WHAT'S MAKING THE NEWS IN THE GRETZKY CONFERENCE (PART 1)
By Kevin Wu
Islanders
The 2005-2006 version of the New York Islanders brings a renewed sense of hope to the franchise grounded on a solid plan put in place by general manager Kevin Wu with a focus on youth, speed, and enthusiasm. The outlook for the Islanders is a far cry from the veteran-laden line-up of the same team at the end of last season which saw few prospects and little hope for the future.
Through a series of deals the Islanders have re-established their prospect pool with bright names such as Shawn Belle and Duncan Milroy in the farm system, while their CPHL roster boasts some top-end talent such as Jordan Leopold, Keith Ballard, Marcel Hossa, Jiri Hudler, and of course, currently injured uber-franchise player Tuomo Ruutu.
Local pundits, although mostly pleased with the moves, could not have expected the pace at which the Islanders are keeping thus far in the season.
With the emergence of a dominating duo in Mark Parrish and Chris Drury, the Islanders find themselves in the thick of things in a tough Gretzky Conference where points and victories are hard to come by. The team has maintained a top 10 powerplay for most of the season, and continues to be one of the least penalized teams in the league.
Being the third youngest team in the league, the Islanders will have a few hurdles to overcome yet this season where youthful exuberance might not be enough, but if this current team is for real, they might just quietly sneak up and surprise some teams with a spot in the post-season dance.
Boston
He led the team last season with a remarkable 108 points, and he leads the team again this season on pace for 91 points. A little less than the year before, but impressive nonetheless.
Pavol Demitra returned this season, taking a pay-cut in fact, to sign on for three more years to play for the Boston Bruins, a team that many are predicting to be the next dynasty in the CPHL. Most players nowadays won’t think twice about leaving a team for the all-mighty dollar, but playing for a true contender always changes things.
Following his well-documented philosophy, general manager of the Bruins, Kris Fernet, has built a team jam-packed with experience, skill, and leadership. His affection for experience shined through once again when he sent young uber-superstar Ilya Kovalchuk packing this summer for Keith Tkachuk and Scott Hannan.
You’d be hard-pressed to find any fan of hockey who would argue that Kovalchuk is not a superstar, but as it stands, the Bruins are sitting happy in 3rd place overall without the Russian phenom who has since moved on to the Minnesota Wild.
You can argue all you want about the importance of prospects and youth in a CPHL line-up, but one thing you can’t argue with is success.
New Jersey
Their leading scorer? John Madden.
If that doesn’t say something, I’m not sure what would.
An organization which has seen much instability over the last few years finally found an owner earlier this year with at least some financial fortitude. Reputed crime boss, Anthony Soprano, of the local mob family purchased the New Jersey Devils earlier in the season, hiring former Edmonton Oiler general manager Chad Rein to take the GM seat in the swamp.
Success has been hard to come by however for the New Jersey Devils as Rein has had trouble making many moves with little assets to speak of on his current roster. With captain Keith Primeau out for possibly the entire season, Devils fans may be in for a long, treacherous season.
The good news is, they have a very rich owner with a reputation for spending a lot of money. The team has over $21 Million in cap space, and this summer’s free agent auction might bring more than a few superstars to New Jersey.
But for now, fans of the Devils will have to entertain themselves with Jason Kidd and the hard courts instead.
Toronto
In Toronto, Canada, he’s being heralded as the next big thing. His jerseys are outselling Cechmanek’s and he’s helped Torontonians forget about Chris Pronger.
You can’t say it’s been a complete surprise considering he was drafted 7th overall in the 2003 CPHL Entry Draft, but you can’t say it was expected neither. C’mon, he spent last season in the AHL with the baby Penguins before he was given a chance this season after the Leafs acquired him.
But the 6-foot, 208 lbs right-winger has made the most of his opportunities this season earning a spot on the second line and leading the Leafs with 33 points.
Toronto fans have watched as 20-year old Andrei Kostitsyn continues to amaze with his highlight-worthy goals almost every other game. It’s a real shame Kostitsyn is no longer considered a rookie despite playing only 10 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins last season, because if he was he’d have a whole seven point lead over Eric Staal of the St. Louis Blues who currently leads all rookies.
Washington
After just squeaking by the New York Islanders last season for the 8th and final playoff spot in the Gretzky Conference, the Capitals were calmly swept by the Atlanta Thrashers in four games, ending their season and crushing their miraculous end to the regular season which saw them win 6 of their final 10 games.
Since then, the team has undergone major changes including a change in the front office as Aaron Hesla filled the void left by former Washington general manager Robert Jamieson who opted to go north of the border to the expansion Quebec Nordiques. A change in personnel is often followed by a series of moves due to conflicting ideals and Washington was no different. Gone are Peter Forsberg, Bill Guerin, and Curtis Joseph. In are Joe Thornton, Stanislav Chistov, and Marc-Andre Fleury.
It’s obvious the direction the team is going, but currently, even minimal success is no where to be found. The Washington Capitals sit in last place in the CPHL with only 3 victories under their belt. It could be a long season.
TampaBay
After finishing in 2nd last place in the Gretzky Conference last season, the front office decided it needed a change and brought in general manager Drew Siewert in hopes that a new philosophy and new approach would right the ship.
31 games in, with a revamped roster featuring a new starting goalie in Chris Osgood, the Lightning find themselves in familiar territory sitting in 30th spot in the CPHL.
The Lightning have improved their team statistics from last season, but are a ways away from fixing things completely. Baby steps will need to be taken by general manager Siewert, but a few more smart moves which benefit the team could speed up the process and get them out of the basement of the Gretzky Conference.
Buffalo
He led the CPHL with an outstanding 116 points last year, winning the Kent Nilsson award in impressive fashion scoring 45 goals and 71 assists playing on a line with Vaclav Prospal. This season, Buffalo captain Zigmund Palffy has returned to his superstar ways with 31 points thus far leading the team with 87 shots on net.
A key addition to the Sabres this season is the addition of their leading scorer Scott Gomez who was acquired from the Minnesota Wild. Gomez, along with linemates Ruslan Fedotenko and Kip Miller have formed a legitimate secondary scoring threat for Buffalo making it tougher for teams to focus solely on Palffy.
As the 11th most dangerous team in terms of scoring in the league, opposition teams have reason to worry whenever they face off against the Sabres. If Buffalo can avoid what happened last season when they had 3 of their top 6 defencemen out with injuries at one point, they should be battling for home-ice advantage in the playoffs come April.
. Good write-up noob.
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