SB Nation - Chris Summers

The Phoenix Coyotes Top Prospect: Brandon Gormley

Carl Putnam — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 19:00:10 -0000

With apologies to player's who have had a cup of coffee or two already in Glendale like Chris Summers, Michael Stone, and Andy Miele, the Phoenix Coyotes' number one prospect is Brandon Gormley. The 20 year old defenseman from Murray River, PEI was assigned to Portland by the team prior to the lockout. However, once the NHL resumes operations expect Gormley to be fighting to join the Coyotes blueline corps. He has all the tools to be a successful top pair blueliner in the NHL. His only obvious weaknesses at the moment are a lack of pro experience and a not quite filled out body frame. Both issues will be taken care of in time.

The blueliner's two way skills have been apparent from an early age. He was the first pick in the 2008 QMJHL draft. Two years later the Coyotes made him the 13th overall pick in the 2010 NHL draft. Just before Phoenix drafted him he was named the winner of the Mike Bossy award which goes to the best pro prospect in the QMJHL. Gormley came back strong last season after suffering a serious knee injury in the 2010-11 junior season which caused him to not only miss a fair amount of his junior season, but also the 2011 World U-20 Championships.

Gormley made a strong run at making the big club last Fall before the Coyotes reassigned him to his junior team late in camp. Unlike the year before Gormley was healthy when the 2012 World U-20 Championships came around. He was the most dominant defenseman in the tournament and was named to the all-tournament team and was named the tourney's best defenseman. Shortly after the tournament he was traded by the Moncton Wildcats, the QMJHL team who had drafted him, to the Shawinigan Cataractes. While Gormley wound up getting injured again not long after the trade. This time it was a foot problem. However, the trade wound up working out extremely well for the Coyotes' prospect in the end. In his second trip to the Memorial Cup Tournament, Canada's junior hockey championship, the young defender wound up on the 2012 Memorial Cup winning squad. He recorded 3 goals and 6 assists in 6 games during the tournament.

The Spotlight Is On... Coyotes Prospects Who Could Make the Jump: Defensemen

Brendan Porter — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 22:00:05 -0000

Last week we looked at some of the best Phoenix Coyotes prospects who could make an impact in the NHL this year. This week we will look at the Coyotes defensive corps. When it comes to blueliners, the 'Yotes have one of the deepest pools of talent in the NHL, but with the 1st-5th defensemen largely settled, there will be a lot of competition for the last two spots. Read on after the jump to see the favorites and dark horses to round out the Coyotes D in 2012-13...

The Favorites

David Schlemko - Schlemko is easily the most experienced of the defensemen fighting for a roster spot this year. Schlemko has seen significant NHL time in each of the past three seasons (17 games in 09-10, 43 games in 10-11, and 46 games in 11-12). During those games, Schlemko has also put up a respectable 30 points (6G, 24A) and had good chemistry with guys like Rostislav Klesla, the player he'd likely be paired up with on the 3rd pairing. His NHL proven game likely makes him the front runner for that 6th spot.

Chris Summers - Chris Summers has seen NHL action before: he played 2 games in 2010-11 and played an extended period of 21 games in 2011-12. Summers is a big guy who can play a very physical game on defense, but doesn't bring to the table the same offensive capability as his counterparts. Also working against him: the Coyotes coaching staff opted to go with Michael Stone down the stretch when he was available. He will likely be going into training camp with something to prove.

Michael Stone - Stone got his first NHL action towards the end of the 2011-12 season, and it was his performance then that put him up with the favorites instead of the dark horses. He was an impressive +7 with 3 points in 13 games, and was penciled into the line-up in the Western Conference Finals against the Los Angeles Kings, despite having not played since the Coyotes' regular season finale. Stone has clearly won over much of the Coyotes coaching staff; a strong training camp could earn him a permanent spot on the 23 man roster.

The Dark Horses

David Rundblad - Acquired from Ottawa in the trade for Kyle Turris, Rundblad plays like a less refined Keith Yandle. He has a lot of offensive ability but needs to improve on the defensive side of the puck. The Coyotes will almost certainly want to keep him down in Portland so he can continue to work on his game. At 21, he has plenty of time to get it right.

Brandon Gormley - Sarah McClellan of the Arizona Republic thinks Gormley is on the inside track to make the Coyotes roster this season, and it's easy to see why. The Coyotes 1st overall pick in 2010 has all the makings of a top pair defenseman, with excellent play-making skills, physicality, and perhaps most importantly, the ability to quarterback the power play. I wouldn't be surprised to see Gormley make his NHL debut sometime this season, but having only played 4 AHL games in his entire career the Coyotes may want to give him a little more time to get acclimated to professional hockey, especially given their already substantial depth on the blueline.

Maxim Goncharov - The Russian defenseman has been around the organization for a while, having been drafted in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. He even managed to get called up to the Coyotes for a stretch early in the season, but only saw time in the press box before going back to Portland. Much like Summers, Goncharov is a hard-hitting defenseman who can cause havoc with opposing forecheckers, but doesn't have the same killer offensive instincts and has been known to cough up some bad turnovers.

The Verdict

Much like on offense, the Coyotes will probably only have two spots open, and one of those will likely only see sporadic action as the 7th defenseman. I think David Schlemko is in the best position to earn a more regular spot in the Coyotes line-up, and I believe Michael Stone will end up joining him to round out the blueline.

My projected defensive roster for the 2012-13 Phoenix Coyotes:

Michalek-Ekman-Larsson
Yandle-Morris
Klesla-Schlemko
Stone

Next week we will look at the Coyotes prospects in net and where they will likely end up to start the 2012-13 season.

Poll

Who will be the 6th defenseman for the Coyotes in 2012-13?

David Schlemko

39 votes

Chris Summers

4 votes

Michael Stone

14 votes

Other (Make your case in the comments section)

9 votes

66 votes | Poll has closed

Vikings Opponents: NFC North Roster Developments

Arif Hasan — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 18:00:14 -0000

With the first set of roster cuts due within the week—August 27th, at 3:00 PM—teams across the NFL are starting to finalize their roster positions. Of particular interest to Vikings fans are not just the developments at home, but the evolution of rosters within the division.

That said, I've taken a look at the NFC North roster battles for the last few days to help fans get a more complete understanding of how the division has played out in this past offseason.

The preseason has given us some gems as well as some red herrings, and I've done my best to suss out the most likely outcomes and what they mean for Vikings fans.

It's a long read (longer than my usual style—over 6000 words), so be prepared. This will go over every position on all three rosters, and in particular identify weaknesses. Leslie Frazier's coaching style more often dictates taking away strengths than weaknesses, but the blueprint for beating these particular teams lies in making sure that we know both.

We'll start out with our age-old rival, the Green Bay Packers, followed by the Chicago Bears and finishing up with the Detroit Lions.

Green Bay Packers:

Offense

If you've been paying attention to the Packers this offseason, you may have noticed a few issues with their offense; Rodgers is 8 for 19 and has thrown one interception with one touchdown. Packers fans are not worried for the same reason that Vikings fans should not be excited. While the struggles are real, there's no reason not to think that he won't continue to dominate the league come the regular season.

Everyone seems convinced that Rodgers' backups (Graham Harrell and B.J. Coleman) are terrible, but that's probably not relevant. I'll agree that there are major concerns at backup QB, but relying on that for our divisional games is a bit much.

Jordy Nelson still looks great for them and Aaron Rodgers will probably get his groove back by the time the season starts proper.

Also on the wide receiver front, practice squad holdover Diondre Borel is back in action from his injury and Packers fans are looking forward to his competition with other practice squad holdover Tori Gurley, who was impressive before his injury. Word on the street is that physical specimen Dale Moss isn't extraordinarily impressive in camp—seems to have trouble getting open or catching the ball. He and Jarret Boykin are considered potential PS candidates. The Packers are deep at wide receiver, and still have veterans Donald Driver, James Jones and Greg Jennings. Alongside them, they have former rookie phenom Randall Cobb, who has been a tad worrisome in camp.

The Packers' tight ends aren't bad by any means, and Jermichael Finley may be returning to form after his quad strain, particularly in red zone situations. They also seem to like D.J. Williams, who has been catching the football left and right in practice. Williams is competing with Tom Crabtree for the #2 spot, but it seems that Crabtree has been making many more mistakes in the passing game, but is their best blocking TE. Ryan Taylor had a few camp highlights, including knocking over a blocking sled, but will likely make the team because of special teams performance.

As for their offensive line, the Packers are in the same spot we are when it comes to the second offensive line versus the first one. Worrisome for them. From what I hear, they have a big, big reason to worry if Marshall Newhouse goes down (he just came back . From my understanding, their third guard (Evan Dietrich-Smith) is good, and that's about it for their backup linemen. The Packers have a great guard in Josh Sitton, and T.J. Lang is better than average.

Jeff Saturday might be on his way to the Hall of Fame, but it remains to be seen if he can continue his excellent play in Green Bay. No complaints so far, it seems. While I have not personally been extremely impressed with Bryan Bulaga, the majority of Packers fans are—they know better, so I'll trust them.

We all know the Packers' running backs have neither been a focus of their offense nor their FO. They don't have great running backs by any means, but what is more worrisome is the injury issue. Both starting running back James Starks and second back Brandon Saine are out with injuries, which in part motivated the signing of Cedric Benson, who may end up looking better than Starks after all.

The injury situation was such that Cobb was taking RB snaps in shotgun, including duties in pass protection.

Defense

Ryan Pickett and B.J. Raji are back. Observers seem keen on both of them and think that they'll return to what they're good at. C.J. Wilson is expected to start alongside them, and is not as good, but solid.

Backups Mike Neal and Anthony Hargrove* will begin the season on suspension, but seem to be serviceable.

Rookie Jerel Worthy looks good, but not enough to overtake anyone. He's starting in their nickel (2-4-5) package. Rookie Mike Daniels is a surprise and a penetrator. Expect him to make the roster and get rotated in somewhat frequently.

At linebacker, only one real development, which is that D.J. Smith could start. He's reportedly looking very good and Hawk should be worried, unless Desmond Bishop (who has a torn hamstring) stays out of the lineup. Rob Francois is also looking good, much to Hawk's chagrin. Backing up the inside linebacker spots could be Terrell Manning and Jamari Lattimore, although Lattimore will reportedly make it on his special teams play. Not much has been said about Manning.

On the outside are Clay Matthews (no surprise) and rookie Nick Perry, who is apparently flashing quite a bit of potential. The one-game suspension of Erik Walden shouldn't keep him out of the lineup, but he's a backup.

Vic So'oto isn't likely to make the team, but UDFA Dezman Moses apparently will. Brad Jones is also potentially going to make the team, largely as a result of his special teams skill.

At cornerback, Charles Woodson has potentially completed his transition to safety (who remains the nickel/slot corner) and Tramon Williams is expected to start opposite sophomore Davon House, who was looking impressive, until an injury had sidelined him. House is a physical corner like Chris Cook, and generally has the speed to cover. He'll return by Week 1, and should start. If not, Casey Hayward and Jarrett Bush have been competing for the first team spot and no clear winner has emerged.

Hayward had been looking unimpressive until very recently. He likes to make plays on the ball, but is inconsistent. Bush, on the other hand, is a much better tackler and blitzer than he is in coverage. It seems as if he doesn't offer nearly as much upside as Hayward or playmaking ability, but could provide some level of consistency. Bush has been doing well on special teams and is expected to make the team even if he ends up on the bottom of the depth chart due to that special teams play.

With Woodson at safety is Morgan Burnett, who doesn't look like he's making waves among the Packer faithful. Backing them up or rotating in on subpackages are Jerron McMillian who plays physically and veteran M.D. Jennings. Jennings is the current favorite to take the nickel safety snaps when Woodson rotates down to slot coverage, but is unimpressive. McMillian is still progressing, but the rookie could end up taking the job from Jennings later in the season. It's clear that this is a problem for them.

UDFA Sean Richardson looks quite good and may make the roster because of his size and speed, along with potentially good special teams play.

Overall, I expect the Packers to regress, but key players like Jordy Nelson and Clay Matthews to improve. While probably still the best team in the division, I don't expect them to be the world-beaters they once were, or even the best team in the NFL.

Their weaknesses seem to potentially include the thin offensive line, a young secondary and maybe some weakness with run defense—I never liked what I saw out of Pickett (or rather, I really enjoyed seeing him), but he may have been misused. We'll see.

Every team improves in every offseason, but let's just say the Packers may have improved less than most other teams.

Green Bay are a bit injury-riddled overall. Among the current injured:

RB James Stark (turf toe - several weeks) RB Brandon Saine (hamstring - about a week), RB Duane Bennett, FB Jon Hoese (hamstring - no timetable), CB Davon House (shoulder - several weeks), LB Desmond Bishop (hamstring - potentially season-ending), LB Frank Zombo (hamstring - on PUP for now), WR Shaky Smithson (ankle - unknown), OT Andrew Datko (shoulder - several weeks), OT Ray Dominguez (ankle - several weeks), OT Derek Sherrod (leg - several weeks/on PUP), TE Andrew Quarless (leg - several weeks), TE Eric Lair (knee - on IR), and DT Johnny Jones (knee - on PUP for now).

Just returning to practice alongside Finley were FB John Kuhn (ankle), WR Greg Jennings (concussion) and CB Sam Shields (elbow).

Seriously, these folks missed 21 players at practice once because of injuries.

This is a literal sentence I read: "With only 13 non-participants on Sunday, it was the healthiest practice the team conducted in weeks"

The Chicago Bears:

Offense

Best known for their return specialist Devin Hester, Chicago sports a somewhat complete roster.

At quarterback, they have the ever-underrated Jay Cutler, who passed for 2300 yards in 10 games despite one of the league's worst offensive lines and a depleted receiver corps.

An excellent scrambler—something that may have saved his life—he also throws well on the run and goes through reads quickly. If allowed time, he'll usually find his man. The Redskins game is good evidence of that.

Conversely, the primary backup, Jason Campbell has exhibited a tendency to hold the ball on too long, but has been accurate in preseason play, helped along with the size and skill of Alshon Jeffery. He takes a while to get through his reads, but is otherwise an OK quarterback.

The controversy here seems to be between the relatively terrible play of the third QB on the roster Josh McCown and the good play of the camp body, Matt Blanchard. In all honesty, neither of them are incredible, but Blanchard has impressed more with his reads and decisiveness in the pocket under pressure. It seems unlikely that Blanchard makes the roster, but McCown isn't sitting pretty.

The receivers have been upgraded in a significant way. It seems as if return maven Devin Hester will focus once more on returns and less on receiving like last season, but they are testing him in preseason games to see if he can once again cut it as a receiver. He has looked better than ever, which is to say pretty average.

Brandon Marshall's excellent play has continued in Chicago to no one's surprise and a 1200+ yard season seems well within reason.

Earl Bennet continues to showcase his excellent hands and is expected to be the slot receiver in 3-wide packages.

Alshon Jeffery has shown excellent play in the preseason and will see first team snaps very soon opposite Brandon Marshall, which means the two starting receivers are significantly different than last year, and should provide a new spark to the offense. Jeffery has displayed speed and good adjustment to the ball, but his body control stood out in the preseason.

The last receiver that is expected to make the roster is another special teams ace, Eric Weems. The idea is to create a return corps that is dangerous regardless of who is out. He can also perform excellently as a gunner, and accumulated 123 all-purpose yards against the Redskins, despite not playing at full strength due to injury. He returns with a different style than Hester (more head-on into the blocks, and with less elusiveness), and that change could give them an added dynamic.

It looks like Dane Sanzenbacher, journeyman/veteran Rashied Davis and undrafted free agent Chris Summers will need to show much more in the preseason to make the team. Summers seems to have a good chance of making the practice squad and has been surprising in his athleticism, ability to make plays and good control of his 6'5" frame. His fumble in the last game hurts him significantly. If the WR roster is expanded to six, Sanzenbacher seems to have the inside track, as he has had a pretty good camp.

At tight end, rookie Evan Rodriguez has been impressing as a receiver and apparently has some fairly abysmal blocking. He's been playing all over the line and in the backfield, like an H-Back, and can run routes from anywhere. He's currently practicing with the third team behind Matt Spaeth and Kellen Davis. Both of them are relatively well-rounded, but tend to be better at blocking. Chicago plans to involve tight ends in a more dynamic manner, as blockers and receivers.

Spaeth will likely be asked to block much more, while Davis provides more flexibility. If they keep a fourth tight end, it will be Kris Adams, but that seems unlikely at the moment. Kris Adams has been doing well in the preseason, but not nearly as well as Rodriguez.

The Bears are very good with their running back positions, and it seems as if power back Michael Bush is being used exactly how pundits predicted; as a goal-line and third-down back. Bush impressed fans with his agility as well, and demonstrated an ability to make people miss with good footwork. Forte remains shifty and will continue to be a pass-catching option off the backside of plays. It does not seem as if either Forte or Cutler have residual issues with their respective injuries.

If they keep three backs, it looks like it will be Tyler Clutts, who plays more as a fullback than anything else. The Bears have used him in short-yardage, too, so that remains an option. Harvey Unga is also a fullback, but seems to be losing the spot to superior blocking by Clutts.

As for a fourth back, which seems much more likely, Lorenzo Booker and Armando Allen offer change-of-pace options with quick and agile running styles, while Kahlil Bell also competing for the last spot as a relatively complete, if not entirely talented, back. The fourth spot will be determined as much by need as by talent. If they want a scat-back, it seems as if Booker is ahead in that competition.

The offensive line remains a mess, but the return of Gabe Carimi should help their right side more than most give the Bears credit for. At times, the line looked good in the preseason, although Chicago is still experimenting because they aren't sold (correctly) on their starters. Left tackle J'Marcus Webb has been under particular scrutiny. That backup Chris Williams hasn't outright beaten Webb for the spot speaks more to the poor depth at left tackle and less to Williams' ability. Against the Redskins, they both looked OK, but the Bears would like to see more.

Chris Spencer is playing a little out of position at left guard, but seems to be playing badly enough for backup Chilo Rachal to seriously challenge him for the position. For what it's worth, Rachal is looking better, but the final decision has not yet been made. Expect Week 3 to be a big determinant of this position as well.

Williams offers versatility on the line, so it seems that he would move around in case of injury, and J'Marcus would reprise his role at left tackle.

Roberto Garza seems set at center, and while I haven't heard much of him or seen tape, I'm not confident in him at all. It could be because he had poor help, but the Chicago line saw quite a bit of interior pressure. More worrisome, he may have been one of the worst run-blocking linemen I have seen.

As far as I can tell, Lance Louis is now taking snaps at right guard, the position he was at in 2010. Louis is just bad, and it seems as if no one is going to root him from that spot.

James Brown seems to be doing well for himself in grabbing the other backup spot, and is being developed as a left tackle. While not up to an NFL level yet, the Bears reportedly like his potential here.

Defense

As for the defense, Chicago is not in an extraordinarily different place.

At defensive end, Pro Bowler Julius Peppers will continue at right defensive end, but Israel Idonije might find himself kicking inside on a number of downs to undertackle while the preseason phenom Shea McLellin takes some spots at left defensive end. McLellin is getting good pressure inside, but we haven't seen his play against starting level linemen. Nevertheless, the indications are that he is going to shape up to be quite a good football player.

Based on preseason play, Israel Idonije is looking much better than before and could be the Brian Robison to Julius Peppers' Jared Allen.

The fact that Henry Melton has defensive end experience might mean trouble for players hoping to make the roster at DE, because his flexibility gives the Bears allowance to invest roster space elsewhere. Nevertheless, look for Corey Wootton to make the roster. He has been having a good camp and can generate a good pass rush on occasion, but is injured. Nevertheless, the Bears reportedly like what they see.

If given one more defensive end spot, as seems likely, Chauncey Davis is doing better than competitor Thaddeus Gibson, and both had been on the squad in 2011.

It seems as if Cheta Ozougwu may pick up a practice squad spot at defensive end. Depth is good.

At defensive tackle, the Bears really like Henry Melton at undertackle, although predictions of a double-digit sack season may be off. He had seven last year, and a very good amount of pressure, so it is certainly a possibility.

Strongman Stephen Paea is set to start at nose tackle, although his injury has allowed Matt Toeaina to shine. Still, unless Toeaina produces in a big way for the next two games, Paea is likely the starter.

Besides Toeaina, Brian Price looks good, and is enormous. He might be used in both tackle positions, but is really best suited at the nose. Other than that, Nate Collins had been disruptive in the Redskins game and could nail down the final DT on the roster. Chicago has good defensive tackle depth, and it is relatively versatile. Price seems to be a better run-stopper, and both were threats in the passing game (again, against backups).

At linebacker, the Bears are in an interesting place, with middle linebacker Brian Urlacher having gone into surgery to scope his knee in response to swelling that occurred during training camp. His knee is sore, and it looks like he'll be out of contention for a few weeks. Nick Roach is normally the replacement for Urlacher, and he slides from the Sam position to play Mike. While I don't know Roach's skillset at the middle, he's been a serviceable strongside 'backer with some coverage issues.

However, it seems as if Nick Roach moved back over to the strongside against the Redskins, and journeyman Blake Costanzo took middle linebacker snaps. Some Bears beat reporters are indicating that this means that Urlacher's return will be sooner rather than later, but it could be an indication that Geno Hayes is not a viable replacement at the Sam. I find the first hypothesis much more likely than the second, as Hayes has proved to be a backup-level outside linebacker (with serious questions in the run game), and Roach would likely perform much better than Costanzo, who has had extremely limited snaps throughout his career.

Moreover, Hayes (who generally plays on the weak side) has been looking alright in camp and in the preseason, which doesn't seem to be the case for Costanzo.

These rotations indicate that it is very likely that Hayes and Costanzo make the roster, with Hayes backing up both Roach and Pro Bowler Lance Briggs at the weak side.

Roach is definitively the weakest of the extremely strong linebacking corps, and he's a better than average outside linebacker. Briggs and Urlacher proved last season that they both still have serious wheels, although Urlacher's injury could cause some big problems near the beginning of the season.

If Costanzo's position were under threat, it would be by Dom DeCicco, although Costanzo is a better special teamer. As it is, DeCicco will likely make the roster and gives some depth to a linebacker corps that has one injury worry. It is still potentially one of the best linebacker groups in the league.

At cornerback Charles Tillman continues to retain the starting position, and he's pretty good. Not great, but a pretty solid corner that will make the occasional mistake. Lining up opposite him is a competition between Tim Jennings and Kelvin Hayden. It seems as if Jennings has this for the most part locked up, but Hayden is close on his heels.

Tim Jennings was an alright cornerback last year and should beat out Hayden easily. His inability to close down on the spot doesn't bode well for him or his skill, and his slight inconsistency could be a huge problem in the future. Hayden is not as good as advertised and has given up an unfortunate amount of catches, yardage and scoring plays over his career to reliably be called a good starter.

D.J. Moore will make the team, and is an average level back-up. He doesn't look much different than before, and that's fine. For the fifth corner, special teamer Johnathan Wilhite is presumed to be a lock, although rookies Greg McCoy and Isaiah Frey also look good on special teams and could be better in coverage than Wilhite.

Because Wilhite has not been impressive in camp or the preseason, McCoy or Frey could grab the 5th spot. Frey, the sixth-round pick looks better in play than McCoy, the seventh-rounder, and McCoy is expected to be a practice squad player. As it stands, their corner play is average.

More worrisome is their safety situation. Both Brandon Hardin and Chris Conte sustained injuries against the Redskins, with Hardin's injury looking a bit more serious. Conte's shoulder injury appears to have gone away, but concerns remain about Hardin's neck injury as he left on a stretcher. There is a possibility that Hardin starts the season on PUP, and the team won't know for another two weeks as tests continue to run.

Both play the free safety position, with Conte generally expected to start. Major Wright is on the opposite side of the field at the strong safety, although the distinctions are meaningless in the base coverage. Both Conte and Wright are below-average safeties and could be the biggest weakness on the defense. Neither of them are known for man coverage, either.

With Hardin potentially starting on PUP, depth might be a big issue for them. Craig Steltz was on the team last year, and is much better in run defense than as a zone defender. While he impressed in that capacity, the Bears are not looking for safeties who can stop the run as much as those who can manage the deep zones.

After that, it seems as if they've hit the bottom of the barrel. UDFA Trevor Coston has incredible closing speed, but is only 5'10" and doesn't have incredible strength. He might normally be a practice squad candidate, but injuries at free safety could push him onto the team.

Anthony Walters plays largely as a strong safety and never inspired a lot of confidence for the Bears. He played on special teams but never made a large impact.

So when discussing the weaknesses of the Bears, you can see that two jump out immediately. The primary weakness is their poor offensive line, something the Vikings well know how to take advantage of. Cutler can get rid of the ball quickly, so constant and consistent pressure is key to making sure Minnesota can take advantage of this weakness. If Minnesota had greater confidence at nose tackle, it could also make sure to dominate the Bears in the run—something their line is much better at—and therefore shut down the offense. As it is, they're not in a terrible spot and could do well to disrupt the Bears' passing game.

The second weakness is naturally at the safety position, and while this is traditionally exploited by deep routes, the Vikings are better set to use multiple tight end sets to encourage base personnel sets, then shift formations to create tight end or receiver matchups against the safeties, either in the seams or in man-to-man coverage. The connection between Kyle Rudolph and Christian Ponder is critical here. While the strength of the Bears' linebacking corps obviates this strategy somewhat, it is a good way to take advantage of their biggest problems.

The third weakness is their potentially vanilla offensive playcalling. While they'll have two big playmakers to match up against a secondary facing questions (even if you believe Chris Cook comes out ahead against Brandon Marshall), the tight ends are rarely going to be a threat in the passing game, which means accounting for two receivers and Matt Forte with relatively simple coverage could solve much of the passing problems, even if they do come out better in one-on-one matchups. Effective use of zone play that takes advantage of fewer potential receiving threats could make Jay Cutler's day much, much worse.

The Detroit Lions

Offense

The best quarterback-receiver duo in the NFL might be in the NFC North in the form of Matt Stafford to Calvin Johnson, Jr.

Both have looked good in the preseason, as is to be expected. Stafford has been firing bullets and making reads well. If he can stay healthy, be prepared for another season of gaudy numbers.

Behind him is Shaun Hill. He's a good backup and played at about that level.

Their third quarterback situation isn't as great. Kellen Moore looks awful and both the concerns about his height and arm strength seem to have materialized into real problems. The other quarterback, R.J. Archer, has not seen a snap of preseason play.

At receiver, the Lions are well-off. Nate Burleson looks like you'd expect and Titus Young has apparently improved. Second-round pick Ryan Broyles, who was recovering from an ACL surgery at the time of the draft, has impressed in a big way with his health and adroitness, and will assuredly make the roster.

Undrafted free agent Patrick Edwards was astounding people early on in camp, and may make the roster by virtue of that performance, but cannot seem to crack the special teams unit as a returner and has been seeing fewer reps with Broyles' return from injury. In the games themselves, he has been dull.

Maurice Stovall is a veteran receiver who has the capability of making plays, but will likely make the roster because of his excellent gunnery play. Because coverage on special teams is such an issue for the Lions, this is a priority need.

Riley Reiff is versatile, and has played at every position along the line. He has been impressing, but has not cracked the starting offensive line yet. Don't be surprised if he makes an appearance at right tackle with the starters. Apparently he has been doing that on occasion already.

Instead, Gosder Cherilus has the right tackle spot. The Lions value continuity on the line, and there don't seem to be many complaints about Cherilus on the line. Jeff Backus, Rob Sims, and the sometimes underperforming right guard Stephen Peterman have looked good so far, and the Lions have to feel comfortable where they are at.

Center Dominic Raiola is perhaps the weakest spot on the team, and is—along with Backus—the most experienced. There don't seem to be huge complaints about his play, but I don't think he's going to impress as the season moves forward, particularly in the running game.

Some say the Lions have the best offensive line in the NFC North, and if that's true, it is in some part because of their depth. Aside from rising lineman Reiff, many are satisfied with Corey Hilliard and Jason Fox, who can also play anywhere on the line.

Dan Gerberry and Dylan Gandy have also done well, but don't seem to be on the inside track to make the roster. If one of them does, it should be Gerberry, who has done a surprisingly good job in camp.

Running back Mikel Leshoure is suspended two games for two marijuana arrests, so they will need Kevin Smith to pick up the slack while Leshoure and injured Jahvid Best (concussion) are out. Best is expected to be out for his first six games on the PUP list, leaving what was once a relatively deep backfield fairly exposed. On that note, the Lions are entertaining options for a 4th and 5th running back. Rookies Stephfon Green and Joique Bell have been impressing in that regard.

They don't have that locked up, and it seems more likely that Keiland Williams, who took some first team reps in practices, takes one of these slots.

More interesting is that Stefan Logan, officially listed as a wide receiver, is actually in contention for a running back spot as well. Given his value as a return specialist and his flexibility for their offense, he is also a likely threat to take the 5th running back position.

Lucky for him, his ankle MRI came back negative after a scare during the preseason game against the Ravens.

Finally, the Lions are set at tight end. This isn't a position with elite talent, but expect Brandon Pettigrew to take advantage of the looks that Calvin Johnson will get. Tony Scheffler isn't a slacker either, and the Lions would not be making a poor decision putting both on the field. Behind both of them is solid backup Will Heller, and the three of them should keep any other tight ends out of the roster.

Defense

On defense, the Lions are doing significantly poorer.

At cornerback the Lions are thin. After releasing Aaron Berry for two arrests, they are choosing between rookie Bill Bentley—who has had some playmaking ability but is very clearly still raw—and free agent Jacob Lacey to replace Berry's position at right cornerback.

Sixth-round pick Jonte Green is likely to make the roster not because he's any good—he looks like you would expect a sixth-round pick to look: raw and undeveloped.

Chris Greenwood, whose measureables were through the roof (6'1", 4.38 40-yard dash, 43-inch vertical leap), has been injured throughout all of camp. He was picked in the fifth round of the draft, and it seems that he'll make the roster on the PUP list. Alphonso Smith will likely make the roster by virtue of their poor depth, and is still lost in coverage.

CB Drew Coleman was placed on injured reserve, and will collect checks from the training room.

Chris Houston is their top corner. He looks like he did last year, which is slightly better than average at cornerback.

While we evaluate the Green Bay cuts at wide receiver for depth, expect the Lions to take a peek at our suddenly interesting cornerback roster.

At safety, Detroit has some similar problems, but looks better. Their best safety, Louis Delmas is coming off of a knee surgery and won't be back in time to start the season. In his place, John Wendling has been surprisingly good given his inauspicious career. At the other end, Amari Spievey's headaches have allowed Eric Coleman to shine, who has improved from last year, especially in coverage.

That said, both of those safeties are much better against the run than the pass and they'll need Delmas to come back (and at full strength) before they have good zone safeties. Spievey is at risk of losing his starting position to Coleman, but in either case it's a weak spot. Spievey has always been fairly bad at safety and Coleman is too old (30) to be anything more than functional at this point in his career.

Given depth problems at both safety and cornerback, expect functional backup defensive back Don Carey to also potentially make the roster as either a safety or corner. He's OK, but obviously not better than the other starting before him.

The Lions are happy with their front seven, however.

Detroit is happy with Justin Durant with good reason, and there's no indication he's dropped off in play. DeAndre Levy is also guaranteed a starting spot, although I'm not as confident in his ability. Stephen Tulloch is one of the best 4-3 middle linebackers in the game right now, and he'll stay that way for 2012.

Overall that linebacking corps is weaker in coverage than against the run, but the difference is relatively negligible, especially because offenses would rather pick on the secondary for better gains anyway.

Fifth-round pick Tahir Whitehead hasn't made many notable mistakes in games and has looked consistent in practices, and it looks like he'll make the squad.

Carmen Messina, and undrafted free agent, has forced his way into the conversation with excellent preseason play, and will make the team if he continues to play at a high level. He's hurt by the great depth the Lions have at linebacker, and would make the practice squad otherwise.

From what I hear, seventh-round pick Travis Lewis has not been impressive in camp or in preseason play, but the word is that he'll make the roster because of his propensity to not make mistakes. Ashlee Palmer has been with the Lions for a year and is a serviceable backup. As such, he is expected to make the roster as well.

Doug Hogue is considered a project, but was a good special teams player his rookie year. He's an instinctive player with a decent physical build that displayed most of the skills scouts want in college, but is clearly inexperienced. His tantalizing potential might allow him a spot on the team. If not, he will surely make the practice squad.

The biggest strength of the Lions is with their vaunted defensive line. Had Cliff Avril or Kyle Vanden Bosch continued their holdout, Detroit would not have been in the dark. While I am of the opinion that Vanden Bosch is vastly overrated because of his extraordinarily poor run play and (currently) marginal pass-rush skills, Avril and first backup Lawrence Jackson are both very good ends. Willie Young is also a surprisingly good end and has shown a lot of excellent play in practices and the preseason. Expect Vanden Bosch and Avril to start, but for Detroit to feature heavy rotation here.

They like Ronnell Lewis and Everette Brown here, but there's a good chance that one of them gets cut. Lewis is a convert from linebacker, but seems to be doing fine as a defensive end, and has adapted well. Everette Brown, who has bounced around the league looked very good against the Browns, but much worse against the Ravens. Given Lewis' youth, potential and relative consistency, expect Lewis to make the roster.

Defensive tackle is also a deep position. First-round pick Nick Fairley still isn't starting, but that shouldn't be an enormous problem—Corey Williams looks good, even if I think Fairley looks more complete. He took fewer snaps last year in part due to injury, but is better against the run than either Williams or Suh and a much better pass-rusher and penetrator than Williams.

If the issue is injury or his motor, then the starter tag makes a lot of sense for Williams. Obviously the preseason and training camps don't reveal much about this, so the front office might simply be making a decision that can't easily be determined from on-field play, which is fair.

Nevertheless, the three of them offer a strong pass rush and some decent run coverage, although Suh has been criticized for all of his career as a poor run-defender. From what little I've seen, that hasn't really gone away, but what I've seen isn't very much. His run-defending is less important as he serves a Kevin Williams-type role, but overpursuit and wham blocks still take him out of the play more than they should.

Joining them should be Sammie Lee Hill, who saw some time in rotation with the Lions over last season. Definitely backup quality who doesn't look like he'll get better, Hill offers solid relief in defensive line rotation.

The question at defensive tackle revolves around Andre Fluellen, who seems to be a perennial back-up at this point in his career. Clearly worse than Hill, but not bad, Fluellen may be a victim of the numbers game more than not fit for the NFL. If Fairley's suspension occurs before the season starts, Fluellen will definitely get a shot, but without that suspension, he may be on the outside looking in. Still, his reliable depth may be good enough to secure him a spot.

The weakness for the Lions obviously involves a secondary that has lost players due to injury and legal trouble (sound familiar?). They haven't settled their questions at safety and are relying more on potential than proven talent. Beyond that, they carry two more potential weak spots in their historically poor special teams play (and therefore poor field positioning on both side of the ball) as well as weakside running. Their starting DEs are not great against the run, so targeting lead blockers or counters towards Levy looks like a good strategy, even with a solid MLB in the backfield.

There you go. A rundown on the strengths and weaknesses of our divisional rivals, who together help provide the NFC North with the informal title of "toughest division in the NFL."

Chicago Bears 2012 Position Battles: Wide Receiver

Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 16:00:13 -0000

Things got a little interesting at the bottom of the Chicago Bears wide out depth chart the last couple days. Devin Thomas abruptly retired and former Bear Rashied Davis was re-signed. Both guys were brought aboard more for their special teams ability rather than their hands, and it's the ability to play for special teams coordinator Dave Toub that will determine the 5th, and perhaps 6th wide receiver on the team.

The Bears currently have 12 receivers on the roster, and by my estimation they have four stone cold locks to make the team. Brandon Marshall, Earl Bennett, Devin Hester, and rookie Alshon Jeffery aren't going anywhere. And a 5th WR, Johnny Knox, who is currently on the PUP list will most likely spend a year on injured reserve. So that leaves seven men battling it out for 1 or 2 spots, after the jump a look at their chances.

In three of the last four seasons the Bears carried six receivers, and I think it's probable they do so again this year. Eric Weems was signed to take on the Corey Graham role of gunner on the punt team, and he has Pro Bowl return ability too, so he's most likely sticking around for a 5th WR spot. Which leaves six men for one position, and if we're lucky, six potential "the next Brandon Rideau's". Needless to say, the second half of the Bears preseason games will have some competitive battles.

If one guy has a leg up, it might be Dane Sanzenbacher, who was on the team last year. He had a case of the dropsies in 2011, but that could have been attributed to rookieitis. At Ohio State he was known for having good hands, so year two as a pro might be his time to shine. However it's yet to be seen how he'll fit into the special teams, but he was fielding some punts in camp to add to his value.

And speaking of the dropsies, Rashied Davis did carve out a good niche playing special teams his first go round in Chicago. I think the dropopotamus tag was a bit harsh for Davis, because he has shown the ability to catch the ball in the past. He's a definite threat for the 6th spot.

The remaining wide outs on the roster really have to shine to make a name for themselves. Number one they have to catch the ball and pick up the offense, but they also have to show they they can tackle and cover kicks. And excelling as a returner would be a plus too. The group of undrafted free agents the Bears signed are all potential practice squad candidates, and expect at least one to stick around in that capacity. Joseph Anderson, Terriun Crump, Brittan Golden, and Chris Summers will all be trying to stand out in training camp. They'll also be showcasing their talents for the other 31 teams starting this Thursday night when the Bears take on the Denver Broncos in the preseason opener.

Crump received the Dave Gilbert Flying Under The Radar spotlight here, and he does look to have to necessary size (6'2" 223) to cover some kicks. Dave Gilbert also looked at Anderson in his fine series here.

If one of these rookies can catch the eye of Dave Toub and prompt him to get in Lovie Smith's ear we could see a surprise making the roster. My guess is the Bears carry 6 wide outs in 2012, with Sanzenbacher and Davis battling it out with the undrafted 4 for that sixth spot.

It was a busy day around WCG yesterday, so in case you missed the Position Battles: Tight End edition, you can click here for that.

Poll

Do you think the Chicago Bears will carry five or six wide receivers on the final 53 man roster?

Five

20 votes

Six

461 votes

481 votes | Poll has closed

2012 Free Agency: Pacific Division Winners & Losers

The Neutral — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 17:40:03 -0000

We're a month into free agency and while there are still a few free agents of note out there as well as a few trade dominoes that have yet to fall, it doesn't hurt to review what the rest of the Pacific Division has been up to so far this summer, much like our friends at On the Forecheck did yesterday with the Central, and what the implications might be for the Sharks' chances next season. After the jump, we'll take a look at key moves made by each of San Jose's four division rivals, what their current depth charts look like as a result and what we can expect out of them in the coming year.

Anaheim Ducks

Key Additions: Sheldon Souray (UFA, Dallas); Bryan Allen (UFA, Carolina); Daniel Winnik (UFA, San Jose); Brad Staubitz (UFA, Montreal)

Key Subtractions: Lubomir Visnovsky (Trade, Long Island); Jason Blake (UFA); George Parros (UFA, Florida); Sheldon Brookbank (UFA, Chicago)

Depth Chart:

Bobby Ryan - Ryan Getzlaf - Corey Perry
Andrew Cogliano - Saku Koivu - Teemu Selanne
Daniel Winnik - Nick Bonino - Devante Smith-Pelly
Matt Beleskey - Peter Holland - Kyle Palmieri
Extras: Brandon McMillan, Dan Sexton, Brad Staubitz

Francois Beauchemin - Cam Fowler
Toni Lydman - Sheldon Souray
Bryan Allen - Luca Sbisa
Extras: Nate Guenin, Matt Smaby, Jordan Hendry

Jonas Hiller
Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers

Despite the fact that they finished 4th in the West in 2010-11, it was fairly easy to predict the Ducks would miss the playoffs going into last season. Only the Oilers and Wild were worse possession teams than Anaheim in 10-11 and the Ducks continued to struggle at keeping the play out of their own end at the start of last year, only this time the pendulum swung in the complete opposite direction as far as their shooting luck and the play of Hiller in goal went. Replacing Randy Carlyle with Bruce Boudreau helped immensely as the Ducks went from a 43.6% Fenwick Close team under Carlyle to a 49.5% team under Boudreau but a lack of forward depth continues to plague the team and has done so since Dustin Penner, Chris Kunitz and Andy McDonald left town and the Nothing Line was dismantled. That shouldn't be an issue for much longer with talented young forwards like Emerson Etem, Kyle Palmieri, Rickard Rakell and Peter Holland in the pipeline but it remains to be seen how many of them are capable of making the team out of training camp and what kind of impact they'll have. Bob Murray has received a lot of criticism this summer and while the 3-year, NMC-laden contract he gave 36-year-old Sheldon Souray rightfully raised eyebrows, Souray is coming off a very solid season in Dallas where he took on the toughs and won. Bryan Allen should also provide some value, especially if he plays with the youngster Sbisa who's been saddled with some awful defense partners during his career. Of course, the biggest story of the Ducks offseason is one that has yet to be written with Bobby Ryan likely to be traded at some point. Between retooling their defense, potentially shoring up the bottom six with an influx of young talent and having a full year of Boudreau behind the bench, the Ducks should be a bubble team competing for one of the final playoff spots in the West but I'd be surprised if they made the cut.

Dallas Stars

Key Additions: Ray Whitney (UFA, Phoenix); Jaromir Jagr (UFA, Philadelphia); Derek Roy (Trade, Buffalo); Cody Eakin (Trade, Washington); Aaron Rome (UFA, Vancouver); Tyler Sloan (UFA, Nashville)

Key Subtractions: Mike Ribeiro (Trade, Washington); Steve Ott (Trade, Buffalo); Adam Pardy (Trade, Buffalo); Jake Dowell (UFA, Minnesota); Adam Burish (UFA, San Jose)

Ray Whitney - Jamie Benn - Jaromir Jagr
Loui Eriksson - Derek Roy - Michael Ryder
Brenden Morrow - Cody Eakin - Tomas Vincour
Tom Wandell - Vernon Fiddler - Ryan Garbutt
Extras: Eric Nystrom, Toby Petersen, Reilly Smith

Alex Goligoski - Stephane Robidas
Aaron Rome - Philip Larsen
Mark Fistric - Trevor Daley
Extras: Brenden Dillon, Jordie Benn, Tyler Sloan

Kari Lehtonen
Richard Bachman

No team in the division has had a busier offseason than the Stars who have revamped their entire forward corps by signing AARP members Whitney and Jagr while flipping Ribeiro for Roy in separate deals. Josh Lile of Defending Big D, one of the best writers in the blogosphere, has discussed their moves extensively by examining both the blueprint for Dallas' miniature rebuild-on-the-fly and why trading Ribeiro, who was porous defensively and needed protection, was necessary. For a team that often dressed both Ott and Burish in their top six when injuries hit last season, forward depth should no longer be an issue as they now have the capability to roll four extremely solid lines. The biggest area of concern remaining on their roster is the blueline. The Stars will bring back a downgraded (via swapping Souray for Rome) version of a defense that gave up more 5v5 shots per 60 minutes last season in score-close situations than all but seven teams. Worse news for Dallas is that it's pretty slim pickings out there in terms of adding impact d-men but it's possible they could swing a deal with Calgary for Jay Bouwmeester. If Joe Nieuwendyk can pull that off without giving up anything of consequence, I think they're definitely a playoff team. Otherwise, they should at the very least remain in familiar territory as one of the better bubble teams in the conference.

Los Angeles Kings

Key Additions: Stanley Cup

Key Subtractions: N/A

Dustin Brown - Anze Kopitar - Justin Williams
Dustin Penner - Mike Richards - Jeff Carter
Simon Gagne - Jarret Stoll - Trevor Lewis
Brad Richardson - Colin Fraser - Jordan Nolan
Extras: Dwight King, Kyle Clifford, Andrei Loktionov

Rob Scuderi - Drew Doughty
Willie Mitchell - Slava Voynov
Alec Martinez - Matt Greene
Extras: Davis Drewiske

Jonathan Quick
Jonathan Bernier

Apart from re-signing players like Stoll and Penner, Dean Lombardi hasn't touched his roster this offseason but why should he? After all, this is a team that outshot the final 13 teams they faced in the 2011-12 regular season by a combined total of 451-302, posted the best post-deadline score-adjusted Fenwick in the league and the fourth best for the year as a whole and, oh yeah, knocked out the 1st, 2nd and 3rd seeds in the West en route to winning the Stanley Cup. The Kings are the class of the division and very likely the class of the conference without changing a thing. After the trade deadline and into the playoffs, the 11-12 Kings were probably the most dominant team the NHL has seen since the 09-10 Blackhawks and, unlike those guys, L.A. will be keeping the band together.

Phoenix Coyotes

Key Additions: Zbynek Michalek (Trade, Pittsburgh); Steve Sullivan (UFA, Pittsburgh); David Moss (UFA, Calgary); Nick Johnson (UFA, Minnesota)

Key Subtractions: Ray Whitney (UFA, Dallas); Shane Doan (UFA); Adrian Aucoin (UFA, Columbus); Michal Rozsival (UFA); Taylor Pyatt (UFA, New York)

Steve Sullivan - Martin Hanzal - Radim Vrbata
Lauri Korpikoski - Antoine Vermette - David Moss
Raffi Torres - Boyd Gordon - Mikkel Boedker
Paul Bissonnette - Kyle Chipchura - Nick Johnson Extras: Alexander Bolduc, Andy Miele, Rob Klinkhammer

Oliver Ekman-Larsson - Zbynek Michalek
Keith Yandle - Rostislav Klesla
David Schlemko - Derek Morris
Extras: Michael Stone, Chris Summers, David Rundblad

Mike Smith
Jason Labarbera

Against the backdrop of continued ownership instability (so what else is new?) Phoenix GM Don Maloney, who might be the smartest general manager in hockey, has had himself a terrific under-the-radar summer. Re-acquiring Michalek for essentially nothing was one of the best trades anyone made this offseason and should cement the Coyotes defense corps as one of the best in the conference as well as help the phenomenal Oliver Ekman-Larsson in his continued development into a Norris-caliber stud. I wrote about Moss previously as a potential free agent target for the Sharks and the big winger should help the Coyotes' possession game which has steadily declined over the past two seasons. Sullivan will be a boon for the woeful Phoenix power play that had serious issues gaining the blueline all season long and finished dead last in the league in shots on goal per 60 minutes. Only 11 forwards in the league were on the ice for more 5v4 shots per 60 minutes than Sullivan last season and if you think that was mostly a product of sharing the ice with Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby, it's worth noting Sullivan ranked 35th in that category playing for Nashville the season before. Are Maloney's moves enough to compensate for the loss of Whitney, potential loss of Doan and the extreme likelihood Mike Smith's sparkling SV% will regress? It's difficult to say. I find it hard to believe Phoenix will win another division championship but with the final two spots in the conference pretty much up for grabs, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Coyotes make the dance for the fourth consecutive season.

Poll

Which Pacific Division team has had the best summer so far?

Anaheim Ducks

46 votes

Dallas Stars

376 votes

Los Angeles Kings

319 votes

Phoenix Coyotes

33 votes

San Jose Sharks

121 votes

895 votes | Poll has closed

Coyotes Tracks - July 19, 2012 - Flyers makin' waves

Ben Shroyer — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 17:41:39 -0000

Leave it to the Flyers to make a Humongous beeg offer to Shea Weber, This may be the last offer of its kind if the proposed changed to the CBA go through. Then again the Predators have 7 days to match the Flyers offer. In Coyotes news Chris Summers will be back next year to compete for that 6th d-man spot, and Shane Doan is still in a holding pattern.

Coyotes News

Agent: Phoenix Coyotes' Shane Doan waiting for Jamison group confirmation - The Arizona Republic
Terry Bross talks about the process going forward.

Coyotes saga creates unusual crossroads between sports and politics - Chandler Arizona football | Examiner.com
I'll return to my football obsession after the following rant regarding the Phoenix Coyotes and the Goldwater Institute.

Coyotes Re-Sign Summers - Phoenix Coyotes - News
Phoenix Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney announced today that Coyotes RFA defenseman Chris Summers has agreed to a one-year contract.

Tim Crispy - Hey Nineteen (Shane Doan Tribute Song) - YouTube
A plea for Shane to stay.

More links after the jump...

Gladiators News

Gladiators agree to terms with Galiardi and Scrymgeour | AccessNorthGa
The former Everblade is a Gladiator.

News From Around the Hockey World

Wake up! Right now! Paul Holmgren sends Shea Weber 14-year, $100 million offer sheet - Broad Street Hockey
Leave it to the Flyers to stir things up.

David Poile Statement on Shea Weber Offer Sheet - Nashville Predators - News
To match, or not to match. That is the question.

Front-loadin': Full financial terms of Shea Weber's 14-year offer sheet - Broad Street Hockey
Dat Cap hit...

Introducing the Whalers Meter - Hockey Wilderness
What would happen if the Oilers don't get their way in Edmonton? Who knows, but we're making an exception to our rule that we don't like to see teams move.

The fineprint regarding the future home for the Oilers - The Good Point
Wonder how many Glendale city Government experts from Edmonton will weigh in on this.

Seven candidates for a breakout season - NHL.com - NHL Insider
Mikkel Boedker makes the list, so does ~~Crybaby~~ former Coyote Kyle Turris.

Ilya Bryzgalov on CBA salary rollbacks, Claude Giroux’s fear of Russia and the Universe - Puck Daddy
Bryz is back with more of his unique thoughts on hockey and life.

More on the advantages of puck possession over dump and chase | NHLNumbers.com
Lets hope this article makes its way to Tippett's inbox...

An Afternoon With Former Avalanche Enforcer Scott Parker: Part 2 - Mile High Hockey
Parker talks about the Steve Moore/Todd Bertuzzi incident among other things. We linked to Part 1 in yesterday's Tracks.

Capitals Name Calle Johansson Assistant Coach - Washington Capitals - News
The Caps sure do love hiring their former players.

The Final Howl

The 5 most .GIFable bench moments from the 2011-2012 season | Backhand Shelf | Blogs | theScore.com

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Bears Roster: 20-70-10

Sam Householder — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 20:00:11 -0000

So the basis of this post came out of Peter King's Monday Morning Quarterback, where King broke down the Houston Texans' offseason moves and referenced their general manager, Rick Smith's, philosophy for running the team. In it, Smith reference's former GE CEO Jack Welch's philosophy about workers:

Smith said he's studied NFL history at length, and he's studied business models of different business leaders. One that he's adopted is former GE boss Jack Welch's 20-70-10 philosophy: the top 20 percent of your employees are standouts and must be nurtured. The majority, the 70 percent, are the working class -- needed but still able to move if the right situation arises. The lowest 10 percent have to be churned and replaced, because a company always is looking for ways to get better by importing new blood. "If you have a 53-man roster, maybe you've got 10 or 11 core players,'' Smith said, "and then 25 to 30 roles players, and then you're always looking to churn the bottom of the roster.''

So I (Actually Mr. Sir Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. Esq. III Holy Roman Emperor) thought, let's apply that thought to the Bears' roster. Follow me below and see how I grouped it.

For this exercise, I will be using the Bears' current offseason 90-man roster. It's pretty straight forward, really. I am going to stick with the "10 or 11" core players despite the fact that 20% of 90 is 18. It's too easy to say the bears have 18 core players, this should be a challenge.

Top 20 Percent:

Alphabetically:

-Brandon Marshall

The 70 Percent, "The Role Players"

-Matt Toeania

-J'Marcus Webb (Apologies to "J-Webb Nation")

-Eric Weems

-Chris Williams

-Johnathan Wilhite

-Major Wright

The Bottom 10 Percent

-Alexander Alvester

-Joseph Anderson

-Terrian Crump

-Isiah Frey

-Draylan Ross

Davis Teggart

-Ronnie Thorton

My thoughts: How is there a kicker in the "core players" category? Who would you have in place of him? None of our offensive lineman have proved their worth yet, Gould has been a consistent force for years and his leg has gotten stronger. I consider Forte a core player, even if the Bears don't, he's certainly above role player status. All of the rookies are in the bottom 10 percent until they prove otherwise. I assume that two or three of them will have themselves in the 70% by mid-season, but until then...It's tough to put some of the free agent acquisitions into categories, like Devin Thomas, Johnathan Wilhite, Geno Hayes or Kelvin Hayden because we don't know what their role will end up being, if they get one. Lastly, Hester is in the core players for his return ability alone, anything he does as a receiver is gravy and I didn't consider for a second the usual "Hester is coming into his own" OTA-hype.

The Construction of the 2011-2012 Phoenix Coyotes

Carl Putnam — Tue, 08 May 2012 23:00:09 -0000

In total, 15 of the 33 players who have hit the ice for the Phoenix Coyotes this season have been with the club less than 16 months. 10 of those players (out of a total of 23) have played for the team in the postseason. Plus, head coach Dave Tippet's two assistant coaches are also new to the team this season. The fact that the Coyotes, as currently constructed, are set to play in the Western Conference Finals is truly remarkable. While plenty is new including playoff success for the franchise, the team's current success began to take shape back on May 29, 2007.

The day after the 2007 Memorial Day holiday, Wayne Gretzky stepped to a podium in Glendale, Arizona and announced the best personnel move he made during his time with Phoenix's hockey club. He revealed that he had hired former NHL player and executive Don Maloney to be the new general manager. When the ownership situation imploded two years later and Gretzky was forced to the sidelines, Maloney shrewdly found a coach with a philosophy similar to his own: recently fired Dallas Stars head coach Dave Tippett. As he did with Tippett, the Coyotes general manager would show time and again his ability to see the value in other organization's cast offs.

Over the past almost five years Maloney has methodically worked to improve the franchise on the ice. Only five players who suited up for the Coyotes this season, Shane Doan, Martin Hanzal, and Keith Yandle, Chris Summers, and Derek Morris were in the Coyotes organization the day the Ranger's second round pick in 1978 took over. Maloney actually traded Morris to his with former employer the New York Rangers in 2009 only to re-acquire him a year later from Boston. The other 19 players who have played for the Coyotes this post-season were acquired in one way or another by General Manager Don Maloney (GMDM). Several current players were drafted like Oliver-Ekman Larrson and Mikkel Boedker, while the majority were either signed as free agents like back-up goalie Jason Labarbera or traded for like the aforementioned Morris. What is perhaps most fascinating is how many of the players are recent additions.

Sixteen months ago GMDM made one of the five deals he's made with his old club during his time in Phoenix. He traded underperforming winger Wojtek Wolski, who the Rangers have since traded, for defensemen Michel Rozsival. Less than two months later he traded popular winger Scottie Upshall to Columbus in exchange for another defensemen Rostislav Klesla. The moves helped to shore up the team's defensive depth for last season. However, it was clear the Klesla move was made more for the future than the present given Maloney's comments at the time and the fact the Czech blueliner was under contract for three more years. From day one this season, Klesla has been the Coyotes' best defensemen in their own zone at even strength and on the penalty kill. In addition, in the playoffs he's displayed the offensive skills scouts talked about when he drafted fourth overall back in 2000.

After the 2010-2011 ended it was apparent the Coyotes needed more forward depth, especially at center. GMDM signed a number of center candidates during the free agency period including former Washington Capital Boyd Gordon, as well as Kyle Chipchura and Marc-Antoine Pouliot. Gordan was signed to replace Vernon Fiddler as a 4th line center who was skilled at faceoffs and penalty killing. Gordan has more than replaced Fiddler in the faceoff circle and on the penalty kill. Chipchura and Pouloit have played both center and wing at times for the Yotes this season and Chipchura has worked himself into being a regular on the team's stellar fourth line. Maloney also signed veteran forward Raffi Torres whose grit and skill combination fit in with the team's construction. In late August, with Kyle Turris still not signed, he pulled the trigger on a deal to bring former Coyote Daymond Langkow back to the Valley.

His biggest move of the summer was the one with the most questions marks. Unable to re-sign unrestricted free agent Ilya Bryzgalov due to his contract demands, the Yotes signed NHL veteran Mike Smith to replace their former starter. Smith had a .899 save percentage the season before in Tampa Bay and had even been sent down to the AHL for a short time during the season. On the surface it looked like a serious downgrade at the one position the Coyotes' had excelled at in the two prior seasons. However, Tippett, who had coached Smith in Dallas, didn't seem concerned nor did goalie coach Sean Burke. Less than a year later Smith has surprised the hockey world by finishing the 2011-2012 regular season with a .930 save percentage in the regular season followed up with an even more astounding .948 save percentage so far this postseason.

Midway through the 2011-2012 regular season Maloney picked former first round pick Gilbert Brule off waivers from Edmonton. Brule found his way onto the Yotes fourth line. He's more skilled than the average NHL 4th liner which allows for ample scoring chances since he rarely sees other team's top defensive pairs. Though the Coyotes' had worked on shoring up their center situation over the off-season, they were not as skilled at the position as expected late in the season due to GMDM being forced to trade unhappy young center Kyle Turris to Ottawa. Five days before the 2012 NHL Trade Deadline, Phoenix's general manger traded with Columbus for a player, who like Klesla, was under contract for more than just the current season and therefore could help both in the present and future. The player was NHL veteran center Antoine Vermette. The former second round pick of the Ottawa Senators currently leads the Yotes in playoff goals and points.

The man who won the All-Star game M.V.P. in 1984 and has been to the Conference Finals as a GM once before (1993) has built a remarkable hockey team in the desert all while dealing with budgetary limitations and off-ice distractions related to the team's ownership issues. While everyone is looking to gain players with as much talent as possible, Phoenix's general manager is as concerned with how guys will fit into the locker room. As he told former Arizona Republic beat reporter Jim Gintonio prior to this year's trade deadline:

"So much of what we do here in Phoenix is mix chemistry, personalities," he said. "We pay a lot of attention. Even though a guy might on paper look like a skill-set we could use, if the personality doesn't fit we'll stay away from him."

If what is happening on the ice this postseason is any indication, Don Maloney has learned a thing or two about how to construct a team in his twenty plus years in NHL front offices.

Eight is a Crowd...or Enough? How Positions will Shape Up Come August

Sam Householder — Fri, 04 May 2012 20:00:26 -0000

It's still far too early to be looking at what the final roster could possibly look like, there will be a lot of changes between now and then, but here, in early May, at the beginning of the offseason practice sessions, the Bears have some rather crowded positions. Even before the draft the last weekend; the Bears had thrown a lot of bodies at the cornerback and wide receiver positions. That's not a bad thing, but then when they drafted more at those positions, suddenly those filled positions became crowded; so how will they shake out when all is said and done?

As it sits right now, the Bears have eight cornerbacks on their roster and eleven wide receivers, I'm not even sure that the Matt Millen Lions ever had eleven wide receivers, despite his best efforts. The Bears could field one whole side of starters with their receivers alone.

My point is they won't carry that many, but these two position groups make up a larger part of special teams. Furthermore, since there is no practice squad in the offseason, a couple of the guys are bound to land on there.

Now it's too early for me to even get into the specifics of each guy, that stuff will come once camp starts up and we have a better idea of what the coaching staff sees in each of these guys.

I am purely going to look at the numbers of each position and speculate how many will be carried on the final roster.

On the current roster for CBs, the Bears have: Isiah Frey, Kelvin Hayden, Tim Jennings, Greg McCoy, D.J. Moore, Charles Tillman, Donovan Warren and Jonathan Wilhite.

Last season the Bears carried only five CBs; Tillman, Jennings, Moore, Corey Graham and Zackary Bowman.

Now obviously the latter two are now departed, so the Bears will have to replace them. Bowman and Graham primarily played special teams. More on that in a minute.

The current WR group looks like this: Earl Bennett, Terriun Crump, Brittan Golden, Devin Hester, Alshon Jeffery, Johnny Knox, Brandon Marshall, Dane Sanzenbacher, Chris Summers, Devin Thomas and Eric Weems.

The Bears carried six on the roster last season; Hester, Bennett, REW, Sanzenbacher, Hurd and Knox.

Traditionally the Bears have carried between five and six at each position. I can't really see that changing, unless they are blown away with someone at either position. Could they perhaps carry seven of one and five of the other?

So does the crowded CB group make newly signed vets Hayden and Wilhite less likely to stick? Probably, both are going to carry a higher salary than the 6th and 7th round draft picks, Donovan Warren seems like practice squad fodder than anything else. hat would leave five.

Receiver is harder to say; the Bears might not part ways with Weems right away, as they genuinely seemed to like him, but Thomas might have to work for his roster spot. It seems unlikely that we will see Sanzenbacher make the final roster either. Summers, Crump and Golden seem like practice squad-if-they're-lucky type guys whereas Sanzenbacher does not have practice squad eligibility left because he appeared in 16 games for the Bears last year. So that's seven if they want to keep every veteran free agent they added in the offseason, six if they want to dump either Weems or Thomas.

But then Knox. Knox has to be destined, or so the team thinks, for the PUP list or IR because it seems unlikely that the Bears would rush out to sign Weems and Thomas in free agency only to come back and dump them. One, or both, are really just Knox insurance.

What do you think? What could these position groups look like come Sept. 1 or whenever the final cut day is?