Waddell Brings Valuable Experience to Next Hockey Job

By Nate Moser

The Carolina Hurricanes announced that President and General Manager Don Waddell resigned from his position with the team. The search is on from the organization to find the right replacement, but for now, Eric Tulsky has been named the interim general manager. As for Waddell, there is already talk that he may join the Columbus Blue Jackets. Would he become the next President of Hockey Operations and oversee the general manager? It seems to be the case, but that will be made clear once the Blue Jackets make the announcement official. What is known, however, is that Waddell brings a lot to the table in experience. He will make a significant impact to the Blue Jackets franchise in whatever his duties are.

Waddell made a name for himself when he became the first general manager in franchise history for the Atlanta Thrashers. The NHL expanded to the city of Atlanta for the second time in the late 1990s after their original team, the Atlanta Flames, relocated to Calgary. Waddell had just come off winning a Stanley Cup with the 1997-98 Detroit Red Wings as assistant general manager. He spent a long time in his first GM role with the Thrashers. He was brought in as first GM for the organization, and lasted there until he was promoted to president after the 2009-10 season was over. Waddell never left the organization until the very end when the Thrashers were going to be moved to Winnipeg and be renamed the Jets.

It is not just the fact that Waddell was around a long time that makes him a solid hockey executive. In this instance, quantity of years being in a role does not really matter if there isn’t good enough quality to show for it. Waddell brought quality to the Thrashers. Russian superstar Ilya Kovalchuk debuted and broke out in the NHL as a player for Atlanta. Before Dany Heatley became a two-time 50 goal scorer for the Ottawa Senators, where did he play and who brought him there? Atlanta and Waddell. Other significant Thrashers who Waddell was responsible for bringing in include Marc Savard, Marian Hossa, Kari Lehtonen, Slava Kozlov, and Peter Bondra among others. Based on all of the talent brought in, it should have been able to work. Despite the star power, Waddell’s Thrasher teams always managed to underachieve. In fact, this Atlanta team only made the playoffs once, which was back during the 2006-07 season. The organization lasted a little over a decade, but there was never a second postseason run.

Things were not perfect under Waddell of course. The playoff drought stat is already a rough start, but he was also involved in selecting one of the biggest draft busts in league history. That title “Biggest Bust” is reserved for a select few. There’s Alexandre Daigle, Nail Yakupov, and in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, there was Patrik Stefan. Waddell chose Stefan with the first overall pick when other names were on the board. The Sedin Brothers did want to play in the NHL together so that was a unique situation, but neither of those were picked first overall. Tim Connolly was there, who instead went to the New York Islanders at fifth overall. Other players who could have been Thrashers in the 1999 Draft over Stefan: Martin Havlat, Mike Commodore, Jordan Leopold, Mike Comrie, Chris Kelly, Ryan Malone, Ryan Miller, Henrik Zetterberg, and Radim Vrbata. Meanwhile, Stefan put up the following numbers while being a Thrasher:

  • 1999-00: five goals and 20 assists for 25 points in 72 games
  • 2000-01: 10 goals and 21 assists for 31 points in 66 games
  • 2001-02: seven goals and 16 assists for 23 points in 59 games
  • 2002-03: 13 goals and 21 assists for 34 points in 71 games
  • 2003-04: 14 goals and 26 assists for 40 points in 82 games
  • 2005-06: 10 goals and 14 assists for 24 points in 64 games

Stefan later finished up his career after playing the 2006-07 NHL season with the Dallas Stars, where he was remembered for the infamous empty net goal miss against the Edmonton Oilers.

Where Waddell missed on Stefan, he made up for with selecting Ilya Kovalchuk first overall in the 2001 NHL Draft. Kovalchuk finished his Thrashers career as the franchise leader in goals (328), assists (287), and points (615). However, Waddell does deserve his share of criticism for the fact that despite having an insanely talented player like Kovalchuk, despite his best efforts, the team only made the playoffs once.

Where things get positive for Waddell as a general manager again is when he joined the Hurricanes back in 2018. He immediately had a responsibility to select a crucial player to the team, which had the second overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft. He chose Andrei Svechnikov, who has become a core member for Carolina with his best stats still to come as he continues to grow as a young player. Waddell is also responsible for drafting Seth Jarvis, Jack Drury, and Pyotr Kochetkov. He played a role in bringing in talents from other NHL squads like Freddy Andersen, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Brent Burns, Jake Guentzel, and Dmitry Orlov among others. Not only did this lead to playoff berths, but the team also made the second round four straight seasons in a row. They even made the Eastern Conference Final back in 2022-23 but were swept by their former Southeast Division rival Florida Panthers.

Now, Waddell has the potential opportunity to make a difference for Columbus. It does not appear be as a general manager, but his input will help shape the future of the Blue Jackets no matter as a GM, advisor, or other role. Columbus has many skilled talents on their roster. There’s Johnny Gaudreau, Patrik Laine, recently-drafted forward Adam Fantilli, captain Boone Jenner, Zach Werenski, Damon Severson, and Ivan Provorov. Former Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen did the best he could while in his position, but the results were not enough to keep him around longer. Also, he had been in the organization for a long time, and it was time for a new direction. Waddell can now help tweak things in his image, and try to get the Blue Jackets to become one of the most dangerous rosters in the NHL. Once again, the actual hiring of Waddell to Columbus is not official as of yet, so what he is doing for the team is not yet known. There is a possible partnership though between both sides, and time will tell if it is a winning combination.

Make It Fair

By Mark Halpern

I think it was said best in the movie Moneyball “The problem we’re trying to solve is that there are rich teams and there are poor teams. Then there’s fifty feet of crap, and then there’s us. It’s an unfair game.” This quote isn’t really far from the truth. When you look at Baseball today the most popular teams are the ones with biggest payrolls. Those teams are The Dodgers, Mets, Yankees, Astros, Boston and Cubs. However just because you have the biggest payroll with the top stars in the game and you not guaranteed winning a world series. 

     Then you haves the teams that fall right in the middle and that’s really covers 80% of the league who make every attempt to put a winning team on the field. A team that fits this is The Toronto Blue Jays. The Blue Jays play in one of the Toughest divisions and that is the AL East. This division a powerhouse division with the Yankees, Red Sox, Orioles and Toronto. This is a division where we could see two wild card spots taken because of the caliber teams in this division.

   Then as the quote says under 50 feet of crap lies the rest (no offense to these teams) The Marlins, Rays, Royals (but having a good year), Oakland (soon to be Vegas) and White Sox. Now there are plenty of players on these teams to win as we are seeing in Kansas City but when your ownership can’t afford to spend $400 million on a player (it is a lot of money) it’s understandable but when these teams Nickel and Dime their way through the league and with exception to the Royals and they end up at the bottom with little or no fan base showing up to the games it begs to ask a question on what can be done to give certain teams a leg up?

    Television rights is one of the biggest money-making platforms next to gambling. We know teams like the Mets and the Yankees both have their own network. I am sure there are other teams in the league have their own channel dedicated to certain teams. The ones who lose out spend $$$ on MLB T.V. to be able to see all their out of market teams etc. I am focusing on the Marlins right now; they aren’t playing well and that would be a good reason for a fan base not to come. However, when they were winning people would barely come anyway. The Marlins draw the least number of fans to a game. The only way they have a big attendance is if they are playing a super power team and then their stadium is hearing chants for the other team that they are playing. This is not a good look for any franchise.

   Between T.V., Mobile Apps streaming games and radio broadcasts, there needs to be a way of sharing this money to give the weaker ball clubs a fighting chance to put a fun team on the field to draw fans and have a team. The other idea is to create a salary cap and we at the network have gone back and forth on this coming to same conclusion and that is a Salary Cap could never work because of players that are signed to extravagant contracts and then trying to get under the threshold you be talking another strike. That all being said I feel bad for certain teams that have the talent to be directly competitive but the owner ship “HAS NO MONEY” and they put what they can out on a field to try and be competitive 

A FAIR TEST FOR A TOP ROOKIE

BY MARK HALPERN

Just over a week ago the NFL released the schedules for all 32 teams and for the Bears and the hype around what they have in place is a fair and true test. Caleb Williams before 2024 began was the talk of the town and the clear cut number one overall pick whomever had him. As things happen and trades happen. As part of the DJ Moore trade the Bears had the Panthers first round pick.  The Panthers made the Bears day by finishing with the worst record giving the Bears a shot at the coveted golden boy. Well, we know what happened and what this offense is built to do. The question becomes can they click?

   The first three games against the Titans, Texans and Colts kind of seems suspect. You have this year’s top Quarterback and number one pick going against the top rookie Quarterbacks from last year. This will show can Williams beat three of the best young Quarterbacks drafted from last year and the faces of the future.

    Then it gets interesting as the Bears schedule eases up with teams that were below and well below .500 for last year. If Williams and this offense are on the same page Detroit will have some big competition.

   The ending of the schedule is one of the hardest around. The last five weeks are against the 49ers, Vikings, Lions, Seahawks and Packers. That is a harsh test especially during the winter when most of these games will be outside in the horrible cold and winter patterns (Although Williams will have to get used to the cold). These five games could be the decision between going to the playoffs or just home for this year.

   The Bears come into this season with a great looking offense on paper and a solid defense but until the first kickoff we won’t know how this team has improved from last year.

All You Need Is Patience

BY MARK HALPERN

After missing out in the playoffs the Mets went into the offseason and made changes in the front office and to the roster as well. The Mets have the BEST general manager in the sport in David Stearns. Most Mets fans were ecstatic because knows how he can put a team together. Once Stearns signed the focus (as Mets thought) Stearns was going to make a huge splash with hiring Craig Counsel as the next manager. He passed and the Mets hired Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza. Mendoza has great experience and is doing a commendable job so far. Mets fans had high hopes he was going to trade for superstar Corbin Burnes but Burnes ultimately signed a one-year deal with Baltimore. If he becomes a free agent expect the Mets to be heavy on him. David Sterns has not Band Aided this team by any means.

     The Lineup was off to a good start but, as recently Lindor, Alonso and McNeill were underperforming. Over the last week we have started to see a resurgence in all three of these players and with Lindor is starting to come alive being the leadoff hitter (which he did well in Cleveland) and he is getting pitches to hit because you don’t want to put him on and then now face a giant Polar Bear with a thunderous roar. With exception to Navarez and Nido (being the weakest hitters) are just better defensively and fit the role until Alvarez returns from the IL. Bader, Marte, Nimmo, have all been doing great whether at the plate or in the field. So this lineup is here and I fully expect it to turn around.

    Now for the weakest part of the Mets and that is the pitching. I have honestly enjoyed watching Sean Manea pitch (Mike Rifkin and myself wanted him two years ago), Luis Severino has had mixed reviews but he is showing that he has healed from his injuries and is doing well. The Mets lost their ace Kodai Senga due to the same injury the Justin Verlander had and the Mets are taking it very carefully and the prediction for him is mid-end of June. As for the rest, Houser is 0-4, Jose Quintana who has shown signs of flash is 1-4, Butto 1-3 and Edwin Diaz blowing three consecutive saves are why this Mets team is faltering. The Mets got Megill back the other night and he pitched well, David Peterson is finishing his rehab stint and you have to think he will go into the starting rotation easily. By mid-June the rotation should be Senga, Megil,Peterson,Quintana,Scott and will definitely be a great Improvement heading into June.  I BELIEVE in this Mets team and as of yesterday they are 3 games back of the 3rd wild card spot. Let’s face it the Mets are not catching the Braves, Philly will be tough and expects to get at least 1 spot and then you have to look at these teams Padres, Diamondbacks, Giants and the Cubs all have similar records and if the Mets are in striking difference don’t be surprised if the Mets trade one of the coveted rookies (Baty, Vientos, Jett or Possibly Ryan Clifford) to help gain a pitcher or infielder. My one proposal is calling the Houston Astros and see what they would take for Bregman (with him having to sign a  who is on his last year and will most likely test the Market. The Mets can ill afford to be lazy when it comes to a huge position player and the way the Astros are playing it might be worth a call and see if he is available. Obviously he will be required to sign an extension and go through a physical and we know how thorough the Mets medical staff is (EX Carlos Correa) and they will make sure he is good to go. This Mets team might not look like much now but just wait, great things are coming and the Mets will aim to be an elite team in the NL East.

NFL Playoff Prediction 2024-2025 Season

This is part 2 of the NFL 2024-2025 season, where I have predicted the playoffs and the superbowl winners based on my previous post for the regular season. Here are my official predictions and the times each game will start.

Wild Card Round:

  • Saturday
    • 4pm on Fox- San Francisco 49ers (5th Seed) vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4th Seed) : 49ers Advances
    •  8pm on NBC- Jacksonville Jaguars (7th Seed) vs Kansas City Chiefs (2nd Seed): Chiefs Advances
  • Sunday
    • 1pm on Fox- Green Bay Packers (6th Seed) vs Detroit Lions (3rd Seed): Packers Advances
    • 4pm on CBS/Nickelodeon/Paramount+ – Baltimore Ravens (5th Seed) vs Houston Texans (4th Seed): Texans Advances
    • 8pm on NBC/Peacock- Dallas Cowboys (7th Seed) vs Philadelphia Eagles (2nd Seed): Eagles Advances
  • Monday
    • 7pm on ESPN/ESPN+/Hulu- Buffalo Bills (6th Seed) vs Miami Dolphins (3rd Seed): Bills Advances 

Divisional Round

  • Saturday
    • 4pm on CBS/Nickelodeon/Paramount+ – Buffalo Bills (6th Seed) vs Cincinnati Bengals (1st Seed): Bengals advances
    • 8pm on Amazon Prime- San Francisco 49ers (5th Seed) vs Philadelphia Eagles (2nd Seed) : Eagles Advances
  • Sunday
    • 4pm on Fox- Green Bay Packers (6th Seed) vs Seattle Seahawks (1st Seed): Packers Advances
    • 8pm on NBC/Peacock- Houston Texans (4th Seed) vs Kansas City (2nd Seed): Chiefs Advances

Championship Round

  • Sunday
    • 4pm on Fox- Green Bay Packers vs Philadelphia Eagles (NFC Championship): Eagles Win
    • 8pm on CBS/Paramount+ – Kansas City Chiefs vs Cincinnati Bengals (AFC Championship): Bengals Win

Superbowl

  • 7pm on Fox: Cincinnati Bengals vs Philadelphia Eagles: Philadelphia Eagles win the Lombardi Trophy for the 2nd time 

2024 Western Conference Final Preview: Dallas Stars vs. Edmonton Oilers

BY NATE MOSER

After a close series between Edmonton and the Vancouver Canucks in Game Seven, the Oilers move on to the Western Conference Final to take on the Dallas Stars. They meet a Dallas team who eliminated the Colorado Avalanche in six games. Immediate reactions upon this matchup is it could go either way. The Stars were in the Stanley Cup Final back in 2020, losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning in what was a weird postseason due to the COVID-19 pandemic earlier in the year. The Oilers, on the other hand, have not made it to the Cup Final since 2006, when they lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games.

Looking specifically at the forwards for each team, there is solid depth on both sides. Starting with Edmonton, it starts with the best hockey player in the sport in Connor McDavid. He has captivated the hockey world since he was with the Erie Otters back in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) as a teenager. He is an absolute machine on the ice and some of his moves when he is out there are so automatic that he looks like a robot on skates. His point production being as high as it has been for seasons now is just assumed at this point. It’s McDavid, of course he is going to tally 100 points. However, in true McDavid fashion, he has found new ways to be unprecedented in his career. He finished the 2023-24 campaign with 100 assists. Yes, that stat is correct. Not 100 points, 100 assists. What makes this even more mind-blowing is the fact that this was not even his best season in points, because he only potted 32 goals. To put this in perspective, he had 64 goals in 2022-23, and 44 in 2021-22. Here are his stats from the last few seasons:

  • 2021-22: 44 goals and 79 assists for 123 points in 80 games
  • 2022-23: 64 goals and 89 assists for 153 points in 82 games
  • 2023-24: 32 goals and 100 assists for 132 points in 76 games

Stars players are going to have to do the impossible job of trying to contain McDavid, because if he gets his way, it could be a quicker series for everyone with Dallas eliminated as a result. Looking beyond him, the Oilers also have another dangerous weapon in Leon Draisaitl. Along with McDavid, Draisaitl puts up 100-point seasons so easily. 2023-24 was no exception. He scored 41 goals and added 65 assists to finish the regular season with 106 points. That was his fifth time having at least 100 points in a season. Below are all the seasons he achieved this feat:

  • 2018-19: 50 goals and 55 assists for 105 points in 82 games
  • 2019-20: 43 goals and 67 assists for 110 points in 71 games
  • 2021-22: 55 goals and 55 assists for 110 points in 80 games
  • 2022-23: 52 goals and 76 assists for 128 points in 80 games
  • 2023-24: 41 goals and 65 assists for 106 points in 81 games

McDavid and Draisaitl are the main components of the Oilers’ offense, but they have a solid group of talent around them as well. There is Zach Hyman, who scored 54 goals and a total of 77 points; Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who tallied 67 points; and Adam Henrique among others. Dallas will have their hands full with all of the talent that is in Edmonton’s forward core.

However, the Stars have their fair share of lethal talent as well. Leading the charge in that regard in the regular season was Jason Robertson who accumulated 80 points in 82 games (29 goals and 51 assists). Following Robertson in points is Joe Pavelski, who had himself 67 points on the season in 82 games (27 goals and 40 assists). A few other names to round out the top five in points are Wyatt Johnston (32 goals and 33 assists for 65 points), Roope Hintz (30 goals and 35 assists for 65 points), and Matt Duchene (25 goals and 40 assists for 65 points). They have an offense by committee as well. Robertson is the offensive face but his teammates like Pavelski, Duchene, and Hintz cannot be ignored. This roster carries a lot of offensive skill.

Then, there are the defenses for each organization. The Oilers have a defense who know how to produce offensively. In fact, the Oilers’ third highest point total belonged to Evan Bouchard, who had 82 points in 81 games (18 goals and 64 assists). Mattias Ekholm continued to be a stellar acquisition from the Nashville Predators by accruing 11 goals and 34 assists for 45 points in 79 games. That is his best point total in a single season for his career, beating out his 44 points he had with the Predators during the 2018-19 campaign. Other defenders who will try and help Edmonton get past Dallas include Darnell Nurse, Brett Kulak, Cody Ceci, and Vincent Desharnais.

The Stars, meanwhile, are led on the backend by Miro Heiskanen. The 24-year-old played in his sixth NHL season and did not disappoint with nine goals and 45 assists for 54 points in 71 games. So far, in the 2024 postseason, Heiskanen is a point-per-game with five goals and eight assists in 13 games. He has solid backup on the blueline though as well. 22-year-old Thomas Harley suited up for 79 games in the regular season, tallying 15 goals and 32 assists for 47 points. In the playoffs right now, Harley has two assists in 13 games. Also, do not underestimate the veteran leadership a player like Ryan Suter brings. His career has spanned over 1,400 games between his time on the Predators, Minnesota Wild, and now with Dallas. The younger Stars defensemen could soak up a lot of knowledge through how Suter carries himself. There was a reason he was sought after and paid a lot by the Wild back during the 2012 free agency window.

Goaltending is where this series gets extremely intriguing, because the Oilers recently had to rely on their backup goalie for a portion of their previous series. Their starter Stuart Skinner played 10 postseason games, but after a poor performance against the Vancouver Canucks, he got pulled during the contest and replaced with backup Calvin Pickard. Pickard has been a journeyman goalie throughout his career; having played for the Avalanche, Toronto Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers, Arizona Coyotes, and Detroit Red Wings. He has made a difference to an extent, helping the team win a game and bring them closer to winning the series. Skinner played for Edmonton in Game Seven, which saw the Oilers eliminate the Canucks by a 3-2 final score. Between Skinner and Pickard, time will tell how the goalie matchup on their side goes as the series goes on versus the Stars. With Dallas, it is the Jake Oettinger Show. He has been awesome to help get the Stars this far. His record in the 13 games he has started so far is 8-5 with a goals-against-average (GAA) of 2.09 and a save percentage (SV%) of .918.

Ultimately, I think this series could go either way. I think the McDavid and Draisaitl vs. Oettinger matchup will be key. If McDavid and Draisaitl get their way with the puck and they take full advantage, Edmonton is going to make the progress they need to against Dallas. If Oettinger helps shut those two down, it will make a massive difference and create a big challenge that the Oilers will have to figure out. That is not even factoring the talents the Stars have in Robertson, Pavelski, Duchene, and Heiskanen that were referenced earlier. It should be a great series all-around. Between the two, it feels like the Stars are going to figure out a way to get it done. The official prediction is Dallas in six games.

What Comes Next : Boston Bruins (Rifkin Statement Address)

By Mike Rifkin

The Boston Bruins have been a model of consistency over the last 15 years, only missing the playoffs twice since the 2007-08 season, and winning the Stanley Cup in 2011. People have been wondering when the Bruins’ would fall off and it has yet to happen. During the 2022-23 season the Boston Bruins set a record for most wins in a season with 65 and points with 135. But while those records are nice, it means nothing as the Bruins blew a 3-1 lead to the Florida Panthers in the first round of the playoffs. This season the Bruins finished second in the Atlantic Division, beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games in the first round. But like last season the Bruins were sent home by the Florida Panthers in six games. 

Prior to this season the Bruins top two centers David Krejci and captain Patrice Bergeron retired. Bergeron (who is a future hall of famer) and Krejci last season combined for 43 goals and 114 points. Instead, of going out and acquiring a true number one Center the Bruins opted to use Charlie Coyle and Pavel Zacha in those roles and both posted or in Zacha’s case a career high in goals ( Coyle : 25, Zacha 21) and the two combined for 119 points as well. 

But when you talk Boston Bruins forwards you have to talk about David Pastrnak, one of the most dynamic players in the NHL. Pastrnak has hit the 30 goal mark in six of the last seven seasons, the only miss being 2020-21 shortened season. Pastrnak had 47 goals on the season and 110 points on the season, both top ten in the NHL. 

Over the last two seasons the Bruins goaltending duo of Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman have been nothing short of fantastic. The duo last season won the Jennings trophy (fewest goals allowed) and Ullmark won the Vezina trophy. Both Ullmark and Swayman were top five in Goals Against Average and save percentage. This year both were great again and were top 10 in those same categories. At the trade deadline there was a report that the Los Angeles Kings tried to acquire Ullmark, but he nixed that deal. With Swayman being a restricted free agent, it is likely that we have seen the end to that duo. 

BRUINS FREE AGENTS (WITH 2023-24 Stats)

RESTRICTED

JESPER BOQVIST – (6 goals 14 pts) 

JEREMY SWAYMAN (25-10-8 2.53 GAA .916 SAVE PERCENTAGE 3 Shutouts) 

BRANDON BUSSI (AHL STATS : 23-10-5 2.67 GAA .913 SAVE PERCENTAGE 1 Shutout)

UNRESTRICTED 

JAKE DEBRUSK ( 19 GOALS 40 POINTS)

DANTON HEINEN ( 17 GOALS 36 POINTS)

JAMES VAN RIEMSDYK ( 11 GOALS 38 POINTS)

PAT MAROON ( 4 GOALS 12 POINTS)

MATT GRZELCYK ( 2 GOALS 11 POINTS)

KEVIN SHATTENKIRK (6 GOALS 24 POINTS)

DEREK FORBORT ( 0 GOALS FOUR POINTS)

Let’s start with the two big free agents and then we’ll get to the team as a whole. There is no question in my mind that Jeremy Swayman is a number one goalie and deserves to be paid as such, so that is the top priority of the offseason. Now when it comes to Jake DeBrusk it’s difficult. I like the player a lot, the last two seasons he had 25+ goals and led the team in points in the playoffs, but the consistency is where it gets me. DeBrusk is coming off a two year eight million dollar contract, so he is going to look to be bumped north of the four million he was making. 

The Bruins are expected to have 22.5 million dollars in cap space with the cap rising this summer. So how should they spend that money plus whatever else might the offseason hold for them?

Let’s start with the Linus Ullmark situation, because as mentioned above Swayman has taken the reins of the net. And if Brandon Bussi is ready to be the backup or the Bruins can sign a cheap backup. Teams like the Kings, Oilers and Devils all are in need of a true number one goalie. Now the question would be does this happen at the draft or after? Or do the Bruins wait to see what Calgary does with Jacob Markstrom? 

STAYING : SWAYMAN, BUSSI, MAROON, SHATTENKIRK (IF PRICES ARE RIGHTS)

LEAVING ULLMARK, DEBRUSK GRZELCYK, FORBORT, HEINEN, JVR

Acquiring ( WON’T PUT MONEY OR TERM OF DEAL) : Elias Lindholm (unless Ullmark trade nets them a number one Center), Yakov Trenin, Alex Carrier, Ian Cole (or Dylan Demelo). 

Now if Bussi isn’t ready then you could add a veteran backup goalie. But the reason for the three defensemen is if anything is true in hockey it’s that depth on the backend is needed, I expect Parker Wotherspoon and Mason Lohrei to continue their progression. 

https://www.spotrac.com/nhl/cap/_/year/2024/sort/cap_maximum_space2

Predicting NFL Regular Season Results

After the NFL schedule release this past week, I have decided to give my predictions and predict the wins and losses for each team this season and determine who will make the playoffs in the 2024-2025 NFL season. I did include week 18 as it can be a crazy week for some teams who need the win and others who are not playing their starting players to rest them for the playoffs the following week. I hope to make a playoff prediction list with this list in the next few weeks. Here are my full predictions for the NFL regular season.

TeamWeeks WinningWeeks LosingBye WeekW-LPlayoffsDivision Placement
Buffalo Bills1,5,7,9,10,14,15,16,17,182,3,4,6,8,11,14,1310-7Yes/6th Seed2nd/AFC East
New England Patriots6,8,11,15,1,2,3,4,5,7,9,10,12,13,16,17,18144-13No4th/AFC East
NY Jets2,3,4,6,9,11,15,1,5,7,8,10,13,14,16,17,18127-9No3rd/AFC East
Miami Dolphins1,2,4,5,8,10,11,12,14,17,183,7,9,13,15,16,611-6Yes/3rd Seed1st/AFC East
Baltimore Ravens1,2,4,6,9,10,12,13,15,16,183,5,7,8,171411-5Yes/5th Seed2nd/AFC North
Cincinnati Bengals1,3,4,5,6,8,9,11,12,14,16,172,7,10,15,181312-5Yes/1st Seed1st/AFC North
Cleveland Browns3,7,8,9,11,12,14,1,2,4,5,6,13,15,16,17,18107-10No3rd/AFC North
Pittsburgh Steelers2,3,6,7,181,4,5,8,10,12,13,14,15,16,17,95-12No4th/AFC North
Denver Broncos5,6,8,13,181,2,3,4,7,9,10,11,12,15,16,17145-12No4th/AFC West
KC Chiefs2,3,5,7,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,171,4,8,16,18612-5Yes/2nd Seed1st/AFC West
LA Chargers1,2,4,7,10,13,15,16,17,3,6,8,9,11,12,14,59-6No2nd/AFC West
Las Vegas Raiders3,4,8,9,12,16,171,2,5,6,7,11,13,14,15,107-9No3rd/AFC West
Houston Texans1,2,3,4,7,8,11,12,15,16,175,6,9,10,13,181411-6Yes/4th Seed1st/AFC South
Indianapolis Colts3,4,5,7,9,12,13,15,16,1,2,6,8,10,11,17,149-7No3rd/AFC South
Jacksonville Jaguars2,3,4,6,7,8,9,10,13,14,1,5,11,15,16,17,181210-7Yes/7th Seed2nd/AFC South
Tennessee Titans6,9,15,17,1,2,3,4,7,8,10,11,12,13,14,16,54-12No4th/AFC South
Dallas Cowboys1,2,3,4,5,9,10,12,13,15,186,8,11,14,16,17711-6Yes/7th Seed2nd/NFC East
NY Giants1,2,8,9,10,14,16,173,4,5,6,7,12,13,15,18118-9No3rd/NFC East
Philadelphia Eagles1,2,3,4,6,7,11,12,14,15,17,188,9,10,13,513-4Yes/2nd Seed1st/NFC East
Washington Commanders4,5,7,8,10,13,151,2,3,6,9,11,12,17,18147-10No4th/NFC East
Chicago Bears1,10,122,3,4,5,6,8,9,11,13,14,15,16,17,1873-14No4th/NFC North
Detroit Lions1,2,3,6,7,8,10,11,13,14,16,17,184,9,12,15,513-4Yes/3rd Seed1st/NFC South
Green Bay Packers2,3,4,5,6,9,11,13,15,16,17,181,7,8,12,14,1012-5Yes/6th Seed2nd/NFC South
Minnesota Vikings5,8,11,13,14,151,2,3,4,7,9,10,12,16,17,1866-11No3rd/NFC North
Arizona Cardinals2,9,10,16,1,3,4,5,6,7,8,12,13,14,15,17,18114-13No4th/NFC West
LA Rams4,7,9,16,17,1,2,3,5,8,10,11,12,13,14,15,1865-12No3rd/NFC West
San Francisco 49ers1,2,3,4,5,8,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,186,7,17,914-3Yes/5th Seed2nd/NFC West
Seattle Seahawks1,2,4,5,6,7,8,9,12,13,14,16,17,183,11,15,1014-3Yes/1st Seed1st/NFC West
Atlanta Falcons1,4,5,10,11,15,17,182,3,6,7,8,9,13,14,16,128-9No2nd/NFC South
Carolina Panthers5,6,91,2,3,4,7,8,10,12,13,14,15,16,17,18113-14No4th/NFC South
New Orleans Saints1,7,8,13,182,3,4,5,6,9,10,11,14,15,16,17125-12No3rd/NFC South
Tampa Bay Buccaneers1,3,6,7,8,12,13,14,16,17,2,4,5,9,10,15,181110-7Yes/4th Seed1st/NFC South

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Jd3Qy4Egsz4C4Mf4gYja2zVvG-CD16atk-ArZYTz5ks/edit?usp=drivesdk

MISSED IT BY THAT MUCH

BY Mark Halpern

The New York Knicks amazing season run has come to a close. The Knicks were defeated by the Indiana Pacers in game 7 at Madison Square Garden on Sunday and sent the Knicks home. However, something happened in New York that I have rarely seen. In my 41 years as a Knicks fan, I think I have expressed every emotion from down right disrespectful to outrageously ecstatic and that was just between games. I have been a loyal and dedicated fan and even though the Knicks were sent home this season was not in any way a failure and the loyal fan base made sure they were not just proud of one player but almost every Knick who checked in and who checked out got standing ovations from this Knick crowd. It’s very hard to get a standing ovation when you lose to an inferior team but, this wasn’t just a loss it also proved to be very successful. The Knicks experiment with Jalen Brunson leading the way and rotating centers worked. It was unfortunate that the Knicks lost Mitchell Robinson after game 2 and took away the Knicks chance at being able to match up defensively height wise and were being dominated on either end of the floor rebound wise and the Pacers capitalized on that key by taking the last three games of the series to move on.

    I wish I could say that Robinson’s injury was the only one but the Knicks were also down Julius Randle for most of the year, Josh Hart got a severe abdominal strain but still played through the pain, OG Anunoby was lost after game two due to a hamstring  injury and the Knicks were losing players towards the end and couldn’t match up. Especially in the fourth quarter with losing star Jalen Brunson to a broken hand.  However, this was a Knicks team that wasn’t considered a top team in the Eastern Conference and the jury was out on them. As fans we have to look at the last two seasons as massive successes.  It is a huge step forward and with the Knicks showing how much talent they have, attracting HIGH quality free agents will not be a problem as the Garden faithful will gladly welcome into the fold. I am a very proud Knick fan to be writing this article and hope we see the same life, hunger and will next season.

The Difference Maker

By Mike Rifkin

The Florida Panthers and New York Rangers are getting ready to play in the Eastern Conference Finals, with a chance to go play for the Stanley Cup. For both teams this is the second time in three seasons that both are playing for a chance to go to the Cup Final. Now, we can discuss all of the X-factors that’ll play in this series, but one matchup will determine the outcome of this series. The battle of the goalies. Both Igor Shesterkin and Sergei Bobrovsky have both won the Vezina Trophy and both have had big moments in their playoff career. 

For the Rangers they’ve had the distinct goaltending edge in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Igor Shesterkin is 8-2 with a 2.40 GAA and a .923 save percentage so far in the playoffs. In game four against the Hurricanes, Shesterkin had his streak of 30 consecutive playoff games of giving up three goals or less snapped. Shesterkin had a big struggle during the season, but after getting some time off after the All Star break, Shesterkin has been phenomenal for the Rangers and is a big reason why they won the Presidents’ Trophy. 

For the Panthers they haven’t had the distinct advantage in goal through the first two rounds, going up against Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jeremy Swayman. But Sergei Bobrovsky has been excellent with a 2.37 GAA and a .902 save percentage. Bobrovsky in his playoff career has a 2.94 GAA and .905 save percentage.  

Two Russian Goalies, who have had outstanding seasons have an opportunity to lead their respective franchise to the Eastern Conference Championship time will tell on which one will be the difference maker.