NHL #1

Boy do I love the NHL.

What have been the top headlines in sports? Major League Baseball being forced to embrace a suspected cheater while he rewrites history. A NBA referee accused of gambling thus compromising the legitimacy of hundreds of NBA contests. And Michael Vick; one of the most recognizable faces in a sport where everybody wears helmets, becoming public enemy number one.

A juicer, a gambler, and a dog killer have rocked the very foundation of the sports world. I would just like to thank those gentlemen. Now I know why I love the NHL so much.

Thank you Rafael Palmero, Pacman Jones, Ron Artest, and whichever Cincinnati Bengal decides to get arrested this week. Yes your sports are huge money producers and are the most popular in American. Yes women's softball and poker get higher ratings than hockey. And yes, ESPN the 'World Wide Leader In Sports' would rather air a spelling bee than a Canadians vs Avalanche game.

I still love the NHL.

Rumor Has It..

Let the bidding begin! Or not so much bidding but convincing. Who will be able to charm Peter 'The Great' into joining their team and instantly bolstering it's offense.

There is no doubt that Peter Forsberg can still perform at a high level and with his off season surgery he is hoping to have his ankle at 100%. But where does he want to play? There are only a handful of options that Forsberg is likely to entertain offers from and he is so good that the handful of teams will be waiting anxiously for his decision.

The interesting strategy in signing Peter Forsberg is all the teams he would want to play for will already be a playoff team without his help. A team could sign Forsberg and let him rest up plenty in the regular season and unleash his abilities for the playoffs. No need in putting pressure on ankles when it's clear he can be saved for a cup run.

Who are these teams? Peter has already expressed interest in joining a team he has previously played on. That means The Flyers, Predators, and Avalanche are automatically pushed to the top of his list. I would say the Predators are the least likely for him to rejoin. He didn't play there long and the new ownership obviously wants a small payroll. The Flyers would definitely make some room for him with his proven chemistry with Knuble and Gagne. I also could see Joe Sakic calling Peter closer to October and asking him to rejoin the Avs. It seemed to work in getting Ryan Smyth. Think about that one two punch. Sakic/Smyth, Forsberg/Hedjuk?

TSN.ca is reporting that the Ottawa Senators and the Vancouver Canucks are also interested in Peter Forsberg. The Canucks have a great advantage over most teams with his childhood friend Markus Naslund being the captain of the team as well as Forsberg playing with the Sedin twins during the lockout. If Peter's decision is based on personal relationships than Vancouver is in the front running.

Another rumor going around is Michael Peca is very close to signing with the New York Rangers. Peca is an unrestricted free agent who skated last year with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 33 year old center played only 35 games after suffering a broken leg scoring 15 points. Can this signing help The Rangers? Yes it should. But are The Rangers prepared to go into the 2007-2008 season with a new 1st, 2nd, and 3rd line center? Has that ever been done in history?

The Rangers had a very good season last year and just happened to run into the ultra deep President Trophy winning Buffalo Sabres. Is Michael Peca really needed? It is like The Rangers have the bases loaded and instead of trying to get a base hit they are going for the grand slam. Instead of adding some nice pieces to an already potent hockey team, they are breaking the bank. Is it a bad move? No because it shows Ranger fans how serious the team is about contending and ultimately winning. It just may not be necessary and might take away spots from some young talent.

Other news New Jersey Devils signed Paul Martin to a new 3 year deal. He will make 3 million the first year, 4 the next, and 4.5 the third. This is a lot of money for a player who has never broken the 40 point barrier but it was a must for The Devils. He is the only possible player who can be considered a true offensive defenseman on the team and with Rafalski gone his points will pick up drastically.

Borderline of Fame

The 2007 Hall of Fame class just happens to be one of those years where every player is a no brainer. There are no debates or questions; All were known as Hall of Fame players long before the announcement that made it official. Mark Messier, Ron Francis, Scott Stevens, and Al MacInnis. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said, "The players elected represent the epitome of hockey excellence. Their careers were distinguished by their skill, by their drive, by their refusal to accept anything less than the best."

There are the can't miss Hall of Fame players and then there are the borderlines. Mike Francesa, host on the popular Mike and The Mad Dog radio show, stated that if there is a question on whether a player should be in the Hall of Fame, then that player isn't a Hall of Famer. Mike believes that the Hall should be reserved for the players that there are no questions about. The greats, the very best of the best. Yet every time the debate comes up, the borderline Hall of Famers are sure to follow. Who are these players?

I'm no hockey historian, so looking at this in an all time matter wouldn't make sense. I can't have an opinion on a player I never watched. But current players are a different story. Even now you have the guaranteed guys. Joe Sakic, Jaromir Jagr, Martin Brodeur, Ed Belfour, Dominik Hasek, Brendan Shanahan, Nicklas Lidstrom, and Chris Chelios. Sorry if I missed anybody, but those guys in my opinion should and will be Hall of Fame players. Really isn't a debate for any of them is there?

Then there are the fun ones, the wild cards. Who to start off with? How about two guys I considered being locks and are sort of active, Teemu Selanne and Scott Niedermayer. Niedermayer is an interesting case just because playing in a defensive minded Devils system his stats aren't that impressive. Never had a season more than 70 points, and not since signing with the Ducks did he have one with more than 60. Do I think he gets in? Yes. A Norris trophy, Gold Medal, and a staggering 4 Stanley Cup rings (one while captaining a team) is more than enough to get him in. How about Teemu? He did have many mediocre years to go along with his offensive explosions. I think he will get in, but it is only because of his late career resurgence and that championship he got along with it.

What about the big names? The franchise players like Mike Modano and Mats Sundin. Both have over 500 goals and will continue to score. Modano has never had a 100 point year, but he does have a cup. Neither guy has led the league in points or has any type of individual trophy. Has either player made that big of an impact on a season? Probably not. Guys like these are very good for a long time. They will get in eventually because of Modano's importance the U.S.A hockey and Sundin's importance to an original six franchise.


Talking about being good for a long time, Marc Recchi has quietly put together quite a career. Best suited as a compliment to a franchise player, Recchi scored 500 goals and over 800 assists and his still productive. Again, another guy who doesn't have any individual trophy's but his 3 cups are hard to ignore. He will be a tough one because he's overlooked in the history of hockey. I say he has a good shot.

Then there are the flashy names. The names you say out loud and automatically think of offense. Tony Amonte, Alexander Mogilny, Sergei Fedorov are good examples. Mogilny does have some nice numbers, but he also has some very mediocre numbers due to injuries. Good player, but I don't think he will get in. Tony Amonte doesn't have those huge Mogilny years, but he was consistently good for 30-40 goals for practically his entire career. One of the great ironman's of the sport, he just doesn't have the stats or the credentials for the Hall of Fame. Sergei Fedorov on the other hand has it all. His numbers most definitely dipped after his last 100 point season, but with a the cups, two Selke awards and a Hart Trophy he'll get in. If he sticks around another 2-3 years, he'll probably reach 500 goals as well.

Chris Pronger and Rob Blake? Pronger is going to need a couple of more years, but he's on the way. Blake does have impressive stats, but definatley isn't a lock. At least not first ballet. Maybe if he can get himself on a cup team to go along with his Avs championship it will push him over the edge. One guy who doesn't have another couple of seasons is Eric Lindros. Like I've stated before, I think he's a Hall of Fame player. Eric Lindros was dominant. He didn't compile stats over 20 years and put together a nice career, he made an impact in the game as a top power forward. Take a look at Cam Neely's stats. They are very similar with Lindros only #88 put up better numbers and has a Hart Trophy to top it off. Simply put if Cam Neely gets the nod, so does Lindros. And so does Peter Forsberg as well. He's actually a lock in my opinion, but I'll put it here because he is an interesting case.

Rod Brind'Amour? John Leclair? Keith Tkachuk? All nice careers, but I don't think they are the type of guys who can make it. Rod "The Bod" may make an interesting case with his last two seasons of offensive output and a Stanley Cup. Keith Tkachuk will probably hit 500 goals next year if healthy and if he has another couple of years he may near 550-600. If that happens, he'll get in. But that's a big if. Leclair was a good player, but not Hall of Fame worthy.


So many great players. Or are they good players? How about very good. Hall of Fame? It's a great debate every year in every sport. So some guys are just in the borderline Hall of Fame. It could be worse, you could be Adam Oates!! Don't worry Oatesy fanatics, next year. Next year.