Posts Tagged ‘Mike Modano’

The All UFA Team

22, Jul 2010

Do you feel the remaining UFA players could create a playoff team type roster?

Mike Modano to Detroit a Certainty? Not quite yet…

21, Jul 2010

Talk around the NHL and, more specifically, the Red Wings’ front office, is that recently releaded Stars forward, Mike Modano, is certain to sign a one- or two-year deal with the team in Hockeytown. Modano has not yet publicly announced his official decision to return next season, but all signs point toward him returning for at least one more NHL season. But is Detroit a certainty? Don’t count on it just yet.

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NHL News: Aging Veteran’s Value Hidden Behind Quantitative Stats

20, Jul 2010

This year, there are multiple aging long-time NHL veterans looking for renewed contracts or new homes this off-season.  While you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, they can teach the puppies a thing or two about how the game is meant to be played.

This year’s NHL free agent list contains multiple names that will likely be seen in the Hall of Fame at some point in the near future—Kariya, Selanne, and Modano just to name a few.

Is your team looking at one of these experienced superstars? Are you concerned that they may not produce enough to warrant handing out precious salary in today’s salary cap era?  Well, players like the ones listed aren’t one-dimensional players only relied upon for their point production; they bring something that cannot be taught and must be acquired through experience.

Kariya, Selanne, and Modano have played in 989, 1186, and 1459 games respectively, which means they aren’t the new kids on the block.  They add not only on-ice leadership, but the veteran presence in the locker room that every team needs to make a deep run at the Stanley Cup

For example, this year the Boston Bruin’s Mark Recchi stepped up and called out his teammates for their inconsistent and uninspired play in the middle of a 10-game losing streak.  The following game the streak was broken, and then shortly after the Bruins moved up to sixth in the East ensuring themselves a playoff berth.

That momentum carried them into the playoffs as they tore through USA’s Olympic superstar Ryan Miller, and went up 3-0 on the Philadelphia Flyers before enduring two costly injuries and eventually imploding to lose the series in gut-wrenching style in seven games.

The point is, they were on the fast track to nowhere, likely missing the playoffs if it wasn’t for the likes of Mark Recchi and his veteran leadership and experience.  And while Recchi still put up 43 points this season, numbers no one could complain about, his real value was is in the element he adds which won’t ever show up on the score sheet.

Playoff experience, and leadership of such a caliber is hard to come by, so when I hear fans of a team like the San Jose Sharks complaining about burning cap space on a player like Modano I can’t help but to shake my head in disappointment.  They don’t see the real value behind point production.

Now I’m in no way criticizing the Sharks however, they must look in the mirror and ask themselves how acquiring large point producing players has worked out for them—players such as Thornton and Heatley

After a string of several 100-point seasons in a row, they are always followed by an early playoff exit from teams they should have beaten.  They are missing that veteran presence in the locker room and that experienced leadership on the ice.

Players like Modano, Selanne, and Kariya are just what a team like the Sharks have been missing, and may be just what the doctor ordered to avoid another playoff choke and finally hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup.

Like what you just read? Check out my Bruins Blog—Beware The Bear at www.mtrmedia.com/bostonbruins or follow me on Twitter! @ccmaillet

 

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NHL Rumors: Where Will Ilya Kovalchuk, Simon Gagne and Mike Modano End Up?

19, Jul 2010

While most of the big-name signees have put pen to paper and are now preparing for a whole new training camp, there are still a couple of interesting names out there. There are also some big pieces to be acquired through trade, restricted free agents that need contracts, and teams that need buying.

Although this is that typically quiet time we get between the second week of July and the first week of August, plenty can still happen. Here’s a look at what’s got ears burning around the NHL right now…

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Josh Lile: Bill Gallacher to buy the Stars?

16, Jul 2010

Earlier today reports from Ken Campbell of The Hockey News suggested that the Dallas Stars are on the verge of being sold to a group led by Bill Gallacher for 225 million dollars.

Tonight those reports have been dubbed “inaccurate” by Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News.

What does the evidence suggest? It suggests that a sale is close, if not imminent. Heika didn’t report that the sale is…

NHL Buzz: Friday, July 16th

16, Jul 2010

There are a lot of rumors flying around right now; here is what I am hearing.

The Canadiens and Carey Price are in talks but aren’t close yet. It is believed that Price is looking for $3.5-$4 million a year. In my opinion, I think Price is asking a bit much as he is asking Jaroslav Halak-type money, when simply he is not as good.

Mike Modano’s three options are Minnesota, Detroit, and San Jose. I think he would be a good fit in all three places, but if he wants to win he shouldn’t go to Minnesota.

Denis Grebeshkov is generating some interest from several teams; it is believed the Sabres, Blue Jackets, and Sharks are among them. I personally think he would be a great fit in the high-tempo Sabres offense.

Rumor has it the Ducks are among the teams interested in Kevin Bieksa. It makes sense as they need some help on defense, and Bieksa is good on both sides of the ice.

According to the Boston Herald Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli admitted the trade market has dried up a bit but suggests once Kovalchuk signs it will pick up.

As of right now the Sharks, Sabres, and Blue Jackets appear to have the most interest in Tomas Kaberle.

This concludes today’s edition of NHL Buzz, enjoy!

Feel free to comment with any thoughts you may have.

 

This article and more can also be found at MTRmedia.com

For the latest news and rumors follow me on twitter @ToddNHL

Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com

Top 15 Most Outrageous Stanley Cup Stories

16, Jul 2010

The Stanly Cup: a trophy awarded annually to the NHL champion after a best of seven Stanley Cup Championship Series.

The Stanley Cup is known as the The Cup, Lord Stanley’s Cup, The Holy Grail, or as Lord Stanley’s Mug.

The Cup has been around for more than 100 years, and has been won by 26 different teams in the Cup’s 117 years of existence.

It the prize of all prizes. The dream that every player, coach, and even fan wish they could have lying in their living rooms on top of the mantle.

Well, for those who were lucky enough to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup, and have it lying in their living rooms for a few days, there are some very interesting stories and places that the Cup has been through.

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Mike Modano To Detroit Red Wings Will Work, If Given the Chance

15, Jul 2010

Ken Holland comes from a world where the TV announcers say, “He’d probably like to have that one back.”

He comes from a world where, when you make a mistake, they turn a red light on and 15,000 zealots with leather lungs might try to boo you out of the building.

It’s a world where you’re assailed with dozens of vulcanized rubber discs every night as the last line of defense. And when Holland played goalie for the Red Wings, he was often the only line of defense.

It was 25 years ago this summer when the goaltender Holland became the scout Holland. The Red Wings assigned him to Western Canada, mainly because that’s where he was born and reared.

Then it was 12 more years of working his way up in the organization, this time wearing a suit instead of the tools of ignorance.

Holland bided his time, learning how to put a hockey team together, as the apprentice of Scotty Bowman, no less.

The Red Wings won the Stanley Cup in 1997 and it was determined that Bowman would no longer hold the dual titles of coach and general manager. Holland was promoted.

Almost immediately, the naysayers were out.

Keith Gave, more right than wrong as Red Wings beat writer in those days, pegged it badly.

No way, Gave wrote, could the Red Wings stay on top with a rookie GM.

Gave fretted over the return of Bowman to strictly coaching duties.

Holland then went out and made some astute trades—several at the March deadline—and the Red Wings repeated as Cup champs, despite the loss of Vladimir Konstantinov to a tragic car accident.

It was following that Cup when Holland returned to his goaltender days and made a move that I believe he wished he could have back.

He didn’t name it specifically, but I hit Holland with the question late in the 2005-06 season.

Go back into goaltender mode, I said into the phone, and tell me what trade or signing you’d like to have back, looking back on your almost nine years as Red Wings GM.

He acknowledged there was one, for sure, that made him wince.

He wouldn’t tell me what it was, for fear of embarrassing the individual involved.

I submit that the soft goal he let in was the signing of defenseman Uwe Krupp in the summer of 1998.

Krupp was a hulking man who, on skates, could almost have looked over the glass without even stretching. He wasn’t a hockey player, he was a building on blades.

The German-born Krupp was signed from the hated Colorado Avalanche, where he had scored the Cup-winning goal for them in overtime in 1996. He wasn’t known for being extraordinarily physical, given his size, but how physical does have a building have to be? You’re still going to bounce off it.

Krupp came to the Red Wings, his wallet stuffed, and before long, his back got creaky.

Krupp dressed for only 22 games during the 1998-99 season. He wasn’t heard from the next season, or the season after that, his back too painful.

Then it was discovered that Krupp, while he was supposedly too hurt to play hockey, was participating in dog sledding.

That made the Red Wings mad.

It got ugly and into the courts. In 2001, Krupp said he was healthy and wanted to come back to the Red Wings. The Red Wings told him to stick it in his five hole.

Showing more fight in the courtroom than he had shown on and off the ice for the Red Wings before and after his injury, Krupp finally won the right to play for the Red Wings after all.

He suited up for eight games in the 2001-02 season, Bowman not thrilled with him at all.

Bowman gave Krupp a shot in the playoffs, putting him into the lineup for Games One and Two of the first round against Vancouver in Detroit. The Red Wings lost both, and Krupp was minus five.

Bowman yanked Krupp and declared privately that the tall German building would never play another game for the Red Wings. And Krupp didn’t.

Holland threw a ton of money at Uwe Krupp, when the Red Wings really didn’t need another defenseman, despite Konstantinov’s loss the year prior. The ‘98 Red Wings won the Stanley Cup, but Holland, in the pre-salary cap world of the time, couldn’t keep from tweaking.

I believe it was the signing of Krupp to which Holland referred as being his “mulligan”—Holland’s word to me in 2006.

Holland hasn’t had too many mulligans in his 13 years of managing the hockey club in Detroit.

There are those who fear he might be on the verge of another one, if he’s able to entice 40-year-old Mike Modano to play this season, and do so as a Red Wing.

The signing of Modano doesn’t look as olly-olly-oxen free as it did a couple weeks ago. Where the Red Wings looked to be Modano’s only suitors then, other teams have been mentioned lately as sniffing around the Westland native; the Minnesota Wild and San Jose Sharks are the two late entries.

There might not be enough money, when all is said and done, at Holland’s avail to sign Modano, when put up against what the Wild and/or Sharks could possibly offer.

If that’s the case, then the hand-wringers who worry about adding a 40-year-old center to the Red Wings roster need not fret.

The worry warts would have more credibility, to me, if Holland’s track record with aging veterans was pocked with cautionary tales.

Instead, it’s the polar opposite.

“We feel Mike Modano can help us,” Holland told the papers. “We feel like he has some hockey left in him.”

Those might have been the exact words Holland spoke in the late summer of 2001, when the Red Wings brought Brett Hull in when the interest in the veteran sniper was less than overwhelming.

Hull wasn’t exactly fending off teams with a hockey stick when the Red Wings called. He was 37, and even though he had just scored 39 goals for the Dallas Stars, teams were put off by Hull’s run-ins with coaches and his loud mouth.

Holland took a swing with Hull, and that swing didn’t result in the need of a mulligan.

Hull scored 30 goals and the Red Wings won another Stanley Cup.

The worry warts think the Red Wings need to get younger, and the last thing they need now is a 40-year-old Mike Modano clogging the pipeline for players like Darren Helm and Val Filppula.

I’ve written it before: they do something funny with the water that flows from the Detroit River and into Joe Louis Arena. Somewhere in the bowels of JLA lies a fountain of youth.

Dominik Hasek. Luc Robitaille. Chris Chelios. Dallas Drake. Joey Kocur.

Shall I go on? I can, you know—for quite some time.

The Red Wings are more successful than other NHL teams with aging players because those players are brought in to play specific roles; they’re not asked to do what they did when they were 10 years younger.

Compare that to the Detroit Lions, who all but embarrassed DBs Todd Lyght and Eric Davis during the Matt Millen administration because the Lions wanted Lyght and Davis to be the players of their mid-to-late 20s, not their early-to-mid 30s.

There were times when I actually felt sorry for Lyght especially, who was asked to cover, with his 33-year-old legs, receivers nearly ten years his junior. The results weren’t pretty.

That kind of nonsense doesn’t go on with the Red Wings. With the exception of Hasek, who was brought in at age 36 to be the starting goalie, the Red Wings make sure the aging guys are signed only if there are enough other pieces surrounding them to camouflage their deficiencies.

Mike Modano might not be a Red Wing, after all. The longer he takes to decide might mean the decision doesn’t bode well for the Red Wings.

Doesn’t mean it wouldn’t have worked.

Kenny Holland feels Modano can help the Red Wings.

That’s good enough for me, and ought to be good enough for everyone else.

Holland is a man of few mulligans, after all.

Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com

NHL UFAs: All That Remain

14, Jul 2010

Day 14 and plenty of names remain unsigned in the NHL.

Mike Modano: Why The San Jose Sharks Should Kick The Tires On The Former Star

13, Jul 2010

As of last season, Mike Modano was the only player in the NHL playing with the same franchise he had been with ever since the 1980’s.

In other words, Modano had been playing at the NHL level as a member the Dallas Stars for longer than both myself and the Sharks have been alive.

Both born in 1991, the Sharks and I obviously share the same appreciation for the amazing career Modano has already accomplished, because reports amongst the professional hockey writers suggest the Sharks are interested in Modano’s services.

And despite his increased age, the truth is that the Sharks would be failing their fan base if they didn’t at least consider bringing in the career long Star center.

After all, not only do the Sharks have a third line center vacancy with the loss of Manny Malhotra to Vancouver, but next to Dallas, what other organization better understands the value Modano can bring to a team?

Not only did San Jose’s GM Doug Wilson play against Modano at the NHL level and has obvious first hand experience as to the player Modano is on the ice, but playing in the same division all these years has also added to Wilson’s knowledge of what Modano can bring to the table—even at 40 years old.

Similarly to how Wilson brought in Rob Blake for the past two seasons (a future hall of famer who played mostly with a Sharks’ division rival), it wouldn’t be surprising at all if Wilson brought in Modano.

Furthermore, Modano has torched the Sharks over the years and has subsequently been referred to as one of the infamous “Shark killers.”

Especially when playing at the HP Pavilion, San Jose’s home arena, Modano has averaged almost a point per game. In 38 career games, Modano has been good for 36 points, and two of which he will never forget.

In November of the 2007-08 season, Modano scored two quick first period goals on the road against San Jose that tied and then surpassed the retired Phil Housley for the most career points of any American born player.

And while any road arena would have acknowledged this accomplishment, Sharks fans gave a more than adequate standing ovation in appreciation for a tremendous accomplishment.

Clearly, while Modano has been a “Shark killer,” he has done so in the most respectful and sportsmanlike manner possible (unlike say Corey Perry *cough* or Chris Pronger *cough*).

It shouldn’t go unnoticed that while Sharks fans have been tortured by Modano one-timers over the years, they would be only so eager to open up their arms and switch from being disappointed when Modano scores to absolutely ecstatic.

“Sharks goal, scored by No. 9, Mike Modanoooo;” has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?

Now not only does adding Modano make sense for leadership, scoring depth, and championship experience (or in other words for just being Mike “friggen” Modano), but with Malhotra out of the picture, the Sharks don’t have an ideal third line center.

Granted Malhotra and Modano bring two different styles to the third line center role, but both can provide value in different ways at that spot in the lineup.

Modano’s scoring touch, play making ability and vast amount of playoff experience is a different combination of assets than Malhotra’s defensive prowess, face off domination, and physicality.

And it could be argued that Modano’s assets could be more of what the Sharks need to get them over the hump to their first Stanley Cup victory.

Of course, with Malhotra being only 30, San Jose could have had a defensive style third line center for many years to come and at Modano’s age, he will probably only be a one-year stop gap fill in.

But even if Modano only has a year left of solid play, a couple of notions should be pointed out to how valuable that one year would be to the Sharks.

First of all, over the last three seasons, Modano has managed to still be an over a half point per game player.

Since the 2007-08 season started, Modano has played 221 regular season games and amassed 133 points in that time frame.

Doing the math, Modano has averaged .6 points per game over that time frame which is still quality production. And even in an injury shortened season last year, Modano still averaged over a half point per game by racking up 30 points in 59 games.

If he can stay healthy for the entire season, it wouldn’t be wrong to pencil him in for 40-45 points.

That type of production (even if he were to finish a little shy of a half point per game) would be a big part of the solution to the secondary scoring hole the Sharks had last season.

And secondly, the experience and knowledge gained by youngsters Jamie McGinn, Logan Couture, and Torrey Mitchell by playing alongside Modano would be immeasurable.

Not only would all three benefit from playing alongside Modano but the one who has the potential to reap the most benefits would have to be Couture. The former first round pick (No. 9 overall in 2007) is coming off an impressive first year in pro hockey where he was an AHL All-Star and scored eight goals in his final 25 games combined between the end of the regular season and playoffs for the big club.

While big things are expected from Couture in the long run, either way it would be asking a lot of the 21-year-old to take over as the main third line center in just his first full year at the NHL level.

But given time to learn from Modano for a season, and Couture’s time table to reaching his potential could be drastically reduced.

Therefore, bringing Modano to San Jose would do much more than just fill a need for the upcoming season as it would also help improve the Sharks roster for future seasons.

Not only can Modano still play an effective role, but that tutelage of the younger forwards would make his signing an even better move than bringing in a run of the mill free agent.

And when all is said done, many superstar athletes didn’t finish their careers with the same team that they spent their primes with.

Joe Montana didn’t finish his career with the 49ers, and Willie Mays didn’t finish his career with the Giants.

Modano doesn’t have to finish his career with Dallas, and San Jose would be more than a welcome fit.

Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com

NHL Offseason: Minnesota Wild Notes

13, Jul 2010

Well, let’s face it. It’s the offseason.

We’re on day 10 of Kovie Watch 2010, with no signs of anything happening anytime soon and free agency news has slowed to a trickle. So what’s a hockey fan to do?

Make news out of nothing? We’re not in that business here.

So, let’s just take a look at some of the goings on around the Minnesota Wild.

 

Modano Interested in the Wild?

Well, it’s amazing how much difference a few weeks makes.

First, the Dallas Stars decided that they don’t want to let Mike Modano “Brett Farve” them until the season starts. Then, the rampant speculation starts in Minnesota.

Let’s be honest with ourselves here. For whatever reason, Wild fans have some sort of sick obsession with Minnesota hockey players.

For whatever reason, anytime anyone with ties to Minnesota is available, fans start frothing at the mouth. When Modano became available, the sharks began circling.

Immediately, however, all of the speculation was squashed.

It wasn’t the right fit. The Wild were in the running for a No. 2 center and Modano, at this stage in his career, isn’t that.

But, what do you know? The Wild suddenly want some insurance in case James Sheppard doesn’t step up his game or in case Casey Wellman isn’t ready to play in the NHL.

But, is this the right way for the Wild to go?

If Modano is willing to take a lesser roll with the team, then yes it is.

Modano still has a little bit of tread left on the tires, but he isn’t a top-six forward at this stage in his career—at least, he wasn’t with the Stars.

What signing Modano would do is give the Wild some insurance up the middle.

So, say Matt Cullen doesn’t fit with G-Lat and Havlat. Or Sheppard doesn’t step up to the challenge of making the team. Or they feel that Wellman would be best served to be in the AHL. Well, then they’ve got Modano, who is one heck of a contingency plan.

 

Cap Situation

As of right now, the Wild find themselves in an interesting situation in net.

They have about $3.5 million in cap space with Josh Harding left to sign in order to fill out their roster.

So, that means that they’ll likely have about $1 to $1.5 million left over once that happens.

So what does this mean? Are we done?

Like Russo, I tend to think not. I can’t imagine that the Wild wouldn’t be looking for another defenseman.

It sounds like Fletcher might be thinking the same thing, as there are rumblings that the Wild have had talks with Willie Mitchell.

The problem with that is that Mitchell will likely command more than the Wild have left, so someone will have to go.

But who?

Right now, the obvious candidate is James Sheppard, but there are others that wouldn’t surprise me, especially at forward.

The most likely forward other than Sheppard, however, is Antti Miettinen. Mittens has performed admirably on the team’s first line, but he just doesn’t seem to fit anywhere on the team. In each situation, there seems to be a player who could potentially do the job better than he.

Combine that with his size, or lack thereof, and you can see that he could very well be shopped around this season.

 

What Does Endras Signing Mean?

Well, in the short run, nothing.

Dennis Endras will go ply his trade overseas again and likely will then come to the team next season.

What the signing of Endras does do, however, is create competition among the Wild’s goaltenders.

Next season, it’s going to be Matthew Hackett and Anton Khudobin in Houston, with Darcy Keumper likely heading back to Red Deer.

The season after, however? The Wild are going to have a four-way battle to see who will be taking over in the back-up role for either Josh Harding or Niklas Backstrom.

Now, I say Harding or Backstrom, because I don’t know that Fletcher and Richards have ruled out the possibility of moving Nik if it comes to that.

Harding is younger and has shown some significant signs of improvement over the last couple seasons.

Backstrom, though he has gotten a bit of a bad rap for his performance last season, is still Backstrom. He’s nowhere near as bad as he looked at times last season and, in my opinion, is still a top-10 goalie in this league.

So, the signing of Endras is both a depth move as well as one to spark something in the goaltenders and make them work for their jobs—both of which are good things to be sure.

 

For more of Blake’s work, you can follow him at Wild Nation and Hockey Primetime, as well as on his Twitter.

Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com

NHL Off Season: Minnesota Wild Notes

13, Jul 2010

Well, let’s face it. It’s the off season.

We’re on day 10 of Kovie Watch 2010 with no signs of anything happening anytime soon and free agency news has slowed to a trickle. So what’s a hockey fan to do?

Make news out of nothing? We’re not in that business here.

So, let’s just take a look at some of the goings on around the Minnesota Wild.

 

Modano Interested in the Wild?

Well, it’s amazing how much difference a few weeks makes.

First, the Dallas Stars decided that they don’t want to let Mike Modano “Brett Farve” them until the season starts. Then, the rampant speculation starts in Minnesota.

Let’s be honest with ourselves here. For whatever reason, Wild fans have some sort of sick obsession with Minnesota hockey players.

For whatever reason, anytime anyone with ties to Minnesota is available, fans start frothing at the mouth. When Modano became available, the sharks began circling.

Immediately, however, all of the speculation was squashed.

It wasn’t the right fit. The Wild were in the running for a No. 2 center and Modano, at this stage in his career, isn’t that.

But, what do you know? The Wild suddenly want some insurance in case James Sheppard doesn’t step up his game or in case Casey Wellman isn’t ready to play in the NHL.

But, is this the right way for the Wild to go?

If Modano is willing to take a lesser roll with the team, then yes it is.

Modano still has a little bit of tread left on the tires, but he isn’t a top-six forward at this stage in his career—at least, he wasn’t with the Stars.

What signing Modano would do is give the Wild some insurance up the middle.

So, say Matt Cullen doesn’t fit with G-Lat and Havlat. Or Sheppard doesn’t step up to the challenge of making the team. Or they feel that Wellman would be best served to be in the AHL. Well, then they’ve got Modano, who is one heck of a contingency plan.

 

Cap Situation

As of right now, the Wild find themselves in an interesting situation in net.

They have about $3.5 million in cap space with Josh Harding left to sign in order to fill out their roster.

So, that means that they’ll likely have about $1 to $1.5 million left over once that happens.

So what does this mean? Are we done?

Like Russo, I tend to think not. I can’t imagine that the Wild wouldn’t be looking for another defenseman.

It sounds like Fletcher might be thinking the same thing, as there are rumblings that the Wild have had talks with Willie Mitchell.

The problem with that is that Mitchell will likely command more than the Wild have left, so someone will have to go.

But who?

Right now, the obvious candidate is James Sheppard, but there are others that wouldn’t surprise me, especially at forward.

The most likely forward other than Sheppard, however, is Antti Miettinen. Mittens has performed admirably on the team’s first line, but he just doesn’t seem to fit anywhere on the team. In each situation, there seems to be a player who could potentially do the job better than he.

Combine that with his size, or lack thereof, and you can see that he could very well be shopped around this season.

 

What Does Endras Signing Mean?

Well, in the short run, nothing.

Dennis Endras will go ply his trade overseas again and likely will then come to the team next season.

What the signing of Endras does do, however, is create competition among the Wild’s goaltenders.

Next season, it’s going to be Matthew Hackett and Anton Khudobin in Houston, with Darcy Keumper likely heading back to Red Deer.

The season after, however? The Wild are going to have a four-way battle to see who will be taking over in the back-up role for either Josh Harding or Niklas Backstrom.

Now, I say Harding or Backstrom, because I don’t know that Fletcher and Richards have ruled out the possibility of moving Nik if it comes to that.

Harding is younger and has shown some significant signs of improvement over the last couple seasons.

Backstrom, though he has gotten a bit of a bad rap for his performance last season, is still Backstrom. He’s nowhere near as bad as he looked at times last season and, in my opinion, is still a top 10 goalie in this league.

So, the signing of Endras is both a depth move as well as one to spark something in the goaltenders and make them work for their jobs—both of which are good things to be sure.

 

For more of Blake’s work, you can follow him at Wild Nation and Hockey Primetime, as well as on his Twitter.

Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com

NHL Buzz: Monday, July 12

12, Jul 2010

There is a lot of rumors floating around right now, here are the latest.

According to multiple reports, Ilya Kovalchuk is going to LA to meet with Kings GM Dean Lombardi. However, Dean has said it is just a regular meeting like with any other UFA and that no deal is even close.

Darren Dreger reported via twitter that Ducks GM Bob Murray has said that Bobby Ryan will not be traded.

It was reported earlier that the Blackhawks will match the offer sheet made on defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson, but the days are passing and the Blackhawks are still yet to match the offer.

Simon Gagne’s name is in play…big time. Leafs, Kings, and Rangers appear the most interested, but if the Devils don’t get Kovalchuk they could contact the Flyers as well.

If Mike Modano wants to play again this year he will have options: the Ducks, Wild, Red Wings and Sharks have all contacted him.

If the Blackhawks lose Antti Niemi to an offer sheet, Marty Turco will be their first option.

This concludes today’s edition of NHL Buzz. However, I will be updating it with more rumors throughout the day so stay tuned!

 

This article and more can also be found at MTRmedia.com

For the latest news and rumors follow me on twitter @ToddNHL

Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com

Hanging Up the Skates: NHL Retirements and Could-Be Retirements in 2010

9, Jul 2010

Every year there are players that come into the NHL that make an impact with their respective teams. Some come in hot and eventually burnout; while others have long and outstanding careers.

As with all things; the cycle of a professional hockey players career at some point must come to an end.

With this offseason there are many players that have already made it known that they will not be hitting the ice in a rink near you in the fall. Others are still pondering whether they will end their run.

I will examine players; many of which were some of the best of their generation, some that have retired, will retire, or are almost to that point in their careers.

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Mike Modano a Perfect Fit in Chicago?

6, Jul 2010

There are a number of rumors flying right now surrounding veteran center Mike Modano , who turned 40 in early June. The Detroit Red Wings are recruiting him hard, but there are allegedly three or four other teams with interest in him, including the Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks .

The skill set of the superstar is well-known to Blackhawks fans after watching him for years as the leader of the Minnesota North Stars and then the Dallas Stars. Modano is one of the best scorers of the last 20 years, and is one of the most respected players in the game as well. He has said all along that he is still trying to decide whether or not his future is in retirement or back on the ice, but one more run could make for an interesting decision.

Last year in Dallas, Modano averaged 14:18 on ice and scored 14 goals with 16 assists. He was -6 on a team that was outscored by 14 goals last year. Modano also won 50.4 percent of his face-offs last year, but played in just 59 games for the Stars.

There are a number of considerations for both Modano and the Blackhawks that might make this an intriguing partnership for one season. If he doesn’t retire, Modano obviously would want to join a situation where he would be positioned to win the Stanley Cup. Detroit could likely make a strong case that, if healthy, they could make a run, but the Cup happens to call Chicago home this summer.

The first part of the puzzle for Modano is obviously going to be money. While the assumption would be that the face of a franchise was making big money, that wasn’t the case for Modano last year in Dallas. He had a $2.25M salary and $3.45M cap hit in the final year of his contract.

According to NHLNumbers.com, Detroit currently has $52.792M committed to 16 players, while the Hawks have $50.300M committed to only 12.

However, that number includes Cristobal Huet’s $5.625M cap number, which will not be in Chicago next year. It also does not include any of the prospects, like Kyle Beach, Viktor Stalberg or Shawn LaLonde, that could be part of the mix next year.

There is a handful of prospects that have entry level deals with the Hawks that could, and likely will, be playing in Chicago next year to fill in the NHL roster. So saying 12 players are under contract in Chicago is both misleading and inappropriate. However, so is the $50.3M number.

Both the Red Wings and Blackhawks would likely be asking Modano to take a pay cut from his salary from 2009-10, so financial considerations are going to be pretty even.

The second issue for Modano to consider is where, and how, he would fit on a roster. Looking at Detroit, there doesn’t appear to be much room in the circle. They already have Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, and Valtteri Filppula on the roster, and are expected to get Jiri Hudler back from Russia next year; adding Modano would give the Red Wings five centers.

In Chicago, there is plenty of room up front for a skilled veteran center.

The Blackhawks will certainly have Jonathan Toews back as their top-line center, but from there it’s an open book. Patrick Sharp did a nice job at center on the Hawks’ second line last year, and Dave Bolland returned from back surgery to have a great playoff run.

But moving Sharp back to a wing spot opposite Marian Hossa would put more firepower on the ice for the Hawks. Would playing between those two stars be tempting for Modano? The Blackhawks would be able to leave Bolland on the third line, where he was excellent in the playoffs, and put veteran Marty Reasoner on the fourth line.

If the thought of playing between Sharp and Hossa wasn’t tempting enough for a veteran looking to make one more championship run, remember that Quenneville separated Toews and Patrick Kane to start last season and the two were successful apart in the playoffs as well. Skating Hossa with Toews and Kane opposite Sharp is another possibility for the Hawks, and there aren’t two potential lines in the NHL that are a better option for Modano than those.

To those that think adding Modano doesn’t make sense for the Blackhawks, let’s remember what the Hawks had on the ice last year. John Madden was a good defensive center, but he wasn’t brought to Chicago to be an offensive force. Madden scored just 10 goals and added only 13 assists last year, with a -2 rating in the regular season. He won 53.07 percent of his face-offs last year.

If Modano was inserted as a second line center and Bolland stayed on the third line, the Blackhawks would be better from top to bottom at the center position in 2010-11 than they were last year. They would also have better depth at the wing positions on their top three lines, assuming Sharp’s move to wing pushed Troy Brouwer to the third line with Bolland.

The defending champions might be the best situation for Modano to make one more run at the Stanley Cup, and adding a future Hall of Famer to the lineup could keep the Blackhawks atop the NHL for another year.

For more great coverage of the Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks, check out Tab’s blog: CommittedIndians.com!

 

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NHL Free Agents 2010: Detroit Red Wings Should Cool Pursuit of Mike Modano

6, Jul 2010

What was it that Ace Ventura said?

“Man, I’m tired of being right!”

On June 29, the day the Dallas Stars made it official that they would not be making an offer to franchise icon Mike Modano, I wrote this piece.

You see, even though free agency had yet to begin and Mike Modano himself was still (and still is) unsure about whether he’d want to play another year for any team, I knew the Detroit Red Wings would be quick to pursue the veteran center once free agency began.

Man, I’m tired of being right.

Though, at the time, it was only speculation, I figured it wouldn’t be long before the Red Wings turned their efforts toward convincing the Livonia, MI native that, if he wasn’t able to end his playing days as a Star, doing so as a Red Wing would be the next best thing.

Well, as of July 6, the Red Wings have stated that not only are they interested in Modano, they “want him badly” and have begun wooing him with lunch with GM Ken Holland and a trip to a Tigers game.

Lunch and a ball game, not a bad first date by any measure.

But, like many first dates, one often gets to the middle of it only to discover that the whole thing was a bad idea in the first place.

Sure, you see it through to a respectable end, but you sure as hell don’t talk about taking things any further than they’ve gone.

You say your goodbyes, and hope to hell they never call you again.

There’s no telling if that will be the case with Modano’s outing with Detroit, but for many reasons it should be.

While one could do the math, look at the numbers, and decide how much the Wings could actually put towards such a deal, arguing for or against the move on numbers alone is the wrong way to look at this scenario.

Suffice to say that if he does indeed decide to play one more year, it won’t take a fortune to secure Modano’s services in Detroit.

If the Wings want him, and he wants them, they’ll work out a very cap-friendly deal that won’t jeopardize the team’s finances moving forward.

However, even if Modano was willing to become a Red Wing pro bono, the decision to add him to the roster is still one that could impact the team, even after he does eventually retire.

The Red Wings currently have five dedicated centers on their roster, Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Valtteri Filppula, Darren Helm, and Kris Draper.

Now, according to head coach Mike Babcock, he’d like to reunite “Euro Twins” Datsyuk and Zetterberg on the Wings’ top line next season.

With Zetterberg moving to the wing, Detroit would then have the requisite four centers they need to roll the same number of lines.

However, though Filppula, Helm, and Draper would likely center lines two through four, respectively, they also have Johan Franzen and Justin Abdelkader to sub or replace as necessary, as Franzen is a natural center to begin with and Abdelkader has already filled in nicely in that capacity during his brief time in Detroit.

The point is, the Red Wings do not need another center.

However, would Modano be an upgrade over any one of Filppula, Helm, or Draper?

Possibly.

Though Modano is without a doubt one of the best centers to play in the NHL over the past 20 years, the days of him dominating games with any regularity are well past him.

However, Valtteri Filppula and Darren Helm are just beginning to realize their potential in the NHL and this year in particular is going to be huge for both of them.

Filppula has shown undeniable brilliance in executing a two-way game both in the regular season and the playoffs.

The only problem is he hasn’t shown it often enough.

At the end of the playoffs, both Filppula and Mike Babcock said that 2010-11 was going to have to be a breakout year for the Finnish center to avoid being looked at as an underachiever.

Putting Datsyuk and Zetterberg together is just the move that needs to be made to give Filppula a shot at regular second-line pivot duties.

Should he make the most of his opportunity, we just might see the 26-year-old fully blossom into the consistently dynamic, dominating forward that his talent and work ethic suggest he’s capable of being.

Regarding Darren Helm, he is essentially the heir apparent to Kris Draper in Detroit.

A lightning fast skater, aggressive fore-checker and above average hitter, Helm has, like Filppula, shown extended flashes of brilliance in his time in Detroit.

However, he is expected to take the next step towards becoming a more well-rounded contributor and getting dedicated third-line duties is just what he needs.

That brings us to Kris Draper.

At 39, the veteran center is in the last year of his contract and, almost assuredly, his last year in the league.

While he is far from the player he was 10 years ago, he can still out-skate many of his opponents and contribute on the score sheet every now and again.

Still, replacing him with Mike Modano would be a big enough upgrade if it weren’t for one thing—Mike Modano is not a fourth line player.

If Modano continues his NHL career into the 2010-11 season, he should take nothing less than a third line role with whatever club he signs with.

In the case of Detroit, that means he’d be replacing not Draper, but Helm or Filppula on one of the middle lines.

And there, as they say, is the rub.

Is displacing the team’s future embodied by Helm and Filppula worth whatever benefit Mike Modano could provide the team as a second or third line center?

I don’t think so.

At 26 and 23, respectively, Filppula and Helm still have a shot at becoming major pieces of Detroit’s future success while Modano would be little more than a nostalgic add-on with limited shelf life.

Detroit needs to get younger, not older.

Its young players need more playing time and responsibility, not less.

As such, they should thank Mike Modano for his time, wish him well, and hope he doesn’t call.

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Mike Modano to Detroit? Lets Hope Not

3, Jul 2010

According to reports, Mike Modano has only been contacted by one team so far to try and sign him for the 2010-11 season. That team is the Detroit Red Wings.

Why would the Wings be interested in Modano? Your guess is as good as mine. While Modano has had an excellent career, he has lost a lot of speed and is no more then a third liner, but not a third liner the Wings need.

With $52.7 million already tied up in just nine forwards, five defensemen, two goalies and a lot of restricted free agents to sign in Darren Helm, Justin Abdelkader, Patrick Eaves, Drew Miller, and Derek Meech, the Wings clearly don’t have much breathing room when it comes to what they can spend from here on out.

Not only do the numbers not work, but Modano clearly doesn’t fit in with this team. It is important for Darren Helm and Justin Abdelkader to receive ample playing time this season if they are in the Wings future plans, but signing Modano will ultimately push one of them to the wing or out of the lineup completely.

Modano is also not your typical third liner. He does not get involved in the physical play and will not help our third line in doing their job, which is to tire out the opposition with plenty of hits and cycling in the offensive zone.

The bottom two lines were dominated by San Jose’s bottom two lines in last year’s playoffs and Modano would not have made a difference. A healthy Patrick Eaves and an appearance from playoff tested Jiri Hudler might have.

This team has what it takes to rebound from what happened last year and Mike Modano will not improve this team in any way. All he does is take time away from the younger players who can do just as good of a job as he can at this point in his career and complicate our cap situation further.

No other team is going after Mike Modano, so why are we? Please Mr. Holland, just say no to Mike Modano.

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Mike Modano: Retiring Would Be A Fitting End to an Already Great Career

2, Jul 2010

Long-time Dallas Star, Mike Modano, was very “disappointed” that he won’t be in Dallas anymore, the franchise he played for his entire career. Dallas thought it was time to move on, and for Modano to move on as well.

But to where?           

In recent interviews, after the Stars announced they would not be resigning Modano, Modano says that he still wants and thinks he can play for a NHL team. The 40-year-old center isn’t getting any younger, casting doubt on whether he can take the brutality of another full regular season.

My advice for the man would be to retire. Modano is already an American hockey legend. He holds records for the most goals scored by an American-born player (557), most points by an American-born player(1,359), most playoff points by an American-born player in a career (145), and the most games played by an American-born forward (1,459).

Modano also holds 15 franchise records. They include games played, power play goals, goals, shorthanded goals, assists, even strength goals, points, game-winning goals, overtime goals, power play assists, penalty shots attempted, shots, goals in a season by a center, highest plus/minus in a season, and most hat tricks in a season.

Retiring now would cement Modano’s already huge reputation and the amount of respect he has with many NHL fans around the world, and it would also prevent him from somewhat losing some of that respect and reputation by playing a few more, non-productive seasons.

Everyone loved Ken Griffey, but the last few years were painful to watch, and it made many people happy that he choose to retire, knowing he couldn’t play at this level anymore. Modano can save himself from those last few years by retiring now. It would not be a bitter retirement. He’d have all the love and praise from the franchise he loves and that loves him so much as well.        

If Modano decides not to retire, there is no doubt he will get offers. As I am writing this, Espndallas.com reports Modano was contacted by the Detroit Red Wings as well as some other teams. All is still up in the air, but there are some teams that I think Modano could most likely head to.

One of those teams being the St. Louis Blues. Former Stars GM Doug Armstrong is in the St. Louis organization. It’s not uncommon for players to head somewhere a former coach, or in this case, GM is. St. Louis, a young up-and-coming team, would highly benefit from a veteran like Modano.

Another intriguing team would be Phoenix, where former Stars’s coach Dave Tippett is. It’s another case of going where a former coach or GM is.

Phoenix surprised many teams and fans last postseason, playing extremely well against the Red Wings, almost beating the Wings. The team defiantly has talent. Could Modano want another shot at a Stanley Cup with a different team? His knowledge would definitely help the young players on Phoenix.

Other than that it’s fair game and totally in the hands of Modano.

 

 

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HRM Vol. 4: Donald Brashear Back to Capitals, Mike Modano Draws Wild Interest

29, Jun 2010

The latest information to hit my desk!

The New York Rangers waived veteran enforcer Donald Brashear today, and there are some rumblings coming from a source at the Capitals that suggest the team is interested in bringing the enforcer back.

He has only one year remaining on his contract, and the Capitals lacked a fighting presence all of last season. There is no other player in the Capitals’ system that could bring what Brashear does. Don’t kid yourselves with Brandon Sugden.

Brashear to the Capitals: HRM 2

Meanwhile, the Stars announced today that Mike Modano will not be returning. Although I have personally heard that the Sharks may be a likely team to make him an offer, the real team that is doing so are the Minnesota Wild.

According to our various reports, come July 1, the Wild will make an offer to Modano so that he can finish his career where it began, in Minny.

Modano to the Wild: HRM 3

By Loeb, HRM Insider

Don’t forget to check out our official site!

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Detroit Red Wings: Holland May Offer Mike Modano a Deal, but Shouldn’t

29, Jun 2010

I’m not trying to start anything here.

I have no inside knowledge. I haven’t heard any rumors, or even whispers of rumors, from the Detroit Red Wings front office.

Just call it a hunch.

For the past two decades, the Red Wings have been the most successful franchise in the NHL.

A great deal of that success has been the result of acquiring veteran talent, often plucked from the scrap heaps of other teams.

Larry Murphy, Steve Duchesne, Brett Hull, or Luc Robitaille anyone?

But, for every one of these players, there’s a Wendel Clark or Jamie Macoun lurking in the darkness.

Someone who came in and did little to nothing to help the team.

There’s no doubt the Red Wings are erotically attracted to veteran players.

This being the case, they should jump into a cold shower until Mike Modano retires or is signed by another team.

The Dallas Stars have made it crystal clear that they will not offer Modano a new contract.

Even though he’s 40, and his best hockey is well behind him, Modano is still in excellent shape and has not decided to retire—yet.

He may still have one more year of passion and pride left.

One more year of hunger and drive to help a team win a Stanley Cup.

Modano already has more money than he can ever spend. He won’t be looking for a lucrative offer.

A one-year, $1 million deal should be enough to lure him, if offered by the right team.

Would he take that to come to Detroit, to end his career where it all began (Modano hails from Livonia, MI)?

Almost certainly.

However, as storybook-ish an ending as that would be to his fantastic career, the Wings should resist the urge to play Fairy Godmother.

As sexy an idea as it might be to have Modano suit up as a Red Wing, the fact remains that his effectiveness is waning, if not waned. He is now chronically prone to injuries.

To spend any money on Modano would be to take money away from a guy like Darren Helm or Justin Abdelkader.

While I’d never assert that either of these two would, on their very best day, rise to the level of Modano in his prime, they are nonetheless a key part of Detroit’s future.

Spending what money they have to secure a suitable swan song for hometown boys at the expense of blooming promise is a move few, not even Ken Holland, could adequately justify.

Still, if history is any guide, you’ve got to believe Modano’s availability got some wheels turning inside Ken Holland’s head.

Turning wheels of this kind are fine, so long as they break down early.

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