NHL awards/draft/off-season/training camp/preseason running thread

Re: 2007 NHL awards, draft and off-season running thread

Scott Niedermayer contemplating retirement. If he does it, I think Selanne follows him out the door.

http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?articleid=319788&page=NewsPage&service=page

 

Re: 2007 NHL awards, draft and off-season running thread

If Niedermayer retires, I also wonder if the Ducks would make a big push toward Brian Rafalski and pluck another Devils defenseman away.

The other thing I'll throw out here: If the Ducks were to sign Paul Kariya and bring him back, would Selanne return or not?

 

Re: 2007 NHL awards, draft and off-season running thread

before the orca, while they still had the black and white skate uniforms, the plan was to make the new canucks logo similar to the sharks in concept -- an angry beaver biting a stick in half on a burnt orange sweater.

cooler heads prevailed

 

Re: 2007 NHL awards, draft and off-season running thread

I am not surprised. I told some sj members I thought Niedermayer would retire after winning the Cup because he really has nothing else to accomplish...he has done it all.

 

Re: 2007 NHL awards, draft and off-season running thread

And just to recap his accomplishemnts (from Pierre Lebrun's CP story)

"He's the only player in hockey history to have won the six championships any Canadian-born player cares about: Stanley Cup, Memorial Cup, world junior gold, men's world gold, Olympic gold, and a World Cup of Hockey title."

Guy's only 33.

 

Re: 2007 NHL awards, draft and off-season running thread

That would have been awesome.

 

Re: 2007 NHL awards, draft and off-season running thread

Nice profile on Kyle Turris, the #1 overall pick in this year's draft. Many of his hockey skills were honed playing lacrosse. His dad Bruce Turris is a lacrosse legend. Also interesting is that he didn't play Major Junior but Junior A so he could maintain his NCAA eligibility --he's on scholarship at Wisconsin starting this fall.
http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/227278

There's not a hockey game that goes by now where I don't see the skills he learned in lacrosse," Bruce Turris, who now works as a consultant in the commercial fishing industry, says of his son.

"Just little things, how he can roll off a check or how he has a strong upper body when he fights for a puck along the boards. His footwork and his agility on the ice really stem from lacrosse. I think his defensive play and hand-eye co-ordination does as well."

Then there is the product of those long-ago catching games in which, says the senior Turris, "the idea was to make the stick an extension of your arm. Now he can take passes three feet off the ice, knock it down and carry on without losing a stride

 

Re: 2007 NHL awards, draft and off-season running thread

Is Niedermayer the best player of his generation? He is certainly one of the biggest winners of his time.

 

Re: 2007 NHL awards, draft and off-season running thread

Not to be a total dick, but how can you be the "#1 overall pick in the draft" when the draft isn't for another two-plus days??? ;D

Turris, while rated the #1 skater in North America by NHL Central Scouting, isn't the consensus top player available. In fact,
the scouting services (and folks around the league I know) feel London's Patrick Kane will be Numero Uno on Friday night. Unlike many years, there aren't major superstar talents in this group. Some, like Turris, Kane and Russia's Alexei Cherepanov, have loads of potential but have flaws in their game (Turris and Kane aren't overly big or strong, while Cherepanov has a reputation for turning it on and off at will). Others are solid (USA U-18 RW James Van Riemsdyk and Halifax's Jacob Voracek) but lack the sexiness of a top pick- they're considered somewhat safe picks.

Should be one of the more interesting drafts in recent years. I expect plenty of deals and surprises right from the get-go.

 

Re: 2007 NHL awards, draft and off-season running thread

Niedermayer's gray beard might have been a sign that he's got nothing left to prove. A solid player for a solid amount of time. If he leaves, does Pronger, gasp, get the C?

 

Re: 2007 NHL awards, draft and off-season running thread

Fly, you're right. He's the #1 ranked skater. I misspoke. And yes, you are being a dick. ;D

Problem is, it's not a great crop and there is no overwhelming choice for #1.

Duhatschek as usual has a good column today on the subject

http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070620.wsptduha20/GSStory/GlobeSports

Maybe the best assessment of this year's collection of teenage talent comes from the Minnesota Wild's draft guru, assistant general manager Tom Thompson, who says: "There are numerous players in this year's class that have one big question about them. And if that question is answered negatively down the line, they won't merit early draft selection. You can start right at the top with Patrick Kane. He's a hell of a hockey player, but he has to get stronger, or he's not going to be an impact player in the NHL.

In any case, as FoF has often stated, after about the 15th pick of the first round, everything else is a lottery.

 

Re: 2007 NHL awards, draft and off-season running thread

It's kind of unfair putting the Memorial Cup in there, since the Euro players of this generation of NHLers probably didn't play for that.

I'd guess there are a handful of Russians who've won the other five.