Baudrillard on 9/11
"The horror for the 4,000 victims of dying in those towers was inseparable from the horror of living in them - the horror of living and working in sarcophagi of concrete and steel
By the grace of terrorism, the World Trade Centre has become the world’s most beautiful building - the eighth wonder of the world
Terrorism merely … puts the finishing touches to the orgy of power, liberation, flows and calculation which the twin towers embodied … So, at Ground Zero, in the rubble of global power, we can only, despairingly, find our own image."
************Right. Let's take this slowly shall we?
The horror of the people dying in the towers is inseperable from the horror of living in them? Is it just me, or is that not obviously the kind of line we should expect from someone who has skipped taking some very necessary medication?
Just so I'm clear, Baudrillard is suggesting that the horror of those who lept to their deaths from 30 stories up rather than perish in a blazing inferno is 'inseperable' from the soul killing ennui of the common office worker?
Yup - that's just f*cked. But wait, this Po-Mo whackjob is on a roll...
'By the grace of terrorism the WTC has become the world’s most beautiful building - the eighth wonder of the world'
Uh, no. Sorry Jean, but the 'grace' that terrorism brought to the WTC was that of a smoldering crater, thousands of lives lost, and nightmares of horror and violence for everyone who saw the footage and possessed a beating heart. Indeed, I have trouble with the use of the word 'grace' in this context at all.
But then, language was always a problem for the po-mo crowd. Notice how the towers are now 'beautiful' for Beaudrillard? Doesn't that strike you as a gross abuse of the word?
But he isn't done yet! No, he still hasn't used any symbolic elements to make the case that the WTC is a sign or sygil rather than just a building with, you know, people in it...
'Terrorism merely … puts the finishing touches to the orgy of power, liberation, flows and calculation which the twin towers embodied'
To which I can only say, that is biggest steaming pile of po-mo BS I have encountered in quite some time, and I say this having actually read his book of essays 'Screened Out'.
"So, at Ground Zero, in the rubble of global power, we can only, despairingly, find our own image."
I take it by the 'rubble of global power' we mean 'globalization' - but that hardly stopped for a beat before it resumed again, despite the fact it was in 'rubble' according to Baudrillard.
Never let the truth get in the way of a good axe to grind though.
Finally and fortunately, I do not find that I see my own image (or that of humanity) when I look at the wreckage of 9-11 - I see only madness.
As if inspiring the two sequels to the Matrix wasn't bad enough, when I read the po-mo view of 9-11 provided by our man Jean, we encounter that madness again in a written form.
Somebody, please, make him stop. He's giving philosophers a bad name.
3.8.06
A Postmodernist and 9-11
1.8.06
On Books
1. One book that changed your life?
Rene Descartes 'Discourse on Method and Meditations on Natural Philosophy', because he was right about scepticism being the foundation of knowledge, and wrong about just about everything else. The effort of taking this work apart and re-examining the pieces was life altering.2. One book you have read more than once?
1984, though I think I suspect I've re-read 'Neuromancer' more often.3. One book you would want on a desert island?
The complete works of Shakespeare.
4. One book that made you laugh?
'Cat's Cradle' by Kurt Vonnegut
5. One book that made you cry?
'The World According to Garp'
Mine. But I'm working on that.
7. One book you wish had never had been written?
'Mein Kampf' comes to mind.
8. One book you are currently reading?
Best of Science Fiction Short Stories 2005 by Gardner Dozois.
'Paris 1919' - but I'll get to it.
10. Your oldest books?
A friend gave me a very old copy of 'The Time Machine' by HG Wells. For the most part (Bill's gift being the chief exception) the contents, not the age of the copy, were what mattered to me.
31.7.06
Weekend Roundup
Porn 1 - God 0
Christian radio station converts to new 'all-sex' format in order to attract more listeners.
Secular Humanism 1 - God 0
Drury 1 - Strauss 0
My favourite ex-prof shows us why the Strauss revealed in Saul Bellow's 'Ravelstein' isn't the charmer we suppose.
Strauss 0 vs Fascism 1
A letter unearthed from Leo Strauss reveals his overtly imperialistic and fascist sympathies.
Canada 5 Others 0
A lighthearted look at some of Canada's finest examples of historical leadership.
Science and Technology 1 - Humanity 1
Here's a website where you can get panaoramic views of the Moon's surface. Roughly 37 years ago (give or take a week), people walked on the moon.
I'll see your rising from the dead and raise you one moon landing.
Big Oil 1 - Common Sense 0
Even the rightwingers are starting to agree, it's about the Oil stupid.
Church Whipper 25 - Churches 0
(Note: The Church Whipper is not work safe. Though she is marvelous)
On the existence of Hobbits:
A Homo Florensis update
Christian radio station converts to new 'all-sex' format in order to attract more listeners.
Secular Humanism 1 - God 0
"Cross-National Correlations of Quantifiable Societal Health with Popular Religi-osity and Secularism in the Prosperous Democracies" from the Journal of Religion and Society
The paper is a fancy way of saying 'Religion is not provably good for you, and in fact, it may be bad for your health'.
The paper is a fancy way of saying 'Religion is not provably good for you, and in fact, it may be bad for your health'.
Drury 1 - Strauss 0
My favourite ex-prof shows us why the Strauss revealed in Saul Bellow's 'Ravelstein' isn't the charmer we suppose.
Strauss 0 vs Fascism 1
A letter unearthed from Leo Strauss reveals his overtly imperialistic and fascist sympathies.
Canada 5 Others 0
A lighthearted look at some of Canada's finest examples of historical leadership.
Science and Technology 1 - Humanity 1
Here's a website where you can get panaoramic views of the Moon's surface. Roughly 37 years ago (give or take a week), people walked on the moon.
I'll see your rising from the dead and raise you one moon landing.
Big Oil 1 - Common Sense 0
Even the rightwingers are starting to agree, it's about the Oil stupid.
Church Whipper 25 - Churches 0
(Note: The Church Whipper is not work safe. Though she is marvelous)
On the existence of Hobbits:
A Homo Florensis update
28.7.06
26.7.06
Was Bugs Bunny a Castrato?
In this article, the author (an opera fan) ponders the fact that often in the Bugs Bunny cartoons Bugs would get up in drag to confuse Elmer Fudd who would flip from homicidal rage to mooning suitor like binary code depending on Bugs' attire. In at least one extended example of this dynamic (the subject event of the article) the two perform an entire opera together.
But rather than get into the question of whether Bugs is a stand-in for the Italian operatic tradition of the cross-dressing castrato (I think the author makes a compelling argument that he is), I was struck by how I had completely missed on the relationship between Elmer and Bugs as having such an obvious gay subtext at all.
(I know, I know, but I'm classic for this. I loved the band Queen long before I realized that the 'Queen' wasn't a chess referrence, and I loved the music of both Depeche Mode and The Smiths before I paid any close attention to the lyrics - I guess I'd say I have good taste in music and really lousy gaydar).
I mean think about Fudd for a minute. He's short, bald, and socially inept. He is consumed with only two passions, 'hunting wabbits', and Bugs in drag. He compensates for his shortcomings by carrying a shotgun. There are no women in his life.
On occasion he shoots a load of buckshot into Daffy Duck's face. Or elsewhere.
Isn't he a classic case of gay repression? Fudd only stops his lunatic obsession of killing Bugs when Bugs puts on the heels.
Freudian, no?
And now consider how much Bugs plays the new role up - he's hardly an infrequent cross dresser apparently having many outfits handy, and (as I recall) even gets his makeup on like a pro.
And now think about how the two characters, with Bugs in drag throughout, perform an entire OPERA together.
Very. Gay.
And until I read the article, I honestly had made no conscious connection between the events portrayed and the reality that Bugs was a cross-dresser tormenting a very repressed Fudd.
(Kind of like the 'Oh. Duh! How exactly did I miss what 'This Charming Man' was about?' moment I had after I finally read a lyric sheet from The Smiths).
That all said, I am proud to say that at least I knew He-Man was totally gay from the moment his cartoon hit the tube.
25.7.06
Atheist video
Starting from the order I posted them, the first video is a hilariously comical look at what happens when an unbelieving atheist is sent to heaven.
The second is more sober, and much, much too earnest for my taste, but it has an oddly compelling quality to it that I can't quite put my finger on. It was great to see that someone noticed both the prevalence of atheists at the leading edge of science, as well as some of the more notable 'celebrity' atheists, but at key points the director seems to almost deliberately undermine himself.
Case in point, when we arrive at the portion of the video where the idea that atheists are 'evil' is rebutted, the first person (non-scientist) that the director shows us is....Woody Allen.
Which is something like being damned with faint praise, I think. Afterall, when I think 'paragon of virtue' I don't immediately think of a septuagenarian film maker with limited appeal who is most famous for leaving his wife to shack up with his own adopted daughter some 50+ years his junior. Now I'm not saying that Woody is 'evil', but he doesn't strike me as the guy I would put at the top of the list of 'morally respectable atheists'.
Ah well. Stridency and enthusiasm are the hallmarks for most 'true believers', but as edifying as it is to have any kind of outpouring of support for atheism, it isn't enough meat for my sandwhich.
That all said, the first video is sooo good and funny, that it makes up for the less stellar, yet more pointed, second video.
The second is more sober, and much, much too earnest for my taste, but it has an oddly compelling quality to it that I can't quite put my finger on. It was great to see that someone noticed both the prevalence of atheists at the leading edge of science, as well as some of the more notable 'celebrity' atheists, but at key points the director seems to almost deliberately undermine himself.
Case in point, when we arrive at the portion of the video where the idea that atheists are 'evil' is rebutted, the first person (non-scientist) that the director shows us is....Woody Allen.
Which is something like being damned with faint praise, I think. Afterall, when I think 'paragon of virtue' I don't immediately think of a septuagenarian film maker with limited appeal who is most famous for leaving his wife to shack up with his own adopted daughter some 50+ years his junior. Now I'm not saying that Woody is 'evil', but he doesn't strike me as the guy I would put at the top of the list of 'morally respectable atheists'.
Ah well. Stridency and enthusiasm are the hallmarks for most 'true believers', but as edifying as it is to have any kind of outpouring of support for atheism, it isn't enough meat for my sandwhich.
That all said, the first video is sooo good and funny, that it makes up for the less stellar, yet more pointed, second video.
4.7.06
3.7.06
FUNHL News and Notes
Lots of trades and signings to catch up with, so here goes;
Chris Pronger-D -> Ana
Joffrey Lupul-R, Smid-D, 2 1st rnd picks (one conditional), and a 2nd -> Edm
Exactly the kind of deal I've been expecting, except I had Pronger going to the Rangers for Tyutin, Staal and picks as the package. It was impossible to expect Edmonton GM Lowe to get full value for Pronger in return players if only because Pronger is a Norris calibre defenseman, and the other teams that have one (Detroit's Lidstrom, Anaheim's Niedermayer, Ottawa's Redden, Calgary's Phaneuf and maybe Boston's Chara) aren't going to part with them willingly. So the best deal is a package with as many goodies as you can cram into it, and the goodies Lowe recieved are tasty.
Lupul is an up and coming gunner who should excel in the Edmonton system (and easily replace the sporadic offense of the talented but underwhelming Samsonov who is likely on the way out), and one who because of birthplace won't find the notion of playing for the Oilers to be anything other than a dream come true. If he clicks with mgt., he'll be a lifer. The kid already has 30+ goal hands, the real question is whether he can become a 40-40 winger absent a puck moving defenseman like Niedermayer or Pronger to get him the puck, and without a playmaker of note among the Oiler pivots other than Mike Peca (someone who has also asked to be dealt out of town), so it may take aquiring or developing a high end playmaker to tease out Lupul's full abilities.
Smid was the best defenseman prospect in the Anaheim system, being both a mobile and smart defender, he'll easily crack the Oiler blue-line this year. What Smid's eventual upside is (could he be Teppo Numminen good?), maybe unknown, but the two 1sts and 2nd rnd picks make that question easy to put aside. The Oilers will have a chance to double their gains from the next few entry drafts through the picks aquired, and more than either Lupul or Smid how Edmonton translates those extra picks into players will ultimately make or break any final evaluation of the trade.
Pronger in the meantime, will add his Hart Trophy package of skill, size, nastiness and invincibility to fatigue to the Ducks. The Ducks can now forge ahead knowing that at any given time either Pronger, Niedermayer or both are on the ice. It's an enormous investment into a defense corps to have both on the same team, but also somewhat of a luxury.
Lupul and the picks are painless compared to the joys that having two Norris Trophy winners in their prime paired up as rearguards.
Lowe needed to get lots of good assets in his deal for Pronger, and he did just that. Full marks to both teams.
Arnott-C -> Nsh
After a decade of frustrating inconsistency and injury, Arnott seems to have finally put the tools into the same toolbox and emerged as a; point ger game offensive threat, face-off bully, and punishing physical player (a good example of 'big man syndrome' if you ignore the uncharactheristically hot rookie season).
He signs with a team that badly needs his blend of mayhem and skill, and the fact that Kariya's game is so similar to that of ex-A Line linemate Patrick Elias shouldn't hurt in the chemistry department.
On the powerplay Arnott can wreak havoc in the slot with his size and strength, or bomb away with a monstrous slap shot from the point (the latter is actually my prefference, Arnott has a cannon of a shot and with the blue-line stretching the D out further to cover the points, he'll do more damage from there than he will as a garbage cleaner by the net).
If he and Kariya click, and he stays away from the injury bus (still a big if), he should repeat his #1 centre numbers from last season, and make the Predators a legit playoff threat.
Chara -> Boston
Probably the biggest impact signing is Boston landing Zdeno Chara as the anchor for them to build their defense around. Having jettisoned Thornton and Samsonov's salaries they had cap room to do something massive and they did just that, landing perhaps the most dominant pure defensive defenseman in the league. Despite what I believe to be sub-average goaltending (Tim Thomas is merely the latest in a long carousel of one hit wonders for Boston, but since he's already had his mirage season it's next up; Hannu Toivonen!) Boston now has the makeup to be a very special team. Their forwards are young and highly skilled (Bergeron, Boyes, Kessel), and their defense is now solid at its core (Chara and Stuart) for the forseeable future. Add a veteran 2nd line pivot (Arnott would have been perfect) and a top 5 goalie, and they will be scarey.
Doug Weight -> St Louis
He and Tkachuk can now get old, fat, and slow together.
Alex Tanguay -> Cgy
Jordan Leopold, 2 2nd rnd picks -> Col
Andrei Zyuzin-D -> Cgy
Barring injury Calgary is now an elite playoff contender. I seriously wonder about this one from Colorado's perspective. They can afford Tanguay and to have him around while Sakic winds down a first ballot hall of fame, jersey in the rafters career. Tanguay's a high end talent you can compliment with young forwards as you retool, and with Sakic in his twilight, a freak post-season by Theodore, and the scoring exploits of Tanguay and it was possible to consider the Av's a threat.
Pure and simple Tanguay is top line calibre skill forward with both shooting and playmaking ability. He instantly adds upwards of 30 goals to Calgary's pop gun offense, and either as a linemate (sweet), or powerplay compliment, he'll elevate Iginla's game back to it's elite level by creating chances, or by taking some of the defensive assignments away from him.
So why get rid of him?
They gave him up for what most people saw as an offensive defenseman who doesn't actually give you much offense in Jordan Leopold. Indeed, Leopold's talent level is not unlike that of Zyuzin, he can skate very well, but isn't above average at anything else. Leopold was the top blueliner in Calgary for minutes played last year (think about that, more than Phaneuf or Regeher), and yet he barely had a pulse on the offensive stat sheet. Calgary tried him out in a full time role as team QB and he just wasn't up to it, while rookie Phaneuf clawed for every minute and made them count. I suspect ultimately that the deal was more about the 2 2nd round picks that will be used to restock the Colorado talent pool that is all but dry as the Sahara after power forward project Woltek Wolski.
Zyuzin will play for Calgary as a depth defender in case of injury.
(I said this in comments on a post elsewhere, but is their a tougher GM in the league than Sutter? If all the GMs gathered in the basement of the Corel centre for a knife fight, is their anyone who would bet against Sutter carving the rest up like Freddie Krueger? Maybe Bob Gainey gives him some momentary trouble. Maybe. And maybe it's just me but wouldn't you pay top dollar to watch him take a switchblade to Bob Clarke?)
I also don't think Calgary is through yet, they could still add a skilled vet like Lindros (though all my poolie friends in Calgary just collectively screamed 'NOOOOOO' when I typed that), whose playmaking abilities and size would be a good fit, or Bill Guerin who might regain his goalscoring touch on a team like Calgary where he wouldn't need to be the top line gunner. My expectation is that we should be watching Calgary compete well into the playoffs.
Andrew Raycroft-G -> Leafs
Tukka Rask-G -> Bos
Pavel Kubina-D -> Leafs
Hal Gill-D -> Leafs
Brian McCabe-D -> Leafs
Tie Domi - dumped
Eric Lindros - dumped
Raycroft is a nice addition for the team, in that he's young, talented (Calder Trophy winner), and above all, cheap. He gets a chance to ressurect his career after being the latest to flame out in the #1 role as part of Boston's decade long goaltending carousel of horror. He'll be embraced by fans immediately as they chug the Maple Leaf Nation cool-aid and plunge headlong into the fantasy that Ferguson has finally got his team rebuilding in the right direction.
However, as everyone in the press has noticed, aside from Sundin, the majority of the teams payroll is tied up in the top four defensemen. McCabe will be a lifer for the Leafs now that he has emerged as a Norris calibre offensive threat, and his contract reflects that. Kaberle also has the wheels to play in the new NHL, and he should continue to progress as a top 4 defenseman. Pavel Kubina? Hal Gill? Both of these guys are 'old NHL' type players. Not speedy. Not quick. They are lumbering towers of beef whose best attributes were tying people up with their long arms/sticks, and powerhugging forwards against the glass. With the leagues new emphasis on speed and the crackdown on clutch and grab BS, these two will have a very hard time staying out of the box and out of the coaches doghouse.
I think of the Kubina/Gill signings as Ferguson's 'Brett Ratner move' ala the pointless Magneto levitating the bridge plot point from X-Men III. That is, it may look pretty at first blush (Two key top four defensemen signed!), but thinking about it for any length of time has you going 'WTF was Magneto thiking doing that?'
That all said, Toronto lacks anything like a first line player other than Sundin among the forwards and without an infusion of talent and youth, the money heavy hold the fort blue-line will be irrelevant.
That said, Raycroft may end up being a solid #1 keeper.
Martin Gerber-G -> Ott
Redden-D -> Ott
Has a FUNHL prospect gone from zero to hero faster than Gerber just did by signing on with Ottawa? Despite missing Chara and Pothier, Ottawa still boasts a respectable defense corps with Redden and Phillips as the cement of their foundation, so Gerber's numbers have shot up from expecting to be virtually non-existent as a cast-off from Carolina thanks to Cam Ward, to eminently draftable with goalie starved Ottawa. That all said, he's still not good enough to get them to the promised land.
The next thing Ottawa GM Muckler must decide is what to do with high octane sniper Martin Havlat. (My guess is he tries to pry Al Montoya and a pick from the Rangers. )
Rob Blake -> Kings
Home sweet beach house.
Pavol Demitra -> Wild
Patrick O'Sullivan and a 1st rnd pick -> LA
I think everybody sees this move the same way, LA wanted to ditch salary and get some young talent (accomplished!) and the Wild wanted a slovak buddy/pivot to convince Gaborik to resign in Minny (done!). A classic win win trade. O'Sullivan is an intriguing prospect and could make the jump to LAs roster immediately after a dominant AHL season. The only downside to the whole deal is that Minny is gambling that Demitra can; A - stay healthy, B - keep Gaborik around. If either turns out to not be the case, the cost is probably too high.
Patrick Elias-L -> NJ
Elias takes a franchise player type of contract from Lamouriello and will settle in as the Devil's undisputed first offensive option and all-round most talented player (and eventually he will have his number retired next to Daneyko's and Brodeur's). His battles with hepatitis will bear monitoring, but health issues aside he is a clear cut top 3 LW in the league with years of elite play in him.
Willie Mitchell-D -> Van
I guess I'm just not a believer in Willie D. He'll fill in nicely alongside Ohlund, Salo, and Bourdon to make a decent defensive minded top four, but he's hardly the calibre of defenseman the Canucks need to replace the departing Jovo-Cop.
FUNHL THOUGHTS
- I think the Lost Boys new GM is already showing good predator instincts. The bloated Tkachuk had to be moved on, replacing him at the ED was unappealing without a high lottery choice to guarantee one of the top players, and he had nobody on the farm ready to promote from within. He not only moves Tkachuk on, he does so without parting with either of his top prospects (Martin Swiss Cheese Gerber, and Joe Nieuwendyk clone Eric Fehr). Ryan Whitney may end up having draftable numbers, but Gerber could concievably start for the Lost Boys, and its only a matter of time before Eric Fehr lands a permanent job scoring goals for Washington.
Nice. In return for the flabtastic Tkachuk, comng into the FP slot is Mr Class Joe Sakic - a quality#1 pivot with a couple of years left in the tank who can allow the GM time to rebuild his 2nd FP options (behind Kovalchuk) without resorting to risky adventures wading in the deep end of the ED or blowing up the entire roster in trades.
- Yzerman's decision to retire is a good one. He had only pain and frustration in all but the most Polyanna of scenarios for how the next season would have played out, and the time was good to pack it in and start anew. First Ballot HOF, and future President or GM of the Red Wings.
- By making the playoffs and having a cinderella dance at the finals that was one glass slipper short of perfection, Lowe and MacT are now all but invincible in their offices for the next five years. The Pronger situation was a tricky one that could have soured badl, but they handled it (mostly, who leaked the fact he wanted out? I'm just saying) with aplomb, humanity, speed and intelligence.
- In contrast, Bryan McCabe's meltdown about his wife's condition and the personal matters that kept him from signing quickly the contract that Toronto offered were example A for why it is only harmful to speculate about what 'personal reasons' are when offered as a defense for quietude by players facing a contract situation or requesting trade. I enjoy the talk of pregnant weather girls and 'Iafrate situations' as much as the next guy, but ultimately the answers are alwas less filling than the tasty speculation leads us to expect. The best thing to do is to leave the players alone, and to get on with trading/signing them as best you can.
Sometimes it just doesn't work out.. Suck it up, walk it off, and move on.
- Just to end any rampant speculation out there about who the first overall pick will be now that it is in the hands of the Severed Heads for the first time in a generation, we currently have Miika Kiprusoff as the highest rated player available.
- With Gaborik and Zetterberg likely to be on the GW roster as matches for the first two rounds, is their any chance that Demitra slips to the third round long enough for the Great Whites to unite Demitra and Gabby as fantasy and real-life winger/pivot?
I'm betting, 'no'.
- Is Zdeno Chara still an FP calibre defenseman? Probably not. Chara's value came from his triple threatability (points/pim/+/-), and in Boston, we are likely to see two of those three decline (points/+/-) that turn the monstrous numbers he was putting up into merely an above average TG option.
- Who should be the next FP selection? I'm betting Brad Richards is probably at the top of nearly everyone's 'who should be an FP but isn't list'. I still have Bertuzzi on my list as well, and Alfredsson is also a solid candidate.
Chris Pronger-D -> Ana
Joffrey Lupul-R, Smid-D, 2 1st rnd picks (one conditional), and a 2nd -> Edm
Exactly the kind of deal I've been expecting, except I had Pronger going to the Rangers for Tyutin, Staal and picks as the package. It was impossible to expect Edmonton GM Lowe to get full value for Pronger in return players if only because Pronger is a Norris calibre defenseman, and the other teams that have one (Detroit's Lidstrom, Anaheim's Niedermayer, Ottawa's Redden, Calgary's Phaneuf and maybe Boston's Chara) aren't going to part with them willingly. So the best deal is a package with as many goodies as you can cram into it, and the goodies Lowe recieved are tasty.
Lupul is an up and coming gunner who should excel in the Edmonton system (and easily replace the sporadic offense of the talented but underwhelming Samsonov who is likely on the way out), and one who because of birthplace won't find the notion of playing for the Oilers to be anything other than a dream come true. If he clicks with mgt., he'll be a lifer. The kid already has 30+ goal hands, the real question is whether he can become a 40-40 winger absent a puck moving defenseman like Niedermayer or Pronger to get him the puck, and without a playmaker of note among the Oiler pivots other than Mike Peca (someone who has also asked to be dealt out of town), so it may take aquiring or developing a high end playmaker to tease out Lupul's full abilities.
Smid was the best defenseman prospect in the Anaheim system, being both a mobile and smart defender, he'll easily crack the Oiler blue-line this year. What Smid's eventual upside is (could he be Teppo Numminen good?), maybe unknown, but the two 1sts and 2nd rnd picks make that question easy to put aside. The Oilers will have a chance to double their gains from the next few entry drafts through the picks aquired, and more than either Lupul or Smid how Edmonton translates those extra picks into players will ultimately make or break any final evaluation of the trade.
Pronger in the meantime, will add his Hart Trophy package of skill, size, nastiness and invincibility to fatigue to the Ducks. The Ducks can now forge ahead knowing that at any given time either Pronger, Niedermayer or both are on the ice. It's an enormous investment into a defense corps to have both on the same team, but also somewhat of a luxury.
Lupul and the picks are painless compared to the joys that having two Norris Trophy winners in their prime paired up as rearguards.
Lowe needed to get lots of good assets in his deal for Pronger, and he did just that. Full marks to both teams.
Arnott-C -> Nsh
After a decade of frustrating inconsistency and injury, Arnott seems to have finally put the tools into the same toolbox and emerged as a; point ger game offensive threat, face-off bully, and punishing physical player (a good example of 'big man syndrome' if you ignore the uncharactheristically hot rookie season).
He signs with a team that badly needs his blend of mayhem and skill, and the fact that Kariya's game is so similar to that of ex-A Line linemate Patrick Elias shouldn't hurt in the chemistry department.
On the powerplay Arnott can wreak havoc in the slot with his size and strength, or bomb away with a monstrous slap shot from the point (the latter is actually my prefference, Arnott has a cannon of a shot and with the blue-line stretching the D out further to cover the points, he'll do more damage from there than he will as a garbage cleaner by the net).
If he and Kariya click, and he stays away from the injury bus (still a big if), he should repeat his #1 centre numbers from last season, and make the Predators a legit playoff threat.
Chara -> Boston
Probably the biggest impact signing is Boston landing Zdeno Chara as the anchor for them to build their defense around. Having jettisoned Thornton and Samsonov's salaries they had cap room to do something massive and they did just that, landing perhaps the most dominant pure defensive defenseman in the league. Despite what I believe to be sub-average goaltending (Tim Thomas is merely the latest in a long carousel of one hit wonders for Boston, but since he's already had his mirage season it's next up; Hannu Toivonen!) Boston now has the makeup to be a very special team. Their forwards are young and highly skilled (Bergeron, Boyes, Kessel), and their defense is now solid at its core (Chara and Stuart) for the forseeable future. Add a veteran 2nd line pivot (Arnott would have been perfect) and a top 5 goalie, and they will be scarey.
Doug Weight -> St Louis
He and Tkachuk can now get old, fat, and slow together.
Alex Tanguay -> Cgy
Jordan Leopold, 2 2nd rnd picks -> Col
Andrei Zyuzin-D -> Cgy
Barring injury Calgary is now an elite playoff contender. I seriously wonder about this one from Colorado's perspective. They can afford Tanguay and to have him around while Sakic winds down a first ballot hall of fame, jersey in the rafters career. Tanguay's a high end talent you can compliment with young forwards as you retool, and with Sakic in his twilight, a freak post-season by Theodore, and the scoring exploits of Tanguay and it was possible to consider the Av's a threat.
Pure and simple Tanguay is top line calibre skill forward with both shooting and playmaking ability. He instantly adds upwards of 30 goals to Calgary's pop gun offense, and either as a linemate (sweet), or powerplay compliment, he'll elevate Iginla's game back to it's elite level by creating chances, or by taking some of the defensive assignments away from him.
So why get rid of him?
They gave him up for what most people saw as an offensive defenseman who doesn't actually give you much offense in Jordan Leopold. Indeed, Leopold's talent level is not unlike that of Zyuzin, he can skate very well, but isn't above average at anything else. Leopold was the top blueliner in Calgary for minutes played last year (think about that, more than Phaneuf or Regeher), and yet he barely had a pulse on the offensive stat sheet. Calgary tried him out in a full time role as team QB and he just wasn't up to it, while rookie Phaneuf clawed for every minute and made them count. I suspect ultimately that the deal was more about the 2 2nd round picks that will be used to restock the Colorado talent pool that is all but dry as the Sahara after power forward project Woltek Wolski.
Zyuzin will play for Calgary as a depth defender in case of injury.
(I said this in comments on a post elsewhere, but is their a tougher GM in the league than Sutter? If all the GMs gathered in the basement of the Corel centre for a knife fight, is their anyone who would bet against Sutter carving the rest up like Freddie Krueger? Maybe Bob Gainey gives him some momentary trouble. Maybe. And maybe it's just me but wouldn't you pay top dollar to watch him take a switchblade to Bob Clarke?)
I also don't think Calgary is through yet, they could still add a skilled vet like Lindros (though all my poolie friends in Calgary just collectively screamed 'NOOOOOO' when I typed that), whose playmaking abilities and size would be a good fit, or Bill Guerin who might regain his goalscoring touch on a team like Calgary where he wouldn't need to be the top line gunner. My expectation is that we should be watching Calgary compete well into the playoffs.
Andrew Raycroft-G -> Leafs
Tukka Rask-G -> Bos
Pavel Kubina-D -> Leafs
Hal Gill-D -> Leafs
Brian McCabe-D -> Leafs
Tie Domi - dumped
Eric Lindros - dumped
Raycroft is a nice addition for the team, in that he's young, talented (Calder Trophy winner), and above all, cheap. He gets a chance to ressurect his career after being the latest to flame out in the #1 role as part of Boston's decade long goaltending carousel of horror. He'll be embraced by fans immediately as they chug the Maple Leaf Nation cool-aid and plunge headlong into the fantasy that Ferguson has finally got his team rebuilding in the right direction.
However, as everyone in the press has noticed, aside from Sundin, the majority of the teams payroll is tied up in the top four defensemen. McCabe will be a lifer for the Leafs now that he has emerged as a Norris calibre offensive threat, and his contract reflects that. Kaberle also has the wheels to play in the new NHL, and he should continue to progress as a top 4 defenseman. Pavel Kubina? Hal Gill? Both of these guys are 'old NHL' type players. Not speedy. Not quick. They are lumbering towers of beef whose best attributes were tying people up with their long arms/sticks, and powerhugging forwards against the glass. With the leagues new emphasis on speed and the crackdown on clutch and grab BS, these two will have a very hard time staying out of the box and out of the coaches doghouse.
I think of the Kubina/Gill signings as Ferguson's 'Brett Ratner move' ala the pointless Magneto levitating the bridge plot point from X-Men III. That is, it may look pretty at first blush (Two key top four defensemen signed!), but thinking about it for any length of time has you going 'WTF was Magneto thiking doing that?'
That all said, Toronto lacks anything like a first line player other than Sundin among the forwards and without an infusion of talent and youth, the money heavy hold the fort blue-line will be irrelevant.
That said, Raycroft may end up being a solid #1 keeper.
Martin Gerber-G -> Ott
Redden-D -> Ott
Has a FUNHL prospect gone from zero to hero faster than Gerber just did by signing on with Ottawa? Despite missing Chara and Pothier, Ottawa still boasts a respectable defense corps with Redden and Phillips as the cement of their foundation, so Gerber's numbers have shot up from expecting to be virtually non-existent as a cast-off from Carolina thanks to Cam Ward, to eminently draftable with goalie starved Ottawa. That all said, he's still not good enough to get them to the promised land.
The next thing Ottawa GM Muckler must decide is what to do with high octane sniper Martin Havlat. (My guess is he tries to pry Al Montoya and a pick from the Rangers. )
Rob Blake -> Kings
Home sweet beach house.
Pavol Demitra -> Wild
Patrick O'Sullivan and a 1st rnd pick -> LA
I think everybody sees this move the same way, LA wanted to ditch salary and get some young talent (accomplished!) and the Wild wanted a slovak buddy/pivot to convince Gaborik to resign in Minny (done!). A classic win win trade. O'Sullivan is an intriguing prospect and could make the jump to LAs roster immediately after a dominant AHL season. The only downside to the whole deal is that Minny is gambling that Demitra can; A - stay healthy, B - keep Gaborik around. If either turns out to not be the case, the cost is probably too high.
Patrick Elias-L -> NJ
Elias takes a franchise player type of contract from Lamouriello and will settle in as the Devil's undisputed first offensive option and all-round most talented player (and eventually he will have his number retired next to Daneyko's and Brodeur's). His battles with hepatitis will bear monitoring, but health issues aside he is a clear cut top 3 LW in the league with years of elite play in him.
Willie Mitchell-D -> Van
I guess I'm just not a believer in Willie D. He'll fill in nicely alongside Ohlund, Salo, and Bourdon to make a decent defensive minded top four, but he's hardly the calibre of defenseman the Canucks need to replace the departing Jovo-Cop.
FUNHL THOUGHTS
- I think the Lost Boys new GM is already showing good predator instincts. The bloated Tkachuk had to be moved on, replacing him at the ED was unappealing without a high lottery choice to guarantee one of the top players, and he had nobody on the farm ready to promote from within. He not only moves Tkachuk on, he does so without parting with either of his top prospects (Martin Swiss Cheese Gerber, and Joe Nieuwendyk clone Eric Fehr). Ryan Whitney may end up having draftable numbers, but Gerber could concievably start for the Lost Boys, and its only a matter of time before Eric Fehr lands a permanent job scoring goals for Washington.
Nice. In return for the flabtastic Tkachuk, comng into the FP slot is Mr Class Joe Sakic - a quality#1 pivot with a couple of years left in the tank who can allow the GM time to rebuild his 2nd FP options (behind Kovalchuk) without resorting to risky adventures wading in the deep end of the ED or blowing up the entire roster in trades.
- Yzerman's decision to retire is a good one. He had only pain and frustration in all but the most Polyanna of scenarios for how the next season would have played out, and the time was good to pack it in and start anew. First Ballot HOF, and future President or GM of the Red Wings.
- By making the playoffs and having a cinderella dance at the finals that was one glass slipper short of perfection, Lowe and MacT are now all but invincible in their offices for the next five years. The Pronger situation was a tricky one that could have soured badl, but they handled it (mostly, who leaked the fact he wanted out? I'm just saying) with aplomb, humanity, speed and intelligence.
- In contrast, Bryan McCabe's meltdown about his wife's condition and the personal matters that kept him from signing quickly the contract that Toronto offered were example A for why it is only harmful to speculate about what 'personal reasons' are when offered as a defense for quietude by players facing a contract situation or requesting trade. I enjoy the talk of pregnant weather girls and 'Iafrate situations' as much as the next guy, but ultimately the answers are alwas less filling than the tasty speculation leads us to expect. The best thing to do is to leave the players alone, and to get on with trading/signing them as best you can.
Sometimes it just doesn't work out.. Suck it up, walk it off, and move on.
- Just to end any rampant speculation out there about who the first overall pick will be now that it is in the hands of the Severed Heads for the first time in a generation, we currently have Miika Kiprusoff as the highest rated player available.
- With Gaborik and Zetterberg likely to be on the GW roster as matches for the first two rounds, is their any chance that Demitra slips to the third round long enough for the Great Whites to unite Demitra and Gabby as fantasy and real-life winger/pivot?
I'm betting, 'no'.
- Is Zdeno Chara still an FP calibre defenseman? Probably not. Chara's value came from his triple threatability (points/pim/+/-), and in Boston, we are likely to see two of those three decline (points/+/-) that turn the monstrous numbers he was putting up into merely an above average TG option.
- Who should be the next FP selection? I'm betting Brad Richards is probably at the top of nearly everyone's 'who should be an FP but isn't list'. I still have Bertuzzi on my list as well, and Alfredsson is also a solid candidate.
22.6.06
Carolina Residents Confused, Terrified As Victorious Hurricane Players Riot In Streets! - From 'The Onion'
Money quote;
" Police chief Jane Perlov is reporting that the NHL club, which was known as the Hartford Whalers until moving to North Carolina in 1997 and has struggled to attract much local attention, "somehow gained access to Raleigh's RBC Center earlier Monday, engaged in some sort of ritualistic violence involving sticks and nets, and then proceeded to drink heavily before heading to their cars."
The rest of the article is a perfect lesson in the crafting of irony. I dare you to read it and not laugh out loud.
As to the series this year, I have several thoughts;
- The 'New' NHL style of hockey, utterly, totally, freakin' RULES.
Remember Anaheim V New Jersey? Snore. Fest. These playoffs? Dramatic is an understatement. We had end-to-end offense, lethal powerplays, awesome goaltending, hits, breakways, overtime drama, and some of the most likeable 'stars' (Smyth, Brind'Amour) and superstars (Pronger, Staal) showcase their abilities.
The difference between the two series is multi-fold;
1. The crack down on obstruction is real.
Teams (including both Carolina and Edmonton) still played the trap situationally, it has not vanished as a system, but the inability of defending players to 'slow' the opposition rush by using, picks, hooks, holds, 'sealing them off', etc. has broken it's back as a coach-friendly offense and attention span killer. The crack down has the side-effect of creating more powerplays, which means more offensive chances, and which means that teams have a greater incentive to play attacking styles that are more likely to draw penalties. All in all, the obstruction crack creates a feedback loop in favour of offense. It showed.
2. The goals were moved back to where they belong.
One structural change to the game that Bettman was guilty of initiating was the movement of the goalposts forward away from the boards. In his mind it would increase the flow of play behind the net, bring the nets closer to shooters, and improve offense.
He was dead wrong.
The actual effect it had was to shrink the defensive zone, making it easier for penalty killers to block shots, shut down passing lanes, and move from covering the point and the half-boards much faster and more efficiently. It also all but destroyed the ability of playmakers to set up behind the net. Now, with so much room back there, opposing players couldn't be scraped off using the net as a pick, and instead of players moving back there to organize the attack, it became almost exclusively an area from which wraparounds could be attempted.
Moving them back stretches the offensive zone, brtualizes penalty killers by forcing extra steps to shift coverage, and gives the offense more room to breathe. The overall effect is an upswing powerplay efficiency, something especially for teams that had good point men options.
3. Ditching the red-line.
Not as vital as the the items above, it nevertheless proved to be the other necessary element in reducing the effectiveness of the trap. The extra room attacking players have, not to mention the long bomb options it provides for, created two more elements of the positive feedback loop that unshackled the game.
Other random thoughts on the Finals
-Samsonov and Hemsky both teased their unreal skill level, but left me wanting more. Especially from Samsonov who often looked lost.
- Did anyone go from hero to goat back to indifference because they won than Corey Stillman? That roller coaster was something else he put us through.
- Did a team ever win with a weaker defense corps than Carolinas? Brett Hedican is the top guy? Really? With a Glenn Wesley who is older than Zeus? With of all people, Sasquatch Mike Commodore (who couldn't crack Calgary's D two years ago) logging massive ice-time for them? It was bizzarre, and yet it somehow worked.
- Pronger is unbelievably, delirously good. I think he could play the whole game and still just be breaking a sweat before overtime. His first pass was always money, and he hit Carolina forwards with authority the entire series. He was the essence of dominant, and was my clear choice for playoff MVP if Edmonton had pulled it off.
- Cam Ward has to have been a million to one long shot for the Conn Smythe at the start of the year, if not a billion to one. It certainly bumped him up to the high end of our draft next year. No prospect status, or RFA status for him, he's somebody's starter.
- So it's now the 'Anaheim Ducks'. Thats better. C'mon, it's a little better. Ok, it still sucks badly, but I kinda liked the look of their purple unis with the Anaheim in script cross the front, and at least they aren't a cartoon anymore.
-Prospect Predictions!
IF we change the rules (and I think we will), here is my list of what I think are the top players who have not played an NHL game.
Note, there are several players who HAVE played NHL games who would easily crack this top 12 list. However if we change the rules I suspect that instead of poaching prospects, these players would simply become the long-shot picks of choice for 3rd and 4th lines. Among these players I include; Steve Bernier of the Sharks, Dustin Penner of the Ducks and virtually all of the Buffalo forwards past the top two lines i.e. Jason Pominville.
Here then are my top 12
1. Phil Kessel-C USNDT
He simply didn't dominate as was expected, but the package of offensive talents can't be ignored. He's the best skater in the draft, and he has the best shot in the draft. His downsides are that he has more than a little prima donna to him, and his game at the WJC was rendered predictable by tight checking D men with size who don't bite on Kessel's outside-inside fakery.
Future impact: The bad news is he could plateau as a me-first selfish gunner ala Jeremy Roenick without the quick wit - which all things considered, isn't bad, but the good news is he has the talent to become a franchise calibre offensive force quickly. I see 50 goals a season in his future.
2. Jordan Staal-R Peterborough
The complete skill forward package, he's got the same genes for 'fear my wingspan' that his brother does at 6"4, he sees the ice well, and he has the smooth skating stride of a power winger. Rumours persist that Carolina will move Jack Johnson to the Penguins so that they can add Eric's little brother to the team. He's not the overwhelming skater that Kessel is, nor will he ever score goals at a similar clip, but Jordan should be a better playmaker, and team mate.
Future impact: 1st line playmaking winger ala Jason Allison before the concussions.
3. Bobby Ryan-Anaheim
A broad shouldered power forward with a quick release, and strong skating style, he's an offensive force and goal scorer in the making. A year older than the two prospects ahead of him, Ryan is also more likely to make his team, and have an impact sooner, but doesn't have the hype surrounding him that Kessel or Staal have going for them. The other concerns are two-fold, the first being that eternal question of whether he is on the Neely or May track - that is, whether he can develop and maintain an offensive touch in the bigs, and secondly, how long will we have to wait?(see: Bertuzzi, Iginla, Neely, etc. etc. for 'big man syndrome'). That all said, he's a tremendous talent in a good system with solid management and supporting perssonel in place (compared to say, St Louis), a gifted playmaker in future line-mate/prospect Corey Perry and his development isn't likely to be stunted by misuse or abuse.
Future impact: a bulldozer power forward in the mold of Bill Guerin and Brendan Shanahan.
4. Jonathon Toews-C North Dakota
An all-round offensive player, he lacks the upper gear of skating ability of Kessel, and doesn't have the size/genepool of a Jordan Staal, or the extra year of development like Ryan, and for me that is what keeps them as more attractive options, but otherwise there is nothing about Toews to sneeze at. Much of his movement up or down the list will depend on what NHL team he is selected by (Islanders=bad). He has better than average speed, playmaking and shot, he has great hockey sense, isn't afraid to be physical, and is responsible in his own end. Smart and affable, he also looks to be a solid citizen without head case baggage. All the scouting reports I've read remark on how well his game should translate to the next level as an offensive player.
Future impact: There is some Brad Richards in Toews game. And some Boyd Devereaux.
5. Jack Johnson-D Car
A phyical two-way defenseman, J-Johnson is the clear front-runner as FUNHL D-man prospect. He's also got great defensive presence and a nasty streak to him, which will mean he should make the big club sooner rather than later, and then stick. His offense may not show itself for a few years while he acclimates, but he has all the tools to be a top 4 defenseman for many, many years. However, the fact he declined to leave school and join the depleted Carolina defense corps in their run to the Stanley Cup may mean that Carolina won't find it hard to move him (say for the #2 overall pick so they can take Jordan Staal and do the Brian-Burke-brothers-B-better dance).
Future impact: a Wade Redden class two-way defenseman with an edge.
6. Niklas Backstrom-C Swe
A gritty, dynamic two way forward with exceptional skating ability, and heady offensive skills, Backstrom will be a little further under the radar for most FUNHL teams because of our lack of exposure to him. At least one scout I checked out had him as the top rated forward ahead of Kessel, but in part that was because his defensive game was the most developed of all the prospects, and because Backstrom displayed a toughness that makes him a dream for real world GMs, but doesn't necessarily translate well into the pure offense realm of the FUNHL.
Future impact: A Peter Stastny style two-way pivot if it all works out.
7. Justin Pogge-G Leafs
A big solid netminder with exceptional positioning and mental game, he outperformed everybody's expectations the last two years, going from afterthought walk-on as a junior rookie, to out of the blue all-star in the Dub, to backstopping Canada's WJC team. He may lack the atheleticism of other goaltending prospects (Rask), but the package of size and smarts that he brings, as well as the opportunity he will have in Toronto to be a starter sooner rather than later, make him the top goaltender on my prospect draft board.
8. Michael Frolic-R/L Czech
A strapping winger with exceptional playmaking ability, above average speed and size, and a whistling wrist shot, two years ago Frolic was the consensus prediction for top pick in this years draft. How times have changed. He stalled in his development this past year, in part because he grew two inches and added 20lbs to his developing frame, and because he had a horrible start to his season that didn't see him get rolling as an offensive force until the second half was well under way. Scouts who comment on his performance after the half-way point have returned to seeing him as a potentially high-end offensive force and first line winger. Frolic doesn't have a high gear ratio and he can't skate with the burners, but he does have massive leg drive and acceleration that makes him a handful coming off the wall, his stickhandling is superb, but his slap shot isn't overwhelming, yet. He seems to have regained his co-ordination and is back on track as far as his scoring is concerned. All in all he's got massive potential, but it isn't clear that the whole package will eventually gel into a dominant performer.
Future impact: his offensive game has a ceiling as high as Bertuzzi's (he'll never be in the same league as a hitter to Bertuzzi though) or he could remain a teasingly enigmatic washout like Roman Oksiuta. He's truly a boom/bust prospect, and the risk with him is that it might not be apparent which of those paths he is on until after several years of waiting (see: Viktor Kozlov, Milan Kraft and Jason Bonsignore as the posterchildren for boom/bust that took forever to diagnose correctly as 'bust', and Ollie Jokinen as a prime example of a big man taking his time to find his game and then going 'boom'). The team that selects him will also make a difference as to where he is picked.
9. Eric Johnson-D USNDT
He's big, strong, mean, and has a thunderous point shot. He's as a complete phyiscal package defenseman as has come down the pipe in some time. Three concerns will affect him for prospect lists; what team will he go to, how long will it take for him to dominate, and will he end up being converted into a defensive defensman (ala Chris Phillps)? Similar in size, attributes, and even university program to current Canadiens defender Mike Komisarek, E-Johnson could be an immediate contributer or take forever to put his tools into the same toolbox. Is very raw by FUNHL standards and will require patience.
Future impact: He reminds me of Rob Blake, including the prolonged incubation period required.
10. Alexander Radulov-R/L Nsh
A high octane skill winger, Radulov has been putting up excellent numbers in the AHL and played a scoring role for the Russian teams at the WJC and Worlds. He lacks a size component to make him fearsome, but his swift skating and quick shot release are what will get him a job in the NHL. Playing on the powerlay or on a line with Paul Kariya won't hurt him either. As a skill gunner, he has too many flaws (lack of elite balance, size, defensive ability, etc.) that I just don't see him making the grade as a top liner, but he is an excellent prospect even if he ends up a second line complimentary scorer rather than a 1st line threat.
Future impact: above average 2nd line scoring threat ala Corey Stillman
11. Guillame Latendresse-L Mtl
His pre-season last year was an eye-opener, with Latendresse flashing a high skill level to go with his still developing power-winger frame. Suffers from big-man development syndrome (prolonged by a shoulder injury to start his year), and maybe a true project, but he has put up serious number s in junior despite his average at best WJC. Skating speed is now the only serious concern, as the rest of the package, including a wicked shot and lots of 'fear my wingspan' moves is falling into place.
Future impact: he's definitely a 2nd line play-making winger with size, but is that just Oleg Kvasha/Nik Antropov, or can he eventually get to a 30-G, 50A ppg level of offense? Will get a legitimate shot in Montreal and be given every opportunity to put numbers up, but it may take time.
12. Dustin Boyd-C Cgy
He's got a magic combination as far as Calgary's GM Sutter is concerned, he's equal parts skill and sandpaper. Boyd was a two-way dynamo for Canada's WJC squad, showing an all-round game with few obvious downsides. At worst he's Kris Draper, but he reminds me more of a Mike Peca style agitating playmaker. Calgary's lack of skilled forwards coming up the pipe-line might also push his development curve, and finally, given the number of Calgary based Gms who will see Boyd in exhibition and pre-season play, I simply can't believe he won't find a home in the top 12 picks.
Honourable mentions;
Peter Mueller-C USNDT - middle weight power winger ala Gary Roberts/Ryan Smyth
Ivan Vishnevski - QMJHL - pure offensive defenseman, lacks polish
Bob Sanguinetti-D USNDT - Mike Van Ryn part II
Ben Shutron-D Kingston - Rafalski-ish
Tukka Rask-G Tor - will battle with Pogge
Ilya Zubov-C Rus - reminds me of Datsyuk
Alexei Emelin-D Mtl - the 'evil' Darius Kasparaitis has a clone
Chris Stewart-R Kingston - see: Anthony Stewart, power winger prospect in Fla. Has played some linebacker.
Kyle Okposo-R USNDT: another in a string of power wingers the Americans have developed.
" Police chief Jane Perlov is reporting that the NHL club, which was known as the Hartford Whalers until moving to North Carolina in 1997 and has struggled to attract much local attention, "somehow gained access to Raleigh's RBC Center earlier Monday, engaged in some sort of ritualistic violence involving sticks and nets, and then proceeded to drink heavily before heading to their cars."
The rest of the article is a perfect lesson in the crafting of irony. I dare you to read it and not laugh out loud.
As to the series this year, I have several thoughts;
- The 'New' NHL style of hockey, utterly, totally, freakin' RULES.
Remember Anaheim V New Jersey? Snore. Fest. These playoffs? Dramatic is an understatement. We had end-to-end offense, lethal powerplays, awesome goaltending, hits, breakways, overtime drama, and some of the most likeable 'stars' (Smyth, Brind'Amour) and superstars (Pronger, Staal) showcase their abilities.
The difference between the two series is multi-fold;
1. The crack down on obstruction is real.
Teams (including both Carolina and Edmonton) still played the trap situationally, it has not vanished as a system, but the inability of defending players to 'slow' the opposition rush by using, picks, hooks, holds, 'sealing them off', etc. has broken it's back as a coach-friendly offense and attention span killer. The crack down has the side-effect of creating more powerplays, which means more offensive chances, and which means that teams have a greater incentive to play attacking styles that are more likely to draw penalties. All in all, the obstruction crack creates a feedback loop in favour of offense. It showed.
2. The goals were moved back to where they belong.
One structural change to the game that Bettman was guilty of initiating was the movement of the goalposts forward away from the boards. In his mind it would increase the flow of play behind the net, bring the nets closer to shooters, and improve offense.
He was dead wrong.
The actual effect it had was to shrink the defensive zone, making it easier for penalty killers to block shots, shut down passing lanes, and move from covering the point and the half-boards much faster and more efficiently. It also all but destroyed the ability of playmakers to set up behind the net. Now, with so much room back there, opposing players couldn't be scraped off using the net as a pick, and instead of players moving back there to organize the attack, it became almost exclusively an area from which wraparounds could be attempted.
Moving them back stretches the offensive zone, brtualizes penalty killers by forcing extra steps to shift coverage, and gives the offense more room to breathe. The overall effect is an upswing powerplay efficiency, something especially for teams that had good point men options.
3. Ditching the red-line.
Not as vital as the the items above, it nevertheless proved to be the other necessary element in reducing the effectiveness of the trap. The extra room attacking players have, not to mention the long bomb options it provides for, created two more elements of the positive feedback loop that unshackled the game.
Other random thoughts on the Finals
-Samsonov and Hemsky both teased their unreal skill level, but left me wanting more. Especially from Samsonov who often looked lost.
- Did anyone go from hero to goat back to indifference because they won than Corey Stillman? That roller coaster was something else he put us through.
- Did a team ever win with a weaker defense corps than Carolinas? Brett Hedican is the top guy? Really? With a Glenn Wesley who is older than Zeus? With of all people, Sasquatch Mike Commodore (who couldn't crack Calgary's D two years ago) logging massive ice-time for them? It was bizzarre, and yet it somehow worked.
- Pronger is unbelievably, delirously good. I think he could play the whole game and still just be breaking a sweat before overtime. His first pass was always money, and he hit Carolina forwards with authority the entire series. He was the essence of dominant, and was my clear choice for playoff MVP if Edmonton had pulled it off.
- Cam Ward has to have been a million to one long shot for the Conn Smythe at the start of the year, if not a billion to one. It certainly bumped him up to the high end of our draft next year. No prospect status, or RFA status for him, he's somebody's starter.
- So it's now the 'Anaheim Ducks'. Thats better. C'mon, it's a little better. Ok, it still sucks badly, but I kinda liked the look of their purple unis with the Anaheim in script cross the front, and at least they aren't a cartoon anymore.
-Prospect Predictions!
IF we change the rules (and I think we will), here is my list of what I think are the top players who have not played an NHL game.
Note, there are several players who HAVE played NHL games who would easily crack this top 12 list. However if we change the rules I suspect that instead of poaching prospects, these players would simply become the long-shot picks of choice for 3rd and 4th lines. Among these players I include; Steve Bernier of the Sharks, Dustin Penner of the Ducks and virtually all of the Buffalo forwards past the top two lines i.e. Jason Pominville.
Here then are my top 12
1. Phil Kessel-C USNDT
He simply didn't dominate as was expected, but the package of offensive talents can't be ignored. He's the best skater in the draft, and he has the best shot in the draft. His downsides are that he has more than a little prima donna to him, and his game at the WJC was rendered predictable by tight checking D men with size who don't bite on Kessel's outside-inside fakery.
Future impact: The bad news is he could plateau as a me-first selfish gunner ala Jeremy Roenick without the quick wit - which all things considered, isn't bad, but the good news is he has the talent to become a franchise calibre offensive force quickly. I see 50 goals a season in his future.
2. Jordan Staal-R Peterborough
The complete skill forward package, he's got the same genes for 'fear my wingspan' that his brother does at 6"4, he sees the ice well, and he has the smooth skating stride of a power winger. Rumours persist that Carolina will move Jack Johnson to the Penguins so that they can add Eric's little brother to the team. He's not the overwhelming skater that Kessel is, nor will he ever score goals at a similar clip, but Jordan should be a better playmaker, and team mate.
Future impact: 1st line playmaking winger ala Jason Allison before the concussions.
3. Bobby Ryan-Anaheim
A broad shouldered power forward with a quick release, and strong skating style, he's an offensive force and goal scorer in the making. A year older than the two prospects ahead of him, Ryan is also more likely to make his team, and have an impact sooner, but doesn't have the hype surrounding him that Kessel or Staal have going for them. The other concerns are two-fold, the first being that eternal question of whether he is on the Neely or May track - that is, whether he can develop and maintain an offensive touch in the bigs, and secondly, how long will we have to wait?(see: Bertuzzi, Iginla, Neely, etc. etc. for 'big man syndrome'). That all said, he's a tremendous talent in a good system with solid management and supporting perssonel in place (compared to say, St Louis), a gifted playmaker in future line-mate/prospect Corey Perry and his development isn't likely to be stunted by misuse or abuse.
Future impact: a bulldozer power forward in the mold of Bill Guerin and Brendan Shanahan.
4. Jonathon Toews-C North Dakota
An all-round offensive player, he lacks the upper gear of skating ability of Kessel, and doesn't have the size/genepool of a Jordan Staal, or the extra year of development like Ryan, and for me that is what keeps them as more attractive options, but otherwise there is nothing about Toews to sneeze at. Much of his movement up or down the list will depend on what NHL team he is selected by (Islanders=bad). He has better than average speed, playmaking and shot, he has great hockey sense, isn't afraid to be physical, and is responsible in his own end. Smart and affable, he also looks to be a solid citizen without head case baggage. All the scouting reports I've read remark on how well his game should translate to the next level as an offensive player.
Future impact: There is some Brad Richards in Toews game. And some Boyd Devereaux.
5. Jack Johnson-D Car
A phyical two-way defenseman, J-Johnson is the clear front-runner as FUNHL D-man prospect. He's also got great defensive presence and a nasty streak to him, which will mean he should make the big club sooner rather than later, and then stick. His offense may not show itself for a few years while he acclimates, but he has all the tools to be a top 4 defenseman for many, many years. However, the fact he declined to leave school and join the depleted Carolina defense corps in their run to the Stanley Cup may mean that Carolina won't find it hard to move him (say for the #2 overall pick so they can take Jordan Staal and do the Brian-Burke-brothers-B-better dance).
Future impact: a Wade Redden class two-way defenseman with an edge.
6. Niklas Backstrom-C Swe
A gritty, dynamic two way forward with exceptional skating ability, and heady offensive skills, Backstrom will be a little further under the radar for most FUNHL teams because of our lack of exposure to him. At least one scout I checked out had him as the top rated forward ahead of Kessel, but in part that was because his defensive game was the most developed of all the prospects, and because Backstrom displayed a toughness that makes him a dream for real world GMs, but doesn't necessarily translate well into the pure offense realm of the FUNHL.
Future impact: A Peter Stastny style two-way pivot if it all works out.
7. Justin Pogge-G Leafs
A big solid netminder with exceptional positioning and mental game, he outperformed everybody's expectations the last two years, going from afterthought walk-on as a junior rookie, to out of the blue all-star in the Dub, to backstopping Canada's WJC team. He may lack the atheleticism of other goaltending prospects (Rask), but the package of size and smarts that he brings, as well as the opportunity he will have in Toronto to be a starter sooner rather than later, make him the top goaltender on my prospect draft board.
8. Michael Frolic-R/L Czech
A strapping winger with exceptional playmaking ability, above average speed and size, and a whistling wrist shot, two years ago Frolic was the consensus prediction for top pick in this years draft. How times have changed. He stalled in his development this past year, in part because he grew two inches and added 20lbs to his developing frame, and because he had a horrible start to his season that didn't see him get rolling as an offensive force until the second half was well under way. Scouts who comment on his performance after the half-way point have returned to seeing him as a potentially high-end offensive force and first line winger. Frolic doesn't have a high gear ratio and he can't skate with the burners, but he does have massive leg drive and acceleration that makes him a handful coming off the wall, his stickhandling is superb, but his slap shot isn't overwhelming, yet. He seems to have regained his co-ordination and is back on track as far as his scoring is concerned. All in all he's got massive potential, but it isn't clear that the whole package will eventually gel into a dominant performer.
Future impact: his offensive game has a ceiling as high as Bertuzzi's (he'll never be in the same league as a hitter to Bertuzzi though) or he could remain a teasingly enigmatic washout like Roman Oksiuta. He's truly a boom/bust prospect, and the risk with him is that it might not be apparent which of those paths he is on until after several years of waiting (see: Viktor Kozlov, Milan Kraft and Jason Bonsignore as the posterchildren for boom/bust that took forever to diagnose correctly as 'bust', and Ollie Jokinen as a prime example of a big man taking his time to find his game and then going 'boom'). The team that selects him will also make a difference as to where he is picked.
9. Eric Johnson-D USNDT
He's big, strong, mean, and has a thunderous point shot. He's as a complete phyiscal package defenseman as has come down the pipe in some time. Three concerns will affect him for prospect lists; what team will he go to, how long will it take for him to dominate, and will he end up being converted into a defensive defensman (ala Chris Phillps)? Similar in size, attributes, and even university program to current Canadiens defender Mike Komisarek, E-Johnson could be an immediate contributer or take forever to put his tools into the same toolbox. Is very raw by FUNHL standards and will require patience.
Future impact: He reminds me of Rob Blake, including the prolonged incubation period required.
10. Alexander Radulov-R/L Nsh
A high octane skill winger, Radulov has been putting up excellent numbers in the AHL and played a scoring role for the Russian teams at the WJC and Worlds. He lacks a size component to make him fearsome, but his swift skating and quick shot release are what will get him a job in the NHL. Playing on the powerlay or on a line with Paul Kariya won't hurt him either. As a skill gunner, he has too many flaws (lack of elite balance, size, defensive ability, etc.) that I just don't see him making the grade as a top liner, but he is an excellent prospect even if he ends up a second line complimentary scorer rather than a 1st line threat.
Future impact: above average 2nd line scoring threat ala Corey Stillman
11. Guillame Latendresse-L Mtl
His pre-season last year was an eye-opener, with Latendresse flashing a high skill level to go with his still developing power-winger frame. Suffers from big-man development syndrome (prolonged by a shoulder injury to start his year), and maybe a true project, but he has put up serious number s in junior despite his average at best WJC. Skating speed is now the only serious concern, as the rest of the package, including a wicked shot and lots of 'fear my wingspan' moves is falling into place.
Future impact: he's definitely a 2nd line play-making winger with size, but is that just Oleg Kvasha/Nik Antropov, or can he eventually get to a 30-G, 50A ppg level of offense? Will get a legitimate shot in Montreal and be given every opportunity to put numbers up, but it may take time.
12. Dustin Boyd-C Cgy
He's got a magic combination as far as Calgary's GM Sutter is concerned, he's equal parts skill and sandpaper. Boyd was a two-way dynamo for Canada's WJC squad, showing an all-round game with few obvious downsides. At worst he's Kris Draper, but he reminds me more of a Mike Peca style agitating playmaker. Calgary's lack of skilled forwards coming up the pipe-line might also push his development curve, and finally, given the number of Calgary based Gms who will see Boyd in exhibition and pre-season play, I simply can't believe he won't find a home in the top 12 picks.
Honourable mentions;
Peter Mueller-C USNDT - middle weight power winger ala Gary Roberts/Ryan Smyth
Ivan Vishnevski - QMJHL - pure offensive defenseman, lacks polish
Bob Sanguinetti-D USNDT - Mike Van Ryn part II
Ben Shutron-D Kingston - Rafalski-ish
Tukka Rask-G Tor - will battle with Pogge
Ilya Zubov-C Rus - reminds me of Datsyuk
Alexei Emelin-D Mtl - the 'evil' Darius Kasparaitis has a clone
Chris Stewart-R Kingston - see: Anthony Stewart, power winger prospect in Fla. Has played some linebacker.
Kyle Okposo-R USNDT: another in a string of power wingers the Americans have developed.
Andrew Coyne explains why Hockey Rules, and other sports Suck
I don't always agree with Coyne, but on this topic, he's got it right.
Money Quote;
"You’re looking for a suitable trophy for your major-league sporting event? Ask yourself these questions. Can you remember its name? (I don’t even know what they give the NBA winners.) Can you drink champagne out of it? Does it have engraved upon it the names of every team and every player to ever win it?"
The rest is equally pithy - enjoy!
Money Quote;
"You’re looking for a suitable trophy for your major-league sporting event? Ask yourself these questions. Can you remember its name? (I don’t even know what they give the NBA winners.) Can you drink champagne out of it? Does it have engraved upon it the names of every team and every player to ever win it?"
The rest is equally pithy - enjoy!
21.6.06
FUNHL Fuel for thought and Bar Bets!!!
Who is more deserving of the Hall of Fame, Dale Hawerchuk or Glenn Anderson?
Adjusting for the era they played, who is more dominant, Howe, or Gretzky?
Would you rather have Bourque, Orr or MacInnis if you compared apples to apples?
This link takes you to a land we poolies know, understand and remain ever fearful of;
Hockey Stats.
Enjoy
Adjusting for the era they played, who is more dominant, Howe, or Gretzky?
Would you rather have Bourque, Orr or MacInnis if you compared apples to apples?
This link takes you to a land we poolies know, understand and remain ever fearful of;
Hockey Stats.
Enjoy
16.6.06
Friday Round Up
Well as you may have noticed, I have figured out how to attach video files to my blog by using the 'You Tube' site.
I am nothing short of blown away by it - and as such I highly reccomend that everybody give You Tube some love and affection. Any site that will let me upload a live performance by Godspeed You Black Emperor! of a song that has never been released as an album track, well they deserve every accolade there is (a severed heads video is coming next!).
First up;
The Science of Gay Animals
Money Quote:
"Giraffes have all-male orgies. So do bottlenose dolphins, killer whales, gray whales, and West Indian manatees. Japanese macaques, on the other hand, are ardent lesbians; the females enthusiastically mount each other. Bonobos, one of our closest primate relatives, are similar, except that their lesbian sexual encounters occur every two hours. Male bonobos engage in "penis fencing," which leads, surprisingly enough, to ejaculation. They also give each other genital massages. As this list of activities suggests, having homosexual sex is the biological equivalent of apple pie: Everybody likes it. At last count, over 450 different vertebrate species could be beheaded in Saudi Arabia."
Nature it seems, refuses to conform to any of our sexual predjudices. That said, over at Pharyngula, PZ Myers takes the author to task for some of her conclusions on sexual selection.
Does supporting Gay Marriage make religious objectors into Bigots?
I am nothing short of blown away by it - and as such I highly reccomend that everybody give You Tube some love and affection. Any site that will let me upload a live performance by Godspeed You Black Emperor! of a song that has never been released as an album track, well they deserve every accolade there is (a severed heads video is coming next!).
First up;
The Science of Gay Animals
Money Quote:
"Giraffes have all-male orgies. So do bottlenose dolphins, killer whales, gray whales, and West Indian manatees. Japanese macaques, on the other hand, are ardent lesbians; the females enthusiastically mount each other. Bonobos, one of our closest primate relatives, are similar, except that their lesbian sexual encounters occur every two hours. Male bonobos engage in "penis fencing," which leads, surprisingly enough, to ejaculation. They also give each other genital massages. As this list of activities suggests, having homosexual sex is the biological equivalent of apple pie: Everybody likes it. At last count, over 450 different vertebrate species could be beheaded in Saudi Arabia."
Nature it seems, refuses to conform to any of our sexual predjudices. That said, over at Pharyngula, PZ Myers takes the author to task for some of her conclusions on sexual selection.
Does supporting Gay Marriage make religious objectors into Bigots?
“Once sexual orientation is conceptualized as a protected legal status on par with race, traditional religions that condemn homosexual conduct will face increasing legal pressure regardless of what courts do about marriage itself.” She predicts, “people and groups who oppose same-sex marriage will soon be treated by society and the law the way we treat racists.” - Maggie Gallagher
I admit that on a personal level, I think it does, and I think deservedly so. It's one thing to have a religious objection to something (say, eating pork products), but its quite another to have a religious conviction that someone else is a second class citizen. There are solutions to how to avoid this problem, and they are (of course) rooted in the precepts of liberalism and liberty.
Jonathon Rowe, writing at Postive Liberty has perhaps the best (if most flippant) response:
I admit that on a personal level, I think it does, and I think deservedly so. It's one thing to have a religious objection to something (say, eating pork products), but its quite another to have a religious conviction that someone else is a second class citizen. There are solutions to how to avoid this problem, and they are (of course) rooted in the precepts of liberalism and liberty.
Jonathon Rowe, writing at Postive Liberty has perhaps the best (if most flippant) response:
"We pro-gay rights folks promise to treat you anti-gay people at least as well as you have treated gay people. Enjoy. And remember, you’re always free to change your lifestyle choice."
A lengthier (and less confrontational) response from Rowe to Gallagher's concern is here. Fellow Positive Liberty writer Jason Kuznicki also writes on the issue here, and makes the case that the proper analogy for tolerance of gay rights isn't the civil rights issue of race, but rather the respectful tolerance required for different religions to co-exist as private, rather than civil matters.
Gender Politics
A feminist finally points out the obvious, that reclaiming the word 'Vagina' isn't any big deal, the real task is to reclaim the word 'Cunt'. (I can't believe I just typed that word into my blog...sorry Mom!)
A Killer Rythym
An article by the relatively unknown philosopher Luc Bovens that points out how the Catholic Church's preferred method of birth control, the 'rythym method' may actually terminate more pregnancies than abortion doctors, has touched off a firestorm of controversy among right to lifers and anti-birth control forces. Ha!
A Christian Defense of Sodomy?
I can't decide whether this is a spoof, or not.
Do you have the 'Horny Gene'?
I suspect strongly that I do. I also suspect that I got it from both parents. Finally, I suspect that neither would deny this possibility all that strenuously.
For all you comic geeks, Doctor Octopus is coming soon to a robotics lab near you.
For all you sci-fi geeks watching Battlestar Galactica, the burning question is, is Baltar a Cylon?
Finally, The sceptic in me couldn't resist posting this review of how fake psychic John Edwards bombs out doing 'cold readings' on Larry King Live.
A lengthier (and less confrontational) response from Rowe to Gallagher's concern is here. Fellow Positive Liberty writer Jason Kuznicki also writes on the issue here, and makes the case that the proper analogy for tolerance of gay rights isn't the civil rights issue of race, but rather the respectful tolerance required for different religions to co-exist as private, rather than civil matters.
Gender Politics
A feminist finally points out the obvious, that reclaiming the word 'Vagina' isn't any big deal, the real task is to reclaim the word 'Cunt'. (I can't believe I just typed that word into my blog...sorry Mom!)
A Killer Rythym
An article by the relatively unknown philosopher Luc Bovens that points out how the Catholic Church's preferred method of birth control, the 'rythym method' may actually terminate more pregnancies than abortion doctors, has touched off a firestorm of controversy among right to lifers and anti-birth control forces. Ha!
A Christian Defense of Sodomy?
I can't decide whether this is a spoof, or not.
Do you have the 'Horny Gene'?
I suspect strongly that I do. I also suspect that I got it from both parents. Finally, I suspect that neither would deny this possibility all that strenuously.
For all you comic geeks, Doctor Octopus is coming soon to a robotics lab near you.
For all you sci-fi geeks watching Battlestar Galactica, the burning question is, is Baltar a Cylon?
Finally, The sceptic in me couldn't resist posting this review of how fake psychic John Edwards bombs out doing 'cold readings' on Larry King Live.
15.6.06
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