More Effective Defence: Offensive or Defensive

 

As you all know by now the NHL is officially in lockout mode. As many anticipated the deadline passed by without a new CBA. Since there is not any NHL hockey going on and there will not be much news to report on, I will be making the transition to cover some of the AHL and junior teams. I may even follow some NHL players in Europe. So bare with me over the next few month/however long the players are willing to hold out.

Todays article will be focusing on NHL defenceman and whether it is more beneficial to have a defensive minded defenceman or a offensive minded defenceman. Huge thanks to Jordan who suggested the idea via twitter make sure to follow him!
To make the comparison we'll looking at various aspects to a defencemans game; Goals, points, ice-time and plus/minus. In addition to those aspects we'll take a look at the effect they had on their teams.

Offensive Minded Defenceman

Erik Karlsson: 19 Goals and 59 Assists for 78 points. +/- 16, Averaged 25 minutes a game (27 shifts).
Karlsson was second in points for the Ottawa Senators who made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals.



Karlsson had a fantastic breakout season that earned him the Norris Trophy. In addition to winning the Norris, he also set a new Senators record for points by a defenceman in a single season. His play this season was vital to the success of the Senators who came out and surprised everyone with their deep playoff run. Despite only being 22 and having only spent one year in the NHL Karlsson was a leader on the blue line. Every time he got the puck and broke out of his end goalies started cringe as he led all defenceman in goals and points.

Shea Weber: 19 Goals and 30 Assists for 49 points, +/- 21, Averaged 26 minutes a game (29 shifts.)
Weber was fourth in points for the Nashville Predators who made it to the Western Conference Semi Finals.

Weber is the captain of the Nashville Predators and has always been a steady reliable defenceman. He was a finalist for the Norris Trophy  and will likely have his name on that and a Stanley Cup one day. In addition to his ability to put the puck in the net, Weber likes to play a very physical game and has a large physical presence.

Kris Letang: 10 Goals and 32 Assists for 42 points, +/- 21, Averaged 25 minutes a game (25 Shifts).
Kris Letang led all Penguins defenceman in points last and helped his team make the Eastern Conference Quarter Finals.

While Letang's point totals are lower than the other two defenceman listed here, a large part of that is due to injury. He played in just 51 games (not including playoffs) and was still able to be the top scoring defenceman on the Penguins and finish the year with 42 points. There were defenceman who played all 82 games and didn't come close to 40 points. While Crosby, Malkin and Staal get the majority of attention from fans and media, Letang has quietly solidified himself as the top defenceman for the Penguins. During the stretch leading into the playoffs analysts were saying the Penguins would be in tough with Letang on the back end. Saying a team that has the star power of Crosby and Malkin may lose despite both of them playing is remarkable.

The "Stay at Home defenceman"

Hal Gill: 1 Goal and 12 Assists for 13 points, +/ -3, Averaged 17 minutes a game, 161 Blocked Shots.
Gill played on the Predators blue line along with Shea Weber.

Just by looking at the stats you can see the drastic difference between two teammates. Gill has always been a solid reliable defenceman, teams like that as they know what they're going to get. He's not a type of player who will be a top scoring defenceman but he's the type of player who will sacrifice his body to help the team. The biggest thing that stood out for me was his blocked shots. 161 shots is a lot of rubber to face for a defenceman but it just goes to show his dedication to his teammates he's willing to battle hard.

Zdeno Chara: 12 Goals and 40 Assists for 52 points, +/- 33, Averaged 25 minutes a game, 87 Blocked Shots.
Chara is the captain and leader of the Boston Bruins who made it to the Eastern Conference Quarter Finals.

Chara is a unique players, not just because of his height, but his style of play. He plays a mixture of a offensive/defensive game. But unlike some of the offensive d-man he plays a more "complete" game. Chara makes sure everything is okay in his own end before heading to the offensive zone and likes to use his lethal shot from the point. Due to his long reach he is able to break up 2 on 1's and take the puck off opponents with little difficulty.



Dan Girardi: 5 goals and 24 Assists for 29 points, +/- 13, Averaged 26 minutes a game, 185 Blocked Shots.Girardi is a key leader on the New York Rangers blue line. The Rangers made it to the Eastern Conference Finals.

At the beginning of the season Girardi was thrust into the role as an alternate captain and leader of the blue line due to an injury to Marc Staal. Girardi excelled with the added responsibility and was selected to play in the all-star game. Like Gill Girardi is not afraid to sacrifice his body night in and night out, during the 2011 season he led the league with 236 blocked shots. He's the type of player who doesn't get mention on the game sheet but is a key part of every victory, not bad for a player who wasn't even drafted!

Trying to decide which defence is more valuable to a team is extremely difficult as it's virtually like comparing pucks and sticks. Each team has 7 defenceman and each one of them is responsible for the success of a team. Most hockey fans don't enjoy watching two defensive minded teams battling it out and a successful team has unlikely hero's step up, so because of that I'd have to give the edge to the offensive minded defenceman. Watching Karlsson skate up the ice is pretty exciting and a lot of times helps benefit his team.

What do you think, which style of defence do you prefer?

 

 

Will Shane Doan Leave the Desert?

The title of this post is a straight forward question. Unfortuntly the answer to this question is not as straight forward. There are many factors which are contributing to Doan's decision. Will the Coyotes stay in Pheonix? Can the Coyotes win a Cup? Does he want to play in a bigger hockey market? Will the team have a legitimate owner? These are all questions he is pondering while trying to make his decision.

Doan is the biggest free agent left on the market. Right from July 1, he made it clear his decision would not come quickly. He originall said he'd wait till the 15th, then he said he'd wait till July 27th for the Coyotes to make up their mind. He's now starting to meet with other teams such as the Rangers, Canucks, Flyers and Predators. In total 16 teams are in on the "Doan sweepstakes".

One of the reasons he is still on the market is his asking price. Doan has said if he were to leave Phoenix he wants a 4 year deal worth $30 million. While he may be a top notch players, he's not likely to get a deal like that from many teams. First of all Doan is 35 and will be 36 by the start of the 2012-2013 season. In another 4 years Doan will be 40. Will he still be playing at age 40? Will he still be a dominate player? Will he be able to help his team? What team would give a 35 year old a 4 year deal worth $30 million? Doan would have a better chance getting a 2 year deal.

The Phoenix Coyotes have roughly $7.5 million in cap space left. Interesting how Doan has asked for 4 years at $30 million which works out to just over $7 million a year. Adding to the question, does Doan really want to leave the desert?

"I've made no bones about the fact that I want to go back to Phoenix if the situation works out" ~ Shane Doan

Doans first objective is to return to the Coyotes, the team he has spent his entire 16 year career with. He's been the captain for the last seven seasons and is the franchise player. If you ask someone to name a player from the Coyotes 9 time out of 10 its Shane Doan. Losing Doan would be a major setback for the Coyotes and would leave many a fan with a broken heart.

Doan averages around 20 goals and 50 points a season. But it's more than his ability to put points up on the board that makes him so valuable. He's a great leader both on and off the ice. Each and every night he comes to play, battle and stick up for his teammates. He has respect from around the league and won the Mark Messier Leadership award in 2012. He's the type of player you want on your team, if you can get him for the right price!

After the Coyotes made it to the Western Conference finals and came just a couple wins shy of a Stanley Cup Finals appearence, why would he want to leave? If winning a Stanley Cup is his main objective for leaving (and many believe it is) then why freely leave a team that got you within two wins of making it to the big show?

Back to the original question: Will Shane Doan leave the desert? I think it's highly unlikely. Despite him starting to meet and take other offers from teams his heart, his home and his family are all in Phoenix. If I was a betting man I'd place my money on him staying in the desert.

So why hasn't he signed on the dotted lines yet? Like every other hockey player Doan is human. Greed and self pride get in the way. He's been a part of the Coyotes franchise for a long time, he's been the captain and has lead the team. He's convinced himself he's worth all the money and attention. He's letting the Coyotes know, if a deal is to get done it will be done by his terms. While Doan wants to stay loyal to his team, he wants to squeze every last penny he can out of them. But I'd be ready to see him back in a Coyotes sweater next season.
Does he deserve it? You be the Judge..

What You Need to Know July 20

Welcome to another edition of What You Need to Know. This edition is coming to you from the mountains just outside of Montreal. It's been a crazy week around the NHL so let's get you caught up.

Today we'll start with the biggest move and a scenario that would pretty much ruin the Nashville Predators. Chances are you've heard of Shea Weber, the heart and soul of the Predators and their captain. On Thursday morning news broke that Weber had signed an offer sheet with the Philadelphia Flyers. The good news for Predator fans, is Nashville still has an opportunity to match that offer sheet and keep their captain in the music city. Only problem, the offer sheet is huge. How huge? 14 years $110 million. What makes this even worse for the Predators is they just lost Weber's friend and defence partner Ryan Suter to the Wild. The Preds stand in danger of losing both of their top two defenceman (ones already gone) and their captain, not a scenario you want to face. Of course they could always match the offer sheet, but do they really want to spend all that money on Weber?
If the Predators fail to match the offer sheet, they will receive four draft picks in exchange. Could this be the start of a massive rebuild?

Not a major surprise but unrestricted free agent Shane Doan has still not made up his mind on whether he will return to Phoenix or "take his talents elsewhere." Whats he waiting for? He is waiting for some clearer information on the ownership of the Coyotes. News that could take months to come! Doan has spent the last 16 seasons in Phoenix, and has been the captain since 2003. He has submitted a list of teams, and received a $30 million offer from one team (rumoured to be the Sabres). Only time will tell if Doan stays in the desert.

Stepping away from free agency and signing for a minute. More news on the 2013 Winter Classic. Leafs alumni Mats Sundin and Tie Domi both announced they will play in the Winter Classic alumni game. The two will join former Leaf Darcy Tucker. All three donned the blue and white together for several seasons.

What is Gary Bettman doing right now? His sole focus right now is trying to get a new collective bargaining agreement in place and avoid the third lockout under his control.  Bettman said he was "Focused on making a deal"and that he wants the deal done with the NHLPA prior to September 15th. But NHLPA head Donald Fehr wasn't as fond of the deadline his counter part set. Fehr commented that business can stall go on even after the deadline:

"The law doesn't require that the industry shut down if you don't have an agreement. Somebody has to chose to shut it down. At the moment, I see no reason to do that. Hopefully they don't either." ~ Donald Fehr

Talk about a loaded gun. This is basically Fehr's way of saying "If there is a lockout, it wasn't my idea". It will be interesting to see how much of a fight the NHLPA is willing to put up. But do the players really want to take a year of hockey?

Back to the signings. Buffalo Sabres first round draft choice Mikhail Grigorenko has finally signed his three-year entry-level contract. Grigorenko is now Sabres property and can not go and play for the KHL. But here's the kicker, if Grigorenko fails to crack the Sabres roster out of training camp he can't go play for the Rochester Americans because of his age. Grigorenko would have to go back and play in the QMJHL.

Tis the season to add coaches.
Next to free agency one of the busiest things about July is teams switching assistant coaches.

The New Jersey Devils have added Scott Stevens as an assistant coach. Stevens played 13 seasons in the NHL and was one of the most feared defenceman. He captained the Devils to three Stanley Cup championships and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007. Decent resume eh?
Stevens will be in charge of the Devils defence.

The Chicago Blackhawks have added Jamie Kompon to their coaching staff. Kompon brings along a Stanley Cup ring from his days behind the Los Angeles Kings bench, where he spent 6 seasons prior.

Modano Return?
How much of an impact did the signing of Ryan Suter and Zach Parise have? It was big enough to convince Mike Modano to possibly come out of retirement and play one more season. Is there any truth to this rumour? Well Modano did start working out again on Monday, and didn't rule out the possibility of returning when he was asked.

"I don't know," he said. "You look at things and you wonder, 'What's the worst thing that could happen?' I mean, I get in better shape, one more year? That kind of intrigues me."

Mike Green returns to the Capitals
Mike Green is going to be seeing a lot of green after signing a three year extension with the Capitals. The two sides agreed to a three year deal worth $18.25 million, which will see him make $6 million for the next two years and then $6.25 million in the last deal. What do you think, is Mike Green worth the money?

That'll do it for this weeks update. Catch ya'll next week!

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!