Bidding Adieu to the Bozos
Welcoming the Maniacs
Alas, the trio that I nicknamed "Bozos the Clown," will not be returning to the NHL on NBC next season. Brett Hull will be in the front office of the Dallas Stars, Bill Clement will presumably continue to facilitate/analyze on Versus, and Ray Ferraro, well, the less said about Ray Ferraro, the better.
Truth told, I didn't really mind the Bozos last year. More often than not, I found their idiocy hysterically entertaining because, as previously noted during my live blogs of the Cup finals, I'm pretty easy to amuse when it comes to hockey commentating. But perhaps that's the problem: I've been a hockey fan since I was five years old (for twenty years now, so you do the math). I've played the game casually (not in an organized fashion, however), and as I grew up watching a sibling play the game in various extremely competitive organized fashions, I did learn the game. Add to that the advent of the Internet, and the end result is that I am a typical know-it-all hockey fan. I am pretentious. I do not need the Bozos to tell me how the momentum switched (I can pretty easily discern that for myself), or why the power play isn't working (when the other team is blocking your shooting lanes you tend to need to adjust rather than to continue to employ the usual tactics that are no longer working against this opponent). That said, I rely on the Bozos not so much for "help me understand what I'm seeing" but rather for "inside information that even I who spend far too much time reading about hockey on the Internet" don't know because I don't have the "proximity" that actual journalists do. (Sometimes it's better not to have that proximity, but sometimes proximity does reveal things that those who don't have it can't quite "get" in the exact same way.)
Considering what I'd like in a broadcast, then, entertainment + inside information provided by close proximity to the players and powers-that-be, I'm willing to give Pierre McGuire and Mike Milbury a shot. Pierre won me over by screaming how "unconscionable" it was for Alexei Cheraponav to drop at this year's entry draft. At least in terms of entertainment, McGuire fits the bill. And as for Mad Mike? Despite the fact that I'll forever remember Milbury for calling the late Badger Bob Johnson a "professor of goonism," I always loved Milbury's antics behind the bench. He entertained me, and additionally, his antics usually lessened his own cause and helped my team, so how could I not love Mad Mike?
Milbury and McGuire do know the game, Milbury's record as the general manager of the Islanders aside. So long as they actually stay true to their real personalities and don't get condescending (please: I know what off-sides is, and even if someone who is watching in the States doesn't, they're more likely to figure it out without being talked down to the way I wasn't talked down to when I was five years old and learning the rules of the game), Milbury and McGuire have the chance to be more effective than the trio of Bozos the Clown were this past season. Plus, I would hope that actual fireworks might start when Milbury and McGuire disagree. From past experience with both men, potential fireworks between the two has an actual shot at being entertaining. If there's one thing Mike Milbury knows how to do, it's put on a show. And, of course, Milbury and McGuire have been around long enough to have acquired endless stories with which to regale me.
But Bozos the Clown isn't going to work for next season. The team of double M? Mad Men? Oh, dear, the danger of thinking aloud, what about the Maniacs? Hmm. For now, at least until other suggestions appear, I'll have to go with looking forward to the first television appearance of the Maniacs.
And, in Pittsburgh, at least I have Bob Errey to entertain me endlessly. It's been too long since I've heard the phrase "long stick." Time to go to google video and find Errey fawning over Staal's long stick....will Errey have a catch phrase for Letang next season, or is that only reserved for players out of Peterborough?
First game is less than 70 days away, and in addition to looking forward to the progress of the kids, I must wonder: How will Errey entertain* me this season?
*Entertainment, for me, can and does often entail laughing at things that other people; e.g., for example, my hockey-playing sibling, just deem profoundly ingratiating.*
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Lowe & Burke: Getting What You Deserve
A New and Second Silly Season
Personal biases should be known upfront. I think Kevin Lowe is a douchebag. I also think (by virtue of self-inflicted as well as can't-be-helped circumstances) that Lowe is mostly an incompetent douchebag.
I think Brian Burke is a complete and utter egomaniac, a personality type I personally find easy to despise. I also think that Brian Burke, at least this juncture (by virtue of circumstances he fell into and also helped to create) is mostly a competent egomaniac.
Analyzing my personal reaction both to Lowe and Burke (one of ugh probably because both are a little too old-school Canadian for this fan who grew up believing that skill and grit could be found in players who don't claim English-Canadian heritage), of course, leads me to the Dustin Penner offer sheet this week. Interestingly enough:
1.) I agree with Burke that the salary is out-of-whack for a player with Penner's statistics, and beyond mere statistics, on and off-ice contribution.
2.) I agree with Burke that Kevin Lowe is trying desperately to keep his job. However, I am not sure that Burke should have voiced that opinion to the media. Frankly speaking, in the world of hockey, particularly the playoffs, there is such a thing called "bulletin board material." Most players are warned not to say anything that would unnecessarily fire up their opposition, such as "I wanted to play them, anyway." While it's true that Lowe is trying to keep his job, Burke voicing that claim just makes him look like a childish imbecile rather than the general manager of the defending Stanley Cup champions. Really, Mr. Burke, dispute Kevin's gutlessness in not warning you about what was forthcoming all you want, but is it really necessary to stoop to such a level yourself? Well, if you're Brian Burke, it is.
Now that my ranting about Burke is done (aside: my loathing for Burke goes back many years, back to the day when he was in charge of NHL discipline and my skilled Penguins were clutched, grabbed, hooked, and held, and the league, including Mr. Burke, did very little to enforce the rulebook that would have allowed players like Lemieux and Jagr to pile up points as they should and could have), onto still more complaints about Lowe. Put bluntly: I do not understand how handing outlandish offer sheets to complimentary players helps catapult a non-playoff team to a playoff team or a playoff team to a contender.
If Lowe wants to overpay someone, he should wait until a franchise player, or at the very least, a tier I star if not a franchise player, becomes available. If you are going to overpay a player, overpay a player who is going to make an instantaneous difference on your roster. While as a Pens fan I am loath to say this, Lowe would be better off waiting for a superstar potential franchise player (I won't name names, but you know who on the Pens roster could fit that bill) to overpay. Good grief, my Penguins aside, save the money this year and overpay Dany Heatley next summer. He'll easily pot 50 goals alongside Hemsky, and those 50 goals will make a tangible difference when it comes to Lowe's team's won-loss record.
Unfortunately for Lowe, he doesn't have a year and he appears to know that. He knows his team needs to make the playoffs this year. Unfortunately for Lowe, one complimentary player, even one good complimentary player, doesn't take his team over the hump--in Edmonton's case this year, to the playoffs. Which, for Brian Burke, must make the temptation to let Edmonton have Penner a somewhat tantalizing one. What if the Oilers, as appears likely, earn a high first round pick that Anaheim isn't likely to earn? What if Anaheim can then draft a high-end player who will, in a couple of seasons, be able to replace what Penner gave the Ducks this past season?
Lest anyone think I deny the importance of complimentary players, I surely do not. Role players have crucial roles to play on a team that intends to contend for, let alone win, the Cup. But it's just sheer silliness to overpay for a complimentary player when your team is nowhere near contending anyway (reality check: losing Chris Pronger, Jason Smith, and Ryan Smyth means your team is a far cry from the one that went on a run to Game 7 of the 2006 Cup Finals). Bide your time, hoard your money and cap space, and wait to spend 9 or 10 million a season on a player who will actually make a tangible difference for your team.
I still don't like Brian Burke or Kevin Lowe. While Burke's quotes often entertain me, I still don't think he had to say what everyone already knows aloud. (Good grief, if players know not to do that, why doesn't the man with a Harvard law degree?) But for Kevin Lowe, a new prize has been awarded. With Kevin Lowe, unrestricted free agency is no longer alone in being the silliest of seasons. Now, thanks to Lowe, restricted free agency, at least when the current general manager of the Edmonton Oilers is determined to offer outlandish salaries to complimentary players, is, also, a very, very silly season.
Notes:
1.) None of my complaints about the contract Lowe offered to Penner should be seen as an idictment of Penner as a player. I watched a decent percentage of Anaheim's playoff games, and of the Ducks' youngsters, Ryan Getzlaf clearly stood out as a potential franchise player. That is not a slam to Penner as much as it is praise of Getzlaf. But in a salary cap era, it is sheer silly stupidity to overpay a complimentary player when you may find yourself needing to find the cap space to pay a franchise player the going rate for franchise players.
2.) When a team is a player or two away from legitimately contending for the Cup, (think: will probably go to conference finals no matter what and will win Cup if everything falls in place) at that time and that time only, I think it is fine to overpay a role player--either financially or in a trade. However, I think those assets, often, are perhaps best acquired during the season, provided you're not giving up something too outlandish in a trade. But a bit of overpayment to seal the deal on capturing the Cup--at that point, and that point only, can overpayment sometimes be a worthy practice for a franchise. (Note and snark warning: Of course, I am not referring to a worthy practice for a general manager fighting to keep his job.)
3.) Both Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal will be eligible for restricted free agency in the summer of 2009. Sidney Crosby was scheduled to become a restricted free agent in the summer of 2008, but he signed an extension this summer. With Ray Shero at the helm, it is not a foregone conclusion that Malkin and Staal will even be allowed to reach the point where they become restricted free agents (extensions can be signed prior to that occurrence). Also, unlike hockey fans, color me as one who's as yet unconvinced that Staal and Malkin will have a purely upward trajectory. Young players, even great young players, at least ones not named Crosby, Jagr, and Lemieux (spoiled, spoiled, Penguins fan am I), do not always have a purely upward trajectory. Who is to say that other teams are willing to spend outrageous sums on players with potential (snark: especially if Kevin Lowe is no longer the GM of the Edmonton Oilers?) And if Pittsburgh fans (and all hockey fans, too) are lucky enough that Malkin and Staal follow in the footsteps of Crosby, Jagr, and Lemieux, and have purely upward trajectories, well, to put it mildly, there are worse problems to have. (Snark: Such as trying to figure out how to acquire talent rather than having oodles and oodles of talent.) Anyhow, this is one Pittsburgh hockey fan who would just prefer to watch and see how Malkin and Staal do this season and also see the Pittsburgh organization sign both players to extensions prior to them actually becoming restricted free agents.
A New and Second Silly Season
Personal biases should be known upfront. I think Kevin Lowe is a douchebag. I also think (by virtue of self-inflicted as well as can't-be-helped circumstances) that Lowe is mostly an incompetent douchebag.
I think Brian Burke is a complete and utter egomaniac, a personality type I personally find easy to despise. I also think that Brian Burke, at least this juncture (by virtue of circumstances he fell into and also helped to create) is mostly a competent egomaniac.
Analyzing my personal reaction both to Lowe and Burke (one of ugh probably because both are a little too old-school Canadian for this fan who grew up believing that skill and grit could be found in players who don't claim English-Canadian heritage), of course, leads me to the Dustin Penner offer sheet this week. Interestingly enough:
1.) I agree with Burke that the salary is out-of-whack for a player with Penner's statistics, and beyond mere statistics, on and off-ice contribution.
2.) I agree with Burke that Kevin Lowe is trying desperately to keep his job. However, I am not sure that Burke should have voiced that opinion to the media. Frankly speaking, in the world of hockey, particularly the playoffs, there is such a thing called "bulletin board material." Most players are warned not to say anything that would unnecessarily fire up their opposition, such as "I wanted to play them, anyway." While it's true that Lowe is trying to keep his job, Burke voicing that claim just makes him look like a childish imbecile rather than the general manager of the defending Stanley Cup champions. Really, Mr. Burke, dispute Kevin's gutlessness in not warning you about what was forthcoming all you want, but is it really necessary to stoop to such a level yourself? Well, if you're Brian Burke, it is.
Now that my ranting about Burke is done (aside: my loathing for Burke goes back many years, back to the day when he was in charge of NHL discipline and my skilled Penguins were clutched, grabbed, hooked, and held, and the league, including Mr. Burke, did very little to enforce the rulebook that would have allowed players like Lemieux and Jagr to pile up points as they should and could have), onto still more complaints about Lowe. Put bluntly: I do not understand how handing outlandish offer sheets to complimentary players helps catapult a non-playoff team to a playoff team or a playoff team to a contender.
If Lowe wants to overpay someone, he should wait until a franchise player, or at the very least, a tier I star if not a franchise player, becomes available. If you are going to overpay a player, overpay a player who is going to make an instantaneous difference on your roster. While as a Pens fan I am loath to say this, Lowe would be better off waiting for a superstar potential franchise player (I won't name names, but you know who on the Pens roster could fit that bill) to overpay. Good grief, my Penguins aside, save the money this year and overpay Dany Heatley next summer. He'll easily pot 50 goals alongside Hemsky, and those 50 goals will make a tangible difference when it comes to Lowe's team's won-loss record.
Unfortunately for Lowe, he doesn't have a year and he appears to know that. He knows his team needs to make the playoffs this year. Unfortunately for Lowe, one complimentary player, even one good complimentary player, doesn't take his team over the hump--in Edmonton's case this year, to the playoffs. Which, for Brian Burke, must make the temptation to let Edmonton have Penner a somewhat tantalizing one. What if the Oilers, as appears likely, earn a high first round pick that Anaheim isn't likely to earn? What if Anaheim can then draft a high-end player who will, in a couple of seasons, be able to replace what Penner gave the Ducks this past season?
Lest anyone think I deny the importance of complimentary players, I surely do not. Role players have crucial roles to play on a team that intends to contend for, let alone win, the Cup. But it's just sheer silliness to overpay for a complimentary player when your team is nowhere near contending anyway (reality check: losing Chris Pronger, Jason Smith, and Ryan Smyth means your team is a far cry from the one that went on a run to Game 7 of the 2006 Cup Finals). Bide your time, hoard your money and cap space, and wait to spend 9 or 10 million a season on a player who will actually make a tangible difference for your team.
I still don't like Brian Burke or Kevin Lowe. While Burke's quotes often entertain me, I still don't think he had to say what everyone already knows aloud. (Good grief, if players know not to do that, why doesn't the man with a Harvard law degree?) But for Kevin Lowe, a new prize has been awarded. With Kevin Lowe, unrestricted free agency is no longer alone in being the silliest of seasons. Now, thanks to Lowe, restricted free agency, at least when the current general manager of the Edmonton Oilers is determined to offer outlandish salaries to complimentary players, is, also, a very, very silly season.
Notes:
1.) None of my complaints about the contract Lowe offered to Penner should be seen as an idictment of Penner as a player. I watched a decent percentage of Anaheim's playoff games, and of the Ducks' youngsters, Ryan Getzlaf clearly stood out as a potential franchise player. That is not a slam to Penner as much as it is praise of Getzlaf. But in a salary cap era, it is sheer silly stupidity to overpay a complimentary player when you may find yourself needing to find the cap space to pay a franchise player the going rate for franchise players.
2.) When a team is a player or two away from legitimately contending for the Cup, (think: will probably go to conference finals no matter what and will win Cup if everything falls in place) at that time and that time only, I think it is fine to overpay a role player--either financially or in a trade. However, I think those assets, often, are perhaps best acquired during the season, provided you're not giving up something too outlandish in a trade. But a bit of overpayment to seal the deal on capturing the Cup--at that point, and that point only, can overpayment sometimes be a worthy practice for a franchise. (Note and snark warning: Of course, I am not referring to a worthy practice for a general manager fighting to keep his job.)
3.) Both Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal will be eligible for restricted free agency in the summer of 2009. Sidney Crosby was scheduled to become a restricted free agent in the summer of 2008, but he signed an extension this summer. With Ray Shero at the helm, it is not a foregone conclusion that Malkin and Staal will even be allowed to reach the point where they become restricted free agents (extensions can be signed prior to that occurrence). Also, unlike hockey fans, color me as one who's as yet unconvinced that Staal and Malkin will have a purely upward trajectory. Young players, even great young players, at least ones not named Crosby, Jagr, and Lemieux (spoiled, spoiled, Penguins fan am I), do not always have a purely upward trajectory. Who is to say that other teams are willing to spend outrageous sums on players with potential (snark: especially if Kevin Lowe is no longer the GM of the Edmonton Oilers?) And if Pittsburgh fans (and all hockey fans, too) are lucky enough that Malkin and Staal follow in the footsteps of Crosby, Jagr, and Lemieux, and have purely upward trajectories, well, to put it mildly, there are worse problems to have. (Snark: Such as trying to figure out how to acquire talent rather than having oodles and oodles of talent.) Anyhow, this is one Pittsburgh hockey fan who would just prefer to watch and see how Malkin and Staal do this season and also see the Pittsburgh organization sign both players to extensions prior to them actually becoming restricted free agents.
What Should Have Been Front Page News
While no doubt lacking in the scandal of Canadian farm boy hockey players being arrested and despite occurring in Francophone Canada, this would have made a better front page story of the week. Or at least it would have made a better hockey story, Toronto Sun. (And here, thankfully, Grapes and I will probably disagree. That's a relief.)
The event is for charity, and the best hockey player in the world was playing. How much more feel-good can you get than the best player in the world starring in games of shinny, all for charity? And wouldn't reporters have found something to report on when watching some incredibly talented hockey players do their thing in free-flowing games?
For your entertainment, here are the statistics through three games played. My five years of French (yes, seriously, and the sad thing is I can read and write far better than I can understand anything spoken) and familiarity with statistics will help to translate: partie stands for games, buts for goals, and passes for assists. Notice who's at the top of the statistics? Notice the GAA's (apparently "moyenne" in French) of the goalies? (Seriously. Those goalies don't get a break.)
Now, for Penguins fans, and really for hockey fans everywhere, wouldn't it be more fun to spend your summer analyzing the performance of Marc-Andre Fleury and the Pens' latest first round draft pick, in high scoring games of shinny?
Wouldn't it be nice to discuss actual hockey, even if shinny, and wonder if any of these skills will or won't translate to the NHL level for the youngsters participating? Wouldn't it be far more appropriate to place on the sports pages than discussions of a bachelor party that got too loud?
Couldn't even Don Cherry and I agree that Canadian hockey players, even French-Canadian hockey players, playing for charity would be a far better thing for hockey fans to read about in the "dog days" of summer than the arrests of two hockey players?
Eh. Maybe that's too much to ask for. But for those of you who've been hysterically entertained a bit too much by off-ice non-hockey related incidents involving a bachelor party this week, perhaps try applying the knowledge of French gained in school to read about the actual hockey that was being played in Magog this week. And if, due to the dog days of summer, you're too lazy to use your education, or you just never wasted five years of your life learning a language you never use save for reading about French-Canadian hockey players, try the magic of translation. I'll even do the work for you (albeit a little, excuse google translation for the phrases that don't quite translate):
The players of the Rogers class were not unemployed this Saturday with the arena of Magog since all the formations took part in two matches to gain their place in semi-final. Once again, Sidney Crosby stole the high-speed motorboat while being appointed player of the match twice with an impressive harvest of 10 goals and 7 master keys in two parts. After two victory from 12 to 7 against Popeye' S and from 12 to 4 against the Living room, the team Perreault Maximum-Club is one of the four finalists teams for the round of the finales. The team Popeye' S of Quebec it also obtained her pass for Sunday whereas the troop of Angelo Esposito eliminated Guillaume Latendresse and his fellow-members by the mark from 10 to 2. The new player of the Penguins of Pittsburg was named besides player of the match with 4 goals 2 master keys. The amateurs of hockey also were likely to attend the Challenge Tim Hortons, a contest of skill gathering 16 players and 4 guards. Sidney Crosby could go in final round, but it is Jean-Pierre Dumont of Predators of Nashville which gained the honors this year. As regards goalkeeper, Marc-Andre Fleury finished at the head for a second consecutive year. Later in evening, the team Thibault Pontiac Buick eliminated the formation Come Gauthier Sport 10 to 4 and equips it with Saint-François lost his last match 11 to 5 vis-a-vis M-150. For the last day, the team Perreault Maximum-Club will face Thibault Pontiac Buick in semi-final with 15 H whereas the other match opposes M-150 to Popeye' S of Quebec has 16 h.
And now, discuss hockey. What do games like this reveal and not reveal? Why? Should the performance of certain players in games such as these be expected or unexpected? Why?
Just, please, spare me the mug shots.
While no doubt lacking in the scandal of Canadian farm boy hockey players being arrested and despite occurring in Francophone Canada, this would have made a better front page story of the week. Or at least it would have made a better hockey story, Toronto Sun. (And here, thankfully, Grapes and I will probably disagree. That's a relief.)
The event is for charity, and the best hockey player in the world was playing. How much more feel-good can you get than the best player in the world starring in games of shinny, all for charity? And wouldn't reporters have found something to report on when watching some incredibly talented hockey players do their thing in free-flowing games?
For your entertainment, here are the statistics through three games played. My five years of French (yes, seriously, and the sad thing is I can read and write far better than I can understand anything spoken) and familiarity with statistics will help to translate: partie stands for games, buts for goals, and passes for assists. Notice who's at the top of the statistics? Notice the GAA's (apparently "moyenne" in French) of the goalies? (Seriously. Those goalies don't get a break.)
Now, for Penguins fans, and really for hockey fans everywhere, wouldn't it be more fun to spend your summer analyzing the performance of Marc-Andre Fleury and the Pens' latest first round draft pick, in high scoring games of shinny?
Wouldn't it be nice to discuss actual hockey, even if shinny, and wonder if any of these skills will or won't translate to the NHL level for the youngsters participating? Wouldn't it be far more appropriate to place on the sports pages than discussions of a bachelor party that got too loud?
Couldn't even Don Cherry and I agree that Canadian hockey players, even French-Canadian hockey players, playing for charity would be a far better thing for hockey fans to read about in the "dog days" of summer than the arrests of two hockey players?
Eh. Maybe that's too much to ask for. But for those of you who've been hysterically entertained a bit too much by off-ice non-hockey related incidents involving a bachelor party this week, perhaps try applying the knowledge of French gained in school to read about the actual hockey that was being played in Magog this week. And if, due to the dog days of summer, you're too lazy to use your education, or you just never wasted five years of your life learning a language you never use save for reading about French-Canadian hockey players, try the magic of translation. I'll even do the work for you (albeit a little, excuse google translation for the phrases that don't quite translate):
The players of the Rogers class were not unemployed this Saturday with the arena of Magog since all the formations took part in two matches to gain their place in semi-final. Once again, Sidney Crosby stole the high-speed motorboat while being appointed player of the match twice with an impressive harvest of 10 goals and 7 master keys in two parts. After two victory from 12 to 7 against Popeye' S and from 12 to 4 against the Living room, the team Perreault Maximum-Club is one of the four finalists teams for the round of the finales. The team Popeye' S of Quebec it also obtained her pass for Sunday whereas the troop of Angelo Esposito eliminated Guillaume Latendresse and his fellow-members by the mark from 10 to 2. The new player of the Penguins of Pittsburg was named besides player of the match with 4 goals 2 master keys. The amateurs of hockey also were likely to attend the Challenge Tim Hortons, a contest of skill gathering 16 players and 4 guards. Sidney Crosby could go in final round, but it is Jean-Pierre Dumont of Predators of Nashville which gained the honors this year. As regards goalkeeper, Marc-Andre Fleury finished at the head for a second consecutive year. Later in evening, the team Thibault Pontiac Buick eliminated the formation Come Gauthier Sport 10 to 4 and equips it with Saint-François lost his last match 11 to 5 vis-a-vis M-150. For the last day, the team Perreault Maximum-Club will face Thibault Pontiac Buick in semi-final with 15 H whereas the other match opposes M-150 to Popeye' S of Quebec has 16 h.
And now, discuss hockey. What do games like this reveal and not reveal? Why? Should the performance of certain players in games such as these be expected or unexpected? Why?
Just, please, spare me the mug shots.
Front Page News?
Seriously?
Well, hockey made the front page of the newspaper this week. Albeit a Canadian newspaper, and "newspaper" might be a generous description of a paper that is apparently a tad more "tabloid" than newspaper. As much as it pains me to agree with Don Cherry, I basically do.
That being said, however, I find it ironic that the weekend I was composing the NHL's American Marketing Problem, the Staal brothers were busy proving true my maxim that "When hockey players get in trouble, alcohol is usually involved." An aside for a personal caveat: I'm American, but I self-identify as one of the abnormal freaks who actually didn't drink until I was 21. In spite of my own personal actions, my reaction was similar to that of many other fans: I giggled and laughed, at times hysterically, when I read the details of the arrests of the Staal brothers.
To add to Don Cherry's comments(and I can't believe I'm doing this, gag me if I ever do it again), Eric Staal called his fiancee from his bachelor party after the cops showed up the first time. Now, I'm a young woman, and let me tell you, fidelity is incredibly attractive. This was a bachelor party that got too loud, and allow me to repeat, Eric Staal called his fiancee while at his bachelor party. (Warning for the sarcasm-impaired: Snark forthcoming.) Wow, there's a bad seed for you, a definite, dangerous criminal element.
And as for the matter of alcohol, allow me to share a story that no doubt escaped the mention of local Pittsburgh sports broadcasts and certainly escaped the attention of the pages of any newspaper. A 19-year-old collegiate athlete received a citation for underage drinking. Said 19-year-old, from all accounts of those who know him, is a genuinely decent, nice Christian guy who even attends church some Sunday mornings. Does his underage drinking citation make him any less of a nice, decent guy who did what most 19-year-old collegiate athletes do and had the misfortune to get caught drinking at a party that got too loud? Would it be necessary to plaster his picture anywhere in the newspaper? Would anyone even view it as news that, oh wow, a 19-year-old college kid drank alcohol?
Granted, of course, this 19-year-old athlete in question is a collegiate athlete who knows he'll never play his sport professionally. He is not an important cog on a Division I team, a draft pick, and he's surely not a multimillion dollar salary cap hit a la the brothers Staal. Yet what too many people tend to forget is that, for however cheesy those "just like you and me" NHL commercials are, otherworldly talented kids are still just that. Kids. In addition to being kids, they're hockey players, and well, as previously noted, so long as hockey players never drink and drive and so long as too much partying never impairs on-ice performance, I could care less if hockey players, of whatever age, want to have a drink or three or seven. (I feel the same way about the general population, too.) Having a good time at a party is a part of life, and a normal part of life, and so long as it remains a normal part of life--really, who cares?
Well, the Toronto Sun obviously cares. And while Jordan Staal's arrest was at most a one-day story in the Pittsburgh news media, it was still a story. And that's why, if I'm Ray Shero, I do what I have to do to guard against underage drinking becoming a story during the regular season. The Sun's Joe Warmington justified the attention paid to the Staal arrests by claiming that it was the "dog days of summer for newspapers," and admittedly, during the offseason, this story serves its purpose by grabbing everyone's attention, regardless of whether you're like the majority of fans who laugh or a few who shake their heads in disgust. It's an attention grabber, but not a distraction from games nor a problem. If something like underage drinking breaks anywhere in the midst of the regular season or--ugh--the playoffs, do you know what kind of a huge distraction and problem you have on your hands?
Staal's silly slip-up aside, the Pens players, in the midst of enjoying an incredible regular season, also did what I don't begrudge any person from doing: They enjoyed social lives that in no way inhibited on-ice performance. (I don't feel like linking to examples of this, but suffice to say, they're available for the curious to find via google.) But the media attention this offseason, as well as the fact that the Pens arrived last season as a top-level team, makes me leery that people are gunning for those at the top--and not just on the ice, but off the ice. For as much razzing ammunition as Staal's teammates now have, perhaps just as importantly they have the reminder that we all know it never hurts to repeat: Be smart. Be careful. And hopefully, in whatever way necessary, without being overbearing or too freewheeling, the organization adopts policies that enforce that reminder.
With all that said, however, I would like newspapers and the media who played up the Staal arrest as something horrifically bad to go to the three major universities in Pittsburgh. And then, you know, publish the pictures of anyone who's ever been handed a citation for underage drinking. I have this sneaking suspicion that the pictures would fill the pages of a newspaper and would run through many newscasts. Just a hunch.
Moan as I might about the minor sensationalism locally, that can't be anything compared to mug shots on the front page of a Canadian newspaper. (Speaking of mug shots, I've seen worse-looking driver's license snapshots.) Here's to hoping Jordan Staal has the same nerves of steel off the ice that he did on the ice and shrugs off this incident while learning, of course, the kind of situation in which he should never again find himself.
Still, for summer conversational fodder, I wonder what was more awkward:
the conversations with the respective NHL organizations, the conversations with friends who apparently stayed too loud, or, worse yet, the conversation with parents who, like everybody else, would prefer not to see their children's mugshots in the papers.
And as for me, here's to hoping that this will be the last time this summer Grapes and I have to agree on anything. Seriously. Gag me.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Random NHL Notes
Still loving the bullet point format.
Still loving the bullet point format.
- Calgary at least seems like a team tailor-made for "Iron" Mike Keenan. Calgary seems to be built more in the mold of teams of Keenan (e.g. Chicago, circa 1991 and 1992) that won and that Keenan liked. Calgary has veteran toughness and veteran players. I can see Keenan succeeding in Calgary; of course, I can also see at least one or two players (probably good players, just not Keenan style players) being shipped out quite quickly, too. But one thing is for sure: with Mike Keenan back behind the Calgary bench, there will be nary a dull night for the Flames.
- Petr Nedved went back to the Czech Republic. So what you will of Nedved, but the mere fact that he defected as a teenager won my respect and admiration. As I wrote last summer, I firmly believe that decision to defect (of Nedved and Alexander Mogilny) showed all the traits of heart and guts and courage that both players were routinely accused of lacking at some point in their NHL careers. Besides, Nedved will always have a soft spot in my heart for scoring the game-winning goal in quadruple overtime against the Capitals back in 1996. Aside from the Cup victories, it's pretty far up in the highlights of memorable Pittsburgh playoff goals along with Jagr scoring on one leg to beat New Jersey and Kaspar's winner sending the Pens to the Eastern Conference Finals.
- Alexei Yashin returned to Russia. Yawn. Chris Simon returned to the New York Islanders. Am I crazy to think they would have been better off with Yashin? (And I've never liked Yashin. Nor has he ever had my respect or admiration for anything.)
- At present, I don't see much in between boom or bust for the New York Rangers. Complicating this is the fact that I think anything short of a conference finals appearance is "bust" for the Rangers, at least in terms of the expectations of fans and management. I see the Rangers coming close to winning the Cup (provided their defense is somehow shored up) or for all intensive purposes sitting out the playoffs (and by that I mean being bounced in the first round, too). But I definitely see boom or bust for the Rangers.
- Aside from Jason Smith and Kimmo Timmonen, would a Flyers fan ('fess up) deign to inform me as to how Philadelphia's defensive corps has changed from the group that "graced" the Philadelphia blueline last season? (Seriously, in the midst of the insanity I have been spending my summer reading online, I haven't managed to bring myself to read Flyers' fans claims about how their team will win the Atlantic Division or a playoff spot or anything. So inform me, please, but preferably in the style of Daniel Briere and not Bobby Clarke.) Improvement to the forwards aside, I'm wondering if Michel Therrien would deign to "play matchups" to ensure Sidney Crosby can continue to exploit Derian Hatcher in 2007-08.
- The Penguins are special. Al Arbour gets to coach his 1,500 game against them. Hopefully it ends better for the Pens than did that 1993 game. At age 11, that David Volek goal marked the official end of my "dreams do come true" childhood. And until Sidney Crosby and his current crop of Penguins restores that whole "dreams do come true" mantra, I will always hate the Islanders. Sidney, captain your team to victory. (And, with this last bullet point, in all likelihood I have reached the official cusp of insanity.)
Random Penguins Notes
Gotta love the beauty of the bullet-point format.
Gotta love the beauty of the bullet-point format.
- The more I hear Darryl Sydor talk, and the more I see how he carries himself off the ice, the more I like the signing. Something about Sydor, aside from his Cup rings and experience, just screams, "winner." And for a young team that is still learning how to win, winners like Sydor play a valuable role in accelerating the process from promising team to legitimate contender.
- Michel Therrien's contract extension was fair. The contract extension prevented Therrien from being a "lame duck" coach, a distinction earned through last season's on-ice performance. That being said, however, I still maintain my belief that Therrien is an excellent development coach who still must prove he can utilize strategies necessary for the coach of a contender. Until Therrien proves his worth in terms of helping his Penguins win games in the second season, it was definitely wise not to offer him a lengthy contract extension. And, hopefully, the desire to earn another contract motivates Therrien to continue to develop and hone his coaching skills as he and his staff work with their players to develop and hone their hockey skills.
- The signing of Ty Conklin, that horrific Stanley Cup 2006 goal notwithstanding, at least provides more goaltending depth for the organization. Still, for as wise as I believe Shero to be for his patience and not signing Therrien to a lengthy extension, I believe him to be equally foolish for not signing a more proven back-up goaltender. Of course, of course, I hope to be proven wrong. But I am uncomfortable with Dany Sabourin and Ty Conklin as the Pens' second and third-string goalies, respectively. Marc-Andre Fleury, his forty wins last year aside, is not yet at the Martin Brodeur/Roberto Luongo level that renders a back-up moot point. Here's to hoping Fleury stays healthy, strong, and hot for the entire 2007-08 season.
- Amusing question of the day: Which veteran will serve as Kris Letang's "billet" next year? Amusing note of the day: I always love when the children are young enough to require a "billet" housing situation. Amusing hope for the future: Here's to hoping the Pens have a steady supply of kids talented enough to play in the NHL and young enough to require a "billet" housing situation in future seasons. Just to keep our current crop of kids young, after all.
A Better Way to Think About Lines?
In the midst of this l-o-n-g summer (seriously, I am now wondering how I survived the NHL lockout season, though at least I had some form of hockey--college--that I followed), one decent topic that has appeared on the World Wide Web is potential lines for next season. I say "decent" rather than "legitimate" because I scoff at the notion of set lines for any length of time on a team coached by Michel Therrien.
First, a caveat about how I am approaching my current "lines." I am not expecting any more potential moves before training camp. I am also not anticipating any training camp surprises. This means I will not be considering either Jonathan Filewich or Angelo Esposito for top two line duty at least until actual performance in preseason games, coupled with support from the personnel of the Pittsburgh organization, warrants such consideration.
In any case, I am not grouping players by lines because Michel Therrien so frequently juggles his lines. Rather, I'd like to explore the Penguins' top six at the moment:
Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, Petr Sykora, Mark Recchi, Gary Roberts, Erik Christiansen.
In my estimation, the previous players are the players whose skill sets best equip them to play top-six minutes next season. That being said, you might have noticed something interesting about the players I view as "top six." Indeed, I can count. Indeed, there are, in fact, seven players I labeled as "top six" players.
Frankly speaking, whether I like it or not, I think it's likely that all those players play top six minutes at some point in time this season. I think it's likely that Malkin and Staal play wing and center at various points in time this year. I think Christiansen gets some time on the wing to see if he can play the wing at this level, and I think there are occasions when Christiansen gets time at center, too. I think Sykora plays wing for Crosby and Malkin at various points in the season. And, of course, Sidney Crosby plays center on the team's first line, but that's about it for "taking one to the bank" when it comes to the Penguins' top six and top two lines.
Rather, what about the "graybeards," as in Mark Recchi and Gary Roberts? Idealistically, I'd like to see Recchi and Roberts switch between third line and top two line duty depending on the opponent and such scientific factors as current chemistry with linemates and whose hands are hottest at that moment in time. The best case scenario for the Penguins is that one of Roberts or Recchi is in the top six for each match, but the other of Roberts or Recchi slips into a third line role for each match, depending on those previously noted factors.
And while Recchi has been remarkably durable over the course of his career, Roberts has suffered injuries. And if age catches up to Recchi, or an injury catches up to Roberts, Colby Armstrong and Ryan Malone, while not players I'd idealistically label as top six, have at least played previously with Crosby with some success and could fill in should age or injury strike one of the crop of seven top six forwards the Pens currently possess.
Of course, in the midst of the seven players I labeled as top six, and the two potential "sub" top six players named, questions abound. Which of the four natural centers plays on a wing, and how frequently does that player shift to the wing? Can one of Recchi and Roberts truly play top six minutes for the entire season? How does Sykora click, speed-wise, with whoever his center will be? And, most importantly, what's the over/under on how many times Therrien changes the lines prior to January?
Frankly speaking, at least until this new edition of Penguins truly starts playing games, and even as they do begin to play games, I think it's far easier to think about lines when grouping players into "top six" and "bottom six." If you can identify which players you want to play top six minutes and who can handle playing top six minutes, then fiddle with those line combinations as much as you want. For now, however, like this guy, I think it's wise to keep one of Recchi or Roberts on the third line for as many games as possible this season.
In the midst of this l-o-n-g summer (seriously, I am now wondering how I survived the NHL lockout season, though at least I had some form of hockey--college--that I followed), one decent topic that has appeared on the World Wide Web is potential lines for next season. I say "decent" rather than "legitimate" because I scoff at the notion of set lines for any length of time on a team coached by Michel Therrien.
First, a caveat about how I am approaching my current "lines." I am not expecting any more potential moves before training camp. I am also not anticipating any training camp surprises. This means I will not be considering either Jonathan Filewich or Angelo Esposito for top two line duty at least until actual performance in preseason games, coupled with support from the personnel of the Pittsburgh organization, warrants such consideration.
In any case, I am not grouping players by lines because Michel Therrien so frequently juggles his lines. Rather, I'd like to explore the Penguins' top six at the moment:
Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, Petr Sykora, Mark Recchi, Gary Roberts, Erik Christiansen.
In my estimation, the previous players are the players whose skill sets best equip them to play top-six minutes next season. That being said, you might have noticed something interesting about the players I view as "top six." Indeed, I can count. Indeed, there are, in fact, seven players I labeled as "top six" players.
Frankly speaking, whether I like it or not, I think it's likely that all those players play top six minutes at some point in time this season. I think it's likely that Malkin and Staal play wing and center at various points in time this year. I think Christiansen gets some time on the wing to see if he can play the wing at this level, and I think there are occasions when Christiansen gets time at center, too. I think Sykora plays wing for Crosby and Malkin at various points in the season. And, of course, Sidney Crosby plays center on the team's first line, but that's about it for "taking one to the bank" when it comes to the Penguins' top six and top two lines.
Rather, what about the "graybeards," as in Mark Recchi and Gary Roberts? Idealistically, I'd like to see Recchi and Roberts switch between third line and top two line duty depending on the opponent and such scientific factors as current chemistry with linemates and whose hands are hottest at that moment in time. The best case scenario for the Penguins is that one of Roberts or Recchi is in the top six for each match, but the other of Roberts or Recchi slips into a third line role for each match, depending on those previously noted factors.
And while Recchi has been remarkably durable over the course of his career, Roberts has suffered injuries. And if age catches up to Recchi, or an injury catches up to Roberts, Colby Armstrong and Ryan Malone, while not players I'd idealistically label as top six, have at least played previously with Crosby with some success and could fill in should age or injury strike one of the crop of seven top six forwards the Pens currently possess.
Of course, in the midst of the seven players I labeled as top six, and the two potential "sub" top six players named, questions abound. Which of the four natural centers plays on a wing, and how frequently does that player shift to the wing? Can one of Recchi and Roberts truly play top six minutes for the entire season? How does Sykora click, speed-wise, with whoever his center will be? And, most importantly, what's the over/under on how many times Therrien changes the lines prior to January?
Frankly speaking, at least until this new edition of Penguins truly starts playing games, and even as they do begin to play games, I think it's far easier to think about lines when grouping players into "top six" and "bottom six." If you can identify which players you want to play top six minutes and who can handle playing top six minutes, then fiddle with those line combinations as much as you want. For now, however, like this guy, I think it's wise to keep one of Recchi or Roberts on the third line for as many games as possible this season.
Another Window
5 Months to 28 Months
Trades--Realistically Speaking
I've already admitted to suffering through hockey withdrawal, and in an attempt to curing such withdrawal, I've read some absolute drivel on the Internet. (I know, really, who would have guessed that one could read utter nonsense on the World Wide Web? But I digress.) Such drivel is usually bandied about by bored fans when discussing which players could potentially be traded and for whom. In my mind, the most ridiculous claim in most of these-surely-will-never-actually-happen-potential-trades is the assumption that these trades should be made at the present moment in time. And to that, I say, no how, no way.
When it comes to "managing assets," and by this I speak of players who are "assets," not seventh defensemen, I see the Penguins' organization having a starting window of five months from now and a closing window of approximately twenty-eight months from now to make those "trades" that transform a young, promising team into a contender. Think, perhaps, of the trade that brought Paul Coffey to Pittsburgh in 1987, or of the more recent deadline deals in 1991 and 1992. In each of those trades, valuable assets, in all cases, All Star players, exchanged teams in order to meet the needs of a developing contender.
Frankly speaking, despite those Pittsburgh fans who want to play salary cap guru and general manager and despite those fans of opposing squads who wonder if they could snatch one of the Trifecta or our other young stars away, at bare minimum, it will take until November 2007 for Ray Shero to start trading assets for assets the team lacks. Honestly, I expect trades of assets for assets to occur further toward the end of the twenty-eight month time frame than the start of the time frame. E.g., rather than even seeing a deadline deal this season, I might expect to see a trade in November or December of 2008 or January of 2009.
The point which must be reiterated: Until you know what you have, you cannot trade what you realize you have. In terms of the youthful Pittsburgh core, we know how fabulously good Sidney Crosby is. We're still waiting to see how Malkin and Staal follow up rookie seasons. We're waiting to see how Fleury continues to develop. We're waiting to see how Whitney develops and what, exactly, Kris Letang, will become. In addition, there's now the fun of wondering if our potentially flashy 2007 first round pick, Angelo Esposito, will boom or bust.
But the point remains: it is downright insanity to give up a player still on an entry-level contract for an asset the team currently lacks. At this juncture in the development of the youthful Pittsburgh core, fans are just going to have to practice patience and wait. Because, until you are 98 percent certain you're making a deal that will seal the Cup for your team, it is horrible practice to hemorrhage youthful assets. (And in the event the 2 percent uncertainty prevails, you've screwed over your team for the future.)
So, for now, though I know it's an impossibility in the midst of summer, I'd beg people to stop proposing insane trades. My definition of an insane trade is this: Trading a potential franchise player or sure-fire All Star, trading someone who could definitely help you win the Cup eventually, just because that player may not be perfectly ready to help you win the Cup this season.
At the start of last season, I reminded myself that "patience is a virtue" when rooting for a young, talented team. A young, talented team coming off an unexpected 105 point season makes me, almost, want to scrap the maxim that "patience is a virtue."
Fortunately, so long as Ray Shero is the general manager of the Penguins, expect to see patience last for at least five more months. And, then, well, at just the right time, even if it's not this season, hopefully deals get made that make sense.
But until then, watch the kids time and again, and marvel at what, one day, may be.
5 Months to 28 Months
Trades--Realistically Speaking
I've already admitted to suffering through hockey withdrawal, and in an attempt to curing such withdrawal, I've read some absolute drivel on the Internet. (I know, really, who would have guessed that one could read utter nonsense on the World Wide Web? But I digress.) Such drivel is usually bandied about by bored fans when discussing which players could potentially be traded and for whom. In my mind, the most ridiculous claim in most of these-surely-will-never-actually-happen-potential-trades is the assumption that these trades should be made at the present moment in time. And to that, I say, no how, no way.
When it comes to "managing assets," and by this I speak of players who are "assets," not seventh defensemen, I see the Penguins' organization having a starting window of five months from now and a closing window of approximately twenty-eight months from now to make those "trades" that transform a young, promising team into a contender. Think, perhaps, of the trade that brought Paul Coffey to Pittsburgh in 1987, or of the more recent deadline deals in 1991 and 1992. In each of those trades, valuable assets, in all cases, All Star players, exchanged teams in order to meet the needs of a developing contender.
Frankly speaking, despite those Pittsburgh fans who want to play salary cap guru and general manager and despite those fans of opposing squads who wonder if they could snatch one of the Trifecta or our other young stars away, at bare minimum, it will take until November 2007 for Ray Shero to start trading assets for assets the team lacks. Honestly, I expect trades of assets for assets to occur further toward the end of the twenty-eight month time frame than the start of the time frame. E.g., rather than even seeing a deadline deal this season, I might expect to see a trade in November or December of 2008 or January of 2009.
The point which must be reiterated: Until you know what you have, you cannot trade what you realize you have. In terms of the youthful Pittsburgh core, we know how fabulously good Sidney Crosby is. We're still waiting to see how Malkin and Staal follow up rookie seasons. We're waiting to see how Fleury continues to develop. We're waiting to see how Whitney develops and what, exactly, Kris Letang, will become. In addition, there's now the fun of wondering if our potentially flashy 2007 first round pick, Angelo Esposito, will boom or bust.
But the point remains: it is downright insanity to give up a player still on an entry-level contract for an asset the team currently lacks. At this juncture in the development of the youthful Pittsburgh core, fans are just going to have to practice patience and wait. Because, until you are 98 percent certain you're making a deal that will seal the Cup for your team, it is horrible practice to hemorrhage youthful assets. (And in the event the 2 percent uncertainty prevails, you've screwed over your team for the future.)
So, for now, though I know it's an impossibility in the midst of summer, I'd beg people to stop proposing insane trades. My definition of an insane trade is this: Trading a potential franchise player or sure-fire All Star, trading someone who could definitely help you win the Cup eventually, just because that player may not be perfectly ready to help you win the Cup this season.
At the start of last season, I reminded myself that "patience is a virtue" when rooting for a young, talented team. A young, talented team coming off an unexpected 105 point season makes me, almost, want to scrap the maxim that "patience is a virtue."
Fortunately, so long as Ray Shero is the general manager of the Penguins, expect to see patience last for at least five more months. And, then, well, at just the right time, even if it's not this season, hopefully deals get made that make sense.
But until then, watch the kids time and again, and marvel at what, one day, may be.
That Window?
Previously, I stated that the Penguins would have the next five to eight years to win a championship. (Unlike other prognosticators, I'm going to temper my expectations by hoping for one championship before worrying about multiple championships and the potential for a modern-day dynasty.) Sidney Crosby's contract extension until the 2013 season reveals the window of time in which the Penguins have to capture the Cup.
Unlike others who immediately wished Crosby had signed for a longer duration, I believed Crosby's contract was reasonable and fair. Knowing as I do the superstitious natures of most hockey players, I had to laugh at the $8.7 million cap hit--a reasonable price for the best player in the game. (The Ottawa Senators organization, given upcoming negotiations with Jason Spezza, should send Crosby a note of appreciation.) And unlike Garth Snow, I'm not keen on wrapping up players, even franchise players, for fifteen years with one contract (though of course if Crosby had wanted a contract of that length, I probably would have rejoiced even as I would have encouraged an excellent financial insurance policy).
I view the duration of Crosby's contract through the lens of realism. Crosby, whatever ridiculous commentators say aside (no, I will not be linking to that ridiculous Sports Illustrated piece you may have read, so go search for it on your own if you want to read absolute drivel), is driven to win. The duration of his contract sets a time limit for the Pittsburgh Penguins: Management has until 2013, though, probably, realistically, until the spring of 2012, to capture the Cup and keep Crosby.
As a teenager, Crosby is content in Pittsburgh. He's happy with his teammates who want to win, with a team that has good chemistry, with an organization that treats him well, and with an organization that, by all appearances, is trying to assemble a team that can compete for the Cup year after year after year. Yet, if something would go wrong, the duration of Crosby's current contract will allow him other options when he is still in the prime of his career. If the organization cannot capture the Cup by 2012 or 2013 at latest, I expect to see Crosby sporting colors other than black-and-gold by 2014.
Now, as an ardent Pens fan, do I want the Pens to win the Cup? Of course. Given the history of the Pittsburgh hockey franchise, do I expect for everything to go right? Do I know the history of Michel Briere's death, of Mario Lemieux's many injuries, of Mario Lemieux's cancer, of a team that only won 2 Cups when, let's be honest, we all expected many more championships from that lineup, of a star player who we drafted and came to love and who many of us (not me) now boo when he appears on Igloo ice as the Rangers captain, of other great players we couldn't afford to keep over the years; well, of course I know that painful history. And in knowing that painful history, it's reason enough for me to temper my hopeful optimism that Crosby sports black-and-gold for life with the reality that the cliche of nothing is guaranteed being a constant in sports as in life.
In any case, at this point, the window of opportunity for capturing the Cup hasn't been drastically reduced. Crosby will be here until 2013, and Ryan Whitney was locked up long-term, too. Jordan Staal and Evgeni Malkin will only be playing their second season of entry-level contracts in the 2007-08 season. At this juncture, there is no need to hit the panic button and "go for broke" in terms of trades or pursuit of unrestricted free agents in order to capture the Cup by 2008 or even 2009.
Rest assured, however, that Crosby's contract sends a statement. And regardless of what buffoonish commentators think, that statement is twofold: Crosby wants to win, and he expects his organization to surround him with a team that will be able to capture the Cup and compete for championships every season.
So, for Penguins fans freaking out about the fact that you only have Crosby locked up until 2013, enjoy him while you have him. And, hopefully, as you enjoy him and the team his organization builds around him, that core of youthful talent develops into the core of a championship team and a perennial contender that Crosby could never imagine leaving.
But, for the moment, rather than worry about the future, let's enjoy the ride, all right?
Previously, I stated that the Penguins would have the next five to eight years to win a championship. (Unlike other prognosticators, I'm going to temper my expectations by hoping for one championship before worrying about multiple championships and the potential for a modern-day dynasty.) Sidney Crosby's contract extension until the 2013 season reveals the window of time in which the Penguins have to capture the Cup.
Unlike others who immediately wished Crosby had signed for a longer duration, I believed Crosby's contract was reasonable and fair. Knowing as I do the superstitious natures of most hockey players, I had to laugh at the $8.7 million cap hit--a reasonable price for the best player in the game. (The Ottawa Senators organization, given upcoming negotiations with Jason Spezza, should send Crosby a note of appreciation.) And unlike Garth Snow, I'm not keen on wrapping up players, even franchise players, for fifteen years with one contract (though of course if Crosby had wanted a contract of that length, I probably would have rejoiced even as I would have encouraged an excellent financial insurance policy).
I view the duration of Crosby's contract through the lens of realism. Crosby, whatever ridiculous commentators say aside (no, I will not be linking to that ridiculous Sports Illustrated piece you may have read, so go search for it on your own if you want to read absolute drivel), is driven to win. The duration of his contract sets a time limit for the Pittsburgh Penguins: Management has until 2013, though, probably, realistically, until the spring of 2012, to capture the Cup and keep Crosby.
As a teenager, Crosby is content in Pittsburgh. He's happy with his teammates who want to win, with a team that has good chemistry, with an organization that treats him well, and with an organization that, by all appearances, is trying to assemble a team that can compete for the Cup year after year after year. Yet, if something would go wrong, the duration of Crosby's current contract will allow him other options when he is still in the prime of his career. If the organization cannot capture the Cup by 2012 or 2013 at latest, I expect to see Crosby sporting colors other than black-and-gold by 2014.
Now, as an ardent Pens fan, do I want the Pens to win the Cup? Of course. Given the history of the Pittsburgh hockey franchise, do I expect for everything to go right? Do I know the history of Michel Briere's death, of Mario Lemieux's many injuries, of Mario Lemieux's cancer, of a team that only won 2 Cups when, let's be honest, we all expected many more championships from that lineup, of a star player who we drafted and came to love and who many of us (not me) now boo when he appears on Igloo ice as the Rangers captain, of other great players we couldn't afford to keep over the years; well, of course I know that painful history. And in knowing that painful history, it's reason enough for me to temper my hopeful optimism that Crosby sports black-and-gold for life with the reality that the cliche of nothing is guaranteed being a constant in sports as in life.
In any case, at this point, the window of opportunity for capturing the Cup hasn't been drastically reduced. Crosby will be here until 2013, and Ryan Whitney was locked up long-term, too. Jordan Staal and Evgeni Malkin will only be playing their second season of entry-level contracts in the 2007-08 season. At this juncture, there is no need to hit the panic button and "go for broke" in terms of trades or pursuit of unrestricted free agents in order to capture the Cup by 2008 or even 2009.
Rest assured, however, that Crosby's contract sends a statement. And regardless of what buffoonish commentators think, that statement is twofold: Crosby wants to win, and he expects his organization to surround him with a team that will be able to capture the Cup and compete for championships every season.
So, for Penguins fans freaking out about the fact that you only have Crosby locked up until 2013, enjoy him while you have him. And, hopefully, as you enjoy him and the team his organization builds around him, that core of youthful talent develops into the core of a championship team and a perennial contender that Crosby could never imagine leaving.
But, for the moment, rather than worry about the future, let's enjoy the ride, all right?
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Part Two*
Potential Solutions to the NHL's American Marketing Problem
In Part One of this post, I identified two problems the NHL faces when trying to market the NHL product in the United States. In Part Two, I'd like to explore some possible solutions to those problems and suggest some solutions that could be reasonably implemented.
Summary of Problem Number Number One: There is a general lack of scandal surrounding NHL players that, quite honestly, bores American sports fans who are accustomed to headline-grabbing scandal rife with conflict.
What's Great About This and Shouldn't Be Changed: Hockey players drink protein shakes religiously rather than bulk up on steroids. The vast majority of NHL players aren't engaging in even the minor stupidities of bar fights and resisting arrest. In general, hockey players do their jobs, and any shenanigans in which they indulge off the ice (e.g. the hard-drinking culture of hockey) rarely involve breaking the law.
What's Problematic About This: Far too often, the average American dismisses hockey players as "boring," and not just boring, but dull. Perhaps part of this can be blamed on American provincialism: Americans are generally too lazy to listen to someone with an accent that's not easily identifiable. If you have to listen to a player speaking with a French accent or a Slovak accent, that requires effort. Not to mention that player hails from a culture, typically, very different than that of most Americans. Yet it's not just American provincialism that causes the problem: Hockey players can compound the problem by giving interviews in which they spew constant cliches and, whatever the reason, never reveal the dynamic personalities so often seen during in-game action.
Simple Solutions: Put microphones on the bench, the penalty box, the referee and linesmen, and on more than just a select player. And keep the microphones on for more than just 30 seconds or even just a few minutes. Truth told, the personalities of star players like Sidney Crosby and Jaromir Jagr are far more easily seen in on-ice performance than in most anything that occurs off the ice. Part of on-ice performance is the way a player interacts with others verbally--and let's be honest. Heat-of-the-moment drama is common in the midst of a hockey game, and sports fans can get the high drama they desire as part of in-game action. And for the family friendly crowd that might wince at some of the utterances of the hockey players, modern technology has invented a bleep-out device; plus, as far as I know, even children are experts at lip-reading, sound or no sound.
Going along with this simple solution, the NHL itself needs to allow the players to be themselves. Local broadcasters often do this best; it's why players with charming personalities, a la Max Talbot, or pranksters, a la Colby Armstrong, are beloved by Pittsburgh fans. When the NHL has a national broadcast in the States, it would be far better for the league, rather than encouraging players to say nothing controversial, to encourage players to be true to who they are--whether that's serious and focused or loose and comical. Honestly, NHL, nothing earth-shattering will really come from allowing an on-ice broadcast to reveal that a certain star player, in addition to being a star, is also extremely emotional. In fact, the NHL, while doing nothing to change the game at all, might begin to catch the imagination of American fans due to the high drama inherent in the matches themselves.
Summary of Problem Two: On-ice displays of Neanderthal behavior turn off the average American sports fan, while off-ice "minor" scandals don't grab the headlines of the public but remain an image problem for the NHL.
What's Great About This: While I'd like to say that it's good that, for example, bar fights involving NHL players don't typically make major headlines in the United States, I'd almost prefer that a royal fuss would be thrown any time a NHL player broke the law off the ice. Because that kind of uproar in grabbing the headlines would at least be proof that the NHL is relevant in the States. Unfortunately, I have to go with the fact that there's nothing great about problem two.
What's Problematic About This: When hockey players get in trouble, alcohol is usually involved. In the worst cases, drunk driving is involved. Besides the fact that drunk driving is irresponsible, dangerous, and far too often deadly, drunk driving arrests present a "just like the rest of them" image problem for the NHL. So-called "boring" NHL players show themselves to be no different than their peers in other professional sports when the police ledger reveals that players were driving cars with blood alcohol levels over the legal limit.
And I think it's enough to state the obvious problem inherent when a player wields his hockey stick to an opposing player's neck in the same way one would chop down a tree.
Simple Solutions: While I'm fairly certain the NHL tries to get the "no drinking and driving" thing through the heads of players, it's certainly fair to say that more can and should be done. E.g., most hockey players drink. Fine and dandy. Teach those players to drink responsibly. Teach those players to find someone in the team's organization to give them a ride when they've indulged themselves. Ream it through their minds, hearts, and souls, in every way possible, how to recognize when they've had too much to drink (e.g. this much is too much), how to err on the side of caution rather than the side of risk (difficult for hockey players), and how, their athletic prowess aside, they never have any business being behind the wheel of a car after a night of indulgence.
While getting the no drinking and driving mentality to take hold in the hearts, minds, and souls of professional hockey players, it is necessary for the hearts, minds, and souls of the powers that be in the NHL front office to realize that they must eradicate any resemblance to Neanderthal behavior from the game of hockey. As someone who grew up watching the sport, I understand the inherent "code." Beyond that "code," which has limitations, the NHL has to stomp down, swiftly and harshly, on stick work. There is no room in the NHL for Chris Simon swinging his stick the way he did this past season. Even if such stick work is "accidental" or a result of mere "carelessness," it must be punished, and punished harshly. And despite the "code," there is no room for deliberately attempting to injure another player.* Any incidents where a player deliberately attempts to injure an opponent should be immediately followed by the harshest of consequences, and if the rulebook needs to be amended for this change to occur, the rulebook needs to be amended immediately. Repeat offenders should receive a lifetime ban. Harsh? Yes. Necessary? Absolutely.
Yet even as I ponder potential solutions to the NHL's American marketing problem, I return to the last question I asked in the first post where I introduced what I believed to be the NHL's two main difficulties in marketing the NHL game to the American sports fan. That question, once again: Given the average American's lust for conflict-rife scandal, should the NHL even desire to start marketing the game to the average American sports fan?
My current answer: So long as the integrity of the game of hockey isn't compromised, absolutely.
Honestly, will putting microphones on players, all of whom will easily get consumed by in game action, really compromise the integrity of the game?
Would creating commercials that focus on conflict inherent in the game, for example, a disagreement between two opposing coaches or two opposing players, compromise the integrity of the game?
Would altering the rulebook to ensure that deliberate attempts to injure opponents are immediately followed by swift and harsh reprisal really alter the integrity of the game?
In answer to all those questions, the answer comes: Of course not. As much as "old-school" hockey types bemoan any type of change, the Stanley Cup finals were still the Stanley Cup finals, this in spite of Pierre McGuire now peppering players and coaches with questions throughout the in-game action. The reaction to Chris Simon's insanity was probably not harsh enough. In no way, however, did a lengthy suspension or a reporter with a microphone in the faces of players and coaches throughout the game itself drastically change hockey from what it is.
As an adult who got hooked on hockey as a young child, so long as the simple solutions to the NHL's American marketing problem do not change the very essence of what makes hockey hockey, why not try those simple solutions, at least a little--just to see if more people, perhaps, can be let in on the great secret that is the game of hockey?
*As I understand "the code," when an opponent takes an unnecessary/cheap shot at my team's star player, my team's "enforcer" (our guy who fights) looks for an opportunity to fight the player who took the cheap shot. That being said, however, when such a "code" evolves not into merely winning a fight, but into trying to injure the player who took the cheap shot, a line has been crossed that should not be crossed. (See Todd Bertuzzi trying to avenge Markus Naslund and what happened to Steve Moore.) Of course, idealistically, the best way to deal with "cheap shots" is not for an enforcer to "even the score" but for a team to punish the opponents on the scoreboard by scoring on the power play that should ensue following a cheap shot. Likewise, of course, the best way to eliminate the unnecessary/cheap shots and need for reprisal from the team is for the officials to enforce the rulebook consistently. And, of course, if the rulebook needs to be strengthened (as in the case of attempts to injure), the rulebook needs to be altered so that officials can enforce it. (Further discussions of "the code," changes to the rulebook, and issues in officiating will probably make good blogging fodder for the remainder of this seemingly interminable summer.)
Potential Solutions to the NHL's American Marketing Problem
In Part One of this post, I identified two problems the NHL faces when trying to market the NHL product in the United States. In Part Two, I'd like to explore some possible solutions to those problems and suggest some solutions that could be reasonably implemented.
Summary of Problem Number Number One: There is a general lack of scandal surrounding NHL players that, quite honestly, bores American sports fans who are accustomed to headline-grabbing scandal rife with conflict.
What's Great About This and Shouldn't Be Changed: Hockey players drink protein shakes religiously rather than bulk up on steroids. The vast majority of NHL players aren't engaging in even the minor stupidities of bar fights and resisting arrest. In general, hockey players do their jobs, and any shenanigans in which they indulge off the ice (e.g. the hard-drinking culture of hockey) rarely involve breaking the law.
What's Problematic About This: Far too often, the average American dismisses hockey players as "boring," and not just boring, but dull. Perhaps part of this can be blamed on American provincialism: Americans are generally too lazy to listen to someone with an accent that's not easily identifiable. If you have to listen to a player speaking with a French accent or a Slovak accent, that requires effort. Not to mention that player hails from a culture, typically, very different than that of most Americans. Yet it's not just American provincialism that causes the problem: Hockey players can compound the problem by giving interviews in which they spew constant cliches and, whatever the reason, never reveal the dynamic personalities so often seen during in-game action.
Simple Solutions: Put microphones on the bench, the penalty box, the referee and linesmen, and on more than just a select player. And keep the microphones on for more than just 30 seconds or even just a few minutes. Truth told, the personalities of star players like Sidney Crosby and Jaromir Jagr are far more easily seen in on-ice performance than in most anything that occurs off the ice. Part of on-ice performance is the way a player interacts with others verbally--and let's be honest. Heat-of-the-moment drama is common in the midst of a hockey game, and sports fans can get the high drama they desire as part of in-game action. And for the family friendly crowd that might wince at some of the utterances of the hockey players, modern technology has invented a bleep-out device; plus, as far as I know, even children are experts at lip-reading, sound or no sound.
Going along with this simple solution, the NHL itself needs to allow the players to be themselves. Local broadcasters often do this best; it's why players with charming personalities, a la Max Talbot, or pranksters, a la Colby Armstrong, are beloved by Pittsburgh fans. When the NHL has a national broadcast in the States, it would be far better for the league, rather than encouraging players to say nothing controversial, to encourage players to be true to who they are--whether that's serious and focused or loose and comical. Honestly, NHL, nothing earth-shattering will really come from allowing an on-ice broadcast to reveal that a certain star player, in addition to being a star, is also extremely emotional. In fact, the NHL, while doing nothing to change the game at all, might begin to catch the imagination of American fans due to the high drama inherent in the matches themselves.
Summary of Problem Two: On-ice displays of Neanderthal behavior turn off the average American sports fan, while off-ice "minor" scandals don't grab the headlines of the public but remain an image problem for the NHL.
What's Great About This: While I'd like to say that it's good that, for example, bar fights involving NHL players don't typically make major headlines in the United States, I'd almost prefer that a royal fuss would be thrown any time a NHL player broke the law off the ice. Because that kind of uproar in grabbing the headlines would at least be proof that the NHL is relevant in the States. Unfortunately, I have to go with the fact that there's nothing great about problem two.
What's Problematic About This: When hockey players get in trouble, alcohol is usually involved. In the worst cases, drunk driving is involved. Besides the fact that drunk driving is irresponsible, dangerous, and far too often deadly, drunk driving arrests present a "just like the rest of them" image problem for the NHL. So-called "boring" NHL players show themselves to be no different than their peers in other professional sports when the police ledger reveals that players were driving cars with blood alcohol levels over the legal limit.
And I think it's enough to state the obvious problem inherent when a player wields his hockey stick to an opposing player's neck in the same way one would chop down a tree.
Simple Solutions: While I'm fairly certain the NHL tries to get the "no drinking and driving" thing through the heads of players, it's certainly fair to say that more can and should be done. E.g., most hockey players drink. Fine and dandy. Teach those players to drink responsibly. Teach those players to find someone in the team's organization to give them a ride when they've indulged themselves. Ream it through their minds, hearts, and souls, in every way possible, how to recognize when they've had too much to drink (e.g. this much is too much), how to err on the side of caution rather than the side of risk (difficult for hockey players), and how, their athletic prowess aside, they never have any business being behind the wheel of a car after a night of indulgence.
While getting the no drinking and driving mentality to take hold in the hearts, minds, and souls of professional hockey players, it is necessary for the hearts, minds, and souls of the powers that be in the NHL front office to realize that they must eradicate any resemblance to Neanderthal behavior from the game of hockey. As someone who grew up watching the sport, I understand the inherent "code." Beyond that "code," which has limitations, the NHL has to stomp down, swiftly and harshly, on stick work. There is no room in the NHL for Chris Simon swinging his stick the way he did this past season. Even if such stick work is "accidental" or a result of mere "carelessness," it must be punished, and punished harshly. And despite the "code," there is no room for deliberately attempting to injure another player.* Any incidents where a player deliberately attempts to injure an opponent should be immediately followed by the harshest of consequences, and if the rulebook needs to be amended for this change to occur, the rulebook needs to be amended immediately. Repeat offenders should receive a lifetime ban. Harsh? Yes. Necessary? Absolutely.
Yet even as I ponder potential solutions to the NHL's American marketing problem, I return to the last question I asked in the first post where I introduced what I believed to be the NHL's two main difficulties in marketing the NHL game to the American sports fan. That question, once again: Given the average American's lust for conflict-rife scandal, should the NHL even desire to start marketing the game to the average American sports fan?
My current answer: So long as the integrity of the game of hockey isn't compromised, absolutely.
Honestly, will putting microphones on players, all of whom will easily get consumed by in game action, really compromise the integrity of the game?
Would creating commercials that focus on conflict inherent in the game, for example, a disagreement between two opposing coaches or two opposing players, compromise the integrity of the game?
Would altering the rulebook to ensure that deliberate attempts to injure opponents are immediately followed by swift and harsh reprisal really alter the integrity of the game?
In answer to all those questions, the answer comes: Of course not. As much as "old-school" hockey types bemoan any type of change, the Stanley Cup finals were still the Stanley Cup finals, this in spite of Pierre McGuire now peppering players and coaches with questions throughout the in-game action. The reaction to Chris Simon's insanity was probably not harsh enough. In no way, however, did a lengthy suspension or a reporter with a microphone in the faces of players and coaches throughout the game itself drastically change hockey from what it is.
As an adult who got hooked on hockey as a young child, so long as the simple solutions to the NHL's American marketing problem do not change the very essence of what makes hockey hockey, why not try those simple solutions, at least a little--just to see if more people, perhaps, can be let in on the great secret that is the game of hockey?
*As I understand "the code," when an opponent takes an unnecessary/cheap shot at my team's star player, my team's "enforcer" (our guy who fights) looks for an opportunity to fight the player who took the cheap shot. That being said, however, when such a "code" evolves not into merely winning a fight, but into trying to injure the player who took the cheap shot, a line has been crossed that should not be crossed. (See Todd Bertuzzi trying to avenge Markus Naslund and what happened to Steve Moore.) Of course, idealistically, the best way to deal with "cheap shots" is not for an enforcer to "even the score" but for a team to punish the opponents on the scoreboard by scoring on the power play that should ensue following a cheap shot. Likewise, of course, the best way to eliminate the unnecessary/cheap shots and need for reprisal from the team is for the officials to enforce the rulebook consistently. And, of course, if the rulebook needs to be strengthened (as in the case of attempts to injure), the rulebook needs to be altered so that officials can enforce it. (Further discussions of "the code," changes to the rulebook, and issues in officiating will probably make good blogging fodder for the remainder of this seemingly interminable summer.)
Part One*
The NHL's American Marketing Problem
In the NFL, we have scandal.
In the NBA, we have potentially game-related scandal.
In MLB, we have the the almost certainly tarnished* home run record scandal.
Meanwhile, in the NHL, we have the game's best player celebrating his new contract in style .
Oh, sure, it's really, really nice that the youngest professional scoring champion in the history of any of the major sports spends his offseason working out diligently in preparation for the upcoming season. It's also so, so sweet that the youngest captain in the history of his professional sports league prefers to spend his summer evenings in the company of his family.
Truthfully, however, Sidney Crosby's summer is far too dull for the tastes of the majority of American sports fans. Say what you will for Americans, but we live for scandal. Witness how many of us tuned into follow the saga of the OJ Simpson trial. Witness how many Americans watch the NFL in spite of the shenanigans of a segment of the NFLPA best represented by the
Cincinatti Bengals. Like it or not, Americans love conflict and drama, and scandals promise loads of conflict-filled drama.
Thus, problem number one for the NHL is the general lack of scandal surrounding their players and game. (Really, one drug policy violation? This despite protestations/perhaps proof of innocence?). Of late, anyhow, on and off the ice, the NHLPA has busied itself more with finding a new director than with making news by headlining the kind of scandals that American "journalists" report because that's what sells the papers and gets the ratings.
Unfortunately for the NHL, in addition to lacking the type of scandals that will grab immediate hold of the American public, the NHL has a history of too many of the wrong kinds of scandals.
Incidents like the this infamous one give the NHL a black eye in the estimation of American fans who don't expect that kind of violence to extend to the actual game itself. Worse still for the NHL, when one of their players does something stupid and/or reckless off the ice, the incidents don't typically end in jail time but in tragedy. When a hockey player finds himself in a scandal, it's usually for acting like a Neanderthal on the ice or some comparatively "minor" form of equally reckless behavior off the ice. (Bar fights, even repeated bar fights obviously pale in comparison to "murder for hire" scandals.) The scandals in which NHL players have previously found themselves are not the type of scandals that will typically grab the attention of the American public enough for "journalists" to "headline" these stories.
So, then, the NHL has twin problems when it comes to marketing the NHL product to the average American sports fan. Problem number one is that hockey players, on the whole, just don't appear to do enough off the ice to capture the attention of an American public that--ratings don't lie--lives for scandal or at least, drama rife with conflict. Problem number two is that when NHL players do indeed grab the headlines, they grab the headlines for off-ice issues that are so minor as to be boring to Americans accustomed to Grade-A scandals. Problem number two is compounded by the fact that some prior on-ice, in-game issues scream for the justice of prosecution and judicial punishment far more than do most of the silly shenanigans in which a small segment of NHL players engage off the ice.
So, then, two questions must be asked. First, how does the NHL, given these two identified problems, begin to market the game to appeal to the average American sports fan? Second, and this question is far more important, given the average American's lust for conflict-rife scandal, should the NHL even desire to start marketing the game to the average American sports fan?
*In the follow-up to this post, possible solutions to this marketing problem will be explored.*
The NHL's American Marketing Problem
In the NFL, we have scandal.
In the NBA, we have potentially game-related scandal.
In MLB, we have the the almost certainly tarnished* home run record scandal.
Meanwhile, in the NHL, we have the game's best player celebrating his new contract in style .
Oh, sure, it's really, really nice that the youngest professional scoring champion in the history of any of the major sports spends his offseason working out diligently in preparation for the upcoming season. It's also so, so sweet that the youngest captain in the history of his professional sports league prefers to spend his summer evenings in the company of his family.
Truthfully, however, Sidney Crosby's summer is far too dull for the tastes of the majority of American sports fans. Say what you will for Americans, but we live for scandal. Witness how many of us tuned into follow the saga of the OJ Simpson trial. Witness how many Americans watch the NFL in spite of the shenanigans of a segment of the NFLPA best represented by the
Cincinatti Bengals. Like it or not, Americans love conflict and drama, and scandals promise loads of conflict-filled drama.
Thus, problem number one for the NHL is the general lack of scandal surrounding their players and game. (Really, one drug policy violation? This despite protestations/perhaps proof of innocence?). Of late, anyhow, on and off the ice, the NHLPA has busied itself more with finding a new director than with making news by headlining the kind of scandals that American "journalists" report because that's what sells the papers and gets the ratings.
Unfortunately for the NHL, in addition to lacking the type of scandals that will grab immediate hold of the American public, the NHL has a history of too many of the wrong kinds of scandals.
Incidents like the this infamous one give the NHL a black eye in the estimation of American fans who don't expect that kind of violence to extend to the actual game itself. Worse still for the NHL, when one of their players does something stupid and/or reckless off the ice, the incidents don't typically end in jail time but in tragedy. When a hockey player finds himself in a scandal, it's usually for acting like a Neanderthal on the ice or some comparatively "minor" form of equally reckless behavior off the ice. (Bar fights, even repeated bar fights obviously pale in comparison to "murder for hire" scandals.) The scandals in which NHL players have previously found themselves are not the type of scandals that will typically grab the attention of the American public enough for "journalists" to "headline" these stories.
So, then, the NHL has twin problems when it comes to marketing the NHL product to the average American sports fan. Problem number one is that hockey players, on the whole, just don't appear to do enough off the ice to capture the attention of an American public that--ratings don't lie--lives for scandal or at least, drama rife with conflict. Problem number two is that when NHL players do indeed grab the headlines, they grab the headlines for off-ice issues that are so minor as to be boring to Americans accustomed to Grade-A scandals. Problem number two is compounded by the fact that some prior on-ice, in-game issues scream for the justice of prosecution and judicial punishment far more than do most of the silly shenanigans in which a small segment of NHL players engage off the ice.
So, then, two questions must be asked. First, how does the NHL, given these two identified problems, begin to market the game to appeal to the average American sports fan? Second, and this question is far more important, given the average American's lust for conflict-rife scandal, should the NHL even desire to start marketing the game to the average American sports fan?
*In the follow-up to this post, possible solutions to this marketing problem will be explored.*
Withdrawal Quick Fix?
Ugh. Late July. The whirlwind that is unrestricted free agency is for the most part over. And in terms of hockey withdrawal, one is stuck reading inane trade proposals, rumors that range from the merely ridiculous to utterly and absolutely outlandish. One could also be stuck debating which second or third-tier prospect might somehow be ready for regular NHL duty in the fall with, of course, no actual tangible proof in the form of competing against NHL players to back up these at best silly and at worst patently absurd musings.
So in the midst of withdrawal that spawns insane rantings, what is one to do? Look no further than google video. Credit the NHL for this, at least: The NHL knows more people need to enjoy the on-ice product, and thus the preponderance of game-action videos on you tube and google video.
The best classic withdrawal cure I've found so far is this gem. Beautiful.
Still the greatest comeback win of all time, in my opinion, with the historical caveat that I was nine years old at the time of that win, so my historical perspective, indeed, is limited.
For those in need of more recent comeback hopes, try this one.
Hopefully next year we get to enjoy more than just one when it matters most.
Ugh. Late July. The whirlwind that is unrestricted free agency is for the most part over. And in terms of hockey withdrawal, one is stuck reading inane trade proposals, rumors that range from the merely ridiculous to utterly and absolutely outlandish. One could also be stuck debating which second or third-tier prospect might somehow be ready for regular NHL duty in the fall with, of course, no actual tangible proof in the form of competing against NHL players to back up these at best silly and at worst patently absurd musings.
So in the midst of withdrawal that spawns insane rantings, what is one to do? Look no further than google video. Credit the NHL for this, at least: The NHL knows more people need to enjoy the on-ice product, and thus the preponderance of game-action videos on you tube and google video.
The best classic withdrawal cure I've found so far is this gem. Beautiful.
Still the greatest comeback win of all time, in my opinion, with the historical caveat that I was nine years old at the time of that win, so my historical perspective, indeed, is limited.
For those in need of more recent comeback hopes, try this one.
Hopefully next year we get to enjoy more than just one when it matters most.
Monday, July 02, 2007
Petr Sykora and Darryl Sydor
So I leave the hockey websites to blog about the Penguins still needing a goal scoring wing and a defenseman to play with Letang, and what do I find?
The Penguins have signed Darryl Sydor and Petr Sykora.
Initial Impressions:
1.) Sydor is not the shut-down defenseman that would put the Pens' over-the-top in terms of being a Cup contender. As a 3rd pairing guy, however, he can be a veteran to play with Letang. He fills a need.
2.) Sykora isn't as consistent as I would like, and he's not what I'd call a "bull." But he has played with Malkin before, and hopefully playing with skilled players his skating and shooting will be used for good. If nothing else, he can take the spot vacated by Michel Ouellet, and in my estimation, that's a good thing.
Initial Conclusions:
Cup winning experience, baby! Get players who have won the Cup in with kids who want to win the Cup. Beautiful. The more Cup winners you can get who fill a need, will help the kids progress rather than retard their growth, and who want to come and play with the kids, the better. I'm just glad the team's getting an infusion of more Cup-winning experience.
Neither of these players catapult the Pens from a "good, young promising" team to a "legitimate contender." Basically, these signings fill obvious holes for Pittsburgh. How well these signings fill those roles, and cost/effectiveness efficiency rating, have yet to be determined.
In summary: I'm glad those obvious holes were filled by veteran players who have won, and I'm glad the contracts (haven't yet read details) appear to be short-term.
So I leave the hockey websites to blog about the Penguins still needing a goal scoring wing and a defenseman to play with Letang, and what do I find?
The Penguins have signed Darryl Sydor and Petr Sykora.
Initial Impressions:
1.) Sydor is not the shut-down defenseman that would put the Pens' over-the-top in terms of being a Cup contender. As a 3rd pairing guy, however, he can be a veteran to play with Letang. He fills a need.
2.) Sykora isn't as consistent as I would like, and he's not what I'd call a "bull." But he has played with Malkin before, and hopefully playing with skilled players his skating and shooting will be used for good. If nothing else, he can take the spot vacated by Michel Ouellet, and in my estimation, that's a good thing.
Initial Conclusions:
Cup winning experience, baby! Get players who have won the Cup in with kids who want to win the Cup. Beautiful. The more Cup winners you can get who fill a need, will help the kids progress rather than retard their growth, and who want to come and play with the kids, the better. I'm just glad the team's getting an infusion of more Cup-winning experience.
Neither of these players catapult the Pens from a "good, young promising" team to a "legitimate contender." Basically, these signings fill obvious holes for Pittsburgh. How well these signings fill those roles, and cost/effectiveness efficiency rating, have yet to be determined.
In summary: I'm glad those obvious holes were filled by veteran players who have won, and I'm glad the contracts (haven't yet read details) appear to be short-term.
Sacrificing What You Have For What You Lack
Given the previous post on team chemistry, I must note that team chemistry with a group of young kids is different than that of an older, mostly veteran squad more accustomed to the "ways of the world" in terms of how even good and great players depart squads for various reasons. But more importantly than destroying any chemistry and cohesion that might develop among the young Pittsburgh nucleus is the fact that before you decide to make a trade, it is best to know exactly who you are losing.
Various ideas are currently bandied about the Internet; some are reasonable, and some are not. People wonder which of the Pittsburgh children might be turned into a player that could immediately put the team "over the top" as one ready to contend, now, for a championship. And yet, as Ray Shero appears to know, now is not the time for those wonderings or decisions. Now is the time to watch and learn what you have.
If the Penguins discover, as I suspect they will, sometime not next season but in the 2008-09 season, that they have too much of one particular skillset and that giving up some of that skillset will ready them for a championship run, then, well, let's be obvious. A highly skilled "artist" might have to be flipped for an equally skilled "bull." A young player who will develop into a good player, if not a star, might have to be sacrificed in order to gain the veteran defenseman who is just what the team needs to win effectively in the postseason.
But before you can give up what you discover you have too much of, you'd darn well better know exactly what you have. And this season, the Penguins won't know exactly what they have in many of their young players. They'll have a better clue the season after that. In the midst of watching and enjoying the skill of the children, the organization must be consistently and constantly evaluating and studying--so that when the time comes, and hear me, impatient fans, it's probably at least a year and a half away, minimally--they know exactly what they are prepared and willing to sacrifice to gain those pieces that will enable them to win a championship.
Given the previous post on team chemistry, I must note that team chemistry with a group of young kids is different than that of an older, mostly veteran squad more accustomed to the "ways of the world" in terms of how even good and great players depart squads for various reasons. But more importantly than destroying any chemistry and cohesion that might develop among the young Pittsburgh nucleus is the fact that before you decide to make a trade, it is best to know exactly who you are losing.
Various ideas are currently bandied about the Internet; some are reasonable, and some are not. People wonder which of the Pittsburgh children might be turned into a player that could immediately put the team "over the top" as one ready to contend, now, for a championship. And yet, as Ray Shero appears to know, now is not the time for those wonderings or decisions. Now is the time to watch and learn what you have.
If the Penguins discover, as I suspect they will, sometime not next season but in the 2008-09 season, that they have too much of one particular skillset and that giving up some of that skillset will ready them for a championship run, then, well, let's be obvious. A highly skilled "artist" might have to be flipped for an equally skilled "bull." A young player who will develop into a good player, if not a star, might have to be sacrificed in order to gain the veteran defenseman who is just what the team needs to win effectively in the postseason.
But before you can give up what you discover you have too much of, you'd darn well better know exactly what you have. And this season, the Penguins won't know exactly what they have in many of their young players. They'll have a better clue the season after that. In the midst of watching and enjoying the skill of the children, the organization must be consistently and constantly evaluating and studying--so that when the time comes, and hear me, impatient fans, it's probably at least a year and a half away, minimally--they know exactly what they are prepared and willing to sacrifice to gain those pieces that will enable them to win a championship.
Chemistry is a Delicate Thing
Throughout the offseason, Ray Shero has been very careful about not wanting to tamper with his team's chemistry too much. He recognizes that his team's cohesive chemistry was a strong force that helped the team to the fourth best regular season turnaround in NHL history last season, and he doesn't want to tamper with the chemistry too much.
Except here's the thing about chemistry. I don't know that chemistry causes winning so much as winning causes chemistry. There is definitely some correlation between winning and good chemistry. But for all Shero's concerns about tampering with the chemistry of his squad, if he doesn't take steps to shore up weaknesses that opposing teams that have improved themselves are now designed to exploit, all of last season's chemistry will die a bitter, poisonous death--and it's not going to be pretty.
I'm already leery of the high expectations of the Pittsburgh fans, some of whom are ready to start acting like spoiled Steelers fans and think, if not say, "Cup or bust" (I don't think that's the case next season). While I am thrilled the players have such high expectations for next season--desiring to be an "elite" team in Whitney's words--it's not just on the players to become an "elite" team.
The players have to play their roles and do their jobs to the very best of their abilities; that's a given. But the general manager must give his coach the right personnel to help the players excel. The coach must put his players in the position to excel. All of these conditions go into making an "elite" team.
While I'm not someone who wants to see team chemistry radically altered, if Shero sees Pittsburgh weaknesses exploited early in the season and fails to make moves to correct those weaknesses, his sole focus must not be on chemistry.
1991 and 1992 Pittsburgh players were upset to lose players like John Cullen and Mark Recchi, but the players got over the loss of chemistry when they sipped champagne from the Cup later those springs. At some point in time, winning must take precedence over chemistry, and the amazing thing about players who will heal a team's weaknesses and thus help a team win: Those winning teams tend to have some pretty amazing chemistry.
Just a thought for our general manager to keep in mind.
Throughout the offseason, Ray Shero has been very careful about not wanting to tamper with his team's chemistry too much. He recognizes that his team's cohesive chemistry was a strong force that helped the team to the fourth best regular season turnaround in NHL history last season, and he doesn't want to tamper with the chemistry too much.
Except here's the thing about chemistry. I don't know that chemistry causes winning so much as winning causes chemistry. There is definitely some correlation between winning and good chemistry. But for all Shero's concerns about tampering with the chemistry of his squad, if he doesn't take steps to shore up weaknesses that opposing teams that have improved themselves are now designed to exploit, all of last season's chemistry will die a bitter, poisonous death--and it's not going to be pretty.
I'm already leery of the high expectations of the Pittsburgh fans, some of whom are ready to start acting like spoiled Steelers fans and think, if not say, "Cup or bust" (I don't think that's the case next season). While I am thrilled the players have such high expectations for next season--desiring to be an "elite" team in Whitney's words--it's not just on the players to become an "elite" team.
The players have to play their roles and do their jobs to the very best of their abilities; that's a given. But the general manager must give his coach the right personnel to help the players excel. The coach must put his players in the position to excel. All of these conditions go into making an "elite" team.
While I'm not someone who wants to see team chemistry radically altered, if Shero sees Pittsburgh weaknesses exploited early in the season and fails to make moves to correct those weaknesses, his sole focus must not be on chemistry.
1991 and 1992 Pittsburgh players were upset to lose players like John Cullen and Mark Recchi, but the players got over the loss of chemistry when they sipped champagne from the Cup later those springs. At some point in time, winning must take precedence over chemistry, and the amazing thing about players who will heal a team's weaknesses and thus help a team win: Those winning teams tend to have some pretty amazing chemistry.
Just a thought for our general manager to keep in mind.
2007-08: The Window Starts
In the next five to eight years, the Penguins have a particular window available. It's the window for winning championships, and it begins next season.
At this stage in their still nascent careers, the Pittsburgh players like each other and like the organization. They seem to realize they have a chance to win together and that they have a chance to be part of something very special. And yet, in sports, as in life, there are no guarantees.
Ryan Whitney signed an incredibly reasonable contract today for 6 years and 24 million dollars. I thought the contract was a bargain. Whitney's comments to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette were revealing. He said that even if he had received an offer sheet, that didn't mean he would have signed it. He also mentioned that he thought the contract was fair to him and fair to the organization with the other players the Pens will have to ink to contracts in coming seasons.
Reading between the lines of Whitney's comments, I drew two conclusions. First, and primarily, Whitney wants to be a part of what the young Penguins have the chance to become. He wants to win, and at this stage of his life, while he wants to be compensated well, he'll settle for slightly less to achieve that lifelong dream of capturing the Cup. Terrific. If all the Pens' players follow his example, well, that would be...awesome. Yet in the midst of appreciating Whitney's present day comments and candor, I drew another conclusion from the very silly season of NHL unrestricted free agency. Hopefully by the time Whitney becomes an unrestricted free agent, he has won a Cup or two or more and played a crucial role on a championship team. And, at that point in time, later in life, Whitney will be able to "cash in" if--and he probably will--so desire on the bonanza that is unrestricted NHL free agency.
Like it or not, the children are going to grow up, because that's what kids do. Players who don't yet have wives or children are likely to acquire one or both by the time they reach unrestricted NHL free agency. And then, particularly at that point, well, if they've already won their championships, sometimes talented players want to embark on different challenges. To see if they can not be "one of the guys who helped" but the "key guy." And prior to losing a player to unrestricted free agency, the Pens might have to trade a player who, hopefully, was a key contributor to a championship or two. And players who, by that point, may have seen friends traded while learning the hard lesson that the sport is also a business will begin to see hockey not just as a game but as a business not just for the organization but for themselves as well.
Granted, all of the scenarios mentioned in the previous paragraph are taking an extremely "long-term" look at the organization, hardly the look that a fan wants to take when the kids are still kids and have yet to sign even their second NHL contracts. And fans don't necessarily need to take that long look when there's so much to revel in at the present moment in time.
But what fans should know, and what the Pens players know, as Whitney revealed today when he mentioned expecting to be an "elite" team next season, is that the time frame window of five to eight years to capture the Cup begins next season. The time window has just begun, granted--but it has begun, and that's something the organization, the players, and the fans, must know even as they continue to cheer for the kids who, blessedly enough, this season, will remain children.
In the next five to eight years, the Penguins have a particular window available. It's the window for winning championships, and it begins next season.
At this stage in their still nascent careers, the Pittsburgh players like each other and like the organization. They seem to realize they have a chance to win together and that they have a chance to be part of something very special. And yet, in sports, as in life, there are no guarantees.
Ryan Whitney signed an incredibly reasonable contract today for 6 years and 24 million dollars. I thought the contract was a bargain. Whitney's comments to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette were revealing. He said that even if he had received an offer sheet, that didn't mean he would have signed it. He also mentioned that he thought the contract was fair to him and fair to the organization with the other players the Pens will have to ink to contracts in coming seasons.
Reading between the lines of Whitney's comments, I drew two conclusions. First, and primarily, Whitney wants to be a part of what the young Penguins have the chance to become. He wants to win, and at this stage of his life, while he wants to be compensated well, he'll settle for slightly less to achieve that lifelong dream of capturing the Cup. Terrific. If all the Pens' players follow his example, well, that would be...awesome. Yet in the midst of appreciating Whitney's present day comments and candor, I drew another conclusion from the very silly season of NHL unrestricted free agency. Hopefully by the time Whitney becomes an unrestricted free agent, he has won a Cup or two or more and played a crucial role on a championship team. And, at that point in time, later in life, Whitney will be able to "cash in" if--and he probably will--so desire on the bonanza that is unrestricted NHL free agency.
Like it or not, the children are going to grow up, because that's what kids do. Players who don't yet have wives or children are likely to acquire one or both by the time they reach unrestricted NHL free agency. And then, particularly at that point, well, if they've already won their championships, sometimes talented players want to embark on different challenges. To see if they can not be "one of the guys who helped" but the "key guy." And prior to losing a player to unrestricted free agency, the Pens might have to trade a player who, hopefully, was a key contributor to a championship or two. And players who, by that point, may have seen friends traded while learning the hard lesson that the sport is also a business will begin to see hockey not just as a game but as a business not just for the organization but for themselves as well.
Granted, all of the scenarios mentioned in the previous paragraph are taking an extremely "long-term" look at the organization, hardly the look that a fan wants to take when the kids are still kids and have yet to sign even their second NHL contracts. And fans don't necessarily need to take that long look when there's so much to revel in at the present moment in time.
But what fans should know, and what the Pens players know, as Whitney revealed today when he mentioned expecting to be an "elite" team next season, is that the time frame window of five to eight years to capture the Cup begins next season. The time window has just begun, granted--but it has begun, and that's something the organization, the players, and the fans, must know even as they continue to cheer for the kids who, blessedly enough, this season, will remain children.
I'd Rather Have a Reliable Veteran
Heroics as a stand-in for Roberto Luongo in a playoff game aside, I'm not sure I'm comfortable with the idea of an inexperienced backup goaltender backing up a young goaltender. Granted, in this cap era, perhaps my naive expectations of a veteran backup are bygones of a previous era. And yet, well...
I don't want the Penguins signing Eddie Belfour or temperamental, psychotic back ups (and no, not all goalies are temperamental and psychotic). But I like the presence of a veteran netminder. Veteran netminders know how to prepare themselves. They know how to come in cold. They've been in the Show, and even when they come in cold, they're not intimidated. They're easy to trust, and in particular easier to trust if your starting goalie would unfortunately suffer an injury that would force him to miss a few matches.
I don't know the Pens' budget for next season. I don't know if it's realistic to expect the team to be able to carry a quality veteran netminder, financially speaking, as an insurance policy in case their starting goaltender would get injured. I just know I'd feel a lot more secure about my team's chances of securing a playoff berth, if Fleury should suffer an injury, if a quality, experienced veteran netminder was Fleury's primary back-up for at least one more season (particularly given the fact that the Pens, in all likelihood, will not have a "perfect" defense this season).
Heroics as a stand-in for Roberto Luongo in a playoff game aside, I'm not sure I'm comfortable with the idea of an inexperienced backup goaltender backing up a young goaltender. Granted, in this cap era, perhaps my naive expectations of a veteran backup are bygones of a previous era. And yet, well...
I don't want the Penguins signing Eddie Belfour or temperamental, psychotic back ups (and no, not all goalies are temperamental and psychotic). But I like the presence of a veteran netminder. Veteran netminders know how to prepare themselves. They know how to come in cold. They've been in the Show, and even when they come in cold, they're not intimidated. They're easy to trust, and in particular easier to trust if your starting goalie would unfortunately suffer an injury that would force him to miss a few matches.
I don't know the Pens' budget for next season. I don't know if it's realistic to expect the team to be able to carry a quality veteran netminder, financially speaking, as an insurance policy in case their starting goaltender would get injured. I just know I'd feel a lot more secure about my team's chances of securing a playoff berth, if Fleury should suffer an injury, if a quality, experienced veteran netminder was Fleury's primary back-up for at least one more season (particularly given the fact that the Pens, in all likelihood, will not have a "perfect" defense this season).
Defense
Perhaps the transaction that most irked me today was seeing Oilers' captain Jason Smith get traded to Philadelphia. Given the improvements Philly made to their forwards, prior to that trade, they were still going to be returning most of the same defensemen that helped them earn the #2 overall draft pick this past season. And well, selfishly and pragmatically, I rather enjoyed watching the Trifecta, and in particular Sidney Crosby, tear apart the Flyer's d-men last season. 'Twas most enjoyable.
Anyhow, I wasn't just irritated by the fact that the filthy Flyers got Smith; I was irked that the Penguins didn't obtain a defenseman like Smith. Putting a defenseman like Smith on the back line of the Pens' defense, to make an understatement, would have been a very good thing, perhaps a good enough thing that would have helped the Pens jump from "young and promising" to "contender." Still, I think Kevin Lowe wanted a young offensive defenseman in return for Smith and Lupul, and it's not time yet to turn either Ryan Whitney or Kris Letang into bargaining chips. Sorry, until the Pens really know what they have in Letang and Whitney, until everything else is in place for being a bonafide contender, it's not the time to trade youth with outlandish upside just for the solid skills of a very good, but not great, veteran. (More on when that time will come a little later.)
Yet the bottom line remains the Penguins' defense needs to be improved. News that the Pens have supposedly resigned Rob Scuderi doesn't provide assurance to a fan who wants a veteran defenseman, preferably better than Scuderi, to partner with Letang. I'm fine with Scuderi as a seventh defenseman, but, well--
I understand why the Pens haven't yet spent outrageous sums on the defensemen on the open market. I'd only understand throwing money like that at players of the ilk of Lidstrom, Pronger, and Niedermayer--players, once again, who could put a team like Pittsburgh over the top. But those players are hardly readily available, and cheaper upgrades will have to come, but I'm not sure they come via free agency. I'm not sure they even necessarily come until much closer to the start of the season or until early in the season.
Curiously enough, for as maligned as the Pens' defense was last year, and for as much as their weak spots were thoroughly exploited by the eventual Eastern Conference champions, the Pens still managed to win regular season games with/despite that defense. Granted, it's not enough to win in the playoffs, and other teams will work to exploit what the Senators showed could be exploited....
Yet, to start the season, anyhow, I'd be thrilled if the Pens could find stay-at-home, reliable defenseman to pair with Whitney, Letang, and Gonchar. Those three can make outlet passes, during the regular season, anyhow, and well, improvements to a team do not just need to be made during the off season. Trades can also happen during the season, just as a reminder.
I don't like the defense as it now is. But until the Pens know what they have and what they're ready to part with, and until the time comes to trade what they have too much of for what they don't have enough of, and until they're aware of exactly what they're giving up to gain what they need, I guess I'd just beg Shero, pretty, pretty please to at least work to find a reliable veteran to play with Letang, and then, well, in-season improvements can be made from that starting point.
Perhaps the transaction that most irked me today was seeing Oilers' captain Jason Smith get traded to Philadelphia. Given the improvements Philly made to their forwards, prior to that trade, they were still going to be returning most of the same defensemen that helped them earn the #2 overall draft pick this past season. And well, selfishly and pragmatically, I rather enjoyed watching the Trifecta, and in particular Sidney Crosby, tear apart the Flyer's d-men last season. 'Twas most enjoyable.
Anyhow, I wasn't just irritated by the fact that the filthy Flyers got Smith; I was irked that the Penguins didn't obtain a defenseman like Smith. Putting a defenseman like Smith on the back line of the Pens' defense, to make an understatement, would have been a very good thing, perhaps a good enough thing that would have helped the Pens jump from "young and promising" to "contender." Still, I think Kevin Lowe wanted a young offensive defenseman in return for Smith and Lupul, and it's not time yet to turn either Ryan Whitney or Kris Letang into bargaining chips. Sorry, until the Pens really know what they have in Letang and Whitney, until everything else is in place for being a bonafide contender, it's not the time to trade youth with outlandish upside just for the solid skills of a very good, but not great, veteran. (More on when that time will come a little later.)
Yet the bottom line remains the Penguins' defense needs to be improved. News that the Pens have supposedly resigned Rob Scuderi doesn't provide assurance to a fan who wants a veteran defenseman, preferably better than Scuderi, to partner with Letang. I'm fine with Scuderi as a seventh defenseman, but, well--
I understand why the Pens haven't yet spent outrageous sums on the defensemen on the open market. I'd only understand throwing money like that at players of the ilk of Lidstrom, Pronger, and Niedermayer--players, once again, who could put a team like Pittsburgh over the top. But those players are hardly readily available, and cheaper upgrades will have to come, but I'm not sure they come via free agency. I'm not sure they even necessarily come until much closer to the start of the season or until early in the season.
Curiously enough, for as maligned as the Pens' defense was last year, and for as much as their weak spots were thoroughly exploited by the eventual Eastern Conference champions, the Pens still managed to win regular season games with/despite that defense. Granted, it's not enough to win in the playoffs, and other teams will work to exploit what the Senators showed could be exploited....
Yet, to start the season, anyhow, I'd be thrilled if the Pens could find stay-at-home, reliable defenseman to pair with Whitney, Letang, and Gonchar. Those three can make outlet passes, during the regular season, anyhow, and well, improvements to a team do not just need to be made during the off season. Trades can also happen during the season, just as a reminder.
I don't like the defense as it now is. But until the Pens know what they have and what they're ready to part with, and until the time comes to trade what they have too much of for what they don't have enough of, and until they're aware of exactly what they're giving up to gain what they need, I guess I'd just beg Shero, pretty, pretty please to at least work to find a reliable veteran to play with Letang, and then, well, in-season improvements can be made from that starting point.
An Admission
For as excited as I was about the possibility of a marquee player such as Paul Kariya coming to Pittsburgh to play alongside Sidney Crosby, here's an admission: As much as I liked the idea of Crosby having a legitimate top line playmate, I didn't think Kariya would necessarily have been a perfect addition for the Penguins.
Here is the thing about Kariya. The Penguins already have players who play a little like him. The Penguins already have artists. In fact, the Trifecta are basically pure artists. They are hockey players who compete and compete hard, but they are otherworldly skilled. While a team can never have enough skill, a team can have too much of the same kind of skill. (See why the '92 Pens traded Paul Coffey and Mark Recchi for toughness and grit in Rick Tocchet and Kjell Samuelsson, and yes, I'm aware Ken Wregget was involved in that deal as well.) For as wonderful as it would have been for Crosby to have a wing not named Malone or Recchi, idealistically, I would prefer another type of winger, in a different mold.
My admission: I wanted Brendan Shanahan to play with Crosby. Even at his advanced age, Shanny is still a power forward. Shanahan is a natural wing. And more importantly than that, Shanny brings a different skill set to the table than that of the skillful artistry of a player like Paul Kariya. Shanahan brings checks and banging and dirty rebound goals and a proven ability to play in the playoffs. Shanahan would bring the presence of a scoring winger in the power forward mold, and he would bring a different skillset sorely needed by a young Pens team led by the Trifecta and Ryan Whitney--wondrously skilled, but all, at this point of their careers, primarily artists. (Gretzky, Mario, and Bobby Orr are also all players I would classify as artists. I don't mean soft by the term "artists," but rather a specific style of skilled play.)
Now, of course, I already know how ridiculous, outlandish, etc, it is to hope for Shanahan to sign in Pittsburgh. Shanahan has already said he won't play for a team other than the Rangers. And even if Shanahan could be persuaded to change his mind (unlikely), he would cost money. And yet the idea of a cap hit for a year or two, well, when it comes to Brendan Shanahan, let me say that money spent would be a far better use of cap space than would have been a longer term deal with a player like Paul Kariya, who would only bring more of the same style of skillset the Pens already have in abundance.
Given that I know that Shanahan is unlikely to sign in Pittsburgh, well, I'd rather Ray Shero scour the free agent market for players in the mold of Shanahan--players who, perhaps playing with Crosby, could net 30 goals in a season. A "poor man's" power forward for today's game, so to speak. (Saying a "poor man's" Brendan Shanahan just should, frankly, never be uttered.)
And for fans distraught about losing out on Kariya--a part of me wonders if the Pens have an internal option in their most recent first round draft pick. While I highly doubt Esposito can stick next year, if we're talking about the style of skilled artists, Esposito fits that mold, and, on an entry-level contract, at a far cheaper price than Kariya. (Caveat: Please. I'm not saying an unproven junior player and a proven NHL commodity are equal; that's hardly the case. I am saying that the smaller size--for Kariya, height, for Esposito, weight--and speed--are just "traits" those two share at this particular juncture.) Still, expecting Esposito to play on Crosby's wing next season is way too much of an unrealistic stretch for me for next season, and even if Esposito might stick on the team, I still must conclude...
One of the hurdles the Pens must clear to jump from "young and promising" to "serious contender" is a legitimate goal scoring winger. As the Pens seek to develop or find, by trade or free agency, that goal scoring winger, they'd be advised to seek a player who is more of a bull than an artist. A goal-scoring bull, mind you. But we have have enough artists. Bring me a bull who will crash, bang, and put the puck in the net, and you know, perhaps, on the power play or on the first line, skate alongside two artists in a dizzying display of diverse and effective talent wielding its' power over the opposition.
For as excited as I was about the possibility of a marquee player such as Paul Kariya coming to Pittsburgh to play alongside Sidney Crosby, here's an admission: As much as I liked the idea of Crosby having a legitimate top line playmate, I didn't think Kariya would necessarily have been a perfect addition for the Penguins.
Here is the thing about Kariya. The Penguins already have players who play a little like him. The Penguins already have artists. In fact, the Trifecta are basically pure artists. They are hockey players who compete and compete hard, but they are otherworldly skilled. While a team can never have enough skill, a team can have too much of the same kind of skill. (See why the '92 Pens traded Paul Coffey and Mark Recchi for toughness and grit in Rick Tocchet and Kjell Samuelsson, and yes, I'm aware Ken Wregget was involved in that deal as well.) For as wonderful as it would have been for Crosby to have a wing not named Malone or Recchi, idealistically, I would prefer another type of winger, in a different mold.
My admission: I wanted Brendan Shanahan to play with Crosby. Even at his advanced age, Shanny is still a power forward. Shanahan is a natural wing. And more importantly than that, Shanny brings a different skill set to the table than that of the skillful artistry of a player like Paul Kariya. Shanahan brings checks and banging and dirty rebound goals and a proven ability to play in the playoffs. Shanahan would bring the presence of a scoring winger in the power forward mold, and he would bring a different skillset sorely needed by a young Pens team led by the Trifecta and Ryan Whitney--wondrously skilled, but all, at this point of their careers, primarily artists. (Gretzky, Mario, and Bobby Orr are also all players I would classify as artists. I don't mean soft by the term "artists," but rather a specific style of skilled play.)
Now, of course, I already know how ridiculous, outlandish, etc, it is to hope for Shanahan to sign in Pittsburgh. Shanahan has already said he won't play for a team other than the Rangers. And even if Shanahan could be persuaded to change his mind (unlikely), he would cost money. And yet the idea of a cap hit for a year or two, well, when it comes to Brendan Shanahan, let me say that money spent would be a far better use of cap space than would have been a longer term deal with a player like Paul Kariya, who would only bring more of the same style of skillset the Pens already have in abundance.
Given that I know that Shanahan is unlikely to sign in Pittsburgh, well, I'd rather Ray Shero scour the free agent market for players in the mold of Shanahan--players who, perhaps playing with Crosby, could net 30 goals in a season. A "poor man's" power forward for today's game, so to speak. (Saying a "poor man's" Brendan Shanahan just should, frankly, never be uttered.)
And for fans distraught about losing out on Kariya--a part of me wonders if the Pens have an internal option in their most recent first round draft pick. While I highly doubt Esposito can stick next year, if we're talking about the style of skilled artists, Esposito fits that mold, and, on an entry-level contract, at a far cheaper price than Kariya. (Caveat: Please. I'm not saying an unproven junior player and a proven NHL commodity are equal; that's hardly the case. I am saying that the smaller size--for Kariya, height, for Esposito, weight--and speed--are just "traits" those two share at this particular juncture.) Still, expecting Esposito to play on Crosby's wing next season is way too much of an unrealistic stretch for me for next season, and even if Esposito might stick on the team, I still must conclude...
One of the hurdles the Pens must clear to jump from "young and promising" to "serious contender" is a legitimate goal scoring winger. As the Pens seek to develop or find, by trade or free agency, that goal scoring winger, they'd be advised to seek a player who is more of a bull than an artist. A goal-scoring bull, mind you. But we have have enough artists. Bring me a bull who will crash, bang, and put the puck in the net, and you know, perhaps, on the power play or on the first line, skate alongside two artists in a dizzying display of diverse and effective talent wielding its' power over the opposition.
Silly Season
The blogger Atrios (yeah, I read political blogs, too) has a name for the political primary season. Atrios refers to the political primary season as "the silliest season" or the "very silly season." As a hockey blogger, in the post-lockout era NHL, I refer to the first day of unrestricted free agency as the "very silly season" or as the "silliest of seasons."
Honestly, looking at the contracts that were handed out today: Are these teams serious? You are committing millions of dollars over several years to players who are very good players, All-Star players, but not franchise players? The Rangers are seriously paying Scott Gomez 50 million dollars? Really? Teams are signing merely above-average defensemen at a rate of over 4 million dollars a year? Why? Are they that desperate, or do they just enjoy spending their team's entire budget?
Granted, I speak as a Pittsburgh Penguins fan. My team's youthful nucleus is probably unparalleled in the entire NHL. As such, as a Pens fan, knowing the big budget raises our children will be due in ensuing seasons, the Pens can't and shouldn't blow their entire budget now on long-term contracts for players who might catapult them from "exceptionally promising young team" to "hands-on favorite to capture the Cup."
And that's the thing that most "gets" me about these ludicrous free agent signings. I can understand the concept of going "for broke," literally and figuratively, if in going for broke, you have positioned your team as one of the top five teams in the league, a team that could be legitimately and realistically picked by prognasticators to go all the way. But I fail to understand "going for broke" when all you're doing is helping your team take a step from below average to mediocre or from mediocre to above-average. What is the point of "going for broke," so to speak? And for players playing on such teams, aside from lifetime financial security (a point not to be lightly dismissed), the point is clearly not, "I'm ready to play on a contender." To the free agents who went for broke today, just, please, spare me how you believe your new team has the best chance to win. Please be honest and please be real.
In being honest and real, it's easy to see that general managers who have permission and the ability to spend up to the cap will do just that. It's also easy to see why general managers will ink players to see these "go for broke" deals--they want to keep their jobs, and in order to keep their jobs, they have to improve their teams from year to year. Likewise, in being honest and real, I will not begrudge an athlete any salary a team wants to offer to pay him. Athletes won't play forever, and most aren't trained to do anything else, so they may as well get as much financial compensation as they can for as long as they can--that's how business in a free-market economy usually works.
But none of my understanding about players securing their financial futures and general managers securing their own jobs will alter my opinion that unrestricted NHL free agency, particularly the first day, is the most ridiculous season. In terms of the long-term health for the league, I fail to see how paying star players, but not superstars, exorbitant salaries, ensures the financial solvency and competitive balance of the NHL. I also fail to see how such salaries can be supported by a league that still lacks the television contract of three other major sports. And granted, those are my concerns as a fan. They're not the concerns of players who want to get all they're worth in a situation they deem best for them, and they're not the concern of general managers who have to do what they have to do to keep their jobs. But still--it's absolutely silly season.
Silly season makes me think Sidney Crosby, the best player in the game, would be perfectly justified to walk into Ray Shero's office tomorrow and demand 10 million dollars per year for as long as possible. I mean, really, if we're paying 7 and 8 million to players whose stats can't even compare to Crosby's? Silly season also makes me grateful that Pittsburgh defenseman Ryan Whitney was merely a restricted free agent and not yet an unrestricted free agent. Seeing what other defensemen received on the open market as UFA's, I can easily see some team yearning for an offensive defenseman offering Whitney close to 6 million per season. And, well, for as talented as he is, those kind of salaries are just ludicrous, ridiculous, and outlandish--and not so much for Whitney, a youngster with a huge upside--as for merely above-average players who will be out of the prime of their careers by the time their gargantuan contracts end.
Perhaps the most frustrating thing for the Pittsburgh fans who yearned for Penguins General Manager Ray Shero to make a first day free agent splash is the knowledge of just how talented our young players are. Our kids need more experience and will only get better by gaining more experience, but nothing is stopping our kids, here and now, from being the nucleus of a bonafide Cup contender. And for Pittsburgh fans, there's this feeling, perhaps right, that landing a player (particularly a player like Drury who even the dreamiest among us knew we'd never be able to land) could be the "one"--the player that puts this young team over the top, right here, right now, this season. And the frustrating thing for Pens fans is that, if unrestricted free agency were not the silliest of seasons, perhaps our team could have snatched that one player that would have helped to catapult our squad from young and promising to odds-on favorite to capture the Cup.
But unrestricted free agency is the silliest of seasons, and as such, it's best not to overpay long-term for players that your team isn't going to need long-term. Acknowledging that unrestricted free agency is the silliest of seasons, however, doesn't take away the minor sting that comes when you realize how much promise your team has already shown--and with the acknowledgement that even though it's better not to overpay with money you don't yet have (no new arena yet nor wanting a repeat of previous bankruptcies), still, too comes the frustrating knowledge of just how great your team might be if only NHL unrestricted free agency were not, absolutely, always, a very, very silly season.
The blogger Atrios (yeah, I read political blogs, too) has a name for the political primary season. Atrios refers to the political primary season as "the silliest season" or the "very silly season." As a hockey blogger, in the post-lockout era NHL, I refer to the first day of unrestricted free agency as the "very silly season" or as the "silliest of seasons."
Honestly, looking at the contracts that were handed out today: Are these teams serious? You are committing millions of dollars over several years to players who are very good players, All-Star players, but not franchise players? The Rangers are seriously paying Scott Gomez 50 million dollars? Really? Teams are signing merely above-average defensemen at a rate of over 4 million dollars a year? Why? Are they that desperate, or do they just enjoy spending their team's entire budget?
Granted, I speak as a Pittsburgh Penguins fan. My team's youthful nucleus is probably unparalleled in the entire NHL. As such, as a Pens fan, knowing the big budget raises our children will be due in ensuing seasons, the Pens can't and shouldn't blow their entire budget now on long-term contracts for players who might catapult them from "exceptionally promising young team" to "hands-on favorite to capture the Cup."
And that's the thing that most "gets" me about these ludicrous free agent signings. I can understand the concept of going "for broke," literally and figuratively, if in going for broke, you have positioned your team as one of the top five teams in the league, a team that could be legitimately and realistically picked by prognasticators to go all the way. But I fail to understand "going for broke" when all you're doing is helping your team take a step from below average to mediocre or from mediocre to above-average. What is the point of "going for broke," so to speak? And for players playing on such teams, aside from lifetime financial security (a point not to be lightly dismissed), the point is clearly not, "I'm ready to play on a contender." To the free agents who went for broke today, just, please, spare me how you believe your new team has the best chance to win. Please be honest and please be real.
In being honest and real, it's easy to see that general managers who have permission and the ability to spend up to the cap will do just that. It's also easy to see why general managers will ink players to see these "go for broke" deals--they want to keep their jobs, and in order to keep their jobs, they have to improve their teams from year to year. Likewise, in being honest and real, I will not begrudge an athlete any salary a team wants to offer to pay him. Athletes won't play forever, and most aren't trained to do anything else, so they may as well get as much financial compensation as they can for as long as they can--that's how business in a free-market economy usually works.
But none of my understanding about players securing their financial futures and general managers securing their own jobs will alter my opinion that unrestricted NHL free agency, particularly the first day, is the most ridiculous season. In terms of the long-term health for the league, I fail to see how paying star players, but not superstars, exorbitant salaries, ensures the financial solvency and competitive balance of the NHL. I also fail to see how such salaries can be supported by a league that still lacks the television contract of three other major sports. And granted, those are my concerns as a fan. They're not the concerns of players who want to get all they're worth in a situation they deem best for them, and they're not the concern of general managers who have to do what they have to do to keep their jobs. But still--it's absolutely silly season.
Silly season makes me think Sidney Crosby, the best player in the game, would be perfectly justified to walk into Ray Shero's office tomorrow and demand 10 million dollars per year for as long as possible. I mean, really, if we're paying 7 and 8 million to players whose stats can't even compare to Crosby's? Silly season also makes me grateful that Pittsburgh defenseman Ryan Whitney was merely a restricted free agent and not yet an unrestricted free agent. Seeing what other defensemen received on the open market as UFA's, I can easily see some team yearning for an offensive defenseman offering Whitney close to 6 million per season. And, well, for as talented as he is, those kind of salaries are just ludicrous, ridiculous, and outlandish--and not so much for Whitney, a youngster with a huge upside--as for merely above-average players who will be out of the prime of their careers by the time their gargantuan contracts end.
Perhaps the most frustrating thing for the Pittsburgh fans who yearned for Penguins General Manager Ray Shero to make a first day free agent splash is the knowledge of just how talented our young players are. Our kids need more experience and will only get better by gaining more experience, but nothing is stopping our kids, here and now, from being the nucleus of a bonafide Cup contender. And for Pittsburgh fans, there's this feeling, perhaps right, that landing a player (particularly a player like Drury who even the dreamiest among us knew we'd never be able to land) could be the "one"--the player that puts this young team over the top, right here, right now, this season. And the frustrating thing for Pens fans is that, if unrestricted free agency were not the silliest of seasons, perhaps our team could have snatched that one player that would have helped to catapult our squad from young and promising to odds-on favorite to capture the Cup.
But unrestricted free agency is the silliest of seasons, and as such, it's best not to overpay long-term for players that your team isn't going to need long-term. Acknowledging that unrestricted free agency is the silliest of seasons, however, doesn't take away the minor sting that comes when you realize how much promise your team has already shown--and with the acknowledgement that even though it's better not to overpay with money you don't yet have (no new arena yet nor wanting a repeat of previous bankruptcies), still, too comes the frustrating knowledge of just how great your team might be if only NHL unrestricted free agency were not, absolutely, always, a very, very silly season.
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