Yardbarker: Colby Armstrong

Digging Woes from Management

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 11:41:04 -0500

This blog is specified between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins -- two teams that have felt the cold and unfair hand of management stamp down on decisions, exiling the General Managers. It is a process which can end a GM's tenure quite easily. The management sees an opportunity, exploits it whether or not the GM sees fit, and the repercussions always fall squarely on the GM regardless.

In JFJ's case, for example, is a man who was pulled down to the muck because of MLSE, despite his flaws in decision making. A few years ago -- when things were becoming amuck for the Blue and White faithful -- JFJ proposed a rebuilding plan to the upper management in hopes to ice a competitive team in the near future. His idea was shot down, thus forcing him to acquire players like Jason Blake, Mark Bell, Eric Lindros, Jason Allison, and Andrew Raycroft just to name a few. As you know, this type of thing does not project a team forward but rather guides them on a linear path, whatever their goal might be. In the Maple Leafs case, that goal was mediocrity, and boy oh boy did they nail it! In the past two seasons, the Leafs have missed the playoffs, landing in 9^th place both times. This season appears to hold the same fate for the Buds, but I suppose anything can happen in the NHL.

The point is, JFJ lost his job because MLSE felt that the team was going nowhere and needed a seasoned veteran like current Leafs-GM Cliff Fletcher to blow it up. There is something terribly wrong here. If MLSE would of followed through with JFJ's initial plan, I wonder what the discussion would be involving the Leafs now days? Maybe speaking of the latest prospects that are tearing it up in the minors, or perhaps discussing the potential of a core a youngster on the Leafs. Instead, we have rants from some of Leafs Nation claiming that Mats Sundin has "let this team down" by not waiving his no-trade clause. It's funny how that works, considering Sundin was hailed a hero 6 months ago.

Don't blame JFJ entirely for the abundance of no-trade clauses on this team either. Sure it was partly his fault, but we must remember that he did not plan such a questionable stance for the Leafs to begin with. He worked with what he had, and was forced to propel them to the post-season, or just making 8^th place, whichever you prefer. Because of the ignorance of MLSE, JFJ lost his job.

A similar situation could reside with Pittsburgh Penguins-GM Ray Shero. Coming into the NHL Trade Deadline, Shero had plans to buff up his club heading into the playoffs. What he did not have plans for, however, is unloading a core of youth for superstar winger Marian Hossa. An all or nothing deal if you think about it. I fail to understand how the Pens will be able to lock-up all key players in the summer without going over the Cap. Especially considering Evgeni Malkin is finishing off a monster season. Regardless, Pens manager Mario Lemieux thought it would be a great addition to their club, so he enforced it upon Shero. And you can full well expect the repercussions to land on the GM should the deal be deemed a failure.

So with that in mind, it would appear there is a good chance that Shero's job may be teetering from the result of this trade. This is no ordinary trade either, it's huge. Fans of the Penguins will be calling for blood if the likes of Angelo Esposito, Erik Christensen, Colby Armstrong and 1^st round pick are all unloaded for nothing. Guess who takes the blame?

When the position of General Manager is awarded to an individual, it should ensure full autonomy. The decisions enforced by management should be changed to suggestions, thus implementing fair game for the GM. This would lay both the praise and blame on the individual, and like life teaches us, we learn from our mistakes and from our accomplishments – isn't this how every job should be?

Who Improved and Where the Rangers Stand...

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 23:18:55 -0500

Last year, the Eastern Conference was a crapshoot. Much like David Caruso's career, Ottawa started real hot then dropped off the face of the Earth. Montreal and Pittsburgh, boosted by strong power plays, were the obvious best teams in the East, but they only rose to the top of the standings around early-March. Every other team was mediocre.

If it was pre-lockout, the Rangers might not have made the playoffs, but they did last season because of Brendan Shanahan, Nigel Dawes, and Henrik Lundqvist's shootout performances. Washington clinched the playoffs on the last day possible. Carolina lost out on a playoff spot on the last day possible. Even the Islanders were relevant until March's injuries piled up. Boston made the playoffs for the first time since 2004 and nearly beat the #1 ranked Canadiens.

What I'm saying is that it's anybody's conference to take. In the West, you knew Detroit will be up there, and Anaheim, San Jose, and Dallas should make the playoffs, while Phoenix, LA, Chicago, Edmonton, St. Louis, and Columbus would be awful.

Will anything change in the East this year? Probably not. Who really improved in the East in the offseason?

* * *

Far and away the winners of the East are the Tampa Bay Lightning. Vaclav Prospal returns next season, Matt Carle is in on defense, and they signed Ryan Malone, Radim Vrbata (both people I think the Rangers should have tried to get), Gary Roberts, Olaf Kolzig, Mark Recchi, and power play QB Andrew Hutchinson. Oh, and Steven Stamkos should transition well in the NHL playing alongside Vinny Lecavilier. While their goaltending still is a question mark (Mike Smith and Kolzig are both a half-step up from being backup goaltenders), their beefed up offense should make up for a shaky back half. The only one missing from their team is expensive Dan Boyle, but now that they have an owner who wants to spend money, a trade deadline deal for a top defender is certainly possible.

Atlanta was awful last season and should be this season. They did rob the Penguins blind in the Marian Hossa deal, but Angelo Esposito probably won't catch fire this season, even if he makes the roster. The additions of Erik Christensen and Colby Armstrong from Pittsburgh do help, but they are role players who aren't going to pot you 40 goals like Hossa would have. When your big offseason acquisition is named Ron Hainsley, you aren't moving forward.

Florida is also a team that is going nowhere. They might be the worst franchise in all of professional sports, Knicks included. They traded Olli Jokinen for a bundle of nothing, somehow re-signed Jay Bouwmeester even though we all know that he will not be there next season. Their lone spotlights are Nathan Horton and Tomas Vokoun. These guys are not a threat for anything except John Tavares in next year's Entry Draft.

Finishing off the Southeast, the Hurricanes and Capitals stood pat. While cash-strapped Carolina would up getting the defender they needed in Joni Pitkanen, it cost them heart-and-soul man Erik Cole. Yes, they signed Darcy Hordichuk, but can a 4th line goon lift you over the hump and into the playoffs? After making the playoffs last year, the Capitals decided to go with the same team this year. Sergei Federov, a good deadline deal, is back for another older, slower season, and their goaltending tandem of Jose Theodore and Brent Johnson is not as good as Kolzig and Christobal Huet were last year.

Long story short: One team will make the playoffs from the Southeast, and that's just because those are the rules.

* * *

In the Northeast division, the Toronto Maple Leafs aim to miss the playoffs for the 4th straight year, which would be a new team record. Overpaying for Jeff Finger, trading for Jamal Mayers and Ryan Hollweg, not-yet-re-signing Mats Sundin or moving Bryan McCabe. I like GM Cliff Fletcher, but what exactly is he doing?

The Montreal Canadiens improved by leaps and bou-- no, they didn't improve at all. They missed the boat on Hossa, they probably won't get Sundin, but don't worry, Georges Laraque has arrived in Montreal! Alex Tanguay should help their already strong offense though and he came cheap in the form of just draft picks. They shouldn't miss Mark Streit on the power play too much, but can Alex Kovalev have another great season? While they are a good team still, the fact is, they aren't much better than last year, if at all.

The Boston Bruins signed unproven, unmotivated forward Blake Wheeler (although he did want to play in Beantown) and overpaid for Michael Ryder to replace Glen Murray. Is that any way to build a playoff contender? However, I think they would take a step forward if they would finally just admit to themselves that Tim Thomas is their starting goaltender. This guy is so motivated it's incredible.

Buffalo... uhhh, did the Sabres have an offseason? Yes, they traded away Steve "Brian Campbell" Bernier. Campbell's replacement is Craig Rivet, a journeyman who, while solid, won't stop a Crosby, Ovechkin, or Malkin from scoring. They also re-signed the aging, unhealthy Teppo Numinen, presumably as a locker room presence.

Ottawa's big offseason move was what they didn't do - they didn't trade Antoine Vermette, which is huge. He can be a great player if any of their Big 3 - Heatley, Spezza, Alfredsson - falter or get hurt like in 2007-08. Their goaltending is a question mark as well, with Martin Gerber and the well-traveled Alex Auld standing guard. That shouldn't inspire confidence in Canada's capital.

* * *

Now, the East. I won't dwell too much on the Rangers, but regardless of what you think of their offseason moves, they are a better team today than they were in May.

Wade Redden and Dmitri Kalinin, and whoever turns out to be the 7th d-man are better than the likes of Tyutin, Backman, Malik, and Strudwick. Plus, Paul Mara returned at a discount, and Marc Staal and Dan Girardi should continue to excel this season.

Markus Naslund and Nik Zherdev are being counted on to have comeback years, and that may be asking a lot, but atleast the offense is styled differently. Plus, their power play should click this year without Jaromir Jagr to receive passes from Michal Rozsival and Marty Straka.

The one big loss is Sean Avery, a winger who could change games with his gritty style as well as put the puck home in big situations (just ask Martin Brodeur). Losing Ryan Hollweg for a draft pick was a no-brainer, and Aaron Voros and/or Patrick Rissmiller will take over his role and make it more offensive as well.

Did the Pittsburgh Penguins improve? Not too much. As well as losing roster players in Christensen and Armstrong and a top prospect in Esposito, they essentially traded hometown-boy Ryan Malone and Hossa for Miro Satan and Ruslan Fedotenko, two middling wingers who had bad seasons. Their bright spot of the offseason was getting Brooks Oprik back when it looked like he would be on the way out. They still have their core, and they will be dangerous, no doubt. But they question is, did they improve? The answer has to be no, they did not.

We all know the Islanders' problems, starting with Charles Wang and Garth Snow and moving out. Streit should help the team and make up for losing Marc-Andre Bergeron and Bryan Berard with the man-advantage. Doug Weight will help as well, that is until February, when he along with a bunch of other expiring-contracts are traded to contenders for draft picks and prospects.

It was Old Timer's Day in July for the Devils, as they signed former players Bobby Holik, Brian Rolston, and Scott Clemmensen as their 3rd goalie. Rolston is a great utility man, but I think the Devils will overuse him. Holik is a serviceable 3rd line center these days, but the days of him shutting down other teams top lines are over. They also overpaid for Bryce Salvador, but they did need a big body on the blueline. While Rolston was a good pick-up, their defense is still holier than the Bible Belt, and their offense can't make up for it. However, while I expect big years from Zach Parise and Travis Zajac, I can't say they improved much.

The Flyers were active in getting Glen Metropolit in his declining years, Steve Eminger, a few Finnish defensemen whose names I can't pronounce, and re-signing Jeff Carter, but it came at the cost of young gun R.J. Umberger and Prospal. Still, I would say the Flyers improved, if only slightly. Their defense is suspect with Derian Hatcher still there and Jaroslav Modry gone, but Braydon Coburn can only get better. Him and Kimmo Timonen on the same pairing could be one of, if not the best in the East.

* * *

I didn't mean for this to be this long, and if you made it this far, I applaud you.

Who improved? Tampa, for sure. Probably the Flyers. Other teams just swapped one player for another, getting rid of a Malone for a Satan, or a Sergei Brylin for a Holik. That doesn't necessarily make them a better team, just the same team with different names on the back.

On paper, it appears the Rangers are one of the most-improved teams in the East, if not only by their additions then by their subtractions. That's not to say I didn't love Jagr and Straka and Shanahan, but it will be a completely different team, and that can't hurt.

Who Improved and Where the Rangers Stand...

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:51:12 -0500

Will anything change in the East this year? Probably not. Who really improved in the East in the offseason?

* * *

Long story short: One team will make the playoffs from the Southeast, and that's just because those are the rules.

* * *

Now, the East. I won't dwell too much on the Rangers, but regardless of what you think of their offseason moves, they are a better team today than they were in May.

* * *

I didn't mean for this to be this long, and if you made it this far, I applaud you.

THE LEGACY OF...MARIAN HOSSA

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 19:06:08 -0500

Welcome to the second installment of "The Legacy Of...", the series in which we will discuss the legacies of Pittsburgh athletes who moved on to greener pastures.

I'll give you the facts, including details on the player's acquisition, his Pittsburgh career with all of the highs and lows, and the time when he moves on. After that, you can vote on his legacy and discuss it at greater length in the comments section.

Today's subject, like most of the subjects in this series, is a magnet for controversy: former Penguin Marian Hossa.

ACQUISITION

The 6'1", 210-pound right winger was drafted 12th overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 1997 draft, playing eight seasons north of the border.

Hossa signed a three-year, $18 million contract on August 23, 2005, and was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers later that afternoon in exchange for talented yet troubled winger Dany Heatley.

During his third season with Atlanta, Hossa was dealt by the Thrashers to Pittsburgh (along with Pascal Dupuis) on February 26, 2008, in exchange for Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen, 2007 1st-round pick Angelo Esposito, and the Penguins' 2008 1st-round pick.

Hossa was clearly the centerpiece of the Penguins' trade deadline acquisitions and was part of one of the highest-profile trades in team history. Prior to his time in Pittsburgh, Hossa had notched 296 goals and 342 points in his NHL career with Ottawa and Atlanta.

Upon his arrival to the Burgh, this photo of Hossa and a female friend was dug up and run on blogs approximately 1.8 million times during the next four months. OK, I made that 1.8 million number up. It was closer to 1.9 million.

The trade was controversial on several levels. Some considered the price too high and the trade too risky, pointing to Hossa's unspectacular playoff performances in past years. Others disliked the loss of popular locker-room guys like Christensen and Armstrong, both fan favorites. Another faction of Penguin fans endorsed the roll-of-the-dice, which was a bold move by both the front office and the ownership. For Pittsburgh fans used to trade deadlines spent watching our teams give away top players, this was a welcome change.

CAREER IN PITTSBURGH

Hossa's time as a Penguin got off to an ominous start, as he sprained his MCL in his Penguins debut on February 28. He would not return until a March 16 grudge match with Philadelphia that turned out to be a rousing 7-1 Penguins victory. Hossa scored a goal and added an assist in his Mellon Arena debut, endearing himself to the home fans in the process.

Hossa ended the Penguin portion of his 2007-08 regular season with three goals and seven assists in 12 games, his high point output a three-assist performance in a 7-1 win against the Devils on March 22. It was on to the playoffs, where his presence would truly determine whether Ray Shero's trade was a good move or one the Penguins would regret.

In the playoff opener, a 4-0 victory against Ottawa, Hossa was held goal-less on seven shots. At the time, I said, "looked like there was a lid on the goal for him."

Following Game Two, a two-assist performance in another Penguins victory, Hossa was awarded FSN's Player of the Game honors for his goal & assist combo in a 4-1 Game Three win that put the Penguins within one win of an eventual sweep. Hossa ended the first round with one goal and four assists on 15 shots.

It was on to Round Two against Jaromir Jagr and the New York Rangers. After somewhat of a slow start in the first two games (both Penguin victories, by the way), Hossa way publicly called out by Post-Gazette columnist Ron Cook with his "Hossa needs to start scoring" story. Cook suggested that despite their 6-0 record in the playoffs to that point, Coach Michel Therrien should have replaced Hossa with Petr Sykora on the top power play unit.

Hossa must've been a PG reader, as he answered Cook's challenge with a goal and assist performance in the next game, a 5-3 win over the Rangers. He added two goals, including an overtime, series-ender, in the clinching 3-2 victory; after two rounds and nine games, Hossa stood at five goals and five assists on 44 shots. More importantly, he aroused Casey Hampton enough to get out of his front-row seat.

Hossa got off to a quick start in the Conference Finals against Philadelphia, with a two-assist Game One and a power play goal in Game Two.

Hossa would notch two more goals in a 4-1 victory against the Flyers in Game Three, silencing 19,965 Flyers fans in the process. It was a beautiful sight.

Hossa would save his best statistical game of the playoffs for the May 18, 6-0 blowout that would send Philadelphia to their inevitable offseason golf matches. His one goal, three-assist game would give the alleged shrinking playoff performer nine goals and 10 assists through three rounds of the tournament. Suddenly, Hossa was called "the perfect wingman for Sidney Crosby," while simultaneously being praised by SI.

It was on to the Stanley Cup, hockey's biggest stage for one of its biggest free agents.

Like every other player on the Penguins' roster, Hossa was held scoreless in Game One and Game Two, as the Pens dug quite the formidable 0-2 hole. He found his way onto the ledger with two assists in an amazing Game Three 3-2 home victory in front of a red-clad Mark Madden. And he would score the only Pittsburgh goal in the 2-1 Game Four defeat.

With the Penguins just 35 seconds from elimination, Hossa set up Maxime Talbot for "The Goal I" in Game Five, the Instant Classic later won by Petr Sykora's "The Goal II" about ten hours later. And in the Game Six finale, despite scoring and assisting on the two Penguin goals, he will probably be remembered for the one that didn't go in with just seconds left.

With the season over, Hossa was free to pursue offers from all NHL teams. And with promises that he would play for a better team at a discounted rate, Pittsburghers kept up hope.

In June, Please Stay Hossa was introduced to the world, with the best of intentions. It was one of a number of grassroots attempts at getting the talented winger to reconsider a few more years in the land of Iron City and pierogis.

THE END IN PITTSBURGH

Once free agency was underway, Hossa floored even his agent by turning away a 7-year, $49 million dollar deal from the Penguins and a reported $70-$80 million deal from Edmonton in order to sign a one-year, $7.4 million deal with Detroit on July 2.

"I've said before, I want to have the best chance to win the Stanley Cup and I feel like Detroit is the team. It wasn't an easy decision. I knew I could have gotten more money somewhere else but I wanted the best chance to win the Stanley Cup and Detroit is the best destination," Hossa said in a conference call.

Let those be motivational words for Sidney Crosby and the 2008-09 Pittsburgh Penguins, noted ESPN 1250's Jim Colony at the time.

POST-PITTSBURGH CAREER

Not surprisingly, reaction to Hossa's signing with Detroit was not well-received in Pittsburgh. A few days after the move, Kiss 96 FM had video of Hossa jersey burnings, for those Yinzers who made the ultimate leap of faith and purchased a pricey sweater of the pending UFA.

More recently, the PG's Bob Smizik said that "'Knuckleheads' can't wait to boo 'traitor' Hossa," in an article comparing Pittsburgh (unfavorably) to Philadelphia. Ouch.

YOUR TURN

A poll gauging your memories of Marian Hossa should be rather spirited. At this point, the discussion is in your hands. Do you have mostly good or mostly bad memories of Marian Hossa as a Penguin? We're putting it to a poll, and there's no wiggle room: it's either a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down. What wins out: 12 goals and 14 assists in a Cup run, or the spurning of a $49 million offer to join what he thinks is a superior Detroit team?

Online Surveys & Market Research

Related:

The Legacy Of...Kordell Stewart

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AccuScore: Stanley Cup Keys to Victory

Wed, 21 May 2008 13:52:20 -0500

Who is better: Crosby/Malkin or Zetterberg/Datsyuk? Which hot performer has more value to his team: Hossa or Franzen? How much did the Penguins deadline deals improve their chances of winning the Stanley Cup? These are some of the questions that are answered in the AccuScore keys to victory preview.

How's the Trade Looking Right Now

Sun, 04 May 2008 17:23:33 -0500

I've heard this too many times after the trade deadline, "The Penguins over paid for Marian Hossa." I laughed then and laughing even harder now. Erik Christensen and Colby Armstrong are good young players and will be in the NHL for a long time. There 59 combined points on the season was two pieces the Penguins could afford to give up for Marian Hossa who had 66 points. Pascal Dupuis who was the...

Instant Gratification For Deadline Dealers

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 21:55:19 -0500

Every year it seems like most of the players moved at the trade deadline score in their debuts with their new clubs. This season has been no exception. Here's a breakdown of all the players who have gotten off to hot starts with their new clubs.

The worst display of acting by any athletes... Ever!

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 09:26:30 -0500

Throughout the history of sports athletes have made countless cameos on TV and in movies. Some are succesful, and lots are laughed at. Check out this car commercial staring a foursome from the Pittsburgh Penguins. It's so horrible that it's foolishly hilarious.

Top Fantasy Hockey Trade Deadline Deals

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 16:10:30 -0500

With the NHL trade deadline now in the books, everything is pretty much set and it is not hard to see which teams were buying and which were selling before the playoff push. FIO staff writer Tim Hays highlights some of the top deals made on Tuesday, and discusses their impacts in terms of both fantasy and NHL viewpoints.

"Hossa" That for a Trade!!

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:06:14 -0500

Ogre takes a look at the Hossa deal and it harkens back a memory or two.

Hossa Trade Has No Down Side

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 10:30:43 -0500

It seems there are two groups of Pittsburgh Penguins fans this morning: one whose members are drooling over the acquisition of Marian Hossa and one whose members are worrying about the assets traded to get Hossa. But, there really is no down side to this trade.

Reacting To The Marian Hossa Trade

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:19:27 -0500

Digging deep into the Marian Hossa to Pittsburgh trade. Did the Pens make the right move in bringing in Hossa or did GM Ray Shero overpay for a potential rental player? And what will we do without Colby?

Hossa Trade Analysis

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 19:51:00 -0500

Ray Shero and the Pittsburgh Penguins certainly surprised many of us with the last minute deal today, especially given the pre-trade day belief that the Penguins were not looking for a blockbuster deal. It would be hard to refute that snatching Marian Hossa, one of the league's top wingers, to play alongside one of the league's most talented centers is anything but a blockbuster deal. The Penguins also got left winger Pascal Dupuis in the deal that sent Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen, Angelo Esposito and a 1st round draft pick to Atlanta. But will it be a good trade? Have the Penguins given up too much for what some consider to be a short-term rental in Hossa? In June will it be viewed as a great trade, or a bust? ....click the link for the rest of the article....

Penguins Trade is Horrible.

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:05:39 -0500

Horrible Pittsburgh Penguins Trade. Why?? Well, let's get Sidney Crosby, one of the best performance cars in the world then take it away from him in two months. Hey Sid? How is the Filet Mignon? Great. Because it is back to eating ass steak next year.

Penguins Trade Crosby's Best Friend For Marian Hossa

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 15:01:48 -0500

Colby Armstrong and two more to Atlanta for Hossa. Live reaction now at faceoff factor.com