Atlantic Division 2014-15 Preview
By Brett Malamud
2014 NHL Free Agency Preview
By Brett Malamud
Forwards
Thomas Vanek- 30 Years Old- LW (2013-14: 27 G, 41 A, 68 Pts.)
Possible Destinations: Wild
Vanek has narrowed his list to “4 or 5 teams” and I’d be shocked if the final decision wasn’t Minnesota.
Jarome Iginla- 36 Years Old- RW (2013-14: 30 G, 31 A, 61 Pts.)
Possible Destinations: Bruins, Wild, Canucks, Red Wings, Lightning
Unless Iginla decides that he’ll take a pay cut to return to Boston, I’m not quite sure how the Bruins will find salary cap space to sign him. This should be an exciting bidding war.
Paul Stastny- 28 Years Old- C (2013-14: 25 G, 35 A, 60 Pts.)
Possible Destinations: Blues, Predators, Maple Leafs, Red Wings, Avalanche
Speaking of bidding wars, the most pursued free agent out there is none other than Paul Stastny. Stastny grew up in St. Louis and so the Blues are certainly intriguing. I think that they’ll make a good offer. Colorado would like to keep him but could very well be outbid by a team that’ll overpay for him.
Matt Moulson- 30 Years Old- LW (2013-14: 23 G, 28 A, 51 Pts.)
Possible Destinations: Islanders, Sabres, Senators, Stars, Predators
Let’s get this out of the way: Don’t doubt a Moulson return to Long Island. The 30 year old still remains close with one of his best friends John Tavares. Moulson loved being an Islander. Isles GM Garth Snow made his mistake when he dealt Moulson to Buffalo for Thomas Vanek, who told the team a few months later that he wouldn’t re-sign. I’m sure Tavares will be chirping in Snow’s ear.
Mike Ribeiro- 34 Years Old- C (2013-14: 16 G, 31 A, 52 Pts.)
Possible Destinations: Flames, Blackhawks, Predators
The Coyotes bought out Ribeiro for his behavior off the ice. Should be interesting to see who will take a chance on him.
Daniel Alfredsson- 41 Years Old- RW (2013-14: 18 G, 31 A, 49 Pts.)
Possible Destinations: Red Wings
Alfredsson has indicated that his two options are the Detroit Red Wings and retirement.
Defensemen
Matt Niskanen- 27 Years Old- (2013-14: 10 G, 36 A, 46 Pts.)
Possible Destinations: Wild, Islanders, Capitals, Lightning,
Niskanen is the top all around defenseman on the market in my opinion. The Lightning cleared a ton of cap space and I think signing Niskanen is the reason why they did.
Dan Boyle- 37 Years Old- (2013-14: 12 G, 24 A, 36 Pts.)
Possible Destinations: Islanders, Lightning, Rangers, Canadiens, Red Wings, Maple Leafs
Boyle’s rights were traded to the Islanders, but they couldn’t nail down a deal so he’ll hit the FA market. His age will effect his contract so don’t expect anyone to break the bank on Boyle.
Christian Ehrhoff- 31 Years Old- (2013-14: 6 G, 27 A, 33 Pts.) Possible Destinations: Islanders, Lightning, Red Wings
Ehrhoff was bought out of his remaining seven years of his 10-year deal with Buffalo. Detroit showed a lot of interest at the trade deadline, so keep an eye on them.
Michael Del Zotto- 24 Years Old- (2013-14: 3 G, 13 A, 16 Pts.)
Possible Destinations: Islanders, Maple Leafs
Del Zotto was not given a qualifying offer by the Nashville Predators, making him an unrestricted free agent. The question with Del Zotto is: can this be a good value pickup? He won’t get paid as much as the others, so a low spending team like the Islanders may take a good look at him.
Brooks Orpik- 33 Years Old- (2013-14: 2 G, 1 A, 13 Pts.)
Possible Destinations: Islanders, Capitals, Blues, Sabres
If you notice, the Islanders were listed on each of the defensemen’s free agents possible destinations. Yes, they need a defenseman and so they’ll look at each one. I believe that they should sign Orpik but don’t think they will. He has a blistering shot and is a force on defense. A hard hitter, Orpik will be a good fit wherever he goes.
Goaltenders
Jonas Hiller- 32 Years Old- (2013-14: 29-13, 5 SO, 2.48 GAA)
Possible Destinations: Lightning, Jets, Canucks
This is a rough spot for Hiller here, sharing the market with Brodeur, Miller and Nabokov. But he could go to a team such as the Lightning and Jets who have a shaky situation when it comes to a plan B in net.
Martin Brodeur- 42 Years Old- (2013-14: 19-14, 3 SO, 2.51 GAA)
Possible Destinations: Maple Leafs, Devils, Lightning, Bruins, Blackhawks, Penguins
Instead of retiring, Brodeur will explore his options outside of New Jersey. I don’t expect him to be signed on the first day of free agency.
Ryan Miller- 33 Years Old- (2013-14: 15-22, 3 SO, 2.72 GAA)
Possible Destinations: Canucks, Sharks
Miller already met with Vancouver officials and my belief is that he’ll be signed by them.
Evgeni Nabokov- 38 Years Old- (2013-14: 15-14, 4 SO, 2.74 GAA)
Possible Destinations: Islanders, Capitals, Flyers
Another interesting signing will be Nabokov. He wasn’t close on a deal with the Isles and so he’ll go out to free agency. The Capitals need a backup for Braden Holtby. Philly is over the cap and so I think Nabokov will end up with the Caps.
Brett Malamud is a Computer Science Major at Binghamton University. He is the co-founder of dabuzzza.com. His favorite athletes are Derek Jeter and Todd Bertuzzi. You can follow him on twitter at @brettnyy
After Losing A Superstar, Can The Bolts Bounce Back?
By Mike Basile
The Monday Matinee between the Bruins and the Lightning ended in a 3-0 loss for the Lightning. The real loss today took place in the second period of the game when Boston’s Dougie Hamilton sent Steven Stamkos stumbling into the net. Even the Boston crowd froze as they watched as Stamkos’ leg bent awkwardly and he laid on the ice, riving in pain. The unimaginable for Stamkos and the Lightning became a harsh reality when the stretcher was brought out onto the ice, and he was taken off. The question is: can this team carry on with the loss of their superstar?
Now with Stamkos out indefinitely, this team needs to find a way to cope without him. This is not going to be an easy task, and they may need some time to adjust. They just lost their scorer, and a player who was on his way to an MVP caliber season. Stamkos had 23 points in 17 games and was a great plus 11. Realistically, you can’t just go out and find another Stamkos. Right now, the Lightning are leading the Atlantic Division with 24 points. With the Lightning playing great hockey, I think they will continue their winning ways without their leader in uniform.
When you lose a guy like Stamkos, you would think that the key is to go and find someone to replace him. However, I disagree. I think that now with Stamkos out, Ben Bishop will be the key for this team. The 26-year-old Bishop has been great this season in net, with a 2.12 goals against average. He will have to be the backbone of this team. His 92.7 % save percentage also tells me that he really could be the best option between the pipes. If Lindback does not step up when he plays, Bishop will have a heavy load to carry the rest of the way.
I know you guys probably hear veteran leadership all the time, but this Lightning team really needs that now. When you lose a superstar like Stamkos, you have to keep the team at high hopes, and that will be the job of Martin St. Louis. Not only is he the second leading scorer on the team, he has to be a vocal leader in the locker room. Matt Carle will also have to step up as a defensive leader for this Lightning team. A little bit of leadership to keep this team on its high horse is very important.
Finally, the young guns are going to have to play a big role and it starts on defense with Victor Hedman. Already a plus seven on the season, he needs to keep that up and step up in the scoring category. Alex Killorn will also need to step up his offensive gameplay, as he has played well early. If he keeps this up, the team will be A-Okay.
At the end of the day, I think the Tampa Bay Lightning will be able to win without Steven Stamkos. I do not think that they will finish first in the Atlantic, but I do think they will end up in the playoffs. This team has solid goaltending and great veteran leadership. If the young guns can play mistake free hockey, Tampa Bay will show everyone they are not a one-man show!
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Mike Basile is a sophomore at York College Of Pennsylvania. He is a huge sports fan, and when it comes to hockey maybe considered a little obsessive. Giving insight on the Islanders and all things hockey. You can follow him on twitter at @mikeybasile1