by Czechmate
The end of last season also spelled the end of an era. Maybe some would disagree, but those people would likely lack facts to back them up, or at least would be considered as being cut from the Don Cherry cloth (which would likely look like a couch from the 1970's if such a cloth actually existed in a physical manifestation) of anti-European tendencies.

What I'm talking about is the turning of the page on the Czech Republic's proudest era of NHL prominence; in other words, the retirement of Jaromir Jagr and Dominik Hasek (again).

These two players embodied the best of the best from our little nation of 10 million people.

Sure, we outdrink the world in beer consumption, and not by a small margin, either! But our accomplishments don't end there. For such a small nation, who has been at the center of a constantly changing geo-political landscape that is Europe, we have done remarkably well in the world of professional hockey and soccer as well. Where hockey is concerned, Jagr and Hasek have been at the forefront of our success.
Jagr is a sure-fire first ballot hall of famer, as is Hasek. The stats, individual accomplishments, international medals and Stanley Cups make it impossible to believe otherwise. However, both also have struggled in media and hockey fan appreciability because of their manic dispositions and perceived reputations as prima donnas. In fact, I've read as many articles, blog posts and subsequent comments that praise and thank the two for their respective accomplishments as I have read that suggest the author believes it is a good thing for the NHL that these two are now departed. It's really an odd juxtaposition, but one that I believe I understand.
Anyway, with these two now in the history books, I wanted to take a look at who remains from my homeland, and of those, who is the best man standing. There is nothing really scientific about my analysis, but it does merit noting that of the list of players that follow, some are rated based on accomplishments in the past, while others are assessed on their potential for future accomplishments. The players are listed in no particular order. You decide which is our best player remaining...

FORWARDS:

1 - Milan Hejduk: Hejduk has been the trigger man for Joe Sakic and the Colorado Avalanche for 701 games, tallying 285 goals, 313 assists for 598 points. He has a career rating of +156, and has been fairly durable throughout his career. Hejduk is not the best skater out there, but has profound scoring instincts and a wicked wrist shot that can catch goalies totally unaware. He has experienced a bit of an up-and-down career in terms of production, but it seems that goes hand-in-hand with how the Avs fare overall. Last season, he tallied 29 goals and 25 assists in 77 games. Surely, he is one of the elder statesmen of our NHL representation, and will likely continue to decline as the years roll by.

2 - Patrik Elias: Maybe it's because he plays in New Jersey's uber-tight defensive system and team concept, but Elias never seems to get any credit for his statistical accomplishments. In 745 career games, he has managed a very respectable 264 goals, 364 assists and 628 points. Combine that with his +162 rating over that time, and he looks like a pretty damn good two-way forward! Elias goes about his business quietly, and does his job very well. His stats would likely be even better if he played on an offensively-oriented team, but seldom does one hear him complain. He is a fixture on our international team, and was once even captain of the Devils until supplanted by coach Sutter, who seems like a less than ideal coach for European players. This guy is a winner. However, he isn't a showy winner, so he usually flies under the radar. I recall once drafting him in the 7th round of a pool with 12 people in it.

3 - Petr Sykora: He's 31 years old, and has played 845 NHL games. His stats totals are pretty decent, although not outstanding. Over his career, primarily spent with the Devils, he has managed to score 275 goals and 353 assists for a respectable total of 628 points. Expect that total to rise significantly as long as he's playing with Evgeni Malkin or Sidney Crosby in Pittsburgh. Sykora is a goal-scorer with a very strong shot and sound offensive positioning. He isn't a particularly strong skater, but he does know where he needs to be on the ice in order to maximize his scoring chances. He is also under-appreciated for his defensive knack and quiet leadership.

4 - Ales Hemsky: Hemsky is young, but has become known as one of the premier set-up men in the league. He is Edmonton's star forward right now, although with their strong core of youth up front, he'll surely fade into the background soon enough. Hemsky has amassed 70 goals and 195 assists for 265 points in his 349 game career, but is also a combined -23 in that time. I believe his defensive game isn't really up to par, but a lot of that is due to Edmonton's north-south style of play. Armed with better linemates for his early career, his totals could be much higher, although that is based more on speculation than any given facts. I believe Hemsky will continue to improve, and will eventually top 90 points in a season, especially now that Edmonton's youth is starting to get front-line billing.

5 - Martin Havlat: Yes, I know, his injury issues are a huge deterrent from any fantasy hockey selection, but realistically, Havlat is a superior talent. After a slow and steady development in the Ottawa Senators' system, Havlat has compiled an impressive stats sheet, which includes 140 goals and 179 assists for 319 points in 379 games. In recent years, he has been near a point-per-game, but again, his insistence on playing a reckless game (grit, as it is called in Canada) has seen him very limited in terms of games played, thus limiting his effectiveness and production. I expect a full season from Mach-9 this year, and I expect a very strong statistical showing, especially if he plays with Toews or Kane for any stretch of time.

Honourable mentions: Martin Erat (NAS), Robert Lang (MTL), Vaclav Prospal (TB) EDIT - TOMAS PLEKANEC (MTL) *** HEHEHE*** EDIT 2 - MILAN MICHALEK (SJ)

DEFENCE:

1 - Tomas Kaberle: Kaberle may have refused to waive his no-trade clause last season at the deadline, and he'll likely be remembered as the guy who cost the Leafs Jeff Carter plus a first rounder, but his career has been very solid to this point. As a defenceman, he has been the bright-spot on the Leafs' roster for a few seasons now, with all due respect to Bryan McCabe. His playmaking ability is superb, as is shown by his 402 points in 681 games (333 of them assists). He has also managed to chisel out a +51 career rating on a Leafs' team that doesn't really understand the concept of defensive hockey. Kaberle might be traded this season, as he seems less reluctant to waive his NTC now that the Leafs are in rebuild mode, and if he moves to a contender, his totals could be in the range of 70 points in a season.

2 - Roman Hamrlik: Some first overall picks end up being a bust (see Alexandre Daigle), but while some would question Hamrlik's selection at that ranking, it bears noting that the second pick overall that season was Alexei Yashin. At this stage, clearly Hamrlik was the better choice, even if he isn't considered a top-pairing defenceman in many circles. "Hammer" has put up a very respectable 531 points, including 136 goals, in his 1,076 games, which is largely due to his durability and great hockey instincts. His best season saw him score 65 points, with 16 goals, back in 1995-96, but that year he had a -24 rating. This is telling, because his last minus season was in 2000-01 with the Isles, where he posted a -20. Why is it telling? Well, because since then, he's been a plus player, including a career-best +22 with the Flames in 2006-07, meaning he has worked on improving his overall game. He used to be a powerplay quarterback type of defenceman, but now he's capable of lining up against the league's best.

3 - Marek Zidlicky: Okay, so this guy doesn't make many lists... However, in his relatively short career (307 games), the powerplay specialist has racked up an impressive 175 points. It's better than a point every second game, which is fairly good for a defenceman. Some will point to his career -5 rating, but considering Nashville didn't really gain respectability until a couple of seasons ago, that really isn't bad for an offensive defenceman. His move to Minnesota this past offseason should see his rating improve, as Nashville isn't quite the defensively stifling team that the Wild are.

4 - Michal Rozsival: I'm always baffled when people say he's over-paid and over-rated. In today's market, $5M for a guy who will score 10+ goals and 25+ points from the blueline while not being a defensive liability is pretty much fair market value (see Jeff Finger for definition of "overpaid"). Rosie has become a very reliable player for the Rangers, and has become an all-purpose defenceman in the NHL. He isn't overly physical, but no Czech players really are. I look to his career +48 rating and his steady production, and find that he's a capable first-pairing defender that any team could use, aside from the Wings and Ducks...

Honourable mentions: Ladislav Smid (EDM), Jaroslav Modry (PHI), Pavel Kubina (TOR), Jaroslav Spacek (BUF), Filip Kuba (OTT), Rostislav Klesla (CMB) EDIT - ZBYNEK MICHALEK

Goalies:

1 - Tomas Vokoun: Maybe the best kept secret in the NHL, Tomas Vokoun first earned respectability in Nashville, where he honed his skills and developed into an elite level goalie. Vokoun is a no-nonsense player who doesn't really have bad games. Like any goalie, he lets in bad goals here and there, but he very seldom stinks up the house on any given night. His career GAA of 2.54 and Save Percentage of .914 are extremely solid numbers, and one can only imagine how good those stats could be if he hadn't played his early career on a fairly weak Nashville team. Sadly, as far as top-flight goalies go, Vokoun is the only one from the Czech Republic in the NHL right now.

Honourable mention: nobody!

What/Who's coming up:

1 - Martin Hanzal: The Phoenix Coyotes have a keeper here. Hanzal scored 35 points in 71 games last season, his first in the NHL, but the speedy winger was used more in a supporting role than a fore-front one. Hanzal projects to be a 25 goal scorer, and could hit as high as 75 points in the next few seasons.

2 - David Krejci: Boston saw what this guy can do last season, where he notched 6 goals and 21 assists for 27 points in 56 games last year. However, he'll be in a more prominent position this season, and will likely come close to doubling that output. He has good wheels, a nose for the net, and soft hands. Potential could be as high as 70 points.

3 - Rostislav Olesz: His slow production is largely attributable to playing in Florida. However, Olesz's strength is as an offensive contributor, despite what the stats sheet reads at the moment. With Olli Jokinen gone, the door is wide open for Rusty to step up and show what he is capable of. I see him at around 55 points this season, which would be a massive upgrade on the 30 points that currently stand as his career best.

4 - Michael Frolik: Another Panther, but this time a prospect. Frolik was once considered the Czech Republic's answer to Sidney Crosby. I think that was a stretch, but this kid has superlative talent. Frolik is projected to become a first line forward with exceptional playmaking skills and a strong shot by Hockeysfuture.com, which I don't believe is a stretch by any means. I expect him to make a strong case for himself at camp this month, and likely find himself in Panthers' colours at the start of the season.

5 - Jakub Kindl: The Wings know how to draft and develop players, and I think they found themselves a real gem in Kindl, who they drafted at 19th overall in 2005. Kindl's combination of size (although at 6'3" he needs to fill out his 183lb frame), skating ability and vision will make him a strong top-pairing defenceman down the road. His adjustment to minor-pro (AHL) last season was smooth, and all he needs is a vacancy in the Wings' lineup to make a strong push for a roster spot. Watch for him to knock on the NHL door in case of injury this season to any Wings' regular.

6 - Ondrej Pavelec: Have to include a goaltender on the list of up-and-comers, and it looks like Pavelec is the guy (Marek Schwarz was considered our top goaltending prospect, but he has been very slow in developing and could prove to be a bust). Pavelec came in to the NHL last year in relief of Atlanta's annual injury issue - Kari Lehtonen. "Pav" only played in 7 games for the Thrashers, and considering the team's complete lack of defensive acumen, posted a respectable 3-3 record. There was talk earlier in the offseason that Atlanta might consider moving Lehtonen to get a defenceman, leaving Pav to be the team's starter, just to give you an idea of the potential this young goalie has (he's 21). I am not sure if he'll ever live up to that kind of expectation, but suffice it to say, he's a blue-chip prospect to at least be a regular backup, if not starter in the NHL.

Anyway, I'm sure I missed a few players, like Jakub Voracek, Jiri Tlusty (for you Leafers out there) and many others, but there's only so many hours in a day. Feel free to post your opinions, or point out any other players deserving to be on this list.

Until next time,

Na Zdravi!

Labels: Czech Hockey, Dominik Hasek, Jaromir Jagr, NHL

by Czechmate

Believe it or not, the Toronto Maple Leafs aren’t the only team who likely will be without the services of their future Hall-Of-Famer captain, regardless how many headlines the Mats Sundin saga generates. In fact, I’d put forth the notion that Sundin isn’t the biggest name out there who may retire from the NHL or switch teams. No, I’m not talking about Joe Sakic, who appears to be deciding between another year in Colorado or packing it in. I’m talking of The Magic Mullet. I’m talking about Jaromir Jagr.

There has been a bit of coverage of Jagr’s decision to take his show to Russia for what will apparently be a contract that would again make him the highest paid hockey player in the world. Much of the commentary has been derisive, and has painted Jaromir as a guy who is in it for himself and a paycheque, or that he’s over the hill and wouldn’t get the same money in the NHL. I am not of that belief, other than the dollars he would command in the NHL.

JJ has been public about his intention to return to his hometown of Kladno in the Czech Republic, likely in three years. His father is building a new arena for the local Extraliga team there, and wants his son to be on the team for that occasion. Hardly anything wrong with that, in my books.

"I don't think I would sign longer than two years, just because of my dad," Jagr said in May. "He asked me to come home in two years. He's helping to build a new arena there and he wants me to be there."

However, as a Rangers’ fan, I am disappointed. Sure, Jagr’s 71 points last season represented a big drop-off in production, but then he came out and tallied 15 points in 10 playoff games. He even admitted to coasting from time to time during the regular season to leave something in the tank for the post-season. The Rangers looked like a contender, and to me, that’s a smart strategy for a 36-year old player. He knows his body better than anyone, so if he felt he needed to take it easier than usual, who are we to criticize? He still led his team in scoring...

Now, it’s time to turn the page on the Jagr era. El Capitan is gone. A new era begins.

First question: Can Markus Naslund replace Jagr’s offence?

In short, I don’t think so. Jagr is a different kind of player, and fit well with his linemates in New York. Despite what his detractors might say about him, Jagr was a powerful winger who could use his body to shield the puck from defenders better than anyone in the game. At times, he looked like an older brother playing keep-away with his younger siblings. Naslund doesn’t have that ability... Naslund, from what I’ve seen (and I’m sure Jes will confirm or correct this), is a faster skater than JJ, and has a quicker release on his shot, but he doesn’t fare well in high traffic. He does have offensive talent, but his production has been in steady decline for 5 seasons now (104pts, 84, 79, 60, 55). I’m thinking instead of calling Nazzy a replacement for the Magic Mullet, we should call him a replacement for Brendan Shanahan – an aging sniper who might be best suited to the second line and powerplay.

Second Question: If not Naslund, who will step up to fill Jagr’s role?

Well, the Rangers made a trade that almost passed under the radar. They sent stalwart defenceman Fedor Tyutin and trade deadline pickup Christian Backman, a puck-mover who hasn’t had much success at the NHL level, to the Columbus Blue Jackets. In return, they picked up Nikolai Zherdev and Dan Fritsche. Fritsche seems to have peaked as a third line player with some offensive upside, but one never knows how he’ll react under a different system than the boring defensive style played under Ken Hitchcock in Columbus. I’ve got him pencilled in on a line with Nigel Dawes and Ryan Callahan to start the season, but who knows at this point...

As for Zherdev, it’s an all or nothing scenario. Widely viewed as “enigmatic”, Zherdev really impressed me at the 2003-04 Young Stars game, where he put on a dipsy-doodling clinic. I view him as one of the absolute best one-on-one players in the game, but he has motivational problems. Amidst widely reported unhappiness due to his inability to really let it all out under Hitchcock’s reign, Zherdev had his best season to date last year with 26 goals (27 is his best) and 64 points in 82 games.

The 2006-07 NHL season was a low point for Zherdev, as he struggled to score consistently and frequently clashed with the Jackets coaching staff, leading to repeated rumors that he might be traded before the 2007-08 NHL season began. In response, new Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson and coach Ken Hitchcock met Zherdev in a "clean-the-slate" meeting. Zherdev has since rediscovered success on the ice.

But it was clear that he’d bolt as soon as he reached UFA status, so they dealt him to the Rangers. I truly believe he replaces Marty Straka’s speed, although he is sometimes a defensive liability, which you couldn’t say about Straka. I see his offensive ceiling as somewhere around 85 points for next season, with 35 goals. Lots to ask for a guy who will first need to adjust to a new system, but I think he’s eager to play with Scotty Gomez as his set-up man. Also to consider are the Rangers’ top prospects – Anisimov, Cherepanov, Grachev. All Russian. Maybe we’re moving from Czech to Russian in the near future?

Last Question: Who will be the captain?

Jagr was a good captain. His coach and teammates will tell you that over the mindless humdrum of the media, who painted him as selfish and unmotivated to lead. Complete nonsense. Replacing his presence will not be easy, but the Rangers started on that last season by picking up Chris Drury. Some will say Gomez should be captain, but I’m sticking with Drury because of what I saw from him in Buffalo. Assuming Shanahan doesn’t return, Drury will be the new leader for the Blueshirts, or perhaps a rotating captaincy, although that doesn’t seem like Tom Renney’s style...

That’s it for now! Until next time:

Na Zdravi!

Labels: Dan Fritsche, Jaromir Jagr, Markus Naslund, musings, Nikolai Zherdev, Rangers

by Jes

The one thing I can say that I have in common with the Vancouver Canucks is that we're both going through a period of mental hockey fatigue. It's the middle of the season, and I'm feeling 'blah'. The Canucks? They look the same way, winning just one of their past eight games, and generally sucking the big one. Injuries are really taking their toll as the Canucks can no longer seem to keep goals from being scored against them at a good pace.

Why is it the Canucks suck against sucky teams, especially Los Angeles? Post-lockout, the Blues, who could barely beat anyone else, whipped the Canucks like Mistress Veronique.

Vs. the Kings
October 19th: 4-2 loss
December 10th: 4-2 loss
January 10th: 3-2 loss

Are the Canucks trying to do Crawford a favor and sucking so that he can keep his job? WTF, eh?

---

Wayne, our Southern correspondent, shares some thoughts over the weekend.

Did anyone hear Mike Milbury on NBC call out Jaromir Jagr as being "gloomy" and "moody"? He did everything except call him "Ee-yore"...Trying to think of an "All-Moody" team with Jagr and Marian Hossa; any other nominations?

Chris Pronger is definitely a big whiner, as is Raffi Torres. One more defenseman ... hmm ... Dion "Sour Puss" Phaneuf.

In goal? Can we pull Patrick Roy out of retirement?

And the coach? None other than the Great Whine, Wayne Gretzky

Jagr is truly the league's biggest diva, and both he and the Rangers would be in a great spot if he'd just shut up and story worrying about non-essential stuff. It's not enough for Jagr to be paid well, but he has to have the world revolve around him as well. For that reason, he's never been the guy you can truly build a team around.

I see that Marc Savard will finally make an All-Star Game this Sunday...wonder what kind of reaction he'll get in Atlanta...Me: I'd applaud...

As would I

As I type this, the Maple Laffs just fired their GM; what took them so long? Well, Don Waddell has an opening when Atlanta Spirit fires his ass this coming May.

I covered this over at NHL FanHouse. Until the Leafs change their management structure (ie. Too many cooks, not enough brains), it doesn't matter which GM they hire. The Leafs' ownership cares only about profits, and has too many people who want a say in the affairs of the club. For this reason, no GM can truly make their stamp on the team as they'll have many other people to go through.

It's a testament to Pat Quinn's GM skills that he did as well as he did during his tenure there, demotion and all.

Labels: Canucks, GM firing, Jaromir Jagr, JFJ, Leafs Suck, Maple Leafs

Not too long ago, the New York Rangers were a team full of high-priced superstars that lacked cohesion and a work ethic and continually missed the playoffs. Ah, those were the days.

Thanks in large part to Mark Messier's ego and need to play 18-minute a night when he was clearly outmatched, the Rangers never did collectively perform to the level of each individual player's ability added up. Lesser squads did far more with less talent, while the Rangers simply tried to fix problems by throwing more money in the fire.

After the lockout, the Rangers seemed to 'get it'. They let some of their young kids, such as Tyutin, Prucha, and Ortmeyer, get some key ice time. The Rangers used their money to sign 'smart' free agents, such as Marek Malik, and Brendan Shanahan, to fairly cheap deals. We saw the Rangers actually *gasp* make the playoffs and look like a pretty competitive team.

Then, the salary cap was raised, and suddenly the Rangers reverted back to form. We saw the Rangers sign some expensive contracts, some of the awful variety. Clearly, Glen Sather, free of some financial restraints, did not learn from his past mistakes.

Aaron Ward - $5.5mil over 2 seasons
Matt Cullen - $11.2mil for 4 seasons, and then they send him back to the Canes.
Scott Gomez - $51.5mil over 7 seasons.
Chris Drury - $35.25mil over 5 seasons.

The Rangers figured they could steal some karma from the Canes after the magical Raleigh run. While signing Ward wasn't a horrible deal, signing a 3-year line forward, as Cullen was, to that sort of deal with just nutso.

Figuring they ought to get some prime talent, instead, the Rangers spent a lot of money on a hard-to-coach playmaking centerman and a dearly overrated 2nd-line pivot, instead of re-signing Michael Nylander, a player who clearly meshed with the hard-to-please Jaromir Jagr.

The entire result of this has been a drought of African proportions. After last night's 1-0 loss to the Penguins, a team that has troubles stopping goals, the Rangers now find themselves having gone 2 games without a goal, and struggling with just 13 goals for in 8 games, by far the worst such totals in the league.

Yes, the Rangers can't even get 2 goals a game, despite having more talent, up front, than many other teams.

Let's assess the damage
Jaromir Jagr: 8GP 1-7-8
Chris Drury: 8GP 1-5-6
Scott Gomez: 8GP 2-1-3 (just 1 assist?)
Martin Straka: 7GP 2-1-3
Brendan Shanahan: 8GP 1-1-2 (WTF?)
Petr Prucha: 8GP 1-0-1

So, despite the fact that evil Swede Henrik Lundqvist is doing a great job in the nets (92.7SV%), the Rangers are 2-5-1 and generate just 21 shots on goal per game.

If I had to theorize as to what is wrong with the Rangers, it appears that they have a lot of finesse and little grit on their scoring lines. Clearly, there are a lot of egos to be stroked and few are willing to pay the physical price to get 'er done.

One weird stat that pops out is that Shanahan has 50 shots on goal in his 8 games, so he's clearly getting his chances. Of all of the players that should bounce back, he ought to be the one.

Labels: Brendan Shanahan, Glen Sather, Jaromir Jagr, Messier, Petr Prucha, Rangers, rants

by Jes


Ooooh, here's some hockey gossip for my peeps.

It appears, according to this article, that Jaromir Jagr has finally got himself a woman to 'settle down' with.

From a poor Russian translation from this here linkage, it would appear ...

The lady is Ina Pugaykovoy, born in 1986 in Ukraine (21 years old)

Two years ago, she won the Czech title of "Miss Internet"

The ceremony will be held on July 7th in Karlovy Vary.

The marriage will be performed in the Orthodox Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul.

Of course, we know Russian tabloids aren't always that reliable, but I see a Slovak tabloid, Bleskovky, is also reporting the same news.

Talk about robbing the cradle ...

Labels: Czech Hockey, gossip, Jaromir Jagr