Book Review : MESSIER

I try and keep up with Hockey message boards to see what my peers are thinking every now and again. Recently a debate came up on HFboards.com, the most popular hockey message board on the planet, that pitted Scott Stevens vs Mark Messier. Who was the better leader? Now I am a New Jersey Devils fan and have basically worshipped the ground Mr. Stevens has walked...or skated on for a long time. Who the better leader was isn't a big deal. It was the lack of knowledge on Mark Messier's career that scared me.

The biography on Mark Messier written by Jeff Klein is a great in depth look at the charismatic warrior who captained two different franchises to a Stanley Cup victory. What this book really touches on that I think gets lost in the legend of Mark Messier was just how vicious the man really was. On the ice, I don't think there was a more remorseless player to ever play the game. The book doesn't miss any of Mark Messier's huge hits, after whistle scraps, or cross checks thrown after losing a face/off. Flat out, Mark Messier was a dirty player and the book does not try and hide that fact. I believe it's a testament to his greatness that hardly anybody looks at Mark as a dirty player. That's how good he was, he couldn't be considered dirty. He just did anything to win. And he would do anything for a victory.

A lot of the thoughts on Messier focus around the magical cup run in 94 and the guarantee that brought his leadership qualities on a national scale. An iconic moment in hockey and in sports that cemented Messier as one of the greatest leaders in sports. Yes it was on a bigger stage, probably the biggest stage possible in hockey, but Messier was a leader long before that on The Oilers and on Team Canada. Always in the background of Wayne Gretzky, but never overshadowed by The Great One, Mark Messier was the spark plug and emotional force behind the Oilers dynasty. Wayne wasn't the one talking during intermission in the locker room when the game got tight, it was Mark. The book does not leave any details out about the Oilers run, from the battles with The Islanders, to the contract disputes, to the personal side of the players and especially Messier.

Jeff Klein glorifies Messier in his glory days, but also does not hold back when Mark's performance tailed off towards the end. The political 'Messiah' comes out in this book as well with his Vancouver Canuck controversy's with his push for the hiring of Mike Keenan, to the captaincy issue with Trevor Linden. Also touches on The Rangers bringing him back in for his second run and refusing to accept a lesser role on the team. The biggest flaw with Messier at the end of his career was his obsession with winning, and thinking that he was the best chance of that happening. A young Messier, even a 35 year old Messier could dominate a game and basically will his team to win. Not a 38 or 40 year old. The book is very clear in the rise to prominence for Messier, but also the fall from grace.

The read is very entertaining and really informs you on the life of Messier off and on the ice. After reading this there is no possible way you could have a lack of knowledge, or a lack of respect for Mark Messier.

E-Train Derailed?

TSN.ca is reporting that Eric Lindros' future as a player may be in question. The "Big E" is an unrestricted free agent but has been focusing more on a players association role than an actual player.

"Right now my focus is the 'PA work," says Lindros. "I'm not really concerned about the rest of it. But the last couple of years have been pretty frustrating in terms of not getting through without being injury-free. . It's just frustrating."

Never known as an iron man, the last couple of years in particular have been difficult health wise for Lindros. He hasn't played more than 50 games in the last 3 seasons. Scariest part of those 3 years is his well documented concussion problems aren't even the cause of the missed games. Sore groin, bruised foot, sprained wrist, you name it Lindros couldn't skate because of them.

I won't say it's impossible, but the times of Eric Lindros being a top scorer in the leauge are over. If it wasn't for Ken Griffey Jr. or Teemu Selanne I would say it's impossible but I'll leave that open for Eric. If Lindros did decide it was time to hang up the skates, what would his legacy be? One of the most unique talents to ever skate a sheet of National Hockey League ice? Or an injury prone star, who's career ended at the age of 34 as a third/fourth line center. Or lets just take it a step further. Is he a hall of fame player?

Think what you will of Lindros since he signed with the Rangers, his years with the Philadelphia Flyers are down right scary. Never in the history of hockey was there a player like Eric Lindros. Some guys had the size, some guys had the hands, the speed, the shot, the viciousness, but nobody ever had it all at the level of #88. 6-4 and over 240 pounds, in his prime Lindros received the nickname E-Train because at full speed he would demolish anyone in his path with or without the puck. For a moment in time Eric Lindros was a dominating force in the league. He could park himself at the bottom the circle and unleash a deadly snap shot, set up teammates with 60 assists or wreck opposing players with bone crunching checks and overpowering fights. His skill was remarkable, his body mass was undeniable, and the only thing that got in his way was injuries or more specifically the shoulder of Scott Stevens.

Now does he have a hall of fame career? Put it this way. He has 865 points in 760 games. He is an Olympic Silver and Gold Medalist with team Canada. For a span of 6-7 years was a dominant player in the league and in the 94-95 season won the Hart Trophy as MVP on the league. Look at his situation like you would Pavel Bure. Both better than point per game career wise. Both dominating but tailed off due to injuries. If you ask me, both will be in the hall of fame as well.

Is it over for Eric? I believe he could contribute on a team in a limited role and as a power play specialist. Should he? Probably not. The memory I want of Eric Lindros isn't the picture of him struggling to contribute in random jerseys. It's the memory of watching a player that for a short period of time was one word. Great.

Defending The Devil


Playing the devil's advocate is a great role for anybody needing a topic to write about. In this case I may have bitten off more than I can chew. That's right, I am going to defend Alexei Yashin. Earning the nick name "Cashin", it is obvious that many NHL fans have reserved a special spot in their hearts for Alexei, usually reserved for hatred or frustration. To understand people's distaste with the former number 2 overall pick we have to understand why. Why do people dislike Alexei Yashin?

First is the biggest reason of all. His hold out of an entire NHL season. Not training camp, not a couple of weeks, not even months but the entire year. Second is the eventual contract he would sign with The New York Islanders. Third is his underachieving. Hopefully I'm not missing anything, but it wouldn't surprise me if this grocery list of negativity falls short of other haters standards.

Let me just say before I receive all the hate mail (although I could use the pubilicity) I can't and won't defend Yashin holding out an entire year. Simply put Yashin got some very bad advice. Maybe not from a financial standpoint (although he did lose around 3 million on the hold out) but from the public approval side of things the holdout was suicidal. Holding out an entire year is outrageous and there is no way I can back him up on that. What I can back up is the fact he decided to hold out. Let me clarify this, should he have held out an entire year? God no. But can I see the reason behind him deciding to hold out.

Alexei Yashin at the time of the hold out was making around 3 million a year. Not a bad living, but was it worth his production? The year before his hold out Alexei Yashin was sixth in the NHL points wise with 94 points in 82 games. He was also a candidate for the Hart Trophy as the most valuable player in the league. Yashin obviously led the Ottawa Senators in points with 94. Who was second on the team? Shawn McEachern. How many points did Shawn produce that year compared to Yashins' 94? 56. That number is staggering. The closest person to Alexei Yashins career year on his team was shy just about 40 points. Alexei Yashin carried the 98-99 Ottawa Senator team to an outstanding record that slotted them second in the Eastern Conference and third in the league behind the Dallas Stars and New Jersey Devils. That sounds like a franchise player to lock up with a long term deal.

But what about his playoff performance! That very career year, Alexie Yashin was held pointless against Buffalo in a four game sweep. Yes, he was awful in the playoffs. As was his entire team. To give the entire team credit for their regular season success, but place the blame on Yashin for their postseason failures is wrong. Without Alexei Yashin, the Ottawa Senators would of not had 44 wins. He was the best player on one of the best teams in the league. He didn't get shut down by some team, he got shut down by a Buffalo team that ended up in the finals that year.

Hold outs are something that happen in sports. Can the players live off their current salaries. Of course. But it's not a matter of making what you can live off of, but comparing your salary to players at your performance level. Who had a Yashin type of season that year? Paul Kariya? 8.5 million, and about to sign a 3 year deal for 30 Million. Eric Lindros? 8.5 Million. Peter Forsberg? 6 million, and about to sign a deal for 3 years that would pay him 8 million, 9 million, and the final year 9.5 plus a 3 million dollar bonus. Are those players better than Yashin? Some could argue of course, but that year they were comparable. Or were they? Eric Lindros joined his teammate John Leclair on the top scorers list, Kariya had Teemu Selanne, and Peter Forsberg had Joe Sakic. Yashin had a player with 56 points. Not only was Yashin comparable to these players, some would say he was even more valuable. All of a sudden, his salary of 3 million makes him underpaid. Yashin knew this, his agent most certainly knew this, and so did the franchise. The very fact the team allowed Yashin to hold out the entire year, proves it.

Did Yashin have a right to hold out? From the stats it looks like locking up your franchise player would be a great idea. Holding out an entire year? Not so much.

Which brings us to our next reason everybody hates Yashin. Underachieving. Alexei Yashin has struggled in the playoffs. That is obvious. Has he been horrible? No. In 40 playoff games Yashin has 27 points. Not what you would expect from a franchise player, but he doesn't stink up the joint in every series either. As for regular season underachieving look at it this way. Yashin has played in 11 NHL seasons. 8 of those seasons he has lead his team in points. 8 out of 11, and if it wasn't for injuries it would be 11 out of 11. Whatever situation Alexei Yashin was put in, he was offensivley the best player on that team. That doesn't sound like an underachiever to me. Some players just aren't clutch, doesn't mean they aren't valuable.

Why else do we hate Yashin? Well because his name is Cashin, and he signed a massive contract with The New York Islanders. And we hate him why? Because somebody backed up a dump truck of money on his front lawn and he decided to start picking up the cash? The Islanders thought they could build their franchise around a star center in his prime. Was it a lot of money? Yes. Was it overpaying? Yes again. Do you blame Yashin for that? For the first time in his career Yashin was being paid like the franchise player he emulated for 4 years. In the end the contract was a bust and Alexei wasn't worth the money although they made the playoffs 4 out of the 5 years he was on the team.

This debate is in perfect timing, with Alexei Yashin being a free agent for the first time in six years. Surpisingly two weeks after the bidding was allowed to begin, Yashin is still waiting for a contract. How much money does he deserve? I'm not quite sure, but any team in the league could use a player with his offensive abilities. 2.5 Million, 3 million, even 4 million would be worth the risk in my opinion. Maybe if everybody stopped viewing him as the devil, they would realize it as well.

No Big Deal?

So we all know about the blockbuster signings that shaked the very core of hockey as we know it. It was all very exciting but as we were all pointing and laughing at The Islanders (sorry couldn't resist) there were some very nice deals that went under the free agent radar. They didn't make any headlines really, until now.

Jocelyn Thibault- I bet half of you guys didn't even know he was available on the open market. Well neither did I until I researched this article. Who signed him? The Buffalo Sabres. Why bring it up? Well for starters the Sabres can replace Biron as the reliable back up for their often injured starting goaltender. But it's interesting that the Pens would let Thibault go. I guess that really means Marc-Andre Fleury is prepared for full time duty. Or at least they hope so.

Kevin Weekes- Great signing by The New Jersey Devils aquiring a veteran back up for Martin Brodeur. It has been a long time coming (although Corey Schwab was damn good at backing up Marty) but finally we can see Brodeur take some rest during the regular season. Kevin Weekes a couple of years ago was competing for starting goaltending positions so we know he can perform. He is a solid pick up and the fact that he makes a pretty penny ensures that he will get his games in and Brodeur will be forced to sit. That's right, force him!

Mike Comrie- Call me crazy, but I am a huge fan of Mike Comrie. I think we all tend to forget how young he really is just because he's been around forever. He's 26 and just dying to put up some huge offensive numbers. I don't know if he can do it on Long Island with Billy Guerin, but why not take the risk? Put some talent on his wings, and this guy is at LEAST 30 30. Good deal.

Jeremy Roenick- So J.R retires, and nobody thinks it's a big deal? Come on, I know he wasn't the most liked guy in the NHL but he had something that 90% of the league doesn't have. A personality!! Like him or hate him, the former back to back 50 goal scorer was a quote machine and was good for the game. Every sport has the one big mouth who makes everybody laugh, Roenick was ours and we were better off for it.

Mike York- The Coyotes signed the former Ranger and I think it's a good move for the same reason Mike Comrie was a good move. It shouldn't hurt. It's a one year deal at a decent price that can have a high upside. He's had some rough years as of late, but remember the FLY line? In the right situation this guy can put up some nice numbers. Who knows, maybe this is the right situation again.

Dallas Drake- Around deadline day the same question always comes up. Who will the Detroit Red Wings sign to add some toughness? Well we didn't have to wait long to get the answer. Dallas Drake is nothing special at offense. He can chip in here and there but that's not his job. This move is strictly preperation for a playoff run. He loves to finish his checks, score crucial goals and is not a defensive liability. He is perfect for Detroit, especially with the loss of Bertuzzi's physicality.

So they weren't the biggest deals in history. Or the biggest deals this year. Or the biggest deals of the hour. But with the exception of J.R retiring, all these signings could be very big deals to the clubs that offered them.

In Defense of...

You know what I can't believe it. I am actually going to defend the New York Rangers and their signings of Scott Gomez and Chris Drury. I've heard a lot of Ranger fans guarentee a cup with those deals, which is ridiculous and a bit premature but the signings are far from bad. FAR from it.

Lets just put this one comparison to rest. The Bobby Holik deal to NY is not comparable to the Scott Gomez deal to NY. Yes both came from the same team and yes both men ended up signing huge deals. And yes both scored around 55-60 points the years before their massive pay days. But let me repeat, they are not comparable.

The Bobby Holik signing was looked at like the saving of the franchise. The Rangers for many years were rancid on defense. Just ask Mike Richter's knees. How do you solve that problem? Well by signing the best defensive forward in the best defensive system of course. Great in theory but it really didn't pan out. In fact it sucked. Bobby Holik within time became the teams #1 center and could not do his job properly to try and even justify the contract. Holik was put on the list with Eric Lindros, Pavel Bure, and Alexi Kovelov of players who could not turn the team around.

Fast forward to the signing of Scott Gomez. Scott Gomez is not looked at as the savior of the franchise, because the franchise is no longer in need of saving. The Rangers did not need to sign Scott Gomez. In fact they probably needed Chris Drury more than Scott Gomez because they had a formidable partner for Jagr in Nylander. Now since they didn't need Scott Gomez, why did they sign him? Age. With the long term deal of Scott Gomez, the New York Rangers don't have to worry about a #1 center for a long time. He's only 27 guys. He's only going to get better, and just the thought of him and Jagr clicking gives me nightmares.

As for Chris Drury. Why not? The team needed a second line center, and as long as nobody expects Drury to put up more than 70 points it will make sense. I've always thought of Chris Drury as overrated, because in reality he is the best player in the biggest games of the year but his play doesn't get you to the biggest games of the year. He'll get you that game winning overtime goal, but he'll also get you very mediocre numbers on the way there. But hey, I've always known that, and as long as everybody else does the signing is gold.

The only negative I can take from this scenerio is you are taking away Nylander who is a provin linemate for the moody #68. What if Gomez doesn't work out with Jagr? I know it's a long shot, but Brett Hull and Wayne Gretzky didn't exactly mesh. You are taking away what is for what should be. Do I think Scott Gomez and Jaromir Jagr will be a flop? No I don't. But I'm not betting my last dollar on it either.

Either way, it's kind of hard to fault Mr. Sather for the moves he made.