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Emeryâ??s Blackhawks camp invite a win-win situation for both sidesMike Commodore 64 update: The dream ends as Commie picks 22Callahan avoids arbitrations, signs 3-year deal with RangersLooking ahead to 2011-12: Ranking the NHLâ??s top left wingersPuck Headlines: Richards on â??Dry Islandâ??; Caps fans on KilimanjaroKansas Cityâ??s chances of landing an NHL franchise takes hitKhabibulin withdraws appeal, accepts 30-day sentence for DUIBourne Blog: Three reasons to avoid killing penaltiesLooking ahead to 2011-12: Ranking the NHLâ??s top right wingersPuck Headlines: Jets gear selling fast; Versus and college puck?
Emeryâ??s Blackhawks camp invite a win-win situation for both sidesMike Commodore 64 update: The dream ends as Commie picks 22Callahan avoids arbitrations, signs 3-year deal with RangersLooking ahead to 2011-12: Ranking the NHLâ??s top left wingersPuck Headlines: Richards on â??Dry Islandâ??; Caps fans on KilimanjaroKansas Cityeâ??s chances of landing an NHL franchise takes hitKhabibulin withdraws appeal, accepts 30-day sentence for DUIBourne Blog: Three reasons to avoid killing penaltiesLooking ahead to 2011-12: Ranking the NHLâ??s top right wingersPuck Headlines: Jets gear selling fast; Versus and college puck?
Out with the old and in with the reborn?
That's what could happen in [Chicago]e|place as Scott Burnside of ESPN.com reported Wednesday night that goaltender Ray Emery (notes) would attend Blackhawks training camp in September on a tryout basis.
Gone is Marty Turco (notes) who didn't find much luck in [Chicago]e|OOD allowing for rookie Corey Crawford (notes) to play his way to the No. 1 job.
For Emery, this is his opportunity to continue to make good on a second chance in his goaltending life. Diagnosed with avascular necrosis in 2010 -- where blood stops flowing to the ball of the hip, thereby deteriorating the bone -- doctors told Emery that his hockey career was over. But that didn't stop Emery from working with a trainer to strengthen the surgically-repaired muscles in his core.
The same injury derailed Bo Jackson's NFL career in the early 1990s, but thanks to advancements in medical technology Emery held hope that he could make it all the back to the NHL.
In 10 games with the Anaheim Ducks last season, Emery posted an impressive 7-2-0 record with a 2.28 goals-against average and .926 save-percentage. He wasn't so lucky in the postseason when the Ducks were eliminated by the Nashville Predators , but it was just one small step in his comeback.
Emery's agent, J.P. Barry, told Chris Kuc of the [Chicago]e|OOD Tribune that the Blackhawks could end up with the best second goal in the NHL. He'll have to beat out Alexander Salak (notes) for the No. 2 job who [Chicago]e|OOD inked to a 2-year, one-way deal in May. If he does, Emery would provide a solid veteran presence should Crawford be hit with the sophomore jinx that's befallen many netminders before him.
Once the Blackhawks open camp, they'll have until Oct. 1 to make a decision whether or not to sign Emery. Barry indicated that Emery is looking for an NHL job and not a two-way deal from any team. Either way, the 29-year old Emery will not just have the Blackhawks looking at him; plenty of other NHL teams will be monitoring his progress in camp and will swoop in if he does end up getting released.
Much has been made about [Chicago]e|OOD getting tougher over the off-season and bringing in a guy like Emery would only further that idea, just ask Marty Biron .
Photo credit: Getty Images
The Australian band Crowded House is probably best known for their hit back in the 1980s called "Don't Dream It's Over" .
Today, that's on a continuous loop on our iPod at Puck Daddy HQ.
The " Mike Commodore 64 Drive " has come to an end as the [Detroit]e|OOD Red Wings defenseman has chosen to go with No. 22 next season.
Commodore himself talked about his decisionÂ via Twitter Wednesday afternoon:
During our drive, over 100 readers pledged $64 or an amount within their budget to Commodore's charity of choice if he wore No. 64 this season.
Tallying up the emails, $7288.95 has been pledged to date. We hope everyone who originally pledged will still donate to whatever Commie's charity of choice is despite his decision.
We'll be touching base with everyone who emailed us a pledge and once Commodore selects a charity, we'll figure out a way to get everyone's donations in one place.
Thanks to everyone who's pledged and if you still want to get on board, do email us at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com .
"Hey now, hey now, don't dream it's over..."
A week ago, Brandon Dubinsky (notes) and the [New York]e|OOD Rangers agreed to a 4-year deal on the morning of his scheduled arbitration hearing. Ryan Callahan (notes) was able to work out a new contract one day before he was set to potentially get the Shaone Morrisonn treatment .
The Rangers re-signed the 26-year old Callahan Wednesday to a 3-year, $12.825 million deal, locking up their last restricted free agent. USA Today's Kevin Allen reports that the deal breaks down to $4 million, $4 million and then $4.825 million in the third and final year.
As Larry Brooks of the [New York]e|OOD Post pointed out earlier this week, Callahan could have hit unrestricted free agency next summer had the scheduled arbitration hearing took place on Thursday and his price on the open market would have been much richer than what he signed for today.
Three years does seem short for a heart-and-soul guy like Callahan who appears to be the favorite to replace Chris Drury (notes) as the next Rangers captain. Â Callahan told Andrew Gross of The Record that he wanted a longer deal and that four- and five-year options were talked about, but his salary demand fit the Rangers' needs best at three years.
A fourth year on Callahan's deal would have meant he, Dubinsky and Marc Staal (notes) would all be unrestricted in theÂ summer of 2016 . Instead, Callahan, Dan Girardi (notes) and Henrik Lundqvist (notes) will all be UFAs in 2015. Talk about a challenge for GM Glen Sather to try and make those salaries work in whatever cap structure NHL teams will have after the next CBA negotiations.
Also, given Callahan's style of play and lack of a second thought to sacrifice his body, the Rangers were likely concerned about committing long-term. Callahan broke a hand in December and an ankle in April blocking shots causing him to miss 22 games this season.
Gross also reports that the deal does not feature a no-trade or no-movement clause, something that Callahan said was not of much concern to him given the short length of the contract.
The Rangers now have a group of players to build around for the next several years and some promising players coming up through their system. While Sather can still throw around money working with loose purse strings, he and the team's player personnel staff have smartened up from their free-spending ways of the late-'90s and given Rangers fans a chance for optimism over the next several years.
Photo credit: Getty Images
(Rankings are based solely on players' projected performances in 2011-12. Players are listed at their official position when the rankings were created.)
Left wing has always been the spot for hockey's forgotten forward, like the flag football player who's told to "go deep" in every huddle. The center sets up pretty plays, the right winger scores goals ... and the left winger digs pucks out of the corner and then gets out of the way. There are, of course, exceptions â?? hello, Alex Ovechkin and Daniel Sedin â?? and San Jose's Patrick Marleau, New Jersey's Zach Parise and Anaheim's Bobby Ryan would also crack any best-forward list. After that, though, there is a drop-off. Certainly, [Boston]e|OOD 's Milan Lucic, [Buffalo]e|OOD 's Thomas Vanek, [Philadelphia]e|OOD 's James van Riemsdyk and Winnipeg's Evander Kane may rise up and demand to be counted, but there's no denying the left side is left behind in overall star power and depth.
Honorable mentions : Andrei Kostitsyn, Montreal Canadiens; Curtis Glencross, Calgary Flames; Dustin Penner, [Los Angeles]e|OOD Kings; Matt Moulson, NY Islanders; Ryan Malone, [Tampa Bay]e|OOD Lightning.
25. Sean Bergenheim, Florida Panthers: Let's see if he uses his playoff scoring binge as a springboard to bigger and better things. His new team certainly hopes so.
24. Taylor Hall, Edmonton Oilers: The Oil are getting better, and here's a big reason why.
23. Simon Gagne, [Los Angeles]e|OOD Kings: Not as dynamic as he used to be, but his elite scoring skills will be on display given the Kings' strength down the middle.
22. James Neal, [Pittsburgh]e|OOD Penguins: Was a disappointment after joining the Pens in a mid-season trade last year â?? one goal in 20 games â?? but big shooter is poised for breakout if Sidney Crosby and/or Evgeni Malkin can stay healthy.
21. Alex Tanguay, Calgary Flames: Found his stride playing with Jarome Iginla, and turned in his best offensive season since 2007.
20. Ryan Smyth, Edmonton Oilers: A lot of NHLers turn up their noses at northern Alberta. Suffice to say, Smyth is not one of them.
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Here are your Puck Headlines: a glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.
â?¢ This year's Edmonton Corn Maze design is a tribute to the the World Junior Championships to be held in Alberta this winter. The maze will be open beginning Friday through mid-October andÂ smart navigators can make it through in 30 minutes. Once closed, it will serve as the place where Oilers GM Steve Tambellini will send Nikolai Khabibulin should he get off to a poor start. [ Edmonton Corn Maze ]
â?¢ Mike Richards downplayed the " Dry Island " story from earlier this week saying, "Unfortunately, things get blown out of proportion and things get said and taken out of context too. I'm not sure if people are trying to get a sense of it or trying to convince other people that it was the reason, but at the same time, it's not None at all."Â [ TSN ]
â?¢ [New York]e|OOD Islanders bloggers are teaming up in order to help spread the word about next Monday's arena referendum by holding a contest for readers. You don't need to live in [New York]e|OOD to participate. [ Lighthouse Hockey ]
â?¢ Yet to be given a title, Kris Draper will take a role in the [Detroit]e|OOD Red Wings organization to learn the business side of hockey. [ Freep ]
â?¢ How Brendan Shanahan can be an effective head of NHL discipline: "Realistically anything longer than five years is probably too much. The game (changes) quickly and as it changes how discipline is handled has to change too. But the longer a person has been in this position the harder it becomes to reinvent the system. In a lot of ways they are too close to the problem to even see that there is a problem. It's not easy to adapt and (Colin) Campbell's inability to do just that was a big part of his downfall." Right. On. [ Copper & Blue ]
â?¢ Comparing NHL free agent signings this summer to the employees you'll find at your local gentleman's club. Brilliant. [ Dirty Dangle ]
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When the Sprint Center in [Kansas City]e|OOD was opened in October of 2007, the hope was that operator AEG would quickly bring a full-time tenant to occupy the building in the form of an NBA or NHL team, or both.
Almost four years after opening its doors, the Sprint Center is still without a main tenant and playing host to arena football, NCAA men's and women's postseason tournament games and a preseason NHL game every September. But at the moment, no rumored franchises potentially on the move have been strongly linked with [Kansas City]e|OOD .
On Monday, a development in [Los Angeles]e|OOD was announced that will have enormous repercussions in [Kansas City]e|OOD .
It was announced that city officials and AEG , owners of the [Los Angeles]e|OOD Kings and the Sprint Center, have come up with a financing plan for a new $275 million NFL stadium in downtown LA.
So how does this affect [Kansas City]e|OOD 's hopes of bringing an NHL team to town on a full-time basis?
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It's been almost a year since Edmonton Oilers goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin (notes) was sentenced to 30 days in jail for driving under the influence and speeding in February of 2010.
At the time of his arrest, the Oilers' netminder was given a field sobriety test and later a blood test after being pulled over in his Ferrari. His blood-alcohol content of .164 was more than double the legal limit.Â After appealing the decision last August, the 38-year old Khabibulin dropped the appeal yesterday and will begin a 30-day sentence later this week according to his attorney.
From Sarah McLellan of the [Arizona]e|OOD Republic :
The 30-day sentence is the minimum for a guilty party and Khabibulin was also fined $1,507.60.
In a statement, Khabibulin acknowledged that if he hadn't dropped his appeal, there was the chance of him missing part of training camp and that taking the 30 days now will ensure his attendance when the Oilers begin practicing in September.
Now that Khabibulin has gotten this black cloud out of his way, he can start focusing on rebounding from one of the worst seasons of his career. His off-the-ice issue was a likely factor in his 10-32-4/.890/3.40 year as Bruce McCurdy of the Edmonton Journal points out, and with two more seasons at $3.75 million (on an over-35 contract), Khabibulin still has yet to prove his worth in the Oilers' crease.
Photo credit: Getty Images
I hated killing penalties.
Part of the problem might have been that I was horrible at it, but I doubt it. I'm pretty sure it's just a stupid thing to like.
The problem is, any team that hopes to have real success needs to be able to kill penalties, which means that somebody has to do it. And anywhere there's a way to get a foot in the door with a hockey team (or become more important to the team they're on), guys will come kicking.
That fact has created this special group of apparently-oxygen-deprived players who consider themselves "penalty killing specialists." On the scale from brain surgeon to people-who-choose-to-become-goalies, they're far closer to the crease.
The following is my three-point case for why smart players avoid killing penalties if they can (my case for why smart players become wingers can be saved for another day).
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(Rankings are based solely on players' projected performances in 2011-12. Players are listed at their official position when the rankings were created.)
It's a great time to reside on the right wing, a position that's home to many of the league's most feared power forwards and potent goal-scorers. Several right wingers are both, such as reigning Hart Trophy winner Corey Perry of Anaheim, Calgary's perpetual Flame Jarome Iginla and Columbus biggie Rick Nash. Add to that power pack the likes of New Jersey's Ilya Kovalchuk, [Chicago]e|OOD 's Patrick Kane, the Rangers' Marian Gaborik and [Tampa Bay]e|OOD 's Martin [St. Louis]e|OOD , and you can appreciate the position's star quality. And you can gauge the position's star quantity, too, by looking at the honorable mentions that didn't quite crack the list, such as Ottawa all-timer Daniel Alfredsson and rising Ranger Ryan Callahan.
It's tempting to indicate a second tier after the top 10, but consider the 100-point potential of [Washington]e|OOD 's Alexander Semin (No. 13), the two-way heroics of [Philadelphia]e|OOD 's Claude Giroux (No. 14) and [Dallas]e|OOD ' Loui Eriksson (No. 15) , the Iginla-ian upside of [St. Louis]e|OOD ' Chris Stewart (No. 16) and the 50-goal promise of [Toronto]e|OOD 's Phil Kessel (No. 22). Not to mention, a certain Mr. Jaromir Jagr has rejoined the NHL after three years in Russia; he's safely slotted in the all-or-nothing No. 25 spot.
Honorable mentions: Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa Senators; Danny Cleary, [Detroit]e|OOD Red Wings; Ryan Callahan, [New York]e|OOD Rangers; Devin Setoguchi, [Minnesota]e|OOD Wild; Michael Grabner, [New York]e|OOD Islanders.
25. Jaromir Jagr, [Philadelphia]e|OOD Flyers: Boom or bust? Who knows, but it'll be fun to watch.
24. Martin Erat, Nashville Predators: He scores in the 25-goal range for the Preds, which is like potting 40 anywhere else.
23. Brian Gionta, Montreal Canadiens: The Little Giant commands respect by leading by example, and is a worthy Habs captain.
22. Phil Kessel, [Toronto]e|OOD Maple Leafs: Few are faster, and even fewer have his pure scoring touch.
21. Shane Doan, Phoenix Coyotes: Classy veteran won't win many races for the puck, but he's more about the battle along the boards and the will to win.
20. Teemu Selanne, Anaheim Ducks: Retire? Are you crazy? With 80 points in 73 games last season, his points per game ranked eighth in the NHL.
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Here are your Puck Headlines: a glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.
â?¢ Stanley and Shawn Thornton. Just chillin' during his day with the Cup in Oshawa. [ @NHLBruins ]
â?¢ Kris Draper officially announced his retirement this morning at a press conference at Joe Louis Arena. Winging It In Motown gives him a send off: "One thing for me that gets Draper on this list is the fact that he has played over 1000 games as a Red Wing; only Gordie Howe, Alex Delvecchio, Steve Yzerman and Nicklas Lidstrom accomplished. 1000 games with one team by anyone is a major feat for anyone, and even more so when you consider that Draper has never been a 'star'"Â [ WIM ]
â?¢ Since releasing their logos on Friday and selling new merchandises, the Winnipeg Jets have brought in over $200,000 in sales. [ Global Winnipeg s/tÂ Kukla ]
â?¢ Down Goes Brown on what's left for the Winnipeg Jets' off-season task list: "Organize some sort of orientation for lifelong [Atlanta]e|OOD Thrasher players who will be now dealing with issues they've never faced before such as a harsh climate, Canadian tax laws, and fans."Â [ DGB ]
â?¢ Alexei Yashin tells Katie Strang that he's in no rush to make a decision on his future just yet. [ Newsday sub. required ]
â?¢ Ryan Boogaard emailed several media outlets including Puck Daddy early this morning with a statement regarding the recent arrest of his brother Aaron on drug possession charges. Michael Russo has the full text. [ Star Tribune ]
â?¢ From over the weekend, but good news for hockey fans. Versus is interested in picking up college hockey games beginning in January. [ Daily Gazette ]
â?¢ Jonathan Toews. Enjoying his off-season. [ Barstool Sports ]
â?¢ Our good bud Lyle Richardson points out that the reason why we haven't seen offer sheets handed out this summer isn't because of collusion among NHL GMs. [ The Hockey News ]
â?¢ Former NHL head coach Andy Murray has accepted a five-year deal to step behind the bench of the Western Michigan University Broncos. [ True Hockey ]
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