Trudging Towards the Predator, Challenge and Omnivore

Well, once again its a 4-GM RACE for the Predator.

The Shadow looks at the teams and the competition and if Crosby is back for the last 2 weeks, the Kipper gets Calgary into the post-season, and Carcillo doesn't get benched for his massive, undiscplined PIMs, the Highlanders will probably pick up both the Omnivore [repeat] and then BECOME repeat PREDATOR champions again. However, Pronger's suspension may slow him down...or those +/- gambles...


Then they are the Bladerunners, hoping to lock up game 1 of the Challenge Cup [after qualifying on the last week and then barely eliminating the aforementioned Highlanders, 2-1]. They are still the team to beat, but they're offence has gone soft [except for the inspired call of Gagner]. They need their fps iggie pop and the new pit hossa to score or else...of course where's the defence.

The Wolves are spirall,ing, yet have constructed a team only 3 pts back entering the weekend. They probably have the best shot at a 3rd Omnivore and maybe even their 1st Predator! They go well as Montreal goes...plus having Brodeur does not hurt.

The Severed Heads have injuries at centre that will slow them down but having control [for now] of the Pens offence doesn't hurt...Malkin, Gonchar and stability on the wings at D and esp. at goal [which he ironically admonishes himself] is saving him.

Week 26 and 27 will be exciting at the top.

Outliers the Shadowmen will attempt to hang onto 5th and the Omnivore, though despite the fact they have won this award back to back, they have placed 2nd 6 times and perhaps 7th again as both the Highlanders and Wolves have much stronger teams...

Unless there is a miracle The Knights Templar will be awarded their 2nd Herbivore. 4 other teams have this sad distinction including the Severed Heads...

FP Ovechkin hit 60 goals with 8 games to go. 1st since Jagr's 62 and Mario's 69 in 1996! The Gm of the Edge is now within striking distance of 7th place...

Now what will the Great Whites do with Lundqvist fp and Price p1. Trade the fp for a forward or defence fp?

Hart Trophy ?

1. Ovechkin
2. Malkin
3. Brodeur
4. Nabakov
5. Kovalev

Comments...Ideas?

First Round Predictions

Well, this is the culmination of an exercise that has been ongoing for just about every conversation I've had with poolies this off-season. Here are my thoughts - which of course should not be considered accurate nor particularly revealing.

1. The Knights Templar - Spezza-C Ott FP

No better time to replace an FP than when you have the top pick and a lousy FP well over 30 who isn't getting any better. Goodbye Naslund, hello Spezza.

2. The Highlanders - Kiprusoff-G Cgy

They were probably hoping Spezza would slip, and they'll consider Lecavalier, but Kipper is who they actually need.

3. Bladerunners - Lecavalier-C TBay

Brian might consider the best LW available but its my bet he can't pass up the higher scoring Lecavalier.

4. The Edge - St Louis-R TBay

Edge mgt. have to know there is a strong chance that the best three candidates for an FP will go exactly as predicted above, and so the Edge will hang on to Elias and not make an FP replacement gamble by dropping him. St Louis is a logical choice for the Edge as he fills a need, and is also the highest scoring player left on the board not a goaltender.

5. Personal Vendetta - Briere-C Pha

Darrell will pursue Briere for three reasons; he needs a centre desperately with Forsberg still a question mark, he's had Briere previously and loves the guy already, and there is still an outside chance Forsberg re-signs with Pha giving him a lethal 1-2 punch.

6. The Shadowmen - Lundqvist-G NYR FP

The Shadowmen have just dealt Sakic to the Wolves for a package of stuff, and I expect he'll look at the 25 year old puck-stopper to be his linchpin moving forward.

7. The Ramapithicines - Alfreddson-R Ott

In a shocking move the knuckledraggers take a forward with their first pick. But it's only shocking if you don't notice first that they have no elite forwards but do have a pretty stocked set of defensemen. Alfie is also a long time team favourite, and he fits both the teams needs and historical preferences.

8. The Lost Boys - Gonchar-D Pit

If there is a GM that has the same penchant for D-men that the knuckledraggers do, it's the guy in charge of the Lost Boys. Taking Gonchar here (and subsequently not trading him for a sandwhich and bag of pucks to Doug), will go a long way to rebuilding the GMs shattered psyche.

9. The Scourge - Zetterberg-L Det FP

I think there is an excellent chance that the Scourge GM will get either Zetterberg or Datsyuk at this spot. Given what I predict so far, he'll have his choice of the two and take the younger guy. Bye bye Mats Sundin.

10. The Wolves - Gagne-L Pha

The Wolves will be loaded at Centre (Sakic, Kopitar, Stastny), defense (Phaneuf) and goal (Luongo), and desperately need wingers at either side to fill the team out. So he'll curse the stars that Zetterberg goes immediately before he picks, and select the next best option on his list.

11. The Severed Heads - Gaborik-Min

The Heads need wingers, and they know that the GW's only really need Starboard guys, so the best bet given what has happened so far is that they scoop the injury prone Gabby before the GW's can.

12. Great Whites - Kaberle-D Tor

By this point my lists suggest the GW's GM is cursing the fact that all the RW at the top of his list have vanished, and that rather than chase the curve downwards below the positions actual value, he'll pursue a defenseman. With Gonchar and Whitney gone, and Schneider and Boyle hurt, Kaberle is left as the best pure puck-rusher remaining. The possibility that the GW's back up the Kaberle pick with a second defenseman at pick 13 (McCabe? Rafalski?) is also high.

Gone as FPs: Naslund, Niedermayer, Sundin, Jovanovski

In as FPs: Spezza, Lundqvist, Zetterberg, Whitney

Wide Open: The 2007-08 Entry Draft lacks consensus

With our FUNHL season rapping up (with kudos, congratulations, etc. ever more likely owed to Doug) our eyes turn towards the next big NHL event of mega-importance.

No, not the playoffs (cuz really, who cares?), no I'm talking about the NHL Entry Draft!

This draft has long been suggested to lack a 'franchise' talent (more on that later), but that it does have some very talented players available.

But just how lacking in obvious talent is this draft? I reviewed the following sources;

TSN (International Scouting Services)

1. Cherepanov
2. Kane
3. Turris
4. Van Riemsdyk
5. Voracek
6. Alzner
7. Couture
8. Gagner
9. Ellerby
10. Mayorov

The Hockey News has it;

1. Kane
2. Van Riemsdyk
3. Alzner
4. Turris
5. Gagner
6. Esposito
7. Cherepanov
8. Voracek
9. Sutter
10. Ellerby

(turns out the Hockey Prospects list is currently the same as ISS)

As you probably know, the Great Whites currently hold the contract rights for Angelo Esposito, and the Severed Heads currently have the rights to Logan Couture.

Let me add that not only has no player risen to the top to be the clear talent, but the words used by scouts everywhere were 'uninspiring'.

The Cameron Theory of Franchise Players Alert!

Under my theory, the first forward taken in any given NHL ED year will be 'Franchise Player' calibre 75% of the time (there are two corollaries, avoid the first forward chosen in any draft where the first two players picked are defensemen, or goaltenders, and use caution in drafts scouts consider 'weak').

This is now officially a 'weak' draft. You've been warned.

My FUNHL bets are;

1. Cherepanov
2. Esposito
3. Kane
4. Van Riemsdyk
5. Couture

The Forsberg Questions

His ankles have been abused, his feet no longer fit comfortably into normal or even exceptionally constructed skates, and he has a history of groin issues, and other physical breakdowns from the hard core way he plays the game.

- If you are the Flyers, do you trade him?

Yes

- What can you get for him?

About what they are asking for; a first round pick and or a decent to awesome prospect.

- Who wants him?

Everybody will consider it, but a Western team in the hunt for the playoffs with cap space - and there are several - will be the obvious contenders.

Calgary: Other Gms don't ask for Phaneuf anymore because they already know the answer. Does Matthew Lombardi + a first get you Forsberg? Maybe. Throw in Brent Krahn-G prospect? Boyd? The Flames don't have a home-run prospect, but they have several who are above average and possess grit - making them ideal trade bait in this situation (ie. Boyd could easily be a Flyer couldn't he? Can't you see Nystrom as a Flyer?) However the deal happens, the Flames would instanty become the prohibitive Cup favourites. Foppa would join fellow Swede Huselius on a slick offensive unit (The Conroy-Iginla affair is back in bloom). Calgary fans would openly plan the parade while Oiler fans would become sucidal. The battle of Alberta would be totally lopsided again, only Calgary would be the dominant driver seat team. Please Cthullu, kill me last so I can see this happen.

Anaheim: Bobby Ryan, a first + change (a defenseman, or later round pick) looks like the winning deal to me. Burke will probably balk at putting Getzlaf or Perry into the mix - but he certainly could. The overall structure will end up depending on the status of Forsberg's wheels and what else might be coming back in the deal to Anaheim (i.e. would the Flyers include Jeff Carter to get Getzlaf+Perry?!?). When all is said and done, Detroit is the obvious choice, but Anaheim is the first place I would start shopping.

Detroit: At first glance this seems obvious. It also does at second. Kronwall and a 1st? That might do it. Grigorenko, Howard, and a 1st? Stefan Liv? Throw in Dan Cleary? Detroit is home to a bunch of elite Swedes who would love to give Mo-town a post-Stevie-Y Cup celebration, and Forsberg may well have included them as one of his preferred destinations to speed things along, but there isn't an obvious deal to make the Flyer braintrust happy in terms of the prospect they are getting back.

Should the Personal Vendetta keep him as an FP?

If they are in the top 4-5 as of Saturday morning, YES. If not, no matter what his decision for next year, or thereafter, it is I think more likely than not that Forsberg is having his PV farewell tour right now.

Will the PV trade Forsberg?

No. Forsberg is simply a love object at this stage. He's below a ppg, constantly hurt, always a threat to return to Sweden, on a crap team, without elite linemates (consider Gagne's stats sans the Forsbergian one), ready to retire, or have a limb fractured. In short, why would anyone want him?

Having said all that, here are 4 possible FUNHL scenarios to contemplate:

Scenario1: Forsberg is dealt to Detroit in real life and his numbers perk up to ppg+. Elias in NJ goes down for the rest of the year, or merely continues to suck, and like last year, the Edge begin to flirt with oblivion. Here's what happens;

---> Edge: Forsberg-C Det FP, Briere-C Buf, and a warm body at left.

---> PV: Elias-L NJ FP, Corey Perry-R P2, Edge 1st PRD in 07-08

The keys here are that Forsberg becomes a shorterm massive improvement on Elias and that the Edge is in danger of taking home bad hardware. It would be the first time Elias has ever played anywhere other than for the Edge.

Scenario 2: Forsberg is dealt to Anaheim and goes nuclear. Doug might think of something like;

---> Highlanders: Forsberg-C ANA FP,

---> Personal Vendetta: Richards-C TBay FP (inj, mysterious suckitude, or simply unexpected sub-superstarness)

....and Darrel might just take it. The key is simply that Forsberg be much hotter than Richards, the natural incentives of the pool will do the rest.

Scenario 3: Injuries to vital players on the Highlanders and Bladerunners put the Great Whites back within striking distance, Forsberg is hot in Calgary, and the previously ppg+ Marleau goes cold. I don't get the sense that the Great Whites are invested heavily in Marleau, and if they felt they had a real shot at the title we could easily see something like;

---> Great Whites: Forsberg-C Cgy FP

---> PV: Marleau-C SJ FP (inj)

The stumbling blocks are that the Great Whites are slipping further away from the leaders rather than closing on them, and that Marleau is both younger and superior to Forsberg at the moment.

Scenario 4: and ultimately - the most likely trade of all;

---> Shadowmen: Forsberg-C Pha

---> PV: an FP + assorted stuff