** Fingers Crossed **

Sportsnet is reporting, according to a 'report in the Sun' that Smytty has been offered a deal between a 4-6 year deal for approximately $5 million a season. Sounds like he'll be looking it over today. $5 million is less than I would expect Smyth would sign for, but I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Terry Jones of the Sun
sportsnet.ca

Personally, I'll hold off joy until it's been confirmed he's signed.

This about sums it up

CBC posed this question to After Hour viewers tonight:

Did the NHL make a mistake in not reforming the
schedule for next season?
Yes
(839) 94%
No
(50) 6%
Total Votes:
889

I think that about sums up my feelings. The NHL gets a product (Crosby, Ovechkin) they market the crap out of, then they refuse to sell it to half their customers. Thats just good business sense.

Steve Yzerman to steer Team Canada in the World Championships?

Following Ron MacLean's hunch (tip?) on Coach's Corner a few weeks ago, it appears Steve Yzerman will in fact GM the team Hockey Canada is sending to the IIHF World Hockey Championships in April.

The recently-retired superstar, who is now a vice-president with the Detroit Red Wings, has had several conversations about the job with Hockey Canada President Bob Nicholson. Hockey Canada wants Yzerman to do it. Yzerman, by all accounts, is extremely keen and when he returns from a ski vacation in Colorado, he and Nicholson are expected to nail down the final details and make it official...

Bob Mckenzie

I'm not sure what to think of this. On one hand, Yzerman has no experience at all in a position like this, the Hockey Canada management groups are becoming Old Boys Clubs (of course, I'm sure they were before, just not Old ex-Players Club), and it sounds like if Yzerman does a 'good job' (ie the team wins gold) he'll be put in place to manage Team Canada in Vancouver 2010.

But it sounds like Yzerman is enthusiastic, and if Yzerman holds the same level of self-expectations he had as a player, he is a lock put as much effort into this as anyone. I'm not convinced experience is a tremendous asset in this position anyway. This is a short tournament with a mix of cast-off NHLers that have never (or rarely) played together before, made up mostly of players between 20-27 years old. In other words, success tends to be a total crapshoot.

Few players hold the level of esteem Yzerman does, and you can bet anyone working or playing for him will be expected to give nothing less than %110.

And whats this? Although Gretzky hopes his Phoenix Coyotes will be in the playoffs when World Championship time comes around, his name has popped up as the lead head coach candidate. In other words, Hockey Canada is prepping Wayne to be the coach of 2010.

Gretzky is desperately hoping not to be involved in any way with the World Championship team because as head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes, he wants to be in the Stanley Cup playoffs. But it has been suggested that if Phoenix is not a playoff team, Yzerman might toy with the idea of asking Gretzky to coach the World Championship entry.

Bob Mckenzie

Again, its possibly an Old Boys Club that Hockey Canada is devloping. In 2002, many attribute Canada's success to the lack of ego and the focus on taking the best players at the time, regardless of name or past success. By positioning Gretzky to be the coach in 2010, is this philosophy truly being followed? In my opinion, bring Wayne along as an assistant, but Andy Murray or Craig MacTavish (read between the lines Oiler fans) should be the lead candidates for the head coach job.

Of course this is a lot of speculation, but I suspect that's how the situation will play out over the next few weeks, months, and maybe years.

Mid Term Grades - Edmonton

Like the Flames report card, this one is based both on point production, impact to the team and expectations of performance.

A
Jarret Stoll - not only is he second on the Oilers in terms of points, he's arguably their best all round player. He's been physical, he's been winning faceoffs, he's been setting guys up, he's been scoring, and he's been virtually all alone.

Ryan Smyth - Smytty has been Smytty. He's the heart and soul of the team, the goal scoring leader, the guy you want on the ice in every situation. I'm sure MacT wishes he had 23 Smyths out there. Just don't expect him to be in the Oilers jersey much longer.

B+
Ales Hemsky - while Hemsky has been in the lineup, he's done what's expected of him, using his sublime speed and skill to mesmerize opposing teams. Unfortunately right now he's playing with a hurt shoulder, and he hasn't been increasing his shot output so he's still unbelievably frustrating at times.

Fernando Pisani - Despite the huge expectations being a playoff goal scoring leader brings, Fernando has continued to do the things that made him succesful. He makes good defensive plays in both ends of the ice, he buzzes around the net, he's great on the PK (1 SHG), and his smart play has lead to a +9, the best of the team.

Jan Hejda - The most unfortunate thing about Hejda is that he wasn't pulled up from the minors earlier. He's pretty good in the defensive zone, 1-1, is pretty good in breakouts as well. Made a really nice play to pinch in from the point on his first goal in the NHL, and OT GW.

Ethan Moreau - The Oilers miss this heart and soul defensive specialist immensly. Although he sometimes reminds me of Todd Marchant in the way he squanders opportunities, no Oiler is as effective on the forecheck, and his physicality is sorely missed.

Dwayne Roloson - He was the early season hero much like he was the hero in the playoffs, but Roli has been inconsistent at times. It seems when the team played badly, Roli played well, and when Roli played well, the team played badly. Despite this, he's still over .500, has got a +.900 SV%, and is 6th in the league in saves. He just needs some help.

B
Petr Sykora - His early season success has been marred by his quarter season disappearing act. Now that his best friend Hemsky is playing hurt, I don't expect his team point lead will last.

Daniel Tjarnqvist - He's gotten #1 defenceman ice time, to benched, to hurt. Tjarnqvist has at times been the hero, and at times the goat. But in my opinion, this is a better team with Tjarnqvist playing than when he's not. I had pretty low expectations from the beginning of the year, and he has definately exceeded them.

Patrick Thoresen - The Oiler's newest Norweigan member has been on of their most consistent players. His positional play is outstanding, and he's often involved in good scoring chances. My main gripes are his lack of finish, his lack of speed and sometimes, his lack of compete.

Ladislav Smid - No, he is not the Oiler's top defenseman (I think that probably goes to Staios), but he's played about as well as any 20 year old defenseman I've ever seen (save Phaneuf), and for a guy who was borderline on even making the team at season's start, its an impressive feat.

Jussi Markannen - Jussi started the season a bit soft but has picked up his game a bit in the few games he's played lately. Showed he still has some magic left when he beat Carolina again in December, and I think he should be played more often. Has a .500 record which is not bad for a backup.

B-
Raffi Torres - Keeping up his physical presence every night is an unfair request to make, but he needs to bring it more often than he does, because when Torres hits, good things happen. Is not consistent enough in any part of his game. To his credit, he's a + 7.

Marc-Andre Bergeron - To be fair, MA should really be playing about 12-14 minutes a night, but he's been forced into much more of a top 4 role. Bergeron plays very consistently, in that he consistently gives the puck away in the defensive zone. Bergeron is tied for 2nd in Oilers PPGs with Stoll (first is Smyth, obviously).

Steve Staios - In past seasons, Staios has been voted by his teammates as the Oiler's MVP. He's a great leader on this team who does anything to help the team win. Unfortunately his shortcomings are being exposed - Staois is not a strong skater and sometimes he simply tries to do too much. Despite this, he's a great #4 defenseman, and the team is desperately awaiting his return.

Jason Smith - Despite having the team's worst +/- for a period of time, Smith has climbed back to a somewhat respectable -3. His situation is similar to Staios, he's a great 2nd grouping defenceman, or a complimentary #2 guy to a very speedy skilled #1 guy (Pronger), but with the Oilers' lack of defensive depth, Smith is called on for too many things too often.

Toby Petersen - Toby doesn't do anything extremely well (despite Craig Simpson's insistence he is a PP QB), but he doesn't do anything really badly either. He is a great utility player, it just so happens he plays on a team that desperately needs him to be more.

Matt Greene - For all intents and purposes Matt Greene is a rookie defenceman who at this time is actually the veteran on his pairing. Sure, Greene is slow, sometimes makes bad puck decisions, and is a weak skater, but he brings toughness and pretty good pose for his experience. Think of him as a young Jason Smith.

Mathieu Roy - Roy has played pretty well in almost all areas of the game; Outlet passes, in zone coverage, pinch decisions. But his 1-1 play has been extremely questionable, and thats sort of an important skill set for a defenseman in the NHL.

C+
Sean Horcoff - Big expectations coming into this season, Horc has been snakebitten in terms of points, and he (whether through miscommunication or something else) has been making an awful lot of mistakes in the defensive zone. Will need to transform into the player he was last year if this team is to have any success.

Marty Reasoner - This has been an on and off year for Reasoner. After playing a beauty game against Chicago in late Novevember, Reasoner followed it up with two -2 games in a row. His -12 is simply not good enough from a guy who should be a defensive specialist. He's ranked 11th in the league in faceoff percentage though.

Brad Winchester - For a period of time in late November-early December, Brad Winchester was the best player on this team. Unfortunately he has not been able to consistently deliver the package he should - Size, toughness, intimidation, and a drive towards the net.

C -
Joffrey Lupul - Fairly or not, Lupul will be compared to Pronger, but Lupul is no Pronger. He's been soft on the puck, he tends not to make good plays at either end, and he's got the 2nd worst +/- on the team, despite often playing with Ryan Smyth. He is tied for 3rd in terms of goals on the team though.

Petr Nedved - Nedved's only been here a short time, so his report will be short. His point production has increased here and he gave Smith some innovative help on the backcheck. However, his +/- has only gotten worse, and his physical game has been laughably bad.

Marc-Antione Pouliot - Listening to Lowetide you would think Pouliot was supposed to be the second coming of Hemsky, but lets face it, thats never going to happen. Pouliot needs to make the major league jump soon or its not going to happen at all.
Jean-Francois Jaques

D
Jean-Francois Jacques - 19 games, 0 points, -9, 11 shots. Thats just unnacceptable.

Grudge Match!

Well, tonight is the rematch for last Saturday's game, but expect tonight's game to have a more physical edge. Horcoff was on tv last night saying the Flames are going to have to work for everything they get, and with all the criticism the Oilers have been taking regarding Boogaard's hit on Hemsky, the Oilers have recalled tough guy Zach Stortini.

In the Flames corner is Eric Godard, who has already KO'd the aforementioned Boogaard.




I give the initial fight to Godard by quite a bit, he seems to be the more skilled fighter, but give Stortini credit, he hung in better than Boogaard. Since this will be the second fight between the two, it will be referred to me as the Grudge Match. If Stortini wins or ties this one, we can call the next fight the Rubber Match.

The edge goes to the Flames, even on the road, against a woefully inept Oilers defence.

Oilers vs. Ducks - Hanging by a thread...

To say the Oilers need to win tonight is probably a bit of an understatement. To say they've stunk lately is an understatement. But these Ducks are ripe for the (hunting?) - no Pronger, no Francois Beauchemin, and most likely no JS Giguere. I would also like to point out that statistically at least, playoff shutout record maker Bryzgalov has been playing terribly. I know this because I have him in Fantasy Hockey. Dammit.

But for far more interesting and in depth pre-game analysis, direct yourself to The Battle of California who astutely point out that both teams are now Prongerless.

Finny over at girl with a puck there is no pregame up as of yet, but rarely a day goes by that Finny doesn't make an entry, so if there is no pregame up by gametime, I would expect a post game. Don't disappoint me Finny!

Mid Term Grades - Calgary

Well at this point the season is half over so I thought it's a good time to evaluate player performances this season. Grades assessed are partly due to impact, partly due to expectation.

A
Jarome Iginla - Mr. Everything. He scores, sets em up, hits, fights, kills penalties, and was having a career year points wise.

A-
Miikka Kiprusoff - Is coming back from early season question marks to provide the Flames with a more than fair chance to win every night, regardless of how 'with it' everyone else is.

Matthew Lombardi - The young centreman has given Calgary something they've desperately needed: Speed. Night in and night out he's been one of Calgary's most consistent players.

B+
Roman Hamrlik - The former fan punching bag (I'll take credit for that) has come back this season to be one of Calgary's best defenceman at both ends of the rink. Tied with Langkow for best +/- on the team.

B
Kristian Huselius - After being benched and criticized (especially by Hockeygirl Huselius has become an offensive force for the Flames. He's been even better since Iginla got hurt.

Daymond Langkow - Daymond is arguably more of a B+ but his slow first 1/4 kept him to a very solid B. He's now skating better, has more of a physical presence, is setting up guys and putting the puck in the net.

Dion Phaneuf - Dion has been very good for the Flames, doing his usual shtick (hitting, scoring,) especially as a second year ice time muncher. But Dion has been very inconsistent at times.

Rhett Warrener - Rhettsky (or Rhettro) is having his best year as a Flame, perhaps the most consistent defenceman on the team. Warrener is never going to blow you away with his offensive skills, but if you want a guy to consistently and quietly do his job, Warrener is your man.

Jamie Mclennan - Hard to get a read on Noodles this year with only 4 games played, but he's stolen 5 out of a possible 8 points. 2W, 1OTL, 1L in regulation. That's all you can ask out of your backup.

Mark Giordano - Giordano is the Flames #7 defenceman, but he plays more like a top 5 guy. He looks better and better as the season goes on, he plays well with the puck, he's speedy. He does need to learn to pick his spots better, but this guy will have a long NHL career.

B-
Alex Tanguay - Calgary's $5 million man has been at times brilliant, and at times unbelievably frustrating. Calgary needs Tanguay to bring his 'A' game every night.

Byron Ritchie - Lord Byron takes his third line shift ice time and makes the most of it every night. Add to that his recent flash and production playing up on the 2nd line, and you have to like what Ritchie brings to this team.

Robyn Regehr - Robyn has been very good in his own zone without the puck, on 1-1s and on the PK. But Regehr's game with the puck has receded this year.

Andrew Ference - Ference is like Warrener, you know what you're going to get every game. He brings it physically (as much as a smaller guy can), he gives you decent outlet passes, and he tends to make good decisions on the point. Can at times overcommit though.

Stephane Yelle - Sandbox was hurt for a lot of the early season but while he's been around he's still a top PK guy.

David Moss - because small samples tend to the extreme, Moss gets a B- for his early Flame efforts. He's got timely goals, including a game winner, and he's just generally created havoc for opponents.

Brandon Prust - for the few games he played for Calgary he did exactly what was expected of him. Forecheck, skate extremely hard and make solid hits.

Eric Goddard - For the three games he played, Goddard was a physical presence and in his one official fight he knocked out heavyweight Derek Boogaard.

Dustin Boyd - He hasn't had a lot of points, but he's often around when goals are being scored. Only gets 4th line ice time but seems to make the most of it.

C+
Marcus Nilson - Nilson hasn't had a terrible season but I think he's taken a step back in terms of his impact to the team.

Tony Amonte - Tony is having another ho-hum season, he's been very mediocre most of the time. He's around chances, he gets chances, but he no longer has any scoring touch at all.

C
Ritchie Regehr - hard to rate Ritchie the younger at all, but he's been about what you'd expect from a 7-8 defenceman, which is to say, he's not been great.

D-
Chuck Kobesew - Kobesew's time to be an impact player in this league is quickly ticking away. Much less hyped players have overtaken him in terms of impact to this team and they don't get the minutes or linemates.

Jamie Lundmark - His time to be an impact player in the league is basically gone. The only difference is you barely notice his mediocrity due to his 4th line time.

Brad Ference - Sort of like Regehr the Younger, but worse.

F
Jeff Friesen - Friesen essentially took over Donovan's role, and is not nearly as good. His first goal of the season was timely, but he needs to do it more.

Andrei Zyuzin - Is Calgary's worst defenceman by far. Will not play for this team next year.

Darren McCarty - To be fair to Darren, he is 'hurt.' But his days of being an even moderately useful player are done as far as I can tell.