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• Top Western Conference playoff storylines

  26 days ago

  The NHL’s Western Conference produced plenty of great playoff story lines.
  
  The St. Louis Blues earned the home-ice advantage for the first playoff round and another crack at toppling the Los Angeles Kings. “They’re not going to forget last year,” Los Angeles Kings coach Darryl Sutter told reporters Saturday night.
  
  “They’re an improved team, obviously from the last time that we played them, the past regular season,” Sutter said.
  
  The Chicago Blackhawks rolled into the postseason with the top overall seed and the Presidents’ Trophy. They had the luxury of resting key veterans Saturday night at Scottrade Center.
  
  The Blackhawks will face the big-spending Wild, who needed to win their last game of the season to secure the eighth and final playoff slot. Minnesota reached the playoffs for the first time in five years.
  
  “We got in the hard way,” winger Zach Parise told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “That was a big step. We can't be satisfied now.”
  
  The Detroit Red Wings kept their playoff streak alive. Their quest for a 22nd consecutive berth came down to the final game of the season, a 3-0 victory at Dallas. They move on to play the Anaheim Ducks.
  
  “We’re going to Disneyland,” Jimmy Howard quipped to the Detroit Free Press. “It feels great to be able to be back in the playoffs. The urgency was there. We knew what was at stake. We’ve been playing playoff hockey for a while. For us to come into the last week and get the job done was really special.
  
  “The streak means a lot to all of us. It just says how high the bar was set before us.”
  
  The other Western Conference series will send the third-seeded Vancouver Canucks against the sixth-seeded San Jose Sharks. The Canucks aren’t sure if top goaltender Cory Schneider will be healthy enough to play.
  
  Veteran Roberto Luongo did a terrible job filling in for Schneider at the end of the regular season. “If Schneids is healthy he's going to play,” Canucks coach Alain Vigneault told reporters Saturday night. “If he's not, we have total confidence in Roberto.”

  For more on the Western conference and other news and notes, check out my posting at STLToday.com.

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• What's wrong with the Detroit Red Wings?

  February 07, 2013

  The Detroit Red Wings are plodding along at 4-4-1 this season.

  So what’s up with these guys?
  
  “We have to continue to improve,” coach Mike Babcock told Detroit reporters after the Calgary loss. “We had opportunities but didn't capitalize. I didn't think we were terrible. But catch up hockey is losing hockey and you can't start from behind.”

  Tonight they face a St. Louis Blues team eager to bounce back from two consecutive losses of their own.
  
  “Obviously it's a talented team that's a come off the rails a little bit but we'll probably have a tiger by the tail,” Babcock said. “But we should be the same way. It's two teams that need a win badly.”
  
  Here are some of their nagging problems for the Red Wings:
  
  Taking too many penalties. Top defenseman Nicklas Kronwall has been whistled for 10 penalties in nine games. “I think we haven't adjusted well to the new rules,” Kronwall told the Detroit Free-Press. “They're cracking down on pretty much everything, and that's something for us players that we have to do a better job staying within the limits. Myself, I've taken way too many penalties, putting our team in trouble.”
  
  Poor penalty killing. The Red Wings have allowed five power-play goals in their last season, dropping their season kill rate below 70 percent.  You will recall the Blues scored four times with the man advantage in their season-opening victory over Detroit.
  
  “We've got to bear down a little bit more on our clears and make sure every puck goes 200 feet,” forward Justin Abdelkader told the Free-Press. “They've got a good power play, so we don't want to put ourselves shorthanded too much. It's a tough place to play. We've got to be up to the task.”
  
  Goaltending injuries. Poor Jimmy Howard has worn down with both Jonas Gustavsson (groin) and Joey MacDonald (back) on the shelf with injuries. So somebody named Petr Mrazek is apparently going to start against the Blues.
  
  Skater injuries. Defenseman Ian White (leg laceration) is back in the lineup, but the Red Wings are still missing defensemen Carlo Colaiacovo (shoulder) and Brendan Smith (shoulder), plus forwards Darren Helm (back), Mikael Samuelsson (groin) and Jan Mursak (shoulder/collarbone).

  For more on the Red Wings, Blues and other NHL teams, check out my post on STLToday.com.

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• Detroit Red Wings finally getting well

  February 01, 2013

  The Detroit Red Wings are starting to look like the Red Wings gain. Since opening with a 6-0 loss at St. Louis, they have gone 3-1-1 in their last five games.
  
  “We weren't very competitive,” Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said of that season opener. “Now we have an opportunity to evaluate ourselves six games later and see where we're at.”
  
  The Red Wings are 2-0-1 in their last three games, with 10 goals scored. They have killed 14 of their last 16 penalties. Back in Game 1, the allowed four power-play goals.
  
  Their home game tonight against the Blues will provide a barometer of their progress.
  
  “I think we're doing the right things, it's starting to come together,” winger Todd Bertuzzi told the Detroit Free Press. “St. Louis is playing well -- they're big, they're strong, they're tough. We're going to have to match that.”

  Forward Henrik Zetterberg is expected to play in this game after missing Thursday's practice with flu-like symptoms. But he Red Wings are still shorthanded. Key defenseman Ian White (leg gash) isn’t expected back until next week.
  
  “I was actually hoping to play today because I was skating for a few days now, felt fine,'' White told MLive.com. “But then the doctor explained if you fall and that leg jack-knifes it'll blow everything up in there. I'm aiming for Tuesday, we'll see. It gets a little bit better every day and hopefully I'll be back then.”
  
  Forwards Darren Helm (back), Mikael Samuelsson (groin) and Jan Mursak (collarbone) are out for longer periods of time, as is defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo (shoulder).

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• Detroit Red Wings look lost without Nicklas Lidstrom

  January 20, 2013

  Life without Nicklas Lidstrom might be quite an adventure for the Detroit Red Wings.
  
  They lost their first game without him 6-0 at St. Louis. The Blues outshot them 17-2 in the first period and kept skating circles around them all night.

  Goaltender Jimmy Howard allowed five goals (on 28 shots) before taking an early exit. “We really had nothing going, except for Howie in the net, he played unbelievable for us,” defenseman Nicklas Kronwall told the Detroit Free-Press. “Other than that, not a lot of good things to take from this.
  
  “Hopefully we can learn and play a lot better on Monday.”
  
  Here were some of particulars of this defeat:
  
  

  • The Red Wings went 0 for 4 on the power play and allowed the Blues to score a shorthanded goal.
  • Top Detroit forwards Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg should not have been rusty. Both played in Europe and played well. But neither of this first-liners got a whiff against the Blues. (Swiss import Damien Brunner did generate a couple of scoring chances on their wing.)
  • Second-line stalwarts Valtteri Filppula, Johan Franzen and Mikael Samuelsson were similarly ineffective.
  • Detroit allowed four power-play goals in five St. Louis opportunities.
  • Defenseman Kyle Quincey got burned twice, badly, by rookie Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko for goals. On this night, anyway, he did not look up to his Top Four assignment.
  • Forward Jan Mursak suffered upper-body injury in first period and didn’t return. He joins veteran power forward Todd Bertuzzi (mononucleosis) on the injured list.

  
  On the plus side, coach Mike Babcock believed top prospect Brendan Smith looked the part of a Top Four defenseman. So the Red Wings have that going for them.

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• AHL stalwarts ready to make big NHL impact

  January 11, 2013

  The Senators developed one game-breaker in defenseman Erik Karlsson. Can they do it again with winger Jakob Silfverberg?
  
  He has earned comparisons to Daniel Alfredsson. That is might be a stretch, but his progress this season in Binghamton suggests Silfverberg can make it big. He scored 13 goals and added 15 assists in 32 games for the B-Senators.
  
  “He can do it at the next level,” Binghamton coach Luke Richardson told the Ottawa Sun. “He's a smart, skilled player and he's really starting to take to the North American game. He's a lot more forceful in the areas that require a bit more physicality and he's not afraid to go to the net. People will be shocked when they see him shoot the puck, it really is unbelievable. It will be fun to watch him at the next level.”

  He is just one example of a NHL-ready player who tore up the AHL this season. Here are some others:
  
  Cam Atkinson, W, Blue Jackets: After showing big in the NHL at the end of last season, scoring 10 points in the last six games, Atkinson rolled on in the AHL this season. He scored 17 goals and 21 assists in 33 games for the Springfield Falcons. Columbus is starved for offense after losing Rick Nash, so Atkinson will play a primary offensive role.
  
  Mikael Granlund, C, Wild: Rather than stay in Finland during the lockout, he started his adjustments to the smaller rinks in the AHL. He scored eight goals and added 13 assists in 21 games for the Houston Aeros. Minnesota coach Mike Yeo hopes Granlund, 19, can fill the No. 2 center slot, perhaps between Matt Cullen and Devin Setoguchi.
  
  Granlund’s playmaking skills are given, but Yeo liked the rest of his game in the AHL. “How he competes to win pucks, how he competes when he's defending and how he plays without the puck, those are parts of his game that were unknowns,” Yeo told the St. Paul Pioneer-Press. “He helped himself because I certainly know I can put him out on the ice and know he's not going to be a liability.”
  
  Brendan Smith, D, Red Wings: Detroit coach Mike Babcock plans on playing him with Kyle Quincey in the second defensive pairing. Smith scored five goals (three on the power play) and added 15 assists in 32 games for Grand Rapids of the AHL. He didn't demolish the AHL as Justin Schultz did in Oklahoma City, but proved he is more than ready for the next level.
  
  Justin Faulk, D, Hurricanes: He should be ready to step into an offensive role in Carolina after scoring five goals and dishing 19 assists in 31 games for Charlotte of the AHL. He showed great promise for Carolina last season, producing eight goals and 14 assists in 66 games and emerging as a top four defender.
  
  Brayden Schenn, C, Flyers: He has a chance to earn scoring line work this season, so his strong showing at Adirondack (13 goals and 20 assists in 33 games) bodes well for his growth potential. “Since I saw him in LA, every part of his game has come along tremendously,” Adirondack coach Terry Murray told the Philadelphia Daily News earlier this season. “He’s physically more mature, mentally more mature. He’s starting to really identify with what his niche is in the game. He’s becoming a more complete player.”

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• More locked-out NHL stars excelling in Europe

  December 26, 2012

  As the lockout dragged on, more NHL players joined European teams. Earlier we gave you our first-team honorees.

  Here are our second and third NHL refugee all-star teams – and some honorable mentions -- for players toiling overseas:
  
  SECOND TEAM
  
  W – Jaromir Jagr, Rytiri Kladno, Czech Republic: A minor groin strain slowed this would-be Dallas Stars newcomer for a spell, but he has 18 goals and 23 assists in his first 27 games back home.
  
  W – Ilya Kovalchuk, SKA St. Petersburg, Russia: He started quickly to earn the KHL’s player-of-the-month honors in October. The New Jersey Devils star has scored 14 goals and 20 assists in his first 29 games.
  
  C – John Tavares, SC Bern, Switzerland: In 25 games he has scored 16 goals and added 23 assists. The Spengler Cup Tournament gave him a taste of international play. “You can really feel the mystique of this tournament,” Tavares told reporters. “The history, the crowds . . .”
  
  D – Marek Zidlicky, Rytiri Kladno, Czech Republic: Jaromir Jagr’s teammate-for-now has three goals and 22 assists in 25 games.
  
  D – Sergei Gonchar, Metallurg Magnitogorsk, Russia: In 32 games he has three goals and 20 assists. Penguins have taken note and may make a trade pitch for him.
  
  GT -- Semyon Varlamov, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, Russia: He had three shutouts in his first 14 games while posting a 1.56 goals-against average and .952 save percentage. The Colorado Avalanche hope to see similar form should the NHL resume playing.
  
  THIRD TEAM
  
  W – Henrik Zetterberg, EV Zug, Switzerland: The veteran Detroit Red Wing has scored 13 goals and added 16 assists in his first 20 games.
  
  W – Ales Hemsky, HC CSOB Pojistovna Pardubice, Czech Republic: He has always been a pass-first player for the Edmonton Oilers. But in his 25 games overseas this season he scored 14 goals and added 17 assists.
     
  C – Tomas Plekanec, Rytiri Kladno, Czech Republic: Playing with Jagr sure is fun! He has 20 goals and 22 assists in his first 28 games. He seldom scores like that for the Montreal Canadiens.
  
  D - Victor Hedman, Barys Astana, Russia: The super-sized Tampa Bay Lightning youngster flashed his puck-moving skills while earning 18 assists (to go with one goal) in his first 26 games.
  
  D – Mark Streit, SC Bern, Switzerland: In his first 29 games the New York Islanders star scored seven goals and added 18 assists.
  
  GT – Tuukka Rask. HC Skoda Plzen, Czech Republic: If the NHL resumes, he will assume the starting role for the Boston Bruins. He sharpened up those skills while earning one shutout in his first 17 games with a 2.11 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage.
  
  HONORABLE MENTION
  
  W – Chris Stewart, ETC Crimmitschau, Germany: In 15 games he scored 6 goals and added 14 assists. Earlier the St. Louis Blues power forward played five games (earning one assist) for Bili Tygri Liberec in the Czech Republic.
  
  C – Pavel Datsyuk, CSKA Moskva, Russia: In his first 27 games the Detroit Red Wing has nine goals and 23 assists.
  
  C – Nicklas Backstrom, Dynamo Moskva, Russia: In his first 18 games the No. 1 Washington Capitals center has 10 goals and 15 assists.
  
  C—Jason Spezza, Rapperswil-Jona Lakers, Switzerland: In his first 28 games the New York Islander has nine goals and 21 assists.
  
  C – Joe Thornton, HC Davos, Switzerland: He drives San Jose Sharks fans crazy by refusing to shoot more pucks on goal. In first 30 games overseas this season he scored 8 goals and added 23 assists.
     
  C -- Daniel Briere, Eisbären Berlin, Germany: Could he enjoy a bounce-back season for the Philadelphia Flyers? Maybe. He scored seven goals and added 23 assists in his first 19 games.
  
  C – David Krejci, HC CSOB Pojistovna Pardubice, Czech Republic: In 22 games this would-be Boston Bruins center scored 14 goals and added 11 assists.
  
  D – Lubomir Visnovsky, HC Slovan Bratislava, Russia: In 26 games he scored six goals and added eight assists.   
  
  GT -- Cory Schneider, Ambri-Piotta, Switzerland: In his first seven games he posted a 2.82 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage. The potential Vancouver Canucks starter is playing in the Spengler Cup with Fribourg Gotteron.

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• Locked-out NHL players suffer serious injuries elsewhere

  November 25, 2012

  If and when the NHL unlocks its doors and welcomes back its players, some notable names will be sidelined by serious injuries suffered playing elsewhere.
  
  Here is a quick update:
  
  Valtteri Filppula, W/C, Red Wings: He suffered a sprained MCL in his right knee while playing for Jokerit in Finland’s top league. That injury could sideline him for up to two months.
  
  This versatile forward is a critical offensive piece in Detroit. Last season he scored 23 goals and added 43 assists. He scored 15 points in his first 16 games in Finland this season.
  
  Ryan Murray, D, Blue Jackets: Columbus counted on Murray, the second pick in the 2012 draft, to quickly emerge as a defensive cornerstone. But he could miss the rest of the season after suffering a torn shoulder labrum while playing for Everett of the Western Hockey League.
  
  Murray has 17 points in 23 games this season. He captained Team WHL squad in the Subway Super Series against Russia and figured to be a key performer for Team Canada in the World Junior Championships this winter.
  
  This was just more bad news for Columbus, which recently saw the 2013 NHL All-Star Game cancelled due to the lockout.
  
  Jared Cowen, D, Senators: Ottawa had big plays for this imposing D-man, but he suffered a torn hip labrum Oct. 19 while playing for Binghamton of the American Hockey League. The injury eventually resulted in season-ending surgical repairs.
  
  Cowen, 21, is a former ninth overall draft pick. He played all 82 games last season, scoring five goals and adding 12 assists. He was ticketed for a Top Four role this season.
  
  “We’re disappointed for Jared,” Senators general manger Bryan Murray told the Ottawa Sun. “This was a big year for him to get more playing time in Binghamton until we’re going to play in the NHL.
  
  In Cowen’s absence, prospects Andre Benoit, Mark Borowiecki, Patrick Wiercioch and Eric Gryba will get extra attention from Ottawa’s management team. The Senators may also look outside the organization for help.
  
  Blake Geoffrion, C, Canadiens: He suffered a depressed skull fracture while playing for Hamilton of the AHL. He was injured when J.P. Cote of Syracuse checked him and then apparently made contact with Geoffrion’s skull with his skate.
  
  Geoffrion, 24, had five goals and eight assists in 55 games last season for Nashville and Montreal. He is recovering from head surgery but faces an uncertain hockey future.

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• Red Wings prepare for life without Nicklas Lidstroom

  September 18, 2012

  Kyle Quincey came via a trade last season. Carlo Colaiacovo arrived a free agent just before the NHL lockout hit, signing for two years and $5 million.
  
  Brendan Smith showed the potential to graduate into a full-time role during his promotion from the AHL last season. Jakub Kindl has shown some potential as well.
  
  Along with top returning defensemen Niklas Kronwall and Ian White, these four will try to fill the offensive hole left by the retirement of Nicklas Lidstrom.
  
  Colaiacovo scored 29, 32 and 26 points during a three-year span for the St. Louis Blues. Last season he slipped to 19 points as his offensive role diminished. 
  
  “He's played in the NHL. Smith is a rookie. Kindl has been around a bit but hasn't really had the opportunity to establish himself,” Red Wings general manager Ken Holland told the Detroit Free Press. “Carlo gives us another veteran defenseman for our team. He can play on the power play. He's got the ability to get the puck in the hands of our forwards.”
  
  Colaiacovo has enough skill to earn a role with the second power play if he can stay healthy. Coach Mike Babcock told the Free Press that he sees Carlo as a "second- or third-pair guy who has found a way to play in the league. You get better as you get older, and he's one of those guys.”

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• The trouble with goaltenders

  September 11, 2012

  Goaltenders are an unpredictable lot by nature. For every reliable Martin Brodeur, there are three Jose Theodores all over the map from year to year.
  
  This season experts project repeat greatness from Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers, Jonathan Quick of the Los Angeles Kings and Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators. Each was stellar last season and each is expected to carry on.
  
  But check out the disparate fantasy rankings of some other key NHL netminders:
  
  Jaroslav Halak, St. Louis Blues: NHL.com ranks him fifth in the league, but Dobber Hockey has him at No. 19 in its latest rankings and Yahoo! Sports has him at No. 29. The latter two ratings reflect his anticipated time share of Brian Elliott.
  
  Ilya Bryzgalov, Philadelphia Flyers: Yahoo! Sports believes his strong regular season finish will carry over. Hence the No. 3 ranking it gave him. NHL.com (No. 13) and Dobber Hockey (No. 16) had nagging doubts about him.
  
  Jimmy Howard, Detroit Red Wings: He has been brilliant in his career. He has also been mediocre. Dobber Hockey had him sixth, but Yahoo! Sports had him No. 10 and NHL.com had him down at No. 18.
  
  Roberto Luongo. Vancouver Canucks (for now): At the moment he finds himself in a time share with upstart Corey Schneider. Rather than become a pine time player, he is willing to move back to Florida in a trade. Dobber Hockey still lists him as the 10th best goaltender for this season, but NHL.com had him at No. 16 and Yahoo! Sports had him at No. 30.
  
  Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins: His playoff collapse created a mixed vote for his 2012-13 projection. Dobber Hockey had him fourth. NHL.com had him at No. 7 – but Yahoo ranked him 19th.
  
  Jonas Hiller, Anaheim Ducks: Banking on this team to pick up where it left off, NHL.com gave him a solid No. 10 rating. Dobber Hockey ranked him 13th and Yahoo! Sports had him at No. 27.
  
  Miikka Kiprusoff, Calgary Flames: Dobber Hockey loves this veteran and ranks him fifth. Yahoo! Sports (14th) and NHL.com (20th) were less enthusiastic.
  
  You get the idea. After the top few, even the guys who project statistics for a living are guessing.

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• Ten rookie NHL forwards to watch

  September 08, 2012

  Expect a banner year for rookie NHL forwards. We’ve already highlighted Edmonton Oilers winger Nail Yakupov, St. Louis Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko, Minnesota Wild center Mikael Granlund and New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider in our list of potential breakout forwards for this season.
  
  All four players are high-end talents capable of filling scoring line and power play roles right away. Here are some other youngsters to keep an eye on:
  
  Jakob Silfverberg, W, Ottawa Senators: He progressed nicely in four seasons with Brynas IF Gavle of the Swedish Elite League. He produced 24 goals and 30 assists in 49 games last season and earned MVP honors in the SEL. He played his first two NHL games in the playoffs last spring and prepared to grab a top six role this season. “He's got courage, he's got puck skills, and he's got great hockey sense,” Senators GM Bryan Murray told NHL.com.
  
  Sven Baertschi, W, Calgary Flames: This native of Switzerland made a spectacular transition to North American hockey. Last season blew up the WHL for 94 points in 47 regular season games for Portland and 34 more points in 22 playoff games. He also scored three goals in five NHL games. Calgary is starved for fresh offensive talent, so expect Baertschi to get lots of attention this fall.
  
  Alex Galchenyuk, C, Montreal Canadiens: He played just eight games last season – two in the regular season and six more in the playoffs – due to a serious knee injury. So despite his No. 1 center skill set and his lofty draft status (third overall in 2012), he may needed developmental time. He showed the whole offensive package while scoring 31 goals and added 52 assists in 68 games during his rookie season with the Sarnia Sting.
  
  Brandon Saad, W, Chicago Blackhawks: He has the size and skill (61 goals in 103 Ontario Hockey League games for Saginaw) to earn a regular role this season. He did not look out of place during his two early season games in the NHL and he returned to make two playoff appearances for the Blackhawks. He looks like one of the big steals of the 2011 draft as the 43rd overall pick.
  
  Mikhail Grigorenko, C, Buffalo Sabres: This team could use a big center, so expect Lindy Ruff to take a long look at the 12th overall pick in the 2012 draft. Grigorenko scored 40 goals and added 45 assists last season for the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He is still filling out his 6-foot-3 frame. He and subsequent first-round pick Zemgus Girgensons will be cornerstones for this franchise.
  
  Charlie Coyle, W, Minnesota Wild. This sturdy forward jumped from Boston University (where he scored 14 points in 16 games) to the Saint John Sea Dogs midway through last season and showed his offensive promise. In 23 regular-season games in the QMJHL, Coyle had 15 goals and 23 assists. That production continued right into the playoffs where he had 15 goals in 17 games, earning playoff MVP honors.
   
  Jaden Schwartz, W, St. Louis Blues: He scored his first NHL goal on his first shot and generally showed much promise during his seven games with the Blues last season. Schwartz prodiced 32 goals and 56 assists in 80 games for Colorado College and served as captain for Team Canada at the most recent World Junior Championships. St. Louis has solid three-line depth, so Schwartz may start the year in the AHL while waiting for his turn.
  
  Damien Brunner, W, Detroit Red Wings: After scoring 164 points in 132 games during the last three seasons for Zug in the Swiss-A League, he opted to take his shot at the NHL. The Red Wings won the bidding. Give this franchise’s history of success with European imports, don’t be surprised if Brunner earns regular work on one of the top three lines.
  
  Jonathan Huberdeau, C, Florida Panthers: He made a strong pitch for NHL work last fall, then added some muscle on his 6-foot-1 frame. He scored 182 points in 104 regular season games the last two seasons for Saint John of the QMJHL. He also scored 51 points in 34 playoff games during that span.
  
  Mika Zibanejad, C, Senators: The sixth overall pick of the 2011 draft got a little taste of the NHL last season (one assist in nine games) but spent most of the season with Djurgardens of the Swedish Elite League (13 points in 36 games). He excelled in the WJC tourney convinced Ottawa he is ready to play in North America this season.

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• Alexander Radulov: New face of the KHL?

  June 17, 2012

  Forward Alexander Radulov has an opportunity to the KHL's version of Sidney Crosby. With Russia’s pro league struggling to keep elite young players from migrating to the NHL, Radulov can cash in big time by swimming against that current.
  
  CSKA Moscow, run by former NHL star Sergei Fedorov, needs a young star to build around. Last season its “name” player was yesteryear NHL star Alexei Yashin, who scored just nine goals in 43 games at the age of 37.
  
  Flighty Nikita Filatov, the sixth overall pick in the 2008 NHL Draft, scored just four goals in 18 games for CSKA after the Senators turned him loose. So far this skilled young scorer has lacked the drive to become an elite performer.
  
  Radulov’s brief and unhappy return to the NHL burned his Nashville bridge forever. The Predators have no intention of offering the restricted free agent a new deal.
  
  Nashville general manager David Poile would love to trade his rights for draft picks or prospects, but those rights would become worthless once Radulov finalizes a KHL deal.
  
  The New York Post reports that the CSKA offer would make Radulov the world’s highest-paid hockey player in terms of take-home compensation. The New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings and Washington Capitals seem to have some interest in him, but NHL scouts generally see him as a mid-range scorer with intriguing upside.

  He can’t expect to make top dollar in North America. He has the skill to become an impact NHL player but he appears to lack the inclination. So Radulov should take the money and run back home to Russia.

  The KHL would love to get him back, curfew violations and all.

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• Can the Nashville Predators keep Ryan Suter?

  June 16, 2012

  Nashville Predators defenseman Ryan Suter seems resolute about exploring unrestricted free agency.
  
  He knows he would attract massive offers from Stanley Cup contenders – most notably the Detroit Red Wings, a team with a major hole to fill in the wake of Nicklas Lidstrom’s retirement.
  
  But Predators general manager David Poile won’t turn the page on Suter. He is letting his other UFAs move toward the marketplace while holding budget space for Suter. Poile is also rebuffing trade offers for the negotiating rights to Suter.
  
  “If he could make his decision today, that could help us a lot in terms of options with player acquisitions between now and the draft and free agency,” Poile told the Tennessean newspaper. “I’m not in control of that, he’s in control of it.”
  
  The Nashville roster is in flux. Restricted free agent Alexander Radulov seems likely to return to Russia’s KHL after his unhappy reunion with the Predators. By dealing goaltender Anders Lindback to Tampa Bay, Poile has only Pekka Rinne under contract at that position.
  
  Many Predators are unrestricted free agents, including career pest Jordin Tootoo and late-season rentals Paul Gaustad, Hall Gill and Andrei Kostitsyn. Restricted free agent Sergei Kostitsyn can't be happy with how his brother was made one of the fall guys for the playoff failure.
  
  So Nashville currently has more than $38 million in projected salary cap space for next season. That gives Poile more than enough room to keep Suter and lock Shea Weber into a long-term deal, should that dynamic duo elect to commit to the Predators for the long haul.
  
  Should Suter depart and Weber decline to extend his contract, though, Poile will be hard-pressed to keep the Predators in Stanley Cup contention. The free agent marketplace won’t offer significant help and Nashville is not brimming with breakout youngsters.
  
  Gaining a couple of second-round picks for Lindback will help the rebuilding process slightly. Moving Radulov’s rights for draft picks or prospects could also help some.
  
  But the future of this franchise will depend on whether it can retain Suter and Weber as defensive pillars for this checking-minded team.

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• Lidstrom retires, Wings check defensemen market

  May 31, 2012

  Ryan Suter is a really happy man today. Nicklas Lidstrom’s retirement in Detroit puts the Red Wings on the market for a No. 1 defenseman.
  
  That perennial contender can pay top dollar for such a commodity, given all the money coming off its books. Their spending budget will exceed $20 million.

  The already high market for Suter, a pending unrestricted free agent for Nashville, just got much higher. Nashville wants to keep him, but how?
  
  “We've got cap space,” general manager Ken Holland reminded reporters a few months back. “We're obviously going to be involved more actively in the unrestricted free agent market than we have been the last couple years.”
  
  Detroit has a decent returning defensive corps with Niklas Kronwall, Ian White, Jonathan Ericsson and Jakub Kindl. Prospect Brendan Smith could be ready to graduate to the NHL and the Wings acquired Kyle Quincey last season. Quincey is a restricted free agent and the Wings want to keep him.
  
  But Suter would the perfect addition for the Red Wings. While he isn't quite Lidstrom, he plays a very similar style. He could move the puck at even strength and help run the power play. He tops a potential free agent class that includes Dennis Wideman, Filip Kuba and Matt Carle
  
  Another possible Detroit target is potential free agent Justin Schultz, a University of Wisconsin defenseman drafted by the Ducks. If Anaheim doesn’t buck up for him, the bidding will be intense.

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• Teams, players mull their 2012-13 plans

  May 23, 2012

  Let the great off-season talent sort begin.
  
  Although the final round of Stanley Cup playoffs has yet to begin, teams and players are mulling what to do for next season.
  
  Here are a few updates:
  
  

  • Defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom is still deciding whether to play next season. The Red Wings would gladly try to re-sign him if he wants to continue his Hall of Fame-caliber career.
  • Detroit power forward Tomas Holmstrom is still deciding whether to play again – and the Red Wings must decide whether to offer him another contract if he does want to return. Given the salary cap constraints in Motown, Holmstrom would likely have to take a large pay cut to stay. He scored just 11 goals in 74 games last season. But Lidstrom regards him as a close friend and he could make Holmstrom’s retention a condition of his own return.
  • After reviving his career in Dallas, veteran defenseman Sheldon Souray wants to keep going. But would the Stars want him back? And can Souray reasonably expect any team to offer him more than a one-year deal for moderate money? His extensive injury history figures to scare off suitors.
  • Speaking of the Stars, former NHL coach and general manager Bob Gainey left a vague position with the Canadiens for a vague position back in Dallas. He will consult with GM Joe Nieuwendyk as the team attempts to rebuild. Team president Jim Lites has opened the vault. “We are without budget, as crazy as that sounds,” Lites said, according to Fox Sports Southwest. “We are restricted by only the CBA and fitting long and short term into that system . . . This is a different situation than we have been in for the last 4 seasons — which is we have an owner who is willing to spend and not being run by the league . . . We are prepared to spend what we need to spend, but we need to spend wisely.”
  • Lightning forward Ryan Shannon jumped a multi-year offer from the Zurich Lions of the top league in Switzerland. His odds of landing more than a training camp tryout in the NHL were not great.

   

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• Depleted Detroit Red Wings can't stop sliding

  March 14, 2012

  The Detroit Red Wings have earned just two points in their last five games. As a result, they have fallen out of the Central Division lead and the potential No. 1 overall seed in the Western Conference.
  
  Can they get back on track before it is too late? Tonight’s game at Anaheim presents another massive challenge.
  
  The Red Wings just didn’t have it Tuesday night during their 5-2 loss at Los Angeles. Coach Mike Babcock gave reporters this assessment of his team’s play:
  
  “Not good enough. They had a simple plan of getting the puck in and getting on the forecheck and grinding and I didn't think we had enough resistance. In the end, you can talk about the power play or the penalty kill if you want -- the whole lot of us, we never played hard enough. You're not going to win with the approach we had tonight.”
  
  Goaltender Jimmy Howard’s return to active duty was a bright spot Tuesday night. He has an opportunity to settle back into the nets for the stretch run.
  
  Top center Pavel Datsyuk is recovering from minor knee surgery and easing closer to active duty. He will miss at least one more game, as will injured defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom – who is hobbled by a bone bruise.
  
  Lidstrom has missed seven games and counting. “It's still frustrating when you're not able to play,” he told the Detroit Free Press. “After a while, you get sick and tired of sitting around and watching the guys playing. You want to be a part of it and be on the ice with them.”
  
  In Datsyuk’s absence, the Red Wings aren’t getting much offense beyond the top line of Henrik Zetterberg centering Valtteri Filppula and Jiri Hudler. Perhaps the return of power forward Todd Bertuzzi will help balance the attack.
  
  Babcock has been shuffling support casts forwards Darren Helm, Drew Miller, Justin Abdelkader, Tomas Holmstrom, Danny Cleary and Gustav Nyquist on the other while trying to keep Johan Franzen productive.

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