RDHL Press Coverage

This is Gary Lawless. Stay tuned for coverage regarding all of your favorite RDHL teams.

RDHL TONIGHT: TROUBLE ALREADY FOR COLUMBUS GM?

Columbus Fans Perturbed By Lack of American Players
July 24, 2015
by James Pickens

Columbus, OH- It’s been ten rounds in the RDHL Inaugural Player Draft, and Columbus, arguably the most Ameri-patriotic of the teams (apologies to the Capitals), has no American-born players. While this might seem like a matter of little significance, some fans of the team are left wondering if there is a bias at play on the part of their team’s GM, Chris [redacted]. Much of the team’s imagery is inspired by the Union side of the Civil War. In fact, the team’s website states: “The name "Blue Jackets" was chosen to celebrate "patriotism, pride, and the rich Civil War history in the state of Ohio and city of Columbus."

What that has to do with hockey is up for debate, but the city’s American pride is not reflected in its RDHL team, as of yet. When asked whether he disliked American players, GM Chris [redacted] said “Who cares where they’re born? They play here. For Columbus. This is an exciting team everyone’s going to miss out on if they’re too wrapped up in where they are from. I’ll draft zero Americans if they don’t happen to be the right pick at each time I’m up. It’s about the hockey on the ice, not the country on the birth certificate. Go annoy Juuso (referring to the Minnesota GM) about his lack of Finnish players or something, I’ve got to go figure out how to convince Yakupov that no one’s going to throw his jersey on the ice and hate him forever if he doesn’t lead the team in scoring. Edmonton really screwed him up.”

The Society for the Preservation of American Values in Sports Entertainment’s Columbus Chapter President, Nancy Nichols offered her thoughts: “It’s just not right for the children to have no American heroes to look up to on their hometown team. He better draft one soon, or we’re canceling our group outing on the 22nd of September to their preseason game against St. Louis! That’s nine potential tickets he’s going to lose out on if he doesn’t remember what country he’s in! The whole Chapter was going to go that night, but we’ll take our money elsewhere. I’m sure there’s another sports team in Columbus that knows what it means to be an American!”

For all of your RDHL draft and preseason coverage, be sure to read RDHL Network News!

RDHLNN Mid-Draft Analysis
By RDHLNN Staff
July 27, 2015

It’s been 13 rounds in the Inaugural RDHL Player Draft, and RDHLNN Staff have compiled a team-by-team look at how the league is shaping up so far. We’ve also named our “Best ___” list for Goalies, Defensemen, and Forwards, as well as a few other highlights. The teams are arranged below alphabetically- we won’t do a full power ranking before the draft is completed, especially since some teams have fewer players than others due to trades.

Anaheim Ducks- The Ducks took Evgeni Malkin with their first pick, and we don’t have to say much- Malkin is an elite scorer who will be the focal point of the offense. Taylor Hall is no slouch either, but the Ducks hope both of those two can stay healthy. On the blueline, a Top 4 of Pietrangelo, Myers, Lindholm, and Schenn could be a top-third group. The Ducks best two goalies, Varlamov and Allen are still young and could both be top 20 goalies, Varlamov especially. Karri Ramo will be fighting for playing time, as will Allen, but RDHLNN staff think Allen will be productive, while Ramo may not be as useful. Overall, a well-rounded group; Anaheim has a balanced lineup of veterans and younger players that should carry them into the playoffs.

Arizona Coyotes- The Coyotes are a veteran club with some established talent, especially up front. Giroux, Kucherov, Sharp, Duchene, Okposo, etc, etc. Their blueline corps is still thin, but has top veteran Mark Giordano and big hitter Dion Phaneuf. They also employ Cory Schneider, but the team currently only has the one goalie, and will likely be looking to the Prospect draft for a young netminder. If the offense rolls, the Coyotes will too- they’ll be looking to find some depth for the other units, but we wonder if it might be too late for productive options.

Boston Bruins- The Bruins went Defense-heavy with their draft so far, in accordance with the Bruins persona. Kevin Shattenkirk is a star, and Justin Faulk a very good no.2 option. Cody Franson is a riskier proposition, but they also have Michael Stone and Adam Larsson, two young up-and-comers. While they do have the services of Nicklas Backstrom, an elite playmaking forward, this offense might struggle in the physical game. Sean Monahan is young and should be good value, as well as Mark Schiefele, but Perreault’s injury troubles and Elias Lindholm’s unprovenness might not be good enough. The staff does like the pick of Thomas Tatar and thinks he’ll be productive. The team lacks a second goaltender with just Eddie Lack on the roster, and will likely look to the Prospect draft for goaltending options post-first round, as they are expected to select Connor McDavid with the 1st overall selection- he might boost the forward group up enough.

Calgary Flames- The Flames are clearly looking to win right now, with a collection of household names for a forward group. Jamie Benn, the Sedin twins, Henrik Zetterburg and Joe Thornton make for a dynamite offense. The blueline, while perhaps less elite, are veterans as well, with Russell, Suter, Wisnewski, and Edler for a Top 4. Calgary has very good goaltending in Marc-Andre Fleury and Devan Dubnyk, and they might be all-around one of the most talented teams in the league. They’re probably contenders this year if they can stay healthy, but the future of the team will be interesting. The team is probably as good as it will ever be right now, with the majority of its players in their prime or passing it. We’ll see if the Flames go young in the second half, and who they target in the Prospect Draft- it might be imperative if they want to see success past this year.

Chicago Blackhawks- Ah, Chicago. Home of a veteran core of established talent, always looking to employ proven players, who….Oh, wait, that’s not true anymore, since Chicago’s GM Vorrigan has decided to go all-in on the future, trading away multiple NHL picks for Prospect Draft selections. Chicago will have only eight players rostered after the conclusion of the current round (13). However, they will have 13 picks in the opening 10 rounds of the Prospect Draft, including 5 in the first two rounds. That could be huge for them, if they nail their picks. Looking at the roster now, Patrick Kane is the star, but the forwards lack any other top-end talent. Trouba and Vatanen provide a top pairing that might produce two stars in the future; for now they are “just” young and good. Ben Bishop is a fine no. 1 goalie. We imagine that a young goalie is on the shopping list in the prospect draft. Chicago’s master plan comes down to this: picking the right prospects. If it works, Vorrigan is a genius. If not, we might not see even a chance at a Cup in Chicago for some time.

Columbus Blue Jackets- The cat’s been out of the bag for some time- Columbus got scooped on a draft-and-trade involving Carey Price that likely would have seen Jack Eichel in a Blue Jackets sweater. Still, Columbus has gone young and talented in the draft, grabbing a collection of players all 25 and under that will all get lots of opportunities to shine. Two-time Norris winner Erik Karlsson anchors the defense, backed up by Savard, Schultz, and Ellis, all young players with talent. Gabriel Landeskog is the premier name in the forward group which includes Ondrej Palat and Jaden Schwartz, a formidable top line. Depth players include Tyler Ennis, Craig Smith, Adam Henrique and Kyle Palmieri, as well as reclamation project Nail Yakupov. The best part about this team might be the goalies, though, with Frederik Andersen and Robin Lehner firmly entrenched. This team could be a dark horse candidate this year if (BIG IF) the team collectively takes the next step, but the future is even more exciting for Columbus.

Detroit Red Wings- Detroit equals Defense. Even more so than Boston. The Red Wings drafted three elite D-men in the first three rounds, and have the most intimidating blueline in the league. Letang, Byfuglien, and Josi and one of Hamonic or Krug instantly become the league’s best Top 4. The goalie situation is fine, with veterans Roberto Luongo and Ryan Miller holding down the crease, but let’s talk about the forwards. Mark Stone looked pretty damn good by the end of last year, but Zemgus Girgensons and Lance Bouma rounding out the top line raises some question marks. Matt Martin, Leo Komarov and Steve Downie round out the Top 6, but Detroit’s desperate for forward help- they may end up moving one of those elite D-men for that, unless they can strike gold in the Prospect Draft.

Los Angeles Kings- The staff isn’t entirely sure what to make of the Kings (and that’s not necessarily a bad thing). The forwards look very good, with Kessel, Nugent-Hopkins and Stepan for a top line, as well as Spezza, Pominville, and Filppula. The D-corps looks adequate, and could be even better if Mike Green has the kind of season some analysts think he might have. Cam Fowler and Cody Ceci provide youth as part of that group. Keith Yandle might have been taken too high, but he’s certainly not going to be a problem. The goaltending outside of Pekka Rinne (who has his own injury history) as Cam Ward doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence. This team would benefit greatly from a goalie in the prospect draft, as would a few teams. The forward play might be enough, but if Mike Green flops, things get dicey.

Minnesota Wild- The Wild’s forwards are top-notch, with a top line of Ovechkin, Evander Kane, and Blake Wheeler. Most GMs would kill for that kind of talent up front, and James Neal and Brayden Schenn provide quality depth. The blueline is led by Erik Johnson, whose injury problems are a concern- he’s still a very good primary option. Minnesota also got Rasmus Ristolainen, who many GMs in the league were apparently coveting. He could be a fantastic partner for Erik Johnson in the future, but for now it is the Johnson & (Jack) Johnson pairing. No tears here at that. The goalie situation might require some TLC, with Tuuka Rask and “player to be named later” in net. Like many teams, Minnesota is going to need to find a second goalie in the Prospect Draft, and it may not be the one they want- that market is going to be very tight. A questionable trade of essentially the Wild’s 3rd Round Prospect pick for one of Columbus’s three 10th Round NHL Picks could hurt their ability to find a second goalie, but the team as it stands now is looking good.

Montreal Canadiens- Montreal made a huge trade for top goalie Carey Price, but in doing so gave up some real value. They’ve built around him, building a mixed squad that includes David Backes, Alex Galchenyuk, Dougie Hamilton, and Jake Muzzin. Nick Leddy and Anton Stralman could be one of the better second pairings in the league for their cost. They really need to find a second goalie in the Prospect draft, as Carey Price (godly as he may be) can’t play two spots at once. There’s some talent on this squad, and some youth as well- for now we’ll call them a middle of the road team, but the lack of a pick in the first round of the Prospect Draft is going to hurt- they’ve got to be hoping Price was worth it.

New York Islanders- The Islanders traded out of the first overall pick, giving Minnesota the right to take Alex Ovechkin, and instead New York looked to grab multiple 5th round picks, and have built up a nice core. Getzlaf, Toews, and Nyquist form a very good top line, and Drew Doughty will be paired with Tyson Barrie, making for a young top pairing with some upside. Both the forwards and the defense have depth, notably Brandon Saad and Brock Nelson for the forwards, with Brooks Orpik and Alex Goligoski on defense. The goalie situation is the elephant in the room, though. Brian Elliot as the number one option is not the best situation to be in, and Jonas Hiller is a question mark, though the staff thinks he may be underrated. Darcy Keumper might have been a desperation pick, though it’s hard to blame the Islanders front office, given the scarcity of netminders. The Isles don’t have a first round prospect pick to use on a net minder, so they’re hoping to grab one in the second round, presumably. We’ll see.

New York Rangers- Goaltending wins championships; that’s at least what the Rangers are thinking after using two of their first three picks on netminders. Braden Holtby is younger than Price, and could be better than him in a couple of years, and Steve Mason could be a top 10 goalie this year. Leading the offense is wunderkind Vladimir Tarasenko, who hopes to keep up his goal-scoring talents for many seasons to come. Anze Kopitar and Wayne Simmonds should provide some good support for him, and if Brandon Dubinsky can stay healthy, the Rangers could have a fantastic set of forwards, not to mention some youth outside of Tarasenko in the form of Nino Niederreiter, Mikael Granlund, and Mike Hoffman. The blueline might not be as impressive, with McDonagh, Bogosian, De Haan and Scandella so far, but this team looks like a contender; if its stars can live up to expectations, and the New York media doesn’t ride them too hard.

Philadelphia Flyers- The Flyers have quietly built a good-looking team that has forward depth and solid-looking blueliners. Jakob Voracek leads a group including Eberle and Ryan O’Reilly, and lunchpail-man Tommy Wingels. Colin Wilson is young and has some real upside. The top defense pairing of Victor Hedman and John Carlson is elite, with Del Zotto and Sekera rounding out the Top 4. Corey Crawford is the only goalie on the roster so far, and the skater talent may come at the cost of goaltending, like a few teams in the league. The Flyers belong in the discussion for the playoffs, certainly, though, and are quite balanced across their roster.

Pittsburgh Penguins- Pittsburgh went for experience and proven talent with their draft, taking Steven Stamkos in the first round, as well as veterans Nick Foligno and Brent Burns. They added some great depth in Hossa, Little, and Oshie, with Ribiero and Plekanec as part of one of the better forward groups in the league. The blueline looks old and Pittsburgh has to be hoping they still have it: Wideman is 32 and Streit is 37, certainly not ancient but not young either. In what is a bit of a recurring theme, the Penguins have a definite need at goalie, as Lehtonen and Niemi will be fighting for ice time. If the Penguins can hit on a goalie in the Prospect Draft, and their veteran roster can keep up the production, this team should be in the playoffs.

Quebec Nordiques- Hockey returns to Quebec City in the best way possible, with an exciting roster that should produce some fireworks on the attack. The Top 6 of Tavares, Turris, Kesler, Kreider, Abdelkader and Johansson (or potentially Frolik or Hayes) looks to be one of the league’s best. The Nordiques need blueline help in the rest of the draft, though, as outside of Ekman-Larsson they have Simon Despres and Dan Girardi rostered currently. The goalie situation is good but not great, with an injury prone (and perhaps drafted too high) Sergei Bobrovsky and Jimmy Howard in net. The Nordiques might have one too many forwards right now, and could look to move one for a D-man.

San Jose Sharks- The Sharks probably can safely lay claim to the league’s best attack, with a stunningly explosive forward group of Perry, Johansen, MacKinnon, Ladd, Carter, Datsyuk (out until November), Marleau, and Gaborik. That kind of talent makes the Sharks a playoff team alone. The task for the Sharks front office is to fill out the rest of the roster adequately. TJ Brodie and Johnny Boychuk as a top pairing is not the ideal scenario, but it’s not bad by any means- they could use some more depth here, although Trevor Daley could be a sneaky source of production. Cam Talbot and Craig Anderson are in net, which might be called below average. The Sharks could look to send a forward out for some defensive talent, but they might be rolling the dice on a prospect or two to fill that job.

Tampa Bay Lightning- The first thing to note about Tampa Bay is that they were slapped with a penalty for delay of draft in the fourth round, moving that pick down five rounds. They’ve gone very youth-heavy, clearly prioritizing potential. Tyler Seguin leads the top line with Tyler Johnson and Ryan Strome; a young, talented group that should produce for them. The top defense pairing feels a bit more potential-minded, with Morgan Reilly paired with Seth Jones. They selected Alexander Barkov after those five players, which to the staff feels like a good pick, if there wasn’t a blatant need for a goalie by that point. They have James Reimer and Ben Scrivens in net, which might be one of the worst tandems in the league. Still, they have Nazem Kadri and Sean Couterier for more young forward talent, and the Top 4 is rounded out by Patrick Wiercoch and Dimitry Kulikov. Tampa doesn’t look like a playoff team this year, but they could be contenders in a few years, when their top groups really hit their prime.

Toronto Maple Leafs- The Leafs got a king’s ransom for Carey Price, and their roster will be heavily influenced by the first round of the Prospect Draft, where they will get to select 2nd and 14th. They used their first selection on a king of their own, Henrik Lundqvist, who will lock up the no. 1 goalie spot, with Jonathan Bernier backing him up. Logan Couture and Joe Pavelski are on the top line with Zach Parise, making for a proven scoring group. They have a collection of scoring depth at forward, but defense might be a weakness, with an aging (although still elite) Duncan Keith paired with Jake Gardiner. They’ll need to look for depth on defense either in the later rounds or with one of their two first-round prospect selections: likely at 14th overall. The Leafs look middle of the road for now, but their extra prospect selection could push up the contention timeline.

Washington Capitals- The Caps’ front office has moved slow at times during this draft, but it’s hard to argue with the talent at the top of their roster. P.K. Subban and Brent Seabrook make for an elite top pairing. A Top 6 of Pacioretty, Nash, van Riemsdyk, Hornqvist, Steen, and Atkinson is certainly formidable. In net they enjoy the services of Jonathan Quick and perhaps tolerate the services of Mike Smith. They look solid all around, and should be a playoff team, if that core performs like it should.

Winnipeg Jets- Say it with me. Sidney Crosby. Shea Weber. Jaroslav Halak. Those are all elite players, as good as they’re going to get, one at each position. Adding Callahan, Hartnell, Lucic, Kunitz, Vrbata, and Iginla certainly helps. The rest of the defense corps (Markov, Niskanen, and Chara) make for a veteran group that should help the Jets contend right now. Pavelec is a serviceable backup in net. The Jets probably have the best roster in the league right now, and RDHLNN is calling them the favorites this year. Next year? Probably not so much, with the roster being as old as it is.

THE RUNDOWN:

Best Forwards: San Jose Sharks
Hon. Mention: Calgary Flames, Quebec Nordiques

Best Defensemen: Detroit Red Wings
Hon. Mention: Boston Bruins, Winnipeg Jets

Best Goalies: New York Rangers
Hon. Mention: Calgary Flames, Columbus Blue Jackets

Riskiest Strategy: Chicago Blackhawks
Hon. Mention: Montreal Canadiens, Minnesota Wild

Best Move: Toronto Maple Leafs, trading away Carey Price for a boatload of value
Hon. Mention: Columbus Blue Jackets, turning one of three held 10th Round NHL Picks into a 3rd Round Prospect Pick; Minnesota Wild, moving up to no. 1 overall to select Alex Ovechkin

Why you trash talking Scrivens. It would be an honour to have him on your team 

I wonder who to believe.

No, quite the opposite. Scrivens is the Go-Bots of NHL goalies. My team has no need for Go-Bots.

the Go-Bots were the K-mart version of Transformers....similar but not the same....they were the $1 store toy you got from your smelly grandma whose was tight with her purse. Not the toy you wanted, and broke after 5 minutes.