Ever since he was taken No. 2 overall during the 2006 NHL draft, Jordan Staal has been considered a building block for the Penguins. After scoring 29 goals as an 18-year old rookie straight out of Peterborough, he was compared -- locally, anyway -- to a young Mark Messier.
Staal suffered a sophomore slump of sorts a year ago, netting only 12 goals on the season, and is off to yet another slow start this year. Despite logging over 20 minutes per game (only Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin average more ice time among Penguins forwards) Staal has registered only three assists and zero goals through the teams first ten games. The last goal Staal scored in a regular season game was April 20 against Tampa Bay, a string of 18 consecutive regular season games without filling the net.
That has to be a concern for the Penguins, seeing as how they're relying on the 20-year old center to not only be a "building block," but as of right now, a top-six forward. Trouble is, he's not playing like either.
Unlike my esteemed colleague, Kevin Schultz, I found the YoungStars game to be the least interesting aspect of yesterday's All-Star festivities. Not that I don't enjoy seeing today's youngest stars display their l33t skills, but, as my girlfriend pointed out, the YoungStars game was basically 'like a weak game of basketball'.
Up and down ... no defense ... no young goalies (?) ...
Now, everyone and their mother has tossed out ideas how to make the All-Star Game more interesting. Here is my idea for the YoungStars game: Bring in the geezers!
Want to make the game more competitive? How about pitting the best young players against some high-powered NHL alumni? I'm not talking about the ancients like Bobby Hull, but recently retired players like Mark Messier, Scott Mellanby, and John Vanbiesbrouck.
I don't know why the NHL is so afraid of showing its past, but wouldn't you enjoy seeing some of your old favorites lace them up? Don't you think the young stars would love to face the likes of Messier and Ray Bourque?
I think the game, itself, would be more competitive under this format. The alumni would love to show the young whippersnappers how its done, and that they aren't completely over the hill, while the youngsters wouldn't want to look bad against a bunch of fossils.
I don't expect the NHL has ever considered such an idea, but I feel that it would give the NHL a boost in marketing the game, and make the pre-All-Star game festivities that much more interesting.
Every day from Monday to Saturday, The Ice Sheet will take a look at the biggest stories in the league that happened on the ice and elsewhere the night before.
Tonight the New York Rangers raised another banner to the rafters. Next to Crybaby and Mike Richter defenseman Brian Leetch saw his number raised to the rafters. Leetch is the third member of the team's 1994 Stanley Cup victory to have his number honored and by far one of the classiest guys around (That's coming from an Islander fan, by the way.). He also revealed that the Rangers planned to retire Adam Graves' number, another member of the Cup winning team. Four guys getting their numbers retired for one Cup win? Good thing the Rangers didn't win a few while they were at it, the rafters might be full. But honestly, they all deserve the honor they are receiving.
Of course there was a game to be played, one which the Rangers were naturally expected to win for Leetch. They came through by not blowing it (but came close), as they defeated the Thrashers 2-1 in a shootout. Brendan Shanahan had the lone goal in the skills competition, and Henrik Lundqvist needed to make only 17 saves to ensure the victory.
On the other side, the Thrashers lost their fifth in a row and goalie Johan Hedberg was thrown to the wolves and faced nearly double the shots that Lundqvist did. But, I think it's worthy to note, he did not have to face the rain from Mark Messier's tear ducts. The Thrashers did manage a point in the game and a bright spot was their goal from Marian Hossa who now has 22 on the season and six in his last six games. Hossa won't be in the All-Star Game though, as teammate Ilya Kovalchuk is the team's lone representative. Hossa will join teammate Ilya Kovalchuk in the All-Star Game this Sunday. FINAL (SO): Rangers 2, Thrashers 1.
After the jump: Steve Downie is a victim? No way! The Sens get back to their winning ways, Pascal Leclaire continues his domination of hockey pucks, Toronto loses (Oh no we were wrong! Trade Sundin!) and some other games were played. Or something. Who cares. I said jump dang it!
If you were to vote for the greatest New York Rangers player of all time, who would you choose? Mark Messier, Mike Richter, Ron "Donkey Schlong" DuGuay? Wayne Gretzky, even with his short tenure?
All good players, yes, but none of them could possibly compare to Brian Leetch, who easily gets my pick as THE #1 player in Gotham's history. Not only was Leetch one of the best defensemen of all-time, but he was the classy face of the league's prime-time franchise. While Messier, and his massive ego, got the press, it was Leetch's fine play the drove the Rangers' Stanley Cup machine.
When we talk about what it means to be a New York Ranger, Brian Leetch is the player who exemplifies that model," Rangers president and general manager Glen Sather said. "There is no higher honor to grant Brian than to have his number raised to the rafters of Madison Square Garden."
Now, I really have to disagree with Sather about Leetch being the 'model' of the Rangers franchise. Given the Rangers' 50+ year Stanley Cup drought prior to their big win in 1994, and their long playoff drought not long afterward, Leetch is anything, in my opinion, like the 'typical' New York Rangers player. While Leetch worked his ass off and carried himself with class and dignity, the modern New York Rangers have been sullied by divas like Jaromir Jagr, or well-paid under-performing dudes like Chris Drury, Bobby Holik, and Eric Lindros.
No, Brian Leetch was the rare New York Ranger that wasn't blinded by the bright lights of Broadway, and the Rangers' players ought to look up at Leetch's #2 and try to emulate the former Rangers great.
Perhaps no other player in NHL history is more associated with Wayne Gretzky's backside than Dave Semenko (unless you want to include most of the Calgary Flames in the 1980s, as they watched The Great One frequently skate past them into the Finals). Semenko was known as "Gretzky's bodyguard," patrolling the ice for Edmonton over 10 seasons in the WHA and NHL.
One of the great bits of trivia about Semenko is that, much like Larry Holmes and Trevor Berbick, he fought Muhammad Ali in the 1980s. Mark Messier's uncle Larry (shouldn't everyone have an Uncle Larry?) came up with the idea for Semenko to brawl with the 41-year-old former champ after his plan for a floor hockey game between the Oilers and Hollywood celebrities didn't come together. The date was June 12, 1983; the fight was three rounds. Joe Pelletier, the Hockey History Blogger, has pieced together some interesting information that brings this curiosity some new-found focus.
"The other guy's a fighter, and an experienced one at that, and he plays dirty and gritty," Shelley said. "Rick Nash is a goal scorer, a first overall pick and a Rocket Richard Trophy winner, and he stands up and gives it to the other guy. That just goes above and beyond. That's character I can't even begin to describe."
If you want to truly be a leader in the NHL, if you want to earn that level of respect, you have to occasionally do what Rick Nash did last night. Messier did. Scott Stevens did. And we all know where those guys ended up. It was an important moment for a young player still finding himself in this League, and a vital one for his team. If Nash's actions, and Shelley's reaction, don't speak to what it is that makes hockey the greatest damn sport on the planet, I don't know what does.
5.Doug Gilmour, Ric Nattress, Jamie Macoun, Rick Wamsley and Kent Manderville to Toronto. The Flames received Gary Leeman, Michel Petit, Jeff Reese, Craig Berube and Alexander Godynyuk. 4. The Florida Panthers trade Roberto Luongo, Lukas Krajicek and a 6th round (Sergei Shirokov) for Todd Bertuzzi, Bryan Allen and Alex Auld. 3. The Canucks dealt Cam Neely and a first-round pick to Boston for forward Barry Pederson in 1986. 2.Patrick Roy to Colorado along with Montreal captain Mike Keane in exchange for Jocelyn Thibault, Martin Rucinsky, and Andrei Kovalenko. 1. Peter Forsberg, Ron Hextall, Chris Simon, Mike Ricci, Kerry Huffman, Steve Duchesne, a 1st round selection (Jocelyn Thibault) in 1993, a 1st round selection (later traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs, later traded to the Washington Capitals - Nolan Baumgartner) in 1994, and $15,000,000 cash to the Nordiques. The Flyers received Eric Lindros.
The "Lindros-as-worst-trade" nonsense is about as played out as the "Alex-Daigle-as-worst-draft-pick" routine. Lindros averaged 82 points per season for the Flyers, won a Hart Trophy and led the team to a conference title. In hindsight, this was lopsided; at the time, it was actually less than what the Rangers were offering. Plus, there's no accounting for future health or Scott Stevens's open-ice checks when making this deal.
But the worst of all time? Worse than Markus Naslund for Alek Stojanov? Worse than Bernie Nichols, Steven Rice and Louie Debrusk for Jeff Beukeboom and Mark Messier? Worse than Adam Oates and Paul MacLean for Tony McKegney and Bernie Federko? Not a chance.
Could it really be possible that Peter Forsberg, he who ripped apart the Wings as a member of the Avalanche for so many seasons, could end up as a member of the Detroit Red Wings?
General manager Ken Holland has told Forsberg's agent, Don Baizley, that the Wings are interested in adding the Swedish superstar to their lineup. Let's examine why it makes sense -- and why it might not happen.
The Wings have between $4 million-$6 million to spend, certainly enough to make Forsberg (who turned 34 this month) a lucrative offer.
Can such a marriage work? Could Donald Trump and Rosie O'Donnell get all hot and sweaty in the sack after a heated UNO marathon? >.<
Well, Chris Chelios moved from the reviled-by-Wings-fans Chicago Blackhawks and was eventually accepted as a true Red Wing. Sure, it took some time for Wings fans to get over the fact that such a hated villain was now plying his trade for their squad, but it happened after Chelios proved his worth.
Mark Messier? There is your contra example of such a transaction. After leading the Rangers to the Stanley Cup over the Vancouver Canucks in 1994, "Moose" signed with them in 1997 in order to 'lead' them to playoff success. Two uninspired years later, Vancouver found out Messier was a fraud, and the hatred simply increased even more when Messier scooted back off to the Rangers without a single playoff game played for the Canucks.
Given how the Red Wings have had great success with Swedes, and how hungry the fans are for another Stanley Cup, I certainly think Forsberg could earn the love of Wings fans if he played the 'playoff hero', as he usually does.
The first few weeks, though? It'll feel like your sister marrying the jock who bulled you throughout high school.
The NHL decided, as a marketing scheme with ColdFX, to have Mark Messier hand out a 'Leadership Award' each month to the player that meets Messier's secret formula for leadership excellence.
"I don't have many regrets about my hockey career, but one might be never having had the opportunity to play with Chris Chelios," said Messier. "I have always admired his commitment and dedication to the game, and I have never heard a negative word spoken about him, which is a true testament to his character."
"I am honored to present the first Mark Messier Leader of the Year Award to Chris Chelios. In addition to his ability to lead his teammates both on and off the ice, he is an incredible ambassador for the game of hockey and a wonderful role model-totally committed to his community and giving back to those in need."
While I don't doubt Chelios is a great leader, this is a real slap in the face to Nicklas Lidstrom, who actually, you know, CAPTAINED the Red Wings squad and led them to such a successful season.
As we've seen with past awards, Messier doesn't seem to have a real basis for awarding his Leadership Award other than how much he likes the guy on a particular afternoon.
Guess how many awards Messier passed out to those 'wussy Europeans'?
You guessed it: Zero.
The only good thing about the award is that Chelios will get $25k to donate to any charity of his. If there is one thing Chelios has done right, it's help people through his own charity: Cheli's Children.
Ever since he was taken No. 2 overall during the 2006 NHL draft, Jordan Staal has been considered a building block for the Penguins. After scoring 29 goals as an 18-year old rookie straight out of Peterborough, he was compared -- locally, anyway -- to a young Mark Messier. 
If you were to vote for the greatest New York Rangers player of all time, who would you choose? Mark Messier, Mike Richter, Ron "Donkey Schlong" DuGuay? Wayne Gretzky, even with his short tenure?
Perhaps no other player in NHL history is more associated with Wayne Gretzky's backside than Dave Semenko (unless you want to include most of the Calgary Flames in the 1980s, as they watched The Great One frequently skate past them into the Finals). 
If the Columbus Blue Jackets were going to challenge for their first berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season, 
Could it really be possible that Peter Forsberg, he who ripped apart the Wings as a member of the Avalanche for so many seasons, could end up as a member of the Detroit Red Wings?
The NHL decided, as a marketing scheme with ColdFX, to have Mark Messier hand out a 'Leadership Award' each month to the player that meets Messier's secret formula for leadership excellence.
