Avalanche of Former Players Taking Over Colorado

The addition of Patrick Roy to the new look Colorado Avalanche front office just adds to the glory days look that started with Joe Sakic getting upgraded to a new position. Who knows how Peter Forsberg or Adam Foote fit into it, but you can be assured that if there was a spot and they were interested-- it'd happen. But does it really mean all the things will change and start going the Avalanche's way??

So long as Greg Sherman is there-- no, it won't. While they do look good with the old time names they brought back, Sherman's decision making is still going to be there and could really hamstring the team when all is said and done. Of course, the fact that he could be getting pushed out with all these moves may change the way he goes about free agency; but rest assured that if there's a hiccup, Sherman will be the next one to go as there's no one else to place the blame on in the old regime.

Sherman aside, Roy is going to be getting the Avs the press they have lacked in the past few years. Sure, the last time we saw Roy behind the bench in the NHL; he was traded to Colorado a few days later, but it helped the Avs become who they are. A big question is whether or not he'll be able to bring his success in the Major Junior ranks to the NHL stage. Of course, the team's age is perfect for his transition with the youth already on the roster and either Seth Jones, Nathan MacKinnion, or Jonathan Drouin being plugged into the line-up next year.

Considering what both Brent Sutter and Dale Hunter have done with their transition from Major Juniors to NHL, Roy shouldn't have too much of a problem. A lot of his peers, including Foote and Hunter, have said that Roy's pedigree should allow him to do well in the NHL, regardless of the past incidents he has had behind the bench and in the media. That kind of passion will probably be more harshly criticized than it would be in the QMJHL, yet I don't think getting handcuffed is what Roy or the Avs would want to happen for it to all work out.

Not all reunions work out as they are supposed to. There are times where it falls flat and then it makes people wonder why it happened at all. Roy has been rumored to be the next guy to move to the NHL for a couple years, mostly linked to the Montreal Canadiens, and if he's as good as the anticipation-- he's going to provide the Avalanche with the boost they have needed since he and Sakic have left.

Will Past Players Cure Caps' Present Woes??

First, it was Dale Hunter. He left and then Adam Oates stepped in. In addition, Calle Johansson just got hired there to assist Oates. Add in Olaf Kolzig to the mix; you've got yourself a nice roster from the 1998 Washington Capitals Eastern Conference Championship team. However, this has been the coaches for the Capitals in the past 12 months (though Kolzig has been there longer as the associate goalie coach).

Is this a good step for the Caps?? It's great for the fans, as the nostalgia keeps on coming from the olden days when the Caps were all about hype, but never having the playoff success for the long-term. While reliving the olden times is something that may be good to some, this whole thing could be a smokescreen for the re-tooling and tinkering that the Caps have been going through for the past couple of seasons.

The fact that Oates is the fifth straight first-time NHL coach for the Caps could be a cause for alarm, regardless of how highly touted he is for the job. That said, there wasn't too many coaches out there on the open market that would have fit what the Caps needed; therefore it seems that Oates was the best candidate with what has out there...at least, that's what most fans are hoping.

While Johansson did assistant coach in Sweden for a season, that was over five seasons ago and may not translate into the NHL game as well as many would hope. The good part about him coming, however, is the learning experience that the Caps defensemen will be able to get it. The guys that could get the most out of it may be the pairing of Karl Alzner and John Carlson-- though Alzner more than Carlson since his game is a more stay-at-home, which Johansson is renowned for in the Capitals folklore.

But I return to the smokescreen reference. It's almost as if the Caps are just parading out the old stars from happier times to lessen the blow when it comes to the performance of the team. While that could just be a wild thought process I'm having-- the excuse of, "Oh, it's a first year coach in his first job and he still has to work out the kinks to his players working in his system" is built in and may be more than some Caps fans to bear if there's a disappointing end to next season.

If this were all work out, it would be a great thing for the organization and the fans; but it's hard to get over the fact that the Caps have been on the cusp of something big-- but something just hasn't been able to get over that last hurdle. The inclusion of first-time coach after first-time coach may not be the thing that gets the team over the top. There's a time for rebuilding and tinkering around with a team's philosophy and to try out new thing. It's not typically the right route for a team who is only a few years removed from being the top of their conference and a President's Trophy winner.

Why Does Brent Sutter Hate His Job??

With his season on the line, with little margin for error-- Brent Sutter went into Vancouver's Rogers Arena knowing that he needed to win-out to even had a chance. Who else would he turn to but his only hope in net-- Henrik Karlsson.

Wait, what??

Sure, in the end, Karlsson was solid and they did pick up a point in the overtime loss; the fact remains that this is a continuation of the follies that has happened during Brent Sutter's tenure as the Calgary Flames head coach. Sutter has been behind the Flames bench for three seasons, each of which he did not qualify for the second-season. With not playing the starting, franchise goalie in a must-win game, combined with a few weeks ago not putting in his top scorers in the shootout-- you have to wonder if Sutter is doing this all on purpose or not. While a lapse in judgement is possible, the fact remains that some of these decisions are head-scratchers and makes many wonder if he was possessed or not when making these moves.

While some "experienced" scribes believed that Sutter may deserve a contract extension because of the team's second half surge (then going on TV that same week and say he could be going to Edmonton to coach there); the results when all is said and done, Sutter shouldn't be behind the Flames bench. I don't know who should, but I know that Sutter probably isn't the guy if he can't get anything out of this team for three seasons. Plus, he isn't GM Jay Feaster's guy-- which could make a bumpy ride for Sutter when he eventually goes out the door.

It's quite interesting on how Sutter was able to succeed (relatively speaking) with the New Jersey Devils, but when he moved closer to home and with family-- and possibly a better forward roster-- Sutter hasn't been able to get much of anything out of the the Flames or when he does....it's far too late to make up the ground lost. The awful part about this is that Sutter can't play the game, which doesn't help the slumps and injuries that have happened-- but at the same time; there's plenty of points that the team left out there and since you can't fire the players or grill them all the time, you have to look higher-- which is Sutter.

The start of this tenure seemed like a match made in hockey heaven-- the brothers Sutter combining to give the Flames a spark and bring back the mucking-and-grinding glory that propelled the team to the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals. Coming back to his home Province and only 90 minutes south of where he built a Major Junior empire with the Red Deer Rebels, bringing along players like Cam Ward and Dion Phaneuf-- Brent would be the guy to help the veterans stay hungry and develop the youngsters to be like the seasoned vets.

Even so, it ended in the brothers not talking, then Darryl getting fired, then just a downward spiral from that point forward. The players should be held accountable, but the fact that Brent couldn't get the motivation needed for the crucial time of the year, it says more about the leadership behind the bench rather than those on the ice.

In a mere couple games, this whole dream could become a nightmare that many fans would want to forget. So much promise, so much miss opportunities. So much for "Every Game Matters," eh Flames??

Where Will Wilson Land??

With his firing, Ron Wilson becomes the belle of the coaching ball and there's plenty of upcoming suitors that will be going after his services. Yet the big onus could be on putting him into the right position in order to have success with any team. Even with that, the playoff success is one that is another question-- especially for a team who may or may not want to actually want to advance further than they have. Wilson has been to the Cup Finals once and Conference Finals once, but other than that-- if his team makes the playoffs, it all ends after round two; which for some teams, won't be enough.

One place that has been under fire for coaching has been the Washington Capitals, a team that Wilson has coached before and took to the Stanley Cup. While Dale Hunter is still learning the ropes as a NHL coach, the demand from the fans and upper management may not fit what Hunter has to offer-- even if given a full off-season to get a game plan going. I tweeted a tongue-in-cheek line about the Caps bringing an old coach back; but apparently-- a buddy of mine at the 5-0 Caps loss to the Devils, said that there was a "We Want Wilson" chant in the Verizon Center.

Now, I don't know if it was in frustration or in jest from the many fans who remember Wilson's tenure-- or just hatred of Hunter's tenure-- but a return to Washington may not be a bad idea in the front, but the playoff issues are of a concern. That said, if Wilson would let the stars of the team be as free-wheeling as they were before the huge system change under Bruce Boudreau-- the odds of being successful could very well be fantastic for the Caps. However, that also buries Hunter and his legacy in DC, making everyone in the situation look horrible.

If not DC, then the other option would possibly be Columbus and the Blue Jackets. While Todd Richards has done a respectable job in the interim as coach, the ability to seize someone like Wilson and help him guide a team like the Blue Jackets may be fantastic for the organization and possible coax Rick Nash to want to stay. Though, Columbus may not be the best fit for Wilson and he may not want to actually be in that market with so many question attached to their future and ability to get players onto the team via free agency.

Two Canadian teams that could go after Wilson may be Montreal and Edmonton. The thing that hinders Wilson for the Canadiens is his possible lack of French, which would make people rise-up in an uproar, despite being the best candidate for the job. Edmonton may be a little more realistic, as Tom Renney could be on his last legs there. The fact that Wilson would inherit a great young core of forwards, he may fit in well with the pick-up of some defensive assets. One final destination could be the New York Islanders, but it seems Charles Wang and Garth Snow could be keen on keeping Jack Capuano behind the bench for the long-term.

While the reality of the situation is that maybe two of these teams would be very interested in having Wilson as a coach, odds are he may not be out on the open market for long. With his coaching abilities and decent track record overall, added to his technological advances behind the bench-- it could be great for a younger team that is on the cusp. Yet, with his inability to get the Maple Leafs over the hump could show that a once great coach could have let the game pass him by and he may not be a fit for any team, regardless of the history that he has.

Capital Punished

While it may be throwing the baby out with the bath water after another loss against a top tier team and their back-up (Thomas Greiss' Sharks won 5-3), you have to wonder how much time the Capitals have with Dale Hunter behind the bench and George McPhee as the GM. Sure, it's not been a good year all around and you could blame injuries, but it's proving that the Caps are not adjusting as well as many thought they would.

The Dale Hunter ideal is an interesting one because you have to wonder if owner Ted Leonsis will give him a full off-season to work with in order to get his schemes down and to pass along to the players. He acquired Bruce Boudreau's team and really hasn't had that much time to adjust the players to his system. If he gets a full off-season, he could be able to turn the team around.

With GMGM, you have to think that he's out unless it shows that Leonsis is too loyal and too proud to actually let him go. GMGM has been through the rough times and built a winner-- even though in the playoffs-- not much came from it. He was able to get the Caps relevant again, but in an off-season where many thought McPhee stole Tomas Vokoun away from everyone-- he hasn't has much to show from it. If the Caps fail to make the playoffs, he'd be the first to go.

One also has to wonder why they would throw Braden Holtby to the wolves, calling him up in the morning, waiting until he gets to Washington in the afternoon to tell him he's starting. Vokoun being sick is one thing to call him up, but is Michal Neuvirth not good enough to start back-to-back games?? That should speak volumes in confidence of the goalies right now.

That said, the Caps still have about one-third of a season to go and do have a history of making late-season runs to the playoffs-- most notably the run in 2006-07, winning down the stretch to knock off the Carolina Hurricanes to win the Southeast and get into the playoffs. We'll have to see if this team has something left in them and if they get the confidence and awareness to actually show and play the last 20+ games in the season.

Another Post on Trivial Times in Montreal

The headline reads "Un Genou Au Sol." Or, for Randy Cunneyworth, "Knee on the Ground" and for those who want to REALLY simplify it-- "Death Kneel."

That's the state that the Montreal media has when it comes the the 17-21-8 Montreal Canadiens. In this day in age, in the riches this franchise has had for the better part of the century-- the media and everyone around the team seems to be treating this season like it's the worst ever in the storied history of the franchise. Yet, when you look at the past two decades, it could be a lot worse.

In fact, should the Habs not be able to catch-up those for wins their fans will so desperately crave to prove their own self-worth through a hockey club-- this would only be their eighth season under .500 since the 1950-51 season. That's right, readers-- in the past 61 years, the Montreal Canadiens have only had SEVEN seasons under the .500 mark in their record not including this year. Many teams would hope to be around for 61 years in the same place, much less be over .500 in those 55 years.

The 1950-51 season was the one that is the starter for this, where the Habs went 25-30-15 in the 70 game season under Dick Irvin's helm during the original six days. After that, you have to really fast-forward to the 1983-84 season where the 35-40-5 record yielded two coaches of Bob Berry and Jacques Lemaire were steering the ship. Though the shortened season of 1995 put the 18-23-7 record under Jacques Demers, the 1996-97 team under Mario Tremblay's watch is where the recent troubled waters could stem from-- as they went 31-36-15, where the 1998-99 franchise with Alain Vigneault had a 32-39-11 standing at season's end. Then a split between Vigneault and Michel Therrien went 28-40-8 in 2000-01, while the last sub-500 team was the 2002-03 season, where Therrien and Claude Julien finished with a 30-35-8 record.

But because of the heritage this team has in the annals of hockey history, because of the cultural mark they have with the French-Canadian contingent-- the team will forever be under the microscope, maybe even more than the Toronto Maple Leafs. You could see that on display when it comes to the Cunneyworth protests a number of people had a few weeks ago shows that. The fact that the coach's language skills gets more press and more heat than the team that was put together by the French-Canadian GM shows that the cultural aspect of things means more to the people at some points than winning, especially if it hides the fact that the moves of one are masked.

Yet, Spector's Hockey's Lyle Richardson amongst others have suggested that it's time to clean house from top to bottom. Some say it's because the cultural aspect has gotten in the way of winning, others thing the right people aren't in there; but the formula is close. I believe that there's too many excuses and too many unsolved distractions from the top to the viewing public which is completely screwing over this team and what they are trying to do-- it's only welcoming havoc to arise.

While this season won't be the worst ever in the past six decades for the Canadiens, something in the air has panic abound from the general public in the area, which then expands to the entire country, then into the entire hockey world. While it could only be much ado about nothing in the end of things, the buzz we're getting half-way into the season for a team that's only four games under par shows that the hockey crazed market may want to check itself into an asylum before they become their own worst enemy.

Southeast Shuffle

In a span of two hours, Guy Boucher became the longest tenured coach in the Southeast Division. Both Bruce Boudreau of the Washington Capitals and Paul Maurice of the Carolina Hurricanes were fired. Replacing them were Dale Hunter and Kirk Muller (rumored) respectively.

First, for the Capitals-- I guess if you give the people what they want, like old colors, jerseys, and players-- then you let the prisoners run the asylum. That said, if there's a hard-ass guy to get the team to pay attention and give effort-- it's Dale Hunter.

That said, Bruce Boudreau probably wasn't the guy to get the Caps over the hump after four seasons of trying. He lost the room and wasn't getting the effort from the guys that he needed to. When you have your star player who's signed long-term and your coach at odds-- the coach always loses out. Though Boudreau's tenure yielded the revitalization of the Capitals, he just never seemed to have the killer instinct needed. Going 201-88-40 will only give you so much reputation before the dismal playoff record comes up. Best of luck to Boudreau, who did a lot of the Caps in the long-run.

When it comes to the new coach, Dale Hunter is a legend in the Caps history. He's a guy who was a hard-nosed player and will probably be a hard-nosed coach. Yet, it's going to be a learning curve for a guy who hasn't coached a NHL game before. Sure, he was the fastest coach to win 300 and 400 games in the OHL and is only 49 away from 500; but it's two different dynamics. That said, I think he'll bring a different message to the room; holding more guys accountable and really laying into them because his number is hanging in the rafter and seems to care a lot about the franchise. We'll see how it goes.

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As far the Hurricanes are concerned-- fool Jim Rutherford once, shame on you; but if you fool him twice, shame on him. It seems that the second tenure of Paul Maurice ended as fouly as the first....but like every jokester on Twitter noted-- he'll be back for a third.

Though it won't be confirmed until later, replacing him with Kirk Muller should be a good idea, as he seemed to be groomed to take over the Canadiens coaching position, but then went to the Nashville Predators organization to coach the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals, who are 10-6-1 this season. Muller is a guy who seems to have a great grasp of the game behind the bench and should be able to take over the Hurricanes pretty easily; whom are second to last in the Eastern Conference at 8-13-4. Muller will have a lot of younger guys who have some experience due to their runs in the playoffs-- but getting the most out of them on a nightly basis will be the key.

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These were changes that were going to be made sooner or later and I guess they let their coaches give thanks and then can them like so much cranberries. Now, it's time to put these new coaches under the microscope and observe every movement.

Former NHLers Say "Hello MoDo"

An interesting article on IIHF.com about the hopes of a revival for one of the most recognizable Swedish Elite teams, MODO Örnsköldsvik, also know as MoDo. The point of the article was the return of some of the stars from their North American careers-- like Markus Naslund as the General Manager and Peter Forsberg as the Assistant GM, then hiring Ulf Samuelsson as the head coach. The article basically goes onward to say that it seems that the MoDo organization could be showing a bit of a North American style because of this for the upcoming season.

While the MoDo organization has been quite the factory for producing NHL players, especially with Victor Hedman and Mats Zuccarello Aasen coming out from the team most recently-- is it the best to have the North American/NHL style of play over in the European game??

Sure, there's going to be a change of pace for MoDo as they have all new management and need to get out of their funk of not making the post-season in the last three seasons and not winning a championship since 2007. Yet, is the overhaul of a system going to be the thing that makes this team have a rebound and maybe make this team a force to be reckoned with??

The style it seems that Samuelsson wants to employ is a high-paced action; which on the bigger rink could be great to the start, but if the conditioning isn't there-- the team will falter later on in the season. Plus, the type of player they're bringing in must be comfortable with the system beforehand because of the fact trying to transition to an overly offensive from maybe a more defensive-based system is a shock to the style of play.

One good thing is that it could possibly catch other teams off-guard, which would definitely be a help-- but much like the hot play of an unknown goalie in the playoffs; team may catch on, adjust, and if MoDo can't adjust properly to counteract the change of the opposition, they could very well be looking from the outside of the playoff picture once again.

It should be an interesting year for the MoDo team, with many of their legendary players coming back to be in a higher position, which also seems to be common theme for recently retired NHLers. Whether this will pay off dividends, of course, remains to be seen-- but it's a nice little something to be on the look-out for outside of the NHL storylines that will be happening.

Long Line Change: Stammer, Coaches, and Retirements

There hasn't be a lot of news......or enough for me to do crazy posts on it and make a lot out of a little. So I've concocted this "Long Line Change" to maybe get the same information out in one fancy place......huzzah?? In any case.....

Steven Stamkos Re-Signs

It took what seemed forever, Steven Stamkos finally re-signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning to the tune of five-years and $37.5M ($7.5M cap hit). It was something that you knew was going to get done sooner or later and Steve Yzerman did it right; pacing things and letting it all play out how it needed to. It's a solid price for a kid who is already a star and should be solid for the Bolts in the long-run as well. Plus, the move leaves about $7M in buffer room for the Bolts against the salary cap.

That said, still no word on the other highly touted RFA, Drew Doughty of the LA Kings. Though you can bet that will be under the microscope moreso now with Stamoks signed.

The Devil You Now Know

In what could be considered a decent coaching swerve, the New Jersey Devils didn't go with Guy Carbonneau or Ken Hitchcock-- heck, even Michel Therrien wasn't good enough for them. No, Lou Lamoriello went with former Florida Panthers coach Peter DeBoer to be the new bench-boss in the Swamp. DeBoer didn't have much success while in Florida, but he also didn't have the guns to really make a huge splash. With the Devils, he'll have a solid line-up and should be able to show his meddle in the big leagues.

Retirement Always Means Hall of Fame Debates

Chris Osgood called it a career, finishing his career with 401 wins and three Stanley Cups. While he did have a solid career, are his numbers good enough to get him into the Hockey Hall of Fame?? Personally, on merit alone-- the Cups and wins gets him in; but not as a first-ballot guy. While he could slip in there on the first one, I still think there's a lot of guys who are more worthy than Osgood. He'll get in one day, but I don't think it'll be right off the hop.

On the Topic Of Playoff Psychology

Is he in the game or the press box?? Will this guy start or will the back-up start?? The psychology of playoff hockey is alive and well, especially late into the series. Yet, at the same time-- does it ever work??

We've seen this kind of carousel before with the whole "upper/lower body injury" gimmick and it seems to have moved onward to trying to make a guessing game out of which goalie or player will start. While it make mess with the opposition, I don't know how well it works as we get into the elimination games.

There's plenty of times where the goalie switch and personnel switch happens in the first couple of games in order for motivate your own team and maybe give them some more jump to the team, as well as throwing a possible wrench in the opposition game plan. However, it seems a bit counterproductive for a team to still be playing this kind of game while the series drags on if it's not injury related. There comes a time where it's no longer a point to get a jump into a team, but starts to become a distraction and maybe shows the lack of confidence in the team, thus bringing the room down if players don't get motivated by it late into a series.

Not only that, but by the time the opposition has got a groove going, the odds are that you could throw any kind of gauntlet into their direction with roster changes and they would still be able to figure it out and overcome it; thus sending the team that made the change in for a loop and then second-guessing the decision making all around. The same thing to spark the team could also be the downfall of the team as well.

We'll see if these late-series gambles actually pay off, but even if it does-- wouldn't the cast of doubt start to linger on. Sure, it worked the first time and maybe a second time-- but if you go to the well too many times, it'll dry up and then you're stuck with nothing.

Critiquing the Caps

Ever since I saw my first game on February 3rd, 1989 when Bengt Gustafsson scored the only goal against Mike Liut of the Hartford Whalers (on Gustafsson "shirsey" night, no less), I was a Caps fan. And when being a Caps fan, heartache seems to happen all the time. Lest we forget the Patrick Division playoffs when the Penguins always came back from being down 3-1 to win, but it just comes with the territory.

Yet, with all the history of heartache, why are the fans taking this eight-game losing streak so hard and why is the second guessing of everything and everyone associated with the Capitals organization??

Is the coaching of Bruce Boudreau finally reached its peak and it's time to move on??

Everyone loves Boudreau, which could make it hard to fire him and could cause a wave of backlash. However, if it seems to have reached its cresendo; you have to make a move. I don't think that it's at that point yet, but the first guy to go will probably be Boudreau since coaches are more easily expendable than anything else. As it seems that the Caps are trying out a new system of play, there's going to be some leeway; but at what point does Boudreau abandon the new style of play??

The idea of the new system of defense is something that will take time to get used to, especially since this is a team that's been a run-and-gun team for the past couple of seasons, so the adjustment will be a noticeable one, especially when they've been know to play the old firewagon hockey style. The players won't be as dynamic, the play will not be as exciting, and the team will show off their weaknesses when it comes to trying to adhere to the new system, but not knowing how to blend one style into another. They seem to be too concerned with sticking to the defensive side, they completely forgot about the offensive side of things. They just need one break, though.

Speaking of offense, the one big thing is the lack of offense from Alex Ovechkin. Many have even called for Ovechkin to either give up or get stripped of his captaincy for not being a leader. Before I go ahead, I'll say always that the team's best player doesn't need to be the captain, because they may lack a leadership quality. It's not a bad thing for the best player to not have the captaincy. In any case, Ovechkin seemed to do well with the captaincy when he got it after Chris Clark was traded to the Blue Jackets. The Caps and Ovechkin did an amazing job that first year, why are people calling for Ovechkin to not have the "C" anymore?? Are there any better leaders on that team?? Maybe, but at the same time-- those are the folk-hero players that fans like for one reason or another and probably won't do better than what Ovechkin is doing. It's just a bad run of luck for the team and they need a break-- especially Ovechkin, Nick Backstrom, and Alex Semin.

If nothing else the idea of the team buying into their own media hype that's killing them. Green is in National TV commericals, Ovechkin's got his own DVD and clothing line, Boudreau had his own book-- the fact people picked them to go all the way maybe had them buy into the fact they don't have to play the season now and will have things handed to them. Add the hype to the system change, to the bad breaks-- recipe for disaster.

In the end, there has to be an end to this streak one of these days and it could spark the Caps into the big run that'll help them get back into their old ways. However, Jonny P said on the December 15th Show that it's better to have this losing streak and system change now, rather than late in the season when they're trying to gear up for the playoffs. If there's a time to come up and stick with a New Year's Resolution, it's for the Caps to snap out of these losing ways and actually become the team every pundit and fans thought they could be this season.

Axing Gordon From His Fishermen

I get puns.

But seriously, the New York Islanders made the first move in the coaching shuffle by firing Scott Gordon. Granted, it's more of a "relief of duties" as Gordon will be an adviser to GM Garth Snow, which means he's just behind Kevin "E" Connolly in that department. Jack Capuano was named interim coach, but Snow wouldn't commit to Capuano for the long-term.

Many fans of the Islanders are question why they are still fans of the team. In fact, Satellite Radio's Gregg "Opie" Hughes of the amazing "Opie and Anthony" radio show pinned most of the blame on the goaltending tandem of Dwayne Roloson and Rick DiPietro:

And Mr. Hughes has a point, that both Roloson and DiPietro aren't the most desirable tandem, maybe they should have had the three-headed-monster with re-signing Marty Biron-- not like they didn't have the cap space, that's for sure. To Roloson's defense, he is 17th in save percentage, mostly due to be barraged with shots.

The team itself has a lot of decent young talent, but normally, you don't have them on the ice at the same time. Usually, you have some decent veteran presence along to teach these guys. Sure, Doug Weight is a nice veteran, but you want to have someone to be able to play alongside of them and not just be the player/coach kind of role. You can have all the great young talent in the world, but you don't have someone there to aid them, it's not going to work out in the short-term.

Of course, injuries play their part, as Mark Streit and Kyle Okposo got injured in the pre-season and that may have helped a little bit, but don't know if it would have been able to completely reverse the woes that the Islanders have had.

Even with all these things, how much does the franchise expect out of Gordon or any coach for that matter?? It's kind of hard to expect the world out of this team when there's so much room for improvement. Even Islanders great Al Arbour may have an issue coaching this team and trying to get them back on the winning track. When you have James Wisniewski as your top scorer....it's a little hard to swallow. Luckily, the goal-scorers are still John Tavares and Matt Moulson, who have six apiece, but it doesn't help the rest of the team has 25 more in 17 games. Only the Maple Leafs and Devils have less goals for than the Islanders so far.

Granted, Long Island isn't the most sought after place to be-- not just because of the arena, but they are in a rough division and are already at a disadvantage; thus going into a bad situation probably won't attract the free agents. Maybe during the 1980s years, sure-- but now, it's like a death sentence. But what can you say about it all, Charles Wang thinks he has everything going the way he wants to and for a second, he did when the Isles squeaked into the playoffs a few seasons back. However, since then-- it's been downhill and rumors are about as to what's next for the franchise in Uniondale.

Larry Brooks has suggested that the team move to Queens, while many say that teaming up with the New Jersey Nets and be like Colin Quinn and go to Brooklyn. Many have thought that the Kansas City option could be there if push came to shove. This is all depended upon what happens with the new arena possibility on Long Island, of course, and the Isles have some years left on their lease at Nassau Coliseum; so we can't put the cart in front of the horse.

The end game now is whether or not Capuano can turn the ship around. If he can't-- what's the next step?? Do they actually make moves that'll benefit the team or do they stay with the status quo and hope that they can have a revolving door of coaches and maybe one will stick. Have to wonder if Ted Nolan could have better with this team if he stayed around.

Now, it's just a wait and see game. It's now up to the players to respond or risk their own gigs in the organization. If they can actually do better-- then it was the right decision. If they stay the same; well....expect this to be going around for some time now when it comes to the Long Islanders.

Friday Five: Lingering Over the Panic Button

It was kind of a slow week writing on TSOoA, but that's the breaks some week. Luckily, we can round out some of the stories in one fine package here with the F5.

1. Lou Lamoriello said that John MacLean doesn't have to worry about getting fired. Coming from Lou, how worried are you about this vote of confidence??

The "Vote of Confidence" is almost always a death kiss for some coaches, but I think this could be genuine for MacLean....at least from Lamoriello. He's the guy who really put MacLean in a roster squeeze with his deals. Plus, he's a first year guy still trying to get the hang of this thing, so to fire him after 10 games seems a bit extreme. Not saying that owner Jeff Vanderbeek couldn't overrule and get rid of them both, but it'd be pretty crazy to do that knowing how rough it is to deal with a team that's flying so close to the salary sun on paper wings...or something.

2. If not MacLean, who would be the first coach in the hot seat for being replaced??

There's not one coach out there who I think could be in-danger, but not saying a team couldn't pull one out of left field. There's a lot of guys who are under pressure, but I don't know if 10 games is really the starting point to be threatening jobs. That said, I believe that after ten games, the kid gloves are going to be taken off and that the coaches are going to have to adjust on the fly very quickly and start to produce results or else risk getting the ax.

3. As it stands right now, all the Central Division teams are in the playoffs in the West. How long can this hold up for this division??

You have to expect the Columbus Blue Jackets to really drop off if any of the Central teams drop off, but they have a strong division. Home of the Cup champion Blackhawks, the Blues are looking like a team off the fringe loop with Jaro Halak in net now, the Red Wings-- regardless of age-- always seem strong, and the first-place Predators seem to have found their stride and really look like they are going to make a strong run, if they can stay healthy. With a lapse in other divisions, you can say that the Central is the hardest division to play in right now.

4. Is there ever going to be a chance where all five teams from a division make it into the playoffs??

It could happen this year, if the Blue Jackets can keep stride for stride, but it's a difficult task. The other teams definitely have to really tank out in a conference for a single division to run the table and have over 50% of the playoff teams. If that does happen, you have to wonder if the NHL would worry-- they want parity and having all teams in a division in the playoffs-- I don't see that as having too much parity. Of course, that division could rightfully claim the best division in the league-- so that's something.

5. With some people claiming victory in the Tyler Seguin/Phil Kessel trade; when can you actually declare victory in any deal??

It's definitely silly to battle on a trade after one game, but in the long-run the overall numbers could be a factor, but you should have to factor in head-to-head in all of that. Luckily, both Seguin and Kessel are young enough and will face-off against each other a lot while being in the same division, but I don't know how you can truly gauge a trade unless you use WhatIf Sports in order to put them in different scenarios with the team they would have been on if the trade didn't happen; but it's tough to definitely value a trade like that.

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That's another week in the books, if you have any topics or whatever, email Scotty.Wazz@Gmail.com to put your two-cents in or something. Like I say, if you don't like these topics and didn't contribute.....well, you should have done more to contribute. Jerkstores.

Boucher to the Bay and Arniel's New Jacket

A lot of hustle and bustle while most of the world was trying to sleep, but now-- it seems to be a little more clear and we can actually discuss it all.

First, hours after he turned down a deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets; Guy Boucher accepted the vacated job of the newly revamped Tampa Bay Lightning, which marks the first of many moves for new GM Steve Yzerman. Boucher, who won the AHL coaching honors with the Hamilton Bulldogs this season, would be the youngest coach in the NHL at age 38.

And while the Jackets fans will be disappointed, if you had a chance to start with the likes of Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, and Steven Stamkos in the line-up and Steve Yzerman as your boss....you'd probably take that job, too. Nothing against Columbus, but with the Bolts; it's a whole new page in that organization history. New everything in there and probably very little expectation, with the exception of trying to forget the past few years of mismanagement from the previous ownership.

Boucher has been successful at every level he's coached at, from Major Junior where he was a coach in the Memorial Cup twice, once as an assistant in Rimouski with Sidney Crosby in the spotlight and once as a head coach with Drummondville, where he won the QMJHL title during his tenure. He was throw into Hamilton and succeeded there, even when the Canadiens calling up the best players on the Bulldogs, Boucher guided the team to 52 win this past season and got them to the final four in the AHL. Seeing as he's able to deal with young talent, it should be a good deal for the youngsters like Stamkos and Victor Hedman; but the interesting thing will be how he's able to deal with the vets on the team and how much he'll have to adapt to that situation.

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With Boucher going south, the Blue Jackets are seemingly going with sort of the same mindset with a Canadian AHL team, setting their sights on Manitoba Moose head coach Scott Arniel. Arniel has been in Manitoba for four season coaching, going 180-106-33 in his years there, losing the Calder Cup back in 2009 to Hershey. However, that was the only time that the Moose were out of the second round under his watch; which could be good or bad because they did get to the playoffs, which the Blue Jackets need at this point.

Yet, Arniel should be just fine with Columbus, especially after expectations weren't reached last year after their first playoff appearance in 2009. While the team is still learning and Steve Mason will hopefully get his magic back, which he seemed to lose this past season. Arniel has been on many people's list over the past few years and now will get a chance to show that he's as good as advertised, even if it could be a test in patience with a team that many people don't know how to judge. There's times where it seems they're one piece away from being an elite team and others where they look like an expansion team year-after-year.

Now that the coaching issue is done, Howson now has to look at what to do to give Arniel the chance to succeed. One point was to get someone to play with Rick Nash, as well as to pick up the slack should Nash have a slump or is out of the line-up due to injury. Also another defenseman could be crucial as well, but the partner for Nash would and should be top priority.

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All in all, the teams seemingly had their #1 or #2 guy; as the Jackets did have an immediate back-up when Boucher turned them down. And it's a good thing they got it done quick, especially with the NHL Draft coming up in about two weeks. While the impact will probably not be immediate, the good thing for both of these guys is that they are going into situations where not much is going to be expected. Both franchises are going to be rebuilding from the bottom up in some situations and anything they accomplish will be taken away as a moral victory and building block into the future.

Conundrums and Confusion in Columbus

There was so much promise heading into the year for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Coming off their first playoff appearance in franchise history, extending their franchise player to an eight-year contract in the summer, and finding a goalie that looked to be good enough to finally solve their inconsistency between the pipes.

Amazing what a couple of months can do.

After being routed by the Los Angeles Kings, in which they lost Rick Nash to the dreaded "lower body injury," it seems that the Jackets are back to their old ways. They've already been through one coach this year, with Ken Hitchcock being tossed to the wayside; but they seemed to claw back some, only to falter more. They are currently on a five game skid and have mostly been beaten due to the opponents coming back to get the win. There has been little turnover from the team last season, which could tell you that they were playing out of their heads last season or the lack of movement while other teams got better is the cause of their downfall.

Is there a reason why the Jackets haven't loosened the purse-strings and actually trying to attract some name players to the team in order to build it up to the year-in, year-out contender they want to become. There's a lot of draw for forwards, as they would probably be playing alongside of Rick Nash, while defensemen will probably be the top guys out there. The plight of the small-market team will probably continue, but you'd want to hope that a team like this could garner some bigger free-agent attention than what they've been getting. That isn't to say, however, you won't have some duds (see Foote, Adam); but there's enough money for the Jackets to try and lure some bigger profile player to their team.

Another problem that should be monitored is the play of Steve Mason. While you could chalk it up to a sophomore slump, the fact his GAA is up almost a goal per game from last year (3.16 from 2.29); it could show to be more than just a regular slump. You hope Mason isn't in the same realm of Blaine Lacher and/or Jim Carey, but unless he can show some improvement next season; it could be that way. His total of 61 games, 33 wins, and 10 shutouts last season show that it may have been a case of a new goalie not being able to be figured out, but if it's a small change in style; that needs to be addressed for next season.

Then you look at Rick Nash, and while he wants to be loyal to the team that gave him a fine career; you have to wonder if he's regretting his decision to an extension, especially considering the team hasn't done much to give him any kind of support. While the addition of Kristian Huselius does something to add secondary scoring-- but when you don't have much for primary scoring outside of Nash, there's not really a secondary scoring tag there-- is it??

Whatever happens next with the Blue Jackets, fans better hope this is just a hiccup and not something that will be a trend anymore. They had all the momentum, even with being swept by the eventual Western Champs, but seemed to lose it in the three month span between the end of the season and start of camp. They got rid of the coach and it still didn't get better. So where do you place the blame next-- the players or the GM?? My bets on the latter. It'd be wise for Scott Howson to actually start getting a winning group together or else he could be next. As for the team, they should realize they may not be getting help from their management and learn how to grind it out together and play a "us against the world" gimmick in order to get their mojo back they had in '08-'09.

The Un-Mighty Quinn

When TSN came out with a story coming out about how Pat Quinn is happy about coaching again, even though his Oilers are 0-for-2010; I won't lie-- I was a bit confused. Not so much to the point where I wonder why the story was done, you get the bug when it comes to any sport-- this is no different for coaching. I just wondered why they prominently display this article while Oilers are struggling so much.

As of right now, the Oilers have not won a game in 2010, they have gotten points in only two games in their last ten (both overtime losses), they've only won one game in their last 18, and every bad bounce that could happen, often does. While only so much can be blamed on player and coach alike, the timing of it all could have been better-- like when the team has won at some point this year.

And while the piece was just a fluff piece about how Quinn is happy to be working again, how he didn't think he'd be able to stay away from the game all that long; there's not that much to suggest he has that same killer instinct he once had. There's something about how it is written, focusing only on how he loves being at the rink and about his past performances, that could raise more eyebrows about what he's actually doing in the room and how he's actually coaching this team.

Sure, the injuries to Ales Hemsky and Nikolai Khabibulin sullied a possible great performance for the Oilers, as a coach-- especially one who has won the Jack Adams Trophy for coach of the year twice-- you have to be able to get the most out of the guys on your roster now to fill in the void left by the key guys. Of course, you can also look at the GM position, with Jeff Tambellini, who hasn't been able to fill the void from the outside or inside in order to get this team onto a winning track again. Even if they are stop-gaps, the bleeding wouldn't be as immense and the team could actually win a few games and be in the playoff chase.

The mini-camp this team held recently to get out of the funk didn't seem to go as planned, at least in the short term, which makes one ponder why is this team still having the trouble they are having; especially, with not one-- but two NHL caliber coaches, lest we forget that Tom Renney is on this coaching staff as well. The piece's casual vibes also had me wondering if Quinn really means what he says in terms of this being better than sitting around or if this is just going to be one last paycheck for him before no one else wants him. It almost comes off that way, with the examples saying he could be out on the golf course or with his grandkids; the amount of time that Quinn's mind is on this team, especially with the slump this team is in.

When all is said and done, you can call this season a write-off for Quinn in terms of the injuries and lack of movement; but how much rope will he be given next season, enough to hang himself?? While many mentioned that the game past by the likes of Barry Melrose, you have to wonder the same for Quinn-- even though he had a steady job for a time before and after the lockout. Yet, with his style; it's could be almost time to put him out to pasture when this contract is up or even sooner if he can't change his own luck.

Dangling Hope to the Masses

I've said it once, I'll say it again: The Phoenix Coyotes are like the girl who only wants to be friends. She builds you up thinking there could be something more, but then crushes your dreams by dropping that bombshell onto you.

That seems to be the same way it's going this year for the Coyotes, which is the same way they did it last year, and years prior. The Coyotes are playing an insane brand of hockey, even with the issues that are going on off the ice. They don't have that one stud player, but a lot of unknown guys going out there and playing as a team and succeeding. It's the same script as last year, though. At that time, the Coyotes were something like 5th in the Western Conference, but when the calendar year turns; they seem to turn to crap.

It's not like this team is as horrible on the ice as people portray them. Sure, they've only had one over .500 season since the lockout, it's not like they've had the people who really wanted to come to their place in order to get to that next plateau. Before, free agents would go there because it's a nice place to play in the horrible winter months, which really distracted from playing to win. Even throughout their time in Phoenix, they have been a better than .500 team more often then not. Their craptasticness in the playoffs has been the real breaking point for the club. While they haven't made the playoffs since 2002, the team this year looks like they could be a force to be reckoned with. Granted, we thought the same thing this time last year and that went south, but there's a big change behind the bench that could put them over.

The fact remains that the hiring of Dave Tippett has been great for the Coyotes thus far, making people remember what it's like when the Coyotes had a true coach and not a great player masquerading as a head coach. While Gretzky brought some appeal and buzz to the Coyotes, the team really didn't gain much in terms of how to make it through the rough spots of the year, like how to get out of the slump. Should the Coyotes get into that condition this year, Tippett could be the guy used in order to get the youngster out of it without going into a complete tailspin to ruin a solid season thus far. This is where the experience would be needed, not only to lead a young, somewhat inexperienced team-- but to deal with the ebbs and flows of the hockey world. Should they get into the playoffs, Tippett has plenty of experience in the playoffs and should be able to lead the team if the time happens.

But they have to get to that point first. They are putting themselves in a good position, but they need to hope history doesn't repeat themselves. The organization is a tease when it comes to how far they can go, because they always look like they can make a big move in order to go to that next level, but are somehow stifled in every attempt. Maybe with some finality in their fate coming up on the horizon, the focus can be put on how the team can succeed on the ice rather than on the spreadsheet. It'd be nice if the game played on the ice for the Coyotes would matter rather than the game played in the boardroom-- but that's the business we live in now in sports. Here's hoping for the fans that the team can be successful, whether they show up or not.

Absurd Goalie Monday: Jacques Cloutier

Many of the past AGMs have gone onto the coaching realm of the game, but never has one gone into that role early into their playing career. In any case, the fact he got that experience early foreshadowed his career after hockey, we present to you Jacques Cloutier as this week's AGM.

Cloutier started his career in Major Junior as a 16-year-old with Trois-Rivieres in the QMJHL. While his 16-year-old season only saw him play 24 games, it led the way for his next two seasons, which got him to two Memorial Cups. For his second year in Major Junior in 1977-78, Cloutier played in 71 games, going an amazing 46-17-7 with a 3.48 GAA during that season. It help lead the Draveurs to the Memorial Cup, but they lost in the semi-final round. It was only the start for Cloutier's legend, when he played 72 games in 1978-79 with an even better 58-8-6 and a 3.14 GAA, which was enough to capture the Jacques Plante Memorial Trophy for best goaltender in the QMJHL. The Draveurs got into the Memorial Cup again, but again-- they lost the semi-final round.

The combined record of 104-25-13 was enough to get Cloutier drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1979 Draft in the third round. Though he was drafted, Cloutier spend one more year in Trois-Riviere, but it wasn't as memorable with Cloutier going 27-20-7 to close out his junior career.

His first year in pro hockey was spent with the Rochester Americans, the Sabres AHL affiliate. Cloutier was thrown right into the starter's role for the 1980-81 season, playing 66 games and going an even .500 with a 27-27-6 record. The 1981-82 season saw Cloutier spend most his time in Rochester, but make appearances with the Sabres. For the Amerks, Cloutier went 14-7-2 in his 23 games, while in five games with the Sabres, Cloutier had a 5-1-0 record, which spelt good things for him in the future, so it would seem. However, in January 1982, Cloutier suffered a broken collarbone he had to work through throughout the season. The 1982-83 season saw another split in time with the Amerks and Sabres, but the Sabres was where he spent most his time backing up Bob Sauve. With the Sabres, in 25 games, Cloutier went 10-7-6 while with the Amerks, Cloutier was still stellar with a 7-3-1 record. Cloutier was able to play in the Calder Cup playoffs for the Amerks, in which he was able to get the Amerks to the Finals and help them win the Calder Cup in a sweep.

Even with the great outings, the 1983-84 season saw Cloutier spend the entire season with the Amerks, not seeing one-spot with the Sabres. Cloutier was subpar for his standards, going only 26-22-1, but sporting a 3.83 GAA. Cloutier's play was able to settle down in the playoffs, helping the Amerks get to the Calder Cup Final again, losing to the Maine Mariners this time.

It was quite a season in the 1984-85 season, as Clouter spent a majority of time in Rochester, but got a call-up and start in November of 1984, tying the Hartford Whalers in his only appearance. Cloutier only saw 14 games in Rochester (10-2-1), but torn some ligaments in his knee in December. However, as I alluded in the beginning, Cloutier was put into an assistant coach role for Rochester after his injury.

Cloutier had one more year of split time between Rochester and Buffalo, as he was still recovering for his injury. The story was a bit off-kilter, with Cloutier playing very well in his 14 games with Rochester (10-2-2), but during his 15 games with Buffalo, Cloutier had a dismal 5-9-1 record, but a solid 3.37 GAA. In the 1986-87 season, Cloutier spent his season in Buffalo backing-up Tom Barrasso, though both were able to get close to split time. The season should be a forgotten one, with Cloutier going only 11-19-5 in his worst pro season to date. The 1987-88 season had Barrasso taking a majority of starts and had Cloutier fight off youngster Daren Puppa for some playing time. Cloutier saw only 20 games with a 4-8-2 record and 4.72 GAA.

At the start of the 1988-89 season, Cloutier was returned to Rochester, where played 11 games, and going a horrific 2-7-0, but was called up in November after Barrasso was traded to Pittsburgh. Cloutier split time with Puppa and host of other goalies that season, finishing with 36 games played and a 15-14-0 record, getting his GAA down to 3.83.

Before the start of the 1989-90 season, Cloutier was the odd-man out in the goaltending carousel for the Sabres, as he was dealt to the Chicago Blackhawks for the ever popular Future Considerations.

While in Chicago, Cloutier was able to get a majority of the games over Alain Chevier with 43. In those games, Cloutier had a respectable 18-15-2 record, but another logjam was forthcoming for the Blackhawks as with the Sabres. In the 1990-91 season, Cloutier only played 10 games with Chicago (2-3-0), but with Ed Belfour, Jim Waite, Dominik Hasek, and Greg Millen filtering through the system, Cloutier was an odd-man out again. In January of 1991, Cloutier was traded to the Quebec Nordiques for forward Tony McKegney

When he got to Quebec, Cloutier was the back-up to Ron Tugnutt and saw only 15 games with a 3-8-2 record to show for it. It was a logjam in Quebec as well, with Tugnutt, Cloutier, Stephane Fiset, Scott Gordon, and John Tanner all available. The 1991-92 season saw all the goalies, san Gordon, come back and get time with the Nords. Cloutier was thankful to get 26 games in, but only was able to get a 6-14-3 record for his troubles. His shaky time in net made the Nords go out and get Ron Hextall to be starter for the 1992-93 season and Fiset was able to get the back-up job. Even with that, Cloutier was kept on the roster and not get sent down to the AHL. Cloutier only saw three games that year and went 0-2-1. Cloutier was again caught in a logjam with the Nords, as Hextall left-- but Fiset get the starting role and rookie Jocelyn Thibault getting the back-up position. Cloutier was again on the roster, but only saw 14 games in the season and had a 3-2-0 record to close out the year. It turned out to be Cloutier's last season in the NHL.

Immediately after his retirement, Cloutier was onto a coaching role in 1994-95 season as a goalie coach for the Quebec Nordiques and assistant coach of the Nords' AHL affiliate Cornwall Aces. He kept his assistant coaching role in Cornwall for part of the 1995-96 season, but was called upon by the Colorado Avalanche (after they moved from Quebec) to be the goalie coach, and then assistant coach after Jacques Martin moved on to the Ottawa Senators head coaching role. It lucked out for Cloutier, who was behind the bench when the Avs won the Cup in 1996. Cloutier would stay in the assistant coaching role with the Avs until June of 2009 when Joe Sacco came in and cleaned house. Cloutier was also able to get another ring when the Avs won the Cup again in 2001.

His leadership and a twist of fate was able to get Cloutier some coaching time, even when he was still playing. He's had plenty of experiences in his career in playing and coaching, mostly ending with a logjam forcing him out in one way or another. At least he was able to get some hardware to show off his success before he was forced out. It's another story, though, of a goalie being great in juniors and the minors; but circumstances stop them from being great in the NHL.

Gretzky Finally Put Out of Misery Behind the Bench

While he had an amazing playing career that is literally second to none, I have to agree with The Canadian from Canadian vs. The Yanks when she said on her Twitter: "I'm sorry, but I support this move. He was a great player. I'll leave it at that."

Well, I hope she doesn't mind me picking up on where she left off.

The moment that Wayne Gretzky said he wanted to be coach of the Coyotes, many people I heard will automatically giving him the Jack Adams Award for best coach, but the issue is-- you can be a great player, but you cannot teach greatness. That's just a fact. Ted Williams, Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas-- great players, but terrible coaches. Gretzky is definitely going to fall into that mode.

And while his record of 143-161-24 isn't overly awful, the goals-for were progressively worse through all four seasons (246-216-214-208) and the team overall wasn't that stellar. You'd think with the name alone, the players would want to come to play for him, as well as being in Phoenix-- should have been a haven. Yet, nothing really came to be. Plus, you look at how Gretzky's personality changed when behind the bench, he became a stressed out looking fella. Just look at the header picture-- you never really saw that out of Gretzky, even when he was a player. You almost wonder how much of this was a gimmick for him to recoup the money he was losing as an ownership partner and how much he actually wanted to be a coach in the first place.

Yet, as of right now, Gretzky remains part-owner of the Coyotes, but that could change whenever Judge Redfield T. Baum makes his decision. However, Gretzky should take this as a learning experience. Like I said, very few good players make good coaches. You can make a case for Larry Bird and Joe Torre, but more often than not-- the great players can't coach greatness. Maybe with this time off, Gretzky can lick his wounds for his first failure in the game of hockey. It could be used to recharge his batteries and maybe find his smile again, as it has been lost through these years behind the bench for the Coyotes. The stresses of creating a winning team, bringing more fans in by his name alone, and dealing with the off-ice financial strife seem to have gotten to Gretzky and really broke his spirits.

Has Gretzky's allure in the hockey world been damaged by this foray into the coaching realm and failing?? Odds are it hasn't been damaged that badly, but it definitely not good for him to go out like this. Not even showing up to camp for the first two weeks and then finally stepping down, it brought about the ire of many for abandoning his team, like Allan Muir of SI and Stephen Brunt of Globe and Mail questions the difference of Gretzky and someone like Dany Heatley. For the first time in a while, Gretzky could be considered a bad guy in the hockey world. More focus on Gretzky is going to come with the documentary of Gretzky's trade from Edmonton to Los Angeles is coming out called, "A Kings Ransom" on ESPN on October 6th.

While the falling out process will be hot and heavy for the next few days, who knows what the final outcome for Gretzky will be and what he'll need to do in order fix any of sort of damage he's done to his reputation. Odds are many will be able to forgive Gretzky in time, but you can forgive and never forget. Will he coach elsewhere in the NHL?? I don't think he'll be the top candidate for any opening, but to keep him around as an ambassador is always a good thing for whatever team. Who knows if we'll see him for a single team, but you can bet that the NHL will do anything to keep his face in the hockey viewing public's eyesight just because.

Plus, if there's nothing else Wayne Gretzky has given us since he retired....it's this greatness from Bud Light and the Bubble Hockey Boys.

Devil In The Details

The New Jersey Devils announced today that they have hired Jacques Lemaire as their new head coach. This is going to be something, as the Devils are going through a transition period and have a stellar new goalie coming up by the name of Martin Brodeur. Something tells me this kid will make a name for himself soon, boy howdy.

Huh?? Oh, I'm sorry, I thought this was 1993 when this sort of thing happened the first time. But alas, it's 16 years later and 11 years after Lemaire ended his first reign with the Devils after the '97-'98 season.

One of the questions in this move is whether or not this is a smart decision. You have to wonder why the Devils bring in a guy who hasn't been the most successful in his coaching career. Sure, his technique and tactics are that of legends, but when you look closer at his history behind the bench, you soon realize that for a team that has had issues in the playoffs the past two seasons, Lemaire could be a step backwards for this organization. Though in his 15 seasons, Lemaire has gone 538-415-176 and one Stanley Cup with the Devils to show-- he has missed the playoffs in six seasons (three times in the last five seasons) and has only gotten out of the first round in six seasons, most early in his coaching tenure.

The fact that Lemaire is more defensive minded and has missed the playoffs in three of the last five seasons, it could be a telling sign that time and the game has passed him by. Especially for a team like the Devils who have had their share of issues when it comes to the playoffs recently-- you wonder why they make this decision over making longtime assistant John MacLean head coach with the big club, aside from putting him down on the farm in Lowell. While putting MacLean in Lowell is a start, you'd have to think he was a top contender considering his time he's put in as an assistant and how well he knows what's successful and what's not with this group of players.

But it's not something that will be new territory with this team. Aside from Zach Parise (and maybe Patrik Elias), there's not that much offensive swagger for the Devils to exploit anymore. This way, you have to figure that there's not going to be too much of an issue with the Devils going more defensive or there's going to be that much of a shake-up going from one style of play to another. Parise's numbers will probably suffer, sure, but if the Devils are going to rack up wins, I think the personal stats will be put aside for the time being....until the style wears out its welcome and changes are made mid-season.

Obviously, only time will tell how much the Devils will change and how the response will be from players and fans alike. The one thing I would have suggested is leaving the past in the past. Sure, Lemaire has a legacy and changed a lot of thing in the coaching game when defensive hockey was the order of the day, but when will people see that bringing back the past often creates more problems than solutions. Even though a coach has a ring from the past, it doesn't automatically mean they will be successful in the present day-- right Mike Keenan??

All the best to Lemaire in his new venture with the Devils, but for the fans out there-- you may want to hope that somewhere between Minnesota and New Jersey that Jacques picked up some high-tempo scoring techniques or realized that maybe offensive isn't that much of a bad thing in the end.