The Outdoor Games

The spectacle of the outdoor games for the NHL are quite the events, something really built around the visiting fans. The Heritage Classic in Calgary, besides having crappy seats for the game, was really a great atmosphere to be in, as the NHL put on a very good party for the game and the other events surrounding the game were also quite good.

The outdoor games have historically been rather hit and miss for the pool, as I'm going to outline below.  It was a few more misses than actual hits.

With the outdoor game playing a huge role in the 2014 season, I think there should be a limit to how excited anyone really gets with these games, when it comes to the pool.  These are good games to watch and they are great for the fans, but the poolies can really do without them.

The outdoor games did start with the 2003 Heritage Classic in Edmonton, but that was a game I didn't cover, nor did I watch, due to my living circumstances at the time.  Heck, NHL.com can't even give me a recap of the game and my only memories of reading about it was that it was really cold.


The 2008 Winter Classic, Penguins and Sabres, was a fun game to watch, seeing the NHL try out a lot of their new ideas under the snowy lights of Buffalo's Ralph Wilson Stadium, but the scoring was not there.  The game finished as a 2-1 win for the Penguins, in the shootout, which meant there was only two goals to take from in the game and then a couple points for one of the goalies for the pool.

The winning goalie that year... Ty Conklin.  Not too sure there were many pools or pool teams that had Conklin active, let alone being picked that year.  I know that my pool didn't have him anywhere near the teams.

With the success that the first Winter Classic saw, there was little doubt that they were going to stop at just one.

The 2009 Winter Classic, Wrigley Field in Chicago, between the Red Wings and Blackhawks   As outdoor games go, this one was a spectacle for the ages, as the scoring was through the roof and there were a few pool teams that were able to cash in on this one, as the Red Wings took it, 6-4.

There were a number of players that had multiple-point games and most of them were taken in the pool that year, which means that the game was a success for those watching, attending and incorporating those players on your pool team.

Learning a lesson from the year before, Ty Conklin was taken in the waiver draft that year, picking up another win and adding those two points to a hockey pool total.


Fenway Park, Flyers and Bruins, 2010 Winter Classic... another low scoring affair and the worst part of this game was that out of the three goals that were scored, none of the goal scorers were taken in the pool that year.  Danny Syvret, Mark Recchi and Marco Sturm were not playing a part in that year's draft session, nor were they picked in the first waiver draft, which would have happened not long before the game went.

Only six of 17 teams in the pool that year had picked up points and one team picked up 3 points, thanks to the Tim Thomas win and a Patrice Bergeron assist.

The game was a pretty good draw, nevertheless, and it moved along at a pretty reasonable pace, by outdoor game standards.

The first of two outdoor games in 2011 was the Winter Classic, this time in Pittsburgh, as the Penguins played host to the Capitals.  The game finished up as a 3-1 win for Washington, where there were a few more goals and pool teams were picking up a few more points, but the Classic was really made whole by the start of the HBO series, 24/7 Road to the Winter Classic.

The behind the scenes look at the two teams in the weeks leading up to the big game, turned out to be the biggest highlight of that year's game, since you really got to see the inside workings of the game from the players and coaches standpoint.

Still, all of that inside information didn't help a great deal in those pool standings, as only six of 20 teams picked up points in that game.  Sure, it's only two teams playing in the competition, but still... you would hope for it being such a big event, a few more pool teams could get some points and have some fun with it, right?


2011 also saw the second outdoor game to be played in Canada, as the Flames played host to the Canadiens (who also played in the first game in 2003) in the Heritage Classic at McMahon Stadium in Calgary.

The weather wasn't as cold as it was in Edmonton, according to historical recollections, but it was pretty cold in that stadium, I can say for sure.

By outdoor standards, a 4-0 win for the home team was a pretty good improvement to outdoor games for the hockey pool, because four goals was an improvement over the last couple Winter Classics, plus Miikka Kiprusoff picked up a shutout, which meant a couple of extra points that came from the crease that year.  Sure, since the draft is based out of Calgary, there is always going to be that bias towards picking the home team in the draft, so it should come as no surprise that a few more players picked up points and a few more teams cashed in.

All in all, the Heritage Classic in Calgary was a pretty good success.

The 2012 Winter Classic, set in Citizen's Park in Philadelphia, saw the Flyers play their second outdoor game, this time hosting the New York Rangers in a pretty good clash of two playoff-destined teams.

For that Winter Classic, I did a better job outlining the meaning in the pool, getting a good preview, showing all the pool teams that were participating in the game and their players and it was a pretty good spread.  Between the Flyers and Rangers, they were popular teams that year, so the Classic became a bit more interesting.

With all those teams in the pool, there was another sense of disappointment, as the game finished 3-2 for the Rangers, which wasn't a bad score, considering other games, but only 9 points were registered among all those pool teams and players and only one team had a multi-point game, leaving seven other teams with one point each.  It wasn't a good haul at all.

Again, the highlight of the Winter Classic in 2012... the HBO series.  24/7 made a couple players stars that were bigger than the game and provided the real entertainment.

Of course, with the lockout at the beginning of the 2012-13 season, all of the mid-season competitions and events were canceled, which meant no All-Star Game (which was meant for Columbus) or Winter Classic (which was destined for Detroit).  It was rather disappointing, but at the same time, there was no need for anything extra, as teams raced for the playoffs in the 48-game season.

As mentioned at the top of the post, the outdoor game is going to feature rather largely in the 2014 season, as the NHL has now scheduled the Winter Classic, four Stadium Series games and a Heritage Classic, giving us six outdoor games.  The league is going for broke with these big games, but in an attempt to win fans, I think this is not a bad way to do it, as they should fill some seats.

The 2014 Winter Classic will indeed head to Detroit, which will make up for the lack of the 2013 Classic and it will feature both the Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs, as it was decided the year previous and it will take place on it's regular date... New Year's Day, 2014.

The Wings and Leafs have historically been two teams that have had pretty good draws in the hockey pool drafts, the Wings more so because of their actual talent and their tendency to score goals, where the Leafs get picked out of fandom, more than anything.

Nevertheless, the Big House in Michigan will be a great setting for this game, which should set some attendance records for the NHL.

With a couple of years between Classic games, I am hoping that the NHL has made some serious improvements to the technology for the ice, keeping it cold and at a good consistency that we can watch a whole game without much ice repair stoppages.

Three cities, four games, seven teams... that is the scene that will be set for the new Stadium Series in the 2014 season, as NHL cities were clamoring for an outdoor game, so the league said, let's give them what they want.  Los Angeles, New York and Chicago will all play host to an outdoor game, Chicago for the second time, in an attempt to give the game some more exposure on the outdoor ice.

January 25th, the scene will be Dodger Stadium, as the Los Angeles Kings will play host to the Anaheim Ducks, as the West Coast will get their first outdoor game.  There is no doubt, even though it will occur in late-January, that this will be the biggest test for the league and their outdoor game equipment.  I don't think I will expect much out of this game for scoring.

January 26th, Yankee Stadium will play host to the first of two games, as the Rangers will take on the Devils at the new(er) venue.  The first game may be a test run for the second game, but if technology has improved, the end of January on the East Coast shouldn't have much for adverse weather for this game... in theory.

January 29th, the Islanders will get their shot to take on the Rangers outdoors and if there were any kinks in the first game at Yankee Stadium, the second game should have most of those polished off.  I think this game will be a lot of fun, especially since the Islanders are coming up in a big way and the Rangers will give them a great game, rivalry-wise.

March 1st, the last of the Stadium Series games will play between two outdoor veteran teams, the Blackhawks playing host to the Penguins at Soldier Field.  The beginning of March in the Windy City has a lot of potential to be cold, which means the ice could be pretty decent for two good-skating teams and it could provide a good game for the poolies.

Finally, the Heritage Classic, Canada's only outdoor game for the 2014 season, will go on March 2nd, at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, as the Canucks will host the Ottawa Senators, two outdoor game virgins.

The newly-renovated BC Place will offer and interesting venue for a big game like this, as the new retractable roof can offer an open-air game, which is the ideal setting for the game, but knowing Vancouver, if there is much in the way for rain in the forecast, it could very well close the roof and it would end up being one of the largest indoor games played in the NHL.

Every opportunity will be given to the setup crew to make this an open-air game, I'm sure, but with the mild temperatures on the coast, the ice has quite a few challenges to face in this game.  I don't see this game being a real high-scoring affair either.

Really, the outdoor games shouldn't go into much consideration, when choosing your pool team for the year, mostly because, they are limited to only one game per team, unless you're the Rangers and low-scoring games happen, regardless of being indoors or outdoors.  Yes, these games will all count, but they won't necessarily count for much.

A Guide to the Injury Prone for 2013

I cannot emphasize the importance of knowing the injury prone players when going into your fantasy pool drafts or even picking players out of boxes on a sheet pool. I don't think there is any better tool out there to help win your hockey pool than having a list like this. Even the best players in the league are not safe from this list and if you can at least weigh the risk of picking these players before you do so, then I think you're one step ahead of your competition.

Sure, I would like to take Sidney Crosby 1st overall in my draft, but is he worth the risk with his history of concussions and other assorted ailments? Not when there is a Steven Stamkos to be taken.

Feeling safe with your players has a better ring to it then telling your friends, "well, if so-and-so can stay healthy, I think I have a shot at winning this year." Risk and reward.

Of course, even living by this list isn't the know-all or end-all to any season, as my draft team last year could argue. I thought Cam Ward was a safe pick in the 2nd round, but his injury cut his season down early.

Also, I have taken many-a-risk from this list, hoping for good results, only to be bitten in the rear end by what I knew to already be true.  I took a shot on Jeff Skinner, yes, another Hurricanes player, in hopes that he was past his injury-plagued campaigns, but no.  Although Skinner wasn't out for very long, his injury did cost me in the end.

Now, I haven't done this list in a couple of years, the last being in 2011, so I might have to make a few extra additions to it, while I'm here.  I will also go through the previous lists, as I have in previous years, just to touch on some lingering thoughts.

Remarkably, neither Sidney Crosby, nor Evgeni Malkin, have ended up on this list yet, but I'm sad to say they have now.  Starting with Crosby, only playing 22 games in the 2012 season and missing another 12 games in the 2013 season, between concussions and a broken jaw, it is really starting to get worrisome for the league's golden boy and his value to poolies everywhere.  Even though Crosby missed 22 games last season, he still finished 5th in scoring, but if you're relying on him to win you your pool, you want him to play a full season and count as many points as possible for you.  If you're picking in a snake order in your draft and you take Crosby 1st overall, you better be damn sure that he is going to get you those points, because it could be a long time (and a lot of good players) in between your picks.

That goes just as much for Malkin, who won a hockey pool MVP title in 2012, when he took the scoring race.  Malkin may not have lost quite as many games as Crosby has over the last couple seasons, 7 in 2012 and 17 in 2013, but teams are gunning for the talented Russian and the knocks that he has been taking are a sign that it likely won't stop any time soon.  Malkin has the potential for a lot of points, but I think he comes with a fair amount of risk.  I don't think I would take him 1st overall either.

I don't really want to pick on the Pittsburgh Penguins, but ever since their Cup runs, they haven't quite been the same, health-wise.  Another example of this is defenseman Kristopher Letang.  When looking at the last couple of seasons for Letang, 31 games missed in 2012 and another 13 games missed in 2013, I begin to wonder about what he is going to bring to the table for me in 2014, if I was to pick him.  If I was to look at their roster right now, I would be pretty excited to see Crosby, Malkin and Letang healthy, but the question lingers... for how long will this last?  Letang saw above a point-per-game numbers in 2013 and was on pace to win a Norris Trophy, but his injury cut him short and it just wasn't to be.  Even a shade over a point per game, how much risk are you going to assume in taking him?

As mentioned in my opening paragraphs, I think there is a real risk in taking Jeff Skinner of the Hurricanes.  Skinner burst onto the scene in the 2011 season, with all kinds of raw talent, something that wasn't expected out of the small-ish forward, but when the 2012 season was upon us, teams started to do their homework on him and found ways to get a body on him.  Sure enough, he missed 18 games in the 2012 season, mostly due to a concussion and then missed 6 more games to a concussion in the 2013 season.  These are not big numbers for games lost, but in back-to-back seasons, a trend is starting to form and these kinds of trends are dangerous, even if they are small.  I'm a Skinner fan, but if he continues to have these sorts of layoffs, it is sad to say, but he could be in for a short run.  I would discount his value by about 15-to-20%, when doing up my numbers for him.  Take him in a safe position, if you're going to take him at all.

It has been a rough few seasons for Vincent Lecavalier in Tampa Bay, not having played a full season since the 2009 campaign.  I think one of the more common lines when talking about Lecavalier is, "he isn't the player that he once was."  You may be able to attribute the rise of Steven Stamkos or the domination of Martin St. Louis in Tampa to Lecavalier's production, but there is a certain streak of injuries over the last three seasons, which was likely going to exacerbate the situation for a guy that could already too deep into his own head.  Lecavalier finished 97th overall in pool scoring and was likely in need of a change of scenery, so the buyout was completed, free agency didn't last too long and Philadelphia was his eventual destination.  First things first... can he stay healthy in Philly, where stars seem to be hurt all the time?

Well, if Mike Green could ever get himself out of the infirmary, he certainly still has the talent to be one of the NHL's top scoring defensemen. Sadly, he had missed 50 games in 2012 and another 13 games in 2013 and now you don't know what to do with him.  Lower-body injuries, a la the groin area, have been his biggest issue over the past few years, which couldn't be too surprising, given how mobile he is and how much he relies on his movement on the ice, so if you're a poolie hoping to cash in on Green for the 2014 season, I would be looking for stories on how he has improved his off-season training to be better suited for his game.  If you haven't heard anything like this, I would keep his projections tempered going into your draft and let someone else worry about the risk.

I think there is a real argument for making sure that players, even future superstars, are brought into the NHL when they are physically mature and I think the best case and point is Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Edmonton Oilers. There is no doubt in my mind that he is a talented kid that could do just about anything he really wanted with the puck, but being brought into the NHL as a slender 18-year old in the 2012 season hasn't likely helped him, nor has the season-ending corrective shoulder surgery he had in this off-season.  This is a real concern for me as a poolie and it would be even more of a concern, if I was an Oilers fan, because this is a kid who has a tremendous upside and he may have been brought along a wee bit prematurely.  Nevertheless, from a poolie standpoint, he needs to put together some full seasons to quietly slip away from this tag.

The dreaded concussion, a word that makes me cringe as a poolie. Habs forward Lars Eller picked one up in the playoffs and now has his name marked on this list. I think there should be a few more players associated with this tag, but I'm only finding a few names here and there.  Eller had a pretty good year in 2013, picking up 30 points in 46 games, but I think his market value takes a small hit, thanks to his first concussion.

Speaking of Canadiens players that likely should be on this list, and now is on this list, would be Max Pacioretty.  Ever since Zdeno Chara gave him a run through the turnbuckle, Pacioretty has not been exceptionally durable.  Starting with the concussion and neck problems that he suffered from Chara, he has also started to miss games from other ailments, including some shoulder problems in last year's playoffs.  Pacioretty is a good scoring forward, ranking in the top 60 in both 2012 & 2013 in pool scoring, but he comes with his fair share of risk.

The Phoenix Coyotes have never really been a terribly popular team to pick from for the hockey pools, but one of the few that pops up every year is Martin Hanzal, but his games played over the last few seasons makes him a worthy candidate for the injury prone list.  Upper-body injuries, last season, kept Hanzal to only 39 of 48 games, while 2012 saw him play only 64 games and 2011 was 61 games.  He tends to finish around the bottom of most pool-worthy players and he does carry some offensive upside, which always seems to draw the curiosity of many to his services.  If you get down to a point in the draft where his name comes up, double-check and see who else is available.  You may not want to go with him this year.

A knee injury was the cause for Mikael Backlund to miss eight games in the 2013 season, a season where he also spent some time as a healthy scratch, missing 16 games in total.  Backlund had also suffered a cracked bone in his foot, to which he managed to play through near the end of the regular season, but this kid just can't seem to get away from missing games, despite how much optimism and expectation is attached to him at the beginning of the last few seasons.  Backlund has produced some reasonable scoring rates in his short NHL career, but missing half the season in 2012 and another 8 games in 2011 doesn't bode well for his projections this year.

Pool-worthy players who were previous additions to the list (year added), sorted by 2013 scoring:

Alex Semin (2010) - Semin was added to the list, not because he misses a lot of games, he just tends to end up missing a couple games here and a few games there every season.  Even in his new stomping grounds of Carolina, he still ended up missing 4 games out of 48.  2012 in Washington, he missed 5 games and in 2011, he missed 17 games.  Semin isn't a guy that plays 82 games in a regular season, but I wouldn't necessarily discount his output too much, just a little.  Something to keep in mind.

Tomas Fleischmann (2011) - Thanks to a blood clot in his leg in the 2011 season, Fleischmann ran into what seemed to be the end of some serious injury troubles.  Since that injury, he has not missed a game and now playing in Florida, your biggest concern with him is how the rest of the team is going to supplement his scoring.  A couple of full seasons under his belt, I think it might be safe to give him 100% projection numbers for the 2014 season.  Since he has been on the list, if he is up against someone else, who hasn't been on the list, in the appropriate draft position, I would likely side with the healthy player.

Kari Lehtonen (2008) - Since moving to Dallas, Lehtonen has been reasonably solid, keeping himself in good shape and getting his games in.  The coaching staff have also been good to keep an eye on his workload, making sure he isn't pushing too hard.  Last season, Lehtonen appeared in 36 of 48 games for the Stars, which was a reasonable level and I think he had a bit more rest when the Stars were out of the conversation.  I'll never be in too much of a rush to pick Lehtonen, but he is on steadier footing now, for sure.

Johan Franzen (2010) - When Tomas Holmstrom left the Red Wings, Franzen was thought to take over the role as the pest in front of the net, but that job came with too much risk of injury.  Nowadays, you don't see Franzen giving the goalies as much of a hard time, trying to save himself from too much harm and play more games.  Still, Franzen missed 7 games in 2013 and 5 in 2012 and 6 in 2011.  Those are not big numbers, but it is something to keep an eye on.

Andrei Markov (2010) - Would you believe that Markov played a full season in 2013?  I know it was just 48 games, but he played each one.  A great leap forward from playing a combined 20 games between 2011 & 2012, no doubt.  Markov finished 114th in pool scoring last year, which is a great number for a defenseman, but how likely are you to take the risk that is Markov?  I would keep somewhat of a discounted number associated with his name, just because.  I don't want him biting my fantasy team in the ass.

Ray Whitney (2008) - I find it remarkable that Whitney is still going, but at age 41, he is entering another season with the Dallas Stars and I think what I've been saying over the past few years still rings true.  You should apply a 5-game discounted projection to his name for the draft, just to be on the safe side.  He still suffers his knocks, 16 games missed in 2013 is a good example.  His size and age may warrant 10 games now, but he is certainly a smart enough player to keep himself out of trouble.

Marian Gaborik (2009) - It finally looks like Gaborik has turned a corner in the number of games that he plays in a season, which is great for him and less of a risk for poolies, but you look at his name and still wonder how long it will last.  He has had concussion problems in the past and a number of other body issues, but on the plus side, he played 82 games in 2012 and 47 games between the Rangers and Blue Jackets in 2013.  I would apply a small discount to his projections, just in case, just to feel more comfortable if he ends up on your team, you didn't pick him too high.

Sergei Gonchar (2011) - The 39-year old Russian rearguard had a pretty healthy 2013, by his own standards, only missing 3 games and he picked up some slack for an injured teammate (Erik Karlsson), with some good scoring numbers, but now with a move to Dallas, where there are already two other names on this list in the Lone Star State, I'm beginning to wonder if they'll keep each other safe.  Gonchar misses games, almost to a certainty, so I would discount him by upwards of 20 games, especially in an  82-game season.  If you get him late, he becomes a pretty good bargain.

David Legwand (2008) - The last time we checked in on Legwand, he had missed 16 games to lower-body injuries in the 2011 season.  His 2012 season was better, only missing 4 games and then in 2013, he played a full 48-game schedule, only his second full season of his career.  Has he also turned a corner in his career?  It is definitely likely, but it isn't like the risk isn't there still.  With only two full seasons played in his career, I think it isn't safe to say he's durable player, rather keep discounting his points and if he plays a full season, consider it a bonus.

Paul Stastny (2009) - Stastny is another one of those cases that just cannot seem to play a full season.  He is all kinds of talented, but when it comes down to it, there are a few injuries every year that seem to diminish his numbers.  In 2013, he finished with 24 points in 40 games, which isn't bad, but a full season tends to have some consistency and should help one's game.  A foot injury was the reason why he hit the injured reserve last season.  To date, Stastny has only had one 82-game season, which was his rookie year.

Ales Hemsky (2008) - One of the big reasons why I started this list was to stay away from Hemsky, who continues to miss time here and there with various knocks and injuries.  Hemsky missed 10 games in 2013 and 13 games in 2012 and now he faces time in Edmonton down on the 3rd line, thanks to the influx of young talent.  Hemsky is a fantasy team killer, in my opinion and even if he gets moved out of Edmonton via a trade, I don't think his value really gets any better.

Pierre-Marc Bouchard (2010) - The New York Islanders are going to take a chance on Bouchard, who doesn't have a great track record of staying healthy through the years.  Bouchard signed a 1-year deal for $2 million, which could be a huge bargain, if he plays 70+ games in a year, but he hasn't done that since 2009.  He scores at a rate of half a point-per-game, which is okay, but you know that he can be better when healthy.  When does that happen though?  I would stay away from him as much as possible this year.

Joffrey Lupul (2010) - On this list, Lupul ranked 2nd to Crosby in terms of points-per-game in 2013, but unlike Crosby, Lupul only played in 16 games.  I don't think there is much question that his chemistry in Toronto is off-the-charts, but when you can't get up for many games each season, the questions remain about his durability.  For poolies, this should be a red flag, telling you to stay away, unless you're going to get him in a bargain position.  In the last four seasons, his best total for games played is 66 and that should be the best you should expect out of him these days.  Let someone else take the risk on Lupul.

Martin Havlat (2010) - I think it's safe to say that the Sharks have not been getting their money's worth out of Havlat, since the deal that sent Dany Heatley to Minnesota.  It shames me to think that San Jose did well in this deal, but to be fair, that was assuming that Havlat was going to play everyday.  That has since not happened.  Havlat only missed 8 games in 2013, but his scoring wasn't great and he missed more than half of 2012, so that becomes a wash.  Havlat should still be a top six player in San Jose, but what kind of pick is he really worth?

Sheldon Souray (2010) - An absolute bomb from the point, but at a cost of missing games each year.  Souray switched locales for the 2013 season, heading to Anaheim to help mentor the likes of Cam Fowler and that mentorship only saw Souray miss 4 games.  That's not bad, especially considering Fowler missed 7 games.  I would still keep Souray's record of missing games in mind when preparing your projections.

Sami Salo (2010) - How many full seasons has Salo played in his 14-year career?  The answer is zero.  He almost made the full season in Tampa Bay last year, except for two games in February/March, which likely blew everyone away.  Salo does have the potential, even at 38 years old, to be a pool worthy defenseman, but he shouldn't be anyone you make a push for.  He's more the guy that you'd round out your roster with and you'd be thankful when he has a good season.

Daniel Briere (2009) - Briere is a lot like the Little Engine That Could, but with every happy ending, there is always some kind of conflict in the schedule, mostly small injuries.  Now that Briere is now in Montreal, I wonder how his body will react, as teams like to hit the smaller guys that play for the Canadiens and they get hit a lot when there is a target on their backs.  Briere is another one of those talented players that just gets hurt on more occasions than I'm sure he would like, so I would keep my distance to a reasonable bargain pick or completely away.

Erik Cole (2008) - In the last three seasons, Cole has now only missed one game, which is a great way to get your name removed from this list or at the very least, limit the paragraph about you.  Things are looking up for Cole, except for his scoring.  You may be free to fully forecast Cole, but do so at your own peril.

Kevin Bieksa (2011) - The rough and tumble game has not done Bieksa any favours over the last few seasons, as the Canucks can't seem to get a full season out of one of their best defenders and it has really hurt his pool value.  Bieksa missed 12 games last year and failed to get any solid footing in the scoresheets, only picking up 12 points in those 36 games, which is well below his expectations.  First things first, try and get an idea of how he's doing in training camp, but really, for the number of games he's missed lately, I would discount his value appropriately.

Eric Brewer (2009) - Brewer was already on the hot seat for his lack of production a couple of years ago, but a couple of years of healthy hockey and he's starting to find his way back into the conversation of being picked again.  I would feel a bit better if he had a third season, much like Cole (see above) has now, before I went gaga over him, but he is going the right way to being a solid late round pick to fill out the roster.

Stephen Weiss (2008) - Weiss is another one of those players that a team is going to take a chance on for the 2014 season (and beyond), as the Detroit Red Wings signed him to a pretty sweet deal over the Summer and Weiss has a fairly checkered past, in terms of injuries.  In the shortened 2013 season, Weiss was limited to 17 games for the Florida Panthers and that was about enough for his original and only club to this point in his career.  Weiss was let go via unrestricted free agency and the Red Wings came a calling.  He does have plenty of talent and could be a good fit, but I would give it a year (or two) before I get too excited from a fantasy perspective.

Todd Bertuzzi (2008) - The Red Wings have another player on the injury prone list and Bertuzzi didn't exactly give them great returns in the regular season last year either, only playing 7 games and registering 3 points in that time.  Bertuzzi wasn't doing bad in Detroit leading up to this past year, only missing 11 games over the first three seasons he was there, but the 7 games in 2013 put him firmly back on the injury prone list.   With the addition of Weiss and Daniel Alfredsson, there would be little to suggest that Bertuzzi will feature much in the top six, unless other injuries mount in the Motor City.

David Booth (2010) - Booth is now coming off season-ending surgery to his ankle, which may have been under-reported at the time, suggesting muscle tears and ligament problems were the real cause of the surgery, so it will be an interesting training camp to see how he bounces back.  Booth was acquired by the Canucks in 2011 and hasn't exactly been the explosive offensive force that they were initially hoping for.  Injuries in the 2013 season will likely hinder his offensive upside and he may be better off as a late round sleeper pick, if anything.  I would likely discount his production numbers, hoping to get him at a bargain position.

Players on the injury prone list, not pool-worthy: Ed Jovanovski, Mike Komisarek, Steve Sullivan, Simon Gagne, Filip Kuba, Kurtis Foster, Radek Martinek, Tom Poti, Rick DiPietro, Tim Connolly, Kristian Huselius and Marco Sturm.

Canucks Sign 2013 1st Rounders

The Vancouver Canucks joined the party of signing their 2013 1st round draft picks on Tuesday, as both Bo Horvat (9th overall) and Hunter Shinkaruk (24th) signed on the dotted lines for their entry-level deals.

Both Horvat and Shinkaruk are centres, both 18 years old and both of them are currently participating, with fellow Canucks prospect Brandon Gaunce, at the World Junior Evaluation Camp in Montreal.

The centre position in Vancouver is again offering plenty of intrigue, with potential spots to fill behind Henrik Sedin and Ryan Kesler, which may give a long look to both Horvat and Shinkaruk.  There is certainly no guarantee that they are NHL ready, nor are they necessarily primed to be a 3rd line centre in an NHL line-up, so if I had to guess, it would be at least a year before they really make a push for a line-up spot.

The Canucks have also failed to nurture a top end prospect centre in recent memory in Cody Hodgson, which is a mistake that the club should be looking to avoid with these two new prospects.

With these signings, that, by my count, has 14 2013 draft picks signed on to their entry-level deals, including the entire top 10.  Nathan McKinnon, Alexander Barkov, Jonathan Drouin and Seth Jones are all locked up and they will be featured on the blog when the projections are let loose around the start of September.  This looks like a good crop of rookies and it will be interesting to see where a lot of them are taken in the draft, if at all.

Notable Players Headed Back to Europe

This morning's early news was that Alex Ponikarovsky, an unrestricted free agent, who had played for the Devils last season, has signed with SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL, thus taking him out of the pool of players to be taken in the draft this year.  To be fair, his 9 points in 42 games during the 2013 season was going to be more than enough to do that for the most part, signing in Europe was just the final nail in the coffin for him.

Ponikarovsky has been somewhat of an enigma over his time in the NHL, some times he could put the puck in the net, other times you wonder if he had even left the dressing room and hit the ice.

Nevertheless, this leads me into catching up a bit more on what has transpired over the last couple months, trying to get myself caught up a bit on the blog, more than anything.  I have kept my lists all updated, just haven't done any writing about it.

In keeping up with the transactions, as best I could, I have found 76 new names heading off to Europe in some fashion or another.  The top scorer of the bunch as the failed experiment by the Calgary Flames, Roman Cervenka, who finished the year with 17 points in 39 games.  He has gone back to Europe, where he was a bit more of a big deal, playing on larger ice and against lesser players than what the NHL had in store for him.

Another notable name, with less-than-notable numbers in 2013, would be Sergei Kostitsyn, who is following his brother back home to Europe (Andrei leaving last Summer), after a pretty poor showing in Nashville in 2013.  Sergei played in 46 games for the Predators, but only mustered up 3 goals and 12 assists, which was likely pretty far from what the team had expected of him for the season.  It was his lowest ranking in pool scoring since the 2010 season, just before he really broke out.  I don't think there is too much love lost here.

36-year old German winger, Jochen Hecht, has decided to make his way back home after a lengthy career in the NHL.  Hecht wasn't really that guy that you would go looking for in most hockey pool drafts and he would really only pop his name up if it was a really deep draft.  His 2012 campaign was cut short badly by injury, only having played in 22 games, which likely affected his 2013 season, where he only scored 14 points in 47 games.  It's probably a good time to go finish up the career back home.

The highest ranked restricted free agent, Alex Burmistrov, who is still growing into his legs, has left the Winnipeg Jets for the 2014 season, to see if he can get some more quality ice-time in the KHL and possibly make a grand return to the NHL at a later date.  It sounds like Burmistrov had quite the tumultuous time in Winnipeg in the 2013 season, so that likely plays a big part his decision to leave and maybe he has something to wait out for his return.  Regardless, he wasn't really going to be draft material, unless someone thought he was going to really break out this season (10 points in 44 games in 2013).

Other names on the list heading over to Europe that catch my eye: Wojtek Wolski, Marc-Andre Bergeron, Antti Miettinen, Colby Armstrong, Alex Kovalev, Teemu Hartikainen, Eric Belanger, Anton Babchuk, Marc-Andre Gragnani and Jussi Rynnas.

Am I forgetting anyone?  Oh, yes.

The shock and awe of the "retirement" of Ilya Kovalchuk from the NHL on July 11th. You don't think I really forgot, did you?

With still an incredible sum of money left on the table, over the extended period of time of his contract remaining, it just came out of nowhere to see that Kovalchuk, arguably one of the best goal scorers in the game still, decided to head home to Russia.  He filed his retirement papers to get out of the lengthy contract, which I believe still had 9 years left on it, and about $75 million, to head home and play where he'd feel more comfortable.

It sounded like the lockout did a number on him, as it had to a number of Russian-born players (allegedly), and it was more of a family decision to go back home and play.  This will also likely do him a lot of good, as the Olympics are in Russia this Winter and he will be well-prepared for those games.

Nevertheless, strike Kovalchuk from your lists for the coming year, he won't be coming back any time soon.

The Free Agent Pool, Part 2

There has been quite a bit of rumbling around the status of defenseman Cody Franson, who played himself into a situation where he won't be a Maple Leafs player in 2014 and it isn't in the traditional, have your team give up on you way.

No, Franson, who got squeezed out of Nashville in the off-season of 2011, had such a great season, the Maple Leafs won't be able to afford his fair market value, as a restricted free agent.  Franson finished 8th among NHL defensemen in scoring in the 2013 season with 4 goals and 25 assists in 45 games and that will go a long way to help him find a big contract this Summer.

If you are comparing 2013 numbers among 25 to 27-year old defensemen, Franson ends up in a market that is very heavy on talent.  Keith Yandle ($5.3 million), Shea Weber ($7.9 million) and Mike Green ($6.1 million) are all in the neighbourhood of Franson's 2013 season.  The Leafs look at that and wonder if they can have both Nazem Kadri and their budding young defenseman.

Spoiler alert: the answer is no.

The Red Wings scouting machine continues to find and churn out players, but they are another team that has been punished (in a way) by the diminishing salary cap, so they couldn't keep all that talent that they've found.  Damien Brunner is a pretty good example, as he came into the league last season, but steps immediately into unrestricted free agency as a 27-year old.

Brunner finished 160th in pool scoring, 114th among all forwards, which puts him in the pool conversation, assuming that he finds a team for the 2014 season.  The knock on Brunner will be that he only has one season of NHL experience and it is on a very Euro-heavy line-up with lots of skill to compliment him.  The question becomes, will he adapt well to another system, possibly one that plays a little more North American, dump-and-chase kind of hockey?

The market for Brunner is likely quite small, but his better comparables are Mark Letestu ($1.25 million) and Jannik Hansen ($1.35 million), so I would think that he could find a home at those numbers.

The Red Wings are already at 21 players, including 12 forwards, with only about $1 million left to give under the cap.

2013 was a growth year for Danish forward Mikkel Boedker, who finally picked up his socks and started scoring some points.  Boedker went from ranking 329th in scoring in 2012 up to 164th in 2013, thanks to a 26-point season in all 48 games.  Boedker had always shown flashes of some scoring prowess, leading up to last season, but he finally was able to string some points together and it just so happened to be in a contract year.  Coincidence?

His age range doesn't give him a great deal of comparisons in the market, but his upper comparison could be Kyle Turris ($3.5 million) and his lower could be Carl Hagelin ($2.25 million), which would give him a nice round number to work with and should be manageable in most team situations.

The Coyotes are likely still considered to be a budget-team, since they still haven't been sold to an independent group yet, so looking at their locks and cap hits, they are $56.3 million on 19 players, which would give them over $8 million in cap space, if they were to use it all up.  Boedker is their only big RFA remaining, so it will be up to the negotiating team to make this work in the desert.

One of the big trade deadline rental players, Brenden Morrow, remains in the free agent pool into August and that just seems like a long time for the former captain of the Dallas Stars.

Between Dallas and Pittsburgh in 2013, Morrow finished with 25 points (12 goals and 13 assists) in 44 games, so he wasn't short on scoring.  The 34-year old forward will be able to give any team some real leadership, the occasional goal and all kinds of grit, but what would his potential price be?

Brian Gionta ($5 million) and Mike Fisher ($4.2 million) may be his closest comparisons on the list, both have leadership qualities and have been scoring around the same pace as Morrow, off-and-on.  That is also a large chunk of change to commit to an older player in this new cap era, which likely is the biggest turn-off to going out and signing a guy like Morrow.  Morrow would likely find himself signing a deal, closer to training camps, when his own personal value comes down a million or two.

How much more does Teemu Selanne have left in the tank?  The 43-year old Finnish winger still showed some pop in the 2013 season, which was shortened by the lockout, so the body didn't take as much of a beating as an 82-game schedule would.  If he does come back, it will only be for the Ducks, which really limits the amount of value he has in this article, but he is still considered an unrestricted free agent, so he'll be posted here any way.

Selanne finished with 24 points in 46 games for the Ducks, was still a productive member of a team that finished 2nd in the Western Conference standings through the regular season, but he also dropped a fair bit in the hockey pool scoring rankings, down from 51st overall to 174th... but you can't really take anything away from him, given his age.

Last season, he made $4.5 million and he is a guy that sets his own number.  Selanne is not a player that has any market bearing.  If he decides to come back, the Ducks and his agents will find a number worth coming back for.

Since my list is mainly sorted by points scored, more than actual interest, you can understand why Alex Pietrangelo finishes so low between these first two posts.  Just because the young defenseman only scored 24 points in 47 games with the Blues in 2013, doesn't mean he isn't the most curious of all the free agents on the list.

Pietrangelo broke out in the 2012 season, ranking 119th overall in pool scoring, but felt a drop in the shortened 2013 season, dropping down to 181st overall, 21st among all defensemen.  As a poolie, I don't think I would be ready to discount his overall value or his potential for 2014 and I don't think his team of agents are thinking any differently.

Immediately, the market numbers are going to be rather large, but his upside, you would think, would be worth the expenditure.  Slava Voynov ($4.2 milllion) signed a new deal in the off-season with the Kings and finished ahead of Pietrangelo in scoring, but Drew Doughty ($7 million) may be closer to what Pietrangelo and company have in mind, as a fellow 2008 draft pick.

According to some reports, there is some real fear that Pietrangelo might be a hold out, come the start of training camp, if things do not progress any further.

Still sitting on the free agent wire is speedster, Mason Raymond, who finished the 2013 campaign with 22 points in 45 games for the Canucks.  Raymond has been a streaky player, to say it nicely, who works best in a North-South offense, but his size has always been a hitch of his and it may be what keeps him from signing anywhere before training camp.  I would think that Raymond becomes a depth addition somewhere.

At age 27, this is his first year of unrestricted free agency and his market comparisons from the 2013 season are not likely to favour Raymond, if that's what his negotiating team is going in with, when talking to NHL clubs.  22-to-24 points in 2013 for forwards aged 26-to-27... Paul Stastny ($6.6 million), Nathan Horton ($5.3 million) and Brian Bickell ($4 million) are not going to help Raymond's cause at all.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Raymond sign somewhere around training camp, but it will be for a much more manageable number and likely for a team that could use a touch more speed in their line-up, more than anything else.

The last significant restricted free agent in the Washington Capitals organization is Marcus Johansson, who should still have some game to give, but is coming out of his entry-level deal and is in for the dreaded second contract, which has been the fear of a lot of teams of late.

Johansson didn't have a huge year for Washington, finishing 144th among all forwards with 22 points in 34 games, and really didn't associate himself with one of the team's big stars, so there may still be some question marks as to where he'll fit in the depth chart for the 2014 season.  With some of that rental talent already out the door, Johansson will likely get a good shot at the 2nd line centre position, assuming he signs on the dotted line in time.

The 22-year old Swede is likely up for a good pay day, but depth is an issue for the Capitals, so where will the balance be when the deal is done?  Kyle Palmieri's new deal at $1.467 per season would be ideal for the Capitals, but Josh Bailey's $3.3 million likely looks a little bit better for the kid.

The Free Agent Pool, Part 1

Well, there was no question that Nazem Kadri exceeded my expectations of him for the 2013 shortened season. Taking into account that he did well to figure in with the new coach in Toronto and really take charge of his own destiny, the kid scored some goals and racked up some points, which makes him a quality contender for a spot in the hockey pool draft in September.

Kadri is a restricted free agent and is in for quite the pay day, despite very little NHL experience, compared to some of his counterparts that are in the same boat.  The 22-year old finished with 44 points in 48 games with the Leafs last season, which has him in the same market as Taylor Hall ($6 million cap hit) down to Matt Duchene ($3.5 million this year, $6 million in 2015) and including John Tavares ($5.5 million).

This doesn't bode very well for the Leafs, as they don't have a lot of cap space, $8.65 million for a max of 7 players, for the upcoming 2014 season.  Yes, there has been plenty of speculation as to some trades and such, but nevertheless, if Kadri is going to be a long-term solution for the Leafs, and wants to be, he would be wise in taking a short-term deal, help the team and then look for the big money next season.

Next up on the list is Derek Stepan, who figures to be in a very similar boat as Kadri above him. Stepan has been a player with much growth to his name and actually some reliability for a lot of poolies out there, for his knack to quietly put up some points.

Stepan finished in a tie with Kadri in terms of points and overall ranking in the pool and also now sits in the wings of the New York Rangers organization as a restricted free agent this Summer.  Of course, Stepan's road has been paved with more experience than Kadri's, which, if you were to ask me, is worth more in the long run, but I have my doubts that the NHL market will see it the same way, because there is always someone out there who would be paying more (or less), dictating the market.  Fortunately for Glen Sather and the Rangers, Stepan is restricted and the offer sheets are not free-flowing with the cap going down.

In terms of the market, you have to believe that Stepan is looking at the same kind of names as Kadri is, albeit with a better argument.

If Kadri's situation with the Leafs is bad, then Stepan's situation with the Rangers is quite pleasant.  With the Rangers doing well to clear up some cap space with Marian Gaborik out of the picture, they should have some room to give Stepan a reasonable deal and then fit in the rest of their remaining depth with relative ease.

Our first unrestricted free agent comes out of Philadelphia, by way of the compliance buyouts, given to each team, thanks to the new CBA and it's shrinking cap floors and ceilings. Ilya Bryzgalov signed a monster deal back in 2011, which was going to make him the franchise goaltender for nine years. How well did that go? Well, if the compliance buyout means anything, which it does, not well.

For the sake of cap hits, his is now down to zero for the Flyers and frankly, it doesn't quite matter to me how much the team is paying him out in cash, because it really doesn't affect the building of a team, except in the pockets of the owners.  The general manager doesn't have that calculation to deal with when he's building his team... unless the owner says so.  Which in the Flyers case... likely isn't occurring.

Bryzgalov is reportedly in Sweden working with one of the Elite teams over there, hoping for another shot at the NHL, but having a quick look at the clubs across the board, there is a pretty good chance that Bryzgalov will not feature in the league in the 2014 season, at least, not to start any way.  It is unclear what his salary demands will be, but with cap hits the way they are and the situations outstanding, I can't see him coming back any time soon.

The top "readily available" or "market bearing" unrestricted free agent at the moment, appears to be Brad Boyes, who had himself a bit of a good year with the Islanders in the 2013 season. 35 points in all 48 games is an appealing scoring rate, but to not be signed into August has me wondering why.

It doesn't take long, when you break down the age range, Boyes is 31 and his points from last year, put both numbers into a small range (30 to 32 years old and 33 to 37 points in 2013) and you come up with some bigger names with some large cap hits.  Mikko Koivu ($6.75 million), Jason Pominville ($5.3 million), Tomas Plekanec ($5 million) and Justin Williams ($3.65 million).  Those are all names you wouldn't necessarily lump Boyes in with, but there he is.  Boyes finished behind Koivu in scoring in this range and it's scary to think that this is the kind of money he might be looking for.

Boyes could sit for a while if he is looking for top end money, but if he came down to Williams' money and a reasonable term, I think he could fit somewhere nicely.

The maturation process of Cody Hodgson appears to be going the right way, according to his first full season with the Buffalo Sabres. There was no question that the kid had talent, when he was dealt to Buffalo from Vancouver, but the combination of lack of spots to compete for and a reported attitude problem, because of that lack of spots, meant that the deal was sort of inevitable. Boy, did the Sabres cash in on that.  Now that Hodgson is a restricted free agent, does that mean he'll cash in on it too?

Hodgson had a pretty good year with the Sabres, finishing with 34 points in all 48 games, but did suffer from some streaky periods, which you won't really remember, unless you're doing your homework.  Hodgson is in for a bit of a pay day, since he finished tops in his range in scoring, which includes names like Evander Kane & Jamie Benn ($5.25 million) and James Van Riemsdyk ($4.25 million), so it will be the job of the responsible GM to get the job done right for his club.

I have the Sabres currently figuring in with 18 locks for the roster at a cap hit of $55.5 million, leaving them roughly $8.8 million for five players.  Hodgson is going to take a large chunk of that, but on the bright side, the Sabres do have a lot of talent in the wings, which I don't have as locks, that could figure in at a reasonable cost and get them to the cap ceiling and not over it.

The last name I'll look at right now on my list, finished 112th in pool scoring with 30 points in all 48 games and is an unrestricted free agent at the ripe old age of 38.  Vaclav Prospal has been a very reasonable player in the NHL for the better part of his career, even in a place like Columbus, which hasn't been kind to scoring NHL players, since inception.

Prospal finished ahead of where I had him pegged for the 2013 season, but that still hasn't been enough for the Blue Jackets to come back and say, 'play for us again.'

For players 38 years old and older, Prospal did very well in the scoring ranks, finishing 5th, just ahead of Ray Whitney.  The problem for Prospal is this... Whitney has a cap hit of $4.5 million with the Dallas Stars and is three years older than him.  Is an NHL team, in this era of the lowered salary cap ceiling, going to make a push for Prospal in the $4 million range?  Seems highly unlikely to me and at the same time, sort of disappoints me a little, since that could mean that Prospal goes home to play.

Prospal is an old vet that has some play left in his game, but at what price will he go down to and will he fit into that team's mould?

A Possible Return to the Writing Game

After an abrupt hiatus from the Hockey Pool Domain, I am seriously considering a return to the game, since I have found myself with a little bit more time to sit down and think about the hockey pool again.

For my regular poolies, the draft will start up again around the same time at the same place, which has a new name, and I will sort out a date for that before too long.  Now that we are in August, I know that's the time I usually book.  Unfortunately, I think the Sheet pool is now dead.  This isn't 100% yet, but there is a chance that I might not re-up the Sheet pool for the 2014 season, because that one is a lot of work.  This isn't for sure yet, but it could be.

I am still working on some facets of my overall operation, as I have some new computer equipment and there is a little bit of work to be done to get myself set up for it all, but once I am sufficiently ready to go, I think you will be seeing a few more posts from me, leading up to the new campaign.

First things first, I will be looking at each team in my annual outlooks for the league and I'll be breaking down how I will approach them, as the draft nears.

Until then, I hope you're as excited as I am to get this project back underway.  I don't think I'll be doing 1,000+ posts a year, but you never know.  I might just get that itch again.