NHL 12 Dynasty Thread Part 5

[anatsu]

Islanders perfect so far in Playoffs

This season's regular season winner the New York Islanders has been perfect in the playoffs so far. They have swept both Buffalo and Rangers on their way to the Eastern Conference Finals against Washington Capitals. Islanders won the first game in this series too. 2-1 in the overtime.

The best player in this playoff run has been, little surprisingly, Brandon Sutter. Sutter has maiden 4 goals and give 8 assists in 9 playoff-games.

"There are always some stories when you play big games", stated GM Southfield, "in this year it is Brandon. His whole line has been amazing. Morin, possibly the rookie of the year, and veteran Antropov have made a great connection between them. I'm looking a great success from this line in these playoffs and in the next season too."

Antropov is UFA this year. Islanders are believed to be re-signing him.

- MSG Media

 

[Confound]

I'm starting a Minny team today, will hopefully make trades and update soon.

 

[Mountain]

So i accidentally deleted my save, so i'm gonna start a new save, but i edited prospects ratings and potential. Should be more fun.

 

[George Maharis]

31 games into the 2016/17 season with the Edmonton Oilers. Our record is 18-9-4.

NHL:

T.Hall(89) - A.Galchenyuk(97) - Y.Kuznetsov(90)
K.Kabanov(84) - R.NugentHopkins(89) - N.Kucherov(89)
J.VanRiemsdyk(88) - P.Berglund(84) - C.Clutterbuck(83)
B.Schenn(83) - B.Leipsic(84) - L.Omark(83)

J.Gorges(85) - G.Reinhart(92)
C.Teubert(83) - T.Peckham(84)
M.Johnston(80) - V.Pokka(80)

D.Dubnyk(85) - J.Cooke(84)

AHL:

D.Hordichuk(82) - S.Monahan(80) - M.Frk(80)
B.Eager(81) - S.Anthony(77) - N.Khokhlacev(78)
L.Petrell(77) - A.Lander(77) - C.Hudon(78)
L.Viveiros(76) - T.Pitlick(77) - B.Gaunce(77)

J.Erskine(82) - C.Barker(84)
C.Ceci(79) - M.Marincin(76)
L.Fenske(77) - D.Pouliot(77)

J.Brennan(77) - A.Makarov(77)

CONTRACTS: ($7.590M available)

Galchenyuk - 7.5x3
Reinhart - 5.5x2
Kucherov - 5x7
Hall - 4.75x1
Kuznetsov - 4.375x5
Berglund - 4.325x4
Barker - 4.15x2
VanRiemsdyk - 3.985x2
Gorges - 3.9x2
NugentHopkins - 3.25x1(Sending to RFA)
Omark - 3x3
Schenn - 2.5x1(Sending to RFA)
Dubnyk - 2.45x4
Peckham - 2.3x3
Clutterbuck - 2.21x1
Kabanov - 1.74x2
Hordichuk - 1.6x1(Sending to UFA)
Cooke - 1.3x3
Teubert - 1.25x1
Pokka - .925x1
Leipsic - .925x1
Viveiros - .925x3
Domi - .925x2
Monahan - .925x1
M.Subban - .900x1
Frk - .900x1
Hudon - .900x1
Pouliot - .895x1
Gaunce - .895x1
Zibanejad - .860x1
Mackinnon - .850x1
Hamonic - .845x1
Makarov - .800x2
Brennan - .750x1
Ceci - .750x2
Fenske - .750x1
Khokhlacev - .750x1
Johnston - .750x1

 

[pensrule2011]

Bad start for Avalanche going 7-11-2, GM Murray Not Happy

Paul Statsny has recorded only 13 points in the 20 games so far

The first thing GM Dan Murray said when we asked him about the Avalanche's rough start was that he was, "disappointed in the teams play especially in net." Starting Goalie for the Avalanche Brian Elliott has 4 wins in 12 games started with a 3.31 GAA and .898 Save Percentage. We talked to Coach Joe Sacco about Elliott's play and he said, "Elliott is the type of goalie who takes a bit to get it going. I have faith that he will start picking up in the next couple games." GM Murray has a different mindset though already in talks with teams about trading him, one team that is especially looking to trade for him is the Los Angeles Kings.

Another player that is having a bad start this season is Center Paul Statsny. Paul Statsny was drafted in 2005 in the second round and Colorado. He has tallied 4 goals and 9 assists for a total of 13 points this season so far. Statsny has this to say on his bad play, "I know I haven't had the best start, but if you look at years past I did also but I got the job done." GM Murray had this to say on the chances of Statsny being traded, "I've known Paul now for almost two months and I think he is great guy on and off the ice but I wouldn't go out and trade him immediately just because of his play so far. Though I am not indicating that he is not off the trading market." Statsny has been demoted to the second line with T.J. Galiardi and Peter Mueller.

Point Leaders:
Matt Duchene-19
Jussi Jokinen-18
Milan Hejduk-16
Pail Stastny-13
Tomas Fleischmann-12

Goal Leaders:
Milan Hejduk-10
Matt Duchene-9
Tomas Fleischmann-6
Peter Mueller-5
Paul Stastny-4

Assist Leaders:
Jussi Jokinen-15
Matt Duchene-10
Paul Stastny-9
David Jones-9
Kyle Quincey-7​

 

[pensrule2011]

Budaj, New Starter for Colorado?

Budaj has been surpassing expections this season​

In recent weeks, Starting Goalie Brian Elliott received a bruised hip that took him from the lineup for 4-5 weeks. Back-up Goaltender Peter Budaj had to step in as starter and has been on fire ever since. He has posted 10 wins in the 20 games he has started and brought the teams record up to a 17-17-4 only 2 points out of the 8th seed. He also has a 2.81 GAA and .910 Save Percentage. The thing that surprised most of the coaches was that he has 3 shutouts already! Not even halfway through season yet and he's playing like this. We spoke with Budaj about about his recent success and he said, "I love hockey. It is the sport I grew up playing so it makes sense that I should try to play to my best ability. This is my chance to show the coaches that I can be a starter again."

GM Murray is another participant in the surprise of Peter Budaj this season. He commented that, "I am very happy with Peter's play so far and it does seem that he could be a starter for us." He said he would not comment on the growing rumor that Brian Elliott was going to be traded.​

 

[Gigantor The Goalie]

@pensrule2011

As an Avs fan I have to tell you I'm paying close attention to your write-ups so don't me down

In all seriousness though, I like what I'm seeing and too bad Budaj wasn't that good for us.

 

[pensrule2011]

@pensrule2011

As an Avs fan I have to tell you I'm paying close attention to your write-ups so don't me down

In all seriousness though, I like what I'm seeing and too bad Budaj wasn't that good for us.

Yeah don't worry I'm really into these write-ups and it's getting really intense.

Probably going to do a couple more tomorrow

 

[xVolchenkov]

2012-2013 SEASON (41-23-3)
Boring Trade Deadline
GM Bryan Murray moveless on trade deadline day

Michael Leighton signs 1 year, two-way contract to become starter in Binghamton


Note:
Just prior to today, Ottawa went out signed Michael Leighton to
play for there AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Senators. Michael is a
veteran goalie who can bring a lot of experience to there young
team.

----------------------------------------------------------------

The NHL 2012-2013 trade deadline may not have been the most
interesting, but GM Bryan Murray showed faith in his team by
keeping them unchanged.

"We felt as though with our off-season additions, we are more
then set with a capable roster to take us far." Murray said "We're
a deep team, top to bottom and felt as though any moves may
have effected the way we have been playing. Sacrificing our future
to try and tweak something that isn't broken just seemed foolish."

Head coach Paul MacLean also spoke with the media briefly
following the deadline. "Personally, I've very glad Bryan didn't
make any moves today. We have an awesome blend of young
guys and vets who complement each other perfect. We're playing
some good hockey, and hope that we can keep playing this way
far into the playoffs."

- Ottawa Sun

 

[xVolchenkov]

2012-2013 SEASON (50-28-4)
Regular Season Wrap Up
Ottawa finishes 2nd in East for second straight year

Captain Daniel Alfredsson happy to lead his team to post-season action


OTTAWA SENATORS:
* = rookie

Silfverberg*-Spezza(A)-Gaborik
Michalek-Turris-Landeskog
Granlund*-Vermette-Alfredsson(C)
O'Brien-Konopka-Neil

Stuart-Karlsson
Cowen-Gonchar
Phillips(A)-Stralman

Point Leaders:
Gaborik - 89 PTS (6th in NHL)
Spezza - 83 PTS
Landeskog - 70 PTS
Michalek - 67 PTS
Gonchar - 59 PTS

Goal Leaders:
Landeskog - 33 G
Michalek - 32 G
Gaborik - 31 G
Spezza - 31 G
Silfverberg - 23 G

Assist Leaders:
Gaborik - 58 A (5th in NHL)
Spezza - 52 A
Gonchar - 42 A
Turris - 39 A
Landeskog - 37 A

Hit Leaders:
Stuart - 278 HITS (3rd in NHL)
Cowen - 259 HITS (10th in NHL)
Phillips - 198 HITS
Landeskog - 157 HITS
Konopka - 115 HITS

Goalie Stats:
Lehner - 60 GP (34 W - 18 L) .909 SV%, 2.60 GAA, 4 SO
Bishop - 27 GP (14 W - 9 L) .908 SV%, 2.60 GAA, 2 SO

 

[anatsu]

Islanders win a second Cup in a row after defeating Canucks in game 7

New York Islanders have won their second Stanley Cup in row after winning 3-1 the game 7 against the Vancouver Canucks.

"This. Is. Amazing.", started GM Southfield, "I think this was tougher year for us, due to many injuries and so. But we made it! We are absolutely the best organization right now in this league. Despite we won the President's trophy just in last reg.season game, but we have damn won two cups in a row. That's something."

Conn Smythe winner in this year was John Tavares. Tavares made 12 goals and gave 17 assists in 21 playoff-game. "He is tremendous player, absolute leader. Our captain. I think he is the best young player in this league. The most combined", stated Southfield.

Islanders also suffered one injury in game 6 of cup finals when high-scoring defenseman Jonathon Blum was injured and he will be sidelined till end of August from hockey. "Yes that was a bad thing. But I hope Jonathon will be in great shape when the camp starts in Sept."

For the next season Southfield couldn't say anything. "Maybe there are some changes, but let's celebrate now! This is our day."

- MSG Media

 

[anatsu]

Jeremy Morin wins Calder, Fedotenko retires

Jeremy Morin has won Calder Memorial Trophy, which is given to the best rookie of the year. Morin won the trophy despite missing almost 30 games regular season due to injuries. "This is big honor for me. I want to than everyone, mom and dad, Islanders, everyone who made this happen", said Morin.

Islanders left winger Ruslan Fedonteko decided to retire after the cup win with Islanders. Fedotenko made 207 goals and gave 236 assists in 893 regular season games.

"I want to thank Ruslan for his time in our organization. He was an amazing example for our young guys on and off the ice. Good retirement days for him", said GM Southfield.

Other names to retire were example Teemu Selanne, Nicklas Lidstrom, Marian Hossa, Milan Hejduk, Olli Jokinen and Erik Cole.

- MSG Media

 

[anatsu]

NHL Draft 2013 coming close

NHL's annual Draft is coming closer. The draft will be held next sunday and Islanders will have 10 picks in the draft as of now. Draft also includes some moves, but Islanders GM Southfield is confident with his current team.

"The draft is always exciting thing. You can pick a huge talent, franchise players. But you can also go wrong with your pick. What comes to trades... I don't expect many of us. We are happy with our current roster and we have no need of any acquisitions at this point."

- MSG Media

 

[anatsu]

Islanders pick lot of Europeans in the NHL Draft 2013

The NHL Draft 2013 was held earlier today and here is the recap of the Islanders' draft day.

Islanders had 10 picks when coming to draft. Three of those picks where in top-60. In the first round Islanders drafted 23th overall (orig. NYR's pick).

The first thing what Islanders made was the trade with Tampa Bay. Islanders traded their 3rd round pick in 2014 and 120th overall pick to Tampa Bay for 65th overall pick in this year's draft.

In the first round Islanders selected a goalie Viktor Kokman from HV 71, Elitserien. "Viktor was the best goalie in this draft, I think. He is hybrid, modern goalie. Also he has size. I think a goalie was the position what lacked the most in our pool", said GM Southfield about his first selection of draft.

Viktor Kokman was selected 23th overall by Islanders

In the second round Islanders had two picks. 42th overall and 44th overall, these picks were originally Nashville's and LA's picks. With 42th overall pick Islanders selected defenseman Matthew Calvert from Zurich Lions, NLA. "Calvert is two-way defenseman. Left-handed. He has good foot to carry the puck over the own blue line."

44th overall selection was center Brendan Gaunce from Belleville, OHL. "He is one of the best two-way centers in this draft. I see lot of Brandon Sutter in him. We scouted him closely whole year long. We were very lucky to get a chance to draft him."

As the result of earlier trade Islanders had two picks in round three. With 65th overall pick Islanders selected left winger Gustav Possler from MoDo, Elitserien. "He is a pure sniper. He shoots well, I think he will be able to play NHL-hockey at some day. We were extremely happy to draft him."

With 90th overall pick Islanders drafted defenseman Jan Kostalek from Sparta Praha, Extraliga. "Right-handed defenseman. He is project. We want to see what we might be able to get out of him."

In round four the Islanders had one pick. With 196th overall pick (orig. SJ's) Islanders selected finnish center Alexander Barkov from Tappara, SM-liiga. "He is big center. He is a project like Kostalek, but I'm expecting good things in long run from him. He needs couple more years still to get his prime."

Round five was two pick round for Islanders. With 145th overall selection Islanders selected defenseman Dalton Young from Saginaw, OHL. "He is big defenseman, who still needs to add something around him. He skates well, reads play well. A very talented player in all."

150th overall pick was used to draft right winger Nick Moutrey from Saginaw, OHL. "He looked good when we watched him game. He was teammate of Young, our last pick. I think he has very good tools in him."

Dalton Young, 145th overall selection

In round six, Islanders had one pick, their own 180th overall pick. With that Islanders selected center Jonathan Johnson from Frölunda, Elitserien. "He has already played couple season with Frölunda. I think he could be ready for the AHL, even in the next season already."

The last pick of whole draft, Islanders used to select defenseman Kari Kaijomaa from Ässät, SM-liiga. "He is a big defenseman. Late-bloomer. Our scouts got a good look on him when we scouted Finnish league. I think he can be one of the steals of draft."

That was it for Islanders for this draft day. In recap Islanders drafted three centers, one left winger, one right winger, four defenseman and one goalie with their 10 pick of the draft.

"We are happy with our draft. We got basically players whom we wanted. I'm happy to leave this draft floor with these players, we got better today", recapped Islanders GM Anatsu Southfield his team's day.

Trades around the league in draft-day:

NJ: Mark Fayne <-> TB: 95th overall pick + 120th overall pick

LA: Michael Leighton <-> DET: 3rd round pick 2014

- MSG Media

 

[YoungSinatra]

Was feeling like trying to start a realistic GM mode for the Sharks and post on here but I always end up blowing up the team, using all the draft picks to get superstars and then I'm screwed in like a season. Has anyone done the Sharks on here?

 

[anatsu]

Off-season continues with re-signs

New York Islanders have re-signed following players:

Travis Hamonic 5 years/3.005M per year
Doug Murray 2 years/2.275M
Chris Tanev 1 year/.850M
Nik Antropov 2 years/4.200M
Kevin Poulin 1 year/.680M
Mark Eaton 1 year/1.565M
Josh Harding 1 year/2.050M
Matt Hendricks 1 year/1.055M
Ben Smith 1 year/.555M/two-way
Mark Katic 1 year/.605M/two-way
Zac Dalpe 1 year/.685M/two-way
David Ullstrom 1 year/.555M/two-way
Spencer Machacek 1 year/.605M/two-way
Justin DiBenedetto 1 year/.770M/two-way

New York Islanders let following players to go to Free Agent market:

George Parros
Rob Scuderi
Petr Sykora
Harrison Zolnierczyk
Andreas Thuresson
Rhett Rakhshani
Taylor Ellington
Mike Murphy

New York Islanders signed an ELC with following players:

Jonathan Johanson 3 years/.870M/two-way
Martin Frk 3 years/.895M/two-way
Viktor Kokman 3 years/.870M/two-way
Kari Kaijomaa 3 years/.815M/two-way

New York Islanders have bought out following players:

Anders Nilsson
Mikko Koskinen

-----

"I think with these moves we are able to remain a top team in the NHL for long-time. I'm excited example Hamonic's contract and Frk's ELC", said Islanders GM Southfield about his moves.

FA market opens soon too, what Southfield expects there? "I think we will be after some guys. Some interesting guys. There are couple players worth of another look, surely."

- MSG Media

 

[anatsu]

Islanders ready for Free Agent Frenzy

New York Islanders are ready for the FA Frenzy. They surely have done their homeworks after last season's UFA-signings. None of them continues with the team to next year. Now Islanders are looking established players, mainly third line center and maybe a goalie from the market.

"Yes, we are hoping that we could add one or two significant pieces to our puzzle. There are some interesting names and interesting situations in the league right now. We have scouted players who we like and we will make our decisions due to that", said GM.

"The last decision of re-signing zone was to buy out both of our AHL-goalies. I think we may have something in the sleeve."

It's rumored that Islanders may go after RFA Michal Neuvirth as Washington Capitals have difficulties to pay his salary. "We'll see what we can do on the market. But I feel that, if we can't do our moves, Kokman is ready to take starter role in the AHL."

As for center there are names like Matthew Lombardi, Dominic Moore and Steven Reinprecht on the market. But one thing is sure, Islanders won't sign Manny Malhotra, who injured Islanders defenseman Jonathon Blum in cup-finals. "Yea, I think, it's not necessary to sign Malhotra", stated Southfield.

- MSG Media

 

[anatsu]

Islanders make a trade to acquire own pick

Our sources tell that the New York Islanders have traded their next year's 2nd round pick (2015) and 7th round pick in 2014 to Columbus for their own 2nd round pick in 2012. This deal was made for compensate possible offer sheet acquisition Michal Neuvirth.

- MSG Media

 

[xVolchenkov]

2012-2013 SEASON (50-28-4)
Playoff Bound
Ottawa set to play Montreal in first round for second straight year

Senators ecstatic to prove themselves once again


As another regular season comes to an end, Ottawa seems more
focused then ever on playoff success. In just a few days, they're
headed into familiar waters. Not only for the second straight year
have they finished 2nd in the East, they are also set to meet up
with Montreal (40-31-11) in the first round once again. The
Senators made easy work of them last year, beating them in 4 to
move on, but they know this isn't last year. While Montreal's roster
is very similar to last year, players such as Pacioretty, Desharnais,
Eller, Subban and Price have all improved tremendously from the
previous season. Things for Ottawa this time around will be much
tougher. With 9 players with 40+ points and one of the best
goalies in the NHL (Price), Ottawa has to bring there A game vs a
heck of a Habs team.


Line-ups are are followed:

OTTAWA SENATORS (2nd)

Silfverberg-Spezza(A)-Gaborik
Michalek-Turris-Landeskog
Granlund-Vermette-Alfredsson(C)
O'Brien-Konopka-Neil

Stuart-Karlsson
Cowen-Gonchar
Phillips(A)-Stralman

Lehner
Bishop

MONTREAL CANADIENS (7th)
Pacioretty-Plekanec-Cole(A)
Bourque-Desharnais-Gionta(C)
Leblanc-Eller-Palushaj
Geoffrion-Gomez-Blunden

Subban-Markov(A)
Emelin-Gorges
Campoli-Weber

Price
Budaj



"We're ready to give them all they can handle." Chris Neil said
about facing the Canadiens once again. "If we can continue to
do what we have all season, utilizing all 4 lines, we should have
no problems."



- Ottawa Sun

 

[anatsu]

Islanders signs Neuvirth and others

New York Islanders have maiden their moves on the Free Agent Market.

Islanders sign four players and here is recap of them:

Islanders made an offer sheet for goalie Michal Neuvirth from Washington Capitals and Neuvirth accepted the offer. Capitals were in cap-trouble and couldn't match offer, which was huge 5 years, 3.460M per season and as a compensation for that signing Islanders sent their 2nd round pick in this year's draft to Washington.

Neuvirth comes to Islanders with mega-deal

"Neuvirth was on our radar immediately as we saw that Capitals may not be capable to sign him for the amount that he wanted. So we stepped up. Michal is heck of a goalie now and in the future too. I think he is one of the best young goalies in this league. We wanted to sign him for long-term surely and that was his wish too. He said all the time that Islanders were no.1 choice for him to come, when the things went how they went in Washington. I'm glad and excited to get Michal signed for us", stated Islanders GM Southfield.

Next sign by Islanders was center Matthew Lombardi. Lombardi signed one-year, 2.830M deal with the Islanders. "When I looked center pool in this years market, Matthew popped up immediately. He was the guy I wanted since the opening of market. I like his game very much. He is speedy, great in face-offs, reads the game well. A absolute perfect third line center for us."

As third Islanders sign defenseman David Musil to ELC. Musil was let to the market by Edmonton Oilers. "I think David has tremendous upside. He is big, but skates well for his size of a player. I think he will be a great player in the future. I think with him and our second round pick in draft Matthew Calvert, we have finally a good situation in left-handed d-men. Great signing, I love this kid."

Islanders ended their day by adding some toughness with left winger Patrick Bordelau. "He is a good 13th forward which we needed. When you look back to our last season, we had seven guys who played all 82 games. I think that is a sign for us to add some players. He will get his chance if someone injuries. I wanted my prospect also get a big minutes in the AHL, so they couldn't be "wideness"-player for our NHL-team."

"I think we are in very good position when looking to the next season. We have many good players in all positions and we have a good prospect pool. I can't say my lines as for now, but when the camp comes, we have something to info. We are as good as done with this moves. I think we made superior effort this off-season to fill our holes. I'm happy with my team", stated Southfield as his last words in his press conference.

- MSG Media

 

[xVolchenkov]

2012-2013 SEASON (50-28-4)
Round One Recap
Senators in shock as Montreal advances

Senators stunned in first round exit

Game One @ Ottawa (1-0) Montreal Leads
STUMBLING OUT THE GATE (6-2 Final)
Ottawa didn't play as fans had hoped and were boo'd as the clock
at ScotiaBank Place ticked down to 0. With 6 goals on 27 shots,
Sens are looking for Lehner to play much better in game two.
Markov and Plekanec both had 3 points as Montreal made easy
work of Ottawa to take a 1-0 series lead.

Game Two @ Ottawa (1-1) Series Tied
OTTAWA DRAWS EVEN (5-3 Final)
Montreal opened up the scoring , but just a minute later, captain
Daniel Alfredsson returned the favor. That helped spark the
offense, leading to 3 more consecutive goals, including a pair from
Jim O'Brien only 7 seconds apart, with caused Carey Price to be
pulled (4 goals on 7 shots). While the Habs drew close, getting
things to 4-3, forward Kyle Turris sealed the deal on an open net.

Game Three @ Montreal (2-1) Montreal Leads
HABS RECLAIM LEAD (4-3 Final) OT
For the third straight game, Montreal scored first which caused
head coach Paul MacLean to use his time out early. Erik Karlsson
scored in the second period to draw things even before a wild
third saw the teams even at 3 after 60 minutes. Just 5 minutes
later, Plekanec scored, ripping a shot over Robin Lehner.

Game Four @ Montreal (3-1) Montreal Leads
NO OFFENSE(2-0 Final)
Paul MacLean attemped to spark his team by switching Lehner for
Bishop, but things didn't work out as he had hoped. Carey Price
had 29 saves as he shut out the Ottawa Senators, and helped
his Montreal Canadiens to a 3-1 series lead.

Game Five @ Ottawa (4-1) Montreal Wins
ROLES REVERSED(4-3 Final) OT
Despite being down 3-0 in the first, Ottawa never quit and rallied to
force overtime. Unfortunatly, the Senators had a familiar fate from
two games ago as Plekanec scored the dagger, eliminating Ottawa
and moving on to round two.


Bryan Murray met with media later that night

"We had a great year, and a terrible playoffs. Being taken out in 5
games is unacceptable for a team of this caliber. We were scored
on first every game, and only had the lead once. I'm going to have
to take a look at our roster and possibly make some moves in order
to turn us into the winning team we should be."

 

[xVolchenkov]

2013 Off-Season
Ending of an Era
Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson announces retirement

Alfredssson met with media following his choice to retire

"It was the hardest decision of my career, but one that had to be
made. I just don't have enough in the tank to keep going. I loved
all my time here in Ottawa, and would like to thank the fans for
the support they've given not only myself, but the team over all
these years. It was a great ride."

 

[pensrule2011]

Trade Deadline and the Amazing Duchene​

Duchene is 13th in the NHL in points

Now-a-days all you here in the paper in Colorado is the "Amazing Duchene." And rightfully so, Matt Duchene is having a breakout year with 22 goals and 40 assists for a grand total of 62 points in 63 games. The reason for all the popularity of him is because of Colorado's record. Colorado's record has started going downhill recently when they had a 4 game losing streak with Peter Budaj in net bringing it to a 26-31-6 and 14th in the Western Conference. Duchene seemed to be the only one producing numbers on the team as only Peter Mueller, Milan Hejduk and Duchene have broken the 20 goal mark. We got a chance to speak with Duchene about his success this season and he said, "I honestly don't know why I am playing so well this season, I mean I couldn't have gotten this far without Jussi and Milan at my sides. But I will keep playing the way I am and help the team as much as possible." In other news Peter Budaj has been put as Back-up once again for his bad play in net.

The Trade Deadline was pretty quiet for GM Dan Murray as he only made a total of 2 trades and neither of which were significant. The Media was surprised about this though as many had thought that Paul Stastny was going to be on his way out of Colorado since he has only racked up 33 points in the 64 games he has played. Murray had this to say on his Deadline deals, "We thank John and Mark for their play this year on the Lake Erie Monsters and we hope for the best on their new teams. The Colorado Avalanche would like to welcome Jordan and Evan to the organization. I personally think Jordan will one day be a key Powerplayer on the Avalanche's roster for years to come." The events of the Trade Deadline are listed below:​

10:00 AM​

Receive

C Evan Brophey


Receive

G John Grahame​

11:00 AM​

Receive

RW Jordan Caron


Receive

C Mark Olver
2012 2nd Round Pick​

12:00 PM​

No Trades


1:00 PM

No Trades


2:00 PM

No Trades​

 

[DCDM]

Detroit Red Wings Off-Season Preview


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A legend is gone, and it seems that he’s taken the entire Detroit blue line with him.

The retirement of Nicklas Lidstrom comes as a surprise to no one, but for the first time in 20 years, the Detroit Red Wings will have to experience life without a legend on the back end. Lidstrom’s retirement leaves a gaping hole in the Wings’ defense, and there doesn’t seem to be a replacement coming anytime soon.

But those aren’t the only changes coming in Motown. Tomas Holmstrom, Todd Bertuzzi, and Ty Conklin have also announced their retirements from the NHL, Brad Stuart has been traded to the San Jose Sharks, and forward Jiri Hudler will test free agency once July 1st hits, leaving the Red Wings in an uncomfortable position.

“I refuse to admit that we are in a state of turmoil,†said General Manager Ken Holland. “Nick and Our players have made their choices, but these are nothing more than speed bumps for us. We will cope.â€

But it seems that ownership’s faith in Holland my be slipping, as the Red Wings have hired Dan Brown, a native of Calgary, AB, as Assistant GM. He will offer his assistance and opinions on all decisions made by Holland.

“I’m thrilled to be joining such an esteemed organization,†said Brown on a conference call Thursday morning. “The Red Wings have been a tremendously successful franchise, and it is my hope that I can come in and not step on any toes, and keep steering this boat straight.

“It’s obvious to me that a first-round exit this year and a second-round exit in last year’s playoffs are unacceptable results for this franchise. And the loss of Nick Lidstrom certainly deals a hefty blow to us for the time being, but I’m confident that Ken will find a solution, and I will do my very best to help him do that.â€

With the 2012 NHL Draft and July 1st looming, the Red Wings have a brief window of time to get a jump on other teams also looking for upgrades. It will be interesting to see what transpires over the next few days.

2012 NHL Draft​

Detroit Red Wings Draft Selections

Detroit Red Wings send Cory Emmerton, 2012 4th round draft pick, and the rights to Jiri Hudler to the Dallas Stars for Dallas' 2012 1st round pick (11th overall).

1st Round (11) [from Dallas]: D Dillon Fournier
Dillon Fournier - 6'2", 163 lbs, left-handed shot - is a very raw defender who still needs to fill out more. His biggest assets are his speed and his shot. While he needs to work on his accuracy, his shots are hard enough that if they do hit the net, they usually break through most screens. In a defense-heavy draft such as this one, Fournier should be pleased that he was picked up in the top half. The Red Wings are hanging their hat on him turning into a solid top-pairing defender.

2nd Round (52): LW Francis Menard
Francis Menard - 6'0", 178 lbs, left-handed shot - is not a high-end guy in terms of skill. Instead, he applies a hard work ethic to every shift and leaves everything on the ice. His offensive skill has progressed rapidly each of the last 3 years, taking the biggest jump this past season with Guelph as he scored 24 goals and 60 points in 68 games. As a 20-year old, it will be interesting to see if he goes back to the OHL as an over-ager, or joins the Grand Rapids Griffins in the AHL.

3rd Round (82): D Andrew Tessier
Andrew Tessier - 6'2", 205 lbs, right-handed shot - is a stay-at-home defenseman who prides himself on his defensive tendencies. He is a force to be reckoned with on the back end, but not a player who will wow anyone with offensive skill - he had just 2 assists in 58 games with Kingston.

5th Round (142): D Johan Backman
Johan Backman - 6'2", 203 lbs, left-handed shot - has almost an identical playing style to Tessier. He accumulated just 5 assists in 50 games with Rögle BK of the Swedish J20 SuperElit League while playing solid defense, albeit with sheltered minutes. It will be interesting to see how his play translates to North American hockey.

6th Round (172): LW Ryan Tuffin
Ryan Tuffin - 6'3", 204 lbs, left-handed shot - has modelled his game after his favorite player Jarome Iginla. A budding power forward with hands that are still developing, Tuffin needs to work on his foot speed, as well as his offensive instincts. With enough work though, Tuffin should be able to develop his skills and make the transition to the NHL within a few years.

7th Round (202): C Michael Clarke
Michael Clarke - 6'1", 174 lbs, left-handed shot - needs a lot of work in all areas of his game. AS a budding playmaker, Clarke has good foot speed but needs to build up his muscle, as all it takes to knock him off the puck is a stiff breeze. His shot is decent, but he doesn't view the ice as well he would like. If he hopes to have a shot at the NHL, he has a long road ahead of him.

Assistant GM Dan Brown sat down with the media following the draft to talk about the Red Wings' selections.

"We had a plan heading into this draft. We've watched a number of players retire the last few days and it's extremely obvious to everyone that we're in need of defensive depth. That's why we wanted to draft more defenders this year. We've got a good kid in Dillon Fournier who the team is really high on, and a couple other guys in Andrew Tessier and Johan Backman who we think - ahem, we hope will develop into depth guys down the road.

"We're also pleased with our other choices. We've added some kids up front who don't exactly have that high-octane scoring ability, but they've got good attitudes, good work ethic, and we hope they can join the big club in the future.

"The trade with Dallas came about fairly quickly, to be honest. We knew that we wanted to make a move to get into the first round, it was just a matter of how. When Joe [Nieuwendyk] came over to our table and asked about Jiri Hudler's rights, I had a good feeling we could get something done. It originally started out as Hudler's rights and Cory [Emmerton] for Brenden Morrow, but we really wanted to get a kid in the first round, so we had to throw something else into the pot to make it work. All that matters is that it did, and we got our guy."

 

[DCDM]

2012 Free Agent Frenzy

Pavel Kubina will don Detroit red next season, as he has signed a 2 year, $9 million deal with the club.

Andrew Raycroft will backup Jimmy Howard next year after signing a 1 year, $1.125 million deal.

Zenon Konopka has signed a 1 year, $1.2 million contract with the Red Wings.

Benoit Pouliot agrees to a 1 year, $995K deal with Detroit.

2012-2013 Opening Night Lineup
Johan Franzen - Pavel Datsyuk - Dan Cleary
Benoit Pouliot - Valtteri Filppula - Henrik Zetterberg
Justin Abdelkader - Darren Helm - Patrick Eaves
Tomas Tatar - Zenon Konopka - Drew Miller

Ian White - Pavel Kubina
Jonathan Ericsson - Niklas Kronwall
Jakub Kindl - Kyle Quincey

Jimmy Howard
Andrew Raycroft

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