NHL Now

Canes Draft Review

2007-08-03T09:42:00.000-07:00

I did the draft review for the Canes at HockeysFuture.com. Check it out here:

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/9831/hurricanes2007_draft_review/

No Saving Bonds

2007-07-12T07:24:00.000-07:00

Shifting gears from hockey for a bit, did anyone watch the MLB All-Star game this weekend? I'll admit I didn't watch much, but I did get to see the timeless classiness of Willie Mays as he was honored in San Francisco Tuesday night.

Not so classy? The not-so-genuine clapping and smiling of Barry Bonds as Mays made his way around the park. You could tell some major-league stars were downright giddy to have the Say-Hey Kid in their midst, sharing a word with the living legend. Mays also gave away all the items the Giants were giving him ... two jersey-style Giants jackets with "SAY HEY" and "24" on the back were among the goodies. Jose Reyes seemed thrilled to catch the first pitch from Mays, and Ken Griffey Jr. smiled from ear to ear, the way he did back when he was "The Kid," as he walked next to Mays.

Bonds seemed to handle Mays' appearance the way an annoyed teen copes with a visit to grandma's house. He knew it had to be done, but in the end he'd much rather be at the mall.

So as to not make this a totally negative entry, it's worth pointing out that Griffey's enthusiasm and respect for Mays, coupled with Mays himself, made the moment worthwhile.

It's clear that Griffey's gotten a bad rap, both as a player and a person. With the dust starting to settle on MLB's steroid scandal, I think it's fair to say that Griffey is the best position player of his generation (yes, better than Jeter). Yet he was often forgotten to due the home-run exploits of juicers like Bonds, McGwire and Sosa, and his own injury problems (which you could easily say could've been avoided if he'd followed the same path as the previous three), so the second-generation star was somewhat pushed from the limelight. Couple that with Jim Rome's "Grump" moniker for Junior — along with similar comments from others — and Griffey seemed to shed his carefree demeanor of the early ’90s.

As we approach Bonds' imminent overtaking of Hank Aaron's home run record, remember that it should be Griffey who is considered the best of his time — some would say the Willie Mays of his generation.

CL

Souray To The Highway

2007-07-09T09:27:00.000-07:00

One free agent no one expected to still be floating around is power play specialist Sheldon Souray. Expected to be one of the most-coveted players on the market, Souray finds himself still waiting for a suitor. Rumor has it it's his price tag that's scaring teams away — a $6 million-plus long-term deal — that and his terrible -28 plus/minus in 2006-07.

I'm not a betting man, but if things don't get better in Buffalo soon, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Sabres ink the big blueliner to a one-year deal that will calm some of the Sabre faithful and give Souray a chance to display his skills for another year in the hopes someone will bite next season on a big payday long-term deal.

I love The Drake!

It was good to see veteran forward Dallas Drake not end his career on a bad note — that "note" being the Blues buying out their captain to make room for some free agents and more young faces. But I'm sure St. Louis officials were less than pleased to see Drake back in the Central division with the powerhouse Red Wings.

Moves like this always intrique me ... if Drake wasn't good enough for St. Louis, how is he worthy of ice time in the Motor City? The answer, in my opinion, is simple: Despite some free agent signings, St. Louis' top priority is still losing and stockpiling draft picks. But doing so with big names like Keith Tkachuk and Paul Kariya is much desireable that doing it with a guy like Drake. Surely St. Louis fans know Drake and understand what he brought to the Blues on the ice and in the lockerroom, but this is more about perception, and when fans from around North America look at their roster and see "KARIYA" on it, there much more likely to be impressed than seeing "DRAKE."

It's a move the Notes will regret ... I feel like Drake will be a great fit with some of the young forwards in Hockeytown (Hudler,
Filppula, Kopecky) and come playoff time he'll proivde clutch leadership that was maybe lacking some this year without Stevie Y. around.

Will the Blues miss Drake in the postseason? Probably not ... because they won't be there. Luckily, one of Kariya's favorite hobbies is golf.

CL

Welcome!

2007-07-09T09:26:00.000-07:00

Welcome!

Welcome to NHL Now, a new blog covering the actions in and around the NHL. I'm hoping to kick things off before this season with a team-by-team analysis, focusing mostly on offseason moves and what we can expect from each team. For now, we'll tackle some free agent signings and some of the names that are still out there.

Please let me know your thoughts!

CL