Johansen for Jones - Trade breakdown/Who will come out on top?

Yesterday, we were met with the first high-profile trade of this NHL season. The Columbus Blue Jackets parted ways with center Ryan Johansen and sent him to the Nashville Predators in exchange for young defenseman Seth Jones. A straight up two-player swap. A hockey trade. 

Johansen getting traded was inevitable and comes as no real surprise. The playmaking center has had a very sub-par year, being scratched and benched multiple times. Johansen has posted 6 goals and 20 assists this season, a measly start compared to his career-best pace last season where he finished with 26 goals, 45 assists and 71 points. The trade rumors for Johansen started early on in the season, where it became clear that he was not in-shape at all. He was playing lazy and uninterested, and that was quickly acknowledged when new coach John Tortorella came into the picture on Oct. 21. Tortorella immediately singled out Johansen saying that he was not in-shape, and that he would not get any special treatment because of how good of a player he is. Tortorella began benching Johansen late in games for poor or lazy play, and would even make him a healthy scratch when he felt it was needed. A change of scenery was looking to be the ultimate fate for Johansen. It clearly was not clicking in Columbus, and both sides seemed to be looking to part ways. 

So that brings us to the actual trade. Talks and rumors really heated up yesterday morning, and come that afternoon the news was out. Ryan Johansen for Seth Jones. Jones is a defensive prodigy who's two-way game is one of the best among young defenders in the league. Drafted 4th overall in 2013 by Nashville, Jones was acclaimed for his mobility and size. He excelled with the Predators for his first 2 1/2 years in the NHL, and now will take on the role as the number one defenseman on a Columbus team that is weak at the blueline and has struggled mightily this season. Johansen will take on the role of being the Predators number one centerman, as he will be slotted onto the top line for Nashville. 

Now, who wins this trade? The thing is, both teams can ultimately get a lot out of this trade. However, in terms of immediate success related directly to this deal, it is my prediction that Nashville will reap a larger amount of benefits in a much shorter amount of time than Columbus will. For Nashville, this move is a "want to win now" move, while for Columbus it is a move that they will build their defense and team around in the next few years. Nashville is already a good team who currently sits in a playoff spot, but what they have been lacking in these last few years is a real number one center to round out their top 6 group of forwards. With Johansen sliding into the first line center position flanked by James Neal and Colin Wilson, it more than likely means that Mike Ribeiro will move down to the second line with Filip Forsberg and Calle Jarnkrok. Mike Fisher will take over third line center duties. Sometime in the next few years, you look for an ideal top line of Forsberg, Johansen, and young Swiss winger Kevin Fiala. Fiala is developing prospect with great playmaking potential who will eventually make his way to Nashville's top line right wing spot. Nashville's forward troops have scored a total of 71 of the team's 102 goals so far this season while averaging 2.6 goals per-game. With the addition of a true number once center, look for the goal totals and goals per-game stats to start increasing. 

Johansen

Another reason Nashville is in a better place because of this trade is that the forwards are still backed by a solid defensive unit. Shea Weber-Roman Josi remain the number one pairing, and Ryan Ellis-Mattias Ekholm becomes the number two pairing. That is still a solid unit to put out on the ice in a tough division like the Central. 

All in all, Nashville's lineup will now look like:

*according to Predators beat reporter, Adam Vingan via Twitter @AdamVingan

Wilson - Johansen - Neal
Forsberg - Ribeiro - Jarnkrok
Salomaki - Fisher - Smith
Nystrom - Gaustad - Watson

Josi - Weber
Ekholm - Ellis
Jackman - Grandberg

Nashville's offense is boosted with Johansen leading the charge down the middle. Look for Nashville's top 6 production to increase immediately. Johansen will thrive in his new environment, and under coach Peter Laviolette. James Neal (eventually Filip Forsberg) now has a legit centerman that can feed him the puck and make plays. Neal's goal scoring will increase, and so will the production of Nashville's power play units. 

On to the Columbus end. After making the playoffs in 2014 and giving the Penguins a decent push in the first round, Columbus has seemed lost. A poor 14-15 showing, and now sitting dead last in the league in 2016, a shakeup was needed. Building up the Blue Jackets defense was of the most concern of GM Jarmo Kekalainen, and the chance of trading away Johansen provided him the perfect opportunity to acquire that coveted defensive piece to his team's heavily unfinished puzzle. Seth Jones immediately becomes the Blue Jackets number one defenseman, and will be relied on to handle top pairing minutes and to shut down other team's scoring lines while providing some offensive help from the point. 

The reason Columbus will not receive the immediate success from this trade that Nashville will is because even with Jones, they still do not currently have enough fire power up front or have enough defensive assets close to Jones' level. Kekalainen will need to utilize the upcoming trade deadline and this next offseason/draft to build on his new acquisition. They are 19th in goals per-game, and that clearly has not been enough to save their poor defensive play. The Blue Jackets have allowed 236 goals this season. Not a good stat to have 41 games in. Defensive help needed to arrive, and Kekalainen made it happen.

What good comes out of this deal? Jones immediately makes the Columbus defense better, as he is now the best defenseman the team has had in the last few seasons. He is also only 21 years-old. Like stated above, this is a move that a team builds upon. Columbus will strengthen their offense now that they acquired that key defenseman they so desperately needed. They can focus on upgrading their offense, while still looking to slowly build up the D corps whenever the opportunity arises. Jones will man the top pairing alongside 22 year-old Ryan Murray. Jones and Murray patrolling the top unit means that the second pairing consists of Jack Johnson-David Savard, the third will be Fedor Tyutin-Cody Goloubef. 

Jones

Jones will need to adjust to top pairing minutes coming from playing 2nd/3rd pairing minutes, but in my eyes he will no problem with the extra toll. In the future, Columbus defense prospect Zach Werenski to become the partner for Jones. With the two-way ability of both Jones and Werenski, that pairing has the potential to be one of the solid pairings in hockey given a few year's time once Werenski is ready for the NHL level. However, Columbus still needs more help on the backend if they want to succeed soon. Look for Kekalainen to make one or two more defensemen-minded moves before the trade deadline.

Columbus' lineup now shapes out to be:

*according to Daily Faceoff via Twitter, @DailyFaceoff 

Jenner - Dubinsky - Atkinson
Hartnell - Wennberg - Saad
Foligno - Karlsson - Anderson
Bourque - Campbell - Boll

Murray - Jones
Johnson - Savard
Tyutin - Goloubef

This roster, while still retaining some scoring touch and being fairly balanced, is not going to get Columbus by if they want to become playoff contenders. While there may be no saving of this season, the Blue Jackets can build and prepare their club for next season and go from there. Columbus is not focused on the present, they have their eyes locked on the future. It will be entertaining to see what direction Kekalainen takes to rebuild his team and eventually get them back into the playoffs. 

2016 NHL All Star Game - What to Expect

This morning, the full rosters for the 2016 NHL All Star Game in Nashville were announced, giving us a now full view of what the teams should look like. This year's All Star Game format is a little different than years past, so let me brief you on what will be going on.

Instead of having just one game pitted against the Eastern Conference and Western Conference, this years ASG will feature four teams representing each of the league's divisions. The Atlantic Division all-stars will matchup against the Metropolitan Division all-stars, while the Central Division all-stars will face the Pacific Division all stars. The winner these two games will go on to face each other in the All-Star game final. There is another twist: all games will be played under a 3-on-3 format. 3 skaters and 1 goalie to a team. If the games remain tied after 20 minutes of play, it will move on directly to a three-round shootout, with extra rounds if needed. There will be no overtime play this year. 

The voting was a little different this year. Fan voting was changed so that fans only voted for the captain that represents each division. Voting for the roster players for each division was done by National Hockey League staff and associates internally. 

The four captains that were selected were Jaromir Jagr of the Florida Panthers representing the Atlantic Division, Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals representing the Metropolitan Division, Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks representing the Central Division, and infamously, John Scott of the Arizona Coyotes representing the Pacific Division.

Now, Scott being voted as an All-Star captain started out as a joke among fans. He was the top vote getter at first and nobody really thought that it would actually get this far. Scott, a notoriously dirty player who hasn't had a very impressive NHL resume, was voted in it seems purely out of the humor factor it would bring. Scott has handled the situation well and with maturity, saying that he is excited and that it "will give us fourth line players something to be proud of." Amid the people who are up in arms about, it should provide a humorous factor to the game a make it entertaining. 

Left to right: Ovechkin, Jagr, Kane, Scott

On to the full rosters. Here is a list of which players were named All-Stars to represent their respective divisions.

ATLANTIC ALL-STARS

F - Patrice Bergeron (BOS)

F - Jaromir Jagr (FLA)

F - Leo Komarov (TOR)

F - Dylan Larkin (DET)

F - Ryan O'Reilly (BUF)

F - Steven Stamkos (TBL)

D - Aaron Ekblad (FLA)

D - Erik Karlsson (OTT)

D - PK Subban (MTL)

G - Ben Bishop (TBL)

G - Roberto Luongo (FLA)

METROPOLITAN ALL-STARS

F - Niklas Backstrom (WSH)

F - Claude Giroux (PHI)

F - Evgeni Malkin (PIT)

F - Alex Ovechkin (WSH)

F - John Tavares (NYI)

F - Brandon Saad (CBJ)

D - Justin Faulk (CAR)

D - Kris Letang (PIT)

D - Ryan McDonagh (NYR)

G - Braden Holtby (WSH)

G - Cory Schneider (NJD)

CENTRAL ALL-STARS

F - Jamie Benn (DAL)

F - Matt Duchene (COL)

F - Tyler Seguin (DAL)

F - Patrick Kane (CHI)

F - Vladimir Tarasenko (STL)

F - Jonathan Toews (CHI)

D - Dustin Byfuglien (WPG)

D - Roman Josi (NSH)

D - Shea Weber (NSH)

G - Pekka Rinne (NSH)

G - Devan Dubnyk (MIN)

PACIFIC ALL-STARS

F - Johnny Gaudreau (CGY)

F - Taylor Hall (EDM)

F - Joe Pavelski (SJS)

F - Corey Perry (ANA)

F - John Scott (ARI)

F - Daniel Sedin (VAN)

D - Brent Burns (SJS)

D - Drew Doughty (LAK)

D - Mark Giordano (CGY)

G - John Gibson (ANA)

G - Jonathan Quick (LAK)

So those are the teams that you will see competing at this year's All-Star Game festivities in Nashville. The new 3-on-3 format will be exciting and is something I am really looking forward too. It will give the players so much more room on the ice to skate and show off their skills. The back and forth action will be sure to keep the viewer engaged. Look for the agile and fast skaters to really flourish in the 3-on-3 format. Karlsson, Doughty, Duchene, Gaudreau, Malkin, are all players to really keep your eye on during 3-on-3 play. All can absolutely fly down the ice and will put on a great show.

With the roster reveals, the jersey reveals came as well. 

Now, I still do not fully understand why the NHL hasn't used all of the colors of the host team, but at least these incorporate Nashville's gold. I like these jerseys a lot better than last year's neon green disaster. They look a lot cleaner and more professional. I just wish in the next few years we will see jerseys fully based off the host team's colors. 

Dallas Stars: Overachieving? What has made them so good?

To reference a recently released motion picture, there has been an awakening in Dallas, Texas... and everyone has felt it. 

Needless to say, the Dallas Stars have been an unstoppable force during the first half of the 15-16 season. They've exceeded all expectations and have thrived in every factor of the game. It seems that everything has been clicking: offense, defense, goaltending, special teams. For a writer who predicted the Stars to be fighting for a wild card spot at the end of the season, there is a lot to talk about. 

In a previous article where I gave my divisional predictions for the current season, I had Dallas sitting at a spot where they would be in a battle with two other teams for one of the two Wild Card spots in the West. In a stacked division including the recent Stanley Cup champions, I saw Dallas finishing on the low-end because I was not sure they had the defensive depth or strength in the crease to propel them to the top of the lethal Central division. Sure, we all knew Swedish defensive phenom John Klingberg was more than likely going to have a breakout year, but even then I was not too sure that the rest of the Dallas defense anchor their team and give them enough blueline security. 

Boy, was I off by a country mile. The Dallas offense just exploded this season, which does not come to much surprise. Captain and recent Art Ross Trophy winner Jamie Benn is currently leading the league in goals scored with 23. Benn is second overall in points with 50, and right behind him at the number three spot in points is his linemate, Tyler Seguin, who has amassed 48 total points so far. Seguin is also fourth in goals scored, with 21. The Stars offensive guns are firing with no clear intention of stopping anytime soon. Patrick Sharp, who was acquired in the offseason from Chicago, has done his job. Sharp's 13 goals and 17 assists are just what he was brought in to do, which is score and provide offensive depth to a team already brimming with offensive firepower. 

Benn & Seguin

Then we have John Klingberg, a two-way defenseman who puts up first line forward-type offensive stats. The 23 year-old Swede is excelling in his second year at the NHL level, posting an incredible 33 points, with 28 of those coming as assists. We are not even at the All-Star break yet and Klingberg's play has earned him top pairing minutes and is easily his team's best defenseman. Klingberg was at one point third in the NHL in points. That's not points by defensemen, that is points by all players. It is crazy to see what Klingberg has provided and how much stronger he has made the Dallas defense corps. We knew he had this potential, but it is incredible that it seems that Klingberg's play lifted the Stars defense troops as a whole. 

Klingberg

The Stars goalie tandem of Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi have proven that they can backstop a top NHL squad. Lehtonen posts a record of 12-2 while Niemi's record sits at 15-5-3. Both Niemi and Lehtonen's GAA sit below 2.50 while sharing the task of platooning the Dallas net. 

So Dallas sits in a pretty comfortable spot. Their 27-8-3 record is best among NHL teams, proving all skeptics, including this writer, wrong. Dallas will still be a force come playoff time, and who knows... they may be eve stronger pending some perfectely executed trade deadline moves.

A Timeline of LA Kings Legal Troubles

Yes, the Los Angeles Kings have won two Stanley Cup championships in the last five years. Yes, they have been one of the best teams in hockey to watch in the last five years, but its what has been surrounding the Kings organization away from the ice is what has really stood out for the club. 

It all started back in 2012 when defenseman Drew Doughty was accused of rape by a 25 year-old woman from Hermosa Beach, CA. It was reported that the two met at a bar in Hermosa Beach, where the woman rejected multiple advances made by Doughty after which she was "forced" into a cab taken to Doughty's home where he supposedly raped her. Now, the case was dropped on claim of "low credibility" so Doughty is probably innocent. However I do feel that even though the case was never proven it is important to include in this timeline of unfortunate events.

Doughty

Next was probably the most notable legal issue out of these. In October of 2014, defenseman Slava Voynov was arrested at a hospital after a domestic violence incident involving him choking, kicking and beating his wife, Marta Varlamova. The report was that the incident began at a Halloween party where Voynov punched Varlamova in the face during an argument. The violence continued when the two returned home, and Voynov was reported to have choked her, pushed her into the corner of a hanging TV, and kicked her while lying on the ground. Fast forward 12 months after that, and Voynov had been suspended indefinitely by the Kings, had served time in prison with probation, and had decided to cut ties with the Kings and the NHL completely by returning to Russia. 

Voynov

Another legal issue hit the Los Angeles hockey scene. In late April 2015, center Jarret Stoll was arrested in Las Vegas on suspicion of possessing cocaine and Ecstasy. Since then, the charges have been dropped to misdemeanors. The misdemeanors include provoking commission of breach of peace and trespass. Stoll had just finished out the last year of his contract with the Kings, and this incident pretty much ruined his chance of being resigned by the at-the-time Stanley Cup champions. 

Stoll

On June 17, 2015 Mike Richards was stopped an ultimately arrested at the Canadian boarder under possession of oxycontin pills. This was one of the last straws for the Kings organization as they almost immediately sought to swiftly terminate Richards' contract, which had $22 million remaining on it. The second drug-related offense in three months for an organization already dealing with so many legal troubles.

Richards

Then, just when you thought it was over, it was reported on November 18 that Kings goalie prospect Patrik Bartosak had been accused in New Hampshire of 12 domestic-related charges involving his girlfriend, which also includes a felony assault charge alleging that he attempted to strangle her at an apartment. Bartosak is scheduled for a hearing on December 16 and faces trial on 11 separate misdemeanors in January. The Kings currently have suspended Bartosak. 

Bartosak

The Kings have taken initiative in doing something to help out this reoccurring problem. They have gotten together with The Herren Project, which is a company that works to educate pro athletes on the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse and will create a new position in the team among player management. The team has also announced that they plan to have players go through sexual harassment training

It has a been a whirl wind of legal troubles surrounding the Kings for these last few seasons. The steps taken by the club should hopefully provide some help, but that will only be able to do so much. The onus is on the players.

Top 5 Performing Goalies So Far in 2015

Playing probably the most important position in the game comes with incredible pressure and stress. Only the best can handle the grueling task of being a goaltender in the NHL, and here I wanted to look at the top five performing goalies of the current season as the morning of November 24th. Let's have at it!

#5: Cory Schneider - New Jersey Devils

Cory Schneider has fit in nicely as the replacement for the retired New Jersey great Martin Brodeur. He is currently posting a record of 10-5-1 in 16 games played for the Devils. Schneider's 2.05 GAA is impressive playing for a team who is not the strongest on defense. After playing second fiddle to Roberto Luongo in Vancouver for a number of years, Schneider was traded to New Jersey and has established himself as a clear-cut number one goaltender and one of the top goaltenders in the league. A .928 save percentage has put Schneider in the top class of the league. He's been averaging around that number for most of his career. 

#4: Martin Jones - San Jose Sharks

After a fairly crazy offseason experience that included being traded twice on the same day, from Los Angeles to Boston, then Boston to San Jose, Martin Jones has looked incredibly solid for his new San Jose team. An 11-5-0 record with a 2.02 GAA average has Jones looking to be one of the top goalies come end of the season. While in Los Angeles, Jones spent his two seasons as the backup to Jonathan Quick which gave him an incredible goalie and mentor  to learn off of. Jones has clearly used that to his advantage, becoming San Jose's number one goalie for the 2015 season 

#3: Jake Allen - St. Louis Blues

Jake Allen has emerged as the survivor of the goalie whirlwind in St. Louis between him and Brian Elliot. 10-4-1 is the current record posted by Allen with 16 games between the pipes. Allen has been flip-flopping as the number one with Brian Elliot for a few seasons now, but to start 2015 he has been the better of the two and solidified himself as the go-to. The 1.98 GAA and the .932 save percentage are propelling Allen to the top of the goalie list. He has been dynamite in net for the Blues and will hopefully continue this pace deep into the season. 

#2: Braden Holtby - Washington Capitals 

Braden Holtby has been a force in net for the Capitals of late. He has backstopped them to some solid playoff runs and has always had solid regular season performances. Currently in 2015 he is posting a record of 12-4-0 with a fantastic GAA of 1.88 and a .926 save percentage. "Holt-beast" offers more than just a decent beard. He offers stud performances and is a big body between the pipes for the Capitals. Holtby's quick reflexes and flexibility help him earn these strong numbers. Look for him to be a candidate for the Vezina Trophy come the end of the season. 

#1: Henrik Lundqvist - New York Rangers

Without question, the best goalie in the NHL and my prediction to win the Vezina Trophy sits atop the goalie list this far into the season. Henrik Lundvist has been absolutely dominant in his entire NHL career with the Rangers. Sitting with a 12-3-2 record, an outstanding 1.74 GAA, and a save percentage of .946, King Henrik is always atop the league leaders in in stats. No other goalie has been as good between the pipes as him the last few years, and Lundqvist will be an elite goalie for many more years to come. He led his team to a birth in the Stanley Cup Final just two seasons ago, and after a recent loss in the conference final, The King looks to backstop his squad to another birth and to his first Stanley Cup win. 

The Top 5 Logos In The NHL

The sports logo. An iconic visual that represents the entire brand of a team. Sports have created some of the most beautiful works of art in their logos, and hockey is no different. The NHL some gorgeous logos, and I will be giving you my five favorite logos from the league in this article. Let's get started!

#5 Toronto Maple Leafs

A very simple but timeless logo is what puts the Maple Leafs on my list. The Maple Leafs logo has had numerous variants of itself over the franchises extended history, but this is the latest version that they have been using since 1970. The reason I like this logo so much is that it executes the concept of not being too busy but still being full enough to be very pleasing to the eye. It is a symmetrical logo that pays a little homage to the flag of the country the team resides in. A very pleasing logo all around. 

Maple Leafs logo history

#4 Boston Bruins

The spoked "B" of the Boston Bruins is a logo that can be recognized around the entire world of sports. The round shape of the logo is something that I really enjoy and makes the logo very appealing. Black and gold contrast beautifully together and the Bruins pulled it off with flying (two) colors. This more-outlined version of the logo has been the Bruins moniker since the 2007 NHL rebranding season and the people in Boston's design department absolutely nailed this one. The eight-spoked B is a classic that fits well with the teams reputation: big, bold, and bruising. 

Bruins jersey history

#3 Detroit Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings logo is a complete embodiment of the city of Detroit's spirit. The winged wheel is something that screams the "Motor City". It is just a very appealing and quick-looking logo that is not too busy. The logo almost smells like burning fuel coming out of a Ford and it is faster than a Mustang. This version of the Wings logo has been in use all the way back to 1946 and will not be changing any time soon. 

Red Wings logo/jersey history

#2 Montreal Canadiens

Here at number two we have probably the most classic logo in the NHL: the Montreal Canadiens logo. 1956 brought us one of the best logos in all of sports. A common miss-conception with the logo deal with the "C" and the "H" that don it. The "C" actually stands for "club" and not "Canadiens", and the "H" really stands for "hockey" and not the widely assumed "Habitants" or "Habs" for short. I love that they incorporated two different letters into one shape making it look like one whole logo. It is the best logo out of the Original Six teams and will forever be a classic in the NHL.

Canadiens logo history

#1 St. Louis Blues

Ah, the Bluenote. My favorite logo in all of hockey. For a team named after the music history of the city it calls home, this logo is a top notch and is bold, sharp, and proud. In my opinion it is the most appealing and well-put-together logo in the sport. The Blues logo that also makes the home and road jerseys look extremely good. Ever since the Blues dropped the red trim from their look in 1998, their logo quality has shot through the roof. The best NHL is something to behold, and is quite the beauty to look at. 

Blues logo history

Artemi Panarin: The Russian Kane

image from NHL

The next Russian hockey superstar is among us, and he has arrived with a bang. 

24 year-old Artemi Panarin entered his first season playing in North America with the Chicago Blackhawks. He had spent all of his young career playing in the KHL in Russia as a member of the powerhouse SKA Saint Petersburg. Panarin posted an astonishing 62 points in 54 games for SKA last season. Those 62 points consisted of 26 goals and 36 assists, with a +18 plus/minus category. 

Panarin with SKA Saint Petersburg

19 games into his first NHL season, "Bread Man" as he is referred to, is leading all NHL rookies in points with 21 and assists with 14. He is second in goals with 7 tallies to his credit. Panarin is tearing it up. Artemi has found chemistry playing the left wing along side his center and fellow countryman Artem Anisimov, and established superstar Patrick Kane on the right wing. Kane and Panarin have been the leading scorers for the Blackhawks all year long and it does not really come with much surprise. 

Both Panarin and Kane are similar players. Both are not the biggest guys in the world. Panarin is listed as 5'11" and 170 pounds while Kane is listed as 5'10" and 181 pounds. Where these are both similar in terms of style of play is that they are bonafide goal scorers and playmakers. Kaner and Bread Man both possess a set of wicked hands which they both use to create space for themselves in the offensive zone. Some respectable speed and great vision. Panarin wields all the tools that Kane has come to be known for ever since he came into the NHL. Panarin is giving Chicago fans the same level of thrill and excitement that Kane gave them when he entered the league in the 2007 season. Artem Anisimov shouldn't be too upset to have too elite goal scoring options on his wings. The hands, the goal scoring touch, the flare, its all there for the young Russian sensation. 

Not everything has been the easy for Panarin since moving to North America. He can speak virtually no English and requires the assistance of fellow Russian teammate Viktor Tikhonov to translate questions asked for him and his responses in interviews. 

Here is a short interview with Panarin, assisted by Tikhonov, talking about how is acclimating to life in North America and learning English:

While he may not be able to say it in the native language of his new home, Panarin knows quite well what he can provide to his new Chicago team. He is an extremely smart hockey player who has everything you want out of a soon-to-be elite goal scorer in the NHL. Do not be shocked if you start seeing the #72 Blackhawks jersey becoming one of the most sold jerseys in the league. 

Panarin is quickly becoming a fan favorite in Chicago, and will soon become a league-wide favorite. A flat-out exciting player to watch. A future star in the making, right before our own eyes.

image from CSN Chicago