SB Nation - Jiri Hudler

Friday Prospects -- Class of 2009

KyleKujawa — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:22:33 -0000

3 months ago: Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jonathan Ericsson, of Sweden, knocks Philadelphia Flyers forward Jeff Carter into the boards during the second period of a preseason NHL hockey game, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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Hello there. I'm Kyle, and this is my feature.

If anyone's ever read my blog (I don't blame you, I don't read it either), you'll know that my love in life is Detroit prospects. I've always followed the draft, and when I'm not watching the Wings I'm usually trying to catch some random prospects game. I find the idea of knowing future Red Wings before they get there to be thrilling, and I think many others do as well. The only problem is, with so many prospects spread out all over the world, it's really hard to know where to start.

Hence, every Friday I will deliver this feature. Obviously with bigger things on the agenda today, I don't expect people will be fawning all over this. But I figure since the prospects season is well under way, this would be a fine day to make my debut.

Every week, this should be your stop for only the freshest prospects news. I plan to target three or four players every week to profile and provide some background and info on so that anyone looking to follow prospects can start. I'll spread the love, of course -- with 39 prospects headed into the season, I'll be looking at the most well-known to the most obscure. As this is a new feature and I am an indecisive person, I'd love to hear feedback on anything that you might want to see thrown in to this feature.

Today's group -- the graduating class of 2009.

As we are mere hours away from the drop of the puck, I figure the group to start this feature off is obvious. While they may be the most well-known of all Detroit's prospects, I figure there could be some who haven't had a chance to watch these guys at length, and might not know where they all come from. Let's take a look at the four prospects who will wear the Winged Wheel for the first time this season.

Ville Leino, LW, 26, 6'1, 190 lbs, signed by Detroit summer 2008 -- Leino is still one of the newest Detroit prospects, but it didn't take him very long to become one of the best. Leino rose up through the Finnish junior ranks completely undrafted, despite several impressive seasons in the junior clubs of SaPKo and Ilves. This was highlighted by 72 points in 26 games in his final season of Junior A Division-1 hockey (which is the second highest league in the very confusing and multi-tiered Finnish Junior system). He made his SM-Liiga (top professional league in Finland) debut at the age of 19, and was a regular at 20 -- quickly being acclaimed as one of the most offensively gifted prospects in Finland.

Leino's rise through the SM-Liiga was stunted in 2004-05 because of all the NHLers playing due to the lockout. He was poised for a top six role, but was instead relegated to 4th line duty in a crucial season for his development. He transferred to HPK the following season, posting back-to-back average seasons with 43 and 40 points. At the age of 24, Leino finally had the breakout season many anticipated with 77 points in 55 games en route to capturing league MVP honors.

Meanwhile, Detroit was engaged in quite the courtship with a rising Swedish star, Fabian Brunnstrom. Within a week after losing that months-long battle to Dallas, Detroit signed Leino. Since then, Leino has been nothing but impressive. Leino had been accused of Finland of being tough to coach, and a player who felt he was entitled to ice time even if he wasn't producing. Leino showed none of those traits in North America, taking a demotion to Grand Rapids in stride despite the fact that he was clearly NHL-ready. He enjoyed a successful first taste of the NHL late in the regular season on into the playoffs, and now, armed with a two-year, one-way deal, is poised to make Wings fans quickly forget about Jiri Hudler.

Jonathan Ericsson, D, 25, 6'4, 220 lbs, drafted 9th round, 2002 -- Detroit used the final pick of the 2002 draft on a giant center playing third-tier men's league hockey in Sweden. Fast forward a few years, they have an AHL All-Star defenseman touted as one of the best prospects of his position. But let's back up a bit first.

The story on Ericsson is quite well-known. Super-scout Hakan Andersson was present one game where Ericsson's team, Vita Hasten, was short on defenseman, so the team's coach (Ericsson's father), decided to move Jonathan back to defense for a game. Andersson was so impressed that he asked if Ericsson would consider a permanent switch to defense. Two years later, Ericsson was on the blueline for Sodertalje, in the Swedish Elite League, the highest in Sweden. Despite this, Ericsson was still a relative unknown as he only managed one point over three seasons in the SEL, and was sent down to second-tier Sweden several times in his final two seasons.

That one point was enough for Detroit, and they brought him over to Grand Rapids for the 2006-07 season. Ericsson's stock shot up to the top of the Detroit depth chart. What Detroit found was a superb-skating defenseman with a steady and composed defensive game, who can make plays in the defensive zone with his long reach, and in the offensive zone with his 100+ mile per hour slapshot.

Ericsson officially became a Detroit regular late last season, and he played in 22 post-season games, scoring four goals. The AHL is now a thing of the past for Ericsson, as he will start the season on Detroit paired with Brett Lebda. While still a raw player who needs to use his size better in the defensive zone and minimize his mistakes with the puck, Ericsson has the potential to be a large part of the committee that will need to fill in for Nicklas Lidstrom when his days are done.

Jimmy Howard, G, 25, 6'0, 210 lbs, drafted 2nd round, 2003 -- The Wings commitment to finding and grooming a homegrown goalie began in 2003 when they made Jimmy Howard their first pick of the draft. Howard had just completed his freshman season at the University of Maine, and was poised to become the starting goalie after splitting time in his first year.

And start he did, as Howard won the job for the playoffs by leading the nation by a large margin in both save percentage (.956) and goals against average (1.19). He led Maine on a very deep playoff run all the way to the National Championship game, where they fell 1-0 to Denver. The following season, Howard's numbers were not quite that good, but you can hardly be disappointed with a 1.92 GAA for a goalie suffering from mono in front of a slightly weakened lineup.

The Wings' intention for years was to bring Howard along very slowly and give him as much time as possible in the AHL before bringing him up. Howard spent the next four years in the AHL, save for nine games spread out over three years in Detroit. Howard established himself as starting goalie, but he was never able to shake inconsistency to rise to the elite level AHL status.

Now out of AHL options, Howard starts the season as Chris Osgood's backup goalie. He's got his fair share of doubters, but he's finally been given the chance to be a regular he's earned after working closely with Detroit for six seasons following his draft. He's been told that as long as he wins, he'll play, and he'll most likely look a little more consistent playing behind one of the deepest defenses in the league, opposed to a Griffins blueline who's talent and depth fluctuated from year-to-year.

Darren Helm, C, 22, 5'11, 195, drafted 5th round, 2005 -- When the Wings drafted Helm in 2005, they drafted a player who had the speed and work ethic that they like to see on their checking line. Unranked by every major scouting service, Helm was not exactly what you might call a household name.

As a rookie with the WHL's Medicine Hat Tigers, Helm's 24 points probably had something to do with scouts not lining up to see him. The next season, however, scouting services and teams throughout the league wished they had reconsidered. Helm exploded for 79 points, the most on his team. He took his game even further the following season, leading the Tigers to an appearance at the Memorial Cup as well as playing a checking line role for Team Canada at the World Junior Championships.

Helm turned pro the following season, but struggled to find a regular spot in a very young and inexperienced lineup. However, a late season NHL callup opened eyes yet again to just how good he was, and Detroit kept him for the Stanley Cup run as the team's 4th line center. Despite being this impressive, because he didn't need to clear waivers to play in the AHL, Helm played most of last season in Grand Rapids.

Helm proved in last year's playoffs that he can be more than just one of the fastest players in the league. He quickly became a fan favorite with a few big playoff goals as well as one legendary penalty kill in the Chicago series. With 41 playoff games to his 23 regular season games, Helm will finally get his chance this year to be an every day player for Detroit. His season debut will be delayed a few weeks as his shoulder heals, but Helm has absolutely forced his way onto a team that brings its youth along very slowly. He will get an opportunity to lead the next generation of Detroit's checking line.

Who's Hot: A 2009 pick, Tomas Tatar came to Detroit's training camp and earned a contract, starting the season in Grand Rapids ... 2009 7th round pick Adam Almqvist, the highest scoring defenseman in the Swedish Junior League last season, has 8 points in 2 games.

Who's Not: Johan Ryno impressed Detroit at training camp and then went back to Sweden instead of playing in Grand Rapids, making it unlikely he gets another contract ... 2009 top pick Landon Ferraro only has one goal in his first five games.

Notes: Brian Lashoff (Kingston, OHL), Brent Raedeke (Edmonton, WHL), and Jamie Tardif (Grand Rapids, AHL) are Detroit prospects who have been named captains of their respective clubs ... Justin Abdelkader made Detroit's opening day lineup, but may go to Grand Rapids when Helm is healthy ... Dick Axelsson, Cory Emmerton, Gleason Fournier, and Ryan Oulahen all start the season on the injury list, though none sound like they will miss extended time.

The Day Has Arrived!

MrNorrisTrophy — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:04:46 -0000

More photos » by Jerry S. Mendoza - AP

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112 days removed from the heartbreaking Game 7 in Detroit, the Red Wings are ready to turn the page on a new NHL season today. There's a lot to be said for the transition between a short offseason and the start of the most grueling season in major sports so it will be interesting to see how both teams come out to start the game. I noticed last night that several of the "top dogs" of the NHL came out flat--hopefully this won't plague the start of the Detroit season.

Here are five keys that I'm looking for in the first game of the season:

Is Pavel Datsyuk back to 100%? I noticed in the preseason that he seems to have his speed back to normal and after watching NHL Network's replay of Game 7 yesterday, it is clear as night and day the difference between a healthy Pavel Datsyuk and an injured one. If he stays healthy, Pavel could have another MVP caliber year.
Will Valtteri Filppula fill the void of Jiri Hudler? Hudler was known primarily as a set-up man and his puck distribution will be missed. But I noticed in the preseason games that Valtteri Filppula was skating very confidently with the puck and making some great passes...maybe there won't be a drop-off to worry about after all.
Is Chris Osgood ready? Chris Osgood played very hit or miss in the preseason (often miss) but hopefully that was just a sense of preseason complacency. Osgood had quite a few goals slip past him that he should have stopped but there's no doubt in my mind he will play differently in the season opener and the regular season.
Will the defense be back to normal? Last year's defense was very spotty at times and that could have come from the high offensive production leading to a relaxed mindset. With the undeniable talent of Hossa, Hudler, and Samuelsson all gone, how will the defense react when the pressure is more in their end? I liked what I saw out of Kronwall, Stuart, Lidstrom and Rafalski in the preseason but Ericsson and Lebda need to come together as a solid third pairing.
What effect will Bertuzzi, Williams, Eaves have? All three showed flashes of their skills during the preseason but the question is how will they produce against another team's top lines, instead of 18-20 year olds. Each player has his own style of play that can help this team and I'm looking forward to watching them all as they settle into the final line-up.

The Wings drop the puck at 3 p.m. ET against the St. Louis Blues in Stockholm, Sweden and of course Winging It In Motown will have your live game thread and recap for the game.

Powerplay Problems?

MrNorrisTrophy — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:30:38 -0000

More photos » by Carlos Osorio - AP

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Watching some of the preseason games I couldn't help but notice how poor the powerplay was. I'm hoping that this is just a product of "it's preseason" but then again to some degree it's likely to carry over. I was curious if Marian Hossa, Mikael Samuelsson, Jiri Hudler, and to a lesser extent Tomas Kopecky really had that much of an impact on our powerplay numbers. So I headed over to NHL.com's stats page and took a look. Here's the top 5 powerplay scorers from last year:

Henrik Zetterberg 12 G
Pavel Datsyuk 11 G
Johan Franzen 11 G
Nick Lidstrom 10 G
Marian Hossa 10 G

So the loss of one of the top 5 powerplay scorers isn't all that bad is it? But then I noticed that Samuelsson tallied 7 and Hudler 6 on the man advantage. Add in Kopecky's 1 G and that's a total of 24 goals, about 27% of the scoring on the powerplay. I guess it could still be worse right? Then I thought what about from the passing side of things? The four departed Wings totalled 50 assists (22 to Hudler alone) on the powerplay, about 28% of the assists.The numbers are nothing to scoff at and definitey raise the question to if the unit(s) will be the same this year.

Is there reason to worry? Probably not. I think coaching is just as important on the powerplay as the actual players themselves. Putting the guys in the right places is crucial with the man advantage and Babcock will adjust accordingly. The addition of Todd Bertuzzi will help because of his ability to screen the goalie like Tomas Holmstrom; not to mention Bertuzzi has a great shot for a bruiser. Jason Williams will likely join the unit because of his right-hand shot, one of the very few on the team. Lidstrom will quarterback the powerplay, as usual, along with Datsyuk--the two highest point producers on the powerplay a year ago.

I think the losses of Hudler's passing as well as Samuelsson and Hossa's shots will be missed at points but I also believe there is plenty of talent to fill the void. One guy that I think will have a breakout year on the powerplay is Valtteri Filppula because of his great passing game.

It'll take a while for the unit to get churning at full capacity but it also helps that the team plays disciplined hockey to stay out of the box and is able to draw numerous opportunities for the man advantage.

2009-10 NHL Season Preview: Detroit Red Wings

James Mirtle — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 22:00:18 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

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Who's in: Todd Bertuzzi, Andy Delmore, Patrick Eaves, Doug Janik, Jason Williams
Who's out: Chris Chelios, Ty Conklin, Marian Hossa, Jiri Hudler, Tomas Kopecky, Darren McCarty, Mikael Samuelsson

Outlook: No team took more hits as a result of the salary cap staying flat than the Red Wings this summer.

With Nick Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Brian Rafalski and Johan Franzen eating up more than $30-million (53 per cent) of the team's cap space, GM Ken Holland had to watch as Marian Hossa, Mikael Samuelsson, Conklin, Jiri Hudler and Tomas Kopecky all headed elsewhere, and the Red Wings have only really added bargain basement options like Jason Williams, Todd Bertuzzi and Patrick Eaves as free agents.

What that will mean is a much larger role for many of the incumbents.

Expect Detroit to be a lower scoring team this season regardless of who draws the extra minutes, and there should also be plenty of room to contribute more for the likes of Valtteri Filppula, Dan Cleary, Darren Helm, Justin Abdelkader and Ville Leino. Coach Mike Babcock will be relying on growth from within to keep the Wings fighting for the President's Trophy again, and that's not the worst bet given the returning cast he has to work with.

Where age and injuries could catch up to them, however, is in goal and on the backend, as 39-year-old Lidstrom showed a little bit of wear and tear in last year's postseason and will slip at some point from Norris Trophy contention. Osgood, meanwhile, can't afford a regular season like the last one, as he'll now have Jimmy Howard as insurance should he falter.

Detroit will still be a top 10 team, but their new Central Division challenger from the Windy City should give them a fight for the division crown.

X-factor: Ville Leino

For a more in-depth Red Wings preview, visit Winging It
For more NHL analysis, check out the McKeen's Hockey Yearbook

Poll

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

1

72 votes

2

105 votes

3

63 votes

4

65 votes

5

20 votes

6

4 votes

7

6 votes

8

1 votes

9

5 votes

10

2 votes

11

0 votes

12

1 votes

13

0 votes

14

0 votes

15

18 votes

362 votes | Poll has closed

Stargazing: Stars prospects lose to Minnesota, 2-1

Brad G — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 10:00:46 -0000

Stargazing is a daily assortment of Dallas Stars news, as well as a look at what's happening around the Pacific division and the rest of the NHL. Stargazing will run ~~Mondays and Thursdays~~ more often now that things are picking up, becoming a daily feature once the preseason begins.

The play was evidently a little more structured this go-around, as the Stars allowed just one goal in regulation during game 2, going on to lose in the shootout 2-1 to Minnesota. After dropping their first game in the Traverse City Prospect Tournament 9-6 to the Blues contingent, we were wondering if those were the kinds of results we can expect with Coach Crawford's more "open" offensive philosophy. The sample size is admittedly small and varied thus far, but while these are not "the Stars" as you will see them in October, nor is the senior coaching staff behind the bench in Michigan, the change in style has indeed propagated throughout the organization, as Mike Heika wrote in his blog yesterday:

Glen Gulutzan, the new coach of the Texas Stars and the man who is running the Stars' prospects team in Traverse City, said the Stars are indeed running a new system that is pushing the envelope as part of the new coaching staff in Dallas and Cedar Park. And he added that it will take time for the new players and new system to all come together.

"We do want to play a little uptempo game...so we're not going to hold anything back,'' Gulutzan said."

After the jump: Accounts of the action from those in attendance, Jamie Benn, and do you remember that James Neal has a little brother who also plays hockey?

Mark Stepneski was in Traverse City, and recaps the game for you here:

Despite the loss, coach Glen Gulutzan saw improvement from the first game, a 9-6 loss to St. Louis.

"Way better. We went from 23 chances against last night to ten," Gulutzan said. "The simple message to the guys was we are building, it's a process and if you believe in the process you'll keep playing like that, and then you'll get better results."

Michael Neal scored the lone goal for the Stars with Sergei Korostin picking up the lone assist.

Tyler Beskorowany stopped 29 of 30 shots in regulation and overtime and then four of five in the shootout.

He also mentions Beskorowany's puck movement...

Tyler Beskorowany looked pretty sharp in stopping eight of nine shots in the period. The only that got by him came on the PP and it was off a rebound during a scramble in front of the net. He was moving the puck up the ice well and looked pretty comfortable out there.

For my money, a goaltender that moves the puck up the ice is a must, so I like to hear that. Spoiled by Marty Turco, I found myself frustrated with the puck handling skills (or lack thereof) of several netminders in this last post-season.

The Stars have their assistant GM Frank Provenzano writing a blog for dallasstars.com this week, and he had this to say yesterday following their first game:

Tomas Vincour stepped up tonight. He is about 6’2" and made some nice plays going to the net. We have some other players who have benefitted from a year of playing pro hockey as well, like defenseman Ivan Vishnevskiy. He was poised with the puck and was a leader here, which is no surprise, because this is his third Traverse City tournament. Trevor Ludwig has also matured from playing Minor League hockey for a year. Luke Gazdic looks like he has really added some size and weight to his frame. He was playing physically and scored one of our goals.

Even though Jamie Benn hasn't scored in the first two games of the tournament, the guys watching from afar have nothing but praise for the young man (Dallas Morning News):

"He put on weight, he was more physical and he really started to work on the defensive side of the game," Holland (Stars scout for Western Canada) said. "Now, I would say he is as good on the penalty kill as he is on the power play. He sees a part of his game that needs work, and he goes after it. He wants to be a complete player."

This summer, Benn has worked on strength and skating and said he feels like he's made strides. New Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk is just starting to get know Benn as a prospect, but he's already impressed.

"I definitely think he's ready for the next step," Nieuwendyk said. "You just look at him and he's already in a man's body. If he doesn't make our team out of camp, you will definitely see him play for us at some time this year."

The lone Stars prospect who did score on Labor Day was Michael Neal, younger brother of Stars winger James. He was drafted by the Stars in 2007 in the 5th round. Hockey's Future on Michael:

Neal is a physically imposing forward like his older brother, James. His skating is above average for a player his size and he does his best work along the boards. Plays a clean and fairly industrious game. Craves physical play. Has a tremendous off-ice work ethic and keeps himself in tiptop shape. Doesn’t possess any sort of mesmerizing talent and is still very raw. Lost a crucial year of development due to a knee injury that sidelined him for an entire season. Will have to overcome a lot to be considered a legitimate NHL prospect. Needs to find a niche and become exceptional at it in order to become a valuable asset to his team.

Obviously, as a left wing in the Stars system you probably won't be seeing him in Dallas but it looks like you could see him in Cedar Park. I just like brother stories, so there you go. Here's another little piece written about Michael right after he hurt his knee in 2007.

Finally, FoxSports lists Marty Turco as a "Bounce Back Player to watch" this season:

Coming off a solid 2007-08 performance Turco was the hero of the Stars' march to the 2008 Western Conference Final, finally shaking the label of "playoff choker" from his resume. Unfortunately Turco followed that up with the worst single-season performance of his career, with a 33-31-10 record, a bloated 2.81 goals-against average (his career average is 2.26) and an awful .896 save percentage. He also lacked a quality backup last season to help him share the workload, which should be rectified by the addition of Alex Auld.

Around the NHL:

Balsillie ups his bid for the Coyotes by $300 Million!
Puck Daddy give you a Chicago Blackhawk preview
Jiri Hudler scores a hat trick for the Czechs, Red Wing fans look on.
And Bob Mckenzie wonders if the Leafs are subtly position themselves for a big move. Meanwhile I wonder if Brian Burke can do anything subtly.

USA Hockey, NHL to blame for denying transfer card for Hudler

Christy — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 05:06:21 -0000

More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP

7 months ago: Detroit Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg, left, celebrates with Jiri Hudler, center, and Johan Franzen after scoring during the second period of Game 4 of the NHL hockey Western Conference finals against the Chicago Blackhawks, Sunday, May 24, 2009, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

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Peter Adler, a reporter for the Edmonton Journal, reports via their Cult of Hockey blog that USA Hockey and the NHL are the reasons for the IIHF blocking Jiri Hudler's request for a transfer card. He explains that three groups must sign off their approval for a transfer card to go through -- the new national federation (for Hudler's situation, that's Russia), the outgoing national federation (USA), and the player. Obviously Russia and Hudler have signed off, which leaves USA Hockey to blame. Alder notes that the outgoing national federation typically refers to the "relevant league," which would be the NHL in this case.

As WIM discussed earlier, an unconfirmed report suggests that the KHL may ignore the lack of a card and encourage Hudler to play anyways. Adler's article informs us as to what will happen should Hudler do so and the outcome (in an Olympic year) may discourage such an action.

Without the ITC, Hudler can not play for Dynamo in the KHL and this has nothing to do with an IIHF-sanctioned game. He is free to play with the Czech national team in the upcoming EHT tournament and he could in theory play in the Olympics without any ITC, which refers to club affiliation only.

BUT – if Hudler plays a regular season game in the KHL without an approved ITC, then the player, the national association (RUS) and the club are subject to a catalogue of IIHF suspensions and fines. Dynamo plays its first KHL regular season game on September 11 so there is still time to resolve this issue.

So if that scares off the KHL from allowing Hudler to play, he would only be allowed to return to the Red Wings. Unfortunately, we have no room for his salary under the cap because it appeared to be a done deal that Huds was playing in Russia. This development would put the Wings in an incredibly difficult and sucky situation. Matt at On the Wings succinctly says that "this is crap."

Allan Muir of Sports Illustrated agrees, stating that he bets GM Ken Holland "wishes that these groups weren't working so diligently to make their point with his property."

Fitting Hudler in would require a solution more elegant than burying a couple of veterans in the minors and promoting a couple of minimum wage kids to fill their spots. Holland would have to foist a significant salary on another team and take nothing but picks/prospects in return, and we've all seen how tough those deals have been to make this summer.

Holland's only real option here is to dump Tomas Holmstrom. His $2.25 million hit won't cover Hudler's, but it's close. His contract expires after this season (good for the acquiring side) and he still has a rep as a big-game player, though he's not always as visible from October through April. ...

Holland is widely regarded as one of, if not the best, GMs in the game. Thanks to this latest round of international intrigue, it looks like he's about to get another chance to prove it.

None of us wanted to see Hudler leave to play in Russia, but this isn't how we wanted to keep him in Detroit. (1) You don't want to have a player who wishes he was somewhere else and has stated that. (2) We'll have to move some serious salary, meaning someone that is actually of value to our squad, or we have to trade Hudler for not much in return. I get that the NHL and USA Hockey want to make a point, but at the expense of the Wings? I hope the KHL says bring it on and encourages Hudler to play because I don't want to even think about what will happen to our team if they don't. Things could get messy real quick.

Friday follies: Predators offer "free" preseason game vs. Atlanta

Dirk Hoag — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 10:52:07 -0000

Are you ready for the end of the week? Then jump in below for more reaction to the Chris Chelios rumors, news that Jiri Hudler's transition to the KHL may have hit a major snag, and surgery for a key player on a Central Division rival. All this, and super-cheap hockey tickets for the Preds vs. the Thrashers!

Predators News

Nashville Predators vs. Atlanta Thrashers tickets
Want to see the Preds battle the Thrashers in preseason action on Thursday, September 17th? The team is offering tickets for FREE (except for the infamous Ticketmaster "convenience fee"). That's still a pretty great deal!

Would Chris Chelios be a good addition to the Preds?… | Section 303
Jeremy K. Gover comes to terms with the possibility of Chris Chelios playing for the Preds. John Glennon's article from yesterday also cited Greg de Vries and Ken Klee as possible additions, and I have to say that if the salary made a good fit, de Vries would be my first choice. Take a look back at how he did last season, and once he was moved to the 3rd pair he did just fine in 5-on-5, and his PK work was nothing less than outstanding.

CHRIS CHELIOS IS GOING WHERE?!?!?!? (Warning: Rumor Ahead!) - Hockey Gal
Stephanie Muraro also works her way through exasperation, then realization, that Chelios might be a good fit on the Predators blueline.

Predators goaltending preview - Nashville Predators Examiner
Jim Diamond surveys the Nashville goaltending situation, with both Dan Ellis and Pekka Rinne eligible for unrestricted free agency next summer.

What The Puck: Step It Up: The Dan Hamhuis Edition
As if playing out his contract year and facing free agency next summer didn't put enough pressure on Dan Hamhuis, Rachel from What the Puck calls him out as someone the team needs to step up this fall. Buckle up, Hammer!

Around the NHL

Blues defenseman Eric Brewer undergoes minor knee surgery - Morning Skate, STLtoday
A key cog on the St. Louis defense goes under the knife, and should miss the start of the regular season.

The Triple Deke: Time wasting
It's Friday. Goof off with some wonderful productivity-killing hockey sites.

Five Reasons Bob McKenzie of TSN Loves Hockey - Puck Daddy
Puck Daddy's "5 Reasons" series continues with the best damn NHL reporter out there, Bob McKenzie. He's about the only guy who can actually call himself an "NHL insider" with a straight face.

Scotty Bowman Talks NHL Rules with BWA - Bird Watchers Anonymous
The Falconer, SB Nation's Atlanta Thrashers blogger, got a few words with NHL legend Scott Bowman during the draft weekend in Montreal, and got some wonderful insight on rules that perhaps the league should consider changing.

NHL and USA hockey federation block Hudler moving to Moscow Dynamo - Cult of Hockey
David Staples channels a report from Peter Adler, which says that erstwhile Detroit Red Wing Jiri Hudler's international transfer card has not been approved by the IIHF, which prevents him for playing for Moscow Dynamo of the KHL for now. Stay tuned for further developments...

Finally, check out the new Nike commercial aimed at getting Canadian fans revved up for the Winter Olympics. Good stuff...

IIHF reportedly denies Hudler transfer card

Christy — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:15:51 -0000

More photos » by Carlos Osorio - ASSOCIATED PRESS

4 months ago: Detroit Red Wings winger Jiri Hudler (26) of the Czech Republic is seen during the third period of Game 2 of a second-round NHL hockey playoff series, Sunday, May 3, 2009 in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

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According to the Cult of Hockey (which referenced a Sovetski Sport article), the IIHF denied Jiri Hudler a transfer card. Since the transfer card is what allows players to play in IIHF-sanctioned games, the lack of a card supposedly prevents Hudler from playing in the KHL as it is an IIHF-sanctioned league. If he has to return to the NHL, it would completely screw over the Wings when it comes to the salary cap.

The IIHF's stance is baffling to Alexander Medvedev, chief of the KHL, because both the Detroit Red Wings, Hudler's NHL team, and the Czech federation have given permission to Hudler to play for Dynamo, according to Medvedev.

An unconfirmed report (via The Production Line) suggests that the KHL doesn't care and will allow Hudler to play anyways. I never thought I'd say this, but let's hope that's the case or GM Ken Holland is going to have a tough couple of weeks trying to get under the cap before the deadline. The same person gives the reason why the IIHF denied Hudler a transfer card:

KHL officials: "IIHF did not give transfer card to Hudler. Their explanation was Hudler has a contract with Detroit, which is laughable."

So if Hudler does play for Dynamo Moscow against the wishes of the IIHF, he would likely lose his rights to represent his country in the Olympics. Is Hudler willing to do that for a big paycheck? We know it won't bother the KHL, but what about Happy Huds?

If that isn't the case, there is an appeal process as Babcock's Death Stare notes:

The only thorn I see in that plan is, as the article states, both the Red Wings and the Czech hockey federation gave Hudler the okay to play in the KHL. In fact, he’s already played in several exhibition games. To me, that would make it seem like an appeal might be pretty successful since you have the backing of most of the parties involved. However, the NHL did put up a stink about it and they might be able to flex some muscle on the IIHF. And I’m sure if Detroit had the choice between having Hudler at the contract he was awarded in arbitration and giving those minutes to Jason Williams, well, then sorry Williams, but you’re on the 4th line again. Detroit could complicate the arbitration process, I would think.

As Matt at On the Wings asks, what took the IIHF so long to rule on this?

I am out of town this weekend and my internet access is not consistent to say the least. I'll try to update this post as more news comes out, but if it's a bit delayed that's why.

Poll

Do you think Hudler will still play in the KHL? If not, will the Wings trade him or trade someone else to make room for him?

Hudler will play in Moscow

214 votes

Happy Huds will stay in Detroit after Holland trades a couple players

46 votes

Holland will be forced to trade Hudler

68 votes

328 votes | Poll has closed

The KHL's rivalry with the NHL is all about Pride and Power

Dirk Hoag — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 18:04:43 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

Rather than stay on as a complementary player on the Washington Capitals, Sergei Fedorov, along with several others, signed with a KHL team this summer.

Browse more photos »

Imagine the following - your local Senator, in a bid to bolster America's soccer leagues in advance of the US potentially hosting the World Cup, proposes that professionals should be made exempt from Federal income taxes, and that every effort should be made to support professional teams and allow them to sign top international stars to compete on US soil. All this, during one of the worst economic downturns in living memory.

What do you think the reaction would be among his constituents? I'm guessing that it would be more tempestuous than these health care town-hall meetings, that's for sure.

But in Russia, that's exactly what's going on in the world of hockey. Facing a 7% contraction in GDP this year (far greater than the US will endure), they've taken just such measures to bring NHL talent over to the KHL.

So why is it that ordinary Russians are so willing to go along with such plans? Simply put, with the 2014 Winter Olympics to be held in Sochi, international prestige ranks high on the list of priorities for political and business leaders there, and the populace isn't likely to challenge that view.

In today's Wall Street Journal, Harvard professor Richard Pipes, in "Pride and Power", surveys the political and economic landscape throughout the former superpower, and finds nostalgia for the imperial Soviet era, along with a desire for order that transcends Western priorities like transparency of government, and the rule of law:

...during their 1,000-year old history of statehood, the Russians have virtually never been given the opportunity to elect their government or to influence its actions. As a result of this experience, they have become thoroughly depoliticized.

It's a truly fine read, and helps to put in perspective why the KHL is so aggressive in their bid to obtain top talent from North America. It should also help inform the NHL and player agents about sensitivites felt throughout Russia, as the question of whether the NHL will participate in the 2014 Games has yet to be addressed.

Red Wings' Ken Holland suffers bizarre headache, signs Todd Bertuzzi

Whale4ever — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:37:28 -0000

...And the ghost of Deals Past hangs in for another go-round: evidently still not able to sleep a full eight following the Berto-for-Shawn Matthias trade with Florida at the 2007 deadline, Wings GM Kenny Holland dipped into one of the club's more questionable epochs, inking 34 year-old Bertuzzi to a one-season deal. Reportedly, he'll earn $1.5M for his scowl and ghoulish demeanor.

I'll not beat up on the guy who brought seven points in seven career games to the Panthers; it's been said time and again that he's misunderstood, he'd take back the Steve Moore affair if he could, does a lot for charity. Swell.

I do, however, find it hilarious that Detroit would travel this road...again. Team management is denying a "rebuild" following the defections of Marion Hossa, Mikael Samuelsson, and Jiri Hudler to points far outside the Motor City, but the re-acquisition of Berto is a confusing move for the perennial Campbell Conference powerhouse.

And to think Stevie Y probably signed off on it...

In my mind he simply doesn't come across as a Wing: almost universally considered controversy-free, Detroit's hockey team typifies professionalism. And Yzerman had more than a small role in the construction of that perception.

Turn that frown upside down!

Bertuzzi's been demonized for well over half a decade now, and regardless of the reasons for it, he still finds himself employed in the NHL. Some will call Holland a sympathetic master of personnel, keying in on a man who may hold the promise of a resurgent career. Others will of course vilify him for giving a "bad boy" yet another opportunity.

Personally, I was clamoring for a re-signing in Calgary, making for a Jokinen-Bouwmeester-Bertuzzi triumvirate, playing Roberto Luongo's 'Nucks six times each year. In fact, recall Mike Keenan to the Flames' bench. Maybe take Noodles McLennan out of carbonite for the season. It's a 2006 reunion of the highest order.

Whatever. ESPN's gonna wish they had the league television contract when the Wings travel to Denver. That's reason enough to be interested in this otherwise under-the-radar free agent signing.