Early NHL Rookie of The Year Race

One of the most interesting things to watch during the NHL season is the NHL rookie of the year race. Watching to see how young rookies adapt their games to the NHL style of hockey and watching them "light it up" in their own way. Some rookies make immediate impact on the scoreboard, while others do the dirty work that often goes unnoticed. With the 2013 NHL season 6 games old there have already been some young rookies making a name for themselves- time to look at the early favourites in the NHL Rookie of the Year Race.

[caption id="attachment_2197" align="alignright" width="266"] Vladimir Tarasenko[/caption]

First we'll take a look at the St. Louis Blues best rookie Vladimir Tarasenko who has been on fire putting up 8 points while averaging roughly 14 minutes of ice time. Taresenko is leading all NHL rookies in scoring, is an impressive +5 and is the early favourite for the Calder Trophy. It doesn't hurt Tarasenko that the Blues are arguably one of the best teams in the tough Western Conference and will likely make a deep playoff run providing the rookie lots of time and opportunities to develop his game.

Tarasenko has quick hands, incredible vision and top notch speed- all the qualities needed to be an elite NHL player. The kid has the complete package, only time will tell if he can live up to his full potential.

The next rookie turning heads around the league is Tampa Bay Lightning forward Cory Conacher who is 2nd in rookie scoring with 7 points. Much like Tarasenko, Conacher is only averaging around 15 minutes of ice time but is still managing to put up solid numbers. Depending on what side of the fence you're on Conacher is also considered to be one of the early favourites in the running for the Calder Trophy. The Lightning have no shortage of stars with Steven Stamkos, Matt Carle and Martin St. Louis but the next name you'll want to learn is Cory Conacher.

Conacher went un-drafted but managed to catch on with the Norfolk Admirals in the AHL and helped lead them to a Calder Cup championship. Conacher was named top rookie in the AHL last season putting up 80 points and the Admirals wouldn't have had the success they enjoyed without the star rookie. With his relatively short stature 5 foot 8 and 190 pounds many are touting him to be the next "Martin St. Louis", heck that guy had a fairly decent career no?

The rookie to garner the most "talk" and speculation over the first few games is Oilers First overall pick Nail Yakupov- unfortunately the talk hasn't all been positive. After scoring a goal to tie the game with 4 seconds left against the Los Angeles Kings, Yakupov took off for a controversial celebration. Despite all the talk about Yakupov from his goal celebration he really hasn't lived up to expectations early on putting up only 2 points in the first 4 games.

Yakupov may be having a difficult time adjusting to the smaller NHL ice and having less time to make your decision in the flow of a game- but he's looked good. No matter how his rookie year pans out, Yakupov will be a focal point around the NHL for years to come.

Next we move to Yakupov's teammate- Justin Schultz who has proved he was worth the hype this offseason ranking 3rd in rookie scoring with 5 points. Not

[caption id="attachment_2199" align="alignright" width="300"] Justin Schultz[/caption]

only is Shultz putting up points he's also eating up ice time, averaging 24 minutes a night- pretty solid minutes for a rookie. Schultz has great vision and poise with the puck and has elevated his game ranking amongst the top NHL defencemen.

Schultz is coming off a great start in the AHL putting up 48 points in 34 games and with only 6 penalty minutes. Schultz knows how to shutdown the opposition without taking a penalty, an invaluable skill for a young rookie defenceman. The Oilers lucked out getting their hands on Schultz who may turn out to be an elite NHL defenceman one day.

Next we'll take a look at the Boston Bruins top young defenceman Dougie Hamilton. Hamilton hasn't exactly gotten off to a brilliant start on the blueline but is starting to look more comfortable with the Bruins. He's one of the top 4 Bruin defencemen averaging roughly 18 minutes a night and putting up 3 points. Look for Hamilton to get more and more comfortable carrying the puck and jumping up in the rush- hopefully potting his first goal in the next few games. Much like Schultz, look for Hamilton to evolve into a top notch NHL defenceman in the future.

Lastly we'll touch on one of the highly touted NHL prospects from out West- Mikael Granlund with the Minnesota Wild. Granlund has put up 2 points in the Wild's first 4 games and has adapted well to the NHL. Look for Granlund to really up his game and turn into one of the top rookies in the league this year, he has all the potential to be a future NHL star.

Other rookies who haven't quite gotten off to fast starts- at least on the scoreboard. Include Alex Galchenyuk with the Canadiens, Mikhail Grigorenko with the Sabres and Brendan Smith with the Red Wings. Look for these 3 to step their games up over the coming weeks and start putting up some major points for their respective teams.

My early predictions for 2 of the final 3 top rookies are Vladimir Tarasenko and Cory Conacher. Who do you think will be one of the top rookies at the end of this shortened season?

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10 Players To Watch In Shortened NHL Season

With the 2013 NHL season just 2 days away it's time to take a look at 10 players who are set to have a big year in the shortened NHL season. The players who will benefit most from the 48 game campaign are the youngsters- many of whom have been playing in the AHL during the 113 days NHL lockout. This list will carry a mixture of stars to underdogs who are going to turn some heads and help lead their teams to victory.

10 Players to Watch in Shortened NHL Season-

10- Brendan Smith- Detroit Red Wings

This is a young defenceman that was brought to my attention by one of my twitter followers- and it turns out he's going to have a key role on the Red Wings blueline. Smith is coming off 32 games with Grand Rapids where he's racked up 5 goals and 15 assists and will have a head start on many of his Red Wings teammates- who haven't had a chance to play. Smith saw 14 games with the Wings last season and will need to step up to the plate after the Wings lost defencemen Nicklas Lidstrom and Brad Stuart in the offseason. After taking the time to hone his skills in the AHL, Smith knows he's ready to make the jump and help fill the holes on the Wings blueline. If your fantasy hockey league counts +/- then consider picking up Smith- who prides himself on his +/-.

9. Gabriel Landeskog- Colorado Avalanche

Landeskog was so impressive in his rookie year that he won rookie of the year honours and earned the trust of Avalanche brass to be named the youngest captain in team history. In 82 games last season the young Swede was able to put up 52 points and with a shortened season could surprise many and be amongst the top goal scorers in the league- it also doesn't hurt he played in Sweden during the lockout racking up 14 points in 17 games. Look for Landeskog to jump out to a quick start to prove he was the right choice for captain and his rookie year wasn't a fluke.

8. Jordan and Eric Staal- Carolina Hurricanes

I'm putting the Staal brothers together on this list because if either of them is to have a big year it will because of the addition of their brother. The Hurricanes were on a mission to add young talent to help prove they are serious Cup contenders- one of their big additions was Jordan Staal from the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jordan will be re-united with his older brother Eric and the siblings will be looking to help each other improve with a little old sibling rivalry. Jordan is finally getting the top 6 minutes he deserves and will be looking to prove he is a top 6 forward- Eric had a slow start last year and will be looking to rebound this season. Look for the Staal brothers to have career years and get the Hurricanes back into the playoffs.

7. Ryan Miller- Buffalo Sabres

After having the best year of his career in 2010 in which he captured the Vezina trophy and back-stopped the Sabres into the playoffs, Miller had a dissapointing season last year. An early concussion threw him off his game early on and put the Sabres in a rough spot. After a strong finish at the end of last season which brought the Sabres back from 14th to 9th look for Miller to carry that momentum over into the shortened season. Miller will be looking to re-solidify his spot amongst the elite goalies in the NHL and a 48 game season (30 games) will be just the thing to get Miller back on track. With the additions of Hodgson, Foligno and possibly Grigorenko the Sabres should be able to put up more goals to help their tender out. Look for Miller to return to his Vezina form and be amongst the top goalies propeling the Sabres back into the postseason.

6. Matt Duchene- Colorado Avalanche

Duchene has shown flashes of brilliance since being taken 3rd overall in 2009, but has yet to solidify himself as the elite player he was projected to be. The Avalanche are filled with youth and young stars- having Landeskog being named captain shows they are putting faith in the youth of the team. Duchene is now 22 and healthy after a injury plagued 2011-2012- and after being some-what overshadowed by Landeskog, Duchene will be looking to remind everyone he was the original Avalanche superstar. Coming off strong play overseas during the lockout Duchene has brought that play back home and is looking very strong in training camp- look for him to prove he's ready and capable of playing on the first line.

5. Sidney Crosby- Pittsburgh Penguins

As one of the best, most elite players in the league Crosby is always an exciting player to watch and never disappoints. When his team needs someone to step up he's the first one to score a big goal. After playing just 63 games over the last 2 seasons Crosby is finally healthy and is looking forward to playing a "full-season" with no injury issues. Evgeni Malkin has risen to the top with the absence of Crosby and has won over the fans- many believing Malkin to be the best player on the Penguins- Crosby is in the best shape he's been in years, look for him to hit the ice running and light up the league proving he is still one of the best players in the game and gain back his honour of being the best Penguin. After last seasons disappointing first round exit at the hands of the Flyers, look for Crosby to lead the Pens back to the Stanley Cup Finals!

4. Claude Giroux- Philadelphia Flyers

Coming off a career year with the Flyers that saw Giroux put up 93 points and have his name thrown into the mix as a elite young player- Giroux has been named the 19th captain in Flyers history. At age 25 with 4 NHL seasons under his belt, Giroux is ready to step up and become a leader- he already leads the team without the "C" by inspiring teammates with hard hits and timely goals. He's the perfect player to take over the captaincy role from Chris Pronger and could be poised for a long run as Flyers captain. Look for Giroux to put up terrific numbers and lead the Flyers to a deep playoff run.

3. Cory Schneider- Vancouver Canucks

After stealing the number goaltending job away from Roberto Luongo, there's no questions everyone in the hockey world will be looking at Schneider. Schneider will be called upon to not only keep the Canucks at the top of the Western Conference, but to break the reputation of a team that can't perform in the playoffs. There's going to be a lot of pressure on the young goaltender to deliver- will he rise to the occasion or crack under the pressure?

2. Jordan Eberle- Edmonton Oilers

I absolutely love the way Jordan Eberle plays and it's a shame he gets overshadowed by  Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent- Hopkins and now Nail Yakupov. I truly believe Eberle is the Oilers MVP and the most complete young star- look for him to prove that this year. Last year was a career year for the 22 year-old who racked up 76 points and ranked 16th amongst NHL scoreers. After being given a "A" this season, look for Eberle to become one of the leaders of the young Oilers squad both on the ice and off ice- leading by example. I wouldn't be surprised to see him lead the team in points and be amongst the top scoring leaders in the shortened season.

1. Justin Shultz- Edmonton Oilers

With all the young offencive talent the Oilers have I wouldn't be surprised if they managed to squeak into the playoffs. Shultz absolutely tore up the AHL during the lockout putting up 48 points in just 34 games- and he's a defenceman. The 48 game season will work out perfectly for Shultz in his first year after playing a 43 game season with Wisconsin. Look for Shultz to provide some stability to the Oilers defence and challenge for the Calder trophy.

 

There you have it folks, 10 players who are poised to have a big season once the puck drops on Saturday. One things for sure- a 48 game season will result in some exciting hockey with lots of surprises.

 

 

Free Agency Update July 3rd

It's officially been 2 days since Free Agency began on July 1, we've seen a dozens of players sign new deals with new teams and even some return to their old teams. While we are still waiting on the big fish Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. Once these two decide where they want to spend the rest of their career Free Agency will really kick into a frenzy as teams who lost the bid on the big two will be looking for second best.

 P-A Parenteau signs 4 year deal with Colorado
One of the top free agents this offseason Parenteau went off the market on the first day. Signing a 4 year $16 million contract with the Colorado Avalanche.

Jonas Gustavsson signs 2 year deal with Detroit
It's been a crazy week for Gustavsson. The Toronto Maple Leafs traded his rights to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for a 7th round draft pick. Gustavsson then decided he didn't want to stay in Winnipeg and was signed to a 2 year $3 million contract with the Detroit Red Wings. A fantastic opportunity for the young goaltender. He gets out of dodge with the media, gets the backup role on a solid team and will get to face against his former team in the Winter Classic.

Paul Gaustad signs 4 year extension with Nashville
This one pains me to right a little bit. Sabres fans were hoping that their beloved Gaustad would return to Buffalo after the season, unfortunately he's staying in Nashville. Gaustad signed a 4 year $13 million contract extension to stay with the Predators. Smart signing by the Preds who will be losing many players through free agency.

Justin Schultz signs 2 year deal with Edmonton
Finally the drama surrounding a kid who has never played an NHL game is over. Schultz made his decision and decided to head to the Oiler to "grow old" with their star young players. The Oilers have young skilled players, that are going to be extremely talented when they hit their prime. Look out for the Oilers in the future.

Colby Armstrong signs 1 year deal with Montreal
Much like Gustavsson the Leafs were hard on Armstrong this week. The Leafs decided Armstrong just wasn't going to work out in Toronto after two injury plagued seasons, that limited him to just 78 games.
The Leafs bought out the rest of Armstrong's contract and placed him on waivers to become a free agent. Armstrong didn't wait long signing a deal with the Canadiens for $1 million.

Ray Whitney signs 2 year deal with Dallas
The ageless wonder is at it again. At 40 years of age many teams were hesitant to give Whitney the extra year he wanted. So when the Stars agreed to give him 2 years worth $9 million he signed on the dotted line.

Brad Boyes signs 1 year deal with the New York Islanders
As a Sabres fan I am perfectly fine with Boyes leaving town. He had one good year and has not been productive or helpful for the Sabres in the last couple of years. It was time for him to go. Boyes signed a 1 year deal worth $1 million.

Zenon Konopka signs 2 year deal with Minnesota
Was interesting to see Konopka leave Ottawa. Konopka signs a 2 year $1.85 Million contract with the Wild.

Dustin Penner resigns with the Los Angeles Kings
After winning his 2nd Stanley Cup ring, Penner has decided he will stay a King for the next year.
Penner and the Kings agreed to terms on a 1 year $3.25 million contract. Smart move for both parties.

Matt Carkner signs 3 year deal with the New York Islanders
The Islanders made quite a few moves on July 1st, one of whihc was landing tough guy Matt Carkner. The Islanders and Carkner agreed to a 3 year $4.5 million contract.

Brandon Prust signs 4 year deal with Montreal
The Canadiens felt they were too weak and needed to add some character players. In addition to the signing of Armstrong, they signed tough guy Brandon Prust to a 4 year deal worth $10 million. Prust is a solid addition to the Canadiens, although he'll be missed in New York.

Filip Kuba signs 2 year deal with Florida
Ottawa had a rough time during the start of free agency as they lost a lot of their "role" players. Kuba is another player they lost. Kuba signed a contract with the Panthers and cashed in on a deal worth $8 million.

Olli Jokinen signs 2 year deal with Winnipeg
It had to be tough for the Flames to lose Jokinen. The Jets needed a centre so they found their man in Jokinen. The two sides agreed to a 2 year $9 million contract.

Joey Crabb signs 1 year deal with Washington
Crabb has left Toronto and as a result is getting a nice pay day. The Capitals signed the defenceman to a 1 year $950 thousand contract.

Jack Hillen signs a 1 year deal with Washington
Considering the fact I have never heard of Jack Hillen I wouldn't normally post his name here. But big news from me, I will be on a conference call with him later this afternoon!

Martin Brodeur signs 2 year extension with New Jersey 
Raise your hand if you thought Brodeur would leave the only team he's ever known. Now kindly lower  your hand and get your head examined. The reason he hired an agent and said he wanted to "Test free agency" is because he wasn't getting enough attention. There is another Devils player by the name of Parise who is tying up all the contract talks, Brodeur wanted to make sure he got a fair shake. He agreed to a 2 year $9 million contract, so he may finish his career as a Devil.

John Scott signs 1 year deal with Buffalo
The Buffalo Sabres wanted to get tougher this offseason, so in order to that they needed to sign a 6 foot 8 defenceman. Scott joins Tyler Myers and Joe Finley as the trio of 6 foot 8 players on the Sabres roster. Scott and the Sabres agreed to a 1 year deal worth $600 thousand.

Jiri Hudler signs 4 year deal with Calgary
The long time Red Wing is on his way north of the boarder. The Flames wanted to shake the team up this offseason to try and make the playoffs. The signing of Hudler helps that for sure. The Flames agreed to a 4 year $16 million contract.

Jason Garrison signs 6 year deal with Vancouver
The last signing I'll talk about in this post, which just so happens to be the biggest (in terms of length). The Canucks and Garrison agreed to a 6 year deal worth $27.6 million.

Who knows maybe by day 4 we will have a decision on where Parise and Suter have decided to play out there careers and then Free Agency can really get kicked into a frenzy!

Top Free Agents

Free agency is just days away and rumours are starting to swirl around who's going where. So it's time to break down the free agency market and see who's available and where they may possibly land.

Forwards:


Zach Parise

Likely the biggest name on the market this season. Chances are Parise will not resign with the New Jersey Devils. While Parise wants to remain loyal to his team it's looking like the financial trouble the Devils may be facing could scare him away. Parise is a complete package any team that is able to afford his price tag will instantly be made better. He never takes a shift off and was a born leader, leading the Devils to within 2 wins of a Stanley Cup. He's a brilliant forward who can put the puck in the net, forecheck hard and never disappoints on defence either.

The three teams in the front running are: Pittsburgh, Detroit and Minnesota. With Sidney Crosby rumoured to have agreed to a 12 year contract with the Penguins there is rumour Parise will be joining him in Pittsburgh as the two are good friends.


Alexander Semin
Semin is a hit and miss player, sometimes he's on fire and other times it's like he's not even on the ice. The Capitals and Semin have virtually parted ways so he will not be returning to his old team. There was some talk he might head over to the KHL but if he can get a team to throw him a large contract he will likely stay. Semin plays a very good offensive game but not a good defensive game. When the Capitals were firing on all cylinders Semin fit in and became one of the top scorers in the league. When the Capitals turned to a more defensive style he struggled and found himself on the bench more often than not.

He would benefit most by going to a team that needs scoring, perhaps the Montreal Canadiens.


Dustin Penner

When the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup they had to give up certain players because they could no longer afford them. Just the same the Kings may have to start unloading some players one of them may be Penner. He's a curious case as he has the size, speed, skill and strength to be a successful NHL player but he scored just 7 goals all regular season. But despite his lack of success during the regular season Penner was a major contributor during the Kings Stanley Cup run much like he was for Anaheim in 2007.

After winning the cup in 2007 he signed by the Oilers but did not succeed in Edmonton. This time around he won't get signed for big money but might find a spot with the Calgary Flames. But if Penner doesn't mind taking a pay cut he could stay with the Kings.


Shane Doan
It would be shocking and painful for Coyotes fans not to see their captain back in the desert next season. He is the heart and soul of the team, the coyotes go as Doan goes and he was a major reason they made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals. But at 36 Doan is going to want to make a run at a Stanley Cup and may want to play in a market that is more hockey friendly.

He's a solid goal scorer (reaching the 30 goal mark twice) and a natural leader. If the Devils are unable to retain Parise look for them to take a hard run at Doan.


Brad Boyes
It wouldn't be a good post if it didn't have some sort of tie to the Sabres. Boyes is a player who puzzles me. He's got all the skill and scoring ability yet he is a 4th line player who rarely contributes to the success of the Sabres. Boyes would likely benefit from a change in scenery (and a new coach).

Right now he is dead weight for the Sabres and hopefully will not be resigned. He can still score some goals and would be a solid 20 goal scorer for a team that needs a little scoring boost for their back end. Look for him to meet with the Wild.

Defence


Ryan Suter
Like Parise, Suter is the biggest free agent defenceman available right now.
Suter showed great poise and was huge for the Predators all season including during their playoff run. Right now all eyes are on him so the ball is in his court he will likely head to a team that will utilize him as a number one defenceman.

Look for the Dallas Stars to pursue Suter and offer him a contract.


Bryan Allen
Allen is ranked or regarded as high as Suter but he is a solid defenceman that many teams could benefit from. He doesn't produce a lot of goals but he plays a steady defensive game.

If the Stars are unable to land Suter, look for them to pursue Allen.


Justin Shultz

If you have not heard of Justin Shultz stop reading this article and kindly stop calling yourself a hockey fan. Right now this kid is the hottest name around. Just about 29 teams are looking at. Shultz is playing the Brad Richards card having teams come to him instead of him going to them. The thing about him is he hasn't even played a game in the NHL as he is just coming out of the University of Wisconsin.

Whatever team does end up with the "highly ranked" prospect who skipped the draft will likely end up over paying due to how much interest there reportedly is. He will be a hit or miss prospect that will hopefully perform well for whatever team courts him.

The short list is down to 5 teams including: Toronto, Vancouver, New York Rangers, Edmonton and Ottawa.


Hal Gill
Hal Gill is a player I have always loved to watch play, right from his days in Toronto. Although he suffered an injury that cut his season short he still saw an improvement in his goals and point production this year with Nashville. He is expected to make a full recovery over the off season and be ready for training camp.

Look for the Predators to retain Gill, especially if they lose Suter. Note Hal Gill resigned a 2 year deal with the Predators worth $4 million.

Matt Carle
While Carle will test the free agency markets he will still keep a foot in the door with the Flyers. A very solid defenceman who will be sought after during free agency. But I wouldn't expect him to leave the Flyers.

Goalies:


Cory Schneider
Technically Cory Schneider is not a real free agent and the Canucks have to intention of letting him walk and he will be their starter next season. Schneider single out played world class goaltender Roberto Luongo for the starting job and as a result chased the veteran out of town.


With Scneider between the pipes the Canucks have a bright future and a clean slate, they can put all this Luongo drama behind them and run with the young goalie who has a bright future.

Note- Cory Schneider agreed to a 3 year deal worth $12 million with the Canucks. 


Martin Biron
Biron is one of the most valuable back up goalies in the league. If a teams starter goes down to injury Biron is more than able to step right in and carry the work load of the starter. He spent last season in New York backing up the king Henrik Lundqvist and while his stats are no where close to the starter he was still a very solid back up goalie.

The Rangers would like to maintain Biron's services next for next season, but if they don't offer him some decent money 29 other teams would be more than willing to give the 34 year old a shot.


Martin Brodeur
If Brodeur decides that he is able to come back and play another season in the NHL the New Jersey Devils would gladly welcome him back. His performance last season taking the Devils to within 2 games of a Stanley Cup didn't hurt his cause either. Although Brodeur is 40 now he has not slowed down much and can still outplay young goalies, just when you think he's getting old he makes an amazing save out of no where.

It is unlikely Brodeur will part ways with the Devils as he has played with them his hole career, so it's just a matter of time before he resigns with them to end off his career.


Scott Clemmensen
With such a dry goaltending market this off season Clemmensen may be able to find a team that wouldn't ordinarily need his services. He played in just 25 games last season and as a result his Goals Against Average was a little high, but it will likely come down with some more consistent playing time.

Clemmensen would be a solid cheap back up for any team especially a team who has a starter who is shaky or goes down to injury.

More interesting free agents to keep an eye out for: Ryan Smyth, Teemu Selanne, Jaromir Jagr, Ray Whitney and Paul Gaustad.

Also be on the lookout for deals the involve Rick Nash and Bobby Ryan.

Tune in July 1st to see where some of the big name free agents are heading.