The End of the NHL As We Know It (for 2016)

The End of the NHL as We Know It in Canada

oops...It's been awhile since I've had any thoughts about the NHL, which is probably true for most Canadians these days. For the first time in most of our lives, not one Canadian-based NHL team will be in the playoffs. Which once again make Hockey Night in Canada just sad, like every intermission show on that Holodeck I've watched since Rogers took over.

No Canadian teams in the playoffs is just one more scar on our national psyche in regards to believing we are God's gift to Hockey. This hasn't happened since 1970, when apparently there were still only 2 Canadian teams in the league - the original six, Montreal and Toronto. As a fun side note, this year is also the first year where Canadian players make up LESS than 50% of the NHL player's association. AND the number 1 pick is probably going to be some kid from ARIZONA playing in SWITZERLAND whose favourite team was the Phoenix Coyotes. WTF!!
But what does this truly mean? Well, for one thing it means my hockey knowledge is nearly as embarrassing as my hockey pool finishes; I'm near dead last in all five of them, barring an exceptional late season surge in my local newspaper which thankfully means I will finish in the top 300 (mainly thanks to Sidney Crosby and Ryan Getzalf's late season return to forms). But my prediction of a huge follow up season for the Triplet Line and the rest of the Tampa Bay Lightning fell as flat as Carey Price's Montreal Canadians after November.

So, let's see what I think happened to Canada's teams starting with Montreal;

Montreal Canadiens:
PK thinking about that hospital he bought...Wow. This season goes to show that Montreal truly is a one man team. Without last year's MVP in net, the Canadians went from a Top 4 finisher to Bottom 6 finisher. Which is crazy as let's face it, he isn't the one scoring the goals. Montreal attempted to get some help in net after last year's back-up Tokarski wasn't able to fill the pads, as neither were Condon, Scrivens, or PK Subban who was coming fresh off a public relations coup when he bought an entire Montreal hospital for Carey. Foreshadowing...?

Coach Michel Therrien will be around for the start of next year but IF the Canadiens don't have another strong start out of the gate with Price in net, heads could be rolling as soon as the New Year.

Ottawa Senators:  

they did win the ugly sweater award at the NHL Christmas PartyOttawa also ran with a hot goaltender last year to get into the playoffs, thanks to Andrew Hammond stepping up to win 14 games in a row or something like that. He was the reason I also went from last to 3rd in last year's dynasty pool. This year was supposed to be a test to see where Ottawa was going and as it turns out, they weren't going anywhere. Erik Karlson was their leading scorer and when your all-star defenseman is your leading scorer, you are going to be in trouble. A late season trade for Dion Phaneuf was Ottawa's biggest headline this year.

Speaking of trouble, that is where Coach Dave Cameron might find himself early next year; out of a job. For now, all thoughts are towards GM Bryan Murray as he fights his own battle with cancer. Having to worry about your coach's job security is probably the least of his concerns at the moment.


Toronto Maple Leafs:
Posted outside the Maple Leaf Dressing RoomThe Maple Leafs can thank the Sports Gods that the Blue Jays and Raptors are perennial winners. The sports reporters focus on winning teams in the TO area have left Mike Babcock alone to thoroughly demolish the Maple Leafs with such reckless abandon you would think he was using the Mike Keenan Vancouver playbook. Having become the highest paid coach in NHL history last year, he justified that expenditure by (1) trading for nobody of proven ability, (2) trading Phil Kessel, their highest scorer over the last 5 years, (3) trading Dion Phaneuf, their best defenseman of the last 5 years, (4) trading James Reimer, their best goalie (this year at least), (5) continually stating they are in a rebuilding process which really means 'don't expect any results for a few years at least'.

Despite guaranteed job security (or maybe because of it) and making $8 million this year, Mike Babcock still needs one more win in the last 4 games to lead the Maple Leafs to more points than they finished with last year. Remember that year? Where TO management left Darcy Hordichuk out to dry for the final four months of the year after firing Randy Caryle? It seems apparent Brendan Shanahan had plans to bring in Babcock as soon as Randy was fired. And if it weren't for the Blue Jays and Raptors success, their heads would be on the chopping block for how much they have decimated the franchise. Only the Oilers have a worse record and that's saying something about just how far the Leafs have fallen.

Winnipeg Jets:
And this is just at a Winnipeg curling bonspielWithout a doubt, the Jets being in the playoffs would be the best thing to happen to Canadian hockey and the province of Manitoba since the Louis Riel rebellion. They signed their franchise player in Dustin Byuflglien (whatever) to big years and big money. They've got a stalwart, seasoned offensive corps being led by Wheeler and Little and with a healthy goalie in Pavelic, the Jets are my pick to be the 2nd Canadian team in the playoffs next year, after Montreal.

Coach Paul Maurice has two small problems; they play in the Central Division with the Blackhawks, Stars, Blues and Predators and as such his job security is understandable. His other problem is he has 3 goalies who are all above .900 in save %. One is a good problem to have, the other is a bad one. Unfortunately, barring the Blackhawks, Stars, Blues, or the Predators hiring Mike Babcock, the Jets will be fighting for a wild card berth next year.

Vancouver Canucks: 
The Good Ol' Days...Who'd thought the glue holding that team together all these years may have been Kevin Bieksa and Ryan Kesler, now teammates on Stanley Cup contender Anaheim? The Canucks continue to rely on the Sedin twins for offense and not much else. The new Trevor Linden, Dan Hamhuis, suffered a broken jaw and resisted efforts by TSN's sportspanel to waive his no trade contract so he could stay with his hometown team. Ryan Miller has been average as he appears to be showing his best years are behind him and other than that, the Canucks are a shadow of who they once were. Consider the fates of similar teams such as the Blackhawks and Bruins to figure out where the Canucks went wrong. Oh yeah... Gillis and that goaltender thing. 

Coach Willy Desjardins did big things in the AHL, which led to his promotion into the bigs. His ability to take young minor league talent and make them scoring machines hasn't crossed over to success in the NHL level. However, Trevor Linden is patient when it comes to coaches he would like to play for so Coach Willy, like all the others so far have some job security over the summer.

Calgary Flames:
During TV timeouts, the Flames like to dim the lights to make their
oppenents drowsy and save money on electricity.The Flames made the playoffs last year and then beat the Canucks in the first round, which I totally saw coming, before they were swept away like the pesky team they were all season. Calgary never got it's groove on and when Goalie Kari Ramo when down, so too did my pool hopes. They traded away Jiri Hudler at the deadline, which may also have played a role in the disappearance of their younger talent and went through the drama of the Dennis Wideman suspension.

If I was a betting man, Coach Bob Hartley may be the odds-on to be let go over the summer, despite winning the Jack Adams trophy in 2014/15 as he led the Flames to his only above .500 winning season in his four years there. GM Brian Burke has been uncharacteristically quiet in media discussions barring his comments about the Dennis Wideman slow appeals process so I think he might be due to put on his work tie and think about what's best for the Flames at this point.

Edmonton Oilers:
nope.Ahhh, Edmonton. Everyone had such high hopes for you as they watched McJesus do his thing early in the season, TSN had it's own 'McDavid Game Watch' on, as did I on this blog until I realized I am a 40 something year old man with better things to do. But all I heard was he was the next Wayne Gretzky. In the end, McJesus was still just a kid with an 18 year old's collarbone and so missed 1/2 the season. All hopes of the Calder, Art Ross, Hart, Conn Smythe and Stanley cup Trophies were swept away, as well as apparently the Oilers' dreams of not finishing last again this year.

Coach Todd McClelland's job is safe. He gave a rather spirited dissection of the Oilers play this Saturday following a 5-0 loss to the Calgary Flames (they sucked huge donkey balls). He calls out everybody and if there is one team that everyone is waiting to see make some changes just so they can go 'It's about time', it's the Oilers. While they once again are odds-on favourites to select 1st overall, they need to seriously think about cutting their losses and hopes on #1 draft picks and pick up the phone and start making some deals for some veteran leadership that also has talent in spades. Yakopov for Drouin would be a no-brainer for me, but again, it doesn't address the Oilers main weakness which is defense. Nobody on that team should be safe, barring McJesus. Make a goddamn trade this summer Edmonton, so the TSN Sportspanel can critique it endlessly.


One last thought on Duncan Keith:
Spoiler Alert; this isn't going to end well for that guy in green.Duncan Keith received a six game suspension for hitting a Wild player in the face with his stick. While he forfeits $150,000 in salary (or roughly 2% of his yearly haul), I think this is a decent win-win for the Hawks and Keith. He gets an extra 2 weeks to rest up for the playoffs and the Hawks get a healthy, well-rested Keith for the playoffs.

With the continual increase of league-imposed suspensions over 'questionable hits', I'd think more and more players are going to be a bit more careless with their sticks as they near year's end and their team is already in or already out of the playoffs. If I had a grudge against someone, I know when I'd be planning my payback... just sayin'. Of course you could go back to having the players settle it on the ice but we all know which way that is headed. (ha! concussion-related pun)