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Thursday, June 28, 2012
Crosby to Sign Extension
Sidney Crosby will reportedly sign a 12 year extension with the Pittsburgh Penguin worth an average of $8.7 million a year. Crosby still has a year on his contract, and will sign the extension on July 1st.
Phoenix Interested in Sean Avery
The Phoenix Coyotes are currently in communication with Pat Morris, the agent of ex-Ranger Sean Avery. Avery was released by New York on March 5th, and will be a UFA on July 1st.
Avery is unofficially "retired" from hockey, however. He appeared on the TV show Watch What Happens Live and said "I'm officially retired; I threw my skates in the Hudson (River)", but his agent stated that the comments were "not serious". Avery has not signed official retirement papers, although Rangers GM Glen Sather has sent them to the former... well, I guess still current (he isn't a free agent until 7/1/12), #16.
If the Phoenix Coyotes sign Avery, they will be obtaining a fan favorite, who is hated by every opposition fan with a burning passion. Avery is a speedy fourth liner at best, which can be useful, but the Yotes need to know what they may be getting themselves into.
More to come.
Avery is unofficially "retired" from hockey, however. He appeared on the TV show Watch What Happens Live and said "I'm officially retired; I threw my skates in the Hudson (River)", but his agent stated that the comments were "not serious". Avery has not signed official retirement papers, although Rangers GM Glen Sather has sent them to the former... well, I guess still current (he isn't a free agent until 7/1/12), #16.
If the Phoenix Coyotes sign Avery, they will be obtaining a fan favorite, who is hated by every opposition fan with a burning passion. Avery is a speedy fourth liner at best, which can be useful, but the Yotes need to know what they may be getting themselves into.
More to come.
Crawford Update
As of right now, the Corey Crawford to the AHL rumor seems not to hold any truthfulness. The way it is going right now, my Hawks are going to keep their current number one netminder, and will need superior offense to make up for the big gaping hole in net.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Corey Crawford to the AHL?
There is a rumor buzzing around right now that Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford will be sent down to the American Hockey League's Rockford Ice Hogs. The Hogs are the Hawks minor league affiliate, and where Crawford spent his early professional years before being called up to Chicago for the 2010-11 season.
Crawford was sold in his first year in a Hawks sweater, but struggled greatly in his sophomore year in the NHL. He ended up splitting time with free agent signee Ray Emery. Crawford was still regarded as the number one all year, and played every game int the team's first round playoff loss to Phoenix, a series which lasted 6 games.
The idea behind sending Crawford down would be to have hm develop more. New York Rangers defenceman Michael Del Zotto played extremely well in his rookie year with the Blueshirts, but he was, lets be honest, god-awful in his second year with the team. The Rangers sent him to their AHL team in Connecticut, and he spent the year developing. This past season he played the whole year on the Rangers and, as a result of his development, he was one of the Rangers best defencemen, and one of the top offensive-defencemen in the entire National Hockey League.
If the Blackhawks do the same thing with Crawford and they get the same or a similar result as the Rags did with Del Zotto, then the Windy City based franchise will have real stability in net for the first time in as long as anyone can remember (the days of Ed Belfour?)
There is no real news on this yet, so I am unable to confirm anything. As soon as I get another update, I will let you guys know. Stay tuned.
Crawford was sold in his first year in a Hawks sweater, but struggled greatly in his sophomore year in the NHL. He ended up splitting time with free agent signee Ray Emery. Crawford was still regarded as the number one all year, and played every game int the team's first round playoff loss to Phoenix, a series which lasted 6 games.
The idea behind sending Crawford down would be to have hm develop more. New York Rangers defenceman Michael Del Zotto played extremely well in his rookie year with the Blueshirts, but he was, lets be honest, god-awful in his second year with the team. The Rangers sent him to their AHL team in Connecticut, and he spent the year developing. This past season he played the whole year on the Rangers and, as a result of his development, he was one of the Rangers best defencemen, and one of the top offensive-defencemen in the entire National Hockey League.
If the Blackhawks do the same thing with Crawford and they get the same or a similar result as the Rags did with Del Zotto, then the Windy City based franchise will have real stability in net for the first time in as long as anyone can remember (the days of Ed Belfour?)
There is no real news on this yet, so I am unable to confirm anything. As soon as I get another update, I will let you guys know. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
New York Rangers
Right now the Rags are making a very strong push for Rick Nash and Bobby Ryan. They are also in contention for Parise, but not so much Suter.
Hjalmarsson Update
Just a quick update on the Chicago Blackhawks-Niklas Hjalmarsson situation.
A very reliable source had this to say:
"Every tick of the clock leading up to July 1st (NHL Free Agency begins the second the clock strikes 12:00 this day) means that it is more and more unlikely that Niklas Hjalmarsson is going to be traded".
The Hawks were considering trading him to free up cap space to go after a big free agent, presumably Nashville's Ryan Suter.
A very reliable source had this to say:
"Every tick of the clock leading up to July 1st (NHL Free Agency begins the second the clock strikes 12:00 this day) means that it is more and more unlikely that Niklas Hjalmarsson is going to be traded".
The Hawks were considering trading him to free up cap space to go after a big free agent, presumably Nashville's Ryan Suter.
New Updates
Here are some quick updates on Rick Nash, Zach Parise, the Colorado Avalanche, Paul Gaustad, and Roberto Luongo.
Nash
Sources say that a Rick Nash deal is getting closer. At this point it seems as if the most likely destination is Toronto.
Parise
Right now there is a 60% chance that Parise, a UFA, signs an extension with the Devils to stay in New Jersey. There is a 30% chance that he signs with another team, but that can easily grow as a result of NJ's issues with capital and the fact that they have a large debt with the National Hockey League. Parise has made it clear that he would love to stay with the franchise he has spent his entire career with, but the Devils may not be able to retain his services.
Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche have decided not to send a qualifying offer to free agent forward Peter Mueller. Mueller busted onto the scene with 54 points in his rookie year with Phoenix after being taken with the eight pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. Since his rookie year, however, he has been plagued by injury, including a concussion that sidelined him for the entire 2010-11 season.
Also, the Avalanche are rumored to be going after free agent forward Shane Doan. Doan, the captain of Phoenix, has spent his entire career with the Coyotes. It is much more than extremely unlikely that he will be swayed into leaving what has become his team; he is far too loyal to sign anywhere else. There is less than a .001% chance that he leaves Arizona, and that would happen only if the 'Yotes decide not to re-sign him, but as long as he wants to stay they will keep him around.
Gaustad
Word is that Paul Gaustad and the Nashville Predators are very close to a contract extension for the forward that was acquired from Buffalo at the trade deadline.
Luongo
Luongo is going to start next year in either a Panthers or a Lightning jersey, no doubt about it.
Nash
Sources say that a Rick Nash deal is getting closer. At this point it seems as if the most likely destination is Toronto.
Parise
Right now there is a 60% chance that Parise, a UFA, signs an extension with the Devils to stay in New Jersey. There is a 30% chance that he signs with another team, but that can easily grow as a result of NJ's issues with capital and the fact that they have a large debt with the National Hockey League. Parise has made it clear that he would love to stay with the franchise he has spent his entire career with, but the Devils may not be able to retain his services.
Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche have decided not to send a qualifying offer to free agent forward Peter Mueller. Mueller busted onto the scene with 54 points in his rookie year with Phoenix after being taken with the eight pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. Since his rookie year, however, he has been plagued by injury, including a concussion that sidelined him for the entire 2010-11 season.
Also, the Avalanche are rumored to be going after free agent forward Shane Doan. Doan, the captain of Phoenix, has spent his entire career with the Coyotes. It is much more than extremely unlikely that he will be swayed into leaving what has become his team; he is far too loyal to sign anywhere else. There is less than a .001% chance that he leaves Arizona, and that would happen only if the 'Yotes decide not to re-sign him, but as long as he wants to stay they will keep him around.
Gaustad
Word is that Paul Gaustad and the Nashville Predators are very close to a contract extension for the forward that was acquired from Buffalo at the trade deadline.
Luongo
Luongo is going to start next year in either a Panthers or a Lightning jersey, no doubt about it.
NHL.com Article
Here is a great article I found on nhl.com that identifies 12 big questions heading into free agency.
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=636115
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=636115
Blackhawks Update
The Chicago Blackhawks are looking to add toughness and grit both up front and on the blue-line in the off-season.
Toronto, Nash, Parise, and Luongo
There is something big going on in the NHL. Like, something that could change the landscape of the league. TORONTO COULD END UP AS A PLAYOFF TEAM FOR CHRIST SAKES! Well, here it is.
Toronto
The Maple Leafs are definitely in on Nash and Parise, and they are ALL in. My source tells me that Nash's number one choice is Toronto, and both Leafs GM Brian Burke and Jackets GM Scott Howson know it. It is now a matter of who will make the first move. Eventually, if it goes down this road, Howson will make the first move. Toronto just got forward James van Reimsdyk in a trade from Philly, so they now have some players up front that they can ship out for upgrades.
Parise
The word is that Zach Parise wants to play for an organization that considers him there go to guy. He spent the last two and a half years in Newark under the shadow of Ilya Kovalchuk. If he wants to be the number one guy, then all those rumors about him going to Pittsburgh are immediately shut down. Sources indicate that Parise could be the go-to guy in Toronto or Minnesota, and that would matter more than being on a Steel City "Dream Team". Also, the word is that Detroit is confident that they will get Suter, but not so much with Parise.
Luongo
There have been many rumors lately that Roberto Luongo is forcing Vancouver GM Mike Gillis to trade him to either the Tampa Bay Lightning (his first choice), or the Florida Panthers. I have heard that the only place Luongo wants to play is Tampa, but he will settle for the Panthers if a trade to Tampa doesn't happen. I also heard, however, that if Lightning GM Steve Yzerman cannot ship Vincent Lecavalier up to Vancouver, than Luongo will not be a bolt next year.
That's all for now, check back later for more.
Toronto
The Maple Leafs are definitely in on Nash and Parise, and they are ALL in. My source tells me that Nash's number one choice is Toronto, and both Leafs GM Brian Burke and Jackets GM Scott Howson know it. It is now a matter of who will make the first move. Eventually, if it goes down this road, Howson will make the first move. Toronto just got forward James van Reimsdyk in a trade from Philly, so they now have some players up front that they can ship out for upgrades.
Parise
The word is that Zach Parise wants to play for an organization that considers him there go to guy. He spent the last two and a half years in Newark under the shadow of Ilya Kovalchuk. If he wants to be the number one guy, then all those rumors about him going to Pittsburgh are immediately shut down. Sources indicate that Parise could be the go-to guy in Toronto or Minnesota, and that would matter more than being on a Steel City "Dream Team". Also, the word is that Detroit is confident that they will get Suter, but not so much with Parise.
Luongo
There have been many rumors lately that Roberto Luongo is forcing Vancouver GM Mike Gillis to trade him to either the Tampa Bay Lightning (his first choice), or the Florida Panthers. I have heard that the only place Luongo wants to play is Tampa, but he will settle for the Panthers if a trade to Tampa doesn't happen. I also heard, however, that if Lightning GM Steve Yzerman cannot ship Vincent Lecavalier up to Vancouver, than Luongo will not be a bolt next year.
That's all for now, check back later for more.
All Draft Selections
Click the link below to see a list of every person selected in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.
http://www.nhl.com/ice/draftsearch.htm?year=2012&round=ALL
http://www.nhl.com/ice/draftsearch.htm?year=2012&round=ALL
Monday, June 25, 2012
Hjalmarsson Update
A source indicates that Chicago Blackhawks defenceman Niklas Hjalmarsson is "very likely" to be dealt before NHL Free Agency starts on July 1st.
Chicago Blackhawks- Luongo, Kane, Parise, and Suter
Here are the latest updates regarding the Chicago Blackhawks and Robert Luongo, Patrick Kane, Zach Parise, and Ryan Suter.
Luongo
Although a trade doesn't seem at all likely to happen, it appears the Blackhawks have had some discussions on the enigmatic Vancouver netminder. I heard those discussions involved taking on Luongo and his contract in exchange for a bad contract or two of their own (Michael Frolik?). And with Luongo holding out for a deal to Florida, the discussions have gone no further than basically the GMs acknowledging that a deal is possible. As of right now this deal appears to be more-or-less dead, but there is still a chance that it could happen.
Vancouver general manager Mike Gillis will likely need to rid himself of Luongo's contract if he intends to sign Corey Schneider long term. It's common in Chicago to hate Luongo and disparage him as an emotionally fragile weakling, but the truth is, he's a better netminder than what they have now in Corey Crawford. If Chicago were to move a bad contract or two in exchange for Luongo's, this deal could very much happen.
That being said, Luongo's deal lasts through the 2021-22 NHL season. The word is that the 33 year old Luongo really wants to win a Cup in the next 2-3 years and retire. If that were true, then he becomes a bit more appealing, especially for a team like the Hawks, who can strongly contend for the "Holy Grail" if they improve in net. And perhaps the Hawks start looking better to him.
How likely is it to see Roberto in a Hawks sweater this fall? Not very, but anything can happen.
Kane
Kane is not going to be traded, or even shopped around for that matter, by the Blackhawks right now. He is all too valuable to the team, and he will only get better with time. Relax Hawks fans, you will have your star right-winger at the start of next year.
Parise
Chicago will not make a very strong push to sign Zach Parise. They have way too many things to improve on to be focusing everything on the top free agent forward in a while. They might throw him an offer that will allow them to still have money to do other things, but unless Parise is really hung on playing in Chicago, the offer will no be very attractive for him. Sorry Hawk heads, he's not coming to Chi Town.
Suter
If you see Niklas Hjalmarsson moved, Suter could very possibly become a Hawk. Also, thanks to some insider information from Hockey Buzz, Chicago's geography makes it a very attractive option for Suter. The only thing is, the Blackhawks really need to keep more pucks out of the net, and Hjalmarsson is a solid defensive defenceman who blocks shots, kills penalties, and can shut down the oppositions top scorers. Suter is an offense-oriented defenceman, but can still play defense. In the end it is a
no-brainer to take Suter over Hjalmarsson, but it's up to Stan Bowman and David Poille to make it happen.
Luongo
Although a trade doesn't seem at all likely to happen, it appears the Blackhawks have had some discussions on the enigmatic Vancouver netminder. I heard those discussions involved taking on Luongo and his contract in exchange for a bad contract or two of their own (Michael Frolik?). And with Luongo holding out for a deal to Florida, the discussions have gone no further than basically the GMs acknowledging that a deal is possible. As of right now this deal appears to be more-or-less dead, but there is still a chance that it could happen.
Vancouver general manager Mike Gillis will likely need to rid himself of Luongo's contract if he intends to sign Corey Schneider long term. It's common in Chicago to hate Luongo and disparage him as an emotionally fragile weakling, but the truth is, he's a better netminder than what they have now in Corey Crawford. If Chicago were to move a bad contract or two in exchange for Luongo's, this deal could very much happen.
That being said, Luongo's deal lasts through the 2021-22 NHL season. The word is that the 33 year old Luongo really wants to win a Cup in the next 2-3 years and retire. If that were true, then he becomes a bit more appealing, especially for a team like the Hawks, who can strongly contend for the "Holy Grail" if they improve in net. And perhaps the Hawks start looking better to him.
How likely is it to see Roberto in a Hawks sweater this fall? Not very, but anything can happen.
Kane
Kane is not going to be traded, or even shopped around for that matter, by the Blackhawks right now. He is all too valuable to the team, and he will only get better with time. Relax Hawks fans, you will have your star right-winger at the start of next year.
Parise
Chicago will not make a very strong push to sign Zach Parise. They have way too many things to improve on to be focusing everything on the top free agent forward in a while. They might throw him an offer that will allow them to still have money to do other things, but unless Parise is really hung on playing in Chicago, the offer will no be very attractive for him. Sorry Hawk heads, he's not coming to Chi Town.
Suter
If you see Niklas Hjalmarsson moved, Suter could very possibly become a Hawk. Also, thanks to some insider information from Hockey Buzz, Chicago's geography makes it a very attractive option for Suter. The only thing is, the Blackhawks really need to keep more pucks out of the net, and Hjalmarsson is a solid defensive defenceman who blocks shots, kills penalties, and can shut down the oppositions top scorers. Suter is an offense-oriented defenceman, but can still play defense. In the end it is a
no-brainer to take Suter over Hjalmarsson, but it's up to Stan Bowman and David Poille to make it happen.
Parise and Suter Update
According to our sources, one NHL team is trying to acquire the rights to negotiate with the two biggest UFSs this year, LW Zach Parise and D Ryan Suter. The specific team is unknown, but it is rumored to be one of the teams listed below. Stay tuned, more to come later.
- Boston Bruins
- Calgary Flames
- Chicago Blackhawks
- Colorado Avalanche
- Detroit Red Wings
- Minnesota Wild
- Montreal Canadiens
- New York Rangers
- Philadelphia Flyers
- Pittsburgh Penguins
- Tampa Bay Lightning
- Toronto Maple Leafs
- Winnipeg Jets
Out of these 13 teams, Detroit seems to be the one that has the best chance to acquire both of these players. In terms of just Suter, Detroit is the front-runner right now, because they have both the cap space and the need for a top quality defenceman after they lost the second greatest defenceman to ever play the game of hockey, Nicklas Lidstrom. When it is just Parise, it is a guess-and-see scenario. He has made it clear that he would very much like to stay with the New Jersey Devils franchise, but the Devils are not in a good situation right now. It is a very complicated situation, but they will need EVERYTHING to go their way if they are to keep Parise. Detroit also freed up a lot of cap space in trading Brad Stuart, so it is not too unlikely that they will make a very strong push to acquire both of these highly touted unrestricted free agents.
2012 NHL Entry Draft Recap
This past weekend in Pittsburgh, all 30 National Hockey League clubs took turns walking up to the podium and calling out the name of their newest prospect. It was a crazy, but entertaining, weekend. There were some "Ooooh! Big surprise (sarcastic)!" picks, some "Yeah, I can see why they choose that player" picks, and then there was the astonishing amount of "What the f**k is wrong with that GM?" picks. As usual, there were some trades that made you jump out of your seat. Here is a recap of some of the major events.
First Pick: RW Nail Yakupov, taken by the Edmonton Oilers
Forward Taken (1st Round): 15 (10 centers, 4 right wings, 1 left wing)
Defencemen Taken (1st Round): 15
Big Trades:
In the biggest news of the first round, the Penguins traded Jordan Staal to the Carolina Hurricanes for the No. 8 pick in the 2012 NHL Draft, center Brandon Sutter and defense prospect Brian Dumoulin.
5 hours after the final name was called in the 2012 NHL Draft, Philadelphia forward James van Riemsdyk was sent to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for defenceman Luke Schenn.
The New York Islanders sent the Anaheim Ducks a second-round pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, and in return got defenceman Lubomir Visnovsky.
The Capitals got forward Mike Ribeiro from the Dallas Stars for forward Cody Eakin and a second round pick.
The Classic New York Islanders Move: The New York Islanders offered the Columbus Blue Jackets every single one of their picks in the draft in exchange for Columbus's 1st round pick (second overall), which Columbus declined, and went on to take defenceman Ryan Murray.
First Pick: RW Nail Yakupov, taken by the Edmonton Oilers
Forward Taken (1st Round): 15 (10 centers, 4 right wings, 1 left wing)
Defencemen Taken (1st Round): 15
Big Trades:
In the biggest news of the first round, the Penguins traded Jordan Staal to the Carolina Hurricanes for the No. 8 pick in the 2012 NHL Draft, center Brandon Sutter and defense prospect Brian Dumoulin.
5 hours after the final name was called in the 2012 NHL Draft, Philadelphia forward James van Riemsdyk was sent to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for defenceman Luke Schenn.
The New York Islanders sent the Anaheim Ducks a second-round pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, and in return got defenceman Lubomir Visnovsky.
The Capitals got forward Mike Ribeiro from the Dallas Stars for forward Cody Eakin and a second round pick.
The Classic New York Islanders Move: The New York Islanders offered the Columbus Blue Jackets every single one of their picks in the draft in exchange for Columbus's 1st round pick (second overall), which Columbus declined, and went on to take defenceman Ryan Murray.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Sens ink Karlsson
The Ottawa Senators have signed this years almost guaranteed Norris Trophy winner to a 7 year deal worth 45.5 million dollars. For more on this story click here:
Sens ink Karlsson to 7 year deal
Sens ink Karlsson to 7 year deal
Award Prediction: Norris Trophy
The Norris Trophy is given annually to the NHL's best defender. Earlier this year a seven time winner of this trophy, a living legend, and a man nicknamed "The Perfect Human" retired. Nicklas Lidstrom is one of the best to ever lace up a pair of skates, and he will be missed enormously by the hockey world.
Erik Karlsson finished this year with 78 points in 81 games. He tied for third in assists with 59, and, well, is almost a shoo-in to win the trophy.
Since there is no debate on this one, we are just going to get right to the winner...
Erik Karlsson finished this year with 78 points in 81 games. He tied for third in assists with 59, and, well, is almost a shoo-in to win the trophy.
Since there is no debate on this one, we are just going to get right to the winner...
| ERIK KARLSSON |
Award Prediction: Calder Tophy
The Calder Trophy. This is an award given at the end of each season to the rookie judged to be the most proficient in his first year of competition. Sometimes it is obvious who is going to win (i.e. when Teemu Selanne scored 76 goals in his rookie year), but often it is a very close race.
This year there are three very good rookies up for the honor. The first is Gabriel Landeskog. He was the second overall draft pick in this past draft by the Colorado Avalanche, and he did not disappoint. He finished the year with 52 points. He was a rock for Colorado, playing in all 82 of the team's games.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was taken with the first pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, one pick before Landeskog. He battled through an injury plagued season, playing in only 62 games, but still finishing with 52 points. Had he been healthy the wholeyear, it is almost certain that he would take home the Calder.
Adam Henrique. He was the definition of clutch for the New Jersey Devils on their way to the Stanley Cup Final. He ended the Devs first series with a double overtime goal against Florida in game 7, and sent the Rangers home after scoring an overtime goal in game 6. He also scored the winning goal in game 4 against Los Angles to keep New Jersey alive (although they would loose to LA in 6 games).
All three of these players are deserving of the award, but we determined the winner to be...
This year there are three very good rookies up for the honor. The first is Gabriel Landeskog. He was the second overall draft pick in this past draft by the Colorado Avalanche, and he did not disappoint. He finished the year with 52 points. He was a rock for Colorado, playing in all 82 of the team's games.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was taken with the first pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, one pick before Landeskog. He battled through an injury plagued season, playing in only 62 games, but still finishing with 52 points. Had he been healthy the wholeyear, it is almost certain that he would take home the Calder.
Adam Henrique. He was the definition of clutch for the New Jersey Devils on their way to the Stanley Cup Final. He ended the Devs first series with a double overtime goal against Florida in game 7, and sent the Rangers home after scoring an overtime goal in game 6. He also scored the winning goal in game 4 against Los Angles to keep New Jersey alive (although they would loose to LA in 6 games).
All three of these players are deserving of the award, but we determined the winner to be...
| GABRIEL LANDESKOG |
More Award Predictions Coming Later Today
Well, its 3:30 in the morning here in New York, and I'm tired. I just posted some of our staff's award predictions, and one of the writers will be posting the rest at some point today or before the awards are given out Wednesday at 7PM EST on the NBS Sports Network.
Thanks fellas!
Adam Hartog
President/CEO
Adam Hartog Hockey
Thanks fellas!
Adam Hartog
President/CEO
Adam Hartog Hockey
Award Prediction: Vezina Trophy
The Vezina Trophy is awarded every year to the goaltender judged to be the most proficient in the position, as determined by the NHL's 30 general managers.
This years nominees are the New York Ranger's Henrik Lundqvist, Nashville's Pekka Rinne, and Los Angeles's Jonathan Quick. For some info on Lundqvist take a look at our prediction for the Hart Memorial Trophy.
Pekka Rinne was arguably the only reason that Nashville even made the playoffs. The team relied on him for 88% of its games, which deserves an award in and of itself (not really sure what that means thought). He was a stable horse in net, and he really does deserve this as much as anyone.
Jonathan Quick. This is where it gets interesting. In our opinion, he should have been nominated for every MVP trophy known to man, no matter the sport. OK, maybe that is exaggerating a little. But still, our CEO is willing to bet the company that LA would not have been a playoff team this year if it wasn't for him, and they even went on to win the Stanley Cup. Now, this award is given based off of regular season performance, so we decided that the award would go to Lundqvist. However we are confident that Quick's superhuman playoff performance will sway the voters to give him the award and, honestly, we can't say he isn't deserving.
So, we predict that the award will go to...
This years nominees are the New York Ranger's Henrik Lundqvist, Nashville's Pekka Rinne, and Los Angeles's Jonathan Quick. For some info on Lundqvist take a look at our prediction for the Hart Memorial Trophy.
Pekka Rinne was arguably the only reason that Nashville even made the playoffs. The team relied on him for 88% of its games, which deserves an award in and of itself (not really sure what that means thought). He was a stable horse in net, and he really does deserve this as much as anyone.
Jonathan Quick. This is where it gets interesting. In our opinion, he should have been nominated for every MVP trophy known to man, no matter the sport. OK, maybe that is exaggerating a little. But still, our CEO is willing to bet the company that LA would not have been a playoff team this year if it wasn't for him, and they even went on to win the Stanley Cup. Now, this award is given based off of regular season performance, so we decided that the award would go to Lundqvist. However we are confident that Quick's superhuman playoff performance will sway the voters to give him the award and, honestly, we can't say he isn't deserving.
So, we predict that the award will go to...
| JONATHAN QUICK |
Award Prediction: Ted Lindsay
The Ted Lindsay Award. In our view, this is one of the most honorable things that a player can win. Every year this is given to the player judged to be the MVP of the league. You might read that and say that it is the same as the Hart Memorial Trophy. What makes this such a special honor is that the winner (as well as the nominees) is determined by the player (both active and former) of the National Hockey League. For people that play against you all year, and most likely are not in favor of you, to put the rivalries aside and recognize your brilliance is something that every player in the league takes great honor in.
On to the nominees. This year the nominees are the same as the ones for the Hart Memorial. So, to keep it short and sweet, we are not going to give the same full description as we did the the HMT.
We are going to go straight to the winner...
On to the nominees. This year the nominees are the same as the ones for the Hart Memorial. So, to keep it short and sweet, we are not going to give the same full description as we did the the HMT.
We are going to go straight to the winner...
| EVGENI MALKIN |
Award Prediction: Hart Memorial
We here at Frozen Mullet have been debating back and forth between the 4 Senior Writers and 7 Junior Writers about who should win the each award at the 2012 NHL Awards on Wednesday in Las Vegas. After much deliberating, here is the first one (we will be doing these one at a time to avoid too much reading in one post for you all):
Hart Memorial Trophy:
The Hart Memorial Trophy is given annually to the player judged to be the most valuable to his team. This year there are three very worthy nominees. Center Evgeni Malkin led Pittsburgh and the NHL in scoring with a 109 point season, despite playing the majority of his games without the consensus world number one, Sidney Crosby. A little to the North, goaltender Henrik Lundqvist led the young New York Rangers to a first place finish in the NHL;s Eastern Conference. Down in the Sunshine State, Steven Stamkos was enjoying a 60 goal season for the Lighning. Although the Pens and Rangers made the playoffs and the Lightning did not, they would have been nowhere near where they were in terms of standings.
These three were phenomenal all year, and they are all great talents that deserve all of the praise that they get. However, at the end of the day, only one player can claim the trophy. Without further ado, here is our winner...
Hart Memorial Trophy:
The Hart Memorial Trophy is given annually to the player judged to be the most valuable to his team. This year there are three very worthy nominees. Center Evgeni Malkin led Pittsburgh and the NHL in scoring with a 109 point season, despite playing the majority of his games without the consensus world number one, Sidney Crosby. A little to the North, goaltender Henrik Lundqvist led the young New York Rangers to a first place finish in the NHL;s Eastern Conference. Down in the Sunshine State, Steven Stamkos was enjoying a 60 goal season for the Lighning. Although the Pens and Rangers made the playoffs and the Lightning did not, they would have been nowhere near where they were in terms of standings.
These three were phenomenal all year, and they are all great talents that deserve all of the praise that they get. However, at the end of the day, only one player can claim the trophy. Without further ado, here is our winner...
| EVGENI MALKIN |
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It's official, you can now follow Frozen Mullet (once again the new website of a site that had over 3,000,000 readers) on Twitter. The handle is @frozen_mullet, and you can follow for constant tweets about hockey topics and talk. You may be sick of hearing this but still, thanks; we appreciate the views!
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Frozen Mullet
Official Web Branch
Adam Hartog Hockey
It's official, you can now follow Frozen Mullet (once again the new website of a site that had over 3,000,000 readers) on Twitter. The handle is @frozen_mullet, and you can follow for constant tweets about hockey topics and talk. You may be sick of hearing this but still, thanks; we appreciate the views!
-The Frozen Mullet Team
Frozen Mullet
Official Web Branch
Adam Hartog Hockey
Monday, June 18, 2012
Welcome!
Hey Guys!
After experiencing problems with the old website, we here at Adam Hartog Hockey made a new one. The old website was Adam Hartog Hockey, and we hope that the over 3,000,000 people that visited that site carry over to this one. Enjoy!
Adam Hartog
President/CEO
Adam Hartog Hockey
After experiencing problems with the old website, we here at Adam Hartog Hockey made a new one. The old website was Adam Hartog Hockey, and we hope that the over 3,000,000 people that visited that site carry over to this one. Enjoy!
Adam Hartog
President/CEO
Adam Hartog Hockey
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