Too Little, Too Late for the Senators?

Since acquiring Dion Phaneuf in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Ottawa Senators have sparked a four-game winning streak. With that in mind, is this team really ready for the post-season charge, with many better teams ahead?

This would depend on how well they do in the final part of this season. Their last decision was a 4-1 decision over the Edmonton Oilers. Not exactly a powerhouse team at that moment, despite getting Connor McDavid back. You might remember last year when the Senators erased a 14-point deficit in the standings to make the playoffs, one of the biggest runs in standings in NHL history. Good thing they don't have to be that good this time around. They are still four points out of a playoff spot, so panic time should not be on their minds.

Here's the bigger problem for the Senators going down the road: Playing really good teams. The team in front of them, the Pittsburgh Penguins, should be getting Evgeni Malkin back in the lineup sometime next week, so I don't see them falling out anytime soon. The Boston Bruins are six points ahead and have a game in hand. The Bruins, though, tend to go two ways. They are really good for a while, then they are really poor. I'm not even going to go to the Lightning, because I believe they'll get into the playoffs, winning their last four. The Detroit Red Wings will probably also get into the playoffs. There are also two teams ahead of the Senators but on the outside looking in: the New Jersey Devils and the Montreal Canadiens. They could get by the Canadiens, with the way the Canadiens's season has been going, but New Jersey will probably be a tough test as well. If I had to pick one or two teams they are likely to sneak by to get in, it is both the Montreal Canadiens and the Boston Bruins. Like I said, the Canadiens haven't played well at all this season and the Bruins tend to go up and down so they could go down before the playoffs.

The Ottawa Senators don't have an easy final part of the season ahead, so they're going to have to do some major work on ice in order to get into the playoffs. They're going to have to play well against these quality teams if they even have a shot. In the end, it does seem like it's too late for the Senators, but we're not even in March, so things can still go the Senators' way. They just got to keep playing well.

Anze Kopitar's Injury

The Los Angeles Kings are starting to downslide a little, and it looks like they will be without their biggest star for quite some time.

Anze Kopitar suffered a lower body injury during Thursday night's game against the St. Louis Blues. Today, we were told the injury was day-to-day. Kopitar is already a solid bounce-back season after not doing well during the 2014-15 season.

With Kopitar out of the lineup, Jeff Carter should see more of the first line to fill the void left by Kopitar. Carter and Kopitar both share the same scoring with 14 goals in five or fewer games. The chemistry of the second line, though, could be an issue. The second line is considered the Kings' best line, with Tyler Toffoli leading the team in goals and points and Dwight King brings a physical presence to the ice that helps bring down the opposition.

The Kings are now in fourth-place in the Western Conference,  and they're not in a safe place right now. There are six points that separate them from being the eighth spot. If they don't get Kopitar back and soon, that cushion could dwindle and they could possibly see the eighth spot or be out of the playoff picture for good. And hopefully Kopitar will be back by the time I see the Kings in person on Feb. 25 against the Edmonton Oilers.

Should the Canadiens Trade P.K. Subban?

You know when the Montreal Canadiens were really good at the beginning of the year? Well, unfortunately, I don't anymore. Their season has gone off the rails and this looks like it has no way to turn around. Should with that being said, are the Canadiens ready to ship P.K. Subban somewhere else?

The P.K. Subban rumors are according to TVA reporter Louis Jean. A twitter post from him suggests that the Canadiens are going into the market and seeing what they can get.

The Canadiens have lost three straight and 23 of its last 31. Most would believe that head coach Michel Therrien would be gone either sometime in the next coming weeks or by the end of the season. Even he blamed Subban for causing the team's latest loss.

Since Therrien returned to Montreal, the relationship between these two has been rocky. The coach once said he wanted to make P.K. a better person as well as better player. Not sure if Subban really went along with that, but it is possible that because of Therrien, the relationship may have reached a breaking point and both want away from the other.

GM Marc Bergevin would possibly side with Subban over the coach, meaning the coach could be booted from this team. Subban is the team's leading scorer and its most consistent performer so it would be unthinkable if Bergevin decided to trade him. He's also a favorite of owner Geoff Molson and has been an influence in the community.

So would it be fair for the Canadiens to trade P.K. Subban? Well, I always say never say never, because looked what happened to Wayne Gretzky when he was traded. So it is possible. The Canadiens are going nowhere fast and it looks like they will miss the playoffs this time around. I feel bad for this team because they started out so well and look at them now. I wouldn't say the Canadiens are looking to rebuild but if this season keeps falling south, it could be time to look in that direction. Trading P.K. Subban would not only be a bad move for the team but it would also tell Canadiens fans that the team has given up trying to make it to the playoffs this season. Not saying that they're going to, but not having Subban is a definite missing-the-playoffs. The Canadiens are going to be asking high if they want to trade P.K. Subban, but if he does go somewhere else, especially to a playoff team, he can actually help them produce goals and be a factor in the playoffs. Let's just see if Montreal decides to let him go or keep them on their team.

The Senators Get More Serious With Phaneuf

The Ottawa Senators are six points out of a possible playoff spot in the Atlantic Division. It makes sense that they would go after someone who could help them on defense and to keep pucks away from the Ottawa net. Tuesday morning, they finally got their wish from a division rival.

That's right. The Toronto Maple Leafs and the Ottawa Senators just completed a massive nine-player trade centered around veteran defenseman Dion Phaneuf, who goes to the Senators. This deal comes less than 24 hours after the Winnipeg Jets re-signed Dustin Byfuglien to a long-term deal. This trade also removes the No. 1 available defenseman from the trade market. Since the Maple Leafs are trying to rebuild, it would make sense that they would benefit from removing Phaneuf's contract from their pile, which had a $7 million cap hit.

Also involved in this deal going to Ottawa are forwards Matt Fraction, Casey Bailey and Ryan Rupert, as well as defenseman Cody Donaghey. Going the other way are defenseman Jared Cowen and forwards Colin Greening, Milan Michael, and Tobias Lindberg. The Leafs also receive a second-round pick in 2017.

I'll be honest. I did not expect the Maple Leafs to be trading with their biggest rival in the Ottawa Senators. The Flames and Oilers don't even seem to trade with each other too often either, so this comes as a big surprise. Not only do the Senators get more defensive help, but they also get rid of contracts they felt were ugly to them. Unfortunately for them, these deals do not involve a long-term commitment, so Phaneuf could easily walk away from the Senators if he wanted to. I don't think that's gonna happen, though. He understands that Ottawa is trying to snag a final playoff spot and having a bit of defensive help does that. On the other side, Toronto is rebuilding itself and having a player that might take a cap hit is not something they want.

The only value Toronto may get out of this trade is young Jared Cowen. He can be improved, but he has been bad so long for the Senators he might actually be bought out if he doesn't improve with the Maple Leafs. Milan Michalek is the same way, although he has not played up to what he used to be.

I think the Leafs went in the right direction here. They knew they were rebuilding and they wanted to get rid of some of the players that they felt shouldn't be part of that rebuilding process, and Phaneuf was not part of the plans. Plus, Phaneuf is already getting past his prime and not worth the $7 million cap hit. Now they give that contract to Ottawa and did a good job of helping to penalize Ottawa in terms of money and salary for the near future.

Byfuglien-Jets Contract Extension

Looks like the Winnipeg Jets are locking down one of their defensemen for another five years.

The Jets announced on Monday that they have signed defenseman Dustin Byfuglien to a five-year contract. He is set to earn an average of $7.6 million per season. If he had not been signed, he would become an unrestricted free agent and could've enticed a lot of teams to go after him.

So far this season, Byfuglien has appeared in 52 games, recording 15 goals and 32 points.

Byfuglien has been with the Jets for six seasons after being acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010

Byfuglien is by far one of their best players and, to be honest, he is probably the only player I know very well on the Winnipeg Jets. But the Jets did get to the playoffs, mostly because of him and if they want to get back there, they're going to need him in the long run. I think this contract works for both sides and it proves that the Jets are willing to give money to players in order to keep them along for the ride. So far the Jets haven't played well this season and sit outside the playoff picture, but hopefully Byfuglien is able to help them salvage points and get back into it.

Congrats on the new deal, Byfuglien! Good luck in Winnipeg!

A Look at the Coyotes

Going into this season, the Arizona Coyotes looked like a team going up. When the season started, it certainly looked promising, thanks to some offensive performances by forwards Max Domi and Anthony Duclair. They were outscoring the opposition in the first two months and were looking like a lock to get a wild card spot in the playoffs. You would think they wouldn't be going backwards after this.

Well, fast forward to February, and the 82-game schedule is starting to take its toll on this team. After a 5-2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Friday, the Coyotes have not won in their last four games and have realized how hard it is to be dominant in an already tough Western Conference. They have a -23 goal differential, which is now third worst in the NHL. What went wrong?

When you look at the Arizona Coyotes, you can think about their location problems, such as trying to stay in Arizona, or you can look at the organization, which may be focused on short-term success instead of the larger picture. Right now, Arizona is four points behind the Colorado Avalanche but has three games in hand, so they can still make it. They just can't be losing like this.

Now with the trade deadline coming up, is it time for the Coyotes to let loose of some of their young stars and focus on the future and not on this season? GM Don Maloney has said he will not do anything that will compromise the minutes of younger players. So he might look to trade some of the older veterans. They also have nine impending unrestricted free agents right now.

You may look at Mikkel Boedker and Nicklas Grossmann as guys who might get traded. Their stocks continue to rise on a team that hasn't played well recently. Then you have 39-year-old Shane Doan, whose contract expires after this season. You could say it's impossible for him to go anywhere else, since he has a No-Movement clause. Doan is an important part of the Coyotes' locker room and enjoys being part of the Arizona Coyotes. He's also turning 40 years old so if he comes back next season, his ice time could continue to decline so that emerging young players could get more opportunities and minutes on the ice.

For Arizona, the future looks like Domi and Duclair. Right now, if they want to play better, they have to find the offense. They're close to catching that wild card spot so with the right tools and tricks, the Coyotes could look to get into the playoffs. Again, the short-term deal with this team will not work. Not only do they need to give opportunities for young players, but they also need to look at the long-term to ensure that they can thrive in Arizona for years to come.

Does Alain Vigneault Have A Beef With the NHL?

New York Rangers coach Alain Vigneault is going after the NHL after one of his players got knocked out of the game. The attacker: Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds.

On Saturday, Wayne Simmonds hit Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh on Saturday's game and McDonagh will be out for the game against the New Jersey Devils on Monday and Alain Vigneault is not in a pleasant mood about it.

McDonagh suffered a concussion from that hit. Simmonds received a match penalty and was ejected from the game. But he didn't go quietly, tossing his stick in the direction of the officials. They later rescinded the match penalty, which shouldn't have happened. Simmonds was allowed to play in Sunday's loss to the Capitals and therefore escaped further punishment from the NHL.

Alain Vigneault later responded to what happened, saying, "What I didn't expect was the reaction from the league. An All-Star player gets sucker-punched, goes down. In the rulebook, that's automatic. It's three games. Nothing happens. It's not even on the sheet after the game."

McDonagh has no timetable for his return and New York has four games over the next seven days, and they would like to have McDonagh as soon as possible. But this is more about the NHL's ineffectiveness at getting any call right. I talked about the Dennis Wideman punishment and the statement that came after it last week. He had been hit by an Oilers player, then tries to skate back, and runs into an official and gets 20 games for it, without even listening to an explanation, and now we have this, where the league doesn't punish Wayne Simmonds for doing something that should be punished.

Simmonds knew he was doing this and probably was grateful to escape and should not have. You can't have this guy going after the best players and then getting away for it. McDonagh didn't even retaliate, so Simmonds should've been out for Sunday's game. Alain Vigneault does have a beef, but it looks like the NHL is not going to listen to him either. The NHL tends to listen to himself and the video evidence. Although the officials tried to get this right, they were overruled by the powers above them, which I don't think is right.

You have to suspend him. Three games. Maybe four. But you have to get this guy sitting down for a couple. Alain Vigneault lost a guy because Simmonds wanted to fight somebody and didn't get it, and he kept going to try to convince him to fight. So right now, the NHL has gotten two things wrong in the past two weeks. They didn't listen to Wideman and they didn't listen to Vigneault. So the next time there's a big hit or something that results in fine or no fine: Will they listen to players or to the coach or just to themselves? It's becoming ridiculous.

NHL Games To Watch This Week

Well, Super Bowl 50 may be over and the Denver Broncos have their third Lombardi Trophy in their franchise, but now it's back to the hockey world. And we've got a great couple of matchups coming up this week. So how about we take a look at a few that catches our eye, shall we?

Monday, Feb. 8: Ducks at Penguins
As a Ducks fans, this is the game worth watching. As a hockey fan, if you paid for the season pass package, you're definitely getting your money's worth. Two of the league's hottest teams playing each other are starting off this week. The Ducks have eight wins in their past 10 games. They have the best penalty kill in the NHL right now and the defense is getting it together. They're still 30th in total offense, but that hasn't looked like a bad offense recently. Meanwhile, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby comes into this contest with 10 goals and eight assists and is currently on a 10-game scoring streak. Also, he has a seven-game scoring streak against Anaheim. Maybe the Ducks would like to see their fortunes go their way, but Crosby will make it tough for them.

Tuesday, Feb. 9: Capitals at Predators
As you may recall, Ovechkin missed the All-Star Game because of a lower body injury. He also might've wanted to sit out because he wanted to rest. It's a long season, I know. But now he returns to Nashville on Tuesday to put on a show for the locals. He has four goals in his past six games, and will look to put that streak on the line against Pekka Rinne, the Predators goaltender who seems to have turned around his fortunes and is making a difference now in net for the Predators. He was also the difference-maker in the 6-2 win over the Sharks on Saturday.

Wednesday, Feb. 10: Canucks at Coyotes
If you're looking for a game with two teams who are desperate to get in, you might be looking for this game. Both of these teams enter the week trailing the playoff packs and are starting to run out of time to gain ground. The Coyotes have two wins in the past 10 games. Shane Doan is the lone bright spot on this team. He enters the week one point behind Dale Hawerchuk for the franchise's all-time scoring lead (929 points.) Vancouver hasn't been a great team either. The good news for them is that Henrik Sedin and Dam Hamhuis are back, which means the Canucks might be getting healthy enough to make a push. Right now, the Coyotes are starting to look like their neighbor, the Suns. Good news: They don't play basketball, so plenty of chances to win.

Thursday, Feb. 11: Stars at Blackhawks
I've always wanted to go to a Stars-Blackhawks matchup in either Dallas or Chicago. Unfortunately, it won't be this time. The Stars were embarrassed in their Saturday's 5-1 loss to the Blackhawks. Jamie Benn credited the Stars with coming to play and ready to tackle anything the Stars threw at him. The Stars also blew the chance to close the Central Division gap. They'll be looking for closing the gap and getting revenge when they play the Blackhawks again on Thursday night. Good news for the Stars: They hold three games in hand and can whittle away at Chicago's lead. Bad news for the Stars: Chicago doesn't lose at home often. So it's a very tough battle for the Stars if they want to grab the Central Division lead.

Friday, Feb. 12: Avalanche at Red Wings
You could call this the preview game because they battle again at Coors Field on Feb. 27. This rivalry has been quiet since the Red Wings switched conferences and headed East, but there is plenty on the line on this one. The Avalanche are on a skid with an 0-2-1 record, however they have been one of the most efficient teams in the league. They won both meetings against the Wings last season, but both of those required overtime to win. The Wings, however, are in a middle of an important five-game homestand. They haven't done well at the Joe this season, going 12-10-5, so they need to find some way to get the offense going in order to get to their 25th consecutive playoff berth.

Saturday, Feb. 13: Capitals at Stars
This will be the 2nd big game for the Stars this week. Whether or not the Stars win or lose in Chicago, they'll have to face another big test in the Washington Capitals. These teams are both high-powered on offense and have a dangerous power play. The question will be: Will the Stars be continuing to build or will they be recovering from the Chicago game?

Sunday, Feb. 14: Blues at Lightning
You're looking at two very dangerous teams in the league. The Bolts are the league's hottest team right now, with 10 wins in the past 11. They also have eight straight victories at Amalie Arena. The Blues are starting to get their game on, going 6-3-1 in the past 10. Their defense is getting most of the credit on that one. What they need is some offense, which they haven't had a lot of this season. They whipped up on the Wild on Saturday and the Blues are inquiring about Lightning holdout Jonathan Drouin. Question is: Will the deal happen when these two teams are playing?

It's an interesting week ahead for the NHL. Plenty of matchups, plenty of points on the line. We'll see who walks away from these games as the hottest team in the league.

Super Bowl Madness

Well, puck heads! As you may have seen, I have posted no entries for today. That is because today was Super Bowl Sunday and it was one intense game between the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos. Although there were three NHL games played today before the Super Bowl, ultimately I decided to let those take a backseat for a day and to watch the Super Bowl.

The Denver Broncos came out with the win and the Lombardi Trophy. We don't know if Peyton Manning will retire now that he has won another trophy, but if this was his last rodeo, it was a great way to go out. As for John Elway, he couldn't have been happier. Two years ago, they went to the Super Bowl and got blown out (by my Seahawks). Two years later, they're back at it and this time they end up on the winning side. All in all, I would say that's a great win that the Denver market really needed.

So congrats to both teams and to the San Francisco Bay Area for a magnificent week of fun, festivities, and football, and we look forward to moving on from this and back into the normal mix of things. Tomorrow, I will be back on the grind with the NHL stories that I missed today, as well as other stories that may cross the wire tomorrow. So look for some stories to come tomorrow.

Have a fantastic night, puck heads, and to those Broncos fans, congratulations on the Super Bowl win!

Blues Good or Wild Terrible?

The St. Louis Blues are thinking playoffs. Question is: Are they going to be thinking "getting out of the first round?" Well, tonight another win could help them be able to do that come playoff time.

Jori Lehtera scored an goal and got an assist, while goalie Brian Elliott made 38 saves in the Blues' 4-1 win over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night. The Blues also got goals from Tarasenko, Paul Stastny, and Troy Brouwer. This was their first regulation win in four tries against the Wild and now move to 8-3-1 in their last twelve games at home. Well, that record is going to have to keep going. In the tight and competitive Central Division, every win is valuable.

As for the Wild, nothing can be going right right now. With this loss, they've lost 10 of their last 11 games. I haven't followed enough of this team this season to figure out what's wrong, but based on what I saw tonight, there's no scoring. And scoring is key in the Central. If you score, you get goals and you get leads and you get wins. The Wild sit near the bottom of the Central Division. They're going to have to pick up their offense if they want to get back into the playoff picture. Good news for them: They're only three points behind Colorado in the playoff hunt. Bad news: They gotta stop losing these games. If they keep going like this, they won't be seeing playoff hockey this year.

The Blues are on the right track and the offense is flying. The Wild are going in the wrong direction, but it hasn't hurt them yet. Two teams fighting for positions in the Central Division and boy, did it favor the Blues tonight.

Canadiens Save Face Tonight?

The Montreal Canadiens knew they had to do some damage control in order to get back into the playoff picture. They have started off things on the right foot, after beating the Edmonton Oilers tonight 5-1.

Tomas Plekanec led the way with a goal and three assists, while Brendan Gallagher and P.K. Subban each had a goal and an assist and Lars Eller also scored for the Canadiens. The Canadiens have now posted just its sixth win in its 26 games since December 3. Yeah, not good. Meanwhile, the Canadiens beat the Oilers for the first time since the 2013-14 season.

On the other side for Edmonton, Benoit Pouliot was the lone scorer, scoring on a short-handed goal. Edmonton was coming off two blowout wins in its first games following the All-Star break.

It was Hockey Day in Canada, but for the Canadiens, Hockey Day in Canada could be a distant memory at this point. They've gotta start winning. It's amazing to me that they've had this hot start and now it just seems like it happened years ago. Before tonight, the Canadiens couldn't even keep pucks out of their own net with Carey Price out. I don't know if you would call this a wake-up call or not but the Canadiens need to go 18-9-4 in their final 31 games in order to make the playoffs. Well, now make it 17-9-4 after tonight. In order to get in, they'll have to play more of what they did tonight. Fast action hockey with a lot of traffic around the net. Also, goaltending. Carey Price may not be coming back soon, so they'll need to get that up to speed in order to stay ahead of everyone else.

As for Edmonton, I don't know if we've gave them credit too early or not, but two blowout wins against somewhat bad teams doesn't really put you into the elite category. I think they're still some ways off. Good news is that they've had a good start after the All-Star break and Connor McDavid is back. All's well right now in Edmonton. They could've won this game, but Montreal knew this game meant more to them. For Edmonton, the tough Pacific Division is harder to crack with the Kings, Sharks, and Ducks sitting on the top, so if they want to break through, they'll have to play more of what they did in those blowout wins.

Great night of hockey! Both the Canadiens and Oilers played a fantastic Hockey Day in Canada game! Can't wait to see how the season plays out for them.

Where Should Steven Stamkos Go?

Steven Stamkos might be on the way out in Tampa Bay if he and the Lightning don't agree to a contract. Although that's unlikely to happen and Stamkos will remain with the team, this negotiations have already attracted some interest among NHL fans and pundits.

The Lightning are hopeful to return to the Stanley Cup this season and to do that, they'll need Stamkos, so there's no chance in the world that they trade him before the trade deadline. So what happens if negotiations do stall or break down between now and that trade deadline? He could potentially be on the move.

Stamkos is among the NHL's top goal scorers and if available, he will attract a large amount of interest from other NHL clubs. That being said, only a couple of them will be able to handle a contract that he'll want to have. So what are the teams that are interested in him?

How about the Carolina Hurricanes? The Hurricanes are looking for some big changes. They might release both Eric Staal and goalie Cam Ward, so they'll want to get somebody to replace the effort and goal-scoring ability that Eric Staal has, so Stamkos is a potential landing place. Thing is, they're already looking to incorporate Justin Faulk into their blue line and if they want Steven Stamkos, they'll most likely have to give up a draft pick to the Lightning, which I'm not sure they want to do.

The San Jose Sharks are in a midst of a playoff spot right now. However, both Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau are near the end of their careers. The Sharks will want to replace one or both and Marleau might accept a trade to go to the Lightning. Stamkos will most likely be going to a Western Conference team and San Jose seems like an ideal destination. The Lightning won't be interested, though. They want more, like the young rookie Tomas Hertl, who's already becoming a star with the Sharks. The Sharks will also have to include some draft picks. Not sure they want to give those up.

The Arizona Coyotes are rebuilding. Having young talent like Oliver Edman-Larsson and Max Domi certainly helps, but they want more and especially a leader to lead those guys. Stamkos might be the guy they're looking for. They will have to give up a young player if the Coyotes choose to get him.

The New York Rangers may be second in the Metropolitan, but its a long way to reach the Capitals at the top. Right now, the Rangers don't have the superstar scoring that they would like to have. The Rangers do have history of going after big talent, and it's possible that they could look to rekindle their trade history with the Lightning and go for another Lightning player. Problem is, unless they let go many of their players they already have, Stamkos is looking at a short term in New York. However, if they want to win the championship, now might be a good time to get him.

Why not head to the music city? The Nashville Predators, despite getting a good scorer in Ryan Johansen, still need more scoring. Mike Fisher, Colin Wilson, and Craig Smith have not been doing great this season with their scoring, so a superstar scorer would make sense for this team. The Predators do tend to play the market on a budget, so Stamkos would be a rental and by re-signing him could take a bunch of money, so I would say the Predators should look elsewhere.

The Buffalo Sabres sit in the bottom of the Atlantic Division. No hope of getting to the playoffs this season. So why would they go after Stamkos? Because of GM Tim Murray. He isn't afraid to make the big and bold moves. The Sabres will have a lot of space next season to sign Stamkos. Plus, if the Maple Leafs choose to pass on Stamkos, Buffalo is the next closest space. Sabres won't part with Jack Eichel or Sam Reinhart, though, so the Lightning probably won't be interested in anything the Sabres have beyond that point. My guess: Sabres should look elsewhere to help rebuild the team.

The St. Louis Blues are an interesting team to have a take on. Despite being successful in the regular season, the Blues have disappointed in the playoffs. Offense this year is a bit of a problem. Stamkos would definitely help bring a dynamite combination between Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz to help build the offense back in time of the playoffs. Heck, maybe it'll help them win a playoff series. If the Blues decide to part ways with Kevin Shattenkirk or Robby Fabbri, then I would say: Why not?

And last, but not least, you have his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs. They're going to be in the running for him, for sure. They're rebuilding and they have plenty of salary-cap space to sign him to a long-term deal. Stamkos's favorite team growing up was the Leafs, and the Toronto media is buzzing all over the prospect of Stamkos coming home to play. Although it seems like a wish come true for Stamkos, the Lightning will not want to deal to a division rival. If so, they might inquire about Morgan Rielly or other prospects like Mitch Marner or William Nylander. If so, could be a very good thing for Stamkos and a very happy city in Toronto.

Of course you never know what might happen. Some teams might go onto the trade market and start demanding to see if they can get Stamkos. So what would be the ideal move for Stamkos to do? Right now, it's just to play hockey for the Lightning and focus on re-signing there. But if that falls through, I would say a team that he is able to come in and make an impact right away. I don't think the Sabres, Predators, and Rangers can afford to take long-term chances on him, so he might not sign at those places. San Jose would be a good fit because they know how to win crucial games and Stamkos might want to join that mix. And then my next guess would be the Blues. The Blues do need some help in offense to help them get to the playoffs and win a playoff series. So maybe Stamkos works there too.

There's just so many options right now that Stamkos could do? San Jose? St. Louis? Toronto? We just don't know. All we know is right now, Stamkos and the Lightning are hoping to stay together. So until something happens, we'll just assume that Stamkos will remain a member of the Lightning and until then, we could only figure out the paths that may happen.

Enjoy your Hockey Saturday, puck heads!

Looking To The Weekend

Super Bowl weekend is upon us and that means it's gonna be the time to bring out the tailgate. Potato chips, burgers, pizzas, you name it. Here in the Bay Area, everyone's excited and ready for the big game between the Broncos and Panthers. But before we get to Super Bowl Sunday, we still have a busy Saturday to look at. Yes, yes, I know, it's already Saturday, but I wasn't able to get to the news and notes last night, so I'll have to do it today. Hope you're ready to see what's ahead.

Let's take a look first at the dreadful Montreal Canadiens. Yes, they've been this bad. In order to have a chance to make it into the playoffs, they will have to go 18-9-4 in their final 31 games, which seems like a longshot, considering how they've been playing of late. Their goalie Carey Price is still out with injury and every day he's out, the Canadiens are still going towards rock bottom. 11 games remain on their February schedule, including six that sit outside the playoff picture and they also host Carolina and Philadelphia, the two teams that stand between them and the final Wild Card spot. Canadiens are going to have to get on a roll if they expect to beat those odds.

Next up is Toronto defenseman Roman Polak. The Maple Leafs are another team that's been dreadful and now they are looking to move him. He brings a lot of potential and as a pending UFA, he brings the perfect rental to any team looking for a short-term spark. He can handle a heavy workload and a quick right-handed shooter. Teams like Washington, Dallas, San Jose, and Los Angeles could be interested in this guy. He's one that can help a team in need and teams like Dallas and San Jose could certainly use him to help on defense.

The Columbus Blue Jackets are yet another team that's still trying to find their strengths. Good news is that they Joonas Korpisalo, a Finnish goalie who's playing well for them so far. He helped Columbus score a shootout win over Vancouver on Thursday night, and is 5-1-1 in his past seven starts and has allowed two or fewer goals in all but one game. If the Blue Jackets need some stability, there's sure to find it here, considering that Sergei Bobrovsky is still out until March and could be on the way out of Columbus if Korpisalo does so well. Then again, he might become the backup goaltender, but we'll see what happens.

When we first got the news that Cam Talbot was going to the Edmonton Oilers, we thought it was a risky move for the Oilers. He has only proved himself as a backup with the New York Rangers and got off to a real shaky start to start this season, but has rediscovered his form lately and has become one of the league's consistent stoppers. Talbot ranks third in save percentage with .937 since December 1, so look for him to continue being strong for his team. I don't think it'll help the Oilers get into the playoffs, but if the Oilers are looking for something to jumpstart their future in a new arena, Cam Talbot might just be the one.

It's bound to be one crazy weekend, puck heads. Today is Hockey Day and several teams are already in action. I won't bug you anymore. Get back to those TV sets and watch some NHL!!

Dennis Wideman Statement Reaction

Well, I told you this story with Dennis Wideman hitting a referee. wouldn't be over.

After receiving a 20-game ban for his hit, Dennis Wideman has come out with a statement, courtesy of the Twitter handle for the Flames. You can watch it here:
https://twitter.com/NHLFlames/status/695348852413456386

Dennis Wideman, in his statement, says that he has apologized to Don Henderson for the hit and has said that the suspension is under appeal, meaning in my mind that he wants to get this reduced because he did not mean to hit the official. He also goes on to talk about how Calgary fans and players respect officials, especially the final game of linesman Mike Cvik.

I'm a little bit torn about whether to believe him or not about all this. Obviously, the NHL had to do something and they felt that he wasn't dazed or confused and that he meant to check the linesman into the boards. But he is saying he didn't mean to, so this is gonna be a long process that's going to find out who was right and who was wrong.

I think if this appeal process goes through and it turns out it was an accident and Wideman did have some confusion during that time, he will have the suspension reduced. But based on what I saw in that video, that seems very unlikely.

Wideman understands that officials have the hardest jobs in the league and Calgary especially goes all-out to respect its official and the jobs that they do. But again, the NHL wanted to send a message, no matter what Wideman has to say. Video evidence, in their case, is enough for him. It almost seems like they don't care about what the player says and it's just about what goes on on the tape. I respect Wideman and that his apology is sincere and straight-forward, but the NHL doesn't want to look bad in the public, which is why they went the 20-game suspension.

I feel like the appeal is going to be dropped down to 10 games. The NHL wants to do something and wants to send Wideman away for some time. I don't know what will happen, but if the suspension is not reduced, then the NHL is basically telling its players that no matter what you say, the video evidence will trump your reasons and arguments. And that's not fair to them or to the rest of the league. So I say good luck to Wideman and I hope the appeal helps your suspension get reduced!

Ovechkin Delivers To His Team

Alex Ovechkin. Great skater. Great scorer. Great hockey player. But when the game is on the line for the Washington Capitals, he's the one that comes through.

Tonight, Ovechkin returned from the one-game suspension as a result of missing the All-Star Game and scored the game-winner in the Capitals' 3-2 victory over the Islanders at Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday.

Currently in his career in the NHL, Ovechkin has 86 game-winners, six of them coming in 47 games this season. That is why you can always count on the captain to deliver what the Capitals need it the most.

T.J. Oshie and Andre Burakovsky also scored for the Capitals and they won for the first time in three games. They lost to the Florida Panthers on the game back from the All-Star break, but that was the game Ovechkin served, and his presence there is why the Capitals win.

Currently, the Capitals sit are 36-9-4, sitting comfortably atop the Metropolitan Division with 76 points. I think this team is poised to be the number one seed in the playoffs in the Eastern Conference and Ovechkin just showed us why. He can skate, score, and score what it matters most and that came its way tonight.

The Capitals don't need to worry much about their standings at this point. The New York Rangers are the second team in that division with 61 points, but that division, other than Washington, hasn't been playing that well, even before the All-Star break. However, in the much larger picture of the Eastern Conference, the Capitals will have to look out for Florida, who have 67 points in the Atlantic Conference, so if they want to stay on top of the division, they definitely need to keep winning and for Florida to lose some games, but who knows what'll happen in those scheme of things.

Right now, the Capitals look pretty and Alex Ovechkin just proved why he is the best player in the NHL other than Crosby. He knows how to win the game and to deliver to his team when they need it the most. Another brilliant game from Ovechkin.

Dennis Wideman Gets His Punishment

Dennis Wideman finally received the news of his punishment length: 20 games.

The NHL slapped him with this suspension for his check from behind last week against linesman Don Henderson. Sideman was in the league's department of hockey operations for his hearing, but the league decided that the video of him checking the linesman far outweighed his explanation.

Commissioner Gary Bettman was not part of the initial hearing, but will handle the first appeal if Wideman chooses to go that way.

This hit on the linesman comes on the heels of being knocked down by an Oilers player. Now, this could mean that he got hit pretty hard and didn't see the linesman, which I don't believe, or he felt like a penalty needed to be called and when it didn't happen, he hit the linesman in retaliation, which I believe a little more but it may not be the reason.

Wideman has has apologized to Henderson after the incident, but apologies rarely get you an out-of-jail free card.

20 games is the minimum sentence for unintentionally hitting an official, which I expected to happen. The video does not help Wideman in any way. He appeared to have checked him maliciously and without remorse, so it was clear the NHL had to do something regarding this play. I would've liked it better if I saw this from the other angle, the front-face angle. Did he show any emotion checking the linesman? Did he not appear to see him as he skated towards the beach? What was the status of Wideman before he hit the linesman? I wish I could believe more to this story and more of what's coming out of Wideman, but I can't now. The video is the only kind of proof that I'll be looking at. That's not to say that Wideman is a dirty player, but as the old saying goes, "Video proof says all."

The Flames said they support Wideman's appeal and that the collision "was unintentional and accidental." Well, of course the Flames are going to support him. He's their player. And I would expect the same for any other player in this league, whether or not it's intentional.

I think there's more to still come out of this story, like an appeal or the fact that Wideman has a concussion. Although these don't excuse his actions, they might explain him going up until the linesman, but again, I don't have that information yet and I can't speculate until I read more into it. But right now, the NHL is doing the right thing in suspending this guy. Hitting a referee is never okay, even if they get calls wrong from time to time. So Wideman will have to take a seat and the Flames will have to find a way to crawl back into the Pacific Division for that amount of time.

Super Bowl Week Update

Hey puck heads!

As you might've heard, it is Super Bowl Week here in the San Francisco Bay Area, which means lots of festivities, player sightings, events, and fun. And that also means a lot of people. Well, I will be one of those people attending the events around the San Francisco area, so I will most likely not be able to blog as much as I would like it for this coming week.

Never fear, however. If there is a story I am interested in or that I find amusing, I will be blogging about it that night, probably around 10 or 11 Pacific Time. I won't be able to blog about it in the day because of course I'll be in the city, but once I get back to my desk and my MacBook, it is blogging away.

So I hope you understand. It's an exciting time here. The two best teams in the NFL are here, trying to compete for the Lombardi Trophy and I'm glad to be a part of it. I hope to be blogging more often soon, and I will be talking to you throughout the week when I can.

If you want to see more of Super Bowl Week from me, check out my Instagram page (@reidmeister). Also check out my Twitter @ReidUrban.

Have a good night, puck heads!

The Maple Leafs Have a New Logo

The Toronto Maple Leafs sit in the bottom half of the Atlantic Division and because people there feel like they will miss the playoffs again, the team is making a change to start the next season.

That's right: A new logo. Have a look to the left. That's going to be the new logo. Well, old logo, depending on how you look at it. The Maple Leafs had this an alternate logo a couple of years ago, but now it looks like Maple Leafs management is trying to bring some life back into Toronto and apparently, this logo change is the first step in that process.

The Leafs are already rebuilding as we know it. The logo is not a rebuild. I understand the idea of going back to the past and bringing back old things to help revitalize the organization, but this logo doesn't really get me as a way to bring things back to the way they were. Now, whether or not this logo stays past their 100th season is still to be determined, but for right now, I like the logo they're currently using. One is that it's very modernized and it shows how retro it is on a jersey. Who wouldn't want to wear that? Two is that it shows a commitment to Toronto. This logo has been used since 1970 and I would imagine fans would have grown to love it. Now, I'm not saying that the old logo is a good choice, but this is the logo that I've known through my life and have grown to love it, so maybe some fans share my opinion on this.

Logo changes are always hard to adapt to. I remember when the LA Kings changed from their crown logo to the one they currently have now, but when I got used to it, I realized it feels better than that old one. The Anaheim Ducks also changed their logo as well, getting rid of the words and leaving the Duck footprint. As a fan, I actually like the duck footprint by itself. But as for the Maple Leafs, maybe this change will be a good thing, maybe it won't. But either way, as a man who loves logos and retro stuff, I think the logo looks good the way it is, but if this is a way for the Maple Leafs to turn their fortunes around, then let it be done.

What The Return of Connor McDavid Means

The Edmonton Oilers are getting some good news coming out of the All-Star break.

Connor McDavid, who hasn't played since November 3, was back at practice Monday and says he is anxious to get back onto the ice. Last we saw him, he was ridden hard into the boards in the game against the Flyers and he hasn't been seen since. Well, now, Oilers fans might see him tonight when they take on the Columbus Blue Jackets.

McDavid had spent most of last week with the Oilers' AHL team, the Bakersfield Condors, and had only rejoined the Oilers recently.

I think the Oilers should be thankful that they have Connor McDavid now. They sit in the bottom of the Pacific Division and it looks like they weren't going to go anywhere fast. Well, we still don't know if they're going to move anywhere fast even right now, but having Connor McDavid must feel like they have a chance. The only issue is the Pacific Division. If the Oilers want a chance to get into the playoffs and to make some noise, then Connor McDavid is gonna have to bring his A+ game every night they're on the ice, but even that's hard to do, especially in hockey.

Jordan Eberle, a teammate, says it may be easier for McDavid to readjust to the NHL, given that players are coming off the All-Star break. And while it may be true that players are coming off the break, it doesn't mean that they would end up in some kind of slump to start the second half of the season. Some players, like Patrick Kane or Drew Doughty or Alex Ovechkin, might get hot within the first minute. So it doesn't matter if you're coming off a break or not, Connor McDavid is going to have to play really well for this team and to compete with the big guys in the league. I don't know yet if he'll be able to do that, considering he's coming off injury. So my suggestion is to give this time and for the Oilers to hope that some teams in their division fall a little bit.

I still think Connor McDavid can be a factor in this league right now, but he's going to have to get hot right now and pull this team together to move past some people. That may be a little bit hard to believe considering where they are and where their recent history has put them, but things have happened. Look at the Kings' Stanley Cup win as an 8th seed. It's possible. Connor McDavid's return may mean something, but he's gonna have to prove it on the ice and against good teams in the league as well.

Free Agents: Brandon Prust or Mason Raymond?

Veteran players in the NHL are hitting the waiver wire.

There is a report hot off the press from Bleacher Report that both Mason Raymond of the Calgary Flames and Brandon Prust of the Vancouver Canucks have been waived by their respective teams. Both players have combined for more than 1,000 regular-season games and have 116 playoff games between them. Last season, Prust played all 82 games for the Canadiens, while Raymond in 2014 had 45 points. Sportsbet's Elliotte Friedman first broke the news about their releases.

The question now becomes: Who would be more likely to end up with a team? Prust or Raymond? To me, if you depend on who can help you get goals and help a team contribute, it would probably be Raymond. It would be Prust because of a contract issue, since his contract is expiring. The only season not to pick Prust is because he is a terrible five-on-five player for the Canucks, so I don't think you should expect him to help when it comes to scoring. But since he is a good fighter and could make for someone trying to look for an enforcer, it could make sense. For Raymond, although he is a good scorer, he has been a bit rusty at late, which is why the Flames sit near the bottom of the Pacific.

Right now, Prust is more likely to get signed because of his contract and the fact that it's expiring. Raymond is still in the middle of a three-year contract that the Flames gave him, and he still will get another $3.15 million, so I would expect that no one picks him up. Still, I think in terms of offense and helping a team, Raymond seems like the better choice. He has had some success this season playing alongside Mikael Backlund and had outscored opponents at a rate of close to 2-to-1.

Right now, in terms of contracts, Prust is the better choice. But if a team is out there looking for some offense and some help in scoring goals, then that falls to Mason Raymond. I like Mason Raymond and I wish he had some more success with the Flames, but they have been out of the playoff picture for some time, so maybe this is the wake-up call for the Flames. Either way, it's Raymond paying the price and I hope he finds some success elsewhere, maybe with a team in the middle of the pact, like Anaheim who definitely needs some help scoring or New Jersey, who's close to being in the playoff picture.

I don't know who will end up being signed, but the NHL teams interested need to look at this. If they are interested in picking a player just by their contract, then Prust would be the ideal choice. However, if a team really needs some offensive skill and a chance to help themselves get into the playoff picture, then I would say to take a chance on Raymond, despite his contract. We'll see who gets picked to be on another team but either way, these guys are on the market looking for work.

Another Stanley Cup For the Blackhawks?

The second half of the season is about to get underway, and already I talked about the LA Kings potentially going far and winning the Stanley Cup again. I also said that they will have to go through one team in order to get to the Stanley Cup: The Chicago Blackhawks.

The Blackhawks are currently atop the Central Division with a 33-16-4 record and 70 points. Not far behind are the Dallas Stars with 67 points and the St. Louis Blues with 64 points. So, with that in mind, can we expect the Blackhawks to shake off these teams and win the Stanley Cup again?

Perhaps. But let's take a look at where they have come from and where they are going. The Blackhawks came into this season with a new look after offloading some of their best players, like Brandon Saad and Patrick Sharp. But right now, they are capable of winning their fourth title in seven seasons. This season, Patrick Kane has become the best player in the NHL and the rookie Artemi Panarin has done an awesome job of helping to pick up this offense right where it left off. So I guess GM Stan Bowman and head coach Joel Quenneville is doing a fantastic job of helping to keep this championship hunger alive. Also, goaltender Corey Crawford has seven shutouts and is posting a .931 save percentage in the games he's played, probably his best season in the NHL. I wouldn't overlook him for a Vezina Trophy candidate because he's certainly in the mix.

Nobody should overlook the Chicago Blackhawks. NOBODY! Right now, they are the favorites to win it all because their pieces are clicking and helping them score early and often. So a word for all other NHL teams out there, the Blackhawks can beat you and can beat you in many ways, so don't underestimate what this team is capable of. Now, this all doesn't mean that they'll win the Cup when the time comes, but for right now, this team looks poised to have it come June.

Second Half Run for the LA Kings?

The LA Kings went into the All-Star break sitting atop the Pacific Division with 63 points. The Sharks are a close 56 points and the Kings would love nothing better than to extend that margin again. So, with the second half of the season starting tonight, can the LA Kings make a run in the second half to get back to the playoffs and win the Stanley Cup again?

Here are a couple of things to keep an eye on. They've won two Stanley Cups in the past four years and people say they now have as many championships as the Blackhawks. Well, no. The Blackhawks won three but if the Kings win another one, they could potentially be a more important team than the Blackhawks. Now, another thing that goes for on is that they can play offense on a daily basis. They are a scary team to play against because once they have the puck on their sticks, it seems almost as if nobody can stop them. At the beginning of the season, the Kings didn't have any offense and lost their first three games. Now, head coach Darryl Sutter has seemed to righted the ship and it's paying off with a place atop the Pacific Division.

Two players they have are goalie Jonathan Quick and defenseman Drew Doughty. Drew Doughty, in my mind, has proven himself to be an MVP this season because of the way he skates and plays defense to help Quick. Quick has already proven he can be a wall when it is most needed. The Kings will certainly need that when they go into the stretch come April. What Doughty has proven other than being an MVP candidate is that he's a leader and a winner. He has risen above all players on this team to say, "Hey look, I think we can win." (my words, not his) He is constantly the inspiration for why this team is a scary team to play against. You don't want to go up against this guy when it's a one-on-one situation because most of the time, he will probably beat you. Doughty can play at any position. He can score, he can play defense, and at times when Quick is out of the play, Doughty can be the goalie. Is there something this kid can't do already?

I think the Kings will keep their pace atop the Pacific Division and win it and they'll be back in the playoffs. Now, I won't say if they'll win the Stanley Cup again, because they will most likely have to face the Blackhawks down the road. But if they can keep up with the way they have played in the first half, I think no doubt they are a team to be reckoned with in the West. There is a saying that fear can be power and the fear that other teams have for them can be a motivator for this Kings team to potentially win it all.

John Scott: Top of the Pyramid

Ok, it was only an NHL All-Star Game and therefore an exhibition game, but how can you not be excited to see how John Scott did?

John Scott himself said he expected his all-star game to be "in the background, enjoying behind the scenes."

Well, good sir, you certainly didn't spend long behind them. He earned the MVP honors after he played a significant role in the All-Star Game, scoring 2 goals and helped the Pacific Division in winning the first 3-on-3 All-Star Game tournament. The MVP chants were loud as they can be inside Bridgestone Arena, and maybe that's why Scott ended up walking away with the trophy.

In my last blog post, I talked about fan voting and now it has led to some unusual results. But John Scott himself has made the NHL pay for what its done in trying to get him out of the All-Star Game. John Scott today is at the top of the pyramid. It doesn't mean he'll stay there for long.

Apparently, John Scott was not even on the MVP candidate list, so fans had to write him in and why not? Scoring 2 goals in the All-Star Game and you're an enforcer? Yeah, that spells MVP to me.

Enforcers don't get enough credit for what they do because everything is centered on those who score goals, but for me, it's nice to see someone like John Scott earn a little bit of glory for what he did. Not only did he beat the NHL in coming back for the All-Star Game, but he made them pay for it. He went from enforcer to goal scorer to MVP. That's saying something.

Sharks player Joe Pavelski said of Scott, "I think (fans) saw his character, what a fun guy he is." John Scott doesn't appear to me to be a goon outside of hockey. He seems like this guy who is willing to get in a few pictures with fans and to be a good samaritan towards others. On the ice, quite the opposite. When he was with San Jose, I saw him a few times and all I saw of him was beating up on other players and trying to prevent them from going after the big stars. But now, this is something I'm sure he's grateful for.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman had met with him before the All-Star Game and decided to welcome him back with open arms and I hope John Scott is welcomed back for the second half of the season.

John Scott currently plays with the Montreal Canadiens, since he was traded by the Coyotes when he found out he was an All-Star. So now I'm hoping that on this team, he somehow manages to help them get into the playoffs and ultimately get to that goal of a Stanley Cup. I think Scott has the potential and after what he did in the All-Star Game, I'm sure he's ready to get back to it!

For the USA Today article about John Scott's transformation, go to http://usat.ly/1WW6goz.

Have a good night, puck heads! Hope you enjoyed the All-Star Game!

Is Fan Voting Worth It?

The NHL All-Star Game has come and gone. The NBA All-Star Game is on deck. Want to know what both of them have in common this season? Fan voting.

That's right. This year, both all-star games had fan voting so that the fans (you puck heads) could vote in your favorite player. Some of the choices were pretty clear, like Patrick Kane for the NHL and Stephen Curry for the NBA. However, it is the unlikely picks that got in. John Scott, an enforcer and a goon in the NHL, not only got to the All-Star Game but was picked to be a Captain. Because of that, it is believed that the league tried to get him demoted to the AHL to get him out of the All-Star Game.

For the NBA, the fans voted for Kobe Bryant to be a starter. Now, although I don't argue against that pick because this is Kobe's last season, Draymond Green, another superstar on the Golden State Warriors with Curry, was snubbed as a starter for the All-Star Game because Kobe has it. And Draymond has been playing a lot better than Kobe and on a team that are the favorites to win the championship.

All this comes to one critical question: Is fan voting really the answer for the All-Star Game? The leagues want their fans to be involved in the All-Star Game and with the players. The MLB has also tried this but somehow ended up having Royals players start that All-Star Game before the other votes came in and those numbers were dwindled. So maybe my answer should be no. I love fans and they want to be involved in sending players to the All-Star Game, but the fact of the matter is that there is always gonna be someone that ends up on the All-Star Game that probably shouldn't be there.

If I were in the league, I would probably go back to the old format, which was to pick the players that made the most sense, like the stars and the other players that are having good seasons. John Scott, for example, had only 5 goals and 6 assists so far this season, and that to me doesn't say All-Star capable. For Kobe Bryant, he hasn't played well at all. He can't shoot as well as he used to and the other players are not helping him by improving their game. So, even though Kobe should be in the All-Star Game, it shouldn't be as a starter. I want to be able to send the right players to the All-Star Game and I want them to be in the right positions for when they play the game. So Kobe would start on the bench and Draymond would be the starter. John Scott would probably not be in the NHL All-Star Game and it would probably go to someone more deserving of it.

Fan voting might've an experience the leagues were trying to use, but the results have been close to disastrous. I think the leagues need to rethink how they send players to All-Star Games, or even if the All-Star Game makes sense. Some players, like Alex Ovechkin, don't even like going to the All-Star Game. They would rather take the three days to rest their bodies after the injuries they've had in the first half of the season. Even the NBA had to extend their All-Star break to allow players more rest. So maybe the All-Star Game is not a good thing to have. If they want one, they should probably put it at the end of the season and not in the middle of it. Either way, the All-Star Game and its fan voting might not be the best thing for the leagues, after what has happened this season concerning them.

The NHL should be embarrassed by what they have done, doing this fan voting, because I think it sends the wrong messages to players. Players now have to hope the fans vote them into the games and some of them don't get it, even though they said. So I think it's time for a change. We already had the experience and it didn't work out. It's time to go in a different direction and to figure out exactly how to get players to the All-Star Game or even if we need one at all. After all, for the NHL and the NBA, they are exhibition games.