SB Nation - Dan Hamhuis

Summer fill: A conversation with Vancouver Canucks blog Nucks Misconduct (part two)

John Fontana — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 15:00:42 -0000

We continue our conversation with Vancouver Canucks blog Nucks Misconduct today, fleshing out some defense related questions that apply to both clubs.

In case you missed part one, you can find it here.

Nucks Misconduct touched on a certain Finn named Sami Sami yesterday, and we're actually going to reprint that section of our Q and A, then throw up a pair of follow up questions that didn't make the edit of yesterday's post. Continuity is a beautiful thing.

Raw Charge: What has been your analysis of Sami Salo over the past few years? How has Vigneault generally played him and in what roles has he been most successful? Where has he had the most trouble?

Nucks Misconduct: We're big Salo fans. Everyone should be. Who isn't? Point to them. I bet they're from Calgary. Or Boston. You can't trust certain people unfortunately.

Ignoring age and durability, there isn't much to dislike about Salo's resume. Offensively he's the Finnish McInnis, a guy who in nine seasons notched 48 PPGs, making him the highest defensive PPG producer in Vancouver history. If Guy Boucher doesn't have him out there on a 5-on-3 or a 4-on-3, someone smack him. In the defensive zone he was a constant fixture for almost a decade, often times making those around him more responsible and outperforming his more notable peers like Willie Mitchell, Ed Jovanovski or Mattias Ohlund. Lastly, he's a quiet
and low-key guy, a trusted voice in the locker room and in the community.

Hey did I mention he took a Duncan Keith slapper to his testicles and returned to play 48 hours later? Most of us are crying just reading that sentence.

Vigneault used him on the second pairing with Alex Edler in addition to the PP and limited times on the PK. Anytime you need a responsible D man who can offer a strong shot to compliment the forwards, that's where he will shine. Unfortunately I believe his age is why Gillis offered nothing more than a one-year deal before Tampa scooped him up. I can't see him shouldering a top two or top four role anymore, but I suspect with Hedman, Carle, Brewer and Bergeron he won't have to.

tl;dr - Limit his time, let him tee it up and pray the injury gods don't drop a piano on his head. If so you'll be be quite happy with him.

From a fan perspective what'll be missed most about Salo?

From a fan perspective what'll be missed most about Salo? His shot and steady presence. He took a step back last season statistically but you could do worse on a third pairing (says a fan who stares at $4.5 million of Keith Ballard doing it) than Salo. I hope he stays healthy for you and can enjoy contributing in a more sheltered role.

And from where the Canucks are sitting, why are they better off without him (...besides being overpaid in his new contract)?

They got younger and his loss opens the door for others. Vancouver certainly wanted to keep Salo, but now instead of complimenting him Jason Garrison will be looked on to replace his efforts in the top four and on the scoreboard. Vancouver also sees big things for Ballard's current linemate Chris Tanev who it's hoped can blossom into a top-four option in addition to prospect Kevin Connauton who - like Salo - has a cannon for a shot and is getting rave reviews after stints with the Vancouver Giants, Manitoba Moose and Chicago Wolves.

Ah, yes former Panthers defenseman Jason Garrison signed a big free agent contract with you this off-season... How long a honeymoon period will he have if he doesn't live up to expectations immediately?

Honeymoons don't last long in Vancouver. Two years ago we were drunk with anticipation at the idea that Dan Hamhuis and Keith Ballard - both of who hadn't missed a game due to injury in eons - were on board. So what happened? By November 2010 both were injured and out of the line-up. So we know better than to assume the best. But if fans bemoan a potential scoring slump that means less to me than poor defensive work. If he transforms into Wade Redden overnight, that would be extremely disheartening. Vigneault already buried Ballard; it would be maddness to bury close to $9 million on your third pairing. I mean, it would be like having a $5.3 million back-up...goalie...*cries*

Ooh, that backup goalie... Yes, we'll touch on the subject of the 800 pound gorilla in the room tomorrow in part 3...

Little League World Series: Goodlettsville Survives Scare Much Like Preds/Hawks From 2010

Dirk Hoag — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 02:34:36 -0000

In case you missed it this afternoon, the team from Goodlettsville captured the U.S. title at the Little League World Series, and move on to face Japan tomorrow to win the whole darned thing.

But whoa, what a roller coaster ride it was. Leading 15-5 heading into the 6th inning, Goodlettsville only needed three outs to close out the game. Instead, however, the team from Petaluma, California staged a furious comeback, scoring 10 rounds to force extra innings. I was hanging out with my boys watching, and my youngest was just about losing his mind watching that lead melt away.

We've Seen This Before

As for me? I couldn't help but think back to Game 5 of the 2010 playoff series between the Nashville Predators and Chicago Blackhawks. After taking a 3rd-period lead in the United Center, the Preds were in position to close out the Hawks and take a 3-2 series lead back to Bridgestone Arena. Heck, they even had a power play in the final minutes after Marion Hossa boarded Dan Hamhuis.

Well, we all know how that worked out. The Game 5 Horror saw the Preds cough up a shorthanded goal to Patrick Kane in the final minute, leading to an overtime that never should have happened. In OT, they failed to convert on their power play and allowed Hossa to score the game winner just seconds after he came out of the penalty box. The game was lost, and the Preds were subsequently knocked out in Game 6.

That might have been the biggest meltdown I've seen in a playoff game, and I was worried that we were seeing a repeat this afternoon. Most anyone would have been rattled to fritter away a 10-run lead like that - heck, I know us viewers were!

The Boys Bounced Back

The Goodlettsville Little League team, however? They bounced back in tremendous fashion. They blew things open once again with 9 runs in the 7th inning, and shut things down in a business-like manner in the bottom of the inning to close out the win.

It was a thrilling win, and you have to think that surviving this bit of adversity will only help them out against Japan. If dropping a 10-spot when victory was so close didn't rattle them, nothing will.

Canucks To Begin Contract Extension Negotiations With Edler Too

Zanstorm — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 10:00:14 -0000

From the Sun:

Gilman said the team will likely soon begin talks to extend the contract of defenceman Alex Edler, who is entering the final year of a contract that pays him $3.25 million a season. That makes Edler the fifth highest-paid defenceman on the Canucks behind Kevin Bieksa and Jason Garrison (both $4.6 million), Dan Hamhuis ($4.5 million) and Keith Ballard ($4.2 million). Edler led Canucks defencemen with 11 goals and 49 points last season. "It is safe to assume we will be commencing discussions with Alex's representative (Mark Stowe) in a short period of time," Gilman said.

Yeah, what

perfect time to negotiate a contract extension with Alexander Edler than right now. Or is it? Edler recorded a career high in production in 2011-12 with 11 goals, 38 assists and 49 points and a career - high 145 blocked shots. Edge to Edler in negotiation talks.

He also recorded a 0 in the +/- category, which tied his personal worst in his tenure as a Canuck. Edler = minus. We saw him struggle. Many, including myself predicted a breakout year for Alex in 2011-12 but it was almost the opposite. I had him as a Norris finalist after his 2010-11 season, where he had less points but was a +13. But it was not to be.

The question marks abound with Edler. Is he Lidstrom incarnate? Probably not. (God dammit I was hoping he was.)

My guess is that Edler will pair with Jason Garrison on the Canucks' second pairing behind Kevin Bieksa / Dan Hamhuis which we already know is a formidable duo. But hey, that's just my opinion. Even so, that is two gifted offensive guys in Edler/Garrison paired together. Is that really going to happen?

We know that a Keith Ballard - Chris Tanev tandem works. In a perfect world, Ballard, who frequents Alain Vigneault's doghouse, gets moved this summer. But let's assume that does not happen. Well then we have a shit storm don't we? That depends on the roles given to each defenceman.

Edler's role, clearly, is not that of a stay-at-home defenceman. So here is what I see happening:

-Edler and the Canucks do NOT come to terms for a contract extension. Edler plays another year out with the Canucks and kicks some serious ass and forces Mike Gillis' hand next summer as an unrestricted free agent. (if I am Edler I would do this.)

I would give an option "b" but I don't see it happening unless Ballard is moved and Edler plays a bigger offensive role with Tanev, for example. Edler's case is not as strong as Alexandre Burrows' as far as extensions go. It's almost as if Garrison was acquired to replace Edler, or as backup insurance. It's true, face it.

Bottom line is that Edler needs to, and will have a super season with Vancouver to define his role as a top 4 defenceman in this League.

What say you?

Who is the greatest #4 in Nashville Predators history?

Dirk Hoag — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 15:38:40 -0000

Our Nashville Predators jersey number series continues with another group of defensemen, since they tend to dominate the single-digit section of the roster. The #4 has been worn by all sorts of defensemen in Nashville over the years, from undersized puck-movers to stay-at-home shot blockers. But who has done it the most honor?

Follow after the jump for More, including some Fruit Cup!

Looking for a Preds jersey? Ice Jerseys has a deal to save 10-30% on your order, but it ends today!

Jay More (1998)

Another one of the journeymen to make a temporary stop on the Nashville blueline, More joined the Preds at the beginning of that initial 1998-1999 season, after having been signed as a free agent over the summer (in fact, he was the Preds' first-ever FA signing). In a December 10 game against the Florida Panthers, however, he suffered a concussion which ended his playing days.

In 18 games for Nashville, he scored no goals, added two assists, and had 18 penalty minutes.

Mark Eaton (2001-2006)

Eaton was a staple of those early Preds teams which scratched & clawed their way to respectability and those first two playoff berths, coming just before and after the Great Lockout of 2004-2005. In 2000-2001, he led the team with a +7 Plus/Minus rating, a feat he repeated in 2003-2004 with a +16 (rare opportunities for a relatively pedestrian defenseman to lead the team). In 2005-2006, he set a franchise record at the time with 170 Blocked Shots.

In 286 total games for the Preds, Eaton compiled 15 goals, 30 assists, and 130 penalty minutes. He left Nashville as a free agent in the summer of 2006.

Vitaly Vishnevski (2007)

Vishnevski had perhaps one of the strangest careers as a Nashville Predator. Acquired in exchange for Eric Belanger from Atlanta at the 2007 Trade Deadline (Belanger having just been acquired the day before, never having played for the Preds), he was seen as a significant addition to a high-flying Nashville team that lacked a physical presence on defense.

It seemed like he ended up in Barry Trotz's doghouse right away, however, playing 15 games down the stretch but none in the playoffs, as Nashville got manhandled by the San Jose Sharks in what was the Preds' most frustrating playoff loss to that point. Vishnevski joined New Jersey as a free agent that summer and played one more year in the NHL.

Ville Koistinen (2007-2009)

After a surprising rookie campaign in 2007-2008, it was hoped that Koistinen might follow the model of Kimmo Timonen and provide some offensive spark as an undersized puck-moving defenseman. Especially after the Fire Sale of 2007, the Predators needed every bit of help they could get, especially on the power play. After that initial season Koistinen took the team to arbitration, which probably didn't help his standing in an organization that was watching every penny at that point in time.

The next season saw his ice time and production tail off, and as Ryan Suter & Dan Hamhuis grew into leading roles, there was more of a need for grit on the left side rather than more skill. He signed with Florida as a free agent in 2009 and played just one more year in the NHL before heading overseas.

In 86 career games here, Koistinen put up 7 goals and 21 assists, along with 32 penalty minutes and a +13 rating.

Teemu Laakso (2009)

Here's Teemu again already, just two days after showing up in the #2 debate. He broke camp with the big club in 2009, but only lasted 7 games before heading back to Milwaukee. He recorded no points during that run.

Cody Franson (2010-2011)

"Fruit Cup" showed considerable offensive talent during his two seasons in Nashville, and in his sophomore year of 2010-2011 he switched to #4 from 32. Apparently he drew some inspiration from Bobby Orr,as he recorded a beauty of a goal against Tampa Bay in October of that season. With Shea Weber leading the way, Kevin Klein developing into a reliable stopper and Ryan Ellis pushing from below, Franson's spot on the depth chart grew increasingly perilous, however.

In the summer of 2011 he was sent to Toronto along with Matthew Lombardi as the prize for Lombardi's salary dump, but so far Franson hasn't earned a regular spot in the Maple Leafs lineup, either.

Bearing the #4, Franson put up 8 goals and 21 assists in 80 games, along with 30 penalty minutes and a +10 rating.

Poll

Who is the greatest #4 in Nashville Predators history?

Mark Eaton

336 votes

Cody Franson

219 votes

Ville Koistinen

21 votes

Teemu Laakso

23 votes

Jay More

6 votes

Vitaly Vishnevski

19 votes

624 votes | Poll has closed

Who is your #1 #2 in Nashville Predators history?

Dirk Hoag — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 18:34:39 -0000

The 2012-2013 NHL season is still a long ways off, so to keep us occupied until then we're kicking off a new series of articles intending to stir conversation and bring back some memories of former Nashville Predators. We'll take a look at all the jersey numbers which have been worn by multiple players over the years, and ask you to decide who which has done each number the

Let's take a look at the contenders for our first number to consider, #2...

Looking for a Preds jersey? Ice Jerseys has a deal to save 10-30% on your order, but only until July 31!

Rob Zettler (1999)

Zettler had a long NHL career as a rugged defenseman, playing 569 games for 6 teams. Only two of those games came in a Nashville Predators jersey, however, after he was claimed from Toronto in the Preds' expansion draft in 1998. He spent most of the 1998-99 season with the IHL's Utah Grizzlies, but got called up for a couple contests with the Preds in February of '99, a pair of losses to Detroit and Pittsburgh. He recorded no points, 2 penalty minutes, and was a -2.

That summer he moved on to the Washington Capitals as a free agent, playing parts of three seasons before retiring. Just this month, he was hired as an assistant coach with the AHL's Syracuse Crunch.

Dan Keczmer (1999-2000)

Another journeyman blueliner, Keczmer played 235 games over the course of 10 seasons for 5 different NHL teams. Late in the Predators inaugural season of 1998-99, Nashville claimed Keczmer off waivers from the Dallas Stars, suiting up for 16 games with the Preds down the stretch, and 24 the next season. On February 9, 2000, Keczmer was traded to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for defenseman Rory Fitzpatrick, but Keczmer never played in the NHL again.

Through 40 games as a Predator, Keczmer recorded 5 assists, 40 penalty minutes, and a -5 rating.

In an interesting sidenote, back in 1991 he was traded by San Jose to Hartford for our new Milwaukee Admirals head coach, Dean Evason.

Dan Hamhuis (2004-2010)

A prototypical example of Nashville's reputation for drafting and developing quality defensemen, Hammer was a 1st-round pick (12th overall) in the 2001 NHL Draft. He played one more year of junior hockey and one in Milwaukee before making his NHL debut with an 80-game rookie season in 2003-4. During the lockout he went back to the AHL, but picked right up where he left up once NHL play resumed, solidifying his role as a Top 4 defender and versatile contributor on special teams.

After six seasons in Nashville, Hamhuis racked up 32 goals, 129 assists, 375 penalty minutes and a +3 rating. In the summer of 2010 he left the Preds as a free agent and signed with his hometown Vancouver Canucks. He turned off many fans here with some joking comments about attendance in Nashville, but he was always a positive influence in the community here.

Teemu Laakso (2012)

Laakso has worn a variety of numbers during occasional appearances in the NHL over the last three seasons, sporting #4 and #32 before switching things up last fall. Despite continued development in Milwaukee, he never could earn a regular job at the NHL level, and this summer took his game back across the water to the KHL.

In 9 games wearing the #2 in 2011-2012, Laakso tallied no points, 8 penalty minutes, and -1 rating.

So who gets your vote as Nashville's consummate #2?

Poll

Who is your favorite #2 in Nashville Predators history?

Dan Hamhuis

443 votes

Dan Keczmer

10 votes

Teemu Laakso

48 votes

Rob Zettler

15 votes

516 votes | Poll has closed

Will the Predators match Shea Weber's offer sheet?

Travis Hughes — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 12:00:40 -0000

You have to feel bad for Nashville Predators general manager David Poile, a guy who's seemingly done everything right. He's built his team from nothing all the way up to Stanley Cup-contender status with little money at his disposal, and yet it's proven time and time again that no matter how hard he tries, his best players are going to leave town.

You might say it started when Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell were traded prior to hitting unrestricted free agency in 2007, same with Peter Forsberg, a guy that played just 22 total games in Preds' gold after the team gave up Scottie Upshall, Ryan Parent, a first and a third for the aging veteran. Since, we've seen goalie Tomas Vokoun leave Nashville via trade. We've seen Dan Hamhuis leave. We've seen Ryan Suter walk away for big money in Minnesota.

And now, Shea Weber could very well be gone after signing a 14-year, $100-plus million offer sheet with the Philadelphia Flyers. Have to wonder what Pekka Rinne -- the lone guy to stick around for the long haul down in the Music City to date -- is thinking this morning.

It's vital for Poile to match this offer sheet for a number of reasons, be it the opportunity for his team to remain competitive, the all-important public relations view or simply his own ego. As Sam Page over at On the Forecheck wrote early this morning, the next seven days -- the time frame Nashville has to match the offer or pass -- will be crucial in Predators history. Perhaps the most important days they've ever faced.

I don't think it's too much of an exaggeration to say that this is the defining moment of this young franchise. David Poile and Barry Trotz have been talking about how the Predators are being primed to be a cap-ceiling team. Time to put your money where your mouth is, everyone. Match. Do it.

But will Nashville match? Can they match? Let's try to answer those vital questions.

At face value, it all points to a Nashville match here. As we've already outlined, there's too much on the line for them to let this go, and they've said repeatedly in the past that they would match any offer.

The Flyers would give up four first round draft picks as compensation to Nashville should the Preds let Weber go, but that's small potatoes in the long run. The Flyers will almost certainly be a playoff team for the next four seasons. Four first round picks are nice, but there's no guarantee any of them will become an impact player on Weber's level. And even if one or more of those picks do become elite NHL players, how long will that take? We're talking potentially eight, nine years here. Nashville can't afford that.

But again, that's at face value. Nashville isn't a rich hockey club. They're not bathing in the money like Paul Holmgren, Peter Luukko, Ed Snider and Comca$$$$$t-Spectacor are.

TSN reported early this morning that the Flyers offer could include one year in which the total salary and bonuses reach $26 million. TWENTY-SIX MILLION DOLLARS.

If that's true, the Predators might not be able to match that number. That's for a number of reasons:

-- Forbes valued the team at $163 million in 2011. $26 million in one season on one player, no matter how great and important that player may be? Yeah, that seems sort of impossible.

-- A lot of people are throwing out the possibility that Weber could still be traded, but the current CBA -- the one that's in effect until Sept. 15 and thus will dictate the rules of this contract -- says that if Nashville matches, they cannot trade him for one calendar year.

-- Poile and the Preds can't even trade him right this second. The signing of this offer sheet means that he's playing one of two places in 2012-13: Philadelphia or Nashville. (Or perhaps overseas in the event of a lockout. Whatever.) The only way that changes is if the Flyers wind up with his services and then decide to trade him. That seems ... um, unlikely.

Really, this all just comes down to a) the structure of the deal and b) the Preds putting their money where their mouths are. They've said repeatedly that they'd match any potential offer sheet. They've said repeatedly that they can compete with the big boys. They've said repeatedly that they want Shea Weber to spend the rest of his career in Nashville.

Well, here's the chance for them to take control. They almost certainly want to match the deal. But will their finances allow it? That's the $100-plus million question, and we'll find out the answer at some point between now and next week at this time. The Flyers don't have much to necessarily lose here, but for the Preds, this might as well be a matter of life and death.

Scoping Out Vancouver's Lines & Pairings

Yankee Canuck — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 17:26:54 -0000

Last month we asked what you felt the biggest priorities were for the Canucks heading into the draft and beyond. Some 400 votes later you selected trading #1 followed by another big minute defenseman and finding another top six winger.

The Luongo wait lingers on, but with the Garrison signing and Raymond re-upping you could argue GMMG met the needs most felt had to happen.

The first game of the 2012/2013 season is less than three months away and, oh hey, today is Friday the 13th. Feel like being terrified?

If nothing else changes this summer - Doan signs elsewhere, MG hates the offers for Luongo, PTO's don't pan out and nothing amazing happens at camp - this is what your Vancouver Canucks could look like come October 11th when they knock heads with the Wideman-powered Flames.

Daniel Sedin - Henrik Sedin - Alexandre Burrows

Mason Raymond - Maxim Lapierre - David Booth

Chris Higgins - Andrew Ebbett - Jannik Hansen

Dale Weise - Manny Malhotra - Zack Kassian

Kevin Bieksa - Dan Hamhuis

Alexander Edler - Jason Garrison

Keith Ballard - Chris Tanev

Cory Schneider

Roberto Luongo

These lines are a rough estimate of course, based mainly on how last season ended: plugging in Ebbett for Lappy so the latter can move up to replace Kesler, Garrison even up for Salo and Schneider for Luongo (that's still strange to type out).

After the jump some comments on the breakdown before I toss on my fantasy cap with what I would do if I were AV juggling humanity for dinner money in a few months.

Pithy thoughts:

The opening 20ish games of the season will be a "Waiting For Kesler" (WFK) scenario. If no substitute is found via free agency/trading, you have to promote Lappy, Manny or Ebbett unless Schroeder or someone else (Alex Friesen!) comes out of no where. It won't be Malhotra so the only roster guys who logically fill out the 2LC and 3LC are Lappy and Ebbett (or Higgins which we'll get to shortly).
That said, not digging that second line. But I think I would hate it with Ebbett in the center. I know in his limited role last season Ebbett was good at driving the play; he wouldn't be back with Vancouver if AV didn't see something in him (see MAG for more info on that topic). I wouldn't mind if both centers rotated through the game, but Lappy has earned the temporary promotion.
Not jazzed about Raymond's slot, but it's his to lose. One of the subplots I'm eager to watch in camp is how he performs because that monkey on his back must feel like a two ton bull moose now. An aside: I can make back jokes with MayRay yes?
Weise...ugh.
Not thrilled with Kassian on the 4L either. He won't progress much pegged that far down, but AV will give him every change to step up into the top nine once the game hits the half way mark. So the 4L is a temporary home at best.

Fantasy time. Dealing with WFK and some jumbled top nine decisions, I'd roll something like this:

Daniel Sedin - Henrik Sedin - Alex Burrows

Mason Raymond - Chris Higgins - David Booth

Maxim Lapierre - Andrew Ebbett - Jannik Hansen

Aaron Volpatti - Manny Malhotra - Zack Kassian

Kevin Bieksa - Dan Hamhuis

Alex Edler - Jason Garrison

Keith Ballard - Chris Tanev

Cory Schneider

Roberto Luongo

Naturally I'm promoting the Professor to address WFK. Higgins may feel more at home on wing, but that can be addressed by different line assignments as the game progresses. Higgins has better hands than either Lapierre or Ebbett and can still drive the play a la Kesler and Booth last year. Moreover Higgins is superb defensively and Raymond should be fine on both ends of the ice with a player more like Kesler. I trust this trio can help offset the pressure on the twins/Burrows too.
It was tempting to move Kassian up and push Raymond back to 3L but Lappy's versatility (as shown in the first round last season) can't be ignored. Also, as stated above, I think Kassian becomes a top nine option later in the game. Earn it son.
The third line "feels" more a solid checking line, the key being sheltering Ebbett. Lappy and Hansen can work the neutral zone and the boards just fine and all three can bury the puck so it doesn't feel like there's much concern hereby moving Higgins off.
Also tempted to move Malhotra out of the fourth line trench he's been chained in for a season, but how AV uses his fourth liners has been well documented for some time now. It's more of a detriment to AV's line management to use Manny like it's 2010-11 again. Sorry chief.
Volpatti in for Weise. It means nothing other than Weise doesn't inspire and the news that he's boxing this summer is too Hordichukian for my liking. Volpatti isn't much better (certainly not when you dive into the corsi involved with fourth liners) but I'm not expecting much out of him either. Play hard, play smart and stay out of the box. Thank you.
I was IMMENSELY tempted to put Edler with Connauton and push Garrison to the third pairing alongside Tanev (which I should since this is my fantasy damn it) but Vancouver won't be doing that. Garrison isn't a third pairing player anymore than Ballard should be and as Tanev knows it's tough as nails to crack that top four. Besides scratching Ballard in favor of Connauton - and reuniting that AHL pairing - is, shall we say, poor asset management. I think a strong camp will move Connauton past Alberts as the first injury call-up, but no sense in rushing the kid either. Once again, Ballard and Tanev it is. But I got my eye on you K-Nauts.

That's my Friday fun. Your turn. Ignoring extra pieces and staying in-house, what would you like to see the lines be in three months time?

Sharks extend Marc-Edouard Vlasic for 5 years, $21.25 million

The Neutral — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 21:08:14 -0000

According to TVA Sports in Montreal, the Sharks have signed defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic to a 5-year, $21.25 million contract extension carrying an average annual cap hit of $4.25 million. Vlasic has one year remaining on the 4-year, $12.4 million deal he inked as a restricted free agent.

This is about as close to a steal as we're going to see anymore in the NHL. If there's one thing Doug Wilson has consistently excelled at during his tenure as Sharks GM (and, despite his detractors, there are a lot of things he's excelled at), it's retaining the franchise's homegrown talent at extremely fair rates. This contract extension might be his best. The closest cap hit comparables to Vlasic's new deal include the likes of Keith Ballard, Ed Jovanovski and Anton Volchenkov and his hit will be lower than defensemen like Dan Hamhuis, Braydon Coburn and the hilariously awful Jack Johnson. And, of course, save for Coburn all of those d-men signed their deals under a lower salary cap.

As we mentioned in Vlasic's season review, the 25-year-old controlled play at evens matching up against opposing teams' best forwards all season long. The only defensemen in the NHL to face both a higher quality of competition than Vlasic this past year and finish with a higher Corsi rate (an on-ice shot differential metric that tracks closely with puck possession and scoring chances) were all-world veterans Nicklas Lidstrom and Kimmo Timonen. Which is fitting since the mark of Vlasic's game, even when he broke into the league as a 19-year-old six years ago, has always been his veteran-like positional play and defensive prowess.

With the extension, the Sharks will have quite a bit of money tied up in their defense beginning in the 2013-14 season (of course, they already lead the league in defense salary) with their top four on the back end of Vlasic, Dan Boyle, Brent Burns and Brad Stuart carrying a combined cap hit a shade over $20 million. Luckily, the only significant players the team will need to re-sign (or replace through free agency) that summer are Ryane Clowe and Jason Demers, neither of whom should command an outrageous raise.

UPDATE: Capgeek reports that the deal is actually for $21.25 million, not $21 million which means the cap hit on Vlasic's extension works out to $4.25 million. His deal also has a NTC.

2003 NHL Re-Draft: Jeff Carter's Lucky Seven

Bruce Peter — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 11:00:17 -0000

It's pretty appropriate where our next selection landed. Jeff Carter has worn jersey numbers 17, 7, and 77 in the NHL, and wore number 7 as part of Team Canada at the 2004 and 2005 World Junior Championships where he emerged as one of the brightest stars of the NHL lockout. Coming in at #7 in our re-draft, it's a jump of four spots for Carter from his actual 2003 draft spot of 11th. And for Canadiens fans who like to bemoan the Habs 10th overall selection of Andrei Kostitsyn, Carter is the big 'what if'. Of course, it helps to have some context on Carter as a draft prospect rather than get too concerned about the guy that went right after your guy. In 2003, Jeff Carter at #11 overall was considered a reach. But the Flyers, like so many of their first round forward picks over the years, knew better than others.

History of the Pick

The Nashville Predators were slowly and steadily trying to build a strong organization as cheaply as possible. Starting with nothing, David Poile had built a roster that included Kimmo Timmonen, David Legwand, Scott Hartnell, Scott Walker, Martin Erat, Karlis Skrastins (RIP), Mark Eaton and had recently seen Tomas Vokoun emerge as a bonafide number one goaltender. Things were starting to come into place, as the team finished in the top 10 in goals against in 2002-03 despite finishing with only 74 points. The team really was focusing on being a strong defensive team right from the beginning, and despite having one of the league's worst offences they continued on their path of looking to improve from the blueline forward. Even with Dan Hamhuis in the system and ready to go, the Predators continued their blueline build, picking the first defensemen in the draft in Ryan Suter. Suter was the first of three picks by the Predators all used on defensemen, using their second rounders on Kevin Klein and of course Shea Weber. Suter would emerge as one of the NHL's top defensemen but it took a while for that to happen. And of course, once he reached that plateau, we now know that he would break Poile's heart by leaving town for an even more recent expansion team, the Minnesota Wild.

Carter Crashes the Party

Ranked 27th amongst North American skaters by Central Scouting, Jeff Carter couldn't have been expecting to hear his name called on that day. In the photo archive I'm going through for this pick, I noticed a shot of the prospects in the crowd waiting to be picked, and Eric Staal, Anthony Stewart, and Jeff Carter were lined up one in front of the other with their families. The photo credits both Staal and Stewart, but didn't seem to pick up on the significant player very prominent in the third row. He just wasn't a big deal in the months leading up to June 2003. Like Seabrook, it's hard to figure out why he wasn't more popular going into that day: he was a big rangy centre who could score at an impressive pace. He was over a point per game in his draft season and had a strong U18 World Junior tournament as well. The Flyers, never known to back away from a talented young Canadian forward in the first round, snapped him up and got a heck of a player moving forward. They'd later add Mike Richards as well and get the core of their team from about 2007-11.

Editor's Note: The stats above indicate league rank (forwards only) in each category except Games Played (GP) and Score. Score is defined in the introduction, on a scale of 0.5 to 6 with bonus half points given for year end awards.

Even as a sparsely used rookie, and even when he missed 20 and 27 games in a season, Jeff Carter took a lot of shots. He has never once not been one of the top 90 shot takers in the league, and as a result he's been one of the top goal scorers in the NHL since he emerged as a rookie on the scene in 2005-06. Over time, his pure offensive talents also found use in increased minutes all around, including becoming a top threat on the penalty kill. His playmaking skills have set him back a bit, and he now spends time on right wing for Los Angeles. His second half of his career could be very different from his first in that regard. Carter's been criticized quite a lot publicly, for his refusal to submit to Peter Laviolette's 'Dry Island' in Philadelphia, a poor attitude upon being traded to Columbus last offseason, which led to him being an easy trade target for the Kings at the 2012 trade deadline.

After he went to LA, the rumbling never really stopped, but the Kings winning took off. Even for a bad year, Carter still managed 29 goals in 75 regular season and playoff games. It remains to be seen what kind of long term impact he'll have on the Kings, as he is signed to one of those massive long term deals (he's locked up for the next 10 seasons). He has enough of an all-around game to find ways to contribute even if his goal scoring goes down, but based on his shot rates, we have to think he's still got quite a lot of goals still left in him.

Originally Drafted:  11th Overall by the Philadelphia Flyers
Players Drafted Ahead of Him That Were Better Picks:  2
Players Drafted Behind Him That Were Better Picks:  4
Originally Taken in this Spot in 2003:  Ryan Suter, Defensemen, by the Nashville Predators
NHL Salary Earned to Date (Approximate):  $23,827,200

#6: Brent Seabrook

#7: Jeff Carter

#8: ???