Broader Storylines For A Shortened Season

With the NHL season about to start, other people are doing previews or rehashing the ones that they did in September for the impending NHL season then. However, with a whole new element of a short season being brought into the mix, what can you as a fan look forward to?? For me, here's the underlying factors that could play a big role into the short season.

-Other Work Paying Off: The teams that had their players play either overseas or in the North American minor leagues will have a nice little jump start. They actually had game experience and have their legs about them. While the training camps will give them some rest and maybe slow them down for a short time, the fact they have had the game pace experience rather than informal practices-- those guys will have a jump; which will result in some interesting scoring leaders.

-Injuries Akimbo: Expect the injury reports to have a lot of "Groin" explanations next to it. We've seen it already from some players-- Jarome Iginla and Brooks Laich-- which will definitely make some guys stretch out more or even play with a little less reckless abandon. It could also let the players who had playing time expose those with less experience.

-More Urgency: Teams will not be able to have a down-swing in their game. Any kind of losing streak could mean the playoffs for these teams, which may expand the whole "parity" thing that the NHL has wanted from the 2004-05 lockout. You will probably a lot of more mix-up in lines or changes in game plans from the coaches if something needs to change, which could spark the team or throw them off their game completely.

-Less Urgency: If nothing else, we could see a lot more overtime/shootout games this season. As my buddy Dearen of Mr. Mikes in Airdrie said to me this past weekend, if there's a tie game in the third, you can see a lot of teams playing to preserve the point. That could happen in the front end of the season, but since it's all Conference play, later in the season-- you could probably see more risk from teams outside of the playoffs-- but expect some boring hockey in the third for teams not wanting to give up any points that are available.

That's four of probably many broad storylines out there I can see. I'm sure there's a lot more and people will expose the more intricate ones, but I'm not about being intricate. Plus, most importantly-- these will now not happen because I've put them out there.

On The Topic of Pre-Season

With pre-season underway, many people are definitely hyped up that the game they love is back. Plus, it also allows people on social media sites to be done with the annoying "Is it October yet??" battle-cry that makes me all stabby and what-not.

Even with the game back, it definitely doesn't feel the same. If anything else, the only good thing about the pre-season is just to see what your team has laying in wait for whenever players are traded or injured. More often or not, I'm usually watching pre-season games wondering who is wearing those unusual numbers ("Is that a fraction on the jersey??") and then wondering how long it'll take before they're sent back to the AHL or juniors.

That said, you will have stories like Mark Scheifele of the Winnipeg Jets, who has had a great rookie camp and pre-season-- it almost makes him someone to watch and see if he sticks with the main squad for the whole year. Scheifele was the first pick ever from the newly formed Jets and would have a great story behind him if he can keep it up. Oddly enough, though, I haven't heard much about Ryan Nugent-Hopkins recently, which could be either good or bad depending on how you look at that.

More over, the big deal is that the pre-season allows teams to play in different locations. Last night, there was a game in Baltimore, while the rest of the month brings about locations like London, Ontario; Charlotte, North Carolina; Kansas City, Missouri; Orlando, Florida; Albany, New York; and Halifax, Nova Scotia. Those are cities that may not get to see the NHL during the regular season, so I can actually see the excitement and hype that will come from those games.

In addition to that, these games are probably the only time some fans are able to afford a game since regular season tickets are pretty crazily priced.

The biggest risk in these games are with the star players on the team playing in the exhibitions probably getting hurt (especially in the neutral site games) or star players not getting enough time, then really getting off to a slow start. Even so, you hear guys like Jarome Iginla having nagging injuries at the start of camp; which will have fans waiting with bated breath when it comes to their return.

There's a lot of drama that comes around the pre-season and it's great reporting for the people who have starved for actual news during the summer. It's game action, it's something other than speculation to worry about, and it gets people ready for the impending weather change. It may not be my cup of tea, but at the same time-- guess it's better than nothing, right??

Baltimore's Exhibition A Jumping Point??

It was speculated by the Baltimore Sun and confirmed by Washington Post's DC Sports Bog; the Washington Capitals will play an exhibition game in Baltimore's First Mariner Arena, mostly likely against the Nashville Predators, whose coach-- Barry Trotz-- is a former Baltimore Skipjacks' coach. This is also coming on the heels of the Bog talking about how Baltimore fans are supporting the Caps in Baltimore bars-- with a picture of some of my former teammates there.

I've documented the history of Baltimore hockey and why the city probably won't be a site for NHL relocation if they get a new arena-- but if there is a solid turnout, could this be wishful thinking about a minor league club down the line??

Short answer, no. Long answer, still no; but with a "but."

First and foremost, if this game pans out like the Caps think it will with a Baltimore crowd, then it could set wheels in motion for the Baltimore area to get a new arena, as First Mariner has been there in downtown since 1962. There has been talks about there being a new arena built in the Canton area, but it has since moved to the downtown core, extending from the Convention Center-- but could cost $1BILLION dollars for the 18,500 seat arena. That's quite a lot of butts to fit into an arena for a minor league game, but it'd probably be used mostly for concerts and other events, like wrestling. Even so, an upgraded place could be a nice attraction to some minor league teams having issues in their current area.

Yet, even if there is an interest team-- the Baltimore Blast own the city when it comes to indoor excitement. The indoor soccer team would probably want to command most of the weekend dates, which would hamstring any hockey team wanting to go there due to the fact that weekday games aren't that much of a draw. Since the indoor soccer season goes from November to March, it'd be hard to have hockey and soccer get primo dates. If they are able to work it out together-- it may work, but who knows with everyone wanting the entertainment dollar for themselves. The Blast are one of the reasons why the Baltimore Bandits didn't last too long.

In the end, I don't know if hockey will work in Baltimore for the long-term, but it could be something that should be looked at. If there's a lot of people getting into the Caps from the Baltimore area, why not have a team locally to be closer and cheaper for some families who may not be able to afford trekking down to DC and deal with the NHL prices. Time will tell, but this could be a jumping off point for a hockey future in Baltimore.

(It should be noted that I hope there's some kind of Baltimore Skipjacks tribute, or else it would be unjust to play there. And Maryland goalie Matt Mitchell jokingly said he would give up his pads to a Caps goalie in order to be close to "the show.")

Friday Five: Pre-Season Antics

It's another Friday and another gimmick from yours truly. This week, we're going to take a look at the lunacy that is the pre-season....oooo, it's crazy. Like I said earlier this week; not a fan of the pre-season and can't get up for it. Especially now, with people getting hysterical about players performing amazingly in the pre-season-- which leads us to this question:

1. What do you think with some of these rookies tearing up the exhibition games thus far??

Two words: Brandon Bochenski. It's great to hear stories like Magnus Paajarvi (SVENSSON!!) and Matt Hendricks with a hat-trick in their first pre-season game, but at the same time-- it's the pre-season. These kind of hysterics is what makes me hate the pre-season. While it can be a prelude to things to come, but at the same time-- could be a beginning of the end for their 15 minutes of fame.

2. So, does the same go with the likes of Carey Price and Dan Ellis for letting up all those goals??

That's also true, especially in the case of Price. While it could be a backlash to the Habs getting rid of Halak, but he is right to say the fans needed to chill out a bit. As far as Dan Ellis, it could all go back to maybe his focus (or lack thereof). If Ellis's focus is still in question by the end of the pre-season, it could be a long month for him and could get him to lose his spot in one fashion or another, maybe to the lovely city of Norfolk to retool. It's far too soon to throw them under the bus, at least until the first month is over.

3. How about these neutral sites games, like in Winnipeg and Rochester??

The Winnipeg game seems to be tradition and almost is a bit of a tease for those fans who are clamoring for the NHL. With all the speculation, it's something for fans to show how much they'd support NHL hockey. It didn't hurt that they had the Cup champs going there with hometown boy Jonathan Toews there, but still the 14,000+ showed for a meaningless game; they'd be out there to support whomever.

As far as places like Rochester and other minor league cities, that's the perfect display for exhibition games. It's mostly because of the fact that many of these pre-season games have the guys who will play in those cities during the season, but the sprinkle of possible NHLers playing in that game would be an added attraction. If anything, I believe that the pre-season games should be played in the affiliate cities until the last home game in the pre-season schedule so that the home fans can see the roster before the real season starts-- like an advanced screening for a movie or something.

4. Should there be any concern for all the injuries happening??

You're bound to get injuries, but the broken finger for Chris Drury and broken leg for Filip Kuba are a little disheartening, but it gives the chance for other to step up their game and maybe prove their worth to the NHL brass and maybe be the part of the shuttle crew going to and from the NHL this season. The only good thing about injuries is that it gives some other players a chance with the top group, while the downside is that it completely screws up some depth charts and maybe some cap scenarios here and there. That said, once we start seeing a slue of groin and other muscle ailments is when you have to wonder about over and under conditioning issues.

5. The Canadian Hockey League all started this week. How does that make you feel??

Considering that I'm in the same city as the WHL offices and the WHL champion Calgary Hitmen, it's a good time for me. Plus, it's good, affordable hockey for people to go out and enjoy. Plus, it's like a pre-pre-season game, all season, because these are the players of the future and plenty of reason to keep an eye on these youngsters. Especially those who have been drafted, many people can track them as they grow and develop. It's good for everyone to have real hockey action before the NHL starts, just to wet your appetite.

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And that's that for this week. Once again, if you have any questions or recommendations for the F5, email me at will at Scotty.Wazz@Gmail.com and you too can have you name in parenthesis and what not. Plus, you can say-- "I did my part and now I can sit back and reap the rewards."

Pre-Season Means Pre-Excitement

The NHL pre-season starts tonight and for most people, this is the start of the season and everyone is so excited. It's interesting enough for TSN to broadcast the Senators and Maple Leafs game tonight. It seems like it's all coming together, even though we all know Pierre McGuire needs that extra practice being loud, annoying, and awkwardly close to players and his fellow commentators.

Maybe it's because I'm cynical, maybe it's because I'm so into the ACTUAL season, maybe I'm not as big of a hockey fan as I thought I was; but I can't get up for pre-season. Nothing about the pre-season gets me all hot and bothered and ready for the season to begin. Even in the off-season, I never had a hockey withdraw or wanting October to show up quicker than the Earth can spin.

While I get people wanting hockey to start and all of that, I just don't get how people are getting antsy over the pre-season and training camps and all of that. I'm glad to see people go out to training camps and getting some information out there and supporting their team, but there's something that makes me not get too excited to see fringe players battle it out for a roster spot or their location on the AHL depth charts.

If nothing else, you have to appreciate the spirit of the fans who actually care enough to go out there to the rinks, even for rookie camps (guilty, but with reason). However, it seems that the pure volume of updates from everywhere is what drags down my spirit and what drags down my excitement for hockey to actually come back. I'll be glad when it comes back for real, but it's a matter of patience for it to come back. No amount of intrasquad games, rookie games, and fringe games will ever get me as excited as the real thing.

It's probably just me, mostly because I am a cynical fellow and I probably will drag myself to the Saddledome to see some camp activity, but I still won't be all in for the excitement level as some people, which is fine for them. For me, there's times I need a breakaway from hockey and into some other interests. God love you if you are hyped up for it all, because it's that kind of passion that could leech onto others who don't have it. Yet, be careful because it could be the same passion you have that become a bit overwhelming for some and drives them away.

While the "IsItOctoberYet" hashtag on Twitter is annoying in July, it's a bit more fitting now. It's close and you can almost taste it and it does create anxiousness for the season-- but mostly because it's time to cut through all the crap and actually get down to it. It seems this summer has been the longest off-season on record, but for some-- it's good. I'm ready for the regular season to start so the off-season silliness is over with.

Clock Strikes Midnight for Theo....For Now

Even though he had a stellar pre-season in the games he played, as well as creating a huge buzz about what could happen with him, the Calgary Flames released the right winger from his tryout contract on Friday. You can only imagine that this only came to money and needs. Even though he could put up the spark in the pre-season, the Flames didn't think he could have done it in an 82-game span.

Fleury is going to wait until Monday to speak, saying he needs time to think about what's going to happen to him in his future. The big question will probably be if he's willing to go somewhere else other than Calgary to play in the NHL. You never know if Fleury only wanted to be with the Flames because of the familiarity he has with the city, fans, and franchise. Would he get the same reception in other cities and would be feel confident to succeed in another city.

It leads me to also wonder if other clubs, who have the cap space, would be willing to take a chance on Fleury. He still has a little bit of the wheels in his favor, as well as the hands to play in the NHL; but would he be considered an asset to the other 29 teams in the league?? You can bet there's some voids in secondary scoring on some clubs and they are salivating at the chance to get someone like Fleury, who could score and would be an affordable pick-up for them. Yet, what kind of onus would he be carrying with him, considering his past-- are other GMs convinced he's cleaned up his act once and for all.

We'll have to find out Monday if there's another chance for teams out there to get a chance at Fleury, but for now-- this Cinderella chapter has closed for Fleury. The buzz created for this little guy again was amazing and the city here in Calgary seemed to welcome him back. In the end, it turned into a numbers game, as it always does with try-out players. Here's to Fleury and what he's done so far, if this is indeed the last time we see him on the ice.

Twitter Season Previews

You can read any season preview out there for the in-depth analysis and what each team could do, how they'll do it, and what they need to do in order to get there-- but as you know and as I've stated-- I'm lazy and a hack. So, what better way to do that than to use the newest new media craze and apply it to season previews. That's right, I'll sum up each teams season preview in 140 characters or less in these Twitter previews. Thanks to the help of TweetDeck, I'll make sure it's just right, team name excluded. And if you so please, you can follow me on the Twitter by clicking here.

ANAHEIM DUCKS: Hiller and Giguere will need to be their best with Pronger gone. Getzlaf, Ryan and Perry will get assistance from Koivu up-front

ATLANTA THRASHERS: Everyone will need to be in top-form if they want to keep Kovalchuk beyond this year. I'm looking at you Kari Lehtonen.

BOSTON BRUINS: If Thomas and Chara and keep on top of their award winning best, odds are the Bruins will be playing in June with or without Kessel

BUFFALO SABRES: Vanek was a big time player and, along with Miller, will have to keep on top of their games in order to get into the second season.

CALGARY FLAMES: Another Sutter behind the bench could mean success, but heat is on the defense to play better. Iggy, Olli, and Kipper can't do it all.

CAROLINA HURRICANES: Needing to prove last year was no fluke, Staal and Ward need to avoid long droughts for success team-wide.

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS: Off-season issues will be haunting, but maturity will be shown on the ice to make up for it. It's also all on Huet now to shine.

COLORADO AVALANCHE: First full season without Sakic, the young guns will step up. It's Stastny team, while Duchene may be a year away from prime-time.

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS: Mason and Nash must continue to be the prime attractions, as the Jackets try to build off their 1st, though short, playoff stint last year.

DALLAS STARS: If Turco and Richards can rebound, as well as support from others; the Stars can be back in the NHL's elite again.

DETROIT RED WINGS: While the core still remains from last season, but question of which Osgood will show up will always be present.

EDMONTON OILERS: New coaches, new goalie, but the questions remain of how much offense will show up with the brand new systems in place.

FLORIDA PANTHERS: Loss of J-Bouw will hurt a bit, but the young crop of forwards and steady Vokoun should be able to make up for his departure.

LOS ANGELES KINGS: A team that seems to be on the cusp of something great, but will still need seasoning together before the good things can happen.

MINNESOTA WILD: Starting from scratch without Lemaire and Gaborik, Backstrom will be the keystone in the new outlook for the Wild.

MONTREAL CANADIENS: Off-season spree may or may not pay off, but it's up to Price to stay rock steady and give his teammate a chance.

NASHVILLE PREDATORS: It'll be a dog-fight to see if Rinne or Ellis will be the main guy in goal, but a healthy Arnott will help them get back into the playoffs.

NEW JERSEY DEVILS: Lemaire is back, Brodeur seems healthy; but little to no scoring will make the trap system inevitable.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS: Tavares's addition may help garner attention, but carousel of goalies will be the real story for this once great franchise.

NEW YORK RANGERS: First full year for Tortorella could bring changes, but Lundqvist's big play will remain the story in the Big (Spending) Apple.

OTTAWA SENATORS: All the Heatley drama will continue to play out, which could take the pressure off Leclaire's play, especially coming back from injury.

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS: With Pronger and Emery in the fold, the Flyers will win the physical game if nothing else.

PHOENIX COYOTES: Will they stay or will they go?? The off-ice drama will trump anything Gretzky and the boys do on the ice.

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS: The Cup champs better hope for little to no hangover, but they have the talent to carry them back to the Finals for a third time.

SAN JOSE SHARKS: No team has more to prove than the Sharks. Nabokov, Thornton, and (especially) Marleau will need to be in top form to silence the doubters.

ST. LOUIS BLUES: Another team that is on the cusp, but a healthy Erik Johnson will help continue the Blues road to redemption.

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING: Even with their circus, Tanguay should be able to boost Lecavalier and St. Louis. Goalies still sketchy as hell.

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS: Burke will keep the show lively, even if the on-ice product is somewhat lacking. Gustavsson and Schenn will be the key players.

VANCOUVER CANUCKS: With Luongo and the Sedins locked up, plus tons of defense; the question is will this game-plan pay off in the end.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS: Ovechkin will be back again, but Knuble's addition will help out plenty. Theodore and Varlamov will be neck-and-neck for playing time.

There you have it. All thirty-teams, Wazz's season preview-- all in Twitter formation. It's my lazy way to get my two-cents in before training camp gets into full bloom. Enjoy it, don't enjoy it-- I told you I was a hack, so you can't say you weren't warned.

Hint to Expansion or Relocation??

Lil' Jimmy Mirtle has a post up displaying some of the odder choices for neutral site locations for the pre-season affairs for the NHL. These locations include: Kansas City, Winnipeg, Las Vegas, Halifax, Salt Lake City, and various places around Europe.

Some of these locales have meaning, like Europe where four teams will be playing their first games of the regular season; Winnipeg, which wholes a game for the Coyotes every year, and Kansas City, which is hosting a Kings game since the same people who own the Kings (AEG) own the Sprint Center in KC. Then you have those one-offs like Halifax and Summerside, PEI-- which hold training camps for some teams, and have for a while. SLC and Vegas are interesting choices, especially since the MGM Grand will be hosting a game.

Oddly enough, the Kings are playing in KC, Vegas, and SLC-- which makes you wonder what AEG is really doing with this team in terms of parading them around. Sure, you can make a speculation that the Kings will be moving to one of these destinations-- but it's a long-shot.

The real question is whether or not the NHL feels stable enough to do another round of expansion. Is this the feeling out process to see what reception the NHL will get in these markets?? Are these games true gauges to get an actual response, since it is a pre-season game??

When you look at the selections, like KC and Vegas-- though it could have a link to the teams playing, they are interesting choices since those cities have been in the rumor-mill for expansion possibilities-- Vegas for it's luster and KC because they have a huge arena built and no team in any league calling it home. Winnipeg could be grouped in there too, since the Canadian marketplace seems to be ready for another team and many in Winnipeg feel wronged by the Jets getting grounded and moving to Phoenix (pun intended).

You know it's summer when you start thinking about why pre-season games are being played where they are and expansion comes up.

But maybe it's time. The NHL has thrived, the salary cap has gone up ten-fold since the system has been instituted, and there's always new markets out there that could really help the NHL. That said, if not expansion-- maybe it's time to re-locate some teams out there and move them into markets that will not only help the teams out financially, but help the NHL out as well-- not only in finance, but exposure. The latter being what the game needs to thrive.

We'll see if this turns into anything or if it's just a case of trying to make the neutral site games truly neutral, without any feeling to either teams that are playing. Ooooo speculation-- how I love thee.

Meet Jason Missiaen

There's a very good chance you have never heard about Jason Missiaen unless you're the hardest of the core who follow the OHL. It's nothing to be ashamed of, though-- as in his two seasons in the OHL, the Peterborough Petes' goalie has compiled a record of 9-15-1 with only one shutout. Yet, at the same time, he has already created a buzz in Montreal Canadiens' prospect camp.

And why not, Missiaen seems to be a dark horse prospect, he has been impressing scouts and coaches alike, he has been fooling shooters left and right, even drawing comparisons to Ken Dryden, which seems to be cliche for any Habs goalie in this day-in-age.

Oh, and Missiaen is 6'8 as well, that's.....that's something that could be getting attention too.

TSN profiled the Petes' back-up keeper recently, revealing that Missiaen only is a golie due to his mother wanting him to wear the most padding out there on the ice. At the same time, his size hasn't hindered his ability be a smooth moving butterfly goalie. Even though he's only listed at 200 pounds, Missiaen hasn't had the awkwardness most big players have had when it comes to adjusting to size.

Granted, it's not as if the Habs are counting on Missiaen to be the savior like Carey Price is or the franchise like Ken Dryden was. No, the Dryden example was only thrown out in a comparison to Dryden's size in relation to other goalies of that era. I think a better example would almost be Olaf Kolzig in that Missiaen could be a goalie who is able to dominate the net with all-around size rather than all-around skill.

TSN also mentioned if the NHL does go to bigger nets, then Missiaen could be at a big advantage, no pun intended. There's really not another reason behind me using that other than the fact I'm a big proponent of bigger nets.

However, in recent years, it seems that the taller goalie has gone by the wayside. Ben Bishop (6'7, St. Louis), Scott Darling (6'6, Phoenix), Sergei Gayduchenko (6'5, Florida) and Antonie Lafleur (6'5, NY Rangers) are all goalies of reasonable size who have been drafted in the past years. With the exception of Bishop, all of them have come past the fourth round. They all could be diamonds in the rough, but they could also all be guys who never even see the light of the NHL.

With Missiaen making the waves he has had at prospect camp, you have to wonder not only if he'll get the chance (especially being in Montreal where there's two big prospects in the starting line-up all the time in net) or if he'll be able to garner enough attention for himself to get dealt and make his own headway with another club.

Plus, Missiaen (or the others mentioned), if successful, could show another wave of bigger keepers getting a hard look. Depending on what the NHL and PA decide on how to create more scoring chances, the bigger nets or smaller pads issue could make or break a lot of these taller guys. If they decide to go with smaller pads, you'll see a lot of goalies under 6'3 getting a shot, whereas if the bigger nets come in-- the bigger guys will get their time to shine.

Hell, if nothing else, this small coverage of Missiaen could get himself some more time in net for the Petes'-- which could get him more exposure if he does well enough in his appearances.

The above photo comes from a fellow named Chris C. and seems to be the only picture of Missiaen available through Google images. Get this kid more PT, please.