John Tavares has made New York Island cool again.

This franchise hasn't seen this level of excitement since good ol' Davey Volek took a pass from Ferraro and ended the 1993 Playoffs for Super Mario and the Penguin faithful. It's definitely a positive thing when a fan base who have been jilted time and time again by bad management (Mike Milbury please stand up), bad draft picks (anyone remember Dave Czyzowski? I didn't think so) or promises of a new beginning (Peter Laviolette turning the team around in the early 2000's only to be fired a few years later).

I truly believe owner Charles Wang and Garth Snow are trying to do this the right way. Build through the draft and then sign a sprinkle of seasoned veterans to teach the young guys how to play a grown man's game. It has certainly worked in Pittsburgh, where the addition of Billy Guerin really helped the Pens immensely, en route to the 2009 Le Coupe Du Stanley (that's for our Francophone readers).

John Tavares needs some veteran encouragement so he can keep his eye on the ball, and not worry about what the fans or New York media will say about him. This is a player who has the potential to be the next Mike Bossy, if time and patience is warrented. Not everybody can come into the league and score 50 goals right off the bat like Bossy. That's a rarity. I truly see maybe a 70-75 point rookie season from Tavares. I believe that's a fair prediction.

A good addition would be someone like Saku Koivu, a proven star who could help Tavares with the media pressure of playing in a big market like New York. Koivu has played his entire career in Montreal, where your career and life are under a constant microscope. But Koivu has handled it with class and dignity, and that could be the mentor Tavares might need.

This week, the Ottawa Senators could not get rid of their cancer. A player so toxic that the very thought of him makes people want to punch walls. Of course, it's none other than Dany Heatley (aka 'I'm a grown man yet I act like I am 7).

A blockbuster trade was on between the Sens and Oilers which would have sent Heatley to the Oil Patch for Andrew Cogliano, Dustin Penner and Ladislav Smid. But Heatley nixed the deal. Good one, Dany. Classic.

If you have been following the story of Heatley, he got boo-boo faced ever since new coach (and a mighty good one I might add) Cory Clouston put him on the second line in order to change the face of things. It worked for the team, as they went from lackluster waste of space to a team in the thick of the playoff hunt. But that wasn't good enough for Heatley. He threw a tantrum a demanded a trade.

So GM Bryan Murray tried to accomodate him, but no one was willing to eat that huge contract Heatley is currently raking in. San Jose balked. As did the Kings. The only team that offered to give the kid a chance was Edmonton, which by the looks of things, are trying to change into a winning culture. But Heatley said, "no dice."

If I was were Senators management, I would bring him back to the team, and have the fans just completely rip him to shreds, burying his confidence, and making him go play in the KHL, never to be heard from again. Frankly, that's what he deserves.

Now, if you are a Detroit Red Wings fan, you must be thinking, "We didn't have a very stellar week". The Wings let both Marian Hossa and Ty Conklin just go to two of their division competitors. I understand that Detroit might want some flexibility under the cap, but let's not forget Hossa helped your team get to the Cup Finals, and Ty Conklin helped carry the load when Chris Osgood wasn't doing so hot in mid-season. Expect Chicago and St. Louis to be strong in the Central Division this year. Detroit will finish 1st or 2nd, but don't know if they can make the Finals for the 3rd straight year.

The Montreal Canadiens got some star power by acquiring Scott Gomez, Mike Cammaleri, and Brian Gionta. Now, while I think they truly got better offensively, letting Mike Komisarek go was a mistake. Defensive playmakers are a huge piece of a championship puzzle, and he was a player that could make things happen defensively. Not necessarily a great two-way player, Komisarek adds the grit Brian Burke loves. Montreal's loss is Toronto's gain. Expect the Maple Leafs to get better and better in the next few years.

What did the New York Blueshirts do? They acquired Marion Gaborik, a player who is definitely skilled but his rash of injuries makes any team wonder. I just don't understand why Glen Sather feels he has to keep overpaying for big name free agents. This is a guy who built the Edmonton Oilers from the ground-up. Everybody used to praise Sather for being a "genius". While he was a tremendous coach, I believe the term genius is a bit too much. Rather than keep inflating his salary cap, he needs to re-build the Rangers from the ground-up. Then he has more cap flexibility, and can mix in the veterans with a young core of good players. But that won't happen. He's in Yankeesville. The Rangers are in some ways the Yankees of the NHL. They feel to compete they must sign the biggest stars available. Well, sometimes, they doesn't always work. Ask the Washington Redskins about that one.

Questions? Comments? Feel free to post one on this blog! Talking hockey is better than eating pizza for breakfast.

After watching the NHL draft on Friday, a few thoughts came to mind. It was an incredibly entertaining draft where the suspense was absolutely mind boggling. It was the "Matlock" of NHL drafts, where you didn't know what was going to happen until it happened.

The New York Islanders had to take John Tavares. Pure and simple. Victor Hedman and Matt Duchene were probably better "complete players", but Tavares was the sexy pic. He is a point-producing freak. In the Ontario Hockey League last year, he had over 110 points in just 60 games! That's hard to fathom. He isn't the best skater on the ice, but he does things with the puck that would make any casual fan go nuts. He is the 'fish' that will save Long Island. The Islanders will now get a new arena, and all will be right with the world. I just dont see the Kansas City Islanders being in the cards. Or the Las Vegas Islanders. Or the Winnipeg Islanders (which would be ironic since Winnipeg is located the prairies of Manitoba). There's only place that franchise should be, and that's on Long Island. Denis Potvin.Mike Bossy. Bryan Trottier. Billy Smith. And now, Tavares.

A surprising trade took place at Friday's draft festivities. The Flyers acquired Chris Pronger from the Anaheim Ducks for Joffrey Lupul, Luca Sbisa, and two first-round draft picks in 2010 and 2011! Philly must be thinking short term, and thinking Pronger will get them over the proverbial hump to win the Cup. My thoughts are, great short term move. But when you give up two first round picks, you better hope Pronger gets you far in the playoffs. For a while now, we all had a inkling that Pronger was going somewhere. I was thinking more of the LA Kings than Philly. But I was wrong on that one.

The Florida Panthers traded the rights to Jay Bouwmeester to the Calgary Flames. If you are a Flames fan, you must be thinking "stellar"! But you might get egg on your face if he chooses to sign with another team come July 1st. A bold move to by Calgary GM Darryl Sutter (who has done a lot of those lately). If the Flames sign Bouwmeester, they will have the best defense in the NHL, with him, Robyn Regehr and Dion Phaneuf. They become a serious title contender if they get him. After all, defense wins championships.

Last week, the Detroit Red Wings decided not to bring back 47 year old Chris Chelios back for another season. I have all the respect in the world for "Cheli", but it's time to hang up the skates. He has had a Hall of Fame career and has won three Stanley Cups with Montreal and Detroit. Plus he is a god in Chicago, where he played many great seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks. He thinks he has a few seasons left in him. I think otherwise.

Chicago Bulls and White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf put in a bid to buy the Phoenix Coyotes for $148 million. As much as I would like to see a seventh Canadian team (which will eventually be a 2nd team in Toronto; not Hamilton), I think it sets a terrible precedent when teams just start moving. A team hasn't moved in the NHL since 1997, when Hartford moved to Carolina. I think the Coyotes are on the cusp of something truly special, and that alone will draw more fans to the Jobing.Com Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

I found it hilarious that the fans in Montreal jeered Toronto GM Brian Burke and the Maple Leafs front office when they chanted "67! 67! 67!". If you don't know, 1967 was the last year the Leafs won the Cup. If you don't know, Brian Burke likes to wear his emotions on his sleeve, and he got very angry that the Canadiens were being what he thinks, "disrespectful." He was quoted as saying, "I don't give a rat's ass how those fans feel. The best fans in the NHL are in Toronto, not Montreal." And being from the United States, I'm sure Burke is not too keen on the whole French flavor in Montreal. I love it when GM's are honest and outspoken rather than give you that politically correct answer. Brian Burke and John Tortorella are both the best at telling you what's on their minds. Coincidentally, both are from Boston. Maybe there's something in the water up there in Massachusetts. Or something in the Dunkin' Donuts recipe.

Any questions? Comments? Feel free to message me. Im always up for some good ol' frozen puck talk.

-Jake