NHL Eastern Confrence

This isn't a new phenomenon, plenty of NHL teams are losing money.

The only surprise is that the Stanley Cup Champions, the Chicago Blackhawks, are among the teams operating in the red. After an amazing season and playoffs, the Blackhawks have fallen short of breaking even despite the revenue from the playoffs.

According to The Chicago Tribune's Melissa Harris, the franchise ran out of cash several times throughout the season even while setting records in capacity attendance, merchandise sales, television ratings and sponsorship revenues.

Harris also stated that, although the Blackhawks are among the have-not teams in the NHL, Chicago is ineligible to receive revenue sharing due to the market size.

Adding insult to injury, Harris goes on to say that the organization had to give the NHL at least 50 percent of what the gate receipts would have been at the United Center during a regular season sell-out to account for their revenue from playoff home games.

This has two implications.

First, it automatically means that, to make money, teams have to raise the price of playoff tickets.

Secondly for some teams—Phoenix, Tampa, Atlanta, etc.—the balance of raising ticket prices vs. attendance could cause them to actually lose money depending on their arena deals.

For example, the NHL is a gate-driven league.

However, if the team in question does not own parking or concession rights (as some NHL teams don't), the playoffs generate significantly less revenue and this "50 percent NHL fee" could be very detrimental.

In a league where the champions are losing money and the second worst team is leading the league in profits by a significant margin, clearly more economic revisions are needed.

The bottom line is that teams need to be moved.

It is ugly, unpopular and a polarizing decision, but one that must be made. When one of the reasons a league cannot put a team in a market like Hamilton is because it would become a top five earner and cause an even greater cap increase, something needs to change.

It isn't fair to the people of Hamilton and, if it did occur, it isn't fair to teams like Tampa, Atlanta, the New York Islanders and others who have difficulties meeting the floor.

Teams only work in areas that already have the support for hockey needed in a gate-driven league.

Edmonton is always the Canadian market used to showcase the woes of the small market and how it even affects Canadian markets.

Oddly enough, Edmonton actually turned a profit last year despite multiple years of subpar playoff-less seasons. This proves that if the support is there, the money will follow.

Winnipeg, Seattle and Quebec City are potential markets with a strong hockey base that should be considered for relocation.

All cities would need refurbishments to their arenas or, in Quebec's case, a new arena (which is in progress). Seattle has proposed a $220 million refurbish while Winnipeg would easily find the funds to secure its arena for an NHL team.

Besides moving teams to more profitable markets, the NHL still needs to address its most pressing issue.

There will always be teams that can spend much more than others, but a system must be in place to equalize the spending. The current model is a great start but ultimately, through relocation and negotiations the NHL needs to change its economic model again or risk its dissolution.

We come down to the last four teams standing in the NHL’s Stanley Cup tournament, and while the dominant San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks will have a showdown in the West, the surprise Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadiens will battle it out for supremacy in the East.

Before I get to my picks for the Conference Finals, I’d like to say that I got a lot of negative comments on my article Why a Montreal-San Jose Stanley Cup Final Is Bad for TV , stating that I didn’t want either the San Jose Sharks or the Montreal Canadiens to reach the final.

I am not rooting against the Habs or the Sharks to reach the finals; I was just saying that Montreal and San Jose meeting in the Stanley Cup Final is not the best for television purposes, and if the Habs do make the final, I would not like to see a Canadian team playing a warm-weather team in the final once again, like the last three times a Canadian team advanced to the NHL's biggest stage.

Lighten up, already!

Western Conference

San Jose Sharks vs. Chicago Blackhawks

The Hawks are back in the conference finals for the second-straight year, while the “Bay Area Bombers” (aka San Jose) are in the NHL’s Final Four for the second time in their history.

While I predicted San Jose would get a bigger fight from Detroit, the Sharks had no problem disposing the two-time defending conference champions, putting them out in only five games.

The Hawks had a course of good and bad games in their six-game series to kick Vancouver out of the road to the cup.

The Sharks got a better output from Thornton and Heatley in the second round compared to their first-round series versus Colorado. But don’t count out their leading scorer, Joe Pavelski, who’s been a surprise contributor for the Sharks.

The young Hawks already have much more playoff experience than the Sharks at this point of the NHL postseason, and if their young duo of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane can outscore Thornton, Heatley, and Pavelski, then the Hawks may find their way to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 18 years.

Prediction: Hawks in six games.

Eastern Conference

Philadelphia Flyers vs. Montreal Canadiens

Could the “Cardiac Canadiens” be for real? Well, by the way Jaroslav Halak has been playing, possibly. The Canadiens have shut the door on the Penguins and the Capitals to advance to the conference finals for the first time since 1993.

The last time these two teams met in the playoffs was in the 2008 conference semifinals, where the Flyers bested the Habs in five.

Against the Bruins this week, Philadelphia had to bounce back from a 3-0 series deficit and a 3-0 deficit in Game Seven to become the third team in NHL history to come back from being behind 3-0 in games to win the series.

Despite losing Brian Boucher in Game Five with a knee injury, backup Michael Leighton did a good job of holding the fort together for the Flyers, producing a goals-against average of 1.55 in the three games he appeared in.

Jaroslav Halak made incredible saves against the Penguins, and for the first time in these playoffs, the Habs will be playing a much easier opponent, but the Flyers have faced tougher opponents themselves and will be energized by the shocking comeback against Boston.

So I doubted the Habs in the past two rounds, but I think they have a better shot at winning this series than their previous two. While scoring will dictate the outcome of the Sharks-Blackhawks series, goaltending will determine the outcome of the Canadiens-Flyers series. So far, Halak has been a more spectacular goalie.

Prediction: Canadiens in six games.

10 goals, 13 assists and a plus-one rating over 63 games, while averaging only 14 minutes of ice-time per contest.

These are the stats line for Sean Bergenheim of the New York Islanders, who’s slated to go to arbitration and possibly leave the circus that is Long Island.

A decent scoring winger who only makes $800,000 per season doesn’t sound too bad to me.

Though he isn’t huge, coming in at 5’10″, Bergenheim is strong and physical at 205 pounds. Placing third on the Islanders for hits with 116, Bergenheim will chase down pucks and make opposing defenders look over their shoulders.

A startlingly good stat for Bergenheim is his takeaway to giveaway ratio. 57 takeaways compared to only 16 giveaways. Unreal.

Clearly the Islanders aren’t using this guy to his full potential and may decide to let him walk this summer. Burke can step in and give this guy a real chance, and I think it’s something he should at least take a gander at.

The question is the price; how much will Bergenheim cost for another team looking to acquire him? At his current rate, I’d expect him to want a raise to $1-1.4 million dollars per season. Not too unreasonable.

What did say you?

Is this guy just another name to add to the Leafs' watch-list?

A player like Bergenheim certainly can’t hurt. At only 26-years-old, he has plenty of room to improve with great coaching and a decent shot at playing solid minutes. Also, any help to the struggling Leafs penalty kill would be a breath of fresh air indeed.

Bergenheim has run into injury problems in the past, which could throw up caution flags for any dealings with him as a free agent. Though at a good price, he might be worth taking a chance on.

Email maplestirup@gmail.com

 

Tossing out names that Leafs fans believe should be on the back of a blue & white jersey next season is something that gathers up plenty of space on message boards, blogs, articles, comments sections, and the like.

Some think it’s foolish, others think it’s a waste of time. But I believe it’s a tribute to the common Leafs fan.

To be so invested in the team that you’re consistently thinking up new scenarios and scouting out players from other rosters shows an incomparable level of loyalty. It’s this amount of fan interest that players and management should never take for granted.

Right now I’ve heard a bunch of names being dropped as possible Leafs for next season, both through trade or free agency. They range from the obvious to downright bizarre, so let’s break down a few and see what we have here.

I’m going to rate what the chances are of each player becoming a Leaf based on percentages. This is only my opinion. Brian Burke and I have had limited (zero) conversations regarding these players (or in general).

Paul Kariya (nine percent) – “Old and small” is a little bit outside of Burke’s philosophy of “young and truculent.”

Jakub Voracek (19 percent) – Only can happen through trade. Could go down, but at a good price, why would the Jackets deal him?

Tomas Plekanec (12 percent) – Staying with the Habs unless Gauthier pulls a Gainey.

Bobby Ryan (two percent) – After all, Wayne Gretzky was traded.

Raffi Torres (23 percent) – I was hot on Torres before, but now I’m not so sure. Healthy scratch during the playoffs? Pick it up, Raffi.

Colby Armstrong (41 percent) – Definitely on the Leafs' radar. But I can also see him going back to Pittsburgh.

Mason Raymond (21 percent) – RFA, likely to leave Vancouver but it’s a toss-up as to whether the Leafs nab him.

Andrew Cogliano (nine percent) – No thanks. Cogliano is a poor man’s Bozak.

Alexander Frolov (33 percent) – Big forward. Inconsistent. Still think he could be in the Leafs plans for the right price.

Manny Malhotra (nine percent) – He’ll stay with the Sharks.

Joe Pavelski (one percent) – Being generous in giving him a one percent of becoming a Leaf.

Patrick Sharp (18 percent) – I want to rate him higher, because I believe the Leafs and Hawks could pull a deal. Not sure if Sharp will be involved.

Devin Setoguchi (nine percent) – Unlikely. RFA should remain a Shark.

Paul Martin (three percent) – No thanks. Leafs are blocked on defense.

Dan Hamhuis (two percent) – Again, more money tied up in D? Doesn’t make sense.

Ben Eager (51 percent) – The only guy who cracks fifty percent. The reason being that he’s the only guy I believe has a better chance at becoming a Leaf than not.

Patrick Marleau (two percent) – If he leaves the Sharks, there’s 28 other coaches that Marleau would rather play for than Ron Wilson.

And now here are a few of my own.

I’ve already dropped a couple of names here , so I’ll leave them out of this one.

I’m not sure if anyone has thrown these names out there, so please don’t flame my house for stealing your genius picks if you’ve mentioned one of these guys before. We’re all on the same side remember.

Scott Nichol (35 percent) – One of the best face-off men in the league and tough to boot. If he isn’t on Burke’s wish list, he should be.

Adam Burish (18 percent) – UFA is a better option for a bottom six winger than Armstrong I think. Cheaper too.

Blake Wheeler (10 percent) – RFA could be on the trade radar. Unlikely, but he’s a great player.

James Van Riemsdyk (one percent) – I’ll admit that JVR is beyond a long shot, but I just wanted to throw his name out there because the Flyers have a lot of forwards and they only play this kid for eight minutes a game while Scott Hartnell grabs 15. Not gonna use the rook? Send him our way in a trade. Don’t send Hartnell though.

Jed Ortmeyer (21 percent) – An awesome grinder for super cheap. Ortmeyer can play a great role. If you’re going to get free agents, why not take them from the best team in the league?

Have any more names you want to drop? Or think my percentages should be a little higher or lower on a particular player?

Use the comments section or as always, email maplestirup@gmail.com

Whenever someone mentions the possibility of Brian Burke pulling a deal with the Bruins to re-acquire the No. 2 pick in this years draft, I usually pass it off as psychosis. Chiarelli received more than he ever could have expected for Phil Kessel when the Leafs fell to second last place in the regular season. Now he’ll have the chance to draft an amazing talent in Tyler Seguin if the Oilers brass are foolish enough to take Taylor Hall first overall, which they are.

Though I don’t think Chiarelli will part with his enormous pick and send it back to Toronto, by drafting Seguin the Bruins could put themselves in an odd position.

Right now the Bruins have Marc Savard, Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci… all centers. Waiting in the wings they have a prospect by the name of Joe Colborne, a 6’5” mammoth of a pivot who will surely be a great NHL’er in a couple of years. Colborne was taken with Boston’s first round (16th overall) pick in the 2008 draft and has since been playing for the University of Denver and developing his game. This year Colborne has racked up 41 points in 39 games and remains Boston’s top prospect. That’s all going to change this summer.

After the Bruins draft Seguin in June, their depth chart at center looks like this; Savard, Bergeron, Krejci, Seguin, Colborne; five top two centers. For a team with (arguably) one top two center in Tyler Bozak, the Leafs surely must have the Bruins on speed dial for when (or if) Edmonton goes ahead and passes on Seguin to take a winger in Hall.

The Bruins will likely have the Leafs on their radar as well, since they’ve been in on Kaberle from the beginning.

Trades within the division are something that many fans look down upon, myself included. The only reason for this being that with six match-ups per season, it’s easy to get burned by something you’ve done in the past. But I don’t think this will stand in the way of the B’s and Buds locking up for another trade in the future. Buffalo could be in on Kaberle as well, but they really have little to offer.

It’s expected that Burke will look West to deal Kaberle, which he very well might do. But if he’s to stay in the East, Peter Chiarelli and his cupboard full of centers will surely be a front-runner to get something done.

There’s a lot of buzz right now surrounding Joe Pavelski and Bobby Ryan as future Leafs, but lets be realistic; Doug Wilson isn’t going to let a blooming player like Pavelski go when he’s already looking at Patrick Marleau leaving for free agency. Wilson is a smart GM and doesn’t just send great players out the door. Especially those who are only 25 years of age and finally giving the Sharks some playoff success.

The Ducks, on the other hand, may have a heavy price tag coming for restricted free agent Bobby Ryan. But even if they can’t pay him, there’s 28 other offers out there to rival what Burke can put together. For the Leafs, a team with little assets, Burke’s maneuvering will again have to border on genius. It’s doubtful that Ryan ever suits up for the Leafs.

If the Maple Leafs are going to acquire a premiere center, it will likely come from Boston or their second-round opponent; Philadelphia. If there’s another team out there that’s deep with talent up front, it’s the Flyers. They’re jammed with centers, and I suspect Claude Giroux will be their go-to guy going forward. That means the Leafs could again re-visit a Jeff Carter trade scenario. Though it’s unlikely, it shouldn’t be ruled out.

The Flyers aren’t as hot on Tomas Kaberle as Chiarelli and the Bruins. The B’s are drooling over the prospect of pairing Zdeno Chara with Kabby on the power play, and so they should.

It’s easy to think that Burke would never re-visit the Bruins after taking so much heat over the Phil Kessel trade. However, it’s his job to take the best offer out there, and there’s a great chance it’s coming from Bean-town.

—

Email maplestirup@gmail.com

Pittsburgh Penguins

vs

Montreal Canadiens

Season Series: Pittsburgh 3-1

* This is just a preview for one of the games, too see all games click below *

NHL Eastern Conference Round Two - Preview & Predictions

The Pittsburgh Penguins want to repeat as the Stanley Cup Champs more than anything.

You know it, I know it and they know it. But to the Penguins, last year is history, it's gonezo, behind em', 2010 is a new year and one thing you won't hear is any mention about Crosby and Co. hosting the Cup last June because they'll have none of it (unless it's in the media.)

The Penguins couldn't have started the playoffs a better way for their team with Crosby having three assists and Malkin netting two goals but most importantly losing 5-4 against the Senators proved to the defending Cup champs that nothing comes easy and they'll have to work even harder this year if they want a third consecutive Eastern Conference Championship.

In games two, three and four, the Penguins gave the NHL a taste of why they won the cup last year with Crosby netting eight points (four goals, four assists) and Malkin adding a pair of goals himself.

Next, they dropped game five before winning game six in overtime after trailing 3-0 early (Crosby was held pointless in game six.)

A lot of people hate on Crosby, they call him a cry-baby among other things and personally, I'm not the biggest Crosby fan out there, but he's a fabulous hockey player and stand-up individual. 

His talent is undeniable. He had five consecutive multiple point games to start off the playoffs and if I had the chance to pick one player in the NHL to build my team around, it would be Sidney Crosby and not Alexander Ovechkin. Crosby proved this season he can score, while continuing to prove he is a better play-maker.

Yes, Ovechkin is flashier but Crosby is a true champion. He's already lead his team to a Stanley Cup and his country to Olympic gold, at 22-years-old!

On defence Gonchar has stepped up his game (as expected) when April hockey rolled around by playing solid D' and adding an offensive punch with assist after assist (it helps when you have players like Crosby and Malkin to pass too.)

The Penguins problem may come down to the biggest defense-men of all though—their goalie. Marc-Andre Fleury had question marks around him the entire playoffs last year and proved the media and fans wrong.

At least he did until this season because yet again, the main concern for Pittsburgh and all the talk in the media remains on the Penguins goal-tending. Fleury is posting a worse goals against average and save percentage in the playoffs than he did all season and when you pair yourself up against a team with the offensive fire power similar to that of the Penguins, Fleury may put his team in a position they really don't want to be in.

The Canadiens don't have that punch. If Crosby, Malkin, Gonchar, Guerin, Dupuis and a few more players can continue to step up in pivotal times in the game, it may just put the woes of their goal-tending in the rear-view mirror. 

Either way, it'd help Pittsburgh repeat as Cup champs if Fleury just stepped up and played solid hockey. After all, a goalie can win (or loss) you an entire series but the Montreal Canadiens won't take this series to seven games like they did Washington because they aren't one of those teams with offensive fire power that can challenge Pittsburgh.

The Capitals weren't playing good hockey, the Penguins are. I don't have enough confidence in Jaroslav Halak, and clearly either has Montreal (since they played Carey Price for a couple games and watched him crap himself.) And yes, I watched Halak in game six against the Capitals make save after save after save but that's only one game.

Players like Crosby, Malkin, Staal and the rest of the Penguins will be simple too much and the Montreal squad who got lucky against an unenergized Caps squad. Pittsburgh will ultimately ruin the chance of the Canadiens making a Stanley Cup run, forcing Canada to turn their eyes over to Vancouver—the only hope Canada has left.

When people told me the Montreal Canadiens  were going to beat the Washington Capitals I laughed, and when the Capitals took a 3-1 series lead with three games remaining and on their home ice, I knew my original prediction may have been wrong game wise (Capitals in FIVE) but I was laughing even harder.

One thing not many people saw coming was the Canadiens coming back and winning the series by stealing three straight games. Don't get me wrong, with Canada in my blood, there was nothing more that I wanted to see than Montreal move on and not leave Canada's only hope for the Cup in the hands of the Canucks.

Well, they've taken a bigger step than any other team in the 2010 playoffs by knocking off the Washington Capitals, who easily had the best record in the NHL.

To get to the Stanley Cup, the Capitals knew if they kept winning series, they had the home-ice advantage that is oh' so important. Montreal took that away and no longer does the Stanley Cup go through the capital of the United States.

Now, it's got to go through something that may be even more daunting as in the East, it travels through Pittsburgh; the defending Stanley Cup Champs.When Montreal surprised the entire NHL by knocking off the Capitals, it sent all Habs fans into a frenzy but no player on the Canadiens has time to celebrate (except for their post-game on ice celebration) because they know they have to start preparing to beat Sidney Crosby and the Penguins.

Beating the Capitals was big, actually it was huge, but beating the Penguins is going to be that much harder. After all, they're the two-time Eastern Conference defending champions and defending Stanley Cup Champs, and not to mention playing much better hockey than Washington had to this point in the playoffs.

It's pretty crazy that the Canadiens knocked off the Capitals because prior to game seven, only four players on the 20-player roster (Kostitsyn, Gill, Moen and O'Byrne) had a plus-minus rating that wasn't in the negatives—insane. The main reason for that has been because of the horrific play of the Canadiens goalies.

Carey Price's goal against average and save percentage in the two games he played in were horrendous compared to his stats during the regular season and even Jaroslav Halak hasn't been himself (although he had one of the best Montreal playoff performance in game six against the Caps and followed it up with a stellar game seven,) there is no question he's been better than Price. If Halak can play like he did late in the series, the Canadiens have a chance.

To be quite honest, the Pittsburgh Penguins couldn't have had a better round one out-come considering they were the only high seed to move forward in each series and they've watched the Capitals, Devils and Sabres all trade in their hockey equipment for their golf clubs.

The Habs certainly didn't move onto the second round because of their goal tending, even though late in the series it was a HUGE factor but when facing the Penguins, that is going to cause massive problems for Montreal.

I don't care if he's played a couple stellar games— do it through-out an entire series before I crown your ass. Montreal moved on with Halak playing phenomenal late in the series but it's also been players up front such as Cammalleri, Plekanec, Kostitsyn, Gionta as well as defense-men Markov, Hamrlik, Spacek chipping in offensively. Gorges, Gill and O'Byrne were big reasons the Capitals didn't run away with the series as they played solid defence and will need to continue to help out Halak in the Habs want to move forward.

One thing is a given, and it's that the Canadiens want to contend for the Eastern Confernce Championship but they have their hands full and have bit off more than they can chew with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

If they are victorious and prove me wrong yet again, the Flyers or Bruins shouldn't be as much of a problem—it's these damn Penguins that no one can beat.

TheCoach's Pick:

As the Stanley Cup Playoffs steamroll ahead, there are 14 teams that have already started their offseason evaluations. With the NHL Draft order set and the prospects being evaluated, the teams with the top picks are starting to consider how a teenager might play into their future.

Other teams are considering if it's time to move on with some of their elite veterans.

Perhaps the hottest name in trade rumors already is starting to be Calgary's Jarome Iginla. The Flames captain has been the face of their franchise for years, but they find themselves at an organizational crossroads and Iginla has told media members in Calgary that, if the right situation presented itself, he would waive his no-trade clause.

We've already seen the Flames move defenseman Dion Phaneuf this season for a package of veterans that will be contributing members of their roster in the future. The Flames were also aggressive in addressing their blue line last summer with a big-money deal to add Jay Bouwmeester (which undoubtedly played a role in Phaneuf becoming available).

So how does a team like Calgary move a superstar? With three years left on his current deal, and a $7 million cap number, the list of locations that could, and would, bring on that size of a salary are limited.

There are also rumors that the Florida Panthers are looking to clean house. There were rumors that they almost moved netminder Tomas Vokoun at the deadline, and have already cleared some cap space. The latest names swirling around the Panthers on the trade market now are Nathan Horton, Bryan McCabe, and Stephen Weiss.

Weiss, Horton, and McCabe were the Panthers' three leading scorers in 2009-10, but an effort to change the face of their franchise might mean they'll need to move younger players to improve the team. Obviously, the compensation would have to be significant if the Panthers were going to part ways with any of these three, especially Horton and McCabe.

On the other end of the spectrum from these two teams is the Chicago Blackhawks. Chicago is the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference and have most of their core locked up for the next few years.

However, because of the contracts they've already signed (especially those of now-backup goalie Cristobal Huet and defenseman Brian Campbell), they need to take salary off the books for 2010-11 to get under the salary cap.

There's a possibility that a three-team deal could take place that accomplishes the goals of all three teams. Let's make a deal!

To Florida: Brian Campbell, Patrick Sharp

To Calgary: Nathan Horton, Kris Versteeg

To Chicago: Jarome Iginla, Bryan McCabe

How would this deal work? And why would each of the three teams involved make the deal? Let's take a look.

Florida

The Panthers are trying to improve and get younger at the same time. Obviously, moving Horton wouldn't help. However, Campbell and Sharp would bring accomplished, playoff-tested veterans onto their roster.

Campbell is four years younger than McCabe, which is a bonus for the Panthers. He would also adequately replace McCabe's offensive contributions; McCabe had 43 points (eight goals, 35 assists) in 82 games this year, while Campbell had 38 (seven goals, 31 assists) in 68 games.

The tricky part of this deal, and where a draft pick might need to be part of the package, is the swap of Horton for Sharp. Sharp had a nice season in Chicago, scoring 66 points (25 goals, 41 assists), better than Horton's 57 points (20 goals, 37 assists). But Sharp is five years older than Horton. The age trade-off between Sharp/Campbell and McCabe/Horton would be nearly identical.

The financial part of the deal for Florida is where the concern would arrive. Sharp makes comparable money to Horton (Sharp's cap number is $3.9 million to Horton's $4 million), and Sharp is under contract for two years to Horton's three. However, McCabe has just one year left on a deal with a cap number of $5.75 million while Campbell has six more seasons with a $7.14 million cap number.

While the Panthers would have money to spend on a forward one year earlier, the complication of adding the kind of commitment the Hawks made to Campbell would be the hardest part of the package for Florida.

Overall, the deal would likely improve the Panthers, but might not be easy to stomach.

Calgary

This move brings perhaps the most intrigue for Calgary. In exchange for their captain and soul, they would add two young forwards with worlds of talent.

Horton and Versteeg, who will turn 25 and 24, respectively, in May would bring two 20-plus goal scorers to the front lines of the Flames in exchange for Iginla, who scored 32 this year and will be 33 in July.

The financial consideration for Calgary is break-even: Horton and Versteeg, combined, would carry a cap number less than $400,000 more than Iginla alone. Daymond Langkow isn't getting younger, and putting Horton and Versteeg on a line with Matt Stajan could give the Flames a young, dynamic top line.

Reality in Calgary is that the Flames are in a Western Conference loaded with deep offensive teams like San Jose, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, and Colorado. If the Flames want to compete in the near future, they'll need to not only get younger but also add depth. This deal would accomplish that goal for them.

While the deal would certainly sting initially for Flames fans, the other consideration is that neither Horton nor Versteeg has likely hit their ceiling yet; Horton has been playing with inferior talent in Florida while Versteeg has been stuck on the third or fourth line in Chicago because of their depth.

This deal works, and makes sense, for Calgary.

Chicago

The Blackhawks are going to be forced to make a lot of tough decisions this summer, and making a deal like this would certainly be one of the hardest. Moving three contributing members off the NHL roster for two would be hard to handle, but their financial reality might make it necessary.

In this deal, the Hawks would cut $1.375 million off their payroll for next season. That is certainly not going to accomplish their goals (the Hawks probably need to cut between $6-8 million before next season).

However, the on-ice impact and future payroll implications are why the Hawks would make this move. Other moves would also be facilitated by this deal.

Consider, if you will, an offense that featured Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, and Jarome Iginla. As far as headliners go, that reads like something created in a basement on a PlayStation. Filling in the gaps with quality players like Dave Bolland, Tomas Kopecky, Troy Brouwer and youngsters like Bryan Bickell and Kyle Beach could help the Hawks maintain their competitive edge.

Also, as we've already discussed, McCabe would easily cover the statistical loss of Campbell to the defensive group.

With Iginla under contract for three more seasons (one more than Versteeg or Sharp), the Hawks would be looking at fewer immediate concerns on their NHL roster, and the addition of his leadership would be a fantastic move for the Hawks. His cap number would essentially replace Campbell's on the roster, but for three fewer seasons.

The three fewer seasons of paying one player $7 million would be enormous in Chicago, as would the reality that McCabe's $5.75 million cap number has only one year remaining. Brent Seabrook's contract expires after next season, and with Duncan Keith already receiving a long-term extension it would be logical for the Hawks to look at locking up his partner as well. McCabe's money would come off the books at the perfect time.

The trickle down from this deal would likely include at least one no-brainer move: dumping Huet. The Blackhawks also have good organizational depth on the blue line, so moving Brent Sopel in another deal, or through waivers to the AHL, would also free the NHL club of his cap number.

Let's assume the Blackhawks, somehow, are able to completely unload both Huet and Sopel's contracts this summer. Adding Huet's cap number ($5.625 million) and Sopel's ($2.333 million) to the savings from this trade, the Hawks would take $9.331 million off their payroll next year, more than accomplishing their financial goal. When you look at 2011-12, with McCabe's number off the books, that's over $15 million in cap space.

To be conservative, let's also look at another potential reality for the Hawks. What if they are forced to buy out Huet's deal, cutting his cap number to $1.8 million (but extending that on their books from two to four years). The Blackhawks would still eliminate $5.506 million from their books for next season, and over $11 million the following year.

Either way, the Blackhawks are in a financial position to compete in the immediate while not completely exposing their long-term ability to remain near the top of the Western Conference.

For Chicago fans, many of whom love Versteeg and/or Sharp, this deal might not initially feel good, but adding Iginla might be another piece to make this team dominant for the next three years. The added financial flexibility created with McCabe's deal coming off the books after one season would give the Hawks more options in free agency as well.

Overall, this deal would carry significant impact all over the NHL landscape. The Panthers would add two proven commodities to their roster, the Flames would get younger, and the Blackhawks would maintain their on-ice quality while creating cap space in the process.

Considering the positions that these three teams are in, thinking this big isn't out of the question. Considering the histories of Calgary (unloading Phaneuf) and Chicago (adding Hossa), making a blockbuster isn't out of the realms of possibility, either.

Let's make a deal!

The regular season is finally over after a grueling six months. Now we get to see the best grind it out for another two months to reach the ultimate prize.

For the Flyers, Habs, and Bruins, the playoffs started about a week and half ago, as they ended the Rangers' last drive to make the playoffs. Especially the Flyers, who needed to win the second game at home this past weekend against the Rangers.

Washington vs. Montreal

Washington is the highest scoring team. They also have the best differential with goals, for and against, at a whopping plus 85.

They clinched the Southeast Division at the end of February and the President's trophy in mid-March.

A history note: No team ever has won the Cup their first year of winning the President's trophy.

The Capitals will have to shake off some rust, as haven't been exactly in game mode since the end of their 14-game winning streak. 

They are deep in talent since they acquired Milan Juricina, Joe Corvo, Matt Walker, and Eric Belanger at the trade deadline. The Capitals have been able to rotate players in and out of the lineup with injuries and resting bodies for the playoffs.

Last year they entered the playoffs the same way and almost got ousted by the Rangers. Hopefully that doesn't happen this year.

The Montreal Canadiens had their fair share of problems this entire season.

There were goaltending controversies, GM Bob Gainey resigned midway through the season, and both leading goal scorer Matt Cammalleri and Brian Gionta were out for an extended period of time. They lost Andrei Markov for three months, but were able to drive through with the help of Marc-Andre Bergeron.

Good things have happened this year for the Habs.

Despite a whole roster makeover in the summer, which saw long time Captain Saku Koivu exiled, the Habs were able to make the playoffs.

Thomas Plekanec was consistent all season long, Scott Gomez seemed to turn it on in the second half, and Gionta has been their best offensive weapon since returning from an injury.

Jaroslav Halek has been one of the best goaltenders all year and after a long duel with Carey Price, he looks to be the guy that will start in the playoffs.

Many fans wonder what took so long to name Halek the starter. Price hasn't done worse than Halek, but the team plays better in front of Halek defensively and offensively. Maybe the players lost trust in Price after last season.

I. What the Capitals Need To Do To Win

The Capitals don't have to change much, except not fall early in the series.

Winning the first two games at home will be crucial for the Capitals. They need to play with a sense of urgency to make it a quick series when they head to Montreal for two games.

The Capitals can easily win this series in four games if play like they did before they clinched the President's trophy.

Ovechkin needs to find his scoring touch again. He could have easily ran away with the Rocket Richard and Art Ross trophy, despite playing in 72 games. It seems he has been playing with training wheels since his last suspension. Ovechkin had six goals in his final 16 games.

Mike Green needs to be smart in his zone and contribute offensively. He needs to either rush the puck or make that first pass without turning the puck over.

Nicklas Backstorm needs to keep playing at the pace he showed all season. Alexander Semin needs to keep taking advantage of Ovechkin seeing the top shut down line.

Brooks Laich, Eric Fehr, and Thomas Fleishmann need to bring secondary scoring like they have during the season. Mike Knuble needs to be the player he's been all season with the top line.

Theodore needs to make those timely saves. The team can rack up the goals, he just needs to make those one or two saves to keep the momentum on their side.

II. What the Canadiens Need To Do To Win

The Habs need Jaroslav Halek to morph into Patrick Roy. Halek has been great all season and should have been named the starter a lot sooner.

Halek needs to keep the Capitals from scoring two to three goals a game. They absolutely need him to steal at least one game in Washington.

Brian Gionta and Mike Cammalleri both need to be on the same page offensively. The Habs don't have too many finishers on their team.

Tomas Plekanec's line will be seeing the top shut down pair or top line throughout the series, they need to find a way to out produce them.

Scott Gomez needs to turn back the clock and play like he had with the Devils. Markov and Bergeron need to start the offense, and Metroploit, and the Kostitsyn brothers need to contribute.

The Habs need to use their speed and puck skills to their advantage with the Capitals broad defense. If the Habs can draw penalties at will and keep themselves out of the box, they have a shot. The Habs are second to the Capitals for the NHL's best power-play.

I don't see this series lasting long. Capitals win in four, with at least one overtime win and one blowout.

New Jersey vs. Philadelphia

New Jersey saw their long time coach Jacques Lemaire, who helped transform the franchise from a Mickey Mouse Club to Stanley Cup contender, return behind their bench.

The Devils added another Atlantic Division title. Lou Lamoriello showed he had more depth in the system after another list of long time players left free agency, and Martin Brodeur had another Vezina worthy season. The team outlasted a series of early season injuries thanks to the depth mentioned above.

Oh yeah, they also traded for some guy name Ilya Kovalchuk—don't know how that one will figure into the playoff run.

Kovalchuk took some time to adjust to the new team, system, and not being the only guy on his team who can score. It took some adjusting, but Kovalchuk has been exactly what the Devils wanted. That one guy who can finish and change a game.

The Devils have never had a player of Kovalchuk's offensive stature. It does remain to be seen how he plays in the postseason, as he only has one goal in four games.

The Flyers have had a difficult season. Many figured them to be the favorites to win the Atlantic Division with the addition of Chris Pronger, the added experience of both Richards and Carter, and the young guys like Claude Giroux and James Van RymsDyke.

However, the Flyers have had terrible karma in net.

Every goaltender that's played between the pipes, except for Brian Boucher has been hurt or is out for the rest of the season.

Ray Emery was suppose to be the "man," but after a couple of injuries—the last being season ending with surgery—left the reins to Michael Leighton, who helped right the ship for the Flyers before having his own season ending injury.

Brian Boucher came back as the "guy." Boucher has never had success being the starter, especially in Philly. The Flyers hope there's a hidden level in Boucher.

I. What the Devils Need To Do To Win

The Devils need to be able to hold back the Flyers offense.

On Sunday, Philly had 47 shots and one goal. The Devils won't have to worry much about scoring goals on Boucher. As long as they keep up the pressure and get their shots on net and capitalize on scoring chances, they'll score their goals.

Brodeur needs to be the man he is in the regular season. It seems as though he's gotten burned out in the postseason ever since the Cup win in 2003. The Devils play Brodeur way too much at his age in the regular season.

We all remember what happened last year against Carolina where they blew a two goal lead in the last minute, to lose in overtime. Brodeur needs to stay sharp and the defense in front of him has to clean out the garbage. Brodeur will stop the first shot, almost 95 percent of the time.

Kovalchuk needs to score and score often. Kovalchuk was brought in to help the Devils win the Cup for the first time since 2003—and with Brodeur's age, this year may be their last shot. Kovalchuk needs to be the guy who can score to break a tie or tie the game.

Zach Parise is one of the most consistent two-way forwards in the game and will most likely see a lot of either Mike Richards or Jeff Carter. As long as Parise's line out-scores their lines, the Devil's will wrap up the series quick.

The Devils have a no name defense and they don't really have a player who can move the puck. They need to do is keep the shots low and give Marty all the support he needs.

II. What the Flyers Need To Do To Win

Boucher needs to turn into a No. 1 goalie. Plain and simple. If the Flyers want to advance,  Boucher must play well. He needs to keep the goals at two or three goals a game, maybe even post a shut out.

Mike Richards and Jeff Carter need to be as dynamic as their cross state rivals Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Carter needs to score those timely goals to get the momentum on the Flyers side. Richards needs to unite his team and elevate all of his teammates play.

Chris Pronger has done it, he knows what it takes to win. He's a winner with a nasty edge to him. He needs to play exactly like he did with an overachieving Oiler team in 2006 and with the Ducks in 2007.

Pronger is a difference maker in the playoffs. Always has been and always will be. That's why the Flyers traded so much for him. He needs to deliver.

The Flyers also need Scott Hartnell to stop taking stupid penalties and to score goals. Dan Carcillo will be taking plenty of them and probably get into a couple scraps here and there.

Giroux and Van Rymsdyke both need to perform and help contribute to the offense. This team will have to upset Marty somehow and get him off his game so they can get four or five goals to win a game.

I just don't see the Flyers being unified nor their goaltending holding up. Devils win in five games, with game five being a blowout of 6-0.

Buffalo vs. Boston

Out of the four top teams in the Eastern Conference, the Bruins got the best possible matchup. While Buffalo doesn't exactly have the same problem scoring as the Bruins, they are, however, not known for their offense like they were the last time they made the postseason.

The Sabres season was a success for two reasons: Ryan Miller and a team with unity.

Derek Roy was the brightest offensive weapon with 69 points. Thomas Vanek lead the team with 28 goals and is a player more than capable of scoring an important goal in every game in the postseason.

Ryan Miller was the story of the season, and just going on about what he accomplished this season is a skipping record, but he'll mind as well.

Miller is one the most important players to his team in the entire league. He should definitely get some Hart consideration.

Miller is back in the postseason for the third time in five years. He's never gone less than the Conference Finals in his career. Buffalo fans must be keeping that in the back of their mind in banking any hopes of getting that far on Miller.

He's carried the team this far and it doesn't seem as though he's worn out yet.

The Bruins had one hell of a setback. They finished with 25 less points than last year.

The biggest reason, of course, is the lack of a finisher like Phil Kessel. Marc Savard didn't have a great season—health-wise or production. He needed a player with speed and the instincts of finishing. Kessel was the dynamic player as we all know.

The loss of Savard for the majority of the season and the uncertainty of his return has to be looming over the Bruins. It's doubtful Savard will even return if the Bruins were to make it past Buffalo.

Two bright sides to this season are the emergence of Tukka Raask, which gives the Bruins a valuable trade chip at the Draft with Tim Thomas and a possible lottery pick from Toronto. Also, either Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin will be in a Bruins uniform next season.

I. What the Sabres Need To Do To Win

Buffalo has a very unified team. They get scoring from all their players. Roy, Pominville, Vanek, and Hecht all have over 20 goals. A healthy Tim Connelley will also help the Sabres advance. The Sabres have a very under-appreciated offense that plays disciplined two-way hockey.

Tyler Myers will be a Calder finalist and possibly the winner. The "mammoth" has 11 goals and 48 points in his rookie season. He's a big reason why Buffalo's defense has been as reliable as they have been.

Myers is a terrific cornerstone for the club and one player they shouldn't trade or let get away come free agency in the next couple of years. His name will be among the finalists for the Norris trophy for years to come.

Having said that, Myers has to be the man on the blue-line in the postseason. He has to shutdown Boston's top line. He has to play smart, physical and jump start the offense. Get low in the corners and not let the Bruins players skate away with the puck.

Miller, the last line of defense for the Sabres, has to be as sensational as he's been all season. We've seen what he can do in the Olympic Games in a pressure packed environment. He has to reach down and resemble Dominik Hasek to advance, not just beyond the first-round in a breeze, but beyond.

II. What the Bruins Need To Do To Win

The Bruins have to play smart, blue collar hockey. They cannot give the Sabres any easy scoring chances.

If they play like they did in their last matchup this past weekend, they'll have a shot of upsetting the Sabres. They need to keep the scores low and get that timely goal and hold on to any lead they get.

Raask has to continue his strong play into the postseason, if not well, that may not be a problem as Tim Thomas is a great Plan B, possibly the best out of any of the 16 teams in the playoffs.

Boston needs it's goaltending to be as great as it's been this season. They won't score many goals, so they need to keep the Bruins in every game and steal a few.

Patrice Bergeron has to be better. It's simple as that.

If the Bruins want to make it past the first round, they need Bergeron to be better offensively and defensively.

We all remember the kind of defensive risk he was in the Olympic Games. Every Canadian was singing for him to be benched. He has to be physical and play with an edge. He has to be one of the leaders for the Bruins. He has to get things going.

The Bruins need a couple other players to be better as well. Namely, David Krejci, Blake Wheeler, and Michael Ryder. All three have underperformed based on the expectations that were set for them.

Ryder ended the season on a two goal game. Hopefully for Bruins fans, he'll continue such production and the kind of production that swept the Habs last year.

Chara will probably play over 25 minutes a night.

Claude Julien is going to need Chara out on the ice against the Sabres top line, power-play, and penalty kill. Chara has to be "Superman" for this club. He has to resemble the Norris trophy winner from last year, which shouldn't be a problem for the big man from Slovakia.

Wouldn't it be great to see Chara and Myers throw down the gloves against each other?

Sabres are a much more balanced team with better goaltending.

Sabres take it in six games. With some crazy 2-1 games and possibly a double overtime game at 1-0.

Pittsburgh vs. Ottawa

The defending Cup champs aren't as good as they were last year. They did not finish the stretch like they usually do. Marc-Andre Fleury usually turns his A game on around February and we have not yet seen that.

High note: Sidney Crosby added an Olympic gold medal to his resume, along with the Maurice Rocket Richard trophy, tying Steven Stamkos with 51 goals. He'll be looking to add another Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe to his collection of awards this spring.

Malkin has had a significant drop of production and has battled injuries all season.

Can the hulking Russian find his game of last year's performance?

Jordan Staal just gets better and better. He's a threat in the offensive zone and can shutdown any teams' top line.

The Senators have had an interesting season.

They have a weird hold over the Northeast Division champs, the Buffalo Sabres. They went on a 12-game win streak and 19-game home streak.

Daniel Alfredson, as always, has been the man in Ottawa and the team has improved in unity without Dany Heatley. I'm sure they miss his offense contributions, but not the distractions.

The development of Erik Karlson has to be a bright spot to the Senators season. His play down the stretch looks like he's capable of being their No. 1 defensive man.

Pascal Leclaire failed to take over the No. 1 starting job and I'm sure Ottawa is missing the play of Antoine Vermette, who has been solid in Columbus this season.

However, Brian Elliot looks to be the man in the crease for now and should be a test to see how he does in the playoffs. If he does his share, Ottawa may look to shop Pascal Leclaire at the draft.

I. What the Penguins Need To Do To Win

It's no doubt that Sidney Crosby will be the best player on the ice every night, and will provide a bulk of the scoring in this series for the Penguins.

The Captain is a man on a mission: To return to the finals and win the Cup, becoming the first team since the Red Wings to repeat. Crosby has improved on his shooting, scoring, and face-offs, making him that much more dangerous.

Evgeni Malkin has to be the player he was last year in the playoffs. This team isn't deep enough for him and Crosby both not contributing in the same game.

Malkin is a strong center with a big body. He needs to use that strength, even if that makes his injuries worse. He needs to sacrifice because he'll have a better summer recuperating with another Cup ring.

Jordan Staal will matchup against Spezza and Alfredson when Crosby isn't. Most likely, Ottawa will try to match Fisher with Crosby.

Staal needs to do what he does best and that's shutdown the other teams' offense, kill penalties and get that clutch goal.

Penguins need others to step up in their offense like they did last season.

Players like Kennedy, Cooke, Talbot, Ponikravosky, Guerin, and Fedotenko need to play at their best. Their defense needs to tighten up as well. Ottawa will try to keep the score down, the Penguins can't give them anything easy.

Marc-Andre Fleury needs to play like the guy who carried his team to back-to-back final appearances.

His strong play in high-pressured situations against Washington and Detroit is how he  won them a Cup. So far this season, he hasn't shown us that level of play this season.

II. What the Senators Need To Do To Win

Simple. Stop Sidney Crosby. Well that's easier said than done. Crosby is determined to win, despite a disappointing Olympic Games (besides the game winning goal), Crosby has always answered in high-pressured situations.

Ottawa needs to get rough on him, but clean. They can't let the Penguins get on the man advantage. Their power-play wasn't good this season, but it can surely put the Senators away.

Elliot needs to keep the score down. Ottawa hasn't been able to score many goals this year. Out of the 16 teams that made the postseason, they rank 13th in offense.

Defense needs to be tight. They need to keep the Penguins to the outside and out-work them in the corners. They have to be tough and physical.

Murray tried to build his team to resemble Brian Burke's 2007 Stanley Cup team that ousted him five games. We'll see if he found that balance.

Without Alexei Kovalev, more pressure will be on Alfredsson and Spezza. Others like Michalek, Foligno, Fisher, and Kelly will need to find ways to score and contribute, in all aspects.

The Penguins are too experienced and powerful for the Senators, but it will be an exciting series. However, the series will have Ottawa losing a disappointing game five in the dying minutes with a chance to force a game six.