Category: Players
When the Los Angeles Kings used the 11th overall draft pick in 2006 to select goaltender Jonathan Bernier, they figured they had their franchise goaltender.
However, the emergence of Jonathan Quick as the team’s starting goalie has made Bernier somewhat expendable to the Kings. Bernier could be a legitimate starting goalie on several teams in the league, and, at 23, he still has plenty of room to grow.
Needless to say, if Bernier became openly available, there would be a handful of general managers around the league contacting Kings general manager Dean Lombardi in regards to the Laval, Quebec, native. Bernier would fit nicely on any team trying to add to their goaltending depth, either in the short-term or the foreseeable future.
While most teams in the NHL already have their goaltending locked up for the meantime, a select few teams could be open to change between the pipes, either because of an aging starter or one that just isn’t working out.
Because of his age and playing ability, the asking price for Jonathan Bernier would be high. The Kings could even decide to package him in an attempt to land an elite scoring winger, something highly coveted by the organization.
Keeping that in mind, here’s a look at five NHL clubs whose cities Jonathan Bernier could wind up calling home sometime in the near future.
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We are getting closer to the NHL trade deadline, and teams are starting to move some pieces around to improve their rosters before the start of the NHL playoffs.
According to the Mercury News, a media source in Edmonton has said the Sharks have been in talks with the Columbus Blue Jackets to acquire a talented winger to anchor either the Sharks’ top line or their second line.
While the Sharks look to get some help with their scoring, according to Le Journal de Montreal, the Pittsburgh Penguins head coach would love to see a former player return to his team.
But trade rumors are not the only thing to dominate this video. According to NHL Trade Report, the Hurricanes will meet with their top goal scorer to discuss where they will go with him and the team.
In the news department, Ralph Nader wrote an open letter to Gary Bettman to ban fighting.
Finally, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, there is a player who is starting to practice again with the team.
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The National Hockey League started with the “Original Six” teams and has blossomed into a 30-team sport. Out of the 30 teams, one team is looked upon as the face of the NHL—the Detroit Red Wings.
Having 11 Stanley Cups in their franchise, the Red Wings have the most championships for an American-based team, trailing only the Montreal Canadians and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
This season, the Red Wings have the most wins in the NHL with 35 and lead the league in points with 72.
With the second half of the regular season underway, here are five reasons the Red Wings will maintain their hold on the league’s top spot.
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The Los Angeles Kings are desperate for offense and rightly so. They rank dead-last in the NHL in scoring at just 2.14 goals per game.
But how desperate is too desperate?
According to the Edmonton Journal, there may be some trade overtures afoot between the Kings and the Columbus Blue Jackets, potentially involving backup goaltender Jonathan Bernier and center Jeff Carter.
The Jackets signed Carter to an 11-year, million deal this past summer but have gotten only minimal production out of him thus far—17 points in 30 games, to be exact. This, after Carter posted no fewer than 61 points in each of his previous three seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Carter’s careening production could well be the result of playing out of position in Columbus. The six-year veteran flourished as a hotshot winger in Philly, but now finds himself at center, where his attempts have practically dried up.
In L.A., he’d be reunited with fellow former Flyer Mike Richards, with whom he enjoyed the prior success that ultimately earned him his monster deal.
Of course, the cost at which Carter would come, in purely monetary terms, would be far too much for the Kings to bear, especially given what they’d be getting. The Kings already have more than million committed for next year and would be foolish to devote a big chunk of that to a player who, while presumably would see his production improve on the wing, would still be hard-pressed to make the expense well worth it.
And that’s without any mention of Bernier. The only reason the Kings are even in the playoff discussion right now is their goaltending, with All-Star Jonathan Quick dominating most of the time in net and Bernier providing stellar relief. Without Bernier, the pressure will fall even more heavily on Quick’s shoulders to play perfectly on a nightly basis.
Not that the Kings shouldn’t consider dangling Bernier as trade bait whatsoever, but if they do it then they must be sure to get a player in return whose production per dollar is much more amenable than Carter’s current rate.
Desperation be damned.
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New York Rangers winger Marion Gaborik was taken in the 16th round of last night’s NHL All-Star fantasy draft. More surprising than how late a pick Gaborik was, he was selected by Team Chara.
Team Alfredsson, whose alternate captain is Marion Gaborik’s teammate Henrik Lundqvist, did not choose to pick him in the draft.
When Gaborik received his jersey from Chara, rather than just taking his seat on his side, he walked over to Lundqvist’s podium, winked at him, then walked back to his side.
Lundqvist laughed at this, and it all became clear why when one takes a look back at what transpired during the draft. When Alfredsson and Lundqvist were choosing their team, Alfredsson pointed to a name and Lundqvist said, “No, he wants to verse me,” or something to that effect.
When Gaborik came out and winked at Lundqvist, who did not pick him, it was clear that Gaborik wanted to face Lundqvist in the game one on one, something they obviously cannot do during the regular season.
This matchup is going to be one of the most interesting on Sunday in Ottawa.
Gaborik is the Rangers’ leading scorer and one of the most talented players in the league, while Lundqvist is without a doubt the Rangers’ best goalie, and one of the best (if not the best) in the league.
Gaborik has 39 points on the season, 25 of them from goals; Lundqvist has a 1.87 Goals Against Average, a .937 save percentage and a 22-10-4 record.
Gaborik is one of the most dangerous scorers in the league on the breakaway; Lundqvist is one of the best goalies in the league in stopping the breakaway.
With that being said, it would be very interesting to see Gaborik on a breakaway against Lundqvist in the All-Star game, which I think would be the ideal situation for this friendly rivalry the two teammates have.
Gaborik wanted to face his teammate Lundqvist to prove to him he can score on him. Lundqvist did not choose him so Gaborik could have that chance.
Can the speedy sniper that is Marion Gaborik beat the patient brick wall that is Henrik Lundqvist? Only time will tell, and I hope we get to see the answer on Sunday.
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The New Jersey Devils finished 2011 on a great note with a 3-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
With the win, New Jersey moves to within three points of the Penguins in the most competitive division in the NHL, the Atlantic Division.
New Jersey stands in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, one spot behind the Penguins and another behind the Philadelphia Flyers who are set for their showdown with the conference-leading New York Rangers in the 2012 Winter Classic.
The Devils have had a great stretch in the past couple weeks and seem to be doing all the right things to claw their way up the ladder.
Their win over the Penguins should offer a few valuable lessons that they can use to develop even further on their quest for the Atlantic Division and ultimately the playoffs.
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On Thursday, the Columbus Blue Jackets achieved their first road regulation victory this season.
Goaltender Steve Mason was near perfect and captain Rick Nash buried two goals to lead the Jackets past the Dallas Stars.
Unfortunately, the win would come with some consequences as defenseman James Wisniewski left the game and would not return after taking a puck to the ankle. The 27-year-old was unable to put weight on his left foot and went straight to the locker room.
It was later revealed that Wisniewski had suffered a fractured ankle and would be out of the Columbus lineup indefinitely.
“The Wiz” was the Jackets’ big free-agent signing this offseason when the team signed him to a six-year deal worth a reported million. Wisniewski was slated to be the Jackets’ power play quarterback, a position that has been an issue for years.
Now, the Jackets are forced to try and find a temporary replacement while their top defenseman is on the mend.
Columbus has a few options to look at and the first is through their farm system.
Players like David Savard or Nick Holden could soon be called up from the Springfield Falcons and could finally receive some consistent playing time. Savard would be the ideal choice as he has excelled in Springfield and is the Jackets’ top defensive prospect.
The other option for the Blue Jackets is to trade for a defenseman before the trade deadline.
Columbus has been in the trade rumors all season after the forgettable start to the year.
Names like Jeff Carter, Derick Brassard, as well as Rick Nash have all popped up.
General manager Scott Howson was quick to deny that Nash and Carter were available, but Brassard’s name has been thrown around since mid-October.
After being a healthy scratch for a considerable amount of time, Brassard has found himself playing a lot on the team’s fourth line, possibly auditioning himself to interested outsiders.
Brassard has struggled this season, but has shown a lot of potential and could excel in a new environment.
According to The Hockey News, the two teams at the most interested in Brassard at the moment are the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers.
Both teams are making a push for the playoffs and may feel that Brassard could be a missing puzzle piece.
One option that the Jackets could be interested in is Toronto’s John-Michael Liles.
Last season, when Columbus was in the middle of the Western Conference standings, the Jackets were looking for roster upgrades and Liles’ name popped up frequently.
Regardless of who the Blue Jackets try and trade for, the injury to Wisniewski is a critical one and should increase the trade rumors immediately.
Update: Just found out via GM Scott Howson’s Twitter that Wisniewski does not require surgery and will be out for six weeks.
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The Chicago Blackhawks were active this past summer in bringing in free agents to improve defensively as well as add grit to the roster.
Six months after purchase, does GM Stan Bowman have buyer’s remorse on any of his pick-ups?
Chicago is currently tops in the NHL with 48 points heading into Monday’s game with Columbus. That doesn’t mean that every July signing is free of any regret.
What follows is a look at the new acquisitions to the ‘Hawks roster. Have they been keepers so far, or candidates for the return desk along with that ugly sweater that’s two sizes too small?
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As much as NHL fans love to boo and berate Gary Bettman, they should give the commissioner at least some credit for deciding to televise the annual Winter Classic Alumni Game prior to the main event between the Philadelphia Flyers and the New York Rangers.
The league announced last week that the Alumni Game, with the puck set to drop at 1 p.m. EST on New Year’s Eve, will be broadcast on Versus in the US and CBC in Canada, with Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia providing a local broadcast in the City of Brotherly Love.
The game will feature a host of of legends for both franchises, with 59 former players and coaches currently scheduled to make appearances on the ice at Citizens Bank Park.
Pat Quinn is set to man the bench for a Flyers squad that will include the likes of Jeremy Roenick, Eric Lindros, Mark Howe, Bob Clarke, John LeClair and Reggie Leach. The Rangers, on the other hand, will be coached by Mike Keenan, who led New York to victory in the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals, and represented on the ice by Mark Messier, Adam Graves, Dave Maloney, Ron Duguay, Brian Leetch and Mike Gartner.Of course, the game won’t mean anything in the grand scheme of things, but, like the concept of playing a hockey game outdoors, having it on TV will add to the already tremendous entertainment value of the Winter Classic, which has become one of the coolest events in all of professional sports.
Between this and the 24/7 series on HBO, the NHL has done a magnificent job of marketing its most attractive regular-season product to a wide audience of puck-heads and casual fans alike.
The Winter Classic has become, in essence, what Christmas Day is to the NBA or what Thanksgiving is to the NFL, though with the added benefit of being staged in a unique way for all of North America to see.
And with college football enjoying the peak of its bowl season around New Year’s, it makes perfect sense that the NHL would do everything in its power to pump up the pageantry around the Winter Classic.
Putting the Alumni Game on TV only adds to the appeal of the main event, giving the league an opportunity to preface the actual game between the Flyers and the Rangers with a glimpse into the storied past of one of the NHL’s longest-running and fiercest rivalries.
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Two months ago, every NHL team was a playoff contender. But in the NHL, things change fast.
In the span of just 30 games, hopes of making the playoffs have been dashed for some teams, and these teams are ready to do whatever it takes to line things up for next year.
A handful of teams look doomed already, and with the trade deadline just a few months away, those teams could be selling off their spare parts in hopes for a better future.
Here are 10 of those teams.
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