Based on Henrik Lundqvist’s career statistics, one might think that the New York Rangers goaltender was a top pick in the NHL Draft. However, some might be hard pressed to believe that the Are, Sweden native was selected in the seventh round of the 2000 NHL Draft. Today, most scouts and team executives can only
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His nickname was “Nifty”, and if you ever saw Rick Middleton play you would understand why. Few snipers could skate in on a goaltender or dangle the puck the way that he could. In fact, the term “dangling” in hockey might best belong to Middleton. It was the way he did it. When lovers of
At the start of the 2010s, the Tampa Bay Lightning were a franchise mired with poor asset management. In recent years, a series of trades that were meant to shed veteran players for younger prospects backfired, leaving the team with a weak prospect pool and a lack of on-the-ice talent. Since the start of the
If you’re reading this, you’re probably already aware that hockey is the undisputed best sport on the planet. But if you really need some extra convincing, here’s a list of ten things (in no particular order) that make hockey the greatest sport on Earth: 1. It’s Played on a Giant Sheet of Ice Football, basketball,
The Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets franchise is a fairly young organization, having been in existence since just the 1999-00 season when the team underwent its inception into the NHL. As a result, you can probably guess that not many goaltenders have found their way passing through Atlanta or Winnipeg during those years and that their all-time
In the 2004 film, “Miracle,” Kurt Russell, who plays Herb Brooks, talked about the best moment of the 1980 Olympics experience, and he refers to the team gathering together on the podium saying, “Well it was here. The sight of twenty young men with such differing backgrounds, now standing as one. Young men willing to
At 2:59 A.M. on Mar. 1, 2015, the Tampa Bay Lightning acquired defenseman Braydon Coburn from the Philadelphia Flyers. For Coburn, the Lightning sent Philadelphia a 1st and 3rd round pick in the 2015 draft along with defenseman Radko Gudas. Then Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman made this late-night acquisition in order to add a veteran presence to a
Since we’re all craving a taste of the NHL playoffs right now, let’s take a trip down memory lane and relive what was an eventful 2009-10 season for the Montreal Canadiens. The team celebrated its historic centennial season with an impressive run to the Eastern Conference Final that will be etched in the memories of
The Franchise Four. The Mount Rushmore. Four players who tell the story of an organization. In this series I’ll be taking a look at the history of all 30 NHL squads. For criteria, I’m choosing one forward, defenceman, goaltender and a wild card from any position. An “Original Six” squad, there’s no shortage of sensational
Successful drafting makes or breaks an NHL franchise. Since Doug Armstrong took over as the St. Louis Blues general manager in 2010, they have built very successfully from within. Several key draft selections have developed into cornerstones of the team, playing a major role in securing the club’s first-ever Stanley Cup Championship in 2019. But
In the 25 years since the Florida Panthers became a franchise, their 10 general managers have made a lot of trades. As an expansion team for the 1993-94 season, they made 16 trades in their first year alone. Some of these early trades made an impact as the team finished one point outside the playoffs
It’s been 32 years since the Wayne Gretzky trade to the Los Angeles Kings that sent shock waves throughout Edmonton, all of Canada, and the entire hockey world. This was a major event for the NHL, sparking hockey interest in the south and west and ultimately leading to a demand for more franchises. The Ducks,
For most hockey players, winning the Stanley Cup is the ultimate goal. From being drafted to helping a team through the regular season, playoffs and eventually Stanley Cup Finals, hoisting the cup is always the end-goal. Along the way, however, players all seek to play the best they can for a variety of purposes. While
The New York Islanders are one of the NHL’s most storied franchises, making their mark on the league during their brisk ascension in the late 1970s and early 1980s. After their four straight Stanley Cups and 19 consecutive playoff series wins, the Islanders found themselves on a bumpy road as they fought to stay relevant
It’s been 53 years since the Toronto Maple Leafs and their fans have enjoyed the sights and sounds of a Stanley Cup win – dating all the way back to 1967. In fact, if the Maple Leafs don’t win a Cup by 2030, the team will officially be off of the Stanley Cup and just
The St. Louis Blues’ 2019 Stanley Cup victory seems in hindsight like the culmination of ten years of sustained success. But a closer look at the decade shows that the Blues built a contender from 2011 to 2016, then underwent a miniature rebuild in 2017 and 2018 before embarking on the 2019 campaign that ultimately
Terry Sawchuk’s name is enshrined in the Hall of Fame, and his jersey hangs in the rafters of Little Caesars Arena. He leads the Detroit Red Wings in goaltending wins with 350. Behind him is Chris Osgood, who is something of a local legend given his role in three Red Wing championships, with 317 wins.
Prospects can make or break an NHL organization. Properly scouting, drafting, and developing players can set up a team for a decade of success. Trading off those pieces and draft picks for an immediate fix may help that season, even the next one, but it will hurt the franchise in the long run. A team’s
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