Contract Controversy Part 1: Bobby Ryan

As many sports fans know, interviews are very general. It's fairly common for questions to be left unanswered, and for the interviewee to beat around the bush without giving a statement based on the truth. As hockey is on it's way back, TSN hockey analyst Bob Mckenzie sat down with Ottawa Senators General Manager, Bryan Murray, to discuss the ups and downs of last season, as well as the goals for the upcoming year. Surprisingly, that interview brought out an open and honest side of Murray – one that doesn't get seen too often.

After a frustrating season that had them missing the playoffs, the Ottawa Senators are looking for some improvements from their players this year. During the interview, Murray discussed the Senators need to play better defence as well as some more disciplined hockey. However, what got the most attention were the comments made about players Bobby Ryan and Marc Methot, which has caused some controversy in Ottawa. Both players have one year remaining in their contract and have yet to sign a deal to extend their stay with the team.

When asked about Bobby Ryan, Murray commented:

“The impression I get from Bobby and his people or his agents is that he does like Ottawa. He liked, for the most part, living there, being on the Ottawa Senators, the environment, (playing in a) Canadian city, all those good things. He wants to play more minutes. He wants to be more prominent in the core of good players.” - TSN.ca. Published: Sept. 15, 2014.

The Ottawa Senators have offered Ryan a seven year contract with the team, an offer that the twenty-seven year old isn't taking lightly. When approached about the contract offer, Ryan offered his insight,

“If you're hitching your wagon to a team for seven years it's okay to take some time to realize if it's really what you want or not.” - Bobby Ryan. OttawaSenators.com. Published: Sept. 17, 2014.

After that comment was released, it spread like wild fire that Bobby Ryan was questioning whether or not he wanted to stay in Ottawa at all. The drama certainly spread throughout the city of Ottawa, creating some worried Sens fans. The quote, however, was taken out of context. When shown the rest of his statement, it definitely settled down the dramatic rumour that was Bobby Ryan not wanting to stay in Ottawa.

“Everything that I've said and still feel is that I'd love to be here long term. You need some assurance and motivating factor. To not get it done at this early stage isn't a tragedy, we've still got a year to get there. I think everybody is fairly confident that we will.” - Bobby Ryan. OttawaSenators.com Published: Sept. 17, 2014.

Everyone take a breath. He likes it here! Sometimes it can be forgotten that hockey players are human too. Being asked to sign with a team for seven years after only being here a grand total of one season (a season that Ryan might even want to take back with all the things that went wrong) is a big deal and one that Ryan has every right to take some time to think about.

In the big picture, Sens fans have got nothing to worry about with Bobby Ryan, because as he says, he likes it here. A contract will be negotiated at some point this season, the man just wants some well deserved time to make sure this is the right place for him.

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Mika Zibanejad on the Verge of a Breakthrough Year

Last season, Sens fans saw a different looking team. Lots of young guys have been coming up over the last few years, but only a few have really stood out to the management in Ottawa. One of those players is Mika Zibanejad.

After fighting for a spot on the team in training camp last year, Zibanejad was sent down to Binghamton for the start of the season. He played 6 games in the AHL and then was brought back up to the big club and stayed for the rest of the season playing 69 games. In those 69 games, Zibanejad had 16 goals and 17 assists, recording a 33 point season while alternating between playing at right wing and centre. Although not groundbreaking numbers, he definitely stuck out like a sore thumb and was also a go-to-guy during the time of Jason Spezza's injury, filling in at centre alongside Milan Michalek. Averaging 14:19 minutes of ice time last season, one can only speculate that Zibanejad's usage will increase in a big way this year.

As a power forward, Zibanejad has three attributes that have proven most helpful to the Senators and have given him success:

Speed – The guy is fast. It's what makes him a great fit for a centre. He showed many times last season his ability to skate from either end of the ice with ease and great speed. At his young age, this talent has got nowhere to go but up.

Quick Release – Along with having a lot of power behind his shot, Zibanejad's quick release has taken many goaltenders by surprise. In a little flick of the wrist, he has been able to laser the puck top shelf many times.

Positioning – Zibanejad has great positioning, and a great vision for the game. Lots of his goals last season came from him using his speed and good positioning in the offensive zone to effectively put himself in the right place at the right time. 

Although a great asset for the Ottawa Senators, there is still one major hole in his game that Zibanejad needs to find an answer for. Sitting with a plus/minus of minus-15 last season, he must find a way to harness his speed and good positioning to help out in the defensive zone. He definitely has the potential to become a better defensive player in the upcoming season, fighting for the second line centre position. Zibanejad will be given the playing time to develop his skills and try to fix this whole in his game, as well as utilize the attributes that he already possesses.

Fighting for that second line centre spot will be a pivotal moment to Zibanejad's upcoming year, as he can expect his ice time to increase dramatically if he is chosen for the job. Along with that also comes the chance of Zibanejad being involved in the power play and penalty kill, which with his speed and vision, could quite possibly be a reality come October.

Nonetheless, the youngster is gearing up for an exciting year in Ottawa, a year that you won't want to miss. 

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Las Vegas and Seattle Front Runners for Expansion

On August 26th, Tony Gallagher of the Vancouver Province stated that an NHL expansion to Las Vegas was a "done deal." This, of course, drew the excitement of many hockey fans, but also put a sour taste in the mouth of others, as the idea of another NHL team in the desert may not be appealing to fans up north.

Talks of expansion have since settled down, and the notion that Sin City having made a done deal to get an NHL team have been put to rest. But other projections have been made regarding the league adding teams in the near future. It was announced the next day, that by 2017, both Seattle and Las Vegas should have a franchise, along with another team in Southern Ontario, and a possible return to Quebec City.

Any team in Eastern Canada is an easy sell, but Seattle and Las Vegas will be more difficult to justify as legitimate NHL cities.

Here's why they could work out successfully in the long run.

High Hopes in the Pacific North West

There has long been talks about professional hockey returning to Seattle. After having left there in 1924 when the Seattle Metropolitans became a defunct organization, and when the NHL was realigned leaving two more teams in the east than the west, it fuelled the fire that was expansion talks.

Seattle has come into it's own as a successful sports town, boasting the defending Super Bowl Champions, the Seattle Seahawks, who also carry one of the best at home records in professional sports in recent years, having only lost one home game since the start of the 2012-2013 season. The success of the Seahawks, and the immense amount of support they receive from fans makes it seem like if, or when, the NHL decide to place a team in Seattle, it would turn out very well for all parties involved.

More Ice in the Desert

Las Vegas is currently in the process of building a stadium that could potentially host an NHL franchise. To some, this idea is brilliant, and to others it's preposterous.

Hockey in the desert has not always worked out so well, as the Coyotes in Nevada's neighbouring state of Arizona have done poorly when it comes to attendance in the very recent past. The Las Vegas metro area has a population of over one million people, and is one of, if not the largest, tourist destination in North America. So you'd think it was a perfect place for a professional sports team to be placed, considering there are none currently based there.

When thinking about a potential NHL franchise in Las Vegas, comparisons should stop being made with Arizona. Yes, they are very close to one another, but the "Entertainment Capital of the World" draws a demographic a lot more similar to that of Los Angeles, where the Kings have an average home attendance very close to their arena capacity, as well as a highly successful hockey club.

New Teams, New Rivalries

The Vancouver Canucks have a very strong fan base, and happen to be just two and a half hours north of Seattle, a city with the potential to match the fan base that is present in Vancouver, if the Seahawks fans have any reflection of what the NHL fans would be like. If a team does come to Seattle, and the passion matches that of the citizens who populate Vancouver, a new NHL rivalry will be born. One that has the potential to become a classic, without a doubt.

The Arizona Coyotes have no real rival, and for a team which is consistently on the playoff bubble, but struggles for fans, a new rivalry is just what the doctor ordered. Las Vegas and Phoenix are just under five hours away from one another, so if there were to be an NHL franchise placed there, a "Battle of the Desert" is bound to happen, which would be beneficial for the young Las Vegas team, and an Arizona team looking to market themselves in their own city.

An NHL expansion is not the "done deal" that was announced in late August. Despite that, it seems an expansion is most certainly on the horizon. Something that the cities of Las Vegas and Seattle, as well as NHL Fans all over the world, should be prepared for.

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Metropolitan Division Power Rankings

The Metropolitan Division is the most reshaped of the NHL divisions. Many teams made roster moves that will propel them up the standings. But some teams were silent in the offseason, not doing enough to improve and in turn, they could suffer because of it.

The New York Rangers were tops in the East last season after beating out the Montreal Canadiens in six games, but how will they fare this year in a new-look division?

1. Pittsburgh Penguins

Players gained: Thomas Greiss, Christian Ehrhoff, Blake Comeau, Steve Downie, Patric Hornqvist, Nick Spaling

Players lost: James Neal, Jussi Jokinen, Deryk Engelland, Brian Gibbons, Tanner Glass, Brooks Orpik, Matt Niskanen, Joe Vitale

What's there to say about the Pittsburgh Penguins? They've got two of the best players in the world in Crosby and Malkin, and when goaltending's good, they're golden. The problem is, goaltending isn't always top notch in the City of Bridges. Marc Andre Fleury has always given average netminding during the regular season, but average might not cut it this year as the Pens lost Brooks Orpik and Matt Niskanen, two of their top D men from last season.

What Pittsburgh did do in the offseason, though, is bring depth to their forward group. The loss of James Neal and Jussi Jokinen is a bit hard on the front lines, but they added Nick Spaling and Patric Hornqvist to bring balance to their second and third line. Something the Penguins have always lacked is depth in their bottom six.

2. New York Rangers

Players gained: Matt Hunwick, Tanner Glass, Dan Boyle, Mike Kostka

Players lost: Brad Richards, Benoit Pouliot, Stu Bickel, Anton Stralman, Brian Boyle

The Rangers parted ways with quite a few quality talents during the summer. Brad Richards, though he didn't quite live up to his contract, and Benoit Pouliot will be missed. The Rangers didn't really sign anyone in the summer to improve their offense and with the departure of two key forwards, there's going to be even more pressure for Rick Nash to have a bounce back year. The 30-year old winger had a less than stellar season last year and his ability to shake it off and lead this team offensively will be a big part of the Rangers' success.

But even if Nash can't return to form, last we checked, Henrik Lundqvist is still Henrik Lunqvist, so the Rangers are probably going to be fine.

3. Columbus Blue Jackets

Players gained: Brian Gibbons, Jerry D'Amigo, Scott Hartnell

Players lost: R.J. Umberger, Vaclav Prospal, Matt Frattin, Blake Comeau, Nick Shultz, Derek MacKenzie

Even though they didn't make it past the first round, the Blue Jackets (and their fans) were outstanding in the playoffs. One would think that trend would carry over to the next season and one would probably be right. With Sergei Bobrovsky always solid in net, and Scott Hartnell being added to an already deep forward lineup, the Jackets are looking good.

Their defence is also a strong suit. Columbus already has an elite defensive grouping with Fedor Tyutin, James Wisniewski and Jack Johnson, but they will be getting even stronger this season as 20-year old Ryan Murray is ready for a full season in the NHL after playing most of last year.

A return to the playoffs is expected.

4. Washington Capitals

Players gained: Justin Peters, Brooks Orpik, Matt Niskanen

Players lost: Tom Poti, Mikhail Grabovski

Brayden Holtby is going to have to bounce back for the upcoming season in order for the Capitals to have a shot at the playoffs. Last season, Holtby recorded his worst numbers since entering the league in the 2010-11 season.

There may be a bit of skepticism in the goaltending department, but the defence only got stronger in the offseason. The Caps picked up a pair of Pittsburgh blueliners in Brooks Orpik and Matt Niskanen. While Orpik brings a noticeable physical presence, Niskanen's skill will go well with Mike Green on the power play.

Oh, and Alex Ovechkin still scores a ton of goals. So, no problem upfront.

5. New Jersey Devils

Players gained: Mike Cammalleri, Martin Havlat, Scott Clemmensen

Players lost: Anton Volchenkov, Mark Fayne

Realistically, the New Jersey Devils should have made the playoffs last year. Missing out by 5 points while going 0-13 in the shootout is an absolute tragedy. Luckily though, the upcoming season is looking even more promising than last year's. No longer will the Devils have to deal with Martin Brodeur. Yes, Brodeur has been outstanding for the Devils for so many years, but he's no longer an elite goaltender. With Marty out of the picture, the focus can switch completely over to Cory Schneider. Goalie controversy: fixed.

Not suprisingly, Jaromir Jagr, the ageless wonder, will be back for another season and he will play forever it may be his last. With the signing of Mike Cammalleri, the Devils also added some speed and talent to their well-built offense.

6. New York Islanders

Players gained: Jack Skille, Harry Zolnierczyk, T.J Brennan, Nikolai Kulemin, Mikhail Grabovski, Jaroslav Halak, Chad Johnson

Players lost: Evgeni Nabokov

For the Islanders, the improvements are obvious. Evgeni Nabokov is gone and Jaroslav Halak is now the starting goalie. Huge improvement. The Isles also brought in Chad Johnson, who had a great year backing up Tuukka Rask with the Boston Bruins. Respectably, Johnson posted a 2.10 GAA and a .925 SV% last season, more than impressive numbers for a No.2 goalie.

With the signing of Nikolai Kulemin and Mikhail Grabovski, the Islanders now have depth to their forward lineup. For so long, John Tavares was the only notable talent on offense. But now, with the emergence of Kyle Okposo and the addition of Kulemin and Grabovski, these Islanders are developing a strong and dependable forward corps.

The defence, on the other hand, is a different story.

7. Philadelphia Flyers

Players gained: Zack Sortini, Blair Jones, Nick Schultz, Michael Del Zotto

Players lost: Steve Downie, Tye McGinn, Scott Hartnell

With the Kimmo Timonen injury, the Flyers will be without one of their solid veteran defensemen, leaving Mark Streit to be relied upon even more. Steve Mason will also have also have a lot of pressure on him to have a repeat year, as he was nothing but superb for Philly during the regular season and playoffs. R.J. Umberger also has big shoes to fill after being swapped for Scott Hartnell. Hartnell had 18 more points than Umberger last season. Big shoes.

The Flyers are also in trouble with the new salary cap. Currently, they are almost $5 million over the limit, and it doesn't help that they are overpaying Vincent Lecavalier, paying a retired Chris Pronger, and paying Kimmo Timonen to sit in the press box.

8. Carolina Hurricanes

Players gained: Drew MacIntyre, Jay McClement, Tim Gleason

Players lost: Manny Malhotra, Justin Peters

The Carolina Hurricanes are going to be a mess this season. Their starting goalie, Cam Ward, had a horrendous season last year. The 30-year old netminder was 47th and 46th in the league for SV% and GAA. Maybe it's time Anton Khudobin took over. Just a suggestion.

With the Staal brothers also having awful years, the Hurricanes are going to be in trouble if they can't turn it around before October. Eric was a minus-13 last season, the second lowest plus/minus of his career. He also had his fewest point total (full season) since entering the NHL in 2003.

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