My best post of the month!

And also my worst...

Yeah, there really isn't too much going on with the Flames since the draft and the opening of free agency. But I will try to shed my own personal light on what the Flames have done lately, some things of interest, and maybe a couple of shots at the boys to the North while I'm at it...


Draft Recap

I actually taped the NHL draft this year (as the first round was on a Friday night, which I think is a BAD idea), but they didn't get to the Flames first pick near the end of the first round, which means that it was pretty much all for naught, with the possible exception of seeing two of the bigger names fall to a point where they got picked up by the Rangers and Penguins (no fix going on there, eh fellas)...

Mikael Backlund, 24th overall

I don't honestly know much about him, but what I've heard from various sources has been encouraging. As always with European players there is a chance that they will choose to stay over there through their developing stages and may have trouble adjusting by the time the cross the Atlantic. Hopefully Backlund will make the move over here early (if not this year, then next year) and he can spend a year or two on the farm. It sounds like he has many of the qualities that Sutter looks for, and I'm sure he would like to play on a Flames team that should be a contender for at least the next 5 years (if the Iginla and Regehr contracts are any indication)...

John Negrin, 70th overall

Another Western Canadian defenceman picked up by Sutter, which is a trend of the last couple of years. Defencemen seem to be safer picks in the later rounds, and Negrin seems like he could develop into a 2nd line pairing offensive defenceman that could get some powerplay time. Although there are questions as to his play in his own zone...

Keith Aulie, 116th overall

At 6'6", Aulie is your typical WHL defenceman and is probably a pretty well-rounded guy (WHL scholastic player of the year and also saved his father's life after he fell through the ice at the family homestead in Rouleau, Saskatchewan two years ago). Although with a weight listed at only 208 lbs, it sounds like he has a considerable amount of bulking up to do before making the move to the big leagues...

Mickey Renaud, 143rd overall

Renaud has good size for a centre (6'2", 217lbs) and was the Windsor Spitfires' player of the year, but with only 54 points in 68 games in an offensive league, its hard to imagine him getting anywhere near the first line at this point. He will most likely be spending at least the next two years in the Quad Cities, unless he chooses to go back to the OHL...

C.J. Severyn, 186th overall

As a part of the U.S. national under 18 program, there isn't a whole lot I have heard of Severyn, beyond what has been posted on a couple of sites. But with only 6 goals and 16 points in 48 games last year, along with his attending The Ohio State University next year, I don't expect him to be in the Flames plans for the next 3 years at least...

Resignings

Obviously some of the biggest news over the last few weeks was the resigning of both Jarome Iginla and Robyn Regehr to 5 year deals. I don't know how this can't be seen as a good thing, as we now have 2 of our marquee players under long term contracts. The only question now is how much space will be left under the cap for Phaneuf and Kiprusoff, and how much they will be asking for...

Free Agency


The Flames have been moderately busy this off-season, with three free agency pickups which should fill out the lineup a little bit, but I'm not sure how they will address the need for scoring up front...


Cory Sarich ($18 million over 5 years)

Sarich is one of those unheralded defencemen that do their job without attracting a lot of attention to themselves. And I'm sure that being in Tampa for the majority of his career hasn't helped his exposure much either. I think he will fit in well with the team that Sutter has put together (especially given the fact that he is a good ole prarie boy) and should do well on a pairing with a more offensive minded defenceman. Of course he will be 34 by the time that the contract expires and they could probably have gotten him for a little less, but I don't have any real problems with this signing...


Owen Nolan ($1.75 million for 1 year, with a bonus structure)

This is one of those signings that always brings back the nostalgia when you hear a name of what used to be one of the better players in the league. Then you see that its only going to cost you less than $2 million a year and its only a one year contract, so there isn't a whole lot of risk. Then reality kicks in a little and you remember that most of these signings don't work out as well as everyone hoped. Let's just hope that the performance bonuses will keep Nolan motivated, as will the chance to be playing for a contender and being out of the desert...


Anders Eriksson ($3 million over 2 years)

I honestly don't know that much about Eriksson, beyond that he played for the Blue Jackets last season and he was previously a prospect in the Flames system (but never made the big show). He actually put up a nice +/- figure with a sub-.500 Columbus team (+12), so I'm thinking he is obviously an upgrade over the likes of Zyuzin. It just makes me wonder where we are going to play all of these defencemen and who is going to be the odd man out...

Goalie problems (the good kind)

With Noodles going off to Russia to play hockey next year, you would think that would simplify things in the Flames crease. But with both Leland Irving and Matt Keetley potentially coming out of junior this year, along with the resignings of both Brent Krahn and Curtis McElhinney, you have to wonder who is getting promoted to the big club, and who is the odd man out in the Quad Cities (read 'who is going to Las Vegas and not in the good way'). I think Krahn will get the chance in Calgary, while it will be McElhinney and Keetley in the Quad Cities, with Irving being kept down in Everett and James Spratt continuing his education at Bowling Green. Kevin Lalande is most likely the odd man out in the whole situation, as he will turn 21 next February, meaning he will no longer be eligible for the OHL's Belleville Bulls...

Defensive Deficiencies

Okay, here's a question for everyone...

If you have a couple of offensive-minded defensemen signed, you've just traded away your most reliable d-man, and you have a questionable number one goaltender, what type of player should you go after next? I know what you're thinking, another stay at home blueliner, right?

Wrong! The Oilers decided to complement Dick Tarnstrom and Joni Pitkanen with Sheldon Souray. Something tells me that Dwayne Roloson will be seeing a whole lot of rubber this season, and will have to be sure to put sunscreen on his neck before each game...

Hall of fame bound

Al MacInnis will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame this year, which brings up the question of whether he will be remembered more as being a Flame or a Blue. I realize that its not really a big question one way or the other in the NHL, as opposed to Cooperstown where they go in wearing one team's cap, but I think its still one worth asking. As I'm sure that most will always think of Gretzky as an Oiler first, MacInnis had his most success as a Flame, especially being the team's only Conn Smythe winner...

And now for something completely useless...

Over on the Battle of Alberta website, Matt seems to have found a site that rates your blog according to the suitability of the content to all ages. I've posted my little disclaimer on my sidebar, although I'm not sure how long I'll be leaving it up there. I do find it interesting that the reasoning behind giving it the PG rating that they did was that the word 'steal' appeared 8 times and the word 'ass' was in it once. I mean seriously, its part of my screen name. But I will give them credit for the ass...

And one more question for the Oiler less-than-faithful...

Since the Oilers could only get Pikanen to sign a one year deal, are they a little concerned that he may want out after one season and didn't want to be stuck trying to trade away his contract for less than fair market value?

Wow, you go on vacation and look at what happens...

Did I miss anything?

So after the Stanley Cup finals ended, I decided to take a little vacation to NYC, thinking that I would be back for the draft, so I probably wouldn't miss too much in the hockey world (or at least in regards to the Flames anyway)...

Apparently I was mistaken, so here are my thoughts on what has transpired over the last couple of weeks (and I'll start with the most current)...

Flames acquire Adrian Aucoin from the Chicago Blackhawks for Andrei Zyuzin

Now a lot of people are going to point to Aucoin's miniscule point production (16 points) and abysmal plus/minus rating (-22) while he was in the windy city making $4 million (not to mention the injury woes). But I think some of that has to do with the team around him, and to the guy between the pipes (to some extent, as Khabibulin wasn't playing at 100% all season). I think that Aucoin is one of those players that needs a change of scenery (even though he wasn't in Chicago that long) and he has played under Mike Keenan (which I will address further down) before...

Besides, if all we had to give up to get him was Andrea Susan, then that's just the sprinkles on top of the ice cream sundae. We all knew that Stuart wasn't going to stick around and the chances of resigning Hammer after the season he just had were looking slimmer. Getting a top pairing defenceman was a necessity, and I think Aucoin should fill the roll very well...

And I think that coming in knowing that he'll be playing for a contender will do wonders for his morale, considering where he's been playing for most of his career...

Flames resign David Moss

I honestly can't beleive that the Flames signed him on again for such a cheap one year deal ($575,000). I would have expected upwards of at least $800,000 for a guy that played his heart out last season. Of course, I'm sure that getting the chance to play for a solid team in a fairly substantial role (I'm assuming that Calgary won't be resigning a lot of the deadweight and Moss will get second line minutes at least half the time) would make him more inclined to take a bit of a hometown discount (let's just hope that he doesn't get screwed over by it like Ference did)...

Flames sign prospects Krahn, Germyn, and Peters

Resigning the top two playoff scorers from the Knights was a bit of a no-brainer, but I'm a little curious at the signing of Krahn. With the way that McElhinney played for the Knights last season and with Lelande Irving coming in from the WHL, I had thought that Krahn would be let go. Of course, I have a feeling that McElhinney will probably be left to tutor Irving in the Quad Cities next year and Krahn will now be brought in to take the place of Jamie Mclennan...

Flames hire Mike Keenan as new coach

This one actually caught me by surprise last week, although I think we all knew that Playfair wasn't going to be the man behind the bench next season (although he will be staying on in an associate role, which is where he probably should have stayed in the first place). And of course I found out when I was out with a bunch of buddies that don't follow hockey too closely (of course, they are all from Toronto, so in a way I can't really blame them). Which is a frustrating thing when something like this happens and you just want to get some thoughts and opinions on it...

I like the move. Sure Iron Mike has a history of being a little tough on players, but he also has a history with Darryl Sutter (and some of the players, which could be a bad thing for Huselius). I think that with the team that Sutter has put together, the toughness issue shouldn't be a problem. I know Keenan hasn't done much of anything since he guided the Rangers to the Cup, but he hasn't really had a whole lot to work with since then either. I also think that he'll have enough respect for the management team above him, that he won't be butting heads with anyone and he'll probably be pretty happy with the team that has fallen to him...

But if Keenan starts doing the goalie juggling that he used to, I may have to alter my position...

Flames farm team moves from Omaha to the Quad Cities

Now to be honest on this one, it doesn't really affect me that much as to where the farm team plays (unless they want to move into the Southern Ontario area, which I would be all over). Although it is a little sad to see them leave Nebraska, which seemed to welcome the team and came up with a pretty cool logo. But I'm sure that the Quad Cities (which I couldn't name off if my life depended on it), were missing hockey since the Mallards left a couple years ago...

Ducks win the Stanley Cup

Well, I guess I should at least acknowledge it...

Playoff Predictions - Stanley Cup Finals

And then there were two...

The Stanley Cup finals begin tonight in Anaheim between the Ducks and the Ottawa Senators. I'm not going to go over how the teams got here, as I'm sure that if you found my blog, you already know...

I am a little bit split on this series (but only a little), as I have factors pushing from both sides...

I'd like to see the cup come North of the 40th parallel again (or even the 35th), so I like Ottawa for that reason, and I'd also like to see a Canadian team win it again (it has been 14 years)...

Of course, I'd also like to see a Western Conference team win it, as it would help to reinforce my personal idea that the Eastern Conference is not as strong (although it could still be argued that its stronger from top to bottom)...

To see Pronger lift the cup would also reinforce my own personal schadenfreude when it comes to the Oilers fans suffering, but I would have rather had him bow out a little sooner so the Oilers didn't get another first round draft pick...

I grew up in a town that is about equal distance from both Toronto and Ottawa, and my dad likes the Senators (he is also a lifelong Blackhawks fan, but he doesn't get to watch them on television very much), so I'd like to see the Senators to win for that reason...

And finally, living in the heart of Leafland, I would have no problem seeing all the Leafers get disheartened to see Daniel Alfredsson lifting the Stanley Cup over his head...

Senators in 6

Playoff Predictions - Round 3

You just can't see me...

I know I haven't posted in a couple weeks, but I have still been around...

I will try to post some thoughts and such this weekend or something, but for now, here is my quick analysis on the third round of the Stanley Cup playoffs that start tonight...

Only two series this time, so it should be a lot easier...

(1) Detroit Red Wings Vs. (2) Anaheim Ducks

In all seriousness, when you type it out, Mighty Ducks actually rolls off the tongue easier... and yes I do know what I just said (typed). I think Anaheim is a much more well rounded team than Calgary or San Jose were, so I think they will take this one. And they have their own little pain in the ass player in Sammy Pahlsson, so I'm very curious to see how the Wings respond to that type of player... Anaheim in 7

(1) Buffalo Sabres Vs. (4) Ottawa Senators

Ottawa has looked really good all playoffs against tough competition, while Buffalo had some tough games against the other two Empire State teams. I've never thought that Miller was all that solid of a goaltender, although that may be a bit of my Canadian bias. I say that the Senators keep rolling and carry Canada's Stanley Cup hope to the finals... Ottawa in 6

Playoff Predictions - Round 2

Quick and Dirty

Not a whole lot of time right now, as I'm off to my floor hockey game, but I figured I'd better get this out beforethe second round actually starts (I'll touch it up when I get home, but the predictions will stay the same)...

I went 5 for 8 in the first round, but I did get the East entirely right...

Detroit vs San Jose

I think the Wings have a solid team, but the Flames exposed their weakness in their defensive zone (the few chances they had in there), and also with special teams. The Sharks are a pretty solid team all around, although they do have a pretty young blueline. Sharks in 7...

Anaheim vs Vancouver

Despite the heroics of Luongo, the Canucks just don't have the firepower to keep pace with the Ducks. Especially when the twins are held in check. Ducks in 5...

Buffalo vs New York Rangers

The Sabres have a solid team, although they let a weaker Islanders team hang around last series, almost blowing big leads a couple times. The Rangers are built well and had no trouble dispatching the Thrashers in the opening round. I think momentum carries this one. Rangers in 6...

New Jersey vs Ottawa

The Senatros are finally looking like the team that everyone expected them to be four years ago and looked dominant against a young Penguins team. Brodeur hasn't looked his usually stoic self the last part of the year, as opposed to Emery, who has been improving all season. Senators in 6...

It's Over

After the Storm

I've been MIA from the blogosphere lately, but it hasn't been entirely on purpose. I wasn't home very much this weekend, and when I was, it was only to sleep or get ready to head out again...

As such, I have yet to put in my response to the play of the Flames in the last couple games or my PVR's now imperfect record of 10-1 (yes, I did watch the game live on Sunday night, sorry)...

I have the game from Saturday afternoon on my PVR still (despite being told I should just delete it), and will probably get around to watching it and the other two recorded games over the course of this weekend. I can't say that I'm really looking forward to seeing the Flames lose again, and I have already seen the highlights (and lowlights) from the game, but I will watch the game regardless. I think it will help me try to wrap my head around what happened to this team on the road and may give me a bit more closure on the season...

I've already had a couple days to dwell on the Flames being out of the playoffs, and now that I'm wide awake and sober I realize that it wouldn't have been right for this 'team' to have made it to the second round on the back of Miikka alone...

There are a couple of things that Sutter has to do in the off season to fix the team for next year, the biggest being his coaching staff. The offence was remarkably potent over the course of the season, but the defence seemed quite porous, especially on the road. And I'm not talking about the blueline alone, as there seemed to occasionally be a lack of effort on behalf of the forwards to backcheck and cover the points in the Flames zone. Which was most evident in the playoff round against the Red Wings, when the boys were giving up an ungodly number of shots due to an inability to clear the puck...

I'm not sure if there is anything else to say on this point, beyond the need for the team to do some housecleaning to get rid of what can afford to and make space for what they need. There are some players that need not be brought back for next season (Amonte, McCarty) and it would be nice to see a couple of the boys from Omaha get a good chance next year (I'm looking at McElhinney and Boyd here)...

I'm not sure who I'll cheer for in the second round yet, but it'll probably be Ottawa and the Rangers in the East, and I'll be cheering for Detroit and against the Canucks in the West...

I'd just like to thank the Red Wings bloggers that took the time to sort through some of my meaningless drivel, and I will most certainly add a couple of you to my blogroll on the side of my page. Good luck in the next round!

The picture at the top of this post is actually one I took while on vacation in Scotland a couple years ago. I've been told that I have a pretty good eye, which is good because I can't write, draw, or play music with any semblance of talent whatsoever. This pic is probably my favourite...

My not so evil twin

10-0!!!

Okay, so I got home last night in time to have caught the last half of the game, but decided to just let the PVR handle it and watched a couple other shows instead (along with bits of the other games until my brother pointed out that they might flash the Flames - Red Wings score at some point). Couldn't chance that...


When I was watching the Ottawa- Pittsburgh game with a buddy of mine after our own game, a thing came up on the screen mentioning that the national broadcast would be the Vancouver game (since it was a 3-1 series), I had to make a quick call home. I hadn't actually set the PVR myself, but I had planned on calling my brother before the puck was supposed to drop and get him to do it. Apparently I didn't have to. Not only had he already set it, but he saw the announcement for the regional broadcast as well, and had set it for one of the few stations we get that was showing it (god bless time-shifting)...


Of course, when I did get home he spent the next hour and a half asking me if I wanted to know what the score was...


But that's alright, as he's a good enough brother to not actually spoil it for me. I'm kind of stunned that he would record it for me in the first place, given that he is frequently complaining about the Flames games I already have saved on it. But he's cool like that, I guess...


Since I couldn't use my Ritchie PVR picture (as he wasn't playing lst night), I had to create a new one with Langkow...


Of course, most of my PVR's record can be attributable to home games, so the real test will be Saturday afternoon in Detroit. I have a potential finals game in my one tournament at 3:00 and a round robin game in my other tournament at 4:30, so I will be missing the Flames game regardless. Let's just hope the record can carry through...


Go Flames!!!