Look, let's be completely honest with each other; we all knew who #1 was going to be. So instead of some drawn out introduction, let's just get to it. The Greatest Red Wing of My Time.
Steve Yzerman
Pertinent Stats: 1514 GP, 692 G, 1063 A, 1755 P, +202
Awards: Lester Pearson Award - 1989; Selke Trophy - 2000; Conn Smythe - 1998; Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy - 2003; Lester Patrick Trophy (for contributions to hockey in the US) - 2006
Stanley Cups: 4- 1997, 1998, 2002, 2008 (as an executive)
Was there ever a doubt?
I was going to do what I did with everyone else: trace his career and then talk about what he meant to the team. But so many people have done that in the past few months, especially after he took the Lightning job. Plus, let's face facts: we all know the Steve Yzerman story.
It's extremely ironic to me that the man that was the most important on-ice reason for the turnaround of the franchise wasn't even the Wings' first choice when he was drafted. The Wings wanted American-born Pat LaFontaine, but the Islanders swooped in and picked him up, so the Wings had to settle for Yzerman. He had a fantastic rookie season, and (surprise, surprise) he finished second in Calder voting to Tom Barrasso. He bounced back to be the offensive superstar for the Wings in the '80s, but after repeated regular season success followed by playoff failures, he transformed his game to become one of the best defensive forwards in the league, ultimately leading the Wings to 3 Stanley Cups. But I'm not here to rehash his career; I'm here to talk about what Yzerman was to me.
Like many people around my age, especially those of us that never lived in Detroit or Michigan, Yzerman was THE reason why I became a Red Wing fan. My Steve Yzerman story began in 1986 when I saw him play for the first time. I was 8 years old, and I was mesmerized. As a young lad in Toronto, I was bombarded with Maple Leaf fans and coverage; in hockey school, most of the guys I was with said that they were the player on the Leafs that corresponded with their uniform number. I got #24, which was Dan Daoust (and if anyone remembers Dan Daoust, you know that's not that big a deal). As I say in my "About" section, I never felt a real connection to the Leafs or any of their players. However, when I saw Yzerman, I knew that this was someone I wanted to know more about. So, over the next 2 years, I followed him; I would check the boxscores to see if he had any goals or assists in the previous night's game; I would read The Hockey News and any other magazine I could get my hands on for news about him. That season saw the Leafs play the Wings in the 2nd round of the playoffs, and it was my first time seeing Yzerman play on a regular basis. And after 2 years of doing this, I started to learn about the other players and the team in general, and realized they were pretty darn good, so in 1988 I officially declared myself a Red Wing fan.
I have so many memories of Yzerman, especially as a young kid. When I was 12 years old the Wings were playing the Leafs on HNIC, and Stevie scored the first 3 goals of the game in the first period. In what is my favourite saying by an announcer, Bob Cole enthusiastically announced the score as being "3-0 Yzerman!" Back in those days, we didn't have TSN or Sportsnet, so the only time I could see him play was when it was against the Leafs, which was pretty good because the Wings usually won. Once the playoffs would start I would get more coverage, but it was never enough. The worst year was 1993, when the Wings lost to the Leafs in the first round. 1994 wasn't much better because the Wings once again lost in the first round, this time to the Sharks. It was during that summer that the unheard-of happened; there was talk of trading Yzerman, and the big rumour was to Ottawa, who were absolutely horrid at the time. It's funny to think about now, but there was a very good chance that Yzerman was not going to be a Wing forever. Thank God the trade never materialized, because I don't think that I could have become a Senators fan; although since they are the Leafs' biggest rivals, I'm probably a pseudo-Sens fan anyway.
God, just writing this is bringing all sorts of good memories back; the run in ’95 that, while it didn’t end the way I wanted it to, was still a lot of fun. The double OT goal in 1996 against the Blues. That game was a roller-coaster of emotions; at one point I was literally in the fetal position on the floor, and when Yzerman scored, I jumped so high that I nearly hit my head on the ceiling. I then did my “Yzerman Dance” – I ran up and down the hallway screaming “Stevie! Stevie!” at the top of my lungs. When I watched a game, I would hoot and holler when the Wings scored, but I would go absolutely insane if Yzerman was the one who got the goal. Winning the Cup in ’98 and immediately turning and placing it in Konstantinov’s lap, touching off the greatest Stanley Cup celebration ever. I remember every single shift of his in 2002, from the Olympics on, especially in the playoffs when he had to use his stick to just stand up. Every time he went down, I (like I’m sure a lot of you) winced as I watched him get up. After that season he had knee surgery, and the stories that were circulated were that this was a surgery normally reserved for the elderly. Mortal men would have had their careers ended by it; Yzerman played 16 games the next season. I cringed when he was struck in the face with a puck in 2004 against the Flames, especially after seeing the pictures in the following days showing just how bloodied and bruised the eye was. I was afraid that the injury, combined with the upcoming labor stoppage, might have ended his career. Thankfully he came back for one more year in 2005-06, but it was just not to be. I found out about Stevie’s retirement in a very unusual way: I was watching Around the Horn on ESPN, and Jay Mariotti “won” that day. If you’re not familiar with the show, they have 4 national sportswriters talking about anything and everything in sports, although hockey is rarely discussed. The “winner” is judged by the host, and he gets 30 seconds at the end of the show to talk about whatever he wanted. Mariotti used his time to talk about how classy and great Yzerman was, and ended it by stating that he had announced his retirement. I immediately hopped online and read anything and everything I could get my hands on. I choked up as I watched his retirement press conference, and when he stood up and walked out of the room, I realized that a big chapter of my life had just closed. It was really tough to deal with, knowing that my hero would no longer be doing what I had come to love about him the most: making the Red Wings a great team.
However, any memory I had of Yzerman that I considered to be the best is trumped by the night he picked up the Stanley Cup and took it for the solo lap around the Joe. I cried that night, and some of that were tears of relief because no more would I have to hear shit like “Yzerman is a choker” or that he “couldn’t win the big one”. Every negative thing that I had to endure as a Wing fan in enemy territory was wiped away in one second. But what I remember from that celebration was something that might have been missed by a lot of people. Being Canadian, I only had access to CBC to watch the games. 1997 were the days before Don Cherry completely lost his mind, and I wanted to see how he would react to the Wings being in the Finals and ultimately winning. Unfortunately, this was around the time that his wife passed away, so he was not on any of the broadcasts. The reason for his absence was not given, but after the Wings had won and were giving on-ice interviews, Ron Maclean got a hold of Yzerman and was talking to him. Once the interview was over, Stevie looked at Ron and said that he wanted Don Cherry to know that he was thinking of him and his prayers were with him. This man had just reached the pinnacle of his professional career, a place that only a select few men have ever been to, and he has the presence of mind to give his sympathy to Don Cherry on the loss of his wife.
And that’s why Yzerman was amazing. Besides my father, this was the man I looked up to the most. I wanted to be like him on the ice as a player; I always fancied myself as the quiet, hard-working type, although I didn’t have nearly the amount of talent that he did. But I also wanted to be like him off the ice. To this day, I have never heard a negative story about Yzerman. I’ve never met him in person (as evidenced by the fact I have never peed myself in public), but if I did, I would expect him to be gracious, soft-spoken and….nice, just like he appears to be. Maybe I’m naïve about that, but I don’t care. The man not only took the Red Wings to great heights on the ice, but he represented the Wings with class, grace and dignity off of it. When he was named as the GM for the Canadian Olympic team, I wanted him to succeed with every fiber of my being, because I knew that non-Wing fans would not appreciate him if they lost. When Canada won gold, I didn’t care about the players; I only cared about Yzerman being known forever as the architect of the team that won a gold medal on home ice.
I always used to joke that I had a non-sexual crush on Stevie. I would be ok with going out with him and talking, maybe even with a little hand-holding; but that’s as far as it would go. My sister used to tell me that he was “cute”, and more than once I told her that I didn’t care, and deep down I didn’t, but the fact that women found him attractive only added to his awesomeness.
Stevie’s importance for me went well beyond just being a great hockey player. As a kid, I wasn’t the most out-going person, and I had few really close friends that I could count on; I guess you could say I was a bit of a loner. Yzerman, and the Wings, were one of the first real “connections” I ever made to something beyond my family. When they disappointed me, I would be hurt, but I had pledged my undying loyalty to them, and it was all due to Stevie. I defended them against anyone who dared to question their greatness, and took particular offense if anyone derided Yzerman in particular. Even now, 22 years later, that connection is as strong as it ever was, and might even be getting stronger thanks to my connection to all of you. You see, for most of my life, I was the only Red Wing fan I knew: I didn’t have anyone to share my experiences with. When they won, I laughed and cheered alone; when they lost, I would wallow in my depression for days with no outlet except my friends (who usually laughed) or my parents (who told me to get over it). I yelled at refs, trash-talked opponents and celebrated victories, and when I used to see all the fans at the Joe cheering, I felt like I was there with them.
There’s no questioning Yzerman’s place in the history of his team: only Gordie Howe had as great an impact on the franchise as Stevie did. Yzerman ranks second in every single offensive statistic in team history except assists (in which he is first), and owns almost every single-season offensive record for the team as well. In 1988-89 he became one of three players to score 150 points in one year (talk about a good year to hop on the bandwagon, eh?) He is third in games played, and holds the unbreakable record of being the longest serving captain of 1 team (19 consecutive years). He was the face of the franchise for his entire career, and his retirement left a gaping hole in the team and in our hearts. He played the game the right way: with style and grace, but with a competitive edge. He was never a dirty player, and was universally respected by his peers. That respect carried over to off the ice as well, where he was known as a gentleman and team player. He was not just an amazing Red Wing, but one of the greatest players of all time. He could easily have stayed an offensive superstar and racked up other-wordly numbers; instead he chose to develop every facet of his game so he could make the team better. It's no fluke that half of the players in the NHL today (including bitch Crosby and Toews) consider Yzerman to be their hero growing up; they obviously have some taste. I could go on and on, but this is long enough as it is, and I’ve got to wrap it up sometime. Stevie Y, Stevie Wonder, The Captain; whatever you want to call him, Steve Yzerman was and always will be the Greatest Red Wing of My Time.
Showing posts with label Steve Yzerman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Steve Yzerman. Show all posts
Friday, August 20, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
The Greatest Red Wings of MY Time - #4
For anyone that hasn't seen it, George Malik's contribution to Yahoo's Mount Puckmore series is up, and as we've come to expect from George, this did not disappoint. The 4 names listed were:
Gordie Howe
Ted Lindsay
Steve Yzerman
Nicklas Lidstrom
I can't disagree with any of those choices, because that was my final 4 when I was discussing it with some of the other bloggers. As usual, George has represented the Red Wings fanbase well, and if there were ever some sort of United Nations of Bloggers, I would recommend that George be the ambassador for the Wings.
We turn our attention back to our series, and today we present the next-to-last of the non-lifers on the list. #4 of the Greatest Red Wings of My Time.
Brendan Shanahan
Pertinent Stats: 716 GP, 309 G, 324 A, 633 P, +144, 1043 PIM
Awards: King Clancy Memorial Trophy (Humanitarian Efforts) - 2003
Stanley Cups: 3 - 1997, 1998, 2002
Brendan Shanahan was born in Etobicoke, and I only mention that because (a) he was just inducted into the Etobicoke Hall of Fame and (b) I was also born in Etobicoke. In case you were wondering, Etobicoke (the "-ke" is silent, BTW) used to be its own municipality, but was absorbed into the City of Toronto in the mid-'90s. Just a little Canadian history for you. It's also a bit of a joke with Drew from NOHS. Moving on.
Shanny had already forged himself a good career with the Devils, Blues and Whalers when he requested a trade from Hartford. The Wings, realizing they needed a legitimate power forward, immediately put together a package that included Paul Coffey, Keith Primeau and a 1st round draft pick to obtain him. Right from the start, Shanahan fit in with the team and became an instant fan favourite. He scored 46 goals in his first season with the Wings, but his greatest moment for me from that season was his flying takedown of Roy on March 26. This act solidified his place as a true member of the Red Wings and not some gun-for-hire brought in to score goals *cough*Hossa*cough*. In the playoffs that season, Shanny was amazing, scoring 9 goals and 17 points as the Wings captured their first Cup in 42 years. Along the way, he scored the series-clinching goal against the Ducks, and he added a couple of big goals in the Finals (the insurance marker in Game 2 and the shot-from-behind-the-net in Game 3). The next season was a bit of an off year for him, but the Wings were able to repeat as champs.
Over the course of his Red Wing career, Shanahan became on of the team's most consistent scorers. In 9 seasons, he never scored less than 25 goals, and he hit the 40-goal mark 3 times. He also exhibited a mean streak, as evidenced by his 1000+ PIM in 9 seasons. In 2001-2002, he returned to playoff form, racking up 19 points in 23 games as the Wings won their 3rd Cup in 6 years. Shanny was the one who potted the empty-netter that season, ensuring the Wings would be victorious. Unfortunately, he would be unable to replicate his playoff scoring over the next 3 postseasons, tallying only 10 points in 22 playoff games. His inability to score was one of the main reasons why the Wings were not successful in the playoffs, and after the 2005-06 season, he and the team parted ways as the Wings were ready to move forward with a different nucleus.
In terms of my lifetime, Shanahan is without question the best power forward the Wings have had. He could score and he could hit; his hands were soft enough that he could score a pretty goal, or he could turn them into fists and pummel an opponent. Essentially, he was what Keith Primeau should have been when the Wings drafted him. I've always found it ironic that the Wings had to get the player they wanted all along by trading the very guy they had drafted to fill that role. That Shanahan was not only a better scorer than Primeau was but also tougher says a lot about how good Shanny was, because Primeau turned out to be a pretty decent hockey player.
While Shanahan never had any real postseason success to speak of prior to the trade, his presence on the team seemed to legitimize the Wings in a way that no outsider could. They were suddenly tougher, but with a lot of skill to go with that toughness. He also gave the Wings a bonafide scorer to give them 2 real offensive lines that could match anyone in the league. Having Shanahan on the team allowed Yzerman to concentrate more on his defensive play and not worry about having to pick up the slack offensively. He just seemed to be the kind of guy whose game was suited for the playoffs. That he was able to contribute immediately and win a Cup in that first season speaks volumes to how important he really was to the team.
For me, Shanahan represents the "Golden Age" of the Wings in my lifetime. As an integral part of the '97 team, he will always hold a special place in my heart, because that was my favourite year to be a Wing fan. There was always something different about them winning the first one, especially after having to watch them fail again and again and again prior that. But it wasn't just what he did in the playoffs that made him special to me; he was the Wings' best goal scorer for 9 years, but he was also one of their toughest player. He was the prototypical "power forward", and without him I don't know how successful the Wings would have been. The trade for him put the Wings on a level they had never previously been on, and allowed them to become the dominant franchise they are today. When he left, it signalled the end of an era, as he (with Yzerman) were the last of the "Old Guard" of forwards to still be on the team. Unlike other free agents that leave, Shanny was not ridiculed or thought less of because he left; instead, we recognized him for what he did for the team and wished him well in his future endeavours. He is on record as saying that if (come on, we all know it is "when") he enters the Hall of Fame, he will do so as a Red Wing; if that doesn't speak volumes about what his time in Detroit meant to him, I don't know what would. So today we celebrate Brendan Shanahan, the best power forward I've ever seen, and the 4th Greatest Red Wing of My Time.
*Thanks to Anonymous who pointed out there is still one more non-lifer to come. A big mistake on my part.
Gordie Howe
Ted Lindsay
Steve Yzerman
Nicklas Lidstrom
I can't disagree with any of those choices, because that was my final 4 when I was discussing it with some of the other bloggers. As usual, George has represented the Red Wings fanbase well, and if there were ever some sort of United Nations of Bloggers, I would recommend that George be the ambassador for the Wings.
We turn our attention back to our series, and today we present the next-to-last of the non-lifers on the list. #4 of the Greatest Red Wings of My Time.
Brendan Shanahan
Pertinent Stats: 716 GP, 309 G, 324 A, 633 P, +144, 1043 PIM
Awards: King Clancy Memorial Trophy (Humanitarian Efforts) - 2003
Stanley Cups: 3 - 1997, 1998, 2002
Brendan Shanahan was born in Etobicoke, and I only mention that because (a) he was just inducted into the Etobicoke Hall of Fame and (b) I was also born in Etobicoke. In case you were wondering, Etobicoke (the "-ke" is silent, BTW) used to be its own municipality, but was absorbed into the City of Toronto in the mid-'90s. Just a little Canadian history for you. It's also a bit of a joke with Drew from NOHS. Moving on.
Shanny had already forged himself a good career with the Devils, Blues and Whalers when he requested a trade from Hartford. The Wings, realizing they needed a legitimate power forward, immediately put together a package that included Paul Coffey, Keith Primeau and a 1st round draft pick to obtain him. Right from the start, Shanahan fit in with the team and became an instant fan favourite. He scored 46 goals in his first season with the Wings, but his greatest moment for me from that season was his flying takedown of Roy on March 26. This act solidified his place as a true member of the Red Wings and not some gun-for-hire brought in to score goals *cough*Hossa*cough*. In the playoffs that season, Shanny was amazing, scoring 9 goals and 17 points as the Wings captured their first Cup in 42 years. Along the way, he scored the series-clinching goal against the Ducks, and he added a couple of big goals in the Finals (the insurance marker in Game 2 and the shot-from-behind-the-net in Game 3). The next season was a bit of an off year for him, but the Wings were able to repeat as champs.
Over the course of his Red Wing career, Shanahan became on of the team's most consistent scorers. In 9 seasons, he never scored less than 25 goals, and he hit the 40-goal mark 3 times. He also exhibited a mean streak, as evidenced by his 1000+ PIM in 9 seasons. In 2001-2002, he returned to playoff form, racking up 19 points in 23 games as the Wings won their 3rd Cup in 6 years. Shanny was the one who potted the empty-netter that season, ensuring the Wings would be victorious. Unfortunately, he would be unable to replicate his playoff scoring over the next 3 postseasons, tallying only 10 points in 22 playoff games. His inability to score was one of the main reasons why the Wings were not successful in the playoffs, and after the 2005-06 season, he and the team parted ways as the Wings were ready to move forward with a different nucleus.
In terms of my lifetime, Shanahan is without question the best power forward the Wings have had. He could score and he could hit; his hands were soft enough that he could score a pretty goal, or he could turn them into fists and pummel an opponent. Essentially, he was what Keith Primeau should have been when the Wings drafted him. I've always found it ironic that the Wings had to get the player they wanted all along by trading the very guy they had drafted to fill that role. That Shanahan was not only a better scorer than Primeau was but also tougher says a lot about how good Shanny was, because Primeau turned out to be a pretty decent hockey player.
While Shanahan never had any real postseason success to speak of prior to the trade, his presence on the team seemed to legitimize the Wings in a way that no outsider could. They were suddenly tougher, but with a lot of skill to go with that toughness. He also gave the Wings a bonafide scorer to give them 2 real offensive lines that could match anyone in the league. Having Shanahan on the team allowed Yzerman to concentrate more on his defensive play and not worry about having to pick up the slack offensively. He just seemed to be the kind of guy whose game was suited for the playoffs. That he was able to contribute immediately and win a Cup in that first season speaks volumes to how important he really was to the team.
For me, Shanahan represents the "Golden Age" of the Wings in my lifetime. As an integral part of the '97 team, he will always hold a special place in my heart, because that was my favourite year to be a Wing fan. There was always something different about them winning the first one, especially after having to watch them fail again and again and again prior that. But it wasn't just what he did in the playoffs that made him special to me; he was the Wings' best goal scorer for 9 years, but he was also one of their toughest player. He was the prototypical "power forward", and without him I don't know how successful the Wings would have been. The trade for him put the Wings on a level they had never previously been on, and allowed them to become the dominant franchise they are today. When he left, it signalled the end of an era, as he (with Yzerman) were the last of the "Old Guard" of forwards to still be on the team. Unlike other free agents that leave, Shanny was not ridiculed or thought less of because he left; instead, we recognized him for what he did for the team and wished him well in his future endeavours. He is on record as saying that if (come on, we all know it is "when") he enters the Hall of Fame, he will do so as a Red Wing; if that doesn't speak volumes about what his time in Detroit meant to him, I don't know what would. So today we celebrate Brendan Shanahan, the best power forward I've ever seen, and the 4th Greatest Red Wing of My Time.
*Thanks to Anonymous who pointed out there is still one more non-lifer to come. A big mistake on my part.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Meet Stevie's New Team
Well, by now we've all had our fair share of "Steve Yzerman is the Lightning GM" stories. There have been some incredible posts out there regarding how much Yzerman meant to the Red Wings and the fans. Any one of the blogs in my blogroll will contain something that will move you. I myself find that I am still wrestling with the fact that he is no longer employed by he Red Wings. However, there's no question that he will always be known as a Wing, no matter what great deeds he accomplishes in Tampa.
Which brings me to the reason for this post. What exactly is Stevie getting himself into? I'm going to take a break from recapping the Wings' season by bringing a different perspective on what Yzerman has in store for him now that all the introductions are done. He's got work to do, and we all want to see him do well. So, here is my little preview of where the Lightning stand now (with a very large thanks to TSN for the info). I'm going to preface this by saying that I know very little about the Lightning, so a lot of this will just be me talking out of my ass.
Goaltending - According to TSN, the only signed NHL-ready goalie the Lightning have is Mike Smith. At first glance, I'm not overly familiar with him except that I know he was the backup in Dallas for a while. I checked out his numbers from last year and saw that they were fairly pedestrian: a record of 13-18-7 with a GAA of 3.09 and a SV% of .900. Not great numbers, but not Vesa Toskala-bad either. Their other goalie (Antero Nittymaki) is a FA, and his numbers were better. Who knows whether he will re-signed. I checked out the FA goalies that are available, and this year could be the year to sign someone. There are some good ones out there, including both goalies from this year's SCF (Antti Niemi and Michael Leighton). Both of them are RFA, but we all know that Chicago is in cap trouble (tee hee) so they may not match any offers to Niemi if they are high enough, and just get some draft picks instead. It looks to me like Stevie is going to have shore up the net for the Lightning going forward.
Defense - Again, according to TSN, the Lightning have 5 NHL defensemen signed for next year. The most notable names to me are Victor Hedman and Mattias Ohlund. Hedman is a guy that the Lightning are going to try and build their blueline around - he's a freaking monster (6'6", 220 lbs) and he's only 19. He's only going to get bigger and stronger, and this is good news for the Lightning. Plus, from what I read about him during the year, he played pretty well, especially for a rookie. Ohlund we all remember from his days as a Canuck, but it looks like he had an off year last year, at least offensively. I've always thought of him as a defenseman that could hold his own in the defensive zone, but was most effective on the PP and creating offense. Last year could have just been an off year for him, and he's under contract again for next year. It looks like he and Hedman make up the first pairing. I remember Andrej Meszaros from the Senators, but nothing about his game stands out to me. TSN certainly didn't think too highly of his game last year, but it sounds like he might be decent on the 2nd pairing. I don't know anything about the other 2 guys they have signed, so I won't try and talk about them. Out of their FA, the only one I really know anything about is Kurtis Foster, because he played here for the Chicago Wolves of the AHL (Atlanta's farm team). I know he's got a howitzer of a shot, but we all remember him breaking his leg, and now he's dealing with the terrible tragedy of losing his infant daughter a few weeks ago. Who knows where his head is at after something like that. Again, there might be some attractive FA out there for Stevie to pursue, including Anton Volchenkov, who seems to be fairly high-sought after for his shot-blocking abilities.
Forwards - This is where I actually know something about this team. Steven Stamkos was amazing this year, tying for the Rocket Richard Trophy with 51 goals in only his second season. He had a rough start to his rookie year, but for the last season-and-a-half, I'd argue he's been one of the top-10 forwards in the NHL. He's clearly who this team is built around (something Yzerman may know a thing or two about). Martin St Louis had a good season as well, and has proven that he is not just some flash-in-the-pan that I thought he was after his MVP season a few years ago. The big question is around Vincent Lecavalier. We all know about the monster deal he still has, and there have been trade rumours about his for a few years. In fact, I still expect him to be traded to the Canadiens any day now. He hasn't had great numbers the past few seasons, but he's still fairly young and if Yzerman confirms that he will not be traded, maybe that will free his mind a little to focus on hockey. The Lightning only have 2 other guys signed from their roster last year, and one of them is an enforcer (Todd Fedoruk) who plays less than 10 minutes a game. It seems like they have some prospects coming up, but my guess is that they are going to be very active with FA. I remember Steve Downie for his hit on Crosby, but I didn't realize he actually put up some decent numbers with Stamkos. Alex Tanguay is a guy that I actually wanted the Wings to look at instead of Bertuzzi, and he really didn't fit in with the Lightning. Maybe he will go elsewhere for a fresh start. There's a lot of depth that needs to be filled in up front, and let's hope Stevie doesn't look at some Wings (Eaves, Miller) as potential pieces.
According to Capgeek, the Lightning have about $21M in cap space but they don't have a lot of players signed. They have the 7th pick in the draft this year, so there's going to be a lot of highly-touted prospects still available when it's their turn to draft. Stevie is going to have his work cut out for him, and it remains to be seen what type of team he wants to build. I believe he's going to instill a system similar to what is in Detroit - there will be an emphasis on puck possession, skill, and hard work. It's weird to think about him in this position; having to hire a coach, make trades, release players. He's always been known as one of the nicest, classiest people in the game, and GMs have to make tough decisions that are not always popular. I believe Yzerman has landed in a good position in Tampa, and he will build that team back up into a perennial contender. He has already brought class to the team, as well as experience from being part of the best organization in all of sports. I have no doubts that the Lightning will be Cup contenders in the next 5 years, and Yzerman will win an Executive of the Year award at some point. Once again, for the thousandth time, to Stevie: we're sorry to see you go, but we wish you nothing but success and happiness. Make us all proud.
Which brings me to the reason for this post. What exactly is Stevie getting himself into? I'm going to take a break from recapping the Wings' season by bringing a different perspective on what Yzerman has in store for him now that all the introductions are done. He's got work to do, and we all want to see him do well. So, here is my little preview of where the Lightning stand now (with a very large thanks to TSN for the info). I'm going to preface this by saying that I know very little about the Lightning, so a lot of this will just be me talking out of my ass.
Goaltending - According to TSN, the only signed NHL-ready goalie the Lightning have is Mike Smith. At first glance, I'm not overly familiar with him except that I know he was the backup in Dallas for a while. I checked out his numbers from last year and saw that they were fairly pedestrian: a record of 13-18-7 with a GAA of 3.09 and a SV% of .900. Not great numbers, but not Vesa Toskala-bad either. Their other goalie (Antero Nittymaki) is a FA, and his numbers were better. Who knows whether he will re-signed. I checked out the FA goalies that are available, and this year could be the year to sign someone. There are some good ones out there, including both goalies from this year's SCF (Antti Niemi and Michael Leighton). Both of them are RFA, but we all know that Chicago is in cap trouble (tee hee) so they may not match any offers to Niemi if they are high enough, and just get some draft picks instead. It looks to me like Stevie is going to have shore up the net for the Lightning going forward.
Defense - Again, according to TSN, the Lightning have 5 NHL defensemen signed for next year. The most notable names to me are Victor Hedman and Mattias Ohlund. Hedman is a guy that the Lightning are going to try and build their blueline around - he's a freaking monster (6'6", 220 lbs) and he's only 19. He's only going to get bigger and stronger, and this is good news for the Lightning. Plus, from what I read about him during the year, he played pretty well, especially for a rookie. Ohlund we all remember from his days as a Canuck, but it looks like he had an off year last year, at least offensively. I've always thought of him as a defenseman that could hold his own in the defensive zone, but was most effective on the PP and creating offense. Last year could have just been an off year for him, and he's under contract again for next year. It looks like he and Hedman make up the first pairing. I remember Andrej Meszaros from the Senators, but nothing about his game stands out to me. TSN certainly didn't think too highly of his game last year, but it sounds like he might be decent on the 2nd pairing. I don't know anything about the other 2 guys they have signed, so I won't try and talk about them. Out of their FA, the only one I really know anything about is Kurtis Foster, because he played here for the Chicago Wolves of the AHL (Atlanta's farm team). I know he's got a howitzer of a shot, but we all remember him breaking his leg, and now he's dealing with the terrible tragedy of losing his infant daughter a few weeks ago. Who knows where his head is at after something like that. Again, there might be some attractive FA out there for Stevie to pursue, including Anton Volchenkov, who seems to be fairly high-sought after for his shot-blocking abilities.
Forwards - This is where I actually know something about this team. Steven Stamkos was amazing this year, tying for the Rocket Richard Trophy with 51 goals in only his second season. He had a rough start to his rookie year, but for the last season-and-a-half, I'd argue he's been one of the top-10 forwards in the NHL. He's clearly who this team is built around (something Yzerman may know a thing or two about). Martin St Louis had a good season as well, and has proven that he is not just some flash-in-the-pan that I thought he was after his MVP season a few years ago. The big question is around Vincent Lecavalier. We all know about the monster deal he still has, and there have been trade rumours about his for a few years. In fact, I still expect him to be traded to the Canadiens any day now. He hasn't had great numbers the past few seasons, but he's still fairly young and if Yzerman confirms that he will not be traded, maybe that will free his mind a little to focus on hockey. The Lightning only have 2 other guys signed from their roster last year, and one of them is an enforcer (Todd Fedoruk) who plays less than 10 minutes a game. It seems like they have some prospects coming up, but my guess is that they are going to be very active with FA. I remember Steve Downie for his hit on Crosby, but I didn't realize he actually put up some decent numbers with Stamkos. Alex Tanguay is a guy that I actually wanted the Wings to look at instead of Bertuzzi, and he really didn't fit in with the Lightning. Maybe he will go elsewhere for a fresh start. There's a lot of depth that needs to be filled in up front, and let's hope Stevie doesn't look at some Wings (Eaves, Miller) as potential pieces.
According to Capgeek, the Lightning have about $21M in cap space but they don't have a lot of players signed. They have the 7th pick in the draft this year, so there's going to be a lot of highly-touted prospects still available when it's their turn to draft. Stevie is going to have his work cut out for him, and it remains to be seen what type of team he wants to build. I believe he's going to instill a system similar to what is in Detroit - there will be an emphasis on puck possession, skill, and hard work. It's weird to think about him in this position; having to hire a coach, make trades, release players. He's always been known as one of the nicest, classiest people in the game, and GMs have to make tough decisions that are not always popular. I believe Yzerman has landed in a good position in Tampa, and he will build that team back up into a perennial contender. He has already brought class to the team, as well as experience from being part of the best organization in all of sports. I have no doubts that the Lightning will be Cup contenders in the next 5 years, and Yzerman will win an Executive of the Year award at some point. Once again, for the thousandth time, to Stevie: we're sorry to see you go, but we wish you nothing but success and happiness. Make us all proud.
Stevie Y to Tampa
Well, by now you've probably heard that Steve Yzerman is set to be named the general manager of the Lightning today. This is a very bittersweet day for Red Wing fans. We're all sad to see him go, as he's been such a fixture of this franchise for over a quarter century. But we all want to see him succeed and do well, because it his success will reflect postively on the Wings and their front office.
From a personal standpoint, this is tough. I have never lived in the state of Michigan of the city of Detroit, so I was not exposed to the Wings at an early age. I became a Wings fan when I saw Steve Yzerman play. I was 7 years old and saw him at Maple Leaf Gardens. I remember being mesmerized by him on the ice, and from then on I kept checking on how they were doing. This was in the days before Twitter, blogs, ESPN/TSN and the internet. So I did what any kid did: I checked the boxscores in the newspaper to see if Yzerman got any points. Over the next year or two, I was converted into a full-fledged Red Wing fan (much to the consternation of my Maple Leaf-loving father). I've watched Yzerman grow from an offensive dynamo of the late '80s and early '90s into the best 2-way forward in the NHL under Scotty Bowman. I remember the rumours about his being traded to Ottawa in the mid-90s after yet another unsuccessful playoff run. But the one thing that I will always remember about him was his solo lap with the Cup in 1997. I still get goosebumps when I see him lift that Cup for the first time, and always will. It was at that moment that all the doubts about him were removed, and he finally cemented his place among the all-time greats.
To Stevie: thanks for the memories in Detroit. You will always be a Red Wing, no matter where you go. I wish you nothing but good times in Tampa (or as I am now going to call it, Hockeytown South) and hope that you bring a Cup there. You've got a good nucleus to work with and a high draft pick this year. Good luck and here's hoping that some day you make your way back home to Detroit.
From a personal standpoint, this is tough. I have never lived in the state of Michigan of the city of Detroit, so I was not exposed to the Wings at an early age. I became a Wings fan when I saw Steve Yzerman play. I was 7 years old and saw him at Maple Leaf Gardens. I remember being mesmerized by him on the ice, and from then on I kept checking on how they were doing. This was in the days before Twitter, blogs, ESPN/TSN and the internet. So I did what any kid did: I checked the boxscores in the newspaper to see if Yzerman got any points. Over the next year or two, I was converted into a full-fledged Red Wing fan (much to the consternation of my Maple Leaf-loving father). I've watched Yzerman grow from an offensive dynamo of the late '80s and early '90s into the best 2-way forward in the NHL under Scotty Bowman. I remember the rumours about his being traded to Ottawa in the mid-90s after yet another unsuccessful playoff run. But the one thing that I will always remember about him was his solo lap with the Cup in 1997. I still get goosebumps when I see him lift that Cup for the first time, and always will. It was at that moment that all the doubts about him were removed, and he finally cemented his place among the all-time greats.
To Stevie: thanks for the memories in Detroit. You will always be a Red Wing, no matter where you go. I wish you nothing but good times in Tampa (or as I am now going to call it, Hockeytown South) and hope that you bring a Cup there. You've got a good nucleus to work with and a high draft pick this year. Good luck and here's hoping that some day you make your way back home to Detroit.
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