SB Nation - Jaime Sifers

Game 34 Preview: Jackets get Wild

Mike MacLean — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:04:19 -0000

More photos » by Terry Gilliam - AP

This is going to be brief- the Jackets need to win. Minny is on a tear, and Columbus very much isn't. The Wild, like Nashville, aren't a great team on paper- they make up for that by playing hard, physical hockey and they get timely scoring. Not to mention they have a great goaltender, one who finished behind ours in Vezina voting last year i may add.

I'm not a fan of making a trade just to shake things up, but what is there left to do? GM Scott Howson has put together a team that, again, on paper has all of the elements necessary to win, with the exception of one area. The forwards are a nice mix of snipers (Juice, Nasher); gritty forwards who can score (Vermette, Umby), playmakers (Voracek, Brass) and muckers (Torres, Pahlsson) just to name a few. We have a great goaltending tandem, but the defense needs help. Stralman has been great on the powerplay, as advertised. For that alone, he was a great add. Russ is coming into his own, and has been the best blueliner of late. The other four blueliners however, have not played well. Last season, Commie and Hejda were uber-reliable, steady minute-munchers who could hold the fort down. This year however, they are slow, plodding, and are missing assignments. Methot hasn't done much of anything, and Tyuts- well if he's not commiting a turnover he's horribly out of position. It's like he can't decide whether to play offense or focus on his defensive game. Regardless, a steady defenseman needs to be brought in. One who won't wow you, just somebody to settle things down. An older player would be great.

Or, and this would be the easiest move- the team can just work harder. I don't just mean turn it on when you are already down a goal or two, i mean start the game hard, set the tone, and continue for a full 60 minutes. The goals will come from hard work, and next thing you know- you've won the game.

Fearless Prediction: A solid 60 minute effort, for crying out loud this is the same team that was so great defensively last season, what happened? Did the fact that they are scoring now lead them to forget about their other duties? I predict they play hard, because of they don't, they will continue to get embarrassed.

Game Time: 8:00pm ET

Opponent's Blog: Hockey Wilderness

Game Page: Blue Jackets vs Wild Coverage

TSN Preview:Blue Jackets vs Wild Preview

TV: None

Radio: WBNS-AM (1460); WWCD-FM (101.1)

More after the jump...

From the Columbus Dispatch:

The Blue Jackets, who lost to Nashville last night at home, are 1-2-2 in the second game of back-to-backs this season. After a 7-12-2 start, the Wild has been one of the NHL's hottest clubs the last month, going 8-2-1. The Wild has won three of the last four games in Xcel Energy Center.

Jackets Links:

Columbus Blue Jackets / Columbus Blue Jackets Schedule

Columbus Blue Jackets Roster / Columbus Blue Jackets Stats

Here are the lineups for tonight's tilt:

Columbus Blue Jackets

Jason Chimera	Antoine Vermette	Rick Nash
Kristian Huselius	R.J. Umberger	Jakub Voracek
Andrew Murray	Samuel Pahlsson	Jared Boll
Fredrik Modin	Derick Brassard	Raffi Torres

Fedor Tyutin	Anton Stralman
Mike Commodore	Jan Hejda
Kris Russell	Marc Methot

Mathieu Garon

Steve Mason

EXTRA: Michael Blunden, Mathieu Roy

INJURED: Rostislav Klesla, Derek Dorsett

Minnesota Wild

Andrew Brunette	Mikko Koivu	Antti Miettinen
Chuck Kobasew	Eric Belanger	Cal Clutterbuck
Guillaume Latendresse	Kyle Brodziak	Martin Havlat
Derek Boogaard	Nathan Smith	James Sheppard

Greg Zanon	Nick Schultz
Marek Zidlicky	Kim Johnsson
Jaime Sifers	Shane Hnidy

Niklas Backstrom

Josh Harding

Coverage of Kobasew Trade; Jaime Sifers on Waivers; Marian Gaborik's Hot Start, Martin Havlat's Weak Groin: Daily Links

nathaneide — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:29:36 -0000

More photos » by Charles Krupa - AP

8 months ago: Boston Bruins right wing Chuck Kobasew, top, and defenseman Aaron Ward, left, celebrate with fans after a goal by teammate Phil Kessel, with back to fans, against Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price in the first period of a first-round NHL hockey playoff game Thursday, April 16, 2009, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Browse more photos »

Bruins trade Chuck Kobasew to Minnesota Wild - Stanley Cup of Chowder
It will take a while before we can really evaluate this trade. The most valuable piece would appear to be the 2nd round pick. Maybe the Bruins were looking to add some depth in the toughness department with Craig Weller now that Milan Lucic is on the shelf with a broken finger. With Peter Chiarelli and Don Sweeney calling the shots, it's no mystery why they wanted Fallstrom.

Wild acquire right winger Chuck Kobasew from Boston Bruins - TwinCities.com
"I try to chip in and do as much as I can offensively," he said, "and I like to pride myself on my play at both ends of the ice and be very good defensively. Whatever situation I'm put into and whatever role I'm given there, it doesn't matter to me. I'm looking forward to doing that and helping the team out."

Bruins send wakeup call, add to war chest with Kobasew trade - Puck Daddy - NHL - Yahoo! Sports
As for the Wild, they get a quiet dude who works harder than most playing down in the lineup. He hasn't found his game this season, but when he does you know what you get: Around 20 goals and some energetic shifts that can help flip the momentum in a game. He's a sparkplug. He's also a healthy body at forward for Minny, something in short order right now.

Russo’s Rants " Wild acquires Kobasew; Bouchard on LTI
As for Kobasew, who’s hit the 20-goal plateau in three of the past four years, I know a lot of people in Boston, and the scouting report from a bunch is this: "Good skater, works hard, drives to the net relentlessly, plays bigger than his size, has some skill, generates a ton of scoring chances for others but needs many scoring chances for him to be the scorer, is streaky undersized for the way he plays, which is very gutsy. Just goes to the net, plays hard on the wall. Because of that, he does get injured often. Best fit as a third-liner on a good team, but can be a second-liner on a bad team. Teammates love him. Reporters love him. Well-spoken, great guy."

Goalie Niklas Backstrom a rare bright spot for struggling Wild - TwinCities.com
Backstrom, who had a subpar 1-3 record, a subpar .902 save percentage and a subpar 3.01 goals-against average when he arrived in Vancouver, looked like the Backstrom of old, stopping 37 of 39 shots, including several when Canucks players were skating free in front of the net.

Russo’s Rants " Sources: Sifers on waivers
According to sources, the Wild had placed defenseman Jaime Sifers on waivers with the intention of sending him to AHL Houston.

Gaborik's hot start proving naysayers wrong - NHL.com
After seeing Gaborik contribute a goal and 2 assists in a 7-2 victory against Toronto Oct. 12, Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke said: "There are only a handful of guys in the League that when they get the puck I get nervous, and Marian Gaborik is one of them. He's always had electric talent."

What We Learned: When underdogs attack, logic loses - Puck Daddy - NHL - Yahoo! Sports
Guys, you're not going to believe this but Martin Havlat(notes) has now missed the last two games with, you guessed it, a groin injury.

Rangers Pregame: Scouting the Leafs

Jim Schmiedeberg — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:00:28 -0000

Let's take a look at tonight's opponent, the Toronto Maple Leafs:

Toronto Maple Leafs

Head Coach: Ron Wilson

2008-09 Record: 34-35-13 (did not make playoffs)

Last Season vs. Rangers: 3-1

Stars:

Vesa Toskala

#35 / Goalie / Toronto Maple Leafs

Height: 5-10

Weight: 195

Born: May 20, 1977

More after the jump......

Luke Schenn

#2 / Defenseman / Toronto Maple Leafs

Height: 6-2

Weight: 216

Born: Nov 02, 1989

Who's In:

Francois Beauchemin, Tyler Bozak, Garnet Exelby, Jonas Gustavsson, Christian Hanson, Phil Kessel, Mike Komisarek, Colton Orr, Wayne Primeau, Rickard Wallin, Viktor Stalberg

Who's Out:

Boyd Devereaux, Martin Gerber, Ryan Hollweg, Curtis Joseph, Olaf Kolzig, Pavel Kubina, Brad May, Jaime Sifers, Anton Stralman

Toronto Maple Leafs 2009-10 Season Preview from Pension Plan Puppets, the SBNation Community for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Maple Leafs Notes:

Daily Notes on the Leafs from Pension Plan Puppets

Peter Pocklington says Oilers-Leafs almost swapped cities (Globe and Mail)

Bold moves could avert Leafs disaster (Toronto Star)

2009-10 NHL Season Preview: Toronto Maple Leafs

James Mirtle — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:00:14 -0000

More photos » by Darren Calabrese - AP

Browse more photos »

Who's in: Francois Beauchemin, Tyler Bozak, Garnet Exelby, Jonas Gustavsson, Christian Hanson, Phil Kessel, Mike Komisarek, Colton Orr, Wayne Primeau, Rickard Wallin
Who's out: Boyd Devereaux, Martin Gerber, Ryan Hollweg, Curtis Joseph, Olaf Kolzig, Pavel Kubina, Brad May, Jaime Sifers, Anton Stralman

Outlook: Brian Burke's aim was to get bigger, meaner and better in goal, and its hard to argue he didn't accomplish all three over the off-season. And he even found a way to add a 36-goal scorer (albeit an injured one).

Coming in are three big blueliners in Francois Beauchemin, Mike Komisarek and Garnet Exelby, enforcer Colton Orr and netminder Jonas Gustavsson. Another key signing could be that of University of Denver standout Tyler Bozak, who has looked good in preseason and could make an impact up front as a rookie this fall.

Toronto may appear lean up front and they will have to make do without Nik Antropov and Dominic Moore but the Leafs biggest woes last season came in goal and on the blueline, and if either Vesa Toskala can have a rebound campaign or Gustavsson can surprise in his first season, that'll make a world of difference in their record this season.

Komisarek and Beauchemin, meanwhile, should also help improve what was a league worst penalty kill in 2008-09, something thats sure to be a target for coach Ron Wilson and Co. in the early going.

As for where the offence will come from, expect the likes of Mikhail Grabovski, Matt Stajan and Niklas Hagman to play plenty of minutes until Phil Kessel's ready for action. It's not out of the question that Toronto has eight players pot 20 goals this season, as while there's not a ton of high-end offence, there's quietly some depth emerging. (Viktor Stalberg, anyone?)

All the changes probably don't add up to a playoff appearance quite yet, but the bottom end of the Eastern Conference is fairly wide open and a climb up the standings isn't impossible. If nothing else, the Leafs should be far better in the goals against department, and that alone will keep them in the race longer than they were last season.

X-factor: Jonas Gustavsson

For a more in-depth Leafs preview, visit Pension Plan Puppets
For more NHL analysis, check out the McKeen's Hockey Yearbook

Poll

Where will the Leafs finish in the Eastern Conference this season?

1

17 votes

2

3 votes

3

5 votes

4

6 votes

5

18 votes

6

40 votes

7

85 votes

8

90 votes

9

48 votes

10

57 votes

11

20 votes

12

25 votes

13

12 votes

14

8 votes

15

35 votes

469 votes | Poll has closed

Minnesota Wild @ Chicago Blackhawks: Game Recap

nathaneide — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 04:24:02 -0000

More photos » by Charles Cherney - AP

2 months ago: Chicago Blackhawks' Rob Klinkhammer, center, celebrates with teammates Brent Seabrook (7) and Jake Dowell (8) after tipping in the winning goal during the third period of a preseason NHL hockey game against the Minnesota Wild in Chicago on Friday, Sept. 25, 2009. (AP Photo/Charles Cherney)

Browse more photos »

Minnesota Wild 3-4 Chicago Blackhawks

At least Martin Havlat looks game ready.

The Wild tonight could only amass 18 shots. Things aren't still aren't looking so good for the new system. However, it's hard to tell if it's injuries to regulars that is having this effect, or if it's because the guys aren't grasping the system very well. In the first, the Wild played its best period of hockey in the preseason. They looked like they had captured the essence of the new offense with nine shots and two goals (one by James Sheppard on a great feed from Martin Havlat and one by Brent Burn, rocketing home a slapper from a nice pass from Greg Zanon), but things unraveled in the second.

The second period was a flashback to December of 2008. Guys were out of position, the team was scuffling to clear the zone. Passes were ineffectual. Players tried to do too much and they were penned in their own zone.

The worst part of the preseason has to be the injuries, but injuries happen in the NHL and teams need to overcome them in order to succeed. Everyone on the ice needs to be on the same page, or at least in the same playbook. As Michael Russo stated however,

Richards said he’s using St. Louis and Chicago as a measuring stick, and the Wild has a lot of work to do. He wants the Wild to take a page out of the Blackhawks’ book. Chicago’s forwards pursue the puck relentlessly, Richards said, while the Wild continues to have one forward go and two hang back — a staple of yesteryear, he says.

This is disheartening. The Wild are still getting lazy and falling back into old habits.

Speaking of injuries, Kim Johnsson left the game with a leg injury of some kind. The team has not released the extent of his injury, but Todd Richards indicated that it might be a result of Johnsson's first back to back games of the year. If this is the case, it could be a groin, or just soreness. Let's hope that's all it is. Johnsson is going to need to be 100% this season. He'll be one of the go to guys on the blue line. He'll be responsible for leading the break and using some of that offense he had in Philadelphia, before losing it in Lemaire's system.

And speaking of Philadelphia (nice segue, huh?) the Wild end the preseason against the Flyers, then rosters need to be in place by 2pm on Wednesday.

The final cuts will be interesting. The Wild is $797,000 of the $56.8 million cap with 24 players, one more than they’re allowed. But Derek Boogaard probably starts the season on IR to get to 23, but that doesn’t solve the cap problems - Russo

So, what do you do? My gut says Colton Gillies, Matt Kassian, Danny Irmen, Robbie Earl, Nathan Smith and Scott are headed to Houston. Andy Hilbert, Nathan Smith and Jaime Sifers make the squad. Marco Scandella heads back to the Q. This leaves Craig Weller. If I remember correctly, he can go to Houston without waivers, but has a one-way contract. I just don't know what goes on there, but I think he stays. Let's see who is on the ice for Philly.

Hockey Wilderness Three Stars

Patrick Kane (2 G)
Martin Havlat (1 G, 1 A)
Antti Miettinen (2 A)

Questions to Answer

Will Martin Havlat be booed or cheered? I'm not certain what happened here.
With no Danny Irmen and no Robbie Earl, does Andy Hilbert actually make the squad? I think he does. He's put in a fantastic camp.
Is anyone else sick of watching the Houston Aeros, and can't wait to see the Wild actually take the ice? I definitely want to see the regulars.
Will there be less confusion amongst the Wild tonight? For one period, yeah.
Why have the Wild played 5 games and the Blackhawks only 3? They are playing exhibition games in Switzerland, then starting the season there against the Florida Panthers.

Wild vs Blackhawks coverage

Wild vs Blackhawks recap

2009-10 Minnesota Wild Season Preview

nathaneide — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:00:16 -0000

In conjunction with the rest of SBNation Hockey, and James Mirtle's From the Rink, today we bring you Hockey Wilderness' season preview for the 2009-2010 edition of your Minnesota Wild

Editor note: This is entire based upon the roster as of 9/23/09

2008/2009 Recap

The 2008-2009 season for the Minnesota Wild was one of massive ups and downs. What started in October and November as one of the most successful starts to a season in team history, suddenly devolved in December to an unmitigated disaster.

December was the worst month in the short history of the Minnesota Wild, and paired with the increased expectations based upon the start to the season, and the continued injuries to Marian Gaborik, set in motion the beginning of the end for Doug Risebrough and Jacques Lemaire.

2008-2009 was supposed to be the season where the Wild host a first round playoff series, get into the second round, and potentially ride a hot Niklas Backstrom further than that.

What instead happened was a season of a coach losing his players, a general manager losing his fanbase and a franchise in transition.

Who's In

Martin Havlat

#14 / Right Wing / Minnesota Wild

Height: 6-2

Weight: 217

Born: Apr 19, 1981

Some say that the Wild are simply trading one oft-injured, scoring phenom for another, but if the last two seasons are any indication, Martin Havlat will have a major impact on the Minnesota Wild. He is already ingratiating himself to the home crowd, and the scoring touch was evident from the 84 second mark of his first appearance in the Iron Range Red. If Havlat stays healthy, he will single-handedly replace the scoring lost from the departure of Marian Gaborik.

Petr Sykora

#17 / Right Wing / Minnesota Wild

Height: 6-0

Weight: 190

Born: Nov 19, 1976

Yes, hes a 32 (soon to be 33) year old veteran, but he has 10 consecutive seasons of 20+ goals. On a team with a history of offensive anemia, Sykora will be a godsend. He gives the Wild a third man to get the goals down low, and is what the Wild have sorely lacked for a while, a true finisher.

Kyle Brodziak

#21 / Center / Minnesota Wild

Height: 6-2

Weight: 209

Born: May 25, 1984

The centerman came over from Edmonton, and gave the Wild a solid player to center the second or third line, depending upon the play of James Sheppard. Brodziak provides skill at the faceoff dot, and has proven himself thus far to be able to make plays happen and finish on occasion.

Greg Zanon

#6 / Defenseman / Minnesota Wild

Height: 5-11

Weight: 211

Born: Jun 05, 1980

The University of Nebraska-Omaha product was a stalwart on the blue line for the Nashville Predators, and will provide defensive stability, shot blocking and positional play that the Wild have missed for a while. He and Nick Schultz are now the two guys who should be noticed by going unnoticed.

Shane Hnidy

#34 / Defenseman / Minnesota Wild

Height: 6-2

Weight: 204

Born: Nov 08, 1975

The Sheriff will be a stand-up defenseman. He'll play the physical game, taking out onrushing forwards, play dirty in the corners and clear out the low slot, something the Wild have been needing for a while. Boston Bruins fans, however, have not been enamored with his play, so he'll have something to prove.

Jaime Sifers

#26 / Defenseman / Minnesota Wild

Height: 5-11

Weight: 210

Born: Jan 18, 1983

Not much is known about the AHL-heavy Sifers. Frankly, we have no idea if he'll actually make the team, though it seems a good possibility that even if he doesn't, he'll be on the shortlist from Houston. Sifers will be the kind of guy to play solid defense and make the breakout pass from time to time. His job, however, will be to play down low and clear traffic.

Who's Out

Marian Gaborik
Marc-Andre Bergeron
Stephane Veilleux
Martin Skoula
Dan Fritsche

Outlook for 2009-2010

Umm, frankly, we have no idea what to expect. As I stated previously, this new leadership will have some latitude to establish a new presence and identity. There will likely be growing pains and the cupboard is still relatively bare. That being said, this is still a hockey town, and if things aren't going well early on, there will be complaints. Pair the transitional season with a weak economy and there's a good chance the sellout streak will end this year.

Calgary, Vancouver and Edmonton all got better. The Wild ... well only time will tell. If Owen Nolan has the same season he had last year, Havlat and Sykora perform up to their proven capabilities and Sheppard, Gillies, Koivu and Bouchard pick up their performance from last year, the forwards should score more goals than last season.

Will the defensive additions (and those additions by subtraction) help in quelling the inevitable tide of onrushing forwards as the Wild change their strategy to two forecheckers and less emphasis on defensive coverage? Who knows? But, what we do know is that if we start seeing a lot of 5-2 or 5-3 losses and 24 million dollar man, Niklas Backstrom sees his GAA rise toward 3.00 and above, the Xcel Energy Center fans may not give Richards and Fletcher the time they need to build a new team before letting everyone know how they feel.

Prediction

4th in the Northwest
10th in the conference
40-35-7 for 87 points

X-Factor

I'm sure a lot of you are expecting Martin Havlat to be the x-factor for the Wild this season. I, however, do not. I think he'll perform to expectations, and likely beyond. However, the team will live and die by the scoring of guys not named Havlat, Sykora, Koivu, Nolan or Brunette. The guy who has been on the "breakout" list every season, yet can't seem to find his rhythm is our own Pierre-Marc Bouchard. Butch makes $4.25M, $4.25M, $4.25M, $ 4.3M over the next four seasons, and needs to finally perform to that contract. He's a guy built for the "new" NHL, and with Richards' proclivity to set his lines, will need to find a connection with his linemates and decide whether he's a playmaker or a finisher. Bouchard can make passes nobody else on this team can make, and his vision is second to none. If it were me, I'd put him between Owen Nolan and Colton Gillies. That line would give size, grit and speed. Bouchard would be able to take the puck down the half-wall, spin away from the corner and center it to Nolan in the slot. Bouchard's problem thus far is that he hasn't had a finisher on his line. With a guy like Nolan, and a physical presence like Gillies, Bouchard could be the one to give the Wild a great chance to make the playoffs.

Fans like Havlat, Wild prepping for new system, Too many defensemen: Daily Links

nathaneide — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:32:48 -0000

Home crowd warms to Havlat right away | StarTribune.com
The uber-talented winger, signed to a six-year, $30 million deal July 1, made a series of scintillating moves en route to a pretty tap-in goal, the first of his two Sunday during the Wild's 3-0 exhibition victory over the Chicago Blackhawks at Xcel Energy Center. "The thing I sense from him is he's really a good, honest guy," coach Todd Richards said. "He really wants to come in here and do well."

Wild Players Getting Used to New System -- NHL FanHouse
FanHouse's Bruce Ciskie reports from Wild training camp.ST. PAUL -- After nine years of the same voice at practice and during games, a significant cha

Four's a crowd on defense as Wild works to set roster | StarTribune.com
It's a good thing John Scott has the height advantage, because the 6-8 defenseman might start to feel claustrophobic. Considered a lock for the Wild's seventh blue-line spot all summer, Scott, who played 20 games for the Wild last season, suddenly has competition. Scott has had a fine training camp, but so have free-agent pickup Jaime Sifers, junior-eligible Tyler Cuma and minor-leaguer Justin Falk.

Czech imports Martin Halvlat, Petr Sykora score all three Wild goals - TwinCities.com
It didn't take Martin Havlat long to demonstrate to Wild fans exactly why the team signed him in July as a free agent. First shift, first goal.

Defenseman Tyler Cuma makes a good first impression in Wild win - TwinCities.com
Tyler Cuma celebrated his comeback Sunday night by taking a regular shift on defense, throwing a few punches and taking one square on the kisser.

Minnesota Wild vs. Chicago Blackhawks: Game Recap

nathaneide — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 04:08:12 -0000

More photos » by Ann Heisenfelt - AP

3 months ago: Minnesota Wild players Benoit Pouliot (67), Tyler Cuma (71) and John Scott, upper right, congratulate right wing Martin Havlat (14), of the Czech Republic, after his goal against the Chicago Blackhawks during the first period of a preseason NHL hockey game in St. Paul, Minn., Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt)

Browse more photos »

Minnesota Wild 3-0 Chicago Blackhawks

Martin Havlat needed only 84 seconds to enact revenge on his old squad, burying a Benoit Pouliot centering pass past a sprawling Antti Niemi. Havlat wasn't done though, as he added his second goal of the preseason and second in a Wild sweater from Cal Clutterbuck and Kim Johnsson.

Petr Sykora also got his preseason off to a flying start with a tip-in goal in the third period, assisted by Owen Nolan and Kyle Brodziak.

Aside from the three goals, it was a big of an ugly, chippy affair with five fights and 79 total PIM.

Two home games, two 2-goal performances and two shutouts. Can't complain about the way the preseason is going so far.

Hockey Wilderness Three Stars

Martin Havlat (2 G)
Petr Sykora (1 G)
Cal Clutterbuck (1 A)

Questions to Answer

Will Martin Havlat show up his old squad? Yes. Yes he did, and it is great to see him scoring already.
Is this the last we'll see of Andy Hilbert and Danny Irmen? Well, considering that Hilbert was a late scratch, that doesn't bode well for him. Irmen had 12:20 in TOI, but only amassed 2 shots and didn't count in the scoring.
Where on earth is Mikko Koivu? I think it's safe to assume Koivu will be playing in the either the next game at Columbus or the final preseason matchup against St. Louis.
Can Tyler Cuma shine in his first action of the year? Cuma had a fight, but logged 22:10 TOI in a decent performance. He's likely fighting for the final defenseman spot with Jaime Sifers.
Is Pouliot just leading us along to leave us wanting more, or is today his last chance to perform before heading back to Houston? Benoit Pouliot had a great assist, centering the first line of Havlat and Sykora, in only 12:10 TOI. That being said, Michael Russo was impressed with Pouliot tonight, and that says a lot to me.

Game Highlights

Todd Richards Interview

Petr Sykora Interview

Minnesota Wild sign Jamie Fraser and Jaime Sifers

nathaneide — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 19:28:30 -0000

RT @MNWild: Wild signs defensemen Jamie Fraser and Jaime Sifers to one-year contracts - Minnesota Wild official Twitter account

Jamie Fraser

#62 / Defenseman / New York Islanders

Height: 6-1

Weight: 200

Born: Nov 17, 1985

Jaime Sifers

#59 / Defenseman / Toronto Maple Leafs

Height: 5-11

Weight: 210

Born: Jan 18, 1983

I'm going out on a limb and assuming these two defensemen will be in Houston next season. Frankly, I don't know a lot about either, but they're likely not going to make an impact with the big club next year.

2009 NHL Free Agency / Teams by Cap Space / Unsigned UFA's and RFA's

Robert L — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 19:19:41 -0000

This is a listing of NHL teams by order of remaining cap space as of July 4. The Islanders top the list with approximately $23M left to spend. The Sharks have just under $2M remaining. The list is helpful in determining which team are closest to filling out their 2009-10 lineup. As one can see, there is much work to be done at both ends of the spectrum. The numbers figures are based on totals given by NHL Numbers.com.

1 - New York Islanders: $23.265 (18)

UFA: Andy Hilbert C 28, Dean McAmmond C 36, Mike Sillinger C 38, Thomas Pock D 27, Yann Danis G 28, Joey MacDonald G 29.

RFA: Nate Thompson C 24, Jeremy Colliton C 24, Jamie Fraser D 23, Jack Hillen D 23.

2 - Phoenix Coyotes: $21.972 (18)

UFA: Brian McGrattan R 27, Dmitri Kalinin D 29, Ken Klee D 38.

RFA: Nigel Dawes L 24, Joakim Lindstrom C 25, Enver Lisin R 23, Scottie Upshall R 25, Daniel Winnik C 24, Keith Yandle D 22.

3 - Atlanta Thrashers: $19.599 (15)

RFA: Eric Perrin C 33.

UFA: Kari Lehtonen G 25, Colby Armstrong R 26, Jim Slater C 26, Boris Valabik D 23.

4 - Nashville Predators: $17.913 (16)

UFA: Radek Bonk C 33, Scott Nichol C 34, Greg de Vries D 36.

RFA: Ryan Jones R 25, Antti Pihlstrom L 24,.