Archive for Hockey
Player Spotlight: Ilya Kovalchuk
Posted by: | CommentsAs NHL teams amp up for the Olympic break (playing three to four games a week), the Olympic roster freeze looms large. February 12th at midnight marks the start of the roster freeze, and Ilya Kovalchuk and his situation with the Atlanta Thrashers is making management and fans uneasy. Kovalchuk is set to become an unrestricted free agent at years’ end, and would certainly be the hottest commodity available. How Atlanta Thrasher management deals with this player will define them as a franchise. It will play a large role in Kovalchuk’s place in the hobby as well.
A quick look into the stats for Kovalchuk shows that he has 327 goals, much of which has been accomplished without a legitimate centre man. 219 of these goals have come since the lockout ended. He has won a Rocket Richard Trophy in 2003-04, played in three All-Star games, and is on pace to reach the 50 goal plateau for the third time in his career. He is seemingly the second most dynamic goal scorer in the game today behind only Alexander Ovechkin.
The Olympic roster freeze lasts until February 28, and then just a few days later on March 3, the NHL trade deadline comes. Ilya seems to be looking for big money, and a lot of years on the agreement. Does Atlanta have the $80-100 million that he is looking for, over the course of the next ten to twelve years? Not sure, but my guess is they don’t. In this case, the question becomes: “When is the right time to move him?”
Scenario One: Kovalchuk gets moved before the Olympic break.
I personally don’t see this happening at this stage, as prospective teams won’t want to pay him for a couple of weeks without them helping the team. Kovalchuk is one of the key components of a high-flying and dangerous Russian team at the Olympics in Vancouver; teams are not going to take the chance of acquiring a player that might very well get hurt in the games and not be able to help them down the stretch. The asking price will be quite high, and that is certainly not worth the risk.
Scenario Two: Kovalchuk gets moved before the Trade Deadline, but after the Olympic Break.
This seems to be the most logical decision if they cannot come to an agreement on a contract discussion. I personally can’t see a general manager leaving this to chance and potentially allowing a team to sign him without getting anything in return, but that scenario isn’t out of the question. The asking price will be high. Probably in the neighborhood of an NHL ready player, probably a young player with upside. Also on the want list will be blue chip prospects and a draft pick package that will have to include at least one first round pick. This seems to be a decent option if you can get exactly what you are looking for, but the main problem is this: none of these things are Ilya Kovalchuk.
Teams that seemingly are in the hunt for Kovalchuk’s services at this point appear to be the Los Angeles Kings (who have a long list of high level prospects and quality young players that might be necessary to swing a deal), and the Boston Bruins (who have assembled a good cast of draft picks, mostly from the Phil Kessel deal swung with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the offseason). The Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers are also interested. Don’t be surprised if you end up seeing the New York Rangers become a player as well. Kovalchuk playing in any of these markets would most certainly be a boon for his collectability in a much more prominent hockey market.
Scenario Three: Atlanta holds onto Kovalchuk in hopes of a playoff run, trade his rights before he officially hits the market on July 1.
As of today, Atlanta is in the thick of the playoff race with 54 points in 52 games. They are but a single point out of the last playoff spot. But the problem is this: parity. While they are but a single point out of 6th place (in the playoffs) they are also a point away from being in 13th place as well. A lot of teams are in the same boat, many of which will seemingly be buyers at the deadline looking to acquire talent. Will hanging onto Kovalchuk be enough to get them into the playoffs when other teams around them are looking to improve? If I had the answer to this, I would probably be collecting a paycheck from an NHL team. It would certainly be a gamble that the Atlanta Thrasher brain trust will have to weigh options on. Chances are good that if you wait until the end of June to trade Kovy’s rights, you won’t get the same return as you would if you move him before the trade deadline.
Scenario Four: Thrashers are able to re-sign Kovalchuck before the trade deadline.
At this point, this seems to be the least possible scenario. Kovalchuk and his representatives have given the Thrasher management a number they are looking for, and Thrasher management has given Kovalchuk’s camp a number they are looking for. These are seemingly miles apart, or else they would have already come to an agreement. At this point, this scenario is but a pipe dream, especially for Thrasher fans (who currently rank 28th of 30 teams in average attendance).
Scenario Five: Thrashers let Kovalchuk go to free agency and are able to re-sign him at that point.
At this point this might be the best chance (although very slim) at the Thrashers keeping Kovalchuk long term. I say that because you have to think that someone will give Kovalchuk the big money he wants; if not for the years he wants, at least the opportunity to make big money for a good chunk of years. Atlanta has to hope they have a better feel on the market then that of Kovalchuk and his handlers. If they do, they might be able to say to him, “As we have said all along, our offer is the best one you are going to get, and why don’t we just get this done now. You had your fun looking, but this is where you belong.” It would certainly be a gamble, not one I am sure would go over well with fans, and would take stones of steel from management. It could happen, though it’s unlikely.
What happens with Ilya Kovalchuk will have a direct impact on his hobby appeal as well. As one of the legitimate superstars in the league today, his pulls are still very attractive. If he were to move to a big market like Los Angeles or New York, you would expect to see much more activity on the secondary market for his cards. The same applies if he were to go to an original six team like Boston or Chicago: the fans would start to pick up his items at an alarming rate.
Where he goes is certain to have an impact on his collectibility. The process he goes through will have an impact as well: will he just be a rental player, will the team that trades for him be able to sign him long term, or will he hit the open market? For these reasons, over the next few weeks through the Olympic break, no NHL player will attract more attention.
Christopher Carmichael has been hockey fan of over 20 years. He has been an active member on various hobby related sites, most notably www.hobbyinsider.net, and www.cloutsnchara.com. Christopher is also a long time collector, with a focus on a few select player collections, and the occasional set projects.
Popularity: 67% [?]
Free Pack of Hockey Cards This Saturday in Canada!
Posted by: | CommentsAre you Canadian? Do you like hockey? Do I even need to ask that second question if the answer to the first one is “Yes”? Do you like free stuff?
Well, for our friends up north, we’ve got a great promotion going on this Saturday to celebrate your nation’s sport: National Hockey Card Day. Just show up to a local hobby shop or select mass retailer, and you’ll get a free pack of Upper Deck Hockey cards. That simple.
Click here to see more on this promotion, and check out the official website too!
Popularity: 55% [?]
Changing of the Guard: More Young Leaders in Today’s Game Than Ever
Posted by: | CommentsThe NHL rulebook (Rule 6.1) states, “One captain shall be appointed by each team and he alone shall have the privilege of discussing with the Referee any questions relating to interpretation of rules which may arise during the progress of a game.” It then continues, “Only the Captain, when invited to do so by the Referee, shall have the privilege of discussing any point relating to the interpretation of rules.” There are some other items in the NHL rules that discuss the captain, but in reality, this is their designation. At the highest level though, being a captain is so much more. In the locker room, as well as off the ice, the team captain serves as the team leader.
With 25 year old Eric Staal being named captain of the Carolina Hurricanes on January 20, 2010, Eric is the newest team captain, and one of many young captains currently in the league. The NHL seems to be going through a bit of a paradigm shift with younger leaders being identified early, and given prominent roles of leadership.
Current Pittsburgh Penguins superstar and team captain Sidney Crosby was named the youngest permanent captain in league history (19 years, 9 months, and 24 days). This action seemed to spark a change, with many teams now employing a young superstar as the captain. All one has to do to notice the shift is to take a quick look at all the current team captains to see that the league is getting younger, and many times it is the team’s best young star that is the face of the franchise.
With teams trying to lock up their good young talent earlier and for longer and longer contracts, it seems to make sense for these talented young players to get the leadership role at a younger age. Chicago Blackhawks 21 year old star Jonathan Toews is currently the youngest serving captain in the league. Other youngsters who carry the “C” are Mike Richards in Philadelphia and Dustin Brown in Los Angeles, among others.
Sometimes, there is concern that these players are being handed leadership roles too early. Most of the players who get to the NHL were probably captains of many of their teams growing up, and are now arguably their professional team’s best player. These players are all highly skilled and have been in big games their whole life. The older players seem to understand this as well, and are all about the team winning, which in the end is ALWAYS the goal.
Click here for a quick look at all current captains in the league.
Currently there are two NHL teams with no serving captain, and oddly enough, they are arguably the two most storied franchises in the league. The Toronto Maple Leafs have not had a team captain since Mats Sundin left town, and the Montreal Canadiens chose not to name a new one when former captain Saku Koivu left for Anaheim in the off-season. The fact that these two teams were not ready to name a captain reveals the pressures captains have to deal with, both on and off ice. It also shows that these long time rivals and storied franchises don’t seem to have the people in place at this stage to feel comfortable giving that responsibility to anyone on their current squad. Not having a team captain on my favorite team (Montreal) is a bit weird for me, but if you look back on history and review past captains, you’ll note the intense pressure the team leader is subject to in that market. This being the case, it is probably for the best to wait until a solid leader emerges.
While the youth movement seems to be in full effect across the league, there are still many teams who have grizzled veterans as their leaders. The first two that come to mind for me are Niklas Lidstrom for the Detroit Red Wings and Scott Neidermayer of the Anaheim Ducks. Both players are former multiple-time Stanley Cup winners, and seem to have won just about everything. Lidstrom (aged 39), and Neidermayer (aged 36) are among the oldest team captains in the league, but 40 year old San Jose Shark Rob Blake is currently the oldest serving captain. These three vets provide a stable environment for youngsters to come up, and provide upper and middle management the assurances that come with a steady influence. The fact that any player in the league would love to have assembled a career that matches theirs is icing on the cake.
Captains have a huge role on the ice, but an even bigger role removed from playing the game itself. They must be able to handle the pressures of media both before and after games, as well as providing community support for their market. The “face of the franchise” is not at all a far off reach. Many have their own charities that they raise funds for, and they are also generally counted on by management to be the focal point of the teams’ charities (not to mention outreach events and ticket drives). In the off-season, the captain can be counted on to help out with recruiting, often giving a call to perspective free agents or welcoming new additions to the area. Small things like this do not go unnoticed, and you usually hear about it when the press conference happens for the big free agent signings each summer.
In the hobby, it almost always seems that the team captain will get significant hobby love, at least at the regional level. Because a team often has their most prominent player or superstar in this position, they will get a great amount of hobby action worldwide. Some of today’s biggest hobby superstars are captains. Jarome Iginla (Calgary Flames), the previously mentioned Crosby and Toews, as well as Rick Nash (Columbus Blue Jackets), Ilya Kovalchuk (Atlanta Thrashers) are just some of the hobby heroes that act as team captain.
History has also shown that team captains do very well in the hobby. A laundry list of who’s who in the hobby and still get featured regularly all acted as team captains. Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Mario Lemieux, Mark Messier and Jean Beliveau are some of the most prominent hits that can come out of any product. These players were known for majority of their careers as team captains, and are also known as some of the greatest leaders of all time.
One of the more recent cardboard tributes to captains was in 2006/07, when Upper Deck released the Parkhurst brand. This had a “Salute to Captains” subset, as well as an autographed parallel to most of the greats. These gave the collectors new and old a bit of a history lesson in some of the game’s great past leaders. This set was done very well, and remains a highly collected: it’s one of my personal favorites releases of all time.
2009-10 also marks the return of long time Red Wings captain and hobby hero Steve Yzerman to Upper Deck products, and that should get collectors going crazy over the prospect of some amazing cards with heroes of today and yesteryear. One can only imagine the possibilities the Upper Deck creative staff will be able to come up with for him. Past Red Wings stars like Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay and Alex Delvecchio and current Red Wings captain Nick Lidstrom should provide some great combinations for multi player signatures in sets like SPA, Ultimate and The Cup to name a few. With many a rabid Detroit fans, as well as those who collect Hall of Famer autographs, Yzerman will be a welcome addition to the lineup. I for one am looking forward to it.
Christopher Carmichael has been hockey fan of over 20 years. He has been an active member on various hobby related sites, most notably www.hobbyinsider.net, and www.cloutsnchara.com. Christopher is also a long time collector, with a focus on a few select player collections, and the occasional set projects.
Popularity: 42% [?]
Taking a Deeper Look at the NHL Scoring Race
Posted by: | CommentsOne surefire way to become a hero in the hobby market is by consistently putting up numbers. When you take a quick look at the scoring leaders, you will see familiar names Sidney Crosby (currently 4th), Joe Thornton (3rd) and Alexander Ovechkin (2nd) in points. All three of these players are typical hobby heroes. We all know who they are and expect them to put up the points they do while leading their teams to glory. Last year Thornton led the San Jose Sharks to the President’s Trophy as the top team overall in the regular season. Sidney Crosby, as we all know, was the youngest captain in the history of the NHL to hoist the Stanley Cup. And all Alexander the Great did was win his second straight Hart Trophy as league MVP; were it not for an early season injury, as well as a suspension, he would no doubt be leading in scoring at this point.
If you would have said that Vancouver Canuck forward Henrik Sedin would be leading the NHL scoring race at this point, you would probably have had a few people scratching their heads. Long an important part of the Canucks team success and a big part of the offense for the team, Henrik has taken his game to another level. Consider that brother and forever linemate Daniel Sedin has missed 18 games this season due to a broken foot and the fact that Henrik is atop the scoring race becomes all the more intriguing. Henrik has been on a tear for most of the season. Now that his brother is back, with Alex Burrows playing very well on the wing, they are one of the top lines in the league.
Sedin will be heavily counted on by both the Vancouver Canucks for the rest of the season, as well as the Swedish Olympic team. The cycle and puck possession game has been one of his strengths for years now, and it seems that his offensive game has come at a more regular rate this season.
Saturday night marks a key match-up for Sedin, as he faces who some say is the best player in the league, hobby superstar Sidney Crosby. The two superstars will face each other again in the 2010 Winter Olympics, where they will be on opposing sides as they both look to help propel their home countries to Olympic Gold. Sedin already has one Olympic gold in his possession from his run with the Swedish team in 2006. Crosby was part of the taxi squad and watched as the Canadian team finished a disappointing 7th at those games. While Crosby will be counted on to improve that, it will be a tall task to win gold on home soil. Sedin is hoping for more of the same, and winning gold in his club team’s city will no doubt hold special meaning for him.
Overall Sidney Crosby’s numbers appear to be down a bit from seasons past, but the Penguin star seems to be maturing into a more complete player. He far and away leads the league in face-off wins and seems to be playing in all situations much more then in seasons past. While I am sure that he would love for his offensive numbers be up some, I believe he would trade that fact for overall team success, as evidenced by the Stanley Cup win, and his desire to help Canada win its second gold in the past three Olympics.
Another NHL superstar is looking to lead his team and country to Olympic gold next month, and his all out offensive game could be the difference. Alexander Ovechkin is coming off of a five-point night against the Toronto Maple Leafs (1G, 4A +3), and is priming himself up for another run at NHL regular season awards. Recently named captain of the Washington Capitals after the departure of former captain Chris Clark via trade, it seems as though the changing of the guard in the American capital is complete.
Also among the scoring leaders at this point are talented New York Ranger forward Marian Gaborik, who missed the majority of last season, playing in only 17 games. The former Minnesota Wild winger, and recent free-agent acquisition, has been one of the lone bright spots for a Ranger team that has had trouble all year scoring goals. Currently on pace for nearly 50 goals, he is putting together the season many thought he would if he could stay healthy; no one has ever questioned the talent. Gaborik has some of the most diehard collectors out there, and, with him being in New York under the bright lights, has done nothing to push his collectors into looking elsewhere for something new.
Another pleasant surprise has to be the play of Dallas Star forward Bradley Glenn Richards, who is playing his best hockey since winning the Conn Smyth trophy as playoff MVP and the Lady Byng trophy for Sportsmanlike Conduct while helping the Tampa Bay Lightning win the Stanley Cup way back in 2003-04. Returning to the top 10 in league scoring has to be a great boost for the PEI native and his cards.
While there is still a lot of hockey left to be played this season, it is a nice time to take a look at where the league’s superstars are and what impact they are having both in the game and in the hobby. For both Crosby and Ovechkin, hobby superstardom is nothing new, and both will remain at the top of the current player hobby chain. and Guys like Joe Thornton and Marian Gaborik are legitimate hobby stars, and the door appears to be wide open for guys like Brad Richards to reclaim a spot among the elite players and re-establish his hobby following. Henrik Sedin to is poised to push beyond the local hobby markets of the Canadian Pacific coast and his native Sweden. Their continued success this year should be able to help each of them accomplish this.
Christopher Carmichael has been hockey fan of over 20 years. He has been an active member on various hobby related sites, most notably www.hobbyinsider.net, and www.cloutsnchara.com. Christopher is also a long time collector, with a focus on a few select player collections, and the occasional set projects.
Popularity: 39% [?]
Tough Night Between the Pipes for NHL Goaltenders
Posted by: | CommentsLast night, there were nine games on the NHL schedule. In six of these games, the starting goaltender was pulled in favor of the backup. In total, seven backups ended up inbetween the pipes. I have not seen such a night in a long time. Here is a quick look back:
First up, in Uniondale, NY, the New York Islanders and their squad of young upstarts played host to the Detroit Red Wings (the perennial powerhouses who have been ravaged by injuries for most of the year). The Islanders took the Red Wings to the woodshed and put them on notice. Scoring two goals in each period and only giving up sixteen shots in the process, they beat the Red Wings 6-0.
Red Wing rookie Jimmy Howard started the game; but after half the game and going down 3-0, Chris Osgood came in to relieve Howard, and arguably did no better (also giving up three goals in his half of the game, and on less shots). Overall, this game is one that the Red Wings will look to quickly forget as they try and get back on track in the second half of the season. Dwayne Roloson was good in the net for the Islanders, though he simply wasn’t put to many tests. He came up with the saves and ended up with his first shutout of the year.
The story was similar at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia as long time Dallas Stars goaltender Marty Turco had a rough second period in which he gave up four straight goals (five in total) over just nineteen shots before giving way to back up Alex Auld. When the final buzzer sounded the Stars had fallen to the Flyers 6-3 with the home fans going home happy. Turco is normally a very stable influence in the Dallas net, and seemingly always able to keep his team in the game. But, he has struggled at times this season, along with many of his teammates. It was only the second time all year that Turco had been pulled in a start.
At the other end of the ice, Michael Leighton has been playing well in the Flyers net since being picked up, posting eight wins and with just an overtime loss over his last ten appearances. I hope this journeyman has found himself a home for at least the rest of the year.
Down in Atlanta, the home team Thrashers took it to both Ottawa Senators goalkeepers as well. After chasing starter Pascal Leclair after the first period (beating him three times on a mere 14 shots in the first 20 minutes), the Thrashers then did the same to backup Brian Elliott in the final two periods as well. Elliot gave up three goals on the 14 shots he faced, as the Thrashers cruised to a 6-1 victory. Leclair has gone into a bit of a tailspin recently, giving up nine goals over his past seven periods and not coming up with many key saves (.859 save percentage over that span). He’s lost in all three games as the Senators fight for their playoff lives. For them to make a push, he is going to have to find the form he had in 2007-08 in Columbus, and be the goalie that the Senators thought they were getting when they acquired him last season.
Tampa, Florida was not a spot that starting goaltenders wanted to be last night, as neither the Tampa Bay Lightning starter Mike Smith (who was forced to leave in the second period with a strained neck), nor Washington Capitals rookie goalie Michael Neuvirth finished the games they started. It was a chippy affair overall with NHL offices probably taking a look at an incident that saw Capital player Matt Bradley step in when it looked as though star Alexander Ovechkin was going to drop the gloves with Steve Downie following what some thought was a dirty hit to the Lightning youngster.
Mike Smith was having a solid, if not unspectacular game before leaving, giving up two goals on 12 shots but still getting the win. Neuvirth only got 20 minutes in before taking up shop on the end of the bench. He gave up four goals on 15 shots. Jose Theodore finished the game for the Capitals, while Antero Nittymaki preserved the win for the Lightning.
St. Louis, Missouri was the location of the next short night for a starting goaltender. The St. Louis Blues topped the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-1, scoring three quick first period goals on Columbus starter Mathieu Garon (who gave way to 2008-09 Rookie of the Year Steve Mason after giving up his three goals on just nine shots). This season, it has been Garon on many occasions replacing the ineffective Mason, but last night marked the first time that Garon started and had to be replaced all year. Mason played well in relief without letting the game get out of hand, and only a St. Louis empty net goal at the end of the game closed it out.
The last game to see a goalie carousel between the pipes was the Edmonton Oilers playing host to the upstart Nashville Predators. Edmonton starter Jeff Deslauriers played just over a period, giving up four goals on just fourteen shots before giving way to rookie back up Devan Dubnyk. Both goalies have been struggling since regular starter Nikolai Khabibulin went down with injury in mid-November. Without good goaltending in the very competitive Western Conference, the Oilers stand to go nowhere, and fast.
Overall, I can’t remember a night with so many games ending without the starters in the nets. For the most part, with the exception of the Oiler/Predator game, the home team came out guns blazing and seemed to be on their game.
As with most things in life, there are exceptions to the rule and last night was no different. While some starters had their problems, in New York City, a classic goaltending matchup pitted all-time wins and shutouts leader Martin Brodeur against state rival Henrik Lundqvist, as the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers battled to a 0-0 tie after regulation. The double shutout remained after the extra period and both teams went to the shootout without having allowed a goal. Brodeur had piled up 51 saves and Lundqvist 45, and the shootout ended up in extra shooters before Patrick Elias finally solved King Henrik for the winner. In this game, both goaltenders technically ended up with shutouts, but New Jersey went home with the extra point.
Ironic how with so much poor goaltending in one night, the record breaking goaltender Brodeur cements his place as the elite keeper in the league. With the win and shutout, Brodeur has now recorded four shutouts in his last ten games, and is leading the league in the department.
Nights like this are rare, and will have next to no effect on the long term collectability of any of these players. However, if they become the start of a trend or are part of a long term funk, they most certainly can. A player’s performance has its ups and downs, and they do tend to mirror the value of their collectibles.
Christopher Carmichael has been hockey fan of over 20 years. He has been an active member on various hobby related sites, most notably www.hobbyinsider.net, and www.cloutsnchara.com. Christopher is also a long time collector, with a focus on a few select player collections, and the occasional set projects.
Popularity: 48% [?]
