NHL Atlantic Division Free Agency and Draft previews for Hockeyprimetime.com

Kovalchuk not the only question mark facing Devils

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Written by Denis Gorman

Tuesday, June 29, 2010 16:01

Atlantic Division free agency preview: Ilya Kovalchuk, Dan Hamhuis and Paul Martin reside in the Atlantic Division now, but will that be the case come Thursday? Plenty of teams hope not. Here are the top questions facing the Atlantic teams, which figure to be busy players in the free-agent frenzy. NEW JERSEY The question GM Lou Lamoriello has to answer is simple: Does he re-sign Ilya Kovalchuk and risk losing Zach Parise next summer or does he focus his efforts on signing Parise long-term? Although most eyes are on the either-or proposition, Lamoriello has other difficult decisions to make. That is what happens when a presumed Cup contender meekly goes out in five first round games. Outside of the Kovalchuk-Parise decision, the most important determination for Lamoriello is who seconds Martin Brodeur in net. Brodeur’s age (37) is a topic that the Hall of Fame goaltender to be and others within the organization detest. But the Devils have not enjoyed an extended playoff run post-lockout and the legendary Brodeur looked awfully mortal throughout the season and in the loss to the Flyers. Whomever the Devils new coach is, he will have to convince Brodeur that a reduced workload will pay off in April and May. So who backs up Brodeur? Yann Danis went 3-2-1 in 12 games for the Devils last year. Andrew Raycroft is used to working on occasion as he backed up Roberto Luongo in Vancouver. If Lamoriello re-signs Kovalchuk, it would seem to rule out UFA defenseman Paul Martin returning to the Devils. Martin missed most of the season with a broken right arm but he is the best of the Devils’ defensemen. Restricted free agent forward David Clarkson should be and probably will be re-signed. Clarkson provides a mix of size, skill and agitation. NEW YORK RANGERS It used to be you could count on death, taxes and the Rangers spending on free agents. Following a recent interview with the New York Post in which Glen Sather vowed not to “overpay for free agents,” we may be left with death and taxes. Sather also told the newspaper that the organizational mandate was to allow its young players to develop and eventually earn jobs at the NHL level. So it appears that Sather’s statements seem to indicate that the Rangers are not going to be involved in the Ilya Kovalchuk sweepstakes. That said, the Rangers need to find secondary scoring and a center for sniper Marian Gaborik. Perhaps Gaborik’s centerman is free agent Vinny Prospal. The two played well together last season. John Tortorella said on breakup day that it will be key for the organization to sign a backup goaltender for Henrik Lundqvist. Tortorella believes that Lundqvist needs to be limited to 60-65 games. Martin Biron would be a perfect fit. Sather also has to find money for Marc Staal, Brandon Prust, P.A. Parenteau, Jody Shelley and Dan Girardi. PHILADELPHIA After a playoff run that saw the Flyers qualify for the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1996-97, it would be easy for GM Paul Holmgren to do nothing but bask in the memories. That won't happen, as Holmgren is already living up to his vow to not stand pat this summer. With about $10 million in available cap space, there's room to re-sign defensemen Braydon Coburn and Lucas Krajicek (if not, apparently, Dan Hamhuis). One point of intrigue is what Holmgren does about his team's goaltending situation. The only goaltender under contract is Brian Boucher. Philadelphia picked Michael Leighton off of waivers early in the season and he proceeded go 16-5-0 with a 2.48 GAA and .918 save percentage in 27 games. He played in 11 playoff games and went 8-3 with a 2.46 GAA and .916 save percentage. He becomes an unrestriced free agent Thursday. Other options include Evgeni Nabokov and Marty Turco. PITTSBURGH As long as Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal and Marc-Andre Fleury pull on the black and gold sweater, the Penguins should always be considered Cup contenders. But with $41 million tied up in 13 players, GM Ray Shero has interesting personnel decisions to make about Pittsburgh’s backup goaltending, defense and forward situations. Shero made the latest trade for the wandering negotiating rights to impending free-agent defenseman Dan Hamhuis, but there's no guarantee he will be in Pittsburgh next season. Just ask the Flyers. Does the GM now concentrate on re-signing RFA Kris Letang and UFAs Sergei Gonchar, Jordan Leopold and Jay McKee at the expense of the forwards? Or does the GM re-sign Alex Ponikarovsky to skate on Malkin’s wing? Where does Matt Cooke fall in? Who backs up Fleury? NEW YORK ISLANDERS In our Atlantic draft preview, we noted how GM Garth Snow has followed former GM Neil Smith’s blueprint in rebuilding the Islanders. Stockpiling through the draft has produced Nino Niederreiter, John Tavares, Kyle Okposo, Josh Bailey and Calvin de Haan, among others. Now it is time to see whether a 34-37-11 record in 2009-10 and a young corps can entice free agents to Long Island. Snow has roughly $32 million worth of available salary-cap space to fill holes in goal, defense and forward. Still, do not expect Snow to engage in bidding wars for Ilya Kovalchuk, Marty Turco, Patrick Marleau or Evgeni Nabokov. Despite the presence of Rick DiPietro on the Islanders’ payroll until 2021, the Islanders need a goaltender. Dwayne Roloson is signed through the end of the 2010-11 season and could be used as trade bait. Nashville’s Dan Ellis could be a potential target along with St. Louis’ Chris Mason. The Islanders' defense corps is shallow after Mark Streit. There are high hopes for de Haan, who was the 12th pick in the 2009 draft. Still, there is no guarantee that de Haan will make the team out of training camp, and even if he does, he would be stepping up in weight class from the OHL to the NHL. To cover his team in either occurrence, Snow could ante up for Anton Volchenkov. The triumvirate of Tavares, Okposo and Bailey are good building blocks at forward. Matt Moulson had a breakout year, setting career highs in goals, assists and points. Adding to this foursome is vital. If Niederreiter isn't a top-six forward in his rookie season, Snow could make a run at either of the Phoenix duo of Matthew Lombardi and Lee Stempniak. http://www.hockeyprimetime.com/news/atlantic/kovalchuk-not-the-only-question-facing-devils ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Plenty of question marks facing Atlantic teams at draft c Written by Denis Gorman Thursday, June 24, 2010 00:26 Atlantic Division draft preview: For a division that boasts the last three Eastern Conference champions, there are plenty of questions facing the teams in the Atlantic Divison as the entry draft approaches. Can the Devils end their drought at the draft podium? Will the Flyers find their long-term answer in goal? Is this where the Penguins pick up the scoring winger that Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin so desperately need? NEW JERSEY The only negative about two nearly uninterrupted decades of success is that "franchise players" are rarely available in the draft year after year. Just ask the Devils, who have more often than not drafted the "best player available" instead of the best player. Their last two draft picks to make an impact at the NHL level were Zach Parise (2003) and Travis Zajac (2004). The first-round playoff series loss to Philadelphia exposed the Devils’ flaws: Age in goal, a lack of size on the back end and up front, and a number one defenseman. Those flaws will not be remedied in the 2010 Entry Draft, as general manager Lou Lamoriello packaged the Devils’ first-round pick along with Nic Bergfors, Johnny Oduya and prospect Patrice Cormier for Ilya Kovalchuk. Lamoriello also traded the organization’s fifth round pick at the trade deadline to Toronto for defenseman Martin Skoula. The Devils only have five picks (38th, 84th, 114th, 174th and 204th) going into the draft. Lamoriello used four of his seven picks last year on defensemen (Eric Gelinas, Alexander Urbom, Seth Helgeson and Curtis Gedig). NEW YORK ISLANDERS On the other end of the spectrum reside the New York Islanders. Since the organization’s last extensive playoff run in the spring of 1993, in which they lost in the Eastern Conference Final to eventual Cup winner Montreal, the Islanders have drafted especially well. An unsteady ownership situation and myriad mind-boggling personnel decisions by former general manager Mike Milbury, however, left the once-proud organization in shambles. Due to the work of ex-GM Neil Smith and his successor, Garth Snow, there is light at the end of the tunnel for the Islanders and their fans. Last year’s number one overall pick, John Tavares, is the face of the franchise and is ably seconded by Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey. The Isles have the fifth pick in the draft following a 34-37-11 campaign. Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin, the crown jewels of this draft crop, will be off the board. Hall’s teammate, defenseman Cam Fowler, could be available. From all accounts, Fowler projects to be a franchise defenseman. He and last year’s other first-round pick, Calvin de Haan, would be nice building blocks for a defense corps that includes Mark Streit and not much else. NEW YORK RANGERS There was a protest across from Madison Square Garden prior to a Rangers home game this past season. The protestors expressed their outrage at Glen Sather’s reign as GM and president, demanding his dismissal. While Sather's decade-long run on Broadway won’t make anyone forget his tenure with the dynastic Oilers, his drafts have produced fruit. Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan, Petr Prucha, Marek Zidlicky, Fedor Tyutin, Henrik Lundqvist, Dominic Moore, Nigel Dawes, Lauri Korpikoski, Tom Pyatt, Marc Staal, Artem Anisimov and Michael Del Zotto have plied their trade for the Rangers or other NHL organizations. The Rangers also have Bobby Sanguinetti, Evgeny Grachev, Derek Stepan, Chris Kreider and Ryan Bourque among others in the system. So, yes, there is talent. The question is whether Sather and John Tortorella possess the patience to not fast-track the kids before they are ready for the rigors of a NHL season. With five picks, including a top-10 pick for the first time since 2004 (when Al Montoya was selected with the sixth pick), Sather should be able keep stocking the shelves. PHILADELPHIA On the eve of the Stanley Cup Final, The Hockey News predicted that the Flyers could go on multiple playoff runs due to the team’s youth. Only time will tell; for now, there's no doubt that the Flyers have a core they should be able to keep together for years to come. Only three of their high-impact players are in their 30s – Simon Gagne, Kimmo Timonen and Chris Pronger – and all are signed for at least another year. The one area the Flyers are lacking (still) is in goal, a revolving-door position since the tragic death of Pelle Lindbergh in 1985. The Flyers have selected four goaltenders (Adam Morrison, Nicola Riopel, Joacim Eriksson and Brad Phillips) with their last 18 picks, spanning three drafts. He doesn't own any first- and second round selections, but GM Paul Holmgren has five picks (89th, 119th, 149th, 179th and 209th) in the draft. PITTSBURGH Among the NHL’s pre-eminent franchises, the Penguins are one of the first organizations pointed to when debating the merits of the salary cap and rebuilding through the draft. An examination of the Penguins’ recent draft history teaches that the organization selected key components Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, Marc-Andre Fleury, Kris Letang, Alex Goligoski, Tyler Kennedy, Max Talbot and Brooks Orpik. So, yes, the draft has benefited the Penguins. Still, there are holes to plug, especially on Crosby’s and Malkin’s wings. GM Ray Shero has traded for stopgap wingers to play with Crosby and Malkin in recent years. With seven picks in the draft (20th, 80th, 110th, 140th, 152nd, 170th and 200th), Shero has a chance to continue the organization’s lineage of success. http://www.hockeyprimetime.com/news/atlantic/plenty-of-question-marks-facing-atlantic-teams-at-draft

June 30, 2010, NHL free agency preview for Metro Newspaper

US – Wednesday, June 30

Published 20:03, June the 30th, 2010

Kovalchuk the main prize this summer

NHL free-agency preview

Thursday at noon, 29 of the 30 National Hockey League general managers will begin a process that they believe will ensure their franchise experiences the sport’s ultimate success while one, Stan Bowman, plots how his Chicago Blackhawks can defend its first Stanley Cup Championship in 49 years.

The prize of this year’s marketplace is New Jersey Devils winger Ilya Kovalchuk

There has not been a player of Kovalchuk’s caliber and at his age that has been a free agent post-lockout and, arguably, in the history of the NHL free agency. The 27-year-old is one of the premier scorers in the league. He has recorded 642 points in 621 NHL games. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2001 draft has scored 52 goals twice and 40 or more goals six straight years.

It has long been suspected that Los Angeles and Boston, along with the Devils, will be active participants in the Kovalchuk sweepstakes. Acquired in February from Atlanta, Kovalchuk averaged a point a game in the Devils final 27 games of the regular season. He was the best Devils skater in the five-game, first-round playoff series loss to Philadelphia, totaling six points (two goals and four assists).

So, yes, the price tag will be steep. Kings GM Dean Lombardi has $44.6 million in payroll assigned to 16 players. It is not out of the realm of possibility that he could sign Kovalchuk and still be able to add other pieces.

Boston and the Devils are in far more tenuous financial situations. The Devils, who reportedly re-signed RFA forward David Clarkson to a three-year, $8 million deal, have to determine whether they can afford Kovalchuk and defenseman Paul Martin and still have room for Zach Parise next summer. Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli may be looking to shed the salaries of Marc Savard and Tim Thomas from his ledger. However, Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara are both unrestricted free agents next summer and Savard’s and Thomas’ salaries could ensure that both continue to ply their trade on Causeway Street.

The club that may be the most interesting to watch today will be the Rangers. Historically the Rangers have been major players in the free agent market, but that may not be the case this year. Glen Sather is negotiating deals with RFA’s Brandon Prust, Dan Girardi and Marc Staal and UFA Jody Shelley. Should the Rangers add pieces during free agency, it will most likely be second-tier players, such as Phoenix center Matthew Lombardi.

Sather and John Tortorella have pointed at filling holes at backup goaltender, forward and especially defense. Both the GM and coach have continually stated their hope that the lineup becomes younger and that the youth comes from within.

“I think we need to improve, through our whole team but especially around our net. It’s not about the fighting, it’s a little more presence around our blue, protect our goalies a little bit better,” Tortorella said Monday. “Just to have a little more jam to our hockey club.”

Tortorella softened his stance on backup goaltender Alex Auld. The coach sounded adamant on breakup day that the organization had not seen enough from Auld in the three games he played after being signed off of waivers from Dallas. Tortorella said Monday that the decision to return to the organization resides with Auld.

The organization is steadfast that the reserve goaltender is able to give Henrik Lundqvist 20 games off. Lundqvist played a career-high 73 games last season. He went 35-27-10 with a .921 save percentage and 2.38 goals against. However the workload and the pressure of having to play an almost perfect game every night out wore on Lundqvist.

DENIS GORMAN sports@metro.us

http://metro.us/us/article/2010/07/01/02/0335-82/index.xml

June 22, 2010, advance for Mets series against Detroit and Minnesota for Metro NY Newspaper

US – Tuesday, June 22

Updated 23:50, June the 21st, 2010

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Better off without you for now

Mets OK without hobbled veterans

At this time last season, the Mets privately and publicly wished for the return of key injured players. One year later, while acknowledging that they are once again shorthanded due to injuries, lamentations have been replaced by determination.

Minus two-fifths of their starting rotation plus their everyday second baseman and centerfielder, the Mets begin this week’s interleague series against Detroit and Minnesota at 39-30 and in second place in the National League East.

While conceding that his team could benefit with the presence of John Maine, Oliver Perez, Luis Castillo and Carlos Beltran, Jerry Manuel is adamant that if or when the quartet returns, their roles will not be that of savior.

“Those guys are still a part of (us). We have their best interest at hand,” outlined Manuel. “It’s better to be playing well than to have guys come back and try to be more than what they are capable of being. When you’re playing well, it’s easier to fit in. It’s easier to accept a role versus than trying to be something that you’re not.

Manuel told reporters before Sunday’s Subway Series finale that Maine “didn’t feel particularly well after his last start” for Triple-A Buffalo on Friday and that the organization has decided to “re-evaluate the situation.” When asked if Maine was going to be shut down, Manuel reiterated that Maine was going to be “re-evaluated” today and the organization “would come up with a plan of attack.”

Maine threw 88 pitches in 4 1/3 innings in the Bisons’ 6-4 win over the Indianapolis Indians Friday night. Maine yielded one hit and an unearned run but walked three and his hardest pitch was only 88 MPH.

The oft-injured righty told the Buffalo News, “I got no thought on it. I can’t control anything. Whatever (the Mets) say is whatever goes. If they want me in the bullpen, they can put me in the bullpen. I just want to get back there and pitch.”

Despite lacking a setup man, Maine’s offer does not seem like an option Manuel is seriously considering. Not after having traversed that course with Perez.

Perez was moved to the bullpen in an effort to redevelop control and speed in May following subpar outings in five of his seven starts. He only appeared in three games, allowing five earned runs, seven hits and five walks in 5 1/3 innings. Perez was placed on the DL on June 5 after complaining of “discomfort” in his right knee and there does not appear to be a time table for a return.

“No, he’s still in Florida right now,” Manuel said Saturday. “We haven’t made any decisions.”

http://metro.us/us/article/2010/06/22/03/4251-82/index.xml

DENIS GORMAN sports@metro.us

June 19, 2010, HockeyPrimeTime.com breaking news story on the Nashville Predators trades of Dan Hamhuis and Jason Arnott

Predators deal Hamhuis, Arnott in separate trades

Headlines

Written by Denis Gorman

Saturday, June 19, 2010 18:34

The Nashville Predators made two of the off-season's biggest trades within hours of each other Saturday, first shipping defenseman Dan Hamhuis to the Philadelphia Flyers for Ryan Parent, then sending captain Jason Arnott to the New Jersey Devils for forward Matt Halishuk and a draft pick. Annually among the NHL's low-budget franchises, Nashville rids itself of an impending free agent (Hamhuis) as well as its second-highest paid forward (Arnott). The Preds acquire two solid NHL players, a prospect in Halishuk who has scored 51 points in 79 AHL games over two seasons, and a second-round selection in the 2011 Draft. Parent was Nashville’s first pick,18th overall, in the 2005 draft. The 23-year-old did not play a full season in the NHL until 2009-10, posting a goal and two assists as a third-pair defenseman. He also appeared in 17 playoff games during Philadelphia’s run to the Stanley Cup Final, scoring one goal. Parent played in only one game in the series against Chicago before being replaced in the lineup by Oskars Bartulis for games two through six. “Ryan [Parent] came here in the Peter Forsberg trade a few years ago (2007)," Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said in a statement released by the team. "I think Ryan is a good kid. He is an extremely hard worker. We certainly thank him for his services and his time here. He has a lot of upside as a player and he is going back to an organization that obviously knows him because they drafted him.” Holmgren also said that the Flyers’ “intention is to get (Hamhuis) signed” prior to the start of the July 1 free agency period. Somewhat overshadowed by top-pair teammates Shea Weber and Ryan Suter, the 27-year-old Hamhuis finished 2009-10 with five goals and 19 assists in 78 games with the Predators. He also recorded 49 penalty minutes. In trading Arnott to New Jersey – where he started his career and scored the 2000 Stanley Cup-winning goal in double overtime against Dallas – Nashville sheds itself of $4.5 million in cap room. Arnott played in 63 games for Nashville last season, scoring 46 points (19 goals and 27 assists). Under contract through 2011, Arnott has scored 383 goals and 873 points in 1,099 career games. Outside of top-liner Travis Zajac, the pivot position was a problem throughout the Devils’ 2009-10 season. Zajac was often shuttled between Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk after New Jersey acquired the Russian superstar. Devils general manager and team president Lou Lamoriello admitted as much today when he said in a statement that the acquisition of Arnott “strengthens our center ice position.” Should Kovalchuk re-sign, Arnott provides new head coach John MacLean two high-scoring lines. J.P. Hoornstra contributed to this report. http://www.hockeyprimetime.com/news/headlines/predators-deal-hamhuis-arnott-in-separate-trades

June 9, 2010, feature on Angel Pagan for Metro NYC Newspaper

US – Sunday, June 13

Updated 22:32, June the 9th, 2010

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Angel Pagan and the Mets carried an eight-game home winning streak into last night.

Photo: GETTY IMAGES

There’s an Angel among them

Athletes are creatures of habit.

Everything in their lives has to be compartmentalized to infinitesimal detail. How and when they sleep, eat, train and recreate is scheduled. It is a mindset straight out of the military or Modern Parent and there is no option for flexibility, at least not away from the fields of play.

There is no change when they get to work. Every minute of their day is planned and there must always be strict adherence to the schedule. Jobs are scarce and the money too great to question the schedule. The only escape is the locker room.

Locker rooms are the athletes' homes away from their homes. The lockers at which they sit and dress is an odd juxtaposition of miniature walk-in closet, lounge and personal office. It is where they dress, catch up on gossip, hold question-and-answer sessions with media members and
prepare for that day's work.

The Mets clubhouse is not terribly different from others in sports. Walk around and you see shirts and pants hanging in lockers, cleats neatly arranged one next to the other. Caps on the wood shelving to the left of computer password protected safes. There is not much separating one locker from another, other than the nameplates above the stalls.

And that is why the small yellow sticker at one locker jumps out at you. The round, yellow sticker with a black number 21 in the middle is affixed to the edge of the shelf. Around the perimeter are the words Retire21.org, a grassroots organization stumping for Roberto Clemente's No. 21 to be retired throughout Major League Baseball. The man whose locker it is becomes excited when he's asked about the adhesive.

"I never saw him play but my father did. I've seen the highlights; I've seen what he accomplished in baseball, and outside the lines, too. He was a great human being. He died young," said Angel Pagan, his eyes alight, hours before his Mets beat the Padres 2-1 in 11 innings at Citi Field Tuesday night. Pagan went 2-for-5 with a triple, a stolen base and a celebratory pie to the face of Ike Davis, who hit the game-winning home run in the bottom of the 11th. "He had 3,000 hits and did a lot of things for people in need. I'm a very big fan of that. I think he's the best player from Puerto Rico ever. So it's my job and it's my honor to try to see if they can retire No. 21. I'm just going to keep my lucky sticker there and see if it does anything."

It remains to be seen if those who believe that themselves Protectors of the Game -- be it through ancestry, hubris, the Peter Principle or the monumental dumb luck of going from used car salesman to Commissioner in one lifetime -- will acquiesce to the wish of Pagan and others and retire Clemente's No. 21.

What is not in question has been Pagan's development from everyday player to key component has been one of the most pleasant surprises in the Mets' 31-27 campaign. He is hitting .291 with 32 runs scored, four home runs, and 25 RBI in 55 games this season and will almost certainly set new career highs in every major statistical category. Not bad, especially when the organizational plan in spring training was for him to split time in centerfield with Gary Matthews Jr., who was designated for assignment before Friday night's 4-3 win over the Marlins.

"I feel healthy. That's the most important thing for me. Second of all, I've done a pretty good of replacing Carlos (Beltran). I hope I've done a pretty good job," Pagan said. "Right now what I'm looking for is to stay healthy and keep contributing to the team as much as I can until
Carlos gets back. When he gets back, I just got to adjust to whatever role the team has for me."

Ah. Beltran. The pink elephant in the room. Currently rehabbing in Port St. Lucie, he is expected to join the team at some point this season. Beltran's return will provide Jerry Manuel the flexibility to create a centerfield and right field platoon with the three-time Gold Glove-winning
center fielder, Pagan and Jeff Francoeur. The manager has already announced as much.

Inarguably, having three players for two positions is the proverbial good problem for a manager. But what about the player? How does one react knowing in the back of his mind that eventually his playing time will diminish through no fault of his own?

"I don't (want) to say that it will affect me because I will keep working hard and try to do my best. It doesn't matter what the role is; playing every other day or whatever. I still have a job to do and see what happens, and just try to adjust from there," Pagan vowed.

A change in job description should not negatively affect the native of Dorado, Puerto Rico, who began his career as a reserve withthe Cubs in 2006 and 2007. He played in 148 of 324 games in the two seasons,spending much of his time being taught the game's minutiae by John Mabry, among others.

"Sometimes when you're young, you don't understand the game that well. Just having a veteran like him that has been around, knows how to pinch hit and has been around, you want to learn from those guys," Pagan said.

Eventually the time comes for lessons learned from a teacher to be implemented. For Pagan that came last season in which he hit .306 with 32 RBI and scored 54 runs while playing in a career-high 88 games. The numbers were great. The experience gained by starting almost every day following the All-Star break was invaluable.

"This is my second year healthy. Now I'm showing what I can do and what I'm capable of. So far it's going good," Pagan said. "I have a nice plan and I'm feeling pretty good about myself."

His confidence shows. It is bright as the yellow sticker on his locker.

DENIS GORMAN sports@metro.us

http://www.metro.us/us/article/2010/06/09/07/5508-82/index.xml