On the Forecheck: FanPosts

Jonathan Drouin, the Other Possible Pick

2013-05-14T20:17:58Z

Jonathan Drouin is a 5'10-5'11, 185 pound, left wing that currently plays for the Halifax Mooseheads in the QMJHL. He has, arguably, the most offensive upside of any draft pick. He has great hands, very good speed, great agility, excellent vision, a fairly good shot and a good build, and can use those find both other players sticks and the back of the net. He had the most points in the Q while playing with the probably number 2 draft pick, Nathan Mackinnon and won the awards for best prospect, mvp, and best personality in the QMJHL. He is also the best player Sidney Crosby to come out of the Q.

The drawbacks to Drouin are his size, which is a little smaller and his play in the defensive zone. Being 5'10, he is one of the smaller players but he is also stalky and that, combined with his speed, will allow him to be stable and not get knocked off the puck as easy. As for his play in the defensive zone, while Nashville's staff prides itself on its defense and might find it frustrating that Drouin isn't up to their standards, Drouin's ability to facilitate offense will make up for his trouble preventing the offense of the opponents. He will also be able to replace Martin Erat's ability to take the puck up the ice and more than make up for his production. For those of you who think that Drouin's production was just a product of Mackinnon's ability, when Mackinnon was out with an injury, Drouin was able to take over games by himself. While Mackinnon did have something to do with it, Drouin is still a very productive player.

Like Barkov, I could see Drouin being a very good player with Filip Forsberg, who is a sniper. It is also advantageous because he is left handed and Filip Forsberg is a right handed making his ability to feed him that more effective. Drouin's ability to produce plays, much like Barkov's, will help Forsberg, and furthermore the Predators, put the puck in the back of the net. Forsberg wasn't able to get a lot of room to unleash his shot playing for the Predators this year and Drouin weaving himself through the other team will provide plenty of distraction to do so, much like the Datsyuk-Zetterberg line for Detroit.

Some players to compare Jonathan Drouin to are Patrick Kane, Martin St. Louis, and Jordan Eberle. Whoever Nashville gets is going to be a very solid player. Both Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Drouin would be perfect facilitators for Nashville and their new, young, right-wing sniper Filip Forsberg and both are potential perennial all-stars and probably number one players at their positions for Nashville.

Sites Where I Got My Information As Well As Youtube Videos On Him:

QMJHL-NHL Player Comparisons (not always accurate)

General Scouting Information

Summary of His Career

Elite Prospects Review

Youtube: The Best of Jonathan Drouin

Youtube: Best Jonathan Drouin Shift

Youtube: NHL Experts on Jonathan Drouin

Youtube: Midseason Draft Rankings

Youtube: Another Highlight Video

via lowetide.ca

Sites Where I Got My Information As Well As Youtube Videos On Him:

QMJHL-NHL Player Comparisons (not always accurate)

General Scouting Information

Summary of His Career

Elite Prospects Review

Youtube: The Best of Jonathan Drouin

Youtube: Best Jonathan Drouin Shift

Youtube: NHL Experts on Jonathan Drouin

Youtube: Midseason Draft Rankings

Youtube: Another Highlight Video

1st Round Full Bracket update

2013-05-14T19:03:05Z

The Stanley Cup Playoffs field has been cut in half, so it's time to update the Full Bracket Challenge.

Two notes: 1. Ties are broken based on how many correct winners were picked. 2. To get the bonus point for a correct series length, the winner must also have been selected.

Without further ado, here's how the field stands after Round 1:

1. Bryant44 - 10 points (7 correct picks + 3 series lengths + 0 correct 2nd round matchups)

2. cbrooksy - 10 points (6+3+1)

3. NashvillePainter - 8 points (6+2+0)

4. JAB0217 - 6 points (3+3+0)

T5. Morgatron - 5 points (4+1+0)

T5. CGBrulez - 5 points (4+1+0)

T7. Those of you who, for whatever reason, chose not to participate - 0 points. You disappoint me.

It's tough to get those next round matchups right when someone like Detroit sneaks up and screws us all over. Oh, well.

Anyway, on to the next round!

The Stanley Cup Playoffs field has been cut in half, so it's time to update the Full Bracket Challenge.

Two notes: 1. Ties are broken based on how many correct winners were picked. 2. To get the bonus point for a correct series length, the winner must also have been selected.

Without further ado, here's how the field stands after Round 1:

1. Bryant44 - 10 points (7 correct picks + 3 series lengths + 0 correct 2nd round matchups)

2. cbrooksy - 10 points (6+3+1)

3. NashvillePainter - 8 points (6+2+0)

4. JAB0217 - 6 points (3+3+0)

T5. Morgatron - 5 points (4+1+0)

T5. CGBrulez - 5 points (4+1+0)

T7. Those of you who, for whatever reason, chose not to participate - 0 points. You disappoint me.

It's tough to get those next round matchups right when someone like Detroit sneaks up and screws us all over. Oh, well.

Anyway, on to the next round!

The New (Lower) Cap--An Analysis

2013-05-14T18:57:09Z

As we all know the cap is going down for the 2013-2014 season. I feel (I know others disagree) that this is where the real opportunity lies during this off-season. The combination of teams buying out players to get under the cap, or trading high cap players for low cap players to the same end will significantly increase the available talent starting in July AND it will also depress the market for the available players since only about ½ of the teams will have any money to spend.

To get a better understanding of the real opportunity, I completed the spreadsheet below based upon the data on capgeek.com. It is actually very simple. I looked at how many players each team has already signed for next year and the dollars committed. I then looked at how many players each team would need to sign to get to a minimum of 24 players. I used the average salary of $1mm for these additional players.

I also added a column of significant RFA's as these are additional players that teams will need to decide upon. The analysis shows some interesting facts, for example nearly half the league has less than $5mm to spend not even taking into account their own RFA's. Several of these are already "out" of money. Allow me to highlight two GM's I would not want to be this summer.

Vancouver-With only 17 players signed they are already over the cap. If they simply fill the roster (using my assumptions above) they are over $7mm over. Of course we all expect them to buy out Luongo (no one is going to trade for that contract), but that only saves them a bit over $5mm. They will need to move at least one other $4-5mm player just to be able to have a team.

Boston-with 17 players signed they have less than $6mm of space. In addition, Tuuka Rask is an RFA, this year he made $3.5mm. Let's assume he gets $4mm. Now they have less than $2mm to sign 6 players, that is not possible, so again they are going to have to move at least one $4-5mm player just to have a team.

There are a lot more examples. Take a look at the chart. I can't wait to hear the comments.

Team	Players Signed	Cap Hit	Cap Room	# Needed to get to 24	Significant RFA's with 2012-13 Cap Hit	Additional Cap Hit (Assumes $1mm Average)	Cap Situation
Anaheim Ducks	24	$63.4	$0.9	0	Kyle Palmieri ($1.0)	$0.0	$0.9
Calgary Flames	19	$46.7	$17.6	5		$5.0	$12.6
Chicago BlackHawks	21	$62.7	$1.6	3	Nick Leddy ($1.1)	$3.0	($1.4)
Colorado Avalanche	22	$56.0	$8.3	2		$2.0	$6.3
Columbus Blue Jackets	16	$46.8	$17.5	8	Artem Anisimov ($1.9) Sergei Bobrovsky ($1.8)	$8.0	$9.5
Dallas Stars	17	$44.7	$19.6	7		$7.0	$12.6
Detroit Red Wings	19	$53.4	$10.9	5	Gustav Nyquist ($0.9) Jakub Kindl ($0.9)	$5.0	$5.9
Edmonton Oilers	16	$52.7	$11.6	8	Sam Gagner ($3.2) Magnus Paajarvi ($1.5)	$8.0	$3.6
Los Angeles Kings	14	$50.5	$13.8	10	Kyle Clifford ($0.9) Slava Voynov ($0.8) Jonathan Bernier ($1.3)	$10.0	$3.8
Minnesota Wild	17	$55.8	$8.5	7	Cal Clutterbuck ($1.4) Justin Falk ($0.8) Jared Spurgeon ($0.6)	$7.0	$1.5
Nashville Predators	16	$47.3	$17.0	8	Nick Spaling ($1.1) Matt Halischuk ($0.7) Roman Josi ($1.0)	$8.0	$9.0
Phoenix Coyotes	12	$40.0	$24.3	12	Lauri Korpikoski ($1.8) Mikkel Boedker ($1.1)	$12.0	$12.3
San Jose Sharks	15	$55.9	$8.4	9	T.J. Galiardi ($1.0) Jason Demers ($1.3)	$9.0	($0.6)
St. Louis Blues	16	$41.3	$23.0	8	Chris Stewart ($3.0) Patrick Berglund ($2.3) Alex Pieterangelo ($3.2) Kris Russell ($1.3) Kevin Shattenkirk ($1.3) Ian Cole ($1.3)	$8.0	$15.0
Vancouver Canucks	17	$64.4	-$0.1	7		$7.0	($7.1)
Boston Bruins	17	$58.4	$5.9	7	Tuuka Rask ($3.5)	$7.0	($1.1)
Buffalo Sabres	16	$48.7	$15.6	8	Cody Hodgson ($1.7) Jhonas Enroth (0.7)	$8.0	$7.6
Carolina Hurricanes	17	$56.7	$7.6	7	Jared Staal ($0.6)	$7.0	$0.6
Florida Panthers	19	$51.7	$12.6	5	Peter Mueller ($1.7)	$5.0	$7.6
Montreal Canadiens	24	$65.8	-$1.5	0		$0.0	($1.5)
New Jersey Devils	16	$40.0	$24.3	8	Matt D'Agostini ($1.7) Adam Henriquie ($0.8)	$8.0	$16.3
New York Islanders	14	$35.3	$29.0	10	Josh Bailey ($1.1)	$10.0	$19.0
New York Rangers	18	$51.5	$12.8	6	Ryan McDonagh ($1.3) Derek Stepan ($0.9)	$6.0	$6.8
Ottawa Senators	19	$43.5	$20.8	5		$5.0	$15.8
Philadelphia Flyers	25	$70.7	-$6.4	(1)	Eric Gustaffson ($0.9)	($1.0)	($5.4)
Pittsburgh Penguins	18	$56.4	$7.9	6	Tyler Kennedy ($2.0)	$6.0	$1.9
Tampa Bay Lightning	17	$60.1	$4.2	7	Benoit Puliot ($1.8)	$7.0	($2.8)
Toronto Maple Leafs	12	$45.1	$19.2	12	Nazem Kadri ($1.8) Cody Franson ($1.2)	$12.0	$7.2
Washington Capitals	20	$58.6	$5.7	4	Marcus Johannson ($0.9)	$4.0	$1.7
Winnepeg Jets	11	$35.6	$28.7	13	Blake Wheeler ($2.6) Bryan Little ($2.4) Zack Bogosian ($2.5)	$13.0	$15.7

There are a lot more examples. Take a look at the chart. I can't wait to hear the comments.

Team	Players Signed	Cap Hit	Cap Room	# Needed to get to 24	Significant RFA's with 2012-13 Cap Hit	Additional Cap Hit (Assumes $1mm Average)	Cap Situation
Anaheim Ducks	24	$63.4	$0.9	0	Kyle Palmieri ($1.0)	$0.0	$0.9
Calgary Flames	19	$46.7	$17.6	5		$5.0	$12.6
Chicago BlackHawks	21	$62.7	$1.6	3	Nick Leddy ($1.1)	$3.0	($1.4)
Colorado Avalanche	22	$56.0	$8.3	2		$2.0	$6.3
Columbus Blue Jackets	16	$46.8	$17.5	8	Artem Anisimov ($1.9) Sergei Bobrovsky ($1.8)	$8.0	$9.5
Dallas Stars	17	$44.7	$19.6	7		$7.0	$12.6
Detroit Red Wings	19	$53.4	$10.9	5	Gustav Nyquist ($0.9) Jakub Kindl ($0.9)	$5.0	$5.9
Edmonton Oilers	16	$52.7	$11.6	8	Sam Gagner ($3.2) Magnus Paajarvi ($1.5)	$8.0	$3.6
Los Angeles Kings	14	$50.5	$13.8	10	Kyle Clifford ($0.9) Slava Voynov ($0.8) Jonathan Bernier ($1.3)	$10.0	$3.8
Minnesota Wild	17	$55.8	$8.5	7	Cal Clutterbuck ($1.4) Justin Falk ($0.8) Jared Spurgeon ($0.6)	$7.0	$1.5
Nashville Predators	16	$47.3	$17.0	8	Nick Spaling ($1.1) Matt Halischuk ($0.7) Roman Josi ($1.0)	$8.0	$9.0
Phoenix Coyotes	12	$40.0	$24.3	12	Lauri Korpikoski ($1.8) Mikkel Boedker ($1.1)	$12.0	$12.3
San Jose Sharks	15	$55.9	$8.4	9	T.J. Galiardi ($1.0) Jason Demers ($1.3)	$9.0	($0.6)
St. Louis Blues	16	$41.3	$23.0	8	Chris Stewart ($3.0) Patrick Berglund ($2.3) Alex Pieterangelo ($3.2) Kris Russell ($1.3) Kevin Shattenkirk ($1.3) Ian Cole ($1.3)	$8.0	$15.0
Vancouver Canucks	17	$64.4	-$0.1	7		$7.0	($7.1)
Boston Bruins	17	$58.4	$5.9	7	Tuuka Rask ($3.5)	$7.0	($1.1)
Buffalo Sabres	16	$48.7	$15.6	8	Cody Hodgson ($1.7) Jhonas Enroth (0.7)	$8.0	$7.6
Carolina Hurricanes	17	$56.7	$7.6	7	Jared Staal ($0.6)	$7.0	$0.6
Florida Panthers	19	$51.7	$12.6	5	Peter Mueller ($1.7)	$5.0	$7.6
Montreal Canadiens	24	$65.8	-$1.5	0		$0.0	($1.5)
New Jersey Devils	16	$40.0	$24.3	8	Matt D'Agostini ($1.7) Adam Henriquie ($0.8)	$8.0	$16.3
New York Islanders	14	$35.3	$29.0	10	Josh Bailey ($1.1)	$10.0	$19.0
New York Rangers	18	$51.5	$12.8	6	Ryan McDonagh ($1.3) Derek Stepan ($0.9)	$6.0	$6.8
Ottawa Senators	19	$43.5	$20.8	5		$5.0	$15.8
Philadelphia Flyers	25	$70.7	-$6.4	(1)	Eric Gustaffson ($0.9)	($1.0)	($5.4)
Pittsburgh Penguins	18	$56.4	$7.9	6	Tyler Kennedy ($2.0)	$6.0	$1.9
Tampa Bay Lightning	17	$60.1	$4.2	7	Benoit Puliot ($1.8)	$7.0	($2.8)
Toronto Maple Leafs	12	$45.1	$19.2	12	Nazem Kadri ($1.8) Cody Franson ($1.2)	$12.0	$7.2
Washington Capitals	20	$58.6	$5.7	4	Marcus Johannson ($0.9)	$4.0	$1.7
Winnepeg Jets	11	$35.6	$28.7	13	Blake Wheeler ($2.6) Bryan Little ($2.4) Zack Bogosian ($2.5)	$13.0	$15.7

The Night is Darkest Just Before the Dawn

2013-05-11T02:29:04Z

via pics4.city-data.com

Nashville's 2013 season was, to say the least, not pretty, They started off a little rusty and, instead of shaking that rust off, they let it grow. The team finished fourth-to-last in the league with a 16-23-9 record as they proved to not be up to the task. With the loss of Suter, there was a lot of question as to whether the Predators would be able to function properly and that answer, so far, has been no. In fact, we not only lost Suter, we lost one of our franchise players in Erat due to a lack of trust in management. Nashville suffered many injuries this season, including Colin Wilson, who might be out in the beginning of the season. Our team didn't look good and the "Predators system" that has been known for its consistency was anything but. Now the Predators have the offseason to play golf, condition, and think about what went wrong.

Despite its many flaws, this season for the Predators can produce some positives. Despite Nashville's terrible record, the Predators Fans have still come out to support their team with enthusiasm. The Erat trade showed a lack in faith by the players but it also brought excitement to the fans. While we lost a great franchise player in Erat, we gained a young, very talented, and potentially very good player. Nashville hasn't ever had a forward of this potential since the days of Legwand and Hartnell. Predators fans have been starved from offensive since the days of Paul Kariya. Filip Forsberg hasn't put any pucks in the net but it was refreshing to see a player with all the tools to do so successfuly.

The many injuries allowed them to see a glimpse into the future. Along with Forsberg, players like Beck, Henderson, Rask, and Watson played hard with a youthful exuberance and raw talent. They and played fairly well for the unexpected situation they were thrust in and they worked hard to show their skill and impress their superiors. Nashwaulkee was a very youthful and exciting place indeed.

Along with a bad season comes a good draft pick. This year, however, Nashville got an uncharacteristically great draft pick. Being in the bottom four, Nashville will end up with a offensively skilled, potentially elite, and potentially NHL ready player in either Jonathan Drouin or, likely, Aleksander "Sasha" Barkov. Both of those players have great hands and a good-great scoring touch and either one of those players will fit great with their newly-acquired handsy sniper Filip Forsberg. Both of them have the potential to be perennial all stars but at the least will be solid first line players for the Predators. Both Forsberg and the Predators draft pick could be fixes to the well known scoring drought; possibly even next year. If we chose not to use this pick, we will get a very high return for it considering Poile said as much. Teams like Buffalo and Calgary might be willing to give their right arm in order to have the opportunity to drat such a player.

Now lets look at potential moves over offseason. This season served as a wakeup call for Predators management. We have too many "Predators," as Trotz would say. We have too many average-size grinders and hard workers and they realize that. Poile realizes we need to get bigger, and we need to get more dynamic. I wouldn't expect a major pickup for fear of a major letdown but you can definitely expect a few transactions made by the Predators. At the least, expect them to go after (but not necessarily be successful) an Erat-replacement, some other back-line pieces, and the shopping of some players. Poile and Trotz know something has to be done and I would expect to see a few new pieces at the Bridge come next September.

While I have no doubt the "Predator way" will still be a mainstay while Trotz and Poile are still running things, I wouldn't doubt that they try to get back to a team closer to the 05-06 Predators with the hopes of developing into the 06-07 Predators. That team represented a more balanced Predators team that can both defend and score. With the big contracts of Weber and Rinne, I have no doubt that it will be a more defensively minded mid-twothousand Predator team but they will try to emulate that successful team none the less. This might not be that hard of a task considering Filip Forsberg and the highly regarded prospect/high yielding trade piece we have.

I would not be surprised to see a Montreal-like rebound next year and I would be surprised if the team didn't come out guns blazing with a chip on their shoulder come next fall. GO PREDS!

via pics4.city-data.com

I would not be surprised to see a Montreal-like rebound next year and I would be surprised if the team didn't come out guns blazing with a chip on their shoulder come next fall. GO PREDS!

Poll

How do the Predators do next year in the conference rankings.

List of hockey players who died during their career

2013-05-09T18:43:51Z

Cruising around the internet and found this. There were some interesting ones that led me to seek out more information and waste a number of hours on the internet.

Included are 3 former Predators and 3 other very familiar names: Vezina, Masterton, Hobey Baker. I looked up quite a few things on Hobey Baker. He had quite an interesting life.

From Wikipedia:

List of hockey players who died during their career

Needed four more words.

Cruising around the internet and found this. There were some interesting ones that led me to seek out more information and waste a number of hours on the internet.

Included are 3 former Predators and 3 other very familiar names: Vezina, Masterton, Hobey Baker. I looked up quite a few things on Hobey Baker. He had quite an interesting life.

From Wikipedia:

List of hockey players who died during their career

Needed four more words.

Predator Music in Music City: Bring Back Delbert McClinton

2013-05-08T23:52:27Z

So Alternate Captain Mike Fisher's wife will sing "Waiting All Day for Sunday Night" before NBC's NFL telecasts this fall. Ms. Fisher, also known professionally as Carrie Underwood, will replace Faith Hill, whose husband Tim McGraw belts "I Like It, I Love It" after every Preds home goal.

It's a reminder that Nashville's music tribe has been part of the city's hockey community since before the Predators even took the ice. Hill and McGraw, among other stars, sang at the Ryman to help raise the 12,000 season tickets the team needed to gain the NHL's final approval for the new franchise.

Looking over the first Predators team Coach Barry Trotz sighed, "We're going to be the best in the league at something."

"We're deep in anthem singers."

The Predators proudly list all the performers who have appeared at Predators home games.

In that spirit, here's a suggestion that the team bring back a song featured on opening night, October 10, 1998: "Hockey Tonk (The Nashville Predators Song)" by the inimitable Delbert McClinton.

Sample lyric from the legendary Harlan Howard: "Get that puck, take it down the line. We're gonna put it where the sun don't shine."

That, hockey fans, is a blue line.

Since the Predators we saw in the abbreviated 2013 season sometimes looked uncomfortably like those original Preds in producing a record that nearly dipped to the first season's mark, bringing back Delbert's song might also bring back the spirit of the scrappy, never-say-die team the first Preds were and inspire the original team's all-in, hell-for-leather style of play from the 2013-2014 team.

Looking over the first Predators team Coach Barry Trotz sighed, "We're going to be the best in the league at something."

"We're deep in anthem singers."

The Predators proudly list all the performers who have appeared at Predators home games.

In that spirit, here's a suggestion that the team bring back a song featured on opening night, October 10, 1998: "Hockey Tonk (The Nashville Predators Song)" by the inimitable Delbert McClinton.

Sample lyric from the legendary Harlan Howard: "Get that puck, take it down the line. We're gonna put it where the sun don't shine."

That, hockey fans, is a blue line.

The Craig Smith Coming out Party?

2013-05-08T20:09:08Z

Craig Smith posted a hat trick on 8 shots today at the WC against Finland. As expected he was named Best Player and now has 3 goals and 2 assists in 4 games, putting him atop the tournament scoring leaders. Is this the coming out party for one of the more promising young forwards in Nashville? Hopefully it goes a long way to helping the confidence of a player who looked somewhat lost this season.

via photo.iihf.com

http://stats.iihf.com/Hydra/352/IHM352H27_74_3_0.pdf The Official Game Sheet.

via photo.iihf.com

http://stats.iihf.com/Hydra/352/IHM352H27_74_3_0.pdf The Official Game Sheet.

Top 6 Forward Free Agent Targets - Who Does GMDP Go After?

2013-05-02T23:13:49Z

For me, the "thrill" of getting the #4 overall pick faded the moment the puck dropped on the first playoff series - leaving a pretty empty feeling knowing that the Preds are not a part of it. While it looks like Filip Forsberg and/or that #4 pick could be true franchise forward(s) that the Preds have never had, it is too much to expect either of those players to carry the team to a deep playoff run in 2013-2014. The Preds need a significant upgrade at forward this Summer, regardless of what Forsberg and the #4 pick may bring to the table.

It is clear from the comments of GMDP (at about the 7:45 mark) and the comments of Shea Weber, that GMDP plans to bring in at least one proven scorer at forward who will, at the very least replace the production lost when Erat was traded. The 2012-2013 Preds needed at least one more Top 6 forward even before Marty left town (but I am not going to hold my breath waiting for the Preds to acquire 2 proven Top 6 forwards this offseason).

Who are the likely targets? Here are the top-scoring pending UFA forwards according to CapGeek.com. Two things jump out about that list: 1) there are no real established, in-their-prime stars, except maybe Mike Ribeiro or Pascal Dupuis who are 33 and 34; which leads me to the second point: 2) the top 8 guys on this list (all the guys with 50+pts equivalent numbers) are all over 30. These top available UFAs are going to want longer term deals, and I don't see GMDP offering a big money contract to any of these guys that would take them into their late 30's (with likely declining production), especially with all the (potential) young talent at forward the Preds have coming up. So probably not somebody "old." Also, the Preds could definitely use more size up front; and they will probably avoid anyone with a concussion history or other injury history (see Matthew Lombardi). There is also the Preds system to think about - it will have to be a player who is solid defensively.

A name that has come up repeatedly in discussions of the subject is Viktor Stalberg in Chicago. At 6' 3" 210, he's got the size and with 9G 14A 23P he brings pretty good production (although borderline Top 6 forward production), albeit with this being only his third full year in the NHL, he's got a limited resume. He showed up a lot in Game 1 and had a nifty primary assist on the OT GWG. Other names I've seen thrown around in here on this topic, or who seem to fit: Nathan Horton, Mason Raymond, Brad Boyes.

What UFA forwards do you think the Preds should pursue? And how much will that player cost?

Brendan Leipsic, the Little Ball of Hate

2013-05-02T17:49:12Z

Watching Brendal Leipsic (through Youtube videos) reminds me of Brad Marchand, Boston's agitator, also known as "The Little Ball of Hate." They are the same height at 5'9" and they love to go after bodies and grind people's gears. On top of that, they are able to put pucks in the back of the net and contribute to doing so. It might be fitting that Marchand got his debut against Nashville for the B's and now Nashville has got themselves a Brad Marchand.

This season, Leipsic had 49 goals, 71 assists, (120 points) and 103 penalty minutes in 68 games played tying him for the most goals in the WHL. Similarly, Marchand had 80 points and 108 penalty minutes at the same age playing for the QMJHL. A lot of people are excited about this kid, as they should be, and I just had the epiphany that they were very similar players and, judging by the stats, I think we can expect Leipsic to fill the same kind of role as Marchand for the Predators.

2013 Full Bracket Challenge

2013-04-30T04:38:04Z

Given that it might be a little more difficult to watch the postseason this time around, maybe we can renew our full bracket challenge for another go-around.

Instead of rehashing the rules as they were last year, you can freshen up here.

Same scoring system:

1 point for each correct 1st round series winner, points will double for each successive round (2, then 4, and finally 8). 1 bonus point for correct series length, and 1 point for correct matchups in later rounds.

Picks need to be in by 8 p.m. Tuesday, and I'll update the standings as each round concludes.

Make your picks in the comments, and you can change picks for any series that has not started until the first puck drop on Thursday (7 p.m. Eastern). If you do, just make sure to put it in a reply to your original comment.

Good luck from your defending champion!

Given that it might be a little more difficult to watch the postseason this time around, maybe we can renew our full bracket challenge for another go-around.

Instead of rehashing the rules as they were last year, you can freshen up here.

Same scoring system:

Picks need to be in by 8 p.m. Tuesday, and I'll update the standings as each round concludes.

Good luck from your defending champion!

Aleksander Barkov, the Most Likely Predators Pick

2013-04-30T00:48:35Z

via www.tappara.fi

Aleksander "Sasha" Barkov is a 6'2"-6'3" 205 pound center who is playing in the Swedish Elite League and has been since he was 16; he is the second youngest player to score in the World Juniors at 16 years old. He has put up great numbers with 21 goals and 25 assists in 49 games played.

This makes him the best, statistically speaking, player to come out of that league since Peter Forsberg. Now don't start expecting that much from him or think that I'm suggesting he's the next Peter Forsberg but he is definitely going to be a solid player in the NHL. Players who have put up at least an NHL 82 game point equivalency of 35 or higher (Barkov has a 41) have put up at least 50 points on average in the NHL.

His greatest tool in hand offensively is his hockey sense but he also has great hands, and good passing and puck handling. One of his major flaws is his skating, which is still above par but keeping him out of the top 2, but the same things were said by John Tavares. He also doesn't have an incredible shot but that will improve as he gains strength. As far as his skating goes, it has been said that he sees the game so well that he knows when to turn on the jets and when not to. He is said to make plays so quickly in that league that his own players can't keep up with him. He is able to use these same smarts and strength to keep the puck out of the net.

Overall we will get a great player in Barkov, if we draft him. He has the size and the ability to play in the NHL right away on the second or third line; if he continues to play at the same level he has been playing. He will bring size and offensive ability up the middle for Nashville.

Here are a few sites/videos where I have gotten my information from.

Comparing Barkov to Players in NHL from both SM Liiga and SEL

Comparing Barkov to Lindros

Top 60 Rankings

Youtube: Barkov's first SM Liiga Goals at 16

Youtube: TSN Midseason Draft Rankings

Elite Prospects Review

Youtube: Alexander Barkov # 16: Highlights 2012-2013 (full)

Youtube: Craig Button on Barkov (excellent review but sound is a little low)

Definitely the most informative information about Barkov. If you are at all interested in Nashville's possible first round draftee, this is the interview to listen to. If you've got some kind of speaker system it won't be a problem but don't try to listen to this with just you're computer speakers because the volume won't be high enough. This one's worth going through the trouble for.

Youtube: Forsberg-Style Goal

Youtube: Another Shootout Goal

via www.tappara.fi

Here are a few sites/videos where I have gotten my information from.

Comparing Barkov to Players in NHL from both SM Liiga and SEL

Comparing Barkov to Lindros

Top 60 Rankings

Youtube: Barkov's first SM Liiga Goals at 16

Youtube: TSN Midseason Draft Rankings

Elite Prospects Review

Youtube: Alexander Barkov # 16: Highlights 2012-2013 (full)

Youtube: Craig Button on Barkov (excellent review but sound is a little low)

Youtube: Forsberg-Style Goal

Youtube: Another Shootout Goal

Your Playoffs bracket

2013-04-29T21:16:03Z

Unfortunately I find myself in the regrettable position of having entered Chicago to win the damn thing. With Crosby still potentially injured and some previous chestnuts stumbling this season, just can't quite see the cream of the Eastern Conference putting 'em away.

Stumbling blocks, tho:

Canadiens vs. Senators - how is that going to go? Anyone got thoughts on who's hot going in?
How far will the Capitals make it against the Rangers? They've been on a streak, but even with Ovechkin firing on all cylinders this may be an uphill climb.
Blues vs. Kings: Some pundits claim that STL will be the team to beat for Blackhawks. Just not sure I see how their offense is going to carry the day, even with Oshie back in the lineup.

Enter your official bracket here and win stuff: http://playoffschallenge.nhl.com

Stumbling blocks, tho:

Canadiens vs. Senators - how is that going to go? Anyone got thoughts on who's hot going in?
How far will the Capitals make it against the Rangers? They've been on a streak, but even with Ovechkin firing on all cylinders this may be an uphill climb.
Blues vs. Kings: Some pundits claim that STL will be the team to beat for Blackhawks. Just not sure I see how their offense is going to carry the day, even with Oshie back in the lineup.

Enter your official bracket here and win stuff: http://playoffschallenge.nhl.com

Time for change

2013-04-29T15:54:40Z

Ok... deep breath.. what I'm going to say here might offend some loyal fans, but its time to face reality. We need to make changes in order to ice a strong competitive team we need to have a group of character individuals all developing together. We have to two valuable assets Rinne, Weber. I know its hard but the best time to trade them is now do we really want to end up like Calgary? They should have traded Iginla and Kipper a long time ago. The way to win in this league is big two way centers, defense, dynamic wingers and consistent goal tending. We need to acquire top level assets. This is what I propose, we make a deal with Colorado. Weber and our 2nd round pick for Eric Johnson, Sgarbossa and their first. We then draft Drouin and McKinnon I know its drastic but these guys have great chemistry already(it worked well for Vancouver-Sedins) Johnson has been a disappointment but he was a first overall so maybe Trotzy can work some magic. Next I would pick up the phone and call Philadelphia trade them Rinne for Bryzgalov and Sean Couturier. Couturier is someone you can build a team around, Bryz is a little quirky but in the right place he can shine. There that is all I have to say I know it may be impossible in reality but that is what I would try and do

Who was the Preds LVP?

2013-04-28T16:19:00Z

Judged by the hockey bloggers, writers and fanboys/girls to be the player, coach, financial or metaphysical entity that contributed the least to the team's "success" over the 2012 - 13 season.

With a special mention to the Philadelphia Flyers' Paul Holmgren. The catalyst of this woeful season, we couldn't have done it without you, Paul! And of course don't hesitate to add in new entries in the comments.

Ladies and gentlemen, here are your nominees...

Judged by the hockey bloggers, writers and fanboys/girls to be the player, coach, financial or metaphysical entity that contributed the least to the team's "success" over the 2012 - 13 season.

Ladies and gentlemen, here are your nominees...

Poll

Your 2012 - 13 Predators LVP is... (drumroll)

The gaping hole Ryan Suter left on the blueline

5 votes

Sergei "backcheck?" Kostitsyn

13 votes

Craig "Sophomore Slump" Smith

1 votes

Jon "Why so bad?" Blum

4 votes

Paul Gaustad's contract

1 votes

Chris Masons Career

2 votes

Shea Weber's happiness

3 votes

Hal Gill's footspeed

0 votes

Scott Hannan in general

4 votes

33 votes | Poll has closed

Putthay hath dha

2013-04-28T16:16:57Z

That's a backhander.

Ikata jaa riha.

And that's a breakaway.

The language is Punjabi, part of the stream-of-conscious play-by-play style of Bhola Chauhan who calls CBC's weekly telecast of Hockey Night in Canada for the nation's 1.1 million citizens of Punjabi descent.

In today's New York Times Chauhan's loud shouts in reaction to a Toronto are quoted as he credited wing Joffrey Lupol for what translates as "picking up the wood," a traditional {unjabi battle cry: "Chak de phatte gooooaaalll Joffrey Lupol! Toronto Maple Putayyyy!"

Check it out and see the turbaned Chauhan and sidekick Harnarayan Singh here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/28/sports/hockey/chak-de-goal-a-punjabi-show-draws-new-hockey-fans.html?ref=sports&_r=0

That's a backhander.

Ikata jaa riha.

And that's a breakaway.

Check it out and see the turbaned Chauhan and sidekick Harnarayan Singh here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/28/sports/hockey/chak-de-goal-a-punjabi-show-draws-new-hockey-fans.html?ref=sports&_r=0