Monday, October 27, 2008

The Latest From Around The NHL

First of all, sorry for the lack of updates over the last 5 days. I had some serious laptop problems, and thus didnt have the proper files to update the site. Everything is back to normal now, so expect daily updates as usual.

Luke Schenn will stay with the Leafs past this week the team announced today. This will burn a year off of his contract, but will not burn a year of UFA status until he has played over 40 games.

For those of you who have Ovechkin playing this week in your pool, you may want to bench him. AO has gone home to be with his ailing grandfather and will not play tomorrow night. Hockeyleaks.com wishes AO and his family the very best.

Jerome Iginla's seven point week has earned him the NHL's first star of the week. Peter Budaj gets the second star, while Detroit's Hossa gets the third.

Almost 10 games into the season, Kris Versteeg is leading the Calder race...

We have posted the Weight/Sutter hit in our videos forum, make sure to check that out and comment on it with your thoughts...dirty, not dirty?

Game of the night tonight:

Ottawa @ Buffalo...The Sens look to get back on track, while the Sabres look to keep the good times rolling...

Hockeyleaks.com would love to add a few new columnists, a fantasy writer and a power rankings writer. If any of these positions interest you, please email me at cjohnson202@hockeyleaks.com.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Slow Starts

Pre-season predictions are always risky. No matter what a team looks like on paper, you can never know how those players will gel. For some teams, they adapt over time and right the ship, while others never find their way and have a season they would like to forget.

Three of the best teams in last years Western Conference find themselves as the worst three teams in the West. Dallas, Calgary and Anaheim all are off to terrible starts. Calgary's goaltending has been their weakest point, as well as Iginla's slow start. For the other two teams, there have been very few bright spots.

On the top half, Vancouver is slowing down after a hot start. St. Louis, a team many had as the worst team in the league before the season began, currently sits atop their division with a 4-1 record. I expect them to fall back to earth.

The team to watch in the West is the Oilers. Some, like Hockeyleaks, had them as a playoff team, while others had them on the outside looking in. After a 4-0 start, this team has looked good. It will be interesting to see where they sit at the 20 game mark, when you have a good representation of where a team will finish.

As far as the Eastern conference goes, it's pretty much like a lot of us predictied. The Leafs, Islanders, Panthers and Thrashers are all near the bottom, while the Habs, Rangers and Capitals are tearing it up. The Flyers are the biggest
surprise, as they are the only winless team in the NHL.

So as teams continue to struggle, it will be interesting to see what types of moves are made. If the Flyers can't right the ship, Holmgren will be the first to make a move. Look for a player like Lupul to be dealt soon.

In Anaheim, the team is right up against the cap. They have great defensive depth they could move for some help up front, while I'm hearing a player like Kunitz could also be traded if things do not improve.

In Calgary, they need a centre. Langkow is not the answer, while Keenan has yet to give Cammy a chance to prove he can play up the middle. The Flames will move a defensman for some offensive help, and I'm hearing the Flames may add another goalie to put the pressure on Kipper should he continue to struggle.

As far as Dallas, I'm hearing they will be patient. They like the team they have, and feel it will simply take time for their team to gel. If anything, look for them to add a depth player.

Other rumours:

Watch Phoenix, they have noticed their defensive problems and have had many discussions this week about bringing in a top 3 defenseman.

The Penguins like their team, but would also love to add a defenseman, or maybe even two. They are not looking for a top 2 defenseman, more of a 3-4.

Two great games I'm excited for tonight (no offense to FLA/MTL or COL/LA):

Pittsburgh @ Boston

- both teams are off to a great start, look for another big night by Marc Savard, though I think Crosby is in for a repeat of his great game against Toronto on Saturday

Dallas @ NYR

- Sean Avery returns back to NYR, cannot wait to see the reaction of the Ranger faithfull. Can Brunnstrom keep it going, and can Dallas snap out of their funk? This one is going to be great to watch.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Cherepanov Dies During Game

According to TSN.ca, Rangers prospect Alexei Cherepanov has passed away after his heart stopped beating during a game today. Our deepest sympathies go to his family, Omsk, and the New York Rangers

Fantasy Player Updates

If you have Ryan Hollweg or Jack Johnson in your yahoo pool, you may want to make some changes.

Jack Johnson will miss 10-12 weeks with an arm injury suffered last night against San Jose.

Ryan Hollweg took a boarding penalty in today's game against the Blues, and will be suspended for the Leaf's next three games. I can't see Toronto putting up with his antics too much longer.

If you have Tkachuk available in your pool, like his is in one of mine, you may want to pick him up. Four goals already for the veteran who many considered washed up. Andy Mcdonald is looking like a key pickup as well.

Keep an eye on Marek Malik, rumours have him signing with the Lightning this week.

Leafs and Blues are tied 3-3 halfway through the second. Buffalo and NYI are scoreless 3 minutes into the game

Make sure to check Hockeyleaks.com for all the latest on news, rumours, fantasy updates and more!

Sunday, October 12, 2008

How Things Change

Is anyone surprised to see Dany Heatley leading the goals? Roberto Luongo leading the league in shutouts? What about Henrik Lundqvist leading the league in wins? Surely you didn't see Sean Avery leading the league in penalty minutes.

Yes, the season is very young, but already familar faces are once again at the top of the charts. With that said, already a few surprises.

Let's start with Daniel Sedin, who currently leads the league with five points in just two games. The Canucks are off to a 2-0 start, which is good for a team everyone counted out before the puck dropped.

Atlanta, who many predicted to be the worst team in hockey, has three of a possible four points.

What about the rookie race. Stamkos isn't leading it, nor is anyone from Phoenix.

Stats mean nothing at this point, as we are just a handfull of games into the season, but it is interesting to see how things are already starting to unfold. Teams like St. Louis, Atlanta, Carolina and Minnesota are showing life, something many did not think they had. On the other side, teams like Calgary, Tampa, Philly and Chicago are showing they were not quite ready to start the season.

I love the NHL, and I love how every night there are exciting matchups tonight.

The Oilers kick their season off tonight against Colorado, which should be a great divisional matchup. With that said, the game of the night goes to Phoenix at Anaheim. Both these teams are going to be contenders this season, and it will be a great test for the young Coyotes.

The other game on the sched tonight is San Jose at LA, otherwise known as Rob Blake's return to LA. The Sharks look to go 3-0 on the season. San Jose beat LA 3-1 last night, with San Jose outshooting them 41-13.

Cheechoo is going to have a comeback year, you heard it here first.

Make sure to check the forums out and enter your game predictions. It's a lot of fun, and gives you a chance to compete against others. Make sure to check it out

Friday, October 10, 2008

Night Of Upsets + PPFL Information

What a night of hockey we had last night!

I knew the Sharks and Bruins would win, but how about those Leafs and Canucks!? Could they be the two sleeper teams to watch this year. Both team outworked teams that were more skilled then them. With that said, big tests await both teams this weekend.

The Leafs hold their home opener tomorrow night against Montreal (I will be in attendance!)

The Canucks go on the road to take on the Flames. I'm sure the Flames will be looking for revenege.

For those Habs fans, they open their season tonight against Buffalo. Hopefully the Sabres tire them out, and my Leafs can make it 2-0 tomorrow night! I love hockey.

Game of the night? Let's go with Chicago @ NYR. The Blackhawks have so much to prove, and I love this young team. The Rangers are already 2-0, and will look to make it 3-0 at their home opener! 7 PM game time.

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For those in the PPFL, standings can be found at

http://www.onlinepools.com

Pool Login : 84712
Pool Password : crosby

BlueLeafs currently has the early lead, but I'm only three back!

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Make sure to check Hockeyleaks.com for all the latest news and rumours. Also, now that the season's back, we are your one stop for all standings and stats, and of coarse our famous rookie race stats column! 5 Way tie for first, this calder race is going to be one for the ages...I'm calling it now.

Thursday, October 09, 2008

Drop The Puck!

So I know the NHL season already started last weekend, but as far as I'm concerned, the NHL season starts tonight. The puck will finally drop in North America, and I can't say I've ever been this excited for a NHL season.

Never before have there been so many good teams. In the west, Detroit looks to defend, and are even better than last year. With that said, they are not the only team that is better.

San Jose is their biggest competition, bolstering their blueline with the additions of Boyle and Blake.

Calgary is better, with Cammy and Bertuzzi solid additions. Phaneuf seems to be getting better every season.

How about Dallas, who is tougher with Sean Avery, and the kids that impressed us so much last year are another year older.

Edmonton may be the most improved team in the league. Visnovsky and a full season of a healthy Souray will make this blueline dangerous. Up front, the addition of Eric Cole cannot be downplayed.

Chicago is another team that is sure to threaten. The additions of Campbell and Huet are huge for this club, while a full season out of Toews will be huge. The kids keep getting better, and that should translate into a playoff berth.

How about Anaheim? Full seasons from Niedermayer and Selanne cannot be overlooked, while guys like Perry, Kunitz and Getzlaf continue to mature over time. You just know Bobby Ryan is itching at his chance to prove himself.

Finally, I look to Phoenix. They have one of the most underrated goalies in the NHL, while the addition of Jokinen will turn out to be huge. The defense is questionable, but this team should still be very competitive.

How about the Eastern Conference. The Penguins were crowned champs of the East last year, but key losses on defense should bring them down a notch.

The 100th year of the Canadien is sure to be an interesting one, and adding Tanguay makes this a better team. Price is another year older, which means he should be better.

So what if the Rangers lost Jagr, they are still one of the best teams in the league. Lundqvist is a top five goalie, while the addition of Wade Redden should be key. Look for Gomez to have a huge year.

The Sens still believe they are the best team in the East, but they will have to prove that on the ice. They still have the best line in hockey, if some depth players can step up, and Gerber can be the goalie we all know he can be, the Sens could surprise.

How about those Flyers? Any team with Briere, Gagne, Carter, and Richards cannot be overlooked. This team will challenge for their division. I'm predicting a monster year from both Jeff Carter and Martin Biron.

Alexander Ovechkin continues to up his game, and there is no reason to doubt the Caps making the playoffs this year. Federov, Nylander, and Backstrom give the Caps a very deep centre position. And hey, lets not forget about Mike Green, this guy is going to open a lot of eyes this season.

The Bruins could be right there, with a healthy Bergeron ready to go. Marc Savard is one of the best play-makers in the game, while the pair of Tim Thomas and Manny Fernandez has the possibility to be great. Wideman and Chara give the Bruins a great start to a defense that needs some work.

Finally, how about the Tampa Bay Lightning. They have the talent up front, but goaltending and defense is still a question. I think they return to the playoffs this year, and once there, who knows what will happen.

Four games tonight, all should be great

Toronto @ Detroit - Detroit should win this hands down, but a few Leafs have something to prove. Detroit wins, but Toronto keeps it close.

Boston @ Colorado - Colorado is too suspect in net, while the Bruins will show the world they are ready to compete in the East. Bruins win this one, by a couple.

Calgary @ Vancouver - The Canucks surprised all of us in the pre-season, but tonight they are brought back to earth. The Flames win, but it's a close one...2-1, maybe 3-1.

Anaheim @ San Jose - This is probably the game of the night. These two will battle for their division all season long, but San Jose will be at home, and Blake and Boyle will be primed to show off what they can do. San Jose takes this one, lets predict 4-2.



Gotta love Hockey!!!

Versus Has the Leafs and Wings game starting at 6:30, while they will go to the Bruins and Avs game at 10!

For our Canadian fans, CBC will habe the Leafs and Wings at 7, while they will have the Flames @ Canucks at 10:30

Lets Drop the Puck!!!

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

A Message From Our Good Friends At Versus

Versus is always one network I really have no problem promoting. I think Hockey's popularity in the states is very important, so anytime I have the opportunity to help this network out, I do. Here is a press release they have asked me to spread.

http://sinuatemedia.com/NHLRegularSeason2008-09/NHL2008-09ProductionFINAL.pdf

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Puck tracking? That should be interesting, we all know how Fox's puck tracking turned out, here's hoping our friends at versus do a little bit better of a job.


For our US friends, make sure to tune into Versus on Thursday for a great double header. The Leafs vs. the Red Wings begins at 6:30 on Versus, while the Bruins visit the Avs at 10.

How happy are you that the puck is about to drop in North America!

The Latest

Mark Bell has cleared waivers, and will likely be sent to the Marlies

The Leafs have placed Boyd Devereaux and Steffan Kronwall on waivers, both will likely clear and be sent to the minors.

Khabibulin saga is close to being over. According to reports, his agent has until tomorrow to find him a home in Russia, or else he will be sent to the AHL.

Peter Shaeffer has been placed on waivers by the Bruins. He's making 2.1 million for another 2 years.

Look for LA to make a move or two in the nex few days. They are still well under the salary cap.

We are just two days away from more NHL regular season action! Expect more waiver news as the day goes on, I can't wait for the puck to drop in North America!

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

PPFL Promotion! + Rumours

One last chance to get all your stragglers to join the PPFL. Ten Players (six forwards, four defenseman), winner take all (minus the second prize place of coarse!).

Today and tomorrow only! $10 gets you four teams. Paypal to cjohnson202@hotmail.com.

If you already have teams, you can still buy more, four teams for $10, two days only. Please email me your teams at cjohnson202@hockeyleaks.com. If you do not have paypal, email me and I will send you where to send cheque/cash/money order. As long as you email me saying you will be sending payment, you will qualify for the four team promotion.

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As far as rumours go:

I have learned it was Ian White and Robbie Earl that the Leafs offered to Anaheim along with a draft pick for Schneider and Ryan.

Also, the Bruins would love to trade Savard for a top line defenseman. Savard has a NTC, and I don't see this working out. For more on both these, check Hockeyleaks.com and it's rumour mill.

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Also, still accepting link exchange requests. If you have a hockey site / blog that you want advertised on Hockeyleaks.com, please email me at cjohnson202@hockeyleaks.com.

Enjoy your wednesday