2013 Dallas Stars Season Review

It has been a daunting exercise to figure out if this team is trying to rebuild, or trying to make the playoffs. Some of the deals that GM Joe Nieuwendyk made confused pundits and fans alike; or should I say former GM Joe Nieuwendyk, who was fired at the end of the season and replaced with long time Red Wing assistant Jim Nill. It's hard to say which deal ultimately cost him his job; the Ribeiro for Eakin, Ryder for Cole, or Morrow for Morrow. Two of those three deals will make the team better long term, but may have cost them a playoff appearance in the near term. That franchise is bleeding money. How bad did that owner want some home dates in the playoffs? Did Joe make rebuilding moves when his owner wanted to make the playoffs? Looks like it.

For a team fighting to make the playoffs, they sure seemed eager to trade active assets for draft picks and prospects (even while in the middle of battling to make the playoffs). Would this team have made the playoffs if they still had Mike Ribeiro? Erik Cole certainly didn't earn his salary, while Michael Ryder was a top player in Montreal. Cole had 7 PTS in 23 GP when acquired. Why did the Dallas Stars trade their top goal scorer for a guy that Montreal could not get rid of fast enough?  If they fancied themselves a playoff team, it would have made sense to hold on to their top players. Maybe I'm just stupid.

They managed a nice little 5 game winning streak after unloading several of their best players at the deadline. Alex Chiasson came in and scored 6 goals on his first 13 shots and will enter next season with higher expectations. Alex Goligoski took a step forward with 27 PTS and the best plus minus on the team. Jamie Benn proved that he's worth the money he wanted to be paid. He is quickly establishing himself as an invaluable franchise player.

Preseason Rank: 26
Midseason Rank: 17
Final Rank: 21
GM Grade: F

1st Star: Jamie Benn
2nd Star: Loui Eriksson
3rd Star: Kari Lehtonen

UFAs: Eric Nystrom, Jordie Benn
RFAs: Tom Wandell, Lane MacDermid, Richard Bachman

Best Contract: Loui Eriksson 3 more years at $4.25M
Worst Contract: Erik Cole 2 more years at $4.5M

What I said about them in preseason:  Management playing hardball with Jamie Benn doesn't make much sense to me, given that he should be the focus of the franchise. Are they trying their best to win, or are they in a rebuilding mode? They brought in some old bodies like Jagr/Whitney, and the jury is still out on how good they'll be another year older.

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What will Jim Nill do going forward as the new General Manager? It won't be rebuilding, that's for sure. He's going to try to win, and has the benefit of no bad contracts on the roster (not including Eric Cole, who has threatened to retire because he hates the CBA). Joe Nieuwendyk was pretty good at picking up quality young prospects, so Jimmy will be taking over a strong situation. It remains to be seen however if the owner will allow him to spend more money, as the Stars bleak financial situation has forced them into penny pinching the last few years.

2013 Nashville Predators Season Review

This team fell short of my expectations, and seemed to miss Ryan Suter far more than Detroit missed Nick Lidstrom. Pekka Rinne was not nearly as dominant as last season, at least not in the 2nd half. Early in the season there were Rinne whispers for the Hart Trophy, but afterwards he fell out of even the Vezina conversation. The season did not end well for the Predators, as we learned that Rinne needed hip surgery, which helps explain his dramatic drop in performance. The sad truth for the Preds is that their team is now built around their goaltender who is starting to show signs of wearing down amid a heavy workload.

Mike Fischer was the most productive forward when healthy, followed by David Legwand. Patrick Hornqvist had 14 PTS in 24 GP, and was one of many injured players on the Predators roster this season. What this team lacks more than anything is an elite level goal scorer, on a roster over-loaded with role players. They need an ace. Without such a player, they will be forced to play a very tight defensive system to be even marginally competitive, which won't help sell tickets in a weak hockey market.

Paul Gaustad has to be a black eye on Craig Poile's resume. When he traded a 1st round pick for a 3rd line face-off guy, he made a big mistake, which was only compounded when he signed him to a long term extension. Gaustad had 5 PTS in 23 GP. Poile did save face by trading Martin Erat for Filip Forsberg at the trade deadline, when it was clear Nashville was going nowhere. Forsberg crossed the pond before the end of the season and has already accumulated a few games of NHL experience. There are some decent prospects in the Nashville system, which they will want to elevate sooner rather than later.

Preseason Rank: 12
Midseason Rank: 20
Final Rank: 28
GM Grade: D

1st Star: Shea Weber
2nd Star: Pekka Rinne
3rd Star: Ryan Suter um, I mean Mike Fischer

UFAs: Brandon Yip, Kevin Henderson, Chris Mueller, Chris Mason
RFAs: Roman Josi, Bobby Butler, Jon Blum, Victor Bartley, Matt Halischuk, Daniel Bang, Nick Spaling

Best Contract: Colin Wilson 2 more years at $2M
Worst Contract: Paul Gaustad 3 more years at $3.25M

What I said about them in preseason:  They certainly are not better than last season. Kept Weber, lost Suter. They are not as good. Last year was their year, and they lost to Phoenix.  They will be a marginal playoff team for at least a few more seasons, but their window is closing shut very quickly.

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Is it blasphemous to say that the Predators should strongly consider trading Shea Weber this summer? There may be some dark times ahead, and the team may not be able to pay out the remaining years on that contract. We will see how their attendance holds up if this is not a playoff team any longer. The lack of offensive displayed by the Preds this season was embarrassing; compound this with Pekka Rinne falling from the elite tier of goaltenders (into the above average tier), and what you've got is a very disappointing season. As of right now, there is no reason to think that next year will be any better than this train wreck, unless Rinne makes a full recovery from hip surgery.

2013 Anaheim Mighty Ducks Season Review

The Mighty Ducks shocked the hockey world coming out of the gate on fire on their way to clinching the 2nd seed in the Western Conference. They were upset in the first round of the playoffs by the Detroit Red Wings, reminding everyone that they may have been who we thought they were. Much of this team's success could be attributed to the resurgence of defenseman Francois Beauchemin, who played out the remainder of the season on a torn knee. His loss would have been devastating, but he toughed it out. Hopefully that bravery did not cause more long term damage. It was clear during the playoffs that Anaheim's defense was unable to effectively deal with Detroit's speed up front.

Ryan Getzlaf had a MVP calibre season, and should have garnered more support for the Hart Trophy. He turned it up a notch, and won himself a very sweet contract. Corey Perry (a former league MVP) got himself the same lucrative contract, but after a far less impressive season. It finally looked like the ageless Teemu Selanne's age had finally caught up with the "Finnish Flash". Selanne scored 12 goals, but had by far the worst plus/minus on the team at -10. Bobby Ryan was mostly effective (30 PTS in 46 GP), but Anaheim will need extraordinary play from ordinary defensemen going forward to replicate the same kind of success they experienced in 2013.

It's not quite clear why the GM was nominated for Executive of the year. Yes the team turned around their fortunes from last season, but the only move of significance made in the last 365 days was Victor Fasth, who didn't even play in the playoffs. Yes, Teemu came back, but I'm not sure how much of that can be credited to the General Manager. Did he fly to Finland and beg? Bruce Boudreau should get most of the credit for turning this roster around, not the boss upstairs.

Preseason Rank: 25
Midseason Rank: 5
Final Rank: 4
GM Grade: B-

1st Star: Ryan Getzlaf
2nd Star: Francois Beauchemin
3rd Star: Corey Perry

UFAs: Teemu Selanne, Saku Koivu, Dave Steckel, Matt Lombardi, Ben Lovejoy, Toni Lydman
RFAs: H. Zolnierczyk, Matt Beleskey, Kyle Palmieri

Best Contract: Emerson Etem 2 more years at $875K
Worst Contract: Corey Perry 8 more years at $8.6M

What I said about them in preseason:  If ever there was a dynasty here, it's over. Perry and Getzlaf are pending unrestricted free agents, but clearly the loss of Pronger and Niedermayer were a death blow to this team's elite status. It will be a long time before they win another Cup.

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We will see the true skill of this General Manager by the success of this roster next season. If it all comes crashing down, then he's overrated. If they once again find themselves near the top of their conference, then we'll know they are for real. Emerson Etem has to be their brightest light of the youngsters and with Kyle Palmieri give the Ducks a solid foundation for the future at the forward position. Last year's first round pick defenseman Hampus Lindholm (that guy on the bike at the combine) missed most of the season with a concussion. The Ducks need him to one day be the great athlete they saw ride that bike like nobody else could.

2013 Montreal Canadiens Season Review

It is safe to say that this team not only exceeded my expectations, they crushed them. I was convinced this would be one of the worst teams in the NHL, and they were anything but, at least until it all came crashing down in the playoffs at the hands of the Ottawa Senators. Player 27 and player 11 were excellent rookie additions to this roster, and certainly brighten up the future of the franchise. Player 79 came back healthy and was fantastic by all accounts (especially early), helped no doubt by the Norris caliber play of player 76. Player 67 and player 14 were once again effective as top line players and will be heavily relied upon for their offense in the future.

2013 started out great for player 31, who was an early candidate for the Vezina Trophy. His play began to diminish as the season unfolded, culminating in an impressive collapse after the Habs clinched a playoff spot. 31 had one good game in the playoffs, which was more disappointing than his late season play. There is a bright future ahead for this roster, but they are going to need strong goaltending to make it happen. Defenseman player 74 has proved his value with his physical play, but he's now out for the next 6 months after ACL surgery.

The most troubling aspect of the Habs success this season is my steadfast belief that Michel Therien is a terrible coach. The fact that his name was mentioned in Jack Adams conversations caused me physical discomfort, but I was very pleased to see that he was not nominated. It was not until the Habs hasty retreat from the playoffs that some of the shine started to come off Therien, as he personally led this team straight into a meltdown against a lower ranked opponent. He lacked composure, and it filtered down to his players. The fat, bug-eyed, walrus got the better of them.

Preseason Rank: 28
Midseason Rank: 3
Final Rank: 3
GM Grade: B+

1st Star: Player 76
2nd Star: Player 67
3rd Star: Player 14

UFAs: Michael Ryder, Colby Armstrong, Jeff Halpern, P. Nokelainen, Davis Drewiske
RFAs: Ryan White, Mike Blunden, Gabriel Dumont, Yannick Weber,

Best Contract: Player 76: 1 more year at $2.9M
Worst Contract: Player 31: 5 more years at $6.5M

What I said about them in preseason:  Some say "accelerated compliance buyout" others say the "Scott Gomez rule". Scotty is gone, this team will compete for a playoff spot until the end of the regular season, but they will fall short.

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The future is brighter for Montreal than many other teams in their position. Marc Bergevin's first season as GM proved to be very strong, especially getting player 76 to agree to a low ball contract, only to see him nominated for the Norris Trophy. The double edged sword being that 76 will probably demand a $6-$7M annual deal in 2014 when Montreal could have locked him up to a 5 year deal at $5M. They will return next season with mostly the same line-up from 2013; hopefully with player 81 will be healthy and ready to go and player 61 being a little bit more careful with his blind passes.

2013 Vancouver Canucks Season Review

After advancing all the way to the Stanley Cup finals in 2011, the Vancouver Canucks have now been eliminated in the first round for back to back seasons (while posting a 1-8 record in those series). San Jose easily knocked them out in 4 straight games, and now head coach Alain Vigneault has been fired (when one could easily argue that GM Mike Gillis did not give him the best cards to play with). They probably have one year left being a very competitive team, which also happens to be how much time is remaining on the Sedin contracts.

Next year they will be leaving the friendly confines of the Northwest division, a very weak division that they feasted on for back to back President's trophies (2011 and '12). They will continue to play Calgary and Edmonton often enough, but will have more games against the tough California teams. The schedule doesn't get any easier for a team accustomed to an easy schedule. Zack Kassian started 2013 on fire, but then pulled off a vanishing act for the rest of the season. Jordan Schroeder was drawing comparisons from Canuck fans to Marty St.Louis early in the schedule, but that all came crashing back to earth soon enough. Vigneault's biggest weakness as a coach was his inability to develop young players, which was "alright" because the team has very few talented young players.

Cory Schneider had a fantastic season in goal, then got hurt at the end of the season, barely even practicing for a 2 week period before being thrown back into the fire. He did not play his best in the playoffs, where Luongo managed to play great hockey. Lou was a big monkey for Schneider to carry around on his back all season, but guaranteed he won't have that problem next year. The Canucks will return with a solid core on defense, which combined with Schneider will help them remain competitive.

At the end of the day, this was a failed season for Mike Gillis, who's best move was acquiring Derek Roy, who made virtually no positive contribution to the team's playoff success. The biggest black eye for Gillis was keeping both goalies for the entire season, instead of making a deal that everyone knew he had to make. His reign at GM has seen some terrible trades, some brutal free agent signings, and a few decent moves. Next year he is going to find himself handcuffed by the salary cap and will have to make some very difficult decisions. We'll see how his boss likes writing a cheque to get rid of his mistakes.

Preseason Rank: 7
Midseason Rank: 10
Final Rank: 13
GM Grade: D+

1st Star: Henrik Sedin
2nd Star: Daniel Sedin
3rd Star: Cory Schneider

UFAs: Derek Roy, Manny Malhotra, Mason Raymond, Maxim Lapierre, Tom Sestito, Steve Pinizzotto, Andrew Alberts, Cam Barker
RFAs: Dale Weise, Chris Tanev, Derek Joslin

Best Contract: Kevin Bieksa 3 more years at $4.6M
Worst Contract: Roberto Luongo 9 more years at $5.3M

What I said about them in preseason:  Last year's President trophy winner is not any better, and might miss 2/3 of their second line for 10-20 games. They are a playoff team, but no chance that they finish in first place. Gillis is trying to put on a brave poker face that he's content to keep Luongo all season, but his team has serious holes and he should be desperate to make a deal. Nonis would be smart to call his bluff.

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There are dark times ahead for the Vancouver Canucks. Once the Sedin BROTHERS are gone, this team will not make the playoffs. It's possible that they sign contract extensions during the summer, but there is a really good chance that the Canucks lose their best players in 2014. The Canucks are going to be tight against the salary cap before signing any free agents, so rest assured that Mike Gillis will have to either move Luongo or eat the contract (which will be an expensive transaction for the owner). They should make the playoffs next year, but after that, there will be many rainy days on the forecast.

2013 Colorado Avalanche Season Review

Losing Gabriel Landeskog early in the season derailed this Avalanche team before it could pick up momentum. They played some very strong games, but could not sustain any success for any significant duration. Matt Duchene re-established himself in the upper echelon of NHL players, but his supporting staff was woefully insufficient. PA Parenteau proved to be a great signing, and was the 2nd best player on the roster. Losing Steve Downie for the season significantly diminished their team toughness, but ultimately the forward position was not this team's biggest problem. Paul Stastny continued to steal his $6.6M, but that robbery will only last 1 more season.

The whole drama with Ryan O'Reilly was ridiculous. They backed up the Brinks truck to re-sign David Jones, but then nickel and dimed O'Reilly, who is unquestionably the better player? Just because they got Duchene to jump on a low ball offer like Kramer in that one episode of Seinfeld, doesn't mean they should have locked out O'Reilly until he accepted the same deal, especially considering this team was nowhere near the salary cap. When Jay Feester finally extended that offer sheet, Colorado quickly matched and O'Reilly scored 20 PTS in 29 GP, going on to play for Team Canada instead of going to Las Vegas with many of his Colorado teammates.

The future does not look as bright as it once did for Erik Johnson, who had a very disappointing season. Jan Hejda was their best defenseman, and that ain't saying much. Show me a blueline anchored by Hejda and Zanon, and I'll show you a team that sucks, regardless of who they have at forward. Their greatest weakness is on the blueline, which is why Seth Jones will be the number one pick in the draft. JS Giguere and Semyon Varlamov return for another year in the net (hardly exciting), but if the Avs decide to make a deal to upgrade their goaltending, they have plenty of quality young assets to offer.

Preseason Rank: 17th
Midseason Rank: 26nd
Final Rank: 29th
GM Grade: F

1st Star: Matt Duchene
2nd Star: PA Parenteau
3rd Star: Gabriel Landeskog

UFAs: Milan Hejduk, Chuck Kobasew, Pat Bordeleau, Sean Sullivan
RFAs: Brad Malone, Tom Vincour, Aaron Palushaj

Best Contract: Matt Duchene 1 more year at $3.5M
Worst Contract: David Jones 3 more years at $4M

What I said about them in preseason: Loads of potential, but this might be a season too soon for the Avalanche. Landeskog is a stud. How good this team actually performs depends much on Semeon Varlamov and Erik Johnson. If those two are big, this team could make some noise.

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Coach Joe Sacco has been fired, most likely because of the JS Giguere rant late in the season about how the team had given up and checked out, though it could be argued that management was equally responsible for the team's futility this season (even if it did pay off and win the Avs the #1 pick in the draft). They will be more than happy to add Seth Jones to this team next season, a team that will once again boast a very talented group of young players.With the first pick in the draft, there is a 99% chance that they will draft Seth Jones (no matter what Nick Kypreos says).

2013 Winnipeg Jets Season Review

The Jets barely missed out on the playoffs in 2013, fighting until the last week for the last spot. Goalie Pavelec ran either hot or cold, playing either great or terribly, which has been his calling card for his whole career. This team got closer to a playoff spot than I predicted. They were hit hard with some key injuries at some key points in the season (Tobias Enstrom leading the team in scoring at the 1/4 mark before getting injured); but that is an obstacle that many teams have to deal with and can hardly be used as a legitimate excuse.

Andrew Ladd has established himself as a bonafide captain and a substantially under-rated star in this league, who has a very appealing contract, an absolute steal. Evander Kane certainly had a fantastic season, especially after getting cut from the KHL during the lockout. Blake Wheeler also took a giant leap forward, but happens to be coming up as a restricted free agent. His production this year would value him in the $5M-$6M per season range. This will be a challenging negotiation for the GM who already has Ladd, Kane, and Byfuglien locked down to fair, long-term contracts.

It is becoming clear that the Jets may want to change goaltenders. Pavelec does a reasonable job at the price he's paid, but he's never going to be a top goalie at the skill level required for an extended playoff run. He has some great games, but he also has some terrible games; the Pavelec experience is like a roller-coaster that always makes you feel sick at the end, even if there were exciting peaks. There will be plenty of goalies available this summer if the Jets don't have a youngster ready to challenge for the number one spot.

Preseason Rank: 27
Midseason Rank: 21
Final Rank: 20
GM Grade: C-

1st Star: Evander Kane
2nd Star: Andrew Ladd
3rd Star: Blake Wheeler

UFAs: Nik Antropov, Kyle Wellwood, Mike Santorelli, Antti Miettinen, Aaron Gagnon, Ron Hainsey, Grant Clitsome, Derek Meech.
RFAs: Blake Wheeler, Bryan Little, Alex Burmistrov, Eric Tangradi, Anthony Peluso, Zach Bogosian, Zach Redmon, Paul Postma, Arturs Kulda

Best Contract: Andrew Ladd 3 more years at $4.4M
Worst Contract: Andrej Pavelec 4 more years at $3.9M

What I said about them in preseason:  If your future is Andrej Pavelec, I'm not sure that future is very bright. Evander Kane stunk it up in the KHL, and the season will be half over before Byfuglien finally plays his way into shape. Maybe next season they play their way into a playoff spot, but it won't be in 2013.

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The Jets have a very hefty free agent list this summer (and no that does not include Byfuglien), and is not hampered by any truly bad contracts ($5.75M for Tobias Enstrom may be a little rich). They have a solid core of players in place, and have the opportunity to get significantly better in the next few years. Let's hope that they have confidence in their General Manager, who failed to add any helpful pieces by the trade deadline, while the Jets fell just a few points short of a playoff spot. They have enough pieces in place that this could become a top team next season, but there are also a lot of holes to fill. 62% of their roster are free agents.