The new Sharks logo (maybe)

Several message boards (and our pal Steve at Battle of New York) have posted what is supposedly the Sharks new logo. Drum roll, please...
IF (and that's a big if) this is the Sharks new logo, then it'll be as reported "updated, sleeker, more 3D".

My question to all of this is why? To me, it just looks like someone viewed the original Sharks logo through the lens of Batman: The Animated Series. That's not necessarily a BAD thing, but it all seems rather unnecessary.

I, for one, am not a fan of cartoony logos (Sleek, do you own the infamous Duck Breaking Through Ice jersey?). Original Senators crest? Cool. Creepy looking Senator dude staring at me? Not so cool. NY Islanders crest? Cool. Creepy fisherman guy? Very not cool. Nashville's main logo? Not great, but definitely not bad. Weird 3D alternate version? Looks like a fanboy had too much fun with a 3D modeling program.

Since the Sharks always bitch and moan about losing money (I'd like to see if they actually count suite sales in their records since companies have to buy them for EVERY event, check payable to Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment), forcing an entire fanbase to buy a new logo can do wonders for sales. Did this logo really need revamping or was this just a nice opportunity to cash in on the new Reebok jersey changeover? You make the call!

One thing's for sure...if and when I get one, I will avoid putting any names on there to prevent any further jersey curses.

Overdue thoughts on Free Agency

I know that I'm (really) late with my thoughts, but I figured that a quick look at the LA Kings' free agent additions (since the Dallas Stars did next to nothing, with all apologies to Todd Fedoruk fans out there...aka just Earl Sleek).

Ladislav Nagy, reportedly at 1 year/$3.75 million

I have a consistent viewpoint with free agency after seeing the heidous overpaying that went on with Drury, Briere, Vanek and Co.: short-term contracts are never too bad.

And when it comes to Nagy, this could end up being one of the best moves in free agency. He's a great setup guy and should allow the Kings to improve their powerplay substantially. Also, I wouldn't take his Dallas failures to heart too much. Dallas is The Place Forwards Go to Die, after all.

A one-year contract is always great because of the obvious: it's an instant contract year. It worked great for Selanne, and it could for Nagy. Of course, Selanne has about 3X the tesicular fortitude as Nagy.

Still, Nagy could be a point per game player with the talent young forwards in LA.

Michal Handzus, 4 year/$16 million

I'm torn on this one. For one thing, Handzus is pleasingly funny looking. Plus, his last name is a Berman nickname goldmine ("One Handzus washes the other"). He's also multi-talented, with good to very good defensive ability and the kind of faceoff winning prowess he Kings have been missing.

He's a package deal with Nagy, so they apparently have some kind of chemistry together. Even if they seem like total opposites.

Kyle Calder, 2 year/$5.5 million

Meh.

Tom Preissing, 4 year/$11 million

I like this signing more than the Calder one, but it seems like a bit much for a OD with two decent showings on two top-end teams. The fact that he wasn't putting up big numbers on the blueline of teams with Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Heatley and Spezza doesn't seem too promising.

Still, he's young and American. So that's good. Also, in Ottawa, it was virually impossible for me to tell him apart from Joe Corvo, who had a good year as a King. And he doesn't have a criminal background, either.

So I guess I kind of like that one.

Brad Stuart, 1 year/$3.5 million

Nice. Brad Stuart can have a nice year, then get some ridiculous, multi-year contract with the New York Islanders next year. Sounds good to me.

Free Agent Grade: B

The Kings did a very nice job this year. They get to rent Nagy and Stuart for a year while Jack Johnson progresses and Rob Blake continues to decompose. They'll get $7 million to either re-sign Nagy and Stuart or, better yet, throw money at a top-notch goalie or ... god-willing, if a certain Jason Spezza or Danny Heatley become available.

Some Kings fans might be dissapointed that LA didn't land a big name, but I personally think that Drury is overrated and Briere is old. So there.

Happy Birthday, Sleek

I will maintain to my deathbed that the Ducks' recent Stanley Cup victory can be attributed to several factors: skill, experience, effort, and of course luck. And while I cannot take any credit for the first three, unfortunately I take way too much credit for the fourth (and not just because of my lucky green shirt).

You see, I've always felt disproportionately lucky because of my lucky birthdate: 7/11/77. I'm no numerologist, but this date feels awfully special:

• It rhymes.
• The numbers all feel lucky.
• And it's even multiplicatively sound.

So if you're inspired tonight, why not pour yourself a glass of your favorite cocktail, raise it to the heavens, and take a drink for the lucky S.O.B. named Earl Sleek, who hits the ripe old age of 30 today.
And as always, Go Ducks.

Congratulations! It’s a Blog!

As a Ducks blogger, I’ve never really set huge goals for my role in Battle of California—generally, my main objectives were (a) to help legitimize the notion of a knowledgeable Duck fan, and (b) to help legitimize the notion of independent hockey blogs.

So it’s always exciting for me to see a new Ducks hockey blog emerge, especially one that is as well put-together as Anaheim Ducks.info, a new project by site-creator and Ducks fan Varius.

For now, Varius is keeping a nice watch on all Burke’s offseason moves, but based on what I’ve seen on Duck message boards, he’s going to be providing some really good commentary about the Ducks' roster and results over the coming months. Plus, his site’s already got a professional feel to it—it’s already available in over a dozen languages! (Meanwhile, I’m having trouble finding any good translation for the term “Schneidermayer”.)

So go check it out, and Varius, welcome aboard and good luck!

p.s. I do plan on updating the sidebar links sometime later this summer. If you feel your site is being unfairly left out, send me a note and I’ll get on it!

Are the Kings trying to become BoC contenders?

Umm, I know Rudy's on vacation, but I figured I'd drop a quick post so people can comment on the Kings' offseason activity.

In the last few day, the Kings have re-inked d J. Modry (1 yr) and g J. Labarbara (2 yrs), and signed f L. Nagy (1 yr), f M. Handzus (4 yrs), f K. Calder (2 yrs), d T. Preissing (4 yrs), and d B. Stuart (1 yr).

I can't speak from any Kings perspective here (go see Inside the Kings or Purple Crushed Velvet for that), but all of a sudden the Kings look like they want to make this Battle of California a real three-team affair.

So commenters (Kings fans or not), where does this get them? Where do they fit among the Stars, Sharks, and Ducks? For GM Lombardi, what remains to be done?

Have fun commenting, and have a safe and happy 4th, everyone!

Ducks sign Bertuzzi to reinforce "Thug" stereotype

Well, if any of you Duck fans were wondering who was going to replace Brad May's suckerpunch abilities, your wait is over!

In a move that has been constantly predicted since Brian Burke took over the GM position two years ago, the Ducks signed UFA winger Todd Bertuzzi to a two-year, $8 M deal today. This of course is the 2nd straight free agent plucked from last year's Red Wings, and the 2nd straight instance where the Ducks replaced a player before they officially announced retirement.

OK, hockey-wise I am comfortable with these pick-ups; I like both players' on-ice abilities, but health is certainly going to be a factor. Contract-wise the terms are short enough but the dollars are high, which is manageable if Scott Niedermayer or Teemu Selanne decide to retire, or even moreso should both.

And that's the thing that nags me a bit—the Ducks are pro-actively solving problems that are as of yet unclear. I'm not sure how these signings will affect the decision-making of Scotty or Teemu; how will they react to being pre-emptively replaced? It certainly looks as if they are less needed than they were two days ago, and it's almost to a point where the decision to not retire creates problems. I suppose the irony is that Bertuzzi might end Selanne's career without even throwing a punch.

Speaking of which: Image-wise, if the Ducks had a problem battling a "thug" label in these past playoffs, Burke probably just exacerbated it. Now it'll be "thugs and more thugs", with Pronger and Bertuzzi generating boos across the western continent. And should either Teemu or Scotty retire, well, let's just say that's one less face of diplomacy in a Duck uniform.

Clearer thoughts to come in the next few days...

In the meantime, if you know anyone from Edmonton tomorrow who needs a good kick in the teeth, make sure to wish them a Happy Pronger Day tomorrow!

Ducks reveal their hand and sign Schneider

Well, apparently the Ducks don't need a decision from Scott Niedermayer. The team announced today the signing of 38-year-old UFA defenseman Mathieu Schneider to a two-year, $11.25 M deal ($5.5 M this year, $5.75 M the next). It is kind of fitting:

• In 2003, the Mighty Ducks lost in the playoffs to the New Jersey Devils. A season later, they signed the Devils' best defenseman.
• In 2006, the Mighty Ducks lost in the playoffs to the Edmonton Oilers. Weeks later, they traded for the Oilers' best defenseman.
• In 2007, the Ducks lost to nobody, but the team that almost beat them was the Detroit Red Wings. So this time, the Ducks only signed the Wings' second-best defenseman.

I was caught pretty off-guard by this news, of course. I assumed today was going to be a bigger Sharks or Kings newsday (although Joe Thornton signing a 3-year extension is still huge news), but Brian Burke certainly acted as if Niedermayer's retirement is a sure thing. Think about this: if Scott were to play his contract next year, that would mean that the Ducks' goalie and top four defensemen would cost roughly $26 M next year; that's more than half the salary cap.

And then the logical move, oddly enough, would probably be to trade away the newly-signed Schneider. Any way, I gotta digest this (and hear some concrete Niedermayer news) before I can offer more coherent thoughts on the Schneider acquisition properly. As always, your thoughts and insults are always welcome in the comments.

[Next morning edit: No matter whether Scotty N. decides to retire or not, I don't see how the Ducks' new acquisition avoids picking up the nickname "Schneidermayer". Yup. You heard it here first.]

Retirement Threat #1: how do you replace Scott Niedermayer?

(Author’s Note: I HAVE NO NEWS IN THIS POST. I figured I’d best say that up front.)

So with Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne both threatening to retire 'on top of the world', I thought I’d spend today looking at Scott’s on-ice contribution, and deal with Teemu's in a separate post.

Over the course of the regular season and playoffs, the captain played over 2,800 minutes, nearly 400 more than the next highest Duck skater. He led Anaheim defensemen in even-strength minutes, power play minutes, and shorthanded minutes, and total scoring, as well. He was also Anaheim’s top-paid player ($6.75 M/year on a deal that has two more years on it), a Norris finalist, and the Conn Smythe winner to boot.

To help measure his on-ice contribution, though, here are the 5 defensemen signed for next year, and their combined regular-season and playoff totals from last year:

Even-Strength:

Player	GP	ES min	ES +/hr	ES –/hr	ES +/–/hr
Niedermayer	100	1,803	+2.66	-2.23	+0.43
Beauchemin	91	1,749	+2.44	-2.13	+0.31
O’Donnell	100	1,621	+2.48	-1.96	+0.52
Pronger	85	1,520	+3.00	-1.54	+1.46
Huskins	54	640	+1.97	-1.88	+0.09

What’s staggering here is really the difference in productivity of Chris Pronger from pretty much everyone else (even his regular defense partner Sean O’Donnell). The best goals-for, the best goals-against, and the best differential, all while playing comparable minutes to Niedermayer. I don’t want to knock the captain’s productivity, but Scott is clearly outshined on these metrics.

Power Play:

Player	GP	PP min	PP +/hr	PP –/hr	PP +/–/hr
Niedermayer	100	582	+7.94	-0.72	+7.22
Pronger	85	509	+8.25	-0.24	+8.01
Beauchemin	91	286	+6.09	-0.63	+5.46

On the power play, only three defensemen played any significant minutes, and certainly Niedermayer's presence was a huge part. One thing about Niedermayer: he's got a very below-average shot from the blueline, but made himself really useful as a high screen / rover. Again, though, Pronger is the star in terms of net production.

Penalty Kill:

Player	GP	SH min	SH +/hr	SH –/hr	SH +/–/hr
Niedermayer	100	415	+0.29	-6.65	-6.36
Beauchemin	91	385	+0.47	-6.08	-5.61
O’Donnell	100	367	+0.49	-3.93	-3.44
Pronger	85	333	+0.54	-5.23	-4.69

Note that these numbers are inclusive of 4-on-5 and 3-on-5 situations, which partially explains why Niedermayer's production looks bad here. Even so, though, his numbers pale again against Pronger's, who also was a fixture on 2-man disadvantages.

Bottom line: Even though Scott is outshined in the production metrics by Pronger, he still plays a huge role minutes-wise and leadership-wise, and his salary is quite favorable compared to other top-earning defensemen. Should Scott announce his retirement, the Ducks definitely need to figure out who their captain will be, and also find a way to replace his minutes for a pretty similar cost. Unfortunately, I really doubt this can be accomplished with one $6 - $7 M defenseman in today's high-priced market (it doesn’t buy you what it used to); this really is the main reason why I’d really prefer Scott to play out his existing contract.

A key question that still needs to be answered will be the production of defenseman Francois Beauchemin, who has played pretty much his entire 2-year NHL career with Scotty as his partner. Certainly the early play of Frenchie has been promising, but it is somewhat easy to look good when you’ve got the smoothest skater in the league leading your rushes and still covering your back.

If Niedermayer does choose to retire, though, I would guess the best way to go about replacing him would be pretty much to build a traditional blueline around the other Norris finalist, Pronger. Rather than have two defensive pairs play nearly all the minutes, the resulting defense would probably have to spread minutes to the third pairing a lot more evenly, so probably Niedermayer would be best replaced by two capable $3M defensemen, preferably not UFAs signed on July 1st, though—those signings usually signify an overcommitment.

Anyway, Scott’s decision is probably the one key thing I’m keeping my eye on this offseason—I don’t think the Ducks are in horrible trouble either way, but definitely there will have to be a huge strategy adjustment if he leaves. Based on the minutes he plays, I would say he’s a tougher hurdle to replace than Selanne, but we’ll be taking a look at that in a later post.

Fine, Search Engine Abusers. You win.

So, this being the most boring week of the year, and with little else to do, I figure I'd look over the ol' blog stats. As usual, the strangest numbers come from the keyword analysis, basically the search engine stats. So far, in 27 days of June, this blog was discovered by:

26 searches for "chris pronger skeletor"
OK man, you win. The best I can offer you is the photo to the left.

50 searches for "hedstrom ducks"
This guy appears to be more desperate. You know, the Ducks never faced a must-win game in any round these playoffs, but if they did, I was going to write a post called "Sleek's Bad Idea":

In 2003, after the second round of the playoffs, Anaheim forward Patrick Kjellberg ditched the team mid-playoffs to return to Sweden. The Mighty Ducks responded with three straight shutouts.

In 2006, late in the first round of the playoffs, Anaheim forward Jonathan Hedstrom ditched the team mid-playoffs to return to Sweden. The Mighty Ducks responded with three straight shutouts.

So if it was a do-or-die scenario, as tough as it would be, Sammy Pahlsson would have to ditch the team and head for Sweden; three straight shutouts would be certain to follow. Of course, with Pahlsson being my favorite player, I'd have to blame Brian Burke for not carrying another Swedish forward just for this sort of emergency.

And finally, 68 searches for "mathieu garon salary"
OK, Kings fan(s), we get it. We all know L.A.'s goaltending was desperately bad last year, but you gotta relax on that search engine trigger finger or you'll go crazy. Per nhlnumbers.com, Garon's salary last season was $1.216 M, but he's an unrestricted free agent come July 1st.

So relax, Kings. Your only worry should be two more years of Dan Cloutier at $3.1 M.

A message from Gatorade Canada

Man, I'm such a sucker and a sell-out. Apparently all you need for some good BoC coverage is to send me a congratulatory e-mail, and a note that you are trying to network through hockey blogs. But even though I am a pushover for faint praise, I think the site below is interesting in discussing hydration issues for goaltenders and other athletes, and how J.S. Giguere was able to proactively improve his game stamina.

Hi Earl,

I’m contacting you on behalf of Gatorade Canada – I work for their public relations agency. As the resident Anaheim blogger on Battle of California (congratulations on winning the Cup!) I thought you may be interested in blogging about JS Giguere’s work with the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) to tackle his hydration issues.

In the past, Giguere has suffered from cramping and exhaustion which often affected his game, before the 2006/07 season he saw a Gatorade television commercial about a runner who suffered from similar problems. Giguere contacted the GSSI to see if they could offer solutions that could improve his performance. At the GSSI, Giguere participated in rigorous sweat tests and hydration analysis, and they gave him tips to help him overcome his dehydration and perform a Stanley Cup winning season.

An online news release is at www.gatorade.ca/en/giguere. You can find facts, quotes, photos, videos and logos to share on your blog, if you think your readers would be interested.

I’d also love to know what you think about this news release format, as we built it for bloggers like you to make it easy to share the story.

Thanks,
Kat

PS - If you’d prefer not receive news from our agency or Gatorade, just let me know, and we won’t contact you again.

So if you're thirsty, feel free to check it out, and remember: Stay hydrated this summer. As Giguere says: “No matter what sport you’re in, I think hydration is the number one priority you should focus on, along with healthy eating. It gives you energy and helps you recover quickly for the next game.”

A Vignette and Other Musings

Lombardi!

(Rudy Kelly is sitting in front of his television, sipping a glass of white wine and watching the draft. His roommate Matt, a Ducks fan, enters.)

Matt: Hey, how’s it going?

Rudy: Pretty much as expected, Kane, Van Riemsdyk and Turris. The Kings are up next. Don’t you love the draft?

Matt: No, the Ducks are good and just won the Stanley Cup, so I don’t give a fuck about the draft.

Rudy: …Fuck you. Wait, here’s the Kings!

Co-Director of Scouting Michael Futa: With the 4th pick in the NHL draft the Kings select, from the Seattle Thunderbirds, Thomas Hickey.

Matt (Laughing): Who the fuck is Thomas Hickey?

(Rudy does not say anything but instead grabs the bottle of wine by the neck and starts drinking.)

And….Scene!

***

Okay, so I was a little melodramatic when I heard who the Kings drafted. To be honest, I hadn’t really read too much on the guys that were rated below #10 because the Kings were drafting 4th. At first I was shocked and pissed and ready to kick someone’s ass (read: Lombardi’s), but with the benefit of hindsight I have come to accept the move. I wish Lombardi would have traded down and then drafted Hickey (and according to the Columbus Dispatch it almost happened), but if he felt he was the right guy then I guess we’ll just have trust him.

You're not helping me by looking like that, Hickey.

There’s no sense in grading a draft right after it has happened, but right now the Kings are taking a beating in early public opinion. I liked the Kings' two 2nd round picks, Oscar Moller (who seems to play like Cammalleri) and Wayne Simmonds (who’s a big guy and not afraid to drop the gloves), but the legacy of this draft will be determined by Hickey. (You can go here and read about the rest of the Kings’ draft picks.) Sometimes GMs can get so enamored with an idea of how they’ll draft that they forget to think about who they’ll draft. I hope Lombardi wasn’t sure he was going to get Hickey in the middle of the first round and then panicked when nothing developed and just took him 4th, but that’s what some people think happened. I don’t know; only time will tell.



Kings fans have shown a surprising (for us, anyway) amount of patience with Dean Lombardi so far in his tenure, but Lombardi has really hitched his star to the progress of Thomas Hickey. I like Lombardi and still think he’s on the right track, but, like in San Jose, there’s a possibility that he won’t be around to see his plan come to fruition. If Hickey stalls in his development, the vultures are going to be out and the Kings may be in the market for a new GM.



(Also, one of the conspirators who attempted to capture George Washington in 1776 was named Thomas Hickey. His was the 1st military execution in New York. This is not encouraging.)

***

In completely unrelated news, I’m taking a trip. The aforementioned Matt and I are taking a hajj to our personal Mecca: the Hockey Hall of Fame. We’re driving, so we’re going to be gone about 2 weeks or so and will be hitting up Denver and Pittsburgh along the way. We'll be in Toronto a few days and then head back through Canada and check out the Stampede on the way. I haven’t been to the Great White North since I was a kid, so I’m looking forward to seeing all the mountains, the culture, and the denim. Let me know if there's anything I have to see and if there's anything I should know about Canadians.

If Canadians don't all dress like this I'll be very disappointed.

This means I’ll be missing the exciting opening to Free Agency season, so I’m disappointed about that, but I’ll be back for the rest of the summer. Go Kings, and I’ll see all of you hosers in aboot two and a half weeks. (Man, Canada is going to hate me.)

Non-Hockey: RIP Rod Beck

I'm sure many San Jose Sharks fans are also San Francisco Giants fans, and if you followed the team in the 90s, you know that Rod Beck was part of that transition between the Will Clark days and the Barry Bonds (pre-roid rage) days. Even though it's been more than a decade since he threw for the Giants, it's pretty hard to forget his monster 'stache and mullet blowing in the wind or his hearty fist pump when he'd K a guy out to close out the 9th.

It's no secret that Beck lived a pretty hard lifestyle and it's sad that some of his contemporaries are still playing while he's just passed. Bay Area sports fans, take a moment and have a sip of your favorite drink in honor of Beck -- I'm sure he'd want it that way.

Doug squashes Patrick Marleau rumors

For everyone who thinks a Patrick Marleau deal is imminent, please stop the ridiculous rumor-mongering (similar to anyone who thinks Vinnie Lecavalier, Brad Richards, or Martin St. Louis are leaving Tampa). From the Ottawa Sun via Kukla:

San Jose GM Doug Wilson said he's not trying to trade C Patrick Marleau, but admits he's had conversations. "If teams are going to call, it's my job to listen," said Wilson. "I would think that's a compliment to us that people would want our players. But I'm not trying to trade Marleau."

Yeah, that leaves the door slightly ajar, but he's just saying the politically correct thing. Doug's said nothing but positive things about Marleau and calls him one of his most reliable players. He also says that Marleau's talked things over with Ron Wilson and says that he's not worried about his captain at all.

So seriously folks, stop trying to get rid of him.

Ducks Draft Day: Lots of little news

Well, lots of random items to cover this Saturday, so let's get to it:

Ducks draft C Logan MacMillan with the 19th overall pick (link).
Burke traded the 16th pick to Minnesota for the 19th and 42nd. I'm as always unsure what to think about the draft: sure it's important but it's tough to measure draft day success. Good luck, kid.

Ducks re-sign D Sean O'Donnell and D Kent Huskins for two years each (link).
This is really good news, as now a majority of the blueline will be back. Both were soon-to-be cup-winning UFAs, and came back for a cheaper combined price, which is good to hear. O'Donnell, who made $1.52 M last year, took a discount and will make $1.25 M per year. Huskins, who made $450k last year, will make $600k this year and $650 the next.

Of course, this would turn out to be FANTASTIC news if Scott decided to play another year or two, because he allows the other blueliners to play less difficult minutes. I'm hoping that the re-signings of these two and Giguere might prompt him to stay.

Ducks trade C Tim Brent to Pittsburgh for C Stephen Dixon (link).
Tim Brent played 15 games for the Ducks this year, mostly in place of an injured Todd Marchant, and was on the ice for 1 goal-for and 6 goals-against.

(Added 3:30) Ducks trade F Ryan Shannon to Vancouver for W Jason King and a conditional pick (link).
Ryan Shannon played 64 games for the Ducks this year, also mostly in a 4th line setting, and was on the ice for 19 goals-for and 21 goals-against. King has played the last three years in Sweden, and signed a contract with the Iserlohn Roosters of the German League last week, so I'm unsure whether to expect him to be available this year.

And while talking about trades in general, I do expect Brian Burke to move G Ilya Bryzgalov, but I'm not sure if Duck fans should get super-excited about the return. After watching both Toskala and Vokoun get moved for draft picks and salary relief, I'm not that sure about the market for goalies (although Breezy has less salary issues). We will see what Burke manages to do.

Earl answers his mail.
And finally, just for kicks, I'll take a stab at one of the anonymous comments: what would earl do if the ducks sign kariya?

The graphic to the right was one I made back in 2003 when both Kariya and Selanne turned their backs on Anaheim and signed for severe discounts to try to win a Cup in Colorado. It remains the one reason why I can't fully apologize to Edmonton fans for stealing Pronger--the same thing had happened to us three years before.

That said, unlike most Duck fans, I have never booed Kariya. Last summer, he was #2 on my list of the 10 best players to wear the Disney duck logo, and I wouldn't really have a problem if he returned (although I get the sense that Nashville, after ditching Vokoun, Timonen, and Hartnell, are preparing to re-sign Kariya).

But I got one stipulation: Kariya, want to ditch your team and sign with a contender? Fine, I won't have a problem, provided you take a salary of $1.2 M, the same price you took in Denver. Sorry, dude. Karmic Justice.

Draft Day: Feel the Excitement!

The day Kings’ fans have been looking forward to since the regular season ended is finally here. Draft day. The day when legends are made and spirits broken. I know I woke up with a little bounce in my step. A lot of people like to denigrate this great sport of ours, but I feel no shame in saying that draft day is one of my favorite days of the year. It's like Valentine's Day (but without me crying as much). Rejoice, hockey fans.

Of course, I can't say that my spirits weren't dampened a little bit by today's news that the Sharks traded Vesa Toskala. The Sharks and Ducks are supposed to be getting worse while the Kings get better, but with the Sharks possessing a first-round pick now (and the Lightning giving up a #1 pick to the Ducks for Shane fucking O'Brien), it looks like the Kings are going to be #3 in California for a little while longer.

No matter, though; today's draft day, and I'm still excited. I have a feeling the Kings will do something shocking tonight during the draft. It just seems like it's their turn to set the hockey world abuzz. But first, I wanted to ask a question: how the hell is Greg Oden only one year older than Kyle Turris? I mean, look at them:

I mean come on, Oden’s like 50 and Turris looks like he’s 12.

Anyway, the Kings continue to mystify your noble correspondent, because I have absolutely no idea what they are going to do. It is especially difficult because what the Kings do is dependant on what the three teams picking ahead of them decide. As I am wont to do, I’ll post a few scenarios that are plausible and then my bullshit idea.

The Kings Play it Safe

The Kings hold onto their pick and draft Karl Alzner, the top-rated defenseman in this year’s draft. This is more of a need pick, as it is not believed that Alzner is the 4^th best prospect in the draft. However, it would fill a hole in the Kings’ system and give them a solid defensive prospect that could eventually be paired with Jack Johnson. I have a problem with this idea because it seems like the Kings would be wasting a top draft pick on a player that could be picked later. I’m not against drafting for need, but it seems foolish to do so this early in the draft. If you’re just going to play it safe, you might as well trade down. Which brings me to…

The Kings Trade Down

Rumors abound that a number of teams are looking to trade down, including the Vancouver Canucks (who currently sit at 25). As I mentioned before, the Kings have a pretty elite farm system and it could be argued that they don’t really need to improve it. They would be better off improving the current team with a younger, NHL-ready player that could step in immediately. Maybe the Kings could wrangle someone like Kevin Bieksa or Alex Burrows and the #25 pick from the Canucks in exchange for the #4 pick and one of the Kings' many other picks in this year’s draft. The problem with this idea is that there’s always the risk the Kings would miss out on a great talent by giving up a pick this early in the draft. I don’t think I could bear to watch Jakub Voracek or James Van Riemsdyk light up the Kings knowing that they could have been on the team. This brings up my next point…

The Kings Take the Best Player Available

This is my favorite option. I think the Kings would best be served by just taking the best forward they can, depending on who’s taken earlier. I personally think that the best player available in this draft is Alexei Cherepanov, the ultra-talented winger from Russia. I know there are knocks on him, but that’s what makes him so intriguing to me. The Kings could potentially be getting the best player in the draft without having to move up. Here's a video of Cherepanov's exploits in Russia (where he set a record for goals by a 17 year-old):

I know my fellow Kings fans are wary of developing another inconsistent winger from Russia named Alex, but his talent is just too great to pass up. If the Kings draft Cherepanov, I think it would send a clear message to the rest of the league that the Kings are going to do whatever it takes to get better.

I’m going to wait until Monday and then give a run-down of who the Kings drafted, so I hope to see you guys again then. Here's a list of prospects as rated by TSN to reference through the first round tonight. I’m not going to the Kings’ draft party (I have a feeling blogging about the Kings is sad enough), but I’ll be having my own little draft party at my apartment. (It’s not so much a party as me drinking alone, but that’s just semantics.) Have a good time tonight. This is the time of the year when every team gets better; enjoy it.

Report: Toskala to Toronto

...for three draft picks according to Toronto's Fan590. Not sure what the full package is. More details to come...

Update: The Jersey Curse kills Mark Bell. He's part of the package according to Fan590. Salary dump, anyone?

Update 2: John Ferguson Jr.'s on the Fan590. He says the deal is not done and it's premature. Don't know if that means specifics are still being worked on or if paperwork just needs to be filed. I wouldn't be surprised if they're still hammering out the draft picks.

Update 3: Ok, it looks like it's Toskala/Bell for 1st (13th overall), 2nd, and 4th round picks. This clears up about $4 million in cap space. Will offer a full analysis later.

Anyone want to buy a Mark Bell jersey?

Update 4: I did some cap number crunching and assuming the Craig Rivet deal is done for $3.5 a year, the Sharks currently stand at $35 million with Scott Hannan, Bill Guerin, and Mark Smith all unsigned. You figure that Devin Setoguchi will come in at the rookie max plus bonuses, so let's say that it's at about $37 million for now. I don't think the Sharks will push the cap, but I could see them spending to $45 million. Does that mean they'll push for Sheldon Souray or Brian Rafalski to fill out the blueline? A group of Rivet, Kyle McLaren, Christian Ehrhoff, Matt Carle, and Marc-Edouard Vlasic definitely lacks punch.

Four more years of Jiggy

Ah, looks as if my favorite J.S. Giguere graphic will get a lot more play around here (and not from the Kings' guys).

TSN reports a four year, $24 M extension, and I gotta tell you, I'm pretty pleased with the result. There's still a lot of unknowns for the Ducks, but based on my gut feel, I like both the term and the salary on this deal (I had it in my mind that anything less than $6.5 M per year was a good signing).

Thanks, Giguere. We may never know what he passed up by signing this contract today and not waiting for a desperate team on July 1st, but I gotta think he would have landed somewhere upwards of $7 M per year, and he probably could have landed something in the 6-year range. Hooray for ambiguous savings!

So, what does this mean for the future of Ilya Bryzgalov? Stay tuned for further episodes of the Brian Burke show throughout the summer...

Doug Wilson interview & article

A little while back, I asked Sharks fans to send me their questions for my interview with Doug Wilson. The article is now up at FoxSports.com and the raw interview transcript is available at my blog. Nothing too earth shattering, but at least Doug gives very thorough answers.

Ducks Offseason: What the hell do I know?

You know, I’d like to write a really good post this time of year that kind of lays out what the Ducks’ gameplan is for the offseason, but quite frankly, there’s just too many unknown factors at this point to say anything definitively. So I thought I'd just lay out all the questions I don't know the answer to, and then give a few closing thoughts at the end.

Is Scott Niedermayer retiring? TSN reports that the Ducks' captain, fresh off a Norris finalist season (79 gp, 15 - 54 - 69 pts, +6, 34 PP pts) and a Conn Smythe postseason (21 gp, 3 - 8 - 11 pts, +2, 3 PP pts), is contemplating retirement, despite two more years on his contract. Rob Niedermayer has two years left on his contract, as well.

Is Teemu Selanne retiring, and if not, how much will be his base salary? This was more expected, even though Selanne had a tremendous season for the Ducks (82 gp, 48 - 46 - 94 pts, +26, 48 PP pts) and a capable playoffs as well (21 gp, 5 - 10 - 15 pts, +1, 6 PP pts). Selanne led the western conference in goals and the entire league in power play goals. Last year, Selanne signed a one-year deal that was for $3.75 M plus bonuses, and I'm guessing it amounted to something like $6 M, though this is a ballpark figure.

Did Dustin Penner sign a 3-year, $7 M contract? That's been the rumor floating the message boards, but I have not seen any official confirmation. The $2.33 M average would be a significant raise for the kid, as he played for league minimum ($450 k) last year. I'd say the raise is fair—he did pot 29 regular season goals in his "rookie" year.

How NHL-ready is Bobby Ryan? I barely pay any attention to prospects and minor league scoring, but I do know that this kid was the first pick Brian Burke made as a GM in the pick right behind Sidney Crosby. Should the Ducks be saving a spot on the roster for him this year?

Who is Jonas Hiller and why does he have Bryzgalov nervous? Sidearm Delivery provides a translation for Bryzgalov's quote in Sports Express: "I am sure that either I or Giguere will be leaving the club soon, since Anaheim have signed a strong Swiss keeper, Jonas Hiller. Giguere had a nice season, and I think Anaheim can sign him." Maybe another way to ask this question is: How set are the Ducks in net, even without Giguere?

What is the salary cap next year? This doesn't matter so much to the Ducks as spenders, necessarily, but it will impact the number of bidders for J.S. Giguere. While the Ducks do have exclusive negotiating rights with Giguere through June, it does feel kind of a meaningless edge; I doubt Giguere signs anywhere before this cap figure is finally released.

What will the Ducks' budget look like next year? The Ducks last year stayed well below the salary cap, thanks to a bevy of underpaid players. This year Beauchemin, Pahlsson, and Moen will get modest raises while Penner gets a significant one. Next summer Getzlaf and Perry figure to get significant raises, also. All that said, though, the Ducks enjoyed 12 extra home sellouts this spring, 4 of which were series-clinching games. Last summer they also renamed the team and redesigned the uniforms, coercing fans into purchasing all new gear. And by winning the cup, they'll benefit from champion merchandise revenue as well. By my eyes it had to be a monster year for the Ducks revenue-wise; how much of that will make its way into next year's payroll?

So, after all that, what's the right price for Giguere? Giguere went 36-10-8 in the regular season with a 2.26 GAA and a .918 sv%. In the playoffs he went 13-4 with a 1.97 GAA and a .922 sv%. And in terms of top goalie talent in the free agency pool, he's it. Giguere has indicated a preference toward staying in Anaheim, and for sure the fans love him, but what's the most that Brian Burke should be prepared to pay?

Pin the price tag on the goalie
Sleek's thoughts: Even if the Ducks lose Selanne, Niedermayer, and Giguere in the coming weeks, there is a benefit in losing 3 of the 4 highest-paid players on the team: replacement money. Using the $6 M estimate for Selanne, there would be nearly $17 M freed up to help patch the holes, and that's certainly enough money to pay some difference-makers.

At first I was worried that if Selanne and Niedermayer didn't come to a decision by July 1st, the Ducks would be in trouble missing out on first-day free agents. But then I remembered back to July 1st last year, and all the silly deals being handed out on that day, and I reconsidered. Even if there are holes that need to be filled, replacement money needn't be spent frivolously on expensive free agents. Given the choice, I'd rather see Burke fill those holes by trading with cap-tight teams.

Bottom line: there's too many unknowns here for me to do anything but "wait and see", but suffice to say I'm not that worried about the future just yet. Every one of Anaheim's potential "problems" comes with its own multi-million dollar "solution". That said, I really hope Scott in particular decides to stay, as his $6.75 M salary is looking pretty sweet compared with more recent UFA-defenseman signings (Blake, Redden, Jovanovski, Timonen), and I would like to remain spoiled by the Niedermayer-Pronger show for another year at least.

They say that Scott's got nothing left to win in hockey, but I can think of one thing he's never done. He's never won back-to-back Cups; that's gotta have some appeal, right Scott?

The State of the Farm System, Part II

Right Wing: Right wing is probably the trickiest of the forward positions in terms of depth, but that’s alleviated by the plethora of young talent already up with the big club. Mike Cammealleri has ended up being a better player than many are willing to give him credit for and Dustin Brown made important strides in his development last season (especially after Kopitar got injured). Down on the farm the top prospect is Lauri Tukonen, the Kings’ top draft pick in 2004. Tukonen was a celebrity in his native Finland when he started playing in the men’s league as a 15 year-old and ended up becoming the youngest player to ever play for Team Finland in the World Championships. Lately, however, Tukonen has not really produced offensively, although his defensive ability is supposedly excellent. Tukonen is only 20 right now, so the Kings still have time for him to develop, but his penchant for getting injured is a little disconcerting. (He has played about 60 games each of the past two seasons in the AHL.) With Cammalleri’s contract situation looking combustible, I would feel a lot better if I knew Tukonen could be counted on. Next year will be very important for him.

Tukonen, right before he injured something.

The Kings have two other right wing prospects that will probably be NHLers some day: Peter Kanko and Marc-Andre Cliché. Kanko kind of looks like a crazy person and plays like he really has to drop a deuce. (I swear, watch him.) He’ll probably end up being loved like Sean Avery because he’ll take dumb penalties and hurt the team, which means I won’t like him very much. Cliché, on the other hand, projects to be my favorite player on the team. He had a shoulder injury two years ago which killed his stock, but he rebounded last year to post a point-a-game in the QMDESJHL. He’s mostly known for his defensive prowess, and we learned this post-season how important having a defensive stopper can be for a team.

Kanko, before going on stage with Godsmack.

Defense: The defense received a big boost last year when the Kings traded for Jack Johnson. Although Johnson kind of seems like a dick, he should become an elite defenseman in the league and help the Kings for years to come and play similar to Chris Pronger. Also like Chris Pronger, I can’t see anyone liking him except for the fans of the team he’s on. All of Canada already despises Johnson because of a cheap shot during a junior tournament. It should be fun.

I didn't know Jack Johnson was an old-timey boxer. Also, black.

Besides Johnson, the Kings don’t have any more exceptional talent, but they have enough players that are good enough that at least one or two will stick. Richard Petiot probably would have made the team last year (saving us the indignity of playing Mike Weaver), but he hurt his knee playing in a rookie tournament and missed most of the season. Joe Ryan, Peter Harrold, Patrik Hersley, and Johan Fransson round out the list of guys who might make the team some day. Hopefully one of them can end up being a top-4 guy, or else the Kings might be in a little bit of trouble once Blake retires and Visnovsky gets traded. (I’m acting like it’s going to happen, in hopes of either jinxing it or mentally preparing myself for it.)

Goalies: All conversation of goaltending starts and ends with Jonathan Bernier. The Kings’ first-round pick in 2006 played very well with the Lewiston MAINEiacs (Cripes, that’s a stupid fucking name) but will probably stay somewhere in the QMLKJGHDJHL next season for a little more work. He’s very good side-to-side and reminds me a little of Marc-Andre Fleury in style (although maybe that’s because the both wear giant pads). The timeline for Bernier is as follows: next year in juniors, then a season in the AHL, then maybe backing up in the NHL, then hopefully starting. If he’s with the Kings in 3 years, I will be very excited.

This is the most excited I've been to see someone do the splits. Well, second-most.

Okay, I guess all conversation doesn’t end with Bernier. Besides him, the Kings can look to Jeff Zatkoff and Johnathan Quick as options in the future. (Oddly enough, Johnathan Quick was drafted at the same time as defensive prospect TJ Fast. I like to think that Dave Taylor thought that if they had fleet-sounding last names, they must be fast. I was waiting for them to draft NiceSlapshot McSpeedy next.) Zatkoff was drafted last year in the third round, but rumors were that he was the 2nd goaltender on the Kings’ draft board. Knowing about Lombardi’s ability to draft goalies, I’ll just assume Zatkoff will be awesome and leave it at that. Quick is a year older and will probably reach the Kings first, but I doubt he'll be a starter in the NHL. Both of them are playing in the NCAA [Zatkoff with Miami (Ohio) and Quick with UMass], so you can watch them if you have ESPNU or live nearby.



So, that’s a (not so) brief overview of the Kings’ farm system. Overall, it’s excellent, but not perfect. A team could always use more depth because you never know when one of these kids will break their leg off or rob a bank or pursue a career in modern dance. If the Kings were to draft on need, it seems that either wings or defense would be best. Who will the Kings actually draft? To be honest, I have no idea. I’m going to pretend I do though and will bring you that article on Thursday. If you can’t wait, shoot me an e-mail; I won’t answer it, but maybe you’ll feel better.