Around the League – Feb 18, 2010

Ice women of the week

Random thoughts

• I bet I could write complete gibberish right now and no one would notice after seeing those beauties.
• Let all the talk begin about how Jaromir Jagr can help a team for the playoff run. Before you get ahead of yourself there are some hurdles. He is still under contract in the KHL. And if he did elect to come here, if a team signed him, he’d need to clear waivers before he could play for them. If he is going to come back to the NHL, and that is a big IF, it will happen in the off-season.
• If the Buffalo Sabres don’t add an offensive threat there is no way they can compete in the east. They don’t have a twenty-goal man yet, and when you look at the firepower of the Capitals, Penguins, Flyers and Senators I don’t see them going anywhere. If the Devils and Sabres meet in the first round it could the lowest scoring series ever.
• Sabres GM, Darcy Regier has always maintained you build your team in the summer and don’t deviate from that. That strategy has helped the Sabres develop home-drafted talent, but outside of one Cup run, it hasn’t got them very far. I wonder if he’ll decide to tweak his mind-set this year.
• If Dominic Moore is worthy of a 2nd round pick two years in a row, why can’t Steve Tambellini get a 2nd for Ethan Moreau. Both times Moore was a pending UFA when traded. I know Moreau is a $2 million cap hit next year, but that team that trades for him would be getting his services for the playoff push and next year. Dominic Moore, for only a playoff push, garners a 2nd rounder then I’d like to believe Moreau should the same.
• If Mikka Kiprusoff plays the majority of Finland’s games and they get to the semi finals, the Flames could easily miss the playoffs. He has looked fatigued in previous playoffs when he hasn’t played in the Olympics, so Flames fans better hope the Fins get knocked out early.
• If Russia wins the gold with 12 forwards and eight D-men and their five-man units I wonder if other teams might look at that strategy rather than dressing one extra forward and defenseman.
• Does Claude Julien keep track of the shootouts? Patrice Bergeron is 3 for 13 and Blake Wheeler is 2 for 13 in the shootout this year. Why are they still shooting? The Bruins have been in 17 shootouts and are 8-9. They’ve only scored 16 times in 60 shots and you wonder if Julien had let some others shoot if they’d be better. Five for 25 isn’t that hard to beat.
• The Canucks have six forwards on pace for 50+ points. Only the Capitals have the same balance amongst six forwards. The Canucks need a D-man and 3rd line grit guy with some skill and they could be a legitimate contender in the west.
• What a great race for the Maurice Richard trophy. The league’s two best players, Crosby and Ovechkin, both have 42 goals heading into the final six weeks of the season. Ovechkin is probably the favourite, but Crosby is so competitive I think they will battle neck and neck until the final week.
• I find it laughable when people say that Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin will only be Steven Stamkos-like and they aren’t Crosby or Ovechkin. Stamkos has 35 goals right now and will top 40 in his second season. If Hall or Seguin can produce like him the Oilers and Bruins would be ecstatic.
• I loved the Norway men’s curling pants. Dressing with a little flair is good now and then. It takes a self-confident man to pull these off!

Leaders through the season

Final point