm afraid to find out who else you may have selected....
Quick Shave:
Last night I got to see some pre-season action between the New York Rangers and their cross-town counterparts the New Jersey Devils. While both squads were lightly seasoned with veteran players, it was a lot of fun to watch the young players vying for an opportunity to play for the bigs. Rangers goaltender Al Montoya stopped 12 of the 13 shots he faced and certainly made a case for his being the back up to Henrik Lundqvist this season. Ryan Callahan a late season call up for the Blueshirts last season, and youngster Brandon Dubinsky had solid performances as well. Brian Gionta, Zach Parise, and new ufa aquisition Danius Zubrus provided the scoring for the Devils, as the Rangers went on to win 4-3. The Detroit Red Wings took down the Pittsburgh Penguins in OT last 1-0 on an early score in the extra period by defenceman Chris Chelios. It seems the Montreal Canadiens have themselves an early goaltending controversy.... perhaps controversy is too strong a word. Rookie Carey Price is making his case to play for the big club, and did so again last night making 22 saves for the Habs in a 3-2 win over the New York Islanders. Unfortunately for Price, from what I'm hearing veteran keepers Cristobal Huet, and Jaroslav Halak are also having terrific pre-seasons. Huet will play the entire match against the Ottawa Senators tonight, and Halak will face the Boston Bruins on Sunday.
The Playoff Beard. com Online Store officially opened for business yesterday. While the offerings at this time are a bit limited, I do think they will cater to my beard loving friends out there. There are two different official Playoff Beard T-shirts. I plan on adding more designs as the season progresses, and I am also open to suggestions (the playoff beard faces tee was actually Stache's brainchild). Click here to visit the store!
The Playoff Beard .com Fantasy League kicked off with a very exciting 16 team draft late last night (except for our West Coasters). Here are the results of Round 1:
1. Sidney Crosby 2.Dany Heatley 3. Alexander Ovechkin 4. Roberto Luongo 5. Martin Brodeur 6. Joe Thornton 7. Jarome Iginla 8. Miikka Kiprusoff 9. Jaromir Jagr 10. Evgeni Malkin 11. Marian Hossa 12. Jason Spezza 13. Daniel Alfredsson 14. Vincent Lecavalier 15. Henrik Zetterberg 16. Ilya Kovalchuk
Pittsburgh Penguin's forward Sidney Crosby, and Ottawa Senators forward Dany Heatley are probably going 1 and 2 in just about every draft this season. Washington Capitals forward Alexander Ovechkin recieved the love over Roberto Luongo who is this season's most popular third pick.
The biggest challenge last night was in the later rounds as many of us discovered that most of the name players were already taken. 16 teams clear the board pretty quickly, and midway through the draft lesser known players and rookies were front and center. Great job last night gang!
Quick Shave:
Goaltender Sean Burke joined the growing list of players who have chosen retirement over playing another season (some not by choice) this week. Burke played for just about every team in the NHL and posted a 324-341-110 record and 38 shutouts.
Last night's scores:
Montreal 1 NY Islanders 3 F
Dallas 3 Tampa Bay 4 F (OT) Columbus 4 Chicago 3 F Toronto 3 Phoenix 2 F
Los Angeles 3 Colorado 6 F San Jose 1 Anaheim 0 F
Calgary 0 Vancouver 4 F
I just heard this on Mic'd up with Mike Francesca tonight that the NHL will be playing another regular season game out of doors (the last being the Oilers vs. the Habs post Hall of Fame game a few years ago) this year..... well this season.
January 1st, 2008 will see the Pittsburgh Penguins face off against the Buffalo Sabres in an outdoor match at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
This is a great move for the NHL and something that should be come a standard every season, and perhaps more than just one matchup. This is the kind of marketing the NHL needs. For a hockey hater like Francesca to talk hockey on a Football Sunday really speaks volumes.
The Edmonton Oilers are rolling the dice on forward Anson Carter.
Carter who followed up a career in Vancouver two season ago saw his production (and his stock relatively) drop scoring 11 goals in 17 assists in 64 games last year while playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Carolina Hurricanes.
In Carter's first tour of duty with the Oilers (he was part of the Bill Guerin to Boston trade), he collected 175 points (69 goals, 88 assists) in 211 games. The Edmonton Oilers are banking on the hope that he may be able to rediscover that game.
While it's doubtful he will be as successful as he was in Vancouver 2 years ago, I still think Carter has something to offer and even more so on an offensively challenged (a possibly just plain offensive) team like the Edmonton Oilers are going to ice this season. I'd be surprised if he doesn't win a spot on their opening roster.
Quick Shave:
The injury bug has already hobbled the Anaheim Ducks. Newly acquired defenceman Mathieu Schneider will miss a month of action after breaking a bone in his ankle during a pre-season game against the playoff bound Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night. Right now Ducks GM Brian Burke is pounding on the door of Scott Niedermayer.
Here are the scores from the NHL Pre-Season last night:
Washington 3 Carolina4 F (OT) Nashville 3 Columbus 1 F Atlanta 3 St. Louis 1 F Phoenix 2 Anaheim 1 F(SO) Florida 3 Calgary 0 F
Yeah! This is what I'm talking about! Training Camps are open, Fantasy League managers are loading up their rosters, and Captain Bosh is back.... and slightly less hairy than he was in May (which really isn't that much).
The 2007-2008 NHL season drops the puck across the pond in England with a pair of home and home games at the end of September, and then kicks into high gear for the rest of the league October 3rd. The Pre-Season is in full swing already with a nice sampling of games (for those of you who live up North, you will more than likely get to check out many of these games, and for those of us here in the United States.... well not so much).
Looking for some great reading? TSN.ca has put together a spectacular NHL Preview that breaksdown every team and division. You can find it here.
Fantasy Hockey
As I said before, with the NHL getting ready to go, that means Fantasy Hockey is off and running. I myself have already drafted one team ( a spectacular collection of the NHL's elite that will most assuredly destroy everyone within that league) and look to drop my expertise on a few more teams before the start of the season. Here's a few players I'd keep an eye on:
Dany Heatley - Ottawa Senators
This one is probably pretty obvious, but if you are drafting in an early spot grab this guy. Two reasons. First, he's had back to back 50 goal seasons the past two years. Second, this is a contract year. If the Ottawa Senators don't re-sign prior to the end of this season, he will command $10 million a season at least next year. This year I expect Heatley to put up ridiculous numbers. By the way, Marion Hossa, Heatley's trade counterpart from several seasons ago is also headed for UFA waters this summer, his season should mirror Heatleys, and if the Thrasher's aren't headed for the post season, expect him to be dealt at the trade deadline.
Michael Nylander - Washington Capitals
While it was sad to see this gentleman leave the Blueshirts fold, he would be more than welcome on any of my Fantasy rosters. Nylander was a terrific setup man for Jagr and vice versa, the only downside to this pair, is that both are playmakers first, and shooters second. Thus they would both pass the puck back and forth down the ice, until they closed off any scoring opportunity. In Washington, Nylander will thrive big time. He will be setting up young super star Alexander Ovechkin, and Nylander's pass first style, should mesh perfectly with Ovechkin's shoot first mentality. Look for both players to put up big numbers (Assists for Nylander, and Goals for the other fella).
Anze Kopitar - Los Angeles Kings
Sophmore slump or breakout season? I'm leaning towards the latter. This kid didn't get much press because he played on the West Coast for a crappy Kings team but he still managed to put up 61 points (20 goals, 41 assists) in his rookie campaign. The Kings have reloaded and playing alongside a very good winger in Alexander Frolov, I think Kopitar could turn out to be a good sleeper pick.
I will throw some more players at you later this week, but now it's time for some predictions from the Bosher:
The San Jose Sharks will have a great regular season once again, but I expect them to fall flat in the playoffs, and become the replacement choke team that was once the Ottawa Senators.
The Colorado Avalanche should find their way back to the playoffs this year, and I would be surprised to see a goaltender other than Peter Budaj and Jose Theodore in net for them by year's end (my money is on Anaheim's Byrzgalov).
Sorry Islanders and Oilers fans. You guys are going to have rough year. I expect both teams to be so bad they will actually make the Phoenix Coyotes look like the Detroit Red Wings. Oilers, look for defenceman Sheldon Souray to set some new defensive records for you this year.... most likely a -50 rating.
The L.A. Kings, and the Philadelphia Flyers both bolstered their lineups this offseason, and should rebound from horrible seasons last year. I expect to see both clubs in the playoffs (before you bash me, remember I said the same thing about the Penguins last summer and who had to kiss my butt in April?).
The Anaheim Ducks will either have the deepest defense in the league.... or struggle to replace the points put up by defenceman Scott Neidermayer, and forwards Teemu Selanne, and Dustin Penner. I think it's going to be choice B.
Last call folks! We have 8 spots left to be filled in the 2nd annual PlayoffBeard.com Fantasy Hockey League!
In order to join the league, follow this link, click the "Sign Up Now" or "Get Another Team" button and follow the links to "Join a Custom League". When prompted, enter the League ID# and password below.
League ID#: 25500
Password: chucknorris
You will receive a confirmation with further details once you have completed the registration process.
I personally believe that U.S. Americans want to know if players such as Scott Niedermayer, and Teemu Selanne will retire with maps of South Africa and the children of Iraq for their future….such as.....
The funniest thing is, that she is probably a Hurricanes fan. HA HA.
To the business at hand. Niedermayer and Selanne still have yet to make their final decisions on whether or not to embrace retirement, or continue playing in the NHL, and for Selanne whether or not that playing will be done with the Anaheim Ducks.
GM Brian Burke’s hands are somewhat tied here, and he must be getting anxious. I’m sure he’d love to have both back in the fold, but the salary cap makes the situation a little more difficult. If Scott Niedermayer decides not to retire, it will leave little room to re-sign Selanne (if he also decides to continue playing). If Niedermayer does retire, then Selanne should be able to be re-signed…. Again if chooses to play.
If Niedermayer does return, the Ducks blue line, will be nearly impenetrable, having signed UFA defenseman Matthieu Schnieder during the off season in preparation for Niedermayer’s possible departure.
However if both players do decide to retire the Ducks will have their work cut out for them trying to replace Niedermayer’s 69 points and Selanne’s 94 points accumulated last season.
Quick Shave:
Rumors are abound that the Columbus Blue Jackets have been in contact with Eric Lindros and would be interested in his services should he decide to continue his NHL career. Is Bosh a genius or what?
Still plenty of spots available in the Playoffbeard.com Fantasy League guys! Please join us for another fun season!
The Dragons
This has been a fun summer for the Bosher, and while I took a bit of a hiatus from daily grind of the Playoff Beard, I continued to play, and actually improve at the great game of hockey. Captain Bosh is now riding a 3 game point scoring streak and has collected 4 goals and 1 assist during that span, and helping (a little, if at all) the Dragons to their second Championship series in 3 seasons. The Dragons begin their quest for the Cup tonight in game 1 of a 3 game series.
It's almost time kids, the start of the 2007-2008 NHL season is roughly a month away, and that means it's time for FANTASY HOCKEY!!! Which sounds great now, but by January it will have all of us pulling our hair out.
That being said, I'm happy to announce the Second Annual Playoff Beard Fantasy Hockey League. All are welcome (provided there are open spots), and it is first come, first serve.
In order to join the league, follow this link, click the "Sign Up Now" or "Get Another Team" button and follow the links to "Join a Custom League". When prompted, enter the League ID# and password below.
League ID#: 25500
Password: chucknorris
You will receive a confirmation with further details once you have completed the registration process.
Whaaaa? Ok let's start with this quote (thank you TSN.ca)
"Jeremy Roenick is a tremendous competitor and he has a great love for the game of hockey," Sharks GM Doug Wilson said Tuesday in a statement. "We feel he can add something to the talented group of players on our club and we feel that this is an environment where Jeremy can be successful."
I agree with everything the Doug Wilson said. In 2001.
In any case, the San Jose Sharks signed veteran forward and dancing superstar Jeremy Roenick to a one year deal worth $500,000. This just days after they re-signed their star forward Patrick Marleau to a 2 year deal worth $12.6 million. Marleau trade rumors have been swirling this off-season, but I doubt the acquisition of Roenick will do anything to stir the fires on that one..... Roenick was most likely brought in to help the Sharks in the veteran experience department, and in return, the Sharks provide him with a forum in which he can score the 5 remaining goals necessary to achieve the 500 goal milestone.
The Ottawa Senators appear to be determined to lock up superstar forward Dany Heatley to a long term contract extension prior to the start of the regular season (which begins on Sunday.... in England), the reason being, is the Heatley has stated that he prefers to not negotiate contracts during the season.
You know it's gonna be a great season, when the New York Islanders and New York Rangers are already hating on one another. Last night's pre-season matchup in Uniondale, so the cross-town rivals battle more with their fists than with the puck. Over 100 minutes in penalties were awarded to the participants including a pair of game misconducts to the goalies. 
The Los Angeles Kings placed their goaltender Dan Cloutier on waivers yesterday.
Quick Shave:
The Playoff Beard .com Fantasy League kicked off with a very exciting 16 team draft late last night (except for our West Coasters). Here are the results of Round 1:
I just heard this on Mic'd up with Mike Francesca tonight that the NHL will be playing another regular season game out of doors (the last being the Oilers vs. the Habs post Hall of Fame game a few years ago) this year..... well this season.
The Edmonton Oilers are rolling the dice on forward Anson Carter. 
I personally believe that U.S. Americans want to know if players such as Scott Niedermayer, and Teemu Selanne will retire with maps of South Africa and the children of Iraq for their future….such as.....
Whaaaa? Ok let's start with this quote (thank you 
