As far as The Maven is concerned, the Winged Wheelers ARE in -- now that Patrick Kane is signing with them. Granted, they could have made the postseason without PK, but with him in the fold; along with a competent coach as well as a vibrant roster, it's a lock.
Early in the season I asked Red Wings Executive V.P. Jim Devellano what Detroit needed to at last make the playoffs.
"About seven more wins than last season," Jim D shot back.
As far as The Maven is concerned, the Winged Wheelers ARE in -- now that Patrick Kane signed with them.
Granted, they could have made the postseason without PK, but with him in the fold; along with a competent coach as well as a vibrant roster it's a lock.
Kudos to Devellano protege Steve Yzerman for his construction of a solid sextet.
STAMKOS TO TORONTO? The betting here is that Steven Stamkos will not call Tampa Bay home after this year. Our radar machine says that Mister Lightning will be known as Lord Maple Leaf.
RANGERS OVER BRUINS: After the Rangers beat Boston last week, the Blueshirts looked like the best team in the league. It may not show now but New York is the more hungry team. Even B's coach Jim Montgomery allowed, "We were not willing to forecheck."
Keep an eye on that element after the new year. That's when the Bergeron-Krejei exit really will be felt.
Another reason to keep the new year in mind is when Zach Parise may get the itch to rejoin the Islanders.
QUICK AS A JON: The Rangers Jonathan Quick is evolving as one of the very best back-backups around. You have to wonder why the Oilers or Maple Leafs never thought of him.
A GORDIE HOWE QUIP: Wild radio ace Tom Reid once ranked among the NHL's steadiest defensemen with Minny's original expansion team, the North Stars. He recently told All-Star techie Eli Gelman this one: "When I played against Gordie Howe, I could tell his sight was going. I used to tell him, 'Gordie, you keep thinking the puck is on top of my head'!"
WOE IS CHICAGO: It's not like Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson doesn't have enough challenges easing Connor Bedard to superstardom. Then he loses his best left wing Taylor Hall for the season. And if that isn't enough of a migraine-maker, the team mysteriously has revealed that usually, reliable vet Corey Perry will be absent for undisclosed reasons. That left us to another chapter for The Maven's "I Love A Mystery." Then, it was announced that Perry was being placed on waivers for the purpose of contract termination. GM Kyle Davidson said it was a workplace matter during his press conference, in which he got choked up from time to time.
SWEET LOU'S PUSH: Lou Lamoriello gave Mat Barzal and Bo Horvat a gentle push -- not a shove -- when he suggested that his high-price talent "could give more." It was the Isles boss' first Meet The Press event following news that D-man Adam Pelech will be sidelined for a chunk of time with an upper-body injury.
Nabbing Mike Reilly from Florida could be much better than a stopgap move made by Lou. Although a few mistakes in his Isles debut, Reilly showed off an offensive flair and strong skating, which will be useful going forward.
T.B.=A-OK. Brandon Hagel is the new poster boy for Tampa Bay. What a great trade by Julien BriseBois. Erik Cernak is also coming on strong as the Lightning's next really tough defender. Meanwhile, Jon Cooper remains one of the league's best bench bosses.
CHECK THIS OUT: I don't get too crazy when a new podcast comes along -- when don't they? -- but I'm making an exception for "NHL Wraparound" for two reasons: Neil Smith and Vic Morren.
Neil, you know as the architect of the Rangers' last (1994) Cup win, and I know as one of the wisest and wittiest hockey observers.
Vic -- a hockey author -- for decades has been one of ESPN's behind-the-scenes top thinkers, planners and advisors to top talents such as John Tortorella and Mark Messier. Together, they huddled last summer and came up with a new podcast idea,
"NHL Wraparound" with the support of a full-blown production company.
The "NHL Wraparound" trailer will be dropped on January 23, and the curtain-raiser pegged for January 30. Frankly, I can't wait!
HONEST HONOREES: When teams honor heroes past, they invariably are award-winners or future Hall of Famers -- or both. Last Saturday, the Islander's original captain Eddie ("Eighteen") Westfall, had an arena named after him in Calverton, Long Island. What a neat move!
It was dedicated by the Peconic Hockey Foundation and attended by an assortment of notables, including Hall of Famer Pat LaFontaine, Isles co-owner Jon Ledecky, and Peconic Hockey Foundation co-founders Troy and Caryn Albert
A member of the Isles Hall of Fame, Westfall led the team to its first five Stanley Cup playoffs and was hailed as one of the best two-way players of his era.
Likewise, the Devils will honor one of their unsung heroes, Sergei Brylin, at the Rock on January 20. The diminutive forward played on all three New Jersey Stanley Cup winners and scored one of the biggest goals in franchise history.
Brylin will be honored with only the club's second-ever Ring Of Honor. He played his entire 13-year career with New Jersey and currently is one of the club's assistant coaches.
ATLANTA BLUEPRINT: If Atlanta gets another NHL franchise, it will be part of an area village in suburban Alpharetta, Georgia. And since the NHL maintains an
"Open Door Policy" when it comes to new franchises, at the moment, Atlanta has as good a chance as any burgh. If NHL owners are interested, they'll check it out. For one thing, they'll find bigger companies in Atlanta, and that's always a lure for a new franchise.
HE'S STILL GREAT! It's one thing to be the best hockey player in the world, but it's another to be able to transfer ice excellence to the airwaves. Remarkably, Wayne Gretzky has done that just about everywhere he appears because he is a "natural." He never forgot the down-home values instilled at Brantford, Ontario, by his mother and father, but especially Walter. Not that he needs any more compliments, but even when Wayne weaves a tale on TV, he's still top of the line.