I have not done a news round up in a very long time. Here are some things I've been reading out on ye olde internets lately.
Kevin Allen lays out how the Penguins could up set the Wings.
"1. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury needs to have a save percentage in the .920-.930 range. As mentioned in a previous column, no goalie in recent years has been able to knock out the Red Wings in the playoffs without posting .924 or better in his four wins."
James Mirtle compares this year's version of the Penguins to last year's and asks how much are they improved? I had forgotten how the Pens completely re-vamped their top six wingers from one year ago.
Puck Prospectus shows that Enstrom #9 ranked among all NHL defensemen in terms of who the coach choose to play in the final 2 minutes of tied game or a one-goal game. Eric Boulton was one of just 12 NHL players to see zero ice time in the final 2 minutes of a game that was tied or had just a one goal advantage for either team.
Iain Fyffe points out that while NHL teams tend to be obsessed with size on draft day, a close examination of Selke Trophy winners (best defensive forward) shows that they rarely exceed 6'0" in height. If most of the NHL over-values size then then that means there is an opportunity for a smart team to take advantage of under-valued short players.
More proof that Bogosian = Awesomeness. James Schwegler rates Zach Bogosian as the #1 NHL prospect. No doubt Bogosian is amazing, but I wouldn't call him a prospect anymore, but because he didn't play a full season they don't still consider him a prospect. My personal opinion is that if a player spends more time in the NHL than he does in AHL or juniors or college--then he is by definition a NHL player and not a prospect anymore.
Speaking of prospects, Hockeys Future has a review of the 2004 Draft. It was the worst draft in team history. So far the players taken that year have dressed for just 59 NHL games. I'd really like to know what led them to waste a 3rd rounder on Scott Lehman. He looked brutal in the ECHL which has a lot of non-elite junior guys. The OHL in general was Bustland for the Thrashers that year as Lehman, Painchaud and Turple all ended up as AHL level players. Sometimes you take a guy and his ceiling is good AHL guy--but those three didn't even reach that level. The only OHL player with a future is Valabik who was a reach at the #10 spot--the Thrashers could have gotten him later in the first round. Valabik at #10 overall is example number 5,372 of how NHL team's overvalue size to their own detriment on draft day.
Puck Daddy breaks down Cam Ward, whom I consider to be the player most wildly over-valued by his home team fans. After four years we have a lot of data on Cam Ward and the data shows that he is very average goalie who is capable of getting red hot in stretches--but the majority of the time he's just average.
Loved the Blueland Chronicle's reaction to the Pat Quinn hiring.
Thrashing About suggests that the UFA Sedin twins would look more ABBA Fabulous in Thrashers blue
Chi-town Thrash lays out his off season plan for the Thrashers. He's dead wrong about Colby Armstrong of course, but the rest of it is interesting.
It was posted a while ago, but the Word on the Bird has a profile on Braydon Schenn with some video. Schenn is one of three players mentioned by DW as being options for the Thrashers when they pick at the #4 spot.