GREGSKY'S FREE AGENT FRENZY PREDICTION GAME

   As we approach the start of the free agent period on Sunday, I thought it would be fun to take a look into the crystal ball and use my amazing “Kreskin-like” abilities as a prognosticator to see just where some of the top free agents will be landing.

*DISCLAIMER* - Keep in mind that this exercise is intended for entertainment only. That means it is purely for fun and should not be used as a guide or strategy for any gambling purpose or money making endeavor. Especially since all predictions are made from someone suffering a coffee induced haze and all thoughts within are channeled through the brain of someone so hyped up on caffeine he can feel his hair growing.

Now on to the fun…

Ahh…yes…the picture is becoming clear…I see Alex Semin skating alongside Pavel Datsyuk…yes so it shall be…Semin becomes a Red Wing.

Hmmm…the crystal ball is still seeing red…it seems that the Wings are not done dipping into the pool…WOW!!! …what a splash!!! The Red Wings sign Ryan Suter!!!

Now I see that the Avs want to get in on the act…they snap up Juri Hudler in a quick move

What’s this? It seems that Sami Salo is now a Penguin…the crystal ball has shown this to be so

The Dallas stars so it seems…yes…it is the Stars pulling P.A. Parenteau from the pool

Uh-oh…so many tears…what can this possibly mean? Oh I see it clearly now…Zach stays a Devil

Oh my…say it’s not so…well it must be…the crystal ball wouldn’t steer me wrong…would it? It is telling me that Shane Doan is now in a Dallas Stars sweater!!!

Good news for Leafs Nation…Matt Carle signs with Toronto!!!

Looks like Ray Whitney is putting on a familiar sweater…nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina!!!

My crystal ball is showing me an old goat…what can this mean? Oh…I see it now…Jagr re-ups with Philly

The Avs are getting back into the fray…well…look at that…they sign Dustin Penner

Okay crystal ball…you have shown some interesting UFA signings…but can you show me any trades?

Yes…that’s it…well it’s a little fuzzy…can’t see the returns…but it looks like Rick Nash is wearing a Sens sweater…wait…something else is coming through…Luongo going back to the Panthers…wow…what’s this? …one more? …oh…okay…it looks like Bobby Ryan in a Rangers sweater

Well…the crystal ball has gone dark…I guess that’s as much “frenzy” as it is willing to show. I guess we will just have to wait and see how accurate these predictions come Sunday…here’s hoping your team snags everyone on your wish list.

CAROLINA DRAMA...OR...COOL YOUR ENGINE BEFORE IT STAALS

   You know, it’s funny how life takes us on a journey of twists and turns. Such is the case for me, as I find myself newly relocated in North Carolina less than ten minutes from the PNC Arena in the heart of “Cainiac” country. What is funny is that I grew up spending the majority of my weekends following this franchise when they were known as the “Whale” in downtown Hartford, Connecticut. Remembering how awesome it was to see the Howe family skate together on the same team. It almost seems fitting that this is where I find myself being that I never truly took my eye off of this team even after they packed up and headed South. A part of me was even quite pleased when the raised the Cup back in 2006 as I had waited what seemed to be a lifetime to see this franchise win a championship.

   With all of that said, I have started to settle in here in this beautiful part of the country familiarizing myself with my new surroundings and checking the pulse of this “Southern Fried” hockey fan base. I have to say that the heartbeat is strong and very passionate, so the term “Cainiac” is quite appropriate. Although the fan base may not be as well schooled as some traditional hockey markets, the fire, passion and support these fans feel for their Hurricanes rivals that of any NHL city. That fact is extremely apparent just by giving a quick glance into the chat rooms, message boards or any social network platforms where hockey talk dominates. Even more apparent as of now, due to the latest Draft Day drama that took place the other night in Pittsburgh. Where we saw possibly the biggest trades of the off-season instantly send shockwaves through this sleepy southern community as well as the rest of the hockey world.

   The rumors had been swirling for days leading up to the draft as the writing was on the wall and it was no secret that something had to give in regards to the situation Jordan Staal and the Penguins found themselves in.  Also well known was the desire of the Carolina Hurricanes to add Staal to their roster, but at what cost? Therein lay the drama that has caused “Cainiac’s” worldwide hearts to racing either with excitement or disbelief. The cost of landing Jordan Staal in a Hurricanes sweater alongside his brother Eric was indeed quite steep as the price was the number eight pick in this year’s draft, young gun Brandon Sutter and former B.C. Eagle d-man prospect Brian Dumoulin.

   As the dust starts to settle and the reality of the deal starts to sink in, reaction is a mixed bag of emotions for Hurricanes fans. Some applauding Mr. Rutherford for doing whatever it took to land the star forward, some calling for his head for giving up so much for a player who could end up being no more than a one year rental along with some who just don’t know what to make of the entire situation but are happy that the team is doing something active be it good or bad as well as those who think the franchise is doomed. I can understand the mixed feelings amongst the hometown fans as losing an opportunity at drafting another top ten prospect for the future along with a standout such as Sutter is an awful lot of sacrifice, but on the other hand Jordan Staal, who won’t turn 24 until September, brings a ton of upside to a Hurricanes roster for years to come if they can entice him to sign long term. What I believe brings the most anxiety to Canes fans is if Rutherford could have waited a bit longer he just might have been in a position to obtain Staal without having to part with Sutter. The problem with him waiting until Jordan became an UFA next year is the same lack of guarantee that he would come to Carolina as it is whether or not they can sign him. The plus to that is at least now they have a year with him as a Hurricane to get that accomplished which is the better of the two scenarios.

   So my “Cainiac” friends, before you throw yourself into the eye of the storm or call for J.R.’s head on a platter or give up completely on hockey before the season even starts, try to see how this move actually makes your team stronger. How the move actually puts them in a good position to be active in pursuing and enticing bigger name free agents to head south and enjoy what we all already know to be a wonderful place to hang our skates.

HEY BRUINS...DON'T CHANGE ANYTHING...YET

So let me ask you, have you ever had one of those questions that seem to just pop in your head at a time when you’re not even focused on the subject? You know, like when you’re rushing around getting ready for work making sure you have everything you need before you leave (The old … Spectacles, testicles, wallet and watch pat down) when out of nowhere you’re blindsided by the instant memory of your crazy uncle pulling the “Hey kid, pull my finger” trick on you when you were five. That kind of question that you just can’t get out of your head after the initial trigger, like “Why is it that my uncle shit his pants and then proceeded to point and laugh at me?” You know what I mean? Or maybe that’s just me. Damn… maybe I should have thought that one through a bit more before putting it down. Somehow I don’t think coffee helps my thought process.

Anyway, that kind of question popped into my head the other day while heading into work. I was minding my own business, thinking about what I was going to face for the next nine and a half hours, when one simple question started to pinball around upstairs. Should the Bruins even think about tweaking the roster in time for the playoffs? And of course that one simple question nagged at me all night and ended up opening up a slew of other questions that just won’t leave my melon. So now I’m at the point where I have to write about it just to get it out of my head and into yours. Oh, lucky you!

Before we start to tackle the questions (Why is it that there are always questions when it comes to the Bruins? Sorry another question just popped in there for a second.), let’s take a look at just what the Bruins have been doing lately and how they are getting it done during their surge to the top of the East.

The Bruins success can be attributed directly to the fact that they can roll four lines and produce effective puck possession and scoring from each line. The Bruins are the best 5-on-5 team in the league; which allows them the luxury of not having to rely on the power play as their bread and butter. Ranking at #5 the PP isn’t struggling by any means and their PK is holding steady at #8, so special teams for the Bruins are just an added bonus. Coach Julien has his troops committed to the system and the proof is in the pudding (9-1-0 in the last 10 games). Goaltending has been rock solid with both net-minders sporting top 5 spots in both save% and goals against average. Just about every player on the roster is a plus player. What the Bruins bring to the table every night is hard work, discipline, speed, puck possession and firepower topped off with a tough, physical style and that is just too much to handle for opponents.

For the first time in years the Bruins are sitting in the catbird seat and sitting pretty at that. They are so deep at the center position that a player the caliber of Patrice Bergeron sees more time on special teams than anything else and sometimes plays on the wing. Most nights they have a problem getting players like Nokelainen and Sobotka into the lineup. With both goaltenders playing superbly they can afford to let Rask get more playing time in the minors. Injuries, so far, haven’t seemed to hurt the B’s as they haven’t missed a beat since the loss of Ference, Ward and Sturm. In fact with the return of Sturm it poses a question of who do you sit to make room for Sturm? That is a good dilemma to have and the Bruins know it. How many teams would kill to have too much depth?

With all of that said, let’s now get back to the question: Should the Bruins even think about tweaking the roster for the playoffs? My answer is: for the playoffs yes, but for right now “don’t fix what ain’t broken” is the best approach. Even though they took their foot off the pedal in the 2nd half of the game against Tampa Bay, they still managed to win and Julien and the boys know exactly how to correct that “running around” bit they displayed. Right now they are still on top of their game and if I were them I wouldn’t change a thing. That in no way means that I wouldn’t be on the phone to Atlanta to set up a package for Kovalchuk and looking West for another veteran defenseman offering up one or two roster players the likes of Bergeron, Sturm, Kobasew, Nokelainen, Stuart, Hnidy, Ference or Fernandez.

Some Bruins fans may be swearing at me right now for even suggesting that the B’s trade away some of the names I mentioned, but the reality is that the roster is too inexperienced to go far in the playoffs as is. If all you want to accomplish is a first round win, then I guess go with what you have and ride it till it fails. If you want to make a serious run, then you need to go out and get what will put you over the top. The Bruins are so deep that they can afford to move some of the names I mentioned above. It’s only a matter of what you want to call a successful season, a 2nd round loss or the Stanley Cup Finals. Can you picture the impact a player like Kovalchuk would bring? Adding another playoff tested D-man to solidify the backend too risky? What happens if some of these kids hit a wall or wear down? Don’t you think that with a bit of tinkering this team could go the distance?

Did you see what just happened there? Another friggin’ bunch of questions just invaded the space! I guess the questions surrounding the Bruins won’t go away, but at least now the questions are positive which is a sure sign that finally this franchise is on the way back up to the standards it set for itself from the beginning. Maybe I’m just a big softy when it comes to Original Six teams doing well or maybe that’s just me showing my age, either way all the Bruins really need to do is just keep doing what they’ve been doing and be set up and prepared to pull the trigger on deals that will help them in the post-season. There is no need for any of the playoff questions to be answered right now. The Bruins shouldn’t change a thing yet; there is no need to. Right now life is sweet for the B’s, just “let the good times roll” and stay healthy.

SOME OF US SAW THE HOSSA DEAL COMMING

Yesterday I wrote about how there will be some trades that would come from left field and catch us off guard, and “to most”, that trade was the Hossa to Penguins deal. I said “to most” because yours truly along with some Pens fans with big dreams saw this as a golden opportunity over month ago. Yes, we all got blasted when we made the bold statement on our blogs, message boards and rumor sites where we were laughed at and called silly. For my thoughts back in January just scroll a few posts down to CROSBY NEEDS HIS OWN KURRI and you will see how silly I was.

Now, in no way am I saying that the Pens didn’t give up a lot to get Hossa, but keep in mind when a chance to give the best playmaker in hockey a true sniper with speed riding shotgun, you do what ever it takes to do it. Sure there is no saying that Hossa will re-sign with the Pens and he may become a really expensive playoff rental, but they have the rest of the year figure it out and I just have the feeling that once Hossa and Crosby connect Hossa wouldn’t think of going anywhere else. Why would he? This is a win-win for both players and their production could easily hit the roof.

When you are talking about one of the most gifted players to ever play the game you have to surround them with the best possible players in order to get the best out of them. Remember how important Kurri was to Gretzky? Remember after Wayne went to the Kings how imperative it was for them to acquire Kurri? Remember the names involved in the 3-way trade between the Oilers, Flyers and Kings? Okay, I know you remember how important it was for the Rangers to get Kurri when they got Gretz and the names involved in getting that one done, right? Well then, what makes the Hossa deal any different? There is no questioning the dynamic that Kurri brought to Gretzky’s game and Hossa and Crosby are on the cusp of bringing us that same kind of brilliance.

I openly applaud the Penguins management for making this bold move and bringing the city of Pittsburgh a team that fans haven’t seen since the days of Mario, Francis and Jagr. If anyone is worried about screwing up the chemistry of the team, think about it. You are talking about a couple of truly gifted players who can play with anyone and now have a chance to take chemistry to a whole new level. They have some time left to click and when it happens, look out; this could be the best thing we’ve ever seen and the best thing for the game in decades.

THE HYPE IS BETTER THAN THE TRADES THEMSELVES

Psst……I heard a rumor……

Well, today is the day hockey fans perk up and play GM in anticipation that their team will pick up the missing piece of the puzzle to put them over the top. The excitement and buzz on Trade Deadline Day is traditionally better than the deals themselves. The speculation of big names involved in movement chew up a ton of time while big media places “name” analysts to hype it up for hours until trades slowly start to trickle in. Granted some big names do move on Deadline Day but for the most part it is the minor acquisitions that ultimately have the most impact. There are always one or two trades that seem to come from left field and catch us all off guard, but predicting where players will go is the fun part. And that is the part that makes us all pay attention and listen intently to the big media hype while wiping the drool as they mention our favorite team.

Will Hossa practice today? Will the Leafs move anyone? Will the Habs swing for the fences? Will the Bruins stand pat even though they need a scoring winger? Will Dallas find help for the Modano line? Will the Panthers actually move Jokinen? Do the Ducks tinker at all? Will the Wings get tougher? Will the Rangers move anyone to get defensive help? Where in the world will Brad Richards land this afternoon? The buzz engulfs us all – and the buzz itself is better for the game than the answers to the questions. Anytime hockey talk takes center stage it’s a good thing all around. I guess what I’m driving at here is enjoy the day, get fooled by the hype and dream big my friends, because today is the day for hockey talk.

As for myself, I’m not expecting too much as the months leading up have been anemic as far as trades are concerned. And to me that is a telling sign that too many teams are on the fence and reluctant to trade away the future for rental help. Parity is what the league wanted and is just what they have accomplished. Because of that and cap space, major trades have diminished drastically. Of course there will still be headline moves and that is why I’ll be here at the computer all day, as will most of you.

BRUINS AND SENATORS SWAP PLAYERS

7/17/2007 - The Boston Bruins traded Shean Donovan to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Peter Schaefer. The versatile winger from Yellow Grass brings speed and playmaking ability to the Bruins who were in the market for scoring help on the wing. Although he lacks size, he uses his speed in all three zones well and is an excellent penalty killer. More known for being a set up guy than a goal scorer, Schaefer does add depth to a Bruins roster that needed to fill a hole. He should fit in well with the Bruins on either the first or second line. In Donovan a Timmins, Ontario native, the Senators get a speedy checking line forward with good size, who works hard down low and plays tough in the corners. He doesn’t put up huge numbers, but does the little things that are important to any club’s success and usually stays out of the penalty box. More importantly though, shedding Schaefer’s $2.1 million contract works for the Senators. They desperately needed to clear some cap space to be able to give Ray Emery his deserved raise that he is expected to get through salary arbitration. Overall this deal works out great for both clubs and fans of each team should be pleased with the acquisitions.