Battle Of Hudson covers the Rangers and Devils, who's intense rivalry heated up in the 90's. With fresh faces added, they battle for supremacy in NYC and NJ..
On Day 3 of NWJC, USA Blue fell to Sweden 4-3. Montreal prospect Sebastian Collberg tallied twice and assisted on another goal for the victorious Swedes. Sabres’ 2013 fifth round pick (130th overall) Gustav Possler assisted on both of Collberg’s markers. He was named the game’s second star behind Collberg with goalie Marcus Hogberg (Sens ’13 Rd 3) earning third star with 23 saves.
Columbus 2013 first rounder Alexander Wennberg added a goal and assist. 2014 Draft Eligible Lucas Wallmark, Daniel Zaar (CBJ ’12 Rd 6) and Christian Djoos each had assists. Djoos is the son of former Ranger defenseman Par Djoos. The Capitals selected him in the seventh round last year. Like his Dad, he plays defense. In ’12-13 for Brynas IF Gavle of the Swedish Elite League (SEL), he posted two goals and six assists with 38 penalty minutes over 47 games. Interestingly enough, Dad played for them before getting recalled by Detroit in 1990-91. He was traded with Joe Kocur to the Rangers for Kevin Miller, Jim Cummins and Dennis Vial on March 5, 1991. After spending parts of two seasons on Broadway, the elder Djoos returned home and spent the majority of his career with Brynas IF. He coaches IF Sundsvall of the Swedish Allsvenakan.
The goal scorers for Team USA Blue were Tampa Bay 2013 second round pick Adam Erne and Avs’ D prospect Will Butcher who tallied twice including his second that cut it to 4-3 late. Devil prospect Stefan Matteau set up Butcher’s first goal that put USA Blue on the board. They trailed 3-0 in the second before cutting the deficit to one. Erne scored with less than a minute to go in the stanza. Washington prospect Connor Carrick and Butcher added helpers. Butcher had a three-point day and Carrick continued to play well.
In the third, the teams exchanged goals. Wennberg restored a two-goal lead halfway through before Butcher made it interesting on a feed from Vincent Hinostroza (Hawks ’12 Rd 6) with 2:17 remaining. Anaheim prospect Nic Kerdiles also registered a helper. Yesterday, he set up Anthony DeAngelo (Sarnia Sting).
Thatcher Demko (Boston College) allowed three goals on 23 shots and Flyer goalie prospect Anthony Stolarz stopped seven of eight.
Matteau Hurt: During the second period, Stefan Matteau suffered an injury after taking a hit to the head from Swedish blueliner Anton Lindholm. He didn’t return. We’ll update his status. Lindholm was assessed a five-minute charging major and game misconduct.
USA Blue has played two games losing both. Here are player stats. It’s three pages and includes Finland and Sweden. At last check, USA White is comfortably in front of Finland 5-0. It’s been a good day for Isles’ prospect Taylor Cammarata. The ’13 third rounder has a goal and two assists so far. Nashville prospect Zach Stepan, Montreal 2013 first rounder Michael McCarron,Connor Clifton (Yotes ’13 Rd 5) and Ian McCoshen (Panthers ’13 Rd 2) have also tallied. Devils’ ’13 second round pick Steve Santini has an assist. We’ll have more later.
Teuvo Teravainen stood out on Day 2 at Lake Placid. Getty Images/blackhawks.nhl.com
The second game at Herb Brooks Arena was a wild one. Finland rallied from a goal back defeating USA Blue 6-5 in overtime. With the goalie pulled, Artturi Lehkonen tied it up with 10 seconds left in regulation. It was part of a big day for the Canadiens’ 2013 second round pick who recorded a hat trick and assist for a point effort. Lehkonen combined with Teuvo Teravainen (Hawks ’12 1st Rd) for eight points. Teravainen terrorized USA with a goal and three assists. He was a standout due to superb skating and playmaking. On the American side, Greenwich, Connecticut native John Hayden wasn’t too shabby either. Chicago must be thrilled.
Similar to Sweden cashing in on the power play in their 4-2 win over USA White, Finland was only too happy to oblige. They converted three of four including Isles’ defense prospectVille Pokka, who got the OT winner with a rocket past 2014 Draft Eligible goalie Thatcher Demko. It was an inauspicious start for the hyped American prospect attending Boston College. He allowed five goals on 19 shots in relief of Edison, Jersey native Anthony Stolarz (15 saves). The Flyer 2012 second rounder held the forte with the Finns controlling play in the second. In fairness to Demko, the first shot he saw was off a breakaway with Ville Leskinen (’14 Eligible) beating him with a backhand short side. He made a couple of strong stops including a spectacular split to deny an opportunity.
Islander fans should be encouraged by Pokka. The 19-year old blueliner tallied a goal and two helpers. In the 2012 Draft, the Isles took him in Round Two 34th overall. He’s spent the last three seasons with Karpat of SM-liiga in Finland. He posted six goals and six assists in 47 contests in ’12-13. A nice improvement from last year when he totaled three assists in 35 games. Given their surplus of depth on the back end, the Isles can wait for him to develop. A luxury for the club with a bright future off a playoff year.
The Pens remain the favorite in the Metro. Unfortunately for the rest of the division, they boast a solid D prospect in ’12 number one pick Olli Maatta. He helped set up four of Finland’s six tallies. Already signed following two years with the London Knights (OHL), he’ll likely spend time with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
For Blue, Connor Carrick stood out from the rest. It appears the Caps have another good defenseman in their system. Carrick was selected last year in the fifth round (137th overall). He spent two years with the U.S. National Development team (USHL) and posted 44 points (12-32-44) in his first season with the Plymouth Whalers (OHL). The 19-year old is a smooth skating D with above average offensive skills which were on display at Lake Placid. With the Americans pressing the action early, he jumped up in the rush and finished off a nice passing play from Will Butcher (Avs ’13 Rd 5) and another Caps’ prospect Riley Barber, who led USA with three assists. Carrick had a goal and helper and was easily their most dependable blueliner.
The Rangers’ Brady Skjei looked good in spurts. He didn’t see much ice in the third but was on for Finland’s tying marker. Outside of that, the 2012 first round pick showed decent skating ability. Early on, he nearly scored on a wrap around. Defensively, he was okay making a couple of nice recoveries to help 17-year old phenom Anthony DeAngelo out. DeAngelo is a high risk, reward player who takes chances. You can see what the hype is about The Sewell, Jersey native who’s available next draft had a nice goal that put Team USA ahead 5-4 with under 10 minutes remaining. On the play, he snuck in from the left point and deposited a sweet Nic Kerdiles (Ducks ’12 Rd 2) cross-ice feed. At times, DeAngelo was adventurous in his end. About what you’d expect. Anaheim 2013 third rounder Keaton Thompson struggled mightily the first two periods but showed improvement late.
Another player who had a strong game was Sharks’ 2012 fifth rounder Dan O’Regan. He scored twice and was a constant force. His second straight goals came just 19 seconds into the third on a brilliant rush from Carrick. That knotted the contest 3-3. After Lehkonen put Suomi back ahead, Team USA scored 30 seconds apart to storm in front. On an innocent looking play, Hudson Fasching (Kings ’13 Rd 4) got rewarded for hustle around the Finn net when a loose puck snuck past Juuse Saros (Preds ’13 Rd 4). Montreal prospect Brady Vail (’12 Rd 4) also competed well.
Other Battle prospects who represented USA Blue were Devils’ 2012 first round pick Stefan Matteauand Buffalo 2013 second rounder Justin Bailey. Of the two, Bailey stood out more. The 6-3, 186 pound forward from Williamsville, New York combines solid skating with strength. He pulled off a couple of nice power moves to the net that almost resulted in goals. His effort paid off on Fasching’s marker. Bailey can be followed on Twitter. As for Matteau, he showed glimpses of strong skating. Like Dad Stephane, the 19-year old is a good forechecker who uses the boards effectively. He had one quality chance coming in the third and wasn’t overly physical. There’s still some growing for the second-year pro.
Day Two of USA Hockey WJC Evaluation Camp saw the first action. USA White fell to Sweden 4-2 at Lake Placid. Undisciplined play was the story for USA White who took three of their 10 penalties in the third period. Sweden took full advantage scoring twice on the power play to break a 2-2 tie.
2014 Draft eligible Lucas Wallmark finished off a nice set up from Sebastian Collberg and Christian Djoos at 15:50 for the game-winner. Tommy Vannelli (Stl ’13 2nd Rd) was off for delay of game. His third penalty of the game. Some nifty passing resulted in Wallmark beating USA goalie Collin Olson (Car ’12 6th Rd) from the slot. Olson had no chance.
Team USA came close to tying it less than a minute later. Montreal ’13 first round pick Michael McCarron was denied on a rebound by Sweden netminder Oscar Dansk. Another penalty resulted in the Swedes’ third power play goal. This time, Quentin Shore (Ott ’13 6th Rd) went off for hi-sticking. It didn’t take long for Sweden to cash in. Following a shorthanded bid from defenseman Matt Grzelcyk (Bos ’12 3rd Rd), Filip Sandberg ripped home his first from Carl Dahlstrom making it 4-2 with 2:10 left in regulation.
Frustration boiled over for USA White. It included a post scrum after an icing and a kneeing minor to Tyler Motte (Chi ’13 4th Rd) with 19.1 seconds remaining. Buffalo ’13 second rounder J.T. Compher mixed it up as the final seconds wound down. At the very least, he was noticeable. Islanders’ third rounder Taylor Cammarata is a midget but did some nice things on the forecheck. 2012 Rangers’ second round pick Cristoval Nieves drew praise and Zach Stepan (Nsh ’12 4th Rd) was involved offensively. The broadcasters seemed to think he reminded them of older cousin Derek Stepan, who remains unsigned. “They sneak up on you,” was one remark which is true when it comes to our top center. Devils’ 2013 second round pick Steve Santini also took part. He got a shot through and delivered a check prior to Wallmark’s game decider.
USA goals were scored by Grzelcyk and Winnipeg ’13 fourth round pick Andrew Copp. Sweden also got goals from Andre Burakowski and Anton Lindholm. Jon Gillies played the first making 11 saves and Olson went the last two turning aside 17 of 20. For Sweden, Dansk went the distance stopping 15 of 17.
If you’re not too busy, please check out our show Pushing Buttons. Hosted by myself along with personalities Chris Wassel, Brian Sanborn, Justin “JNF” Felix, Rob “Kraze” Davis, George Brew, John “JPG” Giagnorio, Dan Wheeler, Jen “Sharxgirl” Johnson and Chrissy Lee, it’s all hands on deck for a hard hitting show centering around on sports and whatever else enters our warped minds.
Last year, John Gibson won tournament MVP leading Team USA to the U-18 WJC to gold. Who will step up this year?
Starting tomorrow, Team USA hosts National Junior Evaluation Camp at the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid. The defending IIHF U-18 World Junior Champs have invited 44 players to participate. It runs from Aug. 3 to Aug. 10 and includes games against participants Canada, Finland and Sweden.
USA has split the 44 players into two rosters. Team Blue features Devils’ prospect Stefan Matteau, the Rangers’ Brady Skjeiand 2013 Sabres’ second round pick Justin Bailey. Washington prospect Riley Barber is also included from last year’s gold medal team. He posted three goals and three assists. They’re coached by Greg Brown and former Devils’ assistant Kurt Kleinendorst.
Buffalo ’13 second rounder J.T. Compher, New Jersey ’13 second round pick Steve Santini, 2013 Islanders’ third round pick Taylor Cammarata and Rangers’ 2012 second rounder Cristoval Nieves help comprise Team White. The roster also features Coyotes’ ’12 first round pick Henrik Samuelsson and Calgary goalie prospect Jon Gillies, who backed up John Gibson on last year’s championship roster. Defenseman Pat Sieloff also returns from last year’s gold medal club. They’re coached by Bob Motzko and Jon Cooper.
In an irony of sorts, Zach Stepan is also on Team White. The last name should be recognizable to Ranger fans who are still waiting for top center Derek Stepan to get re-signed. Zach is the younger cousin of Stepan. Nashville selected him in the fourth round of the ’12 Draft 112th overall. For those curious, he also plays center and is similar in stature (5-11, 175). Stepan is left-handed and completed his first season with the Waterloo Black Hawks of the USHL tallying 78 points (32-46-78) in 56 games. Like his more famous older cousin, he’s from Hastings, Minnesota. The previous two years, he played for Shattuck-St. Mary’s which produced stars Sidney Crosby and Zach Parise along with Derek Stepan. At the very least, it’ll be interesting to follow the younger Stepan.
The 2014 World Junior Championship takes place in Malmo, Sweden. It begins on Dec. 26 and concludes on Jan. 5, 2014. Minnesota Golden Gophers coach Don Lucia will be in charge of Team USA taking over for former NHL defenseman Phil Housley.
“Looking at how Phil coached and his systems, I don’t think the way I like to play is a whole lot different from how the team played last year,” Lucia told NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman after participating in last year’s camp. “We want to be aggressive, we want to recruit players that can skate and take away time and space. Hopefully you have good goaltending and specialty teams, because we all know how important that is in a short tournament.”
One change from last year could be the loss of Seth Jones, Alex Galchenyuk and Jacob Trouba to the NHL. All were instrumental in the Americans’ rise to the top in Ufa, Russia. Along with Gibson who was named tournament MVP, Team USA could have a different look.
“We’ll see how they do when the year begins,” Lucia said of Galchenyuk, Trouba and Jones. “It would be a lot easier to add one than to count on one and not have him.”
“I think it’s invaluable to have guys that have gone through the process and see what it takes to win at that level and win in a short tournament.”
Not in camp is Chicago number one pick Ryan Hartman, who’s recovering from a shoulder injury. Assuming he returns, the future power wing should have a more prominent role. He’s a straight line rugged player who can fly. Lucia is also considering 2014 draft eligible Thatcher Demko in net. He’s one of four netminders being looked at to replace Gibson. He doesn’t turn 18 until Dec. 8 and is entering his freshman year at Boston College. Sewell, New Jersey native Anthony DeAngelo is another ’14 Draft Eligible who could force his way on. The 17-year old defenseman posted 58 points (9-49-58) in his second year with the Sarnia Sting (OHL) ranking third best among blueliners in scoring.
“You try to do the best job of getting the players that you hope are candidates and for the most part will be there,” Lucia added. “And you come out with a little bit of a skeleton, a little bit of a rough draft of an idea of what you think the team may look like. And then it’s up to the players to continue to perform during the course of the fall. The players play themselves into a spot or play themselves out of a spot.”
When Jaromir Jagr signed with the Devils last week, it guaranteed at least one more year for one of the game’s ambassadors. At 41, Jagr goes year to year which better explains his NHL tour. Since returning from Russia, he’s gone from Philadelphia to Dallas to Boston to New Jersey over two years. When No.68 lines up for the Devils in October, it’ll be his fourth stop. Will it be his final one? That remains to be seen.
At the twilight of a brilliant Hall Of Fame career, Jagr seems to enjoy the game more. It’s one of the things we noticed during his stay in New York. In three-plus seasons, he brought back respectability to a struggling franchise once considered a laughingstock. Following the ’04-05 lockout, he guaranteed the playoffs for the Rangers when many had them ranked 30th. With help from rookie goalie Henrik Lundqvist alongside respected vet Kevin Weekes, Jagr delivered on that promise…
After beating the Rangers to end Wayne Gretzky’s career, Jaromir Jagr embraces the Great One in his only Hart season. Will 2013-14 be his last? usatoday.com
When Jaromir Jagr signed with the Devils last week, it guaranteed at least one more year for one of the game’s ambassadors. At 41, Jagr goes year to year which better explains his NHL tour. Since returning from Russia, he’s gone from Philadelphia to Dallas to Boston to New Jersey over two years. When No.68 lines up for the Devils in October, it’ll be his fourth stop. Will it be his final one? That remains to be seen.
At the twilight of a brilliant Hall Of Fame career, Jagr seems to enjoy the game more. It’s one of the things we noticed during his stay in New York. In three-plus seasons, he brought back respectability to a struggling franchise once considered a laughingstock. Following the ’04-05 lockout, he guaranteed the playoffs for the Rangers when many had them ranked 30th. With help from rookie goalie Henrik Lundqvist alongside respected vet Kevin Weekes, Jagr delivered on that promise with one of his best years. He shattered franchise single season marks in goals (54) and points (123). When it comes to ’05-06, he was gigantic. At a time when he was doubted, Jagr dominated. His 24 power play goals were a career best and nine game-winners should’ve been enough for his second Hart. Instead, voters chose JoeThornton,who following a trade to San Jose posted 92 points (20-72-92) in 58 games to edge out Jagr for the Art Ross.
Astonishingly, he’s only won one MVP capturing it in ’98-99 with the Penguins when he amassed 127 points (44-83-127). Ironically. he also delivered one of his most memorable moments against the Devils in their first round series. New Jersey finished with the East’s best record and were expected to go far. They led the series 3-2 with Game 6 at The Civic Center. The old Igloo was home to the Pens’ first two Cups when Jagr teamed with Mario Lemieux in 1991 and 1992. During the first round, Jagr suffered a pulled groin in the first game. With his team facing elimination, he returned. The rest is history.
“I remember that like it happened yesterday,” Jagr told The Star Ledger’s Rich Chere a year ago when the Devils took on the Flyers during the second round. “I pulled my groin in the first game. We were losing, 3-2, in the series and if we would lose in the first round I think the team would move to Kansas City because they had no money. We had to make the second round to get the (money for) the payments.
“I came back and I tied it with a minute and a half to go and then I scored in overtime. That was probably my best game ever, I would say. My most important for sure. I’ll probably never score a goal that important. Probably if I hadn’t scored, the team wouldn’t be in Pittsburgh right now. (Sidney) Crosby would be in Kansas City.”
To this day, Jagr is public enemy number one whenever he returns to Pittsburgh. The divorce was bitter following their ’00-01 run to the Conference Finals that coincidentally ended against New Jersey. Without him, there probably are no more Penguins. They were that close to being extinct. Instead, the franchise survived and now play in a new arena home to Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
It will be odd to see Jagr donning his trademark number 68 in Devils’ red and black. With the exception of two months spent in Dallas, he’s always played for rivals. Even when he suited up for the Bruins, it was another team the Devils compete against. As forgettable as the shortened season was, they expect to be back in it when 2013-14 begins. Devil President and GM Lou Lamoriello has vowed to field a competitive roster following the KHL departure of Ilya Kovalchuk. When they reached agreement with Jagr, many wrote the Devils off. Considering that they picked up Cory Schneider to share the workload with another 41-year old legend Martin Brodeur, it’s hard to see them not being competitive.
Jagr admitted that he strongly considered the Devils after Kovalchuk left because it opened up a top six spot. It’s possible that this could be his final season. In an article back home in the Czech Republic, he hinted at that and wants to be in the best shape.
“I love hockey, and when you love something, you want to do it at the highest level, and that is the NHL,” he told Hokej Cz Wednesday. “If you love something, age is not important. It’s just a number.”
“It may be my last season and I want to do everything possible to be successful.”
Hopefully, he’ll silence the critics and write another chapter in a storied career.
Mats Zuccarello will return for another season. The diminutive 25-year old forward reached agreement with the Rangers on a one-year $1.15 million deal to avoid arbitration. A hearing was scheduled for tomorrow.
Instead, Zuccarello was re-signed leaving Ranger President and General Manager Glen Sather with one big task left. He still must get Derek Stepan done. The Rangers have approximately $2.2 million left. Stepan will command more than that forcing Sather to maneuver under the cap. That bridge will be crossed when they get there.
For now, the Blueshirts brought back the speedy playmaking Norwegian at a reasonable price. After returning from the KHL for a second stint, Zuccarello improved posting eight points (3-5-8) in 15 games. In his first taste of NHL playoffs, he posted a goal and six assists for seven points ranking second behind Derick Brassard (2-10-12) for the team lead. His willingness to take on stronger…
Mats Zuccarello (middle) will return to the Rangers for 2013-14.
Mats Zuccarello will return for another season. The diminutive 25-year old forward reached agreement with the Rangers on a one-year $1.15 million deal to avoid arbitration. A hearing was scheduled for tomorrow.
Instead, Zuccarello was re-signed leaving Ranger President and General Manager Glen Sather with one big task left. He still must get Derek Stepan done. The Rangers have approximately $2.2 million left. Stepan will command more than that forcing Sather to maneuver under the cap. That bridge will be crossed when they get there.
For now, the Blueshirts brought back the speedy playmaking Norwegian at a reasonable price. After returning from the KHL for a second stint, Zuccarello improved posting eight points (3-5-8) in 15 games. In his first taste of NHL playoffs, he posted a goal and six assists for seven points ranking second behind Derick Brassard (2-10-12) for the team lead. His willingness to take on stronger players made him an effective player. Particularly good on the power play, he set up three of the Rangers’ four power play goals.
MZA isn’t a top line guy. However, he’s versatile enough to be moved around. It’s a good move retaining a creative player who doesn’t back down from anyone.
The Battle Of New York includes the Devils, Islanders, Rangers and Sabres. The same Battle teams who comprise New York Puck. If we were to put together an All Battle Team, what would your team look like? While there are some obvious choices, it’s no guarantee they’d be the same for everyone.
Using players from all four clubs, we can make three different teams. The combination of experience, youth and intangibles must be considered. You also might be swayed by the team you root for. Notice my selections above. Though I tried to be fair. I excluded Rick Nash and selected the more versatile Patrik Elias and the Sabres best in Thomas Vanek on the right side. Taking Girardi over Travis Hamonic was tough. Hamonic might pass him but the Rangers’ defensive defenseman has done it longer and deserved to be invited for Team Canada.
If we expand to three teams, goalie is competitive with Cory Schneider battling legend Martin Brodeur for the No.1 job in Newark. Nobody can deny Schneider’s capability but Brodeur is the Devils. In what could be his final year, expect Marty to be at his best. Not long ago, Ryan Miller was considered by many to be an elite goalie. Having led Buffalo to consecutive Conference Finals and Team USA to silver in Vancouver, he was the top American netminder. Things have changed dramatically since. Miller enters the final year of his contract and is expected to get moved at the deadline. Former Conn Smythe winner Jon Quick and Jimmy Howard have passed him with Craig Anderson right behind. He has much to prove. Evgeni Nabokov carried the Islanders to the playoffs. He’ll represent Russia in Sochi.
Following Tavares, there are plenty of strong candidates down the middle. Derek Stepan emerged as the Rangers’ best pivot in 2013 edging out Nash for team scoring. No small feat. His development under ex-coach John Tortorella is proof that young players can excel under a coach who received undeserved criticism. Stepan has matured and become a lethal one-two combo on the penalty kill with Ryan Callahan. Now he must prove he can do it in a full 82 Olympic year. Perhaps the most unheralded center is Cody Hodgson, who plays in obscurity for the Sabres. Since being acquired from Vancouver for Zach Kassian, he’s shown flashes. Can he be the No.1 on an offensively challenged team? Time will tell. The Devils boast Travis Zajac and Adam Henrique. Both are coming off disappointments. Zajac is arguably the best overall center among Battle clubs. One of the game’s top faceoff men, he’s a strong two-way player who plays in every situation. It’ll be interesting to see who Pete DeBoer lines up with him. Henrique is best known for his memorable goal in sudden death that ousted the Rangers sending the Devils to the Stanley Cup Final. His clutch play included a first round clincher over the Panthers. He wasn’t the same after injury. Expect a different player this Fall. Can Brad Richards bounce back? He showed signs of slowing down. Maybe a full camp benefits him. Frans Nielsen is an important second center behind Tavares who flies under the radar. A smart pass oriented player who has soft hands, Nielsen has become a reliable guy under Jack Capuano. Players to watch are the Derick Brassard, who wowed MSG with a strong postseason, unsigned Devil Andrei Loktionov who boasts skill, Buffalo’s Tyler Ennis and Isles’ phenom Ryan Strome, who might debut in 2014.
The left wing is dominated by Elias, Nash and Vanek. Of course, Nash should top most lists due to his supreme skill. The big man has moves like Jagr and is breathtaking. He’ll need to score 40 for the Rangers and be more of a factor late. If Brodeur is the Devils’ King, then Elias is the crown prince. The all-time franchise leader in goals and points, he’s done it all winning two Cups and representing the Czech Republic proudly. Hopefully, he’ll get the chance to play with newest Devil Jaromir Jagr one last time in Sochi. Elias is the quiet star who lets his stick do the talking. He can shift to center and continues to be a consistent force for the Devils. Simply put, Vanek is the Sabres’ best player. He is super fast and is one of the best finishers in the game. However, he’s streaky and has been unable to duplicate a breakout season in ’06-07. Vanek enters his final year and is approaching 500 points. Is this the last Buffalo will see of the gifted Austrian? The Isles’ Matt Moulson is a poor man’s Adam Graves who scores garbage goals in front. He does the dirty work and has had chemistry with Tavares since coming over from LA. Moulson has good hands and is a constant power play threat. His consistency makes him a fan favorite on the Island. Carl Hagelin is one of the league’s fastest skaters. Not the most skilled, the gritty Swede squeezes every ounce out of his body and has become a player the Rangers depend on. Only entering his third year under new coach Alain Vigneault, Hagelin could benefit from a higher tempo. Two players to watch are Buffalo’s Marcus Foligno, who’ll be looked upon for more offense and the Rangers’ Chris Kreider, who must put 2013 behind him. Keep an eye on Reid Boucher who will start in Albany for the Devils.
The right side isn’t as strong. Ryan Callahan is probably the best. The Rochester native with a no nonsense approach played through a torn labrum. The Ranger captain’s physical style epitomizes a blue collar team who follow his example. He isn’t the most skilled but always shows when he’s needed most. Look no further than his OT playoff clincher against Florida. Will a different coach allow him to score 30? Jaromir Jagr is still going strong at 41. Amazingly, he and Brodeur are the only guys left from the 1990 Draft. Two future Hall Of Famers team up as No.68’s tour of the old Patrick Division continues. New Jersey will be team number five following the Pens, Caps, Rangers and Flyers. Jagr isn’t what he once was but is still a threat. A strong forechecker, he’ll bring puck possession to the Devils along with incredible playmaking. Perhaps he’ll benefit from the offseason after a long season that started back home. Is this the year Kyle Okposo emerges for the Islanders? His play down the stretch and in the first round was the best of his career. Still just 25, the former Isles’ No.1 pick is a relentless forechecker who can shift to center and take key draws. Power wings take longer to develop. Nobody can deny Michael Grabner’s talent. He’s a slippery player with great hands. A lethal shorthanded threat, he’s scored eight times while a man short in three years with the Isles. It’s all about consistency. One of the Devils’ smartest moves was adding Michael Ryder. A proven finisher, his big right-handed shot should benefit a team that will miss Ilya Kovalchuk. Ryder is effective on the power play. A sore spot for the Devs. Buffalo’s Drew Stafford is an odd player. At times, he can score in bunches. In other instances, he disappears. The Sabres need him to show up. Keep an eye on Mikhail Grigorenko, who enters his second year in Western New York.
Taking Ryan McDonagh was an easy call. Already an established defenseman with shutdown capabilities and offensive potential, the Rangers’ best is a strong skater who’s rock solid. He recovers quickly and can jump into the rush. If anyone benefits from Vigneault, it’s him. Dan Girardi is the classic example of a player overlooked by scouts who sneaks up on you. Undrafted, he has become a leader with the Blueshirts. Known for laying out his body and blocking shots, he could double with a cape as Superman because he always returns. It would be nice to see him play his way onto Canada. Ironically, the Isles’ Travis Hamonic was invited. It was deserved. His strong physical play against the Pens stood out. A smart defenseman who also can contribute offensively, he should be a staple when the team moves to Brooklyn next year. The question is how effective will partner Andrew MacDonald be when he returns from a broken hand. He’s a heady player who teams with Hamonic on a revamped Isles’ blueline that features vet Lubomir Visnovsky. There will be more pressure on Visnovsky to provide offense with Mark Streit now a Flyer. Throughout his career, the veteran has been a fixture on the power play. He’ll need a big year for the Isles to make the playoffs in the reformed Metro Division. Perhaps the most overlooked D plays for the Devils in Andy Greene. Not flashy, he’s a steady stay at home type who gets the job done. His play during their run in 2012 was instrumental. He won’t put up a ton of points. That’ll be left for Czech vet Marek Zidlicky who’s had a solid career. The power play quarterback of the Devils is always a threat from the point and is equally adept at finding teammates. He could be in for a good year with buddy Jagr aboard. The wildcard is Marc Staal, who says he’s feeling better after a career threatening eye injury. If healthy, he moves up the depth chart. He was invited to Canada’s 48-man roster. A strong two-way defenseman who’s steady defensively can jump up when needed. We’ll have to wait and see. The Sabres boast offensive-minded German Christian Ehrhoff. A good puck moving D who anchors the Buffalo back end, he’ll rack up points. Buffalo is hoping the reacquisition of Henrik Tallinder will spark Tyler Myers. Once thought as a future star, the former No.1 has regressed since winning the Calder. Like the Rangers’ Mike Del Zotto, the potential is there. Clearly, it’s mental. Other blueliners to watch are the Devs’ Adam Larsson who enters his third year, the Rangers’ John Moore who was a pleasant surprise, Islander youngsters Matt Donovan and Calvin de haan and Devil prospects Jon Merrill and Eric Gelinas.
If we were selecting three teams here’s how it would look:
hasan4978
Battle Of Hudson 
You must be logged in to post a comment.