SB Nation - Greg de Vries

2009-10 NHL Season Preview: Nashville Predators

James Mirtle — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:00:18 -0000

More photos » by Frederick Breedon - AP

Who's in: Marcel Goc, Ben Guite
Who's out: Radek Bonk, Greg de Vries, Vernon Fiddler, Ville Koistinen, Scott Nichol, Greg Zanon

Outlook: Life's not easy as one of the league's low budgeted clubs.

The Predators watched as six role players left the roster — the most glaring loss being useful stay at home defender Greg Zanon — and no free agents of note were added to the mix as the team's payroll sunk down close to the $40.8-million salary floor. The only good news in free agency was that GM David Poile was able to lock up Steve Sullivan and Joel Ward, both of whom should play bigger roles this season.

With Alex Radulov committed to staying in Russia another season, the Predators are going to have to get more offence from within and there aren't a lot of scoring options in the system. Cal O'Reilly, who had a decent 11-game audition at the end of last season, may be an option on a scoring line, as will NCAA standout Colin Wilson, but for the most part, it's going to fall to the incumbents like Jason Arnott, J.P. Dumont and Martin Erat to drive the offence.

Other causes for concern come on the blueline, where the losses will mean a promotion from the AHL for Cody Franson and far bigger roles for players like Alexander Sulzer and Kevin Klein. Poile will likely opt to bring in another veteran defender at some point, but for the most part, huge minutes will continue to fall on the trio of Shea Weber, Ryan Suter and Dan Hamhuis. Nashville very likely has the youngest defence core in the NHL this season.

Even so, this is an underrated group, and if Pekka Rinne can turn his star performance in a half season into more of a full-time showing, the Predators do have a chance to return to the playoffs. Everyone will be betting against them, but when hasn't that been the case?

X-factor: Colin Wilson

For a more in-depth Preds preview, visit On The Forecheck
For more NHL analysis, check out the McKeen's Hockey Yearbook

Poll

Where will the Preds finish in the Western Conference this season?

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4 votes

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0 votes

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0 votes

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2 votes

5

5 votes

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5 votes

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11 votes

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26 votes

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19 votes

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25 votes

11

13 votes

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16 votes

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16 votes

14

3 votes

15

9 votes

154 votes | Poll has closed

Toronto gets Kessel

Dirk Hoag — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 12:59:59 -0000

They're doing the Happy Dance up in Toronto, where the Maple Leafs gave up two first round picks and a second rounder for the rights to Phil Kessel, who Brian Burke promptly signed to a new, 5-year $27 million contract. According to many reports, the Predators were in the running with an offer of one first-round pick, the rights to Alexander Radulov, and a defensive prospect (rumored to be Jonathan Blum).

Setting aside the frustration of not obtaining this elite young scorer, however, the question is naturally asked (by John Glennon, for example) - where do the Preds go from here?

The good news for Predators fans is that GM David Poile was prepared to add a multi-million dollar salary to his roster, without sending a current player back in trade. While that budget might have had a little extra allowance considering that an elite, 21-year-old goal-scorer was on the market, this is a sign that Poile is indeed in a buying mood.

So what do the Preds need, and what's available? Obviously a goal-scoring winger would be nice, but depth on defense is also a concern. As much as the organization touts the development of Alexander Sulzer, Cody Franson, and Teemu Laakso, it boggles the mind to think that the Preds seriously plan on relying on three rookies in the 5-6-7 spots on the defensive depth chart.

Combine that with the tremendous turnover in penalty killing personnel, and I'll toss a name out there that I'd like to see the Predators sign - not at all a replacement for Kessel, but a guy who can bolster the 3rd pairing on D and soak up the PK minutes so that Hamhuis, Suter and Weber don't have to.

His name? Greg de Vries.

Think about it, he's already intimately familiar with how things work here, and wouldn't need a learning curve to join the organization.

Signing him would also likely leave enough room in the budget to acquire a sniper later in the season. With the salary cap for the 2010-11 season likely to fall, teams will be desperate to jettison players at the trade deadline.

Stay tuned for next week, as I'll attempt a thorough assessment of the options available out there.

In the end, I wouldn't be surprised if the uncertainty around Radulov's eventual return to the NHL represented a major disadvantage for Nashville as compared to Toronto's offer, but it was a solid effort by Poile to at least get something out of nothing. He'll likely have opportunities over the next few weeks to try that trick again, as teams make decisions on final roster spots.

And hey, Mike Santorelli had a goal and an assist last night in Carolina - who knows, we might get decent production there at roughly one-tenth the cost of Kessel...

Chelios-to-Nashville talk gathering steam?

Dirk Hoag — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:25:09 -0000

More photos » by Keith Srakocic - AP

"Then there was the time that Howie Morenz got upset after I cross-checked him in the face..."

Browse more photos »

Talk about good fortune! Just as I was preparing for a guest segment on the Thom Abraham Show on WNSR 560-AM in Nashville to talk about the potential of Chris Chelios joining the Predators, a fresh bit of news came across my Twitter feed. For the latest update, and a chance to listen to the segment, just follow the jump...

First, your chance to hear how it went. You can listen while you read the rest here - (Dirk Hoag on Thom Abraham Show 2009-09-01). Thom does a great job talking about the NHL on his show, and enjoys it, so I highly recommend you call in and prompt further discussion. I, like many of you, am often disappointed with the lack of mainstream media coverage of the Preds and the NHL at large, but Thom's show can be a great option on that front.

Anyways, while getting ready for the segment, I came across this update on Twitter (remember to follow me, @Forechecker):

Craig Custance is a hockey writer for the Sporting News, and this latest tidibit eliminates the KHL as an option for Chelios (he had previously talked about heading over to Russia if an NHL job was unavailable).

Just how might Chelios fit in Nashville, compared to two other options noted in John Glennon's article from last week, Greg de Vries and Ken Klee?

On-Ice Ability

Between Chelios, de Vries, and Klee, I would probably go along with the notion that Chelios has the least to offer, but the margin might not be very great. None of these guys are likely to play more than 15 minutes a game going forward, and will play a 3rd-pair & PK role.

Off-Ice Contribution

This, to me, is where Chelios begins to stand out. While age and experience are nice, what Chelios brings to the table is the resume of a 3-time Norris Trophy winner and Stanley Cup Champion. He's been a leader on some great teams, and can teach guys like Shea Weber and Ryan Suter about what it's like to play 25+ minutes a game against elite opposition night after night during the regular season, and deep into the playoffs.

His work ethic is also legendary. He doesn't just ride the exercise bike for 45 minutes, he does it in the sauna. That kind of example can help shape a young players like Kevin Klein, who has drawn criticism in the past for not pushing himself hard enough.

Salary

Having made just $750,000 last season, Chelios could definitely fit into the Predators' financial framework. Greg de Vries, for example, made $2.5 million last season, and while he's sure to take a pay cut coming up, I can't see him taking that big a hit to stay in Nashville. Klee made $1.25 million last season, and would also appear to be affordable.

So what do you think, Preds fans? Should the front office wait things out and see how training camp goes, or bring Chelios on board now? When football fans talk about whether the Titans might be interested in Marvin Harrison, one reason for saying "No" is that if they were looking to bring in the sure-fire Hall of Fame receiver, they would have done so before training camp so he could work with the rest of the team. Does that logic apply here in Chelios' case?

Top ten moments from Daniel Alfredsson, the NHL's longest-serving active captain

PeterR — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 11:00:24 -0000

As was correctly announced over at Sens TOWN, Daniel Alfredsson has become the National Hockey League's longest-serving active captain. It was made official when Joe Sakic announced his retirement recently, and Saku Koivu left the Montreal Canadiens and signed with the Anaheim Ducks: Alfredsson, who has been captain since the 1999-2000 season, has now led his team longer than any other.

The memories which Alfredsson has given Ottawa Senators fans are many, and it's fitting that he is honoured as one of the league's premiere leaders. He was the first Ottawa Senator to win a major NHL award when he won the Calder Trophy as a rookie, was the biggest part of getting the organization through the Alexei Yashin nightmare, stayed with the team through financial and ownership problems, and now leads the Senators in every offensive category: regular season goals (355), regular season assists (566), regular season points (921), playoff goals (43), playoff assists (37), and playoff points (80).

There are any number of great memories that Senators fans have, but listed below are the top-ten, according to Silver Seven. Feel free to add comments, or your own memories, in the comments section.

10. January 8, 2004: Alfredsson mocks Mats Sundin by pretending to throw his broken stick

With an eventual 7-1 victory well in hand, Alfredsson got the ire of Toronto Maple Leafs fans by mocking Sundin, who was suspended from the game for throwing a broken stick into the stands--by pretending to throw his own broken stick into the crowd. The Battle of Ontario was well-established, but this move helped cement Alfie as a villain in Toronto and a hero in Ottawa.

Read the rest of the list below the fold...

9. November 13, 2001: Alfredsson scores three goals as the Senators beat the Washington Capitals 11-5

Daniel Alfredsson has a four-point night, including a hat trick and the game-winning goal, as the Senators set a franchise record by scoring eleven goals in a single game.

8. February 21, 2009: Alfredsson returns from a broken jaw after missing only one game

The 2008-09 season was one to forget for Senators fans, but it still had its moments. One of the most memorable was when Daniel Alfredsson, after breaking his jaw on Feb. 17, returned after only three days off--missing only one game--to suit up for the Senators. He returned with a jaw-mask protecting the hairline fracture, but wouldn't let the injury keep him out of the lineup--despite the fact that most pundits had thrown in the towel on the Senators' season, and they were miles out of the playoff race. He had, earlier in the season, missed only three games after having arthroscopic knee surgery, both demonstrations of his commitment to the Senators franchise.

7. May 10, 2002: Alfredsson smokes Darcy Tucker to turn the puck over and scores the game-winning goal on the same play

It was another war in the Battle of Ontario, and the Senators were looking to go up 3-2 in the series. With the game tied 2-2 late in the third period and Tucker controlling the puck in the Leafs end, Alfredsson smoked the long-hated Leaf to cause a turnover, which resulted in Alfredsson himself scoring the game-winning goal. It was yet another case in the file Leafs fans hold against the Sens' captain, but Ottawa fans saw it as a testament to his neverending gumption.

6. 2003-04 NHL season: Alfredsson agrees to defer salary to allow for the acquisition of Peter Bondra

The 2003-04 Ottawa Senators were a good team, but fans were sick of seeing their good team do nothing at the trade deadline to boost their chances in the off-season. But with the team mired in an ugly bankruptcy proceeding, it was going to be difficult for an acquisition of any significance. With that in mind, Alfredsson was the first Senator to defer some of his salary to enable the acquisitions, and as a result the Senators were able to acquire Bondra, Greg de Vries, and Todd Simpson at the trade deadline. Although the deals did nothing, in the end, to help the Senators as they lost in the first round, the move proved Alfredsson's commitment to winning--and to winning with the Senators.

5. October 5, 2005: Alfredsson scores the NHL's first-ever shootout winner

Coming off the lockout, Senators fans were desperate for NHL hockey, and were ecstatic to have their team back on the ice for a meaningful game--and against the hated Maple Leafs, no less. With the Senators down 1-0 after two periods, head coach (at the time) Bryan Murray decided to load up the Senators top line: He bumped Brandon Bochenski off the wing and moved Alfredsson up with Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley, creating what would become the legendary CASH Line. With his new linemates, Alfredsson tied the game twice in the third period, first even at one and then even at two, and took the team through overtime and into the shootout. On the first shot of the first shootout in NHL history, Alfredsson made it count, beating Belfour to score what would be the shootout winner.

4. NHL Awards, 1996: Alfredsson wins the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league's top rookie

Despite being drafted 133 overall in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft and coming into the league with little fanfare, Alfredsson went on to lead the NHL in rookie scoring with 26G and 35A in 82GP. He was named to the 1996 NHL All-Star Team, the 1996 All-Rookie Team, and won the Calder Memorial Trophy that season--ahead of some highly touted rookies including Saku Koivu, Ed Jovanovski, and Petr Sykora. It was the first NHL award given to an Ottawa Senator.

3. January 24, 2008: Alfredsson scores three goals and four assists to set an all-time Senators record

The season that had started so promisingly was coming apart at the seams, and the Senators had lost five of their last six games. That didn't slow Alfredsson down, though, as he scored seven points in the Senators 8-4 victory of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Featured in the record-setting night were three goals--one even strength, one powerplay, and one short-handed, plus four assists, and his record still stands.

2. June 2, 2007: Alfredsson scores to bring the Sens back into what would be their first (and only, to date) Stanley Cup Final game victory

After losing the two series-opening games in Anaheim, the Senators were back in Ottawa but behind the eight-ball, down 3-2 mid-way through the game. It wasn't looking good, but the people in the stands had been raucous all night, and were not about to stop. At around the 16 minute mark, with the Senators on the powerplay, Alfredsson stepped onto the ice, and a chant of 'ALFIE! ALFIE! ALFIE!' rose in the stands. The team works the puck into the zone and Wade Redden throws the puck on net; it deflects of Alfredsson, and the Senators go on to win the game.

1. May 19, 2007: Alfredsson scores the overtime game- and series-winner against Buffalo in the Eastern Conference Finals

The first and only time the Ottawa Senators made it into the Stanley Cup Finals, and the goal to get them there--naturally--came off the stick of Daniel Alfredsson. It didn't matter that the shot was deflected by defender Brian Campbell, or that so many US fans couldn't see it because NBC had cut to coverage of the Preakness as overtime began; it was sweet revenge to oust the same team that had ousted the Senators the year before, particularly for the fact that Alfie was on the ice checking, who scored the game-winner that season. The video speaks for itself:

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,.

5 - New York Rangers: $16.436 (13)

UFA: Blair Betts C 29, Mark Bell L 28, Patrick Rissmiller C 30, Paul Mara D 29, Derek Morris D 30.

RFA: Christopher Higgins R 26, Ryan Callahan R 24, Brandon Dubinsky C 23, Lauri Korpikoski L 22, Nikolai Zherdev L 24, Corey Potter D 25.

6 - Anaheim Ducks: $14.295 (17)

UFA: Rob Niedermayer F 34, Todd Marchant C 33, Francois Beauchemin D 29, Bret Hedican D 38.

RFA: James Wisniewski D 25.

7 - Tampa Bay Lightning: $14.295 (17)

UFA: Matt Pettinger L 28, Wade Brookbank L 31, Jason Ward R 30, Marek Malik D 34, Josef Melichar D 30, Cory Murphy D 31, Noah Welch D 26.

RFA: Martins Karsums R 23, Radek Smolenak L 22, Matt Lashoff D 22, Matt Smaby D 24, Mike Lundin D 24, Karri Ramo G 22, Mike McKenna G 26.

8 - Columbus Blue Jackets: $13.313 (20)

UFA: Chris Gratton C 33, Manny Malhotra C 29, Michael Peca C 35, Jason Williams C 28, Christian Backman D 29.

RFA: Jiri Novotny C 25, Marc Methot D 24, Ole-Kristian Tollefsen D 25.

9 - Dallas Stars: $13.193 (19)

UFA: Sergei Zubov D 38, Brendan Morrison C 33, Joel Lundqvist C 27, Mark Parrish R 32, Landon Wilson R 34, Tobias Stephan G 25, Darryl Sydor D 37.

RFA: Mark Fistric D 23.

10 - St. Louis Blues: $12.295 (22)

UFA: Trent Whitfield C 32, Dan Hinote R 32, Jay McKee D 31, Manny Legace G 36.

RFA: Brandon Crombeen R 23, Chris Porter C 25, Steve Regier L 24, Roman Polak D 23, Jeff Woywitka D 25, Marek Schwarz G 23.

11 - New Jersey Devils: $12.129

UFA: Brendan Shanahan L 40, Kevin Weekes G 34, Niclas Havelid D NJ.

RFA: Travis Zajac C 24.

12 - Toronto Maple Leafs: $12.022 (20)

UFA: Brad May L 37, Bates Battaglia L 33, Andre Deveaux C 25, Boyd Devereaux C 31, Jeff Hamilton C 31, Kris Newbury C 27, Ben Ondrus R 27, Jay Harrison D 26, Jamie Heward D 38, Martin Gerber G 34, Olaf Kolzig G 39, Curtis Joseph G 42.

RFA: Jeremy Williams R 25, Justin Pogge G 23, Jaime Sifers D 26, Ryan Hollweg C 26.

13 - Chicago Blackhawks: $11.797

UFA: Aaron Johnson D 26.

RFA: Cam Barker D 23, Troy Brouwer R 23, Ben Eager L 25, Colin Fraser C 24, Kris Versteeg R 23.

14 - Colorado Avalanche: $11.654 (15)

UFA: Joe Sakic F 39, Ben Guite R 30, Brian Willsie R 31, Andrew Raycroft G 29.

RFA: Kyle Cumiskey D 22, David Jones R 24, Cody McCormick C 26.

15 - Montreal Canadiens: $10.454 (16)

UFA: Alexei Kovalev F 36, Saku Koivu C 34, Alex Tanguay L 29, Robert Lang C 38, Mathieu Schneider D 40, Tom Kostopoulos R 30, Mathieu Dandenault D 33, Patrice Brisebois D 38, Francis Bouillon D 33, Marc Denis G 31.

RFA: Tomas Plekanec C 26, Matt D'Agostini R 22, Guillaume Latendresse R 22, Kyle Chipchura C 23, Gregory Stewart L 23.

16 - Los Angeles Kings: $10.285 (21)

UFA: Derek Armstrong F 36, Denis Gauthier D 32, Kyle Calder L 30.

RFA: Jack Johnson D 22, Teddy Purcell R 23.

17 - Washington Capitals: $9.720 (15)

UFA: Viktor Kozlov C 34, Alexandre Giroux C 28, Bryan Helmer D 26, Brent Johnson G 32.

RFA: Jeff Schultz D 23, Shaone Morrisonn D 26, Milan Jurcina D 26, Eric Fehr R 23, Boyd Gordon R 25.

18 - Buffalo Sabres: $8.976 (16)

UFA: Matt Ellis L 24, Dominic Moore C 28, Andrew Peters L 29, Teppo Numminen D 40, Maxim Afinogeno F 29,

RFA: Andrej Sekera D 23, Drew Stafford R 23, Clarke MacArthur L 24, Patrick Kaleta R 23.

19 - Florida Panthers: $8.405 (18)

UFA: Ville Peltonen L 36, Richard Zednik L 33, Jassen Cullimore D 36, Nick Boynton D 30.

RFA: Anthony Stewart C 24, Steve Eminger D 25, Tanner Glass L 25.

20 - Carolina Hurricanes: $8.083 (18)

UFA: Ryan Bayda L 28, Dennis Seidenberg D 27.

RFA: Tuomo Ruutu C 26, Anton Babchuk D 25.

21 - Vancouver Canucks: $7.282 (18)

UFA: Mats Sundin C 38, Jason Krog C 33, Rob Davison D 29, Ossi Vaananen D 28, Curtis Sanford G 29, Michel Ouellet R 27.

RFA: Shane O' Brien D 25. Kyle Wellwood C 26, Jannik Hansen R 23.

22 - Minnesota Wild: $6.296 (20)

UFA: Stephane Veilleux L 27, Krys Kolanos C 27, Marc-Andre Bergeron D 28, Kurtis Foster D 27, Martin Skoula D 29.

RFA: Dan Fritsche C 23, Benoit Pouliot L 22, Kyle Brodziak C 25, Josh Harding G 25.

23 - Edmonton Oilers: $6.404 (20)

UFA: Ales Kotalik R 30, Dany Sabourin G 28.

RFA: Liam Reddox L 23, Gilbert Brule C 22, Ryan Potulny C 24, Rob Schremp C 22, Denis Grebeshkov D 25, Ladislav Smid D 23.

24 - Detroit Red Wings: $5.554 (16)

UFA: Darren McCarty R 37, Aaron Downey R 34, Chris Chelios D 47.

RFA: Jiri Hudler C 25, Ville Leino L 25.

25 - Boston Bruins: $5.340 (18)

UFA: Stephane Yelle F 35, P.J. Axelsson L 34, Manny Fernandez G 34.

RFA: Phil Kessel F 21, Matt Hunwick D 24.

26 - Ottawa Senators: $4.649 (22)

UFA: Mike Comrie C 28.

RFA: Brendan Bell D 26, Brian Elliott G 24.

27 - Pittsburgh Penguins: $3.137 (19)

UFA: Mike Zigomanis C 28, James Connor L 26, Miroslav Satan L 34, Petr Sykora R 32, Janne Pesonen L 27, Philippe Boucher D 36.

RFA: Paul Bissonnette R 24, Tim Wallace R 24, Ben Lovejoy D 25, John Curry G 25.

28 - Calgary Flames: $3.053 (19)

UFA: Todd Bertuzzi R 34, Andre Roy R 34, Rhett Warrener D 33.

RFA: Dustin Boyd C 22.

29 - Philadelphia Flyers: $2.125 (20)

UFA: Josh Gratton L 26, Boyd Kane L 31, Andrew Alberts D 28, Lasse Kukkonen D 27, Martin Biron G 31, Antero Niittymaki G 29.

RFA: Jared Ross C 26, Danny Syvret D 24.

30 - San Jose Sharks: $1.774 (16)

UFA: Claude Lemieux R 43, Jeremy Roenick C 39, Tom Cavanagh R 27, Alexei Semenov D 28, Mike Grier R 34, Marcel Goc C 25, Tomas Plihal L 26, Lukas Kaspar L 23.

RFA: Torrey Mitchell C 24, Thomas Greiss G 23, Brad Staubitz R 24.

Your Nashville Predators Free Agency Cheat Sheet

Dirk Hoag — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:36:59 -0000

July 1st marks the opening of the NHL's Free Agent shopping season, so in the interest of giving a team-level overview of where the Nashville Predators stand, here's how things look today:

Pending Unrestricted Free Agents

Radek Bonk, Vernon Fiddler, Scott Nichol, Steve Sullivan, Joel Ward, Jed Ortmeyer, Ville Koistinen, Greg de Vries, Greg Zanon.

Pending Restricted Free Agents

Ryan Jones, Cal O'Reilly, Antti Pihlstrom

Salary cap situation

Currently the team has ~$33.6 million committed to 16 players. They need 8-9 more under contract, with the NHL salary cap at $56.8 million for next season. To take full advantage of revenue sharing, however, the Preds need to remain below the midpoint between the salary cap and the salary floor, so their "soft cap" is $48.8 million.

Projected budget

$45 million

Key needs

A winger capable of 20+ goals is needed for each of the top two lines, and completely new 3rd line will be needed (likely made up of the young RFA's like Jones & O'Reilly). On defense, either a power play specialist or all-around reliable veteran will be needed, depending on the development of younger players like Kevin Klein and Alexander Sulzer.

Potential targets

Steve Sullivan and Joel Ward are the key UFA's to re-sign, while Mike Knuble, Jason Williams, Francois Beauchemin and Marc-Andre Bergeron might make interesting acquisition targets. Mirtle has a list of the top forwards available, who would you go after?

What our rivals want

Chicago Blackhawks (Second City Hockey), Columbus Blue Jackets (The Cannon), Detroit Red Wings (Winging It In Motown), St. Louis Blues (St. Louis Game Time)

Expect these summaries across the SB Nation network of hockey sites, and for all the in-depth coverage, check out the NHL Free Agency hub:

Top Avs Of All Time: #4 Adam Foote

Joe Dunman — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:50:42 -0000

There are several names people instantly think of when they hear "Colorado Avalanche." Joe Sakic. Patrick Roy. Peter Forsberg. Three of the greatest players ever to play in the NHL, no doubt about it. But there's one more name that is so connected to the Avalanche that it never gets left out, even if he never had the skill or wrist shot of Super Joe, the craziness or stellar stats of St. Patrick, or the finesse or mind-boggling talent of Foppa: Adam Foote.

Despite a brief stint as the captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Adam Foote is and will always be the cornerstone of the Avalanche defense, the hardcase tasked with shutting down the top line of the opposition, whoever they might be on any given night. And while his age and his injuries may be catching up to him, any game with Footer patrolling the Avalanche blue line is a good game. For that reason and many others, Adam Foote takes fourth place on the hallowed list of Top 19 Avalanche Players of All Time.

Adam Foote was the first player chosen in the second round of the 1989 NHL Entry Draft, taken 22nd overall by the Quebec Nordiques. The Nordiques chose Mats Sundin as the top overall pick earlier that day. Foote had enjoyed a successful junior career with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the OHL, steadily increasing his ice time and point totals over three seasons between 1989 and 1991. At the start of the 1991-92 season, Foote played six games for the Halifax Citadels of the AHL before being called up by the Nordiques.

Foote had his work cut out for him in Quebec, however, because the 1991-92 Nordiques were awful. Even with Joe Sakic, Mats Sundin and Owen Nolan up front putting up decent numbers, the blueline and goaltending were atrocious. The only decent defenseman on that team was Curtis Leschyshyn, and he finished -28 for the year. And while Joel Quenneville's infamous two-goalie carousel was annoying in more recent times, in Quebec that season the goalie duties were shared evenly by three guys: Stephane Fiset, Ron Tugnutt and Jacques Cloutier. Foote would play 46 games and amass 44 penalty minutes, finishing -4.

The 1992-93 season was considerably better for both the Nordiques and for Foote. Footer would play the closest he's ever come to a full season (81 games) and share the blueline with talented off-season acquisition Steve Duchesne and quickly-improving young Russian Alexei Gusarov. Along with Leschyshyn, those four would comprise the foundation of the Nordiques' defense. By 1995-96, the core group of Gusarov, Foote and Leschyshyn would play the same gritty roles in Denver that they did with the Nordiques. Quebec finished second in the Adams Division in 92-93 and Foote scored 12 goals while piling up 168 penalty minutes, carving out a reputation as a rugged shut-down expert.

The final two seasons in Quebec didn't go so well. Duschene took off to the St. Louis Blues, Foote battled injury problems and the Nordiques returned to the cellar. Footer played a combined 80 games between 1993 and 1995.

With the move to Denver, however, the fortunes of the newly-named Colorado Avalanche turned immediately for the better. The Avs acquired talented blueline sniper Sandis Ozolinsh from the Sharks early in the season, and he joined the core of Gusarov, Leschyshyn and Foote in the Avs' own zone. Those top four would anchor a solid Avalanche team all season, shutting down opposing forwards and striking on the power play from long distance. Though Foote's offensive statistics were modest, he played relatively injury-free, finishing with 88 penalty minutes in 73 games.

He would prove to be a critical presence for the Avs in the playoffs, along with veteran Uwe Krupp ~~(acquired at the trade deadline)~~. The two heavyweights would prove unbeatable in their own zone. Foote played all 22 playoff games, finishing +11 (second to Gusarov among defensemen). With the perfect combination of talented forwards, defensemen and a goalie named Roy, the Avs easily swept the Florida Panthers in four games to win the Stanley Cup.

In the four seasons from 1996-97 to 1999-2000, Footer continued to anchor the Avalanche blue line, playing the role of the heavyweight shut-down guy (along with bigger but less-talented Uwe Krupp) reliably as always. His offensive output remained modest but consistent (18-21 points each year), and his hassling of the opposition remained steady. Despite missing 22 games in 1999-2000 due to injuries, Footer totaled 98 penalty minutes.

The injuries would catch up to him during the Avs' most impressive season, 2000-01. In November of 2000, Foote fractured his right heel and missed the next 12 games. Then, just two weeks after returning from the heel injury, he separated his left shoulder, which required surgery and three full months of recovery and rehab. He missed 35 games and didn't return until late March, just before the playoffs. Luckily for the Avs, Foote stayed healthy when they needed him the most. He played all 23 playoff games, racked up 47 penalty minutes and averaged more than 28 minutes of ice time. Rob Blake was brought in while Foote was injured during the regular season, and once Foote returned, the stacked Colorado blue line was unbeatable. Foote, Blake and Ray Bourque (with solid support from John Klemm, Martin Skoula and Greg de Vries), comprised one of the most talented defensive corps in NHL history. With Patrick Roy backing them up, there was little doubt the Cup would belong to Colorado that year.

After the Cup win, injuries would start to become a consistent plague for Adam Foote. Since the start of the 2001-02 season until the end of 2008-09, Foote has missed 120 games due to injury. In order, the injuries were to the following body parts: shoulder, knee, finger, groin, groin, hamstring, foot, hamstring, groin, groin, hip, "lower body", ankle, hip, back, triceps, and head. He missed only five additional games due to illness and a two games for a suspension in 2002 after he cross-checked the crap out of Daymond Langkow.

But even with the missed time, Foote could always be counted on for his solid positioning, his scrappy demeanor and his tough love leadership style as a long-time alternate captain for the Avs (and captain for the Blue Jackets). Consistently on the ice with the opposition's top line, Foote was feared around the league for years as the guy most able to disarm the other team's best scorers. In recent years, his complete and total ownage of Marian Gaborik in the 2007-08 playoffs (one assist in six games, Colorado beat the Wild in the first round) has become legendary. His ability to outplay skilled and speedy forwards much younger than him is now Footer's calling card.

Unfortunately, the 2008-09 season, his first full year back with the Avalanche since leaving for Columbus after the Lockout, was marred by serious injuries to his arm and head. He missed forty games, and seemed slower and less capable during the 42 he managed to play. The source of his lackluster performance is unknown, but a combination of age, the inability of his unskilled teammates and poor coaching could definitely be blamed.

Regardless of recent trying times, Adam Foote's legacy in Colorado is secure. His consistent, gritty and driven playing style, his team-first attitude, his hard-headed leadership and all the other qualities that make him a great defenseman will never be forgotten by Avalanche fans. His two Stanley Cup wins don't hurt, either.

Hopefully Footer will make it into the Hall of Fame when he finally retires. Even if he doesn't, he'll always be remembered as one of the very best players to ever wear the Burgundy and Blue, and his high placement among the Top 19 Avalanche Players of All Time will never be in doubt.

[Highest rating: 4. Lowest rating: 10. Average score: 5.00]

Adam Foote at Hockey-Reference.com

Adam Foote at AvalancheDB.com

Friday follies: Sully wins a trophy, NHL players scammed for "porn star and hooker" money

Dirk Hoag — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 12:31:29 -0000

First of all, I want to direct your attention to another great wallpaper that smashville has created, celebrating Steve Sullivan's Masterton Trophy which was awarded last night in Las Vegas. This morning's notes include a blogger's video interview with Sully, and a breaking story out of New York that has 19 current and former NHL players suing a resort developer for [allegedly] blowing their investment on hookers and porn stars so he could entertain baseball celebrities including Roger Clemens, Reggie Jackson, Pete Rose, and Joe Morgan.

More after the jump...

Preds On The Glass: Steve Sullivan Wins Masterton Trophy

Buddy Oakes caught up with Sully before the awards ceremony and taped a 6-minute video interview that's well worth catching. He talks about making Nashville his home, his excitement about the evening, and getting knocked out of a celebrity poker tournament by former Predator Scott Hartnell.

Steve Sullivan hopes he can reach new deal with Nashville Predators - ESPN
Pierre Lebrun catches up with Sully in Las Vegas and gets the following: "I would love to stay in Nashville, I really do want to stay there," Sullivan said. "I love it there. No matter what happens, my wife and I decided that that is where we're going to call home. We love it there. There's not a bad thing I can say about Nashville. It's just a matter of us trying to come to an agreement and finding some room so I can fit in." I, for one, am hopeful.

RESORT DEVELOPER BILKS NHL PLAYERS OUT OF MONEY - New York Post
"Nearly two dozen NHL players (including Nashville's Greg de Vries and Pittsburgh's Sergei Gonchar) are seeking a courtroom face off with a resort developer who allegedly squandered their $25 million investment to debauched parties --- complete with porn stars and hookers --- for his baseball buddies Roger Clemens, Reggie Jackson and Pete Rose." So much for hockey being the Coolest Game on Earth, huh? It looks like they've been just footing the bill for some retired baseballers to have a good time.

Preds Assistant GM Paul Fenton Previews the 2009 Draft - NashvillePredators.com
Paul Fenton takes a look at the upcoming draft in a short interview on the Preds official site. Stay tuned here because early next week, I'll have an interview with another member of the front office on this topic as well.

Arbitrator OK's Murray buyout - The Boston Globe Bruins Blog - Boston.com

An interesting ruling came down in the case between the Boston Bruins and winger Glen Murray. The Bruins bought Murray out of his contract last summer, but Murray claimed he was injured and thus should not have been eligible for such a move. By backing the Bruins, they only have to pay two-thirds of his salary this upcoming season (~$1.4 million), but it counts against their salary cap.

New Jersey Devils News and notes, June 12, 2009

TibbsBeastoftheEast — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:05:08 -0000

Vanderbeek: Devils will hire a COO before start of 2009-10 season - (Fire & Ice)
Free Agent Centers & the Devils: Steve Sullivan - (In Lou We Trust)
Assessing the Devils Coaching Derby - (Msgnetwork)
Devils Team Report Jun 12, 2009 - (Yahoo NHL)
2008-2009 New Jersey Devils Hockey Season at a Glance - (Associated Content)
Comebacks and Disappointments - Atlantic Division - (Fanball)

AROUND THE NHL
A fitting end to an exciting postseason - (ESPN); Some reference to Devils cup runs
Wings' Rafalski shares Game 7 knowledge - (Yahoo NHL)
Brophy: Who's got the edge? - (Sportsnet.ca); Some reference to Devils cup runs
NHL.com goes 1-on-1 with: Rafalski - (NHL.com)
Everything you need to know about Gm 7 -- really - (NHL.com)
Detroit is pure heaven for Rafalski - (The New York Daily News)

MISCELLANEOUS
Lemaire takes job; Minnesotans to come into Thompson’s home, and Thompson into Minnesotans home; Coaching search progress - (Star Tribune)
Former Minnesota Wild coach Jacque Lemaire interested in coaching again - (TwinCities.com)
Preds' Arnott, de Vries know the thrill of a Game 7 - (DNJ.com)
As Red Wings' only Game 7 veteran, Brian Rafalski tries to keep teammates calm - (Ann Arbor News)
Game 7s produce unlikely heroes - (Canada.com); Mike Rupp
Brick hockey headed for NJSIAA Hall of Fame - (Brick Township Bulletin)

Predators Profile: Greg de Vries

Dirk Hoag — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 20:13:31 -0000

More photos » by Jay LaPrete - AP

Nashville Predators defenseman Greg de Vries works to keep Columbus Blue Jackets' R.J. Umberger to the outside during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, March 31, 2009.

Browse more photos »

Having wrapped up a two-year, $5 million contract to provide veteran stability and leadership to Nashville's otherwise baby-faced defense corps, Greg de Vries faces free agency this summer. What does the future hold for this 36 year-old stay-at-home blueliner with championship experience?

Greg de Vries

#7 / Defenseman / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-2

Weight: 220

Born: Jan 04, 1973

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2008 - Greg de Vries	71	1	4	5	-15	65	0	0	0	0	38	2.6

5-on-5 Play

As was done with Greg Zanon's profile, let's start with the basic 5-on-5 data from Behind the Net.

NAME	GP	TOI/60	RATING	CORSI	GOALS/60	ASST1/60	ASST2/60	PTS/60	GFON	GAON	GFON/60	GAON/60	+/-
Greg Zanon	82	16.31	0.46	-9.7	0.18	0.18	0.04	0.4	46	45	2.06	2.02	1
Kevin Klein	63	11.58	0.54	0.2	0.25	0.25	0.41	0.9	26	25	2.14	2.06	1
Dan Hamhuis	82	17	-0.35	-7.3	0	0.34	0.3	0.65	48	59	2.07	2.54	-11
Shea Weber	81	17.14	0.41	5.7	0.48	0.43	0.3	1.21	59	59	2.55	2.55	0
Greg de Vries	71	12.82	-0.93	-8.6	0.07	0.13	0.13	0.33	30	43	1.98	2.84	-13*
Ryan Suter	82	17.34	-0.54	4.5	0.13	0.25	0.63	1.01	54	68	2.28	2.87	-14

Those overall totals certainly paint a grim picture; team-low offensive results, with poor defensive numbers as well. Both the Shots For/Against and Goals For/Against were pretty ugly. If we use one of the scripts available from Vic Ferrari, however, we see an interesting split over the course of the campaign.

Early in the season, de Vries worked the 2nd pairing with Dan Hamhuis, to pretty much disastrous results. Over the first 21 games, he was on the ice for 21 Goals Against, and his +/- at even strength was -12:

Player	GP	GF	GA	+/-	Corsi
Greg de Vries	21	9	21	-12	-86
Dan Hamhuis	21	9	17	-8	-36
de Vries/Hamhuis pair	20	6	12	-6	-39

Once switched over to working alongside (mostly) Kevin Klein on the 3rd pair, however, things settled down a bit. In the final 3/4's of the season, he was on the ice for 22 Goals Against (in more than twice as many games), while his +/- at EV was a respectable -2.

Player	GP	GF	GA	+/-	Corsi
Greg de Vries	50	20	22	-2	-51
Kevin Klein	56	22	21	+1	-6
de Vries/Klein pair	45	14	14	0	-26

Certainly his role was reduced somewhat due to this move, but it appears to have been a successful transition.

*slight mismatch between the Time on Ice and Behind the Net data, ToI looks at all even strength play, BtN is for 5-on-5.

Power Play

At 6 seconds per game of PP duty, this isn't a relevant factor for de Vries.

Penalty Kill

While Hamhuis and Zanon carried the bulk of the PK work this season at nearly 4 minutes apiece per game, de Vries saw regular duty there with 1:53 of penalty killing per contest. On a per-minute basis, his defensive results here were among the best in the league. If you screen for all defenseman with 40+ Games Played and at least 1:00 of 4-on-5 ice time per game, de Vries' Goals Against/60 Minutes of 2.78 is the 6th-best figure in the NHL. His Corsi rating (Totals Shots For/Against) in that situation was actually the very best in the NHL, at -50.5 (remember, it's PK work, so you're going to get outshot by a ton).

Some of those results are obviously driven by overall solid PK work by the Predators, but there's little evidence that de Vries was just riding teammates' coattails here.

Summary

While de Vries appears to still have significant value as a 3rd-pair even strength defender and PK man, it's often difficult for a player to accept a lesser role (and salary) while remaining with the same team. In a blog this afternoon, John Glennon of the Tennessean had a quote from de Vries that sounds pretty fatalistic about his time here in Nashville:

``I’ve talked with management and my type of role here was as an older defenseman, to come in and help the young guys along. They’ve got a good core of `D’ now with Hammer, Webs and Suter that have really matured, so they may not need a guy like myself.’’

One factor that might work in favor of retention is the apparent respect that he's earned from his peers. Take for example, the November 17 game against San Jose. With Wade Belak out of the lineup, de Vries stepped up not once, but twice, to battle Sharks enforcer Jody Shelley. During the first scrap, de Vries actually held his own against one of the NHL's heavyweights:

A couple months later, when Jason Arnott was getting honored in a pre-game ceremony for passing the 1,000 games-played mark, it was de Vries who skated out to center ice to make a presentation to the team captain, despite being scratched that evening. Most players, when scratched, pretty much stay out of the way, but de Vries showed his younger teammates what being a professional is all about.

Besides the character and maturity that de Vries brings to the team, he can still be effective as a stay-at-home depth defender. Within that narrow role, he should make a fine addition to just about any NHL team this fall.

Poll

How would you grade Greg de Vries' 2008-9 season?

A

0 votes

B

5 votes

C

15 votes

D

5 votes

E

1 votes

26 votes | Poll has closed