Ryan "Guybrush" Smyth

The AP had a nice photo of Ryan Smyth leaving the Edmonton airport today. I think the guy was separated at birth from a certain insult-swordfightin' treasure-huntin' mighty pirate named Guybrush Threepwood.


How appropriate! You fight like a cow!

(Have I made history with the only hockey blog post referencing Monkey Island?)

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Building from the ground up

There is plenty of debate about who won and who lost at the trade deadline, but lost in the shuffle is the fact that the St. Louis Blues actually took a number of assets and turned it around into something very substantial for the future. Let's take a look at what came and went:

On the way out
Bill Guerin (RW)
Keith Tkachuk (LW)
Dennis Wideman (D)

In return
San Jose 2007 1st rounder
Atlanta 2007 1st rounder
Atlanta 2007 3rd rounder
Atlanta 2008 2nd rounder
Potential Atlanta 2008 1st rounder (if Tkachuk re-signs there)
Brad Boyes
Ville Nieminen
Glen Metropolit
Jay Barriball

Ville Nieminen and Glen Metropolit are, for better or worse, nothing but depth players and won't fit into the big picture. Brad Boyes, however, was considered a cornerstone of the Bruins franchise just one season ago. Sure, he's having a sophomore slump, but that's not exactly unusual for any player. Boyes has great passing vision and should learn a ton from being around a classy veteran who plays a similar style like Doug Weight. If all goes right, Boyes could develop into the Blues long-term top-line center in two or three seasons. By then, TJ Oshie's flashy skills may have developed into NHL-caliber abilities, giving the Blues two effective and creative centers.

Jay Barriball is an unknown commodity. He's only 5'9" but Martin St. Louis proved that with enough speed and dedication, you can still be a leader in the league at that size. Barriball is currently leading his NCAA team in scoring. Will that translate into something more? Who knows, but it's better than acquiring a prospect who is doing terribly, right?

Then there's the draft picks. The Blues will have three 1st rounders in the 2007 draft. While it's considered a weaker draft, that's still a ton of assets that could be packaged off into, well, pretty much anything. The Blues can take a look down the pipeline, get some feelers out there to see who's available, and offer up a dearth of assets for what they need. With unrestricted free agency getting lower and lower, it's become pretty easy to grab a player in his prime a la Chicago and Martin Havlat.

By signing Eric Brewer to an extension (who played much better in the second half of the season), the Blues have a pretty good foundation at D with him, Barrett Jackman, and Erik Johnson. Obviously any sort of turnaround will take at least a season, but the blueline should be stable for the future. This kind of depth made Wideman expendable, and I still can't understand why the Bruins gave up on Boyes so easily (other than the fact that the Bruins have a recent history of being pretty dumb).

The Blues management must have been listening to Morrissey singing "I know it's going to happen someday" these past few weeks because the groundwork is in place for some optimism. Since they only really gave up expendable assets, it's pretty easy to say that, it's easy to say that in a roundabout way, the St. Louis Blues were a winner at the trade deadline. Sure, they won't win the Cup this season or next season or maybe even five years from now, but what they've done is stockpiled potential in the form of quality young talent and picks. Of course, Andy Murray, John Davidson, and Larry Pleau still have to develop and manage those assets properly, but it's much better to start from a solid foundation instead of aimless floundering (like a certain Original Six team out of Boston).

And if nothing else, Blues fans can be happy with the fact that the team cut ticket prices for next season. Now, if only they could put in a few more of those "All you can eat!" nights.

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Semi, kinda, pseudo, not really liveblogging

It's 6:23 AM on trade deadline day! Woo hoo! And I've got to write about...mobile content backup and storage for a client. Sounds like fun, huh? Well, I've got too many meetings and stuff that pays the bills to be liveblogging, but this post will be updated at various times for any thoughts about big deals.

I have a 10 - 11 meeting today. Who's the dumbass that scheduled that one on trade deadline day?

In any case, I'll be posting thoughts here, so check back periodically. However, for full coverage, go to Kukla, Mirtle, or Spector.

Thought #1:
Jason Williams might never be a 40-goal guy but he's just a hair younger than Kyle Calder and has a bit more natural skill. He'll be a solid second-line guy for the Hawks, if not more. Assuming Michael Handzus and Martin Havlat will have healthy seasons next year, the Hawks will finally finally finally have just a tiny bit of depth up front. Not a ton, but it's better than nothing.

Thought #2:
It looks like Gary Roberts agreed to waive his NTC. Something about mentoring the best player of the next generation probably appealed to him. It's not like he'd ever get that chance again. Great move by the Pens, as this could only help steady their young team.

You know, if Roberts gets hold of that locker room and really gets all that talent to focus and be consistent, don't you think they might be able to get on a roll and be a sleeper pick out of the east?

Thought #3: Update 9:02 AM
Sabres fans, here's something for you to remember Martin Biron by. Philly fans, cue the Rocky theme.


Thought #4: Update 9:08 AM
SCREW YOU NASHVILLE AND ANAHEIM! WE GOT BILL GUERIN!

Thought #5: Update 11:34 AM
Anyone want to put a few coins down on how many games Todd Bertuzzi will actually play for Detroit? This seems like kind of a strange move, but I suppose the Wings wanted to add the requisite "grit" that seems to have caused them problems in the past few playoff seasons. Of course, Bertuzzi has to actually skate first.

Thought #6: Update 12:36 AM
Ryan Smyth to the Isles without getting Jason Blake in return. Gun stores in Edmonton suddenly spike in sales. On Long Island, they get the anti-Yashin -- tough, consistent, and a true leader. Does that make Yashin a better player?

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For your live trade deadline coverage...

...I recommend repeatedly visiting:

Paul Kukla -- for near-instant updates
Spector -- for rumors and updates
James Mirtle -- for live blogging analysis

As for me, I'll let these gentleman take the spotlight for Tuesday and I'll offer up my post-deadline thoughts afterwards.

In the meantime, Christy asked me 10 questions in case you ever wanted to know more about me.

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Way overdue update for Crappy Player Pick 'Em

Apologies all around, I know I'm way overdue for an update to the Crappy Player Pick 'Em. The leaderboard is now updated and we can all see that Eric Perrin, who was pulling up the rear before 2006 ended, has springboarded to the top. Similar to how the Lightning started off crappy and now are contending for the division title, Perrin wasn't getting a lot of playing time but now he's on the special teams and ripping up his fellow Crappy Players.

Todd Marchant is within striking distance but he's been bitten by the injury bug. Sorry Todd, there's no sympathy here -- better bug the boys for some ice time with Andy MacDonald and Teemu Selanne if you want to catch up.

Alanah and Jes were very confident in their respective picks of Dan Hinote and Branco Radivojevic who have been decidedly middle-of-the-road Crappy Players. I guess that just means that they'll have to focus on Robert Luongo being god-like (having four arms will help out with the whole goaltending thing) like their fellow Canucks fans.

Pulling up the rear, Jeff Friesen has finally managed to come close to breaking the double-digit mark. Only 60 more points and you'll meet up to the expectations given to you when you were traded for Teemu Selanne. Good job, Freeze.

My pick, Wayne Primeau, has been moved to Calgary and that has affected his motivation. You know, the whole packing and unpacking and dealing with moving vans and stuff. That explains why he's dropped from the top third to the middle of the pack.

Anyways, check out the latest standings to see how your player is doing with The Best of the Worst.

In real news, Keith Tkachuk was traded to Atlanta today. Finally, the Thrashers have some second-line depth to go with Marian Hossa, Ilya Kovalchuk, and Slava Kozlov. Combined with getting Alexei Zhitnik and I think the Thrash have helped themselves tremendously. Check out The Falconer for local analysis.

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Shane Doan: Loyal Or Dumb?

The Calgary Sun had a story today about how Shane Doan is content with his new five-year deal even though he could have been traded to a contender and potentially signed a more lucrative offer somewhere else. Some rumors floating around had Doan going to the Flames to play on a line with Jarome Iginla and Daymond Langkow (his former Phoenix teammate). Doan's take on the whole thing:

"It's something that crossed my mind," Doan said after yesterday's practice. "I look at Langks and Jarome (Flames forwards and buddies Daymond Langkow and Jarome Iginla), how they're doing and how much fun they're having, or some other good friends like Brendan Morrison and Roberto Luongo and it was very tempting to see if I could go to one of those kind of teams.

"But, I feel I owe Phoenix a bit of loyalty. They've kept me here this long and made me their captain. As much as we've been losing, I'm on the ice for that and have to take responsibility too for that."

"I want to see if I can win here."

Doan cites the fast turnarounds from perrenniel losers like Calgary (and probably Carolina and Tampa Bay as well) into Cup contenders as part of the reason he believes in Phoenix. He also has a well-known fierce sense of loyalty, which is good in many avenues but it can also mean that he's working with blinders on.

Doan points out that on paper, the Phoenix defense is one of the toughest in the league. And he's right -- when healthy, Ed Jovanovski, Derek Morris, Nick Boynton, Zbynek Michalek, and Keith Ballard are nothing to sneeze at, especially since Ballard and Michalek will only get better. However, they've given up the second-most goals in the Western Conference. Some of this is due to their rather atrocious goaltending (Curtis Joseph has been inconsistent, Mikael Tellqvist has a good record and played well but hasn't played like a savior) while a big part of this is that the defense has been injured and not always had the best chemistry.

A big part of his decision stemmed from a meeting with GM Mike Barnett and Coyotes CEO Jeff Shumway during which he was given a blueprint for what they believe will amount to long-term success.

So Doan believes that the Coyotes roadmap to success is the right one. The problem is Mike Barnett's made so many questionable roster moves over the past few seasons that it's hard to really figure out what the team really wants to be. Since taking over in August 2001, here's some of who Barnett signed as a free agent:

Brett Hull
Mike Ricci
Jeremy Roenick
Sean O'Donnell
Petr Nedved

He also traded Michael Handzus for Brian Boucher and Daniel Briere for Chris Gratton. Whoops. He was also the mastermind behind the big contract given to Brian "Mr. October" Savage. Double whoops.

The Coyotes don't have much in the cupboard either; While Peter Mueller is very promising, David Lenevue isn't going to be the goalie of the future, and most of Phoenix's prospects are second-liners at best. In fact, Hockey's Future only has Mueller in their top 50 prospect list and the team, despite a bevy of high draft picks from poor finishes, is in the bottom third of their organizational prospect list.

So, let's see...the team can't score, defense can't mesh, and the goaltending hope is based on the guy the Maple Leafs didn't want. And Doan thinks this is a plan for success?

Obviously, it's impossible to tell what will happen in the future. If Michalek, Travis Roche, and Ballard mature, Jovanovski gets healthy, and Boynton/Morris actually play to their capabilities, then the defense really should be strong for years to come. Other than that, it's a crapshoot. Ladislav Nagy's gone, Mike Comrie continuously underachieved before being traded, and Doan's best help comes guys over 30. That's not a good sign.

So, what's this grand plan that Mike Barnett has? Trade Oleg Saprykin for Sidney Crosby and Owen Nolan for Alex Ovechkin? Perfect stem cell research and de-age Wayne Gretzky so he can play like he's 26 again? Have Rick Tocchet put out hits on the opposing teams?

Who knows, but one thing's for sure -- Barnett must be a hell of a salesman if Doan was bought into his so-called master plan. Either that, or he's just loyal to a fault.

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Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

Just checking out my daily stats this evening and I came across something interesting. Apparently, my blog comes up when people search for...um...well, interesting topics:
The screencap didn't want to come out all that well but the middle entry says that someone got here by Googling "Sidney Crosby Naked" (which, by the very fact that I am typing it in here, means that Google will now forever archive this post with that phrase -- oh, the irony!).

I wonder if it was this woman who did it:

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Predators fans -- now's the time

Dear Nashville Predators fans,

I know you must be disturbed, annoyed, and/or frustrated by the way the media has zeroed in on how your team is awesome but not doing well in attendance. There's a lot of overture from the media about how Craig Leipold might have to ask the city for subsidies because support hasn't reached a certain level. There's other rumblings about what the Preds need to get revenue sharing support. And of course, there's whispers about eventually moving the franchise.

Yes, it's annoying. Yes, a lot of it falls on the shoulders of local corporate support. But now's the time for you to try and do something about this.

Look, the long-term survival of the Predators franchise really depends on corporate support. That's the reality of the NHL. But you can get corporate awareness by starting at the grass-roots level. There's a surge in local media awareness (positive coverage, that is) with the acquisition of Peter Forsberg. That's good. Forsberg's first home game was sold out. That's a step in the right direction. If more and more people start going to Predators games, talking Predators hockey on sports radio, then the media has to start covering them more -- basic supply and demand. If it gets more media attention, then corporations will see Preds games as a good investment to reward employees, take out vendors, etc. It's not an overnight fix, but you have to start somewhere.

As I write this (Sunday night), I just did a Ticketmaster search to see what seats are available for the next two home games. Against the Coyotes on Monday, you could still get four seats together at the second-to-cheapest level ($23 each). Against the Canadiens, you could still get four seats together at the very cheapest level ($15 each).

What's this mean? Well, from now till the end of the season, you have an opportunity to try and grow the Predators fan base on a grass roots level at a pretty cheap price.

Preds fans, if you want to do everything you can to keep your team, you gotta turn your non-hockey friends and family on to the team. They don't have to become hockey fans, but they damn well should become Predators fans. The team is doing everything they can with one of the fastest, most exciting teams on the ice with a legit claim at being the NHL's best. So, if you're planning on going to an upcoming game, don't just go with your usual hockey buddy. Turn a pair into three or four and bring a non-hockey person to the game. Take the time to explain the basic rules, like icing and offsides, before the game. Tell them how to watch the flow of the players rather than just following the puck. Tell them to watch Paul Kariya's wicked shot, Peter Forsberg's ability to stay on the puck and pass out of nowhere, and Steve Sullivan's killer speed.

Don't just take them to the game -- educate them so they can appreciate what's going on. We all know that watching live hockey is much better than televised hockey; if you get a good crowd igniting during an exciting game, the energy's contagious. And best of all, cheap tickets are available. Even your stingiest non-hockey fans can't really complain with $15 - $20 for a night out.

To put it bluntly, franchise movement sucks. It really does. Anyone who's grown to know and love a team, to watch them develop from a fledgling expansion franchise into one of the league's most feared, those individual fans never deserve to have their pride and joy ripped away from them, regardless of whatever market you're in.

Maybe Peter Forsberg can bring a Cup to Nashville. Maybe the Preds will sell out consistently like the Lightning now do. But the fact of the matter is that a very real cloud of uncertainty hangs over the Predators right now.

If you love your team, the best thing to do is to share that love in person with someone who doesn't know or understand the game. A great time out and a little knowledge about the rules and players can go a long way. Sure, this sort of thing is usually done by an organization on the grass roots level, but in some situations, dedicated fans have to chip in too -- especially if the team is on the brink of something special.

After all, every die-hard hockey fan has to start somewhere, right?

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Non-hockey post: Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles

Long-time readers of this blog probably have noticed that, for better or worse, I make random references to geeky sci-fi stuff. From my last few mentions of Robotech and its new sequel DVD, I surprisingly got some appreciative feedback on it. So, since this DVDisn't that well known and I have like five readers that fit in that crossover demographic of hockey fan/fellow sci-fi nerd, I'll indulge and give my thoughts on it. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, stop here...you'll be glad you did.

If, however, you're a sci-fi geek like myself that grew up with Robotech in the 1980s, go ahead and view the full post.

Let me be blunt -- Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles is FAR from perfect. I mean, really far from perfect. But it ain't half bad, really, and for anyone who wondered what the hell happened in the last episode of the series -- or if you went a level further and actually read the Jack McKinney Sentinels books, you'll really enjoy this. Don't worry, I won't put in any spoilers.

Let's start with what's bad about TSC. In case you don't know anything about the failed Sentinels project, it was supposed to be the original sequel that showed where Rick Hunter and co. disappeared to during the other two generations of the show. Basically, they went across the galaxy on a diplomacy mission and wound up having to fuck shit up in a war with the Invid. Along the way, they befriended some teddy bears and Amazon women (I'm not joking).

Of course, you wouldn't know this by watching TSC because , well, it's never explained. One of the main problems with TSC is that it tries to recap the entire original series in literally like two minutes, let alone any failed sequels. You'd think they could include a retrospective or something in the DVD, but it's not there -- you'll have to rely on your memory or the web for that. Consequently, they stick exposition, well, everywhere and with everyone. Long technobabble comes out of the mouths of almost every character and that makes a lot of the dialogue unnatural. Ok I get that they only had 90 minutes to try and explain a whole series and a new plot, but it'd be nice if the characters sounded like they were talking to EACH OTHER instead of like a lecture on the history of the show. There was a screening up in Berkeley prior to the DVD release that I was going to take my fiance to (she watched a few episodes of the DVD and is a big sci-fi nerd too) but I think it's good that she didn't go because she'd be really bored and confused.

One problem I noticed right away is that the quality of the animation isn't very good. I understand that they didn't have a big budget for this as it was really just a "testing the waters" project to see if the market was there, but still, the 2D animation is stiff and jerky. The 3D animation looks like bad CG (because it is); the actual movement and shot selection are fine, but the models look like supershiny boxes that aren't realistic at all. It's kind of strange because I've seen so many fan 3D models for Star Trek and Star Wars that look a bazillion times better than these that you'd think they could have easily done better than this.

Some of the "comic relief" is just bad. Bad bad bad. Really bad. Anything Alex Romero says is just awful. Even some of the exchanges between the cool characters (Vince Grant, Scott Bernard) are just mind-numbingly awful.

The script seems to be trying super hard not to refer to any original series characters not seen in the DVD. Rick Hunter gets a few lines, and Scott Bernard/Ariel get prominent roles. The Sterlings and Claudia Grant are alluded to, but that's it. Lisa Hayes could have ditched Rick for an alien for all we know. I understand how they don't want everything to be a cameo of original characters but a tiny mention in a throwaway line would at least let us know that these characters still exist.

The character designs aren't bad but the animators went bonkers with the female bodies. Every woman here has two watermelons on her chest. It almost looks like a little kid's charicature of boobies. I'm not sure why they went with this, but it really is stupid to the nth degree and kinda takes away from the integrity of the whole thing.

Ok, so that's the bad -- and I know it sounds pretty bad so far, but there is a lot of good. The story, which is the pilot for a new TV and/or DVD series, is really cool and it ties up a lot of the loose ends from the show while opening up a whole new plot. And really, story is what made Robotech so great in the first place. There's something all warm and fuzzy that happens when you see older Rick Hunter and Scott Bernard back for the first time. They got a ton of the original voice actors so it feels like everything's back from where it came.

The voice acting, overall, isn't bad. You can tell that some of the actors got lost in the exposition (Patrick Stewart they're not), but some of the meatier roles (Scott Bernard, Ariel) are really well done. The dude who voiced Roy Fokker is back as a general, which means that every time he talks you're going to think of Roy Fokker. Chase Masterson from Deep Space Nine plays Janice the android and she's essentially playing it like a cuter, perkier version of Data.

Overall, there are a LOT of things that aren't good about TSC, most of them probably due to budget, but the story -- which is the most important thing -- is strong and well executed. The pacing is pretty tight and the second half really gets going. By the end (with shots lifted directly out of The Empire Strikes Back), you'll be telling yourself, "Self, despite the bad animation and long-winded exposition, I enjoyed myself and want more." I'm hoping that if this is successful, they'll have the budget to improve on the animation and won't need as much exposition next time. It's a solid 7 out of 10 in my book and a definite must-see if you remember Robotech fondly at all.

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Forsberg traded/my prediction

On my last post, I said this:

My guess is that everyone will kick the tires on Forsberg (and hopefully not break his ankles in the process) but ultimately, Philly will get a 3rd/4th liner, a first rounder, and a medium-level prospect at best OR a top-level prospect and a 2nd round pick.

And according to TSN, Nashville just sent a first rounder, Scottie Upshall (young 3rd line agitator), Ryan Parent (defensive prospect), and a third rounder.

So, other than the third round pick, I got pretty close. I knew that two first rounders/Alex Radulov crap was just way too over the top.

Assuming Forsberg stays healthy, that's Forsberg/ Arnott/Legwand up the middle with Sullivan/Kariya/Radulov/Dumont/Hartnell/Erat on the wings. That's a pretty damn good mix-n-match of nine forwards.

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Please stop the crazy Forsberg rumors!

Peter Forsberg will get traded most likely. But, as Jim Kelley of Sportsnet puts it, some of the crap being thrown about right now is nuts (thanks to Kukla's Korner for the find):

The Buzz: Rumoured reports (seemingly the only kind left in the world of hockey these days) have it that Flyers Semi Interim General Manager Paul Holmgren has an offer for Peter Forsberg in his back pocket from Nashville that includes two first-round draft picks and emerging star forward Alexander Radulov.
The BACKHAND: Yeah and if you believe that you probably believe that Internet bloggers who refuse to put their name to their work are legitimate journalists.

Now, if you want a measuring stick for rent-a-players, you can look at Ladislav Nagy. Here's a guy who's in his prime, who's got a reputation for being soft but talented, and is a UFA. Nagy cost a first rounder and a mediocre prospect.

Forsberg is old, injury prone, and supremely talented -- and a UFA next season that commits to nothing. Is he worth more than twice what Nagy is? Talent-wise, sure, but if you factor in all the other stuff, there's no way Forsberg's pulling in two first rounders and a guy who would be a Calder candidate in most years.

If this was Joe Sakic we were talking about or someone else who had a clean bill of health, then maybe, just maybe you'd have a 1st rounder/top prospect with a conditional extra pick if he signs. But Forsberg's completely unpredictable besides his talent. For a team like Nashville -- a team that has been more than patient with a picks in the past -- throwing away a bluechipper who could contribute on his own right for a player that could get hurt two games into the playoffs is pretty unbelievable.

My guess is that everyone will kick the tires on Forsberg (and hopefully not break his ankles in the process) but ultimately, Philly will get a 3rd/4th liner, a first rounder, and a medium-level prospect at best OR a top-level prospect and a 2nd round pick.

What do you think Forsberg will go for? Feel free to speculate away in the comments.

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London Calling

With all the hullabaloo of a pair of Kings games (um...are they really the most marketable international team?) to be played at the new O2 Arena in London, it got me to thinking, erm, reminiscing about my time in London. Now I won't bore you with the fun stuff I did there -- though I did see Pulp live in Finsbury Park which is one of the highlights of my life -- but there is one surprising place to note where I ran into a random hockey fan.

Back in the late 90's, Sports Illustrated profiled a small London shop called Sportspages. The store was dedicated to books and magazines of all sports -- not just soccer/football and cricket, but sports from all over the world. In fact, SI noted that at least at that time, it was pretty much the only shop of its kind.

When I lived in London the first time for a study abroad program in 1998, I didn't make it out to Sportspages. The second time, when I worked as a bartender after graduating college in 2000, I made a note to stop by there just to see if it lived up to the hype.

Sportspages is nestled between a host of shops on Charring Cross road, about a mile from where my flat was at the time. It's pretty inconspicuous, or at least it was at that time seven years ago. Just a small shop with countless magazines and books lining the shelves. I walked in there and picked up a schedule for the now-defunct London Knights, London's hockey Superleague team that was going to start in a few weeks. The old gentleman behind the counter noticed what I was looking at and asked if I was a hockey fan.

We started talking about the Knights and hockey in general and I mentioned how I was a Sharks season ticket holder. His eyes instantly lit up and he asked me if I ever thought Patrick Marleau would ever live up to his potential.

Now, of all the strange conversations I could have several thousand miles from home, I would have never thought I'd be talking with a British shopkeeper about whether or not Patrick Marleau would be good. We talked about how frustrating he could be with his consistency -- though I'm sure the old fellow is plenty impressed with the Sharks captain these days. He told me that he loved how Owen Nolan played and thought that Vincent Damphousse was a "poof" (not the nicest term in British slang) for wearing a face shield.

He also mentioned that he was a huge Red Wings fan which goes to show you that they really are everywhere. He said that once a season, he flies out to Detroit to catch a game at Joe Louis Arena.

At the end of our conversation, he said that he had tickets to the Knights and he'd take me to a game if I'd like. Unfortunately, I had already booked my flight back and would miss the season opener by about two weeks. It was too bad too, since I would have been able to nab a kick-ass Knights jersey to confuse folks back home. Still, I appreciated the offer and it just goes to show you that hockey fans, no matter where they are, are as passionate as they come. If you go to London to catch the Kings game or just for fun, make sure you stop by Sportspages. You just might find a person starving for some hockey conversation.

Oh, and another note about London -- when I was there, there were a number of small sports/fashion shops and stands off Oxford street. Most of there stuff was soccer-related but almost every one of them had a number of replica hockey jerseys for 20 pounds (about $35). I don't know if they were in style at the time or what, but I got one of the really ugly old Coyotes home jerseys cheaper than I had ever seen. It might have been a knock-off but it still had the CCM tags on it.

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USA Hockey: The Next Generation

USA Hockey recently announced a new braintrust of NHL GMs to oversee the selection of international teams. Don Waddell (Atlanta), Ray Shero (Pittsburgh), Brian Burke (Anaheim), and David Poile (Nashville) all come into the picture at a very interesting transitionary phase. Waddell oversaw the Torino team that failed to do much of anything, but it wasn't really his fault -- with a batch of aging veterans and players that wouldn't make the cut on some other international squads, Team USA was caught in no-man's land. Now with Vancouver 2010 looming upon us, these guys are moving towards the next generation of USA Hockey's mainstays. It's a little different from the swagger of Roenick and Modano to say the least. Here's a quick overview of where USA Hockey's been and is going.

The Past
Mike Modano, Bill Guerin, Keith Tkachuk, and Doug Weight are still reasonably effective. Jeremy Roenick and Tony Amonte are on their last legs, while Chris Chelios will probably be playing until he's got a walker with skate blades on it. The less-than-dynamic duo of Mike Dunham and Robert Esche didn't really cut it after the Mike Richter era, and the glories of the 96 World Cup/98 Chair Tossing Championship are just about wiped away.

The Present
Now let's make one thing clear -- none of these players are bad, per se. I don't think you'll find a single NHL GM who wouldn't take them on their team. But compared to Russia or Canada, most of the best American players in their prime are, well, first line NHLers but second line international team forwards. Chris Drury, Erik Cole, Brian Rolston, Brian Gionta, and Scott Gomez are nothing to sneeze at while David Legwand and Zach Parise have to prove that they're finally fulfilling their potential -- still, compared to the forward riches of other countries, it's a bit underwhelming. Are Jason Blake and Chris Clark one-year wonders? Maybe not, but even their respectable point totals this season wouldn't earn them a sniff at Team Canada.

On defense, you've got Brian Rafalski and Jordan Leopold (when healthy) still chewing up minutes while John-Michael Liles is coming into his own and the overlooked Tom Preissing is a ridiculous +30 out in Ottawa. Solid, but not spectacular, right? In the pipes, however, Team USA is strong with Rick Dipietro and Ryan Miller providing tandem that's going to be tough to beat. So when looking ahead, USA's strength is from the goal out -- and considering the way single-elimination tournaments go, that's a good place to be.

The Future
Miller and Dipietro will anchor Team USA for the next decade or so in net, and they'll have a very strong defense in front of them. Matt Carle's already one of the Sharks' top defenseman and the former Hobey Baker award winner hopes to be the second coming of Brian Leetch -- smooth skating, passing vision, and a natural instinct. Carle will be joined by Erik Johnson and Jack Johnson, two extremely talented blueliners who bring size and grit to their game (and have already irritated Canadian fans with their sandpaper-esque play during the World Junior Championships). Ryan Suter, already getting plenty of playing time in Nashville, has shown flashes of being a top-flight defenseman as well.

Up front, the charge will be led by Phil Kessel, who is off to a slow start in his NHL career but has overcome the adversity of testicular cancer. From there, the depth is hit and miss; Robbie Schremp may turn into a 70-80 point NHL player but it's no sure thing. Bobby Ryan is highly touted and could be Team USA's premier power forward. Other players, such as Patrick O'Sullivan, Peter Mueller, T.J. Oshie, and Kyle Okposo are in the pipeline; however, the bottom line is that the Americans don't have any homerun prospects a la Sidney Crosby. Kessel is the closest thing (at least in terms of hype) but he hasn't made the immediate impact many observers were hoping for.

The bottom line is that Team USA's future is built from the net out. With a blueline that should be one of the strongest in international competition and NHL-proven goaltending, Team USA should recover from the rather embarrassing showing at Torino. The question will be up front; Waddell, Poile, Burke, and Shero will have to hope that Drury, Rolston, and Cole will still be scoring effectively and their fingers will be crossed that Kessel, Ryan, Schremp, et al will have reached their potential.

Still, defense and goaltending win championships and USA Hockey's got a bright future in that department. And if they need some offense, well, maybe they can steal Anze Kopitar -- I hear Slovenia doesn't have a very good international hockey team.

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The true form of LUON-GOD

Zanstorm over at Waiting for Stanley created a very disturbing picture of Roberto Luongo and Taylor Pyatt in a naked religious moment. This is the dawning of the age of LUON-GOD.

However, I've discovered an ancient secret about LUON-GOD. There's a reason why LUON-GOD makes so many saves. It's not just speed or strength or positioning. No, LUON-GOD has something other goalies don't have...extra appendages:

Worship LUON-GOD -- or fear his four-armed wrath! Zanstorm, JJ, Alanah, and all you other Canucks bloggers, eat your heart out.

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Shopping Shanahan?

(Note: This is speculation -- not rumor! Don't take it as such, please!)

It wasn't that long ago that things were mighty rosy on Broadway. The Rangers had the league's leading scorer, started off the season in first place, and Brendan Shanahan looked as good as he did ten years ago. Sure, Henrik Lundqvist was a little shaky, but things were rolling and life was good.

Now the Rangers are teetering on the brink of another non-playoff season. Everyone's calling for a firesale out of Philadelphia, Boston, and even Toronto, but wouldn't it make a little sense for the Rangers to trade off their assets?

The Rangers top-four scorers all have solid totals, and on paper the combination of Jaromir Jagr, Michael Nylander, Martin Straka, and Shanahan looks pretty strong. However, it's no secret that Jagr and Shanahan are essentially in the last 2-3 years of their careers. Nylander and Straka are over 30, and then what?

Petr Prucha is the Rangers' best young player and he had an impressive rookie debut. A sophomore slump has him with only 12 goals so far this season, but one has to think Prucha's talent should help him at least be a solid second liner in the long run, if not more. After that...well, unless Marcel Hossa gets a DNA injection from his brother Marian, it's pretty slim pickings for the Rangers forward youth. Simply put, the Rangers future up front isn't pretty.

On the blueline, Fedor Tyutin has performed below expectations and Michal Rozsival's not bad as he approaches 30. Karel Rachunek can be a #3 or #4 guy at best, and Marc Staal has the potential to be an impact player just like his brothers. The Rangers aren't terrific on defense, but they're not bad considering their lack of name players -- their goals-against is around the top third of the league, and they should get better with time.

In net, the Rangers remain strong. Despite some inconsistency from Lundqvist, no one doubts that he'll be a #1 goalie, and Al Montoya remains a top prospect. So the real question is who will score for the Rangers? If Jagr's hurt or unhappy, it won't be him. Shanahan will give it his all, but he's only got a little gas left in the tank. After that, the well's run a little dry.

In theory, even if the Rangers got on a roll, their window for Stanley Cup contention is two years at best thanks to the ages of their top forwards. If they fall out of the playoff picture, suddenly all that money looks like a big fat waste. So, what's Glen Sather to do? With the trade deadline just a few weeks away, everyone's whispering the names of Mats Sundin and Peter Forsberg, but should the Rangers be sellers?

The strongest trade asset Sather has is Shanahan. Now Shanahan may not want to move, but he'll bring a lot back in return. This is a guy who's still in the hunt for the Richard trophy, even at age 37. He's a warrior, a natural leader, and a guy that pretty much everyone likes in the locker room. He can help a power play and he can punch in dirty goals. For any team needing skill, grit, and leadership -- even for just one year -- trading for Shanahan could mean the difference between a long run and a quick exit. Plus, he's a free agent after this season, so there's no long-term salary cap impact. It's simply a Cup-or-bust move a la Doug Weight last year.

Because Shanahan brings all those qualities to the table, if Glen Sather leaked that he was available you can be certain that a bidding war would start. I'd be that Shanahan's trade value is much higher than Peter Forsberg's (due to Forsberg's injury history), and the Rangers could get some quality youth in return.

I'm not as certain with Jagr, who has a history of disappearing when he's not motivated. Jagr's stated that he loves playing for Tom Renney and he loves New York. With his wild mood swings (cue the Cure's underrated album of the same name), teams may be hesitant to trade for him.

The Rangers have some other trade possibilities, such as Montoya, but no one would start a bidding war faster than Shanahan. You'd get some GMs tripping over themselves just to prevent rival teams from getting him. Shanahan's stated that he's happy in New York, but Glen Sather may want to look at the bigger picture -- trade him, get a ton in return, then try to bring him back next season to finish what he started.

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