We must never forget that a NHL season is 82 games, and many things can happen over the course of such a long stretch. Today's darling is tomorrow's forgotten has-been.
Sure, teams and players go on hot and cold streaks, but the true nature of the beast, in terms of statistical measures, tends to show itself as more and more games are played. Just think of NBA Jam or Super Mario Kart and the 'Rubber Band AI' that tends to smooth out things like peanut butter. Goalies that I had panned or praised earlier in the season look like far different animals now that the cage has been opened.
Miikka Kiprusoff is a perfect example of the peanut butter theory, as he's now worked his save percentage to a just-below average 90.5%, up from the depth of the 88's that he was sporting earlier this season.
Not long after signing a lengthy contract extension, Kiprusoff started the season in a serious funk. It was if Kipper completely lost his game, and aged 10 years in one day.
As we've seen recently, however, Kipper has been above average since in the New Year, and one more solid month should bring his overall numbers to at least average.
Great? No, but at least he's back to a respectable level, and is playing well at the best time to be doing so. One could deduce that the Flames can expect a 91.5SV% goaltender come playoff time.
Well, the old dog is back! The Calgary Flames, one of about four teams chasing after the old pup, have won the sweepstakes and signed the geezer to a contract. We're still awaiting the actual details, but it's assumed to be a deal simply for this season.
The other scuttlebutt floating around is Mike Keenan made a personal phone call to Joseph and apologized for being such a complete asshat back in their St. Louis days. I didn't think 'Iron' Mike was capable of a sincere apology. How about that?
While CuJo is hardly capable of providing quality goaltending at this stage of his career, he is an instant upgrade on Curtis McElhinney, a no-name backup goalie so awful that Mike Keenan would rather play with an empty net than give a start to the guy.
With Kiprusoff playing so horribly this season, and having started 45 of the 46 Flames' games, it's obvious that the Flames needed somebody that could give Kiprusoff some nights off. "Kipper" looks like a tired goalie and he's been unable to put together a consistent string of good starts.
While Joseph may not have the ability he once did, he'll have the confidence of Iron Mike, which is the most important reason for this signing. Getting Kiprusoff some rest down the stretch may very well help their #1 goalie get his groove back.
According to reports from TSN, 40 year old goaltender Curtis Joseph will likely make his decision this weekend on where he'd like to be when he rejoins the NHL.
It's come down to two teams: Calgary and San Jose. Both these franchises have strong starting goalies, yet lack quality backups, so they're very interested in acquiring the veteran.
Why Calgary? Well, can you name Calgary's backup netminder without having to look it up? Exactly. However, as The Bleacher Report duly points out, Joseph and Calgary coach Mike Keenan don't have the best history together. Is Joseph willing to put behind the past for a backup job? Has enough time passed?
As for San Jose? Well, Evgeni Nabokov has started EVERY SINGLE GAME this season so far, and it's obvious the Sharks are afraid to play anyone else. At least a veteran like Joseph would have the confidence of coach Ron Wilson.
Last season, CuJo had a rotten 89.3SV%, well below the league average (90.5%), and has gotten steadily worse each season. Only six goalies with 30+ games played last season has worse numbers than CuJo, and the old dog is not going to get any better. Why bring him in as an expensive backup when you can get a willing, and younger, backup for the league minimum?
His 89.3SV% would put him right in the same spot in the rankings (near the basement), which makes you wonder why a team would even bother signing him as a backup in the first place. Oh, you'll wonder, that is, until you look at those anonymous backup goalies the Sharks and Flames have been playing, and realize that, sadly, CuJo is an upgrade.
Looks like this old dog may have one last trick. It certainly won't make the Sharks and Flames much better to sign the guy, but it'll at least give them a chance to rest their #1 goaltenders more than once every three months.
Darren McCarty, the 35-year old former Red Wing "Grind Liner" and part-time rock star, isn't ready to give up the lifestyle of a pro hockey player just yet.
"I want to play for sure," he told The News. "I'd like to give it a shot and catch on with somebody and play. I think I can still play. I still think I can bring something to the team --- that intangible stuff, leadership, a spark.
"I'm willing to start at the bottom and work my way up, prove myself. I still think there's gas in the tank."
I'm guessing McCarty's motives are mainly financial, given that he went into bankruptcy (thanks to some gambling debts) and got divorced.
What else does McCarty bring other than 'intangibles', now that he is clearly well past his prime?
Last season, McCarty didn't score a single point in 32 games with the Flames. The prior two seasons? Just 24 points in 110 games. There certainly isn't much tangible, other than nasty-looking facial hair.
I understand McCarty's popularity and why people will pull for him to succeed, but I'd be hard-pressed to find an NHL club that could really use somebody to does a whole lot of nothing. McCarty doesn't really fight a lot, or that effectively, and his lone positive attribute appears to be laying the occasional hit. I'd be shocked if McCarty played another NHL game, but stranger things have happened ...
All too often, fantasy league GMs chase after the shiny baubles, paying far too much for past production while not looking at likely future point totals and the big picture.
For good fantasy league players, they can abuse these chicken-headed GM's by gouging them with a big fat juicy carrot (or bag of seeds) right in front of their faces. Nobody ever wins their league by playing nice. Hype up your players, and prepare to reap the windfall.
There are a few good players that would be well worth waving around the trade market, given that their production next season is very likely to fall off to some degree. Rather than bank on the chance these players MIGHT another great season, let somebody else take the risk for you.
1. Andrew Brunette, Colorado Avalanche
SEASON TEAM GP G A PTS
03-04 MIN 82 15 34 49
05-06 COL 82 24 39 63
06-07 COL 82 27 56 83
Talk about your career seasons! Andrew Brunette found the fountain of Youth (Joe Sakic) in Colorado and had himself his best season ever.
Unfortunately, Brunette isn't too fleet of foot, and is approaching his 34th birthday. One has to believe that his amazing streak of luck with his health and production will come to an end. Brunette will also be conceding some ice time to some of the Avs' younger forwards and, perhaps, Ryan Smyth.
Although it's one year too late -- and what former NHL player is going to give up a fishing trip for this? -- the Florida Panthers will celebrate their Cinderella run to the 1996 Stanley Cup Finals this weekend. Panthers alumni like John Vanbiesbrouck, Ray Sheppard and Bill Lindsay will join the majority of the players (sans schedule-conflicted Rob Niedermayer and Robert Svehla) who led Florida to the Finals in only the third year of the franchise, before being swept away by the Colorado Avalanche. There's a golf tournament, player appearances and an exhibition game at BankAtlantic Center on Saturday that will give hockey fans something they've long dreamed about: another chance to witness the majestic skating of Terry Carkner on NHL ice.
In 1995-96, they finished third in their division (41-31-10, 92 points) and fourth in the Eastern Conference in the regular season, then beat in the Bruins 4 games to 1 in a seven-game series, the Flyers 4-2 and the Penguins 4-3 before losing to the Avalanche in four games in the finals.
Right winger Scott Mellanby killed a rat in the dressing room with his stick minutes before the home opener that season, then scored two goals that night, prompting Vanbiesbrouck to declare Mellanby's feat a "Rat Trick." Throwing plastic rats on the ice after goals soon became a phenomenon.
"We accomplished some pretty lofty things with a group of guys who were considered mediocre players at the time," Lindsay said.
"Mediocre players at the time?" Has history been that kind to Johan Garpenlov and Jody Hull? Florida Panthers fans have every right to celebrate this unexpected season of meteoric success, lest they fall deeper into the depressing reality that their franchise is now known more for losing Roberto Luongo and failing to make the playoffs in the Southeast Division than plastic rodents. But for the rest of us, this weekend begs the question:
Are the Florida Panthers the most mediocre Stanley Cup finalist of the last 25 years?
Back when Kristian Huselius was a member of the Florida Panthers, coach "Iron Mike" Keenan made it a point to put the Swedish sniper in his permanent doghouse. Despite Huselius' slick stick-handling skills, boyish looks, and crisp play-making abilities, his game never got off the ground during his time in Florida.
Huselius earned a fresh start in Calgary and made the most of it. Those fantasy players who saw how Kristian came out of his shell as a member of the Flames were most pleased that their investment finally paid off.
SEASON TEAM GP G A PTS +/- 03-04 FLA 76 10 21 31 -6 05-06 FLA 24 5 3 8 -11 05-06 CGY 54 15 24 39 +2 06-07 CGY 81 34 43 77 +21
As you can see, Huselius' pre-Calgary numbers were horrible. Only after the trade did Huselius produce like he was expected to when he came over from Sweden.
Calgary Flames General Manager Darryl Sutter announced Friday the acquisition of defenseman Adrian Aucoin and a 7th round pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for defensemen Andrei Zyuzin and Steve Marr.
On the surface, the Flames completely appear to have ripped off the Blackhawks in terms of pure talent. When Aucoin is on his game, he's an effective 2-way defenseman who is blasting bullets from the point.
The problem? Aucoin has been anything but good the past two seasons. After signing a lucrative deal with the Hawks after the lockout, Aucoin was frequently injured and, when healthy, quite ineffective. How can a guy with his kind of shot score just five times in 92 games?
SEASON TEAM GP G A PTS
03-04 NYI 81 13 31 44
05-06 CHI 33 1 5 6
06-07 CHI 59 4 12 16
It is going to be a fairly tough off-season for Flames GM Darryl Sutter, who must spend his finite resources (money) to retain his current roster and possibly get stronger for next year.
With the two capable of commanding $8 or $9 million a year on the open market come July 2008, few believe Sutter will be able to shoehorn them into a salary cap that should be no more than $50 million by then.
Given a (possible) $50mil salary cap, signing both should be very possible. BUT, if you were forced between choosing either one, who would you go with?
Iginla is coming off a steller year, which he tends to do when his contract is coming to expiration. With 94 points in 70 games, Iginla was one of the top scorers in the NHL this season, and adds a level of physical play that many other scoring stars do not.
Iginla is also the younger of the two, as he'll be 30 when next season kicks off.
Kiprusoff? He's coming off of a poor season (by his standards), where he had just a 91.7SV% after seasons of 92.3% and 93.3%. He's also a year older than Iginla.
For my money? Well, I'd take Kiprusoff. We've seen this season, in New Jersey and Vancouver, that a great goaltender can carry a team a lot further than one lone forward.
Iginla does not strike me as the type of forward you build a franchise around, given that he doesn't tend to make his linemates significantly better. Notice how he had a great year after the Flames got some help for him? Guys like Joe Thornton and Sidney Crosby make their linemates better and more productive, but Iginla doesn't have that same effect.
In addition, I believe Iginla's true level of production is found in his non-contract years.
When Iginla's contract was up, he put up 96 and 94 point seasons. In other seasons, he's put up 71, 67, 73, and 67 points. If you sign Iginla to a 3 or 4-year deal, it's quite likely he'll revert to being just a very good player.
If the Calgary Flames are to beat the Detroit Red Wings, they will need to utilize their physical advantage a lot more than they have been this series, while staying out of the penalty box at the same time.
Help may be on the way if Jeff Friesen is able to return for Game Three of the series:
"I'm just looking forward to getting back in. It's a fun time of year," the veteran said after a long, hard skate in yesterday's session. Friesen, a Stanley Cup champion with New Jersey in 2003, had a disappointing regular season with six goals and six assists but down the stretch became a key factor on a line with Stephane Yelle and Marcus Nilson.
Having watched his team shellacked 4-1 in by the Wings in the opener of the best-of-seven opening-round playoff series, Friesen is champing at the bit.
"Obviously, we didn't play the way we need to win. You want to add whatever you can," he said.
While Friesen has been pretty much garbage offensively, he has speed and can play a physical game, something the Flames need both of.
Unfortunately, the player they need to return the most, Robyn Regehr, is unlikely to play in Game Three as he's still nursing his knee injury after re-injuring it during Game Two.
"He didn't rush back too soon," said head coach Jim Playfair.
"He was medically cleared. We'll get an evaluation on him (this) morning back in Calgary and we'll have a better, clearer understanding of where he's at."
Medically cleared, as in 'the leg is still attached to his body'?
Regehr, one of the league's more underrated defensemen, is the Flames top penalty-killing defensemen, logging an average of 4:13 of PK time per game during the regular season. With the Flames spending so much time in the sin bin, the Flames have been at an obvious disadvantage with Regehr out of the lineup.
The likes of David Hale just don't bring nearly as much to the table, nor can the other Calgary defensemen, save for Rhett Warrener, provide the same defensive presence as Regehr does on a nightly basis.
We must never forget that a NHL season is 82 games, and many things can happen over the course of such a long stretch. Today's darling is tomorrow's forgotten has-been.
Well, the old dog is back! The Calgary Flames, one of about four teams chasing after the old pup, 
With his recent play at the does-anyone-watch-this? Spengler Cup over in Davos, Switzerland, 
All too often, fantasy league GMs chase after the shiny baubles, paying far too much for past production while not looking at likely future point totals and the big picture.
Back when Kristian Huselius was a member of the Florida Panthers, coach "Iron Mike" Keenan made it a point to put the Swedish sniper in his permanent doghouse. Despite Huselius' slick stick-handling skills, boyish looks, and crisp play-making abilities, his game never got off the ground during his time in Florida.
It didn't take long for the Calgary Flames to make a big move after hiring new coach Iron Mike Keenan.
It is going to be a fairly tough off-season for Flames GM Darryl Sutter, who must spend his finite resources (money) to retain his current roster and possibly get stronger for next year.
If the Calgary Flames are to beat the Detroit Red Wings, they will need to utilize their physical advantage a lot more than they have been this series, while staying out of the penalty box at the same time.
