Noke's Back!

The Boston Bruins announced today that they have signed forward Petteri Nokelainen to a 2 year contract worth an average of $850,000. Nokelainen will make $800,000 this year and $900,000 in 2009-2010. This was an excellent move by Chiarelli to keep his cap hit under $1 million. The sidebar is updated with the cap hit and the available money left for the Bruins to spend on free agents. Just over 5 hours to go until it all begins!

Defensive Comparisons

Wade Redden, Age: 31, Last year's Cap Hit: $6.5 Million
80GP, 6G, 32A, +11, 4PPG, 12PPA, 60PIM

Brian Campbell, Age: 29, Last Year's Cap Hit: $1.75 Million
83 GP, 8G, 54A, +8, 5PPG, 28PPA, 20PIM

Dmitri Kalinin, Age: 27, Last year's Cap Hit: $2.25 Million
46GP, 1G, 7A, -7, 1PPG, 2PPA, 32PIM

Brooks Orpik, Age: 27, Last Year's Cap Hit: $1.075 Million
78GP, 1G, 10A, +11, 0PPG, 0PPA, 57PIM

Ron Hainsey, Age: 27, Last Year's Cap Hit: $900 K
78GP, 8G, 24A, -7, 8PPG, 15PPA, 25PIM

Mark Streit, Age: 30, Last Year's Cap Hit: $600 K
81GP, 13G, 49A, -6, 7PPG, 27PPA, 28PIM

After looking at the numbers and the strengths and weaknesses I have come to the conclusion that if the Bruins can not sign Redden or Campbell that they need to put in a strong bid for local boy (Bolton, CT/UMass Lowell) Ron Hainsey. He shows more offensive promise than Kalinin and Orpik by the numbers because the Bruins roster already has plenty of defensemen that can provide Orpik/Kalinin numbers/intangibles. As for Mark Streit, I'm not sure if I am sold on him or not. I do like that if things are not working on defense he can move up to forward. If he were to sign, I hope he isn't the only blueliner coming into Boston.

Hossa Comparison

With just about 12 hours until general managers can sign free agents I have come to believe that it could be impossible to sign Hossa due to his demands and the Bruins restraints. Do I want Chiarelli to sign Hossa? Of course I do. However, he could very well go elsewhere which in turn, would leave the team scrambling for a plan B. I have your plan B that could possibly equal production with a cheaper cap hit.

Marian Hossa, Age: 29, Last year's Cap Hit: $7 Million
72GP, 29G, 37A, -14, 8PPG, 21PPA, 36PIM

Radim Vrbata, Age: 27, Last Year's Cap Hit: $1.225 Million
76 GP, 27G, 29A, +6, 7PPG, 8PPA, 14 PIM

Ok, these guys are eerily similar when it comes to numbers and when you click on their names and look at their assets and their flaws it makes you wonder a bit. I can even explain the numbers as to why Vrbata is at a slight disadvantage to Hossa. Hossa has far more assists because of who he had to set up this past season (Kovalchuk, Crosby, Malkin, etc.). Vrbata had Doan, Mueller, Reinprecht, etc. Which grouping would you rather set up or get passes from (granted the first group is from two teams)? The Phoenix team plus/minus was -97 so it is amazing that anyone could be in the plus. Vrbata had the highest +/- among forwards for the Coyotes.

Coming up...defensive plan B...and possibly plan C

Liles Resigns in Colorado

Well, change Liles in my previous post to any of the D-men I have listed on the right column. Oh well, Liles's previous season sort of had me turning the other way on him anyhow, so, all is well that ends well I suppose. Time's a tickin' here...

McKeon's Realistic Dream Team

I mentioned in a previous post that July 1st feels like Christmas right now and considering that signing day is here I am starting to let my mind run wild of the gifts that Santa...er, Chiarelli will bring. I'm thinking about what I put on my "list" and I am thinking about "toys" that I "need" that will make life more tolerable. I'm not doing a Spezza-Crosby-Ovechkin-Lecavalier line (yes, I know there are four there) because a hobo doesn't ask Santa for a plasma screen, a PS3, and a blackberry. Why? Because he has no place to plug any of that swag in. Holy metaphors. Anyhow, here is the line-up I am hoping to wake-up to realistically on the morning of July 1st.

Sturm-Savard-Hossa
Lucic-Bergeron-Kobasew
Axelsson-Krejci-Kessel
Schaeffer-Sobotka-Thornton
Depth: Nokelainen, Reich,

Chara-Wideman
Liles-Ward
Stuart-Alberts
Depth: Hnidy, Ference

Thomas
Fernandez
Depth: Rask (but in the AHL)

Development Camp Roster

I know this is a bit tardy but, I wanted to get a post up to get you through this rough Saturday before what will hopefully be a thrilling July 1st free agent signing day. This is the group of guys that will be at the Bruins practice facility in Wilmington, MA for the second annual Developmental Camp July 8-12.

Zach Hamill------------Joe Colborne
Maxime Sauve --------Michael Hutchinson
Jamie Arniel-----------Nick Tremblay
Mark Goggin-----------Jeff LoVecchio
Jeff Penner------------Matt Marquardt
Andrew Bodnarchuk----Adam Courchaine
Tommy Cross-----------Alain Goulet
Jordan Knackstedt------Brad Marchand
Mikko Lehtonen--------Adam McQuaid
Levi Nelson-------------Kevin Regan
Dennis Reul

To make this slightly interactive, who are the three guys that you are most excited about on this list? You can put your answers in the comment box.

Deep Thought, By: Jack Handy

I have deep thought before I run out the door to the DMB concert at the Tweeter. Last year, Al "Big Al" Jefferson was one of the hottest young commodities that the Celtics possessed. When the Celtics traded Big Al to Minnesota for KG people were up in arms about trading away such a promising prospect. The Celtics won the World Championship because of that trade, even though Jefferson had outstanding numbers on such a poorly framed team.

So, I would have to say that Phil Kessel is last year's Al Jefferson on this off-season Bruins crew. The reason I bring this up is because I have seen Kessel's name rumored in trades to help dump salary for a nice free agent splash. If winning a Stanley Cup (or making a very strong push) means moving Kessel and him still becoming a great player elsewhere, would you do it?

You all better say yes.

I am wearing a black t-shirt and a backward Portland Sea Dogs hat if you are there.

See ya!

B's & Avs Swap AHLers

The Boston Bruins sent defenseman Matt Hendricks to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for defenseman Johnny Boychuck. Both spent the majority of the 2007-2008 season in the American Hockey League. Boychuck had a line of 8-18-26 in 60 games with Lake Erie and lead all Lake Erie defenseman with 17 power play points.

McKeon's Take: Haven't seen much of this guy but, it looks like the scouts saw something in Boychuk that they like so I am going to trust them. It sounds like a future move to me (Oh, no kidding McKeon!)

Bruins Extend Stuart

The Boston Bruins announced today that they have signed defenseman Mark Stuart's to a multi-year contract extension. Per club policy the terms were not disclosed.

McKeon's take: Good move by Peter Chiarelli. I've always liked what Stuart brings to the table and he is still developing into what will be a very solid blue-liner.

The Deadline Is Upon Us

With the July 1st deadline looming, the mere fact that "the answer" could be coming to the Bruins line-up quite soon is making me itch...or is that the rash I have. I'm not talking about Allen Iverson, though it can be neither confirmed nor denied that Iverson was actually playing for the Bruins prior to last season's promising black and gold waltz. What I am basically trying to convey is that the Bruins sucked prior to last year and those of us who have been on the regular diehard wagon have been waiting for the answer. It started with Chiarelli. It very soon became Chara, then Savard, then Kessel, then Julien, then Lucic to add to Thomas and Bergeron. However, last season, this team was one or two pieces shy of a legitimate contender.

Here's the chance to find, "The Answer." A chance to open the eyes of the league, a chance to make a statement to say that this legendary franchise is back. Ideally, this team could use Marian Hossa and a defenseman like John-Michael Liles, Ron Hainsey, or Brooks Orpik. The biggest reason why not getting Hossa would hurt more than usual would be that he could potentially go to Montreal. It would be great to add a player like Hossa AND keep him away from Montreal, all in one motion. Only time will tell.

There's a buzz around the boards and in the sound of the voices who actually talk Bruins when they are not playing a rival in the playoffs. The diehards are excited, and maybe, on July 2nd the Northeast division and the rest of the league will do a double take like you do when you see that little bikini on that hottie you have been crushing on for a long time, big jugs and all. Kind of like in Caddyshack when Judge Smails's niece, Lacey Underall, walks by everyone at the pool and everyone stops. Am I dreaming? Probably. However, it would be outstanding to get some scoring in front of Thomas/Fernandez and keep their nightly shots-against in the mid-twenties.

July 1st is Christmas....or Hanukkah...or Kwanzaa or what have you. We are either getting socks, or the most fabulous gift you could possibly imagine...tools to achieve Stanley Cup immortality!

Over the top? Maybe. I'll let you decide.

Off Topic

Last night, this world lost a great man. A man who shaped my humor as a young child, George Carlin. The comedian passed away in a Los Angeles hospital at the age of 71 due to a heart failure. Carlin was the pioneer of the 7 dirty words you can't say on television, and bits on religion, politics, and common human error. Even though this is a sad day, Carlin would not want the world to be sad for him. In fact, he would probably ask for a joke or at the very least, just be happy that he lead a life that made people laugh. I won't go as far as making a joke about the guy but, he did make me laugh and he definitely opened my eyes to a funny world when I was in middle school.

On top of a great stand-up career he also lead a pretty solid movie/television career. He was the conductor of my younger brother's favorite childhood show, Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, as the mini-conductor at Shining Time station. He was Rufus, the righteous and rockin' character from the Bill and Ted movies that also starred Keanu Reeves and...other guy. Carlin also had his own show, the George Carlin Show, though I don't remember much about this one as it aired when I was in 4th grade. Other notable Carlin appearances were Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Scary Movie 3, Jersey Girl, Tarzan II, and Cars.

RIP George...you will always be remembered as someone who truly saw the world from a different angle and enlightened all of us with those visions and thoughts. I will leave you with this quote, I may not agree with it but, it still is funny and it shows how his mind worked.

To my way of thinking there are really only three sports: baseball, basketball, and football. Everything else is either a game or an activity. Hockey comes to mind. People think hockey is a sport. It's not. Hockey is three activities taking place at the same time: ice skating, fooling around with a puck, and beating the shit out of somebody. If these guys had more brains then teeth, they'd do these things one at a time. First go ice-skating, then fool around with a puck, then you go to the bar and beat the shit out of somebody. The day would last longer, and these guys would have a lot more fun. Another reason why hockey isn't a sport is that it's not played with a ball. Anything not played with a ball can't be a sport. These are my rules, I make 'em up.

RIP George Carlin: May 12, 1937 - June 22, 2008

2008 Bruins Draft Picks

Round 1 (16th overall): C Joe Colborne

Round 2 (47th overall): C Maxime Sauve

Round 3 (77th overall): G Michael Hutchinson

Round 4 (97th overall from Columbus): C Jamie Arniel

Round 6 (173rd overall from Colorado): F Nicholas Tremblay

Round 7 (197th overall): C Mark Goggin


Not sure about this influx of centers but, these are all picks for much later and not for immediate impact. So, I suppose it is much smarter to take the best available guy rather than for current need when you are talking about kids who won't see the pros for 3-4 years.

2008 NHL Entry Draft: Day 1

It already seems as if today's draft has triggered many trade talks among NHL general managers. There have been a few minor moves and many more major rumors being spun around the rumor websites. I will post any trade/draft results here that involve the Bruins and/or any other major happenings around the league that may or may not involve the spoked 'B'. I will most likely leave out minor deals because frankly, I don't have the time nor do I care that Phoenix traded their 47th round pick to Columbus for a 45th round pick in the 2035 draft.

-1:15- Ottawa has waived hot head/under achiever G Ray Emery.
- G Dan Ellis was signed by Nashville and they traded G Chris Mason to St. Louis.

-3:30- 2008 Calder Cup winning coach John Anderson, who lead the Chicago Wolves to the aforementioned achievement, will be the new head coach in Atlanta.

-7:17- Olli Jokinen was traded to Phoenix?....Old friend Nick Boynton, Keith Ballard, and the 49th pick

-7:20- The 1st selection of the 2008 NHL Entry draft is, as expected, Steven Stamkos.

-7:24- I'm a bit late but, the Kings shipped off Mike Cammalleri to Calgary while Calgary sent Alex Tanguay and a pair of picks to Montreal. The Kings received Calgary's 17th pick and sent the 28th pick to the Ducks for the 12th overall pick. Wow, the Kings have a lot of picks.

-7:27- With the 2nd selection, the Kings selected Defenseman Drew Doughty. Side note: Dean Lombardi played youth hockey in a town that neighbors mine, Ludlow, Massachusetts. Lombardi has also bought and drank beers with me, my boss, and one other intern while I was interning with the Manchester Monarchs, the Kings primary AHL affiliate. Ron Hextall was with him, and we talked goalies and hockey for nearly two hours. An amazing night for sure. I will not be posting any more picks unless they are for the Bruins and aside from that, only trades will be posted.

7:50- As St. Louis president John Davidson speaks prior to the 3rd overall pick I realized how much I truly miss his voice announcing hockey. Great pipes on that guy.

7:59- The Islanders have sent the 5th pick to Toronto for the 7th pick along with a bunch of other shenanigans (picks) in later rounds. Yikes, that was confusing.

-8:08- RJ Umberger, an Ohio native, was sent to Columbus for picks while still maintaining their 6th overall pick...that's a steal for the Blue Jackets.

-8:19- The Islanders trade the 7th to Nashville for more picks...man there's a ton of trades already.

-8:22- WHO is the babe that is in Colin Wilson's party?! Holy smokes, she looks like a supermodel!

-9:18- BOSTON UP NEXT WITH THE 16th PICK

-9:21- THE BRUINS SELECT C JOE COLBORNE. He heads to the University of Denver and will be a few years away from pro hockey. I'm a bit surprised they didn't go with a blue liner but, hey, maybe they don't need a guy for right now because they want to attack the FA market and make some trades.

"The City I Live In, The City Of Champions..."

Ok, so, the title is a little lame but, if you like the Red Hot Chili Peppers you can see where I got the idea from.

The Boston Celtics are World Champions. The Boston Red Sox are World Champions. The New England Patriots are a freak helmet catch short of an undefeated Super Bowl season. The New England Revolution are the Buffalo Bills of M.L.S. Could the Bruins have a better bargaining tool right under their nose at the moment? Could the San Jose Sharks convince a top athlete to play for them with the line, "this city is full of champions"? No. In fact, no city can utilize that line with truth aside from Boston, the only city of champions. All that is left is for the Bruins to make Boston the most magnificent city of champions to ever wear such a name. Blake Wheeler is sign number one of this. He had the majority of the league to sign with, and he chose Boston. A team that finished in 8th place in the Eastern Conference, and a team that was bounced from the playoffs by the Montreal Canadiens who also trounced the B's the past two seasons. Wheeler chose Boston because he has recognized where this organization is going and what it has done with it's young athletes in the Chiarelli era. This could be true omen of what is about to come for the Bruins.

With all this said, tomorrow is the first day of the 2008 draft and the Bruins have the 16th selection. The draft will set the groundwork for what will be to come in the off-season by way of trades or signings on July 1st and beyond. Tomorrow and Saturday should be an interesting and exciting pair of days around the league.

My guess for what the Bruins will do with the 16th pick: John Carlson

**Note: the picture is from my trip to Hawaii as promised. Be sure to get out there if you can.

I'm Back!

Aloha! And Mahalo for your patience in my absence! I just got back to the mainland from Hawaii and goodness gracious, was it ever amazing. I highly recommend it to anyone if you can pull it off. I am not quite home yet but, at least I can finally get on to a computer that doesn't cost 20 cents per minute. I found that to be a horrible concept so, I refused to use it. I will be back to my computer ready for an update some time Thursday.

Mahalo!

Aloha

This post will remain up as the most recent post for just over a week because today (Sat. June 7) I will be attending a friend's wedding and from Sunday June 8 through Monday June 16 I will be in Hawaii. I hope all 19 of you can survive a week without me. I will be sure to post a picture of me burnt like a lobster upon my return.

Go B's!

What We Learned...

The Detroit Red Wings won the Stanley Cup this year as a juggernaut through all aspects of the game. They also achieved Stanley Cup immortality through depth by battling through injuries such as Zetterberg, Holmstrom, etc. That being said, we learned that there are four things that a team needs to bring the cup to their town.

1. Multiple Scoring threats

2. Depth

3. A defense first system

4. A slightly above average goaltender who can benefit from #3.

Let's go over these from a Bruins prospective.
1. Multiple Scoring Threats. This is one thing that the Bruins did not have this year. What they did have, however, was a plethora of second and third line contributors. It has been made known by the Bruins that Chiarelli is pushing for more scoring threats and a puck moving defenseman to add to the threat. Bruins fans need to trust in Chiarelli as Red Sox fans now do with Theo Epstein because I am very comfortable with him, Seabass...er Cam Neely, and Donny Sweeney at the helm. The right balance of scoring threats will arrive this off-season.

2. Depth. The Bruins definitely have depth and we saw it this past year. When guys were injured, youngsters from Providence stepped up. The Bruins had guys like Krejci, Sobotka, Nokelainen, etc. bring their A game when they were called upon. The best part of this is that the Bruins have trade material as well as fill-in guys who gained valuable playoff experience this year. Also, the team in Providence had a strong season who made the AHL playoffs. They were upset by Portland but, they still saw a little bit of the playoffs. All set in this department.

3. A Defense First System. This is the only reason why the Bruins did what they did this year. The players bought into Claude Julien's system and used it effectively in almost every game. I love where this team is going from this perspective. Check.

4. A Slightly Above Average Goaltender Who Benefits From #3. The Red Wings are a grade A example of this. Dominik Hasek had a successful regular season? How does a 73 year old man do that in the NHL? Oh, I know! He only saw 22 shots per game and maybe only 10 quality chances on the average. Hell, I could practically thrive under those circumstances. I will not take this away from Chris Osgood because I still think he is a very serviceable #1 goaltender and should have played full-time last season because it is my belief that Hasek has been done for years. I have no idea what Detroit's infatuation is with Hasek. My point is, these two goalies, who split time, were at the top of the league in many categories (Osgood and Hasek season stats) because of the system they played with. The Bruins have this in Tim Thomas. When Thomas doesn't have to see 40 shots every night, he will be much better. Between him and Manny Fernadez, the defense-first system, and a big enough scoring cushion this team could do serious damage. I'm comfortable with this aspect.

4b. This could almost go under depth but, I think goaltending depth is a whole different bag of doughnuts. Chris Osgood was able to do the job in the playoffs because he split time with Hasek all year so, he wasn't burnt out (and he barely played in round 1). If Thomas and Manny could do that, think of the possibilities. This team would be able to go DEEP in the playoffs because strong, healthy, and rested goaltending wins championships...or freaks like Brodeur but, you deal with the cards you are dealt.

Chiarelli knows what this team needs and he knows it will only take a few moves to get the team over the hump. Bring in a couple scoring threats (even one to start the season would be fine) and add a puck moving defenseman and this team is in business. This off-season will certainly be exciting and next season will make this team relevant in the league and Boston once again.

Ladies And Gentlemen...

Your Stanley Cup Champions

The Detroit Red Wings are the 2008 Stanley Cup Champions. Yes, I picked them in 6 and no, I did not pick the MVP correctly as it is Henrik Zetterberg and not Chris Osgood. Lift the cup boys, and enjoy the glory.

Game 6 Prediction: Stanley Cup Watch Deuce

In the closing seconds of the 3rd period in game 5, the Red Wings held a 3-2 lead, the exact score I had predicted. I snagged a bottle of the finest champagne and I was ready to celebrate the fact that I had correctly predicted the score and the winner...then Maxime Talbot showed up and rained on my parade. Not that I didn't enjoy the triple overtime thriller because that was stellar hockey. However, with the downside of not picking game 5 correctly, comes the upside of me predicting the Red Wings to win in 6 (bold, I know). So, tonight, you will see Lord Stanley and all of his glory. Sorry Pittsburgh but, no matter how many phantom calls the zebras spring on Detroit again, it's over baby.

Red Wings 3 - Pittsburgh 1

MVP: Chris Osgood

Game 5 Prediction: Stanley Cup Watch

Tonight. Tonight is every hockey fans dream that only comes once every year. The night that the Stanley Cup is presented to it's deserving champion.

"But McKeon?! It's only game 5. There's no guarantee we shall see the dudes with the white gloves and Lord Stanley himself."

On the contrary, the coveted cup WILL be presented and it will be presented in front of a home crowd compromised of octopi whipping, car manufacturing, and bad driving lunatics drunk off of exhilaration and pure jubilation (and obviously a bit of alcohol despite the Monday night face-off) that comes with the joy that their team has hoisted up the most beautiful piece of metal on God's green earth.

I have never experienced a Bruins Stanley Cup victory. However, ever since I was roughly nine or ten years of age I have been watching the Stanley Cup presentation. The best was, of course 1994. The look on Mark Messier's face was pricless and that wasn't even his first but, it sure looked like it. The best actor in the world couldn't have shown half of the emotion that Messier did. At first, it was my goal to lift the cup but, that became bleak some time during my early high school years and completely left reality in college. However, I still watch intently and I still get the chills. I can not imagine what it would be like if the Bruins won, I really do not know. What I do know though, is that I would trade away the Patriot reign and the 2007 Red Sox World Series (definitely not 2004 though) for a Stanley Cup victory in Boston... ::sigh::

Game 5 Prediction: Wings 3 - Penguins 2

MVP: Chris Osgood