FanHouse JeremyRoenick

It's officially the offseason, meaning the time is right to look into the future. We continue our division-by-division preview of the potential wheeling and dealing with the Pacific Division.

San Jose saw its Presidents' Trophy campaign come to a surprising end in the first round of the NHL playoffs, Los Angeles is still the perfect spot for Dany Heatley, and is there any hope for success on the ice in Phoenix?

One game into San Jose's playoff series with Anaheim, and already the Sharks are up against it.

That's what happens with a bull's-eye-producing President's Cup and a history of playoff flops, plus a prominent player or two who are gaining reputations for disappearing in April and May.

Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton combined for one shot in San Jose's Game 1 loss to the Ducks at the Shark Tank, and afterward, Thornton responded to questions about the small shot total by emphasizing that he's a passer, "if you haven't noticed," he said.

I'm just going to come right out and say it: Sidney Crosby is underrated. There. I said it. I said it because it had to be said. Somebody had to say it, and I'm saying it. The man the NHL force feeds down our throats on every broadcast, commercial and marketing campaign has become so overrated that he's actually underrated. And I'm completely serious.

It must be an amazing time to be a beat reporter for the San Jose Sharks. You walk into a locker room that houses not only the best team in the Western Conference, but also the personalities of Claude Lemieux, Rob Blake and Jeremy Roenick. It's like your story is practically written for you.

Today is a great example as Mark Emmons of the Mercury News gives us this priceless quote from Roenick on the Penguins' Sidney Crosby. Roenick's always been a straight-shooter, and he doesn't hesitate in going after the league's golden boy.

As the NHL All-Star Break continues, keep up with FanHouse's coverage of hockey's unofficial midway point.

Some say there's no point to even salvaging this disaster, and Bruce Ciskie and Earl Sleek will debate that point later. For now, my colleague Eric McErlain and I will assume that the game isn't going away, and discuss what's wrong and how to fix it.

Each Friday throughout the season, I'll provide you with my predictions on whose stock is on the rise and whose is failing miserably like an American bank. It's a neat little segment entitled Buys and Sells. There are a few teams/players/issues to buy and a few to sell.

I'm back after a week off, and we're going to approach this week a little bit differently here in Buys and Sells. If you know anything about me, you probably know that I'm an Islander fan. If you know anything else, you know that I am a huge Jeremy Roenick fan.

This week we're going to focus on one thing: for the good of the NHL, Roenick needs to retire immediately.

Jeremy Roenick has been one of the game's greatest characters throughout his stories career, so is it any surprise that he'd want to continue being a character after his playing days are done?

While I think Roenick would be awesome as a color commentator or studio guy, it seems that he's got his mind on other outlets for his need for public adoration: Professional Acting.

After previous bit appearances on Hack and Ghost Whisperer, Roenick will continue to develop his thespian skills with a small role in a new series called Leverage.

"Leverage," which debuts in December, stars Academy Award-winner Timothy Hutton as he leads a highly-skilled team of thieves, hackers and grifters who act as modern-day Robin Hoods.

"I'm pretty proud that's [Roenick's scene] the first scene of the series opener," Roenick said. "I play a security guard who gets duped by a woman. I have five, six or seven lines."

"I'm not nervous at all," Roenick said. "The tricky part is finding the right roles and to look natural. You've got to get the mannerisms and facial expressions down. If you're too stiff, you're not believable. The best actors are the most believable. They completely change their personality. My role is smaller, but it's still difficult."

Yes, it helps to have friends in high places, and Roenick has "leveraged" his connections to get him these roles.

And if the acting career doesn't take off, perhaps JR ought to try out for Dancing With the Stars!

With Jeremy Roenick recently signing on for another season, another American hockey legend, Mike Modano, also decided to stick around for at least one more season.

Despite the fact that Modano has two years left on a five-year deal, it wouldn't have surprised many if the 38-year old heartthrob decided to call it career after 1300 NHL games. It seems that the Stars' semi-successful playoff run helped shape Modano's decision.

"I've thought about it some, but Brett [Hull] wouldn't let me retire," Modano said.

"To be completely honest, I'm sure there will be some tough times," he said. "It's not as easy as it used to be, but the playoffs were so much fun, and I just think there's more that we can accomplish. I just have a really good feeling about that."

Modano spent time as a wing alongside Brad Richards as well as seeing action as a checking line center during the playoffs, so it remains to be seen what his role in 2008-09 will be. Will he be asked to play primarily on the third line, ala Roenick, or will Mikey be expected to carry a heavy offensive load once again?

Despite Modano's advanced age, the guy can skill skate and the guy can still play. Averaging over 19 minutes per game this season, Modano finished with a respectable 57 points and played in every game. Certainly, Modano can provide value for the $2.5mil he'll be paid next season.

Like him or not, Modano is one of the best Americans to ever play the game, and it's good to see one of the NHL's bigger names stay around for another go-around, especially if we get to see more of his hot wife.