Early Evaluations: A Look at the Top and Bottom of the League

The 2015-2016 NHL season is back in full swing and with most teams being almost ten games into their respective campaigns, I wanted to take a look at the leading team and the bottom-feeding team to expand on their differences. We'll start with the team with the best current record so far.

BEST
Montreal Canadiens
Current record: 9-2-0

Name anything that could possibly happen to an NHL team. It has more than likely gone way of the Canadiens. There are four Habs players who have already surpassed double-digit points. Max Pacioretty, Andrei Markov, Tomas Plekanec, and P.K. Subban hold those titles. This is also Pacioretty's first season as captain, and he is only backing up just how good of a decision making him captain was. Carey Price has posted a 1.29 GAA in 420 minutes of play with 7 wins. Backup goaltender Mike Condon has helped out Price with two of the team's nine wins, posting a 1.50 GAA in his two outings. Special teams wise, Montreal has a 22.9% power play conversion percentage, eighth overall, and a 90.9% penalty kill efficiency, fourth overall. A whopping 35 goals scored over the course of nine games is impressive and sheds a light on the offensive fire power that Montreal possesses in their lineup. Only 12 goals against is a testament to the solid play of Price and the defensive corps that head coach Michel Terrien puts out. 

What is separating the Canadiens from everyone else is the fact that they play extremely calm and extremely well under pressure. They fundamentally sound and don't seem to have many weaknesses that stand out. The penalty kill efficiency has been a strength for the Canadiens in the past couple seasons

An extremely solid showing from the Habs to start the year. This team does not need much improvement in their lineup. Expect them to keep up this torrid pace for awhile and separate themselves from the rest of the league. 

WORST
Anaheim Ducks
Current record: 1-7-2

What is going on in Anaheim? A team that is supposed to be sitting a the very top of the league is sitting in the gallows. An absolutely dismal start has been at the hands of the offense. An almost embarrassing TEN total goals have been scored by Bruce Boudreau's squad. Ten goals in ten games is a laughably small amount. The Big 3 of Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Ryan Kesler are not producing nearly enough. A grand total of six points combined between the three is what they have to show, with zero of those points coming in the goals category. The power-play conversion percentage sits at 10% even. That stat is not entirely alien to the Ducks who have dealt with power-play woes for the last few seasons. Six of the ten goals have came from Anaheim forwards, four from defensemen. Another embarrassing stat is that not a single Ducks player has a positive plus/minus category. Not having any player with a positive plus/minus is detrimental in a league where mistakes are capitalized on almost every time. It is not a coaching issue, however. It is a lack of leadership, competitiveness, and will. None of those things are being shown by the Ducks, and it needs to change fast.

The only two bright spots that seem to be shining through in this ugly mess are Frederick Andersen and the penalty kill. Andersen is posting a .932 save percentage ten games into the season and has only given up 16 goals. It is not his fault that his team keeps losing. A goaltender can only do so much until they break and give up a goal. It is on the defense to back them up. 

The penalty kill is sitting comfortably at a 90.9% efficiency rating. It is always good to know that you can have a brief sigh of relief when you need to kill a penalty, however just having a strong penalty kill is clearly not going to cut it. 

Anaheim needs to take a long look in the mirror and make some changes to their approach. It is coming down to a mentality issue. Approach and mentality are two key components to success in the NHL. If you don't have the right set of either, look out...you will be sitting a very unpleasant situation. Just ask Anaheim. 

Framtiden för Sverige: The Top 5 Swedish Players under 25

The country of Sweden is a hockey hot bed. So much talent is emerging out of the Nordic land and more and more Swedes put themselves on the map every year in the NHL. With hockey greats like Niklas Lidstrom and Peter Forsberg no longer in the game, the new wave of Swedish sensations is upon us. Sweden has what seems to be an endless pool of up-and-coming players coming from the SHL, formerly Elitserien. Is there something in that cold Scandinavian water? If there is, I don't see why they would stop drinking it. Sweden is a powerhouse of hockey talent. 

Here, in no order, are the top 5 Swedes in the NHL under the age of 25:

OLIVER EKMAN-LARSSON - D, Arizona Coyotes

Oliver Ekman-Larsson is one of the top offensive defensemen in the league, and arguably the best active Swedish defender in the NHL. OEL, as he is often referred to as, excels offensively. His agility and skating ability can makes him able to get himself out of trouble in his own zone. Puck moving is one of OEL's biggest attributes and he uses his speed to start offensive breakouts and even jump in on the rush. His 23 goals in the 14-15 campaign set a record for most goals in a season by a Swedish-born defenseman. He quarterback's Arizona's power-play and is a prime example of the modern-day offensive defenseman.

GABRIEL LANDESKOG - LW, Colorado Avalanche

Gabriel Landeskog has leadership abilities that are rarely seen from someone his age. He's 22 now, but in 2012 he was named the captain of the Colorado Avalanche at just 19 years of age. The youngest player to ever don the captain's "C" of an NHL sweater. Landeskog has incredible poise and low-panic level. He plays calm and collect with his blue-collar style of play. He can be physical in certain situations, creating offensive opportunities . He displays and adds leadership into any situation. 

HAMPUS LINDHOLM - D, Anaheim Ducks

21 years-old and he's already the clear-cut best defenseman on a team that is at the tip-top of the league. Lindholm is a two-way defenseman who possesses an incredible amount of vision and uses it to its full capability when it comes to time to make a breakout pass or get himself out of trouble. A smooth skater with a 6'4 frame, Lindholm shows great offensive upside. He sees powerplay time on the second unit and first-unit penalty kill time. He is a player that the Ducks can throw out in any situation with full trust that he will get the job done. he is shaping up to be an elite defenseman and will be one of the best in the league in the next few years. 

VICTOR HEDMAN - D, Tampa Bay Lightning

At 6"6", 229 lbs, Victor Hedman is an imposing figure on Tampa Bay's blueline. The second overall pick in the 2009 NHL Draft has established himself as the leader of his team's defensive corps and one of the most versatile two-way defenders in the game. His size allows to him to be physical and body people off the puck. Don't let his size fool you, the 24 year-old can skate with the best of him, as he possesses a fine amount of agility and speed for someone his size. While not being the captain, Hedman still has fine leadership qualities that in my opinion will make him be a great captain someday.

FILIP FORSBERG - RW, Nashville Predators

The 2014-2015 season was Filip Forsberg's first full season in the NHL, and boy did he make noise. 26 goals and 37 assists in his rookie campaign led him to an All-Star Game invitation and being named to the postseason All-Rookie team. Forsberg wields a great amount scoring touch and offensive vision coupled with great hands. He is an offensive dynamo who can change the pace of an entire game. Forsberg is only 21 and we can expect multiple seasons of him putting up numbers like he did last year. 

A Dedication to Ducks Fam - What Hockey Twitter Has Done in My Life

To Jess, Jack, Sophia, Roudy, Emily, Danielle, Jared, Jenny, Nagely, Daisy, Elijah, Julian, Albert, Ash & Ricky & Matt, Adrian, Pupper, Chuma, Kaytlynn, Cory, Cody, Yoyo, MTG, Jonathan, Andrea, Jessica, Zach, Blake, Shelby, Kevin, Brittany, Joel, Kyra, Jordan, Tyler, Karen, Stephanie, Kyle S, Katt, Kyle N, Tommy, Ane, Tanner, Justin, Brent, even Phil & everyone else

When I was back home this past weekend, I went to a preseason AHL hockey game with my girlfriend and a group of really good friends. Here are a few photos:

ignore the random Kings fan

If someone saw us walking around they would think that we have been best friends for years and have known each other almost our whole lives. No way this sprang from social media, right? Funny thing is: we all met through Twitter, and this mass friendship has existed for only maybe 2 years at the most...

Never in my life did I ever think that I would meet some of my closest and best friends in the way that I have. We were all told when we were growing up to "be careful" on the internet and that everyone is a stranger and is out to get you. Not true at all. 

When I first created my Twitter account back in January of 2012, I really felt like nothing was happening. I felt like at times I was the only one tweeting about the Ducks and hockey and was almost in my own little world. Then slowly and slowly I began to find other people that were Ducks fans and hockey fans and began following them and interacting with them every so often. Twitter handles became the way you knew or identified someone as. It was almost like they were just a small little friend in a big, big world. 

What happened next is something that I never imagined would happen. I began interacting with a specific group of about six other Ducks fans in the beginning of 2014. One day we all decided to exchange numbers... and the rest is history. Those six people are some of best friends now and I could not be more thankful for them. So Jack, Sophia, Roudy, Danielle, Emily & Jared, thank you.

Now, in 2015, "Ducks Fam" has grown into something that I could never have imagined it being. We all soon discovered small little groups of friends on twitter who all shared the same passion for the Ducks. We all started interacting heavily and it just grew and grew and grew until it became a full-blown party. I am really proud to say that these people are my closest friends. What may look like just a pointless little online friendship that will never develop into a real-life thing really is a real-life thing. Exchanges of favorites and retweets have turned into exchanges of hugs and hi-fives. We see each other quite a bit. What has gone from just a couple people I know by their twitter handle has become one big family of everyone who knows each other by name and has become extremely close in the process. People may think it's "silly" or a "waste of time" to have friendships with people from social media, but I would not change one thing about what has happened over these last two years. It has been one of the best decisions of my life to pursue friendships with all of you. It has been such a fun and memorable process. 

I cannot express enough gratitude to everyone I have became so close with over these last two years. You all are some of the greatest and funniest people I know and you are all a very big part of my life. Thank you so much guys.

I wouldn't be doing this right if I didn't acknowledge my girlfriend. The fact that I met the most incredible, loving, and caring human being that I have ever known from all of this is pretty incredible if you ask me.  Jess, I don't know where I would be if I hadn't met you. You have played a gigantic role in my life from the start, and I would not want it any other way. It's pretty cool to say that the Ducks pretty much brought us together and made us aware of each other. If it wasn't for the Ducks and Twitter, I wouldn't have the biggest blessing I've ever received. I love you.

Needless to say, it's pretty amazing what social media can do in today's world. The amount of opportunities to meet new people is endless with social media. To all who are skeptics of having online friends and think that they never grow into true friendships, I think you are missing out.  Try it...branch out. Who knows, you may meet some pretty incredible people along the way. 

Let's have fun this season. Go Ducks!

2015-2016 Season: Division predictions part 4 - Pacific Division

WESTERN CONFERENCE - Pacific Division

1. Anaheim Ducks

The Ducks are absolutely built to hoist the cup next June. After taking the eventual cup champions to an eventual Game 7 loss in the WCF last playoffs, the Ducks made the necessary moves to elevate themselves above their competitors. It started with the acquisition of speedy LW Carl Hagelin, who fill the hole left by free-agent Matt Beleskey. Kevin Bieksa was brought in to bolster the blue line and replace Francois Beauchemin. Mike Santorelli, Chris Stewart, Shawn Horcoff, and Anton Khudobin were all key depth acquisitions that make the Ducks all that much stronger. Lead by the eliteness of captain Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Ryan Kesler, Anaheim is brimming with maximized potential. Frederick Andersen has proved himself as a solid goaltender and will be even stronger with a deep playoff run under his belt. Young defensive prodigy Hampus Lindholm has the potential to be an elite d-man, and he’s already the best defenseman in Anaheim. Scoring touch, physicality, size, speed, you name it…they have it. The Ducks have extremely high expectations heading in to the new season, and there is no doubt in a lot of minds that they will reach the Stanley Cup Final. 

2. Los Angeles Kings

After having a disappointing year and surprisingly missing the playoffs in 2015, the Kings will bounce back in the new year and be in the playoff race once again. The team just did not perform to their potential last season, and they suffered the consequences of it. Justin Williams was lost to free-agency, which left a veteran hole in the Kings line-up. Los Angeles brought in bruising winger Milan Lucic from Boston to add to their size and strength. Players like Lucic are needed in the Western Conference, which is much more physical than the East. Drew Doughty will lead his defensive unit once again on a team that has had success with their defense-first mentality. With the retirement of Robyn Regher, Christian Ehrhoff was brought in to fill the vacated blueline role. Anze Kopitar and Marian Gaborik will remain mainstays on the top line, while the line of Tanner Pearson-Jeff Carter-Tyler Toffoli, dubbed “That 70’s line”, will look to repeat their success from their cup-winning year in 2014. Goaltender Jonathan Quick is one of the top 3 goalies in the NHL, and is always a force in net and extremely difficult to crack. The Kings may not go on another deep run, but look for them to get into the playoffs in 2016. 

3. Calgary Flames

The young Flames put on quite a show last year. They made an unbelievable push late in the season, eliminated Los Angeles from playoff contention, and made it to the second round of the playoffs. All of it seemed to come out of nowhere. Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan lead Calgary’s youth movement. Both will be top notch players in a few years. the Flames got stronger on the backend, when they pulled off an unbelievable trade with Boston to bring in big Dougie Hamilton. Instantly the Flames got stronger in the defensive aspect. Michael Frolik was signed to add more offense to a team that is already teeming with offensive potential. Captain and 2015 All-Star Mark Giordano was sidelined last playoffs with an injury, so it’s interesting the think how much better Calgary could have been with their leader. Jonas Hiller will need to be solid in net in a division that has a lot of offensive fire-power. Look for Calgary to make the playoffs in 2016 and be a stronger version of last year’s team. 

4. San Jose Sharks

It was a bit of circus last year in San Jose. Joe Thornton was stripped of his captaincy and the Sharks went through the rest of their below-mediocre season without a captain and almost no clear-cut leadership. With newly announced captain Joe Pavelski leading the team, the Sharks can look to bounce back possibly be battling Calgary for the final spot in the Pacific. The Pacific will only have three playoffs teams in this author’s eyes. The Central is just too good and will take both wild card spots. That leaves only the top 3 spots i the Pacific open. The Sharks could find momentum and bump Calgary out of that third spot. Key additions include a change in net as the Sharks brought in Martin Jones from Boston only hours after being traded to the Bruins from Los Angeles. Antti Niemi is gone, so it will be interesting to see if Jones is ready for a starting role. The offense will be led again by Pavelski and Thornton, with young Czech Tomas Hertl getting better each year. Big and burly Brent Burns is one of the few players we see rotating from a forward role to a defensive role, and he is extremely good at doing that. Led by Marc-Edouard Vlasic and newly-acquired veteran Paul Martin, the Sharks defense is already a little better than last year. The Sharks will either sink or swim at the end of 2016. 

5. Edmonton Oilers

While they are not a playoff team quite yet, Edmonton will be far more improved in the looming season. They were the recipients of the coveted number one overall pick at the 2015 draft, which resulted in them being able to draft Connor McDavid, who is the most coveted prospect since Sidney Crosby. McDavid will be thrown into the fire as the number 2 or maybe even the number 1 center on a young oilers team. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle have been the offensive leaders for a past struggling Oilers club and will get a bit more help from McDavid. The Oil brought in goalie Cam Talbot, who made a name for himself last year when he had to spare Henrik Lundqvist in New York for a long stretch of games after going down with an injury. Talbot will take over the starting role in Oil Country. Additions of Andre Sejkera and Marc Letestu are both necessary veteran acquisitions that will add some experience to this lineup. Edmonton is extremely close to becoming the team they’ve been working on since drafting Hall in 2010, and while they can expect to probably not reach the playoffs in 2016, they will show signs of growth and will be vastly improved of the course of the upcoming season.

6. Vancouver Canucks 

Vancouver has taken many steps back since last year, and those steps seemed to start with their performance in the playoffs. After getting tossed around by Calgary in the first round, Vancouver exited with almost no idea of where to go. They traded away a leader in defenseman Kevin Bieksa and did almost nothing to improve their team in the offseason. It was a lot of trades with virtually no return or letting players walk to free agency. The Canucks are just not a good team right now. The play and production of the Sedin twins is declining every year as they head into their late 30’s, and now Henrik and Daniel are left to lead a team with almost no depth. The front office received heaps upon heaps of criticism from fans for their offseason decisions. It seems everyone in Vancouver is in the hot seat. U.S. olympian Ryan Miller needs to have a bounce-back year in net, and Bo Horvat needs to fulfill his potential as a scoring threat in his sophomore year. Radim Vrbata had a career year in 2015 and will look to keep up his pace in his second year with the Canucks. A weakened team at best, Vancouver needs major changes fast. 

7. Arizona Coyotes

Arizona is a team that hasn’t really taken any steps back in the last 2 or 3 seasons, but has however stayed buoyant as one would say. They haven’t really gonna anywhere but the bottom of the league, which is an effect of the rebuilding process for the Yotes being slow. They were handed the third-overall pick at the draft in 2015 and selected forward Dylan Strome. Strome played alongside Connor McDavid for the Erie Otters and is a playmaker that has incredible hockey sense. Oliver Ekman-Larsson leads the defensive unit for Arizona, and the Swedish olympian will be tasked with holding down the defensive fort for another season with not much help. Shane Doan is the longest-tenured captain in the league, and unfortunately will be leading another weak team. The Coyotes are almost there. Tobias Rieder shows signs of being a solid point-producer. Mike Smith has always been fairly solid, and there is no reason to expect anything else from him. The Coyotes have just never had a lot to bring to the table, but they are slowly but surely on their way up.