Poll: 2005 NHL Draft Take Two: Fourth Overall Pick
Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.” Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended. For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.
We’re looking back at the 2005 NHL Draft, which kicked off the salary cap era and ushered in many of the current NHL superstars. The question we’re looking to answer is knowing now what we didn’t know then, how different would this draft look now with the benefit of hindsight?
Here are the results of our redraft so far:
1st Overall: Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins)
2nd Overall: Carey Price (Mighty Ducks of Anaheim)
3rd Overall: Anze Kopitar (Carolina Hurricanes)
Now we move forward to the fourth pick, which was held by the Minnesota Wild.
To recap how this works:
- We will go through the 2005 NHL Draft and have our readers select, through a voting process, who they think should have been taken with the selection.
- The entire first round will be redrafted, spanning picks one through thirty. The new selection is chosen by the majority of votes.
Back in 2005, Minnesota chose left winger Benoit Pouliot. He didn’t last too long with the Wild and was dealt to Montreal back in 2009 for left winger Guillaume Latendresse (who wound up as the 45th pick in 2005 but retired a couple of years ago due to concussion troubles). He bounced around after that with stints with the Bruins, Lightning and Rangers, but has settled in well with his current team in Edmonton, picking up 70 points over the last two seasons despite not playing in 60 games in either year. While it took a while, he’s now beginning to show some signs of being a consistent top six NHL forward.
With the fourth pick of the 2005 NHL Draft, who should the Minnesota Wild select? Cast your vote below!
For Trade Rumors app users on iOS, click here to vote.
Flyers Notes: Del Zotto, Gordon, MacDonald
While Flyers defenseman Michael Del Zotto will be ready to go once the season gets underway, he acknowledged to Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post that the range of motion in his surgically repaired wrist won’t the same as it was before the operation:
“I’m as good as I’m going to be. It’s just how they do the surgery, how they tighten the ligament back up. It just has a protective barrier up so I’ll never have that, but I feel great. It’s not restricting me in any way and I’m good.”
Del Zotto underwent the procedure back in February and as a result, played in just 52 games with Philadelphia last season; he also missed their first round series against Washington. His numbers were well down from his output from the previous year (32 points in 64 games) as he managed just four goals and nine assists in those 52 contests despite playing a career high 23:25 per game.
The 26 year old is entering the final season of his contract, one that carries a cap hit of $3.875MM and a salary of $4MM. He will be an unrestricted free agent in July and will be counted on to provide some secondary offence from their back end behind returnees Shayne Gostisbehere and Mark Streit.
[Related: Flyers Depth Chart]
In other Flyers news:
- Offseason acquisition Boyd Gordon left an informal skate yesterday after a collision near the boards, writes Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer. He left the ice under his own power and received facial stitches. He’s not expected to miss any time. Gordon joined the Flyers on a one year, $950K deal this summer after spending last year with Arizona.
- After a challenging 2015-16 campaign, defenseman Andrew MacDonald is mentally stronger heading into training camp, Carchidi penned in a separate column. The 30 year old got off to a slow start last season and despite having a $5MM cap hit, was waived and demoted to their AHL affiliate in Lehigh Valley where he spent more than half the season. He was brought back to the Flyers when Del Zotto went down last year and was a much steadier presence on their back end. With several quality prospects such as Samuel Morin and Ivan Provorov expected to contend for a roster spot in training camp, MacDonald will be in a battle to secure a position despite having the most financial stability among any blueliner on the team with four years left on his current contract.
Andrew Ference Not Expected To Play This Season
Oilers defenseman Andrew Ference, who played in just six games last season due to hip problems, doesn’t anticipate he’ll be able to play again, writes Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal. Ference underwent surgery back in March and while he has been able to ride a bicycle and swim since, he hasn’t yet skated or run since then. While he’s not retiring (he’s still under contract for one more year with a cap hit of $3.25MM and is expected to be placed on LTIR when the season begins), he acknowledges his playing days are over:
“What is the terminology? I have a career-ending injury. That’s the way I’m looking at it.”
Ference believes that the cause of his hip ailment dates back to his time in Boston in a playoff series six years ago:
“There was a playoff series and I snapped my adductor muscle in my groin and wound up having sports hernia surgery. There was a tear in my abdominal wall … I’m pin-pointing it because from that year on, the hip would always flare up.”
Ference has been with the Oilers for the last three seasons but is best known for his time in Boston where he spent seven seasons with the team and won a Stanley Cup back in 2010-11. For his career, the 16 year veteran has suited up in 907 games, collecting 43 goals and 182 assists along with 753 penalty minutes.
Ference was Edmonton’s captain in his first two years with the team before becoming an alternate last season. It’s widely anticipated that 2015 top pick Connor McDavid will get that title this season and the 37 year old believes he’s ready for the job despite the fact that McDavid is still a teenager:
“No doubt about it. He’s so mature and who he is is who he is. He’s not faking it. I don’t care how old a guy is, if you have those qualities, you’re ready, 100 per cent. “It’ll be a real fresh start with the culture of that room, too. That’ll help him immensely. It’s his culture.”
Ference also told Matheson that he doesn’t intend to get involved in the business/management side of the games when he formally retires following the season but would still like to be involved in Edmonton’s charitable ventures.
Atlantic Notes: Florida Goalies, Wisniewski, Tanguay
The Florida Panthers will be heading into training camp next week with somewhat of a logjam between the pipes. Joining incumbent Roberto Luongo are June trade acquisition Reto Berra and free agent signing James Reimer. At the time Berra was acquired, it was expected that he would replace Al Montoya (who later signed with Montreal) as their backup goalie.
Their decision to pursue Reimer caught many by surprise, including Reimer himself. Speaking with George Richards of the Miami Herald, Reimer commented on his initial surprise when he was approached by the Panthers shortly after their acquisition of Berra:
“I didn’t know what their intention was. They called, and we got to talking and there was interest there. We pursued it, and it looks like a good fit.”
As it turns out, GM Tom Rowe was viewing Berra (who actually played in two more games in the AHL last year, 16 AHL to 14 NHL games) primarily as an insurance policy for Luongo as it was unknown if he would be ready to start the season following offseason hip surgery. However, the 37 year old has been skating for a month and appears to be on track to start Florida’s season opener on October 13th.
If that is the case, the Panthers plan to try to send Berra to the minors. He will have to pass through waivers to get there and if he clears, he will still partly count against Florida’s salary cap to the tune of $500K (his cap hit of $1.45MM minus [$375K plus the minimum salary of $575K]).
More from the Atlantic:
- After being bought out by Carolina in late June, James Wisniewski was targeting two teams in free agency. One of those teams was Tampa Bay, he told Bryan Burns on the Lightning’s website. Wisniewski played only a single game last season with Carolina as he tore his ACL on his first and only shift with the team and signed a PTO with the Bolts last month. However, he’s only two years removed from a 51 point season with Columbus and could be a low risk, high reward pickup if he’s able to make the opening night roster.
- While he expressed a desire to return to Montreal earlier this offseason, the Canadiens do not have interest in signing free agent left winger Alex Tanguay, Richard Labbe of La Presse reports (link in French). Tanguay played one season for his hometown team back in 2008-09. He’s the highest remaining point getter among UFA’s after putting up 35 points in 70 games with Colorado and Arizona last season. It was reported earlier this month that Tanguay has a handful of tryout offers on the table but that he is still seeking a guaranteed deal.
Red Wings Notes: Helm, Mantha, Howard
It appears that communication was a key roadblock between Darren Helm and Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill throughout the 2015-16 season. The Detroit News’ Ted Kulfan writes that Helm grew frustrated by a lack of understanding when it came to his role on the team. From Helm:
“Sometimes I just didn’t feel like the message was relayed to me clearly,” Helm said. “I didn’t know if I was moving (lines) because I wasn’t playing well or doing things wrong or matchups.
Helm is convinced after talking with Blashill and general manager Ken Holland that things will improve for him during the upcoming season. Helm believes that he will slot in as a third line center and after signing a five-year, $19.25MM deal in July with the Wings, many fans and analysts wonder if Helm will live up to a $3.85MM AAV deal. The biggest knock on Helm is his inability to finish scoring plays. Though his speed and penalty killing prowess is valuable, Helm failed to convert breakaways and excellent scoring chances into goals. For a return on investment, Detroit certainly must hope that Helm will improve upon that and continue to keep the lines of communication open with Blashill.
In other Red Wings news:
- Top prospect Anthony Mantha believes the time is now to cement his place on the Wings roster. Helene St. James reports that Mantha can “be a force” and is “brimming” with confidence as training camp approaches. Last season, the Red Wings’ 2013 first round pick added some buzz to the power play before being sent back to Grand Rapids to finish the season. For Mantha, he remembers those ten games and uses it as motivation to make the team full time. While the Red Wings roster has a glut of forwards, it’s also been trimmed by injuries to Teemu Pulkkinen, Henrik Zetterberg, and Tomas Jurco. If there’s any time for Mantha to make the roster, this would be a golden opportunity. Zetterberg is expected to return by the start of the season, but Jurco and Pulkkinen are expected to miss some time. For Mantha to stick with the big club, St. James opines that he has to prove himself a top 9 forward instead of jockeying for time on the fourth line. Despite needing youth to step up, Holland will often favor veterans, hence the signing of Steve Ott, to play on a fourth line while the younger players can “over ripen” in the minors.
- Goaltender Jimmy Howard, who was shopped around the league all summer, plans to give Petr Mrazek a run for his money as the starter reports Ansar Khan. The 32-year-old netminder lost his starting job to Mrazek two seasons ago, despite a $5.3MM price tag. Now, Howard finds himself on a team as the backup and with a murky future. Howard is expected to be left off the Wings list when it comes time to protect players in the expansion draft next summer. Until then, Howard maintains that he’s happy to still be in Detroit and never wanted to leave. Howard insists that he’ll “push” Mrazek with the intent of making both goaltenders better.
Snapshots: Cap Overages, Strachan, Rinaldo, Stransky
CapFriendly released a series of tweets today outlining the teams that suffered cap overages in 2015-16 and will thus feel the effect in 2016-17. Overage penalties are incurred when players with bonus-laden contracts meet the contractual criteria to receive those bonuses. The resulting payout is attributed to the prior season, in which the bonuses were earned, but if the increases put the team over the salary cap for that year, the overage carries over as a cap penalty in the following season. The following teams had players earn bonuses that put the team’s salary cap payroll over the 2015-16 salary cap limit, and CapFriendly has calculated rough estimates of the accompanying penalty against the 2016-17 cap:
Florida Panthers – $1.42MM
San Jose Sharks – $617K
Detroit Red Wings – $550K
Toronto Maple Leafs – $512K
Edmonton Oilers – $322K
Vancouver Canucks – $315K
Tampa Bay Lightning – $314K
St. Louis Blues – $190K
Unfortunately, but also predictably, many of these teams are already struggling with the off-season salary cap crunch, and must also take these overage penalties into account. The Red Wings are currently further over the cap (about $4.24MM) than any other team in the league and already must be considering trading away a significant piece to become cap compliant. The Leafs and Sharks are also right up against the cap, and overage penalties give them even less cap flexibility to maintain compliance. The Lightning currently have over $6MM in cap space, but have yet to re-sign key restricted free agents Nikita Kucherov and Nikita Nesterov, and the last thing they need is yet another reason why they can’t afford to meet the asking price of the pair.
In other league news:
- Veteran journeyman defenseman Tyson Strachan has signed an AHL deal with the Rochester Americans, the affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres, the team announced today. Strachan has bounced around the NHL and AHL throughout his career, never finding a permanent home at the big league level. The soon-to-be 32-year-old had his best season in 2014-15 though, with five points in 46 games for none other than the Sabres. Buffalo does not have much depth on the blue line at the AHL level, and Strachan seems likely to earn an upgrade to a two-way deal with his former team should the injury bug strike the defense corp in 2016-17.
- Another player looking to get back to the NHL is the Bruins’ Zac Rinaldo. WEEI’s D.J. Bean caught up with Rinaldo’s agent, Todd Reynolds, who says he hopes to see Rinaldo given another chance this season. After trading a 3rd-round pick to the Philadelphia Flyers last summer to get Rinaldo, Boston was happy with his grit and intensity early in the year. However, as young players pushed for ice time and the Bruins focused more on scoring and fighting for a playoff spot, Rinaldo got into fewer and fewer games. Eventually, he was put on waiver, went unclaimed, and was optioned to AHL Providence in February. Rinaldo was not recalled for the remainder of the season, and now questions what his role is in the organization. While Rinaldo is likely to get the chance to earn a spot in Boston during training camp and the pre-season, the Bruins have several young grinders like Noel Acciari and Tyler Randell who played well last year, as well as young scorers like Seth Griffith, Danton Heinen, and Jake DeBrusk who will look to earn NHL spots. Factor in the additions of Riley Nash and Dominic Moore, and there appears to be very few energy line spots up for grabs. Rinaldo’s NHL future is very much in doubt right now.
- The Bruins are giving another player whose future was once in doubt a fighting chance, as 2016 NHL Draft pass-over Simon Stransky has been invited to rookie camp. The biggest surprise left on the board in June, Stransky was a point-per-game player in juniors this past season, and is considered by many to be an elite offensive talent who is held back by his mediocre defensive game. However, if an organization that emphasizes the two-way game, like the Bruins, can work on developing his defensive game, his scoring and play-making skill could make him a great value find.
2016 World Cup Of Hockey: Final Rosters
The World Cup of Hockey makes it’s triumphant return this Saturday in what should be a competitive and exciting tournament and a great way to kick off the hockey season. The first World Cup since 2004, the tournament will take place in Toronto, Ontario at the Air Canada Centre, unlike its predecessors which featured many venues. The host nation of Canada is one of eight competing teams, which also include the United States, Sweden, Finland, Russia, the Czech Republic, Team Europe (composed of players from all other European countries), and Team North America (composed of Canadian and American skaters under the age of 24). The tournament will have two groups of teams competing in a round robin format, with two teams advancing to a semi-final knockout round, followed by a best-of-three final series. The groups are divided up as follows:
Group A – Team Canada, Team Czech Republic, Team Europe, Team U.S.A
Group B – Team Finland, Team North America, Team Russia, Team Sweden
With the pre-tournament wrapping up and the schedule set, the World Cup is about to get underway. Pending any unexpected, last-minute changes, below are the final rosters for each team:
Canada (A)
G Corey Crawford, Chicago Blackhawks
G Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals
G Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens
D Jay Bouwmeester, St. Louis Blues
D Brent Burns, San Jose Sharks
D Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings
D Jake Muzzin, Los Angeles Kings
D Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis Blues
D Marc-Edouard Vlasic, San Jose Sharks
D Shea Weber (A), Montreal Canadiens
F Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins
F Logan Couture, San Jose Sharks
F Sidney Crosby (C), Pittsburgh Penguins
F Matt Duchene, Colorado Avalanche
F Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Ducks
F Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers
F Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins
F Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks
F Ryan O’Reilly, Buffalo Sabres
F Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning
F John Tavares, New York Islanders
F Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks
F Jonathan Toews (A), Chicago Blackhawks
Stanley Cup Odds
Las Vegas odds-maker Bovada released their odds (listed below) for the 2016-17 NHL season today, as well as the odds for each conference and division. Among the surprises was the inclusion of a co-leader alongside the reigning champion Penguins, as the Blackhawks are odds-on favorites win it all out of the West. The (relatively) high ranking of the Edmonton Oilers is also a shock, as the perennial bottom-dwellers of the last decade were given the same odds as a 2015-16 playoff team team, the Philadelphia Flyers. A mash up of Eastern Conference contenders at the 25/1 mark will also confuse many, as the Metropolitan’s Islanders and Rangers performed significantly better than the Atlantic’s Bruins, Red Wings, and Canadiens last year.
Other than the Blackhawks, who have to battle through a tough division simply to make it to the Western Conference Final, and the Oilers, who have yet to prove they can even remain in the playoff conversation past the holidays, the worst bet may be the Dallas Stars. Although they are coming off a strong 2015-16 campaign, the Stars have severe goal-tending problems, a depleted defensive unit, and a pair of banged-up superstars leading their offense. Dallas seems primed for a regression in 2016-17, and their #5 ranking in the odds is a little too high to be a smart take.
The best bet available? Any of the 16/1 teams seem like a smart choice. The Florida Panthers especially have re-tooled this off-season and likely have only Tampa Bay standing between them and an easy division title. The Los Angeles Kings have won two of the last five Stanley Cups and shouldn’t be counted out, and if they do fail to make it out of the Pacific Division, the Anaheim Ducks seem likely to be the ones knocking them out. The Nashville Predators are a dark horse candidate seemingly every season, and after bringing in P.K. Subban, who projects to be a perfect fit in their system, this could finally be the year that the Preds put it all together. The long shot: how about the Carolina Hurricanes, who missed the playoffs in 2015-16 by a handful of points and have several young players just waiting to break out. With the worst odds of any team, that’s a high-yield bet worth making.
Pittsburgh Penguins 9/1
Chicago Blackhawks 9/1
Tampa Bay Lighting 10/1
Washington Capitals 10/1
Dallas Stars 12/1
St. Louis Blues 14/1
San Jose Sharks 14/1
Anaheim Ducks 16/1
Florida Panthers 16/1
Los Angeles Kings 16/1
Nashville Predators 16/1
Boston Bruins 25/1
Detroit Red Wings 25/1
Minnesota Wild 25/1
Montreal Canadiens 25/1
New York Islanders 25/1
New York Rangers 25/1
Edmonton Oilers 33/1
Philadelphia Flyers 33/1
Buffalo Sabres 50/1
Calgary Flames 50/1
Colorado Avalanche 50/1
New Jersey Devils 50/1
Ottawa Senators 50/1
Toronto Maple Leafs 50/1
Winnipeg Jets 50/1
Arizona Coyotes 66/1
Carolina Hurricanes 66/1
Columbus Blue Jackets 66/1
Vancouver Canucks 66/1
2016-17 Season Preview: Dallas Stars
With the NHL season just weeks away, we continue to look around the league and analyze each team’s off-season moves and look ahead to 2016-17. Today, we focus on the Dallas Stars.
Last season: 50-23-9 (109 points), 1st place in the Central Division. Defeated the Minnesota Wild in the first round (4-2), but lost in the second round vs. the St. Louis Blues (4-3)
Cap Space Remaining: $5.98MM according to CapFriendly
Key Newcomers: D Andrew Bodnarchuk (free agency, Colorado Avalanche), LW Adam Cracknell (free agency, Edmonton Oilers), D Dan Hamhuis (free agency, Vancouver Canucks), LW Jiri Hudler (free agency, Florida Panthers)
Key Departures: D Jason Demers (free agency, Florida Panthers), C Vernon Fiddler (free agency, New Jersey Devils), D Alex Goligoski (trade, Arizona Coyotes), LW Travis Moen (unsigned), D Kris Russell (unsigned), RW Colton Sceviour (free agency, Florida Panthers)
Player to Watch: Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi – If there was a clear leader in goal, then just that player would be the one to watch. Unfortunately for Stars fans, both Lehtonen and Niemi played equally poorly in 2015-16 and thus share the blame and the spotlight heading into a new season. The duo almost single-handedly eliminated Dallas from the playoffs last season, as neither could quite figure it out in the postseason. At a combined cap hit of $10.4MM and a league-low .904 save percentage, many thought that something had to change for the Star’s net-minding situation this off-season. However, neither goalie was bought out or (to this point) traded. GM Jim Nill has little that he can do. There is no market for a goalie upgrade without shedding one of the two, and no one is looking to acquire either of the goalies. It appears as if Lehtonen and Niemi will be given a second chance in 2016-17, at least until they force Nill’s hand into making a move. With a depleted defensive unit now playing in front of them, one of the pair will have to step up and claim the starter job with his strong, consistent play, or a potent Dallas offense could be rendered meaningless this season. The ship that is the Stars’ 2016-17 season is about to depart, and whether it will sink or float depends on the play in net.
Key Storyline: No team in recent memory has lost more talent from their blue line in one fell swoop than the Dallas Stars did this summer. Dallas perhaps overestimated their potential salary cap crunch, as they first traded elite puck-mover Alex Goligoski to the Arizona Coyotes, where he signed a long-term extension worth $5.475MM per year. They then sat back and watched as solid two-way defenseman Jason Demers capitalized on his free agency and signed with the Florida Panthers at a $4.5MM clip. With almost $6MM remaining in cap space (having not yet re-signed RFA winger Valeri Nichushkin), the Stars likely could have found a way to bring back one of the pair. They did go out and sign veteran blue liner Dan Hamhuis though. Hamhuis was first targeted by the Stars at the 2016 Trade Deadline, but a deal could not be worked out and the team instead acquired the stay-at-home shot blocker Kris Russell. The addition of Hamhuis will help to make up for the loss of Goligoski and Demers, though the 33-year-old has had durability concerns and a drop-off in production over the past few years and will not be able to totally replace either of the two departed top defenseman. Assuming that a reunion with the still-unsigned Russell is also unlikely, the Stars will enter 2016-17 with three of their postseason top four now gone. Young stud John Klingberg will have to carry even more weight for the defense this year, while inexperienced players like Stephen Johns, Esa Lindell, and Patrik Nemeth will also be expected to step up their games. Look for veteran defenseman Johnny Oduya to play a bigger role with the Stars in his second season in Dallas as well. If the Stars want to win the Central Division again, and even attempt to reach the Stanley Cup Final, they need their defense to do it’s best to play up to their championship-caliber offense.
2016 World Cup Of Hockey: Schedule
The World Cup of Hockey makes it’s triumphant return this Saturday in what should be a competitive and exciting tournament and a great way to kick off the hockey season. The first World Cup since 2004, the tournament will take place in Toronto, Ontario at the Air Canada Centre, unlike its predecessors which featured many venues. The host nation of Canada is one of eight competing teams, which also include the United States, Sweden, Finland, Russia, the Czech Republic, Team Europe (composed of players from all other European countries), and Team North America (composed of Canadian and American skaters under the age of 24). The tournament will have two groups of teams competing in a round robin format, with two teams advancing to a semi-final knockout round, followed by a best-of-three final series. The groups are divided up as follows:
Group A – Team Canada, Team Czech Republic, Team Europe, Team U.S.A
Group B – Team Finland, Team North America, Team Russia, Team Sweden
With the pre-tournament wrapping up and final rosters set, the World Cup is about to get underway. Below is the schedule for the tournament:
Group Stage (Round Robin)
Saturday, September 17th
Group A: United States at Europe (3:30pm EST)
Group A: Czech Republic at Canada (8pm EST)
Sunday, September 18th
Group B: Sweden at Russia (3pm EST)
Group B: North America at Finland (8pm EST)
Monday, September 19th
Group A: Europe at Czech Republic (3pm EST)
Group B: Russia at North America (8pm EST)
Tuesday, September 20th
Group B: Finland at Sweden (3pm EST)
Group A: Canada at United States (8pm EST)
Wednesday, September 21st
Group B: North America at Sweden (3pm EST)
Group A: Europe at Canada (8pm EST)
Thursday, September 22nd
Group B: Finland at Russia (3pm EST)
Group A: United States at Czech Republic (8pm EST)
Semi-Final Round
Saturday, September 24th
Group B 2nd-place at Group A winner (7pm EST)
Sunday, September 25th
Group A 2nd-place at Group B winner (1pm EST)
Final Round
Tuesday, September 27th
Game One (8pm EST)
Thursday, September 29th
Game Two (8pm EST)
Saturday, October 1st
Game Three* (7pm EST)
*if neccessary