The Selke Trophy

The Frank J. Selke Trophy is awarded annually to the NHL forward "who demonstrates the most skill in the defensive component of the game." The winner is selected by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association.

Past 10 winners of the Selke Trophy:

2000-01: John Madden - New Jersey Devils

2001-02: Michael Peca - New York Islanders

2002-03: Jere Lehtinen - Dallas Stars

2003-04: Kris Draper - Detroit Red Wings

2005-06: Rod Brind'Amour - Carolina Hurricanes

2006-07: Rod Brind'Amour - Carolina Hurricanes

2007-08: Pavel Datsyuk - Detroit Red Wings

2008-09: Pavel Datsyuk - Detroit Red Wings

2009-10: Pavel Datsyuk - Detroit Red Wings

2010-11: Ryan Kesler - Vancouver Canucks

The three nominees for this years Selke Trophy are:

Pavel Datsyuk - Detroit Red Wings

David Backes - St. Louis Blues 

Patrice Bergeron - Boston Bruins

Pavel Datsyuk will have a chance to win a record-tying 4th Selke Trophy this year. He was third in the league with 97 takeaways. He finished the season as +21 and he won 56.2 percent of his faceoffs. 

David Backes took a team high 1,353 faceoffs this year, winning 48.6 percent of them. He had 226 hits and 72 block shots. 

Patrice Bergeron finished the season as a +36 which was the highest in the league. He had the second best faceoff winning percentage in the league at 59.2 percent and he was a key piece to the Bruins penalty killing. 

League It To Us Predictions:

Josh's Prediction: 

Patrice Bergeron should win the Selke Trophy. He is essential to the success of the Boston Bruins as the 26 year old center excels in many parts of the game. Bergeron was among league leaders in several defensive categories which makes him a standout nominee for the Trophy. He led the league with 973 faceoff wins and was second in the league in faceoff winning percentage. He took 34.4 percent of the Bruins faceoffs. Beregeron plays a huge role on the Bruins penalty kill as he is out on the ice to kill almost every penalty. His great defensive instincts allow him to be a great penalty killer and along with his ability to counter attack while shorthanded if given the chance, allowed him to tally three shorthanded points this season. He added 55 takeaways, 67 blocked shots and 73 hits. Along with the great defensive stats, Bergeron tallied 22 goals and added 42 points. Patrice Bergeron defines the definition of this trophy, and he deserves to win it. In my opinion, he was the best defensive forward in the NHL this season.

Scott's Prediction
When I first looked at the names on this list, Bergeron was my first choice. As the Northeast division writer here, I've been following his play all season. He's been extremely crucial for the Bruins, especially in the faceoff dot. Then, seeing Datsyuk's name, made me think maybe he should win. He is always in contention for the Selke and he's a big player on the Red Wings. Then I started digging through the stats, and my choice for the Selke winner is David Backes. He had the most blocks of the nominees with 72, and that placed 12th overall among forwards. He also had 226 hits, more than Datsyuk and Bergeron combined, and again 12th among forwards. He averaged 1:47 per game on the penalty kill, just one second less than Bergeron, and he potted two shorthanded goals this season. He was a +15, had 50 takeaways, and just 22 giveaways. With a 48.6% efficiency on faceoffs, he wasn't exactly among the league leaders, but he had 52% winning percentage on faceoffs that occurred in the defensive zone. Not only did he do all that, but he's the captain of the Blues who nearly won the President's Trophy. He set a good example for his team that was one of the best defensive teams in the league. Backes was an extremely well-rounded player for the Blues this season, and deserved to win the Selke.

Jake's Prediction
Patrice Bergeron. Datsyuk's reign may be over. Bergeron is exceptional in the faceoff circle and his league leading plus/minus show his defense capabilities. Just watching the Boston-Washington series you can see how much Boston relies on Bergeron's faceoff abilities. When an injury kept the centerman from taking faceoffs in Game 6, all of the sudden Washington was outshooting and outplaying Boston. The difference was obvious.

Greg's Prediction
This has to be the 1st year for me that I can't pick Datsyuk, though he did have a great Selke run once again.  Both Backes and Bergeron are close, but I have to give it to B....ackes. Backes has been an all around guy that the Blues could rely on this year. On a team that has plenty of young offensive guys, a guy that has the defense like Backes is a huge help. Young players tend to get caught in the play, a guy like Backes can not only help with that while they make those mistakes but can teach the young players what to do just by example. Bergeron ha been great, but Boston is a team built off depth, so I feel that the loss of Backes would effect the Blues far more than the loss of Bergeron would to the Bruins.


Dylan's Prediction
My prediction for this season's Selke Trophy is that it will be awarded to David Backes of the St.Louis Blues. With two shorthanded goals as well as a +/- of 15, Backes was crucial to the Blues success this season. His play this season embodied the very structure that St.louis bases its play on. As the Captain, Backes reflected the importance of the defensive components of the game. St.Louis relies on strong defensive zone play as well as chemistry and goaltending. Backes is not only a central part of the Blues strategy, but is a representation of the defensive aspects of the game of hockey.


Our Selke Trophy Winner: 
With 3 out of 5 hockey experts' votes, David Backes has been selected by League It To Us to win the Selke Trophy. Patrice Bergeron had the other two votes as Pavel Datsyuk surprisingly received no votes! David Backes deserves the award for his great penalty killing, success in at the faceoff cirle and his great all around play with the large amount of hits and blocks.

Ontario Hockey League Dman of the Year Finalists

The Ontario Hockey League announced the nominees of the Defense of the Year earlier today. The nominees for the OHL defenseman of the year are:

Ryan Murphy - Kitchener Rangers --- He was selected 12 overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2011 NHL draft. This past season was his third OHL season and third for the Kitchener Rangers. He scored 11 times and had 43 assists for 54 points in 49 g games. He also had a plus/minus rating of +12.

Scott Harrington (left) - London Knights --- The Pittsburgh Penguin draftee who selected 54th overall in the 2011 NHL draft had a great season with London. As he was a leader on the team in all aspects of the game. He had 3 goals and 23 assists for 26 points in 44 games. He has a great plus/minus rating of +26.

Dougie Hamilton - Niagara IceDogs --- Dougie was selected 9th overall in the 2011 NHL draft by the Boston Bruins. This year Dougie led the IceDogs to a excellent season as they are now in the finals of the OHL playoffs against the London Knights. He had an incredible offensive season. He scored 17 goals and had 55 assists for 72 points in 50 games. He also had 47 penalty minutes and recorded a plus/minus rating of +37.

Codi Ceci - Ottawa 67's --- He is draft eligible for this years NHL draft. Ceci improved a lot from last season as he almost double his offensive numbers going from 34 points in 2010-2011 to 60 points this season. He scored 17 times and had 43 assists. He also had a +21 plus/minus rating.

Ryan Sproul - Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds --- Sproul was selected by the Detroit Red Wings, 55th overall in the 2011 NHL draft. In only his second OHL season, Sproul was third in team scoring. He was the only defenseman in the top ten of the Greyhounds scoring. He notched 23 goals from the back-end as he manned the Greyhounds power-play and had 31 assists for 54 points in 61 games. His plus/minus rating is +16, which is +31 better than his plus/minus from last season.

Frankie Corrado - Sudbury Wolves --- Corrado was selected 150th overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2011 NHL draft. Corrado is the most penalized out of these defenseman as he had 81 penalty minutes this season in 60 games. Corrado also scored 3 times and recorded 23 assists for 26 points. He had a plus/minus rating of +26.

My prediction for OHL Defensman of the Year: Dougie Hamilton - Niagara IceDogs

Comment below or tweet your opinions at me! 

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Yotes sign Mark Louis

The Phoenix Coyotes announced today that they have signed 25 year old defenseman; Mark Louis to a one year contract. The tough defenseman is 6-foot-4 and weighs 225 pounds. He played this past season in the American Hockey League with Portland Pirates; the Coyotes affiliate. He recorded 4 assists along with 72 penalty minutes in 23 games.

He played 5 seasons in the Western Hockey League from 2003-2008. He totaled 10 goals, 40 assists along with 379 penalty minutes in 303 games. After those five years in the WHL he went to play for St Francis Xavier University in the Atlantic University Sport Conference. He played three season for St. FX, scoring 1 time and adding 3 assists and 92 penalty minutes in 41 games.

Mark Louis adds grit to whichever lineup he plays in and is relied on to step up to make big physical plays. He is expected to start next season for Portland again in the American Hockey League.

Coyotes Signing Rating: B-, tough guy who will add grit to the back-end of any lineup

The Calder Trophy

The Calder Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League".

Past 10 Winners of the Calder Trophy:

2000-01: Evgeni Nabokov - G - San Jose Sharks

2001-02: Dany Heatley - RW - Atlanta Thrashers

2002-03: Barret Jackman - D - St. Louis Blues

2003-04: Andrew Raycroft - G - Boston Bruins

2005-06: Alex Ovechkin - LW - Washington Capitals

2006-07: Evgeni Malkin - C - Pittsburgh Penguins

2007-08: Patrick Kane - RW - Chicago Blackhawks

2008-09: Steve Mason - G - Columbus Blue Jackets

2009-10: Tyler Myers - D - Buffalo Sabres

2010-11: Jeff Skinner - C - Carolina Hurricanes

The three nominees for the Calder Trophy this year are:

Adam Henrique (82nd overall pick in the 2008 draft) - C - New Jersey Devils

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (1st overall pick in 2011 draft) - C - Edmonton Oilers

Gabriel Landeskog (2nd overall pick in 2011 draft) - LW - Colorado Avalanche

Adam Henrique notched 16 goals along with 35 assists and was a  +8.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had 18 goals and 34 assists, but he was limited to only 52 games this year due to injuries.
Gabriel Landeskog had 22 goals and 23 assists this season, but he also led the Avalance with a +20 in the plus/minus category and was key piece to the Avalanche penalty kill.

League It To Us Predictions:

Josh's Prediction:
Yes, if Nugent-Hopkins was healthy all year he most likely would have been the favorite to win the Calder but the Calder is not just given out for offensive output, so that is why I think Gabriel Landeskog should win the Calder this year. The Colorado Avalanche rookie excelled in his first year in the NHL and deserves the Calder. He led his team in goal scoring with 22 and was third on the team in total points with 53. He was important to both the power-play and the penalty kill as he tallied 12 power-play points and 2 short-handed points. He led the Avalanche in plus/minus with a +20 which was +9 better than defenseman; Ryan Wilson who was ranked second on the team in that category. He led Colorado with 218 hits and added 58 blocked shots. He is a key component to every part of the game for the Avalanche. It is uncommon that you can find a complete player that excels in all of facets of the game at only age 19, but Landeskog has shown it is possible for rookies to have such a big impact. Landeskog is going to be a great player in the NHL and it showed from the great rookie season he had.

Jake's Prediction:
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. He only turned 19 in April and a lot can be said of a player that accomplishes so much at such a young age. Jeff Skinner was only 18 last year, if thats any indication to the age factor. RNH put up as many points as Landeskog but in 20 less games and on a team that finished 29th overall. Doing it younger and doing it better. Thats what will have a big impact on voting, it certainly helped Skinner. Matt Read had an exceptional rookie season and if he was 18 then he'd definately be in the conversation, but he is not, he's 25. Maybe its not fair but thats how it is. It would have been great to see RNH play a full season but I think he won players and fans over with his exceptinal ability in the games he did play. RNH for the win, without a doubt.

Scott's Prediction:
I'm handing my Calder out to Gabriel Landeskog. As flashy as Nugent-Hopkins is, Landeskog did it all for the Avalanche. Landeskog not only put up the offensive numbers, which as stated early, as very similar to Nugent-Hopkins and RNH played fewer games, but he was an all-around performer. Landeskog averaged 1:20 of penalty kill time per game, while Nugent-Hopkins averaged 0:01 per game. He also showed the durability to last all 82 games in his first NHL campaign, one of just 3 rookies to do that (plus Cody Hodgson, who played 83 games). His +20 was second among rookies, just 1 behind New York's Carl Hagelin who was a +21. Landeskog was also one of just two rookies to score more than 20 goals (Matt Read being the other), and was second in game-winning goals with 5, again behind Read who had 6. Not only was he great on the ice, he even interacts with his fans on Twitter! Not that it has any bearing on my pick of him as the Calder winner, I just think it's awesome to see him taking time out of playing so well to have some fun with his fans.

Greg's Prediction:
Though it is unlikely that he will get it, I will write on Henrique for the sake of debate. Though he isn't the name in the lights as Hopkins and Landeskog is Henrique was a real factor for the Devils this year. With Zajac and Josefson getting injured the middle was looking thin for the Devils. They had some wingers who or 3rd/4th line players who tried to fill in such as Elias and Zubrus, but it didn't seem to work very well for them. Then they tried Henrique. Now before this I predicted a 3rd/4th line future role for Henrique, so he came out of no where.

Dylan's Prediction:
I predict that Gabriel Landeskog will receive this seasons Calder Trophy. He was a huge impact this season for the Colorado Avalanche. Being the leading rookie in points speaks for itself. In my opinion Nugent-Hopkins can't win because he didn't play the full season. Henrique had a little bit more to work with, which opened him up to greater production. Landeskog was able to create play out of nothing and that proved to be a huge difference in his team’s season. He will be a pivotal piece of the puzzle for the Avalanches playoff run next season.  

The Overall Prediction:

Landeskog happily accepting his Calder trophy

With three of our five hockey experts voting for him, Landeskog takes the Calder trophy as voted on by the members here at League It To Us. He was one of the two coming out of last year's draft thought to be NHL ready right away (Larsson being the other). People expected great things from this kid and have already seen it. Though we don't know who will win the Calder trophy as picked by the NHL's selection committee, we know that these three kids will be exciting to watch, and they all had great season with each garnering at least a vote from one of us.

Blue Jackets sign Drazenovic

The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed forward; Nick Drazenovic for a one year, two-way contract. He will be able to be sent down from the Blue Jackets and called up from the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League without having to clear waivers at any point.

Drazenovic, now 25 years old,  was selected 171st overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 2005 NHL draft. He played for the St. Louis AHL affiliate; Peoria Rivermen for four seasons. He had 70 goals and 90 assists in 278 regular season games over those four seasons. He made his NHL debut for the St. Louis Blues on November 11th, 2010 against the Nashville Predators. He has zero points in three career NHL games.

This past season he played for the Springfield Falcons where he scored 13 times and added 28 assists for 41 points in 41 games. He was third on the team in assists, fourth in points and fifth on the team with five power-play goals.

Columbus Signing Rating: C+ , Most likely will not make a big impact at the NHL level but may be great for years to come in the AHL

Canes Re-Sign Tlusty

The Carolina Hurricanes have re-signed the 24 year old forward, Jiri Tlusty to a two year deal worth 3.2 million dollars. The deal will pay Tlusty 1.5 million next year and for the 2013-2014 he will earn 1.7 million dollars.

Jiri Tlusty was selected 13th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2006 NHL draft. He played in the Leafs organization from 2006 to 2009. As he did not pan out as the Leafs had hoped, he was traded to Carolina on December 3rd, 2009 in exchange for prospect; Phillippe Paradis.

Tlusty had his best season as a NHL player this past year. He played in 79 games and scored 17 goals and added 19 assists for 36 points.

Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford is very fond of Tlusty as he stated at the press conference, "Jiri had a very good season and showed that he can contribute as a top-end NHL forward. He should continue to be an important part of the Hurricanes coming off of his career year."


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Winterhawks acquire the rights to Seth Jones

The Portland Winterhawks have acquired the rights to the 17 year old, defenseman; Seth Jones from the Everett Silvertips in exchange for an undisclosed draft pick. Seth Jones is a highly touted prospect for the 2013 NHL draft. Jones was selected 11th overall in the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft by the Everett Silvertips.

The defenseman captained the under-18 U.S team to the gold medal in the World Under-18 Championships this past week. Jones scored three times and added five assists in six games at the tournament. He also had 3 assists on the team last year as a 16 year old. He was expected to play for the American at the World Junior Championships this past December/January but he suffered an injury and was forced to miss the tournament.

The 6 foot 4 defenseman spent the past season playing with the U.S Development Program Under-18 team where he notched 6 goals and 20 assists in 48 games.

Seth Jones has yet to choose whether he is going to play in the United States Hockey League, Western Hockey League of the NCAA. Portland plans to meet with him soon to discuss Jones' plans for the upcoming season but the Winterhawks would be a great place for him to go as they have successfully produced 4 NHL 1st round draft picks in the past two years. Those first rounders include: Nino Niederietter, Sven Bartschi, Joe Morrow and Ryan Johansen.

"Seth is a world-class player in his age group, a terrific two-way defenseman who's excelled at every level," Portland GM/coach Mike Johnston told the team's website.

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Beau Bennett signs with Pittsburgh

Beau Bennett becomes the third underclassmen from Denver University this off-season to sign with the NHL club that they were drafted to. His teammates; Jason Zucker and Drew Shore signed contracts with their respective clubs last month. The winger has signed a three year entry level contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He will join the Penguins for the 2012-13 NHL season and if he does not make the roster out of camp he will play in the American Hockey League for Wilkes/Barre-Scranton Penguins. Beau Bennett was drafted 20th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2010 NHL draft. Bennett is the highest drafted Californian-born player in NHL history.

Beau Bennett finished his sophomore year at Denver this season, but he was limited to only 10 games. He suffered from a severely severed tendon in his wrist, in early October which required season-ending surgery. In the 10 games he did play he recorded 4 goals and added 9 assists for a total of 13 points, along with 25 penalty minutes. Bennett finished his two year career with the Denver Pioneers with 13 goals and 25 assists for 38 points in 47 games. 

The 20 year old will have to compete hard to make the Penguins opening roster out of training camp next season, but if he makes it he could excel playing next to one of the great Pittsburgh centers in Crosby, Malkin or Staal.

Pittsburgh Signing Rating: A-, Beau Bennett has great potential and could become a huge asset to the Penguins as they are always looking to add to their wingers 

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Abeltshauser Signed By The Sharks

Konrad Abeltshauser Inked a 3 year Entry Level Contract with the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday, April 11th.

Konrad has just finished his 3rd season playing in the QMJHL for the Halifax Mooseheads. During his rookie season with Halifax the defenceman recorded 5 goals and 20 assists for 25 points in 48 games with 28 penalty minutes and a +/- rating of -26. In his sophomore season Abeltshauser scored a total of 8 goals and 19 assists for 27 points, 47 penalty minutes and a +/- rating of -36 in 58 games. This season he stepped it up scoring 8 goals and 36 assists for 44 points with 30 penalty minutes and a +/- rating of +17 in 57 games. He has also played in the QMJHL playoffs twice, once during the 2010-11 season where he recorded 3 goals and no assists in 4 games, then this season where he scored 2 goals and 4 assists for 6 points with 8 penalty minutes in 6 games.

At 6-foot-5, 212 pounds, Abeltshauser has a huge body, but surprisingly skates pretty well with it. His presence can always be felt at the blueline. His shot has improved over the seasons and can only get better. This 6th round draft pick for the sharks (163rd overall) will most likely get plenty of chances to get into the Sharks lineup. He has a few humps to go over with prospects, such as Doherty, but his size should make it easier to do so.

Sharks Signing Rating: B-, Big strong defenseman with offence ability

Paul Carey Inks for 2

The Colorado Avalanche have signed forward Paul Carey to a 2 year Entry Level Contract last Wednesday.

Paul Carey has played 4 years of NCAA hockey in the H-East Division as well as a season in the USHL prior to the NCAA. During his USHL season, Carey scored 34 goals and 32 assists for 66 points along with 32 penalty minutes and a +/- rating of +2 in 60 games while playing with the Indiana Ice. Those stats would help Indiana make the playoffs in where he recorded 1 goal and 2 assists for 3 points in 4 games and 2 penalty minutes.

In his rookie season playing for Boston College in the NCAA, Carey would record 5 goals and 4 assists for 9 points and 8 penalty minutes in 24 games. Carey would start to step it up in his sophomore season scoring 9 goals and 12 assists for a total of 21 points and 29 penalty minutes in 41 games. In his 3rd season, Paul Carey had 13 goals and 13 assists for 26 points, and 18 penalty minutes in 38 games played. However Carey would have his NCAA career year in his senior year scoring 18 goals and 12 assists for 30 points with 30 penalty minutes in 44 games. Carey won multiple NCAA Championships with Boston College including on this year.

Paul Carey was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in the 5th round, 135th overall. Carey is a great stick-handler with a great shot. He has decent size at 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, and he is always one of the 1st to join the rush. However he is inconsistent offensively and his defensive play and play without the puck needs work. He will have to improve on these to have any chance on having an NHL career.

Colorado Signing Rating: C, Good offensive upside, but needs work on defence.

Stanley Cup Playoffs - First Round Predictions

East

(1) New York Rangers vs (8) Ottawa Senators

Prediction: NYR in 6 games.

I feel that Ottawa is highly underestimated, they have the lineup to pull of the upset but ultimately i feel that the Rangers are to much. Expect a tight, relatively low scoring series. 

(2) Boston Bruins vs (7) Washington Capitals

Prediction: Washington in 7

This is a tough call for me to make, it's a close matchup. The only issue is if Washington bothers to show up to every game. On paper they can handle Boston, but they have yet to live up to their high expectations in recent years. I feel they will this time around, its make or break.

(3) Florida Panthers vs (6) New Jersey Devils

Prediction: Devils in 5

As much as I enjoy the Panthers team, the Devils out match them. The Panthers will be lucky to steal a game.

(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs (5) Philadelphia Flyers

Prediction: Pens in 6

The combination of Malkin and Neal is extremely hard to beat. That not including all of the other stars on that team. Philadelphia is simply out skilled man for man, they will make it close though. 

West

(1) Vancouver Canucks vs (8) Los Angeles Kings

Prediction: Kings in 6

A season plagued with injuries has left a lot of question marks around the Vancouver Canucks. I am feeling that Luongo will choke again as usual. The Kings are underrated, they have an amazing lineup that could go shot for shot with the Canucks.

(2) St. Louis Blues vs (7) San Jose Sharks

Prediction: Blues in 5

Recent years have reduced my faith in the Sharks to next to nothing. They have the potential but they don't seem to be able to win in the playoffs. That's before they are even stacked up against an amazing Blues squad. The Blues should be able to handle the Sharks with few problems. 

(3) Phoenix Coyotes vs (6) Chicago Coyotes

Prediction: Coyotes in 7

Chicago's goaltending worries me, they are just way to inconsistent. I think both goalies are terrific but they don't always play like it. The Coyotes have a good structured team in front of a goalie who is having a breakthrough season. Should be back and forth for the next 2 or so weeks. 

(4) Nashville Predators vs (5) Detroit Red Wings

Prediction: Preds in 6

Detroit is always tough but Nashville can match them this year. Plus Nashville has home ice advantage for the series. The toughest part for Nashville will be winning at the Joe; if they can do that then they are set.

Cody Bass Re-Signed

On April 9th, the Columbus Blue Jackets have extended forward Cody Bass to one year, two-way contract.

25 year old Cody Bass has been up and down between the NHL and AHL since the 2007-08 season. In his AHL career, Bass has 21 goals, 29 assists for 50 points in 194 games with 359 penalty minutes and a +/- rating of -25. In the NHL, Bass has 2 goals and 3 assists for 5 points along with 66 penalty minutes in 48 career games. Originally an Ottawa Senator 2005 draft pick (4th round, 94th overall) Bass would later leave the Sens once his contract was up last offseason. That same offseason the Blue Jackets would sign the forward to a one year two way deal.

At 6-foot-1, 213 pounds Cody Bass is a building on skates and he likes to take advantage of that. He is a great hitter and he never backs down from a challenge. He has great defensive capabilities and is good at faceoffs. Bass is one of those go to PK guys with some scoring ability as well.

Jackets signing rating: C+, good prospect that has not been able to prove himself yet.

Tommy Cross Inks for 3

The Boston Bruins have signed Boston College Captain Tommy Cross to a 2 year Entry Level Contract today. 

Tommy Cross has just finished his Senior season with Boston College. During his rookie season Cross recorded no goals and 8 assists with 24 penalty minutes in 24 games. His sophomore season continued his rookie season trend with him scoring 5 goals and 5 assists for 10 points with 36 penalty minutes in 38 games. During his 3rd season Tommy Cross expanded a little bit scoring 7 goals and 11 assists for 18 points in 28 games along with 45 penalty minutes. Last season cross scored a total of 5 goals and 19 assists for 24 points in 44 games with 66 penalty minutes. Tommy Cross has also won multiple NCAA Championships with Boston College in the H-East division.

Prior to his NCAA seasons, Tommy Cross played in both the USHL and the NAHL. During the 2006-07 year Cross was playing for the USNTDP Under-18 Team where he recorded no goals and 2 assists in his 2 games he played. A year later Cross played for the Ohio Junior Blue Jackets in the USHL recording no goals and 4 assists in 9 games with 8 penalty minutes and a +/- rating of -3.

AT 6-foot-3, 210 pounds Cross has a BIG body. However he isn't very strong on his skates, which could be his only issue in his play. Cross has some great hockey sense, good stick handling and a great shot. The biggest question mark in his career is his injury issues. Hopefully he can overcome that.

Boston Signing Rating: B-, good prospect as long as he can overcome his injury issues

Dumoulin Inked

Brian Dumoulin has Inked a 3 year Entry Level Contract with The Carolina Hurricanes.

Dumoulin has just finished his third season with Boston College. During his rookie season Dumoulin quickly proved his worth scoring 1 goal and 21 assists for 22 points with 16 penalty minutes in 42 games. He would expand on this trend in his sophomore season recording 3 goals and 30 assists for 33 point with only 6 penalty minutes in 37 games. Last season Dumoulin dipped slightly scoring 7 goals and recording 21 assists for 28 points and 26 penalty minutes in 44 games before taking Boston College to the NCAA Championships and eventually beating the Bulldogs to take the NCAA Championship.

Dumoulin is already rather large at 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, but expect him to build even more. Dumoulin has great puck ability and a great shot. Dumoulin was one of if not the best defenseman in college hockey this season helping his team win multiple NCAA Championships. With more development Dumoulin will become a top pair defenseman.

Dumoulin in the 2nd Boston College player to be signed yesterday as Chris Kreider was signed yesterday as well. See our Kreider article Here.

Carolina Signing Rating: B+, locked up a great prospect to add to their future stacked blueline.

NHL Draft: The Games Begin

The hockey world was thrown in to complete shock tonight. The NHL held its draft lottery were they revealed each of the bottom five teams pick number. The highly coveted first overall pick, assumed to be going to the Columbus Blue Jackets, offered a surprising twist in the hockey world.

The ordered remains the same as predicted, except for the top pick. The envelopes were opened one by one until only two remained. As the envelope marked "1" is opened, there is a brief pause and silence in the air.

"The number one overall pick in the 2012 draft belongs to... The Edmonton Oilers," said NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly.

The Cameras did not turn to the last two General Managers that were present at the lottery. One can only imagine what was going through the head of Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson.

With only an 18.8% chance of winning the top pick, the Oilers became the second team in history to earn three top picks in consecutive drafts. The Quebec Nordiques did the same back in 1989-91. Although this is an interesting feat, it is also very unfortunate to have finished at the bottom so many times in a row. On the bright side they will be adding more young talent to an already powerful roster.

With the final draft rankings being released earlier this week, many questions are being raised about what Edmonton will do. Many say they should take top ranked forward Nail Yakupov of the Sarnia Sting. Others say that they should trade down and get a defenseman like Mathew Dumba of the Red Deer Rebels.

Nail Yakupov

The draft is scheduled for June 22-23 in Pittsburgh, where plenty is bound to unfold. Perhaps there will even be a new home for Blue Jackets forward Rick Nash.

What do you think Edmonton should do with their pick?

Chris Kreider Signs

Today, 2012 NCAA Champion Chris Kreider has signed a 3 year Entry Level Contract with the New York Rangers.

Kreider (20) has just finished his third season playing for Boston College in the NCAA (H-East). During his rookie season, Kreider scored 15 goals and 8 assists for 23 points in 38 games along with 26 penalty minutes. During his sophomore season, Kreider recorded basically the same amount in less games scoring 11 goals and 13 assists for 24 points in 32 games with 37 penalty minutes. This season he stepped it up. Kreider racked up 22 goals and 23 assists for 45 points along with 66 penalty minutes in 44 games.

Kreider is a speedy forward who has proven that he can have an eye for the net when needed. Being 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, Kreider is a brick wall when using his size.

The New York Rangers will have their 2009 1st round pick (19th overall) join the team for the 1st round of the playoffs. Kreider will eat up the 1st year of his contract while playing for the Rangers during the playoffs. The biggest question in this signing is whether or not he can be playoff ready in time for his debut in the NHL playoffs and whether or not he can take the pressure of having his debut during the NHL playoffs.

Rangers Signing Rating: B-, Great signing, but losing a year of the contract will be painful.

What do you think of the signing?

Central Division Year In Review

Place/Team	Games Played	WINS	LOSSES	OTL	Points	ROW	GF	GA	DIFF	HOME	AWAY	S/O	L10	Streak
1. St. Louis Blues	82	49	22	11	109	45	210	165	+45	30-6-5	19-16-6	4-10	4-3-3	WON 1
2. Nashville Predators	82	48	26	8	104	43	237	210	+27	26-10-5	22-16-3	5-5	6-4-0	WON 3
3. Detroit Red Wings	82	48	28	6	102	39	248	203	+45	31-7-3	17-21-3	9-3	4-4-2	OT 1
4. Chicago Blackhakws	82	45	26	11	101	38	48	238	+10	27-8-6	18-18-5	7-7	6-1-3	WON 1
5. Columbus Blue Jackets	82	29	46	7	65	25	202	262	-60	17-21-3	12-25-4	4-5	6-4-0	WON 2

The Central Division had 4 teams make the playoff while Columbus was the last place team in the entire league. The Central Division will be very interesting with the possibility of 3 of the 4 teams making it to the Western Conference Semi-Finals.

St. Louis Blues


The St. Louis Blues are the Central Division champions with a record of 49-22-11. They finished 2nd in the Western Conference behind the President Trophy winning team; the Vancouver Canucks.

The St. Louis Blues success started from the goaltending with great seasons from Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliot.  As St. Louis signed Brian Elliot in the off-season they were looking for a goalie who could play 10-18 games behind Halak while Ben Bishop was developing in Peoria of the American Hockey League, but because Elliot has an outstanding season the Blues traded Bishop to the Senators for a 2nd round pick before the trade deadline.

Brian Elliot had a record of 23-10-4 with a 1.56 GAA, .940 save percentage along with 9                 shutouts. Elliot also set a team record with a 241 minutes and 33 second shutout streak. Elliot led the league in GAA and save percentage. Jaroslav Halak had a record of 26-12-7 with a 1.97 GAA, .926 save percentage along with 6 shutouts. The goaltending tandem combined for the league lead in shutouts by one team and they only allowed a league best 165 goals against which was 14 less than Los Angeles who were second best in that category.

The offense for the St. Louis Blues was very spread out as David Backes and TJ Oshie led the offensive charge with 54 points each. Backes also led the team in goal scoring with 24, but Perron had 21 goals in only 57 games. The future is only going to the bright for the Blues, with all of the young talent on the Blues consisting of: David Backes, TJ Oshie, David Perron, Alex Pietrangelo, Kevin Shattenkirk, Patrik Berglund, Chris Stewart, Ian Cole and Jaden Schwartz the Blues should be in the running for many years to come.

Blues coach; Ken Hitchcock is a top candidate for the Jack Adams Award for best coach in the NHL. He took over the coaching job from Davis Payne who was fired on November 6th as the Blues were 6-7-0 and 14th in the Western Conference. He led the Blues to the 3rd best record in the entire NHL.

Playoff Outlook:
As the St. Louis Blues dominated the season series with the Sharks by winning all four games and outscoring them 11-3 the Blues will end into the series at the favorite. The Sharks do possess the playoff experience that the St. Louis Blues lack, but with veterans in Jamie Langenbrunner, Jason Arnott and Andy McDonald the Blues will have great leadership.

Prediction: St. Louis Blues win the series 4-1.
SEASON TEAM MVP: Brian Elliot 


Nashville Predators


The Nashville Predators 2nd in the Central Division with a record of 48-26-8. They finished with 104 points.
The Nashville Predators were led by Pekka Rinne and the defenseman all-stars; Shea Weber and Ryan Suter. Pekka Rinne started in 72 game this season for the Predators. He boasted a 43-18-8 record with a 2.39 GAA, .923 save percentage along with 5 shutouts. He led the entire league with 43 wins. Ryan Suter had 7 goals and 39 assists this year along with a +15 rating, and Shea Weber recorded 19 goals (10 of them coming on the powerplay) and 30 assists while leading his team in plus/minus with a +21 rating.

Martin Erat led the team is scoring with 58 points which was his best offensive season in his 10 year NHL career. David Legwand and Mike Fisher were close behind with 53 and 51 points respectively.

The return of Alexander Radulov to the Predators gives them a huge boost going into the playoffs. Radulov left the Predators after the 2007-08 season to go play in the KHL in his home country, Russia. He finally returned to the NHL this year when the season came to an end for his team in the KHL. In 9 games this season for the Predators, Radulov has 3 goals and 4 assists for 7 points.

Besides Radulov's return, the Predators also added other assets through trade this year that have strengthened them and should help in the playoffs with offense, defense and veteran presence. Nashville first traded for Hal Gill, who has 5 points and is a +4 in 28 games. He has 105 career playoff games so he brings a lot of experience to this team which will be very helpful to the younger Preds. The Kostitsyn brothers were re-united as the Preds traded for Andrei Kostitsyn at the deadline. Andrei has 12 points and his a +7 in 19 games with the Preds. Also, the Predators traded for Paul Gaustad who will bring grit to their lineup and he will be responsible along with the likes of Mike Fisher, David Legwand and Jordin Tootoo to shutdown Datsyuk, Filppula, Zetterberg and Franzen.

Playoff Outlook:
The Nashville Predators are playing their divisional rivals the Detroit Red Wings. The season series between these two teams is even at 3. This series will be very exciting to watch with offensive threats going head to head along with Weber and Lidstrom facing off. The goaltending should be the defining part of this series as Pekka Rinne and Jimmy Howard go head to head.

Prediction: Nashville Predators win the series 4-3.
SEASON TEAM MVP: Shea Weber 


 Detroit Red Wings


The Detroit Red Wings finished the season ranked 3rd in the Central Division with a record of 48-28-6 for 102 points. The Detroit Red Wings set an NHL record with 23 straight home wins this season. Detroit finished the year with a 31-7-3 home record but they had a miserable 17-21-3 record away from the Joe Louis Arena.

Wings goaltender; Jimmy Howard played great when he was healthy, as he started 57 games which was his lowest total in 3 years. He posted a 35-17-4 record with a 2.13 GAA, .920 save percentage and 6 shutouts.

Zetterberg led the team in points with 69 points in 82 games, while Datsyuk was second in team scoring with 67 points in 70 games. The most impressive season by a Red Wing this season in my opinion was that of Val Filppula. Val scored 23 times and added 43 assists for a total of 66 points. Those 66 points are 26 more points than his best offensive season before this year. He also was a +18 and only had 14 penalty minutes. He had a great year and he will be looking to continue his success into the post season.

The defense in Detroit as usual pitched in on the offense as Nik Kronwall had 36 points, Nicklas Lidstrom had 34 and Ian White had 32 points. They combined for 23 goals, 11 of them coming by way of the powerplay.

Darren Helm is optimistic that he will be able to return to the lineup from a knee injury for game 2 on Friday.

Playoff Outlook: The 5 seed; Detroit Red Wings are playing the Nashville Predators in the first round, who only finished two points ahead of them in the regular season. *See the playoff outlook  in the Nashville Predators section.*

Prediction: Detroit Red Wings lose the series 4-3.
SEASON TEAM MVP: VAL FILPPULA 


Chicago Blackhawks


The Chicago Blackhawks finished 4th in the Central Division with a 45-26-11 record. Despite finishing 4th in the division the Blackhawks were able to finished 6th in the Western Conference.

The Blackhawks had problems all year with giving up too many goals. As a team they gave up 238 goals, which is 2nd worst in the league among playoff teams, only better than Ottawa who gave up 240 goals. Corey Crawford and Ray Emery split the goaltending time this year with neither of them having great seasons. Crawford went 30-17-7 with a 2.72 GAA, .903 save percentage and zero shutouts. Ray Emery had a record of 15-9-4 with a 2.81 GAA, .900 save percentage and zero shutouts. The Chicago Blackhawks were the only team to record zero shutouts this season. The offense of the Blackhawks bailed out their poor defending  many times as the Blackhawks were tied for 6th with goals for.

Marian Hossa led the offensive charge with 29 goals and 48 assists for 77 points in 81 games. Patrick Sharp was second in team scoring with 69 points in 74 games along with a team leading +28. Kane was third with 66 points in 82 games. Toews, who missed 23 games due to injury is due to return for their first round matchup, had 29 goals and 28 assists in only 59 games.

The return of center, Johnathan Toews will be a huge boost to their lineup, as he has not played in 22 games. Behind Datsyuk and Crosby, Toews could agrubaly be the most complete player in the NHL as he excels in every facet of the game. He will bring more success to the powerplay and the penalty kill and he will be key to winning faceoffs for the Blackhawks. With Toews in the lineup, Chicago will be a scary team to face in the first round.

Playoff Outlook:
The Blackhawks are playing the Pacific divisional winners; the Phoenix Coyotes. The Coyotes are heavily relying on the play of their goalie; Mike Smith, but with the offense that the Blackhawks possess the Yotes could be in for some serious trouble. The season series between the two teams is 3-1 in favor of the Yotes, but with the improved play of Crawford and Emery as of late the Chicago team will be more competitive.

Prediction: Chicago Blackhawks win 4-3
SEASON TEAM MVP: MARIAN HOSSA 


Columbus Blue Jackets


The Blue Jackets had a miserable season as they finished last in the NHL with a horrid 29-46-7 record. Columbus finished the season with only 65 points.


The Blue Jackets were a mess from the get-go of the season and the problems only continued to get worse as the season went along. Rick Nash trade talks heated up about a month before deadline, but even though he did not get moved the whole situation become a mess. Blue Jackets GM; Scott Howson leaked that Nash asked for a trade making both himself and Nash look bad as the situation was worse than many thought. Rick Nash most likely played his last game in a Blue Jacket jersey this season. It is believed that he will be moved around draft day which makes the draft pick situation very interesting as teams such as Montreal and Toronto were very interested in Rick Nash at the deadline and they both have lottery picks.


The Blue Jackets shipped out veterans: Antoine Vermette and Sammy Pahlsson at the deadline for draft picks and future talent. Columbus also traded the bust of a signing; Jeff Carter for Jack Johnson and a 1st rounder at the deadline. Jack Johnson will be a key to success in the future.


Blue Jackets goalie; Steve Mason had another horrendous season but this one was injury prone as well. Steve Mason only started in 46 games this year. He posted a 16-26-3 record with a 3.39 GAA, .894 save percentage and only one shutout. Backup goalie Curtis Sanford had a much better season with a 10-18-4 record with a 2.60 GAA, .911 save percentage and one shutout.

The were not many bright spots during the Blue Jackets season but again Rick Nash had a successful offensive output with 30 goals along with 29 assists. Vinny Prospal also had a good offensive year with 55 points for the Blue Jackets.

The lone bright spot about this season is that the Blue Jackets are sitting pretty for the draft lottery as they will most likely have first overall pick and will be able to draft the exceptional Russian forward from the Sarnia String; Nail Yakupov. The Blue Jackets definitely failed for Nail.

SEASON TEAM MVP: RICK NASH 


WHO TO WATCH:
- Jonathan Toews - Coming back from injury, Toews will be excited to return to the lineup and make a big impact
- Jaroslav Halak/Brian Elliot - Can the St. Louis tandem keep up the level of play they had during the season? If so, the Blues will be a very good playoff team
- Johan Franzen - The Mule always plays exceptional in playoffs, can he do it again this year?
- Hal Gill - He has been key to success of the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Montreal Canadians in their playoff runs, will he be able to do the same in Nashville?

                   Any thoughts on this article let me know! Tweet at me or comment below
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